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Neill Blomkamp’s new film grossed a disappointing $13.3 million to finish number one for the weekend, while
Focus came in second with just over $10 million.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel did a solid $8.6 million, while Vince Vaughn’s
Unfinished Business bombed with just $4.8 million, which was even lower than already low expectations. Meanwhile,
American Sniper surpassed
Hunger Games: Monkingjay — Part 1 as 2014’s highest grossing film.
(BO)
While at PaleyFest in Los Angeles, Alex Gansa, the co-creator of the acclaimed Showtime drama, revealed during a panel that the upcoming season will "jump two-and-a-half years" in the future. "We are going to be shooting the show in Europe, probably in Germany, and Carrie will no longer be an intelligence officer," he said.
(TVG)
After seeing the brilliant J.C. Chandor film ignored by the Academy, at least partly because it was unveiled at the height of awards season and had a limited release on December 31st, the distributor takes a different tack with the James Ponsoldt film, starring Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg. The limited release will now begin on July 31st, with a bigger rollout coming and an eye on an Oscar run.
(SF)
Comic book heroes Archer and Armstrong, Bloodshot and X-O Manowar might not be household names — but that might be about to change soon, with the New York-based independent publisher announcing a new round of financing that makes a significant investment in future movie projects.
(HV)
Lisa Perrin, currently Manging Director of Shine Network, has been named to lead Shine Network and Endemol’s Creative Operations, reporting directly to Endemol Shine Group President Tim Hincks. Iris Boelhouwer, who has been Managing Director of Creative Operations for Endemol, will exit the company this summer.
(DH)
The sci-fi flick, based on a short story by Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author Ted Chiang, follows an expert linguist whose world is forever changed when an alien crafts land around the world and she is recruited by the military to determine whether they are a threat or not. Renner will play the physics professor who helps Adams’ character communicate with the aliens. His Hawkeye will also be in next summer’s
Captain America film.
(TP)
On the heels of news that the show had cast
True Blood star Rutina Wesley as one of the four main “broads” of the title comes word that
Six Feet Under star Lauren Ambrose is also joining the cast of the ABC pilot. The drama, inspired by true stories, also stars Charlotte Spencer and Cody Horn as the two other female leads, as well as Michael Gaston, Kenneth Mitchell and Alberto Frezza.
(VAR)
According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, ratings for the final hour of prime time are as low as they've been in Nielsen's modern era, and many of the viewers who are sticking around have aged well beyond the parameters of even the most inclusive TV demographic.
(AA)
Prepare yourself for robot-bonding with Die Antwoord, a long-awaited new album from Modest Mouse, and Tina Fey’s sitcom follow-up to
30 Rock. There are plenty of theatrical releases, albums, icicle-playgrounds, and other fun stuff to warm up your spirits in time for the coming spring.
(FCC)
Writer Doug Richardson’s latest column talks about doing hands-on research to get under the skin of your characters, including a pretty awesome story about spending some time at an ER in Watts.
(SM)
