Blasters ablaze, ‘Rogue One’ dominates in opening weekend

LOS ANGELES, United States — The latest blockbuster episode in the “Star Wars” anthology dominated weekend box offices in North America, humbling another popular Disney film, “Moana,” according to industry estimates.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” raked in $155 million for the three-day weekend, Exhibitor Relations said. It has brought in $290 million globally, and has yet to open in the vast Chinese market.

The North American figure was less than last year’s $248 million weekend opening of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” but still ranked the new film as 12th among all-time openings and third-best this year, according to Forbes.

“The movie lived up to expectations,” said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst with comScore. Based on the success of these latest two films, “The next film in the Star Wars saga has the potential to claim the title as the biggest movie of all time,” he said.

“Rogue One” blew away the $11.7 million weekend take of second-place film “Moana,” the computer-animated musical fantasy about a brave Polynesian teenager, which had ruled the box office for three straight weekends and has grossed $161.8 million to date.

Produced by Lucasfilm and directed by Gareth Edwards, “Rogue One” stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna and Forest Whitaker. The first stand-alone chapter in the Star Wars epic — it is set shortly before the events of the original 1977 film — it tells the story of Rebel Alliance fighters trying to steal plans for the Empire’s feared Death Star.

Placing third in weekend box offices was “Office Christmas Party,” a Paramount comedy starring Jennifer Aniston, which took in $8.4 million.

Fourth was the Warner Bros. film “Collateral Beauty,” which notched $7 million in its opening weekend. With an ensemble cast including Will Smith, Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley and Helen Mirren, it tells the story of a man trying to cope with his daughter’s death.

In fifth place was the Harry Potter spin-off “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which chalked up $5 million, for a total so far of $207.6 million. Based on a 2001 book by J.K. Rowling, the Warner Bros. film stars Eddie Redmayne as a wizard in 1920s New York.

Rounding out the top 10 films were:

“Manchester by the Sea” ($4.2 million)

“La La Land” ($4 million)

“Arrival” ($2.8 million)

“Doctor Strange” ($2 million)

“Nocturnal Animals” ($1.4 million)

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Husband sells Stars Wars collection to raise funds for wife’s cancer treatment

KUALA LUMPUR — Many people have hobbies. Some collect stamps, some collect coins and bank notes, and some collect Lego sets. For many, these collections become their prized possessions.

So it’s quite touching when someone does what Mohamad Shahril Sabari, better known as Victor Engku Shah, is doing: selling off his Star Wars Lego collection every Sunday at the Amcorp Mall flea market to raise funds for the cancer treatments of his wife, Noor Azra Kamaruddin.

I’d heard about Victor and his stall through LCMLUG, a Lego group I’m part of on Facebook. His love and sacrifice for Noor Azra is certainly admirable, respectable and definitely worth supporting.

I met up with him through Daniel Goh of Brick Sanctuary and learned why he comes up from Seremban to Petaling Jaya every Sunday to sell off his prized collection.

“I began collecting Star Wars Lego sets in 2010, and I married Noor Azra on April 24, 2015. Two weeks later, she noticed a bump on her neck and went to get it checked out at a clinic. The clinic referred her to a hospital for follow-up checks, and we went to KPJ Seremban where a CT scan was done.

“The CT scan found a lump in her neck and a follow-up biopsy determined that she had lymphoma,” said Victor.

He added that doctors advised Noor Azra to begin chemotherapy treatments, and with the treatments, more challenges were in store for the couple in July 2015.

“Noor Azra was two months pregnant. We were so happy, but our happiness was short-lived. Doctors advised Noor Azra to have an abortion prior to chemotherapy as the risks were too great for her and the child. She went through the abortion with a very heavy heart and then began her chemotherapy,” said Victor.

Victor ultimately had to leave his job as a finance officer in the private sector to help Noor Azra full-time with her cancer treatments, adding that this was when he began selling off his collection at Amcorp Mall.

“Each dose of the chemotherapy drugs is about RM5,000 (P57,449). Noor Azra needs 12 sessions –once every two weeks–and the estimated total cost comes up to RM60,000 (P689,391),” said Victor.

He added that he had to raise funds because their insurance only covered RM70,000 (P804,290) worth of treatments per year, while the biopsy cost RM25,000 (P287,246).

“Thankfully, I have been able to work things out with the help from my friends in LBK Malaysia, Lego Auction Group MY and LCMLUG. They have helped out with contributions of financial support and even Lego items for me to auction off,” said Victor.

So, with Lego now being touted as a “better investment than gold,” why not help out Victor Engku Shah while buying a possibly profitable wallet-booster while you’re at it?

He can be found on Amcorp Mall’s second floor every Sunday, or contacted via his Facebook account, Victor Engku Shah.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

‘Star Wars’ cast and crew revel as fans and critics praise movie

LONDON - With fans and critics giving "The Force Awakens" the thumbs up, cast and crew of the latest "Star Wars" film expressed "huge relief" as the movie rolls out in cinemas worldwide.

The seventh episode of the popular sci-fi saga won over fans globally after months of secrecy surrounding the film, billed as the biggest movie release of the year.

Few details on the J.J. Abrams-directed picture have been released, except some broad character outlines in the run-up to this week's release.

As reviews were published on Wednesday following an embargo, cast and crew relished the positive feedback at the movie's European premiere in London after first hearing from the critics while travelling from Los Angeles, where "The Force Awakens" premiered on Monday.

"We were just getting ready to land and started looking at the reviews coming in and it was pretty exciting," producer Kathleen Kennedy told Reuters.

"There is nothing better than working really hard ... like we have on something that has such huge expectation and have it being well received. ... I was sitting behind J.J. Abrams and he kept turning around (saying) 'listen to this.' ... We were really excited."

The critical receipt to work done revitalising a franchise that began in 1977 and whose latest film came out 10 years ago was a "huge relief," Kennedy added.

Veteran "Star Wars" actor Anthony Daniels, known for his C-3PO character, said the reviews reflected work done filming.

"It sort of mirrors what I felt on the set because the atmosphere was so exciting, so loving, so full of fun ... it didn't matter what job anyone was doing, everybody felt good to be there," he said.

John Boyega, who plays troubled Stormtrooper Finn, said he had not yet read reviews but was "glad to hear there's positive feedback."

"I'm now fixated on the fans having a good time and having positive feedback also," he said.

"Star Wars" old hand Mark Hamill who reprises his role as Luke Skywalker, was happy the story was finally coming out.

"Secrecy is agonising, it's not fun," he said. "They're not trying to tease anyone they're just trying to keep the surprises for the movies instead of letting it out all on the Internet."

Newcomer Daisy Ridley, who portrays scavenger Rey, welcomed the reviews, but said there was one audience's views she was still awaiting.

"I think it's wonderful that ... everyone's work has been appreciated," she said. "I just want my family to like it." — Reuters

'Star Wars' director faces hype, history in 'Force Awakens

LOS ANGELES - The new installment in the "Star Wars" movie saga opens in theaters this month against a formidable force: the galactic hopes of devoted fans who have waited a decade to revisit their beloved universe of Jedi, droids and lightsabers.

Can "The Force Awakens," the seventh episode in the celebrated sci-fi series, meet those expectations when it debuts in theaters on December 18? "No," said director J.J. Abrams. "How can anything live up to any expectation like that?"

What the movie will offer, Abrams told Reuters, is great performances and visual effects, music "that breaks your heart and soars," plus a story, characters and creatures that are new, but feel like they fit in the universe created by George Lucas in the original 1977 film.

"George was creating a world that we wanted to go back to in order to tell a story we'd never seen yet," Abrams said. "In a way, we were going backward to go forward."

For example, he said, the filmmakers created droids "to feel completely new and different and at the same time something that was so of 'Star Wars.' That was always the challenge."

Lucas bowed out of "Star Wars" after he sold his film studio to Walt Disney Co in 2012 for $4 billion.

"There's no way that I can imagine anything touching the magic of what he did," Abrams said, "and yet we all did the best we could to make that happen."

Set 30 years after "Return of the Jedi," the new movie brings characters Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) back to their galaxy far, far away. Newcomers Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) lead a younger generation that grapples with the conflicts that haunted the past.

Disney is guarding details about the plot of "Force Awakens." The secrecy has stirred rampant online speculation, particularly about the fate of Skywalker, who is absent from trailers and posters promoting the new film.

Abrams said the character was purposely left off to keep key parts of the story under wraps.

"It's just what our narrative is," Abrams said, "so if it's driving anyone crazy, apologies. But it's mostly about wanting to protect the experience for the people who might go see the movie."

Ridley, who plays a scavenger, said the film captures the "delightful" tone of the earlier movies. "'Star Wars' never had like insane violence or anything," she said. "It's always joyful and always uplifting even though bad things happen."

"Force Awakens" also features "classic Star Wars humor, choppy dialogue," said Boyega, who described his role as a conflicted Stormtrooper.

Adam Driver plays Kylo Ren, a character dressed similar to Darth Vader who is presumed to play the main villain, though that depends on the perspective.

"I don't think he's evil at all," Driver said. "I think he's right."

Aside from fan anticipation, the movie faces lofty box office projections for the opening weekend, from $170 million to $220 million in just the United States and Canada, a level never achieved in December. "Jurassic World" holds the record with $208.8 million in June. —Reuters

The Star Wars VII trailer –done all in LEGO

The teaser trailer for the latest installment of the "Star Wars" saga has joined the ranks of hits that have gotten the LEGO treatment.

A YouTube user created a faithful version of the trailer using brick versions of the characters and vehicles—and yes, the lightsaber.

"I had nothing to do yesterday so I started once the trailer came out so i built the Falcon, The X-Wing, (t)he speeder bike thingy, a mini tie fighter, tried to build all the sets, and get all my minifigures put together... then just filming took forever especially the the special effects," said YouTube user Snooperking.
 

Snooperking also said the trailer involved stop motion in front of a green screen.

While Snooperking commented his work "isn't even that good," tech site Mashable commented, "It takes a real Jedi to show such dedication." (http://mashable.com/2014/11/29/lego-star-wars-the-force-awakens/)

"Star Wars Episode VII - The Force Awakens" is the latest installment in the hit franchise, which started in the 1970s. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com