Transformers Will Soon Rule World Box Office

Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum flick snags top spot from 'The Lorax'

(NEWSER) - 21 Jump Street busted the weekend box office with a healthy $35 million take, appealing to both genders and drawing in viewers of all ages, the LA Times reports. No other film debuted nationwide, but in smaller markets Will Ferrell's Casa de Mi Padre banked a solid $2.2 million and Jeff, Who Lives at Home starring Jason Segel scored a middling $840,000. Filling out the top 5 are The Lorax ($22.8 million), John Carter ($13.5), Project X ($4), and A Thousand Words ($3.8), reports Entertainment Weekly . More»

Behind only 'Harry Potter' and 'Spider-Man 3'

(NEWSER) - Transformers: Dark of the Moon notched a smashing weekend, pocketing an eye-popping $372 million from around the globe and grabbing the No. 3 opening weekend of all time. The third in the franchise pulled in $162 million domestically, but it's proving to be a blockbuster overseas, notes the Hollywood Reporter. The weekend's take is behind only Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($394 million) and Spider-Man 3 ($382 million). Click here for a roundup of reviews for Dark of the Moon. More»

Really? 'Hot Tub Time Machine' is the best we can do?

(NEWSER) - “2010 very possibly is the worst year in the history of motion pictures,” declares Joe Queenan in a hilarious Wall Street Journal piece bemoaning the downfall of American cinema. You know things are bad in Hollywood when:

• “Shia LaBeouf—who looks a bit like the young George W. Bush” is being passed off “as the second coming of Tom Cruise.”
• The top contenders for Next Big Action Star are Jake Gyllenhaal and Adrien Brody. “None of these are logical heirs to the throne abandoned by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Harrison Ford and Sylvester Stallone. They may not even be legitimate heirs to the throne vacated by Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.”

Earns $41M yesterday, on track for $100M weekend

(AP) - Toy Story 3 has become the favorite plaything for moviegoers as the animated sequel heads to a $100-million-plus opening weekend. The latest hit from Disney's Pixar Animation took in $41 million in its first day yesterday, according to studio estimates. That puts Toy Story 3 on track to join Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third as the only animated films to top $100 million in their debut weekends. More»

It's well above expectations, on track for March record

(AP) - Audiences are just mad about Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, helping it earn a whopping $41 million in its first day. After its big start yesterday, the 3D Disney release should be on track for a $100 million weekend, well above expectations. It could end up being the second-biggest opening outside of summer, notes the LA Times , behind only The Twilight Saga: Next Moon. More»