‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ launched to $118 at the domestic box office.
It notched the fourth-biggest box office launch so far this year.
Yet its initial figure was behind ‘Superman’s.
In the battle of the 2025 superhero blockbusters, it appears the Man of Steel is still the strongest. Still, despite opening slightly lower than James Gunn’s DC Studios launch, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe still got off to a strong start.
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, which finally brings Marvel’s “First Family” into the MCU, made $118 million in its first weekend.
This latest Marvel effort stretched to $218M global opening, with $100 million from international markets..
The overseas debut is 13% ahead of ‘Thunderbolts*’, 11% ahead of ‘Superman’ and 4% above ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ and more importantly, ahead of projections.
For its part, ‘Superman’ has now topped the half-billion milestone, now at $502.7M worldwide, including $213.2M from international.
Now we’ll have to see how ‘Fantastic Four’ performs going forward. In its favor, it only really has ‘Superman’ as direct competition in terms of genre and audience for a few weeks.
What else happened at the box office this weekend?
‘Superman’ slipped to second place after two weeks at the top –– earning $24.9 million from 3,930 screens, a 57% decline from last weekend. The movie has generated $289.5 million domestically and $502.7 million globally.
Third place went to ‘Jurassic World Rebirth,’ which made $13 million from 3,550 venues in its fourth weekend.
The dinosaur outing has grossed $301 million in North America and $718 million globally, which is impressive, but still behind the other ‘Jurassic World’ franchise entries, which all crossed the $1 billion mark.
Fourth past the post was ‘F1′, the Brad Pitt-starring racing movie set in the world of Formula One.
It took $6.2 million in its fifth lap around the track. That’s a 37% decline from the previous weekend, bringing ticket sales to $165.6 million domestically and $509 million worldwide. Decent, but it carries a hefty $250 million plus budget and anyway, backers Apple are not so worried about theatrical returns as other companies.
Finally, Paramount’s animated musical ‘Smurfs’ rounded out the top five with $5.4 million from 3,504 venues, a 50% drop from its disappointing $11 million debut.
So far, the family film has earned $22.7 million at the domestic box office and $46 million internationally for a worldwide tally of $69 million. Not great!
‘Superman’ stayed top of the box office for a second weekend.
James Gunn’s movie dropped 54% following its successful launch.
The new ‘Smurfs’ movie and an ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ reboot failed to have much impact.
As a comic book hero, Superman can famously leap tall buildings in a single bound. From the looks of the performance by the latest cinematic take on the character –– James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ –– he can also hold off the competition, as the movie stayed top of the box office this weekend.
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With a relatively light 54% drop, the movie took in $57.3 million from 4,774 venues. That was enough to secure the top spot once more, with strong weekday business also helping.
Here’s what Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian had to say about the performance:
“A 54% second weekend drop is indicative of a marketplace that’s embracing the film”
It’s good news for Warner Bros. and DC Studios, which is hoping the movie, starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult, will spark interest in the new, interconnected DC Universe.
Domestically, the movie has now made $236 million, and its global haul is now $406 million.
Scarlett Johansson as skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett in ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, directed by Gareth Edwards. Photo: Universal Pictures.
‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ settled for second place once more place with $23 million from 3,854 venues, a 42% drop from last week.
After three weekends of release, the dinosaur movie has earned $276 million domestically.
Yet it’s on the global marketplace where the latest ‘Jurassic World’ outing is really excelling, making more than $647 million. That’s a solid result, if still behind the billion-dollar plus earnings of the previous three franchise entries.
What about the rest of the box office?
Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie James in 2025’s ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’. Photo: Sony Pictures.
The strongest start among a clutch of misfiring newcomers was Sony’s ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’, opening with $13 million from 3,206 theaters.
‘Last Summer’ added $11.6 million overseas from 58 markets, bringing its worldwide total to $24.6 million. That suggests the nostalgia factor for the horror reboot (which featured roles for the original’s Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt) wasn’t as strong as the studio hoped. Still, with a thrifty $18 million budget to make back (plus marketing costs), there’s less pressure to perform.
Fourth place was Paramount’s Rihanna-led animated outing ‘Smurfs’, which made $11 million from 3,504 venues, a disappointing result for the $58 million-budgeted musical.
‘Smurfs’ earned $25 million at the international box office to date for a global tally of $36 million, hardly a reason for Smurfing it up, but likely one that will earn more through merchandising than ticket sales.
Fifth was Apple/Warner Bros.’ Brad Pitt-starring racing pic ‘F1’, which took in $9.6 million in its fourth weekend for a $153.6 million domestic tally and $460.8 million globally.
Finally, ‘Hereditary’ director Ari Aster’s Western satire ‘Eddington’ failed to generate much interested, flopping to seventh place and $4.2 million from 2,111 venues.
What’s to come next weekend?
Given the tracking and early buzz, it appears that ‘Superman’ won’t be flying quite so high this coming weekend as Marvel’s own latest superhero behemoth, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ is on the launch pad.
The movie is projected to opening above $100 million, possibly as high as $140 million, so the big battle of the heroes is about to heat up.
(L to R) Hefty Smurf (Alex Winter), Vanity Smurf (Maya Erskine), Worry Smurf (Billie Lourd, Ken (Nick Offerman), Smurfette (Rihanna), No Name (James Corden), and Brainy Smurf (Xolo Mariduena) in ‘Smurfs’ from Paramount Animation. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
‘Smurfs’ receives a 4 out of 10 stars.
Coming exclusively to theaters on July 18th, it should come as no surprise to anyone that ‘Smurfs‘ is geared towards a much younger audience.
Directed by Chris Miller, and featuring the voices of many talented actors including Rihanna (Smurfette), James Corden (No Name), Nick Offerman (Ken), and John Goodman (Papa Smurf), ‘Smurfs’ is designed to capture the hearts of its target audience, which is young children.
(L to R) No Name (James Corden) and Smurfette (Rihanna) in ‘Smurfs’ from Paramount Animation. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
‘Smurfs’ was made to introduce a whole new generation to to the lovable blue creatures that sometimes go up against evil wizards. On paper this concept might sound silly, but many of us grew up with our own version of the Smurfs, and it is nice that the younger generation has theirs now, as well.
Director Chris Miller knows his way around an animated feature, having worked on many including ‘Puss in Boots‘ and ‘Shrek the Third‘, so expectations were high going into this one.
Script and Direction
Director Chris Miller on the set of ‘Smurfs’ from Paramount Animation. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
One thing that every parent knows is that little kids do not have a long attention span. Because of that, animated features need to be able to keep their attention with bright colors, humor geared towards them, and action sequences. There needs to be something going on at all times or they will start to lose interest.
Something that ‘Smurfs’ does is keep moving, that is for sure, but because of this, it loses a lot of the explanation and exposition that is needed to properly tell the story. For those that do not know (or remember) the lore of Smurfs, some key plot points will not hit as hard – or even make sense.
Papa Smurf (John Goodman) in ‘Smurfs’ from Paramount Animation. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The main message of the movie is taking the time to find your thing, and what you bring to the table. Smurfs have names based on their personality traits. For example, Brainy Smurf, Hefty Smurf, and Grouchy Smurf. No Name has tried thousands of things, but has not yet discovered what he is good at, which is why he is nameless at the start of the film.
The confusion comes with other Smurfs having names like Ron and Ken, so why doesn’t No Name at least have a regular name until he finds his thing? This is never explained and while kids probably will not pick up on it, parents are sure to be perplexed.
Director Chris Miller on the set of ‘Smurfs’ from Paramount Animation. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The animation itself is simple enough, but looks great on the big screen. ‘Smurfs’ is bright, colorful, and vibrant. Even when scenes take place in the evil Gargamel and Razamel’s lairs, it never gets too dark or scary. Later in the film, the plot points find a way to let the animators explore a few different styles. This is the best scene in the movie. It’s equal parts fun and creative.
While adults are sure to be rolling their eyes at many of the corny dad jokes being told, kids will be cracking up. This movie leans into the type of humor that it knows its audience wants, for better or worse.
Cast and Performances
Ken (Nick Offerman) in ‘Smurfs’ from Paramount Animation. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
‘Smurfs’ has a star-studded cast that includes many of the greatest actors working today. With so many Smurfs in the village, some of them only have a line or two to deliver, but they all still bring their A-game.
John Goodman voices the beloved Papa Smurf. This character is very well known, which you would think would add some pressure to the role, but he voices him perfectly. John Goodman’s voice is soothing and very fatherly that it instantly works.
James Corden does a great job as No Name, who is struggling throughout most of the movie. He brings a timidness to him that is needed to believe his journey. One of the most memorable characters is Mama Poot, voiced by the always hilarious Natasha Lyonne. She knows how to deliver a punchline, even if the line written is silly.
Rihanna in “Friend Of Mine” music video from ‘Smurfs’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The trailers teased that this movie was going to be a musical, going so far as to cast the incredibly talented Rihanna in the lead as Smurfette. From the start, it was clear that music was going to be the main focus, and while there are some songs kids will be singing on repeat, none of them standout as the hits of the summer.
Rihanna does a decent job as Smurfette, making her a likable enough character who encourages No Name throughout the film. That said, the script she is given does the character no favors, causing her backstory to feel rushed and come out of nowhere. Still, Rihanna does what she can with what she is given.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Papa Smurf (John Goodman), No Name (James Corden), Smurfette (Rihanna) and Brainy Smurf (Xolo Mariduena) in ‘Smurfs’ from Paramount Animation. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
‘Smurfs’ is a good introduction to these characters for a new generation, but it is also lacking so much of what older generations love about them. The story is rushed and lacks a lot of explanation that is needed in order for it to make sense. It isn’t all bad though as the animation is pretty, Rihanna can sing (we all know that), and the messages of never giving up on yourself are important.
Despite a script filled with dad jokes that will land with the kids and leave adults rolling their eyes, it has its moments. If there were to be more movies in the franchise, kids will surely gobble them right up.
Say what you will, ‘Smurfs’ certainly knows what its target audience wants, and delivers on it.
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What’s the story of ‘Smurfs’?
When Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is mysteriously taken by evil wizards, Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette (Rihanna) leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save him. With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe.
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
Paramount offered news on some of its upcoming movies at its CinemaCon Presentation.
‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ and ‘The Running Man’ were among those hyped.
Surprisingly little was said about ‘Scream 7’ and a few other big titles.
Paramount had a very mixed 2024. Though the likes of ‘Gladiator II,’ ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ and ‘Smile 2’ did decent business, the studio also had its share of disappointments –– despite a compelling subject matter in musician Robbie Williams (albeit one unfamiliar to many in the States) and the intriguing choice to portray him entirely as a CGI ape, ‘Better Man’ became a domestic flop.
The studio is also dealing with being in flux in terms of management, with Skydance merger battling its way to closure.
More importantly, 2025 is ‘Mission’ critical, and by that, we mean ‘Mission: Impossible –– The Final Reckoning,’ which needs to reassure theater chain owners that the franchise can get back to its glory days after the disappointing returns for 2023’s ‘Dead Reckoning.’
Tom Cruise attends the Abu Dhabi Red Carpet and Premiere of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ presented by Paramount Pictures and Skydance at Emirates Palace Hotel on June 26, 2023, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Photo by Darren Arthur/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures.
Not to mention that this is potentially the actual final ‘Mission: Impossible,’ at least starring Tom Cruise in his ongoing collaboration with writer/director Christopher McQuarrie. The big question: would the company announce that this really is the last chapter in a saga that began back in the 1990s (at least in movie terms), as a way to goose interest? Or would it confidently confirm that, like James Bond, Ethan Hunt would return?
Either way, the CinemaCon presentation was likely to feature Tom Cruise in some fashion –– be it on stage, or on video clinging to a plane, train or automobile (or building).
Or even, possibly just on screen holding his breath underwater during the entire panel, simply to prove he can.
Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
And now, on with the show…
Stunts are often something studios like to roll out, so Paramount kicked off with Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution riding a motorcycle on stage. He rode off to be replaced by three other riders, who did jumps off ramps and flips, all with smoke and explosions. Aronson was back to announce, “that’s right, I do my own stunts!”
He also talked up the company’s efforts to make 2025 a rebound year after the strikes and pledged to show fewer ads and trailers in theaters (phew!), plus other deals such as discount Wednesdays and extended matinee hours.
Following a sizzle reel of Paramount Pictures past and future, Brian Robbins, president and CEO took the stage to announce big news… Four ‘Paw Patrol’ movies for each pup to compete with Sony’s Beatles movies. He was joking of course. Or was he???!!
(L to R) Callum Shoniker as “Rocky,” Christian Corrao as “Marshall,” Luxton Handspiker as “Rubble,” Nylan Parthipan as “Zuma,” Christian Convery as “Chase,” McKenna Grace as “Skye,” Marsai Martin as “Liberty,” Alan Kim as “Nano,” Finn Lee-Epp as “Ryder,” North West as “Mini,” and Brice Gonzalez as “Tot” in ‘Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie’ from Spin Master Entertainment, Nickelodeon Movies, and Paramount Pictures.
Robbins also said that the studio’s guiding principle is shareholder… Sorry, that people love going to the movies.
Co-writer/director Edgar Wright was on stage to tout the Glen Powell-starring new version of the dystopian King story where civilians compete in deadly games to win cash prizes.
‘The Running Man,’ is per Wright is “the kind of movie that gives everyone something to cheer for.” He explained that since the source novel is set in 2025, so is the movie.
And talking of cheering, he was joined by star Powell on stage.
Powell said:
“This is the full meal. What Edgar has cooked up with this one is nothing short of extraordinary,”
The actor joked that he asked pal and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ boss Tom Cruise for advice on using a stunt double –– and has paid the price for doing so much himself.
“We knew we were part of something really special,” gushed Domingo, while Brolin admitted it was a thrill to play a wonderfully maniacal character.
Despite the movie having wrapped three short weeks ago, Domingo (dropping into character as show host Bobby Thompson) was able to cue up some footage, and a first look played.
In an extended trailer, Brolin’s executive character recruits Glen for show to protect his family. Lots of action. We see him in show and then being chased.
‘The Running Man’ sprints into theaters on November 7th.
The latest take on the little blue creatures features, as previously mentioned, Rihanna (who touted the movie in a video introduction) as the voice of Smurfette, in the story of Papa Smurf being kidnapped and the others having to find him.
The first trailer for the new animated/live-action outing was shown, showing how our diminutive heroes travel to the real world in search of Papa and encounter Ken, his brother (Offerman).
‘Smurfs’ will smurf its way into theaters on July 18th.
The latest SpongeBob film had voice star Tom Kenny on stage to talk up the movie, (he called it a “coming of age” story), joined by fellow performer Mark Hamill. Cue the ‘Corvette Summer’ jokes!
Hamill –– who plays the Flying Dutchman –– made the crowd laugh by saying,
“I did an episode in Season Five and I did such a good job they asked me back 18 years later!”
We got a first look at the film itself. Like ‘Smurfs,’ (and some other SpongeBob outings) it blends animation with live action, and features Clancy Brown as Blackbeard. The story finds out hero wanting to grow up and embrace his macho side by having more adventures –– including to the underworld.
‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’ will sail into theaters on December 19th.
Liam Neeson plays Frank in ‘The Naked Gun’ from Paramount Pictures. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The new reboot of the classic comedy franchise –– spawned, let’s not forget from the files of ‘Police Squad’ is a Seth MacFarlane-produced take on the idea with Liam Neeson and Paul Walter Hauser among the cast.
‘Naked Gun’s presentation kicked off with a saxophone player on stage pumping out noir-y music as Chris Aronson stood silently on stage, while a recorded voice-over played over the speakers as if his internal monologue was happening in real time.
Best line?
“This musician sounds expensive, but this is Vegas, you have to pay for good sax…”
The teaser was shown, which you can find here:
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It’s a funny clip, introducing Neeson’s badass Frank Jr taking out bank robbers, only slightly undercut by being dressed as a Catholic schoolgirl complete with panties. Bonus points for a fun final gag featuring a wall of tributes to dead cops, crying sons honoring their fathers and possibly the best way to incorporate OJ Simpson (who played Nordberg in the original).
‘The Naked Gun’ stumbles on to screens on August 1st.
He cued the first trailer for the movie, a biopic of the fugitive Jeffrey Manchester, a former United States Army Reserve officer, known colloquially as “Roofman” due to his propensity to steal from branches of McDonald’s after entering their premises via the roof, and, after he was jailed and got out evaded further capture from police by hiding in the wall of a Toys ‘R’ Us store.
(L to R) Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, Greg Tarzan Davis plays Degas, Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn and Hayley Atwell plays Grace in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Paramount’s Robbins returned to the stage to introduce the one, the only Tom Cruise, who got a rapturous reception.
Instead of launching into promotion, Cruise took a moment to memorialize friend and ‘Top Gun’ co-star Val Kilmer, who recently died.
“I can’t tell you how much I respected his work and to have him in ‘Top Gun’ and back for ‘Maverick.’ Thank you, Val. I wish you well on your next journey.”
(L to R) Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
From there, he enthused about ‘Mission’ writer/director Chris McQuarrie, with Cruise mentioning how long they’ve been collaborating (on the Ethan Hunt movies and beyond). He even joked that people think “McQ” (as Tom calls him) is Jonathan Lipnicki from ‘Jerry Maguire’ all grown up!
Cruise went on to talk about how the ‘Mission’ movies are a puzzle and a Rubik’s Cube made under intense pressure, living breathing things where endless discoveries are made in the process.
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
They also discussed how Cruise brought McQuarrie in to rewrite scenes in ‘Ghost Protocol’ but didn’t tell Brad Bird or the rest of cast. Brad and Simon Pegg said on set, “who is this guy?” Tom replied, “That’s McQ”. Apparently McQuarrie came up with the “Blue is glue, red is dead” stunt scene on the spot in Dubai.
There was also time for Cruise to add that he’s looking forward to seeing ‘F1’ and his recollections of racing go-karts against friend Brad Pitt (who stars in that movie) while making ‘Interview with the Vampire’ together.
(L to R) Damson Idris and Brad Pitt in ‘F1’. Photo: Warner Bros. and Apple Original FIlms.
Switching tracks back to ‘Mission,’ Cruise stressed the challenges and importance of shooting in the pandemic, keeping crews working and the industry going.
“We were able to deliver these movies to theaters despite being shut down by pandemic and two strikes.”
Cruise then introduced McQuarrie himself, who strode on stage and quipped:
“Tom knows I can’t stand compliments, he’s enjoying this immensely…”
He’ll have to suffer more, as he’s receiving the Director of the Year award at the CinemaCon awards later.
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
He offers that he was ready to quit the business, but Cruise saw potential in him.
Cruise: “I’m here today because if your vision and trust.”
And for McQ’s side:
“It’s been fun to work with you and put you in harm’s way for everyone’s pleasure.”
The new ‘Mission’ movie contains some of the most complex practical sequences on celluloid –– not that that should be surprising from these two.
(R to L) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Admitting that they’d be nowhere without audiences, Cruise introduced the new ‘Final Reckoning’ trailer, but not before name-checking every writer and director who has worked on the franchise so far, plus the executive likes of Sherry Lansing, Sumner Redstone and Paula Wagner too.
Then, it was time for the trailer itself, which sometimes felt like an expanded version of the teaser that arrived last year.
Lots of Ethan Hunt action (of course!) with Tom leaping off and onto things, plus a look at some newer cast members including Nick Offerman and Janet McTeer. It also serves as a love-letter to the whole franchise.
(L to R) Nick Offerman, Charles Parnell, Angela Bassett, Mark Gatiss and Janet McTeer in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Indeed, the ‘Mission’ portion of the presentation felt like that too –– while no one said directly it’s the end, this felt pretty final. Until they announce the next one, that is…
‘Mission: Impossible –– The Final Reckoning’ speeds into cinemas on May 23rd.
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And talking of finality, there ended the Paramount CinemaCon 2025 presentation!
(L to R) Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt and Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman in Netflix’s ‘Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.’ Photo: Glen Wilson/Netflix.
Paul Reubens, who cemented himself as one of the most memorable entertainers for more than one generation who grew up on his work, died Sunday night. He was 70 and had been dealing with a cancer diagnosis privately for several years.
Early Career and Pee-wee Origins
Paul Reubens at the SXSW premiere of Netflix’s ‘Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.’ Photo: Alli Harvey/Netflix.
Reubens was born in New York in 1952 and raised in Florida. He created Pee-wee (named for a brand of harmonica he had when he was a child) while with the Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings in 1978, then took the character to the stage after failing to land a spot on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1980. His performance was captured for an HBO special in 1981.
Reubens showed up in the Cheech & Chong films ‘Next Movie’ (1980) and ‘Nice Dreams’ (1981) and made the first of his many bizarre appearances on ‘Late Night With David Letterman‘ — always in character and keeping his real identity a secret — in 1982.
He starred as the bow tie-wearing Pee-wee during a tour of the States, including a stop at Carnegie Hall in 1984, and then in Warner Bros’ ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’ (1985), directed by Tim Burton, followed by the sequel, Randal Kleiser’s ‘Big Top Pee-wee’ in 1988.
Reubens really came into his own on CBS Saturday morning children’s program ‘Pee-wee’s Playhouse,’ with 45 episodes running for five seasons from 1986-91. The eye-popping, candy-colored series won 22 Emmy Awards.
Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman in Netflix’s ‘Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.’ Photo: Glen Wilson/Netflix.
Reubens’ image as a beloved childhood hero was tarnished when, in 1991, he was arrested for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Florida. At the center of a national sex scandal, Reubens backed away from Pee-wee and began doing press as himself.
He wouldn’t again reprise the iconic role until 2010, when he revived ‘The Pee-wee Herman Show’ on Broadway and made several other appearances, on ‘WWE Raw’ and in a couple of digital sketches for Funny or Die. In 2016, Reubens co-wrote and starred in Netflix’s ‘Pee-wee’s Big Holiday,’ a sequel to ‘Big Top,’ which would serve as Reubens’ final film role before his death.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years. I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”
The post also included this from his estate:
“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness. Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.”
Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman in Netflix’s ‘Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.’ Photo: Glen Wilson/Netflix.
At the multiplex this weekend, you could feel the excitement building… for next weekend.
That’s when “The Fate of the Furious” hits theaters and, most likely, it will dominate the box office for the rest of April. This weekend, by comparison, not much happened, even though there were three new wide releases.
If nothing else, the meh results for this weekend’s new features prove the importance of timing. With potential ticketbuyers hoarding their cash until next weekend, here’s a breakdown of what happened this weekend:
Nothing Could Beat “Boss Baby“ Last week’s champ is still riding the wave of strong word-of-mouth, Alec Baldwin‘s current omnipresence (he’s been prettymuchinescapable the last few weeks), and the lack of better options. Sure, with its estimated $26.3 million take this weekend, “Boss Baby” just edged out “Beauty and the Beast” (an estimated $25.0 million). Still, “Boss Baby” remains on the rise (in its second weekend, it actually added 56 screens, for a total of 3,829), while “Beauty” is finally waning after four weeks in theaters.
RIP, “Smurfs” Movie Franchise Why did Sony put “Smurfs: The Lost Village” up against fellow family films “Boss Baby” and “Beast”? You can sort of see the reasoning: With kids out of school for spring break and Easter on the way, the timing may have seemed right for the return of the little blue guys from the ’80s.
Still, putting out another animated film the weekend after “Boss Baby” seemed like a suicidal move, which is why predictions for the third “Smurfs” movie were only in the high teens. But the film didn’t even do that well, winding up with an estimated $14.0 million.
One could argue that Sony didn’t care that much about positioning; after all, the “Smurfs” franchise typically plays much better overseas than here (in fact, it’s already made an estimated $42.0 million abroad), and the movie didn’t cost that much (at a reported price of $60 million, the studio saved tens of millions by making this one strictly a cartoon, instead of a live-action/cartoon blend like the first two installments).
Yet Sony went all out on social media to promote it, and the filmmakers made a point of increasing the movie’s girl appeal (there are many female Smurfs in the movie, not just one). And the families who saw “Lost Village” really liked it, judging by the strong A grade at CinemaScore. So you have to conclude that the marketing would have propelled the film to a much higher gross if it had been given a release date further away from two other family-film smashes.
“Going in Style” Did Better Than You Thought No one expected much from the geezer-heist caper comedy remake either, with predictions running below $10 million. Yet the movie opened with an estimated $12.5 million. This despite critical scorn (44 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), usually deadly for a film aimed at an older audience that still cares what critics think.
Still, that’s a largely underserved audience, and the film’s trio of beloved Oscar-winning stars — Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Alan Arkin — was enough of a draw to overcome bad reviews. Indeed, word-of-mouth on the film was actually pretty good, with its overall CinemaScore grade of B+ rising to an A- for most viewers over age 50.
The other plus of catering to an older audience is that the target audience doesn’t all rush to the theater on opening weekend, so if the film can stay booked for a few weeks, that word-of-mouth will pay off with steady sales over time. So “Going in Style,” made for an absurdly low reported budget of $25 million (then again, director Zach Braff paid for his last movie with Kickstarter donations, so $25 million is a big step up for him), stands a good chance of making a profit before it retires to cable and home video.
“The Case for Christ” Proves Faith-Based Movies Are Losing Steam
Movies aimed at churchgoing audiences are always a wild card when it comes to predicting how big they’ll open. This one, from the same folks who made the two successful “God’s Not Dead” movies, was expected to debut between $3 and $6 million.
It opened toward the low end of expectations, premiering in 10th place with an estimated $3.9 million. That’s still not bad for a movie playing on just 1,174 screens. Like “Smurfs,” “Case” was scheduled with Easter in mind, so the film may yet do more more business than its modest debut suggests.
Why Aren’t More People Talking About Anne Hathaway‘s “Colossal“? Maybe it’s because the Internet still loves to hate her. Or maybe its because her offbeat indie opened with just under $126,000 in four theaters. Still, the movie earned an estimated $31,452 per screen (nearly five times as much per screen as “Boss Baby”), scoring far and away the highest per-screen average of the week. That bodes well for “Colossal” as it expands to more theaters in weeks to come.
Moviegoers Saved Their Money for “Fate of the Furious” Notice how many genre movies were hanging out in the lower reaches of the Top Ten?
“Ghost in the Shell,” “Power Rangers,” “Kong: Skull Island,” “Logan,” and “Get Out” — all of them weeks old, all of them scraping by on a $4 to $8 million take for the weekend. No one wanted to release a new movie with young-male appeal this weekend, just to see it get run over by Vin Diesel and his racing crew next week.
Overall box office was down 28 percent from last week, since potential moviegoers either found little compelling among this weekend’s new wide releases, or else they’re keeping their wallets shut until Dom and company pry them open next weekend.
Sony Animation is doubling down on emojis and Smurfs.
At a recent event in Culver City, California, where Sony highlighted their upcoming animated slate, we learned a lot about “The Emoji Movie,” “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” a holiday movie featuring a donkey who follows the Star of Bethlehem, “Hotel Transylvania 3,” and the upcoming movie written by “Hamilton” star Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Here is a quick recap: 1. Sir Patrick Stewart Will Voice a “Classy” Poop
Yup. Captain Picard himself, Sir Patrick Stewart, will lend his voice talents to “The Emoji Movie,” playing fecal matter. Hey, he’s wearing a bow tie!
Naturally, there will be plenty of poop jokes says director Tony Leondis. The director also says that “WTF?!” is the first reaction he gets from people when told there is an emoji movie happening.
2. Emojis Have Feelings, Too
The film was enthusiastically introduced by T.J. Miller, the voice of main character, Gene, who’s supposed to be a “Meh” emoji like Mom (Jennifer Coolidge) and Dad (a brilliantly cast Steven Wright), but instead feels all the feels.
That threatens all the other emojis, who might get deleted if one of them malfunctions. Maya Rudolph voices Smiler (the very first emoji, whose job is to keep all the other emojis in line).
3. The Emojis Pull a “Wreck-It-Ralph‘ and Journey Outside Their App
In order to reset Gene to factory standards, he and BFF James Corden (High Five), go outside their app with hacker emoji Jailbreak (Ilana Glazer). They do so by surfing along Spotify songs, going inside Instagram vacation photos, and getting trapped in (naturally) YouTube cat videos.4. Joe Manganiello Was a Big Smurfs Fan
Manganiello, who voices the he-man Smurf, Hefty, admitted he was a big fan of the little blue guys as a kid — he even had the stickers!
Meanwhile, costar Demi Lovato made everyone feel old by admitting she did her research on the Smurfs by “asking my parents.”
5. Julia Roberts Gets to Be a Smurf News alert: Smurfette is no longer the only female Smurf!
The blue heroine finds that she has Smurf sisters who are part of a lost Smurf village. Much like The Powerpuff Girls, there are three and one is named Blossom. That bubbly character is voiced by Ellie Kemper, while Ariel Winter is the more practical Lily and Michelle Rodriguez is the tougher Storm.
And is there someone for Papa Smurf (Mandy Patinkin)? He seems quite smitten with Smurfwillow (Julia Roberts), the female matriarch of these strange Smurfs. The rest of the all-star voice cast includes Jack McBrayer as Clumsy and Danny Pudi as Brainy. Rainn Wilson voices the evil Gargamel.
Gordon Ramsay cameos as a quick-tempered Baker Chef (a-doy!) and Titus Burgess voices Vanity Smurf.
6. The Smurfs Will Return to Their Original Look
Director Kelly Asbury was determined that this new version of the beloved blue mushroom-dwellers would look more like the original drawings by Peyo, and not the more “realistic” Smurfs of recent films.
7. Say Hello to a Smurf That Eats… Tables? Because That’s a Thing
Asbury also revealed that a Smurf who just can’t stop eating wooden tables will appear. The character originated as a throwaway joke that made it into the film and quickly became everyone’s favorite.
8. Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, and Tracy Morgan Will Play Camels in “The Star”
A version of The Greatest Story Ever Told from the point of view of the animals, “The Star” features Steven Yeun (“The Walking Dead”) as Bo, a donkey inspired to follow the Star of Bethlehem.
Producer DeVon Franklin and director Timothy Reckart said nearly everyone they asked on their “dream cast” list said “yes.” And, of course, choosing “Jane the Virgin” star Rodriguez as Mary was “obvious casting.”
9. “Hotel Transylvania 3” Almost Didn’t Happen Director Genndy Tartakovsky admitted that he wasn’t sure he’d make a third film in the series, until a terrible cruise with his own family inspired him to make a threequel.
Onboard, Dracula (Adam Sandler) falls for captain Ericka (whose casting was not announced), a descendant of Van Helsing!
10. Get Ready for “Puppy”
Tartakovsky’s new animated short, in which Grandpa Drac gets a monstrously oversized puppy for grandson Dennis, will debut in front of “The Emoji Movie” in August.
11. Set Sail for Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s “Vivo” in 2020
It’s a long way away, but we do know that the musical, with songs penned by “Hamilton” star
Lin-Manuel Miranda, will take us on a journey from Havana to Miami, Sony Animation President Kristine Belson promised.
Academy Award-nominated director Kirk De Micco (“The Croods“) will direct from a script by Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegría Hudes (“In the Heights’).
The “Smurfs” are back and ready for a new adventure — without humans.
The first teaser trailer is here for “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” which will be entirely animated, with no live-action footage (unlike the two previous movies in the franchise). The adventure focuses on Smurfette (voiced by Demi Lovato), who takes her besties Brainy (Danny Pudi), Clumsy (Jack McBrayer), and Hefty (Joe Manganiello) on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest. They’re trying to find the titular village before Gargamel (Rainn Wilson) does.
“Smurfs: Lost Village” looks geared more to kids than even the first two movies, with the pesky (and rather odd) live-action components now gone. There is some colorful scenery, including the hungry flowers aka Venus Smurf Traps, in the trailer, and the story is set up to be a “rollercoaster journey full of action and danger.”
“Smurfs: Lost Village” opens in theaters April 7, 2017.
At the multiplex this weekend, you could feel the excitement building… for next weekend.
Why did Sony put “
No one expected much from the geezer-heist caper comedy remake either, with predictions running below $10 million. Yet the movie opened with an estimated $12.5 million. This despite critical scorn (44 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), usually deadly for a film aimed at an older audience that still cares what critics think.
Maybe it’s because the Internet still loves to hate her. Or maybe its because her offbeat indie opened with just under $126,000 in four theaters. Still, the movie earned an estimated $31,452 per screen (nearly five times as much per screen as “Boss Baby”), scoring far and away the highest per-screen average of the week. That bodes well for “Colossal” as it expands to more theaters in weeks to come.
Notice how many genre movies were hanging out in the lower reaches of the Top Ten?
Sony Animation is doubling down on emojis and Smurfs.
1. Sir Patrick Stewart Will Voice a “Classy” Poop 
4. 
News alert: Smurfette is no longer the only female Smurf!
Director 
The “Smurfs” are back and ready for a new adventure — without humans.