Box-Office: ‘Wish’ ($31M) is Another Disaster for Disney, ‘Napoleon’ ($33M) Doesn’t Exceed Expectations

The big news today is that Disney’s “Wish” bombed at the box-office. There’s no other way to put it. Pundits were already saying that its projected $40 million opening would be a disappointment, but it ended up being much worse than that.

“Wish,” which cost Disney $200 million, had a 5-day opening of $31 million. I’ve lost count at the number of box-office disasters Disney has had this year, to the point where I’m starting to wonder if the whole conservative backlash the company received earlier this year has something to do with this.

Obviously, the pandemic has changed the industry, as has Disney fatigue, but maybe conservative parents just don’t want their kids to watch any movie, even animated, by Disney. Can this be a possibility? Disney CEO Bob Iger recently stated that his goal is to distance the company from any culture wars.

It’s another theory that I’ve decided to partially warm up to when it comes to the floundering mess that has been Disney’s 2023. Just think about — a holiday-released Disney animated blockbuster was beaten out this weekend by an R-rated historical epic made for streaming.

That’s right, Ridley Scott’s mixed reviewed “Napoleon” made more money than “Wish.” A $33 million opening for Scott’s epic means that Apple probably won’t be making its money back — the budget was $200 million, but there seems to have been a decent amount of interest for the film this weekend. The worldwide total this weekend for “Napoleon” was around $80 million.

However, “Napoleon” and “Wish” were beaten this weekend by “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” ($42 million). Its current domestic tally is said to be around $98 million. That’s not bad at all. Projections have it finishing its US run at the $150 million mark.

Finally, what more can be said about “The Marvels”? The 5-day weekend tally was $9 million, finishing in sixth place. Hell, “Thanksgiving” and “Trolls: Band Together” made more than “The Marvels” this weekend. The current domestic total for “The Marvels,” in three weeks of release, is a disastrous $78 million.

Michael Douglas Says Jack Nicholson, 89, Is “Not Working Any More" and Has “Disappeared"

While James L. Brooks teased last year that "we'll soon be seeing" Jack Nicholson, 89, act again, and that he was "reading scripts," that idea has now been shut down by his close friend Michael Douglas, 82.

Karyn Kusama to Direct ‘Mouthwashing’ Movie for Sony, ‘The Invitation’ Writers to Pen Script

Sony has acquired the feature film rights to "Mouthwashing," the acclaimed psychological horror game. The studio has hired Kusama to direct, and she will bring her most reliable writers, Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay, with her.

Sir Patrick Stewart, 86, Has Died

A real shocker. There are some people you think will live forever, and Sir Patrick Stewart was one of them. The legendary actor has passed away at the age of 86. We’ve lost one of the greats.

Ken Russell's ‘The Devils' Extends Theatrical Run Indefinitely (!) After $3.3M Box Office Surprise

Nobody expected a 55-year-old NC-17 movie to be one of the surprise box office stories of the fall. Yet here we are, and this absolutely puts a smile on my face.

‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ First Reactions Are Very Positive

Of course, we all know the rule: take these reactions with a grain of salt rather than treating them as gospel. Still, I will say that the film tested like gangbusters earlier this year, and Lionsgate clearly has confidence.

August 19, 2019

3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

CONFIRMED: Sadie Soverall Exits Brady Corbet's ‘The Origin of the World' Mid-Shoot, Lily McInerny Steps In Lead Role

Sadie Soverall was just let go after briefly filming on Corbet's new film — no official reason given. She had the lead role. Corbet has replaced her, last minute, with Lily McInerny.

Ron Howard’s ‘Alone at Dawn’ Starring Adam Driver and Anne Hathaway Sets Christmas 2027 Release

This is the adaptation of the nonfiction book by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz. It wrapped production in February and has been in post-production ever since. The film test-screened a few months ago.

Jeremy Saulnier’s Next Film Retitled to ‘Slayground,’ Current Runtime is 2.5 Hours, Plot Details

Jeremy Saulnier’s mysterious A24 project, formerly “October,” still has no release date. You’d think, given that it has been in post-production for almost a year now.

Jemima Kirke and Alexi Wasser to Star in Woody Allen's Next Film

A few months ago, Deadline reported that Woody Allen's next film, set in Madrid and carrying a $14M budget, will be "largely English-language" and feature a "high-profile cast."

Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

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