entertainmentdissected

Saw VI was no competition for the Paranormal Activity juggernaut this weekend. The sixth entry in the franchise earned the lowest opening in the series’ history. (image courtesy of Lions Gate Films)

Jigsaw and his diabolical cohorts found themselves in a position they’re not accustomed to- second place in its opening weekend at the box office.

Lions Gate Film’s Saw VI opened in 3,036 theaters over the weekend, earning a so-so $14.118 million, less than half of its predecessor’s debut weekend gross. Jigsaw and company’s total trailed the $21.1 million that greeted Paramount’s Paranormal Activity in its first weekend of super-wide release. Expanding from 760 theaters to 1,945, Paranormal averaged an impressive $10,850 per location; on the other hand, Saw VIaveraged a mediocre $4,650 per outlet.

Produced for a mere $15,000, Paranormal Activity has grossed $61.58 million and this week will pass Zombieland to become the year’s top-grossing horror film. Credit the phenomenal performance to outstanding marketing, word of mouth- and- shocker- great critical reviews.

The Saw franchise- which depicts victims in various torture scenarios and tests their endurance for pain- has been a part of Halloween-season culture since the first hit theaters back in 2004, but never had any real competition (especially from other fright flicks) until this year. The first entry grossed $18.276 million in the USA and Canada, on its way to a final gross of $55.185 million. Since then, each Saw has opened with more than $30 million: 2005’s Saw II pulled in $31.726 million ($87.04 million total gross); 2006’s Saw III scored $33.6 million ($80.239 million overall); 2007’s Saw IV earned $31.757 million ($63.3 million total, starting the franchise’s decline); and 2008’s Saw V grossed $30.054 million, concluding its run with $56.747 million.

None of the Saw movies were exactly critical successes, but Saw VI at least looks to be a step up from the prior installment, with a 44 percent approval rating from critics at www.rottentomatoes.com (up from Saw V’s 15 percent approval rating from 61 critics). Reegardless of quality or box office declins, the seventh installment will be out next year, in the horror-trendy 3D format.

Last week’s No. 1, Where the Wild Things Are, dropped 57 percent in its second weekend, grossing $14 million, upping its cume to $53.559 million. The Charles Bronson-Death-Wish-like Law Abiding Citizen dropped a reasonable 41 percent to $12.404 million (earing $40 million to date).

This week’s big box office contender likely will be Michael Jackson’s This Is It. Will be as much a thriller at the box office as he has been on the music charts? Count on it.

The fourth entry in the Final Destination film series handily topped the U.S. and Canadian box office this weekend. (image courtesy of New Line)

Death took no prisoners at the box office this weekend, even taking madman Michael Myers down along the way.

The Final Destination, the fourth installment in the cheating-death-until-death-comes-back-for-you-with-a-vengeance franchise, debuted with $27.4 million at the domestic box office, trumping Halloween II’s $16.3 million take. Destination opened in 3,211 theaters and received a boost from play in nearly 1,700 3D theaters (which come with higher ticket prices), while Halloween II played in 3,025 locations.

While Destination’s opening marked the series’ highest yet, Halloween II dropped off from its predecessor’s $26.4 million opening (to be fair, Halloweenopened two years ago with no horror competition). Nonetheless, Rob Zombie’s sequel to his 2007 reimagining of John Carpenter’s 1978 classic should turn a profit, since its budget came in at around $15 million (The Final Destination, by comparison, cost around $40 million).

Neither The Final Destination or Halloween IIhave scored glowing reviews, with Metacritic scores of 34 and 49 (out of 100), respectively. Then again, none of the Final Destination movies were critical hits, and the last Halloweenholds a 47 average at Metacritic. 

With its robust opening, The Final Destination should become the highest-grossing release along the four Final movies. However, in terms of tickets sold, the 2000 original probably will reign supreme, with an estimated 9.894 million tickets sold (compared to 7.788 million for Destination 2 and 8.26 million for Destination 3).

Sandwiched between the two horror flicks this weekend was the  World War II epic Inglorious Basterds, which dropped a reasonable 49 percent to $19.3 million, upping its cume to $73 million. By the time the film concludes its run, it should rival star Brad Pitt’s 2008 smash The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which grossed $127.5 million in the USA and Canada.

Michael Myers and Death face off yet again this weekend- but this time, it’s box office bragging rights at stake.

Rob Zombie’s Halloween II and the fourth installment of the Final Destination series- titled The Final Destination- both opened in more than 3,000 theaters each on Friday and may be neck-and-neck for the top position at the domestic box office. The Final Destination may have a slight advantage, though, as it’s also available in 3D format at select theaters; this means higher ticket prices and grosses from such outlets.

Whoever wins the battle, given the history of horror franchises and their reluctance to retire any moneymaking franchise, it may not be the final destination for the cheating-death series, or the end of Michael Myers and All Saints Eve. Ads tout the latter as the final chapter in Zombie’s “terrifying vision,” but recall that he expressed no interest in directing a sequel to his $55 million re-imagining of John Carpenter’s classic- and we know how that turned out. Even if Halloween II does not fare as well as its predecessor, it still likely will end up as a profitable venture.

In turn, if The Final Destination manages a decent gross, is there any doubt New Line will find a way to have Death make a shocking return? The three Final Destination movies each grossed between $46.96 million and $54.1 million, and the latest should have no trouble crossing $40 million (with potentially half of that coming in the first weekend alone).

Of note is that neither New Line or Dimension screened The Final Destination and Halloween II for critics, with Dimension claiming it was “holding the suspense for the opening.” Translated, that means the studio wanted to avoid confronting the inevitably bad negative reviews that come with the territory for these kinds of flicks.

So, who are you rooting for in this box office showdown? Or are you in a neutral corner? That may be the best option, when considering these two forces of horrific evil…

Adam Sandler- pictured with co-star Seth Rogen in Universal’s Funny People- probably is not smiling at the performance of his latest film. (image courtesy of AP/Universal/Tracy Bennett) 

Adam Sandler may have 10 films that have grossed more than $100 million each in the United States and Caada- but his latest will not be joining that elite list.

In its third weekend at the box office, Funny People dropped an estimated 62 percent to roughly $3 million, bringing its cume to an unimpressive $47.9 million. This disappointing performance follows three consecutive $100 million-plus releases: 2008’s Bedtime Stories and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, and 2007’s I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.

Despite his popularity with moviegoers, it’s not like Sandler is immune to disappointing box office returns. Any time he takes a more serious turn, his box office recepits suffer: A couple of years back, Reign Over Me (which co-starred Don Cheadle) grossed a mere $19.66 million- though at its peak, it played at just 1,747 theaters, notably less than most Sandler releases.

Like most big Sandler movies, Funny People saw wide release in 3,000-plus theaters, and actually is one of his better-reviewed films with critics. At www.metacritic.com, Funny People has an average of 60 out of 100; by comparison, Bedtime Stories has a score of 33 and …Chuck and Larry a 37.

Nonetheless, Sandler has been one of the biggest critic-proof movie stars of the last two decades, and this blip on his box office success probably will pass once his next blockbuster hits theaters.

Meanwhile, the non-star sci-fi drama District 9 knocked G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra out of the top spot this weekend, grossing an estimated $37 million from play at 3,049 theaters. G.I. Joe dropped an estimated 59 percent to $22.5 million ($98.8 million to date).

Chick flick The Time Traveler’s Wife fared decently, pulling in an estimated $19.2 million from play at 2,988 theaters. Last weekend’s female-powered film Julie & Julia dropped a reasonable 38 percent to an estimated $12.4 million, upping its cume to roughly $43.7 million.

Disney’s G-Force rounded out the top five, with an estimated $6.9 million; it will cross the $100 million plateau today or tomorrow.

Sandra Bullock gets to second base with Betty White in the No. 1 box office champ The Proposal. Here, White’s character, Grandma Annie, likens looking for Bullock’s breasts to an Easter Egg Hunt. (picture courtesy of Touchstone Pictures)

One of America’s favorite Golden Girls returned to the top of the domestic box office over the weekend.

No, not Sandra Bullock. Though the actress headlines The Proposal, her first No. 1 film at the box office in a decade, it’s Bullock’s co-star Betty White, who enjoyed time at No. 1 even more recently. As nosy bigot neighbor Mrs. Kline, she co-starred in 2003’s Steve Martin-Queen Latifah vehicle, Bringing Down the House, which earned more than $132 million in the USA and Canada.

The Proposal,which earned $33.6 million from play at 3,056 venues, stars Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as a boss and her assistant engaging in one of Hollywood’s oldest and most overused plots- a marriage of convenience, to help someone avoid deportation. Though the film has received mixed notices from critics (a 48 out of 100 Metacritic average, based on 29 reviews), White is winning rave notices as Reynolds’ Grandma Annie.

While the 87-year-old actress has enjoyed a vast television career (most notably, appearances on all Password incarnations, and Emmy-winning roles as The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s Sue Ann Nivens and The Golden Girls’ Rose Nylund), she only claims a handful of feature films to her credit. After making her film debut in 1962’s Advise and Consent, she did not have a scripted feature film role until 1998’s Hard Rain, opposite Christian Slater and  Morgan Freeman. What she was thinking playing herself in 1998’s Eddie Murphy dud Holy Man, we will never know, but it’s not like she has not stumbled on the small screen during her 60-year career (The Golden Palace? Maybe This Time, anyone?)

Aside from Bringing Down the House, which by far remains her most successful big-screen endeavor, White starred opposite Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer in 1999’s underwhelming The Story of Us. One of her most memorable film appearances came via 1999’s hit comedy/horror Lake Placid,where she portrayed seemingly sweet, yet acid-tongued keeper of the killer crocodile, Delores Bickerman.

Audiences apparently enjoy seeing White in roles that contrast her real-life sugar-and-spice, animal-loving persona. Off screen, they want her to remain (for the most part) the Grandma Next Door, but as of late, they adore the on-screen antithesis; the racier and more F-bomb-dropping, the better, the cuter.

White’s next project reportedly comes via the animated Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, set for release in August. However, no matter how her big-screen career has flourished during her 80’s, she forever will remain one of television’s greatest comic actresses. But thanks to her newfound screen success, she can enjoy the best of both worlds- not just TV and film, but also dual reputations of naughty and nice.

Just don’t let Rose Nylund hear the potty-mouthed language coming from White in recent times. After all, she’s the woman who, on Golden Girls, once told Dorothy that she could go to h-e-double-hockey-sticks.

Eddie Murphy- pictured with Yara Shahidi in Imagine That- is set to finish outside the box office top five this weekend. (picture courtesy of AP/Paramount/Bruce McBroom) 

Some hitmaking film veterans enter the box office sweepstakes this weekend, though none will overtake the one-two punch of The Hangover and Up.

Eddie Murphy’s Imagine That looks set to join the list of Murphy duds such as Vampire in Brooklyn, Holy Man, The Adventures of Pluto Nash and last year’s Meet Dave. Based on Friday’s lackluster $1.825 million opening, the Paramount kiddie flick- playing in 3,008 multiplexes- probably will earn roughly $6 million this weekend. Such a showing would give the comedian back-to-back flops, his worst showing since the 2002 triad of Showtime, Pluto Nash and I Spy.

Granted, Murphy has scored a load more hits than duds in his 25-year film career- but two consecutive duds at the level of Meet Dave (which grossed a meager $11.8 million) and Imagine That is a career first. Heck, Murphy’s projected opening makes Will Ferrell’s Land of the Lost film adaptation (which grossed $18.8 million last weekend) look like a mega-smash; expected to tumble more than 50 percent this weekend, Lost still is projected to outdo Murphy’s first weekend. Even the Night at the Museum sequel- in its fourth weekend- will outperform Murphy’s flick.

Murphy’s next film, A Thousand Words, does not sound like it has much promise to halt the dud streak, which means he must be anticipating Donkey’s return to the big screen next year more than the millions of Shrek fans around the globe.

Looking to fare much better than Murphy’s vehicle is the Denzel Washington-John Travolta hostage remake The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, which should place third for the weekend with around $25 million. That’s a solid opening from business at 3,000-plus theaters, but without promotion from Travolta (who still is mourning the death of his teenage son), the film possibly missed out on an even heftier debut. 

However, like Imagine That, Pelham has received mixed critical notices, which could impact its overall box office potential. With 32 reviews taken into account at www.metacritic.com, Pelham has an average score of 58 out of 100.

Last weekend’s startling success story, The Hangover,features no big-name marquee stars (the biggest being Heather Graham and Jeffrey Tambor), yet came out of nowhere to eclipse Disney/Pixar’s Up in a photo-finish race for the top spot. Warner Bros.’ Hangover grossed $44.98 million over its first three days, compared to Up’s $44.14 million; through close of business on Friday, Hangover’s cume stood at roughly $82.4 million, while Up stood at $165.5 million.

Box office pundits project Hangover and Up to finish the weekend at $32 million-$35 million and $28 million-$31 million, respectively. Incidentally, not only are both films commercial success stories, but both have fared well with critics. The Hangoverhas a Metacritic average of 73 (based on 30 reviews), while Up boasts an 88 average.

Such reception shows that every now and again, critical and commercial success do match up. However, as always, let’s not get accustomed to such a marvel- as has occurred plenty of times in the past, soon enough the critical darlings will be relinquishing the top spots of the box office charts to the next round of mixed-reviewed or critically maligned films…

A horror showdown- set to take place August 28 in U.S. and Canadian theaters- pics the second Rob Zombie-directed Halloween film  (H2) against the fourth (and supposedly last) Final Destination. (posters courtesy of MGM and New Line)

Looks like Michael Myers does not stand alone as the next big horror villain to invade theaters this summer. 

Rob Zombie’s H2- the sequel to his 2007 reimagining of John Carpenter’s classic Halloween- is set to hit theaters August 28. Challenging H2 for the box office crown that very weekend will be the fourth installment of New Line’s Final Destination series, titled, fittingly, The Final Destination. (Social networking site MySpace last week premiered The Final Destination trailer.)

All of this year’s major horror releases- The Unborn, My Bloody Valentine 3-D, The Uninvited, Friday the 13th, The Last House on the Left, The Haunting in Connecticut, Drag Me to Hell- all debuted independent of other horror flick openings, making the head-on H2/The Final Destination scuffle possibly one for the box office record books.

The Final Destination series revolves around a teen’s premonitions of Death that, first, result in cheating it, and, eventually, for those who escaped it the first time around, falling victim to it, in rather gruesome manners. The series’ three films have grossed more than $150 million in the USA and Canada, with the most recent- 2006’s Final Destination 3- earning $19.17 million in its opening weekend and $54.1 million lifetime gross.

Can the Grim Reaper defeat Mr. Myers in the battle for box office domination? Zombie’s Halloween opened to $26.36 million in 2007, on its way to a final gross of $58.27 million.

Clearly, fans of both series will be out in force on opening weekend, and judging by the box office results of the prior films, it may be too close to call at this point. In The Final Destination’s favor, however, is the 3-D factor- the film will play at many 3-D theaters, which boast higher ticket prices than the regular 2-D multiplexes. Such an disadvantage could cost MGM’s H2 box office bragging rights once the weekend concludes.

Nonetheless, the weekend of August 28 will be a win-win for horror fans, as well as both films. Thanks to some healthy competition, H2 and The Final Destination could feed off each other and potentially score even bigger business.

We’ve seen Alien V.s Predator, and Freddy Vs. Jason- it’s about time we get to see Michael Myers directly fight one of horror’s most formidable killers.

Disney/Pixar’s latest CGI feature went Up, up and away at the weekend box office, grossing $68.1 million in its first three days. (image courtesy of Reuters/Disney/Pixar)

As expected, Disney/Pixar’s inaugural 3-D release, Up, easily attracted the most domestic moviegoers over the weekend, leaving the weekend’s other major new release in box office hell.

Well, not really- but Up did gross more than four times as much as horror pic Drag Me to Hell. Debuting in 3,766 theaters, Up collected a plentiful $68.1 million in the USA and Canada, compared to $15.8 million for Hell, director Sam Raimi’s return to horror.

Among Disney/Pixar’s 10 films, only 2004’s The Incredibles and 2003’s Finding Nemo opened higher (though when adjusting for inflation, 1999’s Toy Story 2 and 2001’s Monsters Inc. also grossed more). Up even outgrossed last year’s smash Wall-E by $5 million- however, Wall-E did not benefit from play at 3D theaters, where ticket prices are notably more expensive. (Wall-E finished its run with $223.8 million).

A more fitting performance comparison would be to rival DreamWorks’ Monsters Vs. Aliens, which earned $59.3 million earlier this year as a 3-D release. Through the weekend, Monsters has grossed $194.4 million; it now ranks as the year’s second-highest-grossing release, after Star Trek (which has pulled in $209.3 million).

Like all of Disney/Pixar’s other projects, Up received high critical marks- based on 35 reviews, it currently has a Metacritic average of 88 out of 100. Wall-E has a Metacritic score of 93.

Alison Lehman confronts demons and more in Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell. The horror feature earned a decent $15.8 million in its debut weekend. (image courtesy of  AP/Universal/Melissa Moseley)

Universal’s Drag Me to Hell did not open shabbily, though it hardly compared to some of the year’s other big horror releases: Warner Bros./New Line’s Friday the 13th reimagining opened to a robust $40.57 million in February (before limping to a $65 million conclusion); Lionsgate’s The Haunting in Connecticutpulled down $23 million in March, ending its run with $55.4 million; another Lionsgate release, My Bloody Valentine 3-D, grossed $21.2 million in January (though benefiting from higher ticket prices at the 1,000-plus theaters showing the 3D version), finishing with $51.5 million; and  upon opening one week prior to Valentine, Universal’s The Unborn grossed $19.8 million,on itsway to a $42.67 million cume.

Raimi’s picture, however, did fare better than Paramount/DreamWorks’ The Uninvited, which grossed $10.3 million in late January, and Universal’s The Last House on the Left, which opened to $14.1 million in March.

Drag Me to Hell may not shatter box office records, but it is managing an impressive feat for a horror flick- high critical marks. Based on 31 reviews, its Metacritic average stands at an impressive 83, with critics praising the film’s mix of horror and humor.

The next major horror release comes via Rob Zombie’s Halloween sequel, H2, opening in August. Zombie’s 2007 reimagining of the classic John Carpenter film performed well, though it grossed 45 percent of its eventual $58.27 million haul in its first three days. Will Halloween fans line up in droves for the sequel? Probably so- but it’s likely that, like its predecessor, it will enjoy little in the way of legs.

After H2, the sixth bloody installment of the Saw franchise hits theaters in October. Ever since Saw II outgrossed the original by some $32 million, the series has seen diminishing returns with each subsequent release. Though while Saw IV dropped 21 percent from Saw III’s $80.2 million gross, Saw V dropped just 10.4 percent from Saw IV’s $63.3 million.

Does that decent hold for the last picture bode well for Saw VI? Jigsaw and Amanda- whether dead or alive- surely hope so.

Ben Stiller (in a scene with Alain Chabat) yet again delivered a robust weekend at the box office with his Night at the Museum sequel, Battle of the Smithsonian. The family adventure grossed $70 million over the Memorial Day weekend. (image courtesy of AP/Twentieth Century Fox)

The Terminator failed to flex its box office muscles large enough to overtake Ben Stiller’s Night at the Museum sequel at U.S. and Canadian theaters this weekend.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian grossed $54.17 million at 4,096 theaters over the weekend ($70.05 million factoring in Memorial Day), compared to Terminator Salvation’s $42.6 million ($51.9 million for four days). Since its opening last Thursday, Salvation has grossed $65.3 million.

Both sequels fared well in comparison to their predecesssors’ opening weekends. Smithsonian whi improved markedly over the first Night, which grossed $30.4 million upon opening in December 2006. The first Arnold Schwarzenegger-less Terminator film, Salvation- starring Christian Bale- opened in line with 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, which pulled in $44.04 million in its premiere weekend. However, T3’s opening gross translates to roughly $52.4 million in today’s dollars.

Both franchise films will be hard-pressed to match the success of prior films- the first Museum concluded its run with $250.86 million, while T3 finished with $150.37 million ($179 million, adjusted for inflation). Furthermore, in 2009 dollars, 1991’s Terminator 2 has grossed $349.35 million.

Finishing third over the weekend, Star Trek continued its sizzling success. Through Memorial Day, the franchise reboot has grossed $191 million, and, with Tuesday’s box office results, will dethrone Monsters Vs. Aliens as the year’s top-grossing film. Monsters spent a ninth week inside the top 10, and has earned $193.7 million through Monday’s close of business.

Last week’s number one film- Angels & Demons- dropped to fourth place, and has collected $87.5 million to date. The Tom Hanks vehicle likely will not match the $217.5 million earned by 2006’s The Da Vinci Code.

Another franchise release, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, claimed sixth place over the long weekend, bringing its cume to $165.16 million. While Wolverine has outgrossed 2000’s X Men in hard dollars, when adjusting for inflation, the original film’s gross rises to $209.5 million. 2003’s X2: X-Men United earned $214.95 million ($255.94 adjusted), while 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand remains the top grosser, with $234.36 million ($256.9 million adjusted).

Aside from the top two films, the only other major release was the Wayans Brothers-written Dance Flick, which scored a mild fifth-place debut, with $12.62 million in its first four days. The Brothers’ nephew, Damien, directed the parody, which also co-stars several members of the Wayans clan.

Next weekend, the Disney/Pixar animated feature Up will try to topple Battle of the Smithsonian, while horror flick Drag Me to Hell tries to- ahem- scare up some boffo business. As long as Battle dips by at least 50 percent, Up should have little trouble towering above its competition, leaving all other films looking UP from below the No. 1 slot. Talk about living UP to one’s title…

Miley Cyrus is all smiles these days- the empire known as Hannah Montana has conquered television, movies and music over the last three years, with her latest film firmly at the top of the weekend box office. (picture courtesy of Reuters/Phil McCarten)

Box office pundits were predicting the new Hannah Montana movie to open anywhere between $17 million to $28 million over this Easter weekend- but the G-rated release ended up finding even more green in its basket.

Hannah is expected to finish somewhere in the $34 million range for the three-day weekend, good enough for first place, and securing the second-best-ever Easter weekend opening (2006’s Scary Movie 4 opened to $40.2 million.) And, with half of students off from school on Monday, Disney’s looking at a mighty potent four-day haul for Hannah.

(Last week’s No. 1, Fast and Furious, dropped to No. 2 with an estimated $28.8 million. Monsters & Aliens followed with an estimated $22.6 million.)

Walt Disney Pictures itself downplayed expectations (at least publicly) for the Miley Cyrus big screen vehicle. Chuck Viane, president of the studio’s domestic theatrical distribution, said “We would love to be in the high teens.” Such a performance would have put it on par with 2003’s Lizzie McGuire Movie, which also spun off from a popular Disney television program.

Starring Hilary Duff, Lizzie opened in 2,800-plus venues and pulled in $17.3 million in its opening weekend (around $20.6 million adjusting for inflation; debuting in 3,118 theaters, Hannah Montana grossed an estimated $17.4 million in its first day alone.

Clearly, 16-year-old Cyrus and her popular alter-ego are phenomena, whatever they touch turning to gold, platinum and any other chemical element one could imagine. The Disney Channel series, which follows the double-life adventures of teenage school girl Miley Stewart/pop sensation Hannah Montana, premiered to record ratings upon its debut on in March 2006. The series’ popularity led to a merchandising bonanza, with everything from dolls and lunchboxes to a clothing line satisfying the tween set’s every Hannah need.

Last year’s Best of Both Worlds concert film opened to a record-breaking $31.1 million at only 683 theaters (at $15 a ticket), ending its U.S. and Canadian run with $65.28 million. On the audio side, the two main Hannah soundtracks have sold 6.9 million copies in the USA, according to Nielsen SoundScan, with three other Hannah releases selling an additional 500,000-plus units. Furthermore, Breakout- Cyrus’ first non-Hannah-related album- itself has sold 1.4 million copies to date.

Hannah Montana: The Movie recently entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2 on sales of 139,000 units, making it the lowest-selling Miley/Hannahdebut among the four major albums. However, the movie should boost soundtrack sales, though probably not enough to challenge Rascal Flatts for the top spot- the country trio’s latest album is projected to sell around 300,000 units.

Both Cyrus and Peter Chelsom, the film’s director, have said there likely won’t be a Hannah sequel- though it would not be all that shocking if either of them reconsiders in the wake of this weekend’s box office receipts. Regardless of Hannah Montana’s future on the big screen, Cyrus hopes to continue with the series for at least one more season.

Eventually, though, as Cyrus gets older and the novelty reaches its maximum potential, Hannah Mania will run its course, making way for the next tween-set sensation. When that happens, will Cyrus’ fans continue to worship at the squeaky-clean alter of Miley? (Yes, her image remains just that, despite a “controversy” following a Vanity Fair photo shoot that left the impression she appeared topless, when she in fact was wrapped in a bedsheet.)

To her credit, Cyrus has been smart thus far in ensuring that she has her own identity. Preceding the release of Breakout, the second Hannah TV soundtrack cleverly featured a second disc titled- appropriately enough- Meet Miley Cyrus, giving fans the opportunity to sample what non-Hannah material she had to offer. And, she voiced Penny in Disney’s animated Bolt, which grossed $114 million at the domestic box office.

Even with successes outside the Hannah Montanarealm, there’s bound to be some concern that Cyrus has reached her zenith. How much bigger than Hannah can she get? How many 16-year-olds can lay claim to having their autobiography reach No. 1 on the New York Times’ children’s best seller list, let alone having an autobiography at all? No doubt that the memoir’s title- Miles to Go- probably is what Cyrus hopes indeed will describe her career to come.

Though while she sings of “The Climb” on her latest single, thanks to Hannah Montana, Cyrus and her star don’t really have one to undertake.