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On this episode of Collider Movie Talk (August 15th, 2016) Mark Ellis, Kristian Harloff, Dennis Tzeng and Ashley Mova discuss the following:
- Box Office Report (Brought to you by AMC Theatres)
- Young Han Solo movie looking to cast non-white female lead
- New image reveals Jason Momoa in Aquaman armor from Justice League
- First images released from Passengers starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence
- New images released from Doctor Strange
- New images reveal upgraded Transformers from Transformers: The Last Knight
- First trailer released for Robert Zemeckis’ Allied starring Brad Pitt
- Mail Bag
It’s Monday which means it’s time for the weekend box office report brought to you by our friends at AMC theatres. Suicide Squad topped the domestic charts again this past weekend with $43.8 million and the No 1 spot, bringing its stateside total to $222.9 million. The movie featuring the Worst Heroes Ever plunged 67% in its second weekend, nearly equaling Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s 69% sophomore plunge. The animated, R rated Sausage Party scored big on its opening weekend, debuting to $33.6 million for the No 2 spot. The story of a gang of grocery items grappling with the dangers of the kitchen, proved to be an antidote to sequelitis and a reminder that audiences do want to see an original idea. The weekend’s other major new release, Disney’s Pete’s Dragon, faltered with box office returns, taking in only $21.6 million for the No 3 spot, despite scoring glowing reviews. The remake of the 1977 family film cost $65 million to make, and was a disappointing opening for the Mouse House. Jason Bourne took the No 4 spot with $13.6 million dollars, bringing its domestic total to $126.7 million dollars. And rounding out the top 5 was Bad Moms, taking in $11.5 million dollars, bringing its domestic total to $71.4 million dollars.
With their lead actor finally cast and ready to don the vest, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller of Lucasfilm’s upcoming Young Han Solo movie are now turning their attention to filling out the rest of the ensemble. We heard last week that Lando Calrissian is expected to be a part of the cast for the untitled film, with Donald Glover rumored to be the top choice. And now it seems the film is looking to fill the role of its female lead. Mashable reporter Jeff Sneider took to Twitter to share a tidbit of news on what he’s heard regarding the female lead, revealing that Lucasfilm has narrowed its search down to four non-white actresses for the unknown role. The news has fans speculating that a character who was created in the pages of Marvel’s new Star Wars comic series may be leaping into live action. Sana Solo was originally introduced in Star Wars #4 last year, and was revealed to be “married” to Han as part of a cover for a job they pulled off years earlier. There’s no evidence this is the direction the film will be taking beyond the fact that Sana is black woman and the next film is seeking a non-white actress. However, the fact that Rogue One features Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera (a character first introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars) is proof that Lucasfilm isn’t afraid to blur the lines between their different mediums. The still-untitled Han Solo movie is scheduled for a May 25, 2018 release date.
BUY OR SELL
With Zack Snyder currently filming Justice League, the follow-up to both DC Comics and Warner Bros.’ Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the recent David Ayer-directed antihero flick Suicide Squad, we’re starting to get some info on the film’s other characters, its tone, and where the storyline is going to take audiences late next year. Taking to twitter, Snyder shared a behind-the-scenes set image that reveals Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, featuring his Atlantean armor (wielding a guitar) and giving fans a good look at what we can expect him to look like in the movie. Justice League also stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Ray Fischer as Victor Stone/Cyborg, and Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman. It opens in theaters on November 17, 2017.
EW has released the first images from one of the year’s most anticipated films in Passengers, an original sci-fi story from Prometheus screenwriter Jon Spaihts. The script had been floating around Hollywood for a few years and finally gained the momentum needed to make it a reality when The Imitation Game director Morten Tyldum—fresh off a Best Director nomination—signed on to take the helm. Shortly thereafter, he enlisted two of the biggest actors working today to star: Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt. The film takes place on a luxury spaceship bound for a human colony that’s 120 years away. Given the length of the journey, the 5,000 passengers are put into hypersleep, but when two of the passengers are mysteriously awakened 90 years too early, they strike up a relationship and quickly become the ship’s only hope of recovering from a serious malfunction. Passengers opens in theaters on December 21st and also stars Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, and Aurora Perrineau.
EW has released two new images from Marvel’s first foray into the mystic world of sorcery for November’s Doctor Strange. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after losing the use of his hands following a car accident, goes in search of a cure that brings him in contact with the Ancient One played by Tilda Swinton, a figure who teaches him the ways of mysticism. As we’ve seen in the trailers, this opens the door for parallel dimensions and alterations of reality, which fans are curious to see play out within the MCU. Sinister director Scott Derrickson was tasked with bringing the Sorcerer Supreme to life. The film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen and Benedict Wong and will hit theatres this November 4th.
With each new Transformers film from Michael Bay, Hasbro, and Paramount Pictures, the title bots tend to get a lot of new designs; giving the filmmakers the ability to take advantage of the latest in computer technology and allow the marketing department to roll out all the new toys every couple of years. Now that Transformers: The Last Knight is marching onward toward its June 23, 2017 release date, the marketing department has taken to twitter and Instagram to share some familiar characters and the upgrades to their designs. The new images reveal Bumblebee, Megatron, Drift, Hound, Hot Rod and many more. Bay’s fifth installment in the franchise stars Mark Wahlberg, Laura Haddock, Anthony Hopkins, John Goodman, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Ken Watanabe, and the voices of original transformers Frank Welker and Peter Cullen.
Paramount Pictures has released the first trailer for director Robert Zemeckis’ World War II spy thriller/romance/drama Allied. Brad Pitt stars as an intelligence officer who encounters a French Resistance fighter played by Marion Cotillard, in 1942 North Africa. The film is an original story scripted by Steven Knight of Peaky Blinders and Locke, who told Collider’s own Steven Weintraub last August that it’s based on a true story that was told to him at the age of 21 that he’s carried around with him all this time. Allied opens November 23rd and also stars Lizzy Caplan and Matthew Goode.
MAIL BAG
Harmeet writes
Hey Collider, what's good? So I'm about to say something shocking... I have never seen a single Star Wars movie. After seeing the new Rogue One trailer, I don't know what it is but I'm just dying to watch that movie now. I know all about the prequels and what people think about them so I was wondering if I could just skip them? Do you guys think I can appreciate the Star Wars franchise even without watching the prequels? Thanks for everything, you guys run the game.
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