It’s been a wild ride so far for Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, and Tom Holland. The British actor, musician, and fashion designer has had a massive impact on pop culture since his role as Jay Garrick / Black Bart in the 2019 movie adaptation of the classic Dennis the Menace comic strip. After a breakout performance in the critically acclaimed film, Hunnam is now appearing on the big screen in more and more high-profile projects. Most recently, he was seen in the sci-fi action film Outer Banks, which is on the road to becoming one of the highest-grossing indie films of all time. With 2019 being a huge success, it’s only natural that people want to know more about the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster. Luckily, we were able to get some information from the horse’s mouth (hi, Mom!). Here’s what we know about this year so far.
An Enormous Surprise Reveal
In January, while promoting Outer Banks in London, England, the actor spoke to Metro about his character Jay Garrick and what the role taught him about life. When asked if he had any surprises in store for fans, he said, “Yes, there’s an enormous surprise reveal. I think people are going to be pleasantly shocked and maybe even a little bit overwhelmed by what happens.” Here’s what he meant.
The Biggest Box Office Crush
Since its premiere in March, the 2019 movie has made over $325 million worldwide, which, according to Box Office Mojo, puts it in the top 400 all time greatest films. The financial success of the dramedy can largely be attributed to older audiences, who made up nearly 90% of the film’s audience, according to Box Office Mojo. The studio behind the movie, 20th Century Fox, is reportedly not done making money off of the film yet, as they’ve already started work on a sequel.
Three More Movies In The Works
While appearing on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon in April, Hunnam confirmed that he has three more movies in the works. He did not specify which studios or projects he’s working on, but he did say one of them is “pretty wild.”
An Independently Produced Film
Even though the movie was produced by Fox, it was actually an independent production. According to the film’s director, Nate Parker, this was done purposefully to appeal to a wider audience, as well as to make the film “more accessible and give it some charm.” As a result, the marketing campaign for the film differed from that of a typical Fox movie. For example, Parker explained that they didn’t want to market the film as a “joke,” so instead, they used the tagline “Sometimes you need a funny girl in your life.”
Another interesting detail about the movie is that Fox held on to the distribution rights, which meant that if the film became a major success, they could have made an obscene amount of money. Since the studio is owned by News Corporation, which is also the parent company of this website, it’s no surprise that Fox opted to keep the rights to this acclaimed movie.
A Hollywood Career In The Works
As for his long-term career plans, Hunnam revealed that he has already begun to cast his eyes on Hollywood. During an appearance on The Tonight Show, he said, “I’m meeting with a few agents next week. I just want to do a couple more films, get some good reviews, and then figure out what I’m doing next.”
A Rising Star
At the peak of his comic book movie prowess, Robert Pattinson was arguably the most in-demand young actor in Hollywood — and with good reason. Since the Twilight actor turned professional in 2009, he has racked up an impressive list of roles, many of which were acclaimed and critical successes. Most recently, Pattinson starred in the upcoming romantic comedy The Nest. The film is directed by Jon Favreau and focuses on two men raising five females, all of whom they find on the web.
Like many actors before him, Pattinson is looking to the future to continue his ascension. The actor has already begun to prepare for his next role by taking acting lessons, which Favreau encouraged him to do. In an interview with EW, the director said, “I’ve known Robert since he was 20 years old…He’s one of the most extraordinary talents I’ve ever encountered, and I think he’s going to be in this for the long haul.”
While there’s no denying that Dennis the Menace is one of the most popular comic books of all time, it’s never been given the cinematic treatment. Even though fans of the classic comic might be disappointed by the upcoming film adaptation of the story, it’s important to remember that it’s not necessarily what the role or characters are saying that makes a movie unique but how the story is told and presented.
The Biggest Impact On Popular Culture
One of the main reasons why Dennis the Menace is special is because it had a significant impact on popular culture. The comic inspired a generation of kids (and sometimes adults) to become entrepreneurs, as well as a whole host of other memes and quotes. Here are some of the best examples.
The Entrepreneurship Mentality
The iconic ‘Dennis the Menace’ comic strip has inspired countless kids to start their own businesses. In 2019 alone, there were more than 30,000 new businesses started by people who grew up watching and reading the comic. In a 2019 interview with CNBC, Henry Blodget, the co-founder of Microventures, a company that helps entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses, cited the comic as the number one reason why people should consider becoming an entrepreneur.
The Importance Of Being Enterprising
Another important thing about Dennis the Menace is that it taught people the importance of being enterprising. According to the comic’s creator, Fred Benenson, one of the strip’s major themes is the idea that anyone can become successful, no matter what their background is. As a result, the character of Dennis himself embodies this mentality.
In 2019, Benenson said that he was “thrilled” with how society has adopted and valued his character. He went on to state, “The message of the character was never ‘I’m a nice guy. Come on, guys! I’ll give you a ride home! Please like me, please ask me questions about myself! I’ll give you 50 business ideas that you can go out and use to improve your life!’ It was always the same: ‘I have an idea! I’m going to go out and you guys can use it to improve your life.’”
The Quote Machine
While we’re on the topic of important things the comic strip has taught us, let’s not forget about all the quotable quotes that have been made by and about Dennis and his friends.
Here’s a small sample of the many iconic sayings from the character:
— “If my mother hadn’t died, I’d probably want to marry her.”
— “Why can’t I just be popular?”
— “Sometimes you need a funny girl in your life.”
— “That’s the difference between me and you. You need the advice, and I need the therapy.”
Dennis the Menace has had a significant impact on popular culture, and it’s not too soon to begin celebrating its legacy. Last year, ComicBook.com ranked the 35 Greatest Comic Book Characters of All Time, and Dennis was one of the five nominees for greatest comic book character of all time. With his popularity and importance in popular culture clearly established, it’s only a matter of time until we see more films about the iconic blue-suited prankster.