Just Like That, Doctor Strange Is a Solid Marvel Franchise

Doctor Strange beat already high expectations over the weekend, opening to an estimated $85 million in North America. Thought to be a bit of an oddball character among Marvel heroes, the Doctor nonetheless proved his mettle by beating the openings of Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, Ant-Man, and The Incredible Hulk. Meanwhile, Trolls brought in nearly $46 million, with Hacksaw Ridge playing to an older audience with almost $15 million — and an A+ CinemaScore from over-50 attendees. [Box Office Mojo]

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk Tests Better at 24fps

Market research helped determine the release strategy for Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, which apparently earned higher scores from test audiences at 24fps than it did when projected at its native 120fps acquisition rate. The film will open at 120fps and in stereo 3D at 4K resolution at just five theaters worldwide on November 11; the 800-theater expansion on November 18 will be a standard 24fps release. Does that mean high frame rate is a dead issue? For exhibition, yes — at least for now. HFR partisans are now looking to James Cameron, whose Avatar 2 is scheduled for release in December 2018, to make the next move. [Variety]

John Toll Learns the Ropes of 3D for Billy Lynn

John Toll, ASC, learned how to shoot in stereo for the first time as he worked on Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk with Ang Lee. Among his findings? Since stereo cinematography already conveys depth and volume, he didn't have to use shadows to suggest depth in the frame. He also thought the stereo effect limited the need for "flashy camerawork" — a good thing, since a stereo Sony F65 set-up isn't exactly a run-and-gun rig. [IndieWire]

ABC Partners with Facebook on Election Day

ABC News won't be on the air all day on Election Day, but it will be on the Internet — specifically Facebook, where it plans to offer live streaming coverage from around the country and from its headquarters in New York. The live streams will also be available at ABCNews.com, on mobile apps and OTT devices. [Gizmodo]

NASA's New Space Telescope Will Operate Near Absolute Zero Temperatures

The Hubble Space Telescope is officially obsolete. NASA just unveiled the James Webb Space Telescope, a $8.8 billion piece of hardware that, it is said, would be able to see a bumblebee on the moon. It uses a 6.5-meter hexagonal-mirror array to collect seven times as much light as the Hubble and — because it will be cooled to nearly absolute zero — will be very sensitive to infrared light. The new telescope is set to launch in October 2018, and will rest at the Lagrange Point 2, which puts the Earth between it and the sun to shield the telescope from heat and infrared emissions. [Space.com]