Film News Roundup: ‘Black Panther’ Hits $100 Million at Chinese Box Office
In today’s film news roundup, “Black Panther” hits another milestone, “7 Splinters in Time” gets a deal and Bob Saget’s “Benjamin” will open the Beverly Hills Film Festival.
BOX OFFICE
Disney-Marvel’s blockbuster “Black Panther” has crossed the $100 million milestone in China after two weeks of release.
The studio reported Friday that it has reached $614.2 million in domestic grosses and $593 million internationally. China is the top overseas market, followed by the U.K. with $60.6 million, South Korea with $47.2 million and Brazil with $33.5 million.
“Black Panther” is now the 14th biggest worldwide grosser with $1.21 billion and trails “Iron Man 3” by $7 million for the 13th spot. It’s expected to gross about $16 million in North America in its sixth weekend of release and finish second to “Pacific Rim Uprising” after leading the box office for five straight sessions.
Of the 14 films that have topped $1.2 billion in worldwide grosses, “Black Panther” is the only title with a domestic total that’s higher than its international total. The tentpole stars Chadwick Boseman and is directed by Ryan Coogler.
ACQUISITION
Gravitas Ventures has bought director Gabriel Judet-Weinshel’s sci-fi detective story “7 Splinters in Time” for the U.S. in theaters and on VOD platforms in July.
The acquisition follows the film’s world premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, Calif., where it won the New Visions Award. The deal was negotiated by Zach Hamby of Gravitas Ventures with producers Isen Robbins of Intrinsic Value Films and Gill Holland of The Group Entertainment.
The film, described as a mash-up of Raymond Chandler and Philip K. Dick, stars Edoardo Ballerini, Greg Bennick, Austin Pendleton and Emmanuelle Chriqui.
FILM FESTIVAL
The 18th Beverly Hills Film Festival has scheduled Bob Saget’s “Benjamin” as its opening night film at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood.
Saget stars in and directed “Benjamin” from a Joshua Turek script. The cast includes Rob Corddry, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Cheri Oteri, Peri Gilpin, Max Burkholder, Clara Mamet, David Hull, Jonny Weston, James Preston Rogers and Lyriq Bent, with Dave Foley and Kevin Pollak.
In the film, a family calls in an intervention for Benjamin, their teenage son whom they believe to be hooked on crystal meth. Soon, it becomes clear that those who are confronting Benjamin’s problem also have many problems of their own.
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