From 20 to 22 June the villains we love to hate cast a dominating shadow on the
South African box office. It seems audiences are caught in the crossfire of good
vs evil, whether queuing to watch their favourite heroes battle the curveballs of
college, the ferocity of a vengeful fairy or the catastrophic effects of cancer…
22 Jump Street
Bringing in R3 029 936 locally in its opening weekend and a whopping $57 071
445 in the weekend of its international release, 22 Jump Street seems
destined to overtake its 2012 predecessor in a clash of brains vs brawn.
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill fuse fratboy funny with outrageous action
sequences in this smash hit directed by Phil Lord.
How to Train Your Dragon 2
This detailed, rich and adrenaline-charged animation by DreamWorks’ animation,
of How to Train Your Dragon 2, earned R4 589 996 at the local box office
in its opening weekend. Though international earnings are up 15% from the first
fiery film, the sequel’s stats fall short of scorching. Jay Baruchel and Gerard
Butler are the voices of virtue which go against the enemy, voiced by Djimon
Hounsou, in this battle of beasts.
Edge of Tomorrow
Warner Bros’ big budget sci-fi movie Edge of Tomorrow may struggle to
garner enough gross needed to punch a profit on the $178m it cost to make. In
its second week the film took R4 708 997 nationally, a 55% drop from opening
weekend earnings, despite promising reviews. According to critics, it seems that
in addition to guarding the world against aliens in this latest offering, Tom
Cruise is inevitably fighting fading Hollywood stardom.
Maleficent
Who better to play Disney’s dark and devious Maleficent character than
the spellbinding Angelina Jolie. With worldwide earnings of $292.8m the film is
her biggest live-action movie ever, topping the success of Mr. & Mrs.
Smith. In its third week at the local box office Maleficent, released by Ster-
Kinekor, has earned R7 643 797 with 100 prints.
The Sleeping Beauty remake directed by Robert Stromberg, which largely
appeals to female movie-goers among a spread of man-flicks, has piqued the
curiosity of Jolie and Disney fans alike.
The Fault in Our Stars
After two weeks on circuit The Fault in Our Stars, released by Time Media
Films, continues to charm SA audiences with sincere performance and cute
chemistry. Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley delight with heaps of hope and
the age old idea that love conquers all. This heart-warming story, based on the
novel by John Green, has earned the film R3 316 065 at the local box office, with
41 prints.
A Million Ways to Die in the West
Directed by and starring Seth MacFarlane, A Million Ways to Die in the
West earned a meagre R2 571 285 locally and grossed only US$40 302 450
in the US after four weeks of release. Universal Pictures has expressed
disappointment with worldwide box office earnings for the Western, which stars
a gun-slinging Liam Neeson as the bad guy and Charlize Theron as the leading
lady, though there are hopes that it could pick up among MacFarlane fans in the
long run.
Fading Gigolo
Paramount’s Fading Gigolo, written by and starring John Turturro with a
comedic cast that includes Woody Allen, Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara, has
been met with mixed reviews, earning only R707 421 nationally. An intersection
of comedy and drama, the film’s steamy plot features Turturro as a modern day
Don Juan, which comes across as slightly implausible.
