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With limited competition, Michael jumped back to the top spot on its fourth frame, as its run continues defying logic. Even with The Devil Wears Prada 2 suffering a heavy drop, it more than made up with its fantastic performance overseas. There were a few newcomers, but the clear winner was the horror Obsession, which managed to get over-perform projections.

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The Top 10 earned a combined $99.6 million this weekend. That's slightly down from last year, when Final Destination: Bloodlines posted a franchise-best debut.

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After staying in second and third place for the past two weeks, Lionsgate's Michael returned to the top spot with $26.1 million. That's a drop of just 31%, as it lifts its gross to $282.8 million. By next week, it'll become the first music biopic to cross $300 million domestically, and could make its way to $350 million.

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The Devil Wears Prada 2 suffered a rough drop this week. It dropped a poor 57%, earning $17.8 million, and indicating that its boosted second weekend (due to Mother's Day) played a factor. That takes its lifetime gross to $175.7 million. It should still be set to earn over $210 million domestically by the end of its run.

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Debuting in third place, Focus Features' Obsession over-performed with a marvelous $17.1 million in 2,615 theaters. That's notably higher than Blumhouse's own Lee Cronin's The Mummy ($13.5 million), and that's from a bigger studio and based on a more popular IP.

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Given the film's measly $750K budget, this is an incredible start. Especially considering that there were no big names attached. How could it do this much? Leave it up to Focus Features' excellent marketing campaign, which managed to sell the film's eerie and creepy premise. With very little interesting options for horror fans, the film managed to win over a starved audience. When the film made noise on its TIFF debut last year, Focus bought it and made sure to give it a prime spot to attract audiences. The film's enthusiastic reviews (94% on RT) also helped.

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According to Focus, 59% of the audience was male, and a massive 78% was 35 and under, indicating that it was a huge attraction for young audiences. They gave it a strong "A–" on CinemaScore, becoming one of the few horror films to get in the A range. That is an incredible sign of legs, and it looks like it's already reflected; it dipped a very light 11% on Sunday, when horror often tends to drop hard. Based on the very positive word of mouth, Obsession should finish with over $50 million domestically, becoming one of the most profitable horror titles of the summer season. And don't be surprised if it winds up higher than that. Director Curry Barker isn't wasting time on his follow-up, as he already wrapped Anything But Ghosts and it's set to helm the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre take for A24. His career is just getting started.

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Well, looks like Mortal Kombat II was a victim of a fatality. It collapsed a brutal 65%, earning $13.5 million this weekend. That's better than the 2021 original's 73% drop, but that's not really a fair comparison, as that was released simultaneously in theaters and HBO Max. Through 10 days, the film has earned $62.2 million. By next week, it'll pass the 1995 original ($70.4 million) to become the highest-grossing Mortal Kombat film. But given the steep drop, it doesn't look like it's making it past $90 million domestically.

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The Sheep Detectives eased 37% on its second weekend, adding $9.5 million. That's a sign of positive word of mouth, indicating it could have a leggy run. Through 10 days, the film has made $29.9 million. It's still gonna face some family competiton with The Mandalorian and Grogu, but it should still get to close to $50 million domestically.

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After its rough drops, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie finally had a great hold. It eased just 32%, adding $4.4 million this weekend. That takes its domestic gross to $418.6 million.

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Project Hail Mary eased 39%, earning $4 million. The film has amassed a dazzling $335 million so far.

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Paramount released a double-billed Top Gun/Top Gun: Maverick this weekend, and it managed to earn $3.3 million this weekend ($4.7 million including its Wednesday and Thursday gross).

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Did you know Guy Ritchie had a new movie out? Can't be blamed if you didn't. Black Bear's In the Grey flopped with just $2.9 million in 2,018 theaters and a ninth place spot. This debut is not surprising, given the film's tepid marketing spend, and the poor reviews unable to lift this. With just a "B" on CinemaScore, don't expect this to last long in theaters.

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Rounding out the Top 10 is Amazon MGM's drama Is God Is, which debuted with a soft $2.2 million in 1,510 theaters. Even with Amazon getting in the theatrical side, they didn't push this as much as Project Hail Mary nor The Sheep Detectives, nor the upcoming Masters of the Universe.

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At the same time, however, it's hard to ask for higher numbers, given the film's premise and lack of big names. But perhaps the critical acclaim and word of mouth ("B+" on CinemaScore) could help it stay afloat in the next few weeks.

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With Obsession taking away all potential horror audience, Neon's Hokum collapsed a steep 60% for just $1.3 million this weekend. The film has earned $15.4 million so far.

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Universal re-released Shrek for its 25th anniversary, and it made just $1.2 million in 1,370 theaters. That takes its lifetime gross to $269.5 million.

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Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) was pretty much forgotten this weekend. It earned just $913,517, which represents a horrible 87% drop. That puts it among the Top 10 worst ever second weekend drops of all time. The film has earned just $9.4 million, and it will probably miss $10 million domestically at this rate.

#OVERSEAS

Returning to the top spot, Michael added $57.7 million overseas, allowing it cross $700 million worldwide. It opened in South Korea with a strong $4.9 million, a record for a music biopic. The best markets are the UK ($54.6M), France ($41.1M), Germany ($27.4M), Mexico ($26.5M), Brazil ($25.4M), Italy ($25.2M), Australia ($23.6M), Spain ($22M), and Netherlands ($10.7M). The film is set to cross the $900 million barrier, overtaking Bohemian Rhapsody as the biggest music biopic of all time. And depending on its incoming performance in Japan, it could crack the $1 billion milestone.

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The Devil Wears Prada 2 added $50.6 million overseas, for a wonderful $545 million worldwide total. The best markets are the UK ($36.9M), Italy ($34.5M), Brazil ($27M), Germany ($25M), Mexico ($24.6M), Australia ($23.4M), Japan ($21.8M), and France ($21.2M). Next week, it hits the $600 million milestone.

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The Sheep Detectives added $14 million overseas, for a $58.9 million worldwide total. It opened solidly in Germany ($3.5M), but it didn't fare very well in China ($1.6M), Austria ($524K), Thailand ($217K), and Hong Kong ($145K). It still has a long way to go before seeing profit, but the strong holds are encouraging.

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Mortal Kombat II added $10 million overseas, crossing the $100 million milestone worldwide. The best markets are the UK ($3.9M), Mexico ($2.9M), Australia ($2.8M), Brazil ($2.5M) and China ($2.4M). Still showing less strength than the domestic side.

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Paramount also released the double billing of Top Gun/Top Gun: Maverick overseas, and it pulled in $6.8 million, for a $11.8 million worldwide launch.

#FILMS THAT ENDED THEIR RUN THIS WEEK

Movie	Release Date	Studio	Domestic Opening	Domestic Total	Worldwide Total	Budget
You, Me & Tuscany	Apr/10	Universal	$7,753,150	$18,723,685	$21,639,372	$18M

• Universal's rom-com You, Me & Tuscany has closed with a very weak $21 million worldwide, failing to recoup its $18 million budget. Even with some positive reviews and the hope that this could reignite interest in theatrical rom-coms, it just wasn't enough. Perhaps it'll find an audience in streaming.

#THIS WEEKEND

Disney is bringing Star Wars back to theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu, a continuation of the Disney+ series. Pedro Pascal is reprising his role, and is further joined by Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White. The Star Wars run under Disney has been very inconsistent; while the sequel trilogy made money, reception decreased with each passing entry, and the varying performance of the streaming shows haven't helped matters. Is this gonna be able to translate the show's success to the big screen? Or are people just going to sit out?

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Paramount is releasing André Øvredal's new horror Passenger, following a couple being haunted by a demonic stalker. While trailers look eerie, the story has that "been there, done that" feeling that will probably not let it break out. It doesn't help that Obsession is breaking out, and it also faces Backrooms the following week.

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Neon is also releasing Boots Riley's I Love Boosters, his first film in 8 years. The film follows a group of shoplifters, known as “boosters”, who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven after she steals their designs. It already premiered at SXSW (with a very encouraging 93% on RT), and Riley's brand could help it become a indie success.

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Here's a new edition of "Actors at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the actors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's Chevy Chase's turn.

#Early Life

Chase stated that he was physically and psychologically abused as a child by his mother and stepfather, Dr. John Cederquist, a psychoanalyst. He said, "I lived in fear all the time, deathly fear." Abuse he was subjected to as a child included being awakened in the middle of the night by his mother to be slapped repeatedly across the face, lashes to the backs of his legs, punches to the head by his stepfather, and being locked in a bedroom closet for hours. As a punishment for being suspended from school at the age of 14, Chase was locked in a basement for several days.

Chase was a member of an early underground comedy ensemble called Channel One, which he co-founded in 1967. Chase then made the move to comedy as a full-time career by 1973, when he became a writer and cast member of The National Lampoon Radio Hour, a syndicated satirical radio series, where he worked alongside John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, and Brian Doyle-Murray.

#1970s: This Player's Not Ready for Prime Time

Chase made his feature film with the independent comedy The Groove Tube. Despite negative reviews, the film was a surprise sleeper hit, despite not being distributed by a major studio. Through re-releases (especially after Chase joined a well-known show), it made over $28 million.

But he didn't immediately continue his film career.

In 1975, Chase joined his pals John Belushi and Gilda Radner in a new variety show called *NBC's Saturday Night. He was only set as a writer, but got to join as a main cast member. Chase, Belushi and Radner, along with Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, and George Coe were the first ever actors in the show, earning the name of "The Not-Ready-For-Prime Time Players".

The show debuted on October 11, 1975, with George Carlin as the first host. Chase was the first performer to say the show's introduction line ("Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!") in the first episode, and he often introduced that line for the first season. Chase became known for his skill at physical comedy. In one comedy sketch, he mimicked a real-life incident in which President Gerald Ford accidentally tripped while disembarking from Air Force One in Salzburg, Austria. This portrayal of President Ford as a bumbling klutz became a favorite device of Chase's, and helped form the popular concept of Ford as being a clumsy man despite Ford having been a "star athlete" during his university years.

Chase was also the first anchor of the show's recurring "Weekend Update" segment, with his catchphrase introduction ("I'm Chevy Chase... and you're not") becoming popular, and therefore received more screen time than the rest of the cast. Chase's success led to tensions with the rest of the cast, particularly Belushi. Chase was committed contractually to the show for only one year as a writer and became a cast member during rehearsals just before the show's premiere. He received two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for his comedy writing and live comic acting on the show.

Chase quickly became a very beloved comedian. In a 1975 New York magazine cover story, which called him "The funniest man in America", NBC executives referred to Chase as "The first real potential successor to Johnny Carson" and claimed he would begin guest-hosting The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson within six months of the article. Chase dismissed rumors that he could be the next Carson, "I'd never be tied down for five years interviewing TV personalities." Chase did not appear on the program until May 4, 1977, when he was promoting a prime-time special for NBC. Carson (who was never a fan of Saturday Night) later said of Chase: "He couldn't ad-lib a fart after a baked-bean dinner."

In late 1976, in the middle of Saturday Night's second season, Chase became the second member of the original cast to leave the show (after George Coe during the first season). While he landed starring roles in several films on the strength of his fame, he asserted that the principal reason for his departure was the reluctance of his girlfriend, Jacqueline Carlin, to move to New York. Chase moved to Los Angeles, married Carlin, and was replaced by Bill Murray, although he made a few cameo appearances on the show during the second season.

His second film was the comedy anthology Tunnel Vision. Not a big distributor, but it was still a sleeper hit at the box office.

In 1978, he starred in another comedy, Foul Play, opposite Goldie Hawn. Chase was originally offered to play Eric "Otter" Stratton in National Lampoon's Animal House, but he turned it down to star in this film, so that role was recast with Tim Matheson. This was different from his prior works, as this had a cohesive storyline. He said he wanted this film so he could do "real acting" for the first time in his career instead of just "schtick." The film earned positive reviews and was even bigger than his prior films, earning almost $45 million. This showed that Chevy Chase would become a new box office star.

But there was the day his confidence got shaken a bit.

February 18, 1978.

When he had already established his career, Chase returned to Saturday Night (which would now be titled Saturday Night Live). This time, he would host the episode, with Billy Joel as the musical guest. While he had high praise and felt beloved by the audience, his return drew a mixed response from the cast, who were not content with Chase's behavior in the first season. You'd expect the story of someone to humble a bit and come back as a changed individual, having learned from his mistakes. But this is not that story.

Chase came in with an entitled, even arrogant air, widely attributed to an inflated ego and a growing coke habit, even demanding that current "Weekend Update" anchor Jane Curtin be bumped from her position for the night. He reportedly told her, "Jane, let’s face it, you can’t be on the screen with me at the same time." But if an old co-worker had so much hatred, it was John Belushi. It was made clear that he fomented resentment about Chase's return, and he was not going to let that go unnoticed that week.

Bill Murray, who had replaced Chase as part of the main cast, didn't have much history with him. It quickly became clear that, if Chase needed to be taken down a peg or two, Murray was going to be the designated hammer. Murray was quoted as saying, "That was because I was the new guy, and it was sort of like it was my job to do that. It would have been too petty for someone else to do it. It’s almost like I was goaded into it."

During that week's writing and rehearsal, Murray increasingly needled the host, at one point bursting into a meeting to relay to Chase the cast and crew's resentment concerning his antics in the first season and belittling Chase's supposed marital troubles. Murray told him, "Go fuck your wife. I hear she needs it." Chase, never one to let an insult go, replied with an attack targeting Murray’s famously rough complexion, responding, "Well your face looks like something Neil Armstrong landed on." This was not the end of the conflict.

Chase, ostensibly preparing for his cold open as his stumblebum Gerald Ford, found Murray in Belushi's dressing room and called him out. What resulted was a hallway scuffle, both men throwing punches which, perhaps karmically, landed almost entirely on Belushi as he and several others attempted to rein in. A fight witnessed by Billy Joel and John Landis. Cooler heads — and the 11:30 deadline — prevailed just in time for Chase to go onstage. But not before Murray got in one of the most quintessential and devastating verbal blows ever. An insult that would shake Chase for quite some time.

Murray called him "Medium talent".

The impact of these two words got to Chase, who had to leave to begin the episode. He began the cold open and proceeded with his monologue. Lorne Michaels is reported to have murmured, “Chevy doesn't have it tonight,” and if the episode as a whole doesn’t bear the sentiment out entirely, the pre-show tensions do seem to inform much of Chase’s onscreen interactions with Murray.

We'll come back to this later on.

#1980s: Hallelujah! HOLY SHIT! Where's the Tylenol?

He began the decade with his first box office disappointment, Oh! Heavenly Dog. A comedy where he dies and gets reincarnated as a dog to solve his own murder. But he reteamed with Goldie Hawn on a new comedy, Seems Like Old Times, which made almost as much as money as Foul Play.

He also starred in the comedy Caddyshack, alongside Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe... and Bill Murray. While there were some worries about how Chase and Murray would act around one another, after the previously mentioned fight in SNL, the two remained friendly and professional with one another throughout the whole writing and filming. It was a very peaceful production, although the heavy use of cocaine on set was probably another factor. The film earned positive reviews, and made over $60 million worldwide.

Under the Rainbow was a financial disappointment, but he recovered a bit with Modern Problems. While filming the latter, he narrowly escaped death by electrocution. During a sequence in which Chase's character wears "landing lights" as he dreams that he is an airplane, the lights malfunctioned, and an electric current passed through Chase's arm, back, and neck muscles. The near-death experience followed the end of his marriage to Carlin, and Chase experienced a period of deep depression.

In 1983, he had one of his worst reviewed titles in Deal of the Century. Even with a director like William Friedkin attached, the film was a big failure. But he had a film to make up for it.

Chase then starred in National Lampoon's Vacation, and he even helped rewrite some of the script. Chase mentions that filming the Walley World scenes gave him very bad experiences; many of the rides made him and the other cast members vomit, especially since they all had to ride them several times for each take. The film had a different ending (which involved the Griswolds taking Roy Walley hostage and other shitty things) and the poor test screenings forced the studio to change the ending. This ending was never released, although Chase claims to have a tape of the film with the original ending. The film was a critical and commercial success, becoming Chase's highest grossing film. But it really makes you think; somewhere out there exists a version of Vacation where Clark Griswold essentially becomes a domestic terrorist.

1985 was a very busy year, with 3 headlining titles. The first was Fletch, which was a financial success. Chase enjoyed the role, because it allowed him to play a wide variety of different characters, and praised director Michael Ritchie because he gave him the freedom to improvise. He reprised his role as Clark Griswold in National Lampoon's European Vacation, which was a success despite mixed reception. And he capped it off with Spies Like Us, his highest-grossing title at that point.

The following year, he starred in ¡Three Amigos! alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short. Chase initially resisted delivering a line he thought would make his character Dusty Bottoms look foolish but eventually complied after director John Landis threatened to reassign the line to Short. Chase also reportedly made an inappropriate joke related to the Twilight Zone incident, which Landis overheard and reacted to angrily. While it wasn't quite big, the film has gained a cult following. Chase said that this was the most fun he had making a film.

1988 was a very poor year. Funny Farm flopped at the box office, and Chase often clashed with director George Roy Hill over the film's creative control. He also had a "special appearance" in Caddyshack II, which is often found in the lists of worst comedy sequels of all time. Director Allan Arkush had a bad working relationship with Chase, who was paid a substantial fee for a relatively minimal role. Arkush later recalled, "On his first day, we were working out the blocking for his scene and I said, ‘How do you want to do this, Chevy?’ And he was just pissed at me and said, ‘Why? Don’t you have any ideas?!’” Arkush claimed that two days later, when filming Chase, Arkush offered suggestions to which Chase replied, “What? Don’t I get any input on this?!” Later, while watching one of his scenes during postproduction, Chase said to Arkush, “Call me when you’ve dubbed the laugh track,” before walking off in disgust. Playing Devil's advocate, he might not have been wrong about the laugh track.

At the very least, he ended the decade on a good note. He starred in Fletch Lives, which was a success despite negative reviews. He then starred again as Clark Griswold in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. The film was originally directed by Chris Columbus, but he left due to a problem. And that problem was Chevy Chase. So Jeremiah S. Chechik signed to direct. It earned very positive reviews and outgrossed the prior Vacation titles. To this day, it remains a Christmas classic. It's never Christmas until you watch Clark's breakdown.

This decade was Chase's best ever decade, as it was clear that his presence could help in comedies. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like he had changed his attitude behind the scenes.

#1990s: He Ain't No Draw No More

He decided to try something different to begin the decade. That was taking part in the Friars Club Roast, where he would be the roastee. The roastmaster was Dan Akroyd, with Clint Eastwood, Neil Simon, Larry King, Robin Leach, Richard Lewis, Gilbert Gottfried, Rita Rudner, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller and Lorne Michaels doing the roasting. Like all other roasts, the show was mainly focused on poking fun at Chase and his career. You might think Chase would not allow himself to be the subject of a roast, but he actually greatly enjoyed the experience. It was clear he wanted to do this again. A decision he would later regret. We'll get to this later.

His first film of the decade with 1991's Nothing but Trouble, which was the directorial debut of his pal Dan Aykroyd. He agreed to star because WB would only greenlight the film if he starred in it, trying to help Aykroyd (who was already feeling stressed at being forced to make his own directorial debut after other directors turned down the script). The film would go down as one of the biggest financial failures of the decade, earning just $8 million against its $45 million budget ($110 million adjusted). It was panned by critics and audiences, earning a spot as one of the worst comedies of the decade.

He followed that up with a project from a great director, John Carpenter. That was Memoirs of an Invisible Man, which was a passion project for Chase. He wanted to make a film about the loneliness of invisibility, intending the film to be a bridge into less comedic roles. Nevertheless, the film suffered from so many problems on set. Carpenter said Chase was "impossible to direct". In particular, Chase would often refuse to wear his special effects makeup and would remove it prematurely, ruining a day's worth of filming. Whatever, it was all for nothing, as the film was a critical and financial failure.

Carpenter later reflected on the film, "It was a horror show. I really wanted to quit the business after that movie. God, I don’t want to talk about why, but let’s just say there were personalities on that film... he shall not be named who needs to be killed. No, no, no, that’s terrible. He needs to be set on fire. No, no, no. Anyway, it’s all fine. I survived it." Gee, who could it be? 🤔

Now, let's go back to TV. We have to talk about one of the biggest flops to ever touch the screen.

With Johnny Carson retiring from The Tonight Show, networks were trying desperately to find a similar show. In 1993, Fox asked Dolly Parton to host a new-late night program. She turned the network down, but suggested Chase for the job. Chase reportedly signed a $3 million deal with Fox, and the network spent heavily on the program, mounting an extensive marketing campaign. It even had a cool clay-animated opening titles, in which Chase steals letters from notable Los Angeles landmarks to spell the name of his show. Certainly, the best part of the show.

Well, because history needs witnesses, I watched the first episode on YouTube. There's other episodes in there if you want to watch the show. But why would you want to do that?

We start the show with a lame joke of Chase talking with his hand. After that cool opening credits, he tries to score a basketball shot. Key word: tried. He then awkwardly got in close to properly get it into the hoop, "suceeding". Trying to save some face, he makes another long shot, which he again misses. He then makes the opening monologue, delivered in a very uncomfortable tone with multiple pauses, as if he's struggling to read cue cards. Shortly afterwards, there's a scene where he tries to put his hands in a pool of cement, only to accidentally fall in the pool. Perhaps the funniest thing in the show, cause this is the kind of thing you expect to see in his comedies.

Things go downhill (if they weren't already) when they cut to a musical number. Basically, it's three pale floating heads over a black screen singing. Did David Lynch sneak in to mess things up? Was this supposed to be entertaining or creepy? I don't think Chase cares. When the camera goes back to him, he tells a joke, which is met with an awkward silence. But anyway, here comes the real treat of a late night show: the guest stars. So the first guest star is Goldie Hawn, who has been part of this write-up so many times. Given that she's a very hilarious and quirky person, maybe she could breathe some life in this. Like, who doesn't love Goldie Hawn?

All good... and then she sings a song to Chase. The moment just comes off as strange, with Chase changing his expressions from delight to discomfort multiple times. He then delivers a birthday cake to Hawn's son, Oliver Hudson, but simply drops it off in front of him and goes back on stage, where he and Hawn dance because reasons. After this, he participates in a segment titled "News Update" where he says "Good evening, I'm Chevy Chase". Then you hear a person in the audience yell "...and you're not!", prompting the audience to laugh. He then makes a briefing on several news reports, with witty remarks. This segment is the only one where Chase isn't nervous or struggles to remember lines or can't get the audience to laugh. Pretty cool segment... but did they really rip off Weekend Update in order to catch some former glory? Sounds desperate.

Then it ended with an interview with the last guest, Whoopi Goldberg. But unlike Hawn, with whom he is very good friends with, he struggled to keep pace and wit here. His attempts at humor just fell flat. End credits.

Fox was adamant that it would succeed, promising advertisers that it would pull 5-6 million viewers each night. In contrast, The Late Show with David Letterman promised fewer than 4 million viewers. So yeah, they were fucking serious. So how did it fare in ratings? Less than 3 million viewers. By the fifth episode, less than 2 million. So after airing 6 episodes, the show was cancelled, and the sets dismantled. And so it went down as one of the biggest TV flops ever.

Chase claimed that he had never intended the show to be a long-term series, even if it had been successful. Chase said that it was "an entirely different concept than what was pushed on me. I would never do it again. What I wanted had a whole different feel to it, much darker and more improv. But we never got there." He also maintained that because he had signed a contract with Fox, he was obligated to do the show the way the network wanted.

Three flops in a row, how about making it four? Cause that's the fate that awaited Cops & Robbersons. Nah, forget it, let's make it five with Man of the House. It's starting to become clear that Chase is having problem in maintaining audiences. The films aren't working, and his "anticipated" TV show was a disaster.

He tried to come back by returning as Clark Griswold in Vegas Vacation. But the film earned the worst reviews of the franchise and became the lowest-grossing title, on top of flopping. It pretty much meant audiences were done with the misfortunes of Clark Griswold.

He closed the decade with Dirty Work, a film that he felt very excited about. But that enthusiasm didn't fare well at the box office nor with critics. At the very least, the film has earned a cult following.

Chase released 7 films this decade, and every single one of them flopped. To say that his star power was dwindling is selling it short.

#2000s: That Time a Roast Became Deeply Personal

After a brutal streak of failures, he bounced back with the comedy Snow Day. Negative reviews, but it became one of his highest grossing films. And then he had Orange County, which was also a success. Damn, it seems like he might be back.

Oh nevermind, he's come back to absolute nothing.

He subsequently starred in a lot of straight-to-DVD movies, or titles that were quietly dumped without much fanfare.

But right now, we're gonna focus on one of the worst nights that Chevy Chase had.

Remember the 1990 roast? The one where apparently everything went well, and Chase actually enjoyed the experience. He wanted to repeat this, so he managed to get the Friars Club to organize a new roast for him in 2002, with Chase setting Paul Shaffer (his SNL pal) as the roastmaster. To show that even with a decade of failures, he would be able to take it all.

Big mistake.

It's like the scene in Goodfellas where Tommy walks into the room to finally become made. From the very first moment, Chase knew something was up. The roasters were Todd Barry, Richard Belzer, Stephen Colbert, Beverly D'Angelo, Al Franken, Greg Giraldo, Lisa Lampanelli, Nathan Lane, Marc Maron, Laraine Newman, and Freddie Roman. While Steve Martin, Martin Short and Randy Quaid were also roasters, they just sent pre-recorded videos. But here's the thing: with the exception of Beverly D'Angelo, Al Franken, and Laraine Newman, the roasters had almost no relation or friendship with Chase. So the people who would roast him were people he never met before.

Most of the roast focused on how Chase was a has-been that lost whatever "talent" he had. Among the insults: Giraldo pointed to Chase as “living proof that you could actually snort the funniness right out of yourself.” Shaffer himself mused, “You made us laugh so much. And then inexplicably stopped in about 1978.” Newman charged Chase with meanness, drug use, and abject failure. She specifically read from her diary about the SNL first season class: "Danny [Aykroyd] is hilarious, and has invited everyone up to his bar in Canada. [John] Belushi is a little gruff, but it's obvious he's a sweetheart. Chevy said to me "You know, the Holocaust never really happened." Belzer summed things up with his super-scripted punch line: “The only time Chevy Chase has a funny bone in his body is when I fuck him in the ass.” Maron overheard Chase make a remark off-screen that he was being roasted by nobodies and fired back by saying, “At least, you know, I’m a nobody at the beginning of my career.” Giraldo also pointed out the lack of other famous people on the dais, suggesting that an “O.J. roast would have drawn more star power.”

And so it came Colbert with the final blow. It's a lot to take in, but the most brutal thing was this: "The only thing I think of when I look at this man is there but for the grace of God go I. Why would I tempt the comedy gods to strike me down like this? A comedy lamprey, just sucking the joy out of everything I touch. But for some of these people, [fame] went to their head ... but this man never forgot what got him wherever he thinks he is. Before you attack him, think: There may come a day in your darkest hour when you are a shadow of your, albeit paper-thin self. And when that day comes, I hope that you are cheered up by something that Mr. Chase so famously said, "He's Chevy Chase and you're not." If that doesn't cheer you up, then I don't know what will."

After Chase finished delivered the final roast (where he failed to come up with anything clever), he went back to his hotel room and cried for so many hours, with Paul Shaffer coming to comfort him. He had been a prick for so many decades, and is aware that his career hasn't panned out, but he had no idea people had this much disdain for his persona.

The reason for the poor turnout was addressed by Rachel Sterling (was involved with the show behind the scenes), “The team at Comedy Central had trouble finding people to participate because everyone that knew [Chase] hated him too much.” On top of that, Sterling said, “During his ten-minute rebuttal, he insulted the entire room, calling us losers and idiots. During the edit, we struggled to find one [minute] of content that we could air.”

It didn't seem like his luck was going to turn around. He had a supporting role in Zoom, but the film earned an abysmal $12 million against a $75 million budget, becoming one of the biggest flops of the decade. Given how few titles were on his way, his career was pretty much over.

But then an opportunity came up.

In 2009, he decided to return to TV, after already guest starring in other shows like Law & Order and Chuck. And don't worry, it's not another late night catastrophe. It's a new sitcom, and he's one of the main cast members. The show was called Community, and Chase was playing Pierce Hawthorne.

Pierce was a millionaire and CEO of the Hawthorne Wipes moist towelette company and is often at odds with the rest of the study group because of his arrogance, lack of empathy, and casual ignorance of politically correct behavior. Despite his often unsociable and selfish nature, Pierce desperately wants to fit in with the group and occasionally offers great insight and advice, showing that he does care greatly for each of the group members.

Community didn't exactly have high viewership, but it did more than solid enough to stay afloat. It also earned positive reviews, with Chase finding himself with the buzziest thing he has done in so many years. This is just the beginning, and he can't squander it.

A rough decade. Okay, maybe terrible. But there's some light at the end of the tunnel.

#2010s: This Guy Is So Many Streets Behind

While starring in Community, Chase returned to the big screen with Hot Tub Time Machine. It didn't make a lot of money, but it sold very well on home media. It feels like Chevy Chase is back and better than ever.

But that comeback was short-lived.

He was still starring in films, but these were often dumped on DVD or VOD. A lot of titles you never heard of, or perhaps you don't want to know.

Meanwhile, something was brewing in the set of Community.

Even though the show was Chase's first culturally revelant thing in so many years, he wasn't making things any easier. Chase became increasingly uncomfortable with the direction of Pierce's character arc and had increasing disagreements with the show's creator Dan Harmon. And it wasn't simple "creative differences" disagreements, it was much more.

At one point, Harmon publicly reprimanded Chase in front of his family and colleagues during a wrap party, allowing frustrated crew members to collectively, cathartically shout, “Fuck you, Chevy!” This prompted Chase to leave Harmon an expletive-filled voicemail, which leaked online. They maintained they became "friends again". No one buys it.

But even when Harmon was fired after the third season, things weren't improving on set. Chase had a weak experience with the cast, as they felt uncomfortable and wanted to get his scenes filmed as soon as possible. He had problems with Donald Glover and Yvette Nicole Brown, with reports that he was spouting racial slurs on set. When the cast and crew confronted him for his behavior, he claimed that he had special permission from late comedian Richard Pryor to use the "n-word." When word about the incident soon leaked to the press, Chase had a “full meltdown.” He reportedly screamed, "Who fucked me over? My career is ruined! I’m ruined! Fuck all of you!"

On November 12, 2012, it was reported that Chase would be exiting Community by the end of the fourth season. The remaining episodes of the fourth season of were written around Chase's departure. Chase has argued that the incident had nothing to do with the decision, as he simply felt that "the show wasn’t funny enough for me, ultimately. I felt a little bit constrained. Everybody had their bits, and I thought they were all good. It just wasn’t hard-hitting enough for me." Joel McHale later responded to Chase, "Hey, no one was keeping you there. I mean, we weren’t sentenced to that show,. It was like, ‘All right, you could have left if you really wanted that.’ But yeah, you know Chevy. That’s Chevy being Chevy… I wrote about this in my book, but I was like, ‘Hey, the feeling’s mutual, bud.’"

And just like that, the hopes of Chase's career return were pretty much over.

He returned for Hot Tub Time Machine 2, but it was a huge failure and panned by everyone. At the very least, he had a win when he reprised his role as Clark Griswold in Vacation, albeit in a very small appearance. It was panned by critics, but it became his first film to make over $100 million.

Other than that, the rest of his films were sent to streaming or VOD.

This was... a very disappointing decade. Chase had all the elements to finally return to the spotlight, but his ego got in the way.

#2020s: And You're Not!

He chose to star in the panned The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee, for which he got a Razzie nomination. From that point on, there came more straight-to-DVD misfires. There's practically nothing worth mentioning.

Except the first notable thing he did in years. And it wasn't playing role.

Last year, he was the subject of a documentary titled I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not. He gave interviews, which... only further add salt to the injury. Director Marina Zenovich said that he was one of the most difficult celebrities she ever interviewed, and perhaps the rudest. A lot of celebrities, including Steve Martin, Christopher Guest and the Community cast, refused to participate.

It's a long story with so many details, so perhaps it's best for you to check it out. But if you came in expecting to finally understand Chevy Chase, you're gonna be so disappointed.

#HIGHEST GROSSING FILMS

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Overseas Total	Worldwide Total	Budget
1	Vacation	2015	Warner Bros.	$58,884,188	$48,344,033	$107,228,221	$31M
2	Spies Like Us	1985	Warner Bros.	$60,106,536	$17,200,000	$77,306,536	$22M
3	National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation	1989	Warner Bros.	$75,476,861	$0	$75,476,861	$25M
4	Hot Tub Time Machine	2010	Metro Goldwyn Mayer	$50,287,556	$14,492,657	$64,780,213	$36M
5	Snow Day	2000	Paramount	$60,020,107	$2,444,624	$62,464,731	$13M
6	National Lampoon's Vacation	1983	Warner Bros.	$61,418,063	$0	$61,418,063	$15M
7	Caddyshack	1980	Warner Bros.	$39,918,650	$20,100,000	$60,018,650	$6M
8	Fletch	1985	Universal	$50,612,888	$9,000,000	$59,612,888	$8M
9	National Lampoon's European Vacation	1985	Warner Bros.	$49,364,621	$0	$49,364,621	$17M
10	Foul Play	1978	Paramount	$44,999,621	$0	$44,999,621	$5M
11	Seems Like Old Times	1980	Columbia	$43,995,918	$0	$43,995,918	N/A
12	Orange County	2002	Paramount	$41,076,018	$2,248,991	$43,325,009	$18M
13	Man of the House	1995	Disney	$40,070,995	$0	$40,070,995	$22M
14	Fletch Lives	1989	Universal	$35,150,960	$4,300,000	$39,450,960	$8M
15	¡Three Amigos!	1986	Orion	$39,246,734	$0	$39,246,734	$25M
16	Vegas Vacation	1997	Warner Bros.	$36,400,360	$0	$36,400,360	$25M
17	The Groove Tube	1974	Levitt-Pickman	$28,572,438	$0	$28,572,438	$200K
18	Modern Problems	1981	20th Century Fox	$26,154,211	$0	$26,154,211	$8M
19	Funny Farm	1988	Warner Bros.	$25,537,221	$0	$25,537,221	$19M
20	Under the Rainbow	1981	Warner Bros.	$18,826,490	$0	$18,826,490	$18M
21	Memoirs of an Invisible Man	1992	Warner Bros.	$14,358,033	$0	$14,358,033	$40M
22	Hot Tub Time Machine 2	2015	Paramount	$12,314,651	$767,000	$13,081,651	$18M
23	Zoom	2006	Sony	$11,989,328	$517,034	$12,506,362	$75M
24	Caddyshack II	1988	Warner Bros.	$11,798,302	$0	$11,798,302	$20M
25	Cops and Robbersons	1994	TriStar	$11,391,093	$0	$11,391,093	N/A
26	Deal of the Century	1983	Warner Bros.	$10,369,581	$0	$10,369,581	$10M
27	Dirty Work	1998	Metro Goldwyn Mayer	$10,023,282	$0	$10,023,282	$13M
28	Tunnel Vision	1976	World Wide	$8,700,000	$0	$8,700,000	N/A
29	Nothing but Trouble	1991	Warner Bros.	$8,479,793	$0	$8,479,793	$45M
30	Oh! Heavenly Dog	1980	20th Century Fox	$6,216,067	$0	$6,216,067	N/A
31	Zombie Town	2023	Viva	$130,802	$0	$130,802	N/A
32	Ellie Parker	2005	Strand	$34,410	$11,316	$45,726	$4M
33	Funny Money	2006	THINKFilm	$2,844	$28,446	$31,290	$20M

He has starred in 49 released films, but only 33 have reported box office numbers. Across those 49 films, he has made $1,094,182,723 worldwide. That's $22,330,259 per film.

#ADJUSTED DOMESTIC GROSSES

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Adjusted Domestic Total
1	Foul Play	1978	Paramount	$44,999,621	$229,843,156
2	National Lampoon's Vacation	1983	Warner Bros.	$61,418,063	$205,355,856
3	National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation	1989	Warner Bros.	$75,476,861	$202,704,066
4	Spies Like Us	1985	Warner Bros.	$60,106,536	$186,028,611
5	Seems Like Old Times	1980	Columbia	$43,995,918	$177,809,716
6	The Groove Tube	1974	Levitt-Pickman	$28,572,438	$176,862,329
7	Caddyshack	1980	Warner Bros.	$39,918,650	$161,331,417
8	Fletch	1985	Universal	$50,612,888	$156,645,947
9	National Lampoon's European Vacation	1985	Warner Bros.	$49,364,621	$152,782,584
10	¡Three Amigos!	1986	Orion	$39,246,734	$119,251,344
11	Snow Day	2000	Paramount	$60,020,107	$116,073,728
12	Modern Problems	1981	20th Century Fox	$26,154,211	$95,818,210
13	Fletch Lives	1989	Universal	$35,150,960	$94,403,005
14	Man of the House	1995	Disney	$40,070,995	$87,561,960
15	Vacation	2015	Warner Bros.	$58,884,188	$82,735,045
16	Hot Tub Time Machine	2010	Metro Goldwyn Mayer	$50,287,556	$76,800,280
17	Orange County	2002	Paramount	$41,076,018	$76,037,440
18	Vegas Vacation	1997	Warner Bros.	$36,400,360	$75,526,778
19	Funny Farm	1988	Warner Bros.	$25,537,221	$71,888,464
20	Under the Rainbow	1981	Warner Bros.	$18,826,490	$68,972,471
21	Tunnel Vision	1976	World Wide	$8,700,000	$50,918,699
22	Deal of the Century	1983	Warner Bros.	$10,369,581	$34,671,464
23	Memoirs of an Invisible Man	1992	Warner Bros.	$14,358,033	$34,080,628
24	Caddyshack II	1988	Warner Bros.	$11,798,302	$33,212,768
25	Cops and Robbersons	1994	TriStar	$11,391,093	$25,596,908
26	Oh! Heavenly Dog	1980	20th Century Fox	$6,216,067	$25,122,264
27	Nothing but Trouble	1991	Warner Bros.	$8,479,793	$20,733,778
28	Dirty Work	1998	Metro Goldwyn Mayer	$10,023,282	$20,478,241
29	Zoom	2006	Sony	$11,989,328	$19,804,990
30	Hot Tub Time Machine 2	2015	Paramount	$12,314,651	$17,302,662
31	Zombie Town	2023	Viva	$130,802	$142,958
32	Ellie Parker	2005	Strand	$34,410	$58,674
33	Funny Money	2006	THINKFilm	$2,844	$4,567

#The Verdict

I don't understand Chevy Chase.

In the 70s, Chase looked like he was ready to take on the world. He quickly made a great impression in Saturday Night Live, to the point that they thought he would guest host The Tonight Show. And to be fair, it seemed like that was panning out. He could've had Animal House, but he didn't need it to break out in the comedy world. His name was often associated with hits, and there was nothing stopping him.

After his 80s run, however, Chase pretty much lost his star power. And the film were getting bad. Like really bad. And his attempt at late night was a colossal disaster that has remained a punching bag for 30 years. Followed by one of the most brutal roasts to ever exist. His career pretty much stalled, and it seemed like he was done. But Community brought back some of his magic, and a comeback could be seen in the horizon.

But this is what brings us to the real problem: Chevy Chase.

It's no secret that he has been an asshole. When did it start? Who knows, but we have evidence that he was already like that back in the 70s. You'd think the success would finally humble him to reconsider some of his actions, but it didn't happen. Hell, even with the roast making him realize that so many people hated him, he still didn't change his ways given what we know about the stories from the Community set.

The worst part is that he still refuses to back down from what he says, claiming he did nothing wrong. A few years ago he was questioned about this and he said, "I am who I am. And I like who I am. I don’t care. And it’s part of me that I don’t care. I’ve thought about that a lot. And I don’t know what to tell you, man. I just don’t care."

It truly makes you think "are we listening to Chevy or Pierce?" Another thing to note is that Pierce's shitty father, Cornelius, has the same name as Chase's real name (Cornelius Crane Chase). Was this just a coincidence or did Dan Harmon specifically want this?

Let's go back to that fight he had with Bill Murray on Saturday Night Live. Obviously a messed-up week, with lots of tensions on set, and executives sweating that two important figures would really face off like that. But it looks like Murray calling him "medium talent" got to Chase. He could've used any basic insult and he chose these two words, strong enough to shake his confidence. He didn't call him untalented because that's not true, and he didn't call him a has-been because he was on the rise. But by calling him "medium talent", Murray made it well known that he wasn't respected. And that's saying a lot considering Murray is also well known for being a prick.

Chase will always be on the list of most important SNL performers, and his comedies will continue finding audiences. But it still feels like he left so much on the table because he couldn't win the battle against himself.

If you read this and felt "damn this guy did a lot of bad shit", I'd just like to note... that there's still a lot of things I omitted because the post was already too long.

Before you comment, read these two rules:

#1. Please provide specific numbers for your predictions. Don't do like "It'll make less than this or that" or "double this movie or half this movie". We want a real prediction.

#2. Given that a lot of parent comments do not even bother to give predictions, we are establishing a new rule. The parent comment must provide a prediction with specific numbers. The rest of the replies to the comment do not have to make a prediction, but the parent comment absolutely has to. Any parent comment without a prediction will be eliminated.

Welcome to the newest edition of r/BoxOffice Long Range Forecast. And just like that, the 2026 summer season officially begins.

We're making long range predictions for films, 4 weeks out from their premieres. You will predict the opening weekend, domestic total and worldwide gross of this film. These predictions will be open for 48 hours and the results will be polled to form a consensus and posted the next week.

So let's meet the one film for the week and analyze each pro and con.

#Disclosure Day

The film is directed by Steven Spielberg (too many films to name), from a screenplay by David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, War of the Worlds, Mission: Impossible, etc.) based on a story by Spielberg. The film stars Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo. The film's logline: "If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people."

Now that you met this week's new release, let's look at some pros and cons.

#PROS

• It's Steven fucking Spielberg, for fuck's sake. The highest-grossing director both domestically and worldwide, he's responsible for so many iconic films that continue finding new audiences today. This by itself makes it an event title for the summer season.

• Building up on Spielberg's career, the film has drawn so many comparisons to one of his most iconic titles, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Seeing Spielberg return not just to sci-fi, but also the concept of UFOs should be intriguing enough.

• The collaborations between Spielberg and screenwriter David Koepp have massively paid off, financially-speaking. Their four films (Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) have led to a combined $3,112,258,562 worldwide gross.

• The film's got some notable names in the cast. Emily Blunt has seen her star power rise thanks to so many blockbuster over the past decade, and she is coming off the huge performance of The Devil Wears Prada 2. Josh O'Connor may not have many theatrical titles to his name, but he earned a lot of recognition with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. And then there's reliable supporting names in Colin Firth and Colman Domingo.

• The marketing has done an efficient in preventing spoilers and keeping the surprises out of the way. Hell, at this point, we don't even have an official synopsis. Mystery can build intrigue, which can lead to awareness. How do we find this out? You have to buy a ticket.

• But even by keeping the plot under wraps, the film pretty much offers some eerie atmosphere (the strange mouth noise, car chases, etc.). But most importantly, it seeks to avoid depicting the aliens (other than a brief snippet which only shows its hands).

• While sci-fi can be hit-and-miss at the box office, the recent success of Project Hail Mary indicates there's still high interest in the genre. It can't be discounted yet.

• Spielberg's films target old audiences. AKA an audience that doesn't neccessarily rush out to watch a film as soon as possible. If the film delivers high quality, it could have some great legs.

#CONS

• Yes, Spielberg is a Legend and that by itself makes this film an event. But he's not immune to failure. That is reflected in his last two films, West Side Story and The Fabelmans, two financial failures despite critical acclaim, with the latter becoming his least-attended film ever. While both may have their cases (the former was released when the target audience wasn't attending theaters and the latter was his most personal and down-to-earth title), it still indicates Spielberg needs to step up his game to find what the audience wants to watch.

• While it's great to see Spielberg return to the topic of UFOs, the aspect has been explored so many times since Close Encounters came out in 1977. They may have been a hot topic at one point (The X-Files was huge for this reason), but it's hard to say where it stands now. He will have to offer something fresh and interesting to catch interest.

• The cast has had its ups and downs over the years. Blunt has a lot of hits, but she has also struggled in other films, such as The Fall Guy and The Smashing Machine. Josh O'Connor may have his fans, but he's not a popular name per se (Challengers made $96 million, but Zendaya is the bigger draw in that film) and it's still unclear if the Knives Out success will land him as a bankable star. Ditto for Colin Firth and Colman Domingo.

• Universal is keeping the big details (including omitting the entire third act) from the marketing, which is a great way to build suspense. But it can be a double-edged sword; the audience still needs to have a bigger idea of what the film is and what the characters are doing. Some aspects also look rough (ahem, that deer).

• And obviously, the biggest setback is that this is an original sci-fi property. While many will point to Project Hail Mary as a hope for success, it's still based on a very popular book, so it already has a built-in audience. The same cannot be said for Disclosure Day. It needs to work harder to win casuals.

• The date might not be a great option. It's a very competitive summer, especially one where it's surrounded by other IP-based blockbusters. But also, it'll begin its run just as the 2026 FIFA World Coup begins. People can make plans for rescheduling, but it's clear what their priority will be.

And here's the past results.

Movie	Release Date	Distributor	Domestic Debut	Domestic Total	Worldwide Total
Obsession	May 15	Focus Features	$8,642,857	$22,428,571	$35,857,142
Is God Is	May 15	Amazon MGM	$5,357,142	$13,285,714	$15,785,714
The Mandalorian and Grogu	May 22	Disney	$76,489,655 (3-day) $93,548,000 (4-day)	$207,066,206	$411,187,000
Passenger	May 22	Paramount	$8,950,000 (3-day) $11,250,000 (4-day)	$26,000,000	$46,800,000
I Love Boosters	May 22	Neon	$4,250,000 (3-day) $5,156,250 (4-day)	$14,287,500	$18,031,250
Backrooms	May 29	A24	$35,438,666	$91,260,000	$164,240,666
The Breadwinner	May 29	Sony	$9,050,000	$24,800,000	$34,900,000
Power Ballad	May 29	Lionsgate	$3,111,111	$8,888,888	$18,866,666
Pressure	May 29	Focus Features	$4,600,000	$14,555,555	$37,666,666
Scary Movie	June 5	Paramount	$52,899,565	$120,856,521	$218,864,545
Masters of the Universe	June 5	Amazon MGM	$32,500,833	$89,666,250	$203,522,173

Next week, we're predicting Toy Story 5 and The Death of Robin Hood.

So what are your predictions for this film?

https://preview.redd.it/n6wenoqv0l0h1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=28319f69db9be99cc28d009a3656386a95bf7fdc

It was an incredibly busy Mother's Day Weekend at the box office, with three titles scoring at least $35 million for the weekend. The Devil Wears Prada 2 held to the top spot, although Mortal Kombat II wasn't far behind. And Michael continued its incredible run with great holds across the world. There were two other newcomers, The Sheep Detectives and Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D), but neither got an exactly great start.

​

The Top 10 earned a combined $160.1 million this weekend. That's up a massive 98.7% from last year, when Thunderbolts stayed at #1 due to insanely weak competition.

​

Staying at #1, The Devil Wears Prada 2 added $41.6 million. That's down a respectable 46%, and it's on par with the original's drop. Through 10 days, the film has earned a wonderful $143.4 million, already overtaking the original's gross in just two weekends. The path ahead looks very great, so this should still get all the way to $200 million.

​

Debuting in second place, WB's Mortal Kombat II opened with a pretty good $38.5 million in 3,503 theaters. The debut almost outgrosses the lifetime gross of the 2021 original ($42.3 million), but that's apples-to-oranges; that film was released during COVID and it also had a simultaneous release on HBO Max.

​

Nevertheless, the fact that Mortal Kombat II could get to almost $40 million is something formidable. The brand has not been very consistent at the theatrical landscape; only the 1995 original was a success, Annihilation was a critical and commercial disaster, and the 2021 didn't reach its potential due to the cinematic climate back then. It shows that there's still a big audience for a new Mortal Kombat.

​

To attract more audiences, WB and New Line made a few changes in an attempt to improve the sequel. For starters, they went hard on marketing with the chilling action sequences, promising so much violence but still the humor that defines the franchise. They also addressed one of the problems with the prior film; regardless of reception, audiences were not fond of the character of Cole Young, with many deeming him a very bland and forgettable protagonist.

​

To fix this, they brought in the fan favorite Johnny Cage, whose appearance was teased at the end of the prior film. Not only that, but they reduced Cole's screentime while selling Cage as the new protagonist. Casting Karl Urban in the role is also an inspired choice. While many fans felt that he was too old to play the character, Urban's charisma perfectly aligns with the character's traits, not to mention that Urban has seen his star power rise thanks to his lead role in The Boys (which is currently airing its final season). And while reviews aren't fantastic, its 66% on RT makes it the highest-rated Mortal Kombat across the board.

​

According to WB, 44% of the audience was in the 18-34 demographic. It was a sausage fest, as a colossal 75% of the audience was male. They gave it a so-so "B" on CinemaScore, which is below the 2021 original's "B+". The film could be front-loaded (it dropped a steep 37% on Sunday), so perhaps hitting $100 million will be a challenge. But it should still be able to hit $85 million domestically.

​

Even with the loss of IMAX screens, Michael doesn't slow down at all. The film eased a very light 30%, earning $37.9 million. With $241.8 million domestically, Michael has passed Bohemian Rhapsody ($216 million) to become the highest-grossing music biopic in the country. Without any signs of slowing down, it's only just getting started. The film is easily sweeping past $300 million, and could get to $350 million domestically depending on how it holds by the end of the month.

​

In fourth place, Amazon MGM's The Sheep Detectives debuted with $15 million in 3,457 theaters. Comps are complicated due to its premise and tone.

​

If it wasn't for the $75 million budget, this would be considered a very solid start. But the film had a challenge in balancing its crazy premise (a flock of sheep try to solve the murder of their shepherd) while trying to appeal to families. At the very least, reviews (93% on RT) gave it a leg in trying to get more people on board, even if the debut wasn't very strong.

​

According to Amazon MGM, 56% of the audience was female, and 77% was 25 and over. That means that the film struggled to attract families. They gave it a good "A–" on CinemaScore, which bodes well for legs. Family films are known for great legs, and that could happen here as long as it doesn't die when The Mandalorian and Grogu starts its run. For now, a $50 million domestic total is likely for The Sheep Detectives.

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Debuting in fifth place, Paramount's Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) earned a middling $7 million in 2,613 theaters. There's no point in comparing it to other films by James Cameron, but the numbers aren't quite fantastic even compared to other concert titles. Obviously, it wasn't expected to dethrone The Eras Tour ($93.2 million), but it's well below Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé ($21.8 million) and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never ($29.5 million). It's also slightly below Paramount's own Katy Perry: Part of Me ($7.1 million).

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Given its low $20 million budget, this isn't a bad start. But it still feels like the film could've done much better. After all, Billie Eilish is massively popular (she has 84.8 million monthly listeners in Spotify, making her the 12th biggest artist in the platform), so surely a debut in the double digits would've been guaranteed. But it looks like the the high competition and the lack of appeal beyond her fanbase limited the potential here.

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There are no demographics available, but 3D drove 57% of the film's business this week. Audiences gave it a great "A" on CinemaScore, which is common for these films. With no appeal beyond Eilish's fanbase and the increasing competition, it'd be a surprise if the film made it past $20 million domestically.

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With three wide releases (including a family title), The Super Mario Galaxy Movie had another drop in the 40s. It dropped 45%, adding $6.6 million. The film has made $412.1 million, which is $123.4 million below the original through the same point. It looks like Mario will finish with around $430 million domestically.

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Once again, the best drop in the Top 10 belongs to Project Hail Mary. It eased a very light 23%, earning $6.5 million. The film has earned an incredible $328.3 million, and it still has so much left in the tank.

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Neon's Hokum added $3.2 million on its second weekend. That's down a reasonable 49%, very good for a horror title. Through 10 days, the film has earned a solid $12.4 million, and could make its way to around $18 million.

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Magenta Light's Deep Water is drowning, as it sank 60% for just $835,466 this weekend. The film has earned a weak $3.7 million, and it might finish with just $4.5 million at this rate.

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Rounding out the Top 10 was Angel Studios' Animal Farm. Thanks to its very toxic word of mouth (that "C–" on CinemaScore was the worst ever for an animated film), the film collapsed a horrible 79%, earning just $704,150. The film has made a very poor $5 million, and it will vanish quickly from theaters.

#OVERSEAS

The Devil Wears Prada 2 added $75.8 million overseas, for a wonderful $433 million worldwide total, eclipsing the original's worldwide gross ($326 million). The best markets are the UK ($28.5M), Italy ($28.2M), Brazil ($22M), Mexico ($20.1M), Australia ($18.5M), Japan ($16.8M), Germany ($15.9M), China ($13M), Spain ($8.3M), and South Korea ($8.3M),

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Michael continues its dance across the world, as it adds $58.5 million overseas, for a fantastic $581 million worldwide. The best markets are the UK ($46M), France ($30.5M), Brazil ($20.8M), Mexico ($20M), Germany ($19.6M), and Spain ($19M). It's well ahead of Bohemian Rhapsody through the same point, and it still has big markets like Korea and Japan left. It looks like Bohemian ($903 million) is going down, and reaching $1 billion isn't actually a dream. It all depends on the next few weeks.

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While Mortal Kombat II got off to a pretty good start domestically, it wasn't so strong outside America. It opened with $21.5 million overseas, for a $60 million worldwide launch. The film had solid debuts in the UK ($2.2M), Mexico ($1.7M), Australia ($1.6M), China ($1.4M) and Brazil ($1.4M), but it disappointed in France ($945K), Indonesia ($841K), Argentina ($647K), Spain ($644K), India ($640K), UAE ($625K) and Germany ($598K). Given its hefty $80 million budget, the road to profitability will be a bit complicated if it proves to be front-loaded.

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Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) debuted with $12.6 million overseas, for a $19.6 million worldwide start. The best debuts were in the UK ($2.3M), Germany ($1.7M), France ($1.7M), Australia ($769K), Mexico ($651K), Netherlands ($497K), Brazil ($379K), Italy ($366K), Belgium ($317K), and Poland ($290K). With the exception of the top three, a very soft start, but notably stronger than the domestic front.

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The Sheep Detectives appears to struggle outside America, as it earned just $12.1 million overseas for a $27.1 million worldwide launch. The UK was its best market with a strong $4.5 million. It had very soft debuts in Australia ($1.2M), Japan ($760K), Mexico ($723K), Netherlands ($490K), Italy ($415K), India ($188K), New Zealand ($185K), Ukraine ($170K), Poland ($165K), and Belgium ($150K). While it still has so many markets left, the low debut doesn't bode well for its prospects.

#FILMS THAT ENDED THEIR RUN THIS WEEK

Movie	Release Date	Studio	Domestic Opening	Domestic Total	Worldwide Total	Budget
Reminders of Him	Mar/13	Universal	$17,979,940	$48,559,430	$88,118,368	$25M
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come	Mar/20	Searchlight	$9,075,271	$22,986,054	$42,427,051	$14M

• Universal's Reminders of Him has closed with a pretty good $48 million domestically and $88 million worldwide. Not far off from Regretting You ($90 million), showing that Colleen Hoover's adaptations are here to stay. Watch out for Verity this fall, especially as it's her second most popular novel.

• Searchlight's Ready or Not 2: Here I Come has closed with $22 million domestically and $42 million worldwide. A small success, although it didn't get to the original's numbers ($57 million worldwide). Even with the audience it found in streaming, looks like this is a niche franchise. Regardless, Radio Silence are on their way to their newest assignment: The Mummy 4, reuniting Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz and John Hannah, which will release on October 15, 2027.

#THIS WEEKEND

With Mortal Kombat II probably heading to a steep drop, The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Michael will contend for the top spot. The newcomers don't stand a chance.

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Focus Features is releasing the horror thriller Obsession, after the film garnered a strong response in TIFF (it's currently at a fantastic 97% on RT). The lack of names limit the potential, but the increasing buzz and awareness could help it, especially with the lack of proper horror titles. Given it cost just $1 million, the bar for success isn't high.

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Amazon MGM is releasing Is God Is, written and directed by Aleshea Harris in her feature directorial debut (based on her own play), and starring Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, Janelle Monáe, Vivica A. Fox, and Sterling K. Brown. The film follows twin sisters with disfiguring burn scars who are ordered by their bedridden mother to kill their abusive father who caused their scars. They must decide whether to seek vengeance or find mercy. Perhaps it could find an audience, even if the title will confuse moviegoers.

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Black Bear is also releasing Guy Ritchie's newest film In the Grey, starring Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, Eiza González, Kristofer Hivju, Fisher Stevens, and Rosamund Pike. The film follows a secret elite team of agents is tasked with reclaiming a vast fortune stolen by a ruthless tyrant. Ritchie is a recognizable director, but his brand has taken a dive thanks to a lot of duds over the past years (yes, he has made a lot of flicks, has one in post-production right now and it's currently filming another one). Given Black Bear's weak track record, don't expect big numbers here.

https://preview.redd.it/dyzyie36260h1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=dba94d28594faa19ce034fc0abbc78d919b8a238

Here's a new edition of "Actors at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the actors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's George C. Scott's turn.

#Early Life

After high school, Scott enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving from 1945 to 1949. He was assigned to 8th and I Barracks in Washington, D.C., and his primary duty was serving as honor guard at military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. He later said that during his duty at Arlington, "I picked up a solid drinking habit that stayed with me from then on." Following military service, Scott enrolled at the University of Missouri on the G.I. Bill where he majored in journalism and then became interested in drama.

#1950s: Someone Truly Likes Him

Scott first rose to prominence for his work with Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival. In 1958, he won an Obie Award for his performances in Children of Darkness, As You Like It, and Richard III. He was subsequently nominated for more awards, quickly establishing himself as a fine theater star.

He made his film debut with an uncredited appearance in Somebody Up There Likes Me. Nothing major, and he wouldn't get his first credited starring role until 1959, with The Hanging Tree.

That same year, he also had a key role in the legal drama Anatomy of a Murder. The film was a big success and earned critical acclaim, introducing the world to Scott. He earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, alongside his co-star Arthur O'Connell.

#1960s: The Established Star

Even with his rising career in cinema, Scott didn't intend to quit Broadway. He continued working all over 1960.

As such, he didn't make a film until 1961. That was The Hustler, opposite Paul Newman. It was a critical and commercial success, further building his image among moviegoers. He earned another nomination for Best Supporting Actor... but he personally asked for the nomination to be revoked. The Academy refused, and regardless, he still lost. We'll get to this later on.

He followed it up with John Huston's The List of Adrian Messenger, but it wasn't quite as successful as his prior films. That same year, he starred in the CBS drama East Side West Side, playing a New York City social worker who faces different cases in each episode. While it earned critical acclaim, it was deemed too grim for the time, and was canned after just one season.

After a very rough 1963, Scott bounced back the following year. He had The Yellow Rolls-Royce, which was a big hit despite tepid reviews.

But his most memorable film was Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove, playing General Buck Turgidson. Kubrick tricked Scott into playing the role in a much more outlandish manner than Scott was comfortable doing. Kubrick talked Scott into doing absurd "practice" takes, which Kubrick told Scott would never be used, as a way to warm up for the "real" takes. Kubrick used many of these "practice" takes in the final film, rather than the more restrained ones, allegedly causing Scott to swear never to work with Kubrick again. During the filming, Kubrick and Scott had different opinions regarding certain scenes, but Kubrick obtained Scott's compliance largely by beating him at chess, which they played frequently on the set.

Scott may be very mad, but Dr. Strangelove speaks for itself. It earned universal acclaim, widely proclaimed as one of the greatest comedies of all time, and was a big success at the box office.

He followed it with a big role in John Huston's biblical epic The Bible: In the Beginning..., where he plays Abraham. The film didn't get favorable reviews, but it was a huge hit, earning $50 million worldwide.

He ended the decade with films like The Flim-Flam Man and Petulia. Not hits, but it doesn't erase the good will he made over the past years.

#1970s: Fuck the Oscars

He began the decade with what's arguably his most iconic role and film.

For so many years, a biopic focused on General George S. Patton was in development. Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and Rod Steiger all declined the role, with the latter deeming it his biggest regret. Eventually, Scott won the role. He than had an extensive research to get in the role, including wearing Patton's real-life ivory-handled revolvers. When he learned that Patton's speech to the Third Army would open the film, he refused to do it, as he believed that it would overshadow the rest of his performance. Director Franklin J. Schaffner assured him that it would be shown at the end. Obviously, that wasn't true.

Scott also caused a shooting delay by immersing himself in a ping-pong tournament against a world-champion table-tennis player. Scott (in full costume and makeup) kept losing to the champ, yet he was determined to win at least one set, even if they had to stand there playing all night.

Patton was a huge success with audiences, becoming Scott's highest grossing film. It earned critical hailed, hailed as one of the greatest war films ever made. Patton was a big award contender, earning so much recognition. It won 7 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Scott. The greatest achievement an actor can get.

But Scott was not most actors.

When he learned he was nominated for Best Actor, Scott issued a letter to the Academy. It read, "I respectfully request that you withdraw my name from the list of nominees. My request is in no way intended to denigrate my colleagues. Furthermore, peculiar as it may seem, I mean no offense to the Academy. I simply do not wish to be involved." In a separate conversation, he referred to the Oscars as "a two-hour meat parade, a public display with contrived suspense for economic reasons" and that "I don't want any part of it." He also maintained that it was "degrading for actors to compete against one another."

So even though he warned them that he would not accept it, Scott still won the Oscar. And true to his word, he didn't even show up to the ceremony. That night, while the Oscars were on, he was watching a hockey game on TV and then went to bed. Nevertheless, Scott accepted the New York Film Critics Award for Best Actor. His then-wife Colleen Dewhurst said, "George thinks this is the only film award worth having."

Subsequently, Scott starred in the comedy The Hospital. The film was a critical and commercial success, and Scott earned another Oscar nomination for Best Actor. And he couldn't give a fuck about it. He also found another hit with The New Centurions.

He then decided to try filmmaking. He made his directorial debut with Rage, which stars him as a rancher who is fatally exposed to a military lab's poison gas. But the film didn't pan out as well as Scott was hoping. He also starred in Oklahoma Crude, but it fared poorly.

He then took part in Mike Nichols' The Day of the Dolphin, a film with perhaps the coolest tagline in cinema history ("Unwittingly, he trained a dolphin to kill the President of the United States"). But despite that, the film earned mixed reviews and wasn't a box office success. Unwittingly.

He returned to the director's chair with The Savage Is Loose. When the MPAA gave the film an "R" rating, Scott blasted the decision and urged exhibitors to defy it by running the movie unrated. Scott strongly disagreed with the MPAA's position that incest was a "major" theme of the film and said he was "appalled" that his movie was given the same rating as films like Candy Stripe Nurses and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Scott took out full-page newspaper ads in key cities offering a "money-back guarantee" from his own personal funds to any parent who took a child under 17 to the film and agreed with the R rating. Less than $10,000 was reportedly paid to patrons who accepted the offer. Even with this, it was another financial failure.

Scott tried bouncing back with The Hindenburg, based on the 1937 Hindenburg disaster. While it made $27 million domestically, the high costs prevented it from breaking even. It also earned unfavorable reviews, as many felt it was trying to sell conspiracy theories surrounding the real-life disaster.

He closed the decade with a lot of financial failures, including Islands in the Stream, Movie Movie, and The Principal and the Pauper. At the very least, he had a memorable part in Paul Schrader's Hardcore.

He started the 70s on a very strong note and he seemed like he would be a bankable leading man. Unfortunately, this was short-lived.

#1980s: The Law of Diminishing Returns

After a string of failures, he slightly recovered with the Canadian film, The Changeling. But then he went back to flopping with The Formula, despite the presence of a big name like Marlon Brando.

In 1981, Scott starred in Taps, playing a Brigadier General at a military school, and co-starring Sean Penn and Tom Cruise in their first lead roles. This was his best performer at the box office since Patton, despite mixed reviews.

On Broadway, he starred in and directed a successful revival of Noël Coward's Present Laughter which ran during 1982–83. He also directed the 1984 Broadway revival of Noël Coward's Design for Living, which ran for 245 performances. During this, he made some TV appearances, including a 1984 adaptation of a Christmas Carol, where he played Ebenezer Scrooge.

After the disappointing performance of Firestarter, he moved primarily to TV and Broadway for the rest of the decade. He appeared in The Murders in the Rue Morgue and Pals, and also played the lead role in the TV series Mr. President. His last credit for the decade was the television film The Ryan White Story as Charles Vaughan, the lawyer defending Ryan White.

Now what if I told you... that there's a Patton sequel? With George C. Scott reprising his role? Yep, that's The Last Days of Patton, a made-for-TV movie broadcast on CBS. Based on the final weeks of Patton's life after being mortally injured in a car accident, it contains flashbacks of Patton's life.

#1990s: The "I Don't Give a Fuck" Era

Of all the things to begin the decade, he chose a voice appearance in Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue. What's this? A TV special where cartoon characters try to help a kid face the consequences of using drugs. It's as bad as you think it might be.

In 1990, he had a voice supporting role in The Rescuers Down Under. Even with positive reviews, the film disappointed at the box office with just $47 million, a far cry from the original's $169 million total. He then played the lead role of Lieutenant Kinderman in The Exorcist III. Scott signed up for the role, impressed by Blatty's screenplay: "It's a horror film and much more… It's a real drama, intricately crafted, with offbeat interesting characters… and that's what makes it genuinely frightening." The film was a solid success, and while it wasn't exactly acclaimed, its reputation has grown over the years.

He then had a supporting role in Malice, which became one of his biggest films. He then starred in many made-for-TV movies, including Tyson (where he plays Constantine "Cus" D'Amato, Mike Tyson's promoter) and 12 Angry Men. In the latter, he played Juror No. 3, a role that Lee J. Cobb played in the 1957 film (coincidentally, Scott would also replace Cobb as Lieutenant Kinderman in The Exorcist III due to his death). For the latter, he won another Emmy Award.

His last theatrical roles were Angus and Gloria. While the former was a success, the latter was a huge failure, even with a great director like Sidney Lumet attached.

His last credit was the TV film Inherit the Wind, starring opposite Jack Lemmon. Scott had a reputation for being moody and mercurial while on the set. He was quoted as saying, "There is no question you get pumped up by the recognition... Then a self-loathing sets in when you realize you're enjoying it." One anecdote relates that one of his stage co-stars, Maureen Stapleton, said, "I don't know what to do – I'm scared of him." The director, Mike Nichols, replied, "My dear, everyone is scared of George C. Scott."

#The End

Scott suffered a series of heart attacks in the 1980s. He died on September 22, 1999, of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, aged 71. He was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, California.

#HIGHEST GROSSING FILMS

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Overseas Total	Worldwide Total	Budget
1	Patton	1970	20th Century Fox	$61,749,765	$28,300,000	$90,049,765	$12.6M
2	Malice	1993	Columbia	$46,405,336	$15,200,000	$61,605,336	$20M
3	The Bible: In the Beginning...	1966	20th Century Fox	$34,900,000	$15,750,000	$50,650,000	$15M
4	The Rescuers Down Under	1990	Disney	$27,931,461	$19,500,000	$47,431,461	N/A
5	The Exorcist III	1990	20th Century Fox	$26,098,824	$18,000,000	$44,098,824	$11M
6	Taps	1981	20th Century Fox	$35,856,053	$0	$35,856,053	$14M
7	The Hindenburg	1975	Universal	$27,945,225	$0	$27,945,225	$15M
8	Firestarter	1984	Universal	$17,080,167	$0	$17,080,167	$12M
9	Anatomy of a Murder	1959	Columbia	$11,000,000	$5,000,000	$16,000,000	$2M
10	The New Centurions	1972	Columbia	$14,900,000	$0	$14,900,000	N/A
11	The Hospital	1971	United Artists	$14,142,409	$0	$14,142,409	N/A
12	The Changeling	1980	Cineplex	$5,600,000	$6,400,000	$12,000,000	$6M
13	The Yellow Rolls-Royce	1964	Metro Goldwyn Mayer	$10,800,000	$0	$10,800,000	N/A
14	Dr. Strangelove	1964	Columbia	$9,440,272	$0	$9,440,272	$1.8M
15	The Formula	1980	United Artists	$8,894,289	$0	$8,894,289	$13M
16	Islands in the Stream	1977	Paramount	$8,000,000	$0	$8,000,000	N/A
17	The Hustler	1961	20th Century Fox	$7,600,000	$0	$7,600,000	$2.1M
18	Oklahoma Crude	1973	Columbia	$5,000,000	$0	$5,000,000	N/A
19	Gloria	1999	Sony	$4,167,493	$800,000	$4,967,493	$30M
20	Angus	1995	New Line Cinema	$4,821,759	$0	$4,821,759	$1.5M
21	The Hanging Tree	1959	Warner Bros.	$4,400,000	$0	$4,400,000	N/A
22	The List of Adrian Messenger	1963	Universal	$3,400,000	$0	$3,400,000	N/A
23	Petulia	1968	Warner Bros.	$3,200,000	$0	$3,200,000	N/A
24	The Flim-Flam Man	1967	20th Century Fox	$2,400,000	$0	$2,400,000	$3.8M

He has starred in 42 released films, but only 24 have reported box office numbers. Across those 42 films, he has made $504,683,053 worldwide. That's $12,016,263 per film.

#ADJUSTED DOMESTIC GROSSES

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Adjusted Domestic Total
1	Patton	1970	20th Century Fox	$61,749,765	$525,530,287
2	The Bible: In the Beginning...	1966	20th Century Fox	$34,900,000	$355,692,398
3	The Hindenburg	1975	Universal	$27,945,225	$171,521,869
4	Taps	1981	20th Century Fox	$35,856,053	$130,254,508
5	Anatomy of a Murder	1959	Columbia	$11,000,000	$124,822,783
6	The New Centurions	1972	Columbia	$14,900,000	$117,707,504
7	The Hospital	1971	United Artists	$14,142,409	$115,308,822
8	The Yellow Rolls-Royce	1964	Metro Goldwyn Mayer	$10,800,000	$115,041,948
9	Malice	1993	Columbia	$46,405,336	$106,045,987
10	Dr. Strangelove	1964	Columbia	$9,440,272	$100,558,081
11	The Hustler	1961	20th Century Fox	$7,600,000	$83,933,739
12	The Rescuers Down Under	1990	Disney	$27,931,461	$70,568,718
13	The Exorcist III	1990	20th Century Fox	$26,098,824	$65,938,569
14	Firestarter	1984	Universal	$17,080,167	$54,283,861
15	The Hanging Tree	1959	Warner Bros.	$4,400,000	$49,929,113
16	Islands in the Stream	1977	Paramount	$8,000,000	$43,592,475
17	Oklahoma Crude	1973	Columbia	$5,000,000	$37,186,148
18	The List of Adrian Messenger	1963	Universal	$3,400,000	$36,690,333
19	The Formula	1980	United Artists	$8,894,289	$35,643,323
20	Petulia	1968	Warner Bros.	$3,200,000	$30,364,413
21	The Flim-Flam Man	1967	20th Century Fox	$2,400,000	$23,727,880
22	The Changeling	1980	Cineplex	$5,600,000	$22,441,660
23	Angus	1995	New Line Cinema	$4,821,759	$10,447,555
24	Gloria	1999	Sony	$4,167,493	$8,260,266

#The Verdict

George C. Scott quickly made an impression on Broadway, but Anatomy of a Murder is what introduced so many audiences to a new movie star. From that point on, he found consistent job, with his follow-up films faring well. Especially Dr. Strangelove, no matter how much he is pissed at Kubrick for lying to him. And hey, his performance is what further elevates that film, so Kubrick knew what he was cooking.

That brings us to Patton. One of the most perfect performances of the 1970s, for he did everything in his power to emulate General Patton. The opening speech has become very iconic, even if Scott didn't want it to start that way cause it'd overshadow the rest of the film. It is what it is.

And so... that led to the first time an actor refused to win an Oscar. You'll often hear from time to time that actors can say they don't care about Oscars, but deep down, we can tell they're lying because they still campaign and still care about the recognition. Practically every actor wants that award. But Scott wasn't that actor. A firm believer that "actors shouldn't compete against each other", he made it clear he didn't want the nomination and if he won, he warned that he would refuse it. And he kept his promise. Actions speak louder than words. What's your stance on this?

Patton suggested Scott would have a very lengthy run as a bankable leading man. Unfortunately, this was short-lived, for he starred in a lot of duds. Even a film with a premise like "George C. Scott talking to dolphins" couldn't change that. There were notable successes, but they were few from time to time. And it seems like he didn't care how people consume his art, as he was very happy doing Broadway productions, made-for-TV films, and even a sitcom.

So while he might not have the most recognizable or iconic filmography, George C. Scott should be in consideration as one of the greatest actors to ever exist.

Hope you liked this edition. You can find this and more in the wiki for this section.

The next actor will be Chevy Chase. A very brutal post.

I asked you to choose who else should be in the run, and the comment with the most upvotes would be chosen. Well, we'll later talk about... >!Zoe Saldana.!< A very interesting case.

This is the schedule for the following four:

Week	Actor	Reasoning
May 16	Chevy Chase	He was streets behind.
May 23	Reese Witherspoon	An inconsistent career.
May 30	Steve McQueen	The King of Cool.
June 7	Zoe Saldana	Is she big or "just big"?

Who should be next after Saldana? That's up to you. And there's a theme.

That's... ultra problematic stars. Those stars that have... so many bad things surrounding them. Whether they're hated or because they did very bad stuff. That's however you interpret it. If you want OP to roast the person, this is your chance.

#REMINDER: If you want to make a suggestion for the next actor, you must make a 150-character comment about the actor we're discussing right now. Failure to do so will result in ignoring the suggestion. If you use a quote from an external source/review to bypass this, your suggestion will be ignored as well. But if you leave a short comment about the post without naming a future write-up, that's fine.