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Clive Revill, the New Zealand native who after being recruited to be an actor by Laurence Olivier starred on Broadway, appeared in two films for Billy Wilder and provided the original voice of the evil Emperor Palpatine in The Empire Strikes Back, has died. He was 94.

Revill died March 11 at a care facility in Sherman Oaks after a battle with dementia, his daughter, Kate Revill, told The Hollywood Reporter.

The extremely versatile Revill played cops in Otto Preminger’s Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965), starring Olivier, and Jack Smight’s Kaleidoscope (1966), starring Warren Beatty; not one but two characters (a Scotsman and an Arab) in Joseph Losey’s Modesty Blaise (1966); and a physicist investigating strange goings-on at a haunted mansion in John Hough’s The Legend of Hell House (1973), starring Roddy McDowall.

A veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Revill also appeared seven times on Broadway and received Tony nominations for...

In a small way, the micro-budgeted U.K. indie “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey” more than pulled its weight in drawing audiences back to theaters two years ago. The bad-taste concept and trailer generated guilty-pleasure viral traction; then the Fathom Events theatrical window was so short, there was no chance for word-of-mouth to spoil the fun. Which was fortunate, as the film itself was an amateurish slog.

You have to give the filmmakers credit, though: They swallowed all criticism (including an impressive sweep of the Golden Raspberries), vowing to plow their considerable profits into making better movies …albeit in the same vein. Last year’s “Honey” sequel was reportedly a significant improvement. Now there’s “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare,” a nasty piece of work — in the sense that it appeals to horror fans with a strong stomach not just for gore but truly unpleasant ideas.

You might hesitate to call a...

Multilingual South African actor and producer, Stelio Savante, who has a SAG Award cast nomination for playing Steve in Ugly Betty, has signed with London based Harter Allen Agency for representation in Europe and the Middle East. Savante recently wrapped key roles in three upcoming films, all based on true stories; Sarah’s Oil, Between Borders, and Hazel.

Sarah’s Oil, directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh, is an Amazon MGM drama starring Zachary Levi, Naya Desir Johnson, Sonequa Martin Green, Garret Dillahunt, Bridget Regan, Kenric Green, Adyan Copes, Stelio Savante and Mel Rodriguez. The film will be released in theaters on December 25, 2025.

Between Borders, directed by Mark Freiburger, stars Elizabeth Tabish, Patrick Sabongui, and Stelio Savantewith Michael Paul Chan, and Elizabeth Mitchell. The drama is scheduled to release on January 26th in theaters nationwide, through Fathom events.

Survival thriller Hazel, directed by Daniel Bielinski stars Madelyn Dundon, Stelio Savante and Laurie Fortierwith Genevieve Bielinksi,...

“Venom: The Last Dance” (Sony) was the default #1 with a $16.2 million gross. That’s an uninspiring number for the top spot, but the threequel now stands at $394 million worldwide and predecessor “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” totaled $507 million. “Dance” could do the same.

The modestly budgeted “Heretic” (A24) and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” (Lionsgate) are battling for a #2 slot that won’t be certain until Sunday’s actuals come in. Both did around $11 million, a bit over projections.

However, the most noteworthy aspect of the box office on this post-election weekend is that the top 20 is so wildly eclectic that it’s quite possible even the most committed cinematic completist will never see them all.

That’s all the more strange with Veteran’s Day on Monday, making this a four-day weekend for many. Usually that encourages major studios to place their top films, but studios held back due...

It’s not that clear cut that Sony’s Venom: The Last Dance will take No. 1 in its third weekend; the movie looking to do around $12M. Exhibitors are betting that A24’s Heretic could do as much, if not more. A24 projections are at $8M at 3,200 theaters for the Hugh Grant horror movie directed by A Quiet Place architects Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.

Heretic, which made its world premiere at TIFF, follows two young Mormon missionaries, who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The R-rated movie counts 94% certified fresh reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. There were some sneaks in Salt Lake City, Ut, but overall previews kick off Thursday at 7Pm. The target is young folks, 18-34.

Venom 3 had a very good second Tuesday on Election Day of $3.3M,...

After a summertime return to theaters that grossed over $53 million at the global box office, Laika’s acclaimed 2009 stop-motion animated film Coraline returns to theaters for a special Halloween engagement starting on October 31st.

In partnership with Fathom in the US and Trafalgar Releasing internationally, the film is offered in stunning, newly remastered 3D as well as 2D formats.

In addition to the U.S., the Halloween engagement of Coraline includes the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Austria, and Ecuador, with more territories to follow. France and Italy will also begin their Coraline 15th Anniversary engagements this November.

Fans attending Coraline will be treated to an early glimpse of Laika’s upcoming film, Wildwood.

The 15th Anniversary theatrical re-release of Coraline this past August was an astonishing success, surpassing all estimates. Since its re-release on August 15th, Coraline has brought in over $53 million at the global box office.

It marks the...

For fans who missed Coraline‘s summertime return, fear not: Animation company Laika Studios will be re-releasing the beloved stop-motion pic beginning on Halloween.

The news comes following a huge global box office return for Laika, who is now partnering with Fathom in the U.S. and Trafalgar Releasing internationally, with more than $53 million grossed during the dark fantasy movie’s re-release in August for its 15th anniversary. The 2009 film will be offered in newly remastered 3D as well as 2D formats.

During the screening, viewers will also get a glimpse at Laika’s upcoming Wildwood. Beginning Oct. 31, the film will be available in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, Canada, Austria and Ecuador, with more territories to come. France and Italy will also see a re-release for the film’s anniversary in November.

“Everyone at Laika is elated by the global success of the Coraline re-release and we’re delighted...

Fifteen years after the film’s initial release, Henry Selick’s 2009 stop motion film Coraline is once again headed back to theaters for the Halloween season, we’ve learned today.

In the wake of Coraline scaring up $53 million at the global box office this past summer, the film returns for another limited-time engagement in newly remastered 3D and 2D formats.

From Fathom Events, Coraline comes back to theaters on October 31 & November 1.

Tickets for the spooky season re-release are up for grabs now.

Variety details, “Henry Selick’s film now stands at a lifetime haul of $185.7 million worldwide and is the highest-grossing stop-motion film in the U.S. It’s also the highest-grossing rerelease in the U.S. in the past 10 years and the highest-grossing of Fathom’s 20-year history. Attendees on Halloween will also get a sneak peek of Laika’s upcoming film Wildwood.”

“Everyone at Laika is elated by...

Sandbox Films, an independent production company that focuses on making documentaries about scientific issues, has hired Caitlin Mae Burke as its head of production and development. In this position, Burke will work with Sandbox Films executive director Jessica Harrop to play a significant role in helping to decide which projects the company will finance, managing the company’s partnerships with Sundance and other organizations, and overseeing its documentaries from their development through their production and post-production.

“To say I am humbled to join the team at Sandbox Films is an understatement: their expansive support of the most invigorating non-fiction films over the past several years has been truly inspiring in how to best support boundary-pushing artists,” Burke said in a statement. “As a producer and arts administrator it is a gift to follow this example from within the organization setting it. I am ecstatic to follow Jess Harrop’s continued...

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The Matrix is returning to theaters this week, and Screen Rant is excited to share a new trailer celebrating the event. The iconic science fiction film broke boundaries and box office records alike when it debuted in 1999, launching Keanu Reeves into superstardom and making its directors Lilly and Lana Wachowski household names. The movies groundbreaking special effects would go on to influence action films for decades to come, and its high-concept story introduced ideas of simulation theory to millions of moviegoers.

Screen Rant is happy to showcase a trailer tied to The Matrixs return to movie theaters. Although there are many movies and shorts in The Matrix franchise, its widely accepted that the first film is impossible to beat. In that film, the Wachowskis struck a near-perfect balance between action and philosophizing that even later films in the franchise didnt always replicate.

Tim Burton and Warner Bros.’ Beetlejuice Beetlejuice lost none of its ghostly mojo in its second weekend and easily stayed atop the box office chart with an estimated $51.6 million as it hurtles toward the $200 million mark domestically.

The pic, playing in 4,575 theaters domestically, fell just 54 percent for a 10-day domestic total of $188 million. Overseas, the sequel took in another $28.7 million from 76 markets for a lukewarm foreign tally of $76.3 million and $264.3 million globally.

Blumhouse and Universal’s new horror-thriller Speak No Evil was also good news for the early fall box office. The pic opened in second place with an estimated $11.5 million from 3,375 locations against a budget of just $15 million before marketing. The movie follows an American family as they spend the weekend at a plush British estate only to discover that their host, played by James McAvoy, has a rather sinister side. McAvoy is earning strong marks for his performance.

If it’s Friday the 13th, and you’re a studio (especially Blumhouse), you don’t miss the opportunity to program a genre film, and that’s Speak No Evil this weekend. The James Watkins directed, written and produced movie made $1.3M from previews last night that began at 2Pm. The Universal distributed R-rated title is expected to do around $10M off good reviews at 87% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience score stands at 86%. The James McAvoy, Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis feature follows a family who gets invited to spend a whole weekend in a lonely home in the countryside, but as the weekend progresses, they soon realize that the family who invited them has a dark side laying inside them.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice minted $4.5M at 4,575 theaters, ending its first week at $136.4M. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is pacing 14% behind the first week of 2017’s It, also a...

“God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust” (Fathom) and “Am I Racist?” (Sdg) won’t register with most mainstream moviegoers, but this weekend they could rank as high as #3 and #4 (in either order), behind “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (Warner Bros.) and the debuting “Speak No Evil” (Universal). Also in the mix are Lionsgate’s new “The Killer’s Game” and the 8th weekend of “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

Of these, guess which two are top candidates for receiving the rare A+ Cinemascore.

There’s a history of lucrative performances for similar films that appeal to conservative faith-based or Maga-related audiences (which frequently overlap). The progressive side has its analogs, particularly in Michael Moore documentaries, but for the last decade or more nearly all the preach-to-the-choir breakthroughs come from the right wing of the ideological spectrum.

Most fall far short of the grosses for “The Passion of the Christ” (Picturehouse) or “Sound of Freedom” (Angel). With budgets modest to small,...

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” may have given the fall movie season a serious jumpstart, but it’s not the only September release, as we are about to go into yet another busy weekend. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scott McNairy, and Aisling Franciosi (“The Last Voyage of the Demeter”) star in Universal Pictures and Blumhouse’s remake of the Danish horror film “Speak No Evil,” which received rave reviews when it premiered at Sundance and ended up streaming on Shudder. Directed by British filmmaker James Watkins (“The Woman in Black”), this remake looks pretty straight-forward with the same premise of a couple traveling to visit another couple they met on holiday, with the biggest difference being that the respective families are now American and British.

Being released after two horror movies bombed two weekends in a row, but Universal has been marketing the heck...

The fifth film in the God's Not Dead franchise is here, and there are options for where to watch God's Not Dead: In God We Trust. The original faith-based movie series began in 2014 and was met with a rather impressive box office performance, as it earned over $60 million thanks to strong support from Christian viewers, even as critics negatively reviewed it. That propelled more Christian movies to be made that continue the story of Reverend Dave Hill, played by David A. R. White, a pastor now running for Congress in God's Not Dead: In God We Trust.

Although the box office performance of the God's Not Dead movies has declined with each entry, God's Not Dead: In God We Trust still has an exclusive theatrical release as a means to try and get enough support from audiences. The movie brings back several characters and actors from previous installments, including Cory Oliver,...

Mel Brooks beloved, controversial comedy classic Blazing Saddles rides back into theaters nationwide courtesy of Fathom Events and Warner Bros. later this month. In celebration of the groundbreaking comedys 50th anniversary, this Fathom Big Screen Classic also includes a special introduction by film critic and historian Leonard Maltin. Blazing Saddles will return to the big screen for a limited time on September 15 and September 18, and tickets are available for purchase now via the Fathom Events site.

Ribald, tasteless, and hilarious... Mel Brooks classic spoof of the Western genre pokes fun at everyone and everything. Together with his nefarious railroad baron-backer Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman), corrupt Governor Lepetomane (Brooks) cooks up a scheme to grant a reprieve to an African American convict (Cleavon Little), on the condition that the condemned man agrees to serve as sheriff of a small Western town - with the intent that the newly-minted lawman will only...

15 years after its original theatrical release, Laika's stop-motion animated classic "Coraline" has become a wildly unexpected hit at the box office. The folks at Fathom Events partnered with Laika to bring director Henry Selick's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's story back to the big screen recently, and to say that it has gone well would be a dramatic understatement.

This past weekend, "Coraline" pulled in $5 million, which was on its second weekend of re-release. Amazingly enough, it made more than Lionsgate's "The Crow" remake ($4.6 million) in its debut. It dropped less than 50% on weekend two, and to date has pulled in $24 million domestically. It's one of Fathom's most successful re-releases ever. What's perhaps most amazing is that Fathom already had success with a re-release of the film last year, which pulled in more than $7 million. That led to this 15th anniversary celebration, which has been surprisingly fruitful.

With $92 million this weekend, domestic gross for August should equal 2023 or come close for the first time since March. Holdovers get the credit: Three new wide releases grossed $19 million total, for about 20 percent of the weekend’s gross.

“Blink Twice” (Amazon MGM), the directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz and starring Channing Tatum, did best. to place fourth, with an underwhelming $7.3 million. With a cost of $20 million and Amazon streaming ahead, this edgy story of a billionaire hosting a group of young women at his island hideout at least got enough attention to elevate interest, despite a not entirely strong start in theaters.

Last week’s top two Disney titles swapped places. “Deadpool & Wolverine,” dropping only 39 percent in week five, took in $18.3 million for $577 million domestic, far above expectations and the best Marvel title since “Avengers: Endgame.” It projects to $625 million-$640 million, which will make it #2 for the summer behind...

The final weeks of the summer are bringing the typical slowdown for the box office, as Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine” has retaken the No. 1 spot from fellow Disney release “Alien: Romulus” while new offerings like Amazon MGM’s “Blink Twice” and Lionsgate’s “The Crow” are sliding below holdovers from earlier in August.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” leads the charts with $18.3 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its total to $577 million domestic and $1.21 billion worldwide. “Alien: Romulus” is just behind with $16.2 million. While that’s a 61% drop from its opening weekend, the film now has a total $72.6 million domestic and $225.4 million worldwide, meaning that “Romulus” will pass the theatrical total of its 2017 predecessor, “Alien: Covenant” in the coming days.

“Blink Twice” came in fourth on the charts this weekend with $7.3 million from 3,063 theaters, sitting behind the $11.8 million third weekend of “It Ends With Us,” which now has a $120 million domestic total.

An unexpectedly strong August continues with the usual (Disney films lead the way) and the unusual (both are R-rated). They’re also a testament to M&a strategy: Both are franchises that Disney acquired from 20th Century-Fox.

Nearly a half century after the Ridley Scott original, “Alien: Romulus” opened at #1 with $41.5 million, and “Deadpool & Wolverine” is #2 with $29 million. Both characters were assets Disney acquired in its $71.8 billion 2019 takeover of the Hollywood legacy studio, Fox.

That synergy extends to “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” the sixth-biggest film of this summer. Throw in “The First Omen” and a reissue of “The Phantom Menace,” and Fox content has provided $825 million of Disney’s $1.467 billion industry-leading gross so far this year.

With three films in the top 10 (#8 is “Inside Out” from Pixar with its $642 million to date) and the distributor represents nearly 54 percent of the weekend’s gross. Its return to dominance...

Disney/20th Century’s “Alien: Romulus” is keeping the August box office strong with a $41.5 million opening weekend from 3,885 theaters, topping the $36.1 million opening of its 2017 Fox-distributed predecessor, “Alien: Covenant.”

That film, directed by series creator Ridley Scott, received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics and longtime fans, but Fede Álvarez’s latest installment has earned a strong reception with a B+ on CinemaScore to go with Rotten Tomatoes scores of 81% from critics and 87% audience.

“Alien: Romulus” is also seeing strong performance overseas with $66.7 million grossed internationally, led by a stronger-than-expected $25.7 million from China with No. 1 openings in Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Korea. In like-for-like markets, the film is 47% ahead of “A Quiet Place: Day One” as its global start reaches $108.2 million.

While “Romulus” did not top the $50 million opening of Sony/Wayfarer’s “It Ends With Us” to give Disney the best opening weekend for each month of the summer season,...

Disney/20th Century’s “Alien: Romulus” is off to a good start at the box office, winning over longtime fans and earning an industry estimated $41 million opening weekend from 3,885 theaters after an $18 million opening day.

Set between the original “Alien” and its 1986 sequel “Aliens,” Fede Alvarez’s “Romulus” is getting positive reception from critics and audiences alike, earning Rotten Tomatoes scores of 81% and 87% from those respective groups while earning a B+ on CinemaScore. That’s a solid grade for a gory R-rated horror film that could give it a chance to leg out against its $80 million budget before marketing costs.

“Romulus” is also topping the opening weekend performance of its predecessor, “Alien: Covenant,” which was directed by Ridley Scott and was the final release of the series from 20th Century Fox prior to Disney’s 2019 acquisition of the studio. That film opened to $36.1 million before inflation adjustment and earned a B on CinemaScore.

“Coraline,” the masterful stop-motion debut from Oregon-based Laika, turns 15 this year. It’s currently being honored with a 3D remaster in theaters (also screening in 2D through Fathom). In addition, there’s a bevy of merch, including a new Mondo vinyl soundtrack by Bruno Coulais, a Converse collection, and a partnership with Portland’s Stumptown Coffee.

Which is why “Coraline” director Henry Selick was recently in London promoting the 3D remaster and appearing at the launch of the “Laika: Frame x Frame” exhibition at BFI Southbank. He spoke to IndieWire via Zoom about ushering in the digital stop-motion revolution at Laika in 2009 and creating the iconic rebel with blue hair and yellow raincoat.

“I had incredible support from Laika and Travis Knight [the studio’s president and artist-turned-director] to pursue exactly what I wanted,” Selick said. “Not that every moment of the film was dictated by myself, but I was able to make the choices and...

Whoa! Has it already been 25 years since the Wachowskis unleashed The Matrix in theaters? Where does the time go? With the influential sci-fi sensation hitting a significant milestone, Fathom Events, Insignia Pictures, and Warner Bros. are thrilled to announce a 25th Anniversary Celebration for The Matrix! The party brings The Matrix back to theaters nationwide with many surprises, a special featurette, and more!

The event kicks off this September 19 and 22, with a featurette exclusive to Fathom screenings looking back on the legacy and lasting impact of the sci-fi film that helped define a generation and sell lots of Blinde “Elipse” 136003 sunglasses. The featurette welcomes Jessica Henwick, who delves deep into the influential cyberthriller that thrust moviemaking into a new arena where imagination has no limits. In the featurette, Henwick shares her thoughts and reflections on the film.

Per today’s press release from Fathom Events:

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures...

When you walk into David Maisel’s Los Angeles office, the first thing you see is a statue of Iron Man, one of the most recognizable superheroes in the world. Hanging on the wall above him is an illustration of a furry faced character named Grell, a hero far fewer people recognize, but who is getting the spotlight this week at San Diego Comic-Con.

Iron Man represents Maisel’s past as the founding chairman of Marvel Studios, where he had the idea for characters such as Iron Man, Captain America and Thor to live in a shared cinematic universe. Grell represents his future at Mythos Studios, where he is plotting a new cinematic universe called Ekos that will feature not just Grell, but potentially hundreds of other characters.

Just as Iron Man made a splash at San Diego Comic-Con in 2007 with a panel for Marvel Studios’ first movie, Maisel is...

The Chosen's emotional impact comes from non-Biblical plotlines like Ramah's death, adding depth to the series. Show creator Dallas Jenkins weaves in new nuances to biblical stories, challenging audiences with unexpected twists. Controversial moments like Ramah's death serve to explore themes of suffering and loss in a thoughtful way.

Surprisingly enough, the most heartbreaking death in The Chosen didn't originate from the Bible. Audiences have adored the series due to its biblically accurate retelling of numerous stories from the Bible. This adoration allowed the show to release four seasons, start production on The Chosen season 5, and confirm seven seasons. However, no adaptation is ever perfect. Early in the series, some completely made-up characters and plotlines are not from The Bible. Nevertheless, the show was accurate enough to draw in several audiences in Christian faiths and beyond.

Showrunner Dallas Jenkins has decided what to add to the story of Christ and His disciples.

One of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved titles, Princess Mononoke, returns to theaters for five nights only later this month.

“Tickets are on sale now for master director Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke, which returns to theaters in July for 5 nights of screenings nationwide. Coming off the blockbuster theatrical release, and triumphant Oscar win for the director’s latest feature, The Boy and the Heron, Gkids and Fathom are thrilled to continue the 2024 edition of Studio Ghibli Fest with the celebrated filmmaker’s epic feature. Audiences can look forward to Studio Ghibli Fest 2024’s biggest slate of films to date with a 14-title lineup, and upcoming anniversary celebrations including Howl’s Moving Castle’s 20th Anniversary, Kiki’s Delivery Service’s 25th Anniversary, and Pom Poko’s 30th Anniversary. The film will be shown in both original Japanese and English dubbed versions. In addition to the full feature, screenings will include...

Fluff your powdered wig and fill your snuffbox because a trailer for French filmmaker Maïwenn’s Jeanne Du Barry is here to give you a front-row seat to one of history’s most notorious scandals. The lavish footage depicts Johnny Depp as Louis Xv and Maïwenn Besco as Jeanne Vaubernier, a woman willing to give a gloved middle finger to tradition to rise through society’s ranks. Decadent, scandalous, and filled with more drama than a season of Bridgerton, today’s Jeanne Du Barry trailer highlights Depp’s first significant feature since his public court battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Here’s the official synopsis for Jeanne Du Barry:

“Jeanne du Barry follows Jeanne Vaubernier (Maïwenn), a working-class woman determined to climb the social ladder, using her charms to escape her impoverished life. Her lover, the Comte du Barry (Melvil Poupaud), wishes to present her to King Louis Xv...

“Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) did its part to launch what needs to be a comeback March for theaters. With an estimated gross of $81.5 million in U.S./Canada on its first weekend — about double the initial “Dune” in October 2021 — Denis Villeneuve’s sequel had the best opening since “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” (at a higher average ticket price), “Barbie,” and “Oppenheimer” last July.

Meantime, A24’s “Problemista” with $140,000 in five New York/Los Angeles theaters had the best platform start since the holidays nearly a year after its SXSW premiere. Written and directed by Julio Torres, he also stars opposite Tilda Swinton in a comedy about an El Savadoran toy designer who must confront the vagaries of the New York art world.

Propelling “Dune 2” are premium formats with elevated prices, which provided 48 percent of the gross (23 percent from IMAX). The performance is a critical boost to the idea that an expensive sequel,...

Rad, the cult BMX movie, will make a grand return to movie theaters across the country for a special one-night event on Thursday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. local time, and Collider is delighted to be working in tandem with Fathom Events to help promote this special event. This unique screening is presented by Fathom Events and Utopia, featuring the film now beautifully remastered in 4K, and Collider can also exclusively reveal that the Fathom screening includes an exclusive Q & A featuring Bill Allen and Bart Connor, along with Utopia co-founder, Robert Schwartzman, and moderated by Rad super fan, Ed Helms (The Hangover).

Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love delivered a huge $50 million-plus domestic opening over the six-day Valentine’s Day-Presidents Day corridor, enough to crush Madame Web‘s $26.2 million start, a record worst for Sony’s superhero adventures.

Monday estimates show One Love raking in $52 million for the six days domestically, up from Sunday’s estimate of $51 million. That includes $34.1 million for the four-day Presidents Day weekend and a record $14 million on Valentine’s Day (rival studios say the decision to go out on sweetheart’s day was a smart choice in building momentum). The movie’s weekend debut is on par with the starts of such musical biopics as Rocketman or Elvis, and did almost double the business it was tracking to do. (Grosses for all films could shift again when final weekend numbers are tallied following the Monday holiday.)

Overseas, One Love earned an impressive $29 million for a global launch...

Update: The official five-day estimates from studios (via Comscore) are in, with Bob Marley: One Love ending the President’s Day holiday weekend with over $52 million at the domestic box office, much higher than was estimated yesterday. Meanwhile, Madame Web is projected to add $2.6 million to its haul today, meaning it’ll end President’s Day with an estimated $26 million cume, which is exactly half of what the Marley biopic made. Expect lots of Madame Web post-mortem reports in the coming weeks, with it a clear box office misfire for Sony.

Original Post:

The weekend results are in, and it looks like Madame Web’s box office take is slightly better than we predicted earlier this week. The superhero film, suffering from terrible word of mouth and awful reviews, eked its way to a second-place finish at the weekend box office with a $15.1 million take. I had it pegged at only $12 million for the weekend,...

Four years of writing about domestic box office during “a challenging period” makes it tempting to go with the glass half-full view (and even more). This weekend, Paramount’s “Bob Marley: One Love” provides the necessary evidence with an estimated $49 million gross by Monday, six days into its Valentine’s Day opening run. Its three-day total is about $27.7 million.

That’s a terrific performance against a $70 million production cost, and it’s an original biopic. Despite a depressed marketplace, there’s an audience for mainstream movies that can make a profit. “Bob Marley” showed a strong cross-demographic draw, female slightly ahead of male, among all ages and ethnic groups. Reviews were not good (43 Metacritic), but it has an A Cinemascore and two weeks with little competition. It could become the first domestic $100-million grossing film of 2024.

There’s also compelling evidence for a glass half empty (or worse). The estimate...

Fathom Events, the premier name in specialty distribution, is partnering with New York-based Paper Canoe Company to bring the new fantasy film Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps to theaters nationwide this summer, we’ve learned this week.

Coinciding with the 40th Anniversary of The NeverEnding Story, the film marks the long-anticipated return to the big screen of that film’s iconic Childlike Empress, Tami Stronach, in her first film role since the Fantasy classic. The feature debut of veteran comedy director Michael Hines (the long-running Scottish cult comedy Still Game), Man and Witch is a labor of love from producer and star Stronach and her husband, co-star, and the film’s writer Greg Steinbruner.

A throwback to the films that captured the imagination of a generation, Man and Witch follows a lonely goatherd (Steinbruner) who, having been cursed at birth to never take a wife, makes...

Exclusive: Fathom Events has acquired the fantasy throwback film Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps, set to be released nationwide in theaters sometime this summer.

The project marks the return to the big screen for The NeverEnding Story star Tami Stronach, who played the Childlike Empress in that 1984 fantasy film. In Man and Witch she portrays the titular witch alongside her husband Greg Steinbruner, who stars as the titular man.

A passion project for the couple, Man and Witch—inspired by their own love story— was produced under their Paper Canoe Company banner, with Steinbruner also serving as screenwriter. And to make it a complete family affair, the couple’s daughter Maya also stars in a role that’s described as a “powerful being who is not of this world.”

A throwback to the films that captured the imagination of a generation, Man and Witch: The Dance...

There’s plenty of grim box office results on Super Bowl Weekend — based on attendance, it’s an all-time historical low for the weekend — but why not start with the good news?

Tran Ahn Hung’s “The Taste of Things” (IFC), France’s submission for the International Oscar (although it failed to make the final list) opened in three New York/Los Angeles locations to a sensational $126,000 or $42,000 per theater.

Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days” (Neon), the International Feature nominee from Japan grossed $180,000 in its first five days in five theaters.

Harmony Korine’s “Aggro Dr1ft” (Edglrd), an experimental action narrative shot in infrared, amassed $46,300 in five shows over four days in Los Angeles with an innovative release strategy.

And Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” (Searchlight) continues to thrive after its strong Oscar nomination haul with another $1.125 million, putting it over the $30 million mark. That’s the best specialized total since “Everything Everywhere All at Once.

It looks like Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle will walk away with an easy win this Super Bowl weekend, with it coming in (slightly) ahead of our expectations to lead the box office with $6.5 million, posting a steep 63% decline in its second weekend. So far, the movie has grossed $28 million domestically, with about a $40-45 million finish in sight. That’s not great for a movie with a rumoured $200 million price tag.

However, it still did much better than Lisa Frankenstein. This retro-styled horror comedy, which is directed by Zelda Williams (Robin’s daughter) from a script by Diablo Cody, would have done much better had it not been hampered by pretty terrible reviews. However, our own Tyler Nichols had an ok time with it. The $3.8 million opening (good enough for second place) is far below tracking, and it seems like the film is destined for a sub-$10 million total. However,...

With Apple’s reported $200 million spy comedy “Argylle” and a proven commercial director in Matthew Vaughn (the “Kingsman” series), the $200 million “Argylle” opened to $18 million.

For Apple, it must give pause around production investments; for theatrical distributor Universal, it’s a disappointment. However, as the only new wide studio release over the last two weeks, it’s disastrous for theaters.

The first three episodes of “The Chosen Season 4” (Fathom), beginning a limited two-week release added about $7.5 million to the total. (The remaining six episodes will be released in upcoming weeks.) We included Thursday’s grosses, which played at the same time as “Argylle” previews. It placed #2, with or without Thursday.

As bad as it was, “Argylle” performed slightly better than expected after a depressed opening day and a low-end C+ Cinemascore. It improved slightly on Saturday from the preview/Friday total. Everything that played this weekend was aided by the lack of alternatives.

Exclusive: Sandbox Films (Fire of Love) and Xtr (Ascension) have teamed to produce feature doc A Life Illuminated, exploring the life and legacy of pioneering marine biologist Edie Widder, in association with ocean exploration nonprofit OceanX.

Set to direct the pic is Tasha Van Zandt, the filmmaker behind such award-winning documentaries as After Antarctica, about legendary polar explorer Will Steger, and One Thousand Stories, about renowned artist Jr.

A Life Illuminated watches as Widder undertakes an extraordinary journey into the magical world of bioluminescence, through which she decodes the language of light that allows deep-sea life to communicate in complete darkness. It’s Widder’s unceasing need to understand and communicate with the most enigmatic forms of life on Earth that leads her to dive into the unknown, exploring the profound mysteries hidden beneath the ocean’s surface.

The film will draw upon Widder’s vast archive, from her earliest dives in deep sea submersibles,...

There’s lots of reasons for the strong $39 million domestic debut for “Wonka” (Warner Bros.), but what studios will notice most is this: For the first time in his already impressive career, 27-year-old Timothée Chalamet has opened a $100 million+ budget movie, and worldwide.

The awards season also brought two new platform releases, with “American Fiction” (Amazon MGM) “The Zone of Interest” (A24) off to a strong start although neither came close to last week’s initial results for “Poor Things” (Searchlight). Yorgos Lanthimos’ film broadened to 82 theaters, maintaining an excellent $15,000-plus PTA.

The musical prequel to Roald Dahl’s classic fantasy opened a week earlier than normal for a family-oriented Christmas film; Warners will also open “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” next Friday and “The Color Purple” Christmas Day.

The earlier release gave “Wonka” access to premium screens (“Aquaman” will get most of them next week), but if reaction was...

Japanese cinema has achieved great heights through all eras of the medium. This weekend, two of the country’s giants — 82-year-old Hayao Miyazaki and 69-year-old Godzilla — came out of local retirement with sleeper hits.

GKids opened Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” to #1 and Toho Releasing saw “Godzilla Minus One” take #3 in its second week. Both distributors smartly chose playtimes when top studios avoided releasing new films and when those in play provided less competition.

The weekend also saw the impressive debuts of three specialized titles. Led by Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” (Searchlight) with the fall’s top platform showing, Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” (Neon) began its one-week qualifying run along with Wim Wenders’ documentary “Anselm.”

The weekend total of $71 million isn’t impressive on its own, but it represents an huge improvement from last year’s $38 million and keeps hopes alive for a $9 billion 2023. Year to date remains up 23 percent,...

This weekend was a relatively slow one with Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron landing in first place with $12.8 million. While that number may seem a little low for a first place finish, it is actually quite the feat as it becomes Gkids (American distributor of Indie Animation titles) and Studio Ghibli’s (Japan Animation Studio) highest domestic opening of all time. The film also becomes Academy Award Winner Miyazaki’s highest domestic opening of all time while only about $5 million away from becoming his highest grossing domestic release of all time (a title currently held by 2008’s Ponyo with $15.7 million)

The story of The Hunger Games; The Battle of Songbirds and Snakes is an interesting one. The movie was released three weeks ago where it came in under predictions with just a $44.6 million domestic debut. The following week, Thanksgiving week, the movie was expected to have a...

As expected, Netflix had a quick hit on its hands this weekend: David Fincher’s “The Killer” was an immediate #1 on the streamer. Credit the genre and star Michael Fassbender for giving it a boost that even top directors like Fincher don’t always guarantee.

After all, even Fincher’s first Netflix film, “Mank,” wasn’t a hit. His second offering for the streamer is immediately doing far better than his 2019 black-and-white biopic. Despite good reviews — and eventual Oscar nominations — “Mank” made Netflix’s top 10 for just one day and it only ranked at #10.

As for “The Killer,” its action appeal, a lead actor not known for streaming originals, and elevated festival attention all seem to have contributed to its immediate ascension to #1. It replaced “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” with Sony’s big summer hit still #2.

Netflix originals only took one other place the chart: “Locked In,” a London-set thriller...

Five recent releases debuted on different VOD charts this past week, and for the second week in a row, three different films took #1 among the three we follow. Two of these took #1 slots, with “Sound of Freedom” (Angel) atop Vudu and #2 at iTunes, while “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” (Paramount) reversing those positions at those two sites.

Google Play, which often lags behind the others seems particularly slow this week, with “The Equalizer 3” (Sony) still #1 even though it doesn’t make the top five at the other two. And “Paw Patrol” ranks only fourth, with “Sound of Freedom” seventh.

Netflix is back in Sony streamer mode, with “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” #1 and “Insidious: The Red Door” #2 (both new this week). But two recent festival-premiered originals took the two new spots. “Sly” (Stallone of course), a documentary, and “Nyad,” about the pioneering swimmer Diane Nyad with Annette Bening, are third and fourth respectively there.

A trio of Indian films led by Leo: Bloody Sweet, at no. 8, and two Fathom events bulked up the specialty box office this weekend as The Persian Version debuted, Anatomy Of A Fall entered week two and Dicks: The Musical expanded nationwide.

Prathyangira Cinemas opened Tamil-language thriller Leo: Bloody Sweet in 720 locations to a hefty weekend debut of $2.14 million and a domestic cume through Sunday of $4.68 million, according to Comscore. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film, with prints in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu, did huge numbers this week in Toronto, Seattle, Dallas, Austin, San Francisco, New York and Montreal. It’s the latest Indian film since Jawan last month to leap Stateside. Jawan, by Atlee Kumar and starring Shah Rukh Kahn (Srk) opened Sept. 8 on 800 screens to a $6.2 million weekend and $7.56 total.

Fans have been looking forward to the pairing of Kanagaraj and star Thalapathy Vijay in a film that...

“Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” (Paramount) topped “Saw X” (Lionsgate) by a healthy $5 million ($23 million to $18 million) on a weekend when either seemed feasible at #1. However, the order here isn’t the real story.

While a “Paw”/”Saw” convergence isn’t exactly the second coming of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” it’s still two films with very different appeal that clicked on the same weekend and will end up in profit.

“The Creator” (Disney) ranked as #3 with $14 million, which isn’t the problem so much as its expense. The Gareth Edwards-directed sci-fi actioner in which humans battle AI drew praise for its visual design at a price, but a modest debut for the New Regency production is a setback for those hoping creativity and originality might launch this higher.

Still, that does mean three films grossed over $14 million in September, which is by no means a sure thing. The total gross looks like around $86 million,...

Scarface is returning to cinemas for its 40th anniversary, giving fans a chance to see Al Pacino's iconic performance as Tony Montana once again. Search for tickets using the provided link. Fathom Events is not only showing Scarface, but also offering screenings of other iconic films like Christine, The Exorcist, House of 1000 Corpses, and The Birds to celebrate their anniversaries. A Christmas Story is also returning to theaters for its 40th anniversary, allowing fans to enjoy the holiday classic on the big screen once more.

“The world is yours” this fall. Director Brian De Palma’s classic crime drama Scarface is going to war again for its 40th anniversary. Al Pacino’s Tony Montana will rise once more to the position of the powerful drug lord when the film returns to cinemas for a special two-day engagement.

Fathom Events will present screenings of Scarface on Sunday, November 12 and Wednesday,...

Why did it take decades for a biopic to be made about Israel’s first and only female prime minister, Golda Meir?

Filmmaker Guy Nattiv, who boarded the “open assignment” project well before his live-action short Oscar win for Skin in 2019, tells us why, in addition to Golda‘s recent shepherding as a feature.

Helen Mirren, whose casting as Meir stirred the media early on since the actress isn’t Jewish, became attached before Nattiv. All along the Oscar winning actress had the blessing of Meir’s grandchildren, in particular Shaul Rahabi. Bleecker Street, the domestic distributor, financier ShivHans Pictures and Embankment, kept the project afloat financially toward a finish line when Covid stalled development.

Nattiv doesn’t foresee Golda stirring up any more controversy, particularly in its homeland of Israel. All the warts are out there per the director about the female prime minister and the casualties of 1973’s Yom Kippur War,...

“Coraline,” 2009’s Oscar-nominated animated feature from Laika Studios, grossed a combined $4.91 million in a limited theatrical rerelease via Fathom Events.

The success of the screenings, which were held Monday and Tuesday, has led to two additional screenings of the Henry Selick-directed film being added on Aug. 28 and Aug. 29.

The showings, hosted by Fathom in partnership with Laika and Park Circus, placed the film third in gross box office behind “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” It ranked as the highest grosser in per screen average on both days, making $3,000 per screen.

“As of now, Coraline is Fathom’s biggest classic movie of all time and the second highest grossing title for 2023,” Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events, said in a statement. “This film carries such a large fan following year after year, and they certainly came out in force this year to see their favorite film.”

The stop-motion film based on the...

Duck Dynasty and the Metropolitan Opera are two very different cultural phenomena, but they have at least one thing in common: Fathom Events, the unique and prolific theatrical distributor based in Denver.

Over the past 20 years, Fathom has mastered the art of finding audiences for one-off cinematic events, from live broadcasts of opera, stage plays and live concert pics to anniversary rereleases of classic Hollywood films. A groundbreaking partnership with The Metropolitan Opera put Fathom on the map. Launched in 2006, The Met: Live in HD program, which sees about 10 operas a year beamed into theaters on Saturdays and Wednesdays, has generated more than $205 million in box office sales and consistently lands on a weekend’s top 10 list.

The company has also made a big impression in the faith-based and anime spaces (again, two disparate genres). Fathom ranked No. 9 on the list of top distributors at the 2022 domestic box office, with...