Kirsten Dunst joining Metropolitan areas

Elizabethtown co-stars Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Blossom are going to reunite for Roger Donaldson's approaching financial thriller Metropolitan areas, once more playing a youthful couple for each other.Using the film set across a trio of worldwide locales, Dunst and Blossom will feature within the London-based segment, as a set of first-time-purchasers searching to obtain a feet around the property ladder. Considering the fact that this can be a film about economic strife and whitened-collar crime, we do not fancy their chances much.Clive Owen has signed onto the project, and can star like a hedge fund manager in NY whose primary appetites for sex and funds know no bounds. He's became a member of by Anil Kapoor, who plays a crooked Mumbai cop involved with a house scam of their own.Normally, the 3 plot strands will interweave as you character's actions have knock-on effects for the following. Glenn Wilhilde, one-time producer on TV's The Royle Family, has written the script."Metropolitan areas is greatly a film for the time," states Donaldson within the official PR burble. "The topics of avarice and cash as well as their effect on our everyday lives surround us constantly and Metropolitan areas is really a movie which will explore this inside a dramatic way with tension and excitement at each turn."The project has started filming, having a 2012 release date presently around the cards. Meanwhile, Donaldson's next film, the Nic Cage thriller Justice, comes to United kingdom movie theaters inside a couple of weeks' time.

HALLOWEEK: Paranormal Activity 3 Opens #1 For Franchises Best $50M To End Box Office Slump; Three Musketeers 3D And Johnny English Reborn Start Very Weak

FRIDAY11:30 PM, 3RD UPDATE: Hollywood’s scary 3 months ofslumping box office is officially over — appropriately enough at the start of Halloweek. Full analysis coming. 1. Paramount’s Paranormal Activity 3 as predicted is setting a franchise best with $45M for the weekend after opening to $25M today in 3,321 theaters. Expectstrong late shows tonight despite audiences giving it only a ‘C+’ CinemaScore. With $8M already in from midnights, rival studios say the total Friday gross could even reach $28M and a 3-day approaching $50M.(Of course, there’ll be a huge drop from Friday to Saturday. PA2 dropped -35%.) This is a game-changer since the track record in the U.S. for almost all franchises is that the sequel opens bigger than the first but then the threequelopens slightly lower than the second.Paranormal Activity 3s strong tracking for weeks showed wannasee not just with young males but also with older moviegoers. So no surprisethis bloodless thriller is breaking Hollywoods 3-month-long box office slump this weekend. Not since Foxs Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes ($54.8M) on August 5th has there been a big grossing domestic opener beyond $30.1M (Disneys Lion King 3D). PA3 cost only $5M, making the low-budget high-grossing franchise the gift that keeps on giving, as a studio exec tells me. (PA1 did $108M/$85M foreign, while PA2 did $85M in the U.S. and $93M foreign.) PA3‘s $8M midnights from 2,200 U.S. locations overnight was +30% higher than the sequel Paranormal Activity 2 which earned $6.3M from 1,800 locations. Paramountwas lowballing the threequel to gross at least $35M in domestic box office. But PA2 made $40.6M its 2010 pre-Halloween weekend, then competitor Saw 3D debuted the following Friday. PA3 has no such rival this time around. So Hollywood was expecting a lot more money. Internationally, Paranormal Activity 3 opened in France Wednesday and saw $521K opening gross which was +45% higher than PA2, Australia Thursday which saw $516K or +14% ahead of PA2, and almost every foreign territory today besides North America. Russia’s $550K opening gross was 45% higher than PA2. To pump up global grosses, Paramount indulged in 20 round-the-world fan premieres in 8 countries with a contest based on the most Twitter activity. The winning cities included Melbourne, Tel Aviv, London, Sao Paulo, NY, and Hollywoods Arclight, where thousands of fans turned out for gourmet food trucks and franchise star Katie Featherston. 2.More good news for Paramount tonight. After a disappointing start last weekend,the Footloose reboot is having strong one-week hold — down only 33% for $3.6M today — driven byword of mouth and its ‘A’ CinemaScore.Footloose is lookingfor an estimated$10.5M for the weekend with a $30+M cume by Monday. 3. DreamWorks/Disney’sReal Steal is -30% for $3.2M Friday from 3,412 theaters at the start ofits 3rd week in release.But there’ll be a nice family matinee bounce on Saturday settting upan estimated$11.5M weekend and $67M cume.So the pic will move into second place ahead ofFootloose. But DreamWorks can’t get what it needed on this film: a $125M domestic hit. 4. Summit Entertainment’s newcomerThree Musketeers 3D couldn’t make much of a box office dentopening with only $2.8M Fridayin 3,017 theaters for an estimatedweak$8M weekend since the West Coast didn’t hold up despite audiences giving it a ‘B’ CinemaScore. 5. Sony Pictures’ adult political thriller from George Clooney,Ides Of March, holds well again (-32%)for $1.5M Friday from 2,042 theaters at the start of its 3rd week in release and an estimatedweekend around $5M for a $29M cume. 6.Alcon Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Dolphin Tale is solid (only -18%) for $1.4M Friday from 2,858 theaters at the start of its5th week in release and an estimated$5M weekend and $65M cume. 7.Sony Pictures’ Moneyball has another great hold (-20%) for $1.4M Friday from 2,353 theaters at the start of its5th week in release and estimated$4.4M weekend with $64Mcume. 8. Universal’s low-budgetJohnny English Reborn (1,551 theaters) looks like just $1M for Friday despite audiences giving it a ‘B’ CinemaScore,which should translate to a stillborn $3M opening for the weekend.Butthe studio opened thisWorking Title picinternationally back during the weekend of September 16 and the foreign gross has reflected star Rowan Atkinsons enormous popularity overseas. This weekend, the film is poised to reach $100 million at the international box office. It opened No. 1 in almost all of the 43 international markets where its been released and, with 20 international territories yet to open, its well on its way to grossing $200 million or more worldwide. The film opens in 6 more international markets this weekend, including France. 9. Not even Halloweek could help Universal’s horror holdoverThe Thing prequel which is down-68% for $1M Friday from 2,995 theaters and an estimated $3M weekend for $14M cume. 10. Summit’s 50/50 dramedyhangs in for $925K Friday (-32%) from 1,932 theaters at the start of its4th week in release and an estimated $2.9M weekend with just under $29M cume by Monday. FRIDAY NOON UPDATE: Unfortunately,Rentrak is unable to download any grosses thus far today, so there will not beany estimates based on noon averages.

Bad Movies We Love: New York Minute

You’ve never seen an Olsen twins movie, have you? Have you? You’ve never twisted your hair into braids like Hailee Steinfeld and discovered How the West was Fun or booked a trip to the UK for Winning London. You’ve never personally discovered that, indeed, It Takes Two. God. Now that you’ve admitted you have nothing in common with true cinastes, allow me to educate you: Today we’re visiting the quaint Manhattan of NY Minute, the Olsens’ 2004 big-screen bomb costarring more than a few people you respect. Since their sister Elizabeth is defying cult order in Martha Marcy May Marlene this week, the least we can do is honor the original Olsens for their enslaved followers. These zealots prefer their Kool-Aid straight-up. NY Minute ensconces the Full House twins in a big-city caper that gets about as exciting as Jodie Sweetin’s hair. As the “rocker” girl Roxy (Mary-Kate) and uptight Jane (Ashley) stumble through Manhattan adventures, they’re chased around by a nutty truancy officer (Eugene Levy) and a Chinese-accented assassin-type (Andy Richter — we’ll discuss), who want the twins dead or alive or whatever, I’m not sure. Point is, NY is a phony wonderland and the Olsen twins turn it into their own personal music video. Unbearable? Not really. Harmless? Mostly. Hilarious? Even more than a ballad by Jesse Katsopolis. As usual, we’ve circled five moments worth seeking out. Collect them all. 5. Your new Laurence Olivier, Dr. Drew Pinsky Remember when G. Gordon Liddy costarred in the summer camp classic Camp Cucamonga? This casting isn’t quite as senseless, but non-actor Drew Pinsky plays the twins’ dad. He’s about as natural as you can imagine. It’s this undeniable talent that led him into advanced acting projects like Celebrity Rehab. Remember when he pretended to care about Jeff Conaway? That was five-star commitment. 4. The strange allure and nothingness of Mary-Kate and Ashley You may say the Olsen twins are famous because their fans also want to be completely unextraordinary and get paid millions for it, but I’d argue there’s an X-factor at play here. Think about it. How do the Olsens manage to look like newborn gibbons and 49-year-old Taylor Dayne at the same time? How is that possible? Does that mean they’re malnourished or over-nourished? I really don’t know. But I do understand that Mary-Kate and Ashley lend an unassuming fun to their archetypal roles here. When ultra-organized Ashley sputters, “Relax?! My relaxing tips are in my day planner!”, you kind of smile. Did I mention that most of Ashley’s dialogue sounds like discarded Bob Saget lines from Full House? Now you know. Group hug. 3. TV’s favorite sidekick picks up the movies’ most notorious accent. It’s impossible not to root for Andy Richter’s success, but his turn in NY Minute as an Asian-accented assassin is nothing but a 2004 update of Mickey Rooney’s eye-popping work in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It’s racist, ridiculous, and it pulls you out of the very real drama that threatens the Olsen twins’ lives. In other words, it’s a necessary addition to the movie. 2. Mary-Kate and Ashley fail at “sexy” to the tune of the most annoying song of the decade. I’ve never watched Supernatural, but I might be persuaded after watching star Jared Padalecki turn up here as a shirtless sex object who doesn’t mind that the twins have broken into his apartment. In fact, he doesn’t even mind their scary unsexiness. As he walks in on the towel-adorned ladies, we’re suddenly thrown into a slow-motion, hair-tossing photo shoot where Mary-Kate and Ashley make sexy eyes to the tune of No Doubt’s “Hey Baby.” Let’s recap that sentence: Mary-Kate and Ashley give us their “O” faces while the worst goddamn song of the 2000s plays. Legendary. Gwen Stefani, you’re still not forgiven! 1. Why, Eugene Levy? Why? Second City veteran and Christopher Guest muse Eugene Levy plays the dastardly Maxamillion Lomax, a truancy officer who follows and pretty much lusts after Mary-Kate the whole movie. This screenshot sells his desperation pretty well, but it’s noteworthy that Levy takes a character with no trace of human identity and makes him the movie’s sole LOL-garnering moment (aside from earlier when Jared threw that dog out the window and no one really cared). I don’t know what compelled Levy to take part in this whorishly phony NY story, but I’m pleased that he revved up his villainy to Boris-and-Natasha proportions. You know who’d appreciate that Bullwinkle love? Joey. Fucking. Gladstone.

TiVo Shares Up As Investors Look For DVR Patent Case Settlement With AT&T

TiVo popped 7.9% in early trading after it prevailed late Thursday in a Texas court ruling that involves its DVR patent infringement suit againstAT&T — even though the ruling curiously didn’t say anything about the other part of the company’s suit, against Verizon. You’ll hurt your head if you try to sort through the mostly technical issues underlyingU.S. Superior Court Judge David Folsom’s decision about howhe’ll deal with the patent claims. But the upshot is that “AT&T will see a high chance of losing and so will likely enter into a favorable settlement with TiVo,” Lazard Capital Markets analyst Barton Crockett says this morning. David Miller of Caris & Co isn’t so sure: He expects AT&T to go to trial beginning in January. He also decided not to raise his estimates for TiVo because it’s “somewhat confusing” that the judge didn’t include Verizon.”The majority of the Street was under the impression that both cases were being heard in tandem,” he says.

CW looks to Netflix to kick up visibility

Warner Bros. and CBS execs are giddy about the big payday promised by the Netflix licensing pact for CW shows. But there are also great expectations that the deal will yield bigtime promo dividends to CW -- both with viewers and in the creative community.The hope is that the increased exposure for CW shows among Netflix's more than 25 million subscribers will bring new viewers to the latest episodes airing on the network, as has often been the case when a series that is still running new segsrunning new segs in primetime bows in syndication. CW brass are also banking on a residual marketing value in getting the net's brand front and center with the younger auds that tend to be the most avid users of Netflix's streaming service."It's such a great fit because the demographics of Netflix and CW are so similar," said Rick Haskins, CW's exec veep of marketing and brand strategy. "From a marketing perspective, anytime you can get the CW name and our shows' names out there in a different venue it can only help."The premium that Netflix is paying for the early syndication window on CW shows should also go a long way toward convincing writers and other creative talent that it is worth their while to field shows to the network. Heretofore, shows from CW, and its WB Network and UPN predecessors, have failed to generate much coin in traditional off-network syndication or through international licensing.As much as net execs were cheering the news of the Netflix windfall on Thursday, CW can't take to its own air to tubthump the availability of the shows. The network can't afford to alienate its TV station affiliates, particularly its core Tribune Broadcasting partner, with on-air marketing pointing viewers to Netflix, even though the deal does not involve current-season episodes.Haskins has no doubt that Netflix will be an ideal forum for encouraging viewers to sample CW's serialized dramas, which lend themselves to the kind of marathon viewing that many users seek from Netflix."It's the way our viewer consumers media these days," Haskins said. "It's the 'I want what I want and I want it now generation.' Netflix is a perfect way to answer that request." Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

MTV World launches Iggy

Viacom's MTV World has introduced the launch of their global music platform, named MTV Iggy, that will aim to expose worldwide music functions to U.S. audiences through its website as well as on-air programming. The woking platform will debut on-air on March. 17, with half-hour world music spotlight "The MTV Iggy Show" airing on mtvU. Other iterations from the platform may have presences on MTV and MTV2. Furthermore, the woking platform is sponsoring worldwide band competition "The Very Best New Band on the planet,Inch that will climax having a live show broadcast on November. 10. As MTV World's senior v . p . and gm Nusrut Durrani stated inside a statement: "Present day music fans reside in an amazingly connected world where pop music is without edges Latin American audiences love K-Pop and emcees in the Congo have found fans in Belgium. ...MTV Iggy provides a U.S. stage for artists who're catching fire around the world.Inch MTV World also includes Korean-oriented MTV K, and India-centric MTV Desi. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Analyst: Cowboys And Aliens May Be The Only 3Q Movie Write-Down As Overseas Ticket Sales Grow

Movie moguls usually have to grit their teeth during the media company quarterly earnings season as they begrudgingly acknowledge the bombsthey had to write off. But the 3Q reports that will begin to come out in two weeks could be different, RGC Capital Markets analyst David Bank says this morning. Only one film from the quarter — DreamWorks’ Cowboys And Aliens – “looks likely to be a write-down.” And the outlook for 4Q is encouraging due to “the strong existing slate, combined with the likelihood of surprise ‘tentpoles’ and…relatively easy comps” vs 4Q10. He’s particularly impressed by the soaring returns from overseas where the number of movie theaters is growing. He notes that this year major films are generating more than 1.65 as much from international box offices as they do from domestic, up from 1.45 last year. Bank says that Hollywood is zeroing in on the right investment formula: Spend big on “culturally neutral action/adventure movies” that play well abroad — and slash budgets for comedies that often don’t travel well. For example in 2003 overseas ticket sales for Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl were only slightly ahead of domestic. But overseas audiences spent more than three times as much as U.S. ticket buyers did this year on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It’s not a fail-safe formula, he says, pointing to the so-so international results for Sony’s The Green Hornet. But the strategy paid off for the studio with Bad Teacher, which only cost about $20M to produce.