Dumbo Is Expected To Have A Big Worldwide Opening Too

Dumbo Is Expected To Have A Big Worldwide Opening Too

Disney has never had trouble making money with the remakes of animated classics. It's the main reason that we're getting three of them this year. However, the level of success can still be quite variable. Beauty and the Beast make a billion dollars while Cinderella made only half a billion. Dumbo may turn out to see numbers on the lower end of that spectrum, but it's still looking like it will have a pretty impressive global opening, as the film is currently tracking to bring in something around $140 million for it's opening weekend.

Dumbo is opening in nearly every territory where it is opening at all by this Friday. That means that this weekend is going to be key to the overall success of the film. It's opening in the U.S. and China, the two biggest box office markets in the world, which means it's pretty much all downhill from here.

The official range for Dumbo's opening weekend, according to Deadline is between $137-$155 million. The U.S. is looking to make up a bit less than half that business as the domestic number currently projected is around $60 million at the low end. It doesn't have much competition for the box office title. No other major wide releases are hitting screens on Friday. Jordan Peele's Us will probably have a solid second weekend, but that movie really isn't competing with Dumbo for audience share.

For comparison, 2015's Cinderella saw a domestic opening weekend of $67 million and ended up grossing $543 million globally. If Dumbo finds itself on the low end of projections, it could end up coming in beneath that number. Still, when your competition is a series of films that have largely made a half billion dollars or more, you can come up short by comparison and still be a massive hit in absolute numbers.

Dumbo is the earliest of the Disney animated films to be given the remake treatment, which is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it's had the longest time to become popular to multiple generations. At the same time, it may not resonate with fans in quite the same way as a more modern film simply because of its age.

Of course, the last time Tim Burton directed a Disney remake it was a little film called Alice in Wonderland that made a billion dollars, so who knows? If lightning strikes twice we could see Dumbo become an absolutely massive hit.

Regardless of Dumbo's numbers, it is sure to be a big year for Disney remakes. In just two months we'll see the live-action version of Aladdin, and two months after that we'll get the new version of The Lion King. Those two films are almost certainly destined to be box office successes. The latter film could find itself competing for the box office crown of the year if it does as well as the animated original.

Why Mothra Was Difficult To Design For Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Why Mothra Was Difficult To Design For Godzilla: King of the Monsters

One of the Titans being introduced to the MonsterVerse at the end of the month in Godzilla: King of the Monsters is Mothra. While Godzilla has already had a couple go-arounds in American productions, King of the Monsters marks Mothra’s debut in such a project after decades of appearing in Japanese movies. As it turns out, it was the simplistic designs of the earlier Mothras that made it difficult for Mothra to be visually developed for King of the Monsters, as I learned during an interview with production designer Scott Chambliss. He explained:

The earliest incarnations of all our creatures have an unrefined comic book simplicity to them, and Mothra was arguably the least ‘designed’ of all as her initial versions are standard moths blown up to a zillion times their actual scale. In developing Mothra, our intention was to give her an essentially feminine power in contrast to the hypermasculinity of the other three creatures, and to imbue her with undeniable strength and grace plus an ability to be incredibly frightening at the same time. We went through endless design iterations striving to nail down what all that meant visually. One of the more memorable moments was when we hit a phase of ‘armourized’ Mothra. For a moment in time her cocoon looked like a military tank.

While Mothra is unquestionably a force to be reckoned with in the Toho monster movies, like Scott Chambliss pointed out, she doesn’t look as monstrous as her cohorts, instead just looking like if a regular, unassuming moth had been blown up to the size of a building. Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ Mothra still has those insectoid features and looks more realistic in some regards, but Chambliss and his team made sure that she also looked more powerful and intimidating. Those praying mantis-like legs and the bigger wingspan definitely help convey that.

As Scott Chambliss also mentioned, unlike fellow newcomers Rodan and King Ghidorah, Mothra will have more than one form in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which is in keeping with the source material. She’ll be discovered by some of the main human characters in her impressive cocoon and eventually emerge in her larva form. But once those wings stretch out and Mothra takes to the skies, she’ll get to take part in the explosive action and show American moviegoers unfamiliar with her why she shouldn’t be underestimated, with her most unique power being the ability to unleash ‘god rays.’

As for whether or not Mothra will be an ally or enemy to Godzilla in this next MonsterVerse entry, that hasn’t officially been clarified yet. However, given Mothra’s benevolent nature in the Japanese movies, her behaving friendly to Millie Bobby Brown’s Madison Russell and her shown fighting King Ghidorah, it seems likely that Godzilla won’t have to worry about Mothra giving him too much trouble, if any at all.

It’s also worth mentioning that in a previous interview, director Michael Dougherty revealed that the eye spots on Mothra’s wings were designed to resemble Godzilla’s eyes, thus creating a connection between those two. Whether that will be significantly explored in Godzilla: King of the Monsters or saved for a future MonsterVerse movie remains to be seen.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters rampages into theaters on May 31. If you’re curious about what other movies are opening in theaters later this year, look through our 2019 release schedule.

Why Keira Knightley Isn’t Down With Nude Scenes Anymore

Why Keira Knightley Isn’t Down With Nude Scenes Anymore

Keira Knightley’s new movie The Aftermath came out earlier this year. It’s notable for being a period drama that Knightley took that’s not set in the corset era, but also because it has nude scenes, scenes Knightley notably used a body double for. While Knightley has revealed she was excited about using a body double, she’s not particularly excited about getting naked on the big screen these days. She said:

I have been comfortable earlier with more nudity than I am now. I have had a kid, I am in my 30s, I am very happy with my body, but I don’t feel I need to get it out that much anymore.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, the actress noted that she’s a mom now. Her body has changed thanks to bearing a child and she’s simply not as excited about foisting her naked body on the entire moviegoing audience anymore.

It’s not that she’s seemingly opposed to nudity or topless scenes like some actress are. She notably has filmed a slew of sex scenes during her career and some of them have bared more than others. While filming The Edge of Love she opted to go topless, saying at the time she doesn’t love bras in sex scenes. That's not the only time she's done a scene of that ilk either, although she's previously said she's never revealed her bottom half.

This time around, though, she was all about the body double, also telling Good Morning America that she had the best time picking out a woman to play her body in The Aftermath.

Well they said, ‘Look we want to do a nude scene.’ And I said, ‘Yes, that’s a very good idea.’ They said, ‘Are you comfortable with that?’ I said, ‘Well, I’m really comfortable as long as I don’t have to do it.’ They said, ‘OK great, you can choose your own body double.’ It was absolutely brilliant.

From the looks and sounds of things, we might not be seeing the Pirates of the Caribbean actress undress on the big screen in the future either, since she seems to be having a lot of fun with the finding a body double stuff.

For more on nudity in R-rated films, take a look at our full history.

Interestingly, it’s not like Keira Knightley just recently hired her first body double. She also used one in the 2007 film Atonement for her feet and she used a body double for her butt in the flick Domino.

So, she’s sort of waffled back and forth between what she’s willing to throw up on the big screen and what she’s less jazzed about. In this case, the postwar film has a lot of moments between the sheets, but it’s not Keira Knightley you’re looking at. When she is shown onscreen in the early previews for the movie, she’s covered up by sheets or wearing lacy bits.

The Aftermath is still out in limited release.

Wizarding World Of Harry Potter: 5 Must-See Attractions At Harry Potter World

Wizarding World Of Harry Potter: 5 Must-See Attractions At Harry Potter World

As someone who grew up adoring theme parks of all shapes and sizes, I don't often truly feel as if I've been transported to another place and time whenever I'm visiting one. One obvious exception – or several, technically – is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, located at both Universal Studios in Orlando and at Universal Studios Hollywood (and in Japan). Within the many brilliantly designed walls of Harry Potter World, fans can feel like wizards, monster hunters and more, instead of the silly Muggles we all are.

In Orlando, Harry Potter World is split into two different parks that are actually connected by the Hogwarts Express, a train ride that is worthy of one's time even if there's no reason to use it beyond geeking out. The first Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction within the Islands of Adventure park in 2010, while the Universal Studios Florida park opened its own Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction in 2014. Meanwhile, the Wizarding World within Universal Studios Hollywood was the latest to open, debuting in 2016.

While "Everything and Then Some" would likely be the main entry in this list if I was being casually frank about what fans should experience in Harry Potter World, we've got to set some boundaries. As such, here are 5 must-see attractions and rides to enjoy when wandering around the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey

I think many would agree that Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey became a watershed moment for fan-based theme park attractions, and if it contained the entirety of the Harry Potter World experience, it would suffice. Well, at least it would if some of the physical shops were set in there, and if libations were sold.

In any case, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a dark ride (non-coaster) that embraces the film and novel franchises entirely through both the pre-ride queue and through the 3D visuals of the ride itself. It's one of the few theme park rides where fans will want to spend as much time as possible just waiting in line, which takes future riders through Hogwarts Castle. Not a detail is spared from floor to ceiling, as there are pitch-perfect replicas of famed areas within Hogwarts, not to mention the Sorting Hat.

Then there’s the ride itself, which takes fans on a virtual trip around the castle and through other non-Hogwarts areas of Harry Potter’s world. Get a bird’s eye view of Black Lake or get lost in the Forbidden Forest, and don’t be nervous about saying hello to the dragon. He won’t really burn you. All in all, an A+ experience from beginning to end.

Ollivanders

Quick trips to smallish shops generally don’t allow for some of the most hype-worthy moments of a theme park visit, but only Harry Potter World features magic wand stores where the wand sometimes chooses the patrons. It feels magical just to say something so gloriously absurd.

The Ollivanders within the fabulous Daigon Alley area is the bigger of the two, though the Hogsmeade location has its own worthwhile surroundings. Potential customers are perfectly free to quickly pick up one of the many wands, either the plain versions or the more interactive ones, but everyone should stick around for a few minutes to check out the fun and slightly spooky wand-choosing shows that are held throughout the day. Younger kids are generally the recipients, but it’s a blast to take part in for older visitors as well.

Though certain Wizarding World of Harry Potter attendees might not want to shell out the money for a souvenir wand – surely a low percentage – the park experience is made all the more enjoyable by the slightly more expensive interactive wands. They perform a variety of enchanting tasks throughout the areas, with a handy map showing the less randomly adventurous fans where the wands can be used.

Flight Of The Hippogriff

The coaster in question started its life in Islands of Adventure as Flying Unicorn, but then became the Flight of the Hippogriff once the Wizarding World of Harry Potter updates went into effect. Retooled and re-themed for a more Harry Potter-esque experience, the ride is a junior coaster, but while it’s not meant for extreme heart-pounding thrills, it does deliver fan-friendly thrills in spades.

It’s not as extensive a Wizarding World set-up as the one in Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey or Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, but having Hagrid offer instructions on Hippogriff-handling is a treat. This queue also provides a great time for picture-taking, with various Hippogriff replicas all around.

Riders are in for both a visual and visceral treat with Flight of the Hippogriff, which starts off with a lift boasting a full overview of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Then, it gets busy making people scream with some twists, dives and swoops throughout the lands surrounding Hagrid's hut. Thankfully, none of the previous information needs to be put to memory, as the Hippogriff here does all the flying for you.

Three Broomsticks

You know what they say about magic: don't do it on an empty stomach. Or is it not to swim in magical rivers until until 30 minutes after you eat? However it goes, Wizarding World of Harry Potter has an assortment of locations for park-goers to grab a bite and/or a drink, such as the Leaky Cauldron. However, it goes without saying that the key location everyone should want to attend first is the Three Broomsticks restaurant.

Set inside the Hogsmeade area, Three Broomsticks is as hearty a Harry Potter World eatery as one could hope for. The open-spaced inn allows for just about all the details to be marveled at no matter where you're sitting, and fans can imagine themselves hanging out with Harry & Co., shooting the breeze while waiting for some fish and chips.

For those looking for something a bit more adult, the back of Three Broomsticks features a Hog's Head pub that will do the trick, even without a wand to stir things with. Try some of the signature Hog's Head Brew (especially if it's a hot mother-Felix-Felicis outside), or other iconic potables such as Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice. Just be sure to save room for a visit to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

While this Wizarding World of Harry Potter roller coaster won't actually go live for park attendees until June 13, 2019, just the preview information for Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is enough to make one want to book a Universal Studios trip ASAP. Clearly, Hagrid is the Harry Potter World character with the biggest stronghold on top-notch rides.

Taking the place of the enjoyable-if-tangential Dragon Challenge coaster, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is a steel coaster that promises to be as epic an experience as anything a lowly Muggle could enjoy outside of Harry Potter World. Using cars modeled after Hagrid's own motorcycle, the coaster takes riders on a unique experience filled with beloved characters and locations. Here's the tantalizing way Universal Studios describes it:

For the first time ever, fly deep into the wilds of the Forbidden Forest, beyond the grounds of Hogwarts castle. As you twist past towering trees, magical creatures and wondrous surprises surround you. One misstep could drop you into an endless pit of Devil’s Snare, or put you in the sights of a centaur’s bow. Anything can happen here.

Anything can happen, people! Of course, it can only happen once you're actually inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, so getting there is Step 1.

Obviously, there are plenty of other amazing and mesmerizing moments and experiences to be had within Universal's Harry Potter World, from the Dark Arts light show to the puppet performances to the aforementioned Escape from Gringott's ride. Hopefully the future will bring more unrivaled wizardry, as J.K. Rowling's Pottermore expands into new formats through a recent deal with Warner Bros.

Marvel’s Kevin Feige Says Disney Won’t Be Changing Deadpool

Marvel’s Kevin Feige Says Disney Won’t Be Changing Deadpool

Superhero movies have become the biggest genre in filmmaking over the past few years, in no small part due to the massive success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Plenty of studios have gotten in on the action since Iron Man debuted in 2007, and the genre is about to get more complicated since Disney officially acquired Fox. This seemingly put Fox properties like X-Men in jeopardy, although The House of Mouse already made it clear that the Deadpool franchise was here to stay.

Just how Ryan Reynolds' signature mercenary will work under the Disney umbrella is a total mystery, as is his possible inclusion in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While fans may be concerned about the Deadpool franchise being held back in the new studio, Kevin Feige is here to quell your fears. He recently spoke about Disney CEO Bob Iger's intentions with Wade Wilson, saying:

When we were purchased, Bob said to us, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.' There’s no question that Deadpool is working, so why would we change it?

Well, that's a relief. While Deadpool's future with the MCU is still a mystery, cinephiles should rest easy knowing that Ryan Reynolds' franchise won't be given the Disney gloss for future installments. So we should expect plenty of violence, cursing, and fourth-wall-breaking in Deadpool 3 and/or X-Force.

Kevin Feige's comments to Variety should please the many Deadpool fans out there who might be nervous about his adoption by Disney. The franchise became such a massive success because Ryan Reynolds brought something totally unique to the franchise. He references the various cinematic universes, and Wade Wilson is constantly making jokes that aren't family friendly. It's this comedic approach to the genre that has resonated with audiences, as well as casual moviegoers who simply want to enjoy an R-rated comedy.

Deadpool's rating has been the biggest concern about Disney's acquisition of the property, as dumbing down a future installment to PG-13 would lose the spirit of the franchise. But Kevin Feige's recent statement indicates that Bob Iger isn't planning on making any liberal changes to the successful property. Considering what a massive box office and critical success the first two movies were, it stands to reason that he'd let Ryan Reynolds and company continue doing their thing.

While the details regarding the Disney and Fox deal are still coming to light for the public, one thing is clear: Wade Wilson is going to have a field day referencing the events of the merger when he returns to theaters. Deadpool loves referencing the various cinematic universes, and now that his franchise is at the center of two of them colliding, the jokes will write themselves.

CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Deadpool, especially as news is released regarding Disney's plans for his future. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Jennifer Lopez' Bikini Body Is Insane From The Set Of Hustlers Movie

Jennifer Lopez' Bikini Body Is Insane From The Set Of Hustlers Movie

Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez is currently filming a new movie called Hustlers, where she plays the ringleader of a group of strippers who band together to hustle their Wall Street clients. Given the nature of the role, it's understandable that Jennifer Lopez will be showing off her famously curvy body that has been dropping jaws for two decades. Jennifer Lopez decided to show off her body from the set of Hustlers and it is insane. Take a look:

With summer fast approaching, here comes J.Lo to give everyone an extremely lofty beach body goal to shoot for. It will shock absolutely no one that Jennifer Lopez looks good in a bikini. You’d be hard-pressed to find an outfit she didn’t look good in, but her bikini body here is insane. The actress, who hasn’t been shy about showing off her body in the past, looks to have taken her fitness to another level to play a stripper in Hustlers.

In her Instagram photo, Jennifer Lopez is showing off a toned body with some seriously rock hard abs that you could probably do your laundry on. She even appears to have the highly coveted V-cut on her lower abs. It’s an impressive physique no matter her age, but made even more so by the fact that J.Lo will be 50 this year.

The actress clearly takes care of herself and trains hard to get these results. All in all, she looks to be in phenomenal shape and definitely fits the part of a woman who can seduce men with her body while hustling them with her mind.

J.Lo is clearly feeling the part too, captioning her photo with lyrics from Jay-Z’s “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me).” Given that this song from The Dynasty: Roc La Familia is from a male player’s perspective, it is fun that J.Lo is quoting it here, as her character Ramona will flip that power balance on its head.

Hustlers is based on a magazine article titled The Hustlers at Scores by Jessica Pressler, and is being adapted for the screen by the film’s director Seeking a Friend for the End of the World’s Lorene Scafaria. Joining the ultra fit J.Lo in Hustlers is a killer cast of actresses, including Julia Stiles, Riverdale’s Lili Reinhart and Crazy Rich Asians’ Constance Wu. In another case of the blurred lines between art and life, rapper and former stripper herself, Cardi B has also joined the film.

Hustlers does not currently have a release date, but I expect this photo from the set of the film likely put it on many a person’s radar. Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all the biggest movies coming out this year, and for more celebrity fitness goals to aspire to, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

Looks Like Some Theaters Are Warning Moviegoers About Avengers: Endgame’s Credits

Looks Like Some Theaters Are Warning Moviegoers About Avengers: Endgame’s Credits

Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame are ahead!

If there’s one thing the Marvel Cinematic Universe is known best for, it’s giving audiences a little something extra after the main story is finished. The superhero franchise didn’t create post-credits scenes, but it certainly popularized them, as nearly all the MCU movies feature at least one extra scene either in the middle of the credits or after they’ve finished rolling. But then Avengers: Endgame had to go and break the streak.

Yes, as a first in MCU history, once the actual Avengers: Endgame story concluded, there wasn’t any additional footage for audiences to chew on, and evidently some theaters are now making sure that audiences are aware of this ahead of time. Said theaters are posting a message on the silver screen ahead of time to inform people that they will not be treated to a post-credits scene in Endgame.

Why are these theaters doing this? As the title of the Reddit post showing this message indicates, it’s so that the movie theater employees have an easier time cleaning up the theater. Needless to say that picking up fallen popcorn and mopping up spilled drinks are easier endeavors when there are fewer patrons staying in their seats.

While I still see a scattering of people leaving the theater once a Marvel movie has wrapped up the main story, for the most part Marvel has trained moviegoers to stay in their seats until the credits are finished. That’s not to say that one can’t stay to watch all of the credits just because (a lot of people put time and sweat into making movies, after all), but for the sake of saving time and making theater employees’ jobs easier, that no post-credits scene message certainly comes in handy.

Of course, as those of you who’ve seen Avengers: Endgame already know, just because the movie doesn’t have a post-credits scene doesn’t mean that there isn’t an extra surprise to enjoy. Once the credits finish rolling, the sound of a hammer striking metal can be heard, harkening back to when Tony Stark was building his suit of armor in Iron Man. Given that Endgame marked the end of the Infinity Saga and ended up being the final chapter of Tony’s story, it’s fitting that we hear something that reminds us of the movie that kicked off the MCU.

As for why Avengers: Endgame didn’t include a post-credits scene, directors Joe and Anthony Russo explained how because this movie marked the end of a 22-movie saga, they didn’t want to tease anything about the future and instead focused firmly on honoring the past, which Endgame does in spades. Oh, and there’s also the fact that the Russos currently don’t have any more Marvel projects lined up, so they aren’t in the loop about what’s to come.

One thing is definitely clear: Avengers: Endgame’s theatrical run is not ending anytime soon. With its second weekend over, the latest MCU movie has collected nearly $2.2 billion worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing movie of all time and knocking Titanic down to third place. Endgame has also been doing quite well on the critical front, ranking at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and earning an A+ on CinemaScore.

If you haven’t already, be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of Avengers: Endgame, and stay tuned for more coverage about the movie in the coming weeks. For now, you can browse through our 2019 release schedule to learn what other highly-anticipated movies are on the way this year.