There’s so much talk about how downloads or pirated films have amounted to huge financial losses for film studios and filmmakers that Variety’s articles on film revenues in 2006 may come as a surprise. It appears that the cumulative foreign film grosses (i.e. outside of the US) rose by 9% last year, setting a new record at $8.6 billion. The most successful films (each grossing more than a quarter million themselves) were Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Da Vinci Code, Casino Royale, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown and Mission Impossible III.

In the US revenue went up 3.4% for a total of $9.13 billion, a figure just shy of the $9.21 billion record set in 2004. The biggest earners were Pirates 2, X-Men: The Last Stand, Happy Feet, Talladega Nights, Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, The Devil Wears Prada and Ice Age 2.

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Kevin Smith, the writer/director of such films as Clerks, Chasing Amy and Dogma, has posted on his blog that he’s got a role in the upcoming fourth Die Hard film (out this summer), Live Free or Die Hard.

As unfathomable as that in itself sounds, it appears his role is more than a simple cameo appearance, too. He wrote that he “acted opposite Bruce Willis” for no less than five days. No details about the role are available yet, but Smith ended his blog entry with the words “to be continued”.

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We picked up a story last week concerning screenwriter Roger Avery and fantasy author Neil Gaiman (Stardust) working on thescript for a possible sequel to this year’s horror video game adaptation Silent Hill. Questioned by fans if the rumour was true, Gaiman posted the following message on his blog:

“I’m afraid that I don’t think I am. I mean, it’s the first thing I’ve ever heard of it, and I’m sure that if they make a sequel Roger would want to write it himself. I am writing Black Hole with Roger (we’re one draft in right now), and we already wrote next year’s Beowulf. If I get home to find an invitation to write Silent Hill 2 with Roger is waiting for me, I’ll let you all know, but for right now I think it’s a discredited Internet rumour.”

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Like the award winning 1976 original, at its core, Rocky Balboa is not really a movie about boxing. However, whereas the first film was essentially a character piece about how two broken people fell in love and fixed each other set against a backdrop of professional prize fighting, this sixth outing is a story about how three very different people find closure, recognition and direction in each other.

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Fox has announced that “the sun will set for the last time on The O.C.” on February 22, with the airing of the season 4 finale which will also be the very last episode of the TV show. The show originally premiered in August 2003.

Series creator Josh Schwartz said: “‘The O.C.’ Season Four finale will also be the series finale. This feels like the best time to bring the show to its close. Thanks to the hard work of our cast, crew and writers, we have enjoyed our best season yet, and what better time to go out than creatively on top. It has been an amazing experience and a great run. For a certain audience, at a certain time, ‘The O.C.’ has meant something. For that we are grateful.”

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Posted in Commentary, Television •

The 30th anniversary year of Star Wars was officially kicked off on on New Year’s Day when George Lucas appeared as Grand Marshal of the 118th Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. The Tournament of Roses Parade began January 1, 1890 and is arguably the most popular annual parade in the United States. The theme for 2007 was ‘Our Good Nature’

Up to 1 million people were on the streets of Pasadena to watch the parade, which included 45 floats, 23 equestrian units and 21 marching bands from across the country. Members of the 501st Legion, or ‘Vaders Fist’, the global costumed fan group, were there in full Stormtrooper gear marching behind Darth Vader.
 
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Robert De Niro revealed to MTV News that he’s signed on to star opposite George Clooney in Marc Forster’s (Finding Neverland, Stranger than Fiction) 36.

The Swiss director’s new film is a remake of the french cop thriller 36 Quai des Orfevres (the title refers to the address of one of the French police’s most famous headquarters) which was released in 2004 and told to story of two detectives competing for a promotion when trying to solve the mystery behind a series of armoured car-robberies.

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