Movie Mania

The latest News                                            on Upcoming Films Projects

Our team has been scouring the net for all the latest Movie news specially for you. this section will include all the latest Hollywood movie projects, news on TV series and upcoming events. We will update as and when news reaches us

Biker Traffic Jam at the Box Office.

The weekend box office will disclose whether John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, Tim Allen and William H. Macy as motorcyclists in Wild Hogs will be able to overtake Nicolas Cage in Ghost Rider, a movie that has maintained a significant lead over the last two weekends. Hogs won't be helped by road-kill reviews by most critics. David Fincher's Zodiac about the infamous San Francisco serial killer, is also likely to make a strong debut for Paramount and is receiving many critical raves. Meanwhile, Paramount's specialty division, Paramount Vantage, is releasing Black Snake Moan in more limited release.

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Zodiac.

Zodiac, based on the still-unresolved case of the San Francisco serial killer who courted media attention, is opening to vastly contradictory reviews. "Rarely has a film with so much blood on its hands seemed so insistently alive," write Manohla Dargis in the New York Times. "The movie holds you because of [director David Fincher's] unexpected sensitivity to the human
factors that both propel and complicate the chase for an inhuman murderer," Michael Sragow writes in the Baltimore Sun. On the other hand, Bruce Westbrook in the Houston Chronicle calls the film "one of the dullest" movies about serial killings ever and concludes: "Earth calling Hollywood: The serial-killer flick has been done to death, so get over it." And Christy LeMire of the Associated Press warns: "Zodiac runs an astonishing two hours and 40 minutes, and it feels like it."

Disney Lives High Off the Hog

Disney's Wild Hogs brought home the bacon at the box office over the weekend as the film defied negative critical reviews and analysts' predictions to earn an estimated $38 million. It was the most ever earned by a Disney film in March and the third-highest March opening in history. The film, which stars John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, Tim Allen and William H. Macy, had been expected to take in about $23-28 million. Particularly impressive was the fact that the biker movie attracted more women than men (The audience was split 54 percent female; 46 percent male, according to Nielsen EDI.) It "demonstrated Travolta steadfast appeal to female audiences," USA Today commented. Paramount's Zodiac, which generally received solid reviews, opened in second place with $13.1 million -- at the low end of expectations. But Paramount distribution chief Jim Tharp told USA Today: "We think the strong reviews and word of mouth will give us a pretty good run." The only other new film to open this weekend, Black Snake Moan, starring Samuel L. Jackson, placed eighth with $4.0 million. Sony's Ghost Rider, which had held on to first place over the previous two weekends, slipped to third with $11.5 million, putting it within striking distance of the $100-million mark. The film, which also opened to poor reviews, has taken in an additional $60.7 million overseas.

Two Studios Back Satellite, Internet Distribution

Universal and Warner Bros. are working with a company called Digital Cinema Implementation Partners to deliver films to theaters via satellite and the Internet, the Associated Press reported over the weekend. The DCIP system would allow theater owners with digital projection systems to use additional screens at their multiplexes to show movies that would otherwise have sold out. It would also allow theaters in smaller markets to schedule art films over short runs. DCIP, which is owned by the three largest exhibitors, Regal, AMC and Cinemark, said that it expects to begin testing the system by the latter part of this year.

Paramount Creates Direct-to-DVD Division

Paramount is setting up a new division to produce movies that will bypass theaters and go directly to DVD. The studio said the unit will be headed by Louis Feola, who previously headed a similar operation at Universal, and will focus on turning out sequels and prequels of theatrical hits. "Paramount's library of titles and current and upcoming releases, combined with its access to exceptional brands within the Viacom family, makes for an extremely deep and broad selection of properties from which to develop franchises," Feola said in a statement.

Radcliffe Signs On for Final Two 'Potter' Films

British actor Daniel Radcliffe's representative has confirmed he has signed on to star in the final two films in the Harry Potter series. The 17-year-old, who has won rave reviews for his performance in the provocative play Equus, will start filming again in September. The then-unknown actor shot to fame in 2001 when he appeared as the boy wizard in the first Harry Potter film. The hit franchise, which continues with the fifth installment, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, later this year has grossed $3.5 billion globally at the box office. Rowling recently announced that the seventh and final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be published on July 21, but no film start date has been officially set.

'Shrek' To Transition from Movies to TV

In what is likely the first instance of characters created by computer animation for a theatrical motion picture showing up in a television special, ABC plans to air Shrek the Halls from DreamWorks Animation in December 2007. Like the movie, the Christmas TV special will feature the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas, ABC said in a statement. The special, DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg said, "follows a natural storytelling path for us, and we're so happy to be partnered with ABC in expanding the world of Shrek into the television arena." In a manner of speaking, the deal also reunites Katzenberg with Disney for the first time since his rancorous split with former Disney chief Michael Eisner in 1994.

 

Hulk take 2 July 4th 2008 Weekend.

Marvel Entertainment has set June 27th 2008 as the release date for "The Incredible Hulk", it's second go around at the jolly green superhero. This locks in the second Marvel superhero film for that Summer after "Iron Man" on May 2nd. Next summer the studio is releasing "Spider-Man 3" and "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" in similar slots. Louis Leterrier ("Unleashed") is helming this more crowd-pleasing and action-oriented superhero film which hopes to avoid comparisons with Ang Lee's stylish but flawed 2003 movie. 'Hulk' goes into production next year. More interesting though is how the film will fare that weekend. With July 4th falling on the following Friday in 2008, studios are seeing June 27th as a key weekend with Pixar's mysterious "Wall-E" project hitting the same day. Stiffer competition though will come in the form of "The Dark Knight" which many expect to hit theatres either June 13th, 18th or 20th - less than a fortnight before "Hulk". Whereas 'Begins' reached near universal acclaim, "Hulk" has to come off the odour of 2003's "Hulk". This year's "Superman Returns" also demonstrated the holiday weekend isn't necessarily a good time to launch superhero films either.

I Am Legend                                                                                                    Vampire epic Finally Starts shooting

I am a legend is a project that wont Die Which, given that it concerns the vampiric undead, is rather fitting.  Richard Matheson's 1954 novel about the only survivor of a bacterium outbreak that's turned the Earth's inhabitants into bloodsuckers has twice been loosely adapted( 1964's the last man on earth and 1971's The Omega Man ).  But attempts at a straight adaption have stiffed with a 1997 Arnold Schwarzenegger/Ridley Scott effort and a 2002 Michael Bay effort both aborted. It took director Francis Lawrence (Constantine) to finally get the dead walking. Now shooting in New York, His tweaked version has Will Smith as a man somehow immune to the 'Plague' that has infected Manhattan island, where he blasts vamps and hunts for a cure.

Did we mention Vampires, They're Bitey!!!

I am  Legend is released on November 23, 2007. 

Look who's Back!                                                                                                    Die Hard 4 leads the Return of the 80's Heroes

2007 is littered with stars making their action comeback. First there's Sylvester Stallone pulling on his gloves again for Rocky Balboa in February and another Rambo Later in the year; Jean Claude Van Damme is strongly rumored to be lined up for a villain role in Rush Hour 3. And now Bruce Willis has started shooting Live Free or Die Hard in Baltimore set for release July 6th 2007. This could be a hefty gamble using Names who Haven't delivered a big hit in years.  As recognition of that Van Damme would be playing a supporting role and not carrying the movie.  And Stallone is working on a modest budget for Rocky Balboa (24 million) which he's all but certain to recoup, since even his recent flops have topped $25 million. But it is Die Hard 4 which is the biggest test..No budget details are available as yet, But Die Hard with a Vengeance cost $90 million...Bruce will be hoping there is life in the sweaty vest yet.

 

Meet loony Luna Lovegood.?

The latest addition to Harrys Band is Luna "Loony" Lovegood. She is described as looking like an embodiment of dottiness, with her wand tucked behind her ear for safekeeping, giant turnip earrings, and a necklace made of butterbeer corks. Luna's father is the editor of The Quibbler, a magazine where he prints  "important stories he thinks the public needs to know." The stories are often ridiculously untrue and silly; however, Luna believes them and thus many consider her beliefs odd. Luna defends her beliefs, her father and his magazine against insults from other characters, most notably from Hermione Granger. Her casting was suitably strange."We Searched for months says producer David Heyman. "Then eventually we held an open casting and in came Evanna Lynch. She's an obsessive potter fan who'd actually had correspondence with Jo Rowling.  When she was cast jo rang me up because she just couldn't believe it from her letters she said she is Luna... 

Other News Headlines  

# Movie piracy costs US $20.5 Billion Dollars a year.

# Rambo 4 Subtitled In The Serpent's Eye.