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17 Things You Don't Know About Horror Film 'Halloween'

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halloween jamie lee curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Myers, and a jack-o-lantern all come to mind when thinking of the "Halloween" franchise. 

However, you probably rarely consider the man who came up with the idea for the horror classic.

We read autobiography The Man Who Created Halloween, and learned Irwin Yablans may have never went into film production if it weren't for the interference of his younger brother, Frank. 

See what you may not know about the horror movie >

Before creating "Halloween," Yablans worked primarily as a salesman and distributor at major motion picture studios Paramount and Warner Bros.

While at Paramount, he turned down a huge opportunity to oust and take over his boss' position as vp manager of sales in L.A. The man who eventually took over was his younger brother Frank, a longtime Disney employee. 

With his brother soon in control of Paramount, Irwin became known simply as the "president's brother."

Frank soon forced his brother from his sales position, asking him to work instead as a production assistant. The adjustment, though difficult at first, was probably the best thing that ever happened to him. 

"This invitation was probably encouraged by my brother, for it would conveniently resolve the issue of how to get me out of Paramount as a sales executive," said Yablans. "I would like to believe that Frank really thought that I would be happier making movies than selling them, and truth be told, it's what I really wanted to do. The reality is that it was a combination of the two that Frank cleverly used to rationalize moving me out of distribution."

After ending his contract at Paramount, Yablan left the major studios to run independent studio Compass International Pictures (originally Turtle Releasing Company), which led to his eventual meeting with the real-life Michael Myers and the creation of international success, "Halloween."

Yablans came up with the idea for the film on a first-class flight back to Los Angeles.

Before "Halloween," Yablan's Indie film company Compass put out failed film, "High Velocity" before turning to new director John Carpenter with "Assault on Precinct 13."

After the success of Carpenter's first film, Yablans knew he wanted him on board to work on a follow-up film.

"The idea came to me that a movie about babysitters in jeopardy could be interesting," said Yablans. "I reasoned that everyone had either been a babysitter, hired one, or at the very least, been a baby."

(The Man Who Created Halloween)



The character, Michael Myers, is a real person.

 At the time, he was the owner of a small independent film distributing company in London, Miracle Pictures.

Yablans met with Myers to discuss the entry of Carpenter's "The Assault on Precinct 13" in the London Film Festival. 

(The Man Who Created Halloween)



Director John Carpenter had two requests for the film.

1. The credits above the film read "John Carpenter's Halloween."

2. Carpenter's girlfriend, Debra Hill, would be named producer, and allowed to co-write the script.

(The Man Who Created Halloween)


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Disney 'Wrecks' Denzel Washington's 'Flight'—Here's Your Box-Office Roundup

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denzel washington flight

Denzel Washington proved no match for Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph."

The animated cartoon nearly doubled the box office earnings of Washington's "Flight."

Despite the Ralph's stellar weekend and reviews, it didn't out earn the large $66.3 million opening weekend of Disney and Pixar's summer hit "Brave." However, the film will easily be among Disney's top money earners of the year.

In comparison to Washington's other recent films "The Book of Eli,""Unstoppable," and "Safe House,"  "Flight" finds itself on the lower end of the spectrum.

Meanwhile, Russell Crowe's "The Man with the Iron Fists" receives a paltry debut for Universal. With competition from "Skyfall" out this Friday, the film will take a beating in week two.

Out of the top ten this week are Matthew Fox's "Alex Cross" which has earned $23 million of its estimated $35 million budget. 

Summit's "Sinister" and Nickelodeon's tween comedy "Fun Size" also fall out of the top films. And, "Chasing Mavericks" continues to be a wash out for Fox earning $1.2 million.

Here are this weekend's winners and losers at the box office:

10. "Silent Hill: Revelation 3D" barely made it into the top ten with $3.3 million. In week two, the film has earned $13.9 million of an estimated $20 million budget.

9. Kevin James' "Here Comes the Boom" earns $3.6 million in week four. The film's $35.6 million total gross is less than half that of "Zookeeper" at the same point. Meanwhile, "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" grossed $98.8 million at the one month point in theaters.

8. "Paranormal Activity 4" begins to wear off its Halloween welcome earning $4.3 million. The low-budget Paramount horror flick is still tracking south of its predecessors. "Paranormal Activity 3" grossed $95.1 million by the end of week three.

7. Adam Sandler's "Hotel Transylvania" dipped four spots with $4.5 million knocking it out of the top three for the first time in its six-week run. The animated film has earned $137.5 million to date.

6. Tom Hanks and Halle Berry's "Cloud Atlas" took a 45.4% dip earning $5.2 million. The film, based off the 2004 novel consisting of six smaller stories has earned $18.2 million in two weeks.

5. Liam Neeson's "Taken 2" continues it's five-week run with another $6 million. The sequel to the 2008 action thriller has earned more than $336.5 million worldwide.

4. Eli Roth's "The Man with the Iron Fists" featuring Lucy Liu and Russell Crowe came up short with $8.2 million. The film cost an estimated $15 million to produce.

3. Ben Affleck continues his run with "Argo." The film, based on a CIA-Canadian secret operation in Iran, has earned $89.3 million worldwide during its one month in theaters.

2. Denzel Washington's "Flight" opened to $25 million, a stronger debut than "The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3" and "Unstoppable," but far less than the $40.1 million gross of February's "Safe House."

1. Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph" not only won over the approval of critics but viewers as well with $49.1 million. The film performed slightly better than Disney's 2010 animated feature, "Tangled"($48.7 million). With a film that appeals to virtually everyone with the Monster's Inc-like relationship of Sully and Boo in Ralph and Venelope, the film should continue its box-office dominance in lieu of "Skyfall" this upcoming weekend.

SEE ALSO: How much has-been celebrities charge per appearance >

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Nicolas Cage Will Be In 'The Expendables 3'

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Get excited.

Sylvester Stallone confirmed to Spanish site, El País, Nicolas Cage will appear in the next installment of "The Expendables." 

Jason Statham, Liam Hemsworth, Bruce Willis, and Chuck Norris all joined the sequel's testosterone-heavy cast this summer which earned $289.5 million worldwide.

Stallone's also vying for Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, and Mickey Rourke to join the crew.

Many sites are reporting Stallone made the reveal on a Facebook page, which is nothing more than a fan page.

Here's a rough translation of his interview with El Pais:

"We are preparing the film with the same passion and commitment as the two before it. We have already confirmed Nicolas Cage, a master actor who adds an intellectual aspect to the group. Hopefully, we can land Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes and Mickey Rourke. That is the great mission of the producer. We will continue with the same narrative scheme, the agility and the frenzy, which are inherent elements to the saga."

Stallone also hinted at a fourth film in the franchise after asked whether the third "Expendables" would be the 

Will it definitely be the last?

"I can't guarantee. In theory, it was to be two installments, but the public's love [for the franchise] encouraged us to work on a third. I guess as long as we amuse ourselves by offering fun and people, we can continue playing 'The Expendables'. For now we are not as expendable as we should be and as some critics want us to be."

SEE ALSO: How Disney took down Denzel Washington's "Flight" this weekend at the box office >

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The 20 Highest-Grossing Election Themed Movies

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the campaign will ferrell

After a very long campaign season, Election Day is finally upon us. As millions of Americans line up at the polls to vote for their favorite candidate, we thought it would be appropriate to round-up the most successful election-themed films of all time.

While most of the films on the list focus on presidential campaigns, others center around senatorial, congressional, or local campaigns.

The following 20 films have been ranking according to worldwide gross totals, unless otherwise noted.

Nixon (1995): $13.7 million*

This film tells the story of the life of President Nixon, played by Anthony Hopkins. It was nominated for four Oscars.  

*Ranked according to U.S. box office totals because worldwide totals not available.



Welcome to Mooseport (2004): $14.6 million

Starring Ray Romano and Gene Hackman, "Welcome to Mooseport" tells the story of a former president who decides to run for mayor in his hometown of Mooseport, Maine.



Election (1999): 14.9 million*

This movie, starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick, tells the story of a high school student's complicated campaign for student body president.

*Ranked according to U.S. box office totals because worldwide totals not available.



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The Top 11 On-Screen Presidents Of All Time

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Jack NicholsonObama may have been the first African American president on paper; however, he wasn't the first one on-screen.

From black to white, female to male we've put together a list of the most popular on-screen commander in chiefs for election day.

While we won't get to see Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln until later this month and Bill Murray play FDR in "Hyde Park in Hudson" until December, there are plenty more actors who have portrayed real and fictional presidents.

To help us in our search, we consulted The Credits who surveyed 501 voters on their favorite fictional presidents.

If you're not happy with the election outcome, we recommend checking in with one of these reigning officers.

11. GEENA DAVIS: "Commander in Chief" (2005-2006)

Davis proved if a guy could be President, so could a woman.

She played President Mackenzie Allen on ABC's short-lived "Commander in Chief."



10. ANTHONY HOPKINS played two presidents two years apart in "Nixon" and "Amistad" (1995 / 1997)

Hopkins may not look like Nixon, but he mastered the 37th president's mannerisms.

Two years later, he played John Quincy Adams in "Amistad."



9. GARY SINISE: "Truman" (1995)

Sinise won the 1996 Golden Globe for Best Actor in a mini-series or TV film for his role as the 33rd president in the HBO film.



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Harrison Ford May Return For 'Star Wars Episode 7'

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star wars

Bust out the Millennium Falcon and some Han Solo action figures.

If you still haven't wrapped your mind around the idea of a new "Star Wars" trilogy, would you warm up to the idea if we told you there could be a potential Chewie and Han reunion? 

While we're not sure about Chewbacca, Entertainment Weekly is reporting that a source close to Harrison Ford says he'd be interested in another go around with the Force. 

And, it seems like Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher (Luke and Leia) could be interested as well.

“Harrison is open to the idea of doing the movie and he’s upbeat about it, all three of them are,” the source told EW.

We wouldn't be surprised if Hamill and Fisher at least made cameos.

Other than voicing a "Star Wars" character on "Family Guy" (Mon Mothma) which ended last year, Fisher has a pretty open slate. 

In an interview with Current TV late last week, Hamill wouldn't spill about any involvement with the new films, but he wasn't surprised to hear about the sequels.

han solo carbonite star warsLanding Ford would be a great move for Disney if it wants to bank on "Star Wars" merchandise.

Producer Gary Kurtz told the Los Angeles Times in 2010 toy sales of Han Solo were a primary reason Ford wasn't killed off in Episode IV, leading to the frozen carbonite debacle.

"The original idea was that they would recover [the kidnapped] Han Solo in the early part of the story and that he would then die in the middle part of the film in a raid on an Imperial base,"said Kurtz. "George then decided he didn’t want any of the principals killed. By that time there were really big toy sales and that was a reason.” 

Could 70-year-old action figures of Harrison Ford be in our future?

Let us know if you're open to a "Star Wars" reunion in the future saga in the comments.

SEE ALSO: 'Star Wars' actor Mark Hamill reacts to new 'Star Wars' trilogy >

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Inside The $725K, 3-Day 'Wolf Of Wall Street' Shoot In A Luxury Manhattan Penthouse

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Leonardo DiCaprio Martin Scorsese The Milan WOlf of Wall Street

On Monday, "The Wolf of Wall Street"—the Martin Scorsese directed film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey—took over the swanky Milan luxury condo building on East 55th street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.

Outside of the building, which also serves as the Van der Woodsen's home on "Gossip Girl," the street was taken over by eight huge trucks full of production supplies, one large trailer for Mr.DiCaprio to relax in, and a craft services tent full of gourmet food and fresh fruit.

Inside the building, Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese shot scenes in the penthouse, which will act as DiCaprio's character Jordan Belfort's apartment before he buys a house. Later Monday afternoon, DiCaprio's stunt double was thrown off the penthouse's terrace.

But it isn't cheap to rent out the penthouse apartment of a luxury building in Manhattan.

One set source reveals exclusively to Business Insider that production is shelling out roughly $25,000 per day to have access to the apartment for three weeks, in addition to a hefty donation of nearly $200,000 to the building.

The estimated $725,000 allows production to change everything about the already-swanky, multi-million dollar apartment. The front door, wall paper and furniture has all been swamped out to portray the lifestyle of Belfort, the real life Wall Street castaway whose autobiography the film is based on.

DiCaprio, who plays Belfort, "comes in and looks straight, doesn't talk to anyone" one building source tells us, while Jonah Hill, on the other hand, "is really friendly, he's hilarious." McConaughey doesn't have any scenes in the building.

Eight production trucks are currently lined up outside of the luxury condo building, The Milan, for the 3-day "Wolf of Wall Street" shoot on 55th Street and 2nd Ave.



Production supplies like this fill each truck. For 3 days of shooting, production pays the building and its tenant a total of $725K.



A full tent is devoted to craft services. It is filled with fresh fruits, peanut butter, salami and cheese, among other gourmet foods for the crew, director Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill.



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Could Matthew Vaughn Be The Director Of The New 'Star Wars' Film?

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matthew vaughn

Ever since Disney purchased Lucasfilm for $4 billion and announced three new films, everyone's been pointing fingers left and right at who should step in to re-imagine the franchise.

Through all the rumors, it looks like there may be a sound candidate for the job.

The guys over at Collider are hearing "X-Men: First Class" director Matthew Vaughn is in talks to direct Episode VII, saying it's the main reason he dropped out of working on the "X-Men" sequel:

"Why would Vaughn abruptly drop out of helming the X-Men sequel when the head of 20th Century Fox (Tom Rothman) is leaving the studio?  After all, while Rothman helped make some great movies over the past few years, he’s also known as a micro-manager that can rub some filmmakers the wrong way.  With Rothman out, I imagine Vaughn would have had more creative control on the sequel and it would have been an easier film to make.

But if Lucasfilm offered Vaughn the keys to Star Wars, that’s something he’d likely jump ship for."

Though "X-Men" earned $353.6 million worldwide, the earnings for a new "Star Wars" film could surpass that by a longshot. "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" alone has earned $848.7 million worldwide.

Here are the lifetime adjusted domestic grosses for the original "Star Wars" saga:

"Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope": $1.4 billion

"Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back": $787.4 million

"Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi": $754.4 million

Vaughn is also responsible for "Kick Ass," "Stardust," and "Layer Cake" starring Daniel Craig. He's currently working "Kick-Ass 2."

However, Celebuzz reported "Safety Not Guaranteed" indie director Colin Trevorrow is definitely on the short list of directors in early discussions to helm Episode VII.

With the one well-received indie film in the past , we find it difficult to believe Disney would rest the resurgence of a $4 billion dollar franchise on the creator of a viral short rather than a well-established director. 

Neither Vaughn nor Trevorrow made our list of directors we'd like to see make the next installment.

SEE ALSO: Han Solo may return for the next "Star Wars" installment >

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Naturally, Carrie Fisher Wants In On The New 'Star Wars'

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From Mark Hamill to Harrison Ford, we've heard everyone else's opinions on the new "Star Wars" film, so it's about time we've heard from Carrie Fisher aka Princess Leia.

Fisher told TMZ if asked, she's all ears to being in the upcoming Episode VII. (Mind you, Carrie Fisher is now 56.) 

Take a look at the video: 

As we said yesterday, other than some "Family Guy" cameos poking fun at the franchise that made her famous Fisher has fizzled from the spotlight.

Sure a Hamill, Harrison, Fisher reunion would be totally cool geektastic, but is that what we want to see in a new "Star Wars" trilogy?

SEE ALSO: Could this be the new "Star Wars" director? >

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Brad Pitt Zombie Thriller 'World War Z' Trailer Preview Released

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Brad Pitt's next movie, zombie thriller "World War Z," is set to be released next June. While the full cast list, which includes Matthew Fox, David Morse, and Mireille Enos, has been released, no official footage has been made available to the public...until now.

Entertainment Tonight aired a preview trailer on its broadcast earlier his week, saying they will release the full trailer on Thursday.

Check out a sneak peek of Pitt battling zombies in the Marc Forster ("Quantum of Solace") directed film here:

SEE ALSO: Could Matthew Vaughn be the next director of 'Star Wars'?

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Meet The 13 Full-Size Actors Playing Dwarves In 'The Hobbit'

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the hobbit

If you can't keep all of the new "Hobbit" dwarves' names straight, you're not alone.

With more than a month until film's theatrical debut, MGM and Warner Bros. released 17 new character posters for the film over the weekend. 

You can check them all out here; however, we were most interested in the posters of the many dwarves.

If you're confused by the similar, rhyming names, we've broken down the brood along with the actors behind the crew.

While most of the actors are fairly unknown talent from New Zealand and Britain, some of them worked with director Peter Jackson in the past and starred in other Hollywood blockbusters. 

Check out who was in "Captain America," Jackson's "King Kong," and which actors share one show in common on their resumes–"Xena: Warrior Princess."

Thorin Oakenshield is the leader of the dwarf pack and played by Richard Armitage.

Oakenshield was forced to leave the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor because of the dragon Smaug. His sole goal is to retrieve the treasure held by the dragon in the Lonely Mountain.

Where you know him from: He played German Spy Heinz Kruger in "Captain America."



Fili is the youngest dwarf of the 13 played by Dean O'Gorman.

Fili and Kili are Thorin's nephews. 

Where you may know him from: He played Iolaus alongside a young Ryan Gosling in "Young Hercules" and played three different characters on "Xena: Warrior Princess": Homer, Orion, and Wiglaf. Currently, he stars on New Zealand series "The Almighty Johnsons."



Kili is brothers with Fili and is played by Aidan Turner.

Where you know him from: Turner's no stranger to science fiction. He's played a vampire ("Being Human") and is set to play a werewolf in next year's "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones."



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'Twilight' Fans Are Getting Treated Like Kings To Wait In Line Early For Thursday's Opening

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Twilight fans in line

The final installment of "Twilight" isn't due out until late next Thursday; however, fans are already lining up in downtown Los Angeles for the film.

Summit is allowing 2,200 fans to camp in front of Nokia Theatre L.A. Live prior to film release–something that's been going on since the start of the franchise in 2008.

While it may seem absurd to line up an entire week before the film's release, it actually has its rewards.

According to Deadline, not only do "Twihards" get a glimpse at stars including Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson at the red carpet premiere Monday, they also get a bunch of perks all weekend long.

Here's a few:

  • Friday morning Jamba Juice is hosting a fitness workout complete with smoothie samples and a Twilight-themed workout.
  • Time Warner Cable is presenting a "Twilight Fan Camp Concert" including performances by Nikki Reed and Christina Perry. 
  • Sunday, The Corner Bakery is providing breakfast to fans courtesy TWC. A few members of the cast are slated appear.
Fans will also get a chance to see screenings of the previous "Twilight" installments.

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2" will be released at 10 p.m. November 15 in U.S. theaters.
 
Tickets for the film went on sale via Fandango October 1. The film held 28 percent of total sales for the movie ticket-selling site Wednesday.

SEE ALSO: What was going on with Diane Sawyer during the election coverage Wednesday >

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Brad Pitt Faces Off Against Zombies In The First 'World War Z' Trailer

Lionsgate Crushes Q2 Expectations Thanks To 'Hunger Games' DVD Sales

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Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games"

Lionsgate reported a big $77.5 million in second quarter earnings due in part to summer films and its huge 2012 blockbuster, "The Hunger Games."

Wall Street predicted $621.8 million in total revenue for the company, a number that Lionsgate blew past reporting a 97 percent jump to a total of $707 million in revenue.

Despite a decline 29 percent decline in television, Lionsgate reported a theatrical revenue bump of $93.9 million for the quarter ending September 30 to $116.2 million in part to three films, neither which performed especially well domestically: 

                                                       Domestic                         Worldwide

"The Expendables 2":                       $84.8 million                     $289.5 million                   

"The Possession":                           $49 million                        $76.6 million

"Step Up Revolution":                       $35 million                       $140.5 million 

However, the big revenue winner for Lionsgate were "The Hunger Games" DVD sales. Released August 18, the film sold 3.8 million DVD and Blu-ray copies opening weekend.

Since then, Lionsgate hasn't updated how many copies of the film have been purchased; however, the company says its $261.9 million revenue in entertainment revenue for the quarter–an $141.5 million increase over last years same quarter–is primarily in part to DVD sales.

Last year, during the same quarter, theatrical releases brought in $120.4 million.

"The Hunger Games" has earned $686.5 million to date worldwide.

The next big money maker for Lionsgate should be Twilight (from its Summit acquisition in January) which is already garnering lines of fans in downtown Los Angeles before its premiere next week.

SEE ALSO: The first full trailer for "World War Z">

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See The Shenanigans Going On Behind-The-Scenes Of 'The Hangover III'

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"The Hangover III" won't be out until May 24 of next year, but we're starting to get an idea of what Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms will be up to in the latest sequel.

Director Todd Phillips has uploaded a bunch of photos from the set featuring the Wolfpack to Instagram.

From the looks of the photos–and a synopsis Warner Bros. released back in September–the gang is setting off on a road trip with a pit stop back at Caesar's Palace from the first film at some point along the way.

Check out the photos below:

Here's a shot of Stu, Phil, and Doug at what looks to be a funeral. If that's the case, this is probably how the film starts out since Warner Bros. released the film doesn't begin with a celebratory-like event.

hangover 3

According to Phillips, here's a shot of Cooper from Day 31 of filming.

bradley cooper hangover 3

It looks like John Goodman and Justin Bartha (Doug) are in on the trip, too.

john goodman hangover 3

There's Caesar's in Las Vegas.

hangover 3 caesars palace

That could be a shot of Ken Jeong's (Mr. Chow) stuntdouble in the background or it could be Peter Chao who's rumored to be Chao's son on IMDB.mr. chow hangover 3

Letting Alan drive is probably a poor decision. Letting Alan drive a convertible is a worse decision.

alan hangover 3

Galifianakis always wears one stand out outfit in every film. 

alan hangover 3

Could this be Alan and Doug (or Phil) in the pig masks?hangover 3 pig masks

One more shot of the group:

hangover 3

SEE ALSO: The first full-length trailer for 'World War Z' >

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Here's The Guy Who Could Be Working On The New Star Wars Movie Screenplay Right Now (DIS)

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michael arndt

Now that we know Disney plans to make three new "Star Wars" sequels, attention has turned to who will write and direct the movies and what the plot will be like.

New York Magazine reports that Disney has hired Michael Arndt, the Oscar-winning Writer of "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Toy Story 3" to write a 40 to 50 page treatment for the next film. Arndt could also be one of the people hired to write the full screenplay.

It's also possible Disney will hire back Mark Hamill, Carrier Fisher, and Harrison Ford to reprise their roles as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo, respectively. 

New York Mag has more details, so check it out >

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Here's What Disney CEO Bob Iger Says He Wants To Do With 'Star Wars'

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Bob Iger

During Disney's Q4 earnings call, CEO Bob Iger gave no details on the upcoming "Star Wars" movie; however, he did give a hint at how the company plans to brand George Luca's lucrative company. 

For the release of "Star Wars: Episode VII," Lucasfilm will be co-branded with Disney much similar to that of Pixar.

"The Star Wars brand, I think, basically doesn't need much help except to, obviously, will I think benefit greatly from the release of a film," said Iger. We intend in that case to co-brand ... Disney-Lucas or Disney-Star Wars in some form, different forms."

Given Disney / Pixar's branding, we imagine the design may look something like this:

star wars disney possible logo

Here are a few other points Iger made during the call about the future of Lucasfilm:

More "Star Wars" online merchandise

According to Iger, the Lucasfilm acquisition won't affect retail strategy, but there may be a push for "Star Wars" Web sales with Iger saying there's "real potential" for online merchandise.

Disney may consider acquiring any other Lucasfilm rights Fox holds

Any rights 20th Century Fox may have to distribute future "Star Wars" flicks won't affect Disney. However, Iger says Disney may acquire rights from News Corp. down the line.

"Fox has certain distribution rights to films that have already been made and released and will be released in varying forms going forward as they did recently with the 3D release of one of the Star Wars films … We may choose at some point after closing to explore that, but all the value they were looking at is going forward value associated with all the rights that we bought from Lucas and any new IP that is created … is not encumbered by any of the deals that Fox had."

Is Star Wars Clone Wars Moving To Disney XD?

Though Iger didn't confirm it, Disney XD will most certainly feature Cartoon Network's current "Clone Wars" cartoon series. Iger strongly hinted toward opportunities Disney has with Lucasfilm on the kid's channel citing its successful roll out of Marvel shows on the channel toward a younger male demographic.

You can read the full earnings call HERE.

SEE ALSO: The latest director who may be at the helm of the next "Star Wars">

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'Star Wars' Has Found Its Writer

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michael arndt

Ever since Disney acquired Lucasfilm last week and announced a new "Star Wars" film, we've been hearing buzz about the many people in line to write the story treatment for the new installment.

Well, the wait is over.

Lucasfilm has confirmedrumors spread earlier today that Oscar-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt will indeed write "Star Wars: Episode VII."

Via StarWars.com:

"As pre-production of Star Wars: Episode VII begins, Lucasfilm has confirmed that award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay for the new Star Wars film. As revealed in the ongoing video series posted here on StarWars.com, Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas have begun story conferences with Arndt. Arndt won an Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay for writing Little Miss Sunshine (2006), and was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for writing Toy Story 3 (2010)."

SEE ALSO: What Disney CEO Bob Iger said Disney has in store for "Star Wars">

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Meet The Stunt Doubles Behind 15 Celebrities

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james bond skyfall

We go to the movies to see Christian Bale don the bat cape, Robert Downey Jr. suit up as Iron Man, and Daniel Craig reprise his role as 007.

However, these big-name actors rarely do the dangerous stunts required of their fictional alter egos.

We've highlighted 15 stunt doubles from the biggest box-office hits of 2012.

From those who fill in for actors from Craig to Jessica Biel, here are some of the most sought after stunt men–and women–in Hollywood.

Ben Cooke has doubled for Jason Statham in "Safe" and has stood in for England's big hero ...



... Daniel Craig in "Casino Royale,""Quantum of Solace," and "Skyfall."

One of his best moments on set:

"Some floor managers on the show got together and photoshopped me and Daniel on the cover of Gay Times in mankini."



Parkour athelete and professional free runner Levi Meeuwenberg stood in for this Robert Ludlum-inspired character.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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James Bond Lets The 'Sky Fall' On Disney In Franchise's Biggest Opening Ever—Here's Your Box-Office Roundup

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james bond skyfall daniel craig"Wreck-It Ralph" was no match for James Bond.

"Skyfall" dominated the weekend, easily earning $20 million more than 2008's "Quantum of Solace" opening ($67.5 million) to make the 23rd installment in the franchise the largest debut of any Bond film. 

Bond's huge opening weekend helped bring the film to $586 million worldwide.

Outside the top three, the box office had a quiet weekend with no film grossing more than $7 million. However, one film did jump back on the top ten list despite a 111 theater decline.

With most earnings hovering around the $2 million mark, even Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" had a chance of making the top ten in its opening weekend.

That's saying something considering the film debuted to a limited release of 11 theaters nationwide yet earned $900,000. Its massive opening weekend gives it the third-highest debut for a limited-release film in 2012 behind "The Master" and "Moonrise Kingdom." 

Out of the top ten this week include horror films "Silent Hill: Revelation 3D,""Sinister," and "Paranormal Activity 4." 

Here are this weekend's winners and losers at the box office:

10. Adam Sandler's "Hotel Transylvania" manages to barely creep into the top ten with $2.3 million. In its seven-week run, the film has earned $270.4 million worldwide.

9. RZA and Eli Roth's "The Man with the Iron Fists" plunges five spots this week with $2.5 million. The film has earned $12.7 million of its $15 million budget since its theater debut two weeks ago.

8. "Pitch Perfect" makes a return to the top ten earning $2.5 million after just missing the mark last week to top the list. The Universal movie has earned $59 million in seven weeks, more than three times its estimated $17 million budget.

7. "Cloud Atlas" moves up a notch from last week earning $2.6 million. However, the science fiction flick starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry is going to need a much higher bump if it wants to break $30 million of its estimated $100 million budget for Warner Bros. In three weeks, the film has earned $23.9 million worldwide.

6. Kevin James' "Here Comes the Boom" moved up a surprising three notches earning $2.6 million. The Sony film has earned $39 million in five weeks. $43.1 million worldwide making it James' third highest-grossing film. However, his two other films, "Zookeeper" and "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" earned well over $150 million worldwide.

5. "Taken 2" refuses to leave the box office top five. Neeson's particular set of skills earned another $4 million this weekend. Worldwide, the sequel to the 2008 film has earned $348.3 million in six weeks.

4. Ben Affleck's "Argo" earns another $6.7 million bringing the film to a $112.8 million total worldwide.

3. Denzel Washington's "Flight" easily outearned its estimated $31 million budget in week two. The film grossed $119.9 million in two weeks.

2. Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph" continues its massive box-office run with $33 million in week two. The film has now earned $119.9 million in two weeks.

1. Ralph was no match for James Bond. "Skyfall." The 23rd film in the franchise, took in a record $87.8 million opening weekend to top the box office. That's the biggest debut of any Bond film to date. 2008's "Quantum of Solace" earned $67.5 million opening weekend.

SEE ALSO: 15 celebrity stunt doubles including Skyfall's Daniel Craig >

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