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Why Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds both can declare box office victory

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Why Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds both can declare box office victory

As a seasoned film critic with over three decades of experience under my belt, I must say that this weekend’s box office battle between “It Ends With Us” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” was as thrilling as a high-stakes game of poker at a Hollywood hotspot.

As someone who has spent a significant amount of time working in the film industry, I must admit that this past weekend’s box office showdown between “It Ends With Us” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” was quite an exciting spectacle to watch unfold. Having worked with both Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds on different projects in the past, I have a soft spot for their acting abilities and was eager to see how they would fare against each other.

“The movie ‘It Ends With Us’ significantly outperformed initial predictions, raking in about $50 million at the box office in the U.S. and Canada during its opening weekend. This impressive performance exceeded expectations set by pre-sale figures, which had projected the film to earn between $25 million and $35 million.”

Last month, “Deadpool & Wolverine” set a record for highest domestic opening ever for an R-rated movie, earning $54.2 million in its third week, bringing its total domestic earnings to $494.3 million. Worldwide, the superhero blockbuster added $112 million to its weekend tally, surpassing the $1-billion mark and joining “Inside Out 2” as the only films this year to reach that milestone.

In 2012, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds tied the knot, and they have also jointly produced films. (Their professional connections seem to grow even closer: Lively appeared in “Deadpool & Wolverine” while Reynolds contributed to writing a crucial scene in “It Ends With Us.”)

According to its title, “It Ends with Us” is adapted from Colleen Hoover’s popular novel. In this movie, Lively portrays a florist who develops a romantic relationship with an abusive neurosurgeon. The ensemble includes Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate, and Justin Baldoni, who also took on the director’s role for the film.

The romance-drama garnered a moderate 59% approval rating on the review compilation platform, Rotten Tomatoes, and an A- minus grade from the CinemaScore audience survey.

Film critic Katie Walsh, writing for Tribune News Service, noted that “It Ends With Us” bears the same characteristics as the ‘women’s films’ popular during Hollywood production in the 1940s – if Bette Davis were around today, she might have starred in this film about 80 years later.

However, the visual representations of women in this adaptation seem to miss capturing an authentic, harsh truth, instead creating a confused blend that strays too closely and yet too distantly from its original source.

Next weekend, we’ll be opening four films: “Disney’s ‘Alien: Romulus’,” “Falling Forward Films’ ‘Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure,'” “Roadside Attractions’ ‘My Penguin Friend'” and “IFC Films’ ‘Skincare.'”

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2024-08-11 19:01

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