Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Monday 15 april 2019
‘Shazam!’ bests newcomers with $25.1M second weekend

By JAKE COYLE “After” and even the long- million. Lionsgate and Mil-
Associated Press delayed “Mary Magda- lennium’s “Hellboy” had
NEW YORK (AP) — A rush lene,” originally to be re- been expected by many
of newcomers couldn’t leased by the Weinstein to vie with “Shazam!” on
shake “Shazam!” from the Co., all opened in theaters. the weekend. But on the
top spot, as the superhero But the strongest new re- heels of terrible reviews
comedy led the box of- lease of them all was, pre- (just 15% “fresh” on Rotten
fice for the second straight dictably, the Will Packer- Tomatoes), it flopped with
weekend with $25.1 million produced one: “Little.” $12 million against a $50
in ticket sales, according to The body-swap comedy million budget.
studio estimates Sunday. “Little” came in second That’s significantly less than
Lionsgate’s “Hellboy” re- with $15.5 million for Univer- the debuts of the 2004 orig-
boot, the animated Laika sal Pictures. Made for just inal ($23 million opening)
Studios release “Missing $20 million, “Little” is just the and the 2008 sequel ($34.5
Link,” the college romance most recent profit-maker million opening). Those films
This image released by Warner Bros. shows Zachary Levi, left, were directed by Guillermo
and Jack Dylan Grazer in a scene from “Shazam!” de Toro and starred Ron
Associated Press Perlman; the new “Hell-
for Packer, the “Girls Trip” ‘Little’ is kind of an all-ages boy” stars David Harbour
producer. The film, direct- film, PG-13 rated,’” said (“Stranger Things”) and is
ed by Tina Gordon Chism, Orr, whose studio signed a directed by Neil Marshall.
stars 14-year-old Marsai first-look deal with Packer “Missing Link” also missed. It
Martin as the child an abu- in 2013. “He’s a brand. And opened with a disappoint-
sive tech executive (Re- he has a great idea of what ing $5.8 million, marking a
gina Hall) reverts to after a is going to be successful at new low for Laika, the mak-
magical spell is cast on her. the box office.” er of eccentric animated
Martin, the “black-ish” star, It was an out-of-body week- tales such as “Coraline,”
also executive produced end at the box office. The ‘’ParaNorman” and “Kubo
the film, the youngest ever body-swap comic-book and the Two Strings.” ‘’Miss-
so credited in Hollywood adaptation “Shazam!” — ing Link,” distributed by
history. about a teenage boy (Ash- United Artists Releasing,
“Little” drew a largely fe- er Angel) who can turn into is about the discovery of
male (65 and African an adult-sized superhero a creature in the Pacific
American (43%) audience. (Zachary Levi) with a simple Northwest. Its voice cast
Jim Orr, Universal Pictures command — held solidly in includes Zach Galifianakis,
distribution chief, credited its second week. Capital- Hugh Jackman and Zoe
the cast, Chism’s direction izing on good reviews and Saldana. Expectations had
and Packer’s overall know- word-of-mouth, “Shazam!” varied widely for Aviron
how. is Warner Bros.’ New Line’s Pictures’ “After,” an adap-
“He’s done it with differ- latest DC Comics success. tion of Anna Todd’s 2014
ent kinds of films. ‘Breaking It has grossed $94.9 mil- best-seller. The young-adult
In’ was a thriller, ‘Girls Trip’ lion through Sunday with a drama fared well with $6.2
was an R-rated comedy. worldwide total of $258.8 million in 2,138 theatres.q

‘Spearhead’ is a well-researched WWII tale

By KIM CURTIS U.S. Army’s 3rd Armored
Associated Press Division’s Easy Company
“Spearhead: The World across the battlefields of
War II Odyssey of an Germany in 1944. In his
American Tank Gunner,” third book, though, rather
by Adam Makos (Ballan- than speeding through
tine Books) the narrative’s twists and
With his two previous turns with nary a bump in
books, journalist Adam the road, Makos regales
Makos established himself readers with every detail
as a meticulous research- of every firefight. For a
er who’s equally adept at World War II aficionado, it
spinning a good, old-fash- will read like a dream, but
ioned yarn. to the average reader, it
In “Spearhead,” he gets to be a bit tedious.
doesn’t venture far from That said, Makos’ writing
what he does best. Again, This cover image released by remains strong and dra-
he returns to World War II, Ballantine shows “Spearhead: matic with passages like
but he follows men on the An American Tank Gunner, “The bark of German tank
His Enemy, and a Collision
ground rather than in the of Lives in World War II,” by guns knifed the woods”
skies. And, again, he finds Adam Makos. and “As if the Germans
a hidden hero worthy of Associated Press had been listening, they
highlighting. This time, it’s family in industrial Pennsyl- suddenly cut their power.
Clarence Smoyer, a gun- vania. The hot engine hissed,
ner from a working-class We follow Smoyer and the then went silent.” q