Don’t expect a flood of new movies in cinemas
It has become crunch time for US cinema distribution. All of the loose plans to release movies in the back half of COVID-filled 2020 now need to become firm plans. And the numbers aren’t looking great for it.
Yes, Tenet appears to have passed $200 million internationally (Warner Bros is undoubtedly very thankful that much of the world is on a pathway to stability). But in the US major markets like New York, San Francisco, and LA still don’t have cinemas open. This means Tenet only earned an additional $6.7 million in its second weekend of release. That’s only a 29% drop from the first weekend, but at a time where ticket sales are limited, they would have liked multiple weeks of solid attendance.
As we saw on Friday, Wonder Woman 1984 has been pushed back to December (from october) and now horror reboot Candyman has been dropped from its October release to sometime in 2021.
Read more: Indiewire
ALSO: Warner Bros are trying to control the narrative of the Tenet box office reporting. Read: Variety
“Don’t see our movie at the cinema”
Indie filmmakers Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, and Producer David Lawson have released a statement advising people not to see their film Synchronic (set for release Oct 23) in indoor cinemas.
I’m a big Moorhead/Benson fan (I loved their films The Endless and Resolution), so I’m left curious as to what sort of release it might get here in Australia.
Our thoughts about this year’s US release of SYNCHRONIC:September 11, 2020
Netflix buys Malcolm & Marie
Back in June actors Zendaya & John David Washington filmed a movie for Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson, based on a request from Zendaya (who stars in the HBO show Euphoria). The black & white film Malcolm & Marie was filmed during the quarantine in (what appears to have been) a single location
The buzzy film, which is a relationship drama starring two scorching hot actors, was highly sought after with Netflix signing a deal for the film worth approx $30 million. The bidding war for it included HBO, Amazon, Searchlight, MGM, Apple, A24, and Focus Features.
Washington plays a filmmaker who returns home with his girlfriend (Zendaya) following a celebratory movie premiere as he awaits what’s sure to be imminent critical and financial success. The evening suddenly takes a turn as revelations about their relationships begin to surface, testing the strength of their love.
There’s nothing about this that I’m not into:
- Small low-budget indie talkfest? Tick.
- Zendaya? Tick.
- John David Washington? Big Tick. Love this guy.
- A Netflix release, which likely means I’ll see this film in my loungeroom sooner than later? Huge tick.
Cuties controversy continues
The controversy surrounding the Netflix acquired movie Cuties continues with the film now becoming a culture wars icon.
From The New York Times:
Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, sent a letter to Attorney General William P. Barr on Friday asking the Justice Department to investigate whether Netflix, the company’s executives or the filmmakers violated federal laws “against the production and distribution of child pornography.”
But, also as per the NYT:
But like many of the film’s detractors, Mr. Cruz has not seen “Cuties,” according to a spokeswoman.
Auto Focus
There’s nothing better than watching movies with friends. Which is why Disney are testing a group watch feature on Disney+.
Users just click a group button on the same Disney+ page that one would press play on to watch a show/movie, which then allows you to invite friends to watch along with you. The feature allows for seven people to watch at a time, with interactivity in the form of chat and emojis.
Source: The Streamable
The Pawnee Electoral College
Several cast members of Parks & Recreation will appear at a town hall event that will raise money for the Democrats. There are surprise guests billed, but I wouldn’t expect them to be staunch Republicans Rob Lowe or Chris Pratt.
Excited to announce this—we're doing a #ParksAndRecReunion next week with @mradamscott @Nick_Offerman, @unfoRETTAble, @JimOHeir, Amy Poehler, and show creator Michael Schur (and surprise guests 😈)
Chip in ANY amount at the link in bio to get access to the full event.September 12, 2020
Do squats like Supergirl
Most EPK videos suck, but I kinda liked the spirit of this one which debuted at the DC Fandome event over the weekend. In the video the stunt team who work on the show Supergirl provide some exercise suggestions on how to best be your super self.
Trailer Park
Animaniacs makes its return to the world in November. This quasi-trailer brought me so much freakin’ joy.
Moonbase 8 starring Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker, and John C. Reilly debuts soon (exact date TBA) on Showtime (and streaming via Stan in Australia).
What’s next?
