Today's Movies Pulse
US Justice Dept. Clears Paramount’s Acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery
The U.S. Justice Department approved Paramount Global’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, concluding the merger would not substantially lessen competition in traditional television markets. Regulators noted the combined company would provide a strong alternative in the video‑streaming market while competition in live‑programming and film‑studio segments remains robust.
Mortal Kombat 2 and 9 More Movies to Stream on Netflix and Beyond This Weekend
Netflix, HBO Max, Shudder, Starz and rental services are adding a wave of new movies this weekend, ranging from martial‑arts fantasy to anime adaptations and horror. Highlights include the game‑inspired "Mortal Kombat 2," Mamoru Hosoda’s Shakespeare‑twist "Scarlet," and Mexico’s first stop‑motion musical "I Am Frankelda." Additional genre‑bending titles such as the final "Strangers" chapter on Starz and the Norwegian creature feature "Kraken" broaden the VOD catalog. The releases reflect platforms’ push to diversify content and capture niche audiences during a competitive streaming season.
Mixed Emotions on 'Michael' (Possibly) Crossing $1 Billion
The Michael Jackson biopic starring Jaafar Jackson has amassed roughly $360 million in North America and $912 million worldwide, edging past Bohemian Rhapsody’s $911 million global total. Its Japanese debut generated $2.3 million, a modest figure that could determine whether the film cracks the...
Justice Department Approves Paramount's $111 Billion Acquisition of Warner Bros.
The U.S. Justice Department has given the green light to Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, approving the merger without any divestiture or behavioral conditions. The combined entity would unite Warner’s film and TV studios, CNN and HBO Max with Paramount+,...
Justice Department Says It’s A-OK for Paramount to Acquire Warner Bros.: Report
The U.S. Justice Department’s Antitrust Division has given its sign‑off to Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, with no divestiture or behavioral conditions. The approval removes the federal hurdle for what could become one of Hollywood’s largest mega‑studios....
Monopoly Movie Update: 2 Different Scripts Are Being Written, Here’s Why
Lionsgate, Hasbro and Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap are developing a Monopoly feature film, and two distinct scripts are now in parallel – one by Neil Widener & Gavin James and another by Rebecca Angelo & Lauren Schuker Blum. The studio will...
Evangeline Lilly To Narrate ‘Farmacy of Light’ Documentary & Executive Produce
Evangeline Lilly has signed on as narrator and executive producer for the feature documentary *Farmacy of Light*. The film, which explores biophotonics and the link between light‑filled food and human health, will be released as a free global stream from June 23‑27...
Thursday Box Office: $6.5M Is a Good Start For 'Disclosure Day'
Steven Spielberg’s new sci‑fi thriller *Disclosure Day* earned $6.5 million in Thursday previews, the highest Thursday‑preview total for any of his original, non‑IP films. The figure nearly doubles the $3.7 million preview for *Ready Player One* in 2018 and tops earlier Spielberg...
Winter of the Crow (2026 SXSW London Review)
Winter of the Crow, directed by Kasia Adamik, adapts Olga Tokarczuk’s short story into a 1981 Warsaw thriller. Lesley Manville stars as British psychologist Joan Andrews, whose lecture is interrupted by protests that erupt into martial law, leaving her isolated in...
IT: Welcome To Derry Writer To Pen New Transformers Film
Paramount and Hasbro have tapped screenwriter Jason Fuchs, known for "It: Welcome to Derry" and "Argylle", to write the screenplay for an untitled Transformers film. The project will continue the story from 2023's "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" and is...
Review: 3 Days in September - Transilvania 2026
Romanian director Tudor Giurgiu’s new feature *3 Days in September* premiered as the opening film of the 25th Transilvania International Film Festival, after its world debut at IFFR. The drama unfolds in a single, unbroken take, following a bride‑to‑be whose...
Interview: Caterina Mazzucato • Head of Industry, Bio to B - Industry Days | Doc&Drama - “The Documentary Film Sector...
The thirteenth Bio to B Industry Days Doc convened in Bologna, presenting more than 30 documentary projects at various development stages and drawing over 500 professionals. The event’s Drama strand, now in its fifth edition, links roughly 150 operators—editors, literary agents, and...
Listen To The Chronicle Episode 59 – Disclosure Day, Backrooms
The Chronicle’s Episode 59 dives into Steven Spielberg’s long‑awaited sci‑fi comeback with Disclosure Day, a star‑studded alien‑first‑contact thriller featuring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Colin Firth. The hosts also dissect the surreal horror of Backrooms, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, and revisit the...
Markiplier Announces New Film Following Iron Lung Success
@markiplier confirms that he’ll make another movie after the success of his indie horror movie Iron Lung
Prime Video's Evolution and the Bundling Boom Unpacked
listen to this week's @Variety "Strictly Business" podcast --> Mike Hopkins on Prime Video’s Evolution, the Bundling Boom, How MGM Changed Amazon, the Future of Bond and No Regrets on ‘Melania’ https://t.co/HA5WhmDAEK via @variety
New Release Review - NINO
French‑Quebec drama "Nino," directed by Pauline Loquès and co‑written with Maud Ameline, follows 29‑year‑old Théodore Pellerin as he confronts an unexpected throat‑cancer diagnosis caused by an old STD. The film explores his stoic response, strained family dynamics, and reliance on...
Ron Howard: Audiences, Not Studios, Will Judge AI Films
Ron Howard Thinks Audiences Will Decide Whether AI Films Succeed: ‘What Are We Invested In?’ https://t.co/4lxkKG2p2r via @variety
Review: Tough Love - Biografilm 2026
Valerio Bonelli, a veteran Italian editor based in London, makes his directorial debut with the documentary *Tough Love* at the Biografilm festival. The film weaves Super 8 family home‑videos and contemporary interviews to portray four sisters navigating a patriarchal, post‑war Naples...
New Release Review - FAMILIAR TOUCH
Familiar Touch, directed by Sarah Friedland and starring Kathleen Chalfant, is a sober drama portraying an octogenarian woman living with dementia in a UK care home. The film draws on real‑life Bella Vista residents to deliver an unflinching look at memory...
First Trailer and Poster for British Drama ISH
The first trailer and poster for "ISH" reveal Imran Perretta’s feature‑film debut, co‑written by renowned playwright Enda Walsh. The British drama follows 12‑year‑old friends Ish (Farhan Hasnat) and Maram (Yahya Kitana) in Luton’s South Asian community as a police stop‑and‑search...
Disclosure Day Shows the Best, and Worst, of What Made Spielberg a Legend
Steven Spielberg’s latest sci‑fi thriller, *Disclosure Day*, starring Emily Blunt, has generated early Oscar buzz and is positioned as a summer tentpole. The film showcases Spielberg’s visual flair with high‑octane chases and a mysterious alien language, but critics argue the...
Gen Z Is Bringing Audiences Back to Cinemas, Says PVR Inox
Gen Z is becoming the dominant audience for Indian multiplexes, contributing 57% of Hindi box‑office revenue and 70% of first‑day ticket sales, according to Ormax Media. Original low‑budget titles such as *Obsession* and *Backrooms* have resonated strongly, grossing over $230 million...
Obsession Team Returns With New Wilderness Grizzly Bear Thriller
Capstone Pictures and Teashop Films, the team behind the $238 million horror hit Obsession, are developing a new survival thriller titled End of Life. The film pits a terminal‑cancer patient against a grizzly bear that invades his remote cabin. Sean Ellis...
Tom Hardy’s MobLand Firing Reports Have a Strong Response From Helen Mirren
Reports surfaced that Tom Hardy was fired from Paramount+ crime drama "MobLand" after clashes with showrunner Jez Butterworth during Season 2 production. Helen Mirren, Hardy’s co‑star, publicly defended him at the Taormina Film Festival, saying she would work with him “in...
PODCAST: Getting a $5K Feature Into TIFF & Going Viral With An 80 Second Short Film With Nick Toti
Filmmaker Nick Toti recounts how his $5,000 found‑footage feature *It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This* slipped into TIFF’s Midnight Madness program despite having no distributor. He also details the viral ascent of the 80‑second short *Dead Grandma*, which originated...
Your Fault: London UK Premiere Interviews: Asha Banks, Matthew Broome & More Tell All
London’s Cineworld Leicester Square hosted the UK premiere of “Your Fault: London,” the latest installment in Mercedes Ron’s Culpables romance trilogy. The film, directed by Charlotte Fassler and Dani Girdwood and featuring a cast led by Asha Banks and Matthew Broome, debuted to...
Rise of the Footsoldier: Retribution Gets New Teaser
Signature Entertainment dropped the first teaser for Rise of the Footsoldier: Retribution, the seventh installment in the long‑running British crime saga. The sequel places veteran anti‑hero Pat Tate, played by Craig Fairbrass, in a revenge‑driven plot set against 1990s Ibiza’s...
There’s a Ticking Time Bomb Under the Paramount-Warner Bros. Deal. Here’s What Could Set It Off.
Paramount Pictures and Skydance have agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $110 billion, but the agreement includes a “ticking fee” that forces Paramount to pay an additional $627.5 million every quarter the transaction remains unclosed after Sept. 30. Heightened antitrust scrutiny from...
Luhrmann
My review of the re-release of Strictly Ballroom (1992) (dir. Baz Luhrmann) is up here: https://t.co/Suij20mxDr
Horror Film ‘Corporate Retreat’ Gets July 10 TVOD Release
The dark‑comedy horror "Corporate Retreat" starring Alan Ruck will launch on July 10 across U.S. and Canadian TVOD services such as Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Google Play. The film, produced by Passage Pictures, follows tech executives trapped...
Voronezh Animation Unveils 'Dr. Dolittle' Animated Feature Teaser
Voronezh Animation Studio unveiled the first teaser for its 3DCG feature "Dr. Dolittle," slated for a Summer‑Fall 2027 release. The family‑friendly adventure follows the titular doctor on a high‑stakes rescue mission across African jungles, battling a pirate‑led epidemic that threatens the...
Official Trailer for Gross Out Thriller 'Night Nurse' With Cemre Paksoy
Independent Film Company has dropped the official trailer for "Night Nurse," a dark thriller starring Cemre Paksoy that delves into retirement‑home scams and twisted caregiver dynamics. The film premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and will open in a handful...
Walt Disney and Pixar Release Teaser Trailer for 2027’s ‘Gatto’ Starring Mark Ruffalo and Laurence Fishburne
Disney and Pixar have unveiled the first teaser for their original animated adventure Gatto, slated for a worldwide theatrical release on March 5, 2027. The film follows Nero, a scrappy black cat voiced by Mark Ruffalo, as he navigates the...
Somos Films Wraps Production on Feature Film Encrucijadas
Somos Films announced that production on its latest drama, Encrucijadas, has wrapped in Caracas, Venezuela. The film, directed by José Antonio Varela and starring Rubén León and others, portrays the challenges of a former inmate reintegrating into a violence‑ridden neighborhood....
First Trailer and Poster for Gregg Araki’s I WANT YOUR SEX, Starring Olivia Wilde
Gregg Araki’s long‑awaited return to feature filmmaking is marked by the release of “I Want Your Sex,” starring Olivia Wilde as provocative artist Erika Tracy. The story follows Cooper Hoffman’s character Elliot, who becomes Wilde’s sexual muse before spiraling into obsession,...
The Prototype Economy: CNC Landmark Study Reveals Scale Shields Producers From Structural Film Deficits
On June 9, 2026, the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) released a landmark study of 1,823 French feature films presented to the National Assembly. The analysis shows that high‑budget productions act as a risk buffer, while...
Jemaine Clement Returns as Tamatoa in Live Action ‘Moana’, Tickets On Sale Now
Disney has opened ticket sales for its live‑action remake of Moana, slated for release in Australia and New Zealand on July 8. New Zealand comedian Jemaine Clement will return to voice the flamboyant crab Tamatoa, a role he originally voiced in the 2016...
4000 Days - Jennie Kermode - 20366
The documentary "4000 Days" follows filmmaker Daniel E. Catullo as he chronicles the tragic fallout of fraternity hazing, highlighting more than 300 student deaths and the 4,000‑day legal battles families endure. It shows how social‑media‑driven one‑upmanship has escalated rituals from beer...
Why Disclosure Day Could Struggle to Break Even at the Box Office
Steven Spielberg’s new sci‑fi thriller Disclosure Day opens June 12 amid a crowded summer slate. BoxOfficeTheory projects a $51.1 million opening and $159 million domestic run, placing it ahead of rival releases. The film’s $115 million production budget and $80 million marketing spend set...
Michael Douglas Comes Out of Retirement for Beloved Director’s New Movie
Michael Douglas, who stepped away from acting in 2022, is returning for Oliver Stone’s upcoming film "White Lies." The project reunites the Oscar‑winning actor with the director after their 2010 collaboration on "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps." Principal photography has...
Indie Specialized Box Office Chart: Samara Weaving Crime Movie ‘Carolina Caroline’ Steals Top Spot
Magnolia Pictures released the Samara Weaving crime thriller “Carolina Caroline” on 246 screens, earning $110,110 in its opening weekend. The film’s $448 average per location secured the top spot on IndieWire’s newly launched specialized box‑office chart. While larger indie releases like Bob...
New Film About Leonora Carrington Blends Fact with Fiction
Leonora in the Morning Light is a new non‑linear film that dramatizes the life of surrealist painter Leonora Carrington. Directed by Thor Klein and Lena Vurma, it weaves factual episodes with fictionalized scenes drawn from Elena Poniatowska’s novel and Michaela...
Sci-Fi Horror Film Backrooms Is a Triumph for Its 20-Year-Old Director
Backrooms, a sci‑fi horror film released in 2026, stems from a 2019 4chan image that sparked an internet meme. Director Kane Parsons, known online as Kane Pixels, turned his viral YouTube series into his feature debut at age 20. Backed...
Glenn Close, Ridley Scott, Floyd Norman, and Killer Films Producers to Receive 2026 Honorary Oscars
The Academy announced that the 2026 Governors Awards will honor Glenn Close, Ridley Scott, and Floyd Norman with Academy Honorary Awards, while Killer Films producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler will receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. The ceremony...
QEPC Launches Market Access Program for Emerging English-Language Producers in Quebec
The Quebec English‑language Production Council (QEPC) launched its inaugural Market Access Program to help emerging English‑language producers in Quebec break into Canada’s major film and TV markets. The initiative is funded by the Canada Media Fund’s Sector Development Support and...
Netflix's War Machine Is Officially One of Its Biggest Movies of All Time
Netflix’s original sci‑fi action film *War Machine*—produced on an $80 million budget—flopped theatrically in Australia before the streamer bought its international rights. After its March 2026 release, the movie vaulted to the platform’s global Top 10, ranking in more than 90 countries...
Directors in Hollywood Close in on a 4-Year Deal with Studios and Streaming Services
Hollywood directors, represented by the Directors Guild of America, reached a tentative four‑year contract with studios and streaming services after four weeks of talks. The agreement, negotiated under new DGA President Christopher Nolan, follows recent four‑year deals for writers and...
Meryl Streep Says She Was ‘Ready to Retire’ when the Call for ‘Devil Wears Prada’ Came—So She Demanded They Double...
Meryl Streep, worth roughly $100 million, walked away from a lowball offer for *The Devil Wears Prada* in 2006, demanding double the salary. The studio quickly agreed, and the film went on to earn $326 million worldwide, later spawning a sequel that...
First Look Teaser for 'The Social Reckoning' Sorkin's Facebook Sequel
Sony Pictures released the first‑look teaser for *The Social Reckoning*, Aaron Sorkin’s sequel to the 2010 hit *The Social Network*. Sorkin not only wrote but also directed the film, which dramatizes whistleblower Frances Haugen’s partnership with Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz...
Back to the Future at 60th Karlovy Vary by Richard Mowe - 2026-06-10 10:22:21+00:00
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival celebrates its 80th anniversary and 60th edition from July 3‑11, 2026. The program features a historic "Out of the Past" classics section and a main competition of 12 new titles, including Iran’s *Hijamat* and the Bulgarian‑Greek...
Obsession and Backrooms Could Change How Movies Get Made (and It’s Happened Before)
The traditional blockbuster model is losing steam as low‑budget internet creators deliver hits. Markiplier’s horror film “The Iron Lung” grossed $51 million on a $3 million budget, while titles like “Obsession” and “Backrooms” climb the box‑office charts. Studios are now courting YouTube...