Moviefone Editorial

Tag: hollywood

  • Scarlett Johansson Is Hollywood’s Highest-Grossing Actress of All Time

    A recent report has revealed a new queen of the domestic box office: Scarlett Johansson is officially Hollywood’s highest-grossing actress of all time.

    That superlative comes straight from the folks at Box Office Mojo, which tabulated the gross box office take of all movies made by individual actors in Hollywood. Johansson is officially the 10th-highest grossing star ever, male or female, and leads the rest of her actress peers with a whopping $3.33 billion in total box office earnings over the course of 37 films. (That’s an average of more than $90 million per movie.)

    Unsurprisingly, much of that haul comes from the actress’s Marvel-affiliated role as Black Widow in the “Avengers” series and its interconnected MCU properties, like the “Captain America” flicks. Her biggest-earning film remains 2012’s “The Avengers,” which has raked in $623.4 million domestically. (All of Box Office Mojo’s numbers for this particular list are domestic figures.)

    The next-highest actress on the list is Cameron Diaz, who comes it at number 19 with an impressive $3.03 billion total gross, averaging just over $89 million per flick. She’s followed by Helena Bonham Carter at number 26 ($2.82 billion), Cate Blanchett at number 29 ($2.81 billion), and Julia Roberts at number 30 ($2.73 billion).

    The top 10 highest-grossing actors — male and female — are:

    1. Harrison Ford: $4.872 billion
    2. Samuel L. Jackson: $4.647 billion
    3. Morgan Freeman: $4.434 bullion
    4. Tom Hanks: $4.341 billion
    5. Robert Downey Jr.: $3.944 billion
    6. Eddie Murphy: $3.81 billion
    7. Tom Cruise: $3.587 billion
    8. Johnny Depp: $3.367 billion
    9. Michael Caine: $3.342 billion
    10. Scarlett Johansson: $3.333 billion

    [via: Box Office Mojo, h/t Variety]

    Photo credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

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  • 11 Times Hollywood Tried (and Failed) to Make Wonder Woman Happen

    Superman and Batman have been the subject of various live-action films, enjoying portrayals from the likes of Christopher Reeve, Christian Bale, and Henry Cavill. But the third member of DC’s Holy Trinity has yet to leave Paradise Island — until now.

    Wonder Woman will finally make her blockbuster debut in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” before headlining her solo film in 2017.

    It’s been a long journey on the road of development hell for Warner Bros., which has spent years trying to make a Wonder Woman movie (or TV show) happen. Here are 11 notable times they tried, and failed.

    1. “Who’s Afraid of Diana Prince?” (1967)

    What Went Wrong: Actress Ellie Wood Walker played Wonder Woman for a presentation reel for a prospective TV series. Following the success of the Batman,” “Who’s Afraid of Diana Prince?” featured a similar style of camp. It’s unclear why the network execs passed on this project specifically, but perhaps you can draw your own conclusions from the footage. Click here to watch.

    2. Cathy Lee Crosby’s “Wonder Woman” (1974)
    WONDER WOMAN, Cathy Lee Crosby, 1974What Went Wrong: Before Lynda Carter‘s iconic television series, tennis star Cathy Lee Crosby snagged her first major role in a Wonder Woman TV movie. The hope was for this to act as a pilot and segway into a series, but it didn’t perform well enough. This Wonder Woman shared few similarities to her comic book counterpart. As Crosby told ComicBookMovie.com in 2012, Warner Bros. wanted her to be more like, um, James Bond.

    3. Ivan Reitman’s “Wonder Woman” (1996)
    What Went Wrong: Ivan Reitman tried to produce a Wonder Woman movie for Warner Bros, developing several treatments over the years. According to HitFix, he had one more shot to get it right around 1998. He missed again, so the “Ghostbusters” helmer fell off the project.

    4. Joss Whedon’s “Wonder Woman” (2005)
    In 2001, Joel Silver inherited the responsibility of getting a Wonder Woman movie off the ground. A number of writers were hired to develop the story, including Todd Alcott, with the hope being that Sandra Bullock would take on the role. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Angelina Jolie, Lucy Lawless, and other actresses were courted. This project, too, never got off the ground. Eventually, Joss Whedon was brought on to write and direct in 2005. There was even a poster released that year at Comic-Con.

    Whedon imagined his future Maria Hill, Cobie Smulders, in the role, playing a Wonder Woman who was envisioned to be “naive about people,” but she eventually warms to mankind through Steve Trevor. Whedon announced his departure from the project in 2007, the reason being, as reported by THR, that he “had a take on the film that, well, nobody liked.”

    5. The “Wonder Woman” Spec Script (2007)
    What Went Wrong: Before Whedon departed the project, Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures purchased a spec script in 2007 for “Wonder Woman” by Matthew Jennison and Brent Strickland, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The script featured a World War II setting, which Silver had no interest in. But, he purchased it anyway. Why? According to THR, it was “a pre-emptive measure aimed at taking the spec off the market” to protect the studio from future legal action — just in case there were any similarities between the spec and the script Silver was developing.

    6. George Miller’s “Justice League Mortal” (2007)
    What Went Wrong: Following Christopher Nolan‘s “Batman Begins,” Warner Bros. decided to let George Miller (“Mad Max: Fury Road“) try his hand at directing a Justice League movie.

    “Justice League Mortal” moved forward with a script and a cast that included Megan Gale as Wonder Woman (pictured). The film fell through, thanks in part to a looming writers strike and Australian rebate legislation. The failed attempt lives on, however, as the subject of an upcoming documentary.

    7. Nicolas Winding Refn’s Project (2010)What Went Wrong: While making the promotional rounds for “Drive,” director Nicolas Winding Refn expressed his interest in helming “Wonder Woman,” saying he hoped to make this his “$200 million extravaganza,” according to Movieline in 2010.

    He mentioned a year later that he spoke to “a comic book writer” to learn more about the character, and his top choice for Diana would be Christina Hendricks (above). Ultimately, all this talk boiled down to chatter that never went anywhere.

    8. NBC’s “Wonder Woman” (2011)
    WONDER WOMAN -- First image of Adrianne Palicki starring as the title character in the new NBC pilot “Wonder Woman,” from executive producer David E. Kelley (“Boston Legal,” “Ally McBeal,” NBC’s “Harry’s Law”). The pilot was written by Kelley, who also serves as executive producer with Bill D’Elia (“Boston Legal,” “The Practice,” NBC’s “Harry’s Law”). Jeffrey Reiner (“The Event”) is directing. Based upon DC Comics characters, “Wonder Woman” is from David E. Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television. © 2011 NBC/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: Justin LubinWhat Went Wrong: NBC produced a “Wonder Woman” pilot for the 2011-2012 season. It had a script (from David E. Kelley) and a star (Adrianne Palicki), but it didn’t get picked up to series for a number of reasons. Bad reviews at test screenings and harsh reactions to the costume (pictured) online didn’t help matters. Worse? The pilot script leaked onto the internet and was bashed by critics.

    9. Paul Feig’s “Wonder Woman” (2013)
    What Went Wrong: Feig, who would go on to helm the female-led “Ghostbusters” reboot, told IGN in 2013 he recently pitched a Wonder Woman concept to Warners, as someone akin to suffragist Cicely Hamilton. He described his iteration as someone who “keeps hitting the glass ceiling” of the superhero world and sparring with misogynist versions of Batman and Superman. IGN also implied in thw this concept was too outlandish for the studio.

    10. The CW’s “Amazon” (2012)
    What Went Wrong: As The CW was getting “Arrow” off the ground and developing a pilot for “The Flash,” the network announced a Wonder Woman origin series called “Amazon.”

    After the script was redeveloped, CW decided not to move forward with it. Their reasoning, according to The Hollywood Reporter, was that “you only get one shot before you get bit.” Likely attributing to this decision was the announcement of Gadot‘s casting on the film side of DC for “Batman v Superman” a month prior.

    11. Michelle MacLaren’s “Wonder Woman” (2015)
    What Went Wrong: MacLaren, known for directing episodes of “Breaking Bad” and “Game of Thrones,” was originally hired by Warner Bros. to helm Gadot’s solo “Wonder Woman” film. She eventually departed the project reportedly over creative differences. According to Variety, she wanted to make a “Braveheart“-esque epic, while the studio wanted something less action heavy and more character driven.

    Patty Jenkins now helms the film, set for release on June 23, 2017. You can finally see Wonder Woman in action when “Batman v Superman” hits theaters March 24.

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  • Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hollywood Sets April Opening Date

    The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Kick Off Celebration At Universal Studios FloridaMuggles were overjoyed this summer when a new location for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was announced at Universal Studios Hollywood. Now, that expansion project officially has an opening date — and it’s coming up a lot sooner than we thought.

    USA Today reports that the new attraction, which will recreate the village of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle, is set to open on April 17, 2016. Construction crews must have been using some serious magic, since the project will have been completed less than a year after it was first announced back in June.

    But the condensed timeline doesn’t mean that the park has skimped on the details. According to USA Today, there will be plenty of eye-popping “Potter” goodies throughout the attraction, including eight fully-functioning shops in the Hogsmeade attraction alone. Memorable magical businesses including Honeydukes candy store, Ollivanders Wand Shop, and Zonko’s Joke Shop will all make an appearance, as will the Hog’s Head Pub, where guests can imbibe on Butterbeer (and real beer, too, for adult patrons).

    The attraction will also include the Flight of the Hippogriff roller coaster on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, as well as the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride (presented for the first time in 3D HD), which will sit inside Hogwarts Castle.

    “It’s a spectacle, iconic,” said Alan Gilmore, supervising art director for the “Harry Potter” film series, of the castle, telling USA Today, “the main storytelling location in ‘Harry Potter’ is now the most amazing castle in Los Angeles.”

    Judging by what we’ve seen so far, we’re inclined to agree. Accio yourself a plane ticket — or a Nimbus 2000 — and book your spot in line soon.

    [via: USA Today]

    Photo credit: Getty Images

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  • Maggie Gyllenhaal Was Told She’s Too Old to Play a 55-Year-Old’s Love Interest

    40th Anniversary Gracies Awards - ArrivalsJust a few weeks ago, “Inside Amy Schumer” skewered Hollywood’s ridiculous ageism and sexism with a hilarious sketch that explained that there’s an age at which actresses are no longer deemed “f–kable.” Now, Maggie Gyllenhaal has proven that that notion is, unfortunately, very much a reality.

    The Honourable Woman,” the actress also recalled a depressing turn of events: She was turned down for a role in an upcoming film because she was deemed too old to play a realistic romantic lead — opposite a 55-year-old man.

    “There are things that are really disappointing about being an actress in Hollywood that surprise me all the time,” Gyllenhaal told the magazine of the encounter. “I’m 37 and I was told recently I was too old to play the lover of a man who was 55. It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made me feel angry, and then it made me laugh.”

    While we’re glad Gyllenhaal was eventually able to laugh it off, we’re still seething. Since when is 37 considered old? Last we checked, 55 wasn’t exactly spring chicken age, either, and yet this leading man (or the writer/director who hired him) thinks he can and should do better? As Seth and Amy would say: REALLY?!?

    We have no idea what project she was referring to (according to TheWrap, the actress declined to name names), but we applaud her healthy attitude in the face of such stupidity. And despite that sour experience, Gyllenhaal did express optimism for the state of the industry.

    “A lot of actresses are doing incredible work right now, playing real women, complicated women,” she told the magazine. “I don’t feel despairing at all. And I’m more looking with hope for something fascinating.”

    Our fingers are crossed that she finds it.

    [via: TheWrap]

    Photo credit: Getty Images

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  • The Week in Hollywood: February 9 – 13 (PHOTOS)

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    Wondering what your favorite Hollywood stars are up to? We’ve got lowdown — in photo form — of the premieres, parties, and other celebrity-filled events taking place all week long.
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  • Week in Hollywood: February 2 – 6

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    Wondering what your favorite Hollywood stars are up to? We’ve got lowdown — in photo form — of the premieres, parties, and other celebrity-filled events taking place all week long.