Back 2 Work - 'Despicable Me 2'

     After three years of anticipation, the minions are finally back as the new trailer for Despicable Me 2 is now out. The new trailer has been released today and should play in front of The Croods on Friday. All of your favorites from Despicable Me are back; Gru, the MINIONS, Agnes, Edith, Margo, and Dr. Nefario (though he's not seen in the the trailer).

     The trailer starts with Gru giving the girls a kiss goodnight and a funny rant from the cute Agnes. Gru then runs into Agent Lucy Wild of the "Anti Villain League"; she abducts Gru and two minions, comically, and takes them to an underground CIA/MI6'esque facility where Silas Ramsbottom (who will be the butt of jokes by them minions, and pun intended) tells him a new villainous threat has surfaced and since he "knows how a villain thinks", that is why they brought him to the facility. The trailer ends with the Gru showcasing how he's going to save the world again and more minion mischief. The new trailer is on here on Youtube.

     Despicable Me was a surprise hit in 2010, blowing away predications and expectations of everyone, including Universal and Illumination. Despicable Me finished #7 for the year and #2 for animation after Toy Story 3. Despicable Me's $251 domestic gross was still huge for computer animation today and it ranks #9 all time in CG animation and #1 for a CG movie not made by Pixar or DreamWorks.

     Despicable Me 2 will battle with Monsters University for #1 animation of the year, though I'm in favor of Despicable Me 2. The minions were and still are hilarious and they are the perfect marketing tool, positive reception from the first movie, a new storyline, 3D, sequel status, and great marketing should position this as one of the top for the year, and some are considering this a dark horse to win the year over Iron Man 3 and Catching Fire. Can it pull a Shrek 2 or will it pull a Kung Fu Panda 2 or somewhere in-between? We'll know come this time next year. Despicable Me 2 opens July 3, 2013 in America and June through October worldwide.

Jack The Giant Failure

     Odds are you haven't seen Jack The Giant Slayer. Odds are you won't anytime soon. Only around 5 million people domestically have since its opening on March 1st. Oz captured at least 8 million people in its first 5 days alone. Jack is not what Warner Bros wanted or needed it to be. After the failures of Gangster Squad, Beautiful Creatures, Burt Wonderstone, Cloud Atlas, and Bullet to the Head, and the Justice League turmoil, Jack has just added to the dry spell in Warner checkbooks. On a plus side, WB had a very solid 2012 (minus Atlas) and Hobbit became the latest movie to cross $1 billion worldwide.

     Jack the Giant Slayer, directed by Bryan Singer and starring Nicholas Hoult, is no doubt this years John Carter. John Carter is even tracking ahead of Jack. So far, Jack has grossed $45.8 million domestic and $68.1 million worldwide and with a 68.3% drop in it's second weekend, Jack won't be at the box office party for long; his curfew is kicking in. John Carter has made $10 million more through the same point.

     Jack is obviously going to be a massive loss for Warner Bros, but Jack has been doomed for a long time. Originally set to come out in June 2012, Warner pushed Jack back to March 2013 for various reasons, one to make the movie "more kid-friendly". March has become a lucrative months for studios and is arguably the most sought after month outside of the summer and holiday months. The overall goal of the movie just never fell in play.

     Jack's delays have raised the budget, but there's really no reason for it to cost as much as it did. The same can be said for Oz, Battleship, really anything with a budget over $200 million. Oz debuted to $79.1 million last weekend and should be a decent hit for Disney, but "decent" is not what they wanted; but you have to ask yourself, did they really need to give Oz a $200 million budget and $100 million in marketing? Did Oz need the dazzling effects, A-list stars, flying baboons, and all the advertising? Would an $80 million Oz have done or been just as good? Those are very opinionated questions; many people still go to movies for stories over effects, which is a complaint from many critics about Oz, but in the end, the studio makes the call; its there money.

     Jack will be a shot in the feet (not foot) for WB, but their summer schedule shows promise. 2013 has been lethargic as a whole (see my earlier post) for various reasons, but it probably won't be completely understood why Jack failed. Jack may end with no more than $60 million domestic and worldwide isn't promising, but at least that's one more unneeded sequel that won't be released in 2014-2015.

Heavy Metal; 'Iron Man 3' Trailer Released

     The new trailer for Iron Man 3 has hit the web today and it's two and half minutes of Marvel goodness. Iron Man 3, this time directed by Shane Black, tells the tale of Tony Stark aka Iron Man who is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder after the events of The Avengers. Ever since, all he spends his time doing is building new armors. When the Mandarin, the villainous leader of the terrorist group "the Ten Rings" surfaces and strips Tony of everything he knows and loves (his Malibu mansion gets blown into the ocean), Tony must now use his scraps to rebuild his life and find this terrorist, who uses actual ten rings for mythical and physical power, and take him down.

     Also thrown in, a "virus" called Extremis, which can turn an ordinary pizza guy, into a superhuman soldier. Note, no pizza guys actually make an appearance, that I'm aware of, just an example. Aldrich Killian, a scientist who develops Extremis turns rogue, partnering with Mandarin and takes the virus himself.

     Tony's beautiful house is in the bottom of the sea, Pepper's been kidnapped, Tony's armor's have been blown to scrap, and he can't contact his Avengers pals; he's alone. After taking a brisk walk through the snow, thinking about life, Tony realizes he has to use his most powerful weapon, his brain, to save the world and the lives of the people he loves.

     The trailer is beautiful. Tony Stark is known for his wit, sarcasm, and nonchalant lifestyle, but this trailer is a great display of the character's emotional depth, as wit and sarcasm alone won't save him. War Machine is also seen with a redesigned Iron Patriot look and more time is spent with this trailer showcasing the Mandarin and Killian. This trailer is easily one of Marvel's most serious, but don't worry, Iron Man 3 reportedly still features some comedy. RDJ is starring in this, there has to be comedy. The last Iron Man 3 trailer has already amassed 50 million views on YouTube, one of the best ever for a movie trailer. This one, one of the most top notch trailers I've seen in a while, should come close. I still have Iron Man 3 pegged as the #1 movie of the year. It'll be in competition with Catching Fire, but I don't think Katniss' bows can match Stark's arsenal.

     Watch the new action packed Iron Man 3 trailer here. Also catch the older, but still awesome Iron Man 3 trailer here.

     Iron Man 3 stars Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Guy Pierce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley, Rebecca Hall,  and Jon Favreau. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, though Paramount's logo will show because of a deal between Disney/Paramount, Iron Man 3 flies into theaters April international and May 3rd worldwide.

     You're up, Man of Steel and Amazing Spider Man 2.

2013 To The Emergency Room

     One word to describe the 2013 box office so far - anemic. 2013 is off to a terrible start and things aren't looking too much better before the summer. So far, 2013 has brought in $1.473 billion domestically. A billion dollars is a lot of dollars, but when it comes to the multi-billion dollar entertainment industry, this is chump change. January was poor and February was the lowest grossing since 2002; 11 years ago. The low gross also means that January and February were even lower in attendance. Frost is forming on theater seats.

     Only 1 movie from January and February, Identity Theft, has and will cross $100 million. Last year we had 3. Silver Linings Playbook, Django, Les Miz, and Life of Pi have crossed $100 million this year, but they are 2012 movies, so they don't count.

     2012 started off on a shockingly great pace. February and March set gross records and if it wasn't for 2009's Avatar, 2010's January record could have been broken too. February 2012 ranked 4th in all time attendance and March ranked 2nd. The "people don't go to the movies anymore" argument still isn't valid, at least it wasn't last year. So why? Why in just one year has the market shifted back to the doldrums? Not only did 2012 start on a strong note, but it ended on one as 2012 set a new November record.

     To start, Hollywood has been churning out crappy movies. And crappy is saying it lightly; I can't say the real definition here. (children readers). This isn't my opinion; this is fact. Of 24 wide releases so far, 21 have been rated rotten and only THREE movies have been rated fresh. In order for a movie to be rated fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, 60% or more of the critics that reviewed the movie have to give it a positive review. Ticket prices are ever increasing and people are more cautious of what movies they spend money on. Some horrible movies do succeed, but if its horrible movie after horrible movie every weekend, it gets tired. Critic reviews are opinionated and not everyone thinks the movies are bad; Identity Theft only has 24% on RT, but its 2013's highest grosser by far, but in general, the movies are dissatisfying. A Good Day to Die Hard is a big example.

     Movies are a family affair. The studios aren't getting the hint. There has only been one nationwide family release this year; Escape to Planet Earth. Disney's Oz: The Great and Powerful is being released next week and should tap into the family market, but it is still not enough. There have been zero G rated movies and one PG rated movie so far this year. There has been at least one R rated release every week this year, and some weekends this year all releases were rated R. Hollywood needs to change this fast. Many Americans don't want to keep seeing so much violence, especially after all the real life violence that has been going on lately. TV is also violent so why go to theater to watch more violence? Basically, stop with a shoot-em-up, blow-em-up, chop-em-up movie every Friday; mix the market up to appeal to everyone.

     The economy, winter weather, higher prices, low quality movies, too many R rated movies, not enough family movies, piracy, Redbox and Netflix are all contributing to the lower grosses in some way. Some people are now opting to wait 5 months on a movie so they can pay $1 to rent or watch it streaming at home. Who's paying $10 for Broken City when reviews say its just like every other movie of its genre? Is Bullet to the Head really an appropriate and appealing title? This is the from the same studio that took "killer" out of Jack the Giant Killer and replaced it with "slayer." Do people want to see Texas Chainsaw 14 that's no different from Texas Chainsaw 1-13? The answer right now is a majority "no." Just look at the grosses. Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Statham, Hollywood's "action captain's", fell flat.

     2012 was the same way with an R rated movie coming out every weekend, but the market was more diverse; especially the February 10th weekend. March will be the on the stronger side, but it's not too promising. Oz has an epic scope, but that doesn't guarantee epic grosses. GI Joe: Retaliation looks leagues above Rise of Cobra, but if it does break out, it will help April more than March. The Host could be the new Twilight, but it could also be Beautiful Creatures. After the disappointing run of Rise of the Guardians, The Croods is under pressure. Every other March release looks average and the March 1st-3rd weekend will be a disappointment based on Friday estimates.

     2013 is not doomed. 2012 started off elite, but then went back to decade low weekends, then rebounded in November. 2013's summer looks stronger than 2012's, but if March and April don't shape up, 2013 won't come close to a record. Take a look at the 2013 summer schedule; it will be extremely interesting.

     It's still early and 2013 has a long way to go, so we'll see what happens. I did an article in August 2012 when that year was going on it's landslide, so hopefully 2013 will strive for an uphill climb. Hollywood has the power, they have to make it happen. 2013, I believe in you.

    
    

Thank The Academy For The 85th Annual Oscar's

     The 85th annual Academy Awards are over and they were nothing short of spectacular. Hosted by Seth MacFarlane at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood; it was a good night for the Academy; not so good for the people who can't sit in a chair for over 3 hours straight, aka anyone with a butt. The ceremony scored 40 million viewers.

     There were 24 awards given out. From Best Picture to Best Makeup to Best Seth's Personal Insult (not really). Lincoln was nominated for 12 awards, Life of Pi was second with 11, Les Mis and Silver Linings Playbook had 8, and Argo was next with 7. Life of Pi won the most awards with 4.

     Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor for his work in Django Unchained and Anne Hathaway won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Les Miserables. See, you don't have to be front and center to steal the show. Anne hands down stole the show, and the show stole her hair. Waltz was the comic relief for Django. He would deliver regular sentences, but he delivered with perfect wit and sarcasm.

     Life of Pi, Lincoln, Anna Karenina, Argo, and Les Miserables took home the eye candy awards. Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography went to Life of Pi. Les Mis took home the award for Best Makeup, Anna Kareninia took home Best Costume Design, Argo won the award for Best Editing, and Lincoln took home Best Art Direction.

     The ear candy awards went to Les Miserables, Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty (in a tie, what??), and Life of Pi. Best Original Song went to Adele for "Skyfall", Best Original Score went to Life of Pi, the tie was for Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound went to Les Miserables. When you make a theater full of people cry just by singing, then you need to win Best Sound. The last tie was in 1968.

     My favorite categories, Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay went to Quentin Tarantino and Chris Terrio, respectively. Tarantino won for Django Unchained and Terrio won for Argo. That's a great accomplishment for Argo, since part of the movie was inspired from a magazine article. Good job fleshing that out, Terrio.

     Size doesn't matter at the Oscars. The smaller films couldn't be overlooked; the documentaries and shorts. Searching for the Sugarman took home the award for Best Documentary, Curfew took home Best Live Action Short, and Paperman from Disney took home Best Animated Short. English isn't the language of love, Austrian is; Amour won the award for Best Foreign Language Film.

     Pixar yet again took home Best Animated Picture with Brave. Personally, I was pulling for Wreck-It Ralph, which is better according to me, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, IMDB, and various other previous awards shows, but either way, the Mouse House won.

     The most prestigious awards of the night, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Film were well deserved. The Best Director award went to Ang Lee for Life of Pi. I personally didn't see that coming, nor did I see Life of Pi, but Ang Lee is a great director and Life of Pi is a great movie. You don't have to see it to know it's great. Ang also gets bonus points for the cool name.

      Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor for his work as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln. Day-Lewis has now won 3 Oscar's as a leading actor, a record.

     Jennifer Lawrence surprised when she beat out 9 year old Quvenzhane Wallis (try saying that fast 5 times, or saying it at all), 85 year old Emmanuelle Riva, and reported frontrunner Jessica Chastain for Best Actress for her work in Silver Lining's Playbook.

     Argo was the real deal as it beat out all of the movies I've already mentioned 20 times to win Best Picture. Directed by Ben Affleck, Argo is the highest critically rated mainstream movie of the year. Argo was released on October 12th (a week after my birthday; sorry had to say it) and it is still going strong in theaters. Despite being released on home video last week, Argo dropped only 16%. It has amassed $130 million domestic and $207 million worldwide on a $45 million budget and after winning BP, its life in theaters should be prolonged, again. A well deserved win for Affleck and Co.

      17 of my 23 predictions were right. Jennifer Lawrence surprised by winning Best Actress and I was wrong on Best Editing, Cinematography, and Art Direction, which I saw going to Zero Dark Thirty (though I just put something down there), Skyfall, and Life of Pi, respectively. I also had Steven Spielberg for Best Director.

      Superlative awards are as followed; Best Personality went to Kristen Stewart. No, wrong, I meant Jennifer Lawrence and Quvenzhane Wallis; gotta love them. Best Inspirational Speech went to Ben Affleck; gotta love him. Longest Speech went to Bill Westenhofer, who was cut off by the Jaws theme and ABC. Some think the chime is rude, but they have to air those commercials they were paid for. Most Offensive Joke, the Lincoln joke. 150+ years and it's just still too soon.

      So which one of these actors, actresses, directors, movies, writers, etc. will win at the 2013 Kid's Choice Awards in March? Will Argo win Best Picture? What about Django? Or does Zero Dark Thirty appeal best to kids? Tune into the Kids Choice Awards on Nickelodeon next month to find out.

6th Gear

     Fast and Furious 6 is nowhere near letting off of the gas. The sixth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise, Fast and Furious 6, also known as Fast Six and Furious 6, is bringing the most to the series.

     Directed by Justin Lin and starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, and Luke Evans; F6 follows Dom and the gang as they enjoy their lucrative new lives with their $100 million Rio fortune. Unfortunately, they're still considered criminals so they can't walk into a club, bank, Target, Best Buy, or a grocery store and freely spend that cash. They really can't walk on US soil for that matter. DSS agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) finds Dom (Vin Diesel) and tells him that he needs Dom and his team of premier drivers to help him and his team of elite agents to take down an international team of mercenary drivers after they hijacked a military convoy. That's a lot of teams. Dom and the team agree to the job, but only if they are granted full pardons. Surprisingly to them, Dom's presumed dead former girlfriend and the teams former close friend, until she "died", is helping lead the attacks. F6 follows the team through Europe as they try to take down Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), the leader of the gang.

     F6 has raised the stakes in a major way. Not only is the budget bigger, but the scope is as well, though Vin and Dwayne are still basically the same size as in Fast Five. Dom and Hobbs now team up to take down a man bigger than them, there's a girl fight between Gina Carano's character and Letty, tanks and armored cars are now drivable, and they have found a way to beat the scope of the bank vault from Fast Five. This installment will not only be bigger, but it should dig deeper into the characters. Letty is back, but it's "not the old Letty we used to know." The team also has more to fight for- freedom. Letty and Dom, Dom and Hobbs, Dom and Hobbs and the big guy, Dom and Hobbs and Owen, Owen and Letty, Letty and Elena, Elena and Dom, Letty and Gina, Brian and Mia, the chemistry of the team; character development should be at an all time high (for this series). Not to mention that Mia was also pregnant in Fast Five.

     I used to argue that F6 should move to a different date and let Hangover 3 hold the Memorial weekend, but the only thing we have from TH3 is a picture of a wolf, the guys in the desert- again, and Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) holding a gun. F6's marketing though, has mashed on the gas, pun intended. Hangover 3 now has more to fear. Todd Phillips said that "Hangover 3 would be different from the first two", but there's only so much you can do where the movie can still be the Hangover. The marketing for H3 is virtually zero. The movie comes out in under 4 months and there is still no trailer and the story isn't clear. Yes, movies can still be in good shape even if they don't have a trailer 4 months before release, but after the lukewarm reception from Hangover Part 2, WB really needs to show that this installment is really a different entry, or show us something at least, and fast.

     There will still be some competition that F6 will have to overcome, but with the soon to be PG-13 rating, rising star power of Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson, exotic locations, strong female characters (yes, the females won't only be scantily clad girls dancing on cars), broader scope and genre (F&F is not just a street racing movie anymore, which somewhat limited the audience previously), Universal's marketing effort, and prime summer spot- F6 should be able to reach a real mass audience, broader than before. Fast and Furious Six could give Star Trek into Darkness a battle and finish #2 for May, after Iron Man 3. No matter what, F6 is poised to push the RPM of movie theaters domestically and internationally. F6 may also become Universal Pictures' first movie to open north of $100 million.

     Catch the mind blowing 3 minute trailer and 1 minute Superbowl spot here! Fast and Furious Six opens May 24, 2012 international and May 23-June 6, 2012 worldwide. Also starring Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Gina Carano, Joe Taslim, Gal Gadot, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, and Elsa Pataky. Produced by Neal H. Moritz and Vin Diesel and distributed by Universal Pictures.

    

The Two Years War

     2015 is two years away, but Hollywood is filling up the schedule. Right now that schedule is absolutely ridiculous. 2015 is shaping up to be the highest grossing year ever and could maybe bring back attendance.

     Star Wars 7, Pirates of the Caribbean 5, The Avengers 2, Justice League, Ant-Man, Penguins of Madagascar, Hunger Games- Mockingjay Part 2, an untitled Pixar film, Peanuts (Charlie Brown), The Smurfs 3, Hotel Transylvania 2, The Inside Out (Pixar), and Fantastic Four are some titles announced so far. Sequels to 2013's biggest hits may eye a 2015 spot as well. Some titles may be delayed, but as of now they all stand.

     Star Wars, Avengers 2, Justice League. How are all these movies going to fit? Is Ant-Man going to become the next Iron Man? Will Hunger Games be tired and worn out by 2015 or will Mockingjay 2 be so big that Suzanne Collins will write another book just to keep it going? We will find out in two years.

     My biggest question mark is Pirates 5. Curse of the Black Pearl was a surprise hit in 2003 and went on to become #3 for the year. Dead Man's Chest broke the then opening weekend record in 2006. At World's End broke the Memorial Weekend record- which it still holds. At World's End saw a drop off from Dead Man's Chest and was the lowest attended and grossing of the three. On Stranger Tides came out in 2011 without most of the cast from the first three and Gore Verbinksi- the director. The critical ratings also dropped with each movie. On Stranger Tides wasn't the huge success the original three we're domestically, but overseas- Tides rolled! (no Alabama pun intended). Without the international audience, Pirates 5 wouldn't be in pre-production. The international audience should show up, but will America and Canada rush on opening weekend to see Captain Jack for a fifth time for most likely over 2 and 1/2 hours or are they just ready for something else?

     Another interesting aspect of 2015 will be the Justice League vs Avengers 2- if JL stays in that year. WB had a chance to put JL in the spotlight first back in the 2000's, but they let it go and Avengers rolled in, becoming the #3 movie all time. Now, of course, WB want's JL back on the priority list. Avengers 2 is already being seen as the front runner, but will people still give it a chance or will it just be called an "Avenger's knockoff"?

     Animation should also be stellar in 2015. Charlie Brown is finally coming to the screen, The Smurfs will enjoy their third outing painting theaters blue, two Pixar films are scheduled, and the Penguins are getting their own spinoff. Who will claim #1 in the hearts of children and animation enthusiasts?

     It's not 2015 should be big, it's 2015 WILL be big. Just 24 more months. We can do it.

'R' In It's Entirety

     The R rating. It's a powerful rating. The rating can really alter a film. If Spider Man was rated R and Spider Man 2 was rated PG they would look like two completely different films even with the same actors, director, and crew. The R rating has drawn a lot of controversy since it's conception. The R rating is meant to keep children and teens from viewing inappropriate films, but does it really make sense?

     A film can get slapped with R pretty easily. In almost all cases, if a film uses the F-word more than 3 times, its given an R, if used in sexual context once, it is R, pervasive profanity also gets hit with an R. Heavy drug use and references, graphic and gory violence and torture, and graphic sex and even non graphic and sexual references can warrant R. There has been a few instances where PG-13 was granted instead; Titanic for one. Many adult themes can warrant R, but those above are the most common.

     Now what's the problem with that? Kids don't need to hear the F-word 80 times or see bodies being mutilated, right? Well, right. But the problem with R is that it is too broad and too restrictive. The definition of the R rating is "no one under 17 admitted without parent or legal guardian." So, technically a 16 year old can't see Ted by himself even though the movie would appeal to him. Many theaters - like the one in my hometown, are cracking down hard. Parent's can't buy R rated tickets and give them to their kids the parent has to see the movie with them. Why? Is the parent going to shield their eyes and cover their ears? Why take them to the movie in the first place? You also can't buy more than one R rated ticket until you're 21. Really?

     Most kid's and teens now a days play M rated video games, which is equal to R. Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Halo, Gears of War, Assassin's Creed, etc. 14, 13, and even 12 year old's play these games on a regular basis. If the games were made into movies, some, such as Call of Duty, may be produced to be rated PG-13 so the 12 and 13 year old's could see it, but R-rated content is still in the games. My generation is a lot different than my parents. Spend a day at a typical high and even middle school and you will be surprised at how many F and S-words, sexual jokes, and drug talk you would hear. Some teens can't see these movies, but yet they talk like that themselves. Why restrict them if they already hear it at school and play it on TV?

     Various alternatives for the R rating is splitting it in two. R and Hard R - which has been proposed. R is too broad; Paranormal Activity 2 could be a PG-13, but the F-word was used around 9 times. 15 and 16 year old's would appeal to PA, but they can't see it. The King's Speech had PG level themes, but the F-word was used 12 times. It was argued that it was used as a form of dramatic expression and not as an expletive, but KS still was branded with an R (and later re-released as PG-13). Then you have movies like Texas Chainsaw, Saw, Superbad, Hangover, and American Pie. They are on the other end of the spectrum and deserve to be R. So how can Paranormal Activity 2 and Saw receive the same rating?

     I think a rating such as 'SC-15' should be created. Movies like Paranormal Activity and lighter R-rated movies such Argo would benefit. PG-13 can also be too broad. Some PG-13 movies such as The Dark Knight or The Hunger Games really are too intense for PG-13, but would be backlashed for R. The Dark Knight would be perfect for SC-15. As long as you're over 15, you can go by yourself. Then the R rating can really make use of "no one under 17 admitted without a parent." SC-15, PG-15, NU-15, whatever, as long as the 15 is there.

     Ratings really are optional. Spider Man didn't have to be rated, the MPAA is not a law, but Sony Pictures wouldn't release it that way. All mainstream movies will receive a rating because it is standard and helps identify the audience. 16 year old's may not be able to see Ted in theaters, but their parents will still buy it at Christmas for them, the same way they'll buy Call of Duty. I'm not saying get rid of the R rating, it really needs to be here, even bringing back a modified X rating is an option. I'm 19 so I don't really care what rating the movie is, but I believe that some rating between PG-13 and R should be implemented or the R rating should be split to separate the Paranormal Activity's from the Hangover's. Will this problem get fixed? We may some day see.

Farewell 2012

     2012 was a banner year at the box office. 2012 set an all time record, grossing $10.83 billion and selling an estimated 1.364 billion tickets, which is the most since 2009 and a 6.4% increase over 2011, which showcased the lowest sales since 1995. 655 movies were released, which is the most ever by 22.

     The #1 movie was Marvel's The Avengers which grossed $623 million, #3 all time unadjusted. The Avengers took everyone by surprise, being the first movie to make $200 million in one weekend and $100 million in its second weekend. Another reason Avengers was such a surprise is because the biggest movie in that franchise was Iron Man with $318 million. $400 million was the prediction of most, but Avengers blew that to Asgard .

     The movie that was forecast to sweep the year was The Dark Knight Rises, which capped at $448 million. For some this may seem like a disappointment, but its still #7 all time. All time. Even Bill Gates wouldn't be dissapointed with a $448 million return.

     The shocker of the year was The Hunger Games. Predictions went from $80 million to $200 million. You could probably count on one hand the number of people who predicted a $408 million finish, which is the most for an original movie since 2009. It is also Lionsgate's biggest movie by $289 million and their biggest since 2004. No wonder Mockingjay will be split in two. Catching Fire, the sequel, is being released in November and is a serious contender for #1 of 2013. Will it happen? We'll know in a year.

     Possibly the second biggest shocker is #4 Skyfall, which so far has amassed $293 million. If Skyfall keeps it's legs and finishes above $300 million, it'll be the only 2012 movie to finish in that range. Probably the biggest accomplishment of Skyfall is that it is the most attended Bond movie since 1964 and 3rd Bond all time domestic- selling in the range of 37 million tickets. Skyfall is a $125 million improvement over Quantam of Solace, the previous unadjusted #1 Bond film. Bond has also scored $1 billion worldwide. See Hollywood, you don't really need 3D do you?

     Currently Breaking Dawn Part 2 rounds out the top 5 with $287 million so far, but The Hobbit may eclipse that soon- right now lying at #7.

     The Amazing Spider Man, the reboot from Sony, grossed $262 million, which is steep drop off from the Raimi Spider Man movies. That's how reboots work, but Amazing 2, coming out in May 2014 may bring Spider Man back to prominence.

     Brave is #8 with $237 million, the highest animated gross of the year. Ted is #9 with $218, the highest for a 2012 comedy. Predictions for Ted went from $70 million to over $100 million. Ted now ranks #7 for R-rated movies, #3 for a movie with a CGI star, and #1 for movies set in Boston. Madagascar 3 holds #10 with $216 million and the Spring surprise The Lorax finish #11 with $214 million. Men In Black 3, Wreck It Ralph, Ice Age 4, and Snow White round it out. Lincoln currently stands #19 with $137 million, but awards could push that way higher.

     26 movies had crossed the coveted $100 million mark, but 4 more movies could possibly finish above it, which would equal 2011.

     The dud of the year was John Carter. The $200 million Disney "epic" epically grossed $73 million, which robbed Disney of millions in losses. Luckily, Disney is a billion dollar empire, so one John Carter isn't really causing executives to go homeless. Dark Shadows, Battleship, Wrath of the Titans, Rock of Ages, That's My Boy, The Watch, Ghost Rider 2, and Paranormal Activity 4 can also be considered 2012 disappointments. All, except maybe Ghost Rider, had potential to crack $100 million, but all fell short for various reasons.

     2012 was a great year at the box office, especially the first half. 3 movies over $400 million, 3- possibly 4 movies over $1 billion worldwide, and 3 months set gross records. Hail to the mighty 2012.

     For a list of 2012 grosses, refer to Box Office Mojo 2012.

Trailer Park Summer

In anticipation of the release of The Hobbit, a barrage of trailers have been released among the masses. Most of these are films scheduled for Summer. 

     The Croods is by Dreamworks and their first film being released under Fox. Croods is about a prehistoric cave family that must venture out and explore the world after an earthquake destroys their cave. The Croods is released March 22, 2013 and Spring 2013 worldwide. The Croods.

     Man of Steel, the new Superman effort by Warner Bros is their biggest next up release after The Hobbit. Originally slated for December 2012 (now), Steel was pushed back to the summer for more time with post production and to give Hobbit the holidays. Steel looks to have plenty of action and emotional value and should please audiences who enjoy explosions and building collapses, but also enjoy an actual deep story. Man of Steel. Supe's flies into theaters June 14, 2013 in the US, June 2013 worldwide and July 12, 2013 in Brazil.

     Star Trek Into Darkness is the sequel to the 2009 summer hit. Judging by the trailer, the stakes are higher, the bar has been raised, they've up'ed the ante- however you want to put it. This trailer is considered an "announcement" trailer so it's more of a montage of lasers, people screaming, and scenery accompanined by a dramatic background speech, but it is still a great trailer and should produce a lot of "I have to see that next year!" quotes. Look for Trek 2 on May 17, 2013 in the US and various summer dates worldwide 2013. Star Trek Into Darkness.

      The Lone Ranger is a tentpole for Disney starring Armie Hammer and none other than Johnny Depp. The Lone Ranger may be unfamiliar with many and the trailer doesn't help that, but it does give an establishment that Disney wants this to be a franchise and expecting that Depp will draw in the crowd. The Lone Ranger is expected July 3, 2013 in the US alongside Despicable Me 2.

     Oblivion is Tom Cruise's next effort and his first forae into sci-fi since 2005. Expect Oblivion worldwide April 2013.

     World War Z; have you ever wondered "what would Brad Pitt do in a zombie apocalypse?" Well if you have then you're in luck as that thought will be answered June 21, 2013. WWZ.

     Pacific Rim is the latest from WB and Guillermo del Toro. PR has been getting major buzz from the internet crowd, but how will the general audience feel about this? PR is aliens from the ocean vs 200 foot tall robots controlled by humans. Not-Atlantic Rim lands July 12, 2013 and July 2013 worldwide.

     GI Joe: Retaliation. Self-exclamatory. 3D, stylized-ism, Channing Tatum. GI Joe Retaliation.

     After Earth doesnt include TC, but instead his conterpart- Will Smith. Set in the future, Will and his son Jaden must survive and reunite after a crash landing on an Avatar-esque Earth. After Earth arrives June 2013.

     And here are some extras- The Heat, Epic, 21 and Over, Dark Skies, Admission, Oz, Jack the Giant Slayer, Now You See Me, Iron Man 3.

'Twilight 2': Twi Harder

     The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 sucked even more life into the already lively box office this weekend. Breaking Dawn Part 2, Skyfall, Wreck It Ralph, Lincoln, Flight, Argo, and even the 7 week old Taken 2 helped propel last weekend into the 6th highest grossing and most attended weekend ever.

     Breaking Dawn Part 2 opened to $141 million and was only $1 million shy of setting the franchise record; nonetheless, it was the 2nd largest opening for November, even adjusted for inflation. Breaking Dawn didn't seem to have the finale factor that you see with franchise movies. Given that it is the last Twilight movie (at least starring Stewart, Pattinson, and Lautner) and how consistent Twilight plays, it should have opened higher than New Moon, but given Breaking Dawn's better reviews and more positive feedback from fans, it should end up grossing higher when it's all said and done. Through three, or technically four days for people picky about Thursday previews, Dawn has already brought in $340.6 million worldwide; Twihards are not confined to just America.

     It's hard for many fans to see the Twilight series (for now) end. The franchise through five movies has brought in so far $1.212 billion dollars in America and Canada alone. Of the top 10 opening weekends, Twilight occupies three spots- New Moon was at #3 before summer 2011. The franchise most likely would have also occupied a 4th spot if Eclipse had opened on a Friday. The series is known for being notoriously front loaded. Even though New Moon had the #3 opening ever, it failed to pass $300 million, which 31 movies had done, with only two opening above New Moon. Fans still show up for the series and that is the amazing fact. Twilight has stayed remarkably consistent. Twilight 2-4 ended up between $280-$300 million, and Dawn 2 will likely do the same. Even the biggest franchises such as Shrek, Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Chronicles of Narnia have seen in-steady inclines and declines. Congratulations to Twilight and Summit for accomplishing that- even though they couldn't accomplish a fresh rating for any of the movies.

     Maybe Abraham Lincoln really is America's favorite president and always will be- though Bill Clinton beats him in saxophone. Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, opened to an impressive $21 million, above mid-teen projects. Lincoln currently holds 91% on RT and is getting buzz for possible Oscar contentions. Lincoln should live on on our five dollars bills, and at the box office throughout the holiday season.

     Skyfall didn't fall from the heavens this weekend, only dropping 53.5% to $41.1 million. In 10 days, 007 has raked in $160 million domestically, and will pass the last 007 outing, Quantum of Solace, by mid-week. Skyfall is also being helped by great reviews, currently holding 92% on RT. Its a foregone conclusion that Skyfall will become the highest grossing bond- domestically and overseas, and most likely will rank #4 all time in attendance for James Bond. Quantum ranks 12th. Skyfall is also setting a blistering pace overseas; worldwide Skyfall has amassed $668 million, surprising audiences and analysts across the world.

     Wreck It Ralph is still keeping families, only dipping 47.3% to $18.5 million, bringing it's total $121.7 million. Ralph may lose some players when Rise of Guardians and Life of Pi open on Wednesday. Argo crossed the $90 million mark over the weekend, still playing strong with adult audiences. Flight landed with $8.8 million and Taken 2 is surprising everyone with its late legs.

     Like I said earlier, the Twilight series has brought in over $1.2 billion worldwide and they are Summit's most profitable movies by far, so it would be hard to imagine Summit to let this completely end until the Cullen's have sucked all life out of the public. Summit has talked about a TV series or possible spin off movie that won't include the main three actors. Will Twihards still show up? Will Stephanie Meyer write another book? Will Summit make anything else? Nothing is yet official, just speculation, but we shall see. If you're a loyal follower of Steph Meyer, her book The Host will be coming to the screen in March. Find the trailer here!

    

4 Is The New 3 and 3D Is The New 1 Billion

     There used to be a time where it was hard to predict what movie would number one for the year. Superheroes, sequels, and book adaptions weren't the biggest of the year. Movies about dinosaurs, toys, World War II, holidays, Beverly Hills, and Tom Cruise flying planes were the top attended, but by the turn of the century that has changed. Since 2002, 8 of the number one movies for the year were sequels. Another thing that used to be the norm was trilogies. It used to be 3 and out; seeing four movies in series was not too normal. That is changing as trilogies are becoming 4-quels.

     This year has seen the release of Ice Age: Continental Drift, Bourne Legacy, American Reunion, Underworld 4, Step Up Revolution, and Paranormal Activity 4. Last year it was Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocol, X-Men First Class, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1, Tyler Perry's Big Happy Family, Scream 4, and don't forget Shrek Forever After from 2010 and Terminator Salvation from 2009. Transformers 4, Last Friday, and Mockingjay Part 2 have been confirmed.

     So why? Why 4? It seemed like three was the perfect number. Well for some it had to happen- after Spider Man 4 was cancelled, Sony had to make The Amazing Spider Man in order to keep the film rights- yes it didn't have to be a reboot though, but it still made $752 million worldwide, so Sony doesn't really care. Some were planned from the beginning, like Shrek 4, and most, were for the surprise money aka Transformers and Pirates. Some also just don't make sense- yes we love Scream, but who asked for Scream 4? [chirps]. Twilight of course because their are four books- now is splitting it into two parts necessary though? No, but it's more money for the studio so Summit doesn't care either.

     3D may be slowly getting shunned domestically, but overseas audiences are embracing it like hugs. Avatar from 2009 started it all, making $2.7 billion, which wouldn't of been possible with 3D- though it would have still been a monster. Ever since, Hollywood has been backing the format full force, even to the point of forcing directors to slap it on there film. Before 2009, only 5 films made $1 billion WW, all 2D. After 2009, 8 more films have, with only 1 not in 3D. Grosses don't lie.

     Transformers 3 made a surpise killing overseas, $771 million with help from 3D, which is around what the original made with overseas and domestic combined. Paramount wasn't just going to let it end- even if the ending of TF3 made it seem that way. Disney too, once they saw how 3D had taken over and how Pirates was still strong, they made On Stranger Tides. Tides dropped majorly from At Worlds End domestically, but it did justice overseas. Alice in Wonderland was released in the right time. Coming three months after the 3D mammoth Avatar, audiences here and overseas yearned for more 3D. Alice grossed $1.024 billion worldwide and $690 million overseas which many believed was goodwill from Avatar. No non-sequel has broken the billion barrier since.

     There have been talks for Madagascar 4, Toy Story 4, Rush Hour 4 and Austin Powers 4 (forever), and if Iron Man 3 blows past that $1 billion barrier next year, or comes close, Iron Man 4 shouldn't be a surprise.

     Not a surprise is that 4th movies usually, but not always, fail to match the critical and financial success of their predecessors, but yet they're still made? Franchises may get tired here in the US, but again overseas, the next entry expands into a larger audience since the box office has been expanding wildly overseas. It's highly probable that sequels will make higher than theyre predecessors overseas. If Ice Age 5 is made, it won't be because kids in the US just cant fulfill their need for Scrat, it will be because kids in Latin America, Asia, and Europe can't. Animation has seen the biggest benefit; that is why Madagascar 4 and Ice Age 5 are on the table even though their franchises are growing old. Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, and Blue Sky- all animation companies- have also practically made it a rule that ALL their future releases will be 3D. Until 4D comes out of course. At least you won't expect this from live action movies. Ted 3D anyone?

     It's safe to say now that 4-quels will become more common practice. This is not necessarily a bad thing- Mission Impossible 4 and X-Men 4 were considered one of the best in their franchises. Though Pirates 4, American Reunion, Terminator 4, and Scream were seen as disappointments and/or cash grabs. Transformers doesn't really need to go on, but if there's a high probability that it will make $1 billion worldwide again- it will.

     As long as the 4th movie brings fourth (pun intended) good quality and it actually makes sense to make, then the extra number on the title won't matter. If Hollywood keeps churning out fours though just to keep the money train going and the fourth movies keep sucking, then the public may take notice of the extra number- and may skip it. Here's hoping Transformers 4 can finally break "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes!