Can Kingsman Score a Win for Comedy at the Box Office?
Vanity Fair
ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY and AWARD NEWS FROM HOLLYWOOD, compiled by REBECCA KEEGAN
Friday, September 22, 2017
It's the first day of fall, and we can't wait to bundle up in one of Darren Aronofsky's scarves, light a pumpkin-spice candle, and see the Southern California foliage . . . pretty much look the same as it always does.
Hello from Los Angeles, where we're hoping fall is comedy season at the box office, spitballing Game of Thrones spin-offs, and trying on Channing Tatum-inspired Western wear.
BOX-OFFICE LOLS
After a lethargic summer box office, September has been kinder to studios, most notably to Warner Bros. and New Line's It, which became the highest-grossing horror movie domestically this week when it crossed $236.3 million. But, as Deadline's Michael Cieplynoted, another genre is suffering this year, the live-action comedy, with only one top-20 grosser to its credit, Universal's Girls Trip. Fox's Kingsman: The Golden Circle will aim to make theaters safe for laughter once again this weekend, as Matthew Vaughn's saucy spy-comedy sequel eyes a weekend in the $40 to $45 million range. Also new in the marketplace are Lego Ninjago, Warner Bros.'s animated spin-off to its brick-toy franchise and Friend Request, the social-media horror movie which will be the second offering from Byron Allen's distribution company, Entertainment Studios, after his summer indie shark hit, 47 Meters Down. With all the sociopolitical tumult around us, you'd think moviegoers would be up for an upper; they'll get a shot at a mood boost in limited release this weekend as Fox Searchlight unfurls Battle of the Sexes. The Billie Jean King tale kicks off the awards-season box office in earnest, after its fall-festival run firmly planted Emma Stone in the best-actress race.
TAKE ME TO SAVILE ROW
V.F.'s Katey Rich e-mails:
Speaking of Kingsman: cinematic spies have always been well-dressed, but few have been so devoted to the arts of worsted wool and crisp white shirts as the globe-trotters of the Kingsman franchise. For the sequel, out in theaters today, costume designer Arianne Phillips returned to outfit stars Taron Egerton and Colin Firth in Savile Row's finest—and also try her hand at dressing their American counterparts, the Statesmen. "They always have to look impeccable, as it is part of the characters and story line," Phillips told V.F. contributor Cathy Whitlock about her British heroes. "So we have to 'build' costumes that stand the physical challenges of action and at the same time look pristine and perfect. Only so much can be done in visual effects—and in the end, you have to make a great suit."
Photograph by Charlie Gray.
DARREN IS A PUNK ROCKER
V.F.'s Yohana Desta e-mails:
After the decidedly mixed reviews and confusion that's met Mother!, Darren Aronofsky's allegorical blitzkrieg of a film, the director is taking a new tack—by leaning all the way in to the negative reviews. During a Q&A with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, per Deadline, Aronofsky embraced the backlash, calling Mother! a "punk" movie that hurls itself at the audience. It was recently given a rare F-rating by Cinemascore (one of only 11 films in history to do that). While other directors would be crushed by such a score, Aronofsky seems invigorated by it, thank you very much. "How, if you walk out of this movie, are you not going to give it an 'F?'" he said. "It's a punch. It's a total punch." Aronofsky dares you not to give it an F! Drag this film to the ground! Destroy it, like those unruly houseguests destroyed Jennifer Lawrence's beautiful sink that was not yet braced! Mourn the unbraced sink, then carry on reading the rest of Aronofsky's Q&A, in which he calls the movie his howl at this dark and unforgiving world.
DANCING WITH DRAGONS
V.F.'s Katey Rich e-mails:
HBO may be willingly winding down Game of Thrones after the upcoming eighth season, but they're sure not leaving the world of Westeros behind any time soon. Five different potential spin-off series are in the works now, and though the story for all of them remains under wraps, there may be some clues out their from the book's author, George R.R. Martin, himself. For V.F.,Jeff Hartline sifted through a series of publishing date shuffles and Martin's own statements about how he felt when Game of Thrones the series began to move beyond his books. The result is a convincing theory about what at least one of the spin-off series will tackle. Just one hint, and maybe a warning: there be dragons.
KEEPING UP WITH KIMMEL
V.F.'s Yohana Desta e-mails:
Another day, another Jimmy Kimmelmonologue about the perils of the Graham-Cassidy health-care bill. For the third night in a row, the late-night host dedicated a portion of his show to his highly publicized battle against the bill, this time setting his sights on Donald Trump and Mike Pence, who have publicly supported the bill via Twitter and a Fox & Friends interview, respectively. Kimmel slammed Trump for his obsession with undoing Barack Obama's legacy, joking that he only cared about the bill because it was a reversal of Obamacare. "He'd sign copies of the Quran at the Barnes & Noble in Fallujah if it meant getting rid of Obamacare," he quipped. And so on and so forth, Kimmel soldiers on, popping off some more jokes at Bill Cassidy's expense and once again urging citizens to call their senators.
PALACE INTRIGUE
V.F.'s Josh Duboff e-mails
In what will surely be royal watchers' most highly anticipated broadcast-comedy series for next year's slate, Fox is moving ahead with a pilot from producer Trevor Engelson who is . . . the ex-husband of Suits star Meghan Markle (who, as you might have read, is now dating Prince Harry). While the comedy is reportedly "fictional" and the "lead characters are not based on Markle and Engelson," the premise will certainly sound familiar. Per Deadline: "Divorce is hard. Sharing custody is harder when an ex-wife marries a British prince. Sharing custody with the British Royal family in the unforgiving spotlight of London's tabloid media is next level." One can only imagine the text messages Markle is sending now . . .
That's the news for this sunny Friday in L.A. What are you seeing out there? Send tips, comments, and Wonder WomanSaturday Night Live sketch ideas to Rebecca_Keegan@condenast.com. Follow me on Twitter @thatrebecca.
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