Sequels Strike Back!
Box Office Mojo reports that last weekend saw not one, but two movie sequels at the top of the box office. At the first place is Equalizer 2, a sequel to a 2014 action thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua, starring Denzel Washington as a retired CIA agent turned vigilante. In its opening weekend, Equalizer 2 grossed a bit over $36 million. In the second place with $34,9 million is Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. A polar opposite to Equalizer 2, this is a lighthearted sequel to a 2008 musical featuring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan and immortal hit songs by the Swedish band ABBA.
In its second weekend, animated feature film Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation dropped to the third place of the box office, having earned $23,7 million. In the fourth place with $16,5 million is Ant-Man and the Wasp, featuring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly as heroes engaged in super-powered hijinks and playful banter. And finally, the fifth place of the last weekend’s box office belongs to Incredibles 2 that, after six weeks in cinemas, nevertheless managed to hold its place among the top five by earning $11,9 million.
Judge Dredd TV Series and Other 2000 AD News
British anthology comic book 2000 AD is most familiar to Americans today thanks to Judge Dredd, an anti-hero created in 1977 by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra. This lovable fascist scamp appeared in two movies: an unsuccessful 1996 adaptation starring Sylvester Stallone and equally unsuccessful, yet better received 2012 movie featuring Karl Urban and Lena Headey.
According to AVClub, last weekend 2000 AD writer Rob Williams announced he’s been working on a TV show – titled Judge Dredd: Mega-City One – based on the cult comic book. Apparently, his team has developed a pilot script as well as two seasons’ worth of stories and characters. However, it is as yet unknown will any network actually pick up this project. Meanwhile, British filmmaker Duncan Jones is developing a movie based on Rogue Trooper, yet another title from 2000 AD about the adventures of a genetically modified super soldier. Since Jones’ movies have been a bit of a hit-or-miss, receive this news with a pinch of salt.
Joss Whedon Goes on a Creative Offensive
Over the last few weeks, Joss Whedon has announced new projects all over the place. According to a recent article by The Hollywood Reporter, Whedon is now working on a sequel-of-sorts to his 2008 musical miniseries Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, albeit in a form of a comic book. Just a week earlier, Variety reported that Whedon has reached a deal with HBO for his TV show The Nevers, that follows a gang of Victorian-era women dealing not only with the prejudice of their times but also with powerful supernatural enemies and their own strange powers.
However, by far the most controversial – at least among the fans of Whedon’s works – was the news about a possible sequel/reboot to his most successful TV show – Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Apparently, this time, Whedon will serve mostly as an executive producer with most of the scripting duties being handled by Monica Breen, who previously worked on sci-fi shows such as Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., Fringe, Lost, Revolution, and Midnight, Texas. Apparently, this new show will build and expand upon the original show’s mythology while introducing new plots, characters as well as the new Slayer.
