Tag Archives: twilight

Pop News

‘Twilight’ Lawsuit: Lionsgate, Summit Hit With $500 Million Anti-Trust Complaint

May 30, 2013 – 7:40 pm

Someone's trying to take a big bite out of the "Twilight" vampire movie franchise. A $500 million bite -- to be exact.

Filmmaker Between the Lines is suing "Twilight" studio Summit Entertainment and its parent company, Lionsgate Entertainment, seeking half a billion dollars in an anti-trust complaint.

Also read: 'Twilight' Reunion: CBS Picks Up Legal Drama 'Reckless'

In the suit obtained by TheWrap, Between the Lines accused Lionsgate and Summit of employing "a vexatious legal strategy that seeks to collapse every conceivable intellectual property right granted by trademark or copyright law" in an effort to quash "Twilight" parodies and other products that play off of the hugely successful vampire series.

Between the Lines claims that it produced a "Twilight" parody movie, "Twiharder," that used the "Twilight" story "as an object of ridicule, criticism and sociopolitical commentary."

Also read: Final 'Twilight Saga' Film Flies Off the Shelves

In the run-up to the release of last year's "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2," the lawsuit claims, "Twiharder" drew interest from distributors, and a deal was struck with one of them.

However, the complaint alleges, after Lionsgate and Summit sent out a "sham 'cease-and-desist' C&D notice," the distributor pulled ...

Tags | Permalink | Comment (0)
Pop News

‘Twilight,’ ‘Iron Man 3′ Lead First Wave of Teen Choice Awards Nominations

May 22, 2013 – 1:30 pm

The "Twilight Saga" can look forward to one last hoorah at Fox's Teen Choice Awards this summer. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2" leads the first wave of nominees with seven nominations announced on Wednesday.

The final installment of the blockbuster franchise was tapped for Choice Movie in both the sci-fi/fantasy and romance categories, while Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner all scored nominations in the acting categories. Like the film, Stewart and Pattinson were nominated for their performances in both the sci-fi/fantasy and romance categories.

Also read: 'Breaking Dawn 2' Taking Biggest Box Office Bite of All 'Twilight' Movies

"Twilight" has some stiff competition, though. "Iron Man 3," which is up for six Teen Choice Awards, is also nominated in the sci-fi/fantasy category, with Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow nominated in the coinciding acting categories.

And if Marvel's billion-dollar summer superhero movie can't win over the Twihards, it still has a chance to conquer the action categories. "G.I. Joe: Retalliation," "Skyfall," "The Bourne Legacy" and "The Dark Knight Rises" are all up for Choice Action Movie.

Also read: 'Iron Man 3' Races Past $1B Mark on Monster Foreign Take

The two-hour event ...

Tags , , , , , | Permalink | Comment (0)
Pop News

Kellan Lutz to Star in Millenium Films’ ‘Hercules 3D’

April 5, 2013 – 3:20 pm

'Twlight: Saga" franchise star Kellan Lutz has been cast as the titular son of Zeus in director Renny Harlin's "Hercules 3D," Millennium Films announced on Friday.

The action flick will center on the half-man-half-god's passionate love story with the Princess of Crete, who was promised to his older brother despite her undying love for Hercules.

Also read: Brett Ratner's 'Hercules' to Open August 2014

"Kellan has the look and charisma that Harlin envisioned for the character," said Boaz David, Millennium's head of creative affairs, "Renny had him in mind from the start, and we are really excited to have him on board."

Production is scheduled to start next month at the company's Nu Boyana Film Studios in Bulgaria.

Sean Hood, Renny Harlin and Giulio Steve wrote the script for the film, which will be produced by Les Welden and Danny Lerner -- the duo behind Millenium's "Olympus Has Fallen."

Avi Lerner, Trevor Short, John Thompson and Boaz Davidson will executive produce with the hopes of topping MGM's "Hercules," another big screen adaptation of the Roman hero who will be played by Dwayne Johnson. Brett Ratner is directing.

Related Articles: 
Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, John Hurt Join Dwayne Johnson in ...
Tags , , | Permalink | Comment (0)
Pop News

‘Twilight’ Director Catherine Hardwicke Tapped for ‘The Age of Miracles’

April 3, 2013 – 2:55 pm

Catherine Hardwicke, who tapped into the world of a lovelorn teenage to great profits with "Twilight," will once again oversee the story of a young girl's coming of age with "The Age of Miracles."

The film, an adaptation of Karen Thompson Walker's bestselling debut novel, centers on an 11-year-old girl growing up in California who finds, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow, potentially spelling doom for the planet.

Seth Lochhead ("Hanna") has adapted the screenplay. River Road Entertainment's founder Bill Pohlad will produce.

Hardwicke recently directed "Plush," an upcoming thriller starring Emily Browning. In addition to "Twilight" she directed the Oscar-nominated "Thirteen" and "Red Riding Hood." 

 

Related Articles: 
'Twilight' Stars: What's Next, Now That the Sun Has Set
Why Lionsgate Thinks 'Divergent' Can Replace 'Twilight'
Tags | Permalink | Comment (0)
Pop News

‘Mortal Instruments’ Trailer: Box Office’s Next ‘Twilight’ or ‘The Host’? (Video)

April 1, 2013 – 9:45 pm

"The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" trailer has debuted and resembles a couple of the young adult thrillers that have debuted at the box office. 

Following the releases of "Beautiful Creatures" and "The Host" -- which opened to domestic hauls of $7.5 million and $10.6 million, respectively -- Screen Gems' adaptation of Cassandra Clare's best-selling novel starring Lily Collins ("Mirror, Mirror") as Clary Fray is set to hit theaters this summer.

The film follows the story of a New York City teenager whose life is turned upside down when she discovers she's actually a member of a half-angel warrior race called Shadowhunters.

Also read: How 'Safe Haven' Made Things Ugly for 'Beautiful Creatures' at the Box Office

Things go from weird to worse when her mom, played by "Game of Thrones" star Lena Headey, gets abducted, leaving Clary to team up with a handsome, hooded Shadowhunter Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower) to track her down and fight lots of mythical creatures (werewolves, warlocks, demons) in the process.

The question: Can any of the upcoming young adult studio tentpoles replicate the success of "Twilight" and "Hunger Games?"  Post-"Twilight" audiences appear to be growing tired of this particular Hollywood ...

Tags , , | Permalink | Comment (0)
Pop News

Tippett Studio Chief on Layoffs: ‘Why the Hell Doesn’t California Do Something?’

March 29, 2013 – 5:28 pm

Award-winning visual effects company Tippett Studio has laid off 50 employees in the latest blow to the embattled industry, and its chief Jules Roman wants California to step in and stop the bleeding.

Layoffs are not new at the company, which has been around for 30 years and contributed to blockbuster films like "RoboCop," "Jurassic Park" and "Ted." Many visual effects houses cut staff between big jobs.

Yet Roman says the financial problems afflicting her industry are "particularly bad now," and argued it's time for some outside assistance to keep jobs in the state.

"The bigger question is why the hell doesn't California do something instead of letting it all go away?," Roman told TheWrap. "There so many territories with interventionist economic policies that it makes us feel we are really being preyed upon."

Roman said that the average person's kneejerk reaction would be to oppose helping Hollywood financially given that executives, agents and actors are earnings millions. However, those people are "above the line" and visual effects workers "are people way way below the line."

"We haven't made that point very well," she acknowledged.

She dubbed the latest cuts, which reduce her staff of around 140 ...

Tags , , | Permalink | Comment (0)
Pop News

Final ‘Twilight Saga’ Film Flies Off the Shelves

March 5, 2013 – 12:56 pm

Lionsgate has another home entertainment monster on its hands: "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2" debuted on DVD and Blu-Ray over the weekend, and has already sold 3.85 million units, besting the opening weekend of "Breaking Dawn – Part 1."

Lionsgate scored two of the four best-performing home entertainment titles last year thanks to "Breaking Dawn – Part 1" and "The Hunger Games." Though "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," opens this year, it will not be available on DVD or Blu-Ray until 2014, so Lionsgate might have to settle for one blockbuster this year.

Blu-ray sales accounted for 27 percent of first weekend sales for "Breaking Dawn – Part 2," an increase from 22 percent on the first half of the franchise's two-part conclusion. Electronic sell-through purchases also increased 20 percent from the previous film.

"We're particularly pleased that 'The Twilight Saga – Breaking Dawn Part 2' opened even stronger than 'Breaking Dawn – Part 1,' which launched on Valentine's Day weekend last year," Ron Schwartz, Lionsgate's general manager of home entertainment said in a statement.  "Consumer demand for 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2' reflects strength in all segments of the ...

Tags , , , , , | Permalink | Comment (0)
Pop News

‘Twilight,’ ‘Expendables 2′ Boost Lionsgate to Third-Quarter Profit

February 11, 2013 – 6:27 pm

"Twilight" and Sylvester Stallone propelled Lionsgate to $37.8 million in profit for the third quarter of fiscal 2013, per its earnings announcement on Monday. The company, which produces television shows, such as "Mad Men," and film franchises, such as "The Hunger Games," had posted a loss of $1.4 million in the same quarter a year ago.

In this latest financial frame, it breezed past analyst expectations with earnings per share of $0.28 and revenue of $743.6 million. Analysts had predicted $0.16 EPS and revenue of $707 million.

Lionsgate's revenue is more than double what it was year before, due almost entirely to its film division. Total film revenue was $673.5 million, thanks to substantial revenue increases in both the theatrical and home-entertainment divisions.

Films like "The Expendables 2" and "Step Up Revolution" boosted the home entertainment division while the final installment of the "Twilight" franchise, "Breaking Dawn Part 2," anchored the theatrical side of things.

Lionsgate brought the "Twilight" franchise in-house when it bought Summit at the beginning of 2012. Disregarding costs from the continued payoff of debt for that transaction, Lionsgate made more than $52 million in the quarter.

"The quarter reflected not ...

Tags , | Permalink | Comment (0)
Pop News

Sony Buys ‘Austenland,’ Sony Pictures Classics to Distribute in U.S.

January 21, 2013 – 11:16 pm

Sony has taken worldwide rights to "Austenland," Jerusha Hess' film about a Jane Austen fanatic who goes to an Austen theme park looking for the perfect man.

Jerusha Hess (left), who co-wrote "Napoleon Dynamite" with husband Jared Hess, co-wrote and directed the film. It is her directorial debut. 

"Twilight" creator" Stephenie Meyer produced "Austenland," which premiered at Sundance on Friday.

Several bidders have been in pursuit since then, and over the weekend several reports indicated that Exclusive Releasing and FilmDistrict were going to split it. That deal never closed, and Sony swept in to take it.

Speciality label Sony Pictures Classics will release the film domestically.

"We love this movie," Sony Pictures Classics said in a statement. "It announces the birth of a major filmmaker and Stephenie Meyer is truly a force of nature. We look forward to bringing 'Austenland' to American audiences."

Based on Shannon Hale's novel, the film stars Keri Russell as the Austen fan who goes to the set of a BBC production of "Pride and Prejudice." Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Seymour, JJ Felid and Bret McKenzie also star.

UTA, which represents both Meyer and Hess, negotiated the deal with Sony Pictures Worldwide ...

Tags , | Permalink | Comment (0)
Pop News

Natalie Portman, Kristen Stewart Top Forbes’ List of Most Bankable Stars

December 27, 2012 – 12:59 pm

The box office has been very kind to Natalie Portman and Kristen Stewart over the last few years. 

Thanks to stellar returns on films like "The Black Swan" and "Twilight: Breaking Dawn," both leading ladies have topped Forbes magazine's list of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

After considering the actors' earnings, along with their last three major movies' box-office receipts and budgets, Portman was determined to be the most valuable player in the industry.

Also read: Eddie Murphy Is Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actor on Forbes List

"Black Swan," Darren Aronofsky's ballet thriller that earned Portman her first Oscar, only cost $13 million, but it went on to gross $329 million worldwide. Her "No Strings Attached," a $25 million rom-com co-starring Ashton Kutcher, raked in $150 million worldwide.

Though her other comedic venture, "Your Highness," failed to recoup its $50 million budget, Forbes estimates studios earned $42.70 for every buck they paid Portman.

In the case of Stewart, it's pretty easy to see why she came in second: "The Twilight Saga" has brought in $3.3 billion (and counting). 

Also read: 'Breaking Dawn 2' Taking Biggest Box Office Bite of All 'Twilight' Movies

The last two installments ...

Tags , , | Permalink | Comment (0)

Next Page »

Next Page »