An Artificial Intelligence music maker capable of quickly creating songs with AI-generated music and vocals just raised $125 million, the latest sign of the fast-developing AI arms race in the music business.
Suno is like a ChatGPT for music; users input phrases and keywords for a song they’d like to make, and Suno spits back out an artificially generated track. The program can generate both music and vocals, a feature only a few other AI generators like Google and fellow startup Udio had developed.
“We started Suno to build a...
Suno is like a ChatGPT for music; users input phrases and keywords for a song they’d like to make, and Suno spits back out an artificially generated track. The program can generate both music and vocals, a feature only a few other AI generators like Google and fellow startup Udio had developed.
“We started Suno to build a...
- 5/21/2024
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Not exactly the opening weekend that dreams are made of.
Director John Krasinski’s “If,” a fantasy-comedy that promises your imaginary friends from childhood are real, fell slightly short of box office expectations with $35 million. Heading into the weekend, “If” was expected to bring in at least $40 million in its first weekend of release. Based on Friday’s turnout, it looked like “If” would open to $30 million but projections were revised up after Saturday’s strong showing. Ticket sales were enough for first place, but it’s a wobbly start for a PG family film that cost $110 million to make and many millions more to market. It collected an additional $20 million overseas for a global total of $55 million.
The good news for Paramount Pictures, which distributed “If,” is that audiences dug the film, giving it an “A” CinemaScore. Ideally, it’ll have staying power like recent original kid-friendly movies, including “Migration” and “Elemental,...
Director John Krasinski’s “If,” a fantasy-comedy that promises your imaginary friends from childhood are real, fell slightly short of box office expectations with $35 million. Heading into the weekend, “If” was expected to bring in at least $40 million in its first weekend of release. Based on Friday’s turnout, it looked like “If” would open to $30 million but projections were revised up after Saturday’s strong showing. Ticket sales were enough for first place, but it’s a wobbly start for a PG family film that cost $110 million to make and many millions more to market. It collected an additional $20 million overseas for a global total of $55 million.
The good news for Paramount Pictures, which distributed “If,” is that audiences dug the film, giving it an “A” CinemaScore. Ideally, it’ll have staying power like recent original kid-friendly movies, including “Migration” and “Elemental,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Updated: Primates ruled over the North American box office, as “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” collected $58.5 million in its first weekend of release.
That’s ahead of Sunday’s estimates of $56.8 million and enough to score the third-best opening of the year behind “Dune: Part Two” ($82 million) and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” ($80 million).
Inaugural sales for “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” landed above early projections of $50 million to $55 million and towered over the nonexistent competition. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” opened roughly even with two of the three prior installments in the rebooted franchise, landing behind only 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (a series-best $72 million) and ahead of 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes” ($56.2 million) and 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” ($54.8 million).
“The weekend figure is roughly average for the genre, but average here...
That’s ahead of Sunday’s estimates of $56.8 million and enough to score the third-best opening of the year behind “Dune: Part Two” ($82 million) and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” ($80 million).
Inaugural sales for “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” landed above early projections of $50 million to $55 million and towered over the nonexistent competition. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” opened roughly even with two of the three prior installments in the rebooted franchise, landing behind only 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (a series-best $72 million) and ahead of 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes” ($56.2 million) and 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” ($54.8 million).
“The weekend figure is roughly average for the genre, but average here...
- 5/12/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
From 2010 to 2023, when "Doctor Who" fans claimed they missed former showrunner Russell T Davies, they usually meant they missed his great character work. The original Davies' run, from season 1 through 4 of the revival series, is notable in how it clearly presents its companions not just as relatable, working-class women, but how it puts them at the center of the narrative. It's not necessarily a better approach than Davies' successor Steven Moffat (who would generally make the Doctor the point-of-view character), but it's a totally reasonable approach to be nostalgic for.
What those fans probably weren't referring to is Davies' questionable taste in monsters. Although he occasionally gives us some classic villains, like whatever that thing was in "Midnight," his original aliens tend to be on the sillier, juvenile side of things. Davies is the guy who gave us not one, not two, but three different episodes focused on the Slitheen,...
What those fans probably weren't referring to is Davies' questionable taste in monsters. Although he occasionally gives us some classic villains, like whatever that thing was in "Midnight," his original aliens tend to be on the sillier, juvenile side of things. Davies is the guy who gave us not one, not two, but three different episodes focused on the Slitheen,...
- 5/11/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
Jeopardy! fans weren’t the only ones who noticed a larger-than-usual number of triple-stumper clues in the Tuesday, May 7 episode. The winner of that night’s game told viewers on the Jeopardy! Reddit discussion board that she noticed the high volume as well while playing, noting that even though she won, she’s “not particularly happy” with how she played. It’s lucky, in that case, that her win allows her to play again and try to redeem herself. Playing in this matchup were returning champ Matthew Smith, a paramedic from New York City; Allison Gross, a data scientist from Cleveland, Ohio; and Daniel King, a Brown University graduate from Parsippany, New Jersey. Their scores were pretty neck-and-neck by the time of the first break, but Gross took the lead by the end of the first round. At that point the scores were Gross with $5,800, Smith with $2,600, and King with...
- 5/8/2024
- TV Insider
The Payne family knows how to bring the laughs -- and the ratings. The sitcom family's been revived twice and accumulated more than 300 episodes, but BET viewers can't seem to get enough. Still, nothing lasts forever. Will this be the year House of Payne is cancelled, or will it be renewed for season 11? Stay tuned. *Status Update Below.
A family comedy series, the Tyler Perry's House of Payne TV show stars Lavan Davis, Cassi Davis Patton, Allen Payne, Lance Gross, Larramie "Doc" Shaw, and Keshia Knight Pulliam with Ahmarie Holmes, Quin Walters, Cheryl Pepsi Riley, Clayton English, and Quincy Bonds in recurring roles. The sitcom follows retired fire chief Curtis Payne (Davis) and his loving and outspoken wife, Ella (Cassi Davis Patton), as they navigate life's problems in the suburbs of Atlanta. Their quirky modern-day family includes their son Calvin (Gross), his wife Miranda...
A family comedy series, the Tyler Perry's House of Payne TV show stars Lavan Davis, Cassi Davis Patton, Allen Payne, Lance Gross, Larramie "Doc" Shaw, and Keshia Knight Pulliam with Ahmarie Holmes, Quin Walters, Cheryl Pepsi Riley, Clayton English, and Quincy Bonds in recurring roles. The sitcom follows retired fire chief Curtis Payne (Davis) and his loving and outspoken wife, Ella (Cassi Davis Patton), as they navigate life's problems in the suburbs of Atlanta. Their quirky modern-day family includes their son Calvin (Gross), his wife Miranda...
- 4/17/2024
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The Payne clan is sticking around for more fun. BET has renewed House of Payne for a sixth season on the channel, the show's 11th season overall. The 10th season finished airing in September.
A family comedy series, the Tyler Perry's House of Payne TV show stars Lavan Davis, Cassi Davis Patton, Allen Payne, Lance Gross, Larramie "Doc" Shaw, and Keshia Knight Pulliam with Ahmarie Holmes, Quin Walters, Cheryl Pepsi Riley, Clayton English, and Quincy Bonds in recurring roles. The sitcom follows retired fire chief Curtis Payne (Davis) and his loving and outspoken wife, Ella (Cassi Davis Patton), as they navigate life's problems in the suburbs of Atlanta. Their quirky modern-day family includes their son Calvin (Gross), his wife Miranda (Pulliam), and their sons, Calvin Jr. and little Christian. There's also adult nephew Cj (Payne), his wife Janine (McKinney),...
A family comedy series, the Tyler Perry's House of Payne TV show stars Lavan Davis, Cassi Davis Patton, Allen Payne, Lance Gross, Larramie "Doc" Shaw, and Keshia Knight Pulliam with Ahmarie Holmes, Quin Walters, Cheryl Pepsi Riley, Clayton English, and Quincy Bonds in recurring roles. The sitcom follows retired fire chief Curtis Payne (Davis) and his loving and outspoken wife, Ella (Cassi Davis Patton), as they navigate life's problems in the suburbs of Atlanta. Their quirky modern-day family includes their son Calvin (Gross), his wife Miranda (Pulliam), and their sons, Calvin Jr. and little Christian. There's also adult nephew Cj (Payne), his wife Janine (McKinney),...
- 4/17/2024
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Broadway’s busy spring was reaching peak bloom last week as the season’s final batch of new shows – save for the upcoming Sufjan Stevens musical Illinoise – was in previews, boosting total box office receipts to an impressive $39,445,823.
The figure for the week ending April 7 marks a 6% increase over the previous week. Attendance was 305,211, a 12% bump over the previous week (and 9% higher than last season at this time). In all, 37 Broadway productions filled 94% of available seats.
A healthy number of the recent arrivals played to full houses, including An Enemy of the People, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Stereophonic, Uncle Vanya, The Great Gatsby, and The Outsiders. They joined the usual sell-outs Hadestown, Hamilton, Merrily We Roll Along, Moulin Rouge! and Wicked.
Among the spring arrivals:
The Outsiders, in previews at the Jacobs and opening Thursday, sold out its seven performances, grossing $732,073; Lempicka took in $357,757 for seven previews at the Longacre,...
The figure for the week ending April 7 marks a 6% increase over the previous week. Attendance was 305,211, a 12% bump over the previous week (and 9% higher than last season at this time). In all, 37 Broadway productions filled 94% of available seats.
A healthy number of the recent arrivals played to full houses, including An Enemy of the People, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Stereophonic, Uncle Vanya, The Great Gatsby, and The Outsiders. They joined the usual sell-outs Hadestown, Hamilton, Merrily We Roll Along, Moulin Rouge! and Wicked.
Among the spring arrivals:
The Outsiders, in previews at the Jacobs and opening Thursday, sold out its seven performances, grossing $732,073; Lempicka took in $357,757 for seven previews at the Longacre,...
- 4/9/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Ghostbusters Netflix Series Is In Development, With Scripts & Key Art In The Works. (Photo Credit – Instagram)
Gil Kenan, the director of Frozen Empire, dropped some news about the Ghostbusters Netflix cartoon. It’s called “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” and picks up after the 2021 flick “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” mixing in both new and old Ghostbusters characters. These recent movies are like building on the universe set up in the ’80s originals, just like how “The Real Ghostbusters” cartoon did from ’86 to ’91, and its follow-up “Extreme Ghostbusters” in ’97.
Kenan was chatting on “A Trip to the Movies with Alex Zane” about this new Ghostbusters cartoon for Netflix. He said that he had just checked out this big art presentation for the show and that they were full steam ahead with making scripts and artwork. While he remained somewhat cryptic regarding specific details, he expressed that the current era presents an exhilarating opportunity for...
Gil Kenan, the director of Frozen Empire, dropped some news about the Ghostbusters Netflix cartoon. It’s called “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” and picks up after the 2021 flick “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” mixing in both new and old Ghostbusters characters. These recent movies are like building on the universe set up in the ’80s originals, just like how “The Real Ghostbusters” cartoon did from ’86 to ’91, and its follow-up “Extreme Ghostbusters” in ’97.
Kenan was chatting on “A Trip to the Movies with Alex Zane” about this new Ghostbusters cartoon for Netflix. He said that he had just checked out this big art presentation for the show and that they were full steam ahead with making scripts and artwork. While he remained somewhat cryptic regarding specific details, he expressed that the current era presents an exhilarating opportunity for...
- 3/27/2024
- by Hari P N
- KoiMoi
Things were going badly on Saturday Night Live‘s 1980-1981 season, even before producer Jean Doumanian realized than the January 10, 1981 episode was headed towards disaster.
The previous season had seen the departure of Lorne Michaels and the entire cast, including founders Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, and Laraine Newman, as well as Bill Murray and Harry Shearer. Doumanian had tried to pitch her incoming group of comedians as the next generation for the hit series, but the performers quickly gained reputations as also-rans. Charlie Rocket was a less funny Chevy Chase, Gail Matthius an off-brand Jane Curtin, and so on.
But on that Jan. 10, 1981 episode, hosted by actor Ray Sharkey, things were going particularly badly. The skits went faster than anticipated and the show had five extra minutes to fill. So in an act of desperation, Doumanian followed the advice of writer Neil Levy and pushed 19-year-old featured player...
The previous season had seen the departure of Lorne Michaels and the entire cast, including founders Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, and Laraine Newman, as well as Bill Murray and Harry Shearer. Doumanian had tried to pitch her incoming group of comedians as the next generation for the hit series, but the performers quickly gained reputations as also-rans. Charlie Rocket was a less funny Chevy Chase, Gail Matthius an off-brand Jane Curtin, and so on.
But on that Jan. 10, 1981 episode, hosted by actor Ray Sharkey, things were going particularly badly. The skits went faster than anticipated and the show had five extra minutes to fill. So in an act of desperation, Doumanian followed the advice of writer Neil Levy and pushed 19-year-old featured player...
- 3/20/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Spoilers for "Psycho" to follow.
Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" created a watershed moment in American cinema when it was released in 1960, setting an unforgettable precedent for the slasher genre and the portrayal of shocking violence and complex psychosexual deviance on the big screen. There is a palpable edge to "Psycho" that has served as a blueprint for slasher-thrillers down the line, where the violence is sudden and shocking, with the examination into minds like that of Norman Bates' (Anthony Perkins) conveyed in unabashedly visceral and layered terms. Although "Psycho" is designed to keep us on the edge of our seats, as Hitchcock utilizes his mastery over suspense to sustain that sentiment throughout, the shower scene is still considered one of the most jarring scenes where a character dies when least expected.
Janet Leigh stars as Marion Crane, a woman on the run who takes shelter at the Bates Motel when...
Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" created a watershed moment in American cinema when it was released in 1960, setting an unforgettable precedent for the slasher genre and the portrayal of shocking violence and complex psychosexual deviance on the big screen. There is a palpable edge to "Psycho" that has served as a blueprint for slasher-thrillers down the line, where the violence is sudden and shocking, with the examination into minds like that of Norman Bates' (Anthony Perkins) conveyed in unabashedly visceral and layered terms. Although "Psycho" is designed to keep us on the edge of our seats, as Hitchcock utilizes his mastery over suspense to sustain that sentiment throughout, the shower scene is still considered one of the most jarring scenes where a character dies when least expected.
Janet Leigh stars as Marion Crane, a woman on the run who takes shelter at the Bates Motel when...
- 3/18/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Simon Cellan Jones-directed Arthur the King was born as a promising flick to do well on the big screen, and Lionsgate had all the reasons to believe in it. But the road to tackle the competitors was not smooth as the move was scrapped badly.
Mark Wahlberg in Arthur the King (2024)
In hindsight, there is not one single reason for the bumpy road to the Mark Wahlberg-led movie. Dog movies that have done quite well in the past include Channing Tatum’s movie, Dog. But what led to the downfall of Arthur the King? What went wrong? One mistake from Lionsgate may have pushed the movie to the edge of box-office doom.
The Lionsgate Move That Proved To Be Fatal For Mark Wahlberg’s Arthur the King
Mark Wahlberg as Michael Light in Arthur the King
Mark Wahlberg’s Arthur the King has all it takes to hit the...
Mark Wahlberg in Arthur the King (2024)
In hindsight, there is not one single reason for the bumpy road to the Mark Wahlberg-led movie. Dog movies that have done quite well in the past include Channing Tatum’s movie, Dog. But what led to the downfall of Arthur the King? What went wrong? One mistake from Lionsgate may have pushed the movie to the edge of box-office doom.
The Lionsgate Move That Proved To Be Fatal For Mark Wahlberg’s Arthur the King
Mark Wahlberg as Michael Light in Arthur the King
Mark Wahlberg’s Arthur the King has all it takes to hit the...
- 3/18/2024
- by Lachit Roy
- FandomWire
Universal and DreamWork’s animated adventure “Kung Fu Panda 4” topped the domestic box office, earning a solid $58.3 million from 4,035 theaters in its opening weekend.
It marks the biggest debut of the franchise since the original, 2008’s “Kung Fu Panda” ($60 million), overtaking the start of the two prior entries, 2016’s “Kung Fu Panda 3” ($41 million) and 2011’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” ($47.6 million), not adjusted for inflation.
“Family audiences were primed to come out and have fun with a much-beloved franchise,” says Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. “Animated movies tend to leg out. We anticipate a tremendous corridor.”
Internationally, the fourth film in the martial arts-inspired animated comedy collected $22 million from 41 markets for a global tally of $80 million. This installment cost $85 million to produce, a lower price tag than the first three movies, each of which cost about $150 million. Jack Black returned to voice the main character in “Kung Fu Panda 4,...
It marks the biggest debut of the franchise since the original, 2008’s “Kung Fu Panda” ($60 million), overtaking the start of the two prior entries, 2016’s “Kung Fu Panda 3” ($41 million) and 2011’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” ($47.6 million), not adjusted for inflation.
“Family audiences were primed to come out and have fun with a much-beloved franchise,” says Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. “Animated movies tend to leg out. We anticipate a tremendous corridor.”
Internationally, the fourth film in the martial arts-inspired animated comedy collected $22 million from 41 markets for a global tally of $80 million. This installment cost $85 million to produce, a lower price tag than the first three movies, each of which cost about $150 million. Jack Black returned to voice the main character in “Kung Fu Panda 4,...
- 3/10/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Ron Underwood's 1990 monster flick "Tremors" is one of the better horror films of its decade and kicked off a long-running entertainment franchise that includes seven films and a 2003 TV series. It also provided horror aficionados with one of the most indelible heroes the genre has ever seen in Burt Gummer (Michael Gross), a violent, gun-toting survivalist who somehow comes across as decent, caring, and lovable. Burt Gummer was only a supporting character in the first "Tremors," but became the series' central protagonist in "Tremors 3." Gross remained devoted to the series until its end in 2020.
The monsters in "Tremors" were novel and awesome. Nicknamed Graboids, the monsters were outsize, blind, subterranean worm creatures that could burrow at amazing speeds. They were each possessed of three snake-like tongues that could pop up from the ground and grab potential victims. They sensed their prey by listening to footsteps and vibrations, leading to...
The monsters in "Tremors" were novel and awesome. Nicknamed Graboids, the monsters were outsize, blind, subterranean worm creatures that could burrow at amazing speeds. They were each possessed of three snake-like tongues that could pop up from the ground and grab potential victims. They sensed their prey by listening to footsteps and vibrations, leading to...
- 3/3/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
“Barbenheimer” may be the gift that keeps on giving.
After Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” ignited the summer box office, the blockbusters with twin release dates are bringing populist energy to the Oscars. Yet the one-two punch of “Barbie” ($1.445 billion globally) and “Oppenheimer” ($957 million), along with a valiant assist from Martin Scorsese’s crime epic “Killers of the Flower Moon” ($156 million), can’t compete with the box office power of last year’s contenders.
Led by “Avatar: The Way of Water” ($2.3 billion) and “Top Gun: Maverick” ($1.5 billion), the 10 films up for best picture in 2023 were collectively the highest grossing in more than a decade, racking up $4.4 billion worldwide. This year’s candidates for the top prize were still widely seen, with a combined $2.7 billion globally to date. But these impressive hauls are considered outliers and stand in dramatic contrast to Oscars of yore, where there hasn...
After Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” ignited the summer box office, the blockbusters with twin release dates are bringing populist energy to the Oscars. Yet the one-two punch of “Barbie” ($1.445 billion globally) and “Oppenheimer” ($957 million), along with a valiant assist from Martin Scorsese’s crime epic “Killers of the Flower Moon” ($156 million), can’t compete with the box office power of last year’s contenders.
Led by “Avatar: The Way of Water” ($2.3 billion) and “Top Gun: Maverick” ($1.5 billion), the 10 films up for best picture in 2023 were collectively the highest grossing in more than a decade, racking up $4.4 billion worldwide. This year’s candidates for the top prize were still widely seen, with a combined $2.7 billion globally to date. But these impressive hauls are considered outliers and stand in dramatic contrast to Oscars of yore, where there hasn...
- 2/12/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Agent Argylle couldn’t crack the box office code.
Matthew Vaughn’s globe-trotting spy comedy “Argylle” sputtered in its box office debut, earning a dismal $18 million from 3,605 North American theaters. The movie, backed by Apple and distributed by Universal, cost $200 million to produce and is shaping up to be the year’s first big misfire.
Despite terrible reviews and lousy audience scores (it holds a 35% on Rotten Tomatoes and “C+” on CinemaScore), “Argylle” ranked No. 1 at the domestic and global box office. The film added just $17.3 million from 78 international markets for a worldwide tally of $35.3 million.
Vaughn, the filmmaker of “The Kingsman” series and “X-Men: First Class,” intended to turn “Argylle” into a trilogy. But those grand plans are looking a lot less likely at this rate — unless there’s a dramatic uptick in ticket sales. Bryce Dallas Howard stars in “Argylle” as the reclusive author of a popular series of espionage novels.
Matthew Vaughn’s globe-trotting spy comedy “Argylle” sputtered in its box office debut, earning a dismal $18 million from 3,605 North American theaters. The movie, backed by Apple and distributed by Universal, cost $200 million to produce and is shaping up to be the year’s first big misfire.
Despite terrible reviews and lousy audience scores (it holds a 35% on Rotten Tomatoes and “C+” on CinemaScore), “Argylle” ranked No. 1 at the domestic and global box office. The film added just $17.3 million from 78 international markets for a worldwide tally of $35.3 million.
Vaughn, the filmmaker of “The Kingsman” series and “X-Men: First Class,” intended to turn “Argylle” into a trilogy. But those grand plans are looking a lot less likely at this rate — unless there’s a dramatic uptick in ticket sales. Bryce Dallas Howard stars in “Argylle” as the reclusive author of a popular series of espionage novels.
- 2/4/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Khan Noonien Singh's trajectory as a fictional character is the opposite of his in-universe life story. He was once a superhuman tyrant who ruled much of the Earth — after being overthrown, he fled to space aboard the SS Botany Bay. Upon reawakening, he was bested twice by James T. Kirk and died failing to avenge himself. For audiences though, Khan went from a villain of the week (in the "Star Trek" episode "Space Seed") to the greatest of all "Trek" villains thanks to his reappearance in the film "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."
Before "The Wrath of Khan," however, "Star Trek" was in trouble. "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" underwhelmed, Paramount was hesitant about a sequel, and Leonard Nimoy had to be convinced to return as Spock. That's why the film famously ends with his character dying — except, during shooting, Nimoy changed his mind about exiting. Thus, when...
Before "The Wrath of Khan," however, "Star Trek" was in trouble. "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" underwhelmed, Paramount was hesitant about a sequel, and Leonard Nimoy had to be convinced to return as Spock. That's why the film famously ends with his character dying — except, during shooting, Nimoy changed his mind about exiting. Thus, when...
- 1/20/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
There’s a new queen bee at the box office. Paramount’s “Mean Girls” musical ruled over the competition with $28 million over the weekend and $32 million through the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday.
Thanks to enduring love for the original 2004 film, an insanely quotable touchstone that turned Oct. 3 into a national holiday, and the power of TikTok, “Mean Girls” is proving the Plastics are still box office draws. The movie musical cost just $36 million and was initially commissioned for Paramount+ before enthusiastic test screenings convinced the studio to release it on the big screen.
Internationally, “Mean Girls” collected $6.5 million from 16 territories, representing less than half of its planned international footprint. The film opens next weekend in the U.K. and New Zealand, followed by other major territories.
Ticket buyers were unsurprisingly 76% female while 60% were under the age of 25. They gave the film a mixed “B” CinemaScore, which is...
Thanks to enduring love for the original 2004 film, an insanely quotable touchstone that turned Oct. 3 into a national holiday, and the power of TikTok, “Mean Girls” is proving the Plastics are still box office draws. The movie musical cost just $36 million and was initially commissioned for Paramount+ before enthusiastic test screenings convinced the studio to release it on the big screen.
Internationally, “Mean Girls” collected $6.5 million from 16 territories, representing less than half of its planned international footprint. The film opens next weekend in the U.K. and New Zealand, followed by other major territories.
Ticket buyers were unsurprisingly 76% female while 60% were under the age of 25. They gave the film a mixed “B” CinemaScore, which is...
- 1/14/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” failed to make a splash at the Christmas box office, debuting to $28 million over the weekend and an estimated $40 million through the four-day holiday weekend.
Those ticket sales were enough to top domestic charts over three other newcomers: Universal and Illumination’s animated “Migration,” Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s romantic comedy “Anyone but You” and A24’s sports biopic “The Iron Claw.”
But Warner Bros. and DC Studio’s “Aquaman 2” has little to boast about beyond its No. 1 spot. The sequel cost $205 million and ranks among the worst debuts of the year for a superhero movie. It’s softer than November’s misfire “The Marvels” ($47 million), which ended its run as the lowest-grossing installment in the history of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. “The Marvels” was shocking because it was the rare MCU movie to tumble out of the gate.
By contrast, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom...
Those ticket sales were enough to top domestic charts over three other newcomers: Universal and Illumination’s animated “Migration,” Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s romantic comedy “Anyone but You” and A24’s sports biopic “The Iron Claw.”
But Warner Bros. and DC Studio’s “Aquaman 2” has little to boast about beyond its No. 1 spot. The sequel cost $205 million and ranks among the worst debuts of the year for a superhero movie. It’s softer than November’s misfire “The Marvels” ($47 million), which ended its run as the lowest-grossing installment in the history of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. “The Marvels” was shocking because it was the rare MCU movie to tumble out of the gate.
By contrast, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom...
- 12/24/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
The three-season NBC run of "Star Trek" in the late 1960s (aka "The Original Series") was not a smooth ride for anyone at any level of production. Each hour-long episode cost, in 2023 dollars, over $1 million to produce (with the classic "The City on the Edge of Forever" being particularly pricey), which, given the series' Nielsen ratings struggles, was a huge problem for the network (which pulled the plug on the show in 1969 much to its rabid fans' consternation). Also tricky, the stars' salaries. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy played chicken with NBC in pay negotiations, basically daring the execs to fire them.
According to "Star Trek" historian Marc Cushman, the network decided they'd had enough of Nimoy's hardball act; rather than bring back the hugely popular (with fans at least) Mr. Spock, they opted to write the character out of the show and bring in a brand new Vulcan. However,...
According to "Star Trek" historian Marc Cushman, the network decided they'd had enough of Nimoy's hardball act; rather than bring back the hugely popular (with fans at least) Mr. Spock, they opted to write the character out of the show and bring in a brand new Vulcan. However,...
- 12/11/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The "Star Trek" franchise was nearing a crossroads in 1986. 20 years after the premiere of The Original Series on NBC, moviegoers were showing up in significant numbers to follow the big-screen exploits of Captain Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise. But while 1982's "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and 1984's "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" were hits for Paramount (they both grossed in the $78 million range domestically), they were not blockbusters. So when stars William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy asked for salary bumps, the studio had some tough decisions to make.
Paramount almost received an unexpected windfall when their under-contract box office juggernaut, Eddie Murphy, asked to be in the fourth "Star Trek" movie. Murphy had just starred in "Beverly Hills Cop," the highest-grossing movie of 1984, and, as a hardcore Trekker, wanted to be a part of Gene Roddenberry's sci-fi universe. The studio was thrilled,...
Paramount almost received an unexpected windfall when their under-contract box office juggernaut, Eddie Murphy, asked to be in the fourth "Star Trek" movie. Murphy had just starred in "Beverly Hills Cop," the highest-grossing movie of 1984, and, as a hardcore Trekker, wanted to be a part of Gene Roddenberry's sci-fi universe. The studio was thrilled,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Queen Bey is the new box office queen. “Renaissance,” a concert film written, directed and produced by Beyoncé, topped the domestic box office with $21 million in its opening weekend, slightly ahead of expectations.
These ticket sales rank as one of the best debuts for a concert film, joining the company of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” (far and away the biggest with $92.9 million), 2008’s “Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert” ($31.1 million), 2011’s “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” and 2009’s “Michael Jackson: This Is It” ($23.2 million).
“Renaissance” provided a tidy box office bounty in what would have otherwise been a bleak kickoff to December. According to its distributor AMC Theatres, it’s the first time in two decades a film has opened to more than $20 million on the weekend following Thanksgiving, which is a notoriously slow time at the movies.
“This is an excellent domestic opening for a concert film,...
These ticket sales rank as one of the best debuts for a concert film, joining the company of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” (far and away the biggest with $92.9 million), 2008’s “Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert” ($31.1 million), 2011’s “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” and 2009’s “Michael Jackson: This Is It” ($23.2 million).
“Renaissance” provided a tidy box office bounty in what would have otherwise been a bleak kickoff to December. According to its distributor AMC Theatres, it’s the first time in two decades a film has opened to more than $20 million on the weekend following Thanksgiving, which is a notoriously slow time at the movies.
“This is an excellent domestic opening for a concert film,...
- 12/3/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Disney, 20th Century Studios and CAA won’t have to face a copyright lawsuit brought by production executive Madison Jones, who accused them of conspiring together to steal ideas from a screenplay he pitched for Ad Astra.
U.S. District Judge Fred Slaughter found that the makers of the 2019 sci-fi film couldn’t have ripped off Jones’ work since they didn’t have access to his screenplay, which was completed after Ad Astra was already written. And even if they did read the script, the movies aren’t similar enough to prove copyright infringement, according to a summary judge order issued on Tuesday.
Peter Ticktin, a lawyer for Jones, said his client plans to appeal a decision by the judge barring a forensic search of the hard drive of writers James Gray and Ethan Gross. He argued that it could’ve shown that they engaged in fraud to back up...
U.S. District Judge Fred Slaughter found that the makers of the 2019 sci-fi film couldn’t have ripped off Jones’ work since they didn’t have access to his screenplay, which was completed after Ad Astra was already written. And even if they did read the script, the movies aren’t similar enough to prove copyright infringement, according to a summary judge order issued on Tuesday.
Peter Ticktin, a lawyer for Jones, said his client plans to appeal a decision by the judge barring a forensic search of the hard drive of writers James Gray and Ethan Gross. He argued that it could’ve shown that they engaged in fraud to back up...
- 11/30/2023
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
You might've heard over the years that William Shatner has a propensity for diva behavior, both on and off set. He could be controlling, selfish, and downright insulting. He's been accused of stealing lines and generally being a jerk to his "Star Trek" cast mates. James Doohan, who endeared himself to fans as the Enterprise's chief engineer Scotty, once remarked, "I wanted to thump him on more than one occasion." At a roast held in Shatner's honor, Nichelle Nichols, a television legend for her portrayal of Black communications officer Lieutenant Uhura, joked, "People say you're a pompous, arrogant, egotistical, self-centered, narcissistic jerk. I don't think you're narcissistic."
Obviously, the cast learned to deal with Shatner being Shatner, which allowed them to hang together for several decades and six feature films. They all made a good deal of money milking "Star Trek" for every cent it was worth, and thank god...
Obviously, the cast learned to deal with Shatner being Shatner, which allowed them to hang together for several decades and six feature films. They all made a good deal of money milking "Star Trek" for every cent it was worth, and thank god...
- 11/26/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The "Star Trek" movie franchise was almost a one-and-done fiasco. Paramount had the highest of hopes when they released "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" on December 7, 1979, and, at first, it appeared as though their commercial expectations would be exceeded. The film scored the biggest opening of the year with a gross of $11.9 million (slightly better than the openings for "Alien" and "Moonraker"), but mixed reviews and ho-hum word of mouth (particularly from non-fans) kept it from being the runaway blockbuster it needed to be given its then exorbitant $44 million budget. It wound up being the fourth highest grossing film of 1979 behind "Kramer vs. Kramer," "The Amityville Horror" and "Rocky II").
The film's primary problem was its length and lack of action. At 132 minutes, Robert Wise's movie kind of lumbered; there are long, reverent shots of the U.S.S. Enterprise that, for many in the audience, quickly went from awe-inspiring to tedious.
The film's primary problem was its length and lack of action. At 132 minutes, Robert Wise's movie kind of lumbered; there are long, reverent shots of the U.S.S. Enterprise that, for many in the audience, quickly went from awe-inspiring to tedious.
- 11/19/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Within Barbra Streisand, there exists two personalities: one that is the legendary entertainer who’s confident, precise and ready to take charge — and another who’ll as soon concede that nothing she’s put out in the world is any good.
That “two different sides of personality,” she admitted, might be reason enough to revisit therapy.
“God, I have to go back to therapy, I think! But I’m not that interested in myself again, so,” she said, humorously speaking with NPR host Terry Gross on a Nov. 8 episode of “Fresh Air.”
“I love being interested in my grandchildren,” the 81-year-old concluded.
Streisand got particularly introspective on the matter while speaking with Gross, reflecting on her tough-love, overly critical mother and her “emotionally abusive” stepfather’s possible impact on her own self-worth.
“I don’t have a swelled head, my mother didn’t have to worry — I never got that swelled head.
That “two different sides of personality,” she admitted, might be reason enough to revisit therapy.
“God, I have to go back to therapy, I think! But I’m not that interested in myself again, so,” she said, humorously speaking with NPR host Terry Gross on a Nov. 8 episode of “Fresh Air.”
“I love being interested in my grandchildren,” the 81-year-old concluded.
Streisand got particularly introspective on the matter while speaking with Gross, reflecting on her tough-love, overly critical mother and her “emotionally abusive” stepfather’s possible impact on her own self-worth.
“I don’t have a swelled head, my mother didn’t have to worry — I never got that swelled head.
- 11/15/2023
- by Benjamin Lindsay
- The Wrap
“Killers of the Flower Moon,” Apple’s first major theatrical release, has generated $120 million globally after three weekends of release.
Is that a good result for a movie backed by a streaming service? A terrible outcome for a glowingly received, $200 million crime epic directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro? Or somewhere in between? Everyone who follows the movie business has a different take, so parsing these ticket sales could take longer than the film’s daunting three-hour-and-26-minute run time.
“I don’t see how its current global box office puts it in a position to turn a profit,” says Eric Handler, a senior media and entertainment analyst at Roth Capital Partners. “It will need to drive a lot of new subscribers to Apple TV+.”
If a traditional studio released “Killers of the Flower Moon,” it would be branded a flop. And Scorsese’s...
Is that a good result for a movie backed by a streaming service? A terrible outcome for a glowingly received, $200 million crime epic directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro? Or somewhere in between? Everyone who follows the movie business has a different take, so parsing these ticket sales could take longer than the film’s daunting three-hour-and-26-minute run time.
“I don’t see how its current global box office puts it in a position to turn a profit,” says Eric Handler, a senior media and entertainment analyst at Roth Capital Partners. “It will need to drive a lot of new subscribers to Apple TV+.”
If a traditional studio released “Killers of the Flower Moon,” it would be branded a flop. And Scorsese’s...
- 11/7/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
“Five Nights at Freddy’s” collapsed at the box office but still managed to emerge on top. Universal and Blumhouse’s fall sleeper hit has collected $19.4 million in its sophomore outing, resulting in a massive 76% decline from its debut.
Universal and Blumhouse’s spooky video game adaptation, which takes place in a haunted Chuck E. Cheese-esque establishment, has generated a towering $113 million to date. Despite the dramatic drop, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” earned far more than anyone expected with its $80 million opening weekend. So the second-weekend ticket sales are still decent for the $20 million-budgeted film, which landed simultaneously on the streaming service Peacock.
Though Peacock has far fewer subscribers than rivals, like Disney and Netflix, box office analysts suggest the day-and-date digital release is behind the mammoth decline in ticket sales. Even if that’s the case, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is a massive commercial winner. After 10 days of release, it...
Universal and Blumhouse’s spooky video game adaptation, which takes place in a haunted Chuck E. Cheese-esque establishment, has generated a towering $113 million to date. Despite the dramatic drop, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” earned far more than anyone expected with its $80 million opening weekend. So the second-weekend ticket sales are still decent for the $20 million-budgeted film, which landed simultaneously on the streaming service Peacock.
Though Peacock has far fewer subscribers than rivals, like Disney and Netflix, box office analysts suggest the day-and-date digital release is behind the mammoth decline in ticket sales. Even if that’s the case, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is a massive commercial winner. After 10 days of release, it...
- 11/5/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
“One night, Barbara invited Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick,” remembers Pamela Gross, the former CNN producer and close friend of the late Barbara Walters. “She had a beautiful piano in her living room, and after dinner, Barbara and Sarah and Matthew gathered around the piano and started singing old tunes, and the rest of us were just pinching ourselves. It was such a special night, but that’s the way Barbara lived.”
The newswoman, who died in December 2022 at the age of 93, also counted luminaries like Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Diane von Furstenberg and Barry Diller, Hugh Jackman, and Andrew Lloyd Webber among the coterie of friends who flocked to her Upper East Side apartment for dinners and parties. Her home’s thoughtful decor, overseen by famed interior designer Mario Buatta, as well as jewelry and other personal items Walters loved are now the focus of the estate auction,...
The newswoman, who died in December 2022 at the age of 93, also counted luminaries like Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Diane von Furstenberg and Barry Diller, Hugh Jackman, and Andrew Lloyd Webber among the coterie of friends who flocked to her Upper East Side apartment for dinners and parties. Her home’s thoughtful decor, overseen by famed interior designer Mario Buatta, as well as jewelry and other personal items Walters loved are now the focus of the estate auction,...
- 10/27/2023
- by Laurie Brookins
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Martin Scorsese’s star-studded crime epic “Killers of the Flower Moon” impressed in its box office debut, collecting $23 million from 3,628 North American theaters over the weekend.
Despite its second-place finish, it’s easily the best start of Scorsese career since 2010’s “Shutter Island” ($41 million debut), eclipsing the opening weekends of 2011’s “Hugo” ($11 million debut), 2013’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” ($18.3 million debut), 2016’s “Silence” ($7.1 million in its entire domestic run) and 2019’s “The Irishman” (which had a token theatrical release before landing on Netflix). And “Killers of the Flower Moon” managed to make a splash even though its stars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, haven’t been able to promote the film amid the ongoing actors’ strike.
Even with its daunting three-and-a-half-hour runtime, the R-rated “Killers of the Flower Moon” has been embraced by moviegoers (landing an “A-” CinemaScore) and critics (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), which is a good sign...
Despite its second-place finish, it’s easily the best start of Scorsese career since 2010’s “Shutter Island” ($41 million debut), eclipsing the opening weekends of 2011’s “Hugo” ($11 million debut), 2013’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” ($18.3 million debut), 2016’s “Silence” ($7.1 million in its entire domestic run) and 2019’s “The Irishman” (which had a token theatrical release before landing on Netflix). And “Killers of the Flower Moon” managed to make a splash even though its stars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, haven’t been able to promote the film amid the ongoing actors’ strike.
Even with its daunting three-and-a-half-hour runtime, the R-rated “Killers of the Flower Moon” has been embraced by moviegoers (landing an “A-” CinemaScore) and critics (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), which is a good sign...
- 10/22/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Dafne Keen of Logan and His Dark Materials and Sophie Nélisse of Yellowjackets and The Book Thief have signed on to star in Whistle, the latest horror film from The Hallow and The Nun director Corin Hardy. Filming is set to begin in Ontario, Canada on the first week in November – and since this is a Canada/Ireland co-production, governed by Actra rather than SAG, it won’t be impacted by the ongoing Screen Actors Guild strike.
Scripted by Owen Egerton from his own short story, Whistle has the following synopsis: A misfit group of unwitting high school students stumble upon a cursed object, an ancient Aztec Death Whistle. They discover that blowing the whistle and the terrifying sound it emits will summon their future deaths to hunt them down. As the body count rises, the friends investigate the origins of the deadly artifact in a desperate effort to stop...
Scripted by Owen Egerton from his own short story, Whistle has the following synopsis: A misfit group of unwitting high school students stumble upon a cursed object, an ancient Aztec Death Whistle. They discover that blowing the whistle and the terrifying sound it emits will summon their future deaths to hunt them down. As the body count rises, the friends investigate the origins of the deadly artifact in a desperate effort to stop...
- 10/19/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
This article appears in the new issue of Den Of Geek magazine. Get your copy here.
The 1980s was a golden era for TV animation. It was the decade of Thundercats, Inspector Gadget, Transformers, Ducktales, The Smurfs, He-Man and The Masters of the Universe, Care Bears, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Yet arguably, the best of them all was The Real Ghostbusters.
The show arrived at a time when studios were eager to translate box office gold into something palatable for younger audiences. It didn’t always quite go to plan, of course, as short-lived and ill-advised animated incarnations of everything from Rambo to The Karate Kid can attest.
But The Real Ghostbusters was different, running for 140 episodes across seven seasons.
It was a little different from the film. For one thing, the title had to be tweaked due to a dispute with Filmation, who was making an animated version...
The 1980s was a golden era for TV animation. It was the decade of Thundercats, Inspector Gadget, Transformers, Ducktales, The Smurfs, He-Man and The Masters of the Universe, Care Bears, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Yet arguably, the best of them all was The Real Ghostbusters.
The show arrived at a time when studios were eager to translate box office gold into something palatable for younger audiences. It didn’t always quite go to plan, of course, as short-lived and ill-advised animated incarnations of everything from Rambo to The Karate Kid can attest.
But The Real Ghostbusters was different, running for 140 episodes across seven seasons.
It was a little different from the film. For one thing, the title had to be tweaked due to a dispute with Filmation, who was making an animated version...
- 10/14/2023
- by Mike Cecchini
- Den of Geek
Superman’s incredible 85-year history is defined with intricate detail and unique understanding by those who’ve known him best – the authors, artists, filmmakers, actors and experts tasked with propagating his legend through every medium – in the latest Edward Gross omnibus, Voices From Krypton, published by Nacelle Books. The hardcover book is now available via Amazon, online retailers and popular bookshops, with an e-book edition also available.
Hailed as the most comprehensive examination of Superman in history, Voices From Krypton begins in the mid 1930s with the character’s creation by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and concludes with the announcement of the next big screen adventure, Superman: Legacy. Topics range from Superman’s appearances in different mediums to the individual actors who’ve played the character, from Superman’s Silver Age to present day iterations, and from the subtleties of capturing the Man of Steel to the tentpole moments of his past 85+ years.
Hailed as the most comprehensive examination of Superman in history, Voices From Krypton begins in the mid 1930s with the character’s creation by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and concludes with the announcement of the next big screen adventure, Superman: Legacy. Topics range from Superman’s appearances in different mediums to the individual actors who’ve played the character, from Superman’s Silver Age to present day iterations, and from the subtleties of capturing the Man of Steel to the tentpole moments of his past 85+ years.
- 10/3/2023
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Paramount’s animated sequel “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” topped the box office in its debut, earning a solid $23 million from 3,989 North American locations over the weekend.
Those ticket sales were more than enough to rule over the three other new nationwide releases, which could be categorized as the good (Lionsgate’s gruesome “Saw X”), the meh (Disney and New Regency’s sci-fi thriller “The Creator”) and the ugly (Sony’s Game Stop stock-inspired “Dumb Money”).
“Saw X” took second place with $18 million, an impressive start for the 10th entry in the long-running horror series. It’s not the biggest debut of the bunch, which still belongs to 2006’s “Saw III” ($33 million), but it improved upon the two prior installments, 2021’s spinoff “Spiral” ($8.7 million) and 2017’s “Jigsaw” ($16.6 million). It cost just $13 million, so it’ll be profitable for its backers by the end of its theatrical run.
“The Creator,” Gareth Edwards...
Those ticket sales were more than enough to rule over the three other new nationwide releases, which could be categorized as the good (Lionsgate’s gruesome “Saw X”), the meh (Disney and New Regency’s sci-fi thriller “The Creator”) and the ugly (Sony’s Game Stop stock-inspired “Dumb Money”).
“Saw X” took second place with $18 million, an impressive start for the 10th entry in the long-running horror series. It’s not the biggest debut of the bunch, which still belongs to 2006’s “Saw III” ($33 million), but it improved upon the two prior installments, 2021’s spinoff “Spiral” ($8.7 million) and 2017’s “Jigsaw” ($16.6 million). It cost just $13 million, so it’ll be profitable for its backers by the end of its theatrical run.
“The Creator,” Gareth Edwards...
- 10/1/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Following introspective shorts “Grietas” and “Solos,” Canarian director Alberto Gross Molo recalls his turbulent childhood in his upcoming debut feature “Catorce de Marzo,” a searing look at divorce through the lens of children placed unjustly in the middle.
Selected to participate at Madrid’s 5th Ecam Incubator, the narrative dives into the delicate minds of two siblings forced to determine their fate by choosing between parents, a fraught decision that could further divide their family.
Written by Gross alongside Tomàs Bayo Encontra, Laura Egidos Plaja and Albert Aynés Clapés of Contraria Media and David Aymerich of Ayhe Productions produce the project.
In 2021, “Catorce de Marzo” participated in My First Script at the Zagreb Film Festival and Ekran+, the team attending the Faberllull residency in 2022. It was also a finalist for last year’s Julio Alejandro Sgae Screenplay Award.
Egidos, co-founder of Contraria, spoke with Variety about the project’s allure and forward trajectory.
Selected to participate at Madrid’s 5th Ecam Incubator, the narrative dives into the delicate minds of two siblings forced to determine their fate by choosing between parents, a fraught decision that could further divide their family.
Written by Gross alongside Tomàs Bayo Encontra, Laura Egidos Plaja and Albert Aynés Clapés of Contraria Media and David Aymerich of Ayhe Productions produce the project.
In 2021, “Catorce de Marzo” participated in My First Script at the Zagreb Film Festival and Ekran+, the team attending the Faberllull residency in 2022. It was also a finalist for last year’s Julio Alejandro Sgae Screenplay Award.
Egidos, co-founder of Contraria, spoke with Variety about the project’s allure and forward trajectory.
- 9/28/2023
- by Holly Jones
- Variety Film + TV
“The Expendables 4,” an action-thriller starring Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham, misfired in its box office debut, tumbling to a franchise-low $8.3 million.
It landed in ever-so-slightly second place behind “The Nun,” which collected $8.4 million in its third weekend. These ticket sales resulted in the lowest-grossing box office weekend of the year as not a single film managed to clear $10 million.
Despite the abysmal results, there are reasons to be more optimistic about the future of theatrical. Studios may be close to a deal with the writers on strike, and there’s hope that means a similar agreement could be looming or the actors union as well. This would give stars the ability to promote their upcoming films, which in turn could goose box office returns. The Game Stop stock-inspired “Dumb Money” and Kenneth Branagh’s murder mystery “A Haunting in Venice,” both of which have ensembles filled with famous faces,...
It landed in ever-so-slightly second place behind “The Nun,” which collected $8.4 million in its third weekend. These ticket sales resulted in the lowest-grossing box office weekend of the year as not a single film managed to clear $10 million.
Despite the abysmal results, there are reasons to be more optimistic about the future of theatrical. Studios may be close to a deal with the writers on strike, and there’s hope that means a similar agreement could be looming or the actors union as well. This would give stars the ability to promote their upcoming films, which in turn could goose box office returns. The Game Stop stock-inspired “Dumb Money” and Kenneth Branagh’s murder mystery “A Haunting in Venice,” both of which have ensembles filled with famous faces,...
- 9/24/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
When it comes to the Sean Connery James Bond movies, the highest praise is usually reserved for "Goldfinger" or "Dr. No." The latter was, of course, Bond's on-screen debut, while the former introduced so many of the trademarks we've come to expect from the franchise, it's arguably even more of a Bond blueprint than "Dr. No."
But while it might not be considered the greatest James Bond film, Connery's fourth outing in the tux, "Thunderball," is a significant entry in the saga. The fourth Bond movie made $141 million, making it the most successful Bond at the time — a title it retained (adjusting for inflation) until 2012's "Skyfall." "Thunderball" was also the last time director Terrence Young would oversee a 007 movie, having helped define the character's fashion sense, humor, and bon vivant persona with "Dr. No." But the fourth Bond outing is also significant for the behind-the-scenes controversy that accompanied it.
But while it might not be considered the greatest James Bond film, Connery's fourth outing in the tux, "Thunderball," is a significant entry in the saga. The fourth Bond movie made $141 million, making it the most successful Bond at the time — a title it retained (adjusting for inflation) until 2012's "Skyfall." "Thunderball" was also the last time director Terrence Young would oversee a 007 movie, having helped define the character's fashion sense, humor, and bon vivant persona with "Dr. No." But the fourth Bond outing is also significant for the behind-the-scenes controversy that accompanied it.
- 9/19/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
The Tremors 4: The Legend Begins episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written by Cody Hamman, Narrated by Travis Hopson, Edited by Ric Solomon, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
The subterranean creatures known as Graboids are prehistoric life-forms. And the first Tremors movie wasn’t the story of humanity’s first encounter with them. In fact, there was a series of Graboid attacks just one hundred years earlier. Four movies into the Tremors franchise, we got a prequel that took us back to the Old West for a tale of cowboys and monsters. It’s Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (watch it Here) – which turned out to be the least successful installment in the series. We’re going to try to figure out why in this episode of What the F*ck Happened to This Horror Movie!
The production...
The subterranean creatures known as Graboids are prehistoric life-forms. And the first Tremors movie wasn’t the story of humanity’s first encounter with them. In fact, there was a series of Graboid attacks just one hundred years earlier. Four movies into the Tremors franchise, we got a prequel that took us back to the Old West for a tale of cowboys and monsters. It’s Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (watch it Here) – which turned out to be the least successful installment in the series. We’re going to try to figure out why in this episode of What the F*ck Happened to This Horror Movie!
The production...
- 9/13/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
"Star Trek" was the undisputed king of sci-fi television in the 1990s, but it lost that crown in the 2000s; prequel series "Star Trek: Enterprise" ended the franchise's reign with an abbreviated four season run (2001 to 2005). Different shows won the hearts of online fandom, including two contemporaries of "Enterprise" — "Futurama" and "Firefly."
The legacy of "Firefly" far outlasted its 14 episode run; fan demand led to the creation of the finale movie "Serenity" in 2005. Meanwhile, "Futurama" enjoyed a respectable 72 episode run from 1999 to 2003, but enduring popularity has revived it twice, first from 2007 to 2013, and again for a new season which premiered this summer. Short length doesn't mean a show will be forgotten, especially when the Internet can sustain a fandom like never before.
As detailed in "Star Trek" oral history book "The Fifty Year Mission" by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, these three shows intertwined in an episode of miscommunication and Hollywood office politics.
The legacy of "Firefly" far outlasted its 14 episode run; fan demand led to the creation of the finale movie "Serenity" in 2005. Meanwhile, "Futurama" enjoyed a respectable 72 episode run from 1999 to 2003, but enduring popularity has revived it twice, first from 2007 to 2013, and again for a new season which premiered this summer. Short length doesn't mean a show will be forgotten, especially when the Internet can sustain a fandom like never before.
As detailed in "Star Trek" oral history book "The Fifty Year Mission" by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, these three shows intertwined in an episode of miscommunication and Hollywood office politics.
- 9/11/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
The world was a drastically different place when the James Bond film series kicked off in 1962 with "Dr. No." Gender roles were still set in stone. It was a man's world, one in which women were expected to keep a clean and orderly house while the breadwinner put in his forty hours a week. Should a woman seek employment outside of the home, it's because they were single and could type or file up a storm.
In movies, unmarried women tended to be tragic figures or femme fatales (when they weren't queens or goddesses). If they weren't desperate for a good man to make them whole, they were hellbent on compromising and destroying one. Or they were tools of wealthy, nefarious men, like the Bond girls. Beginning with Ursula Andress' Honey Ryder, the Bond girl was typically a femme fatale who helplessly fell for the British secret agent's rough charm...
In movies, unmarried women tended to be tragic figures or femme fatales (when they weren't queens or goddesses). If they weren't desperate for a good man to make them whole, they were hellbent on compromising and destroying one. Or they were tools of wealthy, nefarious men, like the Bond girls. Beginning with Ursula Andress' Honey Ryder, the Bond girl was typically a femme fatale who helplessly fell for the British secret agent's rough charm...
- 9/11/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Denzel Washington’s bloody assassin-thriller “The Equalizer 3” debuted at the top of box office charts with $34.5 million over the weekend and an estimated $41 million through Monday’s Labor Day holiday.
It’s the second-biggest Labor Day opening weekend in modern times, though the holiday isn’t known for bringing people to the movies. After the record-holder Marvel’s 2021 blockbuster “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, the next highest-grossing Labor Day debut is Rob Zombie’s 2007 “Halloween” remake.
Still, the turnout for “Equalizer 3” speaks to Washington’s status as a box office draw. It landed an “A” CinemaScore from audiences and holds a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the highest of the trilogy.
The film added $26.1 million at the international box office for a global start of $60.6 million. The three-day domestic figure is nearly the same as its predecessors; 2014’s “The Equalizer” debuted to $34 million and 2018’s...
It’s the second-biggest Labor Day opening weekend in modern times, though the holiday isn’t known for bringing people to the movies. After the record-holder Marvel’s 2021 blockbuster “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, the next highest-grossing Labor Day debut is Rob Zombie’s 2007 “Halloween” remake.
Still, the turnout for “Equalizer 3” speaks to Washington’s status as a box office draw. It landed an “A” CinemaScore from audiences and holds a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the highest of the trilogy.
The film added $26.1 million at the international box office for a global start of $60.6 million. The three-day domestic figure is nearly the same as its predecessors; 2014’s “The Equalizer” debuted to $34 million and 2018’s...
- 9/3/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Luxury fashion expert Charles Gross has signed with UTA for representation in all areas.
Gross has had a digital presence since 2014; he was a daily YouTube vlogger till 2019, then took a two-year break from social media and re-debuted on TikTok in 2021 as a soft-spoken luxe lifestyle enthusiast.
Now he’s grown his TikTok audience to 1.3 million people, and recently attended New York Fashion Week to provide live coverage as an official partner of Afterpay (Nyfw’s 2023 sponsor) and designer brands Kate Spade and Carolina Herrera.
Also recently, he collaborated with Estée Lauder, Rihanna‘s Fenty Beauty, Netflix (to promote its Jennifer Lopez documentary Halftime as well as its Ryan Reynolds-fronted sci-fi The Adam Project), and spent a year creating content with consignment boutique Fashionphile.
UTA tells Tubefilter it plans to help Gross “secure premier digital collaborations and expand his business across a range of verticals, which includes fashion, lifestyle,...
Gross has had a digital presence since 2014; he was a daily YouTube vlogger till 2019, then took a two-year break from social media and re-debuted on TikTok in 2021 as a soft-spoken luxe lifestyle enthusiast.
Now he’s grown his TikTok audience to 1.3 million people, and recently attended New York Fashion Week to provide live coverage as an official partner of Afterpay (Nyfw’s 2023 sponsor) and designer brands Kate Spade and Carolina Herrera.
Also recently, he collaborated with Estée Lauder, Rihanna‘s Fenty Beauty, Netflix (to promote its Jennifer Lopez documentary Halftime as well as its Ryan Reynolds-fronted sci-fi The Adam Project), and spent a year creating content with consignment boutique Fashionphile.
UTA tells Tubefilter it plans to help Gross “secure premier digital collaborations and expand his business across a range of verticals, which includes fashion, lifestyle,...
- 8/21/2023
- by James Hale
- Tubefilter.com
“Blue Beetle” has dethroned “Barbie” at the domestic box office. The latest DC superhero adventure claimed the No. 1 spot despite a softer-than-expected debut of $25.4 million.
At the international box office, “Blue Beetle,” starring Xolo Maridueña as the alien symbiote, added $18 million from 63 markets. With $43 million globally, it’s one of the softest starts in the history of the DC Cinematic Universe.
After four consecutive weekends in first place, “Barbie” landed on her feet at second place with $21.5 million from 4,003 theaters, a huge result at this point in its theatrical run. After five weeks of release, Greta Gerwig’s fantasy-comedy has generated $567 million and will soon overtake Universal’s animated “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($574 million) as the biggest domestic release of the year.
“Blue Beetle” cost more than $100 million to produce and many millions more to promote, so it’ll need to defy the box office odds to justify its price tag.
At the international box office, “Blue Beetle,” starring Xolo Maridueña as the alien symbiote, added $18 million from 63 markets. With $43 million globally, it’s one of the softest starts in the history of the DC Cinematic Universe.
After four consecutive weekends in first place, “Barbie” landed on her feet at second place with $21.5 million from 4,003 theaters, a huge result at this point in its theatrical run. After five weeks of release, Greta Gerwig’s fantasy-comedy has generated $567 million and will soon overtake Universal’s animated “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($574 million) as the biggest domestic release of the year.
“Blue Beetle” cost more than $100 million to produce and many millions more to promote, so it’ll need to defy the box office odds to justify its price tag.
- 8/20/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Re-releases reliably dot the theatrical calendar and this week have a standout. Oldboy, the 2004 Cannes prize-winner, re-released by Neon on its 20th anniversary restored and remastered, grossed $235k on Wednesday and $150k Thursday — for a total cume $385k on 250 screens heading into the weekend.
San Francisco, NYC and LA, led by Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, are the top-performing cities so far for Park Chan-wook’s classic film — the first screening in U.S. theaters since its original North American release in 2005.
Oldboy follows Oh Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik), who, after being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, is released but must find his captor in five days. The critically acclaimed film is the second installment of Park’s The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and followed by Lady Vengeance (2005). Oldboy won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It grossed $15 million worldwide, and saw...
San Francisco, NYC and LA, led by Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, are the top-performing cities so far for Park Chan-wook’s classic film — the first screening in U.S. theaters since its original North American release in 2005.
Oldboy follows Oh Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik), who, after being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, is released but must find his captor in five days. The critically acclaimed film is the second installment of Park’s The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and followed by Lady Vengeance (2005). Oldboy won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It grossed $15 million worldwide, and saw...
- 8/18/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
This interview took place in June 2023 as part of the Tribeca Film Festival.
Sophia Lillis and Hannah Gross could be sisters in real life. The pair have a rapport that seems like it might have developed across years of inside jokes and shared experiences, which makes it easy to see why they work so well as siblings alongside Michael Cera in the movie "The Adults," which hits theaters Aug. 18.
Gross and Lillis play sisters who live together in their childhood home in a suburban town that feels slightly faded, like a memory lived in too long. Rachel (Gross), who took over responsibility for the house after their parents' deaths, works at the local radio station, while Maggie (Lillis) has dropped out of college, claiming it stifled her creativity.
The fractures in the pair's relationship become visible when their older brother, Eric (Cera), arrives for a very brief visit for the first time in three years.
Sophia Lillis and Hannah Gross could be sisters in real life. The pair have a rapport that seems like it might have developed across years of inside jokes and shared experiences, which makes it easy to see why they work so well as siblings alongside Michael Cera in the movie "The Adults," which hits theaters Aug. 18.
Gross and Lillis play sisters who live together in their childhood home in a suburban town that feels slightly faded, like a memory lived in too long. Rachel (Gross), who took over responsibility for the house after their parents' deaths, works at the local radio station, while Maggie (Lillis) has dropped out of college, claiming it stifled her creativity.
The fractures in the pair's relationship become visible when their older brother, Eric (Cera), arrives for a very brief visit for the first time in three years.
- 8/17/2023
- by Eden Arielle Gordon
- Popsugar.com
[Editor’s note: The following interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14, 2023.]
Sophia Lillis was just 14 years old when she signed on for her first major role, playing Beverly Marsh, the heart of the so-called Losers of Stephen King’s seminal horror tome “It,” in Andy Muschietti’s two-film take on the material. It was the kind of star-making gig many other performers would be happy to rest on, well, forever. But eight years on from that first feature, Lillis is eager to keep building her resume, moving away from “child actress” into just “actress” territory.
It helps that Lillis was choosy even when she was a “child actress,” taking on the “It” films, the HBO Gillian Flynn miniseries “Sharp Objects,” the underseen Netflix series “I Am Not Okay with This,” and even one spin as Nancy Drew and another as Gretel (of “Hansel & Gretel” fame). Now aged 21, Lillis has about a dozen onscreen credits to her name, but they all belie...
Sophia Lillis was just 14 years old when she signed on for her first major role, playing Beverly Marsh, the heart of the so-called Losers of Stephen King’s seminal horror tome “It,” in Andy Muschietti’s two-film take on the material. It was the kind of star-making gig many other performers would be happy to rest on, well, forever. But eight years on from that first feature, Lillis is eager to keep building her resume, moving away from “child actress” into just “actress” territory.
It helps that Lillis was choosy even when she was a “child actress,” taking on the “It” films, the HBO Gillian Flynn miniseries “Sharp Objects,” the underseen Netflix series “I Am Not Okay with This,” and even one spin as Nancy Drew and another as Gretel (of “Hansel & Gretel” fame). Now aged 21, Lillis has about a dozen onscreen credits to her name, but they all belie...
- 8/16/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Adults.If Dustin Guy Defa’s third feature, The Adults, has all the makings of a breakthrough, it does so not solely due to its enthusiastic reception at the Berlinale or its Universal-assisted distribution deal, but because it’s the first of the 45-year-old writer-director’s films to combine his knack for offbeat characterizations with the kind of deeply felt emotion only sporadically seen in his prior work. Unlike many of his more prolific American contemporaries, Defa’s career has progressed in oddly fitful fashion, with lengthy gaps between features broken up by a number of singular short films that, until now, have best displayed his seriocomic approach to matters of urban millennial angst and alienation. The Adults both extends and expands on these themes in ways that open up Defa’s previously cloistered world of neurotic New Yorkers, eccentric artist types, and emotionally unavailable twentysomethings.Starring Michael Cera,...
- 8/15/2023
- MUBI
The Adults is a family comedy-drama film, but it is R-rated because of its adult language. Written & Directed by Dustin Guy Defa, The Adults follows Eric as he takes a short trip back home to meet his sisters and old friends but the short trip turns into a mess of unresolved familial issues and a trip down the nostalgic lane. Michael Cera is producing and starring in the film.
So, let’s see what we know about The Adults including its cast, when is it coming out, what is it about, and most importantly where can you watch it.
The Adults – When is it Coming Out? Credit – Variance Films
The Adults is all set to come into your nearest theaters on August 18.
The Adults – How to Watch It?
The Adults is coming exclusively in theaters. So, everybody who has been waiting for a great comedy-drama can enjoy the film in theaters.
So, let’s see what we know about The Adults including its cast, when is it coming out, what is it about, and most importantly where can you watch it.
The Adults – When is it Coming Out? Credit – Variance Films
The Adults is all set to come into your nearest theaters on August 18.
The Adults – How to Watch It?
The Adults is coming exclusively in theaters. So, everybody who has been waiting for a great comedy-drama can enjoy the film in theaters.
- 8/11/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
“Barbie” towered over the box office for the third consecutive weekend, taking down newcomers “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and “Meg 2: The Trench.”
Greta Gerwig’s fantasy comedy added a remarkable $53 million in its third weekend of release, a decline of just 43% from its prior frame. “Barbie” has generated $459 million in North America and surpassed the $1 billion mark globally after just 17 days in theaters. It’s the first film directed solely by a woman to cross the coveted milestone.
Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” too, stayed strong in its third outing with $28.7 million, dropping only 39% from last weekend and bringing domestic ticket sales to $228 million. The R-rated historical drama has grossed $552 million at the worldwide box office, becoming the director’s sixth film to cross the $500 million mark. “Oppenheimer,” which has remained a force in Imax, landed in third place on domestic box office charts behind the sequel to...
Greta Gerwig’s fantasy comedy added a remarkable $53 million in its third weekend of release, a decline of just 43% from its prior frame. “Barbie” has generated $459 million in North America and surpassed the $1 billion mark globally after just 17 days in theaters. It’s the first film directed solely by a woman to cross the coveted milestone.
Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” too, stayed strong in its third outing with $28.7 million, dropping only 39% from last weekend and bringing domestic ticket sales to $228 million. The R-rated historical drama has grossed $552 million at the worldwide box office, becoming the director’s sixth film to cross the $500 million mark. “Oppenheimer,” which has remained a force in Imax, landed in third place on domestic box office charts behind the sequel to...
- 8/6/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
It’s a “Barbenheimer” world and we’re just living in it.
The collective force of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” continued to rule the box office in their second weekends of release, providing another needed jolt as two Hollywood strikes threaten the fragile exhibition industry.
Greta Gerwig’s cotton candy-colored fantasy comedy again led the way, adding a massive $93 million between Friday and Sunday. Ticket sales for “Barbie” declined just 43% from its debut and resulted in the seventh-biggest second weekend in history. The only movies that enjoyed bigger sophomore outings were billion-dollar behemoths “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($149 million), “Avengers: Endgame” ($147 million) and “Infinity War” ($114 million), “Black Panther” ($111 million), “Jurassic World” ($106 million) and “The Avengers” ($103 million).
Christopher Nolan’s dark historical drama also had a stellar sophomore outing, taking in a mighty $46.6 million over the weekend. According to Universal, it became the first R-rated film to gross more than $10 million for 10 days in a row.
The collective force of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” continued to rule the box office in their second weekends of release, providing another needed jolt as two Hollywood strikes threaten the fragile exhibition industry.
Greta Gerwig’s cotton candy-colored fantasy comedy again led the way, adding a massive $93 million between Friday and Sunday. Ticket sales for “Barbie” declined just 43% from its debut and resulted in the seventh-biggest second weekend in history. The only movies that enjoyed bigger sophomore outings were billion-dollar behemoths “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($149 million), “Avengers: Endgame” ($147 million) and “Infinity War” ($114 million), “Black Panther” ($111 million), “Jurassic World” ($106 million) and “The Avengers” ($103 million).
Christopher Nolan’s dark historical drama also had a stellar sophomore outing, taking in a mighty $46.6 million over the weekend. According to Universal, it became the first R-rated film to gross more than $10 million for 10 days in a row.
- 7/30/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
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