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Discovering Old Gems in Netflix’s April 2025 Catalog: Navigating Netflix’s extensive catalog can be overwhelming, especially with the platform’s continuous influx of new titles. This April 2025, Netflix has enriched its library by adding a selection of classic and semi-old films that merit attention. For viewers who enjoy old cinema, these additions are a great chance to revisit timeless stories and performances. Watching old films now and then offers a refreshing break from modern movies and helps you better appreciate the history of cinema. Below is a curated list of notable movies now available on Netflix, complete with details to help you choose your next watch.

New Additions to Netflix in April 2025 The Age of Innocence | 1993 | Director: Martin Scorsese | Genre: Drama/Romance

Set in 1870s New York high society, this film follows lawyer Newland Archer as he becomes entangled in a love triangle with his fiancée and her cousin.

Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation has released the first teaser for the highly anticipated Shrek 5, confirming the returns of Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey, and Cameron Diaz as Fiona - as well as confirming that  Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home; Dune: Part Two; Challengers) has indeed joined the voice cast as Shrek and Fiona's daughter Felicia.

Plot details remain under wraps for now and there's also no word on who's going to be lending their voices to her siblings Fergus and Farkle.

Franchise veterans Walt Dohrn (Trolls; Trolls World Tour; Trolls Band Together) and Conrad Vernon (Monsters vs. Aliens; Sausage Party; The Addams Family) have been tapped to direct, with Brad Ableson (Minions: The Rise of Gru) serving as co-director, while Michael McCullers (Austin Powers in Goldmember; Baby Mama; The Boss Baby) penned the script. 

This will be the first installment in the main franchise in sixteen years,...

Zendaya is Meechee, Chani, and Tashi, but now she will be... Felicia, a.k.a. Shrek's daughter in Shrek 5. Shrek 5 is slated to hit theaters in December 2026, marking 16 years since everyone's favorite ogre graced the silver screen with his own feature film. Shrek 5 has easily become one of the most anticipated movies of 2026 and now has the added advantage of an entire generation who grew up with the original Shrek movies now being old enough to be some of Hollywood's newly established actors who would leap at the chance to join the franchise.

It appears one A-lister joining the Shrek franchise is Zendaya. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Zendaya has joined the cast of Shrek 5 as Shrek's daughter Felicia, first seen in Shrek the Third. The character will now be a full-grown teenager in the upcoming sequel. Universal Pictures released an official video revealing the cast,...

The comedy genre has produced some of the greatest movies of all time, from iconic parodies like Airplane! and Young Frankenstein to satires like The Death of Stalin. When it comes to sequels, the genre has more than most, with the relatively low cost of making a great comedy allowing for success to turn good stories into franchises. As a result, a wide range of comedies of all stripes have produced some excellent sequels.

Comedy sequels can be incredibly hit or miss, with some movies losing key cast members or original creators, while others find success with each entry. However, when they're done right, they can keep the audience coming back for more, even surpassing the prior films. From spy parodies to coming-of-age tales, returning to the stories of entertaining characters can bring the comedy genre to its height -- and some movies prove it.

The Spy Who Shagged Me...

Shrek premiered in 2001, and the franchise was a massive success. Ahead of a new installment, which is set to premiere next year, three of the four feature animated films became a hit on streaming.

The media franchise, which comes from DreamWorks Adaptations, is loosely based on William Steig's 1990 book Shrek!, and it follows the bad-tempered, yet kind green titular Ogre, and his adventures with his friends and family. The franchise features four films, and several TV specials, a spin-off, Puss in Boots, and a state musical adaptations. Ahead of the upcoming Shrek 5, the first three Shrek films became a hit on Netflix globally between the week of Feb. 3 and 9, Tudum reveals.

RelatedDisney Adding New Disclaimer Ahead of Dumbo, Peter Pan, and More Old Titles

Disney is trying to acknowledge its past while looking at the future with a brand-new disclaimer.

The first installment, 2001's Shrek, reached the third...

While the sequel was originally on track to hit theaters in time for a franchise anniversary, Shrek 5's release date has now been delayed.

Some months after the studio confirmed that it was set for a Summer 2026 release date, The Hollywood Reporter has now brought word that Shrek 5's release date is being delayed. The Mike Myers-led animated sequel is now set for a December 23, 2026 release date, ultimately coming out five months later from its original July 1 date. Universal has now swapped in the currently titled Minions 3 into that date, bringing it up nearly a full year from its original June 30, 2027 release date.

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Shrek 5

Shrek 5 continues the adventures of the beloved ogre and his friends in a new chapter of the animated franchise. This installment revisits familiar characters...

In the pantheon of beloved Mike Myers characters — of which there are many — the Scottish ogre named Shrek may be his most beloved. Over the course of four films, we've all laughed and felt with Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona as they butt up against the fairytale world in which they live, and were thrilled when the studio announced the original cast of Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz return for the highly anticipated Shrek 5.

But what's the status of his long-gestating project? Well, we finally have some answers thanks to everyone's favorite Canadian character actor, who told an audience at this year's Vulture Festival that he's already working on the cantankerous green goober's cinematic return.

In a wide-reaching conversation about his truly iconic career, Myers revealed that he's already started work on the latest installment in the franchise, but also that there may still be a long ways to...

Bill Condon thinks Eddie Murphy has got the funk enough to play George Clinton in his new movie about the Parliament-Funkadelic frontman. The film will mark the first time Murphy and Condon have worked together since Murphy's Oscar-nominated performance in Dreamgirls.

As first reported in an exclusive from Deadline, the film's script is being worked on by Virgil Williams, "from an original draft by Max Werner. The project was initiated by Catherine Davis, a lifelong George Clinton fan, who brought the idea to Murphy." Murphy will be producing the film alongside John Davis, Catherine Davis, Greg Yolen, Charisse Hewitt-Webster, Archie Ivy, Jeff Jampol, as well as George Clinton himself.

Related How Sylvester Stallone Inadvertently Helped Launch Eddie Murphy's Hollywood Reign

Beverly Hills Cop helped make Eddie Murphy a bona fide leading man, but the comedy franchise almost looked very different.

Who is George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic?

According to reports,...

The last movie Cameron Diaz appeared in was the 2014 musical comedy drama Annie. Four years later, she officially retired from acting with little explanation.

Speaking at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit, Diaz revealed why she stepped back from Hollywood. "For me, it was just something I had to do," she said in a video shared on X. "It felt like something I had to do to reclaim my own life. And I just really didn't care about anything else. Nobody's opinion, nobody's success, no one's offer, no one's anything could change my mind about my decision of taking care of myself and building the life that I really wanted to have."

Related 'I Can't Tell A Joke:' Modern Family Actor Believed She Wasn't Funny Enough To Star In The Hit Sitcom

Although fans love every character in the sitcom, one actor doubted her ability.

It felt like the right thing...

Beverly Hills Cop and Shrek star Eddie Murphy once voiced the beloved 70s cartoon crimefighter Hong Kong Phooey, and test footage from the ill-fated live-action adaptation of the iconic Hanna-Barbera series has now resurfaced. Murphy, who is no stranger to voicing animated characters thanks to the likes of Donkey and Mulans Mushu the dragon, was cast as the live action Hong Kong Phooey back in 2011, with the project intending to use the same technique as Sonic the Hedgehog, realizing a CGI character in the real-world.

Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and originally broadcast on ABC, Hong Kong Phooey took advantage of the huge popularity that martial arts, kung fu, and movies from Hong Kong saw during the 1970s in Hollywood. The live action outing would have been based on the cult classic cartoon series, which introduces audiences to a mild-mannered dog named Penrod "Penry" Pooch, who works as a janitor at the local police station.

DreamWorks has officially announced Shrek 5: the long-anticipated sequel is set for release in theaters on July 1st, 2026, with original cast members Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz all returning.

Shrek 5 will mark the first new installment of the beloved animated franchise in 16 years. The film was initially slated for release following Shrek Forever After in 2010, but those plans were scrapped by former DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg. With NBCUniveral’s purchase of DreamWorks in 2016, however, there’s been a renewed focus to bring Shrek back to the big screen — though it’s taken a bit longer than anticipated.

In 2022, DreamWorks released the Shrek spin-off film, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which included a mid-credits scene that set the stage for Shrek 5. It was later revealed that Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri would be developing the story for Shrek 5, with Michael McCullers (The Boss Baby) writing its screenplay.

Quick Links What Is The Boss Baby About? What Makes Boss Baby Painfully Dumb? Positives of The Boss Baby

Back in 2017, DreamWorks brought viewers the most unusual baby with their production of The Boss Baby. Directed by Tom McGrath and based on a children's book of the same name by Marla Frazee, the animation brings to screens a demanding, bossy little baby in a suit, extremely different from the endearingly adorable babies in onesies that viewers are accustomed to seeing. The protagonist of the film, Boss Baby, is voiced by Alec Baldwin, with those such as Miles Bakshi (Tim), Jimmy Kimmel (Dad), Lisa Kudrow (Mom), Conrad Vernon (Eugene), and Steve Buscemi (Francis) rounding out the cast.

Having accumulated a worldwide gross of more than $527 million, the success of the first film prompted a TV series, titled The Boss Baby: Back in Business, in 2018. A sequel to the original film, The Boss Baby: Family Business,...

Gather around Shrek fans, for we have some good news. After 15 years since we enjoyed the swampy land of Shrek, Princess Fiona, and their ever-loving and witty sidekick Donkey, talk of the town is that a new movie has already gone into production. And that is not all, as a standalone movie about Donkey is also in the works.

Shrek 2 | Universal Pictures

Eddie Murphy voiced Donkey is one of the most beloved characters of the franchise, and it is to the delight of fans that his character is getting his own movie to share. During a recent interview, Murphy revealed that he will be returning for both movies – Shrek 5 as well as the Donkey movie that has been planned.

Eddie Murphy’s Donkey Will Return With Shrek 5

It’s been 15 long years since Shrek last graced our screens with its many adored characters. Shrek Forever After, which...

Will Ferrell and Bad Bunny are teaming up on new animated film 'Dropz'.The 56-year-old Hollywood star and Grammy Award winning musician, 30, are both involved in a new project for Paramount Animation, which is currently under development.As reported by Variety, studio president Ramsey Naito revealed the film is being produced by Ferrell, with Bad Bunny serving as an executive producer.She described the animated movie as "our E.T. about real kids in a super extraordinary situation".Rob Letterman - known for his work on the likes of 'Shark Tale', 'Monsters vs Aliens' and 'Pokemon Detective Pikachu' - is directing and co-writing the script with playwright Ike Holter.Naito revealed the story is "infused with fashion", and will serve as a "cultural statement" for both kids and families.The Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation chief also revealed other original films, including an adaptation of 'Swan Lake',...

As the Annecy Animation Festival gets underway, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation president Ramsey Naito has revealed development on a string of original films — including the Bad Bunny- and Will Ferrell-produced film “Dropz” and a “Swan Lake” adaptation — which will sit alongside franchises such as Transformers, Smurfs and SpongeBob.

Naito describes “Dropz” as “our E.T. about real kids in a super extraordinary situation.” Producers Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum and David Koplan have teamed up with Bad Bunny, who is on board as an exec producer. Rob Letterman is directing and co-writing the script with Ike Holter. Naito adds that the story is “infused with fashion” and will be a “cultural statement” for kids and families.

“Muttnik” is a sci-fi comedy about a sweet puppy turned “Han Solo-type space bandit,” who is forced to return to the family on Earth that abandoned him. Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Zareh Nalbandian are producing.

Eddie Murphy shares that he is open to the possibility of Shrek 5 and a Donkey spinoff movie. Murphy has been the voice of Donkey ever since the first Shrek released in 2001. He continued to voice the character in the sequels Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever After. Since the last film in the franchise, there have been rumors of a potential Shrek 5 being made as well. Though little has come of it, the recent success of the spinoff movie Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has sparked new life into the franchise and opened the door for more installments.

While promoting his newest movie You People, Murphy shares in an interview with Etalk that he would love to be part of Shrek 5 and to get his own Donkey spinoff movie.

Murphy makes it clear that he would be excited to join Shrek 5 if he was asked by DreamWorks Animation.

Dr. Evil. Fembots. Mini-Me. You’re probably a fan of the Austin Powers movies if these names mean anything. The films were produced and written by Mike Myers, who also starred as the title character and Dr. Evil.

The franchise parodies numerous films and characters, including the James Bond series and Jason King. It also incorporates various other elements of popular culture, following a British spy’s quest to bring his nemesis down.

The movies are filled with humor, action, and references to pop culture, making them timeless classics. If you want to watch the Austin Powers movies in order, you’ve come to the right place. There are three Austin Powers Movies; the first film in the Austin Powers series was produced by Mike Myers, Demi Moore, Jennifer Todd, and Suzanne Todd. However, the last two Austin Powers films were also made by John S. Lyons and Eric McLeod.

The Boss Baby: Family Business — the sequel to Dreamworks Animation’s 2017 comedy — opens in theaters this weekend, reuniting boss baby Ted (Alec Baldwin) with his older brother, Tim (James Marsden). In the film, helmed by Tom McGrath, the brothers are both now adults and embark on a new mission with Tim’s infant Tina (Amy Sedaris), a top secret agent for Baby Corp.

Based on the books by Marla Frazee, McGrath developed the Family Business story with screenwriter Michael McCullers. McGrath previously directed the original Boss Baby and the three films in Dwa’s Madagascar series (while voicing Skipper the penguin).

Tell us about returning ...

The Boss Baby: Family Business — the sequel to Dreamworks Animation’s 2017 comedy — opens in theaters this weekend, reuniting boss baby Ted (Alec Baldwin) with his older brother, Tim (James Marsden). In the film, helmed by Tom McGrath, the brothers are both now adults and embark on a new mission with Tim’s infant Tina (Amy Sedaris), a top secret agent for Baby Corp.

Based on the books by Marla Frazee, McGrath developed the Family Business story with screenwriter Michael McCullers. McGrath previously directed the original Boss Baby and the three films in Dwa’s Madagascar series (while voicing Skipper the penguin).

Tell us about returning ...

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“The Boss Baby: Family Business” landed in theaters and on Peacock on Friday, right on in time for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Alec Baldwin returns for the sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s Oscar-nominated comedy featuring an all-star cast that includes James Marsden, Eva Longoria, Amy Sedaris, Ariana Greenblatt, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, and Jeff Goldblum.

In the movie, brothers Ted (Baldwin) and Tim (Marsden) are all grown up and living separate lives. Ted, former leader of BabyCorp, is a hedge fund CEO. Tim, also married with two kids, works as a stay-at-home dad. The pair have drifted apart over the years, but a magical potion turns them back into babies for a short time,...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on July 1st, 2021, reviewing the new animated film “The Boss Baby: Family Business,” in theaters and streaming on the Peacock Network on July 2nd.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

In this sequel to the 2017 hit, the story centers on the Templeton brothers, the Boss Baby Theodore (voice of Alec Baldwin) and Tim (James Marsden). When Tim’s baby daughter Tina (Amy Sedaris) takes on the characteristics of her Uncle Boss Baby, it’s up to Theodore and Tim to magically transform themselves to their younger personas and do an assignment for Baby Corp … to infiltrate a private grade school run by the eccentric Dr. Armstrong (Jeff Goldblum).

“The Boss Baby: Family Business” opens in theaters and streams on the Peacock Network beginning July 2nd. Featuring the voices of Alec Baldwin, James Marsden, Amy Sedaris, Jeff Goldblum, Eva Longoria,...

The lore of the “Boss Baby” universe is as extensive as it is bewildering. Loosely based on the book by Marla Frazee, 2017’s “The Boss Baby” — which was, shockingly, Oscar nominated — covered the existence of Baby Corp, the company in the sky that creates infants and sends them to Earth either to be raised by human parents or on missions to ensure babies’ hegemony as the most loved creatures. (Puppies are a close runner-up.)

A magical milk formula prevents those chosen ones from growing up, and a whole protocol à la “Men in Black” erases the memories of the adults who received these babies in suits that were never meant to be part of the family but just transient employees for the corporation.

All of these plot points remain in place for the sequel, “The Boss Baby: Family Business,” which follows the franchise’s Netflix spin-off series. With director Tom McGrath,...

The official trailer has arrived for Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, the fourth and final installment of the Hotel Transylvania franchise. On Friday, a new teaser for the animated movie sequel was dropped along with the promise of the official trailer also coming on Monday. Ahead of the movie's premiere this summer, the trailer has now made its way online, and you can watch the video below.

While most of the voice cast is returning from the previous three movies, the voice of Dracula will now be played by Brian Hull. Previously, Sony tested the waters with Hull by having him voice Dracula in Monster Pets, an animated short film created to help promote the upcoming sequel. At the time, Hull posted about his casting in the short on Twitter, but it wasn't clear that he'd also be voicing the vampire in the movie with Adam Sandler not returning.

Hey y’all!

Jeff Goldblum, Ariana Greenblatt, Eva Longoria, James Marsden and Amy Sedaris have joined the voice cast of DreamWorks Animation’s sequel “The Boss Baby: Family Business.”

Alec Baldwin reprises his role as Boss Baby Ted, and Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow are reprising their voice roles as Ted’s parents. Greenblatt will voice the role of the super-smart 7-year-old Tabitha who idolizes her Uncle Ted and wants to become like him. Marsden and Longoria will voice the roles of Tabitha’s parents while Goldblum will handle the role of the mysterious founder of Tabitha’s school, the Acorn Center for Advanced Childhood.

The original “The Boss Baby” opened in 2017 and took in more than $520 million at the worldwide box office. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature. Tom McGrath directed from a script by Michael McCullers, loosely based on Marla Frazee’s 2010 picture book. Baldwin...

Exclusive: Entertainment lawyers Leigh Brecheen, David Feldman, Stephen Breimer, Richard Thompson and Ashley Silver have peeled away from Bloom Hergott to launch their own new entertainment law firm.

Brecheen, Feldman, Breimer, Silver & Thompson opens its doors immediately, based in the penthouse offices at the Watt Plaza Building in Century City. This follows last spring’s Deadline revelation that Jake Bloom was retiring and Alan Hergott would step down from the storied firm Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal Laviolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman.

The partners in the new firm worked with each other for many years at the former Bloom Hergott firm in the areas of film, scripted and unscripted TV, digital, social and new media, as well as merchandising, licensing, publishing, sports and other areas. The group will continue to represent a list of clients that includes Conan O’Brien, John Oliver, Mel Gibson, Keegan-Michael Key, Lucas Hedges, Amy Ryan, Krysten Ritter, Damon Wayans,...

Exclusive: The Boss Baby director Tom McGrath is returning to helm the DreamWorks Animation sequel. The first 2017 movie earned McGrath an Oscar nomination in the animated feature film category and grossed over $527M at the worldwide box office. It also spawned a Netflix series The Boss Baby: Back in Business.

The Boss Baby 2 will mark McGrath’s sixth movie as a director with Dwa followinig the Madagascar trilogy, Megamind, and the first Boss Baby. Combined, McGrath’s Dwa pics have grossed $2.7 billion at the worldwide B.O. Adapted by Michael McCullers from Marla Frazee’s book, Boss Baby stars Alec Baldwin as a suit-wearing, briefcase-carrying baby who pairs up with his 7-year old brother to stop the dastardly plot of the CEO of Puppy Co. Boss Baby 2 is scheduled for a March 26, 2021 release via Universal.

It was also announced today that Jeff Hermann will be making his feature film...

Newly minted Oscar winners Sony Pictures Animation have announced a fourth installment in Genndy Tartakovsky’s “Hotel Transylvania” series.

Not a surprising move, considering the Adam Sandler-led family spin on classic movie monsters has grossed over $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office.

While it’s unclear what tone the film will take, Sony will release it Dec. 21, 2021, in the Christmas release block.

Last year’s “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” netted a series best and a new benchmark for Sony with a $528.6 million global haul. That starred Sandler, Selena Gomez, Kathryn Hahn, Andy Samberg, Kevin James, and Fran Drescher. It was written by Tartakovsky and Michael McCullers, with Michelle Murdocca serving as producer.

“Hotel” sees Sandler as a hapless version of Dracula, running an elite hotel for monsters which includes his pals Frankenstein (James) and his bride (Drescher), a werewolf (Steve Buscemi), the invisible man (David Spade), and a hunchback (Jon Lovitz).

On Sunday,...

Features the voices of: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Jim Gaffigan, Kathryn Hahn, Chris Parnell, Joe Jonas, Chrissy Teigen | Written by Genndy Tartakovsky, Michael McCullers | Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky

In Hotel Transylvania 3, Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury monster cruise ship so he can take a summer vacation from providing everyone else’s vacation at the hotel, and the rest of Drac’s Pack cannot resist tagging along. The monsters are all having a great time, indulging in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to colossus sized buffets and exotic excursions, but then the unexpected happens as Drac falls for the intriguing-yet-dangerous captain of the ship. Balancing family, friends, and a budding romance might just be too much, even for the most powerful vampire…

Two minutes...

Features the voices of: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Jim Gaffigan, Kathryn Hahn, Chris Parnell, Joe Jonas, Chrissy Teigen | Written by Genndy Tartakovsky, Michael McCullers | Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky

In Hotel Transylvania 3, Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury monster cruise ship so he can take a summer vacation from providing everyone else’s vacation at the hotel, and the rest of Drac’s Pack cannot resist tagging along. The monsters are all having a great time, indulging in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to colossus sized buffets and exotic excursions, but then the unexpected happens as Drac falls for the intriguing-yet-dangerous captain of the ship. Balancing family, friends, and a budding romance might just be too much, even for the most powerful vampire…

Two minutes...

The weekend’s two box office openers are coming in a far cry apart, with “Hotel Transylvania 3” soaring to an estimated $41 million from 4,267 sites while Dwayne Johnson’s “Skyscraper” heads for a stale $25 million from 3,782 domestic locations.

“Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation’s” estimate places it at the top of the box office, with Disney-Marvel’s latest installment, “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” looking to nab the second place spot in its sophomore weekend with an estimated $28 million from 4,206 theaters. That leaves Universal’s “Skyscraper” in third.

“Incredibles 2” will again battle it out with “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” for the fourth place slot, with each likely to bring in around $15 million.

“Hotel Transylvania 3” earned $16.65 million on Friday for Sony. The first “Hotel Transylvania” debuted with $42.5 million in North America in 2012 and earned $358.4 million globally by the end of its run. “Hotel Transylvania 2” launched with $48.5 million domestically in...

Sony’s “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” is heading for a box office victory while Dwayne Johnson’s “Skyscraper” is badly under-performing at the North American box office, early estimates showed Friday.

“Hotel Transylvania 3” will finish in the middle of forecasts with projections between $40 million to $44 million at 4,267 sites, while “Skyscraper” should finish at about $23 million — well below recent projections in the $33 million to $40 million range. “Skyscraper” looked likely to finish in a distant third place behind the second weekend of Disney-Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” which is expected to decline 59% to $31 million.

“Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” is the first animated comedy to open since Disney-Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” launched on June 15. “Incredibles 2” has become a smash hit and should finish the weekend at about $534 million domestically.

The downbeat performance of “Skyscraper,” opening at 3,782 North American locations, may have resulted from the frequency of...

Sony’s “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” checked in with $2.6 million on Thursday night, easily topping Dwayne Johnson’s action-thriller “Skyscraper,” which climbed to $2 million.

The two newcomers are competing for the top spot with the second weekend of Disney-Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” with all three heading for respectable $30 million-plus outings. Recent forecasts have placed “Hotel Transylvania 3” at $38 million to $48 million when it opens at 4,267 locations.

“Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” has a voice cast featuring Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Keegan-Michael Key, Molly Shannon, Fran Drescher, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, and Mel Brooks.

The first “Hotel Transylvania” opened with $42.5 million in North America in 2012 on its way to $358.4 million at the worldwide box office. In 2015, “Hotel Transylvania 2” launched with $48.5 million domestically and wound up with $473.2 million worldwide.

Showings of “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” began at 5 p.

Dwayne Johnson’s “Skyscraper” grossed $1.95 million at the Thursday box office.

In comparison, his last movie “Rampage” earned $2.4 million in previews before opening to $35.8 million. Perhaps another comparison is “The Legend of Tarzan,” which earned $2.6 million in previews before grossing $38.5 million its opening weekend in 2016.

Legendary and Universal’s “Skyscraper” is looking to open in the $35 million to $40 million range, against a reported budget of $120 million.

When writer-director Genndy Tartakovsky and writer Michael McCullers started work on Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation in mid-2016, they knew they were embarking on what is first and foremost a comedy, but as the production progressed, they were struck by how relevant its underlying message about tolerance and acceptance had become.

In the film, which opens today and like the other entries in the franchise was inspired by the Tex Avery style of animation, the vampiric Drac (Adam Sandler) reluctantly embarks on a cruise with his family. He then finds himself falling for the captain of the ...

When writer-director Genndy Tartakovsky and writer Michael McCullers started work on Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation in mid-2016, they knew they were embarking on what is first and foremost a comedy, but as the production progressed, they were struck by how relevant its underlying message about tolerance and acceptance had become.

In the film, which opens today and like the other entries in the franchise was inspired by the Tex Avery style of animation, the vampiric Drac (Adam Sandler) reluctantly embarks on a cruise with his family. He then finds himself falling for the captain of the ...

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation has fang-tastic movie monster characters, gorgeous animation, and a top-notch voice cast, and though it’s the weakest entry in this franchise so far, it still manages to be just enough fun to recommend. After a 19th century prologue with Dracula (Adam Sandler) battling his nemesis Professor Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan), Part 3 finds The Count continuing to run his monster Hotel in Transylvania along with his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) and her husband Johnny (Andy Samberg). A TV commercial encourages Mavis to surprise her dad with a trip on a luxury cruise liner for monsters that starts at the Bermuda Triangle and ends up in Atlantis, so the whole monster gang packs up for a fun adventure at sea. Complications arise when Dracula feels a “zing” (monster lingo for love at first sight) for the ship’s captain Ericka (Kathryn Hahn), who, unbeknownst to the Count,...

“Hotel Transylvania 3” proves that you can both check out of and leave the titular resort, even if you wind up, as Count Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) peevishly observes, at what amounts to a hotel on a boat.

“Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” sees the “Drac pack” relaxing aboard a cruise ship. And while no one’s going to mistake this franchise for Pixar, returning director Genndy Tartakovsky (“Samurai Jack”) keeps the slapstick coming at enough of a relentless pace to make this animated sequel a midsummer delight.

(There’s something to be said for a monster movie that manages to work in three separate dance numbers, one of which involves springing deadly traps in an undersea ruin.)

Also Read: 'Ghostbusters,' 'Hotel Transylvania' Animated Series in the Works From Sony

Dracula and his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) have been working shoulder-to-shoulder in the hospitality biz, but...

As we move into the second half of the summer, the box office is expected to slow down after the best ever quarter in industry history. That drop starts this weekend, as Universal’s “Skyscraper” and Sony Pictures Animation’s “Hotel Transylvania 3” open against a second-weekend “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”

Both films are projected by analysts to open in the $35-40 million range domestically and contend against “Wasp” for the No. 1 spot, with “Hotel Transylvania” opening at 4,200 locations and “Skyscraper” opening on 3,700.

But that won’t be enough for “Skyscraper,” with its reported $120 million budget co-financed by Universal and Chinese-owned Legendary Entertainment. The film is looking for success in China, where Legendary East is distributing, as well as other overseas markets, to recoup its big spend. With the action thriller set in Hong Kong and Dwayne Johnson in the lead role, the pieces are in place for the action thriller...

In the first “Hotel Transylvania,” Count Dracula’s refusal to conform to the clichés of vampire legend was a mantra for the whole movie, a fast-paced and joke-filled riff on monster mythos that, in its best moments, played like a self-contained Looney Tunes version of “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.” After that mildly pleasant surprise, the sequel mostly abandoned the monster hotel conceit in favor of a lackadaisical venture into the human world and Drac’s vain attempt to coax fangs out of his half-human grandson. Now “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation,” by far the worst of the series, spends virtually no time in the hotel and runs out of commentary on classic monsters, despite renewing the rivalry between Dracula and the vampire slayer Van Helsing. In the dead of summer, younger audiences won’t likely care that it’s blah, blah, blah, and it seems destined to drain another $150 million out of parents’ pockets.

Sony’s animated “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” is heading for a solid domestic opening in the $40 million to $45 million range for the July 13-15 weekend, early tracking showed Thursday.

First estimates for Universal-Legendary’s Dwayne Johnson action-thriller “Skyscraper” came in between $32 million and $40 million for the same period.

The first “Hotel Transylvania” opened with $42.5 million in North America in 2012 on its way to $358 million at the worldwide box office. In 2015, “Hotel Transylvania 2” launched with $48.4 million domestically and wound up with $473 million worldwide.

Amazon announced Thursday morning it’s offering its Amazon Prime members an exclusive early showing of “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” on June 30 at about 1,000 theaters across the country. “Hotel Transylvania 3” has a voice cast featuring Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Keegan-Michael Key, Molly Shannon, Fran Drescher, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, and Mel Brooks.

The film is directed by...

Amazon is offering its Amazon Prime members an exclusive early showing of Sony’s animated “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation,” two weeks before the movie’s release.

The early showings for Prime members will take place at 3 p.m. local time on June 30 at about 1,000 theaters across the country. Members can buy up to 10 tickets per showing online at Amazon.com/HotelT with ticketing powered by Atom Tickets.

“We can’t wait to welcome Prime members on this monster vacation before anyone else,” said Elias Plishner, executive VP of worldwide digital marketing for Sony Pictures. “Summer vacation has officially started, and this movie will be a perfect way for families and friends to spend quality time together.”

“Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” has a voice cast featuring Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Keegan-Michael Key, Molly Shannon, Fran Drescher, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, and Mel Brooks.

Annecy, France — Wednesday night saw the unofficial world premiere of a nearly-finished version of the third in Sony Pictures Animation’s tentpole film series, “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.”

The first two “Hotel Transylvania” films have been the company’s largest animation box office hits outside of the first “Smurfs” movie. “Hotel Transylvania” and “Hotel Transylvania 2” accumulated a combined U.S. box office in excess of $800 million.

“Hotel 3” was introduced to the audience by franchise director and animation legend Genndy Tartakovsky. The ovation for the man behind series such as “Samurai Jack,” “Dexters Lab” and “Star Wars: Clone Wars” was perhaps the biggest of the evening. He also co-wrote this installment, the first time he has held that mantle for a “Hotel Transylvania” film.

“The interesting thing is I got an opportunity to write this one along with Michael McCullers,” Tartakovsky told Variety in an interview. “And because I...

The world’s favorite monster family is back and they are going from the hotel to the high seas in Sony Pictures Animation’s forthcoming Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. On Wednesday morning, stars Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Keegan-Michael Key, and Kathryn Hahn were on hand at Spa headquarters to talk about the third installment of the successful animated franchise alongside director and writer Genndy Tartakovsky — who came up with the idea for the movie on his own summer vacation.

After the second Hotel Transylvania, Tartakovsky said he wanted to close the chapter on the franchise. Just when he thought he was done making the lovable monster movies he said, “my family surprised me with a cruise and something clicked — it would make a good setting for a monster family.” This sparked the beginning of Summer Vacation.

The third film will appropriately be released on July 13 in the midst of...

Coming to theaters this summer on Friday the 13th, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (formerly known as A Monster Vacation) is teased in a new trailer from Sony Pictures Animation that takes Dracula and the ghoulish gang to some deadly destinations on the sea.

"In Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, join our favorite monster family as they embark on a vacation on a luxury monster cruise ship so Drac can take a summer vacation from providing everyone else’s vacation at the hotel. It’s smooth sailing for Drac’s Pack as the monsters indulge in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to exotic excursions, and catching up on their moon tans. But the dream vacation turns into a nightmare when Mavis realizes Drac has fallen for the mysterious captain of the ship, Ericka, who hides a dangerous secret...

Sony Pictures Animation has released the first trailer for Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, along with a new poster and photo from this animated sequel. Unlike the first two movies, this sequel isn't really set at the actual Hotel Transylvania, with Drac and his family and monster friends setting sail on a cruise. This trailer comes a few months after fans got to see the Hotel Transylvania short film entitled Puppy, which was attached to prints of Sony's The Emoji Movie.

In Sony Pictures Animation's Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury monster cruise ship so he can take a summer vacation from providing everyone else's vacation at the hotel, and the rest of Drac's Pack cannot resist tagging along. It's smooth sailing for Drac's Pack as the monsters are all having a great time, indulging in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer,...

After spending some quality family time in Dracula's castle in the first two Hotel Transylvania movies, the ghoulish gang is heading out to sea for some much-needed downtime in the trailer for Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.

Slated for a July 13th, 2018 release from Sony Pictures, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is teased in the first trailer below, and we also have the official synopsis that promises a love story for Adam Sandler's creature of the night:

"In Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, join our favorite monster family as they embark on a vacation on a luxury monster cruise ship so Drac can take a summer vacation from providing everyone else's vacation at the hotel. It’s smooth sailing for Drac’s Pack as the monsters indulge in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to exotic excursions, and...

DreamWorks Animation announced today that they are moving forward with The Boss Baby 2, and Alec Baldwin is returning to voice the title character. The studio has also revealed that the entire creative team behind the first movie will return for this sequel, which means that Tom McGrath will be back to direct from a script by Michael McCullers, based on Maria Frazee's hit picture book series. Universal Pictures will distribute this animated sequel, which will be an all-new adventure based on the Boss Baby books, although no specific plot details were given.

DreamWorks Animation revealed the first poster for the movie on Twitter today, featuring the beloved title character. The studio has also set a March 26, 2021 release date, which, as of now, is the only movie to stake a claim to that particular date. There is also an untitled Disney live-action movie slated to debut two weeks earlier on March...

Whether you're looking forward to it or not, another Shrek sequel is on the way! Today, Michael McCullers (Austin Powers, Baby Mama) announced that he's finished working on the script for a fifth Shrek movie, and has stated that the film is now in development. In fact, while promoting his work on the Dreamworks animated film Boss Baby, McCullers told The Hollywood Reporter, "I finished that script, which... Read More...

Fresh off the strong opening weekend of The Boss Baby, screenwriter Michael McCullers is set to adapt the children's book Frogkisser! for Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.

The tone of the fairy tale musical — which will be a CG-animated hybrid title starring a live-action lead — is akin to the Shrek films and The Princess Bride: "Lighthearted but tongue-in-cheek."

Written by fantasy/Ya author Garth Nix, Frogkisser! centers on Princess Anya, who has an uncanny ability to break curses with magic-assisted kisses. When her evil stepfather (aka her evil...

DreamWorks has been recommitting to properties and authors lately—the animation studio recently announced it would adapt another one of How To Train Your Dragon creator Cressida Cowell’s books. Now the production company is giving The Hollywood Reporter an update on its proposed Shrek revival. Baby Mama and The Boss Baby screenwriter Michael McCullers was tapped to craft another chapter in the ogre’s fairy tale. And apparently, with great Shrek power comes great Shrek responsibility—McCullers tells THR he felt “a pretty big reinvention” was warranted for the franchise, which already holds four films and has lots of “beloved... great characters.”

McCullers wasn’t at liberty to proffer any Shrek 5 details, but he did cop to really digging his completed script, which he describes as “really personal” to him. And in other DreamWorks news, preproduction on Hotel Transylvanian 3 is going swimmingly.