Are you not entertained? You will be when CBS debuts a special presentation for Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated sequel, Gladiator II. On Thursday, the network announced The Making of Gladiator II, premiering on CBS at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on Monday, Nov. 18, and also streaming on Paramount+.
Produced by Paramount Pictures, this in-depth presentation of Scott’s return to the ring gives viewers unprecedented access to the film’s elaborate production, larger-than-life sets, including a reconstruction of Ancient Rome, to characters, combat training, costumes, historical accuracy, scoring, and more! The Making of Gladiator II allows you to shadow Ridley Scott as he works to create one of his most ambitious films.
Considering Gladiator IIcost an estimated $310 million to produce, juicing audiences up for the sequel is a fantastic move. The Making of Gladiator II brings potential viewers closer to the action, revealing Scott’s tricks of the trade, movie magic on a grand scale, and the hard work of the film’s cast and crew. There’s something special about seeing how the cinematic sausage gets made. As someone who’s attended his fair share of set visits, I know there’s nothing like seeing how the cinematic sausage is made. Getting a behind-the-scenes look at a film can paint the project in a completely different light as you witness the artistry first-hand and hear stories from the cast and crew.
Here’s the official synopsis for Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures, who are releasing the film on November 22, 2024:
From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Senzel Washington, Derek Jacobi, Joseph Quinn, and more.
Will you watch The Making of Gladiator II on CBS before the November release? Let us know in the comments section below.
Writer/director Kevin S. Tenney’s 1986 horror classic Witchboard (watch it HERE) is getting the remake treatment couresty of director Chuck Russell, who was bringing us the likes of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and the remake of The Blob back in the days when Witchboard was gathering its earliest fans. The Witchboard remake doesn’t have a release date yet, but JoBlo’s own Tyler Nichols was able to watch it earlier this year (you can read his review at THIS LINK) and talk to Russell and star Madison Iseman about it (you can watch the interview HERE), so hopefully it won’t be much longer before more of us have the chance to see the movie. Highland Film Group has just come on board to handle the international distribution rights – and while they prepare to launch sales at the American Film Market, a new image from the film has been unveiled. You can check it out at the bottom of this article.
According to Deadline, Russell intends to go beyond the original Witchboard IP “with a deeper storyline, high intensity scares and imaginative visuals”. As such, the screenplay he has written with Greg McKay sounds quite different from the original film. Here’s the synopsis: Emily, her fiancé Christian and a group of their friends open an organic café, refurbishing an old carriage house in New Orleans’ French Quarter. But a darkness descends over Emily when she discovers an ancient pendulum board, once used to summon spirits. Christian seeks help for Emily from occult expert Alexander Babtiste, but Babtiste has secrets of his own, knowing the fateful bloodlines that binds them all to the Witchboard. A modern coven of White Witches, a masked ball at Babtiste’s mansion, and the legacy of Naga Soth, the Queen of Witches, are all part of a dangerous game that puts Emily’s very soul at risk.
The film stars Madison Iseman of the short-lived I Know What You Did Last Summer TV series, Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders in the Building), Antonia Desplat (Shantaram), Charlie Tahan (Ozark), and Jamie Campbell Bower, who caught a lot of attention last year for playing the villainous Vecna in season 4 of Stranger Things.
The Witchboard remake is an A-Nation Media production, and Russell and McKay are producing the film with Kade Vu and Bernie Gewissler. Eric Schiermeyer, Sarah Buxton, John Paul Isham, and Walter Josten serve as executive producers. Although the film is set in New Orleans, it was shot in Montreal.
The original Witchboard, which is one of my all-time favorites, had two sequels that followed different characters and featured different evil spirits. The main connection between the films was the presence of a Ouija board. Russell’s Witchboard seems separate enough from the original that it might as well be considered Witchboard 4, even if it switches out a Ouija board for a pendulum board. And I’m definitely interested in seeing a Witchboard 4 that’s directed by Chuck Russell.
Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser had this to say about the movie: “Witchboard is a chilling new take on a beloved horror classic. With slick looks, it’s a nod to the practical effects driven horror movies of the late ’90 and beyond.” Highland Film Group COO Delphine Perrier added, “Chuck Russell has expertly crafted a gripping and tense horror thriller that pulls its audience into the intoxicating dangers of the supernatural.“
Are you interested in the Witchboard remake? Take a look at the new image, then let us know by leaving a comment below.
After teaming up for 2018’s Stan & Ollie, a biographical comedy focusing on the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy, John C. Reilly (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Step Brothers, Ralph Breaks the Internet) and Steve Coogan (Despicable Me 4, Philomena, Alan Patridge: Alpha Papa) are reuniting for The Players, an upcoming comedy about competing Shakespearian actors.
The Full Monty’s Peter Cattaneo directs The Players from a script by Jeff Pope (Stan & Ollie, Philomena). The Players is an 1800s period comedy revolving around two thespians, Edwin Forrest and William MacCready. According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, The Players “is set in 1847 New York, where Edwin Forrest (Reilly) holds the undisputed title as the country’s top Shakespearian actor. Playing magnificently to a sold out, raucous crowd every night, Edwin is “The Star”. But when critically celebrated English thespian William MacCready (Coogan) arrives from London to perform his sophisticated Hamlet, Edwin’s title is thrown into jeopardy. Each man wants what the other has, and the rivalry between them starts a hilarious and unforgettable battle of egos.”
Production for The Players is expected to start early next year in Europe, with Ben Pugh, Ben Cavey, Tim Cole, and Josh Horsfield for 42. Executive producers include Pope, Coogan, Protagonist Pictures’ Dave Bishop, George Hamilton, James Pugh, and 42’s Josh Varney.
“The multi-talented Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly have reunited for this wildly funny, bigger than life battle of egos,” Bishop said of The Players.“Their chemistry is undeniable and, with the wit and comedy bursting from every page of Jeff’s script, and Peter’s artful direction behind the camera, this is set up to be a tremendous crowd pleaser.”
You can catch Steve Coogan as Paddy Meyers in Todd Phillips’ divisive Joker: Folie À Deux or as Tom Michel in Peter Cattaneo’s The Penguin Lessons, in which an Englishman experiences a personal and political awakening after he adopts a penguin during a cataclysmic period in Argentine history.
As for John C. Reilly, he stars alongside Elizabeth Banks, Sofia Boutella, Kathryn Newton, and Juliette Lewis in Alex Prager’s upcoming thriller Dreamquil. The film focuses on a woman embarking on a virtual wellness retreat to get her life back on track – but with nightmarish consequences.
Are you excited about Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly getting the band back together for The Players? Let us know in the comments section below.
The upcoming TV series It: Welcome to Derry, which will serve as a prequel to Warner Bros’ two-part adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel It (pick up a copy HERE), was originally meant to be for the Max streaming service, but we recently learned that it will be airing on HBO as well. The show went into production in Port Hope, Ontario at the end of last year, aiming for a 2025 premiere, and wrapped in August after 237 shooting days. Now, a batch of first look images have made their way online, and you can check those out in this article.
Brad Caleb Kane (Tokyo Vice) and Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman), who was a co-producer on It: Chapter Two, are the showrunners on It: Welcome to Derry (and Kane recently signed on to be showrunner on the Friday the 13th series Crystal Lake as well.) The show is being executive produced by Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti, the sibling director/producer duo that was behind the two It movies, through their production company Double Dream. Kane and Fuchs are also executive producing, as are Shelley Meals, Roy Lee, and Dan Lin. The series is produced by HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television.
Fuchs wrote the script for the first episode, working from a story he crafted with the Muschiettis. Andy Muschietti has directed four episodes of the nine-episode series.
Stephen King had this to say about the series: “I’m excited that the story of Derry, Maine’s most haunted city, is continuing, and I’m glad Andy Muschietti is going to be overseeing the frightening festivities, along with a brain trust including his talented sister, Barbara. Red balloons all around!“ The Muschiettis added, “As teenagers, we took turns reading chapters of Stephen King’s It until the thick paperback fell to pieces. It is an epic story that contains multitudes, far beyond what we could explore in our It movies. We can’t wait to share the depths of Steve’s novel, in all its heart, humor, humanity, and horror.“
The cast of Welcome to Derry includes Taylour Paige (Zola), Jovan Adepo (Watchmen), Chris Chalk (Perry Mason), James Remar (Dexter), Madeleine Stowe (Revenge), Stephen Rider (Daredevil), Alixandra Fuchs (Hatfields & McCoys), Kimberly Guerrero (The English), Dorian Grey (Star Trek: Discovery), Thomas Mitchell (Gangland Undercover), BJ Harrison (Family Law), Peter Outerbridge (Saw VI), Shane Marriott (Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent),Chad Rook (Billy the Kid), Joshua Odjick (Little Bird), Rudy Mancuso (Música), and Morningstar Angeline(Westworld). We don’t know anything about the characters they’ll be playing, either. In fact, the only character we know anything about is Pennywise, the evil clown. Bill Skarsgård is on board to reprise that role.
Are you looking forward to It: Welcome to Derry? Check out the first look images, then let us know by leaving a comment below.
Principal photography for Jaume Collet-Serra’s Cliffhanger reboot is officially underway in Austria, where Lily James defies gravity while pushing herself to the limit. Today, Rocket Science, in partnership with Thank You Pictures and Supernix, unveiled two first-look images from the film’s shoot in Austria’s East Tyrol region of the Lienz Dolomites. I hope you don’t get vertigo because the reboot of Sylvester Stallone’s 1993 thriller, starring Lily James (Cinderella, Baby Driver, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) and Pierce Brosnan (Mrs. Doubtfire, Goldeneye, Die Another Day), looks like it’s off to an exciting start.
“In this reboot of Cliffhanger, seasoned mountaineer Ray Cooper (Pierce Brosnan) and his daughter Sydney run a mountain chalet in the Dolomites. During a weekend trip with a billionaire’s son, they are targeted by a gang of kidnappers. Ray’s older daughter Naomi (Lily James), still haunted by a past climbing accident, witnesses the attack and escapes. To save her family, she must confront her fears and fight for survival in the Italian Dolomites.”
Additional cast members include Nell Tiger Free (The First Omen, Servant), Franz Rogowski (Passages, Great Freedom), Shubham Saraf (Shantaram and Criminal), Assaad Bouab (Franklin, Bad Sisters), Suzy Bemba (Poor Things, Homecoming) and Bruno Gouery (The White Lotus, Emily in Paris, Modi).
Filming locations for Cliffhanger expand beyond Austria’s East Tyrol region to include the Carinthia regions of the Lienz Dolomites, which recently moved to Germany’s Penzing Studios near Munich, Bavaria, and will wrap in Italy.
Speaking about the complexity of filming his Cliffhanger reboot, Jaume Collet-Serra commented on Lily James’ tenacity and strength for the role, as well as the challenge of capturing the grandeur of the pulse-pounding action film, saying, “Shooting our movie on location in the Dolomites using large format cameras was imperative for us to show the scope and scale of the story we’re telling. We’re going to bring the audience a truly thrilling and visceral, premium theatrical experience. Lily in particular has gone above and beyond for the role, putting in real training and learning to climb. Her dedication has allowed us to capture some incredible shots we couldn’t have achieved otherwise, and the whole crew is blown away by her commitment.”
Unsurprisingly, Stallone’s Cliffhanger holds up incredibly well after all these years. During my most recent rewatch, the movie still packs an intense punch to your senses as its characters dangle from danger and dodge bullets while trudging through the snow. Cliffhanger also gives us the gift of John Lithgow’s hilarious British accent, which I could not ignore, and entertains throughout the caper. We’re excited to find out if Lily James has what it takes to honor the original film’s legacy. If today’s first-look images are any indication, she’s up to the task.
At the start of the year, JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray got to check out the Sundance Film Festival premiere of director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp’s ghost story Presence, and in his 7/10 review (which you can read HERE), he described the film as “a supernatural tale that’s light on horror but heavy on heart.” A wider audience will have the chance to see the movie soon after we switch over to our 2025 calendars, as Neon is planning to give Presence a limited theatrical release on January 17th. Neon has already released three teaser trailers for the film, but today a full trailer has made its way online, and you can check it out in the embed above.
The story of Presence gets rolling when a family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they are not alone. A supernatural force has infiltrated the house, and taken a specific interest in the couple’s daughter.
The film stars Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox, Eddy Maday, and West Mulholland.
It hasn’t been revealed how much Neon is paid for Presence, but it is known that they came out the winner of a bidding war between “about 10” different interested distributors. So they’re probably forking over “a healthy sum.” Deadline points out that it was “shot entirely in a single location, which creates the haunting mood sought by the filmmakers.” Bumbray’s review informed us that “Soderbergh’s camera is always from the perspective of the presence itself (no one uses the term ghost here), making it an interesting visual exercise. The family is observed from an arm’s length, with us eventually realizing that the presence itself isn’t necessarily malignant, nor is it even aware of why it’s in their home in the first place.”
Julie M. Anderson and Ken Meyer produced Presence, with Koepp serving as an executive producer alongside Corey Bayes. H.H. Cooper co-produced and Gus Gustafson, Samara Levenstein, and Claire Kenny are associate producers.
Are you looking forward to Presence? Watch the full trailer, then let us know by leaving a comment below. Neon has also unveiled a couple new posters, and you can take a look at those while you’re scrolling down:
The impact that Kevin Wiliamson and Wes Craven had with Scream way back in 1996 is undeniable. “Ghostface” become quite a horror legend, As well, the classic feature spawned a new group of actors to popularity. Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Drew Barrymore (of course), and more. The features also offered up a stand-out performance was given by Matthew Lillard as “Stu Machner.” The actor is perhaps just as memorable in the classic than the three leads who survived a few more masked psychos along the way.
The actor continued to work in many a comedy. Even still it seems that he tends to get noticed as a horror guy. Thanks to movies like Scream, Thir13en Ghosts, and now Five Nights at Freddy’s, the dude has earned his genre cred. So much so that Lillard has moved into a few other lanes with his career. Bringing his love of all things geekcentric, the actor recently launched a little something called Find Familiar Spirits. It’s a spirits company that included the popular Quest End Whiskey. And just in time for Halloween, he has a new spell to unleash. ‘Macabre’ Tequila. And each bottle comes with a very detailed and nicely packed short story by the incomparable Mike Flanagan.
Recently, we spoke with Matthew about his latest project. And yes, the conversation brought about Scream, and a whole lot of horror talk came out of it. Lillard opened up about creating Macabre and working with Flanagan and taking on different avenues with his career. And he even dropped a few words on his previous horror entries, as well as the upcoming Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. It was a terrific conversation, and if you’d like to know more, you should check out the official site for Macabre here.
It’s Halloween, perhaps the perfect time to expand your taste with something a little Macabre.
Seventeen years ago, writer/director Rob Zombie took on the challenge of remaking John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween – and to do so, he had to find an actress who could fill Jamie Lee Curtis’s shoes and become the new Laurie Strode. Zombie’s choice was Scout Taylor-Compton, and he put her version of Laurie through the wringer. Although she starts out a nice, normal high school student like Curtis’s Laurie, her experience with Michael Myers leaves her an emotional mess, with Zombie and Taylor-Compton exploring Laurie’s trauma in the 2009 sequel Halloween II. That one had an ambiguous ending. Did Taylor-Compton’s Laurie die, or did she survive? During an interview with Fangoria, Taylor-Compton said she thinks her Laurie may be dead, but she’s still holding on to hope that she’ll get to play the character again someday.
When asked what she thinks happened to Laurie, Taylor-Compton answered, “If you had asked me right after finishing that movie, or even before the David Gordon Green films, I would have said that my Laurie survived because we were always prepared to do a third one. I was just very anxious and excited to be able to play her again. Now that we have the new ones, I would say that my Laurie is probably R-I-P because our other Laurie is back [Laughs]. I always hold on to hope that maybe I will get the opportunity to play her again, but it’s still really cool and a pinch me moment whenever I remind myself that only two people have played Laurie Strode: Jamie and myself. It’ll always be really cool.“
She then addressed the negative reception to Halloween II and the Halloween III plans that fell apart: “Halloween II gets such a bad rap. People like to remind me all the time, even in person, that they don’t like it, which is so funny. I could never go up to someone and be like, ‘Hi, I don’t like your work, but can you sign this for me?’ I just could never. Every time, it’s like a knife goes in just an inch. It’s like, okay, enough stabs! [Laughs] But I think that’s probably why I don’t watch it as much. In addition to the experience and stuff that I was going through and it being so hard. When you get told so much, ‘Oh, this movie is terrible,’ why would I want to watch it? We’re actors, we’re human beings. We’re not like this special fairy that doesn’t have feelings, you know? But at the time, I thought it was amazing, everybody loved the movie. It was a high-grossing movie. I was like, ‘This is great. This is amazing.’ And then it was very shortly after the release that they approached us about the third one. It was literally, ‘Get ready. Rob’s not a part of it and we’re working on the script, but it’s going to happen in like two months.’ We were ready to go. So, it was kind of shocking when it all crumbled and fell apart. … When we found out that Rob wasn’t a part of it, that was really hard to digest, but I love the character so much that I would have come back. But new things kept on coming, and actors are the last to know. They told us, ‘All right. Flight’s booked and you’re filming next week.’ It’s like, ‘Wait, what? Okay.’ They never call to tell us, ‘We’re looking at this director. He did My Bloody Valentine. We’re maybe going to do it in 3D.’ You just have to read about it and hope that they’ll settle on something, and you’ll be able to come back and reprise your role and make another cool movie. And then it just went silent.“
Taylor-Compton has noticed that more positivity is being directed toward the Rob Zombie Halloween movies in recent years. “Since the Blumhouse ones came out especially, I’ve had a lot of people coming to my table just saying that they wouldn’t mind a third from Rob. I wish that was a possibility but I don’t think he would ever, ever touch the Halloween franchise again. It’s really hard putting all your creativity into an art and then people being super awful about it. It weighs on the director. It doesn’t weigh on anybody else. Maybe actors a little bit, but it really does weigh on a director because it’s their movie. It’s their creativity. They put it together. That’s hard. That’s hard in any film, in any art form, in any sort of job, I think. So, I don’t know if he would ever want to revisit that. But if he does, man, I’d be game. I’m just really happy to be a part of the franchise because it just introduced me to some really amazing people in my life and the horror genre as a whole. It’s brought me into this massive family. I just appreciate it so much, and I’m very grateful for it.“
It’s good to know that she is open to returning to the role of Laurie Strode – and who knows? They might ask her to come back for another Halloween sequel someday. Stranger things have happened in this franchise. My biggest hope for the future of Halloween is that Danielle Harris will have the chance to reprise the role of Jamie Lloyd, but I wouldn’t be against a Taylor-Compton sequel.
Would you like to see Scout Taylor-Compton play Laurie Strode again? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
As Sheriff Brackett (played by Charles Cyphers) says in John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween, “everyone is entitled to one good scare”. Any goodHalloween movie should have at least one good scare in it, so now that the holiday the film was named after is upon us, we here at Arrow in the Head have decided to look back over all of the Halloween movies and put together a list of moments that get our hearts beating faster and put us on the edge of our seats. On the Halloween: Best Scares in the Franchise list below, you’ll find our picks for the top 5 scariest moments. Did your favorite make the cut?
HALLOWEEN (1978) – NURSE CAR ATTACK
It’s a dark and stormy Halloween Eve. Nurse Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens) has been sent to the Smith’s Grove Sanitarium with Michael Myers’ doctor Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) to get the killer ready for a court appearance – but when they reach their destination, they see escaped patients in hospital gowns wandering around in the rain. If that weren’t already creepy enough, Loomis leaves the nurse alone in the car while he checks on the situation. And that’s when Michael Myers makes his move, scrambling onto the roof of the car and proceeding to torment Nurse Marion. He might be wearing nothing but a hospital gown himself, but he’s still frightening enough to cause her to flee her vehicle. That’s how Myers gets the car he drives back to his hometown of Haddonfield so he can go on a killing spree. This was a great way to get the 1978 portion of the story going. It’s unsettling, with classic horror elements in play, but it was also a very economical way to show how Myers was able to escape from the sanitarium. It’s all capped off with an unforgettable line from Loomis, perfectly delivered by Pleasence: “He’s gone from here! The evil is gone!”
HALLOWEEN H20: TWENTY YEARS LATER (1998) – OPEN THE DOOR
The Halloween sequels have tried to give us scary moments with Michael Myers, but they’re not often very effective. One of the most thrilling Myers scenes from a later sequel happens to be a twist on a popular moment from the original film involving locked doors and a lack of keys. In Halloween H20, John Tate (Josh Hartnett) and his girlfriend Molly Cartwell (Michelle Williams) are pursued to a locked gate by Myers. Molly has the keys and the couple gets through the gate, but once it’s closed Molly drops the keys on the side the killer is on. Now they’re trapped between the gate and a locked door, with Myers swinging his blade at them – they’re just barely out of cutting range. Realizing he’s going to have to open the gate to get to them, Myers picks up the keys and starts trying them on the lock while John and Molly desperately pound on the door, screaming for someone to open it. This was a clever set-up, and the sequence ends with Myers and John’s mother – Jamie Lee Curtis as franchise heroine Laurie Strode, now using a different name – getting face time with each other through a window in the middle of that door.
HALLOWEEN 5 (1989) – LAUNDRY CHUTE
Sometimes a good scare can come from the unlikeliest of places. Halloween 5 may be one of the lesser entries in the franchise, but it does feature some intense moments, including an extended stalk and slash sequence that’s set at the Myers house… which has somehow transformed into a crumbling mansion, but the extra space inside the house does benefit the action. While being chased by her knife-happy Uncle Michael, 9-year-old Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) tries hiding inside the top of a laundry chute – and when he grabs at her, she goes sliding down to the bottom. Unfortunately, the hatch at the end of the chute is locked, so when Myers arrives at the bottom and starts stabbing through the sides of the metal chute, little Jamie has to try to climb back up to the top. Which is tough to do, since the smooth metal walls have nothing to grab onto so she can pull herself up. Some of the decisions made during the production of this movie ranged from questionable to flat-out bad, but the idea to do this laundry chute scene was a really smart one.
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982) – KUPFER FAMILY MELTDOWN
Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a weird, twisted little movie that, aside from the original Halloween being shown on TV, has absolutely nothing to do with Michael Myers. Instead, the villain in this one is Dan O’Herlihy as Conal Cochran, owner of the Silver Shamrock Novelties company that’s putting out a trio of masks this Halloween season – a witch, a skull, and a jack-o’-lantern – and advising kids to wear their masks while watching a special giveaway commercial on Halloween night. Through the use of some Stonehenge magic, the commercial will activate something in the masks that will kill the children and the people around them. The Kupfer family, consisting of Buddy (Ralph Strait), Betty (Jadeen Barbor), and Buddy Jr. (Brad Schacter) are unwitting test subjects who are given a preview of the commercial at the Silver Shamrock factory. Buddy Jr. is wearing the jack-o’-lantern mask, and the magic at work turns his head into a rotting pumpkin that splits open, unleashing snakes and insects that proceed to kill his parents. It’s utterly disgusting and deeply unnerving. Myers could never even dream of pulling off something as revolting and disturbing as this scene is.
HALLOWEEN (1978) – CHASE ACROSS THE STREET
Concerned about her pals Annie and Lynda, babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) puts the kids she’s taking care of to bed and walks across the street to the house where her friends are supposed to be. There she finds their corpses set up like a nightmarish art display – and then their killer attacks Laurie as well. She manages to get out of the house, but can’t get any of the neighbors to respond to her screams for help. So she runs back to the house she came from, only to find she doesn’t have the keys to the locked door. While she waits for a groggy kid to get out of bed and open the door for her, Myers is walking across the street, getting closer and closer, confident that he doesn’t have to pick up the pace to catch her. He’s going to get her no matter what… Sequels, like the aforementioned H20, have attempted to replicate this moment a few times over the years, but they can never live up to how effectively scary this simple moment was in the original film.
The first weekend in November seems all but sure to be a quiet one; with no major new releases on the schedule that look like they can keep Venom: The Last Dance from dominating the weekend box office again. This is good news for the final chapter in Sony’s live-action Spider-Verse trilogy, as its opening last weekend was considered quite underwhelming, even if it seems to be a blockbuster overseas.
Word of mouth on the film doesn’t seem to be all that good, so the movie will likely fall in the 60% range, giving it a second weekend of under $20 million. Given how front-loaded the Thursday screenings were last week, I think Venom 3 will be lucky to have an $18 million second weekend.
As mediocre a number as that is, it seems unlikely any of the other films in the top 10 will make over $5 million this weekend. Smile 2 seems like it might grab some of the Halloween carry-over audience, with a $5 million second weekend. Conclave, which proved to be a surprise hit for Focus last weekend, should manage a third-place finish with about $4 million.
Another big question mark this weekend is how Robert Zemeckis’s Here will perform. While it reunites the director with his Forrest Gump stars, Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, the early reviews have been poor, and audiences tend to stay away in droves anytime de-aging is done, so I’m expecting a disastrous $3 million weekend. A24’s romance, We Live in Time, should easily snag a fifth-place finish with about $2.5 million.
Here are my predictions for the top 5:
Venom: The Last Dance: $18 million
Smile 2: $5 million
Conclave: $4 million
Here: $3 million
We Live in Time: $2.5 million
Expect the box office doldrums to continue next weekend, with Heretic the only big opener. That movie seems unlikely to make much more than $10 million, so we likely won’t get any films opening to over $20 million until Dwayne Johnson’s Red One opens. Luckily, the rest of the month paints a rosier picture, with blockbuster audiences expected for Gladiator II and Wicked.
