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Why did James Cameron's Avatar take so long to make? The original Avatar movie in 2009 was a game-changing cinematic release that broke new ground for filmmaking and smashed a series of records along the way. After achieving such success, one might think that a sequel would be imminent, but Avatar: The Way of Water didn't arrive until December 2022. Production on more Avatar movies is ongoing, although talk of a follow-up began even before the original had hit theaters. After a long wait, the decade is set to be dominated by Avatar movies, especially after the second movie was another massive box office success.

However, this lengthy period of development is nothing new and still pales in comparison to the amount of time it took for James Cameron's Avatar film to get made. Despite releasing in 2009, Cameron's first Avatar treatment was written in 1994, even before the release of the director's other big screen record-breaker,...

Now in its third week of release here in the United States, Scream VI has found itself in the #4 spot on the domestic box office charts, scaring up $89.9 million to date (domestically).

Worldwide, Scream VI has slashed its way into $139.2 million, officially passing the worldwide total of last year’s Scream – which ended its run with a total of $137.7 million.

The number to beat in that department is still Wes Craven’s original Scream movie, which hit a franchise-high $173 million when all was said and done back in 1996.

Stay tuned… and you can probably expect a Scream 7 announcement soon…

Meagan wrote in her review of Scream VI, “This slasher sequel lets a ruthless Ghostface loose in the city, slicing up an intense, flawless entry that continues the streak of insightful introspection while escalating the thrills, kills, humor, and heart to a breathless degree.”

In the brand new movie, “The...

Avatar: The Way of Water sees the return of Jake Sully and Neytiri, but they’re joined by a plethora of new Na'vi characters, some of whom are played by cast members from the first film, showing the appearance of some Avatar 2 characters in real life. James Cameron returns to the world of Pandora, picking up more than a decade after the events of Avatar, The Way of Water doesn’t solely center the characters from the original film, allowing the next generation of characters to thrive.

Avatar: The Way of Water includes several familiar faces, including Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine, though she also portrays a brand-new character in the sequel. The new characters, of course, all have a connection with the original Avatar characters, and together they take the narrative to exciting places while building upon their interpersonal relationships throughout the film. Led by Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña,...

Four weekends into March 2023 and it’s become a familiar narrative. A long-running movie franchise just debuted its latest entry, and instead of feeling tired or repetitive, the new chapter turned out to be a genuine winner with audiences and critics, receiving some of the best reviews in its saga and, more importantly, the biggest box office bow the series has seen to date (at least when not adjusting for inflation).

This past weekend, that film was John Wick: Chapter 4, which just opened to an astonishing $73.5 million, exceeding its tracking going into the weekend by more than $10 million and bounding past a previous franchise-best, which was John Wick: Chapter 3’s $56.8 million debut in 2019. Not bad for a series that started in 2014 with a mere $14.4 million in its first weekend. However, we’ve been seeing this phenomenon all month.

Over the last several weeks, Creed III, Scream VI, and...

Keanu Reeves and John Wick: Chapter 4 took out all competition as the film finished $63.1 million ahead of its nearest competitor in its first weekend of release.

Bringing in $73.5 million, John Wick: Chapter 4 easily took the top spot of the box-office weekend as it handily bested the second-place film, Creed III by slightly over $60 million. Creed III managed to climb a spot from last week to finish in second-place with $10.4 million. This brings the film’s four-week total to $140.9 million. Meanwhile, last weekend’s top film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods dropped to third place with $9.7 million over the last three days. This gives the super hero film a two-week tally of $46.3 million. Similarly falling two spots to lay claim to fourth place was Scream VI which added $8.4 million this weekend to raise its three-week total to $89.9 million. This activity pushed 65 from fourth to fifth-place where it brought in...

Hit Japanese animation “Suzume” improved its box office performance in its third week of release in South Korea and remained far ahead of all competing titles.

“Suzume” earned $6.06 million over the weekend between Friday and Sunday, a 7% increase on its previous weekend, itself a strong hold that almost equalled its opening session. Data is sourced from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).

The film, which has been a huge hit in Japan and some other Asian territories, enjoyed a 66% share of the entire Korean cinema box office over the most recent weekend and expanded its cumulative haul to $23.9 million after 19 days on release.

That makes it the third highest grossing film of the year to date in Korea and the second highest actually released in 2023. Only December 2022 release “Avatar: The Way of Water,” on $36.3 million, and Japanese animation “The First Slam Dunk” with $34.5 million, have earned more.

Helen Mirren recently made her DC Extended Universe debut in Shazam! Fury of The Gods. The actor said she did a few of her stunts in the movie, resulting in a painful injury. However, Mirren refused to tell anyone on the set of Shazam! 2 that she had gotten hurt.

Helen Mirren causes trouble as the villain Hespera in ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’

In the first Shazam! movie, a young Billy Batson is chosen by the ancient wizard Shazam to succeed him as his champion. Billy gains superpowers allowing him to transform into an adult superhero. He and his foster brother, Freddy, work to discover Billy’s new powers, and along the way, Billy shares his powers with his foster siblings, defeating the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.

The long-awaited sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods recently premiered, and this time, Billy and his siblings have two extremely powerful celestials to defeat.

In a business that lives and dies by sequels, perhaps the best news about the terrific opening weekend for “John Wick: Chapter 4” (Lionsgate) is that for the third time in four weeks, a sequel opened to a gross better than the previous installment.

“Wick 4” opened to $73.5 million, substantially ahead of strong earlier starts for “Creed 3” (MGM) and “Scream 6” (Paramount). That is by far the best initial take in the “Wick” series. And it’s a welcome return to form for Lionsgate, which in past years thrived with huge franchises like “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games.”

This is their biggest film since the final “Hunger Games” in 2015. This company was a vital addition to theater revenues pre-Covid. But since “Knives Out” in 2019, their biggest gross before this was “The Jesus Revolution” with $49 million (and still in release).

Apart from its record-high debut, “Wick 4” also had its best Cinemascore...

The month of March has already shown great success at the box office with two franchise sequel records. Keanu Reeves‘ “John Wick: Chapter 4” joined them this weekend, as the highest opening for the actor’s popular action franchise, which has done better with each new installment.

The action movie co-starring Bill Skarsgård, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, the late Lance Reddick, Shamier Anderson, Donnie Yen, and Scott Adkins, came into the weekend with solid reviews, having had a high-profile premiere at the SXSW Film Festival earlier this month. The Lionsgate release opened with $29.4 million on Friday, including $8.9 million from Thursday previews, and ended up with an estimated $73.5 million in 3,855 theaters for the weekend, averaging over $19,000 per site, by far the best opening for the month.

SEEBox office: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ passes ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ to become 7th highest-grossing movie domestically

That’s compared to the $56.8 million opening for...

This week, James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” – a blockbuster that has remained in the Top 10 at the box office for 15 weeks since opening before Christmas 2022 – passed Marvel and Disney’s “Avengers: Infinity War” to become the seventh highest-grossing movie domestically.

A few months ago, it didn’t seem possible that “The Way of Water,” which won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects earlier this month, would get to $700 million just from North America, but with the $168,363 it made on Thursday, it has now reached $679 million in North America. That surpasses the $678.8 million made by “Infinity War” in 2018.

See‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ wins Best Visual Effects Oscar, just like original did 13 years ago

We’re now looking at another $21 million needed to achieve the $700 million grossed by “Black Panther” also in 2018. Maybe that would seem unreachable considering how little “Avatar” is making on a day-to-day basis,...

For major theatrical releases, bigger is better. “John Wick: Chapter 4” is 169 minutes — more than an hour longer than the original. “Avatar: The Way of Water” is 192 minutes. “Dune” was 155 minutes. “The Batman” clocked in at 176 minutes, a franchise record. Matt Belloni at Puck reported that Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” will be around 180 minutes, his longest. In a world where short attention spans are the norm, why are top franchise filmmakers willing to go on (and on?)

The short answer: because they can, and because audiences don’t mind it. Previous generations faced format restrictions from theaters and other platforms; they also didn’t have a binge-watching public that’s increasingly comfortable with longer-form storytelling. Streaming platforms court the best directors with the chance to go as long as they see fit.

The supersized “John Wick 4” is a rarity as an R-rated action film — even George Miller managed to...

In John Wick: Chapter 4, John Wick's life may be falling apart, but his box office numbers have been stellar. As Wick continues his fight against the High Table, the stakes are only continuing to rise for Baba Yaga. Fortunately for the franchise, the number of people going to see the movie has also been rising. ​​​​​While there were initially concerns that John Wick 4's long runtime could potentially get in the way of its success, the worries were overblown.

According to Deadline, John Wick: Chapter 4 has enjoyed a $29.4 million debut, the best the franchise has earned so far, as the next highest, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, grossed only $22.6 million on its opening day. John Wick: Chapter 4 is expected to reach $70 million by the end of the weekend, which will also break the franchise record.

Related: John Wick: Chapter 4 - Cast & Character Guide

Why John Wick 4...

In a time when the question “Why do movies look so bad?” is a main point of online media discourse, Lionsgate’s “John Wick” franchise stands out not just because of its genre elements, but because each sequel raises the stakes in terms of raw production value and cinematic splendor.

The latest movie, “John Wick: Chapter 4,” takes place not in empty warehouses, poorly lit apartments or barely populated streets, but in bustling and beautiful locales worldwide. Even an extended exposition sequence deigns to take place in a gorgeous art museum where supporting characters rattle off plot points while walking in front of giant paintings.

Considering the constant challenges of delivering big-screen spectacle while working under Covid-specific restrictions, as well as having a budget that is large but well below the stereotypical MCU installment, TheWrap wanted to know how and why “John Wick: Chapter 4” looks like one of the...

Avatar: The Way of Water is one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, and with the film still succeeding well into 2023, many are wondering what movie will finally beat the Avatar sequel. Avatar: The Way of Water was the biggest movie of 2022, with the film surpassing other box office titans like Top Gun: Maverick on its path to the top of the charts. To the surprise of many, Avatar: The Way of Water is still making gains at the box office months after it was first released, with no 2023 movie surpassing it yet. However, the movie that will dethrone it might be right around the corner.

The original 2009 Avatar is currently the highest-grossing movie of all time, with it only briefly being surpassed by Avengers: Endgame before reclaiming its position sometime later. When Avatar: The Way of Water was set to release 13 years later in 2022, the film's potential success was questionable.

Los Angeles, March 25 (Ians) Hollywood actress Kate Winslet and her ‘Titanic’ director James Cameron re-teamed for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’.

In a clip from the featurette ‘New Characters of Pandora’ – available on the digital release – Winslet discussed returning to the water, how she really didn’t have a choice about taking the part of Ronal, and how she helped shape the character.

When Winslet told her kids that Cameron had sent her the Avatar script, they didn’t give her much of a choice about taking the part. But the “added water element” might have really sealed the deal for her, reports ‘Entertainment Weekly’.

“I am a water person,” Winslet said, “All ‘Titanic’ jokes aside”. ‘The New Characters of Pandora’ featurette introduces important new characters in the Avatar saga played by Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, and Jemaine Clement.

“Kate has quite a presence in the film,...

Producer Jon Landau recently revealed that Avatar 4 will feature a major time jump. Thirteen years after releasing the highest-grossing film of all-time, director James Cameron returned to the popular science-fiction franchise with Avatar: The Way of Water. Set a decade and a half after the Na'vi defeated the Resources Development Administration (Rda) in Avatar, the sequel saw Jake Sully (Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) fight to protect their family when Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is resurrected with the sole purpose of eliminating Jake.

Screen Rant recently attended a press event for Avatar: The Way of Water's home release, where Landau looked ahead to the franchise's future. When asked about development on Avatar 4, the producer confirmed that the first act has already been shot as the story necessitates a major time jump for the rest of the film. Read what Landau said below:

The first act [is already shot]. Because truth be told,...

In this exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” from its upcoming digital release, the film’s cast and crew reveal the multiple innovative methods they deployed to shoot the film, as the production team quite literally learned how to work vis-à-vis the way of water.

Going from land to water was a big adjustment for the cast. Stars Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington and Kate Winslet discuss having to learn to regulate their bodies and breathing within this unfamiliar layer of the set so they could properly capture the essence of Cameron’s vision.

“There’s not just the physical challenge of holding your breath,” says Winslet, who plays Ronal in the film. “There’s then the added challenge of acting out a scene underwater where everything is very different. You’re having to imagine coral reefs; you’re having to picture...

“John Wick: Chapter 4” (Lionsgate) appears to be headed for the month’s best opening weekend after an $8.9 million Thursday preview haul. This suggests a gross that could easily exceed weekend projections of $70 million. However, “John Wick 4” has already chalked up what may be an even more impressive accomplishment.

The film, which is only in theaters with no date announced for home PVOD play, is already #6 on iTunes’ top 10 movie chart. iTunes ranks by transactions, not revenue, and “John Wick 4” earned its spot as a $19.99 direct digital download (rather than a rental).

That presales achievement puts the fourth installment of the Keanu Reeves franchise in some rare company. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” the biggest performers of the last three years, also made opening-day iTunes appearances as presales; both ended up with domestic grosses over $675 million.

For big hits with long windows, it isn’t...

As long ago as 2006, James Cameron announced that if his then-upcoming film "Avatar" was a hit, he would shift his entire career toward making sequels to it. Weirdly, Cameron was inspired by director Gore Verbinski, who, at the time, had just made two enormously expensive "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequels back-to-back. It seems that anything Verbinski could do, Cameron was determined to do better. When "Avatar" opened in 2009, and swiftly became the most successful movie of all time, the writing was on the wall: Cameron was officially in the "Avatar" business in perpetuity. Any of Cameron's other planned projects were put on hold. His manga adaptation, "Alita: Battle Angel," was passed to Robert Rodriguez.

Cameron waited 13 years to make the first "Avatar" sequel, "Avatar: The Way of Water," as he was famously biding his time for VFX technology to catch up with the undersea visuals he wanted to create. However the reader feels about "Water,...

Science fiction has been a film genre for almost as long as the medium itself, but one year truly changed the way audiences saw it. That is not to say that any science fiction movies released before that year lack relevancy to the genre now. On the contrary, the impact that Georges Méliès' A Trip to the Moon, the oldest science fiction movie, can be felt in recent blockbusters such as Avatar: The Way of Water.

However, one specific year defined how audiences viewed the science fiction genre, at least in terms of American blockbuster movies, and heavily influenced the current crop of popular science fiction filmmakers. Following the runaway success of Star Wars in 1977, every major film studio scrambled to cash in on the science fiction genre. This led to a time in the late 1970s and early 1980s when science fiction became one of the most popular genres in film.

Filming the Titanic movie had many challenges for director James Cameron, his crew, and the cast. Recreating many heartbreaking scenes ahead of the ship’s sinking posed logistical and creative challenges. However, one scene created the most significant issues of all. Cameron and the crew had one take to get an iconic moment on film before the set was permanently wrecked.

Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio on the set of ‘Titanic’ | CBS via Getty Images The filming of ‘Titanic’ took place over eight months from 1996 through 1997

Titanic‘s director James Cameron‘s attention to detail may account for the extraordinarily long time it took to complete the principal shooting of the movie. Filming for Titanic began in July 1996 and stretched until the end of March 1997, more than twice the usual schedule for a Hollywood film.

The film’s long shooting schedule and the special post-production work were primarily the results...

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Avatar: The Way of Water.

While Jake Sully has reliably been the hero of the Avatar franchise so far, Avatar: The Way of Water may have secretly set up the protagonist’s replacement. Avatar’s title has a double meaning. While Avatars are the in-universe name of the half-Na’vi, half-human creations that allow humans to co-exist among Pandora’s native population, an avatar is also what the original movie’s hero acts as for the audience. Jake Sully learned about Pandora and its inhabitants at the same rate as the audience in the original Avatar, meaning viewers were not left dumbfounded by Avatar director James Cameron’s immersive imaginary planet.

However, this approach does not always work for the Avatar franchise. Both Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water gave Jake Sully little in the way of emotional growth or character development after the franchise...

Two months after its New Year’s week debut in China, “Full River Red” opened in limited North American theatrical release this past Friday. The thrilling, macabre period thriller wasn’t expected to make much money in the United States over the weekend. But the somewhat nationalistic historical epic was the year’s biggest global grosser with $672 million worldwide — and its lush visuals were built for Imax.

“We’ve got policy on our side, we’ve got film supply on our side, and most importantly, we have an audience base that is truly demanding a more premium experience,” Imax’s new China CEO Daniel Manwaring told TheWrap of how Imax is future-proofing itself to thrive theatrically even amid an ecosystem challenged by Covid variables, streaming competition and even global tensions between China and the U.S.

“There’s a demographic much younger than you and me that is less discretionary...

The 2023 Oscars drew another million viewers in the week following the live telecast.

According to ABC, the 95th annual Academy Awards drew an average audience of 19.9M total viewers after seven days of viewing across linear and digital platforms. It also scored a 4.43 rating among the key 18-49 demographic.

That’s up 8% from the 18.8M viewers that tuned in live on March 12. It marks the second year in a row that the Oscars grew its audience in the days after the live ceremony. While 8% may not seem like a huge jump, most live ceremonies draw little to no delayed viewers, unless something significant occurs.

ABC also says the Academy’s digital content views of the 95th Oscars increased year-over-year by 359%, up to 109.2M vs. last year’s 23.8M. The Academy also accumulated more than 760,000 new followers between January and March, leading up to this year’s ceremony.

This year’s...

Note: Den of Geek is a media sponsor of the London Action Festival.

If there’s one thing action fans love, it’s a sequel. We don’t want John McClane to have just one bad day dealing with terrorists. We want him to be in several wrong places at many wrong times. We don’t expect Rambo to embrace pacifism after dealing with power-tripping cops. We want him to strap on a bandolier and wreak worldwide havoc again and again. And Jack Bauer fighting baddies over one 24-hour period? That’s not enough. We want a whole week’s worth of wreckage!

It’s in that proud tradition that the London Action Festival returns to the heart of England this June 21 – 25. As shown in last year’s inaugural event, the London Action Festival celebrates cinema and television at its most kinetic. And it comes at the right time, as...

Can you hear that sound? If you've spent any amount of time online in recent years, you'll recognize it as the clamor of an increasingly vocal group of moviegoers who pine for the days of taut, breezy, 90-minute thrillers that used to be in vogue. The crux of the argument is that blockbuster entertainment lately has given over entirely to extreme, bladder-punishing runtimes, from "The Batman" to "Rrr" to James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water."

Keanu Reeves' "John Wick" franchise itself feels like a golden example of this trend, as each sequel has progressively increased in budget, world-building complexity, and, yes, runtime. Based on the success these movies enjoy at the box office, however, audiences clearly don't mind the fact that the original 2014 movie and its 96-minute runtime have been left in the dust. No, the story keeps expanding, several new characters played by legends of the industry have been introduced,...

Producer Jon Landau reveals that after a brief cameo in Avatar: The Way of Water, one major antagonist from the original movie will be back with a vengeance in Avatar 3. After the record-breaking success of James Cameron's original movie in 2009, the director returned with Avatar: The Way of Water last December, continuing the story of Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña). With the most recent sequel having been a smash hit, the Sully family saga is confirmed to continue with a third, fourth, and fifth movie.

In a recent interview with The Wrap, Landau reveals that Giovanni Ribisi's Parker Selfridge, a secondary human villain in the original film, will return with a much larger role in Avatar 3. Selfridge had a brief cameo in Avatar: The Way of Water during a video sequence in which Quaritch (Stephen Lang) learns about how he has returned in a clone recombinant body,...

Avatar 3 will bring back a breakout character from Avatar: The Way of Water, producer Jon Landau confirms. As Jake and Neytiri's Na'vi family seeks protection from the Rda with the oceanic Metkayina clan, Avatar: The Way of Water introduces an array of sea-dwelling creatures, including the intelligent whale-like creatures known as Tulkun. The troubled middle child Lo'ak strikes up an unlikely friendship with an exiled Tulkun named Payakan, who later proves useful in the fight against the Rda, memorably biting off Tulkun hunter Scoresby's arm and capsizing their vessel.

During a recent interview with The Wrap, Landau discussed how Payakan's story in Avatar: The Way of Water has connected with audiences in such a meaningful way, resulting in the majestic creature becoming a beloved breakout character. Asked directly if Payakan will return in Avatar 3, the producer responded, "Payakan will be back." Read his full comments below:

I always...

“Avatar: The Way of Water” is finally coming home.

James Cameron’s supersized sequel, which grossed a whopping $2.3 billion worldwide (enough to make it the third-highest-grossing movie ever), is making its way to digital on March 28 – pretty impressive, especially in our quick-fix era, for a movie that opened before Christmas.

In the sequel, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) are forced to retreat from their home after the evil corporation Rda returns to Pandora. They flee with their extended family, take refuge with the reef people and realize that, no matter where they are, the Rda will find them.

It’s a thrilling, emotional follow-up and one that clearly resonated with audiences. And it’ll be nice to be able to watch the movie anytime you want, especially since the release is festooned with new special features (get a glimpse of one of them above).

We visited Lightstorm to...

Lionsgate had a quiet year at the box office. That’s about to change this weekend with the release of “John Wick: Chapter 4,” which is pacing to score the strongest opening weekend for the Keanu Reeves-Chad Stahelski action franchise and one of the strongest launches theaters have seen so far this year.

In many ways, the success of “John Wick” will be a test of Lionsgate’s upcoming slate of franchise sequels and an indicator of its future as an independent studio.

“John Wick 4” has a strong shot of passing the $171 million domestic/$327 million global total of “John Wick 3.” If it does, it will become Lionsgate’s highest grossing film since the “Hunger Games” series ended in 2015. Later this year, Lionsgate will bring back “Hunger Games” with the prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” with sequels to “The Expendables” and “Saw” also set for release.

The success of Avatar: The Way of Water has left fans eagerly waiting to watch it again, and here are the details of its streaming release. Despite the 13-year gap between Avatar and its sequel, audiences flooded to see the second installment, breaking many box office records on the way. Even the 3-hour run time, although hardly unusual for Cameron, did not deter fans, and Avatar: The Way Of Water amassed well over $2 billion at the box office. Avatar: The Way of Water also came with the announcement that there will be 3 more Avatar movies that will truly expand the Pandora regions.

Avatar: The Way Of Water’s path after theaters will be quite different from Avatar, as streaming was not the screen industry norm as it is today. Disney’s acquisition of Avatar has confirmed Avatar: The Way of Water will release on Disney+ but it will not be...

A new made-in-Canada science fiction thriller is on the horizon, and Et Canada has an exclusive clip and a first look at the posters for “Simulant”.

Directed by April Mullen and filmed in Hamilton, Ontario, the movie boasts an impressive cast including Canadians Robbie Amell and Simu Liu, in addition to Jordana Brewster (of “The Fast and the Furious” franchise) and Sam Worthington (“Avatar: The Way of Water”).

Set in a not-distant future in which androids walk among humans, the film focuses on Simulants, physically indistinguishable from humans while implanted with all the memories and mannerisms of their human counterparts.

“Simulant” poster — Courtesy of Mongrel Media “Simulant” poster — Courtesy of Mongrel Media

Read More: Simu Liu Performs A Medley Of Avril Lavigne’s Biggest Hits At The Junos

“After a fatal car crash, Faye (Brewster), now widowed, activates her late husband’s Simulant, Evan (Amell), an exact android replica programmed with his memories,...

It has been reported that writer/director James Cameron is planning a nine-hour cut of Avatar 3, and it sounds like the worst possible way to experience the movie. The first Avatar has made a total of $2.7 billion and Avatar: The Way of Water has made $2.3 billion worldwide (via Box Off Mojo), and as they're the first and third highest-grossing movies of all time, respectively, the long runtimes haven't exactly held the movies back. 2009's Avatar sits at a relatively lean 160 minutes, whereas the 2022 sequel hits three hours and ten minutes, but both of those runtimes are rookie numbers compared to rumors about Avatar 3.

It has also been rumored that Avatar 3 could be released on Dinsey+, which was reported by Jeff Sneider (via Twitter). These rumors have brought back the potential of a nine-hour version of Avatar 3. According to the report, Cameron handed in a rough cut...

Box office is currently 3% behind the same period in 2022.

The UK and Ireland box office has not “reached its full potential” so far in 2023 with the lack of wide releases dated for later in the year a concern, according to a report published today from ComScore.

The overall box office total in 2023 is currently 3% down on the same period in 2022.

The top-grossing titles for the year so far are Avatar: The Way Of Water; Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania; Puss In Boots: The Last Wish; and Creed III.

ComScore’s report, presented at the Ukca (UK Cinema Association) conference today...

Long live the legacy of Tony Soprano.

The titular mob boss of HBO’s “The Sopranos” has been a cited influence on everything from “Better Call Saul” to “Avatar: The Way of Water,” but the particular breed of beloved antihero that Tony embodies marks a direct inspiration for “Yellowjackets” Season 2.

Creators and co-showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson discussed how humanizing the cannibalism, murder, and trauma endured by the core “Yellowjackets” characters, played by Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Christina Ricci, and Juliette Lewis, has roots to Tony himself.

“Tony Soprano is an absolute monster — but, because he’s so well drawn, you understand him. That’s what we’re aiming for,” Lyle told The Hollywood Reporter. “We have conversations about what could be too far, but it’s less about likability for the characters and more about the type of story. We never want to be shocking and salacious for the sheer joy of it.

As the fourth installment in the Keanu Reeves action series, John Wick: Chapter 4 is a hit with critics, earning the franchise’s most positive reviews yet. John Wick: Chapter 4 brings more action and thrills as Keanu Reeves’ title assassin continues his path for revenge against the criminal underworld’s influential High Table organization. Taking his mission to earn his freedom global, John Wick tracks down the most powerful operatives across the world while fighting a new enemy with formidable alliances.

John Wick: Chapter 4 already boasts the best reviews of the John Wick franchise, proving the movies can continue to produce fresh angles on the acclaimed action premise. John Wick: Chapter 4 holds a Certified Fresh 93% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, which beats the previous sequels’ tied 89% ratings and the 2014 original’s 86% score. The positive reviews for John Wick: Chapter 4 are attributing the movie’s success...

Avatar: The Way of Water, which hit theaters more than a decade after Avatar, has proven to be a massive success, grossing more than $2 billion and becoming the third-highest grossing movie of all time. The Avatar franchise is far from over, with at least three more sequels on the way to continue the Sully family saga. Avatar: The Way of Water follows Jake and Neytiri Sully as they and their children find a new home among the Metkayina after old enemies return seeking revenge. However, when Quaritch's hunt leads him to their new home, the Sullys must fight to protect their family and the Metkayina.

During a press event for the Avatar: The Way of Water digital release, Screen Rant attended a Q&a with producer Jon Landau. He revealed that while filming Avatar: The Way of Water, they also shot Avatar 3 and the first act of Avatar 4.

Avatar: The Way of Water hit theaters thirteen years after the first Avatar and proved to be just as popular with fans, becoming the third highest-grossing film of all time. The sequel picks up years later, continuing the saga of Jake, Sully, and Neytiri, who now lead the Omatikaya and have built a family. However, when humans return, including their thought-to-be dead enemy Miles Quartich, the Sully family is forced to flee, finding sanctuary with the Metkayina. When Quaritch continues his hunt for Jake Sully, wiping out whoever and whatever is in his way, the Sully family must step up to stop him and his team in order to protect their family and the Metkayina clan.

Screen Rant participated in a press event to celebrate the digital release of Avatar: The Way of Water. During the event, Jon Landau led a Q&a where he teased that Avatar 3 will explore new Na'vi cultures.

It's generally considered big news when a new superhero movie opens at the box office. This past weekend was no exception as "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" finally hit theaters, serving as a sequel to one of DC's most acclaimed movies. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. won't be poppin' champagne this time around, as the follow-up had an absolutely abysmal opening weekend, taking in far less than its predecessor on a larger budget. In short? This franchise is probably dead in the water.

Director David F. Sandberg's "Shazam!" sequel took in $30.5 million this past weekend, per Box Office Mojo. This is well below industry estimates, which had it making around $40 million. And let's be very clear, even that would have been extremely disappointing, given that the original opened to $53.5 million back in 2019. And, not to pile on here, but that was on the lower side of things for a big superhero movie these days,...

The ‘Shazam!’ sequel is down 40% on its predecessor.

RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Mar 17-19)Total gross to date Week 1. Shazam! Fury Of The Gods (Warner Bros) £2.4m £2.4m 1 2. Creed III (Warner Bros) £1.2m £11.7m 3 3. Scream VI (Paramount) £990,000 £5.1m 2 4. Allelujah (Pathe) £686,435 £713,149 1 5. 65 (Sony) £567,843 £2.4m 2

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.21

DC superhero sequel Shazam! Fury Of The Gods topped the UK-Ireland box office in its opening weekend, taking £2.4m for Warner Bros.

The total is down around 40% on first instalment Shazam!, which debuted with £4m back in April 2019.

Zachary Levi is back as the adult superhero alter ego, with Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu...

As Mrs. Fableman recently said, "Movies are dreams that you never forget." There's more truth to that statement than not — even the most grounded, photo-realistic movie has that more-real-than-real quality to it, an intangibility that separates the "dream" from the "dreamer" in the audience.

Perhaps that's why visiting a museum full of memorabilia from cinema history feels so special. It takes those celluloid dreams and makes them feel that much more real, proving that those images and moments were indeed created and constructed by a team of talented artists.

The museum soundstage at Lightstorm Entertainment is just such a place, filled as it is with screen-used props and setpieces from filmmaker James Cameron's impressive cinema history. It helps that Cameron's background in engineering and various other facets of technology lends that much more realistic weight to these items: even up close, they look as if they're fully legitimate,...

Avatar: The Way of Water has exceeded expectations to become one of the highest-grossing movies ever. The sci-fi epic sealed Cameron’s fate in bringing the rest of his vision to the big screen. And as Cameron knows — there is no fate but what we make for ourselves. One of the fates that Cameron is rumored to be making is a nine-hour cut of Avatar 3. The massive, massive narrative would be broken down into a limited series and released on Disney+, according to MovieWeb.

Cameron boldly filmed both The Way of Water and its follow-up back-to-back, and the third movie is said to now be in its huge post-production process. Avatar 3 is still intended to be released theatrically with all the bells and whistles on December 20, 2024. However, this would likely be a more manageable runtime at a mere three hours. It was reported that last year Cameron submitted...

One week after scoring the franchise’s highest opening weekend to date, the Radio Silence-directed Scream VI has now passed $100 million at the worldwide box office.

As of this morning, Scream VI has amassed a worldwide total of $116 million – the domestic total at this time is $76 million – which makes it the fifth movie in the slasher franchise to hit that $100 million mark. The only film in the franchise that didn’t quite reach those heights was Wes Craven’s Scream 4 back in 2011, which ended its worldwide run with $97 million.

Scream VI is on track to pass Scream 2022’s worldwide total of $137 million, and if it can pass the original movie’s $173 million it’ll be the highest grossing Scream movie to date.

Stay tuned… and you can probably expect a Scream 7 announcement soon…

Meagan wrote in her review of Scream VI, “This slasher sequel lets a ruthless Ghostface loose in the city,...

Producer Jon Landau has been a close collaborator with director James Cameron for over 20 years now, going back to the time they brought the mammoth "Titanic" to the screen -- literally and figuratively. When Cameron decided to embark on an even more gigantic project in the form of the world-building, fully immersive "Avatar" films, Landau became his right-hand man, helping guide and shape the project since the mid-'90s.

That's why it's a special treat to listen to Landau speak about his various experiences making the movies, which so far include 2009's "Avatar" and 2022's "Avatar: The Way of Water." On the eve of "The Way of Water" being released for home viewing on digital platforms, I was invited to spend a day at Lightstorm Entertainment on behalf of /Film. While there, Landau previewed some of the digital release's bonus content for me and other members of the press, and in between,...

Yet again, a new release has debuted atop the top ten of the box-office weekend as Shazam! Fury of the Gods enjoyed a comfortable $13 million margin over second-place Scream VI.

Over its first weekend in release, the sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods brought in $30.5 million, landing it firmly in first place. Meanwhile, last weekend’s top film, Scream VI was forced to second-place where it added $17.5 million over the weekend to bring its two-week total to $76.0 million. Similarly, Creed III was also pushed down to third place with $15.4 million this weekend. The film now boasts a three-week tally of $127.7 million though. In fourth place was 65 which added $5.8 million over its second weekend in release to bring its overall total to $22.4 million. Rounding out the top five this weekend was Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania with $4.1 million. This gives the Marvel film a five-week total of $205.8 million.

Cocaine Bear finished in sixth place,...

It looked like a good week for Fox News on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver today as the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and uncertainty in the financial world replaced the searing revelations resulting from Dominion Voting’s lawsuit against the Rupert Murdoch-owned cable newser on the HBO series.

Well, at least for a while.

Promising “not to bore you with every little detail,” Oliver proceeded to rip and tear into the intricacies of investing in long term Treasury bonds and the losses piled up by the now failed Santa Clara, CA based bank as interest rates have risen over the past year or so. “It’s essentially a classic story of a bank doing a lousy job of judging and hedging against risk,” the multi-Emmy winner stated.

And then, while that prickly lawsuit and embarrassing text chains by Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity weren’t in the spotlight,...

For the second time in a month, a mid-level comic book franchise opened to disappointment. “Shazam!: Fury of the Gods” (Warner Bros. Discovery) grossed $30.5 million in domestic sales.

That’s more than 40 percent down from the initial DC Comics film in 2019 (with ticket prices at least 15 percent lower). At $35 million, international territories were no better: China grossed $4.4 million in over 21,000 locations for less than a $210 per-theater average. At a reported production cost of $125 million before significant marketing costs, this will likely lose money.

Wbd vacated the film’s Christmas date, trading the potential for accelerated holiday interest for access to premium screens and playing during spring vacation. Smart strategy, but the payoff still wasn’t there.

DC is not alone in this plight; Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (Disney) struggles to reach $500 million worldwide. Don’t expect either character to return as more than part of an ensemble.

Although March has already seen two sequels achieve record opening weekends for their respective franchises, that would not be the case with Warner Bros’ superhero sequel “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which found itself at the point of knives drawn by critics and some fans alike. The latter voted with their dollars and just didn’t show up in the numbers these superhero movies tend to achieve.

Once again starring Zachary Levi, this time joined by Dame Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler as the titular antagonists, “Fury of the Gods” went into the weekend with a mediocre 53% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, but a better Audience Score of 87% and a relatively decent “B+” from audience poller, Cinemascore.

Still, it only made $3.4 million in Thursday previews, pointing to a lower than expected opening, even with the relatively low tracking numbers released earlier in the week. After making $11.7 million on Friday,...

March has been a tremendous month for sequels, barring Shazam! Fury of the Gods, of course. Avatar: The Way of Water surpassed Titanic’s record at the domestic box office, while Scream VI and Creed III delivered franchise-best opening weekend hauls back-to-back. Next weekend, John Wick: Chapter 4 is also projected to deliver a series-topping debut. But this week, the sixth Scream movie passed an important financial milestone. The film shot past the $100 million mark at the global box office, and is now just days away from overtaking the fifth Scream’s $81 million domestic and $137 million global hauls.

Update, writethru: New Line/DC/Warner Bros’ Shazam! Fury of the Gods has had a less than heroic launch with $65.5M global, including $35M from the international box office. We always knew this sequel was going to come in lower than its predecessor, but the result is also far off where projections were ahead of the weekend.

Overall, the main issue on Shazam 2 appears to be a disconnect with hardcore DC fans, and, when it comes to China, an increasingly cold-shoulder approach of audiences to Hollywood fare. Fury of the Gods was simply a no-show in the Prc with a slight $4.4M weekend. Despite getting a day-and-date release there, moviegoers did not turn up for Shazam 2. This is part of a concerning trend in the world’s second biggest box office market where (outside of Avatar...