“I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do ‘Secret Wars?'” Joe Russo told Empire Magazine in a joint interview with his co-director and screenwriter. “You were like, ‘F—k no. Absolutely not.’ And then you hung up. And the next morning at 7:30 you called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea.'”

Joe and Anthony Russo said they’d had many conversations with the Marvel camp over the years about new storylines, but the “Secret Wars” arc stuck.

“’Endgame’ was the end, and it took a little time for us to begin to think about it as something other than an end … Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon an idea that activated all of us,” Anthony Russo said. “You couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.'”

As TheWrap previously reported, the Russos are set to direct the fifth and sixth film installment to the “Avengers” universe. McPheely, who co-wrote the Russos’ previous Marvel films with Christopher Markus, will write the screenplays for both movies. TheWrap learned exclusively that Chris Evans, who starred as Captain America, will return as part of the cast for “Doomsday,” though the exact nature of his role is unknown. “Avengers” alum Robert Downey Jr. will make a comeback with the franchise, where he will star as famed villain Doctor Doom.

“Avengers: Doomsday” is slated for release on May 1, 2026.

The post ‘Secret Wars’ Screenwriter First Told the Russos ‘F—k No’ to MCU Movie, but Changed His Mind the Next Day appeared first on TheWrap.

Reynolds, is, of course, married to Lively, who sued Baldoni for sexual harassment on the set of the domestic abuse drama “It Ends With Us” last month. While Baldoni has not yet sued Lively directly, his lawyer last week promised to sue the actress “into oblivion.”

On Jan. 7, the actor sent a letter to Marvel’s Kevin Feige and Disney chief Bob Iger asking them to hand over “any and all documents relating to the development of the ‘Nicepool’ character” in addition to “communications relating to the development, writing, and filming of storylines and scenes featuring ‘Nicepool.’”

In the superhero movie, Reynolds appears as a version of the character known as “Nicepool,” the polar opposite of the snarky Deadpool.

At one point, Nicepool compliments Ladypool (played by Lively) for “snapping back” into shape after giving birth. Among Lively’s allegations against Baldoni is that he fat-shamed her during the making of “It Ends With Us,” which was filmed shortly after she had given birth.

The ultra-nice character also jokingly asks for an intimacy coordinator in one scene: Lively alleged that Baldoni, who also directed “It Ends With Us,” had  “inserted improvised gratuitous sexual content and/or scenes involving nudity” into the film.

Baldoni has filed a $250 million suit against the New York Times for defamation over the Dec. 21 article, “We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” about the alleged campaign to “tarnish” Lively after she accused him of misconduct.

Disney acquired rights to Deadpool, as well as the X-Men franchise, when it purchased 20th Century Fox in 2019.

Variety first reported this story.

The post Justin Baldoni Accuses Ryan Reynolds of Modeling ‘Deadpool’ Character After Him to ‘Mock, Harass’ in  Litigation Letter to Disney appeared first on TheWrap.

“The deal — the studio changed the goalposts,” Scott told GQ. “I said, ‘You can’t do that.’ They insisted. I said, ‘Well, I’m going to warn you, I will walk, because I will go on to the next movie.’ They didn’t believe me, and I did.”

Scott remains optimistic the project will resume, suggesting it could be his second film this year once the deal issues are resolved.

“I was being asked to go too far,” Scott added. “And I said, ‘No. Next!’ They didn’t like my deal. So I said, I’ll move on. I’m expensive, but I’m fucking good.”

According to a Paramount insider with knowledge of the project, Scott is still directing the untitled “Bee Gees” biopic and it’s set to start shooting in the fall.

The film will follow the life and career of brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb — following their first No. 1 hit “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” the band went on to write and perform hundreds of songs, and also worked on the soundtrack for 1977’s “Saturday Night Fever.”

Originally from Australia, the vocal talents of the Gibb brothers – Barry, Robin, and Maurice – were already evident in the late 50s. Though they started with folksy harmonies, their infectious melodies and Barry’s signature falsetto struck a chord with audiences in the mid-to-late 1970s when they penned the bulk of the soundtrack to “Saturday Night Fever.”

Those disco megahits translated into over 200 million records sold, and made the Bee Gees global superstars. However, their strong association with the disco genre led them to unexpectedly experience a fan backlash later on when public enthusiasm for disco’s style waned. Even still, with decades of evolving musical creativity to their name, the Bee Gees have certainly cemented their reputation as one of pop music’s most adaptable and best-selling acts.

The post Paramount Dispute Halts Ridley Scott’s ‘Bee Gees’ Biopic, Director Says appeared first on TheWrap.

“Ad Vitam” beat out a number of film classics and nostalgic movies to climb to the top of Netflix’s Top 10 ranking since it’s debut on Jan. 10. The film is certain to scratch the itch for action movie lovers – particularly those who adored Liam Neeson’s “Taken” franchise.

Here is what you need to know about “Ad Vitam” before you check it out for yourself.

What is ‘Ad Vitam’ about?

“Ad Vitam” follows a counterterrorism agent for the French national police called GIGN who has fallen from grace right as he’s embroiled in a mission involving the kidnapping of his pregnant wife. Here’s the official synopsis of the film:

“After escaping an attempted murder, Franck Lazareff must find his wife Leo, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men. He is caught up by his past and plunged into a state affair that is beyond him.”

Who stars in the film?

“Ad Vitam” stars Guillaume Canet (“All-Time High”) as Franck and Stéphane Caillard (“War of the Worlds”) as Leo. They are joined by Nassim Lyes (“Under Paris”), Zita Hanrot (“My Sole Desire”) and Alexis Manenti (“Les Misérables”).

The film is directed by French director Rodolphe Lauga (“La Source”) and was written by Lauga, Canet, and David Corona.

What does “Ad Vitam” mean?

Ad Vitam is a Latin phrase meaning “For Life.” In the film, it’s a motto that Franck’s father – who also served in the GIGN – lived by.

Watch the trailer:

The post This French Action Thriller Is the Biggest Movie on Netflix Right Now appeared first on TheWrap.

While there was speculation that the new novel might also serve as the second season for the Apple TV+ series “Presumed Innocent,” Turow told TheWrap that neither of his sequels about Rusty Sabich — including the 2010 novel “Innocent” — would have worked as a follow-up to the David E. Kelley and JJ Abrams-produced series.

“‘Innocent’ is set 20 years later, so it would be hard to do it as a follow on to the prior series,” he said. “Also, Peter Sarsgaard said from the beginning, ‘I’m not doing sequels.‘ And as it happens, his character, Tommy Molto, was at the center of the story in ‘Innocent,” so there were a lot of reasons that didn’t happen,” he explained.

The question that “hovers over” his new book is “whether you can really have a second or even maybe a third act, and do a better job than you did in the prior go-rounds.”

As the novel opens, Rusty has made a new life in fictional Skageon County, where he’s a respected judge and is engaged to the principal of the local grade school. “He’s sort of come back to life,” said Turow of the character.

A number of factors complicate the case: His would-be stepson Aaron is a Black man in a rural predominantly white community and the victim is his girlfriend, Mae, who was white and the daughter of one of the town’s most prestigious families. Aaron also has a prior drug conviction and appeared to be fleeing the scene of the crime.

“There’s a lot that counts against Aaron, and it starts with what all criminal defendants have in common, which is that judges can tell juries whatever they want about a presumption of innocence, but the reality is, everybody knows how our system works,” said Turow, who retired from his own law practice in 2020. “Most people who are accused are guilty, and so jurors come into a courtroom, in that mindset that this guy probably did it.”

Despite his misgivings that defending Aaron will destroy his relationship with Bea, Rusty takes the case. “He’s kind of the choice by default, even though I think most people would say representing a soon-to-be family member is a terrible idea. But the law talks about a rule of necessity in some cases where the ordinary rules get set aside. Because there’s no way out of this. And this is a rule of necessity situation,” the author explained.

Turow admitted he hasn’t yet read the book that Season 2 of “Presumed Innocent” will be based on, Jo Murray’s debut novel, “Dissection of a Murder.” “My publisher told me it’s a good book, and that’s as far as I’ve gotten,” he said.

He also has a fairly hands-off approach once one of his books has been optioned. “I’ve been very well served by both adaptations of ‘Presumed Innocent’ and frankly, by all the other films that have been made from my work. There’s nothing that I’ve sat there and just closed my eyes and gritted my teeth about.”

While he said he loves Alan Pakula, who directed the 1990 film “Presumed Innocent” starring Harrison Ford, he felt the series was more faithful to the book.

“The book has a kind of darkness to it that Alan did not want to bring to the screen and the series does not shy away from,” he said. “It emphasizes not only the brutality of the way that Carolyn was murdered, but the way there’s kind of an undertone of sadism and Rusty and Carolyn’s relationship.”

Despite the fact he hasn’t done a lot of sequels, Turow was surprised to find that his books, most of which are set in made-up Midwestern Kindle County, are considered a series whether he intended them to be or not.

“Sometimes somebody is in the background in a book, and then they leap up to the foreground in a subsequent book. To some extent, you can argue they’re all sequels or part of a series. I never thought of it that way, to tell you the truth,” he said. “And then I saw a listing on Amazon that referred to the current novel that was coming out, as Kindle County Book Number 9. And I’m like, “Huh?”

He laughed, “I have my own little universe. Whether anybody else populates it, besides me, I don’t know.”

“Presumed Guilty” is out now from Grand Central Publishing. Season 1 of “Presumed Innocent” is now streaming on Apple TV+.

The post Scott Turow Explains Why ‘Presumed Innocent’ Season 2 Isn’t Based on New Novel ‘Presumed Guilty’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Green, along with “Succession” actor Arian Moayed and “Past Lives” filmmaker Celine Song, will handle the U.S. Dramatic Competition. Oscar- and Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Steven Bognar (“American Factory”), producer Vinnie Malhotra and Marcia Smith will oversee the U.S. Documentary Competition.

Heading up the World Cinema Dramatic Competition are Ava Cahen, Wanuri Kahiu and Kaluuya. Daniela Alatorre, Laura Kim and Kevin Macdonald will oversee the World Cinema Documentary Competition.

Kaniehtiio Horn, Maggie Mackay, and Kibwe Tavares will oversee the Short Film Program Competition, while Wood will handle the NEXT section.

The jury for the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize deliberated ahead of the festival and awarded the prize to “Sally,” directed by Cristina Costantini. This jury included Michael Almereyda, Nia Imara, Mónica López, Nicholas Ma and Sam and Andy Zuchero.

“We are thrilled to announce the incredible and accomplished group that comprise the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s jury,” Eugene Hernandez, director of the Sundance Film Festival and public programming, said in a statement to TheWrap. “The jury plays a pivotal role in helping us recognize and amplify a new generation of storytellers, which is a crucial part of our work in independent cinema.”

“The jury will embark on an exciting journey to recognize the storytelling and artistic achievements that are a part of this year’s program,” Kim Yutani, the festival’s director of programming, added. “We are truly appreciative of their commitment and are looking forward to having them join us at the Festival.”

This year’s Sundance Film Festival takes place in Park City, Utah, from Jan. 23 through Feb. 2.

The post Sundance 2025 Jury Set With Reinaldo Marcus Green, Daniel Kaluuya, Elijah Wood and More appeared first on TheWrap.

Tarsem Singh’s somewhat controversial 2000 thriller is getting the 4K treatment thanks to a new, limited edition release from Arrow Video.

“The Cell” stars Jennifer Lopez as a psychologist working with some cutting-edge technology, who is tasked by the FBI to go inside the mind of a serial killer (Vincent D’Onofrio) who has fallen into a coma. While there, she has to battle the demons of his subconscious, along with an FBI agent (Vince Vaughn). Watch a clip from the new restoration below, with Lopez’s character communicating with the ghostly version of the killer’s dog – an all-white German shepherd.

When the movie was released in 2000, it was somewhat controversial, with some claiming that Singh’s imagery, which borrowed from Damien Hirst and H.R. Giger, to name a few, and was honed during Singh’s time making influential commercials and music videos (like R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion”), was derivative and dull. Others were rightfully galvanized by the movie, which mixed “The Silence of the Lambs” with “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” to great effect. Roger Ebert gave it a rave review and placed it at No. 6 on his list of best films of that year. “Tarsem, the director, is a visual virtuoso who juggles his storylines effortlessly; it’s dazzling, the way he blends so many notes, styles and genres into a film so original,” Ebert wrote.

Now Arrow Video has put together a truly stunning package for the film, which includes new 4K editions of both the theatrical and director’s cut of the film; a new feature-length interview with Singh; new commentary tracks; a never-before-seen alternate version of the theatrical cut of the movie, with a different aspect ratio and new color grading; plus, all the archival materials from previous editions of the movie (deleted scenes, trailers and more). The release is available in 4K UHD and Blu-ray formats.

If you’re a fan of the bold, virtuoso filmmaking of “The Cell” or simply haven’t seen it since it came out in theaters, then this version is for you. It’s dreamy.

The post Jennifer Lopez Traverses the Dream World in Arrow Video’s New Restoration of ‘The Cell’ | Exclusive appeared first on TheWrap.

The movie premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and later played the New York Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival. A24 acquired the domestic distribution rights to the movie, with Mubi releasing the movie internationally.

But how can you watch Guadagnino’s latest? Read on to find out.

Is “Queer” streaming?

After being released in theaters last November and December, “Queer” is now finally available to rent on Digital. The film will eventually be streaming on Max due to an output deal between the streamer and A24, but a streaming release date has not yet been revealed. “Queer” will also be released on Blu-ray in April.

Find all available digital retailers here.

Who is in the “Queer” cast?

Drew Starkey, Lesley Manville, Jason Schwartzman, Henry Zaga, Omar Apollo and filmmaker David Lowery also appear in “Queer.”

Who did the music for “Queer?”

The score for “Queer” is once again composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. This is the third collaboration between the composers (and Nine Inch Nails principals) and Guadagnino after 2022’s haunting horror romance “Bones and All” and, of course, “Challengers.”

What is “Queer” about?

Craig plays Lee, an American expat lounging around post-war Mexico City, shooting up heroin and drinking heavily. It’s in Mexico City that he becomes infatuated with a young, aloof American named Allerton (Starkey), convinced that they should be together.

Lee also becomes obsessed with reports of a magical plant, said to grow deep in the jungle, that grants the user the power of telepathy. (He thinks this will give him a greater connection to his Allerton.) Together, Lee and Allerton embark on a dangerous quest. The film combines the events of the novel with new material and biographic elements from Burroughs’ life.

If you’re looking for additional viewing, may we suggest 1983’s “Burroughs: The Movie,” which saw the author embark on a new phase of his career, doing readings in grungy punk rock clubs. It’s super fascinating. Another Burroughs must-watch is David Cronenberg’s 1991 adaptation of his 1959 novel. Cronenberg’s movie stars Peter Weller, Ian Holm, Judy Davis and Roy Scheider and plays around with similar Burroughs-ian imagery. Hello centipedes!

Watch the “Queer” trailer:

The post How to Watch ‘Queer:’ Is Daniel Craig’s Provocative Drama Streaming? appeared first on TheWrap.

In the Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature category, the category that corresponds most closely to Best Visual Effects at the Oscars, the nominees were “Better Man,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” “Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Twisters.”

All 10 of the films on the Oscars’ Best Visual Effects shortlist received VES nominations. In addition to the five nominees in the VES Outstanding Visual Effects category, “Civil War” and “Gladiator II” received two nominations and “Alien: Romulus,” “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Wicked” each received one.

The VES Awards have 25 categories that cover photoreal and animated features, episodic work, commercials, games, and real-time, CG and student projects. The record for VES nominations is 14, which was set by “Avatar: The Way of Water” two years ago.

In the animated-feature categories, “The Wild Robot” led with five nominations. In the episodic categories, “Shōgun” and “The Penguin” led with four each.

The nominations were selected by VES members at 49 in-person and virtual panels that took place around the world in a continuous 30-hour period.

The winners will be announced at the VES Awards ceremony on Feb. 11 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Also at that ceremony, “Shōgun” actor-producer Hiroyuki Sanada will receive the VES Award for Creative Excellence; director and visual effects supervisor Takashi Yamazaki will receive the VES Visionary Award; and virtual reality pioneer Dr. Jacquelyn Ford Morie will receive the VES  Georges Méliès Award.

Here is the full list of nominated films and projects. For a list of the nominated visual effects artists and craftsmen in each category, go to www.vesglobal.org.

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATUR
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Mufasa: The Lion King
Twisters

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE
Blitz
Civil War
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
Nosferatu
Young Woman and the Sea

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE
Inside Out 2
Moana 2
The Wild Robot
Transformers One
Ultraman: Rising

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE
Fallout; The Head
House of the Dragon; Season 2; The Red Dragon and the Gold
Shōgun; Anjin
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew; Episode 5
The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power; Season 2; Eldest

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE
Expats: Home
Lady in the Lake; It Has to Do With the Search for the Marvelous
Masters of the Air; Part Three; The Regensburg-Schweinfurt Mission
The Penguin; Bliss
The Tattooist of Auschwitz; Pilot

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A REAL-TIME PROJECT
[REDACTED]
Destiny 2: The Final Shape
Star Wars Outlaws
What If…? – An Immersive Story
Until Dawn

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A COMMERCIAL
YouTube TV NFL Sunday Ticket: The Magic of Sunday
Disney; Holidays 2024
Virgin Media; Walrus Whizzer
Coca-Cola; The Heroes
Six Kings Slam; Call of the Kings

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SPECIAL VENUE PROJECT
D23; Real-Time Rocket
The Goldau Landslide Experience
MTV Video Music Awards; Slim Shady Live
Tokyo DisneySea; Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure
Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony; Run

OUTSTANDING CHARACTER IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE
Better Man; Robbie Williams
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; Noa
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; Raka
Mufasa: The Lion King; Taka

OUTSTANDING CHARACTER IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE
Inside Out 2; Anxiety
The Wild Robot; Roz
Thelma The Unicorn; Vic Diamond
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl; Gromit

OUTSTANDING CHARACTER IN AN EPISODE, COMMERCIAL, GAME CINEMATIC, OR REAL-TIME PROJECT
Secret Level; Armored Core: Asset Management; Mech Pilo
Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred; Neyrelle
Disney; Holidays 2024; Octopus
Ronja the Robber’s Daughter; Vildvittran the Queen Harpy

OUTSTANDING ENVIRONMENT IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE
Civil War; Washington, D.C.
Dune: Part Two; The Arrakeen Basin
Gladiator II; Rome
Wicked; The Emerald City

OUTSTANDING ENVIRONMENT IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE
Kung Fu Panda 4; Juniper City
The Wild Robot; The Forest
Transformers One; Iacon City
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl; Aqueduct

OUTSTANDING ENVIRONMENT IN AN EPISODE, COMMERCIAL, GAME CINEMATIC, OR REAL-TIME PROJECT
Dune: Prophecy; Pilot; The Imperial Palace
Dune: Prophecy; Two Wolves; Zimia Spaceport
Shōgun; Osaka
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Season 2; Doomed to Die; Eregion

OUTSTANDING CG CINEMATOGRAPHY
Better Man
Dune: Part Two; Arrakis
House of the Dragon; Season 2; The Red Dragon and the Gold; Battle at Rook’s Rest
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ; Egg Climb

OUTSTANDING MODEL IN A PHOTOREAL OR ANIMATED PROJECT
Alien: Romulus; Renaissance Space Station
Deadpool & Wolverine; Ant-Man Arena
Dune: Part Two; The Harkonnen Harvester
Gladiator II; The Colosseum

OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE
Dune: Part Two; Atomic Explosions and Wormriding
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; Burning Village, Rapids and Floods
Twisters
Venom: The Last Dance; Water, Fire & Symbiote Effects

OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE
Kung Fu Panda 4
Moana 2
The Wild Robot
Ultraman: Rising

OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN AN EPISODE, COMMERCIAL, GAME CINEMATIC, OR REAL-TIME PROJECT
Avatar: The Last Airbender; Legends; Koizilla
Shōgun; Broken to the Fist; Landslide
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew; Pilot; Spaceship Hillside Takeoff
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Season 2; Shadow and Flame; Balrog Fire and Collapsing Cliff
Three Body Problem; Judgement Day

OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A FEATURE
Better Man
Dune: Part Two; Wormriding, Geidi Prime, and the Final Battle
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
The Wild Robot

OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN AN EPISODE
Shōgun; Broken to the Fist; Landslide
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew; Episode 6; Jaws
The Boys; Season 4; Life Among the Septics
The Penguin; After Hour

OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A COMMERCIAL
Virgin Media; Walrus Whizzer
Coca-Cola; The Heroes
Corcept; Marionette
Disney; Holidays 2024

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL (PRACTICAL) EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL PROJECT
Blitz
Constellation
The Penguin; Safe Guns

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AWARD
Dune: Part Two; Nuke CopyCat
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; Artist-driven Machine Learning Character
Here; Neural Performance Toolset
Mufasa: The Lion King; Real-Time Interactive Filmmaking, From Stage To Post
The Penguin; Phase Synced Flash-Gun System

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A STUDENT PROJECT
Dawn (entry from ESMA – École Supérieure Des Métiers Artistiques)
Student Accomplice (entry from Brigham Young University)
Pittura (entry from ARTFX – Schools of Digital Arts)
Courage (entry from Supinfocom – Rubika)

The post ‘Dune: Part Two’ Leads Visual Effects Society Nominations appeared first on TheWrap.

“Everything we see in the years to come will be compared to 2025, not to 2022 or to 2019,” one studio executive told TheWrap.“This is going to be the new benchmark.”

The struggles of rebuilding after the pandemic, with audiences slowly returning in 2021 and studios navigating production backlogs in 2022, tainted the long-term data about moviegoing habits, even as films like “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” proved that Hollywood could produce a global hit as huge as they did before 2020.

Then the double labor strikes derailed hopes that 2023 or 2024 would be the first “normal” year, leading to delays that contributed to last May becoming the worst at the box office in a quarter century. The mantra of “Survive ’til ’25” that flowed through the film industry was particularly true for theaters, which need consistent releases above all else.

That consistency will begin with a slow start this weekend with the Sony comedy “One of Them Days” and the Universal/Blumhouse horror film “Wolf Man,” alongside an expansion of A24’s top Oscar contender ”The Brutalist.” In February, Marvel Studios will provide the big tentpole of the first quarter with “Captain America: Brave New World.”

Assuming no major setbacks in 2025, Gower Street Analytics is projecting a domestic box office total of $9.7 billion, up from the $9.04 billion recorded by Comscore in 2023.

While that’s still short of the $11.3 billion recorded before inflation adjustment in 2019, exhibitors tell TheWrap that a $10 billion year is not off the table, especially considering that the slate for the second half of the year could see several more additions. This time last year, Disney had not yet announced that it was adding “Moana 2” to its slate, and that film has made nearly $400 million domestic and $900 million worldwide after five weekends.

But the extent of the optimism varies depending on whom you ask, Daniel Loria, SVP of content strategy at BoxOffice, said.

“I have heard multiple exhibitors say they believe it is not unrealistic that we could hit $10 billion,” Loria told TheWrap. “Studios and premium format execs think it is closer to $9 billion. At BoxOffice, we’ve taken all those varying perspectives into account for our domestic projections, which we put at $9.3 billion to $9.7 billion.”

One reason why there’s so much optimism among exhibitors is that the 2025 slate should be free of the weeks-long droughts that have plagued theaters over the past three years. Take 2022, for example, which saw the mid-summer highs of “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Jurassic World: Dominion” give way to a deep early autumn slump, including a September where grosses fell to the lowest level since 1996.

One studio executive believes that the industry will be able to put such slumps behind them as the frequency of theatrical releases increases. Currently, Comscore estimates there will be 110 films released wide in 2,000 North American theaters, more than the 101 released in 2023. The executive believes that count could increase to 120 or more.

“If you look at the first quarter, there’s a lot of volume,” the executive said. “We haven’t seen that in a few years. You have breadth, volume and a wide variety of anticipated tentpoles, and that’s everything we need to figure out what the new normal is and how the audience is responding.”

Earlier this month, the National Association of Theater Owners released a report that outlined other reasons for optimism. Frequent moviegoers are on the rise, as evidenced by a 12% increase in theater loyalty program members in 2024 to 112 million nationwide, the report showed.

NATO also cited a survey from Mintel that found that 85% of moviegoers surveyed plan to go to theaters more frequently in the next 12 months than they did in the previous 12. Eager to make a good impression with those moviegoers, the top eight circuits in the U.S. and Canada are investing a combined $2.2 billion in updates and refurbishments to their multiplexes.

“As theatrical exhibition heads into 2025, it does so bolstered by consumer excitement for movies on the big screen, a continuing and strengthening commitment to serve the movie-going public and enhance the experience for all, and an increased movie production slate across all important genres to ensure that there is something for everyone at the cinema,” NATO’s report read.

Falling short of 2010s box office levels before inflation adjustment would be a glass-half-empty scenario. Loria noted that while the recovery process for the film industry is progressing steadily, the post-strike slowdown in green lighting projects adopted over the past year will still impact the number of wide releases. So will the wave of consolidation that has already hit theaters with Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox. That could continue to take a toll under an M&A-friendly Trump administration.

“Even in the best-case scenario, we’re still not going to be back to pre-pandemic numbers, and a big reason for that is that there’s one less studio putting out a full slate,“ Loria said. “That’s going to stretch out how long it takes for numbers to rise.”

The year ahead

The opening quarter of 2025 also reflects that “half-full or half-empty” question when it comes to the potential for increased numbers. On the one hand, the sheer frequency of films in the opening months is far greater than the last two years, reducing the possibility of a drought.

“Captain America: Brave New World,” will be a big test of the MCU’s ability to get fans wary of the franchise’s post-“Avengers: Endgame” inconsistency back on board ahead of the return of Robert Downey Jr. in “Avengers: Doomsday” next year.

February will also showcase lower budget films like Sony/StudioCanal’s “Paddington in Peru” and Universal/87North’s “Love Hurts,” which marks the first lead role for Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan after his big return to Hollywood in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

On the “half-empty” side, the March slate does not have the tentpole power of years past. Films like “Dune: Part Two,” “Creed III” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” have all launched to strong starts in recent years. In 2025, the highest profile March release will be Disney’s remake of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” a film whose trailer has been negatively received. The film risks being a flop for the entertainment giant after a 2024 in which all of its major films dodged such a fate.

In their place will be a series of lower-budget original and auteur-driven films trying to find an audience, including Warner Bros.’ “Mickey 17,” director Bong Joon-ho’s follow-up to his historic Best Picture winner “Parasite.” Robert De Niro will also star in the WB crime film “Alto Knights,” while “The Boys” star Jack Quaid tries out being an action lead playing a banker who can’t feel pain in Paramount’s “Novocaine.”

A very hot summer

This will lead into a second and third quarter where the glass could be overflowing. Ryan Coogler highlights April with the original Michael B. Jordan horror film “Sinners,” leading into a summer that includes the Marvel film “Thunderbolts*,” remakes of Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” and DreamWorks’ “How to Train Your Dragon,” Pixar’s “Elio,” the horror threequel “28 Years Later” and Tom Cruise’s potential adieu to Ethan Hunt in “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.”

Then in July is the big one: “Superman.” The film carries very high stakes for Warner Bros. as it will determine whether the studio has a potential king franchise with James Gunn’s DC Studios. So far, things are looking up for the Son of Krypton, as the teaser trailer earned a Warner Bros. record 250 million views in its first 24 hours, a sign of widespread interest even with major head-to-head competition like “Jurassic World: Rebirth” and Marvel’s “Fantastic Four: The First Steps” also hitting screens in July.

A big finish

After the summer, the big bucks should keep rolling in. September likely will bring a relative slowdown with demographic-specific titles like “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” “Saw XI” and “Downton Abbey 3” on the slate. But that will change in a big way in October with “Michael,” a biopic that Lionsgate hopes will reverse its fortunes after a terrible 2024 at the box office and which could challenge “Oppenheimer” for the highest-grossing biopic of all time.

That will lead into a final two months that should be just as big as the one theaters just enjoyed with the return of Elphaba and Glinda in Universal’s “Wicked: For Good,” followed by the Thanksgiving release of Disney’s “Zootopia 2.” Paramount, which provided young men with an alternative in 2024 with “Gladiator II,” will do so again with Glen Powell’s take on Stephen King’s “The Running Man,” which will likely be produced at a lower budget than the Ridley Scott legacyquel.

Closing out the year will be James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” a sequel to the 2022 film “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which grossed $2.32 billion. While this third installment won’t have the advantage of a 13-year wait to build up hype, it is clear that moviegoers around the world are excited for more adventures in Pandora and will likely turn up en masse once again.

What could derail a big 2025?

The fact that many major titles are coming out in close proximity to each other is why theater owners feel like the rebound they’ve enjoyed in the second half of 2024 is just the beginning. But there is one thing that could crush all their hopes: another pandemic.

In recent months, health officials have warned about the spread of the H5N1 virus, also known as the “bird flu,” among cows across the United States and Canada. Dozens of cases have been reported in humans, but so far the virus has yet to mutate in a way that would make it highly contagious and transmittable among humans.

Still, epidemiologists have warned that the more the virus spreads among livestock unchecked, the greater the risk for farmers in proximity to those animals; and the more humans that get infected from those animals, the greater the chance of a dangerous mutation occurring and triggering another pandemic that could close theaters again.

When asked by TheWrap about his concerns over the bird flu, one theater owner said that he was aware and concerned about the virus, but couldn’t dwell on it.

“I mean, what can any of us in this industry do?” he said. “If it does happen, at least we have the social distancing and disinfecting protocols from COVID ready to go, but whether or not it gets bad enough that we have to close is out of our hands. But yeah, it would be beyond frustrating if it ever gets to that.”

For now, exhibitors are focusing on what they can control: improving moviegoer experience and auditorium quality, working with studios to market films directly to their loyalty members and taking advantage of the growing release slate to build momentum.

“At CinemaCon, [AMC CEO] Adam Aron was asked in a panel if the movie theater industry can survive being a $9 billion industry. After this year, we won’t have to worry about that question,” Loria said. “Now the active question is who can survive in a $10 billion industry, and can Hollywood and exhibitors keep the pie growing in the years to come to allow the business at large to remain sustainable?”

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