Monday, December 8, 2025

Box Office: ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ Opens to Huge $63M in U.S., ‘Zootopia 2’ Crosses $915M Globally

Animatronics are really doing well at the box office this time of year, especially with the follow-ups to Five Nights at Freddy's and Zootopia 2.

Five Nights at Freddy's 2, which came out two months after Black Phone 2, took the top spot on the domestic box office.
 It made a big $63 million from 3,412 theaters, setting a new record for the week after Thanksgiving. It also achieved several other important milestones.

Overseas, the movie made a good $46.1 million from 76 countries, reaching a global total of $109 million with a production cost of $36 million before advertising.


Critics didn't really like the movie — it has a low 13 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to 33 percent for the first film.
 But the audience really likes it. The movie got a B CinemaScore, which is not bad for a horror movie, and strong opening numbers. Even though it didn't match the $80 million opening of the first Five Nights at Freddy's, it's hard to compare because the ways people watch movies are different now.

Domestically, this sequel is now the second-best horror opening of the year so far, behind The Conjuring Last Rites.
 It's also the highest opening of the year for a PG-13 horror film, ahead of Predator: Badlands, and the highest December horror opening ever. Overseas, it's also the second-best opening of the year.

In 2023, the horror movie Five Nights at Freddy's made more than $300 million worldwide, based on the game series by Scott Cawthon.
 The movie features oversized animatronic animals at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Josh Hutcherson and Emma Tammi, who directed the first, are back in the sequel.

The sequel made a huge $30.1 million on its first Friday, including previews.


Zootopia 2, the Thanksgiving movie from Walt Disney Animation, came in second in its third weekend with $43 million from 4,000 theaters, bringing its domestic total to $220.6 million.
 Overseas, the movie made another $219 million, taking its global total to $695.3 million and moving closer to the $1 billion mark. Only one other movie this year reached that amount — Disney's Lilo & Stitch.

In China, Zootopia is now the second most successful Hollywood movie of all time, with $430 million, behind Avengers: Endgame.
 In Japan, it has made $12.3 million, the second most for a Hollywood movie behind Frozen 2.

Zootopia has also been a big hit for Disney globally, now the top international film of the year among Western releases.
 It helped Disney reach the $5 billion mark in worldwide ticket sales for the second year in a row, which hasn't happened since 2018.

Wicked: For Good, directed by Jon M. Chu, had a big drop in its third weekend, down 73 percent to $16.8 million from 3,985 theaters, bringing its domestic total to $297 million.
 Still, it's behind the first Wicked, which made $322.1 million at the same point. Similar to Zootopia, Wicked 2 broke many box office records when it first came out. Executives believe it has more chances to make more money.

Overseas, Wicked: For Good made $13 million from 80 countries, taking its international total to $143.2 million and $440.1 million globally.


GKIDS' new anime movie, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, came in fourth in North America with $10 million from 1,823 theaters.


Two Lionsgate movies, Now You See Me: Now You Don't and Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, came in fourth and fifth.


Now You See Me has crossed $200 million in worldwide sales, with an additional $3.5 million domestically and $9 million overseas.
 Its total domestic box office is now $55.3 million and $154.3 million overseas, making the global total nearly $210 million.

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair made an impressive $3.25 million from 1,198 theaters.
 The movie brings together the first two parts of Kill Bill and adds a new anime sequence. The movie is over four hours long, including a 15-minute break.

At the specialty box office, Focus Features' film Hamnet came in eighth.
 It expanded to 744 theaters, making $2.3 million, for a total of $4.2 million. The plan is to release it slowly to take advantage of upcoming nominations.

Dec. 7, 7:56 a.m.: Updated with new estimates.


This story was first published on Dec. 6 at 9:39 a.m.

Saturday, December 6, 2025

It’s Official: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros. in Deal Valued at $82.7 Billion

Netflix, run by co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, has agreed to buy Warner Bros. in a big deal worth $82.7 billion. This effort is called "Project Noble," and Netflix got $59 billion in money from banks to make the deal happen.

Netflix says this buy will give users more choices and help it plan better.
 It also wants to grow its movie and TV making, and save money for talent and investors, with savings of up to $3 billion every year. If the deal falls through, Netflix would still have to pay Warner Bros. Discovery $5.8 billion as a breakup fee.

The companies announced the deal early Friday, changing the entertainment landscape.
 Netflix says it will keep running Warner Bros. as usual, like showing movies in theaters, but details are still unclear. That lack of detail might cause some opposition to the deal.

Netflix also talked to creators, saying that combining its global reach with Warner Bros.' famous movies and shows will offer more opportunities for talent.
 It will let them work on popular stories and reach more people than ever.

WBD shareholders will get $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix shares for each share of WBD stock.
 The TV networks part, including CNN and TNT, will be split off and are expected to go public in the third quarter of 2026.

Ted Sarandos said he knows some people are surprised by the deal.
 He explained that even though Netflix has been known for making content, this is a rare chance to grow and keep moving forward. He mentioned how Netflix has changed from a DVD company to a global streaming giant.

Greg Peters said the deal will help Netflix grow and strengthen the entertainment industry for years.
 He praised Warner Bros. for its long history in entertainment and said combining their strengths will bring more content and options to viewers.

David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros.
 Discovery, said coming together with Netflix will help share great stories with people all over the world. He highlighted Warner Bros.' long history of making entertainment that resonates with audiences.

Netflix has become the top streaming service, and now it is moving into Hollywood.
 The deal is expected to face a lot of regulatory reviews. Meanwhile, it is understood that Netflix made the highest offer, allowing Warner Bros. Discovery to separate its networks and let its CFO become the new leader of that part.

Wall Street analysts think the deal is good because new content drives most of Netflix's viewership.
 They say that even though only 5% of titles on Netflix are from the last year, they make up over 20% of the viewing, showing how much content spending affects engagement.

Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich, in a recent report, called the auction of WBD something like this: “The global media industry is on the edge of a big change, and WBD is right in the middle of it.” She said that if Netflix gets the deal for WBD’s studios and streaming parts, it could do a lot at once. She explained, “The fight over WBD’s streaming and studio parts shows how the media world is changing. Mid-sized old media companies can’t keep up with the cost structure of Netflix or the power of big tech companies like Amazon. In the end, an acquisition might be a big deal for both Paramount Skydance and NBCUniversal. So, besides any money benefits, if Netflix takes over WBD, it could help them a lot—because WBD would be part of Netflix, and Paramount and NBCUniversal might struggle to stay competitive.”

Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne also pointed out what Netflix could gain from the deal.
 He said, “What’s most interesting for Netflix is that it would get control of some big movie and TV brands that can make money for a long time—like DC Comics, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. It would also get the people, the production stuff, and the global reach to distribute its stuff.”

The same goes for HBO and HBO Max.
 Swinburne said, “HBO has its own set of popular TV shows that it made over the years. It also has a brand that people still think of as high-quality TV. HBO has mostly moved to streaming, which means Netflix would have less trouble with the old ways of TV. We think only about 10 to 15 percent of its global subscribers are still paying through traditional TV services.”

The biggest problem with a Netflix-WBD deal is seen as being regulatory issues.
 But that’s more of a problem for Netflix than for WBD.

Even before the news about the exclusive talks, Bernstein analyst Laurent Yoon said going with Netflix’s offer was a win-win for WBD.
 He wrote, “WBD doesn’t have much to lose—unless it’s a good deal. If they get bought by Netflix, they’d get 85% in cash! Or they could walk away with a lot of money to grow. And more than $5 billion is enough to make over 20 big movies like Superman. That’s not a bad deal either.”

Many in Hollywood are worried about the deal.
 Cinema United, a group of theater owners, said in a statement, “The proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. by Netflix poses a huge threat to the global movie theater business.” Their president and CEO, Michael O’Leary, added, “The bad effects of this deal will hurt theaters from the biggest chains to small ones in towns everywhere. Cinema United is ready to help with changes that make more movies and give people more chances to go to the local theater. But Netflix’s business model doesn’t support theaters. In fact, it’s the opposite. Regulators need to look at this deal closely and understand the bad effects it might have on people, theaters, and the entertainment industry.”

The Directors Guild also said the deal raises “serious concerns.”


Now Hollywood has to think about a huge deal that could change the media world in a way never seen before.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ Makes $7.2 Million in Previews Box Office

It's time to go back to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza because "Five Nights at Freddy's" is back in theaters.


Universal and Blumhouse's PG-13 horror sequel "Five Nights at Freddy's 2" made $7.2 million in Thursday previews.
 It's expected to make between $35 million and $40 million in its opening this weekend.

Compared to the original 2023 movie, which was based on the popular horror video game series, this sequel has lower expectations.
 The first movie made $10.3 million in previews and went on to earn a strong $80 million opening. That was more than expected, especially since it came out at the same time on Peacock. However, the original was a huge hit, becoming Blumhouse's highest-grossing movie with nearly $300 million worldwide. The sequel has a budget of $36 million, which is higher than the first movie's $20 million. This should help it stay in theaters during the holiday season and make a profit.

Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, Elizabeth Lail, and Piper Rubio are back for more animatronic scares at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.
 The robots become creepy killers at night. Director Emma Tammi and writer and video game series creator Scott Cawthon are both returning for the sequel. Newcomers include McKenna Grace, Teo Briones, Freddy Carter, and others.

However, last week's Thanksgiving winner "Zootopia 2" is expected to make $44 million to $50 million, a big drop from its $98 million opening.
 Universal's "Wicked: For Good" is heading for $21 million to $25 million in its third weekend.

Other new movies include "Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution," which is projected to earn $8 million to $10 million; Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair," expected to make $5 million to $10 million; and a filmed version of Broadway's "Merrily We Roll Along" and the British comedy "Fackham Hall," both expected to make around $3 million.

Friday, December 5, 2025

Endless Cookie Movie

Endless Cookie

2025 | 1h 37m

Genre: Drama. Documentary, Comedy

Release date

December 5, 2025 (United States)

Directed by Seth Scriver

Peter Scriver

Written by Seth Scriver

Peter Scriver

Produced by

Daniel Bekerman

Alex Ordanis

Jason Ryle

Seth Scriver

Chris Yurkovich

Cast

Seth Scriver

Peter Scriver

Edited by Sydney Cowper

Animation by Seth Scriber

Production

company

Scythia Films

Distributed by Mongrel Media

Producers

Daniel Bekerman

producer

Jordan Hart

executive producer

Neil Mathieson

executive producer

Alex Ordanis

producer

Jason Ryle

producer

Seth Scriver

producer

Chris Yurkovich

producer

Editor

Sydney Cowper

Art Department

Seth Scriver

storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department

Renan Deodato

re-recording mixer

Olivia Kolakowski

sound effects editor

Tess Moir

foley artist

Rodrigo Murillo

sound editor

Soroosh Rafiei

Assistant Re-Recording Mixer

Animation Department

Seth Scriver

animator: lead

Editorial Department

Anise Gregorio

post production supervisor

Running time 98 minutes

Country Canada

Language English

Details

Country of origin

Canada

100 Nights of Hero Movie

100 Nights of Hero

2025 | PG-13 | 1h 31m

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Directed by Julia Jackman

Screenplay by Julia Jackman

Based on The One Hundred Nights of Hero

by Isabel Greenberg

Produced by

Helen Simmons

Stephanie Aspin

Grant S. Johnson

Cast

Emma Corrin

Nicholas Galitzine

Maika Monroe

Amir El-Masry

Charli xcx

Richard E. Grant

Felicity Jones

Cinematography Xenia Patricia

Edited by Amélie Labrèche

Music by Oliver Coates

Production

companies

Erebus Pictures

Project Infinity

Distributed by

Independent Film Company (United States)

Vue Lumière (United Kingdom)

Release dates

6 September 2025 (Venice)

5 December 2025 (United States)

Running time 90 minutes

Countries

United Kingdom

United States

Language English

Budget $5.3 million

Merrily We Roll Along Movie

Merrily We Roll Along

2025 |  PG-13 | 2h 30m

Release date

December 5, 2025 (United States)

Director

Maria Friedman

Writer

George Furth

Cast

Natalie Wachen

Sherz Aletaha

Krystal Joy Brown

Producers

Scott Abrams

executive producer

David Babani

producer

Meredith Bennett

executive producer

Patrick Catullo

producer

Andrew Cohen

executive producer

Jonathan Corr

executive producer

Sonia Friedman

producer

Jon Kamen

producer

Amanda Lipitz

executive producer

Mary Maggio

executive producer

Stephanie Palmer McClelland

co-executive producer

F. Richard Pappas

producer

Jeff Romley

executive producer

Alec Sash

supervising producer

Dave Sirulnick

producer

Henry Tisch

executive producer

Tony Yurgaitis

executive producer

Karla Zambrano

supervising producer

Cinematographer

Sam Levy

director of photography

Editor

Spencer Averick

editor

Second Unit Directors or Assistant Directors

Janine DeVito

associate director

John Maher

second second assistant director

Corissa Mavroides Trani

associate director

Sound Department

Bennett Kerr

sound effects editor

Shannon Stoeke

audio description narrator

Zac Swanner

music editor

Visual Effects

Jenna Gabriel

visual effects producer

Country of origin

United States

Language

English

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution Movie

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution

Original title: Gekijô-ban Jujutsu Kaisen Shibuya Jihen Tokubetsu Henshû-ban × Shimetsu Kaiyû Senkô Jôei

2025 | R  | 1h 30m

Genre: Animation, Action, Fantasy

Directors

Shouta GoshozonoYôsuke Takada

Writers

Gege AkutamiHiroshi Seko

Cast

Jun'ya Enoki

Subaru Kimura

Alan Lee

Composer

Yoshimasa Terui

music

Cinematographer

Teppei Ito

director of photography

Editor

Keisuke Yanagi

Art Director

Jun'ichi Higashi

Second Unit or Assistant Director

Nana Ueda

assistant director

Art Department

Shouta Goshozono

storyboard artist

Eiko Matsushima

color designer

Sound Department

Yasunori Ebina

sound director

Visual Effects

Daisuke Ishikawa

cg director: Monster's Egg

Yûsuke Tannawa

cg producer

Release date

December 5, 2025 (United States)

Country of origin

Japan

Language

Japanese