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Over the course of her 45-year career, novelist Anne Rice penned a multitude of books including a variety of series and standalone titles. She is probably best known for writing the Vampire Chronicles series, which has been adapted to the screen in various formats including the movies Interview with the Vampire and Queen of the Damned. AMC's Interview with the Vampire show is the latest incarnation of the property, part of a line of adaptations that has drawn prominent stars over the years, including Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Christian Slater, Antonio Banderas, Aaliyah, and Ben Daniels.

Rice's other novels are also gaining more notoriety after the success of AMC's Interview with the Vampire. The show spawned an interconnected franchise known as Anne Rice's Immortal Universe that also includes Mayfair Witches, which is a spinoff starring Alexandra Daddario, Tongayi Chirisa, Jack Huston, and Harry Hamlin, in addition to an upcoming Talamasca spinoff.

Exclusive: Zachary Levi (Hotel Tehran) and Naya Desir-Johnson (The Equalizer) are toplining Sarah’s Oil, a new theatrical drama from Amazon MGM Studios that has wrapped production.

Others in the cast include Sonequa Martin-Green (Star Trek: Discovery), Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope), Bridget Regan (Jane the Virgin), Kenric Green (The Walking Dead), Adyan Copes (Who Is Christmas Eve?), Stelio Savante (The Cleaning Lady) and Mel Rodriguez (The Last Man on Earth).

Inspired by Tonya Bolden’s book Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America, Sarah’s Oil tells the true story of Sarah Rector, an African American born in Oklahoma Indian Territory in the early 1900s, who believes there is oil beneath the barren land she’s allotted and whose faith is proven right. As greedy oil sharks close in, Sarah turns to her family, friends and some Texas wildcatters to maintain control of her oil-rich land, eventually becoming one...

Queen of the Damned is a quintessential nu-metal and goth film from the early 2000s with a dedicated aesthetic. The film embraces individuality, expression and counterculture and contrasts from traditional vampire narratives. Aaliyah's performance in Queen of the Damned elevates it to a cult classic and influenced modern vampire media.

Interview with the Vampire Season 2 is out, and it's clear that people still have an appetite for Anne Rice's vampire universe nearly fifty years after its founding. Rice's novels continue to be released even after her passing in 2021, but for all of her popularity in print, there have been surprisingly few filmed adaptations of her work. After 1994's bizarre Rosie O'Donnell and Dan Akroyd film Exit to Eden, Bible drama The Young Messiah and little-seen Showtime miniseries The Feast of All Saints, Rice's books have only been adapted four other times. Those are, of course, the famous 1994 Interview with the Vampire film,...

Fallout is the most exciting Amazon Original dropping this month. From Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, this long-awaited adaptation of the popular video game franchise looks incredible, and is bound to be a hit among video game fans and newcomers alike. The series stars Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones), and Aaron Clifton Moten (Disjointed).

Prime Video doesn’t have much else in the way of original offerings this month, aside from the return of Alex Rider on Freevee a few other films and TV series, but there are plenty of popular films joining the streaming service’s library. Cloverfield, Batman & Robin, Titanic, and The Notebook are just a few of the notable movies coming to Prime this month.

Here’s everything coming to Prime Video and Freevee in April – Amazon originals are designated with an asterisk.

New on Amazon Prime Video – April 2024 April 1 Blaze...

Partially funded by an IndieGogo campaign, writer/director/producer James Crow’s holiday horror anthology film Nightmare on 34th Street – which has been described as a cross between Pulp Fiction and Tales from the Crypt – is now set to make its way out into the world and will be receiving a digital release tomorrow courtesy of Wild Eye Releasing. In anticipation of that release, a trailer for the film has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

Nightmare on 34th Street has the following synopsis: A mysterious and psychopathic Santa visits a small, rural town with a bag full of unusual gifts and twisted holiday stories featuring Krampus, a murderous St. Nick and killer carol singers that are certain to ruin the Christmas season forever.

The film sports a cast of 90, including Lucy Pinder (Strippers vs. Werewolves), Caroline Boulton (Infinity Pool), Dani Thompson (Powertool Cheerleaders vs. the...

As befitting its status as one of the world’s biggest companies, every now and then Amazon likes to take a big swing with its Prime Video originals. With its list of new releases for April 2023, the streamer is taking one of its biggest swings yet.

Though it’s not quite as vast or expensive as fellow Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Citadel (premiering April 28) is a massive, massive undertaking. Starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, this spy series is described as “an expansive and groundbreaking global event comprising a mothership series and several local language satellite series.” This means that the Russo Brothers-produced project will eventually feature several spinoffs in multiple countries and languages around the world. Neat-o!

The only other major TV original of note this month is Dead Ringers, based on the 1988 David Cronenberg film of the same name,...

Prime Video is hoping to launch its own extended franchise universe in April with the premiere of international spy series “Citadel” from the minds of the Russo Brothers. The show stars Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra, and Stanley Tucci, and is intended to be the first block of an interconnected story with different spinoffs in countries and regions around the world. The first version will begin streaming on April 28. In the show, the world is in the grips of Manticore, a criminal organization, and several former spies are recruited to restore order despite having their memories erased.

Watch the trailer for “Citadel”:

Beloved young adult author Judy Blume opened the door to discussion about difficult subjects for generations of kids. Now, the writer is the subject of a new documentary, “Judy Blume Forever,” coming to Prime Video on April 21. The doc looks at her trajectory — from a scared kid to...

Many titles disappear from Netflix without warning every day.

This explains why you might have noticed some films and TV shows have been removed while flicking through your watchlist.

In an attempt to avoid a surprise, here is a compilation of everything being removed in March, including several titles labelled as a Netflix Original.

The removals also includes Arrested Development, which has thrown the future availability of its final season into question. Find the full list below.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 March

The Associate

Balto

Barb Wire

Beethoven

Beethoven’s Big Break

The Blues Brothers

The Boy Next Door

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The Brothers Grimm

Clear and Present Danger

Confusion Na Wa

Connected

Cop Car

The Debt

Disconnect

Doomsday

Escape from Alcatraz

The Expendables

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 3

47 Ronin

Gold Statue

Halloween H20

Hell on the Border...

Many titles disappear from Netflix without warning every day.

This explains why you might have noticed some films and TV shows have been removed while flicking through your watchlist.

In an attempt to avoid a surprise, here is a compilation of everything being removed in March, including several titles labelled as a Netflix Original.

The removals also includes Arrested Development, which has thrown the future availability of its final season into question. Find the full list below.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 March

The Associate

Balto

Barb Wire

Beethoven

Beethoven’s Big Break

The Blues Brothers

The Boy Next Door

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The Brothers Grimm

Clear and Present Danger

Confusion Na Wa

Connected

Cop Car

The Debt

Disconnect

Doomsday

Escape from Alcatraz

The Expendables

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 3

47 Ronin

Gold Statue

Halloween H20

Hell on the Border...

Many titles disappear from Netflix without warning every day.

This explains why you might have noticed some films and TV shows have been removed while flicking through your watchlist.

In an attempt to avoid a surprise, here is a compilation of everything being removed in March, including several titles labelled as a Netflix Original.

The removals also includes Arrested Development, which has thrown the future availability of its final season into question. Find the full list below.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 March

The Associate

Balto

Barb Wire

Beethoven

Beethoven’s Big Break

The Blues Brothers

The Boy Next Door

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The Brothers Grimm

Clear and Present Danger

Confusion Na Wa

Connected

Cop Car

The Debt

Disconnect

Doomsday

Escape from Alcatraz

The Expendables

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 3

47 Ronin

Gold Statue

Halloween H20

Hell on the Border...

Many titles disappear from Netflix without warning every day.

This explains why you might have noticed some films and TV shows have been removed while flicking through your watchlist.

In an attempt to avoid a surprise, here is a compilation of everything being removed in March, including several titles labelled as a Netflix Original.

The removals also includes Arrested Development, which has thrown the future availability of its final season into question. Find the full list below.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 March

The Associate

Balto

Barb Wire

Beethoven

Beethoven’s Big Break

The Blues Brothers

The Boy Next Door

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The Brothers Grimm

Clear and Present Danger

Confusion Na Wa

Connected

Cop Car

The Debt

Disconnect

Doomsday

Escape from Alcatraz

The Expendables

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 3

47 Ronin

Gold Statue

Halloween H20

Hell on the Border...

Many titles disappear from Netflix without warning every day.

This explains why you might have noticed some films and TV shows have been removed while flicking through your watchlist.

In an attempt to avoid a surprise, here is a compilation of everything being removed in March, including several titles labelled as a Netflix Original.

The removals also includes Arrested Development, which has thrown the future availability of its final season into question. Find the full list below.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 March

The Associate

Balto

Barb Wire

Beethoven

Beethoven’s Big Break

The Blues Brothers

The Boy Next Door

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The Brothers Grimm

Clear and Present Danger

Confusion Na Wa

Connected

Cop Car

The Debt

Disconnect

Doomsday

Escape from Alcatraz

The Expendables

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 3

47 Ronin

Gold Statue

Halloween H20

Hell on the Border...

Many titles disappear from Netflix without warning every day.

This explains why you might have noticed some films and TV shows have been removed while flicking through your watchlist.

In an attempt to avoid a surprise, here is a compilation of everything being removed in March, including several titles labelled as a Netflix Original.

The removals also includes Arrested Development, which has thrown the future availability of its final season into question. Find the full list below.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 March

The Associate

Balto

Barb Wire

Beethoven

Beethoven’s Big Break

The Blues Brothers

The Boy Next Door

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The Brothers Grimm

Clear and Present Danger

Confusion Na Wa

Connected

Cop Car

The Debt

Disconnect

Doomsday

Escape from Alcatraz

The Expendables

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 3

47 Ronin

Gold Statue

Halloween H20

Hell on the Border...

“The Theory of Everything” star Felicity Jones and “Bridgerton” actor Jonathan Bailey are set to star in a comedy called “Maria” that will be introduced to buyers at this year’s Cannes market.

“Maria” is Bailey’s first leading film role since starring in “Bridgerton” Season 2.

Simon Amstell (“Benjamin”) is writing and directing “Maria,” and Jason Isaacs is also attached to co-star in the project. Production is expected to begin in the UK and U.S. later this fall.

“Maria” stars Jones as a woman struggling to accept her age, her boyfriend’s love and her father’s indifference. But she meets her new stepbrother at her father’s wedding and learns not only that she has inconvenient sexual chemistry with him but also that her father has been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Bailey will portray Jones’ boyfriend, while Isaacs plays her father.

Independent Entertainment is introducing “Maria” to...

Anne Rice, the American writer whose Interview with the Vampire sold more than 150 million copies, has died. She was 80.

Her son Christopher Rice, also an author, announced the news via Anne Rice’s public Facebook page, writing that she had died following complications from a stroke.

“The immensity of our family’s grief cannot be overstated,” he wrote. “As my mother, her support for me was unconditional — she taught me to embrace my dreams, reject conformity and challenge the dark voices of fear and self-doubt.”

Born on October 4, 1941, in New Orleans, Rice initially struggled to find popularity, with her debut novel Interview with the Vampire receiving mixed reviews upon its release in 1976. The book, penned while she was grieving the loss of her daughter to leukemia, since has been reappraised as a key text in the modern vampire genre and spawned 11 sequels, collectively known as The Vampire Chronicles.

Rice penned...

As August comes to a close, let’s take a look back at everything that arrived on Netflix over the last week of the month, before we tackle what’s to drop on the streaming giant in September.

The week starting August 24th delivered a huge haul of new movies and TV shows of all shapes and sizes. Overall, 28 fresh titles were added to Netflix’s library – 16 films and 12 TV shows – and you can check out the entire list below:

16 New Movies

1Br (2019) A Princess for Christmas (2011) All Together Now (2020) Blaze (2018) Edge of Seventeen (1998) Lingua Franca (2019) Making The Witcher (2020) Netflix Original Morning Glory (2010) Night Comes On (2018) Rising Phoenix (2020) Santana (2020) Strange but True (2019) The Bridge Curse (2020) The Frozen Ground (2013) The Young Messiah (2016) Unknown Origins (Orígenes secretos) (2018) Netflix Original

12 New TV Series

Aggretsuko (Season 3) Netflix Original Baewatch: Parental Guidance (Season 1) Bunk’d (Season 4) Cobra Kai (Seasons 1-2) Netflix Original Emily’s Wonder Lab (Season...

A recent survey found that one in five of Americans heavily rely on streaming services to help them cope with the trials and tribulations posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Netflix should be well aware of this fact, too, as their subscriber base has grown tremendously while other businesses – particularly those in the entertainment industry – are currently languishing.

Of course, periods of growth often precede times of rapid decline, and Netflix’s success has not been without its own complications. As more and more regions in the United States are reinstating quarantine, people consume content at faster rates than ever before. And in order to keep their subscribers satisfied, Netflix has tried their best to provide new material.

Today, for instance, August 27th, the streamer has added a total of 5 new movies and 1 new TV show, and the complete list is as follows:

5 New Movies

Edge of Seventeen (1998) Night Comes On...

Netflix has confirmed that 55 new original series, movies and specials will be debuting on the streaming service in March. Leading off the lineup is the third season of the Emmy-winning crime drama “Ozark” starring Jason Bateman, Laura Linney and Julie Garner.

Among the original films is “Spenser Confidential,” a reboot of the 1980s crime series starring Robert Urich. This time around Mark Wahlberg plays the cop turned detective alongside rapper Post Malone who makes his acting debut.

Leading the list of documentaries is “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” which details the catalyst for the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. It is executive produced by the Obamas, who were also behind the recent Oscar winner “American Factory.”

Below is the full schedule of everything that is coming and leaving Netflix in March 2020.

Available March 1

Always a Bridesmaid

Beyond the Mat

Cop Out

Corpse Bride

Donnie Brasco

Freedom Writers

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past...

Netflix is adding a robust line-up of popular programs to its slate in March.

In addition to rom-coms like Matthew Mcconaughey’s “Ghosts of Girlfriend’s Past,” “He’s Just Not That Into You” and “Always a Bridesmaid,” the streamer is also adding a few classics like “Goodfellas” and “The Shawshank Redemption” starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. The latter film also serves as an analogy for actor Macaulay Culkin’s journey to freedom, according to his Esquire interview.

Original Netflix shows coming to the platform next month include “Lost Girls,” “Crip Camp” and Season 3 of “Elite.” Based on a true story, “Lost Girls” follows a mother who, in her desperate search to find her missing daughter, helps to uncover a string of unsolved murders. Amy Ryan, Gabriel Byrne and Thomasin Mckenzie make up the cast.

“Elite” follows three working-class teens who enroll in an exclusive Spanish private school. But once they arrive,...

With February 29th fast approaching – this is a Leap Year, remember – Netflix is preparing to roll out a fresh helping of new content for March 2020.

It’s a familiar combination of original series, time-honored classics and beloved franchise films, with next month set to herald the arrival of Resident Evil: Apocalypse and its undead sequel, Extinction. Sure, it’s a far cry from the quality and craft of The Lord of the Rings – speaking of which, both the Twin Towers and The Return of the King will be departing Netflix in four weeks’ time – but the saga of Alice still carved out an audience to call its own.

Also peppered throughout Netflix’s March 2020 catalog are some big-name horror titles and edge-of-your-seat thrillers, including Signs and the third season of Ozark. And then there’s the third season of Castlevania, which, it’s fair to say, has been a long time coming.

Alec Bojalad Feb 19, 2020

Here's what's new on Netflix in March 2020! We've got a complete list of what's leaving, too.

Normally the big story for each month of Netflix new releases are the exciting batch of Netflix original series and movies arriving. For Netflix's new releases for March 2020, things are a little bit different. Yes, there are some cool originals here but...look at those movies!

March 1 sees the arrival of Corpse Bride, The Shawshank Redemption, There Will Be Blood, and Goodfellas! Martin Scorsese likely can't unilaterally decide when and where his movies stream, but it is a happy coincidence that Goodfellas will now exist alongside The Irishman.

As for those Netflix originals...Ozark is the biggest returning hit in March. The story of a very corrupt family airs its third season on March 27. Also of note are Castlevania season 3 (March 5), Altered Carbon: Resleeved (March 19). But really after Goodfellas, nothing else was really necessary.

Netflix is out with its list of everything coming and going in March, and highlights include “Ozark” Season 3, coming March 27, and the Brazilian version of the popular reality competition “The Circle,” coming March 11.

There’s good news and bad news. The good news is we’re gaining some beloved mid-2000s films, like “He’s Just Not That Into You,” “Valentine’s Day” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Corpse Bride” and “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events,” plus some ’90s favorites like “Space Jam” and “GoodFellas.”

The bad news is that throughout the month we’re losing “Black Panther,” “Eat Pray Love,” “The Waterboy,” “P.S. I Love You,” “Batman Begins,” both “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and “The Two Towers,” and “Kill Bill” Volumes 1 and 2.

Also Read: Hulu in March: Here's Everything Coming and Going

Here’s the full list of everything coming and going throughout next month.

Joseph Baxter Oct 31, 2018

Freeform is getting its own Stephen King project in the form of a TV adaptation of the author’s 2013 novel, Joyland.

Stephen King projects continue to overrun developmental slates in the entertainment industry, and it doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. Now, the Kingaissance phenomenon is homing in on a new platform in Disney’s young-adult-aimed cable channel, Freeform, which is ready to welcome a TV adaptation of one the horror master’s more recent literary efforts, Joyland.

Freeform will continue to tout its evolution after its recent rebranding from ABC Family, now set to take the Stephen King plunge with a TV series adapting the author’s 2013 horror novel, Joyland. The novel is a hybrid of a whodunnit murder mystery and a ghost story, following the exploits of a college student named Devin, whose summer job at a North Carolina amusement park leads him...

Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior, your weekly look at the new movies hitting theaters this weekend, as well as other cool events and things to check out….but mostly movies.

This Past Weekend:

It was absolutely no surprise that Hugh Jackman’s last Wolverine movie Logan would top the box office, but it actually ended up doing even better than my prediction when actual numbers came in, grossing $88.3 million over the weekend. That makes it the fourth highest X-Movie opening (including Deadpool) but also the biggest R-rated opening for March, defeating 300’s once-impressive $70 million opening. It’s also the fourth highest R-rated opening of all time after Deadpool, The Matrix Reloaded and American Sniper.

The bigger surprise was how well Jordan Peele’s thriller Get Out held up in its second weekend, not only because it was going up against Logan, but also because high-profile horror films tend...

The virtual reality media revolution is pretty slow moving at this point. For years we were waiting for the Oculus Rift to hit shelves and change things, but most of us have barely felt the impact. Many production companies are looking into making content for Vr though, and one such company has something pretty unique coming out later this year. Get ready, because a full-length virtual reality Jesus movie is coming to major Vr platforms this Christmas.

Thanks to a new report from Variety, we just got a whole bunch of details about Jesus Vr - the Story of Christ, which is being produced by Autumn Productions and Vrwerx. The virtual reality movie is a reported 90 minutes in length and will be available on all major Vr platforms such as Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear, Oculus Rift, PlayStation Vr and the Htc Vive. No word on what the cost for the...

Our resident VOD expert tells you what's new to rent and/or own this week via various Digital HD providers such as cable Movies On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and, of course, Netflix. Cable Movies On Demand: Same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pretheatrical exclusives for rent, priced from $3-$10, in 24- or 48-hour periods 10 Cloverfield Lane (sci-fi/thriller; John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead; rated PG-13) London Has Fallen (action sequel; Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett; rated R) The Young Messiah (faith-based drama; Adam Greaves-Neal, Sara Lazzaro; rated PG-13) Eddie the Eagle (comedy; Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken; rated PG-13) Hello, My Name Is Doris (comedy-drama; Sally Field, Max...

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This weekend offers up a big test for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film was roundly dismissed by critics and yet it became the first film to gross over $150 million in its opening weekend with a RottenTomatoes score below 63%. Additionally, it became the only film to gross over $150 million with a CinemaScore below a "B+" and yet, online ticket seller Fandango.com reports it's seeing strong, repeat ticket purchases, 30% higher than a typical blockbuster. Does this tell us anything about what to expect from its second weekend? As far as competition is concerned, Batman v Superman doesn't really have any. The widest new release hitting theaters is the faith-based sequel God's Not Dead 2. The faith-based sequel is releasing in over 2,300 theaters, and arrives on the heels of several films targeting the same demograhpic including Risen, The Young Messiah and Miracles from Heaven. Additionally, Freestyle will release Meet the Blacks...

While Zootopia prepares for its third straight week atop the weekend box office, a fresh batch of new releases are hoping to stake their own claim among the top ten. Among said new releases we have The Divergent Series: Allegiant, Miracles from Heaven, which debuted in second place on Wednesday, and Sony Classics' R-rated gymnast comedy The Bronze. For the third week in a row we'll start with Disney's Zootopia, which dropped only 31.6% last weekend and only 30% if you don't include the $1.7 million it took in from advanced preview screenings. More impressive is the fact the film actually performed significantly better over this past Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday than it did the week prior, as it is now just shy of $160 million domestically in 13 days of release. That said, it's adding another 132 theaters this weekend (3,959 in total) and a drop anywhere from 23-31% seems most likely for a third weekend haul anywhere from $35-39.5 million.

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From director Kevin Reynolds comes Risen, a faith-based movie with interesting pros and cons...

The trailer for Risen declares it “the most important manhunt in history”, which means they obviously haven’t seen The Fugitive. Let’s tread a bit carefully, though. I’m not about to knock anyone’s religion, but if Risen has a problem, it’s that it takes a stance on the divinity of Christ.

This isn’t a theological or ethical problem; it’s a narrative one. See, Risen bowls along quite agreeably as a sort of police procedural, benefiting from the mystery of whether a man really has risen from the dead or not. But when it makes a decision on this, the intrigue is lost and your interest wanes a bit.

Yes, a police procedural. Battle-scarred Roman tribune Clavius (a beefed-up Joseph Fiennes) is busy shoving his sword through people...

Director Chris Columbus, whose latest picture is religious film The Young Messiah, was drawn to the project by the idea of tackling something new. Chris Columbus On The Young Messiah “We never really dealt with this particular time in Jesus’s life,” Columbus, who produced The Young Messiah, told uInterview. “You’re dealing with a seven-year-old boy who’s […]

The post Chris Columbus On ‘The Young Messiah,’ Casting Adam Greaves-Neal appeared first on uInterview.

After a three-week stint atop the box office, 20th Century Fox's Deadpool was finally taken down by Disney's Zootopia earlier this month, which is putting together a solid run of its own. The animated comedy will go up against two new releases, Lionsgate's The Divergent Series: Allegiant and Miracles from Heaven in theaters this weekend, but, unlike the Merc With the Mouth, Zootopia isn't expected to reign supreme for a third week in a row. According to the projections at Pro.BoxOffice.com, The Divergent Series: Allegiant should come out on top in its first weekend in theaters. But perhaps not by a strong margin.

The Divergent Series: Allegiant is projected to take in $37 million in its opening weekend, which would normally result in an easy win, but it all depends on how much Zootopia drops in its third frame. Last weekend, the animated blockbuster only dropped 31.9%, and if it drops that much again,...

Here's your estimated 3-day box office returns (new releases bolded): 1. Zootopia - $50.0 million ($142.6 million total) 2. 10 Cloverfield Lane - $25.2 million ($25.2 million total) 3. Deadpool - $10.8 million ($328.0 million total) 4. London Has Fallen - $10.6 million ($38.8 million total) 5. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - $4.6 million ($14.5 million total) 6. The Perfect Match - $4.1 million ($4.1 million total) 7. The Young Messiah - $3.4 million ($3.4 million total) 8. The Brothers Grimsby - $3.1 million ($3.1 million total) 9. Gods of Egypt - $2.5 million ($27.3 million total) 10. Risen - $2.2 million ($32.3 million total)   The Big Stories If you thought Sacha Baron Cohen, a young savior, the perfect match or whatever is lurking out there on...

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Disney has a bona-fide hit on its hands again as Zootopia won the weekend box office for the second time in a row. While an estimated $50 million has added up to $142.6 million domestic gross, the film has picked up more than $431.3 million worldwide. The next biggest release was 10 Cloverfield Lane. Critically acclaimed, it opened to a much more modest weekend estimate of $25.2 million, but with an unreleased budget amount it is hard to tell whether it is a success or not…but with J.J. Abrams producing and Star Wars: The Force Awakens under his belt, chances are that even a loss will do little to diminish his stature in Hollywood.

Deadpool remained a strong contender with an estimated $10.8 million, giving it a domestic gross of $328.1 million over a $58 million budget, making it not only one of the top earning Marvel films or the highest-earning R-rated comic book adaptation of all-time,...

Two months ago, no one had heard of "10 Cloverfield Lane." Today, it's a smash hit.

The low-budget thriller, made by a first-time director and featuring no big box office draws, opened with an estimated $25.2 million. It beat three other new wide releases, none of which even managed to open in the top five. The only movie that could beat it was Disney's unstoppable cartoon "Zootopia," which lost a third of last weekend's business and still earned an estimated $50.0 million in its second weekend.

How did the "Cloverfield Lane" filmmakers and distributor Paramount pull off such a feat? Here are six ways the film became a stealth hit.

1. J.J. Abrams

By now, the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" director is a one-man brand, even if, as in this case, he merely produced the film and didn't write or direct it. Fans know him for quality genre material, especially sci-fi action thrillers.

In a relatively uneventful weekend save for a great second weekend for Zootopia, falling only 33% the highest per screen averages went to two films starring 60something women -- Helen Mirren in Eye in the Sky and Sally Field in Hello My Name is Doris. How about that? I mean, they're only at a handful of screens in NY and La but perhaps they'll have decent futures.

What did you see this weekend?  

Wide Releases

01 Zootopia $50 (cum. $142.6)

02 10 Cloverfield Lane $25.2  New 

03 Deadpool $10.8 (cum. $328) Reviewish

04 London Has Fallen $10.6  (cum. $38.8)

05 Whiskey Tango Foxtrot $4.6 (cum. $14.5) Review

06 The Perfect Match $4.1  New

07 The Young Messiah $3.4  New

08 The Brothers Grimsby $3.1 New

09 Gods of Egypt $2.5 (cum. $27.3) Review

10 Risen $2.2 (cum. $32.3)

Limited Releases

less than 800 screens excluding previously wide

01 The Lady in the Van $.5 (cum. $8) 363 screens Review

02 The Other Side of the Door $.5 (cum. $2.1) 585 screens

03 Embrace of the Serpent $.1 (cum. $.5) 75 screens Interview, Review

04 Where to Invade Next $.1 (cum. $3.2) 151 screens Review & 2nd Opinion 

05 The Mermaid $.1 (cum.

For its second week, Disney’s Zootopia remained the number one film in North America. The animated feature crossed the $100 million mark on Friday and worldwide, Zootopia has already earned more than $431.3 million.

The Brothers Grimsby on the other hand, one of the weekend’s new openings earned an estimated $3.1 million from 2,235 locations making it the lowest debut of a major release so far this year. The R-rated comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen received a B+ from CinemaScore audiences, but I guess they didn’t want to put in the work to see the movie.

10 Cloverfield Lane had a strong debut this weekend. The J.J. Abrams produced thriller earned an estimated $25.2 million and had great reviews (91% on Rotten Tomatoes). All in thanks to John Goodman I bet. Deadpool, in its fifth week claimed another $10.8 million to bring its domestic total up to $328 million. Deadpool is third behind American Sniper on...

After dethroning 20th Century Fox's Deadpool at the box office last weekend, Disney's Zootopia was easily expected to remain on top during its second frame in theaters. The animated comedy faced Paramount's low-budget thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane, Sony's R-rated comedy The Brothers Grimsby, Focus Features' historical drama The Young Messiah and Lionsgate's The Perfect Match, none of which were expected to take down Zootopia. Box Office Mojo reports that Zootopia did in fact come out on top for the second weekend in a row, earning a healthy $50 million.

Zootopia only dropped an impressive 33.4% in its second weekend, with its current domestic tally at $142.6 million and an international total of $288.7 million for a global take of $431.3 million. The movie is a huge hit with critics, scoring a 99% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and Zootopia should do well with repeat viewing. Zootopia earned a healthy $13,065 per-screen average, with the movie playing in 3,827 theaters.

Disney's Zootopia dominated once again this weekend, bringing in an estimated $50 million in its sophomore session, pushing the film over $140 million domestically in its first ten days of release. Leading the weekend's four new wide releases is 10 Cloverfield Lane with a strong opening weekend performance while The Perfect Match, The Young Messiah and The Brothers Grimsby settled in slots six through eight in the weekend top ten. Dropping only 33.4%, Zootopia is the #1 film for the second weekend in a row as its domestic cume has now climbed to $142.6 million. Internationally the animated feature took in an additional $83.1 million, which is actually up 25% from last weekend. The jump is largely due to the estimated $56.5 million it brought in this weekend in China, an increase of a whopping 139% as its global cume now stands at $431.3 million. As far as the weekend's new releases are concerned, 10 Cloverfield Lane entered its opening weekend with incredibly strong reviews.

The J.J. Abrams-produced "10 Cloverfield Lane" is off to a heady start at the North American box office, scoring $1.7 million on Thursday night and looking to head to a potential $30 million debut. Reviews have been strong for the film with a very healthy 76/100 on Metacritic.

The film isn't a sequel, so much as a "spiritual successor" - tied to the first thematically rather than by actual story or character based links to the 2008 monster movie. The film's director Dan Trachtenberg has confirmed to Cinema Blend that though the films are currently in separate universes - they could eventually come together:

"Who knows what’s in store in the future, and what kind of things could be further connected - but certainly [10 Cloverfield Lane] does take place in a different timeline. But there are definitely connections that one could make as well."

J.J. Abrams spoke about the difference with Slashfilm, reconfirming the thematic...

In the inspirational biblical drama The Young Messiah, a seven-year-old Jesus (Adam Greaves-Neal) and his family travel from Egypt back to their home of Nazareth in Israel. While on their journey, Jesus searches for his true identity, his divine nature and his place in the world.  In this Fandango Movieclips exclusive clip from The Young Messiah, Mary (Sara Lazzaro) and Joseph (Vincent Walsh) share a tender and uplifting moment where Joseph comforts Mary, who questions her strength and...

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A mystery monster, the rise of a messiah, and Sacha Baron Cohen with terrible sideburns: we definitely have some movie options this weekend.

A couple of months ago, we didn’t even know this movie existed! Now 10 Cloverfield Lane hits the big screen and you’ll be seeing it just to be in on this cinematic surprise! Until now, this film has been a giant mystery. All we have is a very intense yet mysterious trailer, and the official synopsis (also the slogan) which is “Monsters come in many forms.” Who is the monster? IsJohn Goodman the monster? Is there a monster outsider the cellar? Why are they in the cellar? What’s with the bright light? Is this related to the Cloverfield monster? Is it just "Rosanne" with a flashlight? Last weekend, I sat down with the cast, hoping to get some answers…but I left with even more questions!

Disney Animation's Zootopia continues to rule the roost in its second weekend, while the J.J. Abrams-produced 10 Cloverfield Lane is posting impressive numbers in its North American box-office debut. Elsewhere, there's out-and-out carnage. Sacha Baron Cohen's comedy The Brothers Grimsby may not even hit $3.5 million, the worst opening of all time for the British comedian. Fellow new offerings The Young Messiah and The Perfect Match are faring only slightly better. Disney Animation Studios' Zootopia is enjoying an incredible hold, grossing $12 million Friday from 3,827 theaters for a projected $47 million-plus

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God knows who’ll enjoy this dull, cheap-looking and laughably scripted account of what might have happened in Jesus’s childhood

Now I understand why Jesus’s childhood remains such a mystery: the story is unbelievably boring.

At least that’s if you believe The Young Messiah, Cyrus Nowrasteh’s dreary adaptation of Anne Rice’s ultimate origin story, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. The film opens with a statement that not much is known about the years in which Joseph and Mary of Nazareth fled Roman soldiers who, at the urging of Herod the Great, were killing Jewish children to prevent a prophesied messiah. Now, for the first time, we’re going to see what might have taken place during those years. That is, if you can stay awake.

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10 Cloverfield Lane is the latest mystery box thriller from J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot and it's looking to top a list of four new wide releases this weekend. Additional new releases include Sacha Baron Cohen's comedy The Brothers Grimsby, the new faith-based feature The Young Messiah and the romantic-comedy The Perfect Match. All four will be competing with some strong holdovers, most notably Disney's Zootopia, which will be holding on to the top spot for a second week in a row, and Deadpool, which could top $10 million in its fifth weekend in release. Zootopia enters its second weekend in release after breaking the The Lorax's March opening weekend record for an animated film. As such, it seems appropriate to use The Lorax's 44.7% second weekend drop as a basis for comparison this weekend. On a daily basis Zootopia has performed well when compared to The Lorax, suggesting the smart money...

Disney's Zootopia managed to dethrone 20th Century Fox's Deadpool at the box office last weekend, by setting a few records of its own. It topped Dr. Seuss' the Lorax for the highest animated movie opening in March, and became the biggest debut ever for Walt Disney Animation Studios. This weekend, it will go up against four wildly different newcomers, Paramount's low-budget thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane, Sony's R-rated comedy The Brothers Grimsby, Focus Features' historical drama The Young Messiah and Lionsgate's The Perfect Match, none of which are expected to best Zootopia, according to the projections at Pro.BoxOffice.com

Zootopia is expected to drop roughly 50% this weekend, taking in a projected $37.5 million, but since animated movies have tendencies to drop less from week to week, it's possible it could debut just north of $40 million. After all, the movie is a huge hit with critics, scoring a 99% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes,...

Disney's Zootopia scored the largest three-day opening for Walt Disney Animation Studios ever as audiences flocked to see the new animated feature. London Has Fallen and Tina Fey's war comedy Whiskey Tango Foxtrot served as the weekend's other new wide releases and both largely scored as expected. Additionally, Deadpool has joined a small group of films, becoming only the third R-rated movie to gross over $300 million at the domestic box office. Zootopia scored an estimated $73.7 million this weekend from 3,827 theaters ($19,258 PTA), which tops the previous March animated opening record set by The Lorax ($70.2m) and makes it the ninth largest animated opening ever. It also gives Disney four of the top three slots on the March chart, a worthy achievement though all three remain a long way from the $152.5 million opening of The Hunger Games back in 2012. In IMAX the film brought in $5.2 million from 366 screens, the second best...

“Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” is a proverb whose simple existence proves the fact impressionable souls will do so without fail. This monthly column focuses on the film industry’s willingness to capitalize on this truth, releasing one-sheets to serve as not representations of what audiences are to expect, but as propaganda to fill seats. Oftentimes they fail miserably.

There are a lot of films opening this March that hold some interest. And not just the limited releases either. Disney has Zootopia (poster), Paramount has 10 Cloverfield Lane (poster) and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (poster), and Universal is bringing everyone’s favorite Windex-using family back with My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (poster).

Some of those received intriguing posters—well one did even if Zootopia‘s overflow of characters is similar to The Muppets and The Peanut Movie before it—but none are worth talking about beyond meeting expectations.

20th Century Fox's Deadpool has become a bigger hit than anyone imagined, taking in $285.2 million domestically and $324 million internationally for a global box office total of $609.3 million. While it has dominated its competition over the past three weeks, its reign will come to an end this weekend, according to the projections at Pro.BoxOffice.com. The superhero adaptation will be going up against three newcomers, Disney's Zootopia, Focus Features London Has Fallen and Paramount's Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. But it's Zootopia that will likely have no trouble taking the top spot over the March 4 weekend.

Zootopia is projected to open withe a whopping $63 million, which will be more than enough for first place. London Has Fallen is expected to open in second place with $22 million, followed by Deadpool, slipping to third place with $17.8 million and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot debuting in fourth place with $10 million. Gods of Egypt will likley round out the top five with $7.1 million.

Amid the onslaught of superhero films coming our way this year is an equally big wave of faith-based films — movies in a genre that studios presumably see potential in since Sony’s successful Christian film “War Room” last summer. This weekend marks the opening of “Risen,” which tells the story of the Resurrection through the eyes of a non- believer. Starring Joseph Fiennes and Tom Felton, “Risen” is first of several faith-based films going wide this year. Others include “The Young Messiah” (March 11) with Sean Bean and Isabelle Adjani; “Ben-Hur,” the remake of the 1959 classic directed by Timur...

In recent years, Christian cinema has seen a surge in popularity. Some films are more obvious than others, with actual retelling of biblical stories and portrayals of Jesus Christ and other biblical figures. Other films deal with religious themes using a more subtle approach. Between this February and March, there are three new releases that take on stories both new and old that involve Christianity and the power of faith.

First there is Risen, which takes an outsiders perspective on the Resurrection of Christ. Joseph Fiennes and Tom Felton star as Romans who are tasked with disproving Jesus’ Resurrection in order to prevent an uprising in Jerusalem.

Next up is The Young Messiah, which depicts Jesus’ childhood and his departure from Egypt, back to his home in Nazareth. Young actor Adam Greaves-Neal portrays Jesus as he grows into his religious identity.

The third film, Miracles From Heaven, is based on the book by Christy Beam,...