Showbiz411

Tom Cruise is just not having a good year. He can only hope that 2013 will be better. He was skunked by Katie Holmes and her family. His whole Scientology mishegos was exposed. And now this: for a second day in a row, Bette Midler, Billy Crystal and a bunch of children trounced him at the box office. Cruise’s “Jack Reacher” was once again beaten by “Parental Guidance,” the Midler-Crystal-Marisa Tomei family comedy. Yikes. “Reacher” did just $3.8 million. Not good. Meantime, “Les Miserables” is number 1 with $30 million in three days.

And: “Django Unchained” is booming with $25 million in the same time. “The Hobbit: An Unnecessary–whoops–Unexpected Journey” already has crossed the $500 million line with most of it coming from foreign sales. “Silver Linings Playbook” is a limited release hit as well. “Reacher” is doing the same or just a tad not as well as the comedy “This is 40.” Tom Cruise needs a romantic comedy. Tom, call Charles Shyer or Nancy Meyers, pronto. Put down your guns.

http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/12/28/bette-midler-billy-crystal-take-tom-cruise-for-a-second-day-in-a-row

http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/12/27/an-oscar-primer-for-academy-members-countdown-to-january-3rd

Roger Friedman

Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News. Friedman previously wrote the Intelligencer column at New York Magazine, He writes for Parade magazine and has written for Details, Vogue, the New York Times, Post, and Daily News and many other publications. He is the writer and co-producer of a film about R&B Music called “Only the Strong Survive,” which was released by Miramax in 2003 and was a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals.