Skip to Content

Don't miss Joystiq's up-to-the-minute live coverage of E3!

Posts with tag abigail breslin

Box Office: Hancock Arrives

Filed under: Action », Comedy », Box Office », Family Films », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Box Office Predictions »

It was a good weekend at the box office for both of last week's newbies, marking the first time in history that two films opening on the same weekend pulled in over $50 million each. Here's the top five:

1. Wall-E: $63 million
2. Wanted: $50.9 million
3. Get Smart: $20.2 million
4. Kung Fu Panda: $11.7 million
5. The Incredible Hulk: $9.6 million


Only one major release this week, but we've also got one going into wider release.

Hancock

What's It All About:
Will Smith plays Hancock, a hard drinking anti-social superhero, and a PR agent played by Jason Bateman sets out to repair Hancock's public image.
Why It Might Do Well:
Will Smith may not always have the Midas touch (I Am Legend left me cold) but he's got quite a few successful blockbusters under his belt, and people are loving the superhero flicks these days. I've liked Bateman's work a lot since Arrested Development, and I'm always glad to see him. Also, Cinematical's own Kim Voynar has given the film her seal of approval.
Why It Might Not Do Well:
Unlike most big-budget superhero movies, this one doesn't originate from another media like comic books, so it doesn't come with the core fanbase of an Iron Man or an Incredible Hulk. Also, the 36% fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com is not encouraging.
Number of Theaters:
3,900
Prediction:
$45 million

And going into wider release this week...

Cinematical Seven: Great Movies for Smart Girls

Filed under: Fandom », Home Entertainment », Cinematical Seven », Lists »

With Kit Kittredge: An American Girl finally opening in limited release on Wednesday, it seemed like a good time to take a look at other films girls in the same age demographic might also enjoy. As a mother of three daughters, I like to seek out films that have strong female characters. So many of the roles for females in Hollywood either fall into blatant stereotypes or position young girls and women as existing on this planet primarily for the pleasures of the male half of the species, and I don't want my girls growing up believing the images of women they're exposed to through the media. Of course, everything in life doesn't have to have a political agenda -- what fun would that be? So some of these are just films my own daughters very much enjoy, that the girl in your life might like also.

Here are seven great films for fans of American Girl books and movies ... let me know what others I've missed that you like; with only seven slots to work with, I had to leave out a lot of films I otherwise would have included ...

'Kit Kittredge' = 'Sex and the City' for Little Girls?

Filed under: New Releases », New Line », Warner Brothers », Family Films », Movie Marketing », Picturehouse »

Before we get the sequel to and the potential copiers of Sex and the City, we're in for a summer of comparative marketing. Already we've seen a new trailer for The Women, which arrived well-timed on the heels of the Sex in the City box office reports. Now, thanks to some insightful reporting from the New York Times, we find out that Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is just like Sex and the City, only its for little girls. Like the recent hit movie, Kit Kittredge comes with a built-in audience thanks to the successful American Girl property, which consists of dolls, books and TV movies. Also, yes, it's mainly for females. Oh, and it's a Picturehouse release, meaning its pretty much being released by the same studio (New Line, now a division of Warner Bros.) that brought us Sex and the City.

Interestingly enough, The Women is also Picturehouse, and this summer's other big female-geared movie, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, is Warner Bros. Hopefully another article can point out that the sequel is just like Sex and the City, only for teen girls. Then all we'd need is for Warner Bros. to make my desired big-screen Golden Girls movie (with original cast, of course), because it'd be just like Sex and the City, only for older girls. Unfortunately the series was produced by Disney, who'd likely hold on to the film rights.

AFI Dallas: Fest Wrap-Up in Words and Pictures

Filed under: Festival Reports », Cinematical Indie », AFI Dallas »

The second year of AFI Dallas was a big hit with locals, with ticket sales way over expectations. Big kudos have to go to fest director Michael Caine* and his stellar team for working out the kinks from last year's fest and making everything flow smoothly this year, while programming a huge lineup for Dallas cinephiles. Here are some of the pics; a rundown of this year's fest highlights is after the jump:

Live from AFI Dallas: Panels, Screenings and Guitar Hero at the Lounge

Filed under: Festival Reports », Cinematical Indie », AFI Dallas »

I'm in Dallas for the second AFI Dallas Film Festival, and having a great time so far. The fest has worked through some of those first-year kinks and things seem to be sailing along smoothly, though I know there's probably lots of finagling going on behind the scenes that makes whatever glitches do come up invisible to most of us here. Shuttle service for passholders this year is making it much easier to navigate the fest quickly and efficiently between venues. The festival lounge is great this year -- the space is nicely decorated, there are always yummy snacks on hand, the drinks flow all night long, and Guitar Hero battles happen nightly.

I kicked things off here on Tuesday moderating a panel on women filmmakers for a private event held for a group of high-powered corporate women. Filmmakers SJ Main (Luck of the Draw) and Robin Bliley (Circus Rosaire) made my job super easy; both had many insights to share about being independent filmmakers and women working in the business, and the women (and their husbands) in attendance had many thought-provoking questions that kept the tone conversational and interesting.

Review: Nim's Island

Filed under: New Releases », Theatrical Reviews », New in Theaters », Family Films »



It's a good thing Child Protective Services never saw Nim (Abigail Breslin) in action or there wouldn't be any movie. Nim would be quietly toiling away in school, perhaps going to the mall and texting her friends. But in the new PG-rated family film Nim's Island, she climbs trees (and volcanoes), swings through the jungle, cooks dinner using mealworms as a main ingredient, reads adventure stories and talks to animals. Nim's father, Jack (Gerard Butler), is a marine biologist who has set up residence on a remote, South Pacific island to study microorganisms. It's just the two of them, so when Jack goes off on a two-day expedition to find new samples, Nim insists on staying behind. But after a huge storm, Jack is left stranded in the middle of the ocean. And when "pirates" (really tourists) invade the island, and her father fails to return on schedule, Nim gets scared.

Review: Definitely, Maybe

Filed under: Comedy », Romance », New Releases », Universal », Theatrical Reviews »



Several things conspire to make Definitely, Maybe seem a dicey proposition at first glance. There's the rarely-inspiring presence of Ryan Reynolds, whose film career has, up to now, moved between mediocre comedies and mediocre action and horror films and served mostly as a demonstration of the phenomenon of 'failing up.' There's also the gimmicky nature of the pitch giving off warning signs, as divorcing dad Reynolds tells his daughter Abigail Breslin the story of his life before he got married, shielding names and facts so she can't figure out which of the three women (Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks or Rachel Weisz) he knew and loved when he was single came to be her mother. "I like it," Breslin says early in the film, appraising Reynolds's efforts. "It's like a love story-mystery." And even that's a somewhat off-putting moment; Gee, kid, thanks for pointing that out for us.

But Definitely, Maybe, written and directed by Adam Brooks, surprised me as it unfolded, and got around my initial reservations with its mix of good humor and grace. Not only is Reynolds an appealing lead here -- possibly because the boyishness that's undercut his other work is an integral part of his character – but Definitely, Maybe also has some grit and gristle under the glib gimmick of the mommy-mystery hook. As Reynolds explains the long and winding road of what happened and when, Brooks's script mostly doesn't shy away from the tough stuff, and it doesn't paint Reynolds as some perfect, hapless everyman undone by random chance; he makes mistakes, and he pays for them, and he tries to set things right. Reynolds is normally light and charming enough on screen, but there's something new in his performance here, as his inner feelings keep coming into view behind his smile.

The Fannings Dump 'My Sister's Keeper'

Filed under: Drama », Casting »

Back in October, the two tow-headed cuties Elle and Dakota Fanning signed up to play siblings in My Sister's Keeper. In the first two-Fanning punch since I Am Sam, it's the story of a young girl (who would have been played by Elle) who sues her parents for divorce because she's being raised as a handy genetic match for her older, cancer-ridden sister (Dakota). Not anymore. Variety reports that the two sisters pulled out of the feature abruptly.

Why? Their sources say that Dakota refused to shave her head for the part. I guess she thought they'd fit one of those bald caps on her head, or she'd be the lucky cancer victim who miraculously doesn't lose her hair. If this source is right, at least we know where she draws the line now. She shocked many before for her involvement in Hounddog, but I guess smooth noggin is crossing the line. It might seem surprising for Fanning, who has taken on a lot of grown-up fare, but she is only 13. (She turns 14 on the 23rd.)

At least their replacements have already been picked. Although I would've tapped her to play the elder role, Abigail Breslin will take over the ticked off role that Elle vacated, while Sofia Vassilieva, from Medium, is finalizing her deal to replace Dakota. Will this be another Oscar nod for Abigail, perhaps? Or a breakout performance from Sofia?

Insert Caption: Definitely, Maybe

Filed under: Fandom », Movie Marketing », Contests », Insert Caption », Hold the 'Fone »

Welcome to another fun-tastic edition of Insert Caption! Last week we asked you to give us your best captions for a photo from this weekend's new release, Fool's Gold. And gosh, we never knew so many of you were obsessed with a shirtless Matthew McConaughey. Is it the muscles? It's the muscles, ain't it? Congrats to Alex C. for dishing out a Dazed and Confused reference that was just too good to pass up.

1. "My drawin' skills... every year I get older, but they stay the same age." -- Alex C.

2. "I think this scene right here would be a great opportunity for me to take my shirt off." -- Radu M.

3. "Here, let me draw it out for you. You see, I take two steps forward, and you take two steps back. We come together 'cuz opposites attract. Get it?" -- KOW

See full image and all captions

This week, you'll definitely (not maybe, definitely!) want to enter our caption contest, in which we're celebrating the upcoming release of Definitely, Maybe, starring Ryan Reynolds and Little Miss Sunshine herself, Abigail Breslin. Reynolds plays a political consultant who finds himself in a revealing place when his 11-year-old daughter begins to grill him on his past relationships. One Grand Prize winner will take home one signed Definitely Maybe poster, one Definitely Maybe girls' fitted T-shirt, one photo album, one journal, and one baseball hat. Additionally, two runner-ups will receive one Definitely Maybe poster, one Definitely Maybe girls' fitted T-shirt, one photo album, one journal, and one baseball hat. Sound off below!

Read the official rules for this contest

World Premiere of 'Definitely, Maybe' Starts Santa Barbara Film Fest

Filed under: Comedy », Romance », Exhibition », Other Festivals »

If snow isn't your thing, but you really like film festivals, you might want to pack your bags quickly and zip over to the Santa Barbara Film Festival, which kicked off its 23rd year tonight. The fest definitely started on the right foot. Or, maybe? No, it was the world premiere of Definitely, Maybe. It's already screened, and according to the fest's blogger, Roger Durling: "I stuck around for half and hour to see how the film played with an audience, and people seem to be loving it! Yay! It's a sweet romantic comedy. I really like it."

That's good news, because the film has been in the works for what seems like eons. Cinematical first posted about the story all the way back in September of 2005, when Ryan Reynolds signed on to star. Since then, a cast was collected that features the likes of Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher, Derek Luke, Elizabeth Banks, and Rachel Weisz. The film focuses on a Manhattan dad (Reynolds) who has to deal not only with his divorce proceedings, but also questions from his 10-year-old (Breslin) over his pre-marriage life. Trying to stay in PG territory, he discusses three women he had relationships with -- without telling her which one ended up being her mother. Since this is a romcom, you can imagine what happens after such happy reminiscing.

For non-fest-goers, the film will, suitably, hit screens on February 14, and you can check out the trailer over at Moviefone. Man, it's hard to believe Billy Simpson is now playing a dad.
Post our RSS feeder to your own Web site!

Sponsored Links