Moviefone Editorial

Tag: doctor-strange

  • ‘Doctor Strange’ Is Just ‘Iron Man on Weed’ in Withering Honest Trailer

    Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” just came out on Blu-ray/DVD this week, and Screen Junkies honored it with a painfully hilarious Honest Trailer.

    In part, the trailer argues that “Doctor Strange” is just “Iron Man on weed,” pointing out the many similarities between Robert Downey Jr.‘s Tony Stark and Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Stephen Strange. Both “Iron Man” and “Doctor Strange” show “the heroic origins of a cocky but capable, super rich, wisecracking workaholic with a weird goatee, in love with a red-headed subordinate, learning to be less selfish, played by a famous Sherlock Holmes actor.” Too true.

    The trailer also dismisses the action as “90 percent” punching, and mocks Cumberbatch’s accent as “an English man pretending to be a German man pretending to be an American in a feature-length tribute to … Hans Gruber’s accent in ‘Die Hard’ when he gets caught by Bruce Willis?” Well, if so, it’s about time Hans Gruber got his own movie tribute.

    Here’s the trailer:

    And here are more details on the disc/On Demand release of “Doctor Strange.”

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  • This ‘Team Thor: Part 2’ Clip Proves Thor & Darryl Deserve Own Marvel Spinoff

    Celebrate Valentine’s Day with one of Marvel’s most lovable couples: Thor and Darryl.

    Everything Marvel touches turns to gold, including Thor’s absurd buddy comedy digital shorts, inserted into the bonus features of other people’s movies. You must recall the first “Team Thor” video Marvel released last summer for the bonus features of “Captain America: Civil War,” revealing why Chris Hemsworth’s alter ego was not in “Civil War.” That video introduced Thor’s new Australian roommate Darryl, and “Team Thor: Part 2” continues the story, just in time for the Tuesday, Feb. 14 digital release of “Doctor Strange.”

    The clip is just over a minute long, simply adding another hilarious scene between the odd couple.

    Thor to Darryl: “The brain is a muscle. [points to right biceps] And that’s a muscle. [points to left biceps] And that’s a muscle. [points to chest and abs] And they are all muscles. This is all muscle. So I am covered in brains. And I have more brains than you.”

    They really are a lovely pair. (Jane, who?) Here’s the synopsis Marvel shared with the video:

    “Rogers & Barnes. Stark & Rhodes. Thor & Darryl. See all of Team Thor: Part 2 when you bring home Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange on Digital HD TODAY.”

    If you’ve seen “Doctor Strange,” you know Thor had a scene with Benedict Cumberbatch’s doc at the very end, teasing more to come from both in “Thor: Ragnarok.” Here are more details on the “Doctor Strange” digital and upcoming DVD/Blu-ray release. “Thor: Ragnarok” is coming out in theaters November 3.

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  • Dan Harmon’s Jokes Were Too Weird for ‘Doctor Strange’

    The greatest thing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that just when you think you’ve got it figured out, they’ll throw a curveball your way, in the likes of something like the charmingly goofy “Ant-Man,” the outer space adventurousness of “Guardians of the Galaxy” or, most recently, the psychedelic prog-rock album cover mind-bendiness of “Doctor Strange.”

    “Doctor Strange” (out on Blu-ray on February 28) sees the gifted neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange (played, winningly, by Benedict Cumberbatch) have his hands crushed in an auto accident, leading him to seek more alternative therapy on the other side of the world. That’s where he gets involved in cosmic impossibilities, battling giant monsters, dabbling in time travel, and generally teeing himself up to be the Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s so, so good.

    Earlier today, I sat down with director Scott Derrickson, who spoke to me about Dan Harmon‘s contributions to the final movie, why Cumberbatch also played the film’s otherworldly baddie, and whether or not the mystical stronghold changed its password after one of its members went bad.

    It goes without saying that there is a very heavy SPOILER WARNING issued for the following, but since everyone and their magical cat already saw this movie, I’m less concerned.

    Moviefone: Just wanted to start off with a serious question: Did they have to change the Wi-Fi password at Kamar-Taj after Mordo left and went bad?

    Scott Derrickson: [Laughs] No, I think they would keep that Wi-Fi password.

    So, if Mordo was in the neighborhood, he’s got his laptop, no problem.

    Well, as you know, accessing Wi-Fi doesn’t mean accessing any systems within Kamar-Taj.

    Oh, that’s true. So, this is such a unique take on the Marvel Universe. Was there ever any push-and-pull in terms of just how far you could push things?

    No, I think everybody was in agreement that we needed to push it really far. My starting mantra, to use that word, was that every set piece in this movie should be the weirdest set piece in any other movie. So I wanted every set piece to be unique and be weirder than anything you’d see in any other movie. We were just pushing our imaginations as far as we possibly could to come up with the most outrageous concepts, and using the comic books as inspiration for some of those concepts — obviously — and then trying to go past them. There was never anything but enthusiasm on Marvel’s part for that approach.
    Talking about set pieces, I wanted to talk about that final set piece, which is so striking. It almost felt like a commentary on the endings of most superhero films. Was that conscious?

    Yeah, it was. The common criticism I had seen was, “Every Marvel movie ends in a big fight, where there’s a portal opening to some other dimension and they destroy a city to close the portal.” So I thought, “OK, what if we have the un-destruction of a city and, instead of closing the portal, we go into it and go to the other side.” So that was the idea. Before we’d even written a script I said, “I want this final battle to be people fighting forward in time while the world is un-destroyed in reverse time around them.” It was just a concept and an impossible one, one that had never been done. But I just said, “Well, let’s write it and figure out how to do it. And that’s what we did.”

    And when Strange gets to the other side, he essentially annoys the villain into defeat. It felt very much like a “Star Trek” original series gag, and I know Kevin Feige is a big “Trek” fan. Was that something that you referenced?
    No, we never referenced specifically “Star Trek.” I remember exactly where I was standing when that idea first came to me. Because we were struggling with the ending, and I just threw out this rough pitch of it.

    [Writer] Jon Spaihts was there and [executive producer] Stephen Broussard was there, and we started the batting the idea round. We were about to leave. We’d been working for hours and right as we were about to leave, I threw that idea out there — while we were standing there — and started throwing it around and by the end of that session, we had the concept.

    Jon went away and wrote it. And out of all the things from the first draft of the screenplay that Jon wrote, that’s the section of the script that remained untouched. It came in so good that we said, “This is the end of the movie. We’re keeping it.”

    Another aspect of that final sequence is Cumberbatch playing Dormammu. How did that come about?

    It was actually Benedict’s idea to start with. He was asking who was going to do it, and I didn’t know because we hadn’t cast anybody yet. I think he was just asking in passing. Then he came back to me and said, “What do you think about me doing it?” And I said, “Well, why would you want to do it?” He said, “Well, I think I’d do a good job,” which was a great answer. So I told him I’d think about it and went away and thought about it and I thought: “Nobody could understand that character better than Benedict because he knows the movie inside and out.” And the fact that he was game to do it and willing to do it was great.

    So I became convinced, not just because he’s such an amazing actor, but because Dormammu is the inverse of Strange at that point — he’s the ultimate egomaniac, when Strange is becoming more self-sacrificial. I went to Kevin and said, “Benedict is willing to do this, I think we should let him do it.” And he said, “Why?” And Kevin just agreed [with my reasoning] so we did it.
    The movie came out and was obviously a huge, huge hit. But were you nervous at all? And what was your reaction to the reaction?

    The last screening I did for the film was at USC, my alma mater. And Kevin Feige is also a USC graduate. So we agreed to do a screening and it was on the Friday night of its release, so the reviews had already come in. It was over 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and the box office projections were in the [$80 million range]. So I knew it was a huge success.

    I was standing outside the theater at USC, waiting alone, and here comes Kevin walking up, and he’s so approachable and down-to-earth. He’s wearing his ball cap and his sweatshirt and his tennis shoes and drinking a Starbucks. He said, “Well, how do you feel?” I said, “I feel relieved.” He kind of smiled. I said, “Kevin, someday somebody’s going to make a bad Marvel movie. But it ain’t gonna be me.” He laughed really hard at that.

    What was your main takeaway from the Marvel process? A lot of filmmakers talk about what it’s like going in there and trusting the machine.

    It’s not a machine at all. I think the biggest takeaway is that Marvel movies and the quality of Marvel movies are the result of a handful of creative people who are producers, but they’re artists and film-lovers first. They approach the creative process without any ego at all. They’re not egotistical, they don’t need to be right, they don’t need to have things done their way — and you go in with all of your talent and all of your skillset as a director and all of your vision, they hire you for that vision. They want you to make your movie. They are there to help you and help find the best possible ideas. So, if your ego is checked at the door, everybody finds the best idea together. Everybody wants somebody to have the best idea, all the time. There’s very little arguing or conflict. It’s mostly just hearing ideas and shooting ideas back. The best idea always wins.

    For the most part, this movie was born of my imagination. I came in with a very hard take, based on the comics, and I was always pushing the envelope of what was possible to do. And they got behind it. I’ve never felt more supported as a filmmaker.
    Is it hard for you to help develop this character and then watch him go off into other movies? He’s going to be in “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” Do you call the other filmmakers and check in on him?

    No! I’m excited to see what the other filmmakers do with him! I get asked this question a lot and it would probably make me a little uneasy, but I love these filmmakers so much. It’s like, “What’s Taika [Waititi] going to do with Doctor Strange? I can’t wait to see that!” He’s an extraordinary filmmaker.

    I only know the story of “Infinity War” because I ran into (co-director) Joe Russo outside the bathroom at Marvel, and we got to talking, and he pitched me the movie while we were standing there. So I know the story, but I don’t know how Strange fits into it and I don’t want to know. I want to go to those movies and be surprised by where the character shows up.

    It was reported that Dan Harmon was brought in. And just as a fan of his I was wondering what he brought to the movie.

    Well, Dan is a proper genius. He really is. Joel McHale is my best friend, and my family and his family have a BBQ together every weekend, that’s no exaggeration. And my kids have seen every episode of “Community,” which means that I have seen every episode of “Community” multiple times. The more I watch that show, the more I think he’s a certifiable genius. He really is.

    Meeting him in person — he’s odd and quirky — but what he did was, he came in, saw a cut of the movie, and had a really striking analysis. Because he hadn’t read any of the scripts and didn’t know the Doctor Strange mythology and I’m not sure how much of a comic book fan he was. But he saw the movie, loved it, and had some breakdown things that were very helpful. That alone was probably his biggest contribution. Then he went off and wrote different things. There are some jokes that might have stayed in there, but for the most part, the scenes were a little too out in Dan Harmon-land, even for “Doctor Strange.” But I really love the guy and I really think he made a significant contribution in the process. He was the voice we needed to hear at the time, and I will always be thankful and watch anything he does. He’s a brilliant dude.

    I know nothing has been announced, but is this a character you’d like to return somewhere in the Marvel Universe?

    I hope so. I love the character so much, and I also love the incredible possibilities that the movie opens up for future stories. So all the timing would have to line up and all of that kind of stuff. But I hope so.

    “Doctor Strange” hits Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on February 14 and Blu-ray on February 28.

  • Who the Heck Is Peter Dinklage Playing in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’?!

    “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage has been cast in an unspecified role.

    Marvel Studios may not be saying much, but we have a few ideas as to what characters Dinklage could be playing as the Avengers head into space to battle Thanos. Scroll down to check out our theories.

    1. M.O.D.O.K.
    M.O.D.O.K.’s name stands for “Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing,” and you can get a pretty good idea of his personality from that. Basically a gigantic head with a penchant for murdering minions with his forehead laser, M.O.D.O.K. is one of the primary leaders of the science terrorists known as AIM.

    We saw a version of AIM. in “Iron Man 3” led by Guy Pearce‘s Aldrich Killian, but we want to see the group’s true lord and master enter the fray.

    2. Eternity
    As “Infinity War” delves deeper into Marvel’s cosmic elements, it only makes sense that moviegoers will start to be exposed to some of the more powerful entities that pull the string of the Marvel Universe.

    We could see Dinklage and his soothing voice easily filling the role of Eternity, the ageless being who exists everywhere at once and can reshape reality at a whim, especially with Benedict Cumberbatch‘s mystical hero Doctor Strange playing such a big role in this sequel.

    3. Starfox
    With Thanos stepping into the spotlight, we’re hoping we’ll get to meet the rest of the Mad Titan’s family in “Infinity War.” Dinklage would be a perfect fit to play Thanos’ estranged brother and occasional Avenger, Starfox.

    Starfox spends most of his time drinking and womanizing when he isn’t saving the universe, and we can think of a certain other Dinklage character who matches that description.

    4. Pip the Troll
    Pip the Troll is perhaps the most obvious choice for Dinklage, given the actor’s short stature. Perhaps too obvious, but the fact that Pip is so closely tied to Thanos does make it a likely possibility. The mischievous Pip is a frequent sidekick to Adam Warlock, one of Thanos’ greatest enemies and another character we assume will play a central role in “Infinity War.”

    5. Arno Stark
    Given Dinklage’s knack for playing sarcastic, charismatic characters, he reminds us more than a little of Robert Downey Jr.‘s Tony Stark. Why, they could almost be brothers. So why not take the opportunity to cast Dinklage as Arno Stark?

    Originally an evil Iron Man from the future, Arno was recently re-imagined in the comics as Tony’s long-lost brother. We’d love to see the two Starks join forces on the big screen.

    6. The Watcher
    The Watcher is an immortal being cursed to observe all events in the universe but never interfere. A rule which he sometimes breaks when the situation is dire enough (for instance, when Thanos is trying to assemble the Infinity Gauntlet).

    There’s been speculation that Stan Lee has actually been playing The Watcher in his various cameo appearances, but we think Dinklage would be perfect to play another character whose main skill is “knowing things.”

    We’ll find out when “Infinity War” hits theaters Summer 2018.

  • Doctor Strange to Have Big Role in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’

    doctor strange, benedict cumberbatchThe secret keepers at Marvel have managed to conceal a key role in “Thor: Ragnarok” — until now. A new preview of Disney fan expo D23 has revealed that Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) will be front and center alongside the titular god of thunder for the threequel.

    The news was revealed thanks to a posting on the D23 website, which listed a bunch of upcoming projects from the Disney family, including Pixar releases like “Cars 3,” live-action features such as the “Beauty and the Beast” remake and the hotly-anticipated “Star Wars: Episode VIII,” and several Marvel movies, including “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2.” Listed among that latter group was the third “Thor” flick, which D23 gave the following synopsis:

    “Thor: Ragnarok” in November brings together Thor, the Hulk, and Doctor Strange to face off against intergalactic baddies both familiar and new.

    According to TheWrap, Strange’s involvement in the “Thor” franchise was telegraphed by the post-credits scene in October’s “Doctor Strange” standalone, which depicted “Thor [Chris Hemsworth] paying Strange a visit in his Sanctum Sanctorum, with Strange promising to help Thor locate Loki so the brothers can return to Asgard. ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ director Taika Waititi reportedly shot the scene.”

    In addition to Doctor Strange, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) will also play a crucial role in the flick. The trio will hit the big screen again when “Thor: Ragnarok” debuts on November 3.

    [via: D23, h/t TheWrap]

  • ‘Rogue One’ Star Mads Mikkelsen Would’ve Played an Ewok If They’d Asked

    Mads Mikkelsen as Galen Erso in ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORYMads Mikkelsen comes across as a painfully serious actor. In both his European movies (he’s from Denmark) and his more famous mainstream roles (he’s played memorable baddies in “Casino Royale” and, more recently, “Doctor Strange“), he comes across as a pillar of professionalism and a kind of laser-focused intensity. So it’s somewhat surprising that he would follow-up “Doctor Strange” with “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (opening this weekend). Maybe this is his “fun run.”

    In “Rogue One,” Mikkelsen plays Galen Erso, a scientist recruited by the evil Galactic Empire to work on a weapon of huge scale and destruction–the Death Star. But, of course, he’s a complicated man and his commitment to freedom and his daughter, a young Rebel named Jyn (Felicity Jones) leads him to smuggle crucial information out of the Empire’s steely grip. From there, things get really hairy.

    When I sat down Mikkelsen at Lucasfilm to talk about all things “Rogue One,” he was surprisingly warm and open. We talked about his “Star Wars” fandom, whether or not the movies were as big in Denmark, what it was like doing “Doctor Strange” and “Star Wars,” and whether or not he’d have dressed as an Ewok if they had asked him (the answer is yes).

    What did “Star Wars” mean to you?

    I caught that train late. I was 14 when I first watched the movies, back-to-back, thanks to a rental box set on VHS. And I’m not sure why I saw it late but I was blown away and ever since then I was a fan.

    Culturally, is it as big a deal in Denmark?

    It is. I think that was the first time I had ever heard of people sleeping outside for a couple of days just to get tickets. That was the only time I had ever heard of that, besides the Beatles.

    You’ve compared your character to Oppenheimer, in the sense that he’s this scientist who has amazing knowledge but is using it to questionable ends. Did you reference that directly?

    Well, it’s an obvious thing. You have a nuclear power, you have such wonderful thing that can solve the energy problems of the world. On the other hand, it can do something else. And deep down I believe this guy wants to solve the problems of the universe but he’s not dumb, he knows how it can be used. He does get cold feet eventually. But, at the same time, like any good scientist, he’s also f*cking curious. Because that’s his nature — he’s a scientist. So he bails and they bring him back and that’s when the sh*t hits the fan. And now I’m in a giant dilemma.

    He’s a very morally complicated character. And, in that introductory scene between you and Ben Mendelsohn, there’s some real acting going on.

    Oh yeah!

    Was that part of the appeal for you — to get to do scenes this meaty in a big spectacle?

    Maybe not. I’ve been in these movies before, and I’ve seen “Star Wars,” obviously. But I knew that Gareth [Edwards] wanted to make a grittier version and that he wanted to bring it back to the original feel of the films, make it character-driven, and I think that was one of the biggest appeals of this film. But to be honest the second they said “Star Wars,” I said, “YES!”

    You could have played an Ewok.

    Whatever! Put a helmet on me!

    You talk about gritty … and that introductory scene you guys are so wet. Was it uncomfortable?

    I was colder than our dear Ben Mendelsohn was because he was wearing his f*cked-up rain-proof cape. I was not. But it was raining heavily on Iceland. It was beautiful, it was great for the film, I love Iceland, but I couldn’t wait to get into the studio and do some of the other scenes. And that’s when they came up with the idea that the big screen on the platform should be in the rain. So it was raining indoors for two weeks. I didn’t have one scene where it didn’t rain.

    Did it add to the performance?

    It added to your flu. But it’s a great look. It’s a great look when it rains.

    Was there a lot of the movie that was explained to you, since it wasn’t there?

    Actually, it wasn’t too tricky. A lot of it was built. We had a platform that was 400 meters long. It was f*cking gigantic. We had a lot of the stuff. And, obviously, we were outdoors in Iceland and had a lot of the stuff. There was very little CGI in my world that I needed to be told about. Obviously, an airplane comes or whatever but that’s easy to imagine. There was definitely less CGI.

    You were also in “Doctor Strange” earlier this year, which is a testament to how much Disney loves you.

    They love me! I love Disney!

    Was it satisfying to see all of those insane visual effects pulled off?

    That was cool. But that is CGI in a way that we can only hope that this is what it’s going to look like. And what if they run out of money? What if it looks like a little rabbit jumping around and nothing happens. But, luckily, it blew me away. It was diving into a universe that we’d never seen before.

    These movies are very, very different, but they’re both huge movies. Was that part of the appeal for you?

    That’s true. These two films are things that we could never dream about doing back home. So the appeal of doing these films is that I will never get a chance to make films like that unless I do them here.

    But does doing these movies offer their own unique challenges?

    Oh sure — challenges and benefits. There’s always obstacles on all films, whether it’s a small kitchen sink drama or whether it’s a big-budget film. You always have to get around those and fall in love with the project. You have to want to see the film yourself in order to commit to the project. And I desperately wanted to see this film.

    Do you approach them any differently?

    Not too different. The bible is still the script. This is where we start, this is where the discussions with the writer and director and fellow actors comes from, and then we make it as intimate as we can even though we’re standing in a “Star Wars” film. We try to make it real. These characters belong in a “Star Wars” universe so it’s real to them. We shouldn’t make it unreal either.

    Can you talk about working with the other actors?

    Well, Felicity is just a wonderful, talented actress who possesses the ability to be very powerful and very fragile in the same situation. And the camera loves her. I also got to work with two other versions of her, at four years old and eight years old. And me and Ben spent a lot of time together. He’s a lovely man — so funny, so intelligent. There’s never a dull moment on set when he’s around.

    You’ve been in a James Bond movie, a Marvel movie, and now a “Star Wars” movie. Is there any franchise you’d love to be a part of?

    What about “Hannibal”? Oh, I’ve done that! No … I’m very pleased and very fortunate to be in these things. It’s always a surprise what time will bring. It’s always a surprise. I’m trying to avoid being ambitious with my career like, “Oh, I want to do that!” Nope. What comes my way that I accept to do becomes the most important job. I become extremely ambitious on the project. I’m trying to make the stepping stones the most important thing.

    Have little kids started to recognize you from “Doctor Strange”?

    Some have. Scarily enough, some have recognized me from “Hannibal.” Talk to their parents! But “Star Wars” will change that. There’s nothing like having kids as fans. It’s just fantastic.

    “Rogue One: Star Wars Story” is out Friday.

  • 7 Reasons Why ‘Doctor Strange’ and ‘Arrival’ Dominated the Box Office

    This weekend, it was a showdown between Marvel’s newest Avenger, aliens, and trolls. And all three won.

    “Arrival,” a cerebral movie about aliens starring Amy Adams, was not expected to beat Benedict Cumberbatch‘s “Doctor Strange” in its second weekend. The Marvel sorcerer’s film held on remarkably well, declining less than 50 percent to finish with an estimated $43.0 million. And last week’s other new hit, “Trolls,” had even better staying power, losing less than 25 percent of last week’s business and holding on to second place with an estimated $35.1 million. That is very good (and rare) for an animated film.

    “Arrival” opened at No. 3 with a stronger-than-expected $24.0 million, according to studio estimates, which amounts to a very good $10,358 per screen. Maybe Paramount is kicking itself right now for releasing “Arrival” in only a modest 2,317 theaters; another thousand, and it could have beaten “Trolls” for second place. Nonetheless, this was a good weekend for nearly everyone at the multiplex, with an overall gross of about $157 million. Here’s who, besides Cumberbatch and Marvel, came out on top.

    1. Disney and Marvel
    On Saturday, Marvel’s step-parent company announced it has beaten its own domestic record and sold $2.3 billion worth of movie tickets in North America this year. (Disney is also having a record year in international ticket sales.) “Strange” is a major contributor to that total, with $153 million earned stateside so far and a global take of $493 million.

    2. IMAX
    So far, $54 million of “Strange’s” worldwide take comes from the giant screens, as viewers cough up premium fees to catch the film’s spectacle in all its eye-grabbing glory.

    3. Fox Knows Kids Movies
    With $94 million earned in 10 days, “Trolls” has already surpassed this fall’s fellow family toon hit “Storks” ($70 million) and will soon overtake “The Angry Birds Movie” ($108 million). The movie’s strong holding power is also good news for Fox, since “Trolls” has less than two more weeks to hoard cash before Disney’s “Moana” opens.

    4. Amy Adams
    She’s an acclaimed actress, but she doesn’t usually sell movie tickets unless she’s part of an ensemble (“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “American Hustle“). But with her newest film coming in almost $7 million higher than predicted, the numbers suggest she really can carry a movie.

    That bodes well for her thriller “Nocturnal Animals,” opening next weekend, unless audiences feel Adamsed-out.

    5. Paramount
    The studio has had a terrible 2016, with such massive flops as “Ben-Hur” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” as well as box office disappointments like “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” and “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.” No wonder Paramount was too wary to give “Arrival” a release on 3,000+ screens.

    Still, it spent just $20 million to acquire “Arrival,” and if the movie finishes around $80 million in North America, that modest investment will be money well spent.

    6. Will Packer
    The producer of seemingly every hit African-American ensemble comedy in recent years that didn’t feature Tyler Perry, Packer scored another modest hit this weekend with “Almost Christmas.”

    The holiday-themed family-reunion comedy opened in fourth place with an estimated $15.6 million, about what was predicted. That’s not “Strange” money, but with a budget of just $17 million, and with Christmas on viewers’ minds for the next few weeks, the film looks like a profitable hit in the making. It’s certainly a crowd-pleaser, judging by the healthy A- it earned from ticket buyers surveyed by CinemaScore.

    7. Grown-ups
    Box office pundits have been wondering throughout the fall where all the adults are who’ve been expected to show up for the season’s prestige dramas and thoughtful thrillers. They finally showed up this weekend, it seems, with “Arrival” drawing 85 percent of its crowd from viewers 25 or older.

    The 25+ audience made up 60 percent of “Almost Christmas” viewers. And of course, it’s also older viewers who’ve been coming out to see World War II drama “Hacksaw Ridge,” in fifth place in its second weekend with an estimated $10.8 million (down just 22 percent from a week ago) and a total so far of $32.2 million. The grown-ups are out there; they just didn’t much care for Hollywood’s offerings this fall, until now.

    One movie that did not benefit from the weekend? Naomi Watts‘ new thriller, “Shut In.” It premiered in seventh place with a poor $3.7 million. This is one movie grown-ups didn’t flock to see, maybe because the critics found it more laughable than thrilling. Paying customers seemed to agree, judging by the film’s dismal C grade at CinemaScore.

    Still, some pundits were predicting that the much-ridiculed “Shut In” would open as low as $1 million, yet it did nearly four times as well as expected. So it’s a victory of sorts for Watts. A cup of holiday cheer for everyone!
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  • Box Office: ‘Doctor Strange’ Stays No. 1 With $43M, ‘Arrival’ Impresses

    box officeBy Brent Lang

    LOS ANGELES, Nov 13 (Variety.com) – Alien invasion thriller “Arrival” capitalized on strong reviews to score an impressive debut, while Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” topped the box office for the second consecutive weekend.

    The superhero adventure picked up $43 million to bring its domestic total to $153 million. DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls,” another holdover, came in second, earning $35 million to bring its stateside haul to $94 million after two weeks of release.

    “Arrival” took third, easily outpacing pre-release tracking with a debut of $24 million. Heading into the weekend, the film was expected to launch to $16 million. “Arrival” was directed by Denis Villeneuve, who has built a steady following with the likes of “Prisoners” and “Sicario.” It focuses on a linguist (Amy Adams) who is recruited to try to communicate with alien visitors. Paramount picked up domestic rights to the film for $20 million. FilmNation, Lava Bear and 21 Laps financed the $47 million production.

    “Arrival’s” strong box office result is a shot in the arm for Paramount, which has weathered a string of flops such as “Zoolander 2,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” and “Ben-Hur.” The instability starts at the top. Viacom, Paramount’s corporate parent, was engulfed in an internecine war for much of the past year, as Shari Redstone, the daughter of founder Sumner Redstone, successfully worked to oust Philippe Dauman from his perch as the company’s CEO. Paramount chief Brad Grey is trying to convince Shari Redstone that he has the vision to lead the company out of its doldrums, and has pointed to films like “Arrival” as proof that the studio’s slate is improving.

    Universal’s “Almost Christmas” debuted to a solid $15.6 million across 2,376 locations for a fourth place finish. The comedy about a dysfunctional family gathering for the holidays after their mother dies was economical to produce and carries a $17 million budget. It stars Danny Glover, Gabrielle Union, Kimberly Elise, and Jessie Usher.

    Liongate’s “Hacksaw Ridge” rounded out the top five, earning $10.8 million to bring the war drama’s total to $32.3 million.

    Among the weekend’s other wide releases, EuropaCorp’s “Shut In” stumbled out of the gate, kicking off to a paltry $3.7 million from 2,058 locations.

    Sony bowed “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” on two screens where it made $120,300. The Iraq War drama is shot at an accelerated framerate, but few theaters will be able to exhibit the film at that speed. The limited release did exhibit the picture in the immersive format that director Ang Lee has pushed theaters to incorporate. It was screened in 4K, 3D, and at 120 frames per second. “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” will expand next weekend on to more than 800 theaters.

    In limited release, Sony Pictures Classics debuted “Elle” on two screens where it earned $56,012. The thriller stars Isabelle Huppert as a woman who plots revenge against the man who raped her.

  • Baby Groot Is the Unexpected Winner of ‘Doctor Strange’ Opening

    “Doctor Strange” had an impressive opening weekend, but for some fans the biggest takeaway was Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” teaser featuring Baby Groot. Sorry, Sorcerer Supreme, you’re just not as cute!

    “Guardians” director James Gunn has been fielding comments from fans who enjoyed seeing Baby Groot on the big screen and can’t wait to see the new trailer, never mind the full movie in 2017.

    Here’s a fan tweet, first, then Gunn’s reaction:

    The first “Vol. 2” sneak peek was released last month, and Gunn promised the full trailer would be coming soon. There’s more to the movie than just Baby Groot, but Vin Diesel did say that his Groot would have to “start all over, so to speak” in the sequel, “so we’re gonna see kind of this goofy, adorable, Baby Groot thing running around the screen and just kind of learning as he goes. Yeah, I think people are gonna love this movie. I think people are gonna love ‘Guardians.’”

    It does seem like the hype train is moving especially fast for Vol. 2, from Chris Pratt saying it will be the biggest spectacle movie of all time, to Gunn promising great roles for the women, to everyone already melting for Baby Groot.

    “Guardians of the Galaxy” Vol. 2 opens May 5, 2017.

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  • 5 Ways ‘Doctor Strange’ Worked Magic at the Box Office

    Our long national nightmare is finally over.

    No, not the election, which still has a couple more days to irritate us all. But hey, the box office slump that has plagued the multiplex all autumn is over, thanks largely to “Doctor Strange” and “Trolls.” So, there’s that.

    The good doctor’s new movie opened at the higher end of expectations, with an estimated take just $11,000 shy of $85 million. So did “Trolls,” with the cartoon bringing in an estimated $45.6 million. Even “Hacksaw Ridge,” the brutal new World War II drama from the long-off-the-radar Mel Gibson, performed at the top of its predicted range, debuting in third place with an estimated $14.8 million.
    That’s all good news, especially after such a disappointing week last weekend, when the surprise meltdown of “Inferno” led to the lowest total box office weekend of 2016 so far, with North American theaters selling just $88.8 million worth of tickets. This weekend’s sales rebounded 114 percent, to an estimated $189.9 million.

    Most of the credit goes to the surgeon-turned-sorcerer at the top of the chart. Even though his box office victory was pretty much a sure thing, he still cast his spell in some surprising ways. Here are the five steps on his unusual path to success.

    1. Because Marvel
    Yes, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has pretty much been a license to print money, and all 14 of the movies so far have debuted at No. 1.

    Still, “Doctor Strange” stands out among MCU movies that launched individual characters. At $85 million, the movie boasts a stronger opening than “The Incredible Hulk” ($55 million), “Ant-Man” ($57 million), “Captain America: The First Avenger” ($65 million), and “Thor” ($66 million). Only “Iron Man,” a much better-known character, had a higher single-character launch ($98 million). The “Strange” debut also puts it in the same ballpark as sequel “Thor: The Dark World” (a nearly identical $85.7 million opening), the only other MCU movie with a November premiere date.

    2. The Crazy Visual Spectacle
    The film’s “Inception“-like kaleidoscopic cityscapes made for eye-astonishing spectacle that really had to be seen on the big screen. And not just any big screen, but one equipped with 3D, IMAX, or other premium formatting.

    Disney took advantage of the film’s visual appeal by booking it into seemingly every possible auditorium offering a giant screen or rental glasses. Of the 3,882 screens showing “Strange,” 3,530 projected it 3D. There were 379 IMAX screens, 516 other premium large format screens, and even 189 D-Box screens, with the seats jostling along to the picture. Usually, grosses from all these surcharge formats count for 10 to 30 percent of a film’s debut take, but with “Strange,” Disney reports that they amounted to a tremendous 51 percent.

    3. Cumberbatch, the Internet’s Boyfriend
    For a guy who’s been on the radar of international moviegoers for only the last five years, Benedict Cumberbatch has a remarkable following. The Internet loves him, of course, but he’s also reached the point where that fandom is actually translating into ticket sales.

    Two years ago, he managed to turn “The Imitation Game” — an indie biopic about a gay World War II code-breaker, who spends a lot of time just sitting and thinking — into a $91 million domestic hit. As much as the Marvel name alone sells tickets, it certainly helped that it was the cerebral and charismatic Cumberbatch playing the mysterious and obscure character, rather than, say, whoever is the next Chris Hemsworth or Chris Evans.

    4. Disney Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
    The studio on a record roll. Recently, the Mouse House boasted that it had already earned more in global ticket sales in 2016 (with two months still to go) than in any previous year. Thanks to “Doctor Strange,” which has grossed another $240.4 million abroad, for a worldwide total of $325.4 million, Disney announced Sunday that its global sales have topped $6 billion so far this year. And that’s despite the studio’s various disappointments like “Pete’s Dragon” and “Queens of Katwe.”

    Disney may stumble with such lower-profile releases, but the studio certainly knows how to sell its big pictures, including 2016’s “Zootopia,” “The Jungle Book,” “Captain America: Civil War,” and “Finding Dory.” With “Moana” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” due out before Christmas, Disney could well have a $7 billion year by the time the New Year’s ball drops.

    5. The Rest of the Multiplex
    The rising-tide-lifts-all-boats theory got some proof this weekend; if the movie you wanted to see was sold out, there was probably still something you wanted to see at the multiplex.

    “Trolls” was the first major family cartoon since “Storks” a couple months ago, and “Hacksaw Ridge” the first real wide-release drama in a while for grown-ups with discerning taste — the ones who made a point of ignoring “Inferno,” “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back,” and “The Girl on the Train” in October.

    By the way, if you were wondering, Mel Gibson has apparently been forgiven — by Hollywood, by critics, and by audiences — all of whom flipped for the director’s combat tale. “Hacksaw” may have played to older viewers (68 percent of its audience was age 35 or above), but it also played equally to men and women. It’s probably a safe bet that the draw for those older men and women wasn’t former Spider-Man Andrew Garfield.

    Of course, the other thing this weekend’s three new hits had in common was favorable buzz, from both the critics and the public. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movies were all certified fresh (ranging from 73 percent positive reviews for “Trolls” to 90 for “Strange), while at CinemaScore, paying customers gave all three movies an A grade.

    And that could be the simplest reason why “Strange” and its fellow new wide releases ended the slump. We keep saying that if Hollywood would just release well-made movies, people would come see them, but until this weekend, the studios hadn’t put that idea to the test for quite a while.
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