The Weekenders- June 29-July 1

     This weekend, June 29-July 1, is looking to be a very surprising one at the box office. Ted, Magic Mike, People Like Us, and Madea's Witness Protection are all opening. Brave will be enjoying its second weekend after a stellar opening. The Amazing Spider Man also swings into cinemas on Tuesday. This is one of those not-so-often weekends that will appeal to everyone; Magic Mike will have adult females (at least I hope that), Ted will have adult males and teens, Brave will have kids and girls too young for Mike (sad day), Madea will have the African-American crowd, and People Like Us will have the drama crowd. See, something for everyone.

     2012 has been a strong year for Channing Tatum and its getting even stronger. If GI Joe 2 had kept its first release date, Channing would have two movies out this weekend. Maybe Paramount moved GI Joe because girls wouldn't be able to handle double the Channing? Magic Mike stars Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer, Olivia Munn, and Cody Horn. No Mike is not a magician, he's a stripper. Of course Magic Mike will include more than just stripping, it will have an actual story; Mike currently has a 79% score on RT, but stripping seems to be the main focus of the advertising. The R rating will actually help this movie, but the lack of male interest will not; Sex and the City 2 was 90% female on opening weekend, Mike should be in that ballpark. Magic Mike is also not in 3D ladies.

     Mike's main competition is Ted. Ted is from the Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane. It stars Seth, Mark Wahlberg, and Mila Kunis. Mark's character has grown up with Ted as a child, and now Ted is foul-mouth, stoner/slacker. Yes, a teddy bear is smoking and drinking in this! It may sound absurd, but the trailers and previews have been getting great reactions and Ted has been getting good reviews as well, currently sitting at 71% on RT; so most critics obviously don't mind. Ted is looking to be a good summer comedy and counter programming for Mike, as Ted will attract more males, plus the Family Guy crowd, (Ted even sounds like Peter).

     Madea's Witness Protection is Tyler Perry's latest. Madea Goes To Jail opened to an outstanding $40 million in 2009, but 2011's Big Happy Family stumbled with a $25 million opening, and eventually earning a little over half of Madea's Jail. Witness Protection will be missing much of the cast you'd usually see in a Madea movie, plus the "witness protection" story may feel off to some every-release Madea viewers. Strangely, no reviews are currently on RT for this, even though it opens tomorrow, but judging by past Madea releases, critics will likely stomp on Witness Protection.

     People Like Us stars Elizabeth Banks and Chris Pine. It is about Chris Pine's character who must find his sister, who he never knew he had, and deliver a 6 figure sum to her. This sounds like a road trip comedy, but it is actually a drama. Reviews have been standard, with a current 68% on RT, but lack of promotion and the saturated market may leave People Like Us shoved to the side for the weekend.

     Pixars Brave opened to a $66 million last week and with positive word of mouth and reviews, and being the only new children's movie out, Brave should have a good drop this weekend, and if Mike isn't a sudden box office surpise, then Brave should retain its #1 spot. Girls, this is in 3D.

     The Amazing Spider Man swings into over 4,000 cinemas on Tuesday in 3D. Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, and Dennis Leary, this is the reboot of the 2002 Spider Man. Even though this is a reboot, most of the aspects of this movie are new, you will not feel like your watching Spider Man 1 over again. The RT score is at 76% so far, but that will fluctuate and can either go up or down, but regardless, Amazing Spider Man will be a nice summer blockbuster and should please everyone who's been waiting to see him back on screen for 5 years.

     My weekend predictions are that Brave and Magic Mike crack over $40 million, and Ted should see a stellar opening in the mid $30 million's. Madea should end up somewhere between $18-26 million, and People Like Us should land in with a sub $12 million opening. Great weekend all around.

How High Will 'The Dark Knight' "Rise"?

     On July 20, 2012, fanboys across the world will all feel like they have died and gone to comic book movie heaven. The last installment in Christopher Nolan's Batman series, The Dark Knight Rises, will finally be released after four years of anticipation.

     The advanced IMAX ticket sales for this film went on sale a few weeks ago and the websites crashed. Fans truly are ready for this. Avengers was a runaway success and has now grossed so much, its highly unlikely that Rises will match it, but settling for #2 does not mean the film is a slouch, as Rises could end up the better film critically and could still come near, gross wise.

     Batman Begins was released in 2005, and even though it grossed $205 million domestic, and $372 million worldwide, it was still on the low end for a Batman movie when prices are adjusted. Then in 2008, the world was in awe when The Dark Knight set the then opening weekend record and went on to become the then #2 movie of all time, improving a massive $328 million domestic and $629.2 million worldwide on its predecessor. The Dark Knight is also considered one of the best films ever on IMDB and it managed a 94% on RT, which is amazing for a summer blockbuster. The film won several awards, including the late Heath Ledger for his performance as the Joker. Dark Knight is now an instant classic and has redefined how many comic book movies are now made.

      That success has led to high expectations for The Dark Knight Rises. It held a high probability of setting the opening weekend record, again, but since The Avengers opened so high, its hard to imagine Rises to reach that level without 3D. Most 3rd movies are considered disappointments to their predecessors; Nolan should be able to avoid that. This movie features Bane and Catwoman as the villains, and judging by the trailers, this will not only be a non stop physical movie, but a very emotional one. Critics love emotions, and Nolan has done well delivering with the first two with 85% and 94% RT scores respectively.

     2012 has been a strange year. This year has improved greatly over last year, its good Rises comes out this year instead of last. Rises features virtually no competition; July 2012 is relatively empty and Rises gets the entire July 20th weekend to itself.

     Rises will not benefit from 3D surcharges, but it will have IMAX. There is also no Joker, which is no doubt the biggest villain draw, but Bane and Catwoman should both give a good showdown. Rises may also be hindered by the tone. The Nolan series have contained a darker tone, which may turn off some parents taking kids, as opposed to Avengers or Spider Man, and the movies runtime may be too much for some people at 2 hours and 45 minutes. Honestly Rises has few drawbacks, but a plethora of benefits, which is the reason it will be a box office mega monster.

     When Rises is released in one month, the box office will crash; Rises is poised for an opening of at least $150 million, and thats on a bad day, and the sky is really the limit with the total; the reception of the film will determine that. My personal opening prediction is $185 million. Midnight shows will be big, opening day will be big, opening weekend will be big, July and August will be big, and big is an understatement for this.

     Here is a link for the latest trailer! Rises is released worldwide July 20 and is rated PG-13, obviously. It stars Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon- Levitt, and Garry Oldman. Directed, written, and produced Christopher Nolan, and music by Hans Zimmer. On July 20, if your movie theater is being shut down by fire marshals or if your internet crashes, or if you see everyone in costume at your local Wal-Mart or superstore, blame The Dark Knight Rises; a fire will rise.

'Madagascar' and 'Prometheus' Land On A Record

     Madagascar: Europe's Most Wanted, and Prometheus together have set a Hollywood milestone. Madagascar 3 opened to $60.3 million and Prometheus opened to $50 million; which makes last weekend only the second time in history that two movies have opened to $50million on the same weekend. The first time this has happened was the June 27-29 weekend when Wall-E opened to $63 million and Wanted opened to $50.9 million. There have been other weekends where two movies have finished above $50 million for the 3-day, but only one was an opener.

     June so far has been off to a great start; Avengers and MIB3 have held up well, and Snow White and the Huntsman opened to an impressive $56.2 million without 3D or IMAX boosts. June still has Rock of Ages, That's My Boy, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (lol), Brave, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Ted, Magic Mike, Madea's Witness Protection, and People Like Us. Surprisingly none of these movies are sequels and the only recognizable character is Madea. Nonetheless, this month should still be a steller one, leading up to an even bigger July.

Joes Conversion Shack

     GI Joe hit stores in 1964, but a live action movie did not come about until 2009. Today it seems like 95% of movies have sequels, and this was in the 95%; GI Joe: Retaliation was set to come out June 29, 2012, right in the middle of the summer season. A few of the characters such as Duke, Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow (even though he died, apparently), and the President are returning, while Ripcord, Baroness, Scarlett, and Cobra Commander are not (again, apparently). Dwayne Johnson, as he's been doing a lot lately, has seemed to have taken over this new sequel, along with action veteran Bruce Willis; Channing Tatum has been shoved to the side. A plethora of promotion for this movie has been going on since late 2011, which includes a Super Bowl trailer and toys.

     Many people who have been to the movies this year knew that Retaliation was coming out this year, as the trailer seemed to have been played in front of every release. Seriously, ive seen the trailer so many times at the theater, I can reenact act. Anyways, for those of you who had your hearts set on Retaliation this summer, unfortunately, you're going to have to wait, as Paramount is having a baby; the movie has been delayed exactly 9 months to March 29, 2013.

     Why the delay you ask? Well because of everyone's favorite gimmick, 3D. I couldn't believe this wasn't a 3D movie to begin with. “We’re going to do a conscientious 3D job because we’ve seen how it can better box office internationally,” was a quote by an exec at Paramount Pictures. North America has been slowly dismissing 3D since 2010, but overseas countries are still putting on the glasses full force, so that statement by the exec is an accurate one, but is it what people wanted?

     If there was any problem with Retaliation, it was its competition; The Amazing Spider Man swings in a meager few days later and The Dark Knight Rises tumbles into theaters on the 20th of July in NA, but the rest of this years July is relatively empty, but the March date is still not guaranteeing Paramount success; this is a summer popcorn movie, not an April one, and next years March is already housing some high profile releases.

     I watched Rise of Cobra on TV last night, and even though it was campy and looked like a simulation game, it kept me unbored, and Retaliation looks like a bigger, more realistic, and proper sequel and adding Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, and Adrianne Palicki doesn't hurt either. The movie looks like fun, but I am disappointed in the studios. Adding 3D does not guarantee this or any movie success. The sinking of Battleship can seem like a reason Paramount and Hasbro would want 3D, but even if Battleship was in 3D, it still would have failed. Retaliation has been building up hype with its advertising lately, but I feel now that most of that hype will die down and come March, people wont have the same mentality about this movie as they would in June. Retaliation should still be a somewhat success and pull in dough, but many feel this was a poor and possibly costly decision by the studios. I personally feel that the conversion move is unnecessary and dumb, especially since people have been aware of the date and millions has already been spent on marketing (they might have to make a whole new Super Bowl spot!), but I am not a studio executive so oh well. GI Joe: Retaliation now comes out March 29, here is a link for the trailer, and something tells me that come March, this movie may look a little different, and we may be seeing a little more Channing; happy girls?

How "Amazing" Will 'Spider Man' Really Be?

     Spider Man is one of the most recognizable characters in pop culture. Comics, TV shows and cartoons, toys and merchandise, soundtracks, a theme park attraction, a broadway musical, books, board and video games, and of course movies. The three Spider Man movies that have been released have grossed $2.5 billion and they were #1, #2, and #1 in their respective years. Spider Man 4 was in the works, but after turmoil in production, the movie was cancelled in early 2010. Of course this is Spider Man, and Sony, who owns the rights to the movies, wasnt going to just let this property sit, so they decided to reboot the series instead.

     The Amazing Spider Man, which is released July 3, has a new cast, new characters, new tone, semi new story, new costume, new soundtrack, new director, new crew, and new technology as this was filmed in 3D. With less than two months until release, Sony has vamped up marketing; three trailers, with one more coming, a four minute preview in last nights Americas Got Talent, posters, commercials, and merchandise; im sure a BK kids meal tie in is also coming.

     Now to me personally, everything i've seen so far about The Amazing Spider Man has been pretty great. Spider Man has been my favorite character since I was 8 years old and it will be hard for that to change. Most of the critism that TASM is getting is the fact that this is getting rebooted only 10 years after the first film. Yes this is a reboot, but like I said, there are many differences between this and Sam Raimi's Spider Man. The difference may not be as noticable as Batman and Robin to Batman Begins, but you will notice it. The reboot personally does not bother me, I just want to see Spider Man on the big screen, and judging by early news, Spider Man 4 didnt sound so great; Amazing Spider Man "refreshes" the franchise in a way.

     Most predictions I have seen for this movie have been under $300 million domestically (US and Canada), but I have faith that this movie can score over that. It is being released on the Tuesday before Independence weekend, which is one of the most lucrative weekends of the year to movie studios. Spider Man 2, Transformers 1 and 3, Independence Day, Twilight 3, War of the Worlds, and Hancock have all found success on this weekend. Disney's marketing for Avengers was A+ and if Sony can have a similar effect then awarness and interest for TASM will rise; also this is Spider Man! People will go check this out just to check it out; he has a fanbase of millions and he is one of the most family friendly superheroes. Also 3D will give this movie a boost, and the fact that it was shot in 3D and Spider Man does a lot of acrobatics, 3D reception could be very positive. TASM's success may be cut short because of the release of The Dark Knight Rises on the 20th of July, but I am sure TASM will not drop off the earth and will still have enough steam to push on pass $300 million, reboot or no reboot; we shall see come July. The way box office works, the chances of Amazing Spider Man making as much and having as high of attendance as the movies of the original triliogy is miniscule to none domestically, but it still should be a success in its own right, especially worldwide, kicking off the new series. The Amazing Spider Man 2 is also set for May 2014.

     Here are links for the second trailer, the latest trailer, the 4 minute preview, new images, and the Lizard featurette. The Amazing Spider Man is released late June in 4 countries, and beginning July 3 worldwide.

The "A" In 'Avengers' Means A+

      [Spoiler Free Review] Hulk, Smash! There's a movie out now, I saw it Saturday, whats the name of it again? Ohh yeah, Marvel's The Avengers. And there's something that that movie was, gosh I've forgot! NO, I remember, it was the best cinematic experience I have ever had at the theater and it was the best film I have seen. I am not saying this because the hype is in the exosphere for this right now and because it seems to be every other person's favorite movie too; it is my true honest opinion.

     The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, finds Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and SHIELD coming together to fend off Loki and the Chitauri, who are after the "tesseract", a complex cube capable of many dangerous things. The film is 2 hours and 22 minutes, but it is paced beautifully; every scene has drama or humor to keep you invested. The film start with a quick intro that basically explains the tesseract and we are then taken to SHIELD. We do not see all of the heroes come at once, each has his or her own introduction scene, and they are all well crafted.

     Each character has a purpose in the movie and a special skill, no one is wasted. When bringing together a group of people who don't know each other, ie. Real World, Big Brother, or an Olympic team, there is bound to be conflict and tension; Whedon utilizes this perfectly and the characters give off perfect chemistry. Tony and Steve, Iron Man and Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow, Tony and Bruce, Tony and Loki, Thor and Loki, Loki and everyone, Bruce and Natasha, the team and Nick Fury; its incredibly done.

     The acting from all the stars was also superb. Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man, and Tom Hiddleston as Loki were brilliant, but everyone brought their A game. You may see one character more than the other in the marketing, but in the movie they all have surprisingly equal amounts of screen time and no one is under used. For example in the trailers it looks like all Black Widow does is roadhouse everyone and shoot 9mm's, but shes is really given some unexpected tasks and action scenes; true for all of the characters, even Loki and the SHIELD characters.

     Another huge part of the movie was the humor. At times I did not know what genre of movie I was watching; action/adventure or comedy? The Avengers provided some of the loudest and longest laughs I have heard since 21 Jump Street from March and The Hangover Part II from last May; yes, I said the Hangover; I rolled out of my seat once or twice. Each character had at least one funny quip. There were plenty of quips, one-liners, witty banter, and physical comedy, and yet it's able to keep a serious tone when the chaos is amuck. This is the first movie I have ever attended, and I've attended 11 this year, where people were leaning forward in there seats staring at the screen; the action, especially the climax is superb in the "whats gonna happen next!?"

     Joss Whedon's directing and writing was top bar; from the cinematography to the special effects, the production team was stellar. Well paced, well acted, well scripted, well directed, well filmed, well edited, this movie just needs to change it's title to "Marvels Well", because well, it a pleasing experience. Whether you see the film in IMAX, conventional, 3D, or 2D, you are in for a thrill ride; just ask the the moviegoers that have already gone twice- or more, in the films 5 days in North America so far. I saw the film in conventional 2D and I plan on seeing it again, its worth it.

     My final grade for Marvel's Avengers is A+; it is now my favorite movie of all time and the most thrilling 2 plus hours I have spent in a theater seat. The Avengers also does a good job at appealing beyond the comic book crowd; males and females, teens and seniors; everyone will eventually understand the movie and characters and hopefully enjoy them. After the films all time monumental opening in America and across the world, stellar reviews, user ratings, and word of mouth, its going to be in theaters for longggg time, and I personally believe it will end up #2 or #3 all time in America, behind Avatar and maybe Titanic. If you haven't gone, go, if you have gone, go again, this is a true blockbuster experience and its worth the ticket. A+. Stay tuned for the mid and after credits for surprise scenes!

The 'Avengers' Have Assembled in a Huge Way

     Its May 5, 2012, do you know what that means? Its means Marvel's Avengers was finally released in North America and is out across the world! Earlier yesterday, the opening day estimates for Avengers was at $65 million, but that was before west coast night showings; now the official estimate via Deadline is $80.5 million! That gives Avengers the second highest opening day and Friday- ever. The opening weekend record looks pretty certain now.

     So why is The Avengers enjoying massive success? Iron Man 2 decreased from Iron Man 1, Thor and Captain America couldn't pass $200 million, even with 3D, attendance for The Incredible Hulk was down from the disappointing 2003 version, and Hawkeye and Black Widow did not even get their own movies, even though Black Widow was a big part of Iron Man 2. So why is Avengers all of a sudden a contender to break many records?

     1. May - Avengers opened at just the right time; the first weekend of May is prime, especially for these type of movies. Spider Man opened on this weekend 10 years ago and today marks the day it became the first movie ever to make $100 million in one weekend. The Avengers is facing little competition and wont have many threats for a while. Summer is getting closer and colleges have let out and grade schools will be letting out soon (im done May 24th!).

     2. Characters - A good thing about Marvels characters; they're colorful. Iron Man is red, Hulk is green, Cap Am is blue, even Loki has vibrant attire. Colorful characters are good for younger viewers. Having a bleak, typical tone can make a movie feel dark and less engaging, but these vibrant characters are easier on the eyes and are more attractive. They are also three dimensional characters, which keeps attention and interest up.

     3. Tone - Avengers is not too graphic for younger viewers, which gives this a leg up over The Dark Knight Rises; the family audiences will likely be lower as that movie will have a more serious tone and violence will be a little more graphic. Avengers also has humor; Avengers is dramatic and does have high action violence, but it also has humor, something that's a win with audiences. The witty, one-liner, action humor is perfect, especially for this; Tony Stark alone makes the money worth it. That gives this another leg up over The Dark Knight Rises, which is definitely more serious, but that movie will be more grounded.

     5. Marketing - Id give Disney an A+ for marketing; The Avengers is on everything; my local radio station, candy wrappers, cardboard cutouts, the internet, and TV- the ads, especially the Dr. Pepper, Target, and Red Barron ones have been amazing. Adults see these and kids have the toys, that raises the awareness; kudos to Disney.

     6. Ensemble - Having all these characters together is something that hasn't been tried in Hollywood before. What Marvel did so well was making all these characters familiar and connecting them to form Avengers. This strategy worked a lot better than just putting them all together without their former movies. Having all these characters together raises the scope which makes this more appealing.

     7. Feedback - Avengers scored a 93% and 8/10 on RT, which for a summer blockbuster, is outstanding. Critics love it, and judging by moviegoer feedback on Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo, Fandango, box office forums, and people I've spoken to personally, everyone is beyond pleased. This means that Avengers will have a long life in theaters.

     A $400 million total is certain at this point, just how high it will go above that is a big question mark now; the sky's the limit. My OW and total prediction for Avengers is $185.4 million and near or above $440 million.

     Go see Avengers this weekend, 2D or 3D, IMAX or conventional, just go; you will not be dissapointed! I mean its already made $500 million worldwide!

Follow my movie Twitter here! Reel Movies 2012

Its A Trailer Park

     A barrage of trailers has hit the world the past few days; my guess is so a few can precede The Avengers.

      The Amazing Spider Man , The Dark Knight Rises, Expendables 2, This Is 40, Madea's Witness Protection, Prometheus, Brave, Magic Mike, GI Joe Retaliation, Step Up Revolution, Rock of Ages, and Hope Springs, have brand spanking new trailers, which after seeing them, makes 2012 look even more like the best year ever (Magic Mike not so much, but for females maybe).

     Check them all out for laughs, cries, ooohhs, and ahhhs. And as a bonus, the trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 for the gameboys.

     The summer movie season starts May 4th with The Avengers and will unofficially carry on until Labor Day weekend. We're in for plethora of great movies, better than last year. Save some cash for the cineplex this summer! Follow my movie Twitter, Reel Movies!

How Much Can The 'Avengers' Assemble?

Marvels Avengers is hitting theaters in North America and 42 other markets in 6 days, and it has already been released in various countries in the eastern hemisphere, and those openings have been massive. Avengers is smashing records in Australia, where it opened 214% higher than Iron Man 2 and in Australia, Phillipines, and Argentina it has bungeed to second biggest all time opening. The UK is where it scored the third highest opening day ever. In New Zealand and Taiwan, it managed the biggest opening day ever. All together it has so far earned $36 million overseas. The Avengers features Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Nick Fury; the latter three do not have their own movies, though Black Widow was a big part of Iron Man 2. Anticipation and buzz has been escalating tremendously lately, mainly thanks in part to Disney's marketing campaign. I have seen and heard ads for Avengers on candy wrappers, the radio, TV commercials, cardboard cutouts, the internet, soda bottles, I mean everywhere. Another good thing for Avengers is that it is also gaining a lot of female interest. Females make up 51% of America, so its pretty important to get them in the theater, and eventhough Avengers is an explosion filled, violence present, anti romantic spectacle, I have conversed with many girls that cant wait till May 4, and whats even better is the that the ones I have talked to want to go because its The Avengers, not because they think Chris Hemsworth is "hot." Also families will play a big role; Disney is making its name present, the characters are colorful and known with kids, and the violence and tone wont be too graphic or dark for younger kids. The movie is also sitting at 97% and 8.1/10 on RT, and critics are saying this one of the top of the line superhero flicks theyve seen, ever. With only 55 reviews in so far, those numbers may go up, go down, or stall come opening day; either way, practically everyone whos viewed it so far has been beyond pleased. The opening record is currently held by the last Harry Potter, at $169.1 million, can Avengers top that? A plus for Avengers is 3D and IMAX, which will boost prices, and tracking is through the roof thanks to the internet and community hype, many analysts believe the record will be broken or come close. Also in ticket presales, The Avengers has sold more than Thor, Cap Am, and Iron Man 1 and 2- combined. Like whoa. I personally believe Avengers will break the record; my predicted opening is $173 million. Even if Avengers falls short of HP's record, Avengers will most certainly make a lot, lot more domestically. There are so many factors that suggest that the record will go down and this summer doesnt feature another superhero spectacle until July. Around 20 milion people could be watching Avengers in North America this weekend, and many millions more will be watching across the globe; this seems to be one of the must see movies of the summer and the year, so check it out! Avengers is PG13 and is 2hr 22 minutes. If you're a cinephile, as a bonus, new trailers for The Dark Knight Rises and Amazing Spider Man will be attached! Dont miss the previews!

'Think Like a Man' and 'Lucky One' Surprise

     Last weekend was an unexpected one at the box office as Think Like a Man, Lucky One, and Chimpanzee all opened higher than expected.  

     Think Like a Man, the new comedy starring Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Taraji Henson, and others opened to $33.6 million, higher than the big budget, $350 million John Carter; Think Man a Man only cost $12 million to produce. That's just awful for John Carter, beyond embarrassing, but marvelous for Think Like a Man. That opening is even higher than all of Tyler Perry's 50,000 movies, except for Madea Goes to Jail, and Think Like a Man will make in around 5 days what Jumping the Broom made it its 56 days of release, among comparable movies. Think Like a Man's per-theater average was also the third best for the year so far as it was only released in 2,015 theaters, which is on the low end for a wide release. Audience reviews have been positive, with great tweets and an "A" cinemascore, so this movie should have a nice life in the theater, and what was the majorities favorite part of the movie? Kevin Hart of course.

     The Lucky One also attracted females into theaters with $22.5 million, which is the second highest for a Nicholas Sparks movie and #5 for romantic dramas when unadjusted. Zac Efron doesn't have the draw power that Channing Tatum has now- yes ladies he has a stripper movie coming out, but The Lucky One's opening was still very good for a romance themed movie and for April.

     Chimpanzee also opened strongly with $10.6 million and The Hunger Games held well with only a 30.5% drop with $14.6 million. Hunger Games is now ranked #19 all time and it should finish between #12-#15 all time, which is amazing these days for a non-sequel.

     The top 12 this weekend made $126.1 million, which is a slight increase over last year, but 2012 is ahead of 2011 by $509 million and 69.3 million tickets. 2012 is even ahead of 2008 and 2009, and would be ahead of 2010 if it wasnt for that little movie, Avatar.

     Next weekend is romantic comedy The Five Year Engagement, The Raven, Safe, and The Pirates! Band of Misfits, and two weeks later, Marvel's The Avengers! Yes, yes I am excited.

'Thinking' Like a 'Lucky One'

     This weekend features two releases that include emerging stars; Kevin Hart in Think Like A Man and Zac Efron in The Lucky One. Both have been gaining in popularity everyday; can they attract audiences this weekend?  Kevin Hart is becoming a world famous comedian, he is one of my favorites; Kevin's voice alone makes many things he says funny, even if he's not trying to be. By what I've seen, a vast majority of people of who want to see Think Like A Man want to see it because of Kevin Hart. There's no doubt he will be the show stopper and scene stealer in this movie, and Screen Gems is noticing; all of the television spots and most of the trailer is mostly lines from Hart, theres even a whole television spot just about him. Think Like A Man will mostly cater and is aimed at African-American's, but Kevin Hart is known and fanned by multiple races, so will he help lure an even broader audience to the theater? 

     Zac Efron is adored by most females; ever since the High School Musical days, Zac Efron has been emerging in Hollywood. Now that his Disney days are over, hes been capturing broader projects. Hairspray, Charlie St. Cloud, New Years Eve, 17 Again, and even this year's Lorax. Hairspray had an ensamble cast, so 17 Again is really the only movie that you can say was a nice success because he was the lead. Will The Lucky One, also starring Taylor Schilling be the exception? Channing Tatum has proved to be a draw with the wild, unexpected success of The Vow, now its Efron's turn. The Lucky One is obviously geared toward females and many girls seem to be excited for this even though the hype isnt as high for this one as it was for The Vow. What if an unknown male was the lead in this instead of Efron, would that affect girls wanting to go see it? I say yes. 

     I feel both movies can do over $20 million for the weekend; I feel Hart and Efron will be influences. How well both movies do in the long run will depend on how well audiences like them, but for the weekend, both stars should be driving forces to get people into theater seats. Also, if you're a monkey lover, Chimpanzee is being released by Disney this weekend, I hope that made your day, chimp fan.

Is America Re-Released Out?

     Titanic, Jurassic Park, Finding Nemo, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Monsters Inc, Star Wars: Episode 1, Toy Story; what do all of these movies have in common? They all have been or will be re-released in 3D.
     When Avatar was released ages ago in 2009-its already been 2 1/2 years!? It revolutionized the movie industry. Avatar made around an extra $200 million dollars off of just higher ticket prices and charging people for 3D glasses! Soon basically every "major" movie of 2010, and "every other movie" of 2011 was filmed or post-converted into 3D. The 3D frenzy is still in high gear in Hollywood, but the popularity of it overall has dropped. Are re-releases having any effect?
     The 3D re-release of Toy Story did a middling $30 million, but it was a limited engagement. Though on the other hand, The Lion King, which was supposed to a limited release, soon got a full run after its successful opening, and went on to make $94 million, which was enough to push it back to #9 all time. Soon a wave of new re-releases were announced, most from Disney. 3D is doing just fine overseas, but does America really care? Beauty and the Beast and Episode 1 did somewhat "disappointing" numbers, and Titanic was re-released last weekend and finished #3; its 5-day opening total was a somber $25 million.
     Titanic's problem was that it is still aired regularly on television, I watched it in February on cable, and plus the facts that it is over 3 hours long and many theaters not offering 2D showings probably turned people away. Is this a sign that 3D re-releases are failing? In my opinion, not necessarily; I do believe 3D is fading fast and most people, especially families, are resorting back to the typical 2D format, and I feel moviegoers are wanting more original ideas like Safe House, Chronicle, and The Vow, but I think the fails of Titanic and Star Wars were mostly that they're just too long and too expensive to view again when they are still widely available.
     3D is becoming a thing of the past, again, but re-releases for now should be fine. My advice to Hollywood, add 2D options! Shoot even 4D, just don't make 3D the only choice for the movie goer, or they will wait.