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Tag: Nuremberg

  • Box Office: ‘Predator: Badlands’ Starts the Hunt With $15.6 Million Opening Day

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    The sci-fi sequel “Predator: Badlands” is opening atop the theatrical food chain, while a bunch of adult-skewing wide releases like Jennifer Lawrence’s “Die My Love,” Sydney Sweeney’s “Christy” and Russell Crowe and Rami Malek’s “Nuremberg” are debuting further down the charts.

    The “Predator” entry got to the chopper with $15.6 million across Friday and preview screenings in 3,725 locations. That puts it on the path to land well ahead of its pre-weekend projections, which had forecast an opening from $25 million to $30 million. As a comp, “Alien: Romulus” — another Disney revival of a sci-fi property that it acquired in the 20th Century Fox merger of 2019 — earned $42 million in its August 2024 debut.

    Speaking of “Alien,” “Predator: Badlands” even has an outside shot at the biggest theatrical bow ever for the “Predator” franchise if it overachieves Saturday. The record is held by the 2004 crossover “Alien vs. Predator” ($38 million). But it’s worth nothing that the “Predator” series has been out of theaters in recent years. The last two entries — the 2022 prequel “Prey” and this year’s animated anthology “Predator: Killer of Killers” — debuted directly on Hulu and Disney+. Director Dan Trachtenberg, who helmed both of those features, returned for the PG-13-rated “Badlands,” which stars newcomer Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as a young Predator outcast and Elle Fanning as his legless android companion.

    Disney spent $105 million on producing “Predator: Badlands,” plus more on marketing expenses. It’s a considerable budget, but far less than the $180 million that the studio put towards its recent sci-fi flop “Tron: Ares.” “Badlands” will outperform the $33 million opening weekend of “Ares,” plus it has better reviews to boost word-of-mouth in the weeks ahead. Audiences liked it too, as moviegoer survey firm Cinema Score polled an “A-” grade from early crowds.

    Among the weekend’s other new wide releases, Amazon MGM Studios’ “Sarah’s Oil” is faring the best, heading to a fourth place bow after earning $1.7 million across Friday and previews in 2,410 locations. Projections are at $4.4 million for the weekend. The early-1900s-set and PG-rated drama, about one of the first Black women to become a millionaire, comes from Wonder Project and Kingdom Story. Not many critics have reviewed it, though Cinema Score turned in the highest marks possible with an “A+” grade.

    Sony Pictures Classics has the historical courtroom drama “Nuremberg” in 1,802 locations after premiering it at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. It’s in the race for fifth. Grosses hit about $1.4 million across Friday and previews. Reviews lean positive for the James Vanderbilt-directed period piece, though it’s hardly a critical darling. SPC acquired rights from producers Walden Media and Bluestone Entertainment in June.

    Meanwhile, Mubi has Lynne Ramsay’s “Die My Love,” starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, in 1,983 locations. It’s the widest release ever for the indie-focused banner, which bowed “The Substance” in 1,949 theaters last year for a $3.2 million debut. That horror movie legged out to $17 million domestic and $77 million worldwide, becoming a significant awards season force along the way.

    Here’s hoping Mubi has a similar longterm vision for “Die My Love,” which earned roughly $1 million across Friday and previews. It’s a slim start considering the company acquired the starry drama for $24 million, in what was the most high-profile deal out of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. General audiences didn’t go for the arthouse title, with Cinema Score turning in a terrible “D+” grade.

    In danger of opening outside the top 10, Black Bear Pictures is making its maiden voyage as a distributor with its release of “Christy,” starring Sydney Sweeney as boxer Christy Martin. Playing in 2,011 locations, the drama had a very quiet start, with roughly $670,000 across Friday and previews. Black Bear has looked to position “Christy” as a best actress Oscar contender, kicking off with a festival premiere at Toronto. Much like “Nuremberg,” reviews are respectable but hardly superlative. Audiences like the movie at a “B+” grade from Cinema Score.

    Second place looks to go to Paramount’s drama “Regretting You,” earning another $2.2 million on Friday and projecting a $7.3 million third weekend for a slim 7% drop. The Colleen Hoover adaptation has shown good holds since its opening and looks to hit a $38 million total domestic gross through Sunday.

    In third, Universal’s “Black Phone 2” earned $1.5 million on Friday and is projecting $5.2 million for its fourth outing, down just 38% from its prior frame. The Blumhouse sequel looks to hit a total domestic gross of $70 million through Sunday, pacing a touch behind its 2022 predecessor ($72 million through four weekends).

    Focus Features’ kidnap thriller “Bugonia” is vying for fifth, earning $1.1 million on Friday and projecting $3.7 million for its second weekend of wide release (down 26%). The Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone reunion should hit a $12.5 million domestic total through Sunday.

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    J. Kim Murphy

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  • James Vanderbilt on How Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon Nailed That ‘Nuremberg’ Courtroom Showdown

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    James Vanderbilt is offering insight into how he shot the courtroom showdown in his latest film, Nuremberg.

    The filmmaker, best known for writing David Fincher’s Zodiac, has come to San Sebastian Film Festival to present his two-and-a-half-hour World War II flick, following the cat-and-mouse game between Russell Crowe‘s Nazi chief Hermann Goring and Rami Malek‘s American psychologist Douglas Kelley as the U.S., U.K., France and Soviet Union prepared to put dozens of Hitler’s men on trial in 1945 and 1946.

    At the movie’s press conference on Thursday, Vanderbilt (also writer on The Amazing Spider-Man and Independence Day: Resurgence) discussed filming the courtroom showdown in the feature’s final act between U.S. prosecutor Robert Jackson (Michael Shannon) and Crowe as the charming, cunning Goring, whom the allies were concerned could evade justice.

    Vanderbilt explained that a producer had laid out the three-day shoot, spanning 20 pages of dialogue, for the verbal dual between the two actors. “I said, Michael Shannon and Russell Crowe won’t want to do that,” Vanderbilt began. “They’re going to want to do it in one day. And she said, ‘It’s 20 pages of dialogue. That’s a terrible idea.’ So I went to both of them and I said, ‘You know, we’re supposed to shoot this over three days. They’re both like, ‘No. We’re going to do this in one. What are you talking about?’”

    The director had four cameras positioned across the room, though his job was made more difficult by staying faithful to historical accuracy. “Usually, you have the lawyers that will walk around, but the way that courtroom is set up, the prosecutor never moves. It’s just shot, shot, shot, shot, shot. We set up, and we were doing 25-minute takes with no cuts,” he continued, “and they were word-perfect every time because we took all the real transcripts.”

    “After the first take, the entire courtroom of extras applauded Michael and Russell,” said Vanderbilt. “Just watching those two gentlemen put on a masterclass… I’ve never shot a 25-minute take in a movie in my life. I don’t think I ever will again.” He added: “That, I think, was one of the most amazing [experiences].”

    Vanderbilt was also probed on the film’s eerie reflection of current-day politics, especially in his native U.S., where the threat of authoritarianism has never loomed so large. “I started working on [this] 13 years ago, and I thought it was just an incredible story… this idea of a psychiatric [doctor] in World War II who gets the opportunity to [examine] what the nature of evil is, I felt that it was such a fascinating thing to try and capture… It is relevant now, and I think unfortunately, it’ll be relevant in the future, but it’s just such an incredible story that takes place at such an incredible time.”

    Naturally, Vanderbilt was asked about Crowe’s preparation for stepping into the role of Hitler’s right-hand man, and lauded the actor’s skill. “Russell Crowe — he is one of the biggest reasons this movie exists today,” said Vanderbilt, explaining how Crowe stayed with the film through the rocky seas of acquiring and losing funding over the years. “We talked a lot about it. He said to me, ‘Look, it’s not a great mental space to live in for me.’”

    But Crowe “fully committed and invested in” Nuremberg, said the director, “and did an incredible amount of research. He traveled around Germany to the different places in [Goring’s] childhood. He really put himself in depth to it. And I’m just eternally grateful for the commitment he put into this film and the work he did because he’s Russell forever. He doesn’t necessarily need to do that anymore, but he was as hungry as an actor as I’ve ever seen anyone, and that was a true gift.”

    Among other films, Vanderbilt also described enjoying seeing Malek’s “inquisitiveness and magnetism” that he “doesn’t always get to use in films.” He said: “He’s never the hero.” Shannon, he continued, “is an actor’s actor.”

    Nuremberg‘s supporting cast includes Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Mark O’Brien, Colin Hanks, Richard E. Grant and Wrenn Schmidt. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and hits theaters Nov. 7.

    The San Sebastian International Film Festival 2025 runs Sept. 19-27.

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    Lily Ford

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  • ‘Nuremberg’ Courts Oscar Buzz: Russell Crowe Delivers His Best Work Since ‘Cinderella Man’ as Leo Woodall Emerges as a Breakout Contender

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    James Vanderbilt’s courtroom drama “Nuremberg” may be rooted in history, but it’s also quite possibly one of the season’s most timely and awards-worthy films. Centered on the first international tribunal that put Nazi leaders on trial, the film is a riveting psychological thriller that could be a formidable player across multiple Oscar categories.

    What makes “Nuremberg” particularly compelling in today’s political landscape is how it interrogates the very foundations of justice itself. At a time when democratic institutions face unprecedented challenges globally, Vanderbilt’s film recounts historical events and forces audiences to confront uncomfortable questions about how societies reckon with evil and whether justice can truly be impartial when confronting the unthinkable.

    At the heart of “Nuremberg” is Russell Crowe‘s towering turn as Hermann Göring, Hitler’s second-in-command. The Oscar winner hasn’t delivered work this commanding since Ron Howard’s “Cinderella Man” (2005). Here, Crowe captures the paradox of Göring’s charisma and monstrosity, portraying a man capable of seducing the room even as his crimes repulse the world. Crowe’s German dialogue, which he learned specifically for the role, adds a layer of authenticity, with his cat-and-mouse exchanges with Rami Malek’s Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley crackling with intensity. It’s the kind of transformative, fully inhabited performance that could catapult him back into the thick of a very competitive best actor race.

    The genius of Crowe’s portrayal lies in how he doesn’t take any shortcuts in portraying Göring entirely. A risky and morally complex character like this serves a crucial purpose: it reminds us that evil often wears a human face, speaks eloquently, and can even be charming. That’s also a credit to Vanderbilt’s complex script, which is based on “The Nazi and the Psychiatrist” by Jack El-Hai.

    But Crowe isn’t the only standout. Rising star Leo Woodall, best known for “The White Lotus,” and who is currently starring in another TIFF film “Tuner,” cements himself as a force with his emotional turn as a translator caught in the tribunal’s web. Though he entered the project without speaking German, Woodall committed himself to mastering the language for the role, delivering a performance brimming with resonance and restraint. One scene he has late in the film reduces the audiences to tears, marking him as a dark horse worthy of serious supporting actor attention.

    Beyond the acting showcases, “Nuremberg” has the goods to compete in several craft categories. Crisp production design meticulously recreates the claustrophobic cells and tribunal courtroom, while Dariusz Wolski’s camera work transports audiences back in time.

    Adapted screenplay is another opportunity with Vanderbilt, best known for scripting “Zodiac” and “Truth,” finding a unique entry point into a well-documented chapter of history by focusing on the psychological duels between Kelley and Göring.

    With Academy voters traditionally having shown an appetite in recent years for historical works that double as cautionary tales — such as “Oppenheimer” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” — “Nuremberg” could also emerge as a sleeper candidate for best picture. But that will require a strong push from Sony Pictures Classics, no stranger to awards races.

    The film’s timing is particularly prescient. As democracies face internal threats and international law struggles to contend with new forms of warfare and authoritarian manipulation, “Nuremberg” could be what the Oscars need at this moment.

    It’s a film about the past that also has the fierce urgency of now.

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    Clayton Davis

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