[Weekend Box Office] Captain America Clips Rio 2's Wings
Once again, Captain America reigns triumphantly at the top of the box office this weekend. Newcomer Rio 2 posed a viable threat to the superhero film, but was vanquished by a late $2m push by the patriotic Steve Rogers. I don't doubt or question Marvel Films' viability at the box office, but as I've pointed out numerous times in the past, family-friendly children's films always perform exceedingly well; a Rio 2 #1 opening definitely wouldn't have been out of the question. As it stands, Captain America will fly atop the box office for another week. This weekend's other major release, the horror film Oculus, opened to a respectable 3rd spot. With the Johnny Depp-starring Transcendence opening this week, I predict another week of Captain America at the top, unless Rio 2 finds some wind beneath its wings.
The rest of this weekend's box office numbers are below.
1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - $41,398,000
2. Rio 2 - $39,000,000
3. Oculus - $12,000,000
4. Draft Day - $9,750,000
5. Divergent - $7,500,000
6. Noah - $7,450,000
7. God's Not Dead - $4,485,000
8. The Grand Budapest Hotel - $8,050,000
9. Muppets Most Wanted - $2,193,000
10. Mr. Peabody & Sherman - $1,825,000
[via Rentrak]
[Weekend Box Office] Captain America Saluted at the Box Office
In a surprise to nobody, Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier topped domestic box offices this weekend with a resounding $96.2m opening, making the film's release the largest April release in history. What's more interesting is the film's international gross, surpassing the $207m mark this weekend. For a film so deeply rooted in American patriotism, it's surprising to see Captain America perform so well overseas.
Ever since Marvel Studios officially began producing their own films with 2008's Iron Man, the studio has been on a box office tear, with each subsequent film generating millions, if not billions, in returns. Analysts have noted the The Avengers effect, which has shown to help every Marvel film released since 2012's The Avengers, and that effect has been as clear as day, with Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, and now Captain America: The Winter Soldier raking in the big bucks following the superhero team-up film. Of course, the real test for Marvel, as I've been saying for over the past year, is whether or not Guardians of the Galaxy can make as much at the box office as the aforementioned films have.
In other box office news, Noah dropped to the second spot with a $17m weekend, which was a dramatic downturn from last weekend's $44m showing. Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel climbed a spot to 5th with $6.3m, while 300: Rise of an Empire completely fell out of the Top 10. This weekend's openings include the family-friendly Rio 2, the NFL-related Draft Day, and the horror film Oculus. However, the biggest news is that The Raid 2: Berandal expands to more theaters this week; I implore every single one of you to catch The Raid 2 this weekend. Trust me, you won't regret it.
1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - $96,200,000
2. Noah - $17,000,000
3. Divergent - $13,000,000
4. God's Not Dead - $7,726,000
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel - $6,300,000
6. Muppets Most Wanted - $6,285,000
7. Mr. Peabody and Sherman - $5,300,000
8. Sabotage - $1,908,000
9. Need for Speed - $1,836,000
10. Non-Stop - $1,827,000
[via Collider]
[Trailer 2] Captain America: The Winter Soldier
[youtube id="7SlILk2WMTI"] What's more American than a new Captain America: The Winter Solider trailer released on Super Bowl Sunday, the most American of live TV events? As is typical of film trailers, the new cut shows extended scenes featured in the original, but also incorporates new footage. This time around, more screen time is divvied up between the film's main antagonist, Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), and Captain America ally and Marvel Studios newcomer, Falcon (Anthony Mackie). The wait for Captain America: The Winter Soldier is only a little more than two months away as it hits theaters on April 4th.
New film stills for Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Talk about winter, right guys?! I think I'm going to be making a ton of terrible winter puns/jokes for the rest of the week. Luckily, these hot new stills from the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier have been released. Featuring the tag team duo of Captain America (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), The Winter Soldier takes place months after The Avengers where the two superheroes find themselves embroiled in a government conspiracy, capped with an assassination plot from newcomer, the titular Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan).
Check out the film stills below! Hopefully they'll keep you warm until the film's released into theaters on April 4th.
[Trailer] Captain America: The Winter Soldier
[youtube id="NLWsK1ZFunA"]
Finally, the first trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier is online. We've talked about some of the plot details involving Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Captain America (Chris Evans), but to finally see some official footage is another thing. While Captain America: The First Avenger was sometimes a kitschy period piece, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a through and through action film.
The new trailer begins with a patented Marvel Studios-esque humor scene between Johansson and Evans, but quickly ratchets up the action quotient. Hinted at in the trailer are SHIELD's intentions to break down the powers that be in order to create a better future, the first look at The Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and the titular Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan).
April 4th, 2014 (4/4/14) is the set date for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Two years separate Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Avengers
Marvel Studios has done an amazing job creating a unified universe in which its characters can co-exist. Everything from Iron Man to Iron Man 3 all follow a specific timeline where the events of every individual film affects each subsequent film, such as The Avengers' alien attack being referenced in Iron Man 3. However, with multiple Marvel Studios films coming out every year, it can be confusing to keep track of what happens when, especially if the films themselves span a distinct period of time.
Luckily, the Black Widow herself, Scarlett Johansson, recently shed some light on the specific passage of time between The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In an interview with Refinery 29, Johansson mentions the passage of time and the relationship between her Black Widow and Chris Evans' Captain America:
This film is in real time. It’s been two years since [the characters] appeared, and now both are agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fighting in the streets. We are not superheroes flying side by side. They help each other because we are fighting in a similar way. It’s a working relationship. By a series of unfortunate encounters, they will be in a situation in which their friendship becomes more intimate. They share many similarities because they live on the defensive without relying on anyone. Also, the two have been working for the government throughout their professional careers. With their friendship they begin to question what they want and what is their true identity
With Thor: The Dark World taking place six months after Iron Man 3 (or a full year after The Avengers), it'll be interesting to see how that film's events will influence what happens in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. One thing's for sure: the more we see of Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, the better.
[via /Film]