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Tag: DC Movies

  • New ‘The Suicide Squad’ Artwork Reveals Deathstroke Had Bloodsport’s Role

    New ‘The Suicide Squad’ Artwork Reveals Deathstroke Had Bloodsport’s Role

    The Suicide Squad has finally released in theaters and on HBO Max. Even with a lukewarm Box Office opening over the weekend, it’s proving quite popular on the streaming service. It introduces us to some new characters from the DC canon alongside some familiar faces from the previous entry. One of the highlights is the newly introduced character of Bloodsport, who is played by Idris Elba in the film.

    Yet, it looks like his role might’ve been very different at one point as Twitter user @DCversio1 shared an image from behind-the-scenes with various artwork in the background. Once you take a closer look you’ll notice that Bloodsport’s leading position is taken by the iconic DC anti-hero, Deathstroke. It’s possible they kept the artwork for production purposes but already realized the role would be perfect for Bloodsport.

    https://twitter.com/DCverso1/status/1425084579212406787

    James Gunn did reveal that the character almost made the cut into the film. Yet, we never got into any insight into what role he would’ve had and it seems he almost was the leading man of the original second team throughout the film. The other members, King Shark, Peacemaker, Polka-Dot Man, and Ratcatcher 2, are present in the visual.  We sadly don’t see the first team from the film, which might reveal its original line-up.

    Still, it’s a shame we didn’t get the return of Deathstroke, who only briefly returned in Zack Snyder’s Justice League for a brief appearance. He was played by Joe Manganiello in both versions of the film. It’s uncertain if he was up for the role, or Idris Elba would’ve taken on a new interpretation of the character. Still, Bloodsport’s unique weapons added a great visual flair to the film, and it hopefully is just the beginning of Elba‘s time in the DCEU.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Black Widow’ and ‘The Suicide Squad’ Showcase Streaming’s Biggest Hurdle: A Lack of Transparency

    ‘Black Widow’ and ‘The Suicide Squad’ Showcase Streaming’s Biggest Hurdle: A Lack of Transparency

    There’s a major shift in the cinematic landscape happening as we speak. Up until before the pandemic hit, Netflix dominated the streaming landmark. We never found out just how successful their projects were, but saw their subscription numbers continue to grow. Now, Disney+, Apple+, and HBO Max have entered the market. In addition, we’ve entered a year when major motion pictures no longer are theater-only releases. HBO Max and Disney+ Premier Access offer accessibility to popular films in different ways. It’s taken a bite out of their Box Office numbers and shows we’re adapting to a brand-new market.

     

    Disney Plus suffers technical difficulties at launch - Portland Press Herald

     

    Disney+ is a very special case due to Disney doing something rather surprising. They’ve released the opening weekend sales of their Premier Access showings. Yet, they only did it as of Black Widow and never followed up on it. So, its success is up in the air due to no transparency if those numbers have changed at all since the initial opening weekend. Samba TV claimed its US market doubled over the course of the second, which would be insane considering it already made 60M in one weekend. A lawsuit followed by Scarlett Johansson to claim its digital release hampered her initial contract and is still an ongoing discussion to this day.

    There’s also the uncertainty surrounding HBO Max. The Suicide Squad opened to a lower than expected Box Office, as it failed to hit its initial $30M prediction. The Delta variant is still considerable across the world and is hampering Box Office results alongside other key factors. HBO Max offers the film for free with a same-day release as theaters.  Once again, we only know how it’s doing in theaters, but not on the service. We are reliant on Samba TV to give us information to guess if it’s a streaming success or not. We commonly only find out when an executive likes to share a success story, like he did today with The Suicide Squad being their second most-watched film during its simultaneous theater release.

     

    Here are all the HBO Max films and shows you can watch | CNN

     

    We’re entering a new generation where a film’s success will be more than its Box Office income and physical sales. Just releasing information during its launch does not give a great estimate of a film’s overall performance. Plus, it seems like these metrics are more a PR move rather than useful information if it’s not communicated consistently. As we enter the new era, it’s time for more transparency. Third parties can only offer estimates, and it’ll get more difficult if this model wants to remain. Plus, digital-only releases like Pixar’s Luca or The Tomorrow War depend on estimated Nielsen ratings for any sign of life. It’ll become more difficult to understand how and why a film deserves a sequel or not. At some point, they can no longer keep these numbers under lock and key.

    Relying purely on Box Office numbers could paint their productions in a negative light.  The Suicide Squad is a perfect showcase of that, with headlines calling it a disappointment based on purely one metric. Black Widow’s Box Office is hindered by a lack of Chinese release and a lack of understanding of how Disney+ Premier Access performs for repeat viewers after its initial launch. Even if companies don’t want to provide these metrics, they are essential for understanding a film’s overall performance, as well as relevant for their talent’s individual contracts as the current allegations showcase. The streaming era is here, but the industry refuses to fully embrace all that comes with it.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘The Suicide Squad’ is HBO Max’s Second Most Viewed Film During Theatrical Opening Weekend

    ‘The Suicide Squad’ is HBO Max’s Second Most Viewed Film During Theatrical Opening Weekend

    The Suicide Squad had to face an uphill battle with the Delta variant roaming the world and adding some doubt in people willing to visit a cinema. So, our only point of orientation on its potential success would be how popular it was on the HBO Max streaming service. It could give us an inkling how well the same-day release strategy is working for Warner Bros. and it seems it might’ve been far more popular than expected. HBO Max chief Andy Forssell shared that the film was their second most-viewed film during its release weekend.

    As the country faces new challenges due to the COVID variant, we’re happy to continue to offer fans the option of viewing movies in their homes. Many chose to do just that as Suicide Squad emerged as the second most viewed film over an opening weekend on HBO Max since we began day-and-date releases with theaters.

    Of course, they didn’t share any exact numbers and according to The Hollywood Reporter, Mortal Kombat is currently holding the top spot. Samba TV shared an analysis yesterday that on Thursday, 363K US households watched the film, but it doesn’t offer a direct point of comparison for the entire weekend. Still, it’s good to see the film is prospering through streaming and might be a hint that R-rated projects have a good home in streaming media.

    The Delta variant is still adding a lot of uncertainty for cinemas. So, the upcoming weeks will give us a better idea, especially with early September still locked in. It’ll be curious if major Marvel Studios like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings might push beyond the current threshold and offer some more trust in movie-going audiences, as some delays are still happening for major releases.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘The Suicide Squad’ Falls Short With $26.5M Domestic Weekend Amid Growing Pandemic Concerns

    ‘The Suicide Squad’ Falls Short With $26.5M Domestic Weekend Amid Growing Pandemic Concerns

    It looks like The Suicide Squad ended up falling short of its early $30M+ predictions, as the film ended up debuting with $26,5M domestically. It also garnered an additional $45.7M internationally, putting it at a $72.2M worldwide Box Office. These results are slightly higher than yesterday’s prediction, which saw it making $1M less. Even with it hitting a lower than expected BO, it still took the top spot. It was closely followed by Jungle Cruise with $15.6M and Old with $4.14M. Black Widow has been keeping steady at the fourth spot with another $4M.

    Overall, the Box Office results prove that Delta concerns are still dominating. Ever since Marvel Studios’ release, the overall numbers have steadied out for bigger releases at $30M. Yet, each film faced harsh drops in its second weekend. Trends would reflect non-pandemic numbers, but digital releases are showing their fangs. James Gunn’s DC film is available on HBO Max for no additional costs. So, even after a strong Thursday showing, people were hesitant over the weekend as pandemic numbers continue to rise again.

     

    The Suicide Squad - Kritik: Hektisch, aber höllisch unterhaltsam

     

    Forbes’ Scott Mendelsohn also argues that the confusion regarding Suicide Squad’s position as a soft reboot and sequel may also add some confusion to audiences’ willingness to risk viewing it. Of course, the first film’s negative reception also adds to that factor. Will Smith was the big selling point of the original, and he is absent in the sequel. Combine that with an R-rating and there are a lot of wild factors this film had to face.

    Still, the film received a very positive reaction from critics and fans alike. Yet, it did face a B+ in its CinemaScore rating. Of course, we can’t compare it to Ayer’s Suicide Squad, which opened to $133M without facing any of these issues. We’ve already seen Sony delay Venom: Let There Be Carnage in New Zealand. So, there’s a lot of uncertainty moving forward into what the future holds for cinema as we face the current development.

    Source:  The Numbers, Variety, Variety (Updated), Forbes, Twitter

  • ‘The Suicide Squad’: Who is Starro the Conqueror?

    ‘The Suicide Squad’: Who is Starro the Conqueror?

    With the roster for James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad stacked with wildly disparate and relatively unknown DC Comics villains, we thought it would be great to get to know each of them in 400 words or fewer. Now that the film was released in theaters, we finally can talk about the big bad starfish, Starro the Conqueror. He first appeared in the 1960s Brave and The Bold #28 by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky. Starro is a giant intergalactic starfish that has the ability to spit out smaller versions that seek out hosts. They attach to their faces and take over their body. An ability that could quickly topple nations, and even worlds. Starro’s abilities consist of size alteration, bio-fission, mind control, regeneration, flight, telepathy, and mass consciousness.

     

     

    Starro was the first enemy the Justice League fought in their original inception. So, you can imagine how fearsome this space starfish truly is. Starro came to Happy Harbor and quickly took over the town. This brought together one of the most popular and iconic teams in comics. At the time, the team consisted of Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter, who would face off against the cosmic conqueror and defeat him by covering him in quicklime. The intergalactic starfish has become a recurring villain ever since, appearing in various comic storylines including Crisis on Infinite Earths #9, Justice League Europe #24, and many more. He made his live-action debut when he got unleashed onto Corto Maltese. He was kept quite close to his comic counterpart, and we also get to explore what happens to its hosts once it takes control of their bodies.  Let’s just hope Starro gets a bit of open-ending, as the comics introduced an offspring of his known as Jarro that got adopted by Batman.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Suicide Squad’ is an A-List Film With C-List Villains

    REVIEW: ‘The Suicide Squad’ is an A-List Film With C-List Villains

    The line “Sad souls in silly costume” summarizes the motley crew that serves as the world’s last line of defense against a towering galactic starfish that conquers worlds perfectly. James Gunn makes his grandiose return to the genre with The Suicide Squad. It is a fast-paced firefight that features some stellar characters with individual, fulfilling arcs. While the film tends to drag a bit at certain points and some characters feel underutilized, those at the heart of the film’s eccentric story keep the ball moving and allows for an action-packed third act that ties the film together almost perfectly. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the highs and lows of the latest DC film.

     

    There will be spoilers in this review. So only continue at your own risk if you haven’t seen it yet. 

     

     

    The Suicide Squad · Film 2021 · Trailer · Kritik · KINO.de

     

    Let’s start with some minor shortcomings of the film. The part that I felt could’ve benefitted from more time is the opening sequence. When we land on the beach with our initial team, we really meet the duds of the bunch. They are obvious cannon fodder. Characters like Javelin, Mongal, Captain Boomerang, Savant, Weasel, and Blackguard don’t get the slightest chance to show off before they meet gruesome ends. The only exception is Nathan Fillion‘s TDK for a joke on the absurdity of his abilities. While this sequence felt rushed, Harley’s time with the new president of Corto Maltese was on the other side of the spectrum. It just dragged on a little too long, and I felt she could’ve got her ‘red flags’ speech out earlier when he mentioned hanging an entire family.

    But we’ve really got to talk about the parts that sing louder than the rest, which is 90% of the film. From the get-go, you can tell who the main characters are, and it’s difficult to choose a standout among them. I loved the dynamic between Bloodsport and Ratcatcher 2. Idris Elba’s mercenary acts as a  surrogate father, while she helps find the good within him. What truly stands out is the group dynamic perfectly complemented by Peacemaker, King Shark, Polka-Dot Man, and Harley Quinn. Margot delivers yet another fantastic turn at Quinn. All of this comes together in the third act, where the film truly shines.  Polka-Dot Man overcomes his fears and manages to become the superhero his mother had always tried to force him to be but on his own terms.

     

    The Suicide Squad“ im Kino: Die Knalltüten aus der Superhelden-Liga - Kultur - Tagesspiegel

     

    The Suicide Squad truly feels like a comic book brought to life in all the right ways. The film excels at what it sets out to do and told a fantastic story with an excellent roster of actors. Everyone brings their A-game, no matter how small the role. While the film may not be for the weakest of stomachs, it’s got a ton of heart, quite literally.

  • ‘The Suicide Squad’ Earns $4.1M on Thursday and On Track to a $30M+ Domestic Opening

    ‘The Suicide Squad’ Earns $4.1M on Thursday and On Track to a $30M+ Domestic Opening

    It looks like The Suicide Squad will become the highest-earning R-rated film during the pandemic. James Gunn‘s film made $4.1M on Thursday preview showings. To be fair, it’s mainly going off against Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, and The Forever Purge. The overall reception has also been very strong, which can push it further over the weekend. Yet, the Delta Variant is still influencing insecurities about visiting the cinema, and the latest entry could add a bit more energy back into the Box Office.

    The big question mark over its head lies in the simultaneous release on HBO Max. Just like we saw with other films that utilized this type of digital availability, it pulls the opening weekend down. There’s also the big risk on the second weekend, which has generally shown that general audiences aren’t willing to risk seeing the same film repeatedly, but prefer whatever was the latest release.

    Predictions set it at a strong $30M+ opening weekend in domestic markets. It’s Thursday earnings push that prediction, but it’s uncertain if it’ll manage to pass $40M. The film seems to be on par with the release of Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. It earned $33.2M in its opening weekend before the pandemic close shop on theaters.

    The only difference is that James Gunn’s project has a much higher budget, and Warner Bros. might be banking on a strong showing on their streaming service. Plus, given the current situation, the film could still be considered a success even with its hefty $185M budget. The next few days will give us a clearer look at where it’ll land once its weekend ends.

    Source: Deadline, Variety, Deadline (Birds of Prey)

  • RUMOR: ‘Black Adam’ Will Feature the Original Atom

    RUMOR: ‘Black Adam’ Will Feature the Original Atom

    The Justice Society of America has always been a team that’s focused on the legacy of its heroes. Over time, the mantles would be passed down to new heroes such as family or even proteges. The team has seen many iterations since its inception all the way back in the 1940s. It wasn’t until we saw Geoff Johns run on the team that the team began to shift the members of its roster, adding legacy heroes like Cyclone, Starman, Stargirl, Jakeem Thunder, Wildcat, Hourman, and Albert Rothstein, the godson of the original Atom, Al Pratt.

    With Black Adam set to introduce the Justice Society on the big screen, fans may take notice of its updated roster. The Direct is reporting that Golden Age Atom, Al Pratt, is set to make an appearance in the upcoming film in a limited role. The hero will serve as a sort of uncle figure to Albert in the film, with the new Atom Smasher donning his original costume when he eventually suits up with the JSA. No casting for Al Pratt has been revealed at this time.

    A key detail here is Albert donning Al’s original suit, which would mean at one point Pratt did indeed operate as Atom. With Ma Hunkle and the original Red Tornado, another golden age JSA member reportedly in the film, it definitely feels like the seeds are being planted to feature the original JSA at some point in a prequel of sorts and potentially show us the golden age of heroes we theorized may have once operated in the DCEU.

    SOURCE: The Direct

  • James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ Eyeing a $30M+ Domestic Opening Weekend

    James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ Eyeing a $30M+ Domestic Opening Weekend

    We’ve been discussing the Box Office frequently, as the pandemic has changed our perception of what makes a film successful. Even with Black Widow’s great opening weekend with around $80M, it still saw a stark drop in its second weekend and lost to Space Jam: A New Legacy. Yet, it passed the film, which saw just as harsh a drop. These films were made available through digital alternatives, and it’s a general theme that audiences aren’t willing to risk a second viewing of the same film during the quarantine. Now, all eyes are on James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad opening weekend.

    It looks like it’ll take on the Box Office with a $30M opening. Unlike past weekends, it won’t have too much competition when it releases worldwide, and there is still hope it might even pass the $40M mark. With a $185M production budget, it’ll be a smaller release, but given current situations, it’s still impressive. Larger releases in the past few months were around that very mark, with Black Widow and F9 being the only exceptions.

     

    The Suicide Squad'; Watch An Exclusive DC FanDome Sneak Peek & Roll Call Video For The James Gunn Film - Screen-Connections

     

    Of course, it’s also available on HBO Max, which is WarnerMedia’s big hope for its release. It currently already gained $7M in some international markets and could be heading towards an overall $70M worldwide. It’ll get compared to the previous franchise entry by David Ayer, which managed around $746M, but it wasn’t facing any of the current troubles. Deadline has highlighted that the Delta variant is one of the causes for the overall Box Office drop we’ve seen over the last few months, even after May saw a bit of an uptick. It’ll be curious what it might mean for the future of the Box Office and if September releases will get shifted back.

    Source: Variety, Deadline

  • DC President Hints at More DCEU Projects in James Gunn’s Future

    DC President Hints at More DCEU Projects in James Gunn’s Future

    James Gunn’s Suicide Squad sequel will soon release and continue the DC franchise. He’s been busy working on a spin-off focused on the character of John Cena’s Peacemaker before returning to Marvel with the final installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. So, it looks like the director will be quite busy for the years to come, and DC Films president Walter Hamada may have hinted at a lot more projects in the iconic comic world heading his way. After a vague mentioning that they would always welcome him back, he also ended the interview with the following statement:

    He’ll be back. We have more stuff planned.

    So, it seems pretty clear that Gunn is in no way finished working with DC. It’s unclear if he’ll return to work with Marvel Studios in the near future, but the more disconnected strategy for the DCEU franchise may offer him a wilder playing field with how he approaches characters. There are hints that Peacemaker might get a potential second season, and he may even explore other spin-offs of the various members.

    Of course, he may even return for a sequel for The Suicide Squad, or tackle a brand-new character. Almost five months ago, Charles Murphy heard that Krypto was on the table at some point, and he could potentially return to the idea. It’s great to see Gunn‘s return to the world of comic book movies. We’ll all keep a close eye on what his future holds. Who knows what other wacky adventures or stories he has in store for us.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter