Caught in a summer where schooled monsters and an army of Minions laid claim to the animated box office, Blue Sky Entertainment's Epic takes the adventure home to Blu-ray. Epic leads this week's new releases which also include: Scary Movie V, Amour, Scooby Doo: Stage Fright, Star Trek: Enterprise - The Complete Second Season and Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Third Season.
Based on William Joyce's children's book, The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, Epic follows a teenage girl (Amanda Seyfried) magically transported to the unseen world of little people living in her own backyard. Together with the help of Leafmen soldiers, a slug and a snail, she must protect a pod from evil forces in the forest. Epic is distributed on Blu-ray by 20th Century Fox in various formats including the standard Blu-ray, DVD, UltraViolet combo pack as well as a 3D edition. However, Target is releasing an exclusive 24-page Digibook.
In what was one of the most unpredictable weekends of the summer, let alone the year, Lee Daniels' The Butler denied Kick-Ass 2 from living up to its name and taking the top spot this weekend at the box office.
After various legal disputes over the title and scheduling changes, there's been plenty of buzz surrounding The Butler. Oprah Winfrey has also been diligently promoting the period piece, which she also stars in. The Butler plays up the "based on a true story" characteristics attributing to the 30-plus year tenure of a White House butler.
Foul-mouthed superhero sequel, Kick-Ass 2 debuted with a disappointing fourth place start, opening just over $13 million. The weak opening shocked many moviegoers and analysts after the first film's audience grew on home media and was expected to translate strong for the sequel. The Steve Jobs bio-pic, Jobs and Harrison Ford's Paranoia also opened over the weekend; neither of which snagged a spot in the Top 5.
Before Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx teamed up to survive an full-fledged assault on the White House in Roland Emmerich's explosion-fest, White House Down, another film with the same exact plot hit theaters this past spring. Olympus Has Fallen leads this week's new Blu-ray releases which also include: The Muppet Movie (The Nearly 35th Anniversary Edition), Once Upon a Time: The Complete Second Season, The Big Wedding and What Maisie Knew.
Much like Emmerich's White House Down, Gerard Butler takes on the Channing Tatum role, playing a Secret Service agent assigned to protect the President of the United States (Aaron Eckhart) after the White House is under siege by North Koreans. Olympus Has Fallen is released on Blu-ray by Sony Pictures as a Blu-ray, DVD, UltraViolet combo pack and is directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day).
Four new releases debuted in a heavily crowded frame this past weekend, but it was Neill Blomkamp's futuristic social commentary Elysium that emerged victorious with its $30 million opening.
Elysium stars Matt Damon as a dying factory worker in the year 2154, who's only chance of survival is to find a way aboard a luxurious space colony where the wealthy are provided with the finest health care of the future. Elysium is supplied with a more prominent cast and larger budget than Blomkamp's 2009 directorial debut, District 9, but while Elysium secured the top spot at the box office this past weekend, it failed to match the director's previous opening.
The other three new releases, We're the Millers, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters and Planes fought over the remaining spots in the Top 5, leaving last week's #1, 2 Guns barely hanging on to the final spot at the box office.
Tom Cruise just keeps missing the elusive century mark with his three latest outings (his most recent $100 million hit being 2011's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol), however audiences have the opportunity to check out his dystopian futuristic film Oblivion this week on Blu-ray. Also set to release this week are The Place Beyond the Pines, Mud, The Borgias: The Complete Third Season and several Disney classics.
In Oblivion, Jack Harper (Cruise) is the one of the few drone repairman stationed on 2077 Earth alongside his communications partner and romantic interest, Victoria (Andrea Riseborough). However after a routine checkup turns south, Harper begins to realize that all that he's known may not exactly be the truth.
Normally it's the evil wizard Gargamel's job to cause despair for the Smurfs, but not this weekend as Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg's bested the little blue people from the top spot with their latest action flick, 2 Guns.
In 2 Guns, Washington and Wahlberg get caught up in robbing millions of dollars from a Mexican drug cartel, but while the formulaic action plot catapulted the film to the top spot of this weekend's box office, its $27 million opening is also the lowest #1 of the summer.
Family film, The Smurfs 2 fell short of not only the top spot, but also the #2 spot even finding itself behind last week's superhero champion, The Wolverine. Opening this past Wednesday, the Smurfs sequel burned nearly $10 million of its gross before the weekend started, leaving its 3-day total about half of the first film's $35 million opening weekend.
Without much resistance Cobra took command over the White House this past spring, now the villainous organization has its sights on the home media market as G.I. Joe: Retaliation makes its way to Blu-ray this Tuesday. Also scheduled for release are Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 4 and Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation is the sequel to 2009's cartoonish G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, featuring old and new Joes who have been targeted by the terrorist organization Cobra, who have infiltrated and assumed absolute control over the United States government. Roadblock (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson), Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) are a few of the Joes who survived Cobra's extermination and band together to seek vengeance on the evil group.
There was no surprise that The Wolverine would claw its way to the top spot at the box office this weekend, however the standalone mutant film starring Hugh Jackman debuted weaker than every other X-Men film in the franchise with the exception of the first film from 2000.
The Wolverine transports adamantium-clawed superhero halfway around the globe to Japan to reunite with an industrial tycoon whose life he saved during World War II. Despite being based on a popular 80's X-Men arc, a $55 million opening for The Wolverine is startling for a franchise that has boasted higher numbers in the past.
Last week's top film, The Conjuring and previous two-week champion Despicable Me 2 continued to hold strong in the face of competition. The James Wan scare fest closes in on a successful $100 million run, while Illumination Entertainment's animated spy flick became to second film of 2013 to cross $300 million domestically.
With no major studio releases set to street this Tuesday, audiences however can choose between a few new titles that only received limited exposure beyond the Toronto International Film Festival and a handful of independent markets.
Director Danny Boyle is prominently known for his use of vivid color palettes featured in 2008 Best Picture winner, Slumdog Millionaire and 2010 Best Picture nominee, 127 Hours. His latest psychological caper, Trance is equally stylized while audiences delve deep into the mind of an art auctioneer (James McAvoy), whose memories are the key to locating a misplaced piece of art.
With four new releases launching onto the big screen this weekend, Despicable Me 2's impressive back-to-back run as the top film at the box office was set to end.
The Conjuring starring Patrick Wilson (Insidious) and Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel) scared up a first place finish with an estimated $42 million, setting a horror record for non-sequels, prequels or reboots. The Conjuring also is a career high for director James Wan (Saw, Insidious).
Dropping to the second place, Illumination Entertainment's Despicable Me 2 continued to fend off the other three new releases, Turbo, RED 2 and R.I.P.D. with another $25 million added to its $276 million 3-week run. Despicable Me 2 is now the highest grossing animated film from the past three years.
Jackie Robinson, Sylvester Stallone and the Evil Dead are as remotely different from one another as possible, but all three go head-to-head on home media as 42: The Jackie Robinson Story, Bullet to the Head and Evil Dead street this week on Blu-Ray.
42 was released in theaters this past April just in time for the start of the 2013 Major League Baseball season and now finds itself on Blu-Ray precisely for the league's All-Star game. 42 is Jackie Robinson's biography onscreen detailing his initial year playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers as the first player to break the color barrier in the sport in 1947.
The Minions from Despicable Me 2 may have conquered the box office for a second week in a row, but the most asked question coming out of the weekend was how Adam Sandler's toilet humor antics attracted a slightly larger audience than giant robots clanking metal with Godzilla.
Grown Ups 2 and Pacific Rim clashed head-to-head for the #2 and #3 spots over the weekend, however Adam Sandler's comedy emerged victorious with $42.5 million to Pacific Rim's $38 million. Grown Ups 2 and Pacific Rim appeal to two completely polarizing demographics, but both films still fell short of Despicable Me 2's second weekend haul, opening close to $45 million.
Despicable Me 2 continues its assault on the summer box office, breaking the $200 million milestone in 12 days of release. Only Toy Story 3 and Shrek 2 reached $200 million a few days faster with both finishing above $400 million at the box office.
With no major titles released on Blu-Ray last week prior to the Fourth of July weekend, Blu-Ray Tuesday returns with six new titles set for release today including: Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor, The Host, Spring Breakers, Dead Man Down, Admission and The Legend of Korra: Book One - Air.
Based on the play of the same name, Temptation is the latest film from Madea creator, Tyler Perry, which goes down a more dramatic darker road than many of his other upbeat films. As the title suggests, a marriage counselor divulges a story about their therapist sister (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), whose temptation to fall for another man sends everyone's lives into a downward spiral. Temptation is released as Blu-Ray, UltraViolet combo pack from Lionsgate Films.
The lovable minions from the highly anticipated sequel, Despicable Me 2 lit up the Fourth of July holiday frame earning the top spot this weekend as well as becoming the most successful animated film for the first 5-days of its run. Despicable Me 2 looks to join animated juggernauts such as Shrek 2, The Lion King and Finding Nemo by summer's end.
However, Johnny Depp's costly iteration of The Lone Ranger couldn't hold a candle to the success of Despicable Me 2, opening much lower than anticipated by many box-office analysts. With a weak $29 million 3-day opening, The Lone Ranger is pegged to be one of 2013's greatest financial failures.
The Heat, Monsters University and World War Z round out the weekend's Top 5 with all three films continuing their ascent towards their next milestones.
Raunchy buddy cop films and Roland Emmerich's latest assault on the White House since his 1996 film, Independence Day failed to put a dent into Pixar's continuing success of the final box office frame in June.
Pixar prequel, Monsters University topped the charts for the second week in a row with a $46 million weekend, more than half of its $82 million opening haul. With Despicable Me 2 and The Lone Ranger set for Wednesday release this holiday weekend, the family competition grows stiff.
Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy's comedy The Heat opened in second with $40 million, coming up short of the top spot, but bolting past the frame's only other new wide release, White House Down. The Jamie Foxx action vehicle scored a decade low for Roland Emmerich outside of his 2011 film, Anonymous.
Halle Berry and Steve Carrell are both top-tier actors in their own right, but neither The Call nor The Incredible Burt Wonderstone spark a great interest in theaters this past spring. Both films make their way to Blu-Ray this week.
As Vegas magician Burt Wonderstone, Steve Carrell clashes with a street magican (Jim Carrey), while attempting to reunite with his former partner played by Steve Buscemi. Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin and James Gandolfini round out the ensemble cast.
The summer box office season might have started last month with $400 million blockbuster Iron Man 3, but with both Monsters University and World War Z opening north of $65 million, the first official weekend of summer 2013 ranks as the 8th largest weekend ever.
Pixar can rest easy now that their 14th feature, Monsters University cleared $80 million, a near-impossible feat that's only been broken once before by the animation studio. After a strong $30 million opening day, Monsters University already finds itself off to a more impressive start than Pixar's previous two films, Cars 2 and Brave.
Brad Pitt's zombie apocalyptic film, World War Z also opened higher than expected with $66 million. With Monsters University and World War Z taking the top two spots, last week's superhero champion, Man of Steel dropped to a third place finish.
Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum! Hollywood's latest fairy tale re-imagination, Jack the Giant Slayer, leads this Tuesday's pack of new release Blu-Rays. Directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men, Superman Returns), Jack the Giant Slayer expands on the classic "Jack and the Beanstalk" story, as poor farmboy Jack (Nicolas Hoult) joins an expedition up a beanstalk to rescue a princess from CGI giants dwelling above the clouds.
Jack the Giant Slayer is released in two formats on Blu-Ray from Warner Bros. including a Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital Copy, UltraViolet combo pack as well as a 3D edition that includes the standard combo pack discs.
Superman blasted through the box office this Father's Day weekend like a speeding bullet with no signs of stopping anytime soon. Zack Snyder's Superman reboot, Man of Steel, broke the June record opening up to $129 million. ($12 million came from Walmart exclusive showings the night before).
Already one of the highest grossing films of 2013, Man of Steel is already looking ahead at the inevitable sequel. While critics were mixed on Man of Steel, audiences are warming up to this reboot more than 2006's Superman Returns.
Though Superman overshadowed every other title over the weekend, Seth Rogen's comedy This is the End managed to debut in second place with $21 million over its 3-day run and $33 million over 5 days.
The first major blockbuster of 2013 makes its way on Blu-Ray this Tuesday, roughly three months after its theatrical release in early March. Oz the Great and Powerful, starring James Franco, Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis, is set before the 1939 classic when Dorothy arrives in the world of wizards, witches and singing Munchkins exploring how the Wizard of Oz became the mysterious floating head ruling from the confines of Emerald City.
Oz the Great and Powerful is released in multiple formats on Blu-Ray including a Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital Copy combo pack, a Blu-Ray, Digital Copy combo pack and a Blu-Ray 3D, Digital Copy combo pack.
