17 articles
‘The Voice’ Contestant Christina Grimmie, 22, Dead After Concert Shooting
3 hours ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
Christina Grimmie, a former contestant on “The Voice,” was fatally shot Friday night at her concert in Orlando, Florida, Variety has confirmed.
The 22-year-old singer was a finalist on Season 6 of NBC’s hit singing competition show.
A statement from Grimmie’s team reads: “It is with a heavy heart that we can confirm that Christina has passed and went home to be with the Lord. She was shot at her show in Orlando and, unfortunately, didn’t survive the gun shot wounds. We ask at this time that you respect the privacy of her family and friends in their time of mourning. If you’d like to give back to Christina’s family in her memory, please consider donating to the families GoFundMe page in their time of need. https://www.gofundme.com/christinagrimmie.”
Grimmie was shot Friday night, following her performance at the Plaza Live Theater in Orlando, Fl. when an unidentified shooter came at her, around the time of a meet-and-greet. It is unclear whether the shooter knew Grimmie, according to local police, and local NBC affiliate Wesh reports that as many as five gunshots were fired.
Following the shots, Grimmie’s brother reportedly tackled the shooter, who then shot himself and is dead.
Grimmie was brought to Orlando Regional Medical Center, per Wesh, where she was in critical condition. Later that night, Grimmie’s reps confirmed her passing to Variety.
Grimmie was on Adam Levine’s team during her time on “The Voice” when she came in third place. The young punk-pop singer has a large social media following, and promoted her Orlando show on her social platforms just hours before her tragic death.
Before Grimmie’s passing was confirmed, “The Voice” coach Blake Shelton took to Twitter to express his concern. He tweeted, “Cant believe this” and “praying.”
The Orlando Police also confirmed Grimmie’s passing on Twitter early Saturday morning, posting, “With deep regret, we have confirmed Christina Grimmie, @TheRealGrimmie has died from her injuries.”
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- Elizabeth Wagmeister
Doug Liman in Talks to Direct Adaptation of YA Novel ‘Chaos Walking’
13 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
“The Bourne Identity” director Doug Liman is in negotiations to direct Lionsgate’s adaptation of “Chaos Walking.”
Based on the popular YA novel, the studio has been trying to get the film off the ground for sometime with Robert Zemeckis initially attached to helm from a script by Charlie Kaufman.
If a deal closes, Liman would first shoot the Amazon actioner “The Wall” with Aaron Taylor-Johnson and then segue into “Chaos Walking” in early 2017.
Jamie Linden penned the most recent script with Doug Davison producing.
“Chaos Walking: The Knife of Never Letting Go,” published in 2008 as the first book in a trilogy, is set in a dystopian world where all living creatures can hear each other’s thoughts.
The book is centered on the only boy in a town of men, who makes a startling discovery that forces him to flee with only his dog in hand. With the townspeople in pursuit, »
- Justin Kroll
Mel Gibson Planning 'Passion of the Christ' Sequel (Exclusive)
9 June 2016 2:12 PM, PDT | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
Mel Gibson and writer Randall Wallace are working on a sequel to The Passion of the Christ that will tell the story of the resurrection of Jesus, Wallace tells The Hollywood Reporter. Wallace, nominated for an Academy Award for scripting Gibson's 1995 best picture Oscar winner Braveheart, on Thursday (reluctantly) confirmed rumors that he has begun to write a script for a story about the resurrection, telling THR that the project is becoming too difficult to keep under wraps. Wallace, who most recently directed and co-wrote the 2014 faith-based drama Heaven Is for Real, says he and Gibson began
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- Paul Bond
‘Nashville’ Picked Up For Season 5 By CMT With Next-Day Play on Hulu
18 hours ago | Deadline TV | See recent Deadline TV news »
"Nashville" has been saved. After weeks of negotiations and fan campaigns, country music-themed cable network CMT has picked up the country music drama for Season 5. I hear the order is for 22 episodes, in line with the full broadcast seasons the show produced for ABC. As expected, there will be a dual play, with Hulu, the show’s long-time SVOD home, continuing to make all Nashville episodes available to stream the day after they air on CMT. The pickup comes less then a… »
Angelina Jolie Circles ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ Remake
10 June 2016 1:20 AM, PDT | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Angelina Jolie is in early talks to board Fox’s remake of “Murder on the Orient Express.”
Fellow actor/director Kenneth Branagh is helming the film, in addition to starring as Hercule Poirot. The producers are Branagh, Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg and Mark Gordon. Michael Schaefer and Aditya Sood will also produce in some capacity.
Michael Green (“Blade Runner 2”) is writing the screenplay based on Agatha Christie’s novel, with Steve Asbell overseeing the production for Fox.
Christie’s book, published in 1934, revolves around a murder onboard the famous train. The film follows Belgian detective Poirot who’s tasked with solving the case — in which a number of passengers could potentially be the murderer.
Variety reported in 2013 that Fox was developing the project as a remake of Sidney Lumet’s 1974 movie, which starred Albert Finney as the genius detective investigating the murder of an American tycoon aboard the train. The »
- Dave McNary
Descendants 2 Premiering in 2017; China Anne McClain Cast as Ursula 2.0
19 hours ago | TVLine.com | See recent TVLine.com news »
The Descendants are adding a poor, unfortunate soul to their ranks.
Disney Channel on Friday announced that China Anne McClain (A.N.T. Farm) is joining the cast of Descendants 2 as Uma, the daughter of legendary sea witch Ursula. McClain previously voiced Freddie, the daughter of The Princess and the Frog‘s Dr. Facilier, in the animated series Descendants: Wicked World.
The sequel — premiering in 2017, with production slated to begin this summer — will also introduce the offspring of Captain Hook and Beauty and the Beast‘s Gaston; their casting will be announced soon.
The cast of the original 2015 film will also return for Descendants 2 — Dove Cameron as Mal, daughter of Maleficent; Cameron Boyce as Carlos, son of Cruella de Vil; Booboo Stewart as Jay, son of Jafar; Sofia Carson as Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen; and Mitchell Hope as King Ben, son of Belle and the Beast — along with Kenny Ortega as director, executive producer and choreographer.
“Just when you thought ‘Happily Ever After’ had come to the land of Auradon, Descendants 2 turns the page to reveal a whole new level of mystery and surprise,” warns Disney Channel president Gary Marsh.
Your thoughts on McClain as Ursula 2.0? Any casting suggestions for Captain Hook or Gaston’s kids? Whatever’s on your mind, drop it in a comment below.
Related storiesTVLine Items: Chicago Justice Names Boss, HBO's Lemonade Refill and MoreGirl Meets World Season Premiere, Pt. 2: The Kids Are Alright (For Now)First Look: Liv and Maddie Delivers Extra Voltage, Before a Shocking Twist »
Gordie Howe -- Mr. Hockey Dead at 88
20 hours ago | TMZ | See recent TMZ news »
Hockey legend Gordie Howe died Friday morning in Ohio. According to reports, Howe was at his son's home in Toledo when he passed away. He had suffered a stroke last year, but his family said he recovered well after that. The Detroit Red Wings superstar held most of the NHL records that Wayne Gretzky eventually broke. Howe was a 23-time All-Star in the league, and played an astounding 26 seasons in the NHL (still a record »
- TMZ Staff
'Conjuring 2' Looks to Scare Up a #1 Finish Over 'Now You See Me 2' and 'Warcraft'
9 June 2016 12:03 PM, PDT | Box Office Mojo | See recent BoxOfficeMojo.com news »
This weekend offers up the 16th and 17th wide release sequels of 2016 in the form of The Conjuring 2 and Now You See Me 2. Meanwhile Warcraft delivers the year's third video game adaptation with one more on the way. Expectation is for the three films to finish "one, two, three" respectively at this weekend's box office with the Conjuring and Now You See Me sequels hoping to deliver better results than recent 2016 sequels have been able to muster when compared to their original releases. Warcraft, however, is looking like it's mostly going to be an international play for Universal and the film's financiers as it has now topped $168 million from overseas markets, including record numbers in China, while eyeing a lackluster domestic debut. At the top of this weekend's box office will be the sequel to James Wan's 2013 supernatural, "based on a true story" thriller, The Conjuring. Upon its release, »
- Brad Brevet <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
The Shield Actor Michael Jace Found Guilty of Wife's Murder, Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison
17 hours ago | E! Online | See recent E! Online news »
Update: Michael Jace was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison Friday. Before his sentence was handed down he said that there were "no justifications for his actions" and apologized to his wife's family. Former The Shield actor Michael Jace was convicted of second-degree murder Tuesday for shooting his wife, April Jace, in front of their two young children in 2014, E! News confirms. He faces 40 years to life in state prison when he's scheduled to appear for sentencing on June 10. Jurors deliberated for less than three hours over the course of two days before reaching the verdict. The ruling was changed from first-degree to second-degree murder »
John Williams Honored by Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford at AFI Gala
10 June 2016 12:34 AM, PDT | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
“That damn music follows me everywhere,” a heavily bearded Harrison Ford sighed from the Dolby Theater stage during the AFI’s Life Achievement Award presentation to John Williams on Thursday night, having just entered to the strains of the Williams-composed main theme to “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” “They play it every time I walk on the stage. Every time I walk off the stage. It was playing in the operating room when I went in for a colonoscopy.”
The evening’s other tributes were significantly less visceral, but Ford struck on the night’s common theme: the utter ubiquity of Williams’ music both inside and outside of cinemas over the past half century.
With his career having intersected with the work of so many of Hollywood’s brightest names, the dinner (to be broadcast later this month on TNT) was an appropriately starry affair. Collaborators ranging from Steven Spielberg »
- Andrew Barker
Fox Networks Boards Chinese Series ‘Ruyi’s Love in the Palace’
1 hour ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
Fox Networks Group Asia has acquired global rights outside mainland China to Chinese series “Ruyi’s Love In The Palace.” The show, produced by New Classic Media, is the sequel to the award winning and successful show “Empresses in the Palace.”
Fox said that “Ruyi’s Love” is a “special joint project under which Fng and Ncm have worked closely together for a 360 degree programming strategy, from co-production to broadcasting and promotion strategies.”
It will be carried by Star Chinese Channel (Scc), the flagship Chinese general entertainment channel, in the territories under the channel’s footprint. Within mainland China rights were acquired by Dragon TV, Jiangsu TV and Tencent (online only).
“Ruyi’s Love” will start production from August 2016. The 90-episode period drama depicts a royal romance in the palace at the time of the Yongzheng Emperor’s death and during the Qianlong Emperor’s rise to the throne. “Ruyi’s Love,” like “Empresses,” is an adaptation from a novel by Zi Liu Lian of the same title.
The cast is headed by Zhou Xun as the title character, alongside Wallace Huo as the Qianlong Emperor.
Fox says that the deal “further underlines its commitment to bringing quality Chinese content to the region and beyond.” Last month it acquired rights to 42-part series “To Be A Better Man” from Linmon Pictures.
It has previously worked with New Classic Media on movies and series including “Tiger Mom,” “May December Love 2,” “Go Lala Go 2,” and “Meet Miss Anxiety.”
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- Patrick Frater
Romania Looking to Attract Big-Budget Foreign Productions
3 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Transylvania International Film Festival earlier this month, producer Iain Smith fondly described his time shooting “Cold Mountain” in Romania in 2003 as “one of the happiest filmmaking experiences I’ve ever had.” He remembered the warmth and generosity of the local crew, and the moody landscapes that served as a backdrop to the film’s tale of love and loss during the U.S. Civil War.
Romanian officials and entertainment executives want more foreign producers to follow in Smith’s footsteps. Hopes are high that the local servicing industry will be revived by the splashy relaunch of a sprawling studio complex and the expected approval of tax rebates that would put the country on equal footing with its neighbors in a competitive region.
Interest in Romania was reportedly high last month in Cannes, where Romanian director Cristian Mungiu won an award for “Graduation.” At the festival, producer Bobby Paunescu announced a new management team for Bucharest Film Studios. Formerly known as Media Pro, the studio includes 19 sound stages, a 110-acre backlot, and one of the largest water tanks in Europe.
Paunescu says that the studio reboot has already borne fruit, with a Hollywood production committed to what he expects to be “the second-largest budget” for a film in his country after “Cold Mountain.”
“It’s a new chance for the industry,” he says, an opportunity to “relaunch Romania.”
Outside of the sophisticated production facilities in Bucharest, the door could also be opening for regional production centers to emerge as well, says helmer and Transylvania festival founder Tudor Giurgiu. Last year, Radu Mihaileanu’s “The History of Love,” based on the international bestseller by American novelist Nicole Krauss, was filmed in Bucharest and Cluj, a bustling medieval city where Eastern European film pioneers like Jeno Janovics, Alexander Korda, and Michael Curtiz built a thriving industry a century ago.
In the 13 years since “Cold Mountain” was filmed there, Romania has serviced a string of foreign film and TV shoots, including the History Channel’s “Hatfields & McCoys” and Terry Gilliam’s “The Zero Theorem.” But nothing has matched “Cold Mountain’s” $80-million budget, and Bogdan Moncea, of Bucharest’s Castel Film Studios, notes that while business has been “growing slowly but steadily after the recession years,” it’s yet to reach pre-recession levels.
That could change with the introduction of tax rebates, which are expected to be put in place later this year. Romania is one of the only countries in Europe without an incentive scheme, but industry insiders say that crafting a rebate plan is a top priority of the young, technocratic government that swept to power last fall.
The details haven’t been finalized yet. But Alex Traila, of the National Film Center, says that officials are trying to “do a bit of analysis in the neighborhood” to determine what would work best for Romania. The country might take a page from the Czech Republic’s playbook, where the tax break currently covers up to 20% of production spend, or from neighboring Hungary, which offers a 25% rebate.
The incentives would add to the appeal of a country that already boasts varied locations, skilled crews, and some of the lowest production costs in the region.
“Romania remains one of the most attractive places to shoot in Europe, even without a tax incentive program,” says Moncea. “But we are convinced that the introduction of such a program will boost the industry,” allowing it to reach its “full potential.”
Moncea’s Castel, which has serviced more than 250 features since opening its doors in 1992, has already had a busy year. The studio is just days away from wrapping Discovery’s six-hour miniseries “Harley & the Davidsons,” as well as Universal’s “Dragon Heart 4” — Castel’s sixth project for the studio in recent years. The company is also working on a four-episode police procedural for HBO Europe.
Romania’s entertainment industry is eager to make up for lost time. Paunescu estimates that, in the past 10 years, the country’s economy has lost out on $3 billion to $4 billion from direct spending and from the trickle-down effect of hosting big-budget foreign shoots.
“It’s obvious opportunities were lost,” says newly appointed Culture Minister Corina Sateu. “But now what we have to focus on is how to create legislation that makes it stop.”
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- Christopher Vourlias
'The Voice' Alum Christina Grimmie Dies After Concert Shooting
5 hours ago | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
Christina Grimmie, a contestant on The Voice season six, was fatally shot at a concert Friday night. Orlando Police responded to a call at the Plaza Live venue at about 10:20 p.m. Et on Friday, where they found Grimmie injured, the Orlando police department said in a statement. Grimmie performed with the band Before You Exit at the venue and she stayed after the event to sign autographs for fans, when police say a man approached the singer and shot her. He was tackled by Grimmie's brother, and during that struggle, the suspect fatally shot himself, according to
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- Jennifer Konerman, Michele Amabile Angermiller, Billboard
All 17 Pixar Movies Ranked, Worst to Best (Photos)
7 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
TheWrap’s film critic Alonso Duralde rates all the Pixar animation studio’s features, placing “Finding Dory” in the top half 17. Cars 2 (2011) “They should let people see the movie for free,” one pundit opined, “since Disney will make all their money back on the bedsheets.” Some of Pixar’s best movies are sequels, but this follow-up to an already inferior studio entry seemed like nothing but a craven bid for more merchandising money. The results were good for shareholders but middling for moviegoers. 16. Cars (2006) Never underestimate little boys and their love for automobiles. This brightly colored but dramatically flat tale. »
- Alonso Duralde
Outcast Recap: The Banality of Evil
7 hours ago | Vulture | See recent Vulture news »
It's tough to take this show's heavy-handed psychologizing seriously. »
- Simon Abrams
‘Downton Abbey’ Star Made Dame, Rod Stewart Knighted By Queen Elizabeth II
7 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Move over, Maggie Smith. “Downton Abbey” now has two dames. Penelope Wilton, who played Isobel Crawley on all six seasons of the popular British drama, was made a dame — the female equivalent of a knight — by Queen Elizabeth II on Friday. Wilton, a prolific stage actress who has also appeared in films ranging from “Shaun of the Dead” to “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” was honored for her services to drama. Her “Downton” costar — and on-screen rival — Maggie Smith was made a dame in 1990. Also Read: Emmy Contenders: 'Downton Abbey' Stars Joanne Froggatt, Lesley Nicol Talk Show's »
- Lawrence Yee
'Friday Night Lights' Cast Reunites to Mark 10th Anniversary of Series Debut
7 hours ago | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
Less than 12 hours after Cmt resurrected her country music drama for a new season, Connie Britton took the stage at the Atx Television Festival to greet adoring fans. But it wasn't Nashville that they wanted to talk about – it was her beloved role as Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights. “That was such a great character to play,” she told the crowd Friday night. While her Nashville co-stars were celebrating the canceled show's last-minute revival with a concert in Tennessee, Britton joined her former Fnl castmates in the Lone Star state to reminiscence about the
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- Kate Stanhope
‘Zootopia’ is king of the box office jungle. Can any 2016 animated movie take its crown?
8 hours ago | Hitfix | See recent Hitfix news »
Their own mammal metropolis isn’t the only place Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps have won over; the bunny-and-fox duo have also dominated the world, with Disney’s Zootopia reaching the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office earlier this week. It’s the top-earning animated feature of 2016 thus far, well on its way to making twice as much as Kung Fu Panda 3, which is at #2 among animated films this year. Will Zootopia be king of the 2016 jungle? Or can another animated flick top it? Box office experts agree: Finding Dory is likely to surpass Zootopia’s $1 billion+ to become the top-earning animated movie of 2016. A small, unscientific poll of mine also shows that for parents, Finding Dory is the most-anticipated animated film yet to be released this year. It is the most-often mentioned movie from the handful of parent bloggers I emailed asking what animated film they and their kids are most looking forward to. “My family and I are eager to see Finding Dory this month because Finding Nemo is one of our favorites, including just about every Disney Pixar movie too,” Amy Bellgardt, creator of MomSpark.net and mother of two boys told me via email. Outside of superhero fare, 2016 has thus far been a rough year for franchises, with audiences turning rather anti-sequel, or perhaps having no tolerance for sequels that just aren’t much good. Zoolander 2, Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, and Divergent Series: Allegiant have all flopped. Kung Fu Panda 3 wasn’t a total failure, but it has somewhat underperformed, earning less than each of the two other films in the franchise. But as David Mumpower of Box Office Prophets told us via email, “2016’s anti-sequel consumer behavior shouldn’t impact Finding Dory.” For seven years, Finding Nemo reigned as Pixar’s highest grossing film, until Toy Story 3 came along. Last year’s Inside Out is the only other film from the studio to surpass Nemo’s box office tally. It still stands as the seventh highest-grossing animated movie of all time at the worldwide box office. Finding Nemo remains one of Pixar’s most beloved films, frequently topping or nearly topping both fan and critic rankings of the studio’s movies, so Finding Dory will bring the solid established audience not only of Pixar devotees but also fans of Nemo especially. With Finding Dory coming out 13 years after Nemo, it’s not quite at the point where there’s a sizable number of people who saw it as kids who now have kids of their own to take to the movies — as was the case with The Lion King’s massively successful 2011 re-release — but “it’s pretty close,” Bruce Nash, founder and publisher of The Numbers, pointed out. Finding Dory topping Zootopia’s gross would make the Pixar sequel the fifth animated movie to cross the $1 billion mark after Toy Story 3, Frozen, Minions, and Zootopia. The creators of those animation box office champions all have new films coming out this year: Disney’s got Zootopia and Moana. Disney•Pixar has Finding Dory opening a week from now. And Illumination Entertainment, the makers of Minions and the Despicable Me movies, will release The Secret Life of Pets next month. Secret Life is a kind of Toy Story for dogs and cats and bunnies, showing us what goofy antics our pets are up to when we’re not looking. Zootopia proved that another non-sequel, original concept could join Frozen in the $1 billion club, albeit with the proven brand recognition of Disney. “Secret Life of Pets can also be a success mid-summer, although $1 billion is too much to expect from it,” Gitesh Pandya of Box Office Guru said via email. Just how much will Secret Life’s family relations to Minions boost its box office success? It’ll help, though the box office experts I consulted have divergent thoughts about just how much it’ll help. Secret Life’s invocation of the film’s connection to Illumination’s uber-popular little yellow guys with the words “from the humans behind Despicable Me” is, according to Mumpower, “one of the strongest marketing slogans imaginable right now. Putting that note in the trailer spikes the box office dramatically.” Meanwhile, Pandya said, “Tapping into the Minions fan base is a smart starting point,” and Nash said efforts to make mainstream audiences aware of the Minions connection “won’t make a huge deal of difference.” Nash also noted that DreamWorks Animation wasn’t able to translate the popularity of its Shrek films into success for the movies that followed the first couple of Shrek installments. How to Train Your Dragon and the Madagascar franchise is where DreamWorks later found box office success, though the four Shrek movies still top the animation studio’s list of highest grossing films. Though Mumpower has confidence in the power of Secret Life’s link to Minions, he added, “I suspect that Secret Life of Pets would have succeeded if it had come first [among Illumination’s films]. The attachment humans have for their pets fosters continued interest in such concepts, and this movie in particular has a terrific ad campaign. The prim [poodle] rocking out to heavy metal is a perfect animated comedy gag.” Universal Studios, which is distributing the film, is tapping into that dog-lover and cat-lover audience with a huge partnership with PetSmart. Looking back at Zootopia, what accounted for its success? It was a film praised by both critics and audiences, and it had a long stretch of time without any competition from other family movies.* Moana has the strong potential to find success for similar reasons, along with the Disney brand recognition. It hits theaters on Thanksgiving weekend, following Trolls’ early November opening and ahead of the Christmas week premiere of Sing, Illumination Entertainment’s movie about animals in an American Idol-esque competition. So Moana doesn’t have quite as much space to itself as Zootopia did, but it’s safe to bet it’ll be the reigning animated movie of the holiday season. Moana, ostensibly introducing the House of Mouse’s first Polynesian princess, features music by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Nash does not expect Miranda’s involvement to be a box office boost in and of itself, despite the massive popularity of Miranda’s Hamilton. Disney musicals are already recognized for their quality tunes, so the film already has its draw for the music (which we may be hearing for the first time in the trailer set to hit the web this Sunday). *The Little Prince, based on the beloved 1943 French book by Antoine Saint-Exupéry, was originally scheduled for a U.S. release two weeks after Zootopia’s opening, but Paramount pulled the film from its slate a mere week before the scheduled release. It’s likely Little Prince wouldn’t have been much competition for Zootopia anyway, since it had nowhere near the marketing reach of Disney’s movie. (Which is perhaps one reason why Paramount inexplicably canceled the release — the studio didn’t seem to know how to market Little Prince, though it has released some very sweet and charming trailers for the film.) At the overseas box office, meanwhile, Le Petit Prince has become the most successful French animated film ever. Netflix has taken on its U.S. distribution, with a release on its streaming platform and in some theaters scheduled for August 5. Here is what we can expect from some other 2016 animated movies: Ice Age: Collision Course (out July 22): Pandya pointed out that the Ice Age brand has been a “monster performer overseas, so I would not rule out Ice Age: Collision Course.” Kubo and the Two Strings (out August 19): This original fantasy action-adventure tale set in ancient Japan is the fourth feature from stop-motion studio Laika Entertainment, which made the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. Nash predicts that Kubo will earn an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, and he said Laika is “overdue for a breakout” (a film hitting $200 million worldwide), but he “wouldn’t bet on” Kubo being that film. Trolls (out November 4): Justin Timberlake’s song “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” is seeking to build up anticipation for animated musical Trolls, based on the wild hair-sporting Troll dolls. The song is already unavoidable and just became Jt’s first #1 single in nearly 10 years. The Angry Birds Movie (opened in the U.S. May 20): As of this writing, Angry Birds has earned just under $290 million worldwide. Nash expects the movie based on the popular mobile phone game to finish up with a $350 million total. Mumpower pointed out that Angry Birds had a sizable drop-off this past weekend internationally. “That’s a troubling sign,” he said. “I’d give it the benefit of the doubt and say it finishes with $375 million worldwide.” Pandya, however, can see the film earning $450 million with help from its Japan opening in October. Now, four animated films (and probably five before 2016’s over) have earned more than $1 billion. Could an animated feature cross the next landmark spot, $1.5 billion, any time soon before inflation’s carrying movies to that milestone? From these three box office experts, the answer to that is a big “no.” Thus far, seven films have crossed that $1.5 million mark, and they’re all PG-13-rated live action films. Five are sequels, and the other two are Avatar and Titanic. A family-friendly animated feature is unlikely to earn that much in the near future since films with those kind of grosses are reliant on repeat viewings. Kids who see a movie a second time at a birthday party is one instance where that happens with animated movies, and Frozen’s a singular success that had lots of parents taking their Elsa-obsessed kids to see it on more than one occasion. But typically, teens and young adults are more likely to pay to see a movie more than once. Even Frozen 2 is unlikely to reach that $1.5 million milestone. Frozen fatigue may be the culprit there. As Mumpower noted, the sequel “may suffer from unreasonable expectations when the time arrives — some folks are tired of it.” That’s not to say Frozen 2, whenever it does come out, will be a box office failure on any level, though. Even if it gets a chillier reception than the 2013 original, the cold won’t bother Disney anyway. Here are the animated features scheduled for a wide release in the U.S. later this year: Finding Dory - June 17 The Secret Life of Pets - July 8 Ice Age: Collision Course - July 22 Sausage Party (Seth Rogan’s R-rated animated movie) - August 12 Kubo and the Two Strings - August 19 Storks - September 23 Trolls - November 4 Moana - November 23 Sing - December 21 »
- Emily Rome
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Regulars Confirmed For Season 13
9 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Justin Chambers, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, Jr. will join Ellen Pompeo as original cast members of “Grey’s Anatomy” who will stick around through Season 13, TheWrap has learned. Kevin McKidd, who joined the Shondaland drama in Season 5, has also closed a deal to return to Seattle Grace. The five aforementioned actors’ contracts were all up after Season 12. A sixth, Sara Ramirez, decided not to renew hers after 10 seasons. Also Read: 'Grey's Anatomy' Star Jason George on How to Avoid Getting Killed Off (Exclusive Video) “Grey’s” finished strongly, with its season finale hitting a 14-week high in the coveted »
- Linda Ge and Lawrence Yee
Norman Lear’s Son Talks About His Doc on Harsh Juvenile Justice System
9 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Bunim-Murray, the production company behind “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” “Project Runway,” and original reality format “The Real World” unveiled a powerful documentary about juvenile justice and California’s practice of issuing life sentences for crimes committed by minors at the L.A. Film Festival this week. Directed by Ben Lear, “They Call us Monsters” screened as a world premiere at the Bing Theater at Lacma for a packed crowd including Brian Grazer, proud father Norman Lear and parents and family of three dubiously likable subjects, necessarily in absentia on account of potentially life-long obligations to the California Department of Corrections. »
- Mikey Glazer
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