Tag Archives: film

Leonardo DiCaprio To Star In J. Edgar Hoover Biopic

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The movie, penned by ‘Milk’ screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, will be directed by Clint Eastwood. By Adam Rosenberg Leonardo DiCaprio Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images Leonardo DiCaprio is no stranger to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In “Catch Me If You Can” he was constantly one step ahead of the FBI as legendary scam artist Frank Abagnale Jr. He also earned the domestic intelligence agency’s attention as industrialist Howard Hughes in “The Aviator.” Now DiCaprio is set to lead the FBI, playing its very first director, J. Edgar Hoover. Deadline Hollywood reports that the “Shutter Island” star will take on the challenging task of bringing the controversial Hoover’s life to the big screen in a biopic to be directed by Clint Eastwood, who is also producing with Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment. The script comes from Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Milk.” Deadline further reports that the film is untitled, though IMDb identifies it simply as “Hoover.” A great deal of controversy surrounds the life of the FBI’s first director. Hoover served in a leadership role over the FBI and its precursor organizations for a total of 48 years. Although he is credited as being responsible for instituting many of the bureau’s grand-scale crime-fighting techniques, he has also been accused of misusing his power for political purposes and employing illegal methods in evidence-gathering. Following Hoover’s reign, the FBI instituted a 10-year maximum term for all directors. As for Hoover’s personal life, it is fraught with rumors that he was a closeted homosexual and cross-dresser. Many of these allegations come from untrustworthy sources and have been refuted, but it remains to be seen how Black chose to handle that aspect of the FBI director’s life in his script. DiCaprio teamed with filmmaker Martin Scorsese earlier in the year — their fourth collaboration — for an adaptation of the Dennis Lehane novel “Shutter Island.” The actor also has a major summer blockbuster coming next month, sci-fi action/thriller “Inception,” from “The Dark Knight” director Christopher Nolan. Eastwood has shifted in his later years from grizzled cowboy actor to respected filmmaker. He picked up Oscar nominations for “Mystic River” and “Letters From Iwo Jima,” and he took home Best Director and Best Picture awards in 2005 for “Million Dollar Baby,” a film for which he also received a Best Actor nom. Eastwood is set to release his latest directing effort, “Hereafter,” later this year. The Peter Morgan-penned supernatural thriller stars Matt Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard. “Hoover” is tentatively scheduled for a 2012 release. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos The Evolution Of: Leonardo DiCaprio

Read the original:
Leonardo DiCaprio To Star In J. Edgar Hoover Biopic

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Michael Fassbender Head of the Class?

Posted on June 18, 2010 by | Leave a comment

It looks like Michael Fassbender’s supervillain Sophie’s Choice might be easier than expected . While he’s still presumably on the shortlist to play the villain in Sony’s Spider-Man reboot, the German actor has been officially offered the role of Magneto in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class over at Twentieth Century Fox. If he accepts, Fassbender — next seen slicing throats in Centurion — would star alongside the previously announced James McAvoy, who plays Professor X in the film scheduled for release next summer. Marvel fatigue or not, that does sound pretty OK, right? [ Deadline ]

See original here:
Michael Fassbender Head of the Class?

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Hot Stuff, News

Tagged , , , , , , ,

‘Cyrus’: Bad Seed, By Kurt Loder

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Jonah Hill goes dark. Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei and John C. Reilly in “Cyrus” Photo: Fox Searchlight Jonah Hill has been a reliable comic presence in films for half a dozen years now. But in his Judd Apatow movies — especially “Superbad” — we began to see that he was capable of more than just roly-poly second-banana parts. So it’s been a pleasure to discover, in “Get Him to the Greek,” that Hill also has the makings of a convincing romantic lead; and now, in “Cyrus,” to find him at home in the darkly devious role of an overgrown mama’s boy from Hell. The picture is funny, but it has stalker-flick overtones that are unsettling, and the deft assurance with which Hill navigates its ambiguous narrative is impressive. The movie opens on John (John C. Reilly), an L.A. film editor and emotional basket case. He lives alone in a dreary apartment and has just learned from his ex-wife Jamie (Catherine Keener) that she’s getting married again. Jamie is still John’s best friend; she wants him to find a new love of his own, and she invites him to a party where there’ll be lots of possibilities. John gets loaded, though, and his come-ons to various women in attendance grow increasingly pathetic. (“I’m in a tailspin,” he tells one. “I have to make a phone call,” she says.) Then, however, he’s approached by Molly (Marisa Tomei), who’s been watching him and thinks he’s sweet. They go back to his place together. They go to bed. (“You’re a sex angel,” he says gratefully.) Come the dawn, though, she’s gone — although she has left behind an encouraging note. She returns the next night, and they have sex again — in fact, they’re falling in love. But once more she has to leave. “Are you a secret agent or something?” John asks. Molly is actually a single mom. And when John follows her back to her own apartment, he discovers that she lives with her son, Cyrus (Hill), who’s 21 years old, but still neurotically possessive about Molly, and, as we learn, dedicated to repelling any suitors. At first, Cyrus is oddly welcoming. (“It’s good to finally have a new dad,” he tells John.) Behind John’s back, though, this strange man-child is scheming to snuff out his mother’s kindling love affair. John is a little perplexed by Molly’s relationship with her son. They sing in the bathroom together while Molly’s taking a shower. They roll around in the park like a couple of tussling kids. Can John somehow insert himself between these codependent characters and win Molly for his own? Not if Cyrus has anything to say about it. Mumblecore kings Jay and Mark Duplass (“Baghead”) wrote and co-directed the movie, as is their usual practice. This time, though, they’ve been given a budget big enough to hire well-known actors. The picture still has the brothers’ familiar indie flourishes — sudden shaky camera zooms and an improvisational looseness — but the lead performers bring a professional heft to the picture that’s new to the Duplass oeuvre. The dialogue is sharply funny. (As his battle with Cyrus spins out of control, John hisses, “Do you know what it feels like to be knocked unconscious?”) But there are also moments that suggest the story could go in a chillier direction. (When John and Molly are about to have sex in the living room, they suddenly notice Cyrus sitting in the shadows, watching them. “Can I have a hug?” he asks.) For its first half, the film’s atmospheric uncertainty keeps us wondering which way it will go. The movie isn’t entirely successful — it’s sometimes too loose — but it’s an unusual ride. And like Cyrus, we keep holding on. Check out everything we’ve got on “Cyrus.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

View post:
‘Cyrus’: Bad Seed, By Kurt Loder

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

‘Jonah Hex’ Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Before heading off to the Wild West with Josh Brolin and Megan Fox, check in with our cheat sheet. By Eric Ditzian Megan Fox and Josh Brolin in “Jonah Hex” Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures The 2010 summer-movie season has given us swords-and-sandals epics, superhero melees and a cavalcade of 3-D animated blockbusters. What we haven’t yet seen is a straight-up western, partly because that gun-toting, tobacco-chewing genre has largely fallen out of favor in Hollywood. All that changes Friday (June 18), as “Jonah Hex” rides into theaters in a storm of CGI dust and supernatural-inspired storytelling. Josh Brolin stars as Hex himself, a facially scarred bounty hunter with a taste for bullets, broads and revenge. His adversary is John Malkovich’s Quentin Turnbull, who thinks it would be a good idea to unleash the fires of hell on the entire planet. Hex doesn’t think that’s such a swell idea, plus Turnbull’s the dude who killed his family and hot-branded his face, so a quest for vengeance sounds like a pretty good idea. Before you take your own quest to the cinema this weekend, be sure to check out MTV News’ cheat sheet: everything you need to know about “Jonah Hex.” Wrangling the Horses In the early 1970s, writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga created “Jonah” for DC Comics, and the surly antihero continues to appear within DC pages to this day. It wasn’t until summer 2007, though, that Warner Bros. began to ramp up plans to bring the character to the big screen. Brolin began circling the role of Jonah in late 2008 and stayed interested even as directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (“Crank”) parted ways with the production over creative differences. Why did Brolin stay on? “When I first read it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, it’s awful!’ ” Brolin told MTV News . “And then I had a moment a week later, and I thought, ‘Why is it awful? Maybe the thing to do is to do the most awful movie I can find.’ ” Malkovich found the movie in early ’09, followed shortly by Megan Fox as a Wild West prostitute named Lilah. In April, we got our first look at the Louisiana-based production, thanks to some rather revealing on-set pics of Fox . Not to be outdone by his sultry co-star, Brolin made his presence as Jonah known in June, when the first photos surfaced of the actor in full, facial prosthetics. Enter the Hex As the year pushed forward, we began to hear from almost everyone with a key role in the production. Brolin spoke glowingly of new director Jimmy Hayward (“Horton Hears a Who!”), Malkovich told us why he signed on for the role, and Fox said of the production , “I think it’s a really good interpretation of the comic. It somehow manages to be super-violent while still having a PG-13 rating. I don’t know how they did that.” Neither do we, but the whole thing seemed to be shaping up quite nicely. Comic-Con brought us the film’s first poster and fresh promo pics followed in the fall. Then trouble set in. Re-shoots kicked off in January of this year, intended to fix unspecified problems with the footage and to be overseen by “I Am Legend” director Francis Lawrence, who was hired as a consultant. And as the June release date approached, fans started to wonder when the first trailer would arrive. It finally appeared at the very end of April — and it looked fairly rad — but questions remained. Days before the trailer dropped, Brolin himself told us the film was very much in flux. “We’re still in the process of solidifying that tone,” he said. “There’s a lot of humor to use in this cut. We’ve been going, ‘How much humor do we use? Do we stay with the emotional line of the story? How can we release some of the exposition so we can just rely on the action?’ All this kind of sh–. We’re in the midst of it, man!” We’re Going Straight to the Wild Wild West From Will Smith and Escape Club songs to the decades’ worth of face-off-at-high-noon flicks, the Wild West has proved fertile creative ground across the pop-culture spectrum. It remains to be seen, however, if “Jonah” can overcome its troubled production history and win big at the box office. The sneak peeks certainly look good: there’s Jonah facing off against Turnbull ; Jonah and Lilah trying to get out of a jam and then showing off their shooting skills ; Jonah getting a little sensitive about his disfigured face; and Jonah riding a horse with a Gatling gun strapped to its side . So will fans come out in support of this latest comic book adaptation? Is there a chance there will be more cinematic “Jonah” coming down the line? Producers have certainly planned for that possibility. “They leave it open for a sequel,” Fox told us . “They tweaked the script so there might be a sequel if necessary.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Jonah Hex.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Megan Fox In ‘Jonah Hex’ Exclusive ‘Jonah Hex’ Clip Related Photos ‘Jonah Hex’

Continue reading here:
‘Jonah Hex’ Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

‘Jonah Hex’: Dead Man Walking, By Kurt Loder

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The venerable comic-book cowboy comes to life … sort of. Josh Brolin in “Jonah Hex” Photo: Warner Bros. “Jonah Hex” is about as anti- as a hero can get. It’s not just his chewed-up cowboy hat, his bullet-riddled duster and his perma-surly disposition. It’s the melted skin running down one side of his face and the ugly hole torn in the flesh next to his mouth (which makes whiskey-drinking a messy enterprise, but not — as we see just before he shoots up a barroom full of bad guys — an impossible one). In cooking down 38 years’ worth of DC comics for “Jonah Hex,” the new movie, director Jimmy Hayward and his writers have produced a lumpy soup of western action and supernatural shenanigans, heavily spiced with narrative confusion. The story leaps back and forth in time, and while the picture is sometimes funny, possibly intentionally, at some points it’s anybody’s guess what’s going on. In playing Jonah, Josh Brolin is stuck with a character whose facial constriction reduces him to little more than a walking bad attitude — he’s like Clint Eastwood’s old Man with No Name in the Sergio Leone westerns but without the warmth. The time is just after the Civil War (at least when it’s not during the Civil War). We learn that Jonah was framed for the betrayal of his Confederate battle unit, which resulted in the death of his friend, Jeb Turnbull (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Jeb’s demented father, Quentin (John Malkovich in full cuckoo mode), retaliated by killing Jonah’s wife and son, and disfiguring his face with a red-hot branding iron. Now (or sometimes now) Jonah roams the West as a bad-ass bounty hunter, his only love connection a beautiful whore named Lilah (Megan Fox). When Ulysses S. Grant (Aidan Quinn), president of the newly reunited States, learns that Turnbull is creating a “super-weapon” that will be a “nation-killer,” he recruits Jonah to stop him. Our battered hero is well-equipped to do so. After a close call with death some years back, Jonah was left with one foot in the spirit world; and so while he spends much of the movie being shot and beaten, he appears to be unkillable. He’s attended by a pack of hellhounds (“I wouldn’t try to pet ’em if I was you”) and has the useful gift of bringing dead men back to life with a touch of his hand. (“I’m sorry I killed you,” he tells one corpse, after raising him from the grave. Says the dead guy: “I’d better be getting back under ground.”) Jonah also has a taste for esoteric weaponry — saddle-mounted Gatling guns, dynamite-firing crossbow pistols — and a talent for dodging bullets by simply leaning back a bit to let them fly by (past our madly rolling eyes). The lovely Lilah is no slouch in the slick department, either: When she and Jonah are handcuffed to an overhead rod, the cuffs suddenly snap free, and she brandishes a lock pick. “My mama didn’t raise no fool,” she says. (To which we reply, “What the hell … ?”) Despite the picture’s wall-to-wall uproar — train-jackings, bullet storms, incessant detonations — there’s little excitement to it. The action is furious from the outset and remains at that level throughout, increasingly diluting its intended effect. And the dialogue, which I take to be satirical, never quite meshes with the film’s heavy violence. Like its half-dead protagonist, the movie never comes completely alive. Check out everything we’ve got on “Jonah Hex.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Videos Exclusive ‘Jonah Hex’ Clip MTV Rough Cut: Megan Fox In ‘Jonah Hex’ Related Photos ‘Jonah Hex’

Read more here:
‘Jonah Hex’: Dead Man Walking, By Kurt Loder

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

MJ Memorabilia Company — Majorly T’d Off

Posted on June 17, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Filed under: Michael Jackson , Celebrity Justice , Budweiser Select 55 Michael Jackson ‘s likeness is at the center of a serious turf war — and now an official MJ merchandising company is trying to squash a website for getting all up in their t-shirt bidness. Bravado International — which was empowered by the MJ estate… Read more

Continued here:
MJ Memorabilia Company — Majorly T’d Off

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Sports, TV

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

‘Karate Kid’ Reboot Has ‘A Different Vibe,’ Ralph Macchio Says

Posted on June 17, 2010 by | Leave a comment

‘They are two different movies with the same story,’ he tells MTV News. By Susannah Gora Ralph Macchio in “The Karate Kid” Photo: Columbia Pictures Thanks to Ralph Macchio , many of us who came of age in the 1980s spent our formative years perfecting our “standing crane” karate technique on the beach, trying to catch flies with chopsticks or searching fruitlessly for a shower-curtain Halloween costume. Macchio’s endearing, uplifting and now-iconic portrayal of Daniel LaRusso, the titular character in 1984’s “The Karate Kid,” helped the film achieve massive commercial success (it grossed more than $90 million in an era when that really meant something and spawned three sequels) and critical respect. The original franchise was a tough act to follow, and yet, Columbia Pictures did just that, with a reboot starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan that debuted at #1 at the box office last week. After attending the remake’s premiere, Macchio said the new film “has a very different vibe.” Indeed, the action has shifted from Southern California to Beijing, the protagonist is a preteen and, uh, nobody’s doing karate (the remake centers on kung fu instead).”It is bigger, the fighting’s more intense, and the landscape is international. It is well-done and effective, as they have stuck to the original’s story points. … They are two different movies with the same story.” He also said Smith and Chan have a nice connection onscreen: “Jaden and Jackie have strong chemistry, which is important.” And what of the fact that the remake focuses on a different martial art altogether? “It’s all kung fu, so the decision to call it ‘The Karate Kid’ is clearly a studio, show-business decision.” Macchio is getting a lot of attention these days from a self-mocking Funny or Die video called “Wax On, F— Off.” The clip is a trailer for a faux documentary, in which the sweet, mild-mannered Macchio tries to jumpstart his career by acting like a bad boy — or his version of it. Featuring cameos from the likes of Molly Ringwald (who deadpans, “He tried to get into the Brat Pack, but he wanted to change the name to the Smile Bunch”), the video “takes shots at me,” Macchio said. “My nice-guy persona, my legacy and youthful-ish looks, and it also comments on scandal and the media.” One image in the video — when Macchio stands in front of the poster of the “Karate Kid” remake and tries, unsuccessfully, to do a karate kick — is both funny and bittersweet. “What makes ‘Karate Kid’ such a timeless story is the relatable human element,” Macchio said of the 1984 film. “We’ve all been the kid attempting to navigate through adolescence and looking for guidance. Having the mentor to help see you through is something we all yearn for when faced with obstacles. Young or old, generations have embraced Daniel and Miyagi — those characters have become a part of everyone’s lives growing up. It’s a privilege to be a part of that magic. Regardless of the success of this remake, the soul, magic and legacy of our original film will always stand.” Susannah Gora is the author of “You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, And Their Impact on a Generation.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Karate Kid.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos ‘Karate Kid’ Premieres In Los Angeles

Visit link:
‘Karate Kid’ Reboot Has ‘A Different Vibe,’ Ralph Macchio Says

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Sports, TV

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

‘Karate Kid’ Reboot Has ‘A Different Vibe,’ Ralph Macchio Says

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘They are two different movies with the same story,’ he tells MTV News. By Susannah Gora Ralph Macchio in “The Karate Kid” Photo: Columbia Pictures Thanks to Ralph Macchio , many of us who came of age in the 1980s spent our formative years perfecting our “standing crane” karate technique on the beach, trying to catch flies with chopsticks or searching fruitlessly for a shower-curtain Halloween costume. Macchio’s endearing, uplifting and now-iconic portrayal of Daniel LaRusso, the titular character in 1984’s “The Karate Kid,” helped the film achieve massive commercial success (it grossed more than $90 million in an era when that really meant something and spawned three sequels) and critical respect. The original franchise was a tough act to follow, and yet, Columbia Pictures did just that, with a reboot starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan that debuted at #1 at the box office last week. After attending the remake’s premiere, Macchio said the new film “has a very different vibe.” Indeed, the action has shifted from Southern California to Beijing, the protagonist is a preteen and, uh, nobody’s doing karate (the remake centers on kung fu instead).”It is bigger, the fighting’s more intense, and the landscape is international. It is well-done and effective, as they have stuck to the original’s story points. … They are two different movies with the same story.” He also said Smith and Chan have a nice connection onscreen: “Jaden and Jackie have strong chemistry, which is important.” And what of the fact that the remake focuses on a different martial art altogether? “It’s all kung fu, so the decision to call it ‘The Karate Kid’ is clearly a studio, show-business decision.” Macchio is getting a lot of attention these days from a self-mocking Funny or Die video called “Wax On, F— Off.” The clip is a trailer for a faux documentary, in which the sweet, mild-mannered Macchio tries to jumpstart his career by acting like a bad boy — or his version of it. Featuring cameos from the likes of Molly Ringwald (who deadpans, “He tried to get into the Brat Pack, but he wanted to change the name to the Smile Bunch”), the video “takes shots at me,” Macchio said. “My nice-guy persona, my legacy and youthful-ish looks, and it also comments on scandal and the media.” One image in the video — when Macchio stands in front of the poster of the “Karate Kid” remake and tries, unsuccessfully, to do a karate kick — is both funny and bittersweet. “What makes ‘Karate Kid’ such a timeless story is the relatable human element,” Macchio said of the 1984 film. “We’ve all been the kid attempting to navigate through adolescence and looking for guidance. Having the mentor to help see you through is something we all yearn for when faced with obstacles. Young or old, generations have embraced Daniel and Miyagi — those characters have become a part of everyone’s lives growing up. It’s a privilege to be a part of that magic. Regardless of the success of this remake, the soul, magic and legacy of our original film will always stand.” Susannah Gora is the author of “You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, And Their Impact on a Generation.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Karate Kid.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos ‘Karate Kid’ Premieres In Los Angeles

See the article here:
‘Karate Kid’ Reboot Has ‘A Different Vibe,’ Ralph Macchio Says

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

‘Abduction’ Adds Maria Bello, Jason Isaacs To Cast

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Taylor Lautner-starring flick starts shooting in July. By Adam Rosenberg Maria Bello Photo: MTV News If you’re going to be abducted and raised by a new set of parents, you could certainly do a lot worse than Maria Bello and Jason Isaacs. The duo have been cast as the not-parents of Taylor Lautner in the John Singleton-directed thriller “Abduction,” according to Deadline New York . The story follows Lautner’s character as he sets out to learn who he really is after he finds his baby picture posted on a missing-persons website. The newly hired actors join an already-sizable cast that includes Sigourney Weaver, Alfred Molina, Lily Collins, Denzel Whitaker, Michael Nyqvist and, of course, “Twilight” heartthrob Lautner . With these last major roles squared away, production on the film is set to begin on July 12 in Pittsburgh. Bello is one of the stars in the ensemble comedy “Grown Ups,” out June 25, which features Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek and Maya Rudolph. She’ll also star with “New Moon” vampire Michael Sheen in “Beautiful Boy,” which has an unspecified 2010 release. Isaacs, who is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the villainous Lucius Malfoy in the “Harry Potter” series, will star in the new Fox legal drama “Pleading Guilty” this fall. He and the rest of the “Potter” cast just wrapped production on the two-part series closer, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” Those movies hit theaters on November 19, 2010, and July 15, 2011. Lautner will shoot “Abduction” before joining his fellow “Twilight” cast members in the fall for filming on “Breaking Dawn,” which like “Deathly Hallows,” will be released in two parts. “Eclipse,” the third movie in Stephenie Meyer’s vampire romance series, arrives in theaters on June 30. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

Read more:
‘Abduction’ Adds Maria Bello, Jason Isaacs To Cast

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

‘Eclipse’ Soundtrack Debuts At #2 — Should Fans Worry?

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

We take a look at what that album sales mean for the latest ‘Twilight’ film’s box-office numbers. By Eric Ditzian “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” soundtrack Photo: Atlantic When it was released in November 2008, the “Twilight” soundtrack shot straight to the top of the Billboard albums charts, and by the end of the month, the first of the vampire franchise flicks had opened at #1 on its way to $193 million in box-office receipts. A year later, in its first full week out, the “New Moon” disc also topped the charts, warming up fans’ ears and wallets before the film started its climb toward $297 million in total ticket sales. Now the “Eclipse” soundtrack has dropped, and its opening-week numbers — 144,000 albums sold, good for Billboard ‘s #2 slot on next week’s chart — represent the weakest debut yet for the franchise’s albums. Is it time to panic? Might this be the first glimpse of the decline of “Twilight”? Hardly. “I don’t think the drop-off is anything to be freaked out about,” said Keith Caulfield, senior chart manager/analyst for Billboard. “I wouldn’t pin it on just one thing. You can chalk it up a bit to album sales declining in general. And it’s not surprising that part three sells what it sells in its first week, because as with anything, especially continuing movie franchises or TV series franchises, the interest begins to wane a little as the excitement and the newness dissipates a bit.” Yet it’s important to note that with the first two films, album sales and box-office numbers had an inverse relationship. The “Twilight” disc boasts 2.6 million in total sales and “New Moon” ultimately moved 1.1 million discs, while “New Moon” out-grossed its predecessor by $104 million. Further explaining the disparity in album sales is that, unlike the first soundtrack, the “New Moon” disc didn’t boast a tune by star Robert Pattinson on its track listing (nor does the “Eclipse” album). Of course, RPattz’s smoldering mug is all over the films. The point is, while there is a relationship between album and ticket sales, the two do not move in lockstep. “A not-perfect comparison would be when people discuss the ratings of ‘American Idol’ to how well Lee DeWyze or Crystal Bowersox are going to do [selling albums],” Caulfield noted. “The TV show exists in a different world from the artists and their music. If 20 million people tune in to vote each week, not very many of them are actually buying anything. It’s the same thing with ‘Twilight.’ Some people find the music perfectly pleasant in the film, but they’re not going to be moved to actually purchase the album for whatever reason.” What they will be moved to do is continue to the support the film franchise — “New Moon” swept the fan-voted MTV Movie Awards this month — and buy oodles of theater tickets. “New Moon” is the top-selling pre-release title in the 10-year history of ticketing site Fandango, and there’s no reason to expect “Eclipse” to suffer a dramatic drop-off (pre-sale numbers for the film are not yet available). After the film premieres, there may even be an uptick in “Eclipse” music sales. Following the November release of “New Moon,” Billboard noticed an increase in sales related to interest in the Lykke Li track, “Possibility,” which was featured during a key montage in the film and made the Oscar Best Original Song shortlist in December. “That song really resonated with people, and they wanted to get the album partially for that song,” Caulfield said. Come the June 30 premiere of “Eclipse,” the soundtrack might benefit from similar, experience-based fan curiosity. ” ‘Twilight’ has done a really great job of curating the music on the albums, because it so complements the intention of the films and the author’s intent,” Caulfield said. “People who are interested in ‘Twilight’ are especially interested in the music because it’s all part of one big story.” Have you bought the “Eclipse” soundtrack? How does it compare to the first two? Share your thoughts in the comments. We’ll be

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , ,