Box Office: 'Divergent' Opens to Strong $56M; 'Muppets Most Wanted' Not So Much

1. Divergent- $56M
On first glance, the $56M debut of Divergent may seem underwhelming, until you consider that it's more than the opening weekends of the last four YA adaptations outside of The Hunger Games movies. For comparison's sake, the film doesn't come close to matching The Hunger Games' $152M debut, but that was never going to be the case. Shailene Woodley, as great an actress as she is, doesn't enter in on quite the same upswing as Jennifer Lawrence, and these adaptations now come with a certain stigma that wasn't present before. Now it's going to be about managing expectations for the future. The sequel, Insurgent, has already been green lit with a brand new director, which should please the audiences that gave Divergent an 'A' Cinemascore.
2. Muppets Most Wanted- $16.5M
Muppets Most Wanted begins with catchy musical number openly proclaiming the sequel won't be as good as the original, and it turns out it won't make as much money, either. The film opened to only $16.5M, disappointing but not totally unexpected. 2011's The Muppets rode in on a wave of nostalgia and genuine excitement for the return of Jim Henson's popular creations, but the sequel has always felt a little desperate and unnecessary. The soft opening weekend probably wasn't helped by the continued strong performances by Mr. Peabody & Sherman and The LEGO Movie. This may be the last we see of Kermit and the gang on the big screen. Maybe a new weekly TV series would work?
3. Mr. Peabody & Sherman- $11.7M/$81M
4. 300: Rise of an Empire- $8.6M/$93.7M
5. God's Not Dead- $8.5M
Christian-themed dramas continue to do big business in the specialty market, with the mostly unheard of God's Not Dead opening to $8.5M in 780 screens. It's only in movies like this that guys like Dean Cain and Kevin Sorbo can be box office giants. Anyway, this looks to be doing roughly the same business as prior religious hits like Fireproof and Courageous. Maybe this bodes well for Darren Aronofsky's Noah, which opens next week? Eh, probably not. Different audiences, I think.
6. Need for Speed- $7.7M/$30.4M
7. The Grand Budapest Hotel- $6.7M/$12.9M
8. Non-Stop- $6.3M/$78.6M
9. The LEGO Movie- $4.1M/$243.3M
10. Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club- $3.1M/$12.9M

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Box Office: 'Mr. Peabody' Bests 'Need for Speed'; 'Veronica Mars' Opens to $2M

1. Mr. Peabody & Sherman- $21.2M/$63.1M
In a surprising development, Dreamworks' animated Mr. Peabody & Sherman has jumped to the head of the class with $21.2M, only slipping 33% from last week. Part of that has to do with a weak crop of new releases, coinciding with 300: Rise of an Empire taking an epic tumble. Still, it has to make Dreamworks happy that the film has earned more than $130M worldwide in only two weeks.
2. 300: Rise of an Empire- $19.1M/$78.1M
This..is...Sparta....falling off a cliff. The 58% drop by 300: Rise of an Empire is stiffer than Zack Snyder's 300, and the film is unlikely to match its overall total. It continues to perform well, overall, amassing $166M and increasing our chances of seeing one more battle in the Persian War.
3. Need for Speed- $17.8M
Dreamworks occupies two of the top three slots this week, but there's no denying Need for Speed's $17.8M is a disappointment. The live-action racer probably drew in those who eagerly snap up the bestselling video game while everybody else just saw it as Fast & Furious lite. Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul now falls into the same category as Pompeii star Kit Harington as TV actors not quite ready for the Hollywood major leagues. Fortunately, $45M in overseas box office should go a long way in calming the nerves of anxious studio bean counters.
4. Non-Stop- $10.6M/$68.8M
5. Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club- $8.3M
It's been diminishing returns on Tyler Perry movies, especially non-Madea ones, for awhile now which explains why Lionsgate ended their distribution deal with him. And now to follow that news up with the dreadful $8.3M debut of The Single Moms Club, things just aren't looking very good for Perry. It's the worst of his career and the first time he's had a sub-$10M opening weekend, and a lot of it has to do with a general lack of buzz surrounding the film. It's a knock on both Perry and co-star Nia Long that their names, and apparent on-screen romance, didn't prove much of a draw.
6. The LEGO Movie- $7.7M/$236.9M
7. Son of God- $5.4M/$50.8M
8. The Grand Budapest Hotel- $3.6M/$4.7M
Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel broke per site average records last week, and upon expansion to 66 theaters it continues to scorch. Averaging more than $55K in its second weekend, it expands into wider release soon. With an additional $10M earned internationally, there's a good chance it matches the $68M run of last year's Moonrise Kingdom.
9. Frozen- $2.1M/$396.3M
10. Veronica Mars- $2.02M
And the marshmallows turned out in force to support their girl, Veronica Mars. Seven years after the low-rated but beloved series went off the air, the Kickstarter funded film opened in 291 theaters and On Demand. It's a move that has never been attempted before on this scale, with Warner Bros. going through great pains to get the film in as many theaters as possible. Obviously, it worked out as the $2M makes a major dent in the tiny $6M budget, and that doesn't count what the movie will make through digital downloads and Blu-Ray sales. If show creator Rob Thomas can keep the costs low this could be the model for sequels down the road.

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Box Office '300: Rise of an Empire' Has Muscular $132M Worldwide Opening

1. 300: Rise of an Empire- $45M
While the $45M domestic opening of 300: Rise of an Empire is pretty good, especially considering it lacks Zack Snyder's direction and it's been seven years between films, it's the $87.8M overseas that must have studio reps swooning.Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures teamed up on this one (one of their last since they recently split up), and they have to be happy that dudes again turned out in droves (62% of the audience was male) and that they paid the extra cash to see half-naked warriors (including the phenomenal Eva Green) slicing one another up in IMAX. Overall it may not approach 300's $456M haul but it doesn't really have to in order to be successful and ensure we get one more film to complete the trilogy.
2. Mr. Peabody & Sherman- $32.5M
Dreamworks' Mr. Peabody & Sherman was never a threat to match the blazing start of Frozen or The LEGO Movie, but $32.5M has to be a little disappointing. It's a step down from the debuts of their most recent early-season debuts, such as last year's The Croods (opened with $43M), and it may have something to do with the marketing campaign that didn't seem to have much focus. The property is recognizable to adults who remember the Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons, but it was obviously geared toward kids who other (and better) animated films to choose from right now. If Dreamworks could hop in the WABAC machine and pick a better release date, I'm betting they would.
3. Non-Stop- $15.3M/$52.1M
Is it bad that I had to sit and think what this movie was for a second? Yeah, Non-Stop was pretty forgettable, and 53% of audiences "forgot" to attend it this weekend.
4. The LEGO Movie- $11M/$224.9M
5. Son of God- $10M/$41.4M
6. The Monuments Men- $3.1M/$70.6M
7. 3 Days to Kill- $3.06M/$25.5M
8. Frozen- $3.01M/$393M
9. 12 Years a Slave- $2.1M/$53.1M
See what winning Best Picture can do for you? Steve McQueen's Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave spiked 122%, moving into an additional 650 theaters, even as it hit Blu-Ray this past Tuesday. It's not alone, as Dallas Buyers Club jumped up 47% in the wake of Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto's award wins.
10. Ride Along- $2M/$129.9M

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Cinema Royale #53- '300: Rise of an Empire'; Irrfan Khan Interview

On a very special episode of Cinema Royale, acclaimed Indian actor Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi, The Namesake) talks to us about his latest film, the mature romantic-drama, The Lunchbox.

Plus, we'll return to Sparta for 300: Rise of an Empire, the sequel to Zack Snyder's hit action flick, 300! And we'll jump back in time with Dreamworks' Animation's Mr. Peabody & Sherman!

Cinema Royale is part of the Hashtag Studios Broadcast Network. You can hear it live or download it every single week on Blogtalkradio, Itunes, Libsyn, and Stitcher. Listen to the latest episode below...

Online Movies Radio at Blog Talk Radio with Cinema Royale on BlogTalkRadio

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Review: '300: Rise of an Empire' Starring Sullivan Stapleton and Eva Green

This...is...not.....Sparta!!! Zack Snyder's 300 was an exercise in bare chests, rippling muscles (ladies, Michael Fassbender is half-naked the entire time), blood-letting, and staggering amounts of Spartan machismo. But underneath all of that and Snyder's glorious visual effects wizardry was a wildly fictionalized re-telling of one of history's most glorious battles, and a true example of brotherhood in the face of overwhelming odds. So there was more to it than many were willing to give it credit for, and apparently that extends to 300 creator Frank Miller, whose sequel 300: Rise of an Empire only seems to exist to bolster the CGI blood industry.

To be fair, the deck was stacked against this film much like the doomed Spartans at the hot gates of Thermopylae. With Snyder busy telling the mythological tales of Superman, the directing reins were handed over to Noam Murro, whose one time in the director's chair for the decidedly non-visual comedy, Smart People. An odd choice choosing Murro, and if anything it proves that some directors have an affinity for choreographing action, and some clearly don't. The blood flows in such a stagey, repetitive manner that it quickly becomes tiresome, and the only thing that saves the film at all is the outrageously wicked lead performance by Eva Green.

Green, who has always been a little bit scary despite her obvious beauty, combines both of those aspects with devastating efficiency as Artemisia, the fearsome naval commander to the Persian king, Xerxes (the returning Rodrigo Santoro). She's the most compelling character in a needlessly-confusing story that begins after the fall of the 300, and then jumps backwards to the battle of Marathon to introduce us to Greek hero Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton). So it's not a true sequel, but more of a side-quel taking place before, during, and then after King Leonidas (Gerard Butler, seen mostly in flashback) and his Spartan men fell. But you won't care about any of this, nor the high-minded rallying cries from Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), who finds herself the unintended leader of Sparta and the key to uniting the Greek forces against Xerxes.

But the one you'll be rooting for, and possibly dressing up as for Halloween, is Artemisia. In a land full of brutish warrior-men she stands atop them all as the fiercest warrior, whose aggression with her twin-blades is only matched by her brutal love-making. In her leather-clad S&M gear she's brave enough to stand up against the might of Xerxes, who has been reborn as a god, and battle the men of Greece to a standstill. As Themistokles, Stapleton lacks commanding presence, and if only his personality was as defined as his stomach muscles. The prior film's epic, genre-breaking land battles have been replaced by lumbering naval warfare that consists of ships ramming into one another in slow motion, Murro's only visual flourish. The dialogue sounds like it was cribbed from episodes of Spartacus, but to be fair every sword 'n sandals flick sounds like that nowadays. Perhaps popping that in the Blu-Ray player would be preferable. 

Miller, who developed the story Snyder and Kurt Johnstad wrote, seems to be chronicling the entire Persian invasion, and thus it makes sense for him to include the sea-faring battle of Salamis. It's just not an especially exciting story to be told cinematically, especially without all of the bells and whistles Snyder can provide. 300: Rise of an Empire doesn't quite bury the franchise under a pile of burning rubble, but there won't be any heroic odes sung about this forgettable sequel.

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The Talent Show: Eva Green

Look, I'm going to hate the new 300 sequel, Rise of an Empire. There's no way around it. Given how much I really resented 300 and how over Frank Miller's insanely over-the-top conservative ideologies I am, and how stupid Rise of an Empire looks, I will not enjoy it. I will not! And, you know, the fact that I'm Iranian and we're only portrayed in these comics and movies as either a. sociopathic faux-demigods with weird homosexual overtones, b. freakish mutant whores, or c. faceless soldiers to be slaughtered doesn't really sit well with me.

The only thing that could make me give 300: Rise of an Empire any time of day is Eva Green, who I love and cherish forever. Goddamn, but she is beautiful, and is right up there in my life "Women I Want to Grow Up to Be" list (other notable members: Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Sofia Coppola). And if you don't think Eva Green is lovely (maybe you haven't seen The Dreamers, Kingdom of Heaven, Casino Royale, The Golden Compass, or that terrible mini-series she was in, Camelot), then you're either stupid or blind. I guess the safest word to describe her would be "edgy," but she gives me an old-school Angelina Jolie vibe, of untouchable exotic beauty with a slight touch of intense crazy. And I'm perfectly fine with that.

Am I upset she has to take roles in crap like 300: Rise of an Empire? Of course. But she's playing one of my people, the famed female naval commander Artemisia, so I'll kind of let it slide. I mean, they're probably going to make her a deranged and slutty Xerxes worshiper in Rise of an Empire, and that's some major bullshit. Until then, I guess, I can just gaze at her face and console myself with her beauty. You should, too.

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Take to the Seas with A New Trailer for '300: Rise of an Empire'

The Spartans in 300? Manly as Hell, right? And there will be plenty of sword 'n shield action with muscly dudes in Noam Murro's 300: Rise of an Empire, as well, but it does seem as if it's the ladies who are taking charge of the sequel, led by Lena Headey and Eva Green.

Yet another trailer has been released for the sequel to Zack Snyder's flick, and at the center of it are Headey and Green as Queen Gorgo of Sparta and Artemisia, the commander of Xerxes' naval fleet. Gorgo is seeking revenge for the death of her husband Leonidas (previously played by Gerard Butler), gathering together a Greek force led by Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) to stop Xerxes and Artemisia's invasion.

Co-starring Rodrigo Santoro, Jack O'Connell, and Callan Mulvey, 300: Rise of an Empire opens March 7th.

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*CLOSED* '300: Rise of an Empire' Advance Screening

The long-awaited sequel to Zack Snyder's 300 is here as 300: Rise of an Empire takes the battle to the high seas. Starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, and Lena Headey, the film pits the Greeks against the massive Persian army of mortal-turned-god Xerxes and his ferocious naval commander, Artemisia. We have a chance for you to see the film early by attending a free advanced screening of 300: Rise of an Empire, held on Tuesday March 4th at 7:00pm at Regal Majestic in Silver Spring.

To qualify, you MUST be a fan of Punch Drunk Critics on Facebook,so if you haven't "Liked" us yet please go there and do so now. To enter, simply email punchdrunkcritics@yahoo.com with your name, contact email address, and with '300 Screening' in the subject line. This contest ends at noon tomorrow so get those entries in now. Winners will be contacted with a unique Gofobo code good for them and one guest to attend.

Good luck! 300: Rise of an Empire opens March 7th.

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Six Bloody Clips from '300: Rise of an Empire'

Against all odds, Warner Bros. has won me over and I'm now extremely excited for 300: Rise of an Empire. The sorta-sequel to Zack Snyder's 300 opens next week, and Warner Bros. has released six bloody clips of historical warfare. Directed by Noam Murro and starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Jack O'Connell, Rodrigo Santoro, and Callan Mulvey, the story follows in the wake of the heroic sacrifice made by the 300 Spartans at Thermopyale. As Persian forces led by Xerxes (Santoro) and his brutal naval commander Artemisia (Green) take to the seas, general Themistokles (Stapleton) attempts to unite all of Greece to stop them and change the course of the war.

300: Rise of an Empire opens March 7th. Thanks to Collider for gathering up all of these clips in one place.

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'300: Rise of an Empire' gets another blood-soaked trailer

Want some insane racism and cultural and historical inaccuracy in your schedule for March? Then maybe you'll be introduced in this new blood-soaked trailer for 300: Rise of an Empire, the sequel to the film adaptation of Frank Miller's comic book 300. Because the first wasn't propaganda enough!

In the second film, Eva Green (I'm disappointed in you, Eva) stars as a female Persian warrior leading her naval fleet against the Greeks, who are looking to avenge the death of Leonidas (no, Gerard Butler is not coming back for this) and his 300 men. Other people are back, though: Lena Headey as Leonidas's grieving, vengeful widow, and Rodrigo Santaro as the most revolting depiction of Persian emperor Xerxes ever. Oh look, he's taking a bath in - what is that, liquid gold? - as Persians bow before him. I must have missed that in all those Persian history and culture classics I took in college.

Please, share in my rage by watching this trailer. Or, if for some reason you are into this garbage, re-evaluate your life.

300: Rise of an Empire pollutes movie theaters on March 7, 2014.

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Travis' Most Anticipated 2014 Movies: January to March

The book on 2013 is now closed, and I for one thought it was an incredible year. It was so good, with early and late season films ending up on my "Best of" list, that it will be tough for 2014 to live up. There's bound to be some let-down, and with 2015 already looking like the "Year of the Blockbuster", we may see 2014 be like the forgotten middle child or something. But there are still a lot of movies that I'm looking forward to, and I've decided to break them down by season, giving you my top 10 for each. Bear in mind this doesn't necessarily mean I think these movies will be good, just that I'm looking forward to them for one reason or another. And no, they don't all spring from the pages of some comic book. I make no promises about the summer, though.

Raze- January 10th
Director: Josh C. Waller
Cast: Zoe Bell, Rachel Nichols, Tracie Thoms, Doug Jones

Dude, it's Zoe Bell. Okay, those who know me understand that's more than enough reason to get excited over Raze, which pits the insanely-tough Bell against Rachel Nichols and dozens of other beauties in an exploitative, grindhouse-style flick that's a little bit Fight Club, a little bit Quentin Tarantino.

The Monuments Men- February 7th
 Director: George Clooney
Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin

Ever since his directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, I've been impressed every single time George Clooney has stepped behind the camera. Not only is he always able to snag a great cast, but he manages to make big social or political points while telling an entertaining story. The Monuments Men may be his most ambitious film yet, and while the delay has me somewhat concerned, I trust he'll be able to nail the difficult balance of drama and humor.

Robocop- February 12th
Director: Jose Padilha
Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Michael K. Williams, Jay Baruchel, Jackie Earle Haley

Here's one I'm looking forward to even though it might be atrocious. The darkly satirical films of Paul Verhoeven have been popular targets for remake of late, and after that awful first trailer it looked like Robocop may turn out like Total Recall and totally miss the point. But the most recent footage, backed by Samuel L. Jackson's boisterous boasts about the future of our country's war on terror have renewed my faith, and I'm starting to warm up to Joel Kinnaman as the robotic defender of justice.  Honestly, I could care less about the sleeker suit or that you can see Kinnaman's eyes or whatever the latest complaints are. All that matters is that he's believable both as an ass-kicker and a family man, which shouldn't be too tough to pull off.

300: Rise of an Empire- March 7th
Director: Noam Murro
Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Jack O'Connell, Lena Headey,  Rodrigo Santoro

Against my better judgement I'm surprisingly excited for 300: Rise of an Empire. Sure, Zack Snyder has moved on to helm the Man of Steel's next killing spree, handing the reins to the totally unproven Noam Murro. But the Smart People director seems to have captured the visual style and bloody swords 'n sandals action that made the first film a smash. Even if it lacks the same level of star power without Gerard Butler, it's more than made up for by the chance to watch Eva Green as she makes a bid for world domination. Yes, she can lead me into impending doom anytime.

Veronica Mars- March 14th
Director: Rob Thomas
Cast: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Chris Lowell, Ryan Hansen, Krysten Ritter, Percy Daggs III, Tina Majorino, Francis Capra, Ken Marino, Enrico Colantoni

I don't think anybody could have predicted Veronica Mars would make it to the big screen. Not even the most loyal marshmallow could have forseen the Kickstarter juggernaut it would become that got us to this point, but since I'm one of those who happily donated some cash you best believe I'm happy about it! Of course there are some concerns that what worked on TV won't fly as a movie, but as long as Kristen Bell is back as Veronica, and you've got Logan, Weevil, and good ol' Keith Mars joining her, there's every reason to believe fans of the show will leave happy.

Blood Ties- March 21st
Director: Guillaume Canet
Cast: Clive Owen, Zoe Saldana, Billy Crudup, Mila Kunis, James Caan, Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts

So what if the response out of Cannes was mixed on Guillaume Canet's Blood Ties? I've never been let down by Canet, who directed the excellent crime thriller Tell No One, nor co-writer James Gray. The sprawling 1970s crime tale actually reads like something closer to Gray's sensibilities, with Clive Owen and Billy Crudup as brothers on opposing sides of the law. It's territory Gray has tackled plenty of times before in Little Odessa, We Own the Night, and The Yards, but he's never had a cast that stretches this deep. The combination of Canet and Gray's talents with an incredible amount of star wattage is too tantalizing to resist.

Nymphomaniac Part One- March 21st
Director: Lars von Trier
Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgard, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe, Stacy Martin, Udo Kier

Maybe it makes me a dirty old man but I'm hella excited for Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac, and yep, it has everything to do with seeing how far he's going to push the envelope. The trailers and clips we've seen up to this point have suggested a depraved corunucopia of fornication, with von Trier seemingly hitting on every sexual sub-group he can find. Now that the film is out in Europe we've started to hear some advance word, and it sounds like there's some sort of method to his madness, which pretty much sums up every film he's made. I think mainly it'll be interesting to see how our country deals with the in-your-face material. We had a hard enough time handling a couple of lesbian sex scenes in Blue is the Warmest Color. What are people going to think about a film that goes well above and beyond that?

Divergent- March 21st
Director: Neil Burger
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Miles Teller, Maggie Q, Mekhi Phifer, Jai Courtney, Zoe Kravitz

What do I know about Divergent? Not a lot, really. It's about humans divided into ideological factions or something, but I don't know why that's cool or anything. What I do know is that it stars Shailene Woodley, and so far she's batting 1.000 in making movies that speak directly to me, and the chance to see her rejoin The Spectacular Now's Miles Teller is simply too good. How is he not the love interest here, too? Fire the casting director, post haste! I don't know if this will be "the next Hunger Games" or "the next Mortal Instruments", but Divergent has my attention.

Noah- March 28th
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Logan Lerman

All of the sudden it's like everybody wants to make a Biblical epic. Okay, cool, but the one that should be the most impressive is Darren Aronofsky's big budget Noah, which he's been consumed with trying to adapt for quite a long time. Frankly, I'm less interested in the familiar tale of the guy charged by God to build a giant floating zoo to spare himself from a watery death, and more interested in Aronofsky's specific take, which has already ruffled the feathers of a few religious groups. Ruffle away, my friend.

The Raid 2- March 28th
Director: Gareth Evans
Cast: Iko Uwais

It's only been out for a couple of years and already The Raid: Redemption is a stone cold classic, and one of the few martial arts movies from overseas that have made a genuine impact on our shores. If you saw it, then you know already know it reaches incredible levels of violence at a pace so furious it's hard to stop and catch a breath. The sequel, believe it or not, promises to be even bigger with director Gareth Evans taking the action topside and onto the street where all types of new, vicious threats await. I can't wait!

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New Posters for '300: Rise of an Empire', 'Sabotage', 'Need for Speed', 'I, Frankenstein', and More

 
We haven't rounded up any posters of late, so let's just take a look at some of the latest one-sheets, shall we?

All week Warner Bros. has been releasing new character posters for 300: Rise of an Empire, which opens March 7th 2014 and stars Sullivan Stapleton, Jack O'Connell, Eva Green, and Lena Headey.

PLOT: Based on Frank Miller’s latest graphic novel Xerxes, and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster “300,” this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield—on the sea—as Greek general Themistokles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war.

“300: Rise of an Empire” pits Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes, and Artemisia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy. 

Here's the latest poster for David Ayer's ensemble action-thriller, Sabotage, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Joe Manganiello, Terrence Howard, and a cast of thousands. Opens April 11th 2014.

PLOT: In SABOTAGE Arnold Schwarzengger leads an elite DEA task force that takes on the world’s deadliest drug cartels. When the team successfully executes a high-stakes raid on a cartel safe house, they think their work is done – until, one-by-one, the ten members mysteriously start to be eliminated.

Aaron Paul straps in for high-speed action in Need for Speed, opening March 14th and co-starring Dominic Cooper, Michael Keaton, and Imogen Poots.

PLOT: The film centers around Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul), a blue-collar mechanic who races muscle cars on the side in an unsanctioned street-racing circuit. Struggling to keep his family-owned garage afloat, he reluctantly partners with the wealthy and arrogant ex-NASCAR driver Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper). But just as a major sale to car broker Julia Bonet (Imogen Poots) looks like it will save Tobey’s shop, a disastrous race allows Dino to frame Tobey for a crime he didn’t commit, and sending Tobey to prison while Dino expands his business out west.

Two years later, Tobey is released and set on revenge — but he knows his only chance to take down his rival Dino is to defeat him in the high-stakes race known as De Leon — the Super Bowl of underground racing. However to get there in time, Tobey will have to run a high-octane, action-packed gauntlet that includes dodging pursuing cops coast-to-coast as well as contending with a dangerous bounty Dino has put out on his car. With the help of his loyal crew and the surprisingly resourceful Julia, Tobey defies odds at every turn and proves that even in the flashy world of exotic supercars, the underdog can still finish first.
 

Aaron Eckhart brings back the classic movie monster in Stuart Beattie's I, Frankenstein, an epic fantasy starring Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Jai Courtney, and opening January 24th.

PLOT: 200 years after his shocking creation, Dr. Frankenstein’s creature, Adam, still walks the earth. But when he finds himself in the middle of a war over the fate of humanity, Adam discovers he holds the key that could destroy humankind. From the co-writer of the hit supernatural saga, UNDERWORLD, comes the action thriller I, FRANKENSTEIN, written for the screen and directed by Stuart Beattie, screen story by Kevin Grevioux and Stuart Beattie, based on the Darkstorm Studios graphic novel “I, Frankenstein” created by Kevin Grevioux. The story is brought to life by a cast that includes Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Jai Courtney, and Aden Young as Victor Frankenstein. 

Everybody's got issues on the new character posters for R-rated romantic comedy That Awkward Moment, which stars Zac Efron, Imogen Poots, Michael B. Jordan, and Miles Teller. The film opens January 31st.


PLOT: Zac Efron, Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan star in the R-rated comedy, THAT AWKWARD MOMENT, about three best friends who find themselves where we’ve all been– at that confusing “moment” in every dating relationship when you have to decide “So…where is this going?”

Written and Directed by Tom Gormican, THAT AWKWARD MOMENT co-stars Imogen Poots and Jessica Lucas. Scott Aversano is producing via his Aversano Pictures banner along with Andrew O’Connor, and Justin Nappi and Kevin Turen via the Treehouse Pictures Banner.  The film is executive produced by Manu Gargi, Zac Efron, Jason Barrett, Michael Simkin, John Friedberg, and Peter Schlessel and Lia Buman. The film is scheduled for release January 31, 2014.

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New Trailer for '300: Rise of an Empire' Promises Bloody Fun!

Aaarghhhh...I HATE trailers! But wait...I LOVE trailers! Little bringers of possibly false hope, how I loathe yet love thee. 

Every piece of me says that 300: Rise of an Empire is going to be a stinker, I mean, why else would they wait 8 years to give us a sequel unless they had no good stories and are going for a money grab on pseudo-nostalgia. It's simple statistics, every sequel that fits this profile has been crap, or at least inferior to the original. 

Still, every second of this full trailer brings more and more of a positive outlook. I honestly can't tell if this movie single-handedly bookends the events of 300 or not. The Eva Green (mmmmm....Eva Green) scenes seem to point to Xerxes rise...so pre-300, but then you have Lena Headey's Queen Gorgo talking about avenging Leonidas and his soldiers, so that's obviously after the original. You know what? It doesn't really matter, these films are 100% visual candy. The naval battles, if they present in full even half of what they present in this trailer then we are in for a treat. Now that I think of it, maybe the 8 year wait was just the right amount of time to be ready for more slo-mo 360 Greek war! Nice one Zack Snyder. 

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New International Trailer for '300: Rise of an Empire'

Perhaps Warner Bros. has realized that less is more when it comes to a film like 300: Rise of an Empire, which not many have much in the way of expectations for. The latest cut clocks in at only 60 seconds but is more efficient in getting across the story's scope and the visual approach taken by incoming director Noam Murro. The footage begins with an impassioned speech by Queen Gorgo (the returning Lena Headey), inspiring the Greek navy to get revenge for her dead husband Leonidas by defeating the Persian army led by Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro). Murro may be mimicking Zack Snyder's style but he looks to have done a solid job of it, and frankly this continues to look far better than it has any right to.

300: Rise of an Empire stars Eva Green and Sullivan Stapleton, opening March 7th 2014.

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Sullivan Stapleton Features on the New '300: Rise of an Empire' Poster

Considering 300 followed the Battle of Thermopylae, the Spartans were utterly obliterated by the end of the film. So there's a need for a new hero and lead actor for the sequel, 300: Rise of an Empire, and that would be the mostly unknown Australian actor Sullivan Stapleton. He features on the latest Comic-Con character poster in his role as Themistokles, who leads the charge against the advancing Xerxes and his lieutenant, Artemisia.

Directed by Noam Murro and co-starring Eva Green, Rodrigo Santoro, Jack O'Connell, and Lena Headey, 300: Rise of an Empire opens on March 7th 2014.

PLOT: Based on Frank Miller's upcoming graphic novel "Xerxes" and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster 300, this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield—on the sea—as Greek general Themistokles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. 300: Rise of an Empire pits Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes, and Artemesia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy.

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Xerxes and Artemisia on New '300: Rise of an Empire' Comic-Con Posters

Warner Bros. has been dropping new posters for 300: Rise of an Empire on a daily basis to hype its Comic-Con presence. The latest feature the returning Rodrigo Santoro as the Persian ruler, Xerxes, while the other has the sexy and intimidating Eva Green as Artemisia.

PLOT: Based on Frank Miller's upcoming graphic novel "Xerxes" and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster 300, this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield—on the sea—as Greek general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. 300: Rise of an Empire pits Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and Artemesia (Eva Green), vengeful commander of the Persian navy.

Directed by Noam Murro and written by Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad, 300: Rise of an Empire opens March 7th, 2014.

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