Weapons horror film tops North American box office with $42.5 million
Industry estimates released on Sunday revealed strong audience turnout for the Warner Bros production starring Julia Garner and Josh Brolin.
'This is an outstanding opening for an original horror film,' said analyst David A. Gross from Franchise Entertainment Research.
Disney's family comedy sequel Freakier Friday secured second place with $29 million in ticket sales during its debut weekend.
The long-awaited follow-up to the 2003 body-swap comedy reunites Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis for more humorous antics.
Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps slipped to third position, earning $15.5 million in its latest weekend.
The superhero reboot has now accumulated $230.4 million across cinemas in the United States and Canada.
Universal's animated sequel The Bad Guys 2 dropped to fourth place with $10.4 million in earnings.
Paramount's Naked Gun reboot completed the top five, bringing in $8.4 million during its second weekend in theatres.
The slapstick comedy features Liam Neeson as the son of the original film's bumbling detective character.
Other notable performers included Superman with $7.8 million and Jurassic World: Rebirth at $4.7 million.
Formula One drama F1: The Movie took eighth place with $2.8 million in ticket sales.
Romantic comedy Together and thriller Sketch rounded out the top ten with $2.6 million and $2.5 million respectively. – AFP
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Hype Malaysia
4 hours ago
- Hype Malaysia
5 Best Body Swap Movies to Watch After ‘Freakier Friday'
Body swaps never go out of style. Whether used for laughs, horror, or heart, there's something timeless (and chaotic) about stepping into someone else's shoes—literally. If you're still buzzing from the bonkers energy of Disney's latest film, 'Freakier Friday', here are five more films that twist, flip, and freak their way through the body swap genre. 1. 'It's What's Inside' (2024) A wedding-weekend reunion turns into a psychological nightmare in this razor-sharp body swap thriller. 'It's What's Inside' begins innocently enough. Like a frat party, seven college friends gather at a remote house to celebrate an upcoming wedding, catch up on old drama, and drink the kind of booze that makes you say too much. However, when an estranged former friend shows up carrying a strange suitcase and an even stranger party game, the night takes a deeply unsettling turn. The rules are simple. Use the device, swap bodies, guess who's who. What could go wrong? Plenty, it turns out. At first, the experiment feels like a bit of sci-fi novelty, even exciting. But beneath the surface of this high-concept setup is a simmering web of grudges, secrets, and long-buried resentments. As the group begins inhabiting each other's bodies, insecurities and betrayals spill out, and roles shift in disturbing ways. What begins as a party game quickly becomes a social deduction nightmare where no one is quite who they seem, and no one wants to go back. Stylish, claustrophobic, and emotionally brutal, 'It's What's Inside' turns the body swap trope into something darker and more psychologically complex. It's less about walking in someone else's shoes and more about what we're capable of when we think we've slipped the consequences of our own identity. With sharp performances and a twisty, paranoia-fueled script, this is one of the boldest and most original takes on body swapping in years. Probably one of the most mind-bending ones too! 2. 'Freaky' (2020) What do you get when you cross 'Freaky Friday' with a slasher flick? A bloody good time. In 'Freaky', high schooler Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) swaps bodies with the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn), a hulking serial killer with a fondness for creative carnage. The magical culprit? An ancient dagger with a supernatural twist. Now Millie has 24 hours to stab her way back into her body, or risk staying in the Butcher's forever. The real genius of 'Freaky' is in how it plays with expectations. Vince Vaughn delivers a surprisingly delightful performance as a teenage girl trapped in a middle-aged killer's body, while Newton gets to unleash her inner monster with lip-glossed menace. It's self-aware, sharply written, and delivers gore with a wink, balancing slasher thrills with campy comedy and even a little heart. If you loved the identity chaos in 'Freakier Friday' but wished it had more table saw deaths and high school bloodbaths, then remove the day out of the title and make this your next must-watch. It's bold, ridiculous, and way more fun than it has any right to be. 3. 'Your Name' – 'Kimi no Na wa' (2016) If 'Freakier Friday' left you wondering what a body swap story could look like at its most beautiful and bittersweet, 'Your Name' is the answer. This anime phenomenon follows two teenagers—Tokyo boy Taki and small-town girl Mitsuha—who mysteriously begin waking up in each other's bodies. At first, it's confusing and chaotic (as all good body swaps are), but soon they learn to navigate each other's lives, leaving notes and messages to bridge the gap between them. But this isn't just a quirky comedy of mistaken identity. As their connection deepens, so does the mystery surrounding their sudden swaps, until a cosmic twist changes everything. What unfolds is an emotional journey that blends romance, fantasy, and time itself, anchored by stunning animation and a soaring score by RADWIMPS. It's funny, heartfelt, and full of longing, with moments that will quietly break your heart. 'Your Name' is the rare body swap film that goes beyond gimmick and into something transcendental. It asks what it means to truly know someone. How far would you go to find them again? Even if you're not usually into anime, this is one of those films that stays with you long after the final frame. For us, it sure brought us to tears. 4. 'Family Switch' (2023) If you thought one body swap was messy, try four. In this festive Netflix comedy, an entire family wakes up in each other's bodies after a cosmic mishap during a planetary alignment at the Griffith Observatory. Suddenly, parents Jess (Jennifer Garner) and Bill (Ed Helms) find themselves navigating the chaotic world of teenage crushes and soccer tryouts, while their kids CC (Emma Myers) and Wyatt (Brady Noon) are thrust into the awkward adult world of work presentations, lactose intolerance, and soul-sapping Zoom calls. 'Family Switch' is packed with slapstick hijinks and classic body swap misunderstandings. Yes, there's an ill-timed fart joke during a big client pitch. Nevertheless, there's also a sweet undercurrent about empathy and connection. As each family member stumbles (and occasionally triumphs) through someone else's responsibilities, they begin to understand just how much they've taken each other for granted. It's a warm-hearted reminder that walking in someone else's shoes, especially your own family's, can be a messy but meaningful journey. Sure, it's silly and a little chaotic, but that's part of the charm. 'Family Switch' wraps its body-swapping chaos in a big holiday bow, making it an easy pick for family movie night. If you're looking for something that blends feel-good lessons with freaky identity confusion, this one's for the team. 5. 'The Dude In Me' – 'Naeanui geunom' (2019) When a hardened gangster wakes up in the body of an awkward, bullied teenager, chaos is inevitable, but so is redemption. 'The Dude In Me' puts a uniquely Korean spin on the body swap genre, following Pan-soo, a slick mobster who unexpectedly finds himself trapped inside the soft, clumsy frame of high schooler Dong-hyun after a freak accident. Stuck in a world of homework, bullies, and cafeteria lunches, Pan-soo starts to shake up the school in ways no one sees coming. What starts as a fish-out-of-water comedy quickly deepens into something more heartfelt. As Pan-soo reshapes Dong-hyun's life, shedding weight, standing up to bullies, and uncovering secrets from his own past, he also reconnects with a lost love and discovers a daughter he never knew existed. It's part martial arts training montage, part second-chance family drama, all wrapped in a warm, crowd-pleasing package. With a charming mix of gangster swagger, teenage awkwardness, and surprising emotional weight, 'The Dude In Me' is one of the most refreshingly sincere entries in the body swap genre. It's funny, a little ridiculous, and totally heartwarming, a story about becoming a better man, even if it means doing it in someone else's skin. So, if you love chaotic identity swaps, pure hijinks, and the emotional confusion of people stuck in the wrong body, these movies will be right up your alley. And if you haven't already, catch 'Freakier Friday' in cinemas. And do check out the 2003 classic on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia too! With Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis returning to their iconic roles, get ready to get out, hey, and be taken away!
New Straits Times
9 hours ago
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Melody Quah returns to perform Chopin with MPO
SHE left Malaysia at a young age to train as a classical pianist and now resides in Pennsylvania, but Melody Quah's heart remains in her homeland. Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, the 37-year-old pianist still makes it a point to return every summer to visit her parents here. Slated to perform solo in the first instalment of the two-part Chopin Festival at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas on Aug 16, Quah is thrilled to take the stage in Malaysia again. "This will be my second time performing here," said Quah, who last played at the concert hall in 2018 with a Beethoven masterpiece. "And now, I'm going to play Chopin." The concert will be led by Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra music director Junichi Hirokami. "For pianists, he is a special composer because he wrote primarily for piano. "The beauty of Chopin lies in his love for opera, especially the Italian style of singing, which gives his music an intimate, vocal-like quality. "His works are rich with nuance, offering listeners something truly special if we, the performers, do our job right." Quah will perform Chopin's iconic Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, a work that debuted to great acclaim in Warsaw in 1830 when the composer was just 21. The piece is often described as romantic, calm and somewhat melancholic, evoking the emotional landscape of cherished memories. Quah first performed the concerto as a teenager while attending the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney. "I've played it several times as an adult too. I hope that with the years of experience and skill I've accumulated, I can now offer an even more mature and thoughtful interpretation." Currently a professor of piano at Pennsylvania State University, Quah boasts an impressive international resume. Dubbed a "poet with titanium fingers" by the 'Vancouver Sun', she has performed extensively across Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. Her multifaceted career spans solo and collaborative performances, chamber music, education, adjudication and artistic direction. A prizewinner of the 7th International Paderewski Competition in Bydgoszcz, Poland, Quah has graced the stage at Carnegie Hall's Weill Hall and performed as a chamber musician at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theatre. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras around the world, including the Ku-Ring-Gai Symphony and Central Coast Symphony (Australia), the Pomeranian Philharmonic (Poland) and numerous North American ensembles, such as the Richmond Philharmonic, Academy Philharmonic, Vancouver Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, West Coast Symphony, Penn's Woods Festival Orchestra, Williamsport Symphony and Altoona Symphony Orchestra. An advocate of contemporary music, Quah has premiered more than two dozen new works by living composers and commissioned pieces for solo piano from prominent names across Asia and beyond, including Adeline Wong and Tazul Tajuddin (Malaysia), Parisa Sabet (Iran and Canada), Sidney Boquiren (the Philippines), Marisa Hartanto (Indonesia), Emily Koh (Singapore) and Piyawat Louilarpprasert (Thailand). She has also recorded works by Tom DeLio and Baljinder Sekhon. Her academic contributions are equally notable. She has served as artist faculty at the Nanyang International Piano Academy (Singapore) and Euro Arts Festival (Poland) and conducted masterclasses at institutions such as UCSI University and Universiti Teknologi Mara (Malaysia), Medan Musik School (Indonesia), Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (United Kingdom) and various universities across the United States. An active adjudicator and presenter, she contributes regularly to the Music Teachers National Association and the College Music Society and currently serves as president of the Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association. Quah earned her Doctor of Musical Arts from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and holds graduate degrees from the Yale School of Music and the Juilliard School. She received her Bachelor of Music from the Vancouver Academy of Music after completing high school in Australia. Her principal teachers included Boris Slutsky, Peter Frankl, Matti Raekallio, Lee Kum Sing and Snezana Panovska. Quah recalls starting on the piano as a toddler. "I was probably around 2 or 3, playing by ear while my older sister was already taking lessons. "When my mother heard me play, she enrolled me in lessons too." She also plays other instruments, guitar and violin among them, and once told her mother she wanted to learn the flute. Laughing, she adds: "After retirement, I'll probably pick up the cello." Having performed around the world, Quah said one of her most cherished memories was her solo debut at Carnegie Hall, which was reviewed by 'The New York Times'. Another unforgettable moment was when she played the Electone at the opening ceremony of the Bukit Jalil National Stadium. "I was accompanying a famous singer. I can't quite recall who. It wasn't Siti Nurhaliza. Maybe Ning Baizura? But don't quote me on that," she said, laughing. Now a mother of two and married to an American trumpet player, Quah continues to make waves on the global classical music stage. The Chopin Festival continues on Oct 11, when the MPO will present Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2, performed by pianist Martin Garcia evening will also feature Sibelius' Symphony No. 2, with conductor Rune Bergmann leading the orchestra.
Malay Mail
13 hours ago
- Malay Mail
‘Weapons' tops North American box office, ahead of ‘Freakier Friday' and ‘Fantastic Four'
LOS ANGELES, Aug 11 — Weapons, a new horror film about the mysterious disappearance of a group of children from the same school class, opened atop the North American box office with US$42.5 million in ticket sales, industry estimates showed yesterday. 'This is an outstanding opening for an original horror film,' analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research said of the Warner Bros. movie starring Julia Garner Ozark and Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War). Debuting in second place was Disney'sFreakier Friday starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, the much-anticipated sequel to the 2003 family film in which body-switching leads to amusing hijinks, at US$29 million, Exhibitor Relations said. 'This is an excellent opening. The estimated weekend figure is well above average for a comedy follow-up sequel, and it's also well above the first film's opening 22 years ago,' Gross said. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' Disney's debut of the rebooted Marvel Comics franchise, dropped to third place at US$15.5 million. Its overall take in the United States and Canada stands at US$230.4 million. Actor-of-the-moment Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Emmy-winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn star as the titular team of superheroes, who must save a retro-futuristic world from the evil Galactus. Universal's family-friendly animation sequel The Bad Guys 2, about a squad of goofy animal criminals doing good in their rebranded lives, dropped to fourth, earning US$10.4 million. Finishing out the top five was Paramount's reboot of Naked Gun, a slapstick comedy starring Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr, son of the bumbling police lieutenant from the original 1980s movie and related television series Police Squad! The film, which co-stars Pamela Anderson, pulled in US$8.4 million in its second weekend in theaters. Rounding out the top 10 were: Superman (US$7.8 million) Jurassic World: Rebirth (US$4.7 million) F1: The Movie (US$2.8 million) Together (US$2.6 million) Sketch (US$2.5 million) — AFP
