Entertainment
Black Adam Tops Box Office Takes Rakes in $67Million
Warner Bros.’ “Black Adam” debuted, raking in an estimated $67 million, giving Dwayne Johnson his best box-office weekend as a leading actor and launching the DC Comics character he spent a decade bringing to the big screen.
“Black Adam” was a $200 million attempt to disturb the power dynamic in the DC Extended Universe, dominated by characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman.
Even with the significant draw of Johnson playing in his first superhero film, the $67 million debut fell far short of that mark. Nonetheless, “Black Adam” had the greatest opening weekend since “Thor: Love and Thunder” arrived in July with $143 million.
“Black Adam,” starring Johnson as an ancient Egyptian called to the current day, has been plagued by negative reviews (40% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). The film received a B+ CinemaScore from moviegoers. It garnered $73 million abroad for a total of $140 million.
“Black Adam” took a roundabout path to theatres. The character was supposed to debut as a villain in 2019′s “Shazam!” before executives decided to give Black Adam his own film.
The sillier “Shazam!,” which cost more than $100 million to produce, debuted with $53.5 million in ticket sales and grossed $366 million worldwide.
But the stakes were higher for “Black Adam.” While promoting the film, Johnson has made no secret of his ambition to follow up “Black Adam” with a confrontation with Superman. But it’s questionable whether “Black Adam” sales are sufficient to justify that. Warner Bros. is rethinking its approach to DC Comics adaptations under new leadership.
Warner Bros. distribution president Jeff Goldstein told The Associated Press the results as his best for Dwayne Johnson outside of the “Fast & Furious” films and a PG-13 film with broad appeal that people responded to better than reviewers.
Still, Warner Bros.′ restructuring DC branch is upheaval as the studio pursues more Marvel-sized successes. In March, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” will be released.
“It all comes down to crafting terrific movies.” “It’s all about getting the appropriate scripts,” Goldstein explained. “Our studio is undergoing a substantial reworking of our production leadership, style, and strategy.” I believe we will be able to break this nut. We’re committed to doing so.”
“Ticket to Paradise,” a romantic comedy set in Bali starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney, was an excellent counterprogramming choice.
The Universal Pictures picture debuted with $16.3 million, well exceeding recent sales for rom-com, which have struggled at theatres in recent years.
The picture is already a success in other countries, where it has been in theatres for a month and has grossed $80.2 million in ticket sales.
Universal Studios R-rated “Bros,” an LGBTQ milestone in the genre, was released earlier this month with a disappointing $4.8 million.
“Ticket to Paradise” had a significant edge in its two stars, and it notably appealed to much older audiences; 64% of ticket buyers were 35 and up, according to the studio.
“It became an event film this weekend for all audiences, but notably for older audiences who can be tough to get into cinemas,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s head of distribution. “We all know this isn’t a demographic that rushes to see movies on their opening weekend. That gives us much hope for the coming weeks and months.”
According to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, it was the first weekend since July with a $65 million opening weekend and more than $100 million in total domestic ticket sales. He attributed this largely to star power in the popularity of “Ticket to Paradise” and “Black Adam”.
“Despite some movement forward in terms of the D.C .brand and this not being as well-known a character,” Dergarabedian said, “he was the motor that propelled this box office.” “This is a strong start for Dwayne Johnson in the DC Comics mix.” He’s like a supercharger for the box office.
Rotten Tomatoes score 40%, but people want to see Johnson on the big screen because he is larger than life.”
“Halloween Ends,” last week’s #1 film, plummeted dramatically in its second weekend. The Universal horror sequel, released on Peacock, fell 80% to $8 million.
Meanwhile, Paramount Pictures’ “Smile” defied the usual drops for horror movies. “Smile” came in third with $8.4 million in its 4th week of release, bringing its total domestic sales to $84.3 million.
Searchlight Pictures’ “The Banshees of Inisherin” opened with one of the year’s top pre-theatre averages as more respected award contenders hit theatres.
The Martin McDonagh movie, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, debuted at four theatres with $181,000, for a per-theater average of $45,250. Charlotte Wells’ “Aftersun,” featuring Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio as a father and young daughter on vacation, launched in four theatres with a $16,589 per-theater average for A24.
Comscore estimates ticket sales for Friday through Sunday in US and Canadian theatres. The final domestic data will be provided on Monday.
1. “Black Adam,” $67 million.
2. “Ticket to Paradise,” $16.3 million.
3. “Smile,” $8.4 million
4. “Halloween Ends,” $8 million.
5. “Lyle, Lyle Crocodile,” $4.2 million.
6. “The Woman King,” $1.9 million.
7. “Terrifier 2,” $1.9 million.
8. “Don’t Worry Darling,” $880,000.
9. “Amsterdam,” $811,000.
10. “Triangle of Sadness,” $600,000.
Source: The Associated Press, VOR News
Fans of the Marvel world should not expect Robert Downey Jr. to resume his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man.
Despite claims to the contrary, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in an interview with Vanity Fair that there are no plans to renew the character following Downey Jr.’s last appearance in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.”
“We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again,” she stated. “We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way.”
According to co-director Joe Russo, Downey Jr. was apprehensive about performing reshoots for “Endgame.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/rexfeatures_5886260f-2000-de8249503e254e76ac284383c40751b2.jpg "Robert Downey Jr. Won’t Be Returning To The Marvel Cinematic Universe As Tony Stark")
Robert Downey Jr. Won’t Be Returning To The Marvel Cinematic Universe As Tony Stark
“On the last day of shooting, we’d already said tearful goodbyes.” “Emotionally, everyone had moved on,” Russo told the publication. “We promised him it would be the last time we made him do it — ever.”
His brother Anthony Russo, who co-directed “Endgame,” adds, “That was a difficult thing for him to do, to come back and pick up that line.”
“When he (Downey Jr.) did come back, we were shooting on a stage directly opposite where he auditioned for Tony Stark,” Anthony Russo, the director, stated. “So his last line as Tony Stark was shot literally a couple hundred feet from his original audition that got him the role.”
According to Feige, he had to campaign for Downey Jr. to be cast as Stark in the Marvel universe due to his previous difficulties with substance abuse, which resulted in him serving 15 months in prison.
Robert Downey Jr. Won’t Be Returning To The Marvel Cinematic Universe As Tony Stark
“It purely came down to the Marvel board being nervous at putting all of their chips in their future films on somebody who famously had those legal troubles in the past,” Feige stated. “I wasn’t very good — and still am not — at taking no for an answer. But I also don’t beat my chest to get my way. I try to think of ways to make it plain to others why we should go in a certain direction. And that’s when the concept of a screen test arose.”
Susan Downey, Downey Jr.’s wife, stated that her husband had turned down jobs similar to Stark. In 2018, Downey Jr. told Vanity Fair writer Anthony Breznican that he is his own man despite comparisons to the role.
Robert Downey Jr. Won’t Be Returning To The Marvel Cinematic Universe As Tony Stark
“I ain’t him, I’ll tell you that flat out,” Downey Jr. stated.
Downey Jr is an American actor widely known for his roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Tony Stark/Iron Man. He has also appeared in various other films, receiving critical acclaim for his performances.
He has had a successful career marked by his versatility and ability to portray a wide range of characters. His work has earned him several awards and nominations, solidifying his status as one of the most influential figures in the entertainment industry.
SOURCE – CNN
Entertainment
Wikipedia, Wrapped. Here Are 2023’S Most-Viewed Articles On The Internet’s Encyclopedia
NEW YORK – Remember what you were looking for in 2023? Wikipedia, on the other hand, has the receipts.
According to data provided Tuesday by the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit behind the free, openly edited online encyclopedia, English Wikipedia received more than 84 billion views this year. The most popular piece was on ChatGPT (the AI chatbot that appears to be everywhere these days).
OpenAI’s ChatGPT has flown into the public eye since its inception just over a year ago, as the technology makes its way into schools, health care, legislation, and even religious preaching. The chatbot has also contributed to developing arguments regarding the possible benefits and risks of generative AI, most of which are detailed on its Wikipedia page.
Here Are 2023’S Most-Viewed Articles On The Internet’s Encyclopedia
The annual list of fatalities was the second most-read article on Wikipedia in 2023, after taking the #4 and #1 rankings in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Individual entries for important figures who died this year drew much attention, notably those for Matthew Perry and Lisa Marie Presley.
Meanwhile, the highly anticipated 2023 Cricket World Cup came in third place — along with three other cricket-related entries in Wikipedia’s top 25 this year, including the Indian Premier League at #4, marking the first time cricket content has made the list since the Wikimedia Foundation began tracking in 2015.
“Barbenheimer,” Taylor Swift and others also appeared to influence our internet-reading habits in 2023. Here are this year’s top 25 English Wikipedia articles.
According to the Wikimedia Foundation, this top 25 ranking was constructed using English Wikipedia statistics as of November 28. The charity plans to update full-year figures on January 3, 2024.
The United States (33.2 billion) and the United Kingdom (9 billion), along with India (8.48 billion), Canada (3.95 billion), and Australia (2.56 billion), are the top countries that accessed English Wikipedia globally in 2023, according to Wikimedia Foundation data shared with The Associated Press.
Here Are 2023’S Most-Viewed Articles On The Internet’s Encyclopedia
1. ChatGPT: 49,490,406 pageviews
2. Deaths in 2023: 42,666,860 pageviews
3. 2023 Cricket World Cup: 38,171,653 pageviews
4. Indian Premier League: 32,012,810 pageviews
5. Oppenheimer (film): 28,348,248 pageviews
6. Cricket World Cup: 25,961,417 pageviews
7. J. Robert Oppenheimer: 25,672,469 pageviews
8. Jawan (film): 21,791,126 pageviews
9. 2023 Indian Premier League: 20,694,974 pageviews
10. Pathaan (film): 19,932,509 pageviews
11. The Last of Us (TV series): 19,791,789 pageviews
12. Taylor Swift, 19,418,385: pageviews
13. Barbie (film): 18,051,077 pageviews
14. Cristiano Ronaldo: 17,492,537 pageviews
15. Lionel Messi: 16,623,630 pageviews
16. Premier League: 16,604,669 pageviews
17. Matthew Perry: 16,454,666 pageviews
18. United States: 16,240,461 pageviews
19. Elon Musk: 14,370,395 pageviews
20. Avatar: The Way of Water: 14,303,116 pageviews
21. India: 13,850,178 pageviews
22. Lisa Marie Presley: 13,764,007 pageviews
23. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: 13,392,917 pageviews
24. Russian invasion of Ukraine: 12,798,866 pageviews
25. Andrew Tate: 12,728,616 pageviews
According to the Wikimedia Foundation, this top 25 ranking was constructed using English Wikipedia statistics as of November 28. The charity plans to update full-year figures on January 3, 2024.
The United States (33.2 billion) and the United Kingdom (9 billion), along with India (8.48 billion), Canada (3.95 billion), and Australia (2.56 billion), are the top countries that accessed English Wikipedia globally in 2023, according to Wikimedia Foundation data shared with The Associated Press.
SOURCE – (AP)
GTA 6 ANNOUNCEMENT: Will the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer smash viewing records? Given the huge interest even now, 24 hours before it’s scheduled to go live, it appears feasible.
Rockstar Games has released a video premiere for “Trailer 1” on YouTube, which includes a countdown to the game’s release on December 5 at 6 a.m. Pacific / 9 a.m. Eastern / 2 p.m. UK.
However, astute watchers observed the GTA 6 Trailer 1 length was released to expose a YouTube flaw. View the mobile video preview while unsubscribing from the Rockstar Games channel using the YouTube app’s search. Notice the “upcoming” tag on the bottom right; the runtime should appear over it.
There might be some spoilers ahead!
Tens Of Thousands Of People Are Already Waiting To Watch The GTA 6 Trailer
The GTA 6 Trailer 1 lasts one minute and 31 seconds. That should give you plenty of time to look at the game. We’ll even get a release date and platform information.
Surprisingly, tens of thousands have already lined up to watch Trailer 1. At the time of writing, about 24 hours before launch, 43,172 individuals were waiting to witness what could be the largest video game trailer of all time.
If you want to join in on the fun, roughly 2,000 people are watching IGN’s own GTA 6 trailer countdown and actively chatting right now.
When Rockstar announced a December release date for the GTA 6 trailer in November, it added, “We are very excited to let you know that in early December, we will release the first trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto.” We look forward to sharing these experiences with you all for many years.
“We have had the opportunity to create games we are truly passionate about thanks to the incredible support of our players worldwide — none of this would be possible without you, and we are so grateful to all of you for sharing this journey with us.”
Tens Of Thousands Of People Are Already Waiting To Watch The GTA 6 Trailer
“In 1998, Rockstar Games was founded on the idea that video games could come to be as essential to culture as any other form of entertainment, and we hope that we have created games you love in our efforts to be part of that evolution.”With anticipation at an all-time high, IGN reports that Rockstar appears to have revealed the GTA 6 Trailer 1 release date on a GTA Online T-shirt sold nearly a year ago.
GTA 6 has been rumored since the release of Grand Theft Auto 5 a little more than a decade ago. It was mentioned in passing in a 2020 Kotaku article on Rockstar’s efforts to combat crunch culture at the company, and it was confirmed in a press release in 2022, with the studio stating that development was “well underway.” Later that year, in-development footage from the game was leaked in a large breach, leading to the arrest of a British teenage hacker in connection with the crime.
Since early in 2023, when publisher Take-Two Interactive expected large financial gains in that fiscal year that would be difficult to achieve without the boost from the enormously profitable series, a release window between April 2024 and March 2025 has been speculated.
Tens Of Thousands Of People Are Already Waiting To Watch The GTA 6 Trailer
“GTA 6” is the next installment in the Grand Theft Auto series. Rockstar Games are developing it, and it is highly anticipated by gamers all around the world. The game is expected to have a large open environment, intense gameplay, and cutting-edge graphics.
While there are few specifics about the game, rumors say it will be set in a fictionalized depiction of a modern-day metropolis. “GTA 6” has garnered great enthusiasm and intrigue among fans and the gaming world as one of the most anticipated releases in the gaming industry.
SOURCE (IGN)
Robert Downey Jr. Won’t Be Returning To The Marvel Cinematic Universe As Tony Stark
Wikipedia, Wrapped. Here Are 2023’S Most-Viewed Articles On The Internet’s Encyclopedia
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