Box Office: 'Mockingjay' Holds Steady at #1 Over Slow Weekend

1. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1- $21.6M/$257.7M
The post-Thanksgiving weekend is generally one of the slowest of the year and this was no different. Mockingjay held on to #1 for the third straight week in the face of absolutely zero competition. Soon it will move into the #2 highest-grossing domestic movies of 2014, surpassing both The Lego Movie and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but it has a long way to go to match Guardians of the Galaxy's $331M. Worldwide, the Jennifer Lawrence-led film has earned $560M.
2. Penguins of Madagascar- $11.1M/$49.5M
Dreamworks' animated spinoff Penguins of Madagascar tumbled 56% in its second weekend, well off the pace of the proper Madagascar movies. It may be feeling the effects of the continued strong showings of Disney's Big Hero 6, which was better reviewed and of course has that whole superhero thing going for it.
3. Horrible Bosses 2- $8.6M/$36M
Not even going to come close to matching its predecessor, Horrible Bosses 2 slid a respectable 44%, but still only has $36M domestic, $47M worldwide. By now the first film had earned $60M on its way to $209M. Maybe a spinoff of Jennifer Aniston's deliciously raunchy character is in order? I'd pay to see that, and I bet so would most people.
4. Big Hero 6- $8.1M/$177.5M
5. Interstellar- $8M/$158.6M
6. Dumb and Dumber To- $4.1M/$78M
7. The Theory of Everything- $2.6M/$13.6M
8. Gone Girl- $1.5M/$162.8M
9. The Pyramid- $1.3M
The only new semi-large release of the week is a film you probably never heard of and clearly didn't go see. The Pyramid is just another cheapie found footage horror flick with no marketable stars (although Ashley Hinshaw is pretty awesome), no press screenings, no buzz, and few positive reviews. Even by the meager standards set by the genre a $1.3M debut is pretty sad.
10. Birdman- $1.1M/$18.9M

Released on only 21 screens but nabbing an impressive $30K per site for a $630K total was the Reese Witherspoon walkabout drama, Wild. This one has plenty of awards buzz for her and director Jean-Marc Vallee (Dallas Buyers Club), so that probably led to the high numbers and bodes well for a larger expansion.

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Box Office: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt.1 Continues to Dominate!

1. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1- $56.8M/$225.6M
Well, things aren't looking good for The Hunger Games being able to finish it's saga. I mean with pathetic box office returns like this it's unlikely they'll release part 2. For the sarcastically impaired among you I'll go ahead and point out that, obviously, I'm joking. Katniss Everdeen continues to obliterate the box office taking number 1 for the second week in a row bringing their total to an impressive $225 million!

2. Penguins of Madagascar- $25.8M
Coming in second is Penguins of Madagascar, the spin-off from the oddly popular Madagascar movies. I only say oddly because they always seemed second rate to me, yet kept putting out sequel after sequel. $25 million for the only new kids release over a holiday weekend isn't exactly stellar so it's possible that this where the story ends, though the staying power of Big Hero 6 could have cut into it's profits. Speaking of....

3. Big Hero 6- $18.7M/$167.2M
Staying in the top 3 on its fourth week of release, the Disney/Marvel animated adventure is a certified hit.

4. Interstellar- $15.8M/$147M
Staying just behind Big Hero 6 as it has done since release is Interstellar. One has to wonder if Chris Nolan's ego has taken a hit. Nah, who am I kidding.

5. Horrible Bosses 2- $15.7M/$23M
Negative reviews and a shared demographic audience with The Hunger Games no doubt hurt the follow-up to the surprise hit Horrible Bosses. With the crowded weeks leading up to Christmas and less money being spent at theaters it's unlikely that the numbers get any better for this one.

6. Dumb and Dumber To- $8.2M/$72.9M

7. The Theory of Everything- $5M/$9.6M
An almost 700 theater expansion helps knock the critically acclaimed story of Jane and Stephen Hawking into the top 10. It's $5 million dollar take is quite impressive considering that, even after the expansion, the film is still only showing in 802 theaters (average for a wide release is between 2,500 and 3,000)

8. Gone Girl- $2.4M/$160.7M

9. Birdman- $1.8/$17.2M
Word of mouth is apparently helping Michael Keaton's critically lauded Birdman as it enjoyed a 1.4% increase in ticket sales while showing in 142 less theaters.

10. St. Vincent- $1.7M/$39.3M

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Review: 'Horrible Bosses 2' starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, and Charlie Day

Here's the thing about Horrible Bosses: it's pretty funny....at first. There's a lot to love about a film that is basically mean-spirited wish fulfillment about the desire we've all had to do awful things to our bosses. Who wouldn't like that? Try to watch it again lately? It doesn't hold up, and certainly doesn't beg for a sequel. But it made $200M and so now we have Horrible Bosses 2, a lame and uninspired follow-up directed by the guy who inflicted That's My Boy on you a couple of years ago.

Charlie Day, Jason Bateman, and Jason Sudeikis return as Dale, Nick, and Kurt, but they weren't the funniest part of the first film; the bosses were! That's the case here, as well, with Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey returning to indulge in the chance to play nasty and depraved, and we love them for it. The plot this time around has the moronic trio deciding to launch their own business, so THEY are now the horrible bosses in question. Well, they aren't actually bosses until they hire employees, right? Enter Christoph Waltz as a sleazy rich businessman with Chris Pine as his son Rex, who proceeds to cheat the guys out of millions of dollars, ruining their company before it's even really started. So what do our murderous heroes do in retaliation? Well they can't plot another murder because that didn't turn out so well (although they got what they wanted out of it), so instead the guys decide to kidnap Rex for a hefty ransom.

Okay, so it's a given that the crime would be a total dud and that they'd mess up every single facet of it, but what's weird is how much the trio have changed. Dale is pretty much the same; still fighting off his oversexed boss Julia (Aniston), but Nick and Kurt are completely different. Nick was the "brains" of the operation last time, certainly smart enough not to fall into the kind of financial trap (he was an economics wiz in the first movie!) that screws them over this time. Kurt is such a creepy womanizer now that it's hard to like him at all. The only thing that gets them by is the easy chemistry between the three actors; they are genuinely fun to watch together because it seems like so much of the best gags are unscripted. That's a good thing because the actual screenplay by John Morris and Sean Anders (the aforementioned That's My Boy director) is underwhelming at best. To be fair, Anders also directed Sex Drive which is vastly underrated, but he doesn't seem to "get" Horrible Bosses and never makes good use of the concept or the cast. This time around we're meant to hate the slick corporate CEOs, the ones who get $50M golden parachutes to reward their failures and get rich on the backs of working stiffs. That's all fine, but the problem is that the bad guys aren't completely heinous here, at least not in comparison to three guys who can now add kidnapping to their growing criminal resume. In fact, it's Spacey's imprisoned character who sums up our heroes (and the film) perfectly when he says "You're all fucking morons".

While Aniston, Spacey, and the returning Jamie Foxx as "Motherfucker" Jones are great, they are firmly in the background this time and not key to the plot, which is a huge mistake. Waltz, who we can all admit is one of the best actors working today when it comes to playing villains, doesn't make any kind of impression. On the flip side, the generally-bland Chris Pine has maybe found his calling in roles that allow him to get a little crazy.  Horrible Bosses 2 has a few moments, but it's hard to escape the feeling that this film simply didn't need to happen, and there aren't enough laughs to justify its existence.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Enter to Win a Chance to See 'Horrible Bosses 2' Early!

The boys are back! Murdering their bosses didn't quite turn out as they hoped, but now Dale, Nick, and Kurt will give kidnapping a try in Horrible Bosses 2! Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, and Kevin Spacey are back for the comedy sequel, along with Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz. We're offering our DC readers a chance to see the film early by attending a free advance screening held on Monday, November 17th at 7:30pm at AMC Mazza.

To enter, simply follow the easy instructions in the below Punchtab widget. Winners will be contacted by email on Friday, November 14th.  Horrible Bosses 2 opens Nov. 26th!

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Shower Buddies Plot a Kidnapping in New 'Horrible Bosses 2' Trailer

Part of the reason Horrible Bosses did as well as it did, earning more than $200M, was a supporting cast willing to go to some outlandish lengths. Jennifer Aniston's incredibly raunchy performance was a stand-out, and it looks like it will be again in Horrible Bosses 2. But its the dufus trio of Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, and Jason Bateman as would-be kidnappers who really seem to be at the top of their game in the latest trailer, giving the impression it may actually be funnier than the original. Here's the synopsis:

Fed up with answering to higher-ups, Nick (Bateman), Dale (Day) and Kurt (Sudeikis) decide to become their own bosses by launching their own business in “Horrible Bosses 2.” But a slick investor soon pulls the rug out from under them. Outplayed and desperate, and with no legal recourse, the three would-be entrepreneurs hatch a misguided plan to kidnap the investor’s adult son and ransom him to regain control of their company.

Also starring Christoph Waltz, Chris Pine, Kevin Spacey, and Jamie Foxx, Horrible Bosses 2 is directed by Sean Anders and opens November 26th.


Horrible Bosses 2 Trailer-3 w/ Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Chris Pine by thecinemasource

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New Trailer and Poster for 'Horrible Bosses 2' Takes Care of Business

The surprising box office success of Horrible Bosses had a lot to do with the supporting cast, which featured Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Aniston in wildly over the top roles. And it looks like the sequel, which brings them both back while adding Christoph Waltz and Chris Pine into the mix, will be even crazier than before.

Charlie Day, Jason Bateman, and Jason Sudeikis are back for Horrible Bosses 2, and the new trailer is pretty stacked from top to bottom with laughs. The guys basically got away with trying to kill their awful bosses last time around, but this time it's all about kidnapping. Specifically they want to hold for ransom the wealthy investor (Waltz) who crushed their hopes of owning a business. Also back is Jamie Foxx as "Mothafucka" Jones as the Yoda of their bumbling criminal exploits. Oh, and Jennifer Aniston really wants to get plowed.

Directed by Sean Anders, Horrible Bosses 2 opens November 26th.


Horrible Bosses 2 Official Trailer #2 (2014) - Chris Pine, Jennifer Anniston Comedy HD by MOVIES Coming Soon

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The Gang's All Here in First Trailer for 'Horrible Bosses 2'

When the first Horrible Bosses opened in 2011 it came with a ton of hype for a couple of reasons. For starters it played on the idea that every hard working American working a 9-5 secretly hates their boss and wants them dead. It also had a great supporting cast of Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, and Colin Farrell playing wildly over-the-top despicable characters. In short it looked like a lot of fun, and $209M later we had one of the top grossing R-rated movies ever made, enough reason for Warner Bros. to order up a sequel even though the first movie didn't really demand it.

Sean Anders is on board to helm Horrible Bosses 2, and the first trailer brings the entire gang back with a few new additions. This time around the three stooges Nick, Dale, and Kurt have decided to be their own bosses and start a business. But when a wealthy investor screws them over, they foolishly decide to pull off a kidnapping plot that predictably goes awry and they must turn to a familiar face (the returning Jamie Foxx) for some help. Christoph Waltz and Chris Pine are also on board although we only catch a brief glimpse of the latter, and Aniston appears to be as frisky as ever which could be good for a few laughs. Overall this looks about as uninspired as one might expect.

Horrible Bosses 2 opens on November 26th.


Horrible Bosses 2 TRAILER 1 (2014) - Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis Comedy HD by TrailerXM

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Kate Beckinsale Has 'The Face of an Angel'; Hugh Jackman Eyes 'Section 6'; Chris Pine is a Horrible Boss

*Kate Beckinsale has joined Daniel Bruhl (Rush) and Cara Delevingne (Anna Karenina) in The Face of an Angel, Michael Winterbottom's film based on the true story of Amanda Knox. Adapted from Barbie Latza Nadeau's book, the story offers a fictionalized account of the events that led to Knox, an American student living in Italy, who was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering her roommate. After serving four years in prison, the conviction was overturned and a retrial ordered, but Knox remains a controversial figure. Beckinsale will play a reporter investigating the case, with Bruhl as a documentary filmmaker, and Delevingne as the Knox character. [Deadline]

* Hugh Jackman probably should have played a secret agent long ago, but he may finally have the opportunity. He's circling Section 6, based on a script by first-time writer Aaron Berg that "follows the World War I-era formation of British intelligence agency MI6 and its first director, Sir George Mansfield Cummings, who served as the inspiration for M in the 'James Bond' series." Sounds amazing, which is why Jackman Seems to be so interested. Apparently so are Justin Lin and Brett Ratner (noooooooo), who are both angling the director's chair. This is still pretty early on and nobody is officially attached but already it's obvious that this is going to be a major project. [TheWrap]

* Yeah, Horrible Bosses 2 is still happening, and now it has an actual boss. Last week we learned that Christoph Waltz and Chris Pine were being sought to play a father/son duo of douche bag bosses, and now Pine is officially on board. Waltz never really seemed to be in the picture because of scheduling, which is good because this movie might be terrible. And he's played enough villains. Horrible Bosses 2 arrives November 26, 2014 directed by Sean Anders and bringing back stars Charlie Day, Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Jamie Foxx. [Variety]

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'Horrible Bosses 2' Wants Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz for Boss Duo

The $200M Horrible Bosses hauled in all but guaranteed we'd be getting more workplace antics in the very near future, despite the first film not really demanding any sort of sequel. With Charlie Day, Jason Bateman, and Jason Sudeikis firmly locked to return for Horrible Bosses 2, the only real questions remaining were how exactly the trio would get wrapped up with evil bosses again (didn't they learn their lesson??), and who would play them.

According to Deadline, Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz are being sought to play an awful boss duo who happen to be father and son. Strangely, the story immediately says that Waltz isn't even available for it, so he's already out of the picture which makes one wonder why he was even mentioned. Pine is considering it, however, and occasional Captain Kirk quip aside it would be a much-needed change of pace for him. Although the thought of him as a scumbag boss has considerably less appeal than watching Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, or Colin Farrell offer up villainous turns because at least they have big personalities to play off of.  Somehow I think Pine will find a way to make this role as vanilla as possible.

Anyway, Horrible Bosses 2 is pushing forward with Sean Anders directing and a November 26th 2014 date.

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'We're the Millers' Writer to Direct 'Horrible Bosses 2'

When Seth Gordon departed the sequel to 2011's $200M R-rated comedy hit Horrible Bosses, the film suddenly found itself in need of a new boss. Turns out the search for a replacement didn't have to go very far, as THR reports that Sean Anders, who recently co-wrote for Jason Sudeikis in this summer's We're the Millers, has won the job.

Best known for helming the underrated teen sex comedy Sex Drive and last year's dim Adam Sandler film That's My Boy, Anders will be bringing over his We're the Millers co-writer John Morris as an exec-producer. The duo had already rewritten the Horrible Bosses 2 script, and considering their recent success this was a natural move to bring them over.

Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jamie "Muthafu**a Jones" Foxx are set to return for Horrible Bosses 2 when production gets underway.

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Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis confirmed for 'Horrible Bosses' sequel

In a year that saw R-rated comedies kick a lot of butt at the box office, Horrible Bosses was one of the big surprises. The film was powered by a concept everyone can relate to, the desire to off your own boss, and while we can argue about how effective it ultimately was, the fact is it cleared north of $200M worldwide. Sequel time!

We first learned early last year that John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were rehired to start work on the sequel, and now THR reports that Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis are signed to return. A lot of folks weren't too fond of Jamie Foxx's colorfully-named murder consultant, Motherfucker Jones, but they may have to get used to it because he's in talks to reprise the part. Seth Gordon is back in the director's chair, and he's proving to be one of the most bankable filmmakers in the comedy genre. He recently directed Identity Thief, which as of now is the year's top-grossing film.

The sequel will have the gang taking on a whole new bunch of crazy bosses, but the door's still open for Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey to make an appearance. Aniston was great last time as Day's oversexed boss, so hopefully she'll make a cameo or something. Seth Gordon is back in the director's chair,

Horrible Bosses....well, let's just say it didn't help up upon a second viewing. I really enjoyed it the first time, but now I have a hard time justifying its presence in my Blu-Ray collection. Filming is slated to begin this summer, so expect to see it some time in early 2014.

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