Weekend Box Office: Repeats and "Missing"

By Ben Miller

Hollywood is becoming exceedingly lazy in getting out new films these days.  Maybe it's the hangover from the pandemic, or maybe economics are finally starting to catch up with studios.  Regardless, Avatar: The Way of Water stayed comfortably at the top box office spot for the sixth week.  James Cameron's film is now the 13th-highest grossing domestic hit and the sixth film (and third Cameron film) to gross $2 billion worldwide.  The only new release of note was Missing, the psuedo-sequel to 2019's Searching.  Budgeted at a reasonable $7 million, it made back its money in one week.  Good reviews (82% on Rotten Tomatoes) could help its legs in the coming weeks...

Weekend Box Office (actuals) Jan 20th-22nd 🔺 = new or expanding /  ★ = Recommended
WIDE (OVER 800 SCREENS)	LIMITED / PLATFORM
THE WAY OF WATER	THE SON
1 ★ AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER $20 (cum. $598.2) 3790 screens	1 🔺★   WOMEN TALKING $380k (cum. $1.1) 153 screens
2 ★ PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH  $11.5 (cum. $126.4) 3,611 screens	2 🔺 THE SON $239k *NEW* 554 screens

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AFI Fest: “The Son,” “Women Talking” and "Alcarràs"

by Christopher James

Sarah Polley assembles a terrific ensemble for her fourth feature, "Women Talking."

Though Saturday was Day Four of the AFI festival, it was merely my second day spent wandering around the halls of the TCL Chinese Theater subsisting on popcorn and soda alone. What a doozy of a day it was. The films all spoke in different ways to parenthood, family, community, and gender dynamics. Between Sarah Polley's Women Talking, Florian Zeller's The Son and Carla Simón's Alcarràs which film soared to be the best of the bunch and which missed the mark entirely? My takes on all three are after the jump...

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TIFF Diary #5: Disappointing Oscar bait and a surprise favourite

by Baby Clyde

Hugh Jackman and Florian Zeller on the set of "The Son"

Today I had no mid-film snooze problems. The screenings started at midday with Florian Zeller’s adaptation of his own play The Son. I saw the original London production back in 2019: Great performances. Terrible play. Though Zeller has ironed out some of the innate staginess of the source material The Son can’t overcome the fact that this is not a play about the teenage depression epidemic but rather about absurdly inept parenting. The choices made are so ludicrous and the reasoning so shallow I laughed out loud on numerous occasions. They also kept the queasily distasteful, possible twist as a coda which is no less objectionable on film than it was on the stage. Sir Anthony pops up briefly in what is presumably a reprise of his character from The Father. He makes more impact in three minutes than the rest of the cast do in the other two hours of contrived torment. Consider it the first proper clunker of this Oscar season.

Empire of Light was next and has seemingly been genetically engineered in a film lab to garner Oscar noms...

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Venice Diary #08 - "The Son", "Beyond the Wall", and "Dreamin' Wild"

by Elisa Giudici

Today on the menu in Venice, there is only one option: crying your heart out. You can choose which missing son and worried parent will tear your heart in pieces, though.

THE SON by Florian Zeller
Who is 'the son' of the title? That's debatable. There is the troubled teenager Nicholas (Zen McGrath) that Peter (Hugh Jackman) had with his ex-wife Kate (Laura Dern). Peter also has a newborn son he is raising with his new partner Beth (Vanessa Kirby). Maybe Peter himself is the titular character? He's learning some hard lessons in being a father while struggling with what it means to be the son of Anthony (Sir Anthony Hopkins). I would say the latter, considering how this movie works best as a reminder of Hugh Jackman’s considerable acting skill...

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Links: Wicked delays, Jennifer's campaign, Disney streaming

• Deadline Stephen Daldry is leaving Wicked. Universal wanted to work faster than Daldry was willing but losing a director will slow them down anyway so why not meet his schedule? 
• Variety The Avengers acting heroes want you to Vote Blue this election
• EW Jennifer Hudson fires up her second Oscar campaign (for Aretha Franklin biopic Respect) with an EW Cover and profile

Jeff Bridges cancer reveal, Disney news, Noah Jupe confession, Dirty Dancing tribute, Sigourney's Avatar training, and more after the jump...

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