Box Office: ‘Bad Guys 2’ Scores .6M in Previews, Liam Neeson’s ‘Naked Gun’ Loads Up With .6M

Box Office: ‘Bad Guys 2’ Scores $2.6M in Previews, Liam Neeson’s ‘Naked Gun’ Loads Up With $1.6M

by | Aug 1, 2025 | Articles, Hollywood Reporter Articles

Box Office: ‘Bad Guys 2’ Scores $2.6M in Previews, Liam Neeson’s ‘Naked Gun’ Loads Up With $1.6M

What better way to go out than to go out laughing.

Paramount’s acclaimed The Naked Gun revival — starring Liam Neeson opposite Pamela Anderson — started off its North American run with $1.6 million in Thursday previews that began at 7 p.m. local time. Tracking shows the comedy opening in the $15 million range domestically; based on advance ticket sales, stellar reviews and strong early audience scores, exhibitors think $20 million or more is possible for the weekend.

As fate would have it, Naked Gun is the last film that will be released by the current iteration of Paramount Pictures before David Ellison’s Skydance officially closes its $8 billion merger of Paramount Global on Aug. 7. Affable movie studio chief Brian Robbins — who has also been serving as one of the three interim CEOs of Paramount Global since sale talks began last year — intends to step down once Ellison takes control of the entertainment conglomerate and installs his executive team both in the C-suite and at Paramount Pictures, according to sources.

The fourth installment in the long dormant Naked Gun franchise is produced by Seth MacFarlane and directed by Akiva Schaffer from a script he wrote with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. It opens 31 years after the threequel, 1994’s Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, and 37 years after the first movie, Naked Gun: From the Films of Police Squad!, won over audiences in 1988.

“Nobody could accuse director Akiva Schaffer … and his co-writers or producer Seth MacFarlane of lacking affection for the material. That’s evident in the sweet homages to Nielsen and George Kennedy as Capt. Ed Hocken — O.J. Simpson not so much,” writes The Hollywood Reporter‘s David Rooney in his review. “The filmmakers follow the formula to a T in this legacy sequel or reboot or whatever you want to call it, enlisting the sons of Drebin (Liam Neeson) and Hocken (Paul Walter Hauser) as the new Police Squad team to provide plot continuity.”

Pamela Anderson is on double duty this weekend between Naked Gun and the animated The Bad Guys 2, which is tracking to open to $20 million for Universal and DreamWorks Animation. The 2022 original film opened to $23 million domestically on its way to transforming into a sleeper hit and earning more than $250 million globally.

From franchise director Pierre Perifel and producer Damon Ross, Bad Guys 2 is likewise resonating with reviewers. Bad Guys 2, based on Aaron Blabey’s best-selling book series about a crackerjack crew of animal outlaws, sees the return of original voice stars Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos and Awkwafina, while series newcomers lending their vocal talent include Zazie Beetz, Richard Ayoade, Alex Borstein, Lilly Singh, Cody Rhodes, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu and Danny Huston.

“Beginning with an elaborate caper and car chase through the streets of Cairo that would make Tom Cruise jealous, The Bad Guys 2 seeks to outshine the original at every turn. It smacks of overkill, but fortunately the film, smartly directed by Pierre Perifel, also features the same wit and charm that proved so appealing to youngsters and adults alike in the first movie,” writes THR critic Frank Scheck.

In the sequel, the newly-reformed crew of animals are trying their best to be good, but plans go awry when they come out of retirement to stop one more heist and encounter a new trio of masterminds known as “The Bad Girls,” who are voiced by Danielle Brooks, Maria Bakalova and Natasha Lyonne. 

Each new film will have to contend with an already crowded marquee, led by Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps and James Gunn/DC’s Superman. Both films are managing to ward off the superhero fatigue curse that has plagued the box office.

Fantastic Four, which is heading into its second weekend, is expected to ward off the competition and stay atop the chart. Another new offering includes Neon’s buzzy horror-comedy Together, starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco.

“The bodily mutations in The Substance left you wanting more? Well, has Australian writer-director Michael Shanks got a movie for you, with more bone-crunching contortions, sticky goop and subcutaneous disturbance than you could dream of, writes THR‘s Rooney in his review.

TV & Beyond on 2025-08-01 18:33:20

TV & Beyond on 2025-08-01 18:33:20

by | Aug 1, 2025 | TV & Beyond Articles

Deadline, with Krasinski not-so-subtly confirming it on Instagram as well, which you can see below. Get ready for another quiet, scary thrill ride in summer 2027.

While few details have been revealed, “A Quiet Place Part III” will arrive on July 9, 2027. It had previously been suggested that “A Quiet Place Part II” was the middle chapter in a trilogy. Now, it’s official. Krasinski will also serve as a producer on the sequel, alongside Allyson Seeger’s Sunday Night Productions and Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes. No word yet on who will star, but it seems very likely that Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe would return as the surviving members of the Abbott family. Information about the plot is also being kept firmly under wraps right now.

2018’s “A Quiet Place” was written by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods and Krasinski. The movie centers on a world ravaged by mysterious alien creatures who hunt by using sound, with the relatively few remaining humans learning to live life in total quiet — or die. Krasinski, then best known as Jim from “The Office,” was also tapped as the unlikely man to direct the film. It worked like gangbusters, with the horror flick earning rave reviews, ultimately bringing in $341 million at the global box office. After that, Paramount quickly set about turning it into a full-blown franchise.

There’s no word yet on how soon production could begin or who else might be joining the cast. But with the release date now set, odds are, we’ll be learning a lot more about “A Quiet Place Part III” in the coming months. 

Paramount wants to keep cashing in on A Quiet Place

Emily Blunt as Evelyn signaling to Millicent Simmonds as Regan to be quiet in the basement in A Quiet Place

Paramount Pictures

Krasinski returned to direct “A Quiet Place Part II,” which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns but ultimately arrived in 2021. Despite a much larger budget and less-than-ideal conditions, it also became a huge hit, taking in nearly $300 million globally. That paved the way for last year’s prequel, “A Quiet Place: Day One,” which was directed by Michael Sarnoski (“Pig”). Once again, Paramount struck gold, with the film earning $262 million against great reviews.

To the surprise of no one, Paramount now wants to keep the cash flowing. But it’s not as though this is some hollow cash grab either. All of these movies have been met with acclaim in addition to open arms from moviegoers. “Part II” also left plenty on the table to explore. Plus, having Krasinski back after directing the family-friendly “If” makes it seem even more like it’s coming from the right place. What’s more, Krasinski had already been thinking about ideas for a “Part III” back when he was writing “Part II” several years ago. Speaking to /Film in 2020, Krasinski explained:

“I put the fires out in the distance in the first one, and I always thought to myself, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we got to explore where those fires lead to? Who’s on the other end of those fires?’ But I never thought that there would be a sequel. So then, when I actually came around to writing the sequel, I started with the fires. And so this time, I think when my brain started wandering of questions of what would this mean later on, I started to write down notes in case I could prepare myself for a third one.”

“A Quiet Place Part III” hits theaters on July 9, 2027.

John Krasinski Just Announced A Quiet Place: Part 3, And I Have One Major Hope

John Krasinski Just Announced A Quiet Place: Part 3, And I Have One Major Hope

by | Aug 1, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

The horror genre continues to thrive, to the joy of fans like myself. One of the best horror movies from recent memory was John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place, which has been expanded into a bonafide franchise. The actor/filmmaker just confirmed when we’ll see Part III, and I have one major hope for the threequel. Yes, I’m crossing my fingers.

Fans have been eager for this information after A Quiet Place Part II’s ending, which left things off on a bit of a cliffhanger. But it’s been a long time coming, with the franchise instead expanding with the prequel/spinoff A Quiet Place: Day One. Krasinski posted a date announcement for the threequel on Instagram, check it out below:

questions after A Quiet Place Part II, and they’ll finally be answered when we get the third chapter on July 9th 2027. I’m eager to see what come next for the Abbott family, I’m holding out hope that Joseph Quinn’s Eric from Day One gets to pop up sometime throughout its runtime.

Day One’s ending saw him leaving New York with Djimon Hounsou’s Henri, who met the Abbotts in Part II, it doesn’t seem impossible.

Joseph Quinn looking concerned in A Quiet Place: Day One

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

It’s more than possible that this crossover won’t happen, and that John Krasinski isn’t invested in creating an interconnected shared universe for his horror franchise. But that is the way that studios seem to be focusing their content, so we’ll have to wait and see what sort of talks are happening behind the scenes. But with A Quiet Place Part III finally given a concrete release date, the threequel has never felt more real.

Day One might have helped to satiate the fandom, but it’s already been quite some time before A Quiet Place Part II hit theaters back in May of 2021. By the time the third movie arrives in theaters it’ll be a whopping 7 years in between movies. We’ll just have to wait and see if this affects audience enthusiasm about the sensory horror property.

More to come…

As Someone Who Grew Up Watching Bam Margera, His Recent Comments About Jackass Have Me Incredibly Bummed

As Someone Who Grew Up Watching Bam Margera, His Recent Comments About Jackass Have Me Incredibly Bummed

by | Aug 1, 2025 | Cinemablend News, News

Like a lot of dudes in their mid-to-late 30s, I spent way too much time watching Jackass (the 2002 movie was the first time I snuck into a theater), the CKY videos and pretty much anything that involved Bam Margera doing really dumb shit for a quick laugh. I cannot even count how many nights my friends, brothers and I would watch Margera and company pull off some impossible tricks on a skateboard before making life hell for his parents.

That said, you can probably imagine how bummed I was when Margera was dismissed from Jackass Forever before the film’s 2022 release, and then again when he recently explained to one of my colleagues why he was done with the franchise. What hope I had for a return to the old days was shattered in an instant, like a collarbone from a stunt gone awry.

Young Bam Margera in Jackass.

(Image credit: MTV)

Bam Margera Saying ‘The Damage Has Been Done’ Seems Like The Nail In The Coffin For Any Potential Returns

making great strides in his personal life and making amends, this was pretty much the nail in the coffin for any potential return to the Jackass brand. As he told my colleague Mike Reyes:

football into that “brand-new” car from CKY, harder than the giant hand from Jackass 3, and harder than tipping over in a shopping cart at a high rate of speed. It’s over, and I have to accept it.

Bam Margera in Jackass 3D

(Image credit: Paramount)

I Had A Feeling It’d Come To This, But I Always Thought The Band Would Get Back Together For One Last Ride

Even when Bam Margera sued his former Jacakss costars a few years ago, I still held onto hope and thought that eventually the band would get back together for at least one last ride. “Never say never” is pretty much the gospel of show business, and for a while there it looked like water would be under the bridge, and Bam, Steve-O, Johnny Knoxville would be jumping over it in a shopping cart before too long.

Call me an optimist, call me a fool, call me someone who’s afraid to let go, I don’t care. I had a feeling it’d come to this and Bam would go his own way, but hope can do a lot to a man-child, especially when it comes to something like Jackass.

Bam Margera smiles standing between two co-stars in Jackass 3D.

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures/MTV)

I Appreciate Margera’s Candor, But I’m Bummed Nonetheless

With Bam Margera being in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 after there were fears that all the drama surrounding him in recent years would prevent him from showing up in the remaster of the 2001 and 2002 skating games, I’m glad he’s getting to a chance to be in the spotlight again. I also appreciate his candor regarding the whole Jackass situation and where he wants to go in life. I truly do..

However, I’m still bummed that he’s not going to be teaming up with his old friends (and even older based on comments he made about Viva La Bam) any time soon. But I’m still going to hope.

If I can’t see new Bam Margera stunts and shenanigans, at least I can go back and watch classic episodes of Jackass, the movies, and a lot of the skater-turned-superstar’s past efforts, with a Paramount+ subscription.

‘A Quiet Place Part III’ Is A Go with John Krasinski Directing for a 2027 Release

‘A Quiet Place Part III’ Is A Go with John Krasinski Directing for a 2027 Release

by | Aug 1, 2025 | Articles, Hollywood Reporter Articles

‘A Quiet Place Part III’ Is A Go with John Krasinski Directing for a 2027 Release

John Krasinski is officially returning to the franchise that catapulted him to A-list director status. Krasinski will write and direct A Quiet Place Part III, with Paramount setting a summer release date of July 9, 2027.

No cast is set, but the first two installments were led by Emily Blunt, Krasinski’s-real life wife, with their children played by Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe. Krasinski starred in the first film, released in 2018, and had a cameo in the second installment, which bowed in 2021.

Krasinski and Paramount have been flirting with the threquel for some time. The filmmaker announced in 2022 that the film was targeting a 2025 release, but that did not come to fruition. In the interim, he directed IF for the studio.

The franchise, which originated from a script by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, has grossed more than $900 million globally across three films — the two Krasinski-directed Quiet Place films, and the spinoff A Quiet Place: Day One, from filmmaker Michael Sarnoski and starring Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn.

The films take place in a world in which alien monsters have crashed on Earth. While they are blind, they are sensitive to sound, and will kill anything that makes noise, necessitating that humans must stay quiet, or be killed.

Krasinski and Allyson Seeger’s Sunday Night Production will produce via their first look with Paramount, along with Platinum Dunes. 

On Friday, Krasinski teased the project and release date on Instagram.