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Universal and Focus Features’ Fifty Shades of Grey kicked off its North American release at 2,830 engagements last night, racking up the second-highest Thursday night preview ever with $8.6M. The record holder for an R-rated preview belongs to Warner Bros. The Hangover 2, which made $10.4M in midnight previews before…

Here’s the latest look at Focus, the thriller that stars Will Smith as master con artist Nicky, who becomes romantically involved with novice con artist Jess (Margot Robbie). As he’s teaching her the tricks of the trade, she gets a little too close for comfort, and he abruptly breaks it off. But she resurfaces three…

“I can convince anyone of anything,” conman Nicky says. Will Smith stars as said grifter, who brings rookie Margot Robbie into his crooked group — an “intern,” he calls her. They get close then abruptly split — until a fateful meeting years later amid Nicky’s Big Score. Can the ultimate confidence man keep his focus…

UPDATE, 4:09 PM: Warner Bros has filled another slot in its early 2015 release date calendar, saying today it will drop the Liam Neeson-starrer Run All Night, the Brad Ingelsby actioner, on February 6, 2015. Jaume Collet-Serra is directing in a reteam with Neeson who combined to make Unknown and the upcoming…

Ben Affleck has dropped out of the Warner Bros con-artist comedy Focus. Word is Affleck didn’t feel he had the time to make the April start date because of his numerous other commitments. Affleck has been busy promoting Argo during awards season and is involved in several other projects. Kristen Stewart co-stars as an…

Twilight Saga star Kristen Stewart confirms that she’ll be joining Ben Affleck in the con-artist comedy Focus. The project starts filming in April, and Stewart plays an inexperienced con artist who hooks up with the more seasoned Affleck. Glenn Ficarra and John Requa are directing Focus from their screenplay…

EXCLUSIVE: As Warner Bros prepares to open Ben Affleck’s Oscar-season entry Argo, the studio is in early talks with Affleck to star in Focus. Glenn Ficarra and John Requa wrote the script and will direct. Denise DiNovi is producing. All of this is subject to finding the right female lead, but it all sounds promising…

EXCLUSIVE: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa have made a Warner Bros deal to direct their script Focus, which will be produced by Denise DiNovi. She was a producer on the last comedy they made for the studio, Crazy, Stupid, Love. I’m told they hope to draft that comedy’s leads, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, to play the lead…