Move over, Spidey! A big ogre named Shrek is moving into movie theaters today, and he’s never played second fiddle to anyone at the box office. While I seriously doubt “Shrek the Third” can achieve an opening weekend that tops the record $151 million “Spider-Man 3” managed to ring up just two weeks ago, the third installment of the franchise is a shoo-in to cross the $100 million mark by day three. With a running time of 1 hour and 21 minutes, “Shrek” is a full hour shorter than the latest Spidey film and can cram in more showings in a single day. But the web-slinger had all those midnight showings and an unprecedented number of some 11,000 screens, which were key to being able to set the weekend record, along with a slew of other benchmarks. Even if “Shrek the Third” does fall short of setting an opening weekend record, it is still likely to outgross “Spider-Man 3” over the long run. Consider this: “Shrek 2” grossed $441.2 million domestically in 2004 (third all-time) after an opening weekend of $108 million. The first “Shrek” opened to $42.3 million and went on to gross $267.6 million. “Spider-Man” opened to a then-record $114.8 million in 2002 and took in $403.7 million (seventh all-time), while “Spider-Man 2” had an $88.1 million opening and finished its run at $373.58 domestically. “Shrek the Third” has only a week to dominate with “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” out May 25. MOVIE MONEY: Looking for a “free” movie ticket? All ya gotta do is buy a DVD with “movie money” enclosed. Wondering how? If you buy either of the first two “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies or any number of other Disney DVDs this week at Best Buy, you get a movie certificate to get into “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.” In Universal Home Video’s new, souped-up, unrated DVD of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” there’s a movie pass to see Universal’s summer comedy “Knocked Up.” Beware: The movie passes usually expire two to three weeks after the movie is released in theaters. MOVIE A LA MODE: The critically acclaimed “Waitress” isn’t going into semiwide release (400-500 locations) until Memorial Day weekend. Fox Searchlight has been trying to build word-of-mouth by slowly rolling out the movie about a young woman (Keri Russell) who bakes pies as a way to cope with her unhappy life. And if word-of-mouth isn’t enough, how ’bout pie-in-mouth? On Mother’s Day, moviegoers at some showings were treated to an actual piece of pie. All I gotta say is … I love pie. Greg Hernandez, entertainment-industry reporter for the Daily News, is author of the popular blog Out In Hollywood ( www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood ). greg.hernandez@dailynews.com (818) 713-3758160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
in Headlines, News, Origination Oklahoma-based Gateway Mortgage Group has launched a new down payment protection program to protect homebuyers against unpredictable and unfavorable market changes. The new program is offered through ValueInsured and has been seamlessly integrated into most of Gateway’s mortgage loan products.“Gateway is always growing, innovating and seeking new ways to better support homeownership in the communities we serve around the country,” said Alan Ferree, President of Gateway. “This partnership with ValueInsured allows us to differentiate Gateway from other mortgage lenders while providing our customers with a unique option that offers some peace of mind and simply makes sense for certain markets or borrowers.”The new Down Payment Protection Program offers homebuyers an optional insurance feature that can minimize market risk on the value of their home and safeguard some, or all, of their down payment. If the market price drops and the home sells at a loss, up to the full amount of the down payment could be reimbursed in a turnkey home inspection-free process usually taking 30 days or less (some restrictions apply).“Gateway operates in many markets where home values are at all-time highs,” said Joe Melendez, Founder and CEO of ValueInsured. “Gateway continues to prove its commitment as a champion of the American dream by allowing customers to buy with confidence while helping to alleviate the concerns and unpredictability of today’s real estate values.”Ferree added, “Our primary focus is to deliver the highest level of service to our customers through local, caring mortgage professionals across the nation. By offering this DownPayment Protection Program, we will be able to provide our customers with added flexibility, control and confidence in their journey to homeownership.”Gateway is licensed in 40 states, and the District of Columbia, and operates more than 170 retail locations across the country. The company’s annual loan volume is forecasted to exceed $7 billion while the servicing portfolio will surpass $20 billion. November 20, 2018 556 Views Down Payment Gateway Mortgage Group Home Insurance Homebuyers homeowners HOUSING valueinsured 2018-11-20 Radhika Ojha
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