The flame keeps burning this weekend at the Box Office as The Hunger Games: Catching Fire continues to show no mercy to its competition with an unbelievable $74.5 million in its second week of release.  Already, the November record-setting Blockbuster Sequel from Lionsgate Films/eOne Films has surpassed the $300-million mark and it also sets a new U.S. Thanksgiving five-day record with $110.2 million grossed between Thursday through Sunday, eclipsing the $85-million record set previously by 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Globally it has made over $573 million already.

Adding ice to the fire is a stellar debut from Disney‘s Frozen, which opens in second with $63.8 million from 3,742 theatres. The Animated-Feature voiced by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel has garnered great reviews, tallying 86% on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes and Audiences gave it an emphatic A+ CinemaScore.

Thor: The Dark World continues to go strong in its third week out with $15.5 million, a distant third for Disney.  The second Film in the Thor Franchise has just surpassed the $185-million mark domestically.

The Best Man Holiday continues to exceed expectations in fourth with $8.5 million. To date it has grossed $63 million in North America for Universal Pictures.

Homefront, an Action-Thriller based on the Novel by Chuck Logan  starring James Franco and Jason Statham, opens modestly in sixth with $6.9 million for VVS Films and Open Road Films.  Despite getting panned by Critics with a 35% rating on the Tomatometer, Audiences enjoyed it, giving it a B CinemaScore.

Black Nativity debuts in eighth surprisingly with $4 million for Fox Searchlight.  Critics gave it mixed reviews with 54% on the Tomatometer. Audiences gave the Film based on the off-Broadway Musical a much better A- CinemaScore.

Oscar Contender Philomena also pops-up in ninth with $3.8 million for The Weinstein Co./eOne Films.   Just in September, it received a Premiere at TIFF ’13. The fact-based Drama starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan about a Mother looking to find the Son whom she was forced to give-up for adoption, received an incredible 91% rating on the Tomatometer.

Four-week Veteran Last Vegas rounds-out the Top Ten with $3.6 million for CBS Films/eOne Films.

Not that there ever was any doubt about it, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire makes a record-setting debut for highest ever November opening for a Film with a monstrous $161.1 million this weekend across North America for eOne Films/Lionsgate Films! The record previous was held by The Twilight Saga: New Moon in 2009 with $142 million.  The Action-Fantasy, the second in the Series of four Films, opened in 4,163 theatres with an excellent A CinemaScore and equally strong reviews from Critics (89% on the Tomatometer).  By contrast, its Predecessor earned $152 million in its March 2012 debut.

In its third week, Thor: The Dark World slips to second spot with $14.1 million from 3,713 theatres for Disney.  To-date the second Film in the Thor Franchise has earned $168 million domestically.

The Best Man Holiday continues to go strong in third in its second week out for Universal Pictures, earning $12.5 million and almost surpassing the $50-million mark.

Debuting in fourth with $8.2 million from 3,036 theatres is Sperm Donor-Comedy, Delivery Man starring Vince Vaughn.   The Adaptation of TIFF ’11 Favourite Starbuck, released by Disney, didn’t do amazingly well with Critics who gave it 35% on the Tomatometer, but Audiences responded much better giving it a B+ CinemaScore.

Gravity continues to bring in the cash for Warner Bros., now in its seventh week with $3.5 million. Domestically, the Film has grossed $245 million in its eight weeks in theatres.

12 Years a Slave continues to perform well, now showing at 1,474 theatres, landing in ninth spot with $2.8 million this weekend for Fox Searchlight. To-date it has grossed almost $30 million, much of that impressively in limited release.

Dallas Buyers Club rounds-out the Top Ten with $2.7 million from 666 theatres for Focus Features/Remstar Films.  The Drama based on a true story has  a remarkable 95% on the Tomatometer and is a major Contender for Best Picture at the Oscars, having received a TIFF ’13 Premiere.

For a second straight week, Thor: The Dark World finds itself atop the Box Office, this weekend with $38.4 million from 3,841 theatres across North America.  The Action-Fantasy starring Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth, continues to power-on for Disney in its second week, although it certainly wasn’t an easy victory.

Universal Pictures’ Toronto-filmed The Best Man Holiday, a Follow-up to Malcolm Lee‘s 1999 Comedy-Drama, opens in its debut with an over-achieving $30.6 million from 2,024 theatres.   Its Predecessor in its debut managed only to muster $9 million and in its theatrical run made actually $34 million also domestically.  Reviews have been positive for the Film which stars a talented Cast including Nia Long, Terrence Howard, Harold Perrineau, Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs and Regina Hall, with Critics giving it 64% on the Tomatometer, while earning a rare and coveted A+ CinemaScore from Audiences.

CBS Films/eOne Films’ Last Vegas continues to go strong in its third week with $8.8 earned this weekend, its third week out, just ahead of Animated Feature, Free Birds in fourth with $8.3 million.

Oscar-contending 12 Years a Slave expands to 1,411 theatres, garnering $4.6 million for Fox Searchlight in eighth spot. Domestically, it has grossed $30 million in its run thus far.

About Time rounds-out the Top Ten for Universal Pictures with $3.1 million in its third week out.

Words cannot express my joy at running into the deliciously funny Regina Hall tonight in the neighbourhood.  Still beautiful even with little makeup on, the Actress known best for her work in the Scary Movie Franchise and more recently Box Office Smash Think Like a Man, was spotted with her adorable Bulldog Zeus.  And she couldn’t have been any more patriotic, wearing her Canada Goose Parka on what started off as a Summer-like day, only to turn into a frigid Winter-esque night.

Hall currently is in Toronto filming The Best Man Holiday, Follow-up to the 1999 Comedy from Director/Writer Malcolm Lee, reprising her role as Candy, the kind-hearted Stripper who pairs-up with Harold Perrineau‘s Murch.  And just yesterday coincidentally, I ran into her on-screen Beau (read here!).  She says that filming is coming along well for this Sequel, which continues through late May.

See our Snap below:

The Best Man Holiday hits theatres November 15, 2013 via Universal Pictures.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Sony Pictures)

Veteran is a fit word to describe Harold Perrineau, whom I spotted today on a walk with Billy through Yorkville!   Along with his lovely Wife Brittany and two of Daughters, Wynter and Holiday.  Being the cool Parents they are, their four-year-old Daughter Wynter was spotted rocking an iPad even!  And while we’re on the topic of Holidays, that also would be the exact reason the Actor is here in Toronto.

Perrineau is known for his superb Body of Work which includes Lost, Oz,  Sons of Anarchy, Zero Dark Thirty, Romeo + Juliet (Director Baz Luhrmann was just in town this week!) and tells me he’s in-town filming Follow-up to Malcolm Lee‘s 1999 Comedy, The Best Man Holiday alongside Morris Chestnut, Eddie Cibrian and Terrence Howard.  Howard in fact was spotted last night on Queen Street West supporting a great cause along with Rachel McAdams at Our Future Without Aids, a Benefit organized by the CANFAR Young Professional Council.  Meanwhile, Cibrian and Wife LeAnn Rimes were spotted out at Whole Foods earlier in the week before flying back to Los Angeles.

Both Perrineau and his Wife were super-nice to stop and snap a Photo, as he reached over rocker in one hand, handshake with the other.   I am actually looking forward to his portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr. in Inferno, one of two Biopics about Adult Film Actress Linda Lovelace coming soon.

See our Snap below:

The Best Man Holiday hits theatres this November via Universal Pictures, wrapping in the City late May.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/FX)

Some exciting news at last  for Toronto, which currently is going through a virtual Production Drought without a major Feature to film in the City this Winter.  The closest brush we’ve had these past couple months t a major Feature Production is Atom Egoyan‘s Queen of the Night, although a vast majority of filming for that Ryan Reynolds-starring Thriller is taking place in Sudbury. 

Locals in the 705 have marvelled at the sight of him, talented Wife Blake Lively and her cute Yorkshire Terrier Penny, including the Staff at this Sudbury Animal Clinic, who where stunned to see Lively and lucky enough to get this amazing Group Photo with her!  Sudbury Native Larissa Kozoriz admits to me that she’s still ecstatic about the experience saying,  “I’m pretty starstruck… but she is a very very nice woman.. Beautiful.. Pictures do not do her justice! Memorable moment!”.  Production continues until mid-March with hopefully some Toronto sightings to happen soon.  eOne Films will release Queen of the Night in Canada in 2014.

Universal Pictures’ The Best Man 2 might be pencilled-in for a November 2013 release date, but it so slated to film in the City between April and May.  The Sequel to the 1999 Dramedy which grossed $35 million worldwide, stars a brilliant Cast including Terrence Howard, Nia Long, Regina Hall, Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan. Malcolm Lee returns once again as Writer/Director.

Also announced recently was 3-D Action Adventure, Pompeii, from Paul W.S. Anderson, known best for his work helming installments of the Resident Evil Franchise, set to film to Toronto from late April through early July. Starring Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington, production is slated to film at Cinespace Film Studios.  Additional Casting details to follow, but surely we’ll be seeing  lovely and sweet Mrs. Anderson herself, Milla Jovovich in-town?

Although announced incorrectly via the Ontario Media Development Corporation‘s Website that Anderson would also be directing Sci-Fi Flick Debug, it is confirmed that Actor David Hewlett is directing the Film. Production is taking place currently at Pinewood Studios, up till early March. The official Synopsis describes it as being about  “six young Computer Hackers, sent to work on a derelict Space Freighter, are forced to match wits with a vengeful Artificial Intelligence that would kill to be Human”. 

Secret Ballot Director Babak Payami will begin production on his Drama Manhattan Undying, which centers around a female Vampire who hires an Artist to paint a portrait of her so that she can see herself for the first time.  Brothers & Sisters Star Luke Grimes plays Lead in the Film, which will see its production based out of Hamilton up till late March. This has TIFF  2013/2014 written allover it.

ABC recently green-lit a new TV Pilot titled Lucky 7 which is based on a BBC Series The Syndicate, about  seven Service Station Workers from Queens who win the Lottery.  So far, Isaiah Whitlock Jr. is confirmed among the Cast and it will film between March through May in the City.

Even though his critically-panned Thriller A Dark Truth starring Eva Longoria, Forest Whitaker and Andy Garcia filmed partly in Sudbury and Toronto last year, Director Damian Lee will be returning to both locales late March through mid-April with another Thriller in A Fighting Man. Casting details to follow.

Last but not least, there may have been some doubts that CTV Medical Drama Series Saving Hope would be returning for a second season after mixed response south of the Border where it aired on NBC, but alas it is ready to begin production again mid-March through late September out in Mississauga.  Stars Daniel Gillies, Michael Shanks and Erica Durance are expected to return.

(Photo credit: Larissa Kozoriz)