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Weekend Box Office Wrap Up: March 4th, 2012

Niall Browne — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 22:24:18 +0000

The Universal Pictures release The Lorax topped the box office over the weekend, grossing an astounding $70.7 million during its first three days.

The animated film (read our review), which features the vocal stylings of Zac Efron, Taylor Swift and Danny DeVito is based on the Dr. Seuss book. It has already recouped its $70 million production budget and it should continue to bring in strong grosses in the coming weeks. That’s the best start for a Dr. Seuss feature, besting The Grinch’s $55 million opening in 2000. That film had the added star power of Jim Carrey, and it went on to gross over $260 million domestically. It looks like all in involved will be counting their green (eggs and ham) in a boat, with a goat, in the rain, on a ...

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Weekend Box Office Wrap Up: February 26th, 2012

Niall Browne — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:24:26 +0000

The much hyped low budget actioner Act of Valor won the weekend, grossing an impressive $24.7 million at the box office. The Navy SEALs film (read our review), which was directed by Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh, uses real SEALs as the stars with support coming from Roselyn Sanchez.

It’s difficult to compare this movie to other action films due to the unique marketing point, but it has beaten the total gross of Oscar winner The Hurt Locker, which topped out at just $17 million. Distributor Relatively paid $12 million for Act of Valor and pulled out all the stops, using more than the $30 million that they guaranteed in the purchase for prints and advertising commitment.

Tyler Perry’s latest effort Good Deeds should brought in an estimated $16 million from Friday ...

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Weekend Box Office Wrap Up: February 19th, 2012

Niall Browne — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:44:11 +0000

Just like last weekend, another close battle was waged at the box office, and this time Denzel Washington has come out on top. The Oscar winner’s latest foray into the action genre, Safe House should gross an estimated $24 million over the three days – giving it $78 million total. That’s a great number for the film, which will cross the $100 million mark and make it one of Washington’s highest grossing efforts. It’s even better news for co-star Ryan Reynolds, who needed to anchor a hit following the one-two punch combo that was Green Lantern and The Change-Up.

Hit romantic drama The Vow is also continuing to do well, grossing another $23.6 million and upping its cume to $85.5 million, a great gross for the $30 million film.

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New ‘Spirit of Vengeance’ Featurette & ‘Ghost Rider 3′ Talk

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:44:41 +0000

The return of demonically-cursed Nicolas Cage is upon us, as Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance hits theaters later this week. Sony has gone all-out marketing the comic book movie sequel, having released TV spots and clips aplenty, in the hopes that fans will not only shell out cash to see this flick on the big screen – but also, turn out in large enough numbers for the studio to justify greenlighting Ghost Rider 3 in the near future.

We have yet another Spirit of Vengeance featurette (complete with not-yet-glimpsed footage) available for viewing today, along with confirmation from directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor that there’s already been serious discussion about them (and Cage) returning for GR 3.

Spirit of Vengeance picks up with Cage as ex-stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze several years after the ...

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‘Ghost Rider 2′ Clips: Demonic Demolition Work & Monks on Wheels

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:56:04 +0000

Expectations have never been high, when it concerns Crank helmers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor’s ability to create an especially captivating take on the Ghost Rider mythology in this month’s sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Early word is that the film doesn’t exactly offer much, as far as richly-realized character and plot development goes – but that it does deliver the goods where bombastic action set pieces and nonstop thrills are concerned.

Heck, going by the previous Spirit of Vengeance TV spots and featurettes released – along with the handful of new clips we have for you to watch today – it’s easy to forget that this followup DOES actually have a plot; one that could set the stage for a welcome change-up in casting for future Ghost Rider installments, no less.

Here’s the ...

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‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ Image Gallery

Sandy Schaefer — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:22:54 +0000

Sony is in the midst of its marketing blitz for the comic book sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance – with multiple TV spots and featurettes having been released, in the hope of heightening anticipation for Nicolas Cage’s second round as the super-powered motorcyclist clad in (often, melted) black leather, Johnny Blaze.

You can check out more than a dozen images from the film by scrolling through the gallery above – or, continue on for more information (and early analysis) of the movie, along with higher-defintion versions of the above pics.

Spirit of Vengeance revolves around an older, wiser, and more subdued Johnny (Cage), who has been living in self-imposed exile in Romania, while he attempts to rid himself of the Ghost Rider curse. A mysterious warrior monk named Moreau (Idris Elba) says that if Johnny agrees to protect a young boy named Danny Ketch (Fergus Riordan) and his ...

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‘Ghost Rider 2′ and ‘Wrath of the Titans’ TV Spots

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:13:27 +0000

“Bigger, badder, and more badass” is the mantra for two action-packed, post-converted 3D blockbuster sequels due to hit theaters in the first quarter of 2012 – namely, the superhero comic book movie, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, and the mythological fantasy adventure, Wrath of the Titans. Both of these flicks are also followups to films that did great business at the box office, despite being almost universally derided critically.

Today, we have a handful of new TV spots for both titles, available for you viewing pleasure – and to help you decide whether or not they look to pack enough genuine gritty bang for your hard-earned buck.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Crank filmmaking team Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor took over directorial duties from Ghost Rider helmer Mark Steven Johnson on the ...

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‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ Featurette: Crazy Filmmaking Stunts

Sandy Schaefer — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:04:57 +0000

Despite early reviews indicating that directing duo Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor haven’t made the most inspired of comic book movies with Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, no one denies the pair’s sheer gusto when it comes to using guerrilla filmmaking tactics, and their willingness to do severe bodily harm to themselves (and their crew), all in the name of creating some breathtakingly in-your-face camera angles and shots.

Footage of the pair’s “extreme” approach to the art of cinema was shown off last year, at the 2011 New York Comic-Con. Today, we have a featurette that includes much of that behind-the-scenes material, with Neveldine and Taylor hanging on wires, rollerblading while hanging onto motorcycles moving at full speed, and literally putting themselves in the line of fire as they shoot the Ghost Rider sequel.

Have ...

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5 Big Questions for Movie Geeks in 2012

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:23:53 +0000

The year 2012 is a pivotal one – and not just because of that whole ‘world coming to an end’ business.

Sure, in one sense the movies of 2012 will be a smattering of the usual varieties, in the usual genres, encompassing the usual range of quality. However, within that spectrum of cinematic potential, there are some definite matters of interest amongst hardcore movie geeks that will be addressed or proven within the next calendar year.

We’d like to offer 5 questions we think movie geeks should be keeping in mind as they view their most anticipated films and watch the debates unfold – all while the box office profits get tallied, and the future of the movie biz is once again charted.

5 ...

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‘Ghost Rider 2′ Trailer: Explosive Action & Supernatural Mayhem

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:29:56 +0000

A collection of movie bloggers and cinephiles have gotten the first look at the Marvel Knight comic book sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance – and, judging by their responses, the preliminary consensus is not good.

Today, we have the full-length Spirit of Vengeance trailer available for viewing – and while it seems to confirm one of the recurring criticisms so far (namely, that the film’s story is kind of boring and predictable) there’s plenty of high-octane action, explosions, and sick CGI supernatural effects to at least make this theatrical promo an entertaining watch.

Spirit of Vengeance catches up with biker/demonic warrior Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) as he leads a loner’s life in the remote regions of Eastern Europe, unable to control his deadly curse as the devil’s bounty hunter. However, a chance at redemption presents ...

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New ‘Ghost Rider 2′ Poster & Early Reactions

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:39:35 +0000

Sony’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance has been earning some decent buzz of late, thanks to a fairly well-received official teaser trailer, a good showing at the 2011 New York Comic-Con, and a circulating collection of unofficial one-sheets that stylishly recreate some of the more memorable imagery on display in the film’s initial theatrical promo (ex. Johnny Blaze spewing a flaming wave of bullets).

Today, we have a new official poster for the Ghost Rider sequel, along with some reactions from those who got an early look at the flick recently – while attending Harry Knowles’ annual “Butt-Numb-A-Thon” screening event.

Here is an official synopsis for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance:

Johnny (Nicolas Cage) – still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter – is hiding out in a remote part ...

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‘Ghost Rider 2′ Posters: Screaming Skulls Spit Bullets & Catch Fire

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:06:32 +0000

Nicolas Cage may be reprising his role as Johnny Blaze in the upcoming Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, but otherwise the Marvel comic book superhero is getting a complete makeover in the sequel.

Early footage shown at the 2011 New York Comic-Con and in the Spirit of Vengeance trailer painted the flick as being a far cry from director Mark Steven Johnson’s generally-disliked 2007 Ghost Rider movie. The sequel not only looks to feature some hyper-stylized cinematography and action sequences (courtesy of Crank directing duo Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor); it also appears to have fully embraced the gritty and supernatural horror roots of the eponymous character.

It shouldn’t be too long until a full-length theatrical preview for Spirit of Vengeance is unleashed, given the film’s approaching release date. However, in the meantime, we have something else for your viewing pleasure: four new (unofficial) posters that do a nice ...

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: July 10, 2011

Niall Browne — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:57:33 +0000

This week: Transformers 3 holds steady at the top of the box office, while Horrible Bosses grosses an impressive $28 million to take the runner-up spot; Ghost Rider meets The Masters of the Web at Comic Con; Kang, Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Slater and McCallany join Stallone for Headshot; will Mel Gibson be in Mad Max 4 after all? Johnny Depp gets closer to Pirates of the Caribbean 5 as he makes $350 million from the Disney franchise!

Transformers: Dark of the Moon topped the box office on its second week of release. The Michael Bay directed action extravaganza grossed an estimated $47 million over the weekend to raise its total cume to $261 million, making it the highest grossing film of the year, so far. The Shia LaBeouf starring/CGI-fest dipped in the region of 54% from last weekend – a decent hold from its debut. The film is now closing in ...

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‘Ghost Rider 2′ Will Feature Blackout as a Villain

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:12:52 +0000

Our good friend John Campea over at AMC was at the red carpet premiere of the new movie Bradley Cooper / Robert De Niro flick Limitless awhile back (read our official review of the film HERE), and had a chance to interview some of the film’s stars, including actor Johnny Whitworth (3:10 to Yuma).

During the course of conversation, Whitworth revealed a pretty juicy bit of comic book movie news: he’ll be playing Ghost Rider villain Blackout in the upcoming superhero sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

Check out what Whitworth had to say about his role in the Ghost Rider sequel:

“I play the villain who, at the beginning, up until like page 70, is human…I’m not a very nice guy. I’m bad. I get turned into, ...

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‘Ghost Rider 2′ Director Says the Comics Never Made Sense to Him

Chris Schrader — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:09:59 +0000

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance will be the second attempt at bringing Marvel’s renegade antihero to the big screen following a critically disappointing debut back in 2007. In an industry that’s currently woefully enamored with the term ‘reboot’, Spirit of Vengeance takes a somewhat unique approach by acknowledging its predecessor while simultaneously disassociating from it.

The modestly budgeted follow-up has a rather arduous uphill battle ahead of it, considering the first Ghost Rider‘s reputation – as well as star Nicolas Cage’s recent string of flops. Recognizing that the material needed to be approached in a different way was certainly a good place to start, but many fans are still waiting apprehensively to see if this entry will turn out to be a more accurate representation of the character.

Thanks to a collection ...

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Nicolas Cage Says ‘Ghost Rider 2′ Will Mess With Your Mind

Chris Schrader — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:57:11 +0000

The team behind Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance isn’t just burdened by all of the fanboy scrutiny that comes with a comic book movie adaptation, they’re also working against an intense level of skepticism thanks to the disappointing previous installment.

Despite Nicolas Cage reprising the role of Johnny Blaze, Ghost Rider 2 is a brand new ball game with new characters, a new setting, and new directors (Crank‘s Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor) calling the shots. Evidently, no one is more excited about this new approach than Cage himself.

While promoting the long-delayed Season of the Witch, Cage spoke with various media outlets and expressed his delight over how Ghost Rider 2 is coming together. Production recently began in Romania and Cage confirms to i09 that it’s a brand new experience – ...

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‘Ghost Rider 2′ Set Photos & Video Show Blaze’s New Motorcycle [Updated]

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:29:45 +0000

[Update: Check out New Pictures of Nic Cage riding his bike on set.]

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance has started production over in Romania, and today the first set images and an accompanying video have made their way online, landing over on the Marvel Movies Facebook page.

The videos show star Nic Cage on set, while the video shows a driving sequence (or test sequence) being filmed. Oh, there’s also one important thing to note: the images also give us a first look at Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider’s new motorcycle!

For those who don’t yet know, Ghost Rider 2 is supposedly set several years after the first film and finds Johnny Blaze in self-imposed exile (hence, Romania). Blaze has become a tortured soul who ...

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‘Ghost Rider 2′ Cuts Costs with Reduced Budget

Chris Schrader — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:49:36 +0000

Despite its questionable amalgamation of origin stories and lackluster plot, the original Ghost Rider turned enough of a profit to warrant a sequel. However, it seems like those involved with Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance are making a genuine effort to appease fans and atone for the sins of the first film.

The script by David Goyer centers around Johnny Blaze’s (Nic Cage) efforts to protect a mother and son from a demonic entity called Roarke and Cage claims that Ghost Rider 2 feels like “less of a Western, and more of an international story“.

The film – which co-stars Idris Elba, Johnny Whitworth, and possibly Christopher Lambert – has received its official greenlight and will begin shooting in Romania any day now. The low cost of production in that country is certainly appealing to studios, ...

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Ghost Rider 2 Shoots in 3D This Fall

Rob Keyes — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:20:25 +0000

The sequel to 2007′s Ghost Rider will begin production this Fall and will be shot in 3D. The Nicholas Cage comic book flick debuted to awful reviews and will be getting a quasi-reboot of sorts while still remaining a sequel as well as new directors in the form of Crank’s Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor.

Ghost Rider 2′s official title is Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, intentionally dropping the number from its name. While there was talk of Cage returning for the sequel for years, it wasn’t confirmed by him officially until he said so himself on The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson last month.

The report originates from the Romanian news site HotNews.ro who explain that this will be the first major production shot in ...

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Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance?

Rob Keyes — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:22:35 +0000

Nearly a year ago it was confirmed that Columbia pictures was in the process of signing writers to pen the sequel to the terribly disappointing Ghost Rider and that Nicolas Cage was set to return of Johnny Blaze. Months later, Cage shared his idea for Ghost Rider 2, revealing that it should be reboot of sorts. Well, not really a reboot but a different direction for the franchise.

I suppose it didn’t matter, any direction would be better. We also knew that they would be going with an updated version of an older script that David Goyer wrote back in 2001.

Yesterday, Collider reported some details from an exclusive chat with producer Mike De Luca where they talked a lot on the subject of Ghost Rider ...

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