News

Sheldon J. Plankton's quarter-century of scheming to steal the recipe for delicious Krabby Patties finally comes to fruition, but not by the tentacles of our diminutive SpongeBob SquarePants supervillain. Plankton: The Movie has Karen, his frustrated robot wife, tired of backing her ungrateful hubby's perennial failure. Bikini Bottom beware! She's done being taken for granted and decides on her own plan for world domination. The second SpongeBob spinoff feature to land on Netflix will delight fans of all ages with a slick combo of cool animation styles and toe-tapping original songs. There's a lot to like as the franchise keeps chugging in the right direction.

Plankton: The Movie is an origin story, a rocky romance, to say the least, and a rollicking adventure with all of our favorite underwater critters. The clever screenplay, co-written and based on an original story by Plankton himself, voice actor Mr. Lawrence, pokes good fun...

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,...

Zendaya is Meechee, Chani, and Tashi, but now she will be... Felicia, a.k.a. Shrek's daughter in Shrek 5. Shrek 5 is slated to hit theaters in December 2026, marking 16 years since everyone's favorite ogre graced the silver screen with his own feature film. Shrek 5 has easily become one of the most anticipated movies of 2026 and now has the added advantage of an entire generation who grew up with the original Shrek movies now being old enough to be some of Hollywood's newly established actors who would leap at the chance to join the franchise.

It appears one A-lister joining the Shrek franchise is Zendaya. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Zendaya has joined the cast of Shrek 5 as Shrek's daughter Felicia, first seen in Shrek the Third. The character will now be a full-grown teenager in the upcoming sequel. Universal Pictures released an official video revealing the cast,...

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...

Eden McCoy General Hospital (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The explosive sequence of Josslyn Jacks killing Cyrus Renault after finding out that he was behind the death of her boyfriend, Dex Heller, has managed to impress fans. From promising young star Eden McCoy nailing the role as Josslyn to veteran Jeff Kober, the audience appreciated the performances.

To add to it, both of them are Daytime Emmy Award-winning actors. Eden recently spoke about this General Hospital storyline, filming the sequence and working with Jeff. Here’s what the 21 year old revealed about the same including when she found out about it and the training she underwent for it.

Eden McCoy On Josslyn Jacks Killing Cyrus Renault On General Hospital

During a conversation with Soap Opera Digest, Eden divulged that she knew about this arc many weeks ago. “I found out that Josslyn would be killing Cyrus at the same time I found...

It turns out Bikini Bottom is in Frisco, Texas.

NBCUniversal has cut a deal with Paramount Global, an agreement that will bring the long-running popular Nickelodeon show Spongebob Squarepants to the kids and family-focused theme park Universal Destinations and Experiences is building in the Lone Star State.

Universal officially announced all of the IP-driven lands that it is building at the new resort, which will open next year in Frisco. Most of the lands will be based on IP owned or connected to NBCUniversal, with Spongegob being the outlier (and one other with an asterisk).

The lands will include DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek, Puss in Boots, Trolls and Gabby’s Dollhouse; Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants; Illumination’s Minions, as well as Jurassic World.

Gabby’s Dollhouse, of course, is a Netflix series, but it is produced by Dreamworks Television. Minions, Jurassic World, Shrek and Trolls are all based on blockbuster franchises owned...

Refresh for latest…: As noted throughout the weekend, the big story coming from this international box office frame is the wild performance of Chinese blockbuster Ne Zha 2 and its record-breaking run as it became the first movie to ever gross $1B in a single market. Current Maoyan estimates have the title at Rmb 8B ($1.1B) through today in China.

Based on those figures, the sequel is already the No. 7 animated film ever worldwide. Maoyan has again increased its projection for the full run in China, now forecasting Rmb 12B ($1.65B). These projections tend to fluctuate, but if Ne Zha 2 were to reach that number, it would propel the film to become the No. 2 animated movie ever globally and the No. 11 film overall. Recall, that would be without any input from markets outside China where Ne Zha 2 begins rollout this week, including in the U.S. Watch this space.

Nsync fans clamoring for the return of the boy band will have to wait a little longer, as a gestating biopic project appears to be on hold.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that veteran producer Neal H. Moritz, known for The Fast and the Furious and Sonic the Hedgehog, has been shopping the feature, which would focus on the group’s success in the aftermath of its legal battle with former manager Lou Pearlman, and has met with the five members — Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, Jc Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick — to seek their participation.

The project proceeded to the screenwriting stage amid talk of attaching Timberlake as an executive producer. But its road to the screen faced immediate challenges. Namely, the signoffs of all five members who share ownership in the name and each of whom is represented by a different management firm. “It’s complicated,” says one...

Universal Pictures is making exciting changes to its animation release schedule, giving fans something to look forward to from two beloved franchises.

DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek 5 is now set to hit theaters on December 23, 2026, moving from its original summer release date of July 1, 2026. The holiday release will align perfectly with the franchise’s 25th anniversary, bringing back the voices of Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey, and Cameron Diaz as Fiona.

Directed by longtime franchise contributors Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon, the movie will also feature Brad Ableson as co-director. Producers include Gina Shay and Chris Meledandri, who are known for their work on other successful animated projects like Trolls and Minions.

Since its debut in 2001, the Shrek franchise has earned over $2.9 billion globally and has become a cultural phenomenon, spawning musicals, theme park attractions, and even a global touring show. The last installment, Shrek Forever After,...

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,...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Lil Dicky is truly an artist for the internet age. The rapper made a name for himself with hilariously clever videos for songs like "$ave Dat Money," not to mention his incredible freestyle performances. The rapper, whose real name is Dave Burd, also proved himself as a pretty great storyteller in his Fxx comedy series, aptly titled "Dave." Premiering in 2020, the show presented a fictionalized version of the artist known as Lil Dicky, loosely inspired by his real life. It was an instant critical and fan favorite.

Unfortunately, the series met a somewhat unceremonious demise as the cross country tour that was "Dave" season 3 proved to be the show's last -- at least for now. In February 2024, FX confirmed that a fourth season wasn't in the cards. This announcement came a full nine months after the show's season 3 finale. As for why?...

James Corden walked away from The Late Late Show in April 2023. On the surface, it seemed like Corden was bailing on a cushy job that paid well. But the comedian had his reasons ... and a net worth that made the decision a little more understandable.

Corden was a surprise pick to replace Craig Ferguson as host of The Late Late Show in 2014. American audiences were largely unfamiliar with Corden, who had a bigger following in his native United Kingdom.

However, CBS quickly introduced Corden to America. Signature bits like "Carpool Karaoke" and "Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts" brought something new to the late-night TV landscape.

Along the way, Corden earned millions as Late Late Show host and simultaneously appeared in multiple film and TV projects. All totaled, Corden's net worth stands at an estimated $70 million in 2024 (per CelebrityNetWorth).

How does James Corden make his money?

A bulk of...

Jonah Hill’s rise to stardom in Hollywood was a coming-of-age comedy that still rules as one of the best comedy films of the 2000s, Superbad.

The film saw three teenagers, played by Hill, Michael Cera, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, making plans to party and lose their virginity before their high school graduation. Interestingly, Hill found his debutant co-star Mintz-Plasse annoying to film with.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill, and Michael Cera in Superbad | Credits: Columbia Pictures

Writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg based the characters of Hill and Cera on themselves during their senior year, hence the characters were named Seth and Evan. Rogen and Goldberg started developing the script in 2000 and it took seven years for them to see their vision on the screen.

Jonah Hill absolutely hated filming with Christopher Mintz-Plasse in Superbad Christopher Mintz-Plasse in a still from Superbad | Credits: Columbia Pictures

Christopher Mintz-Plasse made his debut in...

There's quite a bit of similarity between Frank Herbert's "Dune" series and the "Star Wars" franchise created by George Lucas. Both draw from writer and literature professor Joseph Campbell's idea of "The Hero's Journey" from his book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces," both feature "chosen one" narratives, both have giant toothy worm monsters that live in the desert, and both have lots and lots of sand. Desert planets play a big role in both "Star Wars" and "Dune," and they also contain something the franchises seem to share: spice. 

In both "Star Wars" and "Dune," there is a substance called spice, but are they the same thing? Let's take a deeper look at the spice melange of "Dune" and the illicit substances collectively called spice in "Star Wars" to determine the differences once and for all. 

Read more: The 104 Best Sci-Fi Movies Ever

Dune's Spice Melange, Explained

Of the two franchises,...

Taylor Swift Wins 10 Awards (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The highly anticipated Billboard Music Awards 2024 wrapped up a few hours ago, and the Internet has been buzzing with content. From the red carpet outfits to the star-studded performances and, most importantly, the night’s winners, the annual awards ceremony saw a host of stars under a roof.

Hosted by Michelle Buteau, the edition saw performances from Coldplay, Shaboozey, Jelly Roll, Linkin Park, Megan Moroney, and Stray Kids. Taylor Swift swept the musical ceremony with a record-breaking 10 wins. Here’s the complete list of winners to find out who won what.

Billboard Music Awards 2024: Full Winners List

Top Artist Zach Bryan Sabrina Carpenter Drake Taylor Swift Morgan Wallen Trending Kraven the Hunter: No Post-Credit Scene In Sony’s Latest Spider-Man Universe Film

When Sarah Jessica Parker Nearly Quit ‘Sex and the City’ After The Pilot—What Made Her Stay?

Top New...

What to Watch on Netflix This Weekend? The Best New Releases to Binge-Watch From December 6-8 - Main Image

It's the weekend again, and you might be looking for new releases to binge-watch on Netflix that you can watch this December 6-8. Here are some of the titles that you should look out for.

Your Next New Spy Obsession on Netflix

Netflix just released the new spy drama Black Doves starring Oscar nominee Keira Knightley and Emmy winner Ben Whishaw.

The series' official logline: "When a spy posing as a politician’s wife learns her lover has been murdered, an old assassin friend joins her on a quest for truth — and vengeance."

The first season consists of six episodes which makes it an easy weekend binge, especially for those who are fans of the spy genre and looking for a new exciting series to watch.

Celebrate Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter...

Best Song Written for Visual Media is especially interesting to predict at the Grammys since you can also take into account the Emmys, Oscars, and other visual media prizes. But this year’s five nominees are mostly what you expect from a category like this, with Grammy-loved artists and big hits making up the lineup.

You can probably rule out a couple of songs. Barbra Streisand’s “Love Will Survive” was an unexpected nominee, and while it features songwriting from legendary composer Hans Zimmer, songs from TV programs rarely win here, and it doesn’t help that “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” had limited buzz. Next, “Better Place” from “Trolls Band Together” was a decent-sized hit overall, peaking at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Plus, the nostalgia around Nsync’s reunion could leave many wanting to reward them. However, “Trolls” and the song peaked long ago, and voters might decide this...

When it comes to the holiday season, there are often debates about the best Christmas movies, but there are also plenty of short Christmas movies for fans of seasonal fare. Christmas movies are often set in the Northern Hemisphere’s winter, many feature holiday music, and most of them feature a celebration and a lesson learned for the audience. Of course, not all Christmas movies fall into those exact categories.

There are a variety of shorts that appeal to kids, others that appeal to adults, and still more that appeal to the whole family. The best Christmas-themed short movies can fall into any of those categories, and surprisingly, many of them are even animated.

Related 17 Best Christmas Movies Of The Last Decade, Ranked

From Krampus to Klaus, these festive favorites were the best Christmas movies of the past decade.

Trolls Holiday (2017) A Fun Take On A New Franchise’s Holiday...

Pop star Justin Timberlake just shared some unfortunate news with fans. Due to health concerns, he is canceling a planned tour stop. Sharing the news with fans on social media, this isn’t the first time the star had to change his tour schedule over health issues.

The Planned Show Was Set For Oklahoma City

Timberlake first rose to fame as a member of the boyband Nsync. Starting in the 2000s, he went on to pursue a career as a solo artist.

Some of Timberlake’s notable songs include “Cry Me a River” and “What Goes Around… Comes Around.” He has also had a notable career as an actor, notably voicing Branch in Dreamworks’ Trolls franchise.

Justin Timberlake – YouTube

Unfortunately, the singer recently had to cancel an upcoming show in Oklahoma City on December 2. Timberlake shared the news and the reasons why on Instagram.

The star shared, “I’m so sorry Oklahoma City…...

The Wild Robot has helped push DreamWorks' box office past a major record. DreamWorks Animation is a studio that was founded in 1994 by iconic filmmaker Steven Spielberg with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. Its first major hit was its second release, 1998's The Prince of Egypt, which grossed $218.6 million against a $60 million budget. Since then, it has had many more hits, launching multiple major animated franchises including Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Trolls, and The Boss Baby. Collectively, DreamWorks movies have grossed more than $17 billion worldwide and earned three Oscar nominations.

DreamWorks' The Wild Robot, which debuted on September 27, was written and directed by Chris Sanders and stars Lupita Nyong'o, Kit Connor, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O'Hara, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry, and Ving Rhames. The movie, which is adapted from the 2016 book of the same name by Peter Brown, opened to a middling $35.8 million,...

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? sees an adult contestant rely on a classroom full of celebrities to help them answer questions on a range of school subjects. A spinoff of Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, Kansas City Chiefs Superbowl champion, Travis Kelce, presents the show, which could see participants win a $100,000 prize.

The updated version of the popular gameshow will ask contestants questions on elementary school subjects ranging from science to geography to math. Like the original show, the questions were pulled directly from elementary curriculum textbooks and should be able to be answered by a sixth grader.

Which Celebrities Are Taking Part In 'Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?'

Via Prime

To win the $100,000 cash prize on Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?, contestants must answer 11 questions. If they are unsure what the answer is, they...

Netflix has just released the list of movies and television shows that are expiring from the streaming service beginning on December 1, 2024.

Throughout the entire month, the streamer will be slowly taking away some big hits. This is a monthly re-occurrence for Netflix, as they often have to remove titles due to expiring licensing agreements and other factors.

There are always some big shows and films that are removed, and December 2024 is unfortunately no exception! In addition, the streamer is removing a few of their games.

Keep reading to find out more…

Scroll down to see the full list of expiring movies and films.

Movies & TV Shows

Leaving 12/1/24

Ali

Battle Kitty: Season 1

Blood and Bone

The Boss Baby: Get That Baby!

Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile

Captain Underpants Epic Choice-o-Rama

Carmen Sandiego: To Steal or Not to Steal

Cat Burglar

Choose Love

The Devil’s Own

Diary of a Mad Black Woman...

Exclusive: Universal/DreamWorks Animation’sThe Wild Robot has crossed the three-century mark globally, with $300.5M through Friday. The Chris Sanders-directed critical darling is now at $134.4M domestic and $166.1M from the international box office.

The Wild Robot is the No. 2 non-sequel studio film of 2024, behind It Ends with Us; the No. 1 non-sequel Hollywood animated title of the year; and the No. 4 biggest animated studio movie of 2024 globally, internationally and domestically.

After premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in September, The Wild Robot began staggered overseas release, and has seen terrific holds while playing through school holidays in many markets. Last weekend, the Lupita Nyong’o-starrer overtook the lifetime offshore box office of The Bad Guys. Japan is still to release, on February 7, 2025.

Notably in Mexico, the emotional original animation has surpassed the lifetimes of Elemental, Frozen,...

Here are 3 reasons why we deserve a standalone film of Deepika Padukone’s Shakti Shetty! ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

The latest offering from Rohit Shetty’s cop universe, Singham Again is raging a storm at the box office despite opening to mixed reviews. The movie introduced Deepika Padukone’s character Shakti Shetty aka Lady Singham. This badass character is inspired by Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) and was seen giving a hard time to the goons. However, some fans felt that Deepika’s character was not done justice in the movie while some critics even found her performance to be a repetition of her character from Chennai Express. Now, Rohit Shetty has confirmed that Shakti Shetty will get her standalone movie. So here are 3 reasons why we feel this will be both a much deserved treat for Deepika and her die-hard fans.

1- Shakti Shetty Not Being Utilized To Her Fullest In Singham Again

Well,...

The 67th Grammy Awards nominations have recognized musicians Hans Zimmer, Atticus Ross and films such as Twisters and The Color Purple with nods across multiple categories.

Zimmer is nominated for the Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media category with the Dune: Part Two (2024) soundtrack and also for the Best Song Written for Visual Media category with “Love Will Survive” from The Tattooist of Auschwitz, which he wrote with Kara Talve, Charlie Midnight and Walter Afanasieff. Barbara Streisand sings the song from the series based on Heather Morris’ book of the same name.

Atticus Ross is nominated as a composer with collaborator Trent Reznor for the score soundtrack to Challengers (2024) starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor. Ross, along with Leopold Ross and Nick Cuba, has two nominations in the same category — Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media — with FX’s Shōgun, which also netted many trophies at the 2024 Emmys. Ross...

Worldwide box office November 1-3 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Venom: The Last Dance(Sony) $94.5m $317m $68.4m $227m 67 2. The Wild Robot(Universal) $23.3m $269m $15.8m $247.6m 80 3. Singham Again(various) $22.3m $22.3m $20.2m $20.2m 20 4. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3(various) $20.4m $20.4m $18.3m $18.3m 18 5. Terrifier 3(various) $15.7m $74.6m $12.3m $24.9m 39 6. Smile 2(Paramount) $15.5m $109.8m $8.7m $57.1m 68 7. Amran(various) $11m $15.1m $10.3m $14.1m 14 8. Cesium Fallout(various) $10.5m $12.8m $10.5m $12.8m 3 9. L’Amour ouf $6.6m $26.8m $6.6m $26.8m 1 10. We Live In Time(A24/Studiocanal) $6m $21.7m $2.5m $4m 20

Credit: Comscore. All figures are estimates.

International gives...

Good news, movie buffs! On top of Netflix's own film content, the streamer has ensured that our watch lists will continue to be stacked with great movies for years to come.

Netflix and Universal Pictures have had a streaming deal in place for years that allows animated films from the studio to stream on Netflix, including DreamWorks and Illumination titles, and it has officially been extended.

The companies announced on Oct. 29 that the successful licensing deal for animated movies continues to be in effect, and beginning in 2027, the deal will include live-action titles from both Universal Pictures and Focus Features.

This is huge news for both Netflix and Universal, but also for those of us at home enjoying the movies. The selection will grow to include some big blockbusters.

Netflix continues movie streaming deal with Universal

According to Variety, Universal's movies will begin streaming on Netflix at least eight...

When Universal’s “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” opened in December 2022, the “Shrek” spinoff sputtered to a $12.4 million debut. Then, something miraculous happened. Thanks to TikTok and solid buzz, the animated adventure about the swashbuckling cat enjoyed nine lives on the big screen. Ticket sales barely declined week over week, and “The Last Wish” ended its run with $186 million domestically — 15 times its opening weekend — and $481 million globally.

Universal experienced this phenomenon again with Illumination’s “Migration,” which had a disappointing $12.4 million start around Christmas 2023. The cartoon tale about a family of mallards sustained momentum and flew to $127 million in North America — more than 10 times its debut — and nearly $300 million worldwide. (The average film has a 3 or 4 multiple — industry parlance for the ratio of final gross to opening weekend.) “Puss in Boots 2” and “Migration” hold the two highest animated multiples of the past 20 years.

Now, it’s happening once more...

2016's The Legend of Tarzan was a critical and commercial failure, even though it had assembled many of the ingredients that could have made it an adventure classic. The movie, which starred Alexander Skarsgrd as Tarzan and Margot Robbie as Jane, was a retelling of the story of the iconic Edgar Rice Burroughs character. Tarzan is a multimedia icon, and his story was adapted to the screen as early as 1918 in the silent film Tarzan of the Apes, with more than four dozen adaptations to follow, including Disney's Oscar-winning 1999 animated movie Tarzan.

The 2016 title is the most recent Tarzan movie to hit the big screen, and its general reception may be one reason that the property has since gone dormant on the big screen for nearly a decade. In addition to most likely failing to turn a profit in theaters, it was excoriated by critics and met with apathy from general audiences.

Anna Kendrick and I are discussing soundbite culture.

She’s winding down after a day of interviews for her directorial debut, “Woman of the Hour,” where she’s been navigating the tricky business of getting audiences hyped for the chilling true story about the time a serial killer was a bachelor on “The Dating Game.”

The movie, now streaming on Netflix, is a subversive take on the true crime genre. The story is not focused on the killer’s motives or his capture, but more of a meditation on all the secret ways women navigate the world to ensure their survival, which makes the movie tough to boil down into a few quippy quotes.

As we walk to Kendrick’s hotel suite, I crack a joke about someone asking her to sing while talking about serial killers and she covers her mouth to suppress a knowing laugh. Because, when doing press,...

Based on a series of true events, fans are itching to know the real-life connection between Monique Hoyt and the latest Netflix thriller, Woman of the Hour. 

Directed by Anna Kendrick, Woman of the Hour sets itself around a string of real-life killings committed by the infamous Dating Game Killer (aka Rodney Alcala). 

While the movie mostly focuses on one of Alcala's victims, whom he met on an appearance on the iconic 1970s competition series, The Dating Game, it also depicts some vital details from throughout his reign of terror, including the abduction of a 15-year-old girl named Monique Hoyt. 

Read full article on The Direct.

The Twilight Saga significantly contributed to Anna Kendrick’s career. Despite starring in a side role, her work as Bella Swan’s close friend, Jessica Stanley, brought her more popular projects. Following the vampire franchise, she became a household name for leading the Pitch Perfect and Trolls film series.

But even after such an impressive career, a celebrity stylist accused the actress of being a terrible human being.

Anna Kendrick and Kristen Stewart in Twilight | Credits: Summit Entertainment

In 2021, a celebrity stylist Tahira came out on TikTok to rate different celebrities based on her interactions with them. While her experiences with Kim Cattrall and Emilia Clarke were admirable, she gave a -100 out of 10 rating to Anna Kendrick. She unveiled some alleged outrageous incidents involving the Twilight actress that led the whole internet to hate her.

Anna Kendrick allegedly asked to throw away all fan mail Anna Kendrick in Pitch Perfect...

Worldwide box office October 18-20 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Smile 2 (Paramount) $46m $46m $23m $23m 63 2. The Wild Robot (Universal) $33.3m $196m $23.2m $94.3m 77 3. Joker: Folie a Deux (Warner Bros) $16.9m $191.9m $14.7m $135.5m 79 4. Terrifier 3 (various) $12.3m $44.8m $3m $8.6m 10 5. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros) $8.7m $434.6m $3.7m $150.6m 75 6. The Volunteers: To The War 2 (various)

$8.5m $154.5m $8.5m $154.5m 2 7. L’Amour ouf (Studiocanal) $6.6m $6.6m $6.6m $6.6m 1 8. The Substance (Mubi) $5.2m $42.1m $4.3m $28.7m 36 9. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (Warner Bros) $4.7m $4.7m $4.7m $4.7m 1 10. Transformers One (Paramount) $4.6m $119m $2.6m $62.4m 71

Credit: Comscore.

Updated: Here’s something we rarely see: It’s a dead heat for the launch of Paramount’s Smile 2 at the domestic and international box office with $23M apiece. That makes for a $46M global debut. Overseas, the sequel to 2022’s surprise hit opened in 62 markets with the horror audience out in full force.

On a like-for-like basis for the same group of markets, the offshore debut is 41% bigger than Smile’s opening weekend. What’s more, it’s the biggest Paramount horror opening in 13 markets, including Italy and Spain; and the biggest horror opening of 2024 in 13 markets, including France, Germany and Italy.

Among the key results, the UK debuted to No. 2 with $2.6M at 607 locations. France, likewise opened at No. 2, taking $2.1M from 358 locations for the biggest horror opening of 2024.

Germany also scored the best horror start of the year with $2M at 446 locations. In Australia, the sequel opened at No.

Anna Kendrick is popularly known among fans for her roles in the Pitch Perfect and The Twilight Saga film series. Her performance as Jessica Stanley in the latter elevated her career significantly. Although the supernatural film series, based on Stephenie Meyer’s books, catapulted the success of the entire cast, Kendrick feels that she got the best deal of all.

Anna Kendrick as Jessica Stanley | Credits: Summit Entertainment

Following the release of 2008’s Twilight, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan became household names. The success ensured multiple sequels based on the remaining three novels. Surprisingly, the widespread stardom also harmed Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart as they almost lost their careers after The Twilight Saga.

However, Anna Kendrick claimed that her side role as Jessica Stanley allowed her to have a unique experience and not face any negative impact of stardom.

Anna Kendrick had a better time with The Twilight Saga...

Ryan Reynolds sure has changed the superhero genre with Deadpool but his run as Green Lantern will always remain a bit…um, questionable. While there are some DC fans who actually found the movie quite enjoyable, many simply want to cash in a favor over at Hydra to erase the film from their memories. Which end of the spectrum do you fall on?

Ryan Reynolds in and as Green Lantern (2011) | Credits: DC Entertainment

Regardless, Ryan Reynolds tried his best to work with what he had. However, the film probably would have ended up in more of a mess if another actor had taken the main spot. Did you know that before Ryan Reynolds was finalized for the film, Jared Leto and others were being considered for the role of Hal Jordan? What’s even more surprising is that Justin Timberlake was also one of those names!

Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern...

It’s hard to believe that Anna Kendrick would choose an unlikely subject to jumpstart her directorial career. That subject in question turns out to be a true-crime thriller based on the notorious serial killer Rodney Alcala, who appeared on an episode of The Dating Game in 1978 and Cheryl Bradshaw, the participating woman ended up choosing him. I figure Kendrick would go for something light and frothy, say a romantic comedy or a feel-good drama. Besides, from the time she rose to prominence playing Jessica in the Twilight Saga, she may act in different genres including gritty cop drama End of Watch and crime thriller The Accountant. But to me, she always reminds me of Pitch Perfect and Trolls – both movies that were best described as fun.

However, Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman of the Hour is anything but fun. Right from the opening scene, Kendrick has firmly established the...

During the fall season, which has become popularly known these days as "spooky season," most of us prefer to watch horror movies and thrillers leading up to Halloween. Thankfully, Netflix has plenty of horror movie titles streaming right now or coming soon that you will want to add to your watch list.

But if jump scares and gore aren't quite your cup of tea, the best new Netflix original thriller movie was released on Oct. 18. Woman of the Hour comes from Academy Award nominated actress Anna Kendrick, who makes her directorial debut with the film that's based on a chilling true story.

Here's a little bit more about the movie's plot via Netflix:

The stranger-than-fiction story of an aspiring actress in 1970s Los Angeles and a serial killer in the midst of a yearslong murder spree, whose lives intersect when they’re cast on an episode of The Dating Game.

Actress Anna Kendrick has been vocal in the past about not wanting to become a mother. In her 2016 memoir Scrappy Little Nobody, the Pitch Perfect star shared, “Motherhood isn’t for me.” Now, the actress is opening up again about her decision and the conversations she’d had with others about her choice.

In an interview with Flow Space, The Simple Favor star discussed a common phrase people use for someone who doesn’t want children. “I was thinking recently about a phrase I’ve heard men say about their desire to have children in the future, and it occurred to me: I don’t think I’ve ever heard a woman say that. And the thing they’ll say is, ‘Yeah, maybe one day — a couple of kids running around.’” She went on to note the double-standard sharing, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard a woman say that!

Refresh for latest…: After its sadly disappointing start last weekend, Warner Bros and Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux is still a sad clown, adding an estimated $22.7M from 77 international box office markets this session (a 70.5% drop). The overseas running cume now stands at $113.7M and the worldwide total is currently $165.3M through Sunday. The outlook offshore is about a $150M final.

New this session was Japan where Joker 2 was the top U.S. title with $2.4M. The Top 5 overseas to date are the UK ($11.8M), Germany ($7.9M), Italy ($7.6M), Mexico ($7.4M) and France ($7.1M). China still has to release, but we’re not expecting firecrackers. The Imax total to date is $13.5M global, of which international is $7.3M.

Onward.

The wild run of Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot continues as its staggered rollout added 19 markets including France, Spain, Italy and Brazil this session. The offshore...

Sometimes you ever know what the best-reviewed films of the year will be. And right now, one of them is The Wild Robot, the rare original film that DreamWorks was able to shimmy in between their Trolls, Kung Fu Panda and Shrek movies. But, taking a cue from these franchises, the studio has greenlit a sequel even though The Wild Robot has only been out for two weeks.

Now, The Wild Robot has already crossed $110 million worldwide, with the bulk coming domestically. With that, we shouldn’t be surprised that a sequel for The Wild Robot is moving forward. This was all confirmed by director Chris Sanders, who said, “100% yes there are absolutely plans for a second one.” Details are obviously vague or nonexistent at this point but that’s still encouraging.

Sanders – who was also responsible for Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, the latter with DreamWorks...

Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days isn’t just a great way to save big on everything from teeth whiteners and designer bags to luxury beauty. Movie lovers can also save on new films such as Beetlejuice and Deadpool & Wolverine, family-friendly bundles, Prime Video channels and more.

Now through Oct. 9, enjoy deals on movies starting at $4.99 and under, including family-friendly films such as Despicable Me 4, Haunted Mansion, the live-action Little Mermaid and more; and Halloween-ready thrillers such as Saw, the Halloween trilogy. You can also save up to 50 percent off on movie bundles such as Beetlejuice 1 and 2, the Deadpool trilogy (which includes the new Deadpool & Wolverine), the Jack Ryan five-film collection, the Hotel Transylvania and Trolls trilogies, both Mean Girls films, all of the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter films and many others.

Take up to 50% off Movie Bundles at Prime Video

The two-day fall sale...

In 1994, Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg resigned from the company and teamed up with Steven Spielberg and music executive David Geffen to form DreamWorks Skg, which later was rechristened DreamWorks Animation. Its first feature film, released four years later, was “Antz,” a brash, adult-oriented CGI production about a worker ant struggling to stick out in the communal colony he slaves away in. The film was successful — it was the first non-Disney animated movie to gross $100 million worldwide — but it was also overshadowed by comparisons to “A Bug’s Life,” Pixar’s film released that year which also focused on a misfit ant trying to save his ant colony.

That beginning encapsulates the perception of DreamWorks Animation in a nutshell — as the decidedly less ambitious, less artful cousin to Pixar. And it’s hard to say that reputation is totally unearned. DreamWorks is responsible for many lazily constructed, irritating animated movies, from “Shark Tale...

When most people think about the history of reality TV, there are some chapters they forget. For example, before today's best reality competition shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race began, The Dating Game featured real people competing for a date.

Since Netflix premieres shows featuring A-list celebrities and movies with huge film stars, it makes sense the streaming service will feature Anna Kendrick's directorial debut. However, the thing that fans of the famous and rich Anna Kendrick wouldn't expect is what her directorial debut is about. After all, Anna chose to direct and star in a movie that shines light on the most disturbing episode of The Dating Game.

Anna's Directorial Debut Focuses On A Grisly Crime Spree

Throughout Anna Kendrick's acting career, she has mostly become known for starring in movies that families can watch together. For example, Anna has starred in the Pitch Perfect and Trolls...

Updated: We’re in a bit of a getting going/holdover situation for the studios this weekend at the international box office. There are two animated films continuing to roll out in the marketplace — both of which are highly scored, and performing to differing degrees.

To wit: Paramount/Hasbro’s Transformers One added $16.6M in 61 markets this frame, taking the offshore total to $32.8M. Globally, the animated movie is at $72M. Still to open are Germany, UK and France. Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot also continued its staggered release to add 21 markets this session. In 29 total, the frame was $9.9M for an overseas cume of $18.1M and $53.1M globally.

Before we get into detail on those titles, the international winner this frame was Telugu action epic Devara Part 1 with an estimated $27.8M overseas and $32.9M globally, per comScore. Starring Ntr Jr, Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan,...

Chris Pratt's return to the animation genre is proving just as much of a streaming success as theatrical one as The Garfield Movie is already becoming a Netflix hit. The movie serves as a reboot of the franchise based on Jim Davis' beloved comic strip, with Pratt taking over the role from Bill Murray in the live-action/CGI hybrid movies. Following the titular cat as he's reunited with his long-lost father and goes on an adventure with him and Odie, The Garfield Movie was poorly received by critics, but generally embraced by audiences, grossing over $257 million against its $60 million production budget.

Just shy of four months after making its theatrical debut, The Garfield Movie premiered on Netflix as part of the streamer's exclusive rights deal with Sony, and it's already proving to be a hit for both parties. At the time of writing, the movie is maintaining the No.

Anderson .Paak has astounded audiences for the better part of fifteen years with his musical talent. A staple of Los Angeles hip-hop, .Paak has performed with the greatest of the hip-hop greats Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Pusha T, J. Cole. The list goes on and on and on. .Paak gained fans of all ages by lighting up NPR's Tiny Desk Concert, voicing Prince Darnell in the Trolls franchise, and absolutely tearing the house down at the 2022 Superbowl Halftime Show. Now, the drumming luminary has a handful of new superlatives debuting his feature film K-Pops! at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.

NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock had a big July and a massive August thanks almost exclusively to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Netflix had an equally massive January-to-June, in part because of all NBCUniversal’s animated movies available on the streamer.

In case you’ve been living under a mountain of other Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, on Thursday, September 19, Netflix shared more than 16,000 lines of its viewership data from the first half of 2024. It lists every show or movie watched on Netflix around the globe, how many views each had, and for how many hours they were watched. Light reading material for us.

Twice a year, there are endless takeaways from Netflix’s data dump. One of the big ones from this set was just how dominant NBCUniversal’s animated films are — only not on NBCUniversal’s own streaming platform, Peacock.

The top six animated films (and nine of 10!) on Netflix over...

For the second weekend in a row, we get an animated feature featuring robots for family audiences, but this week also gets a lot of odds and ends. As has been the case for the past few months, any weekend with just one or two wide releases is then followed by a weekend with way too many movies, and this weekend seems to be one of the latter. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

The big release of the weekend is “The Wild Robot,” the latest from DreamWorks Animation, based on book by Pete Brown. It stars Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o as a server robot stranded in the wilderness who ends up becoming imprinted on by a baby gosling, having to figure out how to care for it with the help of a crafty fox, voiced by Pedro Pascal. Other characters are voiced by Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy,...