He does so at a time where there’s plenty of short-term good news for theaters. The 2026 box office is off to the best start the industry has seen since the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to films like “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” “Project Hail Mary” and “Scream 7.” Theaters are getting creative in finding new hits like Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” and the upcoming series finale to “The Amazing Digital Circus,” creating experiences for a new generation of moviegoers.

And yet O’Leary has spent the past several months in an existential battle on behalf of theaters, lobbying across the country against the proposed merger between Warner Bros. and Paramount. Through O’Leary, Cinema United has made it clear that any sale of the hallowed legacy studio would be damaging to theaters, moviegoers, and the economy that sustains surrounding businesses and countless small towns.

Despite this foreboding threat to the bottom lines of theaters, O’Leary told TheWrap that he wants to focus on the good news at this year’s convention. He also spoke about theaters’ need to diversify where they get their films to screen, as well as not to get so hooked on Imax to the suffering of all other auditoriums.

This year at CinemaCon, you have invited specialty and independent distributors like Angel and StudioCanal to the main stage. Was this move done partly in response to the consolidation issue in Hollywood?

We’re bringing in additional distributors because we’re trying to expand the circle of people that our members have exposure to. Even right now there are gaps in the schedule each year, as you know, and independent film is extremely important, not just culturally and financially, but it’s also a big way to fill in some of those gaps that exist in the schedule.

So that decision to have to highlight some of the independent distributors that are out there was not made in any way in response to possible consolidation. The one thing I would note, and we certainly learned this when Disney acquired Fox, is that it’s simply not realistic to think that the independent community can come in and take the place of a major studio that sees its production levels drop, as in the case of 20th Century Fox, by almost 50%.

So if there’s any speculation out there about any connection to consolidation, we’re just trying to highlight different distributors that are out there because they’re making an array of movies that appeal to different audiences. Our working premise is that we want the theater to be someplace where there’s something for everyone, so having a wider group of people putting movies into the system helps us serve that goal more than anything.

Well, to that end, we have recently seen some big independent hits like “Iron Lung,” which came from fans of Markiplier reaching out to theaters and asking for the film to be added to their screens, and Regal in particular jumped on that because they had staff that recognized Markiplier’s fanbase. What are your thoughts on how that played out?

I thought that was a great example of the direction we want our industry to move in. It was great for the fans and very logical on our end, because at the end of the day, we’re in a consumer-facing business. We want to put as much product into our theaters that will draw an audience, that people find compelling. You identified the Regal example, and I think there are other folks out there probably doing the same thing, keeping an eye out for fanbases and audiences off the beaten path that want to have that shared theatrical experience.  My guess is it will probably intensify as we move forward, and more movies like “Iron Lung” have success doing this kind of thing.

On the Paramount and Warner front, there’s been more red flags from Wall Street about the debt issues that will bring to Paramount Skydance, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta has been signaling for weeks that he will review the merger. On Cinema United’s front, what have been the most recent developments on opposing this merger?

Well, we’ve continued to talk with regulators at the state, federal and international level, continuing to press our case and to make the point that we think that this transaction as currently configured is not just bad for exhibition. It’s bad for movie fans, it’s bad for communities all over this country and around the world, and it’s bad for the entire entertainment industry.

I think we’ve been fairly disciplined and fairly straightforward in our approach, in trying to highlight the impact that this transaction is going to have on Main Street. A number of regulatory bodies are in the investigative phase trying to gather information, and we’ve been supporting that in a number of states and at the federal level, and also internationally. So we’re trying to make our case right now, and we intend to stay on top of this. It’s our highest priority, and we’ll see where the process goes.

Since you took over as head of Cinema United, you’ve pushed for an increase in capital investments to allow theater chains to refurbish thousands of theaters. How is that campaign going, and are you seeing signs that audiences are starting to notice the improvements?

Yes, we’re very happy with that progress. We’re actually going to be putting out an update on that sometime after CinemaCon. But what I can tell you is that between September 2024 and September 2025, there had been an investment of $1.5 billion in top theater chains. That’s for upgrades in the lobby, in the concession areas and also with expanded food and beverage options. You’re seeing a lot of it go into the technical side too: laser projectors, improved sound systems, and especially on seats, which movie fans really, really covet. This is happening from one screen, independent theaters all the way up through the largest circuits in the world. A couple of years ago, the top eight members of Cinema United pledged to spend $2.3 billion over three years. After one year, we were already halfway there.

To your point, AMC CEO Adam Aron has mentioned in earnings calls that they have made it a particular point to improve interest and satisfaction in just standard formats, to let people know that they are still going to get a good experience if they can’t get seats to an Imax or Dolby screening and that it won’t be a gamble on the sound and picture.

That’s right, and it’s something I’ve talked about for over a year. There’s a risk, frankly with the overemphasis on premium large formats. First of all, there are incredible PLFs that aren’t Imax. Most of our members have their own proprietary brand of them that is just as good even if it’s not well known. And while Imax deserves plenty of credit for building that trust with moviegoers, it’s our job to highlight the sheer volume of world class PLFs that are out there.

But beyond that, to Adam’s point, there are a number of people who go to the movies who aren’t seeking out that premium experience. I’m always amazed when I read articles on Monday and Tuesday that say something like 26% of a movie’s box office was made in the premium large formats. Well, that means 74% of it was made somewhere else, in other types of auditoriums. So part of what you’re seeing out there is a diversity of choice for people that go to the movies. Some people, they want to see it on the biggest screen, and that’s great. There’s an option for them. But if you’re taking five kids to a movie, you may want to see it in something that’s more affordable.

Our point is simply this: Every experience at the theater is special and amazing. And I think, frankly, the overindexing on PLFs is something which is being driven to a certain degree by forces outside of the exhibition industry. We cannot get into a situation where the consumer feels like if they don’t see it in a certain format, it’s not worth seeing in a theater, because that is just fundamentally inaccurate.

Last year, you urged Hollywood to move towards 45-day windows as an industry standard. Universal has agreed to that starting next year. During this Warner Bros. merger process, Paramount has committed to that window, and while Netflix was bidding for it, [co-CEO] Ted Sarandos was saying the same thing. Do you feel like Hollywood is getting to where you want them to be on this front?

Things are moving in a positive direction, and it is because more people in our industry are recognizing that meaningful windows benefit everybody. There was so much experimentation over the last six or seven years, and some of those experiments didn’t work and everyone is coming back to the realization that our industry is stronger when there’s a meaningful theatrical window. There’s still work to be done, but I think the studios are more and more starting to see that this is a path that is best for everybody.

Beyond what we’ve discussed, what else do you think is going to be a major part of this CinemaCon that we in the press are not focusing on as much or you think deserves more attention?

This is an odd year because there’s some very positive things going on out there, but then there’s a still this kind of overhang caused by possible consolidation. But I just want people to take a moment to look at those positives. As I said, windowing is moving in the right direction, and on top of that, I think everyone in exhibition is on the same page in terms of moving forward and figuring out new and inventive ways to make the theater experience better for everyone.

That’s why we made it a point at this CinemaCon to do a very comprehensive set of educational panels so that people can come from all over the world and share their experiences with theater owners, and maybe somebody hears something or sees something or learns something, and they take it back to their theater and they implement it, or they implement some variation on it, and it just helps our industry to continue to grow. So the focus is always on the future. How can we do better? How can we control what we control and deal with things that we can’t control? And so that’s kind of a theme, I think, which is probably more important this year than it has been in the recent past.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

The post Cinema United Chief Michael O’Leary Talks CinemaCon, Mergers and Winning the Windowing Battle appeared first on TheWrap.

It’s CinemaCon 2026, the annual trade show held by Cinema United where Hollywood’s biggest films of the coming year — and sometimes beyond — are presented to the owners of the cinemas they will be screened in.

Since the event took its current form in 2011 after being previously known as ShoWest, the atmosphere at CinemaCon can best be described as defiant optimism, as theater execs proclaim onstage that moviegoing will forever endure despite the myriad of challenges the industry has faced, from shorter windows to competition from streaming and the challenge of a global pandemic that forced theaters’ doors closed for a year.

But this year’s edition comes amidst a queasy mix of optimistic signs and foreboding threats. The show arrives as theaters have enjoyed the best start to the year since the pandemic. After this coming weekend, the domestic box office for the year will cross $2.1 billion, on par with 2023 and roughly 22% ahead of 2025’s poor first quarter.

Theaters have called on Hollywood to bring them more films, and they’re getting it with major movies coming in rapid succession from the combo of Lionsgate’s “Michael” and Disney/20th Century’s “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in a month’s time, to the loaded end-of-year slate highlighted by Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Doomsday” and Warner Bros./Legendary’s “Dune: Part Three.”

And yet, the specter of Hollywood consolidation — with Paramount racing to complete its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery this year — looms over the proceedings, one that has brought Cinema United to Capitol Hill over the last several months to warn of the existential threat it brings to an industry that has been part of neighborhoods around the world for more than a century. Amidst that uncertainty, what will the mood and the message at CinemaCon be?

Here’s what we’re looking at this week:

The merger in the room

In 2023, David Zaslav appeared at CinemaCon to pledge that Warner Bros. was committed to the future of the theatrical experience, a promise fulfilled last year when Warner became the first studio ever with seven consecutive $40 million-plus domestic openings that included the likes of “Sinners,” “A Minecraft Movie,” and “Superman.”

But barring a possible lawsuit from state attorneys general, it is looking like Warner Bros. will soon be under Paramount’s ownership, with the companies aiming to get the merger done by the end of the year. Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has made repeated vows to increase his studio’s theatrical output to 30 films annually with Warner in his portfolio, but that has been met with uniform skepticism from exhibitors, a sentiment shared in discussions TheWrap has had with theater owners and in letters that Cinema United President/CEO Michael O’Leary has sent to lawmakers and AGs.

“This merger threatens the economic and social well-being of our communities. While this transaction will impact theatre circuits of all sizes, it is Main Street America that will suffer the most. Smaller, mom-and-pop theatres will bear the disproportionate brunt of this latest attempt to scale Warner Bros,” O’Leary wrote this past week to the National Association of Attorneys General.

It’s unlikely that Warner Bros. or Paramount will acknowledge the merger outside of perhaps some faint acknowledgement of exhibitors’ worries. That leaves O’Leary’s Tuesday speech, which may not call out the studios by name but could reiterate what he has warned to Congress and to regulators: fewer distributors mean fewer films, and fewer films will mean fewer theaters across the country.

The next phase of windowing

A year ago, O’Leary called on studios to navigate the film industry towards a standard of a 45-day theatrical window, repeating the long-held mantra that longer windows mean bigger post-theatrical revenue for studios.

Since then, he’s largely gotten his wish. David Ellison has committed to a 45-day window at Paramount, and Universal will be transitioning to one for all of its films come 2027, while Disney has quietly practiced an even longer 100-day window since the end of 2022. While 45 days is not yet a hard, fast rule across Hollywood, it seems to be the direction the industry is leaning towards.

But as anyone in the business will tell you, windows are always fluid. It wasn’t long ago that it seemed like the 90-day theatrical window would forever remain untouched. So what’s the next step in this uneasy dance between studios and exhibitors? Insiders told TheWrap that windowing will be the subject of at least one major studio exec’s speech from the CinemaCon stage, and talks of what exhibitors can do on their end to get more moviegoers back in theaters will certainly be a part of industry panels throughout the week.

New studio partners

One presentation that Cinema United has heavily touted will be the first one on the CinemaCon schedule. Along with the big studios, Cinema United will host a showcase for three specialty/foreign distributors: Angel, StudioCanal and Sony Pictures Classics. That third slot was originally to be filled by Row K, but the new distributor backed out amidst an exodus of executives and an uneasy slate — film distribution is not for the faint of heart.

Angel is no stranger to CinemaCon, having hosted luncheon presentations since breaking into the box office in 2023 with “Sound of Freedom.” But this will be its first presentation on the main stage at Caesars Palace and comes at a time when the label is trying to expand its reputation beyond faith-based films with movies like “Sketch” and “Solo Mio.”

StudioCanal and Sony Pictures Classics will also showcase films as CinemaCon shines a spotlight on a specialty market that remains diminished compared to pre-pandemic norms. But their presence comes as O’Leary has urged theater owners to expand their horizons when it comes to choosing which films they screen in their theaters.

While these distributors wouldn’t completely make up for the theatrical output lost if studio consolidation continues, the theaters that survive the industry’s contraction will be the ones that find ways to uniquely engage their local community of moviegoers to reduce dependency on Hollywood’s biggest players.

What’s next for Amazon?

Speaking of the biggest players, Amazon MGM is coming back to CinemaCon after last year’s splashy debut, having proven itself with box office smash “Project Hail Mary.” The Ryan Gosling sci-fi movie became Amazon’s highest-grossing theatrical hit ever with a domestic total of $226 million and counting, and now the studio will look to build on that momentum as it continues its first year with a full theatrical slate.

“Masters of the Universe” will be Amazon’s big summer franchise tentpole, but the film on Amazon’s upcoming slate that theater owners have told TheWrap they have the most optimism for is “Verity,” the Colleen Hoover psychological thriller starring Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway that may become an autumn breakout title similar to “It Ends With Us” or “The Housemaid.”

The studio’s upcoming remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair” will also have a higher profile, as it will be the first major project for director/star Michael B. Jordan since his big “Sinners” Oscar win.

Blockbuster bonanza

And, oh yes, there are a bunch of big blockbusters that will be getting trailer reveals as well. Comic book movies may not have their 2010s box office clout, but there will be a lot of fans waiting to hear word of exclusive footage for films like DC’s “Clayface” and “Supergirl” and Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “Avengers: Doomsday,” the latter of which is expected to reveal its first trailer to exhibitors with the first-ever glimpse of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.

Takashi Yamazaki will be on hand to reveal the first footage and plot details of the next “Godzilla” film, “Godzilla Minus Zero,” a follow up to the surprise 2023 hit that grossed $116 million. Zach Cregger, hot off of last year’s “Weapons,” is expected to show a first look at his take on “Resident Evil,” while Universal is expected to show new footage from the latest films by two of cinema’s greatest directors: Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” and Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”

On the animation front, Disney is expected to show the first footage for its next original film “Hexed,” while DreamWorks will show an entire work-in-progress cut of its next original offering “Forgotten Island.” Legacy sequels like “Shrek 5” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2” will be unveiled, and potential Oscar contenders like Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning” and Alejandro Iñárritu’s “Digger,” which stars Tom Cruise, will be showcased for the first time anywhere.

The future may be stormy, but heartbreak still feels good in a place like this.

The post ‘Warnermount,’ Superheroes and Theatrical Windows: 5 Things We’re Looking for at CinemaCon appeared first on TheWrap.

While that is significantly lower than the $92 million second weekend of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” in 2023, the film remains on pace to become the year’s first $1 billion title as its domestic total reaches $308 million. At its current pace, “Galaxy” should have a final domestic total similar to fellow video game film “A Minecraft Movie,” which made $423.9 million from a similar Easter release date last year.

Meanwhile, Universal sent in another title in the form of the destination romcom “You, Me & Tuscany,” which opened in the No. 4 slot at the box office with $8 million earned in its opening weekend from 3,151 locations. Despite the slow start, the Kat Coiro-directed film starring Halle Bailey and Rege-Jean Page has a low break-even point with an $18 million production budget and could still leg out with strong word-of-mouth from audiences.

As one might expect, “You, Me & Tuscany” has an audience heavily skewed towards women with an 80% female return in the demographic data. Other demographic data includes 56% under the age of 35 and an ethnic breakdown of 47% Black, 33% White, 13% Latino and 6% Asian.

With three weeks until “The Devil Wears Prada 2” comes out, “Tuscany” will try to keep women coming out to theaters with strong reception scores including an A- on CinemaScore and 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

On the independent horror front, two new films made just over $1 million in their opening weekends but with very different screen counts. IFC’s “Faces of Death,” a reimagining of the 1978 mondo horror film set around present-day social media, made $1.7 million from 1,600 locations for a per theater average of just $1,063. Reception for the film was tepid, with a C on CinemaScore and a 68% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

By contrast, Neon’s Japanese video game adaptation “Exit 8” made $1.4 million in its opening, but from a far lower screen count of 495 locations for a per theater average of $2,837. Audience reception for the film is stronger with an 81% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Among holdovers, Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary” has now passed $500 million worldwide and is now a lock to pass $300 million domestic, having added $25 million in its fourth weekend for a total of $256 million domestic and $510 million globally. The film has already passed the unadjusted $228 million domestic total of the 2015 Andy Weir adaptation “The Martian,” and is on its way to passing that film’s $630 million global total.

A24’s “The Drama” is holding very well in its second weekend, grossing $8.7 million to bring its 10-day total to $30.8 million domestic and $65 million worldwide. The film is on its way to becoming the sixth A24 release to gross more than $100 million globally.

Completing the top 5 is Disney/Pixar’s “Hoppers” with $4.1 million in its sixth weekend, giving it a domestic total of $157 million and a global total of $354 million. “Hoppers” has now passed fellow Pixar film “Elemental” for the highest domestic total for an original animated film since the pandemic, though “Elemental” will still have a higher global total at $494.5 million.

The post ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ Crosses $600 Million at Global Box Office appeared first on TheWrap.

The Nintendo sequel will earn $69 million this weekend, which is a 47% drop from the film’s $131 million Friday-Sunday opening. By comparison, “Super Mario Bros.” made $92 million in its second weekend for a 37% drop.

While this means that “Super Mario Galaxy” won’t reach the $574 million of its predecessor, it is still crossing $300 million domestic this weekend and should surpass $400 million by the end of its run, finishing somewhere in the vicinity of the $423.9 million total of fellow video game film “A Minecraft Movie.”

Opening this weekend is another Universal film, “You, Me & Tuscany,” a romcom starring Halle Bailey and Rege-Jean Page that is estimated to earn $8.3 million from 3,151 locations. That puts it in fourth on the box office charts this weekend behind the fourth weekend of Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary” and the second weekend of A24’s “The Drama.”

Despite the relatively soft opening, “You, Me & Tuscany” has a low break-even point with a production budget of just $18 million and will look to leg out among its primarily female core audience. While critics were only mildly positive with a 69% Rotten Tomatoes score, early audiences have given the film a thumbs up with an A- on CinemaScore and a 93% RT score.

Among holdovers, “Project Hail Mary” is maintaining magnificent legs with a $25 million fourth weekend, dropping just 21% as it passes $250 million domestically with $300 million a lock at this pace. “The Drama” is also holding very well with $9.1 million in its second weekend for just a 35% drop from the film’s $13 million opening, giving the film a $31 million 10-day total.

Less impressive is IFC’s “Faces of Death,” a modern reimagining of the cult hit 1978 mondo horror that is opening to just $1.8 million from 1,600 locations and has earned a C on CinemaScore. By comparison, Neon’s Japanese video game horror film “Exit 8,” which premiered at Cannes last year, made $1.36 million this weekend from a far lower screen count of 495 and with Rotten Tomatoes scores of 95% critics and 81% audience.

Finally, Disney/Pixar’s “Hoppers” will pass the $154.4 million domestic total of Pixar’s 2023 film “Elemental” on Saturday, making it the highest grossing original animated film since the pandemic in North America as it is estimated for a $157 million total by Sunday. However, “Elemental” will still hold on to the global record in that category as weaker overseas totals for “Hoppers” will keep it well short of that film’s $494.5 million worldwide cume.

The post ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ Easily Stays No. 1 at Box Office Despite Higher 2nd Weekend Drop Than ‘Super Mario Bros.’ appeared first on TheWrap.

First, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” blasted off to a huge $372.5 million at the worldwide box office, on pace with how the first movie — which ultimately grossed $1.4 billion — performed despite dismal reviews. Even the demographics were similar, with a mix of kids/families and nostalgic Millennials/Gen Z (35% came from the 18-35 demographic).

The lesson: Illumination’s formula of bright, critic-proof IP continues to work — and dangling the promise of “more of the same, plus a little something new” seems to be a key to its strategy. Presales were soft until marketing revealed that Glen Powell would play Star Fox character Fox McCloud in the sequel, hyping up the possibility of even more Nintendo cameos to be discovered.

Next, “Project Hail Mary” is no flash in the pan. The film dropped only 43% in its third weekend, scoring a healthy $30.6 million to bring its domestic total to $217.2 million, with a $420.7 million global haul.

The lesson: When in doubt, bet on creatives with a strong vision. Phil Lord and Chris Miller drove this adaptation with full confidence from Amazon MGM. See also: “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another.”

Finally, A24’s “The Drama” is a hit with $14.1 million. This was not a given. The super famous Robert Pattinson and Zendaya have been heavy on the press circuits, but so were Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence for “Die My Love” which flopped. Ditto Sydney Sweeney and “Christy.” So why’d this one work?

The lesson: Movie stars alone don’t cut it. A24 leaned into the twist at the heart of “The Drama” in its marketing, which drove opening weekend sales and online discussion. It was the hook of two actors people liked, plus a “mystery box” story — you had to go see the film to be in on the discourse.

Now, on to the rest.

Box Office: ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Soars With $372.5 Million Global Opening

Universal/Illumination’s “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is already the 2026 box office’s second-highest-grossing film worldwide after its $372.5 million 5-day global opening weekend, and should pass Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary” for the top spot by next weekend.

This global start includes a $190 million domestic launch that ranks fourth highest for all animated films over five days and exceeds the $158.8 million Thanksgiving weekend opening of Disney’s “Zootopia 2.”

The overseas start is led by a $29.8 million opening weekend in Mexico, the highest ever for a Universal release, and also includes openings of $19.7 million in U.K./Ireland, $15.8 million in Germany, $13 million in France and $10.8 million in Spain, with a release in Japan still to come on April 24.

Both domestically and internationally, “Super Mario Galaxy” has surpassed the entire theatrical run of Disney/Pixar’s “Hoppers,” which added $18.2 million worldwide in its fifth weekend for a total of $149.6 million domestic and $332.2 million globally. It’s the latest sign of how, even with original animation finally showing some signs of life, it is franchises that are carrying the post-pandemic box office more than ever.

Meanwhile, “Project Hail Mary” is still holding very well despite losing premium format screens to “Mario,” grossing $30 million in its third weekend for a $217 million domestic total. It is the first Amazon theatrical release ever to cross the $200 million mark in North America and stands globally at $420.7 million.

In third is the other newcomer this weekend, A24’s “The Drama,” which earned a superb $14.3 million opening from 3,082 theaters. It sits only behind “Marty Supreme” ($27.1 million) and “Civil War” ($25.5 million) as A24’s third highest opening weekend in company history. – Jeremy Fuster

The Spotlight

The multi-million-dollar question in Hollywood: How do you get your movie greenlit? In the latest installment of TheWrap’s new series Trade Secrets, we spoke to several film producers and executives to find out what is getting movies made right now — who’s buying what? What elements should your script have? How important is casting? And what’s the secret to selling a movie to Netflix? Read our full story here.

New Releases

Sad Robot: How did Bad Robot go from $250 million megadeal to shutting down its LA offices and downsizing? Umberto Gonzales takes a closer look at J.J. Abrams’ shingle, once the coolest production company in town.

Can AI Make Movies Better?: Roger Cheng put new AI tool Quilty through the wringer, asking it to analyze scripts for “Sinners,” “Christy,” “Barbie” and “Die Hard.” The results were shocking.

The Antidote to Hollywood Doom and Gloom: Sharon Waxman writes on the hopeful themes of “Project Hail Mary” and the AI bubble — maybe things aren’t as bad as we feared.

Making a 324-Minute Documentary: Casey Loving spoke with filmmaker Julia Loktev about making “My Undesirable Friends,” an epic doc about journalists’ last days in Russia.

More optimism: The U.S. box office posted its best first quarter since the pandemic with $1.77 billion.

Concession Stand

Elijah Wood is back as Frodo in “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” but Viggo Mortensen is not returning as Aragorn.

The film industry lost 1,100 jobs in March.

After top execs exited the company, new distributor Row K had to pull out of its planned CinemaCon presentation.

Ryan Gosling entered and then exited talks to star in the new Universal film from directing duo Daniels.

The next big movie from a YouTuber is “Backrooms,” from 20-year-old filmmaker Kane Parsons and A24. And it looks great.

Alcon will use Parrot Analytics data to fuel decisions around its IP library like “Blade Runner” and “The Matrix.”

“Project Hail Mary” fans don’t have to wait for the Blu-ray for the director’s commentary — it’s going up on an app to listen to in the theater.

After outcry over the Alamo Drafthouse’s shift to mobile food and drink orders during movies — thus negating their strict “no phones” policy that many moviegoers loved — workers at a Colorado location went on strike.

Clock it — Meryl Streep called out studios for skimping on budgets for “chick flicks,” saying for “Devil Wears Prada 2,” Disney “spent the money.”

Streaming Corner 

• There are a ton of new movies hitting streaming this month, including “Marty Supreme,” “The Housemaid” and “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” as well as streaming-only debuts of new films from directors Jonah Hill (on Apple) and Peter Farrelly (on Prime Video).

What I’m Watching 

I bought my four-year-old son his first Blu-ray this weekend for Easter (I’m doing my part to keep physical media alive), and it was “The Wild Robot,” so we rewatched Chris Sanders’ wonderful 2024 film that I still contend was maybe the best movie released that year. Such compassion, and what a gorgeous piece of work.

The post Reel to Real: 3 Big Lessons From This Weekend’s Box Office appeared first on TheWrap.

It’s all there in nine words: the dismal — and from some corners, disdainful — reception that the second installment in the Nintendo animated blockbuster series has received from critics, juxtaposed with the prediction of a box office bonanza which, after a $190 million domestic/$372.5 million global 5-day opening, is well on its way to becoming true.

Despite a 41% Rotten Tomatoes score that’s even lower than the lukewarm 59% that “The Super Mario Bros.” movie earned in 2023, “Super Mario Galaxy” scored a launch that nearly matches the $204.6 million domestic/$377 million global launch of its predecessor. The law of diminishing returns that has struck other franchises had little effect here, as Universal is reporting a demographic of families and gamers that fueled the box office — similar to the first film.

In effect, the post-pandemic box office now has a new, reliable billion-dollar franchise that is very, very critic-proof. In other words, “Mario” is the “Transformers” of the 2020s.

Veteran exhibitors who were around during the years of the Obama Administration will no doubt remember the peak of Michael Bay’s reign atop the theatrical industry. No amount of negative reviews for “Transformers” sequels like “Revenge of the Fallen” or “Dark of the Moon” could stop fans of Optimus Prime from rolling out to theaters on a consistent basis.

In the early 2010s, “Transformers” stood alongside Marvel as the industry’s biggest tentpoles, with “Dark of the Moon” in 2011 and “Age of Extinction” in 2014 each passing $1.1 billion worldwide. In the case of “Age of Extinction,” it was the highest grossing film that year … while posting a Rotten Tomatoes score of 18%.

Just as no amount of bad reviews could stop “Transformers” fans from showing up to get their fix of Bayhem, no amount of poor reviews would stop “Mario” fans from showing up to see the likes of Rosalina, Fox McCloud, Bowser Jr. and even Mr. Game and Watch on this Easter weekend.

For the first time ever, an animated franchise has released two films with global 5-day openings of more than $350 million, and when the film hits $1 billion — something that only a shocking holdover drop could keep it from reaching — it will join Disney’s “Frozen” and “Zootopia” as the only animated franchises that hit that mark with the first two installments.

There is one major difference between “Mario” and “Transformers,” though, and that is in where its international grosses are coming from. “Transformers” was able to take advantage of coming out during the early stages of China’s rise as a box office power, raking in hundreds of millions from the partnership between Hollywood and China that lasted through the 2010s. “Transformers: Age of Extinction” made 35% of its international total from China, where it grossed $301 million.

The “Mario” films, on the other hand, are making money hand over fist in Latin America, Western Europe and the franchise’s home country of Japan, while the films’ grosses in China are a fraction of what “Transformers” made in China. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” made just $25 million of its $785.9 million overseas total in China, and “Super Mario Galaxy” opened this weekend to $8.4 million against nine local releases.

Instead, the top opening weekend overseas market for “Super Mario Galaxy” is Mexico with a massive $29.1 million total, ranking among the top 5 highest ever for Hollywood movies and the largest ever for a Universal release. By comparison, in Mexico, “Transformers: Age of Extinction” grossed $33.5 million before inflation adjustment in its entire theatrical run in 2014 while “Super Mario Bros.” opened to $21.7 million in 2023.

“Galaxy” also matched the $19.7 million U.K. opening of “Mario Bros.,” topped its predecessor’s Germany opening with $15.6 million and did the same in France with $13 million. While the domestic opening for “Galaxy” was approximately 7% down from the $204.6 million of Mario Bros., the $182.4 million overseas start mostly offset that.

While “Zootopia 2” showed that China hasn’t completely shut itself off from Hollywood, the biggest hits have been the ones that often set studio or all-time records in dozens of territories rather than run up the score with Chinese grosses. Since the pandemic, only four films have earned a higher combined total outside the U.S., Canada and China than “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”: “Avatar: The Way of Water” ($1.39 billion), “Inside Out 2” ($998 million), “Avatar: Fire and Ash” ($910 million), and “Zootopia 2” ($787 million).

In other words, the global popularity of “Mario” has put it in the company of sequels to two of the biggest animated hits of the 2010s and the highest grossing film of all time. That is a testament to the legacy Nintendo’s plumber mascot has built over the past 40 years with video games that have become a part of countless childhoods.

The domestic demographics reflect this. As expected, families are the main group showing up in droves with 28% of the film’s audience under the age of 18. But 35% is coming from the 18-35 demographic, suggesting that nostalgic Gen Z and Millennial audiences are just as excited to see Mario and friends on the big screen as they were the last time, even if critics are taking a Super Hammer to it.

Over the next two weekends, “Super Mario Galaxy” should leg out very well with no competition for family audiences. But its global total will get one more huge jolt on April 24 when it comes out in Japan.

Like “Super Mario Bros.,” Universal is delaying release of the film in Nintendo’s home country until Golden Week, one of the Japanese box office’s most lucrative holiday periods and which allowed “Bros.” to gross just shy of $102 million, making Japan the film’s top international market.

Expect “Super Mario Galaxy” to match or exceed that total. Reviews be damned.

The post ‘Super Mario’ Is the New ‘Transformers’: A Critic-Proof Box Office Titan | Analysis appeared first on TheWrap.

This global start includes a $190 million domestic launch that ranks fourth highest for all animated films over five days and exceeds the $158.8 million Thanksgiving weekend opening of Disney’s “Zootopia 2.”

The overseas start is led by a $29.8 million opening weekend in Mexico, the highest ever for a Universal release, and also includes openings of $19.7 million in U.K./Ireland, $15.8 million in Germany, $13 million in France and $10.8 million in Spain, with a release in Japan still to come on April 24.

Both domestically and internationally, “Super Mario Galaxy” has surpassed the entire theatrical run of Disney/Pixar’s “Hoppers,” which added $18.2 million worldwide in its fifth weekend for a total of $149.6 million domestic and $332.2 million globally. It’s the latest sign of how, even with original animation finally showing some signs of life, it is franchises that are carrying the post-pandemic box office more than ever.

Continuing the criticproof reputation of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” in 2023, “Super Mario Galaxy” is well on its way to joining “Frozen” and “Zootopia” as the third animated franchise to have its first two installments cross $1 billion worldwide. The sequel has scored an A- on CinemaScore and a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and should reach that milestone even if competition from films like the music biopic “Michael” hinders its legs among adult moviegoers in late April.

Meanwhile, “Project Hail Mary” is still holding very well despite losing premium format screens to “Mario,” grossing $30 million in its third weekend for a $217 million domestic total. It is the first Amazon theatrical release ever to cross the $200 million mark in North America and stands globally at $420.7 million.

In third is the other newcomer this weekend, A24’s “The Drama,” which earned a superb $14.3 million opening from 3,082 theaters. It sits only behind “Marty Supreme” ($27.1 million) and “Civil War” ($25.5 million) as A24’s third highest opening weekend in company history.

Starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as an engaged couple whose relationship falls into chaos when a dark secret is revealed, “The Drama” has received generally positive reception despite its intentionally unpleasant tone and dark subject matter, earning a B on CinemaScore and Rotten Tomatoes scores of 77% critics and 81% audience.

With a global opening of $28 million and a reported budget around that same amount, “The Drama” should be another mid-budget success for A24 as it prepares to release the psychological drama “Mother Mary” later this month, followed by the highly anticipated horror film “Backrooms” in late May.

Completing the top 5 is Universal’s “Reminders of Him” with $2.3 million in its fourth weekend, giving it a $45 million domestic and $79 million global total against a $25 million budget.

The post ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Jolts Box Office With $372.5 Million Global Opening appeared first on TheWrap.

While the domestic start is roughly 8% below the Easter weekend record $204.6 5-day opening of the film’s 2023 predecessor “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” it is still enough to put the “Mario” franchise in a rare club of animated franchises that have posted multiple $100 million-plus opening weekends.

The only other three to do so are DreamWorks’ “Shrek,” Illumination’s “Despicable Me” and Disney’s “Frozen,” and “Mario” is the only franchise with multiple global openings of more than $350 million.

The $370 million global total also nearly matches the $377 million global start of “Super Mario Bros.,” with a release in Japan still to come on April 24. With this start, “Super Mario Galaxy” should easily become the first $1 billion-plus hit of 2026, having secured the highest opening weekend since “Avatar: Fire and Ash” this past December.

The top 5 international markets for “Super Mario Galaxy” have all posted opening weekends of more than $10 million, with Mexico being the leading market with a whopping $29.1 million 5-day start. That is the fourth highest Mexican opening ever for a Hollywood film, standing only behind “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “Inside Out 2.” The U.K., Germany, France and Spain round out the top 5.

Beyond the Mushroom Kingdom, Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary” is holding quite well in its third weekend despite the massive competition. For the 3-day period, the film is pacing to make just under $30 million, pushing its domestic total to $216 million and becoming the first Amazon theatrical release to pass the $200 million mark.

In third is the other new release of the weekend, A24’s “The Drama,” which is looking at a solid opening weekend of $13.3 million from 3,084. The pitch-black comedy-drama stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as a couple days away from getting married whose relationship hits sudden and extreme turbulence when a shocking secret is revealed.

With its dark subject matter and deliberately unsettling tone, “The Drama” was always a film unlikely to receive glowing audience reviews but is still being received generally well with a 79% critics and 84% audience Rotten Tomatoes score and a B on CinemaScore.

The post ‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Blasts Off to $370 Million Global Box Office Opening appeared first on TheWrap.

Three years after “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” smashed the Easter weekend and video game adaptation box office records, Universal, Illumination and Nintendo are back with “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” a film that is expected to make the “Mario” series only the third in animation history to reach the $1 billion mark worldwide with both of its first two installments, joining Disney’s “Frozen” and “Zootopia.”

In 2023, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was expected to be a tentpole hit for Universal, but primarily driven by families like most Illumination films. Instead, it became a crossover hit, pulling in kids and families but also millennial and Gen X Nintendo fans, exploding to a five-day domestic opening of $204.6 million, the largest ever for an Easter weekend and the largest five-day North American opening for any animated film ever until “Moana 2” beat it with $225 million over 2024’s Thanksgiving weekend.

“Super Mario Bros.” went on to gross $1.36 billion worldwide, ranking sixth on the all-time animation box office charts and second among all non-Disney/Pixar films behind only Chengdu Coco Cartoon’s all-time animation record holder “Ne Zha 2” with $2.21 billion.

So how high will “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” fly when it opens on April 1?

As “Star Wars,” “Jurassic World” and “Avatar” have proven, the law of diminishing returns can take its toll on even the most seemingly unstoppable billion-dollar franchises. And over the last few weeks, it seemed that this might be the case again as theatrical insiders told TheWrap that presales for “Super Mario Galaxy” had been lagging behind the pace of its predecessor.

But those presales quickly picked up this past weekend and have now slightly exceeded the pace of “Super Mario Bros.” Perhaps the late charge comes from families who are just now getting their Easter weekend plans in order and know when they can go to the movies.

Or maybe it is from millennial and Gen X gamers who are more likely to get the metric ton of Nintendo references this film is set to throw at the audience in a nostalgia wave directed right at their generation.

Not only does the film take its name from an acclaimed 2007 Nintendo Wii game and include characters and items from throughout Mario’s 40-year history, but Universal injected one last surge of hype into the pre-release buildup by announcing that Glen Powell will play Fox McCloud, the protagonist of Nintendo’s “Star Fox” series. The Arwing pilot is lesser known in mainstream pop culture, but is instantly recognizable to the film’s core adult audience who have fond memories of playing the space rail shooter on games ranging from the Super Nintendo to the N64 and Gamecube.

With hype peaking at just the right time, projections for “Super Mario Galaxy” stand at a floor of $170 million over five days. But theatrical insiders and rival studios think there’s a strong chance that Wednesday and Thursday night walk-ups from adults and weekend matinee turnout from families will help it match the $204 million domestic launch of “Super Mario Bros.” with a global box office opening of at least $350 million.

Critics might be just as tepid on a second helping of Mario as they were the first time around. The review embargo for “Galaxy” has not dropped at the time of writing, but early social media impressions compare the film heavily to “Super Mario Bros.,” which got a 59% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Of course, the subsequent audience turnout for that film despite the middling reviews showed that Nintendo’s mascot is criticproof. This is a franchise whose popularity spans generations, and the dopamine rush of seeing characters and iconography that have sold billions of Nintendo consoles over the last four decades on a movie screen is the only selling point Illumination needs.

And while it remains to be seen whether “Super Mario Galaxy” has any moments or jokes that become instant meme fodder like “chicken jockey” from “A Minecraft Movie” or the “Peaches” song from “Super Mario Bros.,” recent history shows that anything that gets that sort of reaction will only further boost the chances of repeat viewings among younger moviegoers.

Universal and Illumination have also made a habit of churning out hits together — the “Despicable Me” franchise has grossed over $5.5 billion alone, with another new “Minions” movie due out this July. But the Nintendo partnership, forged in 2018, has proved fortuitous for all parties. Not only are the films, which Nintendo and Universal co-finance, hits, but they also fuel a synergistic relationship that promotes the wildly popular Super Nintendo World attractions at Universal’s Hollywood, Orlando and Japan theme parks.

A successful “Super Mario Galaxy” opening is also good news for theater owners.

For the 2026 domestic box office to fulfill more optimistic projections of a $10 billion year, theaters need more films that exceed $500 million in North America and $1 billion worldwide, especially outside the summer and holiday corridors.

Easter weekend has yielded box office successes like “Sinners” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” but “Super Mario Bros.” stands far and away as the biggest film ever to come out of this holiday period, making “Super Mario Galaxy” the title long pegged as the pre-summer megahit of 2026, building momentum into a summer launch period that will include Lionsgate/Universal’s “Michael” and Disney/20th Century’s “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”

While even those films won’t be enough to get theaters back to pre-pandemic levels — the top-heavy marketplace lacks the depth of theatrical successes that were seen before 2020 — “Super Mario Galaxy” should provide enough momentum to keep theaters from waiting until the start of summer for a slump breaker, and that’s more than what they’ve gotten over the past several years.

The post ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Begins Its Quest for $1 Billion This Week appeared first on TheWrap.

For blockbusters supported by the world’s premier premium format, Imax often accounts for somewhere between 20-25% of its global box office gross. Such is the case for “Project Hail Mary,” which grossed roughly $60 million of its $300 million two-weekend total from Imax screenings.

But starting Wednesday, “Super Mario Galaxy” will take over Imax screens worldwide for two weeks, save for Japan where the film opens April 24. After that, Warner Bros./New Line’s “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” is scheduled to be featured on Imax on April 17. While “Project Hail Mary” will of course still be in theaters, its spectacular shots of Ryan Gosling in deep space on Imax screens were a major part of its audience buzz.

Which is why Imax, recognizing this demand, said in its weekend box office press release that “Project Hail Mary” will “remain a recurring fixture in the coming weeks and months as exhibitors find opportunities to bring it back for audiences in search of the most immersive and theatrical experience.”

Unlike other premium formats, Imax books films for its screens months, sometimes years in advance. Between partnerships with top directors like “The Odyssey” director Christopher Nolan and “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve, support for tentpoles like “Toy Story 5” and dozens of international titles for specific countries, most of the calendar is already blocked out.

But some flexibility remains, and Imax has been known to bring some of the year’s biggest hits back during gaps in the release slate. Oscar winner “Sinners,” for example, returned to Imax last October in time for Halloween and again in Imax 70mm earlier this year after its record-setting 16 Oscar nominations. Imax will also sometimes split daily showtimes between new releases it is scheduled to support and in-demand holdovers, depending on demand.

Because of that, you won’t have to wait months to see “Project Hail Mary” — or see it again — in Imax if you live in certain cities. In Los Angeles, the AMC Burbank has Imax screenings of the film scheduled for midday and afternoon showtimes on the weekend of April 17, with “The Mummy” getting the nighttime showings in the format. So if you’re interested and can’t make it out to theaters before “Mario” arrives, check your local Imax showtimes that weekend to see if a theater near you is bringing the film back.

The post Imax to Keep ‘Project Hail Mary’ as a Recurring Feature in Coming Weeks appeared first on TheWrap.