Box Office: 'Star Wars' Still #1 But 'The Revenant' Is A Close 2nd With $38M

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens- $41.6M/$812M
After nearly a month there's still something new to say about the latest Star Wars film as it races up the charts faster than a jump through hyperspace. The film has now passed the $800M domestically, and worldwide it has hit $1.7B, soaring past Jurassic World into 3rd place all-time. That said, it's starting to slow down now and very nearly lost the top spot to The Revenant's expanded rollout, but it looks like it will be next week's Ride Along 2 that gets the honor. Get ready for those lame ass graphics all over Facebook: "Ride Along 2 dethrones Star Wars!". Yeah, who cares?
2. The Revenant- $38M/$39.5M
Alejandro Gonzalez-Inarritu's brilliant and possibly Oscar-winning The Revenant expanded nationally in its third week and earned $38M, plus one very special honor. By being the top film on Friday it's the first to defeat Star Wars for even a single day since it was released in December. Perhaps they should make an ad out of that? Maybe show Leonardo DiCaprio holding up a lightsaber and a bear pelt? As it's beginning to look more likely that DiCaprio will at least be nominated for Best Actor, with many expecting him to finally win, we should see the film steam along for a few weeks of strong returns. Already it's on the verge of surpassing the entire domestic total of Inarritu's Best Picture-winning Birdman, and the $38M debut marks one of DiCaprio's biggest of his career.
3. Daddy's Home- $15M/$116.3M
4. The Forest (review here)- $13M
The first real test of popular Game of Thrones actress Natalie Dormer's box office muscle proved to be a modest success. The Forest, another in a long tradition of cheap horror movies at the beginning of a new year, opened with $13M, which isn't bad considering the $10M budget. However, it's likely to tank hard next week meaning there aren't going to be huge returns on this one for anybody.
5. Sisters- $7.1M/$74.8M
6. The Hateful Eight- $6.35M/$41.4M
7. The Big Short- $6.3M/$42.8M
8. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip- $5.5M/$75.6M
9. Joy- $4.5M/$46.5M
10. Concussion- $3M/$30.9M

Read More

Box Office: 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Adds $88M, Nears All-Time U.S. Record

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens- $88.3M/$740.2M
New Year's weekend is generally a soft one for new releases since studios know most people will be nursing hangovers. That doesn't mean business was slow, at least not for Star Wars: The Force Awakens which continued its epic run with $88.3M, unheard of for a third weekend.  That brings its domestic total to $740M, just $21M from surpassing James Cameron's Avatar for the all-time record here in America. The film has been out only 17 days, whereas it took weeks and months for Cameron's films, both Avatar and Titanic, to reach their incredible heights.  Worldwide its $1.51B has just moved it into 6th place all-time and probably by the time I finish this sentence it will have surpassed Furious 7 and moved into 5th. That's not a joke, it probably just passed Vin Diesel and crew. So where does it end? Some analysts are saying a big drop is due in the next couple of weeks, but these are the same people who didn't predict the kinds of numbers we are already seeing. It still has a long way to go to break Avatar's $2.7B global haul, but if next week's debut in China turns out to be huge (it will) then all bets are off.
2. Daddy's Home- $29M/$93.6M
People love the comedy combo of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and Daddy's Home is shaping up to be one of the bigger hits for both actors. The film only slipped 23% in week two and will easily break $100M in the next day or so.
3. The Hateful Eight- $16.2M/$29.5M
Bounding a whopping 252% now that it's finally in wide release is Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight. Clearly, there was some anticipation for those who weren't able to take in the 70mm road show version of the violent Western, and they turned out for the shorter, digital cut. This one doesn't have the star power of Tarantino's prior efforts, no Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio to speak of, so expecting it to do as well is perhaps a little silly. Solid awards buzz, particularly for the cinematograhy, score, and Tarantino's screenplay, should give it enough legs to be a long earner.
4. Sisters- $12.5M/$61.7M
5. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip- $11.8M/$67.3M
6. Joy- $10.4M/$38.7M
Another one that's hoping Oscar notice will see it through is Joy, David O. Russell's latest team up with Jennifer Lawrence. The biopic scored $10.4M and slid 38% which isn't terrible but maybe a little underwhelming given the amount of talent involved. The film, which is based on the life of inventor Joy Mangano, isn't as easily marketed as Silver Linings Playbook or American Hustle, which could be part of the problem. Or maybe there's a case of Jennifer Lawrence fatigue going around.
7. The Big Short- $9M/$32.9M
8. Concussion- $8M/$25.3M
The Will Smith football drama is getting sacked here in the States, but maybe his overseas clout will help Concussion find the end zone.
9. Point Break- $6.8M/$22.4M
Well...it didn't totally wipe out but this unwanted remake is struggling domestically while performing better overseas. Currently it sits at $80M worldwide and within reach of its $105M+ budget, but don't expect too many more remakes of old Patrick Swayze movies any time soon. Wait...what's that? Road House with Ronda Rousy? Uhhhh....
10. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2- $4.6M/$274.2M

Read More

Box Office: 'Star Wars' Tops $1B As New Releases Start Strong

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens- $153.5M/$544.5M

The amazing thing about Star Wars: the Force Awakens' $153M second weekend is that it faced such stiff competition. A slew of varied films from A-list stars such as Jennifer Lawrence, Will Ferrell, Will Smith, and Leonardo DiCaprio couldn't put a dent in the powerhouse, which dropped only 38% and amassed $544M domestically, the fastest to that number ever. Worldwide it's doing even better with $1.09B, ranking fifth all-time. Uhhh...it's only been out for 12 days, ya'll.

2. Daddy's Home (review here)- $38.8M
While we can all count on Will Ferrell as one of today's most consistent comedy stars, his opening weekends don't tend to be all that huge. Case in point, Daddy's Home, which sees him paired with another reliable box office star in Mark Wahlberg, opened at $38.8M, the 3rd-highest of his career. It's a solid score for both stars, especially Wahlberg who could use a bounce-back after Ted 2 underwhelmed earlier this year.
3. Joy (review here)- $17.5M
Despite the many hit films and awards already under her belt, Joy makes the strongest case for Jennifer Lawrence as a box office draw. The film, largely built and promoted around her, got off to a very good start with $17.5M. The biopic on entrepreneur and inventor Joy Mangano was directed by David O. Russell and reteams Lawrence with Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper, the foursome having worked together on awards fodder American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook. Certainly, the Oscar potential in Joy helped out considerably and will likely carry it along for a few weeks, but this is a win for Lawrence, for sure.
4. Sisters- $13.8M/$37.1M
Barely moving an inch from last week when it dared to open opposite Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler comedy, Sisters. The fairly mediocre film didn't even drop a full percentage point this week, meaning that its attempt at counter-programming was a definite success. Women can't live on lightsabers and Wookies alone, fellas.
5. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip- $12.7M/$39.3M
6. Concussion (review here)- $11M
Traditionally football movies have only done okay at the box office, but what about a movie that hammers the NFL for being negligent about the health of its players? Well, that's one Hell of a tough sell. Concussion, which is earning Will Smith the best reviews he's had in years, opened with a lackluster $11M.The film centers on the discovery of the connection between NFL players and severe head injury, which the league and commissioner Roger Goodell denied for way too long. There was a lot of pre-buzz that the story would be toned down to ease up on the league, but the advanced controversy doesn't seem to have attracted much of an audience domestically. Now, Smith is a huge star overseas and there's a good chance the film is huge internationally. And considering the Oscar talk swirling around Smith's performance we could see a boost somewhere down the line.
7. The Big Short- $10.5M/$16M
8. Point Break- $10.2M
Nobody wanted a remake of Point Break, the classic bro flick that starred Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. But we got one anyway, and Warner Bros. decided on top of all the negative buzz they would also not screen it for critics. Bad call, gang. The film opened at $10.2M which is about as bad as could have been expected. In the famous lead roles are the less-than-famous Edgar Ramirez (who thankfully has Joy to fall back on) and Luke Bracy, neither of which is known to put butts in seats.
9. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2- $5.3M/$264.6M
10. Creed- $4.6M/$96.3M

The 70mm gamble by Quentin Tarantino appears to have paid off as The Hateful Eight's (review here) road show opened with $4.5M at 100 select locations outfitted for the format. That's an incredible $45K per site average, which would look even more amazing if it weren't for the ridiculous business done by Star Wars last week. This came after weeks of haggling over the actual theaters that would present the film in 70mm, plus The Weinstein Company's significant expense outfitting them so they could.  The only downside is that it probably could have done better except the film was leaked onto the Internet early, although this is likely to affect the theatrical version a bit more.

And finally (God damn this was a busy week!) Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's bear-mawling survival thriller The Revenant (review here) opened in 4 locations, earning $471K in the process. It's a hefty start for a film that is expected to earn Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar nomination, and depending on who you ask it may get him his first win. It's worth noting that Inarritu's Best Picture-winning Birdman didn't start off so hot but Oscar buzz and international audiences powered it to over $100M. Don't be surprised if something similar happens here.

Read More

Review: 'Concussion' Starring Will Smith

It's so rare for the NFL to put their stamp of approval on anything that when they do it's a cause for concern, especially when the film is dealing with traumatic brain injury suffered by its players. The issue is one the NFL resisted for a long time, denying there was a problem even as reports streamed in that some were suffering long-term effects from repeated blows to the head on the gridiron. So when reports surfaced that Concussion, Peter Landesman's film on the subject, may have been neutered to maintain a happy relationship between the NFL and Sony Pictures, the expectation was the film would be totally toothless. Draft Day minus the humor. 

Well, it's not. Concussion takes the NFL to task and retains all of the startling revelations that rocked the biggest and most lucrative sport in the world. That it manages to be a stirring story of one outsider's battle against a corporate juggernaut is the film's greatest achievement, though, because the goal clearly is to instruct and inform as well as entertain. The Erin Brockovich template is in full effect here, based on the revealing 2009 GQ article "Game Brain" about Dr. Bennett Omalu (Will Smith), a straight-laced forensic pathologist who discovered in 2002 that seemingly healthy NFL players were dying way too young. And not just that, but some, like in the case of Pittsburgh Steelers great, Mike Webster (played convincingly by David Morse), had defects in their brains that were driving them to commit suicide. 

Of course, nobody wants to hear that there's a connection that leads back to the NFL, but what's surprising is that Omalu's detractors come from all sides. Of Nigerian descent, Omalu is seen as an outsider among outsiders. He doesn't watch football or even understand the sport, and his dispassionate look at the evidence drives the fiery followers of the sport to rip him in the press. Coining the term Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (or CTE), Omalu is forced to look for help where he can find it, joining with his mentor Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks, providing a dose of comic relief),and fellow doctors Julian Bailes (Alec Baldwin) and Ron Hamilton (Stephen Moyer) in what looks like an impossible fight. The goal is to bring awareness to the problem, but beyond that they need the NFL to admit the crisis even exists. 

"You're going to war with a corporation that owns a day of the week. The same one the church used to own", says Wecht at one point. But Omalu comes to the realization that "God did not intend for us to play football."  Good luck telling millions of rabid fans that; or the wealthy players who have only ever known football all of their lives.

At first it seems the film is going to be an offbeat medical procedural in the vein of House. Omalu is a man with a special kind of devotion to his work, speaking to the dead and claiming it helps him find the cause of their death. With his headphones on and his natural aversion to social graces (mainly due to cultural differences), Omalu isn't someone the establishment even wants to support. As an immigrant he has a view of the American Dream that others simply don't have. He thinks revealing the damage football has caused is what a good American should do, and is surprised when it actually makes him public enemy #1. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (Luke Wilson, badly miscast), who doesn't come off so well in this film at all, publicly denounces Omalu and all of his findings. So does former Chicago Bears great, Dave Duerson (Adewale Akkinuoye-Agbage), until the disease hits him on a personal level.

His desire to prove himself a worthy American citizen is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Omalu's story. Landesman's screenplay occasionally spends too much time on his personal life where he forges a romantic relationship with Prema (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, solid but underused), a fellow Nigerian who has more of an appreciation for the sport than he does. Some thriller elements emerge, like when Omalu and Prema start getting scary phone calls, but they aren't as convincing as his scientific quest for the truth.   

In his best role since Ali, Will Smith sports a solid Nigerian accent and presents Omalu as a man of deep faith and conviction. This has turned out to be a Hell of a comeback year for Smith (along with the underrated Focus); putting himself back on the map as one of today's top leading men. He just needs the right material, and Concussion provides that for him. We always want to see him as the champion for what's right, and Smith is more comfortable in that kind of role. In a David & Goliath story such as this, Smith is the kind of guy audiences want to see in their corner. Concussion isn't perfect, but it's well-acted and accomplishes the one thing it really needed to which is dare to defy the might of the NFL. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Read More

Win Passes To An Advance Screening Of 'Concussion' Starring Will Smith

We're happy to offer our DC readers a chance to attend a free advance screening of Concussion, the challenging new drama starring Will Smith as Bennett Omalu. Omalu discovered the connection between traumatic brain injury and football players, a discovery that put him at odds with the monolithic NFL who wished to keep that information secret.  The film co-stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Luke Wilson, and Albert Brooks.

The screening takes place on Monday, December 21st at 7:00pm at AMC Mazza Gallerie. If you'd like to enter, simply complete the Rafflecopter contest form below! Winners will be selected on Tuesday, December 15th and notified by email. Good luck!

Concussion opens Christmas Day.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

Will Smith Looks for Answers in Powerful Trailer for 'Concussion'

Will Smith's drama Concussion has been billed as a film exposing what the NFL knew about traumatic brain injuries being suffered by its players, but there's more to it than that. It's just as much a story of Nigerian born pathologist Dr. Bennett Omalu, the man who discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and linked it to the sport.  Speaking with EW, Smith revealed what made the role of Omalu so interesting for him...

“Once I discovered how badly he wanted to be an American, it explained his clothes and his cars, his choice of job and why he had so many degrees. His impression of an American was you had a business, you had a Mercedes, you had nice suits, you had a family. He connected that to his spirituality and that became the thing that fueled his journey, that kept him going in the face of all odds.”

Omalu faced his share of intimidation from the NFL once he revealed the findings, and obviously the league doesn't want to any of this depicted in the film. Reports surfaced a few weeks that the Sony Pictures had "softened" some aspects of the story to appease the NFL, a claim the studio and director Peter Landesman deny.

We'll find out just how in depth Concussion goes when it opens on Christmas Day, but for now check out the brand new trailer.

Read More

Sony Cut Will Smith's 'Concussion' Film Out of Fear of the NFL

The NFL is more than happy to put their support behind a big ol' wet kiss of a film like Draft Day. Heck, Commissioner Roger Goodell even showed up in it as himself. But make a movie about the connection between concussions and NFL players and...uh oh, better watch out. Earlier this week the trailer was released for Concussion, which stars Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu, the one who discovered and fought to reveal said connection. This is obviously a touchy subject for the NFL, but it was also a concern for Sony who took steps to make sure this wouldn't turn into a legal headache.

The New York Times dug into Sony's emails and discovered that changes were made to the screenplay to avoid legal hassles from the NFL. But of course. However, writer/director Peter Landesman says the moves weren't to bow down to the NFL, but to make the story “better and richer and fairer" without being antagonistic.

“We don’t want to give the N.F.L. a toehold to say, ‘They are making it up,’ and damage the credibility of the movie." He adds, “There were things that might have been creatively fun to have actors say that might not have been accurate in the heads of the N.F.L. or doctors. We might have gotten away with it legally, but it might have damaged our integrity as filmmakers. We didn’t have a need to make up anything because it was powerful and revelatory on its own. There was never an instance where we compromised the storytelling to protect ourselves from the N.F.L.”

This is contradicted by some emails which state that Sony lawyers took “most of the bite” out of the film “for legal reasons with the N.F.L. and that it was not a balance issue.”

Landesman has stated the film's goal isn't to attack the NFL, and touts Sports Illustrated writer Peter King's acceptance of the drama as evidence. He refers to King as the "insider of insiders" when it comes to the NFL, and on that note he's absolutely correct. So if Landesman's point was to show that the ultimate mouthpiece for the NFL thinks his film is sufficiently embracing of the league's position then he's done a good job. Surely it doesn't prove that Concussion is the exposé piece many thought it would be.

Concussion hits theaters on Christmas Day. [EW]

Read More

Will Smith Takes On the NFL in First Trailer for 'Concussion'

Severe head trauma is an issue that the NFL has been working over the years to try and reduce, whether it's by changing the rules, changing the length of time before players need to recuperate after an injury, or by altering the helmets themselves. But it wasn't always that way. For a time, the NFL fought any new information on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, and the discoveries made by Dr. Bennet Omalu on the subject of brain trauma. So the NFL may not be too pleased now that the first trailer for Concussion has arrived, chronicling Omalu's battle to shed some light on a life-threatening subject.

Will Smith headlines the film which is based on the GQ article, "Game Brain", written by Jeanne Marie Laskas. Omalu was the researcher who found the link between repeated blows to the head suffered by NFL players and the neuro-degenerative disease CTE. But not everyone wanted him to bring the issue to the surface, even though it had already claimed the lives of NFL greats Andre Waters and Dave Duerson, who committed suicide. Peter Landesman (Parkland) wrote and directed the film which co-stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alec Baldwin, Adewale Akkinuoye-Agbaje, Arliss Howard, Eddie Marsan, Paul Reiser, David Morse, and Luke Wilson as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Ridley Scott is on board as a producer.

Concussion takes the field on Christmas Day.

MMQB is up. @SI_PeterKing on all 32 teams and exclusive debut of @ConcussionMovie trailer: http://t.co/q0tc3HHgln https://t.co/HNJCF2OoDw

— The MMQB (@theMMQB) August 31, 2015

Read More

Red Band Trailer for Erotic Thriller 'Concussion' Starring Robin Weigert

Those who know Robin Weigert only as the drunken, stumbling, and decidedly un-sexy Calamity Jane from Deadwood may have a hard time thinking of her in an erotic thriller, but it may be time to put those notions aside. Her latest film Concussion premiered at this past Sundance, where she received high praise for her performance in the erotic thriller about a gay woman bored of her soccer mom lifestyle. After taking a knock on the head, she begins to try and turn things around first by paying for sex through Craigslist ads, then by becoming a high-end prostitute herself.  Marking the feature debut by writer/director Stacie Passon, her career's off to a pretty good start having won a Teddy Award out in Berlin.

Read More