By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com

UNIVERSAL PICTURES SETS STUDIO RECORD FOR FASTEST CLIMB TO $1 BILLION AT NORTH AMERICAN BOX OFFICE

Posted Monday, August 6th, 2012 - Comments Off on UNIVERSAL PICTURES SETS STUDIO RECORD FOR FASTEST CLIMB TO $1 BILLION AT NORTH AMERICAN BOX OFFICE
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NEWS RELEASE

 

 

 

Studio on Track for a Record Best Year at Domestic Box Office

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA—August 6, 2012—Universal Pictures announced today that the studio has reached the $1 billion mark at the domestic box office, three months earlier than at any time in history.  The previous record was set during the weekend of November 7, 2008 with films that included Mamma Mia!, The Incredible Hulk, Wanted and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.  This will be the seventh time Universal has reached this milestone.  With five films yet to be released in 2012, the studio is on track to have its highest-grossing year ever at the domestic box office, a record also set in 2008.

Universal’s 2012 success at the North American box office has been fueled by a strong slate of films including five that became No. 1 (Contraband, Safe House, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, Snow White and the Huntsman and Ted), two that grossed more than $200 million (Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax at $214 million and Ted at $203.6 million*) and two that grossed more than $100 million (Safe House at $126.4 million and Snow White and the Huntsman at $153.8 million*).  Universal is one of only two studios so far this year to have two films that have grossed more than $200 million domestically.  Currently, Universal has four of the 15 top grossing films of the year, more than any other studio.

Other Facts of Note:

·        Universal and Illumination Entertainment’s Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax was the highest opening for an animated film in 2012 ($70.2 million) and the highest-opening film for Universal this year.

·        As the breakout comedy hit of the summer, Ted set a new record for the highest opening for an original R-rated comedy in history ($54.4 million) and is well on its way to becoming one of the all-time highest-grossing R-rated comedies ever.

·        The studio’s February hit Safe House was Denzel Washington’s second biggest opening of his career and his second highest-grossing film ever.

·        Universal Pictures International passed $1 billion at the overseas box office on July 17, also setting a new studio record.

This week, Universal will release the next chapter in the studio’s hugely popular espionage franchise, The Bourne Legacy.  In October comes the new out-loud comedy Pitch Perfect, and the action-thriller The Man With the Iron Fists arrives in November.  Universal will close out 2012 with two films in December: Les Misérables, the motion-picture adaptation of the global stage sensation seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the world, and This Is 40, the latest comedy from writer/director Judd Apatow.

*These films are currently in theaters.   

About Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com).  Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal.  NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience.  NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks.  Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.

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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.

And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
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~ David Simon