Michael Chaves’ “The Nun II” Tops Weekend Box Office with $32.6 Million

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Michael Chaves is celebrating a box office victory…

The 38-year-old Latino filmmaker’s The Nun II topped the box office charts, scaring up $32.6 million this weekend from 3,728 locations.

That was more than enough to unseat Sony’s The Equalizer 3, which features Denzel Washington as a mysterious avenging angel, from the first place perch it held last weekend.

The Equalizer 3 racked up over $12.1 million in its second weekend to push its domestic gross to $61.9 million. Globally, the action sequel crossed $100 million at worldwide box office, bringing its haul to $107.7 million.

Though impressive, The Nun II, which is the ninth chapter in Warner Bros.’ ongoing Conjuring series, couldn’t match the high-water mark set by its 2018 predecessor The Nun, which opened with $53.8 million.

The film sees Taissa Farmiga and Bonnie Aarons return as Sister Irene and the titular Nun, respectively, with newcomers to the franchise, Jonas Bloquet, Storm Reid and Anna Popplewell, rounding out the ensemble of frequently habit-wearing characters.

Chaves, who directed The Curse of La Llorona and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, slid behind the camera for this installment.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, the weekend’s other new wide release, opened in third place with $10 million. The film was written and directed by Nia Vardalos, who also stars alongside John Corbett. Focus Features is distributing the film in the North America, while Universal Pictures International has foreign territories. The third chapter in the comedy series follows the eccentric Portokalos family as they travel to Greece for a family reunion.

“Barbie,” Starring America Ferrera & Margot Robbie, Crosses the $1B Mark at Global Box Office

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera has a billion reasons to be tickled pink!

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and the 39-year-old Honduran American actress has officially crossed $1B global mark in just its third weekend.

Through Sunday, the international box office estimate is an astounding $572.M for $1.031B worldwide.

Showing strength in its third weekend of release, Barbie generated $74M from 20,335 screens in 69 market. Barbie dropped just 41% down from the last frame.

Exceptional holds were seen in numerous markets including Austria (-4%), Taiwan (-8%), Denmark (-9%), Belgium (-14%), Germany (-17%), Holland (-22%), France (-23%), Norway (-23%), Sweden (-23%), Finland (-24%), Hong Kong (-31%), Australia (-34%), Singapore (-35%), and the UK (-38%).

Barbie has also held the No.1 rank in 35 markets and is now the second biggest studio film of 2023 both internationally and globally. Only The Super Mario Bros Movie has crossed $1B this year.

Barbie also boasts the No. I slot for a U.S. movie in 19 markets including Italy, UK, Brazil and Australia.

It’s now the biggest Warner Bros. title ever in 12 markets including Brazil, Australia and Poland.

On her path to move past the $1B mark, Barbie has already surpassed the lifetime grosses of Fast X, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, and a host more films.

Across Europe, holds are strong with a 30% dip while Latin America now boasts the biggest WB title ever.

“Barbie,” Starring America Ferrera, Remains No. 1 at U.S. Box Office

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera must be thrilled pink…

Barbie, starring the 39-year-old Honduran American actress as one half of the film’s emotional heart, remains the No. 1 film in the United States in its second weekend in theaters.

Estimates have Barbie earning $91M-$93M range at 4,337 theaters —the best second weekend Warner Bros. has ever seen in their history. Barbie beats Dark Knight‘s weekend 2 of $75.1M.

At the high end, Barbie’s total would land at $351.4M as of Sunday. The film made $34M son Saturday, per industry estimates, +17% from Friday’s $29M.

Barbie crossed the $300M mark in nine days, making it the fastest female-driven film to do so stateside, beating Beauty and the Beast‘s ten days to that benchmark.

“Barbie” Gives America Ferrera the Biggest Box Office Opening Weekend of Her Career

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Forget pink! America Ferrera is seeing the green…

Greta Gerwig’s fantasy-comedy Barbie, which stars the 39-year-old Honduran American actress, earned $162 million in its first weekend at the box office. The record-breaking total gives Ferrera the biggest opening weekend of her career.

The Warner Bros. film, starring Margot Robbie as the plastic, fantastic doll, declined only 9% from Saturday to bring in $43.7 million on Sunday.

Barbie’s ticket sales rank as the biggest opening weekend of the year, besting The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($146 million). Barbie also marks the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman, overtaking Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s 2019 blockbuster Captain Marvel ($153 million).

“This historic result reflects the intense heat, interest and enthusiasm for Barbie,” Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Jeff Goldstein wrote in a note to press. “This doll will indeed have long long legs.”

Barbie also exceeded expectations at the international box office with $194.3 million (above Sunday’s estimate of $182 million), bringing its global tally to a stunning $356.3 million. Those ticket sales are especially notable because Barbie didn’t have much of a footprint on Imax or premium large format screens, which are more expensive than the average 2D movie ticket.

In Barbie, Ferrera portrays Gloria, a Mattel employee who helps Barbie in the real world.

Isabela Merced to Star as Hawkgirl in Warner Bros. DC Film “Superman: Legacy”

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Isabela Merced has landed a super role…

The 22-year-old half-Peruvian American actress has joined the cast of Warner Bros. DC franchise resetter Superman: Legacy, as announced by studio chief Peter Safran in a new article with Vanity Fair.

Merced, who starred in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, is among new cast additions that includes Nathan Fillion and Edi Gathegi.

Merced will portray Hawkgirl, while Fillion will portray Guy Gardner — one iteration of the superhero Green Lantern — and Gathegi as Mister Terrific. David Corenswet will play Clark Kent aka Superman, as previously announced.

Studio boss James Gunn is directing from his own script, which draws on DC characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Safran is serving as producer.

Merced has a full dance card up ahead with roles in everything from Sony’s Madame Web to the Fede Alvarez-helmed Alien: Romulus, action thriller Ballerina Overdrive and Hannah Marks’ Turtles All the Way Down. Recent credits for the actress on the film side include Rosaline and Father of the Bride.

Warner Bros. Releases New Trailer for Javier Bardem’s “Dune: Part Two”

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Javier Bardem is returning to the desert…

Warner Bros has released a new trailer for Dune: Part Two, starring the 54-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor as Stilgar.

Denis Villeneuve’s second film in a planned three-film saga is based on Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel.

The Warner/Legendary Pictures film is set to hit theaters on November 3, 2023.

Timothée Chalamet returns as Paul Atreides and Zendaya as Chani in the film, which picks up after the events of the first Dune, which bowed in 2021 and grossed more than $402 million at the global box office.

In addition to Chalamet, Zenday and Bardem, returning cast members also include Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Stellan Skarsgård.

They’ll be joined by newcomers Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Léa Seydoux.

The middle film in the series finds Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen out for revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, Paul endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee (The film’s tagline is “Fury Will Rise”).

Villeneuve co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Spaihts from Herbert’s novel.

The new trailer, which comes after the first official trailer dropped in May following its showing at CinemaCon, shows off the scope that helped the original pic score 11 Oscar nominations including Best Picture.

Dune: Part One won six Oscars in the crafts categories and returns several from that team here, including editor Joe Walker, production designer Patrice Vermette, composer Hans Zimmer and VFX supervisor Paul Lambert. Costume designer Jacqueline West, who was nominated last go-around, also returns.

Harvey Guillén to Star in Sci-Fi Thriller “Companion”

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Harvey Guillén has a new companion…

The 33-year-old Mexican American actor will star opposite Jack Quaid, Lukas Cage and Megan Suri in Companion, New Line’s sci-fi thriller from the team behind last fall’s horror smash Barbarian, which Drew Hancock will direct from his own original script, in his feature debut.

Details regarding the film’s plot are under wraps.

New Line acquired Companion in a competitive situation following the multi-studio bidding war for Barbarian filmmaker Zach Cregger’s new horror Weapons, which Cregger is producing alongside Vertigo’s Roy Lee and BoulderLight’s Raphael Margules & J.D. Lifshitz, as well as Miri Yoon.

Best known for his portrayal of Guillermo de la Cruz, the human ‘familiar’ of a group of Staten Island vampires, on FX’s hit comedy series What We Do in the Shadows, which returns for its fifth season on July 13 and has already been picked up for a sixth, Guillén will also soon be starring in Warner Bros.’ DC pic Blue Beetle, out August 18th.

He also recently voiced the role of Perrito in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the critically acclaimed animated feature that proved a box office smash for Uni and DreamWorks, in a moment otherwise devoid of family fare.

Brandon Perea to Star in Upcoming “Twister” Sequel, “Twisters”

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Brandon Perea is getting twisted…

The 27-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor will star in the upcoming Twister sequel.

Perea, a standout in Jordan Peele’s Nope, joins Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos in Twisters, directed by Lee Isaac Chung from a script by writer Mark L. Smith.

The film, from Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. and Amblin Entertainment, is described as a “new chapter” of the 1996 movie, which followed a team of storm chasers as they hunted down the most powerful tornado in decades.

Plot details, including Perea’s role, are being kept under wraps.

Twisters is slated for release on July 19, 2024.

The original Twister was a massive hit, earning more than $494 million at the worldwide box office, which is often credited to the film’s groundbreaking special effects. Starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, the film was helmed by director Jan De Bont and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Michael Crichton.

Before Nope, Perea was best known for his work in Netflix’s The OA, where he played Alfonso “French” Sosa for two seasons. Then, Perea auditioned for Peele, delivering such a compelling performance that the Oscar winner rewrote the part of Angel Torres to suit the actor, casting him alongside Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun and Michael Wincott.

“This is the greatest miracle to ever experience,” Perea told Variety on the red carpet at the film’s world premiere last July. “For Jordan to change the role for me is just truly a blessing. And I’m glad I just went with my gut feeling of, like, you know what, let me go do something different. I know Jordan is just full of surprises, so I was just like, ‘Let me surprise him.’ So I’m glad that I was able to.”

In another interview with Variety, Perea explained that Angel, who works as a tech expert at Fry’s Electronics, was written as more of a cheery, can-do guy, but Perea brought a more downbeat, angsty approach to the part.

Following his scene-stealing performance, Perea was selected as one of BAFTA’s Breakthrough Artists for 2022 and honored with the rising star award for film at the Critics Choice second annual Celebration of Latino Cinema and Television.

HanWay Films Boards Melissa Barrera’s Erotic Thriller “The One”

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Melissa Barrera’s latest project has more support…

HanWay Films has boarded The One, an erotic thriller starring the 32-year-old Mexican actress and Nicholas Hoult and will launch sales at the Cannes Film Festival.

The project comes from writer-director team Kevin Armento and Jaki Bradley and is billed as “a nightmarish horror about the romantic and psychological warfare waged by our beloved popular entertainment — and also begs the question… are we, the viewers, complicit?”

Barrera, who’s coming off box office horror hit Scream VI, leads the cast opposite Hoult.

Barrera plays Taylor, whose last-ditch effort to find love by becoming a contestant on a reality dating show begins to feel terrifyingly real as she becomes a finalist. Amidst an opulent beachfront setting, fairy-tale dates and champagne, “pursuit turns into obsession and rivalry turns into treachery as reality itself blurs.”

HanWay Films is handling worldwide sales, with WME Independent and UTA co-repping the film for North America. Hoult also produces alongside Whitaker Lader via their production company Dead Duck Films.

Riley Keough will also produce with Gina Gammell via their production company Felix Culpa.

Barrera can be seen next in Your Monster and Anthony McCarten’s The Collaboration, based on the play of the same name.

Her other credits include appearing in Carmen opposite Paul Mescal, Netflix’s Keep Breathing, All the World is Sleeping, Vida and Warner Bros. In the Heights.

Lana Condor is also starring.

“We’ve been dreaming up this project for years, and are thrilled to now bring it to life with our actual dream team,” said Armento and Bradley in a statement. “Nick, Melissa, Riley, and Lana are some of the most exciting talents around, and their passion for this film – shared by our incredible producing partners – has us even more eager to make this nightmare a reality.”

Omar Apollo Notches First No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists Chart

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Omar Apollo has emerged…

The 25-year-old Mexican American singer-songwriter has reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart dated April 8.

Apollo leads the chart for the first time due to his debut studio album, Ivory.

Originally released in April 2022 via Warner Records, the set re-enters the Billboard 200 chart at No. 74 with 13,000 equivalent album units earned (up 265%) March 24-30, according to Luminate, exceeding its original No. 128 peak. The album’s vinyl edition arrived March 24, sparking 9,000 sold on vinyl in the tracking week.

Ivory concurrently debuts at No. 3 on the Vinyl Albums chart, and re-enters Top Album Sales at No. 12, a new best.

The set contains Apollo’s breakout single “Evergreen,” which reached No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October (becoming his first career entry), as well as No. 6 on Adult Alternative Airplay and No. 33 on Pop Airplay.

The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, Billboard 200 and the Social 50. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.

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