Archive | May, 2007
Sony and Disney are in a feud over the global box-office record. Despite being unable to take back the opening weekend record from Spider-Man 3, Disney has claimed that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End took the worldwide top spot by bringing in $404 million in six days. In contrast, Spider-Man 3 made $382 million in its first six days worldwide.
Sony claims that Disney included ticket sells from early screening in Italy and France on Tuesday, May 22nd which they claim adds a seventh day of grosses to a six-day record. If Sony had included their seventh day in the record, they would have the record at $418 million. ”We believe that as more and more ‘day-and-date’ releases enter the marketplace, there should be a consistent standard in international box-office reporting,” says Sony spokesman Steve Elzer.
Disney, on the other hand, claims they have done nothing wrong and would hold the record with or without the revenue from Tuesday’s screenings. ”A limited number of evening previews were held in Italy and France prior to the official opening day in those countries,” says Mark Zoradi, president of Disney’s motion picture group. ”But the grosses from those previews amounted to only $1.4 million of the total. We are enormously proud of Pirates record-breaking worldwide opening gross of $404 million. We look forward to the film’s subsequent openings in China and India.”
Spider-Man 3 was able to hold unto its opening weekend record against what was thought to be its toughest competition. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End proved little threat as the film brought in just $112.5 million from Friday through Sunday, a far cry from Spider-Man 3’s record $151.2 million.
Despite not reclaiming the opening weekend record for the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End did manage to take the Memorial Day Weekend box-office prize with $142.1 million, besting last year’s X-Men: The Last Stand’s $122.9 million record.
In its fourth weekend at theaters, Spider-Man 3 managed to place third bringing in an impressive $18 million despite heavy competition from Pirates and Shrek the Third which managed a strong second with $69.1 million. The weekend marked Spider-Man 3’s push over the $800 million mark for its worldwide boxoffice take.
This week brings possible sleeper hit Knocked Up followed by the next three-quel of the summer, Oceans Thirteen on June 8th.
Spider-Man 3 has sunk Titanic’s record of highest grossing Hollywood movie in India. The third installment of the successful franchise has brought in 570 million rupees ($14 million US) in a record 588 theaters. The previous record held by Titanic which had collected 555 million rupees ($13 million US).
Despite Spider-Man 3’s success, the film still lags far behind the number one film in India, Bollywood’s Dhoom-2 which has made 855 million rupees ($21 million US).
The timing of the film to release during summer holidays as well as Sony’s decision to dub the movie in four major Indian languages - Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Bhojpuri, are said to be a factor in the film’s success.
PRESS RELEASE:
Spider-Man 3 Wall Graphics Launch Fathead’s Heroes Product Line
The world’s most famous web slinger is now jumping off the silver screen and onto the walls of homes and offices. Fathead, which produces life-size vinyl wall graphics, has launched its Spider-Man product line.
The line features images from Columbia Pictures’ Spider-Man 3, which was released on May 4. Two of these images feature Spider-Man in his traditional red and blue costume while the other is in his power-enhancing black suit. All three include five to six Spider-Man-related peel-and-stick elements.
With life-size images of Spider-Man, fans will be able to bring the experience of the movie to their favorite room or office. The different poses will give fans the opportunity to have Spider-Man hanging upside down, getting ready to spin his web, or pouncing on a villain from the wall of fan’s favorite rooms.
The life-size Spider-Man Fathead products range from 2 to 4 feet wide and 3.5 to 4 feet high.
The Spider-Man wall graphics will launch Fathead’s Heroes product line. Fathead’s Heroes product line will feature comic book stars.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to launch our Heroes line with one of the most popular comic book figures of all-time,” said Brock Weatherup, CEO of Fathead LLC. “The Spider-Man wall graphics give fans a chance to experience the movie even when they are not at the theater. Fans will be able to enjoy the spectacular imagery from the movie in their favorite room with Spider-Man looking as he is ready to come off the wall.”
Spider-Man is one of four properties in Fathead’s growing entertainment line.
Fatheads are printed on thick, high-grade vinyl with a low-tack adhesive and like Spider-Man stick to almost any wall. These big, bold, colorful graphics have a 3-D look and appear as if the image is jumping off the wall.
Spider-Man can be purchased on the company’s Web site, www.fathead.com, or by calling 1-877-FATHEAD.
About FATHEAD: Fathead, LLC brings fans closer to the action with life-size, colorful, vinyl wall images of popular sports and entertainment stars. A Fathead? is a life-size 3-D looking vinyl wall graphic of NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and Star Wars stars in an action pose, a favorite NFL or college football team helmet, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, or college team logo, or a NASCAR driver’s race car. These precision die-cut, high-grade vinyl wall graphics feature high-resolution images and have low-tack adhesive backing that hold them securely to the wall. Fathead players are approximately 6 feet tall by 3 feet wide, helmets are approximately 4 feet tall by 4 feet wide and race cars are about 3 feet tall by 7.5 feet wide. Fathead LLC is headquartered in Livonia, Mich. The company maintains licensing agreements with NFL and PLAYERS INC., Collegiate Licensing Company, Licensing Resource Group, Inc., MLB and MLBPA, NASCAR, NBA Entertainment, NHL and NHLPA, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Lucasfilm, Ltd., Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Gracie Films, Time, Inc., Marvel Characters, Inc., Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., and Spider-Man 3, the Movie. More information is available at www.fathead.com.
A big green ogre proved too much for the web-slinger as Spider-Man 3 slipped to number two in its third weekend in theaters. Shrek the Third - the second film of the summer to have a “three” in its title - earned an estimated $122 million for the weekend making it the biggest opening weekend for an animated feature ever. It was also the highest grossing of the three Shrek films and the biggest opening ever for a PG-rated film.
Spider-Man 3 earned an estimated $28.5 million for the weekend placing it a distant second behind Shrek the Third. The film dropped a respectable 51% over the previous weekend bringing its domestic take to $281.9 million in just 17 days. On the international front, Spider-Man 3 held the top spot earning an estimated $49.6 million with worldwide revenues reaching $747 million.
Despite stiff competition from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, which hits theaters Friday, Spider-Man 3 should pass the $300 million domestic mark over the Memorial Day Weekend. The big question though, will Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End follow in its predecessors footsteps and overtake Spider-Man 3 for the highest grossing opening weekend title?
Spider-Man 3 held the top spot for the second weekend, bringing in an estimated $60 million from the U.S. box-office. The third installment was down 60% from its record breaking $151.1 million opening weekend and has earned an estimated $242.1 million in ten days. On the international front, the film raked in $85.5 million bringing its worldwide total to a staggering $622.1 million.
The film had little competition in its second week in release as the number two film, 28 Weeks Later brought in just $10 million. The first real test of Spidey’s staying power will come on Friday when the second of a string of films with “3″ in their title, Shrek the Third hits theaters.
PRESS RELEASE
Cott Corporation, the world’s largest retailer brand soft drink provider has launched Spider-Man 3 soft drinks in partnership with Wal-Mart. The special product line ties in to Columbia Pictures’ Spider-Man 3, which shattered box office records in its opening weekend and is currently playing in theatres nationwide.
Cott has launched three flavors of the beverage in 12-pack 8 oz small portion cans. Green Apple, Blue Raspberry and Orange Spider-Man 3 sodas, under license from Spider-Man Merchandising L.P., are available in all Wal- Mart stores across the U.S. The products have 33% less sugar than regular soft drinks and are fortified with eight vitamins and minerals, satisfying both moms and kids alike.
“Our license agreement for the Spider-Man 3 brand is another example of Cott’s successful focus on innovation and customer partnership,” said Brent Willis, Chief Executive Officer of Cott. “Spider-Man is one of the world’s top character franchises. This is a great seasonal addition to a retailer’s beverage program and demonstrates our ability to support brands with exceptional products and packaging.”
By Betsy Pickle (from Scripps Howard News Service)
Thomas Haden Church thinks he makes a sympathetic villain in “Spider-Man 3.” He plays both misunderstood criminal Flint Marko and Sandman, the tragic alter ego created when Marko is trapped in a science lab’s particle accelerator.
However, he won’t get a lot of sympathy from fans over the workouts he had to do to get in shape for the film.
“It was pretty intensive,” he says. “I gained 28 pounds of muscle and dropped 10 points of body fat, which for a dude in his 40s was no bake sale.”
Sure, the effort was demanding, and he could have been working on a Robin Williams comedy instead.
“I was offered ‘RV’ at the same time I was offered ‘Spider-Man,’ ” says Church, who’ll turn 47 in June.
But his personal physical results are impressive, and early box-office returns suggest he made the right decision on another level. “Spider-Man 3″ shattered opening-weekend records last week by making $382 million worldwide.
Church found it demanding to act out Sandman’s scenes to help the CGI artists bring Sandman to the screen.
“The birth of Sandman is by far the most challenging dramatic thing I did in the movie because we did it so much, and it’s set up by the terror of being ripped apart,” he says.
Church plays the more grandiose of two new villains — Topher Grace’s Venom is the other — in “Spider-Man 3,” which reunited director Sam Raimi with franchise stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco. Even though he’s not drawn to comic-book movies, Church signed on because he’s a fan of Raimi and Maguire.
“They are genetically incapable of delivering anything that isn’t a superlative in the business,” he says. “I knew it was going to be a compelling dramatic story because Sam refuses to do anything less.”
While the Texas A&M graduate divides his time between film work and running four ranches in Texas, he says in an interview at Los Angeles’ Four Seasons Hotel that reports that director Alexander Payne had to coax him out of retirement to do “Sideways” were false.
“That’s not true,” says Church, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “Sideways.” “That’s a myth. It’s beyond a myth; it’s almost a canard.
“I worked in television for 11 years, which propelled me into a writing and then directing career. And I was living full-time in Texas on the ranch but still working in the film industry.
“I knew Alexander from having met with him on ‘Election’ and almost being cast in ‘About Schmidt.’ They sent me the script in Texas, and I read it and thought I had no chance of getting this, but I flew to L.A. and met with him, and you know what? The Lord smiled on me. Although he probably wouldn’t say that himself given some of the dialogue in ‘Sideways.’ “
Church, who earned a huge fan base in his five years as Lowell on “Wings” and two as Ned on “Ned and Stacey,” is happy with his dual lifestyle.
“It’s a pretty balanced existence,” he says. “I don’t have very much downtime, even when I’m supposedly enjoying my downtime. My fiancee insists that I’m a workaholic, and she’s probably right.
“I just have always been one of those people, I make myself busy. My dad used to tell me when I was a kid, he said, ‘Even when you’re not doing anything, you seem like you’re up to something.’ “
With the overwhelming success of Spider-Man 3 and this truly being the summer of sequels, some fear originality is becoming a thing of the past in Hollywood. Patrick Goldstein of the L.A. Times points to next year’s Indiana Jones 4 as proof that even some of our most beloved directors are passing up original content for been-there done-that material that is safe and practically guarantees box-office success. ”Hollywood makes sequels for one good reason: They make money,” writes Goldstein. ”The biggest summer hits of the last three years were all sequels. After its record-setting weekend, Sony Pictures chief Michael Lynton boasted to the BBC that the Spider-Man series may continue ad infinitum, saying. ’Everybody has every intention of making a fourth, a fifth and a sixth and on and on.’ Geez, is that a promise or a threat?”
Goldstein spoke with sequel heavy director Brett Ratner, who, in addition to this summer’s Rush Hour 3 also directed the third installment in the X-Men series as well as Red Dragon, a prequel to Silence of the Lambs. ”I know that [Steven] Soderbergh’s great film isn’t going to be one of the Ocean’s sequels,” says Ratner. ”But I don’t feel like I’m slumming. If Ridley Scott could do a sequel [Hannibal] to a movie that won an Oscar for best picture and hold his head up high, then why couldn’t I? You have to make the film feel fresh and keep the audience’s expectations satisfied, all at the same time. Trust me, it isn’t easy.”
As for Indiana Jones 4, Dreamworks co-chairman Stacey Snider insists the reason Spielberg decided to direct a fourth Indiana Jones film was based on the strength of David Koepp’s script. ”It was the best script we saw all year - by far,” says Snider. ”To me, it’s not so much a sequel as an affectionate reprise of a beloved character and his story. It has much more in common with the feeling you had when the Star Wars movies were coming back than what you feel about a lot of sequels, which is, ‘How do I wring one more dollar out of the franchise?’ “
Goldstein notes that one other possible reason for Spielberg’s decision is his ability to understand audience tastes and their desire to regain the feeling they had when they first saw Raiders of the Lost Ark over twenty-five years ago. ”If there is anything that Spielberg understands, it’s what audiences want,” writes Goldstein. ”And people today have made it clear that when it comes to pop culture, they have a craving for comfort food.”
Spider-Man 3’s Bryce Dallas Howard recently sat down with the Associated Press to discuss her role as Gwen Stacy:
Q: How does “Spider-Man 3″ compare to other films you’ve done?
BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD: It is supersized. Literally I would walk around the Sony lot … and they took over the entire lot practically. I was really surprised because when I was on set with (Director) Sam (Raimi) and all the other actors, it felt so intimate and fun and playful. Then when I finally saw the movie I remembered again, “God, this is such a big movie.” I can’t believe it, because it didn’t seem like a high-pressure situation. It seemed really relaxed and cool and like we were just making this movie.
Q: Are you a fan of superhero films?
HOWARD: I was really into this franchise in particular because although it is obviously this big film and there are these huge action sequences that are absolutely terrifying, it really is, at the end of the day, just a great character piece. Sam creates these really complex characters and there’s a lot of humor in it as well. It’s very, very funny, so it’s an incredibly balanced film. It’s terrifying, it’s hilarious, it’s emotional, it’s beautiful.
Q: Are you at the point yet where you’re giving your dad advice?
HOWARD: Oh God, no. Are you crazy? All the time I come up with these weird ideas or theories. I have all these theories about the industry or the future of storytelling, that kind of thing, so I’ll talk to him about that, but no, that man needs no advice from me, trust me.
Q: Does he give you a lot of advice?
HOWARD: No, he’s really great in that way. I mean, I ask him for advice sometimes, but he never gives unsolicited advice. He’s always kind of letting us — myself and my siblings — find our own way, make our own mistakes and come to our own conclusions. He’s pretty much the ideal parent.
Q: Are there any downsides to having such a famous father?
HOWARD: No. Sure, there have been times where there has been a bit of criticism and people say I’m only in this industry because he’s in this industry and all that kind of stuff, but that’s OK. I’m really grateful to have the father that I have and if I’m going to get that kind of criticism, I have to take it with a grain of salt. … I feel so lucky to have parents who are so supportive. I know a lot of my friends who are actors, their parents don’t quite understand … whereas my parents … know it’s possible. That itself is such an advantage just knowing your parents believe in you.
Q: Is there a genre that appeals to you more than others?
HOWARD: No, I like doing it all because I have a lot to learn. I want to immerse myself in as many genres as possible and as many different industries as possible. I love the European film community, I love the independent film community. I love now, with “Spider-Man,” being part of the more conventional Hollywood film community. So I just want to continue doing that and gathering as much information as possible and experiences as possible.
Q: How about a director you dream of working with?
HOWARD: I would love to work with my dad. I’m dying to work with my dad. We talk about it and I harass him about it. But I think eventually, if there is a role that’s totally appropriate and perfect, I hope it would become a reality. I have a bit further to go, though.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
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