The Big Reason Tom Cruise’s ‘The Mummy’ Flopped in America
Tom Cruise is cursed. That’s both a major plot-point in his latest action blockbuster, the reboot of Universal’s The Mummy franchise designed to kick off the studio’s “Dark Universe” of monster movies, and a recurring motif in stories written about the 54 year-old actor. This weekend, Variety published an article about his “slow-motion career meltdown” and the box office news has been similarly brutal: The Mummy scarred up only $32.2 million domestically, which is less than any of the entries in the Brendan Fraser version of the series. Even The Rock-led spinoff The Scorpion King had a better opening.
The good news for the beleaguered Cruise? Like the entirely forgettable Pirates of the Caribbean sequel from a couple weeks ago, the movie has performed well overseas, where the idea of watching Tom Cruise fight a mummy is presumably more of a draw. In fact, The Mummy is Cruise’s biggest international opening ever, taking in $141.8 million across the globe, which should slowly but surely haul in enough to recoup the movie’s reported $125 million production budget.
In the coming weeks, you’ll probably see a lot of chin-scratching about the fall-out of Cruise’s latest flop, which arrives in a summer filled with underperforming IP-peddling titles like King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Alien: Covenant, and Baywatch. There’s also a growing sense that Cruise has lost his way as a performer, chasing franchises instead of working with adventurous filmmakers.
I’ve got my own theory: The Mummy is bad. Let me explain.
Tom Cruise doesn’t typically make movies as bad as The Mummy. That’s not to say that he hasn’t starred in his fair share of crap — never forget Rock of Ages — but even the more forgettable ones, like last year’s NCIS-episode-stretched-into-a-movie action flick Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, feel like they’ve been labored over by the famously hands-on star. Like he’s keeping a sinking ship afloat through pure charisma.
That ability to perform creative damage control on his own projects has served him well over the years, even as many fans soured on his public persona following the creepy Scientology stories and the Oprah couch incident. As a producer, he’s guided the Mission: Impossible series to new critical and commercial heights in recent years. It’s unsurprising to read that Cruise was in the editing room “trying to save” The Mummy. You can picture him sweating in an edit bay. Caring too much is baked into the Cruise persona.
It’s not that you don’t pick up musty whiffs of that trademark intensity in The Mummy. As ex-military adventure boy Nick Morton, Tom Cruise gets his ass kicked in this movie. Looking like a toy fresh from an unboxing video, he gets tossed around in a free-falling airplane, shot out of a truck, beat up by Russell Crowe, and stabbed in the chest by Sofia Boutella’s undead title character. If you like watching Cruise’s limbs flop around, in between bouts of fussed over exposition, there are worse ways to spend 107 minutes.
But this might be the first time that Cruise’s ability to bend the blockbuster apparatus to his will has been completely overwhelmed by the grueling and increasingly globalized concerns of the market place. Director Alex Kurtzman, who co-wrote the first two Star Trek and Transformers movies, shoots the whole film in a gray haze that never allow the elaborate stunt scenes to pop. Judging from this movie, he doesn’t have the eye for action that Transformers auteur Michael Bay brought to his scripts or Star Trek director J.J. Abrams’s ease with character.
Similarly, the three credited screenwriters — Christopher McQuarrie, David Koepp, and Dylan Kussman — provide Cruise’s protagonist with an enjoyable “scoundrel finds a heart” arc, but unlike the actor’s 2014 vehicle Edge of Tomorrow, which followed a soldier on the path to self-awareness, the writers don’t pair him off against a worthy adversary like Emily Blunt. He’s adrift here. Digging for treasure that’s not there.
But there’s reason for hope. Even if Universal wants him to be the Iron Man of the Dark Universe, which seems unlikely given the film’s tepid reception, there’s still reason to believe that Cruise, one of our most hard-working movie stars, will rediscover his mojo. Later this year, he’s starring in American Made, a drug-trafficking thriller that re-teams him with Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman. It might not lift the curse, or save the Dark Universe, but it should give him a chance to crawl out of the tomb-like hole he’s currently in.
Inside ‘The Mummy’s’ Troubles: Tom Cruise Had Excessive Control (EXCLUSIVE)
There were few signs that a major blockbuster was about to premiere when “The Mummy” rolled into Manhattan last week. The marquee of the AMC Loews Lincoln Square Theatres had gone blank. The carpet was totally covered with black plastic. Security only let guests past barricades after quizzing them about what they were there to see, and everybody had to walk through two imposing metal detectors.
Inside the theater, Tom Cruise was jubilant, as he stood in front of the crowd. “Hey y’all,” said the 54-year-old actor. He introduced Alex Kurtzman, the film’s director, as well as the cast members, who stood quietly as Cruise delivered a 10-minute improvised speech. “Movies aren’t made by single people,” he said. “It’s a team effort.”
But in the case of “The Mummy,” one person–Cruise–had an excessive amount of control, according to several people interviewed. The reboot of “The Mummy” was supposed to be the start of a mega-franchise for Universal Pictures. But instead, it’s become a textbook case of a movie star run amok.
As Hollywood is playing the blame game on what went wrong on “The Mummy,” which had a measly domestic opening of just $32 million, many fingers are pointing to Cruise. In the same way that he commanded the stage at the film’s premiere, leaving his cast standing awkwardly by his side, several sources close to the production say that Cruise exerted nearly complete creative oversight on “The Mummy,” essentially wearing all the hats and dictating even the smallest decisions on the set. On stage, Cruise admitted his own perfectionist tendencies. “I don’t just make a movie. I give it everything I have and I expect it from everyone also.”
Universal, according to sources familiar with the matter, contractually guaranteed Cruise control of most aspects of the project, from script approval to post-production decisions. He also had a great deal of input on the film’s marketing and release strategy, these sources said, advocating for a June debut in a prime summer period.
With terrible reviews, “The Mummy,” which insiders say cost as much as $190 million to make and more than $100 million more to market and release worldwide, may struggle to make its money back. The film is performing much stronger overseas, where it was Cruise’s biggest international rollout with a $142 million opening weekend. It’s not clear if the movie will break even, and it’s cast a shadow on the studio’s plans for a Dark Universe franchise that’s supposed to feature A-list stars like Johnny Depp (as “The Invisible Man”) and Angelina Jolie (in negotiations for “The Bride of Frankenstein”).
A representative for Cruise didn’t respond to a request for comment. In a statement, Universal refuted that Cruise had a negative influence on the production.
“Tom approaches every project with a level of commitment and dedication that is unmatched by most working in our business today,” the statement read. “He has been a true partner and creative collaborator, and his goal with any project he works on is to provide audiences with a truly cinematic moviegoing experience.”
Cruise’s controlling behavior comes as Hollywood’s star system is in tatters. In the 1990s and early aughts, studios shelled out big money for the likes of Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, and Harrison Ford, confident that their names above the title could guarantee ticket sales. In exchange they were offered big perks, hefty salaries, and a sizable share of the profits. Along with the money came the power to veto key decisions. But as comic book movies and special effects-heavy productions took over, top actors found themselves in less demand and with less influence. Cruise has navigated the new landscape better than some–the “Mission: Impossible” franchise still makes money but other efforts such as “Oblivion” have disappointed. Going forward, he may have difficulty exerting the same kind of sway over other films.
It may be the last hurrah for big movie stars, but on the set of “The Mummy,” Cruise acted like the top gun he once was, calling all the shots. Kurtzman had been in the running to direct the project before Cruise signed on, but the actor gave his blessing for the filmmaker to slide behind the camera. They’d established a comfort level when Kurtzman worked as the screenwriter of “Mission: Impossible III.”
In the wake of “The Mummy’s” failure, the decision to tap such an untested director on a sprawling action-adventure seems to have been foolhardy. Kurtzman wouldn’t necessarily rank high on a studio’s wish list for a project this big, given that he’s a producer and writer who only helmed one small feature that debuted to mixed reviews (2012’s Chris Pine drama “People Like Us”). As Kurtzman struggled to adjust to scope of the project, it felt more like Cruise was the real director, often dictating the major action sequences and micro-managing the production, according to sources.
There were other ways that “The Mummy” was transformed from a scary summer popcorn movie into a standard-issue Tom Cruise vehicle. The actor personally commissioned two other writers along with McQuarrie to crank out a new script. Two of the film’s three credited screenwriters, McQuarrie and Dylan Kussman, an actor-writer who played small roles in “The Mummy” and “Jack Reacher,” were close allies of Cruise’s. The script envisioned Nick Morton as an earnest Tom Cruise archetype, who is laughably described as a “young man” at one point.
His writers beefed up his part. In the original script, Morton and the Mummy (played by Sofia Boutella) had nearly equal screen time. The writers also added a twist that saw Cruise’s character become possessed, to give him more of a dramatic arc. Even though Universal executives weren’t thrilled about the story — which feels disjointed and includes Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll — they went along with Cruise’s vision.
And the crew fell in line too, behind Cruise as the boss. “This is very much a film of two halves: before Tom and after Tom,” said Frank Walsh, the supervising art director, at a London screening of “The Mummy” this week. “I have heard the stories about how he drives everything and pushes and pushes, but it was amazing to work with him. The guy is a great filmmaker and knows his craft. He will walk onto a set and tell the director what to do, say ‘that’s not the right lens,’ ask about the sets, and as long as you don’t fluff what you’re saying to him … he’s easy to work for.”
Once the film was done, Cruise brought in his longtime editor Andrew Mondshein to piece together the final picture. (The film’s credits also list Gina and Paul Hirsch as editors.) He spent time in the editing suite overseeing the cutting, which everybody agreed wasn’t working. On the lot, there were differences of opinions about whether Cruise’s directions were improving a picture that had been troubled from its inception or whether they were turning a horror film into a Cruise infomercial. Some believed that Cruise had no choice but to assert himself. Given Kurtzman’s inexperience directing tentpoles, Cruise, who has carried heavily choreographed action movies all his life, had to try to rally the troops or risk having the production fall behind schedule.
Universal knew that if it wanted “The Mummy” to compete against the likes of “Wonder Woman” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” it needed every ounce of Cruise’s waning star power. As the studio scrambled to deal with weak tracking, it released a portrait in late May of Cruise with other actors from the Dark Universe franchise, including Depp and Javier Bardem (who will play Frankenstein). Yet the studio couldn’t even assemble all the actors in the room at the same time, and the image had to be Photoshopped. The Internet reaction to the last-ditch marketing effort was tepid at best. It was another reminder that the big names that once ruled Hollywood are inspiring a lot less love from audiences.
The reviews may have been brutal, but at the premiere Cruise seemed pleased, complimenting everyone involved and portraying the finished film as a team effort. “Jake! Jake!” he shouted at one of his co-stars Jake Johnson. “It was awesome working with you, Jake!”
Inside ‘The Mummy’s’ Troubles: Tom Cruise Had Excessive Control (EXCLUSIVE)
Microsoft will unify most ‘Minecraft’ platforms this summer
Minecraft is about to enter its final form. In August, the Better Together update will land and unify the game across nearly every platform, from iOS and Android to Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. This unification comes courtesy of the Bedrock Engine, which currently powers all mobile, Windows 10, Amazon Fire and VR versions of the game. Now, it won’t matter which platform your friends use to play Minecraft — every version will be the same, they’ll share DLC and updates, and all players will be able to create new worlds together.
Well, nearly all. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox 360 versions of Minecraft are not included in the initial Better Together update.
“Beginning with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, we’ll be expanding that code base so that all — the vast majority of our community is united,” marketing lead Emily Orrson says.
The Better Together update brings Bedrock to the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions of Minecraft, allowing them to play with nearly every other version of the game. With the update, participating consoles get Realms (the game’s multiplayer mode), plus the newly launched Community Marketplace. Any existing worlds will transfer directly to Bedrock, as will all DLC players have purchased. The Better Together update also brings infinite worlds to Xbox One and Switch, up from the current, limited grid of about 3 miles by 3 miles.
“They’ve been asking for some relief there for a long time, and now they’ll be able to walk right up inside of those worlds and continue generating them infinitely,” executive producer Jesse Merriam says.
But players on PS4, arguably the most popular current-gen console on the market, won’t be moved to Bedrock right away.
“Our goal is to unite all Minecraft players,” Merriam. “Today we’re able to confirm Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, but all of our current-gen partners — we’re interested in connecting all of the Minecraft players. It’s just about what we can confirm today.”
The PS4 and Xbox 360 versions of Minecraft will retain their platform-specific names, while the Java version will formally be named Minecraft: Java Edition, which is what most players call it anyway. So, now, there’s the core Minecraft game and three fragmented editions (PS4, Xbox 360 and Java) that aren’t guaranteed to receive the same updates or cross-platform capabilities as the main version. It’s a welcome step toward unity, but not a complete leap just yet.
“We’re partnered very closely with Apple, Google, PlayStation, Nintendo, Amazon, our VR partners — a lot of that, it just is a lot to make sure we’re always working in everyone’s store and everything else,” Orrson says. “Right now we are doing our best to get everybody connected, but it is work to work through all of the scenarios we encounter.”
Microsoft bought Minecraft in 2014 for $2.5 billion, so it makes sense the Xbox One version is getting some love in the Better Together update. Of course, Sony builds the PS4.
“It’s not for lack of wanting to or effort on our part,” senior global communications manager Aubrey Norris says. “We are in discussions with our partners right now. We want PlayStation and we invite Sony to bring PlayStation players onto Bedrock, but we can’t get any further into — these are confidential discussions.”
Microsoft and developer Mojang are far from done with Minecraft. Better Together is part of a larger push to transform Minecraft into a “creative platform.” Developers want it to be more than a game. They want it to be the foundation for community-driven innovation, connection and creativity.
The Community Marketplace, which hit Pocket and Windows 10 editions in June, was a big part of this transition, allowing players to search for, buy and sell their own in-game creations.
Servers are also getting some attention in Better Together. These allow players to mess around in completely unique worlds built by dedicated fans. Now, there’ll be a Servers tab next to the “Worlds” and “Friends” tabs at start-up, introducing a whole new community of players to fan-favorite universes like Lifeboat, an endeavor created by a 14-year-old and his dad that boasts 6 million players per month. Initial servers landing on Bedrock are Lifeboat, CubeCraft, Mineplex and InPvP.
One final update makes Minecraft even more self-contained: A built-in crafting recipe book.
“We want to bring the strengths of all the existing crafting systems together,” Merriam says. “Today, the Java edition is really known for discovery and experimentation as you go to the crafting grid and try things out and see what actually turns out to be a recipe.”
The recipe book will allow fans to toggle recipes directly in the crafting grid, eliminating the need to set down the game and find the relevant Wiki page. But, those who like to experiment with recipes are free to ignore the book completely.
“Anyone who’s interacted with a hardcore Minecraft fan will know there’s a lot of pride a kid will feel if they know the recipe for a boat,” Merriam says.
Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!
Minecraft embraces multiplayer worlds so you can escape better
If you want to make Minecraft a bigger part of your social life, good news: Microsoft is making it easier for players to join multiplayer worlds.
You already can play with thousands of other Minecraft gamers on customized multiplayer areas called servers, but it’s kind of a pain. Microsoft’s aspirin will come this summer, though, when Minecraft will get a built-in server browser that makes servers easier to discover and use, said Minecraft marketing leader Emily Orrson. Microsoft announced the move Sunday in conjunction with the massive E3 videogame conference.
“The amount of different ways to play is going to exponentially expand,” Orrson said. Think of it as adding a little more escapism to your escapism.
The server browser is good news if you’re looking for a fresh way to play the game. And with more than 100 million copies of Minecraft sold, it’s a good bet plenty of people will try the servers. Already today millions of people play on servers — more than with some high-end triple-A gaming titles.
Four servers will be available to start: Lifeboat, InPvP, Mineplex and CubeCraft. But more will come later. As with Microsoft’s addition recently of Microsoft’s marketplace to buy assets like character skins and downloadable minigames, though, Microsoft plans to expand beyond the limited number of launch-time partners, Orrson said.
In the blocky virtual world of Minecraft, you survive by digging and harvesting raw materials, “crafting” those ingredients into tools, weapons, and more refined materials, then using all that to survive the nightly onslaught of bad guys called mobs. You can also play in a no-threat creative mode that lets you build everything from fanciful floating castles to working electronic devices powered by Minecraft’s “redstone” circuitry.
Xbox, Switch join Minecraft ‘Bedrock’
The changes come with the “Better Together” update to Minecraft, so named because Microsoft is bringing some relatively isolated versions of the game into the fold. The company builds its “Bedrock” version of Minecraft for Windows 10 PCs, Apple TV, Oculus Rift and Gear VR headsets, and mobile devices powered by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android.
With the summer update, Minecraft for Xbox One and Nintendo Switch gaming consoles also will become bedrock versions. That means anyone playing with those versions will have access to the same marketplace and server options as the other versions, and that any purchases made on one system will be available to you on the other — as long as you log in with an Xbox account.
That convergence also means playing multiplayer games on a variety of hardware is easier. Any of the Bedrock versions can work together, said Jesse Merriam, Minecraft’s executive producer.
The Xbox 360 and Wii U editions still remain separate for now. So, too, are the original versions for Mac and Windows, built with the Java programming language. All the Bedrock versions now are simply being called “Minecraft,” while the Java-based versions will be called Minecraft Java Edition.
Microsoft’s desire for convergence has its limits, though. Its Mojang studio continues to develop Minecraft Java Edition even as it brings its more advanced features to the Bedrock versions.
“We have no intention to push people one way or other,” said Minecraft communications manager Aubrey Norris.
Minecraft embraces multiplayer worlds so you can escape better
Minecraft is now available for cross-play on any device
With the launch of Microsoft’s new Xbox One X gamers got an update on the latest Minecraft news — chiefly that Minecraft is now available across any device.
As part of the company’s big show at E3 Microsoft talked about the latest Minecraft update.
The “Better Together Update” unifies console, mobile and Windows 10 versions of the game.
The new update also features better graphics and cross-platform support to let Windows 10 and mobile Minecraft players play the game together.
As part of the update, Minecraft is ditching any special branding associated with Minecraft for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, mobile games or VR — they’ll all just be known as “Minecraft”. There’s a ‘Minecraft: Java Edition’, which is the original PC game (still supported).
The unified branding is designed to let buyers know they’re all getting the same game, that they can play with anyone no matter what device they’re using, the company said.
Supported devices for unified game play include:
- Windows 10
- iOS
- Android
- XBox One
- Nintendo’s Switch
If players own Minecraft for mobile or VR, they’ll get an update for the summer. Minecraft for Xbox One or Nintendo Switch owners will get a new update for free, and the existing worlds that gamers have created are going to be available on the new game.
The new update also means that any downloadable content will be available across all devices. So a pack bought on mobile will also be available on Xbox and Windows 10 editions too.
As an additional added perk, Minecraft is throwing in a server browser to its latest update. Launching with four servers, Lifeboat, Mineplex, InPVP and Cubecraft — which lets players join public servers that have monthly users numbering in the millions according to the company.
It’s different from Minecraft Realms, which are privately cloud-hosted servers available for smaller groups.
Finally, there’s a new graphics pack for 4K viewing — better lighting, shadows, and water effects, the company said.
All the news from E3!
All the news from E3!
Cross-platform play! Super Duper Graphics! In-game servers!
This E3 we shared our plans to introduce the Better Together Update to unify console, mobile and Windows 10 versions of the game under a single edition. And that’s not all! This swish new version brings in-game multiplayer servers, an update to give your worlds a lick of graphical paint, and cross-platform support – letting console, Win 10 and mobile Minecrafters play together for the first time!
We’ve put together this handy post, with a summary of what this mean for your Minecraft:
Better Together Update
A game all about teamwork, building together and creating communities shouldn’t be restricted to one device, which is why our Better Together Update introduces cross-platform play, breaking down the barriers and letting people play the same complete Minecraft with each other across devices! We’ve wanted to integrate cross-platform for ages, essentially making a version of Minecraft that’s consistent no matter what device you’re choosing to play on.
So going forward, the edition you’ll find on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, mobile and VR will simply be known as ‘Minecraft’, a separate entity from ‘Minecraft: Java Edition’, which is the original PC game (that we’ll continue to support, of course). This means when you buy ‘Minecraft’, you’re buying a game that can you can play with friends across devices.
Anyone playing the game on Windows 10, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and VR devices will be able to play online together. If you own Minecraft for your mobile or VR device, you’ll get this as a free update this summer. If you own Minecraft: Xbox One Edition or Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition, you’ll receive the brand new version of Minecraft for free, and your existing worlds and DLC will come along to the new version with you. What’s more, any DLC you purchase will be accessible amongst the various devices at no extra charge. (For example: if you buy the Greek Mythology pack on Nintendo Switch, you’ll also own it on the mobile, Xbox One and Windows 10 Editions too – no extra charge).
In-Game Servers
Independent servers, run by members of the amazing Minecraft community, have been around since the earliest days of the game. They’re essentially online platforms where you can socialise, play and collaborate with millions of other players! Basically, servers make it easier for you to enjoy multiplayer Minecraft and access new mini-games, worlds, and friends to craft with! Nice!
Unlike Minecraft Realms, which gives you access to a private, cloud-hosted world for you and your friends, servers are open and accessible to everyone – some have monthly users in the millions!
So this Summer, all platforms receiving the Better Together Update will then have a server browser in the Minecraft start menu. This’ll let you search a list of servers which you can join right away! We’ll be launching with four servers – Lifeboat, Mineplex, InPVP, and Cubecraft – with more to follow. Plus we’ve made sure that parental controls and other safety features will be in place, so you decide what your child can access. We’ll have a more detailed summary of servers closer to the update. After all, we live to serve(er)! …sorry.
Super Duper Graphics Pack
Finally, this Fall, we’ll be releasing a free update that allows you to boost Minecraft’s graphics. Minecraft will get 4K HDR graphics which include improved lighting, shadows, water effects… basically, it’ll be like giving your eyes a luxury massage. This’ll be available to folks playing on Xbox One, Windows 10, iOS, mobile, and VR – essentially every platform that gets our Better Together update.
We’ll also be releasing new DLC, the Super Duper Graphics Pack. On top of the free 4K update, the Super Duper Graphics Pack introduces features like dynamic shadows, lighting that streams through fog, movement in leaves and grass, new textures for mobs and villagers, directional lighting, edge highlighting and more! This Pack will be available on Xbox One and Windows 10, performing best on high-end PCs and the Xbox One X (formerly known as Project Scorpio).
Now keep in mind that these are entirely optional. We wanted to take advantage of 4K gaming and give players a whole new way to see the game. But only if you want! Minecraft’s original lovely look is going nowhere. We’ll have more info about the release date of the free 4K update and Super Duper Graphics Pack DLC closer to release.
And that’s it! We hope you’re excited as we are about this year’s plans for Minecraft. 4K gaming, cross-platform play and in-game servers… makes you wonder how we could possibly top this next year! Gulp. Happy crafting!
Minecraft Java Edition becomes more vibrant with ‘World of Color’ update, also adds parrots
Although missing out on some great Mash-Up packs and the like, the original Java version of Minecraft has received the 1.12 World of Color update. This comprehensive update brings a number of new colored blocks and other rich additions, as evident by its name.
In celebration of the update, Mojang had asked Reddit users to make some colorful Minecraft builds, and some of these impressive creations are showcased in the new World of Color update trailer, seen below.
Existing items such as wool, shulker boxes, banners, as well as beds are now available in a wide range of colors. New colored blocks, Glazed Terracotta and Concrete, are also excellent additions for experienced Minecraft builders to make use of in their worlds.
Moreover, the update includes a highly useful recipe book which unlocks and stores recipes for later use, and also replaces the achievement system with the new advancements for guiding new players.
There’s also the addition of parrots as a brand new mob, which are tamable using seeds. In-game parrots were initially tamed using cookies in a pre-release version, but this was replaced with seeds following an outcry on Reddit. As Minecraft cookies look like they include chocolate chips, and chocolate is poisonous to birds, users were concerned that a child could feed their pet birds chocolates without realizing the real-world consequences.
The Minecraft World of Color update is now available for download on the game’s Java Edition, and for those interested, the update’s extensive changelog can be read on this Reddit thread.
Minecraft Java Edition becomes more vibrant with ‘World of Color’ update, also adds parrots
Minecraft 1.12 World of Color update brings parrots, an adventure guide system, and more – full patch notes
Minecraft’s latest update brings the mothership build to 1.12 and is substantial enough that it has a name: World of Color. Don’t blame me for the missing U; I’m as upset about it as you are.
Rolling out now for the core Mac and PC build, and presumably destined for the Windows 10, Pocket and console versions at a (possibly much) later date, Minecraft 1.12 overhauls the colour scheme on a number of blocks, gives you options for recolouring many common crafted items, adds two new types of blocks, and officially introduces parrots, probably without the cookie breeding system. In the trailer above, you can see some of the colourful creations the Minecraft community build using a snapshot of this update.
That’s not all, though. According to Mojang, Minecraft 1.12 features a new “advancements” system that will “help guiding your way through the adventure of Minecraft, and can be utilized by creators to make interesting custom adventure maps and mini games”. Maybe it’s just what you’re looking for if you’ve always wanted to get it together and reach endgame but get distracted and confused on the way. There’s also a new recipe book and “knowledge book”, so it’s clearly a good time to be a Minecrafter who loves books.
Here are the full patch notes for Minecraft 1.12: World of Color.
- Added Glazed Terracotta blocks
- Renamed Hardened Clay to Terracotta
- Added Concrete Powder blocks
- Added Concrete blocks
- Updated base color palette
- Added advancements
- Added recipe book
- Added Knowledge Book item
- Added Parrots
- Added functionality to save toolbars in creative mode
- Added text-to-speech narrator
- Added new sounds for the Note blocks
- Added commands relating to recipes and advancements
- Many minor fixes and changes
- Removed Herobrine
Minecraft Switch Edition Review
At this point, Minecraft is such a well-known game that reviewing its content in 2017 seems redundant. (For that, you can check out our reviews of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions and of Minecraft: Pocket Edition.) But with its recent release on the Switch the question that needs answering is how Nintendo’s portable console handles building these fantastic blocky worlds, and the answer is: pretty well.
The Switch Edition of Minecraft takes the appealing portability of Minecraft Pocket Edition and adds the precise, comfortable controls of a console. The convenience of playing Minecraft on the go and easily jumping into online multiplayer with friends on their own Switch devices would make it hard to go back to other versions of if it weren’t missing an essential feature: voice chat. That makes playing with friends who aren’t in the room with you much less fun, since there’s no way to coordinate your efforts with the up to seven other players in a game. You can get that human interaction locally by playing two-player split-screen mode, but this works much better when the Switch is docked, because the screen is a little too small to play in handheld or kickstand mode with multiple people. It’s possible, you just might not be able to see very well.
Like the current PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions (1.5), the Switch’s Minecraft lacks some other features that are on the PC’s 1.9 version, like the reworked combat system. And, unfortunately, Minecraft doesn’t use the Switch’s touch screen for faster inventory management – or anything else – so it’s not quite the best of both the console and Pocket Edition worlds. It does include a bunch of exclusive Super Mario-themed skins, though.
Lastly, I didn’t experience any noticeable slowdowns either in docked or portable modes, though it’s worth noting that Minecraft runs in 720p even while docked. Not that the resolution of these intentionally blocky graphics matters much, of course.
The Nintendo Switch version provides an authentic Minecraft experience that is hugely benefitted by the ability to play it anywhere with physical controls. The one drawback is the lack of voice chat, which makes online multiplayer less fun than on other platforms, so it’s best enjoyed in the same room as your friends.
You can now explore Exeter on Minecraft – here’s how to download and play it
Detailed maps of Exeter have been created on wildly popular world-building game Minecraft.
Four maps inspired by collections at Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) will allow enthusiasts to virtually explore the historic Devon city.
Above: Watch an example of a city recreated on Minecraft
With over 100 million users, Minecraft is the second best-selling video game of all time.
Return to Devon Live home page or read next: Glastonbury 2017: Seven important security changes you need to know about
Minecraft maps are virtual environments or games created by players themselves, and made available for others to download and play.
Renowned digital producer Adam Clarke and leading Minecraft build team, Blockworks made the Historic Exeter Minecraft maps.
image: http://www.devonlive.com/images/localworld/ugc-images/276269/binaries/micecrfathjg.jpg
The famous Caleb Hedgeland model of Exeter recreatedThe project is in partnership with the University of Exeter with funding from Arts Council England.
The first map is based on the model of 18th-century Exeter before the city walls were breached. The three future maps are of the Roman fortress, the Roman city and Tudor Exeter.
The first map is based on a model of Exeter constructed between 1817 and 1824 by Caleb Hedgeland.
One of the earliest surviving models of any town in Britain, it records Exeter in great detail as it was during the late 1700s when the city wall was still intact.
The model, which is on permanent display in RAMM’s Making History gallery, is the only surviving record of many of the city’s buildings and streets.
How to download
The first Exeter map can now be downloaded from Dropbox at http://bit.ly/RAMMHedgelandMap with full instructions in PDF format: FAQ and installation guide for Minecraft Hedgeland map.
On Sunday 16 July, pioneering Minecrafters will lead a Museum Minecraft extravaganza at RAMM.
Young YouTubers, Solly the Kid and Django Moses, will challenge visitors to a special Exeter Build Battle.
Wizard Keen from Wonderquest and guest YouTubers will lead workshops. Minecraft-inspired activities will introduce younger visitors to the magic of Minecraft.
You can now explore Exeter on Minecraft – here’s how to download and play it
Minecraft: Story Mode returns for a second season in July
Minecraft: Story Mode, the episodic adventure game based on Mojang’s Minecraft, will continue with a second season next month, developer Telltale Games announced today.
The season premiere, “Hero in Residence,” will begin rolling out July 11. It will be available digitally on Android, iOS, Mac, PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One that week, and Telltale will release a physical copy of the season this fall.
Telltale said today in a news release that players’ choices from the first season will carry over to the upcoming season. Minecraft: Story Mode debuted in October 2015 and was originally a five-part series that ended in March 2016. However, Telltale extended the season with three additional episodes, with the eighth chapter launching in September 2016. Minecraft: Story Mode – Season 2 is currently scheduled to run for five episodes.
The adventures of Jesse (Patton Oswalt or Catherine Taber, depending on the gender chosen by the player) and their pals will continue in the second season. Here’s the synopsis from Telltale:
Now that Jesse and the gang have vanquished the Wither Storm, saved the world, and become totally super famous heroes, life has gotten a bit more…complicated. With more responsibilities and less time for adventure, old friendships have started to fade — at least until Jesse’s hand gets stuck in a creepy gauntlet that belongs to an ancient underwater temple. Together with old pals and new comrades alike, Jesse embarks on a brand new journey filled with tough choices, good times, and at least one temperamental llama.
In addition to Oswalt and Taber, Ashley Johnson and Scott Porter will return for the second season. Once again, Telltale will bring in members of the Minecraft community such as Stampy Cat and stacyplays for cameos. The season will support Telltale’s Crowd Play feature, which allows for up to 2,000 people to participate along with the player.
For a closer look at Minecraft: Story Mode – Season 2, check out the screenshots below.
Story Mode Season 2: Coming Soon!
Telltale’s adventure continues this summer
That’s right! A new five-part Story Mode saga arrives on July 11th. Jesse’s tale didn’t end with merely becoming the world’s greatest living hero – if anything, life just got more complicated. There are responsibilities! Emerging rivalries! Unmeetable expectations of friends new and old!
As a simple treasure hunt goes wrong, trapping Jesse’s hand in a cursed prismarine gauntlet, we discover that maybe there are other downsides to fame, too – like having a dark and ancient power know your name.
A new adventure beckons, sending Jesse on a quest to the darkest depths of the world – and beyond! Joined by a motley band of familiar faces, fortune hunters, sometime enemies and one deeply disobedient llama, there will be tough choices, peril aplenty and no shortage of People Who Will Remember That.
Patton Oswalt, Catherine Taber, Ashley Johnson and Scott Porter are among the currently announced cast – with more details to follow! Watch out for cameos from Youtubin’ heroes Stampy Cat and StacyPlays, too.
If you’re a returning player, the game will keep a track of all those weighty decisions you made in Season 1 – but new players should find it an easy place to jump on, too. You can even join in the fun with friends thanks to Telltale’s “Crowd Play” feature, which lets you help to direct the action from any online mobile device.
Episode 1, titled “Hero in Residence”, will be downloadable on July 11, for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iOS, and Android-based devices. We’ll be bringing you more details and ELITE INSIDE INFO in the coming weeks, but in the meantime keep an eye on Telltale’s website!
Dad Creates Free Minecraft Server Specifically Dedicated to Kids With Autism
Children can already be overwhelmed and bullied in the real world, but maybe the internet can offer some solace. That’s what this dad created when he built an entire Minecraft server for children with autism.
Stuart Duncan, also known by his online alias AutismDad, created Autcraft: a server that has garnered over 8,000 players since it was created four years ago.
He recalled its genesis when he wrote, “In 2012–2013, I saw parent after parent after parent posting on social media: ‘Do you have a child with autism that loves Minecraft? Would they be willing to play with my child?’”
“These parents were all reaching out because they were tired of seeing their children being bullied on the servers that they tried. Their children were breaking their keyboards, crying and feeling terrible. They felt powerless to help. So, Autcraft was my way of helping.”
Since Duncan himself has been diagnosed as autistic, he understood how vital it was for children to have safe spaces to play. Autcraft has become his day job, with all his time dedicated to maintaining the server alongside a team of volunteers. He currently asks for donations via Patreon.
“I have made it my mission to help as many children with autism as I can which means ensuring that Autcraft remains a free server for those who need it. It is my belief that those who need a safe place like Autcraft most are also the ones least likely to be able to afford a membership fee.”
“[Autcraft] gives children with autism and their families a place where they can play the game they love with people just like them, and they can feel safe and confident to just be themselves,” said Duncan. “It’s not about getting other people to accept them but getting them to accept themselves.”
Dad Creates Free Minecraft Server Specifically Dedicated to Kids With Autism
Building a shared future in Minecraft at Castle Ward
Children at two Downpatrick primary schools have been building a shared future, albeit a digital one.
Children from Downpatrick Primary School and St Brigid’s Primary School visited Castle Ward on Monday for the launch of a new education programme, Minecraft at Castle Ward.
The cross-curricular project uses the game to encourage children to explore the National Trust-owned property.
Most schools participating in the pilot were supported by Shared Education.
Shared Education supports children in separate schools engaging in joint classes or projects.
The project is the result of a collaboration between the National Trust and iTeach, a Belfast-based education programming development company.
What is Minecraft?
Minecraft is a computer game in which you build things using cubic blocks.
It is a bit like Lego but you never run out of blocks and they never fall over.
Players can walk among their own creations, and play online with other people who are in the same world.
This is the first programme of its kind to feature to a National Trust property and the trust hopes to develop the programme across more of its sites.
National Trust co-ordinator, Geoff Magill, said: “The 18th Century Corn Mill at Castle Ward is being brought to life on Minecraft as schools combine the latest technology with the outdoors.
“They will learn about the history of the Corn Mill, the engineering aspects and traditional milling processes in an interactive tour which will culminate in pupils actually constructing the building in Minecraft.
“We are also pleased to announce that the programme will be available in conjunction with the Shared Education initiative which enable schools from diverse communities to come together and share the experience.
“The programme is currently in its pilot stage and will be available to schools from September,” he added.
Minecraft Is Successfully Replacing Chemistry Lessons In Schools
When you combine two items correctly in Minecraft, it makes a new item – a bit like chemistry. So it isn’t surprising really that a modded version of the game is successfully being used to replace certain elements of chemistry lessons in schools.
Students are inadvertently learning traditionally tricky topics such as polymer synthesis (making plastic) and refining oil with greater ease.
Imagine a class without lessons, tests and homework, but with missions, quests and teamwork,” Lead researcher Dr Ronald Smaldone ponders. “Video games offer an attractive educational platform because they are designed to be fun and engaging, as opposed to traditional approaches to teaching through lectures and assignments”.
Dr Smaldone says that holding the attention and focus of students, and providing information in a meaningful way, is a significant challenge for online education (and all education for that matter).
“Imagine having educational content that would not only command the complete focus of students, but even excite them so much that they would consume it without needing to be assigned it,” Dr Smaldone says.
Dr Smaldone points out there are “many advantages” to providing educational content in a computerised game format, one of which is that it allows learners to move at their own pace.
“A horizontal learning approach allows students who understand the material quickly to move on to more challenging material, whereas those that need extra time can take it, making it truly personalised,” Dr Smaldone says. “Management of the pace of learning is extremely important when interacting with students remotely. Educational content must be provided in such a way that they do not become bored (the material is not challenging enough) or frustrated (the material is too challenging)”.
The Minecraft mod used for these lessons integrates concepts of chemistry and engineering into the gameplay. Called Polycraft World, the development of the mod maintained two main goals — the science must be accurate, and it must add something fun to the game.
In one of many trial classes, over a period of 12 months Dr Christina Thompson taught a one hour general topics class entitled “Video Games and Learning” to a small (thirteen students in each class) group of students of mixed subject background and age, through the Honors College at the University of Texas at Dallas. No in-class science instruction was given, but a non-graded part of the class was to play Polycraft World.
Without ever being asked to learn or remember anything from the game, students were given a pop quiz written in entirely scientific language which asked them questions ranging from identifying the chemical components of polymers based on their acronyms, to drawing a distillation tree for crude oil given a blank piece of paper.
Despite this, five of the thirteen students could correctly draw a crude oil distillation tree to three levels of distillation, with three more able to draw it to two levels of distillation. And they learned this entirely from playing Minecraft.
This is just another example of the way that video games can be a positive contribution to a child’s development, countering the traditional negative stigma gaming has carried for far too long.
Minecraft Is Successfully Replacing Chemistry Lessons In Schools
There’s A Minecraft Festival Coming To Sydney Opera House
“Minecraft at the Sydney Opera House” is an epic two day festival, and host to Australia’s first Minecraft competition.
Held in the Concert Hall on July 2 and 3, the event brings to life one of the best-selling video games of all time, its 120 million-plus players captivated by a world of limitless exploration and creative possibilities. Described by organisers as “a true choose-your-own-adventure experience” the festival will be unbeatable school holidays entertainment for children, families, and Minecraft devotees of all ages.
“The Sydney Opera House is about creativity in all its forms. We encourage makers, builders and artists of all kinds,” Sydney Opera House Senior Producer for Children, Families and Creative Learning, Jamie Dawson, said. “This event is about bringing Minecrafters together to share ideas, challenge each other and to meet the creators of one of the world’s most popular games. And where better to do it than the Opera House.”
The Opera House’s grand Concert Hall and Northern Foyers will be transformed into a Minecraft extravaganza spanning three sessions over two days. Attendees can come and go between the main competition on stage and the activities in the foyer.
Minecraft at the Sydney Opera House is designed for everyone: from dedicated players of all ages (who can compete to win an Xbox One), to parents and educators who can understand and unpack how the game can be applied in an educational setting – and even younger gamers who can meet (and challenge) new friends.
Alongside the competitions, Lead Creative Designer of Minecraft, Jens Bergensten, will participate in the interactive sessions. Lydia Winters, Brand Director of Mojang, the studio behind Minecraft, will share her Minecraft tricks and tips and answer fans’ questions.
You can grab a ticket here.
Scholastic pulls fan-fiction Minecraft book that compares Indian name to a fart
Scholastic says it will stop distributing a fan-fiction Minecraft book that compares an Indian character’s name to a fart.
A Toronto mother tweeted a photo of a page in Diary of a Minecraft Zombie, accusing the book of “modelling racist behaviour for my kids.”
‘I was really troubled by the idea that my children, who have long and complicated names, might end up reading something like this.’ – Sailaja Krishnamurti, St. Mary’s University
In the passage, the protagonist’s mom tells him he’s about to room up with foreign exchange student Rajit Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta — an Indian name also famous for being the longest railway station name in India.
“It sounded like my mom farted,” the boy reacts.
Sailaja Krishnamurti says she worries about how her own children would react to reading a passage like the one in Diary of a Minecraft Zombie. (Sailaja Krishnamurti/@DrSailajaK )
When Halifax’s Sailaja Krishnamurti first came across the passage on Twitter, she became concerned about her own kids.
“Certainly my son loves to play Minecraft, and they’re of an age where they could be reading on their own without my looking over their shoulder,” Krishnamurti told As It Happens host Carol Off.
Krishnamurti is a religious studies professor at St. Mary’s University in Halifax who studies representation of South Asian culture in children’s literature.
“And so I was really troubled by the idea that my children, who have long and complicated names, might end up reading something like this on their own and not really know how to process how that might make them feel.”
The book, which has no named author, is part of the Zack Zombie series, described online as “an original work of fan fiction which is not sanctioned nor approved by the makers of Minecraft.” It is sold online via Amazon, and distributed through Scholastic.
Contacted for comment, Scholastic at first denied responsibility for the book’s content, noting it was not published in-house, but rather by a company called Herobrine Books.
‘We are grateful for letting us know about this issue and want to apologize for any offence or harm it may have caused anyone.’ – Nicole Zaccagnini, White Water Agency
However, the company later responded to say it would no longer be shipping the book.
“Our partnership with Canadian schools and families is a privilege, and one that we take very seriously,” Scholastic told As It Happens in an email.
“The author has been made aware of your comments and is deeply troubled that the text has been construed as racist, as this was never intended, and he is eager to make editorial changes to be sure the text is corrected. Further on in the story, the character recognizes and apologizes for his bad behaviour and the two characters become friends, with Zombie learning a valuable lesson in friendship, diversity and acceptance. ”
But Krishnamurti said the story’s positive ending “doesn’t excuse the racism that’s being enacted right at the start of the book.”
Nicole Zaccagnini, publicist for the Herobrine series, apologized for the passage and told As It Happens they have “already made steps to remove the offending statements from our book so that no one will be hurt by this in any way.”
“We are grateful for letting us know about this issue and want to apologize for any offence or harm it may have caused anyone,” Zaccagnini, an account executive at the public relations firm White Water Agency, said in an email.
“We believe that all cultures, religions and groups in which people identify with are all special in the building blocks of our society.”
Krishnamurti, meanwhile, said this whole debacle just shows the importance of diversity in children’s literature.
“I think it’s an instructive moment for all of us as parents and as people who are thinking about children’s literature to really advocate for more diverse representations in the books our children are reading.”
Scholastic pulls fan-fiction Minecraft book that compares Indian name to a fart
Minecraft: Pocket Edition Discovery Update adds Marketplace in-game store and more
The long-awaited Discovery Update for Minecraft: Pocket Edition has gone live for Android users. This is a huge new update for Mojang’s popular sandbox game, with a bunch of new content and features. The biggest new addition is the Marketplace, an in-game store where players can purchase new content provided by talented Minecraft creators.
As we previously reported, the Marketplace offers a way for players to buy new in-game skins, texture packs, maps and more to help extend their Minecraft experience. It will also help Minecraft creators earn money for their efforts. Marketplace items are purchased with Minecraft’s new in-game currency, Minecraft Coins, which in turn are bought using real-world money.
Adding an in-game store would be big enough for Minecraft, but there’s tons of additional new items and content included as part of this Discovery Update. As the title suggests, players will be encouraged to explore the game world to find new maps, monsters and puzzles, including finding treasures in the Woodland Mansions. You will also encounter new creatures, including helpful llamas that will carry much of your found treasure for you. You can check out the entire change log for the Discovery Update at the official Minecraft site.
What are your impressions of the Minecraft: Pocket Edition’s Discovery Update? Do you like the new Marketplace feature? Let us know in the comments!
Minecraft: Pocket Edition Discovery Update adds Marketplace in-game store and more
The Discovery Update is here!
The Discovery Update is here!
Pocket and Win 10 gets Marketplace, mansions and more!
The long-awaited 1.1 update for Pocket and Windows 10 is out today. We’re calling it the Discovery Update – and not just because we like the way it sounds! There are new features and secrets to explore, not least the spooky Woodland Mansions. What treasures lie within – and what peril? That’s for you to find out (or shamelessly look up on the wiki)!
There’s loads more. Llamas. Shulker Boxes. Dyable Beds. New blocks, like glazed terracotta and concrete. New enchantments, like Frostwalking and Mending. Ingot Smelting is a thing. Add-Ons are now additionally exciting, and will let you remix movement properties. You can now get the Skyrim Mash-Up Pack, too! Find the full changelog below.
Of course the big headline is… Marketplace! It’s a place where Pocket and Windows 10 players can browse, buy, download and play cool community creations from within the game itself. You can get a rundown of what kind of stuff you’ll find on there at launch in this quick guide to Marketplace! There’s also a nice video to tell you all about how it works. Lovely.
Anyway, here’s the full 1.1 changelog!
New Features:
- Minecraft Marketplace
- Skyrim Mash-up Pack
- Llamas
- Shulker Boxes
- Woodland Mansions
- Cartographer Villager & Exploration Maps
- Illagers (Evokers & Vindicators)
- Vex
- Concrete & concrete powder
- Glazed terracotta blocks
- Dyeable beds (and you can jump on them, too!)
- Iron and Gold tools can now be smelted into Iron Nuggets and Gold Nuggets
- Adventure Mode
- New game rules: DoFireTick, DoMobSpawning, DoTileDrops, MobGriefing, DoEntityDrops, KeepInventory, DoMobLoot, DoDaylightCycle
- New achievements
- Mending & Frostwalking enchantments
- Totem of Undying
- Off-hand slot (only works for arrows & Totem of Undying)
Tweaks:
- Changes in world generation. Seeds which contain pre-generated structures such as ocean monuments & igloos may generate those structures in different places now
- The sun now rises in the East and sets in the West
- CanPlaceOn & CanDestroy are now supported in the ‘/replaceitem’ command
- Dampened the vertical look speed when using a controller
- Improved navigation of the settings screen when using a controller
- The X button can now be used to clear the hotbar on the Creative inventory screen when using a controller
- Improved controller input when selecting items on the Creative inventory screen
- Maps are now numbered so you can tell which map is which!
- Empty Maps with Compasses have been renamed to Locator Maps to distinguish between Empty Maps without Compasses
- New sleeping animation slowly lowers you into serene slumber
- Updated color palette for wool blocks and carpet
- Stained clay blocks have been renamed to terracotta
- Improved lead rope physics
- Cave Spiders now attack with poison time based on difficulty
- Worlds will now show a screenshot preview in the main menu
- 1 melon block can now be crafted into 9 melon slices
- 1 cobweb can now be crafted into 9 strings
- Eating animation can now be seen in third-person camera
- /locate command will now find more structures
- The screen safe area can now be adjusted in Video settings
- Add-Ons: movement properties are now data-driven
Bug fixes:
Woah, woah, woah! There are far too many fixes to list here! My favourites:
- Good news for Elytra fliers – You can now shoot yourself with a bow and arrow (and can splash yourself with potions again, too!)
- Horses now make sounds when they jump! Neeeeigh!
To see a more complete list of bugs, you can find the full changelog here: http://aka.ms/mcchangelogs
‘Wonder Woman’ Shatters Records With $200+ Million Worldwide Opening
Patty Jenkins is having the biggest opening weekend for a female director in cinema history. Her superhero blockbuster Wonder Woman shattered the previous record for a female director by lassoing an estimated $100 million domestic and about the same cume in foreign markets. By Friday, the film had already taken an estimated $86 million in worldwide box office, and predictions for the final weekend cume continue to rise as ticket sales continue to exceed expectations.
Source: Warner Bros
Gal Gadot charges the battlefield in Warner’s “Wonder Woman”
Added to the great box office news for Wonder Woman — indeed, no doubt driving that financial performance — is a 94% Certified Fresh critical reception and an A-grade from audiences via Cinemascore. The Rotten Tomatoes score means Wonder Woman is now tied with The Dark Knight and Iron Man as the best-reviewed superhero films in history, and the A Cinemascore is likewise on par with the highest-graded superhero films except The Avengers, which is the only superhero release to score a rare A+ from audiences.
Wonder Woman is a huge success for Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. The terrific critical reception, love from audiences, and overperformance on opening weekend are strong signs the DCU has turned a corner in terms of perception and embrace by the general public. The previous DCU films Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Suicide Squad had mixed to negative critical reviews, mixed audience scores, and performed good at the box office but not great, with the first two movies coming in below studio hopes and expectations. Much retooling and rethinking was done over the previous several months, and Wonder Woman is the first DCU film representing much of that change in approach and perspective.
Source: Warner Bros
The Amazons of Warner’s “Wonder Woman”
It’s possible that Saturday and Sunday numbers will continue the upward trend in estimates for Wonder Woman, as families flock to the box office and the positive word of mouth from audiences spreads, turning this into a must-see movie event. Likewise, social media is filling up with people proclaiming their intention to go right back and watch the movie again, so repeat business — always a tough element to factor for when we make our predictions this early — could further drive up the final weekend numbers.
Some outlets are still predicting a final domestic bow in the $95-97 million range, just shy of $100 million, and if that winds up being the case it’s still a huge victory for Wonder Woman and defies all of the earlier concerns and lower estimates. Those numbers still point to a likely final domestic tally north of $250 million, and more likely closer to $300 million, which implies a global total in the $600-700 million range.
Source: Warner Bros
There’s no doubt the final worldwide box office opening will be right around $200 million by close of business Sunday, and could go north of that number. For now, whatever the precise final numbers turn out to be, you can be sure there’s a lot of celebrating going on over at Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment right now, and Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot, and everyone involved in the picture have every reason to be dancing in the streets this weekend.
Have you seen Wonder Woman, dear readers? If so, let everyone know what you thought by sounding off in the comments below!
‘Wonder Woman’ Shatters Records With $200+ Million Worldwide Opening
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