Monday, 30 December 2013
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug Beaten By Frozen At US Box Office
China Box Office 2013: The Top 10 Movies
Tuesday, 24 December 2013
From 'After Earth' to 'The Lone Ranger': The Box
Monday, 16 December 2013
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug Storms To The Top Of The US Box Office ...
Monday, 9 December 2013
Frozen freezes Catching Fire out of US box office top slot
'Frozen' Heats Up the Box Office
NEW YORK | In its second weekend at the box office, the Disney animated tale "Frozen" finally cooled off "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," while the week's lone new wide release "Out of the Furnace" wasn't a match for either blockbuster.
According to studio estimates Sunday, "Frozen" led the multiplexes with a haul of $31.6 million over the weekend, taking over the top spot from "Catching Fire." Lionsgate's "Hunger Games" sequel had topped the box office for the last two weeks, but slid to second with $27 million in its third week of release.
Relativity Media's steel-town drama "Out of the Furnace," starring Christian Bale and Casey Affleck, posed no challenge for the bigger blockbuster holdovers. It opened with $5.3 million, good enough for third place on what's typically a quiet early December weekend, sandwiched between Thanksgiving and the coming holiday season releases.
But it was an excellent weekend for Hollywood, with total box office up 16.9 percent over the same weekend last year. Opening in a limited release of four theaters, the Coen brothers' folk tale "Inside Llewyn Davis" also had one of the year's highest per-theater averages of $100,500 for CBS Films.
With only a handful of moviegoing weeks left in the year, the strong weekend boosts the year's chances of exceeding 2012's record box office. This year may surpass last year's $10.8 billion domestic box office, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak.
"We're running just slightly ahead of last year's record pace," said Dergarabedian. "It's going to be really close."
Dergarabedian expects next week's big release, Warner Bros.' "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," to open in the neighborhood of Peter Jackson's first "Hobbit" film, "An Unexpected Journey," which debuted with $84.6 million last year. This weekend's new releases were minimal since "The Hobbit" is expected to dominate the marketplace next weekend.
Both "Frozen" and "Catching Fire" continued to show legs around the world. "Catching Fire" added $44.3 million internationally, bringing its global cumulative total to $673.4 million over four weeks. With many millions still to come, "Catching Fire" has already almost equaled the $691.2 million worldwide of the 2012 original.
"Frozen," too, has found strong business abroad. It added $30.6 million internationally over the weekend.
In its second week of limited release, the Weinstein Co.'s biopic "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," starring Idris Elba, continued to play in four theaters, earning an average of $19,400 per-theater. The Weinstein Co. has said it's not altering the movie's release following the death of South African leader Nelson Mandela on Thursday. "Mandela" opens wide on Christmas.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1." Frozen," $31.6 million ($30.6 million international).
2." The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," $27 million ($44.3 million international).
3." Out of the Furnace," $5.3 million.
4." Thor: The Dark World," $4.7 million ($5.4 million international).
5." Delivery Man," $3.8 million.
6." Homefront," $3.4 million.
7." The Book Thief," $2.7 million.
8." The Best Man Holiday," $2.7 million.
9." Philomena," $2.3 million.
10." Dallas Buyers Club," $1.5 million.
Frozen Heats Up Box Office, Knocks Catching Fire From Top Spot
Disney's animated hit Frozen has toppled Hunger Games: Catching Fire and claimed the top spot of the U.S. box office in its second week of release.
According to early estimates, Frozen took $31.6 million over the weekend, with the Hunger Games sequel slipping to second place with $27 million.
Catching Fire has still made over $300 million in three weeks of release. Frozen is closing in on the $100 million mark through two weeks in theaters.
The only new wide release was Out of the Furnace, which took $5.3 million. Marvel's Thor: The Dark World and Delivery Man rounded out the top five.
Despite opening in just four cinemas, the Coen brothers' latest, Inside Llewyn Davis, scored one of the year's highest per-cinema averages of $100,500.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom continued to play in four cinemas in its second week of limited release, averaging around $19,400 per cinema.
Producer Harvey Weinstein has said he will not alter the film's release date to take advantage of Nelson Mandela's death to boost sales for his biopic.
The film is due to be rolled out to about 850 cinemas on Christmas Day.
Here's the top five for a typically slow weekend in mid-December ...
Frozen ($31.6 million) Hunger Games: Catching Fire ($27 million) Out of the Furnace ($5.3 million) Thor: The Dark World ($4.7 million) Delivery Man ($3.8 million)
Frozen Sneaks Past Catching Fire To Top The US Box Office
It's good news for Disney as it's one of the best holds following Thanksgiving ever and suggests the movie will continue to do well going into Christmas.
The only new entry on the chart was the Christian Bale starrer Out Of The Furnace, which may have placed third, but still tanked pretty badly taking just $5.3 million. Some had thought the movie might be an awards contender, but it's unlikely it'll be in the running and will probably end up a complete flop, especially as it seems to be getting pretty lousy word of mouth.
Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of December 6th-9th.
Frozen chills Hunger Games' lead at US box office
Disney animation Frozen has toppled Hunger Games: Catching Fire off the top of the US box office chart in its second week of release.
According to early estimates, Frozen took $31.6m (£19.3m) over the weekend, with the Hunger Games sequel slipping to second place with $27m (£16.5m).
The only new wide release was Out of the Furnace, which took $5.3m (£3.2m) to earn third place.
The steel-town drama stars Christian Bale and Casey Affleck.
Marvel's Thor: The Dark World and Vince Vaughn's Delivery Man rounded out the top five.
The weekend was typically quiet placed between Thanksgiving and Christmas, however takings were still up 16.9% on last year.
NORTH AMERICAN BOX OFFICE 1. Frozen ($31.6m) 2. Hunger Games: Catching Fire ($27m) 3. Out of the Furnace ($5.3m) 4. Thor: The Dark World ($4.7m) 5. Delivery Man ($3.8m) Source: Hollywood.com
Despite opening in just four cinemas the Coen brothers' latest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, scored one of the year's highest per-cinema averages, taking $100,500 (£61,300).
Box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian said this year's takings may surpass the $10.8bn (£6.6bn) made at the 2012 box office.
"We're running just slightly ahead of last year's record pace, it's going to be really close," he said.
Next week sees the release of Peter Jackson's second Hobbit film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of the Smaug.
The first, An Unexpected Journey, debuted with $84.6m (£51.6m) last year.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom continued to play in four cinemas in its second week of release, averaging $19,400 (£11,800) per cinema.
The Weinstein Company said it would not be altering the film's release following the death of Nelson Mandela on Thursday.
The film will open across the US at Christmas.
Frozen tops box US box office
IN its second weekend at the box office, the Disney animated tale Frozen finally cooled off The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, while the week's lone new wide release Out of the Furnace wasn't a match for either blockbuster.According to studio estimates on Sunday, Frozen led the multiplexes with a haul of $US31.6 million ($A34.88 million) over the weekend, taking the top spot from Catching Fire.
Lionsgate's Hunger Games sequel had topped the box office for the last two weeks, but slid to second with $US27 million in its third week of release.
Relativity Media's steel-town drama Out of the Furnace, starring Christian Bale and Casey Affleck, posed no challenge for the bigger blockbuster holdovers. It opened with $US5.3 million, good enough for third place on what's typically a quiet early December weekend, sandwiched between Thanksgiving and the coming holiday season releases.
But it was an excellent weekend for Hollywood, with total box office up 16.9 per cent over the same weekend last year. Opening in a limited release of four theatres, the Coen brothers' folk tale Inside Llewyn Davis also had one of the year's highest per-theatre averages of $US100,500 for CBS Films.
With only a handful of moviegoing weeks left in the year, the strong weekend boosts the year's chances of exceeding 2012's record box office. This year may surpass last year's $US10.8 billion domestic box office, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak.
"We're running just slightly ahead of last year's record pace," said Dergarabedian. "It's going to be really close."
Dergarabedian expects next week's big release, Warner Bros. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, to open in the neighbourhood of Peter Jackson's first Hobbit film, An Unexpected Journey, which debuted with $US84.6 million last year. This weekend's new releases were minimal since The Hobbit is expected to dominate the marketplace next weekend.
Both Frozen and Catching Fire continued to show legs around the world. Catching Fire added $US44.3 million internationally, bringing its global cumulative total to $US673.4 million over four weeks. With many millions still to come, Catching Fire has already almost equaled the $US691.2 million worldwide of the 2012 original.
Frozen, too, has found strong business abroad. It added $US30.6 million internationally over the weekend.
In its second week of limited release, the Weinstein Co.'s biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, starring Idris Elba, continued to play in four theatres, earning an average of $US19,400 per-theatre. The Weinstein Co. has said it's not altering the movie's release following the death of South African leader Nelson Mandela on Thursday. Mandela opens wide on Christmas.
Frozen tops box US box office
IN its second weekend at the box office, the Disney animated tale Frozen finally cooled off The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, while the week's lone new wide release Out of the Furnace wasn't a match for either blockbuster.According to studio estimates on Sunday, Frozen led the multiplexes with a haul of $US31.6 million ($A34.88 million) over the weekend, taking the top spot from Catching Fire.
Lionsgate's Hunger Games sequel had topped the box office for the last two weeks, but slid to second with $US27 million in its third week of release.
Relativity Media's steel-town drama Out of the Furnace, starring Christian Bale and Casey Affleck, posed no challenge for the bigger blockbuster holdovers. It opened with $US5.3 million, good enough for third place on what's typically a quiet early December weekend, sandwiched between Thanksgiving and the coming holiday season releases.
But it was an excellent weekend for Hollywood, with total box office up 16.9 per cent over the same weekend last year. Opening in a limited release of four theatres, the Coen brothers' folk tale Inside Llewyn Davis also had one of the year's highest per-theatre averages of $US100,500 for CBS Films.
With only a handful of moviegoing weeks left in the year, the strong weekend boosts the year's chances of exceeding 2012's record box office. This year may surpass last year's $US10.8 billion domestic box office, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak.
"We're running just slightly ahead of last year's record pace," said Dergarabedian. "It's going to be really close."
Dergarabedian expects next week's big release, Warner Bros. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, to open in the neighbourhood of Peter Jackson's first Hobbit film, An Unexpected Journey, which debuted with $US84.6 million last year. This weekend's new releases were minimal since The Hobbit is expected to dominate the marketplace next weekend.
Both Frozen and Catching Fire continued to show legs around the world. Catching Fire added $US44.3 million internationally, bringing its global cumulative total to $US673.4 million over four weeks. With many millions still to come, Catching Fire has already almost equaled the $US691.2 million worldwide of the 2012 original.
Frozen, too, has found strong business abroad. It added $US30.6 million internationally over the weekend.
In its second week of limited release, the Weinstein Co.'s biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, starring Idris Elba, continued to play in four theatres, earning an average of $US19,400 per-theatre. The Weinstein Co. has said it's not altering the movie's release following the death of South African leader Nelson Mandela on Thursday. Mandela opens wide on Christmas.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
'Frozen' chills 'Catching Fire' to top US box office
IN ITS second weekend at the box office, the Disney animated tale Frozen finally cooled off The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, while the week's lone new wide release Out of the Furnace wasn't a match for either blockbuster.According to studio estimates on Sunday, Frozen led the multiplexes with a haul of $US31.6 million ($34.7 million) over the weekend, taking over the top spot from Catching Fire. Lionsgate's Hunger Games sequel had topped the box office for the last two weeks, but slid to second with $US27 million in its third week of release.
Relativity Media's steel-town drama Out of the Furnace, starring Christian Bale and Casey Affleck, posed no challenge for the bigger blockbuster holdovers. It opened with $US5.3 million, good enough for third place on what's typically a quiet early December weekend, sandwiched between Thanksgiving and the coming holiday season releases.
But it was an excellent weekend for Hollywood, with total box office up 16.9 per cent over the same weekend last year. Opening in a limited release of four theaters, the Coen brothers' folk tale Inside Llewyn Davis also had one of the year's highest per-theater averages of $US100,500 for CBS Films.
With only a handful of moviegoing weeks left in the year, the strong weekend boosts the year's chances of exceeding 2012's record box office. This year may surpass last year's $US10.8 billion domestic box office, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak.
"We're running just slightly ahead of last year's record pace," said Dergarabedian. "It's going to be really close."
Dergarabedian expects next week's big release, Warner Bros' The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, to open in the neighborhood of Peter Jackson's first Hobbit film, An Unexpected Journey, which debuted with $US84.6 million last year. This weekend's new releases were minimal since The Hobbit is expected to dominate the marketplace next weekend.
Both Frozen and Catching Fire continued to show legs around the world. Catching Fire added $US44.3 million internationally, bringing its global cumulative total to $US673.4 million over four weeks. With many millions still to come, Catching Fire has already almost equaled the $US691.2 million worldwide of the 2012 original.
Frozen, too, has found strong business abroad. It added $US30.6 million internationally over the weekend.
In its second week of limited release, the Weinstein Co's biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, starring Idris Elba, continued to play in four theaters, earning an average of $US19,400 per-theater. The Weinstein Co has said it's not altering the movie's release following the death of South African leader Nelson Mandela on Thursday. Mandela opens wide on Christmas.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. Frozen, $US31.6 million ($US30.6 million international).
2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, $US27 million ($US44.3 million international).
3. Out of the Furnace, $US5.3 million.
4. Thor: The Dark World, $US4.7 million ($US5.4 million international).
5. Delivery Man, $US3.8 million.
6. Homefront, $US3.4 million.
7. The Book Thief, $US2.7 million.
8. The Best Man Holiday, $US2.7 million.
9. Philomena, $US2.3 million.
10. Dallas Buyers Club, $US1.5 million.
'Frozen,' 'Catching Fire' fuel US, Canada box office
Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni
Cast member Kristen Bell poses at the premiere of ''Frozen'' at El Capitan theatre in Hollywood, California November 19, 2013.
"Frozen" sold $31.6 million worth of tickets from Friday through Sunday during its second weekend in theaters to top domestic movie charts, while "Catching Fire" earned $27 million, according to studio estimates from Rentrak.
The weekend's only new nationwide release, crime thriller "Out of the Furnace," took third place with $5.3 million.
The 3D "Frozen," inspired by "The Snow Queen" fairytale, features the voice of Kristen Bell as a Scandinavian princess intent on finding her sister, the Queen, who has the power to freeze anything with a touch and accidentally sets off a long winter that is destroying their kingdom.
"Catching Fire," among the year's biggest hits in its third week in release, stars Jennifer Lawrence as heroine Katniss Everdeen, a skilled archer who provides hope for an oppressed society on the edge of rebellion. The film is the second in the "Hunger Games" series based on novels by Suzanne Collins.
"Out of the Furnace" stars Christian Bale and Casey Affleck as brothers in a revenge tale set in a working-class Pennsylvania steel town.
"Catching Fire" was released by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. Privately held Relativity Media distributed "Out of the Furnace."
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Chris Michaud; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
'Frozen' chills 'Catching Fire' to top US box office
IN ITS second weekend at the box office, the Disney animated tale "Frozen" finally cooled off "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," while the week's lone new wide release "Out of the Furnace" wasn't a match for either blockbuster.According to studio estimates on Sunday, Frozen led the multiplexes with a haul of $US31.6 million ($34.7 million) over the weekend, taking over the top spot from Catching Fire. Lionsgate's Hunger Games sequel had topped the box office for the last two weeks, but slid to second with $US27 million in its third week of release.
Relativity Media's steel-town drama Out of the Furnace, starring Christian Bale and Casey Affleck, posed no challenge for the bigger blockbuster holdovers. It opened with $US5.3 million, good enough for third place on what's typically a quiet early December weekend, sandwiched between Thanksgiving and the coming holiday season releases.
But it was an excellent weekend for Hollywood, with total box office up 16.9 per cent over the same weekend last year. Opening in a limited release of four theaters, the Coen brothers' folk tale Inside Llewyn Davis also had one of the year's highest per-theater averages of $US100,500 for CBS Films.
With only a handful of moviegoing weeks left in the year, the strong weekend boosts the year's chances of exceeding 2012's record box office. This year may surpass last year's $US10.8 billion domestic box office, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak.
"We're running just slightly ahead of last year's record pace," said Dergarabedian. "It's going to be really close."
Dergarabedian expects next week's big release, Warner Bros' The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, to open in the neighborhood of Peter Jackson's first Hobbit film, An Unexpected Journey, which debuted with $US84.6 million last year. This weekend's new releases were minimal since The Hobbit is expected to dominate the marketplace next weekend.
Both Frozen and Catching Fire continued to show legs around the world. Catching Fire added $US44.3 million internationally, bringing its global cumulative total to $US673.4 million over four weeks. With many millions still to come, Catching Fire has already almost equaled the $US691.2 million worldwide of the 2012 original.
Frozen, too, has found strong business abroad. It added $US30.6 million internationally over the weekend.
In its second week of limited release, the Weinstein Co's biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, starring Idris Elba, continued to play in four theaters, earning an average of $US19,400 per-theater. The Weinstein Co has said it's not altering the movie's release following the death of South African leader Nelson Mandela on Thursday. Mandela opens wide on Christmas.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. Frozen, $US31.6 million ($US30.6 million international).
2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, $US27 million ($US44.3 million international).
3. Out of the Furnace, $US5.3 million.
4. Thor: The Dark World, $US4.7 million ($US5.4 million international).
5. Delivery Man, $US3.8 million.
6. Homefront, $US3.4 million.
7. The Book Thief, $US2.7 million.
8. The Best Man Holiday, $US2.7 million.
9. Philomena, $US2.3 million.
10. Dallas Buyers Club, $US1.5 million.
Friday, 6 December 2013
How Paul Walker helped create a fast and furious box
"Fast and The Furious" movie franchise has taken more than $2 billion worldwide through ticket sales The future of the series is now being considered following the death of star Paul Walker More than 60% of its box office has come from international, boosted by China in recent years The series floundered for several years when its two leads were absent
READ: Universal scrambles to save 'Fast & Furious 7' after Paul Walker's death READ: Big questions in Walker crash probe READ: Why race car drivers crave speed
(CNN) -- Hollywood executives love a movie franchise: a series of films with an in-built audience who return time and again to enjoy their favorite characters, stories and themes. Such box-office gold is usually based on pre-existing properties, for example comics ("Iron Man" et al), novels ("The Hunger Games") -- even theme-park rides ("Pirates of The Caribbean").
But the strong interest that followed the death of actor Paul Walker last weekend has been boosted by his crucial role in an unlikely franchise whose appeal has built steadily during the past decade, especially outside the United States.
The six "Fast & Furious" films have spawned a globe-trotting, block-busting series, generating $2.4 billion in ticket sales alone since the turn of the century. Back then few predicted that a mid-budget actioner with little-known actors set in the hi-octane world of LA street-racing would still be going strong 12 years later.
How did it happen?
Released in June 2001, " The Fast And The Furious" was a testosterone-fuelled boys-with-toys movie set around a cat-and-mouse game between an undercover cop (Walker) and his prey (Vin Diesel).
"I remember being in Honolulu when Mark Shmuger (former co-chairman of Universal Pictures) called to say they'd just had the most amazing test screening of a film we'd never heard of, called 'The Fast And The Furious,' recalls Andrew Cripps, former president and COO of UIP, the distribution joint-venture between Universal and Paramount which released the first three films internationally.
"It seemed pretty domestic at the time," continues Cripps, now president EMEA for IMAX. "It was about L.A. street-racing, it had a relatively unknown cast, but there was a chemistry there between the lead characters and it really worked with young audiences around the world. I was pleasantly surprised by the international box office of the first film."
"The Fast And The Furious" raced to an impressive $145 million in the U.S. during the lucrative and crowded summer season. An international release was delayed till fall to market the film as a fresh success that had swept the U.S. while also ensuring it avoided competition from bigger rivals. International grosses were low compared to domestic -- but they were strong for a $38 million movie skewed to an American audience.
But the chemistry between Walker and Diesel that engaged audiences was missing from the next two sequels. For the second installment, 2003's " 2 Fast 2 Furious," Diesel was absent (focusing on two potential franchises that positioned him as the clear star) although Walker remained front and center. While U.S. box office was down on its predecessor, international grosses jumped 75%: a domestic franchise clearly had global appeal. As before, the UK, France, Germany and Australia proved powerful markets, while Mexico saw sales more than double, mirroring the series popularity with Hispanic audiences in the U.S.
Universal sat up and took note, setting the third film -- which starred neither Walker nor Diesel -- in Tokyo. At the time it made sense: Japan has its own street-racing scene and in 2006 was the biggest international market. It was also a territory the franchise had yet to crack. " The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift" worked for the Japanese market, boosting box office by 28% from the previous film. But while Japan grew, other major markets shrank and North American box office halved. Without Walker or Diesel the franchise had lost its spark and seemingly run its course.
By 2009, with the careers of the original cast floundering, Diesel -- now a producer -- helped orchestrate the return of all four key players from the original cast for " Fast & Furious." International success had to be the focus if the franchise was to be revived: domestic success was no longer a guarantor of franchise longevity.
Nervous executives were still unsure the package would work and skipped a release into the overheated summer market, targeting instead an Easter rollout and building on the success of the first feature (the film's tagline was "New Model. Original Parts."). It worked and audiences returned, with fresh growth in all the franchise's previous key markets and new support in Russia, a traditional haven for action movies.
"The relationship between Paul Walker and Vin Diesel's characters was at the heart of the franchise," explains box office analyst Charles Gant of The Guardian. "So as soon as it brought those two guys back together they were on a money train."
That chemistry and rivalry between Walker and Diesel needed to be maintained. How? By turning the movies from street-racing series into a globe-trotting action franchise rooted in frenetic auto action. Thus 2011's "Fast Five" became a heist caper set in Brazil with Walker and Diesel working together instead of in opposition: global appeal broadened still further by bringing back multi-national characters from across the franchise.
But with Walker and Diesel both on the wrong side of the law the series now needed a new opponent. Enter former wrestler and human mountain Dwayne Johnson aka "The Rock." "We initially designed the role for Tommy Lee Jones," Diesel explained in an April 2011 interview. "One of my fans on Facebook said I would love to see you and The Rock in anything together. It really was the best choice in the world."
" Fast Five" became a major international player and from its late April release it landed a knockout blow on superhero slugfest "Thor" across several territories. It was also the first of the franchise to venture into the high-ticket giant-screens owned by IMAX, its bangs and ballistics sitting well with the format's male-heavy audience.
By the time the UK-set " Fast & Furious 6" opened in May 2013, expectations were heady: the first film had been a domestic-weighted surprise; the second a solid sequel; the third a flop; the fourth an all-or-nothing reboot; the fifth a take-a-chance change of direction. The sixth was primed to be a guaranteed blockbuster.
It didn't disappoint.
Grossing $550 million at the international box office alone, "Fast & Furious 6" has become the third highest grossing film of the year worldwide behind "Iron Man 3" and "Despicable Me 2." Seventy percent of its $788m gross has come from overseas: as with its predecessor, China was the top grossing market ($66m). Such heady figures were vital to sustain a movie series whose production costs had ballooned from $38m in 2001 to $160m in 2013.
But Walker's death has now left the future of the franchise in question: Universal announced this week that production has shut down on the seventh instalment "so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise," which was due to release on July 11 2014. Many of the cast are already signed up for an eighth episode.
"The latest was the biggest yet and the series looked set to grow and grow," says Gant. "The franchise is giddy and fun and I think it will be a real challenge for them to continue in the wake of Paul Walker's death and the manner in which it occurred."
READ: Universal scrambles to save 'Fast & Furious 7' after Paul Walker's death READ: Big questions in Walker crash probe READ: Why race car drivers crave speed
Nick Hunt contributed to this report.
Monday, 2 December 2013
'Catching Fire' Heats Up US and AU Box Office, Frozen Not Far Behind
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)