Moviefone Editorial

Tag: doctor-strange

  • Box Office: ‘Doctor Strange’ Conjures $85 Million Opening Weekend

    By Brent Lang

    LOS ANGELES, Nov. 6 (Variety.com) – The sheer predictability is almost becoming tiresome. Another Marvel opening, another blazing box office success for the studio behind Captain America, the Hulk, and Iron Man.

    This time it’s Stephen Strange’s turn to dominate the multiplexes, after “Doctor Strange,” the first big-screen appearance for the Master of the Mystic Arts, was the top ticket seller with a $85 million. It marks the fourteenth straight first place opening for a Marvel film, a feat matched only by Pixar.

    “The unbroken streak of critical and commercial success that Marvel has achieved is remarkable,” said Dave Hollis, domestic distribution chief at Disney, Marvel’s parent studio. “One of the reasons Marvel is a cut above is the emphasis and care they put on each character’s development and particular journey.”

    The latest exercise in costumed heroism concerns a brilliant surgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch) who turns to magic after a devastating accident prevents him from plying his craft. The story of Doctor Strange may be globally known now, but the character was hardly a household name before the movie hit. That’s been a strength of Marvel’s. In recent years, the studio has been particularly adroit at turning lesser-known superheroes such as Ant-Man or the Guardians of the Galaxy into blue chip properties.“Strange” wasn’t the only film to resonate with consumers. “Trolls,” a DreamWorks Animation offering based on the popular toyline of imaginatively coiffed creatures, drew family crowds to the tune of $45.6 million. It cost $125 million to produce. “Trolls” features the voices of Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick. It got a boost from the ubiquity of “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” the peppy anthem that Timberlake penned and performs in the film.

    “There’s so much negative stuff out there right now that this provides some nice respite,” said Chris Aronson, distribution head at Fox, the studio that is overseeing the rollout of the film. “The music and the colors and the feel-good vibe just translated to a wide swath of people.”

    Lionsgate’s “Hacksaw Ridge,” a World War II drama from Mel Gibson, kicked off with a respectable $14.7 million. The film hopes to be an awards contender. Though Gibson won an Oscar for his work on “Braveheart,” his career was derailed a decade ago after he was arrested for drunk driving and was recorded making anti-Semitic remarks. “Hacksaw Ridge” has a $40 million budget. The film is a biopic of Desmond Doss, a U.S. medic and contentious objector, who received the Medal of Honor for his work ministering to the fallen at Okinawa.
    “It’s an unbelievable story, and I think audiences were totally engaged by Desmond’s heroism and the celebration of the human spirit,” said David Spitz, co-president of Lionsgate’s theatrical distribution team.

    The opening for “Strange” trumps those of “Thor” ($65.7 million), “Captain America: The First Avenger” ($65 million), and “Ant-Man” ($57.2 million). That’s impressive given that Captain America and Thor are better known figures. Still the good doctor couldn’t quite reach the stratospheric likes of “Iron Man” ($98.6 million), “Captain America: Civil War” ($179.1 million), or “Marvel’s The Avengers” ($207.4 million). Those films benefited from having Robert Downey Jr. and featuring bands of superheroes. “Doctor Strange” wasn’t cheap to make. Disney and Marvel spent $165 million to give the Sorcerer Supreme the celluloid treatment.

    Globally, the film is a monster, having earned $240.4 million since it began rolling out overseas last week. That includes a $44.3 million debut in China, with Korea ($30.4 million), the United Kingdom ($18.9 million), and Russia ($15.4 million) among the top-performing territories.

    “Doctor Strange” played well in Imax, earning $24.2 million globally. The film’s worldwide total stands at $325.4 million. Earlier this week, Disney announced that it had reached a new high-water mark for global ticket sales with $5.85 billion. The box office power of “Doctor Strange” coupled with upcoming releases such as “Moana” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” mean that Disney is on pace to set a new industry-wide record, passing the $6.89 billion mark established by Universal in 2015.

    In limited release, Focus Features debuted “Loving,” a drama about the court battle to end state bans on interracial marriage. The film earned $169,000 from four theaters.

    “This film has struck a chord,” said Lisa Bunnell, president of Focus Features. “It’s a subtle, beautifully done film about the obstacles people faced in the not so distant past.”

    Focus bought the film out of the Berlin Film Festival, as part of a shift in strategy that has the indie label returning to its art house roots. The company briefly tried to make more genre works, such as horror films and thrillers, but ultimately abandoned that approach in the face of disappointing commercial results. It hopes to be a major player in the awards race with “Loving,” and upcoming releases such as “Nocturnal Animals” and “A Monster Calls.”

    “Moonlight,” perhaps the most acclaimed film of the year, continued to impress as it widened its theatrical footprint. The drama about a young black man grappling with his sexuality added $1.3 million to its $3 million haul. It is playing in 83 theaters.

    The combination of the magical warrior and those cuddly trolls turbocharged the box office. Ticket sales this fall have struggled, but the movie business appears to be rebounding. Revenues were up nearly 19% from the year-ago period — a weekend that saw the release of “Spectre” and “The Peanuts Movie.”

    As the presidential battle between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton sprints towards Election Day next week, “Doctor Strange” and “Trolls” may have provided a needed break from a campaign that has been among the most negative in history.

    “These movies were a great escape from the election,” said Dergarabedian. “A good movie can be the salve for any wounds.”
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  • Why ‘Doctor Strange’ Could Be the Most Important Marvel Movie Yet

    Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGEWarning: Slight “Doctor Strange” spoilers ahead.

    There’s a moment in Marvel‘s kaleidoscopic comic book adventure “Doctor Strange,” when the good Doctor (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), formerly filled with hubris and pride but significantly humbled by a devastating car crash and subsequent spiritual awakening in the far east, is warned of the dangers of messing with otherworldly magic. The severe, heavily robed figures tell him that if he dabbles in certain magical scenarios like, for instance, using the time-twisting Eye of Agamotto, he could create parallel universes, alternate dimensions, and the like. It’s meant as something of a throwaway line, mostly to give the audience a heads-up that, yes, Doctor Strange is going to use the Eye of Agamotto and, yes, it will be very cool. But embedded within the exchange could be the key to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Even if you’ve never read a comic book in your life, you probably know that there are several different “universes” of comic book heroes. Recently, Marvel bent over backwards to annihilate these alternate universes in the convoluted Walking Dead” mastermind Robert Kirkman, and the “1602” universe, which was overseen by certifiable genius Neil Gaiman and imagined the Marvel heroes in Elizabethan times.

    My point is this: depending on the creative team behind the book and the timeline/universe that they’re playing in, there could literally be dozens of incarnations of your favorite superhero, sometimes just depending on the adjective that comes before that comic book’s title (i.e. “Astonishing X-Men,” “Uncanny X-Men,” etc.)

    So far, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, things have been kept comparatively clean. The only dissonance has come from the times the characters have been brought to life outside of the company, like the recent, ultimately futile attempts at reviving the “Spider-Man” brand, and the endless “X-Men” sequels Fox produces. (Thankfully, next summer’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” returns the character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe after a brief, unforgettable appearance in this summer’s “Captain America: Civil War.”) There is, as far as we’re concerned, one Marvel Cinematic Universe — it was started by folks like Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper or John Slattery, depending on how old he was), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Captain America (Chris Evans) — and has continued with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and, now, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch).

    Marvel Studios has done an incredible job of keeping all of these characters and all of these films inside the framework of a single, relatively concise narrative. What’s more, they’ve been able to catch you up to speed so that, even if you haven’t seen “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” you’d probably get the gist of “Ant-Man.” It’s sort of incredible. And while the Marvel Cinematic Universe has recently allowed for more tangential storytelling, like with the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, there are repeated promises that it will all converge in one beautifully orchestrated superhero free-for-all (most likely “Avengers: Infinity War” or its direct sequel). But what if “Doctor Strange” just opened the door for something altogether, well, stranger?

    There are some practical realities to first consider: no matter how much Robert Downey Jr. loves buying yachts, at some point he’s going to get too old, too tired, or too expensive to keep portraying billionaire industrialist-turned-Avenger Iron Man. Similarly, other actors associated with the MCU have expressed their desire to do other projects or to just hang up their respective capes/rocket boots for a little while. These movies are a physically demanding slog for pretty much everyone involved. When I saw writer/director Joss Whedon on the set of “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” it looked like he hadn’t slept since the first movie came out. Eventually, these actors will need to be replaced, but Marvel Studios, in their infinite wisdom, might not want to wholly abandon the characters themselves.

    And “Doctor Strange” might have given them the perfect “out.”

    Imagine a Marvel Studios opening with that exchange from “Doctor Strange” about all the alternate dimensions that he could potentially open up. And then imagine a smash cut to a new “Iron Man” movie, except this time Iron Man is an African-American teenage girl named Riri Williams. Or Thor is a woman. Or Gwen Stacey or Miles Morales is Spider-Man. All of these things happen in the comic books. Now they could happen onscreen, thanks to a some expositional dialogue in “Doctor Strange.”

    It’s kind of genius, because this could allow for these alternate versions of your favorite character, while the original characters are still, presumably, in the main thread of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And it wouldn’t just facilitate new, alternate universe characters to enter the fold. It could also just give the regular actors some downtime. Chris Evans could take 10 years off to make “difficult” independent films and a bid for Oscar gold, and after he’s feeling fully rejuvenated and refreshed, can return to the fold (maybe he’ll give Bucky or Sam Wilson the shield for a while; both have been Captain America at different points in the comics). And where was Cap during those 10 years? In one of the alternate dimensions that Doctor Strange opened up in this movie.

    The possibilities are limitless. Doctor Strange as the personal physician for Queen Elizabeth or a brain-craving zombie? Both are possible now. How probable they are remains to be seen; Marvel Studios likely wouldn’t want to distance themselves too much from the core brand, although just imagine a “1602” movie by “The Witch” director Robert Eggers or South Korean filmmaker Chan Wook-Park taking a crack at a story set in the “Noir” universe. It’s almost too much to fathom.

    So in the next few years, if Marvel Studios announces some radical reinventions of its favorite characters, bold new casting choices, or just some left field weirdness, you can probably trace it back to this moment in “Doctor Strange.

    “Remember: Doctor Strange is warned of what could happen and he does it anyway. Sure, the world is in jeopardy. But in saving Earth he may have substantially expanded the Universe. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, that is.

  • ‘Doctor Strange’ Star Mads Mikkelsen Loves to Kung Fu Fight Tilda Swinton

    “If it’s an American film, it’s often the villain.”

    Mads Mikkelsen is very aware that if Hollywood calls, it’s usually to cast him as the Big Bad — and he’s totally fine with that. From battling James Bond in “Casino Royale” to, now, slinging magics at Benedict Cumberbatch in Marvel’s “Doctor Strange,” Mikkelsen has made a career Stateside as bringing very memorable villains to life on-screen. Having locked down “playing a villain,” there are some perks that come with the job, like kung-fu fighting Tilda Swinton.

    Moviefone recently sat down with Mikkelsen to discuss his new villainous role, Kaecilius, his character’s tragic backstory, and kicking an Oscar-winner’s ass.

    Moviefone: You’ve played many villains. So, when you get the call about this gig, are you like “Man, another villain role?” Or is it more: “Holy sh**, a Marvel villain role!”?

    Mads Mikkelsen: More like “Holy sh** — a Marvel villain role.” When I get these opportunities, I definitely don’t feel disappointed. The alternative is not to work over here, and, I mean — it was Marvel. There was flying kung-fu. There was nothing working against taking this role.”

    And you’re quite the fan of old-school, Kung Fu movies.

    I grew up with them, watching them, yes. I grew up with Bruce Lee, When [director] Scott [Derrickson] pitched me the whole story for me on the phone, we get maybe five, then minutes in and he says: “And there’s a lot of kung-fu and flying.” I said: “Whoa whoa, what? Kung Fu? I’m in.” All of a sudden it was like a boyhood dream coming true.
    Marvel movie villains are typically criticized for being undercooked, or underwritten. They’re just there to serve as a punching bag for hero sometimes —

    Uh huh. Right.

    But there seems to have been much consideration given to fleshing our your character and giving him a tragic backstory. How much input did you have in shaping that?

    I have not been in the boat of saying they — the villains — have been “underwritten” or “under-meaty.” They serve a purpose, as opposed to “Hannibal,” which is just a completely different animal in how it handles the villain. There, you’re spending as much time getting to know Hannibal as you are with Hugh Dancy’s character, Will Graham. So you get a different approach to the character — you get (hopefully) to like him, maybe, or sympathetic to him. Or, at the very least, understand him. In a film, a villain like this, he’s serving a purpose. He’s reflecting the hero. So, we can’t anticipate that he’s going to have his own complete story. That’s just not how stories like this work.

    Having said that, I think it’s important that they give [Kaecilius] some valid cards to play. That he’s just not, you know, crazy and wanting to take over the world for no apparent reason at all — other than because he can. But life, for my character, wanting life without pain, and suffering — without death — I’ll buy that, you know? Sounds like a good plan. It sounds like a better place than we have now. So that’s what Strange has to face — his own reflection of his morals, and now this other guy, with his own morals, who is darker.

    How much input did you have in shaping that arc?

    It was pretty much there, on the page, when we started. We increased his backstory a little bit, when we talked about it.
    Now, that fight between you and the Ancient One — what was shooting that like, going to work that day and saying “Well, I get to kick ass with Tilda Swinton today?”

    [Laughs] It was great. But, there’s also knowing that she probably gets to kick my ass as well [laughs]. It was fun. You know, we rehearse these things a lot and, sometimes, we can’t always show up at the same time to same fight rehearsals, so we [spar] with stunt doubles. But once we were there and we do it together — she was very elegant in her moves. Very musical. She was very spot-on; she would go for it and she would be right there with her blocking.

    I love the thing, the move I do, where — I kind of deflect something, and hit her, roll around on the ground then, like, punch the ground and, there’s this shockwave that happens and she just takes it. Moves just a little bit and you’re like “whoa.” [The Ancient One’s] stronger, she’s got the upper hand.

    “Doctor Strange” is in theaters today.
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  • ‘Doctor Strange’ Star Benedict Wong on Playing the One Librarian You ‘Don’t F*** With’

    [SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t seen Marvel’s “Doctor Strange,” stop reading now.]

    Benedict Wong has either the coolest or craziest audition story ever.

    Securing the role of badass librarian (and Beyonce fan) Wong in Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” involved three countries, two audition tapes, and one hell of a fast turnaround.

    “Marvel contacted me while I was shooting [Netflix series] ‘Marco Polo,’” Wong recalled. “I made an audition tape in Budapest. They came back with some tweaks when I was in Slovakia, so I went back on tape there. And by the time I was in Malaysia, the lovely casting director (Sarah Finn) called up and said: ‘Congratulations. You’re gonna have an amazing time.’”

    What she didn’t tell him was that he was going to have less than 48 hours to take off his Kubla Khan costume and put on that of the Mystic Arts’ secret weapon.

    “I literally flew back home to London, dropped by bags, got picked up an hour later by Marvel, went straight into costume fittings, and then pretty much the next day, I was on set with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Benedict Cumberbatch.”
    The ensuing jetlag did not prevent Wong from appreciating the honor of playing a prominent Asian hero in a genre sorely devoid of them. A self-professed comics fan — he owns the first issue of “Web of Spider-Man” — Wong would watch the Marvel films and ask himself: “Where are the Asian superheroes?”

    Wong is very aware that Asians lack role models in the blockbuster landscape dominated by comic book movies, and he was glad that producer Kevin Feige and director Scott Derrickson were on the same page on how to advance this version of Wong from his very dated, very cliched “manservant role” in the comics.

    “When I was having early conversations and meetings with Kevin and Scott, they were very firm that they were not going down that [out-of-date] road with the character. Wong is this librarian, who is not your average librarian. We don’t f*** with him.”

    He continued: “Looking back on the source material, from the ’60s,” Wong said, “there were certain aspects to the Wong character that — I’m so pleased we left them back in the ’60s, you know? We’re creating the Wong of our times.”

    The more modern Wong, when he’s not protecting books full of ancient (and dangerous) spells, subverts expectation with his memorable role in the film’s action-packed climax, where he appears alongside Strange as the heroes battle the villain forward in time as the world around them is in rewind. It’s really inventive, really entertaining stuff — but it only scratches the surface of what Wong might do in future films.

    “[Wong] is Strange’s intellectual mentor. And this is the beginning of the introduction of who Wong is, and where he is going in these films. [Audiences] should look forward and expect to see more of Wong and his bag of relics and let’s see what happens.”

    “Doctor Strange” hits theaters Nov. 4.
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  • 6 Things You Need to Know Before Seeing Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to get even bigger, as “Doctor Strange” marks the big-screen debut of the Sorcerer Supreme.

    Benedict Cumberbatch dons a cool cloak and even cooler facial hair to play the latest Avenger to get a live-action origin story. Before heading to the theater, check out our list of the six essential things you need to know about Marvel’s newest cinematic hero.

    1. Marvel Has a Very “Harry Potter-y” Side
    The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding beyond the traditional boundaries of what moviegoers expect from superhero movies. 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” opened up the cosmic side of the MCU, and now “Doctor Strange” is peeling back the curtain on the Multiverse, full of magical spells, almost-supernatural beings, and very, very Dark Arts.

    This is Marvel’s biggest leap since “Thor.” Can the world of magic mesh with a universe where nearly every hero’s powers have been based on science? That’s one question “Strange” will have to answer. Along the way, expect many (and we mean many) psychedelic displays of power and general weirdness as Strange and his allies explore the the other planes of reality beyond the one we know.

    2. It’s an Origin Story
    Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE..Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch)..Photo Credit: Film Frame ..©2016 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.“Doctor Strange” is best described as a mash-up of the first Iron Man movie, with a strong dose of 2005’s “Batman Begins.”

    Like the former, it’s an origin story about a rich, arrogant man suffering a violent tragedy that sets him on the path to learning humility and putting his talents to more noble use. Like “Begins,” that hero’s journey requires Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to travel the globe as he seeks enlightenment and trains to become a superhero.

    Based on early reviews, fans can expect the movie to stick closely to Strange’s origin as established in the comics. We’ll see this brilliant surgeon succumb to a car accident ruins his invaluable hands. We’ll see him squander his fortune in a fruitless quest to heal himself. And we’ll see him cast aside his old life and become a “Master of the Mystic Arts” under the tutelage of the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).

    3. There Are Many Sorcerers
    Strange won’t be the only one training at the Ancient One’s sanctuary.

    The film will introduce several key players in the magical community, each of whom will react differently to the sudden appearance of this cocky, skeptical rookie. That group will include Wong (Benedict Wong) and Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor).

    Interestingly, both characters look to be quite a bit different from the comic book source material. Wong (thankfully) isn’t Strange’s faithful manservant, but rather an accomplished sorcerer — and badass librarian with an interest in the musical stylings of… Beyonce. Because reasons.

    And while Mordo is one of Strange’s main villains in the comics, he appears to be — for now an ally. Expect Mordo to find himself on the path to the “Dark Side” by the end of the movie.
    Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE..Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor)..Photo Credit: Film Frame ..©2016 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.Also look for Rachel McAdams‘ Christine Palmer to play a major role as one of Strange’s few remaining ties to the mundane world. And, no, she does take on the mantle of Night Nurse in the MCU. For now, the only Night Nurse we have is that of Rosario Dawson‘s character Claire Temple on Netflix’s Marvel shows. (But both Christin and Claire have served as the Nurse in the comics.)

    4. The Big Bad Has a Score to Settle
    Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE..Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen)..Photo Credit: Film Frame ..©2016 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.The film is also veering away from the source material by not emphasizing one of Strange’s main villains. While the demonic entity Dormammu has an influence on the plot, the main baddie driving the story is a minor one from the comics, Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen).

    Kaecilius is another sorcerer who trained under the Ancient One, but he broke away from his mentor after having a philosophical disagreement over what role magic should have in the ordinary world. In the film, he also discovers the “dark” secret to the Ancient One’s immortality. Kaecilius’ goals are less world-domination based, and more, well, let’s just say he wants to kind of terra form the non-magical realm with more mystical elements. With a tragic backstory, expect this villain to be the first major test of Doctor Strange’s newly-acquired magical powers.

    5. Meet the Newest Avenger
    Those who aren’t up to date on the Marvel Cinematic Universe needn’t worry about diving in with Doctor Strange. This is (largely) a standalone adventure, unlike more recent Marvel films.

    However, the movie sets the stage for Strange’s ongoing role in the MCU. He was already mentioned by name in 2014’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” as someone Hydra considers to be a major threat.

    Cumberbatch is set to shoot his role “Avengers: Infinity War” early next year. With the Avengers in shambles after the events of “Civil War,” Tony Stark has to find new recruits somewhere. And who better than a man who can bend reality and make the impossible happen?

    6. You Will Want to Stay for the End Credits
    Only the fans love Marvel’s end-credits stings more than the studio does. And this time around, audiences will get two scenes. One helps set the stage for “Thor: Ragnarok” with some help from a certain Avenger, and the other, well, that sets the stage for (fingers crossed) a sequel to “Doctor Strange.”

    Here’s opening the first movie casts a big enough spell on the box office to warrant more chapters.

    “Doctor Strange” hits theaters Friday.
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  • ‘Doctor Strange’ Review, ‘Deadpool 2’ Dilemmas: CAN’T WAIT! Podcast Ep. 4

    can't wait podcast episode 4 doctor strangeThis week on “Daredevil” producer Drew Goddard and “John Wick” co-director David Leitch. Ryan Reynolds is so powerful, you guys.

    Then the magic happens … we’re talking about Marvel’s “Doctor Strange,” offering up some spoiler-free thoughts on what a wizard looks like in the MCU. Hint: He ain’t Harry Potter. Double hint: A cape as a sidekick totally works. Triple hint: Tilda Swinton = ????. (PS: M.C. Escher was doing it before “Inception,” so back off haters.)

    And that’s not all! Keep listening as our recommendations segment turns into “Documentary Corner,” hosted by Tony and Rachel. Those crazy kids love to learn.

    CAN’T WAIT! A Movie Lover’s Podcast Episode 4

    Here’s the rundown:

    • Intro: 0:00 – 2:13
    • “Life” trailer: 2:13 – 5:53
    • “Deadpool 2” directors: 5:53 – 14:23
    • “Doctor Strange” review: 14:23 – 36:48
    • Recommendations: 36:48 – 46:54

    Total runtime: 46:54

    Subscribe to the CAN’T WAIT! podcast:

    Have thoughts/feelings/feedback about the podcast? Hit us up on Facebook and Twitter.

  • ‘Doctor Strange’ Conjures $86M Overseas, Topping Many Marvel Openings

    Never mind “Inferno,” the real heat is happening for “Doctor Strange.”

    The U.S. box office just had a “seriously meltdown” with “Inferno” only earning $15 million, but the international box office is fired up for Marvel’s latest, with “Doctor Strange” opening to an impressive $86 million.

    “Doctor Strange” opens here on Friday, November 4, but it is already playing in 33 territories — including the U.K., France, Mexico, Australia, Germany, South Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, etc. — and Variety reports that it opened as the top-grossing movie in nearly every market.

    Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sorcerer Supreme is enjoying strong critical reviews, and his film is already playing better than several other titles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to Disney, “Doctor Strange” opened close to 50 percent ahead of “Ant-Man,” 37 percent ahead of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1,” and 23 percent ahead of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

    “Doctor Strange” also opened in 213 IMAX locations, earning the largest October opening for the format with $7.8 million; as TheWrap noted, that doubles the previous record of $3.2 million. (Sorry, “Gravity.”)

    Cumberbatch is already everywhere to promote this movie, which still has several major markets to hit, including China, Brazil, Russia, Japan, and the U.S. It’ll have to work hard to top the heavy-hitters in the MCU, but maybe with some magical help, it can get close.

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  • Here’s What’s in the ‘Doctor Strange’ Post-Credits Scenes

    Positive reviews are pouring in for Marvel’s “Doctor Strange,” and with those reviews are spoilers about what fans can expect in the end credits.

    TheWrap shared details on what’s in the two scenes, and they include spoilers not only for “Doctor Strange,” but a bit for “Thor: Ragnarok,” and potentially for a “Doctor Strange” sequel.

    The first scene arrives mid-credits, and features Thor (Chris Hemsworth) being Thor — chugging a beer stein that keeps refilling itself. (#goals)


    Thor isn’t alone in the scene, though; he’s sharing a drink with Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who tells Thor he is keeping a watch list of beings from other realms who might be a threat to this world. Strange asks Thor why his brother Loki is in New York, and Thor says the bros are trying to find their father Odin to bring him back to Asgard. Strange gets Thor to confirm that, if they find Odin, they will all head back to Asgard “promptly.”

    We’ll see. “Thor: Ragnarok” arrives in theaters November 3, 2017.

    The second scene doesn’t appear to directly connect to other upcoming MCU films — like “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” or “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” Instead, it’s another scene with Chiwetel Ejiofor’s “Doctor Strange” character, Baron Mordo, who has a bit of a falling out with Doctor Strange in the film, and goes to find Jonathan Pangborn (Benjamin Bratt), a paraplegic who learned how to heal himself, in his workshop.

    Here’s how TheWrap describes the scene:

    “Pangborn evidently feels that something is off and grabs a weapon. Mordo incapacitates him, sending him back to his former, paraplegic state. Near the end of the scene, Mordo tells Pangborn that he has figured out what’s wrong with the world: ‘There are too many sorcerers.’ That suggests Mordo could emerge as a primary villain in a sequel.”

    “Doctor Strange” had previously been described as something of an origin story for Baron Mordo, as well as the titular doctor. As director Scott Derrickson told Screen Rant:

    “Mordo, in the comic books… was just really arch. And he’s in the origin issue and even in reading through – and I’ve read the entire body of Doctor Strange now – it was a difficult character, very difficult character to adapt. Because of the very basic archness that he plays all the way through there. So we wanted to keep what were the interesting aspects of him… but with the way that [Mordo] needs to be a presence in the universe of Doctor Strange and, god willing, in sequels, I felt that we had to start by establishing who he was before he got into that arch villainy in the comics. And that’s a lot of what we’re doing in this movie… we’re sort of building a foundational understanding of who he was before the guy that you met in that comic so that that turn isn’t an arch turn.”

    “Doctor Strange” opens Friday, November 4.

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  • 11 Things We Learned at the ‘Doctor Strange’ Press Conference

    “Doctor Strange” checks off all the boxes one would expect from a Marvel movie.

    But it also gives you at least two big action set pieces that you’ve never seen before and some of the most unique visuals (read: trippy) ever put in a movie — comic book or otherwise.

    The cast and filmmakers behind your latest Marvel addiction seemed very proud of their work at a recent press conference for the film in Los Angeles. Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, director Scott Derrickson, and producer/Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige were among those on hand to discuss how they brought the Sorcerer Supreme to the big screen. Here are the highlights:
    1. When Cumberbatch seemed unavailable for the role due to scheduling, Derrickson met with other actors, but the filmmaker said he “still went back to Benedict. That was the guy, that was Strange.”

    2. The filmmakers soon realized that hitting a summer release date was not going to work if they wanted Cumberbatch in the lead role. So, to accommodate their casting needs and the actor’s schedule, they pushed the film to a Fall slot. That’s how you know you’re a big deal as an actor, folks, when Marvel/Disney rearranges their calendar to service yours.
    3. What convinced Mads Mikkelsen to play villain Kaecilius? Kung-fu. When the director pitched the film to the actor over the phone, roughly five to ten minutes in, Derrickson dropped “and there’s a lot of kung-fu and flying.” Since the actor grew up watching old-school kung-fu films, that’s all he needed to hear to be sold on the role. “I said ‘whoa whoa, what? Kung-fu?’ I’m in,” Mikkelsen recalled.

    4. The primary source of inspiration for Derrickson’s unique visual choices were the “early ’60s Stan Lee and Steve Ditko comics,” with emphasis on the more psychedelic imagery. 5. When it came to the action scenes and set pieces, the studio fully committed to a line in Derrickson’s initial pitch to Marvel: “The goal is for every set piece in this movie to be the weirdest set piece in any other movie.”

    6. To that end, the director worked hard with his team to “get more creative” with set pieces that involved mass destruction. “The movies that do that are memorable,” Derrickson said, “and change the way you feel about cinema.” While the filmmaker was modest, saying he is unsure if they achieved that with “Strange,” he is confident that the film offers sequences that “give audiences their money’s worth.”
    7. Those unique hand gestures the Ancient One and Strange use in the movie? It’s called finger tutting, and yes, the actors were trained on how to do it properly. “We had a specialist show us,” Swinton said. “He taught us a series of extraordinary and very precise movements.”

    The Oscar-winner also recalled that, at times, she struggled with the precision of the movements — making sure her fingers didn’t pass in front of her face in a certain way that would negate the reason for the move at all.

    8. When Cumberbatch first put on the costume, he behaved much like you would by geeking out. “Was giddy like a child,” the actor said. When a costume designer saw Cumberbatch seeing himself for the first time in the full outfit, she remarked: “Oh, you’re having a superhero moment, aren’t you?”
    9. That wasn’t the only time the notion of playing the Marvel hero really hit home for the actor. On the last day of shooting — while they were near-ready to shoot a scene on the blocked-off streets of New York City — Cumberbatch noticed they were near a comic book shop.

    So, with his phone, the director filmed his star entering the shop on a whim. And in full Strange attire — the cloak, the hair, everything. Cumberbatch recalled that after he first introduced himself to the owner and the few patrons inside, they couldn’t believe he was there buying Doctor Strange comics.

    10. Actually, he didn’t have any money on him. Because wearing costume. “So I offered to work it off [in the store] or something in exchange for payment,” Cumberbatch said. “And the owner was like, he said something like: ‘Fine, but you have to keep your American accent if you wanna work there.’”
    11. Everyone knows that Strange will appear in “Avengers: Infinity War.” And now we know when the actor reports for shooting. “Early next year,” Feige revealed to reporters.

    “Doctor Strange” hits theaters Nov. 4.
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  • Jimmy Kimmel Hired Doctor Strange for a Children’s Party & It Was a Bad Idea

    Sometimes you really should just stick with Johnny Karate. “Doctor Strange” opens November 4, and even though technically the lead character is a “magician,” his powerful brand of sorcery isn’t really a good fit for children’s birthday parties. But no one told Jimmy Kimmel.

    “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and Kimmel gave him a sketch somewhat reminiscent of Seth Meyers having Jon Snow over for a dinner party and inviting Melisandre to a baby shower. In this case, Cumberbatch’s Dr. Stephen Strange was called to entertain a bunch of wild “demons” on a cupcake sugar high, and he … well, just ask Marcus if it was a good idea. If you can ever find him again. (To be fair, Marcus deserved it.)

    Watch the ultimate party pooper in action:
    Yes, that is what happens when you trust someone’s LinkedIn profile.

    Full “Doctor Strange” reviews haven’t been posted yet, but critics shared their initial impressions on Twitter, and so far it looks like a decent bet. Check out the Marvel film for yourself when it opens Friday, November 4.

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