Box Office: 1917 takes weekend crown from RISE OF SKYWALKER with $36.5M!

Universal Pictures has officially earned bragging rights now that its World War I action flick 1917 has unseated STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER in the second weekend in January. Directed by Sam Mendes, 1917 stars Dean-Charles Chapman and George McKay as two British soldiers tasked to get a message to across enemy lines to warn of an impending attack with no time to spare. In its first weekend in wide release, 1917 earned $36.5 million domestic, bringing its total here in the U.S. up to $39.2 million. Positive reactions have been showered on the film’s cinematographer, the beloved Roger Deakins, who worked with Mendes to give 1917 a one-shot effect which has helped the pulse-pounding, clock-watching aspect of the movie onto the big screen.

In second place in RISE OF SKYWALKER, which is so close to cracking $1 billion worldwide as we close out the weekend. The J.J. Abrams-directed picture brought in $15.1 million domestic from 4,279 locations with a per theater average of $3,519. The movie also earned $24.2 million internationally with 55 markets accounted for over the weekend. This weekend’s earnings take RISE OF SKYWALKER‘s global total to $990 million, which means it could very well crack $1 billion by this time next week. Although it was never going to keep pace with the runaway success of the first Skywalker sequel trilogy installment, 2015’s THE FORCE AWAKENS, RISE OF SKYWALKER has stayed close to mirroring THE LAST JEDI‘s box office success. However, it remains to be seen whether the movie will be able to hit THE LAST JEDI‘s $1.3 billion global total by the time it leaves theaters.

Newcomers LIKE A BOSS and UNDERWATER were not met with the same level of success as 1917 this weekend despite landing in the number five and seven slots, respectively. Boisterous comedy Like a Boss, which stars Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne as beauty entrepreneurs brought in $10 million domestic. Meanwhile, UNDERWATER seems to be sinking like a stone with its opening weekend total of $7 million. This is the second movie Kristen Stewart has either led or co-starred in to open to a mere fraction of its budget (UNDERWATER reportedly cost around $80+ million) following CHARLIE’S ANGELS $8 million domestic weekend opening and costing approximately $48 million.

1. 1917 $36.5M
2. Rise of Skywalker $15.05M
3. Jumanji: The Next Level $14M
4. Just Mercy $10M
5. Like a Boss $10M
6. Little Women $7.65M
7. Underwater $7M
8. Frozen II $5.76M
9. Knives Out $5.72M
10. Spies in Disguise $5.1M

Scott Derrickson exits Marvel’s DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, still set for May 2021 release

In a somewhat shocking turn of events, Scott Derrickson has exited as director of Marvel’s DOCTOR STRANGE sequel over “creative differences” with the studio. Derrickson will remain as an executive producer on DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, which is expected to pair star Benedict Cumberbatch with Elizabeth Olsen‘s Scarlet Witch. Benedict Wong and Tilda Swinton are also expected return.

“Marvel Studios and Scott Derrickson have amicably parted ways on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness due to creative differences. We remain grateful to Scott for his contributions to the MCU,” Marvel said in a statement to Variety, which broke the news.

“Marvel and I have mutually agreed to part ways on Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness due to creative differences. I am thankful for our collaboration and will remain on as EP,” Derrickson wrote in a statement on Twitter.

Production is still expected to start in May to keep its May 2021 release date, and Marvel is already searching for Derrickson’s replacement. The first film grossed nearly $680 million worldwide.

Nicholas Hoult joins the bustling cast of Christopher McQuarrie’s MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 7 and 8!

Nicholas Hoult had a rough 2019. No one saw TOLKIEN. No one liked DARK PHOENIX, his final X-MEN movie. THE CURRENT WAR, in which he plays inventor Nikola Tesla, was greeted with a shrug following a two-year delay. His awards season film, THE BANKER, saw its release plans canceled by Apple in the wake of controversy. And he lost the role of Batman to Robert Pattinson. But I knew he’d get another big thing eventually, which brings us to today’s exciting news. Nicholas Hoult is going to play a villain in the next (or possibly the next two) MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.

Director Christopher McQuarrie made the announcement on his social media feeds on Thursday, and I have to say, I like it. Hoult may not give franchise star Tom Cruise the fight of his life like Henry Cavill did in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT, but he should still be able to keep super-spy Ethan Hunt on his toes. Joining Cruise and fellow returnee Rebecca Ferguson are franchise newcomers Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff and leading character actor Shea Whigham. And I think it’s safe to assume that Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg will be back as Luther and Benji, respectively.

McQuarrie will shoot MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 7 and 8 back-to-back for Paramount and Skydance. Will 7 end with a cliffhanger that will be picked up in 8? Atwell is, for sure, coming back for 8, but will Hoult, or Klementieff, for that matter? Sources say she has been cast as the villain’s chief henchwoman, and someone has to die in these movies. Meanwhile, I’m most intrigued by Whigham’s role, since McQuarrie introduced him on social with the tagline “you’ll never see him coming.” Does that mean he’s a bad guy? Maybe he’s taking up Alec Baldwin‘s position? Maybe he was the OG Ethan Hunt from the TV series, enjoying a life of retirement somewhere, when he gets called back in to help the fine folks at the IMF?

For Hoult’s intro, McQuarrie asked the actor if he cared “to raise a little hell?” to which Hoult replied, “Love to. Though why stop at a little?” Yeah, that sounds like a villain to me – although Hoult would be an inspired choice to take over this franchise down the line — not that Cruise needs to pass the torch, been there already (Hi, Jeremy Renner!).

And here’s a fun bit of info for you. Sources say that the next MISSION IMPOSSIBLE movie will introduce a character named Rollin Hand, who was played by Martin Landau on the original TV show. Hand was an actor, a magician, and a master of disguises and voices who billed himself as “The Man Of A Million Faces” and “The World’s Greatest Impersonator.” He was a member of the Impossible Mission Force in the 1960s, and he was called upon to help accomplish missions which the series’ leads had accepted. My guess? Whigham has been cast as Hand – but I don’t have any confirmation of that. Call it an educated guess. A hunch, if you will…

Paramount will release MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 7 on July 23, 2021, while the eighth installment will arrive the following year.

New BIRDS OF PREY trailer reveals our colorful anti-heroic lineup, film due February 7, 2020!

Hot off the presses comes a new trailer from Warner Bros. for BIRDS OF PREY AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN. The female-led DCEU flick stars Margot Robbie, returning once more as Harley Quinn, with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, and Rosie Perez rounding out the titular Birds of Prey. Joining the fun as the big bads are Ewan McGregor and Chris Messina while the pic introduces up-and-comer Ella Jay Basco.

Folks, it looks fun. We got a good look at Harley’s break-up with Mister J and her striking out on her own which includes giving herself the classic break-up haircut. The footage echoes the first trailer, which debuted back in October. There, we got a good sense of what will happen in BIRDS OF PREY: Newly-single Harley is looking for some independence and, in the process, meets Huntress (Winstead), Black Canary (Smollett-Bell), and Renée Montoya (Perez). Together, the women must protect Cassandra Cain (Basco) as they face off against Gotham bad boy Roman Sionis (McGregor). Along the way, there will be lots of mayhem, including explosions, the frequent use of a carnival-sized mallet, and hand-to-hand combat. What more could a girl want?

This looks like so much fun, and I really hope it comes together. The trailer makes great use of Bjork‘s “It’s Oh so Quiet”, and it’s obviously a smart move giving center stage to Harley Quinn minus the Joker (especially Jared Leto’s Joker). After the success of AQUAMAN and SHAZAM, I’m curious to see if the DC movies can keep their hit streak going by just going for bombastic fun since this looks like a far cry from whatever SUICIDE SQUAD was supposed to be.

BIRDS OF PREY arrives in theaters on February 7, 2020.

Christian Bale in talks to join Taika Waititi’s THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, due November 5, 2021!

Oscar winner Christian Bale is in talks to join Chris Hemsworth in Marvel’s THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, Collider has revealed. Taika Waititi is returning to direct the sequel, which is gearing up to start production this summer. The follow-up to 2017’s THOR: RAGNAROK is shaping up to be Bale’s first comic book movie since his final turn as Batman in 2012’s THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. Marvel had no comment.

Tessa Thompson will reprise her RAGNAROK role as Valkyrie, while Natalie Portman will return to the franchise as Jane Foster, who becomes The Mighty Thor in this movie. Waititi will also be back to provide the voice of Korg, who became an instant fan favorite. Marvel’s Kevin Feige will produce the comic book movie after the last THOR installment grossed $853 million worldwide. Bale’s role is being kept under wraps.

Bale currently stars in Fox/Disney’s racing drama FORD V FERRARI, which has grossed more than $200 million worldwide. He won an Oscar on his very nomination for THE FIGHTER, and was also nominated for AMERICAN HUSTLE, THE BIG SHORT, and VICE. He’s currently up for both a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for his turn as Ken Miles in FORD V FERRARI.

Disney will release THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER on Nov. 5, 2021.

Rian Johnson developing KNIVES OUT sequel with Daniel Craig returning, eyeing a release in 2021!

Lionsgate has reportedly already greenlit Rian Johnson‘s runaway hit whodunit KNIVES OUT for a sequel and I couldn’t have asked for better news to begin my 2020. Since its premiere back in November 2019, KNIVES OUT has proven itself to be box office gold as critics and audiences alike have discovered the Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery starring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, a skilled sleuth searching for a murderer among the relatives of a wealthy but recently deceased crime novelist (Christopher Plummer). Johnson’s recent feature boasts one of the most colorful and talents casts of 2019, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, and Michael Shannon.

So, what exactly is happening with the alleged KNIVES OUT sequel? It seems Johnson confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that a sequel had been greenlit by Lionsgate (when? Sounds like 2021) and also noted he was already working on developing the story for the project. Johnson also shared with THR the KNIVES OUT sequel would focused on Benoit Blanc, which means we’ll be treated to an entirely new cast of characters in the next chapter.

Additionally, Johnson revealed his desires to begin filming in the next year. It’s possible Johnson intends to keep the sequel on the same confidently fast-paced schedule as its predecessor, which began filming in October 2018 and ended in December 2018. However, at this point in time it should be noted neither Lionsgate nor Johnson have released official statements confirming the KNIVES OUT sequel is happening. But, if Johnson is already divulging it to THR, then an official statement will likely just be the proverbial cherry on top of this exciting news.

KNIVES OUT has been nothing short of a box office success for Lionsgate since it arrived in theaters. As of Sunday, January 5, KNIVES has become the second highest-grossing original release of 2019 with a domestic total of more than $130 million and a worldwide total of $247.5 million. Even more admirable is the fact this flick has experienced only slight week-to-week dips in its box office run — a relative rarity. Over this first weekend of January, KNIVES OUT dipped a very small 9%. It’s also no mean feat that de Armas scooped up a 2020 Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Craig nabbed a Globe nod for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and KNIVES OUT earned a nom for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

For a mid-budget, original story currently entering its sixth week in theaters, these current totals and early awards season props are sure signs it would have been foolish for Lionsgate to not put a sequel in motion; we want more murder mysteries ASAP! Especially if they involve speeches about metaphorical donut holes.

THE NEW MUTANTS finally back on track with new trailer, film due April 3, 2020!

At long last, a new trailer for THE NEW MUTANTS has been released online, confirming that this 20th Century Fox film will indeed see the light of day. Directed by Josh Boone (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS) and scripted by Boone and Knate Lee (KIDNAP), the film takes place in a secret facility where young mutants are housed, only just now learning what their abilities can do.

The film was shot in 2017, conceived of by Fox during the period in which the studio was making bold, tonally dynamic superhero films like LOGAN and DEADPOOL to great success. Rumors swirled that Boone originally pitched a more overtly horror-tinged movie to Fox, only to shoot a more toned-down version. Talk of trouble further intensified when Fox shifted the film off its original April 2018 release date all the way back to February 2019, ostensibly to make time for some reshoots. Those reshoots—which were intended to amp up the horror aspect of the movie—never happened, and the film’s release date was subsequently pushed again to August 2019, only for the movie to then fall into limbo when Disney bought Fox and took ownership of a superhero film they didn’t make.

But despite fears that Disney would shelve NEW MUTANTS or put it on Disney+, the film is indeed getting a theatrical release this year (finally), and Boone himself took to social media to assert that this version of the film is one he’s proud of—despite the fact that those reshoots still never happened. This trailer arrives a full 15 months after the first trailer was released by Fox. The film stars Maisie Williams (‘Game of Thrones’) as Wolfsbane, Anya Taylor-Joy (SPLIT) as Magik, Charlie Heaton (‘Stranger Things’) as Cannonball, Henry Zaga as Sunspot, Blu Hunt as Mirage, and Alice Braga as Dr. Cecilia Reyes. THE NEW MUTANTS opens in theaters on April 3, 2020.

Box Office: RISE OF SKYWALKER tops third weekend with $33.7M, approaching $1B worldwide!

It’s a hat-trick of a box office run for STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER as it exits weekend three at the theaters with $33.7 million added to its domestic earnings. To date (and despite the 53% dip since last weekend), the final chapter in the Skywalker saga has earned $450.8 million domestically. RISE OF SKYWALKER has maintained its hot streak overseas, too.

Internationally, RISE OF SKYWALKER ends the weekend with $50.5 million from 53 material territories in all, bringing its international total up to $468 million. I’ll save some time on the math for ya here by informing you this brings RISE OF SKYWALKER‘s global cume up to approximately $919 million, which means the space opera epic will likely cross $1 billion globally during the week if it maintains its pace. At minimum, by this time next weekend, RISE OF SKYWALKER will have hit the prestigious box office milestone.

It seems like RISE OF SKYWALKER is mostly on schedule to hit the $1 billion mark, too. It also took THE LAST JEDI three weeks to earn $1 billion worldwide back in December 2017. Of course, 2015’s THE FORCE AWAKENS hit $1 billion worldwide in record time, adding the milestone to its mountain of wins after just 12 days in theaters worldwide. After holding the comparatively less thrilling title of lowest-grossing opening weekend for a sequel trilogy installment in late December, it seems RISE OF SKYWALKER‘s fans have spoken with their wallets worldwide in the following weekend it a major way.

Elsewhere in the box office top 10 we have THE GRUDGE, the Sony Pictures release directed by Nicholas Pesce and starring Andrea Riseborough, John Cho, Démian Bichir, Betty Gilpin, and Lin Shaye. The reboot of the 2004 American movie of the same name (which itself was a remake of the Japanese horror movie JU-ON: THE GRUDGE). THE GRUDGE is the first release of 2020 but was met with poor reviews from critics and earned a rare F CinemaScore. Recent and notorious F CinemaScorers include 2012 horror pic THE DEVIL INSIDE and Darren Aronofsky‘s arthouse drama/thriller/horror allegory MOTHER in 2017 (that movie is a trip, btw). This weekend, 2020’s THE GRUDGE had an $11.3 million domestic opening weekend — the lowest opening of any entry in this horror franchise.

In our final bit of big, notable news from this weekend we must turn our attention to Lionsgate’s KNIVES OUT. The Rian Johnson murder mystery is heading into its sixth week in theaters and is still only seeing small dips in its week-to-week earnings. This weekend, it dipped 9% and brought in $9 million domestically and $8.8 million internationally. This brings its domestic total up to $130 million and its global total is even better at $247.5 million. Meanwhile, it’s one of the few movies actually adding theaters, with 2,142 locations now showing the pic stateside. As a cherry on top to all of KNIVES OUT‘s wins, which signal as much a win for original content in theaters as it is a win for Johnson and Lionsgate, Deadline noted in a report from earlier in the week it is set to outdo Quentin Tarantino‘s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD and take the latter’s spot as the second highest-grossing original release of 2019 by the time it exits theaters. This would put KNIVES OUT below Jordan Peele‘s US, which exited theaters with $175 million.

And there you have it. One weekend at the box office down and 51 to go in 2020. Next weekend, we’ll see new releases LIKE A BOSS, the comedy starring Rose Byrne, Tiffany Haddish, and Salma Hayek, and UNDERWATER, Kristen Stewart‘s new horror-thriller, arrive as 1917 and JUST MERCY expand.

1. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker $33.73M
2. Jumanji: The Next Level $26.5M
3. Little Women $13.57M
4. The Grudge $11.3M
5. Frozen II $11.29M
6. Spies in Disguise $10.08M
7. Knives Out $9.02M
8. Uncut Gems $7.82M
9. Bombshell $4.07M
10. Cats $2.6M

Incredible A QUIET PLACE PART II trailer brings in the New Year, film due March 20, 2020!

Paramount has released the full trailer for John Krasinski’s upcoming thriller A QUIET PLACE PART II. Picking up right after the events of the first movie (which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and Hulu!), the sequel follows the Abbott family as they must venture into the unknown and discover that there are more than alien monsters threatening their lives.

The first film was a wonderful surprise; a clever monster movie that came out of nowhere to become one of the critical darlings of 2018, announcing Krasinski as a heck of a directorial voice and reminding us that Emily Blunt can do anything, including making us believe you could totally give silent birth in a bathtub with no medical assistance. I’m curious how the sequel will fare without the core family/single-location dynamic that made the first film such a clever take on the genre, but the new trailer’s opening scene makes it clear that Krasinski hasn’t lost his touch for composing a thrilling scene. That shot of the oncoming bus is definitely outstanding.

A QUIET PLACE PART II opens March 20, 2020 and stars Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, and Djimon Hounsou.

Box Office: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER opens to impressive but historically low $175M

Even though its early critical reception was less than warm, Disney/Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER had a heck of an opening weekend. The final film in the Skywalker saga had a promising Friday box office performance with $90 million earned, including more than $40 million in early showings. As the J.J. Abrams-directed flick moves into its first theatrical week — and it’ll be a prime week with the Christmas holidays encouraging bigger-than-normal crowds over the next five days — it will benefit from the heat of crossing the $100 million domestic mark from its opening weekend.

So, how did RISE OF SKYWALKER do this weekend? The Lucasfilm flick hit $176 million domestically and, overseas, it racked up a whopping $198 million. Together, this puts RISE OF SKYWALKER‘s global total at $374 million. With its $174 million opening, RISE is now the third biggest December opening of all time and it has the third biggest opening of 2019 after fellow Disney pics AVENGERS: ENDGAME and THE LION KING. A closer look at the demographic figures for this B+ CinemaScore-rated movie shows us audiences were mostly male (59%) with adults making up a majority (71%) and families also making a decent showing (20%). Even though RISE OF SKYWALKER‘s critical Rotten Tomatoes score is sitting at 57%, audiences have shunned that negativity and set its audience RT score at 86%.

On its own, RISE OF SKYWALKER is off to a great start at the box office and will no doubt see even better returns over this upcoming holiday moviegoing period. However, the flick still has a big hill to climb if it wants to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with previous STAR WARS entries. If we just compare to the previous sequel trilogy entries, THE FORCE AWAKENS and THE LAST JEDI, THE RISE OF SKYWALKER has to buckle down and do some work. Back in 2015, FORCE AWAKENS was a record-breaker of a movie with a domestic opening weekend of $248 million. In 2017, LAST JEDI saw a domestic opening weekend of $220 million. When The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi left theaters, they had $2.1 billion and $1.3 billion in global sales, respectively, in their pockets not to mention both had A CinemaScores.

And while THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is off to a good start at the box office, fellow newcomer CATS is landing with a big thud. The star-studded new musical adaptation from Tom Hooper is officially whiffing as it exits its opening weekend with $6.5 million in domestic sales. Mind you, this movie’s budget allegedly hovers somewhere in the $95 million range which means the folks behind this one are going to be sweaty as it chugs and slogs through its theatrical run. Sitting at number four, CATS averaged $1,923 per theater with 3,380 theaters total.

This opening weekend might also be the nudge Hooper, a much-fêted director, needs in reconsidering bringing musicals to the screen since it follows 2012’s LES MISERABLES, which earned a fairly slim $27.2 million domestic in its opening weekend. Between the very low opening and the universal revulsion expressed by critics, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the C+ CinemaScore-rated CATS triumphs financially before it leaves theaters. Sure, we’ve seen movie musicals like THE GREATEST SHOWMAN start out with “Bomb” slapped on its forehead (it had an $8.8 million domestic opening weekend) before it slowly gained steam and exited theaters with Oscar nominations, tons of success with audiences, and $174 million in total domestic sales. But — and this is a big “but” — THE GREATEST SHOWMAN didn’t have to sell us on digital fur technology or try to make sense of an utterly nonsensical plot, which are two of the many things CATS has to do now.

Also hanging out in the top five this weekend is JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL at number two but hit with a 56% dip as $26.1 million is added to its domestic total, now sits at $102 million. Number three pic FROZEN II earned $12.3 million domestically. The Disney sequel only dipped 36% from last week, a telling sign there is still plenty of excitement about the picture even though we’re a month out from its premiere. Number five is KNIVES OUT and it brought in $6.1 million domestically and, after a month in theaters, now has a domestic total of $90 million.

1. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker $175.5M
2. Jumanji: The Next Level $26.12M
3. Frozen II $12.3M
4. Cats $6.5M
5. Knives Out $6.12M
6. Bombshell $5.07M
7. Richard Jewell $2.56M
8. Queen & Slim $1.85M
9. Black Christmas $1.8M
10. Ford v. Ferrari $1.8M