Box Office: ‘Michael’ Nears $800 Million, ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Hits $600 Million Globally

 "Michael" is getting close to a big box office milestone. The movie about Michael Jackson has made $788 million worldwide and will soon pass the $800 million mark.

Over the weekend, "Michael" earned another $28.5 million overseas, showing strong performance.

 The movie, released by Universal internationally and Lionsgate in the U.S., has made $468 million overseas and $319 million domestically so far. With Japan still to open, "Michael" is expected to beat "Bohemian Rhapsody" ($911 million) to become the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time.

Disney's comedy sequel, "The Devil Wears Prada 2," also hit a box office target with over $600 million worldwide.

 In its fourth weekend, the film made $21 million overseas. It has been very successful in North America with around $200 million so far, but it's been even more popular internationally with $408 million.

This weekend, Disney released "The Mandalorian and Grogu," which made $64 million from 51 countries.

 Top markets included the United Kingdom, Germany, China, and Japan. The movie made $82 million in North America over the weekend and is expected to make $102 million by Monday. That brings the global total to $145 million in three days and $165 million over four days.

Ticket sales for "The Mandalorian and Grogu" are similar to Disney's last "Star Wars" spinoff, "Solo: A Star Wars Story," which had a bad reception and lost money.

 "Solo" made $65 million overseas and $84 million domestically, but it only made $392 million worldwide against a budget of nearly $300 million. "The Mandalorian and Grogu" cost $165 million to make, which is a lower budget for Disney, and has better reviews from critics and audiences. The film's second weekend will show if it's just for fans, or if it can be a longer hit.

Jon Favreau directed "The Mandalorian and Grogu," which continues the story from the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian."

 The series follows Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin and his green sidekick as they travel through a galaxy recovering from the fall of the Empire. It's an important test for Disney as it's the first "Star Wars" movie in seven years since "The Rise of Skywalker." There's pressure for Disney to prove the franchise can work on the big screen because Disney+ has become the main place for "Star Wars" content, with shows like "The Book of Boba Fett" and "Ahsoka." The franchise will return to theaters with "Star Wars: Starfighter" next summer, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling.

Memorial Day Weekend Box Office: ‘Mandalorian and Grogu’ Opens to $100 Million Domestically, $163 Million Globally

Disney's "The Mandalorian and Grogu" made $100 million at the domestic box office during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. That's a little less than the expected $102 million for the four-day period, which includes $81 million from the traditional weekend. The movie, which is part of the "Star Wars" series and continues the story from the popular Disney+ show, earned $63 million internationally, bringing its total global earnings to $163 million over the four days. This movie is important because it's the first "Star Wars" film in seven years since "The Rise of Skywalker" in 2019. For years, Lucasfilm, the owner of "Star Wars," struggled to create a new theatrical film, so they focused more on TV shows like "The Book of Boba Fett," "Ahsoka," "Andor," and "Skeleton Crew" on Disney+.

Box office experts aren't sure yet if "Star Wars" is still doing well in theaters.

 They think the movie's performance in its second weekend will show if it's only popular with fans or if it can attract families. So far, ticket sales are about the same as Lucasfilm's last "Star Wars" movie, "Solo: A Star Wars Story," which came out on Memorial Day in 2018 and didn't do well. "Solo" earned $103 million through the four-day holiday and $168 million worldwide, not adjusted for inflation. But due to bad reviews and lackluster word-of-mouth, the movie only made $392 million globally and was the first "Star Wars" film to lose money in its theatrical run. Part of the problem was its massive $300 million budget.

On the other hand, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" was much cheaper, costing around $165 million to make.

 It also got much better reviews from both critics and audiences. But the film still needs to show that younger people are interested in the "Star Wars" universe. Jon Favreau directed the movie, which features Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin and his cute green sidekick as they explore a galaxy recovering from the fall of the evil Empire.

Second place went to Focus Features' horror movie "Obsession," which had a bigger-than-expected second weekend.

 The movie made $23.9 million over the weekend and $30.3 million through Monday, which is a 39% increase from its first showing. This is rare for horror movies, which usually drop sharply after their first weekend. So far, "Obsession" has earned $60.7 million in North America and $75 million worldwide. It was made for less than $1 million and will likely be one of the most profitable films of the year. The movie was directed by YouTube star Curry Barker and follows someone who makes a dark deal to win his crush's heart.

Two other new movies, Paramount's thriller "Passenger" and Neon's crime comedy "I Love Boosters," didn't make it to the top five.

"Passenger" opened at number six with $10.5 million from Friday through Monday, including $8.7 million over the weekend.

 The movie, which is rated R, made $4.8 million overseas, for a total of $13.5 million worldwide. The film, about a couple being stalked by a demonic force, has mixed reviews (42% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a CinemaScore of B-. It only cost $15 million to make.

"I Love Boosters" opened in eighth place with $4.7 million through the four-day frame, including $3.8 million over the weekend.

 The film, directed by Boots Riley ("Sorry to Bother You"), is about professional shoplifters who target a ruthless fashion mogul played by Demi Moore. Critics gave it a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences were mixed, giving it a CinemaScore of B. The movie has a $20 million production budget.

Too Many Beasts’ Review: Sarah Arnold’s Rustic Crime Thriller Mixes New With the Old

Director Sarah Arnold's "Too Many Beasts (L’Espèce explosive)" is a well-made, handcrafted film that delivers both old and new thrills. It's one of those rare films that feels like it's all about the wild boar crime thriller genre, and it seems like no one else has done it quite like this. Its structure, focusing on small-town corruption between powerful politicians, state agents, and the tough, rough people living there, feels like a throwback to older crime thrillers that used to be common on screens.

Arnold's film shows that directors are keeping this old cinema tradition alive.

 Sometimes, the most thrilling thing is watching the rich and powerful get what's coming to them, and the film has characters with flaws that make us root for them and even care about them.

The film starts with a prologue that sets a darkly funny tone.

 We meet Brun (Jean-Louis Coulloc’h), a gamekeeper who kills a landowner who has been feeding the boars too much, causing them to get out of control. Flash forward to meet Fulda (Alexis Manent), a cop who's been assigned to look into the growing conflict between hunters and farmers. Tensions have gotten even worse with new hunters coming in to kill the wild boars, which seem to be getting bigger. There's talk of a conspiracy where the town's political leaders are fattening up the livestock so wealthy clients can hunt more easily, which upsets the old hunters who've done this for years.

As more boars die and end up on lawns, Fulda is tasked with finding out if Brun has returned.

 He finds an unlikely ally in a psychologist named Stéphane (Ella Rumpf). The two realize they might be the only people in town not working for someone with money and power.

"Everytime" won the Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes.

 The film has a unique, quirky sense of humor, with characters who speak in a realistic way but also deliver lines that play with the film's more absurd style. A hunter seriously says, "I won't be putting condoms on [the boars]" when overpopulation is discussed. In another scene, Fulda's partner criticizes Brun for his violence, saying, "He gutted a man!" to which Fulda replies, "Sure, but with respect." These characters often act as if they know exactly what movie they're in and seem just as entertained by their lines as we are.

It's worth watching for the dynamic between Rumpf and Manent.

 She's the competent, nervous shrink, and he's the well-meaning but clumsy buffoon. There's obvious sexual tension between them, but they're also bonded by a shared sense of justice and a desire to do the right thing, even if they look silly doing it. In a town that cares a lot about appearances, they're the ones willing to give up ego and reputation for peace, making their story both compelling and funny whenever their noble intentions clash with the violent world around them.

The stories are very human-centered (one would love to see more boars in the film), but the cinematographer, Noé Bach, always uses visuals to challenge the pride the characters show.

 Bach uses wide shots to show how small humans are in the world around them, and he also frames the animals like humans, with close-ups that show the details of their faces.

The film reminds us that no matter how much humans try to control the land or use their weapons and machines, the animals have been around longer and will ultimately win.

 Arnold's film becomes more than just a mystery—it's also a reflection on the complicated relationship humans have with nature, and how capitalism not only breaks relationships between people but also changes how we see the world in a way that can't be undone.

It's amusing to think that as the plot gets more complicated and Fulda and Stéphane get pulled into more ridiculous situations, Arnold is intentionally showing scenes of the boars going about their lives, completely unaffected by all the drama.

 We make things too complicated in our pursuit of more, forgetting the value of simple, contented grazing.

"Too Many Beasts (L’Espèce explosive)" won the Europa Cinema Label at the festival, and it's easy to see why.

 The award comes with the promise of more theatrical support. This is a film that's both a comedy and a drama, with enough wacky humor to attract the arthouse crowd and mainstream themes and stories that appeal to a wider audience.

Arnold has made a film that's easy to love because of its charming cast and compelling story.

 In short, this is a film that's very easy to enjoy.

Cannes Jury President Park Chan-wook Teases: ‘I Didn’t Want to Award the Palme d’Or to Any of the Films’

Cannes' jury head, Park Chan-wook — someone who's often been a favorite at Cannes but has never won the Palme d'Or — made some funny remarks and promoted his new movie during the closing press conference of the 79th Cannes Film Festival.

Park joked about having a hard time deciding which movie should win the top prize this year.

He said, "Honestly, I didn't want to give the Palme d'Or to any of the films because I've never won it myself.

 But I had no choice," he said in a flat, serious tone.

Even though he made jokes, the jury still made a decision.

 The Palme d'Or went to Cristian Mungiu's moral drama "Fjord," starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve. This makes Mungiu the tenth filmmaker to win the award twice — 19 years after his first win for "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days."

The highlight of the press conference was Park talking about the jury's decision not to choose favorites in two categories.

 They gave shared honors for acting to Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto in Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "All of a Sudden," and for directing to Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski with "Fatherland," and Spanish duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi with "The Black Ball." Park didn't apologize for this decision.

He said, "If you've seen the two films that won the acting award, I'm sure you'd agree with our choices."

 On the tie for directing, he added, "Both filmmakers did an amazing job, and we just couldn't decide which one was better."

The jury included Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, Laura Wandel, Chloé Zhao, Diego Céspedes, Isaach De Bankolé, Paul Laverty, and Stellan Skarsgård.

The two American films in the competition, James Gray's "Paper Tiger" and Ira Sachs' "The Man I Love," didn't win anything in a year that was especially kind to European movies.

Park is a well-known director from South Korea who made "Job Security Area" in 2000 and "Oldboy" in 2003.

 In recent years, he has become more famous in Hollywood with projects like the HBO series "The Sympathizer," starring Robert Downey Jr., and the 2025 drama "No Other Choice," which had a strong showing at arthouse theaters in the US through distributor Neon.

Park has been part of Cannes before.

 His film "The Handmaiden" was in competition in 2016, and he also served as a jury member at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.

The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Launches to $12 Million at Thursday Box Office

Disney and Lucasfilm's "The Mandalorian and Grogu" hit theaters Thursday night and made $12 million from preview showings as it gets ready to open on 4,300 screens today.

Compared to the last "Star Wars" movie that came out around Memorial Day, "Solo," which made $14.3 million from previews and ended up with a $103 million opening, "Mandalorian and Grogu" is expected to earn around $90 million over four days.

 This matches what the audience reactions suggested before the movie came out and is similar to the $97 million opening of the hit movie "Michael," which made $12.6 million from previews.

From the early audience, which is mostly fans, the movie got mostly good reviews.

 It has an 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 63% score from critics.

Sandra Wollner’s ‘Everytime’ Wins Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes

The Un Certain Regard section, which is the second biggest part of the Cannes Film Festival, was the place where the biggest surprise of the year happened. Jordan Firstman's first movie, "Club Kid," got huge praise on the first Friday of the festival and was bought for $17 million by A24 in a big bidding war, which is the biggest sale so far at the festival.

The film got a lot of good reviews, including from Variety's chief critic Guy Lodge, who said it was a "sweet, surprisingly old-fashioned heartwarmer."

 But even though it was well received, Firstman didn't win any awards, leaving with lots of money but no awards.

The biggest winner of the night was Sandra Wollner's "Everytime," a touching story about grief that shows a mother, daughter, and a teenage boy coming together in a tragedy.

 Wollner thanked her team, many of whom were also writers and directors, and said she wanted to keep those "quirky and weird thoughts" that usually get ignored, hoping they might stay with people longer.

Other winners included Abinash Bikram Shah's "Elephants in the Fog," the first Nepali film in the Un Certain Regard section, and Louis Clichy's hand-painted animated film "Iron Boy," which was bought by Sony Pictures Classics for several regions.

 Both films were reviewed by Variety critic Siddhant Adlakha, who praised them as "visually dazzling and deeply personal."

The "Elephants in the Fog" team brought a party to the stage when many of the film's creators started dancing around Cannes director Thierry Frémaux.

 Director Bikram Shah said that cinema has the power to look into the shadows and that bringing their story to the festival and getting this award made the invisible visible.

The UCR jury also gave awards for acting.

 The three women in Valentina Maurel's "Forever Your Maternal Animal" — Daniela Marín Navarro, Marina de Tavira, and Mariangel Villegas — and Bradley Fiomona Dembeasset in Rafiki Fariala's "Congo Boy" were recognized. "Forever Your Maternal Animal" was Costa Rica's first film in Un Certain Regard, and Maurel hoped that its selection signaled more space for Latin American filmmakers, especially female directors, at major festivals.

Fiomona Dembeasset impressed the audience with his energetic speech at the Debussy screening room.

 He ended his heartfelt acceptance speech, delivered in song, with a strong declaration: "I am a young Congolese! I am a refugee! I am a star!"

This year's Un Certain Regard jury was led by French actress Leila Bekhti, who became famous through Jacques Audiard's Cannes Grand Prize-winning film "A Prophet.

" She was joined by French director Thomas Cailley, whose film "Animal Kingdom" opened the UCR section in 2023, plus Senegalese producer Angele Diabang, Italian director Laura Samani, and Lebanese composer Khaled Mouzanar.

Full list of winners:

Prix Un Certain Regard: “Everytime,” by Sandra Wollner

Jury Prize: “Elephants in the Fog,” by Abinash Bikram Shah

Special Jury Prize: “Iron Boy,” directed by Louis Clichy

Best Actress: Daniela Marín Navarro, Marina de Tavira and Mariangel Villegas for “Forever Your Maternal Animal”

Best Actor: Bradley Fiomona Dembeasset for “Congo Boy”

TIFFCOM, Frontières to Serve up New Genre Market Program in October

 International horror, sci-fi, fantasy, action, and animation movies are getting a new chance to find funding this fall.

Frontières, the international genre co-production market organized by the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, is working with the Tokyo International Film Festival Content Market (TIFFCOM) to launch a new genre gap-financing program at the Tokyo Gap Financing Market (TGFM) in October.

This news comes after the Marché du Film, where Japan was the country of honor this year, and it marks a busy time for Frontières.

 The market has been playing a big role in boosting interest in genre films at both Cannes and other festivals in recent years.

Tania Morissette, deputy director of Fantasia, told Variety, “Since its start in 1996, Fantasia has supported Asian cinema, and it feels natural to expand our market into Japan.

 We are very proud of this new partnership and the chance to highlight international genre co-productions more.”

Morissette attended the TGFM last year and was impressed by the quality of the projects.

 Representatives from both events started talking and finalized the partnership this week at Cannes.

This year, some TGFM alumni films are showing at Cannes, including “Death Has No Master” by Jorge Thielen Armand, “9 Temples to Heaven” by Sompot Chidgasornpongse, and “Titanic Ocean” by Konstantina Kotzamani.

Morissette said, “In recent years, Frontières has seen more submissions from Asia.

 Projects like ‘Funky Forest 2’ and ‘Red Spider Lilies’ were chosen for the Montreal market last year, and Norihiro Niwatsukino’s ‘Magai-Gami’ and ‘Queen of Malacca’ were shown at this year’s sold-out Frontières at Cannes.”

The new Tokyo market program will include international projects that are already in advanced financing and need up to 40% gap financing.

 These projects will be shown in a special showcase at the TGFM. The market supports feature films by arranging one-on-one meetings with industry people like producers, financiers, distributors, broadcasters, and streaming services. There will also be daily panels and talks during the three-day TIFFCOM, which will be held from October 28 to 30.

The market is linked to the Tokyo International Film Festival, which is running its 39th edition from October 26 to November 4.

 Submissions for eligible projects can be made starting today (May 22) and will close on July 21, 2026. Applicants can submit their projects through the Frontières Market website or the TGFM platform.

Some recent Frontières successes include “Lamb” by Valdimar Jóhannson, which won the Un Certain Regard prize for originality in 2021, “In Flames” by Zarrar Khan, which was chosen for Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2023, and “A Prayer for the Dying” by Dara Van Dusen, which was a Berlinale Perspectives pick in 2026 and got good reviews.

Another Frontières film, “Hot Spot” by Agnieszka Smoczynska, is set to premiere at Fantasia’s 30th edition this summer.

The Frontières International Co-Production Market is supported by Telefilm Canada, SODEC, the Government of Quebec, the City of Montreal, and RDV Canada.