Tag: Michael B. Jordan

SAG Throws Wrinkle Into Oscar Race, Gives Actor Awards to ‘Sinners,’ Michael B. Jordan

The 32nd Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA, handed out March 1 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and live-streamed on Netflix, re-framed some of the conventional awards-season thinking with two weeks to go before the Academy Awards.

Formerly known as the SAG Awards before this year, and the Actor Awards are presented by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the entertainment industry’s largest voting bloc.

The top prize of Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture went to Warner’s Sinners, which also saw Michael B. Jordan take home Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.

Jordan’s win came as something of a surprise as he hadn’t won any of the major precursor awards before this. Timothée Chalamet had emerged as the heavy Oscar favorite for his role in A24’s Marty Supreme after wins at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards. His loss at the Feb. 22 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) wasn’t seen as a blow to his Oscar chances because the winner there wasn’t up for the Academy Award, but missing out on the Actor Awards adds some suspense to the race. On the Kalshi online prediction market, Chalamet’s Oscar odds dropped from 78% before the BAFTAs to 43% within minutes of the Actors ceremony concluding, while Jordan’s odds jumped from around 3% in late January to 39%.  (Chalamet did win the SAG Award last year for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown without going on to win the Oscar, which may have influenced this year’s voters).

The win for the Sinners cast does give the film some Best Picture momentum heading into the Oscars, though Warner’s One Battle After Another is still seen as the heavy favorite, hovering around 81% on Kalshi (down from 85% at the end of February). Sinners sits at around 17%, up from about 10% the day before the Actor ceremony.

However, the ensemble win does shore up the likelihood that Sinners casting director Francine Maisler takes home the first Oscar for Best Casting. Kalshi taps Sinners as a 73% favorite in that category, with One Battle at 28%. It also makes Ryan Coogler the first director to helm two ensemble-winning films, with 2018’s Black Panther being the other.

Following a slew of wins earlier in the awards season, One Battle most recently picked up best picture-equivalent honors at the BAFTAs and the Feb. 28 Producers Guild of America Awards, while Paul Thomas Anderson won the top prize at the Director’s Guild of America Feb. 7.

Among the other film categories at the Actor Awards, Jessie Buckley won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for Universal’s Hamnet, continuing her awards winning streak and pushing her Kalshi odds of an Oscar win to 95%.

One Battle’s Sean Penn won the Actor for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, which when paired with his BAFTA win in the equivalent category last week makes him a solid favorite for the Best Supporting Oscar award (76% on Kalshi). And Amy Madigan of Warner’s Weapons won the Actor for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role; she won the equivalent trophy at the Critics Choice Awards but not the Golden Globes or BAFTAs. Best Supporting Actress is considered the closest race among the four performance Oscars, with Madigan now jumping ahead at 39% on Kalshi, compared with 30% for One Battle’s Teyana Taylor (the Golden Globes winner), and 23% for Sinners’ Wunmi Mosaku (the BAFTA winner).

Final Oscar voting began Feb. 26 and runs through March 5, with the 98th Academy Awards ceremony taking place March 15.

The Actor for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture went to Paramount’s Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. An Oscar for Best Stunt Design will be introduced at the 100th Academy Awards in 2028 (covering 2027 films).

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On the TV side, Apple TV’s “The Studio” picked up more hardware, winning Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for Seth Rogen, and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for Catherine O’Hara, a posthumous honor following her death Jan. 30.

HBO Max’s “The Pitt” won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, while Noah Wyle won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.

Capping off a good night for Warner Bros. Discovery IP, which won in seven of the 15 categories between film and TV, HBO’s “The Last of Us” won Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series.

Netflix properties grabbed two Actors, with Owen Cooper of Adolescence winning Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series, and Keri Russell winning Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for the third season of “The Diplomat.”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series went to Michelle Williams for FX’s Dying for Sex on Hulu.

Rounding out the festivities, Harrison Ford was given the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.

Warner’s ‘Sinners’ Returning to Imax Screens Oct. 30

Warner Bros. Pictures’ box office horror hit Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan and directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed), is returning to North American Imax screens, including  70mm venues, for a limited engagement beginning Oct. 30. The re-release will also appear on Imax screens in the U.K., France, Austria, Spain and other international territories.

Originally released in theaters on April 18, the film generated $367 million at the global box office, including $279 million across North American screens.

The genre-bending storyline weaving together culture, music, family and the supernatural also stars Hailee Steinfeld, newcomer Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Li Jun Li and Delroy Lindo.

Sinners is currently streaming on HBO Max, in addition to availability on digital and packaged media.

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Sinners

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY REVIEW:

Warner;
Horror;
Box Office $278.58 million;
$30.99 DVD, $38.99 Blu-ray, $46.99 UHD, $58.99 UHD BD Steelbook;
Rated ‘R’ for strong bloody violence, sexual content and language.
Stars Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Delroy Lindo.

Writer-director Ryan Coogler delivers an imaginative infusion of music and horror in this tale of vampires attacking a juke joint in the rural south in 1932.

Michael B. Jordan stars in a dual role as the Smokestack twins, who are returning home to Mississippi after years working as enforcers for the Chicago mob. On their first day back, they turn an abandoned sawmill into a blues club for the local community, despite warnings from the local pastor about the sins such music might inspire.

Sure enough, as the place gives rise to a party so rockin’ the music transcends time and space, it also attracts the unwanted attention of a local gang of vampires, who promptly attack, subjecting those inside to the horrifying ordeal of fighting to survive the night.

Filmed with large-format cameras, Sinners looks spectacular in 4K, using its variable aspect ratio to heighten the impact of the film’s visual style. The film also tells a not-so-subtle allegory for the black experience in the Depression era, with vampires standing in for the KKK.

The film’s home entertainment presentation includes seven deleted scenes that run more than 18 minutes in total.

There are also five featurettes that provide about 75 minutes of solid behind-the-scenes material. These include the 32-and-a-half-minute “Dancing with the Devil: The Making of Sinners,” which delves into Coogler’s inspiration for the project and the effort it took to pull it off; the 14-minute “Blues in the Night: The Music of Sinners,” a look at the creation of the film’s soundtrack; the 11-minute “Thicker Than Blood: Becoming the Smokestack Twins,” which examines Jordan’s performance; The eight-minute “Spirits in the Deep South,” a glimpse into the religious aspects of the story; and the 11-minute “The Wages of Sin: The Creature Effects of Sinners,” which explores the film’s use of prosthetic makeup and other methods of producing blood and gore.

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Horror Flick ‘Sinners’ to Stream on Max Starting July 4

Warner Bros. Pictures’ Sinners will make its global streaming debut exclusively on Max on July 4.

The film will debut on HBO linear on July 5 at 8 p.m. ET.

Sinners has earned more than $361.8 million at the global box office. It is the highest-grossing and best-indexing horror film ever released in Imax, according to Max.

In the film, trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

Written and directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ryan Coogler, Sinners also stars Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller and Delroy Lindo.

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Ryan Coogler’s Horror Film ‘Sinners’ Available Digitally June 3, on Disc July 8

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment will release the horror flick Sinners for premium digital rental and sale starting June 3, and as standalone DVD, Blu-ray Disc and 4K Ultra HD disc editions July 8. A 4K/Blu-ray combo pack Steelbook with digital copy also will be available.

‘Sinners’ 4K/Blu-ray Steelbook

From Ryan Coogler, director of Black Panther and Creed, Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role, joined by Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller and Delroy Lindo.

In the film, trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

Sinners will be presented with expanded aspect ratio sequences, allowing consumers to see both 1.78:1 and 2.76:1 aspect ratios, as intended by the filmmaker for home viewing.

The film has earned $338.9 million at the global box office.

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The 4K Ultra HD disc, Blu-ray Disc and digital editions feature more than 75 minutes of bonus materials, including deleted scenes and five making-of featurettes:

  • “Dancing With the Devil: The Making of Sinners” (32:35) — a behind-the-scenes featurette;
  • “Thicker Than Blood: Becoming the Smokestack Twins” (10:45) — a look at Michael B. Jordan’s performance as dual characters;
  • “Blues in the Night: The Music of Sinners” (13:44) — a look at composer Ludwig Göransson’s creation of the score;
  • “Spirits in the Deep South” (7:58) — Prof. Yvonne Chireau explores the backdrop of Hoodoo in the deep south and how its beliefs and traditions in spirituality, ancestors, the hereafter, and defense against evil inform the world and characters of Sinners;
  • “The Wages of Sin: The Creature FX of Sinners” (10:51) — creature makeup FX designer Mike Fontaine reveals the secrets behind the film’s supernatural horrors, Coogler’s take on vampires, and the various gore and blood effects used throughout the film.​

 

Warner’s ‘Sinners’ Looks to Hold Off Trio of Weekend Box Office Newcomers, Led by Ben Affleck’s ‘The Accountant 2’

Warner Bros. Pictures’ Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan and directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), looks to top the North American box office for a second consecutive weekend with a projected $37.5 million in ticket sales through April 27, according to new data from BoxOfficeReport.com.

The period drama is taking on two new releases and a classic re-release, led by Amazon MGM Studios’ sequel The Accountant 2, starring Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal, with $24 million in estimated ticket sales; Disney/Lucasfilms’ 20th Anniversary re-release of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (projected $21 million); and Sony/Screen Gems’ horror film Until Dawn (projected $9.6 million).

Revenge of the Sith and The Accountant 2 saw Thursday screening ticket sales of $3 million and $2.5 million, respectively.

Theatrical returnees include Warner’s top-grossing release of 2025: A Minecraft Movie with a projected $22 million; Angel Studios’ The King of Kings (projected $7.4 million); Disney-owned 20th Century Studios’ The Amateur (projected $3.3 million); and A24’s Warfare (projected $2.7 million).

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Creed III

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY REVIEW:

Warner/MGM;
Drama;
Box Office $156.25 million;
$34.98 DVD, $39.98 Blu-ray, $49.98 UHD BD;
Rated ‘PG-13’ for intense sports action, violence, and some strong language.
Stars Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, Florian Munteanu, Phylicia Rashad.

The first two “Creed” films featured the title character dealing with personal issues stemming from earlier “Rocky” movies. For the third installment, the spinoff series jettisons Rocky for Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) to deal with some personal demons from his own past.

The premise involves Creed retiring from boxing and setting up his own gym, where he now manages the current boxing champ, Felix Chavez (played by real boxer José Benavidez Jr.). From out of the blue he is confronted by his old pal Damian (Jonathan Majors), who has been in prison for 18 years for an incident in which he pulled a gun on some thugs who were beating up on the younger Donnie. Dame was locked up just as he was about to embark on a promising boxing career, so he asks Donnie to get him back into the game.

Donnie sets Dame up at his gym as a sparring partner to Felix, but Dame’s latent anger gives him a violent streak that makes the rest of Felix’s entourage uneasy. When an upcoming title bout is derailed by an injury to Felix’s scheduled opponent, Donnie suggests Dame take his place, which Felix reluctantly accepts on the promise of a big payday.

Needless to say, the fight does not go well, and Dame not only seizes upon the opportunity to claim the title but turns out to have a massive grudge against Donnie as well. In typical “Rocky” fashion, the only recourse for both men ends up being a climactic title fight.

Rocky’s current in-universe status isn’t mentioned, Sylvester Stallone’s absence is felt, though he did seem to make a definitive exit in Creed II. While this is the first “Rocky” movie without Rocky in it, it still leans into many of the franchise’s tropes, beginning with a reference to Rocky’s underdog status from the first film being the justification for Dame getting a title shot out of nowhere. The story, as is usually the case with the “Rocky” franchise, mostly uses the boxing plot as a backdrop for familial relationships, particularly Adonis’ relationship with his adorable daughter.

And, much in the same way Stallone directed many of the original “Rocky” movies, Jordan takes the helm behind-the-scenes for this particular sequel.

Though it’s a boxing movie on its surface, the character dynamics are more typically found in a pro wrestling storyline, taking some narrative shortcuts to steer the characters toward settling all their personal animosities in the ring.

Looking past the connective tissue, however, the film is at its best when Creed is with his family, and during some good boxing scenes that seem especially brutal for the franchise.

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The Blu-ray includes a light smattering of bonus materials that glimpses behind the scenes of making this particular sequel without delving too much into the franchise’s legacy behind it — which may echo some of the public disagreements between Stallone, who is contractually listed as a producer, and other producers who control the rights to the franchise.

The 10-minute “Michael B. Jordan: In the Ring/Behind the Camera” focuses on the actor making his directorial debut, while the nine-minute “There’s No Enemy Like the Past: Donnie and Dame” explores the relationship between the two former friends turned rivals.

Rounding out the extras are three superfluous deleted scenes that run a total of four-and-a-half-minutes. Frankly, there seems to be more substantial unused material in the film’s trailers.

In regards to the 4K edition, the extras are found only on the regular Blu-ray Disc in the combo pack.

‘Creed III’ Headed to 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD May 23

Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut Creed III, from Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, will be released on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD May 23 from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.

Directed by Jordan, from a screenplay by Keegan Coogler and Zach Baylin, the film recently set a franchise record and scored the biggest domestic box office opening for a sports film in history, according to the studio. 

The film has earned nearly $250 million at the global box office.

Creed III stars Michael B. Jordan (Just Mercy, Black Panther), Tessa Thompson (Thor: Love and Thunder, TV’s “Westworld”), Jonathan Majors (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Devotion), Wood Harris (TV’s “Winning Time”), Mila Davis-Kent, Florian Munteanu and Phylicia Rashad.

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In the third installment in the franchise, after dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian — a fighter who has nothing to lose.

A three-film collection featuring Creed, Creed II and Creed III will also be available on Blu-ray and DVD May 23.

‘Creed III’ Gets Record $58 Million Knockout Win in Weekend Box Office Debut

Amazon-owned MGM Studios’ boxing drama threequel Creed III handily beat expectations, generating a projected record $58.6 million in revenue across 4,000 North American screens through the March 5 weekend. The tally surpasses $100 million when including overseas ticket sales.

The third installment in the spinoff of the “Rocky” boxing franchise, headlined by Michael B. Jordan (who also directed) playing fictional heavyweight champ Adonis “Donnie” Creed, was expected to generate around $43 million in ticket sales, according to Box Office Pro.

MGM claims the opening, which got off to a strong start following $5.5 million in March 2 sneak screenings, tops all sports-themed theatrical debuts. The previous record was held by Sony Picture Entertainment’s The Karate Kid at $55.6 million in 2010.

Creed III easily bested the previous box office champ, Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which nosed-dived further generating an estimated $12.5 million in tickets sold, but upping its global haul past $419 million ($186.5 million North America) after three weekends.

Universal Pictures’ horror-comedy Cocaine Bear, which also beat expectations last weekend when it opened to $23 million, finished third with $11 million over the Friday-to-Sunday period to bring its total domestic gross to $41 million.

In fourth place, Sony Pictures-owned Crunchyroll’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — To the Swordsmith Village debuted to more than $10 million, less than half of the anime franchise’s previous theatrical debut, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, in 2021.

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Rounding out the top 5 was Lionsgate’s faith-based Jesus Revolution, which added $8.6 million, upping the movie’s 10-day total to $30.5 million. With a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A+ CinemaScore, the film has been positioned solidly with faith-inspired moviegoers. Given its budget and financial model, the film is a hit for Lionsgate and producer Kingdom Story Company.

Lionsgate also released the STX-produced Guy Ritchie-directed action comedy Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre, generating around $3 million across more than 2,100 North American screens. A modest start for a movie co-starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes and Hugh Grant.

Boxing Drama ‘Creed III’ Looks to Deliver Weekend Box Office Knockout

A busy March box office beckons with Amazon/MGM Studios’ Creed III, the third installment in boxing drama spin-off of the “Rocky” franchise, looking to become the champ.

The film finds heavyweight champ Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) defending title and lifestyle against a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy (Jonathan Majors). In addition to headlining the movie, Jordan also directs the follow-up to 2018’s Creed II, which featured elder statesman Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) guiding Creed. That movie generated more than $214 million at the global box office. The threequel could best the sequel’s record $35.6 million North American box office opening and could generate $43 million in ticket sales through March 5, according to Box Office Pro.

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Another new weekend theatrical release, Sony Pictures/Crunchyroll’s anime release Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — To the Swordsmith Village, follows in the successful footsteps of the 2021 box office hit Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train, which generated $453 million in worldwide ticket sales. To the Swordsmith Village is tracking an opening weekend revenue estimate of around $11 million, significantly below Mugen Train, which debuted with $21.3 million in ticket sales. The former is also expected to finished behind the third weekend of Disney/Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which should tally around $14 million.

Other weekend box office returnees include Universal Pictures’ Cocaine Bear, which is projected to generate an additional $10.3 million in ticket sales, followed by Lionsgate’s faith-based Jesus Revolution, with $9.4 million in estimated revenue.

Lionsgate is also debuting Guy Ritchie’s international comedy thriller Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, featuring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes and Hugh Grant. Box Office Pro suggests the movie is projected to generate $4 million in ticket sales.

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