Fast Franchise, Marvel and DC Prepare for Potential $4 Billion Box-Office War
Hollywood is preparing for what could become one of the most lucrative and crowded starts to the summer movie season in years, with three of the industry's biggest franchises scheduled to release major films within just six weeks of one another.
The current schedule places Fast & Furious 8 on April 12, 2019, Marvel Studios' Avengers: Infinity War on April 26, 2019, and DC's World's Finest on May 24, 2019.
If all three films perform near expectations, analysts believe their combined worldwide box office could comfortably exceed $4 billion, creating one of the most extraordinary stretches of blockbuster competition Hollywood has seen in years.
For audiences, it could be a feast. For their wallets, perhaps less so.
The first film into theaters will be Fast & Furious 8 on April 12. The franchise remains one of the most commercially reliable properties in Hollywood, particularly overseas, where its increasingly spectacular action sequences have helped transform it into a global phenomenon.
However, of the three films entering this crowded period, Fast 8 is widely regarded as the most vulnerable.
Fast & Furious 7 was an enormous financial success, and many fans expected it to mark the end of the franchise, but it seems that was not to be the case. Far from it. The franchise remains enormously popular, and even skeptics are likely to turn up for another round of cars doing things cars were never designed to do. But Fast 8 will have only two weeks to dominate the marketplace before one of the most anticipated superhero films ever made arrives.
On April 26, Marvel launches Avengers: Infinity War. Of the three releases, it remains the safest bet to become the largest worldwide hit.
Marvel Studios has spent years building toward this moment. Characters from across the MCU are finally being brought together against Thanos in what has been marketed as the culmination of virtually everything the franchise has established so far.
Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and many more. The scale alone would make Infinity War a major event, but the sense that Marvel's entire cinematic universe has been moving toward this confrontation has elevated anticipation considerably beyond that of a normal Avengers sequel.
At this point, the question is no longer whether Infinity War will make $1 billion. The real question is how far beyond it can go.
Then comes DC. World's Finest arrives on May 24, almost exactly one month after Infinity War, and until recently it was difficult to judge just how large the film might become.
That changed yesterday when the newly released teaser exploded across social media, dramatically increasing expectations for George Miller's Superman and Batman team-up.
Marvel may have the advantage of a decade-long interconnected story reaching its climax, but DC possesses something equally difficult to manufacture.
Superman and Batman. Together. They remain arguably the two most famous superheroes ever created, and World's Finest is being marketed heavily around the idea that audiences will finally see them share a full adventure as partners rather than simply crossing paths.
Add George Miller directing and the expanding DCU behind it, and the film suddenly looks capable of rivaling Justice League, which made more than $2.5 billion worldwide last year.
Even relatively conservative performances would put the three films around the $4 billion mark collectively.
A stronger-than-expected run from either superhero release could push the total considerably higher. The larger question is whether they will hurt one another.
Fast 8 has only fourteen days before Infinity War arrives and begins taking premium screens. Infinity War then has roughly four weeks before World's Finest enters the market. That gives Marvel considerably more breathing room than the Fast franchise, but Infinity War is expected to still be earning substantial amounts when Superman and Batman arrive.
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r/boxoffice
Posted by u/toothsome_saucer
FAST Franchise, Marvel and DC Prepare for Over $4 Billion Box-Office War
[Article Link]
April 12: Fast & Furious 8
April 26: Avengers: Infinity War
May 24: World's Finest
This is going to be absurd. Three massive franchises within six weeks. The article thinks the combined worldwide total could clear $4 billion pretty easily.
u/unhealthy_sharpness
If Daniel Adler hadn't stepped away from the Fast franchise after 7, he would've been involved in two of these three movies.
u/embarrassedconfidant3 replies
Damn, I forgot Adler wrote the last three Fast movies. It's things like that which really show how good of a writer he is. The man basically changed the entire direction of that franchise. They went from street racers stealing DVD players to international criminals doing heists for governments and intelligence agencies.
Like, WTF.
u/PlayfulImprisonment replies
Nah, Adler ruined it. It should've stayed grounded. Street racing and small-time crime were way more interesting than cars jumping between skyscrapers.
u/haltingnucleus7 replies
You are an idiot if you think the Fast franchise becoming what it is now is somehow a bad thing just because Adler turned it up to 11. Fast Five is still one of my favorite action movies ever. That movie is perfection. It found the exact point where the franchise stopped pretending to be realistic and just became awesome.
u/embarrassedconfidant3 replies
Exactly. Whether you like the direction or not, the franchise became infinitely bigger after that shift.
u/generally_ill_clutches replies
I still just can't believe Daniel Adler wrote three Fast & Furious movies. You would think someone of his caliber would stay away from stuff like that.
u/weehomer replies
You mean Daniel Adler, creative head of the DCU, who has also written multiple superhero movies? The same superhero movies supposedly plaguing Hollywood these days?
u/generally_ill_clutches replies
There's obviously a difference between The Dark Knight and Fast & Furious.
u/Panelreen replies
Film snobs can keep pretending superhero movies are beneath them, but people clearly love them.
u/BoxOBat replies
Exactly. You can dislike superhero movies. Totally fair. But acting like the genre is some cultural disease when audiences keep showing up in ridiculous numbers is getting old.
u/PrestigeOnlyPlease replies
Box office doesn't equal quality.
u/CapeFatigueIsFake replies
Are you saying movies like Superman and The Dark Knight are bad movies, then? Oh boy, you may need to rethink some things.
u/leafy_grocer
Honestly, I think the article is underselling it. These three could combine for $5 billion. Infinity War is basically guaranteed $2 billion. World's Finest could hit $2 billion too if that teaser hype holds. Then Fast 8 does another billion. There you go.
u/RevenueReality replies
"Guaranteed" is doing a lot of work here. I think Infinity War has the strongest chance at $2B, but saying both superhero movies are guaranteed is wild.
u/leafy_grocer replies
It's World's Finest, a movie with both Superman and Batman directed by George fucking Miller. It's going to make a lot more than $1 billion.
u/desertedwords0
The dominance of the MCU and DCU right now is kind of insane. And if the MCU is starting to wrap up a lot of its current characters after Phase 3, imagine what DC's position could look like going forward.
u/fatallies192 replies
The MCU is barely done. Fantastic Four, X-Men, and a ton of other characters are obviously coming eventually. But I do agree DC might have more of an edge for a little while if Marvel starts retiring or reducing some of its established heroes after Phase 3.
DC's big names are still mostly in the middle of their arcs.
u/NimbleRebirth
Daniel Adler is not writing Fast 8? Damn. Game's gone.
u/ERtamily69 replies
He abandoned family.
u/NimbleRebirth replies
Vin Diesel will never forgive him.
u/QuarterMileScholar replies
Adler leaving after 7 honestly makes sense, though. 7 already felt like the natural endpoint of his run.
u/SuerMovtcy
My wallet looking at:
Fast 8
Infinity War
World's Finest
"I'm tired, boss."
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r/Games
DC'S FINEST: Launch Roster, Classes, Gameplay Details + Open Beta Coming Soon
u/Watcveaks
We finally have a lot more information about DC's Finest after yesterday's reveal trailer, including the launch roster, how matches actually work, and apparently an open beta coming soon.
From everything shown, and from what people who played the closed test are saying, this is basically DC's answer to the growing hero-shooter genre, but it is doing quite a few things differently from Overwatch.
The biggest difference is that it is a third-person 6v6 hero shooter rather than first-person. Every character has a completely unique moveset built around their powers, and mobility seems MUCH more important than in most current shooters.
Superman can actually fly.
Batman can grapple onto buildings and glide.
Green Lantern creates constructs.
Flash can run across large parts of the map in seconds.
The environments are also partially destructible. Superman, Shazam, Doomsday, and other heavy characters can smash through certain walls, floors, and structures instead of always being forced through doorways. Some maps can apparently change significantly during a match.
There are also Team-Up abilities between particular characters. Having certain heroes together can unlock additional attacks or passive bonuses. The developers are apparently trying to make these useful without making specific pairings mandatory.
That's 26 playable characters at launch.
The maps confirmed or shown so far include Gotham, Metropolis, Themyscira, Apokolips, the Fortress of Solitude, and the Watchtower.
The open beta is apparently coming soon, with more details expected in the next few weeks.
u/BaanBeget
26 CHARACTERS AT LAUNCH???
Holy shit.
I expected like 12.
u/EeedFordict
I played the closed test. Flash is fucking ridiculous. Not overpowered necessarily, but it actually feels like you're playing Flash instead of a normal shooter character who happens to have a speed ability. You can run around an entire fight, hit someone, disappear, come back from another direction, and then get absolutely annihilated because you forgot Wonder Woman was watching you.
10/10.
u/Derwatcran replies
This is just another Overwatch clone.
u/SpeedForceAddict replies
It really isn't.
I've put like 900 hours into Overwatch. The basic genre is obviously similar, but actually playing them feels completely different. Third person changes everything, the maps are much more vertical, characters have way more mobility, and the destructible environments matter constantly.
u/NEBlployee
The Warden thing actually interests me. If they really avoid turning support into "stand behind Superman and heal him for ten minutes," I'm interested.
u/Xailkertfg replies
Played Saint Walker in the closed test. He can heal, but that's honestly not the main thing. Most of the time I was giving shields, boosting teammates, and locking down areas. His ultimate basically turns your team into absolute psychopaths for a few seconds.
u/Serordhere
Where is Hal???
u/Cctnjoyer replies
Probably coming later. John is the DCU's current main Lantern, so obviously they're launching with him.
u/Gfooster20
BOOSTER GOLD SUPPORT CHARACTER???
u/Eldoomo
I'm calling it now. Launch is going to be a disaster. Servers explode. Superman has a 70% pick rate. Half the roster is broken. Everyone complains. Game dies in six months.
u/Reteste3
Played 18 hours of the closed test. Servers weren't perfect, but the actual game was fun as hell. It could absolutely still die because online games are unpredictable, but the core gameplay is there.
u/Ionreno
Wait no joker wasnt he in the trailer???
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@GothamCentral
Just finished The Penguin and honestly, that was a lot of fun. More importantly, it made me way more excited for Suicide Squad. Gotham feels even more fleshed out now with all these different villains, gangs, territories, and weird criminal ecosystems. Penguin, Black Mask, Scarface, Zsasz, Pyg, all of them made Gotham feel so much bigger. It also fleshed out Nightwing and Robin quite a bit.
But I have one question.
Whatever happened to Batgirl? She was basically teased in The Dark Knight, wasn't she? Are we ever actually getting her in the DCU?
@Dapheory
Pretty sure Adler forgot about her lol.
@GothamCentral
That would be hilarious considering how much he usually plans ahead.
@Lafeyales
I doubt he forgot. Feels more like they just haven't found the right project for her yet. Wouldn't shock me if she shows up in the next Batman movie.
@Wraclase
There hasn't even been any real mention of Barbara Gordon since The Dark Knight. At this point, I honestly think that might have been her last appearance.
@Patgyer
And that would be such a waste. We have a whole Penguin show, meanwhile Barbara gets one appearance and vanishes.
@Lothatinuity
This is my one big criticism of The Penguin. It was the PERFECT place to introduce her. You already have Batman gone, Dick and Jason trying to keep Gotham under control, and the criminal world exploding. Having Barbara start getting involved somewhere in the middle of that would have made complete sense.
DCU fumbled that one.
@Koplisan
Especially because Sophie Lillis was a really good casting choice. She was young in The Dark Knight, sure, but she's older now and could actually grow into the role properly. Feels weird to cast someone with potential and then just never use her again.
@Caheory
It would actually be cool if she's been doing stuff offscreen and then we find out about it later.
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@Ellenora
You're telling me World's Finest has:
Henry Cavill as Superman with his entire shirt ripped off. Jensen Ackles as Batman with half the Batsuit hanging off him. AND Jason Momoa looking like that???
Yeah, this movie is absolutely going to have one of the most female-heavy superhero audiences ever recorded.
[Trailer stills: shirtless Superman, battle-damaged Batman, Lobo on his bike]
@Mariaof34
I suddenly understand the importance of cinema as an art form.
@Girlinerd
Okay, I never really got into these movies, and my boyfriend loves them, but I think I'm starting to like them. I'm going to ask him what movies I should watch before seeing this.
@Doxarbie
People keep talking about Infinity War vs World's Finest at the box office. I'm just saying, one of those films has shirtless Henry Cavill, Jensen Ackles, and Jason Momoa. I think DC wins this one.
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Late October 2018
I stood in front of the mirror while two members of the costume department finished adjusting the dark wool coat around my shoulders.
The clothes were plain, the kind of thing a musician hired by House Frey might wear without drawing attention to himself. A faded doublet, heavy boots, and a dark cloak.
"Too tight anywhere?"
I moved my shoulders, then lifted both arms.
"No, no. It's perfect."
She made one final adjustment to the collar before letting me go.
I looked at myself in the mirror again.
Not exactly how I had imagined spending my morning. Then again, I had been the guy who decided it would be funny to appear as one of the musicians during the Red Wedding.
I left the dressing area and headed toward the main stage.
The set was enormous.
The Frey great hall had been built across one of the largest stages available to the production, with long wooden tables running through the center, raised galleries above, thick stone columns, and banners hanging from the rafters. The entire place had been designed with the coming massacre in mind, and stunt teams had been rehearsing the larger fight sequences for days.
The Red Wedding in the show was going to happen much closer to the version I had written in the books.
It was not simply going to be Robb, Catelyn, and a few others dying while everyone else was slaughtered offscreen.
The Freys would attack the entire Stark party at once.
Dacey Mormont, the Smalljon, several northern lords, and their retainers would all be trapped inside the hall as the doors closed and the killing began.
It was going to be much bloodier than the version I remembered.
Cal was standing near the central camera setup when I found him, speaking with the cinematographer while several assistants moved around him.
I walked over.
"So, when are we doing this?"
Cal turned and looked at me.
For a moment, he simply stared.
Then he smiled.
"Nice beard."
"Why, thank you. I've finally found my true calling," I said as I motioned toward the crew member walking over with a fiddle.
The crew member handed me the instrument.
For the last three days, Cal had insisted that someone teach me how to hold the fiddle and move my hands convincingly enough that the audience would not immediately realize I had no idea what I was doing. Cal was obsessive about details like that. He did not want the camera catching me moving the bow like I was sawing through a piece of wood while "The Rains of Castamere" played perfectly over it.
So I had learned the basic posture, where my fingers should move, how the bow should travel, and enough of the timing that I could fake it for a few seconds at a time.
Around us, the cast was preparing.
Richard Madden stood near the head table while Jennifer Ehle, playing Catelyn, spoke with one of the assistant directors. Hannah Mangen Lawrence, playing Jeyne Westerling, was nearby, while dozens of other actors playing Freys, northerners, guards, musicians, servants, and household retainers moved into position.
There were a lot of people here whose final day on Game of Thrones had arrived.
Before filming began, Cal climbed onto the edge of the raised platform and looked toward me.
"Daniel, you want to say something?"
I glanced around the hall.
Everyone was watching.
"Sure."
I stepped forward, still holding the fiddle.
"Well, this is awkward because I'm the reason most of you are about to die horribly."
That earned immediate laughter.
I looked around at the cast.
"The series has made this story much bigger than it ever was before, and now there are millions of people who have no idea what is coming."
"There are viewers out there who genuinely believe Robb is going to win the war."
More laughter.
"A lot of fan-favorite characters are going to die here, and I think when this episode airs, there are going to be people sitting in front of televisions all over the world wondering what the hell they just watched."
I turned toward David Bradley, the actor playing Walder Frey.
"And you, sir, are probably about to become one of the most hated men on television."
He laughed.
"I've been preparing."
"The same applies to the rest of the Freys. I apologize in advance for whatever people shout at you in public."
Several of them laughed.
Then I looked back toward everyone.
"You've all been incredible. Some of you have been here since the first season, and others joined us later, but you helped make this world feel real. So thank you for everything you've done, and for being willing to spend your final day covered in fake blood because I am a very murderous author."
That got another laugh.
"Seriously. Thank you."
The room applauded.
Cal clapped once loudly.
"All right, let's do this."
The set immediately came alive again.
We began with the wider shots that included the musicians.
I took my place with the others along the gallery while Cal positioned the cameras to capture the hall below. He eventually moved closer to the musicians and filmed individual shots of our hands, our faces, the bows moving across strings, and the northern guests slowly realizing what song was being played. Then came the shots of the musicians disappearing and bowmen taking their place.
After several takes, Cal walked over to me.
"That's everything I need from you."
I handed the fiddle back to the crew member.
The rest of the day became increasingly complicated as filming of the Red Wedding began, and it all played out beautifully.
As I watched, all I could think about was June.
In June, millions of people were going to sit down and watch the season finale.
Some would probably know what was going to happen.
But millions would not.
They would watch Robb arrive at the Twins believing the story was heading toward another stage of his war.
Then this would happen.
It was going to be glorious.