Sunday, July 6th, 2008
Bad reviews, stiff competition no prob for Will, once more he is the fireworks for Independence Day holiday box office
By Keith Williams
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today)
7/6/08 —
It was no lost weekend for alcoholic superhero Hancock as the Will Smith-starrer soaked up an estimated $107 million over five days-plus on 3965 screens over the Independence Day holiday period.
The competition proved strong, the film was weighted down with largely negative reviews and the fact that the film’s tone and narrative is muddled and not that much fun.
But Will Smith, Mr. Fourth of July (“Independence Day,” “Men in Black”) came through in spite of all.
It marks his 12th $100 million-plus film, which ties him with Harrison Ford.
Tom Hanks leads with 15, followed by Tom Cruise with 14 and Eddie Murphy with 13.
Below Smith and Ford comes Jim Carrey and Robin Williams with 11 each.
And if you’re counting double digit stars, then comes Mel Gibson and the only female in that rarefied group, Julia Roberts, with 10 each.
Last week’s champion “Wall-E” took an estimated $54M over the same period, $128M total so far, while “Wanted” proved less than so with $30.7, though $93 mil since opening is still a lot more than anyone ever anticipated.
Once “Hancock’s” opening figures drop dramatically by next weekend, expect the Pixar robot to keep on chugging along, but steep drop dealt a fatal blow to Angelina Jolie’s action-ship which it’s unlikely to recover from.
Faves “Kung Fu Panda” raked in another $10.7 mill over five days, “Get Smart” $14.9, “The Incredible Hulk” $6M, and “Indiana Jones 4” found El Dorado agin, with another $6M to cross the $300 mil mark domestic. .
Opening wide, “Kit Kittredge” failed to draw in the fans with a sad $3.5 mil,” according to analyst Steve Mason, “The Love Guru” sank lower still to $2.2,while “The Happening” just didn’t this week.
WEEKEND TOP 5 STUDIO ESTIMATES,
JULY 4-6, 2008
(These weekend figures from Boxofficemojo do not include entire holiday time frame, only Friday-to-Sunday estimates.
Rank. Movie Title (Distributor)Weekend Gross Theaters Total Gross Week #
1. Hancock (Sony / Columbia)$66.0 million 3,965 $107.3 million 1
2. Wall-E (Buena Vista)$33.4 million 3,992 $128.1 million 2
3. Wanted (Universal)$20.6 million 3,185 $90.8 million 2
4. Get Smart (Warner Bros.)$11.1 million 3,574 $98.1 million 3
5. Kung Fu Panda (Paramount (DreamWorks))$7.5 million 3,347 $193.4 million 5
Photo: Will Smith and Charlize Theron by Emily Smith at “Hancock” premiere
3 Days Away
Saturday, July 5th, 2008
Next Wednesday we will know if AFTRA officially approves tentative deal with the AMPTP
By Brian Frederick
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today)
7/5/08 - -
Caught between a rock and a hard place, SAG battles the produucers on one side and it’s former spouse, AFTRA, on the other side.
Can the underdog rise from the ashes to defeat the AFTRA ratification vote and force the AMPTP to capitulate to it’s demands or smolder in the dust after AFTRA votes “yes” for the tentative agreement?
The AMPTP, SAG, and AFTRA are in a threesome of waiting on one for the other to decide their economic futures.
To simplify, SAG is stalling to negotiate on the AMPTP’s “final offer” it received last week until AFTRA votes for or against their tentative agreement with the AMPTP.
That’s important because half of AFTRA’s members belong to SAG.
Should AFTRA vote against the tentative agreement, SAG’s negotiating strength improves 180 degrees and a vote “no” is close to a strike authorization.
A SAG and AFTRA joint strike union as one party against the AMPTP could make the $2.5 billion writer’s strike of 2007/2008 look like a bankrupt neighborhood lemonade stand.
The cost of a strike to the Los Angeles economy should that occur could be devastating.
In a show of defiance by each party, SAG and AFTRA have enlisted big name actors to speak for them publically.
The AMPTP has also released a statement of its own.
The odds are stacked against SAG with AFTRA on the verge of approving its deal with the AMPTP.
SAG’s contract has already expired with the AMPTP and no tentative agreement has been reached, although SAG is reviewing a final AMPTP offer.
Before next Tuesday’s AFTRA ratification vote, last minute separate appeals were voiced by all three parties concerning their own cause for or against the AFTRA agreement.
SAG: Screen Actors Guild
“AFTRA’s deal not only falls short of fair compensation and protection for actors but just as significantly reflects corporate appeasement that will have an irreversible negative affect on the integrity of the show and the films we perform in.
They’re trying to buy us out, bully us down and in doing so, they will destroy the very purpose of our work,” Sean Penn wrote in message to SAG members.
AFTRA: American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
Sally Field lent her face with a hand full of others, including Morgan Fairchild to vote “yes” for the agreement.
Unofficially John Travolta is giving his support to AFTRA.
“You’ve heard from so many of us again and again about the value and importance of AFTRA’s deal, urging you to vote – YES.
You’ve also heard from SAG Hollywood, again and again about what a bad deal this is.
This campaign by SAG is absolutely without precedent in the history of entertainment, likely within labor itself.
The cost is exorbitant.
Flyers, postcards, trade ads, robo calls…, the price mounts everyday,” said AFTRA in a written response to its members.
AMPTP: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
“Our industry is now in a de facto strike, with film production virtually shut down and television production now seriously threatened.
In an effort to put everyone back to work, the AMPTP presented SAG our final offer – a comprehensive proposal worth more than $250 million in additional compensation to SAG members, with significant gains and groundbreaking new media rights for all performers.
Our $250 million offer is consistent with the four other labor agreements reached this year with DGA, WGA, AFTRA Network Code and AFTRA Prime-Time.
If our industry shuts down because of the unwillingness of SAG’s Hollywood leadership to make a deal, SAG members will lose $2.5 million each and every day in wages.
The other guilds and unions will lose $13.5 million each day in wages and the California economy will be harmed at the rate of $23 million each and every day.
We will continue for now to work under the terms of the old contract as current productions wind down,” wrote the AMPTP on its website.
Photo: Nick Counter III
Some basics of the AMPTP agreement offered to SAG are as follows:
Minimums:
Increase minimums by 10% over the course of the contract, 3.5%, 3%, and 3.5%.
Increase network primetime rerun ceiling by 2.5% in the first and third years of the contract.
Pension and Health:
Increase contribution by 0.5% in the second year of the contract; bring SAG’s pension and health rate up to 15%. The highest Guild rate in the industry.
New Media:
Establish residuals for streaming television and programs.
Establish jurisdiction and residuals for derivative and original made for New Media programs.
Doubling of residual rate for permanent downloads.
Preserve performer’s consent over non-promotional uses of clips in New Media.
Broad definition of “covered performers,” in low budget New Media productions.
Full access to Companies’ un-redacted New Media deal memos.
Sunset clause to protect both sides in future negotiations.
Mark your calendars, AFTRA’s ballots must be mailed and are due by the close of business next Tuesday July 8th.
Be counted and get your votes in!
Posted Jul 6th 2008 2:35PM
by TMZ Staff
The classy mother of two celebrated her 41st bday at LAX Nightclub in Las Vegas by diving head first into the sweet section of a questionable birthday cake.
Posted Jul 6th 2008 10:45AM
by TMZ Staff
Dennis Rodman has had great success with women --
Madonna and Carmen Electra to name a few --
but last night his premature pontification proved his game is in serious need of a rebound.
Wow.
This is unexpected.
As rumors of a possible divorce from Guy Ritchie and an inappropriate relationship with New York Yankess star player Alex Rodriguez continue to swirl, Madonna has just released a new statement (in her own words) on Sunday.
The Material Mom's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, spoke last week about all the chatter, and now it's M's turn.
Says her Madgesty:
"My husband and I are not planning on getting a divorce.
I know Alex Rodriguez through Guy Oseary, who manages both of us.
I brought my kids to a Yankee game.
I am not romantically involved in any way with Alex Rodriguez.
I have nothing to do with the state of his marriage or what spiritual path he may choose to study.
I have learned over the years not to take accusations and the many false reports about me very seriously.
I also appreciate how fiction and fact seem to be perceived as one and the same by people who read both newspapers and the internet."
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