‘Mother!’ crumbles with $7.5 million opening, ‘It’ repeats No. 1

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) | “It” continues to post terrifyingly huge numbers, while “Mother!” opens with a thud.

“It,” from Warner Bros. and New Line, expects to finish its second weekend with $60 million from 4,103 locations. That would make its domestic gross so far $218.7 million — a record for the highest earning September release ever. The old record-holder was 1986’s “Crocodile Dundee” with $174.8 million.

Broken down by day, this past weekend “It” earned $19.4 million on Friday and $26.2 million on Saturday. Sunday’s take is estimated to be about $14.5 million. 389 Imax screens are expected to account for just over $3 million of the film’s take in North America this weekend.

Overseas, “It” is pulling in an additional $60.3 million in 56 markets. That raises its international total to $152.6 million and the worldwide tally to $371.3 million.

Based on Stephen King’s novel, “It” opened last weekend with an enormous domestic pull of $123.4 million. The R-rated title, reportedly made for about $35 million, stars Bill Skarsgard as an evil clown named Pennywise who terrorizes children.

The rest of the cast includes Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Nicholas Hamilton, Jaeden Lieberher, and Jackson Robert Scott.

Meanwhile “Mother!” is struggling. The Paramount release directed by Darren Aronofsky is expected to earn $7.5 million from 2,368 locations. That’s an all-time low for wide releases starring Jennifer Lawrence.

One contributing factor to the movie’s bottom line is that audiences entirely rejected it and bestowed an F CinemaScore. That’s despite a critical split that landed the polarizing movie a generally positive 68% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Women made up the bulk of the audience (56%), and slightly more than half of the audience (52%) was over the age of 35. The launch was driven by a marketing campaign that shrouded the R-rated movie in mystery and didn’t give much away regarding plot. In addition to Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, and Michelle Pfeiffer also star.

Another fresh R-rated launch, “American Assassin” — a joint production between CBS Films and Lionsgate — is expecting an opening of $14.8 million from 3,154 locations. The audience breakdown was 55% male and 29% under the age of 35.

The film is an adaptation of Vince Flynn’s 2010 novel, and stars Dylan O‘Brien as a CIA black ops recruit who is trained by a Cold War veteran (Michael Keaton). The film’s opening is comparable to 2014’s “John Wick,” which opened to $14.4 million on its way to launch a franchise with $43 million in domestic earnings.

“We feel that we’re off to a very solid start,” Shaun Barber, Lionsgate’s EVP and general sales manager of domestic theatrical distribution, said, pointing to the A CinemaScore the movie earned from the under 25 audience, and a strong September box office so far. As for plans to make the movie a franchise, he said “it’s very early in the run” and “too soon to call.”

Open Road’s “Home Again” should land in fourth this weekend with $5.3 million from 3,036 locations (only a 38% drop from last weekend). “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” from Lionsgate, continues to stay in the top five with about $3.6 million from 3,272 spots.

The rest of the top ten is made up of “Annabelle: Creation” ($2.6 million); Taylor Sheridan’s “Wind River” ($2.6 million), which has now out-grossed “Hell of High Water” in North America; “Leap!” ($2.1 million); “Spider-Man: Homecoming” ($1.9 million); and “Dunkirk” ($1.3 million).

In limited release, Annapurna and Amazon’s “Brad’s Status” is tracking to earn $100,179 this weekend from four locations. Mike White wrote and directed the movie starring Ben Stiller as a man who is constantly comparing his life to those of his college friends.

Austin Abrams, Jenna Fischer, Luke Wilson, and Michael Sheen also star in the flick, which has been generally well-reviewed (83% on Rotten Tomatoes). The film is expected to expand to 100 locations next weekend.

Amazon Studios’ head of marketing and distribution Bob Berney noted that “fathers are really relating to the film” and Stiller’s performance.

After a catastrophic summer of moviegoing, a strong September so far (39.4% better than last year, powered by “It”) is leading a gradual recovery. The year to date box office is now 4.9% behind last year — up from 6.5% behind at the end of the summer. The domestic box office so far this year has earned $7.9 billion.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Finding Nemo’ sequel ‘Finding Dory’ set for November 2015 release

LOS ANGELES – A sequel to animated fish saga “Finding Nemo” is set to splash onto the big screen in North America in November 2015, Disney Pixar announced Tuesday.

“Finding Dory” will focus on the character brought to life by the voice of comedian and TV host Ellen DeGeneres, which swam its way into the hearts of young and old in the 2003 original animated hit.

“I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time,” DeGeneres said in a statement.

“But the time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny, and the best part is — it’s got a lot more Dory.”

The film will be directed by Andrew Stanton, a Pixar veteran, who also wrote and directed “Finding Nemo” and “Wall-E.” The announcement suggests Disney has forgiven Stanton for directing the mammoth 2012 flop “John Carter,” which led to some $200 million in losses.

“Finding Nemo” won an Academy Award for best animated feature in 2004 and is the second most lucrative film in Pixar’s history after “Toy Story 3,” garnering some $865 million around the globe.

“Finding Dory” again stars Marlin, Nemo and the Tank Gang and is set about a year after the first rendition of the underwater adventure, according to the statement.

But there’s a teaser: “Set in part along the California coastline, the story also welcomes a host of new characters, including a few who will prove to be a very important part of Dory’s life.”

The next Pixar film, “Monsters University,” a prequel to “Monsters, Inc” (2001) is due out on June 21 in North America.

source: interaksyon.com

Safeway to expand BPO operations in Philippines

A leading US retailer is “keen on expanding” its business process outsourcing (BPO) operations in the Philippines, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the DTI said top executives of Safeway Inc arrived this month “to conduct due diligence relative to its plan of expanding its business operations in the country.”

"The team that came here was only from their BPO area," Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said in text message when asked if Safeway has also expressed interest in retail operations here.

 Safeway is said to be the second-biggest supermarket chain in North America. The Pleasanton, California-based retailer has a Philippine affiliate, Safeway Philtech Inc, whose BPO operations have served over 1,700 stores and corporate offices in Canada and the US for a decade.

Safeway Philtech provides application development and enhancements, application support and maintenance, and technology and infrastructure support services.

“Top-ranked executives of Safeway were particularly upbeat on taking advantage of opportunities in the country’s BPO industry and looked at BPO activities that can add significant value to their global operations,” the DTI said.

“DTI-Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC) Assistant Secretary Josephine Romero personally met the [Safeway] team and urged them to expand their operations in the country and join the rosters of foreign companies that are reaping the benefits of a vibrant Philippine economy,” the DTI added.

source: interaksyon.com

‘The Possession’ tops N. America box office

LOS ANGELES – Horror flick “The Possession” exorcised A-list action romp “The Expendables 2″ from the top slot at the North American box office at the weekend, according to industry estimates released Sunday.

The newly released supernatural thriller, which stars Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as divorcing parents trying to rid their daughter of an evil spirit, raked in $17.7 million, said movie tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Another new release, Depression-era Western “Lawless,” took second place in the rankings but it lagged in takings – generating $9.7 million on a slow, late summer weekend which will be followed by the Labor Day holiday on Monday.

“The Expendables 2″ and “The Bourne Legacy” fell to third and fourth places, with $8.8 million and $7.2 million in ticket sales, respectively.

“Paranorman,” an animated movie about a boy who can speak to the dead, held onto its spot just behind the two action blockbusters, earning $6.5 million in box office receipts.

And quirky fantasy-comedy “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” held steady at sixth place, bringing in $6.1 million.

In seventh was “The Dark Knight Rises,” the latest Batman film, which took in $5.9 million. The final installment in the trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan has so far raked in more than $431 million.

Political spoof “The Campaign,” meanwhile, starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, dropped to eighth place, with box office receipts of $5.4 million, while “2016: Obama’s America,” a documentary by conservative writer and commentator Dinesh D’Souza, came in ninth, with $5.1 million.

And rounding out the top 10 was Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones’s romantic comedy “Hope Springs,” with $4.7 million in ticket sales.

source: interaksyon.com

'Expendables 2' holds lead in N. America box office

LOS ANGELES -- A-list action romp "The Expendables 2" held onto the top rung of the North American box office for a second weekend, keeping "The Bourne Legacy" at bay, industry estimates showed Sunday.

"The Expendables 2", which stars Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jet Li as mercenaries, raked in $13.5 million a week after its debut, according to movie tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"The Bourne Legacy" -- starring Jeremy Renner as a secret agent threatened by his employers in the latest installment of the popular series that had starred Matt Damon as Jason Bourne -- took in $9.3 million for second place.

Coming in third, also for a second week in a row, was "ParaNorman," an animated movie about a boy who can speak with the dead. It earned $8.5 million in ticket sales.

Political spoof "The Campaign," starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, remained in fourth place, with box office receipts of $7.4 million.

"The Dark Knight Rises," the latest Batman film, climbed back up to fifth place, earning $7.2 million. The final installment in the trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan has so far raked in more than $420 million.

Quirky fantasy-comedy "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" climbed to sixth place a week after its debut, bringing in $7.1 million.

"Premium Rush," an action film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a bike messenger being pursued by a corrupt cop, debuted in seventh at $6.3 million.

"2016: Obama's America," a documentary by conservative writer and commentator Dinesh D'Souza, shot to eighth place from a distant 13th last week, bringing in $6.2 million.

Rounding out the top ten were Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones's romantic comedy "Hope Springs," with $9.1 million in ticket sales, and action chase film "Hit and Run," which made $4.7 million in its opening weekend.

source: interaksyon.com

Eraserheads together again for North American concert tour

Ten years after they disbanded and three years after their second reunion concert, the Eraserheads are reuniting once again in October. But only their fans in North America will see the show.

“4 Cities. 4 Shows. 1 Time Only,” goes the tagline of a teaser poster released online to promote the tour, which will see the most successful band in the history of Philippine music perform in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, and New York.

Another poster announcing a Manila concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on December 1 was quickly dismissed as a hoax by Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia’s official Twitter account.

According to the tour’s official Facebook page, Buendia, drummer Raimund Marasigan, lead guitarist Marcus Adoro, and bassist Buddy Zabala are scheduled to play The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on October 12, the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on October 13, Kool Haus in Toronto, Canada on October 19, and a still undisclosed venue in New York City on October 20.

The tour will happen three and a half years after “The Final Set”, the band’s reunion concert on March 7, 2009 at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds in Pasay City, which was witnessed by an estimated 100,000 people.

That show was the conclusion of the original reunion concert at the Fort Bonifacio Open Field on August 30, 2008, which ended prematurely after Buendia was rushed to hospital after experiencing chest pains.

At the height of their fame, in May 1997, the Eraserheads staged sold-out concerts at The Palace in Hollywood and the Calvin Simmons Auditorium in Oakland, California.

source: interaksyon.com

Nora, Derek Ruffa, ‘Bigtime’ girls meet TV5 fans in San Francisco

Although tired and sleep-deprived, TV5 heavy-hitters Nora Aunor, Derek Ramsay, Ruffa Gutierrez, and the “Wil Time Bigtime” girls gamely met with Filipino fans at a supermarket and a shopping mall in San Francisco on Friday, the eve of TV5 International’s The Big Launch in the city.

Filipino-Americans in Vallejo braved the sweltering heat for a meet-and-greet session with Nora, Derek, and the “Bigtime” girls near the entrance of the Island Paradise Supermarket.

Ruffa caught up with the group and gamely posed for pictures and gave autographs to grateful fans.

The Kapatid delegation’s next stop was the Seafood City Mall in Concord where a long queue of eager Filipinos were waiting to welcome them.

Virginia de los Santos was thrilled by the chance to kiss Derek and pose for pictures with the TV5 hunk.

“Aba’s siyempre masarap, parang anak ko lang siya. Aba’y siyempre pogi!” she enthused.

“Wil Time Bigtime” host Willie Revillame arrived in San Francisco past 11pm. He had cancelled his flight earlier in the day to get some rest.

Although he was feeling under the weather, he said there was no way he would miss this stop of the “Homecoming Tour” of “Wil Time” in California.

“Kahit na naka-wheelchair ako. O naka-kama ako may dextrose, darating ako diyan. Hindi puwedeng hindi,” Willie said.

“Wil Time” will lead the festivities for the second leg of TV5 International’s launch of Kapatid TV5 and Aksyon International in North America in a special show at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Saturday night.

TV5 and Aksyon International programs can now be viewed across North America through Dish Network.

The first leg was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on May 26.

source: interaksyon.com