Hello everyone,
BOX OFFICE: “Thunderbolts*” didn’t quite jump start the summer box office season since it’s $76 million opening was about $10 million less than the opening of “Captain America Brave New World” earlier this year, but it met pre-weekend predictions. “Sinners” – which lost a lot of movie screens due to “Thunderbolts*” fell about 28% to #2 with approx. $33 million. “A Minecraft Movie” is still doing well after 5 weeks coming in 3rd with almost $14 million. The domestic total for “A Minecraft Movie” is approaching $400 million so it’s still the #1 movie at the domestic box office.
Overall, the domestic box office fell very slightly. It was less than 2% lower than the previous weekend with $141 million total.
“Sinners” will have a 2nd chance to make more money because they announced that it will return to 70mm IMAX screens for a few days before the Memorial Day weekend. It’s scheduled to be back in IMAX 70mm on May 15 to May 21.
Also, possibly hoping the new name will get more people to see the movie. Marvel has decided to reveal the asterisk in “Thunderbolts*” to the world today. It has changed some marketing materials to say, “New Avengers” (which anyone who saw the movie already knows).
(the building sized poster for the movie on Sunset Blvd being changed).
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE: “Thunderbolts*” made slightly less than expected worldwide. Its global take was approx. $162 million including approx. $86 million in foreign countries. Meanwhile, “A Minecraft Movie” is getting higher and higher as its now approaching a worldwide gross of $875 million. “Sinners” isn’t doing so well in foreign countries. It’s worldwide gross is approaching $236 million with only $57 million coming from foreign countries.
OTHER NEWS:
The biggest recent news item is Trumps announcement that He will impose 100% tariffs on movies produced in foreign countries. Studios are wondering what he means by “produced in foreign countries” since some movies are produced in the US but parts of movies are FILMED in other countries. Then, Trump corrected his statements saying today that he doesn’t want to hurt the film industry (although others say that’s just what will happen) and he’s discussed it with people (although the only people he met with so far are Jon Voight and a couple people Jon worked with). Then he says he will be meeting with the industry heads, although the only group that said they will be meeting with him so far is IATSE. Also, some people say that “..movies actually are listed as an exception to presidential authority under the International Emergency Powers Act, which gives the president authority to address threats to national security and the economy”
There was going to be a conflict with next year’s Academy Awards because the Los Angeles Marathon – which goes down the street that the Dolby Theatre is on – was scheduled for the same day. However, recently the Los Angeles Marathon said they would reschedule the day of their race.
LITTLE BIT OF HUMOR:
President Trump also posted about rebuilding and reopening Alcatraz prison – completely forgetting that during the Native Amercian occupation of Alcatraz Island starting in 1969 there was a big fire that DESTROYED a lof the structures on the island so it will cost MILLIONS OF DOLLARS to rebuild and reopen the prison. Some people also noticed that….
His announcement just happened to be on the same day a local television station played the 1979 Clint Eastwood movie “Escape From Alcatraz”. In fact, during a press conference he said “I was supposed to be a movie maker… Nobody ever escaped from the prison”
LOS ANGELES FILM REVIEW 