'Protocol' perky in o'seas bow

While Stateside B.O. can't appear to locate its footing this holidays, overseas box office is constantly on the run in a steady pace, furthered a few days ago with a solid $68.two million performance from Paramount's 4th "Mission: Impossible" film, "Ghost The Tom Cruise-actioner bowed per week before its domestic launch in 36 worldwide areas (representing 70% from the overseas marketplace), including top artist Columbia, which led $11.a million for that weekend. That's using the local launch of "Iron Guy 2," but a commanding 35% ahead in your area of Par's third "Mission: Impossible."In second spot for "Ghost Protocol," Japanese B.O. came back an believed $9 million, also much better than "Iron Guy 2" and "Mission: Impossible III.""The filmmaking team has provided us an extremely playing film that moviegoers all over the world are adopting," stated Componen Intl. prexy Anthony Marcoly. "With 2 . 5 days of faculty holidays still in the future, we're situated very well because the must-see event within the Christmas season."Some of the best-notch debut areas for "Ghost Protocol" incorporated Russia ($6.a million), France ($5.two million) and also the U . s . Arab Emirates, in which the film obtained the territory's greatest opening ever at $2.4 million.Also improving worldwide ticket sales, Componen-DreamWorks Animation's "Puss in Boots" collected an believed $30.4 million in the eighth frame, getting the toon's overseas cat to $188.two million.Final weekend, "Puss" added 17 marketplaces, with Italia ($3.3 million) because the only major opening for that film a few days ago. Top holdover market, Germany, collected $4.9 million for "Puss," which repped a soph-sesh drop of just 24%. In France, "Puss" made $3.7 million, lower 29% South america trailed having a weekend gross of $3.3 million.Top-ranking Stateside pair, "A Virtual Detective: A Game Title of Shadows" and "Alvin and also the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," adopted in overseas standing."Sherlock," which Warners first showed in six marketplaces, the biggest-contributing factors being the U.K. and Italia, published an overall total $14.sixty five million through Sunday, while "Alvin" collected $14.5 million from 38 areas. (Of individuals, however, only six, for example Blighty, Mexico and The country, fall inside the top 16 areas.)Fox increases "Alvin" next weekend to France and Germany "Sherlock" adds Germany and Columbia.Overseas Top 5Title (days in release)Weekend gross*TerritoriesScreensInt'l cume*Worldcume*%change1.Mission: Impossible ... (1)68.2366,07968.281.8--2.Puss in Boots (8)30.4436,054188.2331.-353.A Virtual Detective ... (1)14.762,11314.754.7--4.Alvin ... Chipwrecked (1)14.5383,81514.538.--5.Arthur Christmas (6)9.7626,74572.8111.3-36*in countless $ - Source: Rentrak Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

Most Awkward Sex Scenes of 2011: From 'Breaking Dawn' to 'Shame,' the Top 11 in '11

This list started life as the "11 Sexiest Movie Scenes of 2011." Unfortunately, there was one problem: Not a lot of people were having happy, fulfilling sex in the movies this year. Almost every time a pair of actors was about to get it on, we got a PG-13 evening instead of an R-rated one -- to quote Emma Stone in 'Crazy, Stupid Love,' right before ... you guessed it, she and Ryan Gosling did not have sex. For those who did actually hit the sheets, terrible, terrible gut-wrenching angst was usually the result. That, or a vampire baby that was sucking the very life out of our heroine. Ahead, the 11 most awkward sex scenes of the year. The Most Awkward Sex Scenes of 2011 'Bridesmaids''The Hangover Part II''The Rum Diary''50/50''Drive''Breaking Dawn Part 1''A Dangerous Method''Melancholia''Sleeping Beauty''Shame''W.E.' See All Moviefone Galleries » For more on the best of 2011, visit AOL's Best of 2011. [Photo: Summit] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Lionsgate Plots Microbudget Remake Of Yankee Psycho

Noble Johnson, who cut his teeth pointing advertisements, videos for Taylor Quick and Mary J. Blige, and handling second unit for David Fincher around the Social Networking, hopes to create his feature pointing debut with an up-to-date low quality remake of yankee Psycho. Johnson, who had been Grammy nominated for his documentary ten days Out: Blues In the Backroads, is really a Fincher protege who pitched the project several weeks ago to Lionsgate, which supports the remake privileges. Johnson completed a script about last month, however the project has all of a sudden become buzzed about since it hit the monitoring reviews that are presently the premise of trade confirming. His take ended up being to tap the Bret Easton Ellis novel and transform it into a lower and dirty latest version that imagines how yuppie murderer Patrick Bateman would fare in NY today, invoice discounting in how the earth has transformed because the 2000 film that starred Christian Bale. Noble’s repped by WME and Anonymous Content.

Close says 'Nobbs' not far from previous roles

'Albert Nobbs'When Glenn Close speaks of her title character "Albert Nobbs," she only employs female pronouns."It's very funny, because I always talk about her as a 'she.' Other people talk about Albert as a 'he,' but it's just how they perceive it from the outward appearance," Close says. "I always look from the inside out."A Victorian-era woman who determines to disguise herself as a hotel waiter, in order to forestall utter ruin, would be a unique entry on any thesp's resume. But Close sees signal connections to some of her famous stage and screen roles."There's nothing more compelling in human behavior than someone who has no self-pity, who has a seemingly impossible dream and who is an innocent," she says. That description of Albert also fits Norma Desmond, Close's Tony Award-winning diva in "Sunset Boulevard.""Norma has delusions, but even though you know she's way out there, you kind of have respect for her belief," Close says. "Everybody wants belief, and there's something incredibly touching about Albert's belief that she can forge this life for herself with absolutely no tools or no clue how to do it."Close copped Oscar noms for characters devoid of innocence. The Marquise de Merteuil in "Dangerous Liaisons" and Alex Forrest in "Fatal Attraction" will stop at nothing, even murder, to get their way. Nevertheless, Close insists, they share with Albert one all-consuming fact."These are women existing in very male-dominated worlds. What I loved about Merteuil is how she refused to let people treat her the way most women were treated. She's smart enough to get people before they get her, to ruin people before she's ruined. You could say the same about Alex: 'I won't be ignored, you're not going to just toss me aside onto a garbage heap.'?"Albert takes the opposite tack, keeping a low profile to escape detection.Says Close: "She's perfectly happy to be invisible. She just doesn't want to be thrown out on the street. She doesn't want to lose her job or her money. It's all about survival. It's just different modes of survival." Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Will.i.am to Headline Beijing Education Concert

Black Eyed Peas' singer will.i.am and bandmate apl.de.ap, John Legend and the Bucky Johnson band at a Beijing concert Dec. 17 designed to encourage study abroad programs in China, the musicians announced Monday in Los Angeles.our editor recommendsWill.i.am, U.S. State Dept. to Back Beijing ConcertWill.i.am debuts Obama song The concert, which supports the U.S. State Department's 100,000 Strong Initiative to send that many American students to study in China, may see an appearance by martial arts actor and sometime-singer Jackie Chan, whose Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation Beijing is co-organizing the show. Monday's announcement mentioned the participation of "other prominent Chinese and U.S. artists," but only named the Peas' members, Legend and Bucky Johnson. No venue was specified, although one of Beijing's former Olympic venues could play host. Tickets were not on sale in Beijing as of Tuesday afternoon local time. The Black Eyed Peas have performed as a unit twice previously in the Chinese capital city. Charity concerts have a rocky history in Beijing when not organized directly by the Chinese government. The Show of Peace concert, which was to feature Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and Aerosmith's Joe Perry, was first postponed from April 2010 and then canceled. Other recent canceled Beijing concerts by major artists include a March 2009 show by Oasis, due to a prior Noel Gallagher appearance at a pro-Tibetan independence gig, and an Oct. 2008 performance by Linkin Park, due to injury to singer Chester Bennington. In Beijing, the concert is being co-organized by Americans Promoting Study Abroad, which provides scholarships to inner city students. It is supported by both the U.S. State Department and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Related Topics Black Eyed Peas John Legend Will.i.am International Asia

Pols, biz jockey on anti-piracy bill

Supporters and opponents of a major piece of anti-piracy legislation jockeyed to bolster their positions on Monday, with a key critic in the Senate vowing to filibuster and the music industry releasing an analysis showing that the bill enjoys bipartisan support in a year of gridlock. The legislation in the House and the Senate is aimed at curbing so-called "rogue" websites overseas that traffic in pirated goods, including movies, TV shows and music. But critics say that the bill is written too broadly, and warn of unintended consequences if the government seeks court orders forcing Internet providers to block domain names and search engines to disable links. Chief among the opponents in the Senate is Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), who put a hold on the bill shortly after it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously in May. On Monday, Wyden appeared in a video for the progressive org DemandProgress in which he said he said that he planned a filibuster and, as part of such an action, would read from the floor of the Senate the names of those who signed a petition opposing the legislation. "Congress needs to hear from more than the lobbyists who wrote this bill, Congress needs to hear from people like you who understand the value of a free and fair Internet," Wyden said. On the other side of the debate, the Recording Industry Assn. of America released an analysis they said "underscores the unique nature of the broad, bipartisan support" for the legislation in the Senate. Of the 1,882 bills that have been introduced in the Senate so far this session, only 31 other bills enjoy the support of 35 or more cosponsors. Of those 31, only 18 enjoy "substantial bipartisan support." The Senate bill, called the Protect IP Act, has 39 co-sponsors from both parties. Contact Ted Johnson at ted.johnson@variety.com

Jennifer Aniston Playing Gertrude Bell?

Attached to the Ridley Scott projectIt's still in the beginning of development, but Jennifer Aniston just become attached to the biopic of Getrude Bell, presently being created by Ridley Scott.First introduced taken, the film, clearly, handles the incredible information on Bell, a traveller, author and archaeologist who labored for British Inteliigence throughout the initial World War, carried out a substantial role in mapping the middle East, and was pivotal at the begining of creation and administration in the modern condition of Iraq. In later existence she founded the Baghdad Historic Museum to preserve and promote Iraq's Mesopotamian history (sadly, the majority of the artefacts were lost inside the looting of 2003), and died a considerably-debated dying - it could are actually suicide - in 1926.Her story is probably the 100s of this Scott thinks about the problem about publish-Prometheus, which he might face competition in the mooted rival Werner Herzog film, mentioned to remain in development with Naomi W inside the lead. But Jeffery Caine (The Ceaseless Gardner) is becoming formally in the office round the script for Scott Free Productions, which is pedaling the script particularly for Jolie.Elsewhere on Mister Ridders' current wishlist (because it is being reported today), we're presently searching at fashion drama Gucci, which Natalie Portman just grew to become an associate of the adaptation of Tom Robb Smith's Russian-set thriller Child 44 together with a movie about Simon Mann, the British military officer switched mercenary, jailed for your attempted 2004 coup in Equatorial Guinea through which Mark Thatcher appeared to become recommended like a factor. After which it, clearly, there's that new Edge Runner...Which of people we'll see first is anyone's guess, but we'll make you stay released. Prometheus is going in June 2012, and Jolie's directorial debut Inside The Land Of Blood stream And Honey is released in the usa on December 23.