`Star Wars' Spinoff; `Hannah' Lifts Movie Sales: Hollywood Buzz
On the way home from seeing the
original “Star Wars, 4-year-old Dave Filoni pretended he was
flying an X-wing fighter and shooting down bad guys.
Filoni, 33, is now piloting the animated “Star Wars: The
Clone Wars, the latest spinoff of creator George Lucass
lucrative franchise.
Like Filonis imaginary combat, his directorial debut in
feature films carries risks. Foremost, he said, are the legions
of “Star Wars fans who will be watching closely for any
inconsistencies in characters or mythology. To stay in tune, he
talks frequently with Lucas and re-watches the previous six
“Star Wars movies.
“Its very intimidating, said Filoni, who directed TVs
“Avatar: The Last Airbender. “The entire crew respects the
popularity of `Star Wars.
The animated film, which will be produced by Lucas and
distributed by Warner Bros., is scheduled to reach theaters in
August. It will focus on Anakin Skywalker before the young Jedi
knight turned to the dark side to become Darth Vader. The ending
will serve as a lead-in for a TV series set to start in the
fall.
The “Star Wars movies have generated $1.88 billion in
ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada, according to Box Office
Mojo.
Ticket Sales
Boosted by a low-budget monster movie and a teen concert
film, Hollywood ticket sales are off to a fast start in 2008.
Through last weekend, revenue was up 15 percent and
attendance increased 11 percent, compared with the same period a
year ago, according to Media by Numbers. At this time last year,
attendance was down 11 percent and sales had fallen 7 percent.
Sales are usually slow in January and February, when
studios focus marketing efforts on Oscar nominees. But the
release of Paramounts “Cloverfield, about a monster who
attacks New York City, and Walt Disneys “Hannah Montana
concert film have made this year an exception.
Both movies have benefited from a built-in audience –
“Cloverfield from fans of producer J.J. Abrams (“Lost) and
“Hannah from adolescent girls who watch her TV show.
“Cloverfield has taken in $76.4 million and “Hannah $54.1
million, according to Box Office Mojo.
The box office also has gotten a boost from best-picture
nominee “Juno, the years top-grossing film with $90.3
million since Jan. 1.
The last time attendance was up at this time of year was
2005, when December holdovers like “Meet the Fockers lifted
ticket sales 5.5 percent and sales 8.8 percent. Ultimately, the
numbers didnt add up to a happy ending. Receipts plunged 5.2
percent in 2005, the worst drop in 20 years.
Shorts
Short films, usually limited to film festivals and other
niche events, are now getting more exposure in U.S. theaters.
The nominees for best short live-action and animated movies
open today in about 60 U.S. cities. The five animated shorts
will play on one bill and the live-action films on another.
Magnolia Pictures, the distribution arm of Mark Cubans
2929 Entertainment, and Shorts International are co-distributing
the nominees for the third straight year. In 2006, the films
brought in $160,000. Revenue more than doubled last year to
$370,000.
“Weve managed to pretty much break even, said Tom
Quinn, Magnolias head of acquisitions. “If were able to
double (revenue) this year, we will move into profit.
This years live-action nominees include “The Tonto
Woman, a Western drama based on an Elmore Leonard short story,
and “Tanghi Argentini, a Belgian comedy about a middle-aged
office worker who yearns to tango. Among the animated nominees
is “I Met the Walrus, based on the true story of a teenager
who interviewed John Lennon.
Daniel Barber, the British director of “The Tonto Woman,
hopes his abbreviated work will lead to bigger things.
“I dont think the short form has a future commercially,
he said. “I made it as a stepping stone because I want to make
feature films.
