Is MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT The Best Movie Of The Summer? YES!

Wow. I saw MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT last Friday and it was amazing! The action is impeccably done and the movie is peppered with it. With Tom Cruise front and center performing his stunts! FALLOUT has already secured the franchise record for opening weekend box office with $61m ($156m worldwide). It should be well over $200m domestically for the run.

Rotten Tomatoes still has the movie pegged at 97% fresh!

For me, when Ethan Hunt has a love interest involved in the story, everything is amped up a bit more. Definitely applies here. FALLOUT delivers. The stakes are extremely high and I'm caring about the characters.

The 3D conversion was also impeccably done, led by a friend of mine, Corey Turner over at Paramount. The depth was dialed up when it was needed with some very cool tracking shots close to the ground that showed me this movie is nailing it. And the aerial 3D shots? Hold your breath! Plenty of time for the eyes to rest too. Congrats Corey! Next up for Corey is BUMBLEBEE, slated for a December 21 release.

As usual, awesome credits and musical score. Look, if you enjoy spy movies, plots where YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION, characters to care about and technically proficient delivery, go see MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT.

It's the summer's best movie. Seriously.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT is now playing.

World Box Office: THE FORCE AWAKENS vs. AVATAR? Forget it... Look At All That Cheddar.

As I've been postulating for weeks now (other than the fact I knew there was no way AVATAR 2 would hit its latest release date), there is no way STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS challenges James Cameron's AVATAR in worldwide box office. Let's face it, worldwide box office is the number that matters most and while the domestic record is an awesome achievement, it's only a third of what really matters or in SWTFA's case, half. Yes, TITANIC may sink, but AVATAR is quite safe.

Was there really any doubt about this? Not to me. There's the old description of a four quadrant movie that sort of fits both movies: Males under 25, Males over 25, Females under 25 and Females over 25. I think SWTFA delivers admirably on this, but not in the league of AVATAR. But of course there is much more to the story than just four quadrants.

Many will argue that shiny new 3D technology helped push AVATAR to dizzying heights and while that is true to some degree, SWTFA has nostalgia and an extremely well established fanbase and, count 'em, SIX previous feature releases. SWTFA also has 3D revenue in MORE theaters. AVATAR was an original work. That more than balances the scales.

Here's why AVATAR will remain king of the world in my opinion:
1. James Cameron. The world loves him. They love his movies and love his environmental stance. That's a huge reason why AVATAR commanded the box office it did. SWTFA must measure up to this standard of relevance or fail in my opinion. Cameron is AVATAR's scientist to SWTFA's fantasy magic. It's a very interesting comparison to contrast AVATAR's environmental message to THE FORCE AWAKENS' well... force, and while I'm sure I'll hear from more Star Wars fans on this (I am one!), AVATAR much better aligns with true Science Fiction. Star Wars embraces the supernatural, albeit in a passionate, space opera setting. Don't underestimate the power of "James Cameron Presents". Just his name alone will bring in masses of people. Abrams is good and is getting better, but he doesn't command Cameron's respect yet in the theater - and very probably never will. Cameron IS Captain SciFi. I feel the pure SciFi play is a better option for box office when we're dealing with four quadrant movies.

2. Everyone can relate to AVATAR's story. Indigenous people's oppression. The environment. Corporate greed. Romance. The world responded to it. It had legs. With SWTFA however, the story continually evolves around the soap opera of grandparents, parents, siblings and children with unexpected gasps from audiences as lineages are revealed. There needs to be more at stake and more that relates to our world directly to connect as AVATAR has. THE FORCE AWAKENS needs more meat to move to the next level. Perhaps EP. VIII or the spin offs will.

3. The AVATAR sequels will punch up cinematic technology once again and potentially set the bar even higher in the coming years. You didn't think he was done with just 3D did you? You can bet Cameron will be marketing some new technology very, very hard for the sequels. AVATAR broke amazing ground with 3D, crossing the uncanny valley with photo realism, performance capture and virtual real-time cameras. You can expect more of the same for the sequels only with technology 10 years better. Imagine what he could and will do.

So if not SWTFA, then what will overtake AVATAR? AVATAR 2? Maybe. I suspect the movies will be BETTER than the original (as Cameron always shines in sequels) and will do massive box office, but AVATAR was a must see event for the world. It will be hard to replicate that again and re-energize that urgency. That being said, if there is one person in the world that can beat James Cameron, it's James Cameron. He's already proven that. And there's plenty of causes that are of urgent priority on this planet. Mine that cheddar.

Jurassic Box Office Indeed! JURASSIC WORLD Trails Only TITANIC And AVATAR!

They did it! JURASSIC WORLD ($1.52b) is now in the sole possession of third place on the all-time world box office list trailing just TITANIC ($2.2b) and AVATAR ($2.8b).

That is one heckuva accomplishment and my family contributed solidly to the effort I might add. Universal in fact has never broken the billion dollar mark with a movie before as hard as that is to believe. This year? They did it twice - JURASSIC WORLD and FURIOUS 7 ($1.51b). Nice movie line up guys!

Can STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS continue the solid march of the box office this year? One would definitely think so considering the buzz the movie's been getting. We'll see in December!

Congratulations to the JURASSIC WORLD team and director Colin Trevorrow!! Good on you!

A Whopping 65% Of JURASSIC WORLD'S Record International Box Office Was 3D!!

This is absolutely amazing news! Solid facts backing the growing 3D market internationally. And I agree - the only way to see JURASSIC WORLD is in 3D - otherwise you miss all the realism and immersion!!

“JURASSIC WORLD” IN 3D DELIVERS APPROXIMATELY 65% OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES RECORD-BREAKING INTERNATIONAL OPENING WEEKEND

-3D Drives $205 Million of $315.7 Million International Launch-
Major Markets Experience the Epic New Action-Adventure in 3D With 95% of Moviegoers in China Supporting The Enhanced Immersive Experience; Top Performing 3D Markets Include Germany at 89%, Brazil at 78% and Russia at 74%

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (June 15, 2015) – RealD Inc. (NYSE: RLD) announced today that Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s epic action-adventure, Jurassic World, dominated the worldwide box office this weekend generating approximately 65% of its international 66 market roll-out on 3D equipped screens. 3D ticket sales drove $205 million of the estimated $315.7 million record-breaking international launch.

RealD 3D ticket sales accounted for $70 million of the weekend’s total international box office led by strong performance in countries as varied as China (95%), Germany (89%), Russia (74%), Brazil (78%), and Colombia (77%).

“An event film like Jurassic World is made even more memorable when it’s experienced in 3D. We congratulate our friends at Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Legendary Films and our exhibition partners all around the world,” said Anthony Marcoly, President of Worldwide Cinema at RealD.

For the third week in a row, the worldwide box office was ignited by films presented in RealD 3D. Jurassic World is just the latest example of recent 3D successes worldwide, which have included San Andreas, Mad Max: Fury Road and Avengers: Age of Ultron among others. Upcoming this summer and through the end of the year, there is growing excitement for 3D titles as diverse as Terminator: Genisys, Minions, The Walk, Inside Out, The Martian, Pixels, Pan, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, among several others.

The world’s most widely used 3D cinema technology, RealD 3D is installed in more than 26,500 auditoriums by approximately 1,200 exhibitors in 72 countries around the world.

About RealD Inc.
RealD is a leading global licensor of 3D and other visual technologies. RealD's extensive intellectual property portfolio is and can be used in applications that enable a premium viewing experience in the theater, the home and elsewhere. RealD’s core business is the licensing of RealD Cinema Systems and the product sale of RealD eyewear to motion picture exhibitors to enable a premium viewing experience for 3D motion pictures and alternative 3D content in the theater.

RealD was founded in 2003 and has offices in Beverly Hills, California; Boulder, Colorado; London, United Kingdom; Moscow, Russia; Shanghai, China; Hong Kong; Tokyo, Japan; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For more information, please visit our website at www.reald.com. 

About Jurassic World
In the new film, when the massive and mysterious Indominus rex stages an escape and disappears into the jungle, order turns to mayhem and guests turn into prey. Dinosaurs escape into the open, skies and water to engage in an all-out war for survival, and no corner within the world’s greatest theme park is safe anymore.

Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, BD Wong and Irrfan Khan star in the 3D epic action-adventure that is directed by Colin Trevorrow and based on characters created by Michael Crichton. The screenplay is by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Derek Connolly & Trevorrow, and the story is by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver. Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley are producers. Steven Spielberg and Thomas Tull are executive producers. For more information on the movie, please visit www.jurassicworld.com

Will update you as I get more information!!

JURASSIC WORLD Shatters Global And Domestic Best Openings Of All Time!

JURASSIC WORLD was grossly underestimated for it's opening weekend, probably by many of the critics who decided to write negatively about it. Personally I knew it would do much better than the estimates - even the studio pegged it at $100m domestically. But I was off too - this movie is a phenomenon.

This thing's a monster itself. JW captured the domestic opening weekend record by biting into a $208.8m opening topping the previous record holder THE AVENGERS ($207.1) from 2012. It would have been higher too, but it was competing with NBA and NHL finals taking place.

Internationally, box offices were swallowed whole. An all time record of $315.3 million topping HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT. 2 ($314m). And a stunning $524.1 million - over half a BILLION dollars in one weekend in total worldwide box office. Think about that.

JW also topped THE AVENGERS for the all time record in the revenue per theater with a whopping $47.8k in 4,274 locations. 

Over 50% of the box office take was driven by 3D screenings which is obviously a huge amount of revenue. I'm very impressed with the numbers driven here by 3D - especially in the large premium formats. 

When there is a record breaker like this - all bets are off. Word of mouth can do massive, sustained business with many repeat viewers in the mix. A solid "A" Cinema Score, 52% male / 48% female audience with 39% below the age of 25, an excellent 3D conversion means this thing WILL have legs. Will it reach TITANIC levels? (2.187b) It's conceivable but we do have some big openings coming up. TED 2 is next weekend and TERMINATOR: GENISYS is July 1 - but it is more or less clear sailing for JW until June 26. Obviously lots of money to be made in between.

I'll be seeing the movie again in the coming week and will have my review out shortly for the 3D side of things - but trust me, it looks great! If you haven't seen it yet - get out and see it!!

Source: Variety

Darren Aronofsky's NOAH Goes 3D, But Wait...

Yes, Darren Aronofsky's NOAH is going 3D but only for select overseas markets! I had to double take that myself. Why on earth would you limit your major markets 3D box office by only releasing in flat? Paramount has already invested ($10m+) in doing the conversion obviously so what gives? They are releasing it in 3D in 65 markets, but NOT the US (includes Canada), UK, Australia and France.

It's about as ridiculous as releasing only in mono for North America - the rest of the world gets stereo. Who made this decision at Paramount? Someone on the precipice, that's who.

I'm scratching my head but this certainly does underscore one thing: The overseas markets are having more and more impact on Hollywood decisions and this is just the beginning. Wait until China's box office climbs to where it is destined to be.

From THR:  "About the decision to opt for the 3D version, an insider cites the worldwide performance of Fox’s LIFE OF PI, which grossed $125 million domestically and $484 million abroad."

Here's the movie's storyline: 
NOAH is a close adaptation of the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark. In a world ravaged by human sin, Noah is given a divine mission: to build an Ark to save creation from the coming flood.

NOAH opens in North America on March 28.

Source: THR

STALINGRAD 3D Grabs Over $8 Million More With China Opening - $60 Million Worldwide !

Fedor Bondarchuk’s 3D World War II movie STALINGRAD is posting exceptional numbers overseas. First it set records in Russia and the Ukraine and now it has landed in China. Over the first four days of release, STALINGRAD has gated $8.3 million from 7,013 screens, beating the openings of PEARL HARBOR and WAR HORSE.

Screenings continue in Russia as well, bringing in another $2.8 million making it's take on Russian soil $47.8 million with an additional $3.3 million in the Ukraine.

Total box office to date is ~$60 million and is Russian's entry for Foreign Language Oscar.

I know the folks over 3ality Technica are very proud of the movie and it's continued success! In fact I recently conducted an interview with Steve Schklair, 3D producer on the movie (also CEO of 3ality) and I will have that up shortly for you.

Here's the movie's storyline:
Written by Ilya Tilkin and Sergey Snezhkin and directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, STALINGRAD is set in 1942, when invading German troops were in control of the Volga River. A group of Soviet soldiers finds a young woman trapped behind enemy lines and works to protect her. Thomas Kretschmann and Yanina Studilina star.

Watch the trailer for STALINGRAD 3D here.

Source: Variety

ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US Hits A High Note With $15.8M And Top Box Office Draw!

Hats off to director Morgan Spurlock, Sony Pictures and his team behind the debut concert movie offering ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US. It's quite a feat to win the weekend with a concert movie but they have indeed pulled it off with a $15.8m ($33m worldwide) take. Lee Daniels' THE BUTLER came in second with $14.9m. But what I found interesting was that Spurlock pulled it off in only 2,725 theaters while Daniels enjoyed 3,330.

And a big congratulations to 3ality Technica and in particular Ted Kenney who served as one of the 3D Producers on the movie! Well done. It takes a rare and particular skillset to pull off shooting superlative 3D concert movies and Ted has it in droves.

The production shot using Sony F55’s and F65’s on the 3ality Techica rigs with FUJINON CABRO 19-90MM, OPTIMO DP 16-42MM and OPTIMO DP 30-80MM lenses.

The movie's audience was 87 percent female and 65 percent under the age of 17 which was to be expected.

Says Wikipedia: The film portrays Simon Cowell as singularly responsible for putting the five individuals together in the aftermath of their X-Factor auditions (Cowell himself appearing in the film to say "I made the decision in about 10 minutes"). But according to sources it was reportedly Nicole Sherzinger, then a stand-in judge on the talent show, who originally suggested the idea to bring the five individual contestants together and try them out as a group. The film makes no reference to Sherzinger in its account on how the boyband was formed.

Here's the movie's storyline:
Billed as an intimate all-access look at life on the road for the global music phenomenon, THIS IS US follows the lives of the five members of the boy band, One Direction. It contains live concert footage from London's O2 Arena, and footage from their lives pre- and post-X Factor appearance, and gives insight into the preparation for their concerts and ultimately what it is like to be One Direction.

I haven't seen the movie yet but all of that will be rectified shortly as my daughter's favorite band is none other than ONE DIRECTION. She's been looking forward to this movie for a long time!

ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US is now playing.

Stark Box Office Competition For IRON MAN 3! $175M Weekend In Sights...

Marvel has done it again. Looks like IRON MAN 3 will own the #2 box office record for largest opening weekend ever, behind - well... Marvel. THE AVENGERS owns the #1 spot from last year. IRON MAN 3 has launched at an estimated $175M for the weekend and that is something to celebrate. IM3 needs to best $169M (HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS 2) for the honor.

It kinda underscores the good decision it was for DC Comics and Warners to go 3D for MAN OF STEEL doesn't it? Not to mention upcoming movies THE WOLVERINE and X-MEN, etc.

IRON MAN 3 is also obliterating the other two 2D Iron Man movies in the franchise. Certainly the movie has the goodwill generated from THE AVENGERS but also that 3D box office take is impressive.

But that's not all. Overseas IRON MAN 3 continues to fight the good fight, with an impressive $505M take thus far for a total worldwide count of $680M! IM3 is easily in flight toward $1B+.

And here's an impressive tidbit of info: IRON MAN 3 currently accounts for 93 percent of sales on Fandango and 91 percent of sales on MovieTickets.com. DANG.

Look for my review of IRON MAN 3 Tuesday! Can't wait. Personal matters have pushed my screening back a few days but I am itching to see this thing!! Also should have some interesting news on some native shot 3D tentpoles coming soon :-) Stay tuned.

IRON MAN 3 is now playing.

THE HOBBIT Pushes On At Box Office - Sees Mountain Of Gold Coming...

First Look At Bilbo In THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG

Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY is doing very well at the box office thank you very much. After a solid week earning $113,152,900, Bilbo and company settled down to a cool $10.2 million yesterday solidly smacking the competition, namely the Goblin King, Jack Reacher and This is 40 - not necessarily in that order.

Here's the domestic breakdown:
1. THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY  $10.2m
2. JACK REACHER  $5.1m
3. THIS IS 40  $3.7m
4. RISE OF THE GUARDIANS  $1.6m
5. THE GUILT TRIP  $1.5m

So how is THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY doing verses THE LORD OF THE RINGS franchise domestically? Very well again! It was the top of the family for Days 1 and 2 then slipped to second for Day 3. It was bringing up the rear for Days 4 to 7 and was third on day 8. Of course it's not a great comparison due to which days of the week were holidays and which were not, but at least we know THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY is in the same ballpark as LOTR movies so that means that parity or beyond is certainly achieveable for the first outing of dwarves.

Worldwide is amazing too. THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY has $123m from domestic coffers but also $138m from international tallies for a total of $261m already. Yes. $1 billion is reasonable and certainly $900m is achievable. JOURNEY also puts the follow up movies in a very good place and as the action picks up so should the business side of it's show business.

I'll have more numbers when they fall into place. Stay tuned!

Stats Source: Box Office Mojo

Update On SPIDER-MAN And ICE AGE 4 Opening Overseas And An Impressive Run For MIB3

It always kind of bothered me that so many websites take the domestic tally at the box office as the primary measurement of success for a movie. Clearly that's wrong and yet so many still only cite domestic take as if it was the only one. Heck Canada is a foreign country and yet is thrown in with the domestic take.

That should soon fade away I hope as the international box office plays a larger and larger role. The studios have finally recognized it and have begun releasing their tentpoles in foreign countries weeks if not months prior to North American venues.

Take ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT which took in am impressive $78m and first place in ALL of its markets. Fox's marketing overseas has been done very well yet again, like with the "Sid Shuffle" being shot all over the world.


Or how about THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN which opened with $50.2 - it is doing better than THE AVENGERS in South Korea (which also opened overseas first). SPIDER-MAN also had the highest ever Hollywood launch in India ($6m) thanks to the appearance of Irrfan Khan, a Bollywood star.

Want more proof? How about MEN IN BLACK 3. It has grossed a HUGE $429.8m overseas and what did it do domestically so far? $169.6m. Clearly the foreign market is MORE important than domestic for some movies. MIB3 is now the highest grossing of its franchise.

We'll continue to watch these tentpoles as they open in more markets, including North America. SPIDER-MAN opens tomorrow here (midnight screenings tonight - free posters!) and ICE AGE 4 on July 13.

Stat source: Box Office Mojo

MADAGASCAR 3 A Little Scared By PROMETHEUS But In The End Wins Box Office

I haven't seen MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED just yet, but I will this week. You can tell audiences were craving some family fodder as they haven't had a new entry in quite some time. In fact, my 6 year old son was invited to go see THE AVENGERS this past weekend because there was nothing else posted on the local theater site 2 weeks in advance. I'm sure they would have chosen MADAGASCAR 3 had they been aware of it. Anyway, we couldn't allow him to go as the movie just isn't appropriate for any child under 10, with a parent or not (in my books).

But I digress. MADAGASCAR 3 opened to the tune of $60,316,738 domestically and $135,816,738 worldwide. Impressive numbers and it just about matches the other two franchise entries that Dreamworks Animation has created for us.

Part of the reason for that excellent box office number is the 3D of course, but further than that MADAGASCAR 3 was the third widest theatrical release of all time! Yes, 4,258 theaters housed the animation and only SHREK FOREVER AFTER (4,359 theaters) and HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (4,325 theaters) had more. That helps. Clearly it is a beloved franchise worldwide.


Ridley Scott's PROMETHEUS did remarkably well too this weekend taking in $51,050,101 domestically and $142,550,101 worldwide thus far. This movie I have seen and believe me it is worth the trip to see it on the big screen! Domestically, it is the 10th best opening for an 'R' rated movie of all time. Not bad at all.

Word of mouth should keep PROMETHEUS rolling along as discussions turn to arguments! I know I will be seeing it again this week at some point.

I love seeing 3D movies at the top of the charts time and time again. In fact 4 out of the top 5 movies this weekend were 3D movies. Did you know that THE AVENGERS still raked in over $11m this weekend? Amazing. They'll be passing $1.4b this week.

Stats Source: Box Office Mojo

Records HULK SMASHED!! THE AVENGERS Set Biggest Domestic Opening Weekend EVER!

Well would you look at that! I predicted a high of $200m and looks like I was bang on. You just can't dismiss the added revenue from 3D. So many folks were looking at THE DARK KNIGHT as a barometer for this event movie, but clearly TDK isn't in it's league. Heck HARRY POTTER isn't even in this league!

According to the LA Times, THE AVENGERS will be pulling in an estimated $200.3m for the domestic weekend. I'd like to see Christopher Nolan top that one. Won't happen. Not even close.

When THE AVENGERS was first announced I remember saying that it has the possibility of being on the top 5 movies of all time in box office and it looks like that we be happening too with little competition coming soon for the behemoth. I took some flack for that estimate, but I love it when a plan comes together!!

We'll keep you updated with more numbers when they happen, but I wouldn't go listening to others croon on as to what they think the numbers will be. Some were complaining that the $150m estimate that was circulating was too high! Ridiculous. You can pretty much count on a $200m weekend domestically and $600m worldwide by the time Monday morning rolls around. Amazing. Records are meant to be Hulk Smashed.

Source: LATimes

Marvel's THE AVENGERS Hit The Box Office With... Well, VENGEANCE!! And More On What To Expect With IRON MAN 3...

To any doubters out there that said that the superhero genre can't deliver mega box office, THE AVENGERS are saying what Marvel has been saying since IRON MAN - vengeance is ours!

How does $178.4 million sound in it's opening weekend? WITHOUT North America? THE AVENGERS took first place in all of it's 39 foreign market openings and set box office records in 12 of them. Don't forget that some of the biggest foreign markets have yet to launch, namely Russia, China and Japan.

Some estimates peg the overseas futures at $600m +! So easily count on a BILLION dollar plus event movie.

I'll have more numbers in the coming weeks, especially when it opens in the US and Canada in... 5 DAYS! 4 and a half days if you go to the midnight screenings - don't forget to get your free IMAX poster if you do!

**AND**

Producer Kevin Feige talks IRON MAN 3! It's all well and good to bring together some of the top superheroes of all time in THE AVENGERS, but what happens after that event movie? It makes sense to go back to Tony Stark as IRON MAN was the first big hit from those characters (THE HULK was ok, but not great). So IRON MAN 3. What's in store?

Here's what Feige had to say:

"So Iron Man 3 has been structured specifically to be the antidote to The Avengers... Circumstances in the story separate Tony from having access to anything. We wanted to take Tony back to, metaphorically speaking, the cave from Iron Man, the first half of Iron Man, when he's cut off from the world and needs just focus on his intellects to get himself out of his situation. So he's not calling Thor, he's not calling Captain America, he can't press a special button to have the helicarrier come rescue him, so I think that'll be a nice complement to the team up of Avengers."


Sounds perfect to me.

Sources: Box Office Mojo | Empire

Pixar's Highest Grossing Movie Ever? TOY STORY 3!!

They've done it! Pixar has managed to top themselves as TOY STORY 3 just passed the shop's previous top property FINDING NEMO's tally of $868 million worldwide. The third and supposedly 'final' iteration of the TOY STORY franchise has accumulated $895 million thus far and still has plenty of legs left. I am calling it to surpass the $1 billion mark joining ALICE IN WONDERLAND and of course AVATAR in the feat for 2010.

Pixar certainly deserves all the accolades for TOY STORY 3. An amazing piece of storytelling in their fine tradition. Note that FINDING NEMO did perform without the benefit of 3D premiums though.

The next project to be released from Pixar is CARS 2 (June 24, 2011). I have to say that Pixar's success is NOT a trend. It's their status quo! I take it as a GOOD sign that John Lasseter has been recalled from Disney to revisit the story in CARS 2 - it shows they care and will always care about story first.

Keep up the great work guys!!

Another ICE AGE Is Coming! July 13, 2012...

Jim here. Variety says that 20th Century Fox will release ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT on July 13, 2012 and that it will be in stereoscopic 3D.

Who didn't see this one coming with ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAUR taking in an astounding $884,784,626 last year? What was truly interesting was that 78% of the take was overseas. This franchise prints its own money.

I really enjoyed IA:DD in 3D so I expect much more of the same with IA:CD! Who didn't like the squirrels??

AVATAR Set To Pass $2.5 Billion Worldwide Tally!! ...And How Fox Could Amp Up More Box Office Right Now

Jim here. It just doesn't want to stop, nor should it! According to my calculations, AVATAR should pass the unheard of pinnacle of $2.5 BILLION dollars worldwide on Friday night. It should pass $700 million domestically on Saturday too! These are simply crazy numbers. Take into consideration if a star or director had first dollar points to the tune of say 10 or 15%. Stunning payday. I am not saying Cameron had anywhere near this type of deal, but still - the potential is there for AVATAR 2 and 3.

But they could earn more. A LOT more...

If Fox was smart, they would start marketing the fact that AVATAR will be bowing out of a lot of screens by March 5th. This will create another groundswell of people who have already seen it, but want to see it again in its full glory on the big screen. It has to be marketed correctly though. I remember Neil Gaiman twittering (well at least his publicist!) about losing CORALINE screens to Disney last spring - getting the word out that if you want to see it in 3D - do it NOW. I thought it was very effective. A limited audience to be sure, but I think studios should jump on this standard marketing ploy when the opportunity presents itself. It is called "creating urgency".

Actually I can see why Fox may NOT want to release the 3D Blu-ray in November: A potential re-release could be in the making. Once the summer swath of 3D movies are out there, I see no reason why they would not sneak AVATAR in once again in the fall. 2D on a small screen does NOT cut it! Could happen folks.

I just took in AVATAR myself for the eleventh time over the weekend. ELEVEN times. And I still am not saturated by it. I took my parents who are in their 60's to an IMAX screening (almost sold out too for a matinee) and they thoroughly enjoyed it. My mother said: "Boy that last guy was REALLY hard to kill! (speaking of Col. Quaritch)" I had to laugh about that - he really was a tough SOB. I plan on bringing my AVATAR screenings to an even dozen sometime this weekend.

Guys - one last thing. I am working on an AVATAR 2 story that will have some more revelations included. Stay tuned! :-)

AVATAR Grabs Another First Place Record! Is There Anyone Else Set To Displace Cameron At The Top?

Jim here. The all time domestic box office performer is AVATAR. AVATAR has relegated all other movies to the "Jarhead Clan" and there doesn't seem to be much around to stop it from going further. ALICE IN WONDERLAND does not bow in S3D for another 4 weeks and even then there is speculation that not all S3D screens will be surrendered for the Tim Burton / Disney fantasy.

With $601,141,551 gathered so far domestically, it JUST passed TITANIC ($600,788,188) for the coveted top spot. A record that has stood since James Cameron's last directorial effort back in 1997. This unthinkable number contributes to an overwhelming worldwide endorsement of $2,048,130,844 to date and climbing.

If you take a look at the top movies of all time for worldwide box office you will see a startling fact: James Cameron movies are not just 1 and 2; they are 1 and 2 by a HUGE margin. TITANIC was not an aberration, it was simply the last movie that Cameron made. He has stolen the formula for true blockbusters and the ironic thing is, he shares his creative wealth. Directors of note are able to drop into a Cameron production and check out his PerfCap equipment, Volume, S3D cameras, Simulcam, Virtual cam and see exactly how he does it. He DOES NOT shelter his advances from others, but wants the industry as a whole to embrace it.

Obviously his storytelling is available for EVERYONE to dissect, not just directors.

So why has there not been another director step up to bat with a behemoth release? Is there one coming? Personally I think that there is. Spielberg and Jackson are doing TINTIN right now (a decision made after seeing Cameron's tech in action) and that could be a home run - maybe not a Cameron sized home run, but certainly $1b +. The worldwide following for TINTIN is a formidable ally for their endeavor.

Cameron has also influenced the minds of other directors such as Ridley Scott, Steven Soderbergh, George Lucas, etc. who all have S3D projects.

In my opinion nothing will catch AVATAR until potentially AVATAR 2 within 4 years time. TINTIN has a chance of catching TITANIC if it hits on all the quadrants as it could; certainly $1b is attainable. But Cameron will remain king for awhile longer. Time will tell. It is an exciting era to be a S3D enthusiast!!

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