It's been a long career for Mel Gibson, and you know just as well as he does that there is likely no way to follow his Viking adventure epic starring Leonardo DiCaprio. As such, you probably won't be surprised to hear that the actor/director/dead-language-cinema impresario might not even bother trying.
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· Robert Downey Jr. is the latest star said to be interested in director Alfonso Cuarón's 3D sci-fi spectacle Gravity. He would play an astronaut spacewalking with a female crewmate when the rest of their peers are wiped out in a tragic asteroid-vs.-space station mishap. Downey would shoot this summer before heading back to Sherlock Holmes; Angelina Jolie was supposed to be the front-runner for the female lead, but now it's reported she's fallen off the project. Come on, Alfonso -- just give it to Gabourey Sidibe. You know you want to. [Deadline]
David Fincher hedges his bets, Alexander Payne bulks up in Hawaii and more Hollywood Ink after the jump.
Sad breaking news, as the LAT reports actor Peter Graves was found dead in his Pacific Palisades home today at age 83, of natural causes. I recently spoke with Graves on the eve of receiving his long-overdue star on the Walk of Fame for what would turn out to be one of his last in-depth interviews. As suave, austere and considered in person as he is on screen, Grave reminisced on everything from working in early classics like Stalag 17 and The Night of the Hunter, to his string of low-budget sci-fi efforts from the '50s, to his iconic work as Jim Phelps in Mission: Impossible and Airplane!'s Cpt. Oveur. He also expressed interest in reprising Phelps in the upcoming Mission: Impossible 4. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be.
The highest-rated Academy Awards in years was perhaps all it took to remind the public of what it is they weren't missing, because aside from the mighty Alice in Wonderland, this weekend's box office came smothered in weak sauce. Even an 88% increase for Best Picture winner The Hurt Locker amounted to no more than $828k, or about half of what The Blind Side, the other Oscar winner to enjoy a post-awards bump, earned in the same frame. More results are on the next page.
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Moviegoers had a wealth of new options to choose from at the box office yesterday, and they responded with a resounding "Meh." Alice in Wonderland yet again took the top spot, and the returns in the next three slots were positively brutal: Green Zone at $5 million, Remember Me at $3.5 million, and She's Out of My League at $3.4 million. Matt Damon and Robert Pattinson, you're on notice.
The full figures:
As another post-Oscar hangover wound down, Movieline this week got on with the difficult process of adjusting to life without awards season. Judging by the collection of news after the jump, I think you'll agree we're making progress. Have a wonderful weekend, and don't forget to spring forward Saturday night!
· Carla Gugino sings in Electro Luxx, written and directed by her boyfriend, Sebastian "I Wrote Snakes on a Plane" Gutierrez. Ah, the things we do for love. [MCN]
In case ninety-second previews of actual films daunt their gluten-clogged brains, this week's Commenters of the Week win an 11-second trailer to another trailer of their choosing! Following the precedent set by Eclipse this week, you might choose a 10-second romantic stare between Rick and Ilsa, or a blinding blitz of every Scarlett O'Hara tantrum that clocks in at just under eight seconds. Cinematic treats for the commenter on the go! So, who's getting the tiniest preview in all the land?
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Apparition, the small U.S. distributor bringing you the pre-riot grrrl pop confection The Runaways next weekend, is back in the Kristen Stewart business, having paid a reported seven figures for domestic rights to Welcome to the Rileys -- the first second feature from Jake Scott (Ridley's son) that, like Runaways, also debuted at Sundance.
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Spoilers ahead, seamsters: Movieline just checked in with the latest Project Runway contestant to receive Heidi Klum's cheek pecks of good riddance. He/she dished on Bryant Park, a "gimmicky" fellow contestant, and the problem with seeing what editors have done to your sparkling personality. Ready to meet the loser?
"Last night when I watched who made it into the Top 12, specific people were just bumming me out. It seemed like just another season of almost karaoke singers being molded into a big pop star. I don't know. That was one of the reasons I tried out this season because I really wanted to break the mold and try to give some off-the-wall, different music for America to listen to." - Idol kingdom ejectee and righteous wizardress, Lilly Scott. Word. [EW]
How badly did A Christmas Carol's underperformance hurt? This badly: It's brought down Robert Zemeckis's ImageMovers Digital studio. Disney announced today that the studio will shutter its doors after completing the upcoming Mars Needs Moms; it's been around since 1997, but Carol is the only film the studio made after its 2007 acquisition. Disney is now crossing yet another demographic off its character list: terrifying CG old people. [Deadline]
Movieline HQ is always a fun place to be on Friday afternoons, if only because of the promise of our weekly visit from the Say Whaaaa? Singers. As such, we've compiled yet another list of the week's most outlandish, bizarre and/or unbelievable cultural happenings under on roof for them to wreak their golden-throated havoc. Who's ready?
Bravo's Real Housewives franchise is so riddled with catty fights, extravagant parties and shameless publicity stunts, that it is hard to decipher which tear-filled moments are genuine and which are just the creation of self-loathing PAs hired to continually escalate the drama quotient (DQ). Fortunately, Movieline is here to deliver that slap-across-the-face that each housewife (especially Ramona) deserves, with its Reality Check recaps. Each week, we will call out the truest and most fake moments from the previous night's Real Fake/Jackpot and recognize the most offensive housewives along the way. So let's begin shall we, with last night's episode, "Dueling Labor Day Parties."
Jerry Seinfeld's The Marriage Ref has been on television for two weeks and America still does not know who Tom Papa is. But instead of giving Tom and Jerry the benefit of the doubt on their unfunny NBC venture, viewers are tuning out. Last night, the series plummeted just over 20% in ratings despite a star-studded panel including Madonna and Ricky Gervais. The third celebrity panelist, Larry David, was so disappointed with the experience that he even commented mid-show, "This is easily the most uncomfortable hour I've ever spent in my life." [THR]
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