“Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi” was first at the box office this weekend, taking in $220 million in North America. It was the second-biggest domestic opening of all time, behind only 2015′s “The Force Awakens.”
Coming in at a distant second this weekend was the animated feature “Ferdinand” ($13.3 million), followed by “Coco” ($10 million), “Wonder” ($5.4 million) and “Justice League,” ($4.2 million).
The next installment in the “Star Wars” franchise will be “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” Set to open in May, the film tells the tale of a young Han Solo. “Star Wars: Episode IX,” which has not yet been given a full title, is scheduled to hit theaters Dec. 20, 2019.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the opening weekend global box office for “The Last Jedi.” It was $450 million, not $450 billion.
Charles McDonald and Nate Tice's latest mock draft has five quarterbacks off the board in the top 13, a big-time weapon for Aaron Rodgers and some steals in the second half of the first round.
Jason Fitz is joined by Senior NFL Reporters Charles Robinson and Jori Epstein to go behind the scenes on the latest rumors and news around the NFL. The trio start with takeaways from the NFL owner's meetings as Jori was on the ground in Orlando. The hosts discuss the fallout of the new kickoff rule (are rosters going to change because of it?), the two Christmas Day games and what the heck Jerry Jones was doodling in his notebook.
Next, it's time to pull out the crystal ball as the hosts attempt to look into the future for some key quarterbacks, starting with Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy's draft stock has been skyrocketing lately as some rumors emerged that he could go as high as second overall. Charles gives his thoughts and what he's hearing from GMs around the league before moving onto Brock Purdy and whether San Francisco will be willing to pay him when the time comes. Charles dives deeper into the 2024 quarterback class and why every prospect has a massive red flag, and Jori gives us the latest on the Dak Prescott contract negotiations, which seem to be heading in the wrong direction. All signs are pointing towards Dak hitting free agency next offseason. Finally, Fitz wraps things up by asking about Deion Sanders' comments about choosing where his sons get drafted and whether or not player empowerment could be ascending to a new level with the emergence of NIL.
McCarthy's draft stock is soaring the past couple weeks, with betting odds following suit and his former coach heaping praise. Do NFL evaluators and front office members think it's real, or the latest in a long line of smokescreens?
Charles McDonald is joined by ESPN NFL Draft Expert Jordan Reid to dive into the 2024 NFL Draft, new rule changes and more. Charles and Jordan start with giving their favorite sleeper prospects (outside the top 50) your team should draft. They discuss Malik Washington, Javon Bullard, Christian Haynes, Audric Estime and more before diving into a deeper conversation on the rising draft stock of Spencer Rattler and whether his maturity concerns are legitimate, plus Jayden Daniels and the new trend of skipping pre-draft testing.
Later in the show, Charles and Jordan react to the latest rule changes in the NFL, including the new kickoff rule (and why Charles loves it), the hip drop tackle and how it'll be enforced and the additional coach's challenge (and why Charles is against it).