Box Office: 'Dragon' defeats new entries!

DreamWorks Animation's 3D-anmiated adventure "How to Train Your Dragon" swallowed its competition at the North American box office this weekend and reclaimed the No. 1 spot with a solid three-day gross of $20 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The film is now in its fourth week of release.

"Dragon" beat new entries "Kick-Ass" and "Death at a Funeral," which didn't really live up to box office expectations. Matthew Vaughn's "Kick-Ass" came in second with $19.7 million via an average of $6,444 per theater at 3,065 locations. Analysts predicted the comic book adaptation would win the weekend.

Meanwhile, Neil LaBute's remake "Death at a Funeral" debuted at No. 4 with $17 million. Starring Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence, the comedy follows a family's misadventures during a funeral ceremony. "Funeral," which scored an average of $6,913 per theater, is now playing at 2,459 locations.

"How to Train Your Dragon," by the way, lifted its domestic total to $158.6 million. The third spot on the circuit went to Shawn Levy's comedy "Date Night," which bagged another $17.3 million and brought its total gross to $49.2 million. Tina Fey and Steve Carell star.

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'Clash of the Titans' beats 'Date Night' after all!

Now that the weekend actuals are in, it's time for a quick box office update. As it turns out, Louis Leterrier's "Clash of the Titans" remake beat Shawn Levy's new comedy "Date Night" after all. The numbers show "Clash" picked up $26.6 million, while "Date Night" only bagged $25.2 million, and not $27.1 million.

The film starring Tina Fey and Stev Carell generated an average of $7,471 per theater at 3,374 locations. "Clash of the Titans" scored an average of $7,005 per locations, but it's playing at 3,802 theaters. These results earn "Titans" its second week at the very top of the North America box office.

Meanwhile, "How to Train Your Dragon" earned $24.8 million, which is just a little off the $25.3 million estimate we were given Sunday. Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married Too?" took home $11 million, and Miley Cyrus' drama "The Last Song" earned $9.8 million, not $10 million.

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

Box Office: 'Date Night' wins tight race with $27M

Weekend of April 9 - 11, 2010: Estimates indicate 'Date Night' won the weekend, but what will the actuals report?

In what was a very tight race at the North American box office, Shawn Levy's new comedy "Date Night" took the No. 1 spot this weekend with a solid three-day gross of $27.1 million from ticket sales at 3,374 locations. Starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell, the film about a married couple's adventurous night out in Manhattan scored an average of $8,032 per theater.

Following closely in second place was Warner's "Clash of the Titans" remake, which bagged another $26.8 million for a total domestic gross of $110.4 million. Weekend earnings were down 56.1 percent from last weekend, but the Louis Leterrier-directed action flick still managed to score a solid average of $7,069 per theater at 3,802 locations.

At No. 3, DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon" collected a solid $25.3 million. Down only 12.6 percent in revenue from last week, the 3D-animated adventure lifted its cumulative gross to $133.8 million. Following at No. 4 with $11 million was Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married Too?," which brought its cume to $48.5 million.

Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus' new drama "The Last Song" brought home $10 million at No. 5. Based on the novel  by Nicholas Sparks, the film reached a total haul of $42.4 million. Leaving the top five this weekend was Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland," which picked up $5.6 million at No. 6. Domestically, the film's total stands at $319.3 million.

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'Date Night' storms box office with $9M Friday

Shawn Levy's new comedy "Date Night" is off to a solid start at the North American box office. Starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell, the 20th Century Fox film bagged $9.3 million Friday via an average of $2,756 per theater at 3,374 locations. That's a pretty decent one-day gross indeed.

At No. 2, Warner's messy "Clash of the Titans" remake generated another $8.4 million, which is not bad either. The film is still playing at 3,802 locations, and its cumulative gross currently stands at $92 million after a strong one-week run. Too bad the movie sucks, especially in 3D.

Meanwhile, DreamWorks Animation's 3D-animated adventure "How to Train Your Dragon" picked up $7.1 million, lifting its total haul to $115.6 million. Following in fourth place with $3.6 million was Miley Cyrus's latest drama "The Last Song," which reached a cume of $36 million.

Tyler Perry landed in fifth place Friday, and his disappointing sequel "Why Did I Get Married Too?" brought in $3.5 million. Domestically, the film has reached a total gross of $41 million. Does it deserve any of it? In my book, it sure doesn't. Full weekend box office result will be posted tomorrow.

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

Box Office: 'Clash of the Titans' rules big time!

Louis Leterrier's "Clash of the Titans" remake stormed the North American box office and set a new Easter record this weekend with a superb $61.4 million in ticket sales. The Warner Bros. release opened ayt 3,777 locations Friday, scoring a weekend average of $16,256 per theater. The film's early cumulative gross stands at $64 million.

In the film, Sam Worthington plays Perseus, a demigod who heads out to clean up the mess created by the angry gods. The film received mixed reviews, but audiences flocked to theaters to check it out. It's playing in both 2D and 3D. This is truly a surprisingly solid start for a film opening on Easter weekend. In fact, it was a great overall weekend at the box office.

Tyler Perry's sequel "Why Did I Get Married Too?" debuted in second place and scored $30.1 million. The comedy-drama is playing at 2,155 locations and generated an average of $13,991 per theater. Miley Cyrus' new film "The Last Song," only made it to No. 4, where it bagged a mediocre $16.2 million for a total gross of $25.5 million. It opened Wednesday.

At No. 3, DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train a Dragon" picked up $29.2 million, down 33 percent from last weekend. Domestically, the 3D-anmiated adventure has brought its gross to $92.3 million after a decent one-week run. If you haven't see it yet, make sure you check it out, especially in IMAX.

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'The Last Song' scores decent opening

"The Last Song," the new drama based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, debuted at the top of the North American box office Wednesday with a decent one-day gross of $5.1 million in ticket sales from 2,673 locations. The Buena Vista/Touchstone release scored an average of $1,917 per theater.

Directed by Julie Anne Robinson, the movie stars Miley Cyrus as a rebellious teenager forced to spend the summer at her dad's beach home. I know it sounds like a "Life as a House" ripoff, and in my book, the movie is terrible. Still, it looks like it's going to perform well enough this weekend.

Also doing well Wednesday was DreamWorks' "How to Train Your Dragon," which bagged another $4.5 million for a total haul of $57.8 million. Following in third place with $1.9 million was "Alice in Wonderland," which generated $1.9 million for a domestic total of $299.4 million.

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

Movie Review: "The Last Song"

Seen on: March 25, 2010

The players: Director: Julie Anne Robinson, Writers: Nicholas Sparks, Jeff Van Wie, Cast: Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Liam Hemsworth, Bobby Coleman

Facts of interest: Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.

The plot: A young teenager must spend the summer at her dad's and falls in love with a beach boy who will bring her back to reality.

Our thoughts: I only wish “The Last Song” would be the last Nicholas Sparks adaptation to hit the big screen. Granted, I have never read any of his novels, but the quality of the recent films based on his popular work is rapidly decreasing. This latest one stars Miley Cyrus as the lead character, and to tell you the truth, I think she’s better off sticking to signing.

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Trailer and photos for Miley Cyrus' 'Last Song'

Miley Cyrus returns to the big screen in "The Last Song," and guess what: she won't show up as Hannah Montana. Trust me, it's true. A trailer for the drama is now online, and you can watch it below.

The film directed by Julie Anne Robinson is based on author Nicholas Sparks' new novel, which he wrote with Cyrus in mind. He simultaneously prepped the script for this upcoming big-screen adaptation.

The central plot of "Song" follows a rebellious teenager (Cyrus) who is forced to spend the summer with her father (Greg Kinnear). He left the family years earlier, so he now tries to reconnect with his kids.

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Greg Kinnear, Kelly Preston to sing 'Last Song'

Greg Kinnear and Kelly Preston have signed on to star alongside Miley Cyrus in Julie Anne Robinson's upcoming drama "The Last Song."

The Disney flick is based on Nicholas Sparks' upcoming novel, which he wrote with Cyrus in mind. He simultaneously prepped the script for the big-screen adaptation.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the central plot of "Song" follows a rebellious teenager (Cyrus) who is forced to spend the summer with her father (Kinnear). Only problem: he left her years earlier. Preston will play her mother.

To be honest, this story sounds a lot like "Life as a House," a tearjerker I admit I really enjoyed. Let's hope Sparks injected the script with something innovative.

Kinnear was recently seen in "Flash of Genius." As for Preston, she'll soon star in "Old Dogs." "The Last Song" is currently shooting, and a release date is set for Jan. 8, 2010.

Daily news dose: Ice Cube gears up for 'Ride Along;' Robinson to direct Miley Cyrus flick

Here's your dose of film news for March 31, 2009:

• Ice Cube has signed on to star in New Line Cinema's comedy "Ride Along." Variety says Cube will play an overprotective cop who tries to destroy his sister's relationship by inviting her white fiancé on a ride-along. Steve Faber and Bob Fisher recently rewrote an original script by Greg Coolidge. Cube was last seen in "The Longshots."

• Julie Anne Robinson will make her directorial feature debut with "The Last Song," the big-screen adaptation of a novel Nicholas Sparks wrote specifically for "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus. According to Variety, the film follows a "rebellious teenager sent to spend the summer with her estranged father."

• Jonathan Levine, director of "The Wackness" (a film I adored), is set to helm Fox Atomic's "The Sitter." Written by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, the film centers on a suspended college student whose life takes a drastic turn when he ends up babystitting his neighbor's eccentric kids. (The Hollywood Reporter)

• Paul Bettany is in talks to star in Scott Stewart's "Priest," a horror Western produced by Michael De Luca, among others. Adapted from a comic book, the flick centers on a tough priest who turns his back on the church to free his niece from the hands of a bunch of ruthless vampires. (THR)