Movie Ticket Stories

The juggernaut of the "Iron Man" continued pounding its competitors at the box office last weekend, literally crushing the hopes of its main contender, the race car adventure "Speed Racer", internet sources reported today. "Iron Man" raked in an additional $50.5 million in its second weekend, bringing its total close to $150 million.

Following in the steps of fellow Disney teen icon Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers will reportedly make their own 3-D concert film debut in 2009. The film will feature footage from the group's upcoming "Burning Up" concert tour, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of bandmate-brothers Kevin, Joe and Nick.

"More than just a concert, this film will take moviegoers inside the band's creative process, and present them in a very intimate and entertaining way," Oren Aviv, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, said in a statement.

The action movie "Iron Man" easily trounced the competition to win the box office tally for the weekend ending May 4, generating an estimated $100.8 million and becoming one of the few pictures in film history to become an instant blockbuster in its opening weekend.

The film now holds the rank of the ninth-highest debut of all time and second-largest for a movie that wasn't a sequel. The record-holder also belongs to a comic book franchise owned by Marvel, "Spider-Man," which debuted in 2002 with an opening weekend of $114.8 million.

The wholesome country girl image of Disney star Miley Cyrus has taken a hit following the fallout from racy pictures of the “Hannah Montana” star set to be published in May in Vanity Fair magazine. The wildly popular teen star, who’s concert tour last year caused a lot of controversy on the ticketing front, has apologized to her fans for the pics, prompting the photographer, famed shutterbug Annie Leibovitz to issue her own statement that the photos were tasteful and taken with complete cooperation with the star and her family.

The fifteen-year old star is pictured draped in a blanket in sensual, topless pose on the magazine’s cover, an image that caused a revolt by parents objecting to the perceived sexualization of the underage singer/actress.

Women out-paced men at the movie box office for the weekend ending April 27, as "Baby Mama" took the top spot at the box office over "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay."

"Baby Mama," the comedy about surrogate motherhood starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, took in $18.3 million, according to box office sources. Second-place "Harold & Kumar" generated about $14.6 million, almost $2 million more than most analysts predicted, but still almost $4 million short of the Fey/Poehler vehicle.

Seeking to further capitalize on the wildly popular “Hannah Montana” franchise, Disney Book Group announced Thursday that it has acquired world rights to the first ever book from the show’s star, Miley Cyrus. The book will cover Cyrus' roots in Tennessee to her record-setting triumphs in TV, music and film and will reveal how her grounded relationship with her family, especially her mother Leticia, helps her navigate the spotlight and encourages her to contribute and connect to the world in a variety of ways and grow up well-rounded.

Throughout much of 2007, Cyrus, Disney, promoter AEG Live, ticket brokers, venue operators and others were in the crosshairs of a media controversy surrounding hugely successful Hannah Montana concert tour because tickets to many of the shows were hard to come by or being resold for huge sums. Angry parents filed lawsuits and government officials launched investigations, leading to several states seeking to change their laws relating to event ticketing.

Two comedies fought it out at the movie box office for the weekend ending April 20, but in the end the martial arts spoof “Forbidden Kingdom” edged the Judd Apatow-produced comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” at theaters. The fantasy-kung fu film, which paired Jackie Chan and Jet Li for the first time, took in $20.9 million, according to estimates released Monday on numerous online sites.

The “Forbidden Kingdom” plot involves a discovery made by a kung fu obsessed American teen which sends him on an adventure to China, where he joins up with a band of martial arts warriors in order to free the imprisoned “Monkey King.” The debut of “Forbidden Kingdom” was about $4 million more than expected, helping to push the movie past “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” which also beat projections with a $17.3 million haul. “Kingdom's victory came despite Apatow's popular raunchy style of comedy and a savvy ad blitz that included billboard-sized hate notes to Sarah Marshall that drew thousands to Universal Pictures' website,” USA Today reported.

A fear-inducing publicity stunt in theaters nationwide helped usher in success for the new film “Prom Night,” as the movie won the box office battle for the weekend ending April 13, according to USA Today and other film sources.

The slasher flick with a B-list cast vaulted to an estimated $22.7 million in its opening weekend after its distributor set-up cardboard ads, known as standees, in 120 theaters advertising the film. The standees, which looked like creepy mansions, invited moviegoers to step inside "for a night to die for." When they opened the doors they were greeted by a screaming, flailing usher from the theater’s staff. Teens took videos of the reactions, which quickly became a hit on YouTube. The stunt was set-up by Sony Pictures and its umbrella studio, Screen Gems, says USA Today’s Scott Bowles.

Audiences continued their love affair for the second straight week with the Dr. Seuss animated elephant movie “Horton Hears a Who!” for the weekend ending March 23, industry sources reported today. The film took in an estimated $25.1 million in its second week, generating a total of $86.5 million to date. Last week the Jim Carrey vehicle premiered as the fifth-largest G-rated opening ever.

Holding the next three top spots over the Easter weekend were all newly-released films. These include Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns” with $20 million; the horror film “Shutter,” which took in $10.7 million; and “Drillbit Taylor,” from some of the team responsible for last year’s hit “Superbad,” which came in a disappointing fourth place in $10.2 million. Rounding out the top five at the box office was the prehistoric adventure “10,000 B.C.,” which has grossed $76.1 since its premiere three weeks ago.

Sony’s gambling flick “21” held onto the number one spot at the box office for the weekend ending April 6, trumping two big newcomers in the running. The film starring Kevin Spacey and a cast of young actors took in an estimated $15.1 million from 2,653 locations.

Universal’s George Clooney-Renee Zellweger period comedy “Leatherheads” all but tied with 20th Century Fox’s family adventure-fantasy “Nim’s Island” for the number two spot. Directed by and starring Clooney, “Leatherheads” is a romantic comedy set in the early days of pro football. The film grossed an estimated $13.5 million, according to Variety.

The recession may be hitting some movie-goers hard in their wallets, compelling families to rent a $5 DVD and kick back at home. However some movie theater-owners are beginning to take advantage of the ever-present desire for exclusivity to start a new line of members-only and ultra-luxury movie houses where patrons will pay as much as $35 a ticket for such items as acoustically-superior sound quality, valet car parking, pandering waiter service and super-comfy seating.

Such cinemas as the ArcLight in Los Angeles and the new Gold Class Cinemas around Chicago are leading the pack in the new-concept theater experiences. Both chains offer wider seats, reserved seating, and upscale menus to their patrons.

The new Martin Scorcese-directed Rolling Stones concert film, "Shine A Light", will be released in a record 93 IMAX theaters domestically this Friday, April 4, simultaneously with the film's wide release in traditional theaters. The picture will also be released in IMAX theaters internationally during the days and weeks following the domestic launch. Countries include Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

"IMAX puts you right in the center of every action and every move - it's as if you are right there on stage with the band," Scorsese said in a statement. "I've always loved looking at IMAX, but to see these images of the Rolling Stones on the biggest canvas is something else all together." The movie was filmed, using 17 cinematographers, at the Beacon Theatre in New York in the fall of 2006 at a 60th birthday celebration of President Bill Clinton.

The math-whizzes-turned-gamblers film “21” was the top-earning movie at the box office for the weekend ending March 30, generating an estimated $23.7 million in its debut weekend. It set back “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” which had grabbed the top spot for the previous two weekend. The movie “21,” about a team of college math geniuses assembled by a professor played by Kevin Spacey to beat the Las Vegas blackjack tables, was released by Columbia Pictures.

“Horton” (20th Century Fox), in second place, grossed $17.4 million for a three-week total of $117.2 million, according to the box-office tracking company Media by Numbers. Third place went to the satirical “Superhero Movie,” which drew $9.5 million in its opening weekend. “Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns” (Lionsgate), last weekend’s second-ranking film, dropped to fourth place with $7.7 million its second week, followed by another comedy, “Drillbit Taylor” (Paramount), with $5.8 million in its second week.

Many people dream of mingling with the stars at the annual Oscar Awards ceremony in Hollywood, but at what price? Now, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is suing two ticket brokers for trying to make those dreams come true for people who could pay as much as $85,000 for an unauthorized ticket to the Oscars last month.

The Academy filed suit in Los Angles Superior Court last week against Red Baron Records and Millionaire’s Concierge Inc., two companies they allege sold Oscar tickets without authorization. A ticket to the Academy Awards Ceremony is a coveted commodity granted only to members of the innermost Hollywood circle. The suit seeks an unspecified amount in damages.

Audiences this weekend proved they still love G-rated films, as the animated “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” took the Number One spot at the box office for the weekend ending March 16 with an estimated draw of $45.1 million, entertainment sources reported today. The opening was the fifth-largest G-rated opening ever; “Finding Nemo” holds that top distinction, with an opening weekend of $70.2 million in 2003, according to the New York Times. “Horton,” is voiced by Jim Carrey, and the role has given the actor his biggest box office opening in almost five years. The film marks Carrey’s second collaboration with Dr. Seuss: he played the lead character in the “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” in 2000.

The prehistoric adventure tale “10,000 BC” (Warner Bros) swept the box office for the weekend ending March 9 with a whopping $35.7 million in ticket sales, according to film gross estimates released today. The film by blockbuster director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, Godzilla) depicts a group of early civilization dwellers struggling to survive, and the film generated more than twice the amount of any other film this weekend.

Coming in second was the Martin Lawrence comedy “College Road Trip” with $14 million. “Vantage Point,” in its third weekend, brought in $7.5 million, while last week's top film, the basketball spoof “Semi-Pro,” fumbled to the number four position with a $5.8 million score. The weekend's other widely released new film, “The Bank Job,” about a heist in 1970s London, opened with $5.7 million.

The Will Ferrell basketball spoof “Semi-Pro” (New Line) netted first place at the movie box office for the weekend ending March 2, but the R-rated comedy grossed an estimated $15.2 million, well short of its projections, according to estimates released today by box office trackers.

Compared to some of Ferrell’s recent comedies, the opening weekend for “Semi-Pro” was rather flat. For example, “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” grossed an impressive $47 million on its opening weekend in 2006, and last year’s “Blades of Glory” grossed $33 million in its first weekend. Both films went on to generate more than $100 million at the box office, but none of Ferrell’s comedies that grossed less than $30 million at the box office on opening weekend went on to gross $100 million, which does not portend a rosy financial future for Ferrell’s latest effort.

The political thriller “Vantage Point” took the top spot at the movie box office, for the weekend ended Feb. 24, with an estimated gross of $24 million for its studio Sony Pictures. Last weekend's three top grossing pictures, Jumper ($12.7 million), The Spiderwick Chronicles ($12.6 million) and Step Up 2 the Streets ($9.8 million), finished two through four over the weekend.

“Fool’s Gold” rounded out the top five with an estimated gross of $6.3 million. The 2007 crop of Best Picture nominees from Sunday’s Academy Awards has been more popular than the ones from 2006 and 2005, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. “Juno” grossed an estimated $4.1 million, and with a $130.4 million total-to-date, the Oscar-winning comedy (Best Original Screenplay) is on its way to becoming the highest grossing nominee in four years. “There Will Be Blood” took in $2.6 million and Oscar winner “No Country for Old Men” ranked 10th on the weekend’s estimated scale with a take of $2.3 million, bringing its total to $64.2 million.

The science fiction thriller “Jumper” vaulted to the head of the movie box office line for the weekend ended Feb. 17, taking first place with estimated gross revenues of $27.2 million, according to USA Today and other sources.

The membership of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) voted overwhelmingly Tuesday, Feb. 12, to end their 100-day strike, paving the way for TV and movie writers, and other entertainment workers, to return to work earlier today. Guild leaders notified some 10,500 writers who walked off the job on Nov. 5 by email of the resolution.