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

The Hunger Games – The Unseen Version (Blu-ray)

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In the early days of DVD, studios went to great trouble putting together really good packages, with feature-length documentaries, plenty of featurettes and various other bits and pieces to please film fans. These releases are becoming increasingly rare, with even major mega-budget blockbusters often getting paltry extras that are only there because they’re expected and give the marketers something to write on the back of the box. It’s nice then that The Hunger Games gets a two-disc Blu-ray release with around three hours of features, including an extremely good 122 minute ‘making of’ documentary. [Read more…]

Hunger Games: Mockingjay Officially Split In Two

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After a lot of speculation, Lionsgate has officially confirmed that the final installment of The Hunger Games franchise will be split into two movies. The studio announced that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 will be released on November 21st, 2014, with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 ending the series November 20th, 2015.

Lionsgate has been thinking about this for a while, but needed to ensure it could get the key actors to agree to an extra movie before officially announcing the move. Splitting the last story in a major novel-to-film franchise has almost become common practice as of late, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into two parts, and Summit doing the same with Stephenie Meyer’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire goes into production next month, which is set for release on November 22nd, 2013. Francis Lawrence is directing the sequel, although it’s too early to tell if he will be back for this two-part finale. (Source: Variety)

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Men In Black III Tops Memorial Day US Box Office

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The Avengers has finally been toppled from the top of the US box office, with Men In Black 3 taking $70 million over the Memorial Day weekend. It’s not quite the $75-$80 million that Sony was hoping for it’s not a bad start, and the studio certainly can’t be upset that worldwide the movie took just over $200 million, suggesting it’ll make back its hefty investment in the movie even if it doesn’t end up as profitable as the earlier films in the series.

The only other new entry in the top 10 is Chernobyl Diaries, which took a soft $9.3 million. Although not as much as some expected, as it’s a low budget flick, it could be worse.

Outside the top 10, Moonrise Kingdom got off to a great start, taking $669,000 on only four screens for an incredibly impressive per screen average of $167,000. It’s an incredibly good opening and suggests the Wes Anderson movie will do very well as it expands onto more screens over the coming week.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 Men In Black 3 $70 $70
2 The Avengers $46.8 $523.5
3 Battleship $13.7 $47.2
4 The Dictator $11.7 $43.6
5 Dark Shadows $9.4 $64.8
6 Chernobyl Diaries $9.3 $9.3
7 What To Expect When You’re Expecting $8.8 $23.8
8 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel $8.2 $18.4
9 The Hunger Games $2.8 $395.8
10 Think Like A Man $1.8 $88.6
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Avengers Sinks Battleship At US Box Office

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The Avengers once again smashed allcomers at the US box office, taking another $55 million over the weekend to take its total to an incredibly impressive $457 million. It believed that its continued success at attracting repeat business is one of the reasons Universal’s Battleship opened to a disappointing $25 million, well below the $35-$40 million that had been expected.

It’s a big blow to the film, which may have made $200 million outside the US, but is unlikely to break $100 million in America, ensuring the film will make a loss. So while Universal was hoping for a Transformers style franchise, that’s no longer likely to happen.

It wasn’t the only film that underplayed as The Dictator took $17 million over the weekend for a total of $25 million since it opened last Wednesday. Thankfully though, it took $45 million overseas in the terriories it opened in, ensuring that while the US has been weak, it should make a profit worldwide.

Even a film designed to attract a very different audience to the male dominated summer blockbusters failed to attract an audience, with What To Expect When You’re Expecting taking just $10.5 million. Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of May 18th-20th.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 The Avengers $55.0 $457.0
2 Battleship $25.3 $25.3
3 The Dictator $17.4 $24.4
4 Dark Shadows $12.7 $50.9
5 What To Expect When You’re Expecting $10.5 $10.5
6 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel $3.2 $8.2
7 The Hunger Games $3.0 $391.6
8 Think Like A Man $2.7 $85.8
9 The Lucky One $1.7 $56.9
10 The Pirates! Band Of Misfits $1.4 $25.3
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Avengers Becomes First Film To Make $100 Million In Its Second Weekend

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After its record-breaking $207 million opening in the US last week, The Avengers isn’t done with setting firsts, as it’s become the first movie to ever make $100 at the North American box office in its second weekend, taking $103 million. On the way to that it became the fastest film ever to reach $300 and $350 million.

The film had plenty to cheer worldwide too, and globally its take now stands at $1.03, equalling Avatar and Harry 8’s record of getting there in only 17 days, an achievement made more impressive by the fact those film opened pretty much everywhere on the same day, while Avengers didn’t reach the US until a week and a half after its first openings in some other countries.

While Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows had been expected to open in the $35 million range, it ended up disappointing with only $25 million. It’s a lot softer than Warner Bros. would have been hoping and won’t be helped by relatively poor word of mouth over the coming weeks.

The only other new entry in the top 10 was the Eva Mendes comedy-drama Girl In Progress, which took $1.35 million to place 10th on the chart. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel also made its first appearance in the top 10, after expanding onto more screens following its limited opening last week. The movie took $2.6 million to place eighth.

Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of May 11th-13th.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 The Avengers $103.1 $373.1
2 Dark Shadows $28.8 $28.8
3 Think Like A Man $6.3 $81.9
4 The Hunger Games $4.4 $386.9
5 The Lucky One $4.0 $53.7
6 The Pirates! Band Of Misfits $3.2 $23.1
7 The Five-Year Engagement $3.1 $24.3
8 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel $2.6 $3.7
9 Chimpanzee $1.6 $25.5
10 Girl In Progress $1.3 $1.3
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Avengers Smashes US Opening Weekend Record

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This weekend exactly 10 years ago, an adaptation of a Marvel comic became the very first movie to make $100 million is a single weekend. That film was Spider-man and now, a decade on, another Marvel property has become the first movie to power past $200 million in only three days in the US, smashing numerous records in the process.

The film took $200.3 million on its US release, which is by far the biggest opening ever, ahead of last year’s Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2’s $169 million. It became the fastest film to $100 million, $150 million and $200 million, took the biggest Saturday ($69.7 million) and Sunday ($50.1 milion) gross ever and had the highest per-theatre average ever for a nationwide release of $46,057.

Perhaps just as impressively its already beaten the lifetime US take of Thor, Captain America and the Incredible Hulk, and will almost certainly pass both Iron Man films by next weekend. It’s a massive vindication of Marvel’s plan to make a series of interconnected movies and will ensure we see many more movies featuring the characters in the future.

The only bad news what that The Avengers dominance meant all the other movies in the top 10 took a big hit, but cinema owners are unlikely to be complaining, and will hope this is only the beginning of a huge summer. Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of May 4th-6th 2012.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 The Avengers $200.3 $200.3
2 Think Like A Man $8.0 $72.0
3 The Hunger Games $5.7 $380.7
4 The Lucky One $5.5 $47.9
5 The Pirates! Band Of Misfits $5.4 $18.5
6 The Five-Year Engagement $5.1 $19.2
7 The Raven $2.5 $12.0
8 Safe $2.4 $12.8
9 Chimpanzee $2.3 $23.0
10 The Three Stooges $1.8 $39.6
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Think Like A Man Tops US Box Office Again

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After surprising many with its strong $30 million plus opening last week, Think Like A Man has continued its successful run at the US box office topping the chart for a second week with $18 million. It beat out quite a few new movies, none of which found a particularly big audience.

The Pirates! Band Of Misfits did best of the new entries, placing second with $11.4 million, which was about in line with expectations. And yes, it is the same film as The Pirates In An Adventure With Scientists, but got a bit of a title change as US marketing people thought the word ‘scientists’ would turn kids off.

The Five-Year Engagement landed with a bit of a thud, underperforming with only $11.1 million. Going in to the weekend, some analysts thought the Jason Segel and Emily Blunt rom-com had a chance of topping the chart, but it appear audiences weren’t interested, perhaps because there are already several other movies hoovering up the female audience at the moment.

It did however beat out the Jason Statham film Safe, which placed sixth on the chart with $7.7 million, as well as The Raven, which came seventh on the chart with $7.2 million.

Next weekend it’ll be all change as The Avengers will hit the US this week, with many expecting a $150 million plus opening weekend. The movie is already making waves outside the US, making a huge $178 million even though it only opened in around 75% of territories. In the UK, the film pulled in a rather stellar $15 million, one of the best openings ever and the best for a superhero movie.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 Think Like A Man $18.0 $60.8
2 The Pirates! Band Of Misfits $11.4 $11.4
3 The Lucky One $11.3 $39.9
4 The Hunger Games $11.2 $372.4
5 The Five-Year Engagement $11.1 $11.1
6 Safe $7.7 $7.7
7 The Raven $7.2 $7.2
8 Chimpanzee $5.4 $19.1
9 The Three Stooges $5.4 $37.1
10 Cabin In The Woods $4.5 $34.6
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Think Like A Man Tops The US Box Office

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Hollywood has never quite gotten to grips with the African American audience, so that every time a film with a largely black cast does well, it’s treated as a massive surprise. That’s certainly the case with Think Like A Man, which was barely on most people’s radar but scored a huge $33 million opening to top the box office chart.

The film knocked the movie many had expected to top the chart, The Lucky One, into second spot with $22 million. It’s certainly not a bad start for a romantic drama and marks a rare weekend when two female-focussed movies have opened strong against one another.

Disneynature’s Chimpanzee opened in fourth spot with $10.3 million, which is the biggest opening ever for a nature documentary. Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of April 20th-22nd.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 Think Like A Man $33.0 $33.0
2 The Lucky One $22.8 $22.8
3 The Hunger Games $14.5 $356.9
4 Chimpanzee $10.2 $10.2
5 The Three Stooges $9.2 $29.3
6 Cabin In The Woods $7.7 $26.9
7 American Reunion $5.2 $48.3
8 Titanic 3D $5.0 $52.8
9 21 Jump Street $4.6 $127.0
10 Mirror Mirror $4.1 $55.2
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Director Francis Lawrence Offered Hunger Games Sequel

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Once Gary Ross officially confirmed that he wouldn’t direct Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire, there’s been a lot of speculation over who would replace him. Lionsgate has been scrambling to find a replacement so that the movie can keep with its plan to shoot this autumn (something that’s vital as Catching Fire needs to wrap by December so Jennifer Lawrence can move on to X-Men: First Class 2).

Now Variety reports that I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence has been chosen by Lionsgate to helm Catching Fire, with a formal offer expected to be issued imminently. Bennett Miller (Moneyball) was the other front runner, and both directors met with the studio yesterday before Lionsgate made their final choice. Other directors being considered included Tomas Alfredson, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Cary Fukunaga, and Duncan Jones.

Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth are all returning for the sequel, which already has a release date set of November 22nd, 2013.

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Hunger Games Tops US Box Office For The Fourth Week

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Although it held the top spot more due to a lack of new breakout hits than anything else, The Hunger Games is now the first film since Avatar to stay at number 1 on the US box office chart for four weeks running. It added another $21.5 million to take its total to an impressive $337 million.

That meant the weekend’s main new releases had to settle for second and third spot, with The Three Stooges doing the best, taking $17.1 million. It’s reported that the audiences largely consisted of under-25s, the group who know least about the real Stooges, but who do like the Farrelly Brothers’ brand of comedy.

Cabin In The Woods took third spot with an okay but not particularly great $14.8 million. Despite great reviews, it appears the general audience didn’t take to it, with reports that many disliked it due to the fact it wasn’t the generic splatter horror movie they thought they were getting (and films do tend to get pilloried in the word of mouth stakes if they aren’t exactly what they appear to be from the marketing).

The only other new entry in the top 10 was Lockout, which took a rather disappointing $6.2 million to finish in 9th place. It’s off from most other recent Luc Besson produced action, and suggests audiences didn’t take to its ‘Escape From New York but in space’ premise.

Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of April 13th-15th.

Rank Title Weekend Gross (millions) Total Gross to date (millions)
1 The Hunger Games $21.5 £337
2 The Three Stooges $17.1 $17.1
3 Cabin In The Woods $14.8 $14.8
4 Titanic 3D $11.6 $44.4
5 American Reunion $10.7 $39.9
6 Mirror Mirror $7.0 $49.4
7 Wrath Of The Titans $6.9 $71.2
8 21 Jump Street $6.8 $120.5
9 Lockout $6.2 $6.2
10 Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax $3.0 $204.4
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