'Superman' triumphs once again at North American box office
The Man of Steel has staying power: "Superman" topped the North American box office for a second week running and surpassed the $400 million mark worldwide, industry estimates showed Sunday.
Riding largely positive reviews, the latest big-budget action film featuring the iconic superhero from Warner Bros. and DC Studios earned $57.3 million in the United States and Canada, Exhibitor Relations said.
That puts its North American take at $235 million and its international sales at $171 million -- or $406 million globally.
"Jurassic World: Rebirth" -- the latest installment in the blockbuster dinosaur saga -- also held its ground in second place at $23.4 million. Its worldwide total stands at $647.2 million.
The Universal film, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali, takes viewers to an abandoned island research facility, where secrets -- and genetically mutated dinosaurs -- are lurking.
"I Know What You Did Last Summer," a sequel to two 1990s slasher hits that bring back the franchise's original stars Freddie Prinze Jr and Jennifer Love Hewitt, opened in third place at a disappointing $13 million.
"This is another horror series returning after a long layoff, in this case after 27 years," said industry analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.
"Generally, the layoffs don't bother these films; in fact, they get stronger... that's not happening here."
"Smurfs," the latest film featuring the adorable blue creatures and starring Rihanna as Smurfette, opened in a lackluster fourth place with $11 million in North American ticket sales.
"F1: The Movie," the Apple and Warner Bros. flick starring Brad Pitt as a washed-up Formula One driver who gets one last shot at redemption, finished in fifth place at $9.6 million.
"The current lineup in theaters is strong, with a broad selection of big titles including superheroes, action, monsters, horror and animation," said Gross.
"Superman" will soon get a new superhero rival when Marvel's hotly anticipated "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" starring Pedro Pascal hits theaters in the coming days.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
"How to Train Your Dragon" ($5.4 million)
"Eddington" ($4.3 million)
"Elio" ($2.0 million)
"Lilo & Stitch" ($1.5 million)
"28 Years Later" ($1.3 million)
© 2025 AFP
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Japan Today
4 days ago
- Japan Today
'Superman' triumphs once again at North American box office
(L-R) Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan and David Corenswet star in the new 'Superman' The Man of Steel has staying power: "Superman" topped the North American box office for a second week running and surpassed the $400 million mark worldwide, industry estimates showed Sunday. Riding largely positive reviews, the latest big-budget action film featuring the iconic superhero from Warner Bros. and DC Studios earned $57.3 million in the United States and Canada, Exhibitor Relations said. That puts its North American take at $235 million and its international sales at $171 million -- or $406 million globally. "Jurassic World: Rebirth" -- the latest installment in the blockbuster dinosaur saga -- also held its ground in second place at $23.4 million. Its worldwide total stands at $647.2 million. The Universal film, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali, takes viewers to an abandoned island research facility, where secrets -- and genetically mutated dinosaurs -- are lurking. "I Know What You Did Last Summer," a sequel to two 1990s slasher hits that bring back the franchise's original stars Freddie Prinze Jr and Jennifer Love Hewitt, opened in third place at a disappointing $13 million. "This is another horror series returning after a long layoff, in this case after 27 years," said industry analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. "Generally, the layoffs don't bother these films; in fact, they get stronger... that's not happening here." "Smurfs," the latest film featuring the adorable blue creatures and starring Rihanna as Smurfette, opened in a lackluster fourth place with $11 million in North American ticket sales. "F1: The Movie," the Apple and Warner Bros. flick starring Brad Pitt as a washed-up Formula One driver who gets one last shot at redemption, finished in fifth place at $9.6 million. "The current lineup in theaters is strong, with a broad selection of big titles including superheroes, action, monsters, horror and animation," said Gross. "Superman" will soon get a new superhero rival when Marvel's hotly anticipated "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" starring Pedro Pascal hits theaters in the coming days. Rounding out the top 10 were: "How to Train Your Dragon" ($5.4 million) "Eddington" ($4.3 million) "Elio" ($2.0 million) "Lilo & Stitch" ($1.5 million) "28 Years Later" ($1.3 million) © 2025 AFP
Japan Today
16-07-2025
- Japan Today
'Smurfs' has Rihanna but not much else
This image released by Paramount Animation shows No Name, voiced by James Corden, left, and Smurfette, voiced by Rihanna in a scene from "Smurfs." (Paramount Animation via AP) movie review By JAKE COYLE Justin Timberlake had 'Trolls.' Rihanna has 'Smurfs.' Now, we patiently await a 'Gummi Bears' with the Biebs. But first we have 'Smurfs,' which, like 'Trolls,' gets as much mileage as it can from its pop singer-voice actor. Rihanna voices Smurfette and supplies a new song, giving a half-hearted injection of star power to an otherwise uninspired, modestly scaled, kiddo-friendly cartoon feature. 'Smurfs,' directed by Chris Miller ( 'Puss in Boots,' 'Shrek the Third'), cribs heavily from the 'Trolls' playbook. Both feature brightly colored little forest creatures that like a good tune. In the opening of 'Smurfs,' Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is DJing for a dancing Smurf Village. As the many Smurfs gyrate next to mushroom houses, you might find yourself wondering how we got here. And what, exactly, is a Smurf, anyway? It's been nearly 70 years since Belgian comic artist Peyo created 'Les Schtroumpfs,' though most of those still familiar with the little blue fellas remember them from the 1980s Hanna-Barbera cartoons. The Smurfs have never really transcended their Saturday morning cartoon origins. Neither a pair of live-action hybrid movies in the early 2010s or a 2017 animated release have done much more than keep us vaguely aware of what a Phrygian cap is. And 'Smurfs' is unlikely to change that. The best thing that can be said for the latest attempt to reboot the blue Belgian beings is that it maintains the light feel of a morning cartoon. Even with a brief SpongeBob SquarePants short running ahead of it, 'Smurfs' — seemingly designed to be the least ambitious of all possible parent-child outings — passes in about 90 minutes. The pressing issue in Miller's film is that one Smurf, No Name Smurf (James Corden), lacks a defining feature. There are so many other labels already taken that all that's left for him are Clog Making Smurf and Shark Taming Smurf — and neither of those is promising, either. When No Name Smurf suddenly grows magical powers, he gets a boost in confidence but inadvertently sets off a dangerous chain reaction. The burst of magic reveals the location of Smurf Village and a long-hidden magical book that, if reunited with three others, confers world domination. (Fun fact: This is also what happens if you reunify all first editions of James Joyce's 'Ulysses.') The outburst brings the attention of the evil wizard Razamel, brother of Gargamel. (Both are excellently voiced by JP Karliak.) And the Smurfs are cast into a chase through dimensions to rescue the kidnapped Papa Smurf and prevent Razamel from seizing the fourth book. The trip takes them through Paris, Munich, Australia and, briefly, Claymation. The zaniness is often forced. There are also Koosh ball-like creatures named Snooter Poots with a leader named Mama Poot (Natasha Lyonne). And if you were ever hoping to hear Rihanna sing, as a Smurf, from the seat of a kangaroo pouch, your movie has finally arrived. But any expectations of something more quickly dissipate, despite the fact that 'Smurfs' was scripted by Pam Brady, the screenwriter of 'Hot Rod' and co-writer of 'Team America: World Police.' Most of the attempts at adult-winking gags are hackneyed jokes about Zoom, podcasting, spam filters and LinkedIn. You can almost feel IP-rights pressures animating the entire enterprise. See, there are other Smurf names out there. What about Corporate Mandate Smurf? 'Smurfs,' a Paramount Pictures release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for action, language and some rude humor. Running time: 92 minutes. One and a half stars out of four. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Metropolis Japan
15-07-2025
- Metropolis Japan
Superman
By Don Morton Super reboot 'Truth, Justice and the American Way' may not exactly ring true these days, but Superman's motto served close to a century of comic books, TV shows and movies, and some hope we Yanks can regain the power and trust those words once implied. Maybe we need a… Look! Up in the sky! I was a fan from early on, starting with the DC comic books and then the B&W television show in the '60s starring George Reeves. So of course I ate up Richard Donner's seminal movie in 1978 Starring Christopher Reeve. Looking back, however, how were we to know that this entertaining flick would arguably kick off the endless tsunami of superhero sequels, prequels, origin stories, remakes and reimaginings that has come to define Hollywood's lack of originality? I stopped bothering with the genre a few years ago, at about the time when Coppola and Scorsese redefined superhero flicks as theme parks rather than actual movies. I simply had nothing to say about the endless combinations and permutations that lazy filmmakers came up with to lure pre-teen butts into theater seats. But I went to see James Gunn's reportedly new take on the Man of Steel. It was getting some good press for its fresh approach and was supposed to be pretty funny. Plus there's nothing else opening this weekend. Refreshingly non-macho Cast-wise, the new Superman, David Corenswet, does what needs to be done without getting all macho about it. Refreshing, that. A delight is Mrs. Maisel herself, Rachel Brosnahan, as Lois Lane, managing the right blend of glamor, grit and wit. The weakness is Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The man's a gifted actor but simply lacks the weight for the part. He's no Gene Hackman. The good stuff: Since this is Gunn's re-launch of the DC universe, there's little need to catch up on dozens of origin movies; no homework. Then there's the emphasis on fun. The movie concentrates on the lighter side of being able to leap tall buildings at a single bound. Despite its tentpole status, it even dips into satire of its own genre with the introduction of the 'Justice Gang,' the comically vain members of which can't even agree on their name. Great stuff. It's human scale, whimsical, silly, positive and intentionally cornball. The whole thing feels like a comic book but, you know, in the best way. Oh, and there's a superpowered flying dog. Have fun. (129 min)
