Box Office: ‘Zootopia’ Wins Again, as ‘Allegiant’ Suffers From a Weak, Franchise-Low Opening
Disney’s animated juggernaut took in an estimated $38.04 million this weekend to lead the weekend box office for a third consecutive frame. The blockbuster 3D computer animated film was only down 26 percent from last weekend’s already strong hold. Meanwhile, the news was far less encouraging for Lionsgate’s The Divergent Series: Allegiant. The third installment of the young adult franchise debuted in second place with an estimated $29.05 million. (BO)
‘Maze Runner’ Update: Dylan O’Brien Will Be Okay, Shooting To Continue In a Few Weeks
Film’s director Wes Ball has spoken up about the on-set accident that left franchise star O’Brien in the hospital Thursday. O’Brien was injured on the set of the YA series’ third installment, unfortunately titled The Death Cure, filming a scene that involved a vehicle. “After a few weeks of rest and recovery he’ll be back up and running to finish our adventure together,” he tweeted. (VAR)
Emma Stone and Jonah Hill Appear To Be Ready To Reunite On Screen, This Time On a New TV Show
Two actors are very close to finalizing their deals to star in Maniac for Paramount TV and Anonymous Content. Director Cary Fukunaga would helm the series. The director will executive produce the series along with Hill and Stone. Show is based on a 2014 Norwegian series of the same name about a man who lives a wonderful life. The only problem is that this life is only in his dreams. In reality, he’s a patient in a mental institution. (CB)
Bright Movie: Netflix Goes Big with Will Smith Fantasy Feature
Following word earlier this month that director David Ayer’s Bright movie landed leading men in Joel Edgerton and Will Smith, the Max Landis-scripted fantasy cop feature has found a home at Netflix. The streaming service is making the film its biggest project to date, setting aside $90 million for the project. Likened to Ayer’s own End of Watch, the movie takes place in a fantasy realm and follows an Orc cop. Plans call for Bright to go into production this fall. (CS)
Steven Spielberg Hires a Familiar Face To Write ‘Indiana Jones 5’ For Him and Harrison Ford
David Koepp will write the script for the film, after previously penning “Jurassic Park” and “War Of The Worlds” for Spielberg, as well as the mostly reviled last installment in this franchise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, working from a story by George Lucas, who will not be involved this time around. All other details about the script and story are currently under wraps. The movie opens on July 19th, 2019. (TP)
Apple Vs. Samsung: Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Patent Feud
The Supreme Court said today it will review a $399 million judgment against Samsung stemming from their decades-long patent fight. The case involved Apple’s charge that the South Korean-based company illegally copied patented aspects of the look of Apple’s iPhone. The justices will decide whether Samsung can be ordered to pay Apple the entirety of what it made for the phones at issue. (DH)
Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant to Star in Netflix Comedy Series ‘Santa Clarita Diet’
Pair has been tapped to star in the streaming giant’s original comedy series, picked up straight to series, the single-camera comedy will premiere in 2017 and hails from writer Victor Fresco. The comedy centers on married couple Joel and Sheila, realtors leading vaguely discontented lives in the Los Angeles suburb — until Sheila goes through a dramatic change that sends both of their lives down a road of death and destruction … but in a good way. (LF)
Paramount Pushes Release of Renee Zellweger’s ‘Same Kind of Different as Me’
Studio has pushed the release back nearly a year, from April 29th to February 3rd, 2017. Based on a book of the same name by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, the film stars Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou and Jon Voight and marks the feature directorial debut of Michael Carney. The studio also announced a date change for the limited release of Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!! The film will be moving from Friday, April 1st to Wednesday, March 30th. (THR)
Trailer Buzz: ‘All the Way’
HBO has dropped the first look at its upcoming biopic of Lyndon B. Johnson, based on the Tony Award-winning play. Bryan Cranston stars alongside Anthony Mackie, Melissa Leo, Bradley Whitford, and Stephen Root. The film, directed by Jay Roach, premieres May 21st. (COL)
Screenwriters: ‘Breaking & Entering — Not Writing? Hurry Up and F@#k Up!’
There you are. Sitting at the computer keyboard. Not writing. Whether you label it procrastination, writer’s block, or lack of inspiration, the true cause of not writing is really only two things. A lack of clarity about your story, or it’s the crippling fear that your story will suck and no one will give a damn about what you want to say. Yup, you either don’t know your story, or the thought of your precious story potentially being crap is paralyzing. Thus, not writing. (SM)