While it did break midnight and opening day records, The Twilight Saga: New Moon was unable to beat The Dark Knight's huge opening weekend record, despite being the highest opening weekend of 2009.
The Summit Entertainment sequel took in an estimated $140.7 million domestically over the three day weekend, about $18 million shy of Batman's record $158 million, and even shy of Spider-Man 3's $151.1 million. New Moon will probably beat the life-time domestic theatrical gross of Twilight by the end of the week.
New Moon's worldwide total is $258.8 million, the seventh highest worldwide opening of all time, behind Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
The header image via deathtoll1912, the comic above thanks to ...
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Clip from "Children of the Force" and a new image.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 11:48 AM | From MovieJungle
See a new clip as well as a fresh image from LucasFilm's "Children of the Force" episode of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." The episodes airs on at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Friday, October 9 on Cartoon Network.
After outwitting his Jedi foes and escaping with the Holocron, bounty hunter Cad Bane sets into motion the next stage of his nefarious assignment: to find Force-sensitive younglings and take them to Mustafar for Sith training.
But Bane is merely the instrument of evil, a deadly distraction to occupy the Jedi while the true source continues to plot from the shadows. While he has been glimpsed in previous episodes – and in his seemingly benevolent double-role as Supreme Chancellor of the Republic – Darth Sidious emerges in “Children of the Force” as a direct threat to the galaxy’s future.
“He’s all the hidden secrets most of us have,” says Ian Abercrombie, who provides the smooth and silvery voice of the Janus-faced Sith Lord. “Palpatine is the face, and Sidious is the dark soul. When people are that bad, they cannot change. Somewhere in the back of my head, I know that Sidious is always there and that he will take over. Evil often does.”
For Abercrombie – perhaps best known for comedy roles such as Seinfeld’s doddering Mr. Pitt – providing the voice of THE CLONE WARS’ central villain has been a delicious departure – and a unique career challenge.
“Somebody told me once that when you play a villain, you must try to find a redeemable quality,” says Abercrombie. “I haven’t found it. He’s cold and completely shut down. So, in my head, it’s stillness; he’s very precise. He’s authoritative, he knows everything that’s going on, and so often he’s pulling the strings. It’s difficult to play, but it’s also interesting, because you can’t predict what he’ll do. I love it.
While embodying the evil of such an iconic character may be new to the venerable British actor, the Star Wars universe itself was not – though he could not have predicted that he’d be portraying the subversive driving force of that “galaxy far, far away.”
“It’s quite something, as they say. I was at the very first screening in May 1977 at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. The first Star Wars movie ever! I can’t even believe it, because I never stand in line like that,” he recalls. “But someone sold me on it, and that’s why I did. I never imagined I’d be a part of it. It’s an actor’s dream, playing something bigger and larger than yourself. You can have a field day.”
And with the outcome of the Clone Wars a foregone conclusion and his character’s triumph inevitable, Abercrombie can let his dark side run rampant and have a field day, indeed.
New Moon Accounts for 94% Of all Movie Ticket Sales!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 11:24 PM | From HorrorMovies.ca
Say what you will about Twihards but two things are certain. They are loyal to the Twilight franchise and their is a boat load of them. The anticipation surrounding “New Moon” has been growing since tickets went on sale in September, and the film is certainly living up to expectations. As of 1:30 p.m. ET, “New Moon” accounts for 94 percent of all ticket sales at MovieTickets.com.
Today “New Moon” breaks another record capturing the No. 1 spot on MovieTickets.com’s list of the Top-10 Advance Ticket Sellers of All-Time. The film surpassed the former top contender “Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” and film franchises including “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” as it set a new record.
“By landing the No. 1 spot on our advance ticket sellers list, ‘New Moon’ has broken a record that has stood unchallenged for almost five years,” stated Joel Cohen, executive vice president and general manager, MovieTickets.com. “While this achievement is significant, it comes as little surprise considering the film’s dedicated fan base and the growing trend of purchasing advance tickets online for highly anticipated films such as the ‘Twilight’ series.”
The film has sold out over 2100 theaters in PRE-SOLD Tickets and that my friends is INSANE. Summitt is going to make the proverbial assload of money off this movie.
Big Surprise: Top Grossing Movies of the Decade Are Basically All Franchise Films
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 4:40 AM | From Film Junk
Here's another list for you to digest as we approach the end of the decade. Jason Kottke [1] recently took a look at the list of highest-grossing films from 2000-2009 courtesy of Wikipedia [2], and makes the observation that only one movie in the top 20 is based on an original screenplay. The rest of the movies are all adaptations of books or sequels to existing franchises.
Now, it's pretty easy to jump on this list and whine and moan about how it means there is nothing original in Hollywood anymore. While I agree that there is a problem with studios valuing brand over concept, don't forget, we are talking about the movies that made the most money here. OF COURSE familiar characters and titles are going to attract more viewers than strange and unfamiliar ones... doesn't that make sense? A lot of people don't even see movies at the theatre, so they don't discover something until it hits TV or DVD. The first installment is the one that introduces the concept, attracts a following and then builds the franchise. Even the first movie from an existing property needs to build an audience -- notice that Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Spider-Man are the only movies on this list that are the first in their series?
Anyway, I'm not saying it's good, but it's certainly not surprising. Unfortunately it's this trend that has also resulted in the whole toy and board game movie debacle. Maybe we need a few brand-based movies to fail so that people realize that good stories are also important. Check out the top 20 grossing movies of the decade after the jump. What do you think, is it depressing or deserving?
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
3. The Dark Knight
4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
9. Shrek 2
10. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
11. Spider-Man 3
12. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
13. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
14. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
15. Finding Nemo
16. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
17. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
18. Spider-Man
19. Shrek the Third
20. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
[1] http://kottke.org/09/11/the-2000s-according-to-wikipedia
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000s_in_film
FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!
Online ticketer Fandango has revealed that "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," the second installment in the sequel, has become #1 advance online ticket seller. That means that "New Moon" has surpassed #2 "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith," #3 "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," #4 "The Dark Knight" and #5 "Twilight."
New Moon pre-sale
Monday, November 16, 2009 4:52 PM | From Joblo.Com
This was probably inevitable, but it's pretty significant nonetheless. It's official, NEW MOON has now sold more pre-release tickets than any film in Fandango's ten year history. Here's how the new ranking order breaks down:
1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
2. Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (2005)
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
4. The Dark Knight (2008)
5. Twilight...
Read More...
New Moon Sets New Ticket Sales Record. Theater Owners Seen Putting Garlic In Popcorn
Monday, November 16, 2009 7:20 AM | From Latino Review
I wasn't going to initially post this because:1. I don't have stock in Fandango, so why post it.2. I don't give a shit.But that all changed when I read the following line in this press release for New Moon breaking sales records for Fandango - "52% of survey respondents say they dream about vampires."That means over half of the people who bought tickets for New Moon's Thursday night showing dream about vampires. This country has truly become a nation of idiots.Here's the press release:
'New Moon' Strikes Down 'Dark Knight', 'Harry Potter' and 'Star Wars' to Become the #1 Advance Ticket-Seller in Fandango History
With five more days before its November 20 release date, New Moon has already leaped over previous record-holders to become the top-selling pre-release title in Fandango's ten-year history. The new record for Fandango's fastest-selling film was set on Saturday night, November 14, shortly after 8:00 p.m.
The Top 5 Advance Ticket-Sellers on Fandango (as of November 15, 2009) are now as follows:
1. New Moon (2009)
2. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
4. The Dark Knight (2008)
5. Twilight (2008)
The latest chapter of The Twilight Saga is currently wolfing down 86% of weekly ticket sales on Fandango, the nation's leading movie ticketing destination.
Thousands of Thursday night midnight showtimes for New Moon are already sold out across the country, from Albany, Georgia to Yuba City, California. Yet New Moon tickets continue to be available. To meet the fan demand, the nation's top theater owners are regularly posting brand new showtimes on additional screens.
"For many fans, it's clearly the year's most anticipated film event," says Fandango Chief Operating Officer Rick Butler. "Ever since tickets went on sale on August 31, it's been among our top five weekly ticket-sellers, as New Moon has a strong pull on audiences. We're seeing a higher-than-usual number of tickets per transaction for this film, suggesting that moviegoers will show up en masse at theaters this weekend with their friends and family."
Here are some fun facts from a recent Fandango survey of more than 2,000 New Moon ticket-buyers:
-- 98% say the action in New Moon looks better than the action in
Twilight.
-- 72% plan to see the movie with a group of three friends or more.
-- 52% of survey respondents say they dream about vampires.
-- 22% are mothers and daughters planning to see New Moon together.
-- 10% plan to show up at the theater in costume, dressed as characters
from the saga.
Of course, will New Moon be worth the wait? Look for my review this Thursday at midnight. (Damn embargo) Only then will you know if it's worth seeing.Source:
Twilight Saga: New Moon on Track to Achieve #1 Spot in Advance Ticket Sales
Thursday, November 12, 2009 2:40 PM | From Dread Central
Teams Edward and Jacob are seemingly about to overtake the fans of Harry Potter, Batman, and even Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader by claiming the #1 spot on Fandango's advance ticket sales list. They're currently in 4th place but steadily rising.
New Moon opens at midnight one week from tonight, but the film has already outsold its predecessor, Twilight, in total advance ticket sales on Fandango, the nation's leading movie ticketing destination. The new movie currently represents 75% of the site's ticket sales.
Although thousands of next Thursday night's midnight showtimes are sold out across the country (from Anchorage, Alaska to Winter Park, Florida), tickets are still available, while new showtimes are added regularly to keep up with the demand.
"Ever since we started selling advance tickets to New Moon on August 31, the demand has been unstoppable, as the fan base just keeps growing every day," says Fandango Chief Operating Officer Rick Butler. "New Moon is tracking to be Fandango's #1 top advance ticket-seller of all time."
Currently, New Moon ranks as the #4 top advance ticket-seller in Fandango history, toppling Twilight, which previously held the spot. The Top 5 Advance Ticket-Sellers on Fandango (as of November 12, 2009) are as follows:
1. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
4. New Moon (2009)
5. Twilight (2008)
Fandango is also offering exclusive limited edition New Moon gift cards (featuring images of Edward and Bella, Jacob and The Wolf Pack, and other characters), redeemable for any movie on Fandango.com. Click here for more info on these limited edition New Moon Fandango Bucks cards.
According to a recent Fandango survey of more than 2,000 New Moon ticket-buyers, the first Twilight movie helped fuel the fan frenzy that has carried over to the other installments in the series:
· 55% said the first Twilight movie inspired them to read all the books by Stephenie Meyer.
· 51% plan to see New Moon more than once in the theater.
· 61% said they have read the novel New Moon more than once.
Could we be seeing the next Titanic here? Something tells me Leo and Kate are safe from being toppled from the #1 all time box office spot by Robsten, but honestly, considering all this frenzy, nothing would surprise us at this point.
Get ready to pretend you are surprised but New Moon pre-ticket sales are beating the socks off of alot of films... including its predecessor Twilight! New Moon opens at midnight one week from tonight, but the film has already outsold its predecessor, Twilight, in total advance ticket sales on Fandango, the nation's leading movie ticketing destination. The new movie currently represents 75% of the site's ticket sales.
Although thousands of next Thursday night's midnight showtimes are sold-out across the country (from Anchorage, Alaska to Winter Park, Florida), tickets are still available, while new showtimes are added regularly to keep up with the demand.
"Ever since we started selling advance tickets to New Moon on August 31, the demand has been unstoppable, as the fan base just keeps growing every day," says Fandango Chief Operating Officer Rick Butler. "New Moon is tracking to be Fandango's #1 top advance ticket-seller of all time."
Currently, New Moon ranks as the #4 top advance ticket-seller in Fandango history, toppling Twilight which previously held the spot.
The Top 5 Advance Ticket-Sellers on Fandango (as of November 12, 2009) are as follows:
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
The Dark Knight (2008)
New Moon (2009)
Twilight (2008)
According to a recent Fandango survey of more than 2,000 New Moon ticket-buyers, the first Twilight movie helped fuel the fan frenzy that has carried over to the other installments in the series:
55% said the first Twilight movie inspired them to read all the books by Stephenie Meyer.
51% plan to see New Moon more than once in the theater.
61% said they have read the novel New Moon more than once.
MarketSaw is reporting a ridiculous rumor that there could be a new Star Wars trilogy in 3D . Sounds like wishful thinking to me, but I'm going to humor the idea. They also say that Lucas wouldn't direct that honor would be passed on to Steven Spielberg or Francais Ford Coppola. The Star Wars fan in me wants to believe this is possible but there are a lot of things restricting movement on new films. Mainly it's George Lucas himself and his stranglehold on the franchise. Unless Lucas allows people at his company to take over things this won't happen. I'm sure 20th Century Fox is doing all they can to get more films made.
First off I don't hate Steven Spielberg as a director but his last few movies haven't been up to par. War of The Worlds and Indiana Jones 4 were both rushed into production and felt like Spielberg was only there for the paychecks. That being said he's done a lot for genre film making with Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. Spielberg is just too busy to jump onto another franchise. He has plans for directing Indiana Jones 5 and possibly could attach himself to Tintin 3 and Jurassic Park 4. Not to mention the many other future dramas he wants to make.
Francais Ford Coppola is a name beyond bizarre to attach to Star Wars, which makes me think this is a false rumor. Coppola has stuck to his guns lately making his own films like Youth Without Youth. While the idea of him jumping to an epic world of science fiction is more than thrilling, it's also very unlikely.
It might not happen now but it will happen in the future. While there has been a lot venom thrown on the prequel trilogy by fans, it was a big money maker for 20th Century Fox. The studio spent $343 million on production costs for all three films and made back 2.4 billion in box office. Not to mention the millions made on DVD sales. 20th Century Fox has been trying to find ways of getting more blockbuster films made. Their slump in the market was the reason for all the new X-Men films (Wolverine 2, Deadpool, First Class, X-Men 4). It's also the reason why they've given up on the Aliens Vs Predator films and gone back to make the solo films people want to see, with Predators and Ridley Scott's Alien Prequel. They've even gone to great lengths to find new franchises with James Cameron's Avatar, which could eventually become a trilogy. I don't believe that Lucas Arts/Films can't handle the extra load of a new trilogy, since I've seen the effort they've put into their recent video games.
Phantom Menace ($924.3 Million) Attack of The Clones ($624 Million) Revenge of The Sith ($848.7 Million)
My Thoughts On PossibleStorylines
A trilogy that would focus on the Old Republic. It's my hope that they could revamp the whole franchise by focusing on a brand new set of characters using the Old Republic as it's inspiration. Having a massive war between both Jedi and Sith. Instead of having clones and drones doing the dirty work. I think the lamest part of the prequels was ILM's attempt of saving money by making identical drones and clones fight. Also the Sith needs to have a large army not hiding in the shadows, a real threat to the Jedi.
There is also a possibility of telling the story of the domination by the Empire and the beginnings of the Rebel Alliance. This could tell the stories of Vader and Starkiller, that were told in The Force Unleashed. I thought this story could be expanded into three films if done properly. It could also introduce us to the early members of the Rebel Alliance and a young Princess Leia.
There could be also a group of films that focus on the books that told the story of Luke and his resurrection of the Jedi, then his eventual move into the darkside. I wouldn't be surprised if they brought back Harrison Ford and Mark Hammel for it. Although, they'd have to work quickly they aren't getting any younger. There is also the possibility of just moving even further down that timeline and focusing on Luke and Solo's children.
There is also something that would be amazing if they could focus on the world of Bounty Hunters. A BobaFet spin-off would be loved by fans. It would also be able to manage a smaller budget and wouldn't have to adhere to the previous mold of Star Wars films. BobaFet is very popular and we've seen a lot of focus on the Jedi and Sith, Bounty Hunters are due.
Say what you will about Twihards but two things are certain. They are loyal to the Twilight franchise and their is a boat load of them. The anticipation surrounding “New Moon” has been growing since tickets went on sale in September, and the film is certainly living up to expectations. As of 1:30 p.m. ET, “New Moon” accounts for 94 percent of all ticket sales at MovieTickets.com. 
This was probably inevitable, but it's pretty significant nonetheless. It's official, NEW MOON has now sold more pre-release tickets than any film in Fandango's ten year history. Here's how the new ranking order breaks down:
1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
2. Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (2005)
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
4. The Dark Knight (2008)
5. Twilight...
Read More...
