Screener

'Ice Age 3' breaking up 'Transformers,' and 'Asteroids' in our future

First, a note on yesterday's box-office returns.  Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs debuted with $14 million, followed by Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen's $10 million, then Public Enemies' $8 million.  If these results hold, it looks like Transformers 2 will be unseated in its second week.

One of the producers on the Transformers franchise, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, has another game adaptation on his list: Asteroids.  The 1979 Atari game (which you can play online here) has no plot and no backstory.  It's just shooting asteroids before they shoot you.  Since many video games with complicated backstories fail to thrive at the box office, perhaps creating a story out of such a bare-bones premise could actually work.   After all, Hasbro has been licensing versions of its games like Monopoly, Battleship, and Stretch Armstrong.  The property even ignited a bidding war, with four studios vying for rights to the work.  Matt Lopez, who has recently penned high-profile projects like The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Race to Witch Mountain, and Bedtime Stories, is in charge of the first draft.

Although the game Asteroids debuted in 1979, about five years before the Transformers television show, people played the game for years afterwards.  Later-model consoles, arcades, and early computers (where I first played an Asteroids-type game) carried versions of Asteroids.  People from teens to 40-somethings have probably had some direct exposure to the game, making this picture a potential "four-quadrant" film, the term marketers love.  What direction will they take?  The 1984 movie The Last Starfighter featured a boy good at an Asteroids-type game who is recruited by a stranger from another galaxy to save its world from invading aliens.  That kind of plot is every kid's fantasy, though I'm not sure it's the direction the studio will go.  In the Transformers franchise, the machines are always "real," it's just that their reality isn't universally acknowledged.  You don't have to go to another world for it to become real.  Universal has a great property on its hands--hopefully it will swim, not sink, in development.

'Ice Age 3' and 'Public Enemies' battle with 'Transformers'

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Public Enemies will be opening in some rough waters.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has made the biggest splash of the year, earning some $200 million in its first five days.  Young teens turned out in force for the CGI action, but critics panned the movie, making it unlikely to have the legs of a film like The Dark Knight.  This weekend, everyone's wondering how much Transformers will drop off.  A 50% plus drop for Transformers could be enough for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs to come in at number one.

The first two Ice Age films opened at $46 and $68 million, though in the less lucrative--and competitive--spring break time slots.  It seems reasonable that Ice Age 3 should come in around its second film total, especially given the added holiday weekend boost.  Also adding to the film's potential profitability are over 1,000 3D screens.  However, it's still won't be playing on as many screens as Transformers 2.  Ice Age 3 will open on 3,993 screens today, and add another 100 on Friday, but that's still less than Transformers' current 4,224 screens.

Public Enemies is my pick for the #3 spot.  Michael Mann's last film, Miami Vice, opened in the heat of the summertime at $25 million (and #1).  The film's R rating and violence will subtract some viewers during this family-friendly weekend, making me believe it will play third.  Plus, Mann is not known as a big "opener" of films, but as someone who can create a film that will play for multiple weekends.

Like most critics who saw Transformers, I can't recommend it.  Not even a jumbo bag of buttery popcorn can redeem its awfulness.  Both Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Public Enemies are receiving a warmer reception than Transformers 2.  For Ice Age 3, the compliments are rather tepid.  Our Michael Rechtshaffen points out that "IA3 will draw families looking to fill the gap between Up and the July 24 arrival of Disney's G-Force, " but can't really recommend anything else about it.  Likewise, The New York Times' A.O. Scott predicts that "families who have recovered from the trauma of the Transformers sequel are unlikely to avoid this tired, loud little sequel over the coming holiday weekend," but complains at length about the premise, which involves dinosaurs living underground, below the ice.

As for Public Enemies, critics have praised its lush costuming, use of HD cameras, and the performances of Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard.  There's a sense that some soul is missing, that Mann might hold you at a distance, from comments like "Public Enemies re-creates clothes, but doesn't fully fashion the man who wore them" from Entertainment Weekly, and NY Times' Manohla Dargis' multiple mentions of "ambivalence" and closing pronouncement that  "If [Mann] doesn’t fully succeed, it’s because he knows that the gangster’s rakish smile is at once a fiction of cinema and one of its great, irresistible lies."

On Monday, we'll see how the five days of Ice Age 3 and Public Enemies fared against the box-office behemoth Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

'The Fighter,' 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' round out casts for summer shoots

When someone's career starts to take off, you often expect them to move away from supporting parts and take on only leading roles.  Not Amy Adams.  She followed up her Oscar-nominated supporting role in Junebug with a mainstream Disney comedy, Enchanted, but returned for another supporting role in Doubt (Oscar nomination #2).  With a romantic comedy, Leap Year, under wraps, she's signed up for another supporting role, as Mark Wahlberg's love interest in The Fighter.  The biopic has been circulating for some time before it finally nailed down its two leads earlier this year.  Christian Bale and Wahlberg will star as two brothers.  The eldest (Bale), who has drugs and prison time on his resume, trains his younger brother to a boxing title.  Melissa Leo, who was nominated last year for Lead Actress, will play Bale and Wahlberg's mother.  David O. Russell is directing, and the film will start shooting in Lowell, MA, in July.  With its talented cast of actors, biographical subject, and a talented director, this looks like a project angling to be one of the ten Best Picture nominees at the 2010 Oscars.

Here's an interesting combination: A 1973 teleplay as source material + the mysterious wife of Tom Cruise as star + a Guillermo Del Toro protege as director.  Put it together, and you've got Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, which will begin shooting next month in New Zealand.  I was disappointed that Katie Holmes didn't reprise her role as Rachel in The Dark Knight, and took it as a sign that she was swearing off the movie business, so I'm excited to see her turn up headlining another project.  Never underestimate the lasting audience loyalty that can result from starring in a teen nighttime soap like "Dawson's Creek."  Del Toro mentored Juan Antonia Bayona on the Spanish-language horror film The Orphanage (2007), to spectacular results, and he'll be taking on a similar role with Troy Nixey.  The first-time feature director will be working from a screenplay co-written by Del Toro, and the New Zealand location was chosen for its proximity to Australia, where Del Toro is working on The Hobbit.  Del Toro is also producing, ensuring he'll be able to keep a watchful eye on the film's progress.  The film's plot seems fairly typical, so it will be up to Nixey and Del Toro to create that tingly atmosphere of foreboding.  The plot follows a girl (Bailee Madison) who moves in with her father (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend (Holmes), only to discover demonic creatures that first enchant, and then horrify her.  The girlfriend also becomes aware of their presence, but the father holds out, refusing to believe.  Horror that tries to be more than just a screamer is one of my great pleasures, so I'm always happy to see projects like this in the pipeline.

'Transformers' sequel floods the box office with $201.2 million

Of all the big movies released this summer, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen received the worst reviews.  It also earned the most money--$201.2 million, to be exact.  After an astounding $60.6 million debut from Tuesday midnight and Wednesday screenings, the film racked up $112 million from Friday to Sunday.  With a PG-13 rating, it was able to draw audiences from a younger pool of viewers.  However, few expect Transformers to sustain its blockbuster opening weekend.  The core audience for the film is young and male, two demographics known for turning out opening weekend.  After the film burns through these viewers, it's unlikely to pick up viewers through word-of-mouth or critical recommendations, the way The Dark Knight did last summer.  The coming Fourth of July holiday, however, could lessen the action film's second weekend fall.

The other new release on the list, My Sister's Keeper, performed below expectations, earning $12 million and fifth place in the top ten.  With mixed reviews critically (it's tracking 49% on Rotten Tomatoes), this film will have to rely on word-of-mouth to influence female viewers in weeks to come.

Perhaps the first film about the Iraq War to do well at the box office, The Hurt Locker earned $36,000 per screen, $10,000 more than #1 film Transformers.  With only four screens in its current release, this film is poised to become a breakout hit as it expands.  Its combination of critical acclaim and a perspective on the war that seems friendly to veterans and their families should attract the pro- and anti-war alike.  This is a film to watch in coming weeks.

Among returning films, Away We Go finally cracked the top ten after four weeks in release.  Like The Hurt Locker, it debuted in four theatres and earned a similarly impressive $32,000 per screen in its opening weekend.  This weekend it earned $1.6 million, increasing its take 95% from last week while quadrupling the theatres in its release, to 495.

The Hangover continued its impressive run, falling just 35.7% to $17.2 million, and Star Trek also dropped 34.6%, adding another $3.46 million to its $246.2 million domestic gross.

This Wednesday, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs will have to battle with top-ten family films Up (#4, $13 million) and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (#9, $3.5 million).  With over 4,000 theatres in its release, it will likely bump Night at the Museum from the top ten and Up down a few spots.  For adults, Michael Mann returns to the scene of the crime with Public Enemies, which will open on 3,200 screens.

'Transformers' revving for a blockbuster weekend

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (4,234 theatres) earned $60.2 million in its opening day (including $16 million from midnight screenings the night before), and an additional $28.6 million on Thursday.  It's set for a $160-$180 million five-day total, which would put it behind The Dark Knight but among films from an elite group of franchises, like Star Wars and Spider-Man.  Still, as someone who squirmed through the entire film and found it to be a CGI version of six-year-old children playing with their transformers, I'm at a loss.  There's no way this can be a "four-quadrant" film, the kind that's supposed to cross over to all audiences.  Judging from its PG-13 rating, and the lines I saw outside AMC Empire 42 in New York City on Tuesday night for late-night showings, pre-teens to early teens seem to be the biggest fans of the film.  While its opening weekend should be stellar, it should expect to drop at least in the mid-40%'s each week, consistent with the first Transformers.

When women drop off their kids at the movie theatre, perhaps they'll catch My Sister's Keeper, which opens in 2,606 theatres.  I reviewed the film, and found it to be a surefire way to have a good cry.  While the sick child premise isn't as big of a draw as director Nick Cassavetes' romantic tearjerker The Notebook, the film celebrates life and family, and is quite satisfying despite being repetitious at times.  However, the film will face competition from the more upbeat The Proposal, which won the box office last week.

A more adult action film than Transformers, The Hurt Locker (4 theatres) centers on a group of bomb diffusers in Iraq.  The film has received a sensational response among critics, who have praised the film for its realism and for its unusual choice to be a war film, without coming out pro-war or anti-war.  The New York Times'  A.O. Scott made the advertising-ready pronouncement "If The Hurt Locker is not the best action movie of the summer, I’ll blow up my car," which sounds like a pretty strong endorsement to me.

Presciently topical, The Stoning of Soraya M. (27 theatres) will likely pick up audiences due to its Iranian setting, as well as its politically aware message.  Based on a true story, the film follows a woman whose husband accuses her of adultery in order to get rid of her and marry someone younger.  For her punishment, she is stoned to death.

Also opening today is Cheri (76 theaters), a costume romance starring Michele Pfeiffer.  Directed by Stephen Frears (The Queen), who Kirk Honeycutt praised for "simply [bringing] out the best in his collaborators," and based on two novels by French writer Colette, the film's exceptional pedigree produced a romance just as rewarding to watch.

On Monday, we'll circle back to see how Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen fared through the weekend, whether My Sister's Keeper will beat The Proposal, and which specialty releases packed the most seats.

See the fate of Flipper in 'The Cove'

Dolphins deserve their stuffed animal status.  They're cute, friendly, intelligent, and have been known to protect humans from sharks and other perils.  Their very appeal to humans, however, is what endangers them.  The documentary The Cove focuses on the small fishing community of Taiji, Japan, where dolphins are sold to "swim-with-the-dolphins" businesses and performing aquariums around the world, and the dolphins not selected are shepherded into a hidden cove where they are killed with harpoons.

The leader of the anti-captivity movement, Richard O'Berry, is a dolphin-lover who has been on both sides of the debate.  He trained the dolphins used for "Flipper" for ten years before having a change of heart, and has spent three times as long, as he puts it, undoing what the show unleashed.  He's been particularly vocal against what goes on in Taiji, the center of the captivity trade, to the point where he is followed by police investigators wherever he goes.  With a team of dolphin (a.k.a. cetacean) activists on his side, they devise a way to film the slaughter, Ocean's 11 style.

Interwoven with their filming mission is background about the intelligence of dolphins, the International Whaling Commission's inability to regulate smaller cetaceans like dolphins, and evidence that many people are unwittingly eating dolphins.  Often marketed as whale meat, dolphin meat has a dangerous amount of mercury that makes it unfit for regular consumption.

The best--and worst--parts of The Cove are the incredibly powerful scenes of animal cruelty.  Copious amounts of blood are spilled, to the point where the blood gushing out of the elevator in The Shining seems like a trickle.  It's incredibly convincing, and enough to make some people rethink their positions about the mammals.

For someone like me, a middle-of-the-roader who enjoys eating meat and fish and has a rather pragmatic view about where animals are in the grand scheme of things, I think awareness is everything.  I consider it my responsibility to know about the consequences of my choices, and where my food came from.  After seeing this documentary, I would hesitate before participating in a swim-with-the-dolphins program.  I certainly can't abide by slaughtering dolphins for food, especially when the food itself can cause health problems.  It's ironic, though, that the very captivity programs the activists are trying to stop are what endear children to the animals in the first place, and make them want to protect them later on.  The winner of the Sundance 2009 documentary award, The Cove is a great example of a confrontational animal-rights documentary that can inspire activism--you can visit the activist part of their website here--while alienating few.

Jim Carrey is ready for his close-up in 'A Christmas Carol'

In preparation for the November release of A Christmas Carol, Disney hosted a "Christmas in July" event to preview some advance footage.  Although we were warned the CGI animation wasn't 100% complete, the images looked theatre-ready to me, and the animation choices speak to the tremendous advancements made in CGI since Toy Story.

One of the two preview scenes showed Charles Dickens' famed misanthrope Scrooge (performed by Jim Carrey), sitting in his armchair, as he fearfully meets Marley the ghost.  The ghost itself has more of the smooth surfacing we expect in CGI animated films (to clarify, the film uses motion capture footage, which is then overlayed with computer animation), but the close-ups of Scrooge's face are a sight to behold.  In 3D, on a theatre-size screen, you can see each and every pore.  It's more real than the real thing; the kind of definition you would see if you were examining someone's skin with a magnifying glass, or from 6 inches away.  The exaggeration of imperfections in the face and contours is a pleasure to study, and seems real, even though it's not how you would ever view someone sitting in a chair.

Another accomplishment evident from the footage is the incredible contrast between light and dark.  Scrooge's face is illuminated by candlelight and fire, and surrounded by spots of extreme darkness--it's chiaroscuro is the kind of shadowing achieved by painters, not cinematographers.  Besides being beautiful to look at, it lends the film a darker tone, the kind that had audience members questioning whether the film would be rated PG or G.

Having seen only two brief scenes, I can't say how much life the filmmakers and actors are going to breathe into the story itself.  Many film adaptations of A Christmas Carol have been successful by casting cartoons and puppets in the starring roles--who doesn't love the versions with Mickey Mouse and the Muppets?  What will this version have to set it apart? 

If done right, A Christmas Carol (2009) will have the bragging rights of being in 3D, and rendered using cutting-edge CGI motion-capture animation. The star power of  Jim Carrey, who previously led a holiday film to success while masked (How the Grinch Stole Christmas), and is playing multiple roles, also helps.  My one worry is originality.  Besides the beautiful cinematography, I want a story that takes at least a few liberties with the adaptation.  I saw the possibility for that in one clip from the montage.  Scrooge captures the Ghost of Christmas Past in a funnel, but then is launched, rocket-style, over London, a scene I don't remember seeing in any other version of Dickens' tale.  If there are enough little tweaks that add originality and visual pleasure to the story, A Christmas Carol has the chance to go from good to great.  Whatever the outcome, I've no doubt that family audiences will turn out in hordes for the film.  It releases on November 6th, giving kids a maddening two months to be thinking about what Santa will give them for Christmas.

Time to go on a 'Business Trip' or to the 'Burlesque'?

With The Hangover a success, and its sequel greenlighted, one Hollywood screenwriter had the perfect pitch: the female version.  Today, Variety announced that writer Stacey Hartman, who has sold some screenplays but has yet to see any of them made, will write the script Business Trip.  It will follow a group of women who go on a corporate outing/conference/pitch.  Of course, "anything but" ensues.  The production company behind The Hangover, Benderspink, will produce, along with Universal Pictures.

I'm always itching to see female-oriented comedies that aren't centered on romance, so I'm totally on board with the plot.  Plus, this would be a great chance to cast some up-and-comers in comedy, just as The Hangover cast rising faces like Zach Galifianakis alongside actors usually cast in supporting roles, like Ed Helms.  Benderspink is currently producing romantic comedy Leap Year, which stars Amy Adams, so this project seems like a good way to blend the sensibilities of a "crazy night" comedy with a romantic comedy.

Another project that will star women, Burlesque, added Cher to its cast.  She will play the owner of a modern burlesque club who mentors her new hire, a small-town girl (Christina Aguliera).  The film will be a backstage musical, and both Cher and Aguilera will sing in their roles.  Screen Gems, which mainly produces horror films and some comedies, is overseeing the project, which makes me wonder if this will be more genre/exploitation than an arty musical like Chicago or Moulin Rouge.  The director, Steve Antin, is an actor who has recently transitioned to writing and directing.  He directed a reality competition series about burlesque-style pop group The Pussycat Dolls, "Girlicious," so he's well-versed in filming costumed singing and dancing.  Susannah Grant, who penned projects that have great female appeal, like Erin Brockovich and Ever After, revised the script.  I'm uncertain about the vision of this film, especially if it's going to try to appeal to one gender over the other.  Since shooting starts in November, we'll find out soon enough.

Audiences swoon for 'The Proposal'

Sandra Bullock had her best opening ever with The Proposal.  It's been nearly two months since a romantic comedy debuted in theatres, and audiences turned out in force.  The film made $34.1 million, $11,000 per theatre, a sign the showings were packed with laughing audiences.

Even with The Proposal's strong performance, The Hangover held strong, slipping just 16.1% from last weekend, an even smaller drop than last week's 27% dip.  It brought in $26.8 million and grabbed the #2 spot.  The jackpot film (especially for the studio, since none of the stars receive back-end profits) has coolly raked up $152 million.  How the male-bonding film holds when the machine-bonding film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen releases this Friday is almost irrelevant.  I've no doubt that any drop in performance will be a blip in its total box office, given its stellar results so far.

Up held onto its #3 spot, dipping 30% from last week.  With a cumulative gross of $224 million, it already has surpassed the box office of last year's Wall-E, which finished 2008 at $223 million.  Pixar always surprises: who would have thought the story about an old man, a boy scout, and a balloon-propelled house would beat the environmentally friendly, sci-fi comedy-action film?  The studio's films are so original they defy comparison.

Opening at #4, Year One was the second primordial comedy to be received indifferently by audiences.  Still, its $20.2 million gross surpassed Land of the Lost's $18.8 opening weekend.  The Will Ferrell comedy has dropped 50% each weekend, now holding the #8 spot by bringing in $3.9 million.  This summer, the teen comedy A-listers--Jack Black, Michael Cera, and Will Ferrell--just don't seem to be opening movies.

Despite its scathing reviews, Whatever Works ruled the specialty circuit this weekend.  It brought in a stunning $31,000 per location, its nine theatres well-chosen for their proximity to Woody Allen fans.

This week, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen jumps the starting gun by opening Wednesday in 4,000 theatres.  Interest for the sequel appears to be greater than for the first film. At MovieTickets.com, presales are outpacing all films with the top opening weekends.  Transformers is going to open big.  As a counterpoint, My Sister's Keeper will keep audiences in need of a good cry happy.

Three comedies vie for top spot

From the gate, The Proposal and Year One look as though they'll both hit $20 million this weekend.  If The Hangover can handle the competition, and hold on to its below-average drop, it will also hit $20 million, making this week a close race between three comedies.

Judging by reviews, The Proposal (3,056 theatres) appears to be a typical romantic comedy, slick and well-acted, but hampered by its predictable format.  Our executive editor Kevin Lally praised the chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, saying, "The situations may be formulaic, but the teamwork of the two leads brings them to sparkling life."  Manohla Dargis at the NY Times was not so kind, lamenting the repetition of stereotypical rom-com setups.  However, even she noted that Bullock and Reynolds pulled off good performances, adding that Bullock's "no shrew in need of taming. She’s just another female movie star in need of a vehicle that won’t throw her overboard for sexist giggles and laughs."

Year One (3,022 theatres), which comes from writer/director Harold Ramis (read an interview with him here), has also been received with shrugs.  Despite Ramis' pedigree (he's responsible for Groundhog Day, Caddyshack, and Analyze This), our Frank Scheck found that "the script—co-written by Ramis and the team of Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg (NBC's "The Office")—is strictly bargain-basement, offering a plethora of poop, sex and fart jokes and vulgarity without a smidgen of wit."  EW's Owen Gleiberman found the comedy provoked only a "handful of chuckles," and pronounced it "silliness run mildly wild."

With these so-so reviews, I wouldn't be surprised if audiences again choose The Hangover, whose humor is neither stale nor ancient, but shocking to the point that at least some viewers will come away repulsed, not indifferent.

On the specialty side, another comedy opens this weekend: Whatever Works, the latest from Woody Allen.  Dana Stevens from Slate opened her review of the film this way: "Imagine if Annie Hall had been forgotten in a Ziploc bag under your couch cushions and left there for 30 years."  Needless to say, it did not play well for her.  Whatever Works will compete with quirky comedy Away We Go, which will move into 134 theatres with hopes to cross the $1 million mark.

Next week, the machines are back with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which will be joined by weepie My Sister's Keeper.