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Tom Hanks Is Game To Play Robert Langdon In 'The Lost Symbol'

15 October 2009 12:00 PM, PDT | MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news »

That didn't take too long. Dan Brown's new thriller, "The Lost Symbol," hit bookshelves in mid-September and Tom Hanks—busy Oscar-winner that he is—has already finished reading it. Of course, Hanks had a little extra motivation going in, seeing as he's twice played Brown's hero Robert Langdon on the big screen (in little pictures called "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons").

"I just finished it last week," Hanks told MTV News on the "Where the Wild Things Are" red carpet. "Page-turner. Dan Brown knows how to weave a tale. I was exhausted by the end of it."

With the book behind him— and its tale of Langdon chasing Freemasons in Washington. D.C.—does Hanks see himself once again portraying the Harvard-educated symbologist? "I'd love to if they're going to do it," he said. "I'm not going to walk away from that.... If they make it again, »

- Eric Ditzian

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Vatican Praises Latest Harry Potter Film

14 July 2009 1:06 AM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »

The Roman Catholic Church has praised the latest instalment of the Harry Potter franchise - for highlighting the "sacrifice" needed for good to triumph over evil.

The Vatican's own newspaper L'Osservatore Romano lauded Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, insisting it is the best adaptation of J.K. Rowling's hugely successful books so far.

And it even insisted the teenage love scenes - with the main characters all kissing in the film - achieved the "correct balance" in creating a credible story for the audience.

The Vatican added that the movie was positive as it showed that to overcome evil, it "sometimes requires costs and sacrifice".

However, the paper doesn't always offer up such kingly reviews of blockbusters - the publication slammed Tom Hanks' Angels and Demons in May, insisting the Vatican could "not approve" the religious-themed movie. »

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Weekend Report: Lush 'Hangover,' 'Up' Linger Over Typical 'Taking'

15 June 2009 1:23 PM, PDT | Box Office Mojo | See recent BoxOfficeMojo.com news »

The good times continued to roll for The Hangover and Up, though not so much for the new movies and the box office as a whole. Hangover kept its buzz going with $32.8 million, while Up maintained its slow descent with $30.8 million. While those pictures were bustling, overall business was down 24 percent from the same weekend last year and had the lowest attendance for the timeframe in over a decade. Imbibing an exceptional $104.8 million in ten days, The Hangover saw the smallest dip among nationwide releases, down 27 percent. The ribald comedy held better than Knocked Up at the same point, but not quite as well as Wedding Crashers. Regardless of the percentage drops, though, it's grossed significantly more than those pictures at the ten-day mark, even when adjusted for ticket price inflation, and has flown way above genre norms. Up eased 30 percent and its tally climbed to $187.4 million in 17 days, the »

- Brandon Gray

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Twilight Lands 12 Teen Choice Nominations

15 June 2009 12:15 PM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »

Vampire love story Twilight is leading the charge for the 2009 Teen Choice Awards' nominations with an impressive 12 nods.

The blood-sucking film has been named in the Choice Movie: Romance and Choice Movie: Drama categories, where it will face stiff competition from Tom Hanks' Angels & Demons, Brad Pitt's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Beyonce Knowles' Obsessed and Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire.

And its stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart - who are at work on the franchise's second installment New Moon - have earned recognition for their own efforts, in categories for Choice Movie Actor and Actress in a Drama.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year is in close competition with 10 nods in categories including Choice Movie: Music/Dance, while its stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens are up for Choice Movie Actor and Actress in a Music/Dance film.

The teen musical ties with singer/actress Miley Cyrus and hit teen TV drama Gossip Girl, whose star Blake Lively will face off against Cyrus in the Choice Female Hottie category, battling it out with Megan Fox, Beyonce Knowles and Vanessa Hudgens for the title. Teen fans will have a bevy of Hollywood hunks to choose from in the male category, including Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford, Zac Efron, Taylor Kitsch, Robert Pattinson and The Jonas Brothers.

The musical trio has landed nine nominees, including Choice Movie: Music/Dance, Choice TV Actor: Comedy, Choice TV: Breakout Show and Choice Music: Love Song, among others.

The Jonas Brothers will host the ceremony, which will air live on U.S. TV on 10 August. Teenage fans have been asked to vote for their favourites online. »

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Up Goes Down; Hangover Hangs Over

9 June 2009 2:41 AM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

In a final result that no one saw coming, Warner Bros.' The Hangover edged out Disney/Pixar's Up over the weekend. Final figures indicated that The Hangover raked in $44,979,319 to take the No. 1 position in the box-office rankings. Up fell to second place with $44,138,266. While The Hangover performed better than the studio had estimated, Universal's Land of the Lost lost even more ground than the studio had thought, winding up with only $18,837,350.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Box Office Mojo (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):1. The Hangover, Warner Bros., $44,979,319, (New); 2. Up, Disney, $44,138,266, 2 Wks. ($137,210,701); 3. Land of the Lost, Universal, $18,837,350, (New); 4. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, 20th Century Fox, $14,634,988, 3 Wks. ($127,326,188); 5. Star Trek, Paramount, $8,310,480, 5 Wks. ($222,712,175); 6. Terminator Salvation, Warner Bros., $8,248,387, 3 Wks. ($105,568,008); 7. Drag Me to Hell, Universal, $7,040,550, 2 Wks. ($28,233,230); 8. Angels & Demons, Sony, $6,550,282, 3 Wks. ($116,174,931); 9. My Life in Ruins, Fox Searchlight, $3,223,161, (New); 10. Dance Flick, Paramount, $1,958,725, 3 Wks. ($22,625,733). »

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Overseas Audiences Make Hits Out Of U.S. Duds

8 June 2009 2:43 AM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Overseas, two films that are regarded domestically as disappointments -- Angels & Demons and Terminator Salvation -- were doing stand-out business over the weekend. Spreading into 70 countries, the latest Terminator edition added $67.5 million to its gross to bring its foreign total to $97.2 million. Angels & Demons continued to perform strongly overseas, drawing $22.3 million, bringing its overseas total to $292.9 million and putting it into position to cross the $300-million mark internationally this week. It is the year's biggest hit abroad. Combined with its North American gross, it has now earned $409 million worldwide. »

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Box Office Winner: Too Close to Call

8 June 2009 2:43 AM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Going into the weekend, most analysts presumed that Disney/Pixar's Up would hang over the top of the box office for the second consecutive week. "Hang over" was indeed the operative term (minus the space) as Warner Bros.' The Hangover sold far more tickets than anyone had expected and waged a balloon race of sorts with the animated movie that was so close that the actual outcome won't be known until final sales figures are released later today (Monday). According to studio estimates on Sunday, Up took in around $44.2 million, well above predictions, while The Hangover took in about $1 million less, also above predictions. But some websites reported that avid word-of-mouth praise for Todd Phillips's R-rated comedy could have driven business up far higher than expected on Sunday and that it might have lifted the final results above those for the animated film. "Don't be surprised if the weekend actuals show an upset," wrote industry blogger Nikki Finke on her Deadline Hollywood Daily site, quoting a source as remarking, "It has a real shot at being first this weekend." While both films exceeded analysts' predictions, other films came in well below their expected results -- most particularly Universal's Land of the Lost, which was expected to be a loser -- but not the dismal megaflop that it turned out to be. The Will Ferrell starrer -- which reportedly cost more than $100 to produce -- earned just $19.5 million, well below the modest $30 million that had been predicted for it. (By contrast, The Hangover reportedly cost $35 million to produce.) The only other film to open wide was the Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) comedy My Life in Ruins, which took in a small, thin, weak $3.2 million. On the other hand, American Beauty director Sam Mendes's Away We Go opened in four theaters where it took in $132,260 -- giving it the highest per-screen average. It is due to expand on Friday. Overall, the box office was down 6 percent from the comparable weekend a year ago the second consecutive "down" weekend.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo:1. Up, $44.2 million; 2. The Hangover, $43.3 million; 3. Land of the Lost, $19.5 million; 4. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, $14.7 million; 5. Star Trek, $8.4 million; 6. Terminator Salvation, $8.2 million; 7. Drag Me to Hell, $7.3 million; 8. Angels & Demons, $6.5 million; 9. My Life in Ruins, $3.2 million; 10. Dance Flick, $2 million. »

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Raid On Malaysian Warehouse Nets 35,000 Bootleg DVD's

4 June 2009 2:47 AM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

In one of the biggest raids on DVD pirates ever, Malaysian police officers, accompanied by a disk-sniffing Labrador named Paddy, have seized 35,000 pirate DVD movies at six warehouses, published reports said Wednesday. Several of the films are currently in theaters, including Star Trek, Terminator Salvation, Angels & Demons and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. In a statement, Mike Ellis, who heads the Asia regional branch of the Motion Picture Association of America, said, "We are glad to hear that Paddy's skills are being put to good use against the large, organized network of pirates involved in exporting illegal pirated DVDs to Singapore." Singapore, a close neighbor of Malaysia, is the principal trading center of the region. »

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What Goes Up Goes Down

2 June 2009 2:37 AM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

It was an up weekend at the box office for Disney as its Pixar-produced Up opened with $68.11 million, beating last year's debut of Wall-e -- and less than $2 million behind Pixar's two biggest hits, The Incredibles and Finding Nemo. But it was a down weekend for the box office as a whole, with total ticket sales slightly below what they were for the same weekend a year ago, when the premiere of Sex and the City and the second week of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull together took in $101.60 million all by themselves. The top twelve films this weekend earned $161.01 million, while last year's grossed $163.99 million. Another downer: The critically well-received horror flick Drag Me to Hell -- horror flicks are rarely well-received -- took in a modest $15.83 million to place fourth in the final results. (By contrast, the critically slammed Saw V opened with $30.1 million.) Monday's estimates had put it in third place. But despite the down weekend, year-to-date revenue stands at $3.61 billion, up 13.63 percent over last year. Attendance is up 11 percent.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Box Office Mojo (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):1. Up, Disney, $68,108,790, (New); 2. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, 20th Century Fox, $24,353,868, 2 Wks. ($104,150,268); 3. Terminator Salvation, Warner Bros., $16,433,365, 2 Wks. ($90,949,924); 4. Drag Me to Hell, Universal, $15,825,480, (New); 5. Star Trek, Paramount, $12,613,727, 4 Wks. ($209,313,884); 6. Angels & Demons, Sony, $11,353,340, 2 Wks. ($104,913,439); 7. Dance Flick, Paramount, $4,743,636, 2 Wks. ($19,084,907); 8. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 20th Century Fox, $3,873,377, 5 Wks. ($170,843,712); 9. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Warner Bros., $1,911,401, 5 Wks. ($50,021,779); 10. Obsessed, Sony, $657,001, 6 Wks. ($6,750,0481). »

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Up Flies At Box Office

1 June 2009 2:34 AM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Any doubt about whether an animated movie featuring a 78-year-old man as the principal character could become successful at the box office faded into the clouds over the weekend as Disney/Pixar's Up opened with $68.2 million. It was the Pixar team's 10th consecutive hit. The take surpassed the $63.1 million debut of Wall-e last year but was slightly behind the $70-million starts for Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. Up pushed last week's winner, Fox's Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian to second place with $25.5 million. Universal's Drag Me to Hell, the only other film to open wide, placed third with an unexceptional $16.6 million. Meanwhile, Star Trek passed the $200-million mark with a take of $12.8 million. Its current gross -- $209.5 million -- makes it the year's top-grossing movie.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo:1. Up, $68.2 million; 2. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, $25.5 million; 3. Drag Me to Hell, $16.6 million; 4. Terminator Salvation, $16.1 million; 5. Star Trek, $12.8 million; 6. Angels & Demons, $11.2 million; 7. Dance Flick, $4.9 million; 8. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, $3.9 million; 9. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, $1.9 million; 10. Obsessed, $665,000. »

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Hanks Gets Fit After Williams' Heart Operation

27 May 2009 12:00 PM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »

Hollywood star Tom Hanks has been scared into shape by pal Robin Williams' recent heart scare, and he's hired a new chef to help him stay trim.

Williams was forced to undergo heart surgery to replace a valve in March after falling ill on a comedy tour.

Sources claim the scare shook Hanks into getting a check-up himself, and his doctor warned him that yo-yoing dieting for film roles was damaging his health.

An insider tells the National Enquirer, "Tom's new chef travelled with him on the Angels & Demons press junket. Robin's heart surgery really drove home the point to Tom that if he wants to enjoy middle age, he'd better start taking care of himself.

"At home and on the road, his full-time meal maestro cooks steamed or broiled chicken, fish and lots of vegetables. Tom's favourite cookie-dough ice cream is now a no no." »

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Is The Box-Office Hot Streak Over?

27 May 2009 2:18 AM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Box office analysts are starting to ask whether the movie business has run out of steam after the four-day Memorial Day holiday performed no better than a year ago -- despite numerous high-budget films highlighting theater marquees. The top film, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian won the weekend battle with a take of $70.1 million, beating Terminator Salvation, which delivered $51.9 million. Their total take, however, was slightly below what Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull earned during the same weekend a year ago. The difference is that each of the two cost as much as the Indiana Jones movie to produce -- just under $200 million, according to most estimates. The IMAX factor was at play in the weekend results. Star Trek lost its IMAX screens and its take dropped 47 percent. Night at the Museum II picked them up, where they generated $5.4 million in ticket sales -- or 8 percent of the total from fewer than 2 percent of the screens.

The top ten films over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, according to final figures compiled by Box Office Mojo (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):1. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Fox, $70,052,004, (New); 2. Terminator Salvation, Warner Bros., $51,943,726, 1 Wks. ($65,316,217 -- from Thursday); 3. Star Trek, Paramount, $29,380,384, 3 Wks. ($191,014,403); 4. Angels & Demons, Sony/Columbia, $27,413,992, 2 Wks. ($87,524,618); 5. Dance Flick, Paramount, $12,622,450, (New); 6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Fox, $9,910,686, 4 Wks. ($165,164,423); 7. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Warner Bros., $4,767,809, 4 Wks. ($46,906,154); 8. Obsessed, Sony/Screen Gems, $2,424,470, 5 Wks. ($66,332,824); 9. Monsters vs. Aliens, Paramount, $2,060,680, 9 Wks. ($193,706,544); 10. 17 Again, Warner Bros., $1,292,506, 6 Wks. ($60,601,427). »

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Angels & Demons Tops Overseas

26 May 2009 2:49 AM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Overseas, Angels & Demons continued to dominate, particularly in Catholic countries. In its second week, it took in $60.4 million in 99 countries. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian was not much of a contender as it opened with $50.1 million in 93 countries. Museum, however, opened strongly in the U.K., where it took in $6.8 million. (In an expensive promotion on Saturday, Fox, in cooperation with local merchants, closed down most of Oxford Street, one of London's principal thoroughfares, for a "traffic free" street fair that included characters dressed like the museum figures in the movie, bands, jugglers face painters -- and many giveaways. It reportedly drew half a million visitors.) Angels & Demons also finally made its debut in Mexico, where its premiere hand been stalled by the swine-flu scare. It took in a strong $4.1 million. »

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Memorial Day Not Memorable at Box Office

26 May 2009 2:49 AM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Despite a glut of $100-million+ movies filling movie houses over the Memorial Day weekend, the base of ticket-buying customers did not expand to accommodate them. The number of tickets sold was substantially the same as it was for the comparable week a year ago. And most of the moviegoers wanted to see Fox's Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, which took in an estimated $70 million over the four-day weekend. That turned out to be bad news for Warner Bros.' $200-million Terminator Salvation, which took in $53.8 million. Last year at this time Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had virtually no serious competition and raked in $126 million -- close to the combined total of Museum and Terminator. Paramount's Star Trek was perhaps the brightest star on the top-ten list as it added $29.4 million to its gross, which now stands at $191 million, and is set to become the top-grossing film of the year this week.

The top ten films for the four-day Memorial Day weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo:1. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Fox, $70 million; 2. Terminator Salvation, Warner Bros./Halcyon, $53.8 million; 3. Star Trek, Paramount, $29.4 million; 4. Angels & Demons, Sony, $27.7 million; 5. Dance Flick, Paramount, $13.1 million; 6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Fox, $10.1 million; 7. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Warner Bros./New Line, $4.8 million; 8. Obsessed, Sony/Screen Gems, $2.5 million; 9. Monsters vs. Aliens, Paramount/DreamWorks Animation, $1.9 million; 10. 17 Again, Warner Bros./New Line, $1.3 million. »

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Sunday Ticket Sales Off For Angels & Demons

19 May 2009 2:22 AM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Ticket sales for Sony's Angels & Demons dipped far more steeply than expected on Sunday, resulting in a weekend gross that was nearly $2 million less than the studio had estimated. The movie's $46.2-million total was just $3.2 million more than the $43 million taken in by Paramount's Star Trek in its second week. In fact, the J.J. Abrams space prequel handily beat Ron Howard's Da Vinci Code sequel on both Saturday and Sunday. Opening with $16.5 million on Friday, it climbed to $17.6 million on Saturday. On Sunday, however, it dropped 31 percent to $12.1 million. Star Trek earned $11.8 million on Friday, then climbed to $18.3 million on Saturday, before falling off 28 percent to $13 million on Sunday. (Star Trek's total was boosted by premium-priced ticket sales in 138 theaters, where it earned $4.7 million, roughly 10 percent of its total. It is being forced out of the big-screen theaters next weekend by the arrival of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.) In third place, Fox's X-Men Origins: Wolverine collected $14.7 million in its third weekend. In limited release, the Jennifer Aniston comedy Management, opened with just $375,916 in 212 theaters. Overall, the top 12 films grossed $130.8 million, up 3.9 percent over the comparable weekend a year ago.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Box Office Mojo (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):1. Angels & Demons, Sony, $46,204,168, (New); 2. Star Trek, Paramount, $43,034,547, 2 Wks. ($147,645,384); 3. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 20th Century Fox, $14,702,425, 3 Wks. ($150,993,169); 4. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Warner Bros., $6,653,384, 3 Wks. ($39,855,222); 5. Obsessed, Sony, $4,588,973, 4 Wks. ($62,610,148); 6. 17 Again, Warner Bros., $3,368,189, 5 Wks. ($58,363,111); 7. Monsters vs. Aliens, Paramount, $3,182,085, 8 Wks. ($19,073,3766); 8. The Soloist, Paramount, $2,402,801, 4 Wks. ($27,505,154); 9. Next Day Air, Summit Ent. $2,244,878, 2 Wks. ($76,132,21); 10. Earth, Disney, $1,697,956, 4 Wks. ($29,088,771). »

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Angels & Demons Beats Star Trek

18 May 2009 2:20 AM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Just as moviegoers paid no attention to critics or conservative Catholics when The Da Vinci Code opened three years ago, they turned out mass-ively for Angels & Demons over the weekend, ignoring nearly universal condemnation by reviewers for the major newspapers and by the Catholic League, the nation's largest Catholic lay organization (although the official Vatican newspaper dismissed it as harmless). The Sony movie, directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, grossed an estimated $48 million domestically and a whopping $104.3 million overseas, performing the strongest in Catholic countries, according to Daily Variety. While the sequel did not come close to equaling Da Vinci's opening tally ($77 million domestically and $155 million overseas), it came in at the high end of analysts' forecasts and its foreign gross was by far the biggest of any film this year. Meanwhile, Angels & Demons received strong competition from Paramount's Star Trek, which took in about $43 million in its second weekend, to bring its 10-day total to $147.6 million. It actually outperformed Angels on Saturday and may also have done so on Sunday (final figures are due to be released later today). Nearly 12 percent of Star Trek's gross has come from higher-priced tickets in IMAX theaters, but it is being evicted from those theaters next weekend by Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. Coming in at No. 3 was the third week of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which earned $14.8 million, down 44 percent from the previous week. Opening in limited release, the Jennifer Aniston comedy Management took in an unfriendly $378,000 in 212 theaters. Overall, the box office continued on its hot streak, with ticket sales up about 4 percent over the comparable weekend a year ago.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo:1. Angels & Demons, $48 million; 2. Star Trek, $43 million; 3. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, $14.8 million; 4. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, $6.9 million; 5. Obsessed, $4.6 million; 6. 17 Again, $3.4 million; 7. Monsters vs. Aliens, $3 million; 8. The Soloist, $2.4 million; 9. Next Day Air, $2.2 million; 10. Earth, $1.7 million. »

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Movie Reviews: Angels & Demons

15 May 2009 2:41 AM, PDT | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Clearly there are far more demons than angels among the ranks of critics reviewing Ron Howard's Angels & Demons, the sequel to his The Da Vinci Code (which most of them also condemned). Claudia Puig in USA Today comments that the dialogue in the movie "reeks of cliché." Michael Sragow in the Baltimore Sun describes it as "glib and hollow." And John Anderson in the Washington Post says that the whole plot "is such a slab of cheese it ought to come with a box of crackers." Damning it with faint praise, A.O. Scott in the New York Times writes, "This movie, without being particularly good, is nonetheless far less hysterical than Da Vinci. ... Mr. Howard's direction combines the visual charm of mass-produced postcards with the mental stimulation of an easy Monday crossword puzzle. It could be worse." Similarly Liam Lacey says in the Toronto Globe & Mail: "Angels & Demons is no less preposterous than The Da Vinci Code, but it's a serviceable summer action movie." But Tom Maurstad remarks in the Dallas Morning News: "Saying that Angels & Demons is a lot better than its predecessor, The Da Vinci Code, is like saying that this swine flu outbreak isn't nearly as bad as the last. It is better, but that still doesn't necessarily make it good." And Wesley Morris comments in the Boston Globe: "Asking whether the new movie is better than the first is natural if moot. Would you prefer to drown in a swimming pool or an ocean?" On the other hand Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times awards the film three stars and remarks that the movie unspools "at breakneck speed, with little subtlety, but with fabulous production values." And Kyle Smith concludes in the New York Post: "Angels & Demons has some exciting sequences, a spectacular ending with a terrific twist and a grounding in the debate about science versus religion that could hardly be more timely. It's got enough going on to sustain five blockbuster thrillers. That is its blessing and its curse." »

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Skarsgard Not A Fan Of Da Vinci Code Dan

15 May 2009 1:00 AM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »

Mamma Mia! star Stellan Skarsgard has sent producers of his new blockbuster Angels & Demons reeling after revealing he's not a fan of the author behind the Da Vinci Code books.

The Scandinavian star called Dan Brown a "bad writer" during a recent appearance on a Swedish news show, and revealed he only agreed to appear in Angels & Demons after reading the script based on the book.

He says, "I think Dan Brown is a terribly bad writer, but he has cliffhangers after every chapter which makes you continue reading.

"It's like eating peanuts at a bar. You don't like them, but you keep on eating them anyway."

Skarsgard, who plays a Vatican guard in the blockbuster, admits he would never have signed up for the film had it not been for director Ron Howard's reworked script: "The story is more simple and straightforward but just as dramatic." »

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Hanks Plans Payback On Howard

14 May 2009 12:20 PM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »

Tom Hanks is determined to get his revenge on moviemaker Ron Howard for forcing him to suffer on film sets.

The pair has a long working relationship together, dating from the 1984 romantic comedy Splash to the more recent The Da Vinci Code and this year's sequel Angels & Demons.

Howard has made the 52 year old suffer for his art, putting him through a number of gruelling stunts - and Hanks is eager to one day turn the tables on the director/producer.

Hanks says, "Ron has had me cold and miserable and air sick: 'Do it again, back in the water, stop! You're no good. We're not leaving until you get this.' I would love to be able to turn the tables."

But the actor admits it's not all doom and gloom at work with Howard: "We have had a lot of grand adventures and sometimes we look at each other and say, 'Can you believe we get to shoot here at three in the morning?'" »

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McGregor's Holy Costume

14 May 2009 5:05 AM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »

Ewan McGregor felt a special link to the Catholic Church while shooting controversial new movie Angels & Demons in the Vatican City - his costume was made by the pope's own tailor.

McGregor plays a priest alongside Tom Hanks in the film, a prequel to controversial 2006 drama The Da Vinci Code.

The feature was expected to upset Catholic scholars in the Vatican because it's storyline deals with a brotherhood within the Catholic Church whose members commit murder to 'protect' Jesus Christ's lineage.

Reviewers at The Vatican's newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, who attended a special screening earlier this month, dubbed the film inaccurate but "harmless".

And McGregor has revealed the project got an early boost, when Pope Benedict XVI's tailor agreed to make his character's cassock.

He says, "It was so beautiful because it was made by the Pope's tailor. I don't know that the Pope knows that. I don't know that he'd be too pleased. The Vatican weren't very happy about The Da Vinci Code and as a hangover to that weren't too thrilled about Angels & Demons. But there's no anti-Catholicism or anti-Christianity in the movie - otherwise I wouldn't have made it. But his tailor made me my cassock, yeah." »

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