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Despicable Me is already the highest-grossing animated franchise of all time based on its box office gross. Now, the series is also establishing its streaming dominance.

The franchise, which debuted in 2010, has since seen Gru's Minions branch out with their own films. With movies in the original series and two Minion-led spinoffs, the franchise has been a major hit, passing the four Shrek films and its two Puss in Boots spinoffs at the box office. Per Tudum, Despicable Me also beat Shrek on streaming, taking over the charts globally for the week between Feb. 17 and 23.

RelatedShrek 5 Casts Zendaya in Major Role

DreamWorks Animation announces the main voice cast for Shrek 5 and it includes Zendaya in a major role.

Just recently, the DreamWorks Adaptations Shrek franchise took over streaming with several installments ahead of the highly anticipated Shrek 5. The first three films stayed in the global charts for two weeks.

Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation has released the first teaser for the highly anticipated Shrek 5, confirming the returns of Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey, and Cameron Diaz as Fiona - as well as confirming that  Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home; Dune: Part Two; Challengers) has indeed joined the voice cast as Shrek and Fiona's daughter Felicia.

Plot details remain under wraps for now and there's also no word on who's going to be lending their voices to her siblings Fergus and Farkle.

Franchise veterans Walt Dohrn (Trolls; Trolls World Tour; Trolls Band Together) and Conrad Vernon (Monsters vs. Aliens; Sausage Party; The Addams Family) have been tapped to direct, with Brad Ableson (Minions: The Rise of Gru) serving as co-director, while Michael McCullers (Austin Powers in Goldmember; Baby Mama; The Boss Baby) penned the script. 

This will be the first installment in the main franchise in sixteen years,...

This is not a drill! It's been a long, long time since audiences have taken a trip to Far, Far Away but "Shrek 5" is going to bring us back there next year. As evidence of that, DreamWorks has released the first, brief teaser for the long-awaited sequel -- one that introduces us to the cast. Most of them are familiar faces but there is one new, very important addition: Welcome to the family, Zendaya.

While the above teaser doesn't make it explicitly clear who the star of "Dune" and "Challengers" is playing in the film, the folks at The Hollywood Reporter have confirmed that she is voicing the daughter of Shrek and Fiona. The teaser also confirms that Mike Myers (Shrek), Cameron Diaz (Fiona), and Eddie Murphy (Donkey) are also reprising their famous roles. Diaz's inclusion is not insignificant, seeing as she walked away from Hollywood for years...

Zendaya has joined the cast of Shrek 5, in a major get for the franchise, as announced on the series’ official X page Thursday morning.

The in-demand actress plays the daughter of Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz). As previously announced, Eddie Murphy will also reprise his role in the new film as Donkey. Watch a teaser offering a first look at Zendaya’s character below.

Slated for release on December 23, 2026, Shrek 5 will be the first installment to hit theaters since Shrek Forever After all the way back in 2010. No word yet on the storyline.

Walt Dohrn (Trolls franchise), who worked on the second and third films as a writer and artist and as Head of Story on the fourth film, is directing alongside co-director Brad Ableson (Minions: The Rise of Gru), with The Trolls franchise’s Gina Shay returning to produce alongside Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri (The Super Mario Bros. Movie...

Shrek 5 has landed a star that may make other franchises green with envy.

Zendaya has joined the venerable animated film series as the daughter of Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz). She also joins Eddie Murphie, the voice of Donkey.

Zendaya is one of the most in-demand stars working today, with her upcoming schedule including Dune: Messiah, the fourth Spider-Man movie and Euphoria season three. Last year, she starred in Challengers, the well-regarded tennis drama from Luca Guadagnino, as well as Dune: Part Two. Her presence in Shrek 5 gives extra vibrancy to the 25-year-old franchise and could help bring new audiences to the fold.

The feature has a Dec. 23, 2026 release date from Universal and DreamWorks Animation, and is the first in the main series since 2010’s Shrek Forever After.

Shrek veterans Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon direct, along with Minions: The Rise of Gru co-director Brad Ableson.

Pictures: Netflix

For data nerds – it’s our favorite time of the year – the second half of 2024 viewing data has just been released! We’ve got a lot more to come, but what are the most-watched movies and series of the second half of the year? Let’s dive straight in.

What are the key points that Netflix has cited as being the most important for this data drop? Netflix reiterated that Engagement (time spent watching) is the best metric to gauge member satisfaction and that this data drop covers ~99% of all video watch time on Netflix and that no single title accounts for more than 1% of total Netflix viewing.

Squid Game S2 had the most hours viewed (0.7% of total viewing), and their total watch time for this period of July to December 2024 was 94B hours (5% increase YoY). Their most-viewed series was Squid Game S2 (87M views) despite premiering only 6 days before year-end.

Being one of the greatest actors of all time, Alan Arkin continued to deliver even in some of his final performances, including The Kominsky Method. Starring alongside Michael Douglas, the late actor earned two Emmy nominations for his performance in the comedy series.

Alan Arkin in The Kominsky Method | Credit: Netflix

However, fans of the show were surprised when he decided to step away before the third and final season, causing the showrunner Chuck Lorre to make a bold creative pivot to keep the show on track. Arkin later opened up about the real reason behind his exit from the show, revealing his struggles and the state of mind at the time that led to his decision to take a break from acting.

Alan Arkin on his decision to leave The Kominsky Method Season 3

Filled with a mix of humor and heartfelt moments, Chuck Lorre’s The Kominsky Method explores the themes of aging,...

Minions: The Rise of Gru performed exceptionally well at the box office, indicating that, under the care of the Minions, the Despicable Me film franchise is alive and well. This franchise got its start in 2010 with Despicable Me and continually succeeded with its brand of energetic, family-friendly humor through 2022's The Rise of Gru, the fifth film in the beloved series. One of the most entertaining aspects of the film series is the colorful cast of villains who try to thwart the franchise's antihero, Felonious Gru, or his Minions.

The villains each have a unique gimmick that sets them apart and an ample supply of zany weapons at their disposal. They also have some of the best villain names in the history of villains. Although all the Despicable Me/Minions villains are funny and diabolical in their own right, a few of them stand out from the pack.

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It’s been over two years since Stephen “tWitch” Boss was found dead of an apparent suicide.

But the controversy over his passing — and what life was like for the musician in the days, weeks and months leading up to his death — has really just begun.

In the wake of this tragedy, Boss’ widow, Allison Holker, has released a memoir.

Allison Holker and Twitch attend the Premiere Of Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Nun” at Tcl Chinese Theatre on September 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)

In the book, and as part of her press tour for the book, Holker has claimed that she found mushrooms, pills, and “other substances I had to look up on my phone” inside the shoe boxes inside his closet.

She has said Boss left her with a $1 million unpaid tax bill.

She’s even said that Boss was sexually abused as a child,...

Ne Zha 2 Box Office: Beats Minions (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Ne Zha 2 maintains its momentum at the Chinese box office and has collected more than $50 million on its second Monday. It is something movies earn on their debut weekend but not the Ne Zha sequel; it is creating cinematic history every moment. It has now beaten Minions’ lifetime haul at the worldwide box office. Scroll below for the deets.

The animated feature, Minions, was released in 2015 and is a prequel to 2010’s Despicable Me. The film was followed by a sequel, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and another sequel is reportedly being developed. The animated feature was a massive box office, collecting $336.04 million in the US and $1.16 billion worldwide. It is reportedly one of the top ten highest-grossing animated movies of all time globally.

According to Luiz Fernando’s report, Ne Zha 2 continues to be the box office juggernaut in China.

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Allison Holker shares that her family tragedy was immediately compounded after her husband’s passing.

In her new book, Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss’ widow has alleged that her late husband abused various substances prior to his tragic death by suicide. She has also claimed that he had been a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

Another jarring detail from Holker’s memoir is the allegation that her late husband left her with a massive tax bill.

Debts after a loved one’s death often hit people when they’re down. But this $1 million bill may have been related to Boss’ mental state ahead of his passing.

Stephen Boss and Allison Boss attend Critics Choice Association’s 5th Annual Celebration Of Black Cinema & Television at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2022. (Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association) Allison Holker says that Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss left the family...

The Night Agent. (L to R) Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland, Amanda Warren as Catherine in episode 210 of The Night Agent. Cr. Christopher Saunders/Netflix © 2024 The week of January 27th saw a thrilling mix of returning favorites and exciting new entries on Netflix’s Top 10 charts. From high-octane action to heartwarming family entertainment, there was something for everyone. For the third week running, Back in Action, starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, held its ground at the top of the English films list with a staggering 18.4 million views. This action-comedy clearly resonated with audiences worldwide, securing a spot in the Top 10 in every country. Proving that viewers can’t get enough of thrilling narratives, the airport thriller Carry-On also maintained its presence on the list. On the English TV front, The Night Agent Season 2 took the crown, pulling in 15.2 million views. The success of the series is undeniable, with Season...

Season 2 of ‘The Night Agent’ became the most-watched Netflix series during the week of Jan. 20-26, racking up 13.9 million views in its first four days.

While its debut was strong, it didn’t match the launch of Season 1 in 2023, which had 168.7 million hours watched in just four days, equating to about 20.6 million views. The success of Season 2 also brought more viewers back to Season 1, which earned 4.9 million views and landed in fourth place on the charts that week.

‘Back in Action’ stayed at No. 1 on the English-language film list for the second week, with 46.8 million views. ‘Ad Vitam’ topped the non-English language films list for the third week, earning 8.4 million views. ‘The Recruit’ Season 1 secured No. 10 on the English TV list with 1.7 million views as viewers awaited Season 2.’ Carry-On’ remained at No. 9 on the English films list with 2.7 million views. ‘Knight and Day’ appeared at No. 10 on the English films list,...

Back In Action. (L to R) Jamie Foxx as Matt and Cameron Diaz as Emily in Back In Action. Cr. John Wilson/Netflix © 2024. It was a week of high-stakes action and international intrigue on Netflix, with spies and secret agents dominating the Top 10 charts. The Night Agent claimed the No. 1 spot with a whopping 13.9 million views for its second season. This Gabriel Basso-led thriller clearly struck a chord, landing in the Top 10 in 90 countries! And with Season 2 dropping, viewers are revisiting Season 1 (No. 4), proving this show has serious staying power. But Peter Sutherland wasn’t the only spy making waves. Back in Action, starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, held onto its No. 1 position on the English-language film list for the second week in a row. Clearly, audiences are loving this action-comedy duo. Speaking of Diaz, she’s got double the action this week! Her 2010 film Knight and Day,...

The Despicable Me franchise began in 2010 with the very first movie of the same name, and these 10 movies are the perfect next watches for fans of that film. Despicable Me may have been an unknown when it was released 15 years ago, but it has become a massive franchise in the years since, leading to a grand total of 4 currently released Despicable Me movies and the two spin-off movies featuring the Minions.

In fact, the Minions alone proved to be a cultural phenomenon, and they are now easily identifiable even to those who have never seen Despicable Me or its many sequels. In addition to these goofy yellow creatures making Despicable Me a smash hit, the lovable villain Gru, deeper messages of the film, and family ties within the movie all contributed to Despicable Me’s popularity. Based on those traits, here are the 10 best movies like Despicable Me.

Hotel Transylvania...

Universal Pictures changed its animation schedule on Friday by moving the release dates for two of its most popular franchises. ‘Minions 3’ will come out earlier than planned, and ‘Shrek 5′ has been pushed back to the winter holidays of 2026.

The intended release date for “Minions 3” was June 30, 2027, but it will now be July 1, 2026. This move puts it during the busy Independence Day weekend. The choice came after the huge success of the Despicable Me franchise. It has made over $5 billion at the box office worldwide, making it the highest-grossing animated film series ever.

The creative people of the first two films will return to the third Minions film. You can count on Pierre Coffin to return as the movie’s director and to voice the famous yellow figures. Brian Lynch wrote the script. He is known for writing “The Secret Life of Pets.” The movie is also being worked...

Universal Pictures and Illumination are moving up the release date on the hotly-anticipated Minions 3.

Per Deadline, Universal Pictures has officially changed the premieres of numerous upcoming titles, with Minions 3 being moved up from its original release date of June 30, 2027 all the way up to July 1, 2026. That same spot was previously intended as the release date for Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation's Shrek 5, which has been moved to a release date of December 23, 2026, instead.

Related Wicked Breaks Yet Another Record for Universal With Digital Release

Jon M. Chu's Wicked is breaking more records for Universal following its release on digital platforms last week.

Spun out of the Despicable Me franchise, the first Minions film was directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda from a script written by Bryan Lynch. The Minions prequel series not only gave fans their first true insight into the origins of Despicable Me's diminutive yellow mascots,...

Universal Pictures will release two of its biggest animated film franchises in 2026, as Minions 3 has been bumped up from 2027, which has delayed Shrek 5 back to a December release. When Shrek 5 was announced to arrive in theaters in the summer of 2026, fans were over the moon. Following the critical and box office success of Puss in Boots and the generational nostalgia for the Shrek franchise, timing Shrek 5 for the franchise's 25th anniversary seemed like a perfect play. The studio gave the DreamWorks Animation film the prime Fourth of July weekend window that Universal has previously used to great success with Illumination's Despicable Me and Minions franchise.

Variety reports that Universal's release schedule has now been shaken up. Shrek 5 has now been delayed from July 1, 2026, to Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2026, giving it a five-day holiday weekend for the Christmas season. Minions 3 has now been bumped up from June...

After the previous installment in the spinoff series pushed the franchise to a major financial milestone, Minions 3 is getting an earlier release date.

The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that Universal is shifting some of its upcoming release calendar around. One such movie getting a new release date is Minions 3, with the Despicable Me threequel spinoff now set for a July 1, 2026 date, taking over the slot from Shrek 5, which is now set for December 23 that same year. This also puts Minions 3 in theaters nearly a full year early, having originally been set for a June 30, 2027 release date.

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Source: THR

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Despicable Me

Gru, a villain with ambitions to steal the moon, adopts three orphaned girls to aid his scheme. Unexpectedly, he finds himself growing attached to them, which complicates his plans. As Gru...

Universal Pictures is adjusting its movie release calendar for upcoming titles from two venerable animation franchises.

The studio announced Friday that DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek 5 is now set for release on Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2026, after previously having been dated for July 1, 2026. Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon are directing Shrek 5 with Brad Ableson as co-director. Gina Shay and Chris Meledandri produce the film that sees the return of voice stars Mike Myers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy (Donkey) and Cameron Diaz (Fiona).

In a twinned move, Minions 3 from Illumination is now set to hit theaters on July 1, 2026, moving up from its previously planned release date of June 30, 2027. Pierre Coffin, who directed the first three Despicable Me films and the first Minions spinoff movie, is helming Minions 3 from a script from Brian Lynch. Coffin voices the yellow mischief-makers that were introduced as sidekicks to former supervillain Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) in the 2010 title Despicable Me.

Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek 5 will now open on Wednesday, December 23, 2026, instead of July 1 next year.

At the same time, the studio said Friday it is moving up Illumination’s Minions 3 from June 30, 2027 to Shrek 5‘s previous July 2026 date. That’s because the Minions and Gru have ruled the Independence Day frame for quite some time, most recently with Despicable Me 4 minting a $230M global opening last summer.

Another shift going on at Universal: an untitled Illumination event movie will move from March 19, 2027 to Wednesday June 30, 2027.

Shrek 5 is timed to Dwa’s 25th anniversary. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz as reported are reprising their roles as Shrek, Donkey and Fiona, respectively. Directors are Shrek franchise veterans Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon. Dohrn (Trolls franchise) worked on the second and third Shrek films as a writer and artist and as Head...

Shrek and the Minions will both be on the big screen in 2026.

Universal Pictures announced Friday that the highly-anticipated animated movies are swapping their theatrical release dates, with DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek 5” pushing back from July 1, 2026 to Wednesday, Dec. 23, while Illumination’s “Minions 3” moves into that summer 2026 window from its planned June 30, 2027 date.

Universal has also shifted the release of an untitled Illumination event film from March 19, 2027 to the June date.

While December 2026 might seem far, far away, “Shrek 5” arrives in time for the franchise’s 25th anniversary and marks the grand return of original “Shrek” stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz to voice Shrek, Donkey and Fiona.

Beginning with 2001’s “Shrek” (which won the first Oscar for best animated feature), the four “Shrek” films have earned more than $2.9 billion worldwide, spawning a global live-touring show and an award-winning Broadway musical that earned eight Tony nominations and 12 Drama Desk nominations,...

Allison Holker has had a lot to process since the loss of her husband.

In December of 2022, we reported on Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ tragic passing.

Following his heartbreaking death by suicide, his loved ones discovered private pain that he kept to himself.

Part of that, his widow explains, was uncovering the addiction that he hid during life.

Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Allison Holker attend Critics Choice Association’s 5th Annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2022. (Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Allison Holker is speaking (and wrote a book) about her late husband’s tragic passing

In life, Stephen “tWitch” Boss was a co-executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show and also a longtime DJ.

Speaking to People in a new interview, widow Allison Holker recalled finding a “cornucopia” of drugs hidden inside shoeboxes in her late husband’s closet.

She found mushrooms, pills,...

With 2024's Despicable Me 4 continuing the franchise's blockbuster pedigree, attention turns to the spinoffs, and Minions 3 is already in the works with an announced release date. Beginning in 2010 with Despicable Me, the lovable yellow henchmen have stolen the show in each of the family-friendly franchise's installments, and their antics were further fleshed out in the spinoff films. The Minions subseries began in 2015, with the eponymous first entry, and is set before the events of the Despicable Me trilogy.

2015's Minions was a massive box-office success, and it didn't take long for a sequel to be green-lit by Illumination and Universal. Minions: The Rise of Gru follows on from the events of the first movie, documenting Gru's early steps on the journey to becoming an evil mastermind. The generally positive reception enjoyed by Minions 2, along with positive box office numbers, suggests that the wider Despicable Me series still has appeal.

Despicable Me Films Ranked At The Worldwide Box Office( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Despicable Me 4 kept the theatres busy in 2024, and although it was predicted to cross the $1 billion mark, it fell short of that. However, it was still a huge success and one of the top 5 highest-grossing films of last year. However, is it the biggest film in the main franchise? Let’s find out!

About the Franchise –

The franchise was created by Sergio Pablos, Cinco Paul, and Ken Daurio. The films are produced by Illumination and distributed by its parent company, Universal Pictures. The first film came out in 2010, and it was directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin. Meanwhile, the fourth film has only been directed by Chris Renaud. There are four films in the Despicable Me film series and two prequel series, Minions and Minions: The Rise of Gru. However, we will only rank the Despicable Me films.

Quick Links 'Despicable Me' and 'Minions' Movies in Chronological Order Minions (2015) Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) Despicable Me (2010) Despicable Me 2 (2013) Despicable Me 3 (2017) Despicable Me 4 (2024) 'Despicable Me' and 'Minions' Movies in Release Order

With Despicable Me 4 available on Peacock and set to hit Netflix in March 2025, it's time to give viewers a proper chronological viewing order of the popular Illumination franchise. Remember, watching a movie franchise in chronological order differs from watching in release order, with the narrative continuity taking precedence over scheduling. Therefore, with at least two prequels in the hit animated film series, tracking how and where each cinematic story fits within the overarching Minions universe is vital.

In addition to gifting viewers the ideal Minions and Despicable Me viewing guide, the aim is to include a trailer for each release and provide information about where each movie can be streamed online.

Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson's poorly-reviewed holiday movie, which made $180 million at the box office, has become a global Netflix hit seven years after its release. After breaking out with Boogie Nights, Walhberg went on to receive further critical acclaim for his performances in The Departed and The Fighter, while also venturing into big-budget action moves such as The Perfect Storm, Planet of the Apes, The Italian Job, and Transformers. However, in recent years, Wahlberg has focused more on comedies, including The Other Guys, Ted, and Daddy's Home.

Gibson, on the other hand, started his career as an action hero with his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three Mad Max movies, followed by Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon movies. From there, Gibson starred in and directed Braveheart, winning an Academy Award for Best Director, and though his career later declined due to several controversial statements,...

Can you believe it’s been over a decade since Spartacus first brought its blood-soaked, action-packed drama to our screens? Back in 2010, this hit show redefined the historical epics with its unapologetic intense storytelling and raw actions. Though Gladiator and Rome did lay the groundwork for sword-and-sandal greatness, Spartacus intensified the level, delivering four seasons of unforgettable action.

Of course, it wasn’t just the on-screen drama that had us hooked to our screens, behind the scenes, the heartbreaking loss of Andy Whitfield after Season 1 broke our hearts. But the series persevered, with Liam McIntyre stepping in to finish this epic saga of the Thracian rebel leader.

A still from Spartacus (Credits- Starz)

And the legacy of the legendary storyline has now returned once again with the upcoming spinoff, Spartacus: House of Ashur. Reportedly, Starz is revisiting the story but with an added twist, what if Ashur, the scheming underdog...

There are many reasons why countries choose to ban specific movies. For the most part, the reasoning for the ban makes sense, like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre being banned in Australia and the U.K. for violence or South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut being banned in Iraq by Saddam Hussein for reasons that anyone who has seen the film would know. For others, the reasoning is... how shall we say... perplexing, like Lebanon banning Minions: The Rise of Gru because of Nun-chuck (Lucy Lawless), a nun who wields nun-chucks, believing the character perpetuates nuns as evil. A bad habit, if you will. In the latter category is Myanmar's ban of The Simpsons Movie, for a very primary reason. Actually, two.

Blumhouse is one of the biggest names in horror, and one of their four-year-old movies has found new streaming success. The production company now regularly releases anywhere between four and 12 movies a year, partnering with distributors like Warner Bros., Universal, Lionsgate, and Paramount, as well as streamers like Netflix, Prime Video, and Peacock. Though the stories, casts, and overall quality for Blumhouse movies vary from title to title, the films are generally made for less than $20 million, and they're generally horror or horror-adjacent.

2020 was a complicated year for Hollywood with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic causing global theatrical shutdowns, but several Blumhouse movies were still able to break through. The company's biggest success story of the year is, of course, Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man, but Freaky and Fantasy Island were also hits. Other titles went straight to VOD, like You Should Have Left and The Craft: Legacy.

A top film executive addresses the decline of movie theater etiquette and blames Deadpool & Wolverine. Discussion of poor movie theater etiquette has recently become amplified again with the high-profile releases of Wicked and Gladiator II. Countless videos of the dramatic Wicked ending, featuring the song "Defying Gravity," have been posted to social media, many of which feature theatergoers singing along to the lyrics. Entire scenes can be viewed on various social media platforms via illegally filmed videos less than a week after Wicked and Gladiator II debuted in theaters, along with photos taken during theatrical viewings.

While speaking with Variety, a top film executive, who has chosen to remain anonymous, asserted that "Something has happened post-pandemic where movie theater behavior has really changed" and that younger audiences "have a different relationship with the material, its all just content to them." He argued that this behavior became far worse with Deadpool & Wolverine...

Netflix's new Christmas movie with a Magic Mike twist has become their No. 1 film just days after its release. Since 2017, the streaming service has been producing original Christmas movies, starting with A Christmas Prince. Over the years, the streaming platform has established itself as a top destination for holiday films, including The Princess Switch starring Vanessa Hudgens, and The Christmas Chronicles starring Kurt Russell, both in 2018. Last year, one of Netflix's most popular holiday movies was Best. Christmas. Ever!.

In 2024, several of Netflix's Christmas movies have already topped their Global Top 10 chart for the past three weeks. In the first full week of November, Meet Me Next Christmas ranked first on Netflix's Global Top 10 films with 18.1 million views, followed by Lacey Chabert's Hot Frosty the following week with 16 million views. Now, yet another one of Netflix's Christmas movies has topped their Global Top 10 chart. It isn't even December yet,...

Christmas movies on Netflix are already hot — not frosty.

The streamer’s latest Global Top 10 list included three Christmas movies: Chad Michael Murray and Britt Robertson film “The Merry Gentlemen” debuting at No. 1, “Hot Frosty” slipping to number 2, and “Meet Me Next Christmas” with Christina Millian charting seventh in its third week on the list.

Forget Christmas — it’s not even Thanksgiving.

“The Merry Gentlemen” had 14.7 million views in the week of November 18, according to Netflix, while “Hot Frosty” with Lacey Chabert and Dustin Milligan had 12.7 million (it had 16 million views in its debut). “Meet Me Next Christmas” had 5.9 million views last week.

On the TV side, the new Mike Schur show “A Man on the Inside” starring Ted Danson crammed a lump of coal down “Arcane’s” chimney. “A Man on the Inside” debuted at number 1 with 6.9 million views, denying “Arcane” Season 2 the top spot. (The second “Arcane” season...

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Holiday romcoms “The Merry Gentlemen” and “Hot Frosty” dominated Netflix’s list of most-watched movies this week.

“The Merry Gentlemen,” which stars Chad Michael Murray and Britt Robertson, debuted as the No. 1 most-watched movie during the week of Nov. 18 with 14.7 million views, while Lacey Chabert and Dustin Milligan-led “Hot Frosty” took second place with 12.7 million views in its second week on the streamer. Christina Milian’s “Meet Me Next Christmas” slid down to the No. 7 spot on the English movies list with 5.9 million views in its third week after coming in second place last week.

“Spellbound” took the third spot on the most-watched movies list with 8.5 million views, surpassing “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” which took the No. 4 spot with 7.8 million views, as well as “Ready or Not,...

Bringing the adorable little minions into the world of animation was probably one of the most genius moves to have come out of the industry. The moment they landed on our screens, they triggered something we like to call a ‘Minion Takeover.’ The world couldn’t stop talking about them and rightly so. Steve Carell plays the role of Gru in the franchise and honestly, there couldn’t have been a better man to voice the grouchy protagonist.

Steve Carell in a still from The Office | Credits: NBC

While Steve Carell has stuck with the franchise since 2010, he once admitted that he had no idea what minions were supposed to be when the yellow creatures were first described to him. Regardless, he went on to nail the role and loved every bit of it.

Steve Carell’s First Impression of the Minions Despicable Me (2010) | Credits: Illumination Entertainment

We first came...

Netflix's new Christmas movie with an 89% Rotten Tomatoes score becomes the streaming service's No. 1 movie as the holiday season begins. Netflix has been producing original Christmas movies since 2017, starting with A Christmas Prince. Since then, the streaming service has solidified its reputation as a go-to platform for holiday films with titles like The Princess Switch starring Vanessa Hudgens, The Christmas Chronicles starring Kurt Russell, and Klaus, an Oscar-nominated animated movie, exemplifying the diversity of Netflix's Christmas movie catalog.

In 2024, Netflix already had the holiday romantic comedy, Meet Me Next Christmas, top its Global Top 10 chart for the week of November 410 with over 18 million views. The holiday season is just beginning, so there should be plenty more Christmas movies appearing on Netflix's global chart before the year's end. This includes Netflix's new romantic comedy Christmas movie starring Lacey Chabert, a frequent star of Hallmark's Christmas movies, which has become the streaming service's new No.

Margot Robbie and Will Smith's crime movie, which made over $158 million at the box office, becomes a global Netflix hit nine years later. Two of the biggest stars of their time, Smith rose to fame playing a fictionalized version of himself in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and transitioned to blockbuster movies during the 1990s, starring in Bad Boys, Men in Black, Independence Day, and more. He started garnering critical acclaim during the 2000s, earning Oscar nominations for Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness, though he didn't win the award until King Richard in 2022.

Similarly, Robbie started her career on television with Neighbours and Pan Am, but broke through with a standout role in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street and collaborated with more acclaimed directors on Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Greta Gerwig's Barbie. Robbie received critical acclaim relatively early in her career,...

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Lacey Chabert and Dustin Milligan-led “Hot Frosty” debuted as Netflix’s most-watched movie of the week.

The holiday flick brought in 16 million views from its Nov. 13 release through Sunday, Nov. 19, ranking as the top title on Netflix’s most-watched movie list for the week of Nov. 11. That viewership paled in comparison to the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight, though, which brought in a whopping 46.6 million views, ranking as the most-watched title of the week.

The 46.6 million views includes both the main Tyson-Paul fight, as well as the three other fights that transpired before they entered the ring — Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano, Mario Barrios vs. Abel Ramos and Neeraj Goyat vs. Whindersson Nunes. From the opening to closing bell of the Tyson-Paul fight, an estimated average minute...

The Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight was a knockout win for Netflix, racking up 46.6M views through Sunday night to easily make it the streamer’s most-watched program of the week.

Despite the technical issues, the fight was clearly a mega-event for Netflix, leagues above any other title on the platform that week in just a few days. It was No. 1 in 78 countries and in the Top 10 in all 91 countries that Netflix tracks.

Netflix also says, via data from TVision, that the fight is estimated to have had an average minute audience of 108M live viewers from opening to closing bell. Through Sunday, that’s up to 125M viewers. TVision uses 5,000 connected TV devices to measure and extrapolate that audience data. Total viewers is a tricky measurement in the streaming era, and it’s one that Netflix doesn’t often report, so it’s difficult to compare this data to anything else.

Universal Soldier: The Return, starring the iconic Jean-Claude Van Damme, was released in 1999 to heavy criticism. Twenty-five years later, the film is available to stream for free.

Jean-Claude Van Damme's critically panned film Universal Soldier: The Return is now available to stream on PlutoTV. The film is a sequel to the 1992 sci-fi film Universal Soldier, and it sees Van Damme return to reprise his role as the series protagonist, Private Luc Deveraux. The film was poorly received, with just a 5% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite the first film's moderate success, Universal Soldier: The Return only grossed $10 million at the box office, failing to make back its $40 million budget.

Related Did Jean-Claude Van Damme Quit the Role of the Original Predator?

In the latest Movie Legends Revealed, we try to get into the bottom of Jean-Claude Van Damme's disastrous stint as the original Predator actor

The Return was directed by...

Jake Kasdan’s festive punch-up is the latest Christmas film to arrive in cinemas – but could it be one of the last?

Ahead of its release in the UK this week, Amazon MGM’s Red One has a few mountains to climb.

Originally scheduled for a Christmas 2023 release, the $250m film was pushed back by a year, reportedly due to the Hollywood strikes. Then, in April, an incendiary The Wrap article alleged star Dwayne Johnson cost the studio $50m by arriving on set seven-to-eight hours late – charges the film’s director and producer have both strenuously denied. A trailer debut in June prompted the Guardian headline: “Will The Rock’s Red One be the worst Christmas movie ever?”. The film’s review embargo lifted at 5am the day of its UK release, coincidentally ensuring any questionable publicity was buried under the rather more pressing news circulating the morning of the 6th November.

For anyone wanting to catch up with Gru and his legion of yellow Minion sidekicks, there are two ways to binge-watch the Despicable Me movies in order. The first Despicable Me was received positively by both critics and fans alike and went on to gross more than $540 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), spawning two direct sequels, the Minion movies, and several short films, television specials, video games, and even a theme park attraction at multiple Universal Studios locations. They even picked up an Oscar nomination, two Golden Globes nominations, and two BAFTA wins.

The Despicable Me movies follow the story of super villain-turned-father Felonious Gru, his adopted daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and his eventual wife, Lucy Wilde. While the franchise's odd yellow Minions are presented as Gru's loyal henchmen throughout the Despicable Me movies, the popularity of the little creatures saw them receive their very own prequel in...

Police detectives investigating Russell Brand regarding historic allegations of sex crimes have asked prosecutors to consider bringing criminal charges against the media personality, according to BBC.

The decision by law enforcement stems from a September 2023 investigative report by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches, which includes testimony from four women who accused the Forgetting Sarah Marshall actor of sexual assault, rape and emotional abuse across a seven-year period at the height of his fame in 2006-2013. One of the women, none of whom know each other and the majority of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity, was 16 at the time of the offense. While Brand has denied the allegations, the women said they felt compelled to speak up given the former presenter’s newfound platform as a right-wing evangelical influencer, who is currently selling a $240 “magical amulet” that wards off Wi-Fi and other “evil energies.”

Since then,...

Broadway’s pop-injected Romeo and Juliet revival opened at New York’s Circle in the Square Theatre earlier this month but took a detour last night to unravel on the stage at The Tonight Show With Stephen Colbert. Rachel Zegler brought her leading role as Juliet to the performance of “Man of the House” with assistance from Jack Antonoff, who wrote and produced music for the production.

With Antonoff on piano and the cast of Romeo + Juliet backing her, Zegler delivered a tender performance of the aching ballad. “Do you have doubts?...

Netflix customers will be able to add even more Universal movies to their queue with the studio’s live-action titles coming to the streamer in the U.S. starting with the 2027 slate.

Netflix and NBCUniversal’s Universal Filmed Entertainment Group announced a deal to renew their existing licensing deal for animated films from Illumination and DreamWorks Animation. Now, beginning with the 2027 slate, Netflix will have U.S. rights to live-action films from both Universal Pictures and Focus Features “no later than eight months” following their theatrical release.

After the Universal films’ initial premiere on NBCU’s Peacock, Netflix will have a 10-month window during which these films are available only on Netflix — before they return to Peacock. Netflix will also license rights to Universal’s full animation and live-action film slate for additional windows in subsequent years as well as rights to select titles from Universal’s film library, the companies said.

Illumination, formerly known as Illumination Entertainment, has a slew of hits to its name, like The Secret Life of Pets and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. But it's fair to say that the film that built the studio to the heights that it enjoys today was Despicable Me. That very first picture in the franchise introduced audiences to the ridiculous Minions, the sinister Gru, and a new family who were brought together under unusual circumstances. What could have been a silly flick designed for the youngest of viewers quickly became something far more emotionally compelling. With great humor, a solid script, gorgeous animation, and a great array of voice performances, Despicable Me instantly cemented itself as a classic. Thus, a series was born, with multiple sequels, prequels, and spinoffs debuting which expanded this world of heroes and villains. Despicable Me hit at just the right time too, with superhero fever reaching its highest point,...

Rachel Zegler and Jack Antonoff have shared a new collaboration, “Man of the House,” from the new Broadway production Romeo + Juliet.

The latest revival of the classic Shakespeare tragedy stars Zegler as Juliet and Kit Connor as Romeo. And while it’s not an out-and-out musical, it does feature a few new songs from Antonoff. “Man of the House” is the first offering from the show and was co-written with singer-songwriter Ryan Beatty.

“Man of the House” certainly does boast that distinct Antonoff sound: A swooning ballad laced with...

RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Oct 18-20)Total gross to dateWeek 1. The Wild Robot (Universal) £3.1m £3.3m 1 2. Smile 2 (Paramount) £1.7m £2m 1 3. The Apprentice (Studiocanal) £643,434 £746,303 1 4. Transformers One (Paramount) £642,000 £2.8m 2 5. Terrifier 3 (Signature)

£561,752 £2.2m 2

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.30

Universal animation The Wild Robot opened top of the UK-Ireland box office, with a £3.1m weekend.

Chris Sanders’ family feature, that has a voice cast including Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal and Kit Connor, played in 675 cinemas, taking a £4,591 site average. Including previews, the film has £3.3m. It is slightly down on the £3.6m start of another original Universal animation, Migration, from February this year.

Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Oct 11-13) Total gross to date Week 1. Transformers One (Paramount) £1.6m £1.6m 1 2. Joker: Folie à Deux (Warner Bros) £1.4m £8.7m 2 3. Terrifier 3 (Signature) £1m £1m 1 4. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros) £769,143 £23.9m 6 5. The Outrun (Studiocanal) £359,911 £359,911 1

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31

Paramount animation Transformers One dethroned Joker: Folie À Deux at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, as the Warner Bros blockbuster suffered a significant 75% drop.

Transformers One opened to £1.6m in 583 sites at a £2,744 average – down on the stellar £8.7m of 2007’s Transformers and £8.3m of 2009’s Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, but still a decent opening for an animated feature.

RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Oct 4-6)Total gross to dateWeek 1. Joker: Folie à Deux (Warner Bros) £5.7m £5.7m 1 2. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros) £1.1m £22.8m 5 3. Speak No Evil (Universal) £408,214 £4.8m 4 4. The Substance (Mubi) £358,000 £2.2m 3 5. The Outrun (Studiocanal) £319,542 £1.1m 2

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31

Warner Bros blockbuster Joker: Folie à Deux topped the UK-Ireland box office on its opening weekend; but its £5.7m start was 54.9% down on the £12.6m opening of the 2019 first film.

Folie à Deux took an £7,826 average from 725 cinemas – also down 58.2% on the £18,734 average from 671 sites of Joker.

A potential yardstick for Folie à Deux’s performance is 2021 comic...