Thompson on Hollywood

MPAA Fights Cantor Exchange

It does not surprise me that the MPAA is protesting Cantor Fitzgerald's launch of a Hollywood futures market, the Cantor Exchange.

By Anne Thompson
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March 24, 2010 11:55 AM
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Weekend Box Office: Alice in Wonderland, Wimpy Kid Ride Spring Break Swells

TOH's box office analyst Anthony D'Alessandro reports on the weekend returns (box office chart on the jump), which benefited from kids on spring break.

By Anthony D'Alessandro
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March 21, 2010 4:16 AM
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Weekend Preview: Pattinson vs. Damon in Melodramatic Remember Me and Political Green Zone

Heading into its second weekend, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland will continue to score big numbers. According to Flixster, the Tim Burton fantasy (which has a Tomatoscore of 52%) is pacing about five times ahead of this week’s new releases. That's not hard, because none of the newcomers are crossing over from their target demo. (Trailers are on the jump.) UPDATE: Box office watchers can now place bets on their predictions.

By Anne Thompson
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March 11, 2010 2:21 AM
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Oscar Box Office Bump? Nope. Except for Crazy Heart and An Education

TOH box office analyst Anthony D'Alessandro lays out which films--if any--got a bump from this year's expanded Oscar derby.

By Anthony D'Alessandro
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March 8, 2010 7:46 AM
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Weekend Box Office: Alice in Wonderland Beats Spider-Man and Iron Man Openings

In his first TOH Sunday domestic/international box-office report, ex-Variety numbers analyst Anthony D'Alessandro checks in with the studios behind this weekend's b.o. juggernaut, led by Disney's Alice in Wonderland---which proves yet again why studio marketers keep chasing the perfect match: branded family title + proven visual master + global movie star=blockbuster.

By Anthony D'Alessandro
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March 7, 2010 6:07 AM
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Avatar to Lose 3-D and IMAX Screens, Still Breaks Records

We all know that Avatar has broken all box office records, unseating former king of the world Titanic. The James Cameron sci-fi epic holds the record for domestic ($690 million) and worldwide ($2.5 billion) gross.

By Anne Thompson
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February 25, 2010 1:55 AM
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Weekend B.O.: In Seventh Week, Avatar Beats Edge of Darkness

At the weekend box office, Avatar grossed another $30-million, beating all comers for the 7th weekend in a row, including Mel Gibson's return to the screen in thriller Edge of Darkness, which despite earning mixed reviews scored $17 million. Avatar only needs a little more than $6 million to overtake Titanic as top domestic b.o.-grosser, and should do so by mid-week. Patrick Goldstein puts Avatar's grosses in perspective, adjusting for inflation. Another question: does Avatar's rolling b.o. success help or hurt with Oscar voters?

By Anne Thompson
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January 31, 2010 6:52 AM
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#Sundance: Aamir Khan Talks 3 Idiots, May Release Peepli Live Himself

How strange that I should land my first interview with my favorite Bollywood star, Aamir Khan, at Sundance. That's because he came to town as the producer of an indie political satire, Peepli Live, which is the first film from India to be accepted at Sundance-- in the world cinema competition. Khan read the script from rookie director Anusha Rizvi and agreed to back it. She cast the film largely with unknowns, including theater actor Omkar Das Manikpuri. (Here's a review from The Hollywood Reporter.)

By Anne Thompson
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January 30, 2010 3:47 AM
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Avatar Heads Toward Titanic Record

Avatar has grossed $429 million domestically, which means that it only needs to gross $172 million to pass Titanic as the top-grossing film of all time. “That's a steep climb," states MovieTickets.com Executive Vice President Walt Borchers, "but with the volume of ticket buying we've seen on our site over the past month, there is a very good chance that it could, in fact, break Titanic's record."

By Anne Thompson
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January 13, 2010 9:34 AM
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Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Expands

After a successful platform launch in four theaters, Sony Pictures Classics will expand The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus to about 400 theaters on January 8. Not sure how many moviegoers will be wooed by this TV spot. Most likely the film, Heath Ledger's last, will sell well when it is released on DVD, when the movie's devoted fan site will be included in the extras.