USA: The thriller "Saw II" carves up the box office, while putting a scare in moviegoers
Record ID:
785227
USA: The thriller "Saw II" carves up the box office, while putting a scare in moviegoers
- Title: USA: The thriller "Saw II" carves up the box office, while putting a scare in moviegoers
- Date: 5th November 2005
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) DONNIE WAHLBERG ON WHY THE FILM IS SUCCESSFUL, SAYING: "When you come to see "Saw" and "Saw II" and however many "Saw's" they do, you know that the film makers are working really hard to make it a great experience and an unsettling experience to take you through allot of changes. So, when you walk out of that theatre, you feel like it was worth the 50 bucks (U.S. dollars) that I spent to take my girl for a burger and then go to the movies."
- Embargoed: 20th November 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA8Y1I9XKM2CJSS7TM8OZ5K5RX0
- Story Text: The gruesome thrills of "Saw II" topped the North American box office as moviegoers opted for the slasher flick over the light comedy of "The Legend of Zorro." According to studio estimates, "Saw II" sold 30.5 million U.S. dollars worth of tickets in its first three days since October 28, well above industry expectations of a bow in the 20 million U.S. dollars range. Its little-heralded predecessor kicked off with 18 million U.S. dollars a year ago on its way to 55 million U.S. dollars.
The film stars Donnie Wahlberg as a corrupt cop who must work with a cancer-ridden killer to free a group of people, including the cop's son, from a grisly death in a booby-trapped house. Wahlberg plays detective Eric Matthews, who along with his partner (Dina Meyer), try to track down Jigsaw, the serial killer with a particularly imaginative bent. Wahlberg says he had a number of reasons for taking on the role. "First of all, my son is a big fan of the first one, as am I, and my wife," explains Wahlberg. "But, also I thought it would be fun and quite frankly, If I'm going to do a movie like this, I'd rather do something that takes chances and they're redefining a genre and they're really passionate about giving the viewers their moneys worth."
Throughout the film, the killer taunts Wahlberg's character with a live video feed of his latest would-be victims. The group of eight hapless characters are locked in a dilapidated house filled with traps that include a pit filled with dirty syringes and a container lined with razor-sharp blades. They attempt to escape by deciphering their captor's twisted clues. As might be expected, the group, which also includes actress Beverly Mitchell and one of Jigsaw's previous victims (Shawnee Smith), don't exactly prove harmonious in their interactions.
Wahlberg adds though that the movie offers its audience more than your typical fright film. "When you come to see "Saw" and "Saw II" and however many "Saw's" they do, you know that the film makers are working really hard to make it a great experience and an unsettling experience to take you through allot of changes. So when you walk out of that theatre, you feel like it was worth the 50 bucks (U.S. dollars) that I spent to take my girl for a burger and then to the movies," says Wahlberg. Actress Beverly Mitchell, of the WB drama "Seventh Heaven" fame, says at first she was reluctant to sign onto the project. "When they approached me for "Saw II," I for one laughed and said you gotta be kidding me," says Mitchell. "I mean, me, the "Seventh Heaven" girl in "Saw II"? They were like no, we're serious. Once I read the script, it was so brilliant and so clever."
"Saw II" is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, who co-wrote the script with Leigh Whannell, the writer and co-star of the original film. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None