Weekend @ the Box Office

Do you remember those times when you were so sure something was going to happen that you wished you had made a bet? That happened to me: Within the last week, I claimed that Lucy could rival the demigod Hercules at the box office this weekend (see here). This weekend’s box office numbers confirm that brains and bad-assery dominated brawn and bulk. Lucy made her debut in the #1 spot with $44 million while Hercules claimed the second slot with a solid $29 million, both having a decent opening weekend. With these two new releases, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, fell to third place earning $16.4 million. Coming in fourth place and dropping a spot in its second weekend at the box office is The Purge: Anarchy taking in $9.9 million. Rounding out the top five movies this weekend is Disney’s Planes: Fire and Rescue earning $9.3 million. I still wish I had made that bet.

Movie News

Reveals from Comic-Con: For comic-lovers, San Diego Comic-Con is the Christmas-like annual event spanning 4 days with A-List celebrities gracing numerous panels and fans cosplaying throughout this extravaganza. Needless to say, I have an earnest desire to attend next year’s event. AE coverage @ San Diego Comic Con 2015?! Diego, leggo?!

On the eve of Com-Con commencing, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinemas released the poster for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. This The Hobbit Five Armieswill be the last installment for The Hobbit trilogy that started in 2012. I am already anticipating what is to come afterwards, “The Silmarillion” perhaps? During Comic-Con itself, Stephen Colbert, a guru in all things middle earth-related, moderated the Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit panel.

Avengers: Age of Ultron assembly was not solely focused on the Avengers, but gave us a glimpse of what may come in the future for Marvel Studios. If you weren’t one of the lucky 7,000 fans that packed the H-Hall at the con, here’s what they found out:

  • Jared Leto has been rumored to play Doctor Strange, alongside other rumored actors: Joaquin Phoenix and fellow con-guest Benedict Cumberbatch.
  • Ant-Man’s foe was announced: Darren Cross will be Yellowjacket!
  • Going back to the Avengers, Marvel’s largest franchise, Josh Brolin will be joining the cast as Thanos.
  • Bearing the Infinity Gauntlet, Brolin also hinted at the plot of the just-announced Guardians of the Galaxy sequel before the first movie has even premiered.

Tweet Teasers: Nowadays, it seems the best way to get fans to speculate is to send out a tweet. Here are some rumors with a tweet-based release:

 

The Rock has been teasing us as potentially taking on the role of Shazam! or Black Adam. Comic Con attendees were disappointed with The Rock’s lack of appearance, leaving the role unconfirmed. Although, we’re fairly confident it’s Shazam!  


Marvel announced a third movie in their lineup for 2018. The movie is to premier on May 4, The Amazing Spider-Man 4’s previous release date.

 

Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah are confirmed for the Godzilla sequel.  

Trailers

Last  Thursday, I heard a collective intake of breath and slow release from cubicles all over city as fellow Seattleites watched the trailer of Fifty Shades of Grey. Not really, goodness that would be awful. The movie is based on E.L. James’s novel, an extended fan-fic of Twilight if you will, following an elite, Seattle-based entrepreneur as he shares his interests with a seemingly basic young woman. Be wary of fan-made trailers and watch the official trailer here. I would not be surprised if there was another surge of Greybies nine months following the movie’s theatrical release on Valentine’s Day next year.

Tweets of the Week