Tag: Pierce Brosnan

The Long and Winding Bond

It’s amazing to think that The Beatles released their first single in 1962. This was also the first year that a Bond picture came out with Dr. No. Both entities are still extraordinarily relevant. Famously, Sean Connery’s Bond dissed the Fab Four in 1964’s Goldfinger. 

007 fans got some welcome news this week as Cary Fukunaga was announced as the director of the 25th (and as yet untitled) official James Bond film. By the time it comes out, Mr. Fukunaga will be the first American filmmaker to make a Bond pic in its 58 year history.

He brings an exciting resume to the fold. In addition to a filmography that includes varied directorial efforts like Sin Nombre, Jane Eyre, and Beasts of No Nation, his screenwriting credits include last year’s smash It and TV’s The Alienist. His work behind the camera for television also includes the critically lauded first season of HBO’s True Detective and Netflix’s Maniac with Emma Stone and Jonah Hill (which premieres today).

The pick was a surprise and it wasn’t just due to his U.S. heritage. The producers behind Bond had recently gone with a certain type… awards friendly directors branching out to the super spy series. After Martin Campbell successfully kicked off the Daniel Craig era (just as he did for Pierce Brosnan in Goldeneye), Marc Forster (maker of Monster’s Ball and Finding Neverland) did the disappointing Quantum of Solace. Then it was Academy Award winning Sam Mendes behind Skyfall and Spectre. 

When Danny Boyle was announced as director for Bond 25, it seemed to fit the mold. He’s an Oscar winner for Slumdog Millionaire. He’s also directed some other genre fare (including Trainspotting and 28 Days Later) that made him a fairly exciting pick. Yet it somehow seemed a little safe. After creative differences caused his exit, I figured someone like Joe Wright (who last directed Darkest Hour) could be the replacement.

Fukunaga is an intriguing selection and I’m curious to see how he handles what is very likely to be Craig’s final appearance as 007. And this brings us to Mr. Craig’s longevity. Sean Connery made six movies in the official canon (1983’s Never Say Never Again isn’t considered part of it). George Lazenby did the one-off On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Roger Moore is the leader with seven. Timothy Dalton had two. Pierce Brosnan made four.

This will be Craig’s fifth 007 turn. Surprisingly, he will have actually portrayed the MI6 agent the longest by the time #25 is released in February 2020. His 14 year reign will eclipse the 12 years that Moore played him.

Attention will soon turn to the next Bond. If I had to guess, I figure the seventh actor to play him will debut onscreen in November 2022. There’s been rumors of Idris Elba taking over the role. Expect plenty of speculation over the next couple of years. By that time, the Bond franchise will be 60 years old. Like The Beatles music, it will never die and the long and winding road of the franchise continues to interest us.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Box Office Prediction

Arriving just over 10 years to the day after its predecessor, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again dances into theaters next weekend, looking to be queen of the box office over other sequel competition. The 2008 original was based on a popular stage musical incorporating the music of Swedish super group ABBA and it turned into a behemoth at the multiplex. Returning cast members include Meryl Streep (in her first ever sequel), Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Stellan Skarsgard, and Dominic Cooper. Newbies include Lily James, Andy Garcia, and Cher. Ol Parker takes over directorial duties from Phyllida Lloyd.

Mamma Mia! held the distinction of being the highest grossing live-action musical of all time until 2017’s Beauty and the Beast topped it. It opened to $27.7 million and legged out quite well to a $144 million domestic total. The worldwide haul was a fantastic $615 million. Ten years is a significant gap between sequels, but the fan base seems likely to turn out and there’s little else marketing an older and female crowd. Two others sequels debuting over the weekend – The Equalizer 2 and Unfriended: Dark Web – are going for different demographics.

It seems reasonable to me that Again could debut about 20% higher than the first and it remains to be seen if it holds as well as part 1 in subsequent weekends.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again opening weekend prediction: $33.5 million

For my The Equalizer 2 prediction, click here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2018/07/10/the-equalizer-2-box-office-prediction/

For my Unfriended: Dark Web prediction, click here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2018/07/11/unfriended-dark-web-box-office-prediction/

The Foreigner Box Office Prediction

After a rather lengthy layoff from headlining any major stateside projects, Jackie Chan is back in theaters next weekend with The Foreigner. The action thriller finds the martial arts star in full revenge mode after his daughter is murdered. Pierce Brosnan costars and Martin Campbell (best known for restarting the 007 franchise in Goldeneye with Brosnan and Casino Royale with Daniel Craig directs.

Chan’s last significant release in the U.S. was the 2010 hit remake of The Karate Kid. We’re 20 years past the point when he was kicking out releases every few months. The best comps for the opening weekend may not belong with Chan, but with Brosnan. His last couple appearances were 2014’s The November Man at $7.9 million and 2015’s No Escape with $8.1 million.

I’ll predict The Foreigner gets a bit above that, but doesn’t reach double digits.

The Foreigner opening weekend prediction: $8.8 million

For my Happy Death Day prediction, click here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2017/10/04/happy-death-day-box-office-prediction/

For my Marshall prediction, click here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2017/10/05/marshall-box-office-prediction/

Summer 1987: The Top 10 Hits and More

As we begin the month of August and the dog days of summer, I’ll be traveling back 30, 20, and 10 years ago to seasons past giving you the top ten hits and more of that particular time frame. Today we are going all the way to 1987.

It was a simpler time back then. There were very few sequels and franchises and reboots and a good portion of the highest grossing flicks dealt with law enforcement in action type settings. Only one picture grossed over $100 million dollars. Yes, the times have changed, but what a hoot to look back at what was burning up the box office charts three decades ago. This post will also discuss some other notable flicks outside the top ten and some big ole flops.

Let’s get to it!

10. The Living Daylights

Domestic Gross: $51 million

The 15th James Bond picture kicked off the brief two picture reign of Timothy Dalton, who took over the iconic role after the late Roger Moore’s 12 year long portrayal of 007. It’s $51M gross would just surpass the $50M earnings of Moore’s swan song, 1985’s A View to a Kill. Two summers later, Dalton would star in his swan song Licence to Kill before Pierce Brosnan donned the tuxedo six years later.

9. Robocop

Domestic Gross: $53 million

Paul Verhoeven’s futuristic sci-fi action thriller nearly received the dreaded X rating upon its release. It also received critical acclaim and spawned two sequels and a 2014 remake.

8. La Bamba

Domestic Gross: $54 million

This biopic of singer Ritchie Valens starring Lou Diamond Phillips was a major summer sleeper and even earned a Golden Globe nod for Best Picture (Drama). It also featured the Los Lobos cover of the title song that was in the top ten summer songs of 1987.

7. Dragnet

Domestic Gross: $57 million

A few years before Tom Hanks was earning back to back Best Actor Oscars, he was costarring in silly remakes of 1950s cop dramas. Dragnet managed to perform well and it’s a guilty pleasure, especially Dan Aykroyd’s take on Sgt. Joe Friday (a role made famous by Jack Webb).

6. Predator

Domestic Gross: $59 million

One of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s finest action pics, Predator also kicked off an impressive three picture directorial run by John McTiernan that was followed up by Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October. This franchise is still going strong today, but nothing beats the hard edged original.

5. Dirty Dancing

Domestic Gross: $63 million

The biggest sleeper hit of the summer vaulted Patrick Swayze into super stardom and won the Oscar for Best Original Song for Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes’s “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”.

4. The Witches of Eastwick

Domestic Gross: $63 million

Mad Max maker George Miller went Hollywood with this critically appreciated comedic fantasy with an all-star cast of Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

3. Stakeout

Domestic Gross: $65 million

This was the height of the buddy cop era and it propelled this one starring Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez to big grosses. A less regarded sequel costarring Rosie O’Donnell would follow six years later.

2. The Untouchables

Domestic Gross: $76 million

Brian De Palma’s take on the classic TV series was a big-budget and highly entertaining affair headlined by Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro, Andy Garcia, and Sean Connery (who won a Supporting Actor Oscar for his work).

1. Beverly Hills Cop II

Domestic Gross: $153 million

Eddie Murphy was just about the biggest movie star in the world in summer 1987 and that’s shown here by the enormous gross of the sequel to his 1984 classic, directed by Tony Scott. A much less successful third entry would follow seven summers later after Murphy’s box office potency had waned.

And now – here’s some other notable pictures from the season:

Full Metal Jacket

Domestic Gross: $46 million

Legendary director Stanley Kubrick’s first film in seven years (since The Shining) is now considered a modern classic, especially for its unforgettable first half featuring R. Lee Ermey’s Vietnam drill sergeant.

Spaceballs

Domestic Gross: $38 million

This Mel Brooks spoof of Star Wars may not be in Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein territory, but it’s certainly earned quite a cult status through the last 30 years.

Adventures in Babysitting

Domestic Gross: $34 million

The directorial debut of Chris Columbus (who would go on to make Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire and the first two Harry Potter pics), Babysitting has also achieved cult cred in addition to its decent box office showing at the time.

The Lost Boys

Domestic Gross: $32 million

Another flick with a rabid fan base, the teen pic cast Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, and Corey Feldman in a California town overrun by vampires.

And now for a couple of 1987 summer box office bombs:

Jaws IV: The Revenge

Domestic Gross: $20 million

12 summers prior, Steven Spielberg’s original was a landmark motion picture. By the time the fourth entry came around, the series had gotten terrible. It still has a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes and Michael Caine actually missed picking up his Oscar for Hannah and Her Sisters because he was shooting this turkey.

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

Domestic Gross: $15 million

Not a solid summer for four-quels. This served as a bad ending to a series started nine years earlier. There was a moratorium on Supes pic for the next 19 years.

Ishtar

Domestic Gross: $14 million

Considered one of the largest bombs in film history at the time, this comedy with Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman was a punchline for years. Its reputation has grown a bit since.

And that’s my recap folks! I’ll be back recounting summer 1997 very soon…

No Escape Box Office Prediction

Seeing that a number of Owen Wilson comedies have under performed recently, it’s tough to envision a scenario where his late August action thriller No Escape gains any traction with moviegoers when it opens on Wednesday. The pic casts Wilson as a businessman trapped with his family in Southeast Asia during a military coup. Lake Bell and Pierce Brosnan costar.

The trailers and TV spots do little to inspire much confidence. Frankly, No Escape looks like something that could have as easily gone the direct to VOD route. It’s probably no accident this is arriving the final week of summer, which is primarily a dumping ground for product the studios don’t have much faith in. I believe Escape will struggle to make double digits, even in its expanded five day roll out and it’ll probably be available on the aforementioned VOD quite soon.

No Escape opening weekend prediction: $4.7 million (Friday to Sunday), $6.3 million (Wednesday to Sunday)

For my We Are Your Friends prediction, click here:

We Are Your Friends Box Office Prediction

For my War Room prediction, click here:

War Room Box Office Prediction

The November Man Box Office Prediction

Pierce Brosnan is back in spy mode with The November Man, which debuts Wednesday before the long Labor Day weekend. It seems unlikely that this will approach anywhere near the numbers Brosnan enjoyed with his more known spy character, James Bond.

The star reunites with his Dante’s Peak director Roger Donaldson and costars with Olga Kurlylenko, who appeared alongside Daniel Craig’s 007 in Quantum of Solace. The studio is hoping that audiences are primed to see Pierce return to the kind of role people most identify him with, but there are troubling signs. Reviews have been bad and The November Man currently stands at only 17% on Rotten Tomatoes. This should contribute to negative word of mouth.

As I see it, the pic should struggle to make double digits in its six day rollout and The November Man should fade fast and be available for home viewing by its title month.

The November Man opening weekend prediction: $8.1 million (Friday to Monday estimate), $11 million (Wednesday to Monday estimate)

For my As Above, So Below prediction, click here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/08/24/as-above-so-below-box-office-prediction/

Doubting Doubtfire

Weeks ago when it was announced that Fox was in development with a sequel to 1993’s Mrs. Doubtfire, my reaction was similar to that of many: really?

I’ve covered the fact that most comedy sequels simply don’t work before:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2012/12/18/most-comedy-sequels-really-suck/

There was a time when a sequel would’ve made a whole lot of sense. After all, it grossed $219 million domestically and $441 million worldwide, making it second only to Jurassic Park for that year’s top earners. This was at a time when star Robin Williams was a box office force, especially with kids flicks (Aladdin had been released the year prior). Director Chris Columbus was also a hit making machine, coming off Home Alone and its sequel. Neither have had much success in recent years.

It has been noted that Doubtfire is one of the most replayed pictures on cable so there is likely a new generation of filmgoers who have caught it that way. It’s also encouraging that Elf screenwriter David Berenbaum is drafting the screenplay.

Still – one thought keeps tugging at me. Are there many people who thought there was a lot more to be explored in the Doubtfire universe? As I see it, the film seemed to be a self-contained unit with a follow-up not needed. Even Mara Wilson, who played Robin’s youngest daughter, immediately went to Twitter to proclaim she wouldn’t be involved. By the way, if you don’t follow Mara Wilson on Twitter you should. I’m not sure if Sally Field will reprise her role either and there’s no reason for Pierce Brosnan to return.

At least Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels coming back to reprise their roles in the Dumb and Dumber sequel (out this November) makes a little more sense. That picture would seem to lend itself more to a sequel. However, we’ll see how well that works.

Good luck to Mr. Berenbaum, director Columbus, and Robin Williams coming up with a story that brings audiences back in the Doubtfire fold. Maybe they should make it a horror movie because there’s already been a brilliant trailer cut for that scenario:

For now it’s hard not to be doubting the Doubtfire sequel.