Thompson on Hollywood

Why Lionsgate Picked 'Water for Elephants' Director Francis Lawrence for 'Hunger Games'

News

If Lionsgate goes with Francis Lawrence to replace Gary Ross for 'Hunger Games' sequel "Catching Fire," it's because he was the best they could get. The reason why Ross left "The Hunger Games" is that any director wants to know going into a movie that they will come out ahead. That was impossible, he figured, due to a combinaton of factors...

By Anne Thompson
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April 19, 2012 9:46 PM
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Behind the Lionsgate/Ross Breakup on the "The Hunger Games" Sequel

News

It's deja vu all over again. The director that established the first installment of a franchise is moving on. On April 6, The Playlist scooped the news that Gary Ross would leave "The Hunger Games" trilogy, and would not direct the "Catching Fire" sequel.

By Anne Thompson
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April 11, 2012 1:44 PM
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'Angels of Death' Next Up for UK's 'The Woman in Black' Series

News

Daniel Radcliffe's "The Woman in Black" will continue with "The Woman in Black: Angels of Death," which Hammer Films, Alliance Films and Cross Creek Pictures say is not a sequel but the next installment in a series. The first installment went on to be the highest-grossing British horror film in the past twenty years. "Angels of Death" picks up forty years later with author Susan Hill's original story; Jon Croker is developing the screenplay. Hammer Films calls the project "a wonderful new tale every bit as atmospheric and terrifying as its predecessor 'The Woman in Black.'” While "Angels" is a continuation (see synopsis below), Radcliffe and director James Watkins are not currently attached to the project.

By Sophia Savage
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April 3, 2012 5:34 PM
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By The Beard of Zeus! Will Ferrell Tells Conan 'Anchorman 2' is Greenlit at Paramount (Video)

News

Rejoice, "Anchorman 2" is coming. Paramount is partnering with Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions and Judd Apatow for a sequel to the beloved 2004 original (DreamWorks; $89 million worldwide). The 2004 comedy is arguably the most quoted film of the last decade.

By Sophia Savage
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March 29, 2012 1:44 PM
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'Waiting to Exhale' Moves Ahead Sans Whitney Houston: 'In Her Honor'

News

The "Waiting to Exhale" sequel is going forward, despite Whitney Houston's sudden death. "I don’t think she would want it to [perish]," said Fox 2000 president Elizabeth Gabler (who just renewed her deal). Soldiering on with the project is "almost in her honor," she adds.

By Sophia Savage
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February 14, 2012 4:27 PM
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Trailer Watch: Jeremy Renner Takes Over in Tony Gilroy's 'The Bourne Legacy'

Video

I'm looking forward to "The Bourne Legacy" more than most studio sequels that have lost their signature director and star, as the "Bourne" series has. Why? Because even without Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon, this one still has DNA from screenwriter Tony Gilroy, who wrote the first three and now is running the show as writer-director. He's the smart cookie behind "Michael Clayton" and "Duplicity."

By Anne Thompson
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February 8, 2012 4:19 PM
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IN THE WORKS: Darabont's 'L.A. Noir' at TNT; AMC Moving Ahead with 'Goodfellas' Prequel Series

Television

Frank Darabont, writer-director of "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile," as well as AMC's "The Walking Dead" (from which he got fired), is putting together another TV series (and one that will compete with AMC, no less). John Bunton's "L.A. Noir: The Struggle For The Soul Of America's Most Seductive City," is the inspiration for the series, for which he'll write and direct the pilot for TNT. The show will be set in the 1940s and 50s, and will follow the clash between corrupt law enforcement and mobster Mickey Cohen's gang.

By Sophia Savage
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January 10, 2012 3:30 PM
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Year End Box Office Wrap 2011: Attendance Down, Top Ten Grossers and Studio Market Shares

Box Office

With nine titles ranked among the top 25-highest grossing films of the year, it's no surprise that Paramount won the North American market share race in 2011 with nearly $2 billion in its coffers. box office and attendance for 2011 overall were down some 3% and 4%, respectively, from 2010.

By Brian Fuson
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January 3, 2012 4:27 PM
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Box Office Update: 'Mission Impossible' and 'Sherlock Holmes' Sequels Top New Year's Weekend

Box Office

With the four-day New Year's Weekend grosses tallied, Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” and Warner Bros.’ “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” continued to stake the top two spots.

By Brian Fuson
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January 2, 2012 4:25 PM
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Paramount Boasts Top Domestic and Global Market Share with Record $5.17 Billion Worldwide Gross

Box Office

As expected, with all the grosses tallied for 2011, Paramount came out on top, outpacing all studio rivals with a worldwide box office total of $5.17 billion.