Box Office: 'Super Mario Galaxy' Aims For (Another) $200M-Plus Easter Holiday Launch
Nintendo and Illumination are positioning the upcoming "Super Mario Galaxy" film to open with more than $200 million domestically over the Easter holiday weekend. The strategy leans on the franchise’s multigenerational appeal and a family‑focused release window. Analysts cite the 2015 "Avengers: Age of Ultron" $191 million opening as a benchmark for blockbuster performance. The move also seeks to capitalize on lingering "superhero fatigue" among moviegoers.
The Next Best Picture Podcast – “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”
The Next Best Picture Podcast released a new episode reviewing "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," the sequel to the 2023 hit. Hosts Josh Parham, Giovanni Lago, and Daniel Howat discuss the returning creative team, a star‑studded voice cast, and the...
The Fable (2024) by Ryosuke Takahashi Anime Review
The Fable (2024) adapts Katsuhisa Minami’s dark manga into a four‑episode anime that follows professional hitman Akira Sato as he is forced into a sabbatical and ordinary life in Osaka. Director Ryosuke Takahashi blends high‑stakes violence with domestic interludes, using...
'You Let People See What's Happening and It Makes Its Own Argument' By Amber Wilkinson
Veteran journalist Tony Jones’s debut documentary *Sentient* premiered at Sundance, exposing unprecedented undercover footage of monkey testing in an undisclosed English lab. The film was funded by the Growing Kindness foundation, an Animals Australia initiative, which secured full editorial independence...
Good Game (2025) by Dickson Leung Film Review
"Good Game," directed by Dickson Leung and distributed by One Cool Pictures, debuted at the Hong Kong Ani‑Com & Games Expo 2025 and will join Fantasia’s lineup later this year. The film follows Tai, a struggling internet‑café owner, who assembles...
Rebecca Morelle Edition: Bits & Pieces
The Berlin International Film Festival showcased a slate of ambitious new titles, headlined by the world‑premiere of Rosebush Pruning, which features an A‑list cast including Callum Turner, Riley Keough and Pamela Anderson. Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro’s near‑future drama The Blue Trail captured...
New to Prime Video - SAIPAN
Amazon Prime Video adds the drama *Saipan*, directed by Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn, which reenacts Roy Keane’s controversial 2002 walkout from the Irish World Cup camp in Saipan. The film pits a stubborn, principled Keane—played by rising star Éanna Hardwicke—against...
Homura Kagayoe by Keita Matsuda Trailer
Japanese director Keita Matsuda's new period drama "Homura Kagayoe" premiered on April 3, 2026, dramatizing the brief but turbulent reign of Sengoku warlord Ashina Moritaka. The 112‑minute film, distributed by S・D・P and shinshin, stars Towa Araki as Moritaka and explores...
9 Movies With the Most Oscar Nominations Ever: The All-Time Leaders
The article lists the nine films that hold the record for the most Academy Award nominations, highlighting Ryan Coogler’s horror‑blaxploitation Sinners (2025) with a new high of 16 nods. Four classic titles—All About Eve, Titanic, La La Land, and Gone with the Wind—each...
We Are Stardust - Edin Custo - 20289
We Are Stardust, a Norwegian documentary by Elisabeth Rasmussen, follows musician‑turned‑stardust hunter Jon Larsen as he spends a decade sifting urban gutters, roofs and roadsides for micrometeorites. The film documents his quest to prove that extraterrestrial dust can be collected in...
Director Watch Podcast Ep. 147 – ‘The Tales of Hoffman’ (Powell and Pressburger, 1951) with Special Guest Christina Jeurling Birro
Episode 147 of the Director Watch podcast dives into Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1951 opera film The Tales of Hoffmann. Co‑hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by Pop Culture Confidential host Christina Jeurling Birro for an in‑depth analysis...
How a $30K Animated Indie Scored a Theatrical Run — Then Landed on HBO
Animator Julian Glander produced the feature-length indie animation "Boys Go to Jupiter" on a shoestring $30,000 budget, leveraging Blender and a small team. The film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival, then toured over 50 festivals, earning screening fees and...
Netflix Just Unlocked Sony Pictures Movies for Ad-Tier Subscribers Early
Netflix has removed the lock on Sony Pictures titles for its Standard with Ads plan, granting ad‑tier subscribers access to both legacy catalog movies and fresh Pay‑1 window releases. The change arrives years earlier than the 2027 deadline originally set...
The Next Best Picture Podcast – Interview With “The Blue Trail” Filmmaker Gabriel Mascaro
"The Blue Trail," a dystopian drama directed by Gabriel Mascaro, follows 77‑year‑old Tereza as she rebels against a government mandate to relocate the elderly, embarking on a perilous Amazon trek. The film premiered in competition at the 75th Berlin International...
Netflix Reveal First Look At ‘Kennedy’ Starring Michael Fassbender
Netflix unveiled the first look at its upcoming eight‑episode series "Kennedy," starring Michael Fassbender as Joe Kennedy Sr. The drama adapts the 2020 biography "JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917‑1956" and follows the Kennedy family from the...
Classic Corner: The Falcon and the Snowman
John Schlesinger’s 1985 film *The Falcon and the Snowman* dramatizes the real‑life espionage case of Christopher Boyce and Daulton Lee, two privileged California youths who sold U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union for modest pay. The movie, scripted by Steven...
Trailer Talk: February 2026
The iconic parody franchise “Scary Movie” is back after a 13‑year hiatus, reuniting the Wayans brothers for their first collaboration since 2001. The new film targets recent horror hits such as “Halloween”, “Final Destination: Bloodlines”, “Ma”, “Sinners”, “The Substance” and “Scream 5”. At...
Anatomy of a Fall’s Justine Triet Adds To Cast For New Film
Acclaimed French director Justine Triet is set to helm her first English‑language feature, the psychological thriller Fonda, adding a high‑profile cast that includes Odessa A’zion, Ewan Mitchell, Cherry Jones, Benedict Wong and Allison Janney alongside Mia Goth and Andrew Scott....
Trailer Premiere: Francesco Sossai’s The Last One for the Road
Filmmaker Francesco Sossai has premiered the trailer for his second feature, *The Last One for the Road*, a darkly comic road movie about two alcoholic petty criminals and an architecture student in the Veneto countryside. The film debuted in Cannes’...
Beauty Water (2020) by Cho Kyung-Hun Film Review
South Korean animated feature "Beauty Water" (2020) follows Yaeji, an overweight make‑up artist tormented by bullying and social‑media ridicule, who discovers a miracle lotion that reshapes her body to match her ideal self. As she undergoes a series of grotesque...
James McTeigue On V For Vendetta’s 20th Anniversary
Director James McTeigue marked the 20th anniversary of his 2005 adaptation V for Vendetta, a film that grossed $134.7 million against a $50‑54 million budget. The movie’s anti‑authoritarian narrative, rooted in the graphic novel’s Thatcher‑era origins, resonated during the Bush administration and...
Hell’s Paradise Season 2 (2026) by Kaori Makita Anime Review
Hell’s Paradise Season 2 premiered on TV Tokyo from January 11 to March 29, 2026, produced by MAPPA and Twin Engine. The 12‑episode run adapts the Lord Tensen and Horai arcs, covering manga volumes 6‑9. Critics praised the series for richer character development, especially for Gabimaru and Shion,...
Lights Out Sequel In The Works
New Line Cinema and Atomic Monster have officially launched development on a sequel to the 2016 horror hit Lights Out. Warner Bros. tapped rising screenwriter Connor Osborn McIntyre, known for the thriller Animals, to pen the script. Original producer Lawrence...
New Trailer and Poster for OVER YOUR DEAD BODY, Starring Samara Weaving
A new trailer and poster have been released for "Over Your Dead Body," a dark comedy‑thriller starring Samara Weaving and Jason Segel. Directed by Jorma Taccone and based on the 2021 Norwegian film "The Trip," the movie follows a dysfunctional married couple...
Netflix Confirms “City Hunter 2” For 2027 Worldwide Premiere as Ryo Saeba Returns in Live-Action Sequel
Netflix announced that the live‑action sequel “City Hunter 2” will debut worldwide on its platform in 2027, following the 2024 film’s strong performance. The original manga, celebrating its 40th anniversary, has sold over 50 million copies and remains a cultural touchstone...
7 Highest-Grossing Animated Movies of All Time
Animated cinema has broken past the kids‑only stereotype, delivering blockbuster revenues that rival live‑action releases. The 2025 Chinese sequel Ne Zha 2 leads the list with over $2.21 billion, followed by Disney’s Zootopia 2 and Pixar’s Inside Out 2, each surpassing $1.6 billion. Sequels dominate...
Mr. Burton - Jennie Kermode - 20286
Marc Evans’ new biopic “Mr. Burton” follows the Welsh teacher who sparked Richard Burton’s acting career, focusing on his 1942 Port Talbot classroom and the student Richie Jenkins, a poetry‑loving teen from a troubled home. Toby Jones delivers a restrained...
Body Of Our Own - Jennie Kermode - 20287
Rahemur Rahman and Lily Vetch’s short documentary *Body Of Our Own* premiered at BFI Flare 2026, focusing on three hijra women in Bangladesh. Filmed over seven years and trimmed to 25 minutes, the observational film captures their traditional roles in...
Can “Project Hail Mary” Bring Ryan Gosling His Fourth Oscar Nomination?
Ryan Gosling’s upcoming sci‑fi drama Project Hail Mary is being touted as a potential catalyst for his fourth Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Actor. The article highlights a striking pattern: Gosling has earned Best Actor nods in years...
Hail to Hell (2022) by Lim Oh-Jeong FIlm Review
Lim Oh‑jeong’s debut feature “Hail to Hell” reimagines the familiar bullying‑revenge plot with a blend of dark humor and a surprising turn toward forgiveness. The story follows two bullied students who abandon a suicide attempt to hunt down their tormentor,...
TCM Film Festival to Honor Glenn Close with Hand and Footprint Ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre
Turner Classic Movies announced that Academy Award‑nominated actress Glenn Close will be honored with a Hand & Footprint ceremony at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre on May 1, 2026, as part of the 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival. Close, an...
How Many 2026 Blockbuster Films Will Be Nominated For Best Picture This Year?
The piece analyzes Best Picture nominations since the category expanded in 2009, noting an average of 1.7 blockbuster‑budget films per year and a historical high of four. It lists seven 2026 high‑budget titles—Project Hail Mary, The Odyssey, Disclosure Day, Digger,...
Heavy Snow (2023) by Yun Su-Ik Film Review
Yun Su‑ik’s 2023 indie drama “Heavy Snow” offers a stark, three‑chapter portrait of a high‑school fling that lingers long after the romance ends. The film pairs rising stars Han So‑hee and Han Hae‑in, whose contrasting performances capture the volatile mix...
Box Office: 'Super Mario Galaxy Movie' Nabs Massive $34.5M Wednesday
Nintendo’s first feature‑film adaptation, *Super Mario Galaxy*, earned $34.5 million on its Wednesday opening, surpassing early‑week expectations. The strong debut follows a robust weekend that placed the title among the top‑grossing releases of the year. Box‑office analysts attribute the surge to...
MIFFest 2026 Unveils “Resonance” Theme and Expands Global and ASEAN Focus for 9th Edition
The 9th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) will run July 18‑25, 2026 in Kuala Lumpur under the “Resonance” theme, emphasizing cinema’s emotional and social influence. The festival returns to MyTOWN Shopping Centre, featuring a mix of veteran and emerging ambassadors...
HIGHLANDER Returns to Cinemas - New Trailer and Poster
The 1986 fantasy classic *Highlander* is returning to UK and ROI cinemas on May 4, 2024, accompanied by a fresh trailer and poster. A new collector’s edition 4K UHD and Blu‑ray will launch on June 29, targeting both cinephiles and home‑media collectors....
Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder Lead Jane Schoenbrun’s Eerie New Horror Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
MUBI has released the first look at *Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma*, a new horror film directed by Jane Schoenbrun and starring Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder. The story follows a young director reviving a struggling slasher franchise,...
‘2034’ AI Thriller Starring Rachel McAdams to Begin Filming in May 2026
Netflix is set to launch an AI‑driven thriller titled "2034," directed and co‑written by Joseph Gordon‑Levitt and starring Oscar‑nominated Rachel McAdams. Filming is scheduled to begin on May 4, 2026 in Belgrade, Serbia, with additional shoots in Montenegro, and is expected to wrap...
‘Fairyland’ Trailer Unveiled – Emilia Jones Leads a Tender, Turbulent Coming-of-Age Story
Icon Film Distribution released the first trailer for “Fairyland,” a coming‑of‑age drama adapted from Alysia Abbott’s bestselling memoir. Produced by Academy‑Award winner Sofia Coppola, the film follows a teenage Alysia navigating grief, identity and a bohemian father in 1970s San Francisco. Emilia Jones...
HKIFF50 Opens with Anthony Chen’s We Are All Strangers, Launching 12 Days of Global Cinema Celebration
The 50th Hong Kong International Film Festival opened at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre with the Asian premiere of Anthony Chen’s "We Are All Strangers." Officials, festival ambassadors and a roster of local and international filmmakers attended the ceremony, underscoring...
Michael B Jordan and Juno Temple Trade Places in Netflix’s Wild New Animated Comedy Swapped
Netflix unveiled the trailer for *Swapped*, an animated comedy debuting on May 1, 2026. The film follows a woodland creature voiced by Michael B. Jordan and a majestic bird voiced by Juno Temple who magically exchange bodies, sparking chaotic, comedic adventures. Directed by...
New Trailer for Found Footage Horror HUNTING MATTHEW NICHOLS
Markian Tarasiuk’s directorial debut, *Hunting Matthew Nichols*, adopts a found‑footage mockumentary format to chase a two‑decade‑old disappearance on Vancouver Island. The new trailer spotlights Miranda MacDougall’s character Tara, an aspiring documentarian, and hints at supernatural twists that blend true‑crime and...
John Travolta Takes to the Skies with Directorial Debut Propeller One-Way Night Coach at Cannes 2026
John Travolta will debut his first feature as director, *Propeller One‑Way Night Coach*, at the Cannes Premiere strand of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The film, based on a children’s book he wrote in the late 1990s, follows a boy’s...
'Santiago: The Camino Therapy' Secures Major Global Sales in 20 Territories
Ginger & Fed, the international sales division of Federation Studios, has finalized distribution agreements for the French feature film "Compostelle" across roughly twenty territories worldwide. The deal marks the film’s first major push into markets spanning Europe, Asia, and Latin...
The Illusion of a Boom: Why the Belgian Film Industry Is Secretly Under Pressure
Belgian cinema is experiencing a visible surge in productions and festival selections, yet the sector faces shrinking budgets, escalating production costs, and a chronic shortage of domestic theater screens. While shooting schedules are packed, funding gaps are widening, forcing many...
Filming Date Set for 'Fonda,' Justine Triet's Follow-Up to 'Anatomy of a Fall'
The French Oscar‑winning director Justine Triet has confirmed that principal photography for her next feature, Fonda, will begin on April 10. The film, a follow‑up to her Cannes‑hit Anatomy of a Fall, boasts a high‑profile international cast that includes Diane Keaton, Julianne Moore...
When Merely Producing a Film Is No Longer Enough
The article examines how Belgian audiovisual leader Eyeworks, represented by CEO Peter Bouckaert, is redefining its business model beyond traditional film production. In Brussels, industry executives discuss integrating distribution, data analytics, and brand partnerships to capture more revenue streams. The...
First Trailer for Dark Comedy $POSITIONS
Writer‑director Brandon Daley’s feature debut $POSITIONS, a dark comedy about crypto‑driven ruin, drops its first trailer. The film follows a Midwestern blue‑collar man who blows his family’s savings on speculative cryptocurrencies, spiraling into gambling addiction. Starring Michael Kunicki, Vinny Kress,...
Sarah Drew and Eric Johnson to Headline "When I Said I Do" (Wt), The New Movie Inspired by Clint Black...
Sarah Drew and Eric Johnson will headline Lifetime’s new original film “When I Said I Do (wt),” a romance inspired by country‑music legends Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black’s chart‑topping duet. The movie, executive‑produced by the Blacks who also appear...
New Release Review - FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER
Jim Jarmusch’s latest anthology, *Father Mother Sister Brother*, reunites the director with his signature portmanteau style, delivering three 20‑minute family dramas set in New Jersey, Dublin, and Paris. The film stars an eclectic ensemble—including Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik,...