Thursday, June 30, 2005

H2G2 movie is 2nd in Germany for its third week + details about the dvd editions (pic)

As you already know, each country has his own release date for the movie and it's quite difficult to have the box office results for non US countries (and there are a lot of them!!!).

 The Hitchhiker's movie has been released in Germany three weeks ago, and it's still second just behind "Batman begins" and ahead of "Star Wars III". It has grossed more than 5 million dollars.

The H2G2 movie has got some not very good box office results in Brazil (fifth in the second week and it started just in the fourth place when it opened) but it is second in Slovakia (last week it was first).
You can't get much accurante infos about international charts on BoxOffice mojo but they report the movie has grossed 86,45 millions worldwide.

There are still a lot of openings in August in Europe (France, Norway,....) and all over the world (Japan...).

Meanwhile, in september the DVD will be released in UK and US. The UK version will be in shops from the 5th September. I personnaly don't like at all the DVD cover (hope they will change this one) but the good point is that it will include the movie (!!) and some extra. According to DVDanswers.com : "The two-disc set will feature a UK exclusive 'Don't Crash: The Making of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' featurette, behind the scenes interviews from the cast and crew, a 'Babelfish Guide Entry' feature, deleted scenes, 'really' deleted scenes, a 'So Long & Thanks for All the Fish' sing-along feature, audio commentaries and 'Marvin's Hangman' set-top game".

The region 1 DVD for US and Canada will be released the 13th September. The cover is far better but we have still no information about the extra material. According to Digitalbits "We've learned that Touchstone's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (due on 9/13) will include deleted scenes, a commentary track and a "making-of" featurette. We're guessing you can expect a more elaborate special edition at a later date. At least one would certainly hope. By the way, the film will street on UMD format on 9/13 as well". UMD disc is the PlayStation Portable (PSP) video system.

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Dirk Maggs Webchat transcript + Don't miss the utimate episode + buy the CDs and scritps

First, I would like to apologize. This site has been offline during several days, the forum is no more avalaible due to a change of webhost, but nevertheless this site will grow in the next weeks and months to keep a memory of maybe the best Hitchhiker's incarnation : the radio series.

To celebrate the end of the broadcasting of the Hitchhiker's radio new series, Jenz had the great idea set up a webchat with Dirk Maggs, the director of the new Hitchhiker's radio series. "Dirk will relax with us in the VIP chat room tonight, Thursday June 16, at 9 pm UK time, which is 8 pm GMT. The room will open some time prior to start, in order for those who can't join later to be able to submit their question". NB : You can now read the transcript here.

Remember that the last episodes are broadcast right now. You can now listen to the ultimate episode online on BBC Radio 4 website till next tuesday evening.

The Quandary and Quintessential Phases are now broadcasted on Radio 4 since the 6th May. And they are even better than the tertiary phase. Dirk wrote some wonderful new stuff and the actors are unbelievably good.

If you missed the stuff, remember you can already buy Tertiary and Quandary Phase in shops and Internet. The Quintessential Phase and the new radio scripts will be avalaible at the end of June, begining of July. Here are the links and presentation from Amazon.co.uk where they are currently not expensive at all (40 to 50% off). But you can also buy them on many online shops in UK where they deliver worldwide.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Tertiary Phase
The long-awaited, brand new third series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comes to audio on CD and cassette, with 25 minutes of unbroadcast footage. Many of the cast of the original BBC Radio 4 series have been reunited for this new six-part dramatisation of Douglas Adams's book 'Life, the Universe and Everything'. Amongst the returning cast are Simon Jones as Arthur Dent, Geoffrey McGivern as Ford Prefect, Susan Sheridan as Trillian, Mark Wing-Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox and Stephen Moore as Marvin the Paranoid Android. Other famous names in these new productions include Richard Griffiths, Chris Langham, Joanna Lumley and cricket commentators Fred Trueman and Henry Blofeld. The original two series of Hitchhiker's were massively successful on radio and have continued to be bestsellers on audio CD and cassette. This new release also features 25 minutes of material not broadcast on radio.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Quandary Phase
Don't panic! The Hitchhiker's saga returns once again with a brand new full-cast dramatisation of So Long and Thanks For All the Fish, the fourth book in Douglas Adams's famous trilogy in five parts. The Earth has miraculously reappeared and, even more miraculously, Arthur Dent has found it. Returning to his cottage after... well... ages, he falls in love with the girl of his dreams. But Ford Prefect is on to something which might well burst Arthurs bubble. There is, after all, something very fishy about his girlfriend's feet, and what has happened to all the dolphins? Perhaps, at last, all will be revealed in God's Last Message to His Creation. Simon Jones returns as Arthur, Geoffrey McGivern as Ford and Stephen Moore as Marvin. William Franklyn is the Book, and there is a whole host of famous guest stars. This extended edition features 30 minutes of material not heard on BBC Radio 4.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Quintessenial Phase
Panic! It's the last ever installment of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, with a brand new full-cast dramatisation of Mostly Harmless, the final book in Douglas Adams's famous 'trilogy in five parts'. While frequent flyer Arthur Dent searches the universe for his lost love, Ford Prefect discovers a disturbing blast from the past at The Hitchhiker's Guide HQ. Meanwhile, on one of many versions of Earth, a blonder, more American Trillian gets tangled up with a party of lost aliens having an identity crisis. And just when Arthur thinks he has found his true vocation on the backwater planet of Lamuella, the original Trillian turns up with more than a little spanner in the works. A stolen ship, a dramatic stampede and a new and sinister Guide lead to a race to save the Earth...again. But this time, will they succeed? Simon Jones returns as Arthur, Geoffrey McGivern as Ford, Mark Wing-Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox, Susan Sheridan as Trillian, Sandra Dickinson as Tricia McMillian, and Stephen Moore as Marvin. William Franklyn is the Book, alongside a host of famous guest stars. This extended edition features 30 minutes of material not heard on BBC Radio 4.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Radio Scripts: The Tertiary, Quandary and Quintessential Phases: v. 2
The remaining books in Douglas Adams's masterpiece are finally to be dramatised on BBC Radio 4, where it first began - and we're publishing the scripts! Twenty-five years after the original radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy exploded into the public consciousness, the further exploits of its bewildered hero Arthur Dent are being brought to life in their original medium. This dramatisation of the last three books, Life, The Universe And Everything; So Long And Thanks For All The Fish and Mostly Harmless, features Douglas Adams himself, thanks to the wonders of digital technology, and includes new material written by him specially for the radio sequels. The original Hitchhiker's radio cast is returning; Simon Jones as Arthur Dent, Geoffrey McGivern as Ford Prefect, Susan Sheridan as Trillian, Mark Wing-davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox and Stephen Moore as Marvin The Paranoid Android. The late Peter Jones's great friend, William Franklyn, replaces him as The Voice Of The Book. Also involved are famous names such as Joanna Lumley, Richard Griffiths, Chris Langham, Fred Trueman and Henry Blofeld. The shows will be broadcast in two series in Sept. 2004 and spring 2005. Publication of the scriptbook ties-in with the series climax.

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Worldwide box office results now reach 82,7 millions dollars

ere is the list of countries where I was able to get some results mainly thanks to BoxOfficeMojo. The movie made a good start in Germany and I hope it will go on that way even if it sadly didn't beat the damn Star Wars III movie. In the center european countries like Poland and Czech Republic where the movie has just been released, the start is slow. But there are still a lot of countries where the movie has not been released and it should make more than 100 millions dollars worldwide anyway.


Domestic: $49,605,344 / 59.9% + Overseas: $33,183,000 / 40.1% = Worldwide: $82,788,344

GERMANY (release date : 9th June)
1- Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Fox) $3,094,666 / -41% / 1,162 theatres / average $2,663 total $40,241,513 / 4th week
2 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (BVI) $2,382,367 / - / 545 theatres / average $4,371 1st week
3 - Monster-in-Law (WB) $973,184 / -16% / 369 / average $2,637 total $3,834,113 / 3rd week

AUSTRALIA (29th april)
6 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy week end gross $194,301 -39% 174 theatres average $1,117 Total $6,373,269 in six weeks
UK (28th april)
12- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy $86,230 /-64% / 121 theatres / average $713 Total gross : $19,154,624 (7 weeks)

UNITED STATES (29th april)
26-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy week-end groos $147,904 / -54.0% / 151 theatres / $979 average Total gross $49,605,344 (7 weeks)

NEW ZELAND (29th april)
11- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy week end gross $23,944 / -36% / 31 theatres / average $772 Total gross : $983,451 (6 weeks)

CZECH REPUBLIC (june 5th)
1-Star Wars: Episode III ($106,195) 2-Román pro zeny ($52,604) 3-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy week-end gross $50,631 / theatres 15 / average $3,375 Total gross $51,391 (1st week)

POLAND (june 12th)
1- Sin ciy ($255,339) 2- Star Wars III (gross $207,960) 3 - Robots (gross $202.288) 4- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy week-end gross $96,892 / theatres 60 / average $1,615 Total gross $96,892 (1st week)

HONG KONG (June 1st)
6 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy week-end gross $12,852 / theatres 27 /average $476 Total $321,308/ 11 days