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Weekend Box Office Hits Year-to-Date Low of Total $49 Mil as “Nun 2” Wobbles, “Dumb Money” Not Getting Push

Roger Friedman
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Weekend Box Office Hits Year-to-Date Low of Total $49 Mil as “Nun 2” Wobbles, “Dumb Money” Not Getting Push

This weekend was not for the box office.

After a booming summer this weekend was the lowest, year to date. The total came to just under $49 million. Yikes. This was the sixth weekend in a row not to hit $100 million.

The number 1 movie was a horror, literally, with just $8.3 million.

For some reason, Sony isn’t really releasing “Dumb Money,” the best film they’ll have all this year. They’ve kept it in a limited release purgatory for some reason, where it’s dying.

“Dumb Money” is terrific but has no marketing. Of course they can’t do much direct PR for it because of the strikes. But some kind of PR could be done, and some advertising. Or Sony should have waited.

This coming week we’ll get the excellent “The Creator,” which should be a massive hit — go see it if you like sci-fi, Star Wars, and Oscar winning cinematography — and the bloody “Saw X,” which I’ll skip, thanks.

Jay Z Selects Usher, Who Hasn’t Had a Hit in 20 Years, to Play Super Bowl Halftime Show

Roger Friedman
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Jay Z Selects Usher, Who Hasn’t Had a Hit in 20 Years, to Play Super Bowl Halftime Show

It looks like Jay Z had some trouble getting anyone to play the Super Bowl.

The result is Usher, a lovely guy and a great performer but one who hasn’t had a hit in 20 years.

If Usher is just by himself, this is going to be problematic to say the least.

Jay Z couldn’t get a contemporary artist to perform at the biggest sporting event of the year: no Harry Styles, no Beyonce (she just did it), Taylor Swift, Miley, Adele, and so on. He also won’t go near a popular rock band like Maroon 5, or any country artist. What a mess.

I actually thought Jay Z could persuade Justin Timberlake and NSync to reunite for the show. And what about Diddy and all of his Off the Grid gang?

There’s a lot of pressure on Usher to pull this off with aplomb. I’m sure he can do it, but let’s hope he features some young people.

Trump’s Deranged Claim: “Without me, Roe v. Wade allowed the killing of a baby at any time…even after birth”

Roger Friedman
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Trump’s Deranged Claim: “Without me, Roe v. Wade allowed the killing of a baby at any time…even after birth”

Donald Trump — the man ABC and the Washington Post says is ten points ahead of President Biden in a new poll — has posted his latest unhinged declaration about abortion.

I wonder if the pollsters asked about this phraseology. Trump says in his latest post that “without me. Roe v. Wade allowed the killing of a baby at any time, including the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th month, and even after birth.”

After birth? When? Six or seven years? Or maybe 77?

The ABC/Washington Post poll is specious at best. It’s incomprehensible that anyone would want this madman back in office.

Studios Negotiator Pleads with Union: “Please WGA, just accept our last best and final offer”

Roger Friedman
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Studios Negotiator Pleads with Union: “Please WGA, just accept our last best and final offer”

Alright, really.

Carol Lombardini, chief negotiator for the AMPTP aka the Studios, wrote this on Twitter about an hour ago: “please WGA, just accept our last best and final offer so we’re not forced to come back again and give you the even-better last-last double-best bottomless oreo dream extreme offer-tini.”

Yes, very funny. Earlier this evening, the Studios said the offer they left with the WGA was their “best and final offer.”

Does that mean take it or leave it? Will Hollywood just cease to exist if the WGA doesn’t agree to these terms?

The two sides will congregate tomorrow again once the WGA lawyers and chiefs look every single point over. Every night there are leaks and signs the finale is coming. Everyone has a scoop and then nothing happens.

Will we wake up Monday with a resolution to this mess? Or more of the same? Monday ends the 10 days of atonement. Let’s see the studios atone for something, please.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Play to Cold, Wet Crowd: Only 31K Watch Global Citizen Show on YouTube

Roger Friedman
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Red Hot Chili Peppers Play to Cold, Wet Crowd: Only 31K Watch Global Citizen Show on YouTube

I did dip in and out of the Global Citizen concert on You Tube.

When it started, there were 250,000 people watching. That number decreased quickly to the point when Lauryn Hill staged a surprise Fugees reunion she was at 50,000.

By the time the Red Hot Chili Peppers played, there were 31,000 people left online.

Too bad because both acts were excellent. Lauryn Hill was phenomenal. All I could think was, what if she’d had a real recording career instead of releasing one album 25 years ago?

Anyway, Hugh Jackman was a no show despite being this ridiculous group’s ambassador. The stars were mostly not super, though adequate. This wasn’t Woodstock or Live Aid. It was definitely a concert for K Pop fans.

Tomorrow night there’s a 10pm special on ABC which will have the highlights. It’s on against football, it’s a filler, and won’t have any ratings. And still the Global Citizen execs get paid those big bucks for putting on this meh event.

With WGA Strike Ending, Actors Might Be Allowed to Resume Promotions, Save Fall Film Festivals on Red Carpets

Roger Friedman
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With WGA Strike Ending, Actors Might Be Allowed to Resume Promotions, Save Fall Film Festivals on Red Carpets

Now that the WGA strike may be wrapping up, it’s possible there will be an immediate turn of events.

This week, Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” is premiering in New York. “Maestro” from Bradley Cooper, is getting its first showing in Los Angeles before opening at the New York Film Festival. THE NYFF opens on Friday with Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman in “May December.”

Right along, the plan during the strike was no actors appearing to promote the films. Almost none went to Telluride, Venice, or Toronto. But that may all change now.

Even if the WGA agreement isn’t ratified, the resolutions in the final document may let business resume. Also, SAG AFTRA may relax the no-promotion rule if they think they’re going to get their deal.

The New York Film Festival may be happening too soon to benefit from all this. But the Hamptons Film Festival– which doesn’t start until October 6th — may be Ground Zero for the return of actors to the red carpets. The opening night film, the excellent “Nyad,” stars Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, each of whom would be welcomed very warmly.

Meanwhile, if SAG permits, Robert De Niro, Leonardo Di Caprio, and Lily Gladstone could possibly appear for “KIllers of the Flower Moon.” Cross fingers!

Strike Update: Deal “Almost Done” for WGA, End in Sight Tonight for Writers, Studios

Roger Friedman
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Strike Update: Deal “Almost Done” for WGA, End in Sight Tonight for Writers, Studios

The Writers Guild strike against the studios, now on day 145, is almost over.

I’m told negotiations — which were very close last night — will be wrapped up today before everyone goes to sleep on the East Coast.

The painful strike has clarified a lot of things, and brought the WGA together.

Next up will be SAG AFTRA. By October 1st, things in Hollywood should start to resume some normalcy.

Hold on!

Jann Wenner New Book Drops to Number 6,000 on Amazon Three Days Before Publication

Roger Friedman
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Jann Wenner New Book Drops to Number 6,000 on Amazon Three Days Before Publication

So much for “The Masters.”

Jann Wenner’s new book — which sounds like it’s about golf — is a dud three days before publication.

“The Masters” now sits at around number 5,993 on Amazon. It will be published Tuesday and probably on remainder shelves by Thanksgiving.

Wenner destroyed the book and his reputation last when he told the New York Times he only had old white men subjects in the collection of interviews because Black and female artists weren’t articulate enough.

It was maybe the stupidest answer to a question from a non politician in 50 years. Wenner became an instant pariah. He was immediately disowned by Rolling Stone, the magazine he founded, and booted from the board of directors at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also cancelled all promotional activities.

Wenner”s poor publisher, Little Brown, must be hysterical. There’s nothing they can do to fight back. It’s a total loss. They can only hope the first edition was a small one.

Expendable: Stallone, Statham “Expendables 4” Eyes $8 Mil Weekend Against $100 Mil Budget

Roger Friedman
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Expendable: Stallone, Statham “Expendables 4” Eyes $8 Mil Weekend Against $100 Mil Budget

Thirteen years ago, “The Expendables” seemed like a good idea. A movie about a team of mercenaries let loose by the CIA with Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham looked cool. Worldwide box office was $268 million.

Two more films followed, successively collapsing at the box office. “E3” made just $39 million in the US, $209 mil total worldwide especially in places where English wasn’t necessary,

So why make another one? Answer: Greed.

LionsGate released number 4 on Thursday night. It’s a bomb, with an expected $8 million weekend. (In China, it made $10 million. They aren’t picky.) The budget was at least $100 million. The movie has a hilarious 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, off the high mark of “E2” which had a 67. These are not great films but you could probably doze through them at a 39% off matinee.

I’ve always harbored a grudge against this series. In 2014 they had a mega press conference at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, and brought in Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren and so on. The movie also featured Harrison Ford and the loathsome Mel Gibson. They had a parade of tanks come down the Croisette to deliver all these guys. It was a big stunt, and the Carlton was not careful about who they let into the press conference. At the end of it I realized someone had stolen my iPad mini right out of my shoulder bag! The Carlton didn’t care, probably because the iPad was…wait for it…expendable!

Donald Trump Attacks Howard Stern, King of All Media: “Weak, pathetic, and disloyal guy…a broken weirdo”

Roger Friedman
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Donald Trump Attacks Howard Stern, King of All Media: “Weak, pathetic, and disloyal guy…a broken weirdo”

Donald Trump is calling Howard Stern names on social media.

Now he’s labeling the King of All Media as a “weak, pathetic, and disloyal guy” and “a broken weirdo.”

I hate to say it but that sounds like an accurate description of Trump!

What did Howard say to provoke such invective? Trump is responding a few days late to Howard’s comment to Variety that he’s “proudly woke” and anti-Trump. Stern has grown and matured by leaps and bounds since his days as a “shock jock,” and his audience has matured with him.

But Trump is gagged more or less from attacking his prosecutors and judges, so he’s turned to other celebrities he can malign. He also claims Joe Biden is “The Manchurian Candidate” and that China is bribing Biden and his family. LOL.

Now I’ll listen to Howard on Sirius XM on Monday to see what he has to say!

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