Box Office: Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ Underwhelms With $51 Million Debut as ‘Jurassic World’ Stays No. 1

Moviegoing is definitely back with viewers flocking to franchise films that 1) continue to roll out in the first sustained barrage of big new titles since Covid, and 2) continue to do huge business as they stick around in theaters. They’re sucking up screens and exacerbating a release-pattern quandary for independent distributors seeking signs that a rising tide raises all boats.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterTiny yellow henchmen will attempt to spark fireworks at the box office over the July 4 weekend.“Minions: The Rise of Gru,” the fifth installment in Universal and Illumination’s popular “Despicable Me” franchise, is headed for a first-place finish, with the family film expected to bring in $65 million to $75 million from 4,400 North American theaters during the extended holiday period. Though it’s the only new nationwide release, “Minions” will have to fend off holdover titles including Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” “Jurassic World: Dominion,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and Pixar’s “Lightyear.”The well-reviewed “Minions: The Rise of Gru” looks to test the viability of kid-friendly animated flicks on the big screen.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterThe King is No. 1 at the domestic box office.After a heated box office battle, “Elvis” emerged victorious over “Top Gun: Maverick” to claim the top spot on North American box office charts.Over the weekend, “Elvis” and “Top Gun: Maverick” were duking it out as the King of Rock and Roll took the No.

J. Kim Murphy It’s a 20th century showdown at the domestic box office this weekend, with the baby boomer epic “Elvis” contending against Gen X revamp “Top Gun: Maverick” for the top spot on domestic charts.Director Baz Luhrmann’s biopic about the King of Rock and Roll is projected to draw $30 million from 3,906 theaters in its opening.

Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” made $3.5 million in its preview screenings at the box office on Thursday from over 3,400 screens (inclusive of sneak previews on Tuesday), while “The Black Phone” also made $3 million in its own Thursday preview screenings from 2,800 theaters with showings beginning at 5 p.m. “Elvis,” the biopic about The King Elvis Presley from Warner Bros., is projected to earn in the $28-30 million range.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterParamount’s blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick” is still flying at sky-high altitudes, surpassing $900 million at the global box office.With $901.8 million in the bank, the sequel to Tom Cruise’s 1986 action flick “Top Gun” stands as the year’s second-highest grossing movie worldwide behind Disney’s Marvel adventure “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” ($943 million). At this rate, “Maverick” is poised to overtake the crown in the coming weeks.Even without playing in China or Russia, the $1 billion mark looks to be within reach.

Thania Garcia Kid Cudi will shadow the moon in its orbit around the globe with his newly announced “To the Moon 2022 World Tour.” The 27-city trek will take Cudi from North America to Asia and Europe, kicking off in Vancouver on Aug. 16 and closing with a show at the Fabrique in Milan on Nov. 22.“To the Moon” will first travel through North America, with stops at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, Barclays Center in Brooklyn, American Airlines Center in Dallas and the United Center in Chicago.

Elvis film exists, including scenes that show the legendary singer meeting Richard Nixon.Speaking to Radio Times in a new interview published yesterday (June 20), Luhrmann explained that the longer version exists, but needed to be worked into a smaller cut to for audiences.“I have a four-hour version, actually,” he said. “I do.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterIt’s hard to escape the deflating sense that Disney’s “Lightyear” has remained stubbornly Earth-bound in its box office debut. At least, that’s the prevailing sentiment that’s greeted the latest Pixar film’s so-so $51 million opening weekend in North America.For industry analysts, those lackluster ticket sales were confounding because Pixar had been box office royalty and “Lightyear,” a spinoff of the cosmically successful “Toy Story” franchise, landed decent — though not euphoric — reviews.

IFC Films opened Official Competition starring Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martínez at four theaters in NYC and LA for an estimated three-day gross of $34,000 and per-theater-averages of $8,500 for the comedy directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat following it U.S. premiere at the Tribeca Festival last week.

David Bowie, explaining how they almost worked on a project together in Berlin.The director, who worked with the late musician on the soundtrack for 2001’s Moulin Rouge!, told NME about how Bowie’s classic track ‘Changes’ impacted his life.“From the moment I first heard this song, I was a huge Bowie fan,” Luhrmann said. “I eventually worked with him [on the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack] and then towards the end of his life, he became a very good friend.“He used to come round and we’d walk the dogs.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaDisney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” blasted off with a respectable $5.2 million in Thursday previews.The film, a spinoff of the “Toy Story” franchise, looks at the fictional astronaut character who was in a movie the inspired the Buzz Lightyear action figure who enchanted Andy and who later became BFFs with Woody (got that?). But this Buzz Lightyear, much to Patricia Heaton’s rather evocative dismay, is voiced not by Tim Allen, whose dulcet pipes graced all four “Toy Story” flicks, but by the Star Command-ing cadences of one Chris Evans.“Lightyear” is expected to launch to between $70 million to $80 million and will screen in 4,200 North American theaters. That should be a big enough number to secure first place at the box office, as well as all the attendant bragging rights that come with that perch.

The preseason continues! As Big Brother 24 approaches, CBS is revealing more and more details about the highly-anticipated summer programming.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterDisney’s “Lightyear,” an origin story about the Star Command’s most famous space ranger, is looking to take the box office to infinity and beyond. But first, it’ll have to thwart some rogue dinosaurs and a few fighter jets.The “Toy Story” spinoff is expected to launch to $70 million to $80 million from 4,200 North American theaters, which should be enough to claim the No.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“Jurassic World Dominion” stomped to the top of box office charts, scoring a massive $143 million in its domestic box office debut.Despite blistering reviews, the sixth film in Universal’s dinosaur saga is looming large over a sizzling weekend at the domestic box office. It’s only the third time in the pandemic era that ticket sales have collectively eclipsed the $200 million mark, according to Comscore.

Laura Dern has added her voice to those demanding changes in US gun laws following the Uvalde School shooting. 

also the worst. Running time: 146 minutes. Rated PG-13 (intense sequences of action, some violence and language).