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Pitt Can't Change Script, Leaves Movie
23 November 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Top movie stars who are used to demanding changes in the screenplays of movies they're appearing in may be stymied by the writers' strike. The inability of producers of Universal's State of Play to make changes to the script requested by costar Brad Pitt has resulted in Pitt's departure from the movie, according to the Hollywood Reporter.Ironically, the movie is an adaptation of a critically acclaimed six-hour BBC miniseries that aired in 2003, written by Paul Abbott. The film adaptation was written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (Lions for Lambs) but Abbott is listed as an executive producer.

Box Office: The (3-D) Eyes Have It
20 November 2007 (StudioBriefing)
It might have been a dismal weekend at the box office had it not been for 3-D. Although 3-D theaters accounted for just 20 percent of the nearly 3200 theaters that screened the No. 1 film, Beowulf, they accounted for more than 40 percent of the film's gross of $27.5 million. "It just shows the potential of what 3D can be in the future," Paramount distribution chief Don Harris told The Hollywood Reporter. Other films made only so-so showings. The No. 2 film was the Jerry Seinfeld animated cartoon Bee Movie, which earned $14 million in its third week. Another family film, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, opened with a less-than-wondrous $9.6 million. The only other newcomer, Love in the Time of Cholera was DOA with just $1.9 million. There were a couple of bright spots on the list, however. The critically praised No Country for Old Men from the Coen Bros. earned $3.1 million despite widening its release to only 148 theaters. It placed seventh on the box-office list. And Universal's American Gangster became the first film of the fall to cross the $100-million mark in gross ticket sales.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Beowulf, Paramount, $27,515,871, (New); 2. Bee Movie, Paramount, $14,008,444, 3 Wks. ($93,570,695); 3. American Gangster, Universal, $12,875,250, 3 Wks. ($100,650,615); 4. Fred Claus, Warner Bros., $11,914,323, 2 Wks. ($35,712,980); 5. Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, 20th Century Fox, $9,630,085, (New); 6. Dan in Real Life, Disney, $4,343,185, 4 Wks. ($36,931,806); 7. No Country for Old Men, Miramax, $3,075,722, (New); 8. Lions for Lambs, MGM, $2,896,594, 2 Wks. ($11,584,339); 9. Saw IV, Lions Gate, $2,248,805, 4 Wks. ($61,766,718); 10. Love in the Time of Cholera, New Line, $1,924,860, (New).

3-D Makes Big Comeback
19 November 2007 (StudioBriefing)
The majority of moviegoers who saw Beowulf over the weekend sought out 3-D theaters to see it in, Paramount indicated Sunday. Although the film played in just 740 theaters equipped with digital 3-D projectors, the film earned twice as much in those theaters than in all the rest combined. In all, the film grossed $28.1 million -- a figure that came in at the low end of analysts' expectations. Nevertheless, Paramount marketing and distribution chief Rob Moore told today's (Monday) Los Angeles Times: "This will do great work in terms of convincing exhibitors that they should be investing in 3-D technology." In second place was Jerry Seinfeld's animated Bee Movie, with $14.3 million. Another family flick, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, opened in fifth place with $10 million. But the film that impressed the most was Oscar-touted No Country for Old Men, which came in in seventh place with $3.1 million despite the fact that it had expanded into only 148 theaters. According to estimates, the Coen Bros. film averaged $20,932 per theater; by contrast, the No. 1 film, Beowulf, opened with $8,912 per theater.

The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research: 1. Beowulf, $28.1 million; 2. Bee Movie, $14.3 million; 3. American Gangster, $13.2 million; 4. Fred Claus, $12 million; 5. Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, $10 million; 6. Dan In Real Life, $4.5 million; 7. No Country for Old Men, $3 million; 8. Lions for Lambs, $3 million; 9. Saw IV, $2.3 million; 10. Love in the Time of Cholera, $1.9 million.

Box Office, Where Is Thy Sting?
13 November 2007 (StudioBriefing)
It wasn't exactly a honey of a weekend at the box office over the Veterans' Day holiday, despite the flight of Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie to the top of the list in its second week from No. 2 a week ago. The animated film from DreamWorks Animation recorded a three-day take of $26 million, just ahead of last week's winner, Universal's American Gangster, with $24 million. But Warner Bros.' Fred Claus, which many box-office forecasters had predicted would land ahead of the two holdovers, earned only $19 million, to place third. And MGM's Lions for Lambs opened with a tame $7 million. Overall, the box office was down 11.6 percent from the same week a year ago.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Bee Movie, Paramount, $25,565,462, 2 Wks. ($71,779,597); 2. American Gangster, Universal, $24,028,445, 2 Wks. ($80,388,420); 3. Fred Claus, Warner Bros., $18,515,473, (New); 4. Lions For Lambs, MGM, $6,702,434, (New); 5. Dan in Real Life, Disney, $6,002,717, 3 Wks. ($30,809,056); 6. Saw IV, Lions Gate, $4,949,812, 3 Wks. ($58,026,020); 7 . The Game Plan, Disney, $2,462,122, 7 Wks. ($85,466,069); 8. 30 Days of Night, Sony, $2,172,031, 4 Wks. ($37,430,374); 9. P2, Summit, $2,083,398, (New); 10 . Martian Child, New Line, $1,843,767, 2 Wks. ($6,106,881).

Cruise Concerned About "Flop" Movie
13 November 2007 (WENN)
Tom Cruise fears his new movie Lions For Lambs will be an expensive flop after it failed to break into the top three at the U.S. box office in its opening weekend. The star was hoping that the film - which cost an estimated $35 million to make - would be an international hit, but the Robert Redford-directed movie debuted at number four in the box office chart with takings of only $6.7 million. The movie is the first release from Cruise's United Artists studio, which he set up after he was sensationally dropped by Paramount last year. A source tells MSNBC.com, "Tom wanted to really hit a home run with his first United Artists movie. It was more about how the industry was going to view him than the movie going public that Tom was worried about." However, a statement from United Artists has backed Lions For Lambs insisting they are happy with the box office numbers: "Given the modest production and marketing budgets we do not need to be a blockbuster hit. Everyone at United Artists are very proud of the film and could not have had a more perfect filmmaker to have made our first film."

'Bee' Buzzes Past 'Gangster'
12 November 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Jerry Seinfeld, who is used to making end runs around his competition, has taken the lead at the box office with his animated Bee Movie. The film, which opened in second place last week behind American Gangster, moved to No. 1 with an estimated take of $26 million and should further enhance its standing today (Monday) with kids out of school for the extended Veteran's Day holiday. Its gross now stands at around $72.2 million. "It's so rare to do what Bee Movie has done," Media by Numbers President Paul Dergarabedian told today's (Monday) Los Angeles Times, attributing its jump to first place to "terrific word of mouth." Meanwhile, Gangster remained a potent force as it chalked up earnings of $24.3 million. After remaining ahead of the Seinfeld flick from Monday through Thursday, the film can now boast a 10-day total of $80.6 million. On the other hand, Fred Claus, starring Vince Vaughn -- the film most box-office prognosticators thought would wind up as the top film -- wound up in third place with $19.2 million, at the low end of their predictions. The Tom Cruise-Robert Redford-Meryl Streep anti-war drama Lion for Lambs performed slightly better than analysts had imagined, taking in $6.7 million. The stalker flick P2 opened in 1,032 theaters with $2.2 million. Making an impressive debut in just 28 theaters, the Coen Bros.' No Country for Old Men earned $1.2 million or $42,900 per theater. That compares with $6,600 per theater for Bee Movie.Overall, the box office was down 11.6 percent from the comparable weekend last year. Next week, however, is expected to see a significant rise with the opening of the Robert Zemeckis-directed Beowulf, starring Angelina Jolie. The film will have the largest rollout ever on 3-D screens -- more than 1,000 -- with premium pricing attached to those screenings and those at dozens of IMAX venues.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers: 1. Bee Movie, $26 million; 2. American Gangster, $24.3 million; 3. Fred Claus, $19.2 million; 4. Lions for Lambs, $6.7 million; 5. Dan in Real Life, $5.9 million; 6. Saw IV, $5 million; 7. The Game Plan, $2.4 million; 8. P2, $2.2 million; 9. 30 Days of Night, $2.1 million; 10. Martian Child, $1.75 million.

Gurus Expect 'Claus' To Fly
9 November 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Christmas will arrive early at the box office this weekend with the new Vince Vaughn comedy Fred Claus. Box office forecasters estimate that it will take in $22-26 million and wind up as the top attraction. Coming in a close second, they predict, will be last weekend's winner, American Gangster, with about $18-22 million -- or possibly Bee Movie, which ranked No. 2 last weekend. Analysts have expressed little hope for the war-related Lions for Lambs, despite the fact that it costars Tom Cruise, Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. Films about the Middle East conflict have all performed poorly at the box office, and Lions, the first United Artists film produced under the aegis of Cruise, has been bombed by critics. This will be the first weekend in which films will premiere without their stars having had access to the late-night talk shows, since most of them are in rerun mode in the wake of the writers' strike. On Thursday, however, Vaughn, an avowed conservative and Republican, appeared on Bill O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News to promote Fred Claus.

Movie Reviews: 'Lions for Lambs'
9 November 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Supporters of the war in Iraq have surprisingly found most of the nation's major film critics on their side. The critics have come down heavily on the anti-war film Lions for Lambs, with many of them warning that it is fatally boring. Carina Chocano in the Los Angeles Times comments that it "looks like a stage play and plays like a policy debate." Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times writes that "there is a long stretch toward the beginning of the film when we're interested, under the delusion that it's going somewhere. When we begin to suspect it's going in circles, our interest flags." Says Kyle Smith in the New York Post: "I went to a wartime thriller, but then a Poli Sci 101 seminar broke out." Similarly Ann Hornaday remarks in the Washington Post: "For all its passion and topical currency, Lions for Lambs plays too often like a college colloquium, with one extended scene of a classroom debate suffering from all the sleep-inducing effects of the real thing." Looking at the movie from a Canadian perspective, Geoff Pevere in the Toronto Star writes: "A lumpy, ill-dramatized and ultimately enervating liberal Op-Ed piece flailing for dramatic purchase, this steroid-inflated Sundance workshop may prove most effective as a demonstration (as opposed to an antidote) of the political desperation that hamstrings the American middle-left."

Proud Family Members Praise "Amazing" Holmes
6 November 2007 (WENN)
Katie Holmes' family have hailed as the actress as "amazing" for taking part in the New York City Marathon. Holmes completed the 26.2 mile race in five hours, 29 minutes and 58 seconds on Sunday - and her loved ones couldn't be happier for her. Mum Kathy says, "Isn't she amazing? She's such a good girl. We're so proud (of her)." And hours after crossing the finish line, the actress stepped out to accompany her husband Tom Cruise for the New York premiere of his new film, Lions For Lambs. When asked about his wife's accomplishment, Cruise told People.com, "I know, I know. It's amazing!"

Movie Reviews: 'Lions for Lambs'
24 October 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Early trade reviews of Lions for Lambs, starring Robert Redford and Tom Cruise, which premiered Monday at the London Film Festival, suggest that it is likely to face the same difficulties attracting ticket buyers as other recent films targeting the war in Iraq. Ray Bennett writes today (Wednesday) in the Hollywood Reporter: "Boxoffice response to films dealing with the U.S. government's strategies in the Middle East so far suggests that the public is not eager to grapple with the topic onscreen. Redford's film will appeal to those who feel that today's military sacrifices are being made on false premises, but its responsible tone could draw a more widely appreciative audience." In Daily Variety, Derek Elley comments that the screenwriter, Matthew Michael Carnahan, "uses a lot of words to say nothing new" and that the movie amounts to "the movie equivalent of an Off Broadway play." Noting that the film is the first for United Artists since Cruise began running the studio, Elley concludes that Lions "doesn't look likely to roar its way to significant [box-office] gains."

Redford Backs Cruise
8 October 2007 (WENN)
Robert Redford has defended Tom Cruise, insisting the Hollywood superstar's behavior was perfectly normal on the set of their new movie. The veteran filmmaker ignored press reports ridiculing Cruise's infamous couch-jumping stunt on The Oprah Winfrey Show, when he ecstatically proclaimed his love for his then-fiancee Katie Holmes, and his devotion to Scientology. Instead, Redford found Cruise to be nothing like his public image on the set of Lions For Lambs. In an interview with Playboy magazine, Redford says, "Tom's a talented actor and I think people will respond positively to him (in Lions For Lambs)... I didn't concern myself with the gossip - I never do - and I knew enough from what I've been through to judge the man based on what I experience firsthand. And I didn't see any behavior on the film that troubled me. Really."

Cruise's United Artists Debut To Open Los Angeles Film Festival
30 August 2007 (WENN)
Tom Cruise's first movie under his new United Artists moniker has been selected to open the upcoming AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival. The movie mogul became a partner in UA last year after he was unceremoniously dumped by Paramount boss Sumner Redstone over public comments he made about Scientology. Cruise stars in political thriller Lions For Lambs - the first production for the new-look United Artists - which will premiere at the film festival on November 1. The film, directed by Robert Redford, also stars Redford and Meryl Streep.

Cruise Lands Publicity King
6 April 2007 (WENN)
Tom Cruise has landed his first big catch as the new boss of Charlie Chaplin's United Artists studio - former Disney publicity guru Dennis Rice. Rice has confirmed he's giving up his "dream job" at Disney to join Cruise and producing partner Paula Wagner at UA. He says, "What Tom and Paula are doing at UA is nothing less than pioneering a new approach to moviemaking that will build on a 90-year tradition." Cruise made headlines when he took over United Artists last year after parting company with Paramount over a bust-up with media mogul Sumner Redstone. The new UA plans to release its first film, political drama Lions For Lambs, this November.

UA About To Be Reborn
27 February 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Tom Cruise is reportedly close to raising the money needed to bring United Artists, the studio founded 86 years ago by Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, back to life. According to today's (Tuesday) Los Angeles Times, Cruise and his producing partner Paula Wagner, have raised the nearly $500 million that it will take to finance a slate of films for the now dormant UA, 65 percent of which is owned by MGM and the remainder, by Cruise and Wagner. The money is reportedly coming from a group of Wall Street investors led by Merrill Lynch. According to the Times, UA's first production under the deal with Cruise and Wagner is the Robert Redford-directed political drama Lions for Lambs, starring Cruise and Meryl Streep. The director and two stars agreed to defer most of their upfront fees -- the entire movie is budgeted at just $35 million -- in return for a cut of the gross less production and marketing costs.