Daily Variety
The whole paper. Online.
Daily Variety
The whole paper. Online.
ShoWest started off Tuesday with the annual Honor Reel of films that made over $100 million, 28 last year, starring Peter Parker, Harry Potter and Jack Sparrow, among others, with two from the Judd Apatow comedy factory, several big FX and comics flicks, musicals (Enchanted, Hairspray, and Alvin and the Chipmunks), and big animation titles like Ratatouille (which stuck out amid all the other stuff as a Quality Film) and The Simpsons. (Every one of the $100-million-plus club had some digital playdates as well.) There were seven $200-million-plus pics, and four that grossed over $300 million.
While these films may have grossed a lot, they didn't all return pots of money, because some, like Evan Almighty and Blades of Glory, were very expensive. Rush Hour 3 ended up making up for its lackluster b.o. on DVD. I was also struck by how many movies appealed to adults as well as kids. (One Sony exec explained that the current Vantage Point did as well as it did by playing to the boomer crowd.)
And there are a few stars left in the Hollywood firmament, it seems: Depp, Cage (with two biggies), Willis and Smith among them, and in the comedy world, Carrell and Sandler.
300 reminded me that we should expect a rash of imitators to turn up soon.
I saw this trailer at Comic-Con and was unimpressed, even if Helen Mirren and Ed Harris do join Nic Cage and Jon Voight. It just looks so over-the-top preposterous.
Of course, the first movie made a global fortune, so this may score too. What do you think?
Variety.com deputy editor Anne Thompson writes a weekly Variety film column as well as this daily blog.
Read previous columns:
- U.S. short on tough guy actors: Filmmakers turn to U.K., Australia for action stars
- Independents change tactics: Stalled indies find new ways to pursue auds
- Universal's Langley supplied menu for Universal's boffo summer b.o.
- New role call for international films
- Comic-Con Finds Miller's 'Spirit'
- Indie sector keeping the faith
- Stars hit box office sweet spot: Will Smith among actors who have stayed hot
- Why 'Speed Racer' sputtered
- Picturehouse, DreamWorks eye future
- Specialty labels a balancing act
- Subtitled films seek to break mold
- Unfinished Cannes entries are risky
- Toback toe-to-toe with Tyson's tale
- Cannes welcomes Charlie Kaufman
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