Two competing films doing a 'Die Hard' in the White House

Die Hard had such a good premise, it's been copied countless times by Hollywood. In 1994, Speed added motion to the equation with its "Die Hard on a bus," and yet another series of films was spawned, with all manner of moving vehicles, including subways, trains, and Air Force One, becoming the sites for hostage situations. Although the 1997 Harrison Ford action film has already placed the President in a hostage situation, Hollywood appears anxious to put our nation's leader in jeopardy again. Now two Hollywood projects plan to inject the Die Hard premise into the White House.

NuImage/Millennium Entertainment is at work putting together Olympus Has Fallen. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) may direct the project, and Gerard Butler is already attached to star as a secret service agent who must prevent a terrorist attack on the White House. The production company acquired the script from newbie writers Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt just months ago. With a competing film in the pipeline, the company hopes to begin production in June.

White House Down, from Columbia, has Roland Emmerich (who already destroyed the White House in Independence Day) in talks to direct, and a script from hot screenwriter James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, as well as upcoming projects RoboCop, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Total Recall). Columbia paid $3 million for the script. It may not have the edge on time, but the studio has a proven screenwriter and a weighty financial commitment, indicating they are unlikely to back down if Olympus beats them to the punch.

In Hollywood, having two projects with a similar premise is the norm. If you don't have a good idea, why not steal it? Of the many similar movies that have ended up releasing, I often wonder if the better film was the original, or the one that started as a copycat. That's something only a few insiders will ever know. If two projects that are too similar move forward, though, often one ends up dropping out. That's what happened to the two competing Three Musketeers projects--only Summit's version went forward. Given that Columbia bought the script for White House Down while Olympus was already in the works--and prepping to shoot--indicates that no one is going to drop out in this game of Die Hard in the White House chicken.

Disney lands Tom Hanks for Mary Poppins film 'Saving Mr. Banks'

Tom Hanks may star as Walt Disney himself in Saving Mr. Banks. The Disney-produced film (of course) would chronicle Disney's fourteen-year effort to acquire the film rights to Mary Poppins from its Australian author, P.L. Travers. Emma Thompson would play Travers, who apparently was so unhappy with the film's animated sequences, she never sold another one of her works to the studio. I'm not sure how Disney will fit that tidbit in.

The project makes sense in regards to Disney's overall strategy, which is to focus on projects that can be leveraged across all of its different areas of business. The movie could spur people to revisit Mary Poppins (both the 1964 movie and Disney’s Broadway stage production) and buy a copy of the film for their kids, nieces and nephews, etc. However, it's also eyebrow-raising to see that Disney is turning the camera lens on itself. The company is notoriously protective of its brand. Could an accurate portrayal of the relationship between Travers and Disney be compromised by Disney's need to maintain a positive image? Or will it go the friendly King's Speech route, where the worst we saw of the royal family was a tepid take on the Prince Edward scandal and the stereotypical portrayal of uptight royals and customs?

One thing that concerns me about the project is its navel-gazing. Of course Hollywood people who read the script (and probably the critics that review the eventual film) will love seeing an insider portrayal of Hollywood. But will everyone else care? The Travers character might serve as the anti-Hollywood character, an outsider who takes Disney off his high horse. John Lee Hancock, who helmed The Blind Side, has signed on to direct, and that movie was a huge success with people in areas underserved by Hollywood films. Those two elements may broaden the appeal of the project. The screenwriter herself is something of an outsider. Kelly Marcel has few credits to her name, but she's Australian just like the children's author. I, too, never liked the animated sequences in Mary Poppins, so perhaps this film will deliver more than I would expect.

 

'Hunger Games' outshines 'American Reunion,' 'Titanic 3D'

The Hunger Games reigned at the box office for the third week. Over Passover/Easter weekend, the young-adult adaptation dipped just 43% for a total of $33.5 million. That was enough to push its domestic total past the $300 million mark, an impressive tally for the budding franchise. Director Gary Ross is currently in negotiations to work on the sequel, which has the added wrinkle of needing to work around star Jennifer Lawrence's commitment to the next X-Men film and make the sequel's release date. Catching Fire is currently planned for a Thanksgiving release next year.

Jim, Stifler, Finch, and Jim's Dad were back for American Reunion, which earned $21.5 million. Given the comedy's so-so reviews, its contrived (thirteen-year high school reunion?) nature, and the series' dilution through straight-to-DVD spin-offs, the debut was impressive. People still like these characters and the series' raunchy style of comedy. Maybe there will be a 20-year reunion film in the works.

Unlike many other 3D re-releases, Titanic 3D was not marketed as a limited engagement with a two or three-week run. Given that, its $17.3 million weekend total (and five-day total of $25 million) is pretty good, even if it came in on the low side of expectations. The figure was enough to push the movie past its reported $18 million conversion budget. Paramount is probably looking at the long game, too, since 3D televisions have created a home entertainment market for films that require glasses to watch.

Writer/director Whit Stillman's Damsels in Distress made a respectable debut with a $16,000 per-screen average in four locations. Italian import We Have a Pope, nicely timed to Sunday's religious holiday, came up with $10,000 per screen in three locations.

The specialty category had a number of movers and shakers. The Raid: Redemption jumped by 100% more last week as it expanded from 46 to 176 locations. The Indonesian action flick averaged $3,200 per screen for a total of $565,000. Jiro Dreams of Sushi expanded from 26 to 70 locations in its fifth week of release. The sushi-making documentary averaged $3,400 per screen, a 24% increase.

This Friday will see the release of the comedy The Three Stooges, the sci-fi actioner Lockout, and the horror flick Cabin in the Woods.

'American Reunion' and 'Titanic 3D' bring audiences back to the '90s

This weekend is full of throwbacks. American Reunion, the fourth film in the '90s franchise to have a theatrical release, will open in 3,191 theatres. The comedy's "main sentiment is that it’s tough to recapture your youthful abandon when you’re thirty-something, no matter how immature you might be," critic Kevin Lally reports, unimpressed with the movie as a whole. Because this weekend has Easter, Passover, and the beginning or end of Spring Break for many of those in school, an opening of $20-30 million is expected.

Fifteen years ago, Titanic was a megahit. Director James Cameron's movie returns in 3D with a 2,717-screen release, including at least some theatres showing the epic in its original 2D. The critical response to the 3D version has been generally positive. New York magazine film critic David Edelstein offers detailed analysis of the use of 3D, noting that "Cameron’s foregrounds are strong, his compositions multi-tiered, Russell Carpenter’s camerawork limpid." Certain scenes are transformed by the use of 3D. The movie released on Wednesday, and has earned $4.7 million to date. Over the weekend, it could pocket another $20 million or so as nostalgia-seekers and young audiences seek out the classic historical romance, which is something like the Gone with the Wind of our era.

If The Hunger Games drops by half, it will still end up with just under $30 million, so there is a chance the futuristic picture will top the box office, depending on the performance of Titanic 3D and American Reunion. PG-rated Mirror Mirror should hold strong given its family-friendly subject matter.

We the Party, a high school comedy with a "welter of clichés," according to FJI critic David Noh, and a predominantly black cast, will release in 59 theatres. Whit Stillman's latest, Damsels in Distress, a "droll, sophisticated take on the dopey college-comedy genre," according to our Doris Toumarkine, will also hit theatres.

On Monday, we'll see if audiences went back to Titanic and caught the 3D version, if American Reunion did as well as similar reunion comedy Grown Ups and captured a nostalgic, raunch-seeking audience, and if The Hunger Games continues to reign at the top of the box office.

Woody Allen moves in front of the camera for 'To Rome with Love'

Woody Allen has done well on the European continent. Last year's Midnight in Paris was Allen's most successful film in years, the indie hit of the summer. 2008 brought Vicky Cristina Barcelona, another highlight in the past decade or so of his work, at least in my opinion. Allen's never had two back-to-back hits in a row, but perhaps he could start with To Rome with Love, which is coming out June 22.

 

The movie features one of Allen's trademark ensemble casts. I took a few looks at the trailer to lay out the friendships and relationships.

• Woody Allen and Judy Davis are a couple.


• Allison Pill is Allen's daughter, who is dating an Italian boy (Flavio Parenti) Allen finds very inappropriate.


• Alec Baldwin is father to Jesse Eisenberg.


• Eisenberg is dating Greta Gerwig, whose friend Ellen Page is staying with them--and has the hots for Eisenberg.


• Penelope Cruz is a prostitute.


• Roberto Benigni (Life is Beautiful) plays a man who is suddenly, inexplicably famous.

The odds are against To Rome with Love being as good as Midnight in Paris, but the picture looks charming and has an age-diverse cast (without any accompanying May-December romances!) designed to bring in viewers young and old. Plus, his "postcard" films benefit from his treatment of cities as an character, making these movies appealing solely as a travelogue. With Allen, though, you can never tell about a film until you see it from start to finish.

Ashton Kutcher is the biggest name in the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic

Ashton Kutcher's star image couldn't be more different than Steve Jobs' persona. But the resemblance between a young Jobs and Kutcher is striking, which is perhaps why the "70's Show" and "Two and a Half Men" actor was cast in the indie biopic centering on the founder of Apple.

Besides Kutcher, the names don't have much prominence in the industry. Director Joshua Michael Stern has mostly worked in TV movies. I don't see any IMDB credits for writer Matt Whitely. Plus, the movie is being produced by Mark Hulme of the Five Star Institute, a mortgage company that is apparently branching out into film. Newbie producers and financers often get run over when they try to conquer Hollywood.

The indie is going the small and nimble route, with plans to film in May, once Kutcher is on hiatus from "Two and a Half Men." Meanwhile, Sony actually optioned rights to the authorized biography of Jobs by Walter Isaacson, which was published shortly after his death and became a bestseller.

The first film to release isn't always the best. These days, there are plenty of high-profile stars who end up in indies that languish at festivals or end up getting a theatrical run that's so short, it's basically straight-to-Netflix. Kutcher's ex, Demi Moore, was in one such (not so bad) film, The Joneses, herself not so long ago. Whenever I see these kinds of films as I browse through "Watch Instantly," I wonder how many people are fooled by the star into thinking this was some big-budget release they somehow missed.

This Steve Jobs biopic has a couple strikes against it, since it doesn't have the source material of the authorized bio (which has a few choice tidbits unlikely to be found anywhere else) and an inexperienced crew. Think of what a difference it made to have a script by Aaron Sorkin and direction from David Fincher in the Mark Zuckerberg-centered film The Social Network, a Sony production. No offense to Ashton Kutcher, but I may end up holding out for the Sony version.

'Hunger Games' outpaces 'Wrath,' 'Mirror Mirror'

Given that so many people were intent on seeing The Hunger Games the moment it came out, it's impressive that the popular literary adaptation only dropped 60% in its second weekend. $61.1 million is more than most movies can hope for their opening weekend, yet Hunger Games was able to follow up its impressive debut weekend with an uptick in attendance among one of the movie's more reluctant demographics--older males. This is a sure sign that the movie has broad appeal beyond its loyal fanbase. With $250 million already in the bank, this is Lionsgate's biggest hit yet. Combined with its merger/buyout of Summit, the two studios have the opportunity to grow from a mini-major to a major. This could be a moment people point to in the industry history books.

In second place, Wrath of the Titans debuted with $34.2 million, roughly in line with expectations. This action epic is all visual, with Greek gods and intricate battle sequences. So it's no wonder that the movie ruled the box office in non-English-speaking territories, while in English-speaking territories The Hunger Games reigned supreme. As the global box office grows, there can only be more room for films like Wrath of the Titans.

Coming in right behind Wrath, Mirror Mirror opened with $19 million. Although the comedic fairy tale got mixed reviews, its PG rating should bring in families with kids on spring break. Wrath is also hoping to take advantage of the school holiday, with both films hoping to build momentum for strong weekday grosses.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and indie dramedy Jeff Who Lives at Home both expanded into around 500 theatres this weekend, but Salmon Fishing was the clear winner. It earned $1.2 million to the second film's $675,000, with double the per-screen average. The first film had strong appeal among older viewers, which may have given the romance-drama a word-of-mouth boost.

The Weinstein Co.'s outrage over Bully's R rating didn't drum up quite as much business as I would have expected. Playing in five theatres, the anti-bullying doc averaged $23,000 per screen. That's a healthy number, but still far shy of the $60,000+ per-screens posted by some films during awards season.

The Island President was also a hot-topic documentary, earning $15,600 per screen on two screens. Given that documentaries can sometimes be tough sells and this isn't peak season, both Bully and Island President may end up playing quite well over a longer run.

This Friday, a re-release of Titanic in 3D will target nostalgia-seekers and younger viewers, and American Reunion will revive the American Pie franchise.