The Joker was the biggest promotional selling point of "Suicide Squad." The character has achieved mythic status in movies, and Jared Leto was clearly gnawing on scenery in the early trailers for the new DC Comics/Warner Bros. film.

But it turns out the final movie, which is out in theaters Thursday night, has a lot less of Leto's Joker than was originally filmed.

As Slash Film reports, Leto told Telestar of the missing material, "Oh, there are a lot of [deleted] scenes, yeah, there are a lot of scenes that didn’t make it to the final film. And hopefully they’ll see the light of day … who knows?"

All told, the Joker adds up to only 15 minutes of the movie, according to Slashfilm.

Director David Ayer confirmed there was cut footage which will "maybe" end up in a future Blu-ray release.

Apparently the Joker is quite nasty in the film, true to Leto's trailer persona, but less of the unpleasantness ended up in the final product than we could've had.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every actor who's played Batman, from best to worst

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NOW WATCH: We took a ride around NYC in the new ‘Ghostbusters’ car which is actually a 1984 Cadillac hearse

With "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (opening March 25) giving us a new look at the Dark Knight as Ben Affleck takes over the character, it's time to take stock of the best — and the worst — Batmans we've seen in movies and TV.

The Batman of the screen has evolved from a witty crime fighter on TV to a darkly conflicted man in the movies.

Fans of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, are extremely loyal to the actor they believe portrayed him best. Any objection is liable to lead to rowdy debates. Who can forget Seth Rogen and Zac Efron arguing the better Batman — Michael Keaton or Christian Bale — in "Neighbors"?

So let's add some more fuel to this superhero debate. Here are the actors who played Batman on TV and in movies (we've excluded animation, with a couple of important exceptions), ranked, starting with the worst.

SEE ALSO: The 21 best heist movies ever, ranked

8. George Clooney ("Batman & Robin," 1997)

Still trying to find his footing post-"ER," Clooney was jumping back and forth between romantic comedies and action movies when he took the Batman role after Val Kilmer was one-and-done in "Batman Forever." It turned out to be a disaster. Fans were exhausted by director Joel Schumacher's colorful aesthetic and the cartoonish villains played by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Mr. Freeze) and Uma Thurman (Poison Ivy). And Clooney’s Batman was too jokey. The gruff Dark Knight had become playful and soft.

"Batman & Robin" is the lowest-grossing movie in the franchise, making $238 million worldwide.

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7. Lewis G. Wilson "The Batman" TV show, 1943)

Wilson has the distinction of being the first actor to play Batman, starring in the 1943 series. Though he had the comics as a reference point, Wilson was still at a disadvantage being the first to put on the tights. He holds his own, but it's certainly not a performance that is memorable, as you can see in the footage here.

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6. Robert Lowery (“Batman and Robin” TV show, 1949)

The second effort at a Batman series led to the casting of a bigger actor to play Batman. Lowery's physique and the show's better fight scenes make for a more enjoyable experience. 

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Christopher Nolan's latest epic has a teaser and a release date.

"Dunkirk," a World War II drama, will come out July 21, 2017, Warner Bros. announced Thursday.

It's the first war movie from the director of "The Dark Knight" trilogy, "Interstellar,""Inception," and "Memento."

Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, and Mark Rylance star in the drama in which Allied soliders are surrounded in battle by the German army.

Watch the (literally!) sweeping first teaser below:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every actor who's played Batman, from best to worst

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NOW WATCH: Disney just released 3 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage from the new 'Star Wars' movie

When you sign on to one of these massive comic book franchises, part of the deal is that you look the part. This means that normal humans must go through a fairly intense workout regimen in order to look superhuman. Gal Gadot has been working a long time to put herself in Wonder Woman shape. Between Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice her own Wonder Woman film and now Justice League, the actress seemingly has had zero downtime between movies. She just keeps working out. Needless to say, it's working.

That is a determined person. It makes sense that boxing would be a big part of Gal Gadot's workout, considering the physicality of the fight scenes that she's involved in. With the amount of time that she's likely been doing it, it's no wonder that her arms look like they could punch your head clean off. Of course, the truth is that Gal Gadot has been a certified badass her entire life; she served in the Israeli Defense Force before becoming an actress. She's probably been boxing for a long time before becoming a cinematic superhero, and we're pretty sure she knows a dozen other ways to kill you in addition to punching your head off.

The workouts to stay in shape may have an additional benefit for Gal Gadot: they may give her a place to release some stress. As it stands, it seems like Gal Gadot is going to have even more pressure on her than we thought. The Wonder Woman character in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was viewed as one of the highlights of an otherwise unimpressive movie, even though her part was really quite small. With DC's newest entry, Suicide Squad, not exciting fans or critics as much as we hoped, Wonder Woman is the next movie in the DC Extended Universe. It's now on Gadot to not just lead the first major superhero film with a female character, but also to show that the DC Extended Universe can work. The trailer for Wonder Woman was one of the most talked about coming out of San Diego Comic-Con. Hopefully, it will translate to a strong movie next year.

SEE ALSO: Meet Gal Gadot, the scene-stealer who stars as 'Wonder Woman'

DON'T MISS: Here's every detail you may have missed from the 'Wonder Woman' trailer

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NOW WATCH: A nutrition expert reveals how often you should eat to look better

Though "Suicide Squad" is already earning big bucks overseas and is primed to break an opening record domestically, the DC blockbuster will not be playing in China as of now. That's a major loss for the film's studio Warner Bros., since if that holds true, it won't get a bump from the world's second-largest film market at a time when it could use good news among the negative reviews for the film.

A source familiar with the matter told Business Insider that because of China's censorship of stories with a negative outlook on life, it has passed on including the movie in its upcoming releases. It doesn't help that the movie also has a supernatural aspect, another no-no by the standards of the China Film Co., the state-owned body responsible for the importing and releasing of foreign films in the country. 

China Film Co. sets its release calendar at least two months in advance. Warner Bros. has not received any notice as of yet that the film is slated, so it appears that "Suicide Squad" has been axed.

"Suicide Squad"— which was retitled to the more toned-down "Task Force X" for a potential China release, according to the source — looks at a group of supervillians who team up to take on a much greater evil to save the world. The movie contains a massive amount of gun violence, bad language, and all other sorts of bad-guy antics that the China Film Co. would likely deem unsuitable for Chinese audiences.

This was about the last thing Warner Bros. wanted to hear. China has been a huge help in the global box office of other summer releases this year, including "Warcraft," which has earned $220.8 million in China to date but only $47.2 million in the US. "Zootopia," with $235.5 million, is the highest-earning Hollywood film to play there so far this year. 

Recently, the new "Ghostbusters" was denied a release in China due to its supernatural themes. That movie has made over $110 million domestically but only $51.7 million internationally.

Warner Bros. declined to comment for this story. 

SEE ALSO: "Suicide Squad" star Margot Robbie is blowing up — here's how the Aussie took over Hollywood

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NOW WATCH: Watch Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone dance and sing in the first trailer for 'La La Land'

"Suicide Squad" hasn't done much to help the critical reputation of DC Comics' film universe.

The first reviews came in, and critics hated the film about a ragtag group of villains. Tech Insider's Kirsten Acuna said the film didn't "pack the same punch" as "Guardians of the Galaxy" and made her feel like she was watching "Batman v Superman" part two.

But one of the film's stars, Cara Delevingne, is pushing right back against the reviews.

"The critics have been absolutely horrific. They're really, really horrible. You know, I just don't think they like superhero movies," the actress, who plays Enchantress in the film, told Reuters.

Because while she admits "this movie isn't perfect," Delevingne said it was made for the fans.

"Suicide Squad" currently has a 27% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a site that some fans are petitioning to shut down because of "unfair" reviews of the film.

Delevingne's costar Will Smith is also putting weight on fans' responses.

"I think people had expectations that may have been different, but I'm excited for the fans to get to vote," the actor, who plays Deadshot in the film, told Reuters.

Henry Cavill, who plays Superman in the DC films, had much the same response to the negative critical response to "Batman v Superman."

"What is really going to matter, I believe, is what the audience says," Cavill told Yahoo. "Because they’re the ones who are buying tickets, they’re the ones who want to see more of this kind of story or not and so the audience’s voice is loudest and after this weekend the audience, at least partly, will have spoken."

Only time will tell if fans respond the same way they did to "Batman v Superman," which experienced a 69.1% drop in sales after its first weekend.

SEE ALSO: The first reviews of 'Suicide Squad' are here, and people hate it

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NOW WATCH: We took a ride around NYC in the new ‘Ghostbusters’ car which is actually a 1984 Cadillac hearse

"Suicide Squad" is brushing off the hate coming from critics and taking in that sweet box-office coin, at least so far. 

The latest DC Comics movie from Warner Bros. raked in an all-time August best $20.5 million in its Thursday preview screenings in North America.

That's 83% more than the Thursday preview of "Guardians of the Galaxy" and 61% more than the hit "Deadpool" released earlier this year.

The violent antihero blockbuster — starring the likes of Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Jared Leto — is projected to earn between $130 million and $140 million (according to The Hollywood Reporter) this weekend, which would easily make it the biggest opening ever for an August release, taking the crown from Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" ($94.3 million).  

The film is also doing strong overseas, having already taken in $8.1 million, though it was dealt a major blow by being denied a release in China.

SEE ALSO: "Suicide Squad" is not getting a China release and will take a huge blow in global box office

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NOW WATCH: Nobody wants to buy 50 Cent's massive $6 million mansion

Don't listen to the haters. Ignore everything else you read. Follow your heart and pay attention: "Suicide Squad" is good. Despite the negative reviews out there, I can assure you that the latest DC blockbuster is not a failure for the brand, which has been in desperate need for a winner after "Batman v. Superman" was critically panned. (Full disclosure: I also enjoyed that.)

The overall outlook for DC at the moment inspires both hope and doubt. On one hand, the brand's potential is limitless, with plenty of heavy hitters on its roster like Batman, Superman, and the entire Justice League, which stole Comic-Con this year. The sheer fire and star power makes this an exciting time for DC's future. On the other hand, they have dropped a couple movies widely regarded as duds, and overall it appears they rushed into building a cinematic universe without having an actual plan. But "Suicide Squad" is a net positive for them — not a negative.

Unsurprisingly, Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller steal the movie and delivered plenty of memorable moments, which are not only humorous, but action-packed. Going into the film, everyone expected Robbie to shine as Quinn and she exceeds those expectations. She perfectly captured the essence of the demonically twisted Quinn and even made the scenes with Jared Leto bearable, drawing in fans with a f---ed up romance that included a steamy makeout session in an acid container.

Just as many expected Robbie to standout as Quinn, there were doubts about whether or not Will Smith would be able to deliver a worthy performance as Deadshot. Let's put that doubt to rest: Smith came through when DC needed him most by bringing some real personality and well-timed humor to the role.

Perhaps most surprising though is Viola Davis, who shines brightest in a much larger role than most probably anticipated for her. She basically serves in the Nick Fury role for DC, but with an attitude and the power to shoot people at will. The personality that Davis brings to the film is a stellar contrast to Smith and Robbie, a necessary dose of seriousness that, as a bonus, comes with a real "do not fuck with me" vibe.

This isn't to say that "Suicide Squad" is without faults. There are issues, notably Jared Leto's performance as The Joker. He really doesn't hold a candle to Heath Ledger's legendary performance, and mostly he comes off as trying way too hard to be edgy and dark. Nothing about the performance seems natural. "Suicide Squad" also suffers from some poor writing—dialogue throughout the film that is so corny you can't even laugh at it.

Despite some of those hiccups though, "Suicide Squad" is exactly what DC needs right now. The film is not only enjoyable and will be a commercial success, but it's proof they're going off the established Marvel formula: kick-ass action scenes plus witty jokes and plenty of teases for future projects. "Suicide Squad" does that in bunches, with plenty of Easter eggs to keep fanboys happy and enough intense action scenes to satisfy the casual fans at the same time. The film directly answers the issues of "Batman v Superman" — those boring, action-deprived moments. Instead of getting retreads, like how "BvS" forced us to see Batman's parents die AGAIN, fans get to see Batfleck square up against the Joker and Deadshot; they get to see Will Smith shoot guns while Kanye West blasts in the background.

The movie serves as an opportunity to not only build on the DC universe outside of Batman and Superman, but to actually introduce new and exciting characters. This could be a chance for DC to expand the brand with newer, less mainstream characters in the future, which has been a big criticism of Marvel in recent years. Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and the crew have a real chance to be further developed in the future, and based on how the film plays out, it appears that they will be very prominent going forward.

These are exciting times if you're a DC fan. Coupled with the introduction of "Suicide Squad" are the recent debuts of the trailers for "Justice League" and "Wonder Woman," both of which stirred up Comic-Con despite Zack Snyder still being involved. No longer are they a pretender—they officially have a seat at the table. Will they be able to close the huge gap between them and Marvel? It's tough to tell, but "Suicide Squad" is a step in the right direction, and it keeps them in the game.

SEE ALSO: The first reviews of 'Suicide Squad' are here, and people hate it

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NOW WATCH: Scientists just collected a mysterious 'purple orb' at the bottom of the ocean, but no one could anticipate what happened next

There’s nothing better for a filmmaker than when they're given the green light to make a movie. But as with everything in Hollywood, there’s a catch.

For director Jesse Moss ("The Overnighters"), the only way he could make a documentary about the classic 1970s movie “Smokey and the Bandit” was to also have its star involved.

“But I had never met Burt Reynolds,” Moss recently told Business Insider.

This led Moss to Jupiter, Florida, to find the reclusive 80-year-old legend and convince him to be in his movie.

However, Moss didn’t just nab Reynolds. He also stumbled upon an archive that turned his film into much more than a documentary about a famous movie.

“The Bandit,” premiering on CMT Saturday, August 6, does give a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most improbable hit movies of the late 1970s, but thanks to incredible archival footage, it also takes us inside the life of Reynolds, who at the time was the biggest movie star on the planet.

“There was such a rich archive. I thought let’s let these guys tell the story in their own words,” Moss said. “And, as you hope happens with an archive film, live in the period.”

Moss’ treasure trove was located deep inside Reynolds’ estate in Jupiter. After Reynolds came on board the project, he opened his doors to Moss, including a room dedicated to his achievements over the decades.

“We’re at his house doing the first interview with him and afterwards I ask him if he has old photos we can use, and he said, ‘Yeah, look in there,’” Moss recalled. “He has an entire room that’s a personal archive of things untouched since 1974. Scrapbooks that his mother kept. Copies of television appearances. For a filmmaker it was like that scene in 'Indiana Jones' where you see this vast warehouse of archived boxes.”

For a month Moss’ image researcher and coproducer spent their days in the room, scanning 6,000 images and shipping many of the tapes, which included rarely seen Reynolds appearances and footage of his short-lived talk show, back to New York to be transferred from video to digital for the movie.

“I was really flattered that they wanted to do it,” Reynolds told Business Insider. Smokey and the Bandit "was some kind of strange little miracle in a way, for the fact that it made so much damn money and it was so much fun to do.”

But there became a point when Moss was overwhelmed by the material.

The success of the movie (which had a worldwide gross of over $300 million on a $5.3 million budget), the stardom of Reynolds, the movie giving a spotlight to the South, even the popularity of being a trucker — there could be multiple movies dedicated to the “Smokey and the Bandit” phenomenon.

“And early on I was trying to put them all in one movie,” Moss said.

But taking a step back, he got to the core of the story: a buddy movie between Reynolds and his good friend “Smokey and the Bandit” director Hal Needham, who was Reynolds' former stunt double before becoming a director. (Needham passed away in 2013.)

“The film is an elegy to [Reynolds] and his career and his relationship with Hal,” Moss said. “When we started the project, someone who knew Hal really well said he hated documentaries because he thought they were boring, so I set a goal for myself to make a documentary that was fast and funny and had heart.”

“The Bandit” is certainly all those things.

Here’s a clip from “The Bandit.”

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It’s time to finally see “Suicide Squad,” one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. But we have to warn you, there are a lot of characters to digest.

From some that show up for what seems like seconds, to others that are on-screen for way too long, and one we wish we could have seen more (we’re talking to you, Panda Man), the latest DC Comics movie throws a lot at you in two hours (don't get us started with all the music queues).

Here we break down all the characters and rank them from worst to best.

Mild spoilers ahead.

SEE ALSO: Here's the biggest problem with "Suicide Squad," and how it could've been fixed

21. Slipknot (Adam Beach)

With one of the most distasteful introductions in movie history as he walks out of an SUV and immediately decks a female guard with a right hook, there's really nothing else memorable from the guy who can climb anything. Might have been best to leave him on the cutting-room floor.

20. Enchantress (Cara Delevingne)

The evil witch who likes to shake her hips is the cause of all the trouble in the movie. But played by an actress who is still learning her craft, the character feels forced.

19. The Flash (Ezra Miller)

One of the last-second additions to the movie, The Flash literally says one line and, like his power, is gone. Just teasing us for Erza Miller coming in "Justice League." 

Warning: This review contains spoilers for "Suicide Squad."

The DC Extended Universe can't quite shake Zack Snyder.

The director earned dismal reviews after March's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." Yet, he remains an integral part of the cinematic comic book universe. He even left his mark on "Suicide Squad," which was directed by David Ayer.

According to Collider, Snyder directed one key scene in "Suicide Squad." The scene Snyder directed involved a surprise cameo from The Flash (Ezra Miller). The brief flashback shows how Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) was captured before joining the team. With his speed, it was The Flash who brought him to justice.

If you think about it, The Flash's appearance makes sense. After all, Captain Boomerang is a Flash villain, as many have pointed out.

The scene was shot in London, where Snyder was busy filming "Justice League" while "Suicide Squad" was in post-production.

“Flash was always in the movie, we just got lucky because 'Justice League' was happening and they had the uniform, they had the assets, so we were able to get that photography,” Ayer told Collider.

While the scene might have felt like a tie-in to the upcoming "Justice League" that was thrown in there, Ayer revealed that it was in the script all along. It's a fun moment, and it already feels like The Flash will be one of the standouts of the next phase of the DC Cinematic Universe.

Snyder's involvement is interesting, given that the reshoots that "Suicide Squad" went through seemed to be a tug-of-war between a lighter tone closer to that of Marvel's, and the darker world that Zack Snyder set up during "Man of Steel" and "Batman v. Superman." Even as it looks like "Suicide Squad" is set for a huge opening weekend, these are issues that the DC Extended Universe will have to grapple with for its next few movies.

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NOW WATCH: 9 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage of the making of 'Suicide Squad'

The Oscar-nominated movie "Carol" explores the secret love affair between a young aspiring photographer (Rooney Mara) and an older woman (Cate Blanchett) in 1950s New York.

In an ironic twist, it seems how they express their love is too risque for today's airlines.

People are furious after news has spread on social media that Delta flights are showing an edited version of "Carol" in which not only sex scenes between the two characters are edited out, but scenes of the two women kissing have also been scrubbed.

It began when comedian Cameron Esposito tweeted the revelation when watching the movie on a flight:

Esposito went on to add that someone next to her was watching an episode of "Billions," which showed a kinky sex scene.

Entertainment Weekly reached out to Delta Airlines for comment and was told that the distributor of the movie, The Weinstein Company, sent them two versions, the theatrical version of the movie with the sex scenes and same-sex kisses, and an edited version with all of it edited out. The edited version was chosen for Delta's in-flight entertainment.

“If we were worried about kissing we wouldn’t be showing the film in the first place, but because there are scenes with more than a few seconds of nudity, we opted for the edited version instead of the theatrical version,” Delta told EW in a statement.

The screenwriter of "Carol," Phyllis Nagy, noted on Twitter that not all airlines are using the edited version:

The Weinstein Company did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

SEE ALSO: "Suicide Squad" star Cara Delevingne fires back at the "horrific" critics of the movie

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NOW WATCH: The directors of 'Catfish' and 'Nerve' reveal how to make it in Hollywood without going to film school

This summer has been filled with sequels we really didn’t want to see.

From “Alice Through the Looking Glass” to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” they really should have stopped at one.

But in no way are the failures of sequels in 2016 a new thing in Hollywood. There are decades upon decades of bad sequels that have abused our eyeballs.

Here we rank the 15 worse sequels of all time.

SEE ALSO: 20 modern classic movies everyone needs to watch in their lifetime

15. “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace”

The late 1980s was an interesting time. We were coming out of the Cold War and peace was a big theme throughout the world. So why wouldn't we make a movie where Superman collects all the nuclear weapons the world ever created and throws them into the sun?

That launches Lex Luthor's latest plan to destroy Superman. The problem is we got a poorly produced movie with lame special effects and yawn-enducing action sequences. 

14. “The Godfather: Part III”

When you go and make arguably the greatest sequel of all time, it's likely a studio is going to throw money at you until you finally make a third. That's what happened to director Francis Ford Coppola.

After making two of the most memorable movies ever, he tried to go for the hat trick. And though the (presumably) final feature-length tale of the Corleone family has grown in acceptance over the years, it still is hard to watch. 

13. “The Matrix Reloaded”/"The Matrix Revolutions"

After "The Matrix" became a sensation, it was obvious there would be another movie. And given the hype around Neo and his quest to become "The One," most were dissatisfied by how the eventual trilogy ("Reloaded" and "Revolutions" were shot together) continued.  

Warning: spoilers for "Suicide Squad" ahead.

"Suicide Squad" is the latest DC Comics release from Warner Bros., and as with its previous title, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," there are elements to the story that tease the massive convergence of superheroes coming in "Justice League."

For "Squad" it's the blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance of Justice League member The Flash (Ezra Miller) when he captures Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) in assisting Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to form the Suicide Squad.

It turns out, however, that the sequence came together long after principal photography wrapped. The way Courtney tells it, there was no other actor with him on set when he filmed his portion of the scene.

"I didn't f------ know that was happening when we were filming," Courtney told Business Insider of The Flash appearance. "That was a surprise for me when I saw the film."

Courtney explained how he imagined the scene while filming it.

"It's part of the roundup of the squad, so my interpretation was that he had been taken out by [Rick] Flag's crew," Courtney said. "But it's not specified [in the script]." 

Warner Bros./DC heads could've had numerous options in mind.

There's Courtney's theory of it being one of Flag's (Joel Kinnaman) men. It could have possibly been Batman (Ben Affleck) capturing Boomerang, as he's seen in the movie nabbing Deadshot (Will Smith) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). But it turns out the plan was always to have The Flash in the movie, according to "Squad" director David Ayer.

“Flash was always in the movie," Ayer told Collider. "We just got lucky because 'Justice League' was happening and they had the uniform, they had the assets, so we were able to get that photography.”

So instead of having Miller show up for literally one shot during production of "Suicide Squad," Ayer confirmed to Collider that "Justice League" director Zack Snyder directed The Flash portion of the Boomerang capture scene while shooting "League" in London and sent the footage to Ayer, who was in postproduction on "Squad." 

SEE ALSO: Every character in "Suicide Squad," ranked

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NOW WATCH: Here's how the 'Suicide Squad' cast looks compared to their comic-book counterparts

On August 12 — the moment in the summer movie-release calendar when blockbuster season traditionally gives way to blockbuster-fatigue season — Paramount Pictures will release Meryl Streep’s new movie "Florence Foster Jenkins," a period comedy-drama about a famously incompetent and famously undeterrable aspiring soprano. The date is not an accident: Streep is a veteran of August, when her movies step in to pick up the disheartened and franchise-weary; this is roughly the same weekend that brought her to us in "Ricki and the Flash" (2015), "Hope Springs" (2012), and "Julie & Julia" (2009).

But this release, a modestly budgeted indie (Paramount acquired it after it was shot) feels slightly different: Streep, at 67, is no longer an outlier defying all conventional wisdom about the box-office viability of an actress north of 50; she’s part of a trend. It began a little more than a year ago, when "I’ll See You in My Dreams," a tiny independent drama from a fledgling company starring the then-72-year-old Blythe Danner, a well-liked actress with no box-office track record whatsoever, grossed an unexpectedly strong $7.4 million in theaters. Last September, another indie, "Grandma," with Lily Tomlin (76), took in $7 million as well. And the beginning of 2016 brought Maggie Smith (81) in the British import "The Lady in the Van" ($10 million), Helen Mirren (70) in the drone thriller "Eye in the Sky" ($18.7 million), and Sally Field (69) in the comedy-drama "Hello, My Name Is Doris" ($14.4 million).

These aren’t blockbuster numbers, to be sure — the total U.S. grosses of those five films combined don’t add up to what even a mid-level franchise movie like "Star Trek Beyond" made in its first weekend. On the other hand, profit is profit, and I very much doubt any of these distributors is complaining. Indie grosses are measured on a different scale, and on that scale, the numbers for movies driven by older women aren’t good — they’re great. For some perspective: Of the more than 100 films to show at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival a year and a half ago, most of those that were actually released grossed less than $1 million, and only six grossed more than $6 million. Two of them were Danner’s and Tomlin’s. Or, to yardstick it another way, these numbers are either comparable to or way ahead of what 2016’s buzziest art-house success, "The Lobster," has grossed, and they have left many 2016 indies that were intended to skew younger — "Swiss Army Man,""The Neon Demon,""Green Room,""Sing Street"— in the dust.

It is not surprising that five actresses with decades of great work to their credit would have fans, but the fact that those fans — especially in the era of streaming and VOD — would be so willing to leave their homes and head for theaters comes as a jolt. The very notion of mobile, active, committed older entertainment consumers is a bad fit for a pop culture–industrial complex that has long been demographically indifferent to them. In television, 18- to 49-year-olds are the prized quarry, and viewers over 50 (or 60) are treated by advertisers as people who never buy anything but adult diapers and medic-alert systems and sit in their adjustable beds leaning forward with ear horns to make sure they hear the list of dangerous side effects in the commercials.

None of those stereotypes, however, should matter in the non-advertising world of independent movies, where, after all, a 65-year-old’s Fandango dollars are worth exactly as much as a 15-year-old’s. This boomlet should be especially welcome news since the economic narrative for art-house indies for the last few years has not been great. Foreign-language films that might, a decade ago, have grossed $2 million or $3 million in theaters now take in $500,000; and for “breakout” indie hits, $5 million is the new $20 million. In the movie business, the prevailing wisdom has it that everything is migrating inexorably toward your living room, your laptop, your pad, or your phone, and also that an older audience that’s pickier about its entertainment choices and more mindful of leisure-time management is not worth chasing. That’s one reason big-studio movies are now geared so completely either to young adults (a demographic susceptible to advertising, open to being in a large group, undemanding about atmosphere, and eager for instant gratification), or to people with kids (desperate for activities that will keep them occupied). They’re happy to go out; everyone else is considered too hard to lure.

But this trend flies in the face of that; it is a reminder that older audiences actually have a lifelong habit of going to the movies that they’re not particularly interested in shedding, a kind of muscle-memory loyalty to the theatrical experience that, given the right actor in the right movie at the right price, may make them the most potent consumer force in indie movies right now. (Last year’s single biggest Sundance hit, the amiable amble A Walk in the Woods, starred Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. If you’re under 35, you've probably never heard of it, but it grossed more than Ex Machina.)

These movies aren’t all in the adorable-oldsters mode of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel either (although any indie company would fall to its knees in thanks for that film’s $33 million U.S. gross). Eye in the Sky is steeped in current geopolitics about the ethics of war technology; Grandma deals with abortion rights and leaves no ambiguity about where it stands; Hello, My Name Is Doris is frank about loneliness, sexual desire, and — perhaps this hits too close to the bone — society’s tendency to write off older women as dear little “characters” without passions or aspirations of their own. No wonder the movie struck a chord with an audience that’s almost systematically ignored.

It would be a mistake for any part of the industry — indie or studio — to write this off as a statistical blip. And, although recognition of an undervalued audience comes with maddening slowness in the movie business, there are signs that this dawning reality is being acknowledged. Netflix, perhaps looking at the success of its own Grace and Frankie, is backing the drama Our Souls at Night, which will reunite Redford with Jane Fonda 50 years after their first movie together, and it can’t be an accident that Universal, always looking to expand the reach of its Fast and Furious franchise, has added Mirren to the cast. The audience is real, and so is its appetite. And those who get it — who don’t simply view this particular group of movie lovers as the “about to die” demographic — may, a few years hence, look like very smart early adapters. In 1968, well before demographics were a subject of serious discussion at the studios, Variety reported the results of a study that showed 48 percent of American moviegoers were 24 or younger. For the middle-aged men who then ran Hollywood and thought they were making movies for themselves, the news was revelatory. Baby-boomers — the pig in the python — were coming of age, and over the next 15 years, the way movies were conceived, made, and marketed would undergo a revolution as a result. Now, almost 50 years later, that demographic is coming of old age, and making itself heard again. And if anyone wants it, they’ve still got money to spend.

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NOW WATCH: This lunch box for adults could change the way you eat

The latest movie from the Warner Bros. DC Comics cinematic universe has made history.

With an estimated $135.1 million its opening weekend, "Suicide Squad" now owns the largest August opening of all time, according to comScore (via USA Today).

That blew away the previous record holder, last year's hit, "Guardians of the Galaxy," which opened with $94.3 million.

This is the second consecutive DC Comics movie from Warner Bros. that has come out of the gates with a record-breaking opening. Back in March, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" opened with a $166 million opening, beating "The Hunger Games" ($152.5 million).

But like "Batman v Superman" the question everyone in Hollywood is asking is what kind of life at the box office "Suicide Squad" will have after this weekend.

Following the opening weekend, "Batman v Superman" dropped 69.1% in ticket sales its second weekend — a dramatic drop for a blockbuster movie which was plagued with negative reviews. The movie eventually made $872.6 million worldwide.

"Squad" currently has a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (lower than what "Batman v Superman" had at the time of its release) so the prospect of the movie having a big drop in sales next weekend is probable.

However, for big movie studios, major opening-weekend grosses are a big deal. And in the case of a comic-book movie it proves to the studio heads that there is a fan base that wants to see the film. (The movie needs to earn around $750 million to $800 million worldwide in its theatrical run to be an undisputed success.)

The good news for "Squad," which was released on over 4,200 screens, came on Thursday when the movie broke the Thursday-preview-screening record for August with $20.5 million. That figured added to the film's $65 million take on Friday. But the projections of the movie taking in between $140 million and $150 million were squashed when Saturday figures showed a 40% drop in sales from Friday, putting the opening in the $130 million range.

We will see if this is a sign of things to come for "Squad" now that it looks like the fanboy hype has passed.

Rounding out the rest of the top box-office earners: "Jason Bourne" came in second with $22.7 million, and "Bad Moms" took in $14.2 million (according to the film's studio, STX Entertainment) to come in third. The other wide release of the weekend, "Nine Lives," in which Kevin Spacey is turned into a cat, is expected to take in a disappointing $6 million on over 2,200 screens.

SEE ALSO: Every character in "Suicide Squad," ranked

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NOW WATCH: Here's what the 'Suicide Squad' stars look like in real life

Jai Courtney's rise to fame has gone the express route thanks to being thrust into big franchises opposite even bigger action stars ("Jack Reacher,""A Good Day to Die Hard,""Divergent,""Terminator Genisys").

The Australian actor is the first to admit that not all the movies have been successful, but he's learned the dog-eat-dog reality of the business, which has prepared him for the intense scrutiny surrounding his next film, "Suicide Squad" (in theaters Friday), in which he plays DC Comics' dysfunctional Captain Boomerang.

Business Insider talked to Courtney (who was in a foul-mouthed mood, so be prepared) in New York City about those highly publicized "Suicide Squad" reshoots, if there will ever be another "Terminator" movie, and whispers he's heard about stars of another franchise who can't stand each other. (Is he talking about Marvel?)

Jason Guerrasio: So let's get the whole news of you taking mushrooms while Skyping with director David Ayer out of the way.

Jai Courtney: I've heard so many versions of that story.

Guerrasio: So let's get the real one.

Courtney: It's not even worth getting into because it's f---ing — it's just a silly thing when s--- gets misconstrued.

Guerrasio: It was more you having fun with a reporter?

Courtney: Yeah, I was f---ing around a little. But then that's me having to learn when to put the brakes on because when a conversation turns into print, it's a little harder to grasp the concept.

Guerrasio: So we can we say you did not have to go to such lengths to get the role?

Courtney: No. I would never do that.

Guerrasio: All these stories about how David Ayer prepares his cast — having you box each other and get interrogated — at a certain point do you go, "Enough of this, David, let's just act"?

Courtney: That's the beauty of it. It's not like he's complicating anything with this stuff. It's fueling. It's fanning the fire. It's a really cool way to shake up the usual pattern of preparation for a job. It's good that you never really know what that's going to mean, you know? That's a gift.

Guerrasio: Did doing all that actually help your performance?

Courtney: Yeah, for sure. It kind of feeds into it. You can do whatever work you think is necessary for a job but unless you have a system like this in place, you may not uncover certain things. There's not a right or wrong way to prepare. My approach changes on every job. But I think David having this long preproduction and the physical demands — I think it's all in the luxury of rehearsal. You're only going to go deeper and that's what he's interested in.

Guerrasio: You've done numerous franchises. Is this the most prep you've done out of any of those?

Courtney: Yeah, 100 percent. I mean, I have had to do prep that's heavy on the physical expectations, but never had a rehearsal period like this before.

Guerrasio: The "Justice League" character who shows up in a cameo is in a scene with Boomerang. Did you know that person would be in the scene with you?

Courtney: I didn't f---ing know that was happening when we were filming. That was a surprise for me when I saw the film.

Guerrasio: How was it written originally?

Courtney: It was written like we didn't really know. But it's part of the roundup of the squad, so my interpretation was that he had been taken out by [Rick] Flag's crew. But it's not specified [in the script]. When I saw it, I was like, of course!

Guerrasio: But that has to be fun because while filming, surrounded by green screens, you're thinking one thing and then when you see it on-screen, it's another.

Courtney: Totally. It was just a nice little thread. That's what's cool about all this. The potential for that to happen over the course of wherever all this goes is there. The relationships between these characters and different characters in other properties, too. The fact that we can all get into bed and mix it up, the future is bright in that sense.

Guerrasio: How much reshooting was there? Set the record straight.

Courtney: I was a little pissed off by all the reports. The rumors around us having to inject levity into it and all this shit. It was silly because the movie already had all that. All we did was shoot a big action sequence that was changing the shape of another one we had already shot.

Guerrasio: The ending?

Courtney: Yeah. We were just doing stuff with Enchantress. We did things that introduced stuff earlier that they wanted to get rid of basically. Changing her ability to engage with the squad, they enhanced that interaction. It was normal. It was strengthening the ending. The original [ending] we shot was dope, it was just adding to it, not doing an alternative.

Guerrasio: So when you see this movie, you like it? There's no feeling that they screwed it up in post?

Courtney: I f---ing love this movie. It's great to see it all come together. I love that about filmmaking and getting to see everyone else that you don't necessarily engage with on set every day and getting them to showcase their talents. Whether it's effects, music, the edit, the rhythm of a film is driven by that, so it's cool to see it come together. It's great to be standing in front of something you're genuinely proud of.

Guerrasio: Are you bummed that, as far as the immediate future, there are no more "Terminator" movies?

Courtney: Um, no. I mean, look, I would like to do more, but that's not a decision that's up to me and so for whatever reason they put it on the back burner for now.

Guerrasio: You have been thrown into a lot of franchises. Do you have to have a short memory and not anticipate the sequels too much?

Courtney: Yeah, I've certainly learned to become unattached to the idea of it having to come around again. And that has been a possibility since, f--- man, like ["A Good Day to] Die Hard." It was like, "Oh, we'll make another one."

Guerrasio: And that was early in your career, so back then were you pumped by the idea of more movies?

Courtney: Totally. I was still f---ing impressionable. [Laughs]

Guerrasio: You didn't have the scars yet.

Courtney: Yeah. I'm jaded as f--- now. But look, you learn to really not listen to it. And look, if it happens, it happens. If it seems like an obvious movie to make then cool. The thing is if they are going to make another one then hopefully it's for the right reasons, and if that's the case then I'm game to do it. But with "Terminator," who knows — it's probably time to leave it where it is. But if they can get back in there and dig around and decide if there is another film to make, well, I'll take the call.

Guerrasio: What franchise are you more happy to see in the rear-view mirror, the "Terminator" franchise or the "Divergent" franchise?

Courtney: Most in the rear-view? "Divergent." Look, "Divergent" did a lot for me and I liked that character, but I'm glad I was in and out of there in a couple of films. I don't think it hurts anyone, but some of those guys have been making that movie since 2013, and I'm glad I had the fun with it that I did and it's not my future.

Guerrasio: You had a little joke when talking to Stephen Colbert the other night, saying you were happy with "Suicide Squad" because at least you guys get along with each other. Was that a hint that on "Divergent" you all weren't friendly with one another?

Courtney: No, I didn't mean that. I think the thing was I was joking about the fact that it's not always the case on movies. I've heard stories from other sets, I won't name names, but another high-profile franchise that was shooting at the same time we were, and individuals don't speak to each other.

Guerrasio: A franchise that might shoot down in Georgia? [Marvel Studios shoots a lot of its films in the Atlanta region.]

Courtney: I don't know, couldn't tell you. But it's a wrestle every day when that happens because they aren't the only people shooting a movie. That energy affects everyone on set. So I was just remarking to the fact that it's cool that was something we didn't have to bull--- about in press. We love each other, you can tell.

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Warning: "Suicide Squad" spoilers ahead.

The Joker is not just one of the best comic-book characters ever created. He also happens to be box-office gold.

Jack Nicholson's Joker helped pave the way for the success of "The Dark Knight." I will never forget seeing Tim Burton's "Batman" in theaters in 1989 and the audience clapping when Nicholson said his famous line: "Wait till they get a load of me." He was a villain you rooted for.

Heath Ledger turned the character into a horrific madman in "The Dark Knight" in 2008, which led to him winning an Oscar. His death put an even darker cloud over the whole film, but its legacy lasts.

Jared Leto is the latest, and though he's quite impressive as the Clown Prince of Crime, I wish the DC Comics bigwigs didn't unveil him in "Suicide Squad."

The much-anticipated movie — opening in theaters on Friday — about a group of bad guys who are brought together "Dirty Dozen"-style to save the world has gotten a few negative reviews, as you may have noticed. The biggest problem I have is that the filmmakers tried to jam too much into the movie, including a Joker subplot.

In fact, shoehorning The Joker into the movie feels so forced that I was upset every time he showed up on the screen. I didn't know that was possible.

It doesn't help that almost every Joker scene in the movie has already been shown in the trailers and TV spots.

A little background: The Joker is not actually part of the Suicide Squad. He is, though, the main squeeze of squad member Harley Quinn (played perfectly by Margot Robbie). Since Quinn has been caught by Batman (Ben Affleck) and taken to a maximum-security prison, The Joker has been trying to get her back. The formation of the Suicide Squad gives him his chance to nab her.

So while writer-director David Ayer has to juggle the storylines of seven characters that make up the squad, he also has to plug in the Joker-Quinn relationship and The Joker freeing her. It's completely out of place and not needed for a movie that's mostly about bad guys finding a common ground.

And this is nothing against Jared Leto's Joker. He's perfect for the role and I want to see more of him. But it would have been much better for the story if we never saw The Joker and he were mentioned only by name. If Quinn had mentioned The Joker once or twice, I would have gotten goose bumps.

Building on his already sky-high persona, and then revealing him in the next standalone Batman movie, would have been incredible.

Leto's Joker is a wasted opportunity, used in a movie where there's so much else happening.

Now I know much of the decision here is based on pure business motive. Would you be as excited about "Suicide Squad" if The Joker weren't in it?

The character is iconic and completely works on the screen. Jared Leto couldn't have been a better actor to carry the torch. But the worst thing in an ensemble movie is a character who seems utterly out of place, and that's what the Joker is in "Suicide Squad."

SEE ALSO: The 15 worst movie sequels ever, ranked

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NOW WATCH: Here's how the 'Suicide Squad' cast looks compared to their comic-book counterparts

Jared Leto's playing the latest incarnation of the Joker in this weekend's highly-anticipated "Suicide Squad."

This one differs from the Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger iterations in many ways. In "Suicide Squad," he's a tattooed gangster dating Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). But the one thing that really stands out is his fast, flashy pink car. 

The Joker and Harley ride it around Midway City:

Batman even hops on top of it at one point.

The unique looking car isn't a purple Lamborghini as the Jared Leto-starring Skrillex song may have you think. It was made special for the film. 

Nope. The custom car dubbed the "Vaydor" was designed by Matt MacEntegart. The car, which he built in his Florida shop, is a kit car with "a fiberglass body that is placed over an Infiniti G35 frame,"according to an interview MacEntagart did with Fox 13.

He starts off with a mere frame of an older car:

A lot of pieces need to come together:

And after a few months of work and a paint job, it was ready for The Joker to take for a spin:

You can see the car in action in "Suicide Squad," which is now playing in theaters.

Check out MacEntegart's full interview below:

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Disney just surprised excited fans with a new trailer for their next animated feature: "Moana." Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Maui and new breakout voice actress Auli'i Cravalho as Moana, the movie will take viewers on an adventure around the Pacific Ocean. 

Maui is a shape shifting demigod recruited by Moana to embark on a mission to save her people. Though we don't know much about what is threatening Moana's home, the new trailer showed a few of the obstacles the duo will meet along the way. From lava monsters to anthropomorphic coconut tribes, the new footage has us more excited than ever to see what Disney has up its sleeve.

The trailer also features more music co-written and sung by "Hamilton" star Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foi'a, and Mark Mancina.

"Moana" hits theaters this Thanksgiving. Watch the new trailer below:

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