And… we have a new box office champion. The Avengers earned a mind-boggling $200.3 million on Friday and Saturday, blowing past Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ($169.2 million) for the biggest opening weekend in Hollywood history. The Avengers Super Bowl Commercial Backed by incredibly positive reviews – as well as successful quasi prequels such as Iron Man and last summer’s Captain America – The Avengers raked in $80.5 million on Friday and is on pace for a record Sunday, as well. “It’s not playing like just a superhero film,” says Dave Hollis, Disney’s executive vice president of distribution. “It’s playing like a huge, accessible-to-everyone, all-quadrant picture.” The film currently has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, an A+ from CineScore and is already ranked number-31 on IMDb’s user-ranked Top 250 Movies list. Here is your look at the top five films from the weekend: The Avengers : $200.3 million Think Like a Man : $8.0 million The Hunger Games : $5.7 million The Lucky One : $5.5 million The Pirates! Band of Misfits : $5.4 million
Roughly two weeks after Gary Ross’s departure from and Francis Lawrence’s rumored attachment to Catching Fire , Lionsgate has officially announced Lawrence as its man to direct its mega-anticipated Hunger Games sequel . “From the very beginning of this brilliant trilogy’s journey from page to screen, our first priority has been to stay true to the heart and soul of Suzanne Collins’ powerful stories,” producer Nina Jacobson said in a statement just over the transom at Movieline HQ. “From my first conversation with Francis, I knew he would make a great partner for both me and Suzanne. His passion for Catching Fire and inspired ideas for a faithful adaptation make him the perfect director for this movie. I know this will be a wonderful collaboration and I cannot wait to get started.” Added Lawrence: “It is truly an honor and a privilege to bring Catching Fire , the second chapter of Suzanne’s beloved trilogy, to the big screen. I fell in love with the characters, the themes and the world she created and this chapter opens all of these elements up in such a thrilling, emotional and surprising way. I can’t wait to dive right into it and bring this chapter to life along with the truly superb cast and filmmakers involved.” Mazel tov! And get to work : Catching Fire opens November 22, 2013. [Photo: Getty Images]
A ‘lost’ 1995 interview with late Apple guru Steve Jobs and the expected $100M opener of Avengers are among Wednesday afternoon’s round up of news in Biz Breaks. Also, Disney ‘s former chief Michael Eisner is raising big cash for a new venture, Gary Ross is in talks for Houdini and more. Magnolia Nabs Rights to Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview Robert Cringely filmed the candid, in-depth interview with Jobs in 1995, Jobs discusses at length his early days, career battles, and vision for the future. Small portions of the piece were used for a television series at the time, but the vast majority was shelved, and for 17 years thought to be lost. Recently unearthed, it is being presented in its unedited entirety. Magnolia will open the film theatrically May 11th with DVD and VOD to follow this summer. From around the ‘net… This Weekend’s $100M Opening? Disney’s release of Marvel’s The Avengers is poised for a $100 million plus opening weekend boosted by IMAX, which is already contributing big time to the film’s overseas numbers. But only 20 films have ever opened to more than $100 million in North America. Hollywood.com takes a look . Michael Eisner Raising $800M for Launch Film/TV Company The former Disney chief has been focused on producing digital content through Tornante. Eisner has not, however, reentered the business of making movies or full length television series for distribution over broadcast or cable after leaving Disney in 2005, CNBC reports . Hunger Games Director Gary Ross Appears Before Houdini With The Hunger Games cashing in, Gary Ross is in talks to direct Summit’s Houdini . The project is an adaptation of The Secret Life of Houdini, The Making of America’s First Superhero , a biography of Harry Houdini by William Kalush and Larry Sloman, THR reports . Sharlto Copley Set for Open Grave and Spike Lee’s Oldboy Copley will head off to Hungary to begin shooting on Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego’s Open Grave and will play the villain in Lee’s Oldboy , a remake of the 2003 revenge thriller by Park Chan-wook, Deadline reports . DC Entertainment to Offer Readers 6 New Titles Among the six titles appearing at comic shops Wednesday is a contemporary take on its vintage war comic, G.I. Combat , A.P. reports .
Wednesday morning’s news roundup includes a fire at Tyler Perry’s studios in Atlanta, an AMPAS celebration for Gene Kelly’s centennial and a rare screening of the first Oscar-winner, Wings . The Hunger Games partners form a new label, Fandor plans a new indie news site and Justin Bieber’s manager joins a doc spotlighting America’s school dropout crisis. First Oscar Winner Wings Set for Screenings A restored version of the 1927 World War I drama Wings , the first film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, is set to hit screens for a rare presentation, exhibitor Cinemark Holdings said. Produced by Paramount for an whopping $2 million, the film explores the devastating effects of war through the story of two men who go off to battle and the woman they both leave behind. This historic piece of cinema stars Clara Bow, Charles “Buddy” Rogers and Richard Arlen, and also features Gary Cooper in one of his first feature film roles. A fully restored version of the feature will be presented May 2 and 16 at select Cinemark locations . Academy to Fete Gene Kelly The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a two-night celebration of the life and career of dancer, director and choreographer Gene Kelly on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Film clips, personal remembrances and an exploration of the technology Kelly used to change the look of dance on film will be featured May 17 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, and Friday, May 18 at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Both programs will be hosted by Kelly’s widow, film historian Patricia Ward Kelly. Around the ‘net… Tyler Perry’s Atlanta Studios Catch Fire A 4-alarm fire broke out at 9pm last night at Tyler Perry Studios, AP reported Tuesday night. The complex includes a 200,000 square-foot studio and other buildings. No injuries were reported. Justin Bieber’s Manager Boards Doc About Public School Dropout Crisis Scott ‘Scooter’ Braun, who manages an array of musical acts including Justin Bieber, will produce director Adam McKay’s look at the scourge of American school dropouts, Deadline reports . Hunger Games ‘ Joe Drake Partners on New Film Label Longtime partners Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane have launched a new full-service motion picture financing, production and global sales company, Good Universe. It will kick off its upcoming slate with films in Cannes, Deadline reports . Mad Men Actress Climbs Kilimanjaro Actress Abigail Spencer will star opposite actor Brian Geraghty ( Hurt Locker ) in indie drama Kilimanjaro , which will be directed by Walter Strafford. The story revolves around Geraghty’s character who dreams of climbing the mountain, Africa’s highest. THR reports . Fandor Launches Digital Film Magazine Keyframe Online film service Fandor is backing a new site dubbed Keyframe , which will “provide in-depth coverage of the art, craft and business of the film world.” San Francisco-based Susie Gerhard will serve as editor-in-chief. She formally headed website SF360, initiated by Indiewire and the San Francisco Film Society, Market Watch reports .
Josh Hutcherson is no longer hungering for a girlfriend. Why? Because he’s reportedly playing the game of love with Ariana Grande! An insider tells Life & Style that the actor is romantically involved with Victorious star Ariana Grande. She plays Cat Valentine on that Nickelodeon sitcom. “They’ve been seeing each other since the beginning of the year,” a source tells the tabloid, adding that Grande even attended the Los Angeles premiere of The Hunger Games with her man, but didn’t walk down the red carpet because “they’ve been trying to keep it low-profile.” Hutcherson previously dated Vanessa Hudgens .
‘I was walking into this as a complete amateur,’ singer reveals in ‘MTV First: Battleship.’ By Fallon Prinzivalli, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Rihanna Photo: MTV News As Rihanna begins her foray into the film industry, she’s quickly becoming the queen of pop culture. She’s a musical icon with millions of fans who worship her singing abilities and can’t wait to see her acting debut in Peter Berg’s “Battleship.” But her devotees aren’t the only ones itching to see what the musician has up her sleeve. During “MTV First: Battleship,” her co-star Taylor Kitsch said he was excited to see her take on the role. “Yeah, there’s an excitement behind [working with Rihanna]. I was excited to see what you were going to do with [the part],” Kitsch said to the singer. Rihanna chimed in, “I’ll answer this, because it’s probably uncomfortable for them to say no, but I was the one that was intimidated.” Wait, what? It’s hard to imagine the singer intimidated by anything. With songs like “Rockstar 101” and “Who’s That Chick?” and equally fiery music videos, Rihanna gives off a fierce persona and owns any project that comes her way. But she revealed that despite her ever-present nerves, she learned from the cast — particularly Kitsch , who offered advice as they worked on scenes. “You know, we have a mutual respect for each other’s industry,” she said. “I was walking into this as an amateur — a complete amateur. I didn’t know anything and I had a good team to learn from. I watched them, and especially Taylor, ’cause we did a lot of scenes together and he would always offer me advice.” And as for Alexander Skarsg
Leading the pack with eight nominations, the Gary Ross-directed film could replace ‘Twilight’ as the film to beat. By Fallon Prinzivalli Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate As “The Hunger Games” continues to dominate the worldwide box office, the announcement came Monday that the film is nominated for eight MTV Movie Awards . It leads the list with the most nominations alongside Kristen Wiig’s Oscar-nominated comedy, “Bridesmaids.” “The Hunger Games,” the first of three (possibly four) films adapted from Suzanne Collins’ dystopian saga, is on course to break $400 million in earnings domestically . With break-out performances by the cast, it’s no surprise that they’re contenders for an array of categories. Entering their first ever MTV Movie Awards, Jennifer Lawrence and company are up for Movie of the Year, Best Cast, Best Female Performance (Lawrence), Best Male Performance ( Josh Hutcherson ), Breakthrough Performance ( “Liam Hemsworth ), Best On-Screen Transformation ( Elizabeth Banks ), Best Fight (Lawrence and Hutcherson vs. Alexander Ludwig ), and Best Kiss (Lawrence and Hutcherson). The fan-favorite category of Best Kiss has Lawrence and Hutcherson up against their biggest competition: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, and Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. With “Twilight” gracing fewer categories, there’s a good chance Twihards will be out for blood, vigorously voting for their beloved vampires to make sure they take home the golden popcorn for every nomination. Plus, Robsten has been the reigning champion for the past three years, always teasing that kiss the fans are hoping will finally happen this year. And as this is the last chance for Watson and Grint to nab the award, we may see the Potterheads’ determination win out in the end. This award is anyone’s guess, but if we take a look at the figures, “Hunger Games” already has a promising start. As the premiere film in a franchise first made popular by the books, its opening weekend saw bigger numbers than both the first “Twilight” and “Harry Potter” films. We may be on the verge of a new era where fanged teeth and wands are out and bow and arrows are in. Will we see the same numbers when it comes down to the ultimate award: Movie of the Year? Not only is “Hunger Games” battling it out again with “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part 2,” but the category also features two Oscar-nominated films, “The Help” and “Bridesmaids.” Katniss and company are going to need to break out more than a few snares to dominate this one. It’s a good thing they already have a big army of fans on their side. With all the money “Hunger Games” enthusiasts have been pouring into its box-office reign lately, it’s safe to assume their dedication to will bode well for the actors who play our favorite citizens of Panem. It’s anyone’s year, but the odds are definitely in its favor. Do you think “The Hunger Games” will reign at the MTV Movie Awards, or will “Twilight” hold on to the crown? Leave your comment below! Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. Related Videos MTV Movie Awards Madness Starts Now! Related Photos 2012 MTV Movie Award Nominees
‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2,’ with six nominations, is up against ‘Twilight’ and ‘Hunger Games’ for Movie of the Year. By Josh Wigler Daniel Radcliffe in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” Photo: Warner Bros. “The Boy Who Lived, come to thrive?” That could well be the case at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards . Just as Harry Potter bravely walked through the Forbidden Forest to meet his maker at Voldemort’s hands, so too does Team Potter approach its final chance at Golden Popcorn glory come the June 3 broadcast. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” the eighth and last film in the Warner Bros. fantasy series, has scored six nominations, including nods for Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, a Best Kiss nomination for Watson and Rupert Grint, and a coveted shot at Movie of the Year. Will this be the year “Potter” finally brings that top award home? With a big target out of the way, it just might be. For years at the Movie Awards, magic has succumbed to bloodsucking in the battle between “Potter” and “Twilight.” But with “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” netting only two nominations this year — one for Movie of the Year, another for Best Kiss — the path is considerably clearer for the boy wizard and his companions to make a run at the six awards for which it’s nominated. With a reduced “Twilight” presence at this year’s show, perhaps the odds are in Harry’s favor, to borrow a phrase from another fan-backed franchise. Then again, besting that franchise — “The Hunger Games,” if you’re one of two people who didn’t catch the reference — could prove trickier than destroying one of He Who Must Not Be Named’s Horcruxes for “Potter” fans. Breaking past $600 million at the global box office, “Hunger Games” brings both commercial and critical firepower to this particular race, leading the Movie Awards nominations with eight. The Jennifer Lawrence-led film managed second place during the MTV Movie Brawl 2012, scoring 1.7 million votes. “Potter” wasn’t eligible for that competition, of course, but it’s no slouch in the tournament department: Last year,
‘Hunger Games,’ ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘Harry Potter’ run away with this year’s noms — don’t miss the show Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on MTV! By Kara Warner Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson in “Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate Who’s already excited for the 2012 MTV Movie Awards ? We’ve already announced that chart-topping indie-pop group Fun. will rock the Movie Awards stage with a performance toasting the greatest party films of all time, plus the addition of five excellent and intriguing new categories: Best Music, Best On-Screen Transformation, Best Gut-Wrenching Performance, Best Cast and Best On-Screen Dirtbag. What more could you ask for? How about the list of this year’s lucky nominees who will by battling it out for the coveted Golden Popcorn trophy live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday, June 3? Fan voting opens in all categories Tuesday at 8 a.m. Here they are, in all their eclectic, well-deserved glory: the 2012 MTV Movie Award Nominees! Movie of the Year
The last weekend before summer blockbuster madness ensues proved to be a wrenching one for Hollywood, which watched as four new openings stumbled out of the gate behind tested literary thoroughbreds Think Like a Man and The Lucky One . Is the Apatow comedy machine broken? Has America lost its taste for the Stath? Your Weekend Receipts are here. 1. Think Like a Man Gross: $18,000,000 ($60,868,000) Screens: 2,015 (PSA $8,933) Weeks: 2 (Change: -46.5%) Congratulations go out once more to the team at Screen Gems, which has finally learned that when it comes to box-office gambles, a king still beats a queen 10 times out of 10. 2. The Pirates! Band of Misfits Gross: $11,400,000 (new) Screens: 3,358 (PSA: $3,395) Weeks: 1 3. The Lucky One Gross: $11,325,000 ($39,927,000) Screens: 3,175 (PSA: $3,567) Weeks: 2 (Change: -49.7%) In the battle of adorable clay figurines going through the narrative motions, the Aardman Animation effort Pirates narrowly edged out Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling’s second lukewarm week of getting their Sparks on . 4. The Hunger Games Gross: $11,250,000 ($372,455,000) Screens: 3,572 (PSA $3,149) Weeks: 6 (Change: -23.3%) OK, let’s have a contest: With a terrific week-to-week hold yet with The Avengers , Dark Shadows and Battleship en route over the next three weekends, on what date will The Hunger Games break $400 million domestic? The person who guesses closest without going over gets to direct Catching Fire . 5. The Five-Year Engagement Gross: $11,157,000 (new) Screens: 2,936 (PSA $3,800) Weeks: 1 Despite generally good reviews and its Apatow imprimatur, Engagement joined the likes of Speed Racer , Whatever Works , United 93 and The Interpreter to become the latest Tribeca opening-night selection to underwhelm at the domestic box office. Only the franchise entries Shrek Forever After really delivered after such a distinction, prompting the question on everyone’s my tongue this morning: Is there such a thing as a Tribeca curse? Discuss! Or… not. 6. Safe Gross: $7,720,000 (new) Screens: 2,266 (PSA $3,406) Weeks: 1 7. The Raven Gross: $7,250,000 (new) Screens: 2,203 (PSA $3,291) Weeks: 1 Whatever. Wal-Mart awaits, thanks for playing. [Figures via Box Office Mojo ] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
