Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: July 18, 2009

This week:

Harry Potter waves his wand and poof, grabs the No. 1 spot at the box office; Pierce Brosnan is The Hunter; get ready for Bridget Jones 3; Would-be Thor joins Lois Lane and Cyclops in Straw Dogs; Find out who Clifton Collins Jr is, and Sam Raimi talks Jack Ryan!

BOX OFFICE

Harry Potter cast another spell over the box office this weekend. The boy wizard should conjure up an impressive $160 million since his debut last Wednesday. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince looks to be another impressive money-spinner for Warner Bros., who delayed the film from its original November 2008 release after The Dark Knight hit big last summer. What’s more impressive is the popularity and quality of this franchise. Few film series make it to number six without losing box office or creative standards, but the Harry Potter films are keeping audiences happy. And with only two more on the way, it looks like fans will miss Harry and Co. once the spell book is closed in 2011.

Ice Age 3-D: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs froze the number two spot with a weekend take of around $17 million. With $152 million in the bank, this appears to be another franchise that’s keeping the customer satisfied.

Transformers 2 was three with another $13.5 million. The Michael Bay action film has now grossed $363 million.

Bruno died on its second weekend. The Sacha Baron Cohen comedy plummted a massive 80% with a weekend take of only $8 million. With just under $50 in the bank, it looks like the film will be profitable enough in theaters but will have to wait for DVD to really earn. To put things into perspective, The Hangover and The Proposal both took about the same as Bruno this weekend – and they’ve been out seven and five weeks respectively.

Johnny Depp’s Public Enemies grossed $7.5 million, with $79 million in loot so far, it’ll be a nail-biting final stretch to $100 million.

Pixar’s UP moved down the chart but still banked just over $3 million for a $279 million total, while My Sister’s Keeper and I love You Beth Cooper rounded out the top ten. Sister’s Keeper, The Cameron Diaz tear-jearker, has made a so so $41 million, while Heroes star Hayden Panettiere’s Beth Cooper stands at $10 million. Somebody with profit participation is hoping right now they hit big on DVD.

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Movie News

1. Former James Bond Pierce Brosnan continues to carve out an interesting career after signing on to The Hunter. The comedy-drama will be directed by actor Stanley Tucci, who also wrote the script.

“The Hunter, set amid the aristocracy of New York’s Upper Westchester County, is a coming-of-age story of a middle-aged man, played by Brosnan, who find himself desperately clinging to the vestiges of his once-charmed life and world.”

Julianne Moore and Patricia Clarkson will costar in the film, which Brosnan will also produce.

The Irish actor has a raft of movies on the way including The Greatest, The Ghost, Percy Jackson and Remember Me with Twilight’s Robert Pattinson.

Source: Variety

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2. While not the usual Screen Rant story, we don’t want to disappoint any fans of romantic comedies, so with open hands and heavy hearts we bring you news that a third Bridget Jones film is in development. Renee Zellweger is believed to be returning to her heaviest role yet.

The film would be based on creator Helen Fielding’s newspaper columns, which tracks Bridget in her 40’s trying to conceive.

For those worried about this new installment in the Jones franchise, you have only yourselves to blame. You should have went to see Zellwegger’s New In Town! (Do you even know what that is?)

Source: Variety

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3. Former Thor contender Alexander Skarsgard will join Lois Lane and Cyclops… er I mean, Kate Bosworth and James Marsden in Rod Lurie’s redo of Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs.

According to Variety:

“Marsden plays a Hollywood screenwriter who relocates with his wife to her hometown in Mississippi. Bosworth plays the wife, who left the South for LA. to become an actress and returns home so her husband can finish his script in quiet. Skarsgard plays her high school boyfriend, an ex-football hero who sees the return of his former girlfriend as a way to reclaim glory.”

Dustin Hoffman and Susan George starred in the controversial original.

Source: Variety

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4. If you don’t know the name Clifton Collins Jr, then you’ll surely know the face. The actor has starred in Star Trek, Crank: High Voltage and Capote. With Boondock Saints 2, Paul Scheuring’s The Experiment and Mike Judge’s Extract on the way it looks like you’ll finally be able to put a name to the face.

Check out a cool interview with the actor at Cinema Static.

Source: Cinema Static

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5. Last year the internet went crazy when it was reported that Sam Raimi was interested in directing a Jack Ryan film. The Spider-Man director went on to direct… Spider-Man 4 but the Tom Clancy character remained on Hollywood’s radar.
News recently surfaced that George Clooney was interested in following Alec Baldwin’s, Harrison Ford’s and Ben Affleck’s shoes (which I presume are different sizes – shoes that is).

Raimi spoke to Moviehole about his interest in the character:

“I was chasing ([t] because I love that character so much. I really wanted to treat him seriously and deliver a grade-A Tom Clancy thriller. But then they wanted to make Spider-Man 4, so I couldn’t make it. But I love those movies, I still have [them] on video-tape actually. I loved Baldwin and Harrison Ford. Those films are so consistently well-made – I liked them better than some of the James Bond movies”

Raimi went on to say that he’s currently working with the writer of Spider-Man 4 in order to get the film before cameras in February.

Source: Moviehole

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That’s it for now. See you at the movies!