Category: Articles

Apr
13

Captain America Soars Past Rio 2’s Singing Macaws to Second B.O. Win

StudioSystemNews.com — While the family crowd turned out in good form this weekend it wasn’t enough to perch the 3D animated musical comedy Rio 2 at the top the box office leaderboard. Instead, Disney’s Marvel superhero movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier kept its place on the pedestal at number one.

The ninth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that took the record as April’s biggest opening ever added another $41.4 million to its current $159 million domestic total. It’s worldwide total now stands at $476 million.

Apr
06

Captain America Sequel Ascends to New Box Office Record

StudioSystemNews.com — Disney’s Marvel superhero movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier soared to record-breaking heights at the weekend box office.

The film, which is the sequel to 2011?s Captain America: First Avenger and the ninth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe earned a gripping $96.2 million. That qualifies as April’s biggest opening ever beating out the 2011 action film Fast & Furious 5 ($86.1 million). The number also tops this year’s The Lego Movie, which earned $69 million in February and Disney’s last Marvel superhero film 2013?s Thor: The Dark World, which premiered to an eye-popping 85.7 million.

The critics have been kind to The Winter Soldier, with 89 percent of reviewers recommending it. The film stars Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Anthony Mackie and features Robert Redford in a part that plays homage to his roles in 1970s thrillers such as Three Days of the Condor. Joe and Anthony Russo directed the movie, which cost $170 million to make and made its debuted in 3,938 theaters, many of which were 3D.

Its predecessor, Captain America: The First Avenger debuted to over $65 million and ultimately went on to earn $176.6 million.

Captain America is the latest to prosper from the 2012 comic book ensemble The Avengers, which earned $623 million in 2012 and has supported continuing tales from the all-star team, which includes Thor and Iron Man.

Mar
14

Sebastian discusses ‘Once Upon A Time’ Mad Hatter return: ‘Never say never’

Zap2it.com — Sebastian Stan has his hands full with his role of Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that doesn’t stop fans from clamoring to have him back on “Once Upon A Time.” His last appearance as The Mad Hatter was in the 2012 episode “The Doctor,” and he says a return likely won’t happen any time soon.

“It’s a hard question to sort of answer,” Stan tells Zap2it while promoting “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” “I really enjoy that character and I have a lot of fun, and I enjoyed both of the showrunners and everyone on the show. Never say never. It’s very possible. At the moment, it’s not really on my radar, but you never know. I remain a big fan of everybody there.”

He does think that there is story left to be told with that character, though he says that any questions about what storylines those could be should be directed to “OUAT” creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis.

“There’s so many possibilities there,” Stan says of The Mad Hatter. “One of the things those guys did so well — out of the many things — is they just reinvented all of those characters in a new way. They reintroduced them to a whole new generation. The Mad Hatter was never like that in just the cartoon. It remains to be seen.”

“Once Upon A Time” airs Sundays on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/PT. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” hits theaters on April 4.

Feb
04

Sebastian Stan More Than Meets the Eye in Broadway’s Picnic

You can check out Seb’s entire interview over at PLAYBILL.COM

How did Picnic come about for you? Were you actively looking for more theatre work?
Sebastian Stan:
I actually met up with our director Sam Gold about two years ago — in L.A. of all places. I’d heard such great things about him. He didn’t know at the time when or if it was going to happen, but we started discussing Picnic. Then I read the play and thought it was great. I love the ’50s and grew up loving works from that time period and from those great playwrights. Fortunately, the timing worked out, and we were able to do the play together two years later.

So you were already buffing up to reprise your role as Bucky Barnes in the “Captain America: The First Avenger” sequel, “Captain America: Winter Soldier.”
SS:
Yeah. And it’s funny, because everyone’s had very different reactions to my physique. Somebody who came to see the show said to me, “Don’t you think you’re in too good of shape for this? No one looked like that in the 1950s.” But I watched a lot of movies from that time period. Because Paul Newman had been in the original Broadway production of Picnic, I watched a lot of Paul Newman movies like “Cool Hand Luke” and “The Long, Hot Summer,” where he played a homeless drifter, and he was in incredible shape — ripped, tan, and glistening. So I didn’t find myself to be out of line when I was physically preparing for the role.

You were only 12 when you moved to the United States. That’s not exactly the most ideal age to be different.
SS:
Yeah, it was an interesting time. I really didn’t want to be different at all. I lost my accent — although it still comes out every once in a while — but I just wanted to be like everyone else. It took me a few years to finally realize that I should actually embrace where I come from, because it’s something that sets me apart. In my head, that’s sort of what Hal’s trying to do too. Hal’s desperately trying to be someone he thinks he should be and someone he thinks will fit it. Finally, he comes across someone, Madge, who basically says, “Listen, dude, calm down and stop trying to be someone else, because I like you for you.” The peace of mind he discovers at the end of the play is that it’s OK to own who you are.