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London is getting ready to ring in the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday, returning to an in-person ceremony live from the Royal Albert Hall after a scaled-down hybrid format amid the Covid crisis last year. The weekend is rife with festivities planned to honor nominees and winners, but also has a slightly different look…

When Last Night In Soho director Edgar Wright submitted his latest film to the Venice Film Festival, he called it "a dark Valentine to Soho." Elaborating on that, Wright told the Lido press corps this afternoon, "I love London, but there's a lot to fear about it as well, so you have a conflicted relationship with the…

In town for the world premiere of out-of-competition Cannes Film Festival entry Stillwater, star Matt Damon appeared moved by emotion during a near-five-minute standing ovation tonight. The drama, directed by Spotlight Oscar-winner Tom McCarthy, brought the assembled crowd to its feet in the Grand Théâtre Lumière as…

EXCLUSIVE: Olivia Wilde’s Perfect, about Olympic gymnast Kerri Strug, is getting top scores from the buyers here at EFM. A big deal is in the works for world rights to the project, which is one of the EFM’s hottest. We understand Searchlight Pictures is in pole position but this is still in play and a deal isn’t…

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…

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…

Report includes Monday updates Fifty Shades Of Grey‘s grasp on international audiences remains tight with the erotic love story coming in No. 1 for the 3rd consecutive weekend, per Universal and industry estimates. Adding $34.3M in 59 territorires, the bondage bonanza dropped about 43% and now has a total of $337M in…

UPDATE, MONDAY ACTUALS 3:41 PM: Most films in the top 10, not just Warner Bros.’ Focus, are down from their Sunday AM estimates in their actuals today. Only two films bested their Sunday estimates: 20th Century Fox’s Kingsman: The Secret Service with $11.88M (Sunday estimate was $11.75M) with a cume through three…

UPDATE, 3:24 PM: Industry sources see Will Smith’s R-rated romance noir Focus doing between $7.5M-$8M tonight, putting the Warner Bros. film with a FSS between $21M-23.6M at 3,323 venues in the top spot.  This is according to mid-day estimates. Focus’ Friday includes Thursday previews of $839K…

Will Smith is set to push Fifth Shades Of Grey out of the top spot at the weekend box office. The star’s latest Warner Bros. film Focus, about a con man whose life is taken for a ride by a femme fatale played by Margot Robbie, is looking to gross $20M-$25M this weekend at 3,323 theaters. Thursday previews will hit…

Focus is about a veteran con man played by Will Smith, who runs into a former protege, now femme fatale, played dexterously by Margot Robbie (Wolf of Wall Street), while he’s busy trying to pull a new game. But the questions that keep coming up in this terrific little caper film, as I say in the video review above…