Avengers: Endgame remains the highest-grossing movie of all-time, and even if 2020 hadn't been a total disaster for Hollywood, it's unlikely anything would have beaten its awe-inspiring $2.7 billion haul at the global box office. Even taking that into account, who could have ever imagined the Infinity Saga finale would earn more than every 2020 release in the U.S. combined?
The Hollywood Reporter reveals that box office takings fell 80% domestically last year, and for the first time ever, China beat the U.S. with a total of $2.7 billion compared to $2.3 billion.
Globally, revenue from theatrical releases fell by 70%. To put this into context, 2019 saw the U.S. bring in $11.4 billion, while the total across the world was a whopping $42.5 billion. Now, with multiplexes again closing their doors to the public, studios will be forced to decide whether to further delay upcoming blockbusters or earn what they can from streaming.
Of course, with no major releases on the way for a good few months, there's time for those vaccinations to start taking effect and restore at least a little normality in the process.
China may have beaten the U.S., but their takings were also down by 70%, so there were no real winners last year. Whatever happens in 2021, it's going to take a while before the box office regains its former glory, especially as there's still so much uncertainty thanks to the pandemic.
"The movie business will be forever changed no doubt, but movie theaters will be ready for their closeup and as things slowly return to some semblance of normal, they will star in an uplifting sequel of their own," Comscore's Paul Dergarabedian tells the trade. "2021 will be arguably the most important year in the history of the big screen, and one that will bridge the gap between a devastating 2020 that tragically affected so many people and impacted so profoundly many brick and mortar businesses."
Which 2021 release are you most excited about?
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last week's biggest news stories here on CBM!
Earlier this month, Wonder Woman 1984 hit Rotten Tomatoes with an 89% score and a consensus that read, "Great Hera! Wonder Woman 1984 is an epic dose of heart and vibrant escapism that proves there are still unexpected thrills to be found in superhero cinema." That score later dropped to around 80%, but stayed there long enough for the movie to be "Certified Fresh."
This week, after a total of 352 reviews have been counted, Wonder Woman 1984's score had plummeted to just 61%. Unfortunately, that means it's no longer "Certified Fresh," and the edited consensus now states, "Wonder Woman 1984 struggles with sequel overload, but still offers enough vibrant escapism to satisfy fans of the franchise and its classic central character."
Find more on this story by heading over to the original article!
It doesn't reveal much, but this week saw The CW release the first teaser trailer for Superman & Lois. Giving us a glimpse at the world these characters inhabit, and possibly hinting at the Phantom Zone, it looks like this one will be worth giving a chance when it launches on February 23rd.
As far as the plot of Superman & Lois goes, we don't know a lot about what to expect from The CW series, but the show is expected to revolve around the title characters attempting to bring their two sons up in Metropolis. Something tells us that at least one of them will end up having their father's powers, though, and that should make for an intriguing premise, even if it's not overly comic accurate.
You can watch the teaser for the upcoming CW series right here.
It's become clear that Warner Bros. is planning some sort of "DC Multiverse" to tell stories on both the big and small screens moving forward, but where does Zack Snyder's Justice League fit in? A whopping $70 million has been spent on finishing visual effects and recruiting original cast members for reshoots, but that doesn't mean the studio has future plans for this iteration of the franchise.
According to a recent The New York Times' profile on DC Films boss Walter Hamada, Zack Snyder isn't currently part of the "new DC Films blueprint," and studio executives instead describe the HBO Max version of Justice League "as a storytelling cul-de-sac — a street that leads nowhere."
Ouch. Find out more about what that means here.
Spider-Man is in the midst of battling Harry Osborn in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man, but with The Kingpin set to take aim at him this year, the wall-crawler needs a powerful new suit.
Designed by artist Dustin Weaver, this vibrant new look is unlike any the wall-crawler has worn before. Marvel Comics revealed two spectacular variant covers for March's Amazing Spider-Man #62 and April’s Amazing Spider-Man #63 this week, and it's certainly something new for the hero!
Take a look at those covers - and comments from Weaver - in the original article.
This is a pretty silly rumour, truth be told, but it generated a lot of interest both here and across social media this week. It's said that The Batman star Robert Pattinson "has been pushed to breaking point by 'control freak' director Matt Reeves." Meanwhile, "Insiders say director Matt Reeves has forced Robert to do upwards of 50 takes inside the bulky Batman suit."
Reeves, meanwhile, is said to be paranoid about catching COVID, and it's at this point the report moves from potentially having some truth to it to being outright ludicrous. "It’s got to the point now where he’s been directing scenes while zipped up inside a puffa coat and with ski goggles on," this so-called insider says. "As a Covid-secure outfit, it’s questionable."
You can find a lot more on this one by clicking here.
5. Ray Fisher May Have Just Quit The DCEU
When DC Films boss Walter Hamada got into Justice League star Ray Fisher's battle with Warner Bros, he only managed to make things worse. The investigation may have concluded, but this week, Fisher decided to take to Twitter to make something clear: he won't work on any DC project Hamada is part of. "Walter Hamada is the most dangerous kind of enabler," he begins.
"His lies, and WB PR’s failed Sept 4th hit-piece, sought to undermine the very real issues of the Justice League investigation. I will not participate in any production associated with him." It sounds a lot like the actor's time as Cyborg is ending after Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Find more on this story right here.
Character posters aren't usually that big of a deal (unless they're revealing a first look at heroes and villains for the first time), but these one-sheets for WandaVision definitely grabbed our attention.
As well as offering a glimpse into many of the show's sitcom settings, they also reveal a glimpse at the new costumes both the Scarlet Witch and The Vision will be wearing in the MCU from here.
Take a look at the posters here, and Wanda Maximoff's new superhero suit right here.
We know that Warner Bros. has big ambitions on HBO Max, and those extend to the DC Extended Universe. While the studio will continue to make big budget blockbusters designed for the big screen, the plan is to also have two additional movies - "perhaps focused on riskier characters like Batgirl and Static Shock," as it's been explained - debut on HBO Max.
It's a bold plan, but one that could work wonders for the struggling DCEU. TV show spinoffs are also a priority, and DC Films boss Walter Hamada admits that, "with every movie that we’re looking at now, we are thinking, 'What’s the potential Max spinoff?'" The first of those will tie into The Batman and The Suicide Squad, and it will be interesting seeing what follows.
Click here to find out even more about these plans.
Eternals was supposed to have been released in theaters last November, and that likely explains why so many leaks have started falling through the cracks. This week, that included LEGO sets, promo art, and some Marvel Legends action figures offering a much better look at the team's costumes.
Visually, this is a Marvel Studios movie that's quite clearly going to be unlike anything we've seen before. With any luck, though, an official look at Eternals will be released sooner rather than later.
To take a look at these leaked images - before they're removed - click here.
Wonder Woman 1984 may not have resonated with everyone quite as strongly as Warner Bros. hoped after that first wave of reactions and reviews, but a third movie is officially in the works.
In a statement, Warner Bros chief Toby Emmerich confirmed the news, saying: "As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince, driving the strong opening weekend performance of ‘Wonder Woman 1984,’ we are excited to be able to continue her story with our real-life Wonder Women - Gal and Patty - who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy."
Find more details about plans for Wonder Woman 3 by clicking here.