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Kevin Spacey Is Back: Disgraced Actor Posts First Tweet and Video Since October 2017 — Set for Nantucket Arraignment January 7th on Charge of Indecent Assault and Battery

Roger Friedman
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Kevin Spacey Is Back: Disgraced Actor Posts First Tweet and Video Since October 2017 — Set for Nantucket Arraignment January 7th on Charge of Indecent Assault and Battery

“If I didn’t pay the price for the things I didn’t do, I certainly won’t pay the price for the things I do.”

“We’re not done no matter what anybody says.”

Kevin Spacey has posted a video to Twitter– under the title “Let’s Be Frank”– as if he were Frank Underwood from “house of cards.” It’s his first communication since October 2017 when his sex scandals forced him out of the spotlight. Now he’s back on Christmas Eve, claiming as the character that he’s not dead– they killed him off on the series. But the piece is written as Frank and as Kevin, claiming he’s back and that maybe not all the accusations against the actor and the character were true. Very very bizarre. It’s not as if Spacey will return as Underwood on “House of Cards.” The show is over, and amazon studios– with its own issues– won’t be reviving it or making films with Spacey.

Spacey is still under investigation in various venues for accusations of sexual misconduct, which makes today’s video so much weirder. He’s also set to be arraigned in Nantucket, Massachusetts on January 7, 2019 on a charge of indecent assault and battery. A story ran in today’s Boston Globe confirming that, which may have put Spacey on the defensive. Nantucket, an island that is hard to access, will be a media frenzy on that day.

In October 2017 “Rent” actor Anthony Rapp– spurred by the Harvey Weinstein revelations– claimed that when he was a teen Spacey attacked him sexually. After that, dozens more accusations were filed, some with the police in New York, London, and Los Angeles– over Spacey’s inappropriate behavior with young men. That’s when Spacey announced what everyone from here to Pluto knew– that he was gay. And that caused a firestorm because it seemed like he was saying being gay had caused him to do bad things.

Kevin’s last previous post:

“Mary Poppins Returns” is Disney’s Third Big Live Action Disaster for 2018, With Just $31 Mil Opening Weekend

Roger Friedman
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“Mary Poppins Returns” is Disney’s Third Big Live Action Disaster for 2018, With Just $31 Mil Opening Weekend

It’s a good thing Disney bought all those other companies like LucasFilm, Marvel,  and Pixar.

Back in the actual Mouse House, it hasn’t been such a happy year for the studio’s live action films.

“Mary Poppins Returns” made just $31 million this weekend in its opening. What happened? I — and a lot of other people– thought this Rob Marshall reboot would be a smash. Marshall made a terrific film, too. But audiences have not clamored to see it. Emily Blunt and co. are wonderful. Maybe once the Christmas holiday sets in…

Disney has already had a bad time marketing these live action films. That’s not good news considering the next ones are “Aladdin” (which looks dreadful) and “The Lion King.”

This year the studio struck out with “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” and “A Wrinkle in Time.” The movies went awry in a big way during production, and the arrived to jeers.

You could almost put “Solo: A Star Wars Story” in the same category. It was from LucasFilm, but it was also an original drama with actual actors, not animated ones. Disney could not put it over, or overcome advance bad buzz that was unwarranted. It’s very similar to the “Mary Poppins” situation.

Emily Blunt has a lot of awards interest coming up– maybe that will help, too. She is delightful as Mary. Don’t miss her!

Biggest Box Office Bomb of the Year “Welcome to Marwen” Will Lose $40 Mil Plus– from Director of “Forrest Gump,” “Back to the Future,” “Cast Away”

Roger Friedman
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Biggest Box Office Bomb of the Year “Welcome to Marwen” Will Lose $40 Mil Plus– from Director of “Forrest Gump,” “Back to the Future,” “Cast Away”

Robert Zemeckis is not used to box office failure. His resume includes some of the biggest and best movies ever made: all three “Back to the Future” installments, “Forrest Gump,” “Cast Away,” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” are among his achievements.

But his new “Welcome to Marwen,” based on an odd documentary, is one of the biggest bombs of 2018– if not the biggest. The whole weekend produced just $2.4 million. Universal dumped it, and the audience responded by staying away. The budget is $40 million, but you know that number is probably closer to $50 million. And all of it will be lost.

Steve Carell and Leslie Mann star in this strange narrative take on “Welcome to Marwencol” a documentary about the true story of Mark Hogancamp, a man living with PTSD. After a physical assault, Hogancamp memory was erased so he created a fictional village to ease his pain.

Unfortunately, the whole thing just didn’t come off with Zemeckis’s uusual aplomb. Critics hated it. There was no way of describing it to the public. So “Marwen” repeats the failure of last year’s “Downsizing”– something interesting that appeals to a small group and can’t be explained.

For Zemeckis that’s three disappointments in a row, after “The Walk” (which had a $1.5 mil opening and was a bigger disaster) and “Allied,” a Brad Pitt movie everyone slept through. Zemeckis will be back, no doubt. So will Carell, who’s always good. This was just a bad concept going in.

Box Office: “Aquaman” Disappoints in US with Just $72 Mil Opening, After Worldwide Smash

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Aquaman” Disappoints in US with Just $72 Mil Opening, After Worldwide Smash

“Aquaman” is not Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman.

The DC Universe water works brought in just $72 million for the weekend (including Thursday previews). That puts it well below the top five of DC Extended Universe films, below reviled movies like “Batman v. Superman” and “Man of Steel.”

This is not good news for more “Aquaman” movies or even more DCEU films. The Warner Bros. franchise continues to have deep problems compared to the huge success of Marvel Films.

“Aquaman” doesn’t get to set any records. It falls at around number 106 on the all time list of domestic opening weekends. You can’t really trumpet that in ads or PR.

As I wrote yesterday, Warner Bros. handled this movie brilliantly. They went to China, without reviews, and just hype. They made all their money back internationally right away, knowing the tepid reviews in the US would lead to trouble here. So they’re safe no matter what happens.

Maybe now Warners can put more effort into Clint Eastwood’s “The Mule,” which already has $28 million with little fanfare. It also has growing word of mouth. Eastwood and Dianne Wiest should be nominated for Oscars. Clint should be celebrated for his subtle, fun work. His character is not a racist– even though someone’s been planting those items. “The Mule” is a substantial piece of work!

Box Office: “Aquaman” is All Wet in US Opening, With Lower Friday Returns than the Rest of the DC Universe Comic Book Movies

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Aquaman” is All Wet in US Opening, With Lower Friday Returns than the Rest of the DC Universe Comic Book Movies

Let’s be the first to congratulate Warner Bros. for smart thinking. They released “Aquaman” in China and other countries well before its US debut and scored over $332 million at the box office. I mean, that was genius.

Now reality bites in the US where “Aquaman” is not only all wet but may be in danger of drowning. Friday night returns here were $32 million, which included $13.7 million from Thursday previews and earlier showings on Amazon Prime. That puts “Aquaman” below the top 5 openings for DC Universe releases.

It’s funny, too, because I almost wrote when they announced that December 15th Amazon Prime preview that WB knew they were in trouble. And now that turns out to be correct. But they’ve got that foreign release money, so they’re safe from real trouble. But “Aquaman” will do less well than “Man of Steel” and a lot less than “Wonder Woman.” Poor DC. Things were so much better when comic books cost just 12 cents.

More bad news “Mary Poppins Returns” did $6.7 mil on Friday night. Disney dropped its five day projection to $30 million from $35 million. They’re up to $15.5 million this morning. It’s not a jolly holiday for Mary, I am sorry to say.

The new Jennifer Lopez vehicle, “Second Act,” did $2.5 million last night. Will it make $7 mil for the weekend? That’s what JLO and ARod spend on snacks.

 

 

“The Color Purple” Author Alice Walker Doubles Down on Being Anti-Semitic, Anti-Israel, Etc: Her Career is Over

Roger Friedman
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“The Color Purple” Author Alice Walker Doubles Down on Being Anti-Semitic, Anti-Israel, Etc: Her Career is Over

Alice Walker, author of “The Color Purple,” will not be eating lunch in this town or any town again.

On her website Walker has doubled down on being anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. She once again endorses anti-Semitic writer and Holocaust denier David Ickes. She also reaffirms her her support for BDS (Big, Dumb Shits) the group that protests Israel.

There’s no word yet on how her Hollywood pals Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, Oprah Winfrey feel about all this. Walker hasn’t had a best selling book in decades, so aside from her “Color Purple” publisher, no one else will care.

Walker writes: “I was asked, in writing, by the NYTs BY THE BOOK “What is on your nightstand?” I replied with the titles of the pile of books that were currently on mine; all of them in some state of read, to read, or unread. David Icke’s book, And the Truth Shall Set You Free was among them. I find Icke’s work to be very important to humanity’s conversation, especially at this time. I do not believe he is anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish.”

She adds: “I don’t know about Icke, but I am also a supporter of BDS (Boycotts, Divestment, Sanctions, now heavily under attack) as a just and justified means of ending Israeli occupation of Palestine, and ending the slaughter of Palestinians, especially children, which Israeli soldiers do with alarming frequency.” She doesn’t know what she’s talking about, of course.

Alice, let’s be frank. Only the first 75 pages of “The Color Purple” were any good. You’ve made a 30 year career out of those pages. And now they’re going up in flames. Alice, Maya Angelou is rolling in her grave.

UPDATE: One Direction’s Zayn Malik Sees New Solo Album Falls Off iTunes Chart After 10 Days, Total Sales Disaster with 2,000 Sold

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE: One Direction’s Zayn Malik Sees New Solo Album Falls Off iTunes Chart After 10 Days, Total Sales Disaster with 2,000 Sold

MONDAY AFTERNOON 12/24: Icarus fell right off the top 200 iTunes chart today. Gone.

EARLIER: It’s been a bad week for Zayn Malik, and I can only wonder what he’s thinking.

The One Direction star’s second album was released one week ago. Today it’s at number 171 on the iTunes chart. With 27 tracks, and two years of work, “Icarus Falls” is basically dead on arrival.

No one bought it, not one One Direction fan, not one Zayn fan. Total sales are fewer than 2,000, with a second total of 5,500 that includes streaming of individual tracks. A physical CD may have been released today– who knows?

Of course, six of the tracks had already been released as singles. Three more were pushed out haphazardly with the album’s release. They ALL died.

Zayn fans keep reposting something called an iTunes World Wide Chart, claiming “Icarus Falls” is number 1. I don’t know where they’re getting this from. There is no such chart. “Icarus Falls” is a bust in every country.

The album had no marketing or pre-sale, no build up. Zayn did nothing to promote it. His label, RCA, undoubtedly heard no singles, and just let Zayn put it out without fighting him. And now it’s dead.

What a week! What a shame.

Pop Music: A Year After Columbia Records Named New Chief, They’ve Had No Hits at All, With the Exception of Bruce Springsteen on Broadway

Roger Friedman
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Pop Music: A Year After Columbia Records Named New Chief, They’ve Had No Hits at All, With the Exception of Bruce Springsteen on Broadway

The first of the year will mark the anniversary of Ron Perry taking over as president of Sony’s Columbia Records. In that time, the company has had no hits, nothing. This week they boast just John Legend’s Christmas album and “Springsteen on Broadway.”

Perry was a music publisher, coming from Downtown Music. His predecessor , Rob Stringer, who moved up to run Sony Music. promised that Perry would be bringing all his acts, etc. Stringer said at the time, in a press release: “Ron is an immensely dynamic and forward thinking executive who excels at bringing the best out of artistic vision. After his enormous success in recent years, we are thrilled to have Ron join Sony Music and lead the great team and unparalleled roster at the legendary Columbia Records label.”

The only noise made all year was the signing of an unknown rapper for $4 million named Dominic Fike. I was enthusiastic and thought they might release a single. But nothing’s come out.

Sony Music suffered through 2018. They couldn’t even make a hit of Barbra Streisand’s “Walls” album. Tony Bennett and Diana Krall’s duets were a modest hit. Otherwise, Sony Music’s umbrella companies like RCA and Epic produced a couple of hits, like Khalid and Camilla Cabello. But overall, Columbia, once the gem of the ocean, sank to the bottom of the sea.

Universal Music dominates the top 50 albums presented by hitsdailydouble.com. Every once in a while you see Atlantic Records, part of Warner Music. That’s mostly thanks to Atlantic’s Pete Ganbarg, who made “Hamilton” and “The Greatest Showman” soundtracks into hits. He also gave renewed life to Kelly Clarkson.

But what will Columbia do? Certainly someone in Japan has noticed no hits on the charts or radio. Springsteen, Streisand, Bennett are legacy names but not selling albums. Beyonce is still sort of with Columbia. But her EP with Jay Z, “The Carters,” didn’t make the top 50 of the year or launch a hit single. Both Beyonce and Adele are what Columbia has to look forward to, but neither one seems to be coughing up new product soon.

Mary Poppins Day 2: Disney Faces A Bleak Christmas as Reboot Falls by $700K, Pointing to Lower than Expected Weekend

Roger Friedman
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Mary Poppins Day 2: Disney Faces A Bleak Christmas as Reboot Falls by $700K, Pointing to Lower than Expected Weekend

For all the nostalgia enthusiasts, “Mary Poppins Returns” looked like a winner. I certainly thought so when I saw it last week.

But day 2 for Mary wasn’t so good. The Rob Marshall directed musical fell by $700,000 from its opening to just $4,053,000. That’s a 16% drop.

If the musical continues in this direction, even a $35 million five day opening will be hard to reach.

Come on, kids, get out there, and see this wonderful extravaganza. What’s holding you back?

Disney does have a problem when it comes to releasing non-Marvel, Pixar, LucasFilm movies– in other words, Disney films. They already have a turkey in theaters, “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” which has made just $53 million  ($152 million worldwide).

But “Mary Poppins Returns” is a far cry from those realms. It’s delightful. The main leads– Emily Blunt, Ben Whishaw, and Emily Mortimer– are terrific. And you get to see Dick van Dyke tap dance on a desk! He’s 92!

Let’s hope things pick up tonight!

 

“Grey’s Anatomy” Creator Shonda Rhimes Doesn’t Like the Press Saying She was Lured to Netflix: “I do not follow trails of candy. I am the Candy”

Roger Friedman
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“Grey’s Anatomy” Creator Shonda Rhimes Doesn’t Like the Press Saying She was Lured to Netflix: “I do not follow trails of candy. I am the Candy”

“Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes, the Queen of ShondaLand, has taken umbrage with a story on a website called The Wrap. She’s written on Twitter: Why do reporters always say writers were “lured”? Like we’re children following a trail of candy. I created a $2B+ revenue stream for a major Corp with my imagination. I do not follow trails of candy. I am the candy.”

Right on, Shonda. The Wrap writer wrote in his article: “After luring [Shonda] Rhimes away from ABC Studios last year, Netflix begin 2018 by signing fellow uber-producer [Ryan] Murphy to an eye-popping $300 million deal, getting him to leave his own longtime home at 20th Century Fox. Netflix next enticed “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris, after he cut short his deal with ABC Studios.”

Shonda’s Tweet ranks as the Best of 2018. She’s totally right. Netflix is going for the gold– and the gold, the candy, are these content providers who turned themselves into one person studios. I feel bad that Steve Bochco is in heaven now. He did the same thing. Tyler Perry has done it, too. Norman Lear in his prime was the example of it all. He was a candy factory!

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