There were a lot of options in theaters this weekend from Pixar’s “Brave,” about a princess forging her own path (with characters voiced by Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane and Craig Ferguson); “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer,” the 3D adaptation of the popular novel starring the hunky Benjamin Walker as Honest (Ass Kicking) Abe; and the dark comedy about the apocalypse aptly titled “Seeking A Friend For The End of the World” starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley.
However, what looked like it could have been a duel shaped up as a no contest as Pixar reigned supreme with “Brave” taking in over $66 million. “Abraham Lincoln” came in at around $16 million, taking 3rd place behind “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.” And “End of the World,” well, even for indie titles, this flick hardly made a thud.
So, let’s see if it was a bow and arrow toting redhead or an ax-wielding president who took home this week’s mantle in WWTW.
Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane and Craig Ferguson – “Brave”
This marks Pixar’s 13th straight number 1 release for the studio. An astounding feat as they continue to churn out movies that both appeal to kids and parents. Over at NextMovie.com, the site does a clever breakdown of the company’s success. And over at Film.com, Kelly Macdonald, who voices Princess Merida in “Brave,” discusses the role.
Pixar/Disney also highlighted the Scottish heritage infused into the film, creating a Highland Games tournament attraction at EPCOT to promote the film and running a tournament in this week’s episode of “The Bachelorette” after they watched the movie (yes, WWTW’s Jason Guerrasio watches “The Bachelorette”… strictly for research purposes… and Emily).
See cast interviews from the “Brave” premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival.
Benjamin Walker – “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer”
With Tim Burton producing, and high octane director Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted”) at the helm, fans of Seth Grahame-Smith‘s novel had reason to be excited for this big screen adaptation mash-up.
Plus, there was new-comer Benjamin Walker taking the role as Lincoln. Walker, more often the recipient of press one-liners mentioning his marriage to Meryl Streep‘s daughter, received high level profiles from the likes of the New York Times Magazine, which should enable the actor to soon make his own Streep-less mark.
And though the historical mash-up is still a work in progress in the eyes of most audiences, a storyline like this is ripe for imitation, check out what the Daily News did this week.
And the winner is…
The big boys of Pixar! The remarkable run has not only transcended the animated feature as an art form but has carried the cash-box for Disney’s animation arm for over a decade.
Along with adding a wing to its building of supremacy, Pixar also got a lot of attention this week for “Brave” being their first female-centered movie. Any question if female characters can drive the box office for an animated film have surely been answered (besides, “The Little Mermaid” had already set the ground work, no?)
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