#BOXOFFICE: “WEAPONS” FIRES IN DEBUT

WEAPONS fires in its debut this weekend, taking $35 million from 3,202 theatres for Warner Bros. This Horror gets a stellar 96% on the Tomatometer. This is from the same Director, Zach Cregger, who brought us BARBARIAN.

FREAKIER FRIDAY is a smash, taking $30 million from 3,975 theatres for Disney. It gets a respectable 73% on the Tomatometer. Its predecessor also was a success, with a $22 million debut back in 2003.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: THE FIRST STEPS gets third this weekend with $16 million, taking it to $231 million for Disney over three weekends.

THE BAD GUYS 2 gets $10.5 million in its second weekend, bringing it to $43.5 million for Universal Pictures.

THE NAKED GUN rounds-out a weapon-bookended Top Five with $7.5 million, a two-week run of $32.7 million for Paramount Pictures.

#BOXOFFICE: “THE FANTASTIC FOUR” LEADS A SECOND WEEK

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS stretches its success a second week with $40 million from 4,125 theatres for Disney. This brings its tally to $198 million domestically.

Second up is a debuting THE BAD GUYS 2 with $22.2 million from 3,852 theatres for Universal Pictures. It almost matches its 2022 predecessor which had a $23 million opening. This earns 84% on the Tomatometer.

THE NAKED GUN debuts in third with $17 million from 3,344 theatres for Paramount Pictures. This gets a stellar 90% on the Tomatometer! Top opening for the Franchise still belongs to 1991’s THE SMELL OF FEAR, a $22 million debut.

SUPERMAN is in fourth with $13.9 million, a total $315 million grossed over four weekends for Warner Bros.

JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH lands in fifth with $8.7 million for Universal Pictures, a five week of $317 million.

#INTERVIEW: THE CAST & CREATORS OF MARVEL’S “THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS”

Marvel‘s First Family have long been overdue for their big moment and Marvel‘s THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS soon will re-introduce audiences to Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) in a way never seen before!

Directed by Matt Shakman, this long-awaited Blockbuster sees the Family in a retro-futuristic 1960s-inspired world. They must balance their families privately, with their public personas as heroes, as they must defend the universe from the imminent threat of Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).

We are delighted to sit in on the global press conference with the Creators and Cast of Marvel‘s THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS with:

Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman)
Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic)
Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing)
Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/Human Torch)
Julia Garner (Silver Surfer)
Ralph Ineson (Galactus)
Matt Shakman (Director)

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige tells us about the time being right bringing Marvel’s First Family to the big screen in a new way.

Feige: I’m incredibly excited. Now is time to do it because we finally got the rights to it. And the other reason is that we’ve assembled an incredible Cast. It’s very exciting that people are now seeing the Movie. We and Matt have been working very hard for years to bring Marvel’s First Family to life in a way that we felt would fit within the world we created, even though the Film very much stands alone and apart. Even though everyone in this Film is very tired, having already shot half of their next appearance in Avengers: Doomsday.

Shakman talks about what went behind this Film’s very unique timeline.

Shakman: I’m a huge Fantastic Four fan and have been since I was a kid, so it was a huge honour getting to bring these characters to the MCU. We knew they were such public figures and leading lights of their age and era, that we would’ve heard about them by now, so we had to put them in a different era, a different universe, different earth. This meant we had chance to build a different retro-future 1960s. The same energy and effort we put into Wandavision to build all these sitcom realities, we put into this retro-future world here that is a combination of Jack Kirby and Stanley Kubrick‘s 2001.

Vanessa Kirby talks about bringing Sue Storm to the screen in this latest iteration of her.

Kirby: I mean, it’s already there in the Comics over the decades, it always seemed to me kinda revolutionary to have a mother at the center of this family, but absolutely part of the team and never left on her own. When I met Matt and Kevin for the first time and we started talking about Sue, they were so passionate about her. It was so exciting to me the idea of this pregnant superhero, a working mother. Even during shooting, it was surreal, really, because of this pregnancy bump. I was so included in everything. Matt and Kevin were such huge champions of having her be in it and as complex, fierce, loving and warm – all the things they think ‘feminine’ is. It was very daunting and a great honour to play her. I’m just one of many who have gotten to know her over years.

Pedro Pascal talks about navigating Reed Richards‘ grief, new fatherhood and how Shankman (and his daughter) helped.

Pascal: My favourite thing about it is actually that this person who is so brilliant and so comfortable with figuring out the most complex science equations to create solutions for everything, or to continue understanding how the world and beyond functions. But without really knowing how to understand the much more complex equation of relationships, family and love and growing in a relationship as a friend, partner, and then of course, as a father. He handles it by ‘babyproofing’ the world rather than just being present for the experience. This is definitely something Matt guided me through – the emotional arc and details, as I’m not a father and can only imagine what it is. Matt’s daughter got me the part. She sold me some Lemonade and that was it. Look it up!

Conversations with Matt about Reed were my entry point into the character.

Joseph Quinn talks about becoming Johnny Storm.

Quinn: There’s something quite aspirational about this Johnny and they way he uses space. He’s a bit of searcher, looking for answers. All of these four characters are sentenced to this idea of responsibility and superpower and having this public-facing life. He’s looking for answers outside of it. There was something inherently in the Script – someone that was fully grounded and not two-dimensional. I was just very fortunate. It was a delight diving-in and having a laugh.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach reflects upon his experience working with this brilliant Ensemble.

Moss–Bachrach: There is a limit to how much you can build, but we were incredibly-blessed. Matt was wise to put us four together. They say you can know in first ten seconds and we all hit if off in the beginning and through the five-to-six months of making this Movie. This was not a ‘trauma-bonder’, but it’s like you’re pushing a boat over a mountain. We spent many days and hours together, all pleasurable. I’m grateful to still be hanging out with family.

I’ve never done Performance-Capture work and that attracted me to the Movie. I wanted to explore this method of acting and to get to play this incredible, strong, heavy character. I had some anxiety and nerves as it was a dim departure, but melted away in a couple days. It was really freeing.

Ralph Ineson discusses the gargantuan task of becoming Galactus.

Ineson: It happened over few months. Every few weeks I got to stand in front of a three-way mirror and look at the character. It was art and engineering, a 350 lb huge, muscular thing. It was wearable design, incredible.

Shakman: Ralph has one of most amazing voices in the world, but he lowered it an octave for this. The first time he debuted on the mic, it took my breath away.

Ineson: It takes a lot of breath to get your voice that way, and to get a growl. It takes a lot of working out to do that. I’m quite pleased with it.

Julia Garner tells us about how there were a lot of firsts for her starring as Silver Surfer.

Garner: My first day on-set, they were welcoming, warm and comforting. It was the craziest first day on a job I’ve ever had. I was 30 feet in the air, there was a construction crane, it was at night, I had an earpiece and was hearing directions. Matt and Vanessa were there and it was wild, but I had so much fun!

Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” opens in theatres July 25, 2025.  

#FIRSTLOOK: DISNEY+ TO STREAM MARVEL STUDIOS” “THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS” PREMIERE

Disney+ will live stream the red-carpet event for Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” offering subscribers an exclusive front-row seat to a world premiere for the first time ever. The star-studded event will unfold at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, celebrating the upcoming theatrical debut of Marvel’s First Family. The livestream kicks off on Monday, July 21, 2025 at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET, with a full replay available to stream following the event.

This unprecedented live experience marks a new chapter for Disney+, bringing fans closer than ever to the excitement, glamour, and behind-the-scenes action of a red-carpet film premiere. From celebrity arrivals to cast interviews and special surprises, the livestream provides Disney+ subscribers around the world exclusive access, including a special sneak peek at the film before it opens in theatres.

The film’s cast and filmmakers will be in attendance, including Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles, director Matt Shakman, producer Kevin Feige, executive producers Louis D’Esposito, Grant Curtis, and Tim Lewis, and composer Michael Giacchino, as well as a host of other talent and filmmakers.

ABOUT “THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS”

Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal. The action-adventure also stars Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Sarah Niles, and Mark Gatiss. Directed by Matt Shakman, produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a., and executive produced by Louis D’Esposito, Grant Curtis, Tim Lewis, and Robert Kulzer, Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” opens in theatres July 25, 2025.

ABOUT DISNEY+

Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, along with The Simpsons and much more. In Canada, it also includes the general entertainment content brand, Star. The flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, Disney+ offers an unmatched collection of exclusive originals, including feature-length films, next day TV, documentaries, live-action and animated series, short-form content, and live events. With unprecedented access to Disney’s long history of incredible film and television entertainment, Disney+ is also the exclusive streaming home for the newest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. For more, visit disneyplus.com, or find the Disney+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices.

#FIRSTLOOK: TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR “THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS” | NEW 75-SECOND LOOK

The countdown begins for the epic film’s July 25, 2025 theatrical opening: tickets are on sale now for Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” Future fans can purchase advance tickets wherever tickets are sold. Marking the milestone, a 75-second new look:

Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal. The action adventure also stars Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne and Sarah Niles. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is directed by Matt Shakman, produced by Kevin Feige and executive produced by Louis D’Esposito, Grant Curtis and Tim Lewis.