Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Adam Sandler Takes Box Office Title With Disappointing ‘Funny People’

BrianTT — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:19:45 -0600

CHICAGO – Adam Sandler can lay claim to another #1 film with this weekend’s opening of “Funny People,” co-starring Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, and Jason Schwartzman, but the box office win was bittersweet as the film failed to deliver either by the standards of its star or even its acclaimed writer/director Judd Apatow.

Adam Sandler stars as George Simmons. “
Photo credit: Tracy Bennett and Universal Pictures

According to Box Office Mojo, “Funny People” made $23.4 million over the weekend with a per-screen average of $7,793. They are not horrible numbers by any stretch, but they do fall below industry and studio expectations.

Two years ago, Judd Apatow’s “Knocked Up” opened with $31 million without the star power of Adam Sandler and even “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” nearly matched the opening of “Funny People” with just over $21 million in 2005.

“Funny People” also fell significantly short when compared to recent Adam Sandler openings. It was his lowest wide opening weekend since “Spanglish” in 2004. Last summer’s “Bedtime Stories” and 2007’s “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” both opened with over $34 million in their first frame.

Word-of-mouth will be essential to the success or failure of “Funny People”. Both of Apatow’s other films thrived for weeks, each producing about five times their opening weekend gross by the end of their run.

Two films that didn’t screen for critics opened this week with “Aliens in the Attic” landing in 5th place with $7.8 million and a per screen average of $2,511. “The Collector” opened on significantly fewer screens and nearly cracked the top ten with an 11th place opening after collecting $3.6 million over its first three days.

In holdover news, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” held on to second place, watching “G-Force” slide by it from first to third. “Potter” dropped only 40% and made $17.7 million for a total of $255.5 million since it opened - the highest total after 19 days for any film in the franchise. The film has made an amazing $660 million worldwide. Domestically, “Potter” is already #4 on the year and seems lvery ikely to make it to #2 overall (behind only the behemoth known as “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”).

“G-Force” fell 46% to 17.1 million and has made a very nice $66.5 million in its first ten days. It’s not official, but numbers like this make a sequel to the best 3D guinea pig movie ever made inevitable.

“The Ugly Truth” with Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler fell 53% in its second weekend with $13 million and a total of $54.5 million in ten days. The third opener from last weekend, “Orphan,” fell 44% to sixth place with a weekend of $7.3 million and $26.8 million to date.

The rest of the top ten were filled out by popular favorites, four films that have been out five weeks or more - “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” ($5.3 million weekend, $181.8 million overall), “The Hangover” ($5.1 million, $255.8 million overall), “The Proposal” ($4.9 million, $148.9 million overall), and “Transformers 2” ($4.6 million, $388.1 million overall).

Adam Sandler is likely to be tackled by “G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra,” opening on August 7th on roughly 3,500 screens. Other films likely to appear in the top ten include “Julie & Julia” with Meryl Streep & Amy Adams and “A Perfect Getaway” with Steve Zahn & Milla Jovovich.

1. Funny People - $23.4 million - $23.4 million
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - $17.7 million - $255.5 million
3. G-Force - $17.1 million - $66.5 million
4. The Ugly Truth - $13 million - $54.5 million
5. Aliens in the Attic - $7.8 million - $7.8 million
6. Orphan - $7.3 million - $26.8 million
7. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - $5.3 million - $181.8 million
8. The Hangover - $5.1 million - $255.8 million
9. The Proposal - $4.9 million - $148.9 million
10. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - $4.6 million - $388.1 million

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ Discovers the Wizard of Awe

PatrickMcD — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:28:41 -0600

CHICAGO – The Harry Potter phenomenon, born from the pen of J.K. Rowling and nurtured through the utter magic of modern filmmaking, has reached a monumental creative peak with the film “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Combining the darker elements of Harry’s wizardly battles with the timeless struggle of adolescence, Half-Blood Prince succeeds by further humanizing its legendary characters and produces a spectacle that is a feast for both their legion of admirers and more importantly those not as familiar with the books.

In this installment, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) has been “outed” by the press as a possible “chosen one” within the good vs. evil battle with the dark Lord Voldermort. Directly paralleling the real world paparazzi, Harry looks to escape from the limelight between terms at the Hogwarts School, only to be pulled into another chapter of the conflict by his headmaster and mentor, Professor Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon).

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ opens everywhere July 15, 2009, with special midnight shows. Check local listings for showtimes and details. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane and Maggie Smith, directed by David Yates.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” review.

The Wizardly Three – Rupert Grint (Ron), Emma Watson (Hermione) and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry) in ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’
Photo credit: Jaap Buitendijk for © 2008 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” review.

2009 Warner Brothers Picture Preview: ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘Harry Potter 6,’ ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ More

BrianTT — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:55:38 -0700

CHICAGO – Warner Brothers has released a slate of images from their entire 2009 schedule of films, the first half of which are were highlighted in a 25-image slideshow last week with the second half of the exciting 2009 Warner Brothers slate featured below.

This 26-image slideshow contains official press images and schedule information for the recently announced slate of films to be released by Warner Brothers Pictures in the second half of 2009 including new movies starring Cameron Diaz, Robert Downey Jr., Daniel Radcliffe, Matt Damon, Kate Beckinsale, Jude Law, Vera Farmiga, and James Marsden.

These 2009 Warner Brothers Pictures include “The Hangover,” “My Sister’s Keeper,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” “The Orphan,” “Shorts,” “Final Destination: Death Trip 3D,” “Whiteout,” “The Informant,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” “The Box,” and “Sherlock Holmes”. All films have images in the slideshow below.

The release dates, cast lists, and filmmaker information for these Warner Brothers Pictures films can be found below in chronological order, followed by a slideshow of available images.

“The Hangover”
Release Date: June 12th, 2009
Director: Todd Phillips
Writers: Screenplay by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore and Todd Phillips & Jeremy Garelick
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Jeffrey Tambor

Synopsis: “Two days before his wedding, Doug and his three friends drive to Las Vegas for a blow-out bachelor party they’ll never forget. But, in fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can’t remember a thing. For some reason, they find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby in the closet of their suite at Caesars Palace. The one thing they can’t find is Doug. With no clue as to what transpired and little time to spare, the trio must retrace their hazy steps and all their bad decisions in order to figure out where things went wrong and hopefully get Doug back to L.A. in time to walk down the aisle.”

“My Sister’s Keeper”
Release Date: June 26th, 2009
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Writers: Jeremy Leven and Nick Cassavetes
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Sofia Vassilieva, Joan Cusack, Jason Patric

Synopsis: “Sara and Brian live an idyllic life with their young son and daughter. But their family is rocked by sudden, heartbreaking news that forces them to make a difficult and unorthodox choice in order to save their baby girl’s life. The parents’ desperate decision raises both ethical and moral questions and rips away at the foundation of their relationship. Their actions ultimately set off a court case that threatens to tear the family apart, while revealing surprising truths that challenge everyone’s perceptions of love and loyalty and give new meaning to the definition of healing.”

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
Release Date: July 17th, 2009
Director: David Yates
Writers: Screenplay by Steve Kloves
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, David Bradley, Jessie Cave, Frank Dillane, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Helen McCrory, Natalia Tena, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Bonnie Wright

Synopsis: “Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simmering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.”

“The Orphan”
Release Date: July 24th, 2009
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writers: Screenplay by David Leslie Johnson
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder

Synopsis: “The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate and John, taking a toll on both their marriage and Kate’s fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past. Struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt another child. At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves strangely drawn to a young girl named Esther. Almost as soon as they welcome Esther into their home, however, an alarming series of events begins to unfold, leading Kate to believe that there’s something wrong with Esther—this seemingly angelic little girl is not what she appears to be. Concerned for the safety of her family, Kate tries to get John and others to see past Esther’s sweet facade. But her warnings go unheeded until it may be too late…for everyone.”

“Shorts”
Release Date: August 7th, 2009
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Writer: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Jon Cryer, William H. Macy, Leslie Mann, James Spader, Jimmy Bennett, Kat Dennings, Trevor Gagnon, Leo Howard, Devon Gearhart, Rebel Rodriguez, Jake Short, Jolie Vanier

Synopsis: “”Shorts” is set in the suburb of Black Falls, where all the houses look the same and everyone works for BLACK BOX Unlimited Worldwide Industries Incorporated, whose Mr. Black’s BLACK BOX is the ultimate communication and do-it-all gadget that’s sweeping the nation. Other than keeping his parents employed, however, Mr. Black’s BLACK BOX has done nothing for 11-year-old Toe Thompson, who just wants to make a few friends…until a mysterious rainbow-colored rock falls from the sky, hits him in the head and changes everything. The Rainbow Rock does Mr. Black’s BLACK BOX one better: it grants wishes to anyone who holds it. Before long, wishes-gone-wrong have left the neighborhood swarming with tiny spaceships, crocodile armies, giant boogers…and outrageous magical mayhem around every corner. But it’s not until the grown-ups get their hands on the Rock that the trouble really starts. Now Toe and his newfound friends must join forces to save their town from itself, discovering along the way that what you wish for is not always what you want.”

“Final Destination: Death Trip 3D”
Release Date: August 21st, 2009
Director: David R. Ellis
Writer: Eric Bress
Cast: Shantel VanSanten, Bobby Campo, Haley Webb, Nick Zano, Krista Allen, Andrew Fiscella, Richard T. Jones, Mykelti Williamson

Synopsis: “On what should have been a fun-filled day at the races, Nick O’Bannon has a horrific premonition in which a bizarre sequence of events causes multiple race cars to crash, sending flaming debris into the stands, brutally killing his friends and causing the upper deck of the stands to collapse on him. When he comes out of this grisly nightmare Nick panics, persuading his girlfriend, Lori, and their friends, Janet and Hunt, to leave… escaping seconds before Nick’s frightening vision becomes a terrible reality. Thinking they’ve cheated death, the group has a new lease on life, but unfortunately for Nick and Lori, it is only the beginning. As his premonitions continue and the crash survivors begin to die one-by-one—in increasingly gruesome ways—Nick must figure out how to cheat death once and for all before he, too, reaches his final destination. The film marks the latest in the highly popular “Final Destination” series, and its first 3D installment, giving horror fans an especially visceral thrill ride.”

“Whiteout”
Release Date: September 11th, 2009
Director: Dominic Sena
Writers: Screenplay by Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber and Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Columbus Short, Alex O’Loughlin, Shawn Doyle, Tom Skerritt

Synopsis: “Carrie Stetko, the lone U.S. Marshal assigned to Antarctica, is investigating the continent’s first murder, which draws her into a shocking mystery. Now, with only three days until winter, Carrie must solve the crime before Antarctica is plunged into darkness and she is stranded with the killer.”

“The Informant”
Release Date: September 18th, 2009
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writers: Screenplay by Scott Z. Burns
Cast: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale, Melanie Lynskey

Synopsis: “What was Mark Whitacre thinking? A rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Whitacre suddenly turns whistleblower. Even as he exposes his company’s multi-national price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre envisions himself being hailed as a hero of the common man and handed a promotion. But before all that can happen, the FBI needs evidence, so Whitacre eagerly agrees to wear a wire and carry a hidden tape recorder in his briefcase, imagining himself as a kind of de facto secret agent. Unfortunately for the FBI, their lead witness hasn’t been quite so forthcoming about helping himself to the corporate coffers. Whitacre’s ever-changing account frustrates the agents and threatens the case against ADM as it becomes almost impossible to decipher what is real and what is the product of Whitacre’s rambling imagination. Based on the true story of the highest-ranking corporate whistleblower in U.S. history.”

“Where The Wild Things Are”
Release Date: October 16th, 2009
Director: Spike Jonze
Writers: Screenplay by Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers
Cast: Catherine Keener, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker

Synopsis: “Maurice Sendak’s classic book Where the Wild Things Are comes to the big screen in an adventure tale for every generation.”

“The Box”
Release Date: November 6th, 2009
Director: Richard Kelly
Writers: Screenplay by Richard Kelly
Cast: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella

Synopsis: “Norma and Arthur Lewis are a suburban couple with a young child who receive an anonymous gift bearing fatal and irrevocable consequences. A simple wooden box, it promises to deliver its owner $1 million with the press of a button. However, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world…someone they don’t know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the crosshairs of a startling moral dilemma and face the true nature of their humanity.”

“Sherlock Holmes”
Release Date: November 20th, 2009
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writers: Screenplay by Michael Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Guy Ritchie
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Kelly Reilly

Synopsis: “In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, “Sherlock Holmes” sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.”

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos credited to ©Warner Brothers. All rights reserved. Specific photographer credits where noted.

The_Hangover_1: Ed Helms as Stu, Zach Galifianakis as Alan and Bradley Cooper as Phil in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures comedy The Hangover, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Frank Masi
The_Hangover_2: Zach Galifianakis as Alan holds Baby Tyler, Bradley Cooper as Phil and Ed Helms as Stu in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ comedy The Hangover, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Frank Masi
My_Sisters_Keeper_1: Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) and her sister Anna (Abigail Breslin) discuss the hardships of her condition in the drama, My Sisters Keeper, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Sidney Baldwin
My_Sisters_Keeper_2: Sara (Cameron Diaz) enjoys a good day on the beach with her cancer patient daughter Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) in the drama My Sisters Keeper, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Sidney Baldwin
Harry_Potter6_1: Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley in Warner Bros. Pictures fantasy adventure Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk
Harry_Potter6_2: Jim Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn and Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in Warner Bros. Pictures fantasy adventure Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk
Harry_Potter6_3: Michael Gambon as Dumbledore and Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in Warner Bros. Pictures fantasy adventure Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk
Harry_Potter6_4: Hero Fiennes Tiffin as a young Tom Riddle, Amelda Brown as Mrs. Cole and Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore in Warner Bros. Pictures fantasy adventure Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk
Orphan_1: Peter Sarsgaard as John Coleman and Vera Farmiga as Kate Coleman in the horror thriller Orphan, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Ed Araquel
Orphan_2: Aryana Engineer as Max and Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther in the horror thriller Orphan, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers
Shorts_1: Rebel Rodriguez as Lug, left, and Leo Howard as Laser, right, watch as Trevor Gagnon as Loogie closes his eyes to make a wish in the family action adventure comedy Shorts. Photo by Van Redin
Shorts_2: Jake Short as Nose Noseworthy, Trevor Gagnon as Loogie, Jimmy Bennett as Toe Thompson, Kat Dennings as Stacey Thompson and William H. Macy as Dr. Noseworthy in the family action adventure comedy Shorts. Photo by Van Redin
Shorts_3: Toe Thompson (Jimmy Bennett) makes a wish on the rainbow rock in the family action adventure comedy Shorts. Photo by Van Redin
Final_Destination4_1: Nick (Bobby Campo, left) tries to hold onto Lori (Shantel Vansanten) in the horror film Final Destination: Death Trip 3D, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Jim Sheldon
Final_Destination4_1: Janet (Haley Webb) realizes she is stuck inside a car wash in the horror film Final Destination: Death Trip 3D, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Jim Sheldon
Whiteout_1: Kate Beckinsale as Carrie Stetko, the lone U.S. Marshall assigned to Antarctica, desperately tries to reach for a gun in the suspense thriller Whiteout. Photo by Rafy
Whiteout_2: Kate Beckinsale as Carrie Stetko, the lone U.S. Marshal assigned to Antarctica in the suspense thriller Whiteout. Photo by Rafy.
The_Informant: Matt Damon stars as Mark Whitacre in The Informant. Photo by Claudette Barius
Where_the_Wild_Things_Are_1: Max Records as Max in Where The Wild Things Are, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Matt Nettheim
Where_the_Wild_Things_Are_2: Max Records as Max in Where The Wild Things Are, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Matt Nettheim
Where_the_Wild_Things_Are_3: Max Records as Max in Where The Wild Things Are, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Matt Nettheim
Where_the_Wild_Things_Are_4: Max Records as Max in Where The Wild Things Are, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Matt Nettheim
The_Box_1: Cameron Diaz stars as Norma Lewis in the suspense thriller The Box, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Dale Robinette
The_Box_2: James Marsden stars as Arthur Lewis and Cameron Diaz stars as Norma Lewis in the suspense thriller The Box, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Dale Robinette
Sherlock_Holmes_1: Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes in Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures action/adventure mystery Sherlock Holmes, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Alex Bailey
Sherlock_Holmes_2: Jude Law as Dr. Watson and Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes in Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures action/adventure mystery Sherlock Holmes, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Alex Bailey

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

First-Look Production Stills: New ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Get Smart,’ ‘10,000 B.C.’; ‘Speed Racer’ Poster

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:00:16 -0700

Following our Dec. 11 post, which featured a slew of new production stills from 2008 Warner Bros. films, even more have just been released by the studio. We now see the first stills from “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” “10,000 B.C.” and “Get Smart”.

Steven Strait as D’Leh in the epic adventure “10,000 B.C.”.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”.
Photo credit: Jaap Buitendijk

Anne Hathaway stars as Agent 99 and Steve Carell stars
as Maxwell Smart in “Get Smart”.
Photo credit: Tracy Bennett

Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart in “Get Smart”.
Photo credit: Tracy Bennett
Also, I’m adding a sweet “Speed Racer” production still from Dec. 11. Below it, we see a new lenticular “Speed Racer” poster that – in person – is literally in 3D. /Film says: “The helmet under [Speed Racer’s] arms pops out at you and the background is also in 3D.”

Emile Hirsch as Speed Racer in the Mach 5 in the film “Speed Racer”.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Lenticular “Speed Racer” poster in 3D.
Image credit: FirstShowing.net