Italy to Widen Theatrical Window Following Box Office Debacle

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefCinema box office this year in North America is poised to overtake theatrical revenues in China, the country that has been the world’s largest movie market for the past two years.Before the latest weekend, gross revenues in the year to date stood at $2.38 billion for the North American compared with $2.43 billion for China, according to data from ComScore.U.K.-based research firm Gower Street Analytics forecast that the North American figure would overtake China’s revenues over the weekend or early this week. That reflects business growth in North America and the current reversal in China, where anti-COVID measures are causing renewed cinema closures.Gower Street says that some 85% of global cinemas are now open for business, compared with pre-pandemic levels.

LOS ANGELES -- Doctor Strange and his multiverse got to linger a little longer atop the weekend box office as Tom Cruise and “Top Gun” wait in the wings.Marvel's “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” was the top-earning film of the weekend for the third straight week, bringing in $31.6 million in 4,534 North American theaters, according to studio estimates released Sunday.“Downtown Abbey: A New Era” made a strong opening showing for Focus Features with $16 million from 3,820 theaters, but there was no real blockbuster competition for “Doctor Strange."That will change with the long awaited, and long delayed, release of “Top Gun: Maverick,” the sequel that arrives next week on Memorial Day weekend, 36 years after the original smash hit and cultural landmark.It flies in amid sky-high hype.Cruise had the film festival in Cannes, France, abuzz on Wednesday with a whirlwind appearance for the film's European premiere that included a fly over of French fighter jets and an honorary Palme d’Or award.But while the world waits, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” crossed the $800 million mark in global grosses, surpassing “The Batman” to become the top-grossing film of the year.Released by the Walt Disney Co. and directed by Sam Raimi, “ Doctor Strange 2 ” benefitted from being the first Marvel movie to follow “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” in which Benedict Cumberbatch’s sorcerer played a pivotal role.It also builds upon the popular Disney+ series “Wandavision” and contains a number of cameos that fans didn’t want to be spoiled.Holdover family films “The Bad Guys” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” took the third and fourth spots.

William Earl The “Doctor” is still in, as Marvel’s newest film continues to lead the box office against some very proper competition.“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” added another $8.5 million to its box office total on Friday, bumping its cumulative gross up to $318 million. Meanwhile, “Downton Abbey: A New Era” is estimated to end the weekend with $18 million,“Downton Abbey: A New Era,” the second film spin-off of the beloved U.K.

Kourtney Kardashian and her groom Travis Barker have been snapped kicking off the celebrations of their rumoured wedding in Italy on Friday with a big family dinner. Kourtney, 43, and Blink 182 star Travis, 46, were snapped heading for dinner at Ristorante Puny in the Italian village of Portofino with beloved family and friends as the couple prepare to tie the knot again.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe British Film Commission (BFC) and the Italian Film Commissions (IFC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that seeks to facilitate high-end film and TV production collaboration between the two countries.The idea is to boost opportunities and incentives for big productions shot in both territories, such as Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” which was filmed in the U.K. and Sardinia, Universal’s “No Time To Die” and the upcoming live-action “Pinocchio” directed by Robert Zemeckis for Disney+.The agreement, which was signed in Cannes, will also strengthen the rapport between the network of regional organizations and partners in both territories, with which both commissions already work so closely.

Jordan Moreau “Downton Abbey” ushered in its “New Era” with $1 million in previews on Thursday.This weekend, the drama will face off against A24’s cerebral horror “Men” and Marvel powerhouse “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which has dominated the box office since it launched two weeks ago.“Downton Abbey: A New Era” is the second feature film to spin off from the popular U.K. TV series, following the critically and commercially successful 2019 movie, simply titled “Downton Abbey.” The first movie opened to $31 million, beating original box office estimates, and marked the biggest launch for a Focus Features film.

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker were spotted on a boat in Portofino, Italy, ahead of their weekend wedding celebration. On Friday, the 43-year-old reality star was seen sporting a Blink-182 t-shirt in support of her husband that she paired with black leggings, oversized sunglasses and her gorgeous engagement ring. Meanwhile, 46-year-old Travis went shirtless, soaking up the Italian sun. Kardashian's three children — Mason, Penelope, and Reign — were also with them.The outing comes just days after Kourtney and Travis made their marriage official in a low-key courthouse ceremony in Santa Barbara, California, with only Kourtney's grandmother, MJ Campbell, and Travis' father, Randy Barker, in attendance. «Kourtney and Travis are now legally married, but plan to have a big wedding at another time,» a source told ET of the nuptials.

Emiliano De Pablos Vértice 360, one of Spain’s top indie production-distribution companies, is expanding operations to Latin America, Italy and Portugal, as fruit of its ambitious plan to become a reference on the international film distribution scene.Part of the Squirrel Media group, the Madrid-based distributor is backing a first stage of its international expansion with the investment of more than $100 million in film content for distribution in the 35 territories where it already operates. At the current Cannes Film Market, Vértice is looking for movie deals to expand its international line up.The distributor mainly looks for blockbusters going out to independent industry and prestige projects which are liable to win international awards, but also local productions in both Spanish and English. Vértice has already established business relationships with top independent content providers such as Millennium Media, FilmNation, A24, Studiocanal and Pathé. “We have with them a title-by-title relationship, with a maximum degree of collaboration.

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s Las Vegas wedding was a just-for-fun act, but know the stars legally said “I do” over the weekend. According to multiple sources, the reality tv personality and the drummer became husband and wife in a low-key, intimate ceremony with their family members and a few of their closest friends.An insider revealed to People that their May 15 legal wedding was the first step to a bigger celebration abroad.

the paparazzi seize any opportunity to snap photos of them when they’re out in the world, and Jason Momoa found himself having to deal with this in Italy. It got bad enough that the Aquaman actor arranged for the local chapter of the Hells Angels to hang out with him.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentWattpad Webtoon Studios, the user-generated fiction entertainment outfit, and Italy’s Leone Film Group have announced a deal to co-develop a slate of films for the Italian and international marketplace based on original fiction stories from Wattpad.The pact is an expansion of their previously announced deal to make a film based on Blair Holden’s “The Bad Boy’s Girl,” which is among the most popular stories on the storytelling platform.Australian writer Hannah Lehman, whose series “Two Sides,” released under Snapchat’s ‘Snap Originals’ in 2019, started out with a self-made pilot and reached 6.5 million views on Facebook, is set to pen the script.Lehman also wrote and directed Facebook Watch’s first ever digital series, “The Unboxing.” Leone Film Group has now also optioned the full series of novels in “The Bad Boy’s Girl” saga, which has more than 223 million reads on the platform.Aside from the “Bad Boy’s Girl” franchise, the plan is to develop 1-3 films per year through “a wide-ranging partnership on projects for young adult audiences that we select and co-develop and co-produce together,” Leone Film Group CEO Raffaella Leone (pictured) told Variety. “These will be Italian productions for global distribution,” she added.“Leone Film Group understands the power of listening to audiences and nurturing fandoms,” said Aron Levitz, president at Wattpad Webtoon Studios, in a statement.

Audrey Diwan’s opened to an estimated $34k on four screens in NY and LA this weekend for a PTA of $8,500. The locations on both coasts — IFC Center/AMC Lincoln Square and The Landmark/AMC The Grove — while limited showed the abortion drama set in 1968 France competing successfully in commercial crossover multiplexes as well as arthouses.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaThis sorcerer still reigns supreme.Disney and Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” earned a formidable $36 million in Thursday previews, setting the stage for what could be a massive $175 million-plus debut this weekend. This ranks as the eighth largest preview performance ever, behind “Avengers: Infinity War’s” $39 million in 2018.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the latest timeline-bending entry in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, has kicked off at the international box office, collecting $27.2 million on opening day.The film is currently playing in 20 overseas markets, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Korea. “Doctor Strange 2” opens in North America and several other territories on Friday.

Refresh for latest…: Disney/Marvel’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness began offshore release on Wednesday in 20 markets and is already doing some crazy numbers. With $27.2M through yesterday, the first-day overall results are only 4% below Spider-Man: No Way Home and a staggering 153% ahead of the original 2016 Doctor Strange, as well as 210% ahead of The Batman on a like-for-like basis at today’s rates.

Stanley Tucci is opening up about the highly-anticipated new Whitney Houston biopic, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”.

Vortex — which opened this weekend to a full house at NYC’s IFC Center — has an unusual star, Dario Argento. Here’s how the film’s helmer Gaspar Noe convinced the iconic Italian horror movie director into his first lead acting role.

Refresh for latest…: On a weekend we could term “the calm before the Strange,” there was nevertheless sustained holdover business at the international box office, and a new entry in the form of Universal/Focus’ Downton Abbey: A New Era.