Film Bits: ‘Wonder Woman’ Breaks Box Office Records

Tom Cruise Stars in Drug Smuggling Epic ‘American Made’

Tom Cruise isn’t exactly the name that comes to mind when you think about movies that follow drug runners, but perhaps that will work to American Made’s benefit. Doug Liman directs the superstar, who plays a mild-mannered pilot recruited by the CIA to smuggle guns, which eventually evolves into running drugs for Pablo Escobar. Watching the trailer, this is the exact opposite of the kinds of films Cruise has done in recent years, although there does seem to something somehow appropriate in the image of him riding off on a kid’s bike covered in cocaine. It’s hard to tell what to make of this movie from its initial trailer, but the cast outside of Cruise is certainly intriguing. Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina), Jesse Plemmons (Breaking Bad), and Caleb Landry Jones (Get Out) co-star alongside cruise. American Made opens September 29.

(Universal)

Terry Gilliam Completes Quixotic ‘Quixote’

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote has long been a passion project for director Terry Gilliam, one rife with setbacks and false starts. For almost two decades the director has tried to get the film off the ground, with no luck. Famously, his first go at filming the movie was so crazy and full of mishaps that it was turned into a documentary, Lost in La Mancha. Now, 17 years after his first disastrous attempt, Gilliam has finally completed filming his long gestating, previously failed project. Adam Driver (The Force Awakens), Stellan Skarsgard (The Avengers), and Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones) star. No word yet on when we can expect the film to be ready for release.

(Variety)

‘Wonder Woman’ Smashes the Glass Ceiling and Box Office

Wonder Woman broke records with its $100 million domestic debut, becoming the highest grossing debut weekend for a female director in history while towering over this week’s competition. Its nearest rival, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, didn’t even come close, earning just $23.5 million, slightly above Pirates of the Caribbean, which took in $21.6 in its second weekend. Rounding out the top five were Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2, with $9.7 million, and Baywatch, which took in $8.5 million. See below for the full top ten.