‘Mission: Impossible’ Provides a Summer Box Office Dead Reckoning: Sequels Are Making Audiences Wary
Maybe Tom Cruise won’t be playing Ethan Hunt at 80.
“Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount) grossed $80 million in five days in the U.S./Canada, with a worldwide total of $235 million. That’s needed money for theaters and stronger than expected Thursday-to-Sunday results elevated the gross from what some thought might be as low as $70 million.
With its A Cinemascore, this seems like a film that might not suffer the falloff experienced this summer by several other multi-hundred million dollar productions. Less clear is whether it can maintain the stellar longer run of “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” in 2018.
“Barbie”Warner Bros./screenshot
However, “Fallout” was released in late July with minor August competition. Next weekend, “Dead Reckoning” faces “Barbie” (Warner Bros. Discovery), which is expected to open way over $100 million, and “Oppenheimer,” which will gross less while absorbing almost all of the premium screens currently occupied by Tom Cruise.
“Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount) grossed $80 million in five days in the U.S./Canada, with a worldwide total of $235 million. That’s needed money for theaters and stronger than expected Thursday-to-Sunday results elevated the gross from what some thought might be as low as $70 million.
With its A Cinemascore, this seems like a film that might not suffer the falloff experienced this summer by several other multi-hundred million dollar productions. Less clear is whether it can maintain the stellar longer run of “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” in 2018.
“Barbie”Warner Bros./screenshot
However, “Fallout” was released in late July with minor August competition. Next weekend, “Dead Reckoning” faces “Barbie” (Warner Bros. Discovery), which is expected to open way over $100 million, and “Oppenheimer,” which will gross less while absorbing almost all of the premium screens currently occupied by Tom Cruise.
- 7/16/2023
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
If Tom Cruise were a screenwriter, this would have his fingerprints all over it: Two days before “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part 1” (Paramount) opens, theaters are in desperate need of a hero. Again.
Sony opened “Insidious: The Red Door” on a week that more-anticipated titles avoided in fear of being squashed between the openings of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and “Mission.” It was a smart move: The fifth iteration of a horror franchise that’s more than a decade old grossed with nearly $33 million. Its before-marketing cost was $16 million.
“Sound of Freedom” (Angel) was another strong surprise performer. Angel estimates $18 million for the weekend, good for #3. This is in addition to $19 million or more from daily totals that began July 4. The distributor reported a total over $40 million.
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”Jonathan Olley / Lucasfilm Ltd.
And then there’s “Indiana,” the franchise’s most...
Sony opened “Insidious: The Red Door” on a week that more-anticipated titles avoided in fear of being squashed between the openings of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and “Mission.” It was a smart move: The fifth iteration of a horror franchise that’s more than a decade old grossed with nearly $33 million. Its before-marketing cost was $16 million.
“Sound of Freedom” (Angel) was another strong surprise performer. Angel estimates $18 million for the weekend, good for #3. This is in addition to $19 million or more from daily totals that began July 4. The distributor reported a total over $40 million.
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”Jonathan Olley / Lucasfilm Ltd.
And then there’s “Indiana,” the franchise’s most...
- 7/9/2023
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
[Editor’s note: The following interview contains spoilers.]
Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones is back in fine form for swan song “The Dial of Destiny,” dodging former Nazi rival Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) alongside estranged goddaughter/treasure hunter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) while chasing after Archimedes’ Antikythera (the titular dial).
But director James Mangold fully embraced the senior daredevil archaeologist being out of step in the turbulent ’60s, putting Indy firmly in the time period by collaborating with production designer Adam Stockhausen (“Asteroid City”) on several action-packed historical recreations. Audiences see everything from the Nazi castle and plunder train during the 1944 prologue (boasting a de-aged Ford by Ilm) and the Apollo 11 astronaut ticker-tape parade in New York City to the Ear of Dionysius cave in Sicily and a battle with the invading Romans in 213 Bce.
“We had a very unusual early process where I was able to do sketching work in real-time as [Mangold] was developing the script,” Stockhausen told IndieWire.
Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones is back in fine form for swan song “The Dial of Destiny,” dodging former Nazi rival Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) alongside estranged goddaughter/treasure hunter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) while chasing after Archimedes’ Antikythera (the titular dial).
But director James Mangold fully embraced the senior daredevil archaeologist being out of step in the turbulent ’60s, putting Indy firmly in the time period by collaborating with production designer Adam Stockhausen (“Asteroid City”) on several action-packed historical recreations. Audiences see everything from the Nazi castle and plunder train during the 1944 prologue (boasting a de-aged Ford by Ilm) and the Apollo 11 astronaut ticker-tape parade in New York City to the Ear of Dionysius cave in Sicily and a battle with the invading Romans in 213 Bce.
“We had a very unusual early process where I was able to do sketching work in real-time as [Mangold] was developing the script,” Stockhausen told IndieWire.
- 7/5/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
July, the season of fireworks, vacations, and light-hearted blockbusters, represents this summer’s last shot at a $100 million opening. It will also determine if box office has a shot at improving on last year’s $3.4 billion total.
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (Disney) opens tomorrow, “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount) is July 12, and “Barbie” (Warner Bros. Discovery) and “Oppenheimer” (Universal) are July 19. All are expected to open to at least $50 million; $100 million is not entirely unrealistic, but it may be unlikely. All told, the month could represent anywhere from $1 billion to as much as $1.4 billion.
Going in, the hope was a $4 billion summer — an 18 percent improvement above the 2022 total of just under $3.4 billion. So far, the improvement is 3.5 percent, on track for $3.5 billion. Even that isn’t guaranteed, although there’s hope that August will represent a significant improvement over a very weak 2022.
The June estimate is slightly over $1 billion,...
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (Disney) opens tomorrow, “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount) is July 12, and “Barbie” (Warner Bros. Discovery) and “Oppenheimer” (Universal) are July 19. All are expected to open to at least $50 million; $100 million is not entirely unrealistic, but it may be unlikely. All told, the month could represent anywhere from $1 billion to as much as $1.4 billion.
Going in, the hope was a $4 billion summer — an 18 percent improvement above the 2022 total of just under $3.4 billion. So far, the improvement is 3.5 percent, on track for $3.5 billion. Even that isn’t guaranteed, although there’s hope that August will represent a significant improvement over a very weak 2022.
The June estimate is slightly over $1 billion,...
- 6/30/2023
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
The walls of James Mangold’s spacious office on the Fox lot are covered with posters, many of which are for his own films: “Ford v. Ferrari,” “3:10 to Yuma,” “Walk the Line,” “Cop Land,” and “Logan.” It’s a reminder that this week’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is not the first time he’s steered a vintage franchise into port.
“Logan” tracked a similar arc, as an aging Wolverine makes peace with his daughter while facing his own mortality. It gave Mangold confidence that dealing with Indiana Jones’ seniority was not a problem. “In both cases,” he said, slouching on a sofa in his office, “you’re faced with a hero in a twilight of their life having a reckoning with who and what they are.”
There are reasons, many of which are good, why an established filmmaker should avoid a high-profile sequel. Sky-high expectations...
“Logan” tracked a similar arc, as an aging Wolverine makes peace with his daughter while facing his own mortality. It gave Mangold confidence that dealing with Indiana Jones’ seniority was not a problem. “In both cases,” he said, slouching on a sofa in his office, “you’re faced with a hero in a twilight of their life having a reckoning with who and what they are.”
There are reasons, many of which are good, why an established filmmaker should avoid a high-profile sequel. Sky-high expectations...
- 6/27/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The as-yet-to-be-titled Arkham Asylum series at HBO Max has added Antonio Campos as showrunner. According to Variety, sources say that Campos will direct and serve as showrunner/executive producer on The Batman spinoff series. Most recently, Campos was the writer, director, executive producer, and showrunner on HBO‘s The Staircase. (Credit: Jonathan Olley / © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection) The Staircase, an eight-episode limited series, was inspired by the true story of the case of North Carolina author Michael Peterson who was accused of pushing his wife Kathleen down the stairs in their sprawling mansion in Durham in December of 2001. Campos also served as executive producer on Season 2 of The Sinner for the USA Network. There is no series description for the Arkham Asylum project as of yet, but in March of this year Variety reported that The Batman director Matt Reeves had this to say about the series, “We’ve...
- 10/26/2022
- TV Insider
The Batman is coming to HBO Max. The Warner Bros. Pictures blockbuster film from writer and director Matt Reeves will make its streaming debut just over a month after it premiered in theaters. Beginning Monday, April 18, subscribers can join Robert Pattinson‘s caped crusader in Gotham City for a mystery that takes that vigilante detective and reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne on one wild adventure. Following the movie’s streaming debut, fans can catch its official first HBO airing on Saturday, April 23 at 8/7c. (Credit: Jonathan Olley / © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection) When a killer begins targeting Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic torture scenarios, Batman will embark on an investigation into a trail of cryptic clues that leads him to an underworld filled with familiar characters ranging from Selina Kyle, The Penguin, and Carmine Falcone to The Riddler. Aiding Batman in his efforts to unmask Gotham’s latest threat is James Gordon,...
- 4/11/2022
- TV Insider
Robert Pattinson as Batman in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “The Batman,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/ & © DC Comics. Copyright: © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Matt Reeves goes noir for The Batman, the latest in a long line of Batman reboots, and this time featuring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader. Reeves, whose previous work includes Cloverfield, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes and its sequel, gives us a dark world, where it always seems to be raining, where corners are dimly lit and gritty streets are littered. The imagery suggests The Joker or even Blade Runner, but this film is not as high-concept as either of those films. While the film noir style is gorgeous and the supporting cast strong, Pattinson’s one-note brooding, a plot with too many villains and not enough focus, and a nearly three-hour running time keep the film from truly soaring.
Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/ & © DC Comics. Copyright: © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Matt Reeves goes noir for The Batman, the latest in a long line of Batman reboots, and this time featuring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader. Reeves, whose previous work includes Cloverfield, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes and its sequel, gives us a dark world, where it always seems to be raining, where corners are dimly lit and gritty streets are littered. The imagery suggests The Joker or even Blade Runner, but this film is not as high-concept as either of those films. While the film noir style is gorgeous and the supporting cast strong, Pattinson’s one-note brooding, a plot with too many villains and not enough focus, and a nearly three-hour running time keep the film from truly soaring.
- 3/4/2022
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
If you need more Star Wars, you’re in luck. There are quite a few new shows (and one returning) coming to Disney+. Check them out below. Ahsoka (Tba) Rosario Dawson is set to reprise her role as saber-wielding badass Ahsoka Tano, the former student of Anakin Skywalker (before he went dark), originally introduced in the popular animated film and series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Dawson donned the Togruta-born icon’s montrals as the first live-action iteration of the character for The Mandalorian Season 2 and immediately earned raves. Now, we’ll get to see what she’s been up to since her run-in with Grogu and Mando (Pedro Pascal), and rumor is, it may involve a certain blue-skinned baddie and some Star Wars: Rebels alums come to life. —Damian Holbrook Diego Luna in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Jonathan Olley /© Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Lucasfilm Ltd. /Courtesy...
- 12/21/2021
- TV Insider
Author: Zehra Phelan
Thanks to EW and their latest special Star Wars: The Last Jedi edition character details for the upcoming highly anticipated film have been shooting at us quicker than a laser beam. So far we have had details surrounding the late great Carrie Fisher’s General Leia story arc as well as Oscar Isaac’s Poe and Benicio del Toro’s mysterious role.
Related: Star Wars: The Last Jedi News and Images
So, what have we learned so far is that The Last Jedi is venturing down the emotive path with General Leia, her husband has been taken away from her at the hands of her son, which can have been easy even for Leia. The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson said of Leia, whilst careful not to say too much, “She’s just taken hit after hit, and she’s borne it, and she focuses on moving...
Thanks to EW and their latest special Star Wars: The Last Jedi edition character details for the upcoming highly anticipated film have been shooting at us quicker than a laser beam. So far we have had details surrounding the late great Carrie Fisher’s General Leia story arc as well as Oscar Isaac’s Poe and Benicio del Toro’s mysterious role.
Related: Star Wars: The Last Jedi News and Images
So, what have we learned so far is that The Last Jedi is venturing down the emotive path with General Leia, her husband has been taken away from her at the hands of her son, which can have been easy even for Leia. The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson said of Leia, whilst careful not to say too much, “She’s just taken hit after hit, and she’s borne it, and she focuses on moving...
- 8/11/2017
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Pick up People’s special issue, Star Wars: The Secrets of Rogue One, on newsstands now — including a special Star Wars virtual-reality bonus with goggles included! (Or click hereto order now.) And watch People Special: Star Wars Rogue One on the new People/Entertainment Weekly Network (Pen). Go to People.com/Pen, or download the Pen app on Apple TV, Roku Players, Amazon Fire TV, Xumo, Chromecast, iOS and Android devices.
Felicity Jones has a fan in Diego Luna.
Luna stopped by the People Now Studio recently, where he opened up about starring alongside Jones in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Felicity Jones has a fan in Diego Luna.
Luna stopped by the People Now Studio recently, where he opened up about starring alongside Jones in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
- 12/16/2016
- by jodiguglielmi
- PEOPLE.com
Felicity Jones may make kicking ass as rebel fighter Jyn Erso in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story look easy, but she’s the first to admit that it didn’t happen overnight.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s amazing!’ ” she tells People in this week’s issue of when she was first offered the role. “But then I thought, ‘I’ve got to get to the gym!’ ”
For months, Jones was trained in combat, and she even became an expert at using a truncheon (baton): “I spent hours wielding it in my apartment.”
Jonathan Olley/2016 Lucasfilm...
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s amazing!’ ” she tells People in this week’s issue of when she was first offered the role. “But then I thought, ‘I’ve got to get to the gym!’ ”
For months, Jones was trained in combat, and she even became an expert at using a truncheon (baton): “I spent hours wielding it in my apartment.”
Jonathan Olley/2016 Lucasfilm...
- 12/15/2016
- by jodiguglielmi
- PEOPLE.com
Pick up People’s special issue, Star Wars: The Secrets of Rogue One, on newsstands now — including a special Star Wars virtual-reality bonus with goggles included! And watch People Special: Star Wars Rogue One on the new People/Entertainment Weekly Network (Pen). Go to People.com/Pen, or download the Pen app on Apple TV, Roku Players, Amazon Fire TV, Xumo, Chromecast, iOS and Android devices.
The saga’s first stand-alone film establishes its independence early — in the second frame. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story begins with the familiar message, “A long time ago in a galaxy far,...
The saga’s first stand-alone film establishes its independence early — in the second frame. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story begins with the familiar message, “A long time ago in a galaxy far,...
- 12/13/2016
- by Kara Warner
- PEOPLE.com
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC9abcLLQpI&w=640&h=390]
A new trailer for the highly anticipated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story debuted on Thursday on Good Morning America, giving fans a glimpse into Jyn Erso’s past — and her complicated relationship with her father.
The trailer begins with Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) comforting his young daughter as Imperial forces advance on a farm.
“Jyn, whatever I do, I do it to protect you,” he says, before an adult Jyn (Felicity Jones) wakes up in a prison cell.
Once Jyn breaks out of prison with the help of Alliance forces and learns her father is “critical to the development of the super weapon,...
A new trailer for the highly anticipated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story debuted on Thursday on Good Morning America, giving fans a glimpse into Jyn Erso’s past — and her complicated relationship with her father.
The trailer begins with Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) comforting his young daughter as Imperial forces advance on a farm.
“Jyn, whatever I do, I do it to protect you,” he says, before an adult Jyn (Felicity Jones) wakes up in a prison cell.
Once Jyn breaks out of prison with the help of Alliance forces and learns her father is “critical to the development of the super weapon,...
- 10/13/2016
- by jodiguglielmi
- PEOPLE.com
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has unveiled synopses, images and information for their 2016 releases.
First up is the highly anticipated Doctor Strange.
Marvel’s Doctor Strange follows the story of neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.
The cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, and Michael Stuhlbarg with Mads Mikkelsen and Tilda Swinton. Marvel’s Doctor Strange is directed by Scott Derrickson and produced by Kevin Feige. The film opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 4, 2016.
Chris Pine stars as Captain Bernie Webber in Disney’s The Finest Hours, the heroic action-thriller presented in Digital 3D (Tm) and IMAX (c) 3D based on the extraordinary true story of the most daring rescue mission in the history of the Coast Guard. (Trailer)
On February 18, 1952, a massive nor’easter struck New England, pummeling towns along the Eastern seaboard...
First up is the highly anticipated Doctor Strange.
Marvel’s Doctor Strange follows the story of neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.
The cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, and Michael Stuhlbarg with Mads Mikkelsen and Tilda Swinton. Marvel’s Doctor Strange is directed by Scott Derrickson and produced by Kevin Feige. The film opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 4, 2016.
Chris Pine stars as Captain Bernie Webber in Disney’s The Finest Hours, the heroic action-thriller presented in Digital 3D (Tm) and IMAX (c) 3D based on the extraordinary true story of the most daring rescue mission in the history of the Coast Guard. (Trailer)
On February 18, 1952, a massive nor’easter struck New England, pummeling towns along the Eastern seaboard...
- 1/7/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Artist: Jonathan Olley Spectre © 2015 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Danjaq, LLC and Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sony Pictures has released this photo of director Sam Mendes on the set of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/Eon Production action adventure Spectre.
The latest behind-the-scenes footage from the set of Spectre focuses on Mendes and includes Daniel Craig as James Bond, Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny and Ben Whishaw as Q.
A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind Spectre.
Joining Daniel Craig (Ian Fleming’s James Bond), Ralph Fiennes (M), Ben Whishaw (Q), Naomie Harris (Miss Moneypenny) and Rory Kinnear (Tanner) are Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann, Monica Bellucci as Lucia Sciarra, David Bautista as Mr Hinx,...
Sony Pictures has released this photo of director Sam Mendes on the set of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/Eon Production action adventure Spectre.
The latest behind-the-scenes footage from the set of Spectre focuses on Mendes and includes Daniel Craig as James Bond, Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny and Ben Whishaw as Q.
A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind Spectre.
Joining Daniel Craig (Ian Fleming’s James Bond), Ralph Fiennes (M), Ben Whishaw (Q), Naomie Harris (Miss Moneypenny) and Rory Kinnear (Tanner) are Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann, Monica Bellucci as Lucia Sciarra, David Bautista as Mr Hinx,...
- 2/26/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Yesterday the New York Film Critics Circle (Nyfcc) named Zero Dark Thirty Best Picture. Wins also went to Kathryn Bigelow, Best Director and Greig Fraser, Best Cinematography. Here’s the latest clip from Columbia Pictures’ film.
The hunt for Osama bin Laden preoccupied the world and two American presidential administrations for more than a decade. But in the end, it took a small, dedicated team of CIA operatives to track him down. Every aspect of their mission was shrouded in secrecy. Though some of the details have since been made public, many of the most significant parts of the intelligence operation – including the central role played by that team – are brought to the screen for the first time in a nuanced and gripping new film by the Oscar®-winning creative duo of Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal.
Their account of bin Laden.s pursuit and capture, vivid yet faithful to the facts,...
The hunt for Osama bin Laden preoccupied the world and two American presidential administrations for more than a decade. But in the end, it took a small, dedicated team of CIA operatives to track him down. Every aspect of their mission was shrouded in secrecy. Though some of the details have since been made public, many of the most significant parts of the intelligence operation – including the central role played by that team – are brought to the screen for the first time in a nuanced and gripping new film by the Oscar®-winning creative duo of Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal.
Their account of bin Laden.s pursuit and capture, vivid yet faithful to the facts,...
- 12/5/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker The Hurt Locker's Academy Award winners Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal have been receiving assistance from the Barack Obama Administration for their project about the Navy Seal raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan earlier this year, according to a Maureen Dowd report in the New York Times. In her article, Dowd affirms that "the moviemakers are getting top-level access to the most classified mission in history from an administration that has tried to throw more people in jail for leaking classified information than the Bush administration." Following the publication of Dowd's article, Republican New York Congressman and chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Peter King has called for an investigation on the type of cooperation the Obama Administration has been providing to the filmmakers. In a letter to Inspector General Gordon S. Hedell, published at Deadline.com, King wrote: The...
- 8/11/2011
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
Check out our primer on the action thriller before you hit the theater.
By Eric Ditzian
Matt Damon in "Green Zone"
Photo: Jonathan Olley/ Universal Pictures
Call it Jason Bourne in the real world. Or the third big-screen iteration of Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass' lone-man-on-a-life-threatening-quest nail-biters. Or a run-and-gun, shaky-cam thriller about war, nation building and the dangerous search for truth.
However you want to label "Green Zone," some simple facts remain: The film is a loose adaptation of the 2006 book, "Imperial Life in the Emerald City," by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran. Damon plays a military man named Roy Miller tasked with locating weapons of mass destruction following the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. When the Wmd don't turn up, Miller's mission becomes much different: get to the bottom of exactly how the U.S. became embroiled in a war rapidly descending into chaos.
MTV News has been conducting...
By Eric Ditzian
Matt Damon in "Green Zone"
Photo: Jonathan Olley/ Universal Pictures
Call it Jason Bourne in the real world. Or the third big-screen iteration of Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass' lone-man-on-a-life-threatening-quest nail-biters. Or a run-and-gun, shaky-cam thriller about war, nation building and the dangerous search for truth.
However you want to label "Green Zone," some simple facts remain: The film is a loose adaptation of the 2006 book, "Imperial Life in the Emerald City," by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran. Damon plays a military man named Roy Miller tasked with locating weapons of mass destruction following the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. When the Wmd don't turn up, Miller's mission becomes much different: get to the bottom of exactly how the U.S. became embroiled in a war rapidly descending into chaos.
MTV News has been conducting...
- 3/12/2010
- MTV Movie News
The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) ("*" denotes the winner in each category) Best motion picture of the year “Avatar” (20th Century Fox), A Lightstorm Entertainment Production, James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.), An Alcon Entertainment Production, Nominees to be determined “District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing), A Block/Hanson Production, Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers “An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Finola Dwyer/Wildgaze Films Production, Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers * “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), A Voltage Pictures Production, Nominees to be determined “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), A Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures/A Band Apart/Zehnte Babelsberg Production, Lawrence Bender, Producer “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate), A Lee Daniels Entertainment/Smokewood Entertainment Production, Lee Daniels, Sarah [...]...
- 3/8/2010
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
At easyodds.com you can bet on who will win the 2010 Oscar. Things look good for Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock, Kathryn Bigelow, Christoph Waltz (1-20), Mo’Nique, and The Hurt Locker. Meryl Streep and Avatar come in second place, not far behind the top choices in their respective categories. At the other end, things don’t look all that good for Morgan Freeman (25-1), Jeremy Renner (28-1), Helen Mirren (80-1), Gabourey Sidibe (20-1), Quentin Tarantino (33-1), Jason Reitman (150-1), Lee Daniels (150-1), Matt Damon (40-1), Penelope Cruz (33-1), or Maggie Gyllenhaal (40-1). And the odds are totally against District 9 (150-1), An Education (150-1), and A Serious Man (200-1). Photo: The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment)...
- 3/4/2010
- by Joan Lister
- Alt Film Guide
2010 London Film Critics’ Circle Awards 2010 London Film Critics’ nominations: Dec. 21, 2009 2010 London Film Critics’ winners: Feb. 18, 2010 ("*" denotes the winner in each category) Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) Film Of The Year Avatar The Hurt Locker * A Prophet The White Ribbon Up in the Air The Attenborough Award: British Film Of The Year Bright Star An Education * Fish Tank In the Loop Moon Foreign Language Film Of The Year The Class Katyn * Let the Right One In A Prophet The White Ribbon Director Of The Year Jacques Audiard – A Prophet * Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker James Cameron – Avatar Michael Haneke – The White Ribbon Jason Reitman – Up in the Air British Director Of The Year * Andrea Arnold – Fish Tank Armando Iannucci [...]...
- 2/19/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) Their film’s Producers Guild win was great news for the Hurt Locker team. Just yesterday at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Jeremy Renner lost the best actor award to Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart — admittedly, no big surprise — but much more damning, the film’s cast lost SAG’s ensemble award to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. In fact, things began looking more than a little grim for The Hurt Locker after its double loss to Avatar at the Golden Globes last week. Although it’s true that Hollywood Foreign Press Association voters and Academy Award voters are two very distinct groups, all the hoopla surrounding Avatar’s surprise wins — best picture [...]...
- 1/25/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Vera Farmiga, George Clooney in Up in the Air (Dale Robinette / Paramount); Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment); James Cameron’s Avatar (Weta / 20th Century Fox) Hosted by Ricky Gervais, the 2010 Golden Globes ceremony will be broadcast live coast to coast later this evening, January 17, on NBC (5 to 8 pm Pt, 8 to 11 pm Et) from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. (Please, scroll down for our final predictions.) Golden Globe presenters include more than 50 stars and stars-in-the-making, from screen siren Sophia Loren to screen werewolf Taylor Lautner — and just everything in-between, including two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster, two-time Oscar winner and (more recently) [...]...
- 1/17/2010
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Chicago – The most critically acclaimed film of the year, Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” is finally available on DVD and Blu-ray. The war movie made a measly $13 million in theaters, a number that has been thrown around several times as to why the film won’t win the Oscar for Best Picture. Millions of viewers will catch up to this modern masterpiece on DVD and Blu-ray and regret not having experienced it in theaters.
DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0
You don’t just have to take my word for it. The film has not only appeared on dozens of top tens for 2009 but also on a few lists for the best works of the decade. Roger Ebert named it the 2nd best film of the last ten years. The Chicago Film Critics Association awarded the movie an amazing five awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Jeremy Renner), Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow), Best...
DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0
You don’t just have to take my word for it. The film has not only appeared on dozens of top tens for 2009 but also on a few lists for the best works of the decade. Roger Ebert named it the 2nd best film of the last ten years. The Chicago Film Critics Association awarded the movie an amazing five awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Jeremy Renner), Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow), Best...
- 1/12/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Pete Docter’s Up (Disney / Pixar) (top); Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) (bottom) And the Golden Tomato goes to… Pete Docter’s animated feature Up and Kathryn Bigelow’s Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker. In the former, a old widower travels to South America carrying his house along with him; in the latter, a bomb-squad unit goes about trying to defuse explosives in Iraq. Those two disparate films were the critics’ top favorites according to the website Rotten Tomatoes. The reviews for Pixar’s Up were 98 percent positive; those for The Hurt Locker were 97 percent positive. Previous Golden Tomato winners include two other Pixar productions, Wall-e in 2008 and Ratatouille in 2007. At the other extreme, [...]...
- 1/12/2010
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Kathryn Bigelow directing The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) is a first-time Directors Guild of America nominee, but her former husband James Cameron (Avatar) won the DGA Award for his megablockbuster Titanic back in early 1998. Lee Daniels (Precious) and Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) are two other first-timers, while this is Quentin Tarantino’s second nod (Inglourious Basterds) — his first was for Pulp Fiction (1994). Bigelow is only the seventh (not fourth, as previously reported) woman to get a DGA nomination in the motion picture category, following Lina Wertmüller (Seven Beauties, 1976), Randa Haines (Children of a Lesser God, 1986), Barbra Streisand (The Prince of Tides, 1991), Jane Campion [...]...
- 1/7/2010
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker has just won another best picture award, this one from the Online Film Critics Society. The other nominees in that category were Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, Joel and Ethan Coen’s A Serious Man, Pete Docter’s Up, and Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air. Additionally, The Hurt Locker won for Best Director (Bigelow), Best Actor (Jeremy Renner), and Best Editing (Chris Innis and Bob Murawski). The Iraq War drama about a bomb-squad team is one of the favorites for the 2010 Academy Awards. Quentin Tarantino’s World War II revenge fantasy Inglourious Basterds also won four Ofcs awards: Best Actress [...]...
- 1/6/2010
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) The Hurt Locker was the National Society of Film Critics’ big winner. The war drama about a bomb squad doing their work in the dangerous streets of an Iraqi city was voted best film of 2009, and earned honors for director Kathryn Bigelow and actor Jeremy Renner. Most Us film critic’ groups have picked The Hurt Locker as the best film of 2009 and Bigelow as best director. Jeremy Renner has also received several citations and is up for a SAG Award. The Nsfc’s best actress was — I told you not be surprised — Cesar winner Yolande Moreau for Séraphine, in which she plays Séraphine de Senlis, a houseworker [...]...
- 1/3/2010
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) The Hurt Locker was the National Society of Film Critics’ big winner. The war drama about a bomb squad in the dangerous streets of an Iraqi city was voted best film of 2009, and earned honors for director Kathryn Bigelow and actor Jeremy Renner. Most Us film critic’ groups have picked The Hurt Locker as the best film of 2009 and Bigelow as best director. Jeremy Renner has also received several citations and is up for a SAG Award. The Nsfc’s best actress was — I told you not be surprised — Cesar winner Yolande Moreau for Seraphine, in which she plays Seraphine de Senlis, a houseworker who also happens [...]...
- 1/3/2010
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Diane Kruger, Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds (François Duhamel / The Weinstein Co.) (top); Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) (bottom) The Online Film Critics Society has announced its list of nominees for 2009. Avatar may be a huge blockbuster-in-the-making, but Ofcs members apparently weren’t that impressed. James Cameron’s sci-fi adventure epic earned three nominations: best director, best cinematography (Mauro Fiore), and best editing (Steve R. Moore, John Refoua and Stephen Rivkin). Actually, that’s not bad at all, but … The Hurt Locker, with about $12 million in grosses at the domestic box office, received seven nominations, including best picture, best director (Kathryn Bigelow, Cameron’s former wife), best actor (Jeremy Renner), best supporting actor (Anthony Mackie), [...]...
- 12/31/2009
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) Thus far, The Hurt Locker is the top choice among American film critics. The Iraq War drama directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal, has won about a dozen awards from Us-based critics’ groups, including those from the country’s three largest metropolitan areas: New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Although The Hurt Locker is surely going to get an Oscar nomination come next February, the film’s chances of actually winning the award remain iffy in spite of a SAG nomination (and likely win) for best ensemble. Either Jason Reitman’s dramatic comedy Up in the Air, in which George Clooney plays a corporate-downsizing expert, or James Cameron’s generally well-received [...]...
- 12/29/2009
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) The Hurt Locker has won another critics’ award for best picture, this time from the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (full list below). The Iraq War drama’s director, Kathryn Bigelow, received top honors as well, though screenwriter Mark Boal was once again bypassed by somebody else: Scott Neustadtler and Michael H. Weber’s (500) Days of Summer won the best original screenplay award, while Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner won for their Up in the Air adaptation. There were few surprises among winners, unless you count another Mo’Nique (for Precious), Christoph Waltz (for Inglourious Basterds), George Clooney (for Up in the Air), or (to a lesser extent) Meryl Streep (for [...]...
- 12/23/2009
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) Kathryn Bigelow’s Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker, which follows a bomb disposal unit as they go about doing their work, was the big winner with the Chicago Film Critics Association. The film won in each of the five categories it was nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay (for Mark Boal), Best Actor (Jeremy Renner) and Best Cinematography (Barry Ackroyd). This is one of Mark Boal’s few wins thus far. Despite the popularity of The Hurt Locker among Us film critics, Boal has been usually bypassed in favor of the screenwriters of Up in the Air, A Serious Man, or (500) Days of Summer. It [...]...
- 12/22/2009
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
2009 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2009 Chicago Film Critics winners: Dec. 21, 2009 ("*" denotes the winner in each category) Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) Best Picture * The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds A Serious Man Up in the Air Where the Wild Things Are Best Foreign-language Film Broken Embraces Red Cliff Sin Nombre Summer Hours * The White Ribbon Best Documentary * Anvil!: The True Story of Anvil Capitalism: A Love Story The Cove Food, Inc. Tyson Best Animated Feature Coraline Fantastic Mr. Fox Ponyo The Princess and the Frog * Up Best Director * Kathryn Bigelow (-) The Hurt Locker Joel & Ethan [...]...
- 12/21/2009
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
Chicago – Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” swept the Chicago Film Critics Association awards for 2009, winning in every single category in which it was nominated, taking home prizes for Best Picture, Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow), Best Original Screenplay (Mark Boal), Best Actor (Jeremy Renner), and Best Cinematography (Barry Ackroyd).
Other multiple winners for 2009 include “Up,” winner for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score, and “An Education,” winner for Best Actress and Most Promising Performer, both awarded to Carey Mulligan.
(Left to right) Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie star in The Hurt Locker.
Photo credit: Jonathan Olley
Christoph Waltz and Mo’Nique continued their awards season dominance, winning the Best Supporting acting awards for “Inglourious Basterds” and “Precious,” respectively.
The adapted screenplay award went to “Up in the Air” by Sheldon Turner and Jason Reitman. Best Foreign Language Film was awarded to Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” and Best Documentary went to “Anvil!
Other multiple winners for 2009 include “Up,” winner for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score, and “An Education,” winner for Best Actress and Most Promising Performer, both awarded to Carey Mulligan.
(Left to right) Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie star in The Hurt Locker.
Photo credit: Jonathan Olley
Christoph Waltz and Mo’Nique continued their awards season dominance, winning the Best Supporting acting awards for “Inglourious Basterds” and “Precious,” respectively.
The adapted screenplay award went to “Up in the Air” by Sheldon Turner and Jason Reitman. Best Foreign Language Film was awarded to Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” and Best Documentary went to “Anvil!
- 12/21/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) (top); Daniel Day-Lewis, Sophia Loren in Nine (David James / The Weinstein Co.) (bottom) The Hurt Locker and Nine were named, respectively, best film drama and comedy/musical by the International Press Academy on Sunday evening, Nov. 20. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who won the Ipa’s Satellite Award for best director, The Hurt Locker follows a bomb squad through the dangerous streets of an Iraqi city. The film has been winning tons of accolades and it’s one of the favorites for the 2010 Academy Awards. Its lead, Jeremy Renner, was named the year’s best actor. Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Penélope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Stacy Ferguson, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson star in [...]...
- 12/21/2009
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) The National Board of Review, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Screen Actors Guild, and critics from Los Angeles, Boston, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Indiana, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and Las Vegas, among others, have already announced their lists of 2009 winners and/or nominees. But that’s not all, folks. Several more critics’ groups are expected to announce their year-end winners or nominees in the next couple of weeks. Among those are: Detroit critics’ winners, London nominations, Chicago winners, St. Louis winners, Florida winners, Houston winners, and nominations from the Online Society of Film Critics. Plus results from Utah, Phoenix, Central Ohio, and Oklahoma critics’ groups. Expect to hear [...]...
- 12/18/2009
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
2009 Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) Best Picture The Hurt Locker Best Foreign Film Red Cliff (China) Best Documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil Best Animated Film Fantastic Mr. Fox Best Director Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker Best Actor Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker Best Actress Gabourey Sidibe, Precious Best Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds Best Supporting Actress Mo’Nique, Precious Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted) Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, 500 Days of Summer Best Cinematography Barry Ackroyd, The Hurt Locker Best Film Editing Bob Murawski, The Hurt Locker Best Score Michael Giacchino, Star Trek Best Song "The Weary Kind" (Theme from Crazy Heart) Music and Lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett Best Art Direction Avatar Best [...]...
- 12/17/2009
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
With the Golden Globe nominations on tap for Tuesday morning, you'll want to go ahead and bookmark Dave Karger's OscarWatch blog now. In addition to video interviews with folks like Colin Firth (A Single Man), Viggo Mortensen (The Road), and Jason Reitman (director of Up in the Air), you'll get his ongoing coverage of awards season, which, so far, has been quite kind to The Hurt Locker. Over the weekend, it took Best Picture from the Los Angeles and Boston critics, and was named one of AFI's Top 10 films of the year. (The New York Film Critics Online went with James Cameron's Avatar,...
- 12/14/2009
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW.com - PopWatch
Chicago – Filmmaking simply doesn’t get much more riveting than Kathryn Bigelow’s incredible “The Hurt Locker,” a cinematic experience unlike any other that you will have this year. Building and releasing tension better than her peers have in a long time, Bigelow has made not only the best Iraq War movie to date but the best film of 2009 at just over the halfway point.
Rating: 5.0/5.0 With “The Hurt Locker,” Bigelow takes viewers to the other side of the world to bring into relatable perspective a daily grind that most of us couldn’t even imagine. The leads in “The Hurt Locker” are soldiers in Iraq who diffuse bombs for a living, often in range of sniper fire and often with materials and equipment tragically unable to protect them should something go wrong.
Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “The Hurt Locker” in our reviews section. “The Hurt Locker” is a visceral,...
Rating: 5.0/5.0 With “The Hurt Locker,” Bigelow takes viewers to the other side of the world to bring into relatable perspective a daily grind that most of us couldn’t even imagine. The leads in “The Hurt Locker” are soldiers in Iraq who diffuse bombs for a living, often in range of sniper fire and often with materials and equipment tragically unable to protect them should something go wrong.
Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “The Hurt Locker” in our reviews section. “The Hurt Locker” is a visceral,...
- 7/9/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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