'Mulan' goes on, Bond waits as Hollywood tracks virus spread

LOS ANGELES -- Walt Disney Co. held a red carpet premiere for its action epic "Mulan" on Monday, pushing ahead with the movie's rollout even though the coronavirus spread will keep the film out of China, the second-largest film market, indefinitely.

At the moment, film studios have decided the show must go on at movie theaters in most of the world. The major exception is James Bond thriller "No Time to Die," which producers moved to November from April.

Studio executives are closely watching the spread of the coronavirus and the upcoming film calendar. Summer blockbuster season is scheduled to kick off May 1 with Disney's Marvel adventure "Black Widow," followed by a new "Fast and Furious" spectacle from Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures, a "Top Gun" sequel from ViacomCBS Inc.'s Paramount Pictures, and other big-budget action flicks.

If the coronavirus keeps people at home or shuts more theaters, it would threaten box office receipts during Hollywood's most lucrative season. Movie theaters are closed across China and Italy and in part of France.

The situation puts movie studios in "uncharted waters," said Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution at AT&T Inc's Warner Bros. studio.

Warner Bros. has not delayed any film openings, Goldstein said, "but we have an open mind. We will have to look at everything and see how it unfolds."

The National Association of Theatre Owners said moviegoing remained healthy in most areas and cinemas will remain open "in line with local conditions."

This past weekend, ticket sales in the United States and Canada, the world's biggest box office market, rose 1.2 percent from a week earlier to $100.7 million, according to measurement firm Comscore.

"Right now, I haven't seen any discernible impact at the (U.S. and Canadian) box office," said Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

"Mulan," a $200-million live-action remake of Disney's animated classic, has been expected to rank as one of the company's biggest hits of the year.

The movie was tailored to appeal especially to the Chinese market. The story centers around a Chinese heroine, features an all-Asian cast, and was filmed partly in China. The central character is played by Yifei Liu, a film and TV actress well known in China.

It is unclear when Chinese movie theaters will re-open. The movie is set to debut in the United States on March 27.

"My heart goes out to everybody in China and around the world that is affected," "Mulan" director Niki Caro said on the red carpet on Monday. "When we do have the opportunity to bring this movie back home to China, it's going to be the most wonderful celebration."

"Mulan" was made for "a global audience," producer Chris Bender said at the premiere. "We want everybody to see it."

Dergarabedian said "Mulan" will be an important test of moviegoing amid the coronavirus outbreak. "This is a situation that is changing day by day," he said.

In the meantime, studios are moving ahead. On Monday, Disney released a new trailer for "Black Widow" starring Scarlett Johansson as the popular Avengers character. The trailer said the movie's release date remained May 1.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Scarlett Johansson tops Forbes best-paid actress list for 2nd year

LOS ANGELES, United States—Superhero Black Widow is a woman at the top of her game, and so is the actress who plays her—Scarlett Johansson is the world's highest paid actress for the second year in a row, according to Forbes' annual ranking published Friday.

Johansson, 34, earned $15.5 million more than she did in 2018, primarily due to the immense global success of "Avengers: Endgame"—the final chapter of the saga—for which she earned $35 million.

The actress will take up the Black Widow mantle again in 2020 for an eponymous spin-off film.

But even though Johansson and her cohorts on the list all earned more than $20 million, pay inequality is alive and well in Hollywood. Johansson earned $56 million total over the past year, but that amount lands her at only eighth place for the combined list of highest-paid actors and actresses.

For comparison, Robert Downey Jr., Johansson's "Avengers" costar, earned about $55 million for his turn as Iron Man in "Endgame."

According to the Forbes ranking of highest-paid actors in the world, published Wednesday, Downey Jr. comes in at third place with $66 million total, behind fellow Avenger Chris Hemsworth ($76.4 million) and Dwayne Johnson ($89.4 million).

For the women, second place goes to Sofia Vergara, an industry veteran but a newcomer to the list. The "Modern Family" sitcom star earned $44.1 million between June 1, 2018 and June 1, 2019.

She is followed by Reese Witherspoon ($35 million) and Nicole Kidman ($34 million), costars on the series "Big Little Lies."

Jennifer Aniston, who came in third in 2018 mainly due to advertising campaigns for major brands, has been relegated to fifth place with a mere $28 million for the year. The former "Friends" star—a show which also featured a guest appearance from Witherspoon—stars in a new series for Apple's on-demand web television service.

Other new list arrivals include Elisabeth Moss, boosted by the series "The Handmaid's Tale," and Australian actress Margot Robbie.

Angelina Jolie, who was number 2 on the list in 2018, did not make the cut this year, along with Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Lawrence.

The top 10:

1. Scarlett Johansson ($56 million)

2. Sofia Vergara ($44.1 million)

3. Reese Witherspoon ($35 million)

4. Nicole Kidman ($34 million)

5. Jennifer Aniston ($28 million)

6. Kaley Cuoco ($25 million)

7. Elisabeth Moss ($24 million)

8. Margot Robbie ($23.5 million)

9. Charlize Theron ($23 million)

10.Ellen Pompeo ($22 million)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Scarlett Johansson gets Hollywood star

LOS ANGELES - Scarlett Johansson was honored with her own star on Hollywood's storied Walk of Fame on Wednesday, saying it proved she must have "made it to the big time."

The 27-year-old star, who reprises her role of the Black Widow in the latest Marvel Comics blockbuster "The Avengers," was joined by co-star Jeremy Renner at the ceremony.

"When I was told I was getting this star, I thought to myself, man, I really made it to the big time," said Johansson, dressed in a figure-hugging black and white ensemble with dizzying geometric patterns.

"You know, no matter what happens from here on out, I made my mark, I'm here to stay, and my family for generations to come will always be able to visit me right here, always. What a deeply, deeply touching gift," she added.

Johansson, star of "The Horse Whisperer," "Girl with a Pearl Earring," and "Lost in Translation," first played the Black Widow in 2010's "Iron Man 2" starring Robert Downey Jr.

Renner, who co-stars as Hawkeye in "The Avengers" -- due out in the United States on Friday -- paid teasing tribute to Johansson. "Working with her was tremendous...ly awful," he joked.

"For six months, she continuously threw me around, beat me, stepped on me and wiped the floor with my dignity and self-respect every day -- all with a smile on her face." — AFP

source: gmanetwork.com