Box office: Low-budget 'The Purge' expected to beat 'The Internship'

Box office: Low-budget 'The Purge' expected to beat 'The Internship'

This weekend, "The Internship" may become the latest star-driven movie to get beaten by a lower-wattage production. The comedy, which stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, appears set to follow in the footsteps of Will Smith's "After Earth," which last weekend failed to attract more moviegoers than its far less high-profile competition "Now You See Me." According to those who have seen pre-release audience surveys, "The Internship" will probably fall behind the low-budget thriller "The Purge." The $3-million flick — which does feature some name-brand cachet in star Ethan Hawke — is expected to take in a robust $25 million during its opening weekend. (The film's distributor, Universal Pictures, is predicting a softer start of around $18 million.) PHOTOS: Billion-dollar movie club Meanwhile, "The Internship" is set to launch with $15 million — meaning it will fare worse than not only "The Purge," but also "Fast & Furious 6," which is entering its third weekend in theaters. (Fox doesn’t think the movie will debut with more than $12 million.) Either opening would be embarrassing for a movie starring Vaughn and Wilson, who were no doubt expected to re-create the success of their 2005 hit "Wedding Crashers." But both Wilson and Vaughn have slowly been losing their box office clout since "Wedding Crashers," which took in over $200 million domestically. Immediately following the 2005 release, Vaughn appeared in a string of decent performers, including "The Break-Up," "Four Christmases" and "Couples Retreat." But his last two films — "The Dilemma" and "The Watch" — tanked. Wilson's luck has been equally as bad recently, appearing in flops such as "Hall Pass" and "The Big Year." "The Internship," co-financed by 20th Century Fox and New Regency Pictures for $58 million, follows the comedians as they intern with people half their age at Google. The picture has not received positive reviews: On Thursday morning, it had notched a 32% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. PHOTOS: Summer Sneaks 2013 "The Purge" hasn't fared much better with critics — it has a 48% rating on Rotten Tomatoes — but has nonetheless generated strong interest from moviegoers. According to Fandango, the movie is the most highly anticipated of the weekend, ahead of "Now You See Me," the sixth "Fast" film and "The Internship." The movie, set in the near future, takes place in a world where crime is forbidden 364 days of the year; Hawke stars as a family man trying to protect his kin on the one day of lawless mayhem. Heading into the weekend, the picture is appealing most to young females. Universal spent only $3 million to make the film, which was produced by Jason Blum, who has made a name for himself by making micro-budget movies that have big payoffs at the box office, including "Paranormal Activity" and "Insidious." To keep the cost of the film so low, actors "basically work for free," Blum told The Times. If the movie is a hit, both the actors and filmmakers may see a bigger payoff.



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'Two and a Half Men' renewed, without Angus T. Jones as regular

'Two and a Half Men' renewed, without Angus T. Jones as regula

As expected, CBS’ Two and a Half Men will return next season. Ashton Kutcher and Jon Cryer have both signed on for another round, with Kutcher getting a reported $700,000-per-episode payout. But don’t expect Angus T. Jones to be back full time. Studio Warner Bros. is talking to the actor about a possible recurring role on the show instead of coming back as a series regular. Cue the usual quips about whether the show’s title should be changed. Jones infamously bashed his show earlier this season on a YouTube video, prompting speculation that he might be headed for the door. But CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler told reporters in January that the network and the actor had mended fences. “The kid’s 19 years old,” Tassler said at the time.”I’ve got a 24 year old. Between the ages of 19 and 24 there’s been plenty of things my kid has come out and said that I wish he hadn’t but the bottom line is cooler heads prevailed. [Jones has] been a beloved member of that cast for years and years and he issued a public apology. At the end of the day, they want him back and he wants to come back and that’s it.”


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