Gatsby77

Yeah - it's likely the rapist thing. Three credible rape allegations (separate women, separate instances) with a criminal trial date set for this fall. If convicted, he faces up to 45 years in prison.

Honestly - screw James Cameron. I think he's the worst example of "victim of his own success." The man who literally revolutionized '80s and 90s action flicks with films like Terminator, Aliens, T2, The Abyss and True Lies... And then had the misfortune to break all the records with Titanic, then Avatar. I honestly think he's too terrified now to make a *normal* film that may not make $1.5 bn.+ at the box office - hence his not having made a finished film in 12 years. Just annoys me because we've missed out on probably 3 really good films (including things like True Lies 2) with his decision to focus only on the "Avatar universe." Even Spielberg and Nolan balance their tentpole blockbusters with their passion projects. On the one hand, sure - his legacy is secure - he owes nothing to anyone and has every right to simply retire. On the other, 3-4 Avatar sequels? Really? Imagine what he could have done with King Conan, or a Star Wars movie, or even a James Bond film in the interim. But no - instead we get to wait 12 years for...Dances with Smurfs 2 - Waterworld. .

Please no. But don't mind me - I'm an old fogey. The last time I was reading new Avengers books was the (excellent) Bendis New Avengers run back circa 2005-2006. Young Avengers = well after my time.

? Facts matter. The first article is nothing but speculation about the future from Deloitte - a second-tier management consultancy. More importantly, none of the articles you linked to even mention HBO Max, which - as Paperheart cited, saw impressive growth during the first four months of the year. *Netflix* - the mature incumbent - is floundering -- largely due to increased competition - from the likes of other streamers like...HBO Max.

From context, Gitesh Pandya. Just seems silly to be discussing a "seemingly large Sunday drop" without looking at a calendar and realizing it's Mother's Day in the U.S. - although several have pointed that out in the comments to his tweet.

Except you don't. QED - your statement about a month ago, "I don't comment on the quality of movies" - followed the next week by "Suicide Squad, a truly horrible movie" and (as Bosco pointed out) your anti-Spider-verse comments that started *months* before the film was even released - that have continued years later despite its objective - and overwhelming - success ("nobody cares about Academy Awards" or "cartoons"), to stating how "boring" you thought The Batman's first hour was when you (apparently finally) deigned to check it out on HBO Max (like...apparently *many* posters here - including Sharon & myself). And...even if we go with just financials - which should be far more "objective" or "consistent" you twisted yourself into hilarious knots trying to argue how Aquaman was an abject financial failure theatrically - despite grossing $335 million domestically and $1.15 million worldwide. But go on...keep doing you - someone's gotta' keep the Silvermane flame alive. And Jay? I, at least, am here to listen to your grievances. I promise I won't put you on ignore, although I can't promise I won't laugh...

No stake in this either way, but today's Mother's Day - not traditionally a big movie-going day.

So...from before day 1, you've been arguing against a straw man that you invented - some ethereal belief that this film *should* have made $1 billion...and therefore failed when it didn't. Even Don Quixote's windmills were more grounded in reality.

Wow...I honestly thought that, even with Dr. Strange, this would be its last $1 million weekend. Not. Even. Close.

Am I seeing this correctly? That at 3.8x revenue...The Batman did better than every live-action Batman film but: Batman (1989) The Dark Knight The Dark Knight Rises ? It's almost like...it was a raging success.

? Fast 9 came out in China less than a year ago and booked $217 million there in one month.

It's not a matter of "doubling" the $25-$30 million The Batman will ultimately gross in China - despite widespread lockdowns. Fast 9 did $217 million in China Captain Marvel did $167 million in China Far From Home did $199 million in China The *average* Hollywood blockbuster, absent Covid lockdowns, does $160-$200 million there.

The Chinese box office was DOA for The Batman before the film arrived - because of Covid lockdowns in that country. Lockdowns that were not in place in China when Spider-Man: No Way Home opened there. Those are facts. And the delta is ~$120 million in worldwide box office.

Re. China - No. China was intermittently open last year - and it's not now. Because Covid goes in waves. And - fun fact, was *far* more open when Spider-Man: No Way Home hit than it was when Batman hit. Again - 40% of Chinese theaters were shuttered due to Covid the day The Batman opened there; and far more are shuttered now, with China's two largest cities (Shanghai and Beijing) having gone into strict lockdown over the past four weeks.

Agree. And I also think he's put in the work. From cutting his teeth on The Wire to anchoring Friday Night Lights in its last two seasons. He's *really* good.

What others have said. How exactly would they make the FF "woke?" I'm old enough to remember folks here having near aneurysms when they heard about Michael B. Jordan's casting as Johnny Storm - and again with the twist that Sue was the adopted one. As I said then - this was largely a non-issue for me because Johnny Storm's primary personality trait is that he's an arrogant hot-head -- this was one of the few things the 2015 FF film got right, and I thought Jordan nailed the role. So...again. What exactly would a "woke" FF entail?

Yup - you know what they say: (Fantastic) "4th time's the charm!"

What source material, tho? The first (1980) series? (Which, btw - introduced his different identities) The 1989 series - which, as far as I'm concerned, only had three good story arcs? My understanding is the series is largely adapted from the modern-day Moon Knight, as seen in the 2016 and current (2021-present) runs. So it's largely faithful to the Moon Knight we've seen in the comics over last six years, where he's actually got dissociative personality disorder and is literally possessed by Konshu. And makes him far more interesting than the mere Batman clone he was in the '70s and '80s. See also: Blade. Part of the genius of the Blade movie is it was a far better treatment of the character than he'd *ever* received in the comics up to that point. Really unfaithful to the original comics character, but all in good ways - so nobody minded.

RIP. I'm glad I got to meet just three years ago.

I know it's not a comic book adaption, but I think Bullet Train is going to surprise a *lot* of people. Looks basically like Smokin' Aces on a train.

Farrell's performance was one of the highlights of The Batman for me. He seemed to be self-consciously copying DeNiro's Al Capone voice, accent and cadence from The Untouchables, but it worked for me.

I disagree. Thought both WandaVision and Falcon & The Winter Soldier worked as discrete seasons and stories. Which is important - and something the Netflix shows consistently got right. And to me the most important part of WandaVision is it established her firmly as a villain - or, at best - an antihero. What she did to the townsfolk was unconscionable - and that's even before the killing of soldiers both outside of and within the bubble. While she and Pietro were originally introduced in Ultron as villains, we clearly see her transition to a hero over the subsequent movies - and one who ultimately nearly single-handedly beats Thanos. So she's firmly in the superhero category at the start of WandaVision - and by the end she's overtly not. Which, btw, is a brilliant twist on House of M and pretty much what I wanted from the series. To establish that: 1) She's roughly as powerful as Dr. Strange (or moreso); and 2) She's psycho - bat-mess f---kin crazy. I got both.

I don't understand. How can this get a sequel if didn't make $1 billion theatrical??

To Jaydog's point in the Morbius thread - I'll admit that it's still not quite at 3.8x. 3.796x budget What a f---k-n failure! Cancel the sequel and fire Batinnson stat!