Thompson on Hollywood

Kick-Ass Rides Buzz for OK Opening, Reveals Critics' Divide

Controversy sells, and Lionsgate rode a swell of debate over the R-rated superhero action comedy Kick-Ass to a robust box office lead on Friday, an estimated $7.5 million in 3,065 runs. It may or may not make the $20 million opening benchmark some predicted; Date Night could wind up number one. This is the sort of movie that is banking on a core fan following--the folks that responded enthusiastically to early footage at Comic-Con last year--but needs to widen its appeal in order to really score. Lionsgate only invested $15 million to acquire it plus some $25 million in marketing, so it should come out ahead.

By Anne Thompson
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April 17, 2010 5:04 AM
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You Don't Know Jack Trailer: Pacino, Sarandon, Goodman, Vaccaro, Huston

HBO is churning out movies that I want to see, including Barry Levinson's You Don't Know Jack: The Life and Deaths of Jack Kevorkian. Otherwise known as Dr. Death, Kevorkian went to jail on a murder charge for assisted suicide; he was released in 2007.

By Anne Thompson
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April 17, 2010 2:14 AM
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Na'vi Morphing Stations Coming to a Theater Near You

If you liked the way Ben Stiller looked at the Oscars or the online make yourself into a Na'vi promo, then get thee to a participating Avatar morphing station. (In L.A. it starts April 16 at The Grove.)

By Anne Thompson
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April 16, 2010 12:38 PM
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Movie Futures Exchange: Healthy Financing or Legalized Gambling?

Despite considerable opposition from the studios and their lobbying arm the MPAA, on Friday the Commodities Futures Trading Commission unanimously approved one of two box office futures exchanges. The question seems to be whether wagering on box office performance is a healthy way to raise film financing or a more sinister form of gambling that could lead to manipulation and abuse.

By Anne Thompson
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April 16, 2010 9:02 AM
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EXCLUSIVE: Red Flag Opens 8: The Mormon Proposition in Thirteen Markets Day-and-Date with VOD

New distributor-on-the-block Red Flag Releasing--led by two ex-Warner Independent execs, Paul Federbush and Laura Kim--is embracing both the digital future and the theatrical past with its first release, the controversial hot-button Sundance doc 8: The Mormon Proposition.

By Anne Thompson
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April 16, 2010 5:39 AM
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Tribeca: Gibney Brings Three Pics to Fest, Sells My Trip to Al-Qaeda to HBO

At a time when filmmakers the world over are struggling for funds and distribution outlets, a documentary filmmaker is doing well to sell his movie before it debuts at a fest like Tribeca. Now more than ever, as the breakout documentary hit is largely confined to the likes of pop culture entertainers Morgan Spurlock and Michael Moore, often the best sale to make is to HBO Documentary Films, which pays serious upfront dollars, throws you a premiere, and even markets your movie. That's more than most distributors are coughing up in this DIY era.

By Anne Thompson
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April 15, 2010 12:22 PM
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Netflix's Sarandos Talks Streaming, Recommendations, Set Top Boxes

Scott Kirsner, author of Fans, Friends and Followers and the Cinematech blog, recently interviewed Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos at his office in Beverly Hills for Kirsner's "CONVERSATION" series.

By Anne Thompson
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April 15, 2010 8:31 AM
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Survivor Universal Studios: Meyer vs. Zucker

Look for a full-bore game of survival at NBC Universal. What will happen when wily ex-CAA agency head Ron Meyer--who has successfully run Universal Pictures as president and COO through three owners over 15 years, the longest-serving studio chief in Hollywood today-- goes head-to-head with tough NBC Universal president and CEO Jeff Zucker? These two alpha males are not chums; it's likely that only one of them will survive the Comcast acquisition. Each one wants to win.