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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited hundreds of artists and executives to join the organization!

Wicked star Ariana Grande, Dune‘s Jason Momoa and girlfriend, Hit Man star Adria Arjona, Superman‘s Rachel Brosnahan and Anora breakout Mikey Madison are among the actors who have “distinguished themselves by their contributions to motion pictures.”

“We are thrilled to invite this esteemed class of artists, technologists, and professionals to join the Academy,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang shared in a statement. “Through their commitment to filmmaking and to the greater movie industry, these exceptionally talented individuals have made indelible contributions to our global filmmaking community.”

Keep reading to see the full list of invitees…

According to the Academy website, “Membership selection is based on professional qualifications, with an ongoing commitment to representation, inclusion and equity remaining a priority. Of the 2025 invited class, 41% are women,...

Oscar has its new voters.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences handed out its annual invitations to membership today, with 534 new invitees. If all of them accept, the new overall membership would be 11,120, of which 10,143 would be eligible to vote for Oscars and run for governance elections.

Among those on the list are newly minted Oscar winners Mikey Madison (Best Actress for Anora) and Kieran Culkin. Among all the invitees this year 91 are past Oscar nominees including 26 winners. The prominent star names include Ariana Grande, Dave Bautista, Jodie Comer, Jason Momoa, Aubrey Plaza, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Gillian Anderson, Stephen Graham, Andrew Scott, Danielle Deadwyler, and on and on.

The Academy said 41% of the new class are women, 45% belong to underrepresented communities and 55% are from 60 countries and territories outside the United States. If all accept, it would result in an overall AMPAS membership of 35% women,...

Jimmy Kimmel is the latest star to lend his voice to Paramount’s “Smurfs.”

The live-action animated hybrid film features Rihanna as Smurfette, John Goodman as Papa Smurf, as well as James Corden, Nick Offerman, Jp Karliak, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña, Kurt Russell and DJ Marshmello. It’s unclear who Kimmel will be voicing in the sprawling ensemble.

“Smurfs” follows Smurfette as she leads her tiny, blue-skinned kin into the real world to save Papa Smurf after he’s mysteriously captured by evil wizards. The reboot is directed by Chris Miller, whose credits include “Shrek the Third” and “Puss in Boots.” Pam Brady wrote the script, based on the comics created by the Belgian artist known as Peyo. The film opens in theaters on July 18.

The Smurfs have been the subject of...

Conan O'Brien has a brand new gig as the late-night TV host continues to reach new career heights. The comedian announced he's been cast in one of the most iconic franchises in movie history.

In an Instagram post, O'Brien revealed he's joining the cast of Toy Story 5. The Pixar animated film will hit theaters in June 2026 if all goes according to schedule.

O'Brien used his signature sense of humor to make the announcement, suggesting he entered tense negotiations with Disney about which part he would voice. Per the late-night TV legend, the studio pushed back at O'Brien's offer to play Woody or Buzz.

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Toy Story 5 castmates Ernie Hudson (Combat Carl), Tony Hale (Forky), and Anna Farris in an undisclosed role. More cast announcements are expected soon.

Conan O'Brien joins other late-night TV hosts who have voiced...

Jellyfish Pictures, who produced the animation for Dog Man, Star Wars and more, goes out of business in the UK. More here.

In a year where box office returns have been on the disappointing side, one highlight has been the DreamWorks animated movie Dog Man. Off a budget of $40m, the film has returned $129m worldwide to date, and it’s just had its physical media release confirmed in the UK as well. Don’t be surprised if sequels are ordered.

However, for the company that produced the animation for the movie, it’s a bittersweet success. DreamWorks is now outsourcing its animation work across its films, and UK-based Jellyfish Pictures has been going since 2001. It’s worked on movies such as The Bad Guys, The Boss Baby: Family Business and more, as well as doing visual effects work on Star Wars productions.

And yet you know where this story is heading.

Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot will begin streaming on Peacock on Friday, January 24.

The animated film, based on Peter Brown’s New York Times bestseller, has brought in more than $324 million at the global box office since its September release. It’s also currently available to rent/purchase on Prime Video, Apple TV and other VOD platforms.

Directed by Chris Sanders, The Wild Robot stars Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o as Roz, a robot that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must adapt to the harsh surroundings. Gradually Roz starts building relationships with the animals on the island, including a clever fox voiced by Pedro Pascal, and becomes the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling named Brightbill voiced by Kit Connor.

Voice cast also includes Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, among others.

Sanders confirmed at Deadline’s Contenders earlier this year...

The Wild Robot has helped push DreamWorks' box office past a major record. DreamWorks Animation is a studio that was founded in 1994 by iconic filmmaker Steven Spielberg with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. Its first major hit was its second release, 1998's The Prince of Egypt, which grossed $218.6 million against a $60 million budget. Since then, it has had many more hits, launching multiple major animated franchises including Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Trolls, and The Boss Baby. Collectively, DreamWorks movies have grossed more than $17 billion worldwide and earned three Oscar nominations.

DreamWorks' The Wild Robot, which debuted on September 27, was written and directed by Chris Sanders and stars Lupita Nyong'o, Kit Connor, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O'Hara, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry, and Ving Rhames. The movie, which is adapted from the 2016 book of the same name by Peter Brown, opened to a middling $35.8 million,...

DreamWorks Animation found its biggest hit of the year in The Wild Robot, an animated adaptation of Peter Browns novel by the same name. The movie boasts a star cast led by Lupita Nyongo as Roz, a lone robot in search of her purpose on an island uninhabited by humans. As Roz becomes the caretaker of a young goose (played by Kit Connor), audiences are treated to a story that weaves in themes of found family and nature versus nurture, set against the backdrop of a unique-looking painted world.

Of the many people who helped bring The Wild Robot to theaters, two of the most consequential are producer Jeff Hermann and writer/director Chris Sanders. Hermanns past work as a producer includes Kung Fu Panda 3 and The Boss Baby: Family Business, and Sanders is known in part for his work directing the animated classics How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch.

“I was inspired by AI voices like Alexa and Siri,” Lupita Nyong’o joked during her session for The Wild Robot this morning at Deadline’s Contenders London.

In the animated film, which is an adaptation of Peter Brown’s award-winning bestseller of the same name, Nyong’o plays a robot called Rozzum unit 7134 — “Roz” for short — who is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

“Alexa, Siri, and, you know, those voices on TikTok and Instagram that are so positive and nothing’s ever wrong. That sort of can-do attitude. That was the starting point for Roz and her journey to self-actualization and evolution of self-expression.”

From DreamWorks Animation, The Wild Robot was directed by three-time Oscar nominee Chris Sanders — the writer-director of DreamWorks Animation...

More family films hitting cinemas this weekend with DreamWorks Animation/Universal’s feature take of Peter Brown’s New York Times bestseller, The Wild Robot, however, unlike Paramount/Hasbro’s Transformers One last weekend, this one is mom/female leaning. Opening weekend at 3,900 theaters is pegged at $20M+.

That’s around the average start for an animated major studio movie in September and not that far from where we saw Transformers One last weekend with $24.6M. Also keep in mind that it’s original animation, and that’s always a lower bar start than established feature cartoons.

Wild Robot will have the vast majority of premium screens with 380 Imax hubs with all showtimes up to primetime. After that time, Lionsgate’s Megalopolis from Francis Ford Coppola will have evening Imax showtimes in key metropolitan locations, repping around 200 of its 1,700 theater count. Overall, for Wild Robot, there’s close to 900 Plf screens including all Dolby Cinema,...

See The Film Critics Are Calling “The Best Animated Movie Of The Year!” This Fall, Dreamworks Animation Invites You To Discover Your True Nature. The Wild Robot. Rated PG. In Theaters September 27Th.

https://www.thewildrobotmovie.com

The special screening is 7Pm on Monday, September 23rd @ The Galleria 6 Cinemas

Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.

Ten winners will each receive 4 passes to the screening.

Get Your Passes Here: http://gofobo.com/UPKqA35930

(from back center) Roz (Lupita N’yongo), and Brightbill (Kit Connor) in DreamWorks Animation’s Wild Robot, directed by Chris Sanders.

From DreamWorks Animation comes a new adaptation of a literary sensation, Peter Brown’s beloved, award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller, The Wild Robot.

The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—Rozzum unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building...

Universal Pictures has released the final trailer for The Wild Robot movie, which is based on Peter Brown’s #1 New York Times bestseller. Tickets are now on sale for the film.

The DreamWorks Animation film is rated PG for action/peril and thematic elements and will open in theaters on September 27, 2024.

The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot – Rozzum unit 7134, “Roz” for short – that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

The Wild Robot movie is written and directed by Chris Sanders, a three-time Oscar nominee. It is a powerful story about the discovery of self, a thrilling examination of the bridge between technology and nature, and a moving exploration of what it means to be alive and connected to all living things.

Universal Pictures has shared a new featurette on DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot, which is based on Peter Brown’s #1 New York Times bestseller. The film is rated PG for action/peril and thematic elements and will open in theaters on September 27, 2024.

The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot – Rozzum unit 7134, “Roz” for short – that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

The Wild Robot is written and directed by Chris Sanders, a three-time Oscar nominee. It is a powerful story about the discovery of self, a thrilling examination of the bridge between technology and nature, and a moving exploration of what it means to be alive and connected to all living things.

Sanders is the writer-director of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon,...

Since being founded in 1994, DreamWorks Animation has fast climbed the ranks and become one of the most prominent and memorable studios in the entire animation industry. From early successes like Shrek to modern triumphs like The Bad Guys, the studio is showing no signs of slowing down even 30 years after it burst onto the scene. In just the past four years alone, DreamWorks has released an impressive slew of feature films.

There remains a clear separation, however, between the studios' biggest successes and its more disappointing endeavors. While the studio hasn't ever released a complete failure, it has garnered a reputation for being one of the most hit-or-miss studios in recent memory, with its best films considered masterpieces and its worst considered the bottom of the animation barrel. The 2020s have proven to be no different, with a fair few animated triumphs being sprinkled in among an array of more underwhelming films.

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

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

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

Eva Longoria's Land of Women has a strong 87% critics' score but a low 31% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Both scores are based on a small number of ratings, meaning they could evolve if more people watch the show. Longoria's acting career over the past decades has been fairly mixed regarding critical and audience reception.

Eva Longoria's return to TV with Land of Women is dividing audiences and critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Perhaps best known for her starring role in Desperate Housewives, Longoria now graces the small screen once more with a comedic thriller series on Apple TV+ from creator Ramn Campos. Land of Women stars Longoria as Gala, a woman who must flee with her family after her husband becomes involved in financial crimes.

Land of Women's Rotten Tomatoes score has now arrived, and it currently sits at a strong 87% with 15 reviews. While this score could change as more reviews are added,...

Universal and DreamWorks Animation have unveiled the latest trailer for The Wild Robot, a new adaptation of a literary sensation, Peter Brown’s beloved, award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller.

The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—Rozzum unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

Check out the super cute trailer below and see the movie in theaters September 27.

I love this trailer… can’t wait to see this!

The film definitely looks to be among this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Animated Feature. DreamWorks has received 14 nomination for their previous films which include Shrek, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Shrek 2, Shark Tale, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon,...

Ariana Greenblatt hasn't even been alive for two decades, and she's already had a career most can only dream of. Since 2015, Greenblatt has made herself known as a capable character actor and genuinely charming presence on almost every movie and television show she's been a part of. Even more impressive is the track record of the films and series she's been a part of and the success of even her smallest roles.

From Star Wars to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to 2023's biggest blockbuster, Ariana Greenblatt has made her way through a fair share of franchises. With films like the highly anticipated Borderlands adaptation on the horizon, it seems Ariana's career is only just beginning, and that fans have yet to see everything she has to offer. Even still, her previous roles have already become such staples of pop culture that they deserve a conversation in their own right.

Ariana's...

DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot will now go on Sept. 27 instead of Sept. 20.

The move comes in the wake of Paramount’s animated Transformers One parking on Sept. 20 (instead of Sept. 13) as the studio needed to get a foothold on Imax auditoriums.

We heard that Transformers One was moved to get further away from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as that Warner Bros Tim Burton directed, Michael Keaton starring sequel is expected to scare up a ton of September cash; that movie opening on Sept. 6.

The Wild Robot will now square off against Lionsgate’s Alexandre Aja directed horror Halle Berry thriller, Never Let Go as well as the tenth anniversary Imax re-release of Paramount/Warner Bros’ Christopher Nolan sci-fi movie, Interstellar.

The Wild Robot is based on Peter Brown’s New York Times No. 1 bestseller. The movie follows robot—Rozzum unit 7134 aka “Roz”. Roz is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and...

Now You See Me 3 is moving forward with one new addition that's just been revealed for the cast. Joining a slew of returning franchise stars will be Star Wars:Ahsoka and Barbie actor Ariana Greenblatt.

Per Deadline, Ariana Greenblatt has signed on to be a part of the ensemble cast of Now You See Me 3. She will be appearing alongside returning stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Mark Ruffalo. Ruben Fleischer will direct the sequel with the screenplay coming from Eric Warren Singer, Seth Grahame-Smith, and Mike Lesslie. Bobby Cohen and Alex Kurtzman will partner back up to produce the new movie.

Related Jesse Eisenberg Eager to Start Work on Now You See Me 3 Now You See Me star Jesse Eisenberg is anxious to show off his latest magic tricks in the upcoming third installment. Close

Greenblatt is known to Star Wars fans for...

CinemaCon continues to confirm honorees for its Big Screen Achievement Awards, adding actress Ariana Greenblatt to the roster.

Greenblatt will be presented with a rising star of the year trophy at a ceremony inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 11. The honor follows Greenblatt’s role in Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster Barbie, and arrives months ahead of her follow-up in Eli Roth’s Borderlands opposite Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Édgar Ramírez and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The Big Screen Achievement Awards, hosted by official presenting sponsor the Coca-Cola Company, will also see honors doled out to Amy Poehler (vanguard award), Lupita Nyong’o (star of the year), Shawn Levy (director of the year), Joseph Quinn (breakthrough performer of the year award) and Dan Stevens (excellence in acting award).

“Acting since the age of 6, Ariana Greenblatt has a résumé that already includes such high-profile films as Avengers: Infinity War, The One and Only Ivan,...

Netflix’s Top 10 Most-Viewed Films Weekly List ( Photo Credit – IMDb )

People seem to be shifting their focus from holiday-inspired movies to other films, as the list of Netflix’s Weekly Top-10 Most Viewed Films is here. Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, Tom Cruise’s TopGun: Maverick, Pretty Woman, and others have kept the viewers hooked to their phones and TV screens. Scroll below to find out which films have made it to the top ten charts for the last week of 2023.

Last week Zack’s sci-fi adventure movie grabbed the number one spot and is also sitting comfortably this week. The Tom Cruise starrer has been added recently, and the Top Gun sequel didn’t take much time to make a place on the weekly list. Julia Roberts is winning, with two of her films enjoying the top spots on the list.

Films...

Are those untitled feature dates real on the 2024 theatrical release calendar? Yes, they are with Universal dating DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot for Sept. 20, 2024.

Pic is an adaptation of Peter Brown’s award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller, The Wild Robot. The movie follows the epic journey of a robot—Rozzum unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

The Wild Robot is directed by three-time Oscar nominee Chris Sanders—the writer-director of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, and Disney’s Lilo & Stitch—and is produced by Jeff Hermann.

Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, an illustrated middle-grade novel first published...

DreamWorks has had more box office losses than hits in the 2020s, but upcoming movies like Trolls Band Together and Kung Fu Panda 4 could save the studio. The success of franchises like Shrek and Madagascar have made DreamWorks known for creating audience-pleasing, billion-dollar franchises. Despite recent box office failures, there is hope for DreamWorks with the potential success of Trolls Band Together and the high demand for Kung Fu Panda 4.

Although the movies of DreamWorks have grossed over $16 billion worldwide, the studio has had more losses than hits in the 2020s — but two upcoming movies could save it. DreamWorks, once a titan of the animated film industry, is renowned for creating some of the best animated movie franchises. When Shrek first roared into theaters in 2001, it not only set the tone for the studio's distinctive style but also brought in an astounding $491 million globally (via The Numbers). The...

This article contains spoilers for "Ahsoka" episode 5, "Dark Warrior."

Given the pretty massive cliffhanger fans were left with at the end of "Ahsoka" episode 4, "Fallen Jedi," expectations were sky-high headed into episode 5. But Dave Filoni isn't one to disappoint. The episode, titled "Shadow Warrior," in some ways represented a culmination of the filmmaker's many years working in "Star Wars" up to this point. It even allowed him to bring a young Ahsoka Tano to life in live-action. For those who felt like the actor underneath that young Ahsoka makeup felt familiar, there's a very good reason for that.

Fans of "The Clone Wars" had a lot to soak in with the episode serving as a real blast from the past, as we got to see Anakin Skywalker and a younger Ahsoka Tano in the heart of battle long before he became Darth Vader and she left the Jedi Order. It was just Anakin and Snips.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is quickly clawing its way to becoming an unprecedented Dreamworks hit and the studio’s recent box office bomb Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken makes Puss' triumph even more impressive. Dreamworks announced the sequel to the spinoff Puss in Boots (2011) to the excitement of fans itching for another installment in the Shrek universe. While the titular ogre wasn't at the heart of the sixth installment of the fairy-tale led franchise, audiences were fortunate to experience an insightful adventure comedy that peaked at a whopping 95% Rotten Tomatoes Score with critics.

What works at the paws of the suave, sword handling cat, Puss in Boots, is quite a far cry from Dreamworks' latest animation attempt, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. As a matter of fact, Ruby Gillman is representative of the other side of success for the major studio, delivering the worst-ever opening for Dreamworks in its near t30-year-long history.

Six years after its release, The Boss Baby is dominating Netflix, having maintained a spot on the streaming platform's worldwide Top 10 films for many weeks. The Boss Baby is an animated movie from DreamWorks starring Alec Baldwin as the titular character, an intelligent baby part of a spy network of other babies. Despite receiving a rotten score of 53% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, The Boss Baby earned $528 million at the global box office, spawning a franchise that includes a sequel and two Netflix TV series.

Now, the Global Top 10 iFlms for Netflix has revealed The Boss Baby has been in the Top 10 films worldwide on the platform for the last nine weeks. For the most recent report, The Boss Baby reached the Number 8 spot, with 4.5 million hours viewed. It seems that, despite being released in 2017, The Boss Baby is maintaining its popularity via streaming.

Why Is The Boss Baby Still So Popular?...

The success of the animated movie The Boss Baby made way for a franchise, which has continued the story of the title character, Ted Templeton, but the boss baby has gone through a couple of changes as there are two actors who have lent their voices to this peculiar character. In 2017, DreamWorks Animation took the audience to a world where babies come from a company named Baby Corp, with most babies going to families while others are sent to management and given a special baby formula that allows them to think and behave as adults while staying as babies forever.

One day, Tim Templeton went from only child to older brother when his new baby brother arrived, and it was none other than Boss Baby, who had been sent on a special mission to discover why the world’s love of babies had been gradually replaced by love of puppies.

The guest roster for Nickelodeon's Blaze and the Monster Machines is growing with season 7. The Nickelodeon animated show is set in a world with living monster trucks and centers on the eponymous truck, his young driver Aj and their friends as embark on various adventures around Axle City. Featuring an ensemble voice roster with Nolan North, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Nat Faxon, among others, Blaze and the Monster Machines has enjoyed a successful seven-season run thus far on the network.

Ahead of its premiere, Screen Rant is honored to present an exclusive Blaze and the Monster Machines season 7 clip.

The video, as seen above, comes from episode 15, entitled "The Yucky Ducky", in which the eponymous villain arrives in Axle City and begins covering it in sticky "grossigoo," requiring Blaze and his friends to team up to save the world. The clip sees the introduction of Amy Sedaris' Yucky Ducky...

“Five Nights at Freddy’s” has set an October release date to terrify audiences in multiplexes… and on Peacock.

Universal Pictures has announced a simultaneous release for the Blumhouse-produced adaptation of the popular horror video game series, setting an Oct. 27, 2023 date for both a theatrical bow and a debut on the studio’s streaming service.

Producer Jason Blum, a prolific presence on Twitter, took to the platform Wednesday evening to make an announcement of the release date, though a note on the simultaneous Peacock debut is absent.

As promised:#Fnaf Fans: You asked and we delivered. #FNAFMovie is coming this Halloween on October 27. 2023!!!!!

205 days until the party.

And that is the Big News

— Jason Blum (@jason_blum) April 6, 2023

A day-and-date horror release has become an annual affair for Universal. This will mark the third time that the studio has set a hybrid debut for a Blumhouse production in October. Previously, both...

Disney, the once undisputed king of animated movies, has lost the box office race to archrival Universal Pictures for the last three years running — and there’s no sign of magical turnaround on the horizon.

From Pixar’s “Onward,” which opened to a disappointing 39 million in March 2020 to Walt Disney Animation’s “Strange World,” which barely cracked 25.5 million in its first 12 days of domestic release, Disney’s theatrically released animated films have grossed just over 1 billion worldwide.

Meanwhile, in that same period, with the same burdens of Covid and on much lower production budgets, Universal’s combined theatrical output from Illumination and DreamWorks Animation have earned 2.06 billion worldwide from a series of animated hits like “Trolls: World Tour,” “The Croods: A New Age,” “Spirit Untamed,” “The Boss Baby: Family Business,” “Sing 2,” “The Bad Guys” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”

NBC Universal CEO Jeff Shell on Monday trumpeted his studio’s achievement.

“Halloween Ends” has become the latest film that Universal has moved to a day-and-date release strategy with a simultaneous rollout in theaters and on its streaming service Peacock. But Christopher Landon, who directed the Blumhouse horror films “Happy Death Day” and “Freaky” for Universal, is sick of Hollywood using the strategy at the expense of directors.

In a Twitter thread on Saturday, Landon talked about how “Freaky,” his horror comedy about a teenage girl who switches bodies with a wanted serial killer, was released theatrically in November 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic but then released as a video-on-demand title less than a month later, in keeping with Universal’s then-newly-signed agreement with major theater chains allowing them to release films on-demand as early as 17 days after theatrical release.

“Studios: stop gambling with filmmakers and their movies to try and prop up your fledgling streaming services. This happened to...

Exclusive: Dave and John Chernin’s Incoming has begun production in Los Angeles, we’ve learned, with an ensemble cast that includes 2x Primetime Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale, Primetime Emmy nominee Kaitlin Olson, Scott MacArthur as well as Raphael Alejandro, Isabella Ferreira, Ali Gallo, Loren Gray, Ramon Reed (13:The Musical) and Bardia Seiri.

All of them join previously announced Mason Thames (The Black Phone).

The Chernin brothers co-wrote the screenplay and are making their directorial film debut on the Artists Road and Spyglass Media production.

Incoming follows four incoming freshmen as they navigate the terrors of adolescence at their first-ever high school party.

Artists Road landed the sought-after project in a competitive situation from the Chernin brothers with Spyglass Media Group boarding to co-finance.

Artists Road’s principals Todd Garner, Peter Principato, Ben Silverman and Artists Road’s CEO, Mark Korshak will produce alongside Stoller Global Solutions Company’s Nick Stoller and Conor Welch.

It is fascinating how DreamWorks Animation went from one of the most innovative and exciting animation studios in America to a franchise-churning machine that's mostly dedicated to sequels and spin-offs. For every "Prince of Egypt" and "Chicken Run," there's a "Shrek the Third" or a "The Boss Baby: Family Business" waiting around the corner. 

The culprit, of course, is "Shrek." You know, the film that competed for the Palme d'Or at Cannes and went on to win the very first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature ever. Three sequels and a spin-off later, how am I excited for a new entry in the...

The post Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Trailer: DreamWorks Actually Made A New Shrek Spin-Off Exciting appeared first on /Film.

Boss Baby is back in action. The animated infant will star in the series “The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib” for Netflix, the streamer announced Thursday with a first look image.

The new DreamWorks Animation show, which is set to debut on May 19, is a followup to “The Boss Baby: Back in Business,” which ran for four seasons on Netflix from 2018-2020.

The new series follows the events of last summer’s feature film “The Boss Baby: Family Business.” In this case, Theodore Templeton (voiced by Jp Karliak) is framed for embezzlement and forced to revert back to his old Boss Baby self and crash with his brother Tim and his two nieces, brainy big kid Tabitha Ariana Greenblatt and fellow Baby Corp employee Tina (Mary Farber).

Boss Baby and Tina then team up to lead a new team as it aims to increase Baby Love while staving off the threat of new villains,...

Nickelodeon is out with the nominations for its Kids’ Choice Awards 2022 and has iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove and four-time Super Bowl champ Rob Gronkowski as co-hosts. Check out the noms list and host announcement video below.

The slime-show covering film, TV, music, sports and more is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 9, from Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport. Nick, TeenNick, Nicktoons and Nick Jr. will air it live in the East and delayed in the West.

“Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards has always been such a unique show with tons of energy, superstars and of course, lots of slime,” said Cosgrove, whose iCarly reboot is up for Favorite Family TV Show. “Nickelodeon has always been my family and to co-host this iconic show alongside Gronk will be a blast.”

Added the NFL star and former co-host of Nick’s Crashletes: “I’ve always been a kid at heart,...

Jennifer Lopez’s “Marry Me” is the most-streamed day-and-date movie on Peacock, and Will Smith’s gritty “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reboot “Bel-Air,” which debuted on Super Bowl Sunday last month, is the platform’s top original series.

“We launched a movie on Valentine’s Day, ‘Marry Me,’ [which is] day-and-date the most-streamed movie we’ve had,” Comcast CEO and chairman Brian Roberts said during a Morgan Stanley conference Monday. “And we launched a new drama, ‘Bel-Air,’ and it was the most-streamed new show we’ve had.”

Roberts did not provide any actual viewership data for the titles.

“Bel-Air’s” status as the most-streamed original series on Peacock is likely due in part to the high-profile drama’s much-promoted debut on Feb. 13, the same day that NBC aired Super Bowl Lvi. Other original series on Peacock include “Saved by the Bell,” “Dr. Death,” “Girls5Eva,” “Rutherford Falls” and “One Of Us Is Lying,...

Two new movies, Kenneth Branagh’s star-studded murder mystery “Death on the Nile” and Jennifer Lopez’s romantic comedy “Marry Me,” hope to appeal to people who aren’t all that interested in Super Bowl festivities.

Football’s biggest weekend has traditionally led to lighter movie theater attendance, though Disney and Universal (the studios behind the box office’s newest offerings) are banking on their films to serve as can’t-miss counterprogramming against Sunday’s big game.

“Death on the Nile” looks to have a leg up on the competition; it’s on track to open to $11 million to $14 million from 3,200 theaters. “Marry Me,” which is landing on the streaming service Peacock on the same day as its theatrical release, is estimated to collect at least $10 million from 3,600 venues between Friday and Sunday. Since rom-coms haven’t been reliable moneymakers, Universal could be mitigating losses by premiering the movie concurrently online.

Universal already had May 13 this year reserved for a Blumhouse movie, and it turns out that’s Firestarter. The movie will go day-and-date on Peacock too as the streamer needs to up its paid subscriber count. Firestarter is the only wide theatrical release on May 13, and follows the weekend after Disney/Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

This is the fourth Universal theatrical release to go day-and-date on Peacock after The Boss Baby: Family Business, Blumhouse/Miramax’s Halloween Kills and this weekend’s romantic comedy Marry Me starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. It’s technically five NBCUniversal movies going theatrical day-and-date on Peacock this year, if you count the upcoming release of Focus Features’ Sundance acquisition Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul, which has yet to set a date.

As of this minute, it’s questionable whether a Peacock availability of a movie shaves off...

Focus Features, Peacock, and Monkeypaw Productions have acquired global rights to Sundance Film Festival premiere Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul which will receive a theatrical day-and-date release in theaters and on Peacock later this year.

While others Universal titles such as The Boss Baby: Family Business and Halloween Kills, and this weekend’s upcoming Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy Marry Me, have gone theatrical day-and-date on the Comcast owned streaming service, this is arguably the first Focus Features title to have a dynamic window Peacock release.

Filmmaking sibling duo the Ebo twins, writer-director Adamma Ebo and producer Adanne Ebo, made their feature film debut with production company Pinky Promise in this adaptation of their previous short film of the same name.

In the movie, a proud first lady of a Southern Baptist megachurch, Trinitie Childs (Regina Hall) carries immense responsibility on her shoulders. After a scandal involving her husband, Pastor...

This marks the fifth year that the entire membership of the academy can take part in the nomination stage of the Animated Feature Oscar race. Previously, only select members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch and invited members from the other branches could serve on the committee that decided the nominees. Collectively, the committee tended to favor traditional and stop-motion films over CG fare. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2022 Oscars predictions for Best Animated Feature.)

Mandatory attendance at screenings has been dropped and voters who want to be on the nominations committee need only attest to having seen all the contenders at theaters or screenings or by way of the the academy’s streaming site.

The method of determining the nominees has also changed. Gone is the system where voters scored a film from 6 (poor) to 10 (excellent) with only those movies meriting an average mark of at least 7.5 eligible for a nomination.

The Boss Baby 2 is a film that thrives in the notion of imagination, with a nostalgic look back to our own childhoods, and how we vicariously live through our own offspring. When speaking to director Tom McGrath, we discussed the themes of the movie, and whether he too has a blissful, imaginative outlook on life. He speaks about the collaboration process with Alec Baldwin, not to mention the new addition to the cast of Jeff Goldblum, while he comments on his approach to filmmaking in regards to sequels, and at what stage he allows himself to start conjuring new stories and ideas.

Watch the full interview with Tom McGrath here:

Synopsis

The Templeton brothers have become adults and drifted away from each other, but a new boss baby with a cutting-edge approach is about to bring them together again – and inspire a new family business.

The Boss Baby 2 is available now on DVD,...

“Marry Me,” a musical romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez, will debut on Peacock on Feb. 11, 2022, the same day as its theatrical release.

The Universal Pictures film was intended to premiere exclusively on the big screen, but the studio opted to shake up its release plan at a time when dramas and comedies — and basically any movie that isn’t part of a major film franchise — have struggled to sell tickets in theaters.

Over the weekend, Steven Spielberg’s well-reviewed musical “West Side Story” fell short of box office expectations, continuing a discouraging pandemic-era trend for adult-centric titles, including Will Smith’s sports drama “King Richard,” Kristen Stewart’s royal fantasy biopic “Spencer” and Ridley Scott’s star-studded historical epic “The Last Duel.” As for Universal, its recent teen musical “Dear Evan Hansen” failed to connect with audiences while playing exclusively on the big screen.

In an attempt to navigate the rocky movie theater landscape,...

In another move to feed the beast of frosh streamers, Universal has announced that their Jennifer Lopez-Owen Wilson romantic comedy Marry Me will stream on Peacock the same weekend the movie hits theaters, Feb. 11-13.

Previous theatrical-day-and-date Peacock releases include DreamWorks Animation’s The Boss Baby: Family Business ($57.3M domestic) and Blumhouse/Miramax’s Halloween Kills. The latter film didn’t seem to be eroded that much by its Peacock release posting a healthy $49.4M domestic opening and a $92M final tally stateside.

Marry Me, directed by Kat Coiro, follows a musical superstar, played by Lopez, who is about to be proposed to by her fellow music supernova (Maluma in his feature film debut) before a global audience of fans. However, she learns that he’s been unfaithful and decides to marry Charlie (Wilson), a stranger in the crowd instead.

Marry Me is opening in theaters against 20th Century Studios...

Universal’s upcoming films will premiere on Peacock, the streaming service owned by NBCUniversal, as early as 45 days after debuting on the big screen.

The arrangement does not impact the studio’s existing premium video-on-demand deals with exhibition. It does, however, shrink the traditional Pay 1 window — which was roughly 120 days prior to the pandemic — allowing the majority of its movies to land on streaming services sooner than normal.

Universal’s new model will begin with its 2022 slate, which includes Jennifer Lopez’s musical comedy “Marry Me,” the globe-trotting espionage thriller “The 355,” the George Clooney-Julia Roberts romantic comedy “Ticket to Paradise,” Blumhouse’s horror film “The Black Phone” and “Downton Abbey: A New Era.” Major tentpoles, such as “Jurassic World: Dominion,” “Minions: The Rise of Gru” and Christopher Nolan’s war epic “Oppenheimer,” are not expected to fall in the 45-day plan.

“As we continue investing in the most valued and sought-after content for Peacock,...

Holdovers dominate the top five, with ‘Boxing Day’ the best-performing new release.

Rank Film (Distributor) Three-day gross (Dec 3-5) Total gross to date Week 1 House Of Gucci (Universal) £1.5m £5.6m 2 2 Encanto (Disney)

£1.3m £3.3m 2 3 Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Sony) £1.1m £9.2m 3 4 Eternals (Disney) £318,602 £14.5m 5 5 No Time To Die (Universal) £270,076 £96m 10

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.33

Holdovers dominated at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, with Aml Ameen’s Boxing Day just missing out on breaking into the top five, but leading the new releases.

Universal’s House Of Gucci, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver and Jared Leto,...

Four of the top animated films of the year sought to take us to very different worlds. One showed an astronaut trying to survive after his spaceship crash lands on a strange small planet while another shows a robot uprising on Earth instigated by a vengeful AI system. Another shows us a school that looks to make parents obsolete and the other displays a world of singing animals trying to make it in show business. In a recent discussion we got to hear the filmmakers behind these projects talk about their influences in animation and what lessons they’ve learned over the course of their careers. Gold Derby recently got to ask these questions with Joe Mateo (“Blush”), Tom McGrath (“The Boss Baby: Family Business”), Kurt Albrecht (“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”) and Garth Jennings (“Sing 2”) during our recent Meet the Experts panel.

You can watch the film animation...

For the first time in a long while, audiences were enticed to leave the couch for new movies that didn’t involve superheroes or speedy cars.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Disney’s animated musical fable “Encanto” collected a leading $40.3 million between Wednesday and Sunday and MGM’s star-studded crime drama “House of Gucci” brought in $20 million in the same period, a solid haul for pandemic times. It’s an encouraging sign that family films and movies aimed at adult audiences can manage to be viable box office draws, especially when they are playing exclusively in theaters and are not available simultaneously on streaming services. Having a world-famous pop icon as your leading lady helps too.

But Thanksgiving is historically one of the most popular times to take the family to the cinema, and 2021 didn’t come close to reaching the box office bounty of years past. During the extended...

Even though “The Boss Baby” is based on a children’s book, the director of both the original and the sequel, Tom McGrath, leaned into his relationship with his own brother for the sequel. “We kind of lost touch, but I was always envious of him because he had two beautiful sons and a family and I never had kids,” McGrath tells Gold Derby in our Meet the Experts: Film Animation panel (watch the exclusive video interview above). In making these movies, he aimed to get a specific reaction from his brother. “At the first movie, I just wanted to make him cry, which worked and then this one, it was the same reaction.”

“The Boss Baby: Family Business” takes place with the two brothers from the first film, Ted (Alec Baldwin) and Tim (James Marsden), now grown up and estranged. They’re forced to reconnect when Tim’s baby daughter,...

‘No Time To Die’ has topped the total of ‘Spectre’.

RankFilm (Distributor)Three-day gross (Nov 26-28)Total gross to dateWeek 1 House Of Gucci (Universal) £2.4m £2.4m 1 2 Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Sony) £2.2m £7.6m 2 3 Encanto (Disney) £1.5m £1.7m 1 4 Eternals (Disney) £586,304 £13.9m 4 5 No Time To Die (Universal) £492,097 £95.5m 9

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.33

Universal’s House Of Gucci has comfortably secured top spot on its debut weekend at the UK-Ireland box office, representing a recovery for director Ridley Scott from the underperformance of The Last Duel.

House Of Gucci opened to £2.4m from 685 locations at an average of £3,538: below the averages of recent superhero and James Bond blockbusters,...