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Box Office: ‘Space Jam 2’ Is A Slam Dunk With $54M Worldwide, ‘Black Widow’ Tumbles

By
Travis Hopson
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  1. Space Jam: A New Legacy (review)- $31.6M

LeBron James and Bugs Bunny ran Black Widow off the court this week, as Space Jam: A New Legacy opened with $31.6M domestic, and a worldwide haul of $54M.  That’s, honestly, not an amazing number, especially for a family-friendly animated movie fronted by the NBA’s top star, but it’s pretty good for the era we’re in. Basically, the number is the same as Michael Jordan’s Space Jam in 1996, but at a much higher cost at $150M. Of course, there’s also the HBO Max component which kept numbers down, and I wonder how Warner Bros. is evaluating the decisMarvion to release films in theaters and streaming. Overall, critical reviews weren’t great, although I dug it, but audiences loved it.

2. Black Widow– $26.2M/$132M

Marvel’s Black Widow had the biggest drop ever for an MCU film, falling 67% for $26M and a domestic $132M. Worldwide, it has reached $232M and shouldn’t have to worry about being the lowest grossing Marvel title, which is currently 2008’s The Incredible Hulk with just $264M globally. Hard to believe there was ever such a time, right?

3. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (review)- $8.8M

The other big release this week was Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, a sequel to 2019’s surprising hit puzzle horror. That film went on to earn $55M domestic and $157M worldwide, so the follow-up’s $8.8M start isn’t even close. But these movies are on the cheap, the first cost $9M while this one just $15M, so it won’t take much to get in the black. I genuinely like this franchise, too, even if this film wasn’t as successful as the first. I think Sony is going to keep investing in this for the long haul.

4. F9: The Fast Saga– $7.6M/$154.8M

5. The Boss Baby: Family Business– $4.7M/$44.6M

6. The Forever Purge– $4.1M/$35.9M

7. A Quiet Place Part II– $2.3M/$155M

8. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (review)- $1.9M

The Anthony Bourdain doc Roadrunner did extremely well in just 927 theaters, earning $1.9M. Documentaries are a tough sell but director Morgan Neville just has the touch. He’s scored box office hits previously with 20 Feet from Stardom, Best of Enemies, and his biggest, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? which earned $22M in 2018.

9.Cruella– $1.1M/$83.4M

10. Pig (review)- $945K

Earning some of the best reviews of Nicolas Cage’s recent career, and his biggest number for a theatrical release in nearly a decade, Pig cracked the top 10 with $945K. This truly great film, which sounds ridiculous as it deals with a former chef-turned-vagrant on the hunt for his truffle pig, is more along the lines of Joe than Mandy or Willy’s Wonderland.

New Horror Film In The Works From Pulitzer Prize Winner Michael R. Jackson And Produced By Ari Aster

By
Travis Hopson
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Maybe it was the arrival of films such as Get Out and Us, or shows like Lovecraft Country, but black writers, especially those in the genre space, are having a moment. Michael R. Jackson, Pulitzer Prize winning writer and playwright of the acclaimed musical A Strange Loop, is getting his shot at the big screen by teaming up with A24 and Midsommar and Hereditary director Ari Aster.

According to Deadline, Jackson has sold to A24 an original pitch for an untitled horror that he will script. Aster is on board as a producer along with Lars Knudsen.

A24’s relationship with Aster extends to both of his prior films, and will include his next, Disappointment Blvd, which has Joaquin Phoenix attached to star.

It’s early enough in this new project with Jackson that there’s no clear director, but given that he’s such an in-demand writer, and someone like Aster on board, the candidates must be lining up.

Ian McShane Returning For ‘John Wick 4’, Albert Hughes To Direct ‘The Continental’ Event Series

By
Travis Hopson
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The John Wick franchise is going strong, with both a fourth film in the works and a prequel series, The Continental. While the former is bringing back someone who I think we all assumed would return anyway, the latter has undergone a pretty significant change while adding a major director to helm a couple of episodes.

Deadline, along with director Chad Stahelski, have confirmed Ian McShane will return as Winston in John Wick 4. Was there ever any indication that he wouldn’t? Winston has been a major factor in all three films, running the “neutral ground” of The Continental hotel. It’s a place that Wick has taken advantage of many times, but after breaking their rules he became a target. Winston shot him in John Wick 3, which should make their next encounter pretty interesting.

“I couldn’t be happier than to welcome Ian McShane back to John Wick: Chapter 4. He is not only an amazing actor but is an indispensable collaborator who has helped define the world of John Wick’, Stahelski said.

Meanwhile, prequel series The Continental has been totally reconfigured, and has added Allen Hughes to direct two episodes. As it turns out, this will be the bulk of the series, which has now evolved from a regular ongoing show into a three-night event with each episode clocking in at 90-minutes. Hughes is best known for his work alongside his brother Albert on films Dead Presidents, From Hell, The Book of Eli, and Menace II Society. He went solo a few years ago and delivered the underrated survival thriller Alpha. Hughes will direct the first and third episodes of the series.

A strange move, but perhaps they feel there isn’t enough material for The Continental to be ongoing? Perhaps they want to save something for future John Wick movies? Whatever the case, I’m glad to see Hughes on another high-profile project. He’s a personal favorite, and his work has been consistently great.

Here’s how THR describes The Continental, which centers on a young Winston…

A prequel spinoff, Continental is set 40 years before the events of the Wick series and focuses on a young man named Winston. He will one day grow up to be the character played by Ian McShane in the Wick movies but in the prequel’s story is a young man starting as a hitman hotelier who, along with others, create a haven for unsavory types, all set against a backdrop of 1970s New York.

John Wick 4 opens May 27th 2022. The Continental will air on Starz but does not have a release date.

Review: ‘Summertime’

Carlos Lopez Estrada’s Poetry Slam Is Like Being Trapped In A Bad Open Mic Night

By
Travis Hopson
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*NOTE: This review was originally published as part of our 2020 Sundance Film Festival coverage. Summertime is available now in theaters and VOD.*

The freestyle verse of Carlos Lopez Estrada’s powerful, racially-charged Blindspotting lit up Sundance on Opening Night a couple of years ago. It’s clear the festival’s producers had similar hopes for his spoken-word followup, Summertime, but they couldn’t bar the doors fast enough to keep viewers from fleeing this poetry slam from Hell in which 25 Los Angeles wordsmiths vocalize their momentary troubles in increasingly insipid vignettes.

They are buoyantly told vignettes, mind you. Estrada’s camera swoops in and out of each loosely-connected tale, sweeping through Venice Beach, Eagle Rock, the Hollywood Hills.  The subjects make up a colorful and diverse mix of poets of under-represented backgrounds: black, white, LGBTQ, Latin, all trying to find their voice  while faced with such insurmountable challenges as their favorite restaurant closing down.

It’s clear what Estrada and his young stars are aiming for. They represent as stereotypes and more often than not live up to any label being attached to them. Their troubles are projected as shallow, but underneath is meant to be something deeper that leads us to believe them to be people of many layers. In the case of Tyris, a flamboyant, busted-fro-having kid who spends his days acting like an asshole at restaurants and giving bad Yelp reviews, he’s hiding deep pain from being rejected at home. But like with all of the many voices heard in this film, we don’t see what he’s going through, his revelation means nothing, and he still projects as a jerk with too much time on his hands.

And Tyris’ narrative is one of the more thorough this hasty film has to offer. Others cope with fleeting bouts of heartache and struggle, of familial and societal pressures we don’t see but are expected to feel.  In another grating scene, a young woman stalks a boy we think is her boyfriend, believing him to be cheating on her with a tall, leggy blonde. Much like Tyris, she’s quick to pass judgment on things she is ignorant of, and spends the next few minutes dropping verse about all of her insecurities.

With so many snapshots, some strike a stronger chord than others and usually due to Lopez’s dynamic music video style. In one, a young Latina woman eager to break out of her mother’s shadow visualizes a choreographed dance number by women dressed in fiery red dresses, the very color her mother warns her against wearing.  Another simply-told scene finds two friends, about to be separated by one’s journey to college, reminiscing about their upbringing in a neighborhood few truly escape from.

Oddly, Estrada turns his attentions away from the troubles connecting so many of the characters and follows rappers Anewbyss and Rah, who go through the entire life cycle of a music career in the span of a day. It’s true that anything can happen in the City of Angels but even here these mediocre lyricists with their canned beats would be laughed off the street from which they hustle to fund a mixtape. Within minutes they have a producer, are putting together an album all about their mommas, and selling out a live concert before turning up at a hamburger joint (hamburgers are a recurring plot point!) to remember how things used to be.

But the true standout, of which Estrada would’ve been better served building an entire film around, involves Marquesha Babers as an overweight woman hiding her pain behind a bright smile and upbeat demeanor. Instructed by her ridiculous book-peddling therapist to just confront her demons, Marquesha takes another sad woman under her wing with a simple invitation for a meal, which turns into a wild limousine-riding adventure that ends with Marquesha cutting loose a verbal barrage on the man who body-shamed her years earlier, sending her life into a tailspin. It’s a killer moment, one drawn from a deep well of pain and anger, and puts to shame the shallowness of everything that comes before it. Summertime might work for those who are more forgiving of the thin observations and childish verse (“I’ve got a pocket full of dreams” one exclaims repeatedly), but others will feel like they’re trapped in a bad open mic night.

Dwayne Johnson Calls ‘Black Adam’ His “Hardest Undertaking” As Filming Wraps

By
Travis Hopson
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Shooting has wrapped on Black Adam, Dwayne Johnson’s long-awaited debut in the DCEU. The film has been in development for over a decade, with Johnson one of the driving forces to make it happen. His enthusiasm was shared, as it so frequently has been, to his millions of fans on social media…

I’m about tired of this “hierarchy of power” stuff Johnson keeps talking about. We get it. You want us to look at Black Adam as being more powerful than Superman.

The film is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who worked with Johnson on Disney’s Jungle Cruise, opening later this month. This will be the first time we get to see the Justice Society of America on the big screen, as well. Aldis Hodge plays Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, and Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate. Also in the cast are Sarah Shahi as Isis and Marwan Kenzari in an unknown role.

Here’s how Deadline describes the plot:

“Thousands of years before Billy Batson became Captain Marvel, the wizard Shazam selected another for the role. Teth-Adam, aka “Mighty Adam,” was a hero at first. But then absolute power corrupted absolutely. He became Black Adam, and was exiled by Shazam.

Now returned to earth and our time, he’s seen the error of his ways, and he’s trying to clear his name.”

Black Adam hits theaters on July 29th 2022.

Bill Murray Joins Tilda Swinton In Wes Anderson’s Next Film

By
Travis Hopson
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Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch has been the belle of the ball at Cannes this week, earning rave reviews and getting his fans more excited for the film’s release. But Anderson is already preparing his next project, which we already know will reunite him with Tilda Swinton and now has another familiar face coming aboard.

Variety reports Bill Murray will join Tilda Swinton in Wes Anderson’s untitled film, which will shoot in Spain this September. Details are scarce other than it was originally going to shoot in Rome, but plans changed. Given how tight-lipped Anderson is, we’ll probably get info on it in drips over the course of months.

It’s rare when Anderson makes a movie that doesn’t include Murray in some capacity. They’ve been working together since Rushmore, and that has continued through The Life Aquatic, The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, Isle of Dogs, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and now The French Dispatch. Murray isn’t exactly a prolific actor, never has been, but he’s always there when Anderson needs him.

Kate Herron Won’t Return To Direct ‘Loki’ Season Two, But Is Open To A Marvel Return

By
Travis Hopson
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If you saw the Loki series finale you were treated to some pretty big reveals. The big baddie that we’re likely to see dominate Phase 4 was introduced, and at the end of the episode it was confirmed the series would return for season 2. After such an acclaimed first season, you would expect Marvel to keep the band together, but a key person won’t be coming back and that’s director Kate Herron.

Deadline reports Herron will not be returning for Loki‘s second season. This is only surprising because the series was met with such universal acclaim, and will likely be a factor during the Emmy race next year.

“I’m not returning,” Herron told Deadline. “I always planned to be just on for this, and, to be honest, season two wasn’t in the — that’s something that just came out, and I’m so excited. I’m really happy to watch it as a fan next season, but I just think I’m proud of what we did here, and I’ve given it my all. I’m working on some other stuff yet to be announced.”

Herron hasn’t been shy about her need to get some distance from Loki after the two-plus years she’s spent on the show. But she did mention “other stuff” she’s working on, could that be for Marvel, too?

“No, I’m just focused on my own stuff at the moment. I love Marvel, and I’d love to work with them again, but my outing with Loki is what I’ve done with them,” Herron said.

So maybe not yet, but it does sound like she’s open to coming back. And I would expect that Kevin Feige will be ringing her phone again soon, perhaps for a movie?

 

Review: ‘Schmigadoon!’

The Cecily Strong And Keegan-Michael Key Musical Comedy Fails To Hit All The Right Notes

By
Cortland Jacoby
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In the new Apple TV+ musical comedy, Schmigadoon!, Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key are at a crossroads in their relationship – literally. Stuck in a rut and overly comfortable with each other, Strong’s Melissa suggests she and her boyfriend Josh (Key) take a week-long hiking trip to try and shake things up. In the middle of a fight over their future in the woods, in the pouring rain of course, the couple finds a small little town straight out of a movie – a movie musical that it is. Produced by Lorne Michaels and co-starring Fred Armisen, Dove Cameron, Jaime Camil, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ariana DeBose, Ann, Harada, and Aaron Tveit, this comedy series leans into its classic movie source material rather than give us something new to sing. 

Within the first opening number, Schmigadoon! references an enormous amount of classic movie musicals, the most obvious being Brigadoon (whose plot is very similar to this show), Carousel, Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, Music Man, Oklahoma, and pretty much any other song and dance film of the 1950s and ’60s. Kitschy from the get-go, this small singing town is not Josh’s jam at all and wants to leave the celibate and love-obsessed townsfolk behind. However, the couple finds themselves unable to leave until, as a leprechaun played by Martin Short tells them, they find true love.

Forced apart, the couple must look for their true love amongst your typical musical archetypes, foppish town leaders, demure school teachers, religious zealots, questionably young love interests, and the “bad boy/carnie who isn’t really that bad by today’s standards.” The casting is spot on (which we won’t reveal to keep some of the magic) and Strong and Key’s performances set a strong tone for the rest of the players. 

If you have seen a musical sketch on SNL in the last eight years, chances are Strong was either behind it or in it. Clearly, in her element, her Melissa works a bit better than Key’s Josh, pointing out all the troupes and the differences between modern-day PC culture and the dated one is currently stuck in. Key, who was last in The Prom, plays a curmudgeon similar to his past roles, feels one-note.

Obviously, the set and production design is impeccable. The music and lyrics are smart and clever and clearly know what they are referencing. Schmigadoon! does have a few problems working against it. Because its cast is so expansive, supporting characters often fall by the wayside by the final episode. Armisen, who plays a closeted pastor dressed like a Catholic priest and is married to the town’s prude and religion fanatic (Chenoweth), is severely underused. 

The show also lacks the biting humor you’d expect from something with Lorne Michaels name on it. Rather than being a sharp and humorous take that slightly criticizes the genre, Schmigadoon! ends up falling into its trappings. Instead of parody, we often get a straight-up cutesy musical. Creators Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul, who write or co-write a majority of the episodes, are known for writing some of the most famous animated kids movies of the last fifteen years including Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who, The Despicable Me Franchise, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, and The Secret Life of Pets. Even with their work history, their co-writers known for more edgy projects, like Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live), Julie Klausner (Difficult People, Billy on the Street), Kate Gertsen (The Good Place), Allison Silverman (Russian Doll, Portlandia, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) fail to bring any real spice to the sugar fest that is a schmaltzy movie musical.

There is a Sound of Music “Do Re Mi” style number that breaks down, in detail, the female anatomy in terms of conception, easily becoming the best part of the series. But overall Schmigadoon lacks the biting humor you’d expect from Lorne Michaels/SNL affiliated musical comedy. Overly sentimental and not adding to the genre, its a song and dance we’ve seen before.

Schmigadoon! airs every Friday on Apple TV+. Watch the trailer below.

Review: ‘Great White’

A Familiar Narrative That Adds Bits Of Creepy Shark Imagery

By
Jen Pourreza
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Great White is an action thriller shark film directed by Martin Wilson (I Promise, Wait ‘Till Your Father Gets Home, Roll) and written by Michael Boughen. It’s about a last minute tourist trip that turns into a nightmare when five seaplane passengers are stranded miles from shore. In a desperate bid for survival, the group try to make it to land before a menacing terror lurking just beneath the surface hunts them all down.

Sounds terrifying and a situation I hope to never be in. Despite the craptastic scenario and a terror to lead up to, I don’t have high expectations. Shark thrillers come across as too mechanical or animated and produce wildly unlikely aspects that are unrealistic. I get more fear and excitement from shark documentaries. Let’s see how this goes, and dive in!

Great White opens with beautiful scenic views of beaches, water, and sea life. Right away, the film introduces a couple on vacation who are very much enjoying themselves. It doesn’t take long for a shark to appear and do it’s dirty deed. A clear tone set to know where the rest of the film is headed. Charlie (Aaron Jakubenko, Tidelands) and Kaz (Katrina Bowden, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil) own and operate a charter plane service that travels to a destination island off the coast of Australia. A cute couple who carry their own burdens that test the strength of their relationship. They book a last minute trip with the thought that sharks won’t be an issue. 

Michelle (Kimie Tsukakoshi, The Bureau of Magical Things that’s found (love her role too) on Netflix) and Joji (Tim Kano, Neighbours) are married and come from big money. As it turns out, Michelle has a familial connection to the legend of that island. Many years before, a few shipwrecked men were standranded there and fought to survive for 15 days. There was only one person left, Michelle’s 18 year old grandfather. Michelle and Joji are looking to connect with roots and pay respects to a recent tragedy in their family. Benny (Te Kohe Tuhaka, Love & Monsters, The Dead Lands) is the laid back and loyal right hand man to Kaz and Charlie. Together they board the Pearl Charter and head for “Hell’s Island”. 

Within minutes of landing and discovering Michelle’s connection, a shark bitten body is found. They find a dead guy’s phone with pictures taken of him and his girlfriend not far from the island shore. It’s the couple from the beginning of the film. Fearful that the woman could be in trouble, the gang decide to go look for her. They use the charter plane to find the capsized boat and it’s not long before the shark finds them too.

The gang does what they can to try and get away but the shark is hell bent at keeping them in the water. The shark takes a big bite into the plane leaving the passengers scrambling to inflate a raft and collect whatever supplies they can grab. The bite scene is so graphically heavy that it’s comical. It has the feel of a one shot, one assignment project that was turned in at the last minute. It comes across super fake and looks very much out of place.

The dialogue for Great White is simple and predictable but the overall acting is good. Benny is quiet but visibly has a good heart. Michelle is grieving and looking for guidance and hope. Jo just wants to make his wife happy but cant control his temper. Charlie and Kaz have their issues but their love felt real. Stranded in a raft and falling prey to a great white shark is problematic enough when trying to survive. Emotions flare as supplies dwindle as the shark attacks pick up intensity. Logic and reactions were appropriately established in scenes throughout the film. Respectively doing its best to stay away from unrealistic scenarios. There are a few thrilling moments but nothing outstanding to note. However, there is definitely a good sense of wondering who the shark would be coming for next. 

Everyone becomes physically and emotionally broken while trying to paddle to a shore. The shark is seen looming from an above and below sea level perspective when it’s fin isn’t slicing the water. The shark ups his attacks as the inch closer to a shore. Once they do, those that remain know they must distract and hold it back with the materials they have left. Given the whole ordeal, I was left wondering if these characters may derive from mer-people of some kind. The ability to hold their breaths underwater for as long as they do is insane. They all must have super human lungs or I just need to go swimming more. Preferably not in shark infested waters.

Great White is a basic narrative that adds bits of creepy shark imagery. The film intertwines elements from other shark thrillers, like Jaws with a Final Destination feel of foreshadowed death. The scenic shots and the acting/chemistry between the cast are memorable. For those that love a good shark thriller, this film is right up your alley. It just didn’t do it for me.

Great White is available in theaters and digitally now.

‘Indiana Jones 5’ Adds Antonio Banderas And ‘Ford v Ferrari’ Writers As Production Resumes

By
Travis Hopson
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A few weeks removed from Harrison Ford getting banged up on the Indiana Jones 5 set, production has finally resumed. And things are starting back up with a big new addition to the cast, and it’s someone with more than his share of adventure movie experience: Antonio Banderas.

Deadline reports Antonio Banderas has joined Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones 5 cast. His role? Unknown, but he joined Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, and Toby Jones.

The film is expected to be Ford’s final outing as Indy, which makes sense given his age and the long wait between sequels. Speaking of which, one of the major hold-ups has been the screenplay, which has undergone numerous changes. Director James Mangold is bringing in some familiar help on the screenplay now, with Ford v Ferrari writers Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth coming aboard.

Banderas was most recently seen in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard in a pompous villain role. I can see him doing the same here, too, or perhaps one of Indy’s many colleagues.

Indiana Jones 5 opens July 29th 2022.

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