Box Office: Modest successes succeeded by ‘Avengers: Endgame’ smashing cinematic records

Hollywood’s a company town. It might be a cliche, but in this age of record-breaking box office hauls, it couldn’t ring truer. With every film around the corner a potential franchise, the box office has become a high-stakes chess game for studios; who gets a sequel, and who gets left in the dust? In his “Box Office” series, Daily Bruin contributor Ryan Wu will explore the ins and outs of recently released films that topped and flopped at the box offices.

This is a good time for a “perfectly-balanced” joke.

These past two weeks saw one of the quietest Easter weekends in box office history followed by one of the biggest movie releases in the history of the world. That movie was, of course, “Avengers: Endgame,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s capstone to 11 years and 22 movies worth of mythmaking and cultural dominance.

For its part, the April 19-21 weekend saw the release of Warner Bros. and New Line’s “Conjuring”-verse shocker “The Curse of La Llorona” across 3,372 North American theaters, and Disney-Fox Studio’s religious drama “Breakthrough” in 2,824 locations.

Both are fairly niche titles, so the modest numbers they ended up with shouldn’t be a surprise. “The Curse of La Llorona” saw an opening weekend haul of $26.3 million. On the one hand, it’s a downgrade from the other “Conjuring” movies – about $10 million less than the previous lowest opener, “Annabelle: Creation.” On the other hand, the budget for horror is always small – about $9 million for “La Llorona” – and it still handily outperformed similar movies like this year’s “Pet Sematary” and 2008’s “Shutter.” Overall, chalk it up to a win.

That “small haul-smaller budget” calculus repeats itself even more starkly with “Breakthrough,” a Christian religious drama that brought in a better-than-average $11.3 million on opening weekend. Christian movies of this sort, like “Heaven is for Real,” or “Miracles from Heaven,” tend to make many times their opening weekend revenue by the time they leave theaters, so this one should be decently profitable by the end of it all.

Make no mistake, neither of these movies were flops. But box office chatter this week has been dominated by one movie and one movie alone. Let’s talk about “Avengers: Endgame.”

The hype for “Endgame” was so great that it was the only wide release of the April 26-28 weekend – the term “wide release” referring to movies that open in more than 600 theaters across the United States and Canada. In total, the MCU’s most ambitious film yet opened in 4,600 theaters across North America, the widest release ever in the history of film.

Here’s a phrase you’ll hear a lot about the movie: “ever in the history of cinema/film/the world.” It’s hard to overstate just how much of a game changer the latest Avengers movie has been. In North America, “Endgame” opened to a mind-boggling $357.1 million, almost $100 million more than the previous record-holder. Internationally, the film set the opening weekend record across 44 markets, including in the United Kingdom and Ireland, South Korea, France, Brazil and Mexico.

In total, the movie grossed $1.2 billion by opening weekend. For context, that’s more than the entire box office haul of “Captain Marvel” or “Captain America: Civil War” – and that’s just the debut.

Where it goes from here, no one can say. “Endgame” enjoyed a Monday take of $36.9 million, a drop of 59.2%. Generally, the first week gives a good idea of how much money a movie is going to make after opening weekend; the film’s Monday drop compares well to that of “Avengers: Infinity Wars,” at 64.3%. It’s difficult to make comparisons in the thick of things, and a variety of factors could lead to good or bad legs.

Whatever its take ends up being, it might just be best to soak in the magic of movie history in the making. Dread it or run from it, the endgame is approaching.

UCLA opens NCAA beach volleyball championship with win over Hawai’i

GULF SHORES, Ala. — It was a race to the finish.

No. 2 seed UCLA beach volleyball (32-3) broke a 2-2 tie to defeat No. 7 seed Hawai’i (26-10) in the first round of the NCAA championship in Gulf Shores, Alabama, on Friday morning. Three courts went to simultaneous third sets, with both teams needing to win two before the other.

The Rainbow Wahine won on court four, followed by a Bruin victory on court three, leaving seniors Nicole and Megan McNamara on court one to decide the dual.

After the pair had missed five serves in the third set, Megan McNamara stepped back to the service line with a 19-18 lead.

This time, she hit an ace to win the dual.

“I feel like we escaped the gauntlet,” said coach Stein Metzger. “The first round of NCAAs is always a little dicey because people have been thinking about it for a whole week, if not the whole year. (No. 1 seed) USC came up short earlier today and we were close to coming up short too.”

Nicole and Megan McNamara prevailed in the deciding dual 20-22, 21-15, 20-18 after falling in the same situation last week against USC in the Pac-12 championship.

“We just tried to focus on our connection and celebrate each point,” Megan McNamara said. “This time, we just tried to block out all the noise – we didn’t look up at the scoreboard or look at what was happening on other courts.”

Despite the victory, the Bruins trailed early on all five courts before taking two of the five first sets.

Senior Izzy Carey and freshman Lindsey Sparks gave UCLA its first point of the dual with a 21-16, 21-9 win on court five.

Senior Sarah Sponcil and junior Lily Justine fell 22-20, 21-19 on court two, tying the dual.

The matches on courts one, three and four went to three sets after two Bruin pairs bounced back from first set losses. Junior Savvy Simo and sophomore Lea Monkhouse were the first to fall to Hawai’i on court four, 21-16, 12-21, 15-9.

Senior Zana Muno and freshman Abby Van Winkle won the third set on court three to tie the dual at two – making court one the deciding match. Muno said the win in a close situation will help the Bruins this weekend.

“For the team, it’s good to boost our confidence,” Muno said. “Last week we lost those two duals when it came down to the clutch, and this shows us that we can beat any team.”

UCLA was the first higher seed to win their opening match in the NCAA championship after USC and No. 4 seed Pepperdine were upset this morning. No. 3 seed Florida State defeated No. 6 seed Cal Poly 3-0 in the following match.

The Bruins will play the Seminoles at 2 p.m in a rematch of last year’s NCAA championship final.

UCLA track and field to send two athletes to Pac-12 Multi-Events Championships

One Bruin heptathlete has the opportunity to one-up her predecessor.

UCLA track and field will send redshirt junior Christina Chenault and sophomore Isa Videler to compete in the 2019 Pac-12 Multi-Events Championships in Tucson, Arizona. Chenault said she is anticipating a breakout weekend for herself after reflecting upon the career path of former teammate-turned-volunteer coach Kendall Gustafson.

“(Gustafson’s) story definitely resonates with mine,” Chenault said. “I’m kind of seeing her progression is very similar to mine. What her personal record was (two years ago), that was my personal record (also), and then I got injured just like how she got injured, and then she had a huge breakout year. So I’m like, ‘Okay, waiting.'”

Gustafson said if Chenault is on top of her game, she could claim the title that eluded Gustafson a year ago. It will, however, require a performance resembling the one Chenault put up at the Bryan Clay Invitational in mid-April, where she set career-bests in the 100-meter hurdles, 800-meter long jump and javelin en route to a first-place finish.

“If she has a good day, she could win, absolutely,” Gustafson said. “In the heptathlon, you can’t really point to one (event) – that’s not how you score high. You score high by just a little bit of progress across the board, and I think she’s in the process of doing that.”

Chenault’s 5,585-point performance at the Bryan Clay Invitational lifted her to 10th on UCLA’s all-time outdoors list for heptathlon and to the 14th best point total in the nation this season.

Chenault, who placed eighth at the 2018 Pac-12 Multi-Events Championships, sits in a multi-event field that graduated three of its top finishers – including Gustafson – a season ago. Chenault said it all comes down to composure in a wide open field.

“Every (Pac-12) is up in the air – it’s ‘Who’s it going to be?’” Chenault said. “I think that’s going to be similar (this year). We’re seeing some similar faces and it’s also interesting to see how far we’ve come since freshman year. … I think the biggest thing in this competition is who can be the most relaxed throughout the seven events.”

Chenault will be competing alongside Washington’s Hannah Rusnak and Colorado’s Michaela Wenning, the only two heptathletes in the Pac-12 to post a higher point total or the same total than Chenault this season. Chenault defeated Rusnak and Wenning at last year’s Pac-12 championship by 138 and 265 points, respectively.

Day one of the heptathlon will start with the 100-meter hurdles and high jump – two events Chenault said she must improve on to have a chance at the title.

“I think the biggest improvements I can make are going to be the first couple events on day one,” Chenault said. “I think especially on day one with my hurdles and high jump, I’m looking to be more relaxed. Having those marks get a little bit better with a cleaner technique, while also maintaining composure, hopefully will put those marks greatly above what I did at (last year’s Pac-12 championship).”

Gustafson said she is counting on the hurdles to be a catalyst in Chenault’s point total.

“I honestly think (Chenault’s) hurdles are in a really great spot right now,” Gustafson said. “She’s been running them really fast lately. … I think that’s going to make a really big difference in her points.”

Videler – a transfer from Missouri State – has dealt with similar injury issues that Gustafson and Chenault both experienced earlier in their UCLA careers. Videler said their multi-event expertise has helped prepare her mentally and physically for her first collegiate heptathlon.

“They’ve been a huge part of the whole process,” Videler said. “(Gustafson) is an amazing athlete and (Chenault) is too. They’re examples of where I want to be at. … They’ve been in the heptathlon longer than I have and have helped me a lot with that.”

Softball heads to Stanford with penultimate regular season series on the line

The Bruins are approaching the final stretch.

No. 2 UCLA softball (43-2, 17-1 Pac-12) will head north this weekend to face Stanford (31-12, 7-8) for its penultimate series of the season and last road series of 2019.

With UCLA’s series against No. 6 Arizona next weekend likely to decide which team claims the regular season Pac-12 title, Stanford will have a chance to play spoiler. The Cardinal are out of the running with their losing record in conference play, but the Wildcats and Bruins are currently tied atop the standings with one conference loss apiece.

While UCLA lost to unranked Oregon three weeks ago for just its second loss of the season and dropped from No. 1 in the country to No. 2, it has rebounded with an eight-game winning streak – scoring at least seven runs in seven of those victories.

Stanford entered the top 25 earlier this season before falling back out of the national picture in recent weeks. The Cardinal have only won three of their last 10 games, getting swept by both Arizona and Arizona State in back-to-back weekends.

The Bruins have the third-best team batting average in the nation, led by freshman utility Kelli Godin and senior catcher Taylor Pack. Godin leads the Pac-12 in individual batting average at .457, good for seventh in the nation. UCLA holds four of the top-10 batting averages in the conference, with Pack claiming third place with a .409 mark.

Stanford has only one player in the top 10, utility Teaghan Cowles, who sits at sixth place with a .403 average. The Cardinal are also dead last in the conference in home runs with 25, while UCLA has more than double that total with 55.

In the circle, UCLA currently leads the nation in ERA, with the team’s three pitchers combining for a 1.16 mark. The Bruins have given up only 48 earned runs all season, 13 fewer than Arizona, which ranks second in the conference with 61. In contrast, the Cardinal have given up 142 runs and their team ERA ranks fifth in the conference at 3.41.

The series will start Friday night at 5 p.m. at Stanford.

Men’s tennis to start NCAA championship at home against Grand Canyon

It’s NCAA tournament time for the Bruins.

No. 11 seed UCLA men’s tennis (17-5, 8-0 Pac-12) will take on Grand Canyon (19-6, 5-0 WAC) in the first round of NCAA championship Friday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. The winner of that dual will take on the winner of Oklahoma State (15-11, 1-4 Big 12) and Mississippi (16-12, 5-7 SEC) on Saturday for a chance to advance to the third round.

UCLA will play host for the first and second round of the tournament for the third straight year. However, the Bruins’ No. 11 seed is their lowest during that stretch after entering the tournament as the No. 5 seed in 2017 and the No. 2 seed in 2018.

UCLA previously bested Grand Canyon this season 4-2, but the Bruins were missing senior Maxime Cressy and sophomore Keegan Smith from the lineup. Cressy and Smith are No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in UCLA’s singles lineup and together are the team’s No. 1 doubles duo.

“I think Grand Canyon is a much improved team this season,” said coach Billy Martin. “The first time we played them was close, but we didn’t have (Cressy) or (Smith) with us, so I feel a lot more comfortable playing them this time.”

This tournament is Grand Canyon’s first NCAA tournament berth since it joined Division I prior to the 2013-2014 season. UCLA has made 43 straight NCAA tournaments dating back to the tournament’s introduction in 1977.

Grand Canyon went 1-4 against teams that made the NCAA tournament this year, with its lone win coming over Florida Gulf Coast (14-8, 7-0 ASUN). However, Cressy said the Bruins aren’t taking tournament play lightly.

“Especially during NCAAs, any moment we take things for granted the tide can quickly turn against us,” Cressy said. “We have to always be on our toes and ready for anything. It’s about focus and preparation for every point.”

Looking ahead for the Bruins, both the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Ole Miss Rebels have bounced around the top 50 rankings all year – with Oklahoma State peaking at No. 20 and Ole Miss at No. 25.

“If we’re fortunate to get by Grand Canyon, we know (we) have another tough team,” Martin said. “We’ve played Ole Miss in the past, we saw Oklahoma State play Cal in La Jolla. We know they’re good teams, so we expect a tooth-and-nail fight to advance to super regionals.”

NCAA tournament preparation is new for much of UCLA’s lineup, as it sports just two returning starters from last season in Cressy and Smith. However, junior Ben Goldberg said he is ready to take on the challenge of do-or-die tournament play.

“It’s what we work for all year,” Goldberg said. “Everything is on the line, so I’ll be bringing my best stuff to each tournament match we play.”

Because he is a senior, this will be Cressy’s last time playing in the NCAA tournament. Cressy said he’s happy to be playing for one last chance at a title.

“I definitely feel thrilled to play my last tournament with the team,” Cressy said. “We’ve been working our ass off for these moments, and it’s time for the hard work to pay off.”

The Bruins enter the tournament coming off a loss to the Cal Golden Bears (14-12, 4-4) in the semifinals of the Pac-12 tournament. Goldberg said the loss worked to teach the Bruins as well as give the team fuel for upcoming matches.

“It always hurts to lose, but you can learn a lot from it,” Goldberg said. “We hadn’t lost in over two months so maybe it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. We can really use it as a good wake-up call at the right time.”

In terms of lineups and possible changes, Martin said he believed in the team he’s played all season and doesn’t think now is the right time to alter the lineup.

“This isn’t the time to change,” Martin said. “You want to be fair to the guys who earned their spots all season. Our lineup has been true-tested this season and they’ll be ready for the tournament.”

The Oklahoma State-Mississippi match to determine UCLA’s possible second-round opponent is at 11 a.m. with UCLA’s match following at 2 p.m.

UCLA baseball to face toughest offensive opponent of Pac-12 in Arizona State

This weekend, the top Pac-12 offense will face the top Pac-12 pitching staff.

No. 1 UCLA baseball (35-7, 14-4 Pac-12) will take on No. 22 Arizona State (32-10, 13-8 Pac-12) in its first Pac-12 road series since taking two out of three against then-No. 2 Stanford in the beginning of April. The Bruins will face one of the best offenses they have seen this year as the Sun Devils are ranked first in nearly every major offensive stat category in the Pac-12.

“You’re being judged by conference play right now,” said coach John Savage. “It’s really the best team over the next two months is what it’s all about.”

Arizona State leads the Pac-12 in batting average at .318, runs scored with 377, home runs with 69 and RBIs with 347. Five Sun Devils are batting over .330 this season, highlighted by center fielder Hunter Bishop, who leads the Pac-12 with 18 home runs, while his 51 RBIs are second-most in the conference. Arizona State’s top-ranked offense has led the team to 14 more wins than it had at this point last year.

While the Sun Devils boast the Pac-12’s top offense, the Bruins have put forth the top pitching staff in the Pac-12, leading stat categories such as ERA, total strikeouts and WHIP. Not only does UCLA lead the conference in these pitching categories, but it also leads the nation in both ERA and WHIP.

“A lot of other people have been stepping up in big roles and are competing really hard,” said freshman right-hander Sean Mullen. “We’re a really, really solid practice team and we’re seeing the results of what that means.”

Despite the injury to sophomore right-hander Zach Pettway, the Bruin starters have only allowed three earned runs since he went down. The staff has been led by junior right-hander Ryan Garcia, who earned Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week for a conference-high third time after his complete game shutout performance against Utah last Friday. Garcia is slated to start Friday in place of Pettway for the second consecutive week.

This series also marks the seventh – and possibly last – ranked opponent the Bruins will face during the regular season. In those games against ranked opponents, UCLA is 10-4, having won its last five dating back to its series against then-No. 8 East Carolina and then-No. 2 Stanford.

“We’ve played Stanford not too long ago and Oregon State not too long ago and it’s not gonna get much tougher,” said redshirt senior right-hander Nathan Hadley. “Coach (Savage) is really good at scheduling big games and big opponents, so we’re always ready.”

This will be just the second top-25 matchup for the Sun Devils this season. In its series against then-No. 5 Oregon State, Arizona State dropped two out of three games and was held to its lowest run total for a weekend series on the season. However, Savage says he does not want to downplay the strength of any Pac-12 team the Bruins face.

“From top to bottom – I’ve said it from day one – it’s the most competitive league in the country this season,” Savage said. “We’re a little over halfway through the league, so there’s a lot of baseball left.”

Friday’s first pitch will be at 7 p.m., followed by Saturday’s game starting at 3 p.m. and a 2 p.m. start for the finale Sunday.