Film fans aren't afraid of watching women take the lead, a new study as found. Movies with women in leading roles take in more at the box office than their male counterparts, according to a new study by Creative Arts Agency and shift7. The survey examined 350 top box office films from 2014 to 2017, defining "lead actor" as the first performer credited in official press materials. 105 of them were women. In every category broken down by budget, films with women in the lead role outperformed those starring men. CAA agent Christy Haubegger told the New York Times: "The perception that it's not good business to have female leads is not true. They're a marketing asset." Join Indpendent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent With an Independent Minds subscription for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best … [Read more...] about Films with female leads earn more at the box office, study finds
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“Bohemian Rhapsody” tops box office in spite of mixed reviews
NEW YORK — Never mind the critics. "Bohemian Rhapsody," starring Rami Malek as late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, shrugged off production troubles and mediocre reviews to debut with $50 million in weekend ticket sales in U.S. and Canada, and another $72.5 million internationally, according to studio estimates Sunday. That was well beyond expectations, which had pegged the film closer to $35-40 million in its opening weekend. "Rhapsody" currently holds only a 60 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But audiences rushed to theaters to see the widely praised performance by Malek, the "Mr. Robot" star, and to hear Queen's foot-stomping anthems like "We are the Champions," ″Another One Bites the Dust" and the operatic title song. The movie, which Bryan Singer directed before being replaced by Dexter Fletcher, at times has an almost concert-like feel, including a lengthy re-creation of the band's 1985 Live Aid performance. Singer admitted that he and Malek initially … [Read more...] about “Bohemian Rhapsody” tops box office in spite of mixed reviews
‘Crazy Rich Asians’ tops box office again
Rom-com "Crazy Rich Asians" proved its staying power in North America, topping the box office for the second weekend running, according to industry data released on Monday. The Warner Brothers adaptation of Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel of the same name took $24.8 million, a tiny, almost unheard-of, six percent drop on its $26.5 million debut, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said. Starring veteran actress Michelle Yeoh, British-Malaysian former BBC host Henry Golding and American sitcom star Constance Wu, the film tells the story of a American economics professor who meets her super-wealthy boyfriend's family in Singapore. It is the first major studio release with a mostly Asian cast since "The Joy Luck Club" in 1993. Shark attack thriller "The Meg" clung on to the runner-up spot for another week, taking $12.8 million -- a significant tumble from last week's earnings of $21.2 million. It stars action movie regular Jason Statham as a rescue diver who tries to save scientists … [Read more...] about ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ tops box office again
Better with age? Cruise’s latest ‘Impossible’ tops box office
Improbable? Maybe, but "Mission Impossible -- Fallout," the sixth and latest stunt-filled edition of the Tom Cruise action franchise has topped the weekend box office in North America, outperforming the five earlier "Impossibles." The Paramount/Skydance production took in an estimated $61.5 million for the three-day weekend, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations, more than quadrupling the $15 million earned by second-place "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again." "Impossible" has 56-year-old Cruise, who famously still does his own cliff-hanging, car-rolling stunts, ordered to track down some missing plutonium and find a terror-minded villain. Critics seem to like the film despite its evident weaknesses: Though "often ridiculous," the Washington Post wrote, the film "works amazingly well." Universal's "Mamma Mia" clung to the second spot for a second straight weekend, though its take was nearly 60 percent below its opening. With a star-studded cast including Meryl Streep, Amanda … [Read more...] about Better with age? Cruise’s latest ‘Impossible’ tops box office
Second time lucky for Denzel, whose new film tops box office
Superstar Denzel Washington had never made a sequel in a career reaching back nearly four decades, but when he did, with the Sony/Columbia production of "The Equalizer 2," it managed to open at the top of the North American box office. With estimated ticket sales of $35.8 million for the three-day weekend, "Equalizer" edged out another new sequel, star-studded "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again," according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations. In his new film, Washington again plays a former black-ops agent -- and now soft-spoken Lyft driver -- who is drawn back into action to avenge a friend's death. Director Antoine Fuqua also made "Training Day," which earned Washington a best actor Oscar nod. Industry watchers had expected Universal's "Mamma Mia!" to open atop the box office, but its ticket sales of $34.4 million were "by no means a disappointment" at 22 percent above the original film's opening, according to Hollywood Reporter. With a star-studded cast -- including Meryl Streep, … [Read more...] about Second time lucky for Denzel, whose new film tops box office