Movies

Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein are returning to Vancouver with Freaks 2 after their 2018 sci-fi thriller Freaks grossed more than $375 million worldwide and transformed their Hollywood careers. The filmmakers later directed Final Destination Bloodlines and secured a first-look deal with Sony.

Christopher Abbott says he has not yet read any material for Marvel Studios’ X-Men movie, but he is eager to play Professor X and work with director Jake Schreier and the film’s ensemble. The superhero movie is scheduled to premiere in theaters on May 5, 2028.

Tom Cruise’s Digger is projected to open with around $8 million domestically, below Warner Bros.’ $12 million to $15 million forecast. Amazon MGM Studios’ Verity is expected to lead the weekend box office with an estimated $33.6 million.

Doreen Sayegh is preparing to celebrate the Cranford Theater’s 100th anniversary while expanding programming to keep the independent, family-run New Jersey cinema operating. The five-screen theater will mark its centennial with an organ-accompanied screening of Padlocked, the silent film that opened the venue on November 29, 1926.

The New York Muslim Film Festival debuts Oct. 11 at Manhattan’s SVA Theatre with 12 short films from seven countries and a six-member jury. The one-day event will showcase Muslim filmmakers telling their own stories across documentary, drama, comedy, animation and experimental work.

Paramount Pictures has released the second trailer for “Ebenezer,” director Ti West’s darker, supernatural reimagining of “A Christmas Carol,” starring Johnny Depp as Scrooge. The film marks Depp’s first Hollywood studio movie since 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”

The Tokyo International Film Festival has unveiled its full 2026 program, featuring a 15-film main competition, gala screenings, animation, emerging Asian cinema and classics. The 39th edition runs Oct. 26 to Nov. 4, opening with Zeze Takahisa’s Sukiyaki, closing with Yeon Sang-ho’s Colony and featuring Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus Zero as its centerpiece.

Kathleen Kennedy says she feels “a bit of relief” after stepping down from Lucasfilm earlier in 2026, ending her 14-year tenure leading the company behind the Star Wars franchise. She described succeeding George Lucas as an incredible challenge and balancing loyal fans with original storytelling as the toughest task.

Anne Hathaway’s “Verity” is projected to lead the domestic box office with a $30 million to $35 million opening, potentially giving her a third No. 1 debut this year. Tom Cruise’s “Digger” is tracking for $12 million to $15 million.

Florence Pugh credits Tom Holland and fans for helping bring her Yelena Belova into Spider-Man: Brand New Day after Holland publicly said he wanted to work with her in another Spider-Man movie.

Massive Studios is partnering with The Garfield Movie screenwriters Paul A. Kaplan and Mark Torgove and producer Todd Garner on three AI-assisted animated Christmas shorts directed by Reza Sixo Safai. A trailer is planned for Thanksgiving weekend, with all three films set for a free Christmas Eve release.

Warner Bros. is using sharply divided reactions to Tom Cruise’s “Digger” in a new ad urging moviegoers to “decide for yourself.” The campaign pairs praise such as “Masterpiece” and “Brilliant” with criticism including “Unpleasant” and “Baffling” as the film faces a divided critical reception.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Digger is an audacious, R-rated disaster satire that transforms Tom Cruise into a grotesque oil baron whose drilling unleashes a global catastrophe. Warner Bros. will release the deliberately disorienting dark comedy, which targets environmental collapse, political evasion and extreme wealth, on October 2, 2026.

Avengers: Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo confirmed that more characters and actors will join the 31 already announced. Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk could be among the secret additions, with Bruce Banner involved in the story surrounding Robert Downey Jr.’s Victor von Doom.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is being lined up for a theatrical re-release with additional footage, including Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple. The Tom Holland film’s re-release date and the extent of the new material have not been confirmed.

Harry Potter producer David Barron will produce a new adaptation of Jack London’s The Call of the Wild using generative AI alongside CGI and traditional visual effects. Written and directed by Simon Rumley, the film will tell the story through Buck’s subjective experience.

Hur Jin-ho’s political crime thriller “The Assassin(s)” opened at No. 1 in South Korea with $8 million, while “Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub” debuted in second place with $4.1 million. The Chuseok holiday weekend lifted the overall box office to $19.6 million, up from $7.6 million the previous week.

At the Zurich Summit, Musk producer Nick Shumaker, Atwater Capital founder Vania Schlogel and directors Zack London and Nick Holt examined AI’s growing impact on filmmaking. The panel discussed its creative promise and ethical risks, with Schlogel urging Hollywood to actively shape the technology’s development.

Jia Zhangke is preparing the Zhao Tao-led road movie “Mamma Dunhuang,” with filming scheduled to begin in early winter. Although AI plays a role in the story of a woman driving from western China to the eastern coastline, Jia said the technology will not be used in the film’s production.

Godzilla Minus Zero director Takashi Yamazaki defended the sequel’s franchise-first R rating, saying scenes involving violent content and bloody images were essential and cutting them was not an option. The follow-up to Godzilla Minus One received an enthusiastic response at its New York Film Festival world premiere.

Jon Watts is attached to direct the first film in a new Star Wars trilogy written by Simon Kinberg, envisioned as Episode X and the next chapter of the Skywalker Saga. The project remains in development and has not yet received a green light from Disney.