Jamie Campbell Bower compares “Twilight” and “Harry Potter” phenomena
Above, Jamie Campbell Bower plays vampire Caius in “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.” Below, Jamie Campbell Bower poses at a photocall for “New Moon” at last month’s Rome Film Festival. (Associated Press photo)
Actor Jamie Campbell Bower (”Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) joins the “Twilight” film franchise with the sequel “New Moon” as Caius, one of the leaders of the Volturi vampire coven.
“We are basically the vampire government, I guess. We’re there to sort of keep all the vampires in check. People keep describing us as evil. I wouldn’t say we’re evil necessarily. We’re the government and not everybody likes the government, which is fine. So, we’re there to keep everybody in check. Without us … it would be vampire anarchy,” he said during a recent “New Moon” press conference in Los Angeles.
The British actor also is a newcomer to the “Harry Potter” franchise. He is playing Gellert Grindelwald, an old wizarding friend of Albus Dumbledore, in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I” and “Part 2.”
“The ‘Twilight’ phenomenon cinematically is relatively young so there’s still a lot of growth there to go with the film and there’s still a lot of connections to be made between cast and crew and stuff, whereas with ‘Potter’ they’ve been going for 10 years now. It’s a machine, ‘Potter.’ You go in, you do your thing and then you go on, whereas with this, it’s a lot more finding out about everything and a lot more exploration to do in general,” he said.
Based on J.K. Rowling’s final novel in the “Harry Potter” series, his role will be a small but pivotal one.
“They’re still working on it. They’re shooting simultaneously because they’ve obviously got lots of time scheduled and they have to do both side by side,” he said.
“At the moment, I’ve only worked on it for about a week. I think I’ve got another week and a bit to go.”
“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” Week continues here on BAM’s Blog, and of course, Friday is the big day. Not only is the film opening, but I’ll have features on Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart, along with my review of the movie.
-BAM
Box office report
G.I. Joe proved a box-office hero over the weekend.
The Paramount movie based on the venerable Hasbro action figure line topped the weekend ox office with $56.2 million debut domestically, according to the Associated Press. “G.I. Joe” also made $44.3 million overseas for a worldwide total of $100.5 million.
“G.I. Joe” follows Paramount’s “Transformers” sequel as the latest toy story to top the box-office charts.
After critics drubbed ”Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” earlier this summer, Paramount skipped critic screenings for “G.I. Joe” and put the movie in theaters sight-unseen by most reviewers.
Critics who went to see “G.I. Joe” after it opened gave it at best mixed reviews; many called it a mindless actioner but some found it fun and entertaining. You can read our own Matt Price’s review by clicking here.
The foodie’s delight ”Julie & Julia,” starring Meryl Streep as legendary chef Julia Child and Amy Adams as famed food blogger Julie Powell, opened with a tasty No. 2 with $20.1 million. “G.I. Joe” was a hit among young males, while women 35 and older were the main audience for “Julie & Julia,” according to the AP.
The film revitalized interest in Julia Child, who was also a hit on Amazon.com. According to the AP, ”Mastering the Art of French Cooking” was the Web site’s top seller Sunday, while Child’s memoir “My Life in France” was No. 9.
The other new wide release, Universal’s slasher thriller “A Perfect Getaway” with Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich, opened at No. 7 with just $5.8 million.
The previous weekend’s top movie, director Judd Apatow’s “Funny People,” dropped to No. 5 with $7.9 million, down 65 percent from its opening weekend. The Universal release has taken in $40.4 million.
Despite the boost from “G.I. Joe,” summer revenues continue to lag behind last year’s, with receipts this season down about 1 percent, according to the AP.
Here are the weekend’s top 10 films, from the AP:
1. “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” $56.2 million.
2. “Julie & Julia,” $20.1 million.
3. “G-Force,” $9.8 million.
4. “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” $8.9 million.
5. “Funny People,” $7.9 million.
6. “The Ugly Truth,” $7 million.
7. “A Perfect Getaway,” $5.8 million.
8. “Aliens in the Attic,” $4 million.
9. “Orphan,” $3.73 million.
10. “500 Days of Summer,” $3.7 million.
-BAM
Box Office Report
In box office news this week, Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler’s joint venture “Funny People” put them both on top again. The counter-programing against all the family fare that is out right now may have helped propel the R-Rated film to success despite its garnering mixed reviews.
The other new movie this week was the kid’s film “Aliens in the Attic,” which only managed to make $7.8 million (putting it in fifth place). The new children’s film’s box office may have been hindered by the debut of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” in IMAX theaters.
Until this weekend, IMAX has been exclusively playing “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” Many box office analysts had been predicting that the Potter film would get a boost in its numbers from people who have been waiting to see it in this format. Since it jumped back up past last week’s number one movie “G-Force,” it looks like they were right.
Here is a list of the top ten movies this weekend, courtesy of the IMDB:
1.) “Funny People” $23.4 million (New)
2.) “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” $17.7 million ($255 million)
3.) “G-Force” $17.1 million ($66.5 million)
4.) “The Ugly Truth” $13 million ($54.5 million)
5.) “Aliens in the Attic” $7.8 million (New)
6.) “Orphan” $7.25 million ($26.8 million)
7.) “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” $5.3 million ($182 million)
8.) “The Hangover” $5.08 million ($256 million)
9.) “The Proposal” $4.85 million ($149 million)
10.) “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” $4.6 million ($388 million)
—3D
“Harry Potter & Half-Blood Prince” falls to No. 2 at box office, opening in IMAX this week
“G-Force”
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
The 3-D talking guinea pigs caper “G-Force” managed to out-duel the magical sixth Harry Potter film, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” at the box office over the weekend.
According to the Associated Press, “G-Force,” a Disney film from producer Jerry Bruckheimer, opened with $32.2 million over the weekend.
“Half-Blood Prince” was a close second with $30 million. But that represented a surprisingly large 61 percent drop-off from its massive opening last weekend of $79.5 million, according to the AP.
The sixth installment in the Harry Potter series actually opened on Wednesday, July 15, with huge turnout at midnight screenings. It made $159.7 million, a franchise best, in its first five days, according to EW.com.
“Half-Blood Prince” has now made $222 million total, which is $14 million ahead of where the fifth film, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” was after 12 days in theaters in 2007, according to the AP. Passing the $200 million mark in less than two weeks is no small feat, even for the world’s most famous boy wizard.
The AP also notes that “Half-Blood Prince” is opening on 166 IMAX screens this week. The last “Harry Potter” movie showed in IMAX from the time it opened in theaters.
“So we’re coming in with this one (in IMAX) a little bit late, but it’s going to be a great addition and it’ll keep our momentum going,” Dan Fellman, Warner Bros.’ head of distribution, told the AP.
What the AP story doesn’t note is why “Half-Blood Prince” is just now making it to IMAX screens. Slashfilm.com reported earlier this summer that the IMAX release of “Half-Blood Prince” had to be pushed back two weeks because Paramount had inked a deal to give “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” an exclusive four-week run at IMAX.
“When Warner Bros moved the release of Half Blood Prince back to July 15th, they didn’t take into account Transformer’s IMAX exclusivity. So now Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince won’t be shown on IMAX screens until July 29th 2009, two weeks after its theatrical 35mm release. Will people wait to pay a premium price to see the few 3D sequences in the IMAX version?” Peter Sciretta pondered in the Slashfilm story.
He asks a good question, and I’m willing to bet that some Harry Potter fans rushed out last week to see the long-awaited film (remember, it was originally set for release in fall 2008) in 35 mm with plans to see it in IMAX a second time. That could account for a portion of the big drop-off for “Half-Blood Prince”; some diehards may be waiting for the IMAX release before taking their crucial second and third trips to see the film.
While Oklahoma City still doesn’t have an IMAX theater – which is an outrage that forces OKC cinephiles to go to Tulsa or Dallas to see large-scale versions of big movies – notching huge numbers in IMAX helped “The Dark Knight” and “Transformers 2″ reach their mega-blockbuster status. It will be interesting to see how Harry Potter’s IMAX predicament affects the box office totals for “Half-Blood Prince.”
I saw the sixth Harry Potter film during its opening weekend and was impressed and thoroughly entertained. The films have continued to improve throughout the series, especially under David Yates’ direction, though none of them can even touch the magic of J.K. Rowling’s amazing books.
“Half-Blood Prince” certainly didn’t deserve to come in second to a guinea pig spy flick that the Mouse House refused to screen in advance for critics in order to make a fast, dirty profit off of as many families as possible. I haven’t seen “G-Force,” so I can’t judge it too harshly, but it is depressing to see Disney once again mine the old, stale talking-animal tactic for quick cash.
The success of “G-Force” does illustrate a need for more family-friendly fare in theaters. The top two films this week are both rated PG. But they appeal to totally different segments of the PG audience.
With its more than 2 1/2-hour runtime – along with scary images, some violence and dramatic death scene – “Half-Blood Prince” is for tweens, teens and adult fans of the books. It isn’t for the preschool or early elementary set.
That’s precisely the pint-sized audience that “G-Force,” with its cute computer-generated guinea pig heroes, 90-minute runtime and mild action/rude humor PG rating, is targeting.
In the absence of something more creative, the film clearly hit the mark with parents desperate to give their kids something to do in the waning days of summer vacation.
-BAM
Box Office Report
Well, in a small surprise to box office analysts, the family film “G-Force” managed to knock “Harry Potter” out of the top spot at the box office. However, Potter fans shouldn’t worry; the sixth film still fared well this week and its total is well above $200 million.
In other new releases this week, Katherine Heigl’s new romantic comedy “The Ugly Truth” performed respectably, despite the bad reviews it received. The new horror film “Orphan” also landed in the top five for the week.
Here are the top ten movies for this weekend, courtesy of the IMDB:
1.) “G-Force” $32.2 million (New)
2.) “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” $30 million ($222 million)
3.) “The Ugly Truth” $27 million (New)
4.) “Orphan” $12.8 million (New)
5.) “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” $8.2 million ($171 million)
6.) “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” $8 million ($379 million)
7.) “The Hangover” $6.46 million ($247 million)
8.) “The Proposal” $6.42 million ($140 million)
9.) “Public Enemies” $4.17 million ($88.1 million)
10.) “Bruno” $2.72 million ($56.5 million)
—3D
Box Office Report
Apparently the long wait for the new “Harry Potter” movie paid off for Warner Brothers because it had a huge opening. It earned over $20 in midnight screenings on Wednesday and has earned $160 million total since its opening.
With the third “Ice Age” movie and the second “Transformers” joining “Harry Potter” in the top three, it was a good weekend for family movies.
Meanwhile, last week’s number one movie, “Bruno,” had a devastating second week, with its tally falling over 70% from its opening weekend numbers.
Here is a list of the top ten grossers this week (from the imdb):
1.) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince $79.5 million ($160 million)
2.) Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs $17.7 million ($152 million)
3.) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen $13.8 million ($364 million)
4.) Bruno $8.37 million ($49.6 million)
5.) The Hangover $8.31 million ($236 million)
6.) The Proposal $8.29 million ($128 million)
7.) Public Enemies $7.59 million ($79.5 million)
8.) Up $3.15 million ($280 million)
9.) My Sister’s Keeper $2.83 million ($41.5 million)
10.) I Love You, Beth Cooper $2.67 million ($10.3 million)
—3D
Harry Potter Central
Newsok.com has gathered up all its Harry Potter coverage onto one page for your convenience. You can read Matt Price’s review, watch the trailer, take a Potter quiz and more. Please go here to enjoy all the fun.
—3D
Potter Parties around Oklahoma
The sixth installment in the Harry Potter movie franchise is coming to theaters today, which is cause for celebration among young Potter fans. Here are some of the Potter parties going on this weekend:
- NOBLE – On Thursday, the Noble Public Library, 204 N Fifth St., will have a party at 2 p.m. to celebrate the movie’s opening. Information: 872-5713.
-TULSA – The Half-Blood Hoopla at the Leaky Cauldron will be at the Peggy V. Helmerich Library, 5131 E 91 St., from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Friday. There will be food and fun activities for kids 10 and older, including wizard’s chess and wand-making. Pre-registration is required. Information: (918) 596-2466.
- Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52, will have a Bright Night of Harry Potter starting at 6 p.m. Friday and going overnight to 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Admission includes access to the museum’s exhibits and various activities. Information: www.sciencemuseumok.org
—3D
Video: Twinprov Harry Potter rap
Throughout the summer, local comedians Buck and Clint Vrazel of Twinprov have been visiting the OPUBCO studios to perform humorous raps about the season’s blockbuster films.
This time, they take on the long-awaited movie “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” and as usual, the results are laugh-out-loud funny. The first screenings of the sixth film in the series are happening in minutes.
The Vrazels also will be performing this weekend at the first ever Improv Festival Oklahoma. I’ll have more on the big event on Friday.
-BAM
Box office report
“Star Trek” beamed up even more box office cash than originally estimated over its opening weekend.
According to final studio numbers released today, director J.J. Abrams’ reboot of the popular sci-fi franchise made $79.2 million from late Thursday night through Sunday, according to the Associated Press.
That’s nearly $3 million more than Paramount Pictures estimated on Sunday. Final box office numbers for movies often differ from earlier projections, since Sunday totals are based on estimates of how many people will see the film that day. The original estimated take for “Star Trek” was $76.5 million in its opening weekend.
Paramount conservatively estimated that “Star Trek” would make$50 million, according to the AP.
The film made a record $8.2 million in IMAX showings, beating the $6.3 million record “The Dark Knight” set in its opening weekend on IMAX screens last year.
Great reviews and strong word of mouth helped the prequel, which tells the back stories of Capt. Kirk, Mr. Spock and the rest of the Enterprise crew. The movie earned 96 percent positive reviews on www.RottenTomatoes.com.
Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore said he expected the movie, which had a $140 million budget, should gross more than $200 million total this summer, even with competition like “Terminator: Salvation” opening on May 21 and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” opening on July 15.
He attributed the film’s success to Abrams’ success at appealing to both hardcore Trekkie and moviegoers who may not have been familiar with the 1960s television series and its many movies and TV spin-offs.
“Star Trek” improved its take from $26.8 million on Friday to $27.4 million on Saturday, Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com, told the AP.
“Sometimes you will see a movie drop big-time,” Dergarabedian said. “What this ‘Star Trek’ is going to have is legs, a rare commodity in this world where every week there’s a new blockbuster.”
The week’s other new wide release, the dark comedy “Next Day Air,” landed at No. 6 with $4 million.
Last week’s top movie, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” came in at No. 2 with $27 million, a big drop from $85.1 million the prequel to the “X-Men” franchise made in its first week. Still, the film, which stars Hugh Jackman as the iconic clawed mutant, has made nearly $129.6 million in two weeks.
“It’s the same weekend drop as (’X-Men: The Last Stand’), the last one. That tends to be what fan-based movies do,” Chris Aronson, senior vice president of domestic distribution for 20th Century Fox, told the AP. ”To have $130 million in the first 10 days is sensational. We think we withstood the attack of ‘Star Trek,’ if you will, and will settle into a long, successful run.”
1. “Star Trek,” Paramount, $75,204,289, 3,849 locations, $19,539 average, $79,204,289, one week.
2. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” Fox, $26,408,288, 4,102 locations, $6,438 average, $129,032,435, two weeks.
3. “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” Warner Bros., $10,258,141, 3,175 locations, $3,231 average, $30,054,386, two weeks.
4. “Obsessed,” Sony Screen Gems, $6,560,266, 2,602 locations, $2,521 average, $56,207,576, three weeks.
5. “17 Again,” Warner Bros., $4,232,422, 2,903 locations, $1,458 average, $53,994,515, four weeks.
6. “Next Day Air,” Summit, $4,111,043, 1,138 locations, $3,613 average, $4,111,043, one week.
7. “The Soloist,” Paramount, $3,949,430, 2,090 locations, $1,890 average, $23,845,177, three weeks.
8. “Monsters vs. Aliens,” Paramount, $3,260,440, 2,185 locations, $1,492 average, $186,774,092, seven weeks.
9. “Earth,” Disney, $2,666,219, 1,794 locations, $1,486 average, $26,264,242, three weeks.
10. “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” Disney, $2,193,043, 2,301 locations, $953 average, $73,861,795, five weeks.
-BAM
