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  • ‘Black Panther’ Just Became Third Movie to Ever Make $700 Million at Domestic Box Office

    ‘Black Panther’ Just Became Third Movie to Ever Make $700 Million at Domestic Box Office

    Marvel

    “Black Panther“ just hit another box office milestone.

    Yes, it’s still in about 25 theaters after being released back in February. The Marvel Studios film has now officially passed $700 million at the domestic box office — technically it’s at $700,004,026 right now — for a total of $1.35 billion worldwide.

    As Variety reported, that makes “Black Panther” only the third film in history to pass $700M at the domestic box office, joining “Star Wars: The Force Awakens“ and “Avatar“ in a very exclusive club.

    For reference, “The Force Awakens” ended its 2015 run with $936,662,225 just at the domestic (U.S./Canada) box office alone. That’s the most ever, followed by “Avatar” with $760,507,625. However, “Avatar” is still the highest-grossing movie of all time (not adjusted for inflation) because it picked up *more than $2 billion* from the foreign box office alone.

    It seems like films make more than $1 billion all the time nowadays, with only four in history grossing more than $2 billion. But so much of that comes from the international box office. Only three films have ever cracked the $700M ceiling in the North American market. Amazing.

    Black Panther
    Marvel Studios

    Speaking of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” MCU movies, and $2 billion movies…

    “Avengers: Infinity War“ just came out on Digital, and will be released on DVD/Blu-ray August 14. It’s still in about 200 theaters, and picked up $240,000 over the weekend at the domestic box office. But it will probably disappear with a global run of somewhere around $2,050,000,000. Give or take.

    More than two billion dollars is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s clear “Avengers 3” will never quite displace “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at No. 3 on the list of highest-grossing movies of all time. They will forever remain about $20 million apart.

    Also, “Infinity War” has a current domestic take of $678,056,833. It seems unlikely that it will pick up enough to crack the $700M club with T’Challa.

    Avengers: Infinity War
    Marvel Studios

    [Via: Box Office Mojo]

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  • James Cameron Says the ‘Avatar’ Sequels Will Use ‘Revolutionary’ 3D Technology

    The first “Avatar” film won Oscars for its dazzling visual effects, and based on recent comments from writer-director James Cameron, the film’s long-awaited sequels seem poised to do the same.

    While speaking at a recent Vivid Sydney event in Australia, the filmmaker discussed the technology he’s using while shooting “Avatar 2,” “Avatar 3,” “Avatar 4,” and “Avatar 5” (yes, that’s four sequels total), which just started consecutive production last year. And according to Cameron, he’s planning on employing only the finest effects and tech currently available.

    “They will be, to the best of my ability, the best 3D that’s possible to make,” the director said of the sequels. “That includes collaborating with the people at Dolby Cinema, who have developed high dynamic range projection that could put 16 foot-lamberts of light on a 3D screen through the glasses, which is revolutionary. Normally, you’re looking at about three foot-lamberts. Sixteen is what you should be seeing. That’s what movies should look like.”

    While Cameron also noted that 3D technology still has a long way to go, the filmmaker said that what he’s able to use today will help create an unforgettable visual feast for filmgoers.

    “I guarantee one thing: Avatar 2, 3, 4, and 5 are all going to be in 3D and they will look sumptuous,” the director told the crowd in Sydney.

    We have no doubt that Cameron will deliver on his digital promises — but first, we need to get those films into theaters. The first of the bunch, “Avatar 2,” is currently slated for release on December 18, 2020, followed by “Avatar 3” on December 17, 2021, “Avatar 4” on December 20, 2024, and “Avatar 5” on December 19, 2025.

    [via: VFX Blog, h/t The Playlist]

  • James Cameron Hopes Fans Soon ‘Start Getting Avenger Fatigue’  

    James Cameron is already tired of the “Avengers: Infinity War” hype train. Maybe you agree. Maybe not.

    Cameron has had phenomenal success as a blockbuster writer/director/producer. From sci-fi (“Aliens,” “Avatar,” “The Abyss,” “Terminator”) to disaster (“Titanic”) and straight-up action “(True Lies”), he has had the formula for success for years.

    But that was a long time ago, at least to him, and he kinda comes across as a bit … jealous? bitter? .. in a new talk with reporters (via IndieWire):

    “I’m hoping we’ll start getting ‘Avenger’ fatigue here pretty soon. Not that I don’t love the movies. It’s just, come on guys, there are other stories to tell besides hypogonadal males without families doing death-defying things for two hours and wrecking cities in the process. It’s like, oy!”

    You mean like in the “Terminator” movies?

    He was probably just joking around, but between this and his “Wonder Woman” comments, it sounds like he’s the frustrated kid on the sidelines judging all the players currently in the game.

    It’s strange to hear him say “fatigue” when he is working on four “Avatar” sequels, and also producing the sixth “Terminator” film in the franchise.

    Cameron compared the “Avatar” sequels to “The Godfather” as “a generational family saga”:

    “I’ve found myself as a father of five starting to think about what would an ‘Avatar’ story be like if it was a family drama. What if it was ‘The Godfather’? It’s a generational family saga. That’s very different than the first film. There’s still the same setting and the same respect for the shock of the new. We still want to show you things that you haven’t even seen or imagined, but the story is very different. It’s a continuation of the same characters… but what happens when warriors who are willing to go on suicide charges and leap off cliffs, what happens when they grow up and have their own kids? It becomes a very different story.”

    Maybe that’s why he made his comment about “hypogonadal males without families” — because he’s a dad now, thinking in Dad Zone and — what? Fans should be tired of stories that don’t reflect where he is right now?

    Anyway, he’s still a sci-fi master and had more to say on that if you’d like to read about it. Or you can just watch “AMC Visionaries: James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction,” the six-part docuseries that premieres Monday, April 30.

    Cameron is producing “Terminator 6” — a direct sequel to his films “The Terminator” and Terminator 2: Judgment Day” — scheduled for release November 22, 2019.

    “Avatar 2” is currently slated to open on December 18, 2020, with “Avatar 3” opening on December 17, 2021, “Avatar 4” opening on December 20, 2024, and “Avatar 5” opening on December 19, 2025.

    After “Avengers: Infinity War” opens this Friday, “Avengers 4” is coming May 3, 2019.

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  • Zoe Saldana Blasts Industry ‘Elitists’ Who Think Marvel Stars Are ‘Selling Out’

    Some people in the entertainment industry still look down on superhero films and the actors who agree to suit up for them. Zoe Saldana has no time for that.

    The “Guardians of the Galaxy” star, whose Gamora returns in “Avengers: Infinity War,” gave Net-a-Porter an impassioned speech defending comic book movies against “elitists.” Her point is how much Marvel and other blockbuster movies mean to children, and how MCU stars often give so much of their time to children in need.

    The topic came up when Net-a-Porter wondered why Zoe Saldana isn’t a household name like her peers, after huge franchises like “Avatar,” the “Star Trek” reboot movies, and now the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (You could argue that she’s covered up in so much makeup/CGI in those movies that we don’t really “see” her, but everyone should at least know her name by now.)

    Here’s her take:

    “I’ve been in rooms with people in this industry who are great at what they do, but they’re absolutely elitist and they look down at movies like the Marvel films or actors like myself. They think we’re selling out in some way.

    Every time they speak I feel so disappointed in them, because whenever you see pictures of people in this industry who donate their time to children in need, it’s these actors that live in the world that you feel is selling out. It’s these actors that understand the role that they play inspires a five-year-old who has one dying wish to meet a superhero. That actor takes time out of their life and sits down with that five-year-old and says, ‘I see you, I hear you, and you matter.’

    Those elitists should be a little more cognizant about what playing a superhero means to a young child. Because you’re not just dissing me, you’re dissing what that child considers important in their world. I feel so proud to be living in space, to be playing green and blue aliens, to inspire, primarily, the younger generations. I remember what it was like to be young and to feel completely excluded out of the mainstream conversation of life because I was just little and unimportant and ‘other.’”

    Saldana has become a fixture of the sci-fi world from her three blockbuster franchises. She told the magazine sci-fi is a refuge for anyone who has ever felt excluded.

    “I work with filmmakers who gravitated to this genre because they were exiles in their own right, excluded from a mainstream conversation. They found their world and they were able to imagine the unimaginable. Everything about how they create, and how they invite characters to join them, is absolutely inclusive.”

    She makes some good points. Daniel Day-Lewis and Meryl Streep may never be impressed enough to suit up, but Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen are also sci-fi/fantasy/comic book regulars, along with Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence and plenty of respected actors like Mark Ruffalo, Margot Robbie, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Michael Fassbender.

    Hopefully there’s enough space in the cinematic galaxy for everyone, because the flip-side of this argument is how much superhero/blockbuster movies can take over the industry until there’s no room for anything else.

    Here’s more from Saldana’s Net-a-Porter interview. “Infinity War” opens April 27. Saldana is returning as Neytiri for “Avatar 2,” which is scheduled for release December 18th, 2020.

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  • Kate Winslet Joins ‘Avatar’ Sequels for ‘Titanic’ Reunion With James Cameron

    Director James Cameron(C) and actress Kate WinsletNow please sign Leonardo DiCaprio so our ’90s hearts can go on and on.

    Kate Winslet is following her “Titanic” director James Cameron into the “Avatar” world, Deadline reports, despite Winslet and Cameron maybe not having the best relationship when they made that other top-grossing film. No matter. It’s been since 1997 so time probably healed any wounds.

    Winslet will star as someone called Ronal in the “Avatar” sequels — it’s not clear how many.

    “Kate and I have been looking for something to do together for 20 years, since our collaboration on ‘Titanic,’ which was one of the most rewarding of my career,” Cameron said, via Deadline. “I can’t wait to see her bring the character of Ronal to life.”

    The first “Avatar” film came out in 2009 and became the highest-grossing movie of all time. There are four “Avatar” movies now in production, at a cost of $1 billion. Fans recently got a first look at the young “Avatar 2” stars who’ll be playing Jake Sully’s (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldana) children, along with kids from another Na’vi clan.

    “Avatar 2” is scheduled for release on Dec. 18, 2020. “Avatar 3” will come out in 2021, followed by “Avatar 4” in 2024, and “Avatar 5” in 2025. Let’s hope the world survives that long!

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  • The Four ‘Avatar’ Sequels Begin Consecutive Production, Will Cost Over $1 Billion

    If you thought TV shows were getting pricey to produce, just wait until you find out how much Fox is dropping on James Cameron‘s four “Avatar” sequels: The four flicks will reportedly cost $1 billion to make.

    Deadline reports that production has finally begun in California on the long-awaited sequels to 2009’s “Avatar,” the highest-grossing movie of all time worldwide. While plans for the follow-ups have been evolving for years, with release dates and the exact number of sequels changing more times than we can count, Cameron is apparently finally ready to turn his vision into a reality.

    Of course, such lofty vision doesn’t come without an equally lofty price tag, and studio Fox is betting big with a risky shoot that will see all four flicks film back to back to back to back. It’s the first time in history such a consecutive shooting schedule has been employed with four films (Peter Jackson previously held the record with three, for his “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” movies), and according to Deadline, that $1 billion estimate is expected to rise well before the final frame is shot.

    Cameron says he spent two solid years writing the sequel scripts, which returning star Sigourney Weaver praised as “even more amazing” than the first flick. With filming finally underway, it seems that fans will at last be able to judge that for themselves.

    “Avatar 2” is currently slated to open on December 18, 2020, with “Avatar 3” opening on December 17, 2021, “Avatar 4” opening on December 20, 2024, and “Avatar 5” opening on December 19, 2025. We’ll see if Cameron’s high-profile production meets those ever-shifting deadlines.

    [via: Deadline]

  • Josh Brolin Tries to Clarify Quotes on James Cameron & Turning Down ‘Avatar’

    Disney's D23 EXPO 2017Josh Brolin is not the kind of guy you want to tick off, hence his casting as both Thanos and Cable in the superhero universe. He seems upset about how the James Cameron quotes in his Esquire profile were interpreted. That much is clear. However, it’s not clear if he’s mad that the quotes were taken out of context in the profile itself, or in subsequent posts suggesting a feud, or both, or what. He even just posted “I don’t know him” of Cameron, which confuses it all further. What the hell was he talking about then?

    For your own context, here’s that part of the lengthy Esquire profile, starting with a quote from “Only the Brave” director Joseph Kosinski:

    “My first impression of Josh,” Kosinski tells me, “was how honest he was. He’s genuinely a good dude.” After five minutes with Brolin, you can see what Kosinski means. Brolin not only tells me about turning down a role in the sequel to Avatar, he also has no problem admitting the decision caused tension between him and the director. “If I don’t want to do Avatar,” he says, “I’m not going to do Avatar. James Cameron’s f*cking calling me this name and that name. Whatever. If James Cameron came to me and said, ‘Hey, man, why’d you say that?’ I’d go, ‘Because it happened.’”

    Did it happen, or was that just an example of what he’d say? The line about James Cameron calling Josh Brolin names made the media rounds after the profile came out, and in a new Instagram post, Brolin tried to clarify the situation:

    Fans enjoyed his little jab at the press, but what was he doing talking about James Cameron in the first place if he doesn’t know him, and what was the full context of that “Avatar” story? Maybe he’s just afraid to make James Cameron angry, since he’s also someone you really don’t want to tick off.

    Brolin’s “Only the Brave” comes out October 20. He’ll later return as Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War” on May 4, 2018, and debut as Cable in “Deadpool 2” on June 1, 2018.

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  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Signs on to ‘Avatar Sequels’

    2017 Winter TCA - PortraitsNavigating the jungles of Pandora will be a cinch after the wilds of Westeros.

    Oona Chaplin, who played the tragically-killed Talisa Stark in “Game of Thrones,” has signed on to all four sequels to James Cameron’s “Avatar.”

    She’ll play Varang, a “strong and vibrant central character.” Chaplin is the second high-profile new cast member, joining former “Fear the Walking Dead” star Cliff Curtis.

    Chaplin is the granddaughter of legendary screen icon Charlie Chaplin, but has amassed an acting resume of her own. She broke out on “Game of Thrones,” but has also appeared in “The Hour,” “Sherlock,” “Black Mirror,” and most recently opposite Tom Hardy in “Taboo.”

    The plot of the four “Avatar” sequels is being kept under lock and key. We do know that original stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver will all return.

    “Avatar 2” is slated for release Dec. 18, 2020; “Avatar 3” is scheduled for Dec. 17, 2021; “Avatar 4” in December 2024; and “Avatar 5” in 2025.

  • ‘Avatar’ Multiplayer Game Will (Probably) Be Out Before Sequels

    AvatarThose “Avatar” sequels are taking so long to happen, we’ll probably see a new “Avatar” multiplayer game first.

    FoxNext president Salil Mehta tells THR, “We are evaluating rollout but believe [the game] will come out before the sequels. It’s an incredible way for many global fans to experience the world of Pandora.”

    This news comes as a result of FoxNext, a division of 21st Century Fox division, acquiring mobile game developer Aftershock. Aftershock was already working with Fox and James Cameron‘s Lightstorm Entertainment on a multiplayer mobile strategy game based on the 2009 blockbuster.

    Other upcoming FoxNext movie-based games: a “Planet of the Apes”-themed experience tied to “War for the Planet of the Apes,” and a multiplayer VR game based on the “Alien” franchise.

    Last we heard, those long-in-the-works “Avatar” sequels are scheduled for December 18, 2020, December 17, 2021, December 20, 2024 and December 19, 2025.

    Cameron told CNN earlier this year that he’s not worried about flagging interest after such a long delay: “It was a seven year gap between ‘The Terminator’ and ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day,’ seven year gap between ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens.’ It’s gonna be obviously more like a ten year gap between ‘Avatar’ and ‘Avatar 2.‘ But ‘Avatar 2’ you are going to with not the promise, but the certainty of three more films beyond that, and that’s a very different concept with the audience. And a lot of the delay has been around creating that overall vision.”

    In the meantime, if you’re craving a Pandora fix, you can visit the newly opened “Pandora — The World of Avatar” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park in Orlando, Florida.

  • ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Star Cliff Curtis Joins ‘Avatar’ Sequels

    Comic-Con International 2016 - AMC's 'Fear The Walking Dead' Panel“Fear the Walking Dead,” is opening Pandora’s box.

    Curtis has been cast in a lead role in James Cameron’s four “Avatar” sequels, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He will play Tonowari, leader of the Metkayina reef people clan. Cameron has previously teased that parts of the sequels will take place under water.

    The actor joins Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver who are reprising their roles from the 2009 original film. Filming will work around Curtis’s schedule for “Fear the Walking Dead.” His previous film credits include “The Piano,” “The Last Airbender,” and “Live Free or Die Hard.”

    Cameron has been planning the sequels for many years, but with this casting news, it seems like the ball is finally truly rolling. Production on the four “Avatar” sequels begins next year. The movies are set to be released in four successive Decembers starting in 2020.