2009: A Year To Remember

For decades to come, 2009 will signify a year of tremendous success in the box-office. With an estimated $273 million dollars, this past holiday weekend will become the largest in domestic box office history, surpassing the famed July 2008 weekend ($260.5 million) that saw “The Dark Knight” open to packed IMAX screenings— often for over 48 hours straight.

Bolstered largely by three films grossing over $50 million each, including the steam-rolling “Avatar”, the holiday weekend drew in audiences in a withering economy. Movies have often seen a spike in attendance during a poor economy as people flock to theaters to escape for a small price of admission.

To see how far attendance rose and what other records 2009 shattered, hit the jump.

Reviewin’ For You: ‘Avatar’

“Avatar” is one of the must-see films of the decade, but in only one venue: a 3-D theater. Even with all Avatar‘s faults, the film manages to bring enough to the table that you let it slide while becoming engrossed in the characters and the world on the screen. Hit the jump for the full review.

New ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘Clash of the Titans’ Trailers Released

Trailers seem to come in waves, and yesterday was no different. The day had started with the trailer for Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” while later in the day we were treated to a first look at “Iron Man 2”. Yesterday also saw the release of a brand new trailer for “Clash of the Titans”.

So, without further ado, below is the trailer for Alice in Wonderland courtesy of Collider is below and you can view the trailer for “Clash of the Titans”, starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Gemma Arterton here.

Wonderland releases on March 5, 2010 while Clash is expected to hit theaters on March 26, 2010.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

‘Iron Man 2’ Trailer Online Now

Robert Downey Jr. returns for more cool in 2010.

Waste no time. The first official trailer for the highly anticipated “Iron Man 2” is online at Apple right here.

Go Go Go Go Go.

Releases May 7, 2010.

The Duo That Was: Bigelow, Cameron

James Cameron‘s highly anticipated return to feature film making “Avatar” has received glorious reviews and fanfare to go along with its outlandish pricetag. Meanwhile, Kathryn Bigelow‘s taut war drama “The Hurt Locker” has been grabbing rabid praise and is likely the front-runner for film of the year at the Oscars. However, many have yet to point out an interesting connection between the two– they were married. Read on for the full story.

Hilarious First Scene, Poster Of Cage In ‘Kick-Ass’

UGO has provided the first glimpse at Nicolas Cage in Matthew Vaughn’s upcoming “Kick-Ass” and it is great. Cage plays masked hero Big Daddy in the film, and he is attempting to train his daughter to fight thugs.

Also included is the first poster for Big Daddy in all his glory, and it is hilarious. If you haven’t heard by now, the film has gotten rave reviews from its first screening at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin over the weekend.

In fact, the film was so kick ass that it actually blew out a center speaker in the theater and the upcoming screenings had to be delayed to replace the speaker. Look for more hype for this film based on Mark Millar’s graphic novels as it approaches the April 16th release date. Video after the jump.

Films To See, Those You Might Have Missed In 2009

'The Hurt Locker' headlines the must-see films you might have missed in '09

December is well upon us, and a few major films that have not released but there are many more you might have missed that are either generating a ton of awards buzz as a film or have must-see performances. Below is a list of a few of those key films and when to expect some to hit DVD, theaters, or those already there.

‘The Wolfman’ Draws Blood With R-Rating

Expect 'The Wolfman' to smear the silver screen with blood on Valentines

According to Collider, Joe Johnston’s “The Wolfman” has been branded with a R-rating after screen tests by Universal led them to give the approval over a PG-13 cut. The film has been mired in production issues, including director dropouts, release date pushbacks, reshoots, and the recent loss of their soundtrack composer.

However, fans of the film have a small glimmer of hope that they will at least enjoy some bloody mayhem to go along with the excellent cast. Benecio Del Toro stars as the wolfman, while Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins, and Huge Weaving will co-star in Wolfman set to be released Feb. 12, 2010.

I like that it grabbed an R-rating, but it is not a sign of the quality of this film, which has been questioned from the outset. A February release date is counter-programming to the Valentines holiday but many are still weary of the final product.

I like Joe Johnston as a director and am optimistic about Wolfman. He has given us some gems, including “Jumanji”, “October Sky”, “The Rocketeer”, and most famously “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”. However, this will be Johnston’s first foray into an R-rated film, so it will be interesting to see the tone of the film.

‘Hobbit’ Talk, Three Cast Members Returning?

Peter Jackson told MTV that Sir Ian McKellen would reprise his role as Gandfalf in the upcoming film “The Hobbit”. Jackson also explained that the elves Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Gladriel (Cate Blanchett) are also being considered to appear in the film, though the scripts are not yet officially finished.

“They are elves, so once again, in the realm of Middle-earth, they’re immortal, they don’t age,” he said of Galadriel and Elrond, the only returning “LOTR” main roles besides Gandalf in his script. “We have a process that would start with showing them the script. We’re not [beginning] any official process until we have the ‘official’ script that they can read.”

Meanwhile, don’t expect other popular stars like Orlando Bloom or Viggo Mortensen to appear in the film, as Jackson (producing and screenwriting) will remain true to the J.R.R. Tolkien source material.

“In book terms, the world of ‘The Hobbit’ takes place 60 years before ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ as it was written by Tolkien. So, not a lot of the characters actually feature, because they weren’t around yet.”

Also, the first of the two planned “Hobbit” films is still set to shoot by mid-2010, as Jackson explains, “At this rate, we’re on target to begin shooting the first half of next year.” That paints a happy picture for the planned release dates for the first film in December, 2011, and second film on December, 2012.

Natalie Portman To Star In ‘Pride & Prejudice & Zombies’!

Variety is reporting that Natalie Portman will star and produce the Jane Austen mash-up, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”, that shot to the top of the list of the New York Times Best Sellers list. P&P&Z (or whatever acronym you wanna give it) hit in April of this year and has caused a lot of praise and head-scratching. Also, it is exactly what you are thinking this is, with the notable addition of Chinese martial arts involved as well.

In the film Portman will play the main character Elizabeth Bennett, one of four sisters, who is particularly tough and adept at zombie slaying. While life seems to go on as usual inside the homes, outside the “dreadfuls” roam and maul people.

I actually have the book, and had given it a shot until I stopped about half way through. My problem really doesn’t fall on the idea, but rather the underlying story. I just can’t read Austen at this moment. Perhaps I will come back to it and finish the rest before the film releases. However, if you enjoy Austen, and are looking for a fresh take on her work(s) check out this Quirk Books production. Quirk Books has also published “Sense & Sensibility & Sea Monsters”.

Portman will produce through her handsomecharlie company along with Annette Savitch.

“Natalie and I are longtime passionate fans of Jane Austen’s books and this a fresh, fun and thought-provoking way to approach her work,” Savitch said. “The idea of zombies running rampant in 19th Century England may sound odd, but it lends a modern sense of urgency to a well known love story.”

Personally, I can’t believe this is actually happening. I had heard musings on it and even read articles about the far-off possibilities, but this just became a reality. I may not have been able to rip through the book as I had hoped, but I will definitely be lining up to see this film.

Thanks to ComingSoon.net for tweeting about this.