Movie News Monday for April 28, 2014.

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!

This Just In!!…

#1- “The Weekend Winner.” Last weekend, the box office arena welcomed 3 new wide release to contend for top honors…and one of them attained it. The romantic comedy The Other Woman won with a commanding lead over Captain America: The Winter Soldier (I saw The Other Woman actually TWICE this past weekend!) Paul Walker’s Brick Mansions did better than I anticipated but I expect that to drop drastically next weekend while the horror film The Quiet Ones had a very modest opening. The biggest drop of the weekend was Haunted House 2 as it fell from #5 the previous weekend to #10 last weekend.

Here are the weekend’s estimated results for Fri, Apr 25-Sun, Apr 27:

The Other Woman ~$24.7M
Captain America: The Winter Soldier ~$16M
Heaven is for Real ~$13.8M
Rio 2 ~$13.7M
Brick Mansions ~$9.6M
Transcendence ~$4.1M
The Quiet Ones ~$4M
Bears ~$3.6M
Divergent ~$3.6M
Haunted House 2 ~$9.1M

*Actuals may vary as earnings are updated much later on Monday afternoons. For updates, visit boxofficemojo.com.

Congratulations to The Other Woman

What did YOU watch this weekend?

#2- “An Injustice to Justice League fans?” Depending on your opinion of Man of Steel, then you may or may not answer that headliner question favorably. It has been confirmed that director Zack Snyder will direct the Justice League movie which will be shooting back to back with Batman vs. Superman (unofficial title).

Zack Snyder’s directorial resume includes movies such as Watchmen, Man of Steel, Sucker Punch, 300 and Dawn of the Dead.

This news means a few things can be expected:

wrong suit, Ben! :)

Batman vs. Superman is not a code-title for a secret Justice League project BUT the JL movie IS coming
The world that Snyder developed in Man of Steel will continue and keep a similar tonality through Batman vs. Superman AND The Justice League
“Batfleck” may be here to stay.
Hans Zimmer will probably be asked to do the musical score of The Justice League since he did the so-so Man of Steel score and has been confirmed for Batman vs. Superman.
Warner Bros and DC are feeling the pressure from Marvel’s ramped up movie production so expect a good cliffhanger ending of Batman vs. Superman (scheduled to release May 6, 2016) to prepare for The Justice League…which is expected to release in 2017.
Zack Snyder may end up trying to be the “Joss Whedon” of WB and DC.

With so many casting confirmations and rumors for Batman vs. Superman, people have been speculating that the Man of Steel sequel would just end up being a Justice League movie. Perhaps a “Justice League Prequel,” it has plenty of characters already including the recently announced casting of Ray Fisher as Cyborg and the increasing rumor of Jason Momoa as Aquaman (SMH). One thing may be for sure…plenty of casting polls and questions are going to be on the web for the next year or two.

Let’s re-cast the character Green Lantern shall we?…anyone but Ryan Reynolds! ;-)

What is your thoughts on the directing choice?

#3- “David & Goliath to March into Theaters.“ Back in 2011 a movie was announced to be in the very early stages of development that aimed to bring the Biblical account of David and Goliath to the big screen. (I reported on it HERE). An odd casting possibility of Dwayne Johnson as the giant Goliath of Gath and Taylor Lautner (Twilight) as the young David.

Fortunately, I can tell you, that it seems that this project has been put on the back-back-back-backburner. *Whew* BUT, this week I learned of another David and Goliath project that has been in the works for nearly 11 years!

Courtesy CP Entertainment, here is the exclusive interview with the director of this upcoming 2015 theatrical release in which he states that the project is to “biblically correct in every way” and hopes that audiences will “be moved to tears when they see it.” Take a moment to read:

CP: Can you share a little bit about your faith background, and if it inspired the decision to get involved with the “David and Goliath” movie?

Chey: Yes, good question. I was a former atheist who found Christ in a hotel room after reading a Gideon’s Bible in Manila. I never looked back after that. Our production company has had this film “David and Goliath” in the works for almost 11 years. We realized to film it right we needed to shoot the film on a grand scale (much like “Lawrence of Arabia”). It’s one of the most incredible stories in the Bible about faith. In this case, it was much greater than a mustard seed.

CP: What kind of genre, or style do you plan to take the story in? Will it be more family-friendly oriented, or more mature in nature?

Chey: First off, it will be biblically correct in every way. But I want to show more of the cruelty of who the Philistines were and who Goliath was through historical data. Also, I want to flesh out the powerful fear Goliath instilled on Saul’s army. Also David’s brothers – the incredible tears they must have shed knowing the little brother was going to take on the 9-foot warrior. It could have been a Shakespearean tragedy, but turned into a victory through God.

CP: Does the script present the entire story of David as found in the Bible, or is it focused more exclusively on the David and Goliath encounter?

Chey: No, it’s only focused on the events leading up to the fight. We will also have David fighting the lion and the bear via CGI. We’ve enlisted an A-list post-house to come up with state of the art visual effects.

CP: As a director, how do you balance using your creativity to produce entertainment for a mass audience with staying faithful to the Bible?

Chey: The mass audience is used to the best acting, the best visual effects, and the best epic filmmaking. To me, filmmaking is like playing professional basketball. It takes years of training and then ultimately, talent to do it. To get super-talented filmmakers who passionately love the Lord is a rare commodity. And to get super-talented filmmakers, who passionately love the Lord, and can raise millions of dollars, is next to impossible. This is why Christian films are looked down upon. However, even if a small cheesy film can win just one person to Christ, then let’s be careful not to mock it like so many cruel Christians do.

CP: To what do you credit the number of faith or Bible-based films already released this year, including “Son of God,” “Noah,” “God’s Not Dead,” “Heaven is for Real” – has it become easier to make such films in recent years?

Chey: Well, it has to be God. I had reached the point in March 2012 where I was very discouraged at continuing to do Christian films. We were constantly being ridiculed by the secular media, our films were being sabotaged by online piracy, and fellow jealous Christians were mocking us saying the acting was bad, script was horrible, etc, etc. Thousands of people were coming to Christ so why did I let that bother me? I don’t know. The Lord showed me clearly it was a spiritual attack. I repented and began to trust the Lord again. Within two months, we raised millions of dollars and made the $20 million dollar “Carry Me Home” (starring Cuba Gooding, Jr) on the early life of John Newton, writer of “Amazing Grace” and now “David and Goliath.”

CP: What are your thoughts on the controversy that surrounded Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah,” another movie based on a story in the Old Testament?

Chey: He should have changed the title. It’s the same thing with the movie, “Lincoln” from Steven Spielberg – it had nothing to do with Lincoln, but the 13th Amendment. What a disappointment that was. It’s Hollywood’s way to market and profit off the faith-based community while winking at the secular community and saying “we’re still one of you, don’t worry.” This is why true believers have to step up and make the biblical films.

CP: What are your hopes for the final project? What do you hope audiences will be able to take away from when they see “David and Goliath”?

Chey: I want them to be moved to tears and increase their faith in the true and living God. I want them to stop being lukewarm. To make a stand for God. To slay the demonic giants who beseech us in this life. I want them to leave the theater and say “I will make a stand for the Lord” and tell those giants “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God.”

—entire interview originally posted on CP Entertainment HERE.

I’ve often wanted to see a large scale movie done about one of my favorite events in the Bible that every kid learned about in Sunday School. With a reported $50 million budget and Chey’s work on 9 previous full-length feature films, I think we may just get that here. I love his testimony and passion for the film and with the interest in biblical epic films on the rise this one gives me yet another reason to be excited for 2015.

What do you think? Are you ready to slay giants?

#4- “Production Photos.” Take a glance at some of the new production stills/tweets/photos that hit the web last week for upcoming theatrical presentations. Below you will find photos from Godzilla, Jupiter Ascending, Dumb and Dumber To and more. (Click any photo to enlarge, use arrow keys to view others and scroll through.)