Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: The Suicide Squad

  • ‘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)

  • 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

  • Comics You Should Read Ahead of ‘The Suicide Squad’s Premiere

    Comics You Should Read Ahead of ‘The Suicide Squad’s Premiere

    With how vocal writer and director James Gunn has been about how the original Suicide Squad comics inspired his film, you may want to get familiar with whom you’re dealing with this time around. In this explosive romp in Corto Maltese, the squad finds themselves up against Starro The Conquerer, a cosmic starfish, who, as his name implies, conquers worlds throughout the universe. While it won’t exactly be following the storyline, the absolute best place to start would be none other than John Ostrander’s original run on the team, the book that inspired Gunn to bring The Suicide Squad to life.

     

    John Ostrander’s Suicide Squad

     

    Without John Ostrander, the team we know today would’ve never come to be. While the Squad had already existed, In Legends #3, which was co-written by Ostrander, the modern team would debut with a roster made up of some of the worst DC had to offer. The newest roster included Rick Flag, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Bronze Tiger, Nightshade, Enchantress, Tarantula, and Mindboggler. The run on this team would become definitive and the basis for James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, with the writer even making a cameo in the upcoming film.

     

    Paul Kupperberg’s Peacemaker 

     

    Peacemaker made his explosive DC Comics debut in the Crisis on Infinite Earths run before scoring his own four-part mini-series in 1988 from writer Paul Kupperberg. The series would follow Peacemakers’ introduction into the universe as he struggles to deal with the fact terrorism doesn’t save lives. The mini-series sees him up against the terrorist Doctor Tzin-Tzin. It will get you quickly up to speed with John Cena’s character and figure out how the chrome-dome thinks.

     

    Paul Dini’s Batman: Harley Quinn

     

    The return of the infamous Harley Quinn in The Suicide Squad marks the character’s third appearance in the DCEU. It follows Birds of Prey and the first Suicide Squad film. Margot Robbie has excellently tied the vision of each unique director together to keep the character consistent. This time around, director James Gunn teased that Harley is strongly based on Paul Dini, the man who created the character all the way back in the days of Batman: The Animated Series. He then wrote the story known as Batman: Harley Quinn that follows her story after she got abandoned by the Joker. The story perfectly captures the chaotic and rambunctious nature that she’s known for and shows just what makes her just as dangerous as Joker, if not more.

     

    Giffen and Jones’ Justice League Europe 

     

    Starro appears in a few issues of the series Justice League Europe #24 up until #27. He’s a threat that can’t get rid of easily, as it only requires one surviving star to go through the same process again. This time around, however, we see the League assisting the conqueror, as he is dying. Their plan would save an innocent village from the invader and send him back into space. But when the mission goes wrong, the JLE must fight their way through a city of civilians and their teammates controlled by the starfish. With quite the obscure villain, whether you read it before or after, all should be warned of the might of Starro The Conqueror.

     

    Tom Taylor’s Bad Blood

     

    Tom Taylor took the Suicide Squad and flipped it on its head when he reinvented the team with a roster of original characters. When a battle between the Squad and a terrorist group results in multiple casualties, the teams are forcibly combined. It leads to some overwhelming hostility, as no one knows who they can trust. The only exception is Harley and Deadshot, who are the only survivors of Task Force X. While it’s a vast departure from the upcoming film, it’s an incredible read for people who might just be craving more from the team after the film, and could inspire a film down the line.

  • New ‘The Suicide Squad’ Featurette Reveals Sean Gunn as Calendar Man

    New ‘The Suicide Squad’ Featurette Reveals Sean Gunn as Calendar Man

    Before the film made its big debut at last year’s DC Fandome, fan’s imaginations were running wild who’ll end up joining Task Force X in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. He hand-picked some of the wackiest and obscure characters from within the DC Universe. The current line-up includes Polka-Dot Man, Peacemaker, Javelin, Savant, Black Guard, and even a walking Weasel played by Sean Gunn. Gunn‘s brother is no stranger to playing around in his brother’s films. He was the on-set model for Rocket Raccoon and played Kraglin in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. While we knew he’d be playing Weasel in the film, it seems he picked up another role within the film.

    In a new behind-the-scenes featurette for the upcoming film, in a brief blink and you’ll miss it scene, you can catch Sean Gunn as one of Batman’s most obscure rogues, Calendar Man. The character was not previously known to be in the film and looks to be a brief cameo. The actor has a shaved head, and the abbreviated months tattoed around his cranium which many might remember from the comics.

     

     

    For those unfamiliar with Julian Gregory Day, who is better known as Calendar Man. He’s a supervillain whose fascinated by holidays and calendars. That love turned into his theme where he only commits crimes on those specific days. The character gained more notable popularity in The Long Halloween. In it, he was reimagined as a more Hannibal Lecter-type villain that Batman would speak to within an effort to locate the holiday killer, and would toy with Batman with his cryptic hints and clues.

    You can check out the featurette here:

    Source: Twitter

     

  • First Look at Freddie Stroma’s Vigilante Costume in ‘Peacemaker’ BTS Image

    First Look at Freddie Stroma’s Vigilante Costume in ‘Peacemaker’ BTS Image

    Before The Suicide Squad is even out, the upcoming spin-off show Peacemaker has already wrapped filming. The show will debut in January on HBO Max. It’ll see the return of John Cena as the titular character of Christopher Smith, the man who will do anything in the pursuit of peace. Plot details for the series remain unknown as the show could be adapting the Janus Directive storyline. In it, we follow Peacemaker’s origins as he faces off against Adrian Chase, also known as the Vigilante. The small story ends up involving multiple shady organizations that all lead back to Amanda Waller.

    Originally the series would’ve seen Chris Conrad as Adrian Chase, but he would ultimately get recast due to creative differences. Freddie Stroma took over the role after Conard’s exit. As the season finishes up production, a new photo featuring the entire cast has given us our first look at the actor’s suit. He is sporting the character’s classic blue and white color pallet with a V-shape design on the chest.

     

     

    For those unfamiliar with the character, Adrian Chase is the second person to don the mantle of Vigilante. His first appearance was in The New Teen Titans #23 all the way back in 1982. Chase was an Attorney in New York City who went down a more violent path of justice following the murder of his wife and kids at the hands of mobsters. He would come face to face with Peacemaker after Smith murdered one of his closest friends in his absence. Chase, so terribly out of shape, would be beaten by Peacemaker and unmasked live on television, ending his career as the vigilante. It’ll be interesting to see if the HBO MMax series follows the same structure.

    Source: Instagram

  • James Gunn Talks the Inspiration for ‘The Suicide Squad’ Spin-Off ‘Peacemaker’

    James Gunn Talks the Inspiration for ‘The Suicide Squad’ Spin-Off ‘Peacemaker’

    Everyone has their eyes set on James Gunn‘s The Suicide Squad. The DC film will reintroduce the world to the iconic team of ex-villains that are all gathered for one reason: they would get killed if they didn’t. Luckily, the director isn’t stopping there as we are also getting a spin-off series that focuses on John Cena‘s über-patriotic character, Peacemaker. So far, the story has been kept tightly under wraps outside of some classic Charlton Comics characters, such as Judomaster. As the release for his Suicide Squad sequel is drawing near, we also got a first official look at a blood-drenched Peacemaker and some insight into the series.

     

     

    In the interview with Empire, Cena and Gunn mock the show’s titular character but also tease that there might be more to him than meets the eye. The director stated that:

    Peacemaker has a clear set of ideals that I find really interesting. You know: ‘I want peace no matter how many men, women and children I need to kill to get it.’ Sounds like nonsense, but it also makes a lot of sense. And you see in John’s performance how he does not feel good about it – something I thought was the seed of an entire eight-episode show.

    He also teased that the upcoming story will be a sci-fi story that focuses on real-world issues when you have people like Peacewalker killing for his specific beliefs. Cena teases that the series will explore what made him who he is in the upcoming DC film. Gunn has also been open about a potential second season. So, we might see a lot more of Peacemaker in the future and get a closer look at the unique corner of the DCEU he inhabits.

    Source: Empire