Excited movie goers are getting back into their seats and enjoying some time away from Netflix as the silver screen ignites with a series of new films.
Hollywood felt the cold slap of Covid-19 and lockdowns, with productions put on hold, actors forced to isolate and a long list of shows impacted by the pandemic.
The industry however, remains resilient as we look back on some of the highest grossing movies of all time and celebrate the potential some of the sequels have to offer! – Presented byTop Shelf International
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR – 2018
There is no doubting the effect super hero movies have had on Hollywood – Director Martin Scorsese has referred to comic book movies as “Theme parks” and described them “Not cinema”.
No matter where you sit in relation to these movies there is no doubting their success when it comes to franchises, toys, games and of course movies!
After a decade of movies that introduced us to various comic legends Infinity war brought them all together to take on their most powerful enemy yet.
The Avengers must stop Thanos, an intergalactic warlord, from getting his hands on all the infinity stones. However, Thanos is prepared to go to any lengths to carry out his insane plan.
And we were all there to watch as this movie marvel grossed $2.048 billion!
#4 STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS – 2015
$936,662,225 is a lot of galactic credits! The first film in the sequel trilogy that saw a new order threaten to destroy the New Republic. Not a bad earning for Disney’s first romp into the galaxy far far away.
The film was criticised for generous borrowing of beloved ideas from George Lucus’ original trilogy. Audiences were quick to spot similarities between certain characters and locations but the film was fresh enough to excite fans for what the other two films might offer.
Join Finn, Rey and Poe as they find a way to stop the evil First Order and find Luke Skywalker, the last surviving Jedi before it’s too late.
#3 TITANIC – 1997
One of the few all time classics on this list, James Cameron inspired audiences worldwide as it raked in a whopping $2,201,647,264. The film saw a brief re release to commemorate the sinking of the Titanic which earned it an additional $343.6 million worldwide!
Watch Jack and Rose fall in love despite their differences as this iconic vessel departs on its maiden and final journey. And even if you don’t enjoy the romance of this one, the attention to detail and celebration of this engineering marvel remains on point.
#2 AVENGERS: ENDGAME – 2019
Second on this list is the sequel to Avengers: Infinity War with a gross of $2.7897 billion worldwide, Endgame was truly the event movie of the year as it wrapped the impressive ten year journey of some of our favourite comic book heroes.
After Thanos, an intergalactic warlord, disintegrates half of the universe, the Avengers must reunite and assemble again to reinvigorate their trounced allies and restore balance to the galaxy. This movie was in fact the first-ever film to earn over $1 billion within its first weekend, after release!
#1 AVATAR – 2009
Top spot on this list is James Cameron’s sci-fi epic: Avatar. The technology that brought this film to life was an impressive leap in 3D image technology.
For those wanting to get the most out of the experience there was the IMAX and 3D iteration of the film. Avatar was one of the first widespread worldwide movie experiences that pushed the price tag higher for movie goers.
The film follows Jake, who is paraplegic, he replaces his military serving twin on a planted known as Pandora. His mission presents questionable moral concerns, especially as the natives of Pandora begin to accept Jake as one of their own.
And while it looked for a moment as if Avatar 2 may actually make a 2021 release… The film had to be delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Disney has pushed it back once again to December 2022.
The gaming industry won’t be left out with the upcoming “Frontiers of Pandora” video game set to release in 2022.
The open-world action-adventure video game will stick closely to the Avatar film series. Developed by Massive Entertainment and is set to be published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Amazon Luna and Stadia as well.
The 32-year-old has been dealing with depression in the past, and felt the feelings resurface last year
Ed Sheeran has opened up during a new interview with Rolling Stone.
The hugely-popular singer-songwriter says he “didn’t want to live any more” after the deaths of his friends SBTV founder Jamal Edwards and cricketer Shane Warne.
Edwards gave Sheeran his first big break and died suddenly from a heart attack in after taking cocaine and drinking alcohol.
Sheeran believes the tragedy convinced him to kick a drug habit he himself had developed in his 20s.
Sheeran says he has been dealing with depression “throughout [his] life” and felt the feelings resurface last year.
A parent to two young girls, Sheeran was worried his thoughts were “selfish” and as a father he “felt really embarrassed about it”.
The 32-year-old credits his wife with encouraging him to seek help.
“The help isn’t a button that is pressed, where you’re automatically OK. It is something that will always be there and just has to be managed.”
Many believe it relates to a string of protests against Xi Jinping
The new ‘Winnie the Pooh’ horror film has officially hit cinemas – but if you live in Hong Kong or Macau, sorry, unfortunately you won’t get a chance to see it.
Cinemas in these regions have refused to show the movie and, while the exact reason remains unclear, many believe it relates to a string of protests against Xi Jinping.
References to the original, family-friendly version of Winnie the Pooh have been used to protest against the Chinese president in recent years.
Censors in China have since clamped down on references to AA Milne’s character, and the 2018 Christopher Robin film was banned in the country.
Hong Kong authorities have denied the film had been censored, but the director told Reuters: “The cinemas agreed to show it, then all independently came to the same decision overnight. It [isn’t] a coincidence.”
The film has been shown in over 4,000 cinemas worldwide.
But perhaps it’s for the best it was banned in Hong Kong and Macau – the horror flick has received a score of just four per cent on film rating site Rotten Tomatoes.
It depicts Pooh bear, known for being kind and honest, as a vengeful axe wielding half-man, half-bear.
The rapper was shot and killed in Florida in June 2018
The three men accused of killing 20-year-old rapper XXXTentacion during a 2018 ambush robbery have been found guilty.
A Florida jury convicted Michael Boatwright, Dedrick Williams and Trayvon Newsome on Monday after deliberating for more than a week.
All three were charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of the controversial rapper.
Another man, Robert Allen, pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder.
The three face a possible sentence of life behind bars.
The rapper was shot and killed in Florida in June 2018 while visiting a motorcycle shop.
He was leaving when he was approached by two armed masked men who “demanded property” from him.
At least one of the men shot him during a 45-second struggle and the suspects then grabbed a bag full of $50,000 in cash that the rapper had just withdrawn.