Pirates Breaks Spider Man Opening Weekend Record

ComingSoon.net reports that "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" broke Spider-Man's $114.8 million opening weekend record. There's an update on Superman Returns box office as well:

Walt Disney Pictures' highly-anticipated Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Bill Nighy, broke Spider-Man's ($114.8 million) four-year-old opening weekend record with a massive $132 million from 4,133 theaters, the fourth-widest release ever. The movie made $55.5 million on Friday (the biggest single day and opening day in box office history, surpassing Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith ($50 million)), $44.7 million on Saturday (the fifth-biggest single day) and $31.8 million on Sunday, for an average of $31,944 per theater for the weekend. If estimates hold, this means that "Dead Man's Chest" crossed the $100 million mark in two days, which has never been done before - the previous fastest time was three days. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Gore Verbinski, the movie cost about $225 million to make. The third installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, hits theaters on May 25, 2007.

The big opening for "Pirates" caused Warner Bros.' Superman Returns to drop 58.4% in ticket sales, for a second weekend take of $21.9 million. The Bryan Singer-directed comic book adaptation, made for $260 million, has reached $141.7 million in 12 days.

Click here for the full box office report.

Caine Confirms Joker and Stan Lee's Spidey 3 Cameo

'Retroman' has sent in a couple of great links about the Batman Begins sequel and Spider-Man 3:

Here's some new information I thought might interest you.

Sir Michael Caine has confirmed that the Joker is in the sequel for Batman Begins! Read here.

There's also some brand new shots of Stan Lee on the Times Square, New York set of Spidey 3 shooting his cameo last month. View here.

New Spidey 3, 007 and Ghost Rider Banners

GreekGeek tells Superhero Hype! they took pictures of new Spider-Man 3, Casino Royale and Ghost Rider banners at Cinema Expo, which took place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands last week.

You can view the banners, along with artwork for many other upcoming films, at the link above.

Spider-Man 3: The Game Teaser Online!

You can now watch the Spider-Man 3: The Game teaser that was shown at E3 in Los Angeles online at GameVideos.com in QuickTime, Windows Media Player and Flash format! The game, for next generation consoles, is scheduled for a May, 2007 release.

Spider-Man 3 hits theaters on May 4, 2007.

Buckley's Artwork Gets Destroyed in Spidey 3

Cleveland's The Plain Dealer reports that local artist Denise Buckley's artwork will be destroyed in Spider-Man 3:

Buckley’s bronze sculptures were used as set decoration in the first two "Spider-Man" movies. This time, the film crew needed to rent five copies of each sculpture, because they will be destroyed in one scene.

Buckley, 64, made clay replicas of four sculpted heads, painted them to look like bronze, and shipped them to Los Angeles, where filming is taking place, she said. The sculpted heads are life-sized or larger.

She wasn't told any specifics about the sculpture-smashing scene, but she assumes they are destroyed in a big fight or explosion.

You can spot her sculptures in the living room of Peter Parker's friend Harry Osborn in "Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man 2." When she watches the movies at home, she stops the DVD and applauds when she spots one.

Buckley's students at Hawken School, where she teaches sculpture and art history, are impressed because her art appears in cool movies.

She'll see her artwork’s destruction when "Spider-Man 3" opens May 2007.

"We'll cheer when they're destroyed,” Buckley said. "I will not be in 'Spider-Man 4.' This is a swan song. But what a way to go!"

A Sneak Peek at the Spider-Man 3 Game

Activision has released the following announcement about its game line-up for the Electronic Entertainment Expo this week which includes Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Spider-Man 3:

Activision, Inc. today confirmed that the company is currently in development on three launch titles for both the PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ (formerly code named Revolution) platforms. The company has been working closely with both Sony Computer Entertainment America and Nintendo on the development of Call of Duty® 3 and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, which will be released on both next-generation systems, as well as on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The company also is developing two completely different games based on the Tony Hawk franchise – Tony Hawk's Project 8™ for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam™ for the Nintendo's new Wii system.

Additionally, at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo Activision will unveil a sneak peak from its highly anticipated Spider-Man 3™ video game that demonstrates the in-game model of the renowned Super Hero and the power of next-generation technology. Activision's Windows PC lineup is led by id Software's Enemy Territory™: QUAKE Wars, the highly-anticipated online team-based first-person action game.

These announcements underscore Activision's commitment to being a leader on all of the next-generation gaming systems. The company established an early leadership position on the Xbox 360 and according to the NPD Group, has the #1 Xbox 360 game with Call of Duty® 2. Activision's next-generation slate is anchored by well-established, recognizable brands that the company owns or controls.

Activision also announced its game lineup for the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo, taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from May 10 - 12, 2006. The company's slate showcases games for both next-and current-generation consoles and Windows PC platforms.

"Activision will showcase a diverse and well-rounded game slate at this year's E3 convention," said Mike Griffith, President and CEO, Activision Publishing, Inc. "We expect that our well-established brands and multi-platform development strategy should continue to provide us with an advantage in the new console era. The next-generation console systems feature significant visual and audio enhancements that will continue making video games more accessible to audiences worldwide."

Next-Generation Launch Titles:

Activision's PlayStation 3 system launch lineup will take advantage of the hardware's multi-core processing to deliver smoother, faster gaming experiences that will closely resemble feature film quality values. The company's launch games for Nintendo's Wii system will fully utilize the Wii's revolutionary freehand-style controller by offering more immersive gameplay.

Call of Duty 3, the follow-up to the #1 next-generation game, delivers the intensity of being closer than ever to the fury of combat during the battle for the Liberation of Paris, the most harrowing campaign of WWII, known as The Normandy Breakout. Through a seamless narrative, Call of Duty 3 delivers the rush of unrelenting battle and breathtaking action of the Allied offensive that changed the fate of the world. (PlayStation 3 system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii, Xbox, PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is an all-new action/RPG that features over 140 Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains and the largest roster of comic book characters ever seen in a video game. Players get to create their Super Hero team from over 20 playable characters including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Blade and Captain America, and through their actions determine the fate of both planet Earth and the Marvel Universe, which is revealed in one of several epilogues. (PlayStation 3 system, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSP™ (PlayStation® Portable) system, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Windows PC; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)

Designed and built exclusively for Nintendo's next-generation and handheld systems, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam delivers a totally innovative and unique skateboard experience focused on head-to-head racing. The game allows players to feel the breakneck speed of downhill competition as they tear up the world’s steepest terrains while performing tricks and outmaneuvering opponents in such locations as San Francisco, Machu Picchu and Hong Kong. Taking on the role of Tony Hawk or one of nine characters, players compete in time-based challenges in one of three gameplay modes including race, trick and slalom. (Wii, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)

Reengineered from the ground up for the PlayStation 3 system and Microsoft's Xbox 360, Tony Hawk's Project 8 immerses players in the definitive skateboarding experience using ultra-realistic graphics, enhanced physics and extremely responsive controls that simulate the feeling of skating with every trick and bail. The game challenges players to experience the intensity and pressure of skating against some of the world's top pros in true to life competitions as they aim to become the #1 skater. (PlayStation 3 system, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSP system; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)

Powerhouse E3 Lineup:

Set to redefine online action gaming, id Software's Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars is the ultimate team-and objective-based multiplayer experience. Developed by Splash Damage and executive produced by id Software, the first person strategic action game is set within the epic QUAKE® universe in the year 2065 and pits the Allied troops of the Global Defense Force (GDF) against a new Axis of Evil – the barbaric and technologically advanced Strogg. Built on id Software's new MegaTexture™ rendering technology and featuring strategic team play, persistent character promotions and the universe's most powerful weapons and vehicles, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars transports players to the frontlines of an epic new war for Earth. (Windows PC; not yet rated by the ESRB)

Building on The Movies™’ critically acclaimed gameplay, The Movies: Stunts & Effects™ Expansion Pack ups the ante on movie production with the addition of stuntmen, death-defying stunts and new stunt double characters; a new particle effects engine that let's players enhance their scenes with incredible visual effects including fireball explosions, shattering glass, smoke and steam; an all new "Freecam Mode" that allows players to adjust the camera location, angle, field of view and path to create truly unique movies; and the addition of new miniature sets that let players create dramatic sweeping angles. (Windows PC; summer; Rated “T” (Teen – Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Tobacco Violence) by the ESRB)

Based on DreamWorks Animation's upcoming film, Over the Hedge™ takes players on an all-new adventure beyond the movie as they assume the roles of RJ the raccoon, Verne the turtle, Hammy the squirrel and Stella the skunk and turn a suburban neighborhood loaded with dangerous obstacles and traps into their personal playground. (PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and the PC have been rated E10+; Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS have been rated E by the ESRB; available on North American retail shelves May 9)

X-Men: The Official Game catapults players into an original storyline that serves as a prelude to Twentieth Century Fox and Marvel Studios' upcoming film, "X-Men: The Last Stand," and allows them to command the distinct powers of Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Iceman as they face off against formidable enemies, battle through massive environments and embark on an epic quest to save mutant-kind. (Rated "T" (Teen - violence) for Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and PC by the ESRB; Rated "E-10+" (Everyone 10 and older – fantasy violence) for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance) by the ESRB; available on North American retail shelves May 16)

Building on last year's #1 poker title and the #1 brand in poker, World Series of Poker®: Tournament of Champions takes a story-based approach putting players on the Pro Circuit as a new pro and protégé of Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. Players test their skills at the premier Circuit Events in hopes of qualifying for the winner-take-all, invitation-only Tournament of Champions at the Rio Resort in Las Vegas. Along the way, they face-off against more top pros than ever before, including Joseph Hachem, the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion and Jennifer Tilly, the Academy Award nominated actress and World Series of Poker bracelet holder, among others in hopes of bringing home the Tournament of Champions trophy. (Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PC, PSP system; fall; not yet rated by the ESRB)

New Online Content:

Further expanding the experience of the #1 title for the Xbox 360, Activision will release four all new Call of Duty 2 Xbox 360 multiplayer maps at E3 that unleash a blistering barrage of battle for gamers. The four maps will be available via Xbox Live® online game network. The Bonus Pack features two maps set in Germany and will be released for free. While the Skirmish Pack contains two additional maps set in Russia and France will be sold for 400 Microsoft Points™ through Xbox Live® Marketplace.

The Spiderman 3 Fake Trailer

I already have one friend who fell into this faaaake.

Production just started on Spider-Man 3 and already a teaser trailer has poped up on the internet. The trailer which dipicts supervillian Venom, is not real. The fan creation was made by cutting together different movies.

The Venom character you see in the trailer is a modified Spawn. The sand pouring through the door is from the first Mummy remake. Call me impressed. Check out the trailer here.

Spiderman 3 Plot Revealed

Third film in the highly successful "Spider-Man" series sees several new villains and a new woman enter Peter Parker's life. With his secret now revealed to both Mary Jane and Harry, Peter must face the consequences of his actions and his new life together with Mary Jane as they finally form a relationship.


Yet their newfound open display of love has yielded some unfortunate results, not the least of which is Peter's upset boss determined to make his life hell for causing his son emotional distress. Not helping is a young investigative reporter named Eddie Brock who Jameson has hired to find out why Mary Jane dumped his son for Peter - what's Parker's secrets? At the same time an escaped prisoner hiding out on a remote beach is caught in a dreadful accident and finds himself turned into a shape-shifting sand creature.

Peter's investigations into the past of this 'Sandman' brings him in contact with two very different things that will inevitably alter his life. The first a young woman named Gwen Stacy, daughter of the city's new police chief who is developing a soft spot for Peter.