It’s the second Monday in October and you know what that means — it’s Columbus Day, the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s 1492 arrival in the Americas. But let’s not forget, approximately 500 years after the Italian explorer set foot in the New World, a young filmmaker also named Christopher Columbus pioneered a new world of family comedy with hits like The Goonies , Home Alone , Mrs. Doubtfire and the Harry Potter franchise. In honor of today’s holiday, Movieline wonders which Christopher Columbus had the bigger impact on cinema — the navigator who brought attention to the mass of land that would eventually encompass the U.S. center of filmmaking and provide setting for millions of films — or the filmmaker who established some of our most nostalgic family films ( Adventures in Babysitting included) as well as three Harry Potter movies. Let’s investigate below!
Years before Guillermo del Toro made a name for himself with dark box office hits like Blade II , Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy , Miramax gave the director a $30 million budget to film the insect horror film Mimic . At the time of its 1997 release, del Toro distanced himself from the studio-manipulated sci-fi flick — about a killer strain of bugs created by a well-meaning entomologist (Mira Sorvino) — but on September 27, Lionsgate releases a director’s cut Blu-ray of which del Toro finally approves. Ahead, find an exclusive clip from one of the Blu-ray’s new features in which the director discusses how he made Mimic an ‘A-Movie.’
MGM’ s remake of Red Dawn has been languishing on the shelf for ages now, seeking a new home — and it looks like it found one in FilmDistrict, who is reportedly making a deal to release the film. The action pic, which cast up-and-comers like Chris Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas, Adrienne Palicki, and Josh Hutcherson before theirs stars began rising in the last few years, will likely hit theaters in 2012 featuring the altered plotline involving evil North Korean invaders. [ LA Times ]
Have you been on the lookout for a living, breathing Harry Potter cast member to call your own? If so, you’re in luck because an adorable actor who appeared onscreen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is looking for a new home. Hint: It’s not Daniel Radcliffe.
In this ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Blu-ray exclusive, Radcliffe says literary beginnings set ‘Potter’ apart from other film franchises. By Eric Ditzian Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” Photo: Warner Bros. He’s the Boy Who Lived. And lived. And lived. The “Harry Potter” film franchise has come to a close — taking with it $1.3 billion and counting at the international box office for the final part of “Deathly Hallows” — but the bespectacled wizard and his friends and foes are neither gone nor forgotten. There are still Blu-rays to nab, fresh footage to consume and things to learn about the series. In an exclusive clip from the upcoming Blu-ray release of “Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” which Warner Bros. just announced will be hitting shelves November 11, Daniel Radcliffe pointed out how J.K. Rowling’s book series has given rise to an entire new generation of young people with a love of literature — something other big franchises cannot claim. “I always think that that’s one of the wonderful things about ‘Potter’ and the ‘Potter’ fanbase,” Radcliffe says. “If you think about the other big costume-wearing [franchises] that go with it, things like ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Star Trek,’ with ‘Potter,’ because it started off as a literary thing, has created a generation of the same kind of mentality … with an appetite for reading and literature, which is kind of amazing.” Radcliffe’s comments are included in a special Blu-ray featurette presenting a never-before-seen conversation between the actor and Rowling herself. That’s one extra on the new release, in addition to behind-the-scenes footage and a preview of Pottermore, Rowling’s online “Harry Potter” experience . Start your pre-ordering now! Because 10 years into the franchise’s run, fans still can’t get enough of all things “Potter.” Neither can Radcliffe, not even when the franchise intrudes into his post-“Potter” career , as it did at the end of a performance of his Broadway musical, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” “Somebody shouted, ‘You’re a wizard, Harry!’ [during the end of a ‘How to Succeed’ performance], and I just went, in a way, ‘I’m kind of annoyed at you right now, but on the other hand, you’ve done quite well to restrain yourself for two and a half hours and not shout that in the middle of the show,’ so I kind of have to be grateful,” Radcliffe told us this past spring. Check out everything we’ve got on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos Celebrate ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ On Blu-Ray Related Photos ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Brings The Magic To New York Premiere
With the summer behind us and the much-anticipated fall films just around the corner, our friends at Movie Fanatic ask: What are the year’s 10 best right now? The films of fall often take over and dominate year-end lists such as this, so many of the pictures listed below may be absent from the Best of 2011 altogether. But hey, you never know, and some of these were pretty darn good. Do you agree? Check out Movie Fanatic’s 10 best films of 2011 to date and weigh in … Final Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Trailer Hanna Beginners The Help Bridesmaids Jane Eyre Midnight in Paris Tie: African Cats and Born to be Wild The Debt Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Super 8 Nodding in approval? Shaking your head in disbelief? Wondering what the heck some of these even are? Head on over to Movie Fanatic and speak your mind!
Attention, Harry Potter fans: J.K. Rowling’s latest chapter in this iconic saga is open for business. But not for everyone. The handful of fortunate fans who received early access to the Beta version of this interactive website can now cycle through it. They’re encouraged to share their thoughts on the “different elements” of the creation and to recommend improvements, as all will be welcomed to the site in October. What does it look like at the moment? How can you register in the fall? Visit Pottermore right now and find out!
Also in this Thursday edition of The Broadsheet: Mark Wahlberg could pick up Two Guns … there’s actually a congressman who thinks Kathryn Bigelow got classified information for her Osama bin Laden film… Morgan Freeman, outcast magician… and more ahead.
Even Angelina Jolie can’t do it all. Between acting, directing, raising six kids and saving the world, she’s got a lot on her plate. As she gets older, the 36-year-old knows something has to give. What she’s likely to give up first is an easy call . The Oscar winner, whose directorial debut is in post-production, and who will be starring in a remake of the Elizabeth Taylor film Cleopatra , said: “As Brad and I get older we’re going to do fewer films. I’ve been working a long time, he’s been working a long time. We’ve had a nice run and don’t want to be doing this indefinitely, our whole lives. There are a lot of other things to do.” “You’re drawn to certain roles because they question something about life, about love, about freedom. You ask these questions as you grow up: am I strong enough, am I sane enough? Do I understand love, do I understand myself?” Jolie continues, “I’m older and I know who I am … and I’m less interested in the character helping me answer something … than in being able to answer it for myself, as a woman, as an adult, with my family.” For Angelina, answers that she once sought to find from her characters can now be found as she travels the world, taking her adopted children to their home countries and doing massive amounts of charity work. Of course, Jolie has said that same exact thing a number of times previously; she first mentioned it in 2006, and then again in 2008. Think she’ll really pull herself away?
It was a strong weekend for unusual creatures this weekend: The Smurfs tied with Cowboys & Aliens for first at the box office. Both films earned $36.2 million. Cowboys & Aliens Trailer Despite the deadlock, Cowboys & Aliens comes out as a loser. Considering the star power involved and the budget ($163 million), expectations were high for the Jon Favreu-directed thriller. Instead, it barely made half of what the top superhero-based flicks of the summer took home in their first weekend. A look at the top five: The Smurfs : $36.2 million Cowboys & Aliens : $36.2 million Captain America: The First Avenger : $24.9 million Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 : $21.9 million Crazy, Stupid Love : $19.3 million
