All articles tagged with #film industry
Annapurna Pictures laid off about 30 employees—roughly 15% of its staff—citing changing market conditions as Megan Ellison realigns the company. Ellison remains CEO and has been rebuilding after years of near-dormancy and debt from its expansion, with Annapurna continuing to pursue film, gaming and live theatre ventures and having recently re-hired early architects of its success.
Annapurna, Megan Ellison’s independent banner, is cutting 30 positions as it realigns to shifting market conditions in Hollywood; the move follows years of pivots from prestige dramas toward interactive content and IP-driven projects, with leadership stressing that impacted employees will be supported during the transition and noting it’s unclear which division bore the brunt of the layoffs.
Sony/Marvel's Spider-Man: Brand New Day has overtaken Avengers: Endgame to become the No. 2 all-time domestic box office hit with about $858.4 million, edging Endgame's $858.3 million; Endgame will be rereleased later this year as Avengers: Endgame Encore, but Brand New Day is closing in on $900 million domestically and is on track to approach the $1 billion mark in the U.S. This weekend Brand New Day is expected to remain No. 1 with around $18 million amid competition from other openings.
California’s share of U.S. post-production jobs has fallen as editing, sound and visual effects move to New York, Canada and the U.K. AB 2319 would create a 35%–50% tax credit on California post-production spending, seeking about $100 million annually, and heads to a Senate vote. Supporters say it could attract and retain work in-state, while economists warn it may mainly subsidize projects that would have stayed in California anyway. The measure comes as workers—from Foley artists to editors—see dwindling hours and salaries, and California’s broader film incentives require some production activity in-state. Critics question whether the policy will meaningfully expand employment given budget pressures.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day fuels August’s domestic box office to a record $1.1 billion, accounting for about 62% of the month’s gross and signaling a top-heavy, tentpole-driven summer amid shifting release strategies and moviegoing habits.
Insidious: Out of the Further led Friday’s domestic box office with $10.6 million from 3,303 theaters and is projected to net about $23.7 million for the weekend, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day earned $9.8 million on Friday and is forecast to win the weekend with around $36.5 million. The Odyssey is third with about $5 million on Friday and roughly $18 million over the weekend, Mutiny opened in fourth with $2.8 million and is tracking about $7.4 million for the weekend, and The End of Oak Street sits fifth with $2.2 million on Friday and an estimated $8 million for its sophomore frame (total near $37 million domestic).
Insidious: Out Of The Further opened to about $3 million in Thursday previews (2 p.m. start), slower than Insidious: Red Door’s $5 million preview, with a weekend forecast of roughly $23–$27 million across 3,303 theaters. Spider-Man: Brand New Day remains the weekend’s top draw in its third week, crossing $100 million domestic (about $100.1M this week) and $815.9 million worldwide, while Out Of The Further has mixed reviews (58% on Rotten Tomatoes).
Hollywood is witnessing the rise of AI-powered studios like Promise that use real‑time generated backdrops and synthetic performers to speed up production and cut costs. On a Culver City set, AI-generated scenery and motion were composited live with a human actor, illustrating how hybrid human‑AI filmmaking could become common. The trend has drawn both praise from some industry figures (and big backers) and concern from directors, actors, and unions about jobs and creative control, as Netflix and others increasingly adopt AI tools. Proponents argue AI can unlock new creative voices and cost savings, while critics warn of outsourcing and reduced human involvement.
Warner Bros.' original dinosaur film The End of Oak Street opened to $21M domestic and $47M worldwide on an $80M budget, finishing behind Spider-Man and Paw Patrol; despite positive reviews, it underperformed, underscoring how non-Jurassic dinosaur movies struggle to compete with the dominant Jurassic Park/World franchise.
Sony/Marvel's Spider-Man: Brand New Day has reached $2 billion at the global box office after just three weekends, becoming the eighth film to hit the milestone. With a $360 million domestic and $927 million global launch and strong word-of-mouth, it is on pace to potentially top the domestic record set by The Force Awakens and could join Avatar and Avengers: Endgame as the first titles to reach about $2.5 billion worldwide before inflation adjustments.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day dominates its third weekend with about $67 million at the domestic box office, pushing its 17‑day total to roughly $782.8 million and into the top-five all-time domestic ranking, while The End of Oak Street and PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie open near $20 million each, The Odyssey sits at No. 2 with around $23 million, and Katseye: Wild Hearts opens near $3.8 million.
IndieWire reports that Spider-Man: Brand New Day has already grossed about $655 million domestically and $1.67 billion worldwide in 12 days after a $360 million opening, with analysts weighing whether it can become the first film to top $1 billion in domestic box office, drawing comparisons to Endgame and The Force Awakens while highlighting strong domestic performance and the star power of Tom Holland and Zendaya.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day posted the biggest Tuesday domestic box office ever with $42 million and has pushed its global total to about $1.1 billion, making it the year’s top-grossing release and setting multiple milestones as the domestic five-day run nears $450 million.
A Hollywood roundup reports Warner Bros. may delay a Barbie sequel after CEO David Zaslav pushes back on generous profit-sharing deals, risking the rights reverting to Mattel in December; Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling would need sweeter terms to return. Elsewhere, Spider-Man: Brand New Day shattered opening-preview records with $72 million and is on track for a massive domestic debut, even as piracy chatter and a Twitter/X leak draw attention; the slate also includes a potential Stephen King adaptation of Desperation at Disney’s Searchlight, with Lipovsky and Stein attached to direct under Raimi and Tapert.
Jason Cloth, a Hollywood financier with producing credits on Joker and Babylon, was indicted in Chicago on seven counts of wire fraud for allegedly raising about $100 million from investors and diverting it to a Canadian real estate venture instead of funding film projects; his firm Creative Wealth Media Finance had previously faced Ontario Securities Commission actions and bankruptcy in Canada, and investors have filed suits alleging he swindled funds. The indictment seeks reimbursement of $12.25 million; Cloth has faced other legal actions including a Florida judgment, and the FBI is seeking additional victims.