Posts

‘The Darkest Minds’ Stays in the Shadows at Box Office; ‘The First Purge’ Becomes the Series Most Profitable Entry

/0 Comments/in , /by

The adaptation of Alexandra Bracken’s popular YA science fiction book series The Darkest Minds had a hard time keeping the lights on at this weekend’s box office, as the potential franchise starter landed with a thud, only managing an estimated $5.8 million and an eighth place debut.

The trailers hyped the connections to Stranger Things‘ Dan Cohen and Shawn Levy (who served as producers for the film), but that couldn’t entice fans into the theater this weekend.  With an reported budget of $34 million dollars before promotional costs, the film’s worldwide total should allow the film to break even or earn a small profit, but it looks like Hollywood still hasn’t learned that YA novel series are not the place to “mine gold” anymore (and the 18% score at Rotten Tomatoes certainly didn’t help). read more

‘Unfriended: Dark Web’ Doesn’t Have Any Friends at the Box Office

/0 Comments/in , /by

Even two different endings were not enough to make a dent in the summer box office this weekend as Unfriended: Dark Web opened with only $3.5 million.

Unfriended: Dark Web finished in 9th place at this weekend’s box office, far below its predecessor.  The original Unfriended sold almost $16 million dollars worth of tickets in 2015 and opened on over 700 more screens than Dark Web.  The drop in screen count was a surprise, but not unheard of due to the amount of successful blockbusters so far this season that have held on to screens longer than usual. read more

‘The First Purge’ Earns $31 Million at Box Office

/0 Comments/in , /by

It was an uphill battle for The First Purge, but Universal’s riotous film was still able to manage fourth place at a very competitive (and profitable) summer box office weekend.  The fourth film in the franchise raked in $17 million this weekend, bringing The First Purge’s total to $31 million for the Independence Day week (the film opened on Wednesday).

How does this entry stack up against the previous films?  The weekend box office is the softest in the franchise’s history, but this is certainly due to the early opening.  The film will most likely pass the original Purge’s worldwide totals ($89.3 million), but the film will be hard pressed to top either The Purge: Anarchy or The Purge: Election Night.  Reaching the fourth film in any franchise is certainly an accomplishment, but it does get more and more difficult to lure ticket buyers back to the theater.  Universal made the smart move to inject some life into the series by hiring new director Gerard McMurray (and you can read an interview with the director right here), but it might not be enough to cement the film’s solvency going forward. read more

‘The First Purge’ Director Gerard McMurray: The Horror News Network Interview

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Purge series has become a perennial summer experience for horror fans.  When The Purge was released in 2013, it surprised many, taking in almost $90 million world-wide on a reported three million dollar budget.  Due to the popularity of the film, the sequel (The Purge: Anarchy) was fast tracked for the summer of 2014,  and performed even better at the summer box office ($111 million world-wide).  Two years later, The Purge: Election Year continued the winning streak and yet again, topped the previous entries in terms of ticket sales ($118 million world-wide). read more

Horror News Network’s Summer 2018 Horror Movie Preview

/0 Comments/in , , /by

In recent years, studios have loaded up their summer release schedules with a wide range of horror films.  This was never more apparent than in 2016 when Lights Out, Don’t Breathe, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Purge: Election Year,  and the Conjuring 2 made large sums of cash (for the most part on austere budgets) and helped to shore up an otherwise lackluster summer for movies.  2017’s list of summer horror films were not as notable, with the two exceptions being the surprise hit  47 Meters Down and the prequel Annabelle Creation. read more

Trailer for ‘The First Purge’ Brings Chaos

/0 Comments/in , /by

Another year, another Purge film. Today Universal released the official trailer for their upcoming film The First Purge. This prequel shows the birth of the very first “official Purge” as the government tests a new sociological theory that allows citizens to vent their frustration and aggression in one secluded community for one night only.

The trailer is what horror fans have come to expect from the bloody franchise. For two minutes and thirty seconds, we are plunged into a world where everyday citizens must fight for survival against ruthless killers, hellbent on chaos and destruction. The scene is not an unfamiliar one for franchise enthusiasts. This time around the film stars Marisa Tomei, Mo McRae, Patch Darragh, Steve Harris, Lex Scott Davis, Jermel Howard, Melonie Diaz, Luna Loren Velez, Joivan Wade, and Y’lan Noel. read more

New Politically Charged Teaser for ‘The First Purge’

/0 Comments/in , /by

Yesterday saw the release of a new trailer for Blumhouse’s The First Purge, the fourth in the highly successful Purge franchise.  The first film was released in 2013 and grossed over $89 million versus its $3million budget.  DeMonaco once again has penned the script, with Gerard McMurray taking over directing duties. While the Purge movies have always been sort of been a juxtaposition of the comfortably numb suburban life with the violence and grittiness of the “annual purge,” this installment hints at taking a more potent social commentary. read more