Thompson on Hollywood

Weekend Box Office Top Ten: 'Argo' Sings, 'Cloud Atlas' Doesn't

Box Office

This pre-Halloween weekend, one Warner Bros. release soared to the top of the box office line-up on strong word of mouth. The other, with a C+ Cinemascore, could be sinking fast. "Cloud Atlas," their expensive epic from three major directors, failed to gross $10 million, a soft opening for this much-ballyhooed $100-million epic. But "Argo" climbed to #1, showing more strength in its third week than robust initial reaction indicated.

By Tom Brueggemann
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October 28, 2012 1:04 PM
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Top Ten Saturday Preview: 'Paranormal Activity' Leads Field; 'Argo' Holds Strong

Box Office

Led by Paramount's "Paranormal 4," Friday grosses are up from last week. And Ben Affleck can breathe easy: "Argo" (at #2) fell only 14%, and three other films fell one third or less: "Hotel Transylvania" (#5), "Here Comes the Boom" (#7) and "Pitch Perfect" (#8). This is a sign of good word of mouth and/or continued interest. The rankings may change in the final weekend tally.

By Tom Brueggemann
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October 20, 2012 4:02 PM
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Oscar Watch: 'Argo' Director Affleck & Editor Goldenberg Talk Reality vs. Comedy (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)

Interviews

"I maybe have matured," Affleck says of his pursuit of smart quality modest-budget movies--he calls $44-million Mideast thriller "Argo" "a labor of love"-- designed to stand the test of time like the 70s classics he reveres.

By Anne Thompson
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October 15, 2012 2:27 PM
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Friday Top Ten: 'Sinister' Starts Strong, 'Argo' and 'Seven Psychopaths' Build Buzz

Box Office

So far this weekend, the wealth is spread around several diverse films and grosses are down slightly from last Friday --which was bolstered by the hige operning of "Taken 2." By Sunday the order of the top films of the weekend should change. And the ultimate success of the most anticipated release -- Ben Affleck's "Argo" -- won't be known until longer into its run.

By Tom Brueggemann
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October 13, 2012 4:28 PM
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In the Works: Scott's 'Blade Runner' Sequel "happening," Affleck Returns to Lehane to 'Live by Night'

News

Ridley Scott will be reportedly revisiting "Blade Runner," while Ben Affleck is in talks to return to Lehane material.

By Beth Hanna
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October 12, 2012 1:15 PM
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Oscar Watch: Why Affleck's 'Argo' Hits the Zeitgeist, Early Reviews

Interviews

Ben Affleck has another hit due to arrive in theaters October 12. But "Argo," his third feature as director, will be even more commercially successful than 2007's "Gone Baby Gone" and 2012's "The Town," which earned Jeremy Renner a supporting actor nomination. That's because while Affleck understood that the film is timely--unrest in the Middle East has not dissipated since the true 1980 events depicted here--he could not have known that a mob assault on a U.S. consulate would make news headlines just as his film made its Toronto debut.

By Anne Thompson
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September 17, 2012 3:56 PM
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New Stills and TV Spot for Ben Affleck's Oscar-Bound Telluride Hit 'Argo'

Video

Buzz is building around Ben Affleck's "Argo," a thriller set in 1980 based on a "declassified true story" about a CIA mission-- with a Hollywood twist.

By Maggie Lange
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September 5, 2012 1:58 PM
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Telluride Fest Skips 'Master' and 'Silver Linings,' Adds Last-Minute 'Argo' and Eclectic Programming Delights

Festivals

The Telluride waiting game is over. It's fun to ferret out the films from various distributors and publicists and it's also fun to find out the real deal at the airport as the folks arrive at the gate for the LAX-Montrose shuttle.

By Anne Thompson
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August 31, 2012 7:00 AM
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In the Works: Casey Affleck Set to Write and Direct Story of Baseball Star Josh Hamilton's Fall and Rise

News

Casey Affleck is following his older brother Ben to the league of serious actors-turned-directors. Of course the Young Affleck also directed faux-documentary "I'm Still Here" with Joaquin Phoenix, but that counts more as a stunt than a directorial debut...

By Sophia Savage and Beth Hanna
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June 22, 2012 6:49 PM
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Career Update: George Clooney To Direct New Yorker Article-Turned-Movie, 'The Yankee Comandante'

News

George Clooney's career continues to flourish. No surprises there. Focus Features is in negotiations for the rights to David Grann's epic New Yorker article "The Yankee Comandante" (which only published on May 28), with Clooney attached to direct. He will also serve as a producer on the film, with his Smokehouse partner Grant Heslov.