To quote Russell Crowe in Gladiator, “Are you not entertained?”
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Three new films have been released into the wide domestic box office this weekend. Some religious reviewers urged believers to avoid the film, saying it manipulated Biblical text in irresponsible ways.
In a late summer line-up comprising such movies as bawdy foodstuff comedy Sausage Party, comedy-drama War Dogs, and Laika’s animated film Kubo and the Two Strings, Ben-Hur had to make do with a debut at the fifth spot in the U.S. top 10. The movie skewed slightly female (51%). Studios have generated greater profits when they target faith-based crowds with modestly budgeted dramas such as “Miracles from Heaven” and “Heaven Is for Real”.
Paramount Pictures hopes to once again capture the spectacle of one of the most respected films of all-time with the remake, Ben-Hur.
That’s not to say that a brand-name director and actor can’t team to make one that’s award-caliber. Considering the loss they’re already likely to suffer on other underperformers such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Zoolander 2, and even Star Trek Beyond, which is a modest hit, but performing far below the other entries in the franchise.
In a first for a DC Extended Universe film, Suicide Squad remained in first place at the box office for a third week in a row. Teaming Jonah Hill and Miles Teller for an action/comedy inspired by true events, Warner Bros’ War Dogs from The Hangover’s Todd Phillips is now sitting at just 59% fresh on RottenTomatoes. If Kubo and the Two Strings performs similarly to ParaNorman ($14.1 million start, $56 million overall domestically), that is finishing with four times more than it made opening weekend, then $50 million will be the animation’s final take in the US.
Focus Features’ division Focus World, a theatrical-VOD label, is handling Love and Darkness.
The 1880 book “Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ” has been a moneymaker for Hollywood for generations.
Of all the new releases, audiences liked “Kubo” the best.
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Year-to-date box office is up 5.2%, according to comScore.
