NCM Entertainment Roundup – May 16, 2018

Posted on May 16, 2018 by National CineMedia — Leave a comment

Ryan Reynolds gives maximum effort in Deadpool 2.

Let’s talk about the top stories in Hollywood this week!

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed a Ms. Marvel movie is in the works with more details to be revealed following the release of Captain Marvel. Ms. Marvel is Marvel’s first Muslim hero, and a fan favorite among comic readers. Introduced in 2014, the hero’s given name is Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American from Jersey City, New Jersey with shapeshifting abilities. (/Film)

Shortly after Lucasfilm Studio Chief Kathleen Kennedy expressed interest in a Lando Calrissian spinoff, Lucasfilm released a statement that shut down the idea. “We would love to tell a story about Lando Calrissian one day,” reads the statement, “but it’s not relevant, it would be fun to rell the story of Han and Chewie.” Lucasfilm has other origin stories in the works, including projects for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Boba Fett. (CinemaBlend, ScreenRant)

Lucasfilm is known for their incredible use of practical effects, but according to a new featurette for Solo: A Star Wars Story, the bar has been set even higher. Costume Designer David Crossman states “This particular film has been the most costumes we’ve ever produced for a Star Wars film. We’ve made over a thousand costumes.” See the amazing details come together May 25. (/Film)

Why did Marvel decide to launch the MCU with Iron Man? According to Ben Fritz, author of The Big Picture: The Fight for the Future of Movies, the decision was made by groups of children. “Marvel… asked kids which [hero] they would most like to play with as a toy. The overwhelming answer, to the surprise of many at Marvel, was Iron Man.” At the time, Marvel believed they would simply break even on ticket sales with their profit coming from toy sales. (Quartz)

Empire shared an exclusive photo from Jason Statham’s The Meg that gives us a better look at the size of the giant shark. In the photo, the megalodon passes by a diver, clearly showing how large Statham’s enemy will be. The Meg hits theaters August 10. (Empire)

The Leonard Bernstein estate has officially granted music and life rights to Paramount Pictures and Amblin Entertainment for a biopic about the legendary composer. Bradley Cooper will direct, produce and star in the film. (Deadline)

Do you want to hear your voice on the big screen? 20th Century Fox is giving Queen fans a chance in a new promotion for Bohemian Rhapsody, a Freddie Mercury biopic starring Rami Malek. Through PutMeInBohemian.com, fans can record themselves singing the titular track for a chance to have their voice included in the film which debuts November 2. (PutMeInBohemian.com)

Kevin Hart will star in the long-awaited remake of 1974 comedy Uptown Saturday Night. Will Smith and Denzel Washington were in talks to star in the project, but busy schedules for both actors forced a change in casting. Instead, Smith and Overlook Entertainment Partner James Lassiter will produce. (Variety)

Meryl Streep will start in The Laundromat, a drama based on the Panama Papers that Steven Soderbergh will direct. Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas are also in early talks to join the production. (Hollywood Reporter)

Click below to watch the latest trailers and clips.

Going to the movies this weekend? Get there early to see Noovie! Find Noovie at a theater near you, and follow WhatsNoovie on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more updates.

Now, when you get to the theater early, you can play augmented reality games on the big screen! Download Noovie ARcade on the App Store or Google Play!

  • Deadpool 2: Foul-mouthed mutant mercenary Wade Wilson (AKA. Deadpool), brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy of supernatural abilities from the brutal, time-traveling mutant, Cable.
  • Book Club: Four lifelong friends have their lives forever changed after reading 50 Shades of Grey in their monthly book club.
  • Show Dogs: Max, a macho, solitary Rottweiler police dog is ordered to go undercover as a primped show dog in a prestigious Dog Show, along with his human partner, to avert a disaster from happening.
  • On Chesil Beach: Based on Ian McEwan’s novel. In 1962 England, a young couple find their idyllic romance colliding with issues of sexual freedom and societal pressure, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.
  • First Reformed: A former military chaplain is wracked by grief over the death of his son. Mary is a member of his church whose husband, a radical environmentalist, commits suicide, setting the plot in motion.
Posted in Entertainment

NCM Entertainment Roundup – May 9, 2018

Posted on May 9, 2018 by National CineMedia — Leave a comment

Melissa McCarthy gives life the old college try in Life of the Party.

Let’s talk about the top stories in Hollywood this week!

Avengers: Infinity War currently sits in 13th place on the all-time domestic earners list, passing Avengers: Age of Ultron and Star Wars with an 11-day total of $461.4 million. The film is also tracking to become the first summer movie to gross $2 billion worldwide. (Forbes, Hollywood Reporter)

Last night, Jordan Peele revealed the poster for his next film project titled Us. Peele made waves last year with Get Out, leading to his first Academy Award win. Us, hitting theaters March 2019, will be a horror film according to the poster’s tagline. (Twitter)

Presales for Solo: A Star Wars Story tickets have doubled those for Black Panther in the first 24 hours of sales. Solo trails behind Avengers: Infinity War as the second-best first day of presales this year. Han Solo’s backstory hits theaters May 25. (Variety)

Deadpool made history as an R-rated film. Now, Deadpool 2 is extending that rating to the soundtrack. Tyler Bates’ score for the sequel is the first to earn the Parental Advisory warning. See the full tracklist on Billboard to find out why. (Billboard)

In an early draft of the Deadpool 2 script, cowriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick envisioned Deadpool as a father. Reese and Wernick quickly abandoned the idea, reworking the script to focus on “wanting to have a child, which is something that so many people…experience on a daily basis.” (Entertainment Weekly)

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are confirmed to reprise their roles in a third Bill & Ted movie titled Bill & Ted Face the Music. According to Deadline, “the new movie will see [Bill & Ted] as middle-aged men with family responsibilities who have yet to fulfill their destiny.” The project is currently being shopped at Cannes Film Festival. (Deadline)

Reeves has also begun work on the threequel for the John Wick franchise. Production began yesterday in New York, confirmed in an Instagram post by cinematographer Dan Lausten. No plot details have been revealed yet, but rumors indicate Hiroyuki Sanada and Halle Berry will be cast in significant roles. John Wick 3 hits theaters May 17, 2019. (CinemaBlend)

According to Juassic World: Fall Kingdom cowriter and director Colin Trevorrow, next month’s film will be the last to feature hybrid dinosaurs. Trevorrow says Jurassic World 3, set for a 2021 release, will be a “science thriller” that takes the franchise “back to basics.” (Bloody Disgusting)

Laika, the studio behind Kubo and the Two Strings, revealed the title of their next project at Cannes Film Festival. Missing Link will be their next animation project starring Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, Zach Galifinakis, Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson. The film is slated for release in Spring 2019. (Variety)

Click below to watch the latest trailers and clips.

Going to the movies this weekend? Get there early to see Noovie! Find Noovie at a theater near you, and follow WhatsNoovie on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more updates.

Now, when you get to the theater early, you can play augmented reality games on the big screen! Download Noovie ARcade on the App Store or Google Play!

  • Life of the Party: After her husband abruptly asks for a divorce, a middle-aged mother returns to college in order to complete her degree.
  • Breaking In: A woman fights to protect her family during a home invasion.
  • Beast: A troubled woman living in an isolated community finds herself pulled between the control of her oppressive family and the allure of a secretive outsider suspected of a series of brutal murders.
  • The Seagull: An aging actress named Irina Arkadina pays summer visits to her brother Pjotr Nikolayevich Sorin and her son Konstantin on a country estate.
Posted in Entertainment

Entertainment Roundup – CinemaCon 2018 Edition

Posted on May 3, 2018 by National CineMedia — Leave a comment

CinemaCon 2018

In its 7th year, CinemaCon exceeded expectations with a engaging industry talks and, of course, a series of studio presentations that has us excited for the near future of cinema! We got a taste of some standout films that are sure to drive large movie theater audiences in the months and years to come. Click below to learn more about the slates from each major studio, as well as some fun facts about several films.

20th Century Fox

Amazon Studios

Disney

Entertainment Studios

Focus Features

Lionsgate

Paramount

  • Book Club (JustJared) – Release Date: May 18, 2018
  • Action Point (Collider) – June 1, 2018
    • Did You Know: Johnny Knoxville got four concussions, a broken wrist, knocked-out teeth, and a fractured left eye during the filming of the movie.
  • Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Variety) – July 27, 2018
    • Did You Know: Filmmakers had to develop new technology to film stunt scenes between Tom Cruise and Henry Cavill. Cruise does all of his own stunts.
  • Overlord (IndieWire) – October 26, 2018
  • The List (Variety) – November 2, 2018
  • Bumblebee (Deadline) – December 21, 2018
    • Did You Know: This film tells the origin story of Transformer’s Bumblebee and how he/it began as a VW Beetle. Billed as having the same emotion and spirit as other Transformer movies, but with more humor.  This will be set in the 80s and will be more character-driven than normal Transformers films.  It will be similar to the classic coming of age movies from the 80s.
  • Wonder Park (Hollywood Reporter) – March 15, 2019
  • Instant Family (Deadline) – February 15, 2019
    • Did You Know: This film is inspired by the real life fostering/adoption experience of the director.
  • Dora the Explorer (Twitter) – August 7, 2019
  • Are You Afraid of the Dark (Horror Fuel) – October 11, 2019
  • It’s a Wonderful Sponge (Hollywood Reporter) – July 31, 2020
  • Monster on the Hill (Hollywood Reporter) – TBD
  • Luck (Hollywood Reporter) – TBD

Sony

  • Superfly (Hollywood Reporter) – June 15, 2018
    • Did You Know: This remake is billed as a love story to Atlanta even though the original was based in Harlem. Music will play a significant role in this movie (from the artist Future).
  • Sicario: Day of the Soldado (IndieWire) – June 29, 2018
  • Hotel Transylvania 3 (FANDOM) – July 13, 2018
    • Did You Know: The movie was inspired by a true story in which the director’s in-laws invited him on a cruise, and his immediate thought was how on earth would he survive such a thing.
  • Equalizer 2 (Business Insider) – July 20, 2018
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Deadline) – August 9, 2019
    • Did You Know: This is Quentin Tarantino’s next film which will feature Dicaprio and Brad Pitt. It is about to go into production and the story is under wraps, but we know that it is set in 1969 Los Angeles, at the height of the “counter-culture explosion” and hippy revolt. The story is set against the backdrop of the Manson murders.  Tarantino said that this film is the closest to Pulp Fiction that he has done.
  • White Boy Rick (Just Jared) – September 21, 2018
    • Did You Know: This film is based on a true story of a 14-year old drug kingpin set up as an informant by the government. The actor playing the 14 year old in the movie was not a real actor, but was a juvenile delinquent picked directly out of high school.
  • Venom (Deadline) – October 5, 2018
    • Did you Know: Tom Hardy’s character is billed as both Jekyll AND Hide in one. He is both good and evil all at once.
  • Goosebumps: Haunted Halloween (Deadline) – October 12, 2018
  • Holmes & Watson (Deadline) – November 9, 2018
  • The Girl in the Spider’s Web (Variety) – November 9, 2018
  • Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Hollywood Reporter) – December 14, 2018
  • Miss Bala (Variety) – February 1, 2019
    • Did You Know: The film uses a strong Latino production, with 95% Mexican cast & crew, and almost exclusively shot in Mexico. The characters in the film will switch from English to Spanish throughout.
  • Men in Black Untitled Spinoff (IndieWire) – May 17, 2019
  • Jumanij 2 (IndieWire) – December 2019

STX

Universal

Warner Bros.

  • Life of the Party (ScreenDaily) – May 11, 2018
    • Did You Know: This movie was inspired by a true story. When Melissa McCarthy’s mother came to visit her, she was wearing a very interesting and ugly sweater.  This inspired the idea of somebody older and very “square” going back to school with today’s much more sophisticated generations.
  • Ocean’s 8 (ScreenDaily) – June 8, 2018
  • Tag (ScreenDaily) – June 15, 2018
  • Teen Titans Go! To The Movies (Bleeding Cool) – July 27, 2018
  • The Meg (ScreenDaily) – August 10, 2018
  • Crazy Rich Asians (ScreenDaily) – August 17, 2018
  • The Nun (ScreenDaily) – September 7, 2018
  • Smallfoot (Deadline) – September 28, 2018
  • A Star Is Born (Deadline) – October 5, 2018
    • Did You Know: Star Lady Gaga insisted that all the singing in the movie be done live in front of real crowds and not lip synched. Bradley Cooper plays opposite in what is also his directorial debut.
  • Mowgli (Deadline) – October 19, 2018
    • Did You Know: This will be a darker telling of the Jungle Book story, pulling more from the source material of the book.
  • Aquaman (Deadline) – December 21, 2018
  • Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (Variety) – November 16, 2018
  • Shazam! (Deadline) – April 5, 2019
    • Did You Know: This movie is very different from other superhero films in that the main character/hero is a teenager who suddenly becomes an adult when his superpowers are activated.
Posted in Ad Industry, Entertainment

NCM Entertainment Roundup – May 2, 2018

Posted on May 2, 2018 by National CineMedia — Leave a comment

Based on the 1987 classic, Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez star in Overboard.

Let’s talk about the top stories in Hollywood this week!

Avengers: Infinity War broke two major box office records during its opening weekend. Marvel Studios’ 19th installment earned $640.9 million worldwide, shattering the previous record held by The Fate of the Furious ($541 million). Domestically, the film brought in $258.2 million, passing Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Disney now holds 9 of the top 10 biggest openings in North American history. (CNN Money)

What’s next for Marvel? Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige revealed that his team has already begun planning for films to be released through 2025. While no MCU movie announcements will be made until after the release of Avengers 4, sequels to Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy are all in the works. (MovieWeb)

USA Today released a deleted Black Panther scene in which Okoye (Danai Gurira) and W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) enter a heated discussion about the future of Wakanda. The scene was meant to reveal that Okoye and W’Kabi are married. (USA Today)

Jessica Chastain heads to the Cannes Film Festival to pitch a new spy thriller to international buyers. Titled 355, the film is led by a strong female cast including Chastain, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Fan Bingbing and Lupita Nyong’o. The hope is to launch a franchise based on this initial release. (Deadline)

Speaking of Lupita Nyong’o, she will star in a remake of John Woo’s The Killer. The remake will see the lead character swap genders as the role was originally played by Chow Yun-Fat. The Killer is highly regarded as an important and influential film for both Wester and Asian filmmakers as well as directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. There isn’t a release date yet for the remake. (/Film)

Ryan Reynolds isn’t sure if there will be a third Deadpool installment. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Reynolds said “I feel like the character, in order for him to function properly within his own universe, you need to take everything away from him. I don’t think that you can keep doing that. I do see him as being a part of X-Force, obviously. I would love to see him in a team-up sort of thing…I just think if you’re going to do another Deadpool solo film, you’ve got to really, like, get that budget down to nothing…and do stuff that no one else can do.” (Entertainment Weekly)

Jake Gyllenhaal will produce and star in The American, a film about iconic musical conductor Leonard Bernstein’s rise to fame. Cary Joji Fukunaga will direct and produce the film. (Deadline)

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena are working together. Johnson will serve as executive producer for The Janson Directive starring Cena. The film is an adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s novel of the same name. Ludlum is famous for creating the Jason Bourne series. (/Film)

Hasbro has reached a deal to acquire Haim Saban’s flagship Power Rangers property along with several other entertainment brands all valued at $522 million. The acquisition hints at more Power Rangers films hitting theaters under the Hasbro brand. The latest film hit theaters in March 2017 and earned $85.4 million at domestic box offices. (Deadline)

Click below to watch the latest trailers.

Going to the movies this weekend? Get there early to see Noovie! Find Noovie at a theater near you, and follow WhatsNoovie on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more updates.

Now, when you get to the theater early, you can play augmented reality games on the big screen! Download Noovie ARcade on the App Store or Google Play!

  • Overboard: A spoiled, wealthy yacht owner is thrown overboard and becomes the target of revenge from his mistreated employee. A remake of the 1987 comedy.
  • Tully: The film is about Marlo, a mother of three including a newborn, who is gifted a night nanny by her brother. Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully.
Posted in Entertainment

NCM Entertainment Roundup – April 25, 2018

Posted on April 25, 2018 by National CineMedia — Leave a comment

Destiny arrives. Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters this weekend!

Let’s talk about the top stories in Las Vegas this week. Studios are showing off their slate of upcoming films at CinemaCon! Click below to learn more about the upcoming releases featured to date.

Disney

Warner Bros.

Sony

STX

As of this writing, the following studios have yet to present their slates at CinemaCon:

  • Entertainment Studios
  • Universal
  • Focus Features
  • Paramount
  • 20th Century Fox
  • Amazon Studios
  • Lionsgate

Click below to watch the latest trailers.

Going to the movies this weekend? Get there early to see Noovie! Find Noovie at a theater near you, and follow WhatsNoovie on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more updates.

Now, when you get to the theater early, you can play augmented reality games on the big screen! Download Noovie ARcade for FREE on the App Store or Google Play!

  • Avengers: Infinity War: The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
  • Kings: The life of a foster family in South Central Los Angeles, a few weeks before the city erupts in violence following the verdict of the Rodney King trial.
  • Disobedience: A woman returns to the community that shunned her for her attraction to a childhood friend. Once back, their passions reignite as they explore the boundaries of faith and sexuality.
Posted in Entertainment

Noovie ARcade Interactive Augmented Reality Games Coming To A Big Screen Near You

Posted on April 24, 2018 by National CineMedia — Leave a comment
Noovie ARcade

Noovie ARcade

Game On! Movie Audiences Can Use Their Mobile Phones to Play AR Games During the Noovie Pre-Show in Theaters Nationwide Beginning This Friday

Hold on to your popcorn, because your movie experience just got a whole lot better!  Beginning this Friday, April 27, movie audiences nationwide can play big screen interactive augmented reality (AR) games on their mobile phones by using Noovie ARcade, the revolutionary new companion app for the Noovie pre-show.

Noovie ARcade is available free in the iTunes and Google Play stores from National CineMedia (NCM), America’s Movie Network. The first of its kind, Noovie ARcade gives movie fans the chance to enjoy a gaming experience like no other while waiting for their feature film to start on over 20,800 movie screens in over 1,650 top theaters nationwide, including AMC, Cinemark, Regal Entertainment Group, and 50 other regional and local exhibitors.

To play, audiences only need to download the app and arrive at their local Noovie theater early to catch the Noovie pre-show, which will prompt viewers to open the app and aim their phones at the big screen when it’s time to play. Then, through their mobile phone, the movie theater will transform into a larger-than-life game setting! After the game, audiences can check the leaderboard to see how they rank and share their score with friends.

The Noovie ARcade app will feature a variety of game formats, including shooting, catching, and tossing games. New games will be continuously rolled out starting this summer.

Noovie ARcade Launch Games Include:

  • Cinevaders – A galactic worm hole opens up and aliens pour out to invade the theater. It’s up to the player to use powerful lasers to protect the theater from certain destruction.
  • Emoji Escape – The emojis in your phone have escaped and are wreaking havoc in the theater lobby. Catch them all before they run off with all your favorite concessions.
Noovie ARcade

Noovie ARcade Gameplay

“When we launched our new Noovie pre-show last year, our goal was to enhance the moviegoing experience and give audiences a reason to arrive early to discover what’s next in entertainment,” said Andy England, CEO of National CineMedia (NCM). “Gaming is a favorite activity of movie fans, so we wanted to give them a fun and unique way to interact with Noovie on the big screen through mobile augmented reality while they are waiting for their movie to start.” He added, “But, of course, Noovie will still remind people to silence their cell phones and put them away before the feature presentation!”

“Augmented reality unlocks immersive gaming experiences that are super fun and easy to play, and keep people coming back for more. Our mobile phones are the ultimate game controller and the movie theater auditorium is the ultimate gaming environment,” said Lawrence Snapp, NCM’s Chief Digital Officer & SVP, Corporate Development.

Noovie ARcade game play premiered this week in Las Vegas to an audience of A-lister talent and movie insiders at CinemaCon, the largest and most important gathering for the worldwide motion picture theater industry.

Posted in NCM News