'Transformers 2' tops overseas box office

Michael Bay's anticipated sequel "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" debuted in only two markets this weekend, but that was enough to score $20 million and the top spot at the international box office.

"Fallen" is currently playing at 846 locations in the U.K. and Japan, and it looks like the follow-up to "Transformers" will easily beat the debut of its predecessor. The film opens in the U.S. this Wednesday.

At No. 2, McG's "Terminator Salvation" took home $18.4 million, lifting its total gross to $200 million. Following in third place was Todd Phillips' comedy "The Hangover," which brought its overseas cume to $30.4 million.

Meanwhile, "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" collected $10.4 million in fourth place, reaching a total haul of $192.5 million. "The Proposal" opened in fifth place with a weekend gross of $10 million.

Other results from the overseas box office: "Angels & Demons" picked up $8.4 million for a total of $329.2 million; "Up" brought in $6 million; "State of Play" pulled $3.4 million; and "Drag Me to Hell" collected $2 million.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

'Angels & Demons' wins overseas box office race

Ron Howard's "Angels & Demons" delivered a solid weekend start at the international box office with an estimated $104.3 million in ticket sales. That's a strong $56.3 million more than its domestic opening weekend gross.

At No. 2, J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" reboot collected another $21 million in 57 markets, reaching a total haul of $70 million. Domestically, the film earned $43 million this past weekend, bringing its worldwide cume to $217.6 million.

Following in third place overseas was "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," which picked up $13.5 million for a cumulative gross of $144.5 million. Meanwhile, Zac Efron's comedy "17 Again" finished fourth with a weekend gross of $5.2 million and an international total of $48.3 million.

Peter Chelsom's "Hannah Montana: The Movie" slipped to No. 5 this weekend, scoring $4.7 million for a total gross of $26.1 million.

Other results from the overseas box office: "Coraline" pulled $2.7 million; "Fighting" took home $1.9 million; "Fast & Furious" reached a cume of $191.5 million; and "State of Play" brought its international gross to $18.8 million.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' grabs $73M overseas

Gavin Hood's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" dominated the international box office with an estimated $73 million in ticket sales. Domestically, the film opened just as strong, scoring an impressive $87 million.

At a distant No. 2, Zac Efron's comedy "17 Again" took home another $8.3 million in 25 territories, lifting its overseas total to $38 million.

Tied for third place this weekend were Justin Lin's "Fast & Furious" and Peter Chelsom's "Hannah Montana: The Movie," which collected $6.7 million each. "Furious" reached a cume of $182.4 million, while "Hannah" brought its total to $8.7 million.

Meanwhile, "Monsters vs. Aliens" picked up $6.1 million at No. 4, reaching a cumulative gross of $152.1 million on the international circuit. Following in fifth place with $5.1 million was "State of Play," which finished with a total of $12.4 million.

Other results from the overseas box office: "Gran Torino" took $2.3 million for a $105.2 million total; "Duplicity" pulled another $2.1 million; "Race to Witch Mountain" earned $2 million; and "Knowing" reached $70.8 million.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

'Fast & Furious' still box office champion overseas

"Fast & Furious" topped the international box office for a third consecutive weekend with an estimated $15.2 million in ticket sales. The film is playing in 59 markets, and its total gross currently stands at a solid $170 million.

At No. 2, "Monsters vs. Aliens" collected another $11.2 million in 59 territories, lifting its overseas total to $143 million. Following in third place with $6.8 million was Zac Efron's latest comedy "17 Again," which lifted its cumulative gross to $27.5 million.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Cage's latest sci-fi flick "Knowing" pulled $4.1 million, bringing its total gross to $63.9 million. At No. 5, "State of Play" took home $3.6 million in five territories for a cume of $6.1 million.

Other results from the overseas box office: "Gran Torino" earned another $3.3 million for a total of $99.1 million; "I Love You, Man" collected $2.5 million; "Race to Witch Mountain" picked up $3.1 million; and "Duplicity" reached an international gross of $26.5 million.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Box Office: ’17 Again’ takes $24M at No. 1

Weekend of April 17 – 19, 2009

Zac Efron’s latest teenage comedy “17 Again” slashed its competition at the North American box office this weekend with $24 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Directed by Burr Steers, the film follows a 37-year-old man who despises his existence and gets to relive his past as a 17-year-old. Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon and Michelle Trachtenberg co-star.

Debuting in second place with $14 million was Kevin Macdonald’s thriller “State of Play,” which stars Russell Crowe as a print journalist who launches his own investigation into the murder of a congressman’s assistant. Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren and Rachel McAdams round out the lead cast.

Things didn’t turned out as well for “Crank: High Voltage,” the week’s third wide release. The action sequel starring Jason Statham opened at No. 6 with only $6.5 million, which is about half the opening weekend gross of its predecessor.

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Zac Efron's '17 Again' leads Friday box office

Zac Efron's latest teen comedy "17 Again" topped the North American box office Friday with an estimated $9.4 million in ticket sales. Directed by Burr Steers, the film follows a 37-year-old man who gets to relive his past as a 17-year-old.

Debuting at No. 2 with $4.5 million was Kevin Macdonald's latest thriller "State of Play," a thriller about a reporter who embarks on his own investigation into the murder of a congressman's assistant. Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck lead the cast.

Things didn't go as well for "Crank: High Voltage," which finished in sixth place with a daily gross of $2.6 million. Jason Statham returns as Chev Chelios, a man who's hunting down the gut who stole his heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker.

Last week's box office champion "Hannah Montana: The Movie" slipped to No. 3, collecting another $4 million for a domestic total of $47.8 million. Following in fifth place with $3.8 million was "Fast & Furious," which lifted its cumulative gross to $128.2 million.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)

'State of Play' web reviews

Kevin Macdonald returns with "State of Play," a thriller about a reporter who embarks on his own investigation into the murder of a congressman's assistant. Tony Gilroy, Billy Ray and Matthew Michael Carnahan worked on the script, and Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren and Rachel McAdams star. Here's what the Web critics think:

• Brad Brevet at RopeOfSilicon: "When State of Play is good, it's really good, but there are those moments where you can tell they are trying to fit six hours of an acclaimed miniseries into a 127 minute thriller."

• LatinoReview's Ron Henriques: "The film not only works as a thriller, but is one of the best pictures in years to realistically look at the inner workings of a newspaper and the various elements and individuals that make it work."

• Joblo's Chris Cumbray: "Still, with a better ending, this could have been one of the best of the year, and it’s a shame that now, it’s simply going to be remembered as a decent thriller, but nothing more."

• CinemaBlend's Katey Rich: "As much fun as it is to watch the hunt, though, State of Play stumbles with the conspiracy it eventually unravels, which involves corporate intrigue and government corruption rotely familiar from dozens of other thrillers stretching back decades."

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This week's new movie releases - April 17, 2009

Here's what's on the menu this week: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor's "Crank: High Voltage" with Jason Statham, "17 Again" with Zac Efron, and Kevin Macdonald's thriller "State of Play" with Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren and Rachel McAdams:

CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE

Synopsis: In this high-octane sequel, hitman Chev Chelios’ (Statham) launches himself on an electrifying chase through Los Angeles in pursuit of the Chinese mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart.

First thoughts: Yes, I admit I am quite excited to see this sequel, even though it looks a gazillion times crazier and far more brainless than its predecessor. That said, I really enjoyed "Crank" because it delivered fast-paced non-stop silly action. And sometimes, that's exactly what I need (as long as it's entertaining), no matter how over-the-top it is.

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What to expect at the movies in April '09

This year's March at the movies has been a lot better than January and February, and while I still ended up seeing quite a bunch of weak flicks this month, I feel things are slowly improving. Well, April is coming up fast, and here is a brief look at what you can expect in theaters over the next 30 days.

The first weekend in April doesn't look that bad, primarily because I'm really excited to check out Greg Mottola's latest comedy "Adventureland." In the film, Jesse Eisenberg plays a college grad who takes on a job at a local amusement park. The trailer looks hilarious, the cast sounds great too, and with "Superbad," Mottola already proved he's capable of delivering top-notch comedy.

Also opening April 3 is Justin Lin's anticipated sequel "Fast & Furious," starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. I'm not sure they'll be able to reboot this franchise with style, but the recent trailers and TV spots at least promise plenty of explosive car action. That's what this is all about anyway, right?

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Watch Russell Crowe in the 'State of Play' trailer

Kevin Macdonald's next movie is a thriller titled "State of Play," and you can check out the first trailer for the flick right after the jump.

Based on the British television series, the film kicks off with the mysterious murder of a popular U.S. Congressman's research assistant.

That's where Cal McCaffrey comes in, a determined reporter who launches his own murder investigation and quickly uncovers dark secrets that could threaten the nation's power structures.

Check out this impressive cast: Ben Affleck, Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman, Helen Mirren, Jeff Daniels, Viola Davis and Robin Wright Penn.

Macdonald also directed the great "Touching the Void" and even greater "The Last King of Scotland." Judging by the trailer, "State of Play" looks quite interesting. At least for now. The film opens April 17, 2009.

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