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Oasis reunion tour documentary rocks Venice Film Festival
The Gallagher brothers bring rock star energy to the Venice Film Festival with their documentary “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger.” The film, premiering Saturday, explores their reunion tour and
Oasis reunion tour documentary rocks Venice Film Festival
The Gallagher brothers bring rock star energy to the Venice Film Festival with their documentary “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger.” | Talk 1370
Oasis reunion tour documentary rocks Venice Film Festival
VENICE, Italy (AP) — The Gallagher brothers brought some rock star energy to a sleepy, and sweaty, Venice Film Festival Saturday, where the documentary about their reunion tour is making
CNN Films revisits a forgotten 9/11 casualty — the restaurant at the 'Top of the World'
Oscar-nominated filmmakers Betsy West and Julie Cohen revisit Windows on the World, the World Trade Center restaurant where 79 workers and 91 guests died on 9/11.
In 'Primetime,' Robert Pattinson takes on the 'irresistible' role of Chris Hansen
Robert Pattinson didn't plan to play Chris Hansen in “Primetime,” which debuts Saturday at the Venice Film Festival, but it became irresistible. He started as a producer on the film
Robert Pattinson Responds to Chris Hansen’s Criticism Over His Portrayal in ‘Primetime’: ‘I Hope He Likes the Movie’
Robert Pattinson responded to Chris Hansen’s concerns over ‘Primetime’ during a press conference for the movie at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, Sept. 5.
AMC Entertainment (AMC) Forms Leawood Films For Low Risk Movie Distribution
AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE:AMC) created Leawood Films, a new film distribution company focused on low-risk projects. The unit plans to work only with fully financed or completed films and use AMC's theater network and marketing reach. Leawood Films is led by veteran entertainment executives and intends to collaborate with established distribution partners. This move by AMC Entertainment towards lower risk, partnership driven content deals fits a broader shift many investors are...
FSU Film alums help power some of summer movie season's blockbusters
Alumni of FSU’s College of Motion Picture Arts have left their mark on some of this summer’s most prominent movies.
Robert Pattinson and Oasis bring star power to Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival is buzzing as Robert Pattinson and Oasis frontmen Noel and Liam Gallagher arrive for premieres on Saturday.
Robert Pattinson and Oasis bring star power to Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival is buzzing as Robert Pattinson and Oasis frontmen Noel and Liam Gallagher arrive for premieres on Saturday. Pattinson's film “Primetime” explores the reality series “To Catch
Robert Pattinson and Oasis bring star power to Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival is buzzing as Robert Pattinson and Oasis frontmen Noel and Liam Gallagher arrive for premieres on Saturday | KNSS Radio
Robert Pattinson and Oasis bring star power to Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival is buzzing as Robert Pattinson and Oasis frontmen Noel and Liam Gallagher arrive for premieres on Saturday | KMBZ
Robert Pattinson and Oasis bring star power to Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival is buzzing as Robert Pattinson and Oasis frontmen Noel and Liam Gallagher arrive for premieres on Saturday | KNX News 1070 AM
Robert Pattinson and Oasis bring star power to Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival is buzzing as Robert Pattinson and Oasis frontmen Noel and Liam Gallagher arrive for premieres on Saturday | KCBS All News 106.9FM and 740AM
Robert Pattinson and Oasis bring star power to Venice Film Festival
VENICE, Italy (AP) — The worlds of rock and movie stardom are colliding at the Venice Film Festival, as both Robert Pattinson and Oasis frontmen Noel and Liam Gallagher arrive
Robert Pattinson and Oasis bring star power to Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival is buzzing as Robert Pattinson and Oasis frontmen Noel and Liam Gallagher arrive for premieres on Saturday | 1080 WTIC NEWSTALK
Robert Pattinson and Oasis bring star power to Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival is buzzing as Robert Pattinson and Oasis frontmen Noel and Liam Gallagher arrive for premieres on Saturday. Pattinson's film “Primetime” explores the reality series “To Catch
Robert Pattinson and Oasis bring star power to Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival is buzzing as Robert Pattinson and Oasis frontmen Noel and Liam Gallagher arrive for premieres on Saturday.
Will AMC’s New Leawood Films Distribution Arm and Tokenized Share Dispute Change AMC Entertainment’s (AMC) Narrative?
In August 2026, AMC Entertainment Holdings launched Leawood Films, a low-risk film distribution arm based in Los Angeles and Leawood, Kansas, designed to fill excess theatre capacity by focusing on fully financed small and mid-sized titles while respecting traditional PVOD and SVOD windows. Around the same time, CEO Adam Aron’s public clash with Robinhood over tokenized AMC shares highlighted rising tensions between traditional equity markets and emerging digital trading products, raising...
The 15 best witch movies, from “The Wizard of Oz” to “Weapons”
From horror to comedy to romance, witches have taken many forms throughout film history.
The Most Political Moments at the Venice Film Festival 2026
George Clooney, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Martin McDonagh, and other stars are spicing up the press conferences with comments on everything from humanitarian crises to AI to studio mergers.
The Fierce Battle For Kids’ Eyeballs...Plus Two “Devils” Face Off
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) During the week of this report, Spider-Man: Brand New Day hit theaters and went on to become one of the biggest films of all time. So, you know what that means! It’s time for a poll! Recently, Project Hail Mary came to Prime Video and became a top five film for them, but didn’t smash streaming records, a feat I cautiously thought it could accomplish. Can Spider-Man 4 do better? To set the stakes, some of the biggest films of all time do just okay on streaming. Wicked, Top Gun: Maverick, and Barbie come to mind... But unlike those films, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a Sony film which means it’s headed to Netflix, the world’s largest streamer. Now, per friend of the newsletter and my go-to Netflix expert, Kasey Moore of What’s on Netflix, Sony films usually appear on Netflix 120 days after they premiere, which means Spidey 4 would land on Netflix on, checks notes, 28-November, one of the two biggest streaming weekends of the year! But Sony occasionally delays its biggest hits for a bit longer, to give them more time to make money on PVOD, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day might not swing onto Netflix until late December or even February 2027. Loading... Okay, on to this week’s issue. Since The Super Mario Galaxy Movie made its way to Peacock, I’m looking at the true workhorse of streaming viewership: kids films. And the surprising film that bested most Netflix animated movies. All that, plus Hulu has a new show that might be a hit (for them…?), two “Devils” square off on streaming, Zendaya tries to find some streaming magic, Netflix’s I Will Find You continues to do well, House of the Dragon tries to break into the season three top ten, some big NBC sports and summer programs, what friendly neighborhood Spider-Man character actually generates the most viewership on streaming, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of July 27th to August 2nd, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - As The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Hits Peacock, How Have Kids Films Fared in 2026? Like Mario hopping on a Koopa, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie landed on Peacock on 30-July. (Yeah, I kinda forced that Mario reference.) How did it do? Great, just like the first film. It got 13.0 million hours on its opening, and that’s good enough to take second place among Peacock films on the Nielsen charts all time: As I mention all the time, Peacock just isn’t the world’s biggest streamer—in fact, nowhere close—so its films struggle to put up numbers like Netflix (or even Prime Video and Disney+). So this is a solid debut for that streamer. And as we saw last time, The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a HUGE second life on Netflix when it moved streamers. This chart doesn’t even show how long the first Mario lasted on Netflix: a whopping, KPop-esque 31 weeks. For NBCUniversal, though, the big win was the second Mario movie grossing $429 million in America and over $1 billion globally. But yeah, to add a very strong streaming performance only makes its success even greater. Illumination pretty clearly has another hit franchise on their hands. This is a good time, though, to check in on kids films so far in 2026. We’ve had a few big, big titles, a rare Netflix success, and some disappointments. Let’s start with the top animated films since November of 2025, over their first four weeks on the charts, along with a few of the “best all time” animated films: (As a reminder, if a film doesn’t make the Nielsen top ten lists, I don’t have data for it, so it gets a “zero” in terms of viewership. Now, it had some viewership, but I don’t know what it is, so it gets a zero.) I added a few titles to get an idea of what the best of the best looks like in terms of animation. And you can see, through four weeks, Zootopia 2 can now claim “one of the biggest streaming films of all time” titles. GOAT too did surprisingly well, besting Netflix’s biggest films (Swapped and In Your Dreams) through four weeks. When I’ve talked about how films can have varying performances on streaming compared to their box office, this is what I mean. Goat just managed to gross even $103 million at the box office—so it’s popular, but just barely—but did very well on streaming. Of course, what set Encanto and KPop Demon Hunters apart from the rest was their absolutely insane longevity. Here are the kids film charts through eight weeks to show that: And really KPop Demon Hunters just kept going, and no 2025 or 2026 kids films have had that sort of longevity. I can’t wait to see the sequel in theaters. Film - Two Devils and a Drama As I wrote last week, in the past, theatrical-first film flops weren’t eligible for “Miss of the Week” or “Miss of the Year” honors/dishonors, but since so many more films go to theaters first these days, I’ve made them eligible now! But it’s complicated. You see, this is a Streaming Ratings Report, emphasis on streaming, which makes analyzing this week’s two biggest streaming misses—The Drama on HBO Max (A24’s dramedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson) and Prime Video’s The Devil Mouth (a killer shark movie starring young attractive people)—somewhat tricky. The Drama isn’t eligible for Luminate, but The Devil’s Mouth only had 1.5 million hours in its first week: The Devil’s Mouth notched 5.2 million hours according to Nielsen. Meanwhile, The Drama missed the charts entirely. Not great! But Prime Video is a much bigger streamer than HBO Max. That said, HBO Max titles are on Prime Video, but I think Prime Video prioritizes their original/exclusive titles, which helps boost their viewership. Complicating this further, The Drama made $48 million in the US—while A24 sells foreign distribution; the $57 million of overseas grosses helps A24 sell overseas rights for money in the future—off of a $28 million budget (which seems low for Zendaya and Pattinson, so they might have backend). The Devil’s Mouth, though, had zero dollars at the box office. The other stats for The Devil’s Mouth are bleak, and by “bleak”, I mean horrendous: a 4.7 on 15K reviews on IMDb (yikes) and a 46 on Metacritic (double yikes). The Drama, though buzzy online, only has a solid (but far from elite) 7.1 IMDb score on 121K reviews and a 59 on Metacritic (which is far, far lower than I’d have guessed). So which film is the “Miss of the Week”? I’m giving it to The Devil’s Mouth for one simple reason: it’s a horror film. And almost all horror films, even poorly reviewed horror films, should get a shot in theaters to at least try to recoup some of their budgets. The Drama made money at the box office and The Devil’s Mouth didn’t. It’s just like the situation last issue with Obsession and Masters of the Universe. Sure, Obsession didn’t pop on the streaming charts, but at least it already made it money at the box office. And as we’ve been seeing for years now and we’ll see all fall, theatrical films just do better on streaming. After all, the big “devil” winner this week was actually The Devil Wears Prada 2 with 14.8 million hours according to Nielsen. That’s right, The Devil Wears Prada 2—one of the box office success stories of May—came to streaming and parlayed its $220 million box office into 14.8 million Nielsen hours. Disney also put out a datecdote that it had 15.2 million “views” globally in five days, but again we don’t have a lot of great context for what that means. Here’s how it stacks up to other Hulu films, since I’m categorizing this mainly as a Hulu title (though it was also on Disney+): Share Quick Notes on Film We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Whether Hulu has a new hit show on its hands... The top first and third seasons of all time and which shows are climbing those charts… What version of Spidey is the most popular... What sport and TV show are performing better on NBC than the NBA... All the flops, bombs and misses... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! Next week, wow, things stay so busy. One of streaming’s biggest shows of all time, Ted Lasso, returns along with new YA-ish shows from Hulu (The Shards, from Ryan Murphy) and Prime Video (Sterling Point). The Challenge moves to Paramount+, plus My Life with the Walter Boys returns to Netflix and Futurama returns to Hulu. And Netflix has a new horror film, The Last House. Lots to talk about! All month, things stay busy. We’re talking Reacher on Prime Video! Outer Banks and Tires on Netflix! Lanterns on HBO Max! UFC 330 on Paramount+ and the MLB Field of Dreams game on Netflix. And a ton of smaller films come to streaming. Long term, the VMAs are back on 27-Sep! I feel like I haven’t heard much about this show in past years, but I’m seeing more news coverage and buzz for this show than in past years. I’m curious to see how it does.
What You Call a Character Arc Is Actually Something Older
Adam Argot on how the three-act structure descends from ritual anthropology.
Pelosi, Omar join Trump and Schiff as unlikely alliance pushes to onshore key industry
Adam Schiff, Nancy Pelosi and Ilhan Omar back Donald Trump's federal film tax incentive to bring movie production back to California and America.
Georgina Rodriguez Means Business in Dramatic Gucci Pumps in Venice
Georgina Rodriguez went formal at a photo-op outside the Hotel Excelsior during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Friday in Venice, Italy.
Here's how the summer box office blew up and Hollywood got its mojo back
Hollywood has just wrapped up its best summer in a decade and its biggest vibe shift since the pandemic | 830 WCCO
Exclusive look at 'Moana' bonus features showing how they created Moana's island home
"Moana" filmmakers reveal how they created Moana's island home in the most unlikely place! The film heads to digital platforms Sept. 8
Exclusive look at 'Moana' bonus features showing how they created Moana's island home
"Moana" filmmakers reveal how they created Moana's island home in the most unlikely place! The film heads to digital platforms Sept. 8
'By Any Means' star Mark Wahlberg reveals how prayer helps him choose mercy over judgment
Mark Wahlberg has shared how his Catholic faith continues to shape how he thinks about forgiveness, judgment and mercy, even as his latest film, By Any Means, plunges him into a world where justice
Netflix Just Added One Of The Best Horror Movies Of The Decade
Netflix has added what could be considered one of the best horror films of the 2020s, and its lead gives an all-timer performance.
“Practical Magic” star Alexandra Artrip addresses being recast in sequel after Evan Rachel Wood’s comments
Artrip portrayed Antonia in the original film, a character Maisie Williams now plays in “Practical Magic 2.”
‘Practical Magic’ star Alexandra Artrip addresses being recast in sequel after Evan Rachel Wood’s comments
‘Practical Magic’ star Alexandra Artrip, who played Antonia Owens in the 1998 film, addressed the ‘negativity’ surrounding her recasting in the sequel.
New movies to watch this weekend: See 'Onslaught' in theaters, rent 'I Want Your Sex,' stream 'The Runner' on Prime Video
Adria Arjona's action horror flick "Onslaught" is the week's big movie release, while Mark Wahlberg and Gal Gadot helm new films of their own.
Sandra Bullock reveals the shocking question she kept getting asked about ‘Practical Magic’
‘Practical Magic 2’ star Sandra Bullock reveals the shocking question she kept getting asked about the original 1998 film during its promotion three decades ago.
New revelations about Reform UK and funding
Nigel Farage again denies party have broken the law after undercover filming shows man posing as ‘impermissible donor’ paying for polling that helped Reform
AMC Entertainment Shares Rise 9.1% Following Leawood Films Distribution Launch
AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC) shares rose 9. 1% in pre-market trading as investors assessed the cinema operator’s recently announced Leawood Films distribution venture alongside its latest financial performance.
Fall movie season is here. Here’s are five early Oscar predictions
Fall movie season also means Oscar season.
Ukraine wins three European science-fiction, fantasy awards
PARIS – Ukraine took three honors at the 2026 European Science Fiction Society Awards, with the science-fiction film “U Are the Universe,” writer Yulia
KIER achieves world-record 26.7% efficiency in perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cells
The Photovoltaic Research Department of the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) achieved a certified world-record efficiency of 26.7% for perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cells, opening a new chapter in next-generation thin-film photovoltaics. This achievement was officially certified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Germany and listed in the Best Research-Cell Efficiencies Chart published by the US National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR, formerly NREL).
Kristen Johnston says she was not sober while filming iconic ‘Sex and the City’ window scene: ‘Hot mess’
Kristen Johnston, who portrayed ill-fated party girl Lexi Featherston, says she was not sober while filming iconic ‘Sex and the City’ scene: ‘Hot mess.’
Farage senior aide filmed suggesting way to avoid donations law
A film broadcast by Channel 4 shows senior Reform UK figures discussing donations with an undercover reporter.
Becky Sauerbrunn returns to the Thorns as a technical director
Women's World Cup winner and former Portland Thorns defender Becky Sauerbrunn is rejoining her former team as a technical consultant for the rest of the season. Sauerbrunn had a lengthy career as a player in the National Women's Soccer League, winning Defender of the Year honors four times to go with three league championships. “As a player, I loved watching film, talking tactics and details, working with a backline, and this opportunity affords me all those things with a lot less running," Sauerbrunn said in a statement Thursday.
Weekend Entertainment | ‘The YO’ Film Puts City at Center of the Extreme Sports World
A good question to ask when watching a locally made movie is, would anybody outside of Youngstown want to watch this? Of course, the story or narrative, the cast, and the production quality also have to be of the highest quality. The latest offering from a Mahoning Valley filmmaker easily checked all of those boxes […]
Cherokee Film brings music to life via cutting edge technology
Advanced virtual production techniques is helping Cherokee Film to not only film local artists but also capture the spirit of the artist’s music through visual applications.
Rooney and Kate Mara had to speak in unison in 'Bucking Fastard'
Werner Herzog's new film "Bucking Fastard" features sisters Rooney and Kate Mara playing siblings who speak in unison.
Rooney and Kate Mara had to speak in unison in ‘Bucking Fastard’
Werner Herzog's new film “Bucking Fastard” features sisters Rooney and Kate Mara playing siblings who speak in unison.
Martin McDonagh’s \'Wild Horse Nine\' hits Venice Film Festival with a dark CIA tale
Martin McDonagh has crafted a new film, “Wild Horse Nine,” which debuts Thursday at the Venice Film Festival. The film, starring Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich, focuses on the CIA
Look out, Hollywood. Influencers are taking over Burbank
As traditional film and TV production keeps shrinking in Los Angeles, YouTube creators are expanding into Burbank's soundstages.
Venice Film Festival heats up with McDonagh’s ‘Wild Horse Nine’ and Herzog’s ‘Bucking Fastard’
The Venice Film Festival is showcasing the world premieres of “Wild Horse Nine” and Werner Herzog’s “Bucking Fastard” Thursday.
"Mayday" an action comedy, but scarce on both
“Top Gun” is a prerequisite for “Mayday.” It’s rare for a new film to be written around a retro classic, and its effect on the cinema zeitgeist. In the case
Christian McCartney Among 6 Cast In Sports Comedy Feature 'Defensive'
Christian McCartney will lead the film Defensive alongside Mark Christopher Lawrence, Robert Amaya, Chris Petrovski, Camila Camilo, and Evan Huffed.
Inside Camelback Productions’ Plans for a New 1,400-Acre, AI-Powered Production and Entertainment Complex
Anita Verma-Lallian, founder of Camelback Productions, doesn’t see the future of film production in Los Angeles. Instead, in her vision, it is on a complex one hour’s drive west of Phoenix, complete w...
George Lucas on opening Lucas Museum: ‘This one almost broke my will’
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art co-founders George Lucas and Mellody Hobson spoke Wednesday at the press preview for the new museum. "This one almost broke my will," Lucas said.
SPIRITED AWAY: LIVE ON STAGE Joins Fathom Entertainment’s Studio Ghibli Fest 2026
GKIDS and Fathom Entertainment have announced that SPIRITED AWAY: Live On Stage will join this year’s Ghibli Fest lineup. Coming to US theaters in its original Japanese with English subtitles for two nights only on October 1 and 8, the live theatre capture was filmed during the hit production’s 2022 run. Presented by Toho Co., […]
Rockstar’s GTA VI Preview Dwarfed Netflix’s Own Films by 8 Million Views, After Briefly Taking the Platform Offline
Rockstar's GTA VI: An Extended Look topped weekly views on Netflix with 31.1 million views registered in just four days.
Javier Bardem, Marion Cotillard & Vanessa Redgrave Join Animated Movie ‘The Turning Door’
Oscar winners Javier Bardem, Marion Cotillard and Vanessa Redgrave will voice starring roles in the upcoming family fantasy animation film, The Turning Door, written and directed by filmmaker and arti...
Executive producer of 'Obsession' sues over her cut of the profits
LOS ANGELES — "Obsession," the indie horror movie written and directed by Curry Barker, has proved to be one of this year's most successful films. Made for a reported budget
'Toy Story 5' Continues Reign Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Sept. 2
Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 5 remained No. 1 on the Official Film Chart, the weekly U.K. home entertainment sales chart through, through Sept. 2. The rest of the top four remains unchanged this week, with Focus Features’ supernatural horror film Obsession holding at No. 2 in its ninth week on the chart, and Universal’s animated adventure … Continue reading "‘Toy Story 5’ Continues Reign Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Sept. 2"
'Toy Story 5' Continues Reign Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Sept. 2
Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 5 remained No. 1 on the Official Film Chart, the weekly U.Sk. home entertainment sales chart through, through Sept. 2. The rest of the Top 4 remains unchanged this week, with Focus Features’ supernatural horror Obsession holding at No. 2 in its ninth week on the chart, and Universal’s animated adventure Minions … Continue reading "‘Toy Story 5’ Continues Reign Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Sept. 2"
George Clooney Tackles Career, Politics Questions at Venice Film Fest
The Oscar winner touched down on the Lido Wednesday for an afternoon press conference ahead of receiving a Golden Lion career achievement honor during the Venice Film Festival's opening ceremony.
Maggie Gyllenhaal Says Films Are Political at Venice Film Festival
Venice jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal was asked whether cinema should be political.
Trump Doubles Down On Federal Film/TV Tax Incentive Amid Hollywood Unions Praise
Details are non-existent but praise for a Trump backed federal film & TV tax credit was on the mouth of many a union & guild today
Big Three Entertainment Unions Back Trump's Film Tax Incentive | Newsradio WOOD 1300 and 106.9 FM
Three major entertainment unions support President Trump's call for a federal tax incentive to boost U.S. film and TV production. The incentive aims to bring jobs back to America and compete with foreign subsidies. Unions emphasize the need for domestic production to sustain the industry and i...
Big Three Entertainment Unions Back Trump's Film Tax Incentive
Three major entertainment unions support President Trump's call for a federal tax incentive to boost U.S. film and TV production. The incentive aims to bring jobs back to America and compete with foreign subsidies. Unions emphasize the need for domestic production to sustain the industry and i...
Big Three Entertainment Unions Back Trump's Film Tax Incentive
Three major entertainment unions support President Trump's call for a federal tax incentive to boost U.S. film and TV production. The incentive aims to bring jobs back to America and compete with foreign subsidies. Unions emphasize the need for domestic production to sustain the industry and i...
Big Three Entertainment Unions Back Trump's Film Tax Incentive | NewsRadio 1370 AM & 92.9 FM WSPD
Three major entertainment unions support President Trump's call for a federal tax incentive to boost U.S. film and TV production. The incentive aims to bring jobs back to America and compete with foreign subsidies. Unions emphasize the need for domestic production to sustain the industry and i...
Big Three Entertainment Unions Back Trump's Film Tax Incentive
Three major entertainment unions support President Trump's call for a federal tax incentive to boost U.S. film and TV production. The incentive aims to bring jobs back to America and compete with foreign subsidies. Unions emphasize the need for domestic production to sustain the industry and i...
Big Three Entertainment Unions Back Trump's Film Tax Incentive
Three major entertainment unions support President Trump's call for a federal tax incentive to boost U.S. film and TV production. The incentive aims to bring jobs back to America and compete with foreign subsidies. Unions emphasize the need for domestic production to sustain the industry and i...
What Box Office Bomb Crushed Obsession on Streaming?
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Before we get into this week’s issue, let me ask you for some suggestions. At the risk of coining too many names for too many things (hence my dictionary of terms...), I need a name for straight-to-streaming films that are too expensive to justify a straight-to-streaming release, but not big enough to justify a theatrical release. Like some of the films I highlighted in last week’s tally of the biggest film flops of 2026 so far: Hulu’s Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, Pizza Movie or Never Change! They don’t feel like “made for TV movies” (think Hallmark and Lifetime movies, cheap Netflix romcoms, or Disney Channel Original movies, for example) but they don’t feel big enough for the big screen. They’re not “cinematic” enough, so to speak. As I wrote... “I still need a name for this middle zone of film that’s too expensive to go straight-to-streaming but too small to justify a theatrical release (with all the PR, distribution, marketing and whatnot costs that go along with it), the Goldilocks zone of streaming film death.” Friend of the newsletter Brandon Katz has suggested the “Bermuda Budget Triangle”, “The Platform Gap” and “The Distribution Deadzone”. I love that first one. I’d offer up the much wordier “The Streaming Budget Dead Zone” or “the Goldilocks Zone of streaming film death” but that last one isn’t accurate since, unlike Goldilocks’ porridge, these films are the opposite of “just right”. That’s the problem! Anyway, if you have any suggestions, let me know! On to today’s Streaming Ratings Report. As you can tell by today’s headline, things are going to be spicy! I’m looking at a box office bomb that did really, really well on streaming, somewhat challenging a few different narratives. And another Netflix series declined in its second season. All that, plus Wicked: For Good switching streamers, The Hawk continuing its strong run, _The Bear’_s finale season finally dropping off the charts, the WNBA posting a big viewership number, “shallow libraries”, a sitcom spinoff failing to launch, more big budget IP flopping on Paramount+, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of July 20th to July 26th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - The Latest Theatrical Success Story on Streaming In the latest edition of “Flops, Bombs and Misses of the First Half of 2026”, I made a crucial change: I started including theatrical films with the streaming misses. The streamers have collectively—including Netflix, but not to as big of an extent—stopped making a lot of straight-to-streaming films, and the ones they do make aren’t as expensive as in the heyday of the streaming bubble. After the following two films bombed in theaters, you’d guess that they’ll be included in my next collection of flops, bombs and misses six months from now: Masters of the Universe on Prime Video (only $64 million domestic box office) Mortal Kombat II on HBO Max ($79 million domestic) But you’d be wrong! Masters of the Universe, a reboot of the He-Man franchise, a toy from the 1980s, came to streaming on 22-July and did great! This long-gestating project—it’s been at every studio for years, and came close to getting a greenlight at Netflix—then finally came to theaters in June, and showed up on streaming less than two months later. (I don’t love this short theatrical window.) It surprisingly grabbed nearly 20 million hours on its debut: That means, wait for it, Masters of the Universe is currently the eighth biggest film on streaming through two weeks. My rough bar for “hit” is shows or films in the top 15%. Ergo…Masters of the Universe is a legit, streaming hit! (One quick caveat: if it falls out of the top ten next week, it will move to 13th overall, just on the edge of the top 15.) Of course, that’s the data for just 2026. Here’s how it stacks up to Prime Video’s theatrical films: That drop into its second week is typical for Amazon films, but also a worrying sign. I have a feeling interest in this film is front-loaded and we’ll see it drop off after this. As for Mortal Kombat II, in this case, the viewership numbers roughly match the theatrical outing, with only 4.1 million hours in its first week. Here’s how it stacks up to other HBO Max films: The best defense of this number is that, as a relatively violent rated-R film, Mortal Kombat II never had a good chance at breaking out. So now it’s time for a little big of “Entertainment Nuance Guy”: First, yeah, my headline is obviously facetious, since Masters of the Universe besting Obsession says more about horror as a genre than it does that film. Second, I read and listened to quite a few “nobody wanted this IP” takes about Masters of the Universe, and that’s not really true. At least enough people wanted it to power a 20 million+ hour debut! Third, both this film and Mortal Kombat II were considered “average” by viewers, but not great films, with a 6.4 and 6.3 respectively on IMDb. That’s just shy of the level needed to be a word-of-mouth hit. Fourth, in the olden days, strong word of mouth could transform a box office miss into a cable/DVD hit, like Austin Powers or The Shawshank Redemption. We haven’t seen a lot of examples of that on streaming, though. And there are far fewer ways to monetize the post-theatrical life of a film these days. Fifth, Prime Video has shown an ability to push their own titles well, likely because they control the Amazon Fire TV ecosystem. Add it all up, and here’s my nuanced take on Masters of the Universe: it was a box office bomb, but, shockingly, a streaming hit. Unfortunately, while being a theatrical hit saves your film financially, being a streaming hit does not. Both Masters of the Universe and Mortal Kombat II had big budgets and needed to make more money in theaters to justify them. So…Straight-to-Streaming or Theaters? We’ve hit a really fun point in the streaming calendar, since the films that came out in theaters in April, May, and June are now arriving on streaming. So the “Do theatrical releases help streaming performances?” question is gonna get a fresh round of updates nearly every week. No single week will answer the question, but we may get some insights. For example, so far in 2026, it looks like theatrical films are lasting longer on the weekly Nielsen film charts. Here’s a list of films that have made the charts in their fourth or fifth week of release, separated by “for kids” and “general entertainment”: It certainly seems like theatrical films are lasting just a pinch longer on the charts, with Project Hail Mary being the current five-week champion. One Battle After Another did well for HBO Max too, and even The Sheep Detectives made it four weeks. The only exception to this trend? Obsession, which only lasted two weeks on the charts. You might tempted to overreact to this news. Don’t. Obsession is a huge horror hit, but horror just doesn’t do as well on streaming. By the way, here’s the Google Trends for various theatrical and stremaing films: Plus, when it comes to Netflix in four months, Obsession may have another big boost. Quick Notes on Film Note that when I write, “the streamers have pulled back on straight-to-streaming films” that doesn’t mean “abandoned” because Netflix is gonna Netflix. On 24-July, they released 72 Hours, a Kevin Hart comedy. Along with Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg, John Cena and Adam Sandler, Kevin Hart is a streaming film star now. Did this latest one work? Not really. It only garnered two weeks of 13.2 and 12.2 million hours on its debut, well below the 20-million-hour hit threshold. It also was poorly received critically—a 44 on Metacritic—and by customers—a 5.4 on IMDb on 21K IMDb reviews. We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… The latest Netflix true crime doc to pop on the charts… How The Bear finished its run… Netflix’s latest Western to return to streaming… What Paramount+ animated film flopped… And what sitcom also missed… All the flops, bombs and misses… And a whole lot more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! I’m behind by a week, so we’ve got two issues coming your way this week, including one in a couple of days or so, then we’ll be all caught up**.** Next issue, inspired by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie coming to Peacock, I’m going to take a look at the workhouse of streaming TV: kids films. Plus The Devil Wears Prada 2 continues theatrical films’ big run on streaming. All that, plus another surprise hit on Hulu, Lioness on CBS, and a whole lot more. Long term, LeBron James is filming his own “Last Dance”-style docu-series, surprising no one. But as I’ve been writing about a lot this summer, this genre is really overrated, so whoever ends up buying it (reportedly ESPN) really shouldn’t pay too much for it.
'Spirited Away: Live on Stage' Is Coming Back to the Big Screen
GKids and Fathom Entertainment will showcase two different filmed performances as part of the ongoing Studio Ghibli Fest 2026.
'Practical Magic' was filmed in this WA town. It left a legacy
Ahead of the Sept. 10 release of “Practical Magic 2,” we visit Coupeville on Whidbey Island, where the original movie was filmed.
Venice Film Festival turns to politics as Hollywood retreats
Hollywood is struggling with an industry crisis and has largely withdrawn from this year's Venice Film Festival, making way for a programme steeped in global politics and social upheaval, the event's director said on Tuesday.
Venice Film Festival to Kick Off With Steady Stream of Stars, Politics
The Venice Film Festival is set to kick off on Wednesday with a steady stream of stars on the red carpet and politics looming in the backdrop.
AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) Could Be 3% Undervalued Following Leawood Films Launch
AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) has launched Leawood Films, a new distribution arm aimed at putting more small and mid-budget movies into theatres worldwide by using AMC’s existing marketing reach and screen footprint. AMC Entertainment Holdings shares last closed at US$2.64, with a 90 day share price return of 27.54% and a year to date share price return of 63.98%. However, the 1 year total shareholder return declined 6.05%, and longer term total shareholder returns over three and five...
President Trump champions federal tax incentive for entertainment industry
President Donald Trump is urging Congress to create a federal tax incentive aimed at helping the film and television industry. Movie and television productions have been leaving the United States for places that offer more financial incentives. The president said he is hoping to change that. In a post on Truth Social, he said in part, “Hollywood is a Complete…
Trump calls for federal tax incentives to revive U.S. film industry
President Trump on Monday urged Congress to approve federal tax incentives aimed at reviving American film and television productions.
Entertainment Look-A-Head: ‘NBA 2K27’, ‘Earle Meets World’, international films
From Sep. 1-7, many films, shows, games and albums will be released. Notably, the hit game series NBA 2K will receive its latest addition.
AMC Entertainment Creates Leawood Films with the Aim of Having More Movies Distributed to the Big Screen
AMC Entertainment has announced the creation of Leawood Films, a new film distribution company headquartered both in Los Angeles and AMC Theatres home base of Leawood, Kansas. It will focus on bringing additional movies to theatrical audiences in the U.S. and across the globe, leveraging its marketing ability and the prominence of its exhibition network, […]
Six Films Preserved from the Father of Forensic Science
Thanks to a National Film Preservation Fund Grant (NFPF), the WashU Libraries’ Film & Media Archive has successfully completed the preservation of six short reels of scientific film made by Dr. Rutherford Birchard Hayes Gradwohl (1877-1959). An 1898 graduate of the WashU School of Medicine, R.B.H. Gradwohl went on to found the modern version of […]
AMC Theatres Gets Into Distribution Business, Launches Leawood Films
AMC Theatres, the world's largest exhibitor, is getting into the distribution business launching Leawood Films, a label for small and mid-sized films.
AMC to Put Smaller Movies Into Theaters With New Venture
The major exhibitor is launching Leawood Films, a distribution company that will put indie movies in theaters that might otherwise be overlooked.
AMC Entertainment Creates "Leawood Films" With the Aim of Having More Movies Distributed on to the Big Screen
LEAWOOD, Kan., August 31, 2026--AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AMC), the largest theatrical exhibitor in the United States and in the world, today announced the creation of Leawood Films, a new film distribution company headquartered both in Los Angeles and AMC Theatres home base of Leawood, Kansas. It will focus on bringing additional movies to theatrical audiences in the U.S. and across the globe, leveraging its acclaimed marketing ability and the prominence of its exhibition network,
Paradise Lost From Train to Busan Director Yeon Sang-ho Bought to U.S.
"Paradise Lost" from “Train to Busan” filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho, has been bought by Well Go USA Entertainment ahead of its world premiere at Toronto.
Sarah Pidgeon reveals the surprising ‘Love Story’ scene that has stayed with her since filming wrapped
Sarah Pidgeon revealed the surprising ‘Love Story’ scene that has stayed with her since filming the limited series wrapped. She is up for an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Carolyn Bessette.
AMC Entertainment Creates “Leawood Films” With the Aim of Having More Movies Distributed on to the Big Screen
New distribution venture will focus solely on films fully financed by their filmmakers, or already completed films, leveraging AMC's…...
At Venice Film Festival, politics take center stage
With works about Gaza, Ukraine and Elon Musk, political cinema is in the spotlight at the 2026 Venice Film Festival.
Politics take center stage at Venice Film Festival
With works about Gaza, Ukraine and Elon Musk, political cinema is in the spotlight at the 2026 Venice Film Festival.
Why Chris Hansen hasn't seen the new film about 'To Catch a Predator'
Chris Hansen walked out of a screening of A24's "Primetime" rather than sign an NDA. Now he's buying ads before the Robert Pattinson film, in theaters Sept. 25.
Scientists Filmed an Alien-Looking Fish Moonwalking Across The Seafloor
Backward is just forward in reverse.
Scientists Filmed an Alien-Looking Fish Moonwalking Across The Seafloor
Backward is just forward in reverse.
Celebrating Gregg Allman at the Wheeler
Wednesday event combines live music, film screening, panel
Everything you need to know about the 2026 Venice Film Festival
Some of Hollywood's biggest stars are heading to Italy for the 83rd Venice Film Festival, starting Wednesday. The festival runs until Sept. 12, with Danny Boyle’s “Ink” opening the event.
Everything you need to know about the 2026 Venice Film Festival
Some of Hollywood's biggest stars are heading to Italy for the 83rd Venice Film Festival, starting Wednesday. The festival runs until Sept. 12, with Danny Boyle’s “Ink” opening the event.
Naya Rivera’s son, Josey Dorsey, will make acting debut
Josey Dorsey, the 10-year-old son of Ryan Dorsey and the late Naya Rivera is making his film acting debut in "The Burning Valley" alongside his father.
What to Stream: 'Mandalorian & Grogu,' Alix Earle reality series, Ellie Goulding's 'I Know Too Much'
New streaming entertainment options are arriving this week, including “The Mandalorian & Grogu” streaming on Disney+ starting Wednesday. The film, directed by Jon Favreau, follows Din Djarin and Grogu on
Ray Winstone recalls defending costar groped by director: ‘It was dealt with’
Ray Winstone says he once spoke up for a costar on the set of a film after the director assaulted her. ‘He abused his power, took advantage, and she was a good kid,’ Winstone recalled. ‘Anyway, it was dealt with.’
‘Glee’ star Naya Rivera’s 10-year-old son Josey sets film debut opposite his father
Naya Rivera’s son Josey has landed his first film role at only 10 years old. He will star in the drama ‘The Burning Valley’ opposite his dad, Ryan Dorsey, 6 years after his mother’s death at age 33.
9/11 volunteer creates film on Ground Zero health impacts
A 9/11 Ground Zero volunteer who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017 says his illness stems from cleaning up the attack site, and he is now making a documentary to raise awareness.
Meep, meep. ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ opens with $15.5 million, 'Spider-Man' stays No. 1 for fifth weekend
Three years after Warner Bros. abruptly canned “Coyote vs. Acme,” the Looney Tunes feature film that was given a new lease on life by Ketchup Entertainment debuted with an estimated $15.5 million in ticket sales over the weekend. For the fifth weekend in a row, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” topped…
Randy Quaid slams Anne Hathaway as ‘horrible choice’ for ‘Days of Thunder’ sequel
OG ‘Days of Thunder’ star Randy Quaid says Tom Cruise should ditch Anne Hathaway and reunite with his ex-wife Nicole Kidman for the 2028 sequel film.