Movie News Monday for July 22, 2013.

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, 4 (count ‘em…4!) wide new releases entered the Top Ten of the box office arena. The Conjuring scared away all of the others from claiming the top spot and earned double its budget in its first weekend. The other new releases ended with not so spectacular earnings, but R.I.P.D. ended up the expected definite flop of the weekend/summer.

This past weekend also saw the dismissal of The Lone Ranger, White House Down, Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain and Man of Steel from the Top Ten.

Here are the weekend’s estimated results for Fri, July 19-Sun, July 21:

1. The Conjuring ~$41.5M
2. Despicable Me 2 ~$25M
3. Turbo ~$21.5M
4. Grown Ups 2 ~$20M
5. RED 2 ~$18.5M
6. Pacific Rim ~$15.9M
7. R.I.P.D. ~$12.8M
8. The Heat ~$9.3M
9. World War Z ~$5.2M
10. Monsters University ~$5M

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

Congratulations to The Conjuring (My review will post soon).

What did YOU watch this weekend?

#2- “MARVEL-ous Comic-Con News” San Diego Comic-Con gave plenty of fans tons to drool over and talk about as many favorite movie and tv shows had their panels present plans and ideas for future developments. Of course, as usual, Marvel was there with some of the biggest bits of news of the convention. Here’s just a few of them:

• The sequel to The Avengers to be entitled The Avengers: The Age of Ultron
  • will NOT introduce Ant-Man who, in the comics, played a major part in the creation of Ultron.
  • will include a bigger role for Hawkeye
  • will be its own original story for the creation of Ultron
  • Release date: May 1, 2015

• X-Men: Days of Future Past footage shown reveals that Wolverine is the one who travels back in time to the ’70s.
  • Peter Dinklage announced his role as Bolivar Trask
  • Courtesy EmpireOnline, here is a description of the footage from the surprise panel for X-Men: Days of Future Past:

It’s Wolverine who goes back in time to his younger body and has to convince the younger Professor X and Magneto to team up and change the future. “You will do for me what I once did for you. Logan, I was a very different man. Guide me. Have patience with me,” says Stewart. “Patience isn’t my strong suit,” says Logan.

We see a shaggy haired Professor X in his wheelchair, looking defeated. Magneto seems to be in an art gallery, and there are scenes of riots in the streets of London. Richard Nixon seems worried, there’s a panic room under the White House and Wolverine gets shot repeatedly in the chest.

In the future, the world looks bombed out, the sky blackened, and the straits desperate. Storm, Magneto, Professor X, Rogue, Ice Man and Kitty Pryde seem to be hiding in ruins underground, and the spot where they send a grey-tipped Wolverine back looks almost like a sacrificial altar.

Finally, there’s a shot of old Xavier and young Xavier nose-to-nose (in some kind of mind-space? Physically? It’s not clear). “Please”, begs Stewart of his embittered younger self, “we need you to hope again.”

• Release Date: May 23, 2014

• Guardians of the Galaxy props revealed along with Benicio del Toro’s role confirmed as The Collector

• Click HERE for further details of Guardians of the Galaxy panel along with description of first footage revealed.
• Release Date: August 1, 2014.
• Thor: The Dark World- click HERE to watch Tom Hiddleston as Loki rule over the crowd at Comic-Con.
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with possible Sinister Six plans (HERE) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier also had some great photos/footage/panels presented. More on those at another time.

For tons more details and info on these upcoming projects be sure to stay tuned to future installments of Movie News Monday.

…AND, don’t forget that at the end of this month, Vin Diesel’s “BIG” announcement of his upcoming involvement with Marvel is scheduled to release. I’m betting on him taking on the role of Black Panther, personally. (But it could be Ant-Man.)

Which of these Marvel projects are you MOST excited for?

#3- “This just in from DC!“ Not to be outdone by Marvel at Comic-Con, Warner Bros and DC Comics also announced their upcoming projects that also have fans excited! (Sorry for all of this superhero movie news, but HEY, it was Comic-Con week!!!)

After announcing that Wonder Woman is part of execs’ top 3 priorities when it comes to future films (HERE), I was surprised to see no revealed movie plan for the classic superheroine icon. On the other hand, DC announced three big future films this past weekend.

1. 2015: A Superman-Batman team up movie. Returning cast members from Man of Steel to include Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne and more. No Christian Bale. Christopher Nolan and his producer wife Emma Thomas to return as executive producers and Zack Synder to direct. Read the full press-release HERE.
2. 2016: A Flash movie.
3. 2017: The Justice League movie. (Finally announced officially)

So…no Wonder Woman solo film yet (prob AFTER Justice League), but some pretty sweet news nonetheless. Thoughts?

Are you ready for these superhero films or are you superhero-ed out?

#4- “The Dawn of the War” Check out the latest image from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes featuring Caesar with warpaint on.

This upcoming sequel, starring Jason Clarke, Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee and more continues the story of Caesar and his group of genetically evolved apes that are threatened by a lone band of human survivors a decade after most of humanity has been destroyed by a terrible virus. War is close and the dominant species on Earth intends to be the victor…only, which species will come out victorious?

Directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In), look for the Dawn on July 18, 2014.

Ready to Hail Caesar? 

#5- “This Week’s Blu-ray release.” This week, look for the following films on Blu-ray to possibly add to your collection:

Welcome To The Punch- Not much of note releases this week, but this is one of two James McAvoy films releasing this week on blu-ray. Starring McAvoy alongside Mark Strong and Andrea Riseborough, this is the story of detective Max Lewinsky and his last chance to grab the one ex-criminal that got away. This fast paced thriller received mediocre reviews but may be worth a watch. Here’s the trailer:

Several other films also release this week. Check it out!

Also releasing:

• Trance
• Twixt
• Kiss of the Damned
• Silence
• …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!”