Zendaya has, in just a small handful of years, asserted herself as a true A-list star in Hollywood. So much focus is paid to actors in their 40s (or much older) such as Tom Cruise, one of the many famous people named Chris, or Anne Hathaway. But Zendaya has emerged as one of our new movie stars, thanks to her work in wildly successful franchises such as "Dune" and "Spider-Man." But can her star power help turn "Challengers," an original sports drama centered around tennis, into a hit? That's the big question MGM is asking right now as the movie gets ready to make its way to theaters next weekend.
Hailing from "Call Me By Your Name" director Luca Guadagnino, "Challengers" is eyeing an opening between $7 and $12 million, per Box Office Pro. The only other big release on April 26 is Lionsgate's Christian drama "Unsung Hero." Yes, faith-based movies have...
Hailing from "Call Me By Your Name" director Luca Guadagnino, "Challengers" is eyeing an opening between $7 and $12 million, per Box Office Pro. The only other big release on April 26 is Lionsgate's Christian drama "Unsung Hero." Yes, faith-based movies have...
- 4/19/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Angel Studios, whose $250m global box office smash Sound Of Freedom was the breakout hit of 2023, claimed at its CinemaCon presentation on Wednesday that its upcoming film David will become the most successful animated film of all time.
The bold prediction from chief marketing officer Alex Nielsen of the Utah-based company was predicated on fans supporting the biblical David vs Goliath story through its Pay It Forward initiative.
The process whereby people donate ticket costs on the studio’s website for other people to enjoy was a factor in the success of Sound Of Freedom and according to the studio...
The bold prediction from chief marketing officer Alex Nielsen of the Utah-based company was predicated on fans supporting the biblical David vs Goliath story through its Pay It Forward initiative.
The process whereby people donate ticket costs on the studio’s website for other people to enjoy was a factor in the success of Sound Of Freedom and according to the studio...
- 4/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Angel Studios, whose $250m global box office smash Sound Of Freedom was the breakout hit of 2023, claimed at its CinemaCon presentation on Wednesday that its upcoming film David will become the most successful animated film of all time.
The bold prediction from chief marketing officer Alex Nielsen of the Utah-based company was predicated on fans supporting the biblical David vs Goliath story through its Pay It Forward initiative.
The process whereby people donate ticket costs on the studio’s website for other people to enjoy was a factor in the success of Sound Of Freedom and according to the studio...
The bold prediction from chief marketing officer Alex Nielsen of the Utah-based company was predicated on fans supporting the biblical David vs Goliath story through its Pay It Forward initiative.
The process whereby people donate ticket costs on the studio’s website for other people to enjoy was a factor in the success of Sound Of Freedom and according to the studio...
- 4/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Last year, Angel Studios opened a booth at CinemaCon in Last Vegas to launch its distribution arm. That paid off handsomely after “Sound of Freedom” exploded to a $250 million worldwide gross. This year, they took to a much bigger stage for a Caesar’s Palace breakfast presentation and announced its intention to stun the industry again.
The Angel headliner was “David,” an animated musical based on the Biblical story of David vs. Goliath. Or, as the studio’s chief marketing officer Alex Nielsen told the audience: “We intend to release the most successful animated film of all time.”
Angel dated “David” for Thanksgiving weekend 2025, but it presented a full trailer and a full song to a packed, standing-room only house inside the Palace Ballroom. The trailer also touted that former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is an executive producer on the project.
“David” is a spinoff of Angel’s animated mini-series “Young David,...
The Angel headliner was “David,” an animated musical based on the Biblical story of David vs. Goliath. Or, as the studio’s chief marketing officer Alex Nielsen told the audience: “We intend to release the most successful animated film of all time.”
Angel dated “David” for Thanksgiving weekend 2025, but it presented a full trailer and a full song to a packed, standing-room only house inside the Palace Ballroom. The trailer also touted that former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is an executive producer on the project.
“David” is a spinoff of Angel’s animated mini-series “Young David,...
- 4/10/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Talk about a prediction of biblical proportions.
Angel Studios — home of the 2023 sleeper hit Sound of Freedom — told theater owners gathered at CinemaCon on Wednesday that it intends for its upcoming film David to be the top-grossing animated film of all time.
The Utah-based company, which eschews the Hollywood system and prides itself on catering to faith-based and conservative consumers, used the breakfast session to go through its upcoming slate of films and to thank exhibitors for their support. It’s the first time the outfit has presented at the show.
David is set to hit theaters Nov. 21, 2025. According to a logline from Angel, the movie is a “joyful animated musical about the life of the ancient prophet, poet and king. After one young shepherd boy is chosen to battle a giant, this chosen one goes on to inspire an entire nation of believers. Coming to the big screen, this...
Angel Studios — home of the 2023 sleeper hit Sound of Freedom — told theater owners gathered at CinemaCon on Wednesday that it intends for its upcoming film David to be the top-grossing animated film of all time.
The Utah-based company, which eschews the Hollywood system and prides itself on catering to faith-based and conservative consumers, used the breakfast session to go through its upcoming slate of films and to thank exhibitors for their support. It’s the first time the outfit has presented at the show.
David is set to hit theaters Nov. 21, 2025. According to a logline from Angel, the movie is a “joyful animated musical about the life of the ancient prophet, poet and king. After one young shepherd boy is chosen to battle a giant, this chosen one goes on to inspire an entire nation of believers. Coming to the big screen, this...
- 4/10/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Until recently, filmmaker Jon Erwin was the reigning box-office champ for faith-based films with “I Can Only Imagine” and “Jesus Revolution.” Shortly after “Sound of Freedom” opened to $14.2 million, he offered advice to Angel Studios on how it might capitalize that success.
By November, when the child-trafficking drama grossed $250 million worldwide, Erwin lost his bragging rights. He remembers joking with the producers, “It wasn’t supposed to work this much!”
Ego aside, he welcomed the success. As “Sound of Freedom” inspired box-office think pieces and conspiracy-theory controversy, Erwin and partner Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten were in talks with Amazon Studios. Today, their company The Wonder Project is producing a slate of faith-based series and films; Erwin said he’d “be lying” if he believed “Sound of Freedom” didn’t help him get a better deal.
“I had not felt that hunger from the studios in a long time to reach the audience,...
By November, when the child-trafficking drama grossed $250 million worldwide, Erwin lost his bragging rights. He remembers joking with the producers, “It wasn’t supposed to work this much!”
Ego aside, he welcomed the success. As “Sound of Freedom” inspired box-office think pieces and conspiracy-theory controversy, Erwin and partner Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten were in talks with Amazon Studios. Today, their company The Wonder Project is producing a slate of faith-based series and films; Erwin said he’d “be lying” if he believed “Sound of Freedom” didn’t help him get a better deal.
“I had not felt that hunger from the studios in a long time to reach the audience,...
- 4/9/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
What happens in Vegas… fuels a year’s worth of hope for theatrical exhibitors.
From April 8-11, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, Universal, Paramount, and Disney — not to mention the faith-friendly Angel Studios and anime distributor Crunchyroll — have four days at CinemaCon to wow theater owners (and the press) with their plans for the summer blockbuster season and beyond. However, there are only so many times that NATO, the MPA, and the studios can say “movie theaters are back!” without sounding like Chicken Little.
The reality is 2024 will be lucky to match the levels of last year, and 2025 has its own challenges if the industry faces another round of strikes. Even so, Adam Aron’s hundreds of soldier-owners from his AMC army will be looking to him for reassurance at the world’s biggest exhibition pep rally.
Beyond the potential shock and awe of movie previews, messaging that could carry firepower as...
From April 8-11, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, Universal, Paramount, and Disney — not to mention the faith-friendly Angel Studios and anime distributor Crunchyroll — have four days at CinemaCon to wow theater owners (and the press) with their plans for the summer blockbuster season and beyond. However, there are only so many times that NATO, the MPA, and the studios can say “movie theaters are back!” without sounding like Chicken Little.
The reality is 2024 will be lucky to match the levels of last year, and 2025 has its own challenges if the industry faces another round of strikes. Even so, Adam Aron’s hundreds of soldier-owners from his AMC army will be looking to him for reassurance at the world’s biggest exhibition pep rally.
Beyond the potential shock and awe of movie previews, messaging that could carry firepower as...
- 4/8/2024
- by Tony Maglio and Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment are excited to announce that The Shift is out now to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and will be available to buy on Blu-ray and DVD from 1st April 2024.
A gripping sci-fi thriller from the studio behind breakout hit Sound of Freedom, starring Kristoffer Polaha (Wonder Woman 1984, Mad Men), Neal McDonough (Minority Report, Yellowstone), Elizabeth Tabish (The Chosen) and Sean Astin (Stranger Things, The Lord of the Rings).
The Shift is a modern-day retelling of the book of Job. Kevin Garner (Polaha) gets separated from Molly (Tabish), the love of his life, when a mysterious adversary known as The Benefactor (McDonough) sends him to an alternate dystopian reality. Will hope and faith be enough to find his way back?
First released in the US in December 2023 by Angel Studios, The Shift struck a bold chord with viewers, grossing $12 million domestically, as well as...
A gripping sci-fi thriller from the studio behind breakout hit Sound of Freedom, starring Kristoffer Polaha (Wonder Woman 1984, Mad Men), Neal McDonough (Minority Report, Yellowstone), Elizabeth Tabish (The Chosen) and Sean Astin (Stranger Things, The Lord of the Rings).
The Shift is a modern-day retelling of the book of Job. Kevin Garner (Polaha) gets separated from Molly (Tabish), the love of his life, when a mysterious adversary known as The Benefactor (McDonough) sends him to an alternate dystopian reality. Will hope and faith be enough to find his way back?
First released in the US in December 2023 by Angel Studios, The Shift struck a bold chord with viewers, grossing $12 million domestically, as well as...
- 4/3/2024
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
All due respect to Godzilla, but the first quarter of this year was a bust for Hollywood. There’s no getting around it. The news read like an April Fool’s joke without a punchline.
Disney gave up its fight with Florida, better to face its battle with investor Nelson Peltz.
Paramount Global’s debt is down to junk, and Paramount+ is weirdly removing some of its hotter kids titles from the streaming mix.
AMC is scratching for cash and peddling stock. The Alamo Drafthouse chain is for sale.
At the box office, Q1’s big hit was Part Two of a re-imagining of a science fiction novel that ran hot when I was in the eighth grade — in other words,...
Disney gave up its fight with Florida, better to face its battle with investor Nelson Peltz.
Paramount Global’s debt is down to junk, and Paramount+ is weirdly removing some of its hotter kids titles from the streaming mix.
AMC is scratching for cash and peddling stock. The Alamo Drafthouse chain is for sale.
At the box office, Q1’s big hit was Part Two of a re-imagining of a science fiction novel that ran hot when I was in the eighth grade — in other words,...
- 4/1/2024
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
“Civil War,” the A24 action-thriller about a violently divided United States, isn’t offering up much in the way of escapism. Though it takes place in the dystopian future, it not-so-subtly feeds into the blue-state/red-state rift that’s sure to widen as the race for the White House heats up.
That strategy is prominent in the movie’s patriotic-tinged marketing materials, which include a blood-soaked trailer featuring a missile that blows up the Lincoln Memorial, a poster of soldiers sandbagging the Statue of Liberty’s flame and references to successionist forces of California and Texas.
Yet elsewhere in Hollywood, movie studios are trying desperately to steer clear of promotional efforts that seem even remotely political — lest they find themselves unwittingly embroiled in a cultural firestorm. It’s a fair concern. Long before the country started preparing for one of the most polarizing presidential elections in its history, several movies...
That strategy is prominent in the movie’s patriotic-tinged marketing materials, which include a blood-soaked trailer featuring a missile that blows up the Lincoln Memorial, a poster of soldiers sandbagging the Statue of Liberty’s flame and references to successionist forces of California and Texas.
Yet elsewhere in Hollywood, movie studios are trying desperately to steer clear of promotional efforts that seem even remotely political — lest they find themselves unwittingly embroiled in a cultural firestorm. It’s a fair concern. Long before the country started preparing for one of the most polarizing presidential elections in its history, several movies...
- 3/28/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “Cabrini,” the origin story of the first American canonized saint, Mother Cabrini, directed by Alejandro Monteverde of “Sound of Freedom.” Currently in theaters see local listings.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Christina Dell’Anna is Mother Cabrini, an Italian nun whose life mission is to build orphanages around the world. When she goes to Pope Leo (Giancarlo Giannini) to plead to do this in Asia, the Pope instead sends her to New York City America, where the notorious Five Points neighborhood is crowded by the influx of Italian immigrants in need. She goes to work building an orphanage and hospital, much to the chagrin of Archbishop Corrigan (David Morse) and New York’s Mayor Gould (John Lithgow). Some of their dread is bureaucratic and most has to do with the headstrong female in a man’s world. Can Mother Cabrini make a difference?
“Cabrini” is currently in theaters.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Christina Dell’Anna is Mother Cabrini, an Italian nun whose life mission is to build orphanages around the world. When she goes to Pope Leo (Giancarlo Giannini) to plead to do this in Asia, the Pope instead sends her to New York City America, where the notorious Five Points neighborhood is crowded by the influx of Italian immigrants in need. She goes to work building an orphanage and hospital, much to the chagrin of Archbishop Corrigan (David Morse) and New York’s Mayor Gould (John Lithgow). Some of their dread is bureaucratic and most has to do with the headstrong female in a man’s world. Can Mother Cabrini make a difference?
“Cabrini” is currently in theaters.
- 3/27/2024
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Not feeling conflicted enough today? Martin Scorsese is making and hosting a show on Fox News Channel’s streaming service Fox Nation.
The series is an eight-part docudrama slated for November 2024. May we present: “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints.”
Each hour-long episode will explore “the remarkable stories of eight men and women who risked everything to embody humanity’s most noble and complex trait — faith,” in Fox Nation’s words. Them’s the saints.
“Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” was developed by Scorsese for Lionsgate Alternative Television. It was created by Matti Leshem. The docuseries is written by the frequent Scorsese collaborator Kent Jones; it will be directed by Elizabeth Chomko.
Scorsese and Leshem executive produce, as do Julie Yorn, Rick Yorn, Christopher Donnelly, Yoshi Stone, Craig Piligian, David Ellender, and Matt Loze. In addition to Lionsgate, the series was produced by Sikelia Productions, Weimaraner Republic Pictures, Lbi Entertainment, and Halcyon Studios.
The series is an eight-part docudrama slated for November 2024. May we present: “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints.”
Each hour-long episode will explore “the remarkable stories of eight men and women who risked everything to embody humanity’s most noble and complex trait — faith,” in Fox Nation’s words. Them’s the saints.
“Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” was developed by Scorsese for Lionsgate Alternative Television. It was created by Matti Leshem. The docuseries is written by the frequent Scorsese collaborator Kent Jones; it will be directed by Elizabeth Chomko.
Scorsese and Leshem executive produce, as do Julie Yorn, Rick Yorn, Christopher Donnelly, Yoshi Stone, Craig Piligian, David Ellender, and Matt Loze. In addition to Lionsgate, the series was produced by Sikelia Productions, Weimaraner Republic Pictures, Lbi Entertainment, and Halcyon Studios.
- 3/27/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
“Kung Fu Panda 4” (Universal) and “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) came in a close #1-#2 this weekend, with the DreamWorks Animation title edging out Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi adaptation by just under $1 million ($30 million to $29.1 million). The two films, in their second and third weekends respectively, are positioned to exceed their most optimistic pre-release projections.
Going against last year’s trend of disappointing franchise results, the two sequels made up about two thirds of the weekend’s $90 million total. With little help from other new releases, this fell just short of last year’s $92 million. It reduced the year’s deficit to nine percent.
“Dune” joined WB’s “Wonka” as the second film to pass the domestic $200 million total since last July. By next weekend, it will surpass that film’s $218 million gross.
How high could it go? Pre-release, the most optimistic hopes were perhaps $250 million — $150 million more than the first “Dune,...
Going against last year’s trend of disappointing franchise results, the two sequels made up about two thirds of the weekend’s $90 million total. With little help from other new releases, this fell just short of last year’s $92 million. It reduced the year’s deficit to nine percent.
“Dune” joined WB’s “Wonka” as the second film to pass the domestic $200 million total since last July. By next weekend, it will surpass that film’s $218 million gross.
How high could it go? Pre-release, the most optimistic hopes were perhaps $250 million — $150 million more than the first “Dune,...
- 3/17/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
The early weekend box office numbers are in, and it looks like Dune: Part Two wasn’t quite able to take the number one spot from Kung Fu Panda 4 after all. It was very close, with the animated sequel grossing $30 million to Dune’s $29.1 million. It’s so close that I’m not quite willing to admit my prediction that Dune 2 would top Panda was wrong, as Denis Villeneuve’s sequel has been overperforming at Sunday matinees the last few weeks. That said, even if it doesn’t top Panda, it still had a great weekend, with it only dropping a modest 37% in its third week. It also passed the double-century mark, with its final gross at $205 million. Will it cross $300 million? It’s possible, although it will face heavy competition over the next two weeks with Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Godzilla x Kong.
Meanwhile, Kung Fu Panda 4...
Meanwhile, Kung Fu Panda 4...
- 3/17/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Kung Fu Panda 4 and Dune: Part Two are still going strong at the box office, with both movies celebrating milestones this weekend.
From DreamWorks Animation and Universal, the Jack Black-voiced Kung Fu Panda 4 dethroned Dune 2 in its sophomore weekend with an estimated $30 million from 4,067 theaters as it leaped past the $100 million mark to finish Sunday with a 10-day domestic total of $107.7 million. Overseas, it grossed another $39.6 million for a foreign tally of $68.6 million and $176.4 million globally. The pic fell a respectable 48 percent domestically.
Not far behind was Denis Villeneuve’s Dune 2, now in its third weekend. The Legendary-Warner Bros. tentpole is the first release of 2024 to clear $200 million domestically. The pic earned an estimated $29.1 million from 3,847 cinemas, putting its North American total at $205.3 million.
Overseas, the sequel — starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya — earned another $51.2 million this weekend from 73 markets for a dazzling foreign tally...
From DreamWorks Animation and Universal, the Jack Black-voiced Kung Fu Panda 4 dethroned Dune 2 in its sophomore weekend with an estimated $30 million from 4,067 theaters as it leaped past the $100 million mark to finish Sunday with a 10-day domestic total of $107.7 million. Overseas, it grossed another $39.6 million for a foreign tally of $68.6 million and $176.4 million globally. The pic fell a respectable 48 percent domestically.
Not far behind was Denis Villeneuve’s Dune 2, now in its third weekend. The Legendary-Warner Bros. tentpole is the first release of 2024 to clear $200 million domestically. The pic earned an estimated $29.1 million from 3,847 cinemas, putting its North American total at $205.3 million.
Overseas, the sequel — starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya — earned another $51.2 million this weekend from 73 markets for a dazzling foreign tally...
- 3/17/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Kung Fu Panda 4” and “Dune: Part Two” are both putting up strong holds in North American theaters, staying ahead of Lionsgate’s new based-on-a-real-dog drama “Arthur the King,” which earned $3 million from 3,003 locations on its opening day.
The Mark Wahlberg vehicle is expected to earn south of $8 million heading into the weekend, which would be good for bronze on domestic charts. It’s a solid place to start for the drama, which carries close to a $20 million production budget and boasts a stellar “A” grade from audience survey firm Cinema Score. (Reviews have been mixed.) As a canine comparison, the Channing Tatum-starring “Dog” from United Artists opened to $14 million back in February 2022 before more than quadrupling that with a $61 million total. Lionsgate will hope that “Arthur” can strike a similar chord with audiences.
Based on the nonfiction book “Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home,...
The Mark Wahlberg vehicle is expected to earn south of $8 million heading into the weekend, which would be good for bronze on domestic charts. It’s a solid place to start for the drama, which carries close to a $20 million production budget and boasts a stellar “A” grade from audience survey firm Cinema Score. (Reviews have been mixed.) As a canine comparison, the Channing Tatum-starring “Dog” from United Artists opened to $14 million back in February 2022 before more than quadrupling that with a $61 million total. Lionsgate will hope that “Arthur” can strike a similar chord with audiences.
Based on the nonfiction book “Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home,...
- 3/16/2024
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
“City of Dreams,” an upcoming drama about a young Mexican boy who gets smuggled across the border, is lining up some heavy-hitting producers as Roadside Attractions looks to debut the film over Labor Day.
Sean Wolfington, the executive producer of “Sound of Freedom” and most recently “Cabrini”; Luis Fonsi, a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, musician and producer; and songwriter Linda Perry have joined the producing team for the film. It’s a group that also includes Oscar-nominated “Roma” star Yalitza Aparicio. In addition, Fonsi will record an original song for the film, which will be written by Perry. “City of Dreams,” which marks Mohit Ramchandani’s feature directorial debut, will open in theaters nationwide on Aug. 30.
The film looks at how the young man’s dreams of becoming a soccer star are shattered when he’s smuggled into the U.S. and sold to a sweatshop in downtown Los Angeles.
Sean Wolfington, the executive producer of “Sound of Freedom” and most recently “Cabrini”; Luis Fonsi, a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, musician and producer; and songwriter Linda Perry have joined the producing team for the film. It’s a group that also includes Oscar-nominated “Roma” star Yalitza Aparicio. In addition, Fonsi will record an original song for the film, which will be written by Perry. “City of Dreams,” which marks Mohit Ramchandani’s feature directorial debut, will open in theaters nationwide on Aug. 30.
The film looks at how the young man’s dreams of becoming a soccer star are shattered when he’s smuggled into the U.S. and sold to a sweatshop in downtown Los Angeles.
- 3/15/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
So! How’d you do on your 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards ballot? Not good? Well, don’t worry, because a brand new film year begins right now with a fresh crop of Don’t-Miss Indies ready for consumption. Only time will tell which of these titles will still be standing by the time we head back to the beach in 2025. But hey, it’s never too early to start prognosticating!
Love Lies Bleeding
When You Can Watch: Now
Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited)
Director: Rose Glass
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Dave Franco, Ed Harris
Why We’re Excited: Billed variously as a lesbian revenge story and a psychological thriller set in the 1980s Las Vegas, filmmaker Rose Glass’s second feature (after 2019’s Saint Maud) premiered at Sundance in January. Desperate to find a way out of her desolate existence, frantic gym manager Lou (Film Independent...
Love Lies Bleeding
When You Can Watch: Now
Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited)
Director: Rose Glass
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Dave Franco, Ed Harris
Why We’re Excited: Billed variously as a lesbian revenge story and a psychological thriller set in the 1980s Las Vegas, filmmaker Rose Glass’s second feature (after 2019’s Saint Maud) premiered at Sundance in January. Desperate to find a way out of her desolate existence, frantic gym manager Lou (Film Independent...
- 3/14/2024
- by Su Fang Tham
- Film Independent News & More
When “Barbie,” “Oppenheimer,” and even “Sound of Freedom” were cleaning up at the box office last summer, we were not alone in declaring that when it comes to the types of movies young audiences will go out to a theater to see, Hollywood needs to chase originality to find the next hit. The latest Marvel, Indiana Jones, Transformers, Jurassic World, and more all underwhelmed, while “Super Mario Bros.,” “Five Nights at Freddy’s” — even when a fresh start on previous IP — and now even “Poor Things” outperformed expectations.
It turns out young people want the same qualities in their streaming services too.
A new streaming insights survey conducted by free-streaming platform Tubi found that 74 percent of millennials and Gen Zers prefer to watch original content rather than franchises or remakes.
“Viewers are increasingly seeking fresh and innovative ideas that push the boundaries of what’s possible instead of rehashed versions of existing stories,...
It turns out young people want the same qualities in their streaming services too.
A new streaming insights survey conducted by free-streaming platform Tubi found that 74 percent of millennials and Gen Zers prefer to watch original content rather than franchises or remakes.
“Viewers are increasingly seeking fresh and innovative ideas that push the boundaries of what’s possible instead of rehashed versions of existing stories,...
- 3/12/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
When Oscar-winning producer Jonathan Sanger was first pitched “Cabrini,” the story of the first American saint, he wasn’t quite sure he was right for the project.
“I said, ‘I think it’s a great idea. I think you should make the movie. I don’t really think I’m the right guy to produce this,’” Sanger recalls of his early conversation with executive producer J. Eustace Wolfington. “I tend to like to make stories about real people, that most people who watch these stories can relate to. And I don’t know how to relate to a saint.”
Wolfington wouldn’t take no for an answer, telling Sanger he was missing the point: Francesca Cabrini may have become a saint, but her powerful story of overcoming adversity as both a woman and an Italian immigrant takes place far before her posthumous canonization in 1946.
“The more I learned about her,...
“I said, ‘I think it’s a great idea. I think you should make the movie. I don’t really think I’m the right guy to produce this,’” Sanger recalls of his early conversation with executive producer J. Eustace Wolfington. “I tend to like to make stories about real people, that most people who watch these stories can relate to. And I don’t know how to relate to a saint.”
Wolfington wouldn’t take no for an answer, telling Sanger he was missing the point: Francesca Cabrini may have become a saint, but her powerful story of overcoming adversity as both a woman and an Italian immigrant takes place far before her posthumous canonization in 1946.
“The more I learned about her,...
- 3/11/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
Hollywood has two reasons to celebrate today, with one of them being the fact that it’s Oscar Sunday. However, the more important reason is no doubt the fact that after a sluggish start to the year, the box office is finally picking up, with the top two movies this weekend overperforming significantly. Even the most optimistic box office forecasters didn’t see Kung Fu Panda 4 opening north of $50 million (we had it pegged at $48 million), but the movie ended up rallying to a massive $58 million weekend. While that’s not much compared to the last Jack Black animated film (The Super Mario Bros. Movie), it’s worth noting that the Kung Fu Panda franchise was widely thought to have run out of gas some time ago. The last two Kung Fu Panda movies only made $47 and $41 million on their opening weekends, thus giving the franchise its biggest start...
- 3/10/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Universal and DreamWork’s animated adventure “Kung Fu Panda 4” topped the domestic box office, earning a solid $58.3 million from 4,035 theaters in its opening weekend.
It marks the biggest debut of the franchise since the original, 2008’s “Kung Fu Panda” ($60 million), overtaking the start of the two prior entries, 2016’s “Kung Fu Panda 3” ($41 million) and 2011’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” ($47.6 million), not adjusted for inflation.
“Family audiences were primed to come out and have fun with a much-beloved franchise,” says Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. “Animated movies tend to leg out. We anticipate a tremendous corridor.”
Internationally, the fourth film in the martial arts-inspired animated comedy collected $22 million from 41 markets for a global tally of $80 million. This installment cost $85 million to produce, a lower price tag than the first three movies, each of which cost about $150 million. Jack Black returned to voice the main character in “Kung Fu Panda 4,...
It marks the biggest debut of the franchise since the original, 2008’s “Kung Fu Panda” ($60 million), overtaking the start of the two prior entries, 2016’s “Kung Fu Panda 3” ($41 million) and 2011’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” ($47.6 million), not adjusted for inflation.
“Family audiences were primed to come out and have fun with a much-beloved franchise,” says Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. “Animated movies tend to leg out. We anticipate a tremendous corridor.”
Internationally, the fourth film in the martial arts-inspired animated comedy collected $22 million from 41 markets for a global tally of $80 million. This installment cost $85 million to produce, a lower price tag than the first three movies, each of which cost about $150 million. Jack Black returned to voice the main character in “Kung Fu Panda 4,...
- 3/10/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Jack Black’s Po is back after nearly a decade, and he’s already receiving a hero’s welcome from audiences.
Kung Fu Panda 4 opened to a stellar $58.3 million domestically, well ahead of expectations and a near-series best in a win for the family marketplace, as well as for DreamWorks Animation and parent company Universal (the studio behind Sunday’s Academy Awards frontrunner Oppenheimer). The only other Kung Fu Panda installment to open higher was the first one in 2008 with $62 million, not adjusted for inflation.
Along with Black, returning members of the Kung Fu Panda 4 voice cast include Dustin Hoffman as Kung Fu master Shifu, James Hong as Po’s adoptive father, Bryan Cranston as Po’s birth father Li and Ian McShane as Shifu’s former student and arch-nemesis.
Series newcomers include Viola Davis as a tiny lizard and shapeshifting sorceress and Awakawfina as a quick-witted thief...
Kung Fu Panda 4 opened to a stellar $58.3 million domestically, well ahead of expectations and a near-series best in a win for the family marketplace, as well as for DreamWorks Animation and parent company Universal (the studio behind Sunday’s Academy Awards frontrunner Oppenheimer). The only other Kung Fu Panda installment to open higher was the first one in 2008 with $62 million, not adjusted for inflation.
Along with Black, returning members of the Kung Fu Panda 4 voice cast include Dustin Hoffman as Kung Fu master Shifu, James Hong as Po’s adoptive father, Bryan Cranston as Po’s birth father Li and Ian McShane as Shifu’s former student and arch-nemesis.
Series newcomers include Viola Davis as a tiny lizard and shapeshifting sorceress and Awakawfina as a quick-witted thief...
- 3/9/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s been nearly three months since an animated wide release hit theaters, the last being Illumination’s “Migration” over the holidays. That’s a little bit frightening, but with some expert timing “Kung Fu Panda 4” has arrived, benefitting from a lack of competition for family audiences to score some strong numbers in its debut.
Universal’s animated action comedy film kicked off to $19.4 million from 4,035 theaters across its opening day and preview screenings. That’s the strongest opening day for the series since the 2008 original nabbed $20 million on its first day, on its way to a $60.2 million total across the three-day frame. This new fourth entry won’t reach those heights, projecting an opening of $55 million, but it’ll come in ahead of the figures earned by the 2010 sequel ($47.6 million) and 2016 threequel ($41.2 million).
It’s a successful kick-off for the DreamWorks Animation feature, especially considering it only carries...
Universal’s animated action comedy film kicked off to $19.4 million from 4,035 theaters across its opening day and preview screenings. That’s the strongest opening day for the series since the 2008 original nabbed $20 million on its first day, on its way to a $60.2 million total across the three-day frame. This new fourth entry won’t reach those heights, projecting an opening of $55 million, but it’ll come in ahead of the figures earned by the 2010 sequel ($47.6 million) and 2016 threequel ($41.2 million).
It’s a successful kick-off for the DreamWorks Animation feature, especially considering it only carries...
- 3/9/2024
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
They say that conflict is the essence of drama, and in this handsome but impossibly somber biopic there is almost nothing but conflict. Following up last year’s surprise hit Sound of Freedom, director Alejandro Monteverde neatly sidesteps a repeat of that film’s controversy with a story that cannot remotely be interpreted as a QAnon allegory. Based on the true story of Frances Xavier Cabrini — literally the first American saint — this takes a most un-maga viewpoint on immigration, painting an unvarnished portrait of racism in a country that is supposed to embrace the tired and the poor.
Right from the start, Cabrini impresses with its set design, giving Martin Scorsese’s studio work a run for its money and taking place shortly after the latter’s atmospheric brace of 19th century movies The Age of Innocence and Gangs of New York. A title card informs us that between 1899 and...
Right from the start, Cabrini impresses with its set design, giving Martin Scorsese’s studio work a run for its money and taking place shortly after the latter’s atmospheric brace of 19th century movies The Age of Innocence and Gangs of New York. A title card informs us that between 1899 and...
- 3/8/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Alejandro Monteverde, whose Sound Of Freedom was the top grossing independent film of 2023, is back in theaters this weekend with Cabrini, also from Angel Studios, in wide release. The true story of an indomitable Italian nun on a mission to aid immigrants living in misery and poverty in late 19th century New York City, stars Cristiana Dell’Anna as waif-like Francesca Cabrini. She navigates a Pope, an Archbishop, the mayor of New York and the Italian Senate among others to build a charitable empire starting with one orphanage in the immigrant slum called Five Points (last seen in Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York). Giancarlo Giannini plays Pope Leo; David Morse is Archbishop Michael Augustine Corrigan; and John Lithgow a villainous Mayor Gould — men Cabrini lectured, sparred with, cajoled and threatened to realize her life’s work. Canonized in 1946, she is the Patron Saint of Immigrants.
In a Q&a with Deadline,...
In a Q&a with Deadline,...
- 3/8/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Homegrown hits led by A Moroccan Affair and Championext, an explosion of comedies and the solid performance of several European indies have helped the Spanish box office to withstand the lack of US releases following the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes last year.
Local productions were the highest grossing independent films at the Spanish box office in the year ending February 2024, with Álvaro Fernández Armero’s A Moroccan Affair at the top of the list.
The 2023 Spanish box office total was €504 million, with 77.8 million tickets sold, representing a 26% increase on 2022.
The two biggest Spanish films are both part of existing franchises.
Local productions were the highest grossing independent films at the Spanish box office in the year ending February 2024, with Álvaro Fernández Armero’s A Moroccan Affair at the top of the list.
The 2023 Spanish box office total was €504 million, with 77.8 million tickets sold, representing a 26% increase on 2022.
The two biggest Spanish films are both part of existing franchises.
- 3/8/2024
- ScreenDaily
Moses is one of the most revered figures in Judaism and Christianity, and the new series Testament: The Story of Moses brings his story to life again.
If you grew up following the Oscar-winning (for Best Effects) Ten Commandments every spring, starring Charlton Heston, or if you’re younger and grew up seeing the animated film The Prince of Egypt, let us prepare you for the Testament. Moses’ story is a bit unique.
Besides the fact that it is a three-episode series rather than a film, it is also a docudrama, with commentary intermingled throughout the trip of Moses. So, what else must you know about this? Here’s all we learn about the Testament: The Story of Moses.
Testament: The Story of Moses | Official Trailer
The latest Netflix Testament: The Story of Moses documentary focuses on religion and spirituality during Pharaoh’s rule in Egypt. The creators recently unveiled...
If you grew up following the Oscar-winning (for Best Effects) Ten Commandments every spring, starring Charlton Heston, or if you’re younger and grew up seeing the animated film The Prince of Egypt, let us prepare you for the Testament. Moses’ story is a bit unique.
Besides the fact that it is a three-episode series rather than a film, it is also a docudrama, with commentary intermingled throughout the trip of Moses. So, what else must you know about this? Here’s all we learn about the Testament: The Story of Moses.
Testament: The Story of Moses | Official Trailer
The latest Netflix Testament: The Story of Moses documentary focuses on religion and spirituality during Pharaoh’s rule in Egypt. The creators recently unveiled...
- 3/8/2024
- by Mantisha
- https://dailyresearchplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/new-sam
Lori Loughlin won the Grace Prize for A Christmas Blessing and Super Mario Bros. Movie was named Best Family Film at the 31st annual Movieguide Faith & Values Awards Gala & Report. The broadcast aired this evening on Great American Family.
Movie and television winners of the night included:
Best Family Movie – Super Mario Bros Movie
Best Family TV– A Paris Christmas Waltz
Best Movie for Mature Audiences– Jesus Revolution
Best TV for Mature Audiences– Chicago P.D. “New Life”
Faith & Freedom Award for Movies – Sound of Freedom
Faith & Freedom Award for TV – A Million Miles Away
Grace Prize for Movie Performance – Dennis Quaid for “On a Wing and a Prayer”
Grace Prize for TV Performance – Lori Loughlin for “A Christmas Blessing”
Visionary Award- Brad Krevoy, Emmy Award-Winning Producer
Epiphany Prize for TV – Divine Influencer
Epiphany Prize for Movies – Journey to Bethlehem
The event was hosted by Great American Family’s Trevor Donovan and Danica McKellar,...
Movie and television winners of the night included:
Best Family Movie – Super Mario Bros Movie
Best Family TV– A Paris Christmas Waltz
Best Movie for Mature Audiences– Jesus Revolution
Best TV for Mature Audiences– Chicago P.D. “New Life”
Faith & Freedom Award for Movies – Sound of Freedom
Faith & Freedom Award for TV – A Million Miles Away
Grace Prize for Movie Performance – Dennis Quaid for “On a Wing and a Prayer”
Grace Prize for TV Performance – Lori Loughlin for “A Christmas Blessing”
Visionary Award- Brad Krevoy, Emmy Award-Winning Producer
Epiphany Prize for TV – Divine Influencer
Epiphany Prize for Movies – Journey to Bethlehem
The event was hosted by Great American Family’s Trevor Donovan and Danica McKellar,...
- 3/8/2024
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
Embraced by Q-Anon conspiracy theorists, last year’s “Sound of Freedom” racked up over $250 million worldwide and brought Mexican-born director Alejandro Monteverde back in the spotlight almost two decades after his awfully saccharine 2006 debut “Bella” won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF. A filmmaker with an unabashedly Christian conservative agenda, Monteverde’s latest is a frustratingly sluggish biopic of Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini (Cristiana Dell’Anna), an Italian nun who defied the Catholic Church, as well as American institutions, to aide her countrymen in New York City during the late 1800s.
All of Cabrini’s past is reduced to an incident in her childhood where she nearly drowned. That she survived and continued to outlive her post-tuberculosis prognosis propels her to prove wrong anyone who suggests she doesn’t belong in any male-dominated space. After a meeting with Pope Leo Xiii (Giancarlo Giannini) to discuss her plans to build orphanages in China,...
All of Cabrini’s past is reduced to an incident in her childhood where she nearly drowned. That she survived and continued to outlive her post-tuberculosis prognosis propels her to prove wrong anyone who suggests she doesn’t belong in any male-dominated space. After a meeting with Pope Leo Xiii (Giancarlo Giannini) to discuss her plans to build orphanages in China,...
- 3/7/2024
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Variety Film + TV
First, there was “Sound of Freedom.” Now, it’s the sound of a cash register that has streamers wading into Christian programming.
Fox Nation, the streaming sister of Fox News Channels, seems as good a place as any for that sort of thing. IndieWire can confirm that “The Passion of the Christ” and “The Chosen” are both headed to Fox Nation in the next few days — just in time for Easter! Hallelujah.
“Passion of the Christ” will be available on Fox Nation ($5.99 per month) tomorrow, March 8, 2024, and Seasons 1-3 of “The Chosen” will debut two days later. Deadline first reported the news of the acquisitions.
Scripture stuff is all the rage these days. On Tuesday, Netflix revealed the trailer for “Testament: The Story of Moses,” a three-part documentary series premiering on March 27, 2024. Easter 2024 is March 31. As the title states, that one is all about God’s voice on Earth. Not you,...
Fox Nation, the streaming sister of Fox News Channels, seems as good a place as any for that sort of thing. IndieWire can confirm that “The Passion of the Christ” and “The Chosen” are both headed to Fox Nation in the next few days — just in time for Easter! Hallelujah.
“Passion of the Christ” will be available on Fox Nation ($5.99 per month) tomorrow, March 8, 2024, and Seasons 1-3 of “The Chosen” will debut two days later. Deadline first reported the news of the acquisitions.
Scripture stuff is all the rage these days. On Tuesday, Netflix revealed the trailer for “Testament: The Story of Moses,” a three-part documentary series premiering on March 27, 2024. Easter 2024 is March 31. As the title states, that one is all about God’s voice on Earth. Not you,...
- 3/7/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
Angel Studios, a small production studio operating out of Utah, has swiftly ascended as a significant player in the entertainment industry with its unique approach to distribution. Offering a diverse range of, mostly faith-themed, content accessible worldwide; the small film and TV outfit has revolutionised the distribution landscape mostly through crowdfunding.
While their decidedly innovative approach has been making headlines ever since the extraordinary record-breaking success of Sound of Freedom in 2023 – the film grossed around $250 million on a modest $14.5 million budget – the studio has also scored some huge wins with shows like The Chosen, Dry Bar Comedy and more recently the faith-based sci-fi drama The Shift.
The latest release from this ever surprising outfit sees the return of Sound of Freedom co-director Alejandro Monteverde at the helm in this impressive biopic detailing the life of 19th century Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini. Portrayed by esteemed Italian actress Cristiana Dell’Anna (Patrizia in...
While their decidedly innovative approach has been making headlines ever since the extraordinary record-breaking success of Sound of Freedom in 2023 – the film grossed around $250 million on a modest $14.5 million budget – the studio has also scored some huge wins with shows like The Chosen, Dry Bar Comedy and more recently the faith-based sci-fi drama The Shift.
The latest release from this ever surprising outfit sees the return of Sound of Freedom co-director Alejandro Monteverde at the helm in this impressive biopic detailing the life of 19th century Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini. Portrayed by esteemed Italian actress Cristiana Dell’Anna (Patrizia in...
- 3/7/2024
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The thawing of the winter box office continues this weekend with Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 which is bound to see the franchise’s second highest domestic opening at $50M+ at 3,900 theaters after the original 2008 movie ($60.2M). But that’s not all, it’s also the second biggest start for a Dwa title after Universal acquired the label from its 20th Century Fox distribution deal; the biggest during Universal’s 2.0 with Dwa being How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World which debuted to $55M in March 2019. Kung Fu Panda 4 is skewing among males and females under 25. Previews start Thursday at 2Pm. No Rt review rating yet.
Legendary Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two keeps humming with $8.1M yesterday off bargain Tuesdays, +12% over Monday, for a running total through five days of $98M. The Zendaya-Timothee Chalamet-Austin Butler-Josh Brolin-...
Legendary Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two keeps humming with $8.1M yesterday off bargain Tuesdays, +12% over Monday, for a running total through five days of $98M. The Zendaya-Timothee Chalamet-Austin Butler-Josh Brolin-...
- 3/6/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
After one of the biggest opening weekends of 2024 (by far), things normally might settle down, but DreamWorks Animation is releasing one of the first family animated movies since December, and it’s one that can help the box office recover. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.
Offering “Dune: Part Two” some hearty competition and counter-programming this weekend is the first family animated feature in months, as DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” arrives in over 3,900 theaters nationwide. Once again starring Jack Black as Po, the martial arts savvy panda bear, he’s joined in this one by the ubiquitous Awkwafina – when was the last time there was an animated movie in which she didn’t provide a voice? –as a thieving fox. Viola Davis voices the primary villain, the evil sorceress chameleon, plus there are new characters voiced by Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once...
Offering “Dune: Part Two” some hearty competition and counter-programming this weekend is the first family animated feature in months, as DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” arrives in over 3,900 theaters nationwide. Once again starring Jack Black as Po, the martial arts savvy panda bear, he’s joined in this one by the ubiquitous Awkwafina – when was the last time there was an animated movie in which she didn’t provide a voice? –as a thieving fox. Viola Davis voices the primary villain, the evil sorceress chameleon, plus there are new characters voiced by Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once...
- 3/6/2024
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
It’s a box office battle of the sequels as Universal and Dreamworks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” vies for first place with “Dune: Part Two” on domestic charts.
The fourth “Kung Fu Panda” movie looks to collect $45 million to $50 million in its opening weekend. Meanwhile, “Dune: Part Two” is projected to add $40 million to $45 million in its second outing.
Regardless of reviews, “Kung Fu Panda 4” should benefit from the dearth of family films at the box office. Based on estimates, initial ticket sales should improve upon its immediate predecessors, 2016’s “Kung Fu Panda 3” ($41 million debut) and 2011’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” ($47.6 million). The original, 2008’s “Kung Fu Panda,” kicked off the martial arts-inspired comedy series with $60 million and ultimately grossed $632 million globally. The two follow-ups were financial winners with the sequel earning $665 million and the threequel generating $521 million.
The fourquel cost $85 million to produce — a smaller...
The fourth “Kung Fu Panda” movie looks to collect $45 million to $50 million in its opening weekend. Meanwhile, “Dune: Part Two” is projected to add $40 million to $45 million in its second outing.
Regardless of reviews, “Kung Fu Panda 4” should benefit from the dearth of family films at the box office. Based on estimates, initial ticket sales should improve upon its immediate predecessors, 2016’s “Kung Fu Panda 3” ($41 million debut) and 2011’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” ($47.6 million). The original, 2008’s “Kung Fu Panda,” kicked off the martial arts-inspired comedy series with $60 million and ultimately grossed $632 million globally. The two follow-ups were financial winners with the sequel earning $665 million and the threequel generating $521 million.
The fourquel cost $85 million to produce — a smaller...
- 3/5/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Alejandro Monteverde’s last movie, the wildly profitable Christian thriller “Sound of Freedom,” was dogged by accusations that its anti-trafficking hero was himself guilty of fraud and grooming — a tough break for a piece of conspiracy-driven Maga theology that purported to shine a light on the secret cabal of sex criminals who are hiding in plain sight. Monteverde presumably had no way of knowing that Tim Ballard would become the target of a criminal investigation and get ousted from the very organization that “Sound of Freedom” exists to valorize, but his follow-up feature — shot in 2021 — seems designed to avoid any hint of a similar controversy.
Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini may not have been as pure and perfect a soul as Monteverde’s biopic imagines she was, but the director can rest easy in the knowledge that his newest subject is a literal saint. At this point, more than a century after Cabrini’s death,...
Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini may not have been as pure and perfect a soul as Monteverde’s biopic imagines she was, but the director can rest easy in the knowledge that his newest subject is a literal saint. At this point, more than a century after Cabrini’s death,...
- 3/5/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Netflix is doing its best Angel Studios impression with “Testament: The Story of Moses,” a three-part documentary series premiering on March 27, 2024. Angel, the studio behind surprise box-office hit “Sound of Freedom,” is not actually involved; “Testament” is a Karga Seven Pictures production.
Unlike “Sound of Freedom,” “The Story of Moses” will not have a theatrical release. Even if it were cut as a feature-length film instead of a docuseries, that’s just not how Netflix rolls — it wants longterm subscribers, not a one-time box office boon.
“Testament: The Story of Moses” explores the life of Moses and his rise from outcast and murderer to prophet and liberator of the Hebrews, according to the logline. Netflix released the trailer on Tuesday, March 5.
The docuseries’ presentation is part scripted drama, part documentary-style interviews. There are the locusts and the sea-parting and all the greatest hits from the Bible, the Qur’an, and the Torah.
Unlike “Sound of Freedom,” “The Story of Moses” will not have a theatrical release. Even if it were cut as a feature-length film instead of a docuseries, that’s just not how Netflix rolls — it wants longterm subscribers, not a one-time box office boon.
“Testament: The Story of Moses” explores the life of Moses and his rise from outcast and murderer to prophet and liberator of the Hebrews, according to the logline. Netflix released the trailer on Tuesday, March 5.
The docuseries’ presentation is part scripted drama, part documentary-style interviews. There are the locusts and the sea-parting and all the greatest hits from the Bible, the Qur’an, and the Torah.
- 3/5/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
No one expected Sound of Freedom to make such a big splash at the North American box office last summer. Nevertheless, this long-shelved drama starring Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard, the controversial head of Operation Underground Railroad, out-grossed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, as well as Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. But, the film wasn’t without controversy, with many online assuming it was somehow linked to QAnon, something the director Alejandro Monteverde denied, saying the goal of the movie was to expose child sex trafficking and that it was never intended to be a political film.
Now, Monteverde is back with perhaps an even more ambitious film, Cabrini, which is based on the life of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American citizen ever to be canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church. To mark the film’s release, we sat down with Monteverde to discuss...
Now, Monteverde is back with perhaps an even more ambitious film, Cabrini, which is based on the life of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American citizen ever to be canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church. To mark the film’s release, we sat down with Monteverde to discuss...
- 3/5/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
There had been some grumblings around town that “Sound of Freedom” was only a box-office hit because of Angel Studios’ Pay-It-Forward system, in which moviegoers could effectively buy another ticket for a complete stranger. Angel Studios just cleared that talk right up.
In a Monday blog post, Angel broke down “Sound of Freedom’s” near-$250 million global box-office haul. The donation system brought in $26.1 million in contributions from individuals, which was enough for 1.82 million free tickets. Not all of them were redeemed.
In all, $21.7 million of that $26.1 million was actually claimed and used for tickets, which means roughly 9 percent of the film’s quarter-billion-dollar box-office revenue box came from strangers prepaying for strangers. The usage rate was twice that on opening day gross.
The system proved quite lucrative for Angel Studios — but it was not pure profit. The company spent $6.4 million marketing the program and sacrificed another $1.1 million to third-party ticketing fees.
In a Monday blog post, Angel broke down “Sound of Freedom’s” near-$250 million global box-office haul. The donation system brought in $26.1 million in contributions from individuals, which was enough for 1.82 million free tickets. Not all of them were redeemed.
In all, $21.7 million of that $26.1 million was actually claimed and used for tickets, which means roughly 9 percent of the film’s quarter-billion-dollar box-office revenue box came from strangers prepaying for strangers. The usage rate was twice that on opening day gross.
The system proved quite lucrative for Angel Studios — but it was not pure profit. The company spent $6.4 million marketing the program and sacrificed another $1.1 million to third-party ticketing fees.
- 3/5/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Doc wherein mainly white Christian men recount their stories, set to dramatic music, and slathered with trippy animations
Here is an American-made documentary that is part of the rising flood of faith-based movies; it contains people recounting visions of an afterlife they experienced while technically dead. Despite being a documentary, it’s little different from feature narrative films such as QAnon-adjacent child-trafficking conspiracy-fest Sound of Freedom or the upcoming hagiography Cabrini, both of which involved After Death’s producers Angel Studios.
Despite interviewees’ conviction that their souls left their bodies and glimpsed another world, we aren’t presented with any proof – sure, the film-makers deploy lots of onscreen graphics in order to reassure us of their subjects’ bona fides, but solemn music, moody lighting and dramatic re-creations don’t just make things magically factual. Or even especially persuasive.
Here is an American-made documentary that is part of the rising flood of faith-based movies; it contains people recounting visions of an afterlife they experienced while technically dead. Despite being a documentary, it’s little different from feature narrative films such as QAnon-adjacent child-trafficking conspiracy-fest Sound of Freedom or the upcoming hagiography Cabrini, both of which involved After Death’s producers Angel Studios.
Despite interviewees’ conviction that their souls left their bodies and glimpsed another world, we aren’t presented with any proof – sure, the film-makers deploy lots of onscreen graphics in order to reassure us of their subjects’ bona fides, but solemn music, moody lighting and dramatic re-creations don’t just make things magically factual. Or even especially persuasive.
- 3/5/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
“Exhuma,” a locally produced occult drama-thriller, expanded its domination of the South Korea box office on its second week of release. That left the newly-released “Dune 2” several sand dunes behind in second place.
“Exhuma,” about two shaman, a feng shui master and a mortician who attempt to undo the mysterious events happening to a U.S.-based Korean family, earned $17.2 million between Friday and Sunday, representing a 69% share of the overall box office market.
Unusually, its second weekend performance was also 19% higher than its opening score of $14.5 million a week earlier. That gave “Exhuma” a $43.5 million total since its debut in theaters on Feb. 22, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).
Its 11-day total makes “Exhuma” the top-grossing Korean film of the year, overtaking “Wonka” on $23.8 million. In terms of admissions, which Korea uses to prepare film ranking charts, “Exhuma” sold...
“Exhuma,” about two shaman, a feng shui master and a mortician who attempt to undo the mysterious events happening to a U.S.-based Korean family, earned $17.2 million between Friday and Sunday, representing a 69% share of the overall box office market.
Unusually, its second weekend performance was also 19% higher than its opening score of $14.5 million a week earlier. That gave “Exhuma” a $43.5 million total since its debut in theaters on Feb. 22, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).
Its 11-day total makes “Exhuma” the top-grossing Korean film of the year, overtaking “Wonka” on $23.8 million. In terms of admissions, which Korea uses to prepare film ranking charts, “Exhuma” sold...
- 3/5/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Sound of Freedom distributor Angel Studios says it distributed more than its planned outlay of “pay-it-forward” tickets to the summer 2023 blockbuster.
In a set of financials provided to Deadline, the company said customers paid $26,075,511 toward the “pay-it-forward” pool of tickets, which allotted $15 per person. Customers expected the company to give out at least 1,738,367 tickets, but in the end officials say they distributed 1,827,634 tickets, or 105% of the initial commitment.
With Jim Caviezel starring as real-life anti-child-trafficking activist Tim Ballard, the film became a left-field box office smash last summer, outdoing mega-budget Hollywood titles like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Its global cume was $249.5 million, including $184.2 million in North America.
Angel CEO Neal Harmon spoke to Deadline about the company’s origins and financial model. He shared statistics about Sound of Freedom during the course of that conversation. (See full financials below.)
In addition to off-screen controversy about Ballard...
In a set of financials provided to Deadline, the company said customers paid $26,075,511 toward the “pay-it-forward” pool of tickets, which allotted $15 per person. Customers expected the company to give out at least 1,738,367 tickets, but in the end officials say they distributed 1,827,634 tickets, or 105% of the initial commitment.
With Jim Caviezel starring as real-life anti-child-trafficking activist Tim Ballard, the film became a left-field box office smash last summer, outdoing mega-budget Hollywood titles like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Its global cume was $249.5 million, including $184.2 million in North America.
Angel CEO Neal Harmon spoke to Deadline about the company’s origins and financial model. He shared statistics about Sound of Freedom during the course of that conversation. (See full financials below.)
In addition to off-screen controversy about Ballard...
- 3/4/2024
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: By his own admission, Angel Studios CEO Neal Harmon does not fit the bicoastal profile of the typical film executive.
At the start of an hour-long interview with Deadline at New York’s Greenwich Hotel, the Tribeca venue owned by Robert De Niro, Harmon acknowledged that he was on only the second trip of his life to New York City. Asked for his impressions, he marveled, “It’s amazing to see so many people coming together and creating something like this city.”
The exec is the third of nine Harmon children raised in a Mormon family on an Idaho dairy farm. Two of his brothers are also execs working at Provo, Ut-based Angel, and another runs one of its episodic series. The family business has hit new heights over the past year, releasing left-field blockbuster Sound of Freedom and helping to foster episodic series like increasingly popular Biblical epic The Chosen.
At the start of an hour-long interview with Deadline at New York’s Greenwich Hotel, the Tribeca venue owned by Robert De Niro, Harmon acknowledged that he was on only the second trip of his life to New York City. Asked for his impressions, he marveled, “It’s amazing to see so many people coming together and creating something like this city.”
The exec is the third of nine Harmon children raised in a Mormon family on an Idaho dairy farm. Two of his brothers are also execs working at Provo, Ut-based Angel, and another runs one of its episodic series. The family business has hit new heights over the past year, releasing left-field blockbuster Sound of Freedom and helping to foster episodic series like increasingly popular Biblical epic The Chosen.
- 3/4/2024
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
To quote a famous lyric from the musical Hamilton, immigrants get the job done. That message seems to be getting lost in the current wave of anti-immigrant sentiment sweeping the nation, if not the world. But it receives a timely reminder in Cabrini, the new drama about Francesca Cabrini, the Catholic missionary who arrived on our shores in 1889 and eventually established enough schools, orphanages and hospitals to form a veritable charitable empire. She became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized, in 1946, 29 years after her death. (And she’s apparently still performing miracles to this day, since she’s billed as one of the film’s executive producers.)
The film arrives courtesy of Angel Studios and director Alejandro Monteverde, both responsible for last year’s surprise, controversial smash hit about child sex trafficking, Sound of Freedom. This effort will likely prove far less divisive, if also less commercial. An old-fashioned,...
The film arrives courtesy of Angel Studios and director Alejandro Monteverde, both responsible for last year’s surprise, controversial smash hit about child sex trafficking, Sound of Freedom. This effort will likely prove far less divisive, if also less commercial. An old-fashioned,...
- 2/29/2024
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Another year, another savior movie. “Dune: Part Two” opens Thursday, and there’s a real chance that its opening weekend will outrank the total domestic gross of any film that’s opened this year. However, this savior doesn’t travel solo: It’s one of four films in March that could pass $100 million in domestic gross — something that hasn’t happened since last July.
The new “Dune” should be the month’s top film, particularly with a March 1 debut, but “Kung Fu Panda 4” (Universal) on March 8 also looks strong. There’s also potential in fellow sequels “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”.
All told, it’s likely that March’s total will meet or exceed the approximately $650 million grossed last year for the same month. That’s essential to reverse the box office’s terrible start to 2024. Through February, grosses will be off more than 20 percent compared to last year.
The new “Dune” should be the month’s top film, particularly with a March 1 debut, but “Kung Fu Panda 4” (Universal) on March 8 also looks strong. There’s also potential in fellow sequels “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”.
All told, it’s likely that March’s total will meet or exceed the approximately $650 million grossed last year for the same month. That’s essential to reverse the box office’s terrible start to 2024. Through February, grosses will be off more than 20 percent compared to last year.
- 2/28/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Christopher Nolan’s deal with Universal for “Oppenheimer” included this: The studio, a leader in early release of films to home platforms, would need to make a very big exception.
At 122 days, “Oppenheimer” had the longest theatrical window of 2023. Compared to the year’s 84 other wide releases, it was more than triple the industry average of 37 days. Universal’s second-longest window belonged to “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which was a bigger hit than Nolan’s film but lost theatrical exclusivity after 41 days.
Studios aren’t interested in specifics around theatrical windows — or, in offering PVOD data beyond top 10 lists that offer neither financial context nor independent verification. This is our attempt to provide a full-year view of theatrical windows, after prior surveys revealed a 30-day average for the first four months of 2023 and 40 days for early summer.
Seasonal differences can be stark; all five of this January’s releases are now on PVOD,...
At 122 days, “Oppenheimer” had the longest theatrical window of 2023. Compared to the year’s 84 other wide releases, it was more than triple the industry average of 37 days. Universal’s second-longest window belonged to “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which was a bigger hit than Nolan’s film but lost theatrical exclusivity after 41 days.
Studios aren’t interested in specifics around theatrical windows — or, in offering PVOD data beyond top 10 lists that offer neither financial context nor independent verification. This is our attempt to provide a full-year view of theatrical windows, after prior surveys revealed a 30-day average for the first four months of 2023 and 40 days for early summer.
Seasonal differences can be stark; all five of this January’s releases are now on PVOD,...
- 2/25/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Movie theaters have had a rough start to the year, but amid the sparse February release slate "Bob Marley: One Love" has found the stage it needed. The biopic from director Reinaldo Marcus Green has passed the $100 million mark at the box office in 10 days, including a record-breaking opening in Jamaica. The film has also held on to the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office in its second weekend, fending off fresh competition from "Drive-Away Dolls," "Ordinary Angels," and "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba."
10 days into its theatrical run, "One Love" has grossed $61.4 million domestically and $39.7 million overseas for a total of $101.1 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It's now looking at a second weekend in the region of $13-14 million at the domestic box office, which even on the low end equates to a very respectable 53% hold.
Music biopics have been on a bit of a hot streak...
10 days into its theatrical run, "One Love" has grossed $61.4 million domestically and $39.7 million overseas for a total of $101.1 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It's now looking at a second weekend in the region of $13-14 million at the domestic box office, which even on the low end equates to a very respectable 53% hold.
Music biopics have been on a bit of a hot streak...
- 2/24/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)
As we've seen in recent years, horror remains a recipe for success at the box office. Truthfully, it's been that way for decades. Another trend that has emerged in the aftermath of the pandemic is faith-based cinema breaking out in theaters, with the controversial "Sound of Freedom" leading the way. To that end, controversy can sometimes fuel massive ticket sales. 20 years ago, one movie combined every single one of those elements to deliver the biggest R-rated movie of all time. That movie was "The Passion of the Christ."
Directed by Mel Gibson, the film focuses on the last 12 hours of in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, played by James Caviezel. The film begins with Jesus praying after the Last Supper before being betrayed by Judas Iscariot.
As we've seen in recent years, horror remains a recipe for success at the box office. Truthfully, it's been that way for decades. Another trend that has emerged in the aftermath of the pandemic is faith-based cinema breaking out in theaters, with the controversial "Sound of Freedom" leading the way. To that end, controversy can sometimes fuel massive ticket sales. 20 years ago, one movie combined every single one of those elements to deliver the biggest R-rated movie of all time. That movie was "The Passion of the Christ."
Directed by Mel Gibson, the film focuses on the last 12 hours of in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, played by James Caviezel. The film begins with Jesus praying after the Last Supper before being betrayed by Judas Iscariot.
- 2/24/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
A new, fifth lawsuit against disgraced anti-trafficking activist Tim Ballard, whose exaggerated rescue missions abroad were the inspiration for the hit film Sound of Freedom, has also taken aim at Angel Studios, the distributor of the controversial 2023 movie. It’s the first civil action targeting Ballard that simultaneously goes after the media company that made millions by mythologizing his exploits.
Brought by the same law firms representing multiple women accusing Ballard of sexual assault in previous complaints (allegations Ballard disputes), this latest suit claims that Ballard and various companies connected...
Brought by the same law firms representing multiple women accusing Ballard of sexual assault in previous complaints (allegations Ballard disputes), this latest suit claims that Ballard and various companies connected...
- 2/24/2024
- by Miles Klee
- Rollingstone.com
Fast And Furious franchise star Jordana Brewster and rising Australian actress Teagan Croft have joined Martin Henderson on XYZ Films and Sentient’s upcoming shark thriller Alphas, which has scored a raft of major pre-sales.
Signature has acquired the title for the UK, Australia & New Zealand, and Canada, SquareOne has picked up German-speaking Europe, and CDC and Zima will distribute in Latin America and Brazil.
Rights have also gone in Eastern Europe (Vertical Distribution), South Africa (Empire Entertainment), and Singapore (Shaw Renters).
Production on Alphas is scheduled to commence in Queensland this summer. Skyline franchise creator Liam O’Donnell will direct...
Signature has acquired the title for the UK, Australia & New Zealand, and Canada, SquareOne has picked up German-speaking Europe, and CDC and Zima will distribute in Latin America and Brazil.
Rights have also gone in Eastern Europe (Vertical Distribution), South Africa (Empire Entertainment), and Singapore (Shaw Renters).
Production on Alphas is scheduled to commence in Queensland this summer. Skyline franchise creator Liam O’Donnell will direct...
- 2/16/2024
- ScreenDaily
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