&#8220;Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire&#8221; led the domestic box office over the weekend after it hit theaters on Friday.
The latest film in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ghostbusters">ghostbusting</a> franchise scored $45.2 million on its opening weekend thanks to the multi-generational appeal of the film, The <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ghostbusters-frozen-empire-box-office-opening-1235858952/">Hollywood Reporter</a> reported.
It just barely beat out &#8220;Ghostbusters: Afterlife,&#8221; the last entry in the series, which came out in 2021 after theaters had been closed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and movie companies were struggling to get audiences back into seats. 
At the time, &#8220;Afterlife&#8221; had an opening weekend of $44 million. &#8220;Frozen Empire&#8221; cost $100 million to make compared to the 2021 film which cost $75 million.
Overseas, the latest film earned another $16.4 million during its debut weekend.
The latest sequel was directed by Gil Kenan, after he and Jason Reitman, the son of late director Ivan Reitman — responsible for the smash hit original &#8220;Ghostbusters&#8221; movie in 1984 and the sequel &#8220;Ghostbusters 2&#8221; in 1989 — helped resurrect the original franchise with &#8220;Afterlife&#8221; and found box office success while inviting a new generation of fans with such stars as Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, Paul Rudd, and Carrie Coon.
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Light ‘em up! <a href="https://twitter.com/Ghostbusters?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ghostbusters</a> Frozen Empire is the #1 Movie. Get tickets to see it Now Playing exclusively in movie theaters: <a href="https://t.co/5XeXoFBnMe">https://t.co/5XeXoFBnMe</a> <a href="https://t.co/NQjVpGiusi">pic.twitter.com/NQjVpGiusi</a>
&mdash; Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) <a href="https://twitter.com/SonyPictures/status/1772319006902620301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Both Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd appeared in &#8220;Afterlife&#8221; along with original stars Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver, and Ernie Hudson. Harold Ramis appeared with the help of CGI in the movie, as he died in 2014.
&#8220;Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire&#8221; picks up the story where &#8220;Ghostbusters: Afterlife&#8221; left off, bringing in the nostalgia again with a return of Murray, Aykroyd, Hudson, and Potts.
For &#8220;Frozen Empire,&#8221; written by Kenan and Reitman, the story focuses on what happens when the Spengler family moves back to New York to the firehouse where the original Ghostbusters started their business, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The new generations of Ghostbusters end up joining forces with the original &#8220;Ghostbusters&#8221; crew whose secret lab has helped them take their ghostbusting skills to a new level.
A <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21235248/">description</a> of the movie on IMDB reads, &#8220;When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.&#8221;
The latest flick hit theaters on March 22.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ghostbusters-director-ivan-reitman-dead-at-75" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8216;Ghostbusters&#8217; Director Ivan Reitman Dead At 75</a>

Ghostbusters-2

‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ Leads Weekend Box Office

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Leads Weekend Box Office

Box Office

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Entertainment

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“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">The Batman</a>” actor Paul Dano is weighing in on the debate over “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/superheroes">superhero</a> fatigue,” the current trend of comic book-themed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">films</a> like “Madame Web” and “The Marvels” underperforming at the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood">box office</a>. 
The 39-year-old says all hope is not lost for future films in this genre. He says the concept just needs some tweaking. 
“It’s an interesting moment where everybody has to go like, ‘OK – what now?’ Hopefully from that, somebody either breathes new life into [comic book movies], or something else blossoms which is not superheroes,” Dano told The Independent during an interview published Friday. “I’m sure there will still be some good ones yet to come, but I think it’s kind of a welcome moment.”
“It’s a larger thing, too,” he continued. “As soon as the word ‘content’ came into what we do – meaning making movies or TV – it meant quantity over quality, which I think was a big misstep. And I certainly don’t need that as a viewer or as an artist.”
Dano went on to speculate why “The Batman” succeeded where so many others had failed. “There are enough comic book movies where you just know what you’re gonna get,” the actor said. “Reading the script for &#8216;The Batman,&#8217; you knew it was a real film. Every sentence… that’s just [writer/director] Matt Reeves.”
A sequel to The Batman is slated to be released on October 3, 2025. Dano is currently promoting his newest film, “Spaceman,” a sci-fi movie starring Adam Sandler about an astronaut sent on a mission to the edge of the solar system while encountering a giant spider-like creature who will help him solve his problems.
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The conversation about superhero films not performing as strongly in Hollywood has been a hot topic lately. In November, the newest Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) installment, “The Marvels,” had the lowest opening weekend in the franchise’s history with just $47 million.
“Captain America: A Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts,” and “Blade” — all initially slated for 2024 — are being pushed to 2025, at least in part because of strike-related production delays. That means the only Marvel release scheduled for 2024 is “Deadpool 3.”

Paul Dano

‘The Batman’ Actor Weighs In On Superhero Fatigue, Offers Solution For Future Films

'The Batman' Actor Weighs In On Superhero Fatigue, Offers Solution For Future Films

Batman

Movies

Superheroes

U.S.

The sci-fi film “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">Dune: Part Two</a>” dominated the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood">box office</a> over the weekend, bringing in an impressive $81.5 million domestically, the highest opening weekend result for any movie in 2024 so far. 
“This is just what the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">box office</a> needed and much higher than any of us could predict,” Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures, said in response to the results, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/03/business/dune-2-sees-usd81-5-million-box-office-weekend/index.html">CNN</a>. “That’s especially true given that it’s a sci-fi movie, which is a genre that is a hard nut to crack. And we grossed $178.5 million worldwide, which is quite a standup.”
“We created a cultural moment, and it started with this extraordinary movie that [film director] Denis Villeneuve told in a really compelling way, and a cast has worked their butt off around the world for this movie,” Goldstein continued.
The results were notably higher compared to opening weekend for the first “Dune” movie, which premiered in October 2021 with $41 million to start. 
Both films are based on the 1965 novel by the same name written by Frank Herbert. The original installment featured an ensemble cast including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem. &#8220;Part Two&#8221; brought back several familiar faces from the first movie, including Chalamet and Zendaya, plus added familiar names such as <span class="c5aZPb" role="button" data-enable-toggle-animation="true" data-extra-container-classes="ZLo7Eb" data-hover-hide-delay="1000" data-hover-open-delay="500" data-send-open-event="true" data-theme="0" data-width="250" data-ved="2ahUKEwiZr_ef89qEAxWPCnkGHdytCEAQmpgGegQIGBAD">Floren<span class="c5aZPb" role="button" data-enable-toggle-animation="true" data-extra-container-classes="ZLo7Eb" data-hover-hide-delay="1000" data-hover-open-delay="500" data-send-open-event="true" data-theme="0" data-width="250" data-ved="2ahUKEwiZr_ef89qEAxWPCnkGHdytCEAQmpgGegQIGBAD">ce<span class="c5aZPb" role="button" data-enable-toggle-animation="true" data-extra-container-classes="ZLo7Eb" data-hover-hide-delay="1000" data-hover-open-delay="500" data-send-open-event="true" data-theme="0" data-width="250" data-ved="2ahUKEwiZr_ef89qEAxWPCnkGHdytCEAQmpgGegQIGBAD"> Pugh and Christopher Walken.
The first “Dune” went on to become a huge success, bringing in $434.8 million against a $165 million production budget. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won six.
One thing that sets both of these sci-fi films apart from other contemporary films is audiences prefer to experience the visuals in a theater. CNN reported that 48 percent of total domestic box office sales this weekend came from premium large formats like IMAX 70 mm, IMAX Digital, and Dolby Cinema, meaning higher revenue overall due to the high cost of tickets. Villeneuve used special IMAX cameras while shooting the sequel.
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“Dune: Part Two” currently has a 93% critic score and 95% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 
“The second Dune installment is jaw-on-the-floor spectacular. It elegantly weaves together top-tier special effects and arresting cinematography; it layers muscle, sinew and savagery on to the bones of Part One,” the Observer critic <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/03/dune-part-two-review-denis-villeneuve-timothee-chalamet-zendaya-rebecca-ferguson-austin-butler-sci-fi-sequel-is-jaw-on-the-floor-spectacular">wrote</a>. 
“This is what movie theaters exist for, this type of visual and complete story immersion,” the reviewer from Forbes <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2024/03/03/review-dune-part-two-is-an-thrilling-great-sci-fi-masterpiece/?sh=278abd797cd8">agreed</a>.

“Dune: Part Two”

Warners Bros. Exec Celebrates ‘Dune 2’ Scoring $81.5M Opening Weekend: ‘We Created A Cultural Moment’

Warners Bros. Exec Celebrates 'Dune 2' Scoring $81.5M Opening Weekend: 'We Created A Cultural Moment'

The &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-biggest-box-office-bombs-of-2023">Aquaman</a>&#8220; sequel continues to struggle as Warner Bros. &#8220;Wonka&#8221; has not only dominated the Christmas box office, but now the New Year weekend as well.
&#8220;Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom&#8221; has earned, as of New Year&#8217;s Day, $81.8 million. The original 2018 film made $215.4 million over the same time period as it was on its way to $1.2 billion at the global box office, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wonka-box-office-aquaman-new-years-1235776921/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The </a>Hollywood Reporter noted.
The Jason Momoa-led film has had a poor showing at the box office following its release on December 22, coming in way under expectations after earning $27 million over the Christmas weekend and another $23.5 million over the four-day New Year weekend.
The DC superhero sequel and final movie from DC&#8217;s Extended Universe appears to be doing slightly better overseas where the James Wan movie has earned $173.6 million as of Monday, according to <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt9663764/?ref_=bo_se_r_2">Box Office Mojo</a>.
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Box Office: &#8216;Wonka&#8217; Beats &#8216;Aquaman 2&#8217; in Final 2023 Matchup <a href="https://t.co/AYr465yfxt">https://t.co/AYr465yfxt</a>
— Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1741498790568239307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2023</a></blockquote>
However, the clear winner over both holiday weekends has been the Timothée Chalamet-led backstory of the famed fictional chocolatier Willy Wonka. It is the latest remake based on the 1964 novel &#8220;Charlie and the Chocolate Factory&#8221; by Roald Dahl. The original novel&#8217;s first film adaptation was 1971&#8217;s &#8220;Willy Wonka &amp; the Chocolate Factory,&#8221; starring Gene Wilder as Wonka. A 2005 remake directed by Tim Burton starred Johnny Depp as Wonka.
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After the long Christmas weekend, &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wonka-winning-at-the-holiday-box-office">Wonka</a>&#8220; brought in $102.5 million domestically, <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/wonka-box-office-timothee-chalamet-100-million-migration-1235851894/">Variety</a> reported following its release in mid-December. The movie brought in another $29.5 million at the domestic box office after New Year&#8217;s day, bringing the film&#8217;s total to $140.2 million as of Monday, THR noted.
Warner Bros. also released another film over the holiday, the Broadway musical adaptation of Alice Walker&#8217;s novel &#8220;The Color Purple.&#8221; The film has had less time than the rest after it opened December 25 with $18.5 million. After the New Year holiday weekend, the movie&#8217;s current domestic total now stands at $47.2 million domestically.
Despite the millions earned at the box office, the numbers for the top movies in the country pale in comparison to the last few years, <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/12/box-office-post-christmas-wonka-aquaman-2-color-purple-1235682346/">Deadline magazine</a> noted.
In 2021, Marvel&#8217;s &#8220;Spider-Man: No Way Home,&#8221; and &#8220;Avatar: The Way of the Water&#8221; in 2022 both cleared $30 million in a single day after Christmas.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aquaman-sequel-has-disappointing-christmas-opening-bringing-in-just-40m" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8216;Aquaman&#8217; Sequel Has Disappointing Christmas Opening, Bringing In Just $40M</a>

Aquaman 2

‘Aquaman’ Sequel Continues To Flail At Box Office; ‘Wonka’ Wins

‘Aquaman’ Sequel Continues To Flail At Box Office; 'Wonka' Wins

Jason Momoa

Angel Studios&#8217; &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sound-of-freedom-tops-10m-in-box-office-presales" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sound of Freedom</a>&#8221; took the top spot at the U.S. box office on July 4th when the film finally hit theaters across the nation.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/absolutely-appalling-jim-caviezel-slams-christian-bigotry-happening-around-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Caviezel</a>-lead movie &#8212; which deals with the horrors of human trafficking &#8212; landed in the number one spot, beating out Disney&#8217;s highly-anticipated &#8220;Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny,&#8221; among others, <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/date/2023-07-05/weekly/?sort=2023-07-04&amp;ref_=bo_da__resort#table" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Box Office Mojo</a> reported.
The new film from Angel Studios scored $14.2 million at the box office ($11.5 million at the direct box office combined with another $2.6 million from <a href="https://www.angel.com/pay-it-forward/sound-of-freedom?utm_medium=direct&amp;utm_source=angel-freedom&amp;utm_campaign=sound-of-freedom-theatrical" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PAY IT FORWARD</a> tickets sold), per a release from the studio responsible for the popular faith-based television series &#8220;The Chosen.&#8221;
The box office report showed that &#8220;Sound of Freedom&#8221; grossed $14,242,063 after the movie&#8217;s opening on Tuesday while Disney&#8217;s &#8220;Indiana Jones&#8221; sequel, which opened on June 30, earned $11,698,989 from more than 4,000 theaters.
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Sound of Freedom movie breaks box office records! 
The Sound of Freedom movie, produced by Mexican Catholic actor Eduardo Verastegui, is projected to collect 20 million dollars in the opening week. The movie starring Jim Caviezel is inspired from the life of Tim Ballard, a… <a href="https://t.co/thJbSGQ6jx">pic.twitter.com/thJbSGQ6jx</a>
&mdash; Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sachinettiyil/status/1676432500242149377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Thanks to fans around the country, &#8216;SOUND OF FREEDOM&#8217; earned the top spot as America&#8217;s number one movie on Independence Day,&#8221; Neal Harmon, CEO of Angel Studios, shared in the studio&#8217;s release.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve received numerous messages telling us theaters are either packed or sold out,&#8221; he added. &#8220;This movie has now taken on a life of its own to become something more than that, a grassroots movement. With an A+ CinemaScore rating, we&#8217;re the top-rated movie in America, and we&#8217;re going to see word-of-mouth spread even further going into the weekend.&#8221;
&#8220;The world needs to see SOUND OF FREEDOM, and we know that our biggest competitive advantage—our incredible fans and investors—are going to make sure that happens,&#8221; Harmon continued.
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Country superstar John Rich took to Twitter to celebrate that the movie was &#8220;smashing box office expectations&#8221; amid reports that it was projected to score $20 million during its opening week.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundOfFreedom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundOfFreedom</a> is smashing box office expectations! That’s a GREAT thing to see. Please share this tweet, the link below is where you go to find theaters near you👇 <a href="https://t.co/eMyM6nDmri">https://t.co/eMyM6nDmri</a>
&mdash; John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1676219048621744129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;SoundOfFreedom is smashing box office expectations!&#8221; Rich tweeted. &#8220;That&#8217;s a GREAT thing to see. Please share this tweet, the link below is where you go to find theaters near you.&#8221;
In the film, Caviezel portrays Tim Ballard in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sound-of-freedom-film-based-on-a-true-story-exposes-horror-of-human-trafficking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">true story</a> of a federal agent who quits his job and embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue a young girl from sex slavery in South America.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sound-of-freedom-tops-10m-in-box-office-presales" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8216;Sound Of Freedom&#8217; Tops $10M in Box Office PreSales</a>

Sound of Freedom

‘Sound Of Freedom’ Takes Top Spot At Box Office On Fourth of July

Disney

Faith

Jim Caviezel

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-pratt-admits-he-was-really-broken-before-meeting-wife-katherine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Pratt</a> sent a message of praise to &#8220;Guardians of the Galaxy&#8221; fans after the third and final film in the franchise hit number one at the box office both domestically and worldwide opening weekend.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-pratts-wife-says-the-couple-met-in-church-but-not-like-people-might-think" target="_blank" rel="noopener">43-year-old actor</a> took to his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CsAIOK1p_hM/">Instagram</a> on Monday, informing his 43 million followers that &#8220;Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3&#8221; is the &#8220;#1 Movie in the Galaxy!&#8221;
&#8220;Thank you to everyone who came out to support #GOTGVol3 this weekend!&#8221; he added.
The post included a behind-the-scenes photo from the set of the highly-anticipated Marvel movie. It also included numerous screenshots of comments from fans who went out to see the film and had nothing but praise for it.
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-pratt-drops-huge-news-about-the-terminal-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pratt&#8217;s</a> post comes following <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/guardians-of-the-galaxy-volume-3-nears-300-million-worldwide-in-smash-opening-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that the movie earned $118.4 million in the United States at the box office after it opened on May 5. Internationally &#8220;GOTGvol3&#8221; generated another $170.9 million, adding up to $289.3 million for the movie&#8217;s debut, the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/guardians-galaxy-vol-3-box-office-opening-1235481443/">Hollywood Reporter</a> noted.
Despite the great opening, the film sits squarely between the franchise&#8217;s first film — which had an opening domestic box office total of $94 million in 2014 — and &#8220;Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2,&#8221; which opened with a $146 million weekend in 2017, <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/box-office-guardians-of-the-galaxy-3-opening-weekend-1235605486/">Variety</a> noted.
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Pratt&#8217;s success follows another film of his, &#8220;The Super Marios Bros. Movie,&#8221; which smashed records at the box office, crossing the $1 billion mark worldwide. It earned $490 million in North America and $532 million internationally as of May 1. The success has made it only the fifth film since the pandemic to hit such a monumental mark, joining such films as &#8220;Top Gun: Maverick,&#8221; &#8220;Avatar: The Way of Water,&#8221; &#8220;Spider-Man: No Way Home,&#8221; and &#8220;Jurassic World Dominion.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/super-mario-bros-movie-smashes-records-becomes-biggest-animated-movie-opening-weekend-ever">Super Mario Bros. Movie Smashes Records, Becomes Biggest Animated Movie Opening Weekend Ever</a>

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 World Premiere

Chris Pratt Sends Message To ‘Guardian Of The Galaxy’ Fans After Third Film Hits Number One At Box Office Worldwide

Chris Pratt

Marvel

“Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret” could have easily been a smash hit at the box office. The film, which is based on the beloved coming-of-age Judy Blume novel by the same name has it all: nostalgic appeal, a star-studded cast, a fun retro vibe, and glowing reviews from both critics and fans alike. And somehow, it’s not even woke. 
But so far, “Are You There God” has been a box office bomb that hasn’t met financial expectations. Deadline <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/05/are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret-box-office-bomb-1235351382/">reported</a> that the movie brought in $6.8 million opening weekend while predictions had it hitting closer to the $7 to $9 million range, with the most optimistic predicting close to $10 million.
One fan review on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/are_you_there_god_its_me_margaret">Rotten Tomatoes</a> summed up the likely problem best: “Not sure who the audience for this movie is,” they said.
On the surface, the movie could be perfect for the same aged prepubescent girls who loved the book when it first came out. It turns out modern audiences are a little trickier, though.
“Are You There God” follows 11-year-old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) when she moves with her parents from New York City to the New Jersey suburbs. Margaret experiences a lot of confusion while going through puberty, including learning about her period and her developing body, having crushes, and being part of an interfaith family. The comedy/drama also stars Rachel McAdams as Maragret’s mom, Barbara Simon, and Kathy Bates as her grandmother.
The movie is set in the 1970s and stays true to the time period. Director Kelly Fremon Craig told <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/are-you-there-god-kelly-fremon-craig-talks-judy-blume-movie-all-about-boobs?ref=scroll">The Daily Beast</a> that the idea of Margaret with a smartphone “really ruined everything” for her, which helped solidify her resolve to keep the whole story set in the past. Fremon Craig talked about trying to be as authentic as possible, however, which led her to speak with real fifth and sixth graders to make sure she got it all right.
“We hung out in a fifth grade and sixth grade classroom and spent some time interviewing,” Fremon Craig told the outlet. “I completely believe in that research and that journalistic approach to begin with. There are so many details you can’t make up. There’s something about sitting in a room with somebody that you just absorb stuff that you can’t elsewhere.”
She also encouraged the young actors to ad lib when they wanted, which led to some funny candid moments. One example of this unscripted magic happened when Margaret’s friend Gretchen (Katherine Kupferer) exclaimed, “It looks like a thumb!” upon seeing an illustration of a penis in a book about puberty. Gretchen also said her developing breasts looked like “little wizard hats” compared to a model’s fully developed chest.
Penis drawings and breast pics aside, Common Sense Media gave the PG-13 film a <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vote of approval</a> for children ages 11 and up. Compared to other movies with the same rating, “Are You There God” is free from sexually suggestive situations and over-the-top leftist propaganda. At no point does Margaret or any of her friends question whether they are really girls or if the boys in the class will be getting their periods too. 
“Young women get their periods. Boys are weird. Adolescence is confusing. And, setting the story in the early 1970s, keeps the woke wave at bay,” Daily Wire contributor Christian Toto <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret-review-woman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> of the movie. 
But despite a subject matter that should appeal to both sides of the political spectrum, “Are You There God” seemed to rely too much on drawing in an audience of middle aged women eager to relive their childhoods. Deadline reported that 55% of the film’s ticket buyers were women over the age of 45, of which 70% were Caucasian. There’s a good chance they were the ones with fond memories of reading Blume’s books during their youth.
The publication noted that this has been the hardest audience to bring back to theaters following the pandemic. In contrast, 13 to 17 year olds only made up 6% of the audience opening weekend.
It’s too early to give up on “Are You There God,” however. Plenty of other films have suffered a slow start but kept attracting audiences as weeks went by. More would-be moviegoers may read the glowing reviews from both critics and fans, which could entice more women and teens to check it out.
The movie currently has a 98% critic score and 94% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“We forget how much we wanted to rush to grow up, and also how, once it started happening, we weren’t sure how to adjust to this rattling new normal. Are You There God?, both funny and generous, brings it all back,” the Time reviewer <a href="https://time.com/6275438/are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
“It was made with care, humor and compassion and if those things guaranteed success at the multiplex, it would be a smash,” Minneapolis Star Tribune reviewer Chris Hewitt agreed.
“‘Are You There God?’ stays true to Blume’s book in ways that should connect it to future generations of confused teens. Its minor flaws hardly matter in the big picture,” Toto concludes in his review. “[The movie] understands the value, and cultural heft, of the source material and proceeds accordingly. Thank goodness!”

The Kelly Clarkson Show – Season 4

‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ Bombed At The Box Office, But Not For Being Woke

'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret' Bombed At The Box Office, But Not For Being Woke

Books

Film Reviews

Readers Pass

&#8220;The Super Marios Bros. Movie&#8221; has shocked Hollywood after hitting another massive milestone four weeks out when it crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office this weekend.
The film, which is an adaptation of the popular Nintendo video game, has officially become the first movie of 2023 to hit the coveted milestone with the film&#8217;s release worldwide, <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/super-mario-bros-movie-1-billion-box-office-milestone-1235598832/">Variety</a> reported.
The Chris Pratt-lead movie earned $490 million in North America and $532 million internationally as of Sunday. The success has made it only the fifth film since the pandemic to hit such a monumental mark, joining such films as &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/top-gunhttps://www.dailywire.com/topic/top-gun">Top Gun: Maverick</a>,&#8221; &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-avatar-flick-tops-1-billion-in-just-14-days-faster-than-any-other-film-this-year">Avatar: The Way of  Water</a>,&#8221; &#8220;Spider-Man: No Way Home,&#8221; and &#8220;Jurassic World Dominion.&#8221;
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“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” surpassed $1 billion at the global box office on Sunday, making it the 10th animated film to reach that milestone and the first since 2019 <a href="https://t.co/ECUd4Ksydx">https://t.co/ECUd4Ksydx</a>
&mdash; TIME (@TIME) <a href="https://twitter.com/TIME/status/1653041083155116035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The movie opened on April 5th during the long Easter holiday and ended up surpassing Marvel&#8217;s highly-anticipated &#8220;Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.&#8221; After its first weekend, the film had already become the top-grossing film of 2023 at the worldwide box office and domestically, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/super-mario-bros-movie-smashes-records-becomes-biggest-animated-movie-opening-weekend-ever">reported</a>.
It has a star-studded cast of voices, with Pratt as the voice of Mario and Jack Black voicing the love-struck tortured villain, Bowser. The success makes it not only the first movie to cross the $1 billion mark globally but also the first film ever based on a video game to have that kind of success, the outlet noted.
The film has scored big with audiences too — who have given it a 96% rating on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_super_mario_bros_movie">Rotten Tomatoes,</a> as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-super-mario-bros-movie-to-cross-1-billion-mark-at-worldwide-box-office-after-second-monster-weekend">reported</a>.
&#8220;I took my four year old son to watch this movie as he&#8217;s super into Mario and he LOVED it,&#8221; one audience goer wrote. &#8220;I loved the humor in the movie, the colors and animation. It is a good story line and just a great family friendly movie. I have no complaints.”
&#8220;Perfect for my 11 year old,&#8221; another person wrote. &#8220;She enjoyed it and it didn’t have the adult themes or conversation that I have to explain later when she ask [sic] me.&#8221;
Meanwhile, critics have loved it less, scoring a 59% on the movie review site.
&#8220;Among the many errors of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, screenwriter Matthew Fogel plops him and his brother Luigi into a milquetoast Brooklyn family that doubts them and disrespects their small-business dreams,&#8221; a Chicago Reader critic wrote.
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/super-mario-bros-movie-smashes-records-becomes-biggest-animated-movie-opening-weekend-ever">Super Mario Bros. Movie Smashes Records, Becomes Biggest Animated Movie Opening Weekend Ever</a>

Special Screening Of Universal Pictures’ “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” – Arrivals

‘Super Marios Bros. Movie’ Shocks Hollywood After Hitting Massive Milestone

Top Gun

&#8220;The Super Mario Bros. Movie&#8221; is set to cross the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office after its second monster weekend, earning $683.3 million globally.
The film, based on the adaptation of the popular Nintendo video game, earned $92.5 million last weekend in domestic box offices after surpassing the projected receipts of $87 million, the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/super-mario-bros-box-office-crazy-great-1235375839/">Hollywood Reporter</a> reported.
It marks the second-biggest weekend ever for an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood">animated film</a> after passing Disney&#8217;s 2019 &#8220;Frozen 2&#8221; with $86 million, the outlet noted.
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‘THE SUPER MARIO BROS MOVIE’ has passed $600M worldwide.
Read our review: <a href="https://t.co/4Bxh7jIQLd">https://t.co/4Bxh7jIQLd</a> <a href="https://t.co/w2Y9s0UuaM">pic.twitter.com/w2Y9s0UuaM</a>
&mdash; DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/DiscussingFilm/status/1647619494469042178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The surprise hit has earned more than $353.3 million domestically and at least $330 million overseas for a two-weekend tally of nearly $684 million.
The &#8220;Super Mario&#8221; movie released during the long Easter holiday and surpassed Marvel&#8217;s highly-anticipated &#8220;Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.&#8221; After its first weekend, the movie had already become the top-grossing film of 2023 at the worldwide box office and domestically, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/super-mario-bros-movie-smashes-records-becomes-biggest-animated-movie-opening-weekend-ever">reported</a>.
It has a star-studded cast of voices, with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chris-pratt">Chris Pratt</a> as the voice of Mario and Jack Black voicing the love-struck tortured villain, Bowser.
The film has scored big with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/super-mario-bros-movie-smashes-records-becomes-biggest-animated-movie-opening-weekend-ever">audience goers</a> who have given it a 96% rating on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_super_mario_bros_movie">Rotten Tomatoes</a>.
&#8220;I took my four year old son to watch this movie as he&#8217;s super into Mario and he LOVED it,&#8221; one audience goer wrote. &#8220;I loved the humor in the movie, the colors and animation. It is a good story line and just a great family friendly movie. I have no complaints.&#8221;
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-45899">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
&#8220;Perfect for my 11 year old,&#8221; another person wrote. &#8220;She enjoyed it and it didn&#8217;t have the adult themes or conversation that I have to explain later when she ask [sic] me.&#8221;
While another person said, &#8220;Fans of video games and especially the Super Mario series will love. A simple and sweet movie for the family filled with lots of care and love for the game series. Was smiling from ear-to-ear all the way through the movie.&#8221;
Meanwhile, critics have loved it less, scoring a 58% on the movie review site.
&#8220;Among the many errors of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, screenwriter Matthew Fogel plops him and his brother Luigi into a milquetoast Brooklyn family that doubts them and disrespects their small-business dreams,&#8221; a Chicago Reader critic wrote.
An L.A. Weekly critic said, &#8220;Super Mario Bros. has been one of the most popular video games for nearly 40 years, and watching this joyous, colorful concoction it&#8217;s easy to see why.&#8221;
A U.K. Times reviewer said it was &#8220;emotionally bland&#8221; but &#8220;garish enough to psychologically sedate the pre-teen Easter audience.&#8221;
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/super-mario-bros-movie-smashes-records-becomes-biggest-animated-movie-opening-weekend-ever">Super Mario Bros. Movie Smashes Records, Becomes Biggest Animated Movie Opening Weekend Ever</a>

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ To Cross $1 Billion Mark At Worldwide Box Office After Second Monster Weekend

World

Hollywood director Steven Spielberg complimented Tom Cruise at Monday&#8217;s Academy Awards luncheon, telling him that his film “Top Gun: Maverick” may well have saved Hollywood.
“Top Gun: Maverick” has <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2500036097/?ref_=bo_yld_table_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grossed</a> $1.48 billion worldwide since its release in May 2022. Other films did well in 2022; “<a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr1700221445/?ref_=bo_ydw_table_3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jurassic World: Dominion</a>,” which opened in June, has raked in over $1 billion worldwide; “<a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr535450117/?ref_=bo_ydw_table_4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness</a>” and “<a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr101863941/?ref_=bo_ydw_table_5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minions: The Rise of Gru</a>” took in almost $1 billion since their releases in May and July, respectively. “<a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr1943818757/?ref_=bo_ydw_table_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Avatar: The Way Of Water</a>,” which opened in December, outdid them all, earning over $2.2 billion worldwide.
&#8220;You saved Hollywood’s ass, and you might have saved theatrical distribution,&#8221; Spielberg told Cruise, &#8220;Seriously, ’Maverick’ might have saved the entire theatrical industry.&#8221;
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steven spielberg telling tom cruise to his face, “you saved hollywood’s ass. and, you might have saved theatrical distribution. seriously. MAVERICK might have saved the entire theatrical industry.” i have to lie down. <a href="https://t.co/nYbWbgadM7">pic.twitter.com/nYbWbgadM7</a>
&mdash; amanda (@marisatomay) <a href="https://twitter.com/marisatomay/status/1625403462635626497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Cruise insisted that his film be released in theaters rather than on streaming services, which have burgeoned since the COVID pandemic.
The two men have worked together on two films: “Minority Report” and “War Of The Worlds.”
“Top Gun: Maverick” is nominated for best picture, along with “All Quiet On The Western Front,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “The Banshees Of Inisherin,” “Elvis,” “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical “The Fabelmans,” “Tar,” Triangle Of Sadness,” and “Women Talking.”
“The pandemic created an opportunity for streaming platforms to raise their subscriptions to record-breaking levels and also throw some of my best filmmaker friends under the bus as their movies were unceremoniously not given theatrical releases,” Spielberg told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/movies/steven-spielberg-the-fabelmans.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> in December. “They were paid off and the films were suddenly relegated to, in this case, HBO Max. The case I’m talking about. And then everything started to change.”
“I think there has to be a concerted effort on the part of movie directors to demand that the streaming services footing the bill for most of these films give their movies a chance to be exhibited theatrically and not just in four theaters to qualify for awards. It’s going to have to come from all of us — the WGA [the Writers Guild], the DGA [the Directors Guild], and eventually the academy,” he declared.
“Certain movies are perfectly suitable to the iPad or the living room. So the decision that executives and executives like myself at Amblin Partners have to make is: Do we consign this movie to a streaming service or this other movie to a four- or six-week theatrical window? &#8230; We don’t want these chains to file Chapter 11. We want theaters to stay open,” he concluded.

War of the Worlds New York City Premiere – Outside Arrivals

‘You Saved Hollywood’s A**’: Spielberg Praises Cruise For ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Spielberg Praises Cruise For ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Steven Spielberg

Tom Cruise

Superstar Zoe Saldana made box office history after multiple films she was a part of each grossed more than $2 billion after the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; sequel recently crossed that benchmark globally.
The 44-year-old actress became the first actor ever to appear in four films that have crossed the $2 billion mark after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-cameron">James Cameron&#8217;s</a> &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/avatar-sequel-soars-past-top-gun-maverick-globally-to-become-top-grossing-film-of-2022">Avatar: The Way of Water</a>&#8221; did so worldwide at the box office, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/entertainment/zoe-saldana-avatar-box-office/index.html">CNN</a> reported.
Saldana proved to be the most bankable star in Hollywood. Besides &#8220;Avatar&#8217;s&#8221; success, the other three films she was part of include the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; original in 2009 and two huge box office hits for Marvel: “Avengers: Infinity War&#8221; in 2018 and in the following year, the final film in the &#8220;Avengers&#8221; franchise, &#8220;Avengers: Endgame&#8221; in 2019.
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Zoey Saldana is now the first actor to appear in 4 movies that grossed over $2 billion<a href="https://t.co/8hFFW3X8NY">https://t.co/8hFFW3X8NY</a>
&mdash; Goandbewild (@goandbewild) <a href="https://twitter.com/goandbewild/status/1617343033430937603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Saldana, who plays Neytiri in the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; films, recently spoke to <a href="https://www.essence.com/celebrity/zoe-saldana-first-actor-4-films-2-billion/">ESSENCE</a> magazine ahead of the release of the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; sequel.
&#8220;Knowing that at 27 years old I was seen by James Cameron and he thought that I had what it took to become Neytiri,&#8221; Saldana shared. &#8220;I just ran for the hills I tell you.&#8221;
&#8220;I just ran with it and I gave 120 percent every single day,&#8221; she added. &#8220;I haven&#8217;t stopped doing that.&#8221;
And given the superstar actress&#8217; upcoming projects, she has a chance to make history once more following the release of the highly-anticipated third and final installment in the &#8220;Guardians of the Galaxy&#8221; franchise, where she will reprise her role as Gamora in &#8220;Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.&#8221; She is also expected to be part of future &#8220;Avatar&#8221; sequels.
The success of &#8220;Avatar: The Way of Water&#8221; has launched director Cameron into history as well, becoming the first-ever director with three $2 billion dollar films in his impressive resume, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-cameron-becomes-only-director-with-3-films-grossing-2b-worldwide-following-success-of-avatar-the-way-of-water" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The 68-year-old Canadian filmmaker earned the distinction following the massive success of the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; sequel when it recently surpassed the $2 billion mark at the global box office after its December 2022 release. It had a production budget of between $350 and $460 million, according to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11665355/James-Cameron-director-three-films-2-BILLION-following-Avatar-2-success.html">The Daily Mail</a>.
Cameron&#8217;s other massive blockbuster successes came from his original &#8220;Avatar&#8221; in 2009 and the Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet-led love story in 1997 &#8220;Titanic,&#8221; both of which earned more than $2 billion worldwide.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-cameron-says-new-titanic-investigation-will-finally-settle-that-jack-and-rose-door-debate-once-and-for-all">James Cameron Says New &#8216;Titanic&#8217; Investigation Will Finally Settle That Jack And Rose &#8216;Door&#8217; Debate Once And For All</a>

Zoey Saldana-2

Zoe Saldana Makes Box Office History After Four Films Cross Incredible Milestone

James Cameron

Hollywood, which has determinedly stuck to its guns in forwarding its woke agenda, crashed and burned over the Thanksgiving weekend, as box office receipts plunged to their lowest Thanksgiving weekend total since 1994.
The total from the three-day weekend amounted to $95 million, as <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/worst-thanksgiving-weekend-box-office-history-1234785622/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IndieWire</a> reported; the two years prior to the 2020 COVID pandemic, in 2018 and 2019, the box office gathered $216 million and $181 million.
“A weekend garnering under $100 million is rare in and of itself; in 2019, only four weekends wore the heavy crown,” <a href="https://www.avclub.com/at-the-box-office-thanksgiving-has-never-looked-worse-1849825953" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AV Club</a> noted.
Although “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2022W47/occasion/us_thanksgiving_3/">took in</a> $45.9 million, Disney’s woke “Strange World,” the children’s animated film which finished second at the box office and features an openly gay character, gathered a mere $11.9 million.
“Sources estimate that &#8216;Strange World&#8217; will lose at least $100 million in its theatrical run,” <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/disney-strange-world-lose-100-million-box-office-1235442714/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a> reported, explaining that the film cost $180 million to produce and tens of millions of dollars to market and distribute around the world. Sources told Variety that the film would have to gross roughly $360 million just to make its money back.
<a href="https://deadline.com/2022/11/strange-world-bombs-box-office-disney-glass-onion-bob-iger-bob-chapek-1235182222/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deadline</a> reported that “Strange World” would lose $147 million.
In third place, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” grossed $9.4 million over the weekend while “Devotion,” in fourth place, only collected $5.96 million. “The Menu” grossed $5.2 million, “Black Adam” grossed $3.4 million, and Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” grossed $2.2 million, as did “Bones and All.”
After &#8220;Bros,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood">Hollywood</a>&#8216;s first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-the-representation-were-looking-for-netflix-removes-lgbtq-tag-from-jeffrey-dahmer-drama-series/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LGBTQ</a> romantic comedy, bombed at the box office in October, its writer blamed “homophobic weirdos” for the film&#8217;s dismal opening weekend box office performance.
Billy Eichner, who co-starred in the film as well as co-wrote it with director Nicholas Stoller, lashed out as the movie pulled in a mere $4.8 million, leaving it in fourth place behind “Smile” ($22 million), “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wildes-dont-worry-darling-takes-on-utopia-toxic-masculinity-and-a-whole-bunch-of-drama/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Don’t Worry Darling</a>,” ($7.3 million) and “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-story-is-fictionalized-viola-davis-responds-to-boycott-of-the-woman-king-for-being-historically-inaccurate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Woman King</a>” ($7 million). The disappointing ticket take couldn&#8217;t possibly have anything to do with the movie&#8217;s quality, he insisted.
“Last night I snuck in and sat in the back of a sold out theater playing BROS in LA,” he tweeted. “The audience howled with laughter start to finish, burst into applause at the end, and some were wiping away tears as they walked out. It was truly magical. Really. I am VERY proud of this movie.”
“Rolling Stone already has BROS on the list of the best comedies of the 21st century,” he said.
Then he posited his theory that his movie was struggling because heterosexual people didn&#8217;t want to see it.
“Even with glowing reviews, great Rotten Tomatoes scores, an A CinemaScore etc, straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up for Bros,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;And that’s disappointing but it is what it is.”
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.

Scrapbooking around Los Angeles

Hollywood Bombs At Box Office Over Thanksgiving Weekend; Worst Non-Covid Since 1994

Hollywood Bombs At Box Office Over Thanksgiving Weekend

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