New movies crowd box office
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Another four movies open wide on Friday — Warner Bros.’ Leonardo DiCaprio-Russell Crowe CIA actioner “Body of Lies,” directed by Ridley Scott; Universal sports biopic “The Express”; Sony/Screen Gems’ horror title “Quarantine”; and Fox-Walden family film “City of Ember.”
They add to an already jam-packed marquee. Last weekend, there were seven wide releases, led by Disney’s “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” which opened to a robust $29.3 million.The specialty side also will be hectic. Limited openers include Warner Bros.’ actioner “RockNRolla,” directed by Guy Ritchie and opening in seven theaters, and Miramax’s Mike Leigh comedy “Happy-Go-Lucky,” which opens in four theaters in New York and L.A.
Debuting in five theaters in L.A. and Gotham is Wong Kar Wai’s reworking of his classic martial arts pic, “Ashes of Time Redux.” Sony Pictures Classics is releasing the Chinese-language film domestically.
- from Variety
As they dole out their holiday goodies, international distribution honchos say the movie business is “relatively stable” despite the global economic turmoil.
High-stakes bets are being placed on Sony/MGM’s latest James Bond offering, “Quantum of Solace”; DreamWorks Animation/Paramount’s sequel “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa”; and Fox’s remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” Fox’s Baz Luhrmann Western adventure “Australia” is placed in the “highly promising” class, and there’s always hope that another “Mamma Mia!” might be lurking.
With the last lap of the 2008 moviegoing season getting under way, overseas boxoffice revenue (as of Sept. 28) for the major studios is running slightly behind last year’s record level: $7.4 billion to 2007’s $7.5 billion.
Paramount Pictures International, Universal Pictures International, Warner Bros. Pictures International and 20th Century Fox International are among the MPA companies — one fewer than a year ago — that topped $1 billion in this year’s January-to-September boxoffice race. All six of the major studios hurdled $1 billion overseas by the end of 2007, a history-making accomplishment.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International hit the $1 billion benchmark last weekend, and Sony Pictures Releasing International is confident that Bond will take it past the desired peak during the holiday season.
“Quantum,” the 22nd entry in the 007 franchise, takes off Oct. 31 in the U.K., France and Sweden, expands to most of the world in November and December and winds up in Japan on Jan. 24.
- from THR