Crisis, Schmisis: Wall Street Sequel Is on

Michael Douglas tapes public service ad on Wall Street evils

(NEWSER) - The "greed is good" money man who everyone loved to hate in the movie Wall Street has turned a new leaf. He's now working for the FBI, reports MSNBC . "Gordon Gekko," aka Michael Douglas, is doing a public service announcement for the FBI cautioning consumers to be alert, warning Wall Streeters to stay on the straight and narrow, and urging snitches to turn in their law-busting buddies. Money-grubbing Gekko ends up in prison for scamming innocent investors. "The movie is fiction, but the problem is real," warns Douglas, who urges that Wall Street baddies be reported at www.fbi.gov . More»

(NEWSER) - Will Gordon Gecko have a change of heart? The fictional Wall Streeter who famously declared that "greed is good" in 1987 is returning to the big screen, Access Hollywood and Variety report. Michael Douglas and director Oliver Stone have signed on for the Wall Street sequel, which will catch up with Gecko upon his release from prison. Shia LaBeouf is expected to play a young trader. More»

6 highest-grossing films all have it

(NEWSER) - One key to The Avengers' record success this weekend: its PG-13 rating. The top six highest-grossing movies ever made are all rated PG-13; the rating points to a film that's titillating enough for teens but isn't likely to offend adults, the Los Angeles Times notes. The rating has become a Holy Grail for movie execs, particularly lately. Last year, R-rated movies accounted for 21% of US box office takings—the lowest figure in decades. More»

Sundance speech gets testy

(NEWSER) - Spike Lee screened his latest film—Red Hook Summer, a quasi-sequel to Do the Right Thing—at the Sundance Film Festival last night, but what really got people talking was the profanity-laden tirade he delivered in the Q&A afterward. The fireworks started when surprise attendee Chris Rock stood up and asked how the movie would have been different if Lee had gone through a studio. "What else would have happened? Would you have blown up some shit?" he asked, according to the Wrap . More»

Ticket sales were down, and these movies help explain why

(NEWSER) - This was not a banner year for Hollywood, with domestic box office revenue down 4%, breaking a string of record highs. These films were part of the reason why. The Hollywood Reporter compiled a list of 2011's biggest flops, and there were some doozies—we've listed some of the standouts below. As you're looking at the numbers, remember that grosses are split with theaters, and that the budgets don't include marketing, so films that appear to have broken even are actually big losers. More»