NEW YORK - “Angels & Demons” took the box office from “Star Trek” by earning $48 million in its first weekend of release.
The haul was far less than the earlier Dan Brown adaptation “The Da Vinci Code” — which earned $77.1 million when in opened in 2006 — but still enough to topple the popular “Star Trek,” according to studio estimates Sunday.
In its second weekend, Paramount Pictures’ “Star Trek” took in $43 million, a strong number after its $75.2 million opening last weekend, excluding its Thursday midnight screenings. The cumulative total for J.J. Abram’s reboot of the sci-fi franchise is $147.6 million.
Sony’s “Angels & Demons” reunites Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard for the sequel to “The Da Vinci Code.” It opened without the benefit of the buzz and controversy that propelled “The Da Vinci Code” to a $753 million worldwide total.
Overseas business was again strong for “Angels & Demons,” which earned $104.3 million internationally. Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony, said the studio expects the film will eventually take in half a billion altogether in theatrical release.
“That chemistry (of Hanks and Howard) worked incredibly well with ’Da Vinci’ and it looks like it’s absolutely headed in that same vein, certainly on a lesser scale,” said Bruer. “We never expected anything to the phenomenon of ‘Da Vinci.”’
Like “The Da Vinci Code,” reviews were not illustrious for “Angels & Demons,” but they were mostly better. Bruer called Brown’s action-packed best-seller “a far more cinematic story” than “Da Vinci.” In it, Hanks again plays Harvard symbolist Robert Langdon who’s trying to prevent a series of murders at the Vatican.
“Sony positioned it well,” said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. “They didn’t try to say, ‘This is going to be “The Da Vinci Code.“’ It was actually quite the contrary. They tried to say this was not ‘Da Vinci Code,’ that it was a different kind of movie.”
“Angels & Demons” was the only new wide-release film of the weekend. Coming in third was “X-Men Originals: Wolverine,” which earned $14.8 million in its third week, bringing its total to $151.1 million. The prequel to the “X-Men” franchise, starring Hugh Jackman as the mutant with metal claws, had a step drop-off in its second week.
On the whole, it was another robust weekend of business at movie theaters, which have been drawing large crowds throughout the recession. Dergarabedian pegs the year-to-date box office at a 16 percent increase over last year.
“We’re headed toward a record breaking summer,” said Dergarabedian. “If you’ve got a blockbuster in the pipeline, you’re very happy about all the strength of the box office right now. Momentum is key in this business.”
That’s good news for the two blockbusters opening next weekend: “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” and “Terminator Salvation.”
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Comedy '17 Again' leads pack at U.S. box office
"17 Again," a new comedy starring "tween" heartthrob Zac Efron, led the weekend box office in North America with better-than-expected ticket sales of $24.1 million, distributor Warner Bros. said on Sunday.
The studio had been hoping for an opening in the low $20 million range, and was heartened by initial data showing that the PG-13 movie was playing to a wider audience than the 9-to-12-year-old tweens who made Efron a star in the "High School Musical" franchise.
"We're going to have some legs on this film," said Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution at the Time Warner Inc unit.
Last weekend's champion, the decidedly tween-oriented "Hannah Montana: The Movie," fell to No. 4 with $12.7 million, taking the 10-day haul for Walt Disney Co's Miley Cyrus vehicle to $56.1 million.
The Russell Crowe thriller "State of Play" opened at No. 2 with a modest $14.1 million. The film was released by Universal Pictures, a unit of General Electric Co's NBC Universal.
DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc's "Monsters vs. Aliens" held steady at No. 3 with $12.9 million, taking its total to $162.7 million after four weekends.
Also new was "Crank: High Voltage," a sequel starring British actor Jason Statham. It opened at No. 6 with just $6.5 million. The film was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp
The studio had been hoping for an opening in the low $20 million range, and was heartened by initial data showing that the PG-13 movie was playing to a wider audience than the 9-to-12-year-old tweens who made Efron a star in the "High School Musical" franchise.
"We're going to have some legs on this film," said Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution at the Time Warner Inc unit.
Last weekend's champion, the decidedly tween-oriented "Hannah Montana: The Movie," fell to No. 4 with $12.7 million, taking the 10-day haul for Walt Disney Co's Miley Cyrus vehicle to $56.1 million.
The Russell Crowe thriller "State of Play" opened at No. 2 with a modest $14.1 million. The film was released by Universal Pictures, a unit of General Electric Co's NBC Universal.
DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc's "Monsters vs. Aliens" held steady at No. 3 with $12.9 million, taking its total to $162.7 million after four weekends.
Also new was "Crank: High Voltage," a sequel starring British actor Jason Statham. It opened at No. 6 with just $6.5 million. The film was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp
Friday, April 17, 2009
Harbhajan promises exciting fare at IPL
Harbhajan Singh has always wanted to slam the bowlers. He has long nurtured a dream of scoring a breezy Test century, a sensational stroke-filled show in a limited-over match, or best, swing a match with his bat in Twenty20 cricket.
He is a bowler who would “love to be acknowledged as a batsman” worthy of making priceless runs when they matter. Most of his batting aspirations are visible at the ‘nets.’
So, when he promises some explosive stuff at the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa, Harbhajan needs to be taken ‘seriously.’
He rightly opined on Wednesday that every player assumes a level of “explosive batting” in Twenty20 but added that “I am no less” even as he promised some exciting fare. His aggregate thus far from four T20 international innings is 30 runs.
That he has no regard for batsmen is well known. The sight of a batsman stirs him into raising his game and Harbhajan, with 330 Test wickets to his credit, said that he would like to play the role of a match-winner with greater “consistency” now.
“I want to win more and more matches and I am all charged up for the IPL,” he said.
He had missed the inaugural edition of the IPL following the slapping incident with S. Sreesanth.
“I don’t like to be reminded of that incident time and again. It is a closed chapter. There is no animosity between us,” said Harbhajan, who signed a deal for licensing his brand name at a function, here on Wednesday.
Licence India would now ‘sell’ Harbhajan as a brand ambassador for setting up restaurants, sportswear and cricket academies.
The 29-year-old off-spinner typically dismissed the multiple-captain theory of John Buchanan.
True, the noted Australian coach’s theory was yet to be implemented, but it had not stopped reactions from all possible quarters.
“I don’t care if they employ 11 captains. I wish them luck,” said Harbhajan, known to mock at anything that emanates from an Australian.
On not being able to receive the Padma Shri award at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, Harbhajan pleaded, “I had some important family commitments.”
He is a bowler who would “love to be acknowledged as a batsman” worthy of making priceless runs when they matter. Most of his batting aspirations are visible at the ‘nets.’
So, when he promises some explosive stuff at the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa, Harbhajan needs to be taken ‘seriously.’
He rightly opined on Wednesday that every player assumes a level of “explosive batting” in Twenty20 but added that “I am no less” even as he promised some exciting fare. His aggregate thus far from four T20 international innings is 30 runs.
That he has no regard for batsmen is well known. The sight of a batsman stirs him into raising his game and Harbhajan, with 330 Test wickets to his credit, said that he would like to play the role of a match-winner with greater “consistency” now.
“I want to win more and more matches and I am all charged up for the IPL,” he said.
He had missed the inaugural edition of the IPL following the slapping incident with S. Sreesanth.
“I don’t like to be reminded of that incident time and again. It is a closed chapter. There is no animosity between us,” said Harbhajan, who signed a deal for licensing his brand name at a function, here on Wednesday.
Licence India would now ‘sell’ Harbhajan as a brand ambassador for setting up restaurants, sportswear and cricket academies.
The 29-year-old off-spinner typically dismissed the multiple-captain theory of John Buchanan.
True, the noted Australian coach’s theory was yet to be implemented, but it had not stopped reactions from all possible quarters.
“I don’t care if they employ 11 captains. I wish them luck,” said Harbhajan, known to mock at anything that emanates from an Australian.
On not being able to receive the Padma Shri award at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, Harbhajan pleaded, “I had some important family commitments.”
McCullum replaces Sourav as skipper
New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum has reportedly replaced Sourav Ganguly as captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders for their first match in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket event in South Africa.
Knight Riders’ Australian coach John Buchanan weeks ago had made a furore by announcing his intention to have multiple captains for the Season-2 of IPL.
He was strongly criticised from the Greats like Sunil Gavaskar.
The Bengal star, who led Kolkata Knight Riders in the last season though his team lost 8 of the 14 games they played, has said that as professionals he and his team-mates are entitled to fulfill their responsibilities to the team.
Meanwhile, it’s not clear whether the Knight Riders will have McCullum as the only captain for the entire season or multiple captains will be exercised.
As far as the explosive Kiwi batsman is concerned, he had given a blazing start with knock of 156 against the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the last season, which is still the highest score in a T20 match. Moreover, the team management might have taken his availability for the entire non-stop one month long tournament and hence they are hoping some of that brilliance in the second edition.
But this latest development is sure to raise eyebrows in Kolkata's cricketing circles. Knight Riders will play its first game against Hyderabad Deccan Chargers on April 19th.
Knight Riders’ Australian coach John Buchanan weeks ago had made a furore by announcing his intention to have multiple captains for the Season-2 of IPL.
He was strongly criticised from the Greats like Sunil Gavaskar.
The Bengal star, who led Kolkata Knight Riders in the last season though his team lost 8 of the 14 games they played, has said that as professionals he and his team-mates are entitled to fulfill their responsibilities to the team.
Meanwhile, it’s not clear whether the Knight Riders will have McCullum as the only captain for the entire season or multiple captains will be exercised.
As far as the explosive Kiwi batsman is concerned, he had given a blazing start with knock of 156 against the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the last season, which is still the highest score in a T20 match. Moreover, the team management might have taken his availability for the entire non-stop one month long tournament and hence they are hoping some of that brilliance in the second edition.
But this latest development is sure to raise eyebrows in Kolkata's cricketing circles. Knight Riders will play its first game against Hyderabad Deccan Chargers on April 19th.
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