Eric the Clown

Nah im just changing it to Shrek 2

Did my list. Sent to the homie Panda

Inside, reputable sources indicate that Disney is on the verge of losing all their money with no income coming in. Disney World's reopening was a last resort. Better getting some highly-anticipated releases out there to make some money, even if you won't make as much as you did in normal times, than have blood on their hands with their theme parks. And really, every movie should just accept they're going to be at a loss and open without domestic theaters and open PVOD in domestic markets. If studios really think OS theaters can put up with playing nothing for months, if not years, then they're in for a rude awakening. Put this shit out in theaters in October, have it for $20 or $25 in America on PVOD in November.

Keep the release date. PVOD US, theatrical OS. Maybe even push it up a month to be safe. Do it Disney. We know you want to

I really only like to do three non-top 10 movies, because I have enough to look at as is. And honestly I felt Virgin, Brokeback, and March were more compelling stories and were movies that deserved more attention. Of course, you are more than willing to request movies for me to talk about in the upcoming years

Apple 1. The Outpost 2. Trolls World Tour 3. 1917 4. Relic 5. Force of Nature 6. The Invisible Man 7. Saving Private Ryan 8. Irresistible 9. Impractical Jokers: The Movie 10. Timothee Chalamet's Little Women Amazon 1. Trolls World Tour 2. The King of Staten Island 3. The Greatest Showman 4. Sonci the Hedgehog 5. Jumanji: The Next Level 6. Game Night 7. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle 8. Bad Boys for Life 9. The Gentlemen 10. The Addams Family

The Willenium continued in eleventh place (tenth worldwide) with the romantic comedy Hitch. Big Willie stars as Alex Hitchens, a dating consultant, making a living by teaching men how to woo and impress women. While working with his latest client, played by Kevin James, he becomes smitten with a gossip columnist played by Eva Mendes. It’s there he soon realizes his usual methods and tricks don’t work on her, and perhaps might need to learn some new tricks. One of the more interesting (and very racist) aspects of the film was its casting. Will Smith was designed as the star from the get-go, but Eva Mendes’ casting was crucial, apparently to the producers. The concern from the producers was that if Will Smith was paired up with a white actress, there was fear of a potential interracial taboo. If it was a Black actress, there was fear white audiences would feel alienated and not want to see it. So might as well get a Latina actress I guess. In actuality, I sincerely doubt anybody with a brain would care about who Will Smith hooked up with, but I’m not a rich Hollywood executive, so what do I know? Anyways, this was Will Smith’s first major branching out from his usual role. People know that Will Smith can be funny, what with his first major work being on a sitcom, and he typically played the comic relief in his roles. But his biggest hits were action and sci-fi movies. A lighthearted romcom might not be his fanbase’s cup of tea. But sure enough, Smith’s audience ate this up. On February 11, just in time for Valentine’s Day, Hitch opened to $43.1 million, becoming the biggest opening ever for a romantic comedy, and the third biggest February opening at that time. Sure enough, people will watch Will Smith in just about everything. The film would go on to gross $177.8 million domestic and $371.6 million worldwide. Hitch would go on to become Will Smith’s fifth $100 million hit in a row, starting with 2002’s Men in Black II. This kind of consistency is unheard of, both in 2005 and especially today. Sure, back then starpower was able to make actors like Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Adam Sandler, and more get $100 million just by their face. But the fact that Will Smith was able to do this consistently, from genre to genre, with not one miss in a three-year period has never been done. All these actors had their duds. And sure, DiCaprio and The Rock can sell a movie on their names, but those guys have a very specific niche and audiences like to see them in a very specific movie type. Will Smith was able to do action, comedy, animation, etc., and people will line up to watch him. And as we look at future films, it’s just further proof at how Will Smith’s aura was able to make a movie an automatic hit in a way that’s unheard of in our IP-driven society. 19th place was The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Steve Carell stars as Andy, a clerk working at the local electronic store, and never had sex before. After his friends, played by Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen, and Gerry Bednob, learn Andy never had sex, they decide to help in his exploits and lose his virginity. The idea came from Carell on a sketch he created with the improv comedy troupe Second City. Carell’s sketch saw several variations, but all focused on a 40-year-old man with a “big secret”. Judd Apatow was director, and immediately decided the casting early in development, allowing him to tailor the characters and script to the strength of its actors. And what a cast this movie had. Not only the aforementioned actors, but Catherine Keener was the leading lady, and the supporting cast featured familiar and burgeoning talent, like Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch, Kat Dennings, Jonah Hill, Kevin Hart, Mindy Kaling, David Koechner, Jenna Fischer, and more. Even Stormy Daniels, yes that Stormy Daniels, had a cameo. One of the funniest scenes from 40-Year-Old Virgin was when Steve Carell gets his chest waxed. This was done for real, as Carell actually waxed his hair off for maximum comedy. Five cameras were used to capture the moment. But unlike Steve Carell’s skin, production wasn’t always smooth. The first week saw production halted, both because the film wasn’t very funny at first, but also because Universal felt Carell’s appearance made Andy look like a serial killer. Paul Rudd also saw criticism for being overweight, while Apatow saw criticism for “lighting [the film] like an indie.” Regardless, when the film opened on August 19, it became a critical hit. Critics loved its comedy, premise, and blend of raunch and heart. This resulted in a solid $21.4 million. With great word of mouth, 40-Year-Old Virgin dropped only 24% on its second weekend, for a $16.3 million weekend haul. Labor Day weekend would see $16.5 million over the four-day, and with continued success into September, this resulted in $109.5 million domestically and $177.4 million. This was a milestone release for both Steve Carell and Judd Apatow. While Carell was starting to find a fanbase with films like Bruce Almighty and Anchorman, this was his first leading role, and this success immediately made him a comedy superstar. A month after Virgin’s release, Carell’s The Office second season was set to debut. Surprising to say, but The Office’s first season was considered a rough one. Reviews were positive, but ratings were poor. But Virgin’s success turned people’s heads and made them want to check out Carell’s sitcom. Sure enough, The Office’s season 2 would see a 40% jump in total viewers and 60% in the coveted 18-49 demographic. It would of course go on to have nine seasons, 201 episodes, several Emmys, and be considered one of the most iconic NBC shows in history, one of the most loved comedies ever, and the one show everybody has seen the entirety of on Netflix at least twice. Judd Apatow also saw breakout success. Initially a writer on The Larry Sanders Show, Apatow first saw film success as a producer of 2004’s Anchorman. That success would lead to Virgin, and that film’s popularity made Apatow into one of the biggest directors in comedy, with films like Knocked Up, Trainwreck, and most recently The King of Staten Island. Comedy hits he would go on to produce include Talladega Nights, Superbad, Pineapple Express, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Bridesmaids, The Big Sick, and more. 22nd place was the Ang Lee western Brokeback Mountain, based on the 1997 short story. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal star as Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist, two cowboys from Wyoming who work together as sheep herders in 1963. The film then follows their 20 year relationship, which turns into an intense romantic and sexual relationship. This is one of those films that hopped from director to director. Gus van Sant was set to adapt Annie Proulx’s short story with Matt Damon and Joaquin Phoenix as stars. But Damon felt he already did a gay movie with Mr. Ripley and a cowboy movie with All the Pretty Horses, so he didn’t want to do a “gay cowboy movie,” so Van Sant’s idea was scrapped. Joel Schumacher was also linked, but he also dropped out. Ang Lee heard about the film, and decided he wanted to get the film made as an independent producer. He couldn’t get the plans through, but he did get into contact with friend and Focus Features CEO James Schamus to make the film. Ang Lee mentioned in an interview with Out magazine that Brokeback rejuvenated his interest in directing after both Crouching Tiger and Hulk wore him out. Ledger and Gyllenhaal were cast in 2003. There was concern over whether Ledger and Gyllenhaal were concerned for their careers over playing such controversial characters (we’ll get to that). Gyllenhaal stated he was proud of the role and the film itself, and Ledger had no fear about the role, but whether he had the maturity and grace to do it proper. Released on December 9 in 5 theaters, Brokeback Mountain was riding an immense wave of hype, with several Golden Globe nominations and winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. It opened to $547.4 thousand, with an average of $109.5 thousand per theater. This made it one of the biggest per-theater averages of all time. And thanks to its awards love (we’ll get to that), it would go on to earn an impressive $83 million domestic and $178.1 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film ever for Focus Features. This would result in one impressive legacy, both as a part of queer cinema, and for becoming one of the most controversial films of 2005. Earning the de facto label of “The Gay Cowboy Movie”, this led to immense backlash from several conservative thinkers and figures. Political pundits/horrible people like Bill O’Reilly, John Gibson, and Cal Thomas, as well as trash-on-a-stick groups like Focus on the Family and Concerned Women of America accused the film of promoting a gay agenda and that this film, as well as Capote and Transamerica, were instances of “the media elites proving that their pet projects are more important than profit”...okay. Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller also banned the film from his entertainment complex despite contracting the release and advertising the film for his complex. Learning the film features, gasp, gay sex, it was apparently dangerous and broke down traditional families...okay. There were even concerns the film was hiding its homosexual content in the advertising. Another major discussion point was whether Ennis and Jack were even gay in the first place. Because both characters have female love interests and wives, there was debate over whether Ennis and Jack were gay, bi, straight, or whether they should be classified under any sexual orientation. Critics, historians, and writers have argued their orientation for years. Gyllenhall thought Ennis and Jack were straight who developed a love between each other, while Ledger didn’t think his character could be labeled gay. LGBT non-fiction author Eric Marcus believed “talk of Ennis and Jack being anything but gay as box office-influenced political correctness intended to steer straight audiences to the film”, which does fit with how the marketing ignored the homosexual content of the film. Author Annie Proulx was a fan of the movie, but she also expressed frustration with the movie and how it affected her popularity. After the film’s release, she would be bombarded with fan fiction that “fixed” her story, often rewriting the conclusion into a happy ending. This frustration led to her regretting she even wrote her story in the first place. But nothing could prepare for the biggest controversy of all. Brokeback Mountain was the most honored film in history, earning more Best Picture and Director wins than Silence of the Lambs and Schindler’s List combined. No film that won the Writer’s Guild, Director’s Guild, and Producer’s Guild had ever failed to win Best Picture at the Oscars. However, Brokeback Mountain lost that trophy in favor of Crash, a film that didn’t even get nominated for Best Picture at the Golden Globes. This led to immense backlash, with many arguing homophobic Academy members blocked the film from its deserved Best Picture win. Since then, Crash has gone on to be considered one of the worst Best Picture winners, and one of the biggest mistakes the Academy has ever made, which says a lot. But on a more positive note, Brokeback Mountain’s success allowed queer cinema to soar. It wasn’t the first mainstream LGBT release, but its critical and commercial success gave rise to the idea that gay-themed movies can find success and be accepted by the mainstream. This would result in films like Milk, I Love You, Phillip Morris, Moonlight, Call Me By Your Name, Love, Simon, The Favourite, and more. Finally, we find ourselves in the Arctic in 27th place with the documentary March of the Penguins. This follows the yearly journey of the emperor penguins. Every autumn, the penguins of breeding age leave the ocean and walk to their ancestral grounds. There, the penguins take part in a courtship that results in the hatching of a chick, and both parents taking part in several journeys between the ocean and breeding grounds over the next few months. Directed by Luc Jacquet, and produced by the National Geographic Society, March was filmed in Antarctica at the French scientific base Dumont d’Urville for 13 months. Being in a subzero climate, the biggest issue the filmmakers dealt with was the temperature. In order for the cameras to operate under such freezing weather, they had to use film and load the film for the entire day, because it was impossible to reload it while outside. This also meant the crew had to put on six layers of clothing to survive the frigid cold, and oftentimes could only stay out for three hours out of the day. The original French release was distributed by Buena Vista International France, a division of Disney. And while Disney tried to bid for the US distribution rights, it would actually be distributed in America by National Geographic Films in collaboration with Warner Independent Pictures. But that’s not the only difference between French and the US. The French version had a first-person narrative, as if the penguins were telling the story. This resulted in the narration alternating between a woman, a man, and a child, all to fit the roles and storyline. However, the United States version opted for a third-person narration provided by Morgan Freeman. On its initial release, it didn’t crack anybody’s radar. It opened in 4 theaters to a solid $137.5 thousand opening weekend on June 24. But it seems those viewers really liked what they saw. It expanded to 20 theaters the following weekend, and saw a near 200% jump with $412 thousand. The following weekend saw it in 64 theaters and crack $1 million, increasing 147% from the previous weekend. And its growth kept on coming. It got to 695 theaters on its 5th weekend, earning $4 million and cracking into the top 10. On August 5, its 7th week of release, it hit #6 and earned $7.1 million. With slim holds through August and September, staying above $1 million throughout the months, March of the Penguins finished its haul with a very impressive $77.4 million domestic haul and $127.4 million worldwide. This made it the second-biggest documentary of all time, only behind Fahrenheit 9/11, and the biggest nature documentary of all time, both of which are still records March holds today. For whatever reason, people really loved seeing these penguins on the big screen, and alongside Madagascar, signaled a weird trend of penguin-themed movies. Animated movies Happy Feet and Surf’s Up would arrive in the next two years. In 2017, March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step was released by Disneynature in France, and was a Hulu exclusive in the US in 2018. Morgan Freeman reprises as the narrator. And so were the stories of 2005. But that was only just a sample of the many stories. The Longest Yard was another hit in Sandler’s repertoire. Fantastic Four was Fox’s attempt to adapt another Marvel property to less success. Chicken Little was Disney attempting to do CG features without Pixar to mixed success. Robots was Blue Sky’s big follow-up to Ice Age. Walk the Line was the biggest music biopic ever and gave Reese Witherspoon an Oscar. The Pacifier kickstarted the trend of “what if action star was babysitter?” Saw II allowed us to have one of the biggest horror franchises in history. Are We There Yet? was a dark time where Ice Cube forced himself into a kids movie. Cheaper by the Dozen 2, The Legend of Zorro, xXx: State of the Union and The Ring Two all failed to keep their franchises going. Constantine was another DC Comics adaptation with less success. Sin City became a cult classic. Sahara was directed by Michael Eisner’s son and became one of the biggest bombs in film history. Herbie Fully Loaded was the weakest Lindsay Lohan Disney remake. Amityville Horror was another Plat Dunes remake that put the studio on the map. Sky High was the first major film work for the creators of Disney Channel’s Kim Possible. Bewitched tried to adapt the 60s sitcom to disastrous results. Wallace & Gromit hit the big screen with Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Corpse Bride had Tim Burton returning to stop-motion. Be Cool was the far less successful sequel to Get Shorty. Memoirs of a Geisha had major casting controversy. Diary of a Mad Black Woman kickstarted Tyler Perry’s career. Sharkboy and Lavagirl was Robert Rodriguez’s ill-fated follow-up to Spy Kids. The Island was Michael Bay’s biggest flop ever. Doom was a disastrous video game adaptation. Aeon Flux was a disastrous animation adaptation. Elektra was a Daredevil spin-off nobody saw. Rent and The Producers failed to capitalize on their Broadway successes. Valiant was an ill-fated attempt of Disney finding a new non-Pixar animation studio. Serenity only appealed to Firefly fans. Son of the Mask was one of the worst sequels ever created. And lastly, Bad News Bears...came out I guess. This was 2005.

Sixth place would see the comedy Wedding Crashers. This starred Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson as two divorce mediators who crash weddings so they can hook up with bridesmaids and women. Boy that’s...interesting. The two hit the jackpot when they crash the wedding of the daughter of the United States Secretary of Treasury, and it’s there the two find themselves hooking up with the Secretary’s other daughters. Owen Wilson falls in love with Rachel McAdams, while Vince Vaughn gets forced into a relationship by Isla Fisher. Hi-jinx ensue! This comedy came from the personal experience of co-producer Andrew Panay. Panay was a wedding crasher in his youth and thought the idea had potential for a movie. And so Panay brought the idea over to writers Steve Faber and Bob Fisher. While the team were unsure about stretching the idea to feature-length, the one thing that helped them with the project was the idea of having Vaughn and Wilson hook up with women born from a political family. Faber and Fisher dreamed about marrying one of the Kennedy girls when they were kids, so the idea was perfect, and the film was made. Being a movie that features a politician character, a couple interesting cameos emerged. CNN contributor and Democratic strategist James Carville was one, but the late Senator and 2008 presidential nominee John McCain of all people popped up. This saw a lot of criticism, as McCain was very adamantly against films like Wedding Crashers: R-rated movies that marketed themselves to teenagers. Go figure! Will Ferrell got a cameo too. Speaking of the R rating, that was a contentious part of production. Director David Dobkin felt an R would have made the film limit its box office potential. American Pie aside, PG-13 was the way to go if you wanted to make good money. However, after a consultant gave him a long list of the R-rated elements in the film, Dobkin realized the two funniest scenes would have to be cut. So an R rating it is. And wouldn’t you know it, it panned out beautifully. Opening on July 15, the film debuted at #2 to $33.9 million. It not only became New Line’s biggest original opening ever, but it actually opened ahead of previous Wilson and Vaughn vehicles like Starsky & Hutch and Dodgeball. So much for that R rating killing its numbers. People loved the concept and its two leads, and the film stood out in a marketplace dominated by action movies and family fare. Thanks to positive reviews, summer weekdays, and strong word-of-mouth, the hits just kept on coming for the movie. The following weekend only saw the movie drop 19%, generating a $26.2 million second weekend. Weekend 3 was only 22%, with $20.5 million. Next was only a 20% drop, with $16.5 million. Basically, it wasn’t until mid-September there was an above-average drop. All told, the film finished with about 6.17 times its opening weekend for a grand total of $209.2 million domestically. Worldwide amounted to $288.5 million. The film’s success was a game changer. Not only did it continue the hot streak Wilson and Vaughn were on, but it also reinvigorated interest in R-rated comedies. As it turns out, people like laughs with more raunch, more edge, and more language. This, alongside The 40-Year Old Virgin, would give us future hits like Knocked Up, The Hangover, Bridesmaids, 21 Jump Street, Ted, Neighbors, and more, before inevitably the capitalist hellscapes of all tentpoles all the time sealed their fate and killed R-rated comedies forever.. Regardless, it was a hit, and it’s fair to say the risks paid off. In 2013, Vaughn and Wilson teamed up again in a pseudo sequel The Internship, which saw the pair as interns at Google, though it didn’t come anywhere close to Crashers’ success. In 2016, negotiations were reportedly made for a Wedding Crashers sequel, but nothing else seems to have come out of it. Seventh domestic, eighth worldwide was Tim Burton’s attempt at adapting Roald Dahl with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Coincidentally, this came out the same day as Wedding Crashers. It follows a dirt poor boy named Charlie Bucket who gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he finds a Golden Ticket in a Wonka bar, the most famous chocolate brand in the world. Along with four other children, Charlie meets the isolated and eccentric owner Willy Wonka, and soon takes a tour of Wonka’s magical chocolate factory. Most people are familiar with this story with the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, produced by Quaker Oats. Yes really. Despite its cult following and consideration as a family classic, one man who hated the film was Roald Dahl, the author of the 1964 children’s novel. Despite writing the film’s screenplay, it would soon see uncredited rewrites by David Seltzer, who completely reworked the script against Dahl’s wishes, changing the ending and adding musical numbers. Dahl was furious with these changes and disowned the 1971 film entirely. And so, when it was time for a remake, Warner Bros. personally negotiated with the Dahl estate, specifically Dahl’s widow Felicity and daughter Lucy, to get a new film version made. In 1998, a deal was finalized, which gave the Dahl estate complete creative control on the project. Out of Sight writer Scott Frank was in charge of the screenplay in 1999, while Gary Ross was set to direct, but both men left the project in 2001. Nicolas Cage was also in consideration to play Willy Wonka, which would have been amazing, but he left due to lack of interest. The next screenwriter was Gwyn Lurie, who also wrote a treatment for The BFG at Paramount that never got made. The directors went in and out over the next couple years. Rob Minkoff and even Martin Scorsese were attached, but both opted for other projects. Warner Bros. president Alan Horn wanted Bruce Almighty director Tom Shadyac to direct with Jim Carrey as Wonka, but Felicity Dahl opposed it. Finally, Felicity found her match. Tim Burton was hired in May 2003, and was the only director the estate liked. Burton loved both Dahl and the original book, and was not a fan of the 1971 Wonka film for it straying too far away from the storyline, and his imaginative world and style made it seem like he was a good fit. During pre-production, Burton visited Dahl’s former home, and when he saw Dahl’s writing shed, Burton said “This is the Buckets’ house!” It was at that moment Felcitity Dahl knew this was in good hands. Lurie’s screenplay would later be scrapped with John August writing the film all over again. As for casting, the role of Willy Wonka was crucial, with negotiations or considerations from every A-lister in Hollywood. Nicolas Cage and Jim Carrey were already mentioned. There was also Bill Murray, Christopher Walken, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Michael Keaton, Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Mike Myers, Ben Stiller, Leslie Nielsen, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Patrick Stewart, Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman, and Marilyn Manson. Yes, that Marilyn Manson. However, the role was actually given to Johnny Depp, though Dwayne Johnson was considered a runner-up if Depp was unavailable. Depp and Burton wanted their interpretation of Wonka to be unique and unlike what Gene Wilder created. While comparisons to Michael Jackson were commonly used, the duo mainly derived from children’s television hosts like Bob Keeshan, Fred Rogers, and Al Harris. Depp also noted similarities between Howard Hughes and Charles Foster Kane. Depp also based Wonka’s bob cut and sunglasses on Anna Wintour. Similar to Narnia, Burton knew there was a limitation when it came to child actors. So when it came to the visual effects, Burton wanted as little digital effects as possible. This meant that forced perspective, oversized props, and scale models were created, allowing the kids to feel as if they really were in a magical chocolate factory. Even the chocolate river Wonka’s boat sails across was 192,000 gallons of faux melted chocolate. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opened on July 17. With the legacy of the 1971 film, as well as Johnny Depp fresh off of Pirates, Charlie opened to $56.2 million, becoming Depp’s biggest opening, as well as Burton’s second-biggest opening, only behind Planet of the Apes. That weekend also served as the fifth best for July and the fifth best for Warner Bros. The film would continue to play well in the weeks to come with about $206.5 million domestically and $475 million worldwide. But despite good reviews, not everybody was impressed. Johnny Depp’s performance garnered heavy criticism for being too weird and annoying, and it’s largely considered that Burton’s film was inferior, though it has its fans. Perhaps its biggest detractor comes in the hands of Gene Wilder. While Wilder is a huge fan of both Burton and Depp, he felt as if remaking Willy Wonka was a cash-grab, and chose not to see the film for years. He saw promotional material of Depp in the role and what he saw made him want to avoid the movie. That musta hurt. In 2013, Wilder mentioned, I’m assuming having seen the movie, he thought the film was an insult and criticized Burton’s direction. But hey, at least it’s better than when Tom and Jerry remade it (yes, really) Eighth domestic, ninth worldwide was the beginning of Papa Nolan’s future domination with Batman Begins. When it comes to the fifth Batman movie, it’s been a long time coming. Initially Joel Schumacher was set to direct another Batman film after Batman and Robin inevitably becomes a critical and commercial darling. Titled Batman Unchained, Clooney, O’Donnell and Silverstone were set to reprise their roles, and the villains would include Scarecrow (played by Coolio) and Harley Quinn. Then Batman and Robin came out. I’ll leave it at that. So in 2000, Warner Bros. was looking at two potential projects. One was a live-action adaptation of the animated series Batman Beyond, but another was Batman: Year One, based on the Frank Miller comic book arc. While Schumacher was interested, Darren Aronofsky was handed over the project, directing and co-writing with Frank Miller. Christain Bale was approached for the role of Batman (hmm...), and Aronofsky really wanted Joaquin Phoenix for the part, though Warner Bros. was gunning for Freddie Prinze, Jr. for some reason. Ultimately, the plan was scrapped in favor of Batman vs. Superman, which did not come to be for...reasons we'll get to when we get to 2016. In December 2002, Joss Whedon pitched a reboot origin story for Batman, but it was rejected. However, the idea of an origin story lived on when Warner Bros. attached Memento director Christopher Nolan to their next Batman film. Nolan, with writer David S. Goyer, wanted to reinvent the franchise by going back to basics. Specifically, showcase how Bruce Wayne became the Bat we all know and love today, and give him more of a character. Nolan felt the previous Batman adaptations emphasized style over character and put too much attention on the villain than the hero, and wanted to make the Batman film he wanted as a kid. Nolan’s main inspiration was The Man Who Falls, a short story that saw Bruce Wayne’s travels throughout the world, and was the basis for Nolan’s journey into becoming Batman and training under Ra’s al Ghul. Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: Dark Victory, and Batman: Year One were also influences. Another aspect of Nolan’s production was a more realistic take on the Batman myth. While previous interpretations of Gotham City did not exist in the real world, Nolan used exteriors of London, New York, and Chicago to help make the city seem recognizable. The Batmobile was also turned into a Tumbler, and the Batsuit became a lot more comfortable to move around in and fight. As for the casting of Bruce Wayne himself, actors like Henry Cavill, Billy Crudup, Hugh Dancy, David Boreanaz, Jake Gyllenhaal, Cillian Murphy, and Heath Ledger were considered, but the role was given to Christian Bale, then a relative unknown better known for indie releases. Bale agreed with Nolan that Batman was underutilized in previous adaptations compared to the villains, and both Nolan and Goyer felt Bale captured the perfect balance of darkness and light, as well as selling both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Before production started, Bale lost 62 pounds during the filming of The Machinist, which meant he had to bulk up fast. He hired a personal trainer to help him gain 100 pounds of muscle in the span of a couple months. Going from musclebound to skinny to fat would become a constant for Christain Bale in all future acting gigs. Batman Begins opened on June 15, with rave reviews citing it as the best Batman movie ever. But when it opened, it only did okay. Its $72.9 million 5-day gross was the biggest opening for a Batman movie ever at the time. But it was still far below all the other Batman releases apart from Batman and Robin in terms of ticket sales, and in a day and age where Spider-Man made over $114 million, X2 did over $85 million, and even Hulk got above $62 million, all of which were three-day releases, it was considered a bit of a disappointment since the last couple Batman movies all broke box office records. I blame Nickelback for this. However, it did see a record IMAX opening with $3.16 million over its first 5 days, and it was still good enough that there was room to grow. Sure enough, the movie went on to do rather well, racking up $205.3 million domestically and $371.8 million worldwide, which made it the second-biggest Batman film ever up to that point, only behind Burton’s 1989 film. DVD sales were also impressive, racking up $167 million in only a few months of release. While Batman Begins didn’t blow the house down in the same way Spider-Man or X2 did, it’s fair to say Batman Begins did its job as a relaunch of the franchise and rekindled interest in the property. And I’m sure when it comes to a sequel, there’s plenty of potential...I’ll just put a pin on that last part. Ninth domestic, sixth worldwide was the return of Dreamworks Animation with Madagascar. This animated film follows four zoo animals who lived their whole lives pampered by the employees at the Central Park Zoo. But through a series of wacky shenanigans, the animals find themselves trapped in the jungles of Madagascar, only home to a clan of lemurs and a group of fossa predators. The four zoo animals find themselves having to adjust into living in the wild, with tension and hilarious comedy along the way. One of the more unique elements of Madagascar is its animation style. At a time when Pixar and other studios were pushing for realism, Madagascar’s designs and direction is much more in line with Warner Bros. cartoons. The cartoonier look and emphasis on slapstick, squash and stretch, and fast-paced animation made it more reminiscent of the works of Tex Avery and Chuck Jones, which helped it stand out from the other CGI works at the time. This laid the groundwork for other animated series that emphasize cartoony designs and humor, like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Hotel Translyvania. And like other Dreamworks Animation releases at the time, the celebrity voice cast was a major selling point. Ben Stiller, fresh off his banner 2004 played Alex the Lion, Chris Rock was the zebra Marty, David Schwimmer, fresh off the last season of Friends, played the giraffe Melman, and Jada Pinkett Smith was the hippo Gloria. The character of King Julien, the leader of the lemurs, was supposed to only have two lines in the movie. However, after comedian Sacha Baron Cohen improvised eight minutes of dialogue in an Indian accent during the audition, the filmmakers loved him so much they decided to expand King Julien’s role in the movie. But of course, the characters most people remember and would define the series were the penguins, a quartet of birds that act like commando units and break out of the zoo in an attempt to head to Antarctica. Their dynamics, characters, and comedy result in some of the best laughs and most entertaining moments. Long before Madagascar went into production, Dreamworks was developing an animated film titled Rockumentary, which was an animated Beatles parody with a penguin rock band. Despite the project being scrapped, director Eric Darnell brought the penguins over to Madagascar with a different theme. Released on May 27, Memorial Day weekend, Madagascar saw an impressive second place debut with $61 million over its first four days, and a three-day of $47.2 million, putting it just below Shark Tale. The film would then hit first place in weekend two, earning $28.1 million, and with little in the way of animated competition, Madagascar would go on to generate $193.6 million domestically and $542 million worldwide, making it Dreamworks’ biggest non-Shrek movie ever at that time. And that initial success would lead to one of the biggest animated film franchises ever. Sure enough, Madagascar would see two sequels, both of which we’ll definitely talk about in the future, a spin-off film of the penguins, two television series, with a third one set to debut on Hulu and Peacock this year, several short films and television specials, theme park rides, live shows, and more. Tenth domestic, seventh worldwide featured the Jolie-Pitt dream team in Mr. & Mrs. Smith. This stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as a bored married couple going through counseling. What they both don’t know about each other is that they are secret assassins belonging to competing agencies, and as luck would have it, they have been assigned to kill each other. Hi-jinx ensue! The idea came about from the personal experience of writer Simon Kinberg. Kinberg’s friends were going through marriage therapy and upon learning the descriptions his friends made felt there was potential in there for an action film...okay. And sure enough, this would lead to plenty of talent on board with the project. Doug Liman would direct, while Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, two of the biggest movie stars ever, both at the time and still today, would sign on. Vince Vaughn, Adam Brody, Kerry Washington, and Michelle Monaghan (love you @Plain Old Tele) would fill out the supporting cast. Released on June 10, Mr. & Mrs. Smith was a perfect example of the good ol’ days when all you needed was a clever hook and some major starpower. It debuted to $50.3 million, becoming the biggest opening in both Pitt and Jolie’s careers. And with the film standing out in the marketplace between all the franchise offerings, Mr. & Mrs. Smith legged itself out to $186.3 million domestically and $487.3 million worldwide. This would be the biggest films ever for both Pitt and Jolie, until World War Z and Maleficent respectively. But despite that success, not everybody was fans, especially the Colombian government. The film’s depiction of the country and the city of Bogota was criticized by the government, especially for showcasing Bogota as a tiny village in the middle of the jungle. Mayor Luis Eduardo Garzon and President Alvaro Uribe Velez invited Pitt, Jolie and the producers to Bogota to make them realize their mistake and learn the city is in fact a bustling metropolis. But of course, the movie’s biggest claim to fame is how it kick started Brangelina. Rumors circulated that Pitt was romantically involved with Jolie despite being married to Jennifer Aniston, with gossip sites arguing their time on set led to Pitt and Aniston’s messy divorce, though Jolie denies such a thing. Yet sure enough, the two actors would become an item together, becoming media darlings and growing their family together, both through adoption and through pregnancy. They would become the Hollywood supercouple for about a decade, before filing for divorce in 2016, which is something I’m still not over by the way.

Future posts and images will be uploaded later. It's dinnertime right now

Second place domestic, third worldwide saw The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, based on the CS Lewis series. It’s the story of the Pensevive children, a family forced to evacuate their home during the Blitz to a countryside home. It is in that home they discover a magical wardrobe that when opened leads to a magical fantasy world known as Narnia. It is there the children learn it has been taken over by an evil sorceress known as the White Witch, and they are prophesied to save the land of Narnia with the help of a heroic lion named Aslan. With over 100 million copies sold, Narnia had seen several adaptations via TV, radio, and even stage. So naturally, film wasn’t far behind, but it took a while to come into fruition. In the early 1990s, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy spearheaded the idea. However, the team could not find a space to shoot the film in Britain, and Lewis’ stepson Douglas Gresham was against the movie being set in modern times and felt CG technology couldn’t replicate the world of Narnia just yet. In 2000, Perry Moore, an executive at the then-unknown Walden Media, began negotiations with the Lewis estate. Sure enough, Walden Media acquired the rights in December 2001. Later on, Disney, who had worked with Walden Media on films like Ghosts of the Abyss, Holes, and Around the World in 80 Days, would be the distributors, and another instance of Disney dipping their toes into competing with the likes of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, the latter of which has always been a common comparison with Narnia. In fact, one of the biggest influences of the film during its development was the massive success of Harry Potter. Potter’s success as a passionately British story gave the producers confidence for the film to be faithful to its novel. Says producer Mark Johnson, "When The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was being developed at Paramount, the imperative was to set it in the U.S., and it just doesn't hold. [...] It's not the book." Because Harry Potter was so successful with American audiences, especially kids, with British actors, accents, and setting in tow, there was a sense the film didn’t need to Americanize itself. This would be very beneficial to the film's success. Guillermo del Toro was offered to direct, but bowed out due to the filming of Pan’s Labyrinth. So after an Academy Award win, Shrek director Andrew Adamson would take the helm, adapting the book with a 20-page treatment based on his own nostalgic memories of the novel. Weta Workshop, who worked on the VFX for Lord of the Rings, wanted to make sure Narnia stood out compared to Middle-Earth, so the art direction was less dark and gritty, taking influence from the famous oil painting The Garden of Earthly Delights. As for the casting, this was probably the hardest aspect. Being a film focused on kids, Adamson needed child actors who were able to sell the movie and get people invested. This resulted in Adamson, beginning in 2002, viewing 2,500 audition tapes, meeting 1,800 kids, and workshopping with 400 of them before coming down to the final actors for the Pevensie children: William Moseley as Peter, Anna Popplewell as Susan, Skandar Keynes as Edmund, and Georgie Henley as Lucy. Brian Cox was set to voice Aslan, but Adamson felt his voice wasn’t the best fit, so Liam Neeson took over the voice. Having a cast of young actors who don’t have the same level of experience as adult actors was going to be a challenge, but Andrew Adamson played things pretty smart. The film was shot in primarily chronological order, so as the actors felt like they were developing and maturing much like their characters. And when it comes to the introduction of Narnia, those emotions were genuine too. Revealed in the Disney+ documentary series Prop Culture (which everyone should watch by the way), Georgie Henley, the actress playing the youngest child Lucy, was never shown the set of Narnia before filming began. So when she actually steps through the wardrobe, which connected itself to the actual snowy set, Henley was actually seeing the magical winter wonderland for the first time, and reacting as any little girl would. This helped sell the world of Narnia to the audience. We were Lucy stepping into such an enchanting world. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was released on December 9, and it’s fair to say, especially with it opening a week before Jackson’s King Kong, its opening shocked everyone. Its debut was a massive $65.6 million, which made it the second biggest December debut, and Disney’s third-biggest opening, only behind The Incredibles and Finding Nemo. And with Narnia’s Christmas themes, as well as immense appeal toward family audiences, this became the film of the December holidays, with a final total of $291.7 million, with $745 million worldwide. There’s a lot to be said about the film’s success. The popularity of the books and the fantasy genre helped the film, and solid reviews kept its momentum going. But I think what makes this film interesting was how it served as the last film in what was a murder’s row for Disney at the time. With some exceptions, Disney failed to really achieve the same financial success with live-action as they did with animation. It’s why Eisner was so skittish about making Pirates of the Caribbean at that $140 million price point. And yet in three years, not only did Disney see three hit live-action films, they were all big-budget releases that became some of that year’s biggest hits, and all had major franchise potential. Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, and Narnia all got people invested and engaged in what seemed to be wacky ideas. A movie based on a theme park ride, a Nic Cage American treasure hunt, and a CS Lewis fantasy adventure all seemed like they would be risky at best or foolish to make at worst. But when you have creatives who know what they’re doing, you just need to have the confidence to let the movie shine and get people excited. Since then, all three movies would develop their own franchise, and all of them would have their own unique track records. And of course, in a day and age where Disney doesn’t need such franchises in a post-Marvel/Lucasfilm society, it’s hard to see Disney giving ideas like these time to stand. But there’s something special about these risky ventures that makes them entertaining and special nonetheless, and shows the need for risk-taking and creativity in the film industry. Behind Narnia domestically by a nose, but above worldwide and then some was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Focusing on Harry’s fourth year, this sees the Boy Who Lived taking part in the Triwizard Tournament, a massive competition between several other schools. All the while, Harry finds himself dealing with nightmares that seem to indicate He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned. Despite the acclaim and success of Prisoner of Azkaban, Alfonso Cuaron was only interested in making one movie, and the way the production schedule worked made it difficult for him to work on Goblet anyways. And so this film was handed over to Mike Newell, then known for Four Weddings and a Funeral. Funny enough, this was the first time a British director helmed a Potter movie. For the screenplay, Steve Kloves found himself taking a lot of liberties from the source material. At the time, Goblet of Fire was the longest Harry Potter book, with each page dense with detail and material. Kloves initially planned out the idea of adapting the book into two movies, but failed to find a convincing point where the book could be broken into two. For examples of what was taken out, Pivet Drive isn’t shown at all, while the game at the Quidditch World Cup was removed entirely. Anyways, the highlight of Goblet of Fire, both in the book and movie, was the Triwizard Tournament, a series of three fantasy sporting events competed against England’s three wizarding schools that tested the combatants in their magical ability, intelligence, and courage. These events required some of the biggest sets the series ever had at that time. The first task, involving Harry facing off against a dragon, was a rock quarry so large it had to be built on two sections of Leavesden Studios. The second task, taking place underwater, required a giant blue screen tank containing half a million gallons of water. The third and final task, a giant hedge maze, featured hedge walls ranging from 20 to 40 feet tall, enhanced further by CGI. Other interesting tidbits come from its rating and lawsuit. Like Revenge of the Sith, Goblet of Fire became the very first film in the Potter series to earn a PG-13, representing the darker, more serious direction the series was going on, as the characters developed and matured. This would define the series for the next few movies to come, with the exception of Half-Blood Prince for some reason. Another issue came from a band name. The producers approached the Canadian folk group Wyrd Sisters to obtain permission to use the name The Weird Sisters. When a deal could not be made, Wyrd Sisters filed a $40 million lawsuit against Warner Bros. and the members of the in-movie band for the misuse of the group’s name. This would be settled in March 2010 with a secret settlement. But enough about that. Now it’s box office time. Opening on November 18, Goblet of Fire’s $102 million was a game changer for the box office and the series. Not only was it the biggest November opening, it also served as the biggest Potter opening. It was also the first time a movie opened to $100 million outside of May. It was yet another instance of Potter continuing to grow, at least in its OW. And thanks to it opening the weekend before Thanksgiving, as well as positive reviews, Goblet of Fire managed to have better legs than Prisoner of Azkaban, and earn a very strong $290 million domestically, making it the second-biggest Potter release at that time. Overseas was of course even greater, earning $605.9 million internationally, adding up to a mind-boggling $895.9 million worldwide. This made Goblet of Fire the biggest movie worldwide that year, and was the eighth highest-grossing film of all time. Goblet of Fire was also unique in how it saw a boost from IMAX. This was far from the first feature film to see an IMAX DMR process. In fact, Prisoner of Azkaban had it one year ago. But with the format gaining more and more recognition and popularity, this led to Goblet of Fire seeing box office help. $2.8 million of its opening weekend came from IMAX theaters, a record at the time, and $20 million of the movie’s worldwide haul came from IMAX. Seems minuscule, but it showed the validity of the format in bringing people in, and nowadays every blockbuster gets at least one week of IMAX play. Alongside Batman Begins and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the same year, as well as films like The Polar Express last year, this made IMAX and WB very good friends and partners, with them continuing to have great deals that benefit the company’s movies. Fourth by all accounts was War of the Worlds, a joint venture between Paramount and Dreamworks Pictures. Tom Cruise plays a recently divorced man who finds himself looking after his estranged children for the weekend. But soon, he finds himself forced to look out for his children and try to reunite them with their mother as aliens invade the Earth. After the success of Minority Report, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg were very interested in working together on another project. During the filming of Catch Me If You Can, Cruise went onto the set and talked with Spielberg about their next project. And out of the three ideas they had, the one they both agreed upon was an adaptation of the HG Wells story The War of the Worlds. This would serve as Spielberg’s third film about alien visitation, and would be the antithesis to the characters, tone, and themes of Close Encounters and E.T. J. J. Abrams was approached to write, but turned it down as he was developing Lost. Josh Friedman would then take the mantle, with re-writes provided by David Koepp. Koepp decided he wanted the script following a single narrator, with somebody on the periphery of events rather than an active member. He also had a checklist of “don’ts” for the movie, refusing to have anything that could be considered cliche, like landmark buildings being destroyed. Spielberg was a fan of Freidman and Koepp’s work, as it had many similarities to his own personal life. He grew up with divorced parents, and the plight of the characters reflected his own uncertainties after the September 11 terrorist attacks. In fact, 9/11 was a very integral part of the movie. It’s a film that tackles civilians running and trying to save themselves and their family instead of fighting back. It’s a film that has bystanders struggling to survive and handle the fear that has impacted their home turf. These conflicting emotions were still in the cornerstone of American paranoia. While Koepp did not want to put explicit references to 9/11 or the Iraq War, he did mention the scene where Justin Chatwin joins the Marines was inspired by teenagers fighting in the Gaza Strip. “I was thinking of teenagers in Gaza throwing bottles and rocks at tanks, and I think that when you're that age you don't fully consider the ramifications of what you're doing and you're very much caught up in the moment and passion, whether that's a good idea or not." Filming took place over 73 days, with only three months of pre-production, half of what’s usually allotted for big-budget movies like this. Regardless, Spielberg did mention he felt he had a perfect amount of time to work on the movie. One of the most popular scenes was a neighborhood plane crash. For that moment, the production crew brought in a retired Boeing 747, dismantled it into several pieces, and built houses around them in what was an incredible-looking effect. Since then, the dismantled plane lives on in the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. During production and marketing, Spielberg was adamant in shrouding the film in mystery. Aspects like the look of the aliens were kept out of the public viewing, as even the cast and crew were not given that information. Spielberg would often only give a section of the script to people, relating to what somebody was doing that day. With such secrecy, Cruise’s starpower, and alien action, War of the Worlds opened on June 29 to great success. Its first six days amounted to $112.7 million, with $64.5 million for FSS. This made it the second biggest Fourth of July debut ever, only behind Spider-Man 2, as well as Tom Cruise’s biggest opening ever, usurping Mission: Impossible II. The FSS also served as the fourth biggest July opening. This set the movie up well, with a final total of $234.3 million domestic and $603.9 million worldwide. But ultimately, the success of War of the Worlds wasn’t quite enough to help Tom Cruise out. In May 2005, Cruise appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show to promote the movie. There, he went off script, jumped on Oprah’s couch and declared his love to his wife Katie Holmes. Not only did it become an easy source for parody, but out of context, it made Tom Cruise look a bit crazy. Or at least, crazier than usual. And seeing as how this clip came out just when YouTube was founded and online gossip sites began their rise, it made Tom Cruise a bit of a pariah, as the one thing everybody was talking about wasn’t his new movie, but him jumping on a couch. This would sour Cruise’s image to the public. He would go on to have a public fight with Brooke Shields for her using Paxil, got into a fight in an interview with horrible person Matt Lauer, and has become one of the biggest advocates for Scientology. He’s been considered a bit of a joke in today’s climate, and while he still gets consistent work and a solid audience that see his movies, he’s still very much a punchline. Spielberg went on to say his relations with Cruise soured during the press tour and his further endeavors, believing his antics hurt the film. The two have yet to work on another project together. Fifth place by all accounts was the glorious return of Peter Jackson with his remake of King Kong. It’s the story of a filmmaking team traveling to the mysterious Skull Island, home of prehistoric creatures, savage natives (yikes), and a massive 25 feet tall gorilla known as Kong, who would then be captured and taken to New York City. I don’t think King Kong needs any introduction. Since its release in 1933, it has been considered one of the greatest and most important films in history, with its groundbreaking effects and influence on horror movies, monster movies, and blockbuster movies. And one of its biggest fans was a young Peter Jackson. He saw the movie when he was nine years old, and was in tears when Kong slipped off the Empire State Building. This film would inspire him to become a filmmaker and has since been his favorite film of all time. During production of The Frighteners, Universal was very impressed over Jackson’s work and offered him a chance to direct a remake of Creature from the Black Lagoon. He turned down the idea, but after Universal learned about his obsession with King Kong, they offered him a new proposition to direct a remake of the film he loved so much. Jackson was hesitant, but upon the fear of another director doing a terrible job, he signed on for the project. At the same time, Jackson was still in negotiations with Miramax over purchasing the film rights to Lord of the Rings. But because garbage human Harvey Weinstein was taking too long to buy the rights, Jackson jumped ship to Universal over his Kong movie. Weinstein was furious, so a compromise was made. Both Universal and Miramax would co-finance the project, with Universal getting domestic distribution rights, while Miramax would get international. This also included Jackson earning final cut privilege, creative control, and a cut of the profits. The deal was settled in 1996, and the script was underway. Universal would then approve the script, with Robert Zemeckis signing on executive producer. Pre-production went underway, with filming set for 1997 and a release date in 1998. Jackson even got into negotiations with Kate Winslet during the filming of Titanic for her to play Ann Darrow. However, development came to a halt in 1997. Universal took note over the other projects in development. A Godzilla reimagining from Roland Emmerich. A Mighty Joe Young remake over at Disney. A Planet of the Apes remake that Jackson was almost attached to. There were just too many monkey and monster movies for Universal’s liking, so the film was scrapped, despite six months of pre-production over at Weta, and none of these movies being very good in the end. So Peter Jackson decided he would work on Lord of the Rings instead. From what I can gather, it did alright. And with those movies doing alright, Jackson approached Universal in January 2003 to restart production on his Kong project. Universal, because they like money, set a December 2005 release date on the project. Jackson offered New Line a chance to co-finance the project, but they declined. Filming began with a new script in September 2004. Initially the plan for the movie was a $150 million budget, that then rose to $175 million. But due to more visual effects work as well as Jackson adding thirty more minutes to the running time, this resulted in a then-record $207 million budget, with Jackson himself paying for the extra money. Universal approved after seeing the film’s rough cut. The one aspect of the film that made it unique were its visuals, specifically its motion capture technology. Jackson felt the film would be a breakthrough, which meant King Kong would actually be performed by an actor in a bodysuit, specifically Andy Serkis. Jackson and the VFX team studied hours of gorilla footage while Serkis traveled to Rwanda to observe the actions and behaviors of gorillas. This all resulted in realistic facial expressions and movements that made it feel like King Kong was alive. The marketing campaign for the movie kicked off on June 27, with a trailer debut on Volkswagen’s website, as well as debuts on NBC, Bravo, CNBC, and MSNBC. The trailer also played in front of War of the Worlds. At the same time, Jackson also published production diaries online. Tailored toward the fanbase he earned after The Lord of the Rings, these diaries were edited into three or four minute featurettes that would usually be found on a making-of documentary found on the DVD, all to build up the hype for his next big project. King Kong would open on December 14, with a $66.2 million debut from Wednesday to Sunday. And with positive reviews, King Kong would go on to earn great success, in spite of Narnia’s surprising numbers. $218 million domestic, $562.4 million worldwide, more than two and a half times its hefty production budget. Its DVD release in 2006 would see the film earn $194 million in sales in just North America alone, with more than 7.6 million copies sold. And yet despite the obvious success...it was kind of seen as a disappointment. Universal and the industry hyped this movie up big time. Ads were everywhere, and the idea of the Lord of the Rings guy directing a film as iconic and beloved as King Kong seemed like a slam dunk, with Universal estimating an opening of about $75 million, which would be on par with what Fellowship of the Ring did back in 2001. So having it open far below Jackson’s other movies, as well as having weaker legs, as the film was not the critical darling as the Rings trilogy...while not bad, it could have really done more. So before Age of Ultron and Rise of Skywalker, 2005’s King Kong was one of the first “hit but not really” movies. Gotta start somewhere I guess. But that’s not the end of Jackson’s King Kong. In fall 2006, a three-disc Extended Edition DVD was released with 12 minutes added to the film, making it totaled to 200 minutes (Je. Sus.), as well as an extra forty minutes worth of special features. Universal Hollywood saw King Kong: 360 3-D as a part of the Studio Tour in 2010, and in 2016, Universal’s Islands of Adventures in Florida saw the ride Skull Island: Reign of Kong.

2005 Pope Benedict XVI succeeds John Paul II, four suicide bombings hit London, and Hurricane Katrina ravages the city of New Orleans. Jyllands-Posten draws controversial images of Muhammed, prompting intense Muslim backlash, Angela Merkel becomes the first woman Chancellor in Germany, and YouTube is created, becoming one of the biggest websites in history and an important way for Hollywood to advertise upcoming movies. Funny enough, it'll actually become important for a couple movies. For television, two successful revivals emerged. The first was Doctor Who, with Christopher Eccleston appearing first, only to be replaced one season later with David Tennant. Based on the famed BBC science fiction series, this revival would then go on to be one of the most iconic UK series, still running with a new actor every couple of years. The second was Family Guy, which after being canceled on its third season, became a huge hit on Cartoon Network’s late-night block Adult Swim, and would go on to be one of the longest-running television shows in history. At the same time, several shows saw their debut in 2005, including Grey’s Anatomy, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Supernatural, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Colbert Report, How I Met Your Mother, and The Office. In music, Carrie Underwood won season 4 of American Idol, and would then go on to be one of the biggest country stars ever. Gaming saw the beginning of the seventh generation of consoles with the release of the Xbox 360, alongside the releases of God of War, Psychonauts, Resident Evil 4, and Shadow of the Colossus. The box office was a bit of a slower year. Not bad by any stretch of the imagination, and records were still broken, but after Spider-Man and Shrek 2’s 400M glory, and Return of the King earning a billion, 2005 was a bit more low-key. However, there were still plenty of hits to go around. And the biggest hit of that year, at least in the US and Canada, was the conclusion of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Taking place three years after the events of Attack of the Clones, this is where Anakin goes from an angsty teen to the apprentice of Emperor Palpatine and the truly diabolical Darth Vader, causing irreparable damage to the galaxy. Episode III’s screenplay was written just before Attack of the Clones’ release. Reportedly, Lucas wasn’t completely happy with how Anakin would fall into the dark side, which caused a fair share of screenplay changes. Instead of opening the film with a montage of Clone War battles, the opening would instead focus on Anakin and have the first act end with him killing Count Dooku, beginning his fall to evil. There was also a shift during reshoots and pick-ups to emphasize that Anakin’s fall into the Dark Side was in order to save Padme. The film’s screenplay also planned to have way more connections to the original trilogy. A 10-year old Han Solo was set to appear, but the role was scrapped. There was also going to be a scene where Palpatine reveals he created Anakin from midichlorians, basically meaning he’s Anakin’s daddy, a parallel to Vader telling Luke he’s his daddy, but that was also scrapped. Qui Gon Jinn was set to appear in a conversation with Yoda as a Force Ghost, with Liam Neeson set to appear, but the scene was never filmed, although it was in the novelization. Neeson would return to voice Jinn for an episode of the hit animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Speaking of filming, the crew found their 2003 schedule to be convenient timing, as Mount Etna erupted in Italy. Camera crews were sent on location to shoot several angles of the volcano that would later be used for the final battle at Mustafar. Another interesting tidbit was that this was the first time the actor playing Anakin also played the suited Darth Vader. Originally some tall guy would be in the Vader suit, but Hayden Christensen persuaded Lucas to have him in the Vader suit, resulting in a new costume that featured shoe lifts and a muscle suit. Christensen was forced to see through the helmet’s mouthpiece. Another interesting aspect of the film’s production was its camera setup. For key dramatic scenes, Lucas used the “V technique”, where two cameras shoot footage at the same time, allowing several angles of the same performance, making it easier to edit and more believable. The film’s HD technology was also beneficial to the film’s production, because now footage could be sent to the editors the same day it was shot. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the movie among fans, outside of seeing the glorious return of Vader, was the film’s title. There were countless titles that hit the rumor mill, like Birth of the Empire, Rise of the Empire, and even The Creeping Fear of all titles. However, the unique aspect of Revenge of the Sith as a final title was how it paralleled Episode VI. For the longest time, Return of the Jedi was set to be titled Revenge of the Jedi, but just weeks before its premiere, George Lucas changed Revenge into Return, because the Jedi don’t seek revenge...wimps. After a slew of charity screenings on May 12 and 13, as well as a debut at Cannes on May 16, Revenge of the Sith was finally released to the public on May 19, the same day as Phantom Menace, Return of the Jedi, and the OG Star Wars movie. It was interesting to note that due to the more intense action, specifically Vader being set aflame by lava and molten rock, this was the first Star Wars film to earn a PG-13 rating, which would become a fixture of the franchise in the years to come. And on that very day, the records were already broken. Midnight screenings tallied up to $16.9 million, toppling Return of the King’s $8 million. In terms of the overall total, that led to about $50 million, becoming the biggest opening day of all time, the biggest single day gross of all time, and the biggest Thursday gross of all time. Its first 4 days tallied to $158.5 million, making it the biggest 4-Day weekend ever, and its $108.4 million FSS was just behind Spider-Man. The film also saw records internationally, earning $144.7 million over 5 days, passing the $130 million Return of the King earned at the same time. Thanks to reviews citing it as the best of the trilogy, and the excitement over seeing Vader and the wrap-up of all six movies, the film trucked its way to bigger and bigger numbers every day. It tied Spider-Man 2 by reaching $200 million in eight days, became the fastest film to reach $300 million in 17 days, and was the third-fastest film to reach $350 million. All told, the film finished its run with $380.3 million, making it the second-biggest Star Wars movie domestic behind Phantom Menace (if you exclude re-releases of course). And all told, Revenge of the Sith finished up its run with $868.3 million worldwide, becoming the second biggest film of 2005. These numbers were accomplished despite the fact the film was already leaked ahead of time. Days before its premiere, a workprint of the movie was leaked onto file sharing sites that was reportedly from somebody in the industry. Eight figures would be charged for copyright infringement, though it would lead to a humorous bootleg in Shanghai with heavily mistranslated subtitles that became a source of mockery. Since then, Revenge of the Sith has lived on as a favorite amongst Star Wars fans, both for its gripping content and meme potential, and while the prequel trilogy was considered a bit shaky, it’s fair to say Star Wars, as a film property, went out with one last triumphant hurrah. Or did it?????????

This is like the “hunger games left no impact” debate where it feels like we talk about this every couple of months. though I did realize that Channing Tatum kind of just disappeared. Dude was everywhere for like 3 or 4 years, but the last thing he was in was like...The Golden Circle? Maybe he wanted to take a break

mah bois

Apparently they might not have the distribution rights for Roku and Amazon platforms before launch day. I'm sure there's probably a whole bunch of legal jargon that makes deals with them hard and Max and Peacock will probs be fine in the long run, but #NotToGetIntoStudioWars, it really is astonishing how perfect of a launch Disney had by all accounts, while all the other studios are flailing in their attempts. I guess Mickey's Law really is the one constant in the universe.

Isn't DailyMail an infamous tabloid? Or am I thinking of another UK site?

Apple 1. The Outpost 2. Trolls World Tour 3. Force of Nature 4. Saving Private Ryan 5. Impractical Jokers: The Movie 6. The Invisible Man 7. Timothee Chalamet's Little Women 8. Irresistible 9. Mr. Jones 10. Sonic the Hedgehog Amazon 1. Trolls World Tour 2. The King of Staten Island 3. The Greatest Showman 4. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 5. Jumanji: The Next Level 6. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle 7. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 8. Game Night 9. Sonic the Hedgehog 10. Bloodshot