Francis Ford Coppola鈥檚 decades-in-the-making, self-financed epic 鈥淢egalopolis鈥 flopped with moviegoers, while the acclaimed DreamWorks Animation family film 鈥淭he Wild Robot鈥 soared to No. 1 at the weekend box office.
鈥淭he Wild Robot,鈥 Chris Sanders鈥 adaptation of Peter Brown鈥檚 bestseller, outperformed expectations to launch with US$35 million in ticket sales in U.S. and Canada theatres, according to studio estimates Sunday. 鈥淲ild Robot鈥 was poised to do well after critics raved about the story of a shipwrecked robot who raises an orphan gosling. Audiences agreed, giving the film an A CinemaScore. 鈥淲ild Robot鈥 is likely set up a long and lucrative run for the Universal Pictures release.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, predicts 鈥淭he Wild Robot鈥 鈥渕ay take a page from the 鈥楨lemental' playbook by opening to respectable box office and then looking toward long-term playability.鈥 Pixar's 鈥淓lemental," which like 鈥淭he Wild Robot" wasn't a sequel, debuted with a modest US$30 million but went on to gross nearly US$500 million worldwide.
Family movies, led by the year's biggest hit in 鈥淚nside Out 2,鈥 have particularly powered the box office this year. David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter for Franchise Entertainment, said the genre should reach US$6 billion worldwide in 2024 鈥 which, he noted, "is back to pre-pandemic levels.鈥
鈥淢egalopolis,鈥 Coppola鈥檚 vision of a Roman epic set in modern-day New York, was never expected to perform close to that level. But the film鈥檚 US$4 million debut was still sobering for a movie that Coppola bankrolled himself for US$120 million. Following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, critics have been mixed on Coppola鈥檚 first film in 13 years. Audiences gave in a D+ CinemaScore.
By any financial measure, 鈥淢egalopolis鈥 was a mega-flop. But from the start, the 85-year-old Coppola maintained money wasn鈥檛 his concern. Coppola fashioned the film, which he first began developing in the late 1970s, as a grand personal statement about human possibility.
鈥淓veryone鈥檚 so worried about money,鈥 Coppola told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of the film鈥檚 release. 鈥淚 say: Give me less money and give me more friends.鈥
Studios passed on 鈥淢egalopolis鈥 after Cannes. Lionsgate ultimately stepped forward to distribute it, for a fee. Coppola also picked up the tab for most of its US$15 million in marketing costs. The film, which stars Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel and Aubrey Plaza, also played in about 200 IMAX locations, which accounted for US$1.8 million of its ticket sales.
After three weeks atop the box office, Tim Burton鈥檚 鈥淏eetlejuice Beetlejuice鈥 slid to second place with US$16 million in its fourth weekend of release. The Warner Bros. sequel to the 1988 鈥淏eetlejuice,鈥 starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, has amassed US$250 million domestically in a month of release.
Third place went to 鈥淭ransformers One,鈥 the Transformers prequel starring Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry. After its lower-than expected debut last weekend, the Paramount release collected US$9.3 million on its second weekend.
鈥淢egalopolis鈥 was even bested by the Indian Telugu-language action film 鈥淒evara: Part 1.鈥 It grossed US$5.1 million in its opening weekend, good enough for fourth place.
Also debuting in theatres was Jason Reitman鈥檚 鈥淪aturday Night,鈥 an affectionate dramatization of the sketch-comedy institution on the night it first aired in 1975. On the same weekend the NBC series began its 50th season, Reitman鈥檚 movie launched in five New York and Los Angeles theatres and collected US$265,000, good for a strong US$53,000 per-theatre average. 鈥淪aturday Night鈥 goes nationwide in two weeks.
Republicans on Sunday sought to distance themselves from Donald Trump's latest insults of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during a rambling weekend rally in Wisconsin in which he called her 'mentally disabled.'
Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.
John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the 'Beverly Hills Cop' films, has died. He was 76.
A fire at a Georgia chemical plant apparently caused by a sprinkler head malfunction Sunday morning is forcing evacuations and road closures in the area, according to Rockdale County officials.
Migrant groups are pushing the federal government to reverse its cap on international study permits and tightening post-graduate work permit qualifications, claiming it will leave many students 'in limbo.'
South Korea's Si Woo Kim missed a birdie putt on No. 18 and lost his match to Keegan Bradley as the United States clinched another win over the International team at the Presidents Cup.
An Ottawa driver has been charged with stunt driving after being caught going 154 km/h on Highway 417, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
This Monday, Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), a federal statutory holiday and day of remembrance for the Indigenous children who never came home from Canadian residential schools, as well as those who survived them.
WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani, who pushed the company into embracing weight-loss drugs, is leaving the position after a two-and-a-half year stint.
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A commemorative rally marking the fourth anniversary of Joyce Echaquan鈥檚 death will take place in Ville-Marie on Saturday afternoon.
Alberta's premier spoke to calls for an outside, independent investigation into the death of Jon Wells during an incident involving Calgary police last week.
The union representing longshore workers at the Port of Montreal says work at two terminals could come to a standstill next week as the union served a 72-hour strike notice today.
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A fire at a Georgia chemical plant apparently caused by a sprinkler head malfunction Sunday morning is forcing evacuations and road closures in the area, according to Rockdale County officials.
U.S. President Joe Biden said he would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and believes that an all-out war in the Middle East must be avoided.
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Riding in a black SUV with tinted windows, lawyer Mariel Colon rolls up to the gates of a remote mansion, strolling past a security guard side-by-side with Emma Coronel, the wife of notorious drug lord Joaqu铆n 'El Chapo' Guzman.
Newly emerged film footage of U.S. President John F. Kennedy's motorcade speeding down a Dallas freeway toward a hospital after he was fatally wounded sold at auction Saturday for US$137,500.
Republicans on Sunday sought to distance themselves from Donald Trump's latest insults of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during a rambling weekend rally in Wisconsin in which he called her 'mentally disabled.'
The Liberal government is announcing more details on its existing strategy and funding to fight hate crimes.
Migrant groups are pushing the federal government to reverse its cap on international study permits and tightening post-graduate work permit qualifications, claiming it will leave many students 'in limbo.'
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A man from Alberta has been at the Medipal International Hospital in Kampala, Uganda for over two months with a hefty medical bill. He says he can鈥檛 leave until it鈥檚 been paid for.
More than 550 symptomatic people responded to an online questionnaire about a gastrointestinal illness at a Prince Edward Island shellfish festival last weekend.
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Canadian innovators and technical leaders gathered in Ottawa Thursday to demonstrate the latest cutting-edge technology.
SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year.
Trees haven't grown on the Falkland Islands for thousands of years. But tree trunks and branches preserved in peat suggest the islands were once home to a forest.
John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the 'Beverly Hills Cop' films, has died. He was 76.
Francis Ford Coppola鈥檚 decades-in-the-making, self-financed epic 'Megalopolis' flopped with moviegoers, while the acclaimed DreamWorks Animation family film 'The Wild Robot' soared to No. 1 at the weekend box office.
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When Annie Korver sits down with a new corporate or small business client, she encourages them to focus first on the 'truth' part of Truth and Reconciliation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday it had fined Air Canada US$250,000 for operating flights in 2022 and 2023 in prohibited Iraqi airspace.
While libraries might be stereotyped by some as boring or outdated, they鈥檝e become popular digital destinations for young viewers on TikTok.
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Matt Perrault has shipped animals in and out of Canada on behalf of owners for more than two decades, handling creatures ranging from birds to bearded dragons, rabbits and ferrets.
South Korea's Si Woo Kim missed a birdie putt on No. 18 and lost his match to Keegan Bradley as the United States clinched another win over the International team at the Presidents Cup.
When the key to a win is work ethic, it is not surprising to see Mattias Ekholm rise to the occasion. Ekholm had a goal and two assists as the Edmonton Oilers snapped a three-game skid with a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
On an eventful Saturday at the Presidents Cup, the U.S. took an 11-7 lead over an International team that saw big performances from the world's No. 1 ranked golfer, Scottie Scheffler.
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A U.S. driver somehow squeezed her vehicle through a parkade hallway at a Metro Vancouver casino Thursday, before getting stuck at an elevator bank.
More than 12,000 vehicles in Canada are included in two separate recalls by Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda.
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A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
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British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.
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A grassroots organization is calling on the provincial government to reopen the Ontario Science Centre after it was abruptly closed in June following the discovery of structural issues in the building.
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Alberta's premier spoke to calls for an outside, independent investigation into the death of Jon Wells during an incident involving Calgary police last week.
With CTV broadcasting NFL football games on Sundays this season, 麻豆传媒 at Six with Austin Lee will be broadcasting live on our website and the 麻豆传媒 App.
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A grassroots organization is calling on the provincial government to reopen the Ontario Science Centre after it was abruptly closed in June following the discovery of structural issues in the building.
RCMP are seeking tips after a church on Main Street in Loon Lake burned to the ground.
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Ontario Provincial Police remind the public that 鈥榓 case is never closed until it is solved,鈥 while highlighting the force's continued investigation of the 1996 disappearance of Melanie Ethier.
The CEO of the Ottawa Mission is responding to controversial comments made this week by Premier Doug Ford about those living in homeless encampments that received swift blowback from advocates.
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A crash between a car and motorcycle closed a portion of Oxford St. in downtown London for several hours on Sunday.
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Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.
The BSI aims to elevate Black academic excellence, promoting scholarship, mentorship, and cultural knowledge.
The fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is on Monday, Sept. 30.
British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.
A man was found dead in a home in the Ditidaht First Nation on Vancouver Island Saturday morning, prompting local council to ask residents to shelter in place.
For decades, Melven Jones couldn鈥檛 talk about what happened to him as a child. He didn鈥檛 even remember it.
Fire crews in Vernon, B.C., responded to a large house fire early Saturday morning.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
The sentencing for three men convicted of helping lead and coordinate the COVID-19 protest blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 has been delayed.
A 10-year-old boy from Lethbridge is being praised as a hero after a routine summer outing at the pool nearly turned tragic for his friend.
A man and woman have been charged after a Lethbridge ice creamery was broken into earlier this week. Staff arrived at Cookie Crimes, in the 300 block of Sixth Street South, just before 5:30 a.m. on Monday to discover the front window broken.
Ontario Provincial Police remind the public that 鈥榓 case is never closed until it is solved,鈥 while highlighting the force's continued investigation of the 1996 disappearance of Melanie Ethier.
Sault residents may notice some commotion on the Algoma University campus over the next two weeks as a team conducts an archaeological search.
The Pride crosswalk in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., has been hit by vandalism for the second time in less than three months.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people鈥檚 basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
Newfoundland and Labrador sponsored a minor football team in England, now they鈥檙e about to play one of the biggest clubs in European soccer.
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