Triple Frontier Was Surprisingly Popular With Female Viewers

Triple Frontier Was Surprisingly Popular With Female Viewers

Looking at the trailer for a film like Netflix’s Triple Frontier, you might think that the film would play best with a more male demographic. The action/drama hybrid has a lot of kinetic action that people would more typically associate with a movie suited for a guy’s night out. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth, as one of Triple Frontier’s producers, Alex Gartner, clued us into the fact that the film was a surprise hit with its female viewers as well.

During a recent chat with CinemaBlend, Gartner and his Atlas Entertainment colleagues/fellow Triple Frontier producers Charles Roven and Andy Horwitz touched on the film’s reception. And while the film’s impressive reach to women isn’t a total surprise, Alex Gartner further explained why he felt the film did so well with that side of the aisle:

[Triple Frontier] also played incredibly well with women. I mean, it always tested well with women. … I think that the great cast we managed to assemble drew them in, but then they really responded to the movie. I think that’s another positive of having Netflix as our partner and our platform, because I think it reached a lot of people, and maybe people who, based on the genre, might not have been reached as quickly. I found it really personally satisfying.

So not only did the absolute mountain of handsome co-stars like Oscar Isaac and Ben Affleck draw female viewers into Triple Frontier, but according to Gartner, the easy access of the film to Netflix subscribers also helped. That definitely checks out, as the numbers from the film’s first month of release showed that 52 million households took the plunge into money-snatching madness that co-writer/director J.C. Chandor had provided them.

It’s not hard to see why either, as it’s the basic model that makes Netflix originals so successful in the first place. If you already have a subscription to the service and you randomly spot a brand new movie that shows Oscar Isaac leading a group of fellow war vets into a jungle heist of epic proportions, you’re already hearing the platform’s trademark “badump” before you even know you’ve clicked on Triple Frontier’s thumbnail.

That sort of expedience isn’t lost on the Atlas Entertainment gang, as Alex Gartner also expressed as much during this same conversation. In addition to his remarks about having an overwhelmingly positive female audience for Triple Frontier, Gartner also praised Netflix for allowing this sort of lightning fast audience feedback as follows:

It’s really interesting having a movie of scale really supported by Netflix premiere on their service, and I think [producers Charles Roven and Andy Horowitz] also got so much feedback, so quickly. So many people saw it so fast, and that was really really sort of satisfying to get that kind of feedback that quickly, and to have it be like Andy said, really positive feedback.

So while the filmmaking process for a Netflix Original film may not be different from that of a traditional studio release, the response time is certainly accelerated once a film such as this launches. Whether your film is a flop or a hit on Netflix, the word travels fast and the internet never forgets, which is even better in the case of Triple Frontier.

As the public response was quite enthusiastic to the film, particularly in the female demographic, one has to wonder what sort of projects will be inspired by such a surprising scenario. That’s left for the future to decide, but it wouldn’t be surprising to find out that more of the same could be on our way in the near future.

For now, you can catch Triple Frontier, if you haven’t already, by streaming it on Netflix.

Walt Disney Studios Sued For Pay Inequality

Walt Disney Studios Sued For Pay Inequality

One of the most talked about issues in our current sociopolitical is that of wage inequality between the sexes. With male and female pay rates being significantly different for some time, the issue has been brought to the attention of many notable figures in the political spectrum, as well as the celebrity world. And one of the largest companies in the world is now being brought into the crossfire, as Walt Disney Studios is being sued over that very subject.

Two employees, LaRonda Rasmussen and Karen Moore, are suing Disney for damages pertaining to everything from benefits to pay lost from the alleged inequality. With the claims of a wage gap paying “tens of thousands” fewer dollars to female employees, this suit might get more intense as it looks like it will be set up as a potential class action complaint.

In addition to any monetary demands that result from this lawsuit, Rasmussen and Moore’s complaint also stipulates that Disney should create a framework inside of its corporate structure that remedies and prevents such inequality from happening within the company ever again. This is something that representatives for Disney have claimed already exists within the company, and has done so long before this complaint was filed.

While it remains to be seen just how valid these claims are, and what sort of proceedings and judgements will result from it, these legal movements come at an interesting time. Disney has recently completed its integration of 21st Century Fox into it corporate holdings, so this is the sort of story that most companies would love to not see land on their desk in the early days of such an undertaking. But like it or not, pay inequality is not an issue that will go away lightly, and whether this gap is present or not at Disney, the company will obviously have to address the matter until all parties involved are satisfied.

This complaint reported by Deadline is far from the first legal complaint that Disney has received from one of its employees, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Familiar with such a political firebrand of a complaint, Disney has taken big stances in certain issues of social importance themselves. So hopefully, this scenario can be resolved in due time, with the sensitivity required, and in a manner that can make everyone happy.

At the moment, this case seems to be in the earliest phases of development, so there’s a possibility that Disney might even be able to settle out of court, or agree to some sort of solution so as to avoid a trial altogether. For now, all we can do is watch, and wait.

Disney currently has Dumbo in theaters, with its next big release being Avengers: Endgame, set to break the world of the box office on April 26th.

Martin Lawrence Talks Making Bad Boys For Life Without Michael Bay

Martin Lawrence Talks Making Bad Boys For Life Without Michael Bay

The stars of the Bad Boys franchise, without question, are Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Their chemistry and comedic interplay is what makes those movies stand out from the buddy-cop formula pack. But one could argue that the third “star” of those two movies was the director, Michael Bay. The bombastic Transformers director cut his teeth early on with the stripped down and streamlined Bad Boys, then kicked it up several notches to the expected Bay-hem with Bad Boys II.

Michael Bay will not return to helm 2020’s highly anticipated Bad Boys for Life. Those duties will fall to relative newcomers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. When we got a moment to speak with Martin Lawrence at the South By Southwest premiere of his new movie The Beach Bum, we asked Lawrence if it was strange doing a Bad Boys sequel without Bay, and he told us:

Well, it’s not so strange because Bilall and Adel are doing a great job. It’s just different directors, but we’re still going to bring you that Bad Boys stuff.

That begs the question, is it Bad Boys simply because Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are returning, or does the franchise actually need Michael Bay’s attitude and visual approach? We’re certainly eager to find out! Just last year, Paramount’s Bumblebee proved that a Bay franchise could survive the addition of a different director. But action franchises in the past have shown mixed results when they lose their original voice.

Die Hard, for example, usually floundered when original director John McTiernan wasn’t at the helm for a sequel. The Lethal Weapon franchise stayed steady with Richard Donner. And the best Terminator movies, so far, have had James Cameron in the director’s chair.

That’s not to say that co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah don’t have their own opinion on how to use Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in a Bad Boys movie. Clearly they had a pitch that sold Sony on their ability to get the gig directing Bad Boys For Life. And if Martin Lawrence is giving them the thumbs up for the work that they have done on the sequel so far, then we’re going to take him at his word.

We don’t know a ton about the plot details for Bad Boys For Life, but every once in a while, Will Smith posts an entertaining behind-the-scenes video on his YouTube page. Like this one:

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence will be reteaming for Bad Boys For Life, and the movie is due in theaters on January 17, 2020. Right now, there’s no Michael Bay, but Lawrence tells CinemaBlend that’s no problem. Do you agree with him? Let us know in the comments section below.

Andrew Garfield Reveals Which Part Of Playing Spider-Man Felt 'Really F-ing Good’

Andrew Garfield Reveals Which Part Of Playing Spider-Man Felt 'Really F-ing Good’

Five years ago, we were gearing up for a Spider-man sequel for Andrew Garfield’s iteration. These days, we are here readily awaiting Tom Holland’s second take at the character in this summer’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. Crazy how history repeats itself, isn’t it?

(Sadly for some) Andrew Garfield’s time as the friendly webslinger came to an end when the character was negotiated into the hands of Disney’s MCU and the studio had a new direction planned for Spider-Man (...such as turning the character to dust?) Since moving on from the role, Garfield has been taking on various dramatic roles, such as in Martin Scorsese’s Silence and his Oscar-nominated role in Hacksaw Ridge. His famed Spider-Man role is still very much a part of him, though he recently admitted some satisfaction about waving goodbye to the superhero. Here’s what he said, and be forewarned there is an f-bomb...

That was the big learning experience of my creative life, and I have so many feelings about it and I'm still a huge fan of the character. But, it was nice to be able to fling it symbolically across the room for a second. That felt really fucking good, I have to admit!

During a London screening for his upcoming movie Under the Silver Lake, Spider-Man came up in the conversation, since there is apparently a reference to the character in the upcoming film. Andrew Garfield told the audience the Easter egg is coincidental before opening up about the “complicated relationship” he has with his Spider-Man tenure, expressing both gratitude and the strange satisfaction that came with leaving the role.

Andrew Garfield has discussed how his struggle with “bearing the weight” of the iconic hero and considering the actor led a franchise that made creative decisions that led to the failure of the franchise and hand off to Disney, Garfield understandably went through some frustrations while playing the role.

Take a look at Andrew Garfield talking about his former role at the screening in a video from Twitter user @schnapsideer below:

Anyone else looking forward to that book Andrew Garfield mentions he’ll write someday that he thinks “no one will read”? I think he’s got a million-dollar idea there! Tons of people would love to hear the dirty details about what it’s like to play the webslinger and what led to the underperforming Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014.

Despite the circumstances, Andrew Garfield has shown his support for Tom Holland taking over the role and has moved on to show off his dramatic chops in movies such as Breathe, 99 Homes and Under the Silver Lake coming April 19. Spider-Man is in his rightful place in the MCU with Iron Man, Cap and the gang and Sony has found a way to continue establishing its own Spider-Verse with Garfield, starting with the recent success of Venom and Into the Spider-Verse. Be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend to find out what the studio brings to the table next!

Netflix's The Perfection Trailer Welcomes Get Out's Allison Williams Back To Horror

Netflix's The Perfection Trailer Welcomes Get Out's Allison Williams Back To Horror

In Get Out, Allison Williams proved to be quite the horror villain as Rose Armitage, a seemingly normal and harmless person who was really a cold and menacing sociopath. I mean, did you see how she ate her cereal? What a monster! The actress seemed to relish the role, and now she is returning to the horror genre for Netflix’s upcoming The Perfection. The first trailer for The Perfection has arrived, and yes, Allison Williams looks creepy in it. Take a look:

It really is a tough beat to be an artistic prodigy in movies these days, because inevitably your competition and friends are all plotting to kill you. The way the trailer for The Perfection starts off, you can tell that something is not quite right. Allison Williams’ Charlotte seems to not be taking the plight of Logan Browning’s Lizzie very seriously, as if she suspects it is all in her head.

We are then given glimpses of Charlotte and Lizzie and see that they are fellow musicians, friends and perhaps lovers. However, Lizzie has attained a real level of fame that Charlotte is perhaps jealous of, and Allison Williams looks positively devious in the role. Charlotte’s feigned concern and confusion is revealed for what it is when she pulls out a butcher knife, basically proposing that Lizzie cut off her bug-infested arm.

It’s a hilarious and creepy moment in a trailer full of unsettling imagery. The Perfection trailer has plenty of body horror elements with the vomit, the bugs under the arm and the head shaving. There are also a bunch of strange images of food, from a raw chicken to tomatoes to some kind of Asian dish. The food all takes on a nauseating quality in the context of the trailer though and something tells me this one is best watched on an empty stomach.

What’s interesting about The Perfection is that it’s not entirely clear if the horror elements in the film are all “realistic” or if they will go into the realm of the supernatural. There is a surreal quality to the trailer and there might be some sort of psychological element at play, because we do see indications that someone may be undergoing electroshock therapy. And although Allison Williams’ character appears to be nefarious, it also seems like she isn't in complete control of what's going on.

I really dug the dark humor in this trailer and it’s great to see Allison Williams in another horror film after her disturbing performance in Get Out. I really have no idea what is going on in this movie, but I look forward to laughing hysterically, barf bag in hand. You can check out the poster for The Perfection below.

The plot of The Perfection finds Allison Williams’ troubled musical prodigy seeking out the star student of her former school, and the journey they go on together has dark and shocking (also gross) consequences. From Don Hemingway director Richard Shepard, The Perfection debuted at Fantastic Fest last year to largely positive reviews that indicate it is a total blast and a movie that is full of surprises.

The Perfection arrives on Netflix on May 24. For all of the theatrical releases headed your way this year, check out our 2019 Release Schedule.

Zachary Levi Praises His Young Shazam! Co-Stars In Heartfelt Post

Zachary Levi Praises His Young Shazam! Co-Stars In Heartfelt Post

It's Captain Marvel's big opening weekend, but don't forget about the other Captain Marvel. Zachary Levi has made it clear he has nothing but support for the MCU movie, but he's also very excited for fans to see his DC movie Shazam! Levi is a funny guy, but he got serious for about 85% of the caption for this photo with his young Shazam! co-stars Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer:

You heard it from the superhero, kids -- dentures don't pay for themselves!

Zachary Levi seems to be having a great time promoting this movie with his young co-stars. They've been doing interviews and promos together, and that promotion will probably kick into high gear in the weeks ahead of Shazam!'s April 5 release.

In the movie, Asher Angel plays young Billy Batson, who is chosen by Djimon Hounsou's wizard to receive superpowers when Billy speaks the sorcerer's name, Shazam. Saying the name transforms Billy into an adult superhero, played by Zachary Levi. Jack Dylan Grazer plays Freddy, Billy's best friend and foster brother. They are the main characters in the movie, with Mark Strong as villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.

Shazam! recently screened for critics, and director David F. Sandberg is definitely keeping an eye on the reviews out there. Thankfully the early reviews so far have been very positive, praising the humor, action, and even the family emotion.

Shazam! is in an interesting position. For DC, it's arriving after the record-breaking success of Aquaman. That's not only the top-grossing DCEU movie, it's the top DC movie ever. Shazam! is also closely following Captain Marvel, which has already made close to half a billion in its first week, worldwide. Shazam! is also closely preceding Avengers: Endgame, which is expected to basically print its own money.

Early box office estimates for Shazam! suggest it could make around $50 million over its opening weekend. Could be higher (could be lower). We'll see in less than a month.

But, you know, everyone seems to be rooting for Shazam! I haven't had a chance to see it yet, but it looks like a great time. I fully expect to be as charmed by Zachary Levi's performance as I have been by his social media promotion. If it doesn't turn out that way, I'll be disappointed, but it doesn't seem like it would be the end of the world for anyone involved. They all had a great time making the movie, but the stakes don't seem as heavy and serious as they did for previous films. The whole experience feels light and fun.

Shazam! opens in theaters on April 5, as one of the many major movies opening in 2019. Keep up with all things DCEU in our handy guide.

Millie Bobby Brown Says Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Needs To Be Seen On The Big Screen

Millie Bobby Brown Says Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Needs To Be Seen On The Big Screen

As far as film franchises go, there are none that go back quite as long as Godzilla. Dating back to 1954, the behemoth creature has been thrilling audiences for decades. And the big green guy will once again return to theaters with Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which is set to arrive in theaters in a matter of days.

The anticipation for Godzilla: King of the Monsters has been steadily building, as footage revealed the myriad monsters that will be battling for supremacy in the upcoming blockbuster. Fans are also excited to see Stranger Things favorite Millie Bobby Brown in the movie, and the 15-year old actress recently implored moviegoers to see it on the big screen. She said:

It’s a spectacular and thrilling cinematic experience that people should experience on a big screen. We had so much fun making it and that’s why people should go and see it so that they can actually feel what we felt which was just ultimate fun.

The Godzilla franchise focuses on larger than life creatures, and technology has made anything impossible in the past few years. King of the Monsters includes a number of beloved characters, and they'll appear even bigger on a larger screen. According to Millie Bobby Brown, the end result is quite the theatrical experience.

Millie Bobby Brown's comments to THR are sure to excite fans of the franchise. Rather than simply focusing on the title character or one adversary, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a true ensemble movie as far as behemoth creatures go. It's a veritable whose who of Godzilla icons like Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidora. And watching it on your own TV just won't do the scale of the movie justice.

Legendary's MonsterVerse has been steadily building over the past few years, and seen some solid success at the box office. Gareth Edward's 2014 Godzilla movie was a strong reboot to the franchise, and earned great reviews, on top of making $529.1 million. Kong: Skull Island performed similarly in both critically and financially, helping to set up the eventual clash of these titans.

Related: Upcoming Godzilla Movies: List Of Titles And Release Dates

But before Godzilla and King Kong come to blows, he'll have to become the King. This will put him in conflict with some of the Godzilla franchise's most beloved titans, as well as the impressive cast of actors that director Michael Dougherty assembled to play the human characters. Joining Millie Bobby Brown are Vera Farmiga, Ken Wantanabe, Charles Dance, Bradley Whitford, and Sally Hawkins.

We'll just have to see how many of them make it through the conflict, and hopefully return for a future. installment of the MonsterVerse. Serialized storytelling has become commonplace since the inception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and crossovers are clearly coming down the line in Godzilla Vs. Kong.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters will move the MonsterVerse forward when it arrives in theaters on May 31st. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.