Happy Memorial Day! Especially in Hollywood, where, as alluded to yesterday, the film industry is winding down its most lucrative Memorial Day frame ever -- for nearly half of which the town can thank the team behind The Hangover Part II.
Martin Sheen gets the money quote in a fascinating new oral history of Terrence Malick's debut feature, Badlands: "[Assoc. producer] Lou Stroller made some comment about Mrs. Malick, and Terry was not having it, and beat the hell out of him. In true Texas style -- he was so Texas. Didn't even hesitate, just started swinging. They were down like two buffalo -- they were big guys -- and they were on the ground, rolling around, and Terry just whupped him. Oh, I acted outraged -- 'What a breakdown of discipline, this fighting on the set!' -- but I couldn't have been prouder of him. Can you imagine? If more directors would beat up their producers, we'd have a lot more artistic freedom." [GQ]
They came, they saw, the conquered. Again. Todd Phillips, Warner Bros., and the team behind The Hangover Part II -- and all of Hollywood, in fact -- are enjoying a historic Memorial Day weekend at the box-office as moviegoers have made blockbusters of at least two franchises and bona-fide hits out of two art-house darlings. Your weekend receipts are here.
Following its massive Thursday showing, The Hangover Part II continued to party the night away on Friday. The Todd Phillips-directed film grabbed another $30 million last night, putting Part II on course for a potentially record-breaking weekend; The Hangover Part II could top $90 million over the three days, and $135 million in five. (The Matrix Reloaded owns the top three-day opening for an R-rated film at $91 million.) In more sober news: Kung Fu Panda 2 may only gross as much as Kung Fu Panda did during its opening salvo, despite the benefit of a lengthy holiday. Your Friday box office is here.
Memorial Day Weekend starts now at Movieline HQ, but before commencing the most splendid and honorable of American holidays, let's take one final browse through the events that led us in the latest edition of Week in Review. We'll drop back in on you in the days ahead with all the latest box-office updates and developing move news, but meanwhile try to relax, and please keep our nation's fallen heroes in mind. All the best!
· We (you and I) chatted earlier about how to retool the American Pie franchise, and it looks like we're one step closer to the original movie's majesty: Shannon Elizabeth, who played naughty foreign exchange student Nadia in the 1999 film, is joining American Reunion. Weee! Finally, the "will they or won't they" tension between her character and Eugene Levy's gets a proper exploration. [Deadline]
I reserve a certain affection for dolphin show music. Ever been to Chicago's Brookfield Zoo or Shedd Aquarium? Then you know the majesty of these new-age, meandering, indigo-hued musics. Inspirational, yet warm. Timelessly dated. When Keiko pops up on her tailfin or jumps at the dangling red doodad in the air, you want beautiful musics to help couch your tears. That's all I have to say about that. And look, here's Harry Connick Jr. in a poster for a dolphin movie!
In Terrence Malick's Tree of Life, Brad Pitt assumes the role of 1950s disciplinarian whose no-nonsense form of parenting complicates the evolution of his own offspring. How did Pitt transform himself from the free-spirited cowboy hitchhiker in Thelma & Louise to the stern father who escorts his sons to church every Sunday in this weekend's Palme d'Or-winning drama?
What does Kung Fu Panda 2 have to do with King of the Hill, Midnight Run, and Animal House? Ask screenwriters Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, who co-scripted and co-produced the Oscar-nominated 2008 global hit Kung Fu Panda and its sequel, in theaters this weekend. After working their way up the ranks with TV comedy gigs, the duo has emerged one of DreamWorks Animation's strongest writing teams -- and to think, it all started with a stuffy office job in Boston...
Kung Fu Panda 2 is chock full of famous voices (Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan), which makes you wonder: Why? Why are celebrity voices an (apparent) essential of the genre? Truth is, recognizable voices are comforting, and animated movies are all about shelling the pacifying capabilities of cinema. Here are our 10 famous voices in animated classics, ranked for your clicking comfort.
Peter Jackson doesn't need a press release to announce casting decisions for The Hobbit -- that's what Facebook is for! "Ten years ago, Orlando Bloom created an iconic character with his portrayal of Legolas. I'm excited to announce today that we'll be revisiting Middle Earth with him once more," Jackson wrote on the social networking site. "I'm thrilled to be working with Orlando again. Funny thing is, I look older -- and he doesn't! I guess that's why he makes such a wonderful elf." [Facebook/Peter Jackson]
· Little did everyone know on Monday that this week would become Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Character Poster Week. Yet, it did! Following Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville (!), Warner Bros. has released a standalone poster for the evil Voldemort. Thankfully, there are no screams involved. Click through for a look at the end, then stick around for Buzz Break.
When he sat down with Movieline to talk The Hangover Part II (in theaters today), comedian-turned-actor Zach Galifianakis expressed a desire to balance his comedic work with dramatic roles. "I would love to do it if I could pull it off," he said. "I don't know if I can, but I would like to." Given that aspiration, Galifianakis couldn't have picked a more perfect film for his round of Movieline's My Favorite Scene -- one featuring funny man-turned-Oscar winner Robin Williams.
Each Sunday on the AFI campus in Los Angeles, a loyal group of industry pros and movie lovers gather to celebrate rare or forgotten genre cinema with a weekly screening series dubbed Reel Grit. For Reel Grit's 100th film, six AFI alumni -- editor Howard E. Smith (The Abyss), writer Jacob Forman (All the Boys Love Mandy Lane), DP Amy Vincent (Black Snake Moan), production designer Todd Cherniawsky (Avatar, Alice in Wonderland), director and AFI Dean Robert Mandel (School Ties), and producer Stuart Cornfeld (Tropic Thunder) -- selected films that influenced their work and careers, sharing anecdotes and appreciations over the course of a free 12-hour movie marathon.
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