Welcome to this week’s edition of “Movie News Monday!” (“MNM!”)
What is ‘MNM’ all about?
In case this is your first time here, “Movie News Monday!” (MNM) is the place to visit on Mondays for a quick recap of trending entertainment news! I’ve collected info, rumors, etc from all over just for you to keep you updated on movies being released, actors/actresses in roles, dvd releases to keep a lookout for, which movie won in the box office over the weekend, etc! Are you ready for your weekly update? Here it is!
FYI- posts for the next couple of weeks may be a bit delayed and/or abbreviated as I am adjusting to a new schedule. Bear with me. Your content will still be here…just perhaps a little later in the day than you are used to!
This Just In!!…
#1- “The Weekend Winner.” Last weekend, the box office arena welcomed 2 major new wide releases (Both of which I saw and whose reviews are pending). Sandwiching X-Men: Days of Future Past (review ALSO pending), the 2 releases reeled in audiences and were perhaps magnificent? (Maleficent) and mediocre (A Million Ways to Die in the West). Godzilla stomped past its $160M budget this past weekend with $174M total gross and X-Men: DOFP became the highest grossing film of the franchise!
The biggest drop of the Top Ten was for The Other Woman that went from 7th to 10th. I honestly forgot that one was still in theaters. While Blended continues to be bad!
Here are the weekend’s actual results for Fri, May 30-Sun, June 1:
- Maleficent ~$69M
- X-Men: Days of Future Past ~$32.5M
- A Million Ways to Die in the West ~$16.8M
- Godzilla ~$12M
- Blended ~$8M
- Neighbors ~$8M
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ~$3.8M
- Million Dollar Arm ~$3.6M
- Chef ~$1.9M
- The Other Woman ~$1.4M
Congratulations to Maleficent
What did YOU watch this weekend?
#2- “Beautiful Stars join the galaxy of Star Wars.” The next episode of the classic saga has already begun filming and today two more cast members were officially announced to have joined the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.
Oscar-winner Lupito Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie have both joined the Jedi and Wookies! :)
Below is the official release from StarWars.com:
Lupita Nyong’o joins the recently announced cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. This year, her breakthrough performance in 12 Years a Slave earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Gwendoline Christie, currently starring in the hit television series Game of Thrones as Brienne of Tarth, has also been cast in the production. She can next be seen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.
“I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII,” says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “It’s thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape.”
Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the Saga Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.
Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.
Very exciting to see them join the crew. Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) was rumored to have been offered a role or at least in talks for one a couple of months back so it is nice to see that be a reality.
–click here for 40 “leaked” images from the set of Star Wars Ep: VII courtesy TMZ if you wish.–
What are your thoughts on this casting news?
#3- “James Cameron writing THREE Avatar sequels.“ And while I don’t know anyone wanting even ONE, director James Cameron is writing not one or two, but THREE sequels to his blockbuster 3D success, Avatar.
In a recent interview, Cameron stated:
“We tried an experiment. We set ourselves a challenge of writing three films at the same time. And I could certainly write any one of them but to write three in some reasonable amount of time – we wanted to shoot them together so we couldn’t start one until all three scripts were done and approved. So I knew I was going to have to “parallel process” which meant I would have to work with other writers. And the best experience I had working with other writers was in television when I did Dark Angel. The television room is a highly collaborative, fun experience.’
“So we put together three teams, one for each script. The teams consist of me and another writer on each one of the three [films]. So I’m across all the films and then each one of them would have their own individual script they were responsible for. But what we did that was unique was we sat in the writing room for five months, eight hours a day, and we worked out every beat of the story across all three films so it all connects as one, sort of, three film saga. And I didn’t tell them which one was going to be their’s individually to write until the last day. So everyone was equally invested, story wise, in all three films.’
Read more: HERE
Avatar remains the highest grossing film of all time with $2.782 BILLION in the box office! The second one is scheduled to release December 2016 with part 3 in December 2017 and part 4 at some point in 2018.
What do you think? Are you ready to go to Pandora a few more times?
#4- “Contest Giveaway.” Last week, on May 25th, I celebrated the 4th anniversary of this site! In gratitude for following my page I opened up a contest to win one of four movies that I enjoyed so far this year. The winner, chosen at random, had to submit the answer to the clues given by last Saturday at midnight and I promised to reveal the winner on today’s Movie News Monday. The movies up for grabs for when they release on blu-ray are the following:
You can read the whole article and contest details HERE.
I took the 11 entries and through random drawing from a hat I am glad to announce the winner of the Four-Year Celebration Give-away Contest.
Congratulations to JAZZ WORTHING!! aka. “G.S.”
I will be in touch with you and sending you the movie of your choice when the time arises!
Thank you to EVERYONE who participated and to all of you who read and comment and more here as often as you do!
Are you ready for Year 5?
#5- “This Week’s Blu-ray release.” Here’s what blu-ray.com shows:
My pick of the week out of the NEW releases is LONE SURVIVOR. I thoroughly enjoyed this “boats” (based on a true story) film and it brings out all sorts of emotions like those experienced in Black Hawk Down or Saving Private Ryan or such like. If films like this is your cup of tea, then you need to watch this hard-hitting one of sacrifice and survival. Check out my full review HERE.
Which will you pick up?
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Well, that’s it for this round of “Movie News Monday!”
Thanks for reading! Happy Watching!
-T, The Focused Filmographer
[NOTE: as mentioned, reviews ARE coming, I'm sorry for the crazy hectic schedule and delay...but they ARE coming!]
