According to the Hollywood Reporter, vampire stories (in film, TV, books, etc) have brought north of $7 billion to the Hollywood industry. What makes vampires so hot, cool–and bankable? 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3iaea240932b26c233ce7281e3e4350d17?pn=1

Daniel Stamm's "The Last Exorcism," starring Patrick Fabian and Ashley Bell, will be released by Lionsgate August 27.

"Dinner for Schmucks," which stars Paul Rudd and Steve Carell, is an adaptation of the French film "Le Diner de Cons." The film, which is directed by Jay Roach, is being released by Paramount on July 30.

French filmmaker Francis Veber has long been a keen observer of human behavior, casting an eye to the comic foibles of everyday people who, for whatever (un)fortunate reason, find themselves at the center of some absurd situation or another–someone pretending to be someone else, or dealing with a make-or-break moment in life while simultaneously crossing the path of, well, someone extraordinary. 

Among his list of comedies are such titles as "Le Jouet," "La cage aux folles," "La Chévre," "Les Fugitifs," "Le Jaguar" and "Le placard." He is held in such esteem that the French government has bestowed him its highest honor of Officier of the Légion d'honneur. 

Brad Peyton is the director of "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," the sequel to the 2001 hit "Cats & Dogs." The film, which is being released by Warner Bros., comes out July 30 in 3D.

"That picture of domestic harmony is just what they want you to see," claims Brad Peyton, who happily exposes the true story of backyard politics in "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore."

In 1987, "Predator" introduced a popular character in sci-fi film history, an invisibility-cloaked extra-terrestrial warrior who wreaked havoc in the jungle. Wishing to refresh the franchise in 1994, Fox invited Robert Rodriguez, a maverick young filmmaker fresh from his stunning debut "El Mariachi," to write a script about the character.  "I was originally hired only as a writer," Rodriguez explains. "They were looking for a fresh approach to the material, so I jumped at the chance. I was a big fan of 'Predator.' When I first came to Hollywood, I met Carl Weathers and Arnold Schwarzenegger, so I thought a new 'Predator' film would be a fun project to take on.