Jurassic World Breaks World Record with $511m Debut
In a completely surprising (though not undeserving) turn of events, Jurassic World broke world records with its $511m worldwide box office debut this past weekend. While the film's domestic debut at $204.6m is the second-highest debut of all-time (the distinction belongs to The Avengers' $207.4m debut in 2012), its international gross of $307.2m helped bring it over the threshold. Its debut eclipsed the previous record holder, 2011's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 and its $483.2m debut.
Furthermore, Jurassic World shattered its own studio's expectations, which were set conservatively low at $125m. The film's reported budget is roughly $150m, meaning the $511m Jurassic World grossed is nearly 350% its budget, which is typically unheard of in Hollywood, especially for such a large film franchise like Jurassic Park. Jurassic World's success also cements Chris Pratt's status as a bonafide Hollywood star.
Jurassic World's theatrical run won't end any time soon, and with the hype and acclaim it's been receiving will result in more ticket sales. At this point, it has quite a ways to surpass Hollywood's two highest-grossing films, 2009's Avatar (nearly $2.8b) and 1997's Titanic (nearly $2.2b). However, it certainly has a shot.
[via The Independent]
E3 2015: Highlights from Sony's Press Conference
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The Final Fantasy VII HD Remake is real. As I passively mentioned last night, Final Fantasy VII is hands down my favorite video game ever, and despite developer Square Enix's mishandling of the Final Fantasy franchise over the past decade (re: exploitative sequels, spin-offs, narrative retcons, numerous production delays, etc.), I haven't felt this excited about video games in a very long time. Rumor has it that the Final Fantasy VII Remake will be released sometime in 2017 to commemorate the game's 20th anniversary. The game will debut on the PS4 first before being released on other platforms (namely Xbox One and PC). Watch that teaser video over and over (and over and over) until the game's released - I know I will.
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Unlike Microsoft's E3 press conference, Sony didn't have much to discuss in terms of hardware, focusing on software instead. One game that I was sure would never see the light of day is Team ICO's The Last Guardian, which was originally announced as a PlayStation 3-exclusive back in 2009. The subsequent years since its announcement left the project shrouded in mystery, with game director Fumito Ueda leaving Sony back in 2011 (although still on staff to see the game through completion) and a lack of presence at major gaming conferences over the years. However, Sony not only confirmed that The Last Guardian was still in development and re-developed for the PS4, it also has a definitive 2016 release date.
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Fighting game fans already know Street Fighter V will be coming to the PS4 and PC exclusively. However, Sony revealed that there will be a PS4-exclusive public online beta for the fighter scheduled to begin on July 23rd (for those who pre-order the game).
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To cap off the night's theme of revitalizing cherished video game franchises, Sony made a surprise announcement and revealed Shenmue 3 would be a PS4 console exclusive (and will also appear on the PC). Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki appeared to discuss the franchise's legacy and to reveal the game would be partially funded via Kickstarter. At press time, the game has surpassed its initial $2m goal with more than $2.5m already pledged.
You can find a full list of Sony's E3 announcements here.
E3 2015: Highlights from Microsoft's Press Conference
During their E3 2015 press conference yesterday, Microsoft dropped a bombshell - the Xbox One will be backwards compatible with select Xbox 360 games. While the list only features 100 games (both disc-based and XBLA), that number is sure to expand in the coming months as developers and publishers simply need to approve which games will be backwards compatible, and Microsoft will do the rest. Digitally-purchased games will appear on gamers' lists, while Xbox 360 discs will trigger a digital download when inserted into the system. This should give extra life to pre-existing 360 game libraries, although backwards compatibility has been proven to be overrated and unnecessary (re: early PS3s, the current market for HD remakes, etc.).
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Another personal highlight from Microsoft's E3 presser was the live Minecraft on HoloLens demo. For those unfamiliar with the Microsoft HoloLens, it's a special VR headset that projects what the viewer sees onto any surface. In the video above, the presenters play Minecraft projected directly onto the table (the cameras are fitted with HoloLens tech to capture and display exactly what the HoloLens users sees. Despite planting my flag firmly in the PlayStation camp, HoloLens can be revolutionary not only for gamers, but technology as a whole.
While these two announcements were the biggest for me, Microsoft made many other game-related announcements, as well as a complete overhaul of the Xbox One controller, referred to as the Xbox One Elite controller and can be seen in the header above, that will be completely re-mappable, more intuitive, and with a revamped D-pad.
I recommend checking out IGN's summary of Microsoft's E3 conference for more!
Chicago's First Annual Ruido Fest Music Schedule
Chicago adds yet another new outdoor music fest to their list this summer with the first annual Ruido Fest, held in Adams Park, just north of the Pilsen neighborhood on July 10-12, 2015. Collaborated with some of the most experienced event organizers in the country, the principals behind Ruido Fest are with strong ties to the Chicago Latino music industry and to local area communities. Pilsen being historically known for it's strong Mexican and Latino identity, there's really no better place to hold such an event.
Created for the Latino alternative music audience, the three-day outdoor music fest, which is the first of its kind in the country, is slated to bring some of the best in Latin Alternative music and culture, with headliners Café Tacvba, Zoe, Molotov, Nortec Collective and Enjambre. These are amongst more than forty acts scheduled to appear.
Just this week, the fest's official lineup was released creating quite a buzz. Find tickets here, and check out the lineup below.
Apple Won't Pay Royalties During Apple Music Trial Periods
It's been a few days since Apple officially entered the streaming service game with their announcement of Apple Music. Personally, I felt the announcement (and the service) was underwhelming - why would you want to pay for a service for the same selections of songs you can currently get for free on Spotify? Hell, I don't even really stream music that often, only opting to do so when my RAM acts up and essentially makes iTunes worthless. Nevertheless, Apple is doing what they can to not only pull ahead of Spotify, but to also ensure the value of their service doesn't go undetected by the common listener.
But what about the artists? In leaked contract documents, it's revealed that Apple is only paying independent musicians 58% of their revenue streams, which is a considerably lower rate than Spotify's purported rate of 70% across the board. However, this percentage has been put into question. More damning than the revenue rate is a pseudo-dark period in which Apple will not pay artists any royalties during free periods.
Since Apple is offering a free three-month trial period when Apple Music officially launches on June 30th, any albums released between June 30 and September 30 will not generate any revenue for artists through Apple Music. This basically handicaps many artists and their release plans - do they delay their albums to maximize their profits across the board, or do they hope their popularity on Apple Music will translate into revenue from other avenues?
You can read the leaked contract documents below.
[via Digital Music News]
[Weekly Netflix Fix] Nightcrawler, Rosewater, and Primer
I know what you're all thinking - Orange is the New Black Season 3 comes out on Netflix tomorrow, and there's nothing more alluring than spending a weekend in Litchfield with Piper, Red, Taystee, Crazy Eyes, and more. However, you still have a few good hours, so why not check out some of Netflix Instant's new offerings?
Some of my personal recommendations include the first Mortal Kombat film, Shane Carruth's debut film Primer, Jake Gyllenhaal's award-winning Nightcrawler, and Jon Stewart's directorial debut Rosewater. Check out the full list of new titles below.
Asmodexia
Bad Asses on the Bayou
Diplomacy
El Niño
God's Slave
The Lost Boys: Special Edition
Mortal Kombat: The Movie
My Mistress
The Nun
Sense8: Season 1
Happy Valley
The Kidnapping of Freddy Heineken
Killers
On the Road
Primer
Words and Pictures
Grace of Monaco
The Dramatics: A Comedy
Farewell Herr Schwarz
Free the Nipple
It's Tough Being Loved by Jerks
Nightcrawler
Quiz Time
Remote Area Medical
Rosewater
Quiz Time: Season 1
The Garfield Show: Season 1
The Garfield Show: Season 2
The Sisterhood of Night
Taratabong: The World of the Meloditties
Trotro
North Coast Festival 2015 Lineup Updated
Summer is finally here, and although most Chicagoans don't want to talk about the end of Summer just yet, the 6th Annual North Coast Music Festival has much to be excited for. The fest will once again be held at Chicago’s Union Park over Labor Day Weekend, September 4-6, featuring an eclectic lineup.
Following up last month's initial lineup reveal featuring Widespread Panic, The Chemical Brothers, D'Angelo and the Vanguard, and The Roots is the announcement of a new wave of artists to round out the North Coast Music Festival. French producer Wax Tailor, New York producer Sweater Beats, and instrumental hip hop producer Little People are joining the lineup, with local Chicago favorites Porn and Chicken, SaveMoney's Leather Corduroys, and two-time Grammy-nominated producer Stefan Ponce round out the new list of recently-added artists.
Also returning this year is the festival's popular Silent Disco and "Living Gallery," presented by the Elder Tree graffiti area.
You don't want to miss out, so get your tickets here. Our team will definitely be there covering all that's great.
Jon Bernthal Joining Marvel's Daredevil as The Punisher
Jon Bernthal has been had quite the acting repertoire since being killed off in the second season of The Walking Dead, appearing in films like The Wolf of Wall Street, Fury, and one of my current favorite films of the year, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. However, Bernthal's next role could be his biggest to date.
Yesterday, Marvel announced that Bernthal has been cast as Frank Castle/The Punisher for the next season of Marvel's Daredevil. For those unaware, The Punisher is a brutal vigilante/anti-hero unlike any of the other mainstream Marvel superheroes who has no problem killing villains for the greater good. In saying that, Bernthal has the look and demeanor necessary to portray such a character. Marvel's Head of Television Jeph Loeb had the following to say about Bernthal's casting:
Jon Bernthal brings an unmatched intensity to every role he takes on, with a potent blend of power, motivation and vulnerability that will connect with audiences. Castle’s appearance will bring dramatic changes to the world of Matt Murdock and nothing will be the same.
This will be the fourth time The Punisher has been depicted in a live-action film or series, but the first time under the watchful eye of Marvel Studios. With rumors that Marvel Studios has plans to incorporate its TV series characters with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, could it only be a matter of time before we see Bernthal and the rest of the Daredevil cast side-by-side with Robert Downey, Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, et. al.? It's an exciting time to be a Marvel fan.