Movie News, Box Office, Reviews, Trailers - TheWrap Covering Hollywood https://www.thewrap.com/category/movies/ Your trusted source for breaking entertainment news, film reviews, TV updates and Hollywood insights. Stay informed with the latest entertainment headlines and analysis from TheWrap. Tue, 06 Feb 2024 02:40:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.3 https://i0.wp.com/www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/thewrap-site-icon-1.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Movie News, Box Office, Reviews, Trailers - TheWrap Covering Hollywood https://www.thewrap.com/category/movies/ 32 32 Warner Bros. Discovery Wins Investor Lawsuit Over HBO Max Subscriber Inflation https://www.thewrap.com/warner-bros-discovery-wins-investor-lawsuit/ https://www.thewrap.com/warner-bros-discovery-wins-investor-lawsuit/#respond Tue, 06 Feb 2024 01:26:48 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7486457 David Zaslav and WBD execs were sued in September 2022, citing “hundreds of thousands” of duped Discovery shareholders

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Warner Bros. Discovery was named victorious Monday in a September 2022 lawsuit alleging David Zaslav and other executives inflated HBO Max streaming subscriptions ahead of Warner Bros. merger with Discovery, duping “hundreds of thousands” of shareholders.

Despite alleged “half-truths,” U.S. District Judge Valierie Caproni ruled that the proposed class action lawsuit, led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, would not move forward, and that WBD was “not required to disclose a fact simply because it may be relevant or of interest to a reasonable investor,” according to court documents.

Yost said that WBD also hid WarnerMedia’s strategies for licensing content and distributing films, as well as the looming demise of the CNN+, the short-lived CNN spinoff.

Judge Caproni also ruled that Yost did not explain how the the plan to pull the plug on CNN+ was related to a “misleading” content strategy for the media giant.

Yost filed the lawsuit in Sept. 2022 on behalf of the Collinsville Police Pension Board, an Illinois-based shareholder of Warner Bros. Discovery stock, which it accepted in trade for its pre-merger Class C common Discovery shares. Warner Bros. Discovery, Zaslav and CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels were named as defendants. 

“Warner Bros. Discovery willfully withheld financial information that it was legally obligated to reveal for one highly self-serving reason – to ensure the merger’s approval,” Yost said in a November 2022 statement. “In doing so, it created market distortions that cost Ohio’s pension systems and other institutional investors dearly, and that is not OK.”

A lawyer representing Yost’s office declined to comment to Reuters on Monday.

At the time of the merger, Discovery shares were valued at $24.78, but dipped to around $11. On Monday, WBD’s stock price closed down 18 cents at $10.07, a 58% drop from when it began trading on April 11, 2022 Reuters reported.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported this story.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

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Super Bowl Trailers: What We Know About Possible First Looks for ‘Deadpool 3’, ‘Quiet Place’ Prequel, ‘Wicked’ and More https://www.thewrap.com/super-bowl-movie-trailers-2024-list-deadpool-3/ https://www.thewrap.com/super-bowl-movie-trailers-2024-list-deadpool-3/#respond Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:31:45 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7486321 This year marks a downturn in bombastic movie trailers for the NFL showcase

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With the Super Bowl taking place this Sunday, it’s an opportunity for the studios to give viewers their first looks at some of the hottest movies coming to theaters this summer and fall.

It’s a good time for it, too, as viewership for the big game is up with a 20% surge in sponsorships and a marked increase in young women tuning into NFL games thanks to Taylor Swift.

The studios could see this as an opportunity to help combat a box office slump. But what trailers could we specifically see?

None of the major studios were forthcoming with what they’ll be revealing come Super Bowl Sunday, but some inferences can be made based on what the release date calendar looks like over the next few months. Sources tell TheWrap Paramount is expected to drop additional spots for their Kingsley Ben-Adair-starring Bob Marley biopic, “Bob Marley: One Love,” and already dropped a Ryan Reynolds/Randal Park ad for the John Krasinski-directed film “IF.” The first trailer for “A Quiet Place: Day One” is also likely to drop. That film, directed by Michael Sarnoski, stars Djimon Housou and Lupita Nyong’o, and these Paramount teases fit given that the Super Bowl is airing on CBS and streaming Paramount+ this year.

Universal won the year 2023 with big box office swings that paid off, and they could be looking to continue that for another year with a big Super Bowl spend though there’s been no comment from them. It’s presumed that additional footage from the likes of “Kung Fu Panda 4” and “The Fall Guy,” both of which have already presented initial trailers, could be included. The bigger question is whether their summer tentpole “Twisters,” starring Glen Powell, or the Jon M. Chu Broadway musical “Wicked” could debut their first trailers. The former already has a prime summer release date and could show off some footage if it wanted, while the adaptation of the popular musical fantasy starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande only finished filming last week.

Another tight-lipped studio is Disney, which admitted back in November they would be cutting back on films in 2024. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” the next in the long-running “Apes” franchise is expected to drop a trailer. But the bigger question is whether audiences will get their first peek at “Deadpool 3,” Marvel’s sole 2024 release. The film wrapped production in January, and considering how much was filmed before the SAG-AFTRA strike it would make sense that something could be shown. There’s also the possibility of another look at the sequel to Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” ahead of the film’s summer release.

Because Netflix most recently debuted clips for all their television shows and movies for the entire year, it’s assumed they won’t be showing anything additional during the game, according to media reports. Amazon has several high profile projects planned for 2024, including the Anne Hathaway romantic comedy “The Idea of You” and the Jake Gyllenhaal-starring remake of “Road House,” the latter only recently dropped a trailer. However, they look to be avoiding dropping anything additional at this time.

Sources tell TheWrap that Warner Bros. will also not be presenting any Super Bowl trailers. Sorry for those expecting more Anya Taylor-Joy “Furiosa” footage or a first peek at Kevin Costner’s Western saga “Horizon.” Sony also won’t be doing any Super Bowl teasers for their films, so don’t expect anything from the latest installment in the “Bad Boys” franchise or anything new from “Kraven the Hunter.”

It showcases an interesting dichotomy: tentpoles remain smaller this year compared to previous years, both because of studio contraction as well as the fallout from the strikes. And with Super Bowl ads costing around $7 million, studios just aren’t willing to drop that much coin on a few minutes when they can do a full-court media blitz a few months later (or post footage on their own streaming platforms). Either way, audiences will be flocking to the game to watch Taylor Swift, and whatever trailers present themselves will be a happy coincidence.

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‘All of Us Strangers,’ ‘Barbie’ Lead Nominations at GALECA: Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics Dorian Film Awards https://www.thewrap.com/all-of-us-strangers-leads-dorian-film-nominations-lgbtq-critics/ https://www.thewrap.com/all-of-us-strangers-leads-dorian-film-nominations-lgbtq-critics/#respond Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:26:30 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7486345 Actors Andrew Scott, Charles Melton and Greta Lee also landed nods

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Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers” led nominations Monday for the 15th Dorian Film Awards, as voted on by the Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, with nine nominations, including Film of the Year, LGBTQ Film of the Year, Director of the Year, co-lead Andrew Scott and supporting actress Claire Foy.

The group’s more than 500 entertainment critics and journalists also handed out nods to “Barbie,” which scored seven nominations; followed by Todd Haynes’ “May December” with six; and Celine Song’s “Past Lives” with five, including Director of the Year.

While the Oscars overlooked “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig this year, she’s very much in the running at this awards show, as is Song, Haynes, and Haigh.

“Bottoms” star Ayo Edebiri, who just collected her first Emmy for “The Bear,” is nominated in two categories: “We’re Wilde About You!” Rising Star Award and Wilde Artist Award, given to “a truly groundbreaking force in entertainment.”

Five films contend in the new category of LGBTQ Non-English Language Film of the Year French film “Anatomy of a Fall,” Germany’s “Afire,” Japan’s “Monster,”and Mexico’s “Rotting in the Sun,” as well as “Cassandro,” a US film with mostly Spanish dialogue.

GALECA also hands out an award for Unsung Film of the Year, with nominations going to films that were snubbed by the Oscars, including Ava DuVernay’s “Origin,” A.V. Rockwell’s “A Thousand and One,” and “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret,” which also received a nod for supporting player Rachel McAdams.

The winner of the group’s Timeless Star career achievement honor will be named along with the other winners on Monday, Feb. 26. Previous recipients include , Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and John Waters.

The Dorian Awards will also recognize Genre Film of the Year, celebrating sci-fi, horror and fantasy movies, for the first time.

GALECA: THE SOCIETY OF LGBTQ ENTERTAINMENT CRITICS
15TH DORIAN FILM AWARDS LIST OF NOMINEES 

Film of the Year
All of Us Strangers (Searchlight)
Barbie (Warner Bros.)
May December (Netflix) 
Past Lives (A24) 
Poor Things (Searchlight)

LGBTQ Film of the Year
All of Us Strangers (Searchlight) 
Bottoms (MGM)
Passages (MUBI, SBS)
Rustin (Netflix)
Saltburn (Amazon MGM) 

Director of the Year
Greta Gerwig, Barbie (Warner Bros.)
Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight)
Todd Haynes, May December (Netflix)
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer (Universal)
Celine Song, Past Lives (A24)

Screenplay of the Year
Original or adapted
Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, Barbie (Warner Bros.)
Samy Burch, May December (Netflix)
Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight)
Arthur Harari, Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall (NEON)
Celine Song, Past Lives (A24) 

LGBTQ Screenplay of the Year
Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight)
Arthur Harari, Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall (NEON)
Dustin Lance Black, Julian Breece, Rustin (Netflix)
Arlette Langmann, Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias, Passages (MUBI)
Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott, Bottoms (MGM)

Non-English Language Film of the Year
Anatomy of a Fall (NEON) 
The Boy and the Heron (GKIDS, Toho)
Godzilla Minus One (Toho)
Past Lives (A24)
The Zone of Interest (A24)

LGBTQ Non-English Language Film of the Year 
Afire (Janus Films, Sideshow)
Anatomy of a Fall (NEON)
Cassandro (Amazon MGM)
Monster (Well Go USA, Gaga, Toho)
Rotting in the Sun (MUBI)

Unsung Film of the Year
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret (Lionsgate)
Monica (IFC)
Origin (NEON)
Theater Camp (Searchlight)
A Thousand and One (Focus Features)

Film Performance of the Year
Colman Domingo, Rustin (Netflix)
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers (Focus Features)
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple, Paramount)
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall (NEON)
Greta Lee, Past Lives (A24)
Trace Lysette, Monica (IFC)
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer (Universal)
Natalie Portman, May December (Netflix)
Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight)
Emma Stone, Poor Things (Searchlight)

Supporting Film Performance of the Year
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple (Warner Bros.)
Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer (Universal)
Jodie Foster, NYAD (Netflix)
Claire Foy, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight)
Ryan Gosling, Barbie (Warner Bros.) 
Rachel McAdams, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret (Lionsgate)
Charles Melton, May December (Netflix)
Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight)
Rosamind Pike, Saltburn (Amazon MGM)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers (Focus Features)

Documentary of the Year
American Symphony (Netflix)
Beyond Utopia (Roadside Attractions, Fathom Events)
Kokomo City (Magnolia)
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
20 Days in Mariupol (PBS Distribution)

LGBTQ Documentary of the Year
Every Body (Focus Features) 
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (HBO, Confluential Films)
Kokomo City (Magnolia)
Little Richard: I Am Everything (Magnolia)
Orlando, My Political Biography (Janus Film, Sideshow)

Animated Film of the Year
The Boy and the Heron (GKIDS, Toho)
Elemental (Disney)
Nimona (Netflix, Annapurna)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (SONY)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount)

Genre Film of the Year
All of Us Strangers (Searchlight)
Godzilla Minus One (Toho)
M3GAN (Universal)
Poor Things (Searchlight)
Talk To Me (A24)

Film Music of the Year
Barbie — Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, et al. (Warner Bros.)
The Boy and the Heron — Joe Hisaishi (GKIDS, Toho)
The Color Purple — Stephen Bray, Allee Willis, Brenda Russell, Kris Bowers, et al. (Warner Bros.)
Oppenheimer — Ludwig Göransson (Universal) 
The Zone of Interest — Mica Levi (A24)

Visually Striking Film of the Year
Asteroid City (Focus Features)
Barbie (Warner Bros.)
Oppenheimer (Universal)
Poor Things (Searchlight)
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (SONY)

Campiest Flick 
Barbie (Warner Bros.)
Bottoms (MGM)
Dicks: The Musical (A24)
M3GAN (Universal) 
Saltburn (Amazon MGM)

“We’re Wilde About You!” Rising Star Award
Ayo Edebiri
Lily Gladstone
Jacob Elordi
Charles Melton
Dominic Sessa

Wilde Artist Award
Quinta Brunson
Ayo Edebiri
Greta Gerwig
Lily Gladstone
Todd Haynes

GALECA LGBTQIA+ Film Trailblazer Award 
Colman Domingo
Jodie Foster
Andrew Haigh
Todd Haynes
Andrew Scott

Winners will be named on Monday, Feb. 26.

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Universal Gives ‘Jurassic World 4’ 2025 Release, David Leitch in Talks to Direct https://www.thewrap.com/universal-gives-jurassic-world-4-2025-release/ https://www.thewrap.com/universal-gives-jurassic-world-4-2025-release/#respond Mon, 05 Feb 2024 22:13:40 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7486270 The feature will have a new storyline written by David Koepp 

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Universal Pictures will release an all new “Jurassic World” event film on July 2, 2025, the studio announced on Monday.

David Koepp will write the screenplay, which is said to launch a new storyline. “The Fall Guy” director David Leitch is in very early talks to direct the next installment of the franchise.

While plot details are scarce, insiders say that the film will start a new storyline separate from the trilogy of “Jurassic World” films that starred Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard and saw the eventual inclusion of “Jurassic Park” stars Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern and B.D. Wong.

The Jurassic film franchise has proven remarkably resilient at the box office, so it is unsurprising that Universal wants to continue the series. Though box office returns have declined with each new “Jurassic World” installment, all three movies – 2015’s “Jurassic World,” 2018’s “Fallen Kingdom,” and 2022’s “Dominion” – managed to surpass $1 billion globally. Factoring in the original “Jurassic Park” trilogy released between 1993 and 2001, the total lifetime box office gross for the Jurassic franchise now exceeds $6 billion.

Executive Vice President of Production Development Sara Scott and Creative Executive of Production Development Jacqueline Garell will oversee the project for the Studio. Steven Spielberg will produce through Amblin alongside Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley.

As a producer and director, Leitch has delivered high-octane hits like “Deadpool 2,” “Bullet Train,” “Hobbs & Shaw,” “Atomic Blonde,” and “John Wick,” which together have amassed over $2.9 billion at the worldwide box office. Via his production company 87North, which he founded with producing partner Kelly McCormick, Leitch flexes both commercial sensibilities and an edgy directorial voice.

Leitch is repped by CAA, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole, and 42West.

Deadline first reported the news on Leitch.

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Sébastien Vaniček to Direct ‘Evil Dead’ Spin-Off, Signs With CAA https://www.thewrap.com/evil-dead-spin-off-director-sebastien-vanicek/ https://www.thewrap.com/evil-dead-spin-off-director-sebastien-vanicek/#respond Mon, 05 Feb 2024 22:12:58 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7486192 The Fantastic Fest award winner will work with "Evil Dead" creator Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures

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Sébastien Vaniček, director of the French horror film “Infested (Vermines),” has signed with Creative Artists Agency and is now attached to direct a new spin-off in the “Evil Dead” horror series that will be produced by Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures.

No word yet on whether Warner Bros. will distribute the spin-off as it did with last year’s “Evil Dead Rise,” a film from writer-director Lee Cronin that was initially greenlit as a Max streaming exclusive film but was pivoted to a theatrical release, where it grossed $147 million at the global box office.

Raimi, who created the “Evil Dead” series in 1981 and cofounded Ghost House with Robert Tapert in 2002, was an executive producer on “Evil Dead Rise” with the franchise’s original star, Bruce Campbell.

Vaniček made his feature film debut with “Infested,” a film about a depressed 30-year-old who obsesses with exotic animals to grapple with his loneliness. When a venomous spider he brings home escapes into his apartment, the spider rapidly reproduces, creating a deadly infestation that leaves the apartment residents fighting for their lives.

“Infested” premiered at Critics’ Week during the Venice Film Festival and later screened at Fantastic Fest in Austin, winning the Best Picture and Best Director awards at the Alamo Drafthouse-sponsored festival.

In addition to CAA, Vaniček is represented by French management firm Studio 112. The new project was first reported by Deadline.

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America Ferrera Directorial Debut Moves to Amazon MGM Studios From Netflix https://www.thewrap.com/america-ferrera-i-am-not-your-perfect-mexican-daughter-adaptation/ https://www.thewrap.com/america-ferrera-i-am-not-your-perfect-mexican-daughter-adaptation/#respond Mon, 05 Feb 2024 20:14:38 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7486164 The "Barbie" Oscar nominee is adapting Erika Sánchez's "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter"

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America Ferrera’s directorial debut, an adaptation of Erika Sánchez’s “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter” has moved from Netflix to Amazon MGM Studios and Orion Pictures, TheWrap has learned.

The 2017 book by Sanchez follows sharp-tongued teen Julia Reyes, who dreams of becoming a famous writer and moving away from her traditional Mexican immigrants parents in Chicago. She’s often compared to her sister, Olga, who died. As Julia seeks to break free of her oppressive home, she tries to uncover her sister’s truth, and in the process gains a deep understanding of the wounds her family carries.

“Gentefied” co-creator Linda Yvette Chávez will write the script. Doreen Wilcox Little, MACRO Film Studios’ Charles D. King and Poppy Hanks, Aevitas Creative Management’s David Kuhn, and Anonymous Content will produce while Sánchez and MACRO Film Studios Greta Talia Fuentes will executive produce.

The announcement is Ferrera’s next move after being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” Her moving speech in the film is considered by many the key reasons she secured the nomination. Ferrera spoke to TheWrap about it back in January.

“It was a lot of people. And it’s a premiere audience, so it’s always a friendly audience, you know, all the laughs, and the clapping, and hooping and hollering,” Ferrera recalled to TheWrap just hours after receiving her nomination. “But there was a wonderful reaction to the speech. I actually took my 3-year-old daughter with me and she sat on my lap the whole time. I was sure she was going to fall asleep and she didn’t.”

It’s not clear why the feature moved from Netflix to Amazon. This marks the second move for a project from the streamer studio. Last week, Dev Patel’s directorial debut, “Monkey Man,” received an April release date from Universal. The move marked a studio shift for the Patel film, which was initially sold to Netflix in 2021 for $30 million. That feature had been in development since 2018 with filming starting in 2021. It’s not clear when Universal purchased the film from Netflix.

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John Krasinski Resurrects Classic ‘The Office’ Bit in Super Bowl Ad for His New Film ‘IF’ | Video https://www.thewrap.com/if-super-bowl-spot-john-krasinski-randall-park-the-office-ryan-reynolds/ https://www.thewrap.com/if-super-bowl-spot-john-krasinski-randall-park-the-office-ryan-reynolds/#respond Mon, 05 Feb 2024 15:25:07 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7486001 Ryan Reynolds is very confused when Randall Park shows up and insists he's Krasinski

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In an ingenious bit of marketing, the new behind-the-scenes spot for John Krasinski’s film “IF” that will play during the Super Bowl on Sunday resurrects a classic bit from the sitcom “The Office.”

Fans of the NBC series will recall a particularly hilarious cold open in which Krasinski’s Jim played a prank on Rainn Wilson’s Dwight by hiring a stranger played by Randall Park to show up to the office and pretend he was and always had been Jim. This confused Dwight, especially when Jenna Fischer’s Pam played along.

In this new spot for “IF,” Reynolds — the star of the movie — is introducing the spot when Park shows up and introduces himself as Krasinski, the writer and director of the film.

“You’re not John Krasinski, you’re Randall Park. John Krasinski is much shorter and less Asian than you are,” a confused Reynolds says, but Park insists he is and always has been Krasinski.

“Ryan I know it’s been awhile since we shot, but we spent like four months together, 10-hour days,” Park says, to which Reynolds shoots back, “The real John Krasinski knows that I only work four-hour days.”

The bit goes even further as it smashes into a behind-the-scenes featurette that inserts Park into on-set footage from the film, and keeps up the gag as Park narrates the footage as if he’s Krasinski. What a delight.

“IF” is an original all-audience family film written and directed by Krasinski that follows a young girl who can see imaginary friends. She embarks on an adventure to reunite forgotten imaginary friends with their kids, aided along by a jubilant man played by Reynolds and a big fuzzy IF voiced by Steve Carell.

The Paramount Pictures release opens only in theaters on May 17 and also stars Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw and the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Louis Gossett Jr.

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The Real Identity of the ‘Argylle’ Book Author Finally Revealed https://www.thewrap.com/who-is-real-argylle-author-identity-book/ https://www.thewrap.com/who-is-real-argylle-author-identity-book/#respond Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:28:04 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7485382 "God, I hope all the people that pre-ordered on the basis that Taylor wrote it aren’t disappointed," the actual author says

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The curtain on a pop cultural mystery has finally been pulled back: the author of the novel “Argylle.” The book is a companion to the Matthew Vaughn film by the same name, allegedly written by “Elly Conway,” which happens to be the name of the film’s lead character played by Bryce Dallas Howard.

The actual author, the Telegraph revealed Friday, is none other than… Australian novelist and screenwriter Terry Hayesw British author Tammy Cohen. Yes, it’s a collab, assigned by “Argylle” director Matthew Vaughn — despite protestations in the run-up to the film of there being a “real” Elly Conway.

Sorry, Swifties: it seems the “Cruel Summer” singer isn’t behind this one. In reference to rampant, elaborate fan theories that Swift had in fact penned the book, Cohen told the outlet, “God, I hope all the people that pre-ordered on the basis that Taylor wrote it aren’t disappointed.”

“I hope they are!” Hayes retorted. “If that’s why they buy a book, they deserve every punishment they get.”

Cohen and Hayes were tasked not only with writing the novel, but also with keeping their involvement in the project a secret. Vaughn came up with the idea of a companion novel for the movie, something like what the film’s reclusive author Elly Conway would have written in real life.

The director suggested the project to Hayes, who consulted with his publisher. In the end, the publisher brought in Cohen due to Hayes not having the time to commit to a full novel. Cohen said of her hiring, “I like to think, rather than that I was cheap and available, it’s because I’m very much interested in characterization and motivation and dynamics, and Bill thought that would be a good mix with Terry, whose vision is very filmic: he’s so good on plot and narrative pace and action.”

The pair admitted that working on the book was unlike their other literary efforts. Both Universal Studios and Apple were engaged with the project, something that Hayes said made sense.

“They had their demands, but that was understandable. This is not just a standalone book or even a standalone film: they’re hoping it’s the start of a huge franchise,” he explained. “It was frustrating on occasions, but, you know, what isn’t?”

In a Thursday appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” Howard denied Swift’s involvement with the book. However, Howard acknowledged that Swift certainly influenced elements of her character’s appearance and demeanor — but when it came to penning the book, “She didn’t. She’s not [Elly Conway].”

“Matthew Vaughn saw a picture of Taylor Swift with a backpack and because she is the patron saint of cat ladies pretty much, [he] was like, ‘Who is this person who is carrying — will not leave their home without their cat, and this seems like a good situation,’ and so, yeah, in large part that was inspired by Taylor,” she added.

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‘Argylle’ Misfires With $18 Million Opening as Box Office Stays in Slump https://www.thewrap.com/argylle-box-office-flop/ https://www.thewrap.com/argylle-box-office-flop/#respond Sun, 04 Feb 2024 16:02:00 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7485231 Matthew Vaughn's spy film opens to weak reception from both critics and audiences

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Universal/Apple’s “Argylle” got off to a sluggish start at the box office with an $18 million domestic and $35.3 million global opening weekend, amidst negative critical and audience reception.

That $18 million launch in North America is consistent with pre-release tracking, but is half of the opening of director Matthew Vaughn’s 2017 film “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” and only slightly above the $16.5 million opening of Amazon MGM’s Jason Statham action thriller “The Beekeeper” last month.

For Universal, this result is one they can easily shrug off, given that they are simply distributors on this film. But it’s not a good sign for Apple, which spent an estimated $200 million on production and reached a distribution deal with Universal for the project as part of its plan to spend big on auteur-driven films that can raise the profile of Apple TV+ among both audiences and prospective filmmakers.

While it’s difficult to say whether Apple is getting what it wants out of films like Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” — especially since Apple isn’t disclosing streaming subscriber numbers — “Argylle” was marketed as a more crowd-pleasing film than either of those movies and, as those who saw the movie discovered, has turned out to be a backdoor spinoff to the “Kingsman” film series.

But it’s not looking like audiences are interested in seeing more of Agent Argylle. Along with the film’s 35% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, “Argylle” received a C+ on CinemaScore. That’s the lowest grade ever for a Matthew Vaughn film. The only glimmer of hope for the movie is that it overperformed in major markets on Saturday, bumping opening weekend estimates up from $16.5 million to $18 million.

“Argylle” also isn’t doing much to pull the box office out of the frigid state it has been in since Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, as overall weekend grosses are set to stay in the same range as last weekend at $59-61 million. Next weekend likely will be the same as Focus Features’ “Lisa Frankenstein” will be the sole wide release on the historically slow Super Bowl weekend.

The only other major newcomer this weekend is Fathom Events’ release of “The Chosen: Season 4, Episode-1-3.” As the title suggests, it is the first three episodes of the new season of Angel Studios’ hit Christian streaming series, which fans have flocked to theaters to see together when new episodes first release.

Industry estimates have the episodes grossing $3.3 million from 2,200 theaters this weekend, the widest release by Fathom for a “Chosen” episode drop as the event film distributor plans to do a similar release for the next three episodes later this month.

But that’s not enough to crack the top 5, which aside from “Argylle” consists of films in their fourth weekend of play or later. Two musicals, Warner Bros.’ “Wonka” and Paramount’s “Mean Girls,” each hit domestic milestones of $200 million and $100 million respectively. That’s a victory for a genre that has performed inconsistently at the box office since the pandemic theater closures, though the films’ musical elements were concealed in their marketing.

“Wonka” is also a major win for Warner Bros., which went through a feast-or-famine year in 2023 with “Barbie” setting an all-time studio box office record while the DC franchise struggled ahead of its 2025 reboot. The Timothée Chalamet film is the first movie since “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” dominated the box office to pass $200 million domestic and $500 million worldwide.

Finally, Searchlight’s “Poor Things” and Amazon MGM’s “American Fiction” are showing solid holds in their second weekend since being nominated for Oscars. “Poor Things” added $2.1 million this weekend, dropping just 27% from the weekend prior as it now stands at $28.2 million domestic and $68.3 million worldwide. “American Fiction” dropped just 11% as it added $2.3 million, bringing its domestic total to $15 million.

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Apple’s ‘Argylle’ Leaves Box Office in Drought With Weak $16.5 Million Opening https://www.thewrap.com/argylle-box-office-slump/ https://www.thewrap.com/argylle-box-office-slump/#respond Sat, 03 Feb 2024 15:36:42 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7485025 Matthew Vaughn film faces negative reviews as Warner Bros.' "Wonka" hits $200 million domestic

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Universal/Apple’s “Argylle” stumbled out of the gate at the box office, suffering weak critical and audience reception as it opens to an estimated $16.5 million from 3,605 theaters.

That’s enough to place Matthew Vaughn’s film in the No. 1 spot at the box office, but that says more about the weak state the market is in now as the rest of the top 5 are holdover titles in their fourth weekend of play or later, all grossing between $4 million and $5 million each.

The mid-teens domestic launch of “Argylle,” which includes around $17 million overseas for a $33.4 million global start, is water off the back of Universal, which is only a distribution partner for the film.

But the result is bad news for Apple, which spent an estimated $200 million to make the film and made a deal with Universal to release “Argylle” in theaters as part of its plan to spend hundreds of millions on auteur-driven films in the hopes that it will build word-of-mouth for their Apple TV+ streaming release.

Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” may not have turned a profit against its immense budget theatrically, but its critical acclaim and Oscar nominations elevated its presence on streaming earlier this month.

“Argylle” on the other hand, is getting a thumbs down from critics and audiences alike, receiving a C+ on CinemaScore and a 35% critics Rotten Tomatoes score. With the box office-draining Super Bowl next week and competition like Paramount’s “Bob Marley: One Love” coming up, “Argylle” may see steep drops in the weekends ahead.

The one other major milestone in the top 5 this weekend is Warner Bros.’ “Wonka,” which has passed the $200 million domestic mark in its eighth weekend. It is the first film since summer 2023 hits “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” to cross that mark, as the Paul King/Timothee Chalamet musical has carried the box office through an inconsistent winter.

Outside the top 5, Fathom Events and Angel Studios released the first three episodes of the fourth season of “The Chosen” in 2,200 theaters, grossing an industry estimated $3.3 million this weekend. “The Chosen” has become a major pillar of Fathom Events’ release slate, with fans of the indie Christian series regularly heading out to see new episodes together in theaters despite their presence on streaming.

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