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Jurassic Park (1993)

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Dern Ostracised for DeGeneres Kiss
25 April 2007 (WENN)
Movie star Laura Dern was boycotted by Hollywood for more than a year after she played Ellen DeGeneres' girlfriend in the gay comedienne's controversial "coming out" TV episode a decade ago. Dern appeared on DeGeneres' TV talk show Monday to mark the 10th anniversary of the pop culture moment when Ellen came out of the closet in real life and in her TV sitcom. The couple kissed on the show - and Dern now reveals her part on the controversial TV episode cost her her career for a year. The Jurassic Park star says, "There was certainly a backlash... It was awfully terrifying." But Dern will never regret appearing on the episode, which she calls "an extraordinary experience and opportunity."

Koepp Keeps Indiana Jones Alive
2 January 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Screenwriter David Koepp (Spider-Man, Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds) has succeeded in pulling off what several other top screenwriters had failed at: provide an Indiana Jones sequel that would satisfy the three principals -- George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Harrison Ford. The three confirmed on Monday that they plan to begin filming Koepp's script -- a title was not disclosed -- for the fourth Indiana Jones film in June, with a May 2008 target for worldwide release. The last Indiana Jones move, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, was released by Paramount in 1989. Spielberg told reporters, "We feel that the script was well worth the wait. We hope it delivers everything you'd expect from our history with Indiana Jones. ... George, Harrison and I are all very excited."

Is Richie Dating Teenage Crush Goldblum?
6 July 2006 (WENN)
Nicole Richie is reportedly making her romantic dreams come true following her split from fiance DJ AM - enjoying dinner dates with her lifelong crush Jeff Goldblum. The odd couple has been spotted out and about in Hollywood following the socialite Simple Life star's recent interview confession that she's had a crush on The Fly star since she was 13. At 24, Richie is almost 30 years younger than the actor, who was once married to Geena Davis and engaged to his Jurassic Park co-star Laura Dern. Until recently, Goldblum was engaged to dancer Catherine Wreford, 24, following a whirlwind romance after the couple met during a touring stage production of The Music Man. After splitting from DJ AM, real name Adam Goldstein, Richie was romantically linked to Crash star Matt Dillon. Representatives for both stars denied the rumors.

Special Effects Giant Silicon Graphics Files for Bankruptcy
9 May 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Silicon Graphics, a pioneering giant in creating computer-generated special effects for the motion picture industry, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. The Mountain View, CA company, which astounded audiences with the dinosaurs it created for Jurassic Park, listed $397 million in assets and $650 million in debt. In a statement on Monday Silicon Graphics said that it plans to reduce its work force by about 12 percent by the end of the year as part of a plan to cut $150 million in annual costs.

Dern Weds Harper
28 December 2005 (WENN)
Jurassic Park star Laura Dern married her long-term love, singer/songwriter Ben Harper, in a sunset ceremony in Los Angeles on Thursday. The blonde actress, 38, and the 36-year-old rocker wed in front of 150 family and friends, including their children Ellery, four, and Jaya, one, at a private home in LA. The couple have been dating since 2000, and became engaged last year.

Movie Reviews: 'King Kong'
13 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
King Kong arrives in theaters at midnight tonight to challenge the lion of Narnia.Critics and analysts are suggesting that the ape ought to win. Roger Ebert gives Peter Jackson's latest rendition of the Merian C. Cooper/Edgar Wallace tale a four-star review, calling it "a magnificent entertainment. It is like the flowering of all the possibilities in the original classic film. Computers are used not merely to create special effects, but also to create style and beauty, to find a look for the film that fits its story. And the characters are not cardboard heroes or villains seen in stark outline, but quirky individuals with personalities." In the New York Times, A.O. Scott marvels at Jackson's showmanship. "In his gargantuan, mightily entertaining remake ... Jackson tries to pay homage to the original even as he labors to surpass it. The sheer audacious novelty of the first King Kong is not something that can be replicated, but in throwing every available imaginative and technological resource into the effort, Mr. Jackson comes pretty close," Scott writes. Lou Lumenick in the New York Post doesn't mince praise, calling it "the year's best movie." In fact, he writes, it's "the most pulse-pounding and heart-stirring romantic adventure since Titanic." Claudia Puig in USA Today remarks that King Kong reaffirms Jackson's position as "a visionary filmmaker who is not only a technical wizard but also a master storyteller." And if all of that sounds like a movie too good to be true, Glenn Whipp in the Los Angeles Daily News assures his readers, "It cannot be oversold: Jackson is so far ahead of every director making these epic, effects-laden event movies that it's really not even fair. The only comparison one could make would be Steven Spielberg when Jurassic Park came out a dozen years ago, and even that's not apt because Jackson isn't simply content to throw a monster mash. He wants you to feel for the brute, too. That combination of goose-bump-inducing and lump-in-your-throat moviemaking is almost impossible to pull off, but Jackson makes it look easy. He gets it. He is the master." And Jack Mathews in the New York Daily News sums up his reaction in three words: "What a movie!" Still, some reviewers, while marveling at Jackson's imaginative use of special effects, express overall disappointment with the finished product. Ty Burr in the Boston Globe complains that it is "curiously lacking soul. Jackson is so devoted to piling modern CGI wonders on the bones of the 1933 classic that he forgets to have much fun." Bob Longino in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution gripes that at three hours and seven minutes it's "way longer than it needs to be" and that the relationship between Kong and his captive, Ann Darrow, comes off "treacly."

'King Kong': The First Reviews
6 December 2005 (StudioBriefing)
International reviewers scrambled Monday night to post reviews of Peter Jackson's King Kong after it premiered on 38 screens at two Times Square multiplexes. All appeared to agree that the film will pack 'em in. John Hiscock wrote in the London Daily Telegraph: "Hokey and clichéed in parts, thrilling and dramatic at other times, King Kong is reminiscent of both Jurassic Park and Titanic. And like those two record-setting epics, it is certain to be a huge hit." Baz Bamigboye in Britain's Daily Mail described it as "jaw-droppingly brilliant: the most entertaining blockbuster movie this year." Kevin Maher in the London Times commented: "That Jackson's King Kong upgrades the now hammy original with wit, heart and humor is a pleasant surprise. That it does so by reinventing the action blockbuster, in form and emotional impact, is nothing less than an act of cinematic alchemy." But several writers also noted that the film will have to become one of the top-ten box-office earners of all time in order to be considered a success. Geoffrey Macnab of Britain's Independent, who noted that director Peter Jackson poured $32 million of his own money into the film to cover budget overruns, commented, "Even with Jackson opening his check book, King Kong remains a monumental risk." The New York Daily News is running reviews from each of its lead film critics, Jami Bernard and Jack Mathews. Bernard calls it, "the most thrilling, soulful monster picture ever made. At last, it can be said without irony -- I laughed, I cried. ... It's brilliant." Mathews concludes that it "will further Jackson's reputation as the leading visionary among fantasy filmmakers and it restores the Empire State Building to the stately glory of its past."

Attenborough Heads London Tsunami Tribute
11 May 2005 (WENN)
Film director Lord Richard Attenborough is leading a memorial service in London today in honor of the thousands affected by the tsunami tragedy. Attenborough lost his daughter Jane, her mother-in-law Jane Holland and his grand-daughter Lucy as the tidal wave ripped through Asia and destroyed their holiday home in Thailand. The emotional hour-long tribute takes place at St Paul's Cathedral and over 1,800 mourners are expected to pay their respects at the service. The Jurassic Park actor, 81, will recite a passage from the Bible at the ceremony - which Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair are set to attend - and the Archbishop Of Canterbury will be giving a sermon. Exactly 273,800 petals - one for every person killed by the disaster - will fall from the galleries of the historic cathedral during a two minute silence. Tio Burnett, a survivor of the catastrophe, says, "It will be very difficult for all of us and I am sure I and many others will be crying as we remember all we went through and lost."

Spielberg Honored for Science Fiction Contribution
9 May 2005 (WENN)
Steven Spielberg has been honored by the Science Fiction Hall Of Fame for his contribution to the cinematic world of fact, fiction and fantasy. The Oscar-winning film-maker, whose movies include Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and Jurassic Park, joins author Philip K. Dick as a luminary for the group which held its induction ceremony on Friday - the first for the one-year-old organization. Spielberg says, "It (science fiction) really is the only genre that lets you use your imagination without limitations." The late Dick, whose writing inspired sci-fi films Blade Runner, Total Recall and Minority Report, joins other Science Fiction Hall of Fame authors Isaac Asimov and Jules Verne.

Jackson Collects His Own Action Figures
18 April 2005 (WENN)
Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson collects action figures of characters he has played on the big screen. The Pulp Fiction star always makes sure he gets hold of every action figure made in his likeness. He says, "They're in my office, in different places. I have a Frozone doll (from The Incredibles) on my desk that looks down on me as I'm working on the computer. It was done from me doing my voiceover stuff, so it looks a lot like me. I've got a Shaft doll that totally looks like me that's over in the corner looking over at the Mace Windu (Star Wars) doll. The first Mace Windu doll didn't look like me at all. Now they look a lot more like me because George Lucas actually scanned all of them which means if he really wanted to make another movie 20 years later he could use my digital image. I actually found some Pulp Fiction characters in a novelty store in Canada. I remember way back when I was in Jurassic Park and everybody had an action figure but me and Wayne Knight. I was kind of bummed, but now I'm OK."

Spielberg and Cruise Rush to 'War'
12 August 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Paramount and DreamWorks are rushing into production a new, effects-heavy version of H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg. The screenplay was written by David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man) and Josh Friedman. Longtime Spielberg collaborator Kathleen Kennedy and Cruise collaborator Paula Wagner will produce. Although the project was announced in April, it was widely believed that it would be put on hold until after Spielberg completed work on his film about the 1972 Munich Olympics attack and until Cruise completed Mission: Impossible 3. Now, according to reports, those productions will be placed on back burners, while War is moved to the front. Published reports said that plans call for the film to go into production in November and to be released next year.

Studios Sue Chinese Pirates
14 July 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Universal, 20th Century Fox, and Disney have joined in a lawsuit against three Chinese companies that allegedly pirated their films, according to the state-owned Shanghai Daily. Yang Jun, lawyer for the studios, told the newspaper that the studios had sent staff to the selling outlets owned by the three Chinese companies, where they purchased pirated copies of Fox's Moulin Rouge, Disney's A Bug's Life and Universal's Jurassic Park. "If piracy is not properly combated, it could hamper the further introduction of good films from abroad and influence the development of the market," Yang said.

'Chamber of Secrets' Now #3 at International B.O.
28 January 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets became the third-highest-grossing international release in history last weekend as its gross rose to $568.2 million, putting it behind only Titanic ($1.2 billion) and the first Harry Potter film ($649.59 million). The film replaces Jurassic Park, which moves to fourth place on the all-time list.

Tall Guy Goldblum Waiting for 'Jurassic' Call
9 January 2003 (WENN)
Actor Jeff Goldblum may yet reprise his role in a third sequel of Jurassic Park should Steven Spielberg decide to go ahead with the project. The Independence Day star was asked by Spielberg to remain open to playing the role of Ian Malcolm again. He says, "Steven gave me strict instructions to stay available, because it's not entirely impossible that the services of my character will be required. I said to Steven: 'Yes, Mr. Spielberg. The second you need me to be measured for shoe size, don't hesitate to call, I'll be there'." However, Goldblum was less keen to commit himself to a sequel to alien blockbuster Independence Day. He says, "I'd prefer to wait until I see the completed script first, but I don't know, I really don't."

More Heartache for Crichton
27 September 2002 (WENN)
Jurassic Park writer Michael Crichton's Santa Monica, California, home has been robbed. Just weeks after the author announced the end of his 13-year marriage to Anne Marie Martin, Crichton is now helping police with their inquiries following a break-in. Crichton was tied-up at gun-point by one of the two intruders, who smashed their way into his pad on Monday morning, terrorizing the writer and his young daughter. Crichton is refusing to give details of what was stolen in the raid on his home.

Crichton Divorce
10 September 2002 (WENN)
Top movie writer and ER creator Michael Crichton is heading for the divorce courts after failing to save his 13-year marriage. Crichton, the man behind the top rating American TV medical drama as well as the Jurassic Park films, and his wife Anne Marie Martin split last summer and now she has filed for divorce in a Los Angeles court, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple have a young daughter, Taylor Anne.

The Movie Spielberg Couldn't Direct
26 June 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Although it is a virtual precept in Hollywood that Steven Spielberg can direct any film he wants, Spielberg himself has revealed to Britain's Empire magazine that he has always wanted to direct a Star Wars film but that George Lucas has turned him down. "I understand why," Spielberg is quoted as saying. "Star Wars is George's baby. George is my best friend and I believe I am his, but we are all competitive." He suggested that he has no hard feelings about being rejected by Lucas. "I believe that this is George's franchise," he said. "It's his cottage industry and it's his fingerprints. He knows I've got Jurassic Park and Raiders. But George has Star Wars and I don't think he feels inclined to share any of it with me." (Note: The original Raiders films were co-produced and co-written by Lucas and the first was advertised as coming from "the creators of Jaws and Star Wars.").

Spielberg: Lucas Won't Let Me Direct Star Wars
26 June 2002 (WENN)
Steven Spielberg thinks his "best friend" George Lucas has refused to let him direct a Star Wars movie because he's so competitive. The legendary film-maker first asked Lucas, who created the extraordinarily successful sci-fi franchise, if he could make a Star Wars movie in the eighties, but despite their great friendship, Spielberg's requests have fallen on deaf ears - and the 55-year-old believes it's because Lucas doesn't want to share his success. He says, "I wanted to do one 15 years ago and he didn't want me to do it. I understand why - Star Wars is George's baby. "George is my best friend and I believe I am his, but we are all competitive. "I believe that this is George's franchise. It's his cottage industry and it's his fingerprints. "He knows I've got Jurassic Park and Raiders.... But George has Star Wars and I don't think he feels inclined to share any of it with me."

Kennedy Named Head Of Producers Guild
21 May 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Kathleen Kennedy, whose credits include E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, and The Sixth Sense, has been reelected president of the Producers Guild of America. She had served as co-president (with Tim Gibbons) since last year.

Spielberg Considers Another Jurassic
24 April 2002 (WENN)
Legendary movie maker Steven Spielberg is considering finishing the Jurassic Park franchise with a fourth and final movie. Spielberg, who helmed the first two movies in 1993 and 1997, has been approached by film studio Universal to create a script for the Jurassic IV. Reports suggest Universal were unhappy with the screenplay for last year's III, which starred Tea Leoni and Sam Neill, and want Spielberg back so the movie series can go out with a bang.

Potter Now Second Biggest Overseas Earner Of All Time
11 February 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone crossed the $600-million mark at the overseas box office over the weekend, the only film other than Titanic ever to do so, Screen International, the British trade publication, said on its website today (Monday). The film is also about to become the second-highest worldwide earner in history. That title is currently held by Jurassic Park with $919 million. Potter has now earned $916 million worldwide.

Potter Now Third On All-Time List
8 January 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Not only did Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone cross the $300-million mark at the domestic box office last weekend, it also crossed the $500-million mark in total international sales, according to Screen Daily, the online edition of the British trade publication Screen International. The film's worldwide sales now stands at $811 million, making it the third biggest international hit of all time, after Titanic and Jurassic Park.

Cash Registers Start Ringing
23 November 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Tickets for New Line's Lord of the Rings, due to open on Wednesday, Dec. 19, were scheduled to go on sale in Britain today (Friday), and sales activity was likely to be closely watched to see whether Fellowship of the Ring, the much-hyped opening stanza of the three-parter, would outsell Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New Line has not yet announced when advance tickets for the film would go on sale in the U.S., where the film also opens on Dec. 19. A notice on the Fandango website, which sells tickets online, recommends that ticket buyers "check back with us several days prior" to the opening. A notice on the AOL MovieFone site (another online ticket seller) merely said that the film is "coming soon." Meanwhile, The British Board of Film Classification, the U.K.'s ratings board, has given Rings a PG rating but is requiring the studio to include a notice in all of its ads saying that some scenes may be unsuitable for children under eight. It is only the third PG film ever required to carry such a notice. (The other two were Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park.)

Who Needs Stars?
1 August 2001 (StudioBriefing)
The box-office success of such films as Shrek, Jurassic Park, Planet of the Apes, The Fast and the Furious and The Mummy Returns may make it difficult for big movie stars to negotiate $20-million movie deals, according to Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office trackers Exhibitor Relations. Noting that this year's summer movies will likely set a record without the likes of Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis or Harrison Ford, Dergarabedian told today's (Wednesday) New York Daily News: "The summer is more about explosions and special effects than acting. ... These [hit] movies have done well on sheer marketing and word-of-mouth. Look at how much awareness there was for Planet of the Apes. People are going to go see that movie regardless of who's in it."

Dino-Bite: $50.3 Million
23 July 2001 (StudioBriefing)
The tyrannosaurs of Jurassic Park III chewed up the critics over the weekend -- and took a big chunk out of the domestic box office worth about $50.3 million as well, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The gross slightly exceeded that of the original Jurassic Park, which earned $50.2 million during its first weekend in 1993, but was not even close to the $72.1 million that the first sequel earned during the Memorial Day holiday in 1997. Surprisingly, the romantic comedy America's Sweethearts, which also received mostly poor reviews on Friday, performed stunningly well as a counter-attraction. The star-studded film (Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Cusack and Billy Crystal) earned about $31 million, giving a big lift to former Disney studio Chief Joe Roth, who directed the film and whose nascent Revolution Films produced it. Sony's Columbia Pictures, which released the movie, said Sunday that the only two romantic comedies that have ever earned more money during their openings were 1999's Runaway Bride ($35.1 million) and 2000's What Women Want ($33.6 million).

Dinos Win Again For NBC
16 July 2001 (StudioBriefing)
The original Jurassic Park showed Saturday that it could still deliver an audience -- something that may have impressed the higher-ups at Universal, who plan to release another Park sequel next weekend. The original film, airing on NBC, produced a strong (for a Saturday night) 5.6 rating/12 share, peaking at 10:30 p.m. with a 6.8/13.

He Nose About The Next Big Thing In Movies
14 June 2001 (StudioBriefing)
Munich-based designer Stefan Reutz has developed a system to provide moviegoers with the actual odors of scenes, the London Daily Mirror reported today (Thursday). The system sprays out an appropriate fragrance synchronized to the scenes of the films. "Imagine it in a film like Jurassic Park where dinosaur dung would really let you get creative I bet it would smell like bogs and rain forests." He added: "We are entering the third dimension of cinema here. It's as exciting as when films got sound. It opens up a completely different way of making films." (In 1960, Mike Todd Jr. produced a feature called Scent of Mystery using a similar process called smell-o-vision, in which smells provided clues to the movie's mystery. Helmed by famed British director Jack Cardiff, it was the only film ever produced using the system; it has never been reshown or released on home video.)

Laura Dern Buys New House To Marry In
24 April 2001 (WENN)
Jurassic Park star Laura Dern and her musician fiance Ben Harper have splashed out on a home to get married in this summer. Friends of the couple claim they have spent $1.7 million on the Hollywood hills home. Dern, who was in a long-term relationship with Billy Bob Thornton when he left her last year to marry Angelina Jolie, got engaged to Harper last month. Now, a friend of the couple insists that as soon as Harper's divorce from his wife Joanna becomes final in June, they plan to tie the knot at their new three-bedroom, three-bathroom Spanish-style estate. The pal says, "Laura is ecstatic that she and Ben found their dream home just in time for their wedding."

Arnie Opens Universal Studios Japan
3 April 2001 (WENN)
Arnold Schwarzenegger thrilled Japanese fans who had queued all night for the opening of the new Universal theme park in Osaka, Japan. Braving cold and rain, thousands of people - many of whom had arrived the night before - watched as Arnie used a clapperboard to slice through a roll of film and declare the $1.4 billion Universal Studios Japan park open for business. The new theme park - the first Universal Park to be opened outside America - includes 18 attractions with rides themed on movies Back To The Future, The Terminator and a Jurassic Park water ride, which has been tamed down after research showed Japanese patrons aren't as happy about getting wet as Americans.

Goldblum Won't Return To Jurassic Park
19 December 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Jeff Goldblum has indicated that he will not join other Jurassic Park cast members in Jurassic Park 3, due to begin shooting early next year. "I am not involved in the next Jurassic Park. That is official, " he told the online edition of Britain's Empire magazine. He gave no reason. Ex-girlfriend Laura Dern has indicated that she will appear in the film as has Sam Neill. Also absent: Steven Spielberg, who will be directing Tom Cruise in Minority Report.

The Season Begins
17 November 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Today marks the beginning of the crucial holiday season for studios and exhibitors, and many are betting that the new releases will pull in crowds at the box office that will offset last summer's downturn. In particular, theater owners are hoping that How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey, which opens on 3, 127 screens, turns out to be as popular among moviegoers as the Dr. Seuss book has been among families for more than 40 years. "I do know this picture is going to open fabulously, " Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco told Daily Variety. Some analysts are skeptical, however, noting, for example, that the trailers for the movie did not make it appear that audiences were in store for much fun. The buzz has not been much better for Arnold Schwarzenegger's action flick The 6th Day or Miramax's Bounce. Analysts appear much more sanguine about prospects for three films yet to come -- all from Disney: Unbreakable, 102 Dalmatians and The Emperor's New Groove. Still, none of those films carries with it the ring of sure-fire success that accompanied, say, a Jurassic Park or a Star Wars sequel. As David Sterritt notes in today's Christian Science Monitor: "Hollywood isn't exactly running scared, but its lights aren't blazing quite as brightly as last year at this time."

Jurassic Park Three Causes Chaos At Hawaiian Airport
21 September 2000 (WENN)
The cast and crew of Jurassic Park 3 (2001) have been causing chaos at Hawaii's main airport by shooting dinosaur attacks on its most central runway. The flick continues the tale of the re-birth of dinosaurs following director Steven Spielberg's original epic Jurassic Park (1993) which starred Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern. The cast of the latest blockbuster, including Sam Neill and William H. Macy, caused chaos at the island's airport as massive dinosaurs roamed on the runway. Local Steven Size says, "They have been causing mayhem at the airport. Giant dinosaurs have been wandering around whipping up planes and eating people. It just looks so crazy and led to the airport being shut down for some time. I don't think people were so happy with that."

Spielberg's In The Money Again
31 July 2000 (WENN)
Steven Spielberg has signed the most lucrative deal in Hollywood history - and it could net him a staggering $240 million (œ150 million). The director has hit the jackpot for agreeing to produce Jurassic Park 3 (2001), the latest in the dinosaur film series. Spielberg will earn 20 per cent of the "first dollar gross" that the film takes at the box office - about half of the total box office. With the first two Jurassic Park (1993) movies making over $1.6 billion, Spielberg is assured of another bumper pay day. The deal is the biggest ever negotiated by a filmmaker in Hollywood to produce a single flick - and he won't even have to direct it. Instead, the film will be made under Spielberg's Amblin production banner.

Box Office Sets New Record
3 January 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Box office revenues reached a record high in 1999 as domestic ticket sales exceeded $7.5 billion, an eight percent increase over the record set a year earlier. The number of tickets sold, though, rose only 4 percent; increased prices in many markets accounting for the difference. "You're seeing increases but not monumental increases, " Exhibitor Relations Paul Dergarabedian told today's (Monday) Wall Street Journal. Twenty-three fewer films were released in 1999 than the year before; the major studios dropping by an aggregate of nine, and the independents releasing fourteen fewer, according to The Hollywood Reporter But three pictures that hit big hit really big: over $200 million each. As expected, 20th Century Fox's Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) was the boxoffice champ of the year with a stunning $430 million in North America. That makes it the third highest grossing film of all time domestically. (Reopening on Christmas day for a three-week domestic run, Phantom moved into second place on the all-time worldwide list, with $927 million, placing it between Titanic's 1.8 billion and Jurassic Park's $925 million). Coming in at No. 2 for the year was Disney's sleeper Sixth Sense, The (1999), which has sold $276.4 million worth of tickets. Disney, along with partner Pixar, also had the third-highest grossing film of 1999, Toy Story 2 (1999), at $208.6 million. Warner Bros.' Matrix, The (1999), became the fourth highest grossing film of the year with $171.4 million.

Behold The Force!
21 May 1999 (StudioBriefing)
It wasn't the $35 million that some analysts had predicted, but Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) did set a single-day record at the box office by taking in $28.5 million during its first 24 hours Wednesday. That figure bested the $26.1 million grossed by Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993) sequel, The Lost World (1996) in 1997. Moreover, it played in fewer theaters than the dinosaur movie, averaging nearly $10, 000 per screen. Twentieth Century Fox distribution chief Tom Sherak told today's (Friday) Los Angeles Times: "It's a Shooting Star It's taking us, we're not taking it." He called the results "unheard of -- that's what's wonderful about the movie business. Unheard of is what we live for."

Newfoundlanders See It First
19 May 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Because it lies in the only "fourth" time zone in North America, St. John's, Newfoundland was the first city to begin screening TPM after midnight. (According to today's -- Wednesday -- Toronto Globe & Mail, movie tickets are priced at only C$6.00 -- US$4.00 -- in St. John's.) In Australia, a spokesman for the Hoyts theater chain said that advance ticket sales for TPM had already broken records for Titanic (1997), Jurassic Park (1993), Men in Black (1997) and Independence Day (1996). It is planning to screen the film at all 40 of its venues beginning at midnight, June 3.

Crichton To Scientists: "Nobody Can Make A Dinosaur!"
27 January 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Writer Michael Crichton has responded to critics who have accused him of portraying scientists negatively in his books and screenplays. "For scientists to fret over their image seems slightly absurd, " Crichton told a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Anaheim, CA Tuesday. He said that when complaints began coming in from scientists about inaccuracies in Jurassic Park (1993), he thought that they were "downright weird. Nobody can make a dinosaur!" He added that sci-fi tales often must be "sensationalistic, inaccurate and negative." As for claims that scientists are wrongfully being singled out for attack in films, Crichton said. "That's nonsense. Let's be clear: all professions look bad in the movies. ... Lawyers are all unscrupulous and doctors are all uncaring. Psychiatrists are all crazy and politicians are all corrupt." But he also pointed out that Jurassic Park (1993) has a scientist hero: "He's right there, Alan Grant He saves the kids. He saves the day, rights the wrongs and looks dashing."

Disney Producing Movie Bigger Than Titanic?
19 January 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Disney is planning to produce the most expensive film in its history -- and perhaps in Hollywood history, a $200 million dinosaur movie, created from beginning to end with "groundbreaking" photo-realistic special-effects technology, the London Express reported Monday, without citing sources. Although it was known that Disney had set up a special unit at the former Lockheed Martin aircraft plant in Burbank to work on the film, titled Dinosaurs, the scale of the project had not been previously reported. Unlike Jurassic Park (1993) and other special-effects films, the newspaper said, the entire Disney movie will be computer generated, including scenery. According to the Express, the film is being directed by Eric Leighton (The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)) and is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

Imax Counting On Dinosaurs
22 October 1998 (StudioBriefing)
Imax, which has had limited success with dramas on its giant-screen system, is hoping that T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous (1998), which opens Friday in New York and Los Angeles, will become its breakthrough film, USA Today observed today (Thursday). The 45-minute film, which includes four minutes of dinosaur effects, employs the Imax 3-D technology, requiring viewers to wear goggles, something that very young viewers have found to be quite uncomfortable. But adults are likely to be taken with the realism of the computer-generated dinosaurs in T-Rex. Sean Phillips, visual effects supervisor on the film, told USA Today, "People have seen dinosaurs in movies in Jurassic Park (1993), and we knew we had to match that level of realism. ... When you do something in two dimensions you can cheat enormously ... you can leave out the sense of depth in a shot. But in 3-D, you have to get it to about 99 percent."

Jurassic's Dinosaurs To Return Again
30 June 1998 (StudioBriefing)
Michael Crichton is writing a new Jurassic Park (1993) sequel, which will be produced by Universal and Amblin for release in summer 2000, the companies said Monday. Steven Spielberg is expected to return as exec producer but not director of the third Park film. In a statement, he said, "We have had an opportunity to build on the experience and excitement that audiences have come to expect from us. Michael Crichton knows how to surprise and entertain audiences with themes and stories that are smart and original."

Titanic On Top
25 February 1998 (StudioBriefing)
Neither rain nor sleet nor icebergs nor dinosaurs can stop this Titanic (1997) -- or so it appeared Tuesday as box-office trackers Exhibitor Relations announced that the movie had sailed past the $914 million milestone set by 1993's Jurassic Park (1993) to become the highest-grossing film of all time. The record was set despite winter weather conditions in many parts of the world, including the U.S., that were being described as the worst of the century. Exhibitor Relations chief John Krier told today's (Wednesday) New York Post that in ten weeks, "it's never had a week under $20 million in the U.S. Everyone wonders why it doesn't drop -- but the repeat business it's getting is amazing, and our research shows there are plenty of people who still haven't seen it." Domestically, the film has earned $403 million.

Boat Passes Dinosaurs
16 February 1998 (StudioBriefing)
Riding the crest of a wave of Oscar nominations, Titanic (1997) surged past the $25 million mark at the box office again over the weekend, taking in $27.5 million, according to industry estimates -- a 20-percent boost over the previous weekend. The results raised the film's total gross to $370.9 million, putting it ahead of Jurassic Park (1993), the number 3 film on the all-time box-office list. Titanic, now in its ninth week, also beat out a trio of new releases, one of which, the Adam Sandler comedy Wedding Singer, The (1998), produced a surprisingly strong $18.5 million. The two films seemed ideally suited for Valentine's Day fare.

Titanic Dumps Gump
9 February 1998 (StudioBriefing)
For the first time in eight weekends, Titanic (1997) did not top $25 million at the box office; it took in "only" $23.2 million. "Titanic Loses Some Steam, (but Very Little), " headlined today's (Monday) Los Angeles Times. The estimated total (final figures will be released later today) brought Titanic's domestic gross to date to $337.5 million and pushed it past Forrest Gump (1994) into fourth place among the highest-grossing films of all time. (In an interview with today's USA Today, Paramount publicist Blaise Noto predicted that Titanic will surpass Jurassic Park (1993) at number three on the all-time list next weekend.) Analysts noted that the film could get a big boost Tuesday when Oscar nominations are announced. The number-two film at the box office, Replacement Killers, The (1998), featuring Chow Yun-Fat, was far behind Titanic with $8.1 million. Miramax's Good Will Hunting (1997) finished third with about $6.8 million, bringing its 10-week total to $68.2 million. Universal's Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) opened with a lackluster $6.5 million for fourth. The Associated Press today quoted Universal marketing exec Alan Sutton as saying, "Given the competitiveness of the marketplace, we're very pleased that Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) was one of the weekend's top films." The top ten films for the weekend and their estimated grosses: 1. Titanic (1997), Fox-Paramount, $23.2 million; 2. Replacement Killers, The (1998), Sony/Columbia, $8.1 million; 3. Good Will Hunting (1997), Miramax, $6.8 million; 4. Blues Brothers 2000 (1998), Universal $6.5 million; 5. Great Expectations (1998), Fox, $5.5 million; 6. As Good As It Gets (1997), Sony/TriStar, $5.1 million; 7. Spice World (1997), Sony/Columbia $4 million; 8. Wag the Dog (1997), New Line, $3.5 million; 9. Desperate Measures (1998), Sony/TriStar, $3 million; 10. Deep Rising (1998), Disney, $2.4 million.

The Full Monty Goes Full Monty In U.K.
29 January 1998 (StudioBriefing)
Full Monty, The (1997) on Tuesday became the top grossing film in the history of the British box office, unseating Jurassic Park (1993), Daily Variety reported today (Thursday). "It's hard to believe, but six naked and not particularly attractive blokes from Sheffield have toppled Steven Spielberg's dinosaurs, " London-based Variety writer Adam Dawtrey commented.

Titanic Shows A Might To Remember
14 January 1998 (StudioBriefing)
Titanic (1997) has steamed past the $200-million mark at the domestic box office, Paramount, which is distributing the film in the U.S. and Canada, announced Tuesday. The studio said that the milestone was reached on Monday, the 25th day of its release. Only Independence Day (1996) and Jurassic Park (1993), both released during the more robust summer season, reached that level earlier. Paramount distribution chief Wayne Lewellen, in an interview with UPI Tuesday, called the film's performance "absolutely astounding" and said that it is especially benefiting from repeat business.

Ahoy! $200 Million Ahead!
12 January 1998 (StudioBriefing)
Titanic (1997) continued to steam ahead over the weekend, recording an estimated $29.2 million in ticket sales and bringing its 24-day gross to $198.4 million. Box office analysts observed that no film has ever registered more than $25 million for each of four consecutive weekends and that only Independence Day (1996) and Jurassic Park (1993) have exceeded Titanic's total for the same period. "The movie has taken on a life of its own, " 20th Century Fox film chairman Tom Sherak told today's (Monday) New York Post. "It's amazing, amazing." Added Paramount's Rob Friedman, "The appetite for the movie seems to be unending. ... It has tremendous staying power." The film lost only 12 percent of its previous weekend tally and actually performed better than it did during its first weekend. Paramount said that exit polls indicated that 7 percent of teenage girls who have seen it are repeat customers. Today's Daily Variety also reported that Titanic has now taken in $55 million in 11 overseas markets (topped by $23.5 million in Japan and $10.6 million in Australia) in three weeks. Miramax's Good Will Hunting (1997), in its first weekend in wide release, earned $10.3 million, to place second. (Newsday columnist Liz Smith reported today that the White House screened the movie for president and Mrs. Clinton at Camp David on Sunday and had invited the film's director, Gus Van Sant, producer Lawrence Bender as well as Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver and Robin Williams.) Sony's As Good As It Gets (1997) continued to get good grosses with $9.3 million. Also opening wide, New Line's Wag the Dog (1997) scampered into fourth place with $8.2 million. In fifth was the James Bond thriller Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) with $7.5 million, pushing its total past the $100 million mark. DreamWorks' Mouse Hunt (1997) continued to be the top family draw, earning $5.0 million, The only new arrival, Fox's Firestorm, shot down in flames by critics on Friday, got no help from moviegoers as it grossed only $4 million for fifth place. Other top finishers: 8. Jackie Brown (1997), Miramax, $3.8 million; 9. Scream 2 (1997), Miramax/Dimension, $3.7 million; 10. Amistad (1997), DreamWorks, $2.7 million.

Can A Special Effect Wipe Out Sgi's Losses?
30 October 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Silicon Graphics, on whose computer workstations some of Hollywood's biggest special-effects movies, including Jurassic Park (1993), have been created, announced Wednesday that it will pink-slip between 700 and 1, 000 workers, -- about 10 percent of its workforce -- and that its CEO, Edward McCracken, has resigned. The company reported a $57-million loss in the last quarter, and analysts have been warning that it has been slow to react to challenges by upstart companies producing cheaper, yet more powerful, products using Intel microprocessors. (SGI had been using its own microprocessors but announced recently -- some say, belatedly -- that it would also switch to Intel.) The company, whose stock hit a high of $39 two years ago, closed Wednesday at $17.75, off 38 cents. McCracken, who has headed the company since 1984, said his resignation will become effective as soon as a successor is picked.

U.K. Science Meeting Hears Mr. Spock Rapped
10 September 1997 (StudioBriefing)
The entertainment media have created "dangerous stereotypes" of scientists that create misperceptions about the role of science in society, a psychologist at the University of Bath has told the annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in Leeds, England. Dr. Helen Haste particularly cited Star Trek's Mr. Spock, who, she said, "is dangerous because he elevates the cult of the rational and dismisses the role of emotion." But, as reported in today's (Wednesday) London Times, Dr. Haste insisted that Spock is not alone -- that writers and directors employ stereotypes for almost every scientist seen on film and television, ranging from the mad scientist of Frankenstein and Dr. Strangelove (1963) to the "classic nerd" in Absent Minded Professor, The (1996) and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), to the all-powerful savior in the Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park (1993) movies. "What we need are ordinary scientists in television and films, " Dr. Haste said.

Will Lost Park Dinos Stomp Video Record?
12 August 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Universal is betting that Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) will outsell the original Jurassic Park (1993) when it is released on video on Nov. 4. In a statement announcing release plans for the sequel, Universal Studios Home Video said that it had placed a $22.98 SRP on the movie and indicated that it expected the film to challenge Independence Day (1996) for the title of best-selling live-action video of all time. Separately Universal said that The Lost World has become the first movie this year to cross the $200 million mark overseas.

Russians To Go On Location -- In Space
12 August 1997 (StudioBriefing)
A well-known Russian film director, Yuri Kara, is planning to film a forthcoming feature aboard the Mir space station, the London Daily Telegraph reported today (Tuesday). Kara told the newspaper that he is attempting to raise at least $24 million to send two actors aboard the space station. Despite a host of recently reported difficulties aboard Mir, Kara has found few actors reluctant to make the voyage and in fact several have already undergone medical tests to see whether they can qualify, he said. Asked why he decided against using special effects for the space scenes, Kara replied, "The dinosaurs in Jurassic Park (1993) were very realistic, but in the end the movie was just a high-tech cartoon. I want people truly to relate to what they're seeing."

Black And Red At The Box Office
15 July 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Despite a $30.1 million take last weekend for Men in Black (1997) (bringing its two-week total to $139.6 million) and $20.6 million for the debut of Contact (1997), the overall box office was off 8 percent from the comparable weekend last summer, marking the third straight week of lower attendance, box-office trackers Exhibitor Relations observed Monday. In what was regarded as a blow to champions of family-film fare, the two major disappointments on the box-office list belonged to that genre: Disney's Hercules (1997) drew only $8.34 million and Universal's Martin Short starrer Simple Wish, A (1997) went unfulfilled with only $2.7 million. (The dismal results follow several recent family-film flops including Buddy (1997) and Wild America (1997).) Meanwhile, Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) debuted in Japan over the weekend setting a box-office record of $10.8 million, 38 percent higher than Jurassic Park (1993)'s bow and 20 percent higher than Independence Day (1996)'s.

Lost World Loses Ground
3 June 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Despite the fact that Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) earned $34.1 million in its second weekend -- "bigger than the opening weekends of most pictures, " according to Exhibitor Relations chief John Krier -- some analysts are suggesting that the film is losing box office momentum too fast, the New York Post reported today (Tuesday). Noting the 53-percent drop from the opening three days, the newspaper quoted Dennis McAlpine of Josephthal, Lyon and Ross as saying, "You'd expect to see a 30-percent drop. ... But the people who wanted to see it saw it the first weekend." Entertainment Data said Monday that the take represented only the fourth-best second weekend, trailing last year's Twister and Independence Day (1996) and the original Jurassic Park (1993). The Associated Press said that industry analysts believe that the film will wind up with a total domestic gross of about $250 million, well below Jurassic Park's $357.1 million. "It's a smaller World, after all, commented today's Hollywood Reporter.

Jurassic Park Returns To #1 At Video Stores
3 June 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Interest in Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997)also spurred sales of Jurassic Park (1993) videotapes. Video Business Magazine reported Monday that Jurassic Park (1993) was the best seller in video stores during the week ended May 25.

Dinos No Match For Aliens Down Under
3 June 1997 (StudioBriefing)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997)'s overseas debut in Australia over the weekend took in $4.6 million, well below the $6.1 million for Independence Day's Down-Under opening last year, but 20 percent better than the original Jurassic Park (1993) opening in 1993.

How Mighty Are These Dinos' Legs?
30 May 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Despite its record-breaking debut, Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) may be no match for the original Jurassic Park (1993), according to Steven Spielberg. In a statement released to the Los Angeles Times Thursday, Spielberg said, "In my opinion, Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) will not equal or surpass Jurassic Park (1993) either domestically or internationally." The newspaper noted, however, that many analysts disagree with that assessment, pointing out that merchandise linked to the movie is selling at a far faster clip than the original's. In any event, the Times observed, Spielberg himself is likely to earn more for the new film than he did from the original, given his deal with Universal which gives him 17.5 cents on every dollar grossed, up from 15 percent on Jurassic Park (1993). "Steven will probably make even more than Universal, which is unheard of, " commented an unnamed Times source.

See!-Quel
26 May 1997 (StudioBriefing)
By the end of today (Monday), Universal's Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) is expected to surpass its $75-million cost, winding up in the record books with at least $89 million, according to box-office trackers Exhibitor Relations. Today's Los Angeles Times reported that some of the studio's competitors see the tally hitting between $90 million and $93 million. On Friday, the Steven Spielberg film took in $22 million, handily beating the opening day record of $20 million set by Batman Forever (1995) in 1995. (It had already earned $2.6 million at late-night previews on Thursday.) On Saturday, the crowds continued to pour into the 5, 000 theaters showing the film, bringing in an additional $24.8 million, the biggest single-day gross in movie history.On Sunday, the film took in an estimated $22.3 million, bringing its three-day total to $69.1 million. (The original Jurassic Park (1993) grossed $47.1 million during its three-day debut in 1993).

How High Will These Dinos Soar?
23 May 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Most movie critics appeared far less enthusiastic about Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997), which opens today (Friday), than they did four years ago about the original Jurassic Park (1993). Typical of the reaction was the New York Times' review by Stephen Holden, which said that the movie, "while terrifically entertaining, is also structurally out of kilter." Similarly, Kevin Thomas wrote in the Los Angeles Times that the film "has stupendous production values ... but the thrills and chills are not up to the original." Noting that Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) comes between Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993) and the upcoming Amistad (1997), Mark Caro commented in today's Chicago Tribune that the director may see the sequel as "the price he must pay" for making more higher-minded movies. But Judy Gerstel in the Toronto Star observed that the new movie establishes that "after Schindler's List (1993), the filmmaker's sensibility seems to have matured and switched gears." And while Gary Thompson in the Philadelphia Daily News dismissed the movie as "a nubby retread of precedented effects, " and Jay Carr in the Boston Globe, as "a DNA replicant posing as a sequel, " Michael Price in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote that it is "an improvement in every way over the 1993 original."

Lost Audiences At Lost World Previews
23 May 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Preview screenings of Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997) failed to attract big crowds late Thursday night, the Associated Press reported today (Friday). In what could be an ominous sign for the movie, which had been expected to outdraw the original Jurassic Park (1993) significantly (AP quoted Universal execs as saying that the studio expects to take in $80 million over the Memorial Day weekend), many theaters, particularly in smaller cities, reported empty seats.

A Bloodier Jurassic Movie Is Still Pg-13
21 May 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Although the Jurassic Park (1993) sequel, Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997), is significantly more violent than the original, it will be released with a PG-13 rating, a rating aimed at attracting teenage males, the New York Post observed today. The newspaper quoted John Krier, head of Exhibitor Relations, which tracks box-office results, as saying "Kids don't want to see a sissy picture. A PG-13 sounds a little more daring or innovative and not as sugarcoated to kids" as a G or PG-rated film. Said Paul Kagan analyst Mike Yocco: "It's a science. ... The largest segment of moviegoers in the summer are young males, and all these testosterone-charged movies are geared to kids, who may patronize a movie six or 10 times."

So How Big Will Lost World Be?
20 May 1997 (StudioBriefing)
Exhibitors are predicting that the opening of Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993) sequel, Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997), will set a Memorial Day record, outperforming the current record holder, last year's Mission: Impossible (1996), which took in $56.8 million, the Los Angeles Times reported today (Tuesday). But, the newspaper observed, they are divided about whether the new film will outperform the original, noting that few sequels have ever done so. Many analysts observe that the success of the first film represents a "mixed blessing, " since, although it increases awareness, it also reduces the element of surprise. But Universal Pictures chairman Casey Silver told the Times, "I'd like to have 6, 000 'mixed blessings' like that. ... This is going to be a huge profit center." Still, Universal marketing chief Buffy Shutt remarked, "I won't breathe easy until I see lines around the block."