Last weekend, it seemed like Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s hold on the international box office had come to an end, as the newly released Scream took over the top spot from the film in the domestic market. It didn’t take long for the box office juggernaut to once again return to the top, as it’s on its way to end the weekend with $13.5M while the horror film dropped by 61% to make $11.7M over its second weekend. The drop isn’t bad, as it’s on par with previous entries and is still one of the better second weekends for the franchise.
As of now, No Way Home stands as the 4th highest domestic release with $720.4M by the end of the weekend. It’ll require another $40.1M to pass Avatar at the box office, which is a bit uncertain as of now, but the film has proven to have quite a bit of staying power, especially with it taking back the top spot again. Yet, it was still a frontloaded release, which isn’t too uncommon for Marvel films.
The thing working against it is also that the box office is currently a bit dead until the next major releases in February with two very different entries, Roland Emmerich‘s next world-ending film Moonfall and the return of a childhood classic prankster group in Jackass Forever. So, we’ll see if it gives the box office a jolt, but it seems more likely that we won#t see another strong performance until The Batman releases in March, whose 3-hour runtime raises some interesting predictions given the character’s box office draw and how longer films still managed to become box office darlings.
It’s not uncommon that films are rewritten as production continues. Reshoots have become such a mainstay in the industry, as it supports directors to adjust plot points or pacing issues they noticed in the rough cuts. Marvel Studios’ films are famous for going through many different stages, and it seems Spider-Man: No Way Home almost featured a very different meeting between Doctor Strange and Peter Parker.
Artist Sean Hargreaves has published some concept art that has some curious implications about the film’s original plot. Early on, Peter asks for Strange’s help before their views start to head in different directions. Yet, it seems that Strange was going to be sick at some point in the story, and Peter come to visit him as he rests in his chambers. His description reveals that:
Peter talks to a sick Strange as Stranges cloak sits as guard at the foot of the bed. Struck from the final film.
He highlights that this was cut from the film, and it could be a scene after the spell goes wrong. Perhaps the energy he used would’ve weakened the sorcerer. Yet, one could also look at it as a connection to his film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Originally, the multiverse-spanning adventure was going to release first. Perhaps the events of that film weakened him and he ended up bed-bound as shown in the artwork. It’s certainly up for interpretation, but this one piece of concept art could be a hint at a grim fate for the doctor.
Sony’s Kraven the Hunter is currently set to release on January 13, 2023 and it’s been some time since fans have had any updates on the film. Outside of the film’s star, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and director, J.C. Chandor, details on the film have been hard to come by. That all should be changing rather soon, however, as it looks like things are set to get started on the project.
Production start dates have always been tentative and now, more than ever, it’s important to keep that in mind, but assuming no delays, it sounds like Kraven the Hunter will begin production in the UK next month. Given the film’s January 2023 release date, it’s a very sensible timeline for principal photography, leaving plenty of time for any additional photography, which is always factored into these projects.
Taylor-Johnson has taken his prep for the role VERY seriously. As fans of the comics know, Kraven is a physically imposing specimen, carrying well over 200 pounds on his frame and having enough strength to tangle with dangerous foes even before he was enhanced through the potions of the voodoo goddess Calypso, who is rumored to be played by Jodie Turner-Smith in the film. Should they follow the comics and juice up the character, he’d be superhumanly strong and word is that Taylor-Johnson has done the work to look the part, having gone to great lengths to transform his body for the role.
Fans caught a quick tease of the character in last act of Spider-Man: No Way Home and with the multiverse now in play, it probably won’t be long before one of the Spideys finds himself tangling with Kraven, giving Sony the chance to adapt The Last Hunt, something that has been discussed and teased as long as there’s been rumors of a Kraven film. We’ll see what role Spidey has to play in the expanding Sony universe and which actor will fill that role.
It almost seems like a tradition that any storyline featuring Spider-Man and the multiverse has to include a reference to the original animated series’s pointing sequence. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse included the sequence in its post-credit sequence and we even got a reference in the latest cinematic Spidey crossover, Spider-Man: No Way Home.
We ended up getting two versions of the sequence, such as the iconic discussion after they got their butt handed to them. Andrew Garfield, in an interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, shared his experience filming the project and how they brought those meme-inspired moments to life.
Oh, so we were trying to figure out the pointing thing, like how we were going to do the pointing meme in a way – it took us a while – it kind of happened naturally on that scaffolding scene with Peter 1, Peter 2, Peter 3, like all that.
Andrew Garfield
We did end up getting the pointing scene earlier in the film and it turns out that the idea came from Garfield during the production, as they were filming in the lab. It was one of the funniest scenes in the film, as Ned struggled to call out Holland‘s Peter Parker but got the attention of all three.
I remember having a lightning bolt and running into set and telling [director] Jon [Watts], ‘I got it, I got it.’Cause there’s this moment where Jacob is like, ‘Hey Peter?’ and we all go, ‘Yeah?’ But in the script, it was like, that was that. We all go ‘Yeah?’ and in the script, my Peter says, ‘This isn’t going to get old at all,’ like something kind of sardonic – which felt kinda undercutting and not quite right for the moment because it’s cute. It’s actually kinda cute. So then we were thinking I could say, ‘Aw, this is adorable. We’re so adorable. God, we’re cute.’ Something like that. But then I was like, no, this is the moment where we get to go, ‘Do you mean me?’ Jon was like, ‘That’s it. That’s it. Done.’ I was so happy that worked.”
Andrew Garfield
It sounds like they had a lot of fun reenacting the iconic scene and the pointing during the lab sequence was the perfect timing. The fact it also kept going with Ned trying to say Peter’s full name thinking it would change anything was a hilarious expansion on the concept. It also was great that they didn’t just directly replicate it but gave it a unique spin that worked well into this story.
Sony’s latest Marvel film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, continues to blow expectations out of the water, as the film will pass Black Panther‘s domestic box office in just a short time. At this point, it has garnered the spot of fourth highest-grossing film in the United States. It’s no small accomplishment if you consider that the Omicron discussion is still worrying some about an eventual closure of cinemas once again. Still, the film has been a juggernaut, as only this weekend’s release of Scream managed to surpass it this weekend.
It’s been a great weekend as the latest horror entry beat expectations, and No Way Home managed to garner a few interesting new milestones. As @ErikDavis shared, the film is now the highest-grossing film of Mexico, may even add Central America and Brazil to that list. It’s passed $900M internationally, opening up a potential $1 billion if it can still keep up some momentum.
Other box office milestones for #SpiderManNoWayHome this weekend: – Worldwide it crossed $900M & stands at $926M – It becomes the biggest film ever released in Mexico – Now 2nd biggest film ever for Brazil & Central America – Only the 11th film ever to cross $100M in IMAX totals pic.twitter.com/yBmeUehgz7
It’s definitely no small accomplishment with everything stacked against it due to the rising numbers worldwide. The fact the film managed to pass the $1.6B mark is quite impressive and everyone is still curious just how close it might get to potentially join the $2B club. It still seems unlikely currently, but the film has proven to have some great legs in cinemas. Plus, there’s also the possibility it might still hit China for that last boost it needs.
It has finally happened. It seemed almost impossible considering for how long Spider-Man: No Way Home has been the dominant force in the box office since its release in December. Yet after a strong start with Thursday previews, Scream has managed to garner $13.35M on Friday and is currently set to dethrone the Marvel film. As Variety shared, the film may end the weekend at around $36M over the four-day weekend.
The latest horror flick is doing great in the usually dead zone that is January. The film is also making back its entire production budget back in the opening weekend, as it only cost $25M. The numbers are also great considering the growing concern over Omicron, as predictions had it only barely inching out No Way Home with 29M ahead of its release. The Marvel film is still performing great as it’s eyeing a $26.75M holiday weekend.
Horror films have generally been consistent performers throughout the pandemic. Halloween Kills managed to grab $49.4M and A Quiet Place Part II was a motivating release in the earlier parts of the pandemic as a lot of uncertainty still remained. The big test will be The Batman‘s release in March to see if any other release might be able to break the box office again.
While Spider-Man: No Way Home sadly is more an exception than a rule, its hold on the box office is truly impressive. Not only did it manage to take in over $200M in its opening weekend, as everyone else struggled to even get near the $100M mark, but it also is the first pandemic release to pass the $1 billion mark. Now, the film continues to grow, as it’s already on its way to becoming the fifth-highest domestic opening of all time, as it passes by Avengers: Infinity War‘s $678.8M.
Today #SpiderManNoWayHome will do what nobody thought was possible before release – it will surpass the $678.8M of #Avengers Infinity War to become the #5 movie of all-time at the domestic #boxoffice. New #SpiderMan shd reach $682-683M tonight and then break $700M on MON!
These numbers are impressive, as it’s very likely going to hit $700M by Monday. while it does seem unlikely that it could manage $800M given the rise in Omicron concerns as of late, the film’s box office development has been quite impressive. It also stood unopposed since its release in December, but there’s a chance that Scream will just barely inch out the Marvel threequel over the weekend, as it takes in a predicted $29.4M, who’s also showing some impressive numbers even as it faces the pandemic.
Spider-Man: No Way Home has become one of the highest grossing films of all time and the highest-rated live-action Spider-Man film ever but, without the work of Tom Holland, it wouldn’t have happened. Following Spider-Man: Far From Home, the relationship between Marvel Studios and Sony was as dead as Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May until Holland swung in and saved the deal. Now it seems the relationship between the two studios is stronger than ever, with both Amy Pascal and Kevin Fiege confirming that work on a fourth collaboration is already underway. And if that wasn’t enough to excite fans, Holland himself added a little more enthusiasm to the mix today.
Rotten Tomatoes awarded the highly-regarded film three of their Golden Tomato awards in 2021 and Holland thanked the site in a video. During that video, Holland expressed not only his thanks, but also his desire to “do it again and again and again” and followed up by saying “we’ll see you soon.”
Fans were rightfully trepidatious about Holland’s return to the role as his time on the press rounds for the film was filled with contradictory conversation about his willingness to return to the film. However, the events of the film leave the character in the perfect place for an all-new, all-different sort of trilogy that will allow Holland to put a new spin on the character. With development on fourth installment already underway, it might not be too long before we hear news about a potential release date.
It looks like Sony managed to miss its opportunity to nab any nominations for this year’s BAFTA awards. According to Deadline, it seems that Sony has not uploaded their film to their streaming platform, BAFTA View, and as such is not eligible for any potential nominations. They even went out of their way to find a solution, but couldn’t agree on one. For now, a trailer plays for members when they click on the film’s page. They’ve shared the following statement as the voting round one closed on January 3rd:
Spider-Man: No Way Home did not meet the eligibility criteria for the EE British Academy Film Awards 2022 and therefore did not qualify for entry. As outlined in our rulebook, all films must be made available to voting members on BAFTA View prior to Round One voting closing to ensure fairness and parity for all titles and the film was not made available by the distributor.
There are some theories that they mainly wanted to avoid any illegal uploads of the film during its strong box office tenure. Sony has not made a clarifying statement on why they failed to upload the film on time, but this year is the first time that DVD screeners aren’t accepted and only the online streaming service is provided, which was started in 2020. The film was already starting its campaign for awards season with many believing it may have some good chances this year, which makes this a bitter decision by Sony.
All of Hawkeye, Echo, Moon Knight, Blade, and by association, She-Hulk serve as Marvel Studios’ first foray into the street universe. Just as Kevin Feige‘s think-tank built the cosmic, mystical, and multiversal mythology, the mythos of the MCU’s street universe needs to be built. Here are ten essential villains that would help grow it nicely.
The Rose
Wilson Fisk made his official debut in the MCU at the tail end of 2021 when he appeared in Hawkeye as the defacto big bad of the series, a performance that Vincent D’Onofrio drew from his own in the Daredevil Netflix series. It’s not entirely clear from that single appearance how this version of Fisk got to where he was but it certainly leaves a lot of space for new stories to build around the character.
What better way to build a different story for Fisk by introducing his son Richard, the bitter son who would eventually turn into the villainous Rose? Richard Fisk’s relationship with his father in the comics is nothing short of Shakespearean; a familial power struggle that culminates in a lot of betrayals. It’s the kind of drama we haven’t seen Wilson Fisk deal with in live-action and would make for one of the more interesting villain dynamics in the MCU.
Hammerhead
You can’t get any more street-level with a villain like Hammerhead, who was created as a callback to the mobsters of the Great Depression era. But despite his over-the-top appearance and persona, Hammerhead is a very modest character; he’s never been at the center of major street-level crossovers unlike some of his cohorts on this list. Yet that hasn’t stopped the character from being a key component of that side of the Marvel Universe. Hammerhead’s appearance in the Spider-Man DLC proved how menacing the character could be if done contemporarily. He’s a major player in the street game and has been known to rival the likes of Kingpin and The Hood.
Typhoid Mary
Typhoid Mary is an important character within the Daredevil mythology. An on-off lover of Matt Murdock, she regularly falls under the employ of Wilson Fisk and eventually makes her way onto the 50 State Initiative as Mutant Zero. Mary Walker bridges some of the quirkiness of the larger universe with the grounded ethos of the streets. She’s a mutant with dissociative identity disorder, whose multiple personalities often manifest with different abilities. She’s a telekinetic, telepath, as well as a pyrokinetic, making her one of the most lethal street characters in Marvel, not to mention, one of the more sinister-looking villains. A version barely resembling the comic counterpart appeared in the second season of Iron Fist but the quicker we can forget about that, the better.
Tombstone
Like Hammerhead before him, Tombstone is an A-list member of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, having busted the skull of the wallcrawler numerous times over the years. The character has a strong rivalry with Robbie Robertson, a character known to orbit around Peter Parker’s life as his Daily Bugle superior. A lot of Spider-Man’s key encounters with Tombstone involve Robertson in some way. So as the MCU launches Peter’s next phase in life, which hopefully involves the Bugle and Robertson in some way, the room for a character like Tombstone just keeps getting wider.
Madame Masque
A version of Whitney Frost may have served as Agent Carter Season 2’s big bad but that shouldn’t preclude the actual Madame Masque from appearing in the MCU down the road. Born Giulietta Nefaria, heir to the fabled Maggia criminal empire, Madame Masque is as much of a street character as she is a heavy-hitting Avengers villain. The character has crossed paths with the likes of Moon Knight and Hawkeye, the latter’s solo show she was rumored to appear in last year.
Turk Barrett
Turk Barrett represents one of comic’s most marginalized groups of characters: lowly henchmen. Yet he’s the henchman to end all henchmen, garnering notoriety for being a pestering reoccurrence in Daredevil’s radar and a one-time wielder of an Infinity Stone. The character was brilliantly brought to life by acclaimed actor Rob Morgan in the Netflix shows and he would certainly be welcomed with open arms should that opportunity return. He’s Turk Barrett, baby!
Mister Negative
One of the best parts of the PS4 Spider-Man game was how it put Mister Negative at the forefront of Spidey’s rogues gallery. It not only proved that there was more to Spidey’s rogues gallery beyond the Sinister Six but that the character of Martin Li was perfect for a live-action take. From a visual and power-set standpoint, Mister Negative already stands out among Spidey’s antagonists, boasting dimensional abilities that rival both Cloak and Dagger’s. On top of those qualities, he’s also a compelling villain with a layered backstory.
The Hood
Given the prominence of mysticism and the occult, it’s almost impossible to imagine the MCU’s future without Parker Robbins aka The Hood in it. The Hood is best described as a Marvel Gus Fring if Gus Fring stumbled onto a demonic ritual, stole occult paraphernalia, and become a sorcerer in the process.
The Hood entered Marvel prominence during Norman Osborn’s Dark Reign, where he ascended to the top spot of the criminal empire. Parker Robbins was also, at one point, in contention for the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. His Crime Syndicate was home to a lot of villainous heavy-hitters and would go on to prove highly formidable. The idea that a gun-toting, demon-summoning mobster could be in the MCU is a no-brainer.
Bullseye
You can’t have Daredevil in the MCU without Bullseye. If the Kingpin was to Daredevil the same way Norman Osborn is to Spider-Man, Bullseye is definitely Daredevil’s Venom; the secondary arch-nemesis whose skillset and penchant for disorder rivals that of the protagonist.
Bullseye is evil-incarnate which, in many ways, gives him such a powerful presence on the page. That a blind Catholic from Hell’s Kitchen is one of the few who can hold a candle up to Bullseye’s evil makes that rivalry so twistedly poetic. While I’m not entirely a fan of Daredevil Season 3’s troubled incel take on the character, Wilson Bethel‘s twitchy performance alone makes for a convincing argument for him that he get a second shot at the character.
The Punisher
Frank Castle may not be a villain in the modern sense but he’s certainly butted heads with enough Marvel heroes to be considered an antagonist. In fact, Frank Castle would also be the first person to tell you not to revere him as a hero. Unfortunately, an aspect of the character’s legacy continues to endure this day for a lot of wrong real-world reasons.
Perhaps one way for Marvel Studios to bypass the ugly aspect of that legacy is to bring Frank Castle into a world far removed from our real one. Have the Punisher fight over-the-top monsters, superheroes, and supervillains. Use what the playground that is the MCU has to offer to give us a different kind of Punisher. Bring Jon Bernthal back while you’re at it.
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