Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince grossed an eye-popping $22.2 million from its midnight showings early Wednesday morning, according to figures released by Hollywood.com. That breaks the $18.5 million midnight record previously held by last year's smash The Dark Knight, and it's well ahead of the $16 million Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen grossed in its midnight showings earlier this summer. If these magical numbers hold up, Half-Blood could have a shot at topping The Dark Knight's $203.8 million five-day opening-weekend record as well.
Archive: July 2009 (191-200 of 322)
Fantasy football subject of FX comedy pilot
FX has ordered a pilot of the The League, a semiscripted comedy from producer-director-writer Jeff Schaffer, whose credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, and the latest Sacha Baron Cohen film Bruno. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the plot revolves around a fantasy football league and deals with the issues of suburban marriage, friendship, and parenting. Schaffer created the show with his wife, Jackie Marcus Schaffer. Among the cast: Human Giant's Paul Scheer, I Love You, Man's Nick Kroll, and Alina Foley, daughter of the Kids in the Hall's Dave Foley.
'MADtv" star Keegan Michael Key joins CBS' 'Gary Unmarried'
MADtv star Keegan Michael Key will be a regular on CBS' sophomore comedy Gary Unmarried this fall. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he'll play Clean, an old high school friend of Gary's (Jay Mohr) whose minor league baseball career ended with a knee injury. They rekindle their competitive relationship.
Martha Plimpton heading to 'Grey's Anatomy'
Martha Plimpton has been cast in a multiepisode role on Grey's Anatomy, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Plimpton, a three-time Tony Award nominee, will play the mother of a young patient, and her arc starts with the September 24 season premiere.
Russell Brand lends voice to 'I Hop'
Hosting the MTV Video Music Awards isn't the only thing Russell Brand has in the hopper: The British comedian is also set to lend his voice to the live-action/CGI family comedy I Hop, which is set to be released March 4, 2011, according to a story in Variety. Brand will voice the character of the Easter Bunny, and Universal Pictures/Illumination Entertainment production begins this fall. The story of the flick revolves around an out-of-work slacker who runs over the Easter Bunny and is forced into service to save Easter.
Ice Cube's 'Are We There Yet?' goes to series on TBS
TBS has made plans to pick up a TV version of Ice Cube's movie Are We There Yet?, which will likely premiere in June 2010 with 10 episodes, according to Variety. The deal resembles the one struck with Tyler Perry, whose comedies House of Payne and Meet the Browns (which was originally a theatrical release, as well) also got orders for 10 episodes with an option for a whopping 90 more installments.
Cube, who starred in the film version of Are We There Yet? and its sequel Are We Done Yet? (which grossed a combined $132.4 million domestically), will likely appear occasionally in the series but will not play the same role, although he is set to produce through his Cube Vision production house. Terry Crews of Everybody Hates Chris fame will take on Cube's role of Nick, the single guy who starts dating a young divorcee with two kids and agrees to take them on a road trip to visit their mother.
Miley Cyrus: Disney developing movie 'Wings' around star
Disney has found a new starring vehicle for Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus: The company snatched rights to the young adult novel Wings and has plans to develop the title around Cyrus, according to Variety. The story, originally written by Aprilynee Pike, will revolve around Cyrus playing Laurel, a 15-year-old girl who grows up home-schooled in a small town before heading off to a large high school. There, she realizes she's unlike the other kids, as she sprouts a pair of wings and realizes she's a fairy. The book was originally published in May and is planned to be just the beginning of a four-title series. Cyrus is currently shooting The Last Song, an adaptation of the novel Nicholas Sparks wrote.
Hugh Jackman to become 'Avon Man'
Wolverine star Hugh Jackman will star in the Full Monty-ish comedy Avon Man from 20th Century Fox, according to a story in Variety. The story follows men who are laid off from their jobs at an car dealership, and one — likely Jackman, although it's not clear in the Variety story — becomes an Avon salesman. While the venture is initially emasculating, the character eventually becomes a top seller due to his charm and good looks, and manages to coerce his buddies to join him in the endeavor to win a regional sales contest.
Guns N' Roses: Blogger sentenced for leaking new tracks
A blogger who leaked new Guns N' Roses tracks before their official release date was sentenced to two months of home confinement yesterday, according to Reuters. Kevin Cogill, who posted the stolen music on antiquiet.com, was also slapped with one year's probation and is required to appear in an anti-piracy commercial under the deal he made with federal prosecutors. The Guns N' Roses release, titled "Chinese Democracy," is the band's first new album in 17 years.
Another 'Bridget Jones' movie in development: Report
Variety is reporting that Renee Zellweger will reprise her role as a British publishing exec in yet another installment of the Bridget Jones series. The project from Working Title is untitled and not expected to go into production until the end of next year. The movie will likely focus on Bridget's attempt to have a baby in her 40s, according to the report.
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