Weekend box-office – 14th to 20th of January 2015 – will Jupiter ascend to greatness?

Two of this week’s major releases are ones that suffered horrific delays. Off the financial disappointment of Cloud Atlas, The Matrix’s team the Wachowskis had planned the sci-fi action Jupiter Ascending (starring Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum) for July 2014 but fantasy adventure Seventh Son was originally set for February 2013, a full two years ago. Their efforts to get into American screens may be undone by animation The SpongeBob Movie. Last week, we predicted Jupiter would win but let’s see what goes down.

US:

1. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water – Director: Paul Tibbitt – $55.4 million
2. American Sniper – Clint Eastwood – $23.3 million
3. Jupiter Ascending – The Wachowskis – $18.4 million
4. Seventh Son – Sergei Bodrov – $7.2 million
5. Project Almanac – Dean Israelite – $5.2 million

UK:

1. Big Hero 6 – Don Hall, Chris Williams – £2.5 million
2. Kingsman: The Secret Service – Matthew Vaughn – £2.2 million
3. Shaun the Sheep Movie – Mark Burton, Richard Starzak – £2.1 million
4. Jupiter Ascending – The Wachowskis – £1.3 million
5. American Sniper – Clint Eastwood – £1 million

SpongeBob (which features Antonio Banderas as a pirate) has experienced a fairly high profile entry while we can best describe Jupiter Ascending’s debut as mediocre at its best. Still, it’s above to complete flop of Seventh Son. In the UK, it faired no better as Disney animation Big Hero 6 held off spy thriller Kingsman: The Secret Service for a second week. This week we’ve scored 1\10.

US:

1. Fifty Shades of Grey – Sam Taylor Johnson
2. Kingsman: The Secret Service – Matthew Vaughn
3. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water – Paul TibbittK
4. American Sniper – Clint Eastwood
5. Jupiter Ascending – The Wachowskis

UK:

1. Fifty Shades of Grey – Sam Taylor Johnson
2. Big Hero 6 – Don Hall, Chris Williams
3. Kingsman: The Secret Service – Matthew Vaughn
4. Shaun the Sheep Movie – Mark Burton, Richard Starzak
5. Jupiter Ascending – The Wachowskis

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water, this week’s US number one.

Ryan Potter and Scott Adsit in Big Hero 6, this week’s UK number one.

Weekend box-office – 7th to 13th of January 2015 – will Kingsman be a service to the UK?

Some of the UK’s most influential filmmakers of the past few years include Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Interstellar), Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips, The Bourne Ultimatum) and Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trance) while James Marsh’s The Theory of Everything is flying our flag at the Oscars but today’s focus is on London born Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class, Kick-Ass, Stardust, Layer Cake) who is releasing the Colin Firth-starring spy thriller Kingsman: The Secret Service this week. It’s a major departure from his more studio-oriented material of late so it’ll be interesting to see how it fares. Meanwhile last week, we predicted that (in the US) American Sniper would keep on top.

US:

1. American Sniper – Director: Clint Eastwood – $30.7 million
2. Project Almanac – Dean Israelite – $8.3 million
3. Paddington – Paul King – $8.3 million
4. Black or White – Mike Bender – $6.2 million
5. The Boy Next Door – Rob Cohen – $6.1 million

UK:

1. Big Hero 6 – Don Hall, Chris Williams – £4.3 million
2. Kingsman: The Secret Service – Matthew Vaughn – £4.2 million
3. American Sniper – Clint Eastwood – £1.6 million
4. The Theory of Everything – James Marsh – £1 million
5. Taken 3 – Oliver Megaton – £0.8 million

Kingsman has arrived in second but it’s still a very respectable entry. Disney’s animated superhero adventure Big Hero 6 has beaten it to the post in a very tight competition. While it slipped up in the UK, American Sniper is still reigning in the US for the third week is a row, fending off rivals such as time-travel action Project Almanac and racial drama Black or White. This week I’ve scored 2/10.

US:

1. Jupiter Ascending – The Wachowskis
2. American Sniper – Clint Eastwood
3. The Seventh Son – Sergei Bodrov
4. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water – Paul Tibbitt
5. Paddington – Paul King

UK:

1. The Interview – Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
2. Big Hero 6 – Don Hall, Chris Williams
3. Kingsman: The Secret Service – Matthew Vaughn
4. Shaun the Sheep Movie – Mark Burton, Richard Starzak
5. Jupiter Ascending – The Wachowskis

Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller in American Sniper, this week’s US number one.

The character of Scott Adsit in Big Hero 6, this week’s UK number one.

Weekend box-office – 31st of January to 6th of February 2015 – Will American Sniper target Boy Next Door?

America’s adoration of its military fuels the success of Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper’s new entry American Sniper. A January smash hit, it ought to prove what a massive year Hollywood have ahead of them. Its $90 million debut will be challenged by three new entries: Lucasfilm animation Strange Magic; Johnny Depp comedy caper Mortdecai; Jennifer Lopez domestic thriller The Boy Next Door. Last week, we predicted that Sniper will hold off competition but they may bomb more than we expected.

US:

1. American Sniper – Director: Clint Eastwood – $64.6 million
2. The Boy Next Door – Rob Cohen – $14.9 million
3. Paddington – Paul King – $12.7 million
4. The Wedding Ringer – Jeremy Garelick – $11.3 million
5. Taken 3 – Oliver Megaton – $7.4 million

UK:

1. American Sniper – Clint Eastwood – £2.5 million
2. Taken 3 – Oliver Megaton – £1.8 million
3. The Theory of Everything – James Marsh – £1.6 million
4. Into the Woods – Rob Marshall – £1.3 million
5. Ex Machina – Alex Garland – £1.1 million

American Sniper is continuing to dominate while artificial intelligence thriller Ex Machina makes a respectful debut. Crashing and burning are Strange Magic and Mortdecai in seventh and ninth places. British adventure Paddington, comedy The Wedding Ringer and action sequel Taken 3. This week I’ve scored 2/10.

US:

1. American Sniper – Clint Eastwood
2. The Boy Next Door – Rob Cohen
3. Project Almanac – Dean Israelite
4. Paddington – Paul King
5. Black or White – Mike Bender

UK:

1. Kingsman: The Secret Service – Matthew Vaughn
2. Big Hero 6 – Don Hall, Chris Williams
3. American Sniper – Clint Eastwood
4. Taken 3 – Oliver Megaton
5. Trash – Stephen Daldry

Bradley Cooper in American Sniper, this week’s US and UK number one.

Seth Rogen enrols for Console Wars, Marvel unveils Doctor Strange directing shortlist and find the Empire Award nominees

The award ceremony season is in full swing with last week’s BAFTAs, this weekend’s Oscars and last night’s homegrown Tuorhoth Awards. Another alternate look on the last year’s films can be found with the Empire Awards for which the nominations have just been announced. The winners will be announced on March 30th but you can vote for your favourites here.

Best Film:

12 Years a Slave

Captain Phillips

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Best Director:

Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity

Edgar Wright – The World’s End

Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips

Peter Jackson – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave

Best Leading Actor:

Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave

James McAvoy – Filth

Leonardo Di Caprio – The Wolf of Wall Street

Martin Freeman – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips

Best Leading Actress:

Amy Adams – American Hustle

Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine

Emma Thompson – Saving Mr Banks

Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Sandra Bullock – Gravity

Best British Film:

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Filth

Rush

Sunshine on Leith

The World’s End

Best Supporting Actress:

Evangeline Lilly – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave

Mia Wasikowska – Stoker

Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine

Best Supporting Actor:

Daniel Bruhl – Rush

Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave

Sam Clafin – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Richard Armitage – The Hobbit:The Desolation of Smaug

Tom Hiddleston – Thor: The Dark World

Best Sci-fi/Fantasy:

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Pacific Rim

Star Trek Into Darkness

Best Thriller:

Captain Phillips

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Now You See Me

Prisoners

Trance

Best Comedy:

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

This is 40

This is the End

The World’s End

Best Horror:

A Field in England

The Conjuring

Evil Dead

World War Z

You’re Next

Best Female Newcomer:

Adele Exarchopoulous – Blue is the Warmest Colour

Antonia Thomas – Sunshine on Leith

Elizabeth Debecki – The Great Gatsby

Freya Mavor – Sunshine on Leith

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave

Margot Robbie – The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Male Newcomer:

Aidan Turner – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips

George McKay – Sunshine on Leith

Oscar Isaac – Inside Llewyn Davis

Tye Sheridan – Mud

Will Poulter – We’re the Millers

Picking up a Best Comedy nomination at the Empires was This is the End and the writing/directing duo behind it are lining up a new project. Evan Goldberg (writer of Goon, Pineapple Express and Superbad) and Seth Rogen (Knocked Up, 50/50, Paul) have been hired by Sony for Console Wars. This is a comedy detailing the vicious rivalry between Sega and Nintendo in the ’90s which lead to the multi-billion industry we know today. The pair will write and direct, as they did in This is the End, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Rogen went on to star in the film yet nothing’s been confirmed about that just yet.

Finally, we can announce the directing shortlist for Marvel’s upcoming fantasy project Doctor Stranger. The film was greenlighted by producer Kevin Feige in October and since there’s been huge speculation as to both who would call the shots on the superhero adventure as well as who would portray the titular hero. The potential directors are Mark Andrews, Nicolaj Arcel, Dean Israelite and Jonathan Levine. We’ll give you a quick brief for these four candidates.

Oscar winning director Mark Andrews directed Pixar’s feature length Brave and short animation One Man Band as well as writing Pixar’s short Jack-Jack Attack and John Carter. Israelite, cousin of Jonathan Liebesman is the director of successful short films The Department of Nothing and Magician. The most famous of the quartet is probably Jonathan Levine (50/50, Warm Bodies, The Wackness) but the most promising is Danish born Nikolaj Arcel, director of King’s Game and the brilliant period drama A Royal Affair.

The film will likely be the second in Marvel’s third phase but, if you can’t wait till 2016, there’s plenty of superhero action to keep you company. Captain America: The Winter Soldier comes this March, Guardians of the Galaxy launches in August, The Avengers: Age of Ultron battles in May 2015 followed by Ant-Man in July of that year. After that, there could be Captain America 3, Thor 3, Guardians 2 or Black Panther before Avengers 3.

Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo and the Battle that Defined a Generation – 2016

Doctor Strange – 2016

2014 Empire Awards – March 30th