Monday, 24 February 2014
'The Lego Movie' is No. 1 at U.S. box office; '3 Days to Kill' is No. 2
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Animated Movies Rule The Box Office As Frozen Closes In On $1 Billion Mark ...
Animated movies are proving to be big business at the box office as two of this year's family friendly releases, Frozen and The Lego Movie, set new records.
Frozen has captivated the movie market (Disney)
The Lego Movie is number one on both sides of the pond (Warner Bros.)
Following the success of Despicable Me 2 and Epic last year, Disney's Frozen is another animated hit that's still pulling in the punters.
The feature film, loosely inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's Snow Queen, is fast approaching the coveted $1 billion box office marker in global ticket sales, and that's after just 13 weeks in theatres.
Frozen has so far grossed a massive $378 million in the US, and $579 million internationally, for a grand total of $957 million, already making it the third-highest grossing animated movie ever behind Despicable Me 2 with $970 million worldwide, and Toy Story 3 with $1 billion worldwide.
Frozen has captivated the movie market (Disney)Aside from it's huge success Stateside, the film has enjoyed big numbers in the international market with the UK making up $60.9 million in sales so far while in Korea, where it's has been at the top of the box office for five weeks running, the film has already earned $66.4 million. It's estimated that the movie will easily make the $1 billion mark in the coming weeks, thanks largely to its upcoming release in Japan on March 15.
The March 2 Oscars will also no doubt prove to be a boost too as the film is favourite to clinch the Best Animated Feature as well as being a frontrunner for Best Song, thanks to it's hugely popular tune Let It Go.
The Lego Movie is number one on both sides of the pond (Warner Bros.)Animated movies' dominance at the box office has also been proven by the success of The Lego Movie which has soared to the top of the UK box office this week after raking in more than £8 million in its first weekend.
The Warner Bros. animation, which stars Morgan Freeman, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Jonah Hill and Will Ferrell, has scored the highest-grossing film of 2014 so far in the UK after triumphing over George Clooney's The Monuments Men, grossing just over £8 million.
The film also shot straight to No.1 at the US box office this month, cruising past the $100 million mark on Saturday, meaning it should reach a total of around $140 million by Monday after only 10 days in theaters.
Tuesday, 18 February 2014
'Lego' topples 'Last Night,' 'RoboCop' to win US box office title
Credit: Reuters/Phil McCarten
Cast member Will Ferrell attends the premiere of the film ''The Lego Movie'' in Los Angeles February 1, 2014.
"RoboCop," a remake of the 1987 science fiction film about a part-man, part-cyborg crime fighter, was third with sales of $21.5 million from Friday to Sunday in the domestic market that includes the U.S. and Canada theaters, according to studio reports. Monday marks the federal Presidents Day holiday.
The romantic drama "Endless Love," one of three remakes of 1980s-era films opening in theaters, was fifth with $13.4 million, behind "Monuments Men," the story of a World War II unit that retrieves stolen art which stars George Clooney and Matt Damon and which earned $15 million in its second week, according to Rentrak.
The tracking firm said it was the third-best Presidents Day result of all time, with about $177 million expected from Friday to Sunday. Hollywood's box office is running about 11.5 percent above last year's numbers, it said.
The animated "Lego" movie has earned nearly $130 million since opening on February 7. Featuring the voices of Will Arnett and Elizabeth Banks, it portrays a world under attack by the evil Lord Business who wants to destroy the Lego universe by gluing it together. The heroes include Batman, a pirate and an astronaut, all made out of the classic children's interlocking blocks.
"About Last Night," a remake of the 1986 film that starred Rob Lowe and Demi Moore as young lovers, stars Kevin Hart and Regina Hall and was made for a relatively modest $12 million.
Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony Pictures, which released the film, said the comedy "knocked it out of the park," and was playing well to couples as well as groups of friends during the Valentine's Day and U.S. holiday weekend.
"RoboCop," which cost about $100 million to make, was performing especially well in international markets, Bruer said, and was on track to take in about $30 million domestically since opening on Wednesday.
"Endless Love" is a remake of a 1981 film starring Brooke Shields which was a modest hit, but saw its theme song by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie become a No. 1 hit, scoring Academy Award, Golden Globe and Grammy nominations.
"The Lego Movie" was distributed by Warner Brothers, a unit of Time Warner. Sony's Screen Gems unit distributed "About Last Night." "The Monuments Men" was distributed by Sony.
"Endless Love" was distributed by Comcast's Universal Pictures.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover and Chris Michaud)
The Lego Movie debuts at number one on US box office
The Lego Movie has debuted at the top spot in the US box office.
Directed and co-written by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the computer-animated movie landed in first place with $69.1m.
Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman lend their voices for the Warner Bros movie along with Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day and Nick Offerman.
The Lego Movie is followed by another new release - George Clooney's The Monuments Men, which took in $22.7m.
Clooney starred in and directed the war movie, which features an all-star cast including Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray and John Goodman.
The Lego Movie's first place debut knocked off Ride Along to third place with $9.3m. The Kevin Hart and Ice Cube comedy occupied the top spot for three weekends in a row with total box office earnings of $105.1m.
Ride Along is followed by Frozen in fourth place with $6.9m. The Disney movie - released in November - continues its stay on the top ten, with total earnings now at $368.6m.
That Awkward Moment, starring Zac Efron, Michael B Jordan and Miles Teller, got bumped from third place to fifth place with $5.5m.
Vampire Academy debuted in seventh place with $5.2m. Starring Zoey Deutch and Lucy Fry, the movie is based on Richelle Mead's young adult book series.
Lone Survivor, The Nut Job, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and round out the top ten movies this weekend at the box office.
The US weekend box office (studio estimates, all figures in US dollars) is listed below:
1. (-) The Lego Movie - $69,110,0002. (-) The Monuments Men - 22,700,0003. (1) Ride Along - $9,394,000 4. (2) Frozen - $6,914,000 5. (3) That Awkward Moment - $5,540,0006. (5) Lone Survivor -$5,293,0007. (-) Vampire Academy - $4,101,0008. (4) The Nut Job - $3,809,000 9. (6) Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit -$3,600,000 10. (7) Labor Day - $3,230,000
Watch the trailer for The Lego Movie below:
Catch up on all the latest TV and Movies releases in Digital Spy's Screen Time:
Monday, 17 February 2014
'Lego Movie' Doesn't Let Go Of Top Spot In US Box Office
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows the character Bad Cop/Good Cop, voiced by Liam Neeson, in a scene from "The Lego Movie." The Lego Movie is expected to take the top spot at the box office in its second weekend. (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, file)
"The Lego Movie" built a huge lead on top of the weekend's new releases at the box office.
In its second outing, the Warner Bros. animated film featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Will Arnett earned $48.8 million to take first place, according to studio estimates Sunday. That brings the film based on the toy brick-building franchise's domestic box office total to $129.1 million, cementing it was one of the biggest blockbusters of the year.
"It's crossing over to all audiences," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. "It's not just a kids' movie. There's something for boys, girls and adults, as well. The likeability is astronomical. That across-the-board appeal is giving 'The Lego Movie' unstoppable momentum, even in a weekend loaded with new competitors."
"The Lego Movie" earned an additional $27.7 million from 42 international territories, including the United Kingdom, Holland, Sweden and Norway. The worldwide total box office for "Lego Movie" now stands at $180.3 million.
Sony's romantic comedy "About Last Night" starring Kevin Hart and Michael Ealy came in second place with $27 million. The strong showing further demonstrated Hart's clout as a box-office draw. The actor-comedian's other film, the buddy-cop comedy "Ride Along" with Ice Cube, nabbed $8.8 million in its fifth weekend to take the sixth spot at the box office.
"I don't think there's anyone funnier out there today than Kevin Hart," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "He's at the top, and he couldn't be a nicer or more hardworking guy. He got out there and promoted 'About Last Night' really, really hard. The chemistry that he brings to the table is just infectious. You can't help but wanna take the ride with him."
The action-packed "RoboCop" reboot from Sony and MGM featuring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton captured third place with $21.5 million. The update to the original 1987 sci-fi film starring Peter Weller as a robotic officer performed better overseas, earning $35 million from 37 international markets, including France, Australia and Germany.
The weekend's other new releases, Universal's coming-of-age drama "Endless Love" and the Warner Bros. novel adaptation "Winter's Tale," respectively earned the fifth and seventh spots at the box office. "Endless Love," starring Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde, wooed $13.4 million, while the Colin Farrell drama "Winter's Tale" made a chilly $7.8 million.
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'Lego' topples 'Last Night,' 'RoboCop' to win US box office title
Credit: Reuters/Phil McCarten
Cast member Will Ferrell attends the premiere of the film ''The Lego Movie'' in Los Angeles February 1, 2014.
"RoboCop," a remake of the 1987 science fiction film about a part-man, part-cyborg crime fighter, was third with sales of $21.5 million from Friday to Sunday, according to studio reports. Monday marks the federal Presidents Day holiday.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover and Chris Michaud; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
The Lego Movie Triumphs Again As Animated Adventure Tops US Box Office ...
By Joanna Crawley On February 17, 2014
The Lego Movie has proven that loved-up couples weren't looking for a traditional rom-com for Valentine's weekend, with the animated movie continuing to pull in mega bucks at the US box office.
Last week the animated caper, starring the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman, opened straight at No.1 at the box office after earning $61.9 million in ticket prices. And the movie is here to stay as it took in $48.8 million to top the box office on it's second weekend.
Those numbers are down just 29% from its opening weekend, with the film cruising past the $100 million mark on Saturday, meaning it should reach a total of around $140 million by Monday after only 10 days in theaters.
The Lego Movie does it again!As for those rom-com's About Last Night was the biggest hit, taking nearly $13 million on Valentine's Day itself, the leader among the weekend's new entries, grossing a total of $30.2 million in four days.
Meanwhile, Endless Love, a reboot of the 1980s movie, failed to perform as well as hoped, ranking third on Valentine's day, with $7.4 million.
Finally Winter's Tale grossed just $7.8 million from Friday to Sunday, with around $8.5 million over the weekend.
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The Lego Movie Triumphs Over Rom
By Joanna Crawley On February 17, 2014
The Lego Movie has proven that loved-up couples weren't looking for a traditional rom-com for Valentine's weekend, with the animated movie continuing to pull in mega bucks at the US box office.
Last week the animated caper, starring the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman, opened straight at No.1 at the box office after earning $61.9 million in ticket prices. And the movie is here to stay as it took in $48.8 million to top the box office on it's second weekend.
Those numbers are down just 29% from its opening weekend, with the film cruising past the $100 million mark on Saturday, meaning it should reach a total of around $140 million by Monday after only 10 days in theaters.
The Lego Movie does it again!As for those rom-com's About Last Night was the biggest hit, taking nearly $13 million on Valentine's Day itself, the leader among the weekend's new entries, grossing a total of $30.2 million in four days.
Meanwhile, Endless Love, a reboot of the 1980s movie, failed to perform as well as hoped, ranking third on Valentine's day, with $7.4 million.
Finally Winter's Tale grossed just $7.8 million from Friday to Sunday, with around $8.5 million over the weekend.
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'The Lego Movie' blocks competition with $48.8 million to top box office
The animated film finished far ahead of 'About Last Night' and 'RoboCop' during the Valentine's Day weekend.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/AP"The Lego Movie," an animated film that depicts a world based on the colorful toy blocks, collected $48.8 million to top box office charts for a second week, finishing far ahead of romantic comedy "About Last Night" which had ticket sales of $27 million on a U.S. holiday weekend that kicked off on Valentine's Day.
"RoboCop," a remake of the 1987 science fiction film about a part-man, part-cyborg crime fighter, was third with sales of $21.5 million from Friday to Sunday in the domestic market that includes the U.S. and Canada theaters, according to studio reports. Monday marks the federal Presidents Day holiday.
The romantic drama "Endless Love," one of three remakes of 1980s-era films opening in theaters, was fifth with $13.4 million, behind "Monuments Men," the story of a World War II unit that retrieves stolen art which stars George Clooney and Matt Damon and which earned $15 million in its second week, according to Rentrak.
The tracking firm said it was the third-best Presidents Day result of all time, with about $177 million expected from Friday to Sunday. Hollywood's box office is running about 11.5 percent above last year's numbers, it said.
The animated "Lego" movie has earned nearly $130 million since opening on February 7. Featuring the voices of Will Arnett and Elizabeth Banks, it portrays a world under attack by the evil Lord Business who wants to destroy the Lego universe by gluing it together. The heroes include Batman, a pirate and an astronaut, all made out of the classic children's interlocking blocks.
RELATED: 'THE LEGO MOVIE': MOVIE REVIEW
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/AP"About Last Night," a remake of the 1986 film that starred Rob Lowe and Demi Moore as young lovers, stars Kevin Hart and Regina Hall and was made for a relatively modest $12 million.
Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony Pictures, which released the film, said the comedy "knocked it out of the park," and was playing well to couples as well as groups of friends during the Valentine's Day and U.S. holiday weekend.
"RoboCop," which cost about $100 million to make, was performing especially well in international markets, Bruer said, and was on track to take in about $30 million domestically since opening on Wednesday.
"Endless Love" is a remake of a 1981 film starring Brooke Shields which was a modest hit, but saw its theme song by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie become a No. 1 hit, scoring Academy Award, Golden Globe and Grammy nominations.
"The Lego Movie" was distributed by Warner Brothers, a unit of Time Warner. Sony's Screen Gems unit distributed "About Last Night." "The Monuments Men" was distributed by Sony.
"Endless Love" was distributed by Comcast's Universal Pictures.
Lego Movie builds US box office lead
The Lego Movie has cemented its place at the top of the US box office, taking $48.8m (£29m) in its second weekend of release.
The animation, based on the famous toy brick brand, stars Chris Pratt as an everyday Lego figure who has to save the universe.
"It's crossing over to all audiences," said Paul Dergarabedian, analyst for box office company Rentrak.
The movie was followed in the charts by two 1980s remakes.
Debuting at number two was About Last Night, an updated version of the Rob Lowe and Demi Moore romantic comedy.
It took $27m (£16m) in its opening weekend, putting it well ahead of the Robocop re-boot, starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton, which entered the chart in third place, with $21.5m (£12.8m).
About Last Night's star, comedian Kevin Hart, has another film in the rundown - buddy cop comedy Ride Along, which took $8.8 million (£4m) in its fifth weekend on the box office chart.
A former number one, it now claims sixth position.
Plastic Simpsons
Two other new releases, coming-of-age drama Endless Love and an adaptation of the novel Winter's Tale, starring Colin Farrell, took fifth and seventh spot respectively.
Endless Love took $13.4 million (£7.9m), while Winter's Tale took $7.8 million (£4.6m).
Meanwhile, producers behind The Simpsons have announced they are teaming up with Lego for an episode made out of the plastic bricks.
Titled Brick Like Me, the episode will see Homer Simpson wake up in a Springfield entirely made out of Lego - he has to find a way to get out before he is stuck in the plastic world forever.
The Simpsons is the longest-running animated series in US TV history - the Lego episode will mark its 550th show.
Sunday, 16 February 2014
Lego Movie wins top spot again at US box office
The Lego Movie has held the number one spot at the US box office for the second weekend in a row.
The computer-animated movie took in $48.8m, earning a total of $129.1m. It debuted at number one last weekend with takings of $69.1m.
The Lego Movie's incredible cameos - Batman, Superman, more - spoilers
Directed and co-written by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, The Lego Movie features the voice talents of Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman.
Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day and Nick Offerman also star in the Warner Bros movie.
Four new releases made the top ten list - About Last Night, the RoboCop remake, Endless Love and Winter's Tale.
Starring Kevin Hart and Regina Hall, the romantic comedy About Last Night debuted in second place with $27m, followed by the RoboCop remake in third place with $21.5m.
Endless Love landed in fifth place with $13.3m, while Winter's Tale debuted in seventh place with $7.7m.
Hart has recently enjoyed box office success with comedy Ride Along occupied the number one spot for three weekends in a row.
Ride Along, which also stars Ice Cube, took sixth place this weekend with $8.7m, earning a total of $116.1m.
The Monuments Men, Frozen, Lone Survivor and That Awkward Moment also feature in this week's top ten.
The US weekend box office top ten for February 16 (studio estimates, all figures in US dollars) is as follows:
Catch up on all the latest TV and Movies releases in Digital Spy's Screen Time:
Int'l Box Office: 'Frozen' Nearing $1B …
Endless Love opened in 25 international markets - including Australia (where it bowed at No. 4 and brought in $1M in 217 date nights) and another 23 markets where they celebrate Valentine's Day - to gross an estimated $3.9M in total. In the U.K. and Ireland the estimated gross was $1.4M at 358 dates. It will open in 38 markets over the next few months with Russia and the Ukraine coming next on March 6.
The Wolf of Wall Street in Universal's 9 territories grossed another $6.4M in 1,500 venues to raise the 9-territory total to $95.9M. The film will cross $100 in those 9 markets this coming week. The total gross internationally is $175M. Added to the domestic estimated gross in the states which has a 4-day holiday (President's Day weekend), it's now at about $285.9M. It's being led by the UK and Ireland which tallied up $32.4M and then Germany $26.4. Spain accounts for $14.5M.
Monuments Men heisted another $8.9M this weekend from 2,365 screens. The UK market was the hot spot for the film having grossed $2.9M and taking the No. 2 spot behind The Lego Movie. The film will open in 30 more markets next weekend via Fox International.
Another Fox film, the animated Mr. Peabody& Sherman - which opened last weekend - bowed in three new markets and nabbed $5M which brings its estimated cume to $12.3M. It opened to No 3. in France with $1.96M and had a very strong hold in the UK for another $2.5M to raise its total cume in that market to $9.7M.
More to come, but that is international in a snapshot for now.
Lego Movie wins top spot again at US box office
The Lego Movie has held the number one spot at the US box office for the second weekend in a row.
The computer-animated movie took in $48.8m, earning a total of $129.1m. It debuted at number one last weekend with takings of $69.1m.
The Lego Movie's incredible cameos - Batman, Superman, more - spoilers
Directed and co-written by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, The Lego Movie features the voice talents of Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman.
Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day and Nick Offerman also star in the Warner Bros movie.
Four new releases made the top ten list - About Last Night, the RoboCop remake, Endless Love and Winter's Tale.
Starring Kevin Hart and Regina Hall, the romantic comedy About Last Night debuted in second place with $27m, followed by the RoboCop remake in third place with $21.5m.
Endless Love landed in fifth place with $13.3m, while Winter's Tale debuted in seventh place with $7.7m.
Hart has recently enjoyed box office success with comedy Ride Along occupied the number one spot for three weekends in a row.
Ride Along, which also stars Ice Cube, took sixth place this weekend with $8.7m, earning a total of $116.1m.
The Monuments Men, Frozen, Lone Survivor and That Awkward Moment also feature in this week's top ten.
The US weekend box office top ten for February 16 (studio estimates, all figures in US dollars) is as follows:
Catch up on all the latest TV and Movies releases in Digital Spy's Screen Time:
Not Even RoboCop Can Compete! The Lego Movie Remains At Top Of US Box ...
By Shanelle Hamilton On February 16, 2014
There's no stopping the popularity of The Lego Movie which has managed to remain at the top of the US box office for its second week running.
The children's animation had some tough competition from 80s remake RoboCop, Endless Love and Colin Farrell's A Winter's Tale.
Will Arnett at the Los Angeles premiere of The Lego Movie (Apega/WENN)Continuing its impressive run, the Warner Brother's flick took $13.1 million in ticket sales on Friday in the US.
Since The Lego Movie's release last Friday it has amassed $93.3 million in takings meaning that by the end of this weekend it will have passed the $100 million mark.
Despite taking the second spot, Kevin Hart's About Last Night took equally impressive takings with $13 million.
Meanwhile, RoboCop is not proving as successful as Sony would have hoped, only managing $7 million in ticket sales on Friday, shifting it down to fourth place.
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Wednesday, 12 February 2014
The Lego Movie On Course To Smash US Box Office With $60 Million
By Shanelle Hamilton On February 9, 2014
The Lego Movie is proving to be a massive hit at cinemas after an impressive opening weekend in which it raked in $17.1 million at the US box office and is set to beat George Clooney's new movie Monument Men to the number one spot.
The children's animation, produced by Warner Brothers and Village Roadshow pic, has surprised both studios with its popularity and is predicted to take in $60 million this weekend alone.
Will Arnett at the Los Angeles premiere of The Lego Movie (Apega/WENN)The Lego Movie managed to knock fellow animation Frozen off the top spot after a 11-week reign and it's reported that a sequel is already in the pipeline.
Starring Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrel and Will Arnett, the blockbuster flick tells the story of an average Lego mini-figure who is mistakenly thought to be the extraordinary Master Builder and recruited to join a quest to stop and evil Lego tyrant from gluing the universe together.
While the movie has already become a hit in the US, it remains to be seen whether its success will follow in the UK, where it is set for release on February 14th.
Tuesday, 11 February 2014
The Lego Movie scores huge US box
The Lego Movie, an animated film based on the colourful plastic children's blocks, snapped up $69.1 million in ticket sales to top weekend box-office charts, easily beating the George Clooney World War II film The Monuments Men.
The Monuments Men, which also stars Matt Damon, Bill Murray and John Goodman, was second with $22.7 million in sales at US and Canadian theatres. The film is based on the true story of US soldiers who rescued art masterpieces from Nazi thieves.
After three consecutive weeks in the top spot, the Kevin Hart-Ice Cube comedy Ride Along took third with $9.4 million, according to data supplied by Rentrak.
Led by the voices of Will Ferrell, Will Arnett and Morgan Freeman, The Lego Movie features toy mini-figures of Batman, a pirate and others in a Lego universe faced with destruction.
The film won lavish praise from critics as inventive and funny, with 112 of 118 critics giving it a "fresh" rating on the movie review site Rotten Tomatoes, and far surpassed average industry projections of an opening weekend around $50 million.
The Lego Movie was heavily marketed by Warner Brothers and The Lego Group, the Danish company that makes the popular snap-together blocks. The toy company released 17 building sets inspired by scenes from the film. McDonald's released eight collectable holographic cups with its Happy Meals.
"It's awesome," said Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Brothers of the blockbuster opening, which was the biggest of 2014 thus far.
"We had a movie playing from five to 85," he said. "Five-year-olds are enjoying it, their siblings are enjoying it, and their parents and grandparents are all enjoying it."
The Monuments Men received mixed reviews from critics and was moved back from its original December 18 release date for additional post-production work and editing. The film, based on the book by Robert M. Edsel, was written and directed by Clooney.
The weekend's only other major new release, Vampire Academy, based on the first book in the Vampire Academy series by fantasy author Richelle Mead, opened in the No. 7 spot with $4.1 million in sales, according to studio estimates.
Rounding out the top five, Disney's musical Frozen took fourth place with $6.9 million, while That Awkward Moment was fifth, collecting $5.5 million in sales. Frozen has racked up $369 million since its November debut.
Monday, 10 February 2014
The LEGO Movie tops US box office
Warner Bros enjoys a massive US debut of $69.1m
Warner Bros' The LEGO Movie has stormed to the top of the US box office in its first weekend on release.
The LEGO Movie made an estimated $69.1m, while its closest competition, George Clooney's The Monuments Men, charted in second place with $22.7m.
This debut also marks the second biggest opening of all time for the month of February in the US, beaten only by The Passion of the Christ's $83.8m debut in February 2004.
"I think this sends a signal that we are very interested in this space," said Warner Bros domestic distribution chief Dan Fellman.
"You will be hearing more from us, and we will definitely be talking very shortly about our plans for LEGO."
The Lego Movie's Box Office Numbers Build And Build, Raking In Over $69 Million
The US Box Office: Hollywood's top 5 movies of the week
The Lego Movie, an animated film based on the colorful plastic children's blocks, snapped up $69.1 million in ticket sales to top weekend box office charts. 
The Lego Movie features toy mini-figures of Batman, a pirate and others in a Lego universe faced with destruction on Taco Tuesday. "We had a movie playing for five to 85. Five-year-olds are enjoying it, their siblings are enjoying it, and their parents and grandparents are all enjoying it," said Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Brothers of the blockbuster opening, which was the biggest of 2014 thus far.
The Kevin Hart-Ice Cube comedy Ride Along took third with $9.4 million, after three consecutive weeks in the top spot, according to data supplied by Rentrak. The movie centres around a fast-talking security guard Ben, played by Kevin Hart, who joins his policeman brother-in-law James, played by Ice Cube, on a 24-hour patrol of Atlanta. Ben's purpose is to prove himself worthy of marrying Angela, James' sister.
That Awkward Moment, lastly is in fifth place, collecting $5.5 million in sales. Starring Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller, this romantic comedy is about relationships and the inevitable moment when one has to decide where the relationship is going.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2014. Like Life & Style on Facebook,follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.
'LEGO Movie' tops 'Monuments Men' to score huge US box office win
Credit: Reuters/Phil McCarten
Cast member Will Ferrell attends the premiere of the film ''The Lego Movie'' in Los Angeles February 1, 2014.
"The Monuments Men," which also stars Matt Damon, Bill Murray and John Goodman, was second with $22.7 million in sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters. The film is based on the true story of U.S. soldiers who rescued art masterpieces from Nazi thieves.
After three consecutive weeks in the top spot, the Kevin Hart-Ice Cube comedy "Ride Along" took third with $9.4 million, according to data supplied by Rentrak.
Led by the voices of Will Ferrell, Will Arnett and Morgan Freeman, "The LEGO Movie" features toy mini-figures of Batman, a pirate and others in a Lego universe faced with destruction on Taco Tuesday.
The film won lavish praise from critics as inventive and funny, with 112 of 118 critics giving it a "fresh" rating on the movie review site Rotten Tomatoes, and far surpassed average industry projections of an opening weekend around $50 million.
"The LEGO Movie" was heavily marketed by Warner Brothers and The LEGO Group, the Danish company that makes the popular snap together blocks. The toy company released 17 building sets inspired by scenes from the movie. McDonald's released eight collectable holographic cups with its Happy Meals.
"It's awesome," said Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Brothers of the blockbuster opening, which was the biggest of 2014 thus far.
"We had a movie playing from 5 to 85," he said. "Five-year-olds are enjoying it, their siblings are enjoying it, and their parents and grandparents are all enjoying it."
Fellman noted that 59 percent of the audience was actually over age 18, and 55 percent were male. "We even had some midnight show business," he said. Sales at 3-D showings were also far stronger than is usually the case with animated films.
The big numbers bode well for more "LEGO" films going forward from the studio.
"The Monuments Men" received mixed reviews from critics and was moved back from its original December 18 release date for additional post-production work and editing. The film, based on the book by Robert M. Edsel, was written and directed by Clooney.
"It was very much in line with the high end of our expectations," said Rory Bruer, Sony Pictures' president of worldwide distribution of the $22.7 million figure.
"We're very happy with our opening, especially given all the noise of the Olympics and the big movies opening around us," he said, adding that the film was playing well to adult audiences as was expected.
The weekend's only other major new release, "Vampire Academy," based on the first book in the "Vampire Academy" series by fantasy author Richelle Mead, opened in the No. 7 spot with $4.1 million in sales, according to studio estimates.
Rounding out the top five, Disney's long-running musical "Frozen" took fourth place with $6.9 million, while "That Awkward Moment" was fifth, collecting $5.5 million in sales. "Frozen" has racked up $369 million since its November debut.
"Lone Survivor," the tale of four U.S. Navy SEALs who run into an ambush in Afghanistan, was sixth with sales of $5.3 million. It has generated $112.6 million over seven weeks.
Warner Brothers, a unit of Time Warner, released the film "The Lego Movie." Sony's Columbia studio released "The Monuments Men." Vampire Academy" was distributed by the Weinstein Company. Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast's NBCUniversal division, distributed "Ride Along" and "Lone Survivor."
(Reporting By Ronald Grover and Chris Michaud)
Sunday, 9 February 2014
Lego Movie tops Monuments Men to score huge US box office win
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (REUTERS) - The Lego Movie, an animated film based on the colorful plastic children's blocks, snapped up US$69.1 million in ticket sales to top weekend box office charts, easily beating the George Clooney World War Two film The Monuments Men.
The Monuments Men, which also stars Matt Damon, Bill Murray and John Goodman, was second with US$22.7 million (S$28.7 million) in sales at United States (US) and Canadian theatres. The film is based on the true story of US soldiers who rescued art masterpieces from Nazi thieves.
After three consecutive weeks in the top spot, the Kevin Hart-Ice Cube comedy Ride Along took third with US$9.4 million, according to data supplied by Rentrak.
Led by the voices of Will Ferrell, Will Arnett and Morgan Freeman, The Lego Movie features toy mini-figures of Batman, a pirate and others in a Lego universe faced with destruction on Taco Tuesday.
Box Office: The LEGO Movie Takes Top Spot With Big Debut, The Monuments ...
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
The LEGO Movie assembled quite a large crowd of moviegoers this weekend.
The action-animated flick that features everyone's favorite interlocking blocks, as well as the voices of Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell and Will Forte, earned a massive $69.1 million its opening weekend. The Warner Bros. feature also grossed an impressive $17.14 million on Friday.
George Clooney's WW II biography-drama The Monuments Men was the No.2 movie, making $22.7 million in its debut weekend.
Ride Along, which held strong as the No.1 movie for three straight weekends, dropped to the No.3 spot with $9.39 million. It also crossed the $100 million mark.
NEWS: What critics are saying about The LEGO Movie
Columbia Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox
Frozen, in its eleventh weekend in theaters, took home $6.91 million and nabbed the No.4 slot. That Awkward Moment rounded out the top 5 with $5.54 million.
The Vampire Academy, the third new film in theaters this weekend, made $4.1 million and landed at No.7.
Here's a complete rundown of the weekend estimates, per Box Office Mojo:
1. The LEGO Movie: $69.1 million
2. The Monuments Men: $22.7 million
3. Ride Along: $9.39 million
5. That Awkward Moment: $5.54 million
6. Lone Survivor: $5.29 million
7. Vampire Academy: $4.1 million
8. The Nut Job: $3.8 million
9. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit: $3.6 million
10. Labor Day: $3.23 million
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The Lego Movie debuts at number one on US box office
The Lego Movie has debuted at the top spot in the US box office.
Directed and co-written by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the computer-animated movie landed in first place with $69.1m.
Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman lend their voices for the Warner Bros movie along with Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day and Nick Offerman.
The Lego Movie is followed by another new release - George Clooney's The Monuments Men, which took in $22.7m.
Clooney starred in and directed the war movie, which features an all-star cast including Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray and John Goodman.
The Lego Movie's first place debut knocked off Ride Along to third place with $9.3m. The Kevin Hart and Ice Cube comedy occupied the top spot for three weekends in a row with total box office earnings of $105.1m.
Ride Along is followed by Frozen in fourth place with $6.9m. The Disney movie - released in November - continues its stay on the top ten, with total earnings now at $368.6m.
That Awkward Moment, starring Zac Efron, Michael B Jordan and Miles Teller, got bumped from third place to fifth place with $5.5m.
Vampire Academy debuted in seventh place with $5.2m. Starring Zoey Deutch and Lucy Fry, the movie is based on Richelle Mead's young adult book series.
Lone Survivor, The Nut Job, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and round out the top ten movies this weekend at the box office.
The US weekend box office (studio estimates, all figures in US dollars) is listed below:
1. (-) The Lego Movie - $69,110,0002. (-) The Monuments Men - 22,700,0003. (1) Ride Along - $9,394,000 4. (2) Frozen - $6,914,000 5. (3) That Awkward Moment - $5,540,0006. (5) Lone Survivor -$5,293,0007. (-) Vampire Academy - $4,101,0008. (4) The Nut Job - $3,809,000 9. (6) Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit -$3,600,000 10. (7) Labor Day - $3,230,000
Watch the trailer for The Lego Movie below:
Catch up on all the latest TV and Movies releases in Digital Spy's Screen Time:
'Ride Along' rolls over 'Jack Ryan' to win US weekend box office
Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni
Cast member Ice Cube and his wife Kimberly Woodruff pose at the premiere of ''Ride Along'' at the TCL Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California January 13, 2014.
Last week's box office winner, the Afghanistan war tale "Lone Survivor," was second with ticket sales of $23.2 million, according to studio estimates provided by tracking firm Rentrak.
In a weekend crowded with four new films, "The Nut Job," the first animated release from Open Road Films, collected $20.6 million in ticket sales to claim third place.
Starring Chris Pine as the late author Tom Clancy's fictional CIA analyst, "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" took in $17.2 million over the first three days of the Martin Luther King holiday weekend for the No. 4 spot.
"Ride Along," which hip hop singer and star Ice Cube also produced, far surpassed Hollywood's $28 million opening weekend forecast and was the biggest three-day King Day holiday weekend opening ever. While only 10 of 47 reviews were favorable, according to the site Rotten Tomatoes, 94 percent of the audience surveyed on the site wanted to see it.
"The timing was really right on this one," said Nikki Rocco, president for domestic distribution at Universal Pictures which released the film, which cost about $25 million.
Noting that there had not really been another comedy since "Anchorman 2," which opened a month ago, Rocco said the audience skewed surprisingly female - 57 percent - and that "Ride Along" had even turned into a bit of a date movie.
Audiences graded it an A, according to CinemaScore which polls people who have seen films, boding well for the coming weeks, Rocco added.
"The Nut Job," the first animated film from Open Road Films, a joint between theater giants AMC Entertainment and Regal Entertainment Group, benefited from playing in more than 3,400 theaters, according to the site Box Office Mojo, about the same as "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" but far more than "Ride Along," which played in around 2,700.
Weekend sales for "The Nut Job" ranked as the biggest opening for an animated film not produced by a major studio, beating out the $16.8 million for 2009 film "Coraline." "Nut Job" cost about $30 million to make after tax rebates.
Pine, best known for his role as Captain Kirk in the 2009 film "Star Trek," is the fourth actor to play Jack Ryan in the fifth film based on the late Clancy's character. Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck have all played the part.
The film, a reboot of the movie series featuring a younger Pine, took more than five years to make it to the screen.
Paramount, the studio behind it, put it on hold when Pine was cast its "Star Trek" film, and said on Sunday that the opening box office was in line with expectations.
Rounding out the top five, Disney's animated hit "Frozen" took in just under $12 million.
Academy Award nominee "American Hustle" was sixth with $10.6 million in ticket sales. Two other top-nominated films, "Gravity" and "12 Years a Slave," returned to theaters after having largely ended their runs.
The low-budget horror film "Devil's Due" opened with $8.5 million in sales for the No. 7 slot.
Viacom's Paramount Pictures released "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. "The Ride Along" and "Lone Survivor" were distributed by Comcast's Universal Pictures. Fox, a unit of Twenty-First Century Fox, released "Devil's Due." Open Road Films, a joint between theater giants AMC Entertainment and Regal Entertainment Group, released "The Nut Job".
(Reporting By Ronald Grover and Chris Michaud)
'LEGO Movie' tops 'Monuments Men' to score huge US box office win
Credit: Reuters/Phil McCarten
Cast member Will Ferrell attends the premiere of the film ''The Lego Movie'' in Los Angeles February 1, 2014.
"The Monuments Men," which also stars Matt Damon, Bill Murray and John Goodman, was second with $22.7 million in sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters. The film is based on the true story of U.S. soldiers who rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves.
After three consecutive weeks in the top spot, the Kevin Hart-Ice Cube comedy "Ride Along" was third with $9.4 million.
"The LEGO Movie" is distributed by Warner Bros., Sony Corp's movie studio released "The Monuments Men." "Ride Along" was distributed by Universal Pictures, a unit of NBC Universal.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover and Chris Michaud; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
Saturday, 8 February 2014
BOX OFFICE: 'Lego' Blockbuster Est. $58M to …
OPENING: The Lego Movie (WB), blockbuster expected anywhere from $60M+; The Monuments Men (Sony), around $22M in 2nd position; Vampire Academy (TWC) anemic with $4.5M to $4.8M
1). The Lego Movie (WB) 3,775 theaters / $18M Fri. / Est. 3-day Cume: $60M+ / Wk 1
2). The Monuments Men (SONY), 3,083 theaters / $7M to $7.3M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $21.8M to $22.1M/ Wk 1
3). Ride Along (UNI), 2,800 theaters (-67) / $2.6M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $8.6M to $8.8M / Wk 4
4). Frozen (DIS), 2,460 theaters (-294) / $1.4M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $5.8M to $6.1M / Total Est. Cume: $368M / Wk 12
5/6). That Awkward Moment (FOCUS), 2,809 theaters (0) / $1.6M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $5M to $5.2M / Total Est. Cume: $16.5M / Wk 2
Lone Survivor (UNI), 2,869 theaters (-416) / $1.3M to $1.4M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $5M to $5.3M / Total Est. Cume: $112.5M / Wk 7
7). Vampire Academy (TWC), 2,676 theaters / $1.6M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $4.5M to $4.8M / Wk 1
8). The Nut Job (OPRD), 3,004 theaters (-468) / $725K Fri. / 3-day Cume: $2.9M to $3.2M / Total Est. Cume: $54.5M / Wk 4
9). Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (PAR), 2,139 theaters (-768) / $900K Fri. / 3-day Cume: $3.1M to $3.3M / Total Est. Cume: $44M / Wk 4
10/11). American Hustle (SONY), 1,640 theaters (-576)/ $740K Fri. / 3-day Cume: $2.6M to $2.9M / Total Est. Cume: $138M / Wk 9
Labor Day (PAR), 2,584 theaters (0)/ $900K Fri. / 3-day Cume: $2.6M to $3.3M / Total Est. Cume: $9.6M /Wk 2
Thursday, 6 February 2014
Ride Along holds US box office for third week
Kevin Hart and Ice Cube's Ride Along has landed at the top spot at the US box office for the third weekend in a row.
The comedy made $12.314m over the weekend, raising its total gross to $92.9m.
It beat out the debut of the Zac Efron and Michael B Jordan comedy That Awkward Moment, which came it at third place behind Disney's Frozen with $9m.
The Nut Job, Lone Survivor and Jack Ryan all dropped spots to numbers four, five, and six respectively.
Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin's drama Labor Day debuted at number seven, earning $5.3m.
Meanwhile, Aaron Eckhart's I, Frankenstein, described by filmmakers as a different take on the Frankenstein novel, took a heavy blow after falling from its sixth place debut last weekend to number ten with $3.5m.
The film, featuring an updated version of the Mary Shelley character, cost $65m to make and has so far grossed $14.49m.
The US weekend box office (studio estimates, all figures in US dollars) is listed below:
1. (1) Ride Along - $12,314,0002. (4) Frozen - $9,310,0003. (-) That Awkward Moment - $9,010,0004. (3) The Nut Job - $7,613,000 5. (2) Lone Survivor - $7,161,0006. (5) Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit - $5,400,000 7. (-) Labor Day - $5,300,0008. (7) American Hustle - $4,300,000 9. (8) The Wolf of Wall Street - $3,550,00010. (6) I, Frankenstein - $3,520,000
Watch the trailer for Ride Along below:
Monday, 3 February 2014
Ride Along still top movie in US
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Ice Cube's film is number one at the US box office Kevin Hart and Ice Cube's Ride Along has stayed strong at the US box office, hanging onto the top spot for the third week.
The buddy cop comedy made 12.3 million dollars (£7.5 million) to stay at number one, meaning its overall haul in America is getting close to 100 million (£61 million).
Disney's Frozen, now the fourth highest-grossing US animated release ever, was in second place with 9.3 million dollars (£5.6 million).
The studio re-released a singalong version of the film, as the movie's soundtrack remains on top of the Billboard 200 chart. The singalong shows added 2.2 million dollars (£1.3 million), as the film crossed the 360 million dollar (£220 million) mark.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box office tracker Rentrak, said Frozen " is a movie that will not quit".
"It's been out for 11 weeks and it's still relevant. By adding this singalong component, they basically assured themselves a number two spot this weekend," he said.
That Awkward Moment, starring Zac Efron, Michael B Jordan and Miles Teller, took third place in its opening weekend and s quirrel comedy The Nut Job was in fourth.
The top five was rounded out by Universal's Lone Survivor, which stars Mark Wahlberg. The Navy SEAL drama has now crossed the 100 million dollar mark.
Press Association
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Farrell and his leading lady Rachel Weisz ready to jet to Kerry for their 'love story'He may now live in the Hollywood hills, but Dubliner Colin Farrell will jet back to Irish shores to film his next movie.
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