Fire and Ice (full Movie)

Why Was Terrence Howard Replaced in "Iron Man 2"?

When it was announced that Terrence Howard was out of "Iron Man 2" and that Don Cheadle would be taking over the role of James "Rhodey" Rhodes, the question on most observers' minds was "Why?" The first film was an enormous success, turning a little-known Marvel Comics character into a household name and raking in $318 million domestically. Howard received solid reviews for his work in the film. And the movie itself seemed to indicate that Rhodey would have a bigger part in the sequel when he looked at the silver Mark II suits and said to himself, "Next time, baby."

Terrence Howard himself seemed at a loss as to why he was replaced, telling NPR that getting the news was "the surprise of a lifetime." Initial reports said that negotiations between Howard's representatives and Marvel Studios "fell through over financial differences," but a recent article in Entertainment Weekly suggests it was more complicated than that.

Howard was the first actor signed to the film and, on top of that, was the highest-paid. That's right: more than Gwyneth Paltrow. More than Jeff Bridges. More than Robert Downey Jr. And once the project fully came together, it was too late to renegotiate his deal. Read the full article >>

Director Jon Favreau told Ain't It Cool News before shooting even began that he had cast Howard with the intention of giving Rhodey a bigger role in the sequels, eventually getting his own suit of mechanized armor to become "War Machine." But according to EW's source, "Favreau and his producers were ultimately unhappy with Howard's performance, and spent a lot of time cutting and reshooting his scenes."

Consequently, as Favreau and screenwriter Justin Theroux began the process of structuring the second movie, they reduced the scale of Rhodey's part. With the role pared down, Marvel presented Howard's agents with a much smaller offer than he received for the first movie.

The agents, according to sources, were so taken aback by this new figure - estimated at somewhere between a 50 and 80 percent pay cut - that they questioned it. Why did they blanch? Multiple sources say that Marvel execs never told Howard's reps that they had issues with the star's on-set conduct.

Don Cheadle - Photo: Michael Caulfield, WireImage.comWhile Marvel refused to comment on why Howard was replaced, they did officially announce last week that not only would Don Cheadle play Rhodes in "Iron Man 2," but also in "The Avengers" movie. Robert Downey Jr. also signed for the sequel and the spin-off that will team Tony Stark up with other heroes like Thor, Captain America and the Hulk. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in a press release, "It has already become apparent as we prep the movie for production, that the dynamic between Robert and Don will take 'Iron Man 2' to new heights."

"Iron Man 2" will begin filming in March of next year with a release scheduled for May 7, 2010. "The Avengers" is slated to open July 15, 2011.


Watch Terrence Howard in a Deleted Scene from the 'Iron Man' DVD

Box Office Report 10/07/07

Stiller Finds Heartbreak at Box Office

There's something about a reunion of Ben Stiller and the Farrelly brothers that audiences didn't want to see.
Stiller and the Farrellys' "The Heartbreak Kid" pulled in a modest $14 million during opening weekend, coming in at No. 2 behind "The Game Plan," which remained the top flick for the second-straight weekend with $16.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Paramount and DreamWorks had expected more from "The Heartbreak Kid," which reteamed Stiller with Peter and Bobby Farrelly. The trio collaborated on 1998's smash "There's Something About Mary."

The studios had gotten positive reaction from audiences at advance screenings, but reviews for "The Heartbreak Kid" came in much harsher than expected, said DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan.
"We were surprised," Sullivan said. "The reviews hurt us. We love the movie. We've seen it play great. But I think reviews do matter on an R-rated movie."

An update of the 1972 comedy written by Neil Simon and directed by Elaine May, "The Heartbreak Kid" stars Stiller as a man who marries an incompatible bride, then meets the perfect woman on his honeymoon.

"The Heartbreak Kid" did manage to come in slightly ahead of the $13.7 million first weekend of "There's Something About Mary," which lingered in theaters for months and became one of 1998's top hits at $176.5 million.

Movies hung around longer then, but today's films tend to live or die based on their opening weekends, analysts said. That bodes ill for "The Heartbreak Kid," which would need to hold strongly in coming weeks to make good on its $60-million-plus production budget.

"The shelf life of films is so much shorter today than it was 10 years ago," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "You have to make your mark early to sustain yourself in today's marketplace."

"The Heartbreak Kid" also played much wider 3,229 theaters, about 1,000 more than "There's Something About Mary," which still managed to pack in far more viewers. Based on today's higher ticket prices, "There's Something About Mary" pulled in nearly 3 million people over opening weekend, compared to just over 2 million for "The Heartbreak Kid."
In limited release, George Clooney's acclaimed legal drama "Michael Clayton" opened strongly with $704,000 in 11 theaters, a promising lead-in for the film's nationwide rollout Friday.

Released by Warner Bros., "Michael Clayton" stars Clooney as an attorney at a huge Manhattan law firm dealing with personal financial ruin while trying to salvage a class-action case for a corporate client.
Disney's "The Game Plan," a football family tale starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, held up strongly in its second weekend, raising its total to $42.8 million.

Overall revenues were down for the third-straight weekend, with the top-12 movies taking in a meager $65.7 million, off 35 percent from the same weekend last year.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Game Plan," $16.3 million.
2. "The Heartbreak Kid," $14 million.
3. "The Kingdom" $9.3 million.
4. "Resident Evil: Extinction," $4.3 million.
5. "The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising," $3.7 million.
6. "Good Luck Chuck," $3.5 million.
7. "Feel the Noise," $3.4 million.
8. "3:10 to Yuma," $3 million.
9. "The Brave One" $2.3 million.
10. "Mr. Woodcock," $2 million.

3:10 to Yuma Official Trailer

Jackie Chan no fan of 'Rush Hour' series

By MIN LEE, AP Entertainment Writer
Sun Sep 30, 10:02 AM ET

HONG KONG - "Rush Hour" put Jackie Chan in Hollywood's major leagues, but the Hong Kong star isn't a fan of his successful action comedy franchise.

Chan said when he made the first installment of the "Rush Hour" series in 1998 he only wanted to test the U.S. market and didn't have high hopes.
"When we finished filming, I felt very disappointed because it was a movie I didn't appreciate and I did not like the action scenes involved. I felt the style of action was too Americanized and I didn't understand the American humor," Chan said in a blog entry on his Web site seen Sunday.
The actor said he made the sequel because he was offered an "irresistible" amount of money to do it and made the recently released third installment to satisfy fans of the series.
Chan said "Rush Hour 3" was no different from the first two installments for him.
"Nothing particularly exciting stood out that made this movie special for me ... I spent four months making this film and I still don't fully understand the humor," he said, adding the comedic scenes may be lost on Asian audiences.
Chan's comments came even though the "Rush Hour" series, which revolves around the racial humor stemming from the pairing of a Chinese (Chan) and a black (Chris Tucker) police officer, helped the action star cross over to mainstream American audiences.
"Rush Hour" was Chan's first movie to break $100 million at the U.S. box office, earning $141 million, according to the box office tracking Web site, Box Office Mojo. "Rush Hour 2" made $226 million and "Rush Hour 3" has earned $137 million so far.
Chan has been known to be blase about his Hollywood work. He said in a 2005 interview with The Associated Press that he uses the high salary he earns in the U.S. to fund Chinese-language projects that truly interest him.
He also showed little enthusiasm for his latest Hollywood project, "The Forbidden Kingdom," which marks his first on-screen collaboration with fellow action star Jet Li.
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On the Net:
http://www.jackiechan.com