Tuesday, June 24, 2003
HULK MOVIE UPDATE
According to Box Office Mojo, The Hulk took in $6.2 million on Monday, pushing its total to $68.2 million.
The Monday box office indicates the film might not drop off as quickly as some analysts had predicted, causing Marvel's stock to drop 11 percent on Monday.
The Hulk was released in 3,660 theaters, yielding a per screen average of $16,975 over the weekend. It helped Universal Picture become the first studio to have three consecutive $50-plus million openings, following Bruce Almighty and 2 Fast 2 Furious.
Said Nikki Rocco, president of distribution for Universal Pictures, "This is not only an extraordinary launch for a brand new franchise for us, but with three of the top four movies, it was a phenomenal weekend for Universal."
Universal Pictures Chairman Stacey Snider said, "This remarkable opening, on the heels of what we've already accomplished so far this summer, is a testament to the limitless genius of Ang Lee and his superlative cast and crew, combined with the brilliant and tireless efforts of the entire studio. From production to marketing to distribution, to every other division of the company, this was a massive undertaking, and an achievement we are all very proud of."
Internationally, The Hulk opened number one in its initial overseas engagements in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Thailand and Ukraine for a total international box office of $3.5 million in 376 theaters.
In other Hulk news:
* Hulk star Jennifer Connelly will appear on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien on Tuesday.
* To read part one of an interview with director Ang Lee, CLICK HERE. Look for part two on Wednesday.
* To read an interview with producers Gale Anne Hurd and Avi Arad, CLICK HERE.
* To read an interview with star Eric Bana, CLICK HERE.
* For 120 other stills from the movie, CLICK HERE.
TOMB RAIDER TRADING CARDS
Inkworks is releasing Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life Premium Trading Cards on July 25.
The 81-card series features the action and settings of the film, including behind-the-scenes photography.
In addition to the base set, randomly inserted bonus cards include:
* Autographed Cards: One per box. Six different autographers including: Angelina Jolie - Lara Croft, Chris Barrie - Hillary, Ciaran Hinds - Dr. Jonathan Reiss, Til Schweiger - Sean, Simon Yam - Chen Lo, Jan De Bont - Director (Six different cards, approximately 1:36 packs).
* Pieceworks Cards: One per box. Two different cards featuring Lara Croft costumes worn by Angelina Jolie, the "silk tiger jacket" and the "silver wet suit." (Two different cards, 1:36 packs).
* The Cradle of Life: Nine cards that together create a foil puzzle featuring Lara Croft. (Nine cards, approximately 1:11 packs).
* The Secret of the Orb: Six different foil and die-cut cards. (Six cards, approximately 1:17 packs).
Each pack of Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life Premium Trading
cards contains eight cards and has a suggested retail price of $1.99.
Display boxes contain 36 packs. There is also a Lara Croft Tomb Raider
collector album and a limited, numbered uncut mini-press sheet of nine card
puzzle - The Cradle of Life.
SPIDER-MAN ANIMATED UPDATE
Silver Sable will guest-star in an episode of MTV's Spider-Man animated series called "Spider-Man Dis-Sabled."
The episode was originally titled "Shutterbuggery."
Silver Sable is voiced by Virginia Madsen.
Look for more on the show, which premieres on July 11, soon here in The Continuum.
TOPPS ACQUIRING WIZKIDS
The Topps Company announced on Tuesday it is acquiring Wizkids, the privately held designer and marketer of collectible strategy games, headquartered in Bellevue, Wash.
WizKids' current games include Mage Knight, HeroClix, and MechWarrior, all of which utilize collectible miniature figures with a patent-pending "combat dial" that encodes relevant game information in the base of each piece.
Topps Chairman and CEO, Arthur T. Shorin said, "The acquisition of WizKids represents an important step in our strategy for growing the Entertainment segment of the business as it provides efficient entry to the growing collectible games market. Founded in 2000, WizKids enjoys a strong reputation for its innovative game design, effective marketing skills, and high-level customer care. In addition to the existing product line, there is a healthy pipeline of new games in development."
Jordan Weisman, WizKids' co-founder and CEO, will be responsible for the day-to-day management of WizKids and its 94 employees. Weisman, 43, will report directly to Scott Silverstein, EVP and head of Topps Entertainment Division.
Weisman said, "We are delighted to join with Topps and look forward to enhancing the Company's product offerings with the addition of collectible strategy games. With the support of Topps resources, its distribution know-how, industry presence, and brands, we are excited to realize the full value of our game products and to play a role in the successful evolution of Topps entertainment lines."
The latest game to bear WizKids' stamp is Shadowrun Duels, which hits store shelves this month. Shadowrun combines full-sized action figures with a complete set of tabletop "combat" rules, combining imaginative play and rules-based game play. In September, WizKids is launching Creepy Freaks the Gross-Out 3-D Trading Game that combines the collectability of card games with the tabletop strategy of a miniatures game. It is also the first WizKids title designed exclusively for kids.
BRIEFLY
Copyright © 2003, The Comics Continuum