WEINSTEINS PLANNING SEQUEL TO PIRANHA 3D

The Weinstein Co., never inclined to admit defeat, said Monday that it is going ahead with plans to produce a sequel to Piranha 3D, which opened this weekend with just $10.1 million. Producer Mark Canton said in a statement: “It’s fantastic that so many critics are really getting the movie and recommending it. We can’t wait to get to work on the sequel.” Indeed Piranha 3D turned out to be one of the few fright flicks that garnered a more favorable reaction from critics — at least those who write online reviews — than it did from moviegoers. DeadlineHollywood.com quoted Canton as saying, “There’s a fan base that’s growing and it is establishing itself as a fun movie where people are laughing and having fun.” However, there’s a backlash that’s also growing. At AintItCoolNews.com, Harry Knowles, who gave the movie an ecstatic review, was being raked over the coals by readers of his blog. One of them summed up: “The consensus is that it’s a TERRIBLE movie. I don’t know what happened to you. You used to be someone people could look to for a valid opinion. It’s kinda sad.”