Music Observer

Avatar: The Way of Water Breaks Box Office Records, Tops Charts for Seventh Week in a Row

Image commercially licensed from: Unsplash

Avatar: The Way of the Water is breaking box office records as it has remained the top-grossing film for seven consecutive weeks, a feat unachieved since the release of the first Avatar movie in 2009.

The 2009 hit sequel by James Cameron is now the 11th highest grossing movie of all time in the United States with domestic box office receipts of $620.6 million. It’s on track to surpass The Avengers from 2012 and break into the top ten very soon.

In addition to its domestic success, The Way of Water is also the fourth highest-grossing film in the world, behind James Cameron’s Avatar, Avengers: Endgame and Titanic. This year’s box office is up 53% from last year, largely due to the success of the Avatar franchise.

Fans of the franchise will have to wait a little longer for the next installment, as the third Avatar movie won’t come out until December 2024.

The Way of Water’s success, however, has shown that the public’s fascination with Pandora and the Na’vi will continue to be a major factor in the box office for years to come.

Read also: Dakota Johnson Makes Bold Statement About Armie Hammer at Sundance Film Festival Tribute Event

Blockbuster Films

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has proven to be a consistent performer at the box office, holding on to number two in its sixth week of release, with the animated film grossing an additional $10.6 million, putting domestic totals above $140.8 million.

A Man Called Otto ($6.8 million) and M3GAN ($6.4 million) took third and fourth place, respectively, while India’s action thriller Pathaan debuted in fifth with almost $6 million.

The recent Oscar nominations have also had a positive effect on several films at the box office. Everything Everywhere All at Once, which earned the most nominations this year with 11, had a successful re-release in theaters. 

Brendan Fraser’s The Whale held steady in its eighth weekend, while Women Talking saw a 167% increase in ticket sales. Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans experienced a 74% uptick and The Banshees of Inisherin had a remarkable 382% boost in ticket sales.

Internationally, the top five films were dominated by Chinese productions. Full River Red ($144 million) and The Wandering Earth 2 ($106 million) took first and second place, respectively. 

The Way of Water ($58 million) held onto third, and Pathaan ($54 million) took fourth. Boonie Bears: Guardian Code ($44 million) debuted in fifth place.

The Way of Water Success

The Avatar franchise, created by filmmaker James Cameron, has once again proven to be a massive success at the box office with the release of its latest installment, Avatar: The Way of Water. 

The film has spent seven consecutive weeks at the top of the box office, a feat that hasn’t been achieved since the release of the first Avatar film in 2009.

The Way of Water has grossed a total of $620.6 million domestically, making it the 11th highest grossing film of all time in the United States. 

It is on track to soon surpass 2012’s The Avengers and enter the top 10. The film has also performed well internationally, becoming the fourth highest grossing global film of all time, behind only James Cameron’s Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and Titanic.

The success of The Way of Water has also had a significant impact on this year’s box office, with the overall gross being up 53% from last year, largely due to the Avatar franchise. 

The film has also broken several records, including the fastest film to reach $600 million at the domestic box office and the highest-grossing film of 2021.

The Avatar franchise first captivated audiences in 2009 with its stunning visuals, compelling story, and relatable themes. 

The film’s success led to the creation of multiple sequels, with the next installment set to release in December of 2024. Furthermore, the franchise has expanded to include theme park attractions, merchandise, and even a planned live-action series for streaming.

Read also: John Williams, Composer of Iconic Film Scores, Changes Retirement Plans

A Work of Art by Cameron

The continued success of the Avatar franchise is a testament to James Cameron’s visionary storytelling and the enduring appeal of the world of Pandora and the Na’vi. 

As the franchise continues to evolve and expand, fans can look forward to more immersive and exciting experiences in the future.

Cameron’s unique approach to filmmaking, which includes pioneering new technologies and techniques, has enabled him to create a cinematic experience that is truly one of a kind. 

The stunning visuals, immersive world-building, and relatable themes in the Avatar films have resonated with audiences around the world, making the franchise a cultural phenomenon.

The franchise’s expansion into other areas, such as theme park attractions and merchandise, has allowed fans to fully immerse themselves in the world of Pandora and the Na’vi. 

The creation of a live-action series for streaming also provides an opportunity for audiences to explore the world and characters of Pandora in a new and exciting way, while also expanding on the story and themes of the films.

Moreover, the Avatar franchise has also made a significant impact on the film industry. The first film’s use of cutting-edge motion capture technology and 3D filmmaking has set a new standard for visual effects in filmmaking and has influenced many other films that followed. 

The franchise has also shown that a film can perform well both critically and commercially, which has encouraged more filmmakers to take risks and pursue more ambitious projects.

2023 Oscars Ceremony on ABC: Here Are Nominees

Image commercially licensed from Unsplash

The 2023 Oscars nominations were revealed Tuesday morning by actors Allison Williams and Riz Ahmed.

The highly anticipated list is a mix of prestige films, blockbusters and international dramas alongside high-profile contenders like “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “TÁR,” “The Fabelmans,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” and “All Quiet on the Western Front” all received nods. 

Jimmy Kimmel, who presided over the 2017 and 2018 ceremonies, will serve as host for the third time. The ceremony will be broadcast on ABC. Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner are in charge of producing the program.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer teased that the next ceremony would be “a return to cinema, international cinema and a show about the love of diverse artists.” He said there was a “big surprise”.

The 95th Annual Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 12 at 8 p.m. ABC ET/5pm PT.

One of the most esteemed award ceremonies in the film industry is the Oscars. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards the Oscar statuette each year to honor outstanding contributions to filmmaking.

Amazingly, the Oscars have been held every year since 1929, with the exception of a few years during World War II. The ceremony is typically held in late February or early March at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California.

The show is broadcast live on television and is seen by millions of viewers around the world.

Oscar nominees are determined by the voting members of the Academy, which is made up of over 9,000 industry professionals. The voting process will be split in two, with the nominees announced in January and the winners announced at his March awards ceremony.

Read also: Dakota Johnson Makes Bold Statement About Armie Hammer at Sundance Film Festival Tribute Event

Oscars Ceremony

The Academy Awards recognize outstanding performances in various categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.

There are also categories for technical achievements, such as Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects.

The Best Picture category is often considered the most prestigious, with past winners including classics such as “The Godfather,” “Schindler’s List,” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

The Oscars ceremony itself is a star-studded event, with the biggest names in Hollywood walking the red carpet and taking to the stage to present and accept awards. The show also features live performances from some of the world’s biggest musicians, as well as comedic segments and montages celebrating the year in film.

In recent years, the Academy has made a concerted effort to increase diversity and inclusion among its nominees and winners. 

The #OscarsSoWhite controversy of 2015, which saw all 20 acting nominees that year being white, prompted the Academy to take steps to diversify its voting membership and increase representation of people of color and other underrepresented groups in the film industry.

The Oscars remain one of the most widely-watched and highly-anticipated awards shows in the entertainment industry, with the ceremony and its nominees and winners often making headlines around the world. 

The next Oscars ceremony is set to take place in March 2022, and as always, all eyes will be on the nominees, winners, and all the glitz and glamour that surrounds the event.

Read also: John Williams, Composer of Iconic Film Scores, Changes Retirement Plans

Best Picture

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The Fabelmans

TÁR

Top Gun: Maverick

Triangle of Sadness

Women Talking

Best Director

Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans

Todd Field, TÁR

Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness

Best Actor

Austin Butler, Elvis

Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin

Brendan Fraser, The Whale

Paul Mescal, Aftersun

Bill Nighy, Living

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett, TÁR

Ana de Armas, Blonde

Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie

Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans

Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Supporting Actor

Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin

Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway

Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans

Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin

Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Supporting Actress

Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Hong Chau, The Whale

Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin

Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell, All Quiet on the Western Front

Rian Johnson, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Kazuo Ishiguro, Living

Screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks, Top Gun: Maverick

Sarah Polley, Women Talking

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans

Todd Field, TÁR

Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness

Best Animated Feature Film

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish

The Sea Beast

Turning Red

Best International Feature Film

All Quiet on the Western Front

Argentina, 1985

Close

Eo

The Quiet Girl

Best Documentary Feature

All That Breathes

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Fire of Love

A House Made of Splinters

Navalny

Best Film Editing

Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, The Banshees of Inisherin

Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond, Elvis

Paul Rogers, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Monika Willi, TÁR

Eddie Hamilton, Top Gun: Maverick

Best Cinematography

James Friend, All Quiet on the Western Front

Darius Khondji, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths

Mandy Walker, Elvis

Roger Deakins, Empire of Light

Florian Hoffmeister, TÁR

Best Costume Design

Mary Zophres, Babylon

Ruth E. Carter, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Catherine Martin, Elvis

Shirley Kurata, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Jenny Beavan, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová, All Quiet on the Western Front

Naomi Donne, Mike Marino, and Mike Fontaine, The Batman

Camille Friend and Joel Harlow, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Mark Coulier, Jason Baird, and Aldo Signoretti, Elvis

Adrien Morot, Judy Chin, and Anne Marie Bradley, The Whale

Best Production Design

Christian M. Goldbeck and Ernestine Hipper, All Quiet on the Western Front

Dylan Cole, Ben Procter, and Vanessa Cole, Avatar: The Way of Water

Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino, Babylon

Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, and Bev Dunn, Elvis

Rick Carter and Karen O’Hara, The Fabelmans

Best Music (Original Song)

“Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman, music and lyrics by Dianne Warren

“Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick, music and lyrics by Lady Gaga and BloodPop

“Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, music and lyrics by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Goransson

“Naatu Naatu” from RRR, music by M.M. Keeravaani, lyrics by Chandrabose

“This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once, music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne, and Mitski, lyrics by Ryan Lott

Best Music (Original Score)

Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet on the Western Front

Justin Hurwitz, Babylon

Carter Burwell, The Banshees of Inisherin

Son Lux, Everything Everywhere All at Once

John Williams, The Fabelmans

Best Sound

Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel, and Stefan Korte, All Quiet on the Western Front

Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, and Michael Hedges, Avatar: The Way of Water

Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray, and Andy Nelson, The Batman

David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson, and Michael Keller, Elvis

Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor, Top Gun: Maverick

Best Visual Effects

Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank, and Kamil Jafar, All Quiet on the Western Front

Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett, Avatar: The Way of Water

Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands, and Dominic Tuohy, The Batman

Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White, and Dan Sudick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson, and Scott R. Fisher, Top Gun: Maverick

Best Animated Short Film

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse

The Flying Sailor

Ice Merchants

My Year of Dicks

An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake, and I Think I Believe It

Best Live Action Short Film

An Irish Goodbye

Ivalu

Le Pupille

Night Ride

The Red Suitcase

Best Documentary Short

The Elephant Whisperers

Haulout

How Do You Measure a Year?

The Martha Mitchell Effect

Stranger at the Gate

Photo: Haber Global

Mastodon and Gojira Announces 2023 Joint Headline Concert


Mastodon and Gojira have announced a 2023 joint headline tour. On a tour known as the Mega-Monsters Tour, it will tour across North America this spring and summer. Each date will begin with Lorna Shore. The complete schedule for the co-headlining tour can be found here.

Starting April 18th in Portland, Oregon, the Mega Monsters Tour will see the band perform across most of the West Coast and South.

Mastodon and Gojira will resume touring in June and July after a brief hiatus. They will play across the East Coast and Midwest before ending their tour on September 2nd in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

In 2021, Mastodon released their eighth album, Hushed and Grim. Medium Rarities was also released earlier by the Atlanta-based sludge metal band.

Gojira’s latest album, Fortitude, is out in 2021. This was followed in 2016 by the release of the French avant-metal band’s full-length album Magma.

Mastodon

Mastodon is a heavy metal group based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Troy Sanders (bass and vocals), Brent Hinds (lead on his guitar and vocals), Bill Kelliher (rhythm on his guitar and backing vocals), and Brann Dailor (drums and vocals) make up his band formed in 2000. To do.

Eight studio albums, as well as a variety of miscellaneous releases, have been made by Mastodon. Remission, the band’s 2002 debut album, received high marks from critics for its distinctive sound. 

Leviathan, the group’s second full-length release, is a concept album based on Herman Melville’s book Moby-Dick. Revolver, Kerrang!, and Rolling Stone all named the album “Album of the Year” in 2004. 

Blood Mountain, the group’s third album, which was released in 2006, contained the song “Colony of Birchmen,” which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2007 for Best Metal Performance. 

Crack the Skye and The Hunter, both of which debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2011 and saw significant commercial success in the United States, were Blood Mountain’s immediate predecessors in 2009 and 2011, respectively. 

The song “Curl of the Burl,” which appears on The Hunter, was nominated for a Grammy in 2012 for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. The third Grammy-nominated song by Mastodon, “High Road,” can be found on the band’s 2014 album Once More ‘Round the Sun, which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Read also: Rapper MC Nulty Releases Single “Wanna Make You Dance” with Bizarre from D12

Gojira

French heavy metal band Gojira hails from Ondres. 

The band’s original members have remained the same since its name was changed to Gojira in 2001: brothers Joe (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Mario Duplantier (drums), Christian Andreu (lead guitar), and Jean-Michel Labadie (bass). 

Gojira are renowned for their progressive and technical death metal genres as well as their lyrics, which often have spiritual, philosophical, or environmental themes. 

The band’s career has seen a transition from “complete obscurity throughout the first half to widespread global recognition in the second.”

Terra Incognita (2001) and The Link (2003), Gojira’s first two albums, as well as their rousing live performances, helped them become known as a top French metal band. A silent film score called Maciste All’Inferno was written and played for a single performance in Bordeaux. 

The British metal press reviewed their third album, the critically acclaimed From Mars to Sirius (2005), which included the songs “Backbone,” “The Heaviest Matter of the Universe,” and “Flying Whales.” 

After that, the band joined Prosthetic Records, which increased their exposure in North America. The Way of All Flesh (2008), the follow-up album, debuted on the Billboard 200, and Gojira subsequently began their first foreign headlining tour.

The band started working with several metal artists to record the Sea Shepherd EP in a group setting. Roadrunner Records signed Gojira in 2011. 

L’Enfant Sauvage (2012) and Magma (2016), two albums by the band, reached their highest points at thirty-four and twenty-four on the Billboard 200, respectively. 

On their breakout album Magma, Gojira abandoned death metal in favor of a simpler sound. They released “Another World,” their first single to reach the Billboard chart, in 2020.

Read also: Rihanna Fans Rejoice: New Album R9 Teased in Super Bowl Trailer

Gojira and Mastodon Dates:

04-18 Portland, OR – Veterans Memorial Coliseum

04-20 Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion

04-21 Los Angeles, CA – The Forum

04-22 Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre

04-23 Las Vegas, NV – Virgin

04-26 Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

04-28 Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall

04-29 Austin, TX – Moody Center

04-30 Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheatre

05-02 Nashville, TN – Municipal Auditorium

05-04 Boca Raton, FL – Sunset Cove Amphitheater

05-05 St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre

05-06 Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

05-07 Asheville, NC – Harrah’s Cherokee Center

05-09 Richmond, VA – Virginia Credit Union Live

05-10 Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion

05-11 Reading, PA – Santander Arena

08-09 Cincinnati, OH – MegaCorp Pavilion

08-10 Cleveland, OH – Jacob’s Pavilion

08-11 Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE Outdoors

08-12 New York, NY – Coney Island Amphitheater

08-13 Syracuse, NY – OneCenter

08-15 Detroit, MI – Masonic Temple

08-17 Toronto, Ontario – RBC Echo Beach

08-18 Laval, Quebec – Place Bell

08-19 Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena

08-20 Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall

08-23 Milwaukee, WI – BMO Pavilion

08-25 Hammond, IN – Horseshoe

08-26 Omaha, NE – Westfair Amphitheater

08-27 Minneapolis, MN – Waite Park Amphitheater

08-29 St. Louis, MO – The Factory

08-30 Kansas City, MO – Azura Amphitheater

09-01 Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheater

09-02 Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater