By Todd Cunningham
TheWrap

With $4.6 billion in grosses now projected, the 2013 summer domestic box office will surely set a record as the biggest ever.

So why aren’t we hearing champagne corks popping in Hollywood? After all, the season is on track to finish at least 4 percent ahead of the previous mark of $4.4 billion set in 2011, according to Box Office Mojo, and well ahead of last summer’s $4.29 billion. And there were plenty of hits, led by franchise fare like Disney’s “Iron Man 3” ($408 million), Universal’s “Despicable Me 2” ($346 million), Warner Bros.’ “Man of Steel” ($290 million), Disney’s “Monsters University” ($261 million) and “Fast Furious 6” ($238 million) from Universal.

Bing: Critics to blame for ‘Lone Ranger’ flop?

1. Over-the-top overhead: It took 19 movies with production budgets north of $100 million to achieve the mark; last year there were 13. Moviegoers loved the variety of films, and that had a lot to do with the record. But the multiplex mashup brought an unprecedented — and all but inevitable — string of mega-budget flops, including “After Earth,” “White House Down,” “The Lone Ranger” and “R.I.P.D.“

2. Original sins: The reason we saw so many pricey movies is that the studios are searching for the Holy Grail of film franchises. All it takes is one to connect — like “The Avengers” last summer — to assure billions of dollars in box office, licensing and even theme park revenues for years. But the summer’s biggest bombs were all originals, and so far only one sequel – Summit’s surprise hit “Now You See Me” — has been given a green light.

See video: James Cameron, Dan Loeb: The 5 Worst Decisions of Summer

3. Overseas is stagnant: The summer record is based on domestic grosses, but in today’s box-office world, international returns are critical. The top 10 films earned $4.85 billion abroad last summer, which is a number that summer 2013 will not be able to match (currently at $3.8 billion, it will likely wind up around $4.2 billion). The highest-grossing films at the foreign box office this summer are “Iron Man 3” ($805 million), “Fast Furious 6” ($547 million), “Despicable Me 2” ($435 million), “Man of Steel” ($360 million), “Monsters University” ($398 million) and “World War Z” ($319 million).

4. Family-film funk: Universal’s “Despicable Me 2” is still going strong in its eighth week, and Disney and Pixar’s “Monsters University” is up to $660 million worldwide. But as with the tentpole movies, there were too many family movies too close to one another. By the end of summer, parents and their pocketbooks were exhausted, and animated films “Epic,” “Turbo” and “Disney’s Planes” all underperformed. 

Also: ‘Lone Ranger’ fallout: Jerry Bruckheimer may lose final cut on ‘Pirates 5’

5. 3-D malaise: The dew is plainly off the 3-D rose, at least domestically, and that’s bad news for the studios, which have come to count on the $2 to $3 surcharges the format brings. The 3-D showings of “Turbo” accounted for just 25 percent of its total box office, which represents the format’s worst showing yet, and 3-D contributed 30 percent of the $53 million opening of “The Wolverine,” a new low point for action releases. “Monsters University” (31 percent) and “World War Z” (34 percent) similarly sputtered. It’s still working overseas, but you have to wonder how long that will last as foreign audiences become more sophisticated. 

On the bright side, the strong summer has drawn the year’s box office even with last year’s. And with a healthy fall and holiday season, 2013 could top last year’s record $10.8 billion haul.

By Sharon Waxman
TheWrap

“Star Wars” creator George Lucas has bought $10 million in Starbucks stock, a sign of confidence in the company where his wife Mellody Hobson is a member of the board, according to an SEC filing.

A new filing by Hobson, Lucas’s wife and a Starbucks board member, revealed that Lucas’s GWL Living trust bought 141,573 shares on August 19 for an average price of $70.60. Lucas is the sole trustee and beneficiary of the trust.

Hobson, who heads the billion-dollar Ariel Investments Inc, is required to file a Form 4 with the Securities and Exchange Commission over Starbucks transactions for herself or family members because she is a director there.

Her husband Lucas the director has plenty of money to invest, having sold his company LucasFilm, the fount of the Blockbuster “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” canon, to the Walt Disney Co. last December for $4 billion. Disney has rebooted the franchise, with J.J. Abrams set to direct.

Hobson is a hugely successful executive in her own right and married Lucas in June (photo by Donna Newman). In addition to her investment work and Starbucks, she is the chairman of Dreamworks Animation and a director at Estee Lauder and Groupon.

Starbucks (SBUX) shares rose 1.7 percent today to close at $71.90 in New York. The stock has climbed 34 percent this year.

Newser

Ben Affleck was revealed as the newest Batman last night (he’ll play the Dark Knight in the next Superman movie, a sequel to this year’s “Man of Steel” expected in 2015, the Wall Street Journal reports), and let’s just say the Internet is not happy.

Bing: Hathaway game for Catwoman movie

Twitter users bemoaned the choice; indeed, someone even started a Change.org petition begging Warner Bros. to change its mind. There’s a mock “Ben Affleck Batman” Twitter account and, the Guardian reports, the hashtag #BetterBatmanThanBenAffleck started trending; some of the suggestions included a member of boy band One Direction, Butt-head from MTV’s “Beavis and Butt-head,” and “ANYONE ELSE, with the exception of Ryan Reynolds.” Here are some of our favorite Twitter reactions:

@robfee: “I fell asleep when I woke up Ben Affleck was Batman. I’m afraid if I sleep again Paul Walker will be The Hulk Grumpy Cat will be Thor.”

@MIKEBLACKATTACK: “You’d think having your parents murdered before your eyes would be the worst thing that could happen to Batman.”

@ledjessica: “What’s with the Ben-Affleck-as-Batman furor? The bottom of his face fits the bill perfectly.”

@LorraineELLE: “I am worried about the beard.”

@LifeisSavage: “They better make sure Ben Affleck’s Batman suit utility belt has some acting skills in one of the pockets.”

@aliarikan: “Just told my girlfriend Ben Affleck is the new Batman. Her response: “You are 35 years old. I want you to think about what you just said.”

@billyeichner: “How dare Ben Affleck ruin the integrity of a franchise where a grown man pretends he’s a bat!”

@badbanana “Be thankful Ben Affleck said yes. You know James Franco was next on that list.”

@GeekOutpost: “‘Ben Affleck as Batman isn’t a bad idea. He was great in DareDevil!’ – No one.”

@pattonoswalt: “‘You like apples, Riddl-ah?’ You can totally use that one, @BenAffleck.”

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By Jeff Sneider
TheWrap

Whe he was still running Warner Bros., Jeff Robinov believed in Ben Affleck before believing in Ben Affleck was cool.

Robinov was instrumental in bringing Affleck’s passion project “Argo” to the big screen, and in turn, Affleck delivered the studio its first Best Picture winner since “The Departed” in 2006. Affleck called it a “dream relationship.”

Now, with a cape and cowl, Affleck is telling Hollywood: It wasn’t just about Robinov.

In the wake of Robinov’s very public June departure, the actor-turned-filmmaker has cemented his relationship with the studio by agreeing to return to the superhero fare that he once spurned — agreeing to play Batman in WB’s untitled sequel to “Man of Steel.”

Affleck’s casting is a major win for Warner Bros.’ new executive team, led by Kevin Tsujihara, Sue Kroll and Greg Silverman, signaling that he still has faith in the studio — and paving the way for several potential superhero collaborations.

Bing: Ben Affleck is the new Batman

Chief among them: the “Avengers”-like team-up “Justice League” that WB so badly covets but could never get into gear when Robinov was in charge.  

It’s also an about-face for Affleck, who’d sworn off superheros after being humiliated in New Regency’s badly panned 2003 movie “Daredevil.”

Of course, times have changed, and superheroes are in vogue now more than ever.

Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy elevated the genre to its own art form, and Zack Snyder took the ball and ran with it; while the second-half of “Man of Steel” degenerated into an action-packed slugfest between Superman and General Zod, the first half of the film featured genuine emotion and family drama that was nearly Shakespearean in its complex stakes.

Affleck found himself on WB’s radar following the 2007 Miramax thriller “Gone Baby Gone,” which earned strong reviews despite fizzling at the box office. Robinov reached out to him, seeing his potential as a filmmaker; he began slipping the studio’s top scripts to Affleck to gauge his interest, which marked the start of what Affleck called “a dream relationship.”

After George Clooney moved his production company out of Warner Bros., the “Argo” script fell into Affleck’s lap — and he hit it off with Clooney and producing partner Grant Heslov.

Robinov supported Affleck throughout the making of “Argo,” which the director delivered on time and on budget. Affleck also made note of the smooth symbiosis between Robinov and Kroll, who’s since taken a major step forward when her colleague left in a huff.

Affleck also swore after “Gone Baby Gone” that he wouldn’t direct another movie that he didn’t star in. For a while, he stuck to that, casting himself in “The Town” and “Argo.” Could the Batman role be a warm-up for taking the helm of “Justice League?”

Affleck had previously been courted to direct WB’s long-gestating “Justice League” movie; but he publicly shot that notion down as the noise got louder. By joining DC Comics’ cinematic universe, the rumors will surely be reignited — especially since he’ll come out of the experience knowing a lot more about how a major effects tentpole is put together. 

Also read: Ben Affleck Set to Play Batman in ‘Man of Steel’ Sequel

Affleck had been slated to next direct “Live By Night” for Warner Bros., but the “Man of Steel” sequel is expected to significantly delay that project, which is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane.

Even outside the Batman role, Affleck’s WB connections are solid; he and pal Matt Damon’s production company, Pearl Street Films, is based at the studio, where they’re developing a Whitey Bulger movie — as well as a drama about the battle of Bunker Hill that was written by “Argo” scribe Chris Terrio.

Also read: James ‘Whitey’ Bulger Guilty: Inevitable Movie Gets Its Ending

Affleck has also been developing an adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Stand” for Warners and CBS Films. He is no longer attached to direct WB’s remake of “Tell No One.”

Affleck next stars opposite Justin Timberlake in the online gambling thriller “Runner Runner,” and he’s set to spend the fall filming the lead role in David Fincher’s adaptation of “Gone Girl” for 20th Century Fox.

Affleck is repped by Patrick Whitesell at WME, as well as the law firm of Ziffren, Brittenham.

By Todd Cunningham
TheWrap

Sony Pictures Classics is expanding “Blue Jasmine” into more than 1,200 theaters this weekend, making it the biggest release ever for a Woody Allen movie.

Bing: Andrew Dice Clay on Woody Allen role

That’s far more the 1,035 theaters that “Midnight in Paris,” Allen’s biggest box-office hit, was in at its peak. That 2011 comedy made more than $56 million domestically and $151 million worldwide.

Also from TheWrap: Darkness of Woody Allen’s ‘Blue Jasmine’ Brightens Box-Office Outlook

“Blue Jasmine, which stars Cate Blanchett, has taken in nearly $10 million since its July 26 limited release. The ensemble cast includes Alec Baldwin, Andrew Dice Clay, Sally Hawkins, Louis C.K., Tammy Blanchard and Bobby Cannavale.

On opening weekend, the film averaged $102,011 per screen in six theaters — one of the top limited openings of all time. It’s the 44th feature film that Allen has written and directed.

By Michael Balderston
TheWrap

Netflix streaming subscribers wondering what happened to their “Instant Queue” on Wednesday morning can rest easy — it’s not gone, it’s just been rebranded and re-engineered as “My List,” which an algorithm will reorder depending on what you’re most likely to watch first.

Bing: Netflix strikes deal with Weinstein films

The method to save films and TV shows to watch later is the same, and the list is still accessible across multiple platforms, Netflix said in a how-to video explaining the change Wednesday.

The most obvious difference is that the list of titles now appears on the homepage in gallery form. Depending on how often you use the list, it will move up and down the homepage.

Also on TheWrap: Netflix Named Exclusive U.S. Subscription TV Service for Weinstein Company Films

And prepare for some “helpful” meddling: Netflix’s recommendation algorithm now organizes titles based on what it thinks users are most likely to watch. But unlike Amazon’s “you might also like” feature, it doens’t insert anything users didn’t choose — and it can be overridden. 

“My List” rolled out Wednesday, but isn’t on all platforms yet; that’ll happen over the next two weeks.

By Jeff Sneider
TheWrap

“The Newsroom” star Olivia Munn is ready for her next assignment, as she’s in negotiations to join Johnny Depp in David Koepp’s Lionsgate movie “Mortdecai,” an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap.

Kyril Bonfiglioli’s comedic crime novel “The Great Mortdecai Moustache Mystery” serves as the basis for the project, which Lionsgate acquired after Warner Bros. put it into turnaround.

Bing: Depp to star in ‘Mortdecai’

As TheWrap first reported last month, Depp is set to play Charlie Mortdecai, a wealthy art dealer and part-time rogue who often gets himself involved in strange cases of crime and espionage.

Story follows Mortdecai as he races to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain the code to a lost bank account filled with Nazi gold. Details of Munn’s role aren’t being revealed, but it’s said to be a key supporting role alongside Depp and co-stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Ewan McGregor. 

Andrew Lazar of Mad Chance is producing the movie with Depp and his Infinitum Nihil partner Christi Dembrowski. Koepp is directing from a script by Eric Aronson.

Munn has come a long way since making a name for herself as the host of “Attack of the Show.” After working with Jon Favreau on “Iron Man 2” and Steven Soderbergh on “Magic Mike,” she landed a major role on Aaron Sorkin’s HBO series “The Newsroom.”

Munn, who is repped by CAA and Mosaic, next stars opposite Eric Bana in Scott Derrickson’s horror-thriller “Beware the Night.”

LONDON (AP) — A crowd of screaming fans has greeted boy band One Direction as it gathered in London’s Leicester Square, where its first feature film is getting its world premiere.

Some slept there overnight to stake out a spot near the red carpet on Tuesday evening.

One Direction: This Is Us,” a 3-D documentary by “Super Size Me” director Morgan Spurlock, is a backstage look at the band, which was formed on Simon Cowell’s TV talent show “The X Factor” in 2010.

The five-piece group has gone on to top charts around the world and has amassed a die-hard army of fans, known as Directioners.

“This is unreal,” said band member Harry Styles.

“One Direction: This Is Us” opens in Britain Aug. 29 and in the United States Aug. 30.

By Tony Maglio
TheWrap

Hey Hollywood screenwriters: Melanie Griffith has a bone to pick with you.

In a recent interview with Fox news promoting her independent thriller “Dark Tourist,” the “Working Girl” actress told Fox411, “In this day and age … most of the scripts are so sh–ty and stupid and superficial.”

“I don’t go to the movies these days because there is nothing to see,” she added.

Also read: Mel Gibson, Antonio Banderas Confirmed for ‘Expendables 3’

Griffith lamented reading the lackluster scripts that husband she and Antonio Banderas get (though her feelings about “Expendables 3,” which Banderas recently signed up for, are currently unclear).

The 56-year-old also said she’s surprised by her evolved attitude toward Hollywood versus when she was in her 20s and 30s, when she would hear actresses “bitch about not getting any work when they turned 50 … Now I understand it.”

By Jeff Sneider
TheWrap

Exclusive — The “Fifty Shades of Grey” rumors are flying fast and furiously on the Universal lot as the film — set to fog up theaters less than a year from now — prepares to finally tie down its all-important cast.

The latest actress to emerge as a serious contender for the coveted role of Anastasia Steele is Dakota Johnson, the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Johnson started out as an IMG model before transitioning to acting and launching a movie career, including a memorable scene with Justin Timberlake in “The Social Network.”

Bing: ‘Fifty Shades’ tops reading list at Guantanamo

At this point, nothing is firm — Johnson is just one of the up-and-coming starlets currently being considered to play Steele, according to individuals familiar with the project. At very least, interest in Johnson indicates the type of actress the filmmakers are considering for Ana: She’s 23 years old, and though she isn’t quite a movie star (yet), she has acting credibility and a rising feature career.

Representatives for Johnson and Universal had no comment.

Sam Taylor-Johnson (“Nowhere Boy”) is directing from a script by Kelly Marcel (“Saving Mr. Banks”), who adapted the erotic literary sensation by E L James. Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti are producing “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which is set up at Universal Pictures and Focus Features.

By all accounts, the part of Anastasia Steele is a potential star-maker, which means there’s limited upside for an established star; and the chosen actress will have to be comfortable with onscreen nudity and kinky sex. Johnson may not be a household name, but as a former model, she’s already comfortable flaunting her body for the camera.

While “Fifty Shades” has not been offered to anyone officially, several rising actresses are believed to have taken themselves out of the running, including Shailene Woodley and Alicia Vikander. Analeigh Tipton (“Crazy, Stupid Love”) — like Johnson, a young model with a budding acting career — was also considered at one point.

In the “Twilight”-inspired book, James describes Anastasia as an average 22-year-old with delicate features such as long, dark brown hair (Johnson is usually blonde, but has gone brunette before; evidence at left), pale skin, big blue eyes, full lips and an upturned nose (the one feature Johnson lacks). Slender and petite, she’s described as pretty — but not too pretty.

Also on TheWrap: ’50 Shades of Grey’: 20 of the Internet’s Buzziest Casting Choices (Photos)

Johnson got Hollywood’s attention with her scene-stealing turn as a college coed who sleeps with Timberlake’s character in “The Social Network” — which was also produced by De Luca and Brunetti. The last time an actress with a bit part in “The Social Network” was rumored for a high-profile literary adaptation, Rooney Mara won the role of Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”

After supporting roles in “21 Jump Street,” “The Five-Year Engagement” and “Beastly,” Johnson landed her own Fox TV show, “Ben and Kate.” Johnson, who recently appeared in the series finale of “The Office” and next stars alongside Aaron Paul in DreamWorks’ action movie “Need For Speed,” will soon begin filming Michael Almereyda’s “Cymbeline.”

As for Christian Grey, the movie website Twitch reported earlier on Tuesday that producers are looking to cast “Pacific Rim” star Charlie Hunnam as the kinky billionaire. Hunnam would fit the project’s Anglo bent, as Taylor-Johnson, James, Marcel and Universal co-chair Donna Langley all hail from overseas. That said, an individual familiar with the project tells TheWrap that a decision regarding Christian’s casting won’t be made until after the filmmakers know who will play Anastasia.

Back when Taylor-Johnson won the director’s chair in June, TheWrap reported that Felicity Jones was being considered to play Steele, though there doesn’t appear to have been any movement on that front.

But the clock is running out on “Fifty Shades of Grey,” and Universal needs to get the cameras rolling before Halloween to make their date. Expect an official casting announcement after Labor Day.

Johnson is repped by WME and Management 360.