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Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Thunderbolts* axes the asterisk to market its surprise title reveal
The asterisk in the title of Thunderbolts* is a reference to a surprise name change introduced at the end of the film. PHOTO: MARVEL STUDIOS LOS ANGELES – If you wondered why there is an asterisk attached to the title of the new Marvel movie Thunderbolts*, you will not have to wait any longer to find out. Sure, you could have satisfied your curiosity the old-fashioned way by seeing the movie in theatres over the weekend, where it claimed the No. 1 spot at the box office. But as at May 5 morning, the big reveal teased by that symbol will now be front and centre on the movie's billboards, which have switched from Thunderbolts* to the surprising title introduced in the film's closing credits. (If you would like to remain unspoiled, read no further and avert your eyes from billboards for the time being.) So long, Thunderbolts. This team of misfits, headed by Florence Pugh's weary assassin Yelena Belova, ends the film rebranded as The New Avengers. And now, on billboards, the movie itself will follow suit. The name change happens in the final scene of the Jake Schreier-directed film: Wil y Central Intelligence Agency director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) tricks the newly assembled superteam into storming a news conference at which she introduces them to the world as the New Avengers. Then, as the end credits begin, the title Thunderbolts* is ripped away like a comic-book page, revealing the new moniker. After three days in theatres, that rebrand has now made its way to billboards. 'It felt like, if Val is also trying to pull a switcheroo and sell the New Avengers to the world, we could do that too,' Schreier said in an interview with The New York Times on May 3. 'Especially given that the asterisk has been on the movie for a year, hopefully it doesn't feel sweaty – it feels like this was a plan and we built up to it.' Incorporating the new moniker into the marketing may also be an acknowledgment that keeping a movie secret is harder than ever these days, when surprises can be splashed across social media within milliseconds of release. Schreier, who pitched the asterisk during his initial meetings on the movie, credits Marvel Studios and its president Kevin Feige for a willingness to experiment with the title switch. 'It's very fun that they were open to embracing that,' Schreier said. He acknowledged that clips containing the spoiler have already made their way online, so why not make it work in their favour? 'It's so interesting in this world, and Kevin talks about it sometimes, where sometimes they wanted things to leak and they don't,' Schreier said. 'I think we all assumed that it would be a bigger part of the conversation already, so it'll be interesting to see what happens.' NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Thunderbolts* kicks off moviegoing summer with $209 million worldwide
(In foreground) Florence Pugh (left) and David Harbour in Thunderbolts*, which earned S$209 million globally in its first weekend. PHOTO: MARVEL STUDIOS LOS ANGELES – Marvel movie Thunderbolts* brought in US$162 million (S$209 million) at theatres around the world over the weekend after it opened on May 2, providing a solid start to the summer movie season that is key to Hollywood's year at the box office. Thunderbolts*, the story of a ragtag group of heroes who unite to fight a supervillain, earned US$76 millio n in the United States and Canada, said distributor Walt Disney on May 4. The returns were in line with pre-weekend forecasts, though below the US$88.8 million domestic opening of Marvel's Captain America: Brave New World in February. 'This is about what we've come to expect from Marvel movies in the recent marketplace,' said Mr Jeff Bock, senior box-office analyst at Exhibitor Relations. It was a decent start, he added, for a movie with lesser-known characters that have played sidekicks in other Marvel stories. Starring Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan, Thunderbolts* sets the stage for Marvel's July release Fantastic Four and 2026's Avengers: Doomsday. 'This is a prelude to something much bigger,' Mr Bock said. On May 3, actor Robert Downey Jr gave a glimpse of the Avengers: Doomsday cast assembled. He shared pictures of the cast – Chris Hemsworth, Paul Rudd, Simu Liu, Anthony Mackie, Channing Tatum, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Vanessa Kirby and Winston Duke – attending a private watch party for Thunderbolts*. Downey played Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – a character who died at the end of Avengers: Endgame (2019). He is returning to Avengers: Doomsday as the villain Doctor Doom. While it was a hit at home, Thunderbolts* had a slow opening of US$10.4 million in China. It was the first test of Chinese appetites for Hollywood films since authorities pledged to limit movie imports as part of a trade war with the Trump administration. The figures from the rest of the world were positive, Mr Bock said, considering Thunderbolts* doubled 2024's dismal start to summer with the action comedy The Fall Guy. Hollywood brings in about 40 per cent of the year's box-office receipts during summer, which the industry measures from the first weekend in May through Labour Day in September. Theatres are still trying to climb back to pre-Covid-19 ticket-sale levels. Through May 4, year-to-date ticket sales in the United States and Canada were running 15 per cent above 2024 but 31.8 per cent below 2019. The summer of 2019 benefited from Avengers: Endgame, which had a record opening of US$357.1 million at domestic theatres. Thunderbolts* had the strongest reviews for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film since 2021's hit Spider-Man: No Way Home, said Mr Andrew Cripps, head of global theatrical distribution at Disney. On the Rotten Tomatoes website, 88 per cent of critics and 94 per cent of moviegoers gave it positive marks. 'I think word of mouth will b e strong and people will continue to discover it,' he said. Also this weekend, spring smash Sinners finished in second place on domestic charts behind Thunderbolts*, collecting US$33 million and bringing its total to US$179.7 million. Hit video game adaptation A Minecraft Movie landed third with US$13.7 million. Its domestic total reached US$398.2 million. The coming summer slate is filled with sequels, such as Jurassic World Rebirth and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and a new Superman movie. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
