The Dark Knight Box Office Tops $500 Million, Makes History, Second only to Titanic’s $601 Million

Posted on Sep 01, 2008 - 10:02am by Shallow Nation in Movies

The Dark Knight 2008 movie poster

The Dark Knight has broken more records, now exceeding $500 million in ticket sales, making it the second highest grossing movie in history, after Titanic, James Cameron’s 1997 movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

After forty-five days in release, The Dark Knight continues to make movie history!

The Dark Knight– which was the fastest flick to earn $400 million – has become the second movie in history to gross over $500 million at the box office the Associated Press reported on Sunday.

The Batman sequel has raked in over $502.4 million in just over six weeks - half the time it took Titanic, which reached the half-billion mark in a little more than three months the AP reported.

Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight - 2008

Heath Ledger as The Joker

The Dark Knight ranks second behind Titanic’s $601 million gross.

Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros., said he expects The Dark Knight to finish at about $530 million, though it could reach $550 million.

“I keep raising the number because it just keeps holding better than expected,” Fellman told the AP.

The Dark Knight 2008 Christian Bale as Batman

“It’s wonderful!” Christian Bale told Usmagazine.com of the movie’s box office success. “But I’m not a business man. I just enjoy doing what I do and whatever happens after that is gravy.”

The Dark Knight is expected to reach about $505 million by Labor Day, the AP reported.

Source: The Dark Knight Tops $500 Million at Box Office

Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Here is a behind-the-scenes featurette video on The Dark Knight, with footage and interviews with cast members Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman and director Chris Nolan.

Here is an interview with the late Health Ledger who discusses playing the Joker.

Video & Photo: Nas Performs “Sly Fox” on Late Show with David Letterman 8-27-08

Posted on Aug 28, 2008 - 11:46am by Shallow Nation in Movies, Television

Nas arriving at Late Show with David Letterman, August 27, 2008

Nas performed his single “Sly Fox” on Late Show with David Letterman on August 27, 2008. “Sly Fox,” the single that takes Fox News to task for its propaganda and disinformation, is from Nas’ ninth studio album, Untitled. which was released on July 15, 2008 and is in stores now.

Photo: Nas arrives at Late Show with David Letterman at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York City. August 27 2008 (Photo credit: WireImage)

video via Nah Right - Nas Performs Sly Fox On Letterman

Jada Pinkett Smith Capitol File Magazine Cover Fall 2008

Posted on Aug 27, 2008 - 12:45pm by Shallow Nation in Magazines, Movies

Jada Pinkett Smith, Fall 2008 Capitol File Magazine cover

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith is on the cover of Fall 2008 Capitol File Magazine and interviewed in a feature story. Jada Pinkett Smith is wife of actor Will Smith. She stars in the upcoming movie, The Women in theaters on September 12, 2008. The Women, a remake of George Cukor’s 1939 film, is directed by Diane English with an all-star cast: Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Candice Bergen, Cloris Leachman, Bette Midler, Carrie Fisher, Debi Mazar, Ana Gasteyer, Lynn Whitfield, Joanna Gleason, Keegan Connor Tracy, and India Ennenga.

Jada Pinkett Smith discussed the movie in the Capitol File Magazine interview, which is in the print edition, with an online excerpt.

The actress, known for her roles in The Nutty Professor and the second and third Matrix films, is also the real-life wife of actor Will Smith, and has recently added the title of author to the mix with her 2004 lyrical children’s book, Girls Hold Up This World (Scholastic), featuring photographs by Donyell Kennedy- McCullough. Pinkett Smith’s story challenges young girls to realize their full worth, power, and beauty. “We girls hold up this world as we build our self-esteem. We know that discipline will turn a princess into a queen,” she writes. “We are sisters of this earth—members of one powerful tribe. Every color, shape, and size, we’re united by beauty inside.”

Pinkett Smith’s eyes connect with the group instantly, putting everyone at ease. A wide smile spreads across her face. She’s here to discuss her new movie, The Women, a remake of George Cukor’s 1939 film, directed by Diane English, about a wealthy New Yorker who leaves her cheating husband and bonds with other women as a result. Set to premiere on September 12, it features Annette Bening, Meg Ryan, Bette Midler, Carrie Fisher, Candice Bergen, Cloris Leachman, Eva Mendes, and Debra Messing, to name just a few of the film’s exceptional female stars.

Jada Pinkett Smith, Fall 2008 Capitol File Magazine photo

Speaking candidly to Capitol File and Lisa Ling, correspondent for Oprah and the National Geographic Channel, Pinkett Smith sees the movie as a starting point for an issue she believes is seriously ignored in the US and abroad: the status of women.

[…]

LL: What was it like to work with such a large female cast?
JPS:It was interesting to be in this large group of women. It just worked. And to see how we all collaborated, what we brought individually to the film—I was elated. In all honesty, Annette Bening is brilliant. I was in awe of her. I had to catch myself; [I was] watching her like a student. Just her process… she’s a veteran. And then for all of us—Meg, Eva, Annette—to sit around and talk about our families, balancing our lives, husbands, divorce, boyfriends… you recognize how much you need to be in spaces like that with other women, you know? [It was the] kind of camaraderie that you didn’t need to explain every detail for them to get it. It’s like an unspoken language.

LL: It’s wonderful working with a group of women, but sometimes certain petty issues, insecurities, or jealousies present themselves. Were there any difficulties on the set?
JPS: I tell you, it’s interesting how I look at those situations that inevitably occur, in all relationships. If I see another woman who’s intimidated or feels she has to compete with me, and I feel like I have to do the same, I check myself and say, Now Jada, how can you make this go better? How can you bring this woman comfort? How can you create a situation where you don’t necessarily need to like each other but can have a relationship of mutual respect? When I see those kinds of things, I put it on me, because I’m the only person—in this duel here—that can change. I immediately check myself and go, What is it that I’m doing that might be creating this, or what behavior or attitude can I change in order to change this [dynamic] with the woman in front of me?

Source: Capitol File - Hear Her Roar

Photo credit: Jack Guy/Capitol File Magazine

Cover image via - The Most Access - Jada Does Capitol File Magazine

Here is the trailer of The Women (2008)

The Women 2008 Trailer