Larry Ratliff

A new star is 'Bourne'

 

Matt Damon drawing down on trouble in "The Bourne Ultimatum" in 2007.   (Courtesy:  Universal Pictures)

Sometimes, the movie franchises move on, even when the movie star the series is built around bails.

Such is the case, apparently, with the "Bourne" adventure-spy franchise.

After globe-trotting to discover his identity ("The Bourne Identity," 2002), displaying some supremacy ("The Bourne Supremacy", 2004) and making good on an ultimatum ("The Bourne Ultimatum," 2007), Matt Damon has moved on to the "Hereafter" and other cinematic projects not "Bourne" related.

An article on the Hollywood Reporter Web site is reporting, however, that the franchise machine will move forward with Jeremy Renner ("The Town," "The Hurt Locker").

Renner will take on the role of a new operative in the upcoming "The Bourne Legacy."

Never fear, though, "Bourne" fans.  Joan Allen, who's probably the nicest female movie star I've ever had the pleasure of interviewing, will continue as CIA agent Pam Landy.

Also, according to the Hollywood Reporter item, Albert Finney, Dr. Albert Hirsch, in "Bourne Ultimatum," will be back for another go as well.

Perhaps just as semi-shocking as the franchise continuing without Damon is the fact that Paul Greengrass, who directed the last two installments, will not be calling the shots on the third sequel.

That task will befall Tony Gilroy, a writer on the first three "Bourne" actioners.  Gilroy will wear two hats in the "Bourne Legacy" as both writer and director.

Renner, a superb actor who might even have a little more pure acting talent that Damon, will be fine.

"Bourne" sans the contibution of Greengrass in the director's chair, however, might just be another matter.

(Jeremy Renner picture from "The Town" courtesy:  Warner Bros.)

Ford's Western omelet: 'Aliens' to old Earp

 

Yep, that's an alien ship that's down in "Cowboys & Aliens."  Somebody's heading for Boot Hill.    (Courtesy:  Universal Studios and DreamWorks)

If you thought it was strange that iconic movie star Harrison Ford is getting into a showdown with aliens from outer-space beginning Friday in "Cowboys & Aliens," you're right.

I haven't even seen the sci-fi Western set in the Arizona Territory circa 1873.  But I wouldn't rule out this line:

"Get off my stagecoach!"

OK, maybe not.  A Western where Ford (Indiana Jones, Han Solo of "Star Wars") co-stars with Daniel Craig (Bond, James Bond) as gunslingers taking on space invaders, however, ranks as plenty out there to me.

Until, that is, we consider what a post on the Hollywood Reporter Web site is calling Mr. Ford's next Western role.

That would be "Black Hats," where Ford will reportedly portray an aging Wyatt Earp.

Or as I like to call it, Old Earp.  I don't know why, really.  It just has a splashy ring to it in a middle schoolish frame of mind.

"'Black Hats' blends fact with fiction in its telling of the story involving an older Earp, the one who spent his last years as a private detective and movie consultant in Los Angeles.

"The spin involves Earp learning that his friend and compatriot Doc Holliday had a son, now living in Prohibition-era New York City. While Holliday is long dead, the son has gotten himself in trouble with a rising mobster, Al Capone," the Hollywood Reporter Web article sez.

Anyhoo, to sum up:  "Cowboys & Aliens" begins pumping lead at unwanted visitors to the Old West on the big screen this Friday.

"Black Hats," according to the Hollywood Reporter, is in the works for some future showdown.

Possible line for Ford when he squares off against mobster Al Capone in "Black Hats":

"Reach for the sky, Al, and I hope you saved all your receipts.  The IRS is gunning for you too, hombre."

(Harrison Ford photo courtesy:  Universal Studios and DreamWorks)

From 'Pottersville' to Broadway, other films

 

Daniel Radcliffe (left), Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, the "Harry Potter" lead trio, look ahead to what's next.   (Courtesy:  Warner Bros.)

So, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, your final bad warlocks and broomsticks fantasy, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2," set a box-office record over the weekend, so where are you off to now ... Disney World?

Not exactly.  Would you believe Broadway for Radcliffe, who has portrayed young wizard Harry Potter for a decade, and various film projects for Watson (Hermione Granger) and Grint (Ron Weasley).

According to the box-office numbers crunching Web site Box Office Mojo, the eighth and final (so we hear) "Harry Potter" adventure "soared into the record books with the highest-grossing opening weekend ever.

"The series finale drew an estimated $168.55 million on around 11,000 screens at 4,375 locations, dethroning 'The Dark Knight's $158.4 million," sez Brandon Gray and the bean counters over at Box Office Mojo.

Meanwhile, the inquiring minds at the Hollywood Reporter have been busy compiling what's next for the former lead trio of the "Harry Potter" franchise.

Radcliffe may be the busiest.  According to a story posted on the Hollywood Reporter Web site, the former young Mr. Potter is hitting the boards eight times a week in the Broadway revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

Methinks Radcliffe, now 21, has already figured that one out.

As for what Watson and Grint have on their post-"Potter" plates, click here to read the complete Hollywood Reporter article.

'Green Lantern' may shine one more time

 
For those of us who love irony and puns and the little train that could, this is simply too delicious to ignore.

"Green Lantern" may be getting green lit again.

The pun fun comes from the fact that in Hollywood when a movie is "green lit" that means it has the official go for production.

So in this case, the green light is getting the green light.

Numerous World Wide Web sources are saying that Warner Bros. is planning a sequel to the superhero pic starring Ryan Reynolds, "despite the film's soft performance at the box office," sez the Hollywood Reporter.

How soft is soft?  Well, "Green Lantern" took in $18.4 million over the weekend and came in No. 3 as "Cars 2" varoomed to $68 million and the box-office pole position.

"Bad Teacher" didn't exactly flunk out, but the Cameron Diaz dark comedy tested at No. 2 with estimates of $31 million, according to our friends over at Box Office Mojo.

The most telling blow for "Green Lantern" is the fact that it dropped 66 percent from Week 1 to Week 2.  That's a perilous slope slide for even a fanboy comic book-based flick. 

So what does that all add up to in Hollywood, the Land of the Positive Spin?

Sequel, of course.

So "Green Lantern" may get a second green light.

Good one, that.

(Ryan Reynolds in "Green Lantern" courtesy:  Warner Bros.)

'Thor' score and seven countries ago

 

Chris Hemsworth puts the hammer down as the title character in "Thor." 

(Courtesy:  Paramount/Marvel Entertainment)

Sorry, fanboys, but by the time Marvel Comics' "Thor" goes into good-vs.-godawful otherworldly evil battle on U.S. screens on Friday, much of the world will have already seen it.

All together now:  "Really?  What's up with that?"

According to an article posted on the Hollywood Reporter Web site, it has something to do with the calendar and the world film market.

"The decision rested with Marvel's distribution partner, Paramount. And when we pressed the studio's Rob Moore, he said only, 'It's a global market now.' Meaning that these days, international audiences are considered equally or more important when planning releases of Hollywood movies," the Hollywood Reporter article states.

The plan appears to be working rather well.  "Thor," starring Chris Hemsworth (the "Star Trek" remake) in the giant hammer-slinging title role and Oscar-winner Natalie Portman ("Black Swan") as mystified mortal Jane Foster, has already cashed in to the tune of $100 million.

That's before the fantasy-action-adventure even rips a single ticket stub in the U.S. or Canada.

And, believe it or not, the English royal wedding also came into play.  (Click here to read my exclusive report on last Friday's Royal Wedding timeline.)

"Paramount took advantage of the big European holiday called May Day, as well as the English royal wedding on April 29, which provided many countries with a three or four-day weekend," the Hollywood Reporter article concludes.

Don't be caught 'King's Speech'-less

 

Colin Firth's Oscar-winning performance in "The King's Speech" hits DVD shelves today.

(Courtesy:  The Weinstein Company)

I know what you're thinking:  Why should I bother to rent or buy a movie about a man who would reluctantly be a stuttering king?

The real question is not whether you should rush out to buy or rent "The King's Speech," which hits DVD shelves today, but, rather, how I know what you're thinking.

Sorry, that's a trade secret.  But here's a hint.  It might be wise not to lean in too close to your computer's microphone when you're chatting with friends.  I'm just saying.

Now, about "The King's Speech."  Oscar's reigning Best Picture -- not to mention Academy Awards for Best Director (Tom Hooper), Best Actor (Colin Firth) and Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (David Seidler).

If you haven't seen "The King's Speech," run, don't walk to enjoy a superb word-driven drama with sparkling performances all around.

And add this to the argument for grabbing "The King's Speech":  Supporting actors Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush were nominated for Oscars.

Also this week, Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart share the screen as a grieving married couple severely wounded by the loss of a young child in John Cameron Mitchell's "Rabbit Hole."

And Jack Black is forced to pay homage to the little people (actually he's tied up by them) in the modern-day reboot of  "Gulliver's Travels."

("Rabbit Hole" poster courtesy:  Lionsgate.)

Mila'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog!

 

Mila Kunis, shown here on the set of "Black Swan," could be heading to "Oz."   (Courtesy:  Fox Searchlight)

From playing the bad girl in "Black Swan" to playing one of the iconic bad girls in cinematic history?

It could happen.  The CNN Web site is reporting on its Marquee Blog that Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman's nemesis/gal pal in "Black Swan," is in talks to play the Wicked Witch of the West in "Oz, the Great and Powerful," the upcoming "Wizard of Oz" prequel.

"According to (the entertainment Web site) Vulture, the film will tell the backstory of such beloved Oz characters as the Wizard and Glinda the Good Witch, and reveal info on the lesser-known Wicked Witch of the East, Evanorah, who had a house fall on her when Dorothy dropped in," the Web post states.

Kunis would portray Evanorah's sister Theodorah, who would go on to become Dorothy's nemesis, the Wicked Witch of the West.  Margaret Hamilton, of course, took on the role in the 1939 original.

And that's not the only interesting "Oz" prequel news skipping along the Web's yellow brick road this morning.  According to the same CNN post, Robert Downey Jr. ("Ironman"), originally rumored to play the Wizard, has dropped out. 

Word is that upcoming Oscar co-host and "127 Hours" star James Franco might be taking over as the Wizard.

Shooting in the "Oz" prequel is expected to begin in July, according to the CNN Web post.

'Tron' rules cyber, cinematic universe

 

It's hard to keep an old cyber soldier down.

"Tron:  Legacy," the sequel to the 1982 vid game feature film adaptation, blew away the competition at the box office over the weekend.

The sci-fi gadget showpiece may be a little tardy by usual sequel standards since the second adventure took almost 30 years to hit the cinematic cyber grid. 

That mattered little as the warp-speed starring vehicle for reigning Oscar winner Jeff Bridges ("Crazy Heart"), Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde easily blew away a couple of animated bears and big movie stars Jack Nicholson, Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd.

According to box-office bean counter Brandon Gray over at Box Office Mojo, "Tron: Legacy" raced to an estimated $43.6 million on 5,600 screens in 3,451 locations over the weekend. 

That easily outdistanced "Yogi Bear" ($16.7 million) and James L. Brooks' offbeat romantic-comedy "How Do You Know," which underperformed at $7.6 million despite its all-star cast of Witherspoon, Wilson, Rudd and Nicholson.

(Photo of Garrett Hedlund in "Tron:  Legacy" courtesy:  Disney Enterprises Inc.)

Disney 'Tangles' 'Harry' weekend B.O.

 
 
Rapunzel really let her golden, magical hair down over the weekend, forcing "Harry Potter" to part ways with box office supremacy after two weeks.

"Tangled" took a little off the top, cha-chinging $21.5 million over the weekend.  "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:  Part 1" fetched $16.7 million in the third frame.

That's not exactly Hogwart's leftovers.  "Harry Potter's" seventh and semi-final fantasy-adventure has conjured up a little magic of its own.  The three-week total is $244.2 million, easily ahead of any of the previous six "Harry Potter" adventures, according to a post on the Hollywood Reporter Web site.

"'Tangled' continued to draw about 55% of its business from 3D screens, but Disney distribution boss Chuck Viane said he was pleased with the strength both of 2D and 3D receipts," according to the Hollywood Reporter story.

"'Quality rises to the top,' Viane said. 'Meantime, we have the holidays ahead of us, and therein lies the strength of our long-term prospects.

"Despite a 56% weekend-over-weekend decline, 'Tangled' totes a $96.5 million cume since unspooling on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving," states the Hollywood Reporter post.

("Tangled" photo courtesy:  Walt Disney Pictures)

'Harry Potter' casting B.O. spell on 'Star Wars'?

It may be time to replace the "Star Wars" lightsaber with Harry Potter's magic wand, at least in the record books.

As all us Muggles (sans magical powers) know and, I suppose witches, too, if they care about such things, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:  Part 1" begins to work its magic on movie audiences shortly after the stroke of midnight tonight (Thursday).

In case you're a devoted "Harry Potter" fan, a Warner Bros. movie studio box office bean counter (Cha CHING!), or author J.K. Rowling, who recently confided in Oprah that she might just be inspired to continue the series beyond the seventh adventure, you may also be aware that Part 2 of the cinematic version of the final book won't hit movie screens until July.

Be that as it may (and is), USA Today is reporting that the "Harry Potter" franchise, which launched cinematically in the troubled year of 2001, is poised to become the highest earning movie franchise of all time.  If that happens, it will demote "Star Wars" to a still-boffo Numero Dos on the all-time list.

"According to a story in USA Today, experts already feel as if 'Harry Potter' will overtake 'Star Wars 'even before the final installment hits theaters this July. Considering the fact that each 'Potter' installment has averaged about $285 million at the box office, it's not hard to see them grabbing the lead real soon.

 

"Sure, you'll say that 'Potter' had an extra film (7 to 'Star Wars'' 6), that you need to take inflation into account, and that 'Avatar' could easily beat both of them once more sequels come out. Yeah, I can see all that. But still, what these 'Potter' films have been able to accomplish over the course of six (count 'em six!) films is incredibly impressive and unheard of these days," the article posted on the Fandango Web site states.

The stage is certainly set.  One theater in Dallas will roll out Mr. Potter and his broomstick buddies on 19 screens shortly after midnight. 

That's a box-office spell even a Muggle can appreciate.

(Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter photo courtesy:  Warner Bros. Pictures)