Showing posts with label Jurassic World: Dominion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jurassic World: Dominion. Show all posts

Classifications 2022: Four blockbusters; KGF - Chapter 2 emerges as the top film

9:56 AM

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2022 witnessed a year of blockbusters. Here's the list of top-grossing Indian films worldwide.
Box Office India Trade Network

The first half of the year has been a mixed bag with films that got appreciation doing phenomenally well while the rejected ones doing phenomenally bad. The huge problem has been that most films have been dead on arrival with a double digit opening now being actually becoming a task when before it was expected for most cast films.

The general picture for cinemas has been boosted by a couple of films from the South and a few Hollywood films so overall the picture is not so bad. But when it comes to the original Hindi content, the story is not good and obviously the industry is aware. But this is the story across all film industries in India and contrary to the media theory, we might actually be in a better position than the other film industries as the problem here is the content that is presented as cinema which is not the case with other film industries in India.

The biggest blockbuster came from the South in the form of KGF - CHAPTER 2 and the difference with this film was that the story format may have been as other South films but the shot taking and look of the film was very contemporary. The film, content wise, was not as strong as BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION but for the male mass audience this film may have had more than the Prabhas-starrer as collections in many of the smaller centres were as strong as BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION if not better.

As far as original Hindi films are concerned, the biggest film was THE KASHMIR FILES, though this film got a lot of support from various sections including political to push it to a huge final box office number. Even if the support was not there, it would have still have managed to do well. The other blockbuster was BHOOL BHULAIYAA 2 which was like a lifesaver for the industry and showed a regular commercial entertainer can still work when good. GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI emerged a HIT film while JUGJUGG JEEYO also did well in certain centres and was an average fare overall. 

The South had another blockbuster with RRR but there were so many other South dubbed films in the first six months and they all bit the dust. Hollywood had winners with the Marvel films DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS and THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER while JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION did pretty well. THE BATMAN and TOP GUN: MAVERICK did respectable business considering the situation. 

At present a flop theatrical tag is not actually that bad of a result as its just one disaster after another one. BADHAAI DO and ROCKTERY: THE NAMBI EFFECT (Hindi) are in this bracket.

The classifications for the first six months of 2022 is as follows.

All Time Blockbuster
KGF - Chapter 2 (South)

Super Blockbuster
The Kashmir Files

Blockbuster
RRR (South)
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

Super Hit
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness (Hollywood)

Hit
Gangubai Kathiawadi
Thor: Love And Thunder (Hollywood)

Semi Hit
Jurassic World: Dominion (Hollywood)

Average
JugJugg Jeeyo

Below Average
The Batman (Hollywood)
Top Gun: Maverick (Hollywood)

Flop
Badhaai Do
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (South)

Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 730

10:10 AM

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SMALL HINDI FILM AND DISNEY ANIMATION ADVENTURE TO TRY ITS LUCK AT THE BOX OFFICE IN THIS DRY WEEK

Last week, there were 2 major releases at the box office, namely Jurassic World: Dominion and Janhit Mein Jaari. As expected, Janhit Mein Jaari’s buzz was limited and word of mouth was strictly okay. Hence, its collections have been poor and its lifetime numbers are expected to be Rs. 4-5 crores. Meanwhile, Jurassic World: Dominion is having a great run. Its advance bookings were low and hence, many felt that it wouldn't open well. Surprisingly, on Friday, ticket sales picked up and the film ended up collecting Rs. 35.50 crores in 3 days (including paid previews on Thursday). On the weekdays, it is steady at lower levels though as the reports are mixed.

And in the second week too, Jurassic World: Dominion will be the dominant film as the new releases don’t seem exciting. The biggest Hindi release is Nikamma. It stars Abhimanyu Dassani and Shirley Setia along with Shilpa Shetty in a supporting role. It is directed by Sabbir Khan of Heropanti and Baaghi fame and is an official remake of the hit Telugu film, Middle Class Abbayi. The trailer gives the impression that it is a fun-filled masala entertainer. However, the trailer has not got unanimous appreciation. Songs haven’t worked as well, including the remix of ‘Nikamma’. As a result, the buzz is very limited.

Last week, Janhit Mein Jaari opened at Rs. 40 lakhs. It remains to be seen if Nikamma opens better than that. Due to the action quotient, it can have an advantage in B and C centres.

The other major release tomorrow is Lightyear. It is a spin-off of the Toy Story film series and serves as an origin story of the character of Buzz Lightyear. It is produced by Disney and Pixar and these production houses enjoy a considerable following in India and the same goes for Toy Story. However, being an animation film and also a niche fare, Lightyear won’t be a huge grosser in our country like a Jurassic World or a Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Toy Story 4, which was released exactly 3 years ago, had opened at Rs. 72 lakhs and ended up collecting Rs. 7.59 crores in its lifetime. Lightyear can open in the same range or maybe better and then can have good growth on Saturday and Sunday. In other words, Lightyear can open better than Nikamma and can even do better than the Abhimanyu Dassani starrer in the long run.

Finally, there’s Ittu Si Baat, which will also be released in cinemas on June 17. It is produced by Luka Chuppi and Mimi director, Laxman Utekar. The star cast is unknown and the film has no awareness. As a result, it’ll sink without a trace.

(Crisp) Movie Review: JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION by FENIL SETA

2:58 PM

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A lot of expectations are riding on Jurassic World: Dominion, especially after how the last part, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, had ended. Sadly, the last part of the Jurassic saga doesn’t give you your money’s worth. A few scenes are rocking and the thrill factor due to the fear of the attack of the dinosaurs has been maintained in many places. Also, to get the characters from the first three parts and to see them interacting with the modern-day characters makes for a fine watch. However, the storyline is not at all convincing, especially the bit that dinosaurs have entered into human civilization. Moreover, the villain track is weak and utterly stupid. It’s shocking how such characterization for the antagonist even got approved. Speaking of performances, Chris Pratt is, as expected, too good and the same goes for Bryce Dallas Howard. Isabella Sermon puts up a confident act. Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill are great and try their best to up the entertainment quotient. DeWanda Wise (Kayla) is quite cool as the badass pilot and leaves a huge mark. Mamoudou Athie (Ramsay Cole) is great. All in all, Jurassic World: Dominion is an average film. Not quite a fitting finale for this legendary film franchise!

My rating - ** ½ out of 5!

Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 729

10:26 AM

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WILL JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION TURN OUT TO BE THE FIRST RS. 100 CRORE GROSSER IN THIS FRANCHISE?

The coming Friday and the next won’t be that significant when it comes to Bollywood films as only small and mid-sized films will try their luck. The film that everyone has set their eyes on is Jurassic World: Dominion. It will have paid previews today from 4:00 pm onwards and a full-day release from tomorrow. It is the sixth and final film in the Jurassic Park franchise. The fifth part, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had ended on a high, showing dinosaurs escaping and entering the forests and urban areas. As a result, there is a lot of excitement and curiosity to see what happens next. Even otherwise, the series has always been a favourite among Indian audiences. The first film in this franchise, which was released in 1994, was the first Hollywood blockbuster in India. Ever since all the Jurassic Park movies have done well.

Jurassic World, which was released in 2015, did a huge business of Rs. 90.62 crore. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, meanwhile, ended its run in India with collections amounting to Rs. 82.81 crore. As a result, the trade and industry expect Jurassic World: Dominion to cross the Rs. 100 crore mark.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had a full-day release on Thursday. On Day 1, it collected Rs. 5.50 crore followed by Rs. 7 crore on Friday. On its first Saturday and Sunday, its collections went upto Rs. 11.50 crore and Rs. 13.25 crore respectively. Since Jurassic World: Dominion has only paid previews, the collections on Thursday are expected to be in the range of Rs. 1 crore. Tomorrow, that is on Friday, the collections should be fair, in the range of Rs. 5 to 7 crore. If word of mouth is positive, the collections will be in double digits on Saturday and Sunday and hopefully more than what Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had collected in its first weekend way back in 2018. Last week’s Samrat Prithviraj has underperformed. Hence, Jurassic World: Dominion has a clean run till June 24 and can excel at the box office. However, if its word of mouth is not positive, its collections won’t go beyond Rs. 60-65 crore.

The other major release of the week is Janhit Mein Jaari, starring Nushrratt Bharuccha in the central role. It is written and produced by Raaj Shaandilyaa, the director and writer of Dream Girl. It tells the story of a small-town girl who markets condoms for a living and how it leads to trouble in her life. The trailer is funny and the one-liners are quite witty. However, the buzz is very limited. The makers have come up with an interesting idea to attract viewers. They have introduced an offer wherein viewers will be able to watch the film at just Rs. 100 at any theatre in India on day 1. The offer is valid for all normal seats except the recliner and luxury seat class. The makers faced a bit of a tough time in implementing it. Ultimately, while most theatres have decided to sell the tickets at Rs. 100 or Rs. 112, a few premium ones have priced the tickets at Rs. 150. It remains to be seen if this strategy helps in increasing footfall.

Films are one of the last shared experiences we all have as a community-Chris Pratt

8:13 AM

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Kritika Kapoor (BOMBAY TIMES; May 12, 2022)

Almost three decades ago, before he even knew he wanted to be an actor, Chris Pratt saw Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park in 1993. “I remember watching dinosaurs on screen and Sam Neil, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum just be stars and play these characters that were very impactful on me as a youngster. And then cut to today, and I am now one of the faces of this franchise!” says Pratt, who still seems to find the whole thing incredulous, even after starring in three films of the Jurassic World franchise.

The first installment, Jurassic World, came out in 2015 – when Pratt was fresh off the success of Guardians Of The Galaxy and The Lego Movie, having barely begun his innings as a Hollywood leading man – and was instrumental in catapulting him to global stardom.

Now, Jurassic World: Dominion will mark the end of this series, and this chapter of his life – a fact that he’s visibly sentimental about as he tries to sum up his feelings over a Zoom call. “I am not sure I’m able to digest what this franchise has really meant to me, and it will probably take the rest of my life for me to be able to comprehend just what an impact it has had on my life, personally and professionally,” he says.

Ahead of the film’s release, the actor talks to us about his final tryst with the dinosaurs, why big theatrical films continue to be an escape in ‘a dangerous and scary world’, and his experience of working with the late Irrfan, whom he considers to be a ‘rare combination of strength in softness’.

There’s a particularly funny dialogue at the end of the trailer, mouthed by Jeff Goldblum, with reference to the dinosaurs – ‘Why do they always have to go bigger?’. That’s also true for the scale this movie is mounted on and the stakes that are much higher this time around. How does it feel to shoulder the pressure of this franchise that keeps getting bigger, and in which your jumping off point – the original 1993 movie – was a masterpiece to begin with?
I think, at the time (with Jurassic World), there was a lot of pressure to get it right, to make sure that we were telling a story that deserves to be told – that it was not just a gratuitous or cynical trip back to the well... and to find a reason to tell a story in a compelling way that feels fresh. And Colin (Trevorrow, director) absolutely had that with Jurassic World. It made perfect sense. Then the second film (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) had a little bit of trouble, since it was important that we use that as a hinge to get to this point where we can actually tell this story about not a fake Jurassic World, but a real Jurassic World. In the third film, we are dealing with the proliferation of the dinosaurs around the world, and dinosaurs not just as a creature or a monster that’s dangerous, but also the genetic technology and what that could mean for a money-hungry global corporation. It’s not just about bringing back the animals – that if they get out of their cage, could eat one or two people – it’s something completely different, more diabolical. Its threat is existential. So now, we’ve really earned this story.

The dinosaurs have always carried a deeper meaning, and been a metaphor for real-world issues. This time, there’s also a mention of climate anxiety and coexistence between two species. What do they symbolize for you?
They essentially symbolize an existential threat... in the hands of the wrong people. I mean, these days, god, dare I say it? It resembles any sort of threat. Is it nuclear arms or the extinction of wonderful species through loss of habitat? Is it global warming? Or, sadly, is it COVID? Is it war? These days, it feels like there’s any number of existential threats that parallel this film. And all we can hope is that sometimes we can learn our lesson, and expect that in order to do so, there’ll be some suffering. And that’s part of the reason that these films really resonate, not only because of the lessons they teach, but also because the world in itself is dangerous and always has been. And amidst that it’s beautiful to take two hours and go park your a** in a theatre somewhere, in a room full of strangers that if you knew who they were, you might not even like them. But it’s one of the last, shared community experiences we all have. You’re in the dark, you’re not on your phone, you don’t know who the person next to you is. You don’t know what their politics are, what their philosophies are about life, you don’t need to know. All you know is that you’re next to each other and you’re both jumping at the same moments, you’re both laughing at the same moments, crying at the same moments – it’s a big epic film. And so, in a world that’s dangerous and scary, there’s this escape – and it’s through entertainment, art, popcorn. We could all use those two hours off our phone.

The first film in the franchise – Jurassic World – featured one of India’s most celebrated actors...Irrfan Khan.
Yes, Irrfan, as Simon Masrani, the billionaire owner of the amusement park

What was your experience of working with him?
He was just such an elegant man... like, down to his fingernails. There was just an elegance about him. He was also so powerful. It’s really a rare combination for there to be such strength in softness. And that’s what I would call elegant – he could do very little, and still he would be doing so much. Just by his sheer presence, and his sheer charisma, that he would bring to a role. One tiny flick of an eyebrow, or one tiny little move, was so powerful (sighs).

Being the final film of the franchise, it has a lot of nostalgia packed in it. A lot of the OG cast members (including some dinosaurs) are returning this time. How was it reliving those Jurassic Park memories as a kid, and being in the middle of all the action as an adult?
It was surreal. You know, it’s no secret, I was a big fan of Jurassic Park growing up. And Sam Neil, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum have come back! Not only is it a grand endorsement of what we have done in the previous films, but also it’s an opportunity for me to work with some of my idols. The film is epic in size, scope and scale. It has the feeling of Avengers: Infinity War or the most recent Spider-Man. We’re bringing characters back and watching them interact with one another on screen, it’s like visiting a family you haven’t seen in – you know – 30 years, and what are they up to now. At the same time, through the course of shooting the film amid really strict COVID restrictions, we all became very close, and got to know a lot about each other, developed intimate relationships with one another, the ‘real us’ – the real Chris, the real Sam, Laura, Jeff, Bryce (Dallas Howard) and all of our new wonderful cast members – we just got very close. So it’s hard to describe it all in one word – I would say, surreal, but ultimately it also comes down to ‘sentimental’. I am feeling emotional right now... as it’s coming to an end. I’m trying to savour every second.

During your stint with the Jurassic Park franchise, you’ve met your fair share of dinosaurs. Are there any you’d count as your favourites? Which are the ones you definitely wouldn’t mess with?
I wouldn’t mess with any of them! (laughs) My favourites – gosh! – you know, I’m a sucker for the Velociraptor. There’s this new version of the Velociraptor called the Atrociraptor – which is just a diabolical, killing weapon. There’s a couple of really funny ones – that are kind of cute! (laughs) There’s one called a Pyroraptor – which has bright red feathers, and so it’s unlike any other dinosaur I’d seen before, and also answers this criticism that seemed to be a groundswell from certain dinosaur experts who were really hung up on the idea that none of the dinosaurs had feathers, ‘because (real) dinosaurs would have had feathers’. So they get paid off in that, like, ‘okay, there is one’ – and it’s pretty creepy looking. And then there’s the Gigantosaurus, which is the biggest land carnivore to have ever existed. It’s a lot of dinosaurs! We battle on sea, we battle on ground and we battle in air!

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Hollywood resumes shoot with stringent safety measures

8:16 AM

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Nicole Sperling and Brooks Barnes | NYT (BOMBAY TIMES; August 19, 2020)

After months of lockdown, as industries across the globe revise pre-Coronavirus work protocol to suit the new normal, Hollywood, too, is making a comeback. Jurassic World: Dominion, one of the first major Hollywood studio films, is leading the way with a 107-page safety manual detailing all necessary precautions to prevent infection.

UNDERSTANDING PROTOCOLS
Before agreeing to return to Pinewood Studios outside London, the film’s cast grilled producers and executives through a series of Zoom calls and emails about the precautions being taken. Bryce Dallas Howard, who’s been a major part of other films in the series, says she now knows how to attach her microphone before filming — she does it herself outside, with help from her dresser, as a boom operator in a mask and a shield instructs them. “Until now, actors were not really included in prep,” Howard says, referring to the moviemaking process as “a need-to-know-business”. “But in order to get any of us on a plane, we had to thoroughly understand the protocols, who was involved, and hear second and third opinions. We are the guinea pigs who are taking the leap.”

A CLOSED SET
The production is divided into two categories. The larger has departments that don’t need access to the set during filming, like construction and props. The more exclusive category, called the Green Zone, includes the director, cast and essential crew, like camera operators and the sound department. The result, Howard says, is comparable to a “closed set,” which in pre-pandemic times was used for intimate scenes.

The sets are fogged with an antiviral mist before use. The chairs actors sit in are surrounded by orange cones to remind people to remain socially distant. There are numerous sinks, and each time someone leaves or enters the Green Zone, they must wash hands. The aim is to keep everyone healthy, and thinking less about the coronavirus. “We are able, for this little moment, to be in the world we’re creating and leave the rest of the world behind,” director Colin Trevorrow says. “After being on set, us actors hope these protocols stay in place,” Howard adds, saying, “Nothing feels like a redundancy; nothing feels annoying. It is in a sense a safety reckoning that still feels like a good idea in a post-COVID-vaccine world.”
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SAFETY PRECAUTIONS TAKEN ON THE SET

- Infrared temperature scanners

- Vacuum-sealed meals served by masked workers standing behind plastic partitions in a takeout-only cafeteria

- Division of the production team into two units and creation of a Green Zone

- Fumigation of set with antiviral mist

- Social distancing maintained on set using orange cones

- Washing hands mandatory while leaving or entering Green Zone
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PRE-SHOOT MEASURES

- Medical agencies consulted for testing guidance, one doctor and four nurses present on set all the time

- An entire hotel was rented for the team

- Those involved with the production were each quarantined for 14 days upon arrival. After that, they were free to roam the hotel

- The cast is tested every Monday, Wednesday and Friday

- Every scene is rehearsed and all questions are answered in the hotel beforehand instead of on the set

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