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Thread: Suicide Squad

  1. #1
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    Suicide Squad

    'training for three months in different martial arts'...well then, he must be a master by now.

    Jai Courtney Says ‘Suicide Squad’ Will Be ‘Huge’


    Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
    March 17, 2015 | 07:11AM PT
    Brent Lang
    Senior Film and Media Reporter @BrentALang

    Jai Courtney has been pumping iron and hitting the gym to get ready for the start of filming on “Suicide Squad” this April.

    The Australian actor, best known for his roles in “Divergent” and “A Good Day to Die Hard,” plays Captain Boomerang in the adaptation of the DC Comics series about a gang of super-villians on an impossible mission.

    “I’ve been training for three months in different martial arts,” Courtney said at Monday’s premiere of “The Divergent Series: Insurgent.” “As you can imagine for that superhero world, the athletic expectations are rather high.”

    “Suicide Squad” co-stars Will Smith as Deadshot, Jared Leto as the Joker, and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn — a murderers’ row of bad guys. Details of the film are being tightly guarded, and Courtney wasn’t feeling particularly loose-lipped.

    “I can’t reveal anything about the plot,” he said. “I’m working with a great cast. It’s a wonderful group, and I’m really pumped to be working among them.”

    He also said he’s particularly pleased that he won’t have to cover up his native accent.

    “I play an Aussie, which is going to be really fun,” said Courtney.

    Courtney’s co-star Joel Kinnaman told Variety at last week’s premiere of “Run All Night” that he had already spent time in Toronto preparing for his role as Rick Flagg.

    He praised director David Ayer’s “visual talent” and said he was a big fan of his recent World War II film, “Fury.”

    “It’s going to be a huge action film, very visual, but grounded in the characters,” he said.

    “Suicide Squad” debuts on Aug. 5, 2016.
    Gene Ching
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    Comic-Con First Look

    Gene Ching
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    This is looking like it's gonna all be about Harley Quinn



    But Katana is the sword hottie, so we'll tune in for her.
    Gene Ching
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    Margot Robbie

    Suicide Squad prediction: Robbie steals the show.

    For Margot Robbie, the Hustle Never Stops
    By DAVE ITZKOFF APRIL 27, 2016


    Margot Robbie will be starring in two movies this summer. Credit Emily Berl for The New York Times

    WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. — Margot Robbie came racing into the tucked-away bungalow she was renting here. She had returned from recording the voice of a talking dingo for a DreamWorks animated movie, and on an April afternoon was doing her best to clean up strewn clothes from overstuffed suitcases — evidence that an intended one-week visit to Los Angeles had stretched into a month.

    “I’m sorry it’s so manic,” said this 25-year-old actress, who was born in Gold Coast, Australia, and lives in London, yet had not seen either city in a very long time.

    “I’m always like, ‘No, it will calm down next week,’” she said in a more relaxed moment, stretched across a patio couch next to a faded pillow that said “God Save the Queen.”

    “And then the following week ends up being crazier.”

    Ms. Robbie was on the latest leg of the globe-trotting journey that has consumed her since 2013. It began at roughly the moment that a worldwide audience discovered her in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” playing the no-nonsense lover-turned-wife of an unscrupulous broker played by Leonardo DiCaprio.

    After three years of relentless film work, she is poised for two of her most prominent roles this summer, in franchise movies whose success could transform her from a wannabe to a deserves-to-be star.

    First, she’ll be seen as a self-reliant and decidedly un-dainty Jane in “The Legend of Tarzan,” a new adventure of that jungle hero opening July 1. Then, on Aug. 5, she stars in “Suicide Squad,” based on the DC Comics series, as Harley Quinn, a cracked-up criminal psychologist who wields a baseball bat and a Brooklyn accent with equal ferocity.

    These prospects would sound like an actor’s dreams come true, yet they have prompted Ms. Robbie to wonder if they are indeed the fulfillment of her aspirations.

    While taking care not to sound ungrateful, she is openly wrestling with what it means to be so visible and whether this was quite what she envisioned doing at this stage of her career.

    “It’s always a hustle,” she said. “I thought it would be a mountain, where you get to the top, and then it’s like: ‘Wheeee! It’s so easy after this.’”

    Instead, Ms. Robbie said: “Any time I get near the top, I’m like, ‘There’s another mountain!’ The hustle continues.”

    The third of four siblings raised by a single mother, Ms. Robbie has been in almost perpetual motion since the end of 2010, when her contract ended on “Neighbours,” an Australian soap opera on which she played a free-spirited bisexual woman in search of her biological father.

    Within days, she was on a plane to Los Angeles seeking representation and auditions for American TV pilots. She was quickly cast in the ABC period drama “Pan Am.”

    “It’s so much more fun for people to describe it as winning the lottery and the overnight sensation,” she said. “But it was all very strategic: These are the steps that need to be accomplished.”


    Will Smith as Deadshot and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in “Suicide Squad,” based on DC Comics characters. Credit Clay Enos/DC Comics and Warner Bros.

    The cancellation of “Pan Am” after just 14 episodes was actually a lucky break, allowing her to take roles in Richard Curtis’s romantic comedy “About Time” and then “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

    Her formidable performance (and Noo Yawk dialect) in “The Wolf of Wall Street” became her calling card. But it also required her to appear in several nude scenes, including one in which she entices Mr. DiCaprio’s character wearing only a pair of stockings and high heels.

    Ms. Robbie said she struggled with that provocative sequence. Recalling her thoughts at the time, she said: “The sacrifice I have to make is that I have to do this nudity thing that I don’t really want to do. But I get to work with Scorsese, which I really want to do. O.K., what outweighs what?”

    Though the director told her she could play the scene in a robe or underwear, Ms. Robbie said that once she got invested in the character: “I was like, she wouldn’t do that, no way. She would be fully naked.”

    Since then, Ms. Robbie has starred in “Suite Française” (adapted from Irène Némirovsky’s fiction) and the comic con-artist thriller “Focus” (with Will Smith).

    But it is “The Wolf of Wall Street” that filmmakers keep coming back to and casting her from.

    David Yates, the director of “The Legend of Tarzan,” said that seeing Ms. Robbie in that film made her look “glamorous and exciting” but also caused him to wonder, is she “going to be a flavor-of-the-month thing”?

    The director (whose credits include four “Harry Potter” films as well as the coming “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”), said that for his “Tarzan,” he consciously avoided creating a Jane “that felt too vulnerable, that needed rescuing.”

    Meeting Ms. Robbie, Mr. Yates said, revealed a woman who was right for the part but different from what he expected.

    “She’s very pragmatic,” he said. “She’s quite insightful. Despite the fact that she looks wonderful and she’s quite ambitious in a good way, she has her feet on the ground.”

    For Ms. Robbie, “Tarzan” called for a lot of time in front of green screens in London, pretending to run from animal stampedes or endure a monsoon.

    (In the midst of filming, she celebrated her 24th birthday with a 24-hour-long party. “So many people were like, ‘Margot, I’m tired,’” she said. “I’m like, ‘We’re not done yet!’”)

    She faced a different kind of endurance contest preparing for “Suicide Squad,” whose cast also includes Mr. Smith and Jared Leto, and in which Ms. Robbie is one miscreant on a team of mismatched villains-turned-heroes.

    From his first Skype conversation with Ms. Robbie, the film’s writer-director, David Ayer (“End of Watch,” “Fury”), said, “she was a very analytical and serious person.” He added, “But once she feels comfortable, she really opens up.”

    That was the actor Mr. Ayer said he wanted for the unhinged Harley Quinn, who could bring to life the character’s “gear shifts, the wild forays and suddenly can be real and heartbreaking.”


    Margot Robbie and Alexander Skarsgard in “The Legend of Tarzan.” Credit Jonathan Olley/Warner Bros.

    As Harley Quinn, Ms. Robbie once again had to put much of her body on display: The character almost always wears tiny shorts and is seen, in one trailer, changing into a tight T-shirt. Ms. Robbie said she could justify the wardrobe: Her character is “wearing hot pants because they’re sparkly and fun,” she said, not because “she wanted guys to look at her ass.”

    But, she added: “As Margot, no, I don’t like wearing that. I’m eating burgers at lunchtime, and then you go do a scene where you’re hosed down and soaking wet in a white T-shirt, it’s so clingy and you’re self-conscious about it.”

    Mr. Ayer said that “I didn’t think denim overalls would be appropriate for that character” and that Ms. Robbie understood “that’s part of the iconography.”

    Ms. Robbie said that when she is playing characters who are confident about their appearance — say, a self-assured war correspondent in the Tina Fey comedy “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” or a satirical version of herself, explaining subprime mortgages from a bubble bath in “The Big Short” — she is not necessarily feeling that way.

    “You need to act like you think you’re really gorgeous,” she said, “and you need to be completely convinced with that, because everyone else will believe it, too.”

    Ms. Robbie said she can do that “when I’m really sure it’s not me.”

    Should there be a “Suicide Squad” sequel, she said, half-jokingly and half not, “I’m not wearing hot pants next time.”

    Her “Suicide Squad” co-stars described Ms. Robbie as a performer whose tenacity gets overlooked in a superficial glance.

    “You might be fooled into thinking she’s such an easygoing person, but she’s very, very serious about what she does,” said Jai Courtney, a fellow Australian who plays Captain Boomerang.

    “Her pursuit for it has been carried out doggedly,” he said. “She deserves it. She’s worked for it. But she’s also not resting on any laurels or gifts or physical attributes.”

    Already, Ms. Robbie has helped create a new production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, to develop projects she could potentially star in, like a planned film about Tonya Harding, the disgraced Olympic figure skater.

    Getting into producing, she acknowledged, was also a way to leverage her fame willingly before others can exploit it.

    “It took a little while to get my head around the fact that, oh, you’re a commodity now, and there’s a value placed on your head,” she said. “Someone’s always going to be using your name, milking that and taking advantage of it. So you might as well let your friends do it.”

    Asked if she felt she had achieved what she hoped for when she first came to Hollywood, Ms. Robbie thought for a moment before answering no. She couldn’t quite say what she wanted then but described a flight of fancy that had lately crossed her mind.

    “Often I’m like, ‘I should’ve been a stuntwoman,’” she said. “I love doing stunts and being on set, but then you wouldn’t have to be famous.”

    But then, she said, “You can’t really turn back the clock.”
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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    Suicide Squad Movie CLIP - You're Late (2016) - Karen Fukuhara Movie



    I'm looking forward to Katana, Suicide Squad's badass sword hottie, but she will surely be upstaged by Harley.
    Gene Ching
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    a martial-arts champion

    Looking for some validation on her championship record. Like what her style is. Anything.

    Martial Artist-Actress Karen Fukuhara on Her Film Debut in ‘Suicide Squad’
    Maria Cavassuto July 28, 2016



    Los Angeles-born Karen Fukuhara is a martial-arts champion who has acted on Japanese TV. But her career will change gears in August with “Suicide Squad,” which marks her big-screen debut (amid a lineup that includes Will Smith and Ben Affleck) and her membership in the DC Comics universe.

    What has it been like to star in such a high-profile film?
    I don’t think I’ve felt the full effect of being part of “Suicide Squad” yet. My life right now is kind of a double life: On some days I’m doing press and talking about “Suicide Squad” and photo shoots — the glam life. But I’m also sitting at home preparing for auditions, just like any actress out there who’s trying to make it.

    When did you know you wanted to act?
    I’ve always wanted to become an actress. It’s been a lifelong dream, but my family and I didn’t know how to do it. Upon graduating [from UCLA], I sat down and thought about what my dreams were; I really went head-on into acting and pursued what I was always passionate about.

    Has your family remained onboard?
    My parents are pretty open-minded. But I think they take me a little bit more seriously now that I’ve booked something.

    What was your favorite part about playing Katana in “Suicide Squad”?
    She’s so badass. I loved playing her and doing the action scenes. I used to do karate, so I loved the … fight sequences and working with the stunt team.

    What changes would you like to see in the industry?
    Diversity! When I booked “Suicide
    Squad,” I was completely selfish and happy for myself. Fans commented on social media about how happy they were about that, and it reminded me that it’s rare to see a female Asian portray such a strong character in a major Hollywood film.

    So you’re a fan of social media?
    Here’s what I love about social media: You get to peer into people’s lives that you normally wouldn’t be able to. I think it’s a relief for young boys and girls to have more people to look up to, even if it is on a smaller scale.

    What you didn’t know about Fukuhara
    AGE: 24 RAISED IN: Los Angeles FAVORITE DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS: WhatsApp and Instagram IF SHE WEREN’T IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS, SHE’D BE: Working in interior design
    Gene Ching
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    More on Karen

    JULY 26, 2016 10:00am PT by Tatiana Siegel
    Next Big Thing: 'Suicide Squad's' Karen Fukuhara Explains Her Tattoo From Margot Robbie

    The UCLA grad talks about her most memorable day on set and expresses her thoughts on Asian actresses being represented in Hollywood.
    Karen Fukuhara has no idea how many Suicide Squad spinoffs or sequels she is signed on for to play sword-wielding superheroine Katana. But there's no question about her commitment to the franchise. After all, she opted for a permanent SKWAD tattoo on her ankle during production, just like co-star Margot Robbie and director David Ayer. Fukuhara's enthusiasm is understandable given the film marks her very first acting role. Still, the 24-year-old native Angeleno isn’t a total stranger to on-camera work. As a first-generation bilingual teen, she landed a gig as a TV reporter on Disney’s Movie Surfers, a show that aired in Japan and featured interviews with Disney film talent. That led to a similar job on a Japanese-language sports show, where she went one on one with the likes of Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier of the Dodgers. After graduating from UCLA with a major in sociology and a minor in theater, she decided to pursue acting and signed with manager Sally Hinata, who set up the Suicide Squad audition. Her years of karate and kendo training gave her an edge during the first read and led to a literally smashing callback. Fukuhara talked to THR about the Squad audition, the SKWAD tattoo and why the opportunities for Asian actresses are limited.

    Were you a fan of the comics?

    No. I've seen all the Batman movies, but I had never read the comics. My first time was when I booked the movie.

    How did you land the Katana role?

    My manager got me the first audition, which was a little bit of sports fighting, martial arts and acting. It was taped. With the second audition, David was in the room. They were very secretive with the script so I didn’t read anything that was from the original script. I don’t know what it was from. I remember the room wasn’t very big, and they had big photo lights on either side of me. During my sword-fighting portion of the audition, I tried to calculate my arm’s length and the sword’s length so I wouldn’t hit those things. But it was cutting it really close, and when you’re in the zone, you can’t really be careful because you’re going all out. I hit one of the lights, and I remember hearing the casting director and David gasp. But I just kept going with it, and I think that’s what David liked, that I didn’t stop in the middle.

    What was your most memorable day on set?

    Getting my tattoo from [co-star] Margot Robbie. We were hanging out one night at dinner, and we said, "We should all get matching tattoos." And she was like, "Yeah, let's do it." She came in on one of the shooting days and brought her tattoo gun in her trailer, and we all filed in and gave each other tattoos. Will [Smith] didn’t [get one], but he was definitely down with it. Mine is on my ankle. It says SKWAD.

    As a TV reporter, who was the coolest star you interviewed?

    One of my first interviews was Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp for Pirates of the Caribbean. I was in eighth grade at the time, little teenybopper. I was so, so nervous. I just remember Johnny had an aura around him. He looked like a pirate even without his costume, with the hat and the really cool thick-framed glasses and lots of bracelets. He was the nicest person and very patient with me when I couldn’t get the interview questions out. He said, “It’s all right. Take your time.”



    “I had never been on a private jet before. It was the craziest experience, jetting into Comic-Con last year with the cast. None of the rules apply,” says Fukuhara, photographed May 18 at Houdini Estate in Los Angeles.

    Asian actresses are not well represented in Hollywood. Is that concerning?

    Yeah. The main issue when it comes to hiring someone from Asia is the language barrier. It's difficult to book someone when they don't speak the language and they can't deliver the lines or even speak to the director. But in terms of Asian-American actresses, we all speak it fluently! Viola Davis said during her Emmy speech that the only thing that separates colored actresses or colored people from reaching success is opportunity.

    Who was your best on-set mentor?

    Joel Kinnaman. He’s someone who comes onto set and just knows what he has to do. His homework is done at home, and he’s very confident with his choices. His advice was to take a risk with everything.

    What’s the best perk that comes with being an actress?

    I had never been on a private jet before. It was the craziest experience, jetting into Comic-Con last year with the cast. I don’t come from a well-off family. We’re very middle class, lower middle class, so that’s something I cherish. None of the rules apply. You don’t have to go through customs. It’s very relaxed.

    Who is your dream director?

    Christopher Nolan. He would be on my bucket list.

    Did you have any classmates at UCLA now working in the film industry?

    Yes. I came back from shooting Suicide Squad in Toronto, and I hear that someone that used to be in my a cappella group booked Star Wars. So, I hit her up; her name is Kelly Marie Tran. She’s over there [in London] shooting Episode VIII right now. We both got very lucky. It’s just mind-boggling.
    I'd probably let Margot Robbie tattoo SKWAD on my ankle. And I'm not into tattoos at all, at least not on me.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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    seen!

    However I am under agreement not to reveal anything until the film opens this Friday. Watch for our official review on KungFuMagazine.com.

    Meanwhile, there's this:
    Gene Ching
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    I'd probably let Margot Robbie tattoo SKWAD on my ankle.
    SP6 San Yin Jiao

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    My Thoughts

    So just finished watching Suicide Squad I didn't hate it. I enjoyed myself, HOWEVER it's a mess; paper thin plot, Plot device characters, some characters are given too much and some very little, you can tell the studio came in and ass raped this film, this is what happens when you put profit before product, warner's(i dont say DC because dc is just now getting a creative producer before that warners handled it.) biggest issue is that their superhero films have no repeat factor. You watch them once and you are like eh. And don't want to see it again and which is why they suffer from the second week slump, highlights of the movie were will smith as deadshot, margot robbie and viola davis...and i might be in the minority here but i liked jared leto's joker...


    honestly i would say if you really want a good suicide squad story watch Attack on Arkham.

  12. #12
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    Saw it.

    I liked it for what it is.

    Margot Robbie is ridiculous. And by that I mean delicious! lol. She was good.
    Budget Tom Hardy Jason what's his name was probably not even needed in teh film really.
    I'm glad slipknot wasn't a deep role either, because, ooooh, unbreakable rope. Meh.

    Smith was good as deadshot, the Enchantress was great!

    Anyway, overall I liked it though it did look like they tried to stuff too many characters in there and it made the first half of the film like a baseball card collection perusal before it got to the guts of the story.

    And hey, I liked Leto's Joker too.

    It's a nice interim tie in story to Justice League which is on the make now.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

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    Worth noting I'm more of a marvel fan boy and I think they have their poop in a group when it comes to tying their whole universe together where DC kind of struggles with it.
    DC needs infinity stones too or something. lol
    Kung Fu is good for you.

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    I'm not that into comic book movies.

    I found it enjoyable, but as a park-your-brain-outside movie, like most comic book movies. It did well, without China and despite horrid reviews.

    ‘Suicide Squad’s Offshore Bow Rises To $133.3M Topping ‘Deadpool’ – Intl B.O. Final
    by Nancy Tartaglione
    August 9, 2016 2:00am


    Warner Bros.

    UPDATE, TUESDAY, WRITETHRU: Actuals for the international weekend have been updated with Warner Bros’ frame leader Suicide Squad posting a final $133.3M on 17,630 screens in 57 markets, according to the studio. That pushes the offshore debut $1.2M over that of comp Deadpool which bowed in February to $132.1M. This was expected when WB put out its estimates on Sunday of $132M (see below). The UK notably came in higher at $14.8M versus yesterday’s $13.9M projection.

    Related'Sausage Party' Turns On The Gas Thursday Night; Beats Both 'Neighbors' In Preview Cash - Box Office
    Both Deadpool and Guardians Of The Galaxy have been comps for the latest DC superhero entry given the anarchic tones and newness of the properties. GOTG debuted in essentially the same frame in 2014 to $67.4M in 15 fewer markets. Deadpool bowed in 61 markets, although the initial suite of majors differs (DP had Germany but not Spain, Suicide vice-versa, etc).

    Suicide Squad easily maintains the record for all-time biggest August opening abroad and 2nd biggest DC opening behind Batman V Superman. It also has the overseas IMAX record for August, although Sunday’s estimate was lowered to $7M from $7.2M. The film faced tough critics ahead of the weekend, but had, as a rival distrib put it “the perfect marketing set-up.” There’s little major competition on the horizon next frame, and this will be one to watch during the mid-weeks.

    Actuals have been updated in the breakdowns below.

    UPDATE, WRITETHRU: Busting out in 57 international markets, Warner Bros’ Suicide Squad banded together for a $132M start on its debut weekend. That sets a new overseas record for August and nearly doubles the opening of comp Guardians Of The Galaxy which kicked off on essentially the same date in 2014, albeit in 15 fewer markets. As for the other major comp, Deadpool, that film sassed its way to a $132.1M launch in 61 markets last February, and today retains a slight overall edge on Suicide. However, WB says that when comparing the same markets currently in release, the Squad came in higher.

    WB’s latest DC adaptation landed ahead of offshore industry predictions from before the weekend. Cautious estimates put it at around $110M while others topped out at $120M. Some wondered if it could go as high as Deadpool’s $132.1M, but suggested that would be the very top of the range. As it happens, despite harsh reviews of the Will Smith/Margot Robbie-starrer, fans turned out. With the numbers so close today between Suicide and Deadpool, it is possible the current film ultimately tops the opening of Fox’s R-rated anti-superhero once actuals are tallied tomorrow.

    The David Ayer-directed villain fest set a new record as IMAX’s best August start ever with $7.2M. It is the 2nd biggest DC bow of all time and WB’s 5th highest launch. For Smith, it provided several record-breaking bows. His Facebook following of over 75M was a boon to marketing, driving early online engagement with the trailer and other materials that got more than 14M views.

    While domestically there was a 41% Friday to Saturday drop, right now we have only bulk numbers for international rather than a clear Sat/Sun daily figure. Through Friday, Suicide Squad was at $64.6M after staggered release that began Wednesday. It added an estimated $67.4M on Sat/Sun after a $33M Friday. We know superhero movies with so much heat on them — and particularly in a summer that has been so tepid — can be heavily front-loaded, but an apples-to-apples comparison in international markets with so many variances is tough until the picture comes into sharper focus. In some cases Suicide did not open No. 1 overseas, impacted by local films and regional affinities, but that shouldn’t undermine the debut. We’ll keep an eye on mid-weeks in some of the bigger markets. For now, the UK is the lead play with $13.9M, followed by Russia, Brazil, Korea and Australia. The film will not have a China release. (More below)

    The Secret Life of Pets 2
    Universal Pictures
    Expanding this week, Illumination/Universal’s The Secret Life Of Pets has crossed $500M worldwide, sitting up in China with a $28.9M start after debuting Tuesday. It was led locally by Time Raiders, a 3D adventure fantasy that is giving a boost to a lackluster Middle Kingdom season with a $70M+ opening. Notably, the film stars popular actor/singer Lu Han who was Disney’s Star Wars ambassador for China. Uni’s Jason Bourne also added four new markets for a $20.9M sop****re session and is approaching $200M worldwide.
    Further notable, Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory has spun a global cume of $870.3M and is soon to pass Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice to become the 4th biggest grossing film of the year worldwide. And it still has two key markets on deck. Dory’s time at the aquarium gives The Walt Disney Studios bragging rights to the Top 4 movies globally in 2016 thus far.

    Breakdowns are updated with actuals below.

    NEW
    SUICIDE SQUAD

    Warner Bros Pictures
    Suicide Squad played on 17,630 screens this weekend, setting the all-time record for biggest August opening overseas (also for IMAX at $7M and $19.2M global); and it is the No. 2 DC bow ever, behind March’s Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.
    The UK leads with $14.8M on 1,054 screens, including previews. At No. 1, Suicide’s FSS is 6% higher than Deadpool and 112% more than GOTG and gives Will Smith his best start ever in the market. In Russia, the motley crew has the biggest WB opening of all time with $11.4M on 2,482 screens. The results are 63% higher than GOTG, 41% ahead of BVS and 21% higher than Captain America: Civil War. Also tops for Smith.

    Despite the distraction of the Olympics, Brazil raked in $11.75M on 1,406 screens (including sneaks) to exceed Deadpool by 44%. This is the market’s biggest August opening weekend of all time, the biggest Will Smith opening, the 2nd biggest WB film ever, and the biggest opening for a superhero film.

    Korea got off to a strong start on Wednesday and Thursday but faced stiff competition at the weekend with local pic The Last Princess debuting and Operation Chromite in its second week. Suicide Squad ended up at No. 3 for the frame with $10.8M on 831 screens. That’s 141% over GOTG and on par with BVS; also Smith’s best ever. Similarly, Spain was a No. 2 opening behind The Secret Life Of Pets. The big family market nevertheless gave the Squad $3.4M, to be DC’s 2nd best opening ever there. The debut was 84% higher than GOTG.

    Australia chipped in $10.5M on 516 screens for best August bow ever and Smith’s biggest. Versus GOTG, it’s +114% and 7% ahead of BVS. A contract dispute with a local exhibitor doesn’t appear to have been majorly impactful in Mexico where the super villains arrested $10.4M on 2,609 screens for the top August opening weekend ever, the highest opening weekend of all time for Smith and the 2nd best ever for WB. France debuted to $7.9M on 667 screens. Argentina, Italy, Germany and Japan are still to come.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  15. #15
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    Here's the China bit

    AUGUST 04, 2016 5:02pm PT by Patrick Brzeski
    'Suicide Squad' Unlikely to Get China Release


    'Suicide Squad' Clay Enos/Warner Bros.

    Chinese fans had hoped the movie's PG-13 rating would help it get past censors.
    David Ayer's Suicide Squad is set to hit theaters around the globe this weekend, but the world's most populous nation — and No. 2 movie market — probably won't be joining the party anytime soon.

    The Warner Bros. tentpole has yet to receive a release date in China, and sources close to the decision-making process in Beijing say it appears increasingly unlikely to get the official nod.

    According to people familiar with the matter, China Film Group, the state-backed distributor that handles the import of all foreign films, hasn't put the movie on its internal release calendar, which is typically set at least two months in advance. "They think this is not a good film to release in China," a Chinese executive said without elaborating.

    Chinese DC fans have been speculating online for months about whether Suicide Squad would get past Beijing's censorship committee. Thanks to its friendlier PG-13 rating, the movie had raised hopes that it would escape the fate of Fox's similarly toned "anti-superhero" hit Deadpool, which was effectively precluded from release in China due to its violence and graphic language.

    Not surprisingly, Warner Bros. tweaked Suicide Squad's local-language title. In Chinese, it's "X特遣队," which translates to "Special Task Force X" (X marks the suicide, it would seem). Many have wondered whether the movie's dark and anarchic tone would still rub the censors the wrong way, though. The story, from a script by Ayer, follows a group of incarcerated supervillains — played by Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis and others — who are released by a secret government agency to save the world from a dangerous threat. China's official censorship guidelines state that stories "propagating passive or negative outlook on life, worldview and value system" are disallowed. Exactly how that applies to comic book baddies turned snarky world saviors remains to be seen.

    China has no ratings system, so the country's media regulator, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT), makes a judgment on all film imports, approving or banning them for consumption by Chinese viewers of all ages.

    The Chinese box office has become an increasingly important piece of the international distribution map for the big six Hollywood studios. Suicide Squad cost at least $175 million to make. The biggest Hollywood films in China so far this year are Disney's Zootopia at $235.5 million, Legendary Entertainment's Warcraft with $221 million and Marvel/Disney's Captain America: Civil War with $190.4 million.

    At the same time, Hollywood gets far less back from the Chinese box office — 20 to 25 percent — than it does from other markets (40 to 50 percent is common in other territories around the world).

    If Suicide Squad still does manage to squeak through the system to score a China release, it will be conspicuously late in coming. China's regulators typically notify the studios of the local release dates for their films 30 to 45 days in advance. And although they have manipulated Hollywood dates to local advantage in the past, for most of this year, U.S. films have opened in China simultaneously or well within a month of their North American debut. And with the Chinese box office experiencing a surprising slowdown this summer, regulators have been easing restrictions rather than increasing them.

    Warner Bros. declined comment.

    Pamela McClintock contributed to this report.
    China doesn't like anti-heroes...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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