Disney's animated HOPPERS will cross the 100 M mark domestically this weekend, becoming the second film of the year to do so, after SCREAM 7.

"Project Hail Mary" had the #1 opening for the year with 80.5M domestic and 60.4M international for a 140.9M global total. It's also not part of a franchise or sequel, and it was made by Amazon. Let's see how long it remains one film.

The films coming out for 2026 are primarily just a collection of old title extensions, many aimed squarely at young kids and pre-teens. I wish there was something I was waiting for but as I look down the schedule, I'm not sure if I will see another movie in a theatre this year.

Either I have absolutely no interest in it or I can just as well wait to see it on my tablet, in my bed. Lately I have been on a mission to re-watch classics and favorites on Prime and Netflix. I can't say as I've ever been so disenchanted with the currently produced mainstream films as I am now.

I believe that I read that Project Hail Mary had the biggest opening weekend of any MGM film in the studio's history.

MGM has released all of the James Bond films from 1983 onwards, with United Artists. (UA did the first 12 by itself from 1962 to 1981) Certainly none of the Bond films had 80 M openings.

MGM hasn't been a major studio since the 1950s or 60s. It has struggled mightily over the past 60 years, with only Bond keeping it going.

The Top 5 Domestic Films of 2026 so far:

1) HOPPERS
2) SCREAM 7
3) PROJECT HAIL MARY
4) GOAT
5) WUTHERING HEIGHTS

Project Hail Mary had a great second weekend, bringing it up to 164 M domestically, and making it # 1 of the year, so far.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie might make 175 to 200 million domestically this weekend.

I got to say, I went into 'Goat' expecting to hate it when I took my daughter and her friend to go see it. It was a surprisingly good kid's film.

Super Mario Galaxy has passed 300 M domestically while Project Hail Mary is up to 256 M.

Super Mario was once again # 1 this past weekend. It's up to 355 M domestically. The first film from 2023 made it up to 574 M in the USA.

So "Michael" is a smash with a take of 97M domestic and a $217 global box office.

It's the biggest musical bio pic ever and I know it's because of Jackson's music and the performance pieces, because it's certainly not because of the story.

People get all worked about some things and then just don't give a fig about the same things when it suits them. The Jackson Estate is thrilled.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
So "Michael" is a smash with a take of 97M domestic and a $217 global box office.

It's the biggest musical bio pic ever and I know it's because of Jackson's music and the performance pieces, because it's certainly not because of the story.

People get all worked about some things and then just don't give a fig about the same things when it suits them. The Jackson Estate is thrilled.

I think his legacy of music has outlived the controversy, and a younger audience only knows him as the guy with the white glove who did a Moonwalk, not the other stuff.

I also think the older crowd who supported him then STILL support him. They're just not as vocal as the opposition.

Super Mario should pass 400 M domestically in the days ahead.

Amazingly, Project Hail Mary is still rolling along. 305 M in the U.S. as of today. Who would have guessed ?

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
So "Michael" is a smash with a take of 97M domestic and a $217 global box office.

It's the biggest musical bio pic ever and I know it's because of Jackson's music and the performance pieces, because it's certainly not because of the story.

People get all worked about some things and then just don't give a fig about the same things when it suits them. The Jackson Estate is thrilled.

I think his legacy of music has outlived the controversy, and a younger audience only knows him as the guy with the white glove who did a Moonwalk, not the other stuff.

I also think the older crowd who supported him then STILL support him. They're just not as vocal as the opposition.

Going by the public's willingness to pay their money to see "Michael", I'd have to agree with your assessment. Just not with the word "opposition". There is a little matter of the truth, be it inconvenient or not.

"Michael" is a musical. As a biography, spoiler alert, it's a total wash job. It even ends in a comfortable spot. The Jackson Estate now wants more but talk of a sequel may get into trickier territory. Of course, if no one cares about facts, biographical fiction can be very entertaining.

Walmart has an annual Michael Jackson's Birthday sale. Boys pants are half off.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
So "Michael" is a smash with a take of 97M domestic and a $217 global box office.

It's the biggest musical bio pic ever and I know it's because of Jackson's music and the performance pieces, because it's certainly not because of the story.

People get all worked about some things and then just don't give a fig about the same things when it suits them. The Jackson Estate is thrilled.

Do they mean biopic for a single performer? I'm just curious because "Bohemian Rhapsody" about the band Queen made 216 million in the US and 687 million internationally for a total of 903 million.

I don't remember the Jackson 5 stuff when it first hit as I was too young, but I started following pop music right around the time his solo career took off, and it sure did take off.
He was in a strange place from early on and it only ever got weirder. Who knows exactly what happened with every single controversy, but we know he was using medical grade anesthesia on a regular basis just to sleep despite having all the money in the world and a lot of goodwill from his still devoted fans, and left a worn out husk when he died at 50, so the story is a sad one, at best.
Maybe they'll make a sequel out of that part.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
There is a little matter of the truth, be it inconvenient or not.

Was he ever actually convicted of anything? I don't recall him doing jail time.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
There is a little matter of the truth, be it inconvenient or not.

Was he ever actually convicted of anything? I don't recall him doing jail time.

No, he wasn't convicted of anything. There were two civil trials, years apart, accusing him basically of child abuse. For the first one in 1993, he paid a huge settlement to the family and went his merry way. On the 2nd one, which got a lot bigger, the jury found not guilty on reasonable doubt. That one was in 2005, he died in 2009. Currently someone is trying to sue his Estate on very old charges, which is probably cash motivated.

It's very easy to look it all up now and these are the facts. How people choose to interpret the facts leaves a lot of room. Nobody wants to think that the people they admire are less than they should be because it calls into question their own judgement. Over the years I have discovered that I backed my share of bad horses myself.

Anyway, I think chesspieceface's comments are spot on. Before his death Michael Jackson was in a downward tailspin. Everything he was doing was getting worse. At 50 "it only got weirder" and he was "a worn out husk" to quote his post.

Had Jackson lived longer. the ensuing years would have destroyed any hope for his legacy, no matter how many people still loved his music. But he died due to his own extreme behavior, and the parasites who enabled it. Everyone associated with the family and the Estate gets to benefit from his name. They would not approve any sequel that tells that ending.