MTV: Box Office Report

"Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" was the #1 movie at the box office for a second consecutive weekend, but the bigger story was the film that came in at #2.

"John Carter," which Disney hoped would kick off a franchise based on the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs stories that inspired generations of sci-fi, opened with $30.6 million. In an article bearing the headline " 'Ishtar' on Mars," the New York Times reported that "John Carter" cost about $350 million to market and produce. Even with its $71 million overseas total, "Carter" is a long way from an estimated break-even point of $600 million. "Ishtar" is a 1987 film famous for how hard it flopped despite the presence of two A-list stars (Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman) and huge marketing.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

'John Carter' Interviews

I was fortunate enough to visit the "Mars" like environment of Arizona to speak with director and Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton and the cast of "John Carter," the latest adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs enduring sci-fi hero. After Lynn Collins talked with me about boxing, Julliard, gymnastics, Shakespeare and spirituality within the span of about 2 minutes, I believe I asked her to marry me. The screen grab above captures her immediate reaction to that.

CLICK HERE to watch my interviews with Stanton, Collins, Willem Dafoe (warm, smart, funny, chatty), Dominic West (ditto) and "John Carter" himself, Taylor Kitsch.

'The Secret World of Arrietty' Interviews

I caught up with Bridgit Mendler and the legendary Carol Burnett to talk about their voice performances in "The Secret World of Arrietty," which arrived in the US courtesy of Disney.

CLICK HERE to watch.