The Muppets were no match for the half-vampire babies this week, as Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Kermit the Frog and friends fared well at the box office – but Breaking Dawn remained on top. Breaking Dawn: Behind the Scenes Look The Twilight Saga’s fourth installment pulled in another $62 million from Wednesday through today, bringing its worldwide tally to nearly $400 million. It’s now ahead of the pace set in 2009 by Eclipse . The Muppets, meanwhile, pulled in a solid $42 million. Here is a look at the top 10 box office results from this long holiday weekend: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 : $62.3 million The Muppets : $42 million Happy Feet Two : $18.4 million Arthur Christmas : $17 million Hugo : $15.4 million Jack and Jill : $14.1 million Immortals: $12.6 million Puss in Boots : $10.4 million Tower Heist : $10.2 million The Descendants : $9.2 million
Vampires 1, Muppets 0. On the first two days in which Breaking Dawn was matched up against Kermit the Frog and company, the second-to-last installment of The Twilight Saga outearned Jason Segel’s version of The Muppets at the box office. Breaking Dawn Footage Breaking Dawn brought in $7.8 million yesterday, on top of $12.5 million on Wednesday; The Muppets , meanwhile, opened with a $6.6 million take and followed it up with $5.9 on turkey day. We’ll see how each fares over the actual weekend, but Breaking Dawn has now surpassed $200 million in domestic earnings already. Who knew the franchise was so darn popular? Oh, right. Everybody.
‘Everybody debated it a lot,’ screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg says of back-and-forth over where to split the finale. By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Robert Pattinson in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” Photo: Summit Entertainment If you were among the devoted “Twilight” fans who lined up to see “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” over the weekend, then you already know the film has a pretty dramatic conclusion. But MTV News has learned that the first of the two-part finale wasn’t always intended to end where it does, even if it seems like the obvious choice. When we caught up with screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and director Bill Condon shortly before “Part 1” hit theaters, the creative duo admitted to a lot of early discussions trying to decide the best place to split the final two movies. While Rosenberg and Condon felt that the current ending was the most “organic” place to pause before “Part 2,” the studio wanted to make sure it was a spot in the story line that would best serve the entire series. “We went back and forth a lot and, initially, this seemed like a very obvious place for the split, but then as the creative process went forth, myself, the studio and [author] Stephenie [Meyer], [producer] Wyck [Godfrey] and everybody debated it a lot,” Rosenberg said. “I tried a couple different things but ultimately this was a natural, very organic place to split it.” Condon said he was always a defender of the existing split, even if many members of the creative team debated him on it. “When I came on, I really felt very strongly this is where it should be [divided],” he told us. Fans of Meyer’s novel should have a general idea of where “Part1” ends even if they haven’t seen the movie. But if you’re afraid of spoilers, we’ll just say that Bella (Kristen Stewart) undergoes some pretty significant changes as the film winds to a close. Rosenberg actually considered a split that would have pushed “Part 1” even further along in the novel. “Pushing from further into the second movie, pushing into the first act of the second movie,” she said of the other options she had toyed with. “But it wasn’t organic, it wasn’t right.” Do you think the filmmakers chose the right place to split the two “Breaking Dawn” films? Share your thoughts in the comments! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Breaking Dawn Part -1’ Director And Screenwriter MTV Rough Cut: ‘Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ MTV Rough Cut: Robert Pattinson MTV Rough Cut: Kristen Stewart Related Photos ‘Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Premiere Twilight: Breaking Dawn
Even after lawsuit was dropped last week, Bieber’s team is taking steps to prove the allegations are false. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: Dave M. Benett/Getty Images Justin Bieber is a man of his word. After promising he would take a DNA test when a paternity suit was brought against him, TMZ reports the pop star took one Friday night at a lab in New Jersey. The gossip site reports that the test was taken under “very controlled circumstances,” and the next move is on Mariah Yeater, the woman who claimed that her son is Bieber’s before dropping her paternity suit last week. Bieber and his team have maintained that the 17-year-old is not the father of 3-month-old Trystan. E! News reports that there is no timeframe for when Yeater must provide a DNA sample. When MTV News caught up with Bieber on Thursday night, one day before he took the test, he shrugged off the controversy, instead focusing on the positive and saying he’s been doing “great” these days. Bieber sat down with NYC radio station Z100 earlier that day and joked that he’d prefer the rumors be about running away to South America with a supermodel. “Right now, I’m focusing on my album and the music and the [Pencils of Promise] charity we’re doing and just being positive, because Christmastime is a time for joy and happiness, so that’s what I’m thinking,” Bieber said. “And as far as the whole baby situation, it’s unfortunate that it had to happen like that. People make false accusations, but things happen in this industry and you have to keep your head high and be positive.” Those words mirror the advice Bieber’s mentor, Usher , shared with him: “Stay strong. And know that all of this comes with the territory.” Related Artists Justin Bieber
Box-office experts weigh in on whether ‘Twilight’ series can top blockbuster ‘Harry Potter’ finale. By Kevin P. Sullivan Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” Photo: Summit Opening weekend has come and gone for the first part of the “Twilight Saga” finale, and “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” bowed to an impressive $139.5 million at the box office , just short of the series-record $142 million for “New Moon” in 2009. But $139.5 million is certainly nothing to shake a stick at, and a number of box-office experts MTV News spoke with agreed that the number represents a serious accomplishment, despite coming up just short. “When the final numbers come in today, ‘Breaking Dawn’ will have the fifth-best opening ever, a record I’m sure every studio wouldn’t mind having,” said Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations . “And even though ‘Breaking Dawn’ will always be in the shadow of ‘New Moon,’ which hit $142 million two years ago when it debuted over the same weekend, ‘Breaking Dawn,’ and the ‘Twilight’ franchise in general, is one of those rare commodities in Hollywood that sustains its audience from film to film.” The question of the drop in revenue from “New Moon” still remains. By normal box-office logic, returns would ramp up in anticipation for the finale, yet the penultimate entry in the series could not top the second. Phil Contrino, editor of Boxoffice.com , said it has to do with the fanbase. “I think a healthy portion of the audience is growing up and forgetting about this franchise. It’s not enough to put a significant dent in the grosses, but there’s definitely an impact,” he said. As “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” approaches, fans of both the “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” series anxiously await to see which finale will come out on top at the box office. Gitesh Pandya from Box Office Guru said Potter’s record will remain. “Since ‘Part 2’ is the final ‘Twilight’ film, I expect it to open a little higher and maybe even beat ‘New Moon,’ ” Pandya said. “But it won’t match the numbers for the final ‘Harry Potter’ unless it’s converted into 3-D.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Breaking Dawn Part -1’ Director And Screenwriter MTV Rough Cut: ‘Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Live From The ‘Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Red Carpet
After you watch the horrific repercussions of Twilight ‘s sweet, placenta-chomping vampire romance this weekend, check out the indie drama Bellflower , one of the year’s more vivid and gut-wrenching examinations of the more painful side of love. You think delivering a monster baby is stressful, Bella Swan? Just see what happens to poor Woodrow (writer-director Evan Glodell) in the aftermath of puppy love. At least he’s got the kick-ass, flame-throwing, apocalypse-ready Medusa car to ride around in… which can be yours, Bellflower fans, for just a few (thousand — OK, many thousands of) bucks!
What to say? The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 soared to the staggering Friday predicted by pretty much everyone: $72 million, to be precise, setting Bill Condon’s first installment of the franchise swan song on a pace for a $140 million-plus weekend. The competition didn’t stand a chance, with Happy Feet Two choking on Twilight ‘s dust way back around the $6 million mark. Your Friday Box Office is here.
Box-office haul is enough to break series record but a far cry from all-time high set by ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.’ By Kevin P. Sullivan Robert Pattinson in “Breaking Dawn” Photo: Summit Entertainment Box-office analysts predicted that the returns for “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” were going to be big, but now we’re finally getting an idea of just how big. The totals from Thursday’s midnight showings are in, and “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” just barely broke the series record by earning $30.25 million; “Eclipse” held the previous best for the series with $30.1 million. That works out to be almost $8,600 per location just from the midnight showings. While impressive, the midnight totals for “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” were still a far cry from the record set by “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” which earned $43.5. Ray Subers from Box Office Mojo expects “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” to follow the pattern set by “New Moon” in 2009 for its Friday total, which was $83 million, and then go on to earn $160 million for its total opening weekend, which would make it the second-best opening of the year and all-time, again behind “Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” Summit had originally predicted that the penultimate entry in the series could earn anywhere from $110 million to $125 million in its opening weekend. Rival studios claimed this number was purposely lower than actual expectations, which they put at more than the “New Moon” $142 million total. To put the midnight total into perspective, Taylor Lautner’s last film, “Abduction,” has earned only $27.5 million in the two months since its release. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Related Photos ‘Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Premiere Twilight: Breaking Dawn
‘We came all the way from North Dakota to come to a New York premiere of ‘Twilight,’ ” fan John Myhre says. By Kevin P. Sullivan Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in “Breaking Dawn, Part I” Photo: Summit Entertainment Everyone knew that the premiere of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” would be an emotional journey for fans of the vampire movies, but for some at the midnight premiere last night in New York City, it was a literal journey across the country. “We came all the way from North Dakota to come to a New York premiere of ‘Twilight,’ ” die-hard fan John Myhre said. John wasn’t the only fan who traveled from afar to see the film. Another group of fans came from Texas just to see “Breaking Dawn” at midnight, before everyone else. For one fan, the hype could not properly prepare her for the film, which went beyond what she was expecting. “I thought it was great. It was the best thing ever. It totally exceeded my expectations,” she said. So everyone loved it, but what was the best part? The movie boasts three major moments — the wedding, the honeymoon and the birth — and fans were split on which they loved the most. “The love scene was beautiful. You would love it,” one fan said. Susan Dolan saw similarities to her own life in “Break Dawn.” “Charlie was walking Bella down the aisle. I was like, ‘That’s totally my dad,’ ” she said. Dante Delva went a different route and chose a key scene between Jacob and his pack. “My favorite part of the movie has to be when Jacob stood up to Sam. Even though you have the authority, I have the free will to do whatever I want,” he said. Several fans said that one showing was not nearly enough for them. “I actually have tickets to three more showings, so I’ll be back,” Alanna Foxx said. We all still have one more “Twilight” installment to go, and the Twi-hards will be there to the bitter end. “I am looking forward to see ‘Breaking Dawn – Part 2.’ I will be at the midnight premiere again,” Carla Suarez said. Check out everything we’ve got on ” The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 .” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Breaking Dawn Part -1’ Director And Screenwriter MTV Rough Cut: ‘Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ ‘Breaking Dawn’ Wedding ‘Emotional’ For Kristen Stewart MTV First: ‘Breaking Dawn’ Related Photos ‘Breaking Dawn’ Stars Sparkle At U.K. Premiere Twilighters Set Up Camp For ‘Breaking Dawn’ Premiere ‘Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Premiere
Former Oasis songwriter’s solo debut has earned rave reviews, none of which impress him all that much. By James Montgomery Noel Gallagher Photo: MTV News Given all the recent coverage of his run-in with Katie Holmes and various, life-altering ways , you may be unaware that Noel Gallagher , late of Oasis , has just released his first proper solo album, a rock-solid collection of tunes that run the gamut from psych-tinged burners (“[I Wanna Live in a Dream in My] Record Machine”) to straight-ahead churners (“Everybody’s on the Run”), with stops at just about every point in between. He’s called the disc Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, a nod to both the first Fleetwood Mac album and a Jefferson Airplane song of (roughly) the same name, and so far, things are soaring. It’s been greeted with glowing reviews, most of which seem to harp on the fact that the album represents “his best tunes in 15 years.” Of course, in typical Gallagher fashion, he’s not paying attention to any of it. “I didn’t read any of the reviews and think, ‘Well, these people think I’ve been writing crap songs for the last 15 years.’ I don’t think of things like that,” he told MTV News. “When I’m in the studio, I’m literally taking it song by song and then, you know, you get to the end of it. I got to say though, during the mixing of it, as each track was being finished, I was thinking, ‘This does sound really good. …’ “But I wouldn’t like to compare it to anything Oasis did, because that’s not fair,” he continued. “We were a band and I was writing songs for someone else to sing, so you can’t really compare the two. It’s just a good record, what can I say?” Humility was never his strong suit. Neither, apparently, was guitar playing. Because even though he slung the ax loud and often in Oasis, he never really considered himself to be a guitar player . Which is why, on High Flying Birds, he limited the showing off — there are, by unofficial count, just two solos on the whole album — and focused instead on doing what he loves best: writing killer tunes. “I guess when guitarists make solo records, there’s usually a lot of showing off. But I’ve been trying to convince for 20 years that I’m not a guitarist, I’m a songwriter. I played lead guitar in the band because everybody else, in the early days, was useless, so that kind of fell to me,” he laughed. “But it’s not something I ever thought I would put myself up there with John Squire or Johnny Marr or all those great British guitarists, that’s not my thing. My thing was songwriting. I only noticed [the lack of solos] when a friend of mine was listening to the finished version, and it got to track six and he went, ‘You know, that’s the first guitar solo,’ and I was like, ‘Wow, someone’s got an easy gig, doesn’t he?’ ” And since there’s not going to be an Oasis reunion in the cards anytime soon, Gallagher is focused on promoting Birds both here and abroad. He’s playing on just about every continent over the next six months and seems quite content to be doing nothing else. Especially attempting to figure out the machinations of the music industry of 2011 … a plan he abandoned long ago, thanks in no small part to his daughter. “She is into music, she’s never mentioned Justin Bieber to me … Lady Gaga’s her thing, and Rihanna and, is it, Miley Cyrus? All that kind of thing,” he said. “It’s kind of a rule, she’s got to like Oasis and her old fella, so she’s into that side of it. But her teenage rock years will come [and], no doubt, she’ll be into f—ing Nickelback as well.” Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Noel Gallagher
