'Hangover Part II': Can It Break $125 Million At The Box Office?

'Our prediction was $129 million, and that's looking like a real possibility,' BoxOffice.com editor Phil Contrino says.
By Eric Ditzian


Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis in "The Hangover Part II"
Photo: Warner Bros.

For the last few days, Hollywood has been abuzz over the idea that "The Hangover Part II" could pull over $125 million into its boozy box-office wake over the extended five-day Memorial Day holiday. Could an R-rated comedy really do such boffo biz?

It's looking increasingly like it can. Wednesday's midnight screenings of "Hangover" pulled in $10.4 million, a record for an R movie. Thursday followed suit, with a final gross of $31.6 million — another R-rated record for biggest opening day ever. Many schools and colleges are now on break, audiences have been giving the flick an A- CinemaScore and not even tepid critical reviews can seem to stop the inevitable.

"We think it will crack $125 million," BoxOffice.com editor Phil Contrino said. "Our prediction was $129 million, and that's looking like a real possibility. These movies appeal to anyone who has ever greeted the morning with dry mouth and a splitting headache. But the films also have heart underneath all the raunchiness. They are about all the mixed feelings that people have before getting married. Do I like my spouse's family? Do I really want to stop having fun?"

Other industry experts are not as convinced. David Poland of Movie City News is taking a wait-and-see approach while noting that anything over $100 million during the extended weekend would be considered a huge success. "The swing, with numbers this big, is $25-plus million in five days," he said. "There's no way to know how much of the must-see-or-die audience has been served by this huge Thursday. We can all guess, but we're just guessing."

Poland compared the "Hangover" sequel's opening to the second "Matrix" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" films: The originals were surprise blockbusters and the follow-ups received a "mega-opening in response." Helping spur audience excitement, he also noted, was a top-notch marketing campaign including exceptional TV spots. "I've seen the film and they make me want to see it again," he said. "They do exactly what a sequel wants to do — click into the characters you love and promise more."

All of this makes "The Hangover Part III" seem less like just a possibility than an unavoidability. Even last year's "Due Date," which director Todd Phillips shot between "Hangover" flicks, grossed $212 million worldwide. The guy can do no wrong for his studio. As Contrino put it, "He will be in a league of his own after this movie. Warner Bros. would let him film an adaptation of the phone book at this point just to keep him happy."

So while the filmmaker continues to keep his studio bosses and audiences delighted, it doesn't seem like he'll start to give a hoot what critics — those who love him as well as those who hate him — think. "He knew that the nasty reviews for this were coming," Poland said. "He doesn't get the amount of space from critics that, for instance, Judd Apatow gets. So maybe that will be his secret goal, though I believe him completely when he says that he won't start making other kinds of movies or adjusting what he thinks is funny just to get the critical love he wants. No 'Funny People' coming from Todd."

Check out everything we've got on "The Hangover Part II."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1664763/hangover-part-2-box-office.jhtml

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Justin Bieber Passes Michael Jackson's Box-Office Record

'Justin Bieber: Never Say Never' has outgrossed MJ's 'This Is It' in U.S.
By Gil Kaufman


Justin Bieber in "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never"
Photo: Paramount Pictures

Michael Jackson may have dubbed himself the King of Pop, but the late icon didn't hold the box-office crown for long. Less than a year after the posthumous MJ documentary "This Is It" became the most successful concert-themed film in U.S. history, Justin Bieber is poised to snatch the mantle.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" has earned $72.2 million in domestic box office so far, passing Jackson's $72.1 million haul. And while Bieber has racked up those impressive numbers in just six weeks, he's got a long way to go before he laps the global receipts for the MJ doc.

"This Is It" has grossed $189.1 million overseas for a global total of $261.2 million. Music films don't typically play well overseas, and THR noted that "Never Say Never" has grossed a more modest $10.8 million overseas so far, with Paramount executives predicting that it could top out around $20 million internationally.

The impressive U.S. numbers were likely goosed by the re-release of the film recently with 40 additional minutes of bonus footage from director Jon M. Chu. Bieber still has a little way to go to climb the list of the top-grossing documentaries of all time. "Never Say Never" is currently stalled out at the #3 position, around $5 million behind "March of the Penguins," according to Box Office Mojo, and well short of the all-time record held by Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which has taken in $119.1 million to date.

Bieber set off a classic MJ-style fan frenzy a few weeks ago when he visited Liverpool, England, for his world tour. And just a week later, he posed with his new wax figure at London's Madame Tussauds, checking off another item on the list of milestones to an MJ-like career.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1660299/justin-bieber-never-say-never-box-office.jhtml

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official wedding pictures of Prince William and Duchess Catherine

Royal Wedding

A day removed from their fairytale nuptials, Prince William and the newly-titled Duchess Catherine have made their official wedding portraits available for public viewing.

Certainly quite the elegant couple, Will and Kate Middleton posed for the trio of photos - with the lovely pair surrounded by their flower girls and young ushers in one adorable shot.

Enjoy the official wedding pictures of Prince William and Duchess Catherine (April 29).

[gallery=753]

Source: http://www.celebritygossiphollywood.com/celebrities/prince-harry/official-wedding-pictures-of-prince-william-and-duchess-catherine/

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'X Factor' Judges: Cheryl Cole Out, Nicole Scherzinger In!

'X Factor' Judges: Cheryl Cole Out, Nicole Scherzinger In!

Move over, American Idol! Simon Cowell's new show The X Factor doesn't even begin airing until September, but there's already drama going down at the judges' table.

According to TMZ.com, British singer Cheryl Cole has been replaced by former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger.

Scherzinger, 32, was originally slated to co-host the American version of the talent competition with Steve Jones, but sources say that, very recently, she was asked to join Cowell, Paula Abdul, and music producer L.A. Reid on the panel.

There's been no comment from The X Factor people on Cole's ousting, but multiple sources have confirmed the shakeup.

"It's true. She isn't on the show anymore. Everyone is gobsmacked," an insider told UsMagazine.com. "This came out of nowhere. She had already been tested countless times. Simon had nothing to do with it. This is the network's doing."

The U.K.'s Daily Telegraph is reporting that network execs were concerned over the Brit's "lack of chemistry" with Paula Abdul, in addition to the Brit's accent and that she was basically unknown in the U.S.

Cole, 27, had initially admitted to being "out of her comfort zone" after being hired by the show, but felt her accent wouldn't be a problem for the audience. 

"Americans can always understand me," Cole said at the time. "I've been here a lot, I've got a lot of American friends and we have the odd moments where they're like 'What? What did that mean?' - you know, a phrase. But I think that it's going to be something that people get used to. And I'm proud of my accent."

It's strange to think that execs would fire Cole due to her accent, as British superstar Cowell is sitting on the panel, as well. America certainly didn't seem to have any problems understanding his harsh words when he first showed up on Idol all those years ago.

 

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/x-factor-judges-cheryl-cole-out-nicole-scherzinger/1-a-353295

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'Kung Fu Panda 2': The Reviews Are In!

One reviewer calls sequel 'both meditative and immensely entertaining.'
By Eric Ditzian


"Kung Fu Panda 2"
Photo: Paramount Pictures

Over at MTV Movies Blog, we've already laid out the five reasons you need to see "Kung Fu Panda 2." From Jack Black's manically hilarious turn as Po to some wickedly creative fight scenes, this sequel is a ton of fun.

But hey, don't just take our word for it. Reviewers are riding high on this animal adventure, a follow-up to DreamWorks' 2008 animated hit, celebrating the lush visuals and the top-notch voice performance Black delivers. Dissenters are few and far between, and their criticisms read more like nitpicking and fail to acknowledge that kids will undoubtedly get a kick out of this flick.

The Story
"Deepening the surprising maturity of its predecessor, the movie successfully takes story beats from classic kung fu stories and dials back on the humor without letting things get too dark and dramatic, creating a work that is both meditative and immensely entertaining. Picking up where the first film left off, Po (Jack Black) has eased into his position as the Dragon Warrior, when the world of kung fu is threatened by the return of Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), a villain who has built a weapon of mass destruction. What Po doesn't know, however, is that Lord Shen holds the key to his history and the knowledge of who he really is. Working with the kung fu masters known as the Furious Five (Angelina Jolie, David Cross, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen and Jackie Chan), Po is not only on a mission to save China, but on a journey of self-discovery." — Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend

The Performances
"Aside from crisp visuals and no-fat way with martial arts movie traditions, the biggest achievement of the 'Kung Fu Panda' movies is how they distill their star's very Jack Black-ness down to its most bearable form. Always the wildest guy in the room, Black has turned into a living 'Gulliver's Travels.' Yet here, as in the first 'KFP,' he gives a charmingly vulnerable but sly vocal performance, with plenty of sass and a decent side order of soul." — Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

The Visuals
"Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson's background in design and animation seems to have informed the best parts of 'Kung Fu Panda 2' — its splendid palette of color and detail, rich but crisp and balanced (Guillermo del Toro served as a creative consultant, and one of Po's murky, indelible nightmares bears his distinctive mark); and that palette's harmony with both the engaged use of 3-D and the witty and well-defined battle sequences." — Michelle Orange, Movieline

The Dissenters
"This one plays with some unusually dark and upsetting material. Its escalation of evil messes up the high-spirited sweetness that was the most winning feature of the first movie. Po's clumsy, goofy eagerness no longer seems quite as amusing now that he is a psychologically damaged warrior. And his action-team entourage, drawn from various species of animal and movie star — praying mantis, tiger, monkey, etc; Seth Rogen, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, etc. — do more to crowd the picture than to enliven it." — A.O. Scott, The New York Times

The Final Word
"There is a price to be paid for the visual razzle-dazzle — wonderful complexity against a simple story that could have benefited from some bulking up (layered, not longer). Still with Black shelving his usual snark for Po's self-deprecating charm, Jolie making Tigress terrifyingly overqualified for everything as only she can do, Rogen's Mantis showing the actor's growing facility for voicing animation and [Dustin] Hoffman, as ever, the guru everyone wants, they've brought this warrior's tale to kicking, spinning, bone-crunching, feather-flying life." — Betsey Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

Check out everything we've got on "Kung Fu Panda 2."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1664708/kung-fu-panda-2-reviews.jhtml

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Britney Spears Says She'd Love To Tour With Usher

In her 'Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale' special, she calls the 'OMG' singer 'really hot right now.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway


Sway Calloway and Britney Spears
Photo: MTV News & Docs

What do Britney Spears and Usher have in common? Well, they are both global superstars with a back catalogue of tunes that have kept fans dancing for a really long time and they both recently hooked up with will.i.am for tracks on their latest releases (the Black Eyed Peas mastermind worked on the pop vixen's Femme Fatale tune "Big Fat Bass"). And, if Spears has her way, she and the "OMG" singer could be hitting the road together.

When Spears sat down to talk with Sway Calloway for her "Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale" special — airing Sunday (April 3) at 9 p.m. ET on MTV — the singer revealed that Usher is first on her list of artists she'd like to join her on tour.

"Oh, I'm so excited. I'm really excited about going on tour, very," she explained about her forthcoming summer trek, which happens to have a spot open on the bill now that Enrique Iglesias has pulled out of the gig. "I think Usher's really great right now. I think he's really hot right now. That would be cool [to tour with him]."

The North American road trip is expected to kick off June 17 in Sacramento, California, and will run for 26 dates, winding up on August 13 in Toronto. More details will be announced soon.

The "Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale" special is a mixture of behind-the-scenes footage of the singer as she wraps up production on her album, which dropped this week, as well as an inside look at her life and fans. In addition, those who couldn't make Spears' recent nightclub show in Las Vegas will get to see her as she takes the stage in her latest pop incarnation.

Don't miss "Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale," airing Sunday (April 3) at 9 p.m. ET on MTV.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661036/britney-spears-tour.jhtml

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Beyonce 'Felt Honored' To Perform On 'Oprah'

Singer's choreographer gives MTV News the inside scoop on B's 'Oprah Winfrey Show' farewell-week performance.
By Jocelyn Vena


Beyoncé performs on "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
Photo: Harpo productions

The first part of the two-part "Oprah Winfrey Show" star-studded surprise episode aired Monday (May 23), and with appearances from Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Halle Berry, Diane Sawyer and Madonna, it was Beyoncé and her over-the-top, girl-powered stage spectacle that had the audience — and Oprah — moving.

Donning a tuxedo bodysuit and surrounded by a cavalcade of all-female backup dancers, Beyoncé strutted her stuff as she performed her new single, "Run the World (Girls)."

"Oprah, your persuasion can build a nation," B said mid-song. "We love you, Oprah. Thank you," she told the talk-show host at the end of the performance, giving a hug to Winfrey.

Last week, MTV News spoke to Beyoncé's longtime choreographer, Frank Gatson Jr., who commented on the honor of performing for Oprah during her epic farewell week. (The final "Oprah Winfrey Show" episode airs Wednesday.)

"It's amazing. Me, myself, Beyoncé, people of color — we have so much respect for that woman" Gaston said. "How can we say no to [Oprah]? She possesses something that God has given her, 'cause when I saw her onstage, of all the people that were there, everyone's in awe of her — Tom Cruise, Halle Berry, Madonna — so we felt honored, privileged. That's why Beyoncé pushed us so hard. She wanted to make sure that Oprah's proud of what she did for her show. She did such an important number.

"In Oprah's world, women rule the world, so how coincidental that Beyoncé's song is called that?" he continued. "So it was just appropriate, perfection. I loved it. It was great to be there. The energy in that place was unbelievable."

What did you think of Beyoncé's "Oprah" appearance? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1664433/beyonce-oprah-performance.jhtml

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