This week saw some “discourse” flare up around the storytelling in Final Fantasy 14 and specifically its new expansion, Dawntrail, and we’ve got thoughts. Also, don’t miss our commentary on what appears to be Sony winding down active support for the PS4, and how cloud gaming can be really cool in the right situation.
This week saw some “discourse” flare up around the storytelling in Final Fantasy 14 and specifically its new expansion, Dawntrail, and we’ve got thoughts. Also, don’t miss our commentary on what appears to be Sony winding down active support for the PS4, and how cloud gaming can be really cool in the right situation.
The weekend numbers are starting to roll in (via Deadline), and Despicable Me 4 is on track for a terrific $120 million 5-day opening, with a $72 million weekend gross, which is about what we predicted earlier this week. It’s looking to open in the same range as Despicable Me 3, although it’s going to wind up with a softer opening than Minions: The Rise of Gru, which opened to a huge $107 million 3-day weekend in 2022. Whatever the case, the franchise is still a big moneymaker for Illumination, and it’s the second smash animated movie of the summer after Pixar’s Inside Out 2. That runaway hit sequel is on track for $33.1 million this weekend, with it passing half a billion bucks at the domestic box office earlier this week.
Coming in third is A Quiet Place: Day One, which took about a 59% dip week to week, with a second weekend north of $20 million in the cards. Meanwhile, Ti West’s MaXXXine is on track for an $8 million weekend, which is significantly higher than the openings for the two previous films, X and Pearl. In fact, MaXXXine might make more in a single weekend than the last film, Pearl, did in its entire run.
So, what about Kevin Costner’s passion project, Horizon? Well, the news isn’t very good. After a soft opening, all involved hoped the film would show some legs at the box office, but sadly, the results seem somewhat mixed on that front. It looks like it will finish in sixth place with a $5.9 million weekend and a 47% drop. While anything under a 50% drop nowadays is considered decent, it can’t be denied that the film looks like it will top out at just over $30 million domestically, which is low for an epic western. Hopefully, the sequel, due in August, will do a lot better.
What are you going to see this weekend? Let us know in the comments!
The post Box Office Update: Despicable Me 4 on track for $120 million; MaXXXine is Ti West’s biggest opener appeared first on JoBlo.
At long last, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the fourth film in the franchise (and the first in thirty years) is out, with it streaming on Netflix. We’ve certainly done our fair share of coverage for the movie here on the site, with me being lucky enough to interview Eddie Murphy and much of the cast while also attending the premiere in Beverly Hills. But how does the film stack up as far as the rest of the franchise goes? Of course, that can mean only one thing – it’s time for our Beverly Hills Cop Movies Ranked list! This time, we’re doing from worst to best, so buckle up! And – while you’re at it check out our LiveStream from last night, where our host, Kier Gomes, did his own rankings!
Not only is this the worst Beverly Hills Cop movie, but the third entry into the franchise briefly put Eddie Murphy’s career into deep freeze. The comedy is dialled down in a perhaps misguided attempt to turn Murphy into a more traditional hero. At the same time, the action is escalated, which isn’t a terrible idea – but the execution is a disaster. If you’re trying to make a more serious action flick, why set the movie at a Disneyland knock-off with mascots, show tunes, and tons (too many) cutesy celebrity cameos (including George Lucas)? It didn’t help that John Landis lacked the style of either Martin Brest or Tony Scott and had to deal with a star who didn’t want to be funny anymore.
Making matters even worse was that producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer were no longer involved with the franchise, as they would have no doubt served as the voice of reason on set. I like to think Simpson and Bruckheimer would have killed the bad choices, such as the orchestral version of Axel F on the soundtrack. But it’s not all bad. The first ten minutes of the movie are actually quite good, with franchise mainstay Inspector Todd getting a powerful death scene and its followed by a really cool car chase, with a ’91 Dodge Stealth going to pieces while Axel is driving it and INXS’s “Keep the Peace” filling the soundtrack. But, from then on, it’s all downhill. That said, 3 is the only instalment of the series I’d quantify as bad, even if it is still somewhat watchable.
I loved Axel F as a nostalgic, throwback sequel. In fairness to the film, it’s hard to recapture lightning in a bottle the way the first two films did, as those movies hit the zeitgeist at a time when Eddie’s career was exploding in popularity, turning him into a superstar on the level of Elvis Presley. Yet, the movie does feature a very engaged Murphy dropping F-bombs galore while also allowing for the return of many old pals, such as Judge Reinhold and John Ashton & Paul Reiser, who were both MIA from the third film.
No one expected the first Beverly Hills Cop movie to be such a smash, but it became the highest-grossing comedy of all time and the most profitable movie of 1984 (beating out Ghostbusters). It elevated Murphy to superstar status, and the sequel was set up to be a much bigger film than the last one. The OG director, Martin Brest, was busy doing Midnight Run (an excellent film in its own right), so Tony Scott, who was coming off Simpson/ Bruckheimer’s Top Gun, was brought in. The result is a slicker, more-action-driven instalment of the series. Everything about it is bigger, from the sunglasses to the set-pieces, and beyond. At the time, some critics scoffed at how polished it was, but over time, the neon-soaked visuals have given it a strong cult following. It had a memorable henchwoman in Brigitte Nielsen, and the movie hugely influenced Axel F director Mark Molloy perhaps more than any other film in the franchise. Some of the most iconic elements people associate with this franchise were introduced here, such as Axel’s famous Detroit Lions letterman jacket, and the Bob Seger tune “Shakedown” (the iconic singer’s only number 1 on the Billboard Chart). It also has the famous Playboy Mansion scene (“Hef!”), while Harold Faltermeyer’s score is (arguably) even better here than it was in the first film.
Of course, nothing beats the original Martin Brest movie. Famously conceived as a vehicle for Sylvester Stallone, the film was given a comedy overhaul when Eddie Murphy came on board, and the result was nothing short of iconic. In addition to Murphy’s Axel F, the film also benefits from one of the most iconic soundtracks of the eighties, with songs like Glenn Frey’s “The Heat Is On”, The Pointer Sisters’ “Neutron Dance,” and, of course, Harold Faltermeyer’s score, with the theme, “Axel F” one of the most memorable theme songs of all time, being right up there with the James Bond Theme.
What are your Beverly Hills Cop movie rankings? Let us know in the comments!
The post Beverly Hills Cop Movies Ranked: From Worst to Best appeared first on JoBlo.
This week, we’ve got the latest on how Nintendo plans to prevent its Switch successor from falling into reseller hell the way its current console did upon release. Also, a game that was banned for featuring underage nudity made an appearance in a convention sales booth, and we’ve got 16 great indies for you to…
This week, we’ve got the latest on how Nintendo plans to prevent its Switch successor from falling into reseller hell the way its current console did upon release. Also, a game that was banned for featuring underage nudity made an appearance in a convention sales booth, and we’ve got 16 great indies for you to…
For years, Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net has been about two things only – awesome art and the artists that create it. With that in mind, we thought why not take the first week of the month to showcase these awesome artists even more? Welcome to “Awesome Artist We’ve Found Around The Net.” In this column, we are focusing on one artist and the awesome art that they create, whether they be amateur, up and coming, or well established. The goal is to uncover these artists so even more people become familiar with them. We ask these artists a few questions to see their origins, influences, and more. If you are an awesome artist or know someone that should be featured, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.This month we are very pleased to bring you the awesome art of…
Dave O’Flanagan
Dave O’Flanagan is a London-based Irish illustrator. His focus and passion is on the quiet moments in pop culture, the scenes between the scenes. He has produced work for the likes of Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., Marvel, Legendary and Amblin to name a few.
JOBLO: What got you started as an artist?
DAVE: I always loved to draw but the school system in 80’s Ireland was quite academic-centric (at least in my school) so I didn’t get to do art as a subject. I qualified as a lawyer in 2010, but had continued to sketch and scribble on Post-Its and notepads through schooling, college and then work. Around 2015, I discovered digital painting and was astounded by the notion of being able to draw on tablets (this makes me sound ancient). After a brief foray making painfully inept art through Adobe Illustrator, I got an iPad and an app called Paper, watched a half a million YouTube videos on painting, colour theory and digital painting and just started creating.
Who were some of your favorite artists growing up?
Obvious and somewhat cliché but Drew Struzan painted all of my favourite movie posters in the 80’s so I’ve always adored his work and his sensibilities as an artist. He also just seems like a lovely man. Add to that the likes of OG’s like Bob Peak, Roger Kastell, John Alvin and Tom Jung, who all had several posters that were absolute bangers that have since become totems of my youth. I was also very heavily inspired by a local artist from Cork, Ireland called James Barry. His work was very prominent in the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork and was largely responsible for my enduring love of oil painting.
Who do you really dig these days, follow on Instagram?
There are so many artists who have inspired and buoyed my belief, the likes of Matt Taylor, Ken Taylor, Gabz, Rory Kurtz, James Jean, Greg Ruth and Tony Stella are unbelievable artists and continue to be the high watermark for me. I could go on and on but also love the work of Nicholas Moegly, Dan Danger, Marc Aspinal, Matt Ferguson, Ben Turner, Sophie Bland and Mark Englert. The poster community is so strong that I find myself being inspired by so many artists every day.
What advice would you have for budding artists today?
I don’t think I have any particularly useful insight or advice on this because I still see myself as a budding artist, but I would say you’ve got to keep plugging yourself and your art, don’t be bashful. Keep knocking on doors and try not to sweat the rejection along the way. Try to surround yourself with things that inspire you, steep yourself in them, but remember to allow yourself to wallow a bit too, enjoy downtime, things will eventually click regardless.
Also, try to surround yourself with support, with greatness, with good people, whatever works. I’ve had lots of help from people I love along the way, my wife Kaitlin (a more naturally talented artist than me) has always been an excellent sounding board and critic for me. She’s always the one to say ‘when will this be finished for you?’ when I’ve gone over the 150 hour mark on a painting/poster and between you and me, she’s the one person I want to love each final piece. I’ve also had unbelievable support from good friends of mine, Cameron Lowe (an excellent motion graphics and animation guru) and Kevin Wilson (aka Ape Meets Girl) who have shaped and guided me through the earliest paintings to more recent work.
What should we be looking out for from you in the future?
I’ve got a few things going at the moment that I’m really excited about. I’ve got an awesome ‘bucket list’ opportunity that I can’t talk about yet; a new Dune Part One poster releasing through Bottleneck Gallery soon; and a Big Lebowski poster releasing through Vice Press gallery later in the year. I’m also working with Moor-Art Gallery in the UK on something special for Thought Bubble in November.
Being a fansite, we have to ask you…What are some of your favorite movies/TV shows of all time?
I could go on forever on my favourite movies but Jaws is always at the top and the rest oscillate around the place. If I had to pin my colours to the mast I would say Jaws, Alien, Fargo, ET, Blade Runner, The Princess Bride, There Will Be Blood and more recently Oppenheimer. Cillian Murphy is a fellow Corkman and I’ve never been so proud of Cork as I was watching that movie and his Oscar acceptance that followed. Favourite TV show of all time is Breaking Bad followed a close second by Mad Men. I’ve watched the whole of Breaking Bad over four times and Mad Men three, a bit obsessive, but I think they represent the pinnacle of modern TV.
Scroll down to check out some of our favorite art pieces from Dave as we continue to follow his journey across his Website and social media hubs: Instagram / X / Poster Spy / Shop
2001: A Space Odyssey
Aliens
The Big Lebowski
Blade Runner
Blade Runner 2049
Dark Art Of Cinema
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Freddie Mercury
Guardians of the Galaxy
Halloween
Heat
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Jaws
Nina Simone
Phantom Thread
Rey Skywalker
Robin ’66
Scream
The Silence of The Lambs
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
True Romance
The X-Files
The post Awesome Artist We’ve Found Around The Net: Dave O’Flanagan appeared first on JoBlo.
Per Variety, the Arkham Asylum TV series has been scrapped. The series, which was in development for Max, had been in the works for a number of years, with a handful of creatives coming and going.
When the series was announced four years ago, it initially didn’t focus on Arkham Asylum. Instead, it was supposed to revolve around the Gotham City Police Department. Terence Winter (Boardwalk Empire) was set to write and executive produce the spin-off of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, but Winter left the series due to creative differences. Joe Barton (The Lazarus Project) then boarded the series, only to leave as well when the focus shifted to Arkham Asylum. The studio then tapped Antonio Campos (The Staircase) to take over, but it seems that the series just wasn’t meant to be. However, an individual with knowledge of the situation did tell Variety that a new Arkham Asylum project could reemerge down the road.
Matt Reeves confirmed in 2022 that the GCPD series had evolved to focus more on Arkham Asylum. “The GCPD thing, that story has kind of evolved,” Reeves said. “We’re actually now moving more into the realm of exactly what would happen in the world of Arkham coming off our movie and some of the (villain) characters, again in their origins. Almost leaning into the idea of, it’s like a horror movie or like a haunted house that is Arkham. The idea of, the way that Gotham is a character in the movie, I really want Arkham to exist as a character so you’d go into this environment and encounter these characters in a way that feels really fresh. So in our work on Gotham, that story started to evolve and it started feeling like, ‘Wait, we should really lean into this.’ And that’s kind of where that’s gone.” The series was developed before James Gunn and Peter Safran took control of DC Studios, and Gunn later took to social media to say that while the project was still in the works, it would be a DCU show rather than a direct spin-off of The Batman.
Arkham Asylum may be locked away for now, but we do have a Batman-related TV series on the way with The Penguin. Set in the aftermath of the events of The Batman, the upcoming series finds Colin Farrell reprising his role as Oswald Cobblepot. The series will debut on Max on September 8th. As for The Batman Part II, the film is slated for an October 2, 2026 release.
The post The Arkham Asylum TV series which was in development for Max has been scrapped appeared first on JoBlo.
In 2002 a group of friends in Italy started developing an action-platformer with RPG elements for Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance handheld. Then 22 years passed and now, in 2024, Kien is finally launching on GBA, ending one of the longest delays in video game history.
In 2002 a group of friends in Italy started developing an action-platformer with RPG elements for Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance handheld. Then 22 years passed and now, in 2024, Kien is finally launching on GBA, ending one of the longest delays in video game history.