Rank Title Weekend Gross 1 The Dark Knight (2008) $75.6M $314M 2 Step Brothers (2008) $30M $30M 3 Mamma Mia! (2008) $17.9M $62.7M 4 The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008) $10.2M $10.2M 5 Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) $9.41M $60.2M 6 Hancock (2008) $8.2M $206M 7 WALL·E (2008) $6.35M $195M 8 [...]

One of the best reviewed films of the year had a stunning opening this weekend with an estimated take in excess of $155 million while playing on 4,366 screens. Apparently that wasn’t enough screens because the weekend was a virtual sellout and HOLLYWOOD REPORTER published a report of tickets selling on Ebay for around $50. [...]

Today the AMPTP and SAG negotiators met for several hours as the two sides squared off in yet another round in a seemingly interminable contract negotiation. While most major news sources are reporting that SAG simply told the AMPTP ‘no’ to their final offer today, Hollywood Reporter: The studios Thursday said that SAG officially rejected [...]

There is a terrific article by Steven Zeitchik in today’s Hollywood Reporter: Strike effect mirrors class struggle. A few excerpts: “A strike absolutely makes it possible to get the quality of people you normally wouldn’t have a shot at,” said Mark Gill, co-founder of the Film Department, which is prepping as many as four movies [...]

Here’s an interesting roundtable discussion from The Hollywood Reporter on the state of independent film. Where is the money coming from, how do you get distribution, what is the role of the international market in the indie film world and what about film festivals????? Stephen Galloway of The Hollywood Reporter discussed those and other matters [...]