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 every Monday 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!
This Just In!!…
#1- “The Weekend Winner.” Last weekend, the 2 wide new releases that entered the box office arena made their “pre-Iron Man 3″ debuts and entertained the masses. The #1 film of the weekend gained several dollars and pained the coffers of Oblivion as it took over the box office. In other box office news, however, the limited release MUD (starring Matthew McConaughey) just barely missed the Top Ten and came in at #11. Pretty impressive!
Here are the weekend’s estimated results for Fri, April 26 -Sun, April 28:
- Pain & Gain ~$20M
- Oblivion ~$17.4M
- 42 ~$10.7M
- The Big Wedding ~$7.5M
- The Croods ~$6.6M
- G.I. Joe: Retaliation ~$3.6M
- Scary Movie 5 ~$3.5M
- Olympus Has Fallen ~$2.8M
- The Place Beyond the Pines ~$2.7M
- Jurassic Park 3D ~$2.3M
- Mud ~$2.2M
*Actuals may vary as earnings are updated much later on Monday afternoons. For updates, visit boxofficemojo.com.
Congratulations to Pain & Gain! (My review will post soon…sorry, I took a break over the weekend.)
What did YOU watch this weekend?
#2- “Star Wars Ep VII FANMADE Posters Definitely Impress & Speculate.” As so many rumors, fake trailers and casting speculations hit the web for Star Wars Ep. VII and beyond, it is pretty safe to say that any news about the continuation of the franchise should be taken with a grain…nay…a BOULDER of salt!
While it can be fun, it can also be frustrating to be tossed to and fro by the fanmade trailers out there. Some are pretty well done and others are just blatant ripoffs of other trailers. Here’s one that I like:
Again…that was a FANMADE trailer. Nothing official. (We are far from any official trailer yet).
This week, a set of fanmade posters hit the web though and, WOW, do they look great. Check them out. (Click one for a fullscreen slideshow, scroll through with the arrow keys)
Star Wars: Episode VII is slated to release in 2015. And, while Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and others are still in current negotiations to reprise their roles, nothing has officially come to light. It will be interesting to see the direction of the continuations. Use the Force to separate truth from fiction in any and all rumors until official announcements are made.
What do you think of the posters? Which one is your favorite?
#3- “Michael ‘holds the rumors at’ Bay“ Michael Bay seems to want to “transform” his image in Hollywood, at least the image of ruining childhood favorites. Recently, he set out to clear up a few things about both the Transformers 4 film and the Ninja Turtles project. Fans may be a bit happier with what he had to say.
Observe:
Ninja Turtles:
“There was that quote saying that we’re making [the Ninja Turtles as] aliens. We’re not,” Bay clarifies. “It’s the ooze! It’s from the original source material. These are from the original writers, and I never went out to correct myself in the press. I do listen to the fans and I do want this to be authentic. I think they’re going to be really happy with this movie. When I see the digital stuff, the turtles look great.”
Previously titled “Ninja Turtles”, Bay’s film (directed by Jonathan Liebesman) about the “heroes in a half shell” has been RENAMED to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Starring Megan Fox, Alan Ritchson, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Noel Fisher, Will Arnett in an unspecified role, and Danny Woodburn TMNT is expected to be in theaters on June 6, 2014.
Transformers 4:
“You know there are a couple of historians of Transformers,” Bay continues. “I would do my designs of the robots and they’re like, ‘What if you just add a little bit more ears to Optimus?’ But they’re really hands off. We’ve redesigned them in ‘Transformers 4,’ and there’s some really cool s-t in it. I’m literally redesigning every character, top to bottom. There’s a reason why they’re redesigned, but it’s also to keep it new and fresh to me. I think the fans will appreciate some of this new stuff we have in the movie and some of the new characters.”
Bay is directing Transformers 4 and expects it in theaters on June 27, 2014. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Jack Reynor, Nicola Peltz and Stanley Tucci.
I guess there’s more than meets the eye (and ears) when it comes to Michael Bay.
(Courtesy ComingSoon.Net)
Any thoughts on this report from Michael Bay?
#4- “Guys and Dolls: Looking for a fine combo.” The 1955 classic musical Guys and Dolls that starred Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra about a “New York gambler who is challenged to take a cold female missionary to Havana, but they fall for each other, and the bet has a hidden motive to finance a crap game” (imdb) may be on its way to “remake country.”
Apparently, there has been a lot of negotiations in the past to bring this film back but to no avail until recently when 20th Century Fox struck a deal and now the film looks to have a green light. A new version is in the hopeful stages as the studio also hopes to bring a younger duo to the leading roles. Enter Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The two seem to be a perfect pair for the roles. Currently, there is not even a director for the proposed remake, the deal was only recently struck for the film to go ahead. Look for more on this as details emerge.
Thoughts? Who else do you think should be in the remake?
#5- “This Week’s Blu-ray release.” This week, look for the following films on Blu-ray to possibly add to your collection:
Silver Linings Playbook- Nominated for eight Oscars, Silver Linings Playbook stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, Jackie Weaver, Chris Tucker, Julia Stiles and more in this story about a socially-challenged man and his quest at finding true love and happiness in life while surrounded by those with their own uniqueness. Finding the silver linings in the middle of life’s problems, there is much to learn, love and laugh about in this amazing film that finally makes its way to blu-ray and is definitely worth a watch. Check out my review HERE.
Several other films also release this week. Check it out!
Also releasing: Broken City, The Guilt Trip (Read my Review), The Scarlet Pimpernel and more.
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Well, that’s it for this round of “Movie News Monday!”
Thanks for reading! Happy Watching!
-T, The Focused Filmographer
up next: ”Time to Vote Tuesday!”
