Thompson on Hollywood

Watch: Paul McCartney's Short 'My Valentine' Stars Portman & Depp; Screening with 'The Intouchables'

Video

Paul McCartney's debut short film (aka music video), "My Valentine," stars Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman and will screen in front of all showings of the Weinsteins' "The Intouchables," which opens this weekend.

By Sophia Savage
|
May 25, 2012 11:49 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Career Watch: The Commodification of Johnny Depp

Features

Johnny Depp's career has been set on cruise control for years, and it's worked splendidly. He's Hollywood's highest-paid actor along with Will Smith, received not one but two Golden Globe nominations in 2011 (for two of his worst films) and is happy getting paid stupid amounts of money even though he agrees it's ridiculous and does not find it stimulating.

By Sophia Savage
|
May 14, 2012 4:12 PM
|
7 Comments

More:

Burton and Depp's 'Dark Shadows': Review Round-Up

Reviews

Warner Bros.' trailer for Tim Burton's eighth collaboration with Johnny Depp, "Dark Shadows," had me salivating for a witty 70s romp at the movies. And the movie looks and sounds great, with a witty Danny Elfman 70s score and a strong cast. So why is the film such an enervating disappointment?

By Anne Thompson
|
May 9, 2012 11:11 AM
|
2 Comments

More:

All Six Major Studios Hype Summer Slates at CinemaCon 2012: Warner Bros. Hawks 'The Dark Knight Rises,' 'Dark Shadows'

Box Office

It's often like pulling teeth to get the Hollywood studios to invest the big bucks to put on a dog-and-pony show with stars and clip-reels for the annual National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) convention in Las Vegas.

By Anne Thompson
|
March 27, 2012 1:43 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Keeping Up With the Collins': Nine Character Posters from Tim Burton's 'Dark Shadows'

News

What else to expect? The character posters from Tim Burton's upcoming "Dark Shadows" are pale, garish, gothic, and packed with attitude. In an era when advance marketing gets started earlier than ever, with less than a month before the May 11th release, Warner Bros. finally debuted their campy first trailer last week...

By Maggie Lange
|
March 21, 2012 12:00 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Trailer Watch: Tim Burton's 'Dark Shadows' Offers Kooky, Soapy '70s Fun

News

Less than two months before its May 11 release date, Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows" finally has its first official trailer.

By Beth Hanna
|
March 16, 2012 3:16 PM
|
1 Comment

More:

Complete TV Classic 'Dark Shadows' Available for the First Time; Burton Film Photos

News

For the first time ever, you can get all your "Dark Shadows" in one place. A collection of 131 DVDs will contain every single episode, an intimidating 1,225 shows. For a pretty penny-- $600--you can watch every second of this gothic daytime family saga. Tim Burton's film inspiration of the show hits theaters in May 2012.

By Maggie Lange
|
March 9, 2012 4:45 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

'Rango' Oscar-Winner Verbinski Starts Production on 'Lone Ranger,' Starring Depp as Tonto; Red Carpet Verbinski Video

News

At long last, Disney has started principal photography in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado on producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s epic "Lone Ranger" (May 13, 2013). In the wake of the disappointing "Cowboys & Aliens," Disney chief Rich Ross tussled with Bruckheimer, Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp to bring down the western's budget to $215 million.

By Anne Thompson
|
February 28, 2012 3:25 PM
|
1 Comment

More:

IMDb Releases Top 10 of the Last 10 Years Lists

News

In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of its IMDBPro service, IMDb has released several "Top 10 of the Last 10 Years" lists, compiled from data collected by the site through the last decade.

By Jacob Combs
|
January 27, 2012 1:28 PM
|
8 Comments

More:

Why Berneys Left FilmDistrict; What’s Next?

The Rum Diary

As New York indie distributor Bob Berney leaves FilmDistrict, which is consolidating operations in Los Angeles, he and marketing chief Jeanne Berney will be able to do what they should have done all along. Go into business for themselves. Why manage egos, seek credit and deal with others’ production choices and cozy relationships when you should be your own boss? Let the Berneys run with their own taste and judgement.

With their track record and relationships—at FilmDistrict alone they delivered decent numbers for horror flick Insidious ($54 million domestic), producer Guillermo del Toro’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark ($24 million) and Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive ($34 million)—they should be able to raise money now. “We’re really proud of the success of our initial four films and working with these filmmakers,” Berney told me. “They do stack up against any other independent company that’s ever opened.” (He’s referring to the $116 million gross out of the gate through October 30 for FilmDistrict’s first four films vs. the same period at Overture, Weinstein Co., Relativity and even Summit (before it scored big with Twilight).