"CHRONICLE" GRABS SPOTLIGHT FROM "THE WOMAN IN BLACK"

Still from Chronicle

In an unexpectedly tight battle, 20th Century Fox lands on-top of the Box Office with their sleeper hit Chronicle. The Sci-Fi from 26-year-old Director Josh Trank is about three Friends who discover superpowers, only the find themselves growing more distant as a result of this.  It opens with $22.2 million from 2,907 theatres.

A v. close second is Daniel Radcliffe's first self-headlining Film outside the Harry Potter franchise, The Woman in Black. The Horror opened in 52 less theatres than Chronicle, getting edged-out ever so slightly for CBS Films, with $21.5 million. Both Top Two Films have opened to positive reviews overall, the former standing a 82% on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer, while the latter earned a 62%.

Last week's champion The Grey slips to third spot with $9.8 million, now earning an impressive $35 million total, ahead of debuting Action/Adventure flick Big Miracle starring Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski with $8.5 million in fourth.

Underworld: Awakening drops to fifth spot with $5.8 million, earning a total $54.6 million in three weeks for Sony Pictures, which is expected to take it all next weekend with The Vow starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams.

Meanwhile, in its twelfth week of release, Fox Searchlight's The Descendants is still in the Top Ten with $4.5 million this weekend. To-date, it has pulled in an impressive $65.3 million.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close also is showing some incredible staying power, rounding out the Top Ten with $3.8 million, for Warner Bros.

LIAM NEESON TAKES TOP OF BOX OFFICE WITH THIRD MOVIE IN-A-ROW

Still from The Grey

Liam Neeson finds himself atop the North American Box Office yet again, proving that older Men too can draw a crowd at the theatres. In fact, five of his last nine films to be released since 2010 have all debuted in the Top Two including his last three, The Chronicles of Naria: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Unknown and now this $25-million Action-Thriller The Grey earning $20 million from 3,185 theatres in its debut.

Underworld: Awakening which topped the Box Office last weekend, slips to second spot this weekend with $12.5 million, aheead of One for the Money, an Adaptation of the Janet Evanovich novel, opening in third with $11.8 million for Lionsgate Films from 2,737 theatres. Starring Katherine Heigl, the Action-Comedy was made for $42 million and fared well among older Women. Ticket sales also were driven by a partnership with Groupon in the U.S., offering tickets for just $6 and $12 for a pair of tickets, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Last week's runner-up Red Tails slips to third with $10.4 million.

Man on a Ledge from Summit Entertainment (recently acquired by Lionsgate Films in the U.S.), debuts in fifth spot with $8.3 million. The Action-Thriller starring Sam Worthington, edges-out Best Picture nominees Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close in sixth spot earning $7 million and also The Descendants in seventh with $5.7 million; both received a boost with Oscar nominations being announced last week.

2012 OSCAR NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Jennifer Lawrence announces 2012 Oscar Nominees

The 2012 Oscar nominations were announced bright and early this morning with the help of The Hunger Games Star Jennifer Lawrence and the surprises just wouldn't quit! Martin Scorcese came out on-top with an impressive eleven nominations, including Best Picture. Many also were surprised to see the sudden presence of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, which has been a non-presence much of Awards Season, only to pop-up finally for the coveted prize - a brilliant campaign by Warner Bros. to shape perceptions with as late a release as possible. Nonetheless, The Artist which has swept Best Picture awards coast to coast leading up to this, receives a stellar ten nominations. It is without a question the one to beat, although other Nominees The Descendants, Midnight in Paris, War Horse, Moneyball, The Tree of Life and The Help might have something to say about this.

Everyone is talking about some surprising omissions, namely both Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan for their mesmerizing work in Shame.  Elizabeth Olsen who is astoundingly good in Martha Marcy May Marlene also was nowhere to be found either and some are saying that Fox Searchlight which handled distribution for both Films in the U.S., had tapped-out its resources campaigning for its Prize Horse, The Descendants. Also, The Adventures of Tintin, widely considered a contender for Animated Feature Film at one point was overlooked altogether this year.

There were some real pleasant surprises to be had this morning, especially for Actor in a Supporting Role with Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn), Max von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close) and Nick Nolte (Warrior) all popping-up based on their powerful performances, to join category favourite, Christopher Plummer (Beginners).  Despite Warrior failing to garner critical and commercial success, it is thrilling that Nolte gets his due recognition as an alcoholic Father on-the-mend, hoping to repair his relationships with his two Sons.

"UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING": RUNAWAY WINNER AT BOX OFFICE

Still from Underworld: Awakening 3-D

Underworld: Awakening 3-D is a runaway winner at the Box Office this weekend, earning $25 million from 3,078 theatres for Sony Pictures, meaning that Kate Beckinsale has had two number one Films consecutively - last week, Contraband and now this fourth installment of the Underworld Franchise.

Red Tails defies all expectations, debuting in second spot for 20th Century Fox.  The World War II Film, funded and produced largely by LucasFilm (George Lucas' Production Company), earned $19 million from 2,512 theatres, just ahead of last week's champion, Contraband with $12.3 million in its second week.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close earned $10.2 million in its fifth week of release, now expanding to 2,630 theatres for Warner Bros.  Critics however, haven't been so responsive to this weekend's Top Four, with this one earning the highest score on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes at 49%.

Meanwhile, Steven Soderbergh's Haywire starring Mixed Martial Arts Star Gina Carano, opens in fifth spot with $8.6 million for Relativity Media garnering strong reviews at 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, just marginally ahead of Disney's Beauty and the Beast 3-D in its second week with $8.3 million.

The Iron Lady earns $3.7 million from 1,076 theatres in its second week of expansion.  Overseas it is faring rather well, bringing in $19.5 million already there.

ENTER TO WIN AN ADVANCE PASS TO SEE "EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE" IN TORONTO

Still from Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

I'm extremely honoured and incredibly pleased to be hosting this Giveaway together with Warner Bros. Canada.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has all the makings of a real Holiday Classic.  The heartwarming Story follows Oskar (Thomas Horn), an 11 year-old Boy who goes on a search throughout New York City to find the mysterious Lock to the Key his deceased Father left behind to him.  Oskar's Father Thomas (Tom Hanks) died in the World Trade Center Attacks. Stephen Daldry (The Hours, The Reader) directs.

This Advance Screening takes place in Toronto on Monday, December 19, 2011. Although the allotment of Tickets still are being finalized, you can click "like" on this Post at Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven on Facebook to enter.  All entries must be received by December 16, 2011.  Good luck, Mavenati - this is one you don't want to miss!

As an added Bonus, I will be on-hand following the Screening to hand all Winners a Copy of the Novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Movie Tie-in Edition) by Jonathan Safran Foer now in-stores from Thomas Allen.

(Photo credit: Warner Bros.)

ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF "EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE"

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Artwork

Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven & Thomas Allen & Son Ltd. are excited to offer five lucky Readers each a copy of the Movie Tie-in Edition of Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, in-stores November 1, 2011.

Nine-year-old Oskar Schell has embarked on an urgent, secret mission that will take him through the five boroughs of New York. His goal is to find the lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his Father, who died in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11. This seemingly impossible task will bring Oskar into contact with survivors of all sorts on an exhilarating, affecting, often hilarious, and ultimately healing journey.

The Warner Bros. film, out in Limited Release on Christmas Day in Canada, is produced by Scott Rudin and directed by Stephen Daldry (The Hours, Billy Elliot, The Reader), starring Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks, with supporting cast including John Goodman, Max von Sydow, James Gandolfini and Viola Davis.  Visit the Official Website here.

To enter to win a copy, Canadian Readers can click "Like" on this Post at Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven on Facebook.  Don't forget to follow me on Twitter too!  Good luck, Mavenati!  Your deadline is December 1, 2011.

WATCH THE TRAILER FOR "EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE"

Official Artwork for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Grab a Kleenex ...or ten. The Trailer for the Stephen Daldry's Adaptation of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close finally has surfaced. Quick-paced and melancholy, it looks to have that same Boy-like wonderment in the face of Tragedy that 2002's The Hours had and that same powerful storytelling 2008's The Reader possessed.

Although it originally was to be released via Warner Bros. in January 2012, it looks now like plans are ahead of schedule, pushing for a Christmas release, marking Sandra Bullock's first Film post-Oscar/Divorce and also what looks to be the start of a promising for Child Actor, Thomas Horn.

The post-911 Drama follows a Boy named Oskar (Horn) who searches New York for a Lock to the Key his Father (Tom Hanks) gave him prior to passing away. 

See the Trailer in full below:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SANDRA BULLOCK!

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock just may have gotten the sweetest Birthday gift ever today.  The Oscar-winning Actress who is currently busy working on two films, Gravity (opposite George Clooney) and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (opposite Tom Hanks), may or may not have heard that Ex-Husband Jesse James has called off his engagement to Author/Tattoo Artist Kat Von D.

James tells People Magazine today, "I'm so sad because I really love her (presumably Kat Von D).  The distance between us was just too much.".  How sad.  Surely he's got a Backup or ten in his Address Book somewhere.  Karma's a Bitch.

Happy Birthday, Sandra!  We all miss you and can't wait to have you back.

(Photo credit: Harper's Bazaar)

SANDRA BULLOCK & TOM HANKS FILM "EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE" IN NEW YORK CITY

In what looks like an absolute Tearjerker, Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks have begun filming their new project Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  This marks Bullock's return to work after a year marked by many personal highs and lows.
Set in New York City and based upon the 2005 Novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, it is about an eleven year-old Boy named Oscar (Thomas Horn) who goes on an all-out search for the lock to the key his Father (Hanks) left him before he was killed in the 9/11 Attacks.

Stephen Daldry, Director of sublime The Hours, helms the project which also features an excellent Cast of Jeffrey Wright, John Goodman, Viola Davis and James Gandolfini. 2012 Oscar Contender.

Just Jared has posted some snaps from the Set here.