Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • ‘Lightyear’ Loses to ‘Jurassic World 3’ While ‘Top Gun’ Continues to Soar

    ‘Lightyear’ Loses to ‘Jurassic World 3’ While ‘Top Gun’ Continues to Soar

    The numbers are in and, as sadly expected, Lightyear isn’t going to set the box office in flames. The Toy Story spinoff which isn’t necessarily an actual spinoff of the original franchise, but rather a fictional film that takes place in that same universe, has opened to $51M over the weekend. With a wide release in 4,255 North American which is on par with many current releases but it does seem like family audiences aren’t quite ready yet to return to theaters as initially hoped. David A. Gross, who runs Franchisee Entertainment Research, shared the following statement on its release:

    This is a soft opening for a spin-off of one of the most successful animation series of all time. ‘Toy Story’ defied gravity at the box office during its 27 year run, each episode topping the last, the last two clearing a billion dollars worldwide. But like all spin-offs, the ‘Lightyear’ story is narrower now.

    David A. Gross

    The early expectations had the film at around $70M but it’s sadly now going to be one of Pixar’s least successful releases, especially with a high production cost of $200M. Lightyear isn’t a sign of Pixar losing its draw at the box office, but more a reflection of the pandemic’s influence on younger audiences and Disney+’s strategy of using one of its biggest franchises to boost subscription numbers. Internationally the film has also been a lukewarm release with $34.6M, which puts it at an international release of $85.6M, which is a far cry from its initial expected $135M+.

    Jurassic World Dominion kept its dominance at the box office, as it held on to the top spot, but did face a harsh 60% drop in its second weekend. It’s not too far from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ 67% and highlights how these franchise films operate. With a lower opening than the Marvel Studios project, it reflects how these drops normally operate, but the dinosaur epic still generated $58.6M which is a strong release and now stands at $259M domestically.

    It’s second-weekend highlights even more how much Top Gun Maverick is an exception than the rule, as the film has taken a massive $44M in its latest weekend which is just a 15% drop. As such, it is the second-highest fourth weekend with the only exception being Avatar. The film is likely going to pass a billion in just a few weeks as it already stands at $885M and will likely become the highest-grossing film of the year very soon. It sparked the box office in a big way and is a testament to just how sudden some projects can pull in viewers.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Lightyear’ Currently Underperforming, May Not Dethrone ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’

    ‘Lightyear’ Currently Underperforming, May Not Dethrone ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’

    It looks like Lightyear is struggling a bit to catch its legs at the box office, as the latest Pixar film may not beat Jurassic World: Dominion at the box office this weekend. Going in, the Pixar film was eyeing a potential $85M+ opening weekend but after a lukewarm Friday, it does seem like Dominion may keep its dominion (pun fully intended) over the box office domestically. The film opened to $20.7M on Friday, which includes the decent $5.2M preview screenings, yet the film is very likely to end at around $52M.

    There are many theories online on what exactly led to this opening. The biggest aspect is definitely the pandemic, as while Top Gun Maverick pulled audiences back into seats they likely haven’t visited in a long time, families are still a bit uncertain. They also released the last three films exclusively on Disney+ to push subscriptions but it may have shown its fangs on dragging that out while letting Marvel Studios roam free as of late.

    Luckily, the numbers would put it as one of the strongest family films since the pandemic started, but a $200M budgeted spinoff based on a toy from a film franchise is not an easy sell. It did get an A- CinemaScore, which hints at word-of-mouth being strong for the Pixar release. Lightyear may just not have the same selling effect that Pixar hoped for, as it doesn’t have the Toy Story branding, and outside of its main character, has no connection to the original.

    So, it’s a spinoff that is also an original film based on pre-existing characters without the original voice. Toy Story 4 opened to a powerful $120.9M in 2019, which was already a powerhouse year, but simply highlights that this is more a case of Solo: A Star Wars Story than

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ BTS Image Offers a Glimpse at Christian Bale’s Transformation into Gorr the God Butcher

    ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ BTS Image Offers a Glimpse at Christian Bale’s Transformation into Gorr the God Butcher

    Thor: Love and Thunder is only a few more weeks away and we’re anxiously awaiting the journey that Christian Bale is going to take us on with his take on Gorr the God Butcher. While we had to wait a bit for the first official reveal, the second trailer for Love and Thunder offered a look at a very different interpretation of the character. We’ve known very little about how his transformation came to be, but a new behind-the-scenes image shared offered some insight into how they brought him to life.

    While we don’t get a good look at his full make-up, it does reveal that Christian Bale has originally shaven his entire head to play the role of Gorr. Yet, very likely due to contractual reasons with another project, he wasn’t able to during reshoots and so they had to tackle a different way of making his bald head come to life. Bart Mixon shared a look at how they created a bald cap to make it seem like he had no hair at all.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CexS0GnDJ4t/

    Bale is the kind of actor that would go the extra mile to bring his character to life, but it’s interesting how they manage to still create a realistic-looking bald head. Karen Gillan talked bout how they were able to use a bald cap for her role as Nebula to avoid her constantly having to shave her head, even if she did it for her initial casting to prove how ready she was to take on the role.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ May Be Chris Hemsworth’s Last MCU Film

    ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ May Be Chris Hemsworth’s Last MCU Film

    There have been many theories on when an actor may pull the plug on their time with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There’s never been a definite with many, as some moved away from taking on leading roles to appear in minor roles moving forward. We’ve had some famous exists after Avengers: Endgame, but now it looks like Chris Hemsworth may have found his end with the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder.

    In an interview with Wired, he answered a few of the most searched questions. When it came to the last film he shot in the MCU, he also highlighted that the fourth Thor film may be his last.

    The last one I just shot was ‘Thor: Love and Thunder. And it may be my last, I don’t know.

    Chris Hemsworth

    The actor has been playing the role since the 2011 film that was among the many that kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, while sad it wouldn’t be surprising that his run might be nearing its end soon. He has spent a lot of time with the character and the upcoming film will further tell the stories of Natalie Portman‘s Jane Foster and Tessa Thompson‘s Valkyrie.

    So, the Asgardians aren’t truly leaving the world of the MCU behind but the God of Thunder may be slowly trying to find his way out, even if it would be nice to have his iconic Fear Itself storyline be the way he’s given a true farewell. With Taika Waititi‘s more comedic run, one last more serious turn to fully explore the potential of Thor may be the perfect way to end his story on a high note.

    Source: YouTube via Insider

  • Disney Plus Timeline Places ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ After the Events of ‘Black Panther’

    Disney Plus Timeline Places ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ After the Events of ‘Black Panther’

    Disney Plus has done wonders for fans who wish to watch the MCU in Timeline Order rather than release order as it provides what must be assumed to be the definitive order. Now, with Spider-Man: Homecoming making its way to the platform in the UK, Spider-Man: Homecoming has been given its official place.

    According to D+ UK, the events of 2017’s Homecoming occur between Black Panther, which was released in 2018, and 2016’s Doctor Strange. Landing here also places it chronologically at the end of 3 films that all essentially spun out of Captain America: Civil War (Black Panther, Black Widow and Homecoming) and before the events of Thor: Ragnarok and Ant-Man and The Wasp, which most directly led to Avengers: Infinity War.

    With Homecoming’s official place on the timeline revealed, Tom Holland’s other two Spider-Man films join 2008’s The Incredible Hulk as the only canon projects whose exact place on the timeline remains in question other than Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which will get slotted in when in hits Disney Plus later this week.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Continues Box Office Superiority, Now Cruise’s Highest-Grossing Film

    ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Continues Box Office Superiority, Now Cruise’s Highest-Grossing Film

    The Tom Cruise-led sequel has officially surpassed $800 million worldwide as it continues its trek towards the $1 billion mark. The latest milestone was achieved on Thursday after the film hit $422.2 million domestic and $384.2 million internationally. The film is officially Cruise’s biggest movie ever at the worldwide box office, surpassing Mission: Impossible – Fallout’s $791.1 million worldwide haul.

    Going into its third weekend, Maverick could face some more competition with both Jurassic World: Dominion and Lightyear looking to take a chomp out of the box office. As of yesterday, Dominion had earned $8.66 million, which was enough to secure first place for another day, while Maverick earned $6.2 million. While Lightyear, the latest from Disney and Pixar, secured $5.2 million between Wednesday and Thursday previews, which is a tad under what Sonic the Hedgehog 2 managed back in April. 

    Despite low preview numbers, Lightyear is expected to take in anywhere between $70-85 million at the domestic box office this weekend, for a projected $135 million worldwide opening when all is said and done. Lightyear and Dominion, which is still pulling in decent business going into the weekend, will share IMAX screens this weekend before Dominion cedes them to Lightyear next weekend.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘Scream 6’ Adds Josh Segarra, Liana Liberato, and More to Cast

    ‘Scream 6’ Adds Josh Segarra, Liana Liberato, and More to Cast

    Scream 6 has gotten hit by a setback when Neve Campbell announced that she would not be returning. The franchise saw a new jolt of energy when it released a new entry in 2022 that revived the franchise with a sequel quickly underway. Production has already started and it looks like the next entry is heading to New York City. Still, it looks like they’ve added four new faces to the franchise.

    Deadline has reported that Liana Liberato, Jack Champion, Devyn Nekoda, and Josh Segarra to the cast. They join a cast that already sees some iconic members join from the last installment, which includes Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, and Jenna Ortega. They’ll join the sixth entry in the franchise that’ll also see Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett back in the director’s chair.

    The fifth installment took quite the stab at the box office, as it made $140M worldwide on a small budget. The story will see the survivors of the last Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start off a new chapter in their lives. It’s unclear what might lead the iconic slasher to make his return, but we’ll know more when the film releases on March 31st, 2023.

    Source: Deadline

  • Iman Vellani Joins Disney Wish’s ‘Avengers: Quantum Encounter’ Dining Event

    Iman Vellani Joins Disney Wish’s ‘Avengers: Quantum Encounter’ Dining Event

    It looks like the upcoming Disney Cruise Line has added another star-studded cast member to its new Avengers: Quantum Encounter interactive show. The project already will see Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, and Brie Larson return to reprise their roles from the films, but now it has been unveiled that Iman Vellani is also going to join the Cruise Line production as her iconic character, Ms. Marvel.

    The event is described as Disney’s most ambitious dining experience, where a new dining experience is offered to diners through the help of Pym Tech. Yet, that kind of technology always seems to attract trouble, as the Disney Wish will see Ultron try to take over, who will be once again voiced by Ross Marquand from What If…?. Captain America and Captain Marvel will join in time to take on the threat with Vellani‘s Ms. Marvel as their hero-in-training along for the ride. Unless Larson appears in Ms. Marvel, this may be their first team-up together.

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    It seems like they are going all out for their Worlds of Marvel experience, as even Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige opens up the video teasing the Disney Wish experience. They also just recently opened a new Guardians of the Galaxy rollercoaster, which saw many cast members from the original series return give a little something to those visiting that love the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We might get more hints at how the experience is going to be brought to life with more trailers teasing the unique experience for those that booked a trip on the Disney Wish.

    Source: Disney Parks

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Passes $400M at the Domestic Box Office

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Passes $400M at the Domestic Box Office

    While Top Gun Maverick has managed to pass the $400M domestic as the legacy title is pulling in some amazing numbers worldwide, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness wasn’t too far behind. The film faced a harsh drop in its second weekend, which isn’t too uncommon with frontloaded crowd-pleasers but has showcased its horror roots by staying quite consistent throughout the rest of its run. As of now, the film has pulled in $935M worldwide and now officially stands at $400.3M domestically.

    There was some concern the film wouldn’t even hit the $900M mark but it has left that behind quite a bit. The film will release on Disney+ on June 22nd, which will still give it some time to potentially scratch the $940M mark. As per usual, the international cum is the strongest for the Marvel Studios entry and while Top Gun has taken a lot of accolades for its powerful jet-fueled wings, the Marvel project proves that the market is still ready for a variety of films to pull in massive box office numbers.

    Maverick also is sharing a similar trend that we saw with Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens back in the day. After a long pause at the box office, the films have managed to make quite a splash domestically and in international markets. There’s a different kind of energy to these projects that complement Marvel Studios’ approach to genre-mixing giving it a unique standing and longevity in the market. We might see the box office evolve in interesting ways moving forward.

    Source: The Numbers

  • Tom Hardy Teases ‘Venom 3’ With A Tease of a “Last Dance”

    Tom Hardy Teases ‘Venom 3’ With A Tease of a “Last Dance”

    If there’s a superhero franchise from the last two decades that’s managed to truly surpass expectations, it’s Venom. Many fans assumed the goofy, gritty Spider-Man spin-off would be dead on arrival, but instead, the duology has become a massive success with a third entry on the way. Tom Hardy, the charismatic star behind both Eddie Brock and his symbiote partner Venom, recently took to Instagram to share that he is now in possession of the threequel’s script.

    Written by Kelly Marcel, based on a story by Marcel and Hardy himself, the new film does not have an officially revealed title. The image on social media features a little doodle of Venom in the title’s place.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce3bvgWseUK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    On the actor’s Instagram story, he shared the script cover with an added sticker from Michael Jordan‘s popular Last Dance documentary. It’s a curious inclusion, and while there is still very little known about the plot of Venom 3, it would indicate the film may be the character’s final ride. It would be a surprising decision for Hardy and the folks at Sony to make, should this be the case. Venom is currently one of their biggest cash cows, and fans have been clamoring to see the alien antihero interact with more characters from the larger Marvel Universe. Most specifically, of course, Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man, who has been hinted to be on a collision course with Hardy‘s Venom for some time.

    A few false-alarm post-credits scenes seemed to put the iconic arch-enemies on a oath toward each other, until more tinkering with the multiverse prevented it from happening. However, there is currently a bit of symbiote goo left in the mainline MCU, and it’s yet to be revealed how that will factor into the futures of Venom or Spider-Man.

    Source: Instagram