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2022 Movies that Earned over $100M at the Box Office

Some analysts believed that the closure of theaters by Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021 would spell the end of the movie-going experience. Schmovid Covid!

Box office figures are increasing as more Americans learn to cope with the pandemic. Several movies released in 2022 became domestic box office successes, surpassing the coveted $100 million mark. With "Avatar: The Way of Water" anticipated, joining the $100 million box office collection this year will earn billions of dollars for Hollywood.

Below is the of 10 movies that have crossed $100 million at the box office and extraordinary weekend box office collection:

“Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount Pictures)

Collection: $718 million

The Tom Cruise-led sequel to "Top Gun," released in 1986, was the ideal balance of action and nostalgia for both older and younger audiences. Without a doubt, this is a genuine box office smash. The high-flying aviator movie, which Joseph Kosinski directed, sees Maverick returning as a trainer to the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture)

Collection: $411 million

A weekend box office list would not be complete without one Marvel film near the top, and "Doctor Strange 2" is that film for the year 2022. This most recent MCU installment, which stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch and Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular wizard, is the first to embrace the horror genre, with many viewers watching it through gaps in their fingers.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Collection: $401 billion

When Chadwick Boseman, the star of the first "Black Panther," passed away in 2020, director Ryan Coogler accomplished the unthinkable and created a sequel that honored him and furthered the plot. The central characters of "Wakanda Forever" are T'Challa's mother, Ramonda (Angela Bassett), and sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), as they struggle to defend their country from a new danger posed by the Talokan civilization.

Jurassic World: Dominion (Universal Pictures)

Collection: $400 million

Hello, and thank you for visiting Jurassic Park one last time. To defend the mainland from the dinosaur danger, director Colin Trevorrow combines the original cast—Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldberg—with the newcomers (Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard). Although spectators ate it up with the intensity of a T-Rex devouring a goat, reactions from critics were varied.

“Minions: The Rise of Gru” (United Artists)

Collection: $359.00 million

When it debuted over the Fourth of July weekend, this fifth installment in the "Despicable Me" franchise exceeded expectations. The film chronicles the history of supervillain Gru (voiced by Steve Carell).

The Batman (Warner Bros.)

Collection: $369 million

Critics and viewers alike adore writer/director Matt Reeves' gritty noir-styled adaptation of "The Batman" in cinemas (before it shifted to HBO Max). In this remake, Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne encounters well-known foes, including Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz), the Riddler (Paul Dano), and the Penguin, as he investigates corruption in Gotham City (Colin Farrell).

Thor: Love and Thunder (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Collection: $433 million

A hammer-wielding Jane Foster joins Chris Hemsworth's Thor in the 29th installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Natalie Portman). Russell Crowe plays Zeus, Tessa Thompson plays Valkyrie, and Christian Bale plays Gorr the God Butcher in the silly film directed by Taika Waititi.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Paramount Pictures)

Collection: $190 million

As the titular Sega online gaming character attempts to outwit Jim Carrey's mad scientist, Doctor Robotnik, the adventure comedy continues his journey. The extraordinary success of the sequel means that the studio will undoubtedly develop the third picture in the blue hedgehog franchise, as the budget for the original 2020 film was only $148 million.

Black Adam ( Warner Bros.)

Collection: $165 million

After roughly 15 years of effort, Dwayne Johnson finally turned the well-known DC Comic into a movie on October 21, 2022, with one of the largest openings ever. Former slave Black Adam possesses the abilities of numerous Egyptian gods. Aldis Hodge as Carter Hall/Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Albert "Al" Rothstein/Atom Smasher, and Pierce Brosnan as Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate are among the other cast members.

Elvis (Warner Bros.)

Collection: $151 million

Tom Hanks and Austin Butler play Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley, respectively, in Baz Luhrmann's musical biopic. Butler's Oscar-worthy performance as the King of Rock and Roll received rave reviews when the movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

With this, more movies such as “Uncharted,” “Nope,” “The Lost City,” and many more have crossed USD 100 million. With the film's great success, we can expect Part 2 for many movies and are excited to see the news of the film of 2023 to crash the box office collection. 

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MOVIE REVIEW: RRR

Images via Netflix and IMDb

RRR— 5 STARS

Deep down, all movies are passion projects for the people that make them. Sometimes, it is difficult to see that passion come through fully in the finished film. Uninspired moments, pretentious indulgences, shortcuts of effort, or even the limits of ambition will dilute the fervor of how the given movie came to exist. To that end, the rarer feat is a film that never, even for a second, loses or runs out of its passion. S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR is one of those special movies.  

LESSON #1: PASSION PROJECTS WITH PASSION– Not a single minute of RRR’s whopping 182 minutes feels like a wasted effort. Employing vibrant creativity to add shine to the legend of two important revolutionary figures from his own country, S.S. Rajamouli packed every emotional and artistic fiber he could into the most expensive Indian movie to date. The filmmaker’s goal was to move his audience. My, oh my, does RRR ever do that and then some. 

RRR is essentially fan-fiction. Inspired by the imagined and revisionist histories of The Motorcycle Diaries and Inglourious Basterds, Rajamouli saw similar pillars in two historical Indian heroes, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, who fought against the ruling parties of the British Raj and the Nizam of Hyderabad. RRR imagines if the two men would have met in the 1920s and struck up a friendship in anonymity before waging their wars for independence.

When the cruel British governor Scott Buxton (Punisher: War Zone star Ray Stevenson) and his dreadful wife Catherine (Alison Doody of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) abduct a little girl named Malli (Twinkle Sharma) to be their henna-painting songbird slave, the incensed Gond village sets a plan in motion for her rescue. Taking it upon himself to infiltrate the British estate is the guardian shepherd Komoram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao, Jr. of Aravinda Sametha). Introduced shirtless trapping a powerful tiger in the Adilabad Forest (an animal you’ll meet again later in surprising fashion), Bheem poses as a Muslim named Akthar in Delhi to enter the royal estate and romantically pines for Scott’s benevolent niece Connie (Olivia Morris of Hotel Portofino).

Meanwhile, from within the ranks of the Indian Imperial Police, there is the highly motivated young officer A. Rama Raju (Ram Charan of Ramajouli’s 2009 hit Magadheera). Introduced beating the snot out of a massive mob of protesters to get his wanted man, Rama has been impressing his superiors with his intense diligence and brutal determination even against his own countrymen. The Buxtons task him to go undercover with the common citizens to break up the pro-independence resistance and flush out its leaders. 

LESSON #2: TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK– It’s at this point in RRR when the two emerging titans meet. With one galloping on horseback and the other speeding on a motorcycle, the two execute a thrilling rescue of a young boy trapped beneath a fiery, collapsing railroad bridge. To borrow John C. Maxwell’s often-hijacked quote, “teamwork makes the dream work” as Rama and Akhtar bond quickly and marvel at each other’s courage, prowess, and dedication. Peaking with the now-famous “Naatu Naatu” song-and-dance routine, Rama helps Akhtar get closer to his goals of Connie and Malli.

LESSON #3: DRAMATIC IRONY IS A HELL OF A STORYTELLING TOOL– Part of the compelling brilliance of Rajamouli’s storytelling in RRR is its layering of dramatic irony. We, the audience, are granted deep introductions into these two leads and their respective secret missions. We anticipate how Bheem and Raju’s competing agendas would clash and explode if the two brothers-in-arms-and-dance realize they are pursuing each other. When that moment comes, it’s a crusher and creates an embattled pinnacle point in the movie.  

Not to be undone and with drama in reserve, Rajamouli takes the second half and reloads the dramatic irony even further after that split. An extended flashback sheds light on Rama Raju’s tragic origin through the heroism of his father (Indian film legend Ajay Devgn), mother (Shriya Saran of The Other End of the Line), and uncle (Visaranai’s Samuthirakani). It also reveals his long-lost fiance Sita (Alia Bhatt of Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva) and her chance intersection with Komaram Bheem on the lam still trying to free Malli.

LESSON #4: THE SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP– Through it all in RRR, the spirit of friendship becomes the radiating fuel of the patriotic fervor that comes together between these two heroes and their vital arcs. These men have come too far, even as eventual rivals, not to have their fates connected by fortitude and mutual respect. The film’s title initials define the combination of “rise,” “roar,” and “revolt.” By golly, in raising its fists, its voices, the wind, and virtually every element it can tame, all three of those title traits come out in high volume and gobsmacking brightness.

LESSON #5: PROMISES TO YOUR PEOPLE– If friendship and patriotism are the fuel, then promises are the molten core of RRR’s furnace of passion. Every selfless act, every motive against altruism, and every grasp for freedom comes from characters with complete commitment to larger causes. Between reuniting families, seeing lovers again, avenging losses, and the goal of giving everyone a weapon against tyranny, promises have been made to one’s people that these men would risk their lives to keep.

To call the cast and crew of RRR multi-talented would be a gross understatement. This grand saga demanded a full range of performance requirements from N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan. From physical comedy and fight training to dance choreography and vocal numbers, these two f’n studs conquered every cardio-challenging task with flying colors. You will most certainly swoon for these men, and they deserve to be treated as absolute stars. 

The talent behind the camera is even greater. The extra element of music lifts Rao Jr., Charan, and the totality of RRR to another plane of impact. Composer and lyricist M.M. Keeravani (the director’s award-winning cousin) infuses the film with a moving score and seven original songs. The booming instruments heighten the film’s adventure and intrigue. Their magnificent words stir hearts. Put them together and people will cheer and dance in the theater aisles and on their couches at home.  

Squeezing every cinematic rupee and crore from a record budget (estimated to be about $72 million), S.S. Rajamouli assembled this massive pageant himself with cinematographer K.K. Senthil Kumar (the Baahubali series), prolific editor A. Sreekar Prasad, and an army of craftsmen and extras, and did so without employing second or third unit filming teams. That’s nearly incomprehensible in this hemisphere of the film industry. Using every trick in the book and in-house visual artists, you will marvel that, short of a horse or two, no wild animals of any kind were used in this movie. It’s all CGI and, while the gleam of it all may be obvious, the effect is not weakened an ounce and often puts Hollywood blockbusters costing double this budget to shame.

In several interviews, Rajamouli considers storytelling to be his foremost job as a filmmaker. He values emotional responses and achieves that with every fabricated bucket of blood, sweat, and tears in RRR. His inventive vision for extravaganza knows no bounds. You would be hard-pressed to find a more rousing and rollicking movie experience this year or many others. Again and again, this is something truly passionate and special.

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED (#1088)

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MOVIE REVIEW: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Images courtesy of Dreamworks Animation

PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH– 4 STARS

Compared to other animated heroes, the dauntless Puss in Boots is quite the charismatic catch. The marmalade-colored tabby cat has caballero swagger for days and a swordsman’s courage inside those ebony wellingtons and underneath his wide-brimmed, feather-crested hat. Lest we forget, he’s got those eyes–oh my, those eyes– and the soothing rasp of Antonio Banderas modulating his every word. Hubba hubba! What more could you want?

LESSON #1: GRANTING AND REVEALING CHARACTER DEPTH– The answer is, quite unexpectedly, character depth beyond the easy archetype. Storytellers like those making the long-distance sequel Puss in Boots: The Last Wish could very easily have left the character born from the centuries-old Giovanni Francesco Straparola fairy tale ageless like Mickey Mouse. Instead, we have a mirthful movie that dares to dangle introspective yarn balls of fear, mortality, trust, friendship, and more towards our devil-may-care feline and the movie’s eager audience.

To quote the well-worn expression used in many frank judgments of character, “I didn’t think he had it in him.” Be ready to color yourself surprised. Thanks to heightened stakes and those aforementioned honest themes, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish gallups beyond the flashy shell of a cash grab sequel opportunity for Dreamworks Animation. This valuable new journey massages and improves the mettle of this excellent character without losing a whisker of derring-do.

In the years since we last saw him, Puss in Boots has enjoyed the perks and pitfalls of the outlaw lifestyle. Slurping his leche and singing of his own legend, Puss is celebrated by his adoring proletariat public while still being very much a wanted man. When an opening skirmish ends with him crushed by a falling church bell, the local doctor (lucious Jane the Virgin narrator Anthony Mendez) informs Puss that he is on his last life of nine and recommends immediate retirement. 

LESSON #2: DEATH COMES FOR US ALL– After receiving this diagnosis and wellness prescription, the cocky gato who laughs in the face of danger meets The Big Bad Wolf (The Gray Man’s Wagner Moura), whistling and stalking bounties with his twin sickles. After losing a sword fight to the lupine Grim Reaper smelling his fresh fear, Puss jarringly realizes his fragile mortality and flees. He buries his trademark costume– feeling he is no longer worthy– and joins Mama Luna’s (Da’Vine Joy Randolph of Dolemite is My Name) rescue house to seek obscurity interrupted often by a discarded clinger dog (Harvey Guillén of What We Do in the Shadows).

Using the anonymous classic poem “Star light, star bright” as a catalyst, this animated Shrek realm contains the remnants of a fallen star protected by a dark forest. An individual guided by a magical map to this exotic destination will be granted the star’s single Last Wish. The greedy and hopeful have sought this myth for years, including the brutish collector of magic items “Big” Jack Horner (comedian John Mulaney). 

The butt-of-a-nursery-rhyme-joke’s newest pursuit brings new and old adversaries out of the woodwork. Former flame Kitty Softpaws (Banderas’ Desperado squeeze Salma Hayek Pinault) and the crime family of Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears (Ray Winstone, Olivia Colman, and Samson Kayo) all seek the map and its advertised promise. Their entry and Puss’s own chance at gaining back his lost lives pulls the titular hero back into the scamper for the star. 

LESSON #3: TRUST ISSUES ABOUND– All of these reunited rival thieves share tenuous familiarity. In this crowd, the warranted insufficient trust guards each against betrayal and prevents genuine friendships. However, as we all know, “you have to trust somebody,” just as the movie loves to state. Sanding away the competitive jealousy, especially between Kitty and Puss, becomes an essential step of growth for the protagonists. 

Thanks to a flamenco-tinged score from Brazilian composer and guitar virtuoso Heitor Pereira (the Despicable Me series) for Puss and Boots: The Last Wish, the spirited “holy frijoles” energy of the returning character has not diminished since 2011. New thrills and spills bring forth a peppy soundtrack of songs to fit the up-and-down moods of given moments, like Banderas crooning the original “Fearless Hero” to announce his presence or Dan Navarro’s sly Spanish cover of “The End” by The Doors telegraphing the retirement epiphany.

The stick-sword (you’ll see in the movie) that stirs the drink of this sequel is still Antonio Banderas. His vocal braggadocio has ample room to still poke the drama necessary of his character’s crisis of mortality. He is joined by a very game supporting cast. Moura will spook you and Mulaney hits the right vile notes as heavies. Between Puss and Boots: The Last Wish and The Mitchells vs. The Machines last year, it’s a treat to see a decorated serious actress like Olivia Colman embrace animation opportunities. She and Winstone bring their chatty cockney to Pugh’s Oxford English and make a pleasant trio of banter.

Without beating an agenda into the ground, the story and screenplay team of Tommy Swerdlow (The Grinch), Tom Wheeler (Dora and the Lost City of Gold), and Paul Fisher (The Lego Ninjago Movie), along with director Joel Crawford (The Croods: A New Age) and co-director Januel P. Mercado, push back more than a little vain masculinity inherent inside of Puss in Boots. We’ve got a character who has stopped to see himself and re-examine how others see him as well. That character can still choose manliness as a core, but improve it in several distinguishing ways (other than growing a beard that window-dresses newfound real maturity).

LESSON #4: ONE LIFE IS ENOUGH– This final lesson is one of those ways. Out of everyone chasing the Last Wish, it’s the naive little dog– sauntering in no hurry whatsoever with bad guys on his tail– that gets the simple truth. He has friends that did not require magic or a wish to gain. Being with them is fulfillment enough. This happiness without wishes is a factual reminder for the over-driven characters of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. That appreciation for life is an ideal message for viewers too and can create more zest than any slashing and clanging of blades. 

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED (#1087)

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How to Get Your Name Out There and Stand Out From the Crowd

As a business owner, you know that standing out from the competition is key to success. You may have the best product or service in your industry, but you need to know about it to make money. This blog post will discuss some innovative ways to get your name out there and stand out from the crowd.

1) Social Media Marketing:

Social media marketing is an effective way to get your name out there and stand out from the competition. Using platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, you can create campaigns that will target a specific audience, allowing you to reach more people than ever before. You can also post content that highlights your business’s unique value proposition or create contests and giveaways to engage your audience. Additionally, use analytics on each platform to track the performance of your posts so that you can optimise your content for maximum impact. With social media marketing, you can reach a wider audience and build brand recognition with potential customers.

2) Online Advertising:

Using online advertising to get your name out there is an effective and powerful way to stand out from the competition. Film advertising (natural longtail) provides a unique medium for telling stories that inspire, inform, and move viewers. With natural longtail campaigns, you can reach more people in less time with targeted messaging tailored to different audiences. Reach potential customers through creative visuals, captivating soundtracks and clever storytelling - all while building recognition of your brand and services. Showcase the best of your business with a film advertisement and get noticed today!

3) Local Advertising:

Local advertising is an excellent way to reach a more focused and specific audience. This type of advertising involves placing ads in local newspapers and magazines, as well as billboards and other forms of outdoor advertisement. You can also target your audience by taking advantage of radio advertisements or posting fliers in the local area. By doing this, you will reach potential customers who are interested in the services that you provide.

Via Pexels

4) Networking and Events:

Networking and attending events are great ways to get your name out there. Attend industry conferences, seminars, and tradeshows where potential customers are likely to be in attendance. Introduce yourself, exchange business cards, and talk about your product or service. You can also join networking groups that focus on entrepreneurs in your area or related industries. This will allow you to meet people who may be interested in what you have to offer and help spread the word about your business.

In conclusion, getting your name out there and standing out from the crowd requires hard work, but it can be done with creativity and perseverance. Use social media marketing, online advertising, local advertising, and networking to increase customer knowledge of your product or service and build brand recognition. The more people who know about your business and what it offers, the more successful you will be in the long run.

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MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the Kicking the Seat YouTube roundtable talking "Avatar: The Way of Water"

While not all of us on the dais look like Gloria Stuart who said, “It’s been 84 years…” in James Cameron’s Titanic, it has been a long 13 years since the 3D watershed of Avatar. Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel gathered myself, David Fowlie of Keeping It Reel, Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, and Jeff York of The Establishing Shot to discuss the hotly anticipated sequel and holiday hitter Avatar: The Way of Water. We sure talked until a few of us were blue in the face (and tardy from technical difficulties as I was). Enjoy the video from the live show!

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED (#99)

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‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’ Teen Movie Sets January 22

Random Media is releasing the teen horror feature film ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’, starring Drew Pipkin, Jaeden Riley Juarez, Katerina Sifuentes Rakosky, Michael Berryman, Rachel Schott, Patricia Vonne and P.G. Marlar on January 22nd, 2023. Directed by Stephen Allen Gutierrez, ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’ is the story of a hopeless romantic […]

The post ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’ Teen Movie Sets January 22 appeared first on Movie Marker.

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‘Hank and Jolene’ Sets January 17 Release

Inspired by a true story, Random Media is releasing the romantic drama feature film ‘Hank and Jolene’, starring Edward Buchanan, Saki Miata, Shinichiro Okano, Aathira Rajeev, and Chye-Ling Huang on January 17th, 2023. Directed by Derek Shimoda, ‘Hank and Jolene’ follows Hank, a likable recluse, who works at his favorite place in the world, Muddy […]

The post ‘Hank and Jolene’ Sets January 17 Release appeared first on Movie Marker.

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