The Last Exorcism Takes Lead at Box Office

Latest News Updates in Showbiz: The fright flick “The Last Exorcism” and the heist thriller “Takers” were in a photo finish for the top spot at the weekend box office.

Lionsgate’s “The Last Exorcism” had a thin lead with a $21.3 million debut, closely followed by Sony’s “Takers” with a $21 million opening. They were close enough that rankings could change after final numbers are released today.

Both “The Last Exorcism” and “Takers” debuted well above studio expectations, although the openings were modest compared with most big summer debuts.

Overall revenues came in at $115 million, down 8 percent compared with the same weekend last year, when the horror tale “The Final Destination” opened on top with $27.4 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

“The Last Exorcism,” about an exorcist trying to cast out a demon from a teenager, cost just $2 million to produce, and Lionsgate bought domestic distribution rights for less than $1 million. “Takers,” which cost a modest $32 million to make, features T.I., Matt Dillon, Hayden Christensen, Paul Walker and Idris Elba in a thriller about bank robbers pursued by a tough cop.

Angelina Jolie Says She Was Scarred by Salt

Angelina Jolie Says She Was Scarred by Salt: latest news about Angelina Jolie Says She Was Scarred by Salt update, She wasn’t computer generated. She wasn’t even wearing a costume.

That didn’t stop Angelina Jolie, clad in a snug shiny black jacket, from dazzling the crowd at Comic-Con on Thursday afternoon as she promoted her spy action-thriller “Salt,” which opens Friday.

“She’s so pretty,” said convention goer Christina Torres, who waited Thursday morning in a line that snaked outside the San Diego Convention Center to catch Jolie in the flesh. “I mean, I always knew she was pretty, but when you see her in person, you realize just how pretty she is.”

The A-list actress tiptoed around fan questions about her mysterious character Evelyn Salt, who may or may not be a Russian spy.

“There’s a real duplicity to her personality,” she said. “There’s a part of her that’s not necessarily a good guy, and because of certain things that happened to her, she’s a bit damaged. She’s not just heroic. She’s not even. She’s not just brave. There’s something a little off about her, and maybe there’s something off about me.”

Jolie performed her own stunts in “Salt” and recounted an on-set injury to the audience that left her scarred. She sliced open part of her face just above her nose when tumbling into a doorway with a gun.

Jolie said she first thought she suffered a concussion because she couldn’t hear anything, but later realized she was wearing earplugs.

Comic-Con continues at the San Diego Convention Center through Sunday.

Salt Review, Salt Targets Inception at Box Office

Salt Review, Salt Targets Inception at Box Office: latest news about Salt Review, Salt Targets Inception at Box Office updates, Critics have lamented bland summer fare dominated by film sequels and franchise extensions, but for the second consecutive weekend moviegoers will be dished up an original big-screen concoction expected to reap tasty box office.

A week after “Inception” raked in $62.8 million during its first weekend, the Angelina Jolie spy thriller “Salt” will try to shake the Leonardo DiCaprio picture from the top spot.

Tracking surveys suggest “Salt” will collect up to $40 million during its first three days, down from the $50 million opening hauls for the actress’ similarly themed “Wanted” and “Mr and Mrs Smith.”

Produced for upward of $100 million, “Salt” originally was conceived as a Tom Cruise vehicle until being retooled for the female lead. Though expected to do big foreign business eventually, the picture isn’t getting an immediate global bow as many overseas markets are still sorting out inventory in the wake of soccer’s World Cup. The first international markets to screen “Salt” kick in next week, with notable foreign debuts set to continue through August.

“It’s going to work in both the U.S. and internationally but will probably gross more internationally,” Sony distribution president Rory Bruer said.

Directed by Phillip Noyce (“The Quiet American”), “Salt” weaves a tale of CIA intrigue that has Jolie’s character Evelyn Salt accused of being a Russian double agent. Co-stars include Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor (“2012″).

Also this weekend, Fox sends out the family comedy “Ramona and Beezus.” Disney’s misfire with “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” last weekend shows that segment of the moviegoing public still may be sated from previous releases such as “Despicable Me” and “Toy Story 3.” Limp tracking data suggest “Ramona” will register just $5 million-$7 million through Sunday.

“It’s a very charming mothers-and-daughters movie,” Fox distribution topper Bruce Snyder said.

“Ramona” production costs were modest at an estimated $15 million. Joey King, Selena Gomez and John Corbett star in a comedy inspired by a series of kids books.

Also Friday, Focus Features’ platforming dramedy “The Kids Are All Right” adds 163 theaters for a total of 201, with the acclaimed picture toting $1.8 million in sales heading into its third weekend.

Avater News World Box Office Record

LOS ANGELES: Science-fiction epic “Avatar” set a new world box office record, earning 1.85 billion dollars and sinking “Titanic” to become the highest grossing film of all time, figures showed Tuesday.

“On Monday, January 25, ‘Avatar’ officially passed ‘Titanic’ to become the highest grossing film in history at the worldwide box office,” 20th Century Fox studios said in a statement.

It added that Oscar-winning director James Cameron’s groundbreaking 3-D spectacular had by Monday taken 16 million dollars more than “Titanic,” which was also directed by Cameron.

“Avatar” had taken 1.859 billion dollars, compared with the box-office total for the 1997 Oscar-winning “Titanic” which took 1.843 billion dollars, the statement said.

Holidays Vampire Sequel ‘New Moon’ at Box Office

LOS ANGELES, News update: The ‘Twilight’ vampire romance sequel ‘New Moon’ took a record-breaking bite out of the North American box office this weekend, final figures showed on Monday.

The second big-screen installment adapted from Stephenie Meyer’s phenomenally successful books raked in an astounding 142.8 million dollars in three days, the third biggest opening of all time, Exhibitor Relations said.

Only Batman sequel “The Dark Knight” with 158.4 million dollars and “Spider-Man 3″ with 151.1 million dollars have scored bigger openings.

However, the “New Moon” earnings are considered remarkable because the film was released in November, outside of the traditional summer blockbuster season.

Although the movie was unable to dethrone “The Dark Knight” or “Spider-Man 3″ for highest opening weekend, it did set records for biggest midnight opening and opening day, figures showed.

The “Twilight” franchise follows the fortunes of high school teenager Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, and her vampire lover Edward Cullen, played by British heart-throb Robert Pattinson.

The success of “New Moon” left American football drama “The Blind Side” in second place.

The feel-good film, adapted from Michael Lewis’s 2006 book, is based on the real-life journey from rags to riches of Baltimore Ravens star Michael Oher.

Starring Sandra Bullock as the woman who helps Oher realize his dream, it earned a healthy 34.1 million dollars in its opening weekend.

In third place, end-of-the-world film “2012″ brought in 26.4 million dollars, more than double its next-runner-up, “Planet 51,” with 12.3 million.

“Disney’s A Christmas Carol” earned 12.2 million, trailed by acclaimed abuse saga “Precious” with 10.9 million dollars.

In seventh place was satire “The Men Who Stare At Goats,” starring George Clooney and Jeff Bridges as members of a military unit schooled in psychological warfare. The film took 2.8 million dollars.

Eighth spot was taken by comedy “Couples Retreat,” which earned 1.9 million dollars while extra-terrestrial drama “The Fourth Kind” was ninth with 1.7 million.

Michael Jackson concert movie “This Is It” completed the top 10 with 1.6 million dollars.

Small horror film slays ‘Saw’

“Saw VI” expected to win the box office, but a film reportedly made for $15K beat it out.

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Small horror film slays ‘Saw’

Priyanka goes BlueBlue

While the Bollywood box office is waiting for the release of Akshay Kumar’s Blue,Priyanka has made her hair go blue with blue funky streaks.

She says, “Oh, this is not for any movie. I have done it for myself. All these years I have been doing something or the other for a movie, but these blue streaks are just for fun. An idea that occurred to me randomly and I went ahead with it.”

“There are times when you want to do something different, I guess that is where the idea came from,” added the actress who played 12 different characters in her recently released.”

So folks love Priyanka’s blue streaks?

Roman Polanski, "SNL" F Bomb, National Parks: What’s the Buzz

by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day’s hottest searches.

Roman Polanski (Searches increased by 11,124%). The ex-pat director vowed to fight extradition from Switzerland. He was arrested there on a 30-year-old arrest warrant for statutory rape.
“SNL” F bomb (+696%). Newbie castmember Jenny Slate made a rookie mistake in the season opener. Contrary to the rumors, “SNL” says they won’t be dropping her for dropping the “F” word.
Yom Kippur 2009 dates (+678%). The Jewish Day of Atonement ends at nightfall.
Weekend box office (+304%). The animated children’s flick “Cloudy with a Chance o

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Roman Polanski, "SNL" F Bomb, National Parks: What’s the Buzz