MOVIEGOERS CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF "PIRATES"

If there was any concern over the world ending this weekend, Moviegoers certainly were undeterred from heading to the theatres this weekend.  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides debuts this weekend with an excellent $91.5 million, making it the biggest-grossing opening weekend for a Film in 2011.  Although not quite as successful as the second and third installments of the Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise -  Dead Man's Chest opened with $135 million back in 2006 - On Stranger Tides, doubled The Curse of the Black Pearl's $46.6 million opening back in 2003.  The Disney Franchise clearly has seen better days, but by no means is showing signs of stopping yet.

Truly embodying what it means to be a Bridesmaid by coming in second two weeks in a row, Universal Pictures' Bridesmaids brings in a healthy $20.9 million this weekend.  In two weeks the Comedy has earned $60 million, almost doubling the Studio's $32 million investment in production costs.

Paramount's Thor is still performing well, landing in third in its third week of release with $15.6 million, just ahead of another former Box Office champion Fast Five with $10.1 million.  Something Borrowed is still hanging on in the Top Ten in seventh, now surpassing the $30 million mark, while 20th Century Fox's Water for Elephants spends its fifth week there with $2.3 million in ninth spot. 

"BRIDESMAIDS" DEBUTS IMPRESSIVELY BEHIND "THOR"

Still from Bridesmaids

Thor shows no signs of stopping, landing on top of the Box Office again for a second week. The Marvel Comics adaptation brought in $34 million this weekend from 3,963 theatres, firmly planting Australian Actor Chris Hemsworth as a star in North America. Hemsworth is said to be starring next in the upcoming Snow White and the Huntsman 3-D adaptation set to film in Montreal with Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron.

Despite opening against a Monster, Universal Pictures' Bridesmaids exceeds expectations, debuting in second spot with $24.5 million from 2,918 theatres. The Comedy pairs Saturday Night Live alumni Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph together and actually has received stellar reviews also. Rotten Tomatoes pegs it in around the 90% mark on its Tomatometer, making it one of the best-reviewed films of 2011. To put this into perspective, despite this being R-rated and showing in only a fraction of theatres that Thor is, Bridesmaids actually is the real champion here.

Fast Five still is going strong this weekend and despite slipping to third in its third week of release, it still earns $20.2 million at the Box Office. Usher who was in Toronto this weekend, could not resist even and had to head to our AMC to see it Friday night!

"THOR" DOMINATES THE BOX OFFICE OVER A RESILIENT "FAST FIVE"

Still from Thor

Although there never was a doubt that it would debut at the top, the question always was just how big it would open. Thor is poised to bring in an impressive $66 million this weekend at the Box Office, equally making it a critical and Box Office hit. Rotten Tomatoes pegs the Marvel adaptation in at 78% on its Tomatometer.

Slipping to second spot but equally performing amazingly well is last week's number one Movie, Fast Five. The high-octane fifth installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise is set to bring in $35 million for Universal Pictures in its second week bringing its North American tally to $142 million.  Believe it.

Sony Pictures' Jumping the Broom starring a talented primarily Black cast of Angela Bassett, Omar Epps, Paula Patton and Loretta Devine exceeds expectations, debuting in third spot with $13.5 million.  The Comedy from Director Salim Akil received heavy promotion on Urban outlets like BET.

Warner Bros.' Something Borrowed had the misfortune of opening up against Fast Five and Thor, and is expected to land in fourth this weekend with $13.4 million.  Despite being targeted towards primarily a Female audience, surely many of those Women had the split decision of seeing those Blockbusters or this Rom-Com negatively impacting Something Borrowed's performance.

Rio is still going strong in its fourth week with $9.5 million for 20th Century Fox bringing its tally to $116 million, ahead of its Sister Film from the same studio Water for Elephants, which slips to sixth with $5.7 million.

Rounding out the Top Ten is Soul Surfer with $2.1 million in its fifth week.  To date it has made $36.7 million in its run.

INTERVIEW: COLIN EGGLESFIELD ON "SOMETHING BORROWED"

Colin Egglesfield

Colin Egglesfield might be familiar to many of you for his Television work on series like ABC's All My Children or The CW Network's Melrose Place, but he also is a burgeoning Film Star.  Sitting down to chat with me at his Yorkville Hotel on the Toronto stop-off of his Press Tour for Rom-Com Something Borrowed, the first thing he noticed when walking in the room was the temperature. "Wow, it's freezing in here", prompting his Publicist to adjust the temperature on the Thermostat of the Kitchen-equipped Suite.  Dressed in a gray Blazer and a Black Button-down (collar undone), his piercing blue eyes instantly ring of a strange familiarity.  A younger Tom Cruise, perhaps?  You bet.

One might wonder how it is that an Actor relatively unknown to Moviegoers had caught the attention of Executive Producers Molly Smith (P.S. I Love You) and Oscar-winning Hilary Swank, together looking to adapt Emily Giffin's New York Times Best Selling Novel.  Egglesfield revealed that Casting for the Luke Greenfield (The Girl Next Door) project was a one-month process. Despite Studio Executives being reluctant initially to give the Leading Role of the $40 million Film to an Actor unfamiliar, it partly was Swank's insistence which got him the coveted role of Dex over seven other Actors in-contention.  "Who is this guy?", Swank demanded to know after seeing Egglesfield's initial Casting Tape. The role of Dex has the Actor playing a Man torn between his love for soon-to-be Wife Darcy (Kate Hudson) and her Best Friend Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin).

Egglesfield tells me about his experience working with A-listers Hudson and Goodwin and how their approaches vary somewhat.  After getting to know each other during initial Chemistry Tests, both he and Goodwin had one week to get to know each other over Dinners prior to Filming. "There was a lot of relationship talk between us and I think we had a good  understanding of one another as our personalities are quite similar", he says.  Hudson he recalls, "just showed up and asked 'So what are we doing?'.  She is lots of fun and spontaneous. For her I had to wear my Improv Hat in order to make our scenes as real as possible.".

COLIN EGGLESFIELD IN TORONTO FOR PREMIERE OF "SOMETHING BORROWED" | AUTOGRAPH GIVEAWAY

Colin Egglesfield at Toronto Premiere of Something Borrowed

And the Ladies went crazy.  Colin Egglesfield has found some success as a Television Hunk, but perhaps the impermanence of it all was a blessing in disguise.  Known best for his work on ABC's All My Children as Dr. Josh Madden and  more recently on The CW Network's Melrose Place as Auggie Kirkpatrick, Egglesfield told an at-capacity Midtown audience tonight, "This is the performance I'm most proud of.".  

Egglesfield arrived in Toronto this evening for the Canadian Premiere of Luke Greenfield's take on Emily Gffin's Something Borrowed - a classic in the Chick Lit genre which six years after its initial release is still a New York Times Best Seller.  He plays Dex, a Man torn between his commitment to marry his Fiancé, the outrageous Darcy (Kate Hudson), and also feelings of lovelorn for the humble Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin)... Darcy's Best Friend.

The well-read Egglesfield who came dressed in a sharp silver suit by Simon Spurr, told the audience that he actually devotes time out of his busy schedule to read to Children at a School in Venice, California.  And if that weren't charming enough,  he went on to entertain the group, predominantly Women, with a Tom Cruise Monologue from Jerry Maguire, drawing loud cheers and laughter.  The topic of Cruise was brought up of course after one Female audience member noted that he resembles that fellow Hollywood Hunk quite a bit.

A former Model-turned-Actor, Egglesfield revealed that he was in Medical School before  Acting opportunities came knocking on his door. He admits, "I couldn't turn down an opportunity to act in a Movie with Kate Hudson!", when asked why he put aside his aspirations of becoming a Doctor. 

And for the question most Ladies wanted to know regarding his relationship status Egglesfield declared, "It's complicated!" perhaps sparking a collective sigh of relief that hope exists throughout the room?

Watch him field a Question below:

COLIN EGGLESFIELD TO VISIT TORONTO FOR "SOMETHING BORROWED"

Still from Something Borrowed

Things just got a little a lot hotter in the City.  Like me, I'm sure many of you are excited about Warner Bros.' upcoming release of Something Borrowed and I was thrilled to learn today that hunky Colin Egglesfield will be promoting the Flick in Toronto.    

Egglesfield, known for his work on popular TV series like Melrose Place, All My Children and more, will be here Wednesday, May 4, 2011 doing Press for the most eagerly-awaited Chick Flick of the Year.  Something Borrowed surely will propel him into the stratosphere of Hunkdom and on Desktop/Cell Phone Wallpapers around the World.

And have you entered to win a Pass for Two to the Toronto Premiere of Something Borrowed yet?  The Clock is ticking....  Do it now!

(Photo credit: Warner Bros.)

ENTER TO WIN 1 OF 5 ADVANCE SCREENING PASSES TO SEE "SOMETHING BORROWED"

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1 OF 5 ADVANCE SCREENING

PASSES TO SEE

SOMETHING BORROWED  ON  MAY 4, 2011

IN THEATRES MAY 6, 2011

Official Website

TRAILER FOR "SOMETHING BORROWED"

Finally, a proper Trailer for Something Borrowed has surfaced in all two-and-a-half minutes of its glory!  The Film directed by Luke Greenfield, based on the New York Times top-selling Book of the same title by Emily Giffin, seems to take a bit more of a comedic spin, playing-up Darcy's (Kate Hudson) cattiness up a notch but nonetheless I cannot wait to see it.  Ginnifer Goodwin as Rachel almost always is a pleasure to watch, as is John Krasinski from The Office.

Last Summer I got to meet Giffin when she visited Toronto for a Book Signing at Indigo, and in case you didn't catch it the first time, click here to see her thoughts on this Film's casting.  It's juicy.

Definitely the first big Chick Flick to grace theatres in 2011.  Something Borrowed will be released through Warner Bros. on May 6, 2011.

AUTHOR EMILY GIFFIN TORONTO'S INDIGO APPEARANCE

New York Times Best Selling Author Emily Giffin made an appearance at Manulife Centre's Indigo Bookstore after a very sudden postponement due to illness last month.  Giffin is in-town right now to promote latest novel Heart of the Matter, which steers away from the brand of Chick Lit she has found so much success with, in novels like Something Blue and Something Borrowed.  The latter, which is now being made into a film, is currently wrapping-up production in New York City; it is set to open in theatres June 2011 via Warner Bros.  

The very self-aware and funny author took time out to introduce herself to a predominantly female audience this evening, explaining that she began Writing after realizing that the structure of her former career of five years as a Lawyer didn't suit her.  Her Agent tried shopping her first Novel and she received Rejection Letters from all, pushing her harder to get where she is today.  Giffin claims, "Even though I know it's trying to say 'never give up on your dreams', you will get there if you keep putting effort into it", sharing that there are many talented Writers who don't necessarily find success based on their ability alone.

AUTHOR EMILY GIFFIN IN TORONTO

Best-selling author Emily Giffin who is one of the greatest authors in Chick Lit today, will be appearing at Manulife Centre's Indigo Bookstore (Bay x Bloor) tomorrow, Wednesday, June 16, 2010 Wednesday, July 7, 2010 between 7 to 9 PM for a Book Signing.  Giffin is promoting her latest work Heart of the Matter.

The author is best known for her 2005 novel Something Borrrowed and the accompanying Something Blue, in which a film is being based upon starring Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin, announced here previously.  Bring those cameras and Sharpies!  

(Photo credit: New York Times)

MORE PICS FROM THE SET OF SOMETHING BORROWED

Get a room, Kate Hudson! Just kidding. This is one of the first Paparazzi shots to surface from the set of Something Borrowed. As reported here earlier, the film based on the top-selling novel by Emily Giffin, is currently filming in New York City starring Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin. This shot I’m assuming is of Hudson (Darcy) making out with on-screen fiancé Colin Egglesfield, who plays Dex. Dex of course winds up having a hot affair with Goodwin’s character Rachel just a few months before Wedding Day. Did I forget to mention that Rachel is BFFs with Darcy? Now you get the picture.  Hey, it happens. Who wouldn’t pay money to watch that? Hurry up, 2011!!

View more photos over at Just Jared.  (Photo credit: Fame Pictures)

AN EARLY LOOK: SOMETHING BORROWED - THE MOVIE

Cuties Ginnifer Goodwin and Kate Hudson are confirmed to have been cast in Something Borrowed, an adaptation of the best-selling novel by Emily Giffin. Not sure if you've read it or not, but the novel is juicy like Tropicana with No Pulp. 

The story is about two young women who have been best friends since childhood, Rachel (Goodwin) and Darcy (Hudson).  With just months to go before Darcy's wedding, Rachel falls in love secretly with her fiancé Ethan (John Krasinski). 

Production is set to start in New York City very soon and the film, directed by Luke Greenfield (The Girl Next Door), will be in theatres 2011.  I must say that the casting choices are just perfect as Goodwin fits the passive likability of Rachel like a glove, whereas the character of Darcy is a biting, Ms. Have-It-All, which we all know Hudson is capable of as per her turn in Bride Wars... even though it never really turned out to fulfill the promise of its trailer.

This is definitely one to keep on your radar even if it's fractionally as good as the novel it's based upon.  Or then again, they could screw it up royally like they did with the disappointing adaption of Chick-Lit classic Confessions of a Shopaholic.... 

UPDATE: Colin Farrell has also been confirmed to join the cast. Amazing.  (Thanks Kris for the clarification!).

(Photo credit: Getty Images/AP)