Category: Film News

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Warner Bros. Is Withholding ‘Tenet’s Actual Opening Weekend Box Office Numbers

We were a little underwhelmed last weekend when Christopher Nolan’s massive action film Tenet had an estimated $20.2 million three-day weekend. However, what was shocking it had been released over Labor Day domestically and we never saw the actual box office returns from the studio. Normally, with this data studios are extremely happy to share given the nature of a holiday long weekend boosts attendance. 

It was indeed underwhelming because that number would make Tenet the lowest box office opening for a Nolan film in the last twenty years, slightly below Insomnia’s $20.8 million back in 2002. You also have to factor in Tenet’s massive production of reportedly over $200 million that makes it extremely tough to turn a profit during a global pandemic. 

Here is a rundown of Christopher Nolan’s domestic box office openings. 

  • THE DARK KNIGHT RISES $160.8 MILLION
  • THE DARK KNIGHT – $158.4 MILLION
  • INCEPTION – $62.7 MILLION
  • DUNKIRK – $50.5 MILLION
  • BATMAN BEGINS – $48.7 MILLION
  • INTERSTELLAR – $47.5 MILLION
  • THE PRESTIGE – $40 MILLION
  • INSOMNIA – $20.8 MILLION
  • TENET – $20.2 MILLION 
  • MEMENTO – $ 235K

Almost a week later and Warner Bros. still hasn’t given up that data which might suggest they were bullish with that estimate of $20.2 million and are trying to make the film’s opening weekend seem stronger than it was. This would also include how well the film has done over the last two weeks in Canada as those numbers haven’t been made public by Warner Bros. either and are generally lumped into the U.S./North American total, a number the studio has yet to make public.

Variety is now pointing towards the studio potentially worried their iffy numbers will be spun by outlets and journalists as hurdling towards a flop as weaker numbers would suggest given the scale of the film and the timing of the release. 

The studio, however, was concerned that reporters and rivals would misinterpret or unfairly analyze the results — leading to headlines that may incorrectly label Tenet’s debut as a flop. 

Warner Bros. also recently bumped Wonder Woman 1984’s release date from October 2nd to Christmas Day. The move most likely happened because of this Tenet data they are now refusing to share with the public and rival studios. The report from Variety adds that the rival studios are complaining of the lack of transparency because they were hoping on making release schedule adjustments based on Tenet’s performance. 

This is really on Warner Bros. as they were warned about releasing their massive film too soon during the pandemic/theater reopening as most of the summer movies bailed to 2021 and reports of infighting within the studio seemed more like a weird PR move if anything else.

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Regina King, Zazie Beetz, Lakeith Stanfield, and Delroy Lindo Join ‘The Harder They Fall’ – Netflix Western Led By Idris Elba and Jonathan Majors

Deadline reports a large group of additions to the cast of Netflix’s all-black western titled The Harder They Fall, which stars The Suicide Squad’s Idris Elba and Lovecraft Country’s Jonathan Majors. 

Outlaw Nat Love (Majors) who discovers that the man (Elba) who killed his parents two decades ago is being released from prison, he reunites with his gang to track his enemy down and seek his revenge.

The new additions to the cast are Oscar-winner Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk), Zazie Beetz (Joker), Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods), Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out), Danielle Deadwyler (Watchmen), Edi Gathegi (X-Men: First Class), and RJ Cyler (White Boy Rick). 

Majors and Lindo played father and son in Spike Lee’s fantastic Da 5 Bloods that was also released by Netflix. Delory’s performance in that film will likely be in consideration for an Oscar.

Jeymes Samuel will be directing the western from a script penned by Samuel Yakin and Boaz Yakin. 

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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Halle Berry’s First Directorial Effort ‘Bruised’ Heading To Netflix – The MMA Drama Picked Up In Big Eight-Figure Deal

Deadline reports that Netflix has secured Halle Berry’s directorial debut Bruised with an eight-figure deal. They state the deal is for under $20 million which is extremely impressive for a festival pick-up and could speak volumes for the quality of the film after Netflix got an early look at it before a work-in-progress is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. 

Jackie Justice (Berry) is a disgraced MMA fighter who has failed at the one thing she’s ever been good at – fighting. When 6-year-old Manny, the son she walked out on years ago, returns to her doorstep, Jackie has to conquer her own demons, face one of the fiercest rising stars of the MMA world, and ultimately fight to become the mother the boy deserves. The film is a Rocky-esque story of redemption, of a woman’s grueling MMA training in New Jersey to get into the kind of shape necessary to battle much younger opponents.

Berry is an Oscar-winning actress best known globally for the X-Men films, the James Bond flick Die Another Day, and won her Best Actress Oscar for the drama Monster’s Ball. More recently Halle got a bit of a career boost from her supporting role in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and is now taking a directorial crown as well with Bruised. 

It sounds like she has a huge directorial career ahead of her. 

SOURCE: DEADLINE 

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Harry Styles Replaces Shia LaBeouf In Olivia Wilde’s 1950s Thriller ‘Don’t Worry Darling’

Deadline reports that Shia LaBeouf had to exit the upcoming thriller Don’t Worry Darling from director Olivia Wilde and will now be replaced by Dunkirk actor Harry Styles.

The rest of the cast includes Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, and Wilde has a supporting role.

Don’t Worry Darling is set in an isolated, utopian community in the 1950s California desert.

Olivia Wilde made waves with with debut effort Booksmart and recently closed a deal to direct a Marvel film for Sony Pictures said to be Spider-Woman.

The New Line Cinema pic hasn’t landed an official release date.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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WB Moves ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ To Christmas and Keeps ‘Dune’ In December 18th Spot

This seems like a horrible idea but Warner Bros. has moved Wonder Woman 1984 to December 25th from it’s former October 2nd spot announced via The Hollywood Reporter. The interesting angle here is that the massive film Dune is still slated to be released on December 18th.

This would certainly hurt one or both films releasing them so closely to each other.

I suspect Warner Bros. will realize the issue and bump Dune to another date in 2021 and just hasn’t figured out where to place it.

The Wonder Woman 1984 move sounds like a direct response to Tenet’s weak domestic opening of $20.2 million (estimated) and they’ll be hopeful that things will be better in December.

WONDER WOMAN 1984 – Fast forward to the 1980s as Wonder Woman’s next big screen adventure finds her facing two all-new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah. With director Patty Jenkins back at the helm and Gal Gadot returning in the title role, “Wonder Woman 1984” is Warner Bros. Pictures’ follow up to the DC Super Hero’s first outing, 2017’s record-breaking “Wonder Woman,” which took in $822 million at the worldwide box office. The film also stars Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Kristen Wiig as The Cheetah, Pedro Pascal as Max Lord, Robin Wright as Antiope, and Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

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Anne Hathaway To Lead Doug Liman’s Pandemic Heist Flick ‘Lockdown’ – Penned By ‘Eastern Promises’ Screenwriter Steven Knight

It was recently reported by Deadline that Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway is in final talks to take a lead role in director Doug Liman’s next film a pandemic-themed heist movie titled Lockdown. Hathaway recently did the heist film Ocean’s 8 and played thief Selina Kyle aka Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. 

The new film is referred to as a romantic comedy and was written by screenwriter Steven Knight, who is known for Eastern Promises, Locke, Peaky Blinders, Taboo, Allied, and The Girl In The Spider’s Web. 

They also mention that filming could begin before the end of the month in London with a budget of under $10 million. 

Director Doug Liman has been busy with the feature film adaptation of Chaos Walking starring Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley, which had undergone extensive reshoots. He is also planning on shooting an action-pic in space starring Tom Cruise and had been developing a sequel to Edge of Tomorrow. 

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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Neve Campbell Finally Confirmed For ‘Scream 5’ Return and Other Cast Members Announced

Back in May, Scream franchise actress Neve Campbell confirmed talks with Spyglass Media for a return to the Sidney Prescott role in Scream 5. 

That interview was then deleted from YouTube and it was all but assumed that Campbell would be back after it was announced that original cast members David Arquette and Courtney Cox were returning for what looks to be a continuation of the satirical horror franchise. 

Yesterday, Bloody Disgusting was finally able to confirm Neve’s return. 

She’ll be joining a cast that also includes Jack Quaid, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Dylan Minnette, Mason Gooding, Mikey Madison, Kyle Gallner, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Marley Shelton, and Mikey Madison. 

Ready or Not’s Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are directing from a script penned by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.

The original film from Wes Craven followed Sidney Prescott and her group of high school friends as a killer “Ghostface” is going around town killing students which leads to Cox’s tabloid reporter Gale Weathers to return to the town after writing a sleazy tell-all-book about the murder of Sidney’s mother. Craven’s take on the slasher was to be more of a send-up/satire of the genre itself and harped on the troupes as rules to stay alive.

I wouldn’t hold out any hope that the original characters will survive the new installment. 

The horror pic will be released on January 14th, 2022 by Paramount Pictures.

SOURCE: BLOODY DISGUSTING 

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TRAILER: First ‘Dune’ Footage Explores Fantastic World of The Sci-Fi Epic

Today, Legendary and Warner Bros. have finally revealed the first official trailer for Denis Villeneuve’s new feature film iteration of Frank Herbert’s science fiction fantasy masterpiece Dune. 

You can watch the first trailer below along with an interview from super-fan Stephen Colbert as Twitter Movies is streaming the reveal event.

The studio is splitting the first novel into two movies with the sequel expected to be titled Dune: Part Two and is currently being worked on by screenwriter Jon Spaihts. 

Author Frank Herbert left the Denis and Legendary plenty of material to use as he wrote six rather hefty novels before son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson took over the franchise writing multiple installments in various points in the mythology. 

A spinoff series in the works for HBO Max called Dune: The Sisterhood that will see Denis direct the pilot and produce the series. 

Dune is set for release on December 18th, but there is a shot it could be delayed to 2021 like a majority of other 2020 films. 

DUNE – A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

The film stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me by Your Name,” “Little Women”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”), Oscar Isaac (the “Star Wars” franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “Avengers: Infinity War”), Stellan Skarsgård (HBO’s “Chernobyl,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Avengers: Endgame”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” HBO’s “Euphoria”), David Dastmalchian (“Blade Runner 2049,” “The Dark Knight”), Chang Chen (“Mr. Long,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Netflix’s “Sex Education”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), with Jason Momoa (“Aquaman,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall”).

SOURCE: WARNER BROS

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Daisy Ridley Reveals Rey’s Parentage Wasn’t Locked-Down Even During Filming – Confirms Obi-Wan Connection Was Discussed

With Star Wars in the rearview for actress Dasiy Ridley, she is dishing about behind the scenes development of the trilogy and her character Rey to Jimmy Kimmel Live guest host Josh Gad. Revealing that Rey’s parentage wasn’t always meant to be that of the grandchild of Emperor Palpatine (the daughter of his son/clone) and that she was indeed going to be connected to Obi-Wan Kenobi at some point. 

RIDLEY: “No. At the beginning, there was toying with an Obi-Wan connection and there were like different versions. And then it went to she was no one and then it came to Episode 9 and J.J. pitched me the film and was like ‘Oh yeah, Palpatine is granddaddy’ and I’m like ‘awesome’. Two weeks later he was like ‘We’re not sure’, so it kept changing. Even when we were filming and I wasn’t sure what the answer was going to be.”

Interestingly enough, before Star Wars: The Force Awakens began filming there was a rumbling that there was a female character being cast that was a relative of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and this persisted throughout the questioning of Rey’s family origin. 

This example simply just points out how indecisive they were about most stuff with the films, which isn’t terribly shocking given that George Lucas did a lot of the same stuff on the original trilogy. However, it would also likely add to the narrative that everyone was scrambling to make a competing version of Episode 9 after Colin Trevorrow’s Star Wars: Duel of The Fates after he exited the film. 

Where the films are going is a little unclear despite multiple teases from Kathleen Kennedy that the exploration of Star Wars’ past ala The Old Republic is an option they’ve considered. 

SOURCE: JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE

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Hugo Weaving Says Lana Wachowski Pulled The Plug On His Return For ‘Matrix 4’

A while back, Hugo Weaving had cited scheduling issues as the reason he ultimately wouldn’t be returning for the fourth Matrix film after there had been interest from director Lana Wachowski for the actor to reprise the role of Agent Smith. 

However, Weaving has now given a more detailed explanation of what happened behind the scenes during a recent interview with Coming Soon. This new version suggests that his reaction to the script may have led to Lana having second thoughts about having Hugo return as during the negotiation stage she decided against it.  

WEAVING: “Lana Wachowski had rung me at the beginning of last year. We’ve worked together five times, the Wachowski’s and I on three Matrix films, V for Vendetta and Cloud Atlas. I’ve hung out with them all over the world for many, many years. So, yes, Lana was very keen for me to be involved in The Matrix. There was a reading with Keanu, Carrie, and myself and a few others from the old family.”

“I loved a lot of it and wasn’t sure about other bits. Ultimately, we talked about it and when the offer came through to do it for Warner’s I said yes the next day and I talked to Lana.”

“I thought we could have done my scenes in May, June, and July; and we talked about money and we talked about — they were negotiating,” Weaving added. “And we were all pretty much sorted and agreed on dates and it was all fine, but then Lana decided she didn’t think it was going to work. So, she pulled the plug on the negotiations. That’s where it ended up. She basically didn’t feel that my commitment to the National Theatre was going to fit in with the dates that she had in mind for me.”

“It was a shame in one way that I couldn’t be with them all in Berlin, but that was her call. So, that was it really. I know they then started shooting in San Francisco and they were going to shoot in Chicago and they ended up starting in Berlin but it was shut down. But they restarted again. I don’t know how they’re going, but, yeah, it would be lovely to be over there to hang out with them all. I’m very fond of Keanu and Carrie. I haven’t seen them for a while. But I look forward to seeing it.”

Sometimes directors have second guesses when it comes to the creative/casting stage and if things just don’t feel like a good fit during the meeting process it might not pan-out. This isn’t the first time an actor thought they were returning for a sequel and it didn’t come together.

Laurence Fishburne is also not expected to reprise the Morpheus role either.

As Weaving points out he has an excellent relationship with Lana and I’m sure they’ll find something to work on in the future. 

Filming is currently underway at Babelsberg Studio just outside of Berlin, Germany. 

The cast of Matrix 4 includes returning actors such as Keanu Reeves as Neo, Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity, and Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe. New additions include Jessica Henwick (Godzilla vs Kong, Iron Fist, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) playing a new version of Neo/The One, Neil Patrick Harris (Starship Troopers, Gone Girl), Toby Onwumere, Erendira Ibarra (Sense8), and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen, Aquaman).

There is an expectation if successful the studio will move forward with two sequels to complete a new trilogy. 

John Wick directors Chad Stahleski and David Leitch returned to help with action sequences on the film that would be shot by Lana herself, normally handled by a stunt coorindator/2nd unit director given the danger involved with capturing action shots. 

Warner Bros. has given the sequel/soft-reboot a release date of April 1st, 2022. 

SOURCE: COMING SOON