"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.

REVIEW: "HAYWIRE"

Still from Haywire

Covert Operative Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) is a wanted Woman. After successfully completing a mission in Barcelona with Aaron (Channing Tatum) to rescue a Journalist held hostage, she is then sent off to Dublin by her Handler Kenneth (Ewan McGregor), where she is paired with Paul (Michael Fassbender).  Mallory however, then realizes that she has become the target of a mission and must fight with everything she's got to stay alive, avoid her Pursuers and unravel the true reason behind the hunt in which she has become target.

Director Steven Soderbergh tries something new with Haywire and successfully keeps you on the edge of your seat with his slick storytelling and some riveting Action thrown into the mix.  Fans of Mixed Martial Arts star Carano have plenty to be excited about with some tightly choreographed fight sequences guaranteed to get the audience cheering. Just wait till you see Fassbender get trapped in a Body Scissors hold and lulled into deep slumber.  

As an Actress, Carano delivers her lines solidly albeit one-dimensional at times, and perhaps doesn't react enough to her ultimate betrayal to give us that extra ounce of push towards her.  Even with a stellar Supporting Cast of Men, this all is about her and she manages to carry her weight. Much of Haywire isn't so much dialogue-driven as it is about action and subtext and because key details are unveiled only late, some of the Story as a result is sacrificed.  Nonetheless, it is hard not to be entertained here.  Alliance Films releases Haywire on January 20, 2012.

FIRST LOOK: "MAGIC MIKE" STARRING ALEX PETTYFER, MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY & CHANNING TATUM

Still from Magic Mike

Finally, we get a first look at Steven Soderbergh's Male-Stripper Drama Magic Mike. The Film centers around The Kid (a now-buff Alex Pettyfer) who goes under the wings of a professional, more experienced Dancers named Mike (Channing Tatum) and Dallas (Matthew McConaughey). It is said that Tatum played a great part behind-the-scenes crafting the Story and that much of this is based upon his own experiences formerly as an Exotic Dancer.

Here we have the incredibly fit and good looking Cast ready to answer the call of the Drill Sargent (McConaughey), doing his nation proud with a flag tied around his neck.  Nothing like some good old-fashion Patriotism.

Speaking of Patriotism, Warner Bros. will be releasing Magic Mike right before 4th of July weekend on June 29, 2012 and I'm sure many of you are ready to salute!  

2012 will be a busy year for Tatum as he has Haywire out on January 20, 2012, Toronto-filmed The Vow out on February 10, 2012 in-time for Valentine's Day, 21 Jump Street on March 12, 2012 and G.I. Joe: Retaliation out on June 29, 2012.  His Ten Year, which premiered at TIFF last September also is still waiting on a release date also.  I'm out of breath just typing that....

(Photo credit: Warner Bros.)

NEW TRAILER FOR "HAYWIRE"

Still from Haywire

"You better run.".

Move over Angelina - there's a new Girl in town.  Mixed Martial Arts star Gina Carano looks super-convincing in Steven Soderbergh's new Action Thriller Haywire, in theatres January 2012.  She stars as a Secret Agent who gets betrayed ...and she looks rather pissed about it.

The Film which did the rounds at Comic-Con in San Diego this weekend looks rather promising with an A+-list Cast which includes Channing Tatum, Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas and Ewan McGregor.

Haywire isn't the only anticipated Film inspired by Mixed Martial Arts as Warrior starring Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton, gets a release this September.  And possibly a TIFF Premiere in September too after doing the rounds at Comic-Con?  Soderbergh last was represented at TIFF with  The Informant! in 2009, although his Contagion looks more likely to surface at TIFF with its forthcoming September release. Relativity Media will be distributing Haywire in the U.S.

Check out the Trailer in full below:

CHANNING TATUM IN MARCH ISSUE OF "GQ"

Channing Tatum in March 2011 issue of GQ

All around nice guy Channing Tatum graces the cover of March's GQ Magazine with Photos by Nathaniel Goldberg - some Photos fully clothed, some Photos not so fully clothed.  Does a Channing Tatum post really need many words?

Although the Actor's latest The Eagle under-performed at the Box Office this past weekend, he has plenty of chances to redeem himself this year with a total five Films to hit theatres in 2011 and three more to be released in 2012.  Son of No One, Ten Year and Haywire are slated for releases later this year.

Click here to see more Photos from the shoot.  You're welcome.

 

(Photo credit: Nathaniel Goldberg/GQ)