Coming to theaters November 3, 2017!

The critic’s consensus is that Ragnarok is an  exciting, funny, and above all fun,  colorful cosmic adventure that sets a new standard for its franchise — and the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Ragnarok,” Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok–the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization–at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger–the Incredible Hulk!

 

Here are some of the reviews:

“Thor: Ragnarok” is the most fun of the Thor movies by a long shot, but it is still very much a Thor movie for better or worse. – Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press

It’s the first Thor movie that will make you want to see more Thor movies, because it’s the first Thor movie with an idea of what makes its titular hero worth rooting for. – Alex Abad-Santos, Vox

It’s hammer time again and Thor Ragnarok rocks with laughter put the emphasis on the “comic” in comic book moviemaking. The cast is up to the challenge. – Pete Hammond, Deadline Hollywood

One of the boldest and most sensuous of the MCU releases… outrageously entertaining, sure to please all ages & turn Thor into a far more popular character with mainstream audiences – Mark Hughes, Forbes

Both the banter and the fighting, it should be noted, are excellent, so whether you go to superhero movies for the glossy escapism or the pulse-pounding action, you’ll get your large soda’s worth. Alonso Duralde, TheWrap

Even tonal issues can’t upend the magic this movie taps into putting Thor and Hulk together as new best buddies, whether they’re throwing down in an arena or having a bromantic heart-to-heart. – Brian Truitt, USA Today

This is top to bottom Hemsworth’s movie, and in his fifth time playing Thor, is at his very peak, and that’s quite the heroic feat. Kyle Anderson, The Nerdist

A film that’s simply a joy to watch, with a personality that’s wholly its own. – Bryan Bishop, The Verge

The best of the Thor features and impressively one of the better MCU offerings. – Eric Eisenberg, CinemaBlend.com

The film is directed with profligate pizzazz by iconoclastic New Zealander Taika Waititi who seems to hold two fingers up to the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, even as he caresses it with delicate affection. – Kevin Maher, Times (UK)

Shot through with self-deprecating wit, slapstick (and knockabout) humour and all kinds of eccentric characters and elements, Thor: Ragnarok feels fresh, exciting and hugely entertaining. – Rob Carnevale, Indie (London)

Thor: Ragnarok is a lot of fun, but its heart belongs to Planet Hulk and not the realm whose existence is at stake. – Jim Vejvoda, IGN

Accounting for over 79% of the cumulative top ten gross, Disney/Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 topped the domestic box office, showing a 54% increase compared to the 2014 original and giving Disney the top two openers of 2017 so far: Beauty and the Beast being the other. The sequel to the 2014 hit brought in an estimated  $145 million domestically and $425 million worldwide; topping that mark in just 13 days.

That makes it Marvel’s fifteenth straight No. 1 opening at the domestic box office. The studio has never had a movie not open on top.

“Vol. 2” is Marvel Studios’ fifth biggest opening — an impressive feat for a brand that has brought in more than $11 billion around the world during the last decade.

Helping matters further is the “A” CinemaScore, which is right in line with pretty much all MCU features, and don’t be surprised to see that opening weekend total bump up a notch or two and perhaps finish right around $147 million. Audience demographics show the film playing to an audience that was 56% male vs. 44% female, and overall 22% of the audience as 25 years-old or younger and a whopping 72% of the audience were adults while only 9% were teenagers.

The Mouse House is looking to wrangle more box office accomplishments by the year’s end.

Films like “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” Pixar’s “Cars 3,” Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” are all still on deck.

From the studio that has already given us live-action versions of animated films like Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and The Jungle Book, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast likely was the riskiest of them all, as far as potential backlash was concerned. Though now 26 years old, Beauty and the Beast is still much more recent than those other animated classics, and many can clearly remember growing up during the film’s initial release and explosion in popularity. Simply put, it has more of a “This movie is mine” feel among some fans, who could be quite upset if this new version isn’t handled well.

Would Disney disappoint? … Not likely!

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast delivered  a film the size of a summer blockbuster in the month of March, debuting with a  record-setting March opening weekend. Director Bill Condon’s Beauty and the Beast waltzed to a monstrous opening of $170 million from 4,210 theaters at the North American box office. Overseas, the update of the classic 1991 animated musical also dazzled, earning $180 million for an elegant global bow of $350 million.

Beauty and the Beast set a number of new records, including the biggest domestic start ever for a PG title both in North America and overseas surpassing Finding Dory’s $135 million. And it also passed the $166 million domestic debut of last year’s Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice to land the top March opening of all time. Better yet, the family friendly movie boasts the seventh-biggest domestic start of any film, and the biggest outside of summer save for fellow 2015 December blockbuster, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, not accounting for inflation. The film also set records in IMAX, delivering the #1 global and domestic openings for a PG-rated film in the IMAX format. Additional records set include:  largest Spring opening weekend, fourth largest Saturday gross of all-time, sixth largest Sunday gross and eighth largest theater average for a wide opening release.

Disney’s live action tale will look to continue its domestic performance over the coming weeks after receiving an “A” CinemaScore from opening day audiences of which 72% were female vs. 28% male and 45% of opening day audience members were under the age of 25. Beyond opening weekend the overall audience breakdown saw a 60% female vs. 40% male split, of which 52% were under the age of 25. Disney reports the same suite of markets at today’s rates shows Beauty and the Beast‘s opening weekend running +35% ahead of The Jungle Book, +96% ahead of Alice In Wonderland, +100% ahead of Maleficent and +148% ahead of Cinderella. Notable international markets where the film has yet to open include France, Australia and Japan.

Beauty and the Beast stars Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast, and the cast also includes Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson.

 

 

 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story landed a most impressive $155 million opening in North America this weekend and also brought in $290.5 million globally, making it the top movie around the world.

Rogue One top-lined the fourth largest December three-day weekend ever, delivering the third largest opening of 2016, the twelfth largest opening of all-time and became and became the second best opener in the month of December only behind last year’s monster opening for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The opening weekend for “Rogue One” exceeded Disney’s expectations. The studio projected that the film would debut in the range of $120 million to $150 million. And that number is without the world’s second largest movie market, China. The film opens there on January 6.

The film received an “A” CinemaScore across all demographics as it played to crowds that  were 59% male and 41% female, while 26% were between the age of 26 and 34, according to data shared by the studio.

Rogue One encountered many obstacles even before its galactic journey began:  reports of extensive reshoots as the studio and the film’s director Garth Edwards and screenwriter Tony Gilroy labored to find the right tone and to hammer out a more satisfying ending,  a standalone, experimental project that was never expected to play to Force Awakens-style numbers. The pent-up demand for The Force Awakens was built over a decade and caused a tremor in fans young and old, as well as the uninitiated

However, regardless of the obstacles in bringing “Rogue One” to screens, audiences seem to have responded enthusiastically to the finished product, turning out in droves.

Rogue One is playing like a ‘normal’ blockbuster — albeit one with a rarefied pedigree. The lucrative holiday period is just kicking in and the film is expected to stretch out, benefiting from the strong critical and audience response.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the Force is definitely with you!

 

 

The press embargo has been lifted and judging from the reviews the force is with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story!

Rogue One is a movie crammed with fan service, but when fan service is done this well, there’s little to complain about and much to adore. The film offers a remarkable recreation of the original Star Wars’ world, while exploring this universe from a different, edgier perspective than is the norm. – IGN

For the original generation of “Star Wars” fans who weren’t sure what to make of episodes one, two, and three, “Rogue One” is the prequel they’ve always wanted. – Variety

Rogue One is the best Star Wars film since The Empire Strikes Back. – ComingSoon.net

‘Rogue One’ is the most original modern ‘Star Wars’ movie — and one of the most thrilling – Business Insider

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story answers the question of whether that galaxy far, far away is big enough to sustain multiple offshoots with an emphatic yes. – CNN

This Is The ‘Star Wars Story’ You’re Looking For – Forbes

The Force Is Definitely With This Amazing ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff – RollingStone

Rogue One manages to succeed as both super-nerdy fan service and the first entry since the 1977 original that will satisfy people who have never seen a Star Wars film. RogerEbert.com
It stands alone as the best Star Wars entry since 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, it’s that good. – New York Daily News

Despite its darker tone, Rogue One feels cosily at home in the Star Wars universe, and is crowded with the kind of imagination-tickling details the franchise thrives on. Daily Telegraph (UK)
Its variations on a theme are muscular and adroit. This is another really entertaining fantasy with fan-fiction energy and attack. – The Guardian

oaded with more battle action than any of its seven predecessors, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story plays like a set-up for the events in the 1977 original and, for the most part, does so quite entertainingly. – Hollywood Reporter

This is more like it…the ‘Star Wars’ movie J.J. Abrams SHOULD have made. – Movie Nation