All articles tagged with #film industry
A24 has become the go-to studio for recording artists seeking acting roles, leveraging its auteur credibility to cast musicians like Charli XCX, Moses Sumney, Brandy, and Phoebe Bridgers in film—and often in high-profile cameos or carefully chosen leads. The studio’s strategy combines artistic clout with cultural buzz rather than chasing box-office gravity, expanding artists’ careers even when some projects aren’t blockbuster hits.
AMC Entertainment posted Q4 revenue of $1.28 billion (down from $1.30B) with 56.3 million attendees (vs. 62.4M) and a net loss of $127.4 million; full-year 2025 revenue rose to $4.8 billion but annual losses widened to $632.4 million. CEO Adam Aron remains optimistic about a box-office rebound driven by a stronger 2026 slate, including titles like Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomday, Moana, Dune: Part Three and The Odyssey. The stock has faced pressure, with a Moderate Sell consensus and a target near $1.53, and shares fell in early trading.
More than 80 current and former participants, including Javier Bardem, Tilda Swinton and Adam McKay, signed an open letter condemning Berlinale for its silence on Gaza and urging the festival to oppose Israel's actions, arguing that art and politics are inseparable; the move follows Wim Wenders' remark that filmmakers should stay out of politics and Berlinale's defense of artists' right to speak.
The Amazon MGM–released Melania documentary expanded to 300 more theaters in its second weekend but tumbled 67% to about $2.4 million, bringing its U.S. total to roughly $13.4 million and fueling concerns about its profitability given its $75 million all-in price ( ~$40M for rights plus ~$35M marketing). In the broader market, Super Bowl weekend drew audiences away from cinemas, with ‘Send Help’ leading domestic box office at about $10 million, followed by titles like ‘Solo Mio’ and ‘Iron Lung’ as studios leaned into TV ads during the game.
Cinematographer Roger Deakins reflects on five decades behind the camera, his craft as lighting and visual storytelling, and the collaborative nature of filmmaking. In conversation with his wife James, he discusses his new memoir Reflections: On Cinematography, his preference for careful, minimalist shooting over flashy tech, and his concerns about how AI, streaming, and CGI are reshaping Hollywood toward more event-driven cinema. He laments the loss of character-driven films, outlines the discipline of lighting and planning, and notes how Team Deakins and outreach work aim to demystify the industry for newcomers while acknowledging a changing future for film.
Paramount chairman and CEO David Ellison sent an open letter outlining an anti-monopoly, competition-forward stance as part of his $108.4 billion hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. He pledges the combined entity would produce at least 30 theatrical features annually (15 from Paramount Skydance and 15 from Warner Bros. Studios), keep HBO independent, and maintain long theatrical windows (a minimum 45 days before PVOD, with 60–90 days for top titles), while continuing to license content and acquire third‑party material. Ellison argues the deal would strengthen competition against Netflix amid U.S. and EU regulatory scrutiny.
AI-driven digital actors like Tilly Norwood rekindle debates in Hollywood about whether hyperreal CGI can replace human performers, echoing the 2001 case of Aki Ross from The Spirits Within and underscoring that while technology advances, authentic human performance and ethical considerations remain central.
Amazon paid about $40 million to license a Melania Trump documentary and earmarked roughly $35 million more for marketing, making it one of the most expensive non-fiction titles to date. The piece contrasts that budget with historic documentary costs (The World At War at ~$17.6m in today’s money; Walking With Dinosaurs at $9.9m; Planet Earth at $25m; Earth at $47m), notes the 20-day shoot at Mar-a-Lago, and highlights Melania Trump’s co-production role as well as Ratner’s involvement. It argues the high spend, contrasted with uncertain box-office returns, may reflect strategic aims (such as political influence) rather than a typical documentary run, and cites reception at a White House screening and broader industry speculation.
Naomi Watts laments that menopause has long been played for jokes in cinema and campaigns for more realistic, empowering midlife stories in Hollywood. She recounts her own perimenopause experience, notes her menopause-focused ventures (including a brand and a forthcoming book), and points to growing but still sparse representation in TV and film, urging creators to move beyond stigma and stereotypes.
Kristen Stewart tells The Times U.K. that ‘reality is breaking’ under Donald Trump and that her indie directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, could not be made in the United States. She warns that Trump-era policies, including tariffs on foreign films, threaten the industry and suggests she may base future directing work in Europe (potentially Latvia for shoots), highlighting the ongoing gender bias in Hollywood and the need for alternative production hubs to realize female-led stories.
More than 700 artists, including Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, have joined a new anti-AI campaign arguing that training AI on copyrighted work without permission is theft, calling for licensing deals to balance innovation with creators’ rights and protect the U.S. entertainment industry.
The Hollywood Reporter’s exclusive oral history gathers memories from dozens of filmmakers about Sundance’s evolution—from its scrappy, snowbound beginnings to becoming a global marketplace that launched careers (from Clerks and Reservoir Dogs to Boys Don’t Cry and Garden State) and delivered legendary world premieres. It reveals the highs and heartbreaks of festival life, the high-stakes bidding wars, and Sundance’s enduring influence on indie cinema, even as the festival moves from Park City to Boulder, Colorado.
Avatar: Fire & Ash leads the MLK weekend box office, overpowering competing releases such as The Bone Temple’s 28 Years Later and other new titles as audiences flock to the blockbuster.
Avatar: Fire and Ash maintains the fifth-weekend lead at the domestic box office, while 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opens behind it; Zootopia 2 reportedly breaks a new box-office record.
A long-awaited return for The Bone Temple opens with a disappointing weekend box office, underperforming against expectations and competing releases, signaling a lukewarm reception despite the film’s 28-year wait.