I remember watching Sir Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) on the tele a few years back thinking it was a 90's release. Yes, the film is th...

I remember watching Sir Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) on the tele a few years back thinking it was a 90's release. Yes, the film is that advanced in its screen aura. And Prometheus fits the same criteria.
  The sci-fi venture is made by the same director mentioned above. With a screenplay by Jon Spaihts (2011's The Darkest Hour) and Damon Lindelof (Lost TV series writer). Alien was written by the late Dan O'Bannon and it's a mournful that he is no longer with the desolate H-wood industry. But the designs were influenced by still-alive H.R. Giger who is the creator of the original Alien treatment. This time around Arthur Max led the production design and in respect to this era, he has outdone himself. Max has won two Academy Awards for Gladiator and American Gangster.

Scott's latest feature is brilliant. The plot is far from simple: a group of explorers must find the clues to the beginning of mankind in the darkest corners of the universe. Set in the late 21st century Prometheus delivers what the trailer promises.
  The film incorporates its own mythology and is more of a psychological and philosophical venture which is rare for science fiction. Thus, Scott markets its own USP. Besides that another pro is the design and layout. You will be stunned by the effects and they have the same uber-generation effects as Alien. So this was no doubt directed by Scott. I also felt a nostalgia of Joss Whedon. The latter's 2005 film Serenity shares a similar theme and dialogues. Whedon's debut is crap. Prometheus is far from that.
  Furthermore, the acting is better than included in Serenity. Believe me the only good point of Whedon's first feature-film was the role-playing. The thespians in Prometheus showed their full acting prowess. If this were a Broadway play it would've won hearts by the cast alone. Michael Fassbender has already garnered universal critical/commercial acclaim for his role as a cyborg - wonder if he actually is one. Fassbender is a fine actor acting such charisma in movies where there was non (X-Men: First Class, Haywire). My fav. critic Roger Ebert commented that Idris Elba (Thor, Ghost Rider 2) acted the best. I rate Fassbender above all but all are worth mentioning. Noomi Rapace (Sherlock Holmes 2) showed immense female impact in her performance and Charlize Theron showed why her comeback matters. Logan Marshall-Green did well too for a largely unknown actor. And I just have to concur that the dreary scenery was out of this world.
  Scott is perfect at timing. Action and horror scenes occur when least expected. Also, they really get to you. The moods of the characters complement well with the type of scenes depicted. Conversation is 2nd best to Marvel's The Avengers. Characterisation is top-notch and applause to the writers for no stereotyping.
  However, there are notable cons. Unlike Alien, the film is not intended for every R-rated viewer. To be blunt, Prometheus is slow in the beginning and in most parts of its entire running time. Alien also had the same features like horror, action and suspense in one. But Prometheus being more of an exploration film doe snot fully extend the adrenaline rush like Scott's legend. Though it does lure the audience into the suspenseful world of the filmmaker but it should've been spent more time exploiting the dark areas in thriller-mode. So Prometheus is not a thriller/mystery for everybody like Inception or the two Sherlock Holmes features. It is more of Nolan's The Prestige and to some extent Shutter Island (not a recommendation).
  Prometheus' earnings have been mentioned in my earlier post. And they are about my estimates. Though it should've done better financially speaking. Watchers with a high threshold for slow thrillers should definitely check this out.
  The following justifies its outlook to every type of theatre-goer. Prometheus classifies as a sci-fi mystery in contrast to sci-fi thriller (Alien), or sci-fi horror (The Thing, 1982 of course).

RT: 73%.
IMDB: 7.6/10.
BO101: 2.5/4.
BO101 sci-fi rank: 3rd after The Thing 1982 and Alien.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count  / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week # 1 N Brave BV $66,32...



TWLWTitle (click to view)StudioWeekend Gross% ChangeTheater Count /ChangeAverageTotal GrossBudget*Week #
1NBraveBV$66,323,594-4,164-$15,928$66,323,594$1851
21Madagascar 3: Europe's Most WantedP/DW$19,712,315-42.1%3,920-343$5,029$157,086,037$1453
3NAbraham Lincoln: Vampire HunterFox$16,306,974-3,108-$5,247$16,306,974$691
42PrometheusFox$9,905,670-52.2%2,862-580$3,461$108,452,350$1303
55Snow White and the HuntsmanUni.$8,085,630-39.0%2,919-782$2,770$137,128,350$1704
63Rock of AgesWB (NL)$7,655,377-47.0%3,470-$2,206$28,418,621$752
74That's My BoySony$7,630,411-43.3%3,030-$2,518$27,910,794$702
87Marvel's The AvengersBV$7,177,661-19.4%2,230-352$3,219$598,425,442$2208
96MIB 3Sony$5,726,756-43.0%2,462-673$2,326$163,465,707$2255
10NSeeking a Friend for the End of the WorldFocus$3,822,803-1,625-$2,352$3,822,803$101
Two animated features at the top spots. And Prometheus succumbs to a solid drop in its 3rd week. However, it will most likely cover its budget in the next two weeks in the US. Rock of Ages falls clumsily at 5 and being a Tom Cruise starrer that is depressing - the trailer is wicked nevertheless.
  Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter opens at 3 and I'm surprised this wasn't distributed by LionsGate as this is in their element. It stars Benjamin Walker. Dominic Cooper and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (The Thing 2011) in the main roles. It's directed by Wanted filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov - and produced by Tim Burton (director of Sweeney Todd, Dark Shadows,etc.), based on the 2010 novel of the same name, and the adapted screenplay the same author Seth Grahame-Smith. And I'm not looking that forward to this one. It seems overrated by the teaser. 37% is the Rotten Tomatoes score and I don't seem surprised. Nicolas Cage was considered for the lead but Fox is lucky he didn't make it. Nic shouldn't get an act based on a great historical figure until his movie earnings match the criteria.

  As predicted, by next The Avengers will gross $600m in the US alone. The superhero venture is already the 3rd highest grosser of all time and should be first in my book. James Cameron is overvalued.
  Adam Sandler's That's My Boy has become a flop comedy. And will definitely not even reach its $70m budget in the States. MiB 3 has grossed above $150m in American and has made a figure of $577m meeting above my expectation of $500m. And it has grossed above MiB2 and will eventually outdo the first part in universal earnings by the end of its theatrical run.
  Animated features always cover the top 3 spots of the US BO. So unless you have a film like The Avengers it's useless to compete. Even Tom Cruise couldn't beat Madagascar from the top spot. Same disappointment for Sir Ridley Scott's Prometheus. It has made $260.1 million globally as of 25 June. It broke pre-sales records for the London IMAX. And a personal review will be COMING SOON.
  Roger Ebert, an American top critic and my favourite, has given the sci-fi film 4 out of 4 stars: ''magnificent... blend of story, special effects, and pitch-perfect casting, filmed in sane, effective 3-D that doesn't distract''.
  His favorite performance was by Idris Elba.
  In other news, The Amazing Spider-man releases July 3 in the States and will no doubt straight to numero uno. Another new entry this weekend at the 10th spot, is the comedy-drama Seeking a Friend for the End of the World starring well-known comedian Steve Carrell and UK beauty Keira Knightley.
  Below is the trailer for Step Up Revolution, the 4th in the series, produced by the previous part's director John Chu and directed by Scott Speer in his debut. Adam G. Sevani the superb teenage dancer revives his role as Moose. Releasing July 27 in USA and 10th August in the UK. I am looking forward to this one in 3-D:

(Chart by Box Office Mojo)

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count   / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week # 1 1 Madagascar 3: E...


TWLWTitle (click to view)StudioWeekend Gross% ChangeTheater Count /ChangeAverageTotal GrossBudget*Week #
11Madagascar 3: Europe's Most WantedP/DW$34,055,474-43.5%4,263+5$7,989$119,006,006$1452
22PrometheusFox$20,712,174-59.4%3,442+46$6,017$89,370,301$1302
3NRock of AgesWB (NL)$14,437,269-3,470-$4,161$14,437,269$751
4NThat's My BoySony$13,453,714-3,030-$4,440$13,453,714$701
53Snow White and the HuntsmanUni.$13,265,635-42.5%3,701-76$3,584$122,062,670$1703
64MIB 3Sony$10,047,575-27.7%3,135-657$3,205$152,726,558$2254
75Marvel's The AvengersBV$8,905,467-20.8%2,582-547$3,449$586,794,371$2207
86The Best Exotic Marigold HotelFoxS$2,283,218-30.1%1,184-114$1,928$35,216,713-7
910Moonrise KingdomFocus$2,237,726+43.5%178+82$12,571$6,839,462$164
108BattleshipUni.$1,248,150-45.2%942-1,012$1,325$62,151,820$2095
  Two new contestants enter the arena. One is rock musical featuring tunes from the likes of Guns N' Roses along with Bon Jovi (one of my favs.). It stars an ensemble cast of singer Julianne Hough, Alec Baldwin, Russel Brand and Tom Cruise who has been critically praised for his role. It is based on a rock Broadway musical by Adam Shankman. Although most box officers note that the film's opening is disappointing, it's competing against an array of CGI-filled movies.

  That's My Boy opens at no.4 and it stars veteran Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg and actress Leighton Meester. For a comedy with such a household name this has underachieved its start-up.
  The Avengers will most probably reach the $600m milestone is USA 2 weeks later. And I'm sure it will leave after that because there are few competitors (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Brave). Prometheus drops to about $21m this weekend but stays strongly at the second spot. Madagascar 3 surprisingly went to the top spot last week considering the box office mogul that Sir Ridley Scott (Prometheus filmmaker) is.
  Madagascar will definitely gross to $150m in the States and foreign-wise it is currently in the lead. This proves very dull for producers of Prometheus. Also considering that it is one of the lesser thriller released in 2012 and the first to have a debut in the summer.
  Charlize Theron's other starring venture Snow White and the Huntsman has grossed just about $250m off a budget of $170m. This also certifies that actor Chris Hemsworth has not had a single flop since his first lead role in Thor. Surprisingly, all his films have been superhits after that one. Kristen Stewart has also had a rocking career after the overrated Twilight. So may be I'm not surprised at The Huntsman's financial success after all.
  In other news, G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation has been shipped to a March 13, 2013 release date. The reason is a 3-D post conversion. And after making everybody crave for a quick 2012 summer release they decided to embark on 3-D. Also Vin Diesel is teaming up with director David Twohy (who directed the previous two installments of Riddick) for Riddick. Pitch Black was a horror sci-fi film that was a major success relative to its small budget that had Diesel in the lead role, as well as in its action-orientated sequel The Chronicles of Riddick. Although, I haven't seen the first part and found the 2nd ridiculous, the 3rd might be better as it an independent film like Pitch Black. So I expect something different that the lead character jumping through every planet unknown to man.
  The film is due for a 2013 release.
  Here is the official HD trailer for the Spider-man reboot. Releases on June 28 in Europe, with a July 3 date in the States. Pundits expect it to be very successful in India due to starring critically-acclaimed actor Irrfhan Khan in the supporting cast. To be in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D.

(Chart from Box Office Mojo)

Three mainstream films were released last year under the Marvel Studios banner. Totally, they grossed a little above $1 billion. At the indi...

Three mainstream films were released last year under the Marvel Studios banner. Totally, they grossed a little above $1 billion. At the individual level, they did not generate massive revenues. An exception is Thor, that grossed approximately $4.50m worldwide. It's success was also surprising as it had an unknown lead actor (Chris Hemsworth) compared to the other examples.
  In the early 60s, the late Jack Kirby and Stan Lee (pictured below) came up with an idea of a superhero team that comprised of the title The Avengers. After so many years, this idea has sprung up into a number of comic-book based films leading up to the ultimatum this year. Now we are lucky that this film wasn't made earlier than the year 2000 - no CGI then! Luckily, it was made this year and ended up not only as a critical, but also commercial success.
  Lee is credited as the greatest mastermind of comic-books alive (he's 89 and still writing). He's created such internationally renown characters like The Amazing Spider-man (an adaption releasing in July), The Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk as well as many others of the Marvel database. Who would've known that the ideas of one man alone could generate such revenue in every currency available.
  In 2008, The Dark Knight became the first film based on a comic franchise to accumulate $1b. And like hell, it deserved it. It even garnered a Best Supporting Actor win of the Oscars for Heath Ledger. Christopher Nolan's direction was incredible. It shook all dimensions of the superhero action genre combining such features of thrill, satire, drama and overall heart-pounding scenes. His previous release Batman Begins was also brilliant and I'm surprised it wasn't a big commercial plus critical success as the 2nd part.
  Now to the critical analysis of BO101: Marvel's The Avengers has a predictable plot. The story development is non-creative, and the film becomes semi-predictable after the first hour. Joss Whedon's directing is not up to Nolan's standards that pushed boundaries. Here, we see a cliched adaption of heroes with superhuman abilities.
  Whedon's first feature that he both wrote and directed was Serenity (2005). Many pundits forecast that it would land straight onto no.1 at the US charts. It missed by a short shot at no.2 and barely managed to cover its budget at the end of its theatrical run. Although, critics loved the film I despised it. Boring plot and it's perfect for letting you sleep at night. Apart from a few funny scenes and dialogues, and half-entertaining action sequences, the film is a shamble. Not only is it a bad sci-fi action flick, it's probably the worst I've ever seen. If I had seen this film before The Avengers. I might've never of gone to watch the latter in the cinema hall.
  The Avengers, however, is on a far greater level than Serenity. Whedon's theatrical antics are still reminiscent on this film. The dialogue delivery of the thespians is quite similar and where the flurry scenes were above average and less, here there are plenty and upgraded as well. So no wonder they chose Whedon. He's a Avengers fan and plus he's famous in the States for creating TV series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, etc. Serenity itself is based on his short-lived series Firefly. So I'm guessing his films will do good in the future if not based on a background structure of his own making.
  There were many pros for The Avengers. Firstly, it has the best beat-em'-up scenes of any summer blockbuster. Overall, it's the best hot-weather entertainer of all time. The end-fighting scenes leave you craving for more. Another important factor is that the dialogues, dialogue delivery and acting mainly by Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki). Ruffalo is far off the best actor to represent the Jekyll and Hyde character. Unlike Eric Bana and Edward Norton, Ruffalo's representation is life-like (which is uncanny for an anti-hero). He truly looked like and talked like a doctor. Norton is one of my fav. actors and although he suited the muscled scientist well in The Incredible Hulk, Ruffalo was original. He earned Best Supporting Actor at the 83rd Academy Awards for The Kids Are All Right.
  Loki's representation was also terrifying. He is the best live-action villain along with Heath Ledger's The Joker and Ian Mckellen (Magneto).  Robert Downey Jr. is also in the list of honourable mentions. But let's face it he's already in the league of super-actors and he's such a veteran that even if everybody's acting sucked he would still shine in the limelight. And only by him, Tony Stark was depicted as an individual everybody loved to hate.
  Apart from all these advantages, the film is a must-watch. It has a little bit of everything for everyone. It's also a movie that the whole family could watch together - a rarity in today's H-wood. The characterisation is top-notch and what else could you ask for from such an ensemble cast. Every actor suited his role perfectly. Conversations, especially the ones between the charlatans, are fun and amusing.
  The film is directed by J. Whedon and the screenplay is by him, with a story by screenwriter Zak Penn (X-men: The Last Stand) and Whedon. Penn really upgraded his craft with this one, The Last Stand ruined The X-men but luckily this wrecking was surpassed by X-men: First Class. Marvel's The Avengers had its world premiere on April 11 and as of June 13 it has earned approximately $1.4b off a megabudget of $200 million. It is officially the highest-grossing superhero film of all time, and has set the record for fastest opening weekend cumulative (it earned $207.4m!). So in 2 months and 2 days that is very shocking. It release in the US on May 4, and grossed a round-off of $580m. A few more days on the chart and it'll become the 3rd film to reach $600m in the States.
  So catch the trailer. It may look cliched but it certainly isn't. It provides not only old and new fans with what they deserve, but also to the whole mainstream audience. The movie isn't up to Nolan's standards but what the heck! Who wants to be a perfectionist viewer?
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%.
IMDB: 8.6/10.
BoxOffice101: 3/4.


Disney's biggest flop of all time is none other than the much-hyped John Carter. An adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' hero from th...

Disney's biggest flop of all time is none other than the much-hyped John Carter. An adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' hero from the 11-volume Barsoom novels. Burroughs is also credited for having created the character Tarzan that sprung multiple media adaptions, and led him to international fame. Fortunately, he didn't have to live through this.
  Taylor Kitsch stars as the antagonist. The actor is renown for starring in the TV series Friday Night Lights. He also had a minor role as the legendary X-men character Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And he played the part well. His next release after J. Carter was Battleship that also badly underperformed. Hugh Jackman's just lucky Wolverine managed to become a box office hit. The likes of Liam Neeson and Rihanna couldn't hinder Battleship from sinking. He's going to star in legendary filmmaker Olive Stone's next crime-thriller Savages featuring an ensemble cast. Only if there's as much luck present as with Wolverine, then this film would gross above it's budget.
  I haven't seen Battleship yet but I plan to. Carter was superhit-material. The hero was good looking enough to draw crowds and having the Disney emblem on the poster, along with being an adaptation of Burroughs' famed character, but without further ado, it flopped. I wonder if Walt Disney Pictures would've just made a sequel to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. It was adrenaline-rushed and even eligible for a 2-time cinematic watch. Sure, fans weren't happy that the movie was an unfaithful adaption of the video game series. But I owe it to the director and writers for charming the audience with such fun and fast-paced action scenes and a durable story. In contrast, Carter had predictable and super-dull action, along with a plot that thins after the first 40 minutes of its torturous 132 mins duration.
  Sure, it had its good effects. The start-up to the film was above average, especially the scenes displayed on earth were mysterious and urged the viewer to hold his/her breath for the upcoming scenario. But it's not long before Carter lands on the planet Mars and the movie becomes as dried up as its landscape.
  The first few post-landing-on-Mars scenes were energetic and well-written. But after that the entire feature is in ruins. The plot becomes too twisted that younger audiences would flee away. There is not much to keep people in their seats as they are confused and ultra-bored. Even the work on Mars and the Aliens seemed low-valued compared to other Disney releases (Pirates of Caribbean foursome, Prince of Persia). I mean if you were to keep the main character null and void, at least provide some spark to the other, in this case, beings from outer space. Mark Strong may have found his first dull role in a movie. And the heroin Lynn Collins was OK, considering she was a warrior princess who had 0% chemistry with the lead.
  Today's over $800m grossing films are made up of many CGI effects. But they are coupled with witty dialogues, awesome fighting sequences and an above average cast. Take the example of Marvel's The Avengers that has grossed over $1b worldwide. J. Carter is not only far from hit, but also far from superhit. Although, the fighting scene with the giant white beast (as shown in the trailer) was the only entertaining adrenaline scene in the whole flick. It co-stars Ciaran Hinds, Willem Dafoe (voice only) and Daryl Sabara (Spy Kids 1-3).
  Disney's John Carter is directed by Andrew Stanton - who has directed the hit animated feature Finding Nemo. This is first live-action film and that is clearly seen. The screenplay is written by Stanton along with Mark Andrews and Michael Chabon (both who have co-written their first live-action film). Best of luck for them in their next ventures.
  Carter has made just above $280m worldwide off a megabudget of $250m. It set new BO records in Russia, flopped badly in North America, and it's surprising that it still managed to gain these financial defects with a global opening of $100.8m. All plans for a trilogy have been put on hold.

Rotten Tomatoes: 52%
IMDB: 6.8/10.
BoxOffice101: 1.5/4.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count  / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week # 1 N Madagascar 3: Eu...


TWLWTitle (click to view)StudioWeekend Gross% ChangeTheater Count /ChangeAverageTotal GrossBudget*Week #
1NMadagascar 3: Europe's Most WantedP/DW$60,316,738-4,258-$14,166$60,316,738$1451
2NPrometheusFox$51,050,101-3,396-$15,032$51,050,101-1
31Snow White and the HuntsmanUni.$23,058,790-59.0%3,777+4$6,105$98,537,475$1702
42MIB 3Sony$13,895,720-50.5%3,792-456$3,664$135,901,094$2253
53Marvel's The AvengersBV$11,249,738-45.1%3,129-541$3,595$572,300,463$2206
66The Best Exotic Marigold HotelFoxS$3,267,156-27.1%1,298+4$2,517$31,040,735-6
77What to Expect When You're ExpectingLGF$2,788,226-36.8%2,087-820$1,336$35,823,598-4
84BattleshipUni.$2,276,410-55.3%1,954-1,190$1,165$59,820,215$2094
95The DictatorPar.$2,242,563-52.3%1,651-998$1,358$55,281,103$654
1013Moonrise KingdomFocus$1,559,670+77.9%96+80$16,247$3,731,001-3
  BoxOffice101's prediction of Prometheus landing at the top spot fails. I actually thought it would reach no.1 even though Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted was scheduled to release.
  Prometheus is directed by the sci-fi cult classic director Sir Ridley Scott. He is also known for making the films Blade Runner and the much Oscar-hyped Gladiator. So, technically yes, his latest feature was bound to be a big opener. Well, it hasn't failed by a large amount as it has grabbed top spots in most Euro countries. The film is co-written by Jon Spaihts who wrote the above average grosser The Darkest Hour in 2011. It's a Russian-American sci-fi thriller. He also provided the story which Scott readily lurched upon. The other screenwriter is Damon Lidelof. He had written for famed TV series such as Crossing Jordan and Nash Bridges. So with lack of experience on one hand, and experience on the other, this will be a screenplay to look out for.
  Actress Charlize Theron (pictured above at the UK Prometheus premiere) has become the 2nd H-wood actress this year to have her films appear at the top 10. The other is British diva Kate Beckinsale  (Underworld: Evolution, Contraband). A major difference being that the former is an Oscar winner for Best Actress. So this year marks a great success for both of them. I had predicted last week that Prometheus would have a US opening of $65m-$70m - I should've spared it for Madagascar.
  Madagascar features top H-town comedians namely Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Sacha Baron Cohen to name a few. And plus it's an animated feature in 3-D that is bound to be an above average grosser. The previous two parts were super-hits, and this one's on the trail to box office glory.
  The Avengers just needs a few more weeks to gross $600m in the States. It is the 3rd highest-grossing film of all time behind Titanic and Avatar. I'm surprised this hero flick didn't gross up to $2b. It had such a high opening but may be people didn't catch it another time probably waiting for the blu-ray release. But still, it's way better than the first 2 films.
  It's comic-book competitor The Dark Knight rises is scheduled to release in late July. But I can say the film won't have an iconic opening (or ending) as The Avengers has. MiB3 will probably end up with $150m in the US. It will gross approximately $500m worldwide next week off a production value of $225m.
  Another new entry to the chart is Moonrise Kingdom. It's not a commercial film and stars Bruce Willis and Edward Norton in lead roles - 2 of my fav. actors. The movie's directed by Wes Anderson an Academy Award Winner. Moonrise Kingdom has a high rating of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and may be worth a watch to take our tires eyes off the CGI effects of modern cinema.
  The only horror film in months Chernobyl Diaries from the producers of Paranormal Activity leaves the top 10 chart in its 3rd week. It made a disappointing $16m off $1m worldwide compared to PA's grosses. Hopefully, PA's creator Oren Peli has produced The Lords of Salem due to be released this summer. This horror flick is generating a lot of Internet glamour and I can't wait to see it.
  As of June 12, Prometheus has made $145m off a budget of $120m-$130m. It'll probably finish with $300m-$350m at the end of its theatrical run. But given the grosses of blockbusters nowadays, Prometheus might probably end up as a commercial disappointment, although critics have cheered it on relentlessly. Sir Ridley Scott's reputation perhaps? The IMAX tickets sold very bad as well compared to it's 3-D and 2-D versions. Still, I'll catch this in 2-D or the 3rd dimension next week for sure. I've been eagerly awaiting Theron's comeback. My next cinematic anticipations are Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter releasing worldwide on June 22. Catch the trailer it's intriguing:

  So catch me next Tues. for more actual and forecast BO grosses. Cheers.

(Chart from Box Office Mojo)

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count  / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week # 1 N Snow White and t...


TWLWTitle (click to view)StudioWeekend Gross% ChangeTheater Count /ChangeAverageTotal GrossBudget*Week #
1NSnow White and the HuntsmanUni.$56,217,700-3,773-$14,900$56,217,700$1701
21MIB 3Sony$28,075,210-48.6%4,248-$6,609$111,078,763$2252
32Marvel's The AvengersBV$20,486,418-44.2%3,670-248$5,582$552,950,398$2205
43BattleshipUni.$5,092,295-53.9%3,144-558$1,620$55,405,145$2093
54The DictatorPar.$4,702,004-49.3%2,649-365$1,775$50,812,364$653
68The Best Exotic Marigold HotelFoxS$4,483,083-29.8%1,294+61$3,465$25,379,688-5
77What to Expect When You're ExpectingLGF$4,408,741-38.1%2,907-114$1,517$30,702,100-3
86Dark ShadowsWB$3,703,205-50.7%3,002-402$1,234$70,677,046$1504
95Chernobyl DiariesWB$3,127,107-60.7%2,433-$1,285$14,498,221-2
10NFor Greater GloryArcEnt$1,885,608-757-$2,491$1,885,608-1
  Snow White and the Huntsman unexpectedly opened at the top spot this weekend. MiB3 shows an approximately 50% decrease just in its 2nd week. Last weekend it had an opening of an opening of about $55m. The film has grossed less than its predecessors in the opening week. The movie has 68% on Rotten Tomatoes and my fav. critic Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars (which is a big deal). Will Smith garners his 10th flick to gross over $100m in a row at the international circuit.
  Snow White and the Huntsman stars Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron (her first starring live-action role after 2 years), and Chris Hemsworth. The directors is Rupert Sanders (on debut) with one out of the 3 screenwriters being the famous Oscar-winner Hossein Amini (only Iranian screenwriter to win Oscar for Adapted Screenplay). 3.5/4 from Ebert (too impressive). The trailer is entertaining - I know I'm talking about a film based on Snow White but I still think it beats every part of Twilight - sorry Stewart. Check it out:
  As predicted, The Hunger Games and Think Like a Man finally leave the top 10 chart. Another new entry at no.1 is the English-language Mexican epic For Greater Glory. It stars well-known veteran Andy Garcia along with Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria. Director Dean Wright is in with his debut - he was the visual effects supervisor on the last two parts of Lord of the Rings.
  The Avengers is still grossing at $20m in its 5th on the US chart. It is the highest grossing film of 2012 and The Dark Knight Rises is very unlikely to beat it.
  Overseas, MiB 3 has the top rank. Charlize Theron's 2nd big-budget film Prometheus grosses $35m. Next weekend I expect it to go straight on to number one and that means two films of her will be at the most above spots. Prometheus has a strong opening as the production budget is $120-130m. It is likely to gross $65-$70m in its US opening on June 8. It is releasing in 2-D, 3-D and IMAX respectively. SW and the Huntsman has started with above $55m off $170m domestically and above $90m globally. It is likely to end up with $250-$280m worldwide at the end of its theatrical run.
  Battleship fails to score in the US with only $55m on a mega-budget of $200m. Taylor Kitsch's both high production-valued action flicks John Carter and the former have grossed well below expectations. He will star next in a main role in the crime thriller Savages that has an ensemble cast of H-wood superstars. Hope they save it for him. But if Liam Neeson and Rihanna couldn't stop Battleship from sinking, this is gonna be a long shot.
  The only horror film on the high 10 box is Chernobyl Diaries which falls drastically to the 9th spot in its latter week. It's been a long time since a mainstream scary feature released, and this one is unlikely to be remembered.
  Next Tuesday, BoxOffice101 will meet you with more actual figures and forecasts. Au revoir.

(Chart by Box Office Mojo)