Hello everyone,
BOX OFFICE: Depending on what news site you go to, the new movie “IF” either “just missed its estimates” or “failed to reach its projected box office”. The websites also give its box office total as high as $35 million but according to box office mojo it actually made just under $34 million (it was estimated to make around $40 million) which made it the #1 movie of this past weekend. #2 was last weeks #1 movie “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” which dropped approx. 56 percent to $25.45 million. The #3 movie was “The Strangers Chapter 1” which actually BEAT its pre-release estimates making $11.8 million. The 3rd new movie release was the Amy Winehouse biopic “Back to Black” which was WAY under its estimates coming it at #6 with just $2.83 million.
Overall, the total domestic box office was just a slight bit over the previous weekend with a domestic box office total of $96.467 million which is 0.4% – or about $375 thousand lower than the previous weekend. However, everyone is predicting the total box office will rise to above $100 million thanks to “Furiosa” and “Garfield” coming out next Memorial Day weekend.
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE: The movie “IF” opened in a few foreign countries last week and added a few more this week so it’s international total is now $24 million and its worldwide total is now approx. $58 million. Last weeks “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” made an additional $40 million in foreign countries. Its worldwide total is now $237 million which launched it up to the #4 movie of 2024 (so far) worldwide. Also, “Garfield” – which opens domestically this coming weekend and is only playing in about 60% pf the foreign countries it will eventually play at – already has a worldwide total of $49 million (almost as much as “IF” worldwide gross). Meanwhile, the total worldwide gross of “Back in Black” is just $6 million although it has yet to open in some foreign countries.
UNION NEWS: The deadline for completing the basic agreement between IATSE and the studios was last Thursday but they still didn’t come to an agreement. They decided to pause the negotiations because the other “area standards agreement” negotiations were scheduled to start today (Monday May 20). They said the basic agreement negotiations will resume sometime in early June after the other negotiations are completed.
CANNES: The Cannes film festival is currently underway. Last year I reported how long all the standing ovations were but I noticed that the length of the standing ovations often doesn’t match the reviews that come out right after the screenings. So, I’m going to skip that this year. However, there is some news.
After the premiere screening for “Horizon – Chapter 1”, Co-writer/director/producer/star Kevin Costner announced that he hopes there will be 4 movies in the film series. Chapter 2 is already filmed and is scheduled to be released at the end of this summer and it was reported that Kevin was meeting people for financing Chapter 3.
Also, after the premiere of “The Apprentice” at Cannes – the movie based on Donald Trump’s rise in the 70s and 80s – Trump immediately “vowed to sue” the filmmakers over the movie. It was reported that the movie has scenes of Trump “raping” Ivanka before they were married (which Ivanka claimed and then later denied after they divorced), Trump getting hair treatment for his bald spot, Trump getting liposuction, and Trump taking amphetamines. However, in the past I’ve noticed that people who “threatened to sue” or “vowed to sue” sometimes end up NOT suing. If you’re really going to sue someone you should sue them instead of “vow to sue” them.
OTHER NEWS: In Paramount sale news, Sony Pictures and Paramount have signed a non-disclosure agreement allowing negotiations for a deal to start. However, the news says the $26 billion that Sony previously bid is no longer on the table. Meanwhile, the reports say there is still talk between Paramount and Skydance even though their exclusive bargaining window ended at the end of April.
LITTLE BIT OF HUMOR:
Anyone born in the 2000s may be saying “WHO THE HELL ARE THEY???” 40 YEARS AGO the first “Beverly Hills Cop” was released in theaters. We haven’t seen Axel Foley and the other guys since “Beverly Hills Cop 3” which was 30 YEARS AGO (in 1994). Now, Axel Foley and a lot of the other cast members are returning (mostly to Netflix but it will probably show in a few movie theaters) later this summer.
LOS ANGELES FILM REVIEW 