Big Gay Picture Show

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema and more

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema & more

Monsters University Video Interview – Director Dan Scanlon & producer Kori Rae talk about the movie

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Monsters University reached DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on November 11th, as ahead of that, Disney has provided us with a great video interview with director Dan Scanlon and producer Kori Rae, who talk about the work that went into the creation of the film.

As always with Pixar movies, it difficult not to be impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication the makers have for their films and the effort that goes into them.

If you didn’t catch it in cinemas, you’ll have to make sure you watch Monsters University when it arrives on DVD and Blu-ray, as it’s great fun. [Read more…]

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The Conjuring Tops The US Box Office, With Turbo & RIPD Faltering

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conjuring-posterLast week a sequel to The Conjuring was announced, which suggested Warner Bros had an inkling it would do well. They were right, as the James Wan directed horror movie, which cost just $20 million to make, grossed $41 million in its first three days in cinemas to top the US box office.

It’s the top opening ever for an original R-rated horror movie, and more than the far pricier Pacific Rim took in its first weekend last week.

All the other new openers cost a lot more to make, but none of them made much of a dent in the box office. DreamWorks Animation’s Turbo took the number three spot with $21.5 million and $31.2 million since it opened last Wednesday. The company will be hoping that good word of mouth will help keep the gross up over the coming weeks, but it’s not an amazing start, especially as it opened behind the third weekend of Despicable Me 3.

Indeed it was a bad weekend for Ryan Reynolds all round, as not only does he voice the title character in Turbo, but he also stars in R.I.P.D., which became the summer’s latest big budget bomb, grossing a paltry $12 million in its first weekend. As it cost $130 million to make, it’s going to end up losing an awful lot of cash.

R.I.P.D. placed seventh on the chart, and while Red 2 did a little better than that, with a fifth place finish and an $18.5 million gross it still didn’t have a lot to cheer. That’s lower than the $21 million the first film opened to. That earlier film became a word of mouth hit, which should have ensured a good opening gross for a sequel, but it seem audiences simply aren’t interested.

Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of July 19th-21st.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 The Conjuring $41.5 $41.5
2 Despicable Me 2 $25.0 $276.1
3 Turbo $21.5 $31.2
4 Grown Ups 2 $20.0 $79.5
5 Red 2 $18.5 $18.5
6 Pacific Rim $15.9 $68.2
7 R.I.P.D. $12.7 $12.7
8 The Heat $9.3 $129.2
9 World War Z $5.2 $186.9
10 Monsters University $5.0 $248.9
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Despicable Me 2 Beats Grown Up 2 & Pacific Rim At The US Box Office

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Despicable-Me-2-posterDespite two new big releases this week, Despicable Me managed to hold onto the top spot at the US box office for a second week, taking another $44 million for an excellent total of $229 million so far.

However what analysts were really watching was whether Pacific Rim could beat Grown Ups 2. In the end it couldn’t, as Grown Ups 2 took $42.5 million, despite being reviled by the critics. That’s slightly ahead of the first Grown Ups film, and the second biggest start even for Adam Sandler (after The Longest Yard), which is good news for him after a series of disappointments.

Pacific Rim placed third with $38.3 million, which may be the highest opening ever for director Guillermo Del Toro, but certainly isn’t great for a movie that cost $200 million to produce. Thankfully though, it’s slightly more than some had expected after soft tracking for the robots vs. monsters movie. While it may eventually reach $100 million in the US, its only real hope of turning a profit is with a stellar international performance.

Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of July 12th-14th.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 Despicable Me 2 $44.7 $229.2
2 Grown Ups 2 $42.5 $42.5
3 Pacific Rim $38.3 $38.3
4 The Heat $14.0 $112.3
5 The Lone Ranger $11.1 $71.1
6 Monsters University $10.6 $237.7
7 World War Z $9.4 $177.0
8 White House Down $6.1 $62.9
9 Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain $5.0 $26.3
10 Man Of Steel $4.8 $280.9
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Despicable Me 2 Massively Beats The Lone Ranger At The US Box Office

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Despicable-Me-2-posterWith Independence Day on a Thursday, Hollywood was hoping for a busy four-day holiday weekend, and they got one, even if it was a far better time for Universal than Disney.

Despicable Me 2 grossed a massive $142 million since it opened last Wednesday, marking one of the best starts ever for an animated movie. It’s particularly impressive for a non Pixar or DreamWorks Animation (or indeed Ice Age) movie, and far more than the $56 million the first film took in its first three days in 2010.

However while Universal will be all smiles today, there are likely to be a lot more frowns over at Disney. After spending $250 million on The Lone Ranger, the film grossed just $48.9 million in its first five days. That may not sound too horrific, but on the actual weekend it took just $29.4 million. Analysts are already suggesting it may struggle to hit $100 million in the US, and would therefore need a gargantuan overseas haul to make back its money. Some feel Disney could lose as much as $150 million on the film, once marketing and other costs are taken into account.

The only other new entry in the top 10 was the stand-up comedy film Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain. It’s yet another case of Hollywood not understanding the African-American audience and then being surprised by a film aimed at them becoming a success. The film took $17.4 million over the holiday, which already makes it the fifth highest grossing stand-up film ever in the US.

Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of July 5th-7th.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 Despicable Me 2 $82.5 $142.0
2 The Lone Ranger $29.4 $48.9
3 The Heat $25.0 $86.3
4 Monsters University $19.5 $216.3
5 World War Z $18.2 $158.7
6 White House Down $13.5 $50.4
7 Man Of Steel $11.4 $271.2
8 Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain $10.1 $17.4
9 This Is The End $5.8 $85.5
10 Now You See Me $2.7 $110.4
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Monsters University Beats The Heat To The Top Of The US Box Office, With White House Down Flopping

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Monsters-University-Poster4As most had expected, Monsters University stayed atop the US box office, taking another $46 million for a very healthy total so far of $171 million. Now all eyes will be seeing whether the film can stay strong once Despicable Me 2 is released on Friday.

The race for the new released was for the second spot, with The Heat taking the runners up position with a surprisingly strong $40 million opening weekend. That’s the top opening ever for Sandra Bullock and Paul Feig, and the highest for Melissa McCarthy in a starring role. Although it’s unlikely to top Feig’s Bridemaids in the long run, it undoubtedly got off to a good start.

Many had expected it to be a close race to the number two position between The Heat and White House Down, but in the end the former ran away with it. Roland Emmerich’s action movie ended up flopping with $25 million, with many suggesting the fact it came so close to the similarly themed Olympus Has Fallen and with a glut of male-oriented action movies in cinemas, there simply wasn’t room for the film.

It’s the second flop in a row for Sony Pictures following After Earth, which is causing a lot of unrest with the company’s shareholders. Indeed many are asking for the very variable film unit to be spun off into a separate company to it has less effect on the overall corporation.

Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of June 28th-30th.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 Monsters University $46.1 $171.0
2 The Heat $40.0 $40.0
3 World War Z $29.8 $123.7
4 White House Down $25.7 $25.7
5 Man Of Steel $20.8 $248.6
6 This Is The End $8.7 $74.6
7 Now You See Me $5.5 $104.6
8 Fast & Furious 6 $2.4 $233.3
9 Star Trek Into Darkness $2.0 $220.5
10 The Internship $1.4 $41.7
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Monsters University Tops The US Box Office, With World War Z A Strong Second

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Monsters-University-Poster1As expected Monsters University topped the US box office, taking a strong $82 million in its first three days. That’s marks Pixar’s 14th straight film to top the box office, and it’s their second highest debut ever, behind only Toy Story 3. The film is also likely to hold up well in the coming weeks, becoming yet another big hit for the studio.

While everyone had expected Monsters University to do well, there were big question marks over World War Z, due to its troubled production history and mixed reviews. In the end it’s ended up doing surprisingly well too, taking $66 million.

That’s a great start for a film some were predicting would be the flop of the summer, and indeed one of the best starts ever for a disaster film. And according to BoxOfficeMojo figures, its already the fourth highest grossing zombie film ever! Add in another $100 million from its international opening, and Paramount is well on the way to making back its $200 million budget. Indeed, there’s already talk that they’re now moving forward with the planned sequels.

Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of June 21st-23rd.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 Monsters University $82.0 $82.0
2 World War Z $66.0 $66.0
3 Man Of Steel $41.2 $210.0
4 This Is The End $13.0 $5.7.7
5 Now You See Me $7.8 $94.4
6 Fast & Furious 6 $4.6 $228.4
7 The Internship $3.4 $38.3
8 The Purge $3.4 $59.4
9 Star Trek Into Darkness $3.0 $216.6
10 Iron Man 3 $2.1 $401.1
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Final Monsters University Trailer – Everybody wants to scare

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It’s not too long now until Monsters University hits cinemas (June 21st in the US and July 12th in the UK), so Disney-Pixar has decided to help up the hype with a final trailer, which is a little heavier on plot and features plenty of new footage.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer.  The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.

‘Screaming with laughter and oozing with heart, Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”), produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”) and features music from future Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame–inductee and award winning composer Randy Newman (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Toy Story 3”). The film opens in U.K. cinemas on July 12, 2013, and will be shown in Disney Digital 3D™ in select cinemas.’

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New Monsters University Trailer – Sulley and Mike enrol in college

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We’ve had a couple of teasers and trailers for Monsters University, but they’ve been rather light on plot. That’s been remedied with a brand new promo, which gives us a great feel for the film, with Mike and Sulley at university, but Mike having difficulty fitting in and convincing anybody that he should be a scarer.

On this evidence it looks like it’s going to be another winner from Pixar.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer.  The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.

‘Screaming with laughter and oozing with heart, Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”), produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”) and features music from future Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame–inductee and award winning composer Randy Newman (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Toy Story 3”). The film opens in U.K. cinemas on July 12, 2013, and will be shown in Disney Digital 3D™ in select cinemas.’

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Mike Gets Stuck (To The Wall) In A New Monsters University Poster

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Monsters-University-Poster4
Disney/Pixar has released a new UK poster for Monsters University, suggest poor Mike isn’t going to be having a good time in the movie, where he’s subject to the pranks of his fellow fraternity brothers, including future best friend Sulley.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer.  The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.

‘Screaming with laughter and oozing with heart, Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”), produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”) and features music from future Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame–inductee and award winning composer Randy Newman (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Toy Story 3”). The film opens in UK. cinemas on July 12, 2013, and will be shown in Disney Digital 3D™ in select cinemas.’

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Nathan Fillion, John Krasinski & Bonnie Hunt Join Monsters University

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monsters-university-Greek-week1Disney/Pixar has revealed more of the voice cast for the upcoming Monsters University, letting us know that the likes of Nathan Fillion, John Krasinski, Bonnie Hunt, Sean P. Hayes, Charlie Day, Aubrey Plaza and Alfred Molina will be joining Monsters Inc. voice actors Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and Dave Foley. (And yes, we know Bonnie Hunt was in the Monster’s Inc, but she’ll be voicing a different character this time).

We’ve previously been told that Helen Mirren, Julia Sweeney, Joel Murray and Peter Sohn also have parts.

Nathan Fillion is playing Johnny Worthington, a horned beast who’s the arrogant president of Roar Omega Roar, a fraternity at the campus that enlists notable scarer students. Krasinski will be ‘Frightening’ Frank McCay, a member of the star scaring team at Monsters, Inc, and an inspiration for both Mike and Sulley. Hunt meanwhile will be voicing Karen Graves, Mike’s grade school teacher.

The news comes at the same time at some ‘Greek Week’ fraternity and sorority posters have been released from the movie, which you can see above and below. In the film the different groups apparently come together for friendly competition. We’d

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn’t always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn’t stand each other. “Monsters University” unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.’

The film hits US cinemas on June 21st and arrives in the UK on July 12th. Click on the pics below for larger versions.

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