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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: blockbusters

blockbusters stories: 11 news summaries

Fox Sitting Pretty With Avatar—Even if It Flops

Studio—and Cameron—hedged bets on $500M megapicture

Nov 9, 09 11:47 AM CST
(Newser) - James Cameron’s 3D game-changer Avatar may end up costing upwards of $500 million to produce and market, but, strangely, no one at the studio is losing sleep over the possibility of a flop. The business just isn’t the same as it used to be, when the collapse... More »

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James Cameron • film • movie financing • blockbusters • 20th Century Fox • 3-D • movie studio • Avatar (film)

(Newser) - Most critics—who didn't have access to advance screenings, normally a huge red flag—agree that G.I. Joe: the Rise of Cobra isn’t anything but a popcorn flick. For some, that’s enough. For others, not so much.
  • "It’s all put together with such
... More »

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entertainment • film • movie review • popcorn • action movie • blockbusters • summer movies • GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra

OPINION

 What Happened to 
 Kinder, Gentler 
 Tom Hanks? 

In search of the actor's earlier persona

May 31, 09 9:51 AM CDT
(Newser) - Where has Tom Hanks gone? Sure, he's still around on the big screen, currently breaking the bank with Angels & Demons, but what happened to the Tom Hanks that is "our Jimmy Stewart, a heartland guy, good people," wonders Betsey Sharkey in the Los Angeles Times. The... More »

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Hollywood • Tom Hanks • Forrest Gump • blockbusters • Angels & Demons

 10 Most Promising 
 Summer Blockbusters  

Blockbusters that will make the summer even hotter

Apr 26, 09 4:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - In Hollywood, May flowers don’t bring Pilgrims; they bring summer blockbusters. The Wall Street Journal takes a look at the season’s most promising flicks:
  • May 21: Christian Bale stars in Terminator Salvation, a prequel that tries to hew closer to the first two hit films instead of
... More »

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Harry Potter • Hollywood • John Travolta • Adam Sandler • Judd Apatow • Christian Bale • Denzel Washington • Seth Rogen • movies • blockbusters • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince • summer movies

ANALYSIS

Warner Bros. Watches Watchmen to Gauge Health


Mar 6, 09 4:10 PM CST
(Newser) - Warner Brothers restructured last year to focus on producing blockbusters like The Dark Knight, and now the studio is waiting to see if the move pays off with Watchmen, the Financial Times reports. Warner can finance a slew of films with profits from one “tent pole” movie. “The... More »

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Hollywood • Time Warner • The Dark Knight • Jeff Bewkes • movies • blockbusters • Alan Horn • Watchmen • Warner Bros • tent pole movie

(Newser) - The Oscars are coming up, but that orgy of self-congratulation doesn’t celebrate what really matters in Hollywood: money. Forbes crunched the numbers for 2008 and selected the winners of a different award: the Rainmaker.
  • Best Actor: Robert Downey Jr. returned $52.60 to Paramount for every dollar
... More »

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Academy Awards • film • awards • award show • Paramount Pictures • box office • Robert Downey Jr. • Meryl Streep • Juno • Jason Reitman • movies • blockbusters • Iron Man • Mamma Mia! • return on investment

OPINION

 'Blockbuster Fatigue' Hits Hard 


Aug 12, 08 8:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - This summer has seen several enormous hits, but moviegoers are nevertheless suffering from “blockbuster fatigue,” Stephanie Zacharek writes in Salon. "The whole point of going to the movies in the first place is to be overwhelmed," the critic acknowledges, pondering what draws us to a blockbuster... More »

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The Dark Knight • blockbusters • The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Potter Fans Like Sneak Peek of Young Voldemort

Trailer for Half-Blood Prince makes its online debut

Jul 30, 08 9:47 PM CDT
(Newser) - Harry Potter fans seem captivated by the new movie trailer that focuses heavily on a young Voldemort, MTV reports. The trailer for Half-Blood Prince will be in theaters Friday, but it's already made its online debut to generally positive reviews along the lines of "dark and creepy." The... More »

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Harry Potter • Voldemort • movie trailer • blockbusters • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Studio Went Super-Secret to Protect Batman

Anti-piracy tactics kept bootlegs from diluting buzz just long enough

Jul 28, 08 4:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - In a dazzling covert operation, Warner Bros. kept the lid on The Dark Knight so tight pirated copies didn’t hit the Web until 2 days after its Australian premiere—long enough to keep the film’s record opening on track, the Los Angeles Times reports. Digital piracy can keep... More »

MORE ABOUT:
film • intellectual property • piracy • DVD piracy • box office • The Dark Knight • blockbusters

OPINION

 Superheroes: Ruining the Day 

Summer's been hijacked by the spandex crowd, complains one curmudgeon

Jun 4, 08 9:44 AM CDT
(Newser) - Once upon a time, summer movies appealed to everyone, not just 14-year-old nerds. They especially appealed to Chris Nashawaty, who outlines his love of big dumb action flicks in Entertainment Weekly. But now, our summers have been hijacked by an endless stream of lousy spandex-wearers, and Nashawaty is willing to... More »

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Spider-Man • superhero • summer • Superman • movies • blockbusters • Iron Man • The Incredible Hulk

Movie Industry on a Roll

Despite writers' strike, Hollywood sets $26.7B box office record in 2007

Mar 6, 08 8:10 AM CST
(Newser) - Nearly 30 films took in more than $100 million each last year as the movie industry recorded its best box office year ever, reports the Wall Street Journal. The writers' strike, rising costs, and a spate of so-so releases at the end of the year put a damper on... More »

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Hollywood • film • box office • film studio • Hollywood writers' strike • movie industry • movies • blockbusters

11 Stories


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