You just never know around here.

While everyone’s everyone’s been writing about the death of the box office, potential Oscar movies disappointing, etc., there’s a little engine that could: “Wind River.”

The Weinstein Company drama passed $30 million last night and is has tremendous word of mouth. It’s not far fetched to say this might be their Oscar movie, maybe so more than “The Current War.” Another late fall release, “The Upside,” should be a commercial hit and big awards magnet for Golden Globes.

But “Wind River” is a little gem that just went out there and did its job. Taylor Sheridan wrote and directed, coming off his great screenplays for “Sicaro” and “Hell or High Water.” And here’s something to note– “Wind River” has now made more than “Hell or High Water.” That Oscar nominee was beloved, produced an Oscar nom for Jeff Bridges, and still only made $27 mil US and $10 mil international. “Wind River” is going to exceed both of those numbers.

Acting wise, don’t count out Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen. As a lot of other more hyped movies fall by the way side, Renner and Olsen look more and more like Oscar contenders. Right now, those crazy Oscar prognosticators– who get a lot wrong when all is said and done– are counting on movies they haven’t seen or crossing fingers for films that will not play wide and have very niche audiences.

If you loved the “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” the new Wes Anderson movie “Isle of Dogs” is for you. One view of the trailer should do it. Can’t Wait!

Something is going wrong with “American Made,” that’s for sure.

Still unspooling overseas before a September 29th American release, Tom Cruise’s latest film finally opened in his most fervent fan country, South Korea, over the weekend.

In June, South Korea gave Tom a record opening with $6.6 million for “The Mummy.” It was that country’s biggest opening ever.

But last weekend, “American Made” did not fare nearly as well. It came in with $1.9 million. More than two thirds of the Cruise fans stayed home and wondered what Rocket Man Kim Jung Un was up to instead.

“American Made” now has a very slight $50 million from plays in nearly every country abroad wit the exception of China and Russia. For “The Mummy,” China was a mega blockbuster with over $90 million. That kind of number would certainly help now.

We’re 10 days out from the US release, and there isn’t much buzz. But critics seem to like it. “American Made” has an 88 on Rotten Tomatoes. But you never know what that means. The Wrap reviewer didn’t much like it, yet the movie got a ‘fresh’ rating. Here’s what he wrote:

There are no new ideas in Hollywood, that’s abundantly clear.

So James Cameron, who hasn’t actually made a movie since “Avatar” but keeps announcing them, has a plan. He’s going to make a new Terminator movie.

The new film, “T3,” I guess it’s called, will supposedly pick up after “T2” ended in 1991. (There have been other “Terminator” movies, but we should just ignore them.)

Cameron will reunite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton (aka a former Mrs. Cameron). Arnold is 70, Linda Hamilton will be 61 next week. So add 18 months to those ages before this movie comes to a screen. No word yet on the exact setting, but a lanai in Miami Beach sounds about right.

No word either on Edward Furlong, the original John Connor. He’s been in and out of jail and rehab for years. Back when this all started he was 13 and had a relationship with his 26 year old tutor. So maybe that could be worked into the plot.

Actually, here’s a wild guess– they get Arnold’s son with Maria Shriver, Patrick Schwarzenegger, to play John now. You never know…

At the west coast DGA screening tonight of Stephen Frears’ “Victoria & Abdul,” an audience member asked Judi Dench during the Q&A: “Would you rather be a Queen or a Dame?” She responded with typical irreverence:  “I’d rather be a slut.”

That took the house down.

Director Stephen Frears instantly added: “Well, that’s how I think of you, Judi.”

Co-star Eddie Izzard: “Keep it classy, call yourself Dame Slut. That should be your rapper name.”

I spoke with Eddie before the screening.  What did he think about playing complicated Bertie?

IzzardL “Bertie was a dick.  But I get it. Bertie wanted to be King.  It looked like Mum was eating herself to death.  Then this guy Abdul shows up and gives her another 10 years of life.  You would feel a little pissed off.   If that’s the only way to advance you can become the King.  I had to put on 25 pounds, move entirely differently, and drop my voice down.  He’s a buffoonish character at the beginning of the film, and then it gets darker and more twisted.  It’s quite a fight going on.”

Did Eddie, known to like to dress up in women’s clothes, ever want to wear Judi’s costumes?

“No,” he laughed.  “I’m not into that if you look at my style. What I wear is the stuff that women stole from men, which is jackets jeans and boots, that kind of thing.  Which is not Queen Victoria.  She’s strapped into a load of corsets.  Even Bertie’s costumes I wouldn’t wear, but I liked the cane.  The canes were cool.  “ What’s up next for him? “I wrote my first film ‘Six Minutes to Midnight’ which I’m doing next year, still working on that.  I’m developing my next stand up show in French in Paris.” 

I then spoke to Dame Judi about re-visiting the character she played in her Oscar nominated ‘Mrs. Brown.’  How did I feel to play her again?“  “Lovely,” she answered. “ I didn’t know this story like many people didn’t.  Suddenly to find she had a further life and a reason to go on living.  Stephen Frears directing, and the very, very good script.  So I was thrilled to re-visit her.”

“Victoria and Abdul” — the story of Queen Victoria and her Indian consort– opens September 22nd.

photo c2017 Showbiz411 of panel by Bethany Ader

photo c2017 Showbiz411 of Judi Dench, Eddie Izzard

“Battle of the Sexes” star Emma Stone met last year’s so called Battle of the Sexes Star Hillary Clinton last night backstage at the Stephen Colbert show. Emma plays Billie Jean King in the great new movie opening Friday. She defeated Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) in 1973. It was the high point of the women’s lib movement and helped set into play all kinds of equal rights.

Hillary, of course, ran against the Bobby Riggs of politics– the self promoting, self aggrandizing hustler, Donald Trump. The ladies had a lot to say to each other. The movie’s co-director Jonathan Dayton took this photo. It’s exclusive here c2017Showbiz411, by the way.

After Colbert, Emma, Dayton, and co-director Valerie Faris (the director are husband and wife, and made “Little Miss Sunshine”) headed downtown to the SVA Theater for a New York premiere. A Q&A followed with Stone, Faris, Billie Jean King, Elisabeth Shue (she plays Riggs’s wife), and Shonda Rhimes. Shue’s brother, Andrew, the “Melrose Place” star turned philanthropist, and his 14 year old son joined her at the party at La Sirena.

PS Fox Searchlight may have three Best Actress nominees this season with Stone, Frances McDormand for “Three Billboards,” and Sally Hawkins for “The Shape of Water.” Kudos to Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula. Pretty cool.

photo c2017 Showbiz411 by Jonathan Dayton