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“A Quiet Place Part II” Breaks Pandemic Record While “In The Heights” Falters

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The horror sequel crossed $100 million at the box office. Meanwhile, the New York-set musical raked in only half of what it was projected to gross.


“A Quiet Place Part II” Sets Pandemic Record

“A Quiet Place Part II” hit a major pandemic milestone this weekend while “In The Heights” struggled to get its feet on the box office ground.

John Krasinski’s horror sequel became the first film to cross $100 million domestically since the start of the pandemic, with its haul currently sitting at $108 million after 15 days on the big screen. Prior to COVID-19, this would have been nothing too impressive, but the last films to make at least this much were “Bad Boys For Life” and “Sonic the Hedgehog,” both of which came out in January 2020. 

The success of “A Quiet Place Part II” is a sign that the appetite for moviegoing is returning. It also brings hope that this summer, the box office could begin to recover from the devastating damages and losses that 2020 brought. 

It’s also a win for Paramount regarding its decision to put films exclusively in theaters. Currently, audiences can only see “A Quiet Place Part II” on the big screen. The film is set to be released on Paramount+ 45 days after its initial release, which would have been considered an absurdly quick turnaround a year ago, but now feels like a generous gift from the studio to exhibitors.  

It proves not only the power of the horror genre to draw audiences, but that the prestige and exclusivity of a theatrical-first release is undeniably without peer in terms of its ability to deliver huge financial dividends and long-term rewards,” Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, told The Hollywood Reporter.

“In The Heights” Stumbles

“A Quiet Place Part II” made just shy of 12 million this weekend, unexpectedly surpassing Warner Bros.’ big summer title, “In The Heights.” The Lin-Manuel Miranda musical was projected to make $20 million in its opening weekend, but walked away with just $11.4 million. 

The film was released on HBO Max the same day it made its way into theaters, which could be a major factor in its stumbling. While theatergoing does appear to be back in some capacity, it is unclear what titles might be more tempting at home than on the silver screen. It’s possible that many opted to watch “In The Heights” from the comfort of their couches, but HBO Max does not release data on how many users stream a single title, so exactly how many views it received remains unclear. 

This was the exact fear exhibitors had when Warner Bros. first announced its plan to drop all of its 2021 titles on its streaming service the same day those films were released in theaters. The decision faced swift backlash from theater executives and filmmakers alike as many feared it could kill the box office and theatergoing as we knew it prior to the pandemic. The same-day streaming model, however, may not be the only thing that hurt “In The Heights.”

As of late, franchise films like “A Quiet Place Part II” and “Godzilla vs. Kong” have had stronger turnouts than lesser-known material. While Miranda’s “Hamilton” was nothing shy of a major success story, “In The Heights” bares much less name recognition. The songs in it are not widely popular, and the film also starred lesser-known actors in its leading roles. 

So far, “In The Heights” has been a critical success and is expected to be a part of the awards conversation come Oscar season, but without those immediate connections, it seems audiences were not as eager to flock to the theaters for it as analysts anticipated. Its journey is far from over though, and musicals generally have a spotty history. 

“The Greatest Showman,” which ended up being a major box office hit, started off to an incredibly slow run. It had a domestic opening of just $8.8 million, and it came out years before the pandemic when theaters were running at their full capacities. It eventually grossed a domestic total of $174.3 million and $438 million worldwide.

“In The Heights” could similarly have stronger legs further down the road, and its path will be a crucial one to follow, as 2021 is going to be a major year for movie musicals. Highly anticipated projects like “Tick, Tick… Boom!,” “West Side Story,” and “Dear Evan Hanson” will all come out later this year, and while they will enjoy the perks of being released when theatergoing has likely stabilized more, “In The Heights” could serve as a sign for the state of public interest in the genre.

See what others are saying: (The Hollywood Reporter) (Deadline) (A.V. Club)

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Max to Agrees to “Properly” Credit Writers and Directors After Facing Backlash For Lumping Them in As “Creators”

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The company said the credits were laid out incorrectly due to “an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max.”


After film and television writers slammed Max for crediting all writers, producers, and directors as general “creators” on its platform, the company said it will be adjusting its credits display.

“We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized,” the streaming service said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. 

Max — the new rebrand of HBO Max that incorporates Discovery content — launched on Tuesday to much criticism. Amid glitches and app-switching confusion, the biggest backlash it faced was over the choice to lump creative roles into one credit section called “creators.” As one viral tweet noted, if a user were to select the film “Raging Bull,” the service’s display would not specifically credit Martin Scorsese as the director, rather, his name would be included at random with half a dozen other people, including writers and producers. 

The decision was condemned by many in the industry who argued it minimizes writers and directors by not properly giving them credit where it is due. Especially amid the ongoing writers’ strike, and with directors and actors starting negotiations with studios, some took it as a slap in the face. 

“The studios don’t want anyone to know our names,” writer Christina Strain tweeted. “It’s easier to pay us nothing if we’re faceless.”

“Another move from studios to diminish the role of writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople. Miss me wit this nonsense,” Jorge Rivera, the Vice-Chair of the Writers Guild’s Latinx Writers Committee, added. 

In a statement, Directors Guild President Lesli Linka Glatter said that Warner Bros. Discovery’s choice to “collapse” these roles into one credit “while we are in negotiations with them is a grave insult to our members and our union.”

“The DGA will not stand for it,” Glatter continued.

WGA West President Meredith Stiehm claimed the move was “a credits violation,” as well as an insult “to the artists that make the films and TV shows that make their corporation billions.”

On Wednesday, Max said it would rework its crediting. 

“We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake,” the platform said.

See what others are saying: (Gizmodo) (The Hollywood Reporter) (The Los Angeles Times)

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A Quarter of Young British Men Support Andrew Tate’s Thoughts on Women

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U.K. residents at large, however, do not view him favorably.


Even under house arrest in Romania, misogynist influencer Andrew Tate still holds substantial sway over young men. 

According to data from YouGov that was obtained by The Independent, 26% of U.K. men between 18 and 29 years old who know of Tate agree with his views on women. That figure was largely the same for men between 30 and 39, as 28% agreed with Tate’s opinions on the subject. 

Men in their 30s were slightly more likely to agree with Tate on his thoughts about masculinity. Three out of ten supported those views, compared to just a quarter of men 18 to 29.

Those statistics only include the thoughts of men who have heard of Tate, but per YouGov, most have. In the 18 to 29 group, 93% were familiar with him, and 86% of men in their 30s knew of him. 

The U.K. at large was less aware of Tate, with just 63% of British adults having heard of him. Of that group, only 6% held a positive view of him. 

Tate has faced substantial backlash for his sexist rhetoric over the years. In the past, he said that men should have “authority” over their wives or girlfriends, and that women should “bear some responsibility” for being raped. He was previously banned from Twitter over his extremist views on women but has since been allowed back on the platform. 

He is currently being investigated in Romania for organized crime and human trafficking. He was arrested and held in custody in December but was released to house arrest earlier this year. No formal charges have been filed against him yet and he has maintained his innocence. 

Tate currently boasts a Twitter following of 6.7 million. It has grown significantly since he was enveloped in legal controversy, and many of his supporters have demanded his release. 

See what others are saying: (The Independent) (Glamour U.K.)

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Involved in “Near Catastrophic” Paparazzi Chase

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“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” a spokesperson for the couple said.


“Aggressive” Paparazzi Chase Couple in New York

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic” paparazzi car chase Tuesday night in New York City, according to a spokesperson for the couple.

In a statement, the spokesperson described the photographers as “highly aggressive.”

“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” the statement added.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” it continued. 

Details of the incident are still emerging, but BBC News reported that there are claims the chase involved roughly six cars driving recklessly by running red lights, driving on the sidewalk, carrying out blocking moves, going backward on a one-way road, and taking pictures while driving. 

The chase happened after Harry and Meghan were leaving the Women of Vision Awards with Meghan’s mother, Doria. They did not want photographers to learn where they were staying and attempted to avoid them in what turned into a 75-minute chase on a main road in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They eventually ducked into a New York Police Department Precinct to hide out before getting into a different vehicle.

The NYPD released a statement confirming that they assisted in protecting the couple as “numerous photographers” hindered their transport. Officials said they made it to their destination and there were no collisions, injuries, or arrests. 

The couple’s spokesperson is asking the public to not share or post footage of the incident. 

“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” the spokesperson said. 

Memories of Princess Diana

The chase evokes the brutal press hounding Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was subjected to throughout her life. The paparazzi’s obsession with her ultimately resulted in her death in 1997, when she was killed in a car crash after being chased by photographers in Paris. 

Since marrying Meghan and later bowing out of the Royal Family, Harry has made it explicitly clear that he fears those events could happen again. Meghan has been the subject of endless tabloid scrutiny, enduring racism and harassment from the press. Part of the reason they left the Royal Family was to keep their family protected from such attacks.

Mayor Eric Adams brought up Diana’s tragic passing while speaking about Tuesday night’s chase. 

“I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s] mom died,” Adams said while speaking to reporters. “And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well…I think that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.” 

Adams also questioned whether or not he believes a chase could go on for two hours in a city as congested as New York, but noted that even a 10-minute chase would be dangerous. He said he will be briefed on the exact timeline and details later. 

See what others are saying: (BBC News) (Associated Press) (Yahoo News)

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