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Satanic panic is alive and well in certain pockets of the country.

The Toxic Avenger‘s monster dong isn’t the only genre title provoking controversy, as Christian moms are rallying against the new gateway horror movie Sketch.

In the film, a young girl’s notebook falls into a mysterious pond, bringing her monstrous drawings to life. While navigating grief following the loss of her mother, the girl must band together with her family to save their town from the vibrant but dangerous creatures.

Sketch was produced independently but acquired by Angel Studios following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. No stranger to notoriety, Angel is the distributor behind 2023’s Sound of Freedom.

It seems that Angel’s catalog of overtly Christian-themed output set preconceived notions for some viewers with which Sketch — a monster adventure with no religions connotations — does not align.

Concerned parents, many of whom identify as Christian moms,...

It was a busy frame with fifteen titles sharing the spotlight as audiences spread out across new debuts and steady holdovers. Topping the chart, ‘Weapons’ added another strong weekend while ‘Freakier Friday’ stayed close behind in its second frame. Fresh arrivals ‘Nobody 2’ and ‘Coolie’ joined the mix, and a reissue of ‘Shin Godzilla’ drew fans back for a big screen encore.

Below you will find a clear, fact focused rundown for each film. For every title we include the weekend gross, week on release, theater footprint, and current domestic total from the studio report, plus concise background so you know what each film is about and how it fits within a franchise or genre.

15. ‘East of Wall’ (2025) Tanbark Pictures

‘East of Wall’ earned $372,240 in its first weekend from 626 theaters for a $594 average. The film begins its run with a domestic total of $372,240 for Sony Pictures Classics.

This new specialty...

Another busy weekend brought a mix of holdovers and new arrivals, with a handful of films passing big milestones. The top spot belonged to a sophomore genre title, while a new action sequel cracked the top three and an Indian opener landed in the top ten with a strong per theater pull.

A classic kaiju favorite returned to theaters in a fresh reissue and connected with fans again. Several long running summer players continued to draw steady crowds and now sit on sizable totals after many weeks in release.

15. ‘East of Wall’ (2025) Tanbark Pictures

‘East of Wall’ opened to 372,240 from Sony Pictures Classics. The specialty release played in 626 theaters with a per theater average of 594 and matched its total with this debut frame.

‘East of Wall’ arrives under the Sony Pictures Classics banner, which focuses on festival driven and prestige titles. The film begins its run with an initial platform...

The first two films on the box-office weekend top ten maintained the status quo from last weekend as Weapons held onto first place by $10.5 million over second-place repeater Freakier Friday.

In its second weekend of release, the Warner Bros. release Weapons again finished in first place with $25.0 million, bringing the film’s overall total to $89.0 million. Meanwhile, Freakier Friday stood firm in second place where it made another $14.5 million for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, bringing the film’s two-week total to $54.8 million. In third place, Universal Pictures International saw the release of the sequel Nobody 2 garner $9.3 million for the studio. That debut pushed The Fantastic Four: First Steps to fourth place where it made $8.8 million for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, raising the film’s four-week total to $247.0 million. Also falling a spot was the Universal Pictures release The Bad Guys 2, which dropped to fifth place over...

Last fall, writer-director Seth Worley’s debut feature “Sketch” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to a warm welcome.

A charming, family-friendly comedy about a little girl who has just lost her mother and whose somewhat disturbing doodles spring to life and menace her small town, “Sketch” was well-reviewed out of the festival (RogerEbert.com’s review praised the way it “examines all the ways grief can manifest intensely”) but found itself in a frustrating place too many independent features find themselves in — without a distributor.

“It seemed that everyone loved the movie, but nobody knew how to sell it,” Worley told TheWrap.

Months went by and then an unlikely savior emerged. At their CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas this spring, Angel Studios, the company behind grassroots phenomenon “Sound of Freedom,” announced that it had acquired “Sketch” and would be giving it a prime summer release date. The studio,...

Warner Bros. has reached an impressive milestone, becoming the first studio in history to have six consecutive films open with more than $40 million. This streak features popular movies like Minecraft, Superman, and F1, highlighting a great balance of original stories and established franchises. It stands as one of the most remarkable comebacks in Hollywood’s recent past.

1. A Minecraft Movie ($162.8M Opening) Via Warner Bros.

The film earned about $10.6 million from Thursday night previews, breaking the record set by Five Nights at Freddy’s for a video game adaptation and raising weekend projections to $80–100 million. After making $58 million on its first day, the estimates increased to $135–150 million.

It went on to debut with $162.8 million in the U.S. and $313 million worldwide, beating The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the biggest domestic opening of any video game film. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the movie was a massive box office success, grossing...

Sketch North America Box Office Struggles Despite Strong Reviews ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Sketch, the fantasy comedy-horror film, arrived in North American theaters on August 6, 2025. Despite earning stellar reviews from critics and audiences, its domestic box office debut fell short of expectations. Facing stiff competition from the newly released horror flick Weapons and ongoing runs of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Superman, and F1, the coming days may prove equally challenging for Sketch. Here’s a closer look at what the film is about and how much it has earned at the box office.

Sketch – Critical Acclaim vs. Box Office Performance

Sketch currently holds a stellar critics’ score of 97% and an audience score of 83% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Moreover, it has an IMDb user rating of 7.3/10. However, the film’s positive feedback hasn’t translated into a corresponding audience turnout. According to the latest Box Office Mojo figures, Sketch...

Warner Bros. has reached an impressive milestone, becoming the first studio in history to have six consecutive films open with more than $40 million. This streak features popular movies like Minecraft, Superman, and F1, highlighting a great balance of original stories and established franchises. It stands as one of the most remarkable comebacks in Hollywood’s recent past.

1. A Minecraft Movie ($162.8M Opening) Via Warner Bros.

The film earned about $10.6 million from Thursday night previews, breaking the record set by Five Nights at Freddy’s for a video game adaptation and raising weekend projections to $80–100 million. After making $58 million on its first day, the estimates increased to $135–150 million.

It went on to debut with $162.8 million in the U.S. and $313 million worldwide, beating The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the biggest domestic opening of any video game film. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the movie was a massive box office success, grossing...

Warner Bros. has hit a major milestone, becoming the first studio ever to score six straight films with opening weekends over $40 million. This streak includes hits like Minecraft, Superman, and F1, showcasing a strong mix of original movies and franchises. It’s one of the most impressive turnarounds in Hollywood history.

1. A Minecraft Movie ($162.8M Opening) Via Warner Bros.

The film made an estimated $10.6 million from Thursday night previews, beating Five Nights at Freddy’s record for a video game adaptation and boosting weekend projections to $80–100 million.

After earning $58 million on its first day, estimates were raised to $135–150 million. It ultimately debuted with $162.8 million in the U.S. and $313 million worldwide during its opening weekend, surpassing The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the biggest video game movie opening domestically.

Despite mixed reviews, it was a huge box office hit, grossing $955 million worldwide on a $150 million budget. It became the third-highest-grossing...

The indie outfit Angel Studios has a history of hitting the target as far as its core demographic is concerned. The studio’s latest offering, the animation/live-action hybrid Sketch, was released to positive reviews and a strong audience reception this week. The movie is facing off at the box office against the Warner Bros. horror film Weapons, and the Disney sequel Freakier Friday. Both of these have also received positive reviews and immense fan support, which pushed them to exceed box office expectations. Sketch, on the other hand, barely found a spot on the top 10 list.

The movie grossed around $5 million in an extended five-day debut. Starring Tony Hale and D’Arcy Carden, it earned an A- grade from opening day audiences, according to the polling platform CinemaScore. This puts it in the same category as fellow children’s films Harold and the Purple Crayon, Tom & Jerry, and Space Jam: A New Legacy.

“Weapons,” a twisty horror film about a group of missing children, and “Freakier Friday,” a body swap comedy, delivered a potent one-two punch at the box office this weekend, lifting ticket sales as summer movie season draws to a close.

The films captured the top two spots on the charts, with “Weapons” debuting to $42.5 million and “Freakier Friday” premiering to $29 million. Last weekend’s champ, Disney and Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” surrendered its box office crown, earning $15.5 million in its third weekend of release for a third place finish. After starting strong with a $117.6 million bow, “Fantastic Four” has plummeted in subsequent weekends, falling more than 67% in its sophomore frame and another 60% over the past weekend. The superhero film has grossed $230 million domestically and will likely earn less money than “Superman,” the latest comic book adaptation from its rival DC Films.

“Weapons” extends a hot streak for Warner Bros.,...

“Weapons” has the upper hand in its box office duel against “Freakier Friday,” though both new releases are drawing strong openings as the summer tentpole season begins to wind down.

Opening on top, Warner Bros. and New Line’s “Weapons” added $18.2 million across Friday and preview screenings from 3,202 locations. The film has Imax and most premium large format auditoriums. Select screenings began Thursday afternoon at 2:17 pm, to match a key time that spurs the story — the hour when a group of children all awaken at once and mysteriously disappear. The movie sports an ensemble cast including Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan.

The horror now looks to come in well ahead of its pre-weekend projections, which had topped out around $30 million. That’s a great start for the R-rated original, which carries a production budget of $38 million. It’s also a huge...

One of the characters newer to the landmark animated franchise will be returning for Toy Story 5, as previously speculated and recently confirmed by the voice actor. Toy Story seemingly ended with both the third and fourth installments, but the franchise hasn't seen a bad movie yet, and a new story has taken shape, which will release in theaters on June 19, 2026.

Toy Story 5's cast is expected to once again include Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack as Jessie, alongside other actors who have voiced these characters across the series. It was also previously announced that Conan O'Brien would be playing a new Toy Story character, though details about this character are scarce.

Meanwhile, while promoting his new movie Sketch on The Discourse podcast, Tony Hale confirmed that his character Forky will be returning for Toy Story 5. Forky was introduced in the previous installment,...

"You're incredibly creative... but life is all about balancing the good and the bad." There are way, way, way too many films being made nowadays in which grief is used as a plot device. It's redundant, repetitive, and cliche. And it keeps happening over and over. However, there are a few good movies that are actually about grief. Sketch is one of the good ones. Written and directed by Seth Worley as his feature directorial debut after many other shorts, Sketch is an independent production that first premiered at the 2025 Toronto Film Film Festival last year. It's a magical, whimsical, fully amusing, delightfully clever, genuinely heartwarming, deeply inspiring adventure movie that anyone at any age can enjoy. It was picked up by the distributor Angel Studios (more on that later) and is now playing in theaters where it should be seen. Bring your whole family, but most importantly, take the...

Plot: Grief and creativity collide when a single dad, still reeling from the unexpected loss of his wife, navigates uncharted territory with his daughter, who is grappling with the sudden loss of her mother and retreats into her sketchbook drawing monsters as a way to cope with overwhelming emotions. When her sketches begin to come to life, strange and terrifying figures emerge, unleashing chaos on her small town. With the help of her father and a few loyal friends, she must learn to face her feelings and find healing within herself.

Review: Making movies about tough subjects like grief is challenging, but incorporating them into a kid-friendly film can be daunting. Sketch, the feature directorial debut from Seth Worley, aims to tell a story about grief and dealing with the loss of a close family member in a tale full of fantastical creatures. Combining live action with creatively animated monsters,...

It’s time to get real in the August edition of Don’t Miss Indies, with three of our selections featuring non-professional actors in pursuit of authenticity. Whether it’s the New Zealand choir kids in Tinā, the Guinean cyclist delivering lunch to Parisians in Souleymane’s Story or badass Badlands ranchers in East of Wall, these films wrap a story around the humans onscreen, touching on everything they embody in life. Let’s watch it.

Souleymane’S Story

When You Can Watch: August 1

Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited)

Director: Boris Lojkine

Stars: Abou Sangare, Alpha Oumar Sow, Nina Meurisse

Why We’re Excited: As a Guinean immigrant (first-timer Abou Sangare) cycles frantically through the streets of Paris on various food delivery jobs, he prepares for a crucial immigration asylum interview. The challenges he encounters along the way are inspired by interviews that French filmmaker Boris Lojkine and casting...

In a world dominated by blue-light-emitting devices, short-form social media and, in turn, dwindling attention spans, a family-friendly film about a child who processes trauma via unbridled imagination and artistic release is so inspiring (not a Skibidi Toilet reference in sight). Inspired by filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, writer-director Seth Worley's debut feature film Sketch debuted at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Special Presentations program, garnering a Rotten Tomatoes score of 100% as of this writing. Check out MovieWeb's exclusive clip featuring stars Bianca Belle (Sweet Magnolias) and Emmy winner Tony Hale (Veep) below.

Action-fantasy flick Sketch follows the trials and tribulations of the Wyatt family when little Amber Wyatt's (Bianca Belle) villainous monster drawings come to life after falling into a mysterious pond. Considered "maternal orphans," as mentioned in the film, Amber and her brother, Jack (Kue Lawrence), live with their warm but emotionally constipated father,...

This week, from August 5 to August 10, 2025, theaters are buzzing with a diverse lineup of films. Whether you’re into heartwarming dramas, chilling horror, or vibrant animation, there’s something for everyone hitting the big screen.

Get ready for a mix of limited and wide releases, including nostalgic re-releases and fresh stories. Here’s every movie arriving in theaters this week, packed with details to help you plan your next cinema trip.

1. What If… (2010) 10 West Studios

Originally released in 2010, ‘What If…’ returns for its 15th anniversary with a limited release on August 5 via Fathom Events. This family-friendly drama blends romance and fantasy, following a man shown an alternate life by an angel. Starring Kevin Sorbo, Kristy Swanson, John Ratzenberger, and Debby Ryan, the film runs for 1 hour and 51 minutes. It’s a reflective story about choices and second chances, perfect for those who love heartfelt narratives.

2. Sketch (2025) Morphan Time

Hitting...

Get ready for a packed August 2025, as theaters welcome a diverse slate of films. From action-packed blockbusters to intimate dramas, re-releases of classics, and fresh documentaries, there’s something for everyone this month.

Kicking off on August 1 and rolling through August 29, the lineup includes family-friendly animations, chilling horrors, and star-studded comedies. Whether you’re into heart-pounding thrillers or reflective documentaries, we’ve got the full breakdown of every release below.

Monk in Pieces (2025) Arte

This documentary dives into the creative mind of Meredith Monk, a trailblazing artist known for her work in music, theater, and dance. Featuring interviews with icons like Björk and David Byrne, it explores her innovative legacy.

With a runtime of 94 minutes, the film offers a vibrant look at Monk’s boundary-pushing career. Zeitgeist Films brings this wide release to audiences eager for a deep dive into avant-garde art.

She Rides Shotgun (2025) Fifth Season

A gritty drama-thriller,...

Sometimes the most terrifying movies aren’t horror films, but instead those that hold up a mirror to our society in horrifying ways. Todd Wiseman Jr.’s The School Duel might not be the movie that America wants to see right now, but it is the movie we need to see, offering a stark but urgent portrait of our country if we continue down our current path.

The School Duel Review

Taking place in a near-future “Free State of Florida,” The School Duel follows a tormented 13-year-old who seizes the opportunity to participate in a government-sponsored tournament to the death, designed by the government to curb school shootings without enacting gun control. The most obvious comparisons are The Hunger Games and Battle Royale in terms of story, but with regard to its style, edginess, and topicality, it feels more accurately akin to Sam Levinson’s Assassination Nation.

The School Duel...

There was a mini Veep reunion last night!

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Timothy Simons stepped out to support their former co-star Tony Hale at the premiere of his new film Sketch on Monday night (July 28) at Cinemark Playa Vista in Los Angeles.

Tony and co-star D’Arcy Carden walked the carpet together and following the screening, Timothy moderated a Q&a with the cast and director.

Here’s the synopsis of the film: “Still reeling from the unexpected loss of his wife, a single dad (Hale) navigates uncharted territory when his daughter’s comically dark drawings begin to come to life and wreak havoc on their small town.”

Sketch will be released in theaters on August 6. Tickets are on sale now at angel.com/tickets/sketch.

Browse through the gallery for more photos from the Sketch premiere…...

When & Where Can International Viewers Watch Shraddha Srinath’s Kaliyugam? ( Photo Credit – X )

The sci-fi flick Kaliyugam, starring Shraddha Srinath, has made its way to streaming platforms after a limited theatrical release in May 2025. The thriller film in the sci-fi genre sets a storyline during the apocalypse, during which chaos, survival challenges, and large social divisions hold sway. The film performed poorly at the box office but now seeks to expand its audience through digital platforms.

When & Where To Stream Kaliyugam Abroad?

Kaliyugam is set to premiere on Simply South on June 20, 2025. But there’s a catch—the film will be available only for international viewers. Indian audiences will have to wait, as no local Ott release date has been announced yet.

Simply South confirmed the news on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Kaliyugam, streaming on Simply South from June 20 worldwide, excluding India.”

Trending Viraatapalem: PC Meena Reporting Release Date Update:...

Barco, a cinema projection company, has set “Superman,” “F1,” “28 Years Later,” “Wicked: For Good” and other titles for release in Hdr format this year.

The Belgian manufacturer’s “Hdr by Barco” slate is a list of major releases that will be shown in Barco’s Hdr Lightsteering projection technology. The 2025 slate also includes the upcoming “Jurassic World Rebirth,” “Smurfs,” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” “The Bad Guys 2,” “Sketch,” “Caught Stealing,” “The Long Walk” and “The Smashing Machine.” “How to Train Your Dragon” is currently playing in Hdr.

Barco is also expanding the reach of its Hdr format through partnerships with exhibitors and will have more than 30 Hdr locations by the end of the year. Regal Cinemas has committed to establishing 20 Rpx screens in the U.S. by the end of this year, and Alamo Drafthouse is also scheduled to add several Hdr screens. Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline...

Described as Jurassic Park meets Inside Out, watch the trailer for Sketch below.

The monstrous, family-friendly adventure comedy opens in theaters on August 6 via Angel Studios.

When a young girl’s sketchbook falls into a strange pond, her drawings come to life—unpredictable, chaotic, and dangerously real.

As the town unravels, she and her brother must track down the creatures before they leave permanent damage. Their father, racing to find them through the fallout, must navigate a town in crisis to reunite his family and stop the disaster they never meant to unleash.

Tony Hale (“Arrested Development”), D’Arcy Carden (“The Good Place”), Bianca Belle (“Swamp Thing”), Kue Lawrence (“Good Girls”), and Kalon Cox star.

Writer-director Seth Worley makes his feature debut, based his 2020 proof-of-concept short Darker Colors.

Bring your own drawings to life with the Sketch app.

The post ‘Sketch’ Trailer – Hand-Drawn Creatures Come to Life in Family Monster Comedy appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!

"Amber was the only one doing what we're supposed to be doing - not running from the pain, but feeling it." Angel Studios has debuted the main official trailer for Sketch, hitting theaters in August this summer. It's a magical adventure comedy from filmmaker Seth Worley making his feature directorial debut. A young girl's monster drawings begin to come alive, unleashing chaos upon her small town. This premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival last year and tons of earned fantastic reviews. A single dad is swept up in an insane adventure when his daughter’s comically dark drawings in her sketchbook come to life and terrorize their small town. The indie film stars Tony Hale, D'Arcy Carden, Kue Lawrence, Kalon Cox, Jaxen Kenner, Genesis Rose Brown, and introducing Bianca Belle as Amber. Even though it's another movie about grief, this looks totally wonderful & magical & whimsical. I'm quite excited to see all of her creations.

One girl’s imagination becomes larger than life in Collider’s exclusive first look at the trailer for Sketch. Helmed and penned by Seth Worley, in what will serve as his feature-length directorial debut, the dark yet incredibly colorful comedy features the talents of an all-star cast that includes Tony Hale (Arrested Development), D’Arcy Carden (A League of Their Own), Bia Belle (Lady in the Lake), Kue Lawrence (The Amityville Murders), and Kalon Cox (Preschool in LA). Set for a cinematic release on August 6, the PG-rated production is the perfect summer flick to keep everyone in the family entertained.

Taylor (Hale) is a single dad just trying to do what’s best for his two children, Amber (Belle) and Jack (Lawrence). The sudden passing of his wife has taken a hit on his mental and emotional state. All the while, he’s continued to try and put on a brave...

After a poor opening to 2025, one may wonder why so many in the movie theater business repeated the mantra “Survive ’til ’25” if this was how a year without pandemic or strike-induced release delays was going to start— 12% behind the first quarter of 2024.

But for exhibitors, much of the optimism for 2025 was rooted in a summer slate that promises a much more consistent level of grosses from week to week and, if a couple of films overperform, could exceed the $4.03 billion domestic total earned in summer 2023, which was led by films like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and the historic duo of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”

Whether that optimistic outlook will come true is something industry insiders can’t agree on. The conservative estimates coming from some studio insiders who spoke to TheWrap predict a summer that is 4-8% down from the $3.6 billion summer of 2024, which saw...

Ahead of the worldwide June release of Universal and DreamWorks Pictures’ live-action How To Train Your Dragon, the studio has greenlit and dated a sequel for June 11 2027.

Dean DeBlois wrote and directed after helming DreamWorks Animation’s smash trilogy that grossed more than $1.6bn worldwide. The property is based on the books by Cressida Cowell.

Like the animated films, the upcoming live-action How To Train Your Dragon centres on the father-son relationship between Viking clan leader Stoick The Vast and Hiccup. While Stoick wants nothing more than to see his son inherit his mantleas a fearless slayer ofdragons, he is...

"You're not an evil person just because you drew some evil pictures." Truth right there! Angel Studios has unveiled the first look teaer trailer for Sketch, a magical comedy from filmmaker Seth Worley making his feature directorial debut. A young girl's monster drawings begin to come alive, unleashing chaos upon her small town. This first premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival last year and earned some rave reviews, which is why Angel bought it to release in the US this year - arriving in theaters in August. Looks great! A single dad is swept up in an insane adventure when his daughter’s comically dark drawings come to life and terrorize their small town. The indie film stars Tony Hale, D'Arcy Carden, Kue Lawrence, Kalon Cox, Jaxen Kenner, Genesis Rose Brown, and introducing Bianca Belle as Amber. I quite like that this trailer doesn't give away much of anything - barely a first look.

Imagination can be a powerful weapon. Dreaming of possibilities is essential to human evolution, and not a single act is executed without first being considered. What if you had the power to bring your ideas to life by drawing them? What would you create? How would you use your unique ability to your benefit or the detriment of others? Seth Worley’s Sketch trailer asks many questions about the power of creation, adding a splash of color and magic to the mix.

Seth Worley’s Sketch comes from Angel Studios and focuses on Taylor, a father (Tony Hale) whose daughter, Amber (Bianca Belle), is a gifted artist who isn’t afraid to tap into her dark side. Her drawings come to life when Amber’s sketchbook becomes submerged in a mysterious lake, bringing terror to her town as kaiju-sized versions of her colorful creatures defy reality.

Sketch doesn’t hit...

After making its CinemaCon debut last year, Angel Studios returned to the Las Vegas trade show on Wednesday morning to showcase the films it is bringing to the big screen in 2025 with the support of its most loyal followers, the Angel Guild.

While its 2024 films didn’t reach the stunning heights of the studio’s claim to fame, “Sound of Freedom,” the studio is using the profits from that film to flex its muscles, attracting some big-name Hollywood stars and veteran filmmakers to its upcoming titles.

That includes its first animated feature, “The King of Kings,” a kid-friendly retelling of the Gospel narrated by Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens, who is retelling the story of Jesus to his child. The cast also features Oscar Isaac as Jesus and Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate, with Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, Ben Kingsley and Roman Griffin Davis rounding out the cast.

For its summer releases,...

“Sound of Freedom” distributor Angel Studios is back at CinemaCon for its second year and, as part of a Wednesday breakfast presentation of its slate, the distributor has announced it has acquired “Sketch,” a fantasy comedy starring Tony Hale and D’Arcy Carden that premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The distributor is setting it for a theatrical release on August 6.

It’s an interesting acquisition for the faith-friendly distributor that aims to “amplify light” with each of its titles and is guided by a group of over 1 million voting members in its Angel Guild that determines which films it believes support that vision.

While Worley’s film focuses on a family attempting to move on from a tragedy, it’s also something of a creature feature, and follows what happens when a child’s drawings come to life and wreck havoc on a small town. Its messaging isn’t explicitly religious,...

Exclusive: Alliance Media Partners will launch international sales on Todd Wiseman Jr.’s dystopian thriller The School Duel at the upcoming European Film Market.

Wiseman wrote and produced the film. It’s his directorial feature debut. The film debuted in competition at the 50th Deauville American Film Festival and won the Canal+ Special Jury Prize.

Set in a near-future “Free State of Florida,” where gun control is outlawed and school shootings have evolved into televised state-sponsored duels, The School Duel follows 13-year-old Sammy as he navigates a chilling competition of survival. Forced into a violent arena where the victor is celebrated as a hero, Sammy becomes the reluctant protagonist in a brutal spectacle that pushes the boundaries of morality and endurance.

The film stars Kue Lawrence, Christina Brucato, Oscar Nuñez (The Office), Clayton Royal Johnson (Stranger Things), Eugenie Bondurant (The Conjuring...

The official website for singer-songwriter Aimyon announced that she will provide an insert song "Kimi no Yume wo Kikinagara, Boku wa Waraeru Idea wo!" for Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Art World Tales , the upcoming 44th theatrical film from the Doraemon anime franchise. The film's theme song "Sketch," also sung by her, was already introduced in the film's first trailer . Toho Movie's official YouTube channel is now streaming the film's second trailer featuring the insert song. "I enjoyed creating this song to accompany Nobita-kun and his friends on their great adventure!" said Aimyon. "It is full of my love for Doraemon and my feeling of joy to be able to be in charge of the insert song for this movie as well! I hope you enjoy the music along with the movie." As her double A-side 17th single, "Sketch / Kimi no Yume wo Kikinagara, Boku wa Waraeru Idea wo!" is set...

While there’s a few more fall film festivals popping up in the next month, the major ones are behind us, which means we have a strong sense of the films to have on your radar in the coming months and even through 2025. We’ve asked our writers from across the globe to weigh in on their favorite world premieres from Locarno Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, and BFI London Film Festival.

Our coverage will continue with a few more reviews this week, and far beyond as we provide updates on the journey of these selections, so continue to explore all of our festival coverage here. In the meantime, check out top picks from our writers below and return soon for our extensive year-end coverage.

Soham Gadre (@SohamGadre)

1. April (Dea Kulumbegashvili)

2 and 3. Youth (Homecoming and Hard Times) (Wang Bing...

Seth Worley makes his feature film directing debut with Sketch, a tale that brings wondrous creatures to life. Worley helms this odyssey about a family working through grief, finding creative inspiration from his own children along the way.

We meet siblings Amber and Jack Wyatt, still adjusting after the passing of their mother. Amber turns to artistic expression, filling a notebook with imaginative doodles. Her drawings serve as an outlet, though little does she know the magic that’s brewing.

The enigmatic pond by their home carries mysterious properties. When Amber’s sketchbook tumbles into its murky depths, her creations morph into something more. Monsters pulled straight from the pages soon wreaked havoc across their neighborhood.

Led by their father, Taylor, the Wyatts unite to undo Amber’s animated antics. They must face both the beasts without and the sadness within on this journey. Meanwhile, Sketch blends live action with...

Since the death of her mother, 10-year-old Amber Wyatt (Bianca Belle) has been bothered by all sorts of dark thoughts. Rather than act on those impulses, Amber commits her most monstrous ideas to a secret journal, purging anxieties from her subconscious though art. The process would be therapeutic, if not for a gnarly twist that releases Amber’s scary scribbles into the real world: marker-drawn hearts with insatiable appetites, a googly-eyed glitter monster on long bendy legs, and swarms of red, arachnid-like “Eyeders.”

With his stellar indie family adventure “Sketch,” commercials director Seth Worley has come up with a creative — and highly teachable — concept for his feature debut, using imaginative visual effects to impart a valuable lesson about dealing with grief and other strong feelings. The live-action/CG-animated hybrid channels the spirit of “Jumanji,” by way of “The Babadook,” but with something important to say. Once Amber’s doodles get...

If the upcoming film “Sketch” feels like a mashup of two of the most successful films ever made, that was exactly the point, according to star Tony Hale.

“Sketch” hit the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday. The movie follows a father (Hale) and his children, who are left grieving in the wake of wife and mother Lis’s (D’Arcy Carden) death. His daughter is encouraged to draw to help cope with the loss — before her comically dark creations begin coming to life and wreaking havoc on their town.

Sitting down with TheWrap’s 2024 TIFF Studio sponsored by Moët & Chandon and Boss Design, Hale and writer-director Seth Worley explained the clear homages the film is making.

“We describe it like ‘Jurassic Park’ meets ‘Inside Out,'” Hale said.

Worley said that “Jurassic Park” in particular was a guiding star in how he wanted people to feel watching “Sketch.”

“The movie is,...

If you were to take the wide-eyed wonder of a Steven Spielberg, the impish mischief of a Joe Dante, plus the vibrant visuals of prime Pixar and somehow blitz them together in a Magic Bullet blender, the resulting concoction might well resemble Sketch, an audaciously gonzo first feature by Seth Worley.

Although the tween tale may be admittedly lacking in singular originality, it more than compensates for all its borrowed bits with a Skittles-hued sugar rush of a live-action romp, with an unusual take on family therapy in which a 10-year-old girl’s grief manifests in violent drawings come to life.

Working with an engaging, spirited cast and a talented visual effects crew, Worley, a VFX aficionado whose prior directorial output has been mainly in the field of corporate-branded videos, turns out a hard-to-resist, all-ages crowd tickler that seems certain to land distribution on the heels of its Toronto International Film Festival bow.

The Variety and Chanel Female Filmmakers Dinner brought together an A-list lineup of Hollywood stars and creatives including Andrew Garfield, Elizabeth Olsen, “Nightbitch” director Marielle Heller (who attended this event mere moments before her film’s premiere), Danielle Deadwyler, Barry Keoghan and more for a vibrant night amidst the Toronto Film Festival. The vibe was electric, with drinks flowing, delicious food on hand and a spontaneous game of “Two Truths and a Lie” breaking out.

The event, which took place at Soho House Toronto, featured a cocktail hour downstairs before a three-course dinner on the second floor of the social club. Inside, the hotly anticipated “Saturday Night” film cast Cory Michael Smith, Lamorne Morris, Ella Hunt and Dylan O’Brien stopped in before their Tuesday night premiere. The film, a hot title at TIFF, is set within the chaotic 90 minutes before the first episode of “SNL” aired in 1975. The group mingled...

One of the first films that made me fall in love with cinema was Steven Spielberg’s enduring “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” While I’m most certainly not alone in this, that it’s stuck with so many is just more of a testament to its greatness. With its ragtag group of scrappy, resourceful kids navigating the perils of growing up and the somehow equally relatable challenges of caring for a kindly otherworldly visitor that the government is after, it’s a film that soars every time you watch it.

There’s a good chance that Seth Worley, writer and director of the monster movie “Sketch,” was similarly impacted by Spielberg’s work. His rather fun feature debut offers its own compassionate and frequently clever romp that, while not as good as “E.T.” by any stretch of the imagination, has plenty of that same sense of charm hiding away.

The crowds of film sellers and buyers are still rolling into Toronto from Venice and Telluride, but the puck dropped Thursday night on the acquisitions marketplace with the premiere of Nutcrackers.

David Gordon Green has taken a detour from genre to serve up a Ben Stiller-starrer that proved a crowdpleaser in two opening-night showings.

That kind of movie — with promising premises with stars and directors with proven track records — is all over the schedule. There is a lot to like in this 2024 TIFF acquisitions market. But I’ve just come from an L.A. visit and cannot recall as bleak a black cloud hangover from the twin strikes of last year. It will take time for the business to recover, and this caution could factor into the dealmaking. Also on the minds of distributors is how elusive box office has become. Comparable films to the ones on sale here...

There’s never been a “normal” year in the independent film market, but this will be the first time in five years that Toronto and Venice don’t have to deal with active catastrophe. No massive labor strikes, pandemics, virtual screenings, or even overwhelming panic about the box office: Just movies seeking buyers.

Now, only one question remains: With this newfound sense of calm, will they show up? As one sales agent put it to IndieWire: If this year turns out to be slow for indie film sales, there are “no more excuses.”

A lot happened while everyone was busy fending off disaster. It’s unclear if theatrical viewing habits will ever return to the levels of 2019 and nowhere is that more apparent than the indie sector. Back in the day, Netflix and Amazon were major buyers; today, all streamers have scaled way, way back on their acquisitions. They...