Dejana

2010: Tron Legacy $44,026,211 | $172,062,763 (Released 12.17.10) True Grit $24,830,443 | $171,243,005 (Released 12.22.10) Little Fockers $30,833,665 | $148,438,600 (Released 12.22.10) The King's Speech $355,450 (Limited OW) | $4,484,352 (Wide OW) | $135,453,143 (Released 11.26.10, Wide 12.25.10) Black Swan $1,443,809 (Limited OW) | $8,383,479 (Wide OW) | $106,954,678 (Released 12.3.10, Wide 12.17.10) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader $24,005,069 | $104,386,950 (Released 12.10.10) Yogi Bear $16,411,322 | $100,246,011 (Released 12.17.10) The Fighter $300,010 (Limited OW) | $12,135,468 (Wide OW) | $93,617,009 (Released 12.10.10, Wide 12.17.10) The Tourist $16,472,458 | $67,631,157 (Released 12.10.10) Gulliver's Travels $6,307,691 | $42,779,261 (Released 12.25.10) How Do You Know $7,484,696 | $30,212,620 (Released 12.17.10) 2009: Avatar $77,025,481 | $749,766,139 (Released 12.18.09) Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel $48,875,415 | $219,614,612 (Released 12.23.09) Sherlock Holmes $62,304,277 | $209,028,679 (Released 12.25.09) It's Complicated $22,100,820 | $112,735,375 (Released 12.25.09) The Princess and the Frog $786,190 (Limited OW) | $24,208,916 (Wide OW) | $104,400,899 (Released 11.25.09, Wide 12.11.09) Up in the Air $1,181,450 (Limited OW) | $11,270,248 (Wide OW) | $83,823,381 (Released 12.4.09, Wide 12.23.09) Invictus $8,611,147 | $37,491,364 (Released 12.11.09) Did You Hear About the Morgans? $6,616,571 | $29,580,087 (Released 12.18.09) Nine $257,232 (Limited OW) | $5,452,513 (Wide OW) | $19,676,965 (Released 12.18.09, Wide 12.25.09) 2008: Marley and Me $36,357,586 | $143,153,751 (Released 12.25.08) Slumdog Millionaire $360,018 (Limited OW) | $4,301,870 (Wide OW) | $141,319,928 (Released 11.12.08, Wide 12.26.08) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button $26,853,816 | $127,509,326 (Released 12.25.08) Bedtime Stories $27,450,296 | $110,101,975 (Released 12.25.08) Yes Man $18,262,471 | $97,690,976 (Released 12.19.08) Valkyrie $21,027,007 | $83,077,833 (Released 12.25.08) The Day the Earth Stood Still $30,480,153 | $79,366,978 (Released 12.12.08) Seven Pounds $14,851,136 | $69,951,824 (Released 12.19.08) The Tale of Despereaux $10,103,675 | $50,877,145 (Released 12.19.08) Doubt $507,226 (Limited OW) | $5,339,742 (Wide OW) | $33,446,470 (Released 12.12.08, Wide 12.25.08) The Spirit $6,463,278 | $19,806,188 (Released 12.25.08) 2007: I Am Legend $77,211,321 | $256,393,010 (Released 12.14.07) National Treasure: Book of Secrets $44,783,772 | $219,964,115 (Released 12.21.07) Alvin and the Chipmunks $44,307,417 | $217,326,974 (Released 12.14.07) Juno $413,869 (Limited OW) | $10,634,576 (Wide OW) | $143,495,265 (Released 12.5.07, Wide 12.25.07) Charlie Wilson's War $9,656,250 | $66,661,095 (Released 12.21.07) P.S. I Love You $6,481,221 | $53,695,808 (Released 12.21.07) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street $9,300,805 | $52,898,073 (Released 12.21.07) Aliens Vs. Predator - Requiem $10,059,425 | $41,797,066 (Released 12.25.07) The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep $9,186,054 | $40,946,255 (Released 12.25.07) The Great Debaters $6,005,180 | $30,236,407 (Released 12.25.07) Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story $4,174,383 | $18,317,151 (Released 12.21.07) 2006: Night at the Museum $30,433,781 | $250,863,268 (Released 12.22.06) The Pursuit of Happyness $26,541,709 | $163,566,459 (Released 12.15.06) Dreamgirls $378,950 (Limited OW) | $14,100,050 (Wide OW) | $103,365,956 (Released 12.15.06, Wide 12.25.06) Charlotte's Web $11,457,353 | $82,985,708 (Released 12.15.06) Eragon $23,239,907 | $75,030,163 (Released 12.15.06) Rocky Balboa $12,158,168 | $70,270,943 (Released 12.20.06) The Good Shepherd $9,912,110 | $59,952,835 (Released 12.22.06) We Are Marshall $6,114,264 | $43,545,364 (Released 12.25.06) Black Christmas $3,723,364 | $16,273,581 (Released 12.25.06)

The holiday season usually leaves room for multiple success stories each year. Many people have extended time off and make several trips to the multiplex. I think Box Office Mojo's definition of holiday season ("the first Friday in November through New Year's week or weekend") is a bit broad, so to focus on movies going on wide release from mid-December to Christmas weekend, here's how they've fared domestically: 2015 (opening weekends and totals): Star Wars: The Force Awakens $247,966,675 | $936,662,225 (Released 12.18.15) Daddy's Home $38,740,203 | $150,357,137 (Released 12.25.15) Sisters $13,922,855 | $87,044,645 (Released 12.18.15) Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip $14,287,159 | $85,886,987 (Released 12.18.15) The Big Short $705,527 (Limited OW) | $10,531,026 (Wide OW) | $70,259,870 (Released 12.11.15, Wide 12.25.15) Joy $17,015,168 | $56,451,232 (Released 12.25.15) Concussion $10,513,749 | $34,542,474 (Released 12.25.15) Point Break (2015) $9,800,252 | $28,782,481 (Released 12.25.15) 2014: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies $54,724,334 | $255,119,788 (Released 12.17.14) Into the Woods $31,051,923 | $128,002,372 (Released 12.25.14) Unbroken $30,621,445 | $115,637,895 (Released 12.25.14) Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb $17,100,520 | $113,746,621 (Released 12.19.14) The Imitation Game $479,352 (Limited OW) | $7,932,292 (Wide OW) | $91,125,683 (Released 11.28.14, Wide 12.26.14) Annie $15,861,939 | $85,911,262 (Released 12.19.14) Wild $606,810 (Limited OW) | $5,389,214 (Wide OW) | $37,880,356 (Released 12.3.14, Wide 12.26.14) The Gambler $9,129,999 | $33,680,992 (Released 12.25.14) Big Eyes $3,001,738 | $14,482,031 (Released 12.25.14) 2013: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug $73,645,197 | $258,366,855 (Released 12.13.13) American Hustle $740,455 (Limited OW) | $19,106,933 (Wide OW) | $150,117,807 (Released 12.13.13, Wide 12.20.13) Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues $26,232,425 | $125,168,368 (Released 12.18.13) The Wolf of Wall Street $18,361,578 | $116,900,694 (Released 12.25.13) Saving Mr. Banks $413,373 (Limited OW) | $9,344,381 (Wide OW) | $83,301,580 (Released 12.13.13, Wide 12.20.13) The Secret Life of Walter Mitty $12,765,508 | $58,236,838 (Released 12.25.13) 47 Ronin $9,910,310 | $38,362,475 (Released 12.25.13) Walking with Dinosaurs $7,091,938 | $36,076,121 (Released 12.20.13) Grudge Match $7,021,993 | $29,807,260 (Released 12.25.13) 2012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey $84,617,303 | $303,003,568 (Release 12.14.12) Django Unchained $30,122,888 | $162,805,434 (Released 12.25.12) Les Miserables $27,281,735 | $148,809,770 (Released 12.25.12) Silver Linings Playbook $443,003 (Limited OW) | $4,079,314 (Wide OW) | $132,092,958 (Released 11.16.12, Wide 12.25.12) Jack Reacher $15,210,156 | $80,070,736 (Released 12.21.12) Parental Guidance $14,554,053 | $77,267,296 (Released 12.25.12) This Is 40 $11,579,175 | $67,544,505 (Released 12.21.12) The Guilt Trip $5,290,629 | $37,134,215 (Released 12.19.12) Monsters, Inc. (3D Re-Release) $4,774,686 | $34,043,006 (Released 12.19.12) 2011: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol $12,785,204 (Limited OW) | $29,556,629 (Wide OW) | $209,397,903 (Released 12.16.11, Wide 12.21.11) Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows $39,637,079 | $186,848,418 (Released 12.16.11) Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked $23,244,744 | $133,110,742 (Released 12.16.11) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) $12,768,604 | $102,515,793 (Released 12.21.11) War Horse $7,515,402 | $79,884,879 (Released 12.25.11) The Adventures of Tintin $9,720,993 | $77,591,831 (Released 12.21.11) We Bought a Zoo $9,360,434 | $75,624,550 (Released 12.23.11) The Darkest Hour $2,993,519 | $21,443,494 (Released 12.25.11) Of course, the more popular Thanksgiving movies are still in theaters around the holidays and Oscar hopefuls don't necessarily make the bulk of their money around Christmastime, but movies co-exist and can get an extra boost that probably wouldn't happen any other time of year. Sometimes, though, even Christmas legs can't save a flop.

People who are adopted within the same race may also grapple with looking/feeling different than other family members, wondering if strangers they encounter could be their birth parents and grandmas who'd rather not acknowledge them. Just because someone who's adopted wants to know about their biological parents, doesn't mean that person regrets being adopted. Young Randall seems to love his family very much (aside from his thorny relationship with Kevin). And not all people who are adopted long for a connection to their biological families. Still, the transracial aspect makes the adoption more obvious to everyone else, and probably leads to the child having to contend with the feelings about being adopted much more often than someone who may "pass" to the outside world.

I love the spectacle and strategy of awards season and view the results as an incidental bonus. Sometimes the campaigning helps and sometimes it's just about the role and a person wins even without going to all the events (Mo'Nique, Mark Rylance). Each season is different and it depends on the competition within the category. In the last couple of years it's been interesting to see male stars get knocked for their desperation for awards, because usually it's women who get criticized for how they carry themselves. I hope Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield are still friendly exes because they will probably be seeing a lot of each other in the next few months.

Some new footage set to a song for the movie by Imagine Dragons:

I haven't watched a lot of Christmas movies this year but saw that the latest Candace Cameron Bure effort involved time travel and gave it a shot. The "mechanics" behind the time travel were pretty flimsy (she was stuck in a toolshed during a comet?) and the lead's wonder at all the changes in the world since 1945 were kept limited to pretty benign subjects, but you don't watch a Hallmark movie for gritty examinations of gender and race and sexuality. I thought the script did a nice job balancing the heroine's fear and confusion of finding herself in a "Rip Van Winkle" predicament and the skepticism of the townspeople, while keeping the tone appropriately light yet heartwarming. The nosy Mrs. Kravitz-type character who went to the police because People Were Caroling at Christmastime! was a hoot, though I'm glad she wasn't a true obstacle at any point.

Worldwide Box Office: DOCTOR STRANGE: $410.9M Overseas | $616M Global Total FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM: $317.5M Overseas | $474M Global Total TROLLS: $155.9M Overseas | $291M Global Total INFERNO: $181.7M Overseas | $215.4M Global Total THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN: $89.4M Overseas | $164.3M Global Total JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK: $88.4M Overseas | $145.8M Global Total MOANA: $16.3M Overseas | $97.4M Global Total ARRIVAL: $30.9M Overseas | $93.2M Global Total ALLIED: $9.4M Overseas | $27.4M Global Total NOCTURNAL ANIMALS: $6.8M Overseas | $8.5M Global Total

November 25–27, 2016 Estimates: 1 (N) Moana $56,631,401 | 3,875 Theaters | $14,615 Avg. | $150M Budget | $82,080,274 2 (1) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them $45,100,000 | 4,144 Theaters | $10,883 Avg. | $180M Budget | $156,228,123 3 (2) Doctor Strange $13,369,000 | 3,008 Theaters | $4,444 Avg. | $165M Budget | $205,093,475 4 (N) Allied $13,000,000 | 3,160 Theaters | $4,114 Avg. | $85M Budget | $18,000,000 5 (4) Arrival $11,250,000 | 2,442 Theaters | $4,607 Avg. | $47M Budget | $62,387,300 6 (3) Trolls $10,340,000 | 3,322 Theaters | $3,113 Avg. | $125M Budget | $135,136,662 7 (N) Bad Santa 2 $6,106,658 | 2,920 Theaters | $2,091 Avg. | $26M Budget | $9,031,191 8 (5) Almost Christmas $5,703,600 | 1,769 Theaters | $3,224 Avg. | $17M Budget | $34,780,820 9 (6) Hacksaw Ridge $5,450,000 | 2,332 Theaters | $2,337 Avg. | $40M Budget | $52,248,382 10 (7) The Edge of Seventeen $2,960,000 | 1,945 Theaters | $1,522 Avg. | $9M Budget | $10,273,770 11 (15) Loving $1,691,000 | 421 Theaters | $4,017 Avg. | $4,063,771 12 (N) Rules Don’t Apply $1,575,000 | 2,382 Theaters | $661 Avg. | $25M Budget | $2,175,000 13 (11) Moonlight $1,300,000 | 618 Theaters | $2,104 Avg. | $5M Budget | $8,624,896 14 (21) Manchester by the Sea $1,250,294 | 48 Theaters | $26,048 Avg. | $1,651,933 15 (9) The Accountant $1,042,519 | 556 Theaters | $1,875 Avg. | $44M Budget | $83,208,893 16 (N) Dear Zindagi $977,928 | 154 Theaters | $6,350 Avg. | $4.4M Budget | $1,397,133 17 (8) Bleed for This $949,898 | 1,549 Theaters | $613 Avg. | $6M Budget | $4,253,602 18 (18) Nocturnal Animals $816,000 | 126 Theaters | $6,476 Avg. | $22.5M Budget | $1,668,834 19 (13) Jack Reacher: Never Go Back $370,000 | 345 Theaters | $1,072 Avg. | $60M Budget | $57,425,613 20 (12) Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween $353,000 | 339 Theaters | $1,041 Avg. | $20M Budget | $72,858,654 The Eagle Huntress $278,292 | 64 Theaters | $4,348 Avg. | $923,643 Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk $210,000 | 1,176 Theaters | $179 Avg. | $40M Budget | $1,593,724 Lion $128,368 | 4 Theaters | $32,092 Avg. | $128,368 Elle $123,256 | 36 Theaters | $3,424 Avg. | $9.1M Budget | $404,756 A Man Called Ove $110,296 | 81 Theaters | $1,362 Avg. | $3,017,322 Miss Sloane $63,000 | 3 Theaters | $21,000 Avg. | $18M Budget | $63,000

Florence attended Monday night's show and appeared in Maureen's Brady Bunch-themed routine earlier this season. Of course, she also competed in Season 11. I think she's the first former DwtS (US) contestant to pass away. Sad news.

It seems to me that Nowalk had a handful of characters under serious consideration to be #UnderTheSheet, with him seeing the most story potential in Wes for quite some time, but also realizing it would be the biggest risk. So, Nowalk kind of wavered and tried to talk himself out of the idea that scared him the most as a writer and into...IDK, Nate or Connor or whoever else was in the running, but ultimately decided to go through with it being Wes. Still, Nowalk could have balked at doing it: I remember JK Rowling revealing later on that she'd planned to kill off a specific character in one of the Harry Potter books but couldn't bring herself to go through with it and let the person live. She killed off another character later on to try to make up for wimping out on the (IMO) bolder move. As much as I think there was more story potential with Wes among the living (I figured he was bound to have at least one tawdry/inappropriate hookup with Annalise before the series ended), I like that Nowalk didn't just take the safe route and kill the most expendable character. Down the road, though, you wonder what the show will do in order to top itself. It can be a perilous trap for TV writers, leaving a show that's all twists and no story.

Didn't hear that about Olivia's mother, thanks for the info! The show has a lot of work to do, to show me why Rebecca was ever won over by Miguel.

If Olivia is British why does she have childhood Thanksgiving traditions? Did I miss that she has an American/Canadian parent or grew up somewhere where it's a big holiday? Olivia and Toby should get together, neither seems to have any boundaries.

November 18–20, 2016 Estimates: 1 (N) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them $75,000,000 | 4,144 Theaters | $18,098 Avg. | $180M Budget | $75,000,000 2 (1) Doctor Strange $17,676,000 | 3,694 Theaters | $4,785 Avg. | $165M Budget | $181,542,877 3 (2) Trolls $17,500,000 | 3,945 Theaters | $4,436 Avg. | $125M Budget | $116,214,533 4 (3) Arrival $11,800,000 | 2,335 Theaters | $5,054 Avg. | $47M Budget | $43,370,799 5 (4) Almost Christmas $7,034,610 | 2,379 Theaters | $2,957 Avg. | $17M Budget | $25,415,350 6 (5) Hacksaw Ridge $6,750,000 | 2,883 Theaters | $2,341 Avg. | $40M Budget | $42,854,292 7 (N) The Edge of Seventeen $4,825,000 | 1,945 Theaters | $2,481 Avg. | $9M Budget | $4,825,000 8 (N) Bleed for This $2,357,946 | 1,549 Theaters | $1,522 Avg. | $6M Budget | $2,357,946 9 (6) The Accountant $2,115,000 | 1,423 Theaters | $1,486 Avg. | $44M Budget | $81,252,018 10 (7) Shut In $1,600,000 | 2,006 Theaters | $798 Avg. | $10M Budget | $6,036,645 11 (13) Moonlight $1,583,433 | 650 Theaters | $2,436 Avg. | $5M Budget | $6,739,483 12 (8) Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween $1,175,000 | 1,171 Theaters | $1,003 Avg. | $20M Budget | $72,167,821 13 (9) Jack Reacher: Never Go Back $1,000,000 | 1,110 Theaters | $901 Avg. | $60M Budget | $56,669,185 14 (31) Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk $930,000 | 1,176 Theaters | $791 Avg. | $40M Budget | $1,086,611 15 (16) Loving $854,000 | 137 Theaters | $6,234 Avg. | $1,737,088 Nocturnal Animals $494,000 | 37 Theaters | $13,351 Avg. | $22.5M Budget | $494,000 Manchester by the Sea $241,230 | 4 Theaters | $60,308 Avg. | $241,230 I Am Not Madame Bovary $202,000 | 38 Theaters | $5,316 Avg. | $202,000 The Take $39,000 | 100 Theaters | $390 Avg. | $39,000 A Street Cat Named Bob $35,070 | 25 Theaters | $1,403 Avg. | $35,070 Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened $22,573 | 2 Theaters | $11,287 Avg. | $22,573 Worldwide Box Office: DOCTOR STRANGE: $390M Overseas | $571.5M Global Total TROLLS: $145.1M Overseas | $261.3M Global Total MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN: $174M Overseas | $259.8M Global Total FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM: $143.3M Overseas | $218.3M Global Total INFERNO: $178.5M Overseas | $211.8M Global Total BRIDGET JONES’S BABY: $185.5M Overseas | $209.9M Global Total THE ACCOUNTANT: $57.3M Overseas | $138.5M Global Total JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK: $80.2M Overseas | $136.8M Global Total DEEPWATER HORIZON: $52.4M Overseas | $113.2M Global Total OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL: $44.7M Overseas | $79.5M Total ARRIVAL: $21.8M Overseas | $54.2M Global Total BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK: $22.6M Overseas | $23.6M Global Total

Interesting...triplet pregancies can be rough, plus they would be accumulating far more baby stuff than normal, so they'd probably have to let on to family/friends/bosses about having multiples at least. Could they have gotten away with telling people it was twins, during the pregnancy? My wild long-range speculation is that Kate becomes a famous or famous-ish singer in an Adele, Norah Jones sort of mold. An opportune turn at karaoke or office party performance goes viral, the right people see and offer a contract. Or maybe in a bit of cross-promotion, she ends up on The Voice. :) Rebecca and Kevin would have to deal with their jealousy.

November 11–13, 2016 Estimates: 1 (1) Doctor Strange $43,032,000 | 3,882 Theaters | $11,085 Avg. | $165M Budget | $153,014,169 2 (2) Trolls $35,050,000 | 4,066 Theaters | $8,620 Avg. | $125M Budget | $94,014,315 3 (N) Arrival $24,000,000 | 2,317 Theaters | $10,358 Avg. | $47M Budget | $24,000,000 4 (N) Almost Christmas $15,563,695 | 2,376 Theaters | $6,550 Avg. | $17M Budget | $15,563,695 5 (3) Hacksaw Ridge $10,770,000 | 2,971 Theaters | $3,625 Avg. | $40M Budget | $32,259,321 6 (6) The Accountant $4,570,000 | 2,342 Theaters | $1,951 Avg. | $44M Budget | $77,725,755 7 (N) Shut In $3,700,000 | 2,058 Theaters | $1,798 Avg. | $10M Budget | $3,700,000 8 (4) Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween $3,550,000 | 2,104 Theaters | $1,687 Avg. | $20M Budget | $70,408,079 9 (7) Jack Reacher: Never Go Back $3,320,000 | 2,584 Theaters | $1,285 Avg. | $60M Budget | $54,581,711 10 (5) Inferno $3,250,000 | 2,656 Theaters | $1,224 Avg. | $75M Budget | $31,582,015 11(8) Ouija: Origin of Evil $1,783,000 | 1,538 Theaters | $1,159 Avg. | $9M Budget | $34,293,090 12 (9) The Girl on the Train $1,677,000 | 1,008 Theaters | $1,664 Avg. | $45M Budget | $73,380,130 13 (11) Moonlight $1,360,802 | 176 Theaters | $7,732 Avg. | $5M Budget | $4,778,462 14 (10) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children $1,245,000 | 955 Theaters | $1,304 Avg. | $110M Budget | $85,192,107 15 (12) Keeping Up with the Joneses $550,000 | 510 Theaters | $1,078 Avg. | $40M Budget | $14,276,578 Loving $532,000 | 46 Theaters | $11,565 Avg. | $740,191 Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk $120,000 | 2 Theaters | $60,000 Avg. | $40M Budget | $120,000 Elle $56,012 | 2 Theaters | $28,006 Avg. | $9.1M Budget | $56,012 Worldwide Box Office: DOCTOR STRANGE: $339.6M | $492.6M Global Total MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN: $173M Overseas | $258.1M Global Total TROLLS: $128.3M Overseas | $222.2M Global Total BRIDGET JONES’S BABY: $183.1M Overseas | $207.2M Global Total INFERNO: $171M Overseas | $202.5M Global Total THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN: $71.9M Overseas | $145.3M Global Total THE ACCOUNTANT: $50.9 Overseas | $128.6M Global Total JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK: $73M Overseas | $127.5M Global Total OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL: $41.7M Overseas | $75.9M Global Total ARRIVAL: $10.2M Overseas | $34.2M Global Total BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK: $13.2M Overseas | $13.3M Global Total

Yeah, this was always supposed to be a temporary thing, like Tina coming back to play Palin, except...

I think the beneficiaries will be La La Land for its light escapism and Arrival may be viewed as very timely, with its themes about communicating with vs. attacking outsiders who are different from us. Many musicals are light on plot, so what they are about is less important than how they go about it, and songs/clips/stills are the sorts of things that generate interest. I started following the progress of La La Land back when it was going to star Emma Watson and Miles Teller, and people were instantly excited for a new musical that wasn't based on a Broadway show. Throw in that Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are not only a big casting upgrade but that they have fans as an onscreen pairing and are reuniting, not to mention the festival reviews, and the LLL anticipation makes perfect sense to me.

Yeah, Young Kate was probably starting to work out that if she'd reached the limits of kids' sizes at Age 8 that when she grows up, maybe she's not going to get twirled around and told how light she is, like Mommy. Culturally, there can be a lot of expectations for a girl to resemble her mother, especially when that mother is considered very attractive. It can really sting for the child if she isn't regarded the same way, and you don't have to be very old to tell which girls are thought to be pretty and which ones aren't. It doesn't matter to everyone of course, but it clearly did for Kate as a little girl. I worry about the young actress portraying her. I love how TV makes Career Day such a big deal, with the parents and kids having so much anxiety about not having a cool enough job to impress the class, as if no other kid's parent will also have a boring job, or sketchy job, or no job at all for the time being. Of course I went to public schools on the "bad" side of town, so maybe my teachers just skipped Career Day to spare everyone the embarrassment?

November 4–6, 2016 Estimates: 1 (N) Doctor Strange $84,989,000 | 3,882 Theaters | $21,893 Avg. | $165M Budget | $84,989,000 2 (N) Trolls $45,600,000 | 4,060 Theaters | $11,232 Avg. | $125M Budget | $45,600,000 3 (N) Hacksaw Ridge $14,750,000 | 2,886 Theaters | $5,111 Avg. | $40M Budget | $14,750,000 4 (1) Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween $7,800,000 | 2,234 Theaters | $3,491 Avg. | $20M Budget | $64,990,055 5 (2) Inferno $6,250,000 | 3,576 Theaters | $1,748 Avg. | $75M Budget | $26,057,930 6 (4) The Accountant $5,950,000 | 2,688 Theaters | $2,214 Avg. | $44M Budget | $70,858,194 7 (3) Jack Reacher: Never Go Back $5,580,000 | 3,079 Theaters | $1,812 Avg. | $60M Budget | $49,240,000 8 (5) Ouija: Origin of Evil $3,982,965 | 2,380 Theaters | $1,674 Avg. | $9M Budget | $31,372,215 9 (6) The Girl on the Train $2,774,750 | 1,572 Theaters | $1,765 Avg. | $45M Budget | $70,732,115 10 (7) Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children $2,100,000 | 1,710 Theaters | $1,228 Avg. | $110M Budget | $83,334,389 11 (16) Moonlight $1,330,000 | 83 Theaters | $16,024 Avg. | $5M Budget | $3,084,698 12 (8) Keeping Up with the Joneses $1,140,000 | 1,064 Theaters | $1,071 Avg. | $40M Budget | $13,355,236 13 (9) Storks $1,040,000 | 1,155 Theaters | $900 Avg. | $70M Budget | $70,007,504 14 (10) Ae Dil Hai Mushkil $800,000 | 296 Theaters | $2,703 Avg. | $10M Budget | $3,636,565 15 (11) Deepwater Horizon $795,000 | 783 Theaters | $1,015 Avg. | $110M Budget | $59,964,138 Loving $169,000 | 4 Theaters | $42,250 Avg. | $169,000 The Eagle Huntress $53,848 | 4 Theaters | $13,462 Avg. | $66,810 Worldwide Numbers: DOCTOR STRANGE: $240.4M Overseas | $325.4M Global Total MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN: $170.1M Overseas | $253.4M Global Total BRIDGET JONES’S BABY: $178.3M Overseas | $202.4M Global Total INFERNO: $159.3M Overseas | $185.3M Global Total SULLY: $61.9M Overseas | $185.2M Global Total TROLLS: $104M Overseas | $149.6M Global Total THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN: $69.9M Overseas | $140.6M Global Total JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK: $62.7M Overseas | $111.9M Global Total THE ACCOUNTANT: $38.5M Overseas | $109.3M Global Total OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL: $33.1M Overseas | $64.5M Global Total

I figured JKR was so insistent about British actors because it wasn't always a sure thing that the movies would have a British setting or live actors: Steven Spielberg wanted to do an animated version, reportedly with Haley Joel Osment in the title role. Fantastic Beasts was still made in the UK so casting British actors is probably easier (no visa issues) and less expensive and if it's like other UK productions, there are probably stipulations that a certain percentage of the cast has to be from there. That doesn't explain Johnny Depp though it sounds like he was brought on before the abuse allegations. I suppose they could always recast but it would be awkward and Hollywood tends to be a fairly forgiving place for powerful men. Grindelwald in this series would be much older than he was for the DH flashbacks where JCB played him. Also, the production is probably Team Bonnie after their busted engagement. But no, really, JKR made comments about wizards having longer natural lifespans and Dumbledore being past a hundred during the books. She put his year of birth as 1881 so that very special summer with Grindelwald happened in 1899. However, the HP movies don't seem to have been set in the 1990s like the books were, so wouldn't that shift the ages of the older characters as well?

Johnny Depp is in the sequel. Speculation is that he could be playing Can't say this development piques my already-meager interest in checking out the series. My memories of him from DH are hazy at the moment but he was blond as a teen and Bathilda Bagshot was his great-aunt, which was why he was sent to live with her after he got expelled from Durmstrang. His first name is Gellert. It had been previously revealed in the series that Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald in 1945, and DH disclosed that the latter was alive and held in another wizard prison that had a name close to Nuremberg, so...yeah.

Shame about Kate and Rebecca. Every time I see William now, I worry it will be his last scene and he's going to die in his sleep. Kevin's co-star looks like Emily Blunt crossed with Emma Watson.

Angels & Demons dropped off from The Da Vinci Code, and Inferno is coming seven years later still. The franchise definitely peaked with all the Da Vinci mania in the last decade. The Da Vinci Code (2006) $217,536,138 Domestic | $540,703,713 Overseas | $125M Budget | $758,239,851 Worldwide Angels & Demons (2009) $133,375,846 Domestic | $352,554,970 Overseas | $150M Budget | $485,930,816 Worldwide Maybe if they hadn't skipped The Lost Symbol, there would have been another Robert Langdon movie years ago. I wonder if the plot could have been seen as a bit too much like National Treasure, and maybe the studio was wary about how the ending would go over with US movie audiences, even more than the other books. A movie in 2012 would have made less than A&D, but probably not this much less. For Inferno, they kept the budget lower than before, probably anticipating diminished returns. The other two films were released in May, though I don't know if it would have made that much of a difference.

October 28–30, 2016 Estimates: 1 (1) Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween $16,675,000 | 2,299 Theaters | $7,253 Avg. | $20M Budget | $52,019,343 2 (N) Inferno $15,000,000 | 3,576 Theaters | $4,195 Avg. | $75M Budget | $15,000,000 3 (2) Jack Reacher: Never Go Back $9,550,000 | 3,780 Theaters | $2,526 Avg. | $60M Budget | $39,679,177 4 (4) The Accountant $8,475,000 | 3,402 Theaters | $2,491 Avg. | $44M Budget | $61,257,172 5 (3) Ouija: Origin of Evil $7,067,440 | 3,168 Theaters | $2,231 Avg. | $9M Budget | $24,636,065 6 (5) The Girl on the Train $4,274,395 | 2,758 Theaters | $1,550 Avg. | $45M Budget | $65,922,875 7 (6) Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children $3,975,000 | 2,797 Theaters | $1,421 Avg. | $110M Budget | $79,879,180 8 (7) Keeping Up with the Joneses $3,375,000 | 3,022 Theaters | $1,117 Avg. | $40M Budget | $10,779,313 9 (9) Storks $2,785,000 | 1,901 Theaters | $1,465 Avg. | $70M Budget | $68,244,612 10 (N) Ae Dil Hai Mushkil $2,135,000 | 302 Theaters | $7,070 Avg. | $10M Budget | $2,135,000 11 (10) Deepwater Horizon $2,100,000 | 2,054 Theaters | $1,022 Avg. | $110M Budget | $58,360,245 12 (8) Kevin Hart: What Now? $1,668,765 | 1,656 Theaters | $1,008 Avg. | $9.9M Budget | $21,897,320 13 (11) The Magnificent Seven $1,325,000 | 1,330 Theaters | $996 Avg. | $90M Budget | $91,210,526 14 (12) Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life $1,225,000 | 1,295 Theaters | $946 Avg. | $8.5M Budget | $18,450,071 15 (13) Sully $940,000 | 855 Theaters | $1,099 Avg. | $60M Budget | $122,357,965 Moonlight $900,826 | 36 Theaters | $25,023 Avg. | $5M Budget | $1,471,619 I’m Not Ashamed $440,000 | 516 Theaters | $853 Avg. | $1.5M Budget | $1,627,984 Mr. Donkey $81,350 | 20 Theaters | $4,068 Avg. | $81,350 Worldwide Totals: THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS: $501M Overseas | $867.4M Global Total MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN: $163.6M Overseas | $243.4M Global Total BRIDGET JONES’S BABY: $167.7M Overseas | $191.8M Global Total STORKS: $93.2M Overseas | $161.4M Global Total INFERNO: $132.7M Overseas | $147.7M Global Total THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN: $52.9M Overseas | $122.3M Global Total JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK: $54.2M Overseas | $93.8M Global Total DOCTOR STRANGE: $86M Overseas/Global Total THE ACCOUNTANT: $20.7M Overseas | $81.9M Global Total TROLLS: $61.7M Overseas/Global Total OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL: $19.1M Overseas | $43.7M Global Total A MONSTER CALLS: $21.8M Overseas/Global Total AE DIL HAI MUSHKIL: $10.7M Overseas | $12.8M Global Total

I don't think critics should have to know the source material to give a proper review to a film; an adaptation should work its own merits and be able to stand alone as a coherent narrative, even to people who've never read the book. I haven't read The Girl on the Train but for all that it was a bestseller, it also has detractors and at times gets knocked as a lesser Gone Girl. And GG (an adaptation with much better reviews and box office than TGOTT) got fewer nominations than expected Oscar morning, so even in a less competitive year for Best Actress, Emily Blunt would probably be out of luck. Blunt's personal reviews are very strong but Tate Taylor directing a lurid thriller always made me wary. It's one thing for a so-so biopic or family drama to get nominations anyway, but other genres have a higher bar to clear, given the biases about what sorts of movies are truly "Oscar-worthy".