BOX OFFICE TOP TEN
1. Burn After Reading - $19.4 million ($19.4 million)
2. Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys - $18 million ($18 million)
3. Righteous Kill - $16.5 million ($16.5 million)
4. The Women - $10.8 million ($10.8 million)
5. The House Bunny - $4.3 million ($42.1 million)
6. Tropic Thunder - $4.1 million ($102.9 million)
7. The Dark Knight - $4 million ($517.6 million)
8. Bangkok Dangerous - $2.4 million ($12.5 million)
9. Traitor - $2.1 million ($20.7 million)
10. Death Race - $2 million ($33.1 million)
Burn After Reading debuted #1 at the box office this weekend, earning $19.4 million. With a budget of $37 million, this latest Coen Bros. venture needs to stay in the hot zone to turn a profit.
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys debuted at #2 with $18 million. With a budget of about $350, Perry works his magic yet again.
Righteous Kill debuted #3 with $16.5 million, a crushing defeat considering the $60 million budget, as well as the much-anticipated return collaboration of DeNiro and Pacino.
Warner Bros. has officially confirmed that the Dark Knight will be re-released to IMAX theaters next January, just in time to remind Academy Award judges of the brilliance behind both Heath Ledger and Christopher Nolan's work. What's interesting is that the film is actually due out on DVD in December, making this January re-release a much less valuable alternative. Will there be enough interest in January to earn the film another $90 million to push it past Titanic? And is The Dark Knight worthy of additional nominations (e.g. Christopher Nolan for Directing) on top of Heath Ledger? I've heard that Warner Brothers is also considering re-releasing the film every year as an event. Seeing it in IMAX is unlike anything I've ever been able to repeat, so I might actually take advantage of this re-release in January myself.
Edward Norton's newest project sounds like an interesting one. Leaves of Grass is being described as a comedic thriller about twin brothers, both portrayed by Norton, one an Ivy League philosophy professor, the other a small-time but brilliant pot grower. The professor is lured back to his Oklahoma hometown by his brother for a doomed scheme against a local drug lord, and a collection of dangerous hijinks ensue.
Anyone who's seen his big screen debut Primal Fear knows how well Norton can attack a split personality, and the prospect of him playing such comic opposites in the same film is smirkworthy in and of itself.
The film is written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson, who also plays Norton's best friend. Susan Sarandon will play the eccentric mother, Keri Russell will play a love interest, and - get this - Richard Dreyfuss will play the local drug lord. Look for it next year.
Duke Nukem, everybody's favorite early 90s crop-top video game mass murderer, is headed to the big screen. Once producer Scott Faye finishes work on the upcoming Max Payne, he'll get the gears moving in full motion on the game adaptation. "I'm working diligently at making a Duke Nukem movie scenario that will live up to the character and its importance in the video game world," Faye said in an interview. "Of course, a game is a game and a film is a film, and decisions need to be made, as is the case in any adaptation. But it’s important to be true to the source material."
Jon Favreau, the genius behind Iron Man, has said that he'd love to do Iron Man 2 in 3D, and even shoot scenes on IMAX, a la The Dark Knight. Since Marvel and Paramount undoubtedly worship the pot he pisses in, I'd imagine Favreau's gonna get whatever the hell he wants. But nothing's set in stone yet - as of now it looks like nothing more than a wish list.
Here's an odd casting choice for you: Steven Soderbergh is set to direct a biopic about the flamboyant pianist Liberace for Warner Bros. Who's playing the lead? None other than Michael Douglas. Matt Damon, meanwhile, is in discussions to play Scott Thorson, the man who sued Liberace in 1982 for $113 million in palimony, claiming he was the entertainer’s companion for five years. Can't wait.
Greg O'Connor is developing a MMA action/drama flick for the big screen, called Warriors. Set in the world of mixed martial arts, producers are looking to kickstart enthusiasm for moviegoing MMA fans, after the disgrace that was Red Belt. In a recent interview, O'Connor shed some light on the plot: "I think it has a very visceral feeling like Pride and Glory but it's about two brothers who are fighters, who are estranged, and who have to, through the course of the story, find each other again and reconnect to a relationship with their father, who they've sort of also become estranged with." For a movie that's supposed to be about kicking ass, this sure sounds like a real heart-string tugger. Wait and see, folks. Wait and see.
It was widely believed that Arnold Schwarzenegger wouldn't be appearing in Terminator Salvation, but a recent photo of the original Terminator on set seems to tell otherwise. The standing rumor now is that the studio is planning on using CGI to replace the face of actor Roland Kickinger with Schwarzenegger's face. Arnold was reportedly on set to provide voice over dialogue which would be later worked into the film via ADR (aka automated dialogue replacement). Being that the T-800 is a part of the Terminator mythology, it would only make sense that Arnie would appear.
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