News

The Palm Springs International Film Awards have long been a star-studded stop on the awards season calendar, held in the early days of January in the desert to jump start the race after the new year. The marathon awards show — at which there are typically around 10 trophies handed out over the course of the evening — will get a bigger dose of glamour courtesy of a new multiyear partnership with Kering.

The global luxury group, parent of fashion houses like Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato and more, will serve as a presenting sponsor. Under the pact, Kering’s Women in Motion series will deliver two Talking Pictures sessions. The news comes on the heels of January’s event, at which Women in Motion test drove two of those sessions, one featuring Maria star Angelina Jolie and the other with the team from Emilia Pérez, Karla Sofía Gascón,...

Global luxury group Kering will be the new presenting sponsor of the Palm Springs International Film Awards, the Palm Springs International Film Society announced Thursday. The awards are skedded for Jan. 3, the second day of the festival which takes place Jan. 2-12.

As part of the sponsorship, Kering’s Women in Motion program ,which spotlights women in the arts and culture, will present two Talking Pictures events during the festival’s opening weekend.

“We are honored to welcome Kering as the Presenting Sponsor of the Palm Springs International Film Awards,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “Kering is more than a global leader in luxury—it’s a force for cultural change. Their commitment to artistic innovation and amplifying diverse voices aligns perfectly with our mission. This partnership celebrates the power of storytelling and the global impact of film.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the Palm Springs International Film...

Variety‘s “Actors on Actors” has received its fourth Daytime Emmy nomination.

The PBS SoCal series, hosted by Clayton Davis, Variety‘s chief awards editor, and Angelique Jackson, senior entertainment writer, pairs actors for candid conversations about their recent projects and insights into the entertainment industry. It’s nominated for outstanding arts and popular culture program. Other nominees in the category include “Black Barbie,” “Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame,” “Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter” and “The Swift Effect.”

The 2024 “Actors on Actors” lineup of Emmy contenders featured Leo Woodall (“One Day”) and Nicholas Galitzine (“Mary & George”); Joey King (“We Were the Lucky Ones”) and Taylor Zakhar Perez; Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”) and Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”); Jodie Foster (“True Detective: Night Country”) and Robert Downey Jr. (“The Sympathizer”); Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig (“Palm Royale”); Tyler James Williams (“Abbott Elementary”) and Anthony Mackie (“Twisted Metal”); Anna Sawai...

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a box office juggernaut for over a decade, but Phase 5 has stirred up some chatter with its financial performance. While still pulling in massive numbers, this phase has averaged $610.7 million per film, making it the least lucrative in MCU history.

We’re diving into the box office earnings of Phase 5’s six films, ranking them from the lowest to the highest-grossing. Let’s break down how each movie stacked up, with some context on their budgets, casts, and what made them tick.

The Marvels (2023) Marvel Studios

This film, released on November 10, 2023, brought in $206.1 million worldwide, with $84.5 million domestic and $121.6 million international. With a hefty $375 million budget, it struggled to break even, marking it as the lowest earner in Phase 5.

Brie Larson returned as Carol Danvers, joined by Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani, but the film faced tough competition and mixed buzz. Its cosmic adventure...

Comic book movies have taken over the big screen, bringing epic battles and larger-than-life heroes to audiences worldwide. Fans flock to theaters or stream these films at home, eager to see their favorite characters leap from the pages of comics to cinematic glory.

Rotten Tomatoes’ audience scores, especially those earning the coveted Certified Fresh badge, offer a clear look at which films truly connect with viewers. This list dives into the top 10 comic book movies that have won over crowds, based solely on those Certified Fresh audience ratings, showcasing the best of the genre.

10. Black Widow (2021) Marvel Studios

‘Black Widow’ dives into Natasha Romanoff’s past, exploring her life before she became an Avenger. Scarlett Johansson shines as the skilled spy, joined by Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, delivering a mix of action and emotional depth.

The film’s 91% audience score reflects its gripping story and strong performances. Fans love...

When James Cameron took us back to Pandora with Avatar: The Way Of Water in 2022, he not only returned heroic Na’vi couple Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) to our screens, but introduced us to their young, extended family too. They include Sully siblings Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) and Tuktirey (Trinity Bliss), plus human Spider (Jack Champion), and Tsireya (Bailey Bass) of the water-based Metkayina Clan. After an extensive audition process, Dalton, Bliss, Champion and Bass spent years shooting The Way Of Water and upcoming third film Fire And Ash concurrently, in roles that defined their childhoods and launched their careers. Empire sits down with the quartet to dive deep into their Avatar journey.

The first watch

Avatar arrived in December 2009, when Dalton (who hails from California), Bass (New York), Champion (Virginia) and Bliss (Los Angeles) were aged eight, six, five, and just one month, respectively. Young as he was,...

Released in 2009, director James Cameron’s film Avatar became the first movie to officially gross more than $2 billion. Then it took him thirteen years to get a sequel into theatres, so it wasn’t clear if the follow-up was going to be able to replicate that success. But then, sure enough, Avatar: The Way of Water also grossed more than $2 billion, paving the way for not only Avatar 3, or Avatar: Fire and Ash, (which is scheduled to reach theatres on December 19, 2025) but also Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 – which will be released on December 21, 2029 and December 19, 2031, respectively. We’ll dig into the fourth and fifth movies eventually, but they’re still pretty far down the line. For now, we’ve put together a list of everything we know about Avatar: Fire and Ash. Here we go:

Production

Cameron started talking up Avatar sequels years before the first movie was even released,...

We are launching our Gold Derby predictions center event for Oscars 2026 nominations today! Even though Academy Awards nominees will not be announced for another six months, on Jan. 22, 2026, see how well you see into the future. Click here to jump in right away, helping us set the extremely early odds and rankings for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.

As we begin this new event, there are almost 50 contenders for Best Picture. Please keep in mind that we will update the predictions center weekly by adding, deleting, and changing movies, performers, and more. These updates will be made based on new information from the studios/campaigners provided to us. A movie and its contenders can only be added once it has a U.S. distributor and an approximate or firm release date in 2025. In a few months,...

From Dances with Wolves and Open Range to the genre renaissance catalyst Yellowstone and then Horizon: An American Saga, Kevin Costner's name is synonymous with the Western genre. However, that doesn't mean the Hollywood legend hasn't found success in other genres, with one of his more forgotten forays into the romantic realm finding unlikely streaming success some 26 years since it first debuted.

Also starring the likes of Wonder Woman's Robin Wright, the late Robbie Coltrane, known best for portraying the Hogwarts gamekeeper Hagrid in Harry Potter; Academy Award winner Paul Newman, and more,Message in a Bottle is a romantic comedy that split both audiences and critics, scoring just 32% from the latter and 66% from the former on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Now, 26 years on, the film is an unlikely streaming hit in the US, officially joining the ranks of Tubi's top ten most-streamed titles, as of July...

In 2011, 14 years before the controversial Oscars buzz of Emilia Pérez, Zoe Saldaña was on top of the world. Having recently starred in huge blockbusters in Avatarand Star Trek, the actress could've taken on almost any project, small or large. Among other forgotten projects, one of Saldaña's most underrated movies was released in this period, namely the revenge thriller Colombiana, directed by Oliver Megaton of Transporter 3,Taken 2, and Taken3 fame.

Following Saldaña as Cataleya, who "works as a contract killer for her Chicago-based uncle," Colombiana is a hard-hitting, gritty action thriller that certainly pulls none of its punches. Proving divisive with audiences and critics, the latter gave the film just 28% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with viewers more appropriately awarding it 67%. Colombiana was originally planned as a spin-off to the beloved Leon: The Professional, with Luc Besson producing the 2011 thriller, but instead it was crafted into a vehicle for...

When it comes to action franchises, Vin Diesel's name might be best associated with the Fast and Furious series of films. However, to some, there's another that is certainly underrated and perhaps even better: The Riddick films. The franchise began with Pitch Black at the turn of the century, then followed in 2004 with The Chronicles of Riddick, and eventually landed on 2013's simply-titled Riddick, although the next entry in the franchise, Riddick: Furya, is reported to be on its way.

It is the third of these movies that is proving popular today, despite being the worst received by audiences, according to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. In spite of this fact, 2013's Riddick, which also stars the likes of Dave Bautista, The Boys star Karl Urban, is officially one of the ten most-streamed titles on Tubi in the US, as of July 7, 2025. This success comes in light of Diesel's recent...

Scarlett Johansson's so money — and now everyone knows it.

With an assist from some rampaging dinosaurs, the Oscar-nominated actress is officially Hollywood's highest grossing lead actor at the worldwide box office, surpassing previous record-holder (and fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe veteran) Samuel L. Jackson. Three other MCU alums, Robert Downey Jr., Zoe Saldaña, and Chris Pratt, round out the top five.

That data comes fresh from the box office tracking site The Numbers, which lists Johansson's cumulative global gross at $14.8 billion versus Jackson's $14.6 billion.

The extra bump can be credited to Jurassic World: Rebirth, which roared its way to an opening weekend tally of $318.3 at the worldwide box office and $147.3 million in the U.S. alone. Despite largely mixed reviews, the seventh installment in the Jurassic franchise proves that audiences young and old still enjoy seeing famous faces like Johansson and Rebirth costars Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali running...

The film industry thrives on star power, with certain actors drawing massive crowds to theaters. Their ability to headline blockbuster hits shapes their box office legacy.

We’re diving into the highest-grossing lead actors of all time, based on worldwide box office totals for films where they played starring roles. From superhero epics to sci-fi adventures, these stars have left a mark with their iconic performances.

10. Bradley Cooper TMDb

Bradley Cooper’s films have earned $11,417,543,887 across 28 projects, averaging $402,679,897 per movie. His standout role as Rocket Raccoon in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ (2014) and its sequels, including ‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019), boosted his totals with the latter grossing $2,794,731,755 globally.

Beyond voice work, Cooper’s lead in ‘A Star Is Born’ (2018), which he also directed, showcased his range, pulling in over $436 million worldwide. His mix of dramatic roles and franchise hits like ‘The Hangover’ (2009) cements his place among the elite.

9. Chris Hemsworth TMDb

With $12,082,125,179 from 27 films,...

Scarlett Johansson set a new record this weekend, becoming Hollywood’s highest-grossing lead actor (before inflation adjustment) at the global box office. And she’s in some pretty familiar company.

The actress overtook the top spot thanks to her new film “Jurassic World Rebirth,” which hit theaters on July 2, playing mercenary Zora Bennett. In its first six days in theaters worldwide, the film notched a $318 million global launch, giving Johansson a lifetime career box office gross of $14.8 billion in films where she plays a lead role or a lead ensemble role.

Naturally, you might find yourself wondering exactly who Johansson surpassed to get there. Well, we can tell you, and yes, there are quite a few Marvel stars on the list.

Check out the 10 highest-grossing lead actors below, according to data from The Numbers:

Chris Evans in “Knives Out” (Lionsgate Films) 10. Chris Evans

Across 29 movies as a leading actor, most...

Scarlett Johansson’s latest blockbuster is now playing in theaters everywhere, and although reviews for the film have been middling, its colossal opening weekend box office total has helped lift her into a special tier. Thanks to Jurassic World Rebirth grossing $318 million at the global box office on opening weekend, Johansson has now become the highest-grossing movie star in history. Her total now stands at $14.8 billion, ahead of the $14.6 billion from her Marvel co-star Samuel L. Jackson. Many names among the highest-grossing stars have the MCU’s success to thank for their lofty totals — Robert Downey Jr., Zoe Saldaña, and Chris Pratt fill out the rest of the top five. Johansson is best known for her role as Black Widow in the MCU, a role that has given her her top five highest-grossing films ever.

The five highest-grossing movies of Scarlett Johansson’s career are Avengers: Endgame ($2.7 billion), Avengers: Infinity War...

Scarlett Johansson has reached a new box office peak thanks to Jurassic World Rebirth's global opening weekend earnings. The seventh installment in the Jurassic Park franchise introduces Johansson to the dinosaur universe alongside co-stars Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey. Directed by Gareth Edwards, the film debuted before the Fourth of July weekend in 2025 and earned $318.3 million globally.

With this huge debut, Jurassic World Rebirth has become the ninth highest-grossing movie of 2025. Johansson's addition to the Jurassic franchise not only reinvigorates the series but also delivers a personal triumph to one of Hollywood's most bankable leading ladies.

Jurassic World has further fueled Johansson's earning power and expanded her international reach. According to box office analytics from The Numbers, Johansson is now not only the ninth top-grossing film star of all time, but with her films collectively earning over $15.6 billion worldwide,she has become the highest-grossing actress of all time at the worldwide box office,...

Jurassic World Rebirth had a tremendous opening at the box office, coming out strong upon its debut at $318.3 million earned worldwide in movie theaters. Already, the film's earnings have helped garner star Scarlett Johansson a major Hollywood record.

Factoring in earnings from Jurassic World Rebirth, Johansson now has a career gross of about $14.8 billion. Via The Numbers, this makes her the highest-grossing actor of all time at the global box office, above a handful of fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe alums. Samuel L. Jackson was holding the record with $14.6 billion before being overtaken by Johansson. Jackson is also a Jurassic franchise star, having appeared in the original Jurassic Park film.

The other names that make up the Top 5 include Robert Downey Jr. ($14.3 billion), Zoe Saldaña ($14.2 billion), and Chris Pratt ($14.1 billion). Pratt also happens to be a Jurassic World star, having appeared in three franchise films.

Johansson may only be holding the title for a limited time.

For those who scoff at the idea of appearing in a Marvel Studios movie, or any other big franchise movie for that matter, Scarlett Johansson is showing exactly why they are a fast-track to the top of the list of highest-grossing stars in Hollywood. While total box office grosses aren’t something that every actor cares about, Johansson has nonetheless become the actress with the largest value in box office receipts after the release of Jurassic World Rebirth. Updated lifetime tallies compiled this week by The Numbers put her cumulative ticket sales at roughly $15.64 billion worldwide, enough to edge past long-time leader Zoë Saldaña, whose films now stand at about $15.55 billion.

The switch in former Marvel stars at the top of the chart came about thanks to Johansson’s first outing in Universal’s dinosaur franchise scoring a big opening weekend of $141.2 million domestic over five days and $312.5 million worldwide.

This hasn't been the best year for Pixar. The animation studio's latest release, Elio, has failed to leave a mark at the box office, and even though critics and fans agree that the movie is worth your time – it landed an 82% score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a whopping 91% audience score – insiders are new revealing the chaotic circumstances in which the Disney movie was brought to life.

Last week, The Hollywood Reporter unveiled some details from Elio's early days of production, and professionals who abandoned the project revealed that one of the aspects that was cut from the story was the fact that Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) was originally a queer-coded character. However, Disney executives reportedly weren't too happy with that, and the title character started to get more masculine with each revised version. Again, according to insiders, that started to happen when test screenings indicated that audiences...

Disney and Pixar’s newest movie, Elio, which follows a young boy who connects with aliens after being mistaken for Earth’s ambassador, features a secret cameo from a groundbreaking Star Trek captain.Elio, which is currently Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 82% critic score and a 91% audience score, stars Yonas Kibreab as Elio and Zoe Saldaña as his Aunt Olga.

At the beginning of the movie, audiences may recognize a familiar voice. It is that of Kate Mulgrew, who portrayed Captain Kathryn Janeway throughout all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager.She broke ground as the first female captain to lead a Star Trek series.

Mulgrew can be heard in the first scene in Elio when the titular young boy and his aunt visit an astronaut museum. Elio ventures off on his own to look at a Voyager 1 craft exhibit. Audiences can then hear the voice of Mulgrew narrating the exhibit.

Taylor Sheridan may be the name most people associate with Special Ops: Lioness, but plot twist, he wasn’t even the original showrunner. That title belonged to Thomas Brady, who initially led the charge with a full writers’ room. Sheridan took over later and rewrote all the scripts solo. However, when it came time to shoot the show, he wasn’t on set. Cinematographer and director Paul Cameron confirmed as much during a Screen Rant interview that aired back on July 18, 2023:

“In this case, we had two scripts when we arrived, and [neither] Taylor nor anyone from his camp directly related was showrunning it. There were some people from his camp, but an actual showrunner per se wasn’t present, so it was a lot of conversations with both Taylor and Michael Friedman, who works side-by-side with Taylor on the production side of things. It’s basically long-distance showrunners.”

That...

One of the highlights of 2022's Avatar: The Way of Water was the return of Stephen Lang's character, Colonel Miles Quaritch. Initially a human character in the original 2009 film, Quaritch's death would lead to the character being brought back as a recombinant Na'vi, and now with an Avatar form of his own, he embarked on a quest for revenge against Jake Sully and his family. What Quaritch didn't know was that his son, Miles "Spider" Socorro (Jack Champion), had been raised by Jake, leading to unexpected tensions and new emotions for the villain. Now, a new first-look image from Avatar: Fire and Ash teases the continuation of that deeply intriguing dynamic.

Coming courtesy of Empire, the publication released an exclusive new image from the highly anticipated third installment in the Avatar franchise. The image, which can be viewed below, depicts Quaritch with his son Spider in what looks...

It's unfortunate, but it doesn't look like Pixar's "Elio" will be another "Elemental" and surprise everyone with a shockingly great box office run. No, "Elio" is a flop, which sucks because the movie is actually rather fun. It's got great alien designs, an entertaining story, and a Carl Sagan quote designed that will make you quite emotional about the possibilities and power of science while also just reminding you of one of the most fascinating minds to walk this planet in the last century.

Sure, it's easy (and not unfair) to blame the marketing for the failure of "Elio" at the box office, combined with the competition from other, higher-profile films. Still, that doesn't change the fact that this simply wasn't Pixar's best. What's more, reports have surface that the movie suffered heavily behind-the-scenes, undergoing creative changes that resulted in a vastly different film hitting theaters than the one...

After its latest film “Elio” flopped at the box office on its opening weekend, Pixar is once again at the center of controversy.

Anonymous sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Pixar CEO Pete Docter opted to have “Elio” be stripped of its gay coded themes, much as was the case for “Lightyear,” “Luca,” and most recently, “Inside Out 2.” This in part led to both the exits of original director Adrian Molina and later, actress America Ferrera.

“A lot of people like to blame Disney, but the call is coming from inside the house,” a former Pixar artist told THR. “A lot of it is obeying-in-advance behavior, coming from the higher execs at Pixar. […] It was pretty clear through the production of the first version of the film that [studio leaders] were constantly sanding down these moments in the film that alluded to Elio’s sexuality of being queer.”

IndieWire has reached...

A new report reveals many of the creative changes that pushed Elio in a different direction. The latest Pixar movie is struggling at the box office, despite an A CinemaScore and an 83% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. After its second weekend, the film has only grossed around $42 million domestically and $72 million worldwide against a $150 million production budget.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Elio's downfall may have started a few years ago. The film was originally directed by Adrian Molina, a co-director of 2017's Coco, who screened the film for an audience in Arizona in 2023.

Reportedly, the crowd enjoyed the film, but no one raised their hand when asked if they would pay to see it, sending warning alerts that changes needed to be made. Elio was initially portrayed as a "Queer-coded" character, but changes were made to make him more "masculine." A former Pixar artist told the outlet that these...

Before he became the mastermind behind Yellowstone and Sicario, Taylor Sheridan was hustling in front of the camera and his TV credits are wildly underrated. Sheridan’s very first on-screen gig was back in the ‘90s – a guest spot in Walker, Texas Ranger, the Chuck Norris cult classic.

Then came his breakout as Deputy David Hale in Sons of Anarchy. Easily his most memorable role until he stepped behind the camera and started dropping bangers like Hell or High Water and Wind River. But fans of Veronica Mars will also remember him as Danny Boyd, the charming yet shady Pch biker who stirred things up between 2005 and 2007.

While his film career exploded, Sheridan never quite ditched acting. Lately, he’s been pulling a Tarantino sneaking into his own shows. He’s already shown up in Yellowstone as Travis (the no-nonsense horse trainer).

From dusty backroads in Walker to outlaw gangs in Soa,...

There are different kinds of stardom. There's the level of fame one achieves by simply being newsworthy for whatever reason in their chosen field, there's the crossover success one attains by appealing to millions of people from different demographics, and then there's the supernova stardom that makes musicians want to become actors, actors become musicians, and athletes become both (typically to their detriment).

As the world entered the 21st century, there were few people more famous than Britney Spears. The teen idol had knocked out two multi-platinum albums, "... Baby One More Time" and "Oops! ... I Did It Again," and caused something of a scandal with her sexy schoolgirl music video for the title track of the former. The provocation worked sensationally in her favor: The public was obsessed with Spears, which led to her landing a hosting gig on "Saturday Night Live" and, predictably, the starring role in a feature film.

Released in 2009, director James Cameron’s film Avatar became the first movie to officially gross more than $2 billion. Then it took him thirteen years to get a sequel into theatres, so it wasn’t clear if the follow-up was going to be able to replicate that success. But then, sure enough, Avatar: The Way of Water also grossed more than $2 billion, paving the way for not only Avatar 3, or Avatar: Fire and Ash, (which is scheduled to reach theatres on December 19, 2025) but also Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 – which will be released on December 21, 2029 and December 19, 2031, respectively. Empire has been giving Avatar: Fire and Ash extensive coverage in the build-up to the film’s release, and their latest report has unveiled a new image of the characters Quaritch and Spider! You can check it out right here:

World-exclusive

Quaritch and Spider return in #Avatar: Fire And Ash, a father-son dynamic set to get seriously complicated.

Acclaimed filmmaker James Cameron opens up about his hotly-anticipated Ghosts of Hiroshima.

Speaking to Deadline, Cameron discussed his adaptation of Charles Pellegrino's upcoming book, Ghosts of Hiroshima, which is based largely on the life and experiences of Tsutomo Yamaguchi, who survived both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings during the Second World War.

"I don’t want to get into the politics of, should it have been dropped, should they have done it, and all the bad things Japan did to warrant it, or any of that kind of moralizing and politicizing," Cameron stated. "I just want to deal in a sense with what happened, almost as if you could somehow be there and survive and see it."

When asked why he wanted to avoid drawing any direct political lines within the film, Cameron replied, "Because I just think it’s so important right now for people to remember what these weapons do.

The Hollywood Insider - 'Elio' Movie Review

In a remake-heavy era, 'Elio', Pixar's latest film may be one of its boldest—and most overlooked. The Power of Disney’s Pixar Movies If you grew up with Pixar like I did, you probably know this pattern by now. You watch a film like ‘Big Hero 6’ or ‘Finding Nemo’ as a kid and love it for its fun. But then years later, you rewatch it—and suddenly it hits different. You start to notice what the characters were really feeling, how every line of dialogue meant more than it did before. That’s the beauty of Pixar. And that’s exactly where ‘Elio’ fits in. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. Limited Time Offer – Free Subscription to The Hollywood Insider Click here to read more on The Hollywood Insider’s vision,...

A new image from Avatar: Fire and Ashhas been released, and it features two of the most important characters from the future of the franchise. Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) left the events of Avatar: The Way of Water knowing that the Sully family would come after him after the death of Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), meaning that the villain might still have a couple of tricks up his sleeve in the new movie. The antagonist of the story appears in the image of Fire and Ash alongside Spider (Jack Champion).

The relationship between the two characters from Avatar: Fire and Ash is a very complicated one. As revealed in the previous sequel directed by James Cameron, Spider is the biological son of the original Colonel Quaritch. While the villain and the young boy are directly related, Spider was raised by Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his friends. Spider was...

James Cameron is back with Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third film in his epic sci-fi series. After the original Avatar in 2009 and Avatar: The Way of Water in 2022, this new movie dives even deeper into the world of Pandora.

It’s still about the blue aliens, stunning visuals, and strong emotions, but this time the story gets darker and more personal.

Cameron didn’t just direct the movie; he also co-wrote the story with Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno. The film is produced by 20th Century Studios and brings back familiar stars like Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang. It also introduces new actors such as David Thewlis and Oona Chaplin.

Related: James Cameron Says ‘Avatar: Fire & Ash’ Will Redefine Zoe Saldana’s Career: “Goes Way Beyond What You’ve Seen Before”

Recently, Empire Magazine gave fans a sneak peek of two important characters: Quaritch,...

James Cameron is back with Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third movie in his giant sci-fi series. It follows Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), and yes, it’s still about blue aliens, deep emotions, and wild visuals. But this time, the story is going into even darker and more complicated places. And things are getting personal.

Cameron is not just directing this one. He also helped write the story along with Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno. The film is made by 20th Century Studios and stars a huge returning cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and many others. A few new faces, like David Thewlis and Oona Chaplin, are joining too.

Now Empire Magazine has provided us with a new look at Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and Spider (Jack Champion).

Via Empire

The movie has been in the works for a long time.

On Thursday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences extended invites to 534 people to become a member, the largest class since 2020. Some of these names were not surprising. Reigning Oscar winners Mikey Madison and Kieran Culkin were invited, though it might be surprising that Culkin, with his extensive career, wasn't already a member, but he also doesn't seem like the type who would have sought out membership previously.. Other 2025 nominees who could vote for the Oscars next year are Ariana Grande, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, and Monica Barbaro.

If all the invitees accept, the total members, including emeriti, will be 11,120, and the number of voting members will be 10,143. In addition, 35 percent of the Academy would be women, 22 percent would be from underrepresented communities, and 21 percent would be international.

Let's take a closer look at the class of 2025.

1. No to Karla Sofía Gascón...

Haven't heard that name in a while,...

Amanda Seyfried has made it no secret that she auditioned to play Glinda in the “Wicked” movies, but the extent to which she tried her hardest to land the role is now coming to light. Speaking on Backstage’s “In the Envelope” podcast (via People), the Oscar nominee revealed: “I auditioned like six times for ‘Wicked.'”

“Because that had to be really just right,” Seyfried said. “I loved it. I was busy. I barely had time to do it, but I made it work. I worked my ass off for years and years and years on that music. I’m competitive… with myself in a really healthy way.”

“There’s something really beautiful about auditioning,” she continued. “If you really have the skill, you’re going to show it no matter what. There’s this weird fear when you walk in that you have to make an impression right away,...

Karla Sofía Gascón will not be voting for the next Best Picture winner. The Spanish actress, who was nominated this year for Best Actress for “Emilia Pérez,” was not on the list of 534 people whom the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited to join. Gascón’s co-star Adriana Paz, who was not nominated, was among the 2025 invitees. Their “Emilia Pérez” co-star Zoe Saldaña, who won this year for Best Supporting Actress, was already a member.

While an Oscar nomination automatically qualifies someone for Academy membership, an invitation is not a guarantee. In this case, the Actors Branch would make a recommendation and then the Academy Board of Governors has final say. But Gascón, who found herself at the center of a prolonged controversy this past winter due to the discovery of racist tweets she had previously sent, is only the second first-time Best Actress nominee from the past...

Fans of a particular Star Trekseries may have heard a familiar voice in Disney and Pixar’s newest animated movie, Elio.The film, which follows the titular Elio, a young boy who connects with aliens after he is mistaken for an ambassador of Earth, stars Oscar-winner Zoe Saldaña as the voice of Olga and Yonas Kibreab as the boy. It also features the voices of Everybody Loves Raymond’sBrad Garrett and The Good Place’s Jameela Jamil.

But one particular voice is proving to be an Easter egg of sorts for fans of Star Trek.Per ComicBook.com, in Elio’s first scene, the titular young boy and his Aunt Olga (Saldaña) struggle to connect at an astronaut museum. In the movie, Elio’s parents suddenly die, and Olga is left to care for him.

A Fitting Scene for the Voice of a Former Starfleet Captain

In the scene, Elio goes...

[Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for “Elio”].

Pixar’s “Elio” is the latest reminder of how hard it is for original animation to succeed theatrically, especially with the kind of personal stories being made under Pete Docter’s leadership. The storytelling struggle was so difficult, in fact, that it prompted a course correction. First-time director Adrian Molina (“Coco”) departed his alien abduction comedy-adventure to rejoin Lee Unkrich on “Coco 2” as co-director once again. But he tapped “Coco” story artist Madeline Sharafian to succeed him, trusting her to complete his pet project.

Molina was in good hands: Sharafian deeply connected with “Elio’s” theme of loneliness and the search for belonging, and contributed some wonderful early concept drawings. She even stuck up for Molina during meetings with the Brain Trust when there was pushback.

“I remember being in some of those later meetings with Adrian fighting for some of the scenes in the movie,” Sharafian told IndieWire.

Disney’s Pixar animated movies are experiencing a decline in popularity, with their original titles failing to score big at the box office. The studio recently released its latest feature film, Elio, in theaters. The sci-fi adventure movie garnered positive reviews from critics, resulting in a strong Rotten Tomatoes score.

However, the critical success did not translate to box office success, which is quickly becoming a sad trend for Pixar movies. As a result, Elio‘s middling box office numbers suggest that original Pixar movies are bound to struggle to draw large numbers. Here’s why that might be bad news for cinema.

Elio‘s impressive Rotten Tomatoes score fails to score big at the box office

Pixar’s latest animated movie to hit the big screens is Elio, a heartfelt tale of an eleven-year-old boy who accidentally becomes the intergalactic ambassador of planet Earth and must face the warlord...

Variety won 16 first-place awards at the SoCal Journalism Awards Sunday night, more than any other entertainment outlet. The haul doubled Variety‘s tally of eight from last year, and set a new high mark for the publication at the awards, besting the previous peak of 14 achieved in 2023.

Among the wins were a top trophy for Variety.com as best website, and an honor for Chris Willman for entertainment journalist of the year.

The Los Angeles Press Club presented the awards at a sold-out banquet at the Millennium Biltmore attended by more than 550 journalists. The 2025 ceremony awarded work published during the 2024 calendar year. Variety went into the event with 93 nominations in 56 categories.

Variety staffers and contributors picking up first-place trophies included Daniel D’Addario, Jennifer Dorn, Owen Gleiberman, Angelique Jackson, Neil Jamieson, Ted Keller, Haley Kluge, Emily Longeretta, Jonny Marlow, J. Kim Murphy, Rebecca Rubin, Ramin Setoodeh, Tatiana Siegel, Greg Swales and Abbey White.

The Mad Titan. The Purple People-Eater. Evil Grimace.

We only made up one of those nicknames, but make no mistake, Thanos is one of the most formidable villains and downright evil in comic book history. That's due to his sheer strength and commitment to fulfill whatever awful goal he has in mind. He's even more powerful when he has the power of the Infinity Stones (or Gems) at his disposal, allowing him to bend the fabric of reality to his whims.

Whether you've read some comics or just stay up-to-date on all things within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you're probably somewhat familiar with Thanos at this point and a couple of the nefarious acts he's committed. But whatever you know likely only scratches the surface of his madness. Some may have the unpopular opinion that Thanos is a terrible on-screen villain, but you'll change your tune once you realize how far he's willing to go.

Disney and Pixar’s newest animated film is breaking a long-standing record for the studio, and that’s not a good thing. Per Variety, Elio, which debuted in theaters on June 20, has earned just $35 million worldwide during its opening weekend. Of that figure, $14 million came from overseas markets.

The $21 million debut outing domestically is now Pixar’s worst-ever behind films like Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo. Elio took third place at the domestic box office. The 1995 Toy Story earned just over $29 million in its first weekend in theaters.

Disney’s 2023 film Elemental held the title of lowest-grossing international debut with $14.9 million from overseas markets until Elio. Elemental did go on to earn nearly half a billion dollars globally during its theatrical run due to word of mouth.

Critics & Audiences Praised the Film

Elio’s box office performance is surprising, as the film has had good reviews from critics and fans alike.

With Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s ongoing controversy, the It Ends With Us actress has been facing some serious heat over the past couple of months. With the constant online chatter showing no signs of slowing down, it doesn’t look like Lively is escaping it all anytime soon.

But amidst all the Baldoni vs. Lively chaos, a surprising career lifeline might make its way to the actress, leaving fans surprised. This career lifeline is none other than Blake Lively’s half-sister, Robyn Lively, who has carved a space in famous American writer, director, and actor, Taylor Sheridan growing TV series empire.

Knowing Sheridan’s love for casting actresses with edge and presence, even when they come with controversy, could this be Blake Lively’s golden chance to get rid of the ongoing drama?

Robyn Lively quietly thrives in Taylor Sheridan’s universe Robyn Lively with co-star Nicole Kidman...

Elio North America Box Office Day 1 Update (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Pixar’s Elio’s opening-day gross is not very impressive, and it debuted at #3 in the domestic box office chart. However, since it is an original animation, it will depend on word-of-mouth, and it is too early to decide its faith. The film’s opening-day collection at the box office in North America is on the depressing side. Keep scrolling for more.

On a positive note, the animated feature received rave reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics gave it 85% and stated, “Catapulted by its theme of building self-esteem, Pixar’s latest cosmic wonder boasts a fanciful world of original creations to dazzling effect.” The audience also agrees with the critic’s rating, rather a little more, as they gave it 91% on the aggregate site. It will suffer because of Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon since they are...

Despite its astounding reputation, Pixar has been struggling in recent years, but its recent animated release appears to be a return to its glory days. The studio, which specializes in animated movies, is best known for creating Toy Story (1995), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), and other major franchises. It even specializes in emotional one-off movies, including Up! (2009), Wall-e (2008), and Ratatouille (2007). Those various Pixar films helped to create a sparkling impression of the studio, but it has struggled in recent years.

The 2020s have been a difficult time for Pixar, as several projects have gone straight to streaming, like Turning Red (2022) and Soul (2020). Then, there was a lukewarm reception for movies like Lightyear (2022). Elemental proved to be an exception, as its long legs turned a $30 million opening into an impressive $485 million run. Inside Out 2 (2024) was another major win for the studio, earning $1.7 billion at the box office. While they had impressive totals,...

Elio has just broken a major Pixar box office record. Unfortunately, it's not one that is worth celebrating.

Per Deadline, after earning $3 million in Thursday previews, Elio is looking at an opening weekend in the range of $22 million. Even if Elio manages to make a few million more than expected, it is not likely that the movie will gross more than the opening weekend of Toy Story ($29.1M), meaning that the latest Pixar movie will become the new record holder for the worst domestic debut in the history of the animation studio.Elio's box office struggles come despite receiving largely positive reviews from critics and audiences. The movie has been certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 85% approval rating from critics, and received an excellent A overall CinemaScore.

Elio isn't the first Pixar movie in recent memory to flirt with posting the worst opening weekend for the animation studio. Two years ago,...

Elio has broken a longstanding Pixar box office record after three decades. The new animated movie, which was directed by Domee Shi, Madeline Sharafian, and Adrian Molina, follows alien-obsessed kid Elio (Yonas Kibreab) being abducted by aliens and befriending the worm-esque Glordon (Remy Edgerly), who helps him defend the intergalactic collective known as the Communiverse when his father Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) attempts to take it over. The Elio cast also includes Zoe Saldaña as Elio's aunt Olga, Shirley Henderson as liquid supercomputer Ooooo, and Jameela Jamil as Communiverse ambassador Questa.

Per Deadline, as of Saturday morning, Elio is projected to close out its opening weekend at the domestic box office with a 3-day debut total of just over $22 million. This will place it at No. 3 on the domestic box office chart for the weekend, behind the new release horror movie 28 Years Later at No. 2 and the live-action remake How...

Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for “Elio,” now playing in theaters.

Disney Pixar’s latest animated feature, “Elio” centers on a young orphan boy who is desperate to be abducted by aliens.

The premise of the film igave the creatives a perfect opportunity to pay homage to great sci-fi classics, including “Alien” and John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” But the one film directors Domee Shi (“Turning Red”) and Madeline Sharafian (“Burrow”) referenced a lot was “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Shi explains, “We reference that movie a lot because it’s also about a guy who’s in love with space.” She adds, “We loved how that film gave the aliens a big drum roll and with the tone, you didn’t quite know were they friendly? What are their intentions? And we liked that aura of mystery for the Communiverse.”

Disney Pixar’s 28th feature was also...

The directors of Pixar's latest picture Elio have commented on the story's themes, and how it is something all too many people are familiar with. ScreenRant's Elio review points to loneliness and fighting it as the story's central theme, told through the lens of a delightfully colorful family-friendly space adventure. Pixar's Elio follows Elio (Yonas Kibreab) — an orphan being raised by his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña) — who is desperate to leave Earth and constantly trying to attract an alien abduction for himself. But when he succeeds, he is greeted with a whole host of alien miscommunications.

Speaking with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan, Elio's directors said that they "always pointed back to loneliness as a theme." As they adjust to a new parenting dynamic, "Elio and Olga are both experiencing loneliness within their relationship," and their feelings are mirrored in a child-parent dynamic with a couple of the alien characters.

Emmy Awards 2025 is nearing, and fans are eager to know who will make it to the top five list of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. It will be a tight competition as we’ve got a lot of brilliant and talented actresses vying for the coveted win.

This article will dive deep into what makes these stars shine. We’ve come up with a comprehensive list of our predictions for the upcoming Emmy nominations, as we believe these actresses have what it takes to bring home the award.

Emmy Awards 2025 Predictions: What to Expect in the Lead Actress in a Drama Series Race Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us / Credits: HBO

Something is mesmerizing about women’s dramatic performances on screen, and, as viewers, we tend to follow their journey not only in a specific show but also in their careers. We love a star who showcases versatility and range,...