Box Office: 'Frozen 2' Shatters Box Office Records With $350M Worldwide

1. Frozen 2 (review)- $127M
Disney's anticipated Frozen 2 journeyed into the unknown, breaking records at every turn. The Disney sequel earned $127M domestically, the biggest ever for a Walt Disney Animation film and the third-largest animated debut stateside ever behind The Incredibles 2 and Finding Dory. Internationally it actually surpassed its predecessor with $223M, making for a record-breaking $350M worldwide total. It just goes to show Disney saw no blowback from the long six-year wait between films, growing more popular during that time.
2. Ford v Ferrari- $16M/$57.9M
3. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (review)- $13.5M
The absolutely wonderful Mister Rogers biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood opened with $13.5M, a good but not great start clearly affected by Frozen 2's powerhouse debut. The good news is reviews are so strong for Marielle Heller's film and Tom Hanks' performance as the late-great Fred Rogers that it's likely to have a lengthy theatrical run. Hanks is already being positioned as a likely Oscar frontrunner and I see other nominations in the movie's future, as well. In other words, look for a big Oscar boost at some point.
4. 21 Bridges (review)- $9.3M
Chadwick Boseman's cop thriller 21 Bridges, a perfectly entertaining action vehicle for the Black Panther star, opened with just $9.3M. The timing has been way off on this one, having been previously scheduled for last July and then September, both probably would've served it better than going up against Frozen 2 at awards season time.
5. Midway- $4.7M/$43.1M
6. Playing with Fire- $4.6M/$31.6M
7. The Good Liar- $3.3M/$11.7M
8. Charlie's Angels- $3.1M/$13.9M
9. Last Christmas- $3M/$27.7M
10. Joker- $2.8M/$326.9M

In just a pair of early previews at 936 sites, Rian Johnson's well-reviewed, star-studded mystery Knives Out took in $2M. That's a really promising start as it heads into general release next week when it's projected to open at around $20M.  Meanwhile, Todd Phillips's environmental legal thriller Dark Waters got off to a decent start with $110K in just 4 locations. Despite good buzz for Mark Ruffalo's performance as a crusading corporate attorney, this one's going to be a tough sell without major awards prospects.

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Review: 'Midway', Roland Emmerich's WWII Film Gets Torpedoed By Bad Acting, Worse Writing

Midway is exactly the war film you would expect from disaster movie peddler Roland Emmerich. For some, that it's big, dumb, and has more explosions than characters you give a damn about will be seen as a plus, just as many feel the same way about Michael Bay movies. You don't show up to an Emmerich film expecting authenticity, which makes the "Based on True Events" header a joke in itself, but nobody expects it to be quite so dull and badly acted, either.

Badly acted largely due to a cast who are given a cringe-worthy script from Wes Tooke devoid of anything that resembles human emotion. Not even actors the caliber of Patrick Wilson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, and Woody Harrelson can make heads or tails out of the rah-rah speechifying and expository statements they are forced to rattle off. Emmerich's take on the battle of Midway is about as retro as they come, using a scaled-down color palette and a heightened, almost superheroic tone similar to the bombastic war movies of a bygone era. It's an interesting choice to make and might have worked with a better screenplay that truly honored the sacrifices made by these real-life heroes.

In true Emmerich fashion, we're thrown into the action early as the Japanese launch the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor.  The devastation is massive; ships torn asunder, fires raging, as Japanese warplanes launch strafing run after strafing run like something out of Star Wars. In the midst of all this emerges hotshot Navy pilot Dick Best, and no that name isn't a joke. He's a real war hero, worthy of a much better performance than Ed Skrein can give him. Best wants to punch back immediately, but of course, he can't. Instead, he acts like a jerk while the higher-ups come up with a strategy for response.

After the carnage of the opening attack, the film slows down as intelligence is gathered leading up to the battle of Midway. Patrick Wilson plays Intelligence Officer Edwin T. Layton, who figures out early on where the Japanese will attack next, but has to convince his superiors, including Woody Harrelson as Admiral Chester Nimitz, that the divisive code-breaking tech he's using is sound. None of this stuff is compelling in the least. There's a hint of an underdog story as Layton tries to get Washington to support his theories, but it doesn't really go anywhere. Meanwhile, other characters are introduced who serve little purpose. Dennis Quaid's Vice Admiral William "Bull" Halsey is around long enough to bark a few orders before being shuffled off with a case of shingles (!?!?), Nick Jonas plays an easygoing soldier who doesn't really care about anything, and whole lot of other actors with mustaches who fail to make much of an impression. Tooke's screenplay identifies them all by whatever their singular trait might be. "He's the man who tried to warn us!", greets Layton. "He's the best pilot we've got!" is about the only thing good anybody has to say about the appropriately-named Best. Don't go looking for too much from the female characters, either, one of which is played by Mandy Moore. As Best's long-suffering wife, she exists to make sandwiches late at night and worry about his safety.  Moore is given little from Skrein to connect with emotionally and he is especially terrible during their scenes together.

Midway deserves credit for offering an even-handed look at the Japanese, as well. A tremendous amount of time is dedicated to capturing their side of the conflict, and how their code of honor clashes with the overconfidence they bring into every fight. It's not quite Letters from Iwo Jima level, but I found the look at Japanese war culture to be fascinating and deserving of even more time.

But at least the action is good, right? Well, sure, as long as you aren't expecting realistic aerial dogfights or naval combat. This is video game-level stuff, with some slick CGI visuals that you can tell Emmerich squeezed every bit of that $100M budget to get. If this is all you came for, you might be disappointed there isn't more, as two major setpieces are about all you get. Unfortunately, it's all the stuff in-between that torpedoes Midway from being all it could be.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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DC Readers: Attend A Free Early Screening Of 'Midway'

We're happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening of Roland Emmerich's WWII thriller, Midway. The film stars Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Ed Skrein, Nick Jonas, Luke Evans, Patrick Wilson, Aaron Eckhart, Mandy Moore, and Darren Criss.

SYNOPSIS: MIDWAY centers on the Battle of Midway, a clash between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy which marked a pivotal turning point in the Pacific Theater during WWII. The film, based on the real-life events of this heroic feat, tells the story of the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome the odds.  

The screening takes place on Monday, November 4th at 7:00pm at AMC Mazza Gallerie. If you'd like to attend, go to the Lionsgate site here for one Admit-Two pass. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you will need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show!

Midway opens on November 8th.

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'Midway' Trailer: Roland Emmerich Enlists Nick Jonas And Ed Skrein As WWII Fighter Pilots

In Roland Emmerich's old school WWII movie Midway, Ed Skrein stars as Navy pilot Dick Best.  It's the kind of name that only works if you're a Pornhub superstar or good ol' American fighter pilot in a movie about one of the great war's most decisive battles.

The battle of Midway has been depicted on the big screen many times, most notably in the 1976 movie aptly-titled Midway. Probably if you added up the budgets of them all they wouldn't come close to Emmerich's $100M behemoth, which looks as if it shares DNA with the aerial battles in Star Wars. I'm not complaining, but also don't expect strict adherence to the historical record.

Joining Skrein in the cast are Woody Harrelson, Mandy Moore, Luke Evans, Patrick Wilson, Aaron Eckhart, and Nick Jonas who looks to be the primary hero as aviator Bruno Gaido. He's also one of the few characters who doesn't appear to be based on a real person. Yep, Dick Best is an actual dude.

Midway opens on November 8th.

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'Midway' Trailer: Roland Emmerich Blows Things Up Good In WWII

Roland Emmerich.

Admit it, your brain just flashed to a shot of a spaceship blowing up the White House. Emmerich is as capable of ridiculously over-the-top spectacle as any director, and while they used to draw some pretty big box office that hasn't been the case for a very long time. Perhaps a trip back into WWII history where giant naval ships can get blowed up real good will turn things around?

The first trailer for Midway is here and it's exactly what you'd think a war movie from the Independence Day guy would be. Planes rifling bullets down busy streets, warships engulfed in flames, and a slack-jawed Patrick Wilson. The film is based on the pivotal Battle of Midway in which the US Navy won a decisive victory against the Japanese, but I wouldn't go writing any book reports based on what you see in this.

The cast is damned killer, though. Wilson is surrounded by an ensemble that includes Ed Skrein, Luke Evans, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas, Etsushi Toyokawa, Tadanobu Asano, Luke Kleintank, Jun Kunimura, Darren Criss, Keean Johnson, Alexander Ludwig, Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid, and Woody Harrelson. Hot damn. Okay, I'm in.

Midway hits theaters on November 8th, just in time for Veteran's Day.

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Idris Elba Is A 'Ghetto Cowboy', 'Sonic The Hedgehog' Casts Adam Pally, Patrick Wilson Joins 'Midway' And 'In The Tall Grass'

Idris Elba has added Ricky Staub's directorial debut, Ghetto Cowboy, to his list of upcoming projects. The novel by Greg Neri will be adapted, with Elba playing the estranged father of a 15-year-old North Philadelphia boy who discovers the redemptive power of urban horseback riding. Staub will not only direct but co-wrote the script with Dan Walser.  Elba is currently working on his Netflix series, Turn Up Charlie, and recently joined the Hobbs & Shaw spinoff's cast. [Variety]

Adam Pally, who can be seen right now in Dog Days, and Legends of Tomorrow's Neal McDonough, have joined Paramount's live-action/CGI Sonic the Hedgehog film. Ben Schwartz was just named as the voice of Sega's iconic blue speedstar, while Jim Carrey will play the villainous Dr. Robotnik, and James Marsden is Tinm a cop who helps Sonic foil Robotnik's plans of world domination. Tika Sumpter, and Natasha Rothwell also co-star, with Pally as Tom's fellow officer. Directed by Jeff Fowler, Sonic the Hedgehog opens November 15th 2019.

Patrick Wilson will be seen later this year battling Jason Momoa in Aquaman, but after that you're going to be seeing a lot more of him. Deadline reports he has joined the casts of two films that will make him tough to miss. First, Wilson will be part of Roland Emmerich's WWII film, Midway, which already has Woody Harrelson, Mandy Moore, and Luke Evans on deck. As you probably guessed, the film will center on the crucial Battle of Midway, seen as a turning point in the fight against Japan. Wilson will play Edwin Layton, a rear admiral and key intelligence officer who specialized in code-breaking operations.

Wilson has also joined the latest Stephen King adaptation, In the Tall Grass, replacing James Marsden whose schedule is suddenly busy with blue hedgehogs named Sonic. He'll step in to star in the film about a brother and sister who venture into a field of tall grass in Kansas after hearing a boy's cry for help. The siblings soon discover there may be no way out, and that something terrible lurks in the tall grass. Vincenzo Natali (Splice) is directing, with Laysla De Oliveira, Rachel Wilson, and Harrison Gilbertson co-starring.

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Woody Harrelson Reunites With Roland Emmerich For WWII Film 'Midway'

Roland Emmerich may have fumbled the ball with his Independence Day sequel, but he's not sitting around crying about it. He's finally moving forward on another passion project, Midway, one of those big historical epics he likes to dabble in every now and then. And this one's shaping up to be quite a show, with the ever-busy Woody Harrelson reuniting with Emmerich, his director on the disaster flick 2012.

Harrelson, along with This Is Us star Mandy Moore, are in talks to lead the WWII film about the Battle of Midway, a key turning point in the war. Emmerich will direct from a script by Wes Tooke (Colony) that centers on the soldiers and aviators that helped the Allied forces secure their first naval victory over the Japanese. 

The $100M project could use Harrelson's star power for sure. He scored his third Oscar nomination earlier this year for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, but also managed to lead a number of successful franchises. He'll be seen next in Solo: A Star Wars Story. This will be a return to the battlefield for him after a role in Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line. Moore has a role in this summer's sci-fi flick The Darkest Minds, the live-action debut of Kung Fu Panda director Jennifer Yuh Nelson.  [Deadline]

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