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I liked FAR FROM HOME. It wasn’t great, but it was very good.

‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ swings to massive $185 million Fourth of July weekend

The box office’s spidey senses are tingling.

Sony’s Spider-Man: Far From Home catches a sizable box office crown in its web over its six-day Fourth of July release. Since its debut Tuesday night, the film has raked in an estimated $185 million across 4,634 theaters. Its total for the weekend is $93.6 million, a near record for the Fourth of July weekend coming in just behind 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon weekend total of $97.9 million. However, it does mark the biggest six-day July Fourth opening of all time, beating another web-slinging title Spider-Man 2 for the title.

Second and third place go to two holdovers with Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 4, which holds steady in second place with an estimated $34.3 million across 4,540 theaters. Toy Story 4 now boasts a global total of $650 million to date. Musical Beatles fantasy Yesterday takes third place with an estimated $10.8 million across 2,614 theaters. It’s a solid hold for Yesterday in its second week, declining by only a minimal 37 percent from its opening weekend.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is a triumph at both the global and domestic box office, marking the best six-day opening for a Sony film in history. The film is a follow up to 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and features Tom Holland returning as the earnest Peter Parker, aka your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, as well as Zendaya reprising her role as love interest MJ. The film picks up after the events of this spring’s Avengers: Endgame as Peter Parker attempts to adjust to life post-snap without Iron Man and several other trusted Avengers. It is the final entry in Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film also features Jon Favreau, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Jake Gyllenhaal, Martin Starr, Michael Mando, and Cobie Smulders. Jon Watts returns to direct this follow-up to his 2017 spidey film.

The partnership between Sony and Disney-owned Marvel marked a major boost for a listless summer box office, coming in ahead of expectations. It also easily swings past 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming three-day opening of $117 million. Combining its international debut of $395 million with its domestic earnings, the latest Spider-Man film boasts a global total of $580 million. With the added bonus of a six-day opening scheme, the film marks the highest debut for any Spider-Man film ever made. Its likely to keep netting high totals over the coming weeks given extremely positive reviews and a sterling A CinemaScore.

This long holiday weekend’s other new release also exceeded expectations. A24’s Midsommar, another title from lauded Hereditary director Ari Aster, takes sixth place with an estimated $6.7 million across 2,707 theaters for the weekend and a total of $10.9 million in ticket sales since its Wednesday debut. Counting the full five days, A24 say this marks the best debut for an indie film in 2019.

The horror flick follows a group of vacationers whose Swedish holiday takes a sinister turn when villagers invite them to join in traditional solstice festivities that grow increasingly disturbing and bizarre. Will Poulter, Jack Reynor, Florence Pugh, Ellora Torchia, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgranand Archie Madekwe star from a script by Aster. Despite positive reviews, the film is not resonating with audiences, earning a dismal C+ CinemaScore.

Rounding out the top five are two holdovers — horror sequel Annabelle Comes Home and Disney’s live action update of Aladdin. In its second week in theaters, Annabelle Comes Home takes fourth place with an estimated $9.8 million in ticket sale. After seven weeks in the box office, Disney’s Aladdin continues to be a monster success for the studio, taking fifth place with an estimated $7.6 million across 2,758 theaters. Its worldwide total is gradually approaching the billion dollar mark, now boasting a global haul of $921.7 million.

Overall box office is down 8.4 percent to date, according to Comscore, an improvement by an entire percentage point from last weekend thanks to the high Spider-Man returns. Check out the July 5-7 numbers below.

1. Spider-Man: Far From Home — $93.6 million
2. Toy Story 4 — $34.3 million
3. Yesterday — $10.8 million
4. Annabelle Comes Home— $9.8 million
5. Aladdin — $7.6 million
6. Midsommar — $6.7 million
7. The Secret Life of Pets 2— $4.8 million
8. Men In Black International— $3.6 million
9. Avengers: Endgame — $3.1 million
10. Rocketman— $2.8 million

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I saw YESTERDAY and Luc Besson’s ANNA this weekend. The first one I enjoyed but didn’t love. The latter is just a retread of his classic LA FEMME NIKITA. Don’t bother with it.

Toy Story 4 takes second consecutive box office victory in sluggish summer weekend

The battle of the toys at the box office continues — and Toy Story 4 emerges victorious once again.

After coming in ahead of the Child’s Play remake on both of their opening weekends, now Toy Story 4 beats out haunted toy horror flick Annabelle Comes Home for a second consecutive weekend in the number one box office slot. The Disney-Pixar franchise film wins the weekend with an estimated $57.9 million in ticket sales across 4,575 theaters. Two new releases round out the top three with horror franchise entry Annabelle Comes Home taking second place with an estimated $20.4 million in ticket sales and Beatles-musical fantasy Yesterday landing in third place with an estimated $17 million take.

Though Toy Story 4 fell by 52 percent in its second weekend, it still is raking in impressive numbers, posting an estimated cumulative domestic total of $236.9 million in only two weeks in theaters. The continued adventures of Buzz and Woody are performing well overseas, bringing the animated film’s global total to $496.5 million.

Annabelle Comes Home debuts in second place in keeping with expectations for the New Line horror entry. This is the third entry in the Annabelle franchise, an extension of the Conjuring Universe, after 2014’s Annabelle and 2017’s Annabelle: Creation. With an opening weekend total of $20.4 million, it marks the lowest opening for any film in the Conjuring franchise, including both previous Annabelle titles which opened to $37.1 million and $35 million respectively.

The R-rated Warner Bros. title finds Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprising their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren from the Conjuring films, and it also stars Mckenna Grace, Steve Coulter, Katie Sarife, and Madison Isema. As one might expect, the film follows the horrific turn of events when Ed and Lorraine welcome the demonic doll known as Annabelle into their home. Gary Dauberman, who wrote the first two Annabelle films, makes directorial debut. Neither critics nor audiences have responded warmly to the film with tepid reviews and a disappointing B- CinemaScore.

Despite the clear franchise fatigue that has been driving box office numbers lower this summer, original title Yesterday lands in third place with an estimated $17 million in ticket sales. The title exceeded expectations, marking a win for fresh material at a box office dominated by franchise entries and remakes. It also marks director Danny Boyle’s best opening ever, coming in ahead of 2000’s The Beach opening take of $15.3 million.

With a script from rom-com vet Richard Curtis, Yesterday tells the story of Jack Malik (Hamish Patel), a young man who wakes up after an accident to find he’s the only person on Earth to remember the music of The Beatles. With the support of childhood friend Ellie (Lily James), he sets out to pass the songs off as his own in an attempt to gain the success he’s craved as a singer-songwriter. Kate McKinnon and Ed Sheeran (as himself!) also star. Despite mild reviews, the film seems to be clicking with audiences, earning a solid A- CinemaScore.

Two films continued to rake in global box office dollars to hit major milestones. John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum crossed the $300 million mark worldwide this weekend, while Avengers: Endgame returned to theaters in a renewed bid to pass Avatar as the highest-grossing film of all time. Avatar still holds the crown with a global total of $2.79 billion, but Avengers: Endgame is hot on its heels with a global total of $2.76 billion after adding $5.5 million to its stores this weekend.

Films in their sixth and fourth week of release respectively round out the top five for the weekend. Disney’s live action Aladdin continues to hold strong, adding $9.3 million to its total for fourth place at the box office. It now boasts a global total of $874.2 million, which makes it the highest-grossing film of Will Smith’s career on the global stage, surpassing his record of Independence Day’s $821 million haul. Animated sequel The Secret Life of Pets 2 completes the top five for the weekend, taking in $7.1 million in its fourth weekend in theaters.

Overall box office is down 9.5 percent to date, according to Comscore. With lackluster summer returns, this number continues to creep back up after Avengers: Endgame knocked it down significantly earlier this year. Check out the June 28-30 numbers below.

1. Toy Story 4 — $57.9 million
2. Annabelle Comes Home — $20.4 million
3. Yesterday — $17 million
4. Aladdin— $9.3 million
5. Secret Life of Pets 2 — $7.1 million
6. Men In Black: International — $6.6 million
7. Avengers: Endgame — $5.5 million
8. Child’s Play— $4.3 million
9. Rocketman — $3.9 million
10. John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum — $3.2 million

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I would play Kirk for Tarantino too, AND I would really go into space!!

William Shatner would play Captain Kirk again for Tarantino — but don’t ask him to really go into space

William Shatner admits he’s not completely sold on the concept of alien life and he’s even passed up the chance to actually travel into outer space, but one opportunity he’d grab in an instant would be to return to the role of Captain James T. Kirk for Quentin Tarantino’s potential “Star Trek” film project.

“Oh my god — that would be extraordinary,” the 88-year-old star of the original 1966 “Star Trek” series told CNN before taking the stage at Alien Con in Los Angeles, one of the largest gatherings of alien life enthusiasts and experts. “That would be wonderful. He’s a dynamic director.”

“I’ve gotten to know Tarantino a little bit over the years,” Shatner revealed, having previously sounded off on social media in favor of the filmmaker bringing his famously R-rated sensibility to the 50-plus years old sci-fi franchise. “He flirted with the idea of my being in one of his movies, and I never did — I don’t know why. But what an extraordinary last trumpet note that would be. My goodness.”

On stage, Shatner joined his longtime friend Kevin Burns, producer of the History Channel’s popular “Ancient Aliens” series, which explores the theories surrounding the possibility of extraterrestrial visitations throughout the early history of the planet, for a discussion about the prospect of the existence of alien encounters. Given his most iconic role, the actor may have surprised the believers in the audience with his curious-but-skeptical stance on such speculation.

“I’m an agnostic,” he said backstage. “I’m intrigued by the subject… and so I’m looking forward to maybe making discoveries of my own in terms of information.”

Indeed, Shatner’s hosting History’s “The UnXplained,” a companion series produced by Burns which debuts July 19. The eight-episode anthology explores compelling mysteries of science.

Shatner’s personally interested in the science facts that may inform a sci-fi-esque future. He hasn’t shied away with associations with the latest technology, beyond his well-known mastery of Twitter, as his on-screen persona has led to close ties with bleeding edge innovations: his recent tech treks include a foray into cryptocurrency and being injected with stem cells.

“It’s my brand,” Shatner says. “So people come to me with futuristic ideas, and I’m thinking, ‘That’s good. If just one of these ideas exists in the future, my family will love it.’ They’ll have the benefit of it. It’s exciting to be part of it, so in a lot of cases, I’m becoming part of the company, against taking a salary.”

But not every futuristic opportunity appeals to Shatner: during the stage conversation, audience members who’ve equated the actor with the dashing starship captain he’s played over the years were bemused to learn just how reluctant he felt about boldly going where no one has gone before himself.

“I’ve been offered, from time to time, the ability to go into space, into the stratosphere,” Shatner revealed on stage. “And I’m thinking, ‘Do I want to leave the swimming pool?’ Do I want to jeopardize my life?”

Unabashedly concerned about the amount of things that need to go seamlessly right to travel to and back from space, Shatner recalled one instance in which he was offered a trip into the void, if he was willing to pay $250,000. Shatner’s response: “You give me $250,000!”

He does embrace the humanistic optimism baked into the DNA of “Star Trek” storytelling by franchise creator Gene Roddenberry. Asked if he was surprised that, even after five decades of the pro-tolerance, compromise-rich allegories of the “Trek” saga, the nation is currently so wildly divided on issues of inclusion, Shatner begs to differ.

“Look at the people who are running for president,” he says. “A diverse a group of people…Not only black and white, but gay. I mean, it’s extraordinary [compared to] even 10 years ago.”

“So yes, we’re polarized, but we’re being polarized,” he continues. “It doesn’t have to be that way, because I think the majority of people in this country and in the world believe that most people are good, most people want fairness. Most of the majority of human beings feel that way.”

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I saw TOY STORY 4 this weekend and I was mostly bored. It’s very funny, but they should have stopped at 3.

Toy Story 4 not playing around with $118 million opening weekend

The toys did not come to play this weekend at the box office.

Child’s playthings were the talk of the box office with Pixar’s Toy Story 4 easily taking the top slot with an estimated $118 million in ticket sales across 4,575 theaters. And they weren’t the only toys with some box office mojo — horror remake Child’s Play takes second place with an estimated $14.1 million across 3,007 theaters.

Disney is having a fantastic year at the box office with the four best openings of the year, including animated sequel Toy Story 4. Much of the beloved Toy Story gang, including Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, return to voice the beloved toys who take us on adventures both amusing and heartbreaking. Toy Story 4 follows Woody (Hanks) as he sets out to domesticate new toy Forky (Tony Hale) and teach him the ways of being a toy the refuse-made spork believes he’s ‘trash’). Along the way, Woody reconnects with lost love Bo Peep (Annie Potts), as Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and Jessie (Joan Cusack) mobilize at home to keep their kid Bonnie happy. Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks, Jordan Peele, and Keegan-Michael Key are among the other new voices joining the franchise.

Despite coming in slightly under expectations (projections had it at a $140 to $165 million opening), Toy Story 4 still earns some major box office credentials with its opening, becoming both only the third release of 2019 to cross $100 million in its first weekend, as well as one of the biggest animated openings of all time. Two other Pixar films top the list, 2018’s Incredibles 2 is number one with its $182.7 million opening and 2016’s Finding Dory is in second place with a $135.1 million opening. Toy Story 4 comes in just behind 2007’s Shrek the Third, which opened to $121.6 million.

It also bested its predecessor, 2010’s Toy Story 3, which opened to $110.3 million. Animated films aren’t necessarily known for boffo box office, but tend to show longevity, which means Toy Story 4 is likely to hold steady over the next few weeks. It also earned an estimated $120 million abroad this weekend, bringing its opening global total to $238 million. Generally favorable reviews and a terrific A CinemaScore suggest the film will maintain its box office success.

Another toy, murderous doll Chucky, takes second place with an estimated $14.1 million in ticket sales. Child’s Play is a remake of the 1988 sequel-spawning film. After moving to a new town, Andy (Gabriel Bateman) receives a new toy who quickly takes on a life of its own, and he must band with the neighborhood kids to stop the toy’s murderous intentions.

Mark Hamill (Star Wars) stars as the voice of Chucky, with Gabriel Bateman, Aubrey Plaza, and Brian Tyree Henry among the cast terrorized by the notorious plaything. Reviews for Child’s Play were not favorable and audiences agreed, giving it a dismal C+ CinemaScore.

This weekend’s other new release, Luc Besson’s Anna, failed to even hit the top 10 with a grim $3.5 million opening. It marks the worst opening for a Besson project; numerous women have alleged Besson’s sexual misconduct and when actress Sand Van Roy filed a complaint against Besson in May it delayed the release of this action thriller. Sasha Luss stars as Anna the assassin, while Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy, Helen Mirren and Alexander Petrov also feature.

Disney rounds out the top three with Aladdin taking third place in its fifth week in theaters. The live-action adaptation of the beloved animated film boasts a $12.2 million total across 3,435 theaters. The film now has an impressive global total of $810.1 million. Aladdin is the third highest-grossing film of 2019 thus far, with a domestic total of $287.5 million, coming in behind two Marvel titles Avengers: Endgame and Captain Marvel.

Rounding out the top five are two franchise titles. Fourth place goes to Men In Black International, taking in an estimated $10.8 million across 4,224 theaters. It’s already disappointing box office fell by 64 percent in only its second weekend in theaters. Another animated property takes fifth place with Universal’s Secret Life of Pets 2 pulling in an estimated $10.1 million in ticket sales across 3,804 theaters in its third weekend out.

Overall box office is down 8.9 percent to date, according to Comscore. Check out the June 21-23 numbers below.

1. Toy Story 4 — $118 million
2. Child’s Play — $14.1 million
3. Aladdin — $12.2 million
4. Men In Black International — $10.8 million
5. Secret Life of Pets 2 — $10.1 million
6. Rocketman — $5.7 million
7. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum — $4.1 million
8. Godzilla: King of the Monsters— $3.7 million
9. Dark Phoenix — $3.6 million
10. Shaft — $3.6 million

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Saw DARK PHOENIX and ROCKETMAN this week and they were both awful. Couldn’t wait for both of them to finish. Complete snores!!!!!

Men in Black: International continues lackluster summer box office with $28.5 million opening

When it comes to the summer, people don’t seem to be turning to the multiplex to beat the heat.

Men in Black: International is the latest summer blockbuster to fail to stun audiences. The Men in Black franchise spin-off wins the weekend with an underwhelming estimated $28.5 million across 4,224 theaters. This falls far behind the last Men in Black film, 2002’s Men in Black II, which opened to $52.1 million.

This disappointing haul is part of a larger trend, however, with previous summer blockbusters Dark Phoenix and Godzilla: King of the Monsters also failing to generate much heat their first weekends out — Dark Phoenix faltered with a massively disappointing $33 million and Godzilla: King of the Monsters fared only slightly better with $47 million.

Rounding out the top three are two holdovers, The Secret Life of Pets 2 and Aladdin. Animated sequel The Secret Life of Pets 2 boasts an estimated $23.8 million across 4,564 theaters in its second weekend in theaters, while Disney’s live action update of Aladdin continues to make box office magic four weeks after its debut. Aladdin takes third place with an estimated $16.7 million across 3,556 theaters. The film is another winner for Disney in a year that’s included Captain Marvel and record-marking Avengers: Endgame. It now boasts an estimated $724.8 million haul worldwide.

Men in Black: International is a spin-off of the beloved franchise anchored by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The new film stars Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth as Agent H and Agent M, respectively. The two partner up from inside the London Bureau of the secret organization dedicated to monitoring and taking down alien life forms that pose a threat to humanity. Here, they must attempt to locate and eliminate a mole within the Men in Black organization. Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Rafe Spall, Rebecca Ferguson, and Kumail Nanjiani also star, and F. Gary Gray (The Fate of the Furious) directs.

The film was never expected to reach the levels of box office success as its Will Smith fronted predecessors, but it’s garnered disappointing reviews from critics and a mediocre B CinemaScore from audiences.

This weekend’s other new release is Warner Bros.’ Shaft, the next chapter in the film franchise about the legendary New York City private detective. The newest entry in this storied franchise failed to wow, taking sixth place in its opening weekend with $8.3 million across 2,952 theaters. Shaft is a sequel to the 2000 film of the same name, which was itself a remake of the 1971 classic also named Shaft.

The latest film has Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role as John Shaft and teaming up with two generations of his family, his son J.J. Shaft (Jessie T. Usher) and father John Shaft Sr. (Richard Roundtree reprising his original role from the 1971 film). Method Man, Regina Hall, Alexandra Shipp, and Matt Lauria also star, while Tim Story directs. Critics were not jazzed about the film, but audiences loved it giving it a sterling A CinemaScore.

Mindy Kaling’s Late Night expanded to wide release this weekend, going from four locations last week to 2,220 this weekend. It lands in the ninth spot at the box office with an estimated $5.1 million in ticket sales, a slightly disappointing expansion giving its promising numbers in only four locations its first weekend out. Kaling, who also wrote the script, stars as female staff writer Molly who disrupts the boys’ club of the writers’ room and the life of late-night host Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson).

Two other previous releases round out the top five. Dark Phoenix is fourth in its second weekend out, posting an estimated $9 million across 3,721 theaters. Director Simon Kinberg took responsibility for the film’s dismal box office numbers, saying, “That’s on me.” Musical Elton John biopic Rocketman solidly lands in fifth place in its third weekend of release with an estimated $8.8 million across 3,021 theaters.

Overall box office is down 7.1 percent to date, according to Comscore. This number has increased by two percent in a single week after steadily declining the last few months. Check out the June 14-16 numbers below.

1. Men in Black: International — $28.5 million
2. The Secret Life of Pets 2 — $23.8 million
3. Aladdin — $16.7 million
4. Dark Phoenix — $9 million
5. Rocketman — $8.8 million
6. Shaft — $8.3 million
7. Godzilla: King of the Monsters — $8.1 million
8. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum — $6.1 million
9. Late Night — $5.1 million
10. Ma — $3.6 million

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Can’t wait to see it!!!

Ghostbusters reboot director says original stars have read script of new film

Director Jason Reitman revealed Saturday afternoon that the stars of the original Ghostbusters have read the script of his new film in the franchise. “Sigourney has read the screenplay… Dan has read it… Ernie’s read the script… Bill Murray has read the script,” Reitman said at the Ghostbusters Fan Fest in Los Angeles, according to the official Ghostbusters Twitter account.

In an interview with Parade published on Friday, Weaver had seemingly confirmed that she was set to reunite with Murray and Aykroyd in Reitman’s film. “It’s going to be crazy working with the guys again!” Weaver told the magazine. Sony, which is producing the movie, declined to comment on Weaver’s remarks.

Reitman also announced at the event that he was set to shoot starting the movie in five weeks time and that he wants “to scare children.”

In January, EW broke the news that Reitman is directing and co-writing a new Ghostbusters movie set in the same world as the 1984 original. That movie 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,” the younger Reitman said at the time. “I wanted to make a movie for all the other fans. 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.”

The new Ghostbusters will be released on July 10, 2020.

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I will see DARK PHOENIX, but I’m in absolutely no rush.

Dark Phoenix fails to catch fire, loses box office to The Secret Life of Pets 2

Dark Phoenix was meant to rise from the ashes of the critically reviled 2016 X-Men: Apocalypse to send the X-Men franchise on a high note — but it failed to catch fire at the box office.

The superhero film came in second this weekend, opening to only an estimated $33 million across 3,721 theaters, the lowest ever opening for a film in the X-Men franchise. The previously mentioned X-Men: Apocalypse opened to $65.8 million (a step down from predecessor X-Men: Days of Future Past’s $90.8 million opening), and the previous lowest opening in the 19-year franchise was 2013’s The Wolverine with a $53.1 million debut.

Instead of another super-powered weekend, it is something a little closer to home that takes the box office crown — animated sequel The Secret Life of Pets 2. Universal’s family-friendly franchise claims the top spot with an estimated $47.1 million across 4,561 theaters. From Universal’s frequent animation partner Illumination Entertainment, the movie is a follow-up to 2016’s The Secret Life of Pets, which boasted an impressive opening haul of $104.3 million. It’s difficult to compare the projects, however, given that the first The Secret Life of Pets holds the record for the biggest-ever opening for an original film.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 returns to the world of our domesticated animals, asking what our pets do when their owners aren’t at home. The film is stacked with vocal talent with Patton Oswalt, Kevin Hart, Harrison Ford, Eric Stonestreet, Dana Carvey, Garth Jennings, Lake Bell, Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Pete Holmes, Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress, and Tiffany Haddish all lending their voice-over skills to the project. It earned a solid A- Cinemascore from audiences, and critics mostly gave it a lukewarm response.

The animated flick is the tenth partnership between Universal and Illumination Entertainment, but it fell short of their previous outing, last winter’s Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, which opened to $67.6 million and went on to gross $270.6 million.

Dark Phoenix stumbled domestically with its disappointing $33 million second place opening, but it fared better overseas. Its international debut is an estimated $107 million in ticket sales, making it the number one worldwide release with a global debut of $140 million. Critical response has not been glowing and audiences don’t seem to have a much higher opinion, giving it a dismal B- CinemaScore.

It stars Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner as Jean Grey as she evolves into the titular Dark Phoenix. During a mission to space, Jean is hit by a cosmic force that transforms her into one of the most powerful mutants around. Many of the rebooted franchise’s regulars return for what has been announced as a finale of sorts, including James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Evan Peters, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tye Sheridan, and Alexandra Shipp. Jessica Chastain also joins the cast, and frequent X-Men scribe Simon Kinberg makes his directorial debut with the project.

The weekend also saw the release of two films in limited release, Mindy Kaling’s Late Night and Ron Howard’s documentary Pavarotti. The R-rated comedy Late Night opened in only four locations in New York and Los Angeles this weekend and showed a solid debut of $249,654. It opens wide next weekend. The film, which marks Kaling’s first feature script, opened at Sundance Film Festival early this year and sold to Amazon for $13 million.

Mindy Kaling also stars as Molly, a woman who becomes the only female star writer on a late night television series struggling to stay relevant. Emma Thompson also stars as legendary late night host Katherine Newbury. Katherine struggles to keep control of her show, while forming a reluctant bond with Molly. John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy, Denis O’Hare, Amy Ryan, Reid Scott, Max Casella, Ike Barinholtz, Paul Walter Hauser, and John Early also star, while Nisha Ganatra directs.

Ron Howard’s third outing as a documentarian, Pavarotti, also opened in limited release this weekend at 19 screens across the U.S. and Canada. In this platform release, the CBS Films documentary took in an estimated $142,500. The documentary uses the opera music Pavarotti made famous to tell the story of this great performer, voice, and humanitarian.

Box office holdovers round out the top five with Disney’s live action Aladdin taking the third place spot in its third weekend with an estimated $24.5 million across 3,805 theaters. Aladdin now boasts a domestic total of $232.4 million in its three weekends out. Godzilla: King of the Monsters fell by a whopping 67 percent in its second weekend out, taking fourth place with an estimated $15.5 million across 4,108 theaters. The monster epic is grossly underperforming at the box office, which could affect the status of planned franchise entry Godzilla vs. Kong.

Musical biopic Rocketman completes the top five for the weekend with an estimated $14 million in ticket sales across 3,610 theaters. The film’s domestic total is now an estimated $50.5 million, and sits far behind the two-week cumulative gross of Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which boasted $112.1 million in ticket sales by this same stage in its release.

Overall box office is down 5.9 percent to date, according to Comscore, a number which is steadily improving compared to double digit gaps earlier in 2019. Check out the June 7-9 numbers below.

1. The Secret Life of Pets 2— $47.1 million
2. Dark Phoenix— $33 million
3. Aladdin— $24.5 million
4. Godzilla: King of the Monsters— $15.5 million
5. Rocketman— $14 million
6. Ma— $7.8 million
7. John Wick: Chapter Three–Parabellum — $7.4 million
8. Avengers: Endgame— $4.8 million
9. Pokemon Detective Pikachu— $3 million
10. Booksmart— $1.6 million

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I saw BRIGHTBURN this weekend and have already forgotten it. I’ll see ROCKETMAN this week…hopefully.

‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ reigns over box office in opening weekend

Godzilla roars his way to the top of the box office once again.

The latest entry in the cinematic MonsterVerse, which includes the first Godzilla reboot from 2014 and Kong: Skull Island, is living up to its title. Godzilla: King of the Monsters takes the weekend’s box office crown with an estimated $49 million in ticket sales across 4,108 theaters.

Last week’s Disney blockbuster Aladdin continues to hold strong, taking second place with an estimated $42.3 million haul across 4,476 theaters. Another new release rounds out the top three — Elton John biopic Rocketman scores third place with an estimated $25 million take across 3,610 theaters.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the third film in a tenuously connected Warner Bros. MonsterVerse. The film stars Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, and Millie Bobby Brown as a family that who finds their lives colliding with the infamous monster as Godzilla faces up against even more monstrous beings — Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, and Ken Watanabe also feature in the film directed by Michael Dougherty.

Though it won the box office this weekend, Godzilla: King of the Monsters still fell short of expectations, which had the film finishing the weekend with around $50 million. It also falls behind the previous two entries in the MonsterVerse by quite a lot. 2014’s Godzilla opened to a monstrous $93.2 million, while 2016’s Kong: Skull Island took in $61 million in its first weekend in theaters. The film did fare slightly better overseas, taking in $130 million for a global total of $179 million. But lackluster reviews and a B+ CinemaScore suggest it won’t show much momentum in the weeks to come.

In counter-programming to the blockbuster monster movie, this weekend saw the release of two other films — musical biopic Rocketman and horror thriller Ma. They took third and fourth place at the box office respectively.

The long in the works biopic about Elton John’s rise to fame, Rocketman opens to a respectable $25 million. The R-rated film, which premiered to mostly positive if not enthusiastic reviews at the Cannes Film Festival in May, follows Elton John from his days as a precocious piano-playing youngster through to his stint in rehab a few decades into his explosive fame as a rock star. Taron Egerton stars as John, while Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Jamie Bell help round out the cast. Dexter Fletcher directed the film, which uses John’s songs to turn his life into a literal musical.

Though a solid opening weekend, Rocketman falls behind last fall’s Bohemian Rhapsody, also directed by Fletcher, which opened to $51.1 million. Bohemian Rhapsody, which tells the story of Freddie Mercury and Queen, went on to win several Oscars and take in a $216.4 million haul during its release. Rocketman earned a solid A- from audiences, but its R-rating could potentially keeping its box office numbers below the PG-13 Bohemian Rhapsody.

The weekend’s another new title, Ma, takes fourth place with an estimated $18.3 million across 2,808 theaters. The horror thriller is from scare masters Blumhouse Productions and Universal, and it stars Octavia Spencer as the titular Ma. Re-teaming with her The Help director Tate Taylor, Spencer stars as a lonely woman in a quiet Ohio town, who befriends a group of teenagers that she invites to party in her basement. Their friendship quickly becomes something more sinister. Juliette Lewis, Allison Janney, Missi Pyle, and Luke Evans also star.

Ma marks the fifth best opening for an Octavia Spencer film, coming in right behind The Help’s $26 million opening. Audiences didn’t love the horror flick, giving it a dismal B- CinemaScore, but critics were middling on it.

While Keanu Reeves is busy breaking the internet with a cameo in Netflix’s Always Be My Maybe, he’s still making bank at the box office. John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum rounds out the top five for the weekend, taking in an estimated $11.1 million across 3,604 theaters for fifth place. With a domestic total of $125.8 million, it’s now Reeves’s fourth highest grossing film of all time, behind the three Matrix films.

Overall box office is down 7.6 percent to date, according to Comscore, a big improvement courtesy of a 62 percent jump in ticket sales versus the comparable weekend last year. Check out the May 31-June 2 numbers below.

1. Godzilla: King of the Monsters— $49 million
2. Aladdin— $42.3 million
3. Rocketman— $25 million
4. Ma— $18.3 million
5. John Wick: Chapter 3– Parabellum— $11.1 million
6. Avengers: Endgame— $7.8 million
7. Pokemon Detective Pikachu — $6.7 million
8. Booksmart— $3.3 million
9. Brightburn— $2.3 million
10. The Hustle— $1.3 million

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Movies

I still need to see JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3!!

John Wick: Chapter 3 unseats Avengers: Endgame to win box office

It turns out the only thing that can take down the Avengers is a retired hitman with revenge on his mind.

After a three-week, record-breaking reign at the box office, Avengers: Endgame has been unseated by John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum. The Keanu Reeves three-quel takes the top spot at the box office with an estimated $57 million in ticket sales across 3,850 theaters. Avengers: Endgame still holds on for second place with an estimated $29.4 million across 4,220 theaters. Another holdover from last week, Pokemon Detective Pikachu rounds out the top three with an estimated $24.8 million across 4,248 theaters.

John Wick racks up an enormous opening weekend that far exceeds expectations, beating both of its predecessors (the first John Wick opened to $14.4 million in 2014, while Chapter Two took in $30.4 million in 2017). Reeves returns as the titular retired hit man, now with a $14 million price on his head. Devoid of protection from the international assassin’s guild, John Wick fights for his life on the streets of New York as he’s targeted by ruthless killers. Halle Berry and Anjelica Huston join the franchise for the first time, while Lawrence Fishburne and Ian McShane also star.

The film also performed well overseas, taking in $92.2 million in its first week, a franchise high. According to Comscore, 37% of moviegoers said “Actor in the lead role” was their primary reason for seeing the film, which reflects Reeves’ enormous box office power (at least in this particular part). This is an extremely high percentage for this category. Fittingly, this is Reeves’ second-biggest opening ever, coming in behind 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded $91.8 million haul. The three-quel is likely to continue performing well, given its positive reviews and an A- CinemaScore.

Avengers: Endgame still remains in the top three, with its second place $29.4 million take in its fourth weekend in theaters. Its global total now stands at $2.62 billion, still trailing behind the number one film of all time Avatar and its $2.78 billion haul. However, the superhero film is now the second-highest grossing film domestically at $771 million, falling behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ $937 million and surpassing Avatar’s $761 million.

Amblin Entertainment and Universal’s A Dog’s Journey takes fourth place in its first weekend in theaters with an estimated $8 million in ticket sales across 3,267 theaters. A sequel to 2017’s A Dog’s Purpose, the film falls far short of its predecessor, which opened to $18.2 million. The family-friendly project resonated with audiences, landing a solid A CinemaScore.

Based on the best-selling series by author W. Bruce Cameron, the movie tells its tale from the dog’s perspective as this devoted pup, voiced by Josh Gad, finds the meaning of his existence through the lives of humans — here, the dog finds himself reincarnated as different canines but keeps coming back to protect and love the humans who mean the most to him. Dennis Quaid returns in a starring role, and he’s supported by Marg Helgenberger, Henry Lau, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott in this film directed by Gail Mancuso.

This weekend’s other major new release, The Sun Is Also a Star, based on Nicola Yoon’s YA novel of the same name, majorly disappointed at the box office. The film opened to an estimated $2.6 million across 2,073 theaters for eighth place. Starring Grown-ish actress Yara Shahidi and Riverdale heartthrob Charles Melton, the teen romance follows two high-school students who fall in love in the course of a single day in New York City.

Directed by Ry Russo-Young, the film grapples with immigration issues as Jamaican-born Natasha (Shahidi) struggles to prevent her family’s sudden deportation, all the while fighting burgeoning feelings for the boy she just met, Daniel (Melton). The film failed to resonate with audiences, earning a disappointing B- CinemaScore, which doesn’t bode well for future success. The previous adaptation of Yoon’s writing, 2017’s Everything, Everything far outpaced this title with an $11 million opening.

Last week’s con-artist comedy The Hustle rounds out the top five with an estimated $6.1 million in ticket sales across 3,077 theaters.

Overall box office is down 9.1 percent to date, according to Comscore, jumping back up to a wider gap since last week. Check out the May 17-19 numbers below.

1. John Wick: Chapter Three — Parabellum — $57 million
2. Avengers: Endgame— $29.4 million
3. Pokemon Detective Pikachu— $24.8 million
4. A Dog’s Journey— $8 million
5. The Hustle— $6.1 million
6. The Intruder— $4 million
7. Long Shot — $3.4 million
8. The Sun Is Also a Star— $2.6 million
9. Poms— $2.1 million
10. Uglydolls— $1.6 million

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Movies

I saw Avengers: Endgame again this weekend and still enjoyed it, and I also saw Long Shot and really enjoy it too!!

Avengers: Endgame tops the box office for third week running

For the third week in a row, the Avengers have assembled at the box office.

The juggernaut of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Avengers: Endgame takes first place once again with an estimated take of $63 million across 4,662 theaters. Internationally the film banked another $102.3 million bringing its global total to $2.5 billion, which puts it in spitting distance of the all-time record of Avatar’s $2.9 billion. This weekend the superhero powered blockbuster also became the third-highest grossing film of all time domestically, surpassing Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther with an estimated $724 million.

While no one has the power just yet to topple the Avengers, there were four new releases, all of which made the top ten. Rounding out the top three is two new titles — Pokemon Detective Pikachu and The Hustle.

Another hero in his own right, Detective Pikachu, put up a solid fight at the box office. It takes second place with a fabulous $58 million opening across 4,202 theaters. The film merges animation and live action to bring beloved Pokémon characters to life, most notably the yellow furry Pikachu, voiced here by Ryan Reynolds. Not adjusted for inflation, it’s the highest opening ever for a feature film in the Pokémon franchise.

Pikachu teams up with a human partner, Tim (Justice Smith), to solve the mystery of Tim’s missing father. Directed by Rob Letterman, the film also features the voice talents of Bill Nighy, Ken Watanabe, Justice Smith, and Kathryn Newton. There’s a strong chance the film could continue to exceed expectations, given mostly warm reviews and a solid A- CinemaScore.

Another new title, Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson starrer The Hustle, takes the third spot with an estimated debut of $13.5 million across 3,007 theaters. Hathaway and Wilson star as scam artists up competing to swindle a tech prodigy out of his fortune in this semi-gender-bent remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Wilson also produced the film.

The Hustle exceeded expectations in its debut, despite largely lackluster reviews and a disappointing B- CinemaScore. Directed by Chris Addison, the United Artists release from MGM, who produced and financed the film, also stars Bruno Sevilla and Alex Sharp. It marks Hathaway’s sixteenth biggest opening, which is still a vast improvement over the dreadful $4.4 million opening of Serenity earlier this year.

Despite its seemingly perfect placement of a Mother’s Day weekend opener, the Diane Keaton-led Poms fell short of expectations, taking sixth place with an estimated $5.1 million across 2,750 theaters. Produced by eOne and distributed by STX, the film stars Keaton as Martha, a woman who moves into a retirement community and starts a cheerleading squad with her fellow residents. Directed by Zara Hayes, the film also stars Pam Grier, Jacki Weaver, Alisha Boe, Phyllis Somerville, Charlie Tahan, Bruce McGill, Rhea Perlman, and Celia Weston.

The film did hit its target audience, playing to a crowd that was 75 percent female and 85 percent 25 or older. It received a solid B+ CinemaScore, which might help boost its success in the coming weeks. Poms falls significantly short of last year’s similarly older-skewed Diane Keaton vehicle Book Club, which opened to third place with $13.6 million.

The weekend’s other buzziest new release, Tolkien, managed to crack the top ten. The biopic about Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien takes ninth place with an estimated $2.2 million in ticket sales across 1,495 location. Nicholas Hoult stars at the titular writer in a film that explores how his wife and wartime experiences inspired much of his writing. Directed by Dome Karukoski, the film also stars Lily Collins and Colm Meaney.

The Fox Searchlight project did modestly well given its smaller number of theaters, middling reviews, and lack of support from the Tolkien family. Setting aside the massive success of the ensemble work of the X-Men films, this project marks a solid opening for Hoult as a leading man as his seventh biggest opening outside of those titles. Even including the X-Men franchise, it still lands in Hoult’s top ten openings of all time.

Two holdovers from last week round out the top five — Sony’s thriller The Intruder and Lionsgate’s R-rated rom-com Long Shot. The Dennis Quaid-led The Intruder lands in fourth place with $6.6 million across 2,222 theaters. Buoyed by positive reviews and word-of-mouth, Long Shot takes fifth place $6.1 million across 3,230 theaters. The Seth Rogen-Charlize Theron comedy only fell by 37 percent from its first weekend, which suggests stronger staying power than last week’s opening numbers might project.

Overall box office is down 8.5 percent to date, according to Comscore, a number which is steadily increasing as Endgame drives totals higher. Check out the May 10-12 numbers below.

1. Avengers: Endgame — $63 million
2. Pokemon Detective Pikachu— $58 million
3. The Hustle — $13.5 million
4. The Intruder— $6.6 million
5. Long Shot— $6.1 million
6. Poms— $5.1 million
7. Uglydolls — $3.9 million
8. Breakthrough— $2.5 million
9. Tolkien— $2.2 million
10. Captain Marvel— $1.8 million