The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

'Gotti' producer tries to make nice with Joe Pesci

Posted: 25 Sep 2011 10:57 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters): The producer of an upcoming John Gotti biopic is trying to make nice with actor Joe Pesci.

On Sunday, Marc Fiore sent TheWrap a written statement saying nice things about Pesci - the actor who is suing the producer for allegedly downsizing his role after he'd already gone to the trouble of up-sizing his waistline.

''During the past few days, there have been erroneous reports in the media that I have been making less than favorable comments about Joe Pesci,'' Fiore wrote. ''For the record, I am extremely fond of Joe, think he is a terrific actor and very much want him to be in the Gotti movie. It's unfortunate we have become embroiled in a lawsuit, however I am hopeful that we will resolve our differences and Joe will accept an offer from us to be in the film.''

TMZ reported the ''less than favorable comments'' that Fiore is now calling erroneous.

According to TMZ, Fiore said that Pesci ''desperately wants to be part of this film project'' and that ''it has been over 20 years since Mr. Pesci has been able to gather the attention he has by merely interjecting his role in this film.''

Pesci sued Fiore in July, claiming that he gained 30 pounds to play the role of Angelo Ruggiero - and then was offered a different, lesser role for significantly less money.

The lawsuit is only a slice of the weirdness surrounding the movie.

In June, Fiore removed Marty Ingels as executive producer of the movie. And in May, after director Barry Levinson questioned whether Lindsay Lohan would be in the film, Fiore issued a statement saying the troubled actress ''will be playing the role of Kim Gotti'' - and will be in a second Fiore movie.

But now, it doesn't look like Lohan will appear in the movie.

And Levinson replaced original director Nick Cassavetes after Cassavetes had a scheduling conflict.

Despite the off-screen drama, there's plenty of on-screen talent. John Travolta, Chazz Palminteri, Kelly Preston, Al Pacino and Ben Foster star.

The movie is scheduled to start shooting - shooting! - Jan. 3 in New York City.

'Lion King' rules box office for second week

Posted: 25 Sep 2011 06:54 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters): ''The Lion King'' fended off Brad Pitt to keep the box-office crown for a second straight weekend.

Walt Disney Co's 3D re-release of the animated classic rang up an estimated $22.1 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales over three days as families turned out to see lion cub Simba's return to theaters.

Baseball drama ''Moneyball'' starring Pitt took second and family film ''Dolphin Tale'' finished a close third, according to studio projections released Sunday.

Ticket sales for ''The Lion King 3D'' have far surpassed industry expectations for a movie that debuted in 1994 and will soon hit stores on Blu-ray disc. The film has grossed $61.7 million in North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters since its release last weekend, plus $16 million in international markets, where it came out more than a month ago.

Combined, the ''Lion King'' re-release has brought in $77.7 million around the world. Disney will extend the planned two-week run in theaters, said Dave Hollis, executive vice president for motion picture sales and distribution at Disney.

''We are working to meet that demand,'' Hollis said.

Baseball and math didn't quite add up to a box-office win for ''Moneyball,'' which finished in second place with $20.6 million domestically. Pitt plays real-life Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane, who used unconventional statistical analysis to field a small-budget team of overlooked players to make an unlikely playoff run.

The movie won positive reviews from critics and received an A rating from audiences polled by CinemaScore.

The film was based on a nonfiction book by Michael Lewis and cost about $50 million to produce. Sales hit the high end of studio projections, said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Columbia Pictures, which released the film.

Close behind was another story from the animal kingdom. ''Dolphin Tale'' brought in an estimated $20.3 million to take third place, a strong showing for a family film against the mighty performance from ''Lion King.''

The movie, starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman, is based on the true story of a dolphin that loses its tail in a crab trap and is rehabilitated with a prosthetic tail. The real dolphin that inspired the story portrays the dolphin in the film.

The movie won a rare A+ rating from audiences polled by CinemaScore. Also offered in 3D, the film was produced by Alcon Entertainment for about $37 million.

Action film ''Abduction,'' starring and produced by ''Twilight'' heartthrob Taylor Lautner in his first major role outside the popular vampire and werewolf series, pulled in $11.2 million to take fourth place.

In ''Abduction,'' Lautner plays a teenager on the run after he discovers his parents aren't who he thought they were and his life has been a lie. He pieces together the truth while being pursued by the FBI and killer assassins. The film cost Lions Gate Entertainment about $35 million to make.

Spy thriller ''Killer Elite,'' starring Robert de Niro, Clive Owen and Jason Stratham, finished in fifth place with $9.5 million. The film is the first movie released by Open Road Films, a joint venture between theater owners Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment Inc.

The weekend also saw surprise summer hit ''The Smurfs'' crossing a milestone with more than $500 million in global ticket sales since the 3D live-action and animated family film debuted in July.

Columbia Pictures, a unit of Sony Corp, released ''Moneyball'' and ''The Smurfs.'' ''Dolphin Tale'' was released by Warner Bros, a unit of Time Warner Inc. Lions Gate Entertainment distributed ''Abduction.''

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Isnin, 26 September 2011

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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