Tag: Movie News

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Now Tops Paramount’s All-Time Box Office List

As of Tuesday evening, Top Gun: Maverick has passed $600 million at the domestic box office. The film is currently sitting at $601.9 million domestically and $595.6 million internationally. That brings the film to a stunning total of $1.2 billion globally.

Reaching $600 million at the domestic box office is an impressive feat, even without an ongoing pandemic. As it stands, Top Gun: Maverick ranks as the 12^th in all-time North American ticket sales, behind Incredibles 2 ($608 million) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi ($620 million). It’s more than likely the film will surpass Incredibles 2 shortly, as the film continues to perform well for Paramount despite its competition at the box office. It is also entirely possibly the film will surpass Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Avengers ($623 million) when all is said and done.

Along with crossing $600 million, Top Gun: Maverick has become Paramount’s highest earner at the North American box office to date, surpassing Titanic’s $600.7 million domestic haul – that total, of course, does not include the money earned from the film’s various re-releases, which have since brought it to $659 million.

“For 110 years, Paramount Pictures has produced and distributed some of the most iconic films in Hollywood history, including the all-time classic ‘Titanic,’ which marks its 25th anniversary this year,” Brian Robbins, Paramount’s president and CEO said in a statement to the press. “‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is a phenomenal motion picture, and we take deep pride in celebrating this tremendous achievement alongside Tom Cruise, our filmmakers and cast, our marketing and distribution teams, and, of course, all the new and original ‘Top Gun’ fans, without whom this wouldn’t have been possible.”

Top Gun: Maverick has become a box office phenomenon since its release over Memorial Day weekend. Even now, nearly two months after release, the Tom Cruise-led flick remains in the top three releases, having pulled in another $15.5 million from this past weekend. With no signs of stopping, Maverick seems likely to continue smashing records before its run is complete.

Source: Variety.

July 13, 2022
‘Doctor Strange 2’ Costume Designer Hints at Dormammu and Clea Connection

Dormammu may have been defeated by the end of Doctor Strange, but his presence is still looming large over the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The feared ruler of the Dark Dimension did not appear in this year’s magic sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but the film’s mid-credits scene included the surprise reveal that his niece, Charlize Theron‘s Clea, would play a big role in the future of the franchise. Not to be outdone by the many wacky elements in the film, Clea makes her grand debut memorable by popping up out of nowhere in quite the extravagant ensemble.

During a recent interview with Comic Book’s Phase Zero podcast, Marvel Studios costume designer Graham Churchyard explained that, despite his absence from the movie, Clea’s dread uncle was actually a huge inspiration behind her over-the-top look. After all, the two are related, and if her backstory is anything like the comics, most of her fashion sense comes from a lifetime in the murky depths of the multiverse’s spookiest dimension. Yet, according to Churchyard, the original designs for Clea had her fitted in less aggressive attire:

Well, that was Ian Joyner and John Staub and all those amazing guys at Vis Dev, with all those illustrations. And we made that whole costume in London, but we never met her, so that was quite traumatic in itself. And then I sent that out to LA and did a couple of Zoom fittings with her and then resolved a few things with the whole amazing costume team at the Marvel warehouse, and then two or three fittings later, that was it. She was on set. But the inspiration, oh my God, that would take another whole interview by itself because that went from someone who was sort of a gardener in the dream scape in the multiverse, to then this sort of warrior, a warrior from another dimension. And she is Dormammu’s kind of daughter, niece from the Dark Dimension. So all of those things were immensely inspiring to her costume.
Graham Churchyard

It’s interesting to hear Churchyard mention the word “gardener”. Clea has always been more of a warrior than anything, but the fact Marvel toyed with giving her a more pacifist design could be an indicator of the plans they have for her in future projects. Either way, it’s good to hear that the studio kept her classic familial relations in mind when coming up with her vibe. It’s probably a good sign fans will get to see Theron face down the Sorcerer Supreme’s greatest foe somewhere down the line.

Source: Comic Book

July 12, 2022
‘Madame Web’ Star Confirms Production Start on Sony’s Latest Marvel Movie

Many are still scratching their head on what exactly a Madame Web film would be about. While the character is a mainstay in the Marvel universe, or rather the Spider-Verse, it does seem strange to focus a story on a character that was mainly there for exposition. Either way, Sony is in full force on the project and according to actress Sydney Sweeney, they may have already started production.

In an interview with Variety, the actress shared that she has already started working on Madame Web alongside her co-stars, which consists of quite the stack cast. Dakota Johnson will play the titular role, and they are joined by Isabel Merced, Emma Roberts, Tahar Rahim, Celeste O’Connor, just recently Mike Epps, and more.

Currently I’m filming Madame Web. And I can’t really say anything about my character, but I’m very excited. My first Marvel movie. So it’s been a lot of fun, a lot of training and just prep work to get into it.
Syney Sweeney

With even hints that Madame Web may even have Marvel Studios backing it, the project could potentially tie into the multiverse storyline currently being told. It would be quite fun if they end up connecting this to whatever the studio currently has planned, and use it as a gateway to introduce characters they’d otherwise never get around to. Of course, we can only speculate but with Sony’s habits, you never know what a new Spider-Man universe entry might mean moving forward.

Source: Variety

July 12, 2022
‘Hawkeye’s Hailee Steinfeld to Return in a Future MCU Project

Many have been wondering what the future has in store for some of the characters from the Disney+ show. Moon Knight’s future is still in question with no clear hint at where we can expect Oscar Isaac‘s return. The same goes for the recent introduction of Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop. We’re still waiting for an announcement for a potential season two of Hawkeye, but it seems that We’ll see her in another project.

According to Variety, Steinfeld is set to return in a future Marvel Cinematic Universe project. They don’t give away any exact information or even if we should expect either a film or Disney+ series, but it does seem they aren’t done yet with Kate Bishop. There’s also the question of if she might be joined by Jeremy Renner‘s Clint Barton, as she is still an archer in training.

Of course, there are the theories that Marvel Studios is building toward a Young Avengers Disney+ show or film. That would seem like the perfect place to reintroduce her and maybe even as her way to join the cinematic side of Marvel Studios’ offerings. With a big name like Steinfeld, it makes sense they’d want to have her return in one form or another.

For now, we still have to theorize but San Diego Comic-Con, D23 and Disney+ Day are on the horizon. Perhaps we’ll get some announcements that offer a glimpse into the future of where Marvel Studios is heading, especially with the hope for confirmation on what the Phase 4 endgame is building towards.

Source: Variety

July 12, 2022
Taika Waititi Has No Plans to Release ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Deleted Scenes

Thor: Love and Thunder has been teased to have quite a few deleted scenes, especially starring Jeff Goldblum, Lena Headey, and Peter Dinklage. Many were excited to see the return of the Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War veterans but for some reason, it ended up on the cutting room floor. As such, many were looking forward to the physical and digital release to offer a glimpse at what was going to be included. Yet, Taika Waititi has seemingly no plans to release them.

The Love and Thunder mastermind has always been rather straightforward with his answers, though he also enjoys playing with people such as the recent CGI scene that made the rounds, he has pointed out that he’s not interested in releasing the cut sequences.

And if you ask any of those actors who were cut out — Jeff Goldblum, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage — they all understand how it works. They have been in the game long enough. But that’s just the way I look at things. […] because this is my way of telling you, like, people say, “I can’t wait for the deleted scenes with those actors.” I don’t want people to see the deleted scenes because they’re deleted for a reason: They aren’t good enough. [Laughs.] The scenes were not in the movie and that’s it.
Taika Waititi

It’s a bit of a surprise, especially with how deleted scenes are a tradition with any additional release. Of course, they may still find their way unto the blu-ray disc if Marvel Studios has the final say but it’s unclear just how much input he’ll have on the project. We still have to wait a few months until we find out.

Source: Insider

July 11, 2022
Former Marvel Studios Lawyer Opens Up on Missed Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Doctor Strange’ Deal

While Benedict Cumberbatch has become THE definite Doctor Strange for many, there was a time when Marvel Studios was eyeing Joaquin Phoenix to take on the role. He famously passed on it, as he wasn’t a big fan of their multi-film contract. A lot has happened since that day, as even Marvel Studios moved away from that model, and former production lead attorney Paul Sarker revealed in an interview with The Direct that the Phoenix situation was a key catalyst for their current strategy.

But to be perfectly honest, the Joaquin Phoenix thing was unique to me, because there was a deal and because it was pretty far along. And we were hopeful that it would close, but it didn’t. And that happens. And that to bring it back full circle, things like that may be why Kevin is saying we don’t want to do these super long-term deals because we want to see what works and if it works, and people want to do more than we’d love to have [them]. We don’t want someone to feel like they’re forced.
Paul Sarker

While everyone still benefitted in the end, as Phoenix went on to make a splash with another comic book property in Joker and Cumberbatch became the de facto choice for anyone imagining what this character would look, sound, and be like. It would be fun if he does end up returning in a cameo as the multiverse continues to expand. Sometimes these things just fall into place and it also highlights once again that Marvel Studios is a studio that tends to learn with time.

Now, they have a bigger universe than ever and their talent is still interested in returning even without any real contractual obligations like in the past. Even Natalie Portman and Idris Elba returned after sharing their dismay with the contract in the past. So, who knows what else they might have started learning and adjusting.

Source: The Direct

July 11, 2022
Russell Crowe’s Zeus Almost Had a British Accent in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

There are many standout elements in the story of Thor: Love and Thunder, but Russell Crowe‘s Zeus was definitely a fun addition. As a member of the city of Gods, he puts on a great show and we even uncover that Thor looks up to the fellow god of lightning. One of the fun aspects of his character was that Crowe was pulling off a fun Greek accent, but according to director Taika Waititi he couldn’t quite decide on which accent to go with. So, he just had the actor play each scene with both.

No. You would love to think that, I would love to think that. We actually talked at length about the accent. We wondered if someone did a Greek accent of a Greek god, is it going to be a farce? Will it be too silly? And Russell was very much wanting it to be Greek. But I wasn’t sure, so we ended up doing two versions of every take with Russell. One in a Greek accent and then another in a British accent. Because I felt people would think Zeus would sound British like Laurence Olivier in “Clash of the Titans.
Taika Waititi

He did highlight that the Greek accent was welcomed with open arms by the test audience, and it also worked out much better. His worry about offending Greeks has seemingly been solved and Crowe‘s gut instinct was on the money.

But then I realized in post that it’s actually more offensive to the Greeks to have Zeus sound like he’s British. And test audiences loved the Greek accent. I’m really happy with it. But, yeah, he had to do every take once in the Greek accent and once with a British accent because I couldn’t make up my mind. But Russell was right all along.
Taika Waititi

It definitely is interesting to see how these ideas come together. What stands out however is that he went through the trouble of shooting both versions, which may have put a lot of weight on various parts of the production crew, especially if he couldn’t decide even going into the test screenings. Perhaps we’ll get the British Zeus with the digital and physical release.

Source: Insider

July 11, 2022
Guardians of the Galaxy Almost Had a Bigger Role in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

When the news dropped that Thor: Love and Thunder would arrive ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, many were surprised and wondered how they would integrate them into the story. As it turns out, they had quite a small role early on as many expected when the first trailers hinted that they’ll likely only be in an early part.

Surprisingly, it turns out that early ideas originally had the team having a bigger role. While it’s unclear just how they would’ve connected to the ending, it does seem like they were going to become the cavalry that comes rushing in to help thor in his battle against Gorr. Yet, they realized that the focus should remain on Thor and Jane Foster.

The plan was always to have them in the beginning and then move on. Because they have their own movie. There was talk about having them come back at the end. The thing is that happens in every movie. No more. No more of the cavalry coming at the end. So we shelved that idea. We just wanted Jane to come in at the end.
Taika Waititi

While it is a bit strange to not give them one last wink, potentially even teasing their future storyline as a setup for the threequel but the emotional aspect was prioritized. Plus, the friends that they made along the way were there to also set up the ending of the film. We’ll see just where the Guardians are heading with their potentially final story but we’ll have to wait and see.

Source: Insider

July 11, 2022
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Director on How They Made Natalie Portman Taller With Movie Magic

Most discussions surrounding Marvel Studio’s films have been seemingly hyperfocused on CG ignoring most of the other work that goes into these projects. If you paid close attention, you’ll notice that Natalie Portman has grown a bit whenever she transforms into Mighty Thor. Well, it turns out that they used some movie magic to make her taller. In an interview with Insider, Taika Waititi revealed just how they accomplished that very feat.

As it turns out, all they had to do was build a small deck for her to stand on. So, while everyone else is walking, she’s walking alongside them on a deck of some kind. It seems the challenge they faced was that Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson had to walk alongside him. So, it seemingly brought a few challenges of its own.

We built a whole bunch of decking around the set. First we would block out the scene — mark out where the actors have to go so the crew knows the whole layout — and once we did that we build an elevated platform that was 4 feet high from the floor that she would walk on. But we also had to leave room so Chris and Tessa could walk around at regular height. It was a weird maze. But it worked.
Taika Waititi

It’s always fun to get a little look behind the scenes and hints at how exactly they accomplish these things. Robert Downey Jr. also used to wear higher heels in his shoes to seem taller on camera. So, it’s not the first time they pulled off something like this. It’s also great that they added this detail to highlight how she changes through the powers of Thor granted to her through Mjolnir. Sometimes it’s the small details that add that extra attention from the production team.

Source: Insider

July 11, 2022
Taika Waititi Would be Open to Return for a ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Sequel

Thor: Love and Thunder is certailny a surprisingly divisive film, as Taika Waititi brought his own humor to the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe entry. As the internet is ripping itself apart over its quality and the implications of recent hints regarding the VFX industry, the director sat down with Insider to discuss his future with the franchise. In it, he highlighted that Chris Hemsworth is returning as Thor while also hinting that he’s certainly open to returning for a fifth Thor film.

Waititi does confirm that he wasn’t aware of Hemsworth returning for future entries and it seems that the “Thor Will Return” tag was something added at a later point. It’s always unclear just how much insight the directors have on sequel plans.

Well, guess what? That was a surprise to me, too. I’m not joking. I saw it in the theater and I was like, “Oh, shit. Really?” Even Chris was like, “What?” But, of course he’ll be back. He’s the best character. I mean, I may be a little biased, but he’s the most fun to watch
Taika Waititi

The big question however is if we’ll not only see a fifth Thor entry but also if Waititi is open to returning. There’s been quite the backlash as of late in regards to the MCU entry not performing as some “expect” from the franchise, and the film has faced some harsh criticism. The big aspect of him returning however is only if Chris Hemsworth is also down to make another film.

Now, I don’t know what would be next. I would definitely do one, but only if Chris did it. But it would need to be something surprising and unexpected for me to want to do it. Like what would be the new take? The battles and all the fighting is fine, but I would want something that feels unexpected when it comes to the story. Like making just a $5 million movie with no fighting at all, just Thor on a road trip. Like “Nebraska.”
Taika Waititi

Given Thor has dabbled in space and on Earth, there are quite a few stories they could tackle. While personally exploring the darker storylines within the Norse mythology would be a preferred direction, there are quite a few stories still worth pulling from to explore just what exactly the future has in store for the franchise.

Source: Insider

July 11, 2022