“Zootopia” Crosses The $1 Billion Dollar Mark At The World Wide Box Office

WDWNT on June 7, 2016

CUkDvy7UAAATi1I

Disney’s “Zootopia” has become the second Disney film to reach $1 billion dollars at the box office this year along with “Captain America: Civil War”. “Zootopia” has grossed $337 million domestically and $663 million international with a total world wide gross at the box office of $1,000,019,682.

Kind of like the tale of The Little Engine That Could, but this time the engine is a rabbit and a fox. Before this movie was released, most people never expected this film to come near to the $1 billion mark. There was no princess with ice powers, no superhero team trying to save the world, but what we did have was an animated feature that had a well written story for both children and adults, along with an excellent voice cast and memorable and fun characters. A very funny teaser trailer showcasing Judy, Nick and Flash, critical praise and positive word of mouth didn’t hurt things either.

Currently, the top 3 highest grossing movies for this year are all Disney movies:xsxsasax

 

And here is a list of the 20 Highest Grossing Disney Movies Of All Time:

Row Rank Title Studio Worldwide Domestic / % Overseas / % Year^
1 3 Star Wars: The Force Awakens Buena Vista $2,067.0 $936.7 45.3% $1,130.3 54.7% 2015
2 5 Marvel’s The Avengers Buena Vista $1,519.6 $623.4 41.0% $896.2 59.0% 2012
3 7 Avengers: Age of Ultron Buena Vista $1,405.4 $459.0 32.7% $946.4 67.3% 2015
4 9 Frozen Buena Vista $1,276.5 $400.7 31.4% $875.7 68.6% 2013
5 10 Iron Man 3 Buena Vista $1,215.4 $409.0 33.7% $806.4 66.3% 2013
6 12 Captain America: Civil War Buena Vista $1,131.5 $388.9 34.4% $742.6 65.6% 2016
7 18 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest Buena Vista $1,066.2 $423.3 39.7% $642.9 60.3% 2006
8 19 Toy Story 3 Buena Vista $1,063.2 $415.0 39.0% $648.2 61.0% 2010
9 20 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Buena Vista $1,045.7 $241.1 23.1% $804.6 76.9% 2011
10 23 Alice in Wonderland (2010) Buena Vista $1,025.5 $334.2 32.6% $691.3 67.4% 2010
11 26 Zootopia Buena Vista $1,000.0 $337.2 33.7% $662.8 66.3% 2016
12 29 The Lion King Buena Vista $968.5 $422.8 43.7% $545.7 56.3% 1994^
13 30 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End Buena Vista $963.4 $309.4 32.1% $654.0 67.9% 2007
14 35 Finding Nemo Buena Vista $936.7 $380.8 40.7% $555.9 59.3% 2003^
15 40 The Jungle Book (2016) Buena Vista $895.1 $347.5 38.8% $547.6 61.2% 2016
16 49 Inside Out Buena Vista $857.4 $356.5 41.6% $501.0 58.4% 2015
17 63 Guardians of the Galaxy Buena Vista $773.3 $333.2 43.1% $440.1 56.9% 2014
18 66 Maleficent Buena Vista $758.5 $241.4 31.8% $517.1 68.2% 2014
19 73 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Buena Vista $745.0 $291.7 39.2% $453.3 60.8% 2005
20 74 Monsters University Buena Vista $743.6 $268.5 36.1% $475.1 63.9% 2013

Source: Box Office Mojo

A “Splash” Remake Is In On The Way

WDWNT on June 7, 2016

f09db610-a593-11e3-8aab-2d357fcb2a56_MSDSPLA_EC002_H.JPG.cf

CNBC recently spoke with producer Brian Glazer during an evolution of Hollywood segment and was asked about one of his first movies, “Splash,” and Glazer dropped a bomb.

CNBC: “(Let’s say) you’re casting “Splash” today, who plays Tom Hanks’ role?”

Glazer: “I’m actually going to do “Splash” today and I can’t say.”

CNBC: “Wait, wait, what?”

Glazer: “I’m actually going to do it from the point of you of a….I can’t say anything about it except there is a movie star involved but I haven’t announced it.”

CNBC: “In your book you say that the original take on it was called “Wet” and it was written from the point of view of the mermaid.”

Glazer: “Yes! And that is what we are going to do. A version of that. But I cant tell you the twist.”

OK, so Glazer has confirmed that they are working on a remake of “Splash”, “possibly” called “Wet”, it will be told from the point of view of the mermaid, there is a Hollywood star involved and there is a twist. Any ideas of who could be starring as Madison, the mermaid in “Splash” originally played by Daryl Hannah, and what the twist could be? Some actresses names that come to mind for me are Emma Stone and Margot Robbie. As for the twist, maybe Madison stays instead of returning to the sea?

The original movie “Splash” brought about a few “firsts”. When it was released in 1984, it was Disney’s first movie under the Touchtone Pictures banner, which was also Disney’s first adult romantic comedy. It was also Tom Hanks first theatrical movie.  The movie was directed by Ron Howard and starred Tom Hanks as a man who as a child was rescued by a young mermaid from drowning. He is later reunited with her many years later and a romance is developed and soon Madison(Daryl Hannah) must make a choice to either stay with the man she loves or return to her her life at sea as a mermaid.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

 

REVIEW: “Captain America: Civil War”

WDWNT on May 18, 2016

“Captain America: Civil War” Is The Best Film In “The Captain America Trilogy”; Best “Spider-Man” Ever!

zyw7XWkTQUE-1

“Captain America: Civil War” continues in the tradition of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” where it is not only a great superhero movie it is a great action/thriller with a nice blend of humor. So far there have been 13 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the ones that have stood out for me were “The Avengers” (2012), “Guardians Of The Galaxy” (2014), “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014) and the one that started it all, “Iron Man” (2008). I can add one more to the list because “Captain America: Civil War” really delivers the goods.

Marvel's Avengers: Age Of Ultron Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) Ph: Jay Maidment ©Marvel 2015

When last we saw the Avengers, Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) had assembled a new team consisting of Black Widow (Scarlet Johannson), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), War Machine (Don Cheeadle), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olson) and Vision (Paul Bettany).

captainpanther

In this movie, we see Cap’s new team working together to take down a group of terrorists in Lagos. Unfortunately, the mission doesn’t go down as planned and there are now many who wonder if the Avengers are doing more harm than good.

captain-america-civil-war-new-trailer-image-12-600x247

Leading the charge against the world’s superheroes is Secretary Of State, Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt). Ross believes that after the collateral damage that occurred during “The Avengers”, “The Winter Soldier” and “Age Of Ultron,” all superheroes must be kept in check and under a short leash. Ross wants The Avengers to sign the Sakovia Accords, which puts the Avengers under Government control. Captain America leads the anti registration group with several of the Avengers but is at odds with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) who leads a group that is pro registration.

Captain-America-Civil-War-Official-Trailer-2016-6

But the main conflict occurs when the Government wants to bring in The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) for terrorist activity. Iron Man and his team want to bring The Winter Soldier in to answer for his crimes but Team Cap is not going to allow that to happen and what follows is a superhero battle royal that will be long remembered.

19701266-mmmainIt’s hard not to compare “Civil War” with “Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice”. Both films tackle similar themes such as the public’s fear and distrust of superheroes. If you think about it, this was originally addressed in “The Incredibles” too. What “Civil War” gets right is that the story is well written, it flows and it is a fun movie. In “Batman V Superman”, EVERYONE is miserable and the motives for why they want to destroy each other make no sense. In “Civil War”, you can see both sides and there will be times where you yourself will flip between your alliance with Team Cap and Team Iron Man.

VIMuROidHyH4QP_2_hd

Another reason why this movie works is because we have had time to watch these characters develop and grow in their own movies and also in two Avengers movies. We have seen them as friends, teammates and now we see them as enemies. That carries a lot of weight because we have grown to care about the characters and you know that it is difficult for them to be at odds because in some ways they are like family. Watching Captain America battle with Iron Man is like watching two brothers you know fight.

captain-america-civil-war-scarlet-witch-elizabeth-olsen

What I also enjoyed about this movie is everyone did an excellent job portraying their characters. I didn’t like Elizabeth Olson as The Scarlet Witch in “Age Of Ultron” but she won me over in this movie. At times you feel the most sympathy for her character and she does an excellent job of being conflicted by some of her actions. Scarlett Johansson also does a much better job in this movie than she did in “Age Of Ultron” and it makes you forget the horrible Black Widow/Hulk love story.

Spider-Man-3-1200x632

The big question that everyone wants answered is, “How is the MCU version of Spider-Man?” My biggest fear was that Spider-Man would be shoehorned into this movie since Marvel and Sony had just reached a deal to bring Spider-Man to the MCU only weeks before the movie was to begin filming.

izyZ94pVsLq9D8XkesXvSU-970-80

I’m glad to say that not only is Tom Holland’s version of Spider-Man great, it’s perfect. I think what brings this home is Holland’s portrayal of Peter Parker, which was never really right in Sony’s movies. He comes across as a teenager that is interested in science and technology more than being a stud with the ladies. Holland’s on screen chemistry with Downey’s works so well. I can’t wait to see them reunite for “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.  You’ll be glad that you saw so little of Spider-Man in the trailers when you finally see him in the movie for yourself.

captain-america-civil-war-black-panther-image-600x250

Another great addition to the MCU is Chadwick Boseman, who’s portrayal of The Black Panther/T’Challa is nothing less than fantastic. You may actually walk away from this movie having a difficult time deciding as to whether Spider-Man or The Black Panther stole the movie. I’m actually looking more forward to seeing “The Black Panther” movie now more than “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.

antman-blackwidow-civilwar-181330

Third contender for the superhero that steals the movie is “Ant-Man”. Paul Rudd reprises his role as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and he is definitely a welcome addition to The Avengers. Most of the comic relief comes from Ant-Man and Spider-Man but they also have some of the best battle scenes in the movie. Don’t want to spoil the surprise but lets just say he has a bigger role in this movie than you would expect.

captain-america-civil-war-new-trailer-image-46-600x249

OK, here comes some of the negative stuff, but not too much and not too major.

  • The “Shaky” Cam – The worst thing in this movie is The Russo Brothers use of the dreaded “shaky” cam. First introduced in “The Bourne Identity”, it puts the camera way too close with an effect that makes you feel you are in the middle of the action. It can be nauseating for some but for me it is just disorienting and distracting. Fortunately, it’s not too bad during the airport battle.
  • Lackluster Villain – Baron Zemo is a horrible and boring villain. Unfortunately, the MCU has never really had a good track record with their villains, other than Loki, and this movie continues the trend. What helps is that most of the battles consist of Team Cap vs Team Iron Man.
  • The Musical Score – The score is completely forgettable and just filler for the action scenes. I really wish Marvel would hire Hans Zimmer who did great work scoring both “The Dark Knight” series and “Man Of Steel”.
  • Giant Lettered Fonts For Cities – You’ll understand when you see it.

5-mind-blowing-things-from-the-new-captain-america-civil-war-trailer-2-spider-man-s-su-884126

Overall this is another fantastic film in the MCU. I cant wait to see “Civil War” again….and again.

I give “Captain America: Civil War” 4 out of 5 stars.

Meet The New “Han Solo”; Alden Ehrenreich Cast As Our Favorite Stuck Up, Half Witted, Scruffy Looking Nerf Herder

WDWNT on May 18, 2016

xaasxsas

Alden Ehrenreich (Hail Caesar!) has landed the role of Han Solo in the upcoming Star Wars spinoff movie, possibly called “Han Solo: A Star Wars Story”.

From Deadline:

We don’t know if he’ll shoot first, but he has the job. Alden Ehrenreich will play Han Solo in Disney’s stand-alone Star Wars movie, confirming what Deadline reported exclusively three weeks ago. Sources say the Hail Caesar! star is negotiating to seal the deal.

The film will focus on Han Solo and also feature Chewbacca in their early days as smugglers. The movie will be directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, who directed “The Lego Movie”. The movie is scheduled for release on May 25, 2018.

Source: Deadline

VIDEO: Happy Mother’s Day From “Finding Dory”

WDWNT on May 18, 2016

zxxzx

Happy Mother’s Day. Or…Daughter’s Day. Holiday Mother? Either way, Ellen DeGeneres & Diane Keaton are here to help you share a “Happy Mother’s Day” from Finding Dory!

“Finding Dory” is in theaters June 17, 2016!

BREAKING: Disney Has Cancelled “Disney Infinity”

WDWNT on May 18, 2016

img_1390153616_221

In what is surely to be shocking to many, Disney has announced that it is cancelling Disney Infinity.

Disney reported it’s quarterly earnings today and in the report Disney announced that it is cancelling it’s Disney Infinity game line which will result in a $147 million charge. Going forward, Disney will liscense it’s characters to to third party gaming production companies.

From CNBC:

The company added that “lower results” for Infinity contributed to operating income in its consumer products and interactive media segment falling 8 percent year over year to $357 million.

From John Blackburn, Senior Vice President and GM of Disney Interactive:

By now you may have heard the news that we have made the difficult decision to discontinue production of Disney Infinity. From the beginning, Disney Infinity was built for you—our fans—and I wanted to take a moment to thank you not just for your support over the years, but for creating a community that made Disney Infinity more than just a game.

Our goal for Disney Infinity was to bring the best of Disney storytelling to life in homes around the world, and with your support we accomplished that. We hope you had as much fun playing the game as we had making it.

So what’s next for Disney Infinity? We have two final retail releases coming, including three new characters from Alice Through the Looking Glass later this month, and the Finding Dory Play Set launching in June.

And as we turn to the next chapter in our story, I want to thank everyone who helped bring Disney Infinity to life, particularly Disney’s Glendale-based production and publishing teams, our external development partners, and of course the incredible Avalanche team for their tireless dedication to this project.

But most of all, I want to again thank you for making Disney Infinity a part of your lives—and for adding to the Disney legacy by being a part of this community.

Source: Disney Interactive, CNBC

Star Wars Battlefront 2 Arriving Next Year

WDWNT on May 18, 2016

featuredImage.img

EA has confirmed that a Star Wars Battlefront sequel is currently in the works and is set to release next year. The new game is said to have “bigger and better worlds” thanks to having “the new movies to work off of.” This is exciting news seeing as the first entry only contained worlds from the original trilogy as well as one DLC level from The Force Awakens. With Rogue One releasing this year and Episode VIII coming in 2017, Battlefront 2 should have plenty of new and exciting settings for players to visit.

A sequel comes as no surprise after EA announced that Star Wars Battlefront has already shipped over 14 million copies. EA now has plans for three Star Wars games, with this Battlefront sequel coming next year, while Respawn Entertainment and Visceral Games work on two additional Star Wars titles.