The episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? covering The Descent was Written by Emilie Black, Narrated by Adam Walton, Edited by Jaime Vasquez, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

The decade comprised of the years 2000 to 2009 seems to be maligned by many horror fans as a bad period, a period where nothing good was released. Much like the decades before it when folks maligned the 1990s, 1980s, and now more recent movies, there was some bad stuff put out of course, but there were also a whole of good movies too. Some of them, like The Strangers in 2008, The House of the Devil in 2009, and Brotherhood of the Wolf in 2001 were excellent even. People often seem to paint the past in a better light and vilify the more recent eras when it comes to horror films. In 2005, plenty of horror films were released.

Actress Courteney Cox (“Friends”) poses for the latest issue of “The Sunday Times Style” (UK) magazine, wearing Giorgio Armani for photographer David Slijper:

Cox gained recognition for her starring role as ‘Monica Geller’ on the NBC sitcom “Friends” (1994-2004). She received further recognition starring as ‘Gale Weathers’ in the horror film franchise “Scream” (1996–present).

Cox also starred as ‘Lauren Miller’ in the NBC sitcom “Family Ties” (1987–1989), as ‘Lucy Spiller’ in the FX drama series “Dirt” (2007–2008) and as ‘Jules Cobb’ in the ABC/TBS sitcom “Cougar Town”.

Cox's other films include “Masters of the Universe” (1987), the comedy “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” (1994), the animated comedy “Barnyard” (2006), the fantasy comedy “Bedtime Stories” (2008) and the independent drama “Mothers and Daughters” (2016).

She also owns the production company Coquette Productions and worked as a director on her sitcom “Cougar Town”.

Click the images to enlarge…...

Paramount Pictures has made a blind script commitment to develop a new “Transformers” movie that has “Blue Beetle” director Angel Manuel Soto attached to direct, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.

“The Defenders” showrunner Marco Ramirez is set to write the script.

Details about the project are being kept under wraps, and it is currently unknown who will produce. The new untitled “Transformers” movie will be developed apart from the main universe of current films that Paramount has been making since 2007.

Steven Caple Jr., the director of 2018’s “Creed II,” will direct the next installment in the “Transformers” franchise for Paramount and Hasbro Studios. The film currently has a targeted release date of June 24, 2022. Paramount is also in the works on an animated “Transformers” film that has “Toy Story 4” director Josh Cooley attached.

Ramirez’s credits include television shows such as FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” and Netflix’s “Daredevil.

“Charm City Kings” director Angel Manuel Soto is set to direct “Blue Beetle,” DC Films and Warner Bros.’ first superhero movie starring a Latino character, individuals with knowledge of the project exclusively tells TheWrap.

The screenplay is from Mexican-born writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, who wrote Universal’s “Scarface” remake and Sony’s “Miss Bala.”

In DC Comics, Blue Beetle is the superhero alter ego used by three different heroes, but the film will focus on Mexican-American teenager Jaime Reyes, the third character to assume the Blue Beetle mantle.

“It is an honor to direct Blue Beetle, the first Latino superhero film for DC,” said Soto in a statement to TheWrap. “I want to sincerely thank everyone at Warner Bros. and DC for trusting me to bring Jaime Reyes to life. I can’t wait to make history together.”

The film is eyeing a fall production start, with Zev Foreman executive-producing for Warner Bros.

Breaking Glass Pictures has picked up North American distribution rights to Chilean producer Omar Zuñiga’s directorial feature debut, “The Strong Ones” (“Los Fuertes”).

Meikincine Entertainment handled the sale.

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best International Narrative Feature and the Audience Award at OutFest LA as well as Best Narrative Film at Florida’s OutShine Film Festival, “The Strong Ones” has been on the global film festival circuit and will soon have its New York premiere at NewFest.

Set against the dramatic beauty of southern Chile, “The Strong Ones” follows Lucas who travels to a remote town to visit his sister. There he meets Antonio who works on a local fishing boat. An intense romance grows between them despite their contrasting world views.

“This beautifully produced and acted film is about strength, love, finding oneself and about a deep connection between two men,” said Rich Wolff, CEO, Breaking Glass Pictures.

As August winds down, it’s time to look ahead to everything that’s hitting the major streaming services in September. As always, there’s an enormous haul of originals and newly licensed titles going up across Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu and Prime Video over the month, including content from every genre out there.

The first day of September brings the usual lengthy list of movies arriving on most of the sites. Just a few of the highlights include all three Back to the Future films returning to Netflix, every entry in the Twilight saga arriving on Hulu and countless iconic movies going up on HBO Max, including Grease, Miss Congeniality and V for Vendetta. Also, Doctor Who fans will want to take note, as the most recent season of the show lands on HBO Max the same day.

Feel free to inspect the full list of everything...

Although it still has a long way to go to catch up to Netflix, HBO Max is gradually building a reputation for both an impressive library of content and its own original programming. As well as reportedly working on a number of Batman-focused series, the WarnerMedia streamer is also absorbing shows from DC Universe, and funding the Snyder Cut of Justice League. We now know what’s coming to HBO Max in September, and there’s plenty there for subscribers to sink their teeth into.

The big original series highlight next month is the Ridley Scott-produced Raised by Wolves, which explores two androids raising human children. Created by Adam Guzikowski, the program could be one of HBO Max’s first big hits with critics and audiences, and is set to arrive on September 3rd. Other notable originals include comedy Unpregnant, wherein a pregnant teenager travels to Mexico with her...

HBO Max is out with its list of everything new coming to the streaming service in the month of September.

Highlights include Ridley Scott’s “Raised by Wolves,” out Sept. 3, which follows two androids raising a human child on a distant planet; “Coastal Elites” starring Bette Midler, Kaitlyn Dever, Dan Levy, Sarah Paulson and Issa Rae, out Sept. 12, and “The Murders at White House Farm,” which is out in Sept. but doesn’t yet have an exact premiere date.

Others without a premiere date coming in Sept. include season one of “Haute Dog,” “Mo Willems: Don’t Let the Pigeon Do Storytime!” and seasons one through three of “The Great Pottery Throw Down.”

Also Read: 'Lovecraft Country' Premiere Draws 1.4 Million Multiplatform Viewers - Including HBO Max

Read the full list below:

Sept. 1

93Queen, 2018

All The Right Moves, 1983 (HBO)

The Astronaut Farmer, 2007 (HBO)

Badlands, 1973

Ballmastrz: 9009, 2018

Bandidas, 2006 (HBO)

Barnyard, 2006 (HBO)

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,...

WarnerMedia’s grand streaming experiment continues apace with HBO Max’s list of new releases for September 2020.

This month, HBO Max is bring some serious dramatic heat with the Ridley Scott-directed sci-fi series Raised by Wolves arriving on Sept. 3. And if science fiction isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, then HBO Max has identified something that is: true crime. The Murders at White House Farm will arrive at a date to be determined in September.

In addition to those intriguing original offerings, HBO Max is making the best of its WarnerMedia library this month. Doctor Who season 12 makes its long-awaited streaming debut on Sept. 1. Also arriving on the first of the month are Clerks, Election, and the hopefully-not-too-timely V for Vendetta.

Recent horror hit The Invisible Man arrives on Sept. 19. It is complemented by HBO Max original comedy Unpregnant on Sept. 10.

Here is everything else coming to HBO Max this month.

Alexandra Codina got involved with filmmaking right after college. Following her job as a production assistant in New York, she began working with the Miami Film Festival in 2002, where she learned to further pursue a career in the filmmaking industry. Codina ran the community programming and outreach areas of the festival until 2005, when she confidently decided to fully pursue documentary production. In 2010, her first feature film, “Monica and David,” was picked up by HBO.

“Because I worked [at the Miami Film Festival], I made a lot of friendships with people in the industry so when I was ready for ‘Monica and David’ it wasn’t as frightening to go out there and to try to sell the film and to try to talk to people as peers,” she says.

This year, Codina returns to the Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival with her feature “Paper Children,” a drama centered on the immigration crisis at the United States-Mexico border.

Netflix on Monday unveiled seven new original preschool series in the works at the streaming company, including a CG animated comedy adventure to premiere this year that serves as an expansion of DreamWorks Animation’s How To Train Your Dragon franchise.

The new series — five animated, one nonfiction, one live-action — aimed at Netflix’s global audience of kids ages 2-6 join previously announced originals on the launchpad including DreamWorks Archibald’s Next Big Thing, Go! Go! Cory Carson and Chico Bon Bon.

They will join current series in the space like Ask the StoryBots, Chip and Potato, Mighty Little Bheem, Motown Magic, Super Monsters, True and the Rainbow Kingdom, Word Party and YooHoo to the Rescue. The content is available on Netflix Kids, a portal that gives adults the ability to prevent access to certain content on their account via age restrictions and PINs.

“With high-quality, age-appropriate programming for kids at every age and stage,...

New Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins has made a second key programming executive hire, bringing in Oscar-nominated producer Ramsey Naito as Evp of Animation Production and Development. Based in Nickelodeon’s Burbank studio, Naito will be in charge of the network’s animation content across all formats and platforms– digital, TV and film, reporting to Robbins.

Naito replaces Chris Viscardi, Svp of Animation and Development at Nick, who will move into a producer role for the network, overseeing the creation of feature-length animated content for both Nickelodeon and third-party digital and linear platforms.

The appointment of Naito follows Robbins’ recent hire of longtime close associate Shauna Phelan to the newly created position as Svp, Live-Action Scripted Content, for the Nickelodeon Group.

“Ramsey is a proven hit-maker and creative leader who has helped bring to life some incredibly imaginative characters for audiences of all ages,” said Robbins. “One of our goals is...

Nickelodeon has hired Oscar-nominated “Boss Baby” producer Ramsey Naito as executive vice president of Animation Production and Development, in charge of the network’s animation content across all formats and platforms — including digital, TV and film — Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins announced Tuesday.

Naito will be based in Nickelodeon’s Burbank, California, studio and report directly to Robbins. This marks Robbins’ second hire since he took over Nick last month. Last week, he named Shauna Phelan head of Nick’s live-action scripted content.

Chris Viscardi, Nickelodeon’s former senior vice president of Animation and Development who was previously leading the department, will now be moving into a producer role for the children’s network. He will oversee the creation of feature-length animated content for both Nickelodeon and third-party digital and linear platforms.

Also Read: Nickelodeon Hires Awesomeness Exec Shauna Phelan to Lead Live-Action Division

Naito will be responsible for managing Nickelodeon...

Comedian and actor Kevin James has signed with UTA.

James most recently was seen in his Netflix stand-up special Never Don’t Give Up, which he also wrote and executive produced. On the television side, James is known for his starring role on Kevin Can Wait, which ran for two seasons on CBS, as well as hit comedy series The King of Queens, which he helmed for nine seasons. The long-running CBS comedy which successfully runs in syndication, was executive produced by James and earned him an Emmy nomination for his role.

On the film side, James has produced, co-written and starred in films including Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, Zookeeper and Here Comes The Boom. He made his feature debut in Hitch opposite Will Smith and has starred alongside Adam Sandler in Pixels, Grown Ups, Grown Ups 2 and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry.

Hulu has confirmed that several of its original series will be debuting new episodes on the streaming service in August, including more installments in the first season of the critically acclaimed Stephen King thriller “Castle Rock” as well as more of season 2 of the costume drama “Harlots” and season 4 of the comedy “Casual.” And there will also be new to Hulu seasons of some of your favorites from other networks, including season 3 of “Insecure” and season 4 of “Ballers.”

Likewise, there will be plenty of movies making their first Hulu appearances including the Oscar-winning “Leaving Las Vegas” and “Lost in Translation” and the recent nominee “Baby Driver.”

See Netflix schedule: Here’s what is coming and leaving in August

Available August 1

A Conspiracy to Rule: The Illuminati

American Gigolo

American Ninja

American Ninja III: Blood Hunt

Babe

Be Cool

The Beatles: Made on Merseyside

Black Hawk Down

Black Mask

Black Rain...

Paramount Pictures has named “The Boss Baby” producer Ramsey Naito to the post of executive vice president at Paramount Animation.

Naito received an Oscar nomination for DreamWorks Animation’s “The Boss Baby” along with Tom McGrath. She will report to Paramount Animation’s president, Mireille Soria. Paramount made the announcement Thursday.

“I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Ramsey for a number of years,” Soria said. “She is a consummate professional with incredible creative instincts and relationships. I am so excited for her to bring her skills and energy to our growing team.”

Naito will oversee production on the next SpongeBob SquarePants movie. She will actively seek new projects for development and animation talent to work with the division. Naito will work with Soria to build cross-divisional opportunities with Nickelodeon and parent company Viacom’s other brands.

In addition to the third installment of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” Paramount...

Ramsey Naito, who most recently produced DreamWorks Animation’s Oscar-nominated feature The Boss Baby, has joined Paramount Animation as Executive VP. She will report to Paramount Animation President Mireille Soria.

Paramount Animation also has added Emily Nordwind as VP Production and Development, Katherine MacDonald as VP Production and Marketing and Maya Kambe as a creative executive.

In her new job, Naito will not only oversee production on the next SpongeBob SquarePants movie but she will actively seek out new projects for development and animation talent to work with the division. In addition to the third installment of SpongeBob SquarePants, Paramount Animation’s upcoming slate also includes Wonder Park (newly retitled from Amusement Park), which is set to bow on March 15, 2019.

Naito also will work with Soria to also build cross-divisional opportunities with Nickelodeon and parent company Viacom’s other brands.

“I have had the privilege of knowing and working with...

Director Michael Bay has tapped John Goodman and Ken Watanabe to voice two all new Autobots in his highly anticipated film Transformers: Age Of Extinction, the fourth film in the global blockbuster franchise from Paramount Pictures.

Goodman and Watanabe will join legendary voice actors Peter Cullen and Frank Welker.

Goodman will play Autobot Hound, Watanabe will play Drift, while Cullen reprises his role as the voice of Optimus Prime, and Welker takes on another new character, Galvatron.

“I am pleased to welcome two gifted and versatile actors, John Goodman and Ken Watanabe, to the world of Transformers,” said Bay. “And to reteam with Peter and Frank, who have brought Transformers characters alive from the beginning. I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the best voice talent in the business, and together we will introduce several exciting new robots to fans of the franchise around the world.”

Rounding out...

Four new nationwide releases enter an already crowded marketplace this weekend. Elysium, the last of this Summer 2013's $100 million-budgeted movies, should take first place, though it may fall short of matching director Neill Blomkamp's 2009 hit District 9.Meanwhile, Cars spin-off Planes will likely wind up in second, while We're the Millers and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters should also do decent business following their solid openings on Wednesday. Overall, this is going to be one of the biggest weekends ever in August with a combined take north of $150 million.Opening at 3,284 locations, Elysium is this year's latest movie to test audience interest in original sci-fi. Oblivion and Pacific Rim both opened to $37 million; Oblivion closed below $90 million, while Pacific Rim should inch past $100 million. Meanwhile, After Earth bombed with just over $60 million, though that had its own share of unique issues. For a handful of reasons, it's likely that...

With model-turned-actress in two movies opening the same day, we look back at (and forward to) other stars' box-office twofers.

By Amy Wilkinson

Brooklyn Decker in "Battleship"

Photo: Universal Pictures

If you have a thing for busty blondes, we suggest you pencil a double feature into your weekend plans, seeing as model-turned-actress Brooklyn Decker stars in not one, but two movies opening Friday: the blow-'em-up action flick "Battleship" and the pregnancy rom-com "What to Expect When You're Expecting."

In the Decker vs. Decker showdown, box-office analysts seem to agree that "Battleship" will sink "What to Expect," though it's unlikely either will unseat reigning superheroes of the cinema, "The Avengers," who are eyeing their third first-place weekend. Nonetheless, having two films open on a single day is a neat distinction for the 25-year-old actress, though one that's not as rare as you might think. Here are a cluster of stars who...

With model-turned-actress in two movies opening the same day, we look back at (and forward to) other stars' box-office twofers.

By Amy Wilkinson

Brooklyn Decker in "Battleship"

Photo: Universal Pictures

If you have a thing for busty blondes, we suggest you pencil a double feature into your weekend plans, seeing as model-turned-actress Brooklyn Decker stars in not one, but two movies opening Friday: the blow-'em-up action flick "Battleship" and the pregnancy rom-com "What to Expect When You're Expecting."

In the Decker vs. Decker showdown, box-office analysts seem to agree that "Battleship" will sink "What to Expect," though it's unlikely either will unseat reigning superheroes of the cinema, "The Avengers," who are eyeing their third first-place weekend. Nonetheless, having two films open on a single day is a neat distinction for the 25-year-old actress, though one that's not as rare as you might think. Here are a cluster of stars who...

Craig here with Take Three. Today: Danny Glover

Over the last decade Glover hasn’t seen the prolonged exposure that he once enjoyed, yet mostly still deserves. But he’s been doing good work in a vast array of projects, both mainstream and arthouse none the less. In a quintet of artful independents The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Manderlay (2005), Bamako (2006), Honeydripper (2007) and Blindness (2008) he gave strong, varied turns. Barnyard, The Shaggy Dog (both 2006) and Alpha and Omega added family fare to his résumé. A couple of pay-the-rent Saws (first and fifth) and a thankless turn in Death at a Funeral (2010) didn’t harm his career. A couple of presidential engagements, Battle for Terra (2006) and 2012 (2009), kept him afloat. And finally some bona fide solid gold support in Dreamgirls (2006) and Shooter (2007) reminded multiplex audiences just how good he is.

Take One: Be Kind Rewind (2008)

But the most recent role in which he’s perhaps...

By Scott Mendelson

HollywoodNews.com: Paramount released its first non-Dreamworks cartoon in nearly five years this weekend. And indeed, the number one film by a long shot was Gore Verbinski’s Rango (teaser). The critically-acclaimed and nearly-existential Johnny Depp vehicle grossed $38 million over the three-day weekend. That’s the biggest opening for a Paramount animated feature not from Dreamworks, although it’s slightly behind in attendance compared to the $32 million opening of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie back in November of 2004. Paramount’s animated fare has been exclusively Dreamworks since the August 2006 release of Barnyard: The Original Party Animals. Since they acquired Dreamworks in early 2006, they’ve basically been just releasing the Katzenberg cartoons. But prior to that, they actually had a good thing going with Nickelodeon, although they have released a few Nickelodeon live-action co-ventures over the last few years (Charlotte’s Web, Hotel For Dogs, etc). This will hopefully...

Justin Bieber came on strong on Friday, but didn't have the stamina to take the weekend from defending champ Adam Sandler. Nipping on both Bieber and Sandler's heels were some hefty garden gnomes. Courting his core audience and the date crowd and perhaps alienating both to a certain degree, Just Go With It was below par for an Adam Sandler vehicle, but nonetheless marked his 11th No. 1 movie. It drew an estimated $31 million on around 4,900 screens at 3,548 locations, and it should dominate Valentine's Monday and the rest of the weekdays. Sandler's last romantic comedy, 50 First Dates, notched $39.9 million in its Feb. 2004 opening weekend, or the equivalent of over $51 million adjusted for ticket price inflation (though it was bolstered by Presidents Day). Attendance was also down from Sandler's prior February romantic comedy The Wedding Singer. For co-star Jennifer Aniston, Just Go With It's start was slightly better than her last February release,...

Universal Pictures has recruited Taylor Lautner ("The Twilight Saga: New Moon") to star in its upcoming film based on Hasbro's action figure "Stretch Armstrong," which will open everywhere in 3D in 2012.

The film is based on the toy brand that gained popularity in the 1970s and was relaunched in the '90s. Steve Oedekerk ("Barnyard," "Evan Almighty") wrote the screenplay, and Brian Grazer will serve as producer.

"...Taylor has emerged as a real star at the global box office. He brings the perfect balance of energy and athleticism to the role of an unlikely super hero with a fantastic super power," said Uni's Donna Langley.

In related news, Universal also moved Peter Berg's "Battleship" to May 25, 2012. "We believe in Pete Berg and the incredible vision that he and the Battleship team have for this film," said the studio's Adam Fogelson.

Lautner will also soon be seen in "Valentine's Day,...

What appears to be the new golden team around Hollywood is director Jon Favreau and actor Robert Downey Jr. Although they only have the successful Iron Man in common as of yet, the two reunited to make Iron Man II and apparently enjoy working with each other so much that they have now jumped aboard another project as a team, so reports The Hollywood Reporter's new blog Heat Vision [1]. So what will Favreau and Downey Jr. reunite on? Apparently it'll be another comic book adaption, albeit not one as well known as Marvel Comics' Iron Man. The name's Cowboys & Aliens, and it's about the crazy scenario of what would happen if aliens invaded Arizona in the mid-1800's during the ongoing rivalry between the classic wild west enemies of cowboys and Indians. The project is being executive produced and scripted by Star Trek scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci along...

Jason Bourne returns to America in his quest to discover his true identity, and North American moviegoers embraced his homecoming as "The Bourne Ultimatum" rushed to an estimated $70.2 million opening weekend.

Although Universal Pictures' propulsive chase movie dominated the frame, Buena Vista Pictures' "Underdog" found some favor with family audiences. But the weekend's other new wide arrivals, Paramount Pictures' comedy "Hot Rod" and Lionsgate's teen outing "Bratz: The Movie", received the cold shoulder.

The PG-13 "Ultimatum" -- with Paul Greengrass, who directed "The Bourne Supremacy" three years ago, again at the helm -- raced past the bows of 2002's "The Bourne Identity", which opened to $27.2 million, and 2004's "Supremacy", which arrived to $52.5 million.

Applauded by critics -- it earned a 94% approval rating at RottenTomatoes.com -- the film written by Tony Gilroy, Scott Z. Burns and George Nolfi and produced by Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley and Paul Sandberg earned an A from moviegoers according to CinemaScore as it racked up a per-theater average of $19,175.

The latest film in the spy series based on the Robert Ludlum novels established a new record for the best August opening, surpassing the $67.4 million bow of "Rush Hour 2" in 2001. Its Friday gross of $24.65 million was a new in-house record for Universal, whose previous best Friday had been posted by 2003's "Hulk". It also topped all the openings of the James Bond movies and established personal bests for Greengrass and star Matt Damon.

"Moviegoers seemed to sense that something great was going to happen -- reviewers and audiences alike rated this one the best one yet," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said. "Matt Damon, Paul Greengrass and Frank Marshall all delivered, and all the stars just aligned right."

Led by "Bourne", the weekend's top 10 films collected $158.8 million, up 37% from the comparable frame a year ago, according to Nielsen EDI. Last year at this time, Sony Pictures' "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" bowed to $47 million, followed by Paramount's animated "Barnyard" in the second spot with $15.8 million.

Sixteen full-length animated features have qualified to compete in the best animated feature film category at the 79th annual Academy Awards.

Under Academy rules, the full house of qualifiers means that the Academy could nominate as many as five films in the category when the nominees are announced Jan. 23. It's the first time since 2002 that that has been the case.

The list includes lots of movies with talking critters: Buena Vista's The Wild, DreamWorks Animation's Flushed Away and Over the Hedge, Paramount Pictures' Barnyard, Sony Pictures' Open Season, Warner Bros. Pictures' The Ant Bully and Happy Feet and 20th Century Fox's Ice Age: The Meltdown.

Other titles that made the cut include Buena Vista and Pixar Animation's Cars, Fox's Everyone's Hero, Sony's Monster House, and Universal's Curious George, as well as Warner Independent Pictures' indie offering A Scanner Darkly.

Several films from abroad also qualified: Director Luc Besson's Arthur and the Invisibles, set for release from the Weinstein Co. and MGM; Satoshi Kon's Paprika, from Sony Pictures Classics; and Christian Volckman's Renaissance, from Miramax Films.

During the typical mid-fall breather until the avalanche of year-end holiday offerings swamp overseas screens, the fashion trend started by The Devil Wears Prada remained in style for a fourth straight week. But a number of other stylists introduced their wares in the hopes of picking up some of the boxoffice action before the start of the holiday season.

In Germany, locally produced films dominated the market, with the fairy-tale parody Seven Dwarves 2 hitting the top of the boxoffice chart with an opening round of $6.6 million from 799 screens. Altogether, Seven Dwarves 2's weekend total came to $8.8 million with the addition of Austria and German-speaking Switzerland.

In countries where there are spot school holidays, animated films took charge. In Italy, DreamWorks CG-animated entry Over the Hedge took first place with $2.1 million from 452 screens. In Brazil, three animated films vied for family patronage, with the Weinstein Co.'s Hoodwinked at No. 1, UIP's Barnyard at No. 4 and Sony's Open Season at No. 5.

Lionsgate's horror sequel Saw III went to the top in the U.K. with $4.7 million from 374 screens. At the same time, Clint Eastwood's well-received Flag of Our Fathers picked up an estimated $3.3 million from 752 prints in four markets, with Japan opening to $1.6 million (No. 2) from 289 prints and France opening to $1.6 million (No. 2 in the Paris metropolitan region) from 430 prints nationwide. But 20th Century Fox's Russell Crowe starrer A Good Year, from director Ridley Scott, failed to excite the U.K., entering the market in ninth place with $715,000 from 276 screens.

Prada remained the big surprise of the fall season as it pulled in $17.6 million on its fourth weekend at No. 1 from 4,335 screens in 53 markets to lift its international gross to $130.4 million. South Korea, which has been shunning Hollywood offerings for many weeks, opened its arms to the Meryl Streep starrer about a fashion magazine with a top-of-the-market splash of $2.9 million from 239 screens. No. 1 receptions also came from Belgium, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Estonia. And a second weekend holdover in Germany ($2.9 million) delivered a total of $13.7 million while a third weekend in Italy ($2 million) resulted in a market cume of $11.8 million.

During the typical mid-fall breather until the avalanche of year-end holiday offerings swamp overseas screens, the fashion trend started by The Devil Wears Prada remained in style for a fourth straight week. But a number of other stylists introduced their wares in the hopes of picking up some of the boxoffice action before the start of the holiday season.

In Germany, locally produced films dominated the market, with the fairy-tale parody Seven Dwarves 2 hitting the top of the boxoffice chart with an opening round of $6.6 million from 799 screens. Altogether, Seven Dwarves 2's weekend total came to $8.8 million with the addition of Austria and German-speaking Switzerland.

In countries where there are spot school holidays, animated films took charge. In Italy, DreamWorks CG-animated entry Over the Hedge took first place with $2.1 million from 452 screens. In Brazil, three animated films vied for family patronage, with the Weinstein Co.'s Hoodwinked at No. 1, UIP's Barnyard at No. 4 and Sony's Open Season at No. 5.

Lionsgate's horror sequel Saw III went to the top in the U.K. with $4.7 million from 374 screens. At the same time, Clint Eastwood's well-received Flag of Our Fathers picked up an estimated $3.3 million from 752 prints in four markets, with Japan opening to $1.6 million (No. 2) from 289 prints and France opening to $1.6 million (No. 2 in the Paris metropolitan region) from 430 prints nationwide. But 20th Century Fox's Russell Crowe starrer A Good Year, from director Ridley Scott, failed to excite the U.K., entering the market in ninth place with $715,000 from 276 screens.

Prada remained the big surprise of the fall season as it pulled in $17.6 million on its fourth weekend at No. 1 from 4,335 screens in 53 markets to lift its international gross to $130.4 million. South Korea, which has been shunning Hollywood offerings for many weeks, opened its arms to the Meryl Streep starrer about a fashion magazine with a top-of-the-market splash of $2.9 million from 239 screens. No. 1 receptions also came from Belgium, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Estonia. And a second weekend holdover in Germany ($2.9 million) delivered a total of $13.7 million while a third weekend in Italy ($2 million) resulted in a market cume of $11.8 million.

It was no race to the top spot of the boxoffice this past weekend, as Sony Pictures' Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby won the boxoffice derby in a landslide victory. The NASCAR satire starring Will Ferrell earned a remarkable $47 million, lifting the weekend's boxoffice a stunning 18% from the same period last year. Paramount Pictures' animated flick Barnyard was also a solid performer, earning $15.8 million for the three-day frame. Lionsgate was successful in drawing in the horror fans for its screamfest The Descent, with an $8.9 million opener, though Miramax had a tough time luring in adults for its drama The Night Listener, earning only $3.5 million at the boxoffice. Miami Vice, the No. 1 film at the boxoffice last weekend, had a tough time bringing in the crowds for its second session. The Michael Mann-directed film was off a steep 60% for its sophomore session, earning $10 million for a two-week cume of $46 million. Warner Bros. Pictures didn't have it any easier at the boxoffice for its second session of The Ant Bully. The animated film from Jimmy Neutron creator-director John A. Davis fell 54% to earn a paltry $3 million. The film, which during the week had some strong numbers, has earned $18 million after 10 days of release.

Will Ferrell and NASCAR proved to be a winning combination during the weekend as Sony Pictures' spoof Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby scored $47 million at the North American boxoffice. That number was a whopping 53% above last year's No. 1 opener on the comparable weekend, when Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dukes of Hazzard opened to $30.7 million. As a result, the weekend's top 12 movies collectively grossed an estimated 18% over last year's frame. Also contributing to the high-performing weekend was Paramount Pictures' Barnyard, which placed second with $15.8 million.

Will Ferrell and NASCAR proved to be a winning combination during the weekend as Sony Pictures' spoof Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby scored $47 million at the North American boxoffice. That number was a whopping 53% above last year's No. 1 opener on the comparable weekend, when Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dukes of Hazzard opened to $30.7 million. As a result, the weekend's top 12 movies collectively grossed an estimated 18% over last year's frame. Also contributing to the high-performing weekend was Paramount Pictures' Barnyard, which placed second with $15.8 million.

Will Ferrell and NASCAR proved to be a winning combination during the weekend as Sony Pictures' spoof Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby scored an estimated $47 million at the North American boxoffice. That number was a whopping 53% above last year's No. 1 opener on the comparable weekend, when Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dukes of Hazzard opened to $30.7 million. As a result, the weekend's top 12 movies collectively grossed an estimated 18% over last year's frame. Also contributing to the high-performing weekend was Paramount Pictures' Barnyard, which placed second with an estimated $16 million.

Will Ferrell and NASCAR proved to be a winning combination during the weekend as Sony Pictures' spoof Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby scored an estimated $47 million at the North American boxoffice. That number was a whopping 53% above last year's No. 1 opener on the comparable weekend, when Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dukes of Hazzard opened to $30.7 million. As a result, the weekend's top 12 movies collectively grossed an estimated 18% over last year's frame. Also contributing to the high-performing weekend was Paramount Pictures' Barnyard, which placed second with an estimated $16 million.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby roared out of the starting gate Friday. The NASCAR-set comedy starring Will Ferrell and released by Sony Pictures grossed an estimated $18.1 million Friday, according to the boxoffice tracking site boxofficemojo.com. That sets up the movie for an opening weekend in the high $40 million to low $50 million range. The animated Barnyard from Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies also posted encouraging numbers, capturing the second spot with an estimated Friday gross of $5.5 million, more than double the $2.6 million Friday opening of Warner Bros. Pictures' The Ant Bully last weekend.

With a heat wave engulfing much of the country, Sony Pictures is even better positioned to dominate the weekend with its broad comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, which bows today. Armed with the broad appeal of Will Ferrell and NASCAR, the film from director Adam McKay is likely to put Ferrell back atop the comedy heap as moviegoers crowd into air-conditioned theaters. Other pictures looking to earn some coin this frame include yet another animated film, Paramount Pictures' Barnyard; Lionsgate Films' horror flick The Descent; and Robin Williams' dramatic turn in The Night Listener. The comparable weekend last year saw the debut of Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dukes of Hazzard, which notched a healthy $30.7 million opening at the North American boxoffice. Industry watchers are hoping the boxoffice remains up for yet another weekend this year, with Talladega Nights expected to give Dukes a run for its money with an opening likely to be in the coveted $30 million range.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby roared out of the starting gate Friday. The NASCAR-set comedy starring Will Ferrell and released by Sony Pictures grossed an estimated $18.1 million Friday, according to the boxoffice tracking site boxofficemojo.com. That sets up the movie for an opening weekend in the high $40 million to low $50 million range. The animated Barnyard from Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies also posted encouraging numbers, capturing the second spot with an estimated Friday gross of $5.5 million, more than double the $2.6 million Friday opening of Warner Bros. Pictures' The Ant Bully last weekend.

With a heat wave engulfing much of the country, Sony Pictures is even better positioned to dominate the weekend with its broad comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, which bows today. Armed with the broad appeal of Will Ferrell and NASCAR, the film from director Adam McKay is likely to put Ferrell back atop the comedy heap as moviegoers crowd into air-conditioned theaters. Other pictures looking to earn some coin this frame include yet another animated film, Paramount Pictures' Barnyard; Lionsgate Films' horror flick The Descent; and Robin Williams' dramatic turn in The Night Listener. The comparable weekend last year saw the debut of Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dukes of Hazzard, which notched a healthy $30.7 million opening at the North American boxoffice. Industry watchers are hoping the boxoffice remains up for yet another weekend this year, with Talladega Nights expected to give Dukes a run for its money with an opening likely to be in the coveted $30 million range.