Avengers Endgame Box Office: A Strong Opening From Detective Pikachu Isn't Enough

Avengers Endgame Box Office: A Strong Opening From Detective Pikachu Isn't Enough

For the first time since it began its run a few weeks ago, Avengers: Endgame was actually tested at the weekend box office. The latest from the Marvel Cinematic Universe got all it could handle thanks to a strong opening weekend from Detective Pikachu, but in the end, Cap and company are still hanging out on top. They did just enough to keep the first place position though it's hard to imagine anyone involved with the Pokemon Company is too upset about an opening over $50M.

You can check out the full results from this weekend's box office, including those from newcomers Detective Pikachu, The Hustle, Poms and Tolkien below...

This third weekend for Avengers: Endgame is probably a combination of word of mouth and repeat business. Most people who desperately want to see a movie that's heavy on spoilers will find a way to get there the first two weekends. So, the people left can probably be divided into two groups: those who were on the fence about seeing it and got talked into it by the overwhelming positivity and those who enjoyed it so much they felt the need to go back. Anecdotally, we've heard that a lot in our comment section here at CinemaBlend. People keep making comments like, "I noticed X on my second time through" or "I can't wait to see whether my viewpoint on X changes when I see it a second/ third time." So, you can deliver all of that credit to the people involved with the production itself. Disney might have an incredible hype machine to deliver on opening weekend, but that machine isn't delivering these results on the third weekend.

As for Detective Pikachu, $58M is a really solid opening weekend for a movie with an estimated $150M budget. There have been high high hopes for awhile from both the studio and from fans that the film would produce enough of a result to a launch a larger Pokemon-themed cinematic universe. I wouldn't say it's done enough yet, but that possibility is very much in play right now. As such, fans should keep their fingers crossed for a solid second weekend, some strong social media buzz and engagement and eventually good home entertainment sales.

Outside of Detective Pikachu, it's hard to be excited about any of the openings for new films this weekend. The Hustle at least broke eight figures in domestic grosses, but the reviews on it have not been good and it's hard to imagine a scenario in which it put up a good performance next weekend. The same could be said for Poms, though it's 29% score on Rotten Tomatoes makes it look like Toy Story 3 compared to The Hustle which was hammered (including by us) with a miserable 16%.

Things should get very interesting next weekend when John Wick 3 is added to the release schedule. I'd expect a first place finish for the assassin, but as we saw this week, Avengers: Endgame certainly isn't going down without a fight.

Ralph Fiennes Almost Turned Down Playing Voldemort In Harry Potter

Ralph Fiennes Almost Turned Down Playing Voldemort In Harry Potter

There are certain film villains who are on the upper echelon in terms of being iconic and beloved by moviegoers. Darth Vader is the big bad of space, while Lord Voldemort is a wizard in the Harry Potter franchise who characters fear to even speak of. So when it came to adapting the Dark Lord for the silver screen, Warner Bros. had the difficult task of finding an actor to play the snake-like scourge on the Wizarding World.

Ultimately the great Ralph Fiennes played Lord Voldemort, playing the character for a whopping five Harry Potter movies. Fiennes' performance was layered and super creepy, but it turns out that the Schindler's List actor originally didn't want to take the role of he who must not be named. He recently explained this, and how his family helped him change his mind. As he tells it,

The truth is I was actually ignorant about the films and the books. I was approached by the production. Mike Newell was directing the film that they wanted me to be in… the first time Voldemort was going to appear physically. Out of ignorance I just sort of thought, this isn’t for me… Quite stupidly I resisted, I was hesitant. I think the clincher was that my sister Martha – who has three children who were then probably about 12, 10 and 8 – she said, 'What do you mean? You’ve got to do it!' So then I rewound my thinking.

It looks like we all owe Ralph Fiennes nieces and nephews a big thank you. While he was originally hesitant to join the massive Harry Potter franchise, the younger members of his family were able to convince him otherwise. Because if you can play the villain of the beloved novels and movies, why would you turn it down?

Ralph Fiennes' comments from The Jonathan Ross Show (via Digital Spy) are sure to baffle Harry Potter fans, who have grown to love his performance as Voldemort. Fiennes was completely transformed into the dark wizard, with prosthesis forming his snakelike appearance, while the actor adjusted his voice and posture to fully inhabit Voldemort. As such, it's impossible to think of anyone else playing the adult form of Tom Riddle.

Ralph Fiennes had previously spoke to his trepidation about playing Voldemort. The actor reportedly wasn't a fan of the first two Harry Potter movies, which were directed by Chris Columbus. The franchise took a more adult turn when Fiennes eventually popped up in The Goblet of Fire, which may have been what the actor was hoping for-- especially when playing the most evil Wizard ever.

It should be interesting to see if Voldemort becomes part of the Fantastic Beasts franchise. There are still three more movies on the way, as the timeline gets closer to the one explored in the Harry Potter franchise. Voldemort visited Grindelwald in prison in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1, so they've clearly got some type of a relationship. Could Ralph Fiennes end up popping up again as you know who? Fingers crossed.

Ralph Fiennes is currently filming Kingsman: The Great Game, and is expected to reprise his role as M in Bond 25. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The Fast And Furious Movies In Order: The Best Way To Watch The Fast And Furious Franchise

The Fast And Furious Movies In Order: The Best Way To Watch The Fast And Furious Franchise

Warning: SPOILERS for the Fast and Furious movies are in play. Just in case you haven’t seen them, you can read the order of how the films play out chronologically, and then come back later once you’ve experienced the series in its entirety.

We’re in an interesting juncture in the Fast and Furious franchise, as we won’t be seeing the ninth film in the series proper until next year. This is despite the fact that The Fate of the Furious was unleashed upon the world in 2017, and while we’re all on board with good things coming to those who wait, we’re anxious to see what happens next.

That being said, there is some excitement on the horizon in the world of this supercharged franchise, as Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw will be holding court in their own blockbuster spin-off, Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw. And while you probably won’t need to see the films that came before this one in the series proper to truly enjoy it, it’s a long wait until August, and it certainly couldn’t hurt.

It also doesn’t help that the titles to the Fast and Furious films don’t exactly spell out the proper viewing order. So once and for all, in the name of franchise fans new and old, we’d like to nail down the correct order for your next Fast and Furious movie binge. Buckle up, because not only is it time for driving puns, it’s time to live your life in the name of family, a quarter mile at a time. Let's start off by laying out the Fast and Furious movies in order of how they were released.

The Fast And The Furious (2001)

The starting line for the franchise, The Fast and the Furious was inspired by real life street races and a Vice article that covered their existence. This might come as a shock to people who tend to remember the more recent films better, but Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner and Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto started out as adversaries on opposite sides of the law.

Brian at this point is an undercover cop who's trying to send Dom and his family up the river through an extensive sting operation. However, by the end of the film, both are brothers in arms and ready to start an entire franchise of action. At least, that was the eventual intent, as there would be two sequels that would try to redefine the formula of the series without Vin Diesel’s contributions.

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

With the focus put on Brian O’Conner this time out, Paul Walker was the central lead for 2 Fast 2 Furious. As such, there was a need to explore a new setting with Miami, as well as introduce a couple new characters to aid in his investigation of a local drug lord. Which, of course, involves some fast street racing through various Florida based locations.

The second of the Fast and Furious movies, 2 Fast 2 Furious introduced two characters that would eventually return to the series fold down the line: Tyrese Gibson’s Roman Pearce, and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges’ Tej Parker. They won’t be seen for a couple more films though, as another huge shift is about to take place in the Fast and Furious universe.

The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

As if 2 Fast 2 Furious’ problem of having a lack of Vin Diesel wasn’t bad enough, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift lacked any significant participation from any of the series’ lead actors. This prompted an entirely new story to be told, through even more new characters. Introducing Lucas Black’s Sean Boswell and Sung Kang’s Han Lue into the series, the film tells the story of Sean being forced to move to Tokyo after getting into some legal trouble with some fast cars back in the U.S.

With Sean’s introduction to drift racing on the streets of Tokyo, the fast paced excitement of Fast and Furious franchise history had finally gone global, introducing new characters that would return later down the line in the series’ history. Han would become an especially crucial member to the team in subsequent films, despite his character meeting a fiery death in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. And while it wasn’t a significant role, Vin Diesel does return as Dom at the very end of the film, tying this installment even tighter to series continuity, as well as presenting another chronological problem.

Fast And Furious (2009)

Eight years after the original adventures of The Fast and the Furious, the franchise started to hit the stride that it currently enjoys with its run of films. Pretty much the entire original cast of that first film is back, though the plot of this fourth film, strangely titled Fast and Furious, sees the death of Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty kick off a quest for vengeance on the part of Dom and Brian.

Bringing back Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster for the first time since they starred in The Fast and the Furious, Sung Kang’s Han Lue is folded into the overarching group in Fast and Furious, with Gal Gadot also being brought in as Gisele, one of Dom’s substitute love interests while Letty is out of the picture. From this point on, while some characters would shift in and out of the group, the core cast of Diesel, Walker and Brewster would remain for a while, with some new friends to be added along the way.

Fast Five (2011)

After tangling with drug cartels and organized crime through the power of street racing for four straight films, the Fast and Furious movies were about to take a hard left into the heist genre. Dom, Brian, and the gang would solidify into a cohesive unit, tying together even more of the series’ rogues gallery into the team on Fast Five’s mission to rob a Brazilian crime lord blind.

Returning to the group in Fast Five are Han Lue, as well as Tyrese Gibson’s Roman, Chris Bridges’ Tej and Gal Gadot’s Gisele; and in the role of Dom’s latest romantic person of interest was Elsa Pataky’s Elena. But perhaps the greatest addition this time out was in the film’s law bound antagonist and later ally to the Toretto family team, DSS agent Luke Hobbs. With Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson making an explosive entry into the series with this film, things would truly never be the same.

Fast And Furious 6 (2013)

Remember how Letty supposedly died two films back? Surprise, she’s still alive! Michelle Rodriguez returned in Fast and Furious 6 as an associate to the film’s villain, ex-MI6 agent-turned heel Owen Shaw. Played by Luke Evans, Owen’s inclusion would allow the Fast and Furious movies to tap a new vein of antagonists that would turn teammates with the Shaw family.

Fast and Furious 6 also continued the series’ evolution from a street racing franchise into one that involved high-tech espionage and big ticket thievery. Needless to say, Dom, Brian and Mia all return, as well as Roman, Tej, Han and Hobbs. Though the mid-credits sequence of this film does put Han’s story to a final end, as his fatal accident is refolded into canon with a new assailant responsible for his death: Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, looking for revenge after the team’s foiling of Owen’s plot in Fast and Furious 6.

Furious 7 (2015)

Properly introducing the character of Deckard Shaw into the Fast and Furious series, Furious 7 saw the brother of the now comatose Owen Shaw coming not only vengeance, but also for a rather shady piece of technology that could be a surveillance nightmare if in the wrong hands. For the last time, we see poor Han’s death through a fiery wreck, and for the first time we see Kurt Russell’s cool as ice DSS handler, code-named Mr. Nobody.

Furious 7 also ties up some loose ends with the re-introduction of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift’s Sean Boswell, setting him up for further films down the line of the franchise. Sadly, this would also be the final appearance of Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner, as Walker's untimely death in an automobile accident prompted those behind the series’ story to retire the character at the end of this film.

The Fate Of The Furious (2017)

The last film in the line of proper entries to the Fast and Furious franchise, The Fate of the Furious sees Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto breaking bad, under the influence of Charlize Theron’s new baddie Cipher. Apparently the mastermind behind turning Owen Shaw in Fast and Furious 6, her efforts have been behind each major threat through the last two films, with her aim being to cause irrevocable global chaos.

Returning to fight alongside the rest of Dom’s team are Dwayne Johnson’s DSS Agent Luke Hobbs, as well as Jason Statham’s controversial addition to the hero roster, Deckard Shaw; the two members of the Fast and Furious movie team that would go on to have their own spinoff in this summer’s Hobbs and Shaw. While Dom does return to the side of good, it comes at the cost of Elsa Pataky’s Elena, who is killed in the line of duty by Cipher.

With the full rundown of the Fast and Furious movies now complete, it’s time to think real hard about what order to watch them in. Because believe it or not, with one quick alteration, the story makes so much more sense in the long run. even if the real world timing doesn’t exactly work out in its favor.

The Right Order To Watch The Fast And Furious Movies In

If you want to experience the Fast and Furious movies in the right order, there’s only one movie that needs to be shifted in place. While technically running as the third film in the chronological order, you can take The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift and slot it in before Furious 7 in your watching order. This not only puts Han’s death into proper context, it also leads straight into the seventh film’s integration of the event into its own storyline.

Alternatively, if you really wanted to, you could drop the film out of your watching order altogether. Not only would this leave Lucas Black’s Sean Boswell with a clean slate for his eventual return to the Fast and Furious movies, it wouldn’t impact the storyline all that much as all the vital components are already wound into the series’ narrative through Fast and Furious 6 and Furious 7’s storylines.

We hope that this crash course in Fast and Furious history has helped you figure out which order to watch the franchise in, as well as the correct order in terms of chronological release. Who knows, you might be quizzed on the titles and their running orders at a bar quiz in the near future. Or a friend might trust you to set them straight on how The Fast and the Furious started it all, but it took the film three sequels to get Fast and Furious.

The point is, the information you need to navigate this high velocity thrill ride of a franchise is right at your fingertips, and now you’ll never need to worry about whether or not you’re watching the Fast and Furious movies correctly.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking forward to Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, you’ll only have to wait until August 2 to see that particular end result. Though should you want to get some action into your movie watching lineup before then, take a look at our 2019 release schedule to see what else is waiting on the road to August.

Why Black Panther Almost Cost Winston Duke His Role In Jordan Peele's Us

Why Black Panther Almost Cost Winston Duke His Role In Jordan Peele's Us

Last year, Black Panther took the U.S. by storm and became one of the highest grossing movies of all time. The film was packed with standout characters like Shuri and Okoye, but M'Baku became a surprise scene-stealer. Winston Duke brought some serious charisma to the imposing M'Baku, and while Black Panther helped put the actor on the map, it almost cost him a role in Jordan Peele's Us. The director said he initially thought Duke might be too tough for the horror movie.

It would take away from our ability to feel afraid [for the family] if they have M'Baku on their side. [On the other hand] Winston had this charisma that just stole scenes and really left an impression.

Jordan Peele's highly anticipated (and rated) Us finds Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke playing a wife and husband who take their two children on vacation in a beach town, only to be stalked by strangers who look exactly like them. It's hella spooky and frightening, but I bet you'd feel a little safer if you had M'Baku on your side.

Jordan Peele was thinking the same thing, which is why he was originally hesitant about casting Winston Duke in his new horror film. Duke is a physically strong man, so would people be scared for this family knowing the dad fought aliens with the Avengers last summer?

Thankfully, Jordan Peele decided that Duke's charisma overpowered any of his physical might and that he was ultimately a great fit for the role. Just listen to how he sang "I Got 5 On It" in that trailer! That's charisma city.

Also, if the family is attacked by doppelgangers, then that means Duke's doppelganger is also tough-looking. If the father character was "weaker" or less imposing then the same would be true for the enemy, and then the audience would be left wondering why this guy is supposed to be scary.

Either way, Winston Duke is happy that he was cast in the role. He told The Hollywood Reporter that he loved playing M'Baku, but he was receiving offers for a lot of tough guy parts after Black Panther, so he was thankful to get the opportunity in Us.

I was in conversation for a lot of [roles in which] the character was a fighter, a big guy — he's aggressive, a warrior. I loved playing M'Baku, but that's not who I am. I want to convey the full spectrum of masculinity. I want people to say that this guy helped change the definition of masculinity onscreen 40 years from now. I’m trying to be that person.

Us will take the world by storm and arrives in theaters on March 22. It's already got 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, so we are beyond hyped to see this thing. Check out our 2019 movie release guide for everything else hitting theaters.

No, Gwyneth Paltrow Isn't Going To Quit Acting

No, Gwyneth Paltrow Isn't Going To Quit Acting

We’ve got the goop, er scoop, on Gwyneth Paltrow. The actress known most recently for her work in the beautysphere has been pulling double duty between that gig and acting jobs in recent years. There was apparently some expectation that after Avengers: Endgame Paltrow might be calling it quits. However, now the actress has spoken out about some previous Internet chatter saying Goop had taken over her work time. Per Paltrow:

I’ve never said that I am quitting acting. What I say is Goop is my full-time passion, and being the founder and CEO of Goop is what I do all day every day, and occasionally when something is the right thing and it works out around my children and my Goop life, I'm able to participate. I think I'm just not focused on full-time acting right now.

While Gwyneth Paltrow told Today’s Savannah Guthrie that Goop kind of is her life these days, she doesn’t want to officially retire from acting or anything. In fact, she filmed a web series The Politician for 2019 and, although Endgame was filmed some time ago, she also has that coming up. It’s definitely true that Paltrow spoke out about retiring from the MCU after Endgame, at the time saying she was “a bit old to be in a suit.” She later recanted and said she would come back for Robert Downey Jr. if she were needed.

Still, it’s definitely true that Gwyneth Paltrow has slowed down in the acting business in recent years.

However, leaving the MCU and slowing down aren’t the same as passing on every single project that comes her way. Gwyneth Paltrow’s focus may be on Goop, which is expanding into Netflix content and more, but she also said she’s still very much in the acting game when the right project comes along.

During her time on Today, Paltrow also reflected on what Goop has become, revealing it was always her dream to get into business and eventually build a lifestyle brand that she could be proud of, but getting there was the challenge.

I think I had a secret dream that it would become what it’s become, but when it started 10 years ago, I had absolutely no idea. I just had a vision but I had no idea how to get there.

Goop was launched by Gwyneth Paltrow in 2008, at a time when she was still taking a lot of acting gigs -- that year, in fact, Iron Man, Two Lovers and a short called Pashmy Dream were released. As Goop has picked up, her career has slowed but not halted. In 2017, Paltrow's only filming happened for Spider-Man: Homecoming. Last year, Avengers: Infinity War was her only onscreen gig. Neither of those roles were large movie roles, but the actress has appeared in at least one project every year going back to 2010. Meanwhile, her major lifestyle brand is now worth $250 million and consumes a large chunk of the actress' time.

This is a very different deal than a lot of other actors who have gotten out of the game at various points. Robert Redford recently retired and almost immediately regretted the comment. Michelle Pfeiffer also talked about how raising kids sort of led to her not acting for a period of years before she was able to push back into the game. Then, there's Cameron Diaz, who dealt with some press recently over whether or not she is retired, since she hasn't acted after appearing in Annie back in 2014.

So, what the future holds for Gwyneth Paltrow in the acting world is unclear as her tenure at Marvel (seemingly) wraps up. What is very clear, however, is that she'll have plenty of work to do at Goop in the meantime.

The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson Really Loves First The Rise of Skywalker Trailer

The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson Really Loves First The Rise of Skywalker Trailer

Unofficially, there seems to be a war between those who support Star Wars: The Last Jedi and those who are embracing Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. With J.J. Abrams returning to the fold as co-writer and director of this new film, it felt to some like a bit of a rejection of the bold new direction that Rian Johnson had brought his Star Wars film towards. Those feelings are invalid now, as Johnson himself saw the trailer for the ninth episode of the Skywalker Saga, and shared the following rave review:

It’s hard to argue with a statement like that, as Rian Johnson is as much of a Star Wars fan as J.J. Abrams is. While some may have thought that Abrams’ return would look radically different from Johnson’s middle installment of this third act trilogy, the trailer to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker looks like it fits nicely into the trajectory that the previous film already set up.

What’s also nice to know is the admiration between these two directors is mutual, as earlier today J.J. Abrams handed out a very special thank you to Rian Johnson, in particular for hiring actor Kelly Marie Tran. This comes after Johnson commented on how he’s actually interested to see what J.J. Abrams does with the Star Wars universe in his latest film, even if it happens to retcon pieces of The Last Jedi in order to close this portion of the series.

Though it’s not like Rian Johnson isn’t heading back to that galaxy far, far away himself. Much as Abrams came back for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Johnson will be making more magic in the franchise himself. As previously reported, Rian Johnson is still on track for the trilogy of Star Wars films that take place outside of the Skywalker Saga’s episodic structure. When exactly that’ll take place is in question, particularly in the light of the hiatus recently announced by Disney CEO Bob Iger. But at least for now, as exhibited in his Twitter feed’s latest output, Johnson is still very much on board for whatever comes next.

Star Wars fans, as any fandom at its best behavior, lift each other up in the name of their appreciation of the series. Now that both J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson have provided a bridge between their theoretical halves of the property, it’s up to the fans of both directors to meet in the middle, as they await this next and last chapter of the classic story arc to come to a close.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker heads to theaters on December 20. However, if you’re looking for some movie excitement to tide you over until then, head to our 2019 release schedule to get a jump on this year’s biggest debuts.

The Cool Reason Alita: Battle Angel Moved The Movie To Panama City

The Cool Reason Alita: Battle Angel Moved The Movie To Panama City

Alita: Battle Angel went to great lengths to get some aspects of Yukito Kishiro’s manga series correct on the big screen, including the way Rosa Salazar’s eyes were enhanced for the flick. However, other details were changed, including the setting of the story, and as it turns out there’s a reason Alita: Battle Angel got switched from Kansas City, Missouri to Panama City, Panama.

In fact, it’s a really cool reason. According to Director Robert Rodriguez, the change of locale had to do with the science behind the space elevator and the best location it would have worked. He said:

The original story was set in Kansas City, but Jim early on figured out that it should be set near an equator because that’s where scientifically a space elevator would work. I thought that was fantastic, so let’s do Panama City, which is a Latin country, and we’ve never seen that in a sci-fi film before. And with all the different cultures, it’s just naturally diverse, so the diversity was actually part of the original script.

Per Robert Rodriguez, it was James Cameron who figured out that Zalem and the Iron City would be better off set in a warm location near the equator rather than in a temperate one. Then Rodriguez decided Panama City would be the best place to build the 23rd century world, set several hundred years after a great war left the Earth in ruination.

With Avatar and even Titanic, James Cameron has had an avid interest in the scientific components of those properties. (Although he notably may have gotten the Titanic sinking wrong.) So, it’s not shocking to me that if he was working on a movie with a space elevator that he would have wanted to make sure the details were at least somewhat feasible.

In addition, although the story is based on a manga novel written in Japan, Robert Rodriguez also revealed to Complex that Jim’s vision was always “more of a melting pot,” meaning setting the story in a specific place wasn’t that important to the final vision of the film.

What was cool is that that’s what Jim latched onto when he first got the rights in 1999, is that it wasn’t something as Asian-specific as Ghost in The Shell or Akira, which are set in neo Tokyo. This is something that’s much more of a melting pot, it’s not set somewhere specifically Asian. It’s a cyborg girl in the lead, and even in the manga it’s set in one of the last standing cities left, so by nature there’s multiple languages being spoken, with people from all over the world could coming there, so it was always sort of a melting pot.

It took a long time for Alita: Battle Angel to come together. Robert Rodriguez previously revealed that James Cameron had approached him with the idea a long time ago, specifically back when he was working on Sin City, which was released back in 2005. That’s a long time for a project like this to gestate, but it also assumedly means that people like James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez had plenty of time to think about details like space elevators and temperature.

If you haven’t caught it yet, Alita: Battle Angel is still in theaters now. We'll of course let you know if the flick does end up getting a sequel. For now, take a look at what else is coming up with our full movies schedule.