9 Movie

The story of Tom Hanks' "Cloud Atlas" this weekend isn't its dismal box office. With the movie's complicated premise(s), extended length/reduced number of play times, and its not-quite-bankable-anymore stars , the Warner Bros release was always in for a rough ride. When the film received a number of high-profile unfavorable reviews, you knew the car would be skidding off a cliff. The more interesting question than how it performed is the film itself: what it means and, really, what it means that it was made.

Sales in the U.S. and Canada, Dec. 7-9: Movie (studio): 1. The Golden Compass (New Line) 3-day gross (millions): $25.8 Total (millions): $25.8 Venues: 3,528 Average per venue: $7,308 Weeks: 1 -- Movie (studio): 2. Enchanted (Disney) 3-day gross (millions): $10.7 Total (millions): $83.9 Venues: 3,520 Average per venue: $3,042 Weeks: 3 -- Movie (studio): 3. This Christmas (Sony) 3-day gross (millions): $5.0 Total (millions): $42.

Doubleday and CBS are trading sharp words over CBS' surprise Saturday broadcast of a special on the making of its upcoming movie about the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping, which upset the publisher's carefully crafted media plan to launch a book on the topic. Both CBS and Doubleday have rights to a portion of the Smart story, CBS for its Nov. 9 movie "The Elizabeth Smart Story" and Doubleday for a book on the ordeal, to be published Tuesday, from the Utah teen's parents, Ed and Lois Smart.

Still waiting on Dr. Dre's “Detox”? Well, keep waiting. The rapper is too busy raking in money -- and tons of it. The rapper/producer/entrepreneur will end the year -- which included him bringing Tupac back to quasi-life at Coachella -- at the top of Forbes' annual list of highest-paid musicians . Dre reportedly collected $110 million during the scoring period that ran from May 2011 to May 2012, beating Taylor Swift, Justin...

Here's the choice: You can rush across town to the megaplex, wait in separate lines for $5 parking, $14 tickets and $6 popcorn, only for the pleasure of a loudmouth talking over all the best dialogue. Or, you can slide the latest DVD from Netflix into your 12-speaker, high-definition home theater system, order a pizza and become one with your La-Z-Boy and fantasies of being as funny as Vince Vaughn. Face it.

As a strike by Hollywood writers entered its second day, negotiators for the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers met Tuesday under the auspices of a federal mediator. Spokesmen for the two sides did not disclose whether progress was made during the daylong session at the mediator's office in Los Angeles. The talks were to resume Thursday in alliance headquarters in Sherman Oaks.

The third annual Latin American film series, Ventana Latina (Latin Window), will feature a film every other Monday in February, March and April. The free series will be held at 7:30 p.m. at San Diego State University's Hepner Hall. Among the six films to be screened is the Academy Award-winning movie "The Official Story" (March 9). This movie portrays the aftermath of the war perpetrated by the Argentine military dictatorship. It is the most recently released film in the series.

Many parents are wary of their children becoming actors, fearful that their progeny will toil in minimum-wage jobs while going on endless auditions. Bella Heathcote, one of the young actresses featured on this year's Los Angeles Times Young Hollywood roundtable at the AFI Fest, said her father was not excited by the prospect of her moving from Australia to Hollywood. He was a lawyer, and Heathcote said she worked as a paralegal at his firm to placate him. "He spent a few years being like,"Yeah, that's great.