Sony Boss Says Studio Deserves Some Credit for ‘Top: Gun Maverick’ Box Office: ‘Venom’ Paved the Way

Refresh for latest…: Coming in just slightly ahead of pre-weekend projections, Sony’s Bullet Train pulled into 57 overseas markets for a $32.4M international box office launch. When including the domestic start, the global debut is $62.5M.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterHook, line and sinker. “Top Gun: Maverick” has toppled “Titanic” as the seventh-biggest film ever at the domestic box office, earning $662 million in ticket sales.For Paramount, “Top Gun: Maverick” has also overtaken “Titanic” as the studio’s biggest film in its 110-year history.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore returns to Number 1 on the Official Film Chart, unseating Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

BTS may still be able to perform even while carrying out their compulsory military service, South Korean defence minister Lee Jeong-seop has said.At a National Defence Committee held by the South Korean National Assembly on Monday (August 1), Lee spoke about the defence ministry’s position on BTS’ military service terms.“I believe BTS could enlist in the military, and still be given time to practice and perform overseas,” said Lee, as reported by News1.“The Ministry of National Defence has reviewed [the issue of BTS’ enlistment] in consideration of maintaining fairness, equity, and military service resources, and they could be able to continue performing for national interests,” he said.According to Reuters, the minister added: “As many people highly value [artists serving] in the military, that may help boost their popularity even more.”Director Lee Ki-shik of the Military Manpower Association also reportedly stated that implementing additional exemptions for pop culture figures on top of the military’s existing provisions could “break the overall framework of military service exemption”.His comment suggests it is unlikely the boyband will receive a full exemption from service, though provisions may be made for them to continue their promotional activities concurrently.However, South Korean parliament is currently debating a bill that may allow for major pop culture figures like BTS to serve an “alternative” form of service as arts and cultural personnel.In May, Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Hwang Hee called for the boyband’s exemption from South Korea’s mandatory military service, saying “It’s time to create a system for incorporating popular culture-art figures as art personnel.”Under South Korea’s current

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefA powerful debut for “Hansan: Rising Dragon,” a locally-made historical action film, lifted the South Korean box office to its second highest weekend of the year and helped July to be the best month of 2022.The film is a prequel to “Roaring Currents” a tale of an heroic 14th century naval admiral that amassed some 17 million admissions in 2014 and is currently the most-watched Korean film of all time.Data from KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic), showed that “Hansan” earned $13.4 million from 1.63 million ticket sales between Friday and Sunday, for a market share of 60%. Over its first five days in theaters, the film amassed $17.9 million from 2.27 million spectators.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has posted operating income of $381M (50.7BN yen) for the first quarter of this year, up 25.3% on the $232M posted in the same period last year on a currency basis. Revenues grew even more significantly: up a whopping 136.6% to $2.58BN (341.4BN yen), compared with last year’s $1.87BN.

From a reported revenue of $74 million — up 45% year-over-year from $51 million in Q2 2021 — Imax reported a diluted loss per share of 5 cents. That is up from a diluted loss per share of 23 cents last quarter and loss per share of 16 cents in Q2 2021, though below the profit of 17 cents per share reported in Q4 2021 off the success of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”Imax’s write-down is largely attributable to COVID-19 closures at 400 of their Chinese locations to start the quarter, including all locations in Shanghai.

Sony Pictures Entertainment is strengthening its India team with the appointments of Shony Panjikaran as general manager and head of Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI), India, and Lada Guruden Singh as general manager and head of Sony Pictures International Productions (SPIP), India.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness rises to Number 1 on the Official Film Chart, following its release on disc.

Families weren’t scared to return to the box office during the pandemic and have shelled out $300.9M to date on Illumination Entertainment and Universal’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, making it the first animated movie to cross the three century mark stateside during Covid, and since Frozen 2 opened back in November 2019.

Andrew Garfield has been beating the heat by spending time at the beach.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefNew release titles “Alienoid” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru” dominated business at the South Korean box office over the weekend. “Alienoid,” a sci-fi fantasy about the search for a legendary sword across different eras, opened on Wednesday and consistently, but narrowly, bested its animated rival. “Alienoid” earned $5.19 million between Friday and Sunday for a 32% market share, having played on more than 1,800 screens.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaJordan Peele’s “Nope” grossed a solid $6.4 million in Thursday previews as it looks to be the rare blockbuster with a brain to succeed at the summer box office. The plot of the science-fiction horror film has been shrouded in mystery, but reviewers have likened “Nope’s” supernatural elements to Steven Spielberg classics such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”The Universal release is expected to top the domestic box office, but estimates vary about what it will ultimately rack up, ranging from predictions of a debut of $45 million to something in the $60 million neighborhood.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentA Turkish biopic about 1980s pop singer Bergen, who grappled with a violent husband that hired someone to pour nitric acid on her face and later shot and killed her, is becoming a sleeper box office hit across West Asia.The potent female empowerment film, titled “Bergen,” follows the singer’s meteoric rise from cello player to becoming Turkey’s “Queen of Arabesque,” all while struggling with a partner hellbent on sabotaging her career. The pic is helmed by Turkish directorial duo Caner Alper and Mehmet Binay, who are known for works driven by civil liberties and gender issues such as the 2015 drama “Drawers,” about a teenage girl’s sexuality.Upon grossing a substantial $10 million-plus intake at Turkish cinemas, “Bergen” is now scoring brisk box office returns across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Lebanon and Oman.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterEarth’s Mightiest Heroes have nothing on Tom Cruise.Paramount’s supersonic blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick” has grossed $623.8 million in North America, passing “The Avengers” ($623.3 million) to become the ninth-highest grossing movie in domestic box office history. Industry experts believe the movie has enough gas in its tank to eventually pass the titles in seventh and eighth place, “Titanic” with $659 million and “Jurassic World” with $653 million.For those counting, the top six slots belong to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($936.6 million), “Avengers: Endgame” ($858.3 million), “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ($804.7 million), “Avatar” ($760 million), “Black Panther” ($700 million) and “Avengers: Infinity War” ($678 million).

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore lands straight in at Number 1 on the Official Film Chart.

Universal’s Nope, one of the few remaining tentpoles in a rebounding summer box office, looks to provide a lift this weekend with an estimated $50M start at 3,700 theaters with an eye at guys 17-34.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Top Gun Maverick” reclaimed the lead at the South Korea box office as “Thor: Love and Thunder” slowed rapidly and Korean cinemas endured a weekend that slowed the recent recovery trend.“Top Gun Maverick” earned $5.77 million between Friday and Sunday, in its fourth week of release in Korea, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That was a drop of only 11% from its previous weekend.In contrast, “Thor Love and Thunder” registered a 66% weekend-on-weekend tumble, falling from $9.88 million previously to $3.34 million.