"Hall Pass" on track to win weekend box office

By Pamela McClintock

Thu Feb 24, 2011 10:31pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The Farrelly brothers' R-rated comedy "Hall Pass" is on track to win the weekend box office race, while Paramount's Insurge Pictures releases an updated version of "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" in a maverick move designed to encourage repeat viewing.

"Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Director's Fan Cut," boasting 40 minutes of new footage, will only play in 3D theaters. Movie's gross ticket sales are a healthy $52.9 million as it heads into its third weekend in U.S. and Canadian theaters. The original version will continue to play in regular theaters.

Box office tracking figures show "Hall Pass," starring Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis, opening in the mid- to high-teens, a solid start for the siblings. Warner Bros. debuts the New Line film in 2,950 theaters.

There's less interest in Nicolas Cage's supernatural action picture "Drive Angry 3D."

Summit Entertainment is releasing "Drive Angry" in the U.S. for Avi Lerner's Nu Image/Millennium Films. The film goes out in 2,061 locations in the U.S., of which 2012 are 3D runs.

Both "Hall Pass" and "Drive Angry" should draw a heavily male audience, although "Hall Pass" is showing some traction among younger females.

"Hall Pass" also starring Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate and Richard Jenkins is the Farrellys' first movie since "The Heartbreak Kid" in 2007 and tells the story of two men whose wives give them permission to go on vacation from their marriage for one week.

Also starring Amber Heard, "Drive Angry" stars Cage as a man who breaks out of hell to prevent the cult that murdered his daughter from sacrificing his infant granddaughter.

"Drive Angry" could end up in a battle for No. 2 with holdovers "Unknown," "Gnomeo & Juliet" and possibly "I Am Number Four."

Summit is projecting an opening gross in the high single digits, or low teens, for "Drive Angry."

With the Academy Awards on Sunday, Oscar contenders could see healthy business on Friday and Saturday as moviegoers rush to see films they've missed. (The Oscar ceremony itself could take a bite out of the box office Sunday evening.)

A healthy number of award movies have prospered at this year, both domestically and overseas.

"The King's Speech" has grossed $236.2 million worldwide, followed by "The Social Network" at $222.8 million. "Black Swan" has earned $203.7 million, while "True Grit" should jump the $200 million mark this weekend ("True Grit's" global ticket sales through Wednesday were $198.3 million).

Among specialty openers, Sony Pictures Classics debuts acclaimed French drama "Of Gods and Men" in 33 theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto and Montreal. Film, which premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, has grossed $31.7 million overseas, including more than $27 million in France.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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CBS axes "Two and a Half Men" for season

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES | Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:50pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Television network CBS on Thursday canceled production of its top-rated comedy "Two and A Half Men" for the rest of this season because of actor Charlie Sheen's "statements, conduct and condition."

"Based on the totality of Charlie Sheen's statements, conduct and condition, CBS and Warner Bros. Television have decided to discontinue production of "Two and a Half Men" for the remainder of the season," the network and the show's makers said in a statement.

The statement followed an expletive-filled attack by Sheen on Thursday against the producer of the comedy, just days before he was due to return to work after a month in rehab.

In an interview on a syndicated radio program and in remarks to celebrity website TMZ.com, Sheen called "Two and A Half Men" producer and co-creator Chuck Lorre a "charlatan (who) chose not to do his job," a "piece of shit" and a "stupid, stupid little man ..."

"I was told if I went on the attack, they would cancel the show," Sheen said of his bosses on the Alex Jones Show, a radio program based in Texas that airs on more than 60 stations across the United States.

Lorre could not be reached for comment.

"Two and a Half Men" is a huge money generator for the broadcaster and production company, and earlier this year the network said it was "highly concerned" about Sheen. CBS is a unit of CBS Corp and Warner Bros. Television is part of the Warner Bros unit of Time Warner Inc.

Production of "Two and a Half Men" was shut down last month after Sheen was persuaded to seek help following a wild 36-hour party at his home that ended with him being hospitalized for abdominal pains.

Throughout much of 2010, he was involved in a series of drug and alcohol-related incidents, and in August pleaded guilty to an assault on his now ex-wife.

Sheen, the highest paid actor on U.S. television, was scheduled to return to the set on Tuesday. Four of the remaining eight episodes for the current TV season, which ends in May, had already been axed due to the unexpected hiatus.

CBS and Warner Bros said in January they were "profoundly concerned" about Sheen's health and supported his decision to begin rehab.

Audiences for "Two and a Half Men" have remained strong despite Sheen's well-publicized personal problems. The show attracts about 15 million U.S. viewers.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Todd Eastham)

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CBS axes "Two and a Half Men" for season

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES | Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:50pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Television network CBS on Thursday canceled production of its top-rated comedy "Two and A Half Men" for the rest of this season because of actor Charlie Sheen's "statements, conduct and condition."

"Based on the totality of Charlie Sheen's statements, conduct and condition, CBS and Warner Bros. Television have decided to discontinue production of "Two and a Half Men" for the remainder of the season," the network and the show's makers said in a statement.

The statement followed an expletive-filled attack by Sheen on Thursday against the producer of the comedy, just days before he was due to return to work after a month in rehab.

In an interview on a syndicated radio program and in remarks to celebrity website TMZ.com, Sheen called "Two and A Half Men" producer and co-creator Chuck Lorre a "charlatan (who) chose not to do his job," a "piece of shit" and a "stupid, stupid little man ..."

"I was told if I went on the attack, they would cancel the show," Sheen said of his bosses on the Alex Jones Show, a radio program based in Texas that airs on more than 60 stations across the United States.

Lorre could not be reached for comment.

"Two and a Half Men" is a huge money generator for the broadcaster and production company, and earlier this year the network said it was "highly concerned" about Sheen. CBS is a unit of CBS Corp and Warner Bros. Television is part of the Warner Bros unit of Time Warner Inc.

Production of "Two and a Half Men" was shut down last month after Sheen was persuaded to seek help following a wild 36-hour party at his home that ended with him being hospitalized for abdominal pains.

Throughout much of 2010, he was involved in a series of drug and alcohol-related incidents, and in August pleaded guilty to an assault on his now ex-wife.

Sheen, the highest paid actor on U.S. television, was scheduled to return to the set on Tuesday. Four of the remaining eight episodes for the current TV season, which ends in May, had already been axed due to the unexpected hiatus.

CBS and Warner Bros said in January they were "profoundly concerned" about Sheen's health and supported his decision to begin rehab.

Audiences for "Two and a Half Men" have remained strong despite Sheen's well-publicized personal problems. The show attracts about 15 million U.S. viewers.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Todd Eastham)

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Ricky Gervais offers Oscar hosts "a little opening"

By Lindsay Powers

Thu Feb 24, 2011 2:38pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Controversial Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais has no plans to attend the Oscars, but he has written a snarky opening monologue for Anne Hathaway and James Franco.

"Good luck to James Franco and Anne Hathaway at The Oscars on Sunday. I know how nervous they must be right now...They will do an absolutely fantastic job and don't need my help, but I've written a little opening in case they have a few minutes to fill," The British comedian wrote in a blog post.

In Gervais' fake script, Franco says: "Usually they hire comedians to host The Oscars, but tonight, instead, you get us!"

Adds Hathaway, "No comedians tonight. And do you know why? Because comics are ugly."

"Especially that rude obnoxious one who played the Steve Carell part in the English remake of 'The Office'," says Franco.

"But you can all relax because Ricky Gervais is in London…" adds Hathaway. "He's doing some charity work. Yeah, he's visiting orphans with cancer. He's telling them what bald little losers they are…."

Gervais also includes an exchange in which Franco tells Hathaway, "Oh Anne you are naughty. In a respectful, wholesome way...That Ricky Gervais should do more for charity...Ricky Gervais is now worth $80,000,000. The obnoxious Brit confirmed the figure, adding, 'Yes and my dentist hasn't seen a penny.'"

Answers Hathaway, "Yeah, why doesn't he get his teeth straightened and bleached like everyone else in Hollywood?"

Says Franco, "It's a good question Anne. For the same reason he doesn't have Botox or suck up to important producers -- there's something wrong with him."

Gervais also takes digs at Franco's Oscar-nominated movie "127 Hours" ("You probably know me from '127 Hours' where I play a man trapped in an enclosed space who decides he would rather cut his own arm off than stay where he was. Now that sounds "way out" but wait till half way through this .... ceremony and you'll start to identify with him.")

And he riffs on Hathaway being cast as Catwoman ("And I'm the new Catwoman. The first white woman to play that role since Michelle Pfeiffer. I want it to be an inspiration to all white people everywhere. Your dreams can come true in Hollywood too.")

And presenters ("Presenting awards tonight will be a string of Hollywood legends and some other actors who have a film out in March or April.").

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Tweeting moms, Web cams. Oscar gets geeky

By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES | Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:13pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When Oscar organizers unveiled their promotional campaign, "You're Invited," they weren't kidding -- at least where Web audiences are concerned.

This year, more than ever, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has loaded up its Facebook page, Twitter account and website with ways people can watch the world's top film awards and all the festivities that take place around it.

The goal, Academy members say, is to make the glitzy Hollywood telecast feel more inclusive of everyday moviegoers and capture the attention of younger fans with one hand on their cellphone and the other on a laptop computer.

"We know that, more and more, people watching television are also engaging with some other device. We want that second device to have related, complementary content on it," said Ric Robertson, executive administrator at the Academy and the man behind the Oscar show's social media outreach.

"The idea is to pull back the curtain, and let viewers get a real sense of what Oscar night is," said Robertson.

It is no secret that in recent years, viewership has been eroding for the Oscars telecast, which is annually the second most popular TV show in the United States, as well as movies, in general. Younger audiences are finding more ways to entertain themselves -- social networking, video games, texting, etc. -- than going to movies.

The total number of tickets sold in U.S. and Canadian theaters fell 5 percent in 2010 to 1.34 billion. Box office revenues were flat compared to 2009 at $10.6 billion, and average movie ticket prices rose to $7.89 from $7.50

Where the Oscar telecast is concerned, last year's show was the most-watched in five years with just under 42 million viewers, but a large part of that was due to the popularity of best film nominee "Avatar," the biggest box office hit ever.

The telecast generally sees viewership increase when popular movies are up for awards. The high-water mark was 1998 when 57 million people tuned in to watch smash hit "Titanic" win best film. The low was 2008 when about 32 million tuned in for a victory by "No Country for Old Men."

OSCAR ON THE WEB

So, in an effort to put more eyes on Hollywood's A-list movie stars, the Academy has adopted an aggressive approach to showing scenes of stars on the red carpet, backstage after the TV cameras are no longer following them, and even offering a glimpse of their personal lives with Oscar's tweeting moms.

On Twitter, not only will the Academy's website be active (@TheAcademy) and various nominees be tweeting, but James Franco's mom (@Francosmom) and grandmom (@Grandmamitz), "The Fighter" director David O. Russell (@Orussellsmom) "Toy Story 3" director Lee Unkrich's mother (@EmilieUnkrich) and others, are expected to tweet.

On Facebook, the Academy will be posting photos of stars at the awards or unexpected events that happen off camera, as well as what is upcoming on the telecast.

For fans wanting to watch just about everything Oscar, the show's website Oscar.com is selling an "All Access Pass" where people can watch live Web streaming of what is taking place from 24 cameras along the red carpet, backstage, in the press rooms and at the Governors Ball dinner after the show.

Finally, there is even an Oscars viewing app that can be downloaded for iPads and iPhone users.

"We have totally rebooted Oscar.com with these user selected video streams," Robertson said. "We've just blown it up completely."

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Royal couple in spotlight at first official visit

By Dylan Martinez

TREARDDUR BAY, Wales | Thu Feb 24, 2011 11:57am EST

TREARDDUR BAY, Wales (Reuters) - Prince William and bride-to-be Kate Middleton performed their first official engagement as a couple on Thursday, giving them an early taste of the life in the spotlight that awaits them.

International media and hundreds of local well-wishers descended on Trearddur Bay, on the Welsh island of Anglesey, to greet the couple as they attended the launch of a new lifeboat.

Middleton, 29, had her hair pulled back in a ponytail on a blustery but sunny afternoon and wore a beige, knee-length coat with dark brown trim, dark scarf, gloves and a feather fascinator.

The couple shook hands with local officials ahead of a service of dedication for the new boat.

Middleton poured champagne over the bow of the "Hereford Endeavour," Trearddur Bay lifeboat station's new inshore lifeboat for the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution).

They then went on a walkabout, looking relaxed as they greeted well-wishers who turned up to catch a glimpse of the young celebrities, and spoke to members of the lifeboat crew.

Although a relatively minor ceremony, for Middleton it offered a brief glimpse of the kind of official duties she will have to perform first as princess, and eventually as queen.

RELATIVE PRIVACY

The event is close to where William, 28, has been working as a search and rescue pilot for the Royal Air Force, and is seen as the couple's way of thanking the community for respecting their privacy while they lived there together in recent months.

The period of grace is unlikely to last, however, despite tabloid reports that Queen Elizabeth, William's grandmother, has told the couple they would be allowed to remain out of the spotlight for the first two years of their marriage.

The issue of their exposure to the media is a sensitive one, given that William's mother Diana died in a Paris car crash in 1997 after being pursued by photographers. She was 36.

The couple marry on April 29 in Westminster Abbey in a ceremony expected to be watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world. They are expected to settle in Anglesey following the wedding.

Anglesey locals generally welcomed the couple's presence.

"I think their effect on Anglesey is wonderful," said Karen Knight who works in a village store.

"He's (William) been seen out and about and they say he's fabulous and mixes with all the locals," she told the WalesOnline website. "My sons have seen him a couple of times out having a meal in a local pub."

Middleton and William travel to Scotland on Friday for the 600th anniversary celebrations at St Andrews university where they first met as students in 2001.

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U2 to play Glastonbury festival

LONDON | Thu Feb 24, 2011 6:36am EST

LONDON (Reuters) - Irish rockers U2 will perform at the Glastonbury music festival this year, joining Britain's Coldplay and U.S. singer Beyonce as the main headline acts.

The band had to cancel their scheduled appearance at one of the world's biggest outdoor music events last year when lead singer Bono injured his back.

U2 will play the Pyramid stage, which can be seen by tens of thousands of fans standing on a grassy slope, on Friday, June 24.

"After the disappointment of U2 being unable to play last year, we're now doubly excited at the prospect of the Friday night supergroup breaking the sound barrier," said Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis.

U2 guitarist the Edge added: "It's more a way of life than a festival. I made it last year to the Friday show -- got to play with Muse, got to hang out, ate a veggie burger and fries, and got to play on the Pyramid Stage.

"I have to say there is something really special and iconic about that stage. So we're all looking forward to coming back to pick up where I left off. And we're so excited to get to play in front of the world's greatest festival audience."

Eavis, an English dairy farmer now in his 70s, has developed Glastonbury from a small, free music festival into a major event in the pop calendar attracting some of the biggest acts and around 150,000 paying fans living on site in tents.

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