NEW YORK (AP) – With total worldwide ticket sales of $270 million, “Mean” AND “Gladiator II” breathed fresh life into the box office that did it he’s been struggling recentlyresulting in one among the busiest movie weekends of the 12 months.

Jon M. Chu’s lavish, big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted for Universal Pictures with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million worldwide, in line with studio estimates Sunday. This made it the third-biggest opening weekend of the 12 months, second only to it “Deadpool and Wolverine” AND “Inside Out 2”. This can be a record for a musical adaptation on Broadway.

“Gladiator II” by Ridley Scott the sequel to his best-picture-winning 2000 original, which grossed $55.5 million in ticket sales. The production cost of “Gladiator II” was roughly $250 million. Paramount Pictures took a giant step to return to the Coliseum with a largely latest forged, led by Denzel Washington and Paul Mescal. Although domestic ticket sales exceeded the projected $60 million, “Gladiator II” performed well overseas. It added $50.5 million internationally.

The clash between the two movies caused some echoes “Barbenheimer” the results of last 12 months’s premiere of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”. This time a nickname “Gloss” it wasn’t as catchy and the cultural footprint was much smaller as well. Not many individuals he was searching for a double feature this time. The 2023 domestic grosses – “Barbie’s” $162 million and “Oppenheimer’s” $82 million – were also higher.

‘Glicked’ Doesn’t Compare to ‘Barbenheimer’

For Universal, which distributed “Oppenheimer” last 12 months, the weekend was more of a triumph for “Wicked” than for “Glicked.”

“We saw an opportunity to dominate the weekend and jumpstart Thanksgiving,” said Jim Orr, distribution chief at Universal. “We are sure he will perform ridiculously well in the Christmas corridor and into the new year.”

However, the counterprogramming effect was still strong for “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” which also split fundamentally along gender lines. Once again, it was a female-oriented release – “Wicked,” like “Barbie” before it – that easily won the weekend. About 72% of ticket buyers for “Wicked” were women, and 61% of people that watched “Gladiator II” were men.

“On their own, you could argue that each of these films could have done exactly what they did, but it’s hard to say,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “Raising awareness can actually result in a rise in ticket sales. Let’s put it this fashion: they didn’t hurt one another in any respect.

Massive marketing campaigns paved the way for opening weekend

While “Barbenheimer” benefited enormously from the proliferation of memes, each “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” relied on all-out marketing attacks.

The “Gladiator II” campaign included all the pieces from Airbnb’s much-discussed cross-promotion with the real Colosseum in Rome to concurrently broadcast a one-minute trailer on over 4,000 TV networks, radio stations and digital platforms.

The “Wicked” attack went even further: pink and green Starbucks “Wickedly Delicious” drinks, Stanley cups and Mattel dolls appeared (a few of which led to an ungainly memory). Its stars visited the Met Gala and the Olympic Games.

“For Wicked, we had about 400 brand partners from around the world, so the campaign was inescapable,” Orr said. “And our cast, led by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, worked very hard on it. They were everywhere. They did everything we asked them to do.”

Before the weekend, ticket sales were down about 11% in comparison with last 12 months and about 25% in comparison with pre-pandemic times. This meant that the week’s two major movies led to a much-needed revival in theaters. WITH “Moana 2” Premiering on Wednesday, Hollywood could also be historic Thanksgiving box office numbers.

Both movies improved on sluggish box office results

“Two strong releases this weekend are reinvigorating ticket sales that have fallen apart after a strong summer,” said David A. Gross, a movie consultant who publishes a newsletter for Franchise Entertainment.

While “Wicked” will face direct competition from “Moana 2,” it appears to be higher positioned for an extended and lucrative theatrical run than “Gladiator II.” While some have panned “Wicked” for being an extended film, clocking in at 2 hours and 40 minutes, it received mostly excellent reviews. Audiences gave it an “A” grade on CinemaRating. The reception of “Wicked” was so great that Oscar forecasters expect it to be a contender for, amongst others, the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Producers, perhaps sensing successful, also decided to separate “Wicked” into two parts. Part two, already shot, shall be released in November next 12 months. Each “Wicked” installation cost roughly $150 million to create.

“Gladiator II” also received good reviews, especially for Washington’s charismatic performance. Audience performance was weaker, nevertheless, with ticket buyers giving it a “B” on CinemaRating. However, the film will partially compensate for this with solid foreign sales. It was launched in multiple overseas markets every week ago and has already raised $165.5 million worldwide.

Taking third place over the weekend was “Red One,” Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans’ holiday movie-turned-action movie. In its second week of release, Amazon’s MGM Studios release grossed $13.3 million, bringing its two-week global gross to $117 million. At $250 million, “Red One” is the biggest failure of the season, though Amazon could recoup some value if it becomes more popular once streaming begins.

Final national data shall be published on Monday. According to Comscore, estimated ticket sales from Friday through Sunday in U.S. and Canadian theaters:

1. “Wicked” – $114 million.

2. “Gladiator II” – $55.5 million.

3. “Red” – $13.3 million.

4. “Bonhoeffer: Pastor-Spy-Killer” – $5.1 million.

5. “Venom: The Last Dance” – $4 million.

6. “The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever” – $3.5 million.

7. “The Heretic” – $2.2 million.

8. “Wild Robot” – $2 million.

9. “Smile 2” – $1.1 million.

10. “Real Pain” – $1.1 million.

Three years after his tragic death, acclaimed actor Michael K. Williams receives a posthumous birthday tribute.

On Friday, November 22, which might have been Williams’ 58th birthday, his final appearance in the animated short film “Brown Dog” Written by Willis Earl Beal and co-directed by award-winning documentarian Nadia Hallgren (director of Michelle Obama’s Emmy-nominated documentary “Becoming”) and inventive director Jamie-James Medina (“The xx,” FKA twigs, “Sampha”). “Boardwalk Empire” castmate Steve Buscemi appears in a supporting role and can be an executive producer on the project in association with WeTransfer, which commissioned the project. Actor and director Chiwetel Ejiofor and Idris Elba, Williams’ co-star on “The Wire,” recently joined the executive producing team.

“When I was asked to serve as executive producer on ‘The Brown Dog,’ “I felt like I had a natural, emotional reference to Michael K. Williams, my dear friend and collaborator on ‘The Wire,'” Elba said in a statement. “Michael had such a unique gift of bringing soul, depth and honesty to every role he played, and it is an honor to continue his legacy in this film. “The Brown Dog” is not just a story about survival and friendship; is a tribute to Michael’s spirit, his artistry and the lasting impact he had on all of us. I am proud to help bring this beautiful, touching story to life and ensure Michael’s voice is heard even after his death.”

The film’s synopsis reads:

“Rendered in a palette of saturated yellows and dark blacks, it is Mr. Williams’ unforgettable rhythm that drives ‘The Brown Dog.’ He voices the main character of “NOBODY”, the night guard of an exclusive apartment complex, whose sense of isolation causes an existential crisis. Cold and lonely, NOBODY sets out in search of the mysterious brown dog, taking us on a fascinating journey into a confused mind at work. The film itself is a celebration of Mr. Williams and the profound truth he brought to each character in which he appeared – only his voice could speak so quietly but profoundly to the experiences of those living on the margins of the American Dream.”

Just in time for the holidays, fans can now watch “The Brown Dog.” WeTransfer YouTube Channeland revel in the incredible talent of Michael K. Williams in one in every of his final roles. As Chiwetel Ejiofor said in a press release: “Michael K. Williams understood that bringing truth to a character is real work. He was such a talented actor. The same depth of his spirit can be seen on screen in “The Brown Dog.” Michael NEVER speaks to our times. It conveys a deep sense of isolation and frustration with the world, but connects to the true human need for connection. You will hear Michael as soon as you hear ANYONE’S voice. “The Brown Dog” is an attractive tribute to Michael’s talent and I’m thrilled to be a part of the team that continues his legacy.

More details about “The Brown Dog” might be found at: movie website.

NEW YORK (AP) – When photographer Ernest Cole died in 1990 at age 49 of pancreatic cancer in a Manhattan hospital, his death went unrecorded.

Cole, one of the essential chroniclers Apartheid-era South Africa, By then he was mostly forgotten and destitute. Banned in his home country following the publication of his pioneering book on photography “House of slavery”, Cole emigrated to the United States in 1966. However, his life in exile steadily was periodic homelessness. A six-paragraph obituary in The New York Times was attached to the list of death notices.

But in Raoul Peck’s latest film, Cole experiences a vivid and moving resurrection “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found” told in Cole’s own words and voiced by LaKeith Stanfield. The film, which hits theaters on Friday, is crammed with images of Cole, lots of which have never been seen publicly before.

Just like within the Oscar-nominated documentary about James Baldwin “I’m Not Your Negro” Haitian-born Peck shares screenwriting credit along with his hero. The book “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found” is drawn from Cole’s writings. Through words and images, Peck brings Cole’s tragic story to life, reopening the lens through which Cole viewed injustice and humanity so acutely.

“Film is a political tool for me,” Peck said in a recent interview over lunch in Manhattan. “My job is to succeed in as wide an audience as possible and try to present them something that helps them understand where they’re, what they do and what role they play. It’s about my fight today. “I’m not interested in the past.”

“Ernest Cole: Lost and Found” is a movie crammed with meanings beyond Cole’s work. It asks questions not only concerning the societies Cole documented, but in addition about how he was treated as an artist, drawing uncomfortable parallels between apartheid and post-Jim Crow America. In the United States, Cole received a Ford Foundation grant to document black life in rural and urban areas, but he had difficulty finding skilled support. Some editors felt that his paintings lacked “expression”.

In 2017, over 60,000 35mm negatives of Cole were discovered in a bank vault in Stockholm, Sweden. Much of this material, including hundreds of photos Cole took within the US, is believed to have been lost. It was difficult to search out answers as to how they got there and why they’d not been known about them before. “Lost and Found” depicts the struggle of Cole’s estate to amass the gathering. Only on the eve of the film’s premiere on the Cannes Film Festival in May did the bank finally announce the transfer of a lot of the materials to the estate.

These photos reveal that the artist created rather more than simply indelible images of life under apartheid. Cole’s early photographs, published in 1967, provided the West with one of the illustrative and damning portraits of apartheid, including a widely reproduced photograph of a middle-aged woman sitting on a park bench bearing the words “Unique in Europe.” But he was an equally astute and sensitive observer of segregation and the multicultural joys of American life.

“It’s a matter of survival,” says Stanfield as Cole. “Steal every moment.”

For Peck, the subject material of “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found” is deeply personal. The 71-year-old filmmaker, former Haitian Minister of Culture, also spent most of his artistic life outside his home country, in Berlin, Paris and New York. He dedicates the film to “those who died in exile.”

“When I say this, I mean most of my friends,” he says. “I recognize all of the steps. When you are taking a contact sheet, I see myself.

Over some forty years, Peck has made a few of his most urgent movies, each fiction (including 2000’s “Lumumba,” concerning the exiled Congolese leader) and nonfiction (including last 12 months’s “The Way of the Silver Dollar”). But he has rarely didn’t employ narrative and documentary elements in movies that tackle their very own shape – movies less fascinated by genre differences than within the seek for unexplored truths.

This makes Peck an increasingly unique figure in a documentary world that’s increasingly dominated by shinier, less insightful movies intended for streaming platforms.

“It’s getting worse. There’s less money, so young people are desperate and accepting things that my generation would never accept,” Peck says. “The whole industry has changed. I knew a different world and I realize it’s not the same one anymore.”

Peck is currently editing a documentary about George Orwell. Like Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, it’ll be told entirely in Orwell’s words. In the times after the US election, Peck worked on an update to a segment of the film that involved President-elect Donald Trump. Peck was amazed by Orwell’s foresight on so many topical issues – disinformation, artificial intelligence, social media and the refugee crisis.

“He was a truly amazing critic of history and the way history is told,” Peck says. “I didn’t realize before I got into it how smart he was about what’s going on today.”

“For me,” he adds, “a film has value if it speaks to us today.”