Movies
‘Split’ is Beating the Living Crap Out of the Box Office
M. Night Shyamalan is back in a big way, with his Split taking over the top spot in the box office for a second straight week. Sure, A Dog’s Purpose is shrouded in badly-timed controversy, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is the end of a tired franchise, but this is a huge win for the genre. Not only is the film #1 again, but it only dropped 34%, which is crazy. Last weekend I estimated a $100 million domestic life for the James McAvoy-starrer, but now I have it pegged even higher as it already sits at $78 million. Including the reported international take, the film is already over $100 million worldwide on a meek $9 million reported budget. Including marketing, Split is looking to already be in $25 million profit range, which makes this one of the most successful horror movies in years. I’m actually excited to see where this lands by the time it exits theaters…
If you’re a Split junkie, we’ve been talking about it quite a bit here on Bloody Disgusting; Jon Squires says the film has a “twist” problem, and also talks about the mental illness debate, while Chris Webster says the film has a protagonist problem.
In addition to McAvoy, The Witch‘s Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Jessica Sula and Haley Lu Richardson also star in Split, which Trace Thurman reviewed after its secret screening at this past September’s Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. He explains that, “Like many of [Shyamalan’s) films, it will no doubt split (sorry) audiences, but McAvoy’s performance alone earns the film a full recommendation. He is a marvel to behold.”
“While the mental divisions of those with dissociative identity disorder have long fascinated and eluded science, it is believed that some can also manifest unique physical attributes for each personality, a cognitive and physiological prism within a single being.
“Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch), Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him—as well as everyone around him—as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.”
Adam Wingard (You’re Next, The Guest) is getting back to his roots with A24‘s Onslaught, and many fans have been wondering if the events of the upcoming film connect in any way to one of Wingard’s previous movies, The Guest. After all, they do seem to be cut from a similar cloth, with some speculating that they might take place in the same universe.
But is there any truth to that speculation? In a new interview out of San Diego Comic-Con this week, Adam Wingard has revealed that the fans are definitely onto something!
Wingard explains, “I look at this as a cap in the trilogy between The Guest and You’re Next. It’s not like a direct sequel, in the sense that it’s a continuation of those characters, but it takes place in the same town as The Guest. The idea is that the secret programs we’re seeing going on here are other little aspects of the same thing David’s character came from in The Guest.”
“So you could actually technically call this a sequel,” Wingard admits. “It’s in the same universe.”
‘The Guest’
Releasing in theaters on September 4, Adam Wingard’s Onslaught is Rated ‘R’ for “Strong bloody violence, some gore, sexual material/nudity, and language.”
Watch the previously released Onslaught trailer below.
The duo behind The Guest, director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett, are re-teaming for the upcoming Onslaught, which stars Adria Arjona in the leading role.
Here’s the synopsis: “When a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers break loose in the desert, a badass Army sniper must unleash hell to protect her young daughter.”
Rebecca Hall (The Night House, Godzilla x Kong) and Dan Stevens (The Guest) also star in Adam Wingard’s upcoming new movie Onslaught alongside Michael Biehn, Reginald VelJohnson, Eric Wareheim, Drew Starkey, and Alex “Poatan” Pereira.
Dan Stevens starred alongside Maika Monroe in 2014 action-thriller The Guest. He played a mysterious ex-soldier with a secret agenda who wreaks havoc on a small town.
‘Onslaught’
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