FilmZap

Hollywood is so enamored of existing intellectual property, sequels, reboots and franchises that a 60-year-old joke from Belgian cartoonist Peyo continues to be recycled, refurbished and redone. Its latest form: “ Smurfs: The Lost Village .” “Les Schtroumpfs” were born when Peyo made up a word for salt, and the little blue dudes have lived on through comics, Hanna Barbera Saturday morning cartoons, and all the way to the big screen. In this latest feature film featuring the Smurfs, veteran animation director Kelly Asbury steers the ship, while writers Stacey Harman and Pamela Ribon spin an identity tale about one of the most unique Smurfs, Smurfette (Demi Lovato). Smurfette always felt like an outsider within the oppressive patriarchy of Smurf Village, struggling with her lack of descriptive name. “What is an ‘-ette’?” she ponders. That tells us nothing about her. Helpfully, a young boy in the pre-release screening audience shouted “it means girl.” (Rigid gender divisions are ...

Beauty and the Beast completed the threepeat earning first place on the international chart with $66.5 million in 55 markets for totals of $480.8 million internationally and $874.1 million worldwide. The film had no major market openings this past weekend, but it did do really well in a number of mid-level markets. Malaysia was the best earning $2.4 million, which is the second best opening in that market this year. Kong: Skull Island earned $2.6 million during its debut there. The Netherlands managed $1.8 million over the weekend for a total opening of $2.3 million, which is the best opening of the year so far. Likewise, it had the best openings of 2017 in both New Zealand ($1.4 million over the weekend and $1.7 million including previews) and in Chile ($1.5 million / $1.6 million). It will soon become the first film of 2017 to reach $1 billion worldwide and the 14th film from Disney to reach that milestone. Ghost in the Shell opened in second place with $40.1 million in 5...