In America you almost never see two films targeting the same audience released wide on the same day, this is sort of an unwritten rule among studios to make sure films don’t directly compete with the same audience. In China, film releases are programmed by a state-owned organization who are not afraid of pitting two western Box Office titans up against each other in a single weekend.

As a result, yesterday both The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises hit Chinese cinemas, both playing to big numbers.  While both films did big day one Chinese business there has to be a winner, and surprisingly Spider-Man pulled in about a million more for the day.

While Spidey won the general box office, The Dark Knight Rises did do huge numbers as a 2D film and in IMAX . In fact both grosses represent a rather great opening day, suggesting that the direct competition might not have  as big of an impact as you would generally think.

The big day pushed The Amazing Spider-Man to over $700 Million worldwide. The movie fell short of the Raimi trilogy’s lofty domestic numbers, but all told the Sony reboot is a tremendous success in a summer where it was overshadowed by two of the biggest comic book films of all time.

Interesting international box office numbers, which is nice to see based on how much of a dud the domestic box office has been in the last few weeks.

Clint Eastwood has had a rather impressive career, to say the least. Numerous classic films as both actor and director as well as the coveted Academy Award.

And even though he’s getting up there at an age when most would consider retirement, he keeps right on going . . . just like America. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

There’s a new trailer out today at Yahoo Movies for his latest film called Trouble With The Curve. In it Eastwood plays a veteran baseball scout whose daughter, Amy Adams, accompanies him on a trip to check out a hot prospect.

Also starring are John Goodman, Justin Timberlake and Matthew Lillard. The film is not actually directed by Eastwood this time and instead by Robert Lorenz. It opens on September 21.

Check out the trailer after the break.

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For all the hit and miss of DC’s theatrical features in the last decade, their animated features have been mostly top-notch. The wealth of quality has evolved from the team that brought us the classic DC animated shows of the ’90s and early 2000′s.

No doubt to capitalize on the recent Batman movie the next direct to DVD animated feature is a two-part adaptation of the seminal Bat-tale, The Dark Knight Returns. There is little doubt that the film will be a visual marvel, Frank Miller’s work translates very well to moving images, but we have yet to see anything real to give us a sense of how it ‘feels’. Until Now.

MTV has debuted the first real trailer for part 1 of the animated epic, and for the uninitiated lets start with the synopsis:

Batman has not been seen for ten years. A new breed of criminal ravages Gotham City, forcing 55-year-old Bruce Wayne back into the cape and cowl. But, does he still have what it takes to fight crime in a new era?

What is interesting is how the trailer seems to emphasis the elements of the story that parallel the recent Christopher Nolan movie, and it kinda reminds us how much Nolan has been pulling from Miller’s work for his whole franchise. Which does kind of put a kibosh on the wild fan-boy theories that Nolan and Bale will return in twenty years to actually make a live action The Dark Knight Returns, it would be treading on some very familiar ground.

Check out the full new trailer after the jump.

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Wow, leading up to comic-con this concept was inconceivable. Take the already stretched tale of The Hobbit and transform it into a trilogy, to paraphrase Bilbo, it seemed like an idea that make the story feel like butter spread over too much bread.

Then the avalanche started to roll when Jackson himself alluded to the potential of a third film. We talked about the potential expanding of the story in the wake of the first rumors. Now, thanks to a posting on Jackson’s Facebook fan page, we have confirmation:

So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of “The Hobbit” films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.  It has been an unexpected journey indeed, and in the words of Professor Tolkien himself, ”a tale that grew in the telling.”

Go visit Jackson’s page for the whole note to the fans, it goes a little deeper into the why of this decision.

So there you have it, The Hobbit is officially a trilogy. This is an interesting turn of events for one of the most anticipated films of this and next year.

We need some processing time to decide of this is wonderful or treacherous news. Stay glued to The Flickcast for a more in-depth reaction and any new news regarding the new, third, Hobbit film.

You may have noticed that there was not a Box Office Report last week. Due to the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado the major studios made a choice to not announce any returns during the weekend, in tribute to the victims. A classy gesture that we at The Flickcast were all to willing to follow.

In any event there was a rather large Box Office event that happened last weekend, so it bears some discussion this week. The Dark Knight Rises debuted to fantastic numbers that fell short of the lofty expectations of we the prognosticators. Still, it managed to break a couple of records and come out the end of a difficult weekend with $160+ Million dollars in the bank.

Naturally people will compare this opening with that of The Avengers and The Dark Knight, and while it is in the same ball park of those two phenomenons, it failed to capture the cultural zeitgeist that propelled them to the next level.

Take this weekend’s returns as an example. The Dark Knight Rises took in another strong $64+ Million to stand number one for a second weekend, however it dropped over 60% in business from its debut frame. A number that is actually solid for a front loaded comic-book film, but is a deeper percentage dip than The Avengers or The Dark Knight ever took at any point in their respective runs.

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Hans Zimmer is a lot of things to a lot of people, but first and foremost he is musician. Which means it should come as no surprise that the way he feels best to pay tribute to the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado is by writing music.

That new music is not just an outlet for Zimmer, but a way for him to help as well. Through his Facebook fan page Zimmer has just released that new composition, entitled Aurora:

“Aurora” is dedicated to those who lost their lives and were affected by the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado. I recorded this song in London in the days following the tragedy as a heartfelt tribute to the victims and their families. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Aurora Victim Relief organization. The track is available on iTunes shortly and you can donate here: http://bitly.com/QmUiWM

We also reiterate that donate link HERE. For as little or as much as you want to donate you can help the victims and in return you will receive the new Zimmer track.

This is a beautiful thing Zimmer has done. Not only is he offering up a beautiful piece of music as tribute to all of those effected by this tragedy, but he is also providing an avenue for even more money to pour in to support the victims.

As with any story regarding this tragedy, this was not easy to write. However, we at The Flickcast feel it is important to shine as much light on efforts like these as possible. Thank you Mr. Zimmer for the heartfelt song, and for the efforts to raise more money where it is needed most.

One of the many considerations to be made in the wake of a horrible tragedy is how do certain studios remain respectful to the situation without knee jerk reacting to heightened public outrage. It is a fine line that Warner Bros. now has to walk in the aftermath of the Aurora Colorado shootings.

Gangster Squad is a film that was supposed to have a trailer play in front of The Dark Knight Rises. However, due to a specific scene in the trailer of gangsters shooting up a movie theater it was rightfully pulled. Now Warner Bros is taking things one step further and are scrambling to re-shoot the scenes involving the theater shooting altogether.

This of course will push the release of the film to a potential January slot as learned by The Hollywood Reporter:

One date the studio is looking at is Jan. 11. Before making a final decision, though, the studio is currently looking at several factors, according to sources, such as how quickly the cast can be reassembled for the reshoot, concerns about cast availibility to do press in January and the competition on the calendar. 

Here is the fine line for Warner Bros, moving the release date is respectful, re-shooting a climactic scene that parallels the tragedy might be going to far. It is hard to say sight unseen, but hopefully the integrity of what seems like a good movie remains intact.

Stay tuned to The Flickcast as news on Gangster Squad solidifies we will keep you informed.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the greater trilogies in film history. Famously there is a story about Jackson originally pitching the adaptation as two movies. The eventual producer of the films heard the pitch and asked if there were three books why not make three films.

Well that was one of the first sparks that lead to Middle Earth arriving on cinema screens in epic and beautiful detail. Now it seems like that original logic is being turned on its head as The Hollywood Reporter thinks rumor of a third Hobbit film is quite firm:

Warner Bros., Jackson, producer Fran Walsh and writer-producer Philippa Boyens began exploring the logistics of what it would take to make another movie. Those talks are said to have accelerated in recent days, with the studio on board if the right financial arrangements can be achieved. That includes securing new actor deals for the expansive cast as well as shoring up certain rights associated with the property.

Of course certain novels benefit from being told over nine hours instead of three or even six, but not necessarily The Hobbit. Tolkien’s first middle earth book is smaller and simpler in size and scope from each part of the Lord of the Rings series, so some serious padding needs to take place.

Stay glued to The Flickcast, as any ultimate decision that comes down about this will have to happen pretty soon.

Y: The Last Man is one of the great comic book stories of the early 21st century. It details the adventures of Yorick Brown, the last man in a world where all of the males in every species were wiped out all in one terrifying moment.

What made Brian K. Vaughan’s masterwork so good was his characters. The women in this post-man world were complex, well-rounded and often expertly crafted. Everyone had a motivation and they all felt natural for this hyper-real situation they found themselves.

The story has been floating around Hollywood for quite some time, but can never seem to find the proper traction to move forward. So leave it to the internet to fill a void while the studios twiddle their thumbs.

Y: The Last Man Rising is a fan made film that sets up, loosely, the world of Y. It acts almost as a pilot, setting up several aspects of the larger story as opposed to telling a single Y tale. The production is rather impressive for a fan project, and most of the cast seems to channel their characters extremely well.

Check out the full fan film after the jump.

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One of the biggest presentations this year at Comic-Con was The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey panel in Hall H. Peter Jackson and company showed off twelve minutes of new footage and a brand new production vlog.

While it is highly unlikely we will ever see the footage in its comic-con form, we have been graced with the production vlog. In fact it has even been enhanced to give us a peek at Peter Jackson’s experience at the convention itself.

Typically these vlogs do a wonderful job of making you feel apart of the larger whole that is The Hobbit production, but the additional Comic-Con aspects actually allow fans everywhere to feel, at least in a small way, like they partook in The Hobbit Comic-Con experience.

Aside from all the con goodness on the front end, the main vlog itself is also one of the better yet released. It detailed the final days of shooting, and gave us our first look at some key elements.

You can check out the full new vlog after the jump, and I am sure no one needs reminding that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters this December 14th.

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Jonathan Blunk. Alexander J. Boik. Jesse Childress. Gordon Cowden. Jessica Ghawi. John Larimer. Matt McQuinn. Micayla Medek. Veronica Moser-Sullivan. Alex Sullivan. Alexander C. Teves. Rebecca Wingo.

Twelve lives ended alongside 58 injured and countless others forever changed.

Just after midnight on Friday morning, James Eagan Holmes walked into a crowded movie theater in Aurora, CO showing The Dark Knight Rises. He carried with him a Smith & Wesson M&P .223 semi-automatic rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and a Glock .40-caliber handgun while wearing a gas mask, ballistic helmet and various other pieces of protective armor. There was an additional Glock found in his car by police. Holmes would open fire at the unsuspecting patrons of the theater.

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I hate to say it but we were less than overwhelmed by the first teasers for director Zack Snyder’s new, upcoming take on Superman called Man of Steel. The studio has released them today and they’re up at Yahoo Movies and MSN. Fortuntely, they don’t mind sharing.

To be honest we were expecting one or two explosions or at least somebody getting his ass handed to him by Superman. I guess we’ll see that later. Maybe the effects aren’t done yet. Or, maybe they’re just trying to show that this won’t be a “typical” Zack Snyder movie — at least not completely.

Check out both teasers after the break. Man of Steel arrives in theaters next Summer.

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This weekend sees the release of The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan’s final piece of his Dark Knight trilogy. There are two ways you can look at this film and the series as a whole, as films or as Batman adaptations.

The differentiation between those perspectives is something that I have been struggling with since the classic The Dark Knight hit theaters in 2008. Nolan is a master cinema craftsman, his Dark Knight movies are some of the most well made blockbusters in the history film.

The problem I encounter, is that these films have become increasingly less ‘Batman’. It is not that I think Nolan doesn’t ‘get’ the character, I think he just doesn’t really care.

So at the end of the day I am stuck with two opposing sides to my opinion, one that respects the cinematic merits of the Nolan’s trilogy, and one that is increasingly frustrated with its seeming disrespect shown to some key aspects of the source material.

From this point on my review will weave in and out of spoiler territory, so proceed at your own risk. If you are on the fence about seeing the film this weekend and want a non spoiler recommendation, I can say to you see the film. For all the qualms I have, it is still a well made piece of cinema that should be seen on the big screen with an eager crowd.

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We’ve been following director Gareth Edwards’ career since he premiered his film Monsters during SXSW in 2010. Back then our own Chris Ullrich gave it a good review and if you ask him, he knew even then Edwards was only at the beginning of his career and destined for great things.

Well, fast forward to today and during a panel at Comic-Con a surprise visit by Edwards also brought with it the first footage from his next sci-fi monster flick: Godzilla. We don’t have the footage to show you yet but until we do, you can check out the first poster for the movie right now.

As it’s a teaser poster, it’s pretty simple. Still, it helps to set the mood and from what we’ve heard about the footage from the film, what a mood it is. Can’t wait to check it out.

Have a look at the full poster after the break. Look for Godzilla to hit theaters next year.

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At least with this rather surprising news it’s not a case of another creative team making a prequel to a classic graphic novel. Before Watchmen, we’re looking at you.

This time at least the guy who started it all is back and ready to tell another part of the story. To what story am I referring? Well, as you might have heard, celebrated author Neil Gaiman has decided to return to the world he made famous and tell a new part of The Sandman story.

That’s right, Gaiman will collaborate with artist J.H. Williams III on a new limited series based on his classic graphic novel The Sandman for Vertigo. Gaiman made the announcement via video during the Vertigo panel at Comic-Con on Thursday.

In the video address, Gaiman said “there was one tale still untold” for The Sandman and with Sandman‘s 25th anniversary coming up, he felt the time was right to revisit it and tell this new story.

The title of the series will be announced later, but look for it to debut sometime in 2013 and be available da-and-date digitally.

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