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Deathly Hallows Part 2 becomes third highest grossing film of all time

The final part of the Harry Potter franchise has grabbed third place in the list of the highest grossing films of all time.

The film has grossed $1.137 billion worldwide, which also makes it the most successful film of 2011.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 started its record-breaking path when it broke the opening weekend record for a film, taking $483.2 million worldwide.

This mean that the eighth Potter film sits behind James Cameron’s Avatar which grossed $2.78 billion and Titanic, which grossed $1.78 billion, and this is just a month after the film’s initial release.

And with fans still queuing up at movie theatres across the world, the film looks set to make a lot more money before its theatrical run ends. However it doesn’t look as though it will surpass either of Cameron’s pictures at the moment.

The Potter franchise has grossed billions of dollars worldwide since the release of the first film back in 2001, which took a staggering $974.8 million, even the lowest performing film in the series took an outstanding $796.7 million, a box office performance most films could only dream of.

It has also been confirmed that an Oscar campaign is being launched for the final instalment in the hopes that it will follow in the footsteps of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

So can Potter’s magic help him scoop an Oscar? It looks like we will have to wait and see.

Wahlberg for 2 Guns?

Actor Mark Wahlberg is apparently in talks to star in a film version of comic book 2 Guns.

The comic was originally signed by Universal Picture in 2008 would have seen it have Vince Vaughn as the lead actor.

But recent speculation has suggested that both Vaughn and the director David O. Russell have pulled out of the project.

It is thought that the direct Russell pulled out of the movie due scheduling conflicts as he will be directing The Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley cooper and Jennifer Lawrence later this year, when 2 Guns is expected to shoot.

2 Guns was written by Steven Grant and follows the story of a Naval Intelligence officer and a DEA agent who go undercover and steal money from the mob.

With comic book adaptations being all the rage recently with a number of the recent blockbuster hits originating from the comic book, it looks like it would be an excellent film for Wahlberg to sign on to.

Watch this space for more updates …

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Bonnie and Clyde Return

Director Neil Burger is to tackle a new version of Bonnie and Clyde.

After the success of his recent flick Limitless, the director has been lining up a whole new selection of projects, and it has been announced that he is attached to direct a new version of the outlaws story.

The screenplay will be written by Sheldon Turner who penned the script for Up in the Air, and will be based on the book We Both Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn.

Burger and Turner are set to make a much darker version of the Bonnie and Clyde tale, which will see it be a far cry from the 1967 Arthur Penn version, which was a much more romanticised version of the duo’s story.

The book looks more closely at the facts, such as Bonnie was most likely a prostitute before joining Clyde, and that his first kill was in fact a sexually abusive prison cellmate. Not forgetting the fact that they had killed seven people and died by the age of 22.

The two have secured funding from Marissa McMahon and are expected to get the screenplay on paper soon.

Captain America Topples Potter

Super hero film Captain America has topped the US Box Office.

The film has taken an estimated $65.8 million over the weekend, helping to maintain the popularity and success of the recent Marvel comic book based films.

The film may have been helped claim its position at the top of the box office due to it being launched on the same weekend as Comic-Con, and if the figures are correct then the film’s launch puts its weekend gross ahead of recent hit film Thor.

Paramount has warned that the figures may decrease once the final tallies have been calculated.

The film pushed the boy wonder Harry Potter and his fellow Hogwarts friends down to the number two position. The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 however still took a considerable amount of money, totalling at $48 million, bringing the movies total US Box Office gross at around $274 million.

Captain America and Potter were followed by the Justin Timberlake/ Mila Kunis comedy Friends With Benefits that brought in an estimated $18.5 million.

The top five was completed with Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon at number four grossing $12 million and Horrible Bosses at number five which took $11.7 million.

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Swank Takes on Shrapnel

With comic con about to kick off Hilary Swank has announced that she will be staring in comic book adaptation Shrapnel.

The actress will also be adding Shrapnel to her list of producing credits as well.

Sharpnel was created by sci-fi writer Nick Sagan and Mark long, and is set in 2250 where humanity has spread across the solar system, however the majority of the colonies are under the control of the Solar Alliance, who rule with an iron-fist. Venus however remains a free world, where the last free members of humanity fight the Alliance’s intrusion.

Swank will be playing the role of former solar marine Samantha ‘Sam’ Vijaya, who helps to lead an uprising against the Alliance and the oppression they have enforced up humanity.

Shrapnel began its life as a graphic novel trilogy, but whether the film will advance into a trilogy will most likely be decided after the film’s release.

The writer, director or the release dates are yet to be confirmed.

Bonham-Carter the Lone Ranger

Academy Award nominated British acting royalty Helena Bonham-Carter has saddled up and may be joining the cast of The Lone Ranger.

Joining the actress as the newest potential signings to the film project are actors Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale and Dwight Yoakam.

Carter, who is currently wrecking havoc at Hogwarts in the last piece of the Harry Potter puzzle is apparently considering taking the role of the madam who runs a local brothel, and considering the eccentricity of the actress it sounds like a role she could truly bring to life.

Yoakman is currently in talks to play Butch Cavendish, the films villain who leads the Cavendish gang, who attack the Texas Rangers. Pepper, who is also in talks to join the film, is said to have his eye on the role of Captain J Fuller, a man who is assumed to be helping the lone ranger on his crusade against the Cavendish gang. Finally, Dale is up for the role of Dan Reid.

Carter and her other fellow potential signings will be joining an all star cast that currently includes, Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Ruth Wilson and Tom Wilkinson.

The film is expected to be released in late 2012.

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Ralph Fiennes to Direct The Invisible Woman

Hollywood star Ralph Fiennes has set his sights on his next directorial project, a film about Charles Dickens’ secret love affair.

Fiennes, who recently finished work on the final instalment in the Harry Potter franchise, playing the evil Lord Voldermort is apparently looking to adapt the Claire Tomalin novel, The Invisible Woman.

At the moment the film is in its very early stages and Fiennes is currently looking for an actress to play Ellen Ternan, who had a secret 13-year romance with the famous writer.

The wish list of actresses desired for the role include the talents of, Imogen Poots, Felicity Jones, Abbie Cornish and Carey Mulligan.

Mulligan however may be unavailable for the project due to her busy work schedule.

Fiennes himself has decided to stay behind the camera rather than stand in front of it for this project, which is expected to begin filming in the spring/summer of next year.

The actor/director is currently involved in another Charles Dickens based project, where he is playing Magwich in Mike Newell’s adaptation of Great Expectations.

Hardy as Capone?

Rumours are circulating that British actor Tom Hardy has attached himself to a film project about the rise of Al Capone.

The actor who has stared in a number of hit films in recent years, that include projects such as Christopher Nolan’s Inception, is apparently considering the role in Cicero, which could also see veteran Harry Potter director David Yates directing the project.

Cicero was first announced some time ago after The Gangster Squad first started to come together. The film’s script has been adapted from writer Walon Green’s unused TV pilot. The film’s plot will focus on a young Capone making his way up the criminal ladder.

The film is also being considered as part of a trilogy that would document Capone’s rise, reign and finally his downfall.

The film is currently in the early stages and Hardy who is currently wrecking havoc on the streets of Gotham City, as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, hasn’t signed up yet and neither has potential director Yates.

But with Yates no longer working on the Harry Potter series after the final film premiered last week, and with Hardy’s rising star status, this could definitely be a film to watch out for if it does come to fruition. So watch this space …

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The Dark Knight Rises Shooting Details Revealed

It has been revealed that The Dark Knight Rises will be shooting some scenes in Pittsburgh.

The third instalment in Christopher Nolan’sBatman reboot will be shooting some of its scene at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, with the ‘secret’ working title Magnus Rex.

If this isn’t enough for you there has also been details released regarding the scenes that would be taking place, so if you don’t want to spoil anything then stop reading now.

It has been said that the scenes shooting in Pittsburgh will involve, "an explosion, a prison break, precision stunt driving, gunfire, atmospheric smoke, and controlled pyrotechnic explosions."

Along with this it has been revealed, "One character drives a motorcycle through the fourth floor lobby, out the front doors and down the steps onto Fifth Ave."

If you are still reading then you might also like to know that it has been widely reported that, the first trailer for The Dark Knight Rises will see its own premier during blockbuster movie to be Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

So if you’re a Batman and a Harry Potter fan then this Friday is a must for you.

The Dark Knight Rises opens July 20^th 2012.

Transformers Hold on to Box Office Top Spot

Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon has held onto its pole position at the top of the American box office.

The film took in an astounding $47 million, and even though it’s a 52 percent decrease from last week, it gives the film a 12-day total of $261 million.

By this point the original Transformers had pulled in $212.3 million, while the second of the feature films Revenge of the Fallen had pulled in an almighty $293.4 million.

The film beat its nearest competitor, comedy Horrible Bosses by nearly $20 million, after it came in second place grossing a total of $28.1 million.

Although Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon is at the top spot it has failed to match the success of its predecessor, but this said it has helped the franchise gross an astonishing $645 million. Could the franchise hit the coveted $1 billion mark soon? Only time will tell.

The films position at number this week however may be its last, as it sees stiff competition next week from a certain wizard who goes by the name of Harry Potter.

Abigail Spencer Joins Sam Raimi's Oz: The Great and Powerful

Abigail Spencer has signed on to join Sam Raimi’s Wizard of OZ prequel OZ, The Great and Powerful.

The Mad Men actress will join an all star cast which so far consists of James Franco as the magician himself, Zach Braff as Oz’s assistant and Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams as three witches.

The films storyline will centre on the origins of the wizard after he is flown away in a hot air balloon and lands up in the Land of Oz, where he teams up with the good witch Glinda (Williams) to battle the two evil witches who are currently taking over the land (Weisz and Kunis).

It has been reported that Spencer will be playing a participant in one of the wizards magic shows while he’s performing in Kansas.

The film begins filming in Michigan later this month and is expected to hit theatres on March 8^th 2013.