Random Movie News - 5/23/13

- Drew Pearce, who wrote Iron Man 3 and the upcoming Pacific Rim, has been hired to write Mission Impossible 5.

- Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia, The Master) is putting quite a cast together for his next film.  Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Benecio Del Toro and now Sean Penn are on board for Inherent Vice, based on the comedic Thomas Pynchon novel about a private detective in 1960's Los Angeles.

- Assassin's Creed is slated to open May 22, 2015.  Based on the best-selling video game, it will star Michael Fassbender.

- Evan Peters (American Horror Story) has signed on to play Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

- The cast is shaping up for Rob Marshall's Into the Woods.  James Corden (never heard of him) and Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) are in line to play the Baker and his Wife, Meryl Streep (Hope Springs) will play the Witch, Johnny Depp (Nick of Time) will play the Wolf, Christine Baranski (The Good Wife) will play Cinderella's Stepmother, and Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Jake Gyllenhaal (End of Watch) are circling the parts of the two Princes.

Now when it comes to musicals, it seems like a no-brainer for Into the Woods to get the treatment, and I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner.  Rob Marshall directed Chicago, but he also directed Nine, and now he has to prove that he can make Into the Woods without having Red Riding Hood do her number in black lingerie.  I like how the cast is shaping up, if all those people can sing. I'm surprised Eddie Redmayne isn't already signed on for Jack.

Weekend Box Office

For the weekend of December 30-January 1.

1.  Mission Impossible 4 - $31.25 million ($134.14) - 3 wks (Par) +5.9%
 . . . 3455 screens / $9045 per screen
2.  Sherlock Holmes 2 - $22.1 ($132.1) - 3 wks (WB) +9.1%
 . . . 3703 / $5967
3.  Alvin & the Chipmunks 3 - $18.25 ($94.61) - 3 wks (Fox) +45%
 . . . 3724 / $4901
4.  War Horse - $16.94 ($42.97) - 2 wks (BV) +125.4%
 . . . 2547 / $6651
5.  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - $16.3 ($57.1) - 2 wks (Sony) +27.8%
 . . . 2914 / $5594
6.  We Bought A Zoo - $14.3 ($41.79) - 2 wks (Fox) +52.8%
 . . . 3163 / $4521
7.  The Adventures of Tintin - $12 ($47.84) - 2 wks (Par) +23.6%
 . . . 3087 / $3887
8.  New Year's Eve - $6.74 ($46.37) - 4 wks (WB) +103.7%
 . . . 2225 / $3030
9.  The Darkest Hour - $4.3 ($13.2) - 2 wks (Sum) +43.3%
 . . . 2327 / $1848
10. The Descendants - $3.65 ($39.68) - 7 wks (FS) +76%
 . . . 758 / $4815
11. The Muppets - $2.59 ($82.46) - 6 wks (BV) +20.6%
 . . . 1541 / $1679
12. Hugo - $2.53 ($49.54) - 6 wks (Par) +18.8%
 . . . 951 / $2655
13. Young Adult - $2.2 ($12.17) - 4 wks (Par) +25.7%
 . . . 987 / $2229
14. Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 - $2 ($275.45) - 7 wks (Sum) +36.3%
 . . . 1411 / $1417

Doing really well in limited release are A Separation, The Iron Lady and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol has passed MI3 and is on course to pass the first MI movie to become the second-highest grosser in the series.  It probably won't pass MI2, but it's made the franchise still relevant and justifies an MI5, should Cruise want to do it.

After disappointing openings, Sherlock Holmes 2 and Alvin & the Chipmunks 3 have shown strong legs and will be profitable.

Steven Spielberg has cannibalized himself by having two of his movies (War Horse and Tintin) opening less than a week apart, though I've always said Tintin was made for overseas audiences first.