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Exclusive: Sony’s President of Domestic Distribution Adrian Smith is retiring after a 35-year run at the studio.

Taking over for Smith is Adam Bergerman who is being upped to President of Distribution.

Smith was named to the post in January 2013. Following the retirement of longtime Worldwide Distribution President Rory Bruer in April 2017, global duties were separated with Smith on domestic, and Steven O’Dell overseeing International.

Smith was key in the release of 1,025 films across all Sony labels, 202 of them No. 1 titles. His fingerprints are all over the successful revivals of the Bad Boys franchise, the animated Spider-Verse films, Ghostbusters, the Venom $1 billion+ series as well as the Tom Holland-starring Spider-Man movies which have minted close to $4B alone. The release of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home stands as the 7th highest grossing movie of all-time, the best ever for Sony, with $1.95 billion worldwide and $814.8M domestic.

Bergerman is a 28-year Sony vet,...

Blake Lively's controversial movie that made $351 million at the box office has landed on Netflix's global chart. The actress broke through in 2005 with her supporting role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and returned for its 2008 sequel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. However, Blake Lively gained further recognition for her role as Serena van der Woodsen in The CW's popular teen drama Gossip Girl from 2007 to 2012.

During and after Gossip Girl, Lively starred in several romantic comedies in supporting roles, such as the anthology New York, I Love You, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, and Woody Allen's Café Society. She also starred in several thrillers, Ben Affleck's The Town and Oliver Stone's Savages, and the superhero movie Green Lantern, where she met her husband, Ryan Reynolds. After several supporting roles, Lively went on to star as the lead in The Age of Adaline,...

Megan Fox's new sci-fi thriller with a 50% Rotten Tomatoes score has landed on Netflix's global chart. Following early supporting roles in Holiday in the Sun, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, and the ABC sitcom Hope & Faith, Fox rose to fame on the back of her breakout role as Mikaela Banes in Michael Bay's blockbuster, Transformers. Though she reprised her role in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, she didn't return for any of the following sequels.

She did, however, play April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, produced by Michael Bay. Following her departure from the Transformers movies, Fox began experimenting with roles in other genres, such as horror, playing the titular character in Jennifer's Body, and appearing in the fifth and sixth seasons of the Fox sitcom New Girl. In 2021, Fox starred in the thriller Till Death,...

Kathryn Hahn is currently having her big moment in Hollywood following her scene-stealing performance as Agatha Harkness in WandaVision, followed by her standalone show Agatha All Along. Therefore, with the Ohioan actress holding onto her headlines all year long, let’s take a look at her early life and discuss a few things that people might not know about this witchy wonder.

Kathryn Hahn in Agatha All Along (2024) | Image: Disney+

Considering how Kathryn Hahn showcased her iconic performance in the MCU spinoff series, it’s for sure that the actress isn’t new to the industry. Actually, she has had ample opportunities to flex her acting prowess, since Hahn has been a top-tier performer for well over a decade. But her acting skills aren’t all that’s interesting about Hahn. This treasure trove of talent has more to her than you might know.

1. Kathryn Hahn is an Ivy Leaguer...

Even if you don't know the name Genndy Tartakovsky, chances are high that if you watched cartoons in the '90s or '00s, you've seen his work. "Dexter's Laboratory" kickstarted the reign of Cartoon Network by becoming the first so-called "Cartoon Cartoon," while "Samurai Jack" is one of the most influential cartoons from the '00s thanks to Tartakovsky's eye for dynamic action and understanding of the importance of silence in storytelling. Even his "Star Wars: Clone Wars" micro-series continues to influence "Star Wars" to this day. And outside of animation, Tartakovsky helped save the action scenes in "Iron Man 2."

In 2012, Tartakovsky made his feature film debut with "Hotel Transylvania," a movie that brought together classic Universal Monsters and reimagined them into a fun animated movie for all ages seen from the eyes of a human who falls in love with Dracula's daughter. It was a monster movie...

Selena Gomez Movies Ranked From Worst To Best. (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Selena Gomez is arguably one of the biggest stars on the planet, boasting over 400 million Instagram followers. However, the actress, singer, and entrepreneur who began as a child star failed to parley her fame into box officer earnings.

Selena Gomez made her first on-screen appearance in the popular series Barney and Friends before making multiple guest appearances in a several Disney shows, including Hannah Montanna and The Sweet Life of Zack & Cody. Gomez broke into mainstream fame after joining the cast of the highly successful series Wizards of Waverly Place, which paved the way for her to launch a successful music career and transition into a movie actress.

The “Love On” Singer has since appeared in over a dozen mainstream cinemas. Despite starring in big franchise flicks such as Hotel Transylvania and Dolittle, the most successful amongst all her...

Adam Sandler's sequels have consistently received better Rotten Tomatoes scores than the originals since 2013. Happy Gilmore 2 needs to surpass the 62% Rotten Tomatoes score of the original film to continue Sandler's impressive record. The highly-anticipated sequel's success is under pressure to live up to Happy Gilmore's legacy and high Rotten Tomatoes scores.

After almost 30 years since the first movie premiered, Happy Gilmore 2 is happening, and while expectations are high, the upcoming film is also under pressure to continue Adam Sandler's Rotten Tomatoes streak. Netflix confirmed that Happy Gilmore 2 is officially in development, but the only known details are that Sandler will reprise his role as the eponymous character and is involved in writing the script. The actor's production company, Happy Madison Productions, is attached to the sequel, as Sandler and Netflix signed a major film deal years ago, and the actor has released numerous movies through the streaming service since.

A busy holdover weekend for wide studio releases was led by the trio of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Kung Fu Panda 4 and Dune: Part Two. And, in a soaring performance, Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar winner The Boy and the Heron swooped into China helping the market set a new Qingming holiday record.

Meanwhile, Best Picture Oscar winner Oppenheimer, boosted by its release in Japan, has now become Christopher Nolan’s biggest movie ever at the international box office.

Before we dig into all of that, there was also fresh blood in some overseas areas with Disney/20th Century Studios’ The First Omen debuting to $9.1M from 43 markets (about 76% of the offshore landscape and notably not including France and Germany which go next weekend). This is about as expected. The global bow is $17.5M.

Latin America leans in on horror and the prequel performed best in Mexico where it opened No.

Adam Sandler's animated films, though varying in quality, all showcase his iconic humor and boyish charm. Sandler's animated projects share tonal markers, offering a shared language and unique viewing experience. While some of Sandler's animated films suffer from cheap humor, others, like the Hotel Transylvania franchise, strike a balance of humor and heart, proving to be his most successful endeavors.

Adam Sandler’s animated projects have varied wildly in quality over the years, but the films are all unmistakable products of the iconic comedian. Years after Adam Sandler's long stint on Saturday Night Live in the 1990s, he leveraged his boyish charm and unique sense of humor into one of the most successful ongoing comedy careers in Hollywood. The actor’s penchant for outlandish voices and distinct brand of immature humor seemingly position him as a perfect fit for animated movies. However, while the star has racked up dozens...

Dracula's last box-office hit was in 2018 with Hotel Transylvania 3, showing a tough reality for the character in recent years. The success of the family-friendly Hotel Transylvania franchise reveals that less scary versions of Dracula can be huge successes. Recent live-action adaptations of Dracula, like Renfield and The Last Voyage of the Demeter, have been box-office flops, suggesting that modernizing Dracula is a challenging task.

Although Dracula is one of the most popular classic monsters in horror, he hasn’t had the best of luck on the big screen, and his last box-office hit happened five years ago. Vampires are some of the most beloved and popular creatures in literature and other media, and the most famous vampire is Dracula. Created by Bram Stoker, Dracula is believed to have been inspired by 15th-century Wallachian prince Vlad the Impaler, also known as Vlad Dracula. Dracula debuted in Stoker’s novel of the same name,...

This Friday is the Final Friday the 13th of the year, and it’s all the more special because it’s taking place in October, mere weeks before Halloween. How are we celebrating?

By watching horror movies all day long, of course!

While streaming services like Shudder, Screambox, Netflix, Hulu, Max, Paramount+ and Prime Video are loaded with frights to stream for Friday the 13th, don’t forget that the nightmares aren’t limited to streaming. Good old fashioned cable television is always a great source of horror this time of the year, and that’s doubly true on a day like Friday the 13th.

We’ve scoured the schedules of channels like AMC, Syfy and Freeform to find all the horror airing on TV this Friday, putting together your official Friday the 13th TV Guide!

Highlights include a Friday the 13th marathon on AMC FearFest, the I Know What You Did...

Paul Noble, the London-born executive who spent the past eight years with Sony Pictures Entertainment, the last three as the studio’s co-head of global theatrical marketing, has died. He was 51.

Noble died Sept. 9 at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles after a two-year battle with bulbar Als, an Spe spokesperson announced.

“Paul was a rare and marvelous human being, possessed with an abundance of positivity, warmth, humor and kindness,” Spe Motion Picture Group chairman and CEO Tom Rothman wrote in a note to employees. “He faced his diagnosis with courage and grace and in doing so set a remarkable example for his family and, indeed, for all of us.

“To say he will be missed is, of course, an understatement. But his memory will surely be cherished by anyone lucky enough to have known him.”

In July 2019, Noble and Andre Caraco were promoted to co-presidents of global marketing at Sony.

Adam Sandler's Hotel Transylvania films dominate his highest-grossing movies list globally, with the top 3 spots being occupied by the franchise. Despite not being involved in the most recent film or series, the comedic actor's portrayal of Count Dracula has contributed to the success of the franchise. With Sandler primarily focusing on making stories for Netflix, it's uncertain if any future film will surpass the popularity and earnings of the Hotel Transylvania saga.

Adam Sandler is one of the most recognized comedy actors in the world. Despite the criticism that many of his films receive, the comedian continues to demonstrate that he is a big star thanks to the good performance of his movies at the box office and on streaming platforms. But, unexpectedly, one of the biggest records of his career belongs to a film saga in which his face is not even shown.

The Hotel Transylvania franchise began more than 10 years ago,...

Adam Sandler's Hotel Transylvania movies are his most successful at the box office, with the third installment earning $527 million worldwide. The success of the franchise is due to its appeal to all ages, with quirky characters that resonate with audiences. Sandler would need to star in another family-friendly movie to have a chance at surpassing the record-breaking earnings of Hotel Transylvania, but this seems unlikely with his upcoming projects on Netflix.

Adam Sandler is best known for roles in various comedies, but his Hotel Transylvania movies hold a massive career record that another film might never break. Since his feature film debut in 1989, Sandler has appeared in dozens of movies, with many of his comedic highlights released in the mid-90s and early 2000s. While Sandler may often be connected to his immaturely funny roles in Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, Mr. Deeds, and Grown Ups, the actor has done...

"Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" lacks the magic of the previous films without Adam Sandler's voice as Dracula. "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" is an enjoyable film with a hilarious romance and incorporates more zany humor. "Hotel Transylvania 2" surpasses the original with a refined formula, themes of inclusion, and Adam Sandler's best performance as Dracula.

The Hotel Transylvania series has been a consistent favorite among younger viewers since its inception, with each animated film bringing in an impressive figure at the box office. The films put a lighter, more silly spin on the famous Universal monsters like Dracula and the Wolfman, with all the classic monsters coming together under the roof of Dracula's hotel. Though each installment in this quirky franchise has been a delight in its own way, they weren't all created equal, especially as we dive into the later installments.

Releasing in 2012, the first Hotel Transylvania film brought...

It’s the last weekend of a September chock-full of sequels, a few doing better than others. Sure enough, this weekend adds two more, but also a rare original science fiction film. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

The last few weekends have been so bad at the box office it may point toward audiences being ready for new and original movies. That’s certainly the case with 20th Century Studios’ “The Creator,” a new original science fiction movie from “Rogue One” and “Godzilla” director Gareth Edwards. It stars John David Washington from “Tenet” as a soldier in the war between humans and robots, who travels to Asia to find his missing wife Maya (Gemma Chan), only to be roped into a mission where he must find and kill a synthetic child (Madeleine Yuna Voyles), that could win the war for the robots.

See Grab the popcorn...

Hotel Transylvania, a beloved animated film series, has been a hit with audiences around the globe. Starting with the adventures of Dracula running a hotel for his monster buddies and moving to the family antics of Drac, Mavis, and their ensemble, here’s how you can immerse yourself in their tales from start to finish.

The “Hotel Transylvania” franchise, blending humor with classic monster motifs, welcomes fans to a world where the infamous Count Dracula isn’t a fearsome bloodsucker but a doting father and a hotelier. It’s a place where the ghouls and monsters you were told about as bedtime stories vacation and revel. Over the course of four films, we’ve seen these iconic monsters navigate family, love, prejudice, and even summer vacations.

Related: Watch “The Chronicles of Narnia” (film series) Movies in Order

Starting off with the first movie, we’re introduced to Hotel Transylvania – a...

Released on July 13, 2018, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation proved that the franchise still had plenty to offer the theater-going audiences. Beating the previous two films at the box office — an impressive feat — grossing $528.6 million worldwide. The charm of the series, taking iconic movie monsters and making them goofy and relatable, has certainly worked wonders for the series tapping into that obsession with turning gothic characters into family-friendly personas similar to The Addams Family​.

​​​​​​The third movie in the Hotel Transylvania franchise revolves around Count Dracula and his family and friends traveling aboard a luxury Monster Cruise Ship. However, conflict arises when Van Helsing returns and devises a plot to eliminate Dracula. The story further expands on the lore of the family, and its fun cruise ship atmosphere has made it one of the most well-received films in the franchise and the first to score a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes by critics.

Freeform’s 25th anniversary of ’31 Nights of Halloween’ will feature Jack Skellington, the Sanderson Sisters, and goofy monsters Mike and Sully. The network’s plans for the scariest month of the year include 31 nights of Halloween-ish films, mixing timeless family-friendly tales with some more recent releases.

2023’s ’31 Nights of Halloween’ will mark the Freeform premiere of Encanto, Zombies, and Zombies 2.

“Over the last 25 years, our viewers have grown up with ‘31 Nights of Halloween’ as a time-honored tradition to watch Halloween favorites and connect with their loved ones during this special time of the season,” stated Simran Sethi, EVP of Programming and Content Strategy, ABC Entertainment and Freeform. “There’s something sentimental about these holiday classics that brings a real sense of comfort and nostalgia to people, and we look forward to celebrating this anniversary with another spirited lineup.”

2023’s ’31 Nights of Halloween’ Lineup:

Sunday, Oct. 1

7:00 a.m. Edt/Pdt – “Mrs. Doubtfire”

10:10 a.

It’s spooky season, witches! Freeform’s “31 Nights of Halloween” programming event returns for its 25th anniversary with a spellbinding lineup of Halloween favorites that will keep viewers enchanted all month long.

From Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, hair-raising entertainment awaits with a collection of Halloween films ranging from timeless classics to contemporary gems. Reconnect with beloved movies, including “Hocus Pocus,” “Monsters, Inc.,” the 30 th anniversary of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,”

“Cruella” and “The Addams Family,” and cozy up to the Freeform premieres of “Encanto,” “Zombies” and “Zombies 2.”

Last year’s “31 Nights of Halloween” programming levitated Freeform to the No. 1 ranking among primetime cable networks in entertainment across Adults 18-34, Women 18-34 and Women 18-49 (excludes news and sports).*

“Over the last 25 years, our viewers have grown up with ‘31 Nights of Halloween’ as a time-honored tradition to watch Halloween favorites and connect with their loved ones during this special time of the season,...

Spooky season is almost here, and so is Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween. On Aug. 31, the network unveiled its 2023 lineup of Halloween classics, consisting of spellbinding favorites like "Halloweentown," "Hocus Pocus," "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas," and the 2003 version of "The Haunted Mansion," just in time for its 20th anniversary.

Twilight fans will also be delighted to see all five movies from the beloved vampire-wolf franchise on Freeform's lineup, but that's not the only series featured. The "Twitches" and "Hotel Transylvania" films will be shown, too. And if you're looking for more lighthearted favorites to tune into, be sure to track the days the Shrek and Monsters Inc. movies are airing.

Something new on the lineup this year is the Freeform premieres of "Encanto," "Zombies," and "Zombies 2."

Scroll ahead to see Freeform's full 2023 31 Nights of Halloween schedule!

Related: Stream These Funny Halloween Movies If Horror and Gore...

Freeform’s “31 Nights of Halloween” is back and better than ever for its 25th anniversary, this time featuring spooky favorites from “Encanto” to “Hocus Pocus.”

The lineup, which runs from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, will return to classic holiday tales including “The Haunted Mansion” (2003), “Hocus Pocus” (1993), “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986), “The Addams Family” (1991) as well as the 30th anniversary of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” as new releases like “Encanto,” “Zombies” and “Zombies 2” make their debut on Freeform.

The monthlong event, a trailer for which you can watch above, will also reconnect viewers with nostalgic film series from the 2000s and 2010s, including “Halloweentown,” “Twilight,” “Shrek,” “Twitches” and “Hotel Transylvania.” Beloved film series “Monsters, Inc.” and “The Amazing Spider-Man” will air this October, alongside monster-adjacent Disney spinoffs “Cruella” and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.”

“Over the last 25 years, our viewers have grown up with ‘31 Nights of Halloween’ as a...

The start of September means the start of Spooky Season, and Freeform kicks off the celebration with the full schedule for this year’s “31 Nights of Halloween” extravaganza!

As always, Freeform will be showing fright flicks from October 1 through October 31, and this year’s schedule includes fan favorite classics such as Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Craft, The Addams Family, Hotel Transylvania, and Halloweentown.

Freeform previews, “It’s spooky season, witches! Freeform’s “31 Nights of Halloween” programming event returns for its 25th anniversary with a spellbinding lineup of Halloween favorites that will keep viewers enchanted all month long.From Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, hair-raising entertainment awaits with a collection of Halloween films ranging from timeless classics to contemporary gems.”

“Over the last 25 years, our viewers have grown up with ’31 Nights of Halloween’ as a time-honored tradition to watch Halloween favorites and connect with their loved ones during this special time of the season,...

Grab your broomsticks, we’re entering that spooky season. Now in its 25th year, Freeform has set the lineup for its 31 Nights of Halloween programming event with films including faves such as Hocus Pocus, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Monsters, Inc., Cruella and The Addams Family, along with Freeform premieres of Encanto, Zombies and Zombies 2.

Last year’s 31 Nights of Halloween, which runs from October 1-31, brought Freeform to the No. 1 ranking among primetime cable networks in entertainment across Adults 18-34, Women 18-34 and Women 18-49, excluding news and sports.

“Over the last 25 years, our viewers have grown up with ‘31 Nights of Halloween’ as a time-honored tradition to watch Halloween favorites and connect with their loved ones during this special time of the season,” said Simran Sethi, EVP of Programming and Content Strategy, ABC Entertainment and Freeform. “There’s something sentimental about these holiday classics that brings a...

Adam Sandler returns to animation in the Netflix movie Leo, voicing the 74-year-old lizard Leo, who embarks on a new adventure. The Leo cast is filled with recognizable names and funny comedians, including Bill Burr, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, and Sandler's daughters Sunny and Sadie. The movie marks Sandler's first Netflix Original animated film and his third release with the platform in 2023, following Murder Mystery 2 and You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.

Adam Sandler leads the Leo cast for the upcoming Netflix animated adventure, which sees the comedy veteran making a return to animation for the first time since Hotel Transylvania 3. The latest in the many collaborations between Netflix and Adam Sandler, the movie features Sandler voicing Leo, a 74-year-old lizard who is kept as a school pet for a 5th-grade class. After years of sitting in a glass case and watching the young children come and go,...

We all know that Adam Sandler likes working with people he knows. The movies he produces with his production company Happy Madison regularly feature Kevin Nealon, Rob Schneider, and other cast members from his Saturday Night Live days. Many of his movies also feature supporting turns from guys you only see in Happy Madison flicks, like Alan Covert and Peter Dante. And, of course, he loves to cast Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore as his love interests.

So it’s no surprise that Sandler’s latest Netflix movie You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzah sees him once again paired with Idina Menzel, who played his wife in Uncut Gems. But Sandler isn’t the star of You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah, a comedy based on the 2005 YA novel by Fiona Rosenbloom. Instead, it’s Sunny Sandler and Samantha Lorraine in the lead roles,...

Now that the franchise has ended with its final chapter, the perfect time has come to binge-watch the Hotel Transylvania movies in order. The Hotel Transylvania movies revolve around a spooky hotel run by Dracula, visited by fellow horror icons including the Mummy, the Wolf Man, and Frankenstein’s Monster. From the original movie to Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, the Hotel Transylvania franchise wrings laughs out of the juxtaposition of the most terrifying monsters in movie history enjoying the simple pleasures of a vacation. Then, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania – advertised as the final film in the saga – wraps up the overarching story with a body-swap premise.

The first three Hotel Transylvania movies star Adam Sandler as the voice of Count Dracula, but the fourth Hotel Transylvania recast the Drac role, with Brian Hull taking over. The franchise also features the voices of Kevin James as Frankenstein’s Monster, David Spade as the Invisible Man,...

Exclusive: Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken has a lot going for her.

For starters, says the film’s director Kirk DeMicco, “she’s a princess, a superhero” and the first female titular character for a DreamWorks Animation movie.

Of course, there have been female lead characters in DreamWorks animated pictures, “but this is the first time where we said the story really is hers,” adds co-director Faryn Pearl (Trolls World Tour). “We changed the title from The Gillmans to Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken because it felt that we really wanted to celebrate that it’s her story, it’s her journey. And she’s our superhero, really.”

Alfred Tennyson wrote a sonnet called “The Kraken” — “far beneath the abysmal sea,” it sleepeth — and the mythical sea creature has made terrifying guest appearances in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, the animated movie Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation...

Several times in recent years, Sony has used the Cannes Film Festival to promote a key upcoming title, despite the movies not officially being involved in the event — see Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation in 2018, 2017’s The Emoji Movie and 2016’s The Angry Birds Movie.

This year, the marketing team pulled out the stops for Neill Blomkamp’s Gran Turismo: The Movie, staking out prime real estate with a billboard on the Carlton Pier and then — rather than ahead of the fest as they did with the previous films — hosting a photo call with talent as the Croisette calmed down toward the end.

From left, in front of sign: ‘Gran Turismo’s Neill Blomkamp, Maximilian Mundt, Geri Halliwell, Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe and Asad Qizilbash

Although David Harbour did not make the photo call that featured Blomkamp, Orlando Bloom, Geri Halliwell Horner, Archie Madekwe and producer Asad Qizilbash, he was...

There have been many movies about Atlantis that have explored the mysteries and fascination with the mythical city. There are certain stories that have been around for centuries that have always sparked an interest in the public's mind. Atlantis is one such story that has gone on to inspire films, ranging from classic adventures to animated family movies to superhero epics.

The fabled lost city of Atlantis is one of the most frequently revisited bits of ancient lore that has fascinated humans for centuries. The idea of a city that could exist under the depths of the ocean is thrilling to imagine, so it's no surprise that Hollywood filmmakers have returned to it for inspiration time and time again. The city buried in water has made its way into plenty of movies throughout history, including some very recognizable properties. However, some of these films are better than others at taking...

Prime Video subscribers will have a chance to see “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” in theaters nearly two weeks before its worldwide release.

Paramount and Amazon are partnering for the first time on the exclusive event, set to take place on March 19 at 2 p.m. local time. Over 1,200 theaters across the country will participate. As of today, Prime members can purchase up to 10 tickets each via Atom Tickets.

The event also marks Prime’s first early-access screening partnership since before the pandemic. Previous sneak-peek programs include Warner Bros.’ “Aquaman” and Sony’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.”

“We know that Prime members love watching spirited, adventurous stories as much as we love bringing them to audiences,” Chris Aronson, Paramount Pictures President of Domestic Distribution, said in a press statement. “We know that we can’t wait to give Prime members an early look at this epic quest.

Despite his massive filmography, very few movies starring comedian Adam Sandler have actually gotten sequels. The movie star has appeared in all kinds of comedies, with his Happy Madison Productions company releasing all kinds of financially successful films since its founding in 1999. The appeal of most of Adam Sandler's comedies is the involvement of the comedian rather than the premise of the films themselves, meaning that only a unique few Adam Sandler movies have been turned into franchises.

The reason for Adam Sandler not doing a lot of sequels seemingly has to do with him not wanting to do them. When asked about sequels to Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, and Pixels, Adam Sandler's response was that he doesn't think about doing another one, with him saying that he doubts a sequel to these movies will ever happen. These are some of Adam Sandler's most popular films, so the fact that...

Set during the Korean War, Devotion primarily follows a pair of U.S. Navy fighter pilots, and these main characters are portrayed in the movie's cast by two of Hollywood's most promising rising stars. Based on a true story and adapted from the nonfiction book Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos, the movie is set in the early 1950s, when Americans aided South Korea in their conflict with North Korea. Devotion focuses on two real American pilots who served in the Korean War and became great friends and even greater aviators.

While centered on two main characters, played by Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell, Devotion also features a noteworthy supporting cast as well. As with any war movie — even those set mostly within the confines of small aircraft — the ensemble is key. Among the supporting players in Devotion is a pop singer less known for acting,...

It's remarkable how often seemingly ancient history becomes relevant again in our modern day -- sometimes tragically so. Such is the case in director J.D. Dillard's newest movie, "Devotion." The movie focuses on the Korean War of the early 1950s, telling the harrowing true story of two elite U.S. Navy fighter pilots. Specifically, the movie shines a light on Jesse Brown, played by Jonathan Majors ("Lovecraft Country"), who became the first Black aviator to ever complete the U.S. Navy's basic flight training program.

Looper's Don Kaye recently had the chance to speak with Majors in honor of the film's forthcoming release this weekend. During the conversation, Kaye asked the actor who relevant Brown's story is all these years later, particularly for Black people who are still facing roadblocks in today's society. Majors, for his part, feels Brown's story is an ever-relevant hero's journey to be used as...

If your childhood consisted of late '90s and early 2000s animation, then the name Genndy Tartakovsky should sound familiar to you. He's the animator behind shows like "Samurai Jack," "The Powerpuff Girls," and "Dexter's Laboratory." Decades later, Tartakovsky is still going strong in the world of animation with the more adult-focused "Primal," which /Film's Sarah Milner called "big, bold, and bloody" in her review.

In terms of what Tartakovsky has brought to the big screen, however, the first three "Hotel Transylvania" movies are a wonderful example of what happens when you let someone with a vivid imagination helm an animated film. Better yet, these movies are the result of taking all of the Classic Universal Monsters and formatting them into a family-friendly animated vehicle that shows a softer side.

Although another Halloween has come and gone, it would appear that "Hotel Transylvania 2," in particular, has held strong in...

Exclusive: Deadline has learned that Marisa Liston and David Edwards, Lionsgate’s president and executive vice president of theatrical marketing, will be stepping away from their posts. A new search is promptly underway by Lionsgate for a new head of marketing.

Liston joined Lionsgate in 2019 as EVP Publicity, responsible for the publicity campaigns in support of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Knives Out, Angels Has Fallen, Midway, and other hits. She was promoted to President of Worldwide Marketing last August, overseeing the marketing campaigns for American Underdog, Moonfall, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

Edwards is a ten-year veteran of the studio, rising through the studio’s digital and strategic marketing departments.

Joe Drake, chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group told Deadline, “The mark of a great executive is to leave a place better than she found it and Marisa will be doing that. In a time of constant change and unpredictability,...

Animayo Gran Canaria, Spain’s foremost Canary Islands-based animation festival, is venturing deep into the metaverse with experts in artificial intelligence, virtual reality and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) joining leading voices in animation from major studios, including DreamWorks, Walt Disney, Skydance, Sony Pictures and Platige Image.

Some 23 guests will be participating across 14 master classes, three debate panels, three workshops, 10 recruitment sessions and other events at the in-person 17th edition held over May 4-7 in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.

An online edition is slated to launch in October. “This year the debates are a novelty because it’s a must to create a meeting forum in this increasingly polarized society,” said Damian Perea, founder-director of the festival, which also encompasses VFX and video gaming.

The festival’s impact on local production continues to grow as the Canary Islands now boasts at least 20 animation and VFX companies, Perea told Variety.

Among the other...

Exclusive: Jaime Camil has signed a first look deal with Vis, a division of Paramount, to develop an array of TV and film projects for Paramount+.

Under the terms of the agreement, he will create, develop, and produce exclusive Spanish language and majority-Spanish language scripted and non-scripted content for the streaming service.

“We are excited to welcome Jaime Camil to our roster of global talent working to bring the best premium content to Paramount+,” said Jc Acosta, President of International Studios & Networks Southern Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, in an exclusive statement to Deadline. “With Jaime’s experience and creative focus, we are confident that he’ll bring the best Spanish-language content to Paramount+ that resonates with our audiences around the world.”

Added Camil, “Paramount is home to some of the most beloved and iconic films and television shows of all time. I am thrilled...

Hollywood franchise movies “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” have both secured April theatrical release dates in mainland China.

“Transylvania” will open in Chinese cinemas on Sunday April 3, 2022, a couple of days ahead of the Qingming or Tomb Sweeping holiday on April 5. “Beasts” will open, more conventionally, on Friday, April 8.

Sony missed out on a China release for “Spider Man: No Way Home,” which was the biggest film worldwide in 2021. But the confirmation represents the studio’s second Hollywood film this year to receive approval from the Chinese authorities. “Beasts 3” is the third of 2022 for Warner Bros. (after “The Matrix: Revolutions” in January and “The Batman” on March 18).

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” releases in North America on April 15, 2022, meaning that the studio has time to build a marketing campaign in the Middle Kingdom and that the Chinese outing briefly precedes the stateside debut.

All...

Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania: Transformania has been granted an April 3 theatrical release date in China. Sony last summer licensed the fourth installment in the successful franchise to Amazon worldwide, but retained China rights.

With the date now confirmed, Sony gets a month’s lead time on promotion and marketing in China where the previous films have grossed a combined $63M, including over $32M from 2018’s Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.

Although April 3 is a Sunday, it falls at the start of the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, which can be a lucrative box office period. Still, Transformania will arrive in China nearly three months after it was released on Amazon Prime Video in 240 other countries and territories.

The Hotel Transylvania franchise has grossed $1.36 billion worldwide, with each pic making more than its predecessor. Sony opted to go the Amazon route with this one to avoid...

Juicy, soapy Korean series have been a staple on Netflix for years, but following the “Squid Game” phenomena, audiences around the world can’t get enough of not only the typical K-drama fare but also Korean thrillers and reality series.

Korean zombie thriller “All of Us Are Dead,” which features a familiar “Squid Game” face (Lee Yoo-Mi) made its debut on the streamer’s non-English language TV Top 10 list for the week of Jan. 24 through 30, coming in at No. 1 with 124.79 million hours viewed. This marks the most hours viewed in the premiere week for any Korean title since Netflix began releasing its Top 10 data last year.

“Squid Game” remains legions above all other titles on Netflix’s Top 10 most popular non-English TV list of all time (based on hours viewed in the show’s first 28 days on the streaming platform), with a mammoth watch count of 1,650,450,000 hours. However, for the first time in months,...

Freeform is wasting absolutely no time getting into the spooky holiday spirit. On Sept. 1, the network unveiled their 31 Nights of Halloween schedule. The marathon features classics like The Addams Family, Casper, and Hocus Pocus - which are all mandatory watching during the month of October - but the list also includes a few not-so-scary films like Shrek, Matilda, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so there's a little something for everyone. The official marathon kicks off on Oct. 1, so get your DVRs ready, grab a bag of popcorn, light your favorite fall scented candle, and get ready for a good time.

Related: 75 Thrillers on Netflix That Take Terrifying to a Whole New Level

Friday, Oct. 1

2:30 p.m. – Casper (1995)

5p p.m. – The Addams Family (1991)

7 p.m. – Addams Family Values

9 p.m. – Hocus Pocus

Saturday, Oct. 2

7 a.m. – The Goonies

9:35 a.m. – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

12:15 p.

Lionsgate has promoted Marisa Liston to President of Worldwide Marketing of their motion picture group.

Liston has been leading the studio’s marketing department since March, and she’ll oversee all aspects of global for the studio’s movies across all their life cycles, from theatrical through home entertainment as well as the marketing for day-and-date releases and catalogue titles.

Liston joined Lionsgate in 2019 as EVP Earned Media and Communications for the motion picture group. She was key in one of Lionsgate’s best-ever years at the box office in 2019, developing PR campaigns behind such films as John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Knives Out, Angel Has Fallen, Rambo, and Bombshell, among others. Since then, the studio launched several films during the pandemic, including Antebellum, Barb & Star Go to Vista del Mar, both of which premiered on Premium VOD; and more recently, in her interim role, Liston led the campaigns for Spiral: From the Book of Saw...

Kevin Feige wants to see Kathryn Hahn return as Agatha in the MCU just as much as the rest of us. In the hit series WandaVision, which kicked off Phase Four of the MCU with its debut on Disney+ in January, Hahn played the villain Agatha Harkness. Her acclaimed performance stood out as one of the hit show's brightest spots, and Hahn was even nominated for Best Villain at the MTV Movie & TV Awards.

Because her role on WandaVision was so well-received, many Marvel fans have been wondering when Hahn will return in another MCU project. In a recent interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Marvel head, Kevin Feige, addressed the popularity of Hahn and her character. As the original comic book version of Agatha wasn't exactly Marvel's most well-known personality, Feige stresses how it's Hahn's performance in particular that got fans hooked on Agatha.

"One of the great things in building...

Mike Ford has been promoted to chief technology officer at Sony Pictures Imageworks.

Ford, who previously served as senior vp, systems engineering and software development, will report to Imageworks’ exec vp Michelle Grady and continue overseeing the software development and the systems engineering teams.

As a visual effects supervisor at Imageworks, Ford has supervised on movies including Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation and Smurfs: The Lost Village. His credits also include features such as Open Season, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Stuart Little 2 and Oscar-nominated Surf’s Up.

“I’m thrilled with the opportunity,” Ford, said, noting that Imageworks would continue a “series of major initiatives”...

Mike Ford has been promoted to chief technology officer at Sony Pictures Imageworks.

Ford, who previously served as senior vp, systems engineering and software development, will report to Imageworks’ exec vp Michelle Grady and continue overseeing the software development and the systems engineering teams.

As a visual effects supervisor at Imageworks, Ford has supervised on movies including Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation and Smurfs: The Lost Village. His credits also include features such as Open Season, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Stuart Little 2 and Oscar-nominated Surf’s Up.

“I’m thrilled with the opportunity,” Ford, said, noting that Imageworks would continue a “series of major initiatives”...

Although some big movie releases are hitting cinemas in the next month, there are still a number of movie studios continuing to shift their release schedules, and it looks like Sony Pictures has been doing a little rearranging with confirmation today that Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, the fourth and final installment of the franchise, will not be arriving in theaters until October 1, 2021.

The movie was originally meant to be released next month, and although no reason has been given for the change of date, there could be a number of factors contributing. With many big releases due in July, including Marvel's Black Widow, they may want to avoid that kind of competition. An October release would also obviously bring the movie closer to Halloween.

The sequel to 2018's Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania is the first movie of the series to not have the participation of Adam Sandler...

The fourth and final installment in the “Hotel Transylvania” franchise, “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania,” will now debut during a far spookier month.

Previously dated for July 23, the Sony Pictures Animation film will now release on Oct. 1, kicking off the Halloween season. The movie will see Drac (Brian Hull) and the rest of the monsters embark on a brand-new adventure full of twists and turns. When a new invention created by Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan) transforms all the monsters into humans and Johnny (Andy Samberg) into a monster, they must work together to switch back before the change becomes permanent.

“Hotel Transylvania” franchise creator Genndy Tartakovsky is the screenwriter and executive producer of the film, which is directed by Jennifer Kluska and Derek Drymon. Selena Gomez reprises her role as Drac’s daughter, Mavis, and also serves as an executive producer. “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” is also executive produced by Michelle Murdocca and produced by Alice Dewey Goldstone.

This summer, the movie theater business is essentially starting at square one.

For nearly a century, the studio executives responsible for rolling out movies big and small had relied heavily on facts, figures and past precedent to calculate how a film might perform at the box office. Those instincts helped fuel a $42.5 billion-a-year global industry — at least, in pre-pandemic times.

All that went by the wayside with Covid-19, which portended a period filled with more movie delays than debuts and near-empty theaters. As a result, the popularity of streaming services exploded and traditional studios were left with more questions than answers about the best way to reach audiences. And, you know, make money on the movies they produced. Now, during the busy summer blockbuster season — which runs from May through Labor Day — Hollywood will begin to etch the new path forward for the movie theater business.

There are the obvious...

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.

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