Matthew Monagle

If you think about it, it’s kind of surprising that Tom Hiddleston is still sticking around the Marvel universe. Marvel has rarely brought back a villain for multiple movies; with the exception of Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier, Loki is a unique character within the Marvel universe. Of course, that shouldn’t be read as a criticism; even before characters like Spider-Man and Ant-Man were being brought to the big screen, it was Hiddleston’s god of mischief who brought charm and humor to the MCU. Any self-respecting Marvel fan will be happy to have him back.

It feels like we’ve been watching the same six or seven movies shift places on the charts for weeks now, which makes what happened this weekend such a breath of fresh air. With four new releases all cracking the charts, we’ve at least got a little bit of variety in the titles we’ll be discussing, and no The Emoji Movie near the list. I’ll put that down as a win in my book any day of the week. Here’s the estimated box office grosses as of Sunday afternoon:

It’s hard to imagine Hollywood without Steven Spielberg. Spielberg’s career as a filmmaker serves as a perfect parallel for contemporary film history. From his humble beginnings outside the collection of University of Southern California wunderkinds to his commercial dominance at the multiplex, Spielberg did more than just make movies that wowed millions of people around the world: he also disrupted an entire industry, changing the way Hollywood approached filmmaking and establishing the format for blockbuster films that persists to this day.

It’s getting progressively more difficult to find anything of value to say when Ron Howard teases more behind-the-scenes photos from the Han Solo set. On the one hand, we get it, Opie, you’re deeply immersed in the Star Wars universe and doing all kinds of cool [expletive] and we’re not. On the other hand, though, we’ve reached a point where our collective interest in little tidbits is starting to wane. Let me put it to you like this: I love a good tapas restaurant as much as the next guy, right? But sometimes you just want the full three-course meal.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: a middle-aged white comedian sits down for an interview and starts complaining about the things he can’t say onstage. This isn’t exactly a new complaint in the stand-up industry. For years, the old guard of legendary comedians have argued that modern audiences are too sensitive these days to the detriment of comedy; and sure, while there are certainly those who look for offense in any commentary  —  no matter how benign  —  it’s more than a little frustrating to hear some comedians claim that their decades-old material isn’t funny anymore.

It’s now been two weekends since Pennywise the Dancing Clown was unleashed upon unsuspecting audiences, and Hollywood may never be the same. Seriously. The kind of box office numbers we’re seeing right now will inspire, uh, major changes in how Hollywood tries to jump on specific trends. And while two new movies made a sort of solid showing for themselves over the weekend, the fact is this: it’s Pennywise’s world. We’re just living in it. Here’s the box office projections as of Sunday afternoon:

Here’s a funny thought for you: someone is about to be swayed into seeing Blade Runner 2049 by this new batch of character posters. I’ve written before that Blade Runner 2049 doesn’t really have much left to prove to audiences  —  you’re likely already in or out, and have been for quite some time  —  but that doesn’t apply to everyone. Somewhere, on some website, somebody is going to look at this international poster of Ryan Gosling and think to themselves for the first time, oh, yeah, I think this might actually be a movie I want to see. Job well done, graphic designers.

Given the fact that the first Kingsman movie was a spot-on homage to James Bond movies, you’d think we’d all be excited for more of the same. More debonair spy sequences, more dangerous undercover double-speak, and more gunfights in famous locations. Instead, 20th Century Fox has flipped the script, giving us a sequel that promises a delightful sendup of American action movies as well. What would happen if James Bond and John Rambo were forced to join forces to solve an international mystery? If the early trailers and credits are any indication, we’re about to find out.

While most of the articles regarding the new Hellboy remake have focused on the lack of involvement by Ron Perlman and Guillermo del Toro, it’s worth nothing that Selma Blair’s Liz Sherman was also an integral part of del Toro’s franchise. Neither fully human nor fully supernatural, Blair’s character served as an important transition point between the film’s two worlds (as well as the main love interest of the titular character). So maybe it’s about time we poured one out for Selma Blair as well; after all, she had just as much involvement in the success of the franchise as anyone.

We’re only months away from Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and already, it’s beginning to feel like a film that will be unbearably sad for all the wrong reasons. The loss of Carrie Fisher will be made fresh by her appearance in the upcoming film, and seeing her alongside Mark Hamill for the last time  —  one assumes, anyways  —  will be a touching moment for any fans of the Star Wars franchise. No less touching will be the opportunity for Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd to share the screen with her one last time. All in all, The Last Jedi will be the ultimate Star Wars family reunion, biological and otherwise.