Gareth Edwards’ ‘THE CREATOR’ opens with $32M worldwide on a $80M budget

Where has Gareth Edwards been all these years? Despite the success of 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – which now has its own prequel series in Andor and still stands as one of the more beloved projects from Disney-era Lucasfilm – the British writer-director has been absent from the spotlight. Now, 7 years later, Edwards has returned with a new original sci-fi epic titled The Creator. Co-written by Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass), The Creator seems like an anomaly in today’s Hollywood landscape. Non-IP science fiction at this level has been moving away from theaters and onto streaming in the last decade. Unless you’re someone like James Cameron, pitching an original story as huge as The Creator to executives can be nothing more than foolish. But, miraculously, here we are with 20th Century Fox placing its bets on Gareth Edwards. And for my money’s worth, this gamble pays off.

Centered around a war between humans and artificial intelligence in the not-so-distant future, The Creator doesn’t necessarily break new ground for the genre but it does offer a fascinating spin on a familiar, yet ever-so-topical tale. When discussing Gareth Edwards’ film, its rarity as a modern original sci-fi blockbuster must be taken into consideration. However, it’s also impossible to ignore just how timely The Creator feels given it being released at a time when a large portion of Hollywood (the WGA and SAG-AFTRA to be exact) have continued to fight against A.I. in the creative workspace with historic strikes. Edwards touches upon certain aspects of A.I., such as body scanning, that hit a little too close to home for the entertainment industry by pure coincidence. 

In another News, ‘SAW X’ opens with $18M domestically. Enter Saw X, the tenth installment in the franchise that stands as a prequel set between the first two films. Kevin Greutert, who previously helmed Saw VI and The Final Chapter, returns as both director and editor. It’s worth noting that Greutert has served as the editor on every single entry in the franchise, having a heavy hand in pioneering the visual style of Saw from the very beginning. He’s joined by writers Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger, who wrote Jigsaw and Spiral. The creative minds behind Saw X have had their knees deep in the franchise for years, seeing its many highs and lows. Perhaps this is why the movie, in many ways, feels like a direct response to what fans have been longing for. Gone are overtly complicated plot twists that require homework. This is all about John Kramer, and his latest traps are as twisted as ever.

The story kicks off in what the filmmakers have said to be mere weeks after the first movie, where John Kramer is given the devastating news that he only has months to live due to his progressing brain tumor. With no options left, John takes a risk with alternative treatment. Doctor Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund) runs an independent operation with the goal of healing terminal cancer patients through an experimental surgical procedure. When she’s referred to John by a fellow cancer patient who now claims to be cured by this “miracle” treatment, the Jigsaw Killer packs his bags and heads down to Mexico where Doctor Pederson’s practice is currently located. After being put through a suspicious “surgery,” John discovers that he’s the latest victim of a fraudulent medical scheme.