Bourne is Reborn at the Box Office

Many considered it a huge gamble to try to continue the Bourne movie franchise without star Matt Damon. However, Universal has done pretty well with the opening of its rebooted franchise, The Bourne Legacy, starring Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner and Oscar winner Rachel Weisz. The slick action thriller (which I totally enjoyed and give an “A-“ grade to by the way) took in a good $40.2 million over the weekend. It led three new releases including the Will Ferrell/Zach Galifinakis comedy The Campaign which did well coming in second with a better than expected $27 million and Hope Springs which opened to a good $15.6 million. Springs, starring Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones who are both absolutely brilliant in the film which I gave a “A-/B+” grade to, has taken in a total of $20 million since opening on Wednesday and should have strong legs in the month ahead as most Streep and female-centered August films do. (For examples, see the femme-centric August hits Julie & Julia, Eat Pray Love and The Help.) … Holding up well in its second weekend was the latest Wimpy Kid film and The Dark Knight Rises while Total Recall tanked in its sophomore week. For more on all the numbers, head to Box Office Mojo here and take a look at the new top ten below.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N The Bourne Legacy Uni. $40,265,000 – 3,745 – $10,752 $40,265,000 $125 1
2 N The Campaign WB $27,440,000 – 3,205 – $8,562 $27,440,000 – 1
3 1 The Dark Knight Rises WB $19,540,000 -45.3% 3,690 -552 $5,295 $390,149,000 $250 4
4 N Hope Springs Sony $15,600,000 – 2,361 – $6,607 $20,053,000 – 1
5 3 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Fox $8,200,000 -43.9% 3,398 +7 $2,413 $30,554,000 $22 2
6 2 Total Recall (2012) Sony $8,100,000 -68.3% 3,601 – $2,249 $44,188,000 $125 2
7 4 Ice Age: Continental Drift Fox $6,750,000 -21.6% 3,102 -440 $2,176 $144,064,000 – 5
8 7 Ted Uni. $3,290,000 -41.7% 2,208 -559 $1,490 $209,915,000 $50 7
9 6 Step Up Revolution Sum. $2,850,000 -51.9% 1,898 -708 $1,502 $30,165,000 $33 3
1o 5 The Watch Fox $2,200,000 -66.3% 2,461 -707 $894 $31,374,000 $68 3

Today’s Oscar Contender~ “The Whistleblower” is Fascinating, Harrowing and Fantastic

Rarely do Oscar worthy films come out in August, but it’s not without precedent. Two years ago, Meryl Streep grabbed her 16th Oscar nomination for Julie & Julia that month and this year several films aim to replicate that success. Out at the end of the month is the thriller The Debt with Oscar winner Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life) and Sam Worthington (Avatar), and August 8th, the highly anticipated film adaptation of the award-winning novel The Help hits theatres. This one stars Oscar winner Sissy Spacek, Oscar nominee Viola Davis, Emmy winner Allison Janney, Chastain (again), Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer and Golden Globe nominee Emma Stone and has awards written all over it… However, there is one small film opening on August 5th that deserves serious Oscar attention, The Whistleblower. This dark, compelling, and exceptionally done political thriller details the true story of Kathryn Bolkovac (played by Oscar winner Rachel Weisz) who served as a peacekeeper in post war Bosnia in the 90’s and worked to uncover a massive sex trafficking scandal. She fought different law enforcement officials from multiple countries, U.N. dignitaries, political policies and corrupt people of all stripes to bring these horrible crimes to light, and the film captures her struggle with unflinching integrity and honesty. It’s a disturbing picture to watch at times, but an important one that is wonderfully realized by first time writer/director Larysa Kondracki. It features an Award-worthy performance by Weisz who is given ample exemplary support by Moncia Belluci, Oscar nominee David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck), Oscar winner Vanessa Redgrave (Julia) and a brilliant international cast. I highly recommend the film which I saw earlier this week. Check it out next week in Los Angeles and New York with other cities opening throughout the month, and hopefully Academy members will remember the film at the end of the year especially for Picture, Screenplay and Actress (Weisz). For more on the film (which I give an “A” grade to), head here and watch the trailer below.

The Whistleblower

Mary J. Blige gives you “Living Proof”

Grammy winning R&B superstar Mary J. Blige has been through it all. Drugs, booze, ups and downs with career and relationships and she always pours it out into some great music. Who can forget the brilliance of “No More Drama” for just one example? … And now, she is serving up some more dramatic music as she mines her emotions and those of the characters of the new film The Help with the first single off the soundtrack, “The Living Proof”. On this beautiful ballad, Blige sings of surviving and thriving through one’s troubles just like the ladies of the Kathryn Stockett best seller. The book and the film tell the story of a young white writer (Golden Globe nominee Emma Stone) who chronicles the lives of the black maids who she grew up with in the South during the 1960’s. Co-starring in the film are Oscar nominees Viola Davis (Doubt) and Cicely Tyson (Sounder), Oscar winner Sissy Spacek (Coal Miner’s Daughter), Emmy winner Allison Janney (The West Wing) plus Bryce Dallas Howard (Twilight Saga), Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life) and in a scene stealing performance, that like Davis’s, is getting Oscar buzz, Octavia Spencer (Ugly Betty). The much-anticipated film hits theatres in the August sweet spot (specifically Aug. 10th) that berthed the female-centric hits Eat Pray Love and Julie & Julia which as you might recall netted Meryl Streep another Oscar nod (which she should’ve won~ darn you Sandra Bullock). For more on the film, head here, and check out Mary J. Blige on what could become an Oscar and Golden Globe nominated song, “The Living Proof” from The Help.

Mary J. Blige “The Living Proof”

First Look~ The Iron Lady trailer… Just give Meryl her 3rd Oscar already!

Can you believe Meryl Streep hasn’t won an Oscar since 1982 for Sophie’s Choice? It’s crazy especially since she has been nominated 16 times (the most of any actor) in her storied career and only won twice. The first time it was for Kramer vs. Kramer in 1980. I, personally think she should’ve won for The Devil Wears Prada and Julie & Julia as well… heck even for Doubt. Alas, she didn’t. However, she just might finally take home her third trophy for her new film, The Iron Lady, where she plays controversial former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The first trailer for the biopic, directed by Phylida Lloyd (Mamma Mia) and co-starring Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (Iris), just hit the web, and despite just a quick glimpse of Streep as Thatcher, it’s clear she will be a force to be reckoned with. I have no doubt she’ll live up to the hype and grab a nomination. I just hope she wins. Granted she’ll have tough competition in an already crowded field that could include Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Glenn Close (Albert Knobbs), and Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn) to name a few. So, will The Iron Lady finally send Streep back into the winner’s circle when it opens on December 16th? Check out the trailer below and let me know what you think.

The Iron Lady