Box-Office Thursday: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ ($3.8M), ‘Resident Evil’ ($3.3M), ‘Primetime’ ($2.7M), ‘Heart of the Beast’ ($2M), ‘Forgotten Island’ ($1.4M)

Theaters are in for a big one. Four wide releases are trying to knock Zach Cregger's "Resident Evil" off the top spot, and as many as five films could gross $20M or more this Friday through Sunday. That would make this the best late-September weekend since 2018, when all films combined for $106.4M.

"Resident Evil" topped last weekend with $61 million and grossed an estimated $3.31M on Thursday from 3,684 locations, bringing its domestic total to roughly $80M. Thursday's number points to $25M second weekend.

That opens the door for a movie released seven years ago. "Avengers: Endgame: Encore" pulled in $3.8 million from Thursday previews. Strong presales could make it frontloaded, but it now looks headed for about $30M and a real shot at #1. That's an insane number for a re-release whose only new material is a few extra minutes of deleted scenes.

A24's "Primetime" posted a solid $2.7M in previews. The Robert Pattinson-starring film, a zeitgeisty riff on "To Catch a Predator," has had trailers and clips going viral all over social media. Tracking had it around $20M, but Thursday suggests the online buzz is actually translating into ticket sales, and $25M is now in play. On a $15M budget, this is another easy win for A24.

Paramount's Brad Pitt-led survival film "Heart of the Beast" earned $2M Thursday. It’s looking at $20M this weekend. At 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's the best-reviewed film of David Ayer's career. It will need to hold well, though, given its $85M production budget.

Finally, Universal and DreamWorks Animation's "Forgotten Island" took in $1.48M in previews. Its very good reviews (97% on Rotten Tomatoes) suggest $20M isn't out of reach. On an $80M budget, it will need legs to break even, but it now has a real shot at a Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination.

September usually belongs to the slow stretch between summer and the holidays, but with an unusually crowded slate and five films projected at $15M or more, this weekend is shaping up to be great for exhibitors.

‘NAZA' Trailer: Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor's Follow-Up to 'No Other Land' Hits Theaters Next Week, Then Streams Free Worldwide

The film will stream for free, worldwide, on The Guardian's website in late November. That's a bold distribution move, and it tells you exactly what the filmmakers want here. They want eyeballs, as many as possible.

Box-Office Thursday: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ ($3.8M), ‘Resident Evil’ ($3.3M), ‘Primetime’ ($2.7M), ‘Heart of the Beast’ ($2M), ‘Forgotten Island’ ($1.4M)

Theaters are in for a big one. Four wide releases are trying to knock Zach Cregger's "Resident Evil" off the top spot, and as many as five films could gross $20M or more this Friday through Sunday.

‘The Catch’: Emma Stone’s First Post-Lanthimos Movie Wraps, Brings in ‘Memoria’ DP Sayombhu Mukdeeprom

Mukdeeprom is well known on the arthouse circuit for his work with Apichatpong Weerasethakul (“Memoria”), and he also shot three Guadagnino movies.

Mike P. Nelson To Direct Eleventh (!) ‘Saw’ Movie as James Wan and Leigh Whannell Return to the Franchise

Mike P. Nelson will direct the next instalment of the franchise, which recently returned to the hands of its original architect, James Wan, who is producing under Atomic Monster, now part of Blumhouse, and Leigh Whannell.

Letterboxd Is Up for Sale, and A24, Sony and The New York Times Are Bidding

Letterboxd, the app where film Twitter went to live, could soon have a new owner. The New York Times, A24, and Sony Pictures are among the suitors who've expressed interest in buying the site.

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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