The Hobbit: There & Back Again movie
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Kellyanne Conway, ‘Trump Whisperer,’ Will Be Counselor to President
Kellyanne Conway, ‘Trump Whisperer,’ Will Be Counselor to President
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Kellyanne Conway, the Republican pollster and strategist who helped guide President-elect Donald J. Trump to victory in November, will be appointed counselor to the president, becoming the highest-ranking woman in his White House, the transition team announced early Thursday.
Ms. Conway, who took over as campaign manager in August, shortly after Mr. Trump clinched the Republican nomination, guided her candidate through a brutal and divisive campaign, often appearing on television to vouch for him during periods of scandal or controversy.
In a statement, Mr. Trump said Ms. Conway would continue her role as a “close adviser,” responsible for helping to carry out his priorities and deliver his message from inside the White House.
”She is a tireless and tenacious advocate of my agenda and has amazing insights on how to effectively communicate our message,” Mr. Trump said. “I am pleased that she will be part of my senior team in the West Wing.”
Ms. Conway stood by Mr. Trump after a 2005 video surfaced in which he spoke in vulgar terms about groping women, proving her loyalty and helping to secure her position as someone who will have the president’s ear on a wide variety of topics.
Ms. Conway has been a favorite strategist for conservative candidates, such as Newt Gingrich in the 2012 presidential race, and she was an adviser to Vice President-elect Mike Pence in his run for governor of Indiana.
She reportedly clashed with two Trump advisers: his incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Both men were frustrated when Ms. Conwaygave a series of interviews in which she criticized Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee, who was being considered for secretary of state despite having been a key figure of opposition to Mr. Trump during the campaign.
Mr. Trump had wanted Ms. Conway to have a spokeswoman role in the administration. She declined that role and publicly discussed working with an outside political group backing the president, even as she held out for a West Wing position that would have a title on par with those of Mr. Priebus and Stephen K. Bannon, the chief strategist.
With a soft-spoken approach that appeals to Mr. Trump, Ms. Conway was credited during the campaign, even by Democrats who opposed her, with smoothing out some of Mr. Trump’s most jagged edges in her appearances on television.
Mr. Trump is deeply fond of Ms. Conway, whose job as counselor will give her frequent access to the president. A “Trump whisperer” during the campaign who was particularly adept at explaining his appeal to voters, Ms. Conway will serve as one of the chief protectors of Mr. Trump’s political brand.
‘Rogue One’ Soaring Past $200M; ‘Sing’ Rings $11M; ‘Patriots Day’ Posts High Theater Average – Thursday AM Update
‘Rogue One’ Soaring Past $200M; ‘Sing’ Rings $11M; ‘Patriots Day’ Posts High Theater Average – Thursday AM Update
Writethru Thursday AM: Having logged $15M yesterday per industry estimates this morning, Disney’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story crossed the $200M mark, becoming the fifth film to do so in six days alongside Batman v. Superman, Iron Man 3, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and The Dark Knight Rises.
A big highlight in limited release: CBS/Lionsgate’s Peter Berg movie Patriots Day which posted the best theater average on Wednesday with $9,2K or $64K at seven sites in NY, LA and Boston. Industry analysts expect Patriots Day to get a per theater over the six day of $75K. Starring Mark Wahlberg, the movie follows Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis’s actions in the events leading up to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the aftermath, which includes the city-wide manhunt to find the terrorists. We heard very early on that this movie scored extremely, bigger than Deepwater Horizon. That October release grossed close to $120M worldwide off a $110M production cost.
Rogue One‘s running cume of $205.3M is pacing -44% behind Force Awakens over the same number of days. That movie completely revitalized the Skywalker plotline and Star Wars saga under Disney, not to mention there were more kids off a year ago. On Wednesday according to ComScore, K-12 schools off moved up from 38% to 46% while those colleges on break move from 81% yesterday to 86%. Again, every day more audiences become available and starting this weekend, all kids are off for the
By the end of the year, Rogue One will definitely crack into the top 10 films, but many also anticipate Illumination/Universal’s Sing to also do so. The singing animal movie after scoring $1.7M in previews Tuesday night minted $11M Wednesday at 4,022 venues in second place, which is lower than the $15.5M Thanksgiving eve opening of Moana. Sing’s first day is strong; it just so happens there’s even more moviegoers available the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
20th Century Fox’s Assassin’s Creed notched ahead of Sony/Village Roadshow/LStar Capital’s Jennifer Lawrence-Chris Pratt sci-fi film Passengers, $4.6M to $4.1M.Passengers is in play at 3,478 venues. Essentially, the core female audience that would go watch Passengers doesn’t come out until Christmas Day and beyond.
Essentially, box office analysts believe that Assassin’s Creed is front-loaded by the fanboy quotient. In regards to Passengers, which cost a reported $110M, I’m told that should the movie gross $45M-$50M in its first six days that should be fine, but anything under that would be tough sledding. At this point in time, there are a number of sources who aren’t impressed with the first day figures of either movie. We really need to let the weekend play out through Christmas to see where Christmas takes us. It is a six day-weekend.
Previous, Wednesday, 7:50AM, ‘Rogue One’s Tuesday Sales Maintain Monday’s Strength; ‘Sing’ Hits High Notes
Disney’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story made as much money Tuesday as it did on Monday: Essentially an estimated $17.7 million at 4,157 locations. Through yesterday, Rogue One counts $190.3M at the domestic box office, with the $200M mark within reach today.
Tuesday’s till for Rogue One is pretty remarkable considering a couple of factors: First, the number of K-12 schools off between Monday and Tuesday only inched up from 37% to 38%, with colleges on break increasing from 76% to 81%. Second, there was a trio of wide entries previewing.
Illumination/Universal’s Sing hit $1.7M at 2,570 locations, while 20th Century Fox’s Assassin‘s Creed grossed $1.35M from 2,470 locations, inching out Sony/Village Roadshow’s $110M sci-fi love story Passengers which made $1.2M at 2,400. Assassin’s Creed and Passengers started previews at 7 PM, while Sing started at 6 PM.
Sing’s preview is in the vicinity of other big original animation openers this year, read Moana ($2.6M, $15.5M opening day) and Zootopia ($1.7M, $19.5M opening day). Many expect Assassin’s Creed to do $30M-$35M in six days. Sing should do $70M over that stretch with Passengers per industry projections (not Sony) north of $40M.
Even though this comp is from a while ago and a bit apples-to-oranges, Assassin’s Creed previews beats the $665K that Resident Evil: Retribution made on its Thursday night from shows starting at midnight. Although released on a Friday in September, Retribution minted $8.3M on its opening day for a FSS of $21M.
There are fewer schools off now than there were during Force Awakens a year ago. Even though the number of K-12 schools off today grows to 46%, with 86% colleges per ComScore, these numbers hit their 100% peak starting Monday, December 26.
Rogue One‘s Tuesday looks to be the fifth-best ever after Force Awakens’ first two Tuesdays last year (December 22 and December 29), which grossed $37.3M and $29.5M, respectively, followed by Avatar’s December 29, 2009’s ($18.3M) and Les Miserables’ 2012 Christmas Day opening ($18.1M).
Among all top-grossing Tuesdays, Rogue One is currently slotting 11th.
'Rogue One,' 'Sing' Win Wednesday Box Office; 'Assassin's Creed' Beats 'Passengers'
'Rogue One,' 'Sing' Win Wednesday Box Office; 'Assassin's Creed' Beats 'Passengers'
'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' shoots past the $200 million mark domestically; 'Patriots Day' scores the top location average of the day in limited bow.
New animated holiday film Sing and holdover Rogue One: A Star Wars Story enjoyed an early Christmas at the Wednesday box office, while Assassin's Creed and Passengers are off to a soft start.
Sing — think talking animals meet American Idol — opened to a pleasing estimated $11 million Wednesday from 4,022 theaters for a possible six-day launch of $80 million, although box-office observers caution it is still very early in terms of projections. With Dec. 25 falling on Sunday this year, Monday is an official holiday, hence the six-day estimates.
Disney and Lucasfilm's Rogue One easily stayed at No. 1 Wednesday despite the new competition, earning an estimated $15 million from 4,157 theaters to shoot past the $200 million mark domestically and finish the day with an estimated $205 million in less than a week of play. Early projections suggest Rogue One will gross $90 million-plus over the six-day holiday corridor, if not $100 million.
Passengers, the sci-fi space romance starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, debuted to $4.1 million Wednesday from 3,478 locations. Sony insiders are predicting a six-day launch of $30 million to $40 million, but it could come in closer to $25 million. The movie cost $110 million to $120 million to make after tax incentives and rebates.
Video game adaptation Assassin's Creed, starring Michael Fassbender, beat Passengers on Wednesday with $4.6 million from 2,902 locations. The male-fueled New Regency and Fox title is expected to be front-loaded, however, for a debut of $20 million for the six days.Assassin's Creed cost a net $125 million to make and earned $1.4 million Tuesday night.
Assassin's Creed has garnered even worse reviews than Passengers.
The year-end holiday stretch is the most crowded corridor at the box office, between wide players and awards contenders. Films rolling during this time can rack up strong multiples between Christmas Day and the end of New Year's weekend since kids are out of school and many adults are off from work, and Passengers in particular is counting on spiking once presents are unwrapped.
Launching in seven theaters in New York, Los Angeles and Boston on Wednesday was Boston marathon drama Patriots Day, directed by Peter Berg and starring Mark Wahlberg.The movie, from CBS Films and Lionsgate, made a strong showing, earning $64,644 for a location average of $9,235, the best of the day. It also earned an A CinemaScore.
On Friday, Fox opens Why Him? nationwide, followed by Denzel Washinton's Fences on Christmas Day. (Also on Christmas Day, critical and box-office darling La La Land expands nationwide.)
Like Patriots Day, a slew of other awards contenders are opening in limited runs, including A Monster Calls, Martin Scorsese's Silence, Julieta, Toni Erdmann, Paterson, Ben Affleck's Live by Night, Theodore Melfi's Hidden Figures and 20th Century Women.
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