Pages

Friday, April 04, 2008

Knocking Heads

This week, among the new releases-George Clooney (pictured) sits in the big chair once again, calling the plays, and acting in Leatherheads (reviews); Abigail Breslin Jodie Foster and Gerard Butler bring the children's fantasy to life on Nims Island (reviews); And Carter Smith brings the book by Scott Smith called The Ruins (reviews) to the silver screen...While Martin Scorsese's documentary Shine A Light (reviews) about the Rolling Stones rocks out for a limited run...



Dave McNary and Pamela McClintock of Variety:

George Clooney’s screwball romantic comedy “Leatherheads” should lead what’s expected to be a relatively modest weekend at the domestic box office.

Universal opens “Leatherheads” in 2,777 theaters, marking the first time a film directed by Clooney has opened wide. He also stars, alongside Renee Zellweger and John Krasinki.

Clooney should be enough of a draw for the film to win the weekend, with a likely total opening gross of under $20 million.

Twentieth Century Fox opens family adventure-fantasy “Nim’s Island,” from Fox Walden and starring Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler and Abigail Breslin, in 3,513 theaters.

“Nim’s” could end up in a relatively close race for No. 2 with Sony holdover “21,” depending on how much the card-counting drama drops in its second sesh after opening to $24.1 million last weekend.

DreamWorks/Paramount have more modest expectations for R-rated horror pic “The Ruins,” produced by DreamWorks and Spyglass Entertainment. “Ruins” opens in 2,812 theaters.

The Par family has another movie opening this week, Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stones concert docu “Shine a Light.” Paramount Classics unspools the film in 276 theaters, with 93 of those being large-format Imax locations. That makes it the largest Imax opening ever. Many of the regular theaters where the film is playing are in markets without an Imax screen. .

If there’s been a lack of offerings for older moviegoers of late, “Leatherheads” could change that\

Film is tracking strongly among both older males and older females, and has been heavily advertised by U. Clooney and Zellweger have done a media blitz, particularly in the flyover states, hosting special screenings of the film.

Film is set in 1925 in the early days of pro football and tells the story of a rowdy but aging football playerwho tries to drum up interest for the league by recruiting a college gridiron star. Zellweger plays a journalist chronicling the antics.

“Leatherheads,” rated PG-13, is the third movie directed by Clooney after specialty pics “Good Night, and Good Luck” and “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.” It cost roughly $58 million to produce.


Entertainment Weekly thinks "Nim's" has the better shot at #1:

With a hefty theater count, the Jodie Foster-Gerard Butler-Abigail Breslin family film could take down George Clooney's screwball sports comedy, with third major new release ''The Ruins'' riding the pine

Read More...

On another cinema battlefront: Clooney clashes w/WGA over credit on 'Leatherheads'...

Next Week Ryan Reynolds puts forth the Chaos Theory; While the kids get ready for a killer of a time on Prom Night-a remake of the 1980 flick...

No comments:

Post a Comment