RISKY REBOOT? 'X-Men: First Class' $21M Friday For $53M Weekend; 'Hangover 2'

By NIKKI FINKE | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 10:21pm PDTTags: X-Men: First Class

FRIDAY PM/SATURDAY AM UPDATE: So now the 2011 Summer Movie Season enters June after a big month of May. And this week looks like another up week as total movies are looking at a $150+M weekend which is more than +20% from last year. The action continues with Marvel/Fox's X-Men: First Class, a risky reboot directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) with a 1960s vibe and a release date all to itself in 3,641 theaters. It received a "B+" CinemaScore and very positive reviews (92 on Rotten Tomators) and started off by opening with a midnight gross of $3.3M from 1,783 locations. That edged out Marvel title Thor's $3.25 million midnight openings in 1,800 locations, but trailed X-Men Origins: Wolverine's $5 million midnight start at 2,000 locations. Wolverine's $85M opening weekend (from 4,099 locations) also swamped X-Men: First Class' debut -- Friday's total North American gross was $21 million for Friday and is looking like $53 million for the weekend. This will be the lowest opening of a Marvel-branded movie in a long time -- not to mention less than the $60M opening which Hollywood expected. Internationally, X-Men: First Class has already opened in France and Australia but broke no records and will roll out in 75 international territories on over 8,000 screens.

"Given that we are reinventing the X-Men franchise with a critically acclaimed director and top actors who are not really widely known to audiences, we're hoping to be somewhere around Batman Begins ($48.7M) and X-Men ($54.4M). That seems to be a good target area for us," said a Fox exec who was right on the money. The studio is hoping this prequel sticks around as moviegoers discover it. With a fresh cast including James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Rose Byrne but no big stars like Hugh Jackman in a signature role like Wolverine, tracking had been slow to build, especially considering how massive The Hangover Part 2 was impacting other movies in the marketplace. But Fox saw steady growth in the core audience, and then growth with females which was surprising because X-Men movies are more typically male. Meanwhile, a word to the wise to the arrogant Vaughn: stop bad-mouthing other directors publicly. Sure, it's fun to bitchslap Brett Ratner and boast you could have outgrossed his X-Men 3 if only you'd been helming it -- but not when your Kick-Ass didn't do squat its opening weekend.

Here are the Top 10:

1. X Men: First Class (Marvel/Fox) NEW [3,641 Theaters]
Friday $23M, Estimated Weekend $53M

2. The Hangover Part 2 (Warner Bros) Week 2 [3,615 Theaters]
Friday $10.5M (-65%), Estimated Weekend $35M, Estimated Cume $189.4M

Strong result from the West Coast Friday night pushed grosses higher even if critics hated this just-like-the-original sequel. Weekend hold should be around 60%. So that's $190M in the firsts 11 days. As a Warner Bros exec tells me, "Awesome".

3. Kung Fu Panda 2 3D (DreamWorks Animation/Paramount) Week 2 [3,952 Theaters]
Friday $6.2M (-52%), Estimated Saturday $22M, Estimated Cume $98M

4. Pirates Of The Caribbean 4 3D (Disney) Week 3 [3,966 Theaters]
Friday $5M, Estimated Weekend $16.5M, Estimated Cume $188.7M

5. Bridesmaids (Universal) Week 4 [2,919 Theaters]
Friday $3.5M, Estimated Weekend $12M, Estimated Cume $107M

6. Thor (Marvel/Paramount) Week 5 [2,780 Theaters]
Friday $1.3M, Estimated Weekend $4.5M, Estimated Cume $169.3M

7. Fast Five (Universal) Week 6 [2,237 Theaters]
Friday $975K, Estimated Weekend $3.4M, Estimated Cume $202M

8. Midnight In Paris (Sony Classics) Week 3 [147 Theaters] 
Friday $700K, Estimated Weekend $2.4M, Estimated Cume $6.4M

9. Something Borrowed (Warner Bros) Week 5 [688 Theaters]
Friday $250K, Estimated Weekend $750K, Estimated Cume $36.6M

10. Jumping The Broom (TriStar/Sony) Week 5 [589 Theaters]
Friday $240K, Estimated Weekend $700K, Estimated Cume $35.8M

In the specialty market, Focus Features' Beginners opened in 5 theaters for a $38,136 Friday and a per screen average of $7,627. Weekend estimate is $127,120. "Beginners established a competitive presence in the art house market. Positive reviews and word-of-mouth (bolstered by an extensive screening program) position the film well for a strong Saturday and Sunday," a Focus exec says.

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Sony Pictures Pays Big Bucks To Buy 'Sex Tape'

By MIKE FLEMING | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 7:23pm PDTTags: Adam Milano, Andrea Giannetti, Jason Blumenthal, Kate Angelo, Sex Tape, Steve Tisch, Todd Black
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: A low seven-figure spec script deal just went down as Sony Pictures acquired a spec script with the working title Sex Tape. Written by Kate Angelo, it's about a married couple who get a night off from their kids, get adventurous and decide to spice up their lives by making a sex tape. When they wake the following morning, the tape is missing, and they must find out who took it and how to get it back. The project will be produced by Escape Artists partners Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch, who came up with the idea. UTA reps Angelo, who most recently scripted the Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy The Back-Up Plan. Columbia Pictures execs Andrea Giannetti and Adam Milano will steer a project that will be fast tracked.

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Sony's Michael Lynton And Amy Pascal Acknowledge Hacker Breach

By MIKE FLEMING | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 7:14pm PDTTags: Amy Pascal, LulzSec, Michael Lynton
Mike Fleming

Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman/CEO Michael Lynton and co-chairman Amy Pascal have released this statement, acknowledging the studio was hit by hackers who've breached their system and come away with user passwords and other data:

"The cybercrime wave that has affected Sony companies and a number of government agencies, businesses and individuals in recent months has hit Sony Pictures as well. Yesterday afternoon a group of criminal hackers known as “LulzSec” claimed to have breached some of our websites. We have confirmed that a breach has occurred and have taken action to protect against further intrusion. We also retained a respected team of experts to conduct the forensic analysis of the attack, which is ongoing. In addition, we have contacted the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and are working with them to assist in the identification and apprehension of those responsible for this crime.

We deeply regret and apologize for any inconvenience caused to consumers by this cybercrime."

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Italy-Set Season 4 Of 'Jersey Shore' Gets Premiere Date; Season 5 Is Now A Go

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 6:43pm PDTTags: Jersey Shore, MTV
Nellie Andreeva

Season Four of MTV's mega hit Jersey Shore, which is currently filming in Florence, Italy, will premiere Thursday, August 4 in the show's 10 PM slot. Snooki & Co. won't get much rest when they return from Europe as the network just gave a formal go-ahead to a fifth season, slated to begin production later this month in the show's original setting, ... Read More »

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Manager Jeff Kolodny Joins Paradigm

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 6:10pm PDTTags: Jeff Kolodny, Luber Roklin Entertainment, Paradigm
Nellie Andreeva

Veteran talent representative Jeff Kolodny is returning to agenting. He has joined Paradigm as an agent in the talent department. Kolodny comes from Luber Roklin Entertainment where he has been a manager for the past three years. Before that, Kolodny spent 17 years at William Morris where he was a VP in the talent department. It is not clear yet which clients will follow him to Paradigm. Luber Roklin was in the news recently as its youth manager Nick Roses was charged in April with nine criminal counts stemming from an alleged scheme involving acting workshops for out-of-town kids.

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EMMYS: Jimmy Kimmel Channels Melissa Leo In His Campaign Too

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 5:05pm PDTTags: Emmy Campaign, Jimmy Kimmel, Melissa Leo, Pee-wee Herman
Nellie Andreeva

It seems that comedy minds think alike. Like Pee-wee Herman, Jimmy Kimmel too is parodying Melissa Leo's glam Oscar ads in the Emmy campaign for his ABC show Jimmy Kimmel Live. Luckily, a red carpet disaster is averted as the two funny men went for different gowns. And while Pee-wee opted for some good ol' photoshopping in the Emmy ad for his HBO special, Kimmel went all out, recreating the look by modeling a low-cut black dress that closely resembles Leo's. In February, Leo famously paid out of her pocket for the two glammed-up shots that she ran as trade ads supporting her Oscar bid for The Fighter, an award she ultimately won (along with all other major movie prizes this past awards season). If Kimmel or Pee-wee win, they better thank her in their acceptance speeches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Disney Injunction Request Vs. Dish Denied

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 4:01pm PDTTags: Dish Network, injunction, Lawsuit, Starz, Walt Disney Company

Disney lost its bid for a preliminary injunction against Dish Network today, with a New York District Court judge denying a motion that would have stopped the satellite company from offering a promotion for free access to Starz movie channels that include Disney films. Disney filed the request last month, saying the giveaway -- to celebrate Dish's 30th anniversary -- limits the value of its movies and is copyright infringement. Starz also has filed suit against Dish in the matter.

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H'wood Guilds Host Michelle Obama Event

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 3:29pm PDTTags: AFTRA, DGA, Joining Forces Initiative, Joining Forces Inter-Guild Task Force, Michelle Obama, PGA, SAG, WGA

Michelle Obama is taking her "Joining Forces" military family initiative to Hollywood, finalizing plans to meet with AFTRA, the DGA, the PGA, SAG and the WGA on June 13 at the Writers Guild Theatre in Los Angeles, the White House said today. The organizations have formed a Joining Forces Inter-Guild Task Force to provide support for the program. The meeting is designed to discuss the stories and issues surrounding military families so their experiences can be integrated into film, TV and digital media.

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ADVISORY: Nikki's Private Email Is Down

By NIKKI FINKE | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 1:33pm PDT

Fuck AOL. (I know, I know... But habits die hard.) Please make sure you send all email to me at Nikki@deadline.com until further notice.

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Katie Couric Deal With ABC Coming Monday?

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 1:02pm PDTTags: ABC, Katie Couric, Syndicated Talk Show

It's been pretty much a done deal that Katie Couric is headed to ABC to start her own syndicated talk show, but an official announcement can't be made before the matching window expires at her former employer CBS. Well, that window expires this weekend, and CBS pulled its offer in early May. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that an announcement from ABC could be made as early as Monday. While a foregone conclusion, word is that the ABC is not completely done yet but is in final stages. When it's all set and done, it is expected to include the talk show, which would give Couric the ownership and potential financial windfall she had been seeking, as well as a role for her at ABC News, including possibly pieces on primetime newsmagazine 20/20. As expected, ABC would launch the Katie Couric talk show in fall 2012, airing it in the afternoon. The network is expected to give back an hour to its owned and affiliate stations so they can easily accommodate the new program. The only surviving ABC soap opera, General Hospital, which now airs at 3 PM, may be moved to an earlier time slot to make room for the talk show. The odds are that new unscripted series The Chew and The Revolution, which are set to take over the 1 PM and 2 PM slots in the fall and in January, won't both ... Read More »

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TiVo CEO Tom Rogers Says Ad Zapping Is 'Huge,' But Sidesteps Questions About The Company's Prospects

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 12:31pm PDTTags: Advertising, Apple, CEO Tom Rogers, Google, Netflix, TiVo

A word of warning to advertisers who are lining up in the upfront market to buy time on TV networks: Interrupting TV shows is “not something most people will tolerate,” says TiVo CEO Tom Rogers. In the 40% of all households that have a DVR, “the amount of commercial avoidance is huge.” That's good news for TiVo, which helps people to zap ads -- and also wants to help advertisers find "new forms of inventory," as Rogers put it, to sell stuff to people who'd rather be left alone.

But Rogers punted on the sharpest questions about TiVo's future that were put to him today at the Sanford C. Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference. Rogers sidestepped an opportunity to say when TiVo might see a meaningful increase in its subscribers -- at about 2 million, it’s less than half of what it was in early 2007. And although he said that he will “think seriously about a (stock) buyback," he wouldn’t say what he plans to do with TiVo’s cash following the recent $600 million settlement of TiVo’s patent infringement suit against Dish Network. Rogers repeated his hope that cable and satellite companies will offer TiVo DVRs in place of traditional set-top boxes. The growth of Netflix shows that “there are a massive number of cable subscribers looking for additional choice” from a service like TiVo that integrates broadband video with traditional TV channels, Rogers says. “Cable used to stand for choice,” he added. “Now there’s more choice outside” on the Internet. But he doesn’t expect big technology companies to swoop in to become important competitors. Read More »

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HBO Greenlights World War I Mini Starring Benedict Cumberbatch And Rebecca Hall

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 12:18pm PDTTags: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ford Madox Ford Novel, HBO, HBO Miniseries, Parade's End, Rebecca Hall, TV Casting
Nellie Andreeva

HBO and BBC have given the green light to Parade's End, a five-part miniseries set during World War I,  written by Oscar winner Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare In Love) and starring British actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall. The mini will be directed by Susanna White, Emmy nominee for her work on another HBO mini set during a war, Generation Kill. Parade's End is based on the series of four books by British novelist Ford Madox Ford, which were published between 1924-28. Set against the backdrop of World War I, it tells the story of a complex and destructive love triangle among a conservative English aristocrat (Cumberbatch), his beautiful but cruel socialite wife (Hall), and a vibrant young suffragette. The mini, executive produced by Michele Buck and Damien Timmer, is slated to begin production in the fall. Selwyn Roberts and David Parfit will serve as producers. Cumberbatch, who plays Sherlock Holmes on the BBC series Sherlock, has several movies in the pipeline: The Whistleblower, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, War Horse and The Hobbit. Hall next stars in another WWI project, horror thriller feature The Awakening. She is currently filming Stephen Frears' Lay the Favorite.

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'Saturday Night Live JPN' Set For Debut

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 12:16pm PDTTags: Broadway Video, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live JPN, Yoshimoto Kogyo

Saturday Night Live JPN, the third local adaptation of NBC's venerable late-night sketch comedy show (Italy and Spain have the others), is set to premiere tomorrow on Fuji, Japan's top network. Broadway Video Enterprises and Japanese indie producer Yoshimoto Kogyo collaborated on the series, on which Fuju producer Isao Kagari serves in the Lorne Michaels role, pulling cast members from his late-night show Pikaru No Teiri to join a weekly host and musical guest -- the same as the American verison. "Saturday Night Live is known for cultivating premier comedic talent in the U.S., and we plan to carry on the tradition by bringing the newest, best comedians to Saturday Night Live JPN to accompany top name celebrities and musical acts," says Yoshimoto Entertainment USA CEO Aki Yorihiro. It would be interesting to see how topical sketch comedy manifests itself in other cultures. The U.S. version saw a ratings surge thanks to the 2008 presidential campaign, with the cast and writers not afraid to send up Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and especially Sarah Palin (thanks to Tina Fey). I wonder whether politics plays as funny in Japan?

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Ben Bailey Set As Host Of NBC Game Show

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 12:10pm PDT
Nellie Andreeva

Comedian Ben Bailey, host of Discovery Channel's Cash Cab, has been tapped as host of NBC's upcoming game series Who’s Still Standing? Based on the Israeli series Still Standing, it offers a contestant the chance to win a cash prize of up to $1,000,000 by taking down each of their opponents in fast-paced trivia battles. Craig Plestis and Tim Puntillo are executive producing for UMS.

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R.I.P. James Arness

By NIKKI FINKE | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 10:29am PDTTags: Gunsmoke, James Arness

James Arness, the television icon and the star of the Western series Gunsmoke, one of the medium's longest-running shows, has died. He was 88. The weekly drama wrapped its run in 1975, and then Arness reprised the role in five made-for-TV movies from 1987 to 1994. A World War II veteran from Minnesota who received the Purple Heart, Arness began his acting career in the 1947 film The Farmer's Daughter opposite Loretta Young and appeared in such John Wayne movies as Hondo and Big Jim McLain. He also was the creature in the 1955 sci-fi horror film The Thing From Another World. Gunsmoke began its TV run in 1955 and featured Arness as Marshal Matt Dillion, who watched over the town of Dodge City and kept it clear of bad guys. Arness later made several TV appearances, including in the late 1970s TV miniseries How The West Was Won. According to his website, Arness is survived by his wife, Janet; two sons; and six grandchildren.

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RATINGS RAT RACE: NBA Finals Dominate, 'Love Bites' Premiere Barely Registers

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 9:34am PDTTags: Love Bites, NBA Finals, Ratings Rat Race, So You Think You Can Dance, TV Ratings
Nellie Andreeva

The Dallas Mavericks-Miami Heat thriller scored a 10.5 overnight rating and is poised to easily win the night in 18-49 and total viewers. Game 2 of the NBA Finals, which the Mavericks rallied to win by two points, was down 4% from last year's second game between the L.A. Lakers and Boston Celtics but did better than the six previous Game 2s, including the one in 2006 between the Heat (without LeBron) and the Mavericks.

Elsewhere, Fox's reality series So You Think You Can Dance (2.8/9), which aired from 8-9 PM, was down 15% from its two-hour season premiere last Thursday. (Compared to the 8-9 hour, it was down 3%). A Glee rerun (1.4/4) followed. NBC was the only other English-language broadcast network to offer fresh programming last night, showing the premiere of burnoff anthology dramedy Love Bites (1.0/3 in 18-49, 2.5 million viewers) at 10 PM. It finished dead last in the hour.

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CBS Starts To Make Upfront Deals At 14%-15% CPM Increases

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 9:13am PDTTags: Advertising Sales, Broadcast Scatter Market, Broadcast Upfront Market, CBS, Leslie Moonves
Nellie Andreeva

With Fox done with its upfront selling, attention shifted to CBS, which finished No. 1 to Fox in the 18-49 demo and No. 1 in viewers last season. The network had been the most aggressive this upfront season, going into the process with a request for a 18% CPM increase, doubling the increase it got last year. As suspected, there was some gamesmanship involved in the high starting asking price, but it may have helped CBS start writing business at impressive 14%-15% CPM rises. Yesterday, CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves stressed that the network won't sell at 9% or 10% CPM bumps. (Fox's CPM increases are in the 10%-11% range.) Industry sources stress that CBS is still early in the selling process with only handful of deals made, but word is they involve a couple of big clients. With ad agencies breaking rank, others may follow. If not, I hear CBS is not going to bring the prices down and plans to wait the buyers out or, if there are not enough takers now, to hold more inventory for the scatter market. Last season, the prices went up from 8%-9% at the upfront to 40% on the scatter market.

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Wayne Kramer To Next Direct 'Ecstasia' For Relativity Media

By MIKE FLEMING | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 9:02am PDTTags: Ecstasia, Jason Felts, Matt Rhodes, Relativity Media, Rene Rigal, Renee Tab, Richard Branson, Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker Tooley, Wayne Kramer
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Relativity Media has optioned Ecstasia, a futuristic drama that was written and will be directed by The Cooler helmer Wayne Kramer. Kramer became available after he exited the Sylvester Stallone-starrer Headshot, and he expects this to be his next film. It came to Relativity through its relationship with Richard Branson’s film label, Virgin Produced. Set in an “alternate universe,” the drama occurs at a time when love no longer exists, except when it is artificially simulated through a costly procedure called “commitment.” Ecstasia is accomplished through computer chips implanted in  each couple. They are incredibly expensive to maintain, comparable to managing a mortgage. Those who cannot meet the cost are forced into "dissolution," which ends the emotional link. Kramer’s film revolves around a man and woman who are 10 days away from losing their "commitment," trying desperately to refinance their love. The film will be produced by Jason Felts, Rene Rigal, Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker Tooley, Matt Rhodes and Renee Tab. Kramer’s repped by WME and Sentient Entertainment.

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Rogers & Cowan Acquires Lantern PR

By MIKE FLEMING | Friday June 3, 2011 @ 8:59am PDTTags: Alexandra Daddario, Allison Williams, Ashley Greene, Lantern Entertainment, Lindsay Galin, Paul Bloch, Rogers & Cowan, Yvonne Stahovski
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Rogers & Cowan has acquired New York-based firm Lantern Entertainment. Founder Lindsay Galin becomes vice president of R&C's entertainment division in New York. She will bring with her clients that include The Twilight Saga's Ashley Greene, Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck), Alexandra Daddario (Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief) and Allison Williams (Girls). Gailin will report to R&C co-chairman Paul Bloch.

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