The Morning Fix: ‘That’s My Boy,’ ‘Rock of Ages’ flop. Stalking DCP!

After the coffee. Before making sure I never stumble across “Mob Wives” again.

The Skinny: I had flashbacks Sunday night watching HBO’s “Girls,” which ended with Hannah falling asleep on the F train and waking up at Coney Island. I can’t count how many times I did that but fortunately no one took my wallet while I was out cold. Monday’s headlines include a look at the weekend box office, a profile of Rupert Murdoch’s wife, Wendi Deng, and who might be kicking the tires of Dick Clark Productions.

Daily Dose: Leading up to the release of Adam Sandler’s”That’s My Boy,” sports radio personality Dan Patrick (who has a cameo in the movie as he does in most every Sandler film) did his part hyping the fiick practically on a daily basis. However, after the very disappointing opening (see below), Patrick was doing little boasting and was pretty much steering clear of talking about the movie on his Monday morning show.

Weekend of flops. “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” held onto first place at the box office with a take of $35.5 million. Coming in second again was “Prometheus,” which made $20.2 million. Opening to disappointing results were “Rock of Ages” and Adam Sandler’s crude “That’s My Boy.” “Rock of Ages” proved musicals are still box office poison as it took in only $14.1 million. Still, that was better than “That’s My Boy,” which made $13 million, way off from the $20 million Sony was hoping it would get. Box office recaps from the Los Angeles Times and Movie City News.

Where have all the movie stars gone? After a summer weekend where the top movies were a cartoon and a science fiction epic whose biggest name is director Ridley Scott, it might be time to wonder whether there are any movie stars left. Entertainment Weekly looks at whether anyone is stepping up or if most Hollywood talent has become interchangeable.

Hard hair to manage. Pixar’s newest animated movie “Brave,” which opens wide this weekend, took a lot of software and patience to get its 11th century Scottish characters looking right, particularly the lead Merida’s big red hair (which bears a striking resemblance to Rebekah Brooks, the former tabloid editor caught up in News Corp.’s ethics scandal). The Wall Street Journal looks at all the technical work that went into “Brave.”

Kicking the tires. Dick Clark Productions, the television company that holds the rights to several awards shows including the Golden Globes as well as Ryan Seacrest’s “New Years Rockin’ Eve,” is on the block. Naturally, any time a company goes up for sale, people rush to look at the books even if interest may be marginal. Among those most obvious to at least give DCP a hard look are Core Media Group, which is a similar production company, and Seacrest, the TV host and producer. Nothing is going to happen for at least a few weeks. The latest from Reuters and Los Angeles Times.

Finding herself with some help from the rich and powerful. Rupert Murdoch’s third wife, Wendi Deng, is the subject of a flattering profile from Sunday’s New York Times. The article talks about how Deng has become a force in her own right by producing a movie (for her husband’s company) and hanging out with David Geffen, Bono and Nicole Kidman. Deng is appropriately described as a “world-class networker, collecting powerful friends and brokering connections.”

Inside the Los Angeles Times: A look at how some U.S. networks are embracing the telenovela format. Robert Lloyd reviews Nickelodeon’s telenovela “Hollywood Heights.”

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