News

A trio of blockbusters — “Moana 2,” “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” — are fueling a record-breaking Thanksgiving bounty.

Overall domestic box office receipts between Wednesday and Sunday amounted to $420 million, the biggest Thanksgiving haul in history. It obliterated the previous benchmark of $315 million, set by 2018’s slate of “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” and “Creed II.” Since the pandemic, though, Turkey Day has been all famine and no feast at the box office. The holiday hasn’t topped $200 million since 2019 and plummeted in 2023 to a record low of just $125 million across all films, including Disney’s “Wish,” “Hunger Games” prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” and Ridley Scott’s historical drama “Napoleon.”

Box office experts believe the rebound in attendance is thanks to effective counterprogramming — and notably of movies that audiences actually wanted to watch in theaters. “Moana 2” brought out families in droves while “Wicked...

The other day, as I was looking up a data point on boxofficemojo.com, I noticed something that shocked me: The top 10 grossing movies of 2024, from “Inside Out 2” to “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” are all sequels. Every goddamn one of them. “Wicked” and “Moana 2” will soon bring break into the top 10 — and though “Wicked” isn’t technically a sequel, when you consider how many people have seen the original Broadway show, the truth is that the movie version, as much as any sequel, is a kind-of-the-same-but-also-different follow-up to a gargantuan known quantity. It’s all part of déjà vu entertainment culture.

The reason I was shocked by the fact that I could be shocked by this is that Hollywood has been famously awash in sequels since the dawn of the Reagan era. Making jokes about the creative bankruptcy of films with Roman numerals after their title...

Moana 2 Box Office (North America): Thanksgiving Day Update ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Moana 2 is performing as expected in its opening week. It has beaten Frozen II by almost twice its collection on Thanksgiving Day ever. It set several records with its collection on Thursday and hit a magnificent cume in just two days. Scroll below for the deets.

The critics and audience ratings on the Rotten Tomatoes platform vary slightly, but it is winning hearts in some ways. The critics gave it 65%, while the audience gave it a strong 87%. The critics’ consensus on the esteemed platform read, “Riding high on a wave of stunning animation, even when its story runs adrift, it isn’t as inspired as the original but still delights as a colorful adventure.”

For the unversed, Moana 2 opened in the theatres in North America on Wednesday and has reached a splendid cume in two days.

Peacock’s best deals of the year are available now, with prices of $2 per month or $20 per year.

It’s sale season in the streaming world, and Black Friday is here with plenty of deals in tow. Peacock isn’t going to be left behind in the flurry of deals now available and is offering some truly epic discounts to new subscribers. Customers can now get six months of ad-supported Peacock Premium for just $2 per month or get 75% off by opting for the annual plan and paying just $20 for 12 full months of service! It’s up to you which deal you want to take advantage of, but be sure that these offers won’t last long!

How to get Peacock Premium Black Friday deals Click here to choose your deal from Peacock. Click either “Get Annual Offer” or “Get Monthly Offer.” Create an account with a username and password — the deal will be applied automatically.

Looking for your next movie night pick? Vudu has you covered with a mix of holiday classics, animated adventures, and action-packed blockbusters. Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 trending movies on Vudu right now to watch and why you should add them to your watchlist.

1. The Grinch (2018)

The Grinch (2018) is a fun, fresh take on the classic holiday story. Benedict Cumberbatch voices the Grinch, giving him just the right mix of grumpiness and charm. What sets this version apart? It digs a little deeper into why the Grinch is so miserable, making his change of heart feel even sweeter. Plus, the animation is gorgeous, and Danny Elfman’s music totally adds to the holiday vibes. Perfect for a cozy family movie night!

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) Taylor Momsen, Jim Carrey

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) is the one to watch if you’re craving some serious holiday nostalgia.

It’s no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic upended the movie theater business in 2020, but in the years since, the industry has slowly climbed back. In 2021, 14 movies were able to cross the coveted $100 million mark at the U.S. box office. In 2022, that number jumped up to 18 films. And in 2023, there were a whopping 25 such blockbusters. So how many features released during the current 2024 calendar year will end up becoming box office behemoths? Stay tuned.

To date, the biggest money-makers of the year are a trio of highly anticipated sequels: “Inside Out 2,” “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Despicable Me 4.” Scroll through our gallery above (or click here for direct access) to see all of the 2024 box office hits so far that made more than $100 million in the United States. The number will continue to grow as high-profile movies like “Mufasa: The Lion King” will be released later in the year.

It’s no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic upended the movie theater business in 2020, but in the years since, the industry has slowly climbed back. In 2021, 14 movies were able to cross the coveted $100 million mark at the U.S. box office. In 2022, that number jumped up to 18 films. And in 2023, there were a whopping 25 such blockbusters. So how many features released during the current 2024 calendar year will end up becoming box office behemoths? Stay tuned.

To date, the biggest money-makers of the year are a trio of highly anticipated sequels: “Inside Out 2,” “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Despicable Me 4.” Scroll through our gallery below to see all of the 2024 box office hits so far that made more than $100 million in the United States. The number will continue to grow as high-profile movies like “Mufasa: The Lion King” will be released later in the year.

Updated: Nov. 26, 2024...

In the wake of one of the best pre-Thanksgiving frames in over a decade with Wicked and Gladiator II drumming up a $200M-plus frame, crowded lobbies around the world will remain intact this week as Disney’s Moana 2 joins the fray with what’s expected to be a $225M+ largely day-and-date global opening.

That’s just below the $295M that Disney’s own Inside Out 2 drummed up earlier this year; that Pixar pic remaining the top animated movie of all time and the best 2024 has seen thus far at $652.9M domestic, and $1.69 billion (you can read the screenplay here). Folks like AMC circuit boss Adam Aron believe Moana 2 could top that.

Moana 2 starts stateside previews at 2 p.m. Tuesday and rolls out abroad on Wednesday, looking to make $100M+ overseas and anywhere from $125M-$135M over its five day-domestic Thanksgiving Day stretch at 4,100 locations. It...

Venom: The Last Dance hasn't found anywhere near the same level of success as Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, though Sony Pictures is likely happy enough with the threequel after delivering back-to-back Ssu flops with Morbius and Madame Web (according to early tracking, Kraven the Hunter could be next).

Despite facing stiff competition from Wicked and Gladiator II both at home and overseas, Venom: The Last Dance reached $456.4 million at the worldwide box office this weekend to become the tenth highest-grossing movie of 2024.

It pushes Beetlejuice Beetlejuice off the list, and sits behind three Chinese movies along with Kung Fu Panda 4 ($549.2 million), Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($571.8 million), Dune: Part Two ($714.4 million), Despicable Me 4 ($968.6 million), Deadpool & Wolverine ($1.34 billion) and Inside Out 2 ($1.7 billion).

It's a good result, albeit one that shows theaters are still struggling to bounce back after the pandemic.

Doing little to help matters on that front,...

Moana 2 Box Office (China): First Day Pre-Sales Update (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Moana 2 is getting ready to hit the theatres this week around Thanksgiving and is setting all sorts of records with its pre-sales. Now, in China, it has set a post-covid record for Disney animations, surpassing the pre-sales collections of multiple movies, including Despicable Me 4 and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Scroll below for the deets.

Last month, it set a similar record with its advance booking and even surpassed Inside Out 2. It is currently the highest-grossing film of the year. For the unversed, Moana was released in 2016 and was a massive success at the box office. The animated feature was a critical success, securing two nominations at the 89th Academy Awards. The sequel was directed by David Derrick Jr, Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller. It will be released around Thanksgiving and is a perfect watch for the occasion.

Following Kevin Costner’s success in the highly acclaimed series Yellowstone, great things were expected from the actor, especially since he ventured into Western filmmaking with his 2024 two-part franchise starter Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1. However, although the sprawling Western epic had promised to be something fresh and groundbreaking, the film suffered a catastrophic blow at the box office.

Kevin Costner in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 | image: Warner Bros.

This led netizens to express their disappointment in Kevin Costner, considering how the actor had previously created hype surrounding his Western epic. But surprisingly, when you look at the bigger picture, Horizon is far from an isolated failure. In the landscape of Hollywood cinema, where sequels and remakes are dominating the box office, there appeared several other original movies that sadly succumbed at the 2024 box office.

Kevin Costner’s Horizon Franchise Failed to Break Even in Theaters

Considering how Kevin...

Box Office: For The First Time In Cinema’s History, Sequels Rule Top 10 Highest-Grossers List, With Deadpool & Wolverine & Dune 2 In Top 5 (Photo Credit – Instagram)

2024 is about to end as the last month, December, is just around the corner. Multiple movies have been released in the theatres; some did exceptionally well, while others failed to win hearts. But from those tons of movies, we have got the highest-grossing films of the year, and interestingly, all the top 10 films are sequels, including Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Dune 2, and Despicable Me 4 are a few names. It has reportedly happened for the first time in a long time. Scroll below for the deets.

The MCU movie is the second highest-grossing film of the year and achieved utter success when it was released on Disney+, its home streaming platform. The film brought Hugh Jackman back as Logan, and it was...

Hollywood has changed. But it’s not just that Hollywood has changed it’s also the fact that people are also changing with it. From original ideas to spin-offs and sequels that are often disappointing, Hollywood movies are not the same anymore.

There’s a disturbing trend in 2024 Hollywood movies | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

There have been rumors and speculations that Hollywood and moviemakers often capitalize on the success of a movie by making sequels, spin-offs, and other projects. Well, the top 10 Hollywood movies of 2024 might prove that point.

All Top 10 Hollywood Movies of 2024 Are Sequels!

Although there were some very iconic and original movies in 2024 like Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs, The Fall Guy, and Rebel Ridge, there were way too many sequels, prequels, and threequels of a franchise.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as Deadpool & Wolverine | Credits: Marvel Studios

Some of these notable names were actually not good as Furiosa,...

Bringing the adorable little minions into the world of animation was probably one of the most genius moves to have come out of the industry. The moment they landed on our screens, they triggered something we like to call a ‘Minion Takeover.’ The world couldn’t stop talking about them and rightly so. Steve Carell plays the role of Gru in the franchise and honestly, there couldn’t have been a better man to voice the grouchy protagonist.

Steve Carell in a still from The Office | Credits: NBC

While Steve Carell has stuck with the franchise since 2010, he once admitted that he had no idea what minions were supposed to be when the yellow creatures were first described to him. Regardless, he went on to nail the role and loved every bit of it.

Steve Carell’s First Impression of the Minions Despicable Me (2010) | Credits: Illumination Entertainment

We first came...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has pulled back the curtain on the films eligible for consideration in the Animated Feature, Documentary Feature and International Feature categories for the 97th Academy Awards next year.

The list includes 31 toon features, 169 docs and international pics from 85 countries. Preliminary voting for the 97th Oscars runs December 9-13, and all three shortlists will be revealed December 17. The Oscars will be handed out Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

Here are the animated, documentary and international features eligible for the 2024 Oscars:

Best Animated Feature

Art College 1994

Captain Avispa

Chicken for Linda!

The Colors Within

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie

Despicable Me 4

Flow

The Garfield Movie

Ghost Cat Anzu

The Glassworker

The Imaginary

Inside Out 2

Kensuke’s Kingdom

Kung Fu Panda 4

Living Large

Look Back

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Mars Express

Memoir of a Snail...

The 2024 Hollywood Music in Media Awards were handed out on Wednesday night, Nov. 20, during a ceremony that took place at The Avalon in Hollywood. Winners were decided by the Hollywood Music in Media Academy, which consists of journalists, filmmakers, performing artists, publicists, and other industry professionals.

The big winner was Jacques Audiard‘s Netflix musical “Emilia Pérez,” which claimed Best Music-Themed Film, Biopic, or Musical, where it beat other formidable awards contenders like “A Complete Unknown” and “Wicked.” The film’s star Zoe Saldaña also won Best Song (Onscreen Performance) for “El Mal,” defeating Timothee Chalamet playing Bob Dylan‘s “Blowin’ in the Wind” in “A Complete Unknown” and Cynthia Erivo belting out “Defying Gravity” in “Wicked.” Lastly, the film won Best Score (Feature Film) for Clément Ducol and Camille, bringing its total to three, making it the most awarded film of the year.

“The Wild Robot” won two awards,...

The question of whether streaming can become a profitable business for major entertainment companies has been a prevailing theme of the past year.

This quarter’s corporate earnings, which concluded last week, showed that Disney is the one company poised to successfully make the pivot from declining linear TV to startup streaming.

Disney squeezed out another quarterly profit in its overall direct to consumer (Dtc) streaming business of $321 million, and it had a profitable fiscal year 2024 of $134 million after a dismal $2.61 billion loss in 2023. It now has 236.2 million Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ subscriptions, about 47.5 million less than industry leader Netflix.

More importantly, 42% of Disney’s total media revenue (excluding Experiences) came from streaming this quarter. That compares to Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery — the companies struggling the most to make streaming work and close the gap with Netflix — whose Dtc revenues accounted for 27% and 26% of their total revenues, respectively,...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

2024 has been a great year so far, with brilliant animated films released this year. While the year started out slow, but after Inside Out 2 came out in theaters and broke every conceivable record, it was off to the races. We compiled a list of the best animated films we could find that came out this year. So, rest up gather your family for most of these films, and enjoy these best-animated films of 2024.

Transformers One (Paramount+ & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Paramount Pictures

Transformers One is an animated sci-fi action film directed by Josh Cooley from a screenplay co-written by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari. Based on the Transformers action figures by Hasbro, the 2024 film follows the origin stories of Optimus Prime and Megatron who were once friends before turning into each others’ arch nemesis.

Will Ferrell is set to take on the world of televised courtroom justice.

Ferrell is set to star for director Nicholas Stoller in the comedy feature Judgment Day, which is currently in development at Amazon MGM Studios. Stoller also penned the screenplay.

Judgment Day centers on a young convict who gets out of prison and takes an unscripted TV courtroom hostage, as he is convinced that the TV judge (Ferrell) delivered a ruling that destroyed his life.

Serving as producers are Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum and Alex Brown for Gloria Sanchez Productions and Stoller for Stoller Global Solutions.

Ferrell can soon be seen opposite Reese Witherspoon in Amazon MGM’s movie You’re Cordially Invited, which Stoller directed. The wedding comedy co-stars Geraldine Viswanathan and Jimmy Tatro and begins streaming via Prime Video on Jan. 30.

Stoller is known for helming such films as Bros, Neighbors and its sequel and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Exclusive: Universal/DreamWorks Animation’sThe Wild Robot has crossed the three-century mark globally, with $300.5M through Friday. The Chris Sanders-directed critical darling is now at $134.4M domestic and $166.1M from the international box office.

The Wild Robot is the No. 2 non-sequel studio film of 2024, behind It Ends with Us; the No. 1 non-sequel Hollywood animated title of the year; and the No. 4 biggest animated studio movie of 2024 globally, internationally and domestically.

After premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in September, The Wild Robot began staggered overseas release, and has seen terrific holds while playing through school holidays in many markets. Last weekend, the Lupita Nyong’o-starrer overtook the lifetime offshore box office of The Bad Guys. Japan is still to release, on February 7, 2025.

Notably in Mexico, the emotional original animation has surpassed the lifetimes of Elemental, Frozen,...

Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones star as storm-chasers in Tornado Alley.

Head back to the plains of Oklahoma and witness some of the most violent weather on the planet Earth in “Twisters,” one of the hottest movies of the summer that’s available to stream on Peacock as of Friday, Nov. 15. The movie follows two groups of storm chasers who converge on the flats of Oklahoma to observe a tornado outbreak unlike anything they’ve ever seen, with incredibly violent storms and the chance to achieve scientific superstardom. Stream the movie with a Subscription to Peacock.

How to watch ‘Twisters’ When: Friday, Nov. 15 TV: Peacock Stream: Watch with a Subscription to Peacock. Sign Up $7.99+ / month peacocktv.com About ‘Twisters’

“Twisters” brings back the blockbuster disaster epic with a whirlwind of heart-stopping action and exhilarating thrills. Ever since a devastating tornado encounter, Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) gave up chasing storms across the...

Reading International's Australian cinema revenue rose to $US24.7 million in the third quarter thanks to the box office success of Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine, as well as Twisters, Despicable Me 4, Beetlejuice and Beetlejuice, and It Ends with Us.

The post Reading Cinemas posts highest quarterly revenue since 2019 on back of ‘Inside Out 2’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ appeared first on If Magazine.

A little bear goes a long way, especially at the U.K. box office, where “Paddington in Peru” has scored a record-breaking opening weekend.

The third installment in the beloved Paddington Bear franchise proved that the seven-year wait from the second didn’t matter, becoming the biggest opening of the three to date.

The three-day result of £9.65 million ($12.4) was also the biggest opening of the year for the British-produced film, and the biggest since “No Time to Die” in 2021. For StudioCanal, which financed the feature (its most expensive investment in a film to date), it also marked the company’s biggest opening in the U.K. of all time. Not bad for a plucky CGI bear with a penchant for marmalade sandwiches.

By contrast, the first “Paddington” feature opened to £5.1 million in 2014, while the 2017 sequel earned £8.2 million. The two would go on to earn in excess of $600 million globally, creating...

Paddington in Peru charmed UK & Ireland audiences this weekend with the biggest opening of the year for a British-produced movie, and the best since 2021’s No Time to Die. What’s more, the three-day £9.65M ($12.4M) launch is the highest-ever for Studiocanal with the little marmalade-loving bear going from strength to strength. The 2014 original opened to £5.1M, and the 2017 sequel did £8.2M in its debut. Combined, the previous two films grossed $600M worldwide.

The No. 1 debut for the Dougal Wilson-directed threequel drew an audience of an estimated 1.2M across the UK & Ireland since releasing on Friday.

Developed, produced and distributed by Studiocanal, this is the third biggest opening of the year to-date overall, behind only Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2.

In other comps, Paddington in Peru’s bow was bigger than The Super Mario Bros Movie (£8.7M excluding previews) and ahead of Incredibles 2 (£9.4M),Wonka (£8.9M...

Studiocanal’s Paddington In Peru has breathed life into the UK-Ireland box office with a £9.7m opening weekend.

Its total came from 732 cinemas, at a strong £13,201 location average. The £9.7m figure is the biggest opening ever for Studiocanal, topping the £8.3m of 2017’s Paddington 2, and the £5.1m of 2014’s Paddington.

It also marks the third-biggest opening of 2024, behind the £12.6m of Deadpool & Wolverine and £11.3m of Inside Out 2.

It is the biggest opening of the year for a UK-produced film, and sixth-biggest in the last decade, according to Studiocanal.

It is also the biggest opening for a...

Despite a big boost in business from late summer titles like “Deadpool & Wolverine,” AMC Theatres couldn’t get into the black in Q3 of 2024. The company reported a $20.7 million net loss in Wednesday’s earnings report.

Here are some of the topline figures:

Revenue: Thanks to films like “Deadpool 3,” Universal’s “Despicable Me 4” and “Twisters,” and Warner Bros.’ “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” revenue for AMC reached a strong $1.33 billion. Still, that was approximately 5% down from last year, when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” combined to set box office records.

Eps: Despite another quarterly loss, Q3 2024 is the closest AMC has been to getting in the black, reporting an adjusted loss per share of 6 cents that’s just above the 7-cent projections from Zacks Investment Research. That’s also slightly above the loss of 9 cents from the prior year’s Q3 and up from last quarter’s 43-cent loss.

Concessions record: Despite these topline slips,...

More than a hundred songwriters, composers, perfomers and films are represented in the nominees’ list for the 2024 Hollywood Music in Media Awards — from pop luminaries like Elton John & Brandi Carlile, Miley Cyrus, Lainey Wilson and Pharrell Williams to celebrated scorers like Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, Kris Bowers and Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross.

The list of nominees was unveiled Wednesday, in advance of a ceremony due to take place Nov. 20 at the Avalon in Hollywood.

“Emilia Pérez” led all films with five Hmma nominations. “Blitz” and “A Complete Unknown” have three nominations apiece. Other films picking up multiple noms include “Wicked,” “The Wild Robot,” “Moana 2,” “The Idea of You,” “Challengers” and “Elton John: Never Too Late.” (Scroll down to see the full lineup of 2024 nominees.)

The Hmma lineup of categories is the most expansive of any awards program recognizing musical achievements in the movies, between breaking down different genre categories for feature films,...

What to Watch This Weekend (Photo Credit – Instagram)

This week, there are major Ott releases like Devara (Telugu), A R M (Malayalam), Vettaiyan (Tamil), and more. However, in theaters, we’ve picked just one Hollywood movie. While many films are releasing in theaters this week, we’ve chosen to focus on just one. I’m curious to know which one. Let’s dive into our list.

Available On Ott

Disney Plus Hotstar

A R M Ajayante Randam Moshanam (Malayalam)

This action-adventure period drama, directed by Jithin Laal, spans three periods and stars Tovino Thomas in a triple role. The story follows Ajayan, a man haunted by his family’s past; his grandfather, Maniyan, was branded a thief after dying in an attempt to steal the Chyothivilakku, a mystical object forged from an asteroid that holds the power to control the elements. Despite his reluctance, Ajayan becomes entangled in the intrigue...

National CineMedia swung to a third quarter loss on lower theater attendance and overall revenues, the in-theater advertising company announced Tuesday.

The net loss attributable to National CineMedia came to $3.6 million, against net income of $181.8 million in the comparable year-ago period. Overall third quarter revenue was $62.4 million, down just over 10 percent from $69.6 million in the same period of 2023.

The latest financial results reflect the deconsolidation of Ncm LLC in April 2023 and the reconsolidation of Ncm LLC on August 7, 2023 to complete a financial restructuring as the company emerged from court-directed Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

During the latest quarter, national advertising revenue fell back to $46.8 million, compared to $52 million in the third quarter of 2023. That fall was due in part to National CineMedia feeling the lingering impact on Hollywood’s shifting film release slate after the writers and actors strikes last year, which reduced the company’s ad inventory.

National CineMedia beat the...

This year has been plagued by some pretty big box office bombs, from "Joker: Folie à Deux" utterly failing to meet the expectations set up by its predecessor to "Borderlands" flopping harder than a middle-aged gamer playing against 12-year-olds on "Fortnite." Now, at least one of the biggest box office flops of the year is getting a second life on Netflix.

"Harold and the Purple Crayon" is currently holding the number 5 spot on Netflix's top 10 streaming charts. Directed by Carlos Saldanha, the film is a live-action sequel to Crockett Johnson's beloved children's book of the same name that centers on Harold (Zachary Levi), a man who can make anything come to life simply by drawing it, who had drawn himself in his favorite book as a kid. In the film, a grown Harold draws himself off the book and goes out to the physical world, where he learns that...

RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Nov 1-3)Total gross to dateWeek 1. The Wild Robot (Universal) £2.2m £11.7m 3 2. Venom: The Last Dance (Sony) £2.2m £9.1m 2 3. Heretic (Efd) £1.5m £2m 1 4. Small Things Like These (Lionsgate) £889,613 £889,613 1 5. Smile 2 (Paramount) £600,000 £5.5m 3

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.30

Hugh Grant horror Heretic and Cillian Murphy drama Small Things Like These both made strong starts at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, as Universal animation The Wild Robot retook the top spot from Venom: The Last Dance.

The Wild Robot posted an impressive 12% increase with £2.174m, boosted by a 54% increase on the Friday during the half-term holidays. Chris...

It is often said that animation is a medium, and not a genre, and “Flow” might be the perfect example of what makes the art form so exciting. A film this imaginative in its visual design, so poetic in its movements, and so lovingly tender in its emotions could never have been accomplished in anything other than animation. It’s hard not to be floored by the sheer technical perfection of “Flow,” as it is truly a film in which the phrase “every frame is a painting” could actually be applied. However, “Flow” is perhaps most ambitious in its simplicity; there’s a classical story about environment and community being told, but it’s the attention to detail that makes it so enveloping.

“Flow” is set within what appears to be an environment composed of no humans, as the only characters that appear in the film are animals. There’s no dialogue,...

Venom: The Last Dance Box Office (China): Surpasses Deadpool & Wolverine’s Local Haul( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Venom: The Last Dance continues its stronghold in China and has now achieved an amazing feat. In just 11 days, the film has surpassed the billion-dollar movie Deadpool & Wolverine’s entire run in China and Aquaman 2’s run. It will also pass No Time To Die’s collection. Scroll below for the deets.

Deadpool 3 was released earlier this year, while Aquaman 2 was released last year. The Marvel movie is the second highest-grossing movie of the year and the 20th highest-grossing movie of all time. Aquaman 2 earned more than double of what it collected at the US box office. The film was already shrouded in controversies, and people wanted the studio to fire Amber Heard from the second installment.

Venom: The Last Dance has been at the top position almost since its release in China.

Venom: The Last Dance Box Office (China): Beats Avatar’s 2021 Re-Release Numbers (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Venom: The Last Dance seems to have found its place, and it is in China. People are enjoying the comic book action movie at the theatres as it continues to dominate at #1. It has beaten James Cameron’s helmed Avatar’s 2021 re-release collection and is on its way to surpassing Despicable Me 4, Deadpool & Wolverine, Oppenheimer and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Scroll below for the deets.

The industry thought it would suffer the same fate as Joker: Folie a Deux, but it seems China might save its a*s. Although it might not experience the same success as its predecessors, it may not be a big failure like the Joker 2. It is potentially the last film in the Venom franchise; however, like every other Marvel movie, it too had end-credit scenes,...

Our top pick this week, director Coralie Fargeat’s horror film “The Substance,” will compete in the Musical or Comedy category at the Golden Globes. Some viewers were scandalized that a film as gross and shocking could be considered a comedy, while others understood that even if “The Substance” isn’t exactly laugh-out-loud funny, its commentary on beauty standards and its gruesome, over-the-top excess make it a satire. Movies can be more than one thing at a time!

“The Substance” stars Demi Moore in what many critics have said is the best performance of her career as Elisabeth, a 50-year-old actress whose career is in decline. She begins taking a mysterious serum called the Substance, which causes a “younger, more beautiful, more perfect” sort of clone of herself (Margaret Qualley) to grow out of her back. The bodies share one consciousness, and Elisabeth has to alternate weeks in each body while the other replenishes.

Anger from investors possibly preventing Directv and Dish from merging was the top streaming story of the week.

With October out and November in, it was a bit of a quiet week in streaming news. The top story of the week was the news that some bumps had arisen in the road for Directv and Dish in their efforts to merge their two satellite TV operations into the biggest pay-tv company in the United States.

The week also saw the streaming premiere of a favorite family-friendly movie in “Despicable Me 4,” and the hits continue this weekend when “Like Water for Chocolate” debuts on Max. Check out everything you need to know about these stories below!

This Week’s Biggest Streaming News

Merger of Directv, Dish Threatened by Unhappy Investors

What to Stream This Weekend: ‘Like Water for Chocolate’

What to Watch From This Week: ‘Despicable Me 4’

Merger of Directv,...

After teaming up for 2018’s Stan & Ollie, a biographical comedy focusing on the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy, John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan are reuniting for The Players, an upcoming comedy about competing Shakespearian actors.

The Full Monty’s Peter Cattaneo directs The Players from a script by Jeff Pope. The Players is an 1800s period comedy revolving around two thespians, Edwin Forrest and William MacCready. According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, The Players “is set in 1847 New York, where Edwin Forrest (Reilly) holds the undisputed title as the country’s top Shakespearian actor. Playing magnificently to a sold out, raucous crowd every night, Edwin is “The Star”. But when critically celebrated English thespian William MacCready (Coogan) arrives from London to perform his sophisticated Hamlet, Edwin’s title is thrown into jeopardy. Each man wants what the other has, and the rivalry between them starts a hilarious and unforgettable battle of egos.

Marcus Theatres, the fourth largest movie theater chain in the U.S. following AMC, Regal and Cinemark, disclosed Thursday that attendance at its locations grew about 7 percent year-over-year during its third quarter ruled by Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine.

The theater chain, run by president Mark A. Gramz, also said that its average ticket price increased 2.6 percent and average concession revenues per person increased 7.9 percent during the quarter as compared to a year ago. Marcus said that in its latest fiscal quarter it saw $68 million in theatre admissions revenue and an additional $62 million in theatre concessions while theater and concessions costs and operations totaled $92 million.

“While the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes impacted results for the first half of the year, we are pleased that the lingering effects seem to be further in the rearview mirror as demonstrated by the significant improvements in our third quarter fiscal 2024 results,” Gramz stated.

In addition to Deadpool,...

Cinemark, the nation’s third-largest theater chain, and smaller Marcus Theatres piled on strong financial results Thursday after sunny numbers from Imax on Wednesda –, all bright notes amid ongoing box office uncertainty.

Marcus shares popped by more than 10% on the numbers. The Milwaukee-based chain “achieved growth with a markedly improved film slate that played particularly well with audiences in our markets,” said chairman-ceo Greg Marcus. “As we look ahead to the remainder of the year and into 2025, we are encouraged by trends within both businesses, including an impressive array of high-quality films headed for the big screen this holiday season.”

Cinemark chief executive Sean Gamble said “strong, sustained consumer enthusiasm for shared, larger-than-life, theatrical experiences was once again on full display in the third quarter as film results far outpaced expectations, delivering the highest quarterly box office since the pandemic, which climbed to within 4% of 3Q19″ for the three months ended in September.

Der Streamingdienst von Comcast hat im dritten Quartal 2024 Dank der Liveübertragungen von den Olympischen Spielen drei Millionen Abonnenten hinzugewonnen. Im Jahresvergleich konnte der Umsatz massiv gesteigert und der Verlust reduziert werden.

Peacock hat im dritten Quartal von den Olympischen Spielen in Paris profitiert (Credit: Imago / Zoonar)

Nachdem die Liveübertragungen von den Olympischen Spielen in Paris Peacockim August schon den höchsten TV-Marktanteil in seiner vierjährigen Geschichte beschert hatte, haben sie sich auch positiv auf die Geschäftszahlen für das dritte Quartal des laufenden Jahres ausgewirkt.

Wie Mutterkonzern Comcast heute bekannt gegeben hat, konnte die Zahl der Abonnenten seit Ende des zweiten Quartals von 33 auf 36 Mio. gesteigert werden; im Vergleich zum Vorjahresquartal stieg sie um 29 Prozent an.

Der Umsatz der Streamingplattform stieg im dritten Quartal 2024 nach Angaben von Comcast gegenüber dem Vorjahresquartal um 82 Prozent auf 1,5 Mrd. Dollar an, der Fehlbetrag beim adjusted Ebitda konnte von 565 Mio. Dollar auf 436 Mio. Dollar reduziert werden, lag aber höher als die 348 Mio.

The world’s most despicable villain has hatched his most dastardly plan yet, but he still has to take on diaper duties! Gru and his loveable family return with a new member in “Despicable Me 4,” which makes its streaming debut on Peacock on Thursday, Oct. 31. Gru and Lucy have a baby son to help terrorize the these days, but that isn’t stopping rival villains from targeting the family, forcing Gru to come up with another scheme, this time in the name of keeping them safe. You can stream “Despicable Me 4” with a Subscription to Peacock.

How to Watch ‘Despicable Me 4’ When: Thursday, Oct. 31 TV: Peacock Stream: Watch with a Subscription to Peacock. Sign Up $7.99+ / month peacocktv.com About ‘Despicable Me 4’

Gru and the Minions have, by all appearances, settled down. Gru and his wife Lucy have normal-people jobs, and they’re dedicated to raising their four children: Margo,...

Comcast shares climbed over 7% in pre-market trading on Thursday after the media giant beat Wall Street’s third-quarter expectations, boosted by the Paris Olympics, and said it would consider spinning off its struggling cable network portfolio into a standalone company.

Peacock posted a loss of $436 million during the quarter, a 22% improvement over a $565 million loss in the prior-year period. The streamer’s revenue grew 82% $1.5 billion, and it added 3 million paid subscribers for a total of 36 million, up 29%.

The Olympic games brought in record high revenue of $1.9 billion, with average daily viewership of 31 million across the company’s linear networks and Peacock, an 82% increase compared to the 2021 Summer Olympics.

“We achieved this result by leaning in with the full symphony of Comcast and NBCUniversal playing together and a big bet on new ideas and innovation that paid off,” Comcast president Mike Cavanagh told analysts on Thursday. “We are all very grateful...

Coverage of the Paris Olympics spurred a 36.5% year-over-year gain in media revenue, propelling NBCUniversal parent Comcast’s performance in the third quarter.

The company reported total revenue of $32.1 billion and earnings per share of $1.12, beating Wall Street analysts’ consensus forecast. Shares in Comcast, which are not known for dramatic movement, jumped 4% in pre-market trading on the earnings news.

Flagship streaming service Peacock added 3 million subscribers to reach 36 million. Revenue jumped 82% to $1.5 billion and adjusted Ebitda losses narrowed to $436 million from $565 million in the year-ago period.

Even excluding the $1.9 billion in incremental revenue from the Olympics, revenue in the Media division still increased 4.9%.

On the pay-tv side, Comcast shed 365,000 video customers to finish the quarter with 12.8 million. Charter recently surpassed Comcast as the No. 1 U.S. cable operator, though both companies are more keenly pursuing broadband as a core business given ongoing cord-cutting trends.

Connectivity & Platforms, the division housing the company’s broadband and pay-tv businesses,...

Peacock added 3 million subscribers this summer (July 1 to September 30), when it was the streaming home to the Paris Olympics. Simultaneously, the service lost $436 million in the quarter. Peacock now has 36 million subs.

The NBCUniversal-owned streaming service had lost 1 million subs in the spring quarter; NBCU is owned by Comcast, which reported third quarter earnings on Thursday morning. Overall, the company topped media analysts’ expectations.

Wall Street forecast Comcast would report earnings per share of $1.06 on revenue of $31.64 billion; Comcast reported Eps of $1.12 on $32.07 billion in revenue.

As we previously reported, Antenna, a research company that charts the subscription economy, observed 2.8 million Peacock signups over the first week (July 25-31) of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The key thing here for Peacock is that the newcomers stuck around. The new subscribers were also driven by an NFL game in Brazil that was exclusive to Peacock.

Peacock had lost $348 million in the second...

Peacock, the streaming service of Comcast’s entertainment unit NBCUniversal, grew its third-quarter revenue and narrowed its loss to $436 million from a loss of $565 million in the year-ago period, but the loss widened a bit compared with the loss of $348 million posted for the second quarter of 2024 on higher programming costs, driven by the Summer Olympics in Paris. Boosted by the Games, however, the streamer grew its revenue and ended September with 36 million paying subscribers, compared with 33 million as of the end of June, the company said Thursday.

“Peacock revenue increased 82 percent (year-over-year) to $1.5 billion; adjusted Ebitda improved compared to the prior-year period,” Comcast highlighted.

Discussing the Summer Games further on Thursday, the conglomerate touted key results. “Comcast’s exclusive broadcast of the Paris Olympics in the U.S. showcased the combined capabilities across our company and captivated the nation’s attention for 17 days,” it said. “Average daily viewers of...

Exhibition giant Cinemark reported its third-quarter earnings on Thursday on a rise in revenue.

The company, led by president and CEO Sean Gamble, posted a quarterly profit of $187.8 million, compared with $90.2 million in the same period of 2023. Net income for the latest three months included a $42.7 million tax benefit “primarily related to the partial release of valuation allowances previously recorded in the U.S.”

Revenue of $921.8 million in the latest quarter was up 5.4 percent from the year-ago period. Cinemark’s third-quarter adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda), another profitability metric, grew to $220.5 million from $196.8 million a year ago. The company touted third-quarter records for both revenue and adjusted Ebitda.

On a morning analyst call, Gamble pointed to sustained enthusiasm by cinema-goers for Hollywood tentpoles in the third quarter to underline “the deep and lasting impact that a theatrical release generates through the unparalleled level of emotional connection,...

Despicable Me 4 Box Office (Worldwide): On Track To Surpass The 2nd Film’s Global Haul( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Despicable Me 4 is tiptoeing towards the worldwide haul of the second installment in the film franchise. It has been months since it was released in the theatres, yet it continues to move towards its goal. Although it was predicted to cross the one billion dollar mark, that seems next to impossible now. Scroll below for the deets.

The second installment was released in 2013. It follows Gru as he gets recruited by agent Lucy Wilde to investigate a theft by El Macho, a supervillain seeking world domination. Steve Carell voices Gru in the franchise, which also features Kristen Wiig as Lucy Wilde. In addition to them, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, and Steve Coogan were also part of the voice cast.

According to Luiz Fernando’s report, Despicable Me 4...

Good news, movie buffs! On top of Netflix's own film content, the streamer has ensured that our watch lists will continue to be stacked with great movies for years to come.

Netflix and Universal Pictures have had a streaming deal in place for years that allows animated films from the studio to stream on Netflix, including DreamWorks and Illumination titles, and it has officially been extended.

The companies announced on Oct. 29 that the successful licensing deal for animated movies continues to be in effect, and beginning in 2027, the deal will include live-action titles from both Universal Pictures and Focus Features.

This is huge news for both Netflix and Universal, but also for those of us at home enjoying the movies. The selection will grow to include some big blockbusters.

Netflix continues movie streaming deal with Universal

According to Variety, Universal's movies will begin streaming on Netflix at least eight...

Netflix and Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (Ufeg) have renewed their US licensing agreement for the latter’s animated films from Illumination and DreamWorks Animation and starting in 2027 will add live-action titles from Universal Pictures and Focus Features.

Live-action films will debut on the platform no later than eight months after theatrical release. After the first streaming window on Peacock, Netflix will carry titles for 10 months before they return to Peacock.

Netflix will additionally licence rights to Universal’s full animation and live-action film slate for additional windows in subsequent years as well as rights to select titles from Universal’s film library.

Netflix and Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (Ufeg) have renewed their US licensing agreement for the latter’s animated films from Illumination and DreamWorks Animation and starting in 2027 will add live-action titles from Universal Pictures and Focus Features.

Live-action films will debut on the platform no later than eight months after theatrical release. After the first streaming window on Peacock, Netflix will carry titles for 10 months before they return to Peracock

Netflix will additionally licence rights to Universal’s full animation and live-action film slate for additional windows in subsequent years as well as rights to select titles from Universal’s film library.