BoxOffice® Pro - May 2011

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MAY 2011 

Chris 

Hemsworth 

is Thor 

INSIDE WE SCORE THE FIRST 26 WIDE RELEASE MOVIES OF THE SUMMER 

JOHN FITHIAN AND MITCH NEUHAUSER OFFER KUDOS TO CINEMACON 

ATTACK OF THE ADULTS: THE INDIE FILMS POISED TO MAKE A SPLASH 

The Official Magazine of NATO

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MAY 2011 VOL. 147 NO. 5 

THOR 

BIG PICTURE 

34 HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO 

SUMMER STRIKES WITH A BANG OF NORSE THUNDER 

36 AND NOW TO THE DEATH 

Don’t let the four Oscar noms fool you—Kenneth Branagh 

can sling a sword 

39 IF HE HAD A HAMMER 

New heavyweight Chris Hemsworth is going Berserker 

18 WHAT HAPPENED IN VEGAS CinemaCon in review 

30 SCORING THE SUMMER We weigh on May, June and July’s 

26 major contenders 

34 ATTACK OF THE ADULTS How this year’s Oscar crop 

became $100 million hits—and why it could happen again 

DEPARTMENTS 

4 Industry Briefs 

The new and notable in the exhibition 

industry 

6 Executive Suite 

Congrats to CinemaCon From many 

supporters comes great success 

8 Running Numbers 

Slumps Here we slow again 

By John Fithian 

& Mitch Neuhauser 

By Patrick Corcoran 

12 Show Business 

Is Groupon good for exhibition? 

The case study of The Lincoln Lawyer 

By Phil Contrino 

56 Classifieds 

AWARDS 

12 Front Line 

Joshua Blevins Peck 

Tulsa, OK 

13 Front Office 

Laura ‘Sid’ Garcia-Heberger 

Sacramento, CA 

14 Marquee Award 

Redford Theatre / Detroit, MI 

THE SLATE 

42 On the Horizon 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 

II / Winnie the Pooh / Cowboys & Aliens 

44 Coming Soon 

Something Borrowed / Hobo With a 

Shotgun / Daydream Nation / The First 

Grader / The Big Bang / Priest / Kung Fu 

Panda 2 / Beautiful Boy / Midnight in Paris 

46 Book It! 

Flash reviews and recommendations of 

films that should be on your radar 

52 Booking Guide 

Nearly 150 films that you can book 

right now, complete with contact info, 

film formats, audio formats and more 

BOXOFFICE MEDIA 

PUBLISHER 

Peter Cane 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

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BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE 

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John Fithian 

Mitch Neuhauser 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

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Pam Grady 

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2 BOXOFFICE PRO MAY 2011

STOPPRESS 

“Recovered from CinemaCon yet?” That line has appeared in dozens of my conversations in 

the last couple of weeks. And in every conversation, without exception, both parties agreed 

that the premiere edition of the industry’s premiere gathering was an unqualified success in 

every way. In these pages, John Fithian and Mitch Neuhauser express their thanks to those 

who helped them make it happen. But the biggest debt of gratitude belongs to John and 

Mitch. It is thanks to John’s extraordinary vision that the show upgraded from coach to first 

class in its content, setting and amenities. And John’s vision rested early on Mitch, who, to 

the surprise of absolutely no one, pulled off the finest show in his long career of producing 

industry events. 

My personal thanks go out to Amy Powell of Paramount, Sarah Lewthwaite of Cineplex, 

Bobbie Bagby of B&B Theatres, Joe Greenstein of Flixster and Ted Hong of Fandango for 

participating in the panel I moderated on social networking. 

peter@boxoffice.com 

PS – As we went to press, the Premium VOD battle was heating up in a hurry, with four studios 

announcing their intention to begin the program in a matter of weeks. Be sure to check 

in on BoxOffice.com for the latest developments in this crucial story. 

COMING IN MAY TO BOXOFFICE.COM AND BOXOFFICEMAGAZINE.COM 

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THE HANGOVER PART II OPENS MAY 26, 2011 

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Your customers are buzzing on the Internet about which movies they want to 

see—and which ones they don’t. Use our new subscription service to predict 

Hollywood’s hits and misses before they hit your theater. 

Facebook & Twitter Tracking 

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Reviews 

Will The Hangover Part II go down as a successful sequel or is it bound to leave 

fans with dry mouth and a headache? Read our review first to find out. 

News-Reeling? 

Let Boxoffice.com and BoxofficeMagazine.com digest all the reports and rumors 

for you! Check our sites daily for breaking industry news. 

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MAY 2011 BOXOFFICE PRO 3

INDUSTRY BRIEFS 

B&B Theatres has converted 50 percent 

of their screens to digital projection. 

B&B has chosen Kansas based 

Sonic Equipment Company for all of 

their installation and service needs. 

Each conversion has made half the auditoriums 

in each facility capable of 3D 

with Dolby 7.1 additions in the larger 

auditoriums. B&B plans to convert the 

rest of their circuit in the next 12 to 18 

months. 

Screenvision, a cinema advertising 

sales, services and content distribution 

company, created a new executive 

position in the company, Chief 

Revenue Officer, and has hired media 

veteran Mark Mitchell for the job. “To 

continue maximizing the potential and 

profitability of Screenvision, we need 

to be developing a comprehensive revenue 

strategy that focuses on optimizing 

the full value of Screenvision’s offerings 

for our advertisers—on-screen, 

in-lobby, mobile, online and other 

growth platforms as they develop,” 

said President and CEO Travis Reid. 

“With the addition of Mark to this 

newly created position, we have added 

the type of visionary executive with 

the breadth of advertising and marketing 

experience and proven success in 

building the revenue growth strategies 

we’re looking for at Screenvision.” 

Spotlight Cinema Networks, a provider 

of targeted cinema advertising, 

has formed a dedicated exhibitor 

relations department. “The cinema 

advertising market has been very receptive 

to Spotlight since its launch 

last year. Given this success, we felt 

that this was the right time to launch 

an Exhibitor Relations Department and 

bring aboard Ronnie Ycong as vice 

president,” said Spotlight President 

Jerry Rakfeldt. Prior to joining Spotlight, 

Mr. Ycong was Director of Exhibitor 

Relations at Screenvision and has 

held positions at Fandango, National 

Cinema Network and Mann Theatres. 

The Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre 

in Henderson, NC is giving its patrons 

an opportunity to win $25 Shell 

Gas gift cards. One gas gift card will 

be given away each month through 

August. Patrons attending a movie will 

be given one entry form per car each 

time they visit the theater during this 

promotion. “Our patrons drive on an 

average 40-75 miles each way to attend 

the only drive-in theater left in 

the Triangle area,” said theater owner 

Jim Kopp. “With gas prices reaching 

$4 a gallon, family budgets are 

beginning to get tight so we thought 

our patrons deserved a chance to win 

some gas money for making the trip to 

the drive-in.” Kopp hopes that other 

theaters (particularly drive-in theaters) 

will join in his effort. “When gas prices 

soar, families can’t afford to attend 

as often,” said Kopp. “That’s why we 

hope we can help in some small way.” 

At the National Association of 

Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas, 

James Cameron’s Cameron-Pace 

Group announced plans to increase efforts 

to make 3D a part of every available 

exhibition platform, intending to 

make their next-generation camera 

systems available for sporting events, 

advertising campaigns, consumer 

product services and episodic and live 

television in addition to their ongoing 

feature work. Said Cameron, “Our 

goal is to banish all the perceived and 

actual barriers to entry that are currently 

holding back producers, studios 

and networks from embracing their 3D 

future.” 

Cameron and Pace’s proprietary 

camera system was previously used 

to shoot Avatar, Tron: Legacy and U2: 

3D. Their upcoming projects include 

Rob Marshall’s Pirates of the Caribbean: 

On Stranger Tides, Michael Bay’s 

Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Paul 

W.S. Anderson’s The Three Musketeers, 

Martin Scorsese’s The Invention 

of Hugo Cabret, Ang Lee’s Life of Pi 

and Carl Rinsch’s 47 Ronin. 

The Board of Governors of the Motion 

Picture Academy voted to establish 

a new executive structure for the 

organization, replacing retiring executive 

director Bruce Davis with former 

Film Independent head Dawn Hudson 

and long-time Academy executive Ric 

Robertson, who will become the organization’s 

CEO and COO, respectively. 

Academy President Tom Sherak said 

the new structure for the Academy’s 

executive staff occurred to the officers 

of the organization as they began seriously 

considering the succession issue. 

“We’re a different organization than 

we used to be with a range of activities 

that couldn’t have been conceived of 

when the present structure came into 

place, “ said Sherak. “Now, with the 

leadership team of Dawn as our CEO 

and Ric as our COO, we have the ideal 

combination of new vision and institutional 

continuity to move us forward.” 

Cinedigm Digital Cinema announced 

a long-term VPF deployment agreement 

with Clearview Cinemas, one of 

the New York metropolitan area’s largest 

movie exhibitors. The agreement 

enables the continued conversion of 

Clearview’s theaters to digital cinema, 

under the terms of Cinedigm’s longterm 

agreements with all the major 

studios. “Clearview Cinemas is dedicated 

to offering moviegoers the best 

entertainment experience possible 

and digital cinema is an integral part 

of that experience,” said Doug Oines, 

senior vice president and general 

manager, Clearview Cinemas. “That’s 

why we’ve chosen Cinedigm, one of 

the clear leaders in digital cinema 

integration. Not only will we ensure 

moviegoers get a high-quality visual 

presentation, but we will also enhance 

Clearview’s digital entertainment options 

through even more alternate 

content choices for our customers.” 

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s 

Intellectual Property, Competition 

and the Internet Subcommittee 

held a hearing on the negative impacts 

of online theft entitled “Promoting 

Investment and Protecting Commerce 

Online: Legitimate Sites v. Parasites.” 

Michael O’Leary, Executive Vice President, 

Government Affairs of the MPAA 

made the MPAA’s statement illustrating 

the detrimental effect of Internet 

sites profiting from disseminating 

work stolen from the creative workforce. 

Said O’Leary, “Rampant theft 

of American intellectual property puts 

the livelihoods of the workers who 

invest time, energy and fortune to create 

the filmed entertainment enjoyed 

by millions at risk; to these men and 

women and their families, digital theft 


means declining incomes, lost jobs 

and reduced health and retirement 

benefits....We believe that rogue sites 

legislation, combined with the Administration’s 

work with intermediaries and 

enforcement by the IPR Center, will 

go a long way towards shutting down 

the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted 

works and close a gap in the 

intellectual property law.” 

The nation’s leading movie studios 

filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement 

against the operators of the 

unlicensed movie-streaming service 

Zediva (www.zediva.com), the MPAA 

announced on behalf of its members. 

Zediva illegally streams movies to its 

customers without obtaining required 

licenses from the movie studios, in violation 

of the studios’ right to “publicly 

perform” their works. Zediva claims it 

is like a brick-and-mortar DVD “rental” 

store and therefore not obligated to 

pay licensing fees to copyright holders. 

In reality, say the studios, Zediva 

is a video-on-demand service that 

transmits movies over the Internet using 

streaming technologies in violation 

of the studios’ copyrights. “Zediva’s 

mischaracterization of itself is a gimmick 

it hopes will enable it to evade 

the law and stream movies in violation 

of the studios’ exclusive rights,” said 

Dan Robbins, Senior Vice President 

and Associate General Counsel for 

the MPAA. “Courts have repeatedly 

seen through the façade of this type 

of copyright-avoidance scheme, and 

we are confident they will in this case 

too.” 

Jaden Smith is set to star opposite 

his father, Will Smith, for director 

M. Night Shyamalan in an untitled 

sci-fi adventure. Set 1,000 years in 

the future, a young boy navigates an 

abandoned Earth to save himself and 

his estranged father after their ship 

crashes. Shyamalan and Will Smith 

will produce with James Lassiter, Jada 

Pinkett Smith and Ken Stovitz, Smith’s 

partners at Overbrook Entertainment. 

The screenplay is by M. Night Shyamalan 

and Gary Whitta. Said Shyamalan, 

“The chance to make a scary, scienc 

fiction film starring Jaden and Will is 

my dream project.” 

For the first time in its 70 year history, 

the Will Rogers Motion Picture 

Pioneers Foundation Dinner celebrated 

record-breaking attendance 

in an evening honoring former Walt 

Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook 

as its 2011 “Pioneer of the Year.” The 

Awards dinner brought in over $1 

million in donations at the inaugural 

edition of CinemaCon. Dinner Chair 

and AMPAS President Tom Sherak 

said, “We are thrilled that this historic 

event honoring Dick Cook was such 

an astounding success. He is a dear 

friend as well as an extraordinary human 

being and I’m proud to know 

him.” Award recipient Dick Cook said, 

“I am extremely honored to be part of 

an industry where folks genuinely care 

about each other. The Will Rogers Motion 

Picture Pioneers Foundation literally 

changes lives … and donations to 

this worthy organization are more vital 

than ever. I am grateful for the outpouring 

of generosity from those who 

supported the evening’s event.” 

AMC Theatres has debuted AMC 

Smart MovieSnacks, a snack pack for 

the health-conscious that includes 

Chiquita Fruit Chips, a 20-oz. Dasani 

water, an Odwalla Bar Chocolate Chip 

Trail Mix and PopCorners popped 

corn chips. “We know there are occasions—and 

dietary reasons—for which 

guests want options beyond traditional 

concession fare,” said George Patterson, 

senior vice president of food 

and beverage at AMC. AMC’s initiative 

to improve access to more nutritious 

snacks at the movies included working 

with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, 

a national non-profit founded 

by the American Heart Association and 

the William J. Clinton Foundation to 

combat childhood obesity. AMC modeled 

AMC Smart MovieSnacks on the 

Alliance’s school competitive food and 

beverage guidelines, which the organization 

uses in its work that supports 

more than 11,000 U.S. schools. 

Harkins Theatres has promoted 

Racheal Wilson to senior vice president 

and Tyler Cooper to vice president. 

Wilson has 23 years in the exhibition 

industry, including 18 years with Harkins 

Theatres. Wilson formerly served 

as director of theater operations, district 

manager and general manager. 

In addition to theater operations and 

guest services, Wilson will now assume 

responsibility for IT, facilities, engineering 

and overall company leadership. 

Cooper has been with Harkins 

Theatres for 13 years and in the exhibition 

industry for 18 years. In his previous 

position as director of business 

development and concessions, he was 

integral in leading Harkins Theatres to 

exceptional growth in theater and corporate 

revenue streams. In addition to 

these responsibilities, in his new position, 

Cooper will assume more broad 

company leadership and the direction 

of Harkins’ marketing, advertising and 

corporate sales. 

AMC Theatres has partnered with 

Paramount Pictures to celebrate the 

25th anniversary of Top Gun, the film 

that gave everyone the “need for 

speed” and earned more than $350 

million at the worldwide box office. 

“Top Gun is a wild ride from start to 

finish,” said Robert J. Lenihan, president 

of programming at AMC. “We’re 

excited to partner with Paramount to 

offer guests the opportunity to watch 

the high-flying action on the big 

screen one more time and celebrate 

the 25th anniversary of this fast-paced 

movie with a new generation of moviegoers.” 

“Paramount is thrilled to be 

partnering with AMC in this unique 

opportunity to celebrate an iconic 

film returning to the big screen with a 

stunning digital presentation,” added 

Jerry Pokorski, senior vice president, 

Paramount Motion Picture Distribution. 

Showings will be at 12:30 p.m. local 

time on Saturday, April 30 and 7 p.m. 

local time on Monday, May 2. Guests 

who attend one of the 150 theaters 

who showed the film on April 30th will 

receive a free, full-sized, 25th anniversary 

Top Gun poster to commemorate 

the event (while supplies last). Plus, 

each theater playing the movie will 

give away one Top Gun Blu-ray Disc, 

which includes extensive bonus features 

and a digital copy of the film, 

and will be available exclusively at the 

theaters prior to its Tuesday, May 10 

debut in stores nationwide. 


EXECUTIVE SUITE 

JOHN 

FITHIAN 

NATO 

President 

and Chief 

Executive 

Officer 

CONGRATS TO CINEMACON 

From many supporters comes great success 

This month Mitch Neuhauser, managing director 

of CinemaCon, joins John in this column. Though 

words are simply insufficient to describe how elated and 

grateful we are for the tremendous support given to our 

convention, we attempt here to scratch the surface of 

our sentiments. Simply put, CinemaCon constituted a 

tremendous success that exceeded our very high expectations, 

principally due to the energetic support of many 

people who care deeply about the wonderful business of 

motion picture exhibition. 

As CinemaCon opened, our industry had suffered 

through three months of disappointing box office results. 

By the end of the week, the more than 3,000 officially 

registered delegates who participated in the event 

could feel confident that growth would return soon to 

a global business that experienced a record $32 billion 

in receipts last year. From the amazing footage of upcoming 

films, to the creative ideas discussed, to the innovations 

demonstrated on the sold-out trade floor and 

suites, theater operators from around the world acquired 

a new tool set for success. 

Exhibition cannot exist without movies, and our 

partners in distribution came in strong number to show 

John Fithian, NATO President & CEO 

Mitch Neuhauser, CinemaCon Managing Director 

us their soon-to-be released product. Paramount, Disney, 

Sony, Lionsgate and Warner Bros. all hosted major 

presentations with a bevy of stars to promote exciting 

upcoming movies. The movies of our Independent 

Showcase night (graciously hosted by NATO member 

Rave Motion Pictures), and a late-night documentary 

screening rounded out the offerings. And Universal and 

Fox chipped in with honorees and major filmmaker 

presenters. Even though NATO has some difficult battles 

with some of our distribution partners right now, we are 

grateful that they all contributed to the success of the 

convention and the industry going forward. 

We don’t dare describe our favorite movie segments 

of the week, for fear of leaving out some amazing filmmaking, 

but we can cite a few of our favorite star events. 

John’s picks include the standing ovation given to Tyler 

Perry for his amazing body of work, the hilarious award 

reception of Russell 

Brand and the evergracious 

presence 

of Helen Mirren. For 

Mitch—aside from 

the studio presentations, 

which were 

beyond incredible—it 

was Vin Diesel’s acceptance 

speech that 

came right from the 

heart. When Vin noted 

that “without movie 

theaters as a place 

to show our films, all 

there would be are 

dailies,” he summed 

up what CinemaCon 

is all about: a true celebration 

of the moviegoing 

experience. 

And of course we are 

grateful to Billy Bush 

and the Access Hollywood 

team for their 

mastery of the Big 

Screen Achievement 

Awards ceremony. 

The movies bring people to our cinemas. The sophisticated 

equipment we utilize and the delicious concessions 

we offer enable the finest environment in which 

to enjoy those movies. We thank our partners at the International 

Cinema Technology Association and the National 

Association of Concessionaires and their myriad 


members for populating the trade floor and demonstration suites 

with enticing displays of the best products on the market today. 

We all experienced some amazing technologies and sampled some 

very tasty treats. 

Speaking of great-tasting refreshment, our faithful industry 

friends from the Coca-Cola Company served admirably as the convention’s 

Presenting Sponsor. Our partners at Coke, led by Stefanie 

Miller, gave support throughout the week and threw one fabulous 

party on closing night. Memories will linger of the delicious food 

and exciting musical entertainment of Natasha Bedingfield as conventioneers 

mingled outside on a beautiful evening surrounding 

the six pools of the glorious Caesars Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis. 

Though Coca-Cola took the lead, many, many other companies 

offered sponsorship support throughout the week. By giving their 

time, financial support and creative engagement to our delegates, 

these sponsors helped to keep our registration rates affordable and 

our experience enjoyable. logos of these sponsors are included in 

this column. Thank you to all. 

One of the primary reasons for our move to Caesars was our 

desire to house all delegates in one auditorium for the major 

product presentations and industry addresses. With the support 

of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, we were thrilled to be in 

the Colosseum—“Celine’s house”—throughout the week, and we 

weren’t disappointed. With the tireless support of many companies 

(including Boston Light and Sound, Dolby Labs, QSC Audio 

Products, Christie, Barco, NEC, Sony Digital Cinema Solutions, 

RealD and MasterImage 3D), we constructed the most complicated 

and technologically advanced projection booth ever assembled in 

one place. The movies looked great and the stars shone bright on 

a massive screen with an amazing sound system, and we trust the 

several thousand enthusiastic professionals left happy. 

In addition to the “show” of our show business, we were also 

so pleased to assemble an extensive array of substantive programs 

to educate our delegates. Industry leader Millard Ochs of Warner 

Bros. International Cinemas helped organize Monday’s International 

Day programming. Program topics included audience 

targeting, foreign and local movie production, global digital challenges, 

international exhibition best practices and the exploding 

“BRIC” markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China. 

Wednesday morning’s seminar series offered five different 

cutting-edge panel discussions on such topics as social networking, 

technology problem-solving, independent films, new technologies 

and premium theaters. Attending delegates told us how much they 

learned from the many experts who shared their insights with us on 

Monday and Wednesday. Thank you to all our volunteer presenters. 

The brain trust continued at Wednesday’s historic lunch 

where RealD’s Michael Lewis hosted a panel discussion on the 

digital world of filmmaking. Hollywood creative titans James 

Cameron, George Lucas and Jeffrey Katzenberg inspired us with 

their wisdom. The authors of this column stood at the back of the 

ballroom and noted that virtually none of the 2,000-plus lunch 

attendees left the room until after the last words were spoken 

from our august panelists. As two guys who have attended many, 

many movie industry conventions, we can tell you that almost 

never happens. 

Our friend and supporter Jim Cameron returned on Thursday 

morning for an important technical demonstration and discussion 

on digital cinema frame rates. We were literally the first to witness 

the future of cinema technology on the big screen. Where else but 

CinemaCon can ordinary cinema engineers and operators engage 

in a spirited Q&A session with the world’s most successful filmmaker? 

NATO’s leading substantive partner, of course, is the Motion 

Picture Association of America. Here, too, CinemaCon made history 

as we were fortunate to experience the first public appearance 

and speech from Senator Chris Dodd as the new Chairman and 

CEO of the MPAA. In our joint state-of-the-industry addresses, 

press conference, and private meetings, the MPAA and NATO demonstrated 

our continuing partnership as we together represent this 

wonderful industry. 

Speaking of industry firsts, we are very pleased and honored 

that CinemaCon could combine efforts with the Will Rogers Motion 

Picture Pioneers Foundation to bestow the “Pioneer of the 

Year” award on our dear friend Dick Cook, the former Chairman 

of Walt Disney Studios. With CinemaCon and industry sponsors 

contributing the venue and dinner, and the Foundation soliciting 

financial support, we raised over $1 million dollars to support 

industry veterans in need. Tim Allen made us laugh, three former 

heads of Disney made us think and Dick simply made us proud to 

be a part of this magical industry. 

The show never would have happened without the tremendous 

volunteer support of NATO’s own members. Convention Honorary 

Chairmen Mike Campbell and Lee Roy Mitchell added real gravitas 

to our efforts. The association’s Board, led by Chairman Tony Kerasotes, 

took a big (but smart!) risk by investing the time and money 

to create this convention. A task force of members including Byron 

Berkley, Rob Del Moro, John McDonald and Tim Warner provided 

key guidance and volunteer manpower. But most importantly, 

the task force co-chairmen, Phil Harris and Bill Stembler, put in 

hundreds of hours and strategic leadership to enable this event. On 

behalf of all NATO members and all CinemaCon delegates, we offer 

our heartfelt thanks to these amazing volunteers. 

And finally, one last but important group of volunteers also deserve 

special credit: the past chairmen and presidents of NATO, who 

honored us all with their receipt of the first annual “NATO Marquee 

Award.” Receiving their awards on Tuesday morning were: 

Michael Campbell Lee Roy Mitchell 

Jerry Forman Joel Resnick 

Richard Fox 

T.G. Solomon 

A. Alan Friedberg William Stembler 

Phil Harris 

Peter Warzel 

William Kartozian Roy B. White 

Steve Marcus 

(Unable to attend were Barrie Lawson Loeks and Sumner Redstone.) 

What an honor to have these titans of NATO gathered together 

on our first CinemaCon stage. 

Well, all good things must come to an end, and so does CinemaCon 

2011. We welcome and invite the feedback and suggestions 

of all our delegates—and we’re already excited about the 

next CinemaCon! Mark your calendars for April 23–26, 2012 in Las 

Vegas! 


RUNNING NUMBERS 

PATRICK 

CORCORAN 

NATO 

Director of 

Media & 

Research 

California 

Operations 

Chief 

“The softness at the box office comes at a critical time for Hollywood. 

…(N)ew technologies have created an incipient demand 

for movies delivered directly via the Internet, over-the-airwaves, 

satellite dish or cable set-top box. At the same time, movies have 

become exorbitantly expensive to market and distribute, and the 

growth of in-theater advertising, rising ticket prices and disruptive 

cell phones have made movie-going far less enjoyable.” 

Krysten Crawford, CNN/Money 

Yes, the first quarter of 2011 has been pretty weak by 

comparison and movie theaters face competition, as 

the article—“Hollywood’s Box Office Flameout”—makes 

clear. 

Except this article 

was written in May 

2005. 

But we’ve been here 

before, haven’t we? 

An extended slump 

at the box office. Studios 

talking about 

shortening the theatrical 

release window. 

Technology is changing 

moviegoers’ habits 

seemingly overnight. 

2005 was a year where 

far too many box office 

pundits predicted the 

long-awaited death of 

the movie theater. 

For 19 straight 

weeks between winter 

and summer, box office 

receipts compared to 

the same week the year 

before were down. DVD 

revenues were booming, 

having driven the 

lion’s share of 2004’s 

record $21.8 billion 

home entertainment 

bonanza. Theatrical 

revenues would reach 

$8.82 billion in 2005. 

Disney’s new CEO Bob 

Iger was calling for the collapse of the theatrical release 

window. 

So we all know what happened, right? Movies are released 

simultaneously everywhere, most movie theaters 

are a nostalgic memory and DVDs are worth their weight 

in gold. 

I kid. Annual theatrical revenue is up 20 percent since 

2005, home revenue is down 13.36 percent. You can rent a 

SLUMPS 

Here we slow again 

new DVD for a dollar and distributors are helping to bankroll 

the digital transformation of the cinema industry (Bob 

Iger’s company included). 

But here we are again. 2011 has started off slowly in 

comparison to 2010. Through the beginning of April, box 

office is down 21 percent. 14 of 15 weeks have trailed the 

equivalent week in 2010. Clearly, we’re in a slump. 

But what is a slump? 

In baseball, when a .300 hitter starts hitting .275, something 

is wrong. Pitchers have figured out what pitches 

he’s a sucker for. Maybe there’s been a slight change in 

his swing, or a minor injury that affects his mechanics or 

timing enough to depress his batting average. In business, 

when a top-selling 

product suddenly 

slips in sales volume, 

you can point to a 

competitor improving 

their product or consumer 

needs that have 

changed. These things 

are quantifiable and fixable. 

The same player 

in the same game; the 

same product in the 

same market. 

But movies are 

different. Every week 

we sell a new product 

to an arguably different 

audience. In what 

meaningful way are we 

supposed to compare 

the performance of a 

group of films in one 

week to the equivalent 

week the previous year? 

Consider the charts on 

this page. 

This week in 2011 

01/22/2010 $ 7,826,311 had four future Academy 

Award Best Picture 

12/23/2009 $ 7,561,017 nominees—including 

the eventual winner—in 

the top 10. 

Each of them had been 

in theaters for more than a month, some longer. In 2010, 

there was one Best Picture nominee still in theaters. It also 

happened to be the highest grossing movie of all time, with 

nearly $200 million of gross still ahead of it. 

The mix of films could hardly be more different, and 

that’s what makes it nearly impossible to compare rationally. 

In the broadest possible terms, this week in January 2010 

had Avatar and 2011 didn’t. The same could be said of every 

WEEK OF 1/21/11 

Film Release Week Weekly Gross 

1 No Strings Attached 01/21/2011 $ 26,092,075 

2 The Green Hornet 01/14/2011 $ 21,959,412 

3 The King’s Speech 11/26/2010 $ 11,655,936 

4 The Dilemma 01/14/2011 $ 11,521,120 

5 True Grit 12/22/2010 $ 10,154,208 

6 Black Swan 12/03/2010 $ 8,223,410 

7 The Fighter 12/10/2010 $ 5,801,688 

8 Little Fockers 12/22/2010 $ 5,361,925 

9 Tron: Legacy 12/17/2010 $ 4,643,597 

10 Yogi Bear 12/17/2010 $ 4,511,638 

Week of 1/22/10 

Film Release Week Weekly Gross 

1 Avatar 12/18/2009 $ 47,674,969 

2 Legion 01/22/2010 $ 21,846,411 

3 The Book Of Eli 01/15/2010 $ 20,600,256 

4 Tooth Fairy 01/22/2010 $ 16,106,278 

5 The Lovely Bones 12/11/2009 $ 10,454,469 

6 Sherlock Holmes 12/25/2009 $ 8,637,395 

7 It’s Complicated 12/25/2009 $ 7,846,760 

8 

9 

Extraordinary 

Measures 

Alvin And The 

Chipmunks 

10 The Spy Next Door 1/15/2010 $ 5,504,656 


other week in January. Avatar was also the 

key difference for February, grossing more 

than $90 million dollars in that month. In 

March, the key difference is the presence of 

Alice in Wonderland, which opened March 5, 

2010 and grossed $300 million by April Fools. 

January 2010 was the first time in history 

that box office topped $1 billion, and the 

major difference between that year and 2011 

was Avatar, which grossed $312 million that 

month alone. Take Avatar out of the mix and 

January 2011 beats 2010 by $6 million. But, of 

course, you can’t. The movies in the marketplace 

are the whole point and you can’t take 

them out of the mix. 

But let’s look at those two numbers: $300 

million and $312 million. Combined, those 

single month grosses for Avatar and Alice 

in 2010 account for almost the entire $618 

million difference between 2010 and 2011 

through the first weekend in April. So, are we 

in a slump, or was the first quarter of 2010 a 

bit of serendipity—an unplannable piece of 

good fortune and inspired filmmaking? 

Of course, slump-talk has reared its predictable 

head in the media. Is it gas prices? 

Ticket prices? ZOMG—the internet?!!1? It’s 

Avatar and Alice. 

Let’s look at ticket prices. We don’t have 

an average for the first quarter yet, but we do 

have a full year average for 2010: $7.89. Now, 

that may seem high to someone who remembers 

when a movie ticket cost $1.55, which 

it did in 1970. But adjusted for inflation, that 

ticket would cost $8.71 in 2010 dollars— 

considerably lower than it cost in 2010. In 

2011 dollars, that ticket would cost $8.84. Of 

course, in big cities the ticket price is higher, 

but it was higher in 1970, too. Still, perceptions 

are important, and any ticket price is 

too high when the movies available to watch 

aren’t compelling. 

But that is why I’m optimistic about the 

rest of the year. Buzz is high about the movies 

we will soon be screening in our theaters— 

particularly the summer schedule. If the reaction 

at CinemaCon is any indication, Super 

8, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, 

The Hangover 2, Harry Potter and the Deathly 

Hallows Part 2, Fast Five, Green Lantern, Thor, 

Kung Fu Panda 2, Captain America, Cars 2, X- 

Men: First Class, Conan the Barbarian, and, and, 

and… make for the possibility of the biggest 

summer we have ever seen. 

Come the holiday season, we’ll see the 

final installment of the Twilight Saga, Sherlock 

Holmes: A Game of Shadows, the latest Alvin 

and the Chipmunks, Mission Impossible: Ghost 

Protocol, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, War 

Horse, and two giants of the cinema—Martin 

Scorsese and Steven Spielberg—dip their 

lenses into 3D with Hugo Cabret and The Adventures 

of Tintin. 

Will all these movies be hits? Hard to 

know, and I’m certain there are movies I 

haven’t listed that will be surprise successes. 

That’s part of the fun of this business: its 

unpredictability. I should know. I’m the guy 

who predicted in his last column that 2010 

would set a record at the box office. But I only 

missed by $30 million dollars. In showbiz, 

that’s a home run. 


IS GROUPON GOOD FOR EXHIBITION? 

The case study of The Lincoln Lawyer 

SHOW BUSINESS 

PHIL 

CONTRINO 

Editor 

BoxOffice.com 

I 

’ll admit it: I was surprised by how much I enjoyed The 

Lincoln Lawyer. 

After his string of mundane romantic comedies, I 

wasn’t expecting much from star Matthew McConaughey, 

and I’m sure other moviegoers felt the same way. Yet when 

“Ain’t No Love In the Heart of the City” by Bobby ‘Blue’ 

Bland kicked on during the opening credits, I could tell 

that the Lionsgate release marked a massive departure for 

McConaughey. What followed was an almost flawlessly 

executed legal thriller with panache and slick humor. 

I don’t know if The Lincoln Lawyer will survive as one 

of my ten best films of the year, but I do know that it’s 

definitely the kind of flick that I’ll be unable to turn away 

from when it pops up on television. That’s high praise in 

my book. 

Your patrons probably felt the same way I did about 

Lincoln Lawyer and were glad that they took a chance on 

the film. But what made them take that chance? A sizeable 

chunk were spurred by the Groupon/Fandango promotion 

offering discounted opening weekend tickets for only 

$6—in some markets this is a 54 percent discount with 

Lionsgate ponying up the difference. 

As a general rule, I’m opposed to discounted tickets. I’m 

strongly against any kind of devaluing of content (ahem, 

Redbox) and discounting tickets does exactly that. If moviegoers 

grow too accustomed to being cut a break, then 

they might think twice about paying normal prices. 

Still, the Lincoln Lawyer promotion was a good one. 

Simply put: it helped a great movie succeed financially. 

Listen to this key stat: 89 percent of consumers that redeemed 

their discounted tickets said that they wouldn’t 

have seen The Lincoln Lawyer without Groupon. We 

reported on BoxOffice.com that 40,000 out of nearly 

200,000 customers redeemed their tickets on opening 

weekend. That means that around 35,600 people who 

wouldn’t have normally seen the movie walked out, 

recommending it to their friends. 

How can I be so sure they recommended it? Look 

at the numbers; they don’t lie. The film’s most active 

Facebook page added more than 5,000 new supporters 

from the Friday it opened to the following Monday— 

most adult-skewing dramas take weeks to add that 

much support. The overall CinemaScore rating was an 

A-. 15,000 Flixster users gave the legal drama an impressive 

79 percent approval rating that weekend. The 

word of mouth led to strong receipts: Lincoln Lawyer 

suffered only a 19 percent drop during its sophomore 

frame and a 38 percent decline during its third weekend. 

Most studio execs would part with their first-born 

child for that kind of hold. 

Fittingly, Lionsgate executives are beaming. “We 

will always look for innovative ways to message our 

audience in an efficient and effective manner,” says 

David Spitz, Lionsgate’s EVP & General Sales Manager 

of Theatrical Domestic Distribution. “Any promotion 

that drives the consumer to the movies is a good 

thing.” 

Here’s the lesson: Groupon can work for good movies—especially 

good, smaller movies—but it can be 

toxic for bad ones. Just think what would happen if 

a studio used discounted tickets to entice patrons to 

see an obvious dud. The negative ripple effect could 

drown any chance of success as thousands of people 

who weren’t ordinarily planning to see would walk out 

unsatisfied, grumbling that it wasn’t even worth half the 

cost of admission. You’d lose tons of potential customers 

within hours as people began to weigh in on Facebook, 

Twitter and other key networks. 

The Lincoln Lawyer case matters. We haven’t seen the 

last of Groupon, or LivingSocial, or whichever discount 

promotion arrives next—as the rate of sequels indicates, 

Hollywood is very good at mimicking success stories. 


FRONT LINE AWARD 

CULT CORNER 

Programmer, historian, oddball 

by Cole Hornaday 

Joshua Blevins Peck speaks in a bass croak, apologizing for his 

groggy condition. He returned to his Tulsa, Oklahoma home at 

dawn following an all-night drive back from Dallas where he saw a 

performance of the ’80s electronica band Orchestral Maneuvers in 

the Dark. He’s tuckered, but in a “synth-bliss.” 

Peck is a connoisseur of ’80s electronica, but his passions spill 

wide and deep into the corners of literature, art and film. This 

specialized knowledge is wealth he gladly shares. “I’m borderline 

OCD about lists and organizing movies,” says Peck. “I’ve been keeping 

this journal for 12 years where I write down every movie that 

I’ve seen, where I saw it and who I saw it with. Then I update the 

statistics—it’s just crazy.” 

“My dad basically warped my sensibilities at a very young age,” 

he explains. “He figured he’d save on a babysitter and just take his 

8-year old kid see the movies he wanted 

to see like Apocalypse Now or The Shining.” 

Peck says access to R-rated movies 

made him a playground hero but confesses 

the image of bald and perspiring 

Marlon Brando still brings on twitches 

of anxiety. 

“I really grew up drowning myself in 

genre movies, horror, b-films and comedies,” 

says Peck. “As I got older, my tastes 

kind of broadened and I started getting 

into older films, foreign films and screwball 

comedies from the ’30s.” In college, 

Peck studied American History with a 

secondary emphasis in Film Studies, gelling 

a worldview where one discipline 

complimented the other and vice versa. 

It would take Peck thirty years to complete 

his undergraduate degree. A chronic 

wanderlust pulled him back and forth 

across the United States and as far as the 

wilds of Eastern Europe. During a sevenyear 

stint in Seattle during the peak of 

the grunge era, Peck went broke self-publishing 

film and lit ‘zines like Kinetoscope 

and Unpaved Road. Once Peck’s romance 

with bohemianism wound down, he 

returned to the University of Oklahoma 

to finish his undergraduate degree, ultimately 

rolling his BA into a Masters 

degree in Library Science. 

Upon graduation, the Tulsa Historical 

Society hired Peck to organize their 

Joshua Blevins Peck 

Programmer > Circle Cinema 

Tulsa, OK 

Nominated by Clinton McClung 

Programmer > Central Cinema and 

SIFF / Seattle, WA 

massive cache of oral history recordings. Peck soon discovered that 

Tulsa’s Circle Cinema, a cornerstone of its historic neighborhood 

since 1928, recently reopened. Peck’s reaction was both enthusiastic 

and critical. 

“I immediately started going to watch movies and asking myself, 

‘What are they missing out on here?’ They were missing an 

opportunity to reach young people.” Days later, Peck approached 

Circle managers and suggested they start showing midnight movies 

and pitched himself as programmer. 

In August 2005, Peck began scheduling the Circle’s midnight 

movies, screening newer cult favorites like Donnie Darko and Evil 

Dead, while brainstorming innovative events he knew would be 

the key to his success. “From very early on, the idea was to surprise 

the audience, to give them something unexpected.” From raffling 

a bicycle like the legendarily lost one 

in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure or hosting 

10-hour, 10pm to 8am, movie slumber 

parties, Peck has helped corner the Tulsa 

midnight movie market. 

“Audiences have been supportive ever 

since,” says Peck. “Tulsa’s not that big 

of a metropolitan city, but I don’t think 

even the larger cities near us have the 

thriving midnight movie community 

we do.” 

In addition to his 9 to 5 with the 

Tulsa Historical Society, Peck’s found his 

voice as a writer and film critic for the 

independent Urban Tulsa Weekly and 

his own blog, CineRobot. 

Peck says CineRobot means more to its 

readers than just movie talk. “I’ve been 

trying to bring some kind of intimacy 

into it—some kind of fellowship or a 

kinship of readers. I do my lists and give 

you a snapshot into my personality, but 

I also invite folks to share in all their 

weird little variances of film interests.” 

Peck is a man in his element who 

spends nearly every waking hour immersed 

in history and film: sorting, sifting, 

filing, sharing. “When you get down 

to it, you don’t realize how many films 

out there people haven’t seen. There’s 

nothing better than picking a movie, 

showing it and then letting people discover 

it. It’s a total thrill.” 

BOXOFFICE PRO is looking for winners—theater employees you consider to be genuine role models making a significant, positive impact on your theater operations. Monthly winners of 

the BOXOFFICE PRO Front Line Award receive a $50 Gap Gift Card! To nominate a theater employee send a brief 100- to 200-word nominating essay to cole@boxoffice.com. Be sure to 

put ‘Front Line Nomination’ in the subject line. 


POST PUNK 

A rebel matures into a theater matriarch 

It was the waning days of the ’80s and last thing 21-year-old 

Laura “Sid” Garcia-Heberger wanted was another job in a movie 

theater. She admits she had to be nagged into showing up for a job 

interview at the Crest Theatre. 

“I had a friend who was involved in the reopening of the theater 

and he was very insistent that I come down and apply for a 

job,” recalls Garcia-Heberger. “He basically stalked me for weeks, 

and the day they were holding interviews he called every half-hour 

until I relented, put on what I called my ‘official job interview 

sweater’ and went down to the Crest.” 

Little did she know that in a matter of months, she’d be running 

the joint. 

The Crest had been a decaying night club well trampled by Garcia, 

a frenetic suburban California punk with a love for piercings, 

garage bands and vicious wordplay. In a 

day when success hinged on the height 

of one’s hair and a suitably repellent 

name, Garcia dubbed herself “Sid Biafra- 

Spitz” honoring The Sex Pistols, The 

Dead Kennedys and … Olympic swimmer 

Mark Spitz. 

“Don’t you know Mark Spitz was originally 

from Sacramento?” laughs Garcia- 

Heberger. “I was driving down some 

street in Carmichael and saw a mailbox 

that said ‘Spitz,’ and I thought, ‘That 

is the best last name ever!’ I’m Garcia- 

Heberger now but I guess I already had a 

penchant for hyphenated names.” 

In the Crest’s early struggle to evolve 

from punk club to indie cinema, Garcia- 

Heberger clocked in each day dressed as 

a 1940s movie palace staffer. “The ushers 

and usherettes wore these little green 

flying monkey outfits complete with 

jackets and pill box hats,” says Garcia- 

Heberger. “Because I was in concessions, 

I had a little bit more practical outfit. I 

wore a white button-up blouse with the 

black vest and pillbox hat, and I tuckedin 

my wings and tail.” 

Garcia-Heberger says she immediately 

realized she was one of the few people 

on staff with prior theater experience. “I immediately started bossing 

people around—and all I’d ever done before was pop popcorn!” 

she laughs. “Within about a year and a half, I was part of the management 

team.” 

Fully entrenched in the Crest management by 1995, Garcia- 

Heberger says her servitude was all part of a grander conspiracy. 

“One Christmas I was gifted enough money to buy into the 


Laura “Sid” Garcia-Heberger 

Manager > The Crest Theatre 

Sacramento, CA 

Nominated by Tara Schroeder 

Director of Programminig & 

Marketing > Tampa Theatre 

Tampa, FL 

company,” she says, adding, “It was all part of a clever ruse, I realize 

now. I took that cash and bought stock in the company. Eventually 

I’ve purchased more stock and now I’m CEO and CFO.” Garcia- 

Heberger’s duties go beyond the conference table: she works on 

promotions, social networking, advertising, staff scheduling, the 

occasional janitorial chore and even wearing a hard-hat. 

“We closed in mid-July of 1995 for eight weeks while we did 

all of the major renovation work,” says Garcia-Heberger. As part 

of the theater’s face-lift, all of the seats were removed, the carpets 

and draperies replaced, the bathrooms reconfigured to add accessible 

stalls and seating. The most intensive work involved erecting 

temporary scaffolding to scour the auditorium’s filthy 45-foot high 

ceilings in advance of re-gilding the delicate gold leaf. 

It was during that period of grueling renovation when “Sid 

Biafra-Spitz,” now simply “Sid,” met her 

future husband, Bill Heberger. Like her 

affection for the theater, the love wasn’t 

instantaneous. “When I first came to 

the theater, there were all these volunteers 

who already knew each other,” she 

recalls. “So I’m meeting dozens of new 

people. I thought everybody’s name was 

‘Larry’ for like the first week. Including 

Bill.” 

Eventually Bill’s charms would set 

him apart from the rest of the grubby 

volunteers and, like the theater did 

years earlier, he would work his way 

into Garcia-Heberger’s heart. Together, 

they’ve helped raise the Crest to a place 

of cultural prominence. “The Crest has 

not only gotten under my skin,” says 

Garcia-Heberger, “the Crest has gotten 

photo credit: Paul Le 

under the skin of the Sacramento community.” 

Today the Crest Theatre is a testament 

to the devotion of its volunteers 

and contributors and with its recent $2.8 

million purchase by Stantec Consulting 

Services Engineer Bob Emerick, the cinema’s 

future is more secure than ever. 

“Somebody once wrote that being 

inside the Crest looks like you’re peering 

into a Fabergé egg,” Garcia-Heberger brags. “I think that’s an excellent 

way to describe the place.” Gilded throughout, the cinema’s 

décor touches on Art Nouveau with plentiful golden swirls and a 

repeated fleur-de-lis. The auditorium ceiling features indirect neon 

cove lighting that off-sets the gold leaf ceiling as it flickers from 

cobalt blue to deep scarlet red. “It’s a beautiful setting,” says Garcia- 

Heberger. “You cannot believe that you’re on planet Earth.” 

FRONT OFFICE AWARD 


MARQUEE AWARD 

THE PIPES, THE PIPES ARE CALLING 

The Motor City Theatre Organ Society 

was instrumental in restoring the cinema’s 

authentic Barton organ to its original brillance 

Downtown Detroit’s Redford Theatre is a line into the past. Originally 

opened in 1928 as the Kunsky Redford Theatre, the silent cinema 

was once hailed as “America’s Most Unique Suburban Playhouse.” 

And though ravaged by time, a steady pulse has always pumped 

from the Redford’s most vital organ: its Barton Theatre pipe organ. 



EASTERN MAGIC 

The Redford Theatre, one of the oldest surviving silent movie houses, has been in near continuous 

use since 1928 

The Redford’s original interior motif mimicked 

a Japanese garden. Ornate faux-pagoda 

walls masked the Barton’s pneumatically 

driven components like its cello, violin and 

tympani, all operated by foot pedals built into 

the organ’s recessed platform. High over the 

house, artificial lighting feigns the evening 

sky peppered with distant stars and wandering 

translucent clouds. ■ Of course, it wasn’t always 

popular to turn Japanese. Following the 

bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Redford ownership 

made the tough call to blot out the Japanese 

motif. Decades later, volunteers and artisans 

would become 

hobby archaeologists 

spending hours tirelessly 

unearthing the 

original paint and 

plasterwork. 


MARQUEE AWARD 

Like many invested 

in the health 

and beauty of the 

Redford, National 

Theatre Acquisition 

Company, 

owner (and Motor 

City Theatre Organ 

Society—MCTOS— 

board member) 

Richard Komer 

has a relationship 

with the theater 

that reaches back 

decades. 

“My father Harry 

Komer and his father 

Charles Komer 

began in the movie 

theater business in 

1931 at the Redford 

Theatre,” Komer recalls. “They were later 

joined by the Goldberg family in 1950, who 

were relatives.” The families then formed 

the Community Theatre chain, which consisted 

of six indoor houses and four drive-in 

theaters. 

Devoted to the performance and preservation 

of classic theatre organs, the MCTOS 

gained permission from the Community 

Theatre chain in 1965 to resuscitate the 

Redford’s Barton organ. But by the late ’70s, 

the owners were in a bind—they were losing 

money, but couldn’t bring themselves 

to close down the historical landmark. In 

1977, Community Theatres offered MCTOS 

an offer they couldn’t refuse: a 10-year land 

contract and a $125,000 option to buy. MC- 

TOS set up camp at the Redford and began 

fundraising in earnest to return the Redford 

to its former glory. 

According to former MCTOS President 

John Lauter, many early theater organs were 

simply repurposed church organs. As the 

popularity of silent film grew, the renowned 

“Mighty” Wurlitzer company took the lead 

in developing a new instrument model with 

a greater variety of sounds and volume. Although 

the Redford’s Barton organ is lesser 

known, aficionados prize the Midwestern 

machine for being a punchy, gutsy instrument. 

“It’s remarkable that they last as long as 

they do and they are infinitely re-buildable,” 

says Lauter. “I mean, as long as nature keeps 

making cows and sheep and trees, we can 

keep rebuilding organs.” 

Lauter says the biggest part of the 1965 

· GOLDEN AGE · 

The Redford Theatre 

sports 1,600 seats all 

based on its original 

Japanese gardenstyle 

interior design 

concept 

refurbishment process—aside from intensive 

spit and polish—was re-soldering the 

Barton’s aging electrics. “In an organ there 

are literally thousands of electrical connections,” 

says Lauter. “Barton had an Achilles 

Heel in how they formed their electrical 

connections—anyone who’s repaired a long 

slumbering Barton knows, to fix it you have 

to sit in the back of the organ with a soldering 

iron for weeks.” In comparison, recovering 

other components like the decrepit 

leather bellows was a breeze. 

The MCTOS board was founded by a 

handful of young and intrepid organ enthusiasts. 

“At that time, we really didn’t have 

a solid business 

plan other than to 

pay off our mortgage 

and pay our 

monthly bills,” says 

Lauter. “Four of us 

were under the age 

of 22—I think I was 

19 at the time, the 

youngest one.” 

MCTOS struck 

upon a programming 

formula 

they’ve relied on 

ever since: classic 

movies plus classic 

organ music. “That’s 

how it’s been every 

two weeks, in 

perpetuity,” says 

Lauter. “We said 

we’re going to run a big screen silent or classic 

movie and we’re always going to play 

the organ before because that’s what we’re 

all about. It’s that little perk we can give our 

customers that the mall cinemas can’t.” 

It’s a formula that, despite the odds, has 

worked. Audiences keep coming back, thrilling 

to the exclusive combination of live 

theater organ laid over films of enduring 

power and imagery. “I have to say that the 

audiences at the Redford really come out,” 

says Lauter. “The appreciate it, they’re very 

generous with their applause and if you 

really whip them up in to a fury it’s not unusual 

to have whistling, stomping, hooting 

and hollering. Not the polite ‘golf applause.’” 

As a 501 (c) (3), Redford Theatre keeps 

its doors open thanks to the steady support 

of the Detroit community, volunteers and 

a silent majority of financial contributors. 

Audiences flock to fill the 1,600 seat house, 

a wonder considering the Redford’s limited 

schedule of screenings every other weekend 

on Fridays and Saturdays. 

In this high tech age of HD home theatres 

and 3D cinema, something as archaic 

as silent film paired with a pipe organ is 

sure to draw sneers from technophiles, but 

Komer guarantees a revelation for the uninitiated. 

“My wife Judy and I recently visited 

the Redford to see Wings, the first film to 

ever win an Academy Award,” says Komer 

“It was just so emotional and the music 

from the organ was so beautiful—it really 

woke me up to the forgotten power of silent 

movies and just how great an impact even a 

silent movie can have.” 


MOVING PICTURES. FORWARD. 

More than 

1,300 

Dolby ® Surround 7.1 

screens installed 

More than 

7,200 

Dolby 3D systems 

shipped 

More than 

8,000 

cinema servers 

shipped 

Working to bring you the next generation of digital cinema. 

Ask us about our 4K solution at booth 1600A and in the Milano 7 suite. 

Learn more at www.dolby.com. 

Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. © 2011 Dolby Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. S11/23982

CINENACON IN REVIEW 

What Happened 

in Vegas 

THIS IS GOING TO BE HUGE 

James Cameron makes his case for increased frame rates 

CinemaCon got off to a great start for a 

new show and location and it was exciting 

to see great panels and guest speakers 

like George Lucas, James 

Cameron and Jeffrey 

Katzenberg talking about 

the latest innovations in 

digital cinema and 3D. 

Exhibition seemed to be 

very interested in new 

innovations for sound 

and imaging, including 

the potential for high 

frame rate. Dolby looks 

forward to driving innovation 

in these areas for both the filmmakers 

and exhibitors to deliver the best 

entertainment experience possible to 

movie-goers. 

Stuart Bowling 

Worldwide Technical Marketing 

Manager for Dolby Laboratories 

BIG SMILES 

Disney’s Rich Ross and Bob Chapek flank MPAA 

Chairman Chris Dodd and NATO President John 

Fithian 

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY: 

CHRIS DODD AND JOHN FITHIAN TAKE THE STAGE 

Just nine days into the job, Senator Chris Dodd used CinemaCon to make his first 

public appearance as the MPAA’s new Chairman/CEO. The experienced politico 

made quite an impression on an industry looking for guidance as it faces an array 

of issues from piracy to a release window controversy 

that grows more intense by the day. 

Dodd touted the expansion of digital cinema early 

on in the yearly State of the Industry address. “Last 

year the number of digital and 3D screens more than 

doubled—and our audience couldn’t get enough of 

it,” boasted Dodd. “One in five dollars spent at the box 

office now comes from 3D. I can’t help but wonder 

what Cecil B. DeMille, Sam Goldwyn, Louis B. Mayer, 

Jesse Lasky and Adolph Zucker and the rest of these 

pioneers would say if they could have been among 

the millions of moviegoers who marvelled at the experience 

of seeing Avatar in a 3D theater.” 

The 66-year-old Connecticut native also used the 

opportunity to stress how many jobs the movie industry 

creates—a very important talking point during 

harsh economic times. “Nearly 2.5 million people work in our film industry. The 

success of the movie and TV business doesn’t just benefit the names on theater 

marquees. It also affects all the names in the closing credits and so many more 

middle class folks, working hard behind the scenes to provide for their families, 

saving for college and retirement. And since movies and TV shows are now being 

made in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, movie theft harms 

middle class families and small businesses all across the country.” 

NATO president and CEO John Fithian took the stage after Dodd in order to 

drill home points that are particularly important to the exhibition community. 

Fithian assuaged fears arising from a particularly weak first quarter. “The first 

quarter of 2011 has been difficult. But that is a function of the movies in the mar- 


ket. Beginning in May, we expect those comps to improve 

substantially. The strength of the studio product 

being shown here this week demands confidence 

in the industry’s immediate future. You can just feel 

the buzz from the movies highlighted last night, this 

morning, and all through the week.” 

“The movies drive our business,” added Fithian. 

“Another reason for theatrical box office growth is 

innovation. Our members around the world have 

invested billions in stadium seating, luxury cinemas, 

enhanced food and beverage choices, and of course, 

digital cinema and 3D. The digital revolution has 

simply exploded since a year ago. Here in the U.S., 

we have nearly 16,000 digital screens out of a total 

of 39,000. Almost 9,000 of those digital screens are 

equipped to project in 3D. We will add thousands 

more this year.” 

THE TITANS OF 3D PANEL: LUCAS, 

KATZENBERG AND CAMERON ON THE 

FUTURE OF FILMMAKING 

The line to get into a panel featuring James Cameron, 

George Lucas and Jeffrey Katzenberg wrapped 

around the corridors of Caesars as attendees eagerly 

awaited the gospel from three of the most important 

men in cinema. 

All three panelists refused to shy away from bold 

predictions, important mandates and talk of new 

technology during the hour-long discussion moderated 

by RealD CEO Michael V. Lewis. The packed 

house sat quietly and hung on every word. (Even the 

clinking of glasses was all but absent.) 

Cameron used the venue to drive home a couple 

crucial points. Always the technical innovator, he previewed 

the idea of increasing frame rates in order to 

give moviegoers a superior picture—from 24 frames 

a second to as many as 60—and hosted a presentation 

on the subject himself the following morning. The 

Avatar director also spent a healthy chunk of time 

on the importance of light levels to a proper 3D presentation. 

Never one to shy away from controversy, 

Cameron once again bashed inferior 3D conversions. 

“You’re not getting 3D,” Cameron quipped. “You’re 

getting 2.2 or 2.3D.” 

Lucas passed along some insight about the 3D 

conversion process he’s using to bring his beloved 

Star Wars trilogy back again to theaters (“for the 

children,” he insisted) and he agreed with Cameron’s 

point that a conversion can be done well as long as it’s 

not rushed. Said Lucas, “I’m betting big that people 

will still go to see a movie they’ve watched on TV and 

DVD in theaters because they want the communal experience.” 

Like the industry lions they are, Lucas and 

Cameron even had a bit of friendly competition, with 

Lucas insisting on calling Avatar’s Na’vi “blue cats.” 

Katzenberg spent some time hyping a new technology 

called scalable multi-core processing that will 

allow animators to work in real time. The studio chief 

also thanked the exhibition crowd for making the 

effort to push for more digital screens. 

Both Katzenberg and Lucas agreed that the future 

of cinemas will be adding meal options. “Movie theaters 

will become more like restaurants,” said Lucas. 

WARNER BROS.’ BIG PICTURE (AND BIG 

REBEL) 

Before premiering the theatrical trailer for The 

Hangover 2 at Wednesday’s Warner Bros. presentation, 

writer/director Todd Phillips won a healthy round of 

applause from the crowd by making a bold statement. 

“I’m on your side in this whole VOD business,” 

said Phillips. “If I wanted to make movies for TV, I 

would have become a TV director.” 

The statement came literally hours after a decision 

by Warner Bros., Sony, Fox and Universal to use 

DirecTV in order to allow viewers to consume Hollywood 

releases at home 60 days after they have opened 

theatrically. The exhibition community reacted with 

outrage, and NATO was quick to issue an official statement 

blasting the move. 

The trailer for The Hangover 2 easily generated the 

strongest reaction of all the films WB had on display. 

Phillips previously used ShoWest to launch trailers 

for The Hangover and Due Date to great success, so 

bringing down the house was nothing new to him. 

(Steps from the theater, Caesars even sells 

Hangover posters in its gift shop.) 

The new clips on display were from J. Edgar, 

Harold & Kumar 3, New Year’s Eve, Contagion, 

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Final 

Destination 5, Sherlock Holmes 2, Green Lantern, 

Horrible Bosses, Crazy Stupid Love and Harry 

Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II. 

Director Martin Campbell and stars Ryan 

Reynolds and Blake Lively introduced Green 

Lantern clips featuring unfinished special 

effects. “Don’t worry. I can say with confidence 

that they plan on finishing it,” joked 

Reynolds. 

Director Seth Gordon was joined by Jason 

Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day to 

introduce the first trailer for Horrible 

Bosses. The trailer won plenty 

of laughs. 

Crazy Stupid Love’s trailer was 

introduced by directors Glenn 

Ficarra and John Requa as well as 

Steve Carell. The film is clearly gunning 

for the same dramedy-loving 

moviegoers that made WB’s Life As 

We Know It a hit last year. 

The presentation ended with 

some unfinished clips from Harry 

Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 

II. Producer David Heyman was on 

hand to present them and he won 

We were so happy 

with CinemaCon and 

with the enthusiastic 

response to our presentation. 

It was a 

great opportunity to 

showcase our summer 

slate and the talented 

individuals that make 

it all possible. The 

exhibition community 

are our partners in 

bringing our films to 

audiences around the 

world and we were 

thrilled that they came 

away sharing our excitement 

about the 

upcoming films. And, 

proving the global 

impact of the convention, 

it was gratifying 

to see the positive 

ripple effect across the 

networking sites immediately 

following. 

Sue Kroll 

President of Worldwide 

Marketing for 

Warner Bros. 

“CinemaCon was a terrific agenda 

and show with vibrant new 

energy and exciting spirit. The 

convention attendees from distribution, 

exhibition and other 

suppliers showed how creative 

and cooperative our industry 

can be in this ever-changing 

and challenging business climate 

when everyone is focused 

on our collective success.” 

Bruce J. Olsen 

President of 

Marcus Theatres 

We really felt the first CinemaCon was a 

superior experience, from the change in 

venue to the format and level of engagement 

the changes inspired. Despite the 

lagging Q1 box office, the mood was 

decidedly upbeat in anticipation of a 

promising summer slate. It was nice to 

see a greater presence of international 

exhibitors, as it reinforced the emerging 

global nature of our business. 

Gerry Lopez 

CEO and President of AMC 

Entertainment 


CINEMACON IN REVIEW 

Mitch and his team are 

to be congratulated 

on the success of the 

first CinemaCon. I 

know they worked very 

hard to change up the 

convention, bring back 

the studios, create a 

great platform for our 

suppliers in the Trade 

Show and reinvigorate 

the final night Awards 

show. They succeeded 

on every level. The 

Coliseum was an 

incredible venue for 

the showcase events. 

Congratulations on a 

job well done. 

Tim Warner, 

President and COO 

of Cinemark 

applause when he stressed that the Potter films are 

meant to be seen in theaters. 

PARAMOUNT’S POWERHOUSE PREVIEW 

CinemaCon has arrived as the must-attend show 

for anyone interested in the future of movies. We’ll 

always be a supporter of CinemaCon with its great 

networking opportunities and informative events. 

Rick Butler 

COO and General Manager of Fandango 

In the video montage that opened CinemaCon’s 

first official event—a sneak preview of upcoming 

flicks from Paramount, DreamWorks and Marvel— 

directors J.J. Abrams, Ron Howard, Cameron Crowe, 

Christopher Nolan, John Lasseter, Judd Apatow, Michael 

Bay and Todd Phillips thanked movie theater 

owners for giving them inspiration as children (and 

for selling buckets of their tickets as adults). 

J.J. Abrams started off the night by introducing 

22 minutes of Super 8 with passion and reluctance. 

“I honestly don’t want to show it. But I really do,” 

he said. The influence of producer Steven Spielberg 

was strong in the string of cryptic scenes that established 

the friendship between the kids who witness 

a train crash and proved that whatever the bad monster 

who survives the wreckage is, it’s really, really 

strong. 

Marvel Comics 

showed four scenes from 

Joe Johnston’s Captain 

America: First Avenger: 

the hero’s creation, his 

first encounter with his 

shield, the film’s snowy 

and mysterious present 

day opening, and the 

introduction of Dominic 

Cooper as Howard Stark, the coiffed and charismatic 

father of Tony. 

Captain America played well, but the 20 minutes of 

Thor played better. When Marvel brought Aussi star 

Chris Hemsworth on the stage, you could hear women 

gasp at his muscles. His Thor is brash and cocky 

and Kenneth Branaugh’s clearly having fun contrasting 

the Viking’s berserker-smash personality against 

the modern world. The surprise was just how funny 

the film appears to be—when Kat Dennings discovers 

the newly fallen god senseless over the loss of his 

weapon, she quips, “Yeah, I know you’re hammered.” 

Surprisingly, Paramount’s other big summer blockbuster, 

Transformers: Dark of the Moon, was neither 

seen nor heard, except for a minute in the opening 

montage where Michael Bay, ShoWest 2009’s winner 

of the Vanguard Award for Excellence in Filmmaking, 

said to the crowd: “Two years ago, I told you I’d never 

make a 3D movie. Well, I lied.” 

Animated films Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots 

rounded out the night. Panda was warmly received, 

but the audience missed out by not seeing any fight 

choreography with Lord Shen, an evil white peacock 

whose spinning, scissoring tail looks stunning in 

2D and must be unimaginably beautiful in three 

dimensions. Jack Black came out and did some kung 

fu moves for the crowd. When he tipped his hat to 

Celine Dion with a few bars of “My Heart Will Go 

On,” he got the second loudest laughs of the night. 

The comedy winner was Puss in Boots, who showed 

15 minutes that played like catnip. You could see the 

SALES STARS 

The honorees at the Marketing Achievement Awards 


FULL HOUSE 

John Travolta was among the many stars who toasted Dick Cook 

The Will Rogers 

Pioneer Dinner at 

CinemaCon was one 

of the best events I’ve 

ever attended through 

my involvement with 

NATO. By incorporating 

this dinner into the 

CinemaCon agenda, 

it allowed me to attend 

for the first time. 

The quality of the 

entertainment and the 

caliber of the presenters 

made for a very 

special evening in support 

of this important 

industry charity. 

George Rouman 

Co-Chair of the 

Geneva Convention 

and Owner of 

Rouman Amusement 

Company, Inc. 

cash registers over the theater owners’ heads when 

Puss played: it’s got broad appeal and it’s indisputably 

good. Either quality could make money, together, it’s 

all but guaranteed, and that’s the kind of movie exhibitors 

want to see. 

INTERNATIONAL DAY: 

THE AUDIENCE ABROAD 

On Monday, CinemaCon launched a new tradition: 

a full morning and afternoon dedicated to the foreign 

dollar. International Day opened with a trio of panels 

on foreign (or “local”) film production, building an 

audience and the digital roll out abroad. 

Stressed during those morning sessions and 

throughout the day was the bolstered realization 

that Hollywood needs to go offshore to thrive—and 

vice versa. Every year, international sales are a bigger 

and bigger piece of a film’s success, and at lunch 

the convention decorated Richard Fox, Warner Bros.’ 

executive vice president, international, with the 

first-ever Passepartout Award for his contributions 

to building the box office abroad. Noted Fox, the 

global market wants more local language work, and 

it’s in the interest of studios and producers to create 

it for them. 

Also at lunch, Miki Lee, vice-chairman of the CJ 

Group who oversees the CGV chain of multiplexes 

in Korea, was lauded with the CinemaCon Global 

Achievement in Exhibition. Over a montage of K-Pop 

and luxurious cinema interiors, Lee spoke about the 

chain’s commitment to the premium experience, but 

neglected to mention that the curious won’t have to 

hop on a trans-Pacific flight to scope out the competition—CGV 

has just opened its first American multiplex 

in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. 

Closing out the afternoon was a panel on the 

growth of the BRIC markets where audiences learned 

that China has seen a tenfold increase at their box office 

in eight years (not a typo, the group made a point 

of insisting) even as piracy strikes at the jugular of 

that new success. 

Mooky Greidinger, CEO of the Israeli chain Cinema 

City International, spoke about the burgeoning 

business in the former Eastern Bloc, where in countries 

like Romania, there are only 12 multiplexes for 

22 million people. Said Greidinger, the biggest challenges 

are a lack of infrastructure and a culture where 

potential audiences have simply never considered going 

to the movies. But once they’re hooked, he noted, 

the possibilities for growth are considerable. 

One last presentation asked NATO members a 

new question: what can they learn from the best practices 

abroad? Cineapolis’ Alejandro Ramirez Magana 

gave an inspiring talk on what the Mexican theater 

chain has learned about building brand loyalty—and 

they’ve learned quite a lot, in fact, as they’re now the 

fourth largest exhibition company in the world with 

outposts that stretch as far as Peru and India. 

Magana offered great insights on maximizing 

social networks to win friends and boost sales—used 

smartly, even a promotion to boost their hot dog sales 

triggered over 2200 fan videos, and a campaign to 

push up popcorn purchases resulted in a 21 percent 

hike. And when he shared Cinepolis’ commendable 

charity work—a month in post-earthquake Haiti 

screening movies for displaced families, 8,500 sponsored 

cataract surgeries, and over two million free 

admissions for local children who had never before 

been to a movie theater—the room warmed with 

pride in what the industry can accomplish. 

[It] was a terrific success 

for us. The exhibitors 

in attendance were 

incredibly enthusiastic 

about our upcoming 

slate and we were impressed 

by the great 

show the organizers 

put on. 

Jim Tharp 

President of Domestic 

Distribution for 

Paramount Pictures 

The premiere edition 

of CinemaCon was a 

tremendous success, 

providing exhibitors 

the opportunity to see 

some of the fantastic 

film product on the 

way to our screens this 

summer. Theater operators 

from across the 

globe are all united in 

our desire to provide 

great venues for our 

patrons to enjoy the 

unique entertainment 

experience that only 

movie theaters can 

deliver. 

Amy Miles 

CEO Regal 

Entertainment Group 


MAY 6 1ST WEEKEND CUMULATIVE 

THOR $73M $208M 

STRENGTHS 

Thor brandished his hammer and won one of the year’s most prime release dates. The first 

week of May has been a lucky totem for three of the biggest opening franchise weekends 

of all time: Iron Man 1 and 2, Spider-Man 1 and 3, and X2: X-Men United and X-Men Origins: 

Wolverine. Plus, Thor is a recognizable property for the bookish and comic bookish alike, and 

co-stars Natalie Portman in her last big 2011 role before reaching over-saturation. 

WEAKNESSES 

Chris Hemsworth made an impact in Star Trek with just five minutes of screen time, but 

he’s not an established leading man. And while cineastes who’ve seen director Kenneth 

Branagh’s Henry V know he can sling a sword, fanboys might be unconvinced. 


SOMETHING 

BORROWED 

$12M $37M 

WE 

WEIGH IN 

ON MAY, 

JUNE & JULY’S 

26 MAJOR 

CONTENDERS 

BY PHIL CONTRINO & 

AMY NICHOLSON 

STRENGTHS 

This romantic comedy starring Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin is calculated counterprogramming 

for ladies not turned on by Hemsworth’s muscles. Hudson’s been a steady rom 

com ingénue since 2003’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Warner Bros. has the added bonus 

of a script based on Emily Giffin’s New York Times best-seller of the same name. 

WEAKNESSES 

Most of Hudson’s latest films have been highly publicized flops, and those that have made 

money were savaged by critics. This could be her comeback, or it could be the nail in her 

career’s coffin. 


JUMPING THE BROOM $9M $24M 

STRENGTHS 

This clash-of-the-clans comedy about two families forced to make nice during a Martha’s 

Vineyard wedding aims squarely at the audiences who made Tyler Perry the sixth highestpaid 

man in Hollywood. Loretta Devine, Angela Bassett, Paula Patton and Romeo Miller (née 

rapper Lil’ Romeo) are bold-faced names in the urban market. 

WEAKNESSES 

Not only will it have to compete with Something Borrowed for the rom-com audience, but 

it’ll be battling Perry himself as the April 22 nd release of Madea’s Big Happy Family means his 

money-making machine will still have its claim staked in many multiplexes. 


MORE SCORING THE SUMMER > 


PRIEST $13M $31M 


BRIDESMAIDS $15M $45M 

STRENGTHS 

Vampires vs. Warrior Priests made for a cult comic book in Korea, 

but this U.S. adaptation is known more for being pushed back three 

times since August 2010. Still, Screen Gems has given it a surprisingly 

energetic marketing push and if it can poach any 3D screens 

from Thor, that should give it a boost. 

WEAKNESSES 

Summer audiences gravitate towards escapism, not pop-religious 

warfare. Star Paul Bettany isn’t a reliable draw—he’s best known for 

playing smart, serious doctors in arthouse fare, though he did have 

a high profile turn in The Da Vinci Code as, well, a blood and painobsessed 

priest. 

STRENGTHS 

Can six women out-party Zach Galifanakis before The Hangover 2 

hits theaters? Early word from Bridesmaids’ SXSW premiere is … 

maybe? Buzz has the ladies-in-Vegas flick tracking great and star 

Kristen Wiig is an SNL alum on track to be the next Tina Fey (or 

really, the next Steve Carell). Slapping producer Judd Apatow’s name 

on the ads can’t hurt. 

WEAKNESSES 

Raunchy comedies aimed at females often bomb. (See Christina 

Applegate’s The Sweetest Thing, Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty Love.) Bridesmaids 

is Hollywood’s cyclical testing of the crass chick flick waters, 

and it’s got to score a home run to make an impact. What it really 

needs to succeed: males. 

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SCORING THE SUMMER 


PIRATES OF THE 

CARIBBEAN: 

ON STRANGER 

TIDES 

STRENGTHS 


THE 

HANGOVER 

PART II 

STRENGTHS 

$110M $300M 

Disney’s Pirates franchise still has wind in its sails—even At World’s 

End, the worst-reviewed in Gore Verbinski’s trilogy, made $309.4 

million domestically and a staggering $651.5 million more abroad. 

Series newcomer Penelope Cruz brings more star power than the 

ousted Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom combined, and by scrapping 

lovebirds Will and Elizabeth, there’s more room for Johnny 

Depp’s Jack Sparrow to hold court. 

WEAKNESSES 

The swashbuckling Jack Sparrow steals scenes when he’s comic relief. 

This is his first time steering the entire ship, which will demand 

a lot of enthusiasm and energy from the actor and the audience. 

Director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine) will have to prove that he’s as 

skillful with a sword as he is with tap shoes. 

$92M $245M 

Part of the strength of The Hangover’s stunning $277.3 wallop was 

that no one expected it. The cast was unknowns, the story was nuts 

and the audiences who championed the comedy felt like it was their 

discovery. Conversely, part of the sequel’s strength is that returning 

director Todd Phillips has rallied together everything that made the 

first one a hit—even Ken Jeong’s Asian gangster will return. 

WEAKNESSES 

With expectations high, will audiences have the same enthusiasm? 

Phillips is savvy enough to make a joke of trying to catch lightning 

twice: there’s another wild animal in the bathroom, another facial 

disfigurement and in the trailer, Ed Helms yelps, “I can’t believe this 

is happening again!” 


KUNG FU 

PANDA 2 

$107M $320M 

STRENGTHS 

By the time this sequel to the $215.4 million cartoon punches its 

way into theaters, families will have had four weeks without a big 

draw PG flick in theaters—a lifetime when school’s out for summer. 

And this Jack Black, Angelina Jolie adventure tale won’t have to fend 

off any challengers until Judy Moody on June 10 th . That kiddie clout 

plus a bonus from 3D grosses means Panda’s on track to karate chop 

its original box office and set a new ursine record. 

WEAKNESSES 

Jack Black has taken his own box office licks, especially in last 

Christmas’ Gulliver’s Travels, which opened at a startlingly low $6.3 

million. Still, tykes care more about brand than star recognition— 

Panda should solidify Black’s voiceover career, even if his live action 

roles have stalled out. 

JUNE 3 1ST WEEKEND CUMULATIVE 

X-MEN: 

FIRST CLASS 

$85M $240M 

STRENGTHS 

The Fox franchise has a massive built-in audience that’s made it the 

#1 hit in each of its opening weekends. The X-Men brand is synonymous 

with summer: it’s loud, brash and flashy. And this prequel 

adds a touch of class with Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Stardust) directing 

and a young cast best known for their hip indie flicks. 

WEAKNESSES 

The series tends to open big and fade fast, and while cineastes 

know the names James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer 

Lawrence, the average 13-year-old doesn’t. The negative reviews for 

2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine have cast a pall over the franchise 

that this installment must shake off. 



JUDY MOODY 

AND THE 

NOT BUMMER 

SUMMER 

$15M $45M 

STRENGTHS 

As kiddie counter-programming, Judy Moody has the weekend to 

herself. Moody’s a spunky 3 rd grader who’s starred in nine tween 

novels like Judy Moody Declares Independence, Judy Moody Gets Famous 

and Judy Moody’s Double Rare Way Not Boring Book of Fun Stuff to Do. 

Relativity Media is hoping the youthful Moody brings out more fans 

than last summer’s disinterment of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona and 

Beezus ($21.6 million). 

WEAKNESSES 

For many, it’s still a case of Moody who? And the studio needs both 

boys and girls to buy tickets—something original author Megan 

McDonald accidentally-on-purpose prepared for by launching a six 

book spinoff starring Moody’s younger brother Stink, who has a big 

role in his big sister’s flick. 


GREEN 

LANTERN 

$70M $190M 

STRENGTHS 

The startling $163.9 million success of The Proposal made Ryan Reynolds 

one of the most sought-after actors in town, but Warner Bros. 

managed to snatch him up to headline as the intergalactic cop who’s 

been vowing, “No evil shall escape my sight,” since his 1940 comic 

book debut. Blake Lively, rising star of tabloid, small screen and a 

few strong film roles, plays the ingénue. 

WEAKNESSES 

Superhero fatigue seems to have set in at the box office: the last 12 

months are littered with the bones of would-be comic book franchises 

that never made it past their first film. Green Lantern’s been 

the butt of jokes among geeks who fully expect it to suck, but with 

expectations that low, there’s nowhere to go but up. At the fanboyheavy 

WonderCon, the reaction to sneak footage was, “Hey! That 

wasn’t that bad.” 


MR. POPPER’S 

PENGUINS 

$25M $80M 


SUPER 8 $45M $135M 

STRENGTHS 

J.J. Abrams has a lot of clout among fanboys and he knows how to 

whet their appetites. His 2008 Cloverfield (which he produced, not 

directed, though you could hardly tell that from the posters) had an 

ad campaign that gave away essentially nothing, reviews that were 

mixed at best—and a $40 million opening weekend. Super 8 should 

best that without breaking a sweat. Not only did 2009’s Star Trek 

burnish his reputation, he and producer Steven Spielberg are positioning 

Super 8 as the resurrection of four-quadrant classics like E.T. 

and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 

WEAKNESSES 

The last six months have seen two high-profile alien invasion flicks 

fizzle (Battle: LA and Skyline). Plus, once again, Abrams is charging 

ahead with an unestablished cast; here the biggest name is Elle Fanning, 

Dakota’s precociously talented 14-year-old sister. Of course, 

Abrams didn’t need a big name cast to make Star Trek. 

STRENGTHS 

Five years ago, you couldn’t stumble past a snack bar without kicking 

a cute penguin. After the one-two punch of March of the Penguins 

and Happy Feet, the tuxedo-ed birds were officially Hollywood’s #1 

avian draw. In fact, you could once say the same about human star 

Jim Carrey, which means for Fox, green-lighting this businessmaninherits-birds 

comedy was a studio no-brainer. 

WEAKNESSES 

Operative word being was. Jim Carrey is now a cult—not kiddie— 

darling and fickle kids mean penguins may have the staying power 

of Pokemon. But Warner Bros. wants Fox to win big: Happy Feet 2 

shuffles out in November. 




BAD TEACHER $18M $55M 


CARS 2 $85M $340M 

STRENGTHS 

Since the Oscars launched the Best Animated Feature 

category in 2003, Pixar has won six of eight nominations. 

2006’s Cars is one of the two ‘losers,’ but financially, 

it’s held its own—what it didn’t rake in at the 

box office (it made a “mere” $461.9 million), it swept 

up in merchandising, besting Finding Nemo’s sales 

figures 10 to 1. (In 2011, Pixar announced they’d sold 

$8 billion in Cars toys.) Kids too young to remember 

the first flick might still have a Lightning McQueen 

in their playpen, which is exactly what the studio was 

betting when they gave this sequel a green light. 

WEAKNESSES 

Pixar’s strength is delivering four-quadrant hits and 

Cars 2 is going to have to gun its motors to get moms 

and daughters in the multiplex. Emily Mortimer as 

sexy purple spy car Holley Shiftwell might rally the 

girls who wander in, but she alone can’t lure them to 

the theater. 

STRENGTHS 

Those over 18 and looking for something else to rev their engine have this hard R 

comedy starring Cameron Diaz as a gold-digging, hard-partying high school teacher 

who wants to raise her class’ grade point average solely so she can buy breast 

implants to seduce new sub Justin Timberlake. The redband trailer shows promise 

and if it and Bridesmaids seduce a broad audience, expect pundits to hail the rise of 

the naughty, funny femme. 

WEAKNESSES 

The downside is Bad Teacher will be instantly pitted against Bridesmaids and if it’s 

deemed less funny—even slightly less funny—people might stay away. Expect to 

see Screen Gems, which is trusting Timberlake to open Friends With Benefits one 

month later, taking the pulse of this Columbia release to see if the pop star’s multimillion 

dollar magic extends to the movies. 

JULY 1 1ST WEEKEND CUMULATIVE 

MONTE 

CARLO 

$10M $30M 

STRENGTHS 

You might not know the name Selena Gomez, but to 

teen girls, she’s an 18-year-old actress infamous for 

starring in the Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly 

Place and for dating (read: stealing) their dream boyfriend 

Justin Bieber. That demographic hasn’t been 

catered to all summer; if enough of them round up 

their posse for a night at the movies, Fox could turn 

their small investment into a tidy profit. 

WEAKNESSES 

Studios don’t make many squeaky clean teen girl comedies 

for a reason. The last attempt, January 2011’s 

From Prada to Nada, slunk out of theaters after grossing 

just $3 million. At best, Fox is hoping to match 

the $37.3 million cash flow from co-star Leighton 

Meester’s slightly more scandalous The Roommate. 


MORE SCORING THE SUMMER > 


TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON $105M $400M 

STRENGTHS 

How bulletproof is Michael Bay’s metal-munching franchise? 2009’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was panned even by its fans and still 

cracked $400 million dollars. Will fans still flock to this third installment? Even if fewer fans do, Bay’s flick is now in 3D. 

WEAKNESSES 

Michael Bay thought Megan Fox was disposable; throngs of red-blooded boys may disagree. Still, in purchasing power, the fans have been 

loyalists—but given Fox’s firing and Fallen’s foulness, those fans might think Bay isn’t being loyal to them. 


HORRIBLE 

BOSSES 

$25M $80M 


HARRY POTTER 

AND THE DEATHLY 

HALLOWS: PART II 

$130M $320M 

STRENGTHS 

The best comedic ensemble of the summer: Jason Bateman, Jason 

Sudekis, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Charlie Day, Colin Farrell and 

Kevin Spacey. (No, really—those last two can be hilarious.) They 

divide into sides and square off in a black comedy about employees 

determined to off their evil overlords. People who hate their jobs—a 

growing number these days—will get a wicked vicarious thrill a la 

the cult classic Office Space. 

WEAKNESSES 

Office Space only made $10.8 million in theaters and didn’t become a 

hit until Comedy Central put it in constant rotation. Like February’s 

similar Cedar Rapids ($6.5 million), Horrible Bosses could be another 

critically-acclaimed comedy that needs time to build its audience. 


ZOOKEEPER $55M $120M 

STRENGTHS 

Like Ben Stiller’s lucrative Night at the Museum flicks, this fantastic 

cartoon stars a working stiff whose job comes to life at night. Here, 

animals—talking animals—band together to find lonely zookeeper 

Kevin James a date. Adam Sandler produces, reassuring parents that 

they, too, might enjoy some laughs. James has had a string of hits 

without (but mostly with) the benediction of Sandler’s Happy Madison 

Productions. 

WEAKNESSES 

Is Kevin James a reliable draw or has he just been lucky? More to the 

point: will this smartass sentient animal skew toward Alvin and the 

Chipmunks: The Squeakquel ($219.6 million) or Furry Vengeance ($17.6 

million)? 

STRENGTHS 

Maybe you’ve heard of this little franchise about a British boarding 

school? Everyone else has. The only gamble for Warner Bros. is their 

inside baseball bet if they can break the record they set in 2001 with 

$317.5 million for The Sorcerer’s Stone (every film since has fallen 

short.) Here’s why we’re pegging the grand finale will reign supreme: 

heartsick fans want to draw out the closing with repeat viewings 

and Warners has saved the full 3D experience (and upcharges) 

for last. 

WEAKNESSES 

None. None at all. 




WINNIE THE 

POOH 

$25M $100M 

STRENGTHS 

Clearly has the parental seal of approval—kids who loved the 1977 

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh now have kids of their own, 

and you can’t undervalue nostalgia. It’s the safest harbor in a summer 

that skews towards PG-13 releases. 

WEAKNESSES 

Did it lose a coin toss to open against Harry Potter? That’s tough 

enough, but there are also at least enough Disney execs left who 

remember 2003’s Piglet’s Big Movie which opened at #7 and left theaters 

with a mere $23.1 million. 


FRIENDS WITH 

BENEFITS 

$22M $65M 

STRENGTHS 

Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake make a hot couple in this comedy 

about two busy professionals who negotiate a sexual truce that begins 

and ends in the bedroom. (Rumors that their romance is a reality 

can’t hurt.) Director Will Gluck just spun the $8 million Easy A 

into a $58.4 million stealth hit. 

WEAKNESSES 

Audiences to Hollywood: “Didn’t we see this movie in January when 

it was called No Strings Attached?” Hollywood to audiences: “Kind of, 

but you spent $70.6 million in tickets and it’d be nice if you did it 

again.” 


COWBOYS & 

ALIENS 

$55M $160M 


CAPTAIN 

AMERICA: THE 

FIRST AVENGER 

$65M $180M 

STRENGTHS 

Marvel wants to own this summer—and the next. Between Captain 

America and Thor, they’re laying the foundation for sequels and spinoffs 

galore. It’s an expensive risk—not the least for its studio producing 

partners—but after the Captain America trailer bowed during 

the Super Bowl, it had the biggest spike in Facebook fans of any big 

summer flick. 

WEAKNESSES 

Superhero saturation. Captain America has to elbow its way into a 

crowded genre while pumping up to compete with younger, hipper 

properties like Batman and Wolverine. 

STRENGTHS 

The rare summer 2011 action flick with a creative, non-franchise 

bent. Not that director Jon Favreau can’t launch franchises—Iron 

Man, anyone? Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford add gravitas to this 

knowingly kooky genre mash-up with Tron’s Olivia Wilde making 

her case to be the next geek mega-crush. 

WEAKNESSES 

Fanboys are cool with men in tights and men who fly, but is the 

premise of Cowboys & Aliens too goofy even for them? And though it, 

too, is based on a comic book, the original graphic novel is just 100 

pages long and 6-years-old—not long enough to be a must-see. 



CRAZY, 

STUPID LOVE 

$21M $80M 

STRENGTHS 

This Steve Carell comedy about a square, newly separated man getting 

dating tips from Ryan Gosling comes exactly 52 weekends after 

his last big screen flick Dinner for Schmucks, a moderate hit. Here, he’s 

a bit more sincere and sentimental in a film that’s had strong word 

of mouth. By late July, this might be enough to put it on the radar 

for parents desperate for grown-up counter programming. Julianne 

Moore and rising ingénue Emma Stone help hit the four quadrants. 

WEAKNESSES 

Half of those adult viewers might peel off to see Cowboys & Aliens 

instead. Audiences have seen Carell play the loveable sad sack in 

half-a-dozen flicks—Warner Bros. needs to give them a reason to see 

him play one again. 


THE SMURFS $30M $90M 

STRENGTHS 

Name brand recognition that’s lingered, even though the Smurfs 

haven’t been on Saturday morning cartoons since 1989. (They’ve 

stayed active in videogames and cable and Smurfs on Ice.) 

WEAKNESSES 

There’s no way to sugar coat it: the first trailers have fizzled. Every 

summer comes with at least one family dud, and this could be it. 

And while Disney smartly preserved the original animation style 

when resurrecting Winnie the Pooh, the Smurfs have changed their 

look and personality in an attempt to stay modern. Nostalgic parents 

might be in for a shock. 


HOW THIS 

YEAR’S 

OSCAR CROP 

BECAME 

$100 MILLION 

HITS— 

AND WHY 

IT COULD 

HAPPEN 

AGAIN 

BY CHRISTIAN TOTO 

GROW CHILD, GROW 

The Tree of Life, starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, is tipped to be this summer’s most sophisticated 

success 

The safest bet this summer is that Thor’s 

mighty hammer and the Green Lantern’s 

mystical ring will smash any number of 

independent films struggling for a piece of 

the box office pie. 

Safe bets don’t always equal sure things, 

though. While mature-minded films 

like Duplicity, The Soloist and State of Play 

struggled to find a crowd two years ago, last 

year, independent-minded films roared out 

of the gate with blockbuster-style numbers. 

Artsy fare like Black Swan, The Fighter, The 

King’s Speech and True Grit—a western, of 

all things—ran roughshod over their mainstream 

competition. The quartet either 

eclipsed the $100 million mark or came 

pluckily close—The Fighter hit the ropes at 

$93.6 million. Audiences passed over Jack 

Black’s Lilliputian shtick in Gulliver’s Travels 

to see a British royal with a speech impediment. 

And they shied away from a kid-pleasing 

romp like Yogi Bear to spend time with a 

one-eyed drunk marshal. 

Few industry observers doubt that superhero 

films like Captain America: The First 

Avenger and the last Harry Potter installment 

will rake in serious cash. But could this be 

the season when a few tentpole features feel 

the heat from their indie cousins? 

The folks with the purse strings at this 

year’s Sundance Film Festival must have 

been reading the tea leaves, or the late 2010 

box office receipts. Distributors gobbled up 

films at the January festival—the tally easily 

doubled the sales of the year before—and 

are just starting to launch their acquisitions 

in theaters. 

Leonard Maltin, host of the ReelzChannel 

weekly series Maltin on Movies, says it’s 

possible the upcoming indie summer movie 

season could exceed expectations. 

“It has to start with the movies themselves,” 

Maltin says. “There has to be something 

there, something to work with … if 

the films don’t have the potential to reach 

a broader audience than usual then there’s 

just no hope.” Maltin pins last December’s 

box office anomaly, in part, on some unique 

scenarios. “The King’s Speech, in particular, 

was backed by the iron will and determination 

of Harvey Weinstein,” Maltin says of 

the boisterous movie producer. “He would 

not surrender until he made it a success … 

he put his money where his mouth is with 

promotion and advertising.” 

Landmark Theatres CEO Ted Mundorff 

says interest in independent films isn’t just 

a late 2010 trend. He’s seen a steady rise in 

ticket sales for some time now. “Independent 

films have been strong for the last several 

years, using Landmark as a guide,” Mundorff 

says. “We’ve truly been the beneficiary 

of the good independent films that have 

been out there.” And Mundorff is optimistic 

for the summer months ahead. “We’re pretty 

excited about the number of films coming 

out, the counter-programming aspect,” says 

Mundorff, who cites movies like The First 

Grader, the story of an elderly African man 

trying to restart his educational dreams, 

and Tabloid, the Errol Morris documentary 

about a salacious, sexually charged news 

story, as indies with real breakout potential. 

“You knew it was gonna happen with over 

50 films acquired at Sundance. That hasn’t 

happened before. That shows a very, very 

healthy business.” 

Chuck Walton, editor of the movie 

ticketing destination Fandango, predicts 

films like Skateland, the story of adrift teens 


mourning the loss of the local roller rink, 

Hesher, where Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays 

an anarchic squatter who upends a broken 

family, and Sarah’s Key, which focuses on a 

young girl in Nazi-occupied France, all could 

be this season’s breakout Juno or Little Miss 

Sunshine. “It’s a golden time for indies with 

smaller, quirkier films like The King’s Speech 

and Black Swan garnering not only critical 

acclaim but striking a chord with the mainstream 

movie going audience,” Walton says. 

Hollywood is starting to look at budgets 

more carefully and as they consider buying 

up movies like My Sucky Teen Romance, a 

SXSW favorite which cost less than $10,000, 

he adds. 

Ryan Werner, vice president of marketing 

for IFC Films, says the recent mini-collapse 

of boutique studios like Warner Independent 

actually helped the independent 

industry. “As companies shut down, there’s 

a renewed attempt to put out quality films. I 

think you’re seeing the best films hitting the 

marketplace,” Werner says. The IFC summer 

slate includes the aforementioned Tabloid 

and Buck, a crowd-pleasing documentary 

about real-life horse whisperer Buck Brannaman. 

“There’s an element of fun to some 

of these movies,” he says, but that doesn’t 

necessarily dictate the ones scheduled for 

a summer time release. The recent interest 

in indie films won’t change the IFC marketing 

approach, though. “It’s the same—try 

to distinguish your movie and showcase its 

strengths,” he says. “And, hopefully, pick 

a weekend where if there’s a blockbuster 

opening, it’s one that appeals to a younger 

demographic.” It’s not always films with 

easily identifiable selling points that score 

during the summer months. Last summer, 

films like Exit Through the Gift Shop, I Am 

Love, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work and Winter’s 

Bone all found a successful niche. “That’s 

four really different kinds of movies, and 

not four obvious films that would do well,” 

says Werner. “Some of our most successful 

films have been released in the summer … 

there’s always a discerning audience for upscale 

films,” he adds. Today’s audiences are 

sometimes more than just discerning. They 

crave brain-teasing entertainment, even in 

their escapist fare. “Inception was one of the 

biggest movies of last summer. I don’t think 

anyone predicted that,” he says. “It’s interesting 

that more challenging films have done 

better in recent times. It’s encouraging, 

though I’m not sure what it’s saying about 

the world,” Werner says. 

Brother Gerry Molyneaux, an author 

and film professor at La Salle University in 

Philadelphia, agrees that today’s younger 

audiences crave complex material. “I think 

maybe it’s a signal of the multitasking, 

(continued on next page) 


ATTACK OF THE ADULTS 

quick-changing audience … the ability of 

young people, and students, to make sudden 

changes in the way they’re communicating,” 

he says. “They’re listening and texting 

and working on the computer. Maybe seeing 

this on the screen satisfies them in a way 

that may satisfy [older audiences]. A lot of 

adults found Black Swan annoying, while 

students found it gratifying.” 

Yet Robert Birchard, editor of AFI’s Catalog 

& Academic Network, argues that last 

December’s dose of quality movie-making 

helped bring Baby Boomers back to the Cineplex. 

“There’s been some suggestion that, if 

the audience grays, producers are looking to 

get the movie-loving generation back to the 

box office,” Birchard says. Older movie goers 

may not be clamoring to see this summer’s 

slate of superhero films, but even younger 

ticket holders may suffer from super-saturation. 

Birchard recalls seeing trailers for 

several superhero films slated to appear in 

the weeks to come and found them remarkably 

(and dullingly) similar. If audiences 

agree, it could open up marquee space for 

something like The Tree of Life, the latest 

film from iconoclast Terrence Malick (The 

Thin Blue Line). “Audiences do change … they 

react to things that you can’t anticipate,” he 

says. Consider the 1989 film Glory, a relative 

box office disappointment. Had the film hit 

theaters a year or so later, after Ken Burns’ 

huge popular series The Civil War played 

on small screens nationwide, it might have 

made much more coin. Evolving audience 

tastes may explain why a relic like True Grit 

thrived against stiff competition last year, 

despite pundits rehashing the old truism 

that the western has been buried. “The generations 

that were tired of westerns are gone 

are not coming to the movies any more. True 

Grit is a new experience for the audience of 

today,” says Birchard. 

Mike Hurley, purveyor of bigscreenbiz. 

com and the owner of two Maine movie 

houses, agrees that appealing to older movie 

goers can be a growth market. Boomers 

are starting to retire and have more time 

to spend in air conditioned movie houses, 

Hurley says, and last year his theaters added 

more 4 pm shows to accommodate this demographic. 

Does their higher discretionary 

income mean a bump in concession sales? 

Not necessarily, says Hurley. From his vantage 

point, older moviegoers aren’t tempted 

by Goobers, popcorn and other high-calorie 

treats. If parents give their sons and daughters 

movie money, on the other hand, they’ll 

spend every last nickel before returning 

home, he says. Seasoned patrons “don’t eat 

and drink the way teens do,” he says. But 

that changes if Boomers are tempted with 

more highbrow fare like microbrews and 

gourmet appetizers. “I can guarantee if you 

had a place that had beer and wine available 

[last award season] you would have done 

killer business,” Hurley says. “Today, what 

you really need in your theaters is a menu 

that appeals to the True Grit, Toy Story 3 and 

Met Opera fans. You need everything on 

the table. That’s the trick. If you don’t have 

beer and wine, things that appeal to an older 

buyer, it’s going to hurt.” 

Hurley thinks there’s a chance the end 

of 2010 box office numbers could affect the 

films we see in 2012 and beyond. “I think 

these guys and girls in the distributors are 

always, always adjusting their game,” he 

says. “They’re never on a linear mission with 

no possibility of change.” Hurley’s movie 

theaters were bustling late last year whenever 

either True Grit or The King’s Speech 

was playing. And customers wanted more. 

“‘Why don’t you get more movies like The 

King’s Speech?’ customers asked. I told them, 

‘Yeah, I’ll go right out and get one,’” he says, 

laughing. 


FEAR ME, MORTAL 

Chris Hemsworth as the fierce Thor 

BIG PICTURE 

HAIL THE 

CONQUERING HERO 

Summer strikes with a bang of Norse thunder 

by Amy Nicholson 


THE INSPIRATION 

Decades of the Marvel comic--oh, and 20 centuries of ancient lore 

How do you make someone stronger than 

the strongest person?”Stan Lee asked 

himself while brainstorming a character 

who could battle—maybe even best—the 

Incredible Hulk. Mankind was too puny. 

Instead, he looked to the gods and chose Thor, son of Norse 

ruler Odin, and then flung him to earth with a host of human 

flaws: he’s stubborn, hot-headed and wholly self-obsessed. And 

now, he’s also one of the pillars in Marvel’s The Avengers—but 

before Thor has to share the screen with Iron Man, Captain 

America, Nick Fury and, yes, the Hulk, the buff blonde has a 

film to himself in an origin story directed by Kenneth Branagh. 

Boxoffice asks Branagh and breakout star Chris Hemsworth 

how they brought a two-millennia-old hero to Hollywood. 

TURN PAGE FOR OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 


FAMILY VISIT 

Thor kneels at the throne of father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) 

AND NOW … 

TO THE DEATH! 

Don’t let the four Oscar noms 

fool you—Kenneth Branagh 

can sling a sword 

How did directing Thor come about? 

My manager, Judy Hofflund—she’s been 

my manager for 15, 16 years—sent a message 

about three years ago saying, ‘Would 

you ever be interested in directing a film of 

Thor?’ I said yes. It was intriguing. I knew 

the comic and I knew a bit about the Norse 

myth and there began two or three months 

of conversation with Marvel. I was just one 

of a number of people they had been speaking 

to. They’d been developing it for about 

five years and we tried to figure out if we 

were to proceed, whether we would end 

up making the same picture. That process 

across those two, three months, I found exciting. 

I got to know the material again and 

became a little more aware of how Marvel 

Comics had presented the character and 

realized what an incredible opportunity— 

challenge—it would be to try and produce 

this great, big would-be popular entertainment. 

And all the acquisition of knowledge 

about visual effects and digital worlds that 

would be relatively new to me. I thought 

that would be a fantastic combination, so 

we kept talking and eventually they offered 

me the job. 

Unlike every other Marvel hero, we 

have a day of the week named after 

Thor. What informed you when you 

were conceiving your direction for the 

film and did you look outside what 

was in the comic pages? Oh, definitely. 

The two things that I was reading side 

by side from the moment we all became 

involved were the comics and the Norse 

myths themselves. I started with the Penguin 

Book of Norse Myths, a small, slim volume 

where the myths are presented fable-style 

so each of them is a page, page and a half, 

maybe two or three pages at the most, 

which tell you how Odin lost his eye or how 

Loki was able to perform certain tricks— 

three other days of the week also come from 

Norse mythology [Tuesday, Wednesday and 

Friday]. From there, it was possible from 

the myths and the comics themselves to see 

this little saga where across the whole thing 

you have a root of strength and sensitivity 

in the hero, you have prehistory and space 

travel, you have dynastic sagas, you have 

memorable villains, you have complex 

psychology so you have color and drama 

and depth and foundation—all of these. It’s 

a very, very rich mix. Of course, as soon as 

all of those things are at play, the big issue 

becomes, what’s the tone of the film, how 

do you make it cohere—essentially, that’s a 

question Marvel asked me on Day One and 

they’re still asking me. We know that we’re 

trying to deliver that plus everything else: 

the adventure, the spectacle, the emotion 

and the action. But it’s a summer movie— 

we’re kicking off a summer and you want 

to go and give people a good time and for 

everything else to be lightly worn. That was 

the attraction: all of those combinations and 

how you make them work together. 

I was surprised at how funny the film 

was. In Vegas at CinemaCon, the coffee 

cup scene got a huge laugh. There’s 

comic tension inherent in this very entitled 

fellow, very well played by Chris Hemsworth. 


BIG PICTURE > THOR 

He has a very good touch with the light comedy. 

The funny thing about him is he’s physically 

impressive and can absolutely hold 

his own in the action stuff, but he’s also just 

as winning in the light comedy scenes, the 

romantic scenes. That’s where, again, when 

Marvel would say, “How are we going to do 

this? How are we going to have this sense of 

fun? How are we going to have this united 

tone?” we all agreed it started with casting. 

It starting with casting that provided actors 

that were complex and had a range of gifts, 

and it absolutely started with Thor. 

I heard that Hemsworth put on so 

much muscle he outgrew his own costume. 

Alex Byrne, Oscar-winning costume 

designer, rang me in distress the evening of 

the day in which we’d shown some costume 

tests. We were about three weeks away 

from shooting and she said, “You know 

that incredibly sculpted suit that kind of 

curves around every muscle of his? None 

of the sculpting is there anymore, it’s just 

been blown out by his new inches—even 

the size of his neck is a massive jump from 

just two or three weeks ago.” I had to make 

a call to Chris saying, “Please, please, please 

calm down.” He said, “Thank God, because it 

would be nice to get to a point when I actually 

enjoy eating food again.” In rehearsals, 

I’d be in the middle of giving him a note and 

he’d go, “Sorry Ken. Gotta stop now,” and in 

would come somebody with what seemed 

like half a chicken! He has to eat it. He’d say, 

“If I don’t eat it, I’m either going to collapse 

or you’re going to lose all these muscles.” 

That was kind of a comic dimension to it 

all. It was like feeding a steam engine. Then 

he’d leave my room and go down and do all 

the stunt work for a bit. They literally had to 

have people coming every two hours to give 

him enormous amounts of protein. 

He must have felt like a Viking king 

if people were just always coming by 

and serving him food. Exactly. It was 

like you were at the court of Henry VIII or 

something. You could have drawn a picture 

of our rehearsal room and it would look like 

a banqueting scene from the comics. 

While we’re talking about casting, 

were you surprised by the controversial 

reaction to casting Idris Elba, or 

were you steeled for it? I suppose I was 

surprised. I respect the passionate feeling 

about this work. It’s pretty exciting that people 

care about the picture and that there’s a 

great degree of interest and anticipation— 

which frankly is a privilege and sort of rather 

rare and thrilling—but I was surprised. My 

attitude is to be pretty open. For instance, in 

the Shakespeare films I’ve cast color-blind, 

ethnicity-blind. For me, a classical approach 

need not be sort of documentary-like. But my 

experience comes from doing Shakespeare, 

where my attitude is that nobody really 

knows anything and that we have a very 

shady view of what’s authentic. Anyway, I 

believe there is a degree of license available 

at the very least and beyond that my simple 

gut was telling me that for all the characteristics 

that Heimdall possesses, Idris Elba was 

a magnificent choice and I don’t think the 

color of his skin contradicts anything in the 

story or throws or confuses anything. It’s a 

personal point of view, but it’s one in which I 

have complete conviction. 

He’s so talented. Oh yeah. It’s going to be 

one of those things where when you see him 

in the part, it will be an absolutely redundant 

issue. People will not be talking about it once 

they see him in the role and see the approach 

to the piece. It’s a choice but I think it’s a 

valid choice. I think it’s the right choice. 

Do you think this Thor film tells Thor’s 

full story or do you feel like it’s open 

for sequels? I never really kept an eye on 

sequels. I think anytime you kind of start 

planning for the things that may happen, 

it’s a little dangerous. The picture has to do 

the talking from this point; the audience 

will decide whether they’re remotely interested 

in seeing more of these stories. I know 

they’ll be interested in seeing The Avengers 

because it’s such an unusual combination 

of characters and stories and themes. Ask 

me in about six weeks. Listen, there are hundreds 

and hundreds, probably thousands, of 

myths inside the Norse canon—and there’s 

certainly 50 years of Marvel Comics. There’s 

plenty of material to choose from. The end 

of this particular movie, we chose, I hope, 

a genuinely interesting way to leave some 

questions unanswered. I love leaving a film 

with a few things to talk about that are not 

all wrapped up in a nice big bow, and if 

people feel the same way then there will be 

places to go. 

Technically, this isn’t your first action 

film—your Henry V had tons of swordswinging 

and fighting. Was anything 

from that experience or your stage 

work that you were able to use here? 

I think a very, very key and memorable moment 

in my film career was one morning at 

27 years of age. It was 8am on a cold and frosty 

November morning in a field in Southern 

England standing next to a camera and a first 

assistant saying to me, “So Governor, it’s the 

Battle of Agincourt—where would you like 

to start?” It had me going, “Christ, obviously 

it’s supposed to be 27,000 French and 3,000 

English. How many have we got?” “We’ve 

got 42, sir.” “And hundreds and hundreds of 

horses, how many have we got?” “We’ve got 

17, sir. 17 horses, 42 people but there’s a lot of 

smoke and a lot of rain.” “That’s great. Okay 

let’s put them a very long way away.” What it 

did teach me, I suppose, was just to be imaginative 

with the way you invent action. One 

of the techniques we used was to try and 

get inside the center of the battle by literally 

being in the middle with a camera or 

using long lenses in order to squash up the 

background view. You become familiar with 

the rehearsal, the preparation, the planning 

and the little bit of give that makes an action 

scene a little different. I guess I was familiar 

with that enough to know about that balance 

between being prepared and being sort of 

spontaneous. I was certainly aware of how 

important it was for the actors to really know 

these routines inside out. We did rehearse a 

lot, and we rehearsed the fights a lot. We rehearse 

action stuff as much as we rehearse the 

dialogue scenes, which we also rehearsed a lot. 

I guess what I learned was you couldn’t prepare 

too much because it was always going 

to be different on the day and take on a life of 

its own—but it still needs a solid bedrock of 

preparation. 

You must also have had to focus 

a lot of attention on the way Thor 

speaks, taking the grandiose language—which 

of course, you’ve 

directed plenty in your adaptations 

of Shakespeare—but here you have 

the added challenge of blending that 

dialect into the modern world. I suppose 

I said to everybody that I wanted 

fearless acting. Just have it be real, have it 

be truthful, have it be actually naturalistic. 

People like Chris as Thor, people like Tony 

Hopkins as Odin, needed to be unafraid of 

the size that sometimes is required when 

your job is to rule the galaxy. There’s this 

sort of paradox: we enjoy finding humanity 

in the gods, seeing godlike qualities 


GROWING PAINS 

To teach his brash son a lesson in humility, Odin casts Thor down to earth 

in humans, and it’s nice when the two 

conflict. One of the things that I have 

always taught in Shakespeare is that accents 

are less important to me than the 

actual sound of the voice and the character 

making an invisible join. The main thing 

is that the truth of what they’re saying is 

paramount, so we try to stop anybody doing 

any external or superficial grandness 

of tone. Nobody trying to speak louder or 

more formally than they need to. You’re in 

the room, you’re next to them speaking to 

them exactly the same way as you would 

if this was life. Don’t suddenly start talking 

as though you’re on a stage. Especially 

when you wear these kinds of costumes, 

the more naturalistic you can be, the 

more simple, the better the marriage. We 

mustn’t try and compete our voices or in 

accents or in our delivery with the sets 

or the weapons or the colors or space. So, 

simplicity, truth—these are the things you 

are constantly using rehearsals to try and 

establish. A lot of times, especially what 

I’m describing, is just making sure that we 

as filmmakers and as actors got out of the 

way and let these characters do the talking 

in as sincere a manner as possible. 

Now that you’ve shot in 3D, are there 

any of your old films that you wish 

you could go back and have redone in 

3D? Henry V, I think. Action things. Henry 

V would be interesting in 3D; Frankenstein 

would be interesting in 3D. Aside from the 

action pieces and all the things you might 

expect could be enhanced or immersive in a 

different way in 3D, I’m actually finding that 

some of the more intimate character scenes 

in Thor are also benefiting from the sense of 

putting the audience as a genuine participant 

in scenes—it’s fun to be that close inside, 

particularly in the scenes between Natalie 

Portman and Chris Hemsworth. You’re more 

of a different kind of participant in romantic 

scenes or funny scenes, so I suppose that 

mean that it’s a pretty responsive format if 

you find the story-led way to use it. It can’t 

always just be about things coming out and 

smacking you in the face. Sometimes it’s got 

to do with just placing you inside the world 

of the film in a way that is even more engrossing, 

even more of an escape, and I think 

that can apply to quite a lot of movies. 

You’re playing Sir Laurence Olivier in 

the upcoming My Week with Marilyn. 

Being an actor, playing the greatest 

actor that has ever lived, according 

to many people, is that intimidating? 

You certainly don’t go into it too much in 

your mind. The first thing in terms of this 

project is that the script is excellent. As soon 

as you realize that this is a very tender, very 

funny, very surprising love story about the 

fun and madness of the creative process, and 

it’s from the viewpoint of this outsider who 

gets to be on the inside just for a moment, 

just long enough to fall in love, you realize 

that it’s less about the greatest actor who 

ever lived but another participant in the 

process who was at a very interesting point 

in his career—as was Marilyn Monroe, who 

arrived in England to perform this picture, 

The Prince and the Showgirl, when she was essentially 

the biggest movie star in the world. 

When she arrived at the Heathrow Airport 

in London, she brought the place to a standstill. 

Her fame was absolutely global and 

intense. She couldn’t go anywhere without 

stopping streets and stopping traffic. Basically 

it devolves down to two enormously 

talented people who have different views 

about how something should be done, and 

the script is very respectful, very affection- 



ate, very funny, very illuminating about the 

pair of them. It celebrates their talents, but 

it doesn’t hold back on how difficult, challenging 

and sometimes pretty dramatic it 

is when two very talented people come together 

and sparks collide. It was really that 

atmosphere observed by this young man 

who eventually falls in love with Marilyn 

that drew me to it and then I wanted to see 

the movie. I’m keen to see the movie—if I 

was a movie-goer, it would be on my list. 

Then, the idea of playing Olivier was clear 

because on the page he’s a very complex and 

complicated human being. He isn’t just the 

intimidating legend of the Greatest Actor 

Who Ever Lived—he’s a living, breathing 

human being. And so in the end, the biggest 

concern was being able to be right up to 

par with the great Michelle Williams, who 

is a revelation as Marilyn Monroe—and it 

was one of the great pleasures of the film, 

as well. She is a tippity-top actress who is 

really going to surprise and delight people 

with this performance. 

IF HE HAD A 

HAMMER 

New heavyweight Chris 

Hemsworth on going 

Berzerker 

Superman is 80 years old. Thor’s over 

2000 years old. That’s an intimidating 

history to have to bring to life. There’s 

a whole lot of history: the Norse mythology 

and also the history of the comic books, 

itself 50, 60 years’ worth. Both of which has 

been around longer than I have, and there’s 

a whole lot of things to get right—and to 

get wrong. That would have added to the 

pressure walking into it, but to be honest 

the excitement of working with the other 

people that were involved and a character 

like this—that outweighed any of that trepidation. 

Kenneth Branagh taking the reins 

almost gives it this weight that it 

wouldn’t have with a different director. 

I think the same thing and why I was 

so excited to be involved in the taking on of 

something as big as this. Marvel certainly 

knows what they’re doing with their films. 

There’s these comic books that they’ve 

always kept them extremely popular, and 

throwing someone like Ken in who has this 

incredible take on character and story and 

a very thorough background—and obviously 

his Shakespearean Old English sort of 

world, as there’s an element of that in Thor. 

It’s sort of Thor’s family was the royal family 

of the universe, in a sense. On set, the 

focus wasn’t on the special effects or what 

have you. I mean, that was certainly taken 

care of by the experts, but with Ken, it’s 

so much collaboration with character and 

story and simplifying that into something 

unusual. 

Thor has human frailties and a temper, 

but he’s also an honest-to-god deity— 

that’s rare in the superhero world. 

How did being a god figure into the 

way you played the part? I think our 

focus was on humanizing it, in a sense. He’s 

a God and he’s in another world and it’s sort 

of easy to get lost in the size of it all and miss 

the more intimate stuff. Ken all the time was 

like, “Look, this is a scene between a father 

and son, or two brothers, or a complicated 

romance.” That’s stuff we actors can relate 

to—and also an audience can. That was one 

of the big focuses and I think a lot of why 

the film works is because there is a grounding 

of intimacy to it. 

You have to hold your own as an actor 

in scenes against Anthony Hopkins, 

but at the same time take on such a 

physical part. Growing up in Australia and 

the Bush with two brothers and building 

forts and various weapons as kids certainly 

helped in the physical side of things. The 

training I’ve done helped, but the biggest 

thing was Anthony and Ken simply walking 

on set and no one having to feel they had to 

say, “I am who I am. Respect me and do this.” 

It was just a very even playing field, very 

supportive. 

How heavy was the hammer? It had a 

bit of weight to it. I think it needed to because 

if it was too light, when we’re doing 

various stunts and stuff, it didn’t look like 

it had any power. If you’re actually holding 

something with some weight to it, your 

body and mechanics need to move differently 

to support it. And then watching the 

footage, it looks like a big powerful weapon 

and not a toothbrush that you’re swinging 

around. I didn’t get to keep it. I would have 

liked to. Missed my opportunity to smuggle 

the thing out the door. 

And I have to ask: how practical is a 

hammer as a weapon? Not really! If it’s a 

magic hammer, then there’s a different conversation. 

For us, we found we used a lot of 

broad sword techniques, but also used it like 

an extension of the body. It was kind of like 

a fist, in a sense, because it’s short. It doesn’t 

have the length of a sword. I boxed for 

years and I think that background certainly 

helped with the mechanics of throwing it 

around. I also looked at the comic books 

and how Thor holds himself and moves and 

tried to mimic that stuff. 

I don’t want to necessarily start a 

geopolitical fight, but I think it’s really 

interesting that of the latest crop 

of Hollywood action heroes, a lot of 

them are from Australia, a lot of them 

are from England and none are from 

America. Why are your countrymen 

so much tougher? There’s quite a few 

from America! There’s Captain America, 

obviously! There’s Iron Man and the Hulk. 

I don’t know. I think part of it is we get to 

have a career in Australia and build up a 

resume and get a lot of hours of experience 

and then come here as a fresh face. There’s 

Spider-man and Superman and they’re all 

over the globe, I think. Thor wasn’t American, 

so I think that opened the door for me. 

The character was Nordic and obviously 

from another world, which Australia kind 

of is. 

You moved to America just a couple 

years ago and by 2009 were announced 

as Thor and had a memorable 

gig as Captain Kirk’s dad in Star Trek. 

What’s that whirlwind of attention 

been like? I very often pinch myself and 

say, “Wow!” I was always planning to move 

to America—it’s where I wanted to end up 

and this is what I wanted to do—but there 

was also another voice in my head going, 

“Eh. The odds are against us.” 

Your long blond hair was a wig, but 

did you have to bleach your eyebrows? 

There was all sorts of bleaching, 

yeah: my beard, my eyebrows, the hair. 

It was quite a transformation. It’s funny 

watching myself onscreen. Even normally 

it’s always a difficult sort of thing as an actor, 

but I looked so physically different that 

I said, “I don’t even know who that guy is!” I 

got my confidence between cringing in the 

chair covering my eyes. (continued next page) 



BY THE 

POWER OF 

ASGARD! 

Promotions to move 

the heavens 

With its PG-13 rating and 

splashy release date, Thor 

is one of the blockbuster 

barometers of summer 

2011. And it’s not just for 

the boys: Natalie Portman, 

this year’s certified Best 

Actress, plays a major 

role as Jane Foster, the 

astrophysicist—yes, 

astrophysicist—who 

captures Thor’s attention 

with her beauty and brains. 

Make sure families know 

that this kid-friendly action 

flick has an unusually cool 

role model for girls by 

dedicating a piece of your 

lobby to famous female 

scientists: Marie Curie, 

Sally Ride, Hypatia—and 

Portman’s Miss Foster, of 

course. 

Another way to make your 

theater the hallowed hall 

for Thor fans is hosting 

a give-a-way where one 

patron per showing will 

win their very own Thor helmet. 

(You can find them online for $15, or 

even plain Viking horns for just $5.) 

Rather have your patrons show off 

their muscles? Rent a hi-striker, the 

classic carnival game with a mallet 

and a bell, and invite them to test 

their strength by swinging their own 

hammer. Mount it free of charge with 

just egos on the line, or charge a 

dollar for a chance to hit the bell and 

win a free popcorn. Either way, your 

movie palace will ring with Thor fans 

happily going Berzerker. 

Do you get to go Berserker? I did. I had 

Ken say that to me a few times, “This is the 

Berserker Thor.” We’d try different versions 

and then he’d say, “We got that, now let’s do 

Berserker Thor”—that exact word. 

LOOK SHARP 

Natalie Portman plays brilliant young astrophysicist Jane Foster 

How do you become Berserker Thor? 

There’s a sense of mania or fun. It’s a combination; 

it’s not just anger or rage. I think 

you have to do anger/rage with a smile. Thor 

relishes in war. That’s what he lives for, certainly 

early in his life. 

Here, you have a movie to yourself. 

But you’re shooting The Avengers 

against scene-stealers like Robert 

Downey Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson. 

How does Thor play among a more 

crowded field of co-stars? I just have 

to make sure that I have the brightest 

cape and the biggest costume—pay off the 

wardrobe chair. No, it’s incredibly exciting 

because these characters have been established 

on their own, we’ve watched them 

grow and establish themselves, and now to 

have them all together is such an interesting 

mix. Obviously, there’s 

all these talented actors, so 

it’s interesting. On paper, 

these characters, these comics 

have existed for many 

years. I’ve met all of the guys 

and they couldn’t have been 

nicer, all of them. I think 

everyone’s just as excited to 

jump into it. 

There’s a line where Thor 

says that magic and science 

are one and the 

same. Tell me more about 

that connection and how 

it plays as a theme in the 

film. I think what Thor’s 

talking about is that you can 

label things magic or science 

or religion or whatever, but 

where he comes from there’s 

no difference. There’s the 

world of Viking mythology 

and there’s also science fiction. 

It’s another universe. He 

comes from another realm 

where the unimaginable is 

normal. 

Thor moves from the hallowed 

halls of Asgard to 

Earth—how does Thor 

fit in on Earth and how 

did you handle that tonal 

change? Well, Thor doesn’t 

fit in, really. I think the film 

has very much a fish-out-ofwater 

feel to it and I think it leaves some 

room for comic relief. You have a very oppressive 

character that is used to having 

his own way and having the universe at 

his fingertips, and all of a sudden that’s not 

the case. But that was the goal—to play 

that truthfully, and that’s where the fun 

happens. 

Does your family have any Viking? 

Nah. Not really. I have a English, Irish, 

Dutch—eh, maybe. If we look further 

back, maybe somewhere. In Australia, 

we’re convicts. That’s our little bit of Berserker. 


2011 

05.06.11 Paramount Thor 

05.13.11 Screen Gems Priest 

05.20.11 Disney 

05.26.11 

Paramount 

(DreamWorks) 

Pirates of the Caribbean: On 

Stranger Tides 

Kung Fu Panda 2 

06.17.11 Warner Bros. Green Lantern 

06.24.11 Disney Cars 2 

07.01.11 

Paramount 

(DreamWorks) 

07.15.11 Warner Bros. 

07.22.11 Paramount 

Transformers: 

Dark of the Moon 

Harry Potter and the Deathly 

Hallows: Part II 

Captain America: 

The First Avenger 

08.03.11 Sony The Smurfs 

08.19.11 The Weinstein Company 

Spy Kids 4: 

All the Time in the World 

08.19.11 DreamWorks Fright Night 

RELEASE CALENDAR 

08.19.11 Lionsgate Conan the Barbarian 

08.26.11 New Line Final Destination 5 

09.02.11 Relativity Media Shark Night 3D 

09.23.11 Warner Bros. Dolphin Tale 

10.14.11 Summit The Three Musketeers 

10.21.11 Warner Bros. Contagion 

11.04.11 DreamWorks Puss in Boots 

11.04.11 New Line 

A Very Harold & Kumar 

Christmas 

11.11.11 Universal Immortals 

11.18.11 Warner Bros. Happy Feet 2 

11.23.11 Sony Arthur Christmas 

11.23.11 Sony Hugo Cabret 

11.23.11 The Weinstein Company Piranha 3DD 

12.16.11 20th Century Fox 


2012 

Alvin and the Chipmunks: 

Chip-Wrecked 

The Adventures of Tintin: 

The Secret of the Unicorn 

01.20.12 Screen Gems Underworld 4 

02.10.12 Fox 

Star Wars: Episode I - The 

Phantom Menace 

TBA N/A The Great Gatsby 

02.17.12 Sony Ghost Rider 2 


Hansel and Gretel: 

Witch Hunters 

03.02.12 Universal Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax 

03.09.12 Walt Disney Pictures John Carter of Mars 

The Advenures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn 

03.30.12 Sony/Columbia Pirates! Band of Misfits 

03.30.12 N/A Clash of the Titans 2 

05.25.12 Sony Men in Black 3 

06.08.12 DreamWorks Madagascar 3 

Warner Bros. 

Jack the Giant Killer 

06.15.12 Disney Brave 

06.22.12 20th Century Fox 

Abraham Lincoln: 

Vampire Hunter 

07.13.12 20th Century Fox Ice Age: Continental Drift 

09.14.12 Sony / Screen Gems Resident Evil 5 

09.21.12 Sony Hotel Transylvania 

10.05.12 Disney Frankenweenie 

11.02.12 Disney Reboot Ralph 

11.21.12 

opens December 23, 2011 

Paramount/ 

DreamWorks 

Rise of the Guardians 

11.21.12 Universal 47 Ronin 

12.12.12 20th Century Fox Life of Pi 

2013 

03.22.13 DreamWorks The Croods 

06.21.12 Disney Monsters University

ON THE HORIZON 

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART II 

IT’S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN 

DISTRIBUTOR Warner Bros. CAST Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright DIRECTOR Daniel Yates SCREENWRITER Steve Kloves PRODUCERS David Barron, 

David Heyman, J.K. Rowling GENRE Fantasy/Adventure RATING TBD RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE DATE July 15, 2011 

> A moment of silence, please. On July 

15th, the industry suffers a great loss when 

the final Harry Potter film—the last of 

eight—concludes the franchise. Worldwide, 

the exploits of Potter and Co. have 

rung up over $6 billion dollars. And it’s a 

safe bet this last flick will make a billion 

more as Part I topped out just shy of the 

billion mark with $952.2 million. 

Naturally, Warner Bros. is pained by the 

thought of losing their cash cow. None of 

their other potential replacement series 

have taken off, and their investment in 

slapping the DC Comics on the screen 

might be a risky bet with June’s Green Lantern 

tracking poorly among fanboys. But 

they’ve done what they could to stretch 

their cash cow’s milk, even splitting the 

final book into two features in a move that 

was quickly copied by Summit for its Twilight 

juggernaut. 

The studio’s always played Potter close 

to its vest, doling out drips of information 

about each latest release as though millions 

of readers don’t already know what 

happened—and to Warner Bros.’ credit, 

the fans obsess over each new factoid as if 

they honestly don’t. Deathly Hallows: Part II 

is the darkest, most philosophical book in 

the series and the climactic showdown between 

the young wizard and the evil Lord 

Voldemort is markedly sophisticated—it’s 

light years away from the sprightly dawn 

of the series. Then again, kids who were 

just 8 when they met Harry in the Sorcerer’s 

Stone are now 18 and clamoring for the 

grand finale, and like the hero and the actor 

who plays him, they’re mature enough 

to handle it. 

WINNIE THE POOH 

OH, BOTHER 

DISTRIBUTOR Walt Disney Pictures CAST Craig Ferguson, Jim Cummings, Peter Cullen, Tom Kenny, Dee Bradley 

Baker, John Cleese DIRECTORS Stephen J. Anderson, Don Hall SCREENWRITER Burny Mattinson PRODUC- 

ERS Peter Del Vecho, Clark Spencer GENRE Family RATING G RUNNING TIME 69 min. RELEASE DATE July 15, 2011 

> Into the crash of summer saunters this hand-drawn, charming throwback 

that, except for indie darling Zoeey Deschanel on the soundtrack, could have 

been made in 1977. That was when Winnie the Pooh released his first feature 

length film, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, cobbled together from 

old animated featurettes dating back as far as 1966. 

Disney released three A.A. Milne spin-off flicks in the last decade—The 

Tigger Movie, Piglet’s Big Movie and Pooh’s Heffalump Movie—but this is the 

first to have been made with John Lasseter onboard as executive producer. 

Under Lasseter’s tenure, the Mouse has reinvested in hand-drawn animation, 

first with The Princess and the Frog, and now with Winnie the Pooh’s dreamy 

watercolors and old school ink. 

“I never quite understood why the studios thought people wouldn’t want 

to watch it,” Lasseter said of traditional animation at the Disney D23 Expo. 

“What audiences didn’t want was bad movies.” The trick for Disney is to capture 

the retro look of the original while appealing to a new generation of kids 

raised on bleeps and lasers and 3D. Can slow and steady win the summer box 

office race? Lasseter’s hoping ‘yes’ and is aglow with certainly that parents will 

love taking their tykes to meet Winnie. Added Lasseter, “Honestly, this is the 

most blessed production I’ve ever worked on.” 


COWBOYS & ALIENS 

SIX-SHOOTERS SET TO STUN 

DISTRIBUTOR DreamWorks CAST Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Adam 

Beach, Paul Dano, Noah Ringer, Keith Carradine, Clancy Brown, Abigail Spencer DIRECTOR Jon Favreau 

SCREENWRITERS Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Damon Lindelof PRODUCERS Brian Grazer, Ron 

Howard, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Roberto Orci, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg GENRE Action/ 

Thriller/Science Fiction RATING TBD RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE DATE July 29, 2011 

> With a premise this bold, it’s no wonder Hollywood snatched up the 

film rights before comic book publisher Scott Mitchell Rosenberg even 

finished the official Cowboys & Aliens graphic novel. And with a premise 

this risky, it’s no wonder Hollywood never quite had the guts to make 

the movie: from 1997 until today, the concept passed from Universal 

to Sony to Universal and through several directors and two major stars 

until finally getting the all-clear in 2010. 

In a summer of franchise hits and superhero reboots, Cowboys & 

Aliens is the rare original blockbuster, a palate cleanser that could harken 

a fresh interest in innovative concepts if audiences make it a hit. In 

its corner are director Jon Favreau, who launched the Iron Man series, 

screenwriters Alex Kurtsman and Roberto Orci of Transformers (and better 

yet, 2009’s Star Trek), and stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford who 

face off as a murderer-on-the-lam and the corrupt sheriff itching to bring 

him down. Until, that is, they get distracted by some lights from above. 

Set in 1873 Arizona—or, what will become Arizona in 40 years— 

the film is determined to position itself as a straight western whose 

characters see no humor in an alien attack. (Audiences, of course, are 

invited to snicker.) The challenge for DreamWorks is to lure crowds in 

with the quirky premise while getting them to take the flick itself seriously. 

If they can tempt them and wow them, they’ll have a memorable 

summer hit. 

HOW THE WEST WAS STUNNED 

Harrison Ford plays a crooked lawman who finds it’s tough to 

lynch an alien 

The World’s Most Trusted 3D Screen 

www.Harkness-Screens.com 


SOMETHING 

BORROWED 

SOMEONE BLUE 

COMING SOON 

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER 

Or maybe not, in Something Borrowed 

DISTRIBUTOR Warner Bros. CAST John Krasinski, Ginnifer 

Goodwin, Colin Egglesfi eld, Kate Hudson, Steve 

Howey, Ashley Williams, Jill Eikenberry DIRECTOR Luke 

Greenfield SCREENWRITER Jennie Urman PRODUCERS 

Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Aaron Lubin, 

Pamela Schein Murphy, Molly Smith, Hilary Swank 

GENRE Romance/Comedy/Drama RATING PG-13 for 

sexual content including dialogue, and some drug 

material. RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE DATE May 6, 2011 

> Rachel loves Dex. But only 

her best friend Darcy had 

the guts to pursue him. After 

Darcy and Dex get engaged, 

the awkward dinner parties 

get even more awkward— 

especially after Rachel wakes 

up in Dex’s bed. Ginnifer 

Goodwin and Kate Hudson 

helm this melodrama-in- 

Manhattan summer counterprogramming. 

HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN 

BANG, BANG—YOU’RE DEAD 

DISTRIBUTOR Magnet Releasing CAST Rutger Hauer, Gregory Smith, Brian Downey, Nick Bateman, 

Molly Dunsworth, Robb Wells DIRECTOR Jason Eisener SCREENWRITER John Davies PRODUCERS Rob 

Cotterill, Niv Fichman, Paul Gross, Frank Siracusa GENRE Action RATING TBD RUNNING TIME 86 min. 

RELEASE DATE May 6, 2011 

> Rutger Hauer plays a homeless man with a heart of gold—scratch 

that—a $49 shotgun with which he sets out to liberate Hope Town, a hamlet 

of hookers, thieves, pedophiles and addicts, from the corrupt officials 

who made them that way. Director Jason Eisener never intended to shoot 

anything more than a wild trailer, but when the footage found its way to 

Quentin Tarantino, he was hired to shoot a full-on Grindhouse feature with 

decapitations, castrations and lots and lots of bullets. 

DAYDREAM NATION 

HOT FOR TEACHER 

DISTRIBUTOR Anchor Bay CAST Kat Dennings, Josh Lucas, Andie MacDowell, Reece Thompson DIRECTOR 

Michael Golbach SCREENWRITER Michael Golbach PRODUCERS Trish Dolman, Christine Haebler, Simone 

Urdl, Jennifer Weiss GENRE Romance/Drama RATING R for drug and alcohol use, sexual content, language 

and some violent images—all involving teens. RUNNING TIME 98 min. RELEASE DATE May 6, 2011 

> Just try and avoid hipster actress Kat Dennings on May 6th when the 

sloe-eyed ingénue plays a scientist in Thor and also headlines this indie 

dramedy about a 17-year-old who moves into a new town and immediately 

stirs up a disastrous love triangle between her pensive classmate and her 

handsome high school teacher. Michael Golbach’s debut film was snatched 

up at TIFF to be a moody May counterweight. 


SPECIAL DELIVERY 

Po and Co. rush to the rescue 

THE FIRST GRADER 

AN OLD MAN LEARNS NEW TRICKS 

DISTRIBUTOR National Geographic Entertainment CAST Naomie Harris, Oliver Litondo DIREC- 

TOR Justin Chadwick SCREENWRITER Ann Peacock PRODUCERS Sam Feuer, Richard Harding, 

David M. Thompson GENRE Drama/Comedy RATING PG-13 for some disturbing violent content 

and brief nudity. RUNNING TIME 105 min. RELEASE DATE May 13, 2011 

> In Kenya, there’s a big announcement: free primary education for 

all. An illiterate 84-year-old (and former Mau Mau rebel) shows up 

in short pants and says he’s determined to learn how to read. But the 

freedom chants he teaches his 5-year-old classmates stir up a political 

firestorm that surrounds the proud octogenarian who insists it’s 

not too late to chase the life he never had. Based on the true story of 

Kimani N’gan’ga Maruge. 

THE BIG BANG 

QUIRKS AND QUARKS 

DISTRIBUTOR Anchor Bay CAST Antonio Banderas, Sam Elliott, William Fichtner, Thomas 

Kretschmann, Delroy Lindo, Sienna Guillory, Snoop Dogg DIRECTOR Tony Krantz SCREEN- 

WRITER Erik Jendresen PRODUCERS Erik Jendresen, Tony Krantz, Richard Rionda Del Castro 

GENRE Mystery RATING R for some strong sexual content, nudity, violence and language. 

RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE DATE May 13, 2011 NY/LA 

Antonio Banderas plays an LA gumshoe on the trail of a case that 

couldn’t get crazier: a giant Russian, a lost stripper, $30 million in 

diamonds, a quantum physicist, a glowing waitress and Snoop Dogg 

as a porn director. Erik Jendresen is a screenwriter with a newly hot 

career—juggling all the balls in this oddball noir will be his first big 

big screen test. 

PRIEST 

HAVE YOU COME HERE TO CONFESS? 

DISTRIBUTOR Screen Gems CAST Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Karl Urban, Maggie Q, Stephen 

Moyer, Lily Collins DIRECTOR Scott Charles Stewart SCREENWRITER Cory Goodman PRODUC- 

ERS Michael De Luca, Joshua Donen, Mitchell Peck, Sam Raimi GENRE Action/Thriller RATING 

PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, disturbing images and brief strong 

language. RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE DATE May 13, 2011 

> In this dark alternate universe, a priest Paul Bettany must be a 

man of the cloth and a hunter of the undead, especially when the 

vampires kidnap his niece. Director Scott Stewart has likened these 

vampire-killing warrior priests to Jedi Knights and Vietnam Vets 

and John Wayne in The Searchers. 

KUNG FU PANDA 2 

CAN HE KICK IT? (YES, HE CAN) 

DISTRIBUTOR Paramount CAST Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, 

Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross DIRECTOR Jennifer Yuh Nelson SCREENWRITERS 

Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger PRODUCER Melissa Cobb GENRE Comedy/Adventure/ 

Family RATING PG for sequences of martial arts action and mild violence. RUNNING 

TIME TBD RELEASE DATE May 26, 2011 

> Po the Panda can deliver a neck chop, but now 

he’s got to learn inner peace and defeat the evil 

Lord Shen, a white peacock who has learned the 

secret to ammunition. It’s fists versus modern 

warfare in this sequel to the lucrative 2008 hit. 

BEAUTIFUL BOY 

TAINTED LOVE 

DISTRIBUTOR Anchor Bay CAST Maria Bello, Michael Sheen, Moon Bloodgood, Alan Tudyk, 

Kyle Gallner, Austin Nichols, Meat Loaf DIRECTOR Shawn Ku SCREENWRITER Shawn Ku, Michael 

Armbruster PRODUCERS Lee Clay, Eric Gozlan GENRE Drama RATING R for some language and 

a scene of sexuality. RUNNING TIME 100 min. RELEASE DATE May 20, 2011 

> Maria Bello and Michael Sheen are unhappily married, but it’s 

about to get a lot worse. Their 18-year-old son has just shot 17 people 

at his college and committed suicide. In the media maelstrom, they 

ask themselves what they did wrong—and if there’s anything they 

can set right. 

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS 

THE LUST GENERATION 

DISTRIBUTOR Sony Classics CAST Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Owen Wilson, Kathy 

Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Michael Sheen, Alison Pill, Nina Arianda, Tom 

Hiddleston, Corey Stoll, Mimi Kennedy, Kurt Fuller DIRECTOR Woody Allen SCREENWRITER 

Woody Allen PRODUCERS Letty Aronson, Jaume Roures, Stephen Tenenbaum GENRE Comedy/Romance 

RATING PG-13 for some sexual references and smoking. RUNNING TIME TBD 

RELEASE DATE May 20, 2011 

> Woody Allen escapes to France for this romantic snarl about 

the newly affianced Rachel McAdams and Owen Wilson who hit a 

snag when they’d rather spend their vacation with anyone but each 

other. Big cameos include Marion Cotillard, Adrien Brody and the 

First Lady of France, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. 


BOOK IT! 

SMALL FILMS, BIG POTENTIAL 

Queen of the 

Sun: What are 

the Bees Telling 

Us? 

Total Buzz 

DIRECTOR Taggart Siegel PRODUCER Jon Betz, Taggart 

Siegel GENRE Documentary RATING Unrated 

RUNNING TIME 83 min. 

Pam Grady says … The bees have 

been abandoning their hives. The 

phenomenon is called Colony Collapse 

Disorder and it’s stung the 

headlines and panicked environmentalists, 

farmer and civilians who 

understand the perils of a world 

without pollinators. Taggart Siegel’s 

new documentary tries to unravel the 

mystery of the bees’ disappearance 

while simultaneously underlining 

the disaster that will befall humanity 

if the bees never came back. Following 

the scent, the doc offers possible 

solutions and looks at the symbiosis 

of man and bee through history. The 

passion imparted by the film, the 

filmmaker and these bee advocates 

is infectious. Queen of the Sun is as 

entertaining as it is educational, and 

should attract a strong following 

among fans of the insects and nature 

docs and those properly plum scared 

by the newspaper coverage. 

CONTACT 

Carolyn Keane 

carolyn@collectiveeye.org 

503-232-5345 

The Glass Slipper 

So sharp you barely feel the cut 

CAST Vahe Katros, Kathy Lou Dennis, K. Paige Burns, Maria Fagan DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER Jarrod Whaley PRODUCERS Jarrod 

Whaley, Ginger Carden GENRE Family Drama RATING Unrated RUNNING TIME 83 min. 

Sara Vizcarrondo says … Victims and villains are made, not born, in Jarrod Whaley’s second 

feature. A domestic drama with jagged wit, the film is named for the motel where Emir (Vahe 

Katros) lives after his wife Maria (Maria Fagan) kicks him out, and also serves as the film’s 

most elusive—and transparent—metaphor. Emir hires a nanny to care for (and unwittingly 

infiltrate) his recently broken home, and with her appearance the emotional manipulations 

take swirling and smarmy effect. Whaley’s inspiration is two short stories by Gustave Flaubert 

and the gentility of his brushstrokes match the speed of karmic backlash each character 

feels from scene to scene. This is comedy for ironists, but the humor is never divisive. 

CONTACT 

Jarrod Whaley / jaimetout@gmail.com 

The Elephant in the Living Room 

Love the pet, hate the keeper? 

DIRECTOR Michael Webber CAST Tim Harrison, Terry Brumfield PRODUCERS John T. Adkins, Mark Morgan, Michael Webber 

GENRE Documentary RATING PG for thematic material including some disturbing situations, mild language and smoking 

RUNNING TIME 96 min. 

Barbara Goslawski says … Lions and tigers and bears—oh my! First time director Michael 

Webber bravely leads a daring expedition into the tangled subculture of exotic pet-keeping—in 

this flick, even the venomous snakes chew up the scenery. The growing trend of 

backyard exotics provides fodder for a unique analysis of that strong bond between people 

and their pets. It also raises crucial questions about animal rights and the effects of realitybased 

TV programs on people’s lifestyles. The Elephant in the Living Room will appeal to a 

wide crowd, plus pet lovers and pop culture mavens. 

CONTACT 

Edify Media, Inc. / Elliott Wallach / 310-424-5688 / elliottw@edifymedia.com 


The Dish and The Spoon 

Indie darling Greta Gerwig returns to roots 

CAST Greta Gerwig, Olly Alexander, Amy Seimetz DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER Alison Bagnall PRO- 

DUCERS Amy Seimetz, Alison Bagnall GENRE Dramedy RATING Unrated RUNNING TIME 87 min. 

Sara Vizcarrondo says … Greta Gerwig, a listless blonde comedienne, 

sidesteps her rapid ascent to stardom in Hollywood flicks like 

No Strings Attached and Arthur for this dramedy by mumblecore associate 

Alison Bagnall (Piggie). Gerwig plays a wronged woman who 

forms a bond with a British teen. Initially she treats him like a waiting 

dog, leaving him in the car while she stalks her husband’s ex-lover. 

Slowly he’s integrated into her histrionics and playacting becomes 

central to their rapport. She puts him in drag and takes him on a date, 

they dress like homesteading newlyweds for kitschy portraits, they 

attend a colonial costume dance and she tells people they’re getting 

married. While the plot seems slight, the psychology isn’t. Like the 

nursery rhyme in the film’s title, its magic is crude but poetic. 

CONTACT 

Josh Braun / josh@submarine.com / 212-625-1410 

The Desert of Forbidden Art 

Banned Soviet art, unleashed 

DIRECTORS/SCREENWRITERS/PRODUCERS Amanda Pope, Tchavdar Georgiev GENRE Documentary; 

English- and Russian-languages, subtitled RUNNING TIME 80 min. 

Ed Scheid says … The Desert of Forbidden Art tells the fascinating true 

story of a former aristocrat’s struggle to save banned Soviet art during 

the perilous Stalinist era by hiding it in a remote desert in a museum 

at the Central Asian Republic of Uzbekistan, once part of the Soviet 

Union, where camels still mix with automobiles on the road. (Stephen 

Kinzer, former New York Times Bureau Chief for Central Asia, said his 

jaw dropped when he saw the quality of work displayed in the distant 

former province.) Archival footage shows the profound changes in 

Russian history while director/editor/producer Tchavdar Georgiev 

skillfully edits together the different story strands that led to the current 

condition of this valuable collection, and with concerns about its 

future. This absorbing document on the endurance and importance of 

artistic expression will have strong appeal for art aficionados. Program 

with museum and Russian groups to increase exposure for the film. 

CONTACT 

filminfo@desertofforbiddenart.com 

Redland 

Depression during The Depression 

CAST Lucy Adden, Toben Seymour, Mark Aaron, Sean Thomas, Kathan Fors, Bernadette 

Murray, Elena Bell, Lacy Olsen DIRECTOR Asiel Norton SCREENWRITERS Asiel Norton, Magdalena 

Zyzak PRODUCER Magdalena Zyzak GENRE Drama RATING Unrated RUNNING TIME 104 min. 

Wade Major says … A haunting purgatorial journey through a bygone 

place and time, Redland is simply the kind of film they don’t 

make any more, and we’re all the poorer for that. Made in 2008 and 

only now reaching theaters thanks to tenacious self-distribution, 

this low-budget, exceedingly accomplished Depression-era tone 

poem follows a young and unhappily pregnant girl who refuses to 

name local boy Charlie as her secret beau, straining her relation- 


BOOK IT! 

TEA PARTY 

Mel Gibson plays an estranged father who clings to a stuffed beaver 

ship with her parents and setting into motion a sequence of events 

wherein tragedy begets tragedy begets even more tragedy. If not for 

the date on the copyright, there would be nothing to suggest that 

Redland was made any time after 1975, from its embrace of lowlight, 

high-grain cinematography and overtly post-enhanced audio 

to the sometimes awkwardly naturalistic performances of its cast. 

Good reviews and solid word of mouth should, in time, enable the 

picture and its target audience of dedicated cinephiles to find each 

other. 

CONTACT 

Zyzak Film Company / 310-460-9792 / Magdalena Zyzak 

zyzakmagdalena@gmail.com 

The Beaver 

Take a bite out of suburban malaise 

DISTRIBUTOR Summit Entertainment CAST Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Jennifer Lawrence, Anton 

Yelchin DIRECTOR Jodie Foster SCREENWRITER Kyle Killen PRODUCERS Steve Golin, Keith 

Redmon, Ann Ruark GENRE Domestic Drama/Dark Comedy RATING PG-13 for mature thematic 

material, some disturbing content, sexuality and language including a drug reference. 

RUNNING TIME 91 min. RELEASE DATE: May 6 ltd., May 20, 2011 

David Ehrlich says … A dark, daft and didactic little dramedy 

that insists on steering its high-concept directly down the middle 

of the road, The Beaver tells the winsome tale of a miserable and 

withdrawn middle-aged family man who finds a hand puppet in the 

dumpster and begins to live his life with this stuffed animal as his 

permanent intermediary. Directed by Jodie Foster, it’s a narrow and 

cleanly shot production that transcends its modest scale with star 

power (and all the advantages such clout brings). Summit Entertainment 

will wisely market The Beaver as a niche film, but it should 

nevertheless command attention disproportionate to its box office, 

despite—or because of—embattled star Mel Gibson’s winsome and 

fitting return to the screen. 

Bridesmaids 

Punch lines and pathos from the lady set 

DISTRIBUTOR Universal CAST Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, John Hamm, Melissa 

McCarthy DIRECTOR Paul Feig SCREENWRITERS Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo PRODUCERS Judd 

Apatow, Barry Mendel and Clayton Townsend GENRE Comedy RATING R for some strong 

sexuality, and language throughout RUNNING TIME 90 min. RELEASE DATE: May 13, 2011 

Todd Gilchrist says … Bridesmaids is a four-square piece of populist 

fun that ranks as quite possibly the best mainstream American 

comedy in years—at least since The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Star Kristen 

Wiig is a force of nature by herself with the bonus of being surrounded 

by five really well-cast comediennes. Bridesmaids boasts 

one of the most eclectic and cliché-free ensembles in any modern 

female-driven film and the cast’s collective efforts easily transcend 

conventional chick-flick camaraderie—terrific news for the film’s 

marketing team and the male viewers they hope to entice. Expect 

critical adulation and brilliant box office prospects. 

Octubre/October 

Papí love in Lima, Peru 

DISTRIBUTOR New Yorker CAST Bruno Odar, Gabriela Velásquez, Carlos Gasols DIRECTORS/ 

SCREENWRITERS/PRODUCERS Daniel and Diego Vega Vidal GENRE Drama; Spanish-language, 

subtitled RATING Unrated RUNNING TIME 83 min. RELEASE DATE: May 6, 2011 NY 

Richard Mowe says … This first feature by the youthful Peruvian 

brothers Diego and Daniel Vega Vidal has oodles of offbeat charm 

and a quirky cast of warmly drawn characters. Loan shark Clemente 

(a hang-dog Bruno Odar) finds a baby and a new lease on his bottomfeeding 

life in this unlikely family story. Word of mouth should be 

positive and the multi-hyphenate brothers earn gold stars for sheer 

originality if nothing else. Profits are promising for this small and affecting 

foreign film. 


MORE BOOK IT! > 

Cameraman: 

The Life and Work of Jack 

Cardiff 

The man behind the man behind the camera 

DISTRIBUTOR Strand Releasing DIRECTOR Craig McCall PRODUCERS Craig McCall, Richard 

McGill GENRE Documentary RATING Unrated RUNNING TIME 86 min. RELEASE DATE: May 

13, 2011 NY 

Vadim Rizov says … A briskly efficient overview 

of the work and nothing else of the late, legendary 

cinematographer Jack Cardiff, Cameraman is no one’s 

idea of great documentary formalism. This is strictly 

talking heads fare, broken up with movie clips, stills 

and home movies; fortunately, Jack Cardiff’s ephemera 

are better than yours. Those unfamiliar with his 

work (which ranged from classics like The Red Shoes 

down to journeyman jobs like Rambo First Blood Part 

II) will find little to allure them, but the careful assembly 

of interviews and anecdotes will be catnip to 

cinephiles and few else. Near a film school? That’s 

your best bet. 

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BOOK IT! 

TAKE THE SHIRT OFF MY BACK 

Will Ferrell channels Raymond Carver in this 

dramedy about a man who hits bottom 

Everything 

Must Go 

Will Ferrell delivers in this subdued 

performance 

DISTRIBUTOR Roadside Attractions CAST Will Ferrell, 

Rebecca Hall, Michael Peña, Christopher Wallace, 

Laura Dern DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER Dan Rush 

PRODUCERS Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey GENRE 

Drama, Comedy RATING R for language and some 

sexual content RUNNING TIME 96 min. RELEASE 

DATE May 13 ltd. 

Barbara Goslawski says … Will 

Ferrell shines as the central character 

in Dan Rush’s surprisingly 

touching debut feature, Everything 

Must Go. So far, Ferrell has only 

hinted at his capacity for dramatic 

acting, but here his performance 

is introspective, natural and subdued, 

even in witty moments. 

Rush’s adaptation of the Raymond 

Carver short story “Why Don’t You 

Dance?” is quiet and meditative, 

and he, too, rises to the challenge 

of reigning himself in for the sake 

of the story’s telling. This is indie 

cinema at its best. The film’s simplicity 

allows it to resonate in ways 

beyond its scope. It’s a straightforward 

tale of a scoundrel called to 

task for his dastardly deeds, and 

while there’s nothing new here— 

we’ve all been there, done it or 

caught someone else at it—Ferrell 

is the definite draw, but Everything 

Must Go is itself better than just a 

curiosity piece. 

Hey Boo: Harper 

Lee and To Kill A 

Mockingbird 

Documentary about classic 

American novel not required 

viewing 

DISTRIBUTOR First Run Features DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER/ 

PRODUCER Mary McDonagh Murphy DOCUMENTARY Comedy 

RATING Unrated RUNNING TIME 82 min. RELEASE DATE 

May 13, 2011 NY/LA 

John P. McCarthy says … With the recent 

explosion of idiosyncratic, small-scale 

documentaries, Mary McDonagh Murphy’s 

Hey, Boo is as old-fashioned as ribbon candy. 

Harper Lee’s 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird 

is required reading; this parade of talking 

heads and strung-together still photos 

and movie clips is not. The effusive piece 

amounts to a wet kiss planted on the cheek 

of a reluctant author by a well-meaning 

aunt who’s had too many sherries before 

Sunday dinner. Hey, Boo needs an organizing 

principle and a stern editor. Despite the 

popularity of the book and Oscar-winning 

screen version, its audience is narrow. 

Road 

to Nowhere 

This low-rent Black Dahlia may be its own 

road to nowhere 

DISTRIBUTOR Monterey Media CAST Dominique Swain, Shannyn 

Sossamon, Cliff De Young, John Diehl, Tygh Runyan, 

Waylon Payne DIRECTOR Monte Hellman SCREENWRITER Steven 

Gaydos PRODUCERS Monte Hellman, Steven Gaydos, 

Melissa Hellman GENRE Mystery RATING R for some language 

and brief violence RUNNING TIME 103 min. RELEASE 

DATE May 13 ltd. 

Todd Gilchrist says … The independent 

film world never asked for its own Basic 

Instinct, but it got one anyway with Monte 

Hellman’s Road to Nowhere. Hellman, a cult 

luminary best known for acid westerns and 

the road movie Two-Lane Blacktop, takes 

meta-moviemaking to the next level with 

this tale of a filmmaker who casts a killer in 

his film about a real-life crime. Fans of the 

filmmaker should thrill at the prospect of a 

new project, but the film’s lackadaisical pacing 

and preoccupation with pulling the rug 

out from under the audience should relegate 

this to a limited run on the independent 

circuit at best. 


If you don’t offer 

GOT A PROBLEM? 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Hesher’s house guest from Hell 

Hesher 

Rock on 

DISTRIBUTOR Wrenkin Hill Entertainment CAST Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Devin Brochu, Rainn 

Wilson, Natalie Portman, Piper Laurie, Brendan Hill DIRECTOR Spencer Susser SCREENWRIT- 

ERS Spencer Susser, David Michôd PRODUCERS Lucy Cooper, Johnny Lin, Natalie Portman, 

Scott Prisand, Win Sheridan, Spencer Susser, Matt Weaver GENRE Dramedy RATING R for 

disturbing violent behavior, sexual content including graphic dialogue, pervasive language, 

and drug content—some in the presence of a child RUNNING TIME 100 min. RELEASE DATE 

May 13 ltd. 

you don’t have 

the tastiest popcorn 

in town – period. 

Amy Nicholson says … Joseph Gordon-Levitt dominates this slight, 

worth-a-watch dramedy about an anarchic headbanger who, like a 

bear claiming a cave, invades the home of a grieving widower, grandmother 

and son. With tattoos of a middle finger on his back and a 

dead stick figure on his chest, Gordon-Levitt’s Hesher is raw destruction—aggro 

comedy writer/director Spencer Susser even punctuates 

his one-liners with a blast of crunching metal. (“Ever been skull-f-- 

ked?” DURNAdurnDURN! “Would you like to be?”) He’s a can’t-miss 

attraction in a movie that goes nowhere, and the odds are high that 

teens who stumble across the flick will make him a tiny cult hero, assuming 

badass audiences can get past all that killjoy plot about grief. 

Yves Saint Laurent 

L’Amour Fou 

As elegant as its subject 

DISTRIBUTOR IFC Films DIRECTOR Pierre Thoretton PRODUCERS Kristina Larsen, Hugues Charbonneau 

GENRE Documentary RATING Unrated RUNNING TIME 98 min. RELEASE DATE May 13 NY 

Barbara Goslawski says … Yves Saint Laurent L’Amour Fou offers a 

rare glimpse into the private life of one of the twentieth century’s 

most elusive and celebrated artists. More than a maverick in fashion 

design, Yves Saint Laurent’s influence on the design of his era was 

monumental. He was bold and daring in both vision and action. In 

the public eye, he became the very personification of chic; in his 

private life he continued to embody this spirit. Focusing on the sale 

of Saint Laurent’s formidable, personal art collection, director Pierre 

Thoretton creates a pertinent documentary tribute, affectionate 

without sentimentality. Akin to a stroll through a gallery, L’amour 

Fou is meditative and magically eye-opening. The film should appeal 

beyond fashion-conscious audiences. 

13 delicious flavors including: 

 

 

 

 

 

Call Krystal at 

866.328.7672 x225 

krystal@kernelseasons.com 


BOOKING GUIDE 

Action = Act Arthouse = Art Documentary = Doc Family = Fam Horror = Hor 

Adventure = Adv Biography = Bio Drama = Dra Fantasy = Fan Kids = Kids 

Animated = Ani Comedy = Com Epic = Epic Foreign Language = FL Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgend. = LGBT 

FILM RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE RT FORMAT 

DISNEY 818 560 1000 / ask for Distribution / 212 536 6400 

AFRICAN CATS Fri, 4/22/11 Samuel L. Jackson 

Alastair Fothergill/Keith 

Scholey 

PROM Fri, 4/29/11 Danielle Campbell, Aimee Teegarden Joe Nussbaum PG Com/Teen/Dra 

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES Fri, 5/20/11 Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush Rob Marshall PG-13 Act/Adv 141 

CARS 2 Fri, 6/24/11 Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt Brad Lewis/John Lasseter NR Ani/Fam 

G 

Doc/Adv 

Quad/Dolby Digital/DTS/ 

SDDS 

Quad/Dolby Digital/DTS/ 

SDDS 

Digital 3D/IMAX/Quad/ 

Scope/SDDS/DTS 

Digital 3D/IMAX/Dolby 

Digital 

WINNIE THE POOH Fri, 7/15/11 Craig Ferguson, Jim Cummings 

Stephen J. Anderson/ 

Don Hall 

G Ani/Fam Quad 

THE HELP Fri, 8/12/11 Bryce Dallas Howard, Emma Stone Tate Taylor PG13 Dra 

FRIGHT NIGHT Fri, 8/19/11 Colin Farrell, Toni Collette Craig Gillespie NR Com/Hor Digital 3D 

REAL STEEL Fri, 10/7/11 Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly Shawn Levy PG-13 Act/Dra/SF IMAX 

THE MUPPETS Wed, 11/23/11 Jason Segel, Amy Adams James Bobin NR Com/Fam Dolby Dig/DTS/SDDS 

WAR HORSE Wed, 12/28/11 David Thewlis, Emily Watson Steven Spielberg NR Adv/Dra Quad 

ARRIETTY Fri, 2/17/12 Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett Dir Hiromasa Yonebayashi NR Ani/Foreign 94 Dolby Dig/DTS 

JOHN CARTER OF MARS Fri, 3/9/12 Mark Strong, Willem Dafoe Andrew Stanton NR Ani/Act/Adv/Fan Digital 3D/Quad 

FILM DISTRICT Deborah Johnson / djohnson@fi lmdistrict.com 

DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK Fri, 8/12/11 Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce Troy Nixey R Hor/Thr Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS 

DRIVE Fri, 9/16/11 Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan Nicolas Winding Refn NR Act/Dra 

LOCKOUT Fri, 2/24/12 Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace 

James Mather, Stephen 

St. Leger 

NR sci-fi -/Act/Thr 

FOCUS Christopher Ustaszewski / 818 777 3071 

BEGINNERS 

Fri, 6/3/11 LTD. 

Ewan McGregor, Christopher 

Plummer 

Mike Mills R Dra DTS/Dolby SRD/Flat 

ONE DAY Fri, 7/8/11 LTD. Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess Lone Scherfi g PG-13 Dra Scope/DTS/Dolby SRD 

THE DEBT Wed, 8/31/11 Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain John Madden R Act/Sus/Dra 113 Scope 

FOX 310 369 1000 / 212 556 2400 

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Fri, 6/3/11 James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender Matthew Vaughn NR Act/Adv/Dra Dolby 

MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS Fri, 6/17/11 Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino Mark Waters NR Com Dolby 

MONTE CARLO Fri, 7/1/11 Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester Thomas Bezucha PG Adv/Com/Com 

RISE OF THE APES Fri, 8/5/11 James Franco, Freida Pinto Rupert Wyatt NR Adv/Act/SF 

WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER? Fri, 9/30/11 Anna Faris, Chris Evans Mark Mylod R Com 

THE BIG YEAR Fri, 10/14/11 Owen Wilson, Jack Black David Frankel NR Com 

NOW Fri, 10/28/11 Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried Andrew Niccol NR SF/Thr 

THE SITTER Fri, 12/9/11 Jonah Hill, Ari Graynor David Gordon Green NR Com 

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNK: CHIPWRECKED Fri, 12/16/11 Jesse McCartney, Amy Poehler Mike Mitchell NR Fam/Com/Ani 3D 

WE BOUGHT A ZOO Fri, 12/23/11 Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson Cameron Crowe NR Dra/Com 

STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 - THE PHANTOM MENACE Fri, 2/10/12 Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson George Lucas PG Act/Adv/Fan 136 3D 

FOX SEARCHLIGHT 310 369 1000 

THE TREE OF LIFE Fri, 5/27/11 LTD. Sean Penn, Brad Pitt Terrence Malick PG-13 Dra/Fan Dolby 

HOMEWORK Fri, 6/17/11 LTD. Emma Roberts, Freddie Highmore Gavin Weisen NR Rom 84 

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN Fri, 7/15/11 LTD. Bingbing Li, Hugh Jackman Wayne Wong PG-13 Dra/Hist 

ANOTHER EARTH Fri, 7/22/11 LTD. William Mapother, Brit Marling Mike Cahill NR Dra 

THE DESCENDANTS Fri, 12/16/11 LTD. George Clooney, Judy Greer Alexander Payne R Com/Dra 

LIONSGATE 310 449 9200 

GO FOR IT Fri, 5/13/11 LTD. Aimee Garcia, Gina Rodriguez Carmen Marron NR Com/Dra 

CONAN THE BARBARIAN Fri, 8/19/11 Jason Momoa, Stephen Lang Marcus Nispel NR Act/Adv/Fan 3D 

WARRIOR Fri, 9/9/11 Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte Gavin O’Connor PG-13 Act/Dra Scope 

ABDUCTION Fri, 9/23/11 Taylor Lautner, Lily Collins John Singleton NR Act/Sus 

DIBBUK BOX Fri, 10/28/11 Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedwick Ole Bornedal NR Hor/Thr 

ONE FOR THE MONEY Fri, 1/27/12 Katherine Heigl, John Leguizamo Julie Ann Robinson PG-13 Com/Crime/Thr 

PARAMOUNT 323 956 5575 

THOR Fri, 5/6/11 Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman Kenneth Branagh NR Act/Adv/Dra/Fan 130 3D/IMAX/Quad/Scope 

KUNG FU PANDA: THE KABOOM OF DOOM Thu, 5/26/11 Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman Jennifer Yuh PG Ani/Com/Fam/Act Digital 3D 

SUPER 8 Fri, 6/10/11 Elle Fanning, Amanda Michalka J.J. Abrams NR SF/Mys/Thr SDDS/DTS/Dolby Dig 

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON Fri, 7/1/11 Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhammel Michael Bay NR Act/Adv/SF 

3D/IMAX/Dolby Dig/DTS/ 

SDDS 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER Fri, 7/22/11 Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell Joe Johnston NR Act/Adv/SF/Thr 3D 

FOOTLOOSE Fri, 10/14/11 Julianne Hough, Kenny Wormald Craig Brewer PG-13 Com/Dra/Mus 

PARAMORMAL ACTIVITY 3 Fri, 10/21/11 Katie Featherston NR Hor/Sus 

PUSS IN BOOTS Fri, 11/4/11 Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Peter A. Ramsey NR CGI/Ani/Fam 3D 

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL Fri, 12/16/11 Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg Brad Bird NR Act IMAX 

THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN: 

SECRET OF THE UNICORN 

Fri, 12/23/11 Daniel Craig, Jamie Bell Steven Spielberg NR Ani/Adv/Fam/Mys 3D 

HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS Fri, 3/2/12 Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton Tommy Wirkola NR Act/Com/Hor 3D 

RELATIVITY MEDIA Mara Buxbaum 323-822-4800 

JUDY MOODY AND THE NOT BUMMER SUMMER Fri, 6/10/11 Jordana Beatty, Heather Graham John Schultz NR Fam/Com 

SHARK NIGHT 3D Fri, 9/2/11 Sara Paxton, Alyssa Diaz David R. Ellis NR Hor/Thr 3D 

IMMORTALS Fri, 11/11/11 Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke Tarsem Singh NR Act/Adv/Dra/Fan 3D/Quad 

ROCKY MOUNTAIN PICTURES Ron@rockymtnpictures.com 

THE 5TH QUARTER Fri, 3/25/11 LTD. Aidan Quinn, Andie MacDowell Rick Bieber PG-13 Dra/Sport 93 

ATLAS SHRUGGED Fri, 4/15/11 LTD. Taylor Schilling, Grant Bowler Paul Johansson PG-13 Dra/Mys/SF 102 

THE LION OF JUDAH Fri, 5/13/11 LTD. Ernest Borgnine, Leon Clingman 

Deryck Broom/Roger 

Hawkins 

PG Ani/Fam 87 3D/Digital Scope/Stero 

THE LAST OUNCE OF COURAGE Fri, 11/11/11 Fred Williamson, Jennifer O’Neil 

Darrell Campbell/Kevin 

McAfee 

NR Dra 102 

SONY 310 280 8000 / 212833 8500 

JUMPING THE BROOM Fri, 5/6/11 Paula Patton, Tasha Smith Salim Akil NR Com 

PRIEST Fri, 5/13/11 Paul Bettany, Maggie Q Scott Charles Stewart PG-13 Adv/Hor/SF/Thr 3D/SDDS/DTS/Dolby Dig 


Live Action = LA Performance = Per Science Fiction = SF Suspense = Sus Urban = Urban 

Martial Arts = MA Political = Poli Stop-Motion Animation = SMAni 3D = 3D War = War 

Mystery = Mys Romance = Rom Sports = Spr Thriller = Thr Western = Wes 

FILM RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE RT FORMAT 

BAD TEACHER Fri, 6/24/11 Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel Jake Kasdan R Com 92 Dolby Dig/DTS/SDDS 

ZOOKEEPER Fri, 7/8/11 Kevin James, Rosario Dawson Frank Coraci PG Com/Fam/Rom SDDS/DTS/Dolby Dig 

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS Fri, 7/22/11 Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake Will Gluck NR Com 

THE SMURFS Fri, 7/29/11 Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria Raja Gosnell NR Ani/Fam/Com 3D/SDDS/DTS/Dolby Dig 

30 MINUTES OR LESS Fri, 8/12/11 Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari Ruben Fleischer NR Adv/Com 

COLOMBIANA Fri, 9/2/11 Zoe Saldana, Michael Vartan Olivier Megaton NR Act/Sus/Dra/Adv 

BUCKY LARSON: BORN TO BE A STAR Fri, 9/9/11 Stephen Dorff, Christina Ricci Tom Brady NR Com 

STRAW DOGS Fri, 9/16/11 

Alexander Skarsgard, James 

Marsden 

Rod Lurie NR Dra/Thr 

MONEYBALL Fri, 9/23/11 Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill Bennett Miller NR Dra 

ANONYMOUS Fri, 9/30/11 Xavier Samuel, Rhys Ifans Roland Emmerich NR Dra/Hist 

COURAGEOUS Fri, 9/30/11 LTD. Alex Kendrick, Kevin Downes Alex Kendrick PG-13 Dra 

IDES OF MARCH Fri, 10/14/11 Marisa Tomei, Ryan Gosling George Clooney NR Dra 

JACK AND JILL Fri, 11/11/11 Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes Dennis Dugan NR Com 

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS Wed, 11/23/11 James McAvoy, Bill Nighy Barry Cook/Sarah Smith NR Ani 3D 

HUGO CABRET Fri, 11/23/11 Chloe Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen Martin Scorsese NR Fam/Adv/Mys 3D 

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Wed, 12/21/11 Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara David Fincher NR Dra/Thr 

UNDERWORLD 4: NEW DAWN Fri, 1/20/12 Kate Beckinsale, Michael Ealy Patrick Tatopoulos NR Act/Fan/Hor 3D 

PREMIUM RUSH Fri, 1/13/12 Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jamie Chung David Koepp NR Act/Thr 

THE VOW Fri, 2/10/12 Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams Michael Sucsy NR Rom/Dra 

GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE Fri, 2/17/12 Nicolas Cage, Violante Placido 

Mark Neveldine/Brian 

Taylor 

NR Act/Dra 3D 

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS Tom Prassis / 212 833 8851 

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS 

Fri, 5/20/11 EXCL 

NY/LA 

Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen Woody Allen PG-13 Rom/Com 

LIFE, ABOVE ALL 

Fri, 7/15/11 EXCL 

NY/LA 

Khomotso Manyaka, Keaobaka 

McKanyane 

Oliver Schmitz PG-13 Dra/Foreign 105 Dolby Dig 

SUMMIT 310 309 8400 

THE BEAVER Fri, 5/6/11 LTD. Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster Jodie Foster PG-13 Com/Dra DTS/Dolby Dig 

A BETTER LIFE Fri, 6/24/11 LTD. Demian Bichir, Jose Julian Chris Weitz PG-13 Dra 

THE DARKEST HOUR Fri, 8/5/11 Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby Chris Gorak NR SF/Hor/Act/Thr 3D 

50/50 Fri, 9/30/11 Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt Jonathan Levine R Com/Dra 

THE THREE MUSKETEERS Fri, 10/14/11 Christoph Waltz, Logan Lerman Paul W.S. Anderson NR Act/Adv/Rom 3D 

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN Fri, 11/18/11 Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson Bill Condon NR Rom/Dra Dolby 

UNIVERSAL 818 777 1000 / 212 445 3800 

FAST FIVE Fri, 4/29/11 Vin Diesel, Paul Walker Justin Lin NR Act/Cri/Dra/Thri 

Scope/Quad/IMAX/SDDS/ 

DTS/Dolby Dig 

BRIDESMAIDS Fri, 5/13/11 Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne Paul Feig R Com Scope/Quad/Dolby Dig 

LARRY CROWNE Fri, 7/1/11 Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts Tom Hanks PG-13 Dra/Com 99 Quad/Dolby Dig/DTS/SDDS 

COWBOYS & ALIENS Fri, 7/29/11 Oliva Wilde, Daniel Craig Jon Favreau NR Ani/Act/Fan/SF Quad/Dolby Dig/DTS/SDDS 

THE CHANGE-UP Fri, 8/5/11 Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds David Dobkin NR Com Quad 

JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN Fri, 9/16/11 Rowan Atkinson, Rosamund Pike Oliver Parker NR Com 

DREAM HOUSE Fri, 9/30/11 Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz Jim Sheridan NR Sus/Dra/Mys/Thr 110 Quad/Scope 

WANDERLUST Fri, 10/7/11 Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, David Wain NR Com Quad 

THE THING Fri, 10/14/11 

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ulrich 

Thomsen 

Matthijs Van Heijningen Jr. NR Hor/Mys/SF/Thr Quad/Scope 

TOWER HEIST Fri, 11/4/11 Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy Brett Ratner NR Act/Com/Crime Scope/Quad 

EVERYBODY LOVES WHALES Fri, 1/13/12 John Krasinski, Drew Barrymore Ken Kwapis NR Dra/Rom Quad 

SAFE HOUSE Fri, 2/10/12 Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds Daniel Espinosa NR Act/Sus/Hor/Thr Quad 

THE LORAX Fri, 3/2/12 Zac Efron, Ed Helms 

Chris Renaud/Cinco Paul/ 

Ken Daurio 

NR CGI/Ani 3D/Quad 

WARNER BROS. 818 954 6000 / 212 484 8000 

SOMETHING BORROWED Fri, 5/6/11 Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin Luke Greenfi eld PG-13 Rom/Com/Dra Quad 

THE HANGOVER 2 Thu, 5/26/11 Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms Todd Phillips NR Com Quad 

GREEN LANTERN Fri, 6/17/11 Ryan Reynolds, Jackie Earle Haley Martin Campbell NR Act/SF 3D 

HORRIBLE BOSSES Fri, 7/8/11 Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston Seth Gordon NR Com Quad 

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 Fri, 7/15/11 Alan Rickman, Daniel Radcliffe David Yates NR Adv/Fan/Dra/Act 

3D/IMAX/Dolby Dig/DTS/ 

SDDS 

CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE. Fri, 7/29/11 Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling Glenn Ficarra/John Requa PG-13 Com/Dra/Rom Quad 

FINAL DESTINATION 5 Fri, 8/26/11 Emma Bell, David Koechner Steven Quale NR Hor/Thr 3D/Quad 

DOLPHIN TALE Fri, 9/23/11 Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd Charles Martin Smith NR Fam 3D/Quad 

CONTAGION Fri, 10/21/11 Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow Steven Soderbergh NR Act/Thr/SF IMAX/Quad 

THE RISE OF THE GUARDIANS Fri, 11/4/11 Hugh Jackman, Hugo Weaving 

Peter Ramsey, William 

Joyce 

NR Ani/Adv/Fant 3D 

VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3-D CHRISTMAS, A Fri, 11/4/11 Neil Patrick Harris, Elias Koteas Todd Strauss - Schulson NR Com 3D/Quad 

HAPPY FEET 2 IN 3D Fri, 11/18/11 Brad Pitt, Matt Damon George Miller NR Ani/Com/Fam/Mus 3D/IMAX 

PROJECT X Wed, 11/23/11 Miles Teller, Jonathan Daniel Brown Nima Nourizadeh NR Com Quad 

NEW YEAR’S EVE Fri, 12/9/11 Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michele Garry Marshall NR Rom/Com Quad 

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS Fri, 12/16/11 Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law Guy Ritchie NR Act/Adv/Mys Quad 

JOYFUL NOISE Fri, 1/13/12 Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton Todd Graff NR Com Quad 

THE WEINSTEIN CO. / DIMENSION 646 862 3400 

SUBMARINE Fri, 6/3/11 LTD. Sally Hawkins, Paddy Considine Richard Ayoade NR Com/Dra 97 FLAT 

SARAH’S KEY Fri, 7/22/11 LTD. Kristin Scott, Aidan Quinn Gilles Paquet-Brenner PG-13 Dra/Foreign SCOPE/Dolby Dig/DTS 

DIRTY GIRL Fri, 8/5/11 LTD. Jeremy Dozier, Juno Temple Abe Sylvia NR Dra Scope 

SPY KIDS 4: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD Fri, 8/19/11 Antonio Banderas, Alexa Vega Robert Rodriguez NR 

Act/Adv/Com/ 

Fam/SF 

3D 

OUR IDIOT BROTHER Fri, 8/26/11 Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd Jesse Peretz NR Com Flat 

I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT Fri, 9/16/11 Greg Kinnear, Sarah Jessica Parker Douglas McGarth NR Com 

PIRANHA 3DD Wed, 11/23/11 Neil Hopkins, Aubrey O’Day John Gulager NR Hor 3D 

APOLLO 18 Fri, 1/6/12 Gonzalo López-Gallego NR Hor/SF/Thr DTS/Dolby SRD 


Theatre equipment supplier 

specializing in full line 

theatre stage and drape 

for new construction and 

remodels. Digital installation 

available. 

816-296-3354 offi ce 

916-296-7733 fax 

www.cloudindustries.com 


ADAPTIVE MICRO SYSTEMS 

7840 N 86th ST 

Milwaukee, WI 53224 

800-558-4187 

www.adaptivedisplays.com 

PG 56 

CARDINAL SOUND & MOTION 

PICTURE SYSTEMS 

6330 Howard Ln. 

Elkridge, MD 21075 

Cathy Rockman 

410-796-5300 

cardinal@cardinalsound.com 

www.cardinalsound.com 

PG 55 

CHRISTIE DIGITAL SYSTEMS 

10550 Camden Dr. 

Cypress, CA 90630 

Craig Sholder / 714-236-8610 

craig.sholder@christiedigital.com 

www.christiedigital.com 

Inside front cover 

DOLBY LABORATORIES 

100 Potrero Ave. 

San Francisco, CA 94103 

Christie Ventura / 415-558-2200 

cah@dolby.com 

www.dolby.com 

PG 17, 41 

DOLPHIN SEATING 

313 Remuda St. 

Clovis, NM 88101 

575-762-6468 

www.dolphinseating.com 

PG 47 

FRANKLIN DESIGNS 

208 Industrial Dr. 

Ridgeland, MS 39157 

601-853-9005 

franklindesigns@aol.com 

www.franklindesigns.com 

PG 1 

HARKNESS SCREENS 

Unit A, Norton Road 

Stevenage, Herts 

SG1 2BB 

United Kingdom 

+44 1438 725200 

sales@harkness-screens.com 

www.harkness-screens.com 

PG 23, 43 

KERNEL SEASONS 

1958 N. Western Ave. 

Chicago, IL 60647 

Krystal LaReese-Gaul 

773-292-4576 

info@kernelseasons.com 

www.kernelseasons.com 

PG 51 

MAROEVICH, O’SHEA & 

COUGHLAN 

44 Montgomery St., 17th Fl. 

San Francisco, CA 94104 

Steve Elkins / 800-951-0600 

selkins@maroevich.com 

www.mocins.com 

PG 3 

MASTERIMAGE 3D 

4111 W. Alameda Ave. Suite 312 

Burbank, CA 91505, USA 

818-558-7900 

www. masterimage3d.com 

INSIDE BACK COVER 

ODELL’S 

8543 White Fir St. #D-1 

Reno, NV 89523 

Arthur Anderson / 775-323-8688 

odells@popntop.com 

www.popntop.com 

PG 55 

AD INDEX 

PACKAGING CONCEPTS, INC. 

9832 Evergreen Industrial Dr. 

St. Louis, MO 63123 

John Irace / 314-329-9700 

jji@packagingconceptsinc.com 

www.packagingconceptsinc.com 

PG 49 

PETER’S PRETZELS 

Great Western Products 

30290 U.S. Hwy. 72 

Hollywood, AL 35752 

800-239-2143 

info@gwproducts.com 

www.gwproducts.com 

PG 54 

READY THEATRE SYSTEMS 

4 Hartford Blvd. 

Hartford, MI 49057 

Mary Snyder 

865-212-9703x114 

sales@rts-solutions.com 

www.rts-solutions.com.com 

PG 54 

RETRIEVER SOFTWARE 

7040 Avenida Encinas 

Ste. 104-363 

Carlsbad, CA 92011 

760-929-2101 

www.retrieversoftware.com 

PG 54 

SCREENVISION 

1411 Broadway 33rd Fl. 

New York, NY 10018 

Darryl Schaffer 

212-497-0480 

www.screenvision.com 

BACK COVER 

SENSIBLE CINEMA SOFTWARE 

7216 Sutton Pl. 

Fairview, TN 37062 

Rusty Gordon 

615-799-6366 

rusty@sensiblecinema.com 

www.sensiblecinema.com 

PG 56 

STERIFAB NOBLE PINE PRODUCTS 

P.O. Box 41 

Yonkers, NY 10710-0041 

800-359-4913 

sterifab@sterifab.com 

www.sterifab.com 

PG 32 

STRONG CINEMA PRODUCTS 

4350 McKinley St. 

Omaha, NE 68112 

Ray Boegner 

402-453-4444 

ray.boegner@btn-inc.com 

www.ballantyne-omaha.com 

PG 11 

USHIO AMERICA, INC. 

5440 Cerritos Ave. 

Cypress, CA 90630 

800-838-7446 

www.ushio.com 

PG 29 

VISTA ENTERTAINMENT 

SOLUTIONS LTD. 

P.O. Box 8279 

Symonds Street 

Auckland, New Zealand 

Meika Kikkert 

011-649-357-3600 

info@vista.co.nz 

www.vista.co.nz 

PG 9 

WHITE CASTLE 

555 West Goodale St. 

Columbus, OH 43215 

Timothy Carroll 

614-559-2453 

carrollt@whitecastle.com 

www.whitecastle.com 

PG 31 


CLASSIFIED ADS 

DRIVE-IN CONSTRUCTION 

DRIVE-IN SCREEN TOWERS since 1945. Selby 

Products Inc., P.O. Box 267, Richfield, OH 44286. 

Phone: 330-659-6631. 

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE 

ASTER AUDITORIUM SEATING & AUDIO. We 

offer the best pricing on good used projection 

and sound equipment. Large quantities available. 

Please visit our website, www.asterseating.com, 

or call 1-888-409-1414. 

BOX OFFICE TICKETING AND CONCESSIONS 

EQUIPMENT. Stand-alone ticketing or fully integrated 

theater ticketing and/or concessions systems 

are available. These fully tested, remanufactured 

Pacer Theatre Systems have extended fullservice 

contracts available. Complete ticketing 

and concessions systems starting at $2,975. Call 

Jason: 800-434-3098; www.sosticketing.com. 

WWW.CINEMACONSULTANTSINTERNA- 

TIONAL.COM. New and used projection and 

sound equipment, theater seating, drapes, wall 

panels, FM transmitters, popcorn poppers, concessions 

counters, xenon lamps, booth supplies, 

cleaning supplies, more. Call Cinema Consultants 

and Services International. Phone: 412-343-3900; 

fax: 412-343-2992; sales@cinemaconsultantsinternational.com. 

CY YOUNG IND. INC. still has the best prices 

for replacement seat covers, out-of-order chair 

covers, cupholder armrests, patron trays and onsite 

chair renovations! Please call for prices and 

more information. 800-729-2610. cyyounginc@ 

aol.com. 

DOLPHIN SEATING At www.dolphinseating. 

com Find today’s best available new seating 

deals 575-762-6468 Sales Office. 

TWO CENTURY PROJECTORS, complete 

with base, soundheads, lenses. Pott’s 3-deck 

platter,like new. Rebuilt Christie lamp, goes to 

150 amps. Model H-30. 603-747-2608. 

EQUIPMENT WANTED 

OLD MARQUEE LETTERS WANTED Do you 

have the old style slotted letters? We buy the 

whole pile. Any condition. Plastic, metal, large, 

small, dirty, cracked, painted, good or bad. 

Please call 800-545-8956 or write mike@pilut. 

com. 

MOVIE POSTERS WANTED: Collector paying 

TOP $$$ for movie posters, lobby cards, film 

stills, press books and memorabilia. All sizes, any 

condition. Free appraisals! CASH paid immediately! 

Ralph DeLuca, 157 Park Ave., Madison, 

NJ 07940; phone: 800-392-4050; email: ralph@ 

ralphdeluca.com; www.ralphdeluca.com. 

POSTERS & FILMS WANTED: Cash available 

for movie posters and films (trailers, features, 

cartoons, etc.). Call Tony 903-790-1930 or email 

postersandfilms@aol.com. 

OLDER STEREO EQUIPMENT AND SPEAK- 

ERS, old microphones, old theater sound systems 

and old vacuum tubes. Phone Tim: 616- 

791-0867. 

COLLECTOR WANTS TO BUY: We pay top 

money for any 1920-1980 theater equipment. 

We’ll buy all theater-related equipment, working 

or dead. We remove and pick up anywhere in the 

U.S. or Canada. Amplifiers, speakers, horns, drivers, 

woofers, tubes, transformers; Western Electric, 

RCA, Altec, JBL, Jensen, Simplex & more. 

We’ll remove installed equipment if it’s in a closing 

location. We buy projection and equipment, 

too. Call today: 773-339-9035. cinema-tech.com 

email ILG821@aol.com. 

AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTS 

LLC is buying projectors, processors, amplifiers, 

speakers, seating, platters. If you are closing, 

remodeling or have excess equipment in your 

warehouse and want to turn equipment into cash, 

please call 866-653-2834 or email aep30@comcast.net. 

Need to move quickly to close a location 

and dismantle equipment? We come to you with 

trucks, crew and equipment, no job too small or too 

large. Call today for a quotation: 866-653-2834. Vintage 

equipment wanted also! Old speakers like Western 

Electric and Altec, horns, cabinets, woofers, etc. 

and any tube audio equipment, call or email: aep30@ 

comcast.net. 

AASA IS ASTER AUDITORIUM SEATING & AU- 

DIO. We buy and sell good used theater equipment. 

We provide dismantling services using our trucks and 

well-equipped, professional crew anywhere in the 

United States. Please visit our website, www.asterseating.com, 

or call 1-888-409-1414. 

FOR SALE 

Twin Theatre with four rentals in Zephyrhills, FL 

(NE of Tampa) Rental income is more than mortgage 

payments. Appraised at $325,000 land & building. 

Next in line for $60,000 improvement Grant. Excellent 

Draft House possibility. larry.rutan@verizon.net. 

Cell 813-299-0665. 

Art Deco TWIN For Sale In Quaint Western New 

York Town. NO COMPETITION. Colonial Home 

Located Behind Theatre. $389K for Theatre Only. 

$459K For Both. 585-610-8640. 

First run movie theater. Vibrant Vermont college 

town. Vaudeville stage, 3 screens, 298 seats, renovated. 

$850,000. 802-999-9077. 

FOR SALE Independent owned & operated, eightscreen, 

all stadium-seating theater complex located 

in suburban Chicago. Completely renovated 

in 2004. Seating capacity for 1,774 people within a 

48,000-square-foot sqft building on 5.32 acres. Preliminary 

site plan approval for expansion of additional 

screens. Proximate to national/regional retail and 

dining. Strong ticket and concession revenues. Excellent 

business or investment opportunity. Contact 

Kevin Jonas at 305-631-6303 for details. 

FIVE-PLEX, FULLY EQUIPPED AND OPERATION- 

AL: $735,000, land, bldg., equip., NW Wisconsin. 

Priced $50,000 below appraised value. 715-550- 

9601. 

THEATER FOR RENT 1,500 seating capacity. No 

hanging balconies. Largest single screen in Chicagoland. 

Over 500,000 potential patrons, serving NW 

side of Chicago and suburbs. Contact dkms72@hotmail.com. 

THEATERS FOR SALE Three screens (370 seats), 

North Florida. First-run, no competition 60 miles. 

Additional large multipurpose room (75 seats), with 

HD projector on 13.5-by-7-foot screen for birthday 

parties, conferences, receptions and café. Contact 

850-371-0028. 

HELP WANTED 

GENERAL MANAGER IN TRAINING AT CARMIKE 

CINEMAS All applicants must have prior managerial 

experience in restaurant or theater, must be available 

to relocate, no bankruptcy in past 7 years, pass 

a criminal/credit check. This position requires working 

all holidays and weekends. Salary position ($24K/ 

yr start) with benefits. Email resumes to tbauer@carmike.com, 

no phone calls or faxes. EOE. 

PARTNER AND/OR EXPERIENCED GM NEEDED 

for ground floor opportunity in Arizona. New and 

popular “Brew and View” concept in outstanding 

area. Contact Stadiumtheatres@aol.com 

CARMIKE THEATERS IS LOOKING FOR EXPERI- 

ENCED MULTIPLEX THEATER MANAGERS FOR 

IMMEDIATE PLACEMENT. Candidates must have 

movie theater management experience and be able 

to pass a criminal and credit background check. We 

offer competitive salaries and benefits. Please email 

resumes to tbauer@carmike.com. 

HELP improve movie-goer experiences and the industry, 

go to movie-goer-rights.org or youtube.com/ 

user/moviegoerrights 

SERVICES 

DULL FLAT PICTURE? RESTORE YOUR XENON 

REFLECTORS! Ultraflat repolishes and recoats xenon 

reflectors. Many reflectors available for immediate 

exchange. (ORC, Strong, Christie, Xetron, others!) 

Ultraflat, 20306 Sherman Way, Winnetka, CA 91306; 

818-884-0184. 

FROM DIRT TO OPENING DAY. 20-plus years of 

theater experience with the know-how to get you going. 

630-417-9792. 

SEATING 

AGGRANDIZE YOUR THEATER, auditorium, 

church or school with quality used seating. We carry 

all makes of used seats as well as some new seats. 

Seat parts are also available. Please visit our website, 

www.asterseating.com, or call 888-409-1414. 

ALLSTATE SEATING specializes in refurbishing, 

complete painting, molded foam, tailor-made seat 

covers, installations and removals. Please call for pricing 

and spare parts for all types of theater seating. 

Boston, Mass.; 617-770-1112; fax: 617-770-1140. 

DOLPHIN SEATING At www.dolphinseating.com, 

find today’s best available new seating deals: 575- 

762-6468 Sales Office. 

THEATERS WANTED 

WE’LL MANAGE YOUR THEATER OR SMALL 

CHAIN FOR YOU. Industry veterans and current exhibitors 

with 40-plus years’ experience. Will manage 

every aspect of operations and maximize all profits 

for you. Call John LaCaze at 801-532-3300. 

WELL-CAPITALIZED, PRIVATELY HELD, TOP 50 

THEATER CHAIN is looking to expand via theater 

acquisitions. We seek profitable, first-run theater 

complexes with 6 to 14 screens located anywhere in 

the USA. Please call Mike at 320-203-1003 ext.105 or 

email: acquisitions@uecmovies.com 

NATIONAL THEATRE ACQUISITION CO. site acquisition, 

brokerage of theaters on a sale, purchase 

or lease basis and related services. Phone: 248-350- 

9090, email: rkomer@wkbldg.com.

BoxOffice® Pro - May 2011

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