MikeQ

Definitely. A significant reason for the success of the original Aladdin was Robin Williams as Genie at the height of his fame. Disney used his voice in marketing everywhere, and issues with how they used him in advertising was the reason why he didn't return for the DTV sequel. I think Will Smith will have to have done something really special with Genie for this to capitalize fully at the box office, given Williams' original performance and how central it was to the original film. Peace, Mike

Why are you using Book Club as a comp? It’s a comedy that opened in May and that skewed heavily female and older (80% female with nearly 50% women-over-50). Peace, Mike

That's very true. I could be wrong here, and I'm curious to see how the teaser trailer takes off in terms of views. But I'll add that box office gross is often a moment in time, and doesn't necessarily reflect how people look back on a film any number of years later in terms of nostalgia. It's definitely a classic Disney animated film - I just wonder whether, of the films from the Disney Renaissance era, Aladdin is perceived to be on quite the same level as Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King. It's hard to say, because I'm sure those of us who lived through it have our own perspectives that are shaped by which of the animated films in this period most made an impression on us. Peace, Mike

It's hard for me to make any kind of judgement on how I think the film looks in terms of quality based on this teaser, as it shows us virtually nothing. I'm going to have to wait for the next trailer. It feels similar to the Beauty and the Beast teaser, in that if Aladdin is a childhood classic for you, the music will give you 'the feels' similar to the musical tease in the Beast teaser. The difference is that I think Beauty and the Beast is more of a classic (or, perhaps more accurately, its music is more iconic), so I don't think this teaser will inspire the same levels of nostalgia/magical feelings in the same way that Beast teaser did, on average. I could be wrong - I only say this as someone who grew up in the 90s Disney Renaissance for animation. (Additionally, the fact that Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film ever to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar suggests to me its rather special position in history. Only two other animated films have ever been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar - Up (2009) and Toy Story 3 (2010) - and those were both in the first two years of the nominee expansion when there were actually 10 nominees and members wrote in 10 nominees when voting, unlike since then and currently where members write down 5 nominees and somewhere between 5 and 10 films are nominated. So Beauty and the Beast was it seems a pretty special animated film for its time. Anyhow, I'm getting off topic.) Peace, Mike

Huge weekend. Handily the #1 October weekend ever with the top 12 raking in nearly $168M: Row Rank Weekend Date / Wknd # Top 12 Gross Theaters / Avg. New Movies #1 Movie Gross % of Total 1 123 Oct. 5–7, 2018 40 $167,945,000 29,548 $5,684 2 Venom $80,030,000 47.7% 2 254 Oct. 2–4, 2015 40 $142,708,444 30,018 $4,754 2 The Martian $54,308,575 38.1% 3 276 Oct. 3–5, 2014 40 $139,541,021 29,825 $4,679 4 Gone Girl $37,513,109 26.9% 4 307 Oct. 10–12, 2014 41 $135,718,063 29,275 $4,636 5 Gone Girl $26,406,134 19.5% 5 332 Oct. 5–7, 2012 40 $132,743,286 28,066 $4,730 2 Taken 2 $49,514,769 37.3% And both Venom and A Star is Born open big. Venom handily captures the October weekend record and outdoes tracking by $15-20M. And A Star is Born, an R-rated musical, cracks the top 10 and outdoes tracking by $11-14M. You just don't get weekends like this at this time of year - pretty awesome. I'm now interested to see how these two films play out over the coming weeks - it has me more interested in daily tracking of the box office (usually I'm fairly "checked-out" this time of year and check in only on weekends). Rank Title (click to view) Studio Opening* % of Total Theaters Average Total Gross^ Date** 1 Venom (2018) Sony $80,030,000 100.0% 4,250 $18,831 $80,030,000 10/5/18 2 Gravity WB $55,785,112 20.4% 3,575 $15,604 $274,092,705 10/4/13 3 The Martian Fox $54,308,575 23.8% 3,831 $14,176 $228,433,663 10/2/15 4 Paranormal Activity 3 Par. $52,568,183 50.5% 3,321 $15,829 $104,028,807 10/21/11 5 Jackass 3-D Par. $50,353,641 43.0% 3,081 $16,343 $117,229,692 10/15/10 6 Taken 2 Fox $49,514,769 35.4% 3,661 $13,525 $139,854,287 10/5/12 7 Scary Movie 3 Dim. $48,113,770 43.7% 3,505 $13,727 $110,003,217 10/24/03 8 Shark Tale DW $47,604,606 29.6% 4,016 $11,853 $160,861,908 10/1/04 9 High School Musical 3: Senior Year BV $42,030,184 46.4% 3,623 $11,601 $90,559,416 10/24/08 10 A Star is Born (2018) WB $41,250,000 96.8% 3,686 $11,191 $42,600,000 10/5/18 Peace, Mike

Unless I'm mistaken, this weekend is looking to handily be the largest weekend ever in October, with $160-165+ million total gross for the top 12, besting the previous record of 142.7M when The Martian opened: Row Rank Weekend Date / Wknd # Top 12 Gross Theaters / Avg. New Movies #1 Movie Gross % of Total 1 253 Oct. 2–4, 2015 40 $142,708,444 30,018 $4,754 2 The Martian $54,308,575 38.1% 2 275 Oct. 3–5, 2014 40 $139,541,021 29,825 $4,679 4 Gone Girl $37,513,109 26.9% 3 306 Oct. 10–12, 2014 41 $135,718,063 29,275 $4,636 5 Gone Girl $26,406,134 19.5% 4 331 Oct. 5–7, 2012 40 $132,743,286 28,066 $4,730 2 Taken 2 $49,514,769 37.3% 5 387 Oct. 16–18, 2009 42 $127,600,527 27,248 $4,683 3 Where the Wild Things Are $32,695,407 25.6% This will be the largest weekend ever during the September/October period. Peace, Mike

This is a really, really strong weekend for October. Venom looks to hit its $60-65M tracking (and even have decent WOM, it appears), and A Star is Born looks to best its $28-30M tracking by ~10M+. Will be two of the biggest (with Venom being the biggest) October opening weekends of all time, both on the same weekend, making for potentially a combined $100M+ in openers this weekend. Peace, Mike

It has happened a few times already: June 27-29, 2008 Wall-E — 63.1M Wanted — 50.9M June 8-10, 2012 Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted — 60.3M Prometheus — 51.1M June 21-23, 2013 Monsters University — 82.4M World War Z — 66.4M However, this would be the fist time it happened outside of the summer season (June specifically) - it would be very impressive to happen in October of all months. I'm not sure, though, that A Star is Born will be hitting the 50M mark. I think somewhere in the 40M range is more likely. But who knows. Peace, Mike

Now both Venom and A Star is Born are on MT:1. Night School: 19.8% 2. Small Foot: 16.1%3. The House With a Clock: 8.8%4. Venom: 7.2% 5. A Star is Born: 5.2% Peace, Mike

I'm looking forward to the movie, but especially excited for the soundtrack. Shallow is terrific, and what we hear of Maybe It's Time from Bradley Cooper in the trailer sounds great too - looking forward to hearing the whole song. Lady Gaga also teased the ballad Is That Alright? which sounds beautiful: Bring on the movie and bring on the full soundtrack. Peace, Mike

Forgot to post my final update for the Summer RT Watch in the labour day weekend thread. Here it is - another similar Fresh vs Rotten ratio as the past two summers, with 13 films at 80+% (almost on par with last summer, and again clearly better than two summers ago), and three films that nabbed an 8+ average rating. Also a pretty interesting/varied top 5 in terms of the Tomatometer: an exceptionally well-crafted action film, a hard hitting Spike Lee comedy-drama, a delightful and entertaining Pixar sequel, a historic top-notch romantic comedy with an all-Asian cast, and an original and surprisingly moving thriller. I would recommend all of these films. See you all next summer! 2018 Summer Films RT Watch (Wide-Release — May/June/July/August) Mission: Impossible - Fallout — 97% — 8.3 rating BlacKkKlansman — 95% — 8.2 rating Incredibles 2 — 93% — 7.9 rating Crazy Rich Asians — 93% — 7.7 rating Searching — 91% — 7.4 rating Teen Titans Go! To the Movies — 90% — 7.1 rating Hereditary — 89% — 8.2 rating Ant-Man and the Wasp — 88% — 6.9 rating Tully — 87% — 7.7 rating Upgrade — 86% — 7.1 rating Deadpool 2 — 83% — 7.0 rating Alpha — 82% — 6.5 rating Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again — 80% — 6.3 rating Adrift — 73% — 6.2 rating Solo: A Star Wars Story — 71% — 6.4 rating Christopher Robin — 70% — 6.1 rating Ocean’s 8 — 67% — 6.2 rating Uncle Drew — 65% — 6.0 rating Sicario: Day of the Soldado — 64% — 6.4 rating Operation Finale — 60% — 5.9 rating Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation — 60% — 5.4 rating Dog Days — 60% — 5.1 rating Unfriended: Dark Web — 58% — 5.7 rating Hotel Artemis — 58% — 5.7 rating Tag — 55% — 5.4 rating The First Purge — 53% — 5.4 rating Book Club — 53% — 5.3 rating Bad Samaritan — 52% — 5.6 rating Equalizer 2 — 51% — 5.6 rating Superfly — 51% — 5.4 rating Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom — 50% — 5.6 rating The Spy Who Dumped Me — 49% — 5.3 rating Skyscraper — 48% — 5.2 rating The Meg — 46% — 5.5 rating Life of the Party — 38% — 4.9 rating Kin — 33% — 5.0 rating Breaking In — 26% — 4.3 rating Overboard — 26% — 4.2 rating A.X.L. — 25% — 3.5 rating (only 16 reviews) The Happytime Murders — 23% — 3.9 rating Mile 22 — 22% — 4.1 rating Action Point — 19% — 3.4 rating The Darkest Minds — 18% — 4.2 rating Show Dogs — 17% — 3.2 rating Slender Man — 7% — 3.3 rating 2018 — 45 wide-release films 22 fresh, 23 rotten 80% or higher: 13 films 8.0+ rating: 3 films (BlacKkKlansman, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and Hereditary) 2017 — 42 wide-release films 18 fresh, 24 rotten 80% or higher: 14 films 8.0+ rating: 4 films (Dunkirk, The Big Sick, War for the Planet of the Apes, Baby Driver) 2016 — 42 wide-release films 20 fresh, 22 rotten 80% or higher: 9 films 8.0+ rating: 1 film (Kubo and the Two Strings) Peace, Mike

Summer RT Update: Opening this week, The Happytime Murders and A.X.L. are both very rotten (albeit, A.X.L. only has 10 reviews). On the other hand, opening wide next week, Searching looks like it will end up being one of the best reviewed wide-release films of the summer - currently sitting at 93% and a 7.8 average rating, in the top 5. One more weekend of summer to go, with three wide-release films: the aforementioned Searching (already added to our list), and Kin and Operation Finale. I'll add the remaining two films at the end of the long weekend, and see where the final list stands for Summer 2018. For the third summer in a row (i.e. since I started tracking), the summer seems to predictably have around a 50/50 split of Fresh vs Rotten films (2016: 48% / 52% split; 2017: 43% / 57%; 2018 so far: 49% / 51%), with usually somewhat more Rotten films than Fresh it seems. This is of course only a sample size of three summers, and also the designation of "Fresh" vs "Rotten" is a somewhat arbitrary one, particularly as some films end up being right near the cusp of Fresh or Rotten. (Also, while 2017 has the worst split in terms of a larger proportion of films being Rotten, it is the summer with the highest number of films 80% or higher and with an 8+ average rating). 2018 — 43 wide-release films (so far; two more films to add) 21 fresh, 22 rotten 80% or higher: 13 films 8.0+ rating: 3 films (BlacKkKlansman, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and Hereditary) 2018 Summer Films RT Watch (Wide-Release — May/June/July/August) Mission: Impossible - Fallout — 97% — 8.3 rating BlacKkKlansman — 95% — 8.2 rating Crazy Rich Asians — 94% — 7.7 rating Incredibles 2 — 93% — 7.9 rating Searching — 93% — 7.8 rating Teen Titans Go! To the Movies — 91% — 7.1 rating Hereditary — 89% — 8.2 rating Ant-Man and the Wasp — 87% — 6.9 rating Tully — 86% — 7.6 rating Upgrade — 86% — 7.1 rating Deadpool 2 — 83% — 7.0 rating Alpha — 82% — 6.6 rating Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again — 80% — 6.3 rating Adrift — 73% — 6.2 rating Solo: A Star Wars Story — 71% — 6.4 rating Christopher Robin — 70% — 6.1 rating Ocean’s 8 — 67% — 6.2 rating Uncle Drew — 65% — 6.0 rating Sicario: Day of the Soldado — 64% — 6.4 rating Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation — 60% — 5.4 rating Dog Days — 60% — 5.1 rating Unfriended: Dark Web — 58% — 5.7 rating Hotel Artemis — 58% — 5.7 rating Tag — 55% — 5.4 rating The First Purge — 53% — 5.4 rating Book Club — 53% — 5.3 rating Bad Samaritan — 52% — 5.6 rating Equalizer 2 — 51% — 5.6 rating Superfly — 51% — 5.4 rating Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom — 50% — 5.6 rating The Spy Who Dumped Me — 49% — 5.3 rating Skyscraper — 48% — 5.2 rating The Meg — 47% — 5.5 rating Life of the Party — 38% — 4.9 rating A.X.L. — 30% — 4.2 rating (only 10 reviews) Breaking In — 26% — 4.3 rating Overboard — 26% — 4.2 rating The Happytime Murders — 22% — 3.9 rating Mile 22 — 20% — 4.0 rating Action Point — 19% — 3.4 rating The Darkest Minds — 18% — 4.2 rating Show Dogs — 17% — 3.2 rating Slender Man — 8% — 3.4 rating 2017 — 42 wide-release films 18 fresh, 24 rotten 80% or higher: 14 films 8.0+ rating: 4 films (Dunkirk, The Big Sick, War for the Planet of the Apes, Baby Driver) 2016 — 42 wide-release films 20 fresh, 22 rotten 80% or higher: 9 films 8.0+ rating: 1 film (Kubo and the Two Strings) Peace, Mike

I was surprised at how much I liked this. There are rudimentary plot points, but the film is more compelling and the characters (the new additions Franklin, Zia and Maisie) are more interesting and likeable compared to the first Jurassic World. The most noticeable improvement is that a much more capable and inspired director is at the helm. There is an attention to detail that just isn’t present in the first Jurassic World, thanks to Bayona. There are several really captivating sequences. The dinosaur stampede sequence, when running from the Volcano is very well shot. There are moments that feel significantly claustrophobic and terrifying. The horror elements in the latter part of the film are all well crafted. The film feels like a return to the horror roots of the franchise, which I appreciate. The film is well shot, makes good use of shadows, etc. The film at times touches on interesting themes around science vs nature; the ethics of genetic engineering; etc. The nods to the original are great (e.g. the awe of witnessing the Brachiosaurus; the girl attempting to shut the dumb waiter when it’s stuck a la the kitchen cupboard in Jurassic Park; the yellow rain jacket; the goat; raptor tapping on the floor; etc). Lastly, the film, I think most successfully of any of the Jurassic Park sequels, makes it clear that dinosaurs are animals. They have existed, for real. The film paints an ethical or empathetic view of dinosaurs, and as a result much of what happens to them in action sequences and in the narrative feels more real and more like there is something at stake. And certainly by the end of the film, you get a clear sense that there are ultimately real consequences to having brought dinosaurs back. Thus, while the film has a somewhat rudimentary script, there is something to admire about this movie (as far as action-adventure blockbusters go). It may be my favourite of the JP sequels. It brings back that original philosophical question posed in the original Jurassic Park, and it left me genuinely intrigued to see what happens in the next film (though I'm disappointed to read Trevorrow is back for the third Jurassic World). Peace, Mike

I don't know that this film is really going to be "political" in the pejorative sense - it's a movie about the Fox News' sexual harassment scandal, not Fox News per se, and is described by Variety and elsewhere as focusing on the women who pushed back at the culture of sexism at the network. So, in one sense it is about Fox News (and I'm sure there will be people who automatically take issue with that), but if the focus is on telling a story of a culture of sexual harassment in a news organization, it will speak to broad, relevant themes about power, masculinity, sexual assault, etc, and could be a good, well-focused film. And with the women on board (especially Nicole Kidman), there could be some powerful, personal performances. It's hard to know how these films will pan out early on, but I'm intrigued enough that I'll be awaiting the first trailer. Peace, Mike

Check out the full list of US federal holidays you've linked to - Christmas Day is indeed a federal holiday. Easter may not have a federal holiday attached to it in the US, but there are many states that observe Good Friday, schools that have Easter holidays, etc, and 80% of Americans celebrate Easter, regardless of getting paid time off or not. In Canada, as baumer has posted, Easter and Christmas are both celebrated, and both Good Friday and Christmas Day are nationwide statutory holidays. We even having Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, as a statutory holiday in our largest province by population (Ontario) and which is widely observed by employers across the country as a paid day off. Peace, Mike

That's true, I get what you're saying. I think it will work out well in the summer months, since the market expands during this period (especially by the time July rolls around and basically all schools in Canada and the US are out). Disney seemingly has so many tentpoles (or blockbusters that are potential tentpoles) nowadays throughout the year, ever year, as the studio is so dominant. I would find it hard to put my own schedule of their films together in a way that feels totally satisfactory, given their multiple brands/franchises and animated powerhouses. (From a totally subjective point of view, both Aladdin and The Lion King feel like summer films to me, given the warm/tropical settings and feel of the movies.) And if I were to overestimate the appeal of one of their tentpoles (say Aladdin - it is arguably not as beloved as Beauty and the Beast, for example) and under-estimate the appeal of another of their tentpoles, I may create a less than ideal schedule anyway. *shrug* Peace, Mike

Terrific for Crazy Rich Asians. The strong pattern of increases and decreases over its 5-day opening (especially that incredibly soft Sunday drop) seem to suggest strong WOM and a potentially very leggy run. Will be interesting to see if it can pull off that really special king of leggy run (a la The Help, as has been mentioned). Summer RT Update: The summer box office season is coming to a close soon. Summer 2018 seems to have bested Summer 2016 in terms of films with strong critical reception, with already more films 80% or higher and more films with an 8+ average rating (and currently a 50/50 split of Fresh/Rotten). By the end of August, we'll see how this summer compares to last summer overall. According to BOM, there are 5 more wide-release films this month. 2018 — 40 wide-release films (so far) 20 fresh, 20 rotten 80% or higher: 11 films 8.0+ rating: 3 films (BlacKkKlansman, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and Hereditary) 2018 Summer Films RT Watch (Wide-Release — May/June/July/August) Mission: Impossible - Fallout — 97% — 8.3 rating BlacKkKlansman — 96% — 8.2 rating Incredibles 2 — 93% — 7.9 rating Crazy Rich Asians — 93% — 7.7 rating Teen Titans Go! To the Movies — 91% — 7.1 rating Hereditary — 89% — 8.2 rating Ant-Man and the Wasp — 88% — 6.9 rating Tully — 86% — 7.6 rating Upgrade — 85% — 7.1 rating Alpha — 85% — 6.7 rating Deadpool 2 — 83% — 7.0 rating Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again — 79% — 6.3 rating Adrift — 73% — 6.2 rating Solo: A Star Wars Story — 71% — 6.4 rating Christopher Robin — 70% — 6.1 rating Ocean’s 8 — 67% — 6.2 rating Uncle Drew — 65% — 6.0 rating Sicario: Day of the Soldado — 64% — 6.4 rating Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation — 61% — 5.4 rating Dog Days — 62% — 5.1 rating Unfriended: Dark Web — 59% — 5.6 rating Hotel Artemis — 58% — 5.8 rating Tag — 55% — 5.4 rating Book Club — 53% — 5.3 rating Bad Samaritan — 52% — 5.6 rating The First Purge — 52% — 5.4 rating Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom — 51% — 5.7 rating Equalizer 2 — 51% — 5.6 rating Superfly — 51% — 5.4 rating The Meg — 48% — 5.5 rating Skyscraper — 48% — 5.1 rating The Spy Who Dumped Me — 45% — 5.2 rating Life of the Party — 38% — 5.0 rating Overboard — 26% — 4.2 rating Breaking In — 25% — 4.2 rating Mile 22 — 20% — 3.9 rating Action Point — 20% — 3.6 rating The Darkest Minds — 18% — 4.2 rating Show Dogs — 17% — 3.2 rating Slender Man — 11% — 3.4 rating 2017 — 42 wide-release films 18 fresh, 24 rotten 80% or higher: 14 films 8.0+ rating: 4 films (Dunkirk, The Big Sick, War for the Planet of the Apes, Baby Driver) 2016 — 42 wide-release films 20 fresh, 22 rotten 80% or higher: 9 films 8.0+ rating: 1 film (Kubo and the Two Strings) Peace, Mike

I'm trying to figure out why this is a problem (Aladdin opening May 24 and The Lion King July 19). By the time The Lion King opens, Aladdin will be on its 9th weekend. Even the highest opening grosser of all time, Infinity War, only made $2.6 million on its 9th weekend. Aladdin will be making relative pennies by the time The Lion King opens, and either way, the two films together make for the most perfect double feature in July. Just my two cents. Peace, Mike

Fallout had a strong Monday last week (-34.8% from its first Monday, compared to Rogue Nation's -51.2% from its first Monday). If you compare this Monday (its third Monday) to two Mondays ago, Fallout is down -69% compared to Rogue Nation's -73%. As of Monday, Fallout is at a 2.67 multiplier compared to Rogue Nation's 2.52 multiplier. Fallout is still doing better overall, which is impressive given Rogue Nation's run was a great one to begin with. Peace, Mike

I would consider trying MoviePass if it came to Canada. The other options aren't convenient/easy enough (Sinemia) or don't exist here (AMC). 10 bucks for 3 movies a month is honestly perfect for me. I don't need any other perks or add-ons - I don't buy theatre food/drinks (too expensive). Peace, Mike

I echo so many of the other comments in this thread that the addition of a Best Popular Film category is terrible. First, the category itself doesn't make any sense, as it suggests popular film cannot also be great 'Best Picture' worthy film, among the best of the year. It's own history says this isn't the case, as past nominees and winners have been box office blockbusters. Other awards organizations already have these kind of cheap categories - I don't need the Oscars to do it too. (And at least with Best Animated Film you can say that it is a different medium - a 'Best Popular Film' category isn't actually a meaningful designation by medium or genre, as a bare minimum.) Second, it does cheapen the Oscars, which, for all its faults, has always branded itself as the organization that strives to award the best in film. And it has been uncompromising in awarding the full slate of 24 categories, including categories for film tech/crafts that are less acknowledged (barely even recognized by some of the other awards bodies, save the industry guilds). The change to broadcast some categories during commercial breaks and then edit them to show later in the ceremony is also a terrible idea, which again goes against how the organization has always branded itself, and it designates some categories as the "lesser than" achievements. Obviously, none of the acting categories, for example, will be done during commercial breaks and edited for later. A ceremony that actually better highlighted some of the technology and crafts inherent to making film, and that the Academy recognizes in its awards, would be more entertaining and even better distinguish the Oscars as the awards ceremony that is committed to honouring film in all its facets. Years in which the ceremony incorporated more visuals - showing clips of the nominees, documentary type clips showing how aspects of film are created, actors describing their nominated peers, etc - were more interesting and watchable ceremonies. Would love to see studios, or filmmakers, make short clips for the tech categories that break down how they managed to edit the sound for a particular scene in their nominated film (whether a quiet or loud scene - show us, the viewers, the work that goes into this craft), or that visually break down how difficult it was to create the visual effects for a particular scene or character in the big action/blockbuster films that are often nominated for Best Visual Effects, etc. Still have a funny and quotable host, but keep their work to a minimum (their main focus being to keep the show running smoothly). Cut musical numbers (unless relevant to a nominated musical that year) and extended gags that don't have a big payoff. Cut down the fake banter from the presenters - it is usually stilted and unfunny. The presenters should be cut to the basics. Would love to see the ceremonies have better producers focused on a clean show that highlights the arts/crafts of film or creating a ceremony that tells some kind of overarching message about film that year, given the particular nominees. Make the broadcast available ONLINE. Consider locking up one good host (or pair of hosts) to do the show for a 3 year stint and to be the face of the Oscars for that stretch. Consider having the category winners voted on ONLY by the members of that branch of the Academy (similar to how the nominees are voted on already), or some combination where winner voting is only open to all members for certain main categories that are deemed to be categories that can be appraised by all members. I dunno, 'tis just my opinion, and maybe I'm asking too much. The only change I do like is the earlier broadcast. Peace, Mike

Superb second weekend drop and Monday gross for MI6. This is really nice to see, especially given the unrealistic expectations I feel some seem to have on these forums. For some, it really seems like almost every film is a disappointment except the odd few that do huge gangbuster numbers. The standard shouldn't be that high. This looks likely to be the franchise's most successful film financially (unadjusted) six films in. The film could continue to rake in the dough with sexy legs if the -42.3% second weekend drop is any indication. That has got to be one of the nicest second weekend drops for a 60M+ opener in today's box office that didn't have a holiday second weekend. Peace, Mike

Incredibles 2 continues to outpace/outleg Finding Dory post-second weekend: Weekend drops: ——— FD ——— I2 W2: 46.0% — 56.0% W3: 42.7% — 42.2% W4: 50.2% — 38.8% W5: 45.8% — 42.7% W6: 35.9% — 29.2% W7: 40.3% — 39.0% W8: 54.7% — 31.4% Though the film ranked 9th this past weekend (and 8th on Monday), it sits in the top 5 in terms of PTA. It is having strong legs, and looks to be over 590M total domestically after this coming weekend. Peace, Mike

SUMMER RT WATCH: Nearing the end of the summer box office season, and here is where we sit right now: 2018 — 33 wide-release films (so far) 16 fresh, 17 rotten 80% or higher: 9 films 8.0+ rating: 2 films (Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Hereditary) Where will the last handful of films fall for the summer? Will anything else get an 8+ rating? We’ll find out. 2018 Summer Films RT Watch (Wide-Release — May/June/July/August) Mission: Impossible - Fallout — 97% — 8.3 rating Incredibles 2 — 94% — 7.9 rating Teen Titans Go! To the Movies — 90% — 7.2 rating Hereditary — 89% — 8.2 rating Ant-Man and the Wasp — 88% — 6.9 rating Tully — 87% — 7.7 rating Upgrade — 85% — 7.1 rating Deadpool 2 — 83% — 7.0 rating Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again — 80% — 6.3 rating Adrift — 73% — 6.2 rating Solo: A Star Wars Story — 71% — 6.4 rating Christopher Robin — 70% — 6.2 rating Ocean’s 8 — 67% — 6.2 rating Uncle Drew — 65% — 6.0 rating Sicario: Day of the Soldado — 64% — 6.4 rating Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation — 61% — 5.4 rating Hotel Artemis — 59% — 5.8 rating Unfriended: Dark Web — 59% — 5.7 rating Tag — 55% — 5.4 rating Book Club — 54% — 5.3 rating The First Purge — 52% — 5.4 rating Bad Samaritan — 52% — 5.6 rating Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom — 51% — 5.7 rating Equalizer 2 — 49% — 5.6 rating Superfly — 51% — 5.4 rating Skyscraper — 48% — 5.1 rating The Spy Who Dumped Me — 40% — 5.0 rating Life of the Party — 38% — 5.0 rating Overboard — 26% — 4.2 rating Breaking In — 25% — 4.2 rating Action Point — 20% — 3.6 rating The Darkest Minds — 19% — 4.2 rating Show Dogs — 17% — 3.2 rating 2017 — 42 wide-release films 18 fresh, 24 rotten 80% or higher: 14 films 8.0+ rating: 4 films (Dunkirk, The Big Sick, War for the Planet of the Apes, Baby Driver) 2016 — 42 wide-release films 20 fresh, 22 rotten 80% or higher: 9 films 8.0+ rating: 1 film (Kubo and the Two Strings) Peace, Mike

Incredibles 2 has a higher PTA than Ant-Man and the Wasp, Equalizer 2, and Teen Titans, for the fourth best PTA in the top 12. It and Fallen Kingdom have been riding strong legs together through this summer. Looking forward to when Black Panther passes 700M so I don't have to read any more complaining about how Black Panther hasn't passed 700M yet. Peace, Mike