Entertainment

New Pictures from the Amazing Spider-man Reveal Oscorp

by Sohrab Osati | May 20, 2011 | 16 comments

For those of you who don’t know, I’m a huge huge Spider-man fan. Though when I grew up, I wasn’t much into comics, I’ve just about played every Spidy game, breathed 90’s cartoon and have seen the 3 Sam Raimi films more times then I care to count. So when it was announced that Sony Pictures would be rebooting Spider-man, I was a little disheartened by it, simply due to the fact that I hate origin stories. I know how he becomes who he is and this is true for Batman and Superman etc. etc. Can we just move along with the story and get into the juicy stuff like Venom, Carnage , and other realm stories? This also happens to be one of the reasons why I love what Marvel is doing, especially with Thor. They are taking you out there and it’s nice to see the more extreme stuff., but I digress. Being a huge movie buff fan, I tend to not want to learn a whole lot about something I wanted to watch so the less spoilers the better. However, the following should be a shock to no fan as we find that Oscorp will play some form of roll in the reboot from Marc Web. Though we don’t know the extent, it’s hard to imagine a Spider-man flick without them, even if it’s not following the Green Goblin and Hob Goblin plot line.

After the jump, you will find some new shots from the set, including an Oscorp building. While you are there, let us know how you feel about this reboot or if you would have like the trilogy from Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire to continue. Also, checkout some of the previous photos we dug from the set.

Mariah Carey Returns to Sony Music in 2012

by Sohrab Osati | May 17, 2011 | 13 comments

Sony is one of the few companies whose business spans in almost every imaginable category. The PlayStation makers not only create consumer cameras and camcorders, but also professional equipment that help capture your favorite movies and sport events. When it comes to movies, of course Sony is the own of Sony Pictures and Tri-Star entertainment, makers of such titles as Spider-man, Men in Black, and The Social Network. Of course it doesn’t end there for the Japanese electronic giant. Sony is also one of the worlds largest record companies and has a partnership called Sony/BMG where they employ such artists like the Foo Fighters, Britney Spears, Shakira, Kings of Leon, P!nk and the great Michael Jackson. Now in a big move, LA Reid and Doug Morris who are two big executives at Universal Music Group are leaving and Mariah Carey might be following suit.

Mariah Carey who was one of Sony’s best selling artists in the 90’s left the company in 2000, following a nasty divorce to her then husband, Tommy Mottola who ran Sony’s music label at that time. Since then, Carey has spent some time with Virgin Records though most of her time has been creating records at Universal Music Group. Carey currently has one more record under her contract, after which she will be free and if this does pan out, Sony can be getting another high ranking diva under it’s leadership in 2012. Of course with such power houses as Beyonce already under the Sony camp, there will be plenty of competition for her from within.

[Via The Grape Juice]

Photos from Silent Hill: Revelation 3D

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 25, 2011 | 28 comments

As the sequel to Silent Hill goes into production, we can expect to not only hear more from this Sony Pictures production, but to see more photos and videos as well. Silent Hill: Revelation 3D which is being directed by Michael J. Bassett (Solomon Kane) will again star Sean Bean will also get an extra boost of star power from Carrie-Anne Moss (Matrix Trilogy) in this sequal. The following are some long exposure shots from one the set locations of the film which can be found after the jump.

Sony, Discovery and IMAX to Film World’s First Native 3D War Documentary Series

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 19, 2011 | 5 comments

Sony has made it very apparent that they are here to stick with 3D and that they are in it for the long haul. During CES 2011, the electronic giant unveiled a massive new lineup of high definition televisions, with 16 out of the 27 new Bravia models for 2011 being 3D and costing just over a $1,000. That’s not all though, as the company which owns Sony Pictures and PlayStation understands that without content, any format is doomed. In edition to their new 3D lineup of televisions, Sony also announced many new Cybershot camera’s that are able to capture 3D still images for a little over $200 and will introduce in May a Bloggie 3D for $250 which is able to film in 3D.

Still, the company knows that home made 3D content which is very important to the adoption of the standard is only part of the puzzle. That’s why besides releasing 3D movies in theaters such as the Green Hornet, Sony, in partnership with IMAX and Discovery has launched their own 3D channel called 3net for DirecTV subscribers which offers 3D content around the clock. With this partnership in full swing, the trio now want to film the worlds first native 3D war documentary series and have already begun principal photography. The documentary which is titled The Civil War 3D will transport viewers back in time, retelling the war’s most pivotal moments both on and off the battlefields from the unique perspective of both sides in the historic conflict. Sony hopes to release the mini series in Fall of 2011.

“Shooting in native 3D gives us the unique ability to bring an entirely new level of depth and emotion to this epic time in history with groundbreaking storytelling that simply hasn’t been possible until now,” said Cosgrove. “As well, THE CIVIL WAR 3Dseries further reflects our ongoing mission to provide the kind of immersive in-home 3D experience available nowhere else on television.”

[via PR Newswire]

Set Pictures from the Upcoming Spider-man Reboot, The Amazing Spider-man

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 12, 2011 | 12 comments

Those of you who are clamoring for more details about Marc Web’s Spider-man reboot will surely know by now that the film has received the title of The Amazing Spider-man. Set to be released on July 3rd, 2012, this 3D reboot is still being kept close to the chest of the cast members and Sony Pictures with little details being revealed. However, over time, we have seen the inevitable pictures from the production as filming cannot be done entirely in a studio. After the jump is a compilation of some pictures we’ve gathered over the past few months.

Sony Pictures Signs Tom Hanks to Play Captain Richard Phillips

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 29, 2011 | 16 comments

Sony Pictures has just signed their long time star Tom Hanks whose recent Sony Pictures films include The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons to star in the book adaptation of A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea. The book is based on Richard Phillips memoirs, when the ship captain gave up his freedom in exchange for his crew in the 2009 Somali Pirates attack which had the captain captured for 3 days before Navy Seals rescued him. Billy Ray who recent writing credit include State of Play will team up with the producing team of The Social Network to bring this film to the screens. There is no current release date or director attached to this project.

Sony Pictures Announces Taxi Drive on Blu-ray

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 17, 2011 | 22 comments

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced Taxi Driver, classically directed Martin Scorsese film, starring Robert De Niro on Blu-ray. On April 5th, fans of the film can get their hands on this 35th Anniversary collection which has received a 4K digital restoration from the original negative, which will be presented and screened at the Berlin Film Festival this week. Special features include:

Commentaries:
- Director Martin Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader (recorded in 1986 by The Criterion Collection)
- Paul Schrader
- Professor Robert Kolker
Interactive Script to Screen
Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver
God’s Lonely Man
Producing Taxi Driver
Influence and Appreciation: A Martin Scorsese Tribute
Taxi Driver Stories
Making Taxi Driver
Travis’ New York
Travis’ New York Locations
Storyboard to Film Comparisons with Martin Scorsese
Animated Photo Galleries
movieIQ

You can pre-order the film from Amazon for low price of $12.99.

Spider-man Reboot Title Revealed With New Spidy Picture

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 14, 2011 | 16 comments

Even though we are still ways away from the July 3rd, 2012 release date of the Spider-man reboot, Sony has decided to give us some more information about the new Spider-man project. Till now, the Marc Web 3D film has simply been called, Spider-man Reboot but today, Sony has revealed the actual title of the film. Giving a nod back and taking it right out of the comic books, the new Spidy film will be called “The Amazing Spider-Man“. Other comic books in the past have been called The Spectacular Spider-Man and The Ultimate Spider-Man. This of course is great in case further reboots are needed in the future…Now head over to the jump for the full press release and much better and bigger picture of Spider-Man himself.

Sony Signs Deal to Distribute MGM Films Again?

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 12, 2011 | 3 comments

James Bond and Lord of the Rings fan have surely been following the MGM drama of the last five years but for those who are unfamiliar with it, it’s a tale that could use its own mini series. A quick history lesson on the subject. MGM has long been a movie studio but never as large as some of the others like Warner Brothers, Paramount, Sony Pictures and Universal to name a few. Because of this, though the company is large enough to produce the films, it does not have the scope to properly distribute them in theaters and on the home market. Throughout the companies history, MGM has worked with numerous distributors but our tale is focus on the last few years. In mid 2000’s, with two new video formats emerging, Blu-ray and HD DVD, MGM had to pick a format and find a distributing partner and Sony Pictures was that company. Sony helped both finance and distribute films like Casino Royal and Quantum of Solace but on the home distribution front of DVD and Blu-ray, MGM was not happy with the pace that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment was releasing their content. Sometime after 2005 and with Blu-ray starting to tip the scale against HD DVD, MGM’s management terminates their contract and signs on with Fox Home Entertainment. Of course, only two years later, MGM files for bankruptcy and thus a limbo was created for the 23rd Bond and the Lord of the Ring prequel, The Hobbit.

MGM has since emerged from bankruptcy and their current distribution deal with Fox will expire in September. With MGM back on its feet, the company is again looking for a new company to help distribute and finance their deal and who better to go to then the company that actually had them stay afloat, Sony Pictures. The yet unsigned deal is set to have , Sony co-finance the next two Bond films, providing 50% of the funding for “Bond 23” and 25% for a sequel, “Bond 24”. In return, MGM is rumored to be interested in funding David Fincher’s Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and the upcoming Spider-man reboot though I’m skeptical of the latter, considering how far along Sony is with shooting. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment would also have access to 4,000-title library on Blu-ray, DVD and digital platforms. Hobbit fans should take note that MGM will co-finance and distribute the prequels with New Lines studio, the same partners they had on the original trilogy as WB has half ownership of the franchise.

[Via LA Times]

Box Office Results: Rite Takes Top Spot While Green Hornet Shows Staying Power

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 31, 2011 | 14 comments

Not unlike the previous weekend, The Rite and The Mechanic were the only new release of the week, giving audiences a chance to catchup with previous films while audiences also gave more attention to the recent string of Oscar nominated films. Still because of a lack of big new movie in theaters, attendance was again down 12% compared to last year when Avatar was out for the 7th week and still ruling as the number one movie in the US and worldwide.

The Rite was able to draw in $15 million for the first spot with a $37 million production budget, marking Anthony Hopkins biggest none Hannibal Lecture role. The movie opened on 3,200 screens at 2,985 locations and was the first none 3D number one movie in America in a while.

Jason Stathams “The Mechanic” was the second new release of the weekend and landed in the number 4th slot, fixing in a modest $11.5 million from audiences on 2,900 screens at 2,703 locations. This marked a better then average opening for the action star who is most known for his Transporter and Crank series though my favorite role of his continues to be in The Italian Job. Like that movie, the Mechanic was a remake of a 1972 film.

Last weeks number one movie, No Strings Attached had some staying power and was able to string in audiences for a second place spot, pulling in $13.7 million. Down 31%, compared to the week prior, he Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher R rated romantic comedy has grossed $39.7. Sony Pictures The Green Hornet, now on it’s 3rd weekend was still able to resinate with audiences and have them turn over $11.5 million, despite being down 35% to the week prior. The Superhero comedy has been able to bag in $78.8 million so far to become the number 2 superhero comedy, thought it will never take the number one spot from Pixars Incredibles which sits on top with $261 million.

Other titles like The King’s Speech, Black Swan, True Grit and The Fighter were able to get the expected Oscar bump and help in their box office takes. Expanding from 2,557 locations, up 877 from last weekend, The King’s Speech earned $11.1 million, up 41% from the prior week and sits at a current total of $72.2 million. With only a $15 million budget, this will put a sure smile on the Weinstein companies face. The Swan, now out for 59 days drew in another $5.1 million for a $90.7 million total while The Fighter grabbed $4.1 for a $78.4 million while being out for 52 days. With 40 days in and another $7.6 towards it’s credit from the weekend, True Grit sits at an astonishing $148.4 million.

Last but not least and my current favorite film still out; Tron Legacy on it’s 11th weekend out was able to digitize another $2.5 million towards its take, putting the film at $166.7 million US take and $362.7 million total world wide.

Box Office Results:

The Rite – $15 million ($15 million total worldwide)
No Strings Attached – $13.6 ($39.7 million total worldwide)
The Green Hornet – $11.5 million ($139.8 million total worldwide)
The Mechanic – $11.5 million ($11.5 million total worldwide)
The King’s Speech– $11.1million ($121.9 million total worldwide)

Box Office Results: No Strings Attached on Top, Green Hornet Stays Strong

by Allegra Osati | Jan 24, 2011 | 2 comments

Playing exactly to the cue, No Strings Attached was the number movie at the box office, being the sole new release of the week. Still, compared to the year prior, the box office attendance was down 26 percent, thanks to a little movie called Avatar still dominating at the theaters. The $20 million comedy starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman pulled in $20.3 million on its first weekend, making sure that the rated R comedy will be a profitable film for Paramount. The movie which opened on 3,500 screens at 3,018 locations makes it Natalie Portman’s second highest opening grossing open, behind V for Vendetta and matched Ashton Kutcher’s What Happened in Vegas.

The Green Hornet continued its fantastic run, now in theaters for two weeks and was able to pull in another $18.1 million, putting the $120 million action comedy at $63.4 million for its current US gross. Though not an exact apples for apples, Green Hornet has already surpassed Kick Ass‘s final tally for a superhero comedy.

Another film on its second weekend run is The Dilemma, starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, which took a 45 percent dip to an estimated $9.7 million for a $33.4 million 10 day gross. It’s doubtful if the $70 million comedy by director Ron Howard will ever make its money back during its theatrical release.

A complete 180 from The Dilemma results was The King’s Speech which dipped only .2 percent and tallied another $9.1 million, putting the film on part with last weeks earning of $9.2 million. The ever slow expanding movie has grabbed $58.6 million during its current 59 day run. The film had a $15 million budget. Other holdovers include True Grit, down only 27 percent. This weekend’s $8 million draw helped the $38 million Coen Brothers’ western cross into $138 million territory making it the number 2 western, only behind the 1990 Dances with Wolves which sits at $184.2 million.

Box Office Results:

No Strings Attached – $20.3 ($20.3 million total worldwide)
The Green Hornet – $18.1 million ($100.8 million total worldwide)
The Dilemma – $9.7 million ($38.8 million total worldwide)
The King’s Speech– $9.1 million ($91.8 million total worldwide)
True Grit – $6.2 million ($138 million total worldwide)

The Green Hornet in Theaters Now

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 14, 2011 | 15 comments

Sony Pictures’ The Green Hornet is out today in theaters, and if you are looking to have some fun, this movie will be right up your alley. The action/comedy film will be available in both 2D and 3D across 3,500 screens. Film stars Seth Rogen and Jay Chou both made an appearance at this year’s CES and showed off not only the badass car that will be featured in the film, but some awesome 3D scenes that were built around the concept of 3D and should really wow audiences. Hit the jump for some more exclusive pictures of the Green Hornet car.

Breaking News: First Picture of Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man (Updated with HD image)

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 13, 2011 | 7 comments

There you have it folks. The first picture of Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) as Spider-Man, via Sony Pictures. The upcoming Spider-man 3D reboot is slated to hit theaters July 3, 2012, though for us Spider-man fans, that’s still eons away.

Hit the jump to check out some of our previous coverage on the Marc Web Spider-man reboot and a new high resolution image. While you’re there, leave us a comment. What do you think about the new suit and Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.

Spider-man Reboot Being Shot in RED EPIC 3D

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 22, 2010 | 2 comments

I’m sure by now you know that there is going to be a reboot to Spider-man, sometime in 2012 (May 4th or 11th if I had to take a guess) and that it is going to be in 3D, like most big movies now. But the good news is the guys over at Sony Pictures have the sense of shooting the entire film in native 3D, instead of delivering a post conversion of the film in 3D which so far, few have done appropriately, and instead, most have turned out messed up like Clash of the Titans and Last Airbender (I loved Clash but the 3D was wack). John Schwartzman, the cinematographer behind such movies as The Rock, Armageddon and Pearl Harbor will instead be using Red Epic 3D cameras, the same units that Peter Jackson just recently snatched 30 of to shoot The Hobbit in 3D with. If the recent 3D movies like TRON: LEGACY and trailers for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is any indication of the future of 3D movies has to offer, then I can only imagine what a film like Spider-man will look like which begs for the depth 3D has to offer, especially when Peter Parker decides to swing throughout the city.

[Image, courtesy of Engadget]

Box Office: Audiences Enter World of TRON

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 20, 2010 | 14 comments

28 years after the original Tron was released, audiences were again wowed by the storyline, premise and breath taking 3D visuals of the series and showed up in droves for Tron Legacy while not many cared for a picnic with Yogi Bear and fewer even wanted to go on a date with the all star cast of How Do You Know.

Downloading a total of $43.6 million from 5,600 screens at 3,451 locations Tron Legacy was able to easily beat out prior December openings like The Day the Earth Stood Still and other newly released films like Yogi Bear and How Do You Know. Though in the past, other reboots like Star Trek ($75.2 million) and 3D spectacular Avatar ($77 million) were able to open to higher numbers then Tron Legacy, it’s important to note that Tron had a much more niche market, being based around a computer world premise and the original film itself was always considered a cult like film. To counter this, Disney relied heavily on promoting this film as the next big 3D spectacle, and allocating 2,424 locations to present the picture in that format, accounting for 82 percent of the gross for the $170 million film.

Yogi Bear on the other hand wasn’t able to tap into the 3D magic of Tron Legacy, pulling in $16.7 million on close to 4,900 screens at 3,515 locations. Though the film has always been a popular cartoon and great appeal for the young and the elder who grew up with it, it still didn’t make the audience want to turn up for the film itself. 3D also played an important roll in Yogi Bear‘s gross, show ing 2,011 3D theaters, which accounted for 57 percent of the gross. Luckily, Yogi Bear doesn’t have the bid budget hurdle of other animated movies, costing only $80 million to make while other animated films can easily cost twice as much.

Though both were much smaller films with much less appeal, both The Fighter and Black Swan were able to pack solid gains. The Fighter, aimed at being a boxing family drama expanded its reach to 3,000 screens at 2,503 locations, beating out an estimated $12.2 million from audience members. Black Swan on the other hand, with even a smaller audience target still pulled in $8.3 million on 1,150 screens at 959 locations. Though that might not seem like a large take, we have to take in the premise of the movie, a twisted psychological thriller centered around the ballerina world. Unfortunately for Sony Pictures, audiences didn’t want to vacation again, as The Tourist was only able to grab an additional $8.7 million, putting the $100 million romantic thriller at $30.7 million ($53.1 million world wide)

As it turns out, audiences didn’t know that, How Do You Know, starring Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson was being released this weekend. The romantic comedy was able to only pull in $7.6 million on 2,800 screens at 2,483 locations, below last month romantic comedy, Morning Glory which made $9.2 million. Though the Sony Pictures film and last release from Sony till The Green Hornet had star power, there seemed to be little marketing on behalf of the movie, instead hoping that fans of the actors and day time show viewers would turn up for the movie. To make matters worse, the romantic comedy has to deal with a $120 million budget, something that it will never recover.

Other weekend holdovers include Disney’s own Tangled. Though the film lost most of it 3D screens to Disney’s own Tron Legacy, down from 2,300 to 800, the film still grabbed another $8.7 million, putting the films current gross at $127.8 million ($225.6 million worldwide). The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader had a much better second weekend drop, compared to the first two Narnia films, dropping 48 percent to an estimated $12.4 million, putting the film at $42.7 million ($166.4 million worldwide) which is still far below past two entrees. In the films second to last showing, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 gained another $4.8 million, putting the films current standing at $265.5 million ($824.1 million worldwide), placing the film now in 5th place for the Harry Potter series. With each film nearly making $1 billion at the box office, Harry Potter will go on to be the most successful movie franchise of all time.

Box Office Results:

Tron Legacy – $43.6 ($66.6 million total worldwide)
Yogi Bear – $16.7 million ($16.7 million total worldwide)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – $12.4 million ($166.4 million total worldwide)
The Fighter– $12.2 million ($12.2 million total worldwide)
The Tourist – $8.7 million ($53.1 million total worldwide)