News

From football (the actual footie kind) to monarchy to Michaela Coel, it was a great night to be British at the 2021 Emmy Awards.

Netflix had the biggest night of any streamer or network, with its Queen Elizabeth drama The Crown running a clean sweep of its categories and taking home seven awards. On the comedy side of things, Ted Lasso was nearly as dominant, winning nearly every award it was up for save for writing, directing, and lead actress in a comedy series (all three of which went to HBO Max’s Hacks). Mare of Easttown, I May Destroy You, and The Queen’s Gambit all split the limited series honors, with the Netflix chess series taking home the big prize.

It was a quiet ceremony for Marvel Studios, which was making its Primetime Emmy awards debut thanks to Disney+’s WandaVision. Though the series didn’t win any hardware Sunday night,...

For the better part of 18 days between June and July of 2018, 12 boys and their coach survived in the Tham Luang cave in Thailand. The saga dominated the news cycle and their rescue became an international sensation. It spawned songs, countless awards, citizenship, and films around the globe. The newest of those projects, The Rescue, finds Free Solo documentarians Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin working on another action-filled project, combining cave-diving recreations with constant footage of those planning the rescue.

The Rescue, which is being released by National Geographic, acts as a thriller even if its ending is already known. It hums along, helped greatly by the ticking clock of rising water levels, falling oxygen levels, and the faces of boys who somehow survived those 18 days. Focused primarily on the British cave-diving experts brought in to aid the recovery, it gives little time to the Thai Navy Seals and other...

Outstanding Drama Series

The Crown

The Boys

Bridgerton

The Handmaid’s Tale

Lovecraft Country

The Mandalorian

Pose

This Is Us

Outstanding Comedy Series

Ted Lasso

Black-ish

Cobra Kai

Emily in Paris

Hacks

The Flight Attendant

The Kominsky Method

Pen15

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

The Queen’s Gambit

I May Destroy You

Mare of Easttown

The Underground Railroad

WandaVision

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama

Josh O’Connor – The Crown

Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us

Jonathan Majors – Lovecraft Country

Regé-Jean Page – Bridgerton

Billy Porter – Pose

Matthew Rhys – Perry Mason

Outstanding Lead Actress...

Winner has earned Oscar best picture nomination in last 11 years.

Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast has won the 2021 TIFF People’s Choice audience award in a boost to its award season prospects.

Winners of the award have gone on to garner a best picture Oscar nomination in the past 11 years with last year’s Nomadland and some years prior Green Book and Slumdog Millionaire winning the ultimate prize. Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, Jude Hill, Judi Dench and Ciarin Hinds star in Northern Ireland-born Branagh’s childhood memoir set during the onset of The Troubles.

‘Belfast’: Review

Scarborough from Shasha Nakhai...

Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast” won the People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

The Platform Jury prize went to “Yuni,” directed by Kamila Andini, while the People’s Choice Documentary Award winner went to “The Rescue,” directed by E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. The People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award went to “Titane,” directed by Julia Ducournau.

“Our first showing of ‘Belfast’ at TIFF was one of the most memorable experiences of my entire career,” Branagh said in his acceptance speech. “That so many Canadian film lovers connected with ‘Belfast’ so profoundly was absolutely overwhelming to myself and Jamie Dornan, and we talked about it long into a memorable night of laughter and tears in your great city. Thanks to Focus Features and Universal for making it happen, they’ve been incredible partners. Thank you to Cameron Bailey, an Irish name if ever there was one,...

Kenneth Branagh’s black-and-white drama “Belfast” has won the People’s Choice Award at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF announced on Saturday.

The gentle drama, which is based on Branagh’s childhood growing up in Northern Ireland, won over Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson’s “Scarborough,” a story of three low-income children that finished second, and Jane Campion’s revisionist Western “The Power of the Dog,” which finished third.

In its review of the film from TIFF, TheWrap wrote, “Visually stunning, emotionally wrenching and gloriously human, ‘Belfast’ takes one short period from Branagh’s life and finds in it a coming-of-age story, a portrait of a city fracturing in an instant and a profoundly moving lament for what’s been lost during decades of strife in his homeland of Northern Ireland.”

Other films in competition for the award included “Dear Evan Hansen,” “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” and “The Guilty.

Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast” won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday night. The prize is often considered a bellwether for the Academy Awards, as the winner for the past nine years has gone on to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination. This includes last year’s winner “Nomadland,” which went on to win Best Picture. See the full list of the 2021 TIFF winners below.

The People’s Choice Award winner based on votes, as revealed during the ceremony, was between “The Power of the Dog,” “Belfast,” and “Scarborough.”

Alongside the announcement of the People’s Choice Award, prizes were doled out to “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” star Jessica Chastain (TIFF Tribute Actor Award supported by the Tory Family), “The Power of the Dog” star Benedict Cumberbatch (TIFF Tribute Actor Award), “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve (TIFF Ebert Director Award), filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin (Jeff...

On the September 15, 2021 episode of /Film Daily, /Film senior writer Ben Pearson is joined by senior writer and chief film critic Chris Evangelista to talk about the best movies Chris saw at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.

Opening Banter:

In The News:

Chris's favorite films of the festival

The Power of the Dog

Spencer

The Humans

The Rescue

Dune

Also mentioned:

All the other stuff you need to know:

You can find more about all the stories we mentioned on today's show at slashfilm.com, and linked inside the show notes.

/Film Daily is published every weekday, bringing you the...

The post Daily Podcast: The Best Films of the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival appeared first on /Film.

E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin seem to have the market cornered on documentaries about people who do wildly dangerous, potentially deadly things. They helmed the nail-biting documentary "Free Solo," about rock climbing without any ropes or safety device. And now they're back with "The Rescue," a film that's primarily about the Tham Luang cave rescue, but is really about a group the cave divers who came in from around the world to help. Cave diving isn't a casual activity; it's incredibly difficult, and only a handful of individuals in the world are good at it....

The post The Rescue Review: Free Solo Directors Return With a Nail-Biting Doc About the Thai Cave Rescue [TIFF 2021] appeared first on /Film.

Since the Tham Luang cave rescue in 2018, we've heard rumblings of more than one movie based on the incident. Last year, came news that Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, the Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers behind "Free Solo," were working on one such movie, which now goes by the title of "The Rescue."

Now, more details are coming to light about Chin and Vasarhelyi's approach to making this documentary. And it sounds like they are going "The 15:17 to Paris" route with "The Rescue."

"The Rescue" premiered at the Telluride Film...

The post Thai Cave Rescue Movie Will Feature the Actual Navy SEALs Recreating Their Mission appeared first on /Film.

Eight months after winning the documentary Oscar for “Free Solo,” directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin began working on their next documentary project: National Geographic’s “The Rescue.” The directing duo used never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews to tell the story of the dramatic 2018 rescue of 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave. Unlike “Free Solo” and their 2015 docu “Meru,” Vasarhelyi and Chin relied on other people’s footage, Zoom interviews and reenactments to make “The Rescue.” Film screens at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Was “The Rescue” a commissioned project or did you bring the idea to National Geographic?

Vasarhelyi: National Geographic controlled the rights to the footage, and [Jimmy] and I asked if we could direct it. We pursued the project because it was a story we just loved.

“The Rescue” uses never-before-seen footage shot by the Thai Navy Seals. When did you discover that footage existed?...

Academy Award-winning duo Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi premiered their latest documentary, “The Rescue,” at Telluride last Friday. Their film is one of three National Geographic-produced productions on the Telluride slate, a notable dent in this festival’s relatively small lineup. While the other two documentaries featured individuals, however — including the ocean exploration biodoc “Becoming Cousteau” and the sharply contemporary “Fauci” — “The Rescue” revolves around an event instead. Here, Chin and Vasarhelyi expand their scope to include the multiple complexities that went into saving the thirteen soccer players trapped in the Tham Luang cave in 2018.

Like a breaking news story, “The Rescue” unfolds with a day-by-day play. The movie begins by explaining how this elementary-age soccer team and coach delved deeper into the caves for safety. It then recounts all the help recruited to save these boys. Thai navy SEALs. US military forces. Renowned Buddhist monks. Much to everyone’s surprise,...

Making a documentary chronicling the events of the infamous Thai cave rescue mission was no easy feat for filmmakers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, especially because they hadn’t been on the ground to capture what was transpiring after 12 kids were stuck in a flooding cave in 2018.

Instead of just using footage from other news outlets who had been there, the “Free Solo” filmmakers decided to have the actual divers from that fateful retrieval reenact their mission, and the filmmakers negotiated with Thai Navy SEALs to release footage they had filmed.

“It’s footage from news cameras — we’re piecing together a CNN shot and a local Thai news shot and together, they make a scene — but we decided to do reenactments with the actual divers, reenacting the events,” Vasarhelyi told TheWrap’s Editor in Chief Sharon Waxman in a video interview during the Toronto International Film Festival.

“And...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Emmys Collective

Visit each individual category, according to the awards show from The Emmys Hub

Link to film awards hub The Oscars Hub

Draft>>>Pre-season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Emmys Predictions:

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Updated: Aug 19, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: Five Emmy nominations later, the world is still waiting for the Michael K.

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Emmys Collective

Visit each individual category, according to the awards show from The Emmys Hub

Link to film awards hub The Oscars Hub

(Draft>>>Pre-season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season)

2021 Emmys Predictions:

Outstanding Drama Series

Updated: Aug 19, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: One of the top two nomination leaders with 24, the 73rd Emmy Awards looks primed...

Screen among TIFF Industry Conference media partners

An industry talk with former Searchlight Pictures co-heads Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula and the first look at Ava DuVernay’s Primetime selection and Netflix series on American Football player and activist Colin Kaepernick are among latest additions to Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) programming.

The five-day TIFF Industry Conference running September 9-13 includes panel discussions presented by Screen on toxic behaviour on set and the African film business, as well as a session on Telefilm Canada’s Talent to Watch programme.

Programmers have two films to Official Selection: John Michael McDonagh’s...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Emmys Collective

Visit each individual category, according to the awards show from The Emmys Hub

Link to film awards hub The Oscars Hub

Draft>>>Pre-season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Emmys Predictions:

Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series

Updated: Aug 12, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: Not sure too many pundits predicted that the one series that...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Emmys Collective

Visit each individual category, according to the awards show from The Emmys Hub

Link to film awards hub The Oscars Hub

Draft>>>Pre-season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Emmys Predictions:

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series

Updated: Aug 12, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: Well-respected in the industry and steering the “Fairytale” episode, which presumed...

The TV Academy music branch is clearly not impressed by big names.

None of the superstars who entered the 2020-21 Emmy competition in the music categories — including H.E.R., Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Sara Bareilles, Dolly Parton and Cher — were rewarded Wednesday when the 73rd annual Emmy Award nominations were announced.

Rather, the majority of nominees in the seven music categories were largely familiar composers, songwriters, music directors and music supervisors within the scoring community.

The biggest musical names nominated were Marcus Mumford for the theme for “Ted Lasso,” Grammy president-ceo Harvey Mason Jr. for “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” jazzman Branford Marsalis for a History Channel documentary, two-time Oscar winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez for their hummable songs for “WandaVision,” and Tony winner Marc Shaiman for a song on a YouTube special.

Missing from Tuesday’s lists were songs for “Safety,” by H.E.R.; “Black Is King” by Beyoncé; both “Girls5eva...

Felix Chong is directing the crime thriller, which reunites talents from the Infernal Affairs series.

Hong Kong studio Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp) has started production on crime thriller Once Upon A Time In Hong Kong, starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Andy Lau and written and directed by Felix Chong.

The two stars previously worked together in the Infernal Affairs series, which Chong co-wrote with Alan Mak. Chong has since directed hit crime thrillers such as the Overheard series and Project Gutenberg.

Produced by Ronald Wong, producer of the Overheard series, Once Upon A Time In Hong Kong is set in...

Cinemas in Hong Kong are set to reopen on Thursday after a hiatus caused by the city’s fourth wave of the Covid-19 outbreak.

As the number of infections has dropped to only single figure daily increases, the government announced on Tuesday permission to reopen previously shuttered public places including cinemas and theme parks. Theme parks and cinemas have been ordered to close three times.

Cinemas, closed since Dec. 2, were particularly badly hit as they were forced to miss were three key holiday seasons; Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. They have been closed for 163 days out of the past 12 months, according to the Hong Kong Theater Association, a trade body.

There has been no statement as yet from either of Hong Kong’s theme parks, Ocean Park or Hong Kong Disneyland. Previous closure and reopening cycles suggest that a restart of the parks will not be immediate.

Cinemas,...

This Star Wars: The Mandalorian article contains spoilers.

Now that the smoke has cleared and all those dark troopers have felt the heat from Luke’s green blade, we can finally reflect on the legendary Jedi’s debut on The Mandalorian. As exciting as the finale’s biggest moment was, Luke’s cameo proved to be a divisive one among Star Wars fans despite it hardly being all that surprising.

Some fans felt that the cameo was designed to appease toxic fans still angry over the character’s portrayal in The Last Jedi, a move some said resembled the “over correction” in The Rise of Skywalker. In fact, the more toxic corner of the fandom actually believes that Luke’s appearance in The Mandalorian was a personal apology to them for whatever it is they’re mad about.

But, when you cut through all of the discourse, it’s easy...

This Star Wars: The Mandalorian article contains spoilers.

The seeing stone on Tython has done its job: Grogu is now in the care of the galaxy’s greatest Jedi, Luke Skywalker himself. The Mandalorian‘s finale, “The Rescue,” brings Luke in as both a surprise connection to the larger saga and a new mentor for the child. And the baby shows an immediate affinity for Luke, reaching out to touch even the screen Luke is shown on. They seem like a good match.

The episode is a delightful return of the saga’s leading man but also one that leaves us with lots of questions. Before we can get any answers, we watch the elevator doors close on Luke and Grogu in the final scene of the episode but don’t know what’s next.

During the time of The Mandalorian, we know Luke is traveling around the galaxy trying...

Headed by A Little Red Flower, China’s New Year’s Day box office hit $92m, while the three-day weekend came in at $199m.

Three local titles boosted the China box office to a record-breaking total of $92m (RMB600m) on New Year’s Day 2021, beating the previous record of $55m set on January 1, 2018.

Box office for the rest of the weekend was also healthy. With Han Yan’s A Little Red Flower leading the charge, takings over the three days (January 1-3) reached an impressive $199.2m, according to figures from theatrical consultancy Artisan Gateway. The previous weekend (December 25-...

The Book of Boba Fett may have swooped in to claim the December 2021 release date that was initially earmarked for Season 3 of The Mandalorian, but based on the events of the recent Season 2 finale we have a rough idea of where Mando’s next adventure will be heading. Sadly for millions of fans around the world, Baby Yoda might not be involved having been carried off in the arms of Luke Skywalker to continue his Jedi training, but the little guy is far too valuable a commodity to be left on the sidelines for long.

On the surface, the driving force behind Season 3 would appear to be the growing conflict between Din Djarin and Bo-Katan over the Darksaber. Looking at the major players of “The Rescue”, Baby Yoda is temporarily out of the picture, Boba Fett and Fennec Shand will be busy with their own miniseries and Cara Dune will...

The Mandalorian Luke Skywalker Deepfake Video — I had no problem with the way Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill and Max Lloyd-Jones) looked in The Mandalorian: Season 2, Episode 8: The Rescue. I was just glad he was there and used properly, in-line with his character from the original Star Wars films. Others, however, [...]

Continue reading: The Mandalorian: Season 2, Episode 8: The Rescue Video: Deepfake Tech Improves Luke Skywalker CGI...

Hong Kong’s “Shock Wave 2” out-earned “Wonder Woman 1984” in China in just two days, topping the local box office this weekend with a $51.4 million debut, according to data from Maoyan.

By the end of Christmas Day, “Shock Wave 2” had grossed $28.6 million (RMB187 million), more than the $23 million (RMB151 million) “Wonder Woman” had earned since Dec. 18.

Its opening is nearly triple the Patty Jenkins-directed blockbuster’s China debut of $18.8 million last weekend, and more than 35 times the mere $1.46 million “Wonder Woman” managed to lasso this weekend to come in seventh at the box office.

Meanwhile in North America, “Wonder Woman” opened to $16.7 million from 2,100 cinemas, marking the best opening weekend to date for the region since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Shortly afterwards, the studio announced that it is now fast-tracking development on a third, concluding installment of the franchise that will bring back both director Patty Jenkins and leading lady Gal Gadot.

The Mandalorian director Robert Rodriguez has shared a behind-the-scenes video that shows fans what it’s like to hang out with the adorable Baby Yoda.

The Child, or Grogu as we’ve come to know him as, has been the focal point of Jon Favreau’s narrative in the first two seasons of his Star Wars show. While the character’s existence was a well-kept secret before the series actually premiered late last year to acclaim and prominence, diehard enthusiasts and casual fans alike immediately fell head over heels in love with the puppet and his adorable idiosyncrasies. Now, after more than a year, Baby Yoda still retains his spot as a dominant internet sensation, continuously spawning memes and mashup videos that depict him in a number of scenarios.

As if Grogu wasn’t already unbearably cute, The Mandalorian director Robert Rodriguez, who helmed the season 2 episode “Chapter 14: The Tragedy,...

The final episode from the second season of The Mandalorian was released on the Disney+ streaming service last week. The episode was titled “The Rescue” and was directed by Peyton Reed (who also directed the second episode of the season titled “The Passenger”) and written by Jon Favreau. After the episode was released, it received […]

The post ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Finale Receives Critical Acclaim appeared first on uInterview.

The Mandalorian season 2 definitely went out with a bang last week with its grand finale. “Chapter 16: The Rescue” delivered a lot of action, drama, shocks and tears. It’s no surprise, then, that fans have heaped so much praise on the finale that it’s officially the highest-rated installment of the show to date on IMDb.

As things stand, “Chapter 16” has been stamped with an almost perfect rating of 9.9 based on around 30,000 user votes. That puts it comfortably out in front of the second highest-rated episode, “Chapter 13: The Jedi,” the one that introduced Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, which sits at 9.5. In third place, meanwhile, is “Chapter 14: The Tragedy,” where Temuera Morrison made his first proper appearance as Boba Fett and Baby Yoda was kidnapped by the Empire.

“Chapter 16” proving so popular continues the trend of the season finale going down as the best one of the run with fans.

Ahsoka Tano’s debut in The Mandalorian may have been designed as a backdoor pilot to a solo series that was inevitably confirmed at the recent Disney Investor Day, but you’d have thought the season 2 finale didn’t include Luke Skywalker for the same purpose.

After months of rumors and speculation, not to mention an impressive veil of secrecy, a digitally de-aged Mark Hamill and a couple of stunt doubles joined forces to bring the hero of the Original Trilogy back to Star Wars. Seeing Luke cross paths with Din Djarin was everything the fans wanted it to be, especially with Baby Yoda caught in the middle, but it seems that we haven’t seen the last of the legendary Jedi. Based on “The Rescue,” de-aging the 69 year-old Hamill for an entire season of television is probably out of the question given how inconsistent the effects were for just a couple of minutes,...

When Giancarlo Esposito debuted as Moff Gideon in the first season of The Mandalorian, it was widely expected that he would assume big bad duties for the second run of episodes to provide a much pricklier thorn in the side of our intrepid hero and his tiny green adopted son. While that was technically the case, Gideon wasn’t quite the overarching antagonist that many people thought he would become, and it appears perfectly clear that he’s set to stick around the small screen Star Wars universe for a long time yet.

During “The Rescue,” the villain knew much more than he was letting on, and was a step ahead of Mando’s boarding party the entire time. It may have looked as though he’d been soundly defeated after Luke Skywalker burst onto the scene and decimated an entire battalion with the greatest of ease, but someone as...

As the most popular show on the planet at the moment, The Mandalorian‘s season 2 finale was guaranteed to see a ton of people refreshing their Disney Plus apps as soon as it turned midnight on Friday, as a great deal of the streaming service’s 86 million subscribers tuned in as soon as possible to see if Mando and his crack team managed to rescue Baby Yoda from the clutches of the Empire.

“The Rescue” was pure fan service, packed with moments that left longtime Star Wars lovers and newbies alike punching the air in delight and gasping in shock, especially when Luke Skywalker showed up to save the day, throwing off his hood to reveal a de-aged Mark Hamill. The post-credits stinger also confirmed that The Book of Boba Fett is coming next year, but from the looks of things, there were plenty of folks who didn’t get...

The Rescue opened with $36.3m over soft weekend, while Wonder Woman 1984 took $18.8m.

Dante Lam’s The Rescue topped the China box office over its opening weekend (December 18-20), according to figures from Artisan Gateway, pulling in almost twice the gross of Hollywood tentpole Wonder Woman 1984, which opened on the same date.

The Rescue, a $90m action film revolving around an emergency rescue team working for the Chinese Coast Guard, grossed $36.3m in its first three days, compared to $18.8m for Warner Bros’ superhero sequel, starring Gal Gadot. However, both openings were considered soft as December is usually a...

Warner Bros blockbuster lands in 32 territories.

Wonder Woman 1984 tops most markets in debut frame

Wonder Woman 1984 began its rollout with a mixed picture of success, underwhelming in China with an $18.8m debut session, but dominating other markets including Mexico and Brazil. In total, the film landed in 32 international territories, grossing an estimated $38.5m. IMAX screens delivered $5m of this tally, representing 13% of the take.

In China, the Warner Bros/DC sequel landed behind local title The Rescue. The original Wonder Woman debuted with $37.5m in June 2017, on its way to a $90.5m total. Wonder Woman 1984 has begun...

Monday Update, writethru after Sunday 10:08Am post: Warner Bros/DC’s Wonder Woman 1984 in 32 international box office markets this weekend has opened to an estimated $38.5M from 30,221 screens. This is well below the $60M the industry was expecting ahead of the launch, and is largely down to a soft China debut of $18.8M in what was a slow Middle Kingdom moviegoing weekend overall. There were also sudden market closures over the past several days overseas which did not help.

In IMAX, the Gal Gadot-starrer grossed $5M from 31 markets. Of that, $3.8M came from 680 screens in China. IMAX is also citing standout performances in Japan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, UAE and Ukraine.

Overall behind China, the best opening markets were Taiwan with $3.6M on 296 screens, Thailand ($2M/602), Brazil, Japan ($1.6M/736), Mexico, Singapore ($1.3M/132), UK ($.2M/615), Spain ($1.1M/813), UAE ($1M/200), Saudi Arabia ($1M/150) and Vietnam ($832K...

China’s box office was the scene of disappointment over the weekend, as Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman 1984 got trounced by local action flick The Rescue.

The Rescue, directed by Dante Lam, opened to $36.3 million, nearly double Wonder Woman 1984’s meagre $18.8 million start, according to data from Artisan Gateway. Both films finished the weekend far below expectations though, as audience disappointment in the movies and a sudden cold snap across much of China weighed on the country’s theatrical market recovery. A few small-scale clusters of Covid-19 also have kept consumers in several cities indoors in ...

China’s box office was the scene of disappointment over the weekend, as Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman 1984 got trounced by local action flick The Rescue.

The Rescue, directed by Dante Lam, opened to $36.3 million, nearly double Wonder Woman 1984’s meagre $18.8 million start, according to data from Artisan Gateway. Both films finished the weekend far below expectations though, as audience disappointment in the movies and a sudden cold snap across much of China weighed on the country’s theatrical market recovery. A few small-scale clusters of Covid-19 also have kept consumers in several cities indoors in ...

This weekend pit the best of Hollywood’s action tentpole rolodex against China’s — and found that fresh local content has greater sway over local audiences in what is now the world’s largest film market.

“Wonder Woman 1984” grossed just $18.8 million in China, almost half the approximately $34 million haul of Chinese actioner “The Rescue.” Both films far underperformed against expectations, however, as the Chinese box office saw its lowest pre-Christmas weekend since 2014, despite the country’s low levels of coronavirus threat.

Dante Lam’s big budget spectacle “The Rescue” was one of the most hotly anticipated films of the late January Chinese New Year — and of 2020 — but saw its release indefinitely bumped after cinemas shut nationwide just before the holiday due to Covid-19 lockdown. It was initially planning a Chinese New Year 2021 release, but as that window has filled up with majorly competitive titles — including other strong holdovers from last year,...

Diana Prince may be able to best Cheetah, but she’s no match for a global pandemic.

“Wonder Woman 1984” opened to a less than heroic $18.8 million in China over the weekend and a disappointing $38.5 million overseas. That’s far less than the $38 million that the first “Wonder Woman” grossed in its opening weekend in China and likely means that the follow-up will earn far less than the $90.5 million that its predecessor pulled in from the country over the course of its run. China is one of the few theatrical markets where moviegoing had shown signs of life during a public health catastrophe, but revenues around the country were still down 30%. “Wonder Woman 1984” wasn’t the only blockbuster hopeful that sputtered. “The Rescue,” a Chinese action movie, made just under $36 million in its initial weekend. That’s far below projections and could mean the film will lose money.

“Wonder Woman 1984...

The Mandalorian concluded its sophomore run with a mind-blowing season finale this week. “Chapter 16: The Rescue” proved to be a hugely fan-pleasing outing as it delivered great action, drama, tension and an epic surprise comeback from an iconic Star Wars character. Not to mention a thrilling post-credits sequence.

And just as fans have been reacting to the episode on social media, so have the stars behind the show. Gina Carano (Cara Dune) praised the direction of Peyton Reed while Rosario Dawson, who debuted as Ahsoka Tano earlier in the run, admitted that she couldn’t stop talking about it. Meanwhile, Mark Hamill spilled on his secret cameo as Luke Skywalker, and the latest actor to respond to the finale’s release is Mando himself, Pedro Pascal.

The Din Djarin star shared a bunch of images on his Instagram account along with a caption thanking everyone involved with The Mandalorian...

Sunday Am Final with chart: More theaters closed heading into this weekend, including the Boston market and parts of Portland, Or, so there wasn’t much money to make at the box office even with a shiny, new major studio movie, Sony/Screen Gems’ Monster Hunter which is fully respecting the theatrical window. Per industry sources, only 2,300 movie theaters are open in U.S./Canada. Talk about hitting the skids. Couple that with the fact that consumer habits pre-Christmas haven’t changed much during the pandemic –meaning they’re occupied doing other holiday activities, i.e. shopping, etc. instead of going to the movies–and we’re left with very lackluster results here with the Paul W.S. Anderson directed Milla Jovovich feature adaptation of the Capcom vidoegame doing $2.2M, which is much lower than everyone was expecting (meaning $4M+). That said, Sony is looking at the long game of the...

Wonder Woman 1984 opened to an underwhelming $18.8 million in China, behind expectations and a less-than-wondrous start for WarnerMedia as it embarks on a bold plan to release its films both in theaters and on HBO Max.

The Warner Bros./DC superhero pic placed No. 2 behind The Rescue, a new Chinese film that debuted to an estimated $35 million.

In total, Wonder Woman 1984 opened to $38.5 million overseas as it began rolling out in 32 territories a week ahead of its Dec. 25  debut on HBO Max and in those cinemas that are still open amid the ongoing pandemic. That included ...

Wonder Woman 1984 opened to an underwhelming $18.8 million in China, behind expectations and a less-than-wondrous start for WarnerMedia as it embarks on a bold plan to release its films both in theaters and on HBO Max.

The Warner Bros./DC superhero pic placed No. 2 behind The Rescue, a new Chinese film that debuted to an estimated $35 million.

In total, Wonder Woman 1984 opened to $38.5 million overseas as it began rolling out in 32 territories a week ahead of its Dec. 25  debut on HBO Max and in those cinemas that are still open amid the ongoing pandemic. That included ...

The season 2 finale of The Mandalorian shook the internet by bringing back an iconic legend of the Star Wars universe. And given the limitations at play here, it’s surprising just how good the character looked.

As its title suggests, “Chapter 16: The Rescue” depicted Mando and his gang breaking into Moff Gideon’s light cruiser to free Baby Yoda. While defeating the big bad proved to be a relatively easy task, the Imperial loyalist wasn’t going to give up without a fight. And this is where the Dark Troopers, whose armor is impenetrable against blaster fire, came in and surrounded them. Luckily for Din Djarin and his crew, consisting of Cara Dune, Bo-Katan and Fennec Shand, the Last Jedi himself flew over on his X-Wing to get them out of the ordeal.

Indeed, the last 10 minutes of the episode concerned the return of a younger Luke Skywalker, carving...

Even Star Wars fans that had never seen an episode of The Clone Wars or heard of Ahsoka Tano before were keen to see much more of her after Rosario Dawson’s outstanding debut as the character in The Mandalorian. Dave Filoni’s episode “The Jedi” was pure fan service, relying on plenty of lore from the animated back catalogue and revealing some major insight into Baby Yoda’s origins.

Ever since Dawson was first announced to be bringing Snips into live-action, there had been constant speculation that a spinoff was in the works, and the talk only intensified after she name-dropped Grand Admiral Thrawn. The fact that Ahsoka didn’t return for the remainder of The Mandalorian‘s sophomore run made it abundantly clear that the episode was designed as a backdoor pilot to gauge interest in a solo series, and nobody was surprised when the project was officially...

Hearing that something made Kevin Smith cry is hardly breaking news, or even a ringing endorsement of any given project’s quality for that matter. After all, this is the guy who was brought to tears of purely emotional joy by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which may have had something to do with the fact that he’s a lifelong diehard fan of the franchise, and also happened to have a secret cameo.

At various points, Smith’s waterworks have also been turned on by a two-minute promo for Transformers prequel Bumblebee and heartwarming comedy Bill & Ted Face the Music, which is admittedly a very good movie, but not one that’s exactly designed to provoke such an intense reaction.

Inevitably, The Mandalorian season 2 finale is the latest slice of pop culture entertainment to have the filmmaker wiping away the tears, because for some reason, he seems...

Fans are still digesting The Mandalorian‘s season 2 finale, which was packed with plenty of action and no shortage of intrigue, not to mention one massive jaw-dropping surprise. Mando and his ragtag group of associates infiltrated Moff Gideon’s ship in an episode ripped straight from The Dirty Dozen as they sought to reclaim Baby Yoda from the clutches of the enemy, only for the final few minutes of “The Rescue” to pivot into the most unexpected territory.

As well as signalling some major conflict between Din Djarin and Bo-Katan after the title hero defeated Gideon in combat to become the rightful owner of the Darksaber and heir to the throne of Mandalore, which could end up driving the narrative of season 3, there was also the hugely emotional goodbye between an unmasked Mando and his surrogate son.

Of course, Grogu is in good hands after Luke Skywalker made a shock return to Star Wars,...

[This story contains spoilers for the season two finale of The Mandalorian.]

The Mandalorian season two has come to an end and there’s not a dry eye in the galaxy. In an episode full of heart, action, twists of fortune and surprising reveals, “Chapter 16: The Rescue” is peak Star Wars. But unlike the conclusion of the first season, which saw Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) create a new enemy in the Darksaber wielding Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Eposito) and set out to find Grogu’s people, the conclusion of season two doesn’t lend itself to such a clear path forward.

And with Kathleen Kennedy revealing a ...

[This story contains spoilers for the season two finale of The Mandalorian.]

The Mandalorian season two has come to an end and there’s not a dry eye in the galaxy. In an episode full of heart, action, twists of fortune and surprising reveals, “Chapter 16: The Rescue” is peak Star Wars. But unlike the conclusion of the first season, which saw Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) create a new enemy in the Darksaber wielding Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Eposito) and set out to find Grogu’s people, the conclusion of season two doesn’t lend itself to such a clear path forward.

And with Kathleen Kennedy revealing a ...