Showbiz Sandbox 36: Can “Avatar” Beat “Titanic”? Heck No!
January 7, 2010
“Avatar” continues its takeover of the box office, while “The Hurt Locker” appears to be taking over the awards season. James Cameron’s 3D labor of love entered the list of top 10 grossing films of all time and may be poised to become the highest grossing movie ever, a title now held by another Cameron film, “Titanic”. “Avatar” is now one of only five films to ever earn over a billion dollars world-wide.
Now the prognostication begins about whether “Avatar” (and Cameron) will be nominated for an Academy Award? His ex-wife’s movie “The Hurt Locker” certainly seems to be headed that way. Director Kathryn Bigelow is earning raves for the film and she is being being heavily favored to be the first female to win a Best Director Oscar. Between Bigelow and Nancy Meyers (“It’s Complicated”), female directors, or at least the discussion of their recent success, is the topic du jour in Hollywood.
Another favorite topic at the beginning a year is reflection and prediction. What were the top reviewed movies of the decade? Did you see any of them? What’s in store for us in the television world during 2010? What would U2’s Bono do over the next ten years? Apparently, he’d police the Internet in hopes of catching intellectual property pirates.
During Big Deal or Big Whoop we discuss Flixster’s acqusition of Rotten Tomatoes and the potential director of the next James Bond film, among many other top entertainment headlines. Finally, entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel joins us for a little Inside Baseball discussion. He explains all the nitty gritty details of the squabble between Fox and TimeWarner cable squabble. Jonathan tells us why it happened and what it might mean for cable television (and television viewers) going forward.
‘The Hurt Locker’ Sweeps National Society of Film Critics Awards
http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/01/national-society-of-film-critics-best-picture-the-hurt-locker-8195362847-entertainment-news.html
Top Women Director? Nancy Meyers
http://www.the-numbers.com/people/directors/NMEYE.php
‘Potter’, ‘Avatar’ Spur Box Office Record In ’09
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6021IX20100103?type=filmNews
Cinema Surpassed DVD Sales In 2009
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704789404574636531903626624.html
Best Reviewed Movies of the Decade
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/01/02/best_reviewed_movies_of_the_decade_pans_labyrinth_man_on_wire/
Library Of Congress Adds 25 To Registry
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013168.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1
Bono’s Ten For The Next Ten
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/opinion/03bono.html
Flixster Buys Rotten Tomatoes
http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/01/04/flixter-to-acquire-rotten-tomatoes/
Lenny Kravitz Says He Did Not Leak Michael Jackson Song
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/lenny-kravitz-says-he-did-not-leak-michael-jackson-video/
Kim Raver Joins Grey’s Anatomy Full Time
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ic3390a5158a31029014f3c1d1cc72acc
Disney Acquires stake in Stan Lee’s POW!
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i6ad645d17ccf55b7afb786d31ed93f39
Twitter Storm Stirring Over Missing Screeners For Duncan Jones’ “Moon”
http://riskybusiness.blogs.thr.com/2009/12/twitter-screeners-duncan-jones-moon.html
Sam Mendes To Direct Next James Bond Film?
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i856fd022b069b3fe4b8d2be322d5c07c
Fox, TimeWarner Cable Reach Deal
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013234.html?categoryid=3773&cs=1
http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/how-likely-is-a-fox-blackout-on-time-warner-cable-check-back-after-midnight/
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