1 N Ice Age: Continental Drift Fox $46,629,259 - 3,881 - $12,015 $46,629,259 - 1 2 1 The Amazing Spider-Man Sony $34,628,104 -44.2% 4,318...


1NIce Age: Continental DriftFox$46,629,259-3,881-$12,015$46,629,259-1
21The Amazing Spider-ManSony$34,628,104-44.2%4,318-$8,019$200,500,351$2302
32TedUni.$22,410,855-30.4%3,303+47$6,785$159,257,250$503
43BraveBV$11,160,522-43.1%3,392-499$3,290$196,061,319$1854
54Savages (2012)Uni.$9,393,840-41.4%2,635+7$3,565$32,125,290$452
65Magic MikeWB$9,021,123-42.3%3,090-30$2,919$91,841,198$73
76Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness ProtectionLGF$5,584,027-45.1%2,004-157$2,786$55,611,721$203
88Katy Perry: Part of MePar.$3,800,607-46.8%2,732+2$1,391$18,653,544$122
99Moonrise KingdomFocus$3,704,507-18.0%924+40$4,009$32,483,002$168
107Madagascar 3: Europe's Most WantedP/DW$3,669,675-51.2%2,285-576$1,606$203,901,397$1456
Ice Age: Continental Drift had its opening out of the states last week and reached number one worldwide. Now even though it's the fourth installment it doesn't melt as it tops the US chart. So I guess the producers are already eyeing a fifth.
 Ice Age 4 stars the same 3 main voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Dennis Leary. Along with a tongue-ful of others like Queen Latifa, Sean W. Scott (who plays Stifler in the theatrically-released American Pie films), and also singers such as Jennifer Lopez and the dreadful Nicki Minaj. This is the first film in the series to not be directed by the same filmmaker Carlos Saldanha. 
  Ice Age 3 is the fourth-highest grossing animated feature of all time with $887m to boast. Let's see where this picks up. I myself have only seen one part and that is the first Ice Age and that was hilarious if you were below teenage at that time.
  The Amazing Spider-Man started with $62m in the States and that amount falls to $34m this weekend. Budgeted at $230m the film has grossed $200m in USA and will reach and estimated $300m from BO101 predictions. It has grossed over $500m worldwide and the greatest debut being in the UK with $18.1m. That's not surprising as the actor who plays Spider-man in this reboot is himself English (Andrew Garfield). And a pretty fine thespian if you've seen The Social Network. Spidey has also boasted high ticket sales in Asia where it was also heavily marketed in my home country, Pakistan.
  Two of the three animated ventures have grossed above their budget in the States: Brave and Madagascar 3. It is safe to say that animated features will probably never flop and that families would prefer to watch PG-rated fun instead of R-rated flicks.
  Savages (2012) is a crime thriller directed by famed filmmaker Oliver Stone. The film stars mainly Taylor Kitsch and Blake Lively. The former who has starred in box-office disappointments John Carter and Battleship. But fortune has appeared in his favour this time as this thrill-machine will gross above its semi-budget of $45m (after DVD/Blu-Ray sales, of course).
  American singer Katy Perry released a 3D concert documentary last week in the States and given the competition it has still managed to surpass its $12m budget with $18m. Worldwide, the total is $22m and its is the tenth-highest grossing documentary of all time. The UAE release date is Sept. 7. And critics of Rotten Tomatoes have given it a 76% fresh rating.
  So that's all for this weekend. Catch the Savages trailer and I'll hook up with more facts and estimates next Tuesday. For now, cheers!


(Chart by Box Office Mojo)

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count  / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week # 1 N Ted Uni. $54,415,...

TWLWTitle (click to view)StudioWeekend Gross% ChangeTheater Count /ChangeAverageTotal GrossBudget*Week #
1NTedUni.$54,415,205-3,239-$16,800$54,415,205$501
2NMagic MikeWB$39,127,170-2,930-$13,354$39,127,170$71
31BraveBV$34,094,643-48.6%4,164-$8,188$131,768,334$1852
4NTyler Perry's Madea's Witness ProtectionLGF$25,390,575-2,161-$11,749$25,390,575$201
52Madagascar 3: Europe's Most WantedP/DW$11,840,276-39.9%3,715-205$3,187$180,036,798$1454
63Abraham Lincoln: Vampire HunterFox$6,009,612-63.1%3,109+1$1,933$29,043,805$692
711Moonrise KingdomFocus$4,926,837+45.1%854+459$5,769$18,465,954$166
84PrometheusFox$4,921,254-50.3%1,951-911$2,522$118,258,102$1304
95Snow White and the HuntsmanUni.$4,498,725-44.4%2,337-582$1,925$145,684,645$1705
108Marvel's The AvengersBV$4,421,671-38.4%1,757-473$2,517$606,504,744$2209
Ted starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis in the leads reaches the top spot in its first weekend. It has achieved the highest opening for a R-rated comedy film. But trust me the poster doesn't even do the courtesy of making it look PG-rated:
  As the heading suggests this is the feature-length debut of popular adult TV series Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. Roger Ebert has given it 3.5/4 stars: ''Doesn't run out of steam''. He also commented that it is the best comedy screenplay this year (so far). For me that's 21 Jump Street (so far). Although, I hope Kunis' presence doesn't falter the flick much like the overrated Friends with Benefits.
  Another new satire that debuted this weekend is Magic Mike. Steven Soderbergh is one of my fav. directors better known for action-comedies like the Oceans Eleven trio. MM stars an ensemble cast of Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four), Mathew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer), etc. 
  The synopsis is: a male stripper teaches a young performer how to party, pick up women and make easy money. Well, I'd be happy if it were a female stripper with Jessica Alba in the lead and Yvonne Strahovski as the protege.
  MM has already surpassed its budget of just $7m with approximately $40m. Both Ted and MM were released by studios at a smart date. Brave was already preceded by another animated picture namely Madagascar 3 and so audiences would want to spice up their weekends a bit naughtily.
  Prometheus will cover its budget in the States by 2 more weeks but it's likely to exit by the latter week as two biggies are about to finalise their entries. Brave has already made $156.1m worldwide off a budget of $185m and hasn't been so successful overseas. Marvel's The Avengers sees its exit next weekend after staying 9 whole weeks in the top 10. Salute!
  In global news, Ice Age 4: Continental Drift opened at $80.1m and The Amazing Spider-Man opened at $51.1m respectively. It is disappointing that the latter film comprising of a superhero favoured by kids and adults alike tastes dirt by an animated feature. But Ice Age isn't just any animated franchise being one of the most profitable of its kind. In Inda the Spider-Man reboot has boasted the highest-grossing entrant in the theatres with $6.0m and reports indicate it already outpacing Marvel's The Avengers. This is not surprising as the venture also consists of renowned non-mainstream actor Irrfan Khan.
  Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 declaring it better than the original version and the 2nd best Spider-Man film after Spider-Man 2. So with this sorta critical reaction I am bound to watch this one (on Blu-ray to be precise).
  When remakes weren't enough reboots started. There are many extraordinary saviours in the comic-book world similarly for Marvel and DC. Films based on characters like Deadpool should've been released by now. That's Hollywood for you...
  The 3rd new entrance this weekend is Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection. It is the seventh in the franchise and surpassed its budget in the States with $25m on debut on a budget of just $20m. Witness Protection is also the first in the franchise not to be based on play. WP stars the man in the title himself Perry, along with well-known Eugene Levy (American Pie series) and Denise Richards (famous in this case for being previously married to Charlie Sheen).
  So we end this worldwide film fiesta analysis with Ted's trailer. Rock of Ages has flopped both in the States and overseas and despite being original (a rock musical) and a Tom Cruise starrer this shows that animated features, and comic-based movies are winning audiences more than ever. The Amazing Spider-Man will top the US next week with a forecast $70-$90m opening as by BO101.

(Chart by Box Office Mojo)

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.