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'Allegiant' Opens Short of $30M, 'Zootopia' Tops $200M and 'Bronze' Bombs
3 hours ago | Box Office Mojo | See recent BoxOfficeMojo.com news »
It's another #1 finish for Disney's Zootopia as the animated hit crossed $200 million this weekend, topping all newcomers. Coming in second was The Divergent Series: Allegiant, with an opening that was down over 44% from its predecessor, and in third was Sony's latest faith-based feature, Miracles from Heaven, which over-performed the studio's conservative expectations. In all, the top twelve was down just a hair compared to the same weekend last year with a combined gross of $119 million, of which Zootopia accounted for nearly 32%. Dropping only 25.9%, Zootopia took in an estimated $38 million this weekend, bringing its overall cume to $201.8 million domestically, the third highest domestic total for a Walt Disney Animation Studios title (not adjusted for inflation). Additionally, it brought in another $64.8 million internationally, bringing its worldwide cume to $591.7 million, which places it just behind the $591.8 million Tangled brought in globally over the course of its entire run back in 2010. In second, with an estimated $29 million, »
- Brad Brevet <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
Czech Director Jan Nemec Dies at 79
3 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Director-scribe Jan Nemec, a co-founder of the Czech New Wave which was banned for work exposing communist brutality, died Friday after an illness, according to Prague media. Nemec was 79.
Having chosen to study at Prague’s prestigious Famu film school over pursuing a career in jazz, the young Nemec was uniquely focused and soon put together his debut feature in 1964, “Diamonds in the Night,” based on the true-life escape from a Nazi transport by co-writer Arnost Lustig.
The film’s haunting, surreal imagery and minimal dialogue unfolds as two young boys who, despite being marked for death, wander through forests, decrepit city streets and perplexing encounters with characters both familiar and strange.
“A Report on the Party and the Guests” followed in 1966, recounting a bizarre kidnapping that menaces a social gathering of dandies in the forest, a metaphor that would highly concern state censors not long after its release.
Nemec »
- Will Tizard
‘Maze Runner’ Director Addresses Dylan O’Brien’s On-Set Injury
22 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
“Maze Runner” director Wes Ball has spoken up about the on-set accident that left franchise star Dylan O'Brien in the hospital Thursday.
O’Brien was injured on the set of the YA series’ third installment, unfortunately titled “The Death Cure,” filming a scene that involved a vehicle.
“Well, it’s been a whirlwind of emotions these past few days,” Ball wrote in a letter (an image of which he tweeted on Saturday). “I’ve been overwhelmed with feelings of anger and sadness and guilt. But, ultimately I find myself left with a deep love and respect for Dylan. He is one tough cookie. I’m sorry for the grief this accident has caused his friends and family as well as my wonderful cast and crew. It’s scary seeing your friend get hurt, but fortunately, Dylan is going to be just fine. After a few weeks of rest and »
- Marianne Zumberge
‘Rocky’ Alum Carl Weathers Joins NBC’s ‘Chicago Justice’ Spinoff
15 hours ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
Carl Weathers has joined the cast of NBC’s “Chicago Justice,” the latest planted spinoff in Dick Wolf’s franchise of Chicago-set procedural dramas.
Weathers will play State’s Attorney Mark Jefferies in the upcoming “Justice” episode of “Chicago P.D.” The episode is designed to be prototype for a fourth “Chicago” series, this time focusing on the legal system. NBC launched “Chicago Fire” in 2012, followed by “Chicago P.D.” in 2014 and “Chicago Med” last fall.
Philip Winchester, Nazneen Contractor and Joelle Clark are set for lead roles in “Justice.” The episode is set to air May 11, five days before NBC unveils its 2016-17 program lineup to advertisers at its upfront in New York.
Weathers is known for his role as Apollo Creed in the first four “Rocky” movies. More recently he’s appeared in such series as USA Network’s “Colony,” Fox’s “Brothers” and “Arrested Development” and FX’s “The Shield. »
- Cynthia Littleton
Dick Wolf’s Stars Talk ‘One in a Million Shot’ of Being Cast in His Shows at Paleyfest
40 minutes ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
Dick Wolf strolled down memory lane Saturday night at PaleyFest at the Dolby Theatre, surrounded by stars of his current Chicago trilogy shows “Chicago P.D.,” “Chicago Med” and “Chicago Fire,” as well as “Law and Order: Svu.” Clad in his usual uniform of all-black and bright orange socks, the actors paid tribute to Wolf as they talked about being part of his television empire.
The Chicago table is getting “a fourth leg” as Wolf described it, with “Chicago Justice.” Wolf announced that Carl Weathers will be part of the “Chicago Justice” cast, playing Illinois State’s attorney Mark Jefferies, and co-star opposite Philip Winchester, Nazneen Contractor and Joelle Carter.
About the assembled panel of talent that included Oliver Platt, S. Epatha Merkerson, Ice-t, Jason Beghe, Taylor Kinney, Jesse Spencer, Sophia Bush and Torrey DeVitto, Wolf said, “the thing all these actors have in common is that they’re all »
- Diane Gordon
Aeon Flux director: It was a film by committee and it shows
40 minutes ago | Hitfix | See recent Hitfix news »
Director Karyn Kusama came onto the world stage with Sundance darling Girlfight, which also introduced audiences to powerhouse Michelle Rodriguez. Kusama went directly from indie cinema to big budget studio endeavor Aeon Flux, starring Charlize Theron. Here, the Girls on Film, Roth Cornet and Miri Jedeikin sit down with Kusama to talk about the benefits and challenges of finding success young, what it's like to grapple with the "film by committee" studio system, bringing out Megan Fox's comedy chops in Jennifer's Body, and returning to her indie roots with her new thriller The Invitation. Take a look in the player above or below and chat with us here or on Twitter. Roth: @RothCornet Miri: @MiriTheJedi The Invitation will be in theaters, via Drafthouse, and VOD on April 8. »
- Roth Cornet
Watch: President Obama Appears in Cuban Sketch Show Ahead of Historic Visit
1 hour ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
Ahead of President Barack Obama’s historic trip to Cuba, he appeared on a Cuban sketch show with one of the country’s most famous comedians.
Luis Silvia, known for his character Panfilo, posted a sketch on Saturday featuring the President himself. Though the humor may not translate exactly, Obama plays along as Panfilo calls the “Casa Blanca” and is surprised to get a direct line to the Commander in Chief himself.
Panfilo calls the White House to see if it will rain on Tuesday, when Obama is set to attend a baseball game. They then go on to address Obama’s visit.
“I am so glad you will come to visit so you can know Cuba, its people,” says Silvia.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Obama reassures him. “The American people and the Cuban people are friends.”
Panfilo naturally takes this a step forward, giving Obama travel advice »
- Alex Stedman
Trump Reacts to Allegations That Campaign Manager Roughed Up Protester
1 hour ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Donald Trump gave his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, “credit for having spirit” after he was accused of grabbing a protester by the collar during an Arizona rally. “They had signs up in that area that were horrendous,” he told ABC News’ “This Week” host George Stephanopolos about the event on Saturday. “I will give him credit, spirited — now he didn’t touch him … I give him credit for having spirit. He wanted to take down those horrible, profanity-laced signs.” In a video posted by CBS News on Saturday, Lewandowski appears to grab a protester by the shirt collar and pull him backwards. »
- Michael E. Ross
Are Hitler-Trump Comparisons Fair? A Holocaust Survivor Tells His Son
1 hour ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
One of the questions I never thought I’d ask my father: Does Donald Trump truly resemble Adolf Hitler? My dad, Zeev Hod, is not only one of the smartest people I know — he’s also had the unique experience of being both a Holocaust survivor and a history teacher who spent years educating high school students about the Third Reich. Given that people from Louis C.K. to Bill Maher to Glenn Beck have compared Trump to Hitler, I wanted to know if my dad also believed there were similarities between Trump and the man who killed an estimated 200 members of our family — including. »
- Itay Hod
The Joker and Riddler Were Almost in ‘Batman v Superman,’ Says Zack Snyder
1 hour ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Lex Luthor and Doomsday are ready to wreak havoc in the highly anticipated “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” but the movie also almost featured two additional famous DC supervillains.
Director Zack Snyder said in a recent interview with Collider that “the Joker and the Riddler both came close to being in this movie.”
“We talked about the possibility of putting them in,” he went on. “[Screenwriter] Chris Terrio and I talked about it a lot and felt that their mythological presence is felt in the movie, and that’s cool, but I didn’t want to get my eye too far off the ball because I needed to spend the time, frankly, with Batman and Superman to understand the conflict.”
Jesse Eisenberg will play Luthor in “Batman v Superman,” with Robin Atkin Downes providing the voice and motion capture for Doomsday. Jared Leto will make his debut as the Joker »
- Alex Stedman
Trump Campaign Manager Appears to Grab a Protester at Tucson Rally in CBS News Video
1 hour ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Round 2 for Corey Lewandowski? In a new video, the embattled campaign manager for the Trump campaign appears to grab a protester at a Saturday Trump rally in Tucson, Arizona. The video was posted by CBS News late Saturday. Lewandowski’s methods of dealing with the media and the public have taken center stage since he apparently manhandled Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields at a campaign event last week. Events at the Saturday rally were explosive, with veterans and immigrants’ rights groups making their presence known early, in the hall and outside. At another Trump event in the state, a protester was seen being. »
- Michael E. Ross
‘The Revenant’ Opens in China With $33 Million, Nears $500 Million Worldwide
2 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Leonardo DiCaprio’s “The Revenant” has opened with an impressive $33 million in its first three days in China, lifting the worldwide total to nearly $500 million.
China is one of the final markets to open the survival drama, which won Oscars for DiCaprio as best actor, Alejandro G. Inarritu as best director and Emmanuel Lubezki for best cinematography. Japan will be the final market to open on April 22.
Bona Film Group announced on Feb. 29 — the day after the Oscars — that it would release “The Revenant” in China with the release jointly handled by Bona, China Film Group and Alpha Pictures. Chinese censors reportedly cut less than two minutes from the frontier epic.
“The Revenant” is still generating decent business for Fox in the U.S. after three months in theaters. It finished the weekend in 10th place with a $1.2 million weekend at 985 locations, pushing the U.S. total to $181.2 million.
It »
- Dave McNary
Scott Baio Endorses Donald Trump: ‘We Need Somebody to Relentlessly Attack Hillary’
2 hours ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
Scott Baio has added his name to the list of celebrities who are getting behind Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump.
The actor revealed his endorsement of Trump to Fox News’ Judge Jeanine Pirro on Saturday, calling himself “fed up” with the Republican party. When asked why he supports Trump, Baio, who identifies as a conservative independent, said Trump “communicates with people very well.”
“It’s very simple, because when he speaks I understand him,” Baio said. “He speaks like I speak, he communicates with people very well. I want him, as any one person can do, to go into Washington and blow it up.”
The “Charlies in Charge,” “Happy Days” and “Joanie Loves Chachi” actor went on to say that the right needs someone to “relentlessly” take on democrat Hillary Clinton.
“They’re going to attack whomever the Republican nominee is,” he said. “We need somebody to relentlessly, relentlessly attack Hillary. »
- Alex Stedman
‘Party Over Here’ Mocks Trump With Demand for Loyalty (Video)
2 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
The second episode Fox’s “Party Over Here” took a dig at Donald Trump with a demand that the studio audience pledge undying loyalty to the show. Stars Nicole Byer, Jessica McKenna and Alison Rich asked fans to recite: “I will commit my life to ‘Party Over Here.’ I shall chuckle and called upon to chuckle … I pledge my honor to ‘Party Over Here’ for this show and all the shows to come.” Trump has recently asked supporters to take a pledge to vote for him. Also Read: Lonely Island's 'Party Over Here' Introduces Uber Air Equivalent Flyte (Exclusive Video) At the opening, »
- Michael E. Ross
5 Reasons ‘Allegiant’ Didn’t Deliver Like ‘Divergent’ at Box Office
3 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Why couldn’t “Allegiant” hit the box-office heights that the first two movies in “The Divergent Series” did? The third of four teen sci-fi films in Lionsgate’s “The Divergent Series,” “Allegiant” managed just a $29 million opening weekend, well under the debuts of 2014’s “Divergent” ($54.6 million) and “Insurgent” ($52.2 million last year). Also Read: 'Allegiant' Trampled by 'Zootopia' at Box Office “Zootopia,” the Disney Animation blockbuster that over-performed in winning its its third straight weekend with $38 million, was one big reason. But the futuristic young adult tale from Lionsgate was facing some problems all its own this weekend. Specifically: Genre Fatigue The idea that. »
- Todd Cunningham
What ‘The Passion’ Ep Learned From ‘Grease: Live,’ and How Faith Affected Casting
3 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Executive Producer Mark Bracco is passionate about “The Passion,” but even he knows something will probably go wrong during Fox’s ambitious live musical event. “You just never know,” he told TheWrap. “Are the odds that something is going to go wrong at some point? Yeah, pretty much.” While the odds are always against pulling off a perfect live broadcast, it seems extra likely that a hiccup could come from Bracco’s 20-foot, 284.87-pound cross and 1,000-person procession through the streets of New Orleans. After all, not every road will be closed this weekend, and the gang has only even practiced it once thus far, »
- Tony Maglio
‘Zootopia’ Stomps on ‘Allegiant’s’ Opening at U.S. Box Office
4 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
The animal kingdom showed plenty of box office bite as Disney’s “Zootopia” easily defeated Shailene Woodley’s “The Divergent Series: Allegiant” with a $38 million weekend at 3,959 North American locations.
It was the third straight victory for “Zootopia,” which has taken in a surprisingly strong $201.8 million in 17 days. But that victory came at a cost for Lionsgate’s “Allegiant,” which tallied $29.1 million in a case of franchise fatigue — as its once-robust audience showed far less support for the opening weekend.
“Zootopia” and “Allegiant” had been expected to duel for the top spot this weekend, but “Allegiant” managed barely half of the $54.6 million launch of “Divergent” in 2014 and the $52.3 million debut of “Insurgent” last year. It’s the best second-place opening of 2016 but below recent forecasts for the third chapter of the four-part dystopian franchise.
Liosngate has set the finale “Ascendant” to open in June, 2017.
Audience interest in “Allegiant” may have »
- Dave McNary
‘Allegiant’ Trampled by ‘Zootopia’ at Box Office
4 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
“Zootopia” topped the U.S. box office charts for the third consecutive weekend, holding off wide openers Allegiant: The Divergent Series” and the faith-based “Miracles From Heaven” with an estimated $38 million. The Disney Animation blockbuster raised its domestic box office total to $201 million in the process and lifted the worldwide total for the 3D computer-animated tale of prejudice and stereotyping to $692 million. The PG-13-rated “Allegiant,” the third of four films in Lionsgate’s teen sci-fi series “The Divergent Series,” came in second with roughly $29 million — well under the debuts of 2014’s “Divergent” ($54 million) and last year’s “Insurgent” ($52 million). Also. »
- Todd Cunningham
TV Review: ‘Heartbeat’
5 hours ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
Melissa George’s pregnancy prompted NBC to reschedule “Heartbeat” from the fall to midseason, but the intervening months haven’t helped this medical drama find much of a pulse. Although derived from a book by a real-life heart surgeon, the series plays like a rather pallid “Grey’s Anatomy” knockoff, featuring another doctor who cares desperately about her patients, runs roughshod over subordinates and bosses alike, and walks and talks very, very fast.
If Kathy Magliato’s book was built, in part, around how cardiac surgery remains a largely male bastion, there are enough brilliant female doctors patrolling the halls of TV to make George’s Dr. Alexandra Panttiere feel a little less special. The day-to-day pressures of the hospital, meanwhile, share time with a sort-of romantic triangle, involving Alex’s relationship with her dreamy doc boyfriend (Dave Annable) and the surgical mentor (Don Hany) who suddenly shows up, unleashing »
- Brian Lowry
Kristen Bell talks Team Logan/Team Piz and what could be next for ‘Veronica Mars’
5 hours ago | Hitfix | See recent Hitfix news »
While everyone else was celebrating Pi Day, Marshmallows were celebrating P.I. Day. Yep, March 14 marked two years since the release of the Veronica Mars movie, the Kickstarter-funded follow-up to the teen noir TV series. While talking with Kristen Bell about her new movie The Boss, I pointed out we had just passed this VMars movie anniversary, and it sounds like time has flown for the actress in those years: “Oh we did?! Oh my God, two years,” she said. Necessary check-in two years post-Veronica Mars movie: Where is Bell at right now in the Team Logan/Team Piz debate? Veronica Mars movie spoiler warning! “Prior to the movie, I think I was Team Piz, ’cause I thought he treated her better,” Bell said of Veronica’s great love triangle. “But after the movie — you know, Logan really fought for her, and he was finally the underdog — instead of »
- Emily Rome
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