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  • ‘M3GAN’ Impresses With $30M+ at the Box Office, ‘Avatar 2’ Passes $500M Domestically

    ‘M3GAN’ Impresses With $30M+ at the Box Office, ‘Avatar 2’ Passes $500M Domestically

    M3GAN is a sure-fire hit, as the film has now even beaten its recent projections and is set to wrap up the weekend with $30.2M. Internationally it also pulled in $14.8M putting it at an impressive $45M for a PG-13 film. It’s quite an increase from its initial $17M projection and a great win for Blumhouse, who made back the $12M production budget in just its opening weekend. It’s also a good indicator of strong word-of-mouth that could carry it in the coming weeks even with Avatar: The Way of Water still dominating.

    There’s hope after all for January to potentially lose its death month status for most releases. It’s the first movie to perform this well since 2012’s Devil Inside, which had a slightly higher opening. Even during the pandemic, horror films have remained the most consistent performers and even pull in audiences throughout multiple weeks; making the discussion surrounding the definite showcase of the CinemaScore more and more difficult.

    Speaking of, The A CinemaScore film Avatar: The Way of Water had another strong fourth weekend, as it pulled in another $45M and has now made $516M in the United States. Most of its gross is internationally at $1.1B, but it seems likely that it’ll pass two billion in a week or at the latest in two. Most of the competition won’t hit until February. These kinds of legs normally go to films with the coveted A+ rating, but James Cameron films just operate differently. Still, it’s an optimistic start to 2022 which has a much better balance in what films are set to release throughout the year.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Silent Hill 2 Remake’ Developers Promise a Faithful Revival But Tease One Major Overhaul

    ‘Silent Hill 2 Remake’ Developers Promise a Faithful Revival But Tease One Major Overhaul

    While there was a lot of excitement with the return of Silent Hill as a gaming franchise, there still were some reservations about some of the reveals. Most notably, Bloober Team hasn’t had the biggest track record with people that felt like most of their games oversold their promise of horror, and there were accusations of them mainly stealing most of their elements from others. So, them working on a remake of Silent Hill 2 had left many with some concerns.

    Luckily, it seems that Bloober Team wants to ensure that they are staying true to the original game; hoping to ease some concerns of modern elements taking away from the psychological horror that defined the franchise. DreadXP had the chance to sit down with Anna Jasińska who shared some insight into the upcoming adaptation.

    The idea of working on this project stalked us for many years, and in 2019, we received an invitation from Konami to participate in the Tokyo Games Show. To our delight, Konami asked us to prepare a concept for a remake of the original game’s second installment in exchange for the opportunity of bringing the concept to life.

    Anna Jasińska

    She shared that their concept “stole Konami’s heart” and led to them getting the sign off on remaking Silent Hill 2. She goes on to highlight that they are “bringing the distinct, visceral atmosphere back” and staying true to what made the original what it is today.

    We are focusing on bringing the distinct, visceral atmosphere back in the modernized SILENT HILL 2. Longtime fans shouldn’t worry about us “missing the point” while we’re livening up the title. We faithfully stick to the traditional story canon while remaking the gameplay and updating the graphics from the ground up.

    Anna Jasińska

    Jasińska does point out that they are updating one element from the original and that is its combat system. We saw glimpses of a more modernized take on a third-person horror game but no distinction on how that’ll be brought to life. Tank controls in the original added to the atmosphere and the clumsy combat was part of its charm, but certainly wouldn’t still work in a modern take.

    These are the reasons why Konami entrusted us with the remake in the first place. A big visible change is the adoption of an over-the-shoulder camera, which altered the perspective of a few iconic set pieces, but also meant an overhaul to the combat system. The latest technological achievements do wonder when it comes to making the visuals pop.

    Anna Jasińska

    Sadly, they wouldn’t go into any more details such as if they’d adapt the infamous kitchen scene, but for now, it seems like the remake is in good hands. We’re still waiting for a release date on the remake and a follow-up trailer showcasing the new combat system, but

    Source: DreadXP

  • ‘Deadpool’ Director Taking Over Additional Photography For Eli Roth’s ‘Borderlands’

    ‘Deadpool’ Director Taking Over Additional Photography For Eli Roth’s ‘Borderlands’

    Here’s a curious story, as it seems that Deadpool and Terminator: Dark Fate director Tim Miller is joining the production of Borderlands. He will oversee the reshoots of the production as first reported by One Take News. They do go on to highlight that the original director Eli Roth is still involved with the project and has not been fired yet. It seems that his schedule has not lined up with that of the various actors required for the reshoots.

    As such, Tim Miller is simply joining the production with the blessing of Roth to supervise the reshoots necessary to finalize the project. He supposedly has also seen the rough cut of Borderlands. Eli Roth is currently busy working on the film Thanksgiving which was inspired by a mock trailer from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez‘s Grindhouse film. So, those reading the headline expecting another version of what happened to the Justice League film can know that this isn’t a situation where studio interferences led to the director taking over.

    Still, we still have seen rather little of the Borderlands film. We got some teases here and there, but the film promises a star-studded cast that consists of Cate Blanchett, Edgar Ramirez, Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Black, and more. If Miller has Roth’s blessing, it doesn’t seem like he’ll add anything to change the style that the director used to bring this iconic gaming franchise to life, but it’ll be interesting to see what parts they added through reshoots.

    Source: One Take News, Deadline

  • Nicolas Cage Has No Interest in Joining a ‘Star Wars’ Project

    Nicolas Cage Has No Interest in Joining a ‘Star Wars’ Project

    We’re still anxiously awaiting any news on what Star Wars’ cinematic future looks like. To this day, there’s still no word on if Damon Lindelof‘s project is moving forward, even with rumors circulating that the film is already starting casting a person-of-color lead. There’s also Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron project that was put on the back burner due to her commitment to Wonder Woman 3; a film that is ironically not going to happen now.

    As we theorize about what the future might look like for Lucasfilm’s cinematic universe, we have the confirmation that there’s one actor we don’t have to consider in any project moving forward. In an interview with Kevin Polowy, the actor revealed that he’s “a Trekkie” and has no interest in joining a Star Wars project.

    I think this is the first interview of the New Year, you might as well get something that no one knows. But that’s a fact. I grew up watching Shatner, I thought Pine was terrific in the movies. I think the movies are outstanding.

    Nicolas Cage

    He goes on to highlight that he’s more about “the political” and “sociological aspects of science fiction rather than jumping into a world that is more science-fantasy at times like Star Wars.

    I like the political, the sociological… To me, what science fiction is really all about and why it’s such an important genre is that is really where you can really say whatever you want, however you feel, you put it on a different planet, you put it in a different time or in the future and you can – without people just jumping on you. You can really express your thoughts like Orwell in the science fiction format and Star Trek really embraced that. I thought they got into some serious stuff.

    Nicolas Cage

    Of course, it’s a shame that we’ll never see his zany performance in a Star Wars project, it does open up a bigger interest in if he could finally star in something Star Trek-related. There are a variety of shows and even a new film in development.

    Source: Twitter via The Direct

  • What to Expect from Marvel Studios 2023 Streaming Series

    What to Expect from Marvel Studios 2023 Streaming Series

    As of now, it looks like Marvel Studios will be pushing out three streaming series in 2023. Spread out over Spring, Summer and Fall, the series couldn’t really be any different from one another than they are though all three do share one thing in common: very little is known about them to date! To fix that and get you primed for 2023, we share what it is we know about each project.

    Secret Invasion

    When news of this series was first broken by the trades, it was described as a Nick Fury-centric project, so after years of being an important supporting character, Fury gets to shine in Secret Invasion. Fans looking for this to be an Avengers cameo fest like the comic book event of the same name are likely barking up the wrong tree. This is likely to be a much more personal and small-scale paranoid thriller that revolves a little more closely around the worlds of Fury and Talos and those in their orbits such as Rhodey, Talos’ daughter and Olivia Colman’s Sonya Falsworth. Kingsley Ben-Adir’s Skrull villain has a history with Talos’ family which lends itself to being a much smaller story.

    Obviously, Skrulls have been on Earth for some time now and have infiltrated positions of power and Europe seems to be a hot spot. The official description from Disney Plus indicates that the Skrulls, much like in the comics, want Earth to be their new planet and crew gifts that were handed out indicate that the story may take some inspiration from the comics in the form of Ben-Adir’s faction believing the Earth was prophesied to belong to them. Outside of that, this isn’t the Avengers-level event you’re looking for.

    Loki Season 2

    Even though there’s great connectivity and continuity from Season 1 with Eric Martin taking over for Michael Waldron, going into Season 2 expecting more of the same would be a mistake. What you think you know about the end of Season 1 may not be quite right…and it could lead to one hell of a wild ride.

    All of Season 1’s key players are back and Owen Wilson and Tom Hiddleston‘s fantastic chemistry will be at the forefront again, so expect some more laughs. However, this is still a wild time-traveling adventure and it will explore the fallout from Sylvie’s choices in the Season 1 finale. Ke Huy Quan‘s Bo plays a major role in dealing with that fallout and much like Season 1, you’ll probably be surprised by who the villain of the series actually is (unless you’ve already been spoiled) and how important this series is to the overall plot of the Multiverse Saga.

    Ironheart

    “Dark arts vs. technology.” It sounded hard to believe at first, but Marvel Studios has taken the dive in Ironheart, due out sometime in the Fall. Riri Williams’ debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever means fans will already know a bit about the character when the series begins which is perfect because it’s going to take some time to wrap their brains around Sacha Baron Cohen‘s Mephisto and his deal with Anthony Ramos‘ Parker Robbins.

    The footage of this screened exclusively at D23 put an emphasis on Robbins and his gang of misfits, which he wants Williams to join. It also looked upbeat and incredibly fun, giving the impression that this series may be the surprise hit of 2023.

  • ‘M3GAN’ Sequel is Already in Development

    ‘M3GAN’ Sequel is Already in Development

    The world of horror movies should be prepared for seeing more of the Model 3 Generative Android. Deadline has shared that a sequel for the new horror film M3GAN is in the very early stages of development. This news makes sense with the surprising surge at the box office the horror film has had on its first full day of release.

    The Universal Studios film won at the box office yesterday by earning over $11M, which has moved M3GAN’s opening weekend projection to $27.5M. This respectfully outperforms the initial $20M expectations, and the film has the potential to see it continue to increase if word of mouth continues to be a success.

    M3GAN, directed by Gerard Johnstone, is based on a story by Akela Cooper and James Wan. It was produced under Blumhouse Productions and follows the story of roboticist Gemma (played by Alison Williams) as she suddenly finds herself in the custody of her niece Cady (played by Violet McGraw) following the death of the latter’s parents.

    To help remedy a struggling home life situation, Gemma provides her niece with a prototype of her new work project to assist in looking after and providing emotional support for Cady: the Model 3 Generative Android (abbreviated to M3GAN). This of course has dire consequences as the artificial intelligence gains sentience that’s combined with a warped and everchanging moral code.

    The first major American release of 2023 is a relatively strong underdog story in the film industry. Being the film to dethrone Avatar: The Way of Water as #1 at the box office is a major accomplishment, and the notion of M3GAN being the movie to do it is certainly a surprise. The Way of Water is still set to win the weekend, but M3GAN being able to be relatively competitive without showing in most premium formats is a major feat.

    Without getting into specific spoilers from M3GAN, there are threads that can be continued for future projects. The character of M3GAN certainly matches the enigmatic nature shown in the trailer and is rife to be a successful black comedy franchise. Audiences should be prepared to see a great deal more of this artificial intelligence doll in the future.

    M3GAN is currently available at movie theaters globally. You can read Murphy’s Multiverse official review of the film here. 

    Source: Deadline

  • Hugh Jackman Hints at His Wolverine Training and When ‘Deadpool 3’ Starts Production

    Hugh Jackman Hints at His Wolverine Training and When ‘Deadpool 3’ Starts Production

    One of 2022’s most notable stories in the film industry was the surprise announcement that Hugh Jackman would be returning to the role of Wolverine. The face of the X-Men franchise will be entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the upcoming Deadpool sequel in 2024. As Jackman hasn’t played the character since 2017’s Logan, some might be curious about the time it would take for him to get in enough shape to play the iconic character once again. Luckily in an interview on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, the star actor confirmed the timetable for when he’ll physically be set to play the co-lead for the Marvel Studios production.

    I‘ve learned you can’t rush it. I’ve learned that it takes time. So we have six months from when I finish (‘The Music Man’ on Broadway) to when I started filming. And I’m not doing any other work. I’m going to be with my family and train. That’s going to be my job for six months. And I’m really fit right now. There’s one thing that about eight shows a week being on Broadway singing and dancing is I’m fit. So I’m healthy. I have a good place to start. And apologies chickens. Run a mile. Start running now because I’m coming for you.

    Hugh Jackman

    The notable news from this quote is that Deadpool 3 is apparently set to begin production in six months following the close of The Music Man on Broadway next week. This would mean a summer start for the highly anticipated multiversal romp. With that in mind, fans looking for the inside scoop on what to expect won’t have to wait too long before the first pieces of information about the film are made public. In terms of Hugh Jackman’s preparedness, the physical condition of the star actor shouldn’t be of any concern when production begins and he dons the metal claws for an additional time.

    Source: Collider

  • ‘M3GAN’ Surprises and Dehtornes ‘Avatar 2’s Friday Box Office

    ‘M3GAN’ Surprises and Dehtornes ‘Avatar 2’s Friday Box Office

    M3GAN is a surprise hit as the film is currently overperforming. Initially expected to make around $20M, the film is currently en route toward $28M. If it keeps up the performance with the horror classic B CinemaScore, there’s a chance it could even scratch the $30M. Of course, it’s not that easy with horror films that don’t leg out over the weekend, as they tend to have a stronger hold in the following weeks. It also doesn’t have any real competition so the film is definitely a success for Blumhouse.

    The big surprise, however, is that the film managed to dethrone Avatar The Way of Water on Friday. Yes, the monolith of a film was finally pushed out of its top seat even if just for a single day. M3GAN is still unlikely to win the weekend, but it’s something that the film can be proud of, especially in how Blumhouse made use of the empty January to release a fitting counterprogramming that pulls audiences in.

    January used to be an infamous dead zone for film releases but has become a popular horror release month. M3GAN almost covered its $12M budget with its opening day and is definitely going to end up profitable by the end of the weekend or early next week. Scream was released on January 13th last year and also managed to pull in quite some impressive numbers. Perhaps there’s a new market this month and Blumhouse is definitely going to make good use of it moving forward. You can read what we thought of M3GAN by clicking here.

    Source: Twitter

  • REPORT: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s Will Be The Longest ‘Ant-Man’ Film

    REPORT: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s Will Be The Longest ‘Ant-Man’ Film

    If there ever is a tradition with any Marvel Studios project, it’s the long discussions surrounding what runtimes the latest epic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe might have. With only a month left to go before its next major release, the speculation began on just how long Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania might end up being. Would the usually comedy-centric franchise stick to a shorter runtime or expand with its more Avengers-level-style teasing?

    Well, it seems that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be the longest entry in the trilogy, as according to Fandango the film will run for two hours and five minutes. That puts it well ahead of Ant-Man‘s one hour and 57 minutes. Ant-Man and the Wasp was only a minute longer than its predecessor. The film’s runtime puts it ahead of other Marvel Studios films like Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more. Though, it’s not going to rival any of some of the major crossover films, which share some of the longest runtimes in the franchise.

    When compared to the Phase 4 entries, the film is only a minute shy of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ runtime. Though, Thor: Love and Thunder remains the shortest entry of that Phase, as it’s still the only film to be under two hours. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania kicks off Phase 5 and it’ll be interesting to see if these longer projects remain and only a handful tends to stick to shorter runtimes moving forward; a potential learning from the last films.

    Source: Fandango

  • The Last of Us: Apocalypse 101 – Rule #49, Learn Not To Feel

    The Last of Us: Apocalypse 101 – Rule #49, Learn Not To Feel

    PREVIOUS ENTRIES:

    Rule #1, Cities Are Bad

    Rules #13-17, When You Kill Them Make Sure They’re Dead

    Rule #27, Only Carry What You Need (And Weapons!)

    May 18, 2026

    -Iggy Bigby

    Y’know, I once wrote a story about a little girl. She dreamed up a magical universe, as an escape.

    Her reality was abusive. She needed somewhere to go, but she didn’t have the power to leave on her own. So she used her imagination. She created someplace special, just for her. A place to be happy. A place to be free. The story was occasionally charming, sure, but it was dark. And the ending was crushing.

    The little girl, despite all her best efforts, succumbed to the pain of her reality and died in search of her wonders. It probably hurt more to write it than it did to read it. I even attempted to give the story a happier ending, to appease my future audience, but I couldn’t do it. What I had already written felt right, and anything else would just rob it of its weight. It would take away its truth.

    I was afraid my friends and family would question my mental health if they read it, so I never shared it with anyone. Looking back on it now, I realize I didn’t want to share the story because what I put on paper scared me just as much as I thought it might scare others. It had become my own personal scripture, with a demon on each page.

    It’s lost forever now, likely rotting in the rubble of a house I grew up in. But it still rattles around my brain from time to time. I’m 35 years old now, and it’s rattling again. Only this time it’s different. This time, I’m not scared of it. I have a new perspective, and I understand what the story really means – It was an outlet. A way for me to express what I knew about the world without confronting it directly. I couldn’t find a happy ending because I couldn’t see my own.

    I never cried over losing my family. My old family, the one I had before all this. I know that sounds terrible. It’s not like I didn’t want to cry, it just never came. I couldn’t force it out. It’s strange, I’ve always been someone with big emotions. But whenever something really bad happened, something unspeakable, I would just buckle down and choose not to feel it. A defense mechanism, like if I processed it I might explode.

    I’m a survivor. That’s how I’ve made it this far. Dropping to my knees and crying wasn’t going to help. Head down, move forward. On to the next.

    But then the next was Alex. And after that, our little Sweet Pea.

    I made a mistake. I started feeling again. I felt so much. For years, I didn’t think about that little girl or that horrible story. In a world that wanted so desperately to prove me right, I just thought about my loves. My new family. I could see my own happy ending.

    We had to leave Buffalo. The snow was too much in the winters, and the buildings couldn’t handle the banks piling up all over. We barely made it to spring a few years ago, so our family moved south. Outside the city, somewhere in hickland, we found a stable of horses. The folks inside the house nearby had kept them healthy and well-fed. They couldn’t do the same for themselves. Their bodies were fresh, but they weren’t infected. So we took what we needed from their place and left on horseback.

    Pittsburgh became our new home. A nice little suburb outside the city. Plenty of empty houses*, canned food, and supplies. Alex and I cleared the block of infected. Set up a homeschool for Sweet Pea. Lived with smiles on our faces. Nearing a decade together.

    I came up with a stupid idea to celebrate mine and Alex’s anniversary. There was a little trail, not far from our house and right next to the river, where we loved to spend evenings. Sit, talk about life, admire the city skyline. At the end of that trail was the entrance to the sewage system, locked with two great big doors. One morning, while Alex was teaching Sweet Pea at home, I snuck away and painted a mural of us on them.

    It wasn’t for anybody else to see. Just for them. I wanted the reveal to be an event, something they talked about for days. Something that made Sweet Pea giggle. But it wasn’t that. It was a disaster.

    Alex loved it so much. He told me it was amazing, and I didn’t believe him. Then suddenly, I saw his eyes, and it really was special. The way they were sparkling. Lit up. Sweet Pea laughed, her lovely little laugh, and they were all I cared about. A moment separate from reality. A happy ending.

    I was too distracted to notice Sweet Pea open the doors. In all the time we’d been there, Alex and I had assumed they didn’t open. Locked. Stagnant. But child minds think differently. She found a way. A curious little hand pushing too hard on a rusted bolt, perhaps. I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. I just remember the clicking sounds we heard as soon as those creaky doors swung open.

    Everything happened so quickly. I made eye contact with Alex, and the happiness had vanished. Just fear. We weren’t prepared. We let our guard down. Stupid. The infected came pouring out of that dark cavern-like ants. Sweet Pea was right there. We couldn’t get to her in time.

    I wanted to let the monsters take me. I watched her sob. I started sobbing too. I couldn’t make my legs move. Alex managed to get to her, pull her out before she suffered. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have made it out either. He took charge, pushed me forward. We ran for a while. I lost them both in the chaos. Now I’m here alone. Crying over losing my second family. Thinking about Sweet Pea. Wishing she didn’t have to be the little girl from my story.

    What I have left is this journal and a reminder why I started writing it in the first place. I was right. Happy endings don’t exist. Life always ends in death. No matter how hard you try to fight it. So I’m officially putting down my next rule in “Apocalypse 101”.

    Rule #49, Learn Not To Feel

    I don’t know where Alex and Sweet Pea are, but I know I’ll probably never see them again. I don’t envy Alex, either. If they both escaped those infected, he still has Sweet Pea. And she still has a bite mark on her shoulder. I hope he’s able to do what he has to for the both of them. He won’t read this, but I hope he doesn’t need it. If you want to keep living in these times, you have to learn not to feel.

    You can’t stop to mourn the bodies at the stable. You can’t grow attached to one place. You can’t be afraid to kill. You can’t love so much you forget where you are.

    When you feel, you open yourself up to death. I don’t know what’s next for me, but I know I’ll do it on my own. Consider doing the same. You see what being vulnerable got me.

    *(Our suburb was pretty empty, but the city itself had a lot going on. Infected, yes, but also large groups of people. Lots of shooting. We stayed away as a family, but now I might not have a choice. Cities are bad, but there are too many infected in the other direction for me to take on alone. Maybe if I keep to myself, I can sneak through undetected…)