Matt Damon | featured news

With District 9, writer/director Neill Blomkamp made us want to believe that satisfyingly smart sci-fi could make money at the box office. Now, with the first trailer for Elysium, he's making us think his last film's success may have only been the beginning.

Remember that summer news about the Bourne franchise getting a new film? Back in June, word hit that director and screenwriter Tony Gilroy -- of 'Michael Clayton' and 'Duplicity' fame -- was going to write and direct a fourth entry in the series, tentatively titled 'The Bourne Legacy.' Obviously, this is a new continuation outside of Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass -- both of whom wiped their hands of the world after 'The Bourne Ultimatum.'

This week at the movies, we've got spooky spectres (Paranormal Activity 2, starring Katie Featherston) and supernatural seekers (Hereafter, starring Matt Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard). What do the critics have to say? Upon its release, Paranormal Activity became something of a cult phenomenon - and the press was almost as intrigued by its budget-to-gross ratio as its lo-fi chills. Now, Paranormal Actrivity 2 is hitting theaters, and though it's barely been screened for critics, those who have seen it say it's a worthy - and very creepy -- follow-up.

"This is not a reboot or a recast or a prequel," director Tony Gilroy explained. "No one's replacing Matt Damon. There will be a whole new hero, a whole new chapter…this is a stand-alone project.

It seemed like a run-off between Jonah Hex and The Adjustment Bureau to be the summer movie making the latest possible first impression.

FRIDAY PM: Sources are giving me these first numbers for Friday:
1) Princess And The Frog (Disney) Fri $7.5M [3,434 runs] Est Wkd $27M
2) The Blind Side (Warner Bros) Fri $4.5M [3,388] Est Wkd $14.5M
3) Invictus (Warner Bros) Fri $3M [2,125 runs] Est Wkd $10M

The Wrap is reporting that Paul Greengrass has left Bourne 4, amid scheduling difficulties. If that's the case, this could be the end of the project, as Matt Damon has said in the past that his return to the franchise was contingent on Greengrass directing.

Sony toon earns $8.1 million, 'The Informant' lands second -- With a smorgasbord of choices at the multiplex, including headliners by Jennifer Aniston, Matt Damon and Megan Fox; Friday moviegoers’ savored Sony’s 3-D toon "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," shelling out $8.1 million.

This week at the movies, we've got a possessed student body (Jennifer's Body, starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried); an oddball snitch (The Informant!, starring Matt Damon and Scott Bakula); food from the heavens (Cloudy, with voice work by Bill Hader and Anna Faris); and unlikely love (Love Happens, starring Jennifer Anniston and Aaron Eckhart). What do the critics have to say? Megan Fox is the "it" actress of the moment, and Diablo Cody (Juno) is one of Hollywood's hottest writers.

I don't know why this is news, but I guess everyone loves to report on these two doing another project. When did Matt Damon and Ben Affleck become as awesome as peanut butter and jelly? They did their little Good Will Hunting thing, but I doubt if lighting is going to strike twice if they team up again. I know they were in that shitty Kevin Smith film (wait, Kevin Smith makes shitty films?) but is there really an audience clamoring for these two guys to be together once again? I know I couldn't (happy, grammar police?) care less.