Latest in Chappie

Imagine you once could fly and do all the stuff that superheroes are supposed to do. Then imagine those abilities were taken away from you and now you're an LA cop investigating those who still have such talents and who seems to be killing them off. That's life for Christian Walker. And that is one of the major…

UPDATE, Monday: Final actuals have been logged below for 20th Century Fox, Universal, Warner Bros., and the Weinstein Co. HIGHLIGHTS: Jupiter Ascending (WB) rises in China; Kingsman: The Secret Service (FOX) passes $150M; It’s a tie for Fifty Shades (UNI) and Focus (WB); Big Hero 6 (DIS) & American Sniper (WB) pass…

Update, Monday Actuals: No real big swings here in the actuals with Sony’s Chappie coming in on target with its Sunday FSS estimate of $13.3M.  Together with overseas the Neill Blomkamp film made $27M worldwide over the weekend, with a notable turnout in Asia. Total weekend came in slightly higher than what Rentrak…

After a promising start with District 9, it has been straight downhill for writer-director Neill Blomkamp. That 2009 film won four Oscar nominations including one for Best Picture. But his follow-up, Elysium, failed to excite, and now a ridiculous robot movie Chappie takes Blomkamp even further away from the early…

UPDATE, 2:46 PM: According to mid-day industry estimates, Sony/Media Rights Capital’s Chappie from director Neill Blomkamp is tracking above studio weekend estimates of $14M, looking at $16M with an eye on a $5.5M Friday at 3,201 theaters. Sure, that’s lower than opening days of the director’s previous two films…

In the wake of Fifty Shades Of Grey and Focus, the term R-rated is becoming an even bigger force at the multiplex. Two more titles with restrictive ratings, Sony/Media Rights Capital’s sci-fi robot film Chappie and 20th Century Fox/New Regency’s Vince Vaughn comedy Unfinished Business, are opening with the box office…

UPDATE, MONDAY, 8PM: Updates in the overseas B.O. figures below have been made for Warner Bros., Fox International, Disney, the Weinstein Co. and Universal.  The biggest change among all of them is that Warner Bros.’ Will Smith crime romance Focus bested its Sunday estimate of $12.2M abroad with $13.95M — welcome news…

Neill Blomkamp‘s sci-fi Chappie has added Sigourney Weaver as filming gets underway in Johannesburg. The Sony/MRC production written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell follows the preternaturally gifted robot Chappie, who’s kidnapped by two criminals during birth. Weaver joins an eclectic cast that includes Hugh Jackman, S…

Hugh Jackman is joining the cast of Chappie, from District 9 and Elysium helmer Neill Blomkamp. He’s attached to play the rival of Dev Patel’s character in the South Africa-set sci-fi pic about an android cop (mo-capped by Sharlto Copley) who’s kidnapped by gangsters (Yo-Landi Visser and Ninja of the rap duo Die…

Fresh off the director’s futuristic actioner Elysium, Sony Pictures has pegged Neill Blomkamp‘s follow-up for March 27, 2015. Chappie is the story of the titular robot with artificial intelligence that is stolen by a pair of gangsters (Ninja and Yolandi Visser of South African rap-rave act Die Antwoord) who want to…

Sony has kept Neill Blomkamp in the fold, making a deal with Media Rights Capital to co-produce, co-finance and distribute his next film, called Chappie. Blomkamp will direct the script he wrote with Terri Tatchell. He will also produce the film with Simon Kinberg. Production begins this fall. Chappie tells the story…