IVY

Ivy is a 2023 American horror film written and directed by Robert Eggers, starring  Brenton Thwaites, Imogen Poots, Millie Bobby Brown, Ian Ziering, Noah Jupe, and Jessica Chastain as Poison Ivy. The film follows Mack Willows (Ian Ziering) who along with his group of students on a field trip are attacked by a mysterious figure in the wilderness.

By February 2021, a Poison Ivy film was in development at Warner Bros. Robert Eggers signed on to write and direct in September 2021, and by October, the casting process had begun. Principal photography began in Toronto, Ontario on April 13, 2022, with additional filming in Chicago, and ended in August that year.

Ivy premiered in Los Angeles on April 26, 2023, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 12, 2023, in 2D, 3D, Dolby Cinema and IMAX. The film has grossed over $722 million worldwide. It received highly positive reviews from critics, with praise for its acting (particularly by Ziering, Thwaites, Poots, and Chastain) mature themes, Cinematography, score, and direction.

Production
In November 2017, it was announced that Robert Eggers would direct the film, from a screenplay by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. Ivy was produced by Jordan peele and James Wan From August to October 2022, Brenton Thwaites, Imogen Poots, Ian Ziering, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Jupe, and Jessica Chastain were cast in the film.

Principal photography began on October 15, 2022, and concluded on November 19, 2022. The 54-day shoot took place at locations around Banagher Glen, County Derry.

Release
The first trailer was released on January 19, 2023. The film had its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival on June 21, 2023, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 12, 2023.

Ivy was released on Digital HD on October 26, 2023, and on DVD and Blu-ray on December 31. The release includes a 42-minute making-of documentary, an audio commentary with star Brenton Thwaites, director Robert Eggers, and producer James Wan, as well as a photo gallery and a gag reel.

Reception
Box Office

As of August 13, 2023, Ivy has grossed $302 million in the United States and Canada, and $420 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $722 million, against a production budget of $420 million.

In the United States and Canada, the film was projected to gross around $6.5 million in its opening weekend and $8–12 million over its five-day opening frame. Playing at 15,818 theaters, it was the widest release in Warner Bros. Picture's history.

Ivy made $111.9 million on its first day, Wednesday, including $1,230,000 from Tuesday night previews, and $1.1 million on its second. The film went on to debut to $18 million during its opening weekend (and $51 million over its first five days), finishing second on its first two days and sixth for the weekend.[16] It fell just 12% in its second weekend to $9.9 million, finishing second.

Critical Response

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 275 reviews, and an average rating of 9.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads: Ivy delivers a thrillingly unique -- and purely entertaining -- take on the horror genre, with fully realized characters and plenty of social commentary to underscore the bursts of skillfully staged action." On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on reviews from 89 critics, indicating "Universal Acclaim." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 97% (including an average 5 out of 5 stars) and a 95% "definite recommend.

Authors Stephen King and R.L. Stine, as well as horror directors Guillermo del Toro and Michael Dougherty, all tweeted their enjoyment and approval of the film.