Following in the footsteps of Sofia Coppola's Somewhere and Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go, the first marketing materials for David Fincher's Facebook movie, The Social Network have appeared online, and...is it fall yet? There's no trailer -- come on, guys! -- but if the new poster is any indication, this film will certainly deliver on its promise. You know the drill: From Aaron Sorkin's screenplay -- itself an adaptation of Ben Mezrich's mediocre book, The Accidental Billionaires -- Fincher directs Virtual Newsstand cover boy Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Best casting ever? Judging from the poster, yes. Click ahead to check it out.
more »
The easiest thing to predict about Toy Story 3 -- besides a negative review from the extraordinary Armond White; Small Soldier 4eva, buddy! -- was that it would run roughshod over the competition at the box office. And, lo and behold, it has: Toy Story 3 took in a remarkable $40 million on Friday night, meaning that it could climb as high as $120 million by the time Sunday night rolls around. That would place it just behind Shrek the Third on the list of biggest openings ever. Not on that list? Jonah Hex, which hilariously defied expectations -- in the wrong direction -- by pulling in only $2 million on Friday night. For reference: That's MacGruber bad. The top-five after the jump.
more »
Gloom was no match for the rosy revelations unsheathed this week at Movieline, where wonders small and large never ceased. Rediscover them in the Week in Review, and stand by for another fine frame starting tomorrow with Christopher Rosen and Dixon Gaines, your weekend editors par excellence. "Woot!" after me, and see you Monday!
more »
· Here's a way for Michael Bay to reboot the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise while keeping costs down: cast the Turtles as twentysomething slackers whose battles with Shredder are only rivaled by their bouts with ennui. Joe Swanberg could direct! Greta Gerwig could play April O'Neil! Can't you see it? Consider the video below an informal pitch. [YouTube]
more »
The Smurfs movie may look as cold and bombastic as most big screen updates of TV classics are nowadays, but Movieline's commenters of the week have the chance to add a little love into the mix. Since the Smurfs are clearly dumbstruck by New York City's wondrous cityscape, you can help ease the acclimation process by taking Smurf nemesis Gargamel on his first trip to Saks. He could use a new cloak -- maybe something resembling one of Miranda's simpler bag-dresses from Sex & the City 2? Hook a cackling villain up! So, who wins the big trip?
more »
We wondered earlier today whether notoriously contrarian film critic Armond White would be the one to sully Toy Story 3's perfect Tomatometer, and right on cue, he has. "Toy Story 3 suckers fans to think they can accept this drivel without paying for it politically, aesthetically or spiritually," he writes in the NY Press before pulling the classic Armond move of elevating a forgotten piece of fluff to the pantheon in comparison (in this case, Small Soldiers is the "more challenging" movie passed over by "shill critics"). [NYP]
If it feels like Judd Apatow should be announcing his next directorial effort right about now, you'll have to wait a little longer. He is, however, about to produce Business Trip, which stars his wife Leslie Mann as the ringleader of a bunch of irresponsible businesswomen on a corporate trip. Between this and the Apatow-produced Bridesmaids (starring Kristen Wiig), it seems like the comedy mogul is finally ready to add a distaff wing to his empire. Are you happy now, Katherine Heigl? [Deadline]
Finally, someone is coordinating a celebrity telethon to help the victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. This Monday, CNN will host a special two-hour Larry King Live featuring Justin Bieber, Ted Danson, Cameron Diaz, Randy Jackson, Robert Redford and a performance by Sting. Cameron, we commend the effort but if you really wanted to raise money, shouldn't you head to a program that is watched by more than 800,000 viewers? [AP]
You really can't make this stuff up. In conjunction with the release of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Burger King is starting an ad campaign on Monday that will pit Team Edward against Team Jacob in a scratch off game for the ages. The Times Media Decoder blog calls the television commercials "hilarious," something you can judge for yourself from this excerpt alone: "'Jacob's abs are so hard,' a Jacob fan tells a customer, 'you can scratch that game piece on them.' An Edward fan explains that he is not dead, just alive forever." Knee slap! Who wants a Whopper? [NYT/Media Decoder]
Mere days remain before Movieline hosts New Yorkers' first look at Animal Kingdom, the Sundance-winning, critic-entrancing crime thriller that Sony Classics will open this August. But why wait? Director David Michôd and co-stars Jacki Weaver and James Frecheville are headed in from Down Under, and tickets are available now; read on to find out how to get yours.
more »
· Here's your first look at Johnny Depp in the long-delayed adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's The Rum Diary.
· Don Cheadle and Freida Pinto have reportedly been offered roles alongside James Franco in Rise of the Apes.
· Joaquin Phoenix's rap prankumentary will probably get a release via Magnolia.
· Can Twilight fans make it through True Blood, and vice versa? PopEater attempted to find out.
· Rejoice! The totally bizarre Wanda/Sheneneh mashup Skank Robbers has a release date of August 19, 2011. I... kind of want to see this?
As you've read, the shoestring screen adaptation of Ayn Rand's epic philosophical novel Atlas Shrugged is underway -- as is the definitive discussion of its potential: "How could you put a film like this in anyone else's hands but the most superior person available for every position involved, Paul Johansson of One Tree Hill? The positive here is that if Ayn Rand's novel is any indication, they won't need to hire an editor." And there's so, so much more. Happy Friday. [Tiger Beatdown via The Awl]
When the news that you're releasing a film actually surprises people, and the primary buzz the week of its release is how stunningly short it is, you know you've got a bit of a problem. But that's the bed Warner Bros. made for itself with Jonah Hex -- and that's where critics found it today, lifeless, with a "DO NOT RESUSCITATE" note taped to the pillow. Read on for a selection of noteworthy postmortems.
more »
Just wanted to say that. It's the big 6-8 -- wish the man well!
Perhaps owed to the fact that almost every other big release this summer has been tepid at best -- and jihad-worthy at worst -- film critics are treating Toy Story 3 like a canteen of water after spending six weeks wandering through the desert. With 108 reviews tabulated on Rotten Tomatoes thus far, Toy Story 3 has a perfect 100% Fresh rating. They love this thing! Though that should really come as no surprise, considering both Toy Story and Toy Story 2 each had 100% Fresh ratings when they were released. In fact, there is a very real chance that a negative review of any movie in the Toy Story franchise has never been written. But will that change with Toy Story 3? Probably, if Armond White actually writes a review.
more »
