Movie Nation

James Gunn is directing the debut feature of this Marvel franchise. It’s shooting in the UK this month and next.

Glenn Close and Zoe Saldana and Chris Pratt and Lee Pace and Michael Rooker (the last two plays villains, natch) and Dave Bautista are in the cast. Karen Gillan, a “Doctor Who” alumnus, also will be getting a check.

I missed this as a comic book thread — not a lot of issues were published, the whole thing seems Avengers-redundant (on a galactic and distant future level) with superheroes guarding — the galaxy.

There’s always one Marvel franchise that starts out on shaky ground, and never gains cinema traction. I had thought “Thor” and “Hulk” were those titles, and “Fantastic Four” certainly filled that bill.

A big Thursday night and strong Friday have pushed “Now You See Me,” the all-star (albeit, not big box office stars) magicians rob banks and rich people thriller into a $24 million or so weekend, not bad for a movie that earned middling reviews and seemed to have “$upper teens” written all over it. Call that one a win for Summit.

Columbia’s gamble on Will Smith: The Next Generation isn’t bombing. But after hopes/predictions for a $40 million weekend, terrible reviews and weak fan interest have lowered expectations considerably. A weak Thursday night and decent/not huge Friday make this a $25 million dollar opener, according to Deadline.com.

Those two films could be neck and neck — for second place. “Fast & Furious 6” is still drawing them in, But the fall off from last weekend’s $97 million is pretty steep — maybe $35-38 million, a 60% plunge. “Now You See Me” was $250,000 ahead at last check.

“Hangover Part III” didn’t open huge and won’t lose that much audience.

“Epic”, being a kids’ film, being in 3D and being on nearly 4000 screens (the most of any film now in theaters) will be judged on Saturday’s performance. A big fall-off and Blue Sky/Fox is looking at a flop. Considering “The Croods” is still in the top ten and will have earned over $182 million by midnight Sunday, “Epic” needs a $20-25 million weekend to have any prayer of making its bones before “Monsters University” opens next month.

“Star Trek” did better business during the adult-oriented weekday bookings than “Epic.” It should clear the $175 million mark by Monday.

“Gatsby” should be near the $130 million benchmark in US box office by Sunday night.

Look for $42″ to finally drop out of the top ten and run out of gas — $5-7 million shy of $100 million. “Mud” may still cling to the top ten.

This is so odd and quirky in concept that you just hope it works.

Jon Hamm plays a struggling sports agent who, thanks to his Subcontinental sidekick (Aasif Mandvi), finds a potential gold mine in that very British Empire sport, cricket, which Indians and Pakistanis treasure decades after the end of British colonial rule there. Might a bowler who can throw a mean “googlie” be a potential big leaguer? Alan Arkin plays a crusty old scout, the kid from “Slumdog Millionaire” plays a would-be phenom.

Craig “Lars and the Real Girl” Gillespie is directing “Million Dollar Arm”, which just started production.

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The rumors have been around for a few days, that the true-crime drama about Boston mobster Whitey Bulger, “Black Mass,” was about to lose one of its stars — Johnny Depp.

Now comes news from THR that Depp quit over salary issues.

He’s made a couple of post-“Caribbean” flops, or near flops. “Lone Ranger” looks very risky, and could be a minor boost or a bigtime career killer.

And he’s turned down the lead in a Barry Levinson crime pic? Granted, Levinson’s a long way removed from “Rain Man” his own self. But still.

It won’t last all weekend, but due to their respective audiences and the fact that the Will Smith/Jaden Smith movie opened later Thursday night than “Now You See Me” did gave the cheaper, superior caper dramedy with magicians a win Thursday night. It did $1.5 million on opening, while “After Earth” managed just a million.

But the Will Smith movie, and Smith’s status, could very well be in trouble. Does anybody want to see an M. Night Shyamalan kid’s sci-fi action adventure starring Will Smith’s kid?

Hugh Jackman, Maria Bello, Viola Davis, Terrence Howard, Jake Gyllenhaal as the cop on the case, Paul Dano as the may-be kidnapper, Melissa Leo.
“Prisoners” smacks of a vigilante justice/”any means necessary” thriller about a father (Jackman) who takes the law into his own hands when his daughter (and that of Davis and Howard) is kidnapped.

It’s Friday AM, which means its time for me to get on the radio and chew over the week’s new releases with Mike Bianchi on the “Open Mike” radio show on 740 The Game.

We’ll wrestle with “After EArth” and the idea of buying screen credits for your kid.

We’ll ponder “Now You See Me,” a magicians’ heist picture that doesn’t have nearly enough up its sleeve.

“What Maisie Knew”, a superb divorce drama starring Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan and Alexander Skarsgard, opens in a few Orlando cinemas today.

“Frances Ha” opens today at the Enzian, and they’re doing a live video Q & A with star Greta Gerwig at 9 p.m., after the first showing.

That’s what Variety is projecting for the critically derided Will Smith/Jaden Smith/M. Night Shyamalan action picture.

The Box Office Guru thinks $33 million is within reach.

I’m always surprised when a movie with bad reviews and a sort of eye-rolling buzz about it does over $30,  but it could happen. Will Smith’s star may be fading, M. Night’s star has already set, but Jaden’s been in a hit or two. It could shock us all and clear $40. They’re certainly promoted the heck out of it.

It won’t be enough to win the weekend. “Fast & Furious 6” looks to pull in another $50. Maybe.

“Now You See Me” supposedly cost $75 million — money spent on seven name actors in the lead roles, and effects. Variety says it will be lucky to clear $20 million. The Guru figures $19 million, which seems on the money to me. If this one had better reviews to push it, things might have been different.