Live-action Powerpuff Girls TV series in Development
When I found out, that I live action Powerpuff Girls TV show was in the works, I was so hyped.
According to Variety, "the Powerpuff Girls” could soon fly again. They have learned that a live-action version of the classic Cartoon Network series is in development at The CW. In the updated version of the series, the titular superheroes are now disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having lost their childhood to crime fighting. Will they agree to reunite now that the world needs them more than ever? The project hails from writers and executive producers Heather Regnier and Diablo Cody. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden will executive produce via Berlanti Productions. Warner Bros. Television will produce. The original “Powerpuff Girls” was created by Craig McCracken. In that series, Professor Utonium accidentally created the elementary school aged super team of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup by combining sugar, spice, and everything nice with the mysterious Chemical X. The show ran for six seasons and 78 episodes between 1998 and 2005. “The Powerpuff Girls Movie” was released in 2002, while a rebooted animated series began airing on Cartoon Network in 2016. I think, it will be so much than the 2016 series. Frozen 2 opens to $350 million worldwide
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Princess Anna and Queen Elsa -- and the power of sisterhood -- thawed hearts around the globe in their triumphant return to the big screen over the weekend.
Walt Disney Animation Studios' music-infused Frozen 2 opened to a record of $127 million in the US. and a fiery $223.3 million overseas from 37 markets for a massive worldwide start of $350.2 million, the No. 1 global debut ever for an animated title, not adjusted for inflation. The pic opened well ahead of expectations, particularly overseas. Disney is finally open to bringing back hand-drawn animation.
This is the best news ever! Why is it, you ask? Well, because accordong to this article from Inside the Magic, when you think of Disney movies now you might think of CG-fueled storytelling in films such as “Frozen,” “Moana,” “Zootopia,” and “Big Hero 6” (to name just a few). It’s certainly been the case since 2011, but it appears now that as Disney Animation is under new leadership since John Lasseter left, that could well change in the future.
Its safe to say that there’s many Disney fans who have missed the more traditional animation over the past few years and while many think that “Princess and the Frog” was the last movie to be released with the traditional style, it was actually 2011’s Winnie the Pooh that fans were last treated to the “classic Disney” style of hand-drawn animation. Speaking in an interview with Slash Film, Peter Del Vehco (“Frozen 2” producer) and Jennifer Lee (Cheif Creative Officer for Walt Disney Animation Studios and director of “Frozen 2”) are both more than open to a return to the traditional way of doing things, providing the animators and storytellers think that it’s the right thing for the movie: think we’re one of the only studios in the world that can do both, and how that evolves over time and how we experiment with different styles. But it ultimately comes down to the filmmakers and how they want to tell that particular story. Not only this, but it seems that the traditional hand-drawn Disney animators are still playing an important role in the process of developing any of the CG movies that Disney work on. Chris Buck, co-director of “Frozen 2,” said: The hand-drawn animators have helped out a lot with our CG animators. I think there’s an appeal that the hand-drawn animators, it’s innate in them, and they’ve been teaching the CG animators. It makes a lot of sense for Disney to leave the control of the style of the movie up to the storytellers and animators, and it’s super encouraging to see that they aren’t being dissuaded from using the more traditional Disney hand-drawn animation style. This is the best thing that's ever happened to the movie industry, since the #MeToo movement, not too long ago. And I agree, that hand-drawn animation really does have a future. Frozen 2 is set to earn $100 million in it's domestic opening weekend.
According to Deadline,Disney’s Frozen 2 hit tracking this morning at a very loud level with females and is poised to do $100M, maybe even more, when it hits theaters on November 22. That’s the pre-Thanksgiving weekend, with turkey day falling on November 28 this year.While no animated film outside of summer ever has opened to $100M over three days, even over the Thanksgiving five-day, there’s no doubt that women have fueled the November box office before with The Hunger Game pics — the second film in the Lionsgate franchise, Catching Fire, being the highest with $158M.
More fuel adding to Frozen 2‘s projection: The sequel’s first teaser racked up the most ever for an animated pic back in February with 116.4M views worldwide in its first 24 hours, besting the 113.6M of Incredibles 2. Personally, I think this is a great sign, given the first movie's sucsess, back in 2013, but I think, it should $200 million in it's opening weekend in North America, with the possibility of a lifetime gross of $2 billion worldwide. If so, then it will surpass this year's Lion King reboot to become the highest grossing animated film of all time. Believe me, if Shrek 2 did it, so can Frozen 2. Terminator: Dark Fate first reactions from surprise fan screeningsTerminator fans from around the country were surprised when screenings of Terminator 2: Judgment Day on Sunday night turned out to secretly be a screening of the upcoming film in the franchise, Terminator: Dark Fate.
Most of the comments were very positive, with several comparing the film to the 2015 Star Wars reboot The Force Awakens, and some saying its the best of film in the troubled franchise since 1991’s blockbuster T2. Alamo Drafthouse orchestrated the event at 15 theaters, complete with an introduction by Linda Hamilton (who reprises her iconic role as survivalist Sarah Connor) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (as the aging yet still nearly unstoppable cyborg T-800). The film also returns franchise creator James Cameron to the team as producer and co-writer and adds star Mackenzie Davis (Halt and Catch Fire) as a new brand of terminator (the latest trailer is below). Based on these early reactions, becoming positive, meaning they actually watched the real movie, and NOT another trailer, this movie could be successful after all, with a domestic opening gross of $50-60 million and a lifetime domestic gross of $275-300 million, with a possible worldwide gross of $600-700 million. -- Ben Matrix 4 is in the works.It's official, there's a fourth Matrix movie in the works. Variety says so.Lana Wachowski is set to write and direct a fourth film set in the world of “The Matrix,” with Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss reprising their roles as Neo and Trinity, respectively.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures will produce and globally distribute the film. Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich made the announcement on Tuesday. “We could not be more excited to be re-entering ‘The Matrix’ with Lana,” said Emmerich. “Lana is a true visionary — a singular and original creative filmmaker — and we are thrilled that she is writing, directing and producing this new chapter in ‘The Matrix’ universe.” In addition to Wachowski, the script was also written by Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell. Wachowski is also producing with Grant Hill. Sources say the film is eyed to begin production at the top of 2020. Alita: Battle Angel Opens Strong OverseasSo far, the numbers look good for Alita: Battle Angel in the UK and Asia, with a $32 million opening day. It opened at number one in Taiwan and number two in South Korea. If this carries over to the US market, Alita will have a strong showing! Hopefully it open to $60-70 million here, which would probably lead to a $350 million domestic gross.
Terminator 6 might have it's title!Check out this video, which is full of good Terminator rumors:
The Full Story on the Anti-Trust Laws and the Disney/Fox MergerThis is all the information on the merger, from Wikipedia, and covers the reasons why I am opposed to this merger. Antitrust concerns regarding the deal Despite Disney passing antitrust approval from most of the regulators and awaiting approval from only the few remaining markets, critics of Disney's purchase expressed concern of a significant amount of antitrust concerns. The deal is a horizontal merger (i.e., in which a company buys up a corporation that produces the same goods and products) as opposed to a vertical merger (i.e., two companies that operate at separate stages of the production process for a specific finished product), much akin to the integrations of AT&T–Time Warner and Comcast–NBC Universal. As such, horizontal mergers are more disapproved than vertical mergers, as they effect a more tangible reduction in competition.[72] The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states in its own website that "The greatest antitrust concern arises with proposed mergers between direct competitors (horizontal mergers)."[73] As both Disney and Fox produce films and television series, the deal would reduce the number of major film studios in Hollywood from six to five. Some argued that the operation would still leave many competitors around since Disney may compete with Netflix in the online streaming market with Disney+ in equal conditions with its newly acquired properties. However, it was countered that these arguments do not hold much weight due to Disney's powerful box office and stock market shares, its practices, and its purchase of Fox's many assets, leading to widespread criticism among businesses, consumers, and regulators.[74] News media Many journalists expressed concerns about Disney's purchase of 21st Century Fox and its effects on the industry in the long run. A film reporter stated that "They'll have more control over more things, so if they decide they don't like what you wrote and want to ban you from their screenings, eventually that will mean all of entertainment. For journalists and reporters trying to do their job, it is frightening to see the scope of one company expand in that way and know that your fate is kind of tied up with them." "We've seen a pattern in Disney's behavior. The more power they have, the more they wield it," one entertainment reporter said. A freelance critic and member of the New York Film Critics Circle said that most journalists were troubled by the idea of the Disney–Fox deal:[75] As an example, on November 3, 2017, Disney banned the Los Angeles Times from attending press screenings of its films in retaliation for the paper's coverage of their political influence in Anaheim, California in September of that year.[76] On November 7, however, Disney reversed its decision, after receiving massive protests and condemnation from a number of major publications and writers including The New York Times, The Boston Globe critic Ty Burr, The Washington Post blogger Alyssa Rosenberg, A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay, the websites The A.V. Club and Flavorwire, and film critic organizations which threatened to disqualify Disney films from their year-end awards in retaliation, specifically, the National Society of Film Critics, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle, and Boston Society of Film Critics.[77][78][79] Jason Bailey, the editor of Flavorwire, thought the way Disney treated the Los Angeles Times was "absolutely chilling", fearing it would only grow more common after the merger:[75] “The idea of a major, multinational conglomerate being that petty and vindictive and really engaging in an act of retribution against an outlet, and against reporters who had nothing to do with the thing that they were angry about, gave some insight into the length they were willing to go against anyone who didn't toe the Disney company line. It's very worrisome, and is more worrisome if they're in control of this much more of the entertainment industry.”One film writer stated that "I personally worry that a studio this big will need the press less and less. I don't think anything drastic will change immediately, but I think it is more important than ever for entertainment reporters to uphold journalistic values. We are not their PR arms, no matter how much they'd like us to be." Another film reporter said, "As a critic, I've had Disney tell me they don't want to invite me to [its] film because I didn't like the last one. It really scares me to watch them get even more power."[75] Theaters Unlike most studios, Disney has a reputation for lofty terms and strict conditions being imposed upon theater owners on its films, such as Avengers: Age of Ultron and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. For the latter, Disney demanded a 65% cut of domestic ticket sales (rather than the minimum 55% to 60% cut) along with a four-week hold in each venue and face a 5% penalty to any theater owner who breaks any part of the contract, including taking the film offscreen. If the Disney–Fox deal had happened in late 2016, Disney's domestic box office in 2017 would have equaled $4.5 billion or 40% market share, a figure no major studio has ever hit. For many, the deal would give Disney the unprecedented market power to be abusive without end.[80][76] One distribution studio executive denounced the deal, saying that "If I was an independent mom-and-pop theater, I would just close down; there's no way to survive. With a 40% market share, how do you negotiate against that?"[80] John Roper, the general manager of the Phoenix Theatre in Fort Nelson, British Columbia, said that Disney/Fox had him worried about even stricter rules in the future, stating, "It's not good for any type of industry when a company grows that large. Disney holds all the cards, and we have to play by their rules. Smaller cinemas are just left in the dust." Roper decided not to screen Star Wars: The Last Jedi because of Disney's strict conditions of requiring the theater to run the film four weeks straight and play it four times a day (as opposed to other studios, who only require a minimum of two weeks for a film run and play it one time a day). Elkader Cinema in Elkader, Iowa, opted out the movie for the same reason, with owner Lee Akin stating that "I can't get the entire town in my auditorium in one week's time let alone four."[81] In Brazil, Disney demanded a 52% cut of Coco's domestic ticket sales (rather than the historical 50% cut) and some theaters (with exceptions including foreign chains, such as Cinemark Theatres and Cinépolis) boycotted the film.[82] Coco was shown in 618 screens, against 919 screens that showed Sony Pictures' Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.[83][84] Other commentators have noted that Disney is a big proponent of longer theatrical windows and could provide a bulwark for traditional theaters against the streaming services. One local theater owner stated that "I would welcome some larger players to compete against the streaming services which I think are the real companies to watch out for in the future".[85] Pay television industry[edit]American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka lambasted the deal and called on federal regulators to "fully investigate" the merger. He was concerned about his smaller subscription television constituents having to negotiate multichannel deals with a behemoth that combines Fox's regional sports networks with ESPN and its cadre of collegiate-conference-focused RSNs, as well as the majority stake in Hulu:[86][87] “The Disney-Fox marriage not only will create one of the world's largest entertainment conglomerates but will give the combined company control of critical video programming that can be bundled together to harm consumers in local and national markets. In particular, Disney-Fox will become the largest holder of key local and national sports programming rights. It also will gain control of more national cable programming networks, and a significant stake in Hulu – an increasingly popular online distribution service. These assets will be in addition to Disney's national broadcast network (ABC) and multiple owned and operated ABC television stations. Because the combined company post-transaction could leverage these programming assets to undermine competition to the detriment of consumers, federal agencies must fully investigate the proposed combination to ensure that it neither violates antitrust laws nor is inconsistent with the public interest.”Many European telecommunication companies also expressed concerns about the Disney-Fox deal, considering that Sky plc and Sky UK were included in the package, as it serves almost 23 million households across Britain, Ireland, Germany, Austria, and Italy. Disney's takeover of Sky would be greater than RTL Group, Mediaset, ITV, ProSiebenSat.1 Media, Viasat, and Vivendi combined, according to Eikon estimates, and could allow Sky to expand into new markets and bid more for sports rights and other content. Some felt that Disney-owned Sky UK would be most damaging to its pay-TV competitors since they have invested in content to cross-sell television with mobile services, in a bid to squeeze more out of customers.[88] A hedge fund with a small stake in Sky has complained that the Disney-Fox deal could cost minority shareholders in the UK satellite broadcaster a hefty premium unless UK regulators intervene.[89] Dish Network CEO Erik Carlson said blockbuster mergers like the Disney-Fox deal could severely limit the number of content companies providing to their customers. Carlson said on CNBC's Squawk on the Street that "We really take the position that we think about the customer and the customer first."[90] On August 29, 2018, Fox's Brazilian channels were expected to dissolve within seven years after the Disney acquisition, pending approval from the Administrative Council for Economic Defense.[91] Entertainment industry The Writers Guild of America West, the union that represents writers of films, television, and other media, wrote that:[92][93] “In the relentless drive to eliminate competition, big business has an insatiable appetite for consolidation. Disney and Fox have spent decades profiting from the oligopolistic control that the six major media conglomerates have exercised over the entertainment industry, often at the expense of the creators who power their television and film operations. Now, this proposed merger of direct competitors will make matters even worse by substantially increasing the market power of a combined Disney-Fox corporation. The antitrust concerns raised by this deal are obvious and significant. The Writers Guild of America West strongly opposes this merger and will work to ensure our nation's antitrust laws are enforced.”Tom Rothman, chairman of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group and former co-chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment, said the Disney–Fox deal was a dangerous proposition: "Consolidation under giant corporate mandates rarely promotes creative risk-taking. And in the long run, it is always a challenge to compete against horizontal monopolistic power."[94][95] James Mangold, director of Fox's Marvel adaptations The Wolverine and its R-rated sequel Logan, expressed concerns that the deal would lead to the extinction of certain films not suitable for the Disney brand or be reshuffled in order to accommodate more Disney blockbusters, thereby limiting the opportunities for certain filmmakers as well as the consumers. Mangold said that "If they're actually changing their mandate, if what they're supposed to do alters, that would be sad to me because it just means less movies."[96] At the Critics' Choice Movie Awards on January 11, 2018, producer J. Miles Dale, who accepted the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Picture for The Shape of Water, urged Disney "not to mess" with 20th Century Fox's indie studio Fox Searchlight Pictures, saying, "they're making the kind of movies that we need to make, we want to make, and people need to see."[96] Writer Marc Guggenheim, known for his work for the Arrowverse for The CW, said that "As a writer, I'm not a big fan of these big corporate consolidations. I don't think they're necessarily good for writers, directors, producers, and actors. I also, as an American, don't love these big corporate mergers. I don't think they're necessarily good for the country."[97] The potential acquisition of Fox by Disney caused concern within the entertainment industry that smaller media companies, including Viacom, CBS Corporation, Lionsgate, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, would need to consolidate or be sold in order to remain competitive.[98] On February 13, 2018, television producer Ryan Murphy, a long-time collaborator of 20th Century Fox Television, signed a five-year $300 million agreement with Netflix, a move considered to be a big blow to Fox and Disney. Murphy cited the Disney–Fox deal as the main reason for departure, arguing that his freedom under Disney might be severely limited in creating new, risk-taking content.[99] Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations expressed hope that the merger would force creativity in other studios like Paramount, which might focus on smaller budget films knowing that it could not compete with Disney/Fox in making big budget blockbusters.[85] Viacom CEO Bob Bakish has stated that the Disney-Fox deal provides a "very real opportunity" to hire new executive and creative talent at Paramount and other studios amid the "dislocation associated with change of ownership" at Disney and Fox. Bakish also suggested that Viacom and other companies can provide new content for streaming services such as Netflix once Disney removes their content from the service in 2019.[100] Political reaction President Donald Trump praised both companies for the merger, believing it is best for American jobs.[101] However, not all politicians are pleased with the decision. U.S. Rep. David Cicilline from Rhode Island's 1st congressional district, the ranking Democrat on the House Antitrust Subcommittee, expressed concerns over the transaction. He said in a statement that "Disney's proposed purchase of 21st Century Fox threatens to put control of TV, movie, and news content into the hands of a single media giant. If it's approved, this merger could allow Disney to limit what consumers can watch and increase their cable bills," he said. "Disney will gain more than 300 channels, 22 regional sports networks, control over Hulu, and a significant portion of Roku."[74][102] Other comments Richard Greenfield, the BTIG Research analyst, wrote that the combined Disney and Fox assets would have a 39% theatrical market share:[74] “Disney is already using its box office muscle to bully movie domestic exhibitors, extracting financial terms far beyond their studio peers... Adding Fox, which controls portions of the Marvel universe (X-Men, Deadpool) and the Avatar franchise, would enable Disney to gain unprecedented market power.”In response to the Disney–Fox deal, Analyst Andy Hargreaves of KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. downgraded Fox's stock from overweight to Sector Weight with no assigned price target. Hargreaves said that although the merger is positive for both companies, it comes with a high antitrust risk due to Disney's potential share of theatrical revenue, its share of domestic cable assets, its strong position in sports, and its power to already force preferential deals with cable, satellite, and theater owners.[103][104][105] David Balto, an antitrust lawyer and former policy director at the FTC, said that the inclusion of regional sports networks would give Disney greater leverage with cable and satellite distributors: "Any increase in Disney sports programming will be extremely problematic and will get intense scrutiny".[92] John Simpson of the activist group Consumer Watchdog said that the deal "would give far too much monopolistic power to Disney, which is known for cutthroat, hardball tactics", and "can only mean higher prices and less choice for consumers."[106] Barton Crockett, a media analyst at B. Riley FBR, said that "Disney is becoming the Wal-Mart of Hollywood: huge and dominant. That's going to have a big influence up and down the supply chain."[107] Ian Bezek, contributor to InvestorPlace, questioned the underlying rationale for the merger, asking why Disney needed to acquire Fox's film production and cable sports business for such a "high price", given Disney's already healthy positions in both businesses: “Put another way, Disney is paying $66 billion, including the assumption of $13 billion in debt, to add more sports channels and film production to its already powerful place in both areas.Given the problems at ESPN, some would say this is doubling down on a struggling division. In any case, this deal significantly weakens the argument that Disney is a diversified powerhouse, as it will rely much more on just a couple revenue streams for the majority of its profits post-deal.[108] ”Jonathan Barnett, law professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law states that when considering streaming services under the same markets as theaters, worries about Disney's control "would be substantially diminished" Alita: Battle Angel - TrailerHere is Trailer 3 of Alita: Battle Angel. It comes out on Thursday!
Don't worry about the eyes. This is gonna be good! From Critical Hit Entertainment
Early reactions reveal that Alita: Battle Angel demands to be seen on the biggest cinema screen possibleBy Craig Risi One of the movies that was supposed to light up our December cinema experience was Alita: Battle Angel. That movie was eventually pushed out to February – probably a good thing considering the amount of competition it would’ve faced from the likes of Aquaman, Bumblebee and Mary Poppins. However just because it was pushed out, doesn’t mean it was going to be bad, with the studio rather moving it out to capitalise on an opportunity for better box office domination. Or at least that is what we were led to believe. Some members of the press in the US though were invited to an early screening of the movie and with several of them now posting initial responses on social media, we can get an indication whether the extra wait is worth it for fans of the popular anime. And the overall answers appears to be a resounding yes. It’s obviously worth pointing out that this is just a limited number of people to have seen the movie and that these are not official reviews. If their thoughts are anything to go by, however, not only is Alita: Battle Angel looking to be a movie that should please fans, but one which justifies watching on the biggest screen possible. Great article about diversity in filmmaking featuring Geena Davis. #Imwithher
This article is from Glamour.com. Geena Davis Knows Women Are Good for Hollywood's Bottom Line. So What Gives?
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Ghostbusters fans rejoice! News on the new Ghostbusters movie from Entertainment Weekly!
Ghostbusters resurrected: Jason Reitman will direct a new film set in the original universe
by ANTHONY BREZNICAN
January 15, 2019 at 07:58 PM EST
Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full-trance mediums, the Loch Ness Monster and the theory of Atlantis?
If so, good news — there’s a new Ghostbusters movie in the works.
Entertainment Weekly has learned exclusively that Jason Reitman will direct and co-write an upcoming film set in the world that was saved decades previously by the proton pack-wearing working stiffs in the original 1984 movie, which was directed by his father, Ivan Reitman.
“I’ve always thought of myself as the first Ghostbusters fan, when I was a 6-year-old visiting the set. I wanted to make a movie for all the other fans,” Reitman says. “This is the next chapter in the original franchise. It is not a reboot. What happened in the ‘80s happened in the ‘80s, and this is set in the present day.”
Sony Pictures has dated the film for Summer 2020, with plans to start shooting in a few months.
It’s still too soon to reveal the plot of the screenplay, who the new characters will be, or whether the original actors like Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, or Bill Murray will return. Harold Ramis died in 2014.
“This is very early, and I want the film to unwrap like a present. We have a lot of wonderful surprises and new characters for the audience to meet,” says Reitman, who co-wrote the screenplay with Monster House and Poltergeist remake filmmaker Gil Kenan.
Here’s some good news about Aquaman from Box Office Mojo.
'Aquaman' Tops $940 Million Worldwide; Sony's 'Escape Room' Unlocks $18M Debut
by Brad Brevet
January 6, 2019
It's a third straight weekend atop the weekend box office for Warner Bros.'s Aquaman as the film pushed over $940 million worldwide, becoming the highest grossing worldwide release in the DC Extended Universe. However, Sony's release of Escape Room made sure this weekend wasn't all about holdovers. The PG-13 horror/thriller made some some noise of its own, delivering a surprise runner-up finish, helping prove once again that the beginning of the year is fertile ground for horror film debuts.
With an estimated $30.7 million, WB and DC Comics's Aquaman is the #1 film at the domestic weekend box office for the third straight weekend. The film's domestic cume now totals nearly $260 million and has now pulled even with Wonder Woman's performance after 16 days in release while still pacing behind Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a film Wonder Woman quickly left behind after 23 days in release. Aquamanwill most likely follow suit and, once again, finish #1 at the box office next weekend, becoming the first film in the DCEU to secure the top spot four weekends in a row.
Internationally, Aquaman added another $56.2 million this weekend from 79 markets for a running overseas cume totaling $681 million and a global tally surpassing $940 million. The film's international cume is the largest among DC Comic adaptations, surpassing The Dark Knight Rises ($636.8m) while the worldwide cume ranks third behind The Dark Knight Rises ($1.084 billion) and The Dark Knight ($1 billion). Aquaman's leading overseas market is China with $282.8 million, nearly $250 million more than South Korea with $35.3 million. The February 8 release in Japan serves as the film's last key market yet to see release.
January 6, 2019
It's a third straight weekend atop the weekend box office for Warner Bros.'s Aquaman as the film pushed over $940 million worldwide, becoming the highest grossing worldwide release in the DC Extended Universe. However, Sony's release of Escape Room made sure this weekend wasn't all about holdovers. The PG-13 horror/thriller made some some noise of its own, delivering a surprise runner-up finish, helping prove once again that the beginning of the year is fertile ground for horror film debuts.
With an estimated $30.7 million, WB and DC Comics's Aquaman is the #1 film at the domestic weekend box office for the third straight weekend. The film's domestic cume now totals nearly $260 million and has now pulled even with Wonder Woman's performance after 16 days in release while still pacing behind Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a film Wonder Woman quickly left behind after 23 days in release. Aquamanwill most likely follow suit and, once again, finish #1 at the box office next weekend, becoming the first film in the DCEU to secure the top spot four weekends in a row.
Internationally, Aquaman added another $56.2 million this weekend from 79 markets for a running overseas cume totaling $681 million and a global tally surpassing $940 million. The film's international cume is the largest among DC Comic adaptations, surpassing The Dark Knight Rises ($636.8m) while the worldwide cume ranks third behind The Dark Knight Rises ($1.084 billion) and The Dark Knight ($1 billion). Aquaman's leading overseas market is China with $282.8 million, nearly $250 million more than South Korea with $35.3 million. The February 8 release in Japan serves as the film's last key market yet to see release.
Here's what the Circle of Life is bringing us ... article from The Hollywood Reporter:
'The Lion King': Everything to Know About Jon Favreau's Adaptation of the Disney Animated Film
'The Lion King'Donald Glover and Beyonce are part of the star-studded voice cast for the virtual-production remake being directed by Jon Favreau.
Disney is continuing to claw its way through its animated hits for remakes, enlisting Jungle Bookdirector Jon Favreau to direct a similar, virtual-production take on its 1994 hit The Lion King.
In 2016, just months after The Jungle Book remake found success with a combination of live-action and CGI tools, the studio fast-tracked the Lion King concept for production, revealing plans for the Favreau-directed adaptation later that year. Jeff Nathanson, who also wrote Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, penned the script, with Brenda Chapman credited with the story and the characters credited to Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton. Favreau is producing alongside Jeffrey Silver and Karen Gilchrist.
A star-studded voice cast — including Donald Glover, Beyonce, James Earl Jones, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Billy Eichner, Seth Rogen, Alfre Woodard and John Oliver — was announced in November of last year, with the film slated to hit theaters on July 19, 2019.
Although Disney has yet to release any footage online, select clips from the film were exclusively screened at D23 last summer.
Attendees got a look at the opening sequence, in which Rafiki lifts Simba above Pride Rock as "Circle of Life" plays — just as audiences will remember from the original animated film.
Little has been said about the plot of the remake, which remains a musical and will include a reworked score by Hans Zimmer. With an opening sequence that replicates the original, it seems unlikely the filmmakers will stray far from the beloved story.
As anticipation builds in the year leading up to the film's release, you can learn more about the film with The Hollywood Reporter's cheat sheet. Check back here for updates as more details are released.
Disney is continuing to claw its way through its animated hits for remakes, enlisting Jungle Bookdirector Jon Favreau to direct a similar, virtual-production take on its 1994 hit The Lion King.
In 2016, just months after The Jungle Book remake found success with a combination of live-action and CGI tools, the studio fast-tracked the Lion King concept for production, revealing plans for the Favreau-directed adaptation later that year. Jeff Nathanson, who also wrote Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, penned the script, with Brenda Chapman credited with the story and the characters credited to Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton. Favreau is producing alongside Jeffrey Silver and Karen Gilchrist.
A star-studded voice cast — including Donald Glover, Beyonce, James Earl Jones, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Billy Eichner, Seth Rogen, Alfre Woodard and John Oliver — was announced in November of last year, with the film slated to hit theaters on July 19, 2019.
Although Disney has yet to release any footage online, select clips from the film were exclusively screened at D23 last summer.
Attendees got a look at the opening sequence, in which Rafiki lifts Simba above Pride Rock as "Circle of Life" plays — just as audiences will remember from the original animated film.
Little has been said about the plot of the remake, which remains a musical and will include a reworked score by Hans Zimmer. With an opening sequence that replicates the original, it seems unlikely the filmmakers will stray far from the beloved story.
As anticipation builds in the year leading up to the film's release, you can learn more about the film with The Hollywood Reporter's cheat sheet. Check back here for updates as more details are released.
As a big fan of both Pokemon and Ryan Reynolds I found this article very interesting.
Originally appeared on Bustle. Link is at the bottom:
Ryan Reynolds' 'Detective Pikachu' Photo Shows How He Got Into Character To Play A Pokemon
By PARRY ERNSBERGER
So, in case you haven't heard, there's a new Pokémon film in the works, and one of Hollywood's biggest stars will be the voice behind Pikachu, the beloved yellow Pokémon. Following the release of the film's first trailer, on Dec. 30, star Ryan Reynolds' Detective Pikachu photo gave fans a sneak-peek of what's been going on behind-the-scenes. And while it may appear as if Reynolds let someone go wild with a Sharpie all over his face, it's actually a pretty cool glimpse at how the movie's motion capture technique will bring the video game's characters to life.
Towards the end of 2017, it was reported that Reynolds had been tapped to play Pikachu in the franchise's first-ever live-action film. At first, some fans were a little confused as to how a "live-action" movie based on a video game would actually pan out, but now that's become a bit more clear.
Detective Pikachu used "motion capture" technology in order to personify its non-human characters. In other words, it's not just animated, it's based on the physical performance from actors. The on-screen technique "is the act of recording an actor's movement and applying it to a 3D character," Motus Digital — a company that specializers in the effect — explained on their official site, "by attaching markers to the actor's body and having them perform on a stage surrounded by Vicon motion capture cameras."
In a split-screen photo posted to Instagram, Reynolds showed fans exactly what that looks like. Spoiler alert: It's not a glamorous process. It actually kind of resembles a bunch of permanent marker-made beauty marks, or like the actor let a kid go wild and draw on his face.
"Pika-dots," Reynolds captioned the snap, followed by the hashtag "#DetectivePikachu." Pika-dots, get it? Like polka-dots, but Pikachu? Oh, Ryan. So funny, so clever.
In the shot on the right, the "Pika-dots" are being used to capture the movements in Reynolds' face, which is made very apparent by Pikachu's sly smile. Seriously, though — look at Reynolds' grin and then look at Pikachu's. They're basically identical. How wild is that?
This is what's partially meant by "live-action" in the instance of Detective Pikachu.Reynolds won't be dressed up in a life-sized Pikachu costume or anything like that, nor will he be wearing a ton of yellow makeup. He'll essentially be lending his mannerisms to the character in order to make it more realistic. There will be real live humans interacting with the live-action video game characters, though, as evidenced by the film's first trailer.
Reynolds shared the first trailer for Detective Pikachu with fans via Twitter back in November, and captioned the clip, "I think we all knew I'd wind up as a miniature detective repeatedly saying the same two words," he wrote. "Just didn't think it'd be this soon. #PikaPika #DetectivePikachu."
It's pretty cool to see how Reynolds' facial expressions translate from scene to scene. From anger, to surprise, to sadness, to the furrowing of Pikachu's tiny little brows, the character totally has Reynolds written all over it.
Honestly, the whole thing looks pretty adorable, and should be packed with plenty of with action, comedy, and fun for the whole family.
Originally appeared on Bustle. Link is at the bottom:
Ryan Reynolds' 'Detective Pikachu' Photo Shows How He Got Into Character To Play A Pokemon
By PARRY ERNSBERGER
So, in case you haven't heard, there's a new Pokémon film in the works, and one of Hollywood's biggest stars will be the voice behind Pikachu, the beloved yellow Pokémon. Following the release of the film's first trailer, on Dec. 30, star Ryan Reynolds' Detective Pikachu photo gave fans a sneak-peek of what's been going on behind-the-scenes. And while it may appear as if Reynolds let someone go wild with a Sharpie all over his face, it's actually a pretty cool glimpse at how the movie's motion capture technique will bring the video game's characters to life.
Towards the end of 2017, it was reported that Reynolds had been tapped to play Pikachu in the franchise's first-ever live-action film. At first, some fans were a little confused as to how a "live-action" movie based on a video game would actually pan out, but now that's become a bit more clear.
Detective Pikachu used "motion capture" technology in order to personify its non-human characters. In other words, it's not just animated, it's based on the physical performance from actors. The on-screen technique "is the act of recording an actor's movement and applying it to a 3D character," Motus Digital — a company that specializers in the effect — explained on their official site, "by attaching markers to the actor's body and having them perform on a stage surrounded by Vicon motion capture cameras."
In a split-screen photo posted to Instagram, Reynolds showed fans exactly what that looks like. Spoiler alert: It's not a glamorous process. It actually kind of resembles a bunch of permanent marker-made beauty marks, or like the actor let a kid go wild and draw on his face.
"Pika-dots," Reynolds captioned the snap, followed by the hashtag "#DetectivePikachu." Pika-dots, get it? Like polka-dots, but Pikachu? Oh, Ryan. So funny, so clever.
In the shot on the right, the "Pika-dots" are being used to capture the movements in Reynolds' face, which is made very apparent by Pikachu's sly smile. Seriously, though — look at Reynolds' grin and then look at Pikachu's. They're basically identical. How wild is that?
This is what's partially meant by "live-action" in the instance of Detective Pikachu.Reynolds won't be dressed up in a life-sized Pikachu costume or anything like that, nor will he be wearing a ton of yellow makeup. He'll essentially be lending his mannerisms to the character in order to make it more realistic. There will be real live humans interacting with the live-action video game characters, though, as evidenced by the film's first trailer.
Reynolds shared the first trailer for Detective Pikachu with fans via Twitter back in November, and captioned the clip, "I think we all knew I'd wind up as a miniature detective repeatedly saying the same two words," he wrote. "Just didn't think it'd be this soon. #PikaPika #DetectivePikachu."
It's pretty cool to see how Reynolds' facial expressions translate from scene to scene. From anger, to surprise, to sadness, to the furrowing of Pikachu's tiny little brows, the character totally has Reynolds written all over it.
Honestly, the whole thing looks pretty adorable, and should be packed with plenty of with action, comedy, and fun for the whole family.
I support the preservation of old films. I am proud to donate to the American Film Institute's efforts to save and restore old movies.
PRESERVE
The American Film History's preservation efforts date back to its founding in the White House Rose Garden in 1965, and remains a cornerstone of its mission statement — to preserve, honor and educate.
When film was in its infancy, movies were shot on volatile nitrate stock that disintegrated in short time. There are estimates that more than 50 percent of the films shot before 1950 are lost forever. One of AFI's first acts was to establish the AFI Collection at the Library of Congress, which to this day contributes to our nation's growing volume of culturally, historically or aesthetically significant works of moving image.
To create the first-ever in-depth source of vetted information about the art form, the AFI Catalog of Feature Films published its first volume of research in 1971. Never before had there been a singular scholarly resource for every American film. The Catalog is a historic record, and in 2017 AFI is proud to announce that the first 100 years of American film will have been documented.
AFI also maintains the AFI Archive as an important part of the preservation of film heritage. The Archive comprises rare footage from across the history of the moving image, including exclusive film, video and audio recordings of master filmmakers discussing their work and the art form.
PRESERVE
The American Film History's preservation efforts date back to its founding in the White House Rose Garden in 1965, and remains a cornerstone of its mission statement — to preserve, honor and educate.
When film was in its infancy, movies were shot on volatile nitrate stock that disintegrated in short time. There are estimates that more than 50 percent of the films shot before 1950 are lost forever. One of AFI's first acts was to establish the AFI Collection at the Library of Congress, which to this day contributes to our nation's growing volume of culturally, historically or aesthetically significant works of moving image.
To create the first-ever in-depth source of vetted information about the art form, the AFI Catalog of Feature Films published its first volume of research in 1971. Never before had there been a singular scholarly resource for every American film. The Catalog is a historic record, and in 2017 AFI is proud to announce that the first 100 years of American film will have been documented.
AFI also maintains the AFI Archive as an important part of the preservation of film heritage. The Archive comprises rare footage from across the history of the moving image, including exclusive film, video and audio recordings of master filmmakers discussing their work and the art form.