Movie News and More...

Vampires and werewolves reigned supreme as The Twilight Saga: Eclipse earned $64 million over the Independence Day weekend, and a total of $83 million since opening Wednesday June 30. M. Night Shyamalan's latest offering, Nickelodeon-based The Last Airbender , opened in 2nd with $40 million under its belt, despite the poor reviews it has received. Last week's topnotcher and critically-acclaimed Toy Story 3 slips to 3rd place with still a strong $30 million. Twilight sequel Eclipse shines at US box office 'Twilight' climbs to $83.6M over holiday weekend

Another live-action film will be based on a popular Hasbro toyline. With the recent success of the Transformers , Paramount Pictures decided to move along their plans in making the G.I. Joe film by hiring Stephen Sommers to direct the movie. Some of Sommers more renowned works include The Mummy and The Mummy Returns . "G.I. Joe" accepts movie assignment

Here are movies opening this weekend, via IMDB, and ranked according to personal familiarity with the movie and/or actors in the movie. War - Jet Li, Jason Statham. Directed by Philip G. Atwell Mr. Bean's Holiday - Rowan Atkinson, Willem Defoe. Directed by Steve Bendelack. The Nanny Diaries - Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti. Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini.

Superbad wins the box office race this weekend as the teen comedy rakes in $33 million, edging out last week's number one movie Rush Hour 3 , which placed at number 2, and the Nicole Kidman/Daniel Craig sci-fi horror remake The Invasion , which tanked and opened at 5th place. Superbad stars relatively unknown actors Michael Cera and Jonah Hill, and produced by fast-rising Judd Apatow, whose previous works include The 40-Year-Old Virgin , Anchorman , and the surprise 2007 hit Knocked-Up . Superbad tops US box office chart 'Superbad' Wins Weekend With $33 Million

I still remember posting an article here about Tom Cruise getting protests from Germans for starring in the Germany-based movie Valkyrie , but here's another somewhat bad news. Eleven extras on the movie were injured when they fell off a truck whose side burst open while it was turning a corner. Eleven injured on Cruise film set Extras Hurt on Set of Tom Cruise Movie

Here are movies opening this weekend, via IMDB, and ranked according to personal familiarity with the movie and/or actors in the movie. The Invasion - Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, James McTeigue. Superbad - Michael Cera, Jonah Hill. Directed by Greg Mottola. The Last Legion - Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai. Directed by Doug Lefter.

The popular Latina actress Salma Hayek has teamed up with Walt Disney Pictures for an as-yet unnamed romantic comedy. The movie will be about a conservative doctor who finds out that his soon-to-be wife (Hayek) had a popular Latin star for an ex-boyfriend. And to complicate things, the ex-boyfriend is trying to get back together with her. She's also doing voice work for another Disney movie titled South of the Border . Love is in the air for Hayek, Disney

The movie version of the popular HBO series Sex and the City is slowly coming into fruition as Chris Noth signs up for the project. He'll be reprising his role as Mr. Big, the love interest of the main character Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker. Her 3 friends are also on board for the 2008 movie. More "Sex" puts Mr. Big on big screen

With the recent success of Transformers , it seems that the new "fad" in Hollywood right now is to make a movie of old cartoon shows. New Regency and 20th Century Fox have teamed up to produce Voltron , a movie about 5 pilots who run robotic lions that can form together into one big gigantic ... robot. I guess movies with epic battles ala Lord of the Rings are now out. I'm not sure yet if I'm looking forward to this movie. I am a Voltron fan, but not a huge fan; I didn't have Voltron toys when I was a kid (then again they were expensive). 'Voltron' gets bigscreen go

I honestly haven't seen the first Pink Panther movie (which starred Steve Martin; there's an older/original version of the movie I believe, which didn't have Martin in the lead role) but I thought this news is interesting enough for me to share it with you. Several Hollywood stars and a former Miss World have joined the comedy cast of the next Pink Panther movie. Andy Garcia, John Cleese, Alfred Molina, and beauty queen turned Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai signed up for Pink Panther 2 to be detectives in the movie who will help Inspector Clouseau catch himself another high-profile thief. 'Pink Panther' sequel coming to life

Here are movies opening this weekend, via IMDB, and ranked according to personal familiarity with the movie and/or actors in the movie. Rush Hour 3 - Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker. Directed by Brett Ratner. Stardust - Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Sienna Miller, etc. Directed by Matthew Vaughn. Rocket Science - Reece Thompson, Anna Kendrick, etc. Directed by Jeffrey Blitz. Skinwalkers - Jason Behr, Elias Koteas, Rhona Mitra. Directed by James Isaac.

Things aren't looking too good for Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. Reviews of their 3rd movie in the Rush Hour series are coming, and most of them are saying that the movie sucks. I like Jackie Chan movies so I'm hoping the critics are being overly critical about the movie. 25% Rotten at RottenTomatoes.com Yahoo.com: Third 'Rush Hour' Is Lazy, Flat Variety.com's Review of Rush Hour 3

Jennifer Connelly and Justin Long, plus a couple of other actors, are in talks to star in Drew Barrymore's 2009 ensemble comedy He's Just Not That Into You . The New Line Cinema movie is based on the best-selling book of the same title written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tucillo. Connelly, Long "Just" right for Barrymore comedy

The Matt Damon-Paul Greengrass spy thriller The Bourne Ultimatum proved a winner as it conquers the North American box office this weekend with a whopping $70 million, the biggest August opening yet. Last week's winner The Simpsons Movie slips to number 2, while Disney movie Underdog enters the charts at number 3 with $12 million. Third Bourne movie tops US chart 'The Bourne Ultimatum' Earns $70 Million 'Bourne' breaks box office records

Here are movies opening this weekend, via IMDB, and ranked according to personal familiarity with the movie and/or actors in the movie. The Bourne Ultimatum - Matt Damon, Edgar Ramirez, Joan Allen, etc. Directed by Paul Greengrass. The Ten - Paul Rudd, Jessica Alba, Winona Ryder. Directed by David Wain. El Cantante - Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez. Directed by Leon Ichaso. Becoming Jane - Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters, etc. Directed by Julian Jarrold. Underdog - Peter Dinklage, Jason Lee, Amy Adams, etc. Directed by Frederik Du Chau.

In an article I posted a couple of days ago, it said that Chinese people were angered with the third Rush Hour movie, but the Film Bureau denied banning the movie. Now, they have confirmed that Rush Hour 3 is indeed banned in China for "commercial reasons." China's censors ban 'Rush Hour 3'

The fourth movie in the highly successful Shrek movies will be released on May 21, 2010, according to DreamWorks Animation and Paramount. Fourth 'Shrek' eyes 2010

That's what Chinese authorities are saying about Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker's Rush Hour 3 . China's Film Bureau however denied banning the movie. Jackie Chan film 'angers Chinese'

Ryan Reynolds is marrying Sandra Bullock! But only in the movies. Reynolds is in final negotiations to star with Bullock in Disney's romantic comedy The Proposal . Ryan Reynolds wed to Bullock in "Proposal"

The Simpsons Movie beat out other films during the weekend in America as it raked in $72 million. Other new entries No Reservations and I Know Who Killed Me debuted at numbers 5 and 9 respectively. 'The Simpsons Movie' earns big Doh! Simpsons claim box office victory