While Peter Berg and Universal’s Battleship was solid in the international market this past weekend, pulling in a reported $226.8 million, it was its domestic release that would prove its worth. With a weekend haul of only $25.3 million dollars, Battleship was clearly a miss (see what I did there). While  live-action Hasbro film was able to defend against the third place $17 million dollar The Dictator, it was unable to take the top spot of Joss Whedon‘s Avengers,  which is now in it’s third week at number 1.

In an interview with Yahoo, Universal’s president of domestic distribution Nikki Rocco said she expected this, saying:

“It is obviously a disappointment, but we will move on. And we have Memorial Day coming up,”… “The studio has a picture that already has a quarter of a billion dollars in the bank, and it won’t die at $25.3 million domestically. We all know that.”

Even an executive with the studio is proud of how things for Battleship turned out, saying in his Deadline interview:

”Our P&A spend and production costs are even less than The Dictator – and our cast made it to the Oscars without offending AMPAS. Ha.”

The next time Universal wants to make a movie based on a board game maybe they should try using a few of our ideas.

The Marvel super flick now brings it’s total to an impressive $55 Million in it’s third weekend, building it’s total domestic earnings to $457.1M and over $1 Billion worldwide, but with Will Smith and Men in Black III just around the corner there could very well be a new number 1 next week. Any bets?

Source: Deadline

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With the release of ‘The Avengers‘, it has laid waste to the box-office and made it hard for other films to rise and take the No. 1 crown. Deadline writer, Nikki Finke pointed out logistics and numbers coming from Battleship’s current release information:

“It opened with only $420K midnights from 1,074 theaters: that’s weaker than Warner Bros’ under performing Dark Shadows last weekend and even Disney’s notorious 2012 bomb John Carter…Universal cautions that ‘both of those films have a bigger geek base’ whereas the strength of Peter Berg’s military vs. aliens actioner is ‘that it’s the anti-geek, anti-midnight movie of all time.”

Battleship opened today in theaters nationwide, and while it has made$220 million Internationally. North American buzz on the film has been overshadowed by ‘The Avengers’, so the Midnight showing for the film has not hauled in the numbers it expected.  The film has all the elements to be a high-grossing film: good graphics, action,well-known actors, and aliens. Even though this film has been made fun of for being based on a childhood board game, this film should not be something you miss out on.

While it is difficult to compete with a titan, i.e.: The Avengers, the film does have a lot to look forward to. The die-hard fans of Marvel may not want to defect, and will continue to watch the movie 4 times and onward, but the ending is the same, the plots points are the same, and moviegoers would do best to spend their money on other films.

So what this Nerdbastard would like to make clear, is that you shouldn’t revoke my ‘nerd-liscense’ just because I don’t want to watch The Avengers in theaters so much that I go broke, but that you should take the time to watch another movie. John Carter really stunk a high heaven, and to compare a worthless movie from beginning to end with Battleship that has more merit,better acting, and lots of destruction then be my guest and rot your brain.

Nerdbastard out!

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World’s collide when Game of Thrones creator, George R.R. Martin, or GRRM to most of us, reviews Marvel’s The Avengers. We already know GRRM is quite the Marvel fanboy, even having written a letter to Stan Lee back in ’60s, so what did he think of the “best superhero movie ever”?

Here’s what was posted on his blog,

I liked THE AVENGERS a lot… but maybe “loved” is too strong. I do have quibbles.

I definitely want to see it again, this time in 2D. I did not think the 3D added much, and the process made many of the scenes too dark. I am really not in love with today’s 3D process. Yes, sometimes it works very well, as on HUGO, but mostly it doesn’t.

Lots of lots of great stuff in THE AVENGERS, which most of the world has commented on, so I won’t. The action scenes were spectacular, and overall I thought they did very well with Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and Nick Fury. All great characters, all handled well, their interactions were one of the best part of the films.

However, I think they wasted the Black Widow and Hawkeye. Hawkeye is actually one of my favorite Avengers, so that saddened me. I missed the dynamic from the comics, where it’s Hawkeye who is the cynical smartass (not Iron Man), always in conflict with the super straight guy Captain America. I guess, having capitalized on the undeniable talents of Robert Downey Junior to create a terrific character in Movie Iron Man, they did not feel there was room for a second wise-cracking iconoclast. Fine, but it left Hawkeye without a personality. Or much to do.

Same’s true of the Black Widow. Scarlett Johanssen looked great in that outfit, but she seemed to be there only as eye candy. The shot in the middle of the battle where she pulls out a pistol was silly. I don’t know who this Black Widow was, and I don’t think the screenwriter did either. She wasn’t the original comic Black Widow, the Russian femme fatale who seduces Hawkeye into trying to kill Iron Man. She wasn’t the later comic book Black Widow, who dons a costume, comes over to the good guys, and teams with first Hawkeye and then Daredevil. She was just… there.

My own golden rule for these Marvel movies is simple — stay with the way Stan Lee did it, and you won’t go far wrong. THE AVENGERS should have done that. Hawkeye was not actually a founding member of the group, he came in later… around the same time Iron Man and Thor were leaving. Black Widow came in even later than that. So I would have followed Stan’s scenario, left them out of this first movie, and replaced them with… Ant-Man and the Wasp! Who WERE founding members of the Avengers. They wanted a woman in the group, sure, but the Wasp would have done just as well as Black Widow, and Ant-Man… hey, I love Hank Pym.

All that being said… these are, ultimately, just quibbles. I did really like the film. The Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation Long Form next year in San Antonio is really going to be a fanboy bloodbath, with AVENGERS, PROMETHEUS, and THE HOBBIT all contending for the same rocket.

‘Nuff said.

I disagree with Black Widow not doing anything, but that’s probably because I saw her really do nothing in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers was a massive improvement. Hawkeye though, was kinda wasted, you got that right, George. It also seems he’d be a fan of those rumors of Ant Man joining the team and he must be excited about Edgar Wright trying to make the Ant Man movie happen.

It’s super cool GRRM shared his thoughts on The Avengers, but all I can think is, “GET BACK TO WRITING THE WINDS OF WINTER!! Love, an impatient fan.”

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The Interwebz, where nerd art runs wild. Oh, and they draw a lot too. Some times nerd art takes dark unspeakable forms, such as the day the black plague hit Equestria, oh the ponimanity. Other times it’s exactly what it should be. Yes, It’s time for a Nerd Art Dump.

ABOVE: By now millions of gamers are in the midst of this exact sight, after hours of playing Blizzard‘s Diablo 3 on their computers they and their room are wrecked. Since seeing a drawing of a sweating male gamer would make you pry your eyes out, we opted for the safer, more feminine version. [The Smiling Sam]

Hit the jump for a Game of Thrones/Adventure Time mash-up, Batman vs. Guy Gardner, Hulk’s fist and MOAR!
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The picture above is this NerdBastard’s thought on Angie Harmon (Rizzoli & Isles) as She-Hulk after a rage induced rampage, you know, just like when Bruce Banner wakes up alone, with only a stretched pair of purple pants to keep him company.

Angie’s tweeter fans have kn0wn of Harmon’s desire to play She-Hulk and her love of the Avengers Movie. Angie posted a picture of her She-Hulk smashes sidewalk pose and a fan color-tweaked and re-posted the picture.

This NerdBastard will readily agree that the picture isn’t very sexy or She-Hulk-y besides the coloring . . . rip the shirt and skirt . . . and longer hair would go a long way to making the cut, but when I checked out some of Angie’s pictures online this NerdBastard does think she could pull of the Jennifer Walters part of the She-Hulk character.

Harmon had this to say about the character:

“I have to be her,” Harmon said. “You don’t understand. I have to be her. It’s the best quote ever when The Hulk turns around and goes ‘I’m always angry.’ I was like, Ohmygod! I stood up in the theater and literally cheered. I did.”

And she’d be fine wearing She-Hulk’s skimpy costume? 

”I would rock that like there is no tomorrow. I would kill that outfit. I’d put these 36Cs on display. Boom!” she said. “And what about her libido? That’s my favorite part. She-Hulk, bed! She-Hulk, screw! Can you imagine? Then she just picks him up and throws him around the room like the Hulk did with the bad guy. [Makes smashing noises.] But apparently, she’s normal size.” Well, no role is perfect.

Via: EW.com

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With five films full of details all leading up to The Avengers, what we really need is an infograph to keep it all straight. And now, thanks to the Art of The Avengers book, we have one.

Combining details from Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as the comic book prequel to The Avengers, the authors have compiled this impressive timeline of all the interconnected events that lead up to The Avengers. And for your convenience, it’s separated into B.I.M. and A.I.M., slicing eras to “Before Tony Star Declares ‘I Am Iron Man,’” and “After Tony Stark Declares ‘I Am Iron Man.’”

Click on the below image to embiggen to a readable size.

Source: Blastr

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You might be tired of hearing about The Avengers, but guess what? Becoming one of the highest grossing superhero movies of all time tends to get you some press. Which is why we’re already talking about Avengers 2. Specifically, whether or not Joss Whedon will return to direct. Whedon spoke recently with L.A. Time’s Hero Complex about his plans, if any, for the sequel.

You know, I’m very torn. It’s an enormous amount of work telling what is ultimately somebody else’s story, even though I feel like I did get to put myself into it. But at the same time, I have a bunch of ideas and they all seem really cool.

It’s true Whedon is more well know for spearheading is own creations: Buffy, Firefly, Dr. Horrible, to name a few. But he did very much put his own stamp on The Avengers and it’s a stamp I’d like to see on the sequel. What do you guys think, should Whedon jump right in for a sequel or let someone else take the reins?

‘Course, before we see an Avengers 2 all those other Marvel movies need sequels first. Take Thor 2 for instance, The Avengers already gave us a nice lead in to where they might go, what with Loki being taken back to Asgard as Thor’s prisoner, will that play a part in the sequel? I’m going to go on record with a, “Yes.” I think it’s a no brainer we’ll see the ramifications for Loki’s action in The Avengers play out in Thor 2. He’s already been banished once, what new punishment will Odin have for him now?

Chris Hemsworth has a different take on it, though. He sees the possibility for Loki’s redemption in Thor 2. In this short, red carpet interview from MTV Hemsworth talks about his thoughts of the Loki/Thor relationship and what Loki needs to do if he ever wants his brother’s forgiveness.

Oh, and skip to 1:10 mark if you want to miss out on Hemsworth discussing the height difference between him and Kristin Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman…SNOOZE!

Ah man, can we really get a scene in Thor 2 where Loki brings muffins to apologize! That’d be awesome. Do you think Loki redeemable?

Sources: Blastr, MTV

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By now everyone has seen The Avengers multiple times; you don’t just break $1 billion at the box office by watching a movie like that only once. Personally, if this nerd could shake the hand of Joss Whedon he’d die a happy mother hulker (even though the restraining order won’t let me within 100 yards of him).

In response to the overarching support for the Marvel franchise hit, Marvel Studios released this personal thank you video called “Global Phenomenon”, thanking fans for their support which allowed them to reach such a milestone. And if you know someone who hasn’t watched The Avengers yet, we suggest you drag them to the next showing in your area and strap them to their seat.

Source: Geek Tyrant

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I don’t think I’m surprising anywhere when I say I liked Black Widow more in The Avengers than I did Iron Man 2. It’s partially because Iron Man 2 is a weaker movie, but also because Joss Whedon knows how to portray women characters in a way that’s both flattering and believable. Well, you know, as believable as a vampire slayer or lethal Russian assassin can be. While Black Widow was obviously the Smurfette to the rest of the Avengers she was still a developed character who brought her own set of skills to the team. Her portrayal in The Avengers is refreshing and I hope will lead to more kick ass ladies joining the Avengers in the future.

In a casual, roundtable session with Entertainment Weekly, Whedon and the cast of The Avengers talked about who they’d like to see join the team in a sequel, and not surprisingly, Whedon jumps right to notion of including more women. Beginning sarcastically Whedon said,”I think we need to get some more men on the team,” to which Chris Hemsworth added, observing the sausage fest, “Yes, there are too few of us.”

From there Scarlet Johansson ran with it, reminding us how many female-led superhero, or even action movies, just suck.

Whedon: Studios will tell you: A woman cannot headline an action movie. After The Hunger Games they might stop telling you that a little bit. Whatever you think of the movie, it’s done a great service. And after The Avengers, I think it’s changing.
Johansson: A lot of the female superhero movies just suck really badly.
Whedon: The suck factor is not small.
Johansson: They are really not well made, and already you’re fighting against the tide. There are a couple [female-driven action movies] that have worked-ish, don’t you think?
Hemsworth: Angelina Jolie tends to do it pretty well, as the dominant female.
Jackson: They got to get The Pro to the screen!
Whedon: [Groaning] See, that is the problem. Sam is the problem!
Jackson: I love that book!
Whedon: [Reluctantly] The Pro is hilarious.
Jackson: The Pro’s hilarious. [To the group] You ever see or hear of it?
Johansson: No, what’s The Pro?
Jackson: It’s [a comic book] about a hooker who gets super powers!
Johansson: [Pauses] That is exactly the problem right there.
Whedon: That’s why I wasn’t going to bring up The Pro!

A strong female character can be sexy, she also, doesn’t have to be. She can be whatever the creators want her to be, just like any character. But more often than not female characters always play on their sexuality. They’re often either wanton seductress or innocent schoolgirls unaware of how their blossoming sexuality is affecting those around them. You can’t say the same of most male superheroes, can you? Though I must I admit I found it hard to concentrate whenever Chris Evans as Captain America was onscreen.

The enthusiasm from Whedon and Johansson is encouraging for fans who want more chicks in The Avengers. Wasp, for instance, was a founding member of The Avengers, and if an Ant Man movie does happen she’d make a perfect addition. There’s also been talk of the Scarlet Witch of Mockingbird joining. What kick ass super-lady do you think would be a good asset for The Avengers in the sequel? How do you think Whedon would envision her?

Source: Cinema Blend

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In the last Superhero Round-Up we brought you a few words from Robert Downey Jr. and his feelings on Christopher Nolan‘s Batman movies, and the smack talking continues.

On Twitter.

From Matthew Modine.

Modine, who plays Deputy Commissioner Foley in the third and final film, The Dark Knight Rises, took to the social network to battle it out with fans of The Avengers with a few choice tweets on the topic.

The above, referencing an appearance he made recently on VH1′s Big Morning Buzz Live is really only the tip of the tweet beatdown he levied on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Hit the jump for more.

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