Jack Horner, News Corp. PR Executive, Heading to Warner Bros.

News Corp. communications executive Jack Horner is coming to Warner Bros. in a senior publicity job in its motion picture unit.

The studio wasn't commenting Sunday, but a source with knowledge of the situation said that Horner is expected to start work next month and that his arrival will not result in anyone's displacement.

Horner has been a public spokesman for Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. as its New York-based VP of corporate affairs and communications.

Horner is expected to work on closely with film chief Jeff Robinov and marketing head Sue Kroll.

Key upcoming titles include Ben Affleck's "Argo," Clint Eastwood's "Trouble with the Curve," Peter Jackson's "two "Hobbit" films, Ruben Fleischer's "Gangster Squad," Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel," Bryan Singer's "Jack the Giant Killer," Guillermo Del Toro's "Pacific Rim" and Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby."

Summer Box Office: Despite 'The Avengers' and Batman, 2012 Will Be Flat

The record-shattering run of “The Avengers” and the tragedy surrounding “Dark Knight Rises” gave the summer an epic feel, but the numbers show that the box office will finish flat, or a little down from last season’s $4.4 billion haul.

All summer long, it was one big step forward, two back. While blockbusters “Men in Black 3” and “Amazing Spider-Man” sizzled, “Battleship” and "Total Recall" fizzled. When surprising hits like “Ted” and “Magic Mike” provided fireworks, there were too many equally eyebrow-raising duds, like “Dark Shadows,” “Rock of Ages” and “That’s My Boy.”

“Moonrise Kingdom” and “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” broke out, but that was pretty much it at the specialty box office. Animated kids' movies “Madagascar 3,” “Brave” and “Ice Age: Continental Drift” proved the most reliable big-ticket bets for the studios.

It’s not all about the box-office money. Even if it were, production costs are estimates and often dicey, and marketing spending is difficult to track. On the other side, DVDs and streaming deals can provide revenues down the road.

Nonetheless, here is a rundown of the summer’s box office sweepstakes with the win, place and show finishers, along with the also-rans.

“The Avengers” -- Beyond the obvious benefits of its best-ever $203 million opening and $1.4 billion global haul, the Marvel superhero mashup couldn’t have come at a better time for Disney. Its success validated chairman Robert Iger’s $4 billion bet on buying Marvel, eased the sting of spring’s mega-flop “John Carter” and provided positive cover as the studio moved to ease out film topper Rich Ross. Between sequels -- for the individual heroes as well as the assembled group – and branded toys and merchandise, the residual “Avengers” revenues are sure to run into billions of dollars and should continue for years. Joss Whedon recently agreed return to direct "Avengers 2,' set for May 1, 2015.

"Dark Knight Rises" How much the Colorado shootings and the resulting fallout cut into the box office of “Dark Knight Rises” will never be known. But what has been accomplished by Warner Bros. is impressive, particularly given the circumstances. After opening to $160 million, the best ever for a non-3D movie, the final entry in director Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has made more than $410 million domestically and is approaching $500 million overseas. It will be the first Batman movie to make more abroad than at home, and Warners remains confident it will hit the $1 billion mark worldwide.

"Ice Age: Continental Drift" -- The CGI critters from Fox knocked off Spidey with a $46 million U.S. debut, but this movie made its Scrat scratch  – about 80 percent of its $794 million worldwide gross – overseas.The film’s success also established Fox’s Blue Sky Studios as an animation team capable of playing with the big boys, Pixar and DreamWorks Animation.

"The Amazing Spider-Man" -- Sony executives exhaled after Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone breathed life into the fading franchise. “The Amazing Spider-Man” opened to a 3D-fueled $62 million on the July 4 weekend and has gone on to gross nearly $700 million worldwide. At $230 million it was a major investment, but revitalizing the brand should pay dividends for years.

"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" -- New blood in the voice cast and a premium pricing boost from 3D contributed to its franchise-best $60 million debut. Being the first family movie to hit the market in months didn’t hurt DreamWorks' CGI saga, which Paramount distributed. A massive promo campaign that included a million “Madagascar 3”-branded bananas didn’t either. Made for $145 million, the bulk of its $548 million worldwide total has come from overseas, where it has taken in $336 million.

"Ted" -- The season’s biggest surprise has not only made a bunch of money for Universal -- $213 million domestically on a production budget of $50 million – but brought a fresh face onto the feature landscape in creator Seth MacFarlane. Its $54 million debut was the best ever for an original R-rated comedy. As a bonus, it’s doing surprisingly well overseas with $115 million so far. Universal execs attribute that in part to the ease with which they can translate their foul-mouth teddy’s talk into local lingos.

"Magic Mike" -- In terms of return on the investment, nobody shook a box-office booty like Channing Tatum's tale of male strippers. It cost $7 million to make and made $39 million in its first three days . The domestic gross for the Warners Bros. movie stands at $112 million.

"Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" -- In a season dominated by men in tights, Fox Searchlight’s $10 million film about British pensioners retiring in India made $45 million. That came after it made $85 million abroad, including $53 million from the U.K. and Australia.

"Moonrise Kingdom” -- Director Wes Anderson’s quirky tween love story with an all-star ensemble has made $42 million since opening in the U.S. two weeks after debuting in Cannes. But Focus Features is hoping the real payoff on the $17 million film comes in awards season.

“Men in Black 3” -- Four years removed from his last film, Will Smith showed he could still open a movie, at least one with the initials “MIB.” Despite coming out a full decade after the original, Sony’s second sequel opened to $54 million and went on to make $620 million worldwide.The $178 million domestic total was less than Sony hoped for from a movie that cost $225 million.

"Snow White and the Huntsman" -- Star Kristen Stewart’s dalliance with director Rupert Sanders might complicate or derail a sequel, but Universal scored with its dark fairy tale. Made for $170 million, it has rung up $154 million domestically, $389 million worldwide.

“Brave” -- Disney’s animated tale of a red-tressed Scottish lass with a deadeye bow kept Pixar’s string of 13 consecutive No. 1 debuts alive with its $66 million bow. It stayed No. 1 for three weeks. Overseas has provided less than 44 percent of the $408 million worldwide gross for the film, which carried a $185 million production budget.

“Bourne Legacy" -- Universal appears to have successfully rebooted its super-spy franchise with "Bourne Legacy," starring Jeremy Renner rather than Matt Damon. But its $38 million No. 1 debut sparked a rash of conjecture about dual leads in the inevitable next “Bourne” film, and paying both leads might be prohibitive.

“Prometheus” -- Pumped by premium 3D pricing, Ridley Scott’s scary and R-rated sci-fi thriller debuted to $50 million for Fox. But it had the bad luck to open on the same weekend as “Madagascar 3,” which was the first kids’ film to hit the summer market and took in $60 million. With a production budget of $130 million, “Prometheus” has taken in $126 million domestically, $320 million worldwide.

“Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection" -- The fifth film in the Lionsgate franchise outstripped its $20 million production budget in its first three days, when it took in $25 million against ‘Ted” and “Magic Mike” on one of the summer’s busiest weekends. Playing to Perry’s solid African-American base, it’s made $65 million.

"Rock of Ages" -- Warner Bros.’ hit low notes with its musical-turned-movie "Rock of Ages,” which tanked despite having Tom Cruise as the lead. It’s a different kind of movie, but the $38 million U.S.gross on the $75 million musical has to make Universal, which is bowing “Les Miserables” in December, a little edgy.

‘The Dictator" -- Despite relentless hype from star Sasha Baron Cohen, it bowed to $17 million and limped to a $60 million gross for Paramount. Those aren’t “Borat” numbers, and barely “Bruno,” suggesting that maybe throwing those fake ashes on Ryan Seacrest wasn’t worth the trouble.

“Dark Shadows” -- Johnny Depp’s turn as vampire Barnabas Collins in the film version of the campy '60s TV show became road kill for "The Avengers."

It topped out at $80 million domestically for Warner Bros. Disney has to be hoping for better success when Depp saddles up as Tonto in another TV redo, “The Lone Ranger.”

"Battleship" -- Rihanna made her film debut as an alien-whacking sailor in Universal's bloated-budget board-game movie "Battleship." It made nearly $240 million abroad but sank like a rock in the U.S. and, with a budget well north of $200 million, still lost money for Universal.

“That's My Boy" -- Adam Sandler abandoned his familiar kid-targeting comedy formula to play to an older audience with his first R-rated comedy. The $70 million dud, which has earned less than $40 million for Sony, was a tough feature debut for “SNL” alum Andy Samberg.

“Total Recall” -- Sony’s remake failed to click with fans of the original sci-fi classic and didn’t make new friends either. It featured Colin Ferrell rather than Arnold Schwarzenegger and dropped the Mars angle from the storyline, but did include the three-breasted alien female from the first film. It bowed to $25 million, not enough for a film with a $125 million price tag.

"Katy Perry: Part of Me” -- The pop siren’s concert documentary bowed to less than $6 million for Paramount and has topped out at $30 million worldwide.

"Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" -- Made for around $70 million, Fox’s bizarre genre mashup opened to just $16 million and has topped out at $37 million. On the bright side, this pretty much assures that “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” also from Seth Grahame-Smith, won’t get made anytime soon.

"The Watch" -- Originally titled “Neighborhood Watch,” this alien-invasion comedy from Fox couldn’t catch a break. The studio changed the film’s name in the wake of the Trayvon Martin’s killing and then had to open the Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Seth Rogen vehicle just one week after the Colorado shootings.

SCRATCHED

"G.I. Joe: Retaliation” -- Paramount pushed its Channing Tatum action movie to March of next year so that it could convert it to 3D. That move allowed Universal to shift “Ted” out of the way of “Dark Knight Rises” – it was set to open a week before Batman -- and into the June 29 slot, where it took off.

European Film Industry Mourns Tony Scott's Death

Writers, actors and producers react to the director's apparent suicide.

The U.K. and European film industry on Monday joined Hollywood in reacting to the apparent suicide of director Tony Scott.

Writers, actors, producers and companies in the film exhibition, production and related sectors mourned the loss as they woke up to the news that he had jumped to his death.

"RIP Tony Scott…," British actor and director Tim Roth said on Twitter. "You made me laugh pal.. A truly good man."

"He was an unbelievably sensitive, kind and profoundly human person," producerRola Bauer of Tandem Communications, who worked with Tony and Ridley Scott on the TV series Pillars of the Earthand the upcoming World Without End, told TheHBDb. "He was always so supportive and generous and he never judged. That's a truly rare creature. Of course, we have lost an extremely talented director, but really we have lost a wonderful human being."

British actor and writer Stephen Fry, who recorded the Harry Potter audio books in the U.K., tweeted: "Deeply saddened to hear the news about Tony Scott. A fine film-maker and the most charming, modest man."

British actor and writer Robert Llewellyn (Red Dwarf) said: "Very sad and shocking news about Tony Scott. Almost like an opening scene from an early 90's blockbuster. ‪#RIPTonyScott‬."

Actor Vinnie Jones (Snatch, Gone in 60 Seconds, X-Men: The Last Stand) tweeted: "Tony Scott What a massive [loss] what a massive shame."

"Our thoughts are with Tony Scott's family," Sony Pictures U.K. posted on Twitter. "You were a legend sir, it has been our honor & we know your work will continue to inspire."

U.K. film facilities giant Pinewood Studios said: "Our thoughts are with Tony Scott's family today."

U.K. exhibition giant Odeon Cinemas said on Twitter: "Very sad to hear about Top GunDirector Tony Scott this morning. Thanks for the great films over the years sir."

Meanwhile, BBC Films in a post said: "The team are shocked and saddened by the death of Tony Scott. Our thoughts are with his family."

And French film technology firm Technicolor also paid tribute on Twitter. "#Adios Tony Scott. #SadMonday," it said.

Even British politician Louise Mensch shared a reaction. "Very sad to hear of the death of Tony Scott from suicide," she said on Twitter. "Mental health is such a key issue."

Hit and Run: Film Review

Dax Shepard wrote and co-directed the comic chase film, which also stars Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold and Beau Bridges.

A chase-oriented B movie that borrows from True Romance for both good and ill, Dax Shepard andDavid Palmer's Hit and Run benefits from a surprisingly sweet vibe and easygoing chemistry between Shepard and costar Kristen Bell, both in fine form. Its high-octane but low-stakes action may be just the thing for moviegoers weary of summer's operatic superheroes.

Shepard plays Charlie Bronson, an LA bank robber who, after his partners killed a security guard, testified against them and was hidden in tiny Milton, California. Bronson's a sensitive stoolie, though, and showers new girlfriend Annie (Bell) with daily affirmations and selfless love. Still, he hasn't told her how he came to be in the witness-protection program, letting her believe he's always been the benevolent charmer he is today.

When Annie gets a job offer she can't refuse in LA, Charlie decides to risk going home -- breaking out the muscle car he drove in his bad-boy days to take her downstate. Unfortunately the vintage Continental (with suicide doors, natch) not only brings out traces of Charlie's old self -- cue an amusing debate over acceptable usage of the word "fag" -- but is a clue allowing Annie's old boyfriend Gil (Michael Rosenbaum) to suss out Charlie's identity and, in an effort to split them up, to contact his old, revenge-minded gang.

What follows is an old-fashioned cross-country pursuit in which the aforementioned parties are joined by the marshal responsible for Charlie's welfare (Tom Arnold) and a pair of highway patrol officers. It's an enjoyable ride, though the filmmakers push some gags close to the breaking point. Arnold's accident-prone cop, who can barely touch his gun without shooting innocent bystanders, is too clumsy by half (not to mention loud). And Bradley Cooper, as the ringleader of Charlie's old gang, seems inexplicably to be offering a variation on the ineffably strange pimp Gary Oldman played inTrue Romance: Dreadlocked and wearing yellow-tinted shades, he's a white boy affecting ghetto attitude and afflicted by an in-and-out Southern drawl. The performance is the most distracting, but certainly not the only, reminder of Tony Scott's 1993 chase-romance; even the soundtrack, with its echoes of Hans Zimmer's marimba, doffs its hat.

In the most important respects, though, Hit and Run makes its lovers-on-the-lam premise its own. Shepard is as likeable as ever, believably pairing gentleness with outlaw savvy; Bell doesn't take Annie's indignation at Charlie's past so far that we hold it against her. Beau Bridges (as Charlie's estranged dad) is a standout in the supporting cast, requiring just a few minutes of screen time to lend some emotional depth to the hero's backstory.

Production Companies: Primate Pictures, Kim and Jim Productions, Panay Films
Cast: Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold, Kristin Chenoweth, Beau Bridges, David Koechner, Joy Bryant, Ryan Hansen, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Michael Rosenbaum
Directors: Dax Shepard, David Palmer
Screenwriter: Dax Shepard
Producers: Andrew Panay, Nate Tuck, Kim Waltrip, Jim Casey
Executive producer: Erica Murray
Director of photography: Bradley Stonesifer
Production designer: Emily Bloom
Music: Robert Mervak, Julian Wass
Costume designer: Brooke Dulien
Editor: Keith Croket
R, 96 minutes.

President and Michelle Obama: George Clooney Is a 'Wonderful Guy' and 'Cute, Too'

In an interview with "Entertainment Tonight," the commander-in-chief reveals how he became friends with the actor, while the first lady confesses to finding him attractive.

President Obama and his wife, Michelle, opened up about their relationship with George Clooney, whom the commander-in-chief calls a "wonderful guy," in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

The president said he got to know Clooney through the actor's work on behalf of the people in Darfur while Obama was in the U.S. Senate.

"He is a terrific advocate on behalf of the people of Darfur and to the people of Sudan who've been brutalized for a long time," Obama said. "And so when I was a senator -- this was well before I was president -- that was an issue that I was working together on a bipartisan basis, and George, who had traveled there, done documentaries there, and was very well-informed, came to testify in Congress. And so we got to know each other."

Obama also called Clooney a "good man and a good friend."

The first lady, meanwhile, confessed to finding the actor attractive: "He's cute, too," she chimed in.

She also joked that she happens to be "busy" whenever her husband schedules meetings with the actor, quipping that it's a "conspiracy."

"Michelle is always frustrated because a lot of the events that George has been involved in, for some reason, she has something else going on," the president said, joking that his staff always seems to find a reason to start "circling around my office" whenever Clooney has visited the White House.

"They've got memos they need to make sure I see right away," he added.

In May, Clooney hosted a fundraiser for Obama at his L.A. home that raised nearly $15 million. He's also set to appear at a pair of Americans Abroad for Obama events Aug. 27 in Geneva, Switzerland.

But despite his support for the president, Clooney takes extra care not to be perceived as Obama's BFF.

"He's very protective about not bothering me," the president said. "And he's also sensitive to the fact that, you know, that if he's around a lot, then somehow it'll be tagged as 'Obama hanging out with Hollywood stars,' and that's not who he is."

ET's interview with the Obamas is scheduled to air Monday night.

Video Game Based on Naziexplotation Film 'Iron Sky' in the Works

German games publisher Topware Interactive plans to release "Iron Sky Invasion" this November.

COLOGNE, Germany - The space Nazis are coming! To your desktop. German games publisher Topware Interactive has acquired the adaptation rights to "Nazis on the moon" sci-fi comedy Iron Sky from Finnish director Timo Vuorensola and plans to release a video game, Iron Sky Invasion, based on the film this November. Topware made the announcement at video games conference gamescom, which wrapped up Aug. 19 in Cologne.

The game will follow the pulp fiction plot of the film, in which a colony of Nazis living on the dark side of the moon begin an invasion of the earth. Players will act as a space pilot in the intergalactic battle, joining forces with either the Nazi invaders or earth's defense force. The Polish studio Reality Pump will develop the game for Topware. Samuli Torssonen, visual effects supervisor on the film, will provide visual effects for the game through his Helsinki-based Troll studio.

Iron Sky Invasion will be available for Mac, PC, XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 and Topware said it plans to release both a standard edition for around €40 - €50 ($50 - $62) and a special "Gotterdammerung" edition for between €60 - €70 ($74 - $86).

The film Iron Sky, which raised around $1 million towards its $10 million budget from its Internet fan base, has earned some $8 million in theatrical release internationally so far. Entertainment One picked up North American rights to the film, which stars Udo Kier, Julia Dietze, Peta Sergeant, Christopher Kirby andGotz Otto and opened Iron Sky on a platform release July 25, earning some $26,000 from four theaters. E1 has also made Iron Sky, available on the action web platform Tugg that allows moviegoers to choose the films that play in their local theaters.

Gulzar: A bard of Hindi cinema who still weaves magic with his words

When Yash Chopra decided to return to direction with his new offering starringShahrukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif he chose Gulzar to pen the lyrics, after all Yash Chopra is returning to direction after a long time, and to make the impact there is nobody else but Gulzar in present times who can make the audience swoon to the songs. For a man who turned 76 recently, it indeed is a monumental moment as he has continued to enthrall the audience from the time when he picked up his pen to compose the songs.


The magic of Gulzar lies in the fact that he has continued to evolve himself with the changing times and the lyrics that he continues to pen have an element of contemporaneous to it, and this is one of the reasons how he was conferred the Oscars award as well for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. Gulzar through his lyrics contributes to the success of film in a big way and it was made possible as he never wrote lyrics in abstract, but he penned them after reading the story of the film.

The element of difference that characterized him was evident from his first film BANDINI, 'mora gora rang layeele', where the line, 'ek laaj roke paiyaa, ek moh kheenche baiyya', is a modern echo of what Ghalib had written- ima mujhe roke hai jo kheenche hai mujhe kufr, kaaba mere peeche hai kaleesa mere aage'. This has been the hallmark of the lyrics of Gulzar.

The element of contemporaneous that is his style became manifest when he directed his first film MERE APNE, and the terse comment on the existentialist dilemma of a youth through the lyrics, 'Haal Chaal THeek Thak hai'.

May be the niche that he could carve for himself was owing primarily to the fact that he is a voracious reader of literature of all kinds, especially Punjabi literature, and the warmth in his lyrics is perhaps a by-product of the essence of literature that he could bring in the distilled format in his poetic expressions.

He is one of the few writers who still nurses the pains of partition in his heart and he has used the metaphor of separation that was created through partition throughout his works to convey the pain and pathos that he has experienced. Any lyrics that he has written, it is the element of loss arising out of partition in one form or the other, the element of despondency and a hope of meeting what is aspired for has been the primary reason how his fan following has continued to increase across generations. May he live to complete a century and enrich the lives of his fans with his magical words. 

Mukesh Bhatt elated to bring RAAZ 3 in the 25th year of Vishesh Films

Mukesh Bhatt is more than confident that RAAZ 3 would only add on to the good run that Vishesh Films has been enjoying for last one year, what with MURDER 2, BLOOD MONEY, JANNAT 2 resulting in a hattrick of successes.

"RAAZ was a very good love story with lots of drama involved and now RAAZ 3 too has a love story with betrayal, deceit and vendetta as the core elements. We feel that these are the kind of ingredients that make for a good entertaining commercial pot-boiler. RAAZ 3 is all the more unique and identifiable because as the tagline goes, 'When desire turns evil, it is horror of the hearts'," he says animatedly.

He is particularly happy that in the 25th year of his production house Vishesh Films, he is bringing back the team of RAAZ (2002) in RAAZ 3 and that too exactly a decade after the franchise was born.

"We have reached this good phase in the silver jubilee year of the company," he gleams with pride here, "We built this company in a very organic manner with no artificial cushions involved. The best part is that today the company is standing entirely on its own with no external support; that is the most satisfying part."

RAAZ 3 releases all over on 7th September. 

Eid to witness Salman Khan's EK THA TIGER hitting the fastest century!

There was a time not so long ago, when crossing the 100 crore mark by any film in 7-days was considered a very difficult, if not an impossible task.

However, just last year the feat was achieved by the Salman Khan starrer,BODYGUARD. But that is not the end of the story!


As is by now well-known, starting with WANTED and followed by DABANGG and BODYGUARD, Eid and Salman Khan are now a sure shot guarantee for blockbuster success. And there is no exception to the rule this time too.

As per the stats available with us, after a pick up on Saturday and good jump on Sunday, the Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer has already netted around 95 crore from India. The collections are expected to hit the roof today (Eid) and EK THA TIGER is sure to cross the 100 crore mark on just its sixth day!

The bumper and predicted run for the Kabir Khan directed ETT is expected to continue, and the film is likely to cross the 150 crore mark by Thursday (9 days). 

Why is Shahrukh Khan all alone this Eid?

Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, who usually spends time with family and close friends and associates during Eid, is celebrating the festival all alone this year. "All al'one on Eid...on a thin winding road. Nowhere and everywhere. Just gave myself a hug after a long time. Will celebrate with happy winds," Shahrukh tweeted.

And the reason for him staying away from home is that he is busy shooting for his upcoming untitled film with Yash Chopra, starring Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. 




Shahrukh wished everyone Eid Mubarak from Ladakh, where he is currently shooting & all set to complete the schedule of the film. Despite of the cold weather, forget writing where you can't even move, Shahrukh took to social networking site to wish his fans and near & dear ones.

Shahrukh tweeted, "Eid Mubarak to everyone.May Allah fill your life with happiness. Look forward to reading the Takbirat in an open space in Ladakh.Insha Allah. First day breathing is a problem in Ladakh. u can't speak long sentences...actually...u can't. write...long. sentences. either...gasp gasp"

Shahrukh has good old memories with Ladakh. As he's been to the place prior also to shoot for his acclaimed film DIL SE.

"In Ladakh after so many years. Lovely & hectic memories of Dil Se & my friend Santosh Sivan the worlds best cinematographer. Santa miss u...," SRK shares about his fond memories with the place. 

Sajid to host Himmatwala muhurat LIVE on YouTube

Innovation is in. While the remake of Himmatwala is set as a true homage to the 80s, when it comes to the film's marketing and promotion, it is exploring new frontiers. One such initiative in this direction is Sajid Khan hosting the film's 'muhurat' LIVE on YouTube from Hyderabad on Wednesday, 22nd August.

"Vashu Bhagnani and Siddharth Roy Kapur (of UTV) were bowled over when Sajid explained the idea to them. He felt that this would give Himmatwala further fillip right from the beginning itself en route to the film's 29th March release. The entire plan has been formulated backwards and the 'muhurat' to be hosted LIVE is another step taken forward", informs an insider.

The shoot is expected to be on the same lines as Sajid Khan's 'making' documentaries for the DVD of his films where he interacts with the audience and makes them a part of the entire exercise. 

"Yes", the insider adds, "This won't be one of those 'muhurat' where cast and crew come together on stage and the film's kick-start is announced. Instead, Sajid would address his audience LIVE on YouTube, take them to the actual location of 'muhurat' and then the film would be announced." 

While Ajay Devgn, Vashu Bhagnani and other cast & crew members are flying down to Hyderabad for the 'muhurat', Sajid is supervising necessary logistical arrangements along with UTV to make this as a first of its kinds shoot which is also expected to act as a trailblazer. 

When contacted, Sajid confirmed that the details. "The idea has always been to connect with my audience and with Himmatwala this would happen from Day One of the film's shoot." 

The 'muhurat' would be held at 1 PM on 22nd August.

Ramcharan to buy a house in Mumbai

The neo-Zanjeer's leading man Ramcharan is dead serious about pursuing a parallel career in Mumbai. Last week, he was in the city to hunt around for a home. The actor apparently consulted his Mumbai mentor Salman Khan on the best possibilities for acquiring a residence in Mumbai.

Ramcharan has now zeroed in on property in the Bandra area of Mumbai, quite close to where Salman and his family live. 

While the other South Indian superstars like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Ramcharan's fat

her Chiranjeevi had done successful films in Bollywood and then gone back to home turf happy to be the king in their own jungle, Rancharan, we are told by a very close friend of his, is determined to establish a parallel career in Hindi. 

"He is already the numero uno in Hyderabad. Ram doesn't want Zanjeer to be a one-off blockbuster in Hindi like his dad's Pratibandh. He wants to build a career brick by brick in Mumbai. And that means setting up a home in Mumbai." 

Interestingly, Ramcharan's house hunt in Mumbai coincides with his wife Upasana Kamineni's (the heiress of the Apollo chain of hospitals) expansion plans in Mumbai. 

Says Ramcharan's friend, "Upasana and Ram want to set up a home in Mumbai from where they can pursue their respective careers. While she will work on the hospital project in Mumbai, Ramcharan intends to build his Bollywood career beyond Zanjeer. He has already given the nod to another film with theZanjeer director Apoorva Lakhia which will also star Abhishek Bachchan and is in talks with a leading corporate house in Mumbai for a lucrative 3-film deal." 

Last week, Ramcharan flew to Mumbai to check out property. Salman we hear played the good host and introduced him to builders and real-estate agents. 

Says Ramcharan's friend, "Ram has more or less zeroed in on the property he wants to buy. He also attended Salman's sister Arpita's birthday party." 

Ramcharan confirmed these property developments, "I was in Mumbai last week to buy a home. I saw three properties in and around Bandra. Now I am going back to Mumbai with my wife to finalize the deal. The deal will be sealed in a week."

'Bullet to the Head' Trailer: Sylvester Stallone Shoots Bad Guys, Pokes Fun at Age (Video)

The movie, an adaptation of the graphic novel, stars the "Expendable 2" actor as a New Orleans hitman who forms an alliance with a N.Y. cop to bring down the killers of their respective partners.

Sylvester Stallone, whose The Expendables 2 opened at No. 1 this weekend, will hit theaters again next year in the action movie Bullet to the Head.

Warner Bros. just released the first trailer for the movie, based on the graphic novel written by Matz and illlustrated by Colin Wilson. The plot centers on a New Orleans hitman (Stallone) who joins up with a New York City cop (Fast Five's Sung Kang) to form an alliance to bring down the killers of their respective partners.

The trailer features a lot of the action moviegoers have come to expect from a Stallone film, but the actor also pokes fun at his age -- and perhaps his status as a legendary action hero of the 1970s and '80s -- in the clip.

At one point, he and Kung are sitting in a car listening to Foreigner's 1978 hit song "Hot-Blooded," when Kung asks Stallone if they can "listen to something from this century."

Later, Stallone is talking about sounding like a "broken record," when Kung quips, "They don't even make records anymore."

Replies Stallone: "Great."

Walter Hill directed the movie, which co-stars Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Holt McCallany, Christian Slater, Sarah Shahi and Jason Momoa.

Earlier this year, the studio decided to delay the movie's release from April 13, 2012, to Feb. 1, 2013.

Expendables 2 opened at No. 1 this weekend with $28.8 million.

Watch the Bullet trailer below.

Jennifer Lopez Releasing 3D Concert Movie

Following in the footsteps of Justin Bieber and Katy Perry, Lopez is currently shooting footage for a documentary film to be called "Dance Again," according to her manager, Benny Medina.

Jennifer Lopez said she wanted to focus on her film career when she departed American Idol last month, and it sounds like she's doing just that.

Her manager, Benny Medina, told Extra TV on Saturday that the pop singer is currently filming for a 3D concert film, which will focus on "the last few years in Jennifer's life as she faced big changes." 

Following in the footsteps of Justin Bieber (Never Say Never) and Katy Perry (Part of Me), the film has the potential to earn box office gold with a 3D look at JLo's sold-out tours withEnrique Iglesias, her two-season stint judging American Idoland -- of course -- tumultuous divorce from Marc Anthony, life with her four-year-old twins, and her young relationship withCasper Smart. Bieber's 2011 3D film has grossed $98 million worldwide; Perry's 3D documentary, which was only released last month, has already grossed more than $30 million worldwide.

Medina told Extra that JLo's film will be called Dance Again, the title of her upbeat track with Pitbull and her world tour. According to her manager, the title reflects Lopez's ability to get back up and "dance again" after life throws her curve balls.  

Touchdown! Hollywood's Best Football Movies

Foreign Box Office: 'Dark Knight Rises' Narrowly Emerges No. 1 for Fifth Consecutive Round

Weak overseas session still pushes Batman sequel's total foreign gross $18.1 million past "Dark Knight"'s $469.7 million; No. 2 "Total Recall" tops in France and Brazil while "Expendables 2" flexes muscle in three markets.

A lethargic late-summer session on the foreign circuit still generated enough box office momentum to propel The Dark Knight Rises to the No. 1 spot for the fifth consecutive round, and to push the film’s overseas gross total past that of its franchise predecessor, 2008’s The Dark Knight.

The $20.6-million weekend tally recorded by Rises in 61 offshore markets (down 42% from last weekend) was the 2012’s third lowest for a No. 1-ranked title.  Still, as per Warner Bros., directorChristopher Nolan’s final Batman title hoisted its foreign cume to $487.8 million -- $18.1 million more than Dark Knight’s $469.7 million.

That gap should widen since Rises opens in Greece this week, China on Aug. 27 and in Italy on Aug. 29.  The two biggest Risesmarkets to date by far are the U.K. (market cume of $77.7 million over five rounds) and Australia ($40.5 million also over five stanzas). 

The weekend’s notable foreign circuit newcomer was The Expendables 2 costarring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Dammes and Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Universal opened the Millennium Films-Nu Image Films action sequel in Russia where it took the top market spot with $7.9 million drawn from 750 sites, 45% bigger than the opening market tally grossed by 2010’s The Expendables. In Italy, Universal recorded a No. 1 debut gross of $2 million at 259 playdates, 58% more than the original’s opening market tally. 

Lionsgate, the sequel’s U.S. distributor, is also handling the film in the U.K. where the opening tally was an estimated $2.8 million (including previews) at some 450 situations.  Russia, Italy, U.K. total comes to an estimated $12.7 million. (The original Expendables grossed a total $171.4 million overseas versus $103.1 million in the U.S. and Canada.)

Opening No. 1 in France and Brazil was Sony’s Total Recall, which generated $19 million on the weekend at a total of 5,900 screens in 53 markets. The remake, starring Colin Farrell, of the 1990 Carolco Pictures original starring Schwarzenegger, made its foreign debut on Aug.1, and has collected a foreign gross total of $58.2 million thus far.

Biggest market was South Korea, where Recall premiered No. 3 after two local productions with $5.2 million extracted from 439 sites. France came up with $3.5 million from 524 locales while Brazil kicked in $2 million at 448 venues. Recall ranks as the weekend’s No. 2 title.

No. 3,The Bourne Legacy--the fourth episode of the espionage franchise inspired by Robert Ludlum’s novels--co-starring Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton, broadened its run by five territories, and drew $18.2 million from 2,042 locations in 18 territories in all.

Legacy’s No. 3 U.K. debut generated $7.4 million (including previews) at 498 sites while its first-place Australia opener contributed $4.9 million at 251 sites, which distributor Universal said represented a 37% market share. A No. 3 Spain introduction generated $2.5 million (including previews) at 353 spots. Mexico opens this week.

Fourth was Marvel’s The Avengers, which is winding up its spectacular 17-round foreign campaign (grossing $863.9 million to date) with a stop in Japan. The Disney release generated $18 million (including previews) in its full opening stanza there. Worldwide take for the comic book action caper weighs in at $1.482 billion.

No. 5 was Pixar’s animation title Brave, also distributed by Disney, which has accumulated $179.2 million overseas so far thanks in part to a $14.4 million weekend playing in 46 territories. The film’s $408.3 million global cume makes Brave the 11th consecutive Pixar title to exceed the $400-million gross benchmark worldwide.

Ted, director Seth MacFarlane’s comedy-fantasy starring Mark Wahlberg, pushed its international gross total to $138.4 million (with 32 territories still to play) thanks to a $11.8 million weekend at 2,750 locations in 26 markets. A No. 2 third round holdover in the U.K. produced $3.1 million at 456 sites for a 17-day market cume of $34.5 million.  Greece and Hungary open this week via distributor Universal.

Hoisting its foreign cume nearly to the $650-million mark ($647.3 million) was Twentieth Century-Fox’s Ice Age: Continental Drift, which bagged $10.1 million on the weekend at 7,055 venues in 58 territories. The animation sequel is breathing harder on its 2009 franchise predecessor, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, which grossed$694million overseas. 

Lionsgate’s release of Summit Entertainment’s Step Up Revolution looks to dance away with $9.2 million from some 2,700 screens in 33 markets, lifting the sequel’s foreign cume to $46.3 million (worldwide, $83.4 million).

The latest title in the dance-drama series costarring Kathryn McCormick and Ryan Guzman has grossed $13.6 million from territories handled by Universal including France where Revolutionregistered a No. 4 weekend of $1.4 million at 251 locations for a 12-day market cume of $4.8 million.

DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, currently in its 11th round of overseas playdates, grossed $5.7 million on the weekend at 2,226 locations in 42 territories.  Overseas cume for the Paramount release stands at $352.3 million. Openings in Italy and Italian-speaking Switzerland are on tap this week.   

Universal’s release of ParaNorman, Laika Entertainment’s 3D stop motion animation follow-up toCaroline, drew $2 million on the weekend at 940 sites in nine markets for an overseas cume so far of $7.6 million.  Openings in six territories including Germany and Russia are due this week. 

Opening sluggishly at No. 8 in France was director Anne Le Ny’s drama/fantasy Cornouaille(Cornwall) starring Vanessa Paradis.  The UGC Distribution release about a young woman visiting the house owned by her deceased father drew an estimated $870,000 from 350 situations.

Other international cumes: Fox’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, $44.5 million (after a $1.7 weekend at 1,569 situations in 17 markets); Universal’s What To Expect When You’re Expecting, $6.2 million in Universal territories only; Paramount’s The Dictator, $110 million; Fox’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, $8.8 million; Paramount’s Katy Perry: Part of Me, $6.6 million; and Fox’s Prometheus, $201.9 million.  

News Corp. PR Veteran Jack Horner Jumps to Warner Bros.

Horner will take a senior publicity role at the film studio.

Jack Horner, a veteran corporate communications executive for News Corp., is jumping to Warner Bros., sources tell The Hollywood and Bollywood Data base.

As vp corporate affairs and communications at the Rupert Murdoch-led News Corp., Horner has been on the front lines of the evolving phone-hacking scandal at the company's defunct News of the World newspaper.

Sources say Horner has accepted a senior publicity position in the Warner Bros. motion picture group and will work primarily with film studio chief Jeff Robinov and marketing head Sue Kroll, as well as contribute to the studio's overall publicity strategy. Warners has been searching for a seasoned PR executive to fill the post for some time. As the New York Times noted in April 2011, the studio has engaged publicist Kelly Bush as an outside consultant for the past few years. It's not clear what impact Horner's hiring will have on Bush's relationship with the studio.

Horner is expected to start at Warner Bros. in September. He will relocate from New York to Burbank.

New 'Fringe' promo features parental Peter and Olivia, a peek at Observaggedon

Comic-Con last month presented the first trailer forFringe‘s final season. But that preview was created before production on season 5 began and primarily featured footage only from the Fox show’s time-jumping 19th episode of season 4, so fans have been eagerly anticipating the first real look at the fifth and final season, which starts airing Friday, Sept. 28. Now that wait is over: The promo for the season premiere has hit the web.

The video’s YouTube page declares the premiere title to be the name of Peter and Olivia’s child, “Etta,” which is a change from the much more of a mouthful, previously announced title, “Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11.” Take a look at the promo featuring what would be a nightmare for any Observer-fearing parent below:

Indeed, “They are coming” seems to be the apt and ominous tagline for the final season (even if it may adopt an unintended second meaning after Anna Torv’s slip-up-turned-panel theme at Comic-Con). Although it looks like we won’t immediately be jumping into 2036, the Observer-ruled future where the final 13 episodes of Fringe are expected to primarily reside.

And another observation (there’s just so much observing going on with Fringe, isn’t there?): There’s a wedding ring on Peter’s left hand! Here’s hoping that we’ll get to see a Bishop-Dunham wedding ceremony.

There was a lot of talk after the future-revealing “Letters of Transit” episode aired that Fringehad made quite the catch for casting Olivia and Peter’s grown daughter. At EW’s Comic-Con party, Torv told us she was quite eager to have a fellow Aussie, Georgina Haig, be playing the new character. Fringe fans, what do you think of the brief peek at the younger version of Henrietta?

Box Office Report: 'Expendables 2' No. 1 With $28.8 Mil, Less Than First

"ParaNorman" pulls ahead of "Sparkle" to land at No. 3; "Odd Life of Timothy Green" performs better than expected.

A crush of new films -- led by The Expendables 2 -- opened on the softer side as the dog days of August gripped the North American box office.

One exception was Disney's whimsical drama The Odd Life of Timothy Green, which met its mark in posting a five-day debut of $15.2 million on the strength of younger and older females (the movie opened on Wednesday).

Expendables 2, from Lionsgate and Millennium Films, easily topped the box office with $28.8 million, but came in $6 million behind The Expendables, which debuted to $34.8 million on the same weekend in 2010.

The sequel has even more star power, having added Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Liam Hemsworth to its lineup. And while Arnold Schwarzenegger made a cameo in the first film, he's featured far more this time around.

The rest of the cast includes Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture and Terry Crews.

Financially, Lionsgate is on solid ground, having acquired North American and U.K. rights to Expendables 2 for $35 million.

Lionsgate executive vice president of distribution David Spitzsays there are several reasons why Expendables 2 will have long legs. One is the film's A- CinemaScore, portending good worth of mouth (the first film received a B+).

The sequel also played older than the 2010 title, with 65 percent of the audience over the age of 25, versus 60 percent for Expendables.

"We think we'll have a great run," Spitz said. "Older audiences don't rush out to the cinema on opening weekend."

Bourne Legacy came in No. 2 in its second weekend, grossing $17 million for a domestic total of $69.6 million. Overseas, the pic grossed $18.2 million from 18 territories for an early international total of $28.1 and worldwide cume of $97.7 million.

Among the weekend's other new films, Focus Features' family entry ParaNorman came in No. 3, grossing $14 million. The 3D stop-motion pic, earning a B+ CinemaScore, was produced by Laika, the creative force behind Coraline.

ParaNorman came in on the low end of expectations and behind Coraline's $16.8 million debut in February 2009. One milestone -- the movie is playing in 3,429 locations, the widest bow ever for Focus.

The tale of boy who must stop the destruction of his hometown by a witch's spell, ParaNorman is voiced by Casey Affleck, Tempestt Bledsoe, Jeff Garlin, John Goodman, Anna Kendrickand Leslie Mann. 

Warner Bros.' raunchy political comedy The Campaign, starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, placed No. 4, grossing $13.4 million in its second weekend for a domestic total of $51.7 million.

TriStar's musical drama Sparkle -- Whitney Houston's final movie -- came in No. 5 in its debut, grossing $12 million (also the low end of expectations). The film received a glowing A CinemaScore and cost a modest $14 million to produce.

The remake of the 1976 film stars American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, Derek Luke, Mike Epps,Cee Lo Green, Cameron Ejogo and Tika Sumpter and is about three sisters who form a singing group in Detroit during the Motown era. Houston plays their mother.

Timothy Green, starring Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton as a childless couple who dream up a 10-year-old boy, received an A- CinemaScore.

Disney also made box office headlines as Brave jumped the $400 million mark at the worldwide box office, the 11th Pixar title to reach the milestone.