Tom Hanks: “Toy Story 4″ is in the works
While in England promoting his new film “Larry Crowne,” Tom Hanks indicated that the animation wizards at Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios will be making a fourth “Toy Story” film.
“I think there will be, yeah. Yeah, I think they’re working on it right now,” he told BBC interviewer Tim Muffett when asked whether there would be a “Toy Story 4″ for his new granddaughter to see when she gets older.
According to EW’s Popwatch, Disney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about any plans for a “Toy Story 4.”
Hanks has provided the voice of Sheriff Woody, the leader of the “Toy Story” gang, in all three of the Pixar animated adventures. The third film provided emotional closure for Woody and his playroom pals – along with their legions of fans – as their owner, Andy (John Morris), found a good home for them before heading off to college.
But “Toy Story 3″ also became the best-reviewed and top-grossing film of 2010, taking in more than a billion dollars worldwide. That sort of momentum isn’t easy for a movie studio to ignore.
Pixar has already opted to continue the “Toy Story” characters’ adventures in a series of short films. The first, the uproarious “Hawaiian Vacation,” pictured, is being shown in theaters prior to “Cars 2.”
-BAM
Box office report for June 27, 2011: “Cars 2″ races to the front of the box-office pack
Pixar Animation remains undefeated at the box-office races with the past weekend’s opening of “Cars 2,” even if the powerhouse’s previously pristine critical streak has sustained its first big dent.
The Disney unit’s animated sequel “Cars 2″ cruised to a No. 1 finish with a $68 million opening weekend, according to the Associated Press. That makes 12 victories in a row for Pixar since the company’s first feature film, 1995′s “Toy Story.”
“Cars 2″ added $42.9 million in 18 overseas markets, giving it a worldwide total of $110.9 million.
Domestically, “Cars 2″ nearly matched the $68.1 million debut of Disney-Pixar’s “Up” two years ago, but it was well below the company’s record of $110.3 million for last year’s “Toy Story 3.”
The original “Cars” had a $60.1 million debut in 2006, but factoring in today’s higher admission prices, it sold more tickets than “Cars 2.”
While Pixar’s box-office streak keeps zipping along, “Cars 2″ became the first to crash as far as the critical consensus is concerned.
While I gave “Cars 2″ a 3-star review and chose to evaluate it as a playful, deliberate detour from Pixar’s usually high-brown fare – c’mon, it stars the vocal talents of Larry the Cable Guy – I was apparently among the minority of critics.
“Cars 2″ earned a lemon-esque 33 percent positive or “fresh” on review aggregation site RottenTomatoes.com. It was the first Pixar film to score less than the 60 percent needed to be considered fresh.
Every other Pixar film has scored at least 90 percent fresh, with the exception of its predecessor, 2006′s “Cars,” which scored around 75 percent.
Interestingly, RottenTomatoes.com users have given “Cars 2″ a much fresher 66 percent fresh score.
Premiering in second place at the weekend box office, was Cameron Diaz’s classroom comedy “Bad Teacher” with $31 million. The Sony Pictures release added $12.9 million overseas in about 10 countries, according to the AP.
Both new wide releases came in ahead of industry projections, which had pegged “Cars 2″ at an opening of around $60 million and “Bad Teacher” at about $25 million, reported the AP.
“Cars 2″ features Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy reprising their voice roles for race car Lightning McQueen and tow truck Mater as the two are caught up in a spy adventure during an international racing tour.
The movie overcame unusually harsh reviews for Pixar, whose films include such critical darlings as “Ratatouille,” ”Finding Nemo,” ”The Incredibles” and “WALL-E.”
Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney, reaffirmed what Rotten Tomatoes’ users scores indicated. Viane told AP that audiences gave “Cars 2″ top grades in exit surveys, a sign that the movie should have a long life at theaters, like previous Pixar flicks.
“I’m always concerned when it comes to dollars and cents. What does the paying public think?” Viane told the AP.
With global settings that include Japan, Italy, France and Great Britain, “Cars 2″ also has strong prospects as it continues to roll out overseas. According to the AP, the international haul for “Cars 2″ included $9.3 million in Russia, $8.1 million in Mexico and $7.6 million in Brazil.
While the G-rated “Cars 2″ cornered the family market, “Bad Teacher” was the weekend’s grown-up choice, starring Diaz as a foul-mouthed, boozy, gold-digging educator.
While women accounted for 63 percent of the audience for “Bad Teacher,” Sony executives hope word-of-mouth over Diaz’s brazen performance will draw more men to see it in the coming weeks, reports the AP.
The previous weekend’s No. 1 flick, Ryan Reynolds’ “Green Lantern,” fell to third-place with $18.4 million. That was off a steep 65 percent from its revenues over opening weekend, raising the domestic total for the Warner Bros. superhero tale to $89.3 million.
Overall domestic revenues totaled $176 million, up 6.7 percent from the same period last year, when “Toy Story 3″ remained No. 1 in its second weekend with $59.3 million, according to the AP.
For the year, revenues are down 7.6 percent compared to 2010′s, though a strong summer has helped Hollywood erase most of a big downturn in business from the sluggish winter and spring.
The upcoming Fourth of July weekend looks huge as Paramount’s sci-fi sequel “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” blows into IMAX theaters Tuesday night and general cinemas Wednesday. That will be followed in mid-July by the hopefully magical finale “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” based on J.K. Rowling’s novels and distributed by Warner Bros.
Here are the top 10 movies, from the AP. Where available, latest international numbers are also included.
1. “Cars 2,” $68 million ($42.9 million international).
2. “Bad Teacher,” $31 million ($12.9 million international).
3. “Green Lantern,” $18.4 million.
4. “Super 8,” $12.1 million ($10.5 million international).
5. “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” $10.3 million.
6. “X-Men: First Class,” $6.6 million.
7. “The Hangover Part II,” $5.9 million.
8. “Bridesmaids,” $5.4 million ($11.5 million international).
9. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” $4.7 million ($13.5 million international).
10. “Midnight in Paris,” $4.5 million.
-BAM
Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts makes Forbes list of World’s 25 Highest-Paid Musicians
Toby Keith
Rascal Flatts
Two country acts with Oklahoma ties are on Forbes’ list of the World’s 25 Highest-Paid Musicians.
A Norman resident, Keith leads a group of six country musicians in the top 25, coming in at No. 11 with an estimated $50 million in earnings in the past year. Beyond his music, the publication also cites the Oklahoma native’s longstanding endorsement deal with Ford, his I Love This Bar And Grill chain of restaurants and his recently launched Wild Shot mezcal premium spirit. His signature spirit is now available in 22 states as well as in his restaurants.
After premiering on the nationally televised CMT Music Awards June 8, Keith’s latest single “Made In America” is his fastest-rising chart hit in five years. Keith opened the show with the song.
In addition, Keith will be performing for the first time at Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café Tuesday to raise funds for the historic venue, which was recently purchased by Nashville Songwriters Association International. Joining him will be longtime collaborators Bobby Pinson and Scotty Emerick. His Ford F-Series-sponsored “Locked & Loaded Tour” begins Thursday in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
Superstar country band Rascal Flatts, which includes Picher-bred guitarist Joe Don Rooney, ranked No. 23 with an estimated $34 million in earnings. The trio grossed $45 million on 61 shows over the past 12 months, in addition to heavy radio play and endorsements from JC Penny and others.
Other country music stars on the list: Taylor Swift at her lucky No. 13 with $45 million; Brad Paisley at No. 15 with $40 million; and Kenny Chesney at No. 24 with $30 million. With $35 million, Tim McGraw lands in a five-way tie for No. 18 with AC/DC, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Muse and Beyonce (whose hubby Jay-Z is No. 17 with $37 million)
The top 10 musicians on the list and their earnings:
1. U2, $195 million.
2. Bon Jovi, $125 million.
3. Elton John, $100 million.
4. Lady Gaga, $90 million.
5. Michael Buble, $70 million.
6. Paul McCartney, $67 million.
7. The Black Eyed Peas, $61 million.
8. The Eagles, $60 million.
9. Justin Bieber, $53 million.
10. Dave Matthews Band, $51 million.
-BAM
Video: Beyonce performs Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire” at Britain’s Glastonbury Festival
Beyonce closed out Britain’s venerable Glastonbury Festival Sunday night with what Billboard.com has deemed a “career-defining set.” The R&B/pop songstress performed for an estimated 175,000 people for more than 90 minutes and even appeared via satellite on the BET Awards.
Her set included her solo hits like “Single Ladies,” “If I Were a Boy,” “Telephone” and “Irreplaceable”; Destiny’s Child favorites like “Survivor,” “Independent Women” and “Jumpin’ Jumpin’”; and pieces of various covers, including Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughtta Know” and the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams.”
The cover that seems to be getting the most buzz the day after is her medley of Oklahoma/Tennessee rockers Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire” and R&B superstar Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones.”
Check out the KOL part of that mash-up in this YouTube video, and if you are a guy or are watching with one nearby, you’re advised to have your fire extinguisher handy.
-BAM
Video: David Cook talks about new album “This Loud Morning,” out Tuesday
“American Idol” winner and former Tulsan David Cook talks about his sophomore album, “This Loud Morning,” due out Tuesday on 19 Recordings/RCA Records, in these videos.
The second album from the Season 7 “Idol” champ has been called by Entertainment Weekly one of the “10 Summer Albums We Can’t Wait to Hear.”
Cook will be marking the release of “This Loud Morning” with a whirlwind series of appearances Tuesday in New York City. Immediately following his performance on the NBC’s “Today” show, he will head to the Paramount Hotel in Times Square Tuesday for a special “This Loud Morning” performance for contest winners, hotel guests and VIPs.
He then will celebrate the new album with a LIVE @ Best Buy performance at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Best Buy’s Union Square location. Starting at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, the first 200 customers who purchase This Loud Morning at Best Buy’s Union Square location will receive a wristband for admittance Cook’s performance, as well as a guaranteed spot in line to have their copy of “This Loud Morning” autographed following his performance. The next 100 customers will receive a wristband guaranteeing them admittance to the signing. The performance will also be broadcast live at www.liveatbestbuy.com.
Cook premiered the music video for his first single “The Last Goodbye” on iTunes on May 23. The video was directed by the acclaimed and award winning Nigel Dick (Britney Spears, Oasis, Nickelback, etc.) and shot in Malibu.
Executive produced by Matt Serletic (Rob Thomas, Matchbox Twenty, Collective Soul), “This Loud Morning” features tracks written and co-written by Cook along with many acclaimed songwriters including, Tulsa native Ryan Tedder, David Hodges, Johnny Rzeznik, Kevin Griffin and Marti Frederiksen.
After winning the “Idol” title in Season 7, Cook went on to sell more than 1 million copies of his self-titled debut album and set out on a year long nationwide tour in support of his multiple hit singles. Released on Nov. 18, 2008, “David Cook” (19 Recordings / RCA Records) entered the Billboard charts at No. 3 and the digital album charts at No. 1, marking the best debut from an “American Idol” winner since 2006. Collectively the songs from “David Cook” have sold more than 3 million tracks and ringtones combined. Cook’s coronation single, “The Time of My Life” was certified platinum and is not only the biggest single debut but the highest selling coronation single in the show’s history.
Look for my review of “This Loud Morning” in the coming days here on BAM’s Blog, on NewsOK and in The Oklahoman.
-BAM
Video: “The Voice” finalists appear on “Today” show
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Three of the four finalists on “The Voice” – Dia Frampton, Javier Colon and Vicci Martinez – talked about their experience on the hit freshman show this morning on “Today.”
The fourth finalist, Beverly McClellan, was scheduled to appear, too, but was unable to make the interview because of a late-night recording session.
All four will perform on the last live performance episode of the season from 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesday on NBC, with the winner announced during the season finale from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.
All four musician coaches – Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine – will team up to perform the Rolling Stones’ classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” on the final live performance episode of NBC’s “The Voice,” airing from 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesday. In addition, country star Brad Paisley joins R&B/pop sensations Pitbull and Ne-Yo as special guest performers on the hit vocal competition series that same night.
The three-time Grammy Award-winning Paisley will perform “Don’t Drink the Water” with Shelton. The duet is from Paisley’s recently-released album “This Is Country Music,” and Shelton is a guest on Paisley’s “H2O II: Wetter & Wilder World Tour.”
Pitbull and Ne-Yo also will take the stage to perform their global smash “Give Me Everything” from Pitbull’s new album “Planet Pit.”
Be sure to follow my live blogs of the final two episodes of NBC’s hit reality TV show: from 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesday and from 8 to 10 p.m. Wednesday here at BAM’s Blog.
-BAM
Blake Shelton and Brad Paisley, Pitbull and Ne-Yo to perform on Tuesday’s “The Voice”
Brad Paisley (AP file)
All four musician coaches – Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine – will team up to perform the Rolling Stones’ classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” on the final live performance episode of NBC’s “The Voice,” airing from 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesday. In addition, country star Brad Paisley joins R&B/pop sensations Pitbull and Ne-Yo as special guest performers on the hit vocal competition series that same night.
Be sure to follow my live blogs of the final two episodes of NBC’s hit reality TV show: from 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesday and from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday here at BAM’s Blog.
“We are excited to see all of our musician coaches perform together as we near the much-anticipated finale of our first season,” said Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, NBC and Universal Media Studios, in an announcement this afternoon. “Likewise, we gladly welcome such a wide variety of established musical stars as Brad Paisley, Pitbull and Ne-Yo to our thrilling performance show that precedes the results show the next night. As time goes by, ‘The Voice’ is creating an impact and attracting more recognized recording stars who want to join the festivities.”
The four finalists are Dia Frampton from Team Blake, Javier Colon from Team Adam, Beverly McClellan from Team Christina and Vicci Martinez from Team Cee Lo, who will perform on Tuesday’s show with the winner announced on Wednesday night.
The three-time Grammy Award-winning Paisley will perform “Don’t Drink the Water” with Shelton. The duet is from Paisley’s recently-released album “This Is Country Music,” which includes the song featuring Shelton.
Pitbull and Ne-Yo also will take the stage to perform their global smash “Give Me Everything” from Pitbull’s new album “Planet Pit.”
Paisley is the Country Music Association’s reigning Entertainer of the Year and his “H2O Tour” was 2010’s top country trek in attendance. He’s also sold more than 12 million albums and scored 19 No. 1 hits on country radio. Paisley has won 14 CMA Awards, including Male Vocalist of the Year three times and received a record-setting five consecutive Academy of Country Music Male Vocalist honors that count among his 14 ACM wins. “This Is Country Music” is Paisley’s ninth studio album and is a heartfelt homage to the music he’s loved since childhood. His debut album was “Who Needs Pictures” in 1999.
Shelton, who lives in Tishomingo, is currently touring with Paisley on his “H2O II: Wetter & Wilder World Tour.” The Ada native’s current single “Honey Bee,” which he debuted on “The Voice,” is holding on to the top spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart this week.
Pitbull is an international music sensation. His new album, “Planet Pit,” features a host of pop music luminaries including Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias, Jamie Foxx, Chris Brown, T-Pain and Kelly Rowland as well as star-studded producers Dr. Luke, Max Martin, David Guetta and Benny Blanco. The knockout single “Give Me Everything” featuring NeYo is currently No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and a Top 10 hit in 15 countries. Pitbull has also collaborated with some of music’s biggest stars including Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Usher and Shakira, to name a few. His last album, “Starring in Rebelution,” produced such world-wide hits as “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” and club favorite “Hotel Room Service.” Last year, Pitbull released his first Spanish-language album, “Armando,” which features the Top 5 Latin Billboard pop single “Bon Bon.”
Ne-Yo is a Grammy Award-winning singer, a songwriter, composer, and producer. In less than five years, he’s produced three No. 1 albums and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. His fourth project, “Libra Scale,” is a concept album that tells the story of the rise of R&B’s first superhero squad. For the lead single, “Beautiful Monster,” he re-teamed with StarGate, the Norwegian production duo that has helped him create such songs as “So Sick” and “Miss Independent.” As a top industry songwriter, Ne-Yo has penned No. 1 hits for Beyonce (“Irreplaceable”), Rihanna (“Take a Bow”) and Mario (“Let Me Love You”), as well as chart-toppers for Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Kanye West and Lionel Richie. All three of Ne-Yo’s previous albums — “In My Own Words,” “Because of You” and “Year of the Gentleman” — have gone platinum and produced such Top 10 hits as “Sexy Love,” “Because of You,” “Mad” and “Closer.” He’s written music for the films “The Princess and the Frog,” “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” “I Can Do Bad All by Myself.” Ne-Yo also has appeared in the films “Stomp the Yard,” “Save the Last Dance 2,” “Red Tails” and “Battle: Los Angeles.”
“The Voice” is an innovative vocal competition series modeled after Holland’s top-rated vocal talent discovery show, “The Voice of Holland.” The series is hosted by Carson Daly and features the musician coaches working through the various phases of the competition with only the most talented vocalists. The show’s second season will air mid-season at 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays.
In addition, “The Voice” continues to push the boundaries between broadcast and online by bringing social media conversations to the on-air show. Bridging the gap between on-air and online is Social Media Correspondent Alison Haislip (“Attack of the Show!”), who makes regular appearances during the live broadcasts. Haislip engages fans and connects them to artists and coaches from “The Voice Social Media Room” via Facebook, Twitter, NBC.com and NBC Live. In the live shows, fans who use #TheVoice or tweet to the show, coaches or artists’ official handles may see their tweets appear in the lower third of the screen during cutaways during the live show.
For a period following each episode, eligible voters have four ways to vote for that night’s artists/contestants on “The Voice”: through toll-free phone calls, through online votes via NBC.com and the NBC Live online and iPad companion viewing app, and purchasing songs on iTunes. Votes are limited to 10 times via toll-free phone call per artist per originating phone number; up to 10 times through NBC.com or the NBC Live app per artist per e-mail address; and up to 10 times per artist per iTunes account, by purchasing the contestant’s then-eligible song through iTunes (up to a maximum of 10 copies).
-BAM
RIP Peter Falk
I was on the road traveling Friday when word got out that actor Peter Falk had died at the age of 83.
Falk died Thursday in his Beverly Hills home, reported the Associated Press, citing a statement released Friday by family friend Larry Larson.
In a court document filed in December 2008, Falk’s daughter Catherine Falk said her father was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. His last credit listed on IMDB is the 2009 indie dark comedy “American Cowslip.”
Falk is probably most closely identified with his iconic TV role as the disarmingly bedraggled but shrewdly clever detective in “Columbo,” which spanned 30 years on primetime. With his squinty looks, his cigar chomping and his signature line of “Oh, there’s just one more thing …” before solving the episode’s mystery, Columbo was certainly a colorful character that contrasted with other TV cops of the time.
“Columbo” began its history in 1971 as part of the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie series, appearing every third week. The show became by far the most popular of the three mysteries, the others being “McCloud” and “McMillan and Wife,” according to the AP.
Falk was reportedly paid $250,000 a movie and could have made much more if he had accepted an offer to convert “Columbo” into a weekly series. He declined, reasoning that carrying a weekly detective series would be too great a burden, according to the AP. The last episode aired in 2003.
He won four Emmys for “Columbo.” He won his first Emmy for “The Price of Tomatoes” in 1961.
In addition, he was twice nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar in the early ’60s: “Murder, Inc.” in 1960 and “Pocketful of Miracles” in 1961.
But for film fans in my generation, Falk will always be best remembered as the kindly bibliophile Grandfather of Rob Reiner’s 1987 adventure “The Princess Bride.” His narration of the story and his rapport with Fred Savage, who plays the sick and smart-alecky grandson having the book read to him, bring out the comedy that sets this fantasy tale apart.
Peter Michael Falk was born Sept. 16, 1927, in New York City and grew up in Ossining, N.Y., where his parents ran a clothing store. At 3 he had one eye removed because of cancer, according to the AP. “When something like that happens early,” he said in a 1963 Associated Press interview, “you learn to live with it. It became the joke of the neighborhood. If the umpire ruled me out on a bad call, I’d take the fake eye out and hand it to him.”
When Falk was starting as an actor in New York, an agent told him, “Of course, you won’t be able to work in movies or TV because of your eye.”
Thank goodness he didn’t listen.
Falk is survived by his wife Shera and his two daughters from a previous marriage.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans.
-BAM
Monday Catchy Quote No. 171
A catchy quote from a movie, TV show or other source to brighten the beginning of your week:
The Grandson: Grandpa, maybe you could come over and read it again to me tomorrow.
Grandpa: As you wish.
- Click here to learn the source.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on June 27, 2011: Listen to Travis Linville for free at The Deli
Today’s featured event:
NORMAN – Hear Oklahoma singer-songwriter Travis Linville play a free happy hour show from 7 to 9 tonight at The Deli, 309 White Street. For more information, go to http://thedeli.us/blog.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
