07/01/16 @ 7:42 pm EST
“Finding Dory” is swimming toward its third straight victory at the U.S. box office during the four-day holiday weekend with $50 million-plus, topping “The Purge: Election Year,” “The BFG” and “The Legend of Tarzan,” early estimates showed Friday. The third “Purge” film and “Tarzan” are battling for the second slot with preliminary forecasts for both in a wide range between $30 million and $37 million, while “The BFG” is heading for a disappointing $25 million. Friday estimates showed that the opening day of Universal-Blumhouse’s “The Purge: Election Year” would earn between $12 million to $14 million — with “Dory” taking in about the same amount on its 15th day of of release. By the end of business on Monday, “Dory” will finish the weekend with more than $380 million domestically in 18 days, trailing only “Captain America: Civil War” among 2016 titles. “The Purge” sequel, playing at 2,796 sites, is going to be another money-maker for Universal with a price tag of only $10 million. The original “The Purge” grossed $64 million in the U.S. in 2013 and “The Purge: Anarchy” reeled in $72 million the following year. The films take place in a future America in which all crime, including murder, is legal for one night a year. “The Purge: Election Year” stars Elizabeth Mitchell as a presidential candidate whose platform includes eliminating The Purge. Frank Grillo returns as anti-Purge bodyguard. Warner Bros.’ “Tarzan” generated early Friday estimates ranging from $9 million to $12 million at 3,561 sites. The latest version of the Edgar Rice Burroughs story, starring Alexander Skarsgård and Margot Robbie, may match forecasts, which had called for about $35 million over the four days. The pic, co-produced with Village Roadshow, carries a hefty $180 million budget and will require strong performances overseas in order to make it into the black. Warner Bros. is opening “The Legend of Tarzan” in 19 international markets this weekend, including South Korea and Russia. Reviews have been largely negative with a 34% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. “The BFG” is also underperforming forecasts, which had projected an opening in the $30 million range. Friday’s debut day looked likely to hit between $6 million and $8 million. The Roald Dahl adaptation has received plenty of affection from critics with a 73% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, thanks to Mark Rylance’s motion-capture work as a giant who befriends an orphan girl. But “The BFG” will likely struggle to break even, given its high-priced $140 million budget, funded by Amblin Partners, Disney and Walden Media. Fox’s second weekend of “Independence Day: Resurgence” looks likely to finish in fifth with about $20 million this weekend, following its $41 million launch. The tentpole was the latest in a long line of sequels that have delivered less than stellar results this summer, including “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.”
11/07/24 @ 9:30 pm EST
After nearly 20 years, Channing Tatum might finally get his solo Marvel outing, thanks to a little help from pal Ryan Reynolds. Following Tatum’s appearance as Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine, Reynolds teased that Marvel executives are “obsessed” with the performance and he has “hope” for Gambit’s onscreen future. “I honestly don’t know what goes on behind closed doors in the bookkeeping sessions at Marvel, but I do know that they’re obsessed with him in that role,” he said on Entertainment Weekly‘s Awardist podcast. “It’s kind of like the same situation I went through. Once you show that it works well, that’s really what they need. Sometimes they just need to see it in action.” Tatum was meant to play Gambit in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), but the character didn’t make it into the film. Due to a scheduling conflict for Tatum, Taylor Kitsch played Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which also featured Reynolds’ debut as Deadpool. For the past decade, Tatum has been attached to a potential solo outing, which has bounced around among multiple directors. (via Deadline)
11/07/24 @ 9:18 pm EST
Barry Keoghan’s Joker may get the last laugh in The Batman trilogy. After the actor made a cameo in 2022’s The Batman movie — and a five-minute deleted scene that was eventually released online — director Matt Reeves insisted that the brief cameo wasn’t setting up The Batman Part II. “It’s not an Easter egg scene,” Reeves explained in a 2022 interview. “It’s not one of those end credits Marvel or DC scenes where it’s going, like, ‘Hey, here’s the next movie!’ In fact, I have no idea when or if we would return to that character in the movies.” According to a report in the Marvelvision podcast, the Joker isn’t in The Batman Part II, but will instead be the main villain in The Batman Part III. The report claims that Keoghan will first reappear in a spinoff series. In the way that Penguin is the bridge between The Batman and The Batman Part II, this rumored series would link the next two films. Warner Bros. Pictures has dated The Batman Part II for October 2, 2026. (via ComicBook.com)
11/07/24 @ 2:56 pm EST
Well Go USA has snatched up North American distribution rights to the Chinese action movie Striking Rescue, starring Thai martial arts hero Tony Jaa. The film is produced by Chinese streamer Youku, which is releasing the film to its subscribers in China on Friday. It will be the first film from Youku to get a U.S. theatrical release. The project is a first step in Youku’s planned expansion into theatrical film production for international markets. Directed by Cheng Siyi, the action revenge movie follows An Bai (Jaa), a veteran Muay Thai expert who goes on a take-no-prisoners mission of revenge after his wife and daughter are brutally murdered by mysterious forces. The film co-stars Chinese actors Hong Junjia and Shi Yanneng. One of the last great martial arts stars, Jaa is a three-time Muay Thai champion famous for his explosive and inventive action sequences. (via The Hollywood Reporter)
11/07/24 @ 2:50 pm EST
Before production had begun on film adaptation of Enid Blyton‘s The Magic Faraway Tree, director Ben Gregor worried that he’d put off star Andrew Garfield with a song written for the picture. But Garfield loved it. The gesture ended up being instrumental in the atmosphere that Gregor later cultivated on set: true-heartedness, trust -- and magic. Based on the Faraway Tree series of novels for children by beloved author Blyton, the film follows Polly (Claire Foy) and Tim Thompson (Garfield) and their children, Beth, Joe and Fran, (played by Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Phoenix Laroche and Billie Gadsdon), who find themselves forced to relocate to the remote English countryside. There, the children discover a magical tree and its extraordinary and eccentric occupants — a far cry away from the distractions of their 21st-century screens. The project has grabbed headlines in recent months for its casting: first came Garfield and Foy (The Crown), then came Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls) and Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer), and just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Rebecca Ferguson, star of Dune, was brought on board. And more! The talent is eye-watering, and Gregor is well aware. (via The Hollywood Reporter) The film is expected to come out in theaters sometime in 2025.
11/07/24 @ 2:23 pm EST
Today Skybound and Image Comics, in collaboration with leading toy and game company Hasbro, revealed interior pages and the lineup of variant covers for TRANSFORMERS #15, the two-time Eisner Award winning series from writer Daniel Warren Johnson (Extremity, Do a Powerbomb), artist Jorge Corona (Middlewest), and colorist Sarah Stern (Batgirls). The kickoff to the new arc of the tentpole Energon Universe story will be available on shelves in comic book shops December 11, 2024. Soundwave moves to finish the war with the Autobots...and all of Earth will suffer. Meanwhile, Optimus Prime and Wheeljack search for the answers to a mystery that may change everything they ever thought they knew. In addition to the main cover by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer, the lineup of variant covers for TRANSFORMERS #15 includes an open-to-order cover B by series artist Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer, a 1:10 incentive variant beginning the connecting cover series by Karl Kerschl (Adventures of Superman), a 1:25 incentive variant by cover by E.J. Su (Tech Jacket), a 1:50 incentive variant by Oliver Ono (Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp), a 1:100 incentive variant by Dustin Nguyen (Descender), and a blank sketch cover. TRANSFORMERS is the cornerstone of the Energon Universe, the crown jewel of the historic collaboration between Hasbro and Skybound, who has introduced a brand-new era of the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE franchises in one shared comic book universe. Other Energon Universe titles include the ongoing series Void Rivals by writer Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead), artist Lorenzo De Felici (Kroma), and colorist Patricio Delpeche (The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country) and the upcoming G.I. JOE by writer Joshua Williamson (Superman, Dark Ride), artist Tom Reilly (The Thing), and colorist Jordie Bellaire (W0rldtr33). The Energon Universe also includes G.I. JOE miniseries Duke, from Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly and Jordie Bellaire ; Cobra Commander from Joshua Williamson, Andrea Milana (Impact Winter: Rook) and Annalisa Leoni (Oblivion Song); Scarlett, from writer Kelly Thompson (Black Widow, Birds of Prey), artist Marco Ferrari (Frontiersman), and colorist Lee Loughridge (I Hate This Place, Killadelphia); and Destro, from writer Dan Watters (Loki, Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!), artist Andrei Bressan (Dark Ride, Birthright), and colorist Adriano Lucas (Dark Ride, Birthright), which introduce the iconic characters of the G.I. JOE and Cobra factions to the Energon Universe. Fans should expect can’t-miss moments from every issue of the Energon Universe, as secrets are unveiled along the path to answering the BIG questions from some of the biggest franchises in comics today. TRANSFORMERS #15 (Lunar Codes Below $3.99) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. The full list of variant covers is below: TRANSFORMERS #15 Cover A by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer (Lunar Code: 1024IM428) TRANSFORMERS #15 Cover B by Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer (Lunar Code: 1024IM429) TRANSFORMERS #15 Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by Karl Kerschl (Lunar Code: 1024IM430) TRANSFORMERS #15 Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive) by E.J. Su (Lunar Code: 1024IM431) TRANSFORMERS #15 Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive) by Oliver Ono (Lunar Code: 1024IM432) TRANSFORMERS #15 Cover F (1:100 Copy Incentive) by Dustin Nguyen (Lunar Code: 1024IM433) TRANSFORMERS #15 Cover G Blank Sketch Cover (Lunar Code: 1024IM434)
TRANSFORMERS #15 Pages 1-3
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11/06/24 @ 5:59 pm EST
Maria Bakalova, who last played Ivana Trump in “The Apprentice,” will star opposite Peter Mullan in “No Way Off,” a suspense thriller which Altitude is presenting to international buyers at the American Film Market this week in Las Vegas. The movie is written by Gaby Hull and will be directed by Brian Kelly (“Downton Abbey,” “Dracula”). Matthew James Wilkinson (“Yesterday”) is producing for his Stigma Films banner. Inspired by single-location thrillers such as “The Shallows,” “Buried” and “Crawl,” the movie is set on Christmas Eve and revolves around Laura, a young mother who waits at a bus stop with her infant son. “When the bus pulls up, its driver is wearing a latex Santa mask. Laura climbs aboard, collapsing into her seat. Exhausted and stressed, she soon falls asleep. When Laura wakes, night has fallen. The bus is now hurtling along a motorway, miles off its usual route. Apart from the sleeping baby, she is the only passenger left on board. She can’t outrun the driver – she’ll have to outsmart him,” reads the synopsis. (via Variety)
11/06/24 @ 2:23 pm EST
When The CW announced in 2022 that it was cancelling DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow after seven seasons, actor-writer Adam Tsekhman, who played Gary Green, and writer-director Andrew Kasch, who was attached as an editor and director, admit it was a blow. But the pair, who had become friends over the course of their six years on the superhero show, did not rest idle for long as they came together to collaborate on a whacky short film called The Gummy Bear. Tsekhman stars in the psychedelic short as a man who is given an experimental gummy bear as a freebie with his regular cannabis delivery. One bite sends him on an unexpected mind-blowing trip. Kasch mixes live action with a kaleidoscope of different animation styles for the trip scenes. Kasch and Tsekhman are joining forces with Paris and L.A.-based sales and production company Other Angle Pictures on a psychedelic road trip movie The Gummy Bear, spinning off the short. (via Deadline)
11/06/24 @ 2:11 pm EST
In honor of 2024’s Stranger Things Day, Netflix has revealed the episode titles for the hit show’s fifth and final season. The mega-streamer also confirmed the season would be released in 2025 and not in 2026 as was briefly speculated online. Stranger Things season five will have eight episodes, like almost all of the previous seasons, except for the penultimate one, which had nine. The episode titles are: “The Crawl,” “The Vanishing of _____,” “The Turnbow Trap,” “Sorcerer,” “Shock Jock,” “Escape From Camazotz,” “The Bridge” and “The Rightside Up.” While the video (below) revealed all the titles of the episodes, there appeared to be someone or something censored out of the title of the second episode, “The Vanishing Of.” Whatever (or whomever) is vanishing, Netflix is not quite ready to share. (via The Hollywood Reporter) Teaser: https://youtu.be/h-2LIjOt0rA
11/06/24 @ 2:05 pm EST
Ginny & Georgia breakout Felix Mallard is attached to star in home invasion thriller Nest, about a young family terrorised by a new species of deadly arachnid. Mallard is attached to star as Remy, a new father daunted by the prospect of parenthood and outfitting the family’s new home. With his high-flying wife Grace often away from the house, Remy must care for baby Zoe, while juggling his own career aspirations and the job of turning their new house into a home. But this house is already occupied… The film’s antagonist, and matriarch of the ‘nest’, is a giant female spider which, with a mixture of puppetry enhanced by VFX, will be brought to life by effects artist Russell Sharp (Late Night with the Devil) and his team at Sharp FX, together with creature visual effects house Alt.FX (The Pope’s Exorcist). (via Deadline)
11/05/24 @ 2:37 pm EST
Daisy Ridley has landed another lead role, this time in action thriller “Dedication” from Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale,” “GoldenEye”), reuniting with the director following their recent feature “Cleaner.” The film, written by Dan Gordon (“Wyatt Earp,” “The Hurricane”), is launching at the American Film Market, with Highland repping international sales and CAA Media Finance overseeing domestic rights. “Dedication” follows Major Billie Jean Parker (Ridley), a decorated Marine Corps commander who is relieved of duty after a high-stakes mission in the Philippines results in civilian casualties, despite capturing anarchist leader Omar Romatas. Facing the loss of her career, she visits her dying father, Clyde, a former Marine, who asks her to attend a dedication ceremony for a school building named in his honor. The event takes a deadly turn when Omar Romatas’s vengeful son, Bento, launches an assault, taking hostages. Forced back into combat, Billie Jean sets traps and executes precise strikes to outwit the attackers. Her tactical instincts and ruthless efficiency shift the fight, as she confronts her past and proves her worth in a relentless battle that will define her legacy. (via Variety)
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