Box Office: Kate Beckinsale Still Unstaked, Oscar Hopeful Money
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 2:36PM There's just no killing Kate Beckinsale's career. No matter how many terrible movies she throws at you, her undead heart will go on. I think she avoids Heigl levels of hatred because she doesn't make as many movies. That's my theory. But nevertheless the fourth installment of her werewolf vs. vampire franchise Underworld Awakening took the top spot at the box office, besting the George Lucas' produced war drama Red Tails and the third week of the hit action film Contraband, and the wide release of the presumed to be failing Oscar hopeful Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Steven Soderbergh's Haywire (reviewed) had a rough first weekend coming in fifth but there were a lot of other action films fighting it for dollars. Plus wouldn't people who go "ooh!" when they hear 'Steven Soderbergh' have been seeing the Oscar contenders anyway?
What did you see this weekend?
Oscar Money Talking Points...
The Artist finally got a major expansion though it's per screen average is no longer something to celebrate. Nevertheless this is good news. Within the next couple of weeks it's likely to pass The Hurt Locker's gross so if it wins Best Picture it won't be the lowest grossing BP ever. The film has earned $33 million worldwide to date. That's pretty impressive for a black and white silent. It just passed one of its Weinstein stablemates My Week With Marilyn's in terms of domestic gross. Although it's roughly 47 times better than that film I think it only goes to show how mishandled Marilyn was ... such a small release for such a pre-branded "wide" topic!
The Descendants just crossed the $50 million mark and will soon leapfrog Hugo and Midnight in Paris for the "Top Grosser That Isn't Named The Help" title among the predicted BP nominees. Unless Moneyball or Dragon Tattoo get nominated in which case this milestone is no biggie.
Best Picture Hopeful Grosses as of 01/22/2012
P.S. I was at a birthday party last night attended by a very international crowd (the birthday girl, a good friend of mine, is German). The movie everyone was talking about was... A Separation. I was surprised how many people had seen it and everyone seemed to love it... though one woman told me she just thought it was "good" until about 20 minutes after it ended when it hit her in full force. It just crossed the 1/2 a million mark at the box office but it's still barely at any theaters. One wonders how well it can expand with word of mouth so strong and potential Oscar glory coming?
Naturally all of these movies are hoping for a boost next weekend to capitalize on their presumed Oscar nominations. How many of them will keep expanding and how many will wither from people losing interest?
Reader Comments (25)
I overheard my new favorite movie comment while standing in line for "War Horse." On the marquee listing the movies and times, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" was abbreviated to just "Tinker (R)." The person in front of me was staring at the marquee, looking genuinely puzzled, and asked her companion, "Why is a movie about Tinkerbell rated R?"
I also saw "A Separation," and it was fantastic! It's in my top 5 for sure.
Beckinsale avoids the Heigl hatred because she's not in a million really REALLY crappy romantic comedies that are promoted for the masses. I don't notice a new movie from Becks until it shows up at Redbox. That's not a slam, just the facts. I like her but the last movie of hers I saw was Vacancy. Wasn't that 5 years ago?
Liz you just made my day!
Beckinsale is a cult figure for this franchise. Sure it's shit to us who aren't fans but Heigl is mainstream which makes her awful on that Julia Roberts level of bitch please...why?
Finally saw Shame this weekend, and Drive again, on the big screen. I can't wait to see A Separation, but it doesn't come anywhere near me until mid-February. I saw its preview/trailer during the Shame showing, and I am kind of bummed out how much plot they gave away. Usually I love seeing trailers of movies I'm interested in, but I have intentionally tried to learn as little about A Separation as possible. I want the story to hit me with full-force. I wish I had gone for popcorn during that trailer.
I only had another go-round with "TTSS," which I seem to have fallen in love with, plus "Coriolanus." The latter was pretty good, though I thought Fiennes was a bit hammy...you could tell that he was favouring himself as director and star. I particularly liked the updating of the timeframe of the movie, e.g. doing the fill-in plot points via TV panel discussions. It was nice, too, to see Lubna Azabal again...I'd never seen her act in English before, and found her accent a bit strange, almost Spanish.
"I like her but the last movie of hers I saw was Vacancy. Wasn't that 5 years ago?"
LOL! Your ignorance is astounding. She's made numerous films since then. Just because your dumb ass hasn't seen them, doesn't mean they don't exist.
As for the author, why do care about Kate Beckinsale's career? Nobody is forcing you to follow her, or watch her films. She's far more talented, successful, famous and richer than you are. When you get off your ass and actually do something in life, then you can talk down about Kate Beckinsale, who could buy your entire family.
Kate Beckinsale is not hated like Katherine Heigl because she's a nice, classy chick. Heigl on the other hand is a diva bitch who has shown her ass multiple times in Hollywood and on film sets. That's the difference dumbass. Not to mention the fact that Kate Beckinsale is far, far more talented than Heigl will ever dream of being. Beckinsale is no different than every other actor in Hollywood. She's made many good films, she's made many bad films. I'd suggest you get off your ass and educate yourself. There are many good films that Kate has made. Rather than spout ignorance, how about checking them out douche nozzle.
I'm sorry. I know it has been discussed a lot this Sunday, but I saw "The Descendants". I was kind of terrified to go see it because I've been reading awful things about it since day one, but I must say I did like it, not as much as Ruth or Schmidt, but overall I think it's pretty decent.
There might be some overcooked scenes (Shailene crying under water, Clooney falling on his knees when his friends leave) but I love Judy Greer, the dorky boyfriend and Reina, the little girl in fuchsia. And Clooney's got the Oscar in the bag. Those tears...
Joe, you're telling other people that they need to get lives when you're the one who posted virtually the same foaming-and-the-mouth comment about Kate Beckinsale (of all people) on at least two different website? You're sure about that?
The irony in Joe's comment is how he defends Beckinsale for being "nice and classy."
Joe-the only decent films in Beckinsale's film career have been Laurel Canyon and The Aviator. And one can hardly say that was because of her. She is of course very, very beautiful but is hardly a talented actress.
I saw "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and loved it. It saddens me that it is going to get ignored at the Oscars, but at least it has BAFTA nominations aplenty. It's bad enough that "Weekend" has no chance for nominations. 2011 will be a year when virtually none of my top 3 favorites are in the race for best picture.
Joe -- if we aren't allowed to talk about people because they are more successful and richer than we are than WHOOPS there goes the entire internet, there goes every conversation about entertainment, there goes every magazine in the world and 3/4th of every talk show.
Hee. God what a boring world that would be!
The only people who would be allowed to talk about celebrities are other celebrities and that would be... very odd.
P.S. Money doesn't make you a good person. And lack of money doesn't make you a bad person. (and vice versa) If someone can buy someone else's family that's creepy. lol. I think they call it slavery which is maybe not the best way to defend someone... by implying that they can uh... buy people.
Liz great story!
timothy UGH. hate that. A Separation gains so much by not knowing where it's going to go. (sigh)
Saw A Separation here in DC on Friday. Theater was packed, and everybody seemed to like it, including me. Considering how loved it is, I bet if they'd opened and expanded on a tw0-month-earlier timeframe, they'd have a decent shot at a BP nod, plus maybe screenplay. But why would they show confidence in their own movie, or more aggressively open just because everybody loves it?
I think if you had included Bridesmaids it would be pretty high up there as well?
I played some prestige-film catch-up this weekend by seeing A Dangerous Method , which I thought was bad (and which only opened in Canada last week, oddly enough), and Carnage , which I really enjoyed.
I'd heard so many negative reviews of Carnage and so I went in with lowered expectations, and I found it funny and delightful with four fantastic performances (especially by Winslet and Foster).
A Separation opened in Toronto this weekend, and I'll see that next, likely as a double feature with Coriolanus , which also just opened here.
Okay, to elaborate: Underworld is something critics and public disagree on to an extent, which HELPS. It has also been just over TWO YEARS since Everybody's Fine, her last film appearance. Though, her career seems on the wane with her fourth Underworld finally getting ire from not just critics but fans of the first three and her next appearance being in the remake of Total Recall. For a star with massive BO or a lot of respect, they'll live no matter what. Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale, though? They have to hope it turns out GOOD.
Kate Beckinsale deserved an Oscar for Nothing But The Truth.
Plus she's the sexiest woman in the world and is intelligent and funny when interviewed, so I do take major offense to the Heigl comparison ;)
suprised you yanks have only just got "A Separation." It's been out here in the U.K. on DVD for weeks now. It made 5 million bucks in the box office in France as well. Is there any possibility of matching that in America?
Kate Beckinsale really was a good actress pre-Pearl Harbor. I loved her in the BBC things she did (Cold Comfort Farm, etc.).
i can't hate Beckinsale because I don't ever watch her in these awful recent movies. I think the last thing I saw her in was Cold Comfort Farm and Jane Eyre on TV. That's a long time ago. But she should really try harder to get out of this action heroine thing.
Wow Joe, read my post again. I said the last film that I watched i.e. interested me enough to spend my time and money on was Vacancy. If I'm seeing her films post-2006 at Redbox clearly I know about them. Get a grip!
I saw Pina in 3-D. It is a fantastic documentary by Wim Wenders and I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in modern dance and art. I was going to see The Iron Lady but now I have lost interest (and I am a big Meryl Streep fan). I think IL has made it's money back when you include foreign box office, but it may be gone from most theaters before the Oscars?
Kate Beckinsale...hot as she is, nice and classy? Yeah, ask Michael Sheen about that one sometime. Jus sayyyinn....
Side note, Nathaniel, I would kill to go to a party where a movie like "A Separation" is brought up. Instead, I get parties where people talk about "Contraband", ugh.
I saw "A Separation" in DC on Friday, too. We might have been in the same theater!
Also, Beckinsale (and Vera Farmiga) were both great in "Nothing but the Truth."