Crazy Rich Asians Keep Getting Crazier, Richer
For the second weekend in a row, Crazy Rich Asians stayed at the top of the weekend box office. Based on a 2013 novel by Kevin Kwan, this romantic comedy about a couple of Asian-Americans traveling to a wedding in Singapore earned $24,8 million in its second weekend, bringing its total up to $76,6 million. Crazy Rich Asians was made by Jon M. Chu, who directed masterpieces such as G. I. Joe: Retaliation and Gem and the Holograms.
According to the Box Office Mojo, the action thriller The Meg is once again in the second place of the weekend box office, having earned $12,8 million. In the third place is a black crime comedy The Happytime Murders in which Melissa McCarthy is an LAPD Detective investigating a string of murders with her former police partner, a puppet named Phil Phillips (Bill Barretta). Featuring Elizabeth Banks, Joel McHale, and Maya Rudolph, The Happytime Murders earned $9,5 million in its opening weekend. In the fourth place is Mission: Impossible – Fallout with just a bit over $8 million, while in the fifth place of the last weekend’s box office with $6,3 million is Mile 22, an action thriller by Peter Berg (Battleship) featuring Lauren Cohan, John Malkovich, and Mark Wahlberg.
Doctor Who Joins Star Wars!
Matt Smith, best known for his performance as the 11th Doctor in the BBC’s cult classic Doctor Who, has been cast in the upcoming Star Wars movie, says Variety. This British actor made a name for himself by portraying the lead character throughout three seasons of Doctor Who – the longest running sci-fi show in history. Later, Smith went on to portray young Prince Phillip in the Netflix historical drama The Crown.
Smith is far from the only luminary joining the cast of J. J. Abrams’ Star Wars Episode IX. This July we reported that Billy Dee Williams will reprise his performance as Han Solo’s frenemy Lando Calrissian. He will be joined by Keri Russell – star of J. J. Abrams’ TV show Felicity. According to Deadline, yet another old Abrams’ collaborator will make an appearance in film as well: Dominic Monaghan, who played one of the lead roles in Abrams’ TV series Lost. Abrams returned to work on as-yet-untitled upcoming Star Wars movie after its writer and director Colin Trevorrow left due to creative differences. Abrams will direct and, alongside Chris Terrio, write the script. Star Wars Episode IX is set for a release in December 2019.
Mike Flanagan Working On The Haunting of the Hill House TV Series
AVClub reports that writer and director Mike Flanagan is working on a horror TV series The Haunting of the Hill House, set to premiere on Netflix this October. Over the last couple of years, Flanagan drew notice from critics and audiences alike with a number of low-budget, yet tense psychological horror movies like Absentia, Hush, Ouija: Origin of Evil and Gerald’s Game. It was this last film, produced by Netflix and based on a Stephen King psychological horror novel that was deemed unfilmable that led Flanagan to his latest project.
First published in 1959, The Haunting of the Hill House is a much-lauded Gothic horror novel by Shirley Jackson. In 1963 producer and director Robert Wise made an excellent movie adaptation. Then, in 1999 Jan de Bont made an expensive, yet forgettable version of his own. Flanagan’s series will follow Jackson’s novel only loosely by telling a story about siblings who grew up in a haunted house. Show’s cast will include Carla Gugino who already collaborated with Flanagan in Gerald’s Game as well as Michiel Huisman, Timothy Hutton, and Elizabeth Reaser.
