Grab the Remote: 'Push' Coming to TV

You know the old saying: "If at first you don't succeed, why not try TV?" That's the saying, right? Well, it's certainly apropos for Push, the mostly forgettable sci-fi flick about whatever it was about, telekinetic superheroes or something.

As a box office performer, Push was merely a slow roller to the shortstop that ended in a routine out at first base. It debuted with only $10 million and didn't even recover its very manageable $38 million budget in the US. Ah, but what about those foreign numbers? Another $12.6 million. So, factoring in advertising expenses, it didn't make money. Oh, but the DVD sales were a whopping $15 million meaning...not much. So how in the world is this ripe for a shot on the small screen? Variety reports that Summit Entertainment has teamed up with E1 Entertainment to spin the original screenplay by David Bourla into a series. David Hayter, who co-wrote Watchmen, is writing and producing the TV version (we assume he's just writing the pilot for the time being), and Summit is pitching the idea to networks, although nobody's taking the bait just yet.

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Box Office - 'Into You' Wins, 'Taken' Holds Strong

Although He's Just Not That Into You claimed the top spot at the box office this weekend, I think the real story is Taken. Last week's number one film only dropped one position this weekend - despite four new movies in theaters - and kept a remarkable 82% of its audience from the previous stanza. It's typical for a film to lose 40 or 50% of its audience between the first and second weekends, so this tells us the word got out about the Liam Neeson revenge movie, which now appears headed for at least $80 million in U.S. ticket sales. Box Office Mojo reports that Into You earned $27 million this weekend, slightly more than was expected, but certainly not a number that anyone thought was outside the realm of possibility. In fact, the other new releases provided more surprises, with the animated Coraline, easily the film with the least mass appeal of the four, landing in third place with $16 million. Dakota Fanning's other film, Push, died a quick death, only managing $10 million. And The Pink Panther 2, a sore subject around these parts, also had an underwhelming debut, winding up in fourth place, barely ahead of the month-old Paul Blart: Mall Cop. The Top Five:
1 - He's Just Not That Into You ($27.5 million)
2 - Taken ($20 million)
3 - Coraline ($16 million)
4 - The Pink Panther 2 ($12 million)
5 - Paul Blart - $11 million

Box Office - $10 Million Friday for 'Not That Into You'

The conventional wisdom said that He's Just Not That Into You would win this weekend, beating back the competition from the more family-oriented Pink Panther 2. No problem so far.

Into You soared out to a $10 million Friday, according to Box Office Mojo, which could mean a $27 - $31 million weekend. Usually, we like to say that the opening weekend means about 33% of the overal business a film will do, so that projects nicely for an $85 - $100 million finish for this romantic comedy. Taken might make $20 million again, which is a little surprising. More than likely, that number will around $16 million or so, but that's still quite impressive for a second weekend, given that Liam Neeson is not exactly Will Smith at the box office.

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Movie Review - 'Push'

Push Starring Dakota Fanning, Chris Evans, Camilla Belle, and Djimon Hounsou Directed by Paul McGuigan Rated PG-13

It just happens like this sometimes. There's nothing overwhelmingly wrong with Push, a new science fiction action flick about a band of otherwise ordinary people that possess psychic powers hiding from a government that wants to harness their abilities to make super soldiers, but something's not right. The performances are mostly fine, the action is interesting looking, the little world director Paul McGuigan creates in an underground Hong Kong is colorful, and even the plot doesn't get too weighed down. It just doesn't work. Push is dull. By that, I'm not implying that I expected more excitement out of it specifically, even though I did. But it's just boring in general - the way attending a Catholic wedding is boring if you're not Catholic - and I don't know why that is or how it could've been fixed. It began in World War II, with the Nazis trying to build uber-aryans by accentuating their unusual powers, be it fortune telling, telekinesis, or perhaps even spoon bending. Following the war, other governments tried the same approach in order to build unstoppable soldiers, and apparently the U.S. government can't quite get it right. So once their tests fail, Division, the secret branch of military intelligence in charge of the project, tries to track down more gifted guinea pigs. The old ones, the ones that don't cut it? They're killed. Nick Grant (Chris Evans) saw that happen to his father when he was just a boy, and ten years later, he's still on the run, holed in Hong Kong, which we learn is a breeding ground for misplaced psychic warriors. You would think that would actually be the last place you'd hide, since its scene is so well known, but no matter. Nick is nonetheless surprised when a young psychic named Cassie (Dakota Fanning) shows up at his door demanding his help. That he assist Cassie was foretold by his father, so Nick is obligated, despite the fact that neither he nor the girl is particularly proficient with their powers.

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Fearless Forecast - Everyone's Into 'Not Into You'

It's the first really competitive weekend of 2009, with another one on the way next week. Four films enter the fray in wide release, and the shwodown at the top will be between the comedies The Pink Panther 2 and He's Just Not That Into You.

Expect Jennifer Aniston to have her second number one opening in two months, as the womenfolk flock to see Into You, which also stars Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Connelly, Ginnifer Goodwin, and some guys. Not that they matter here. Will this do Sex and the City business? No, but as a general rule, romantic comedies with plenty of star power always do well out of the gate. That pushes The Pink Panther 2 into second place, although it will still perform quite well, considering the first movie was more offensive than kiddie porn. Steve Martin's been promoting the hell out of it, and audiences haven't caught on to his scam; he's made three decent movies since Parenthood, which means that over 15 of them during that span are trash.

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