The official weekend box office numbers are in, and Thunderbolts has come in lower than initially projected, opening with $74.3 million domestically—below the $76 million projected early Monday morning. Despite being billed as the kickoff to the 2025 summer movie season, the Marvel Studios release is now underperforming even by the franchise’s post-Endgame standards.
Just one day after President Donald Trump proposed a sweeping 100% tariff on movies produced outside the United States, California Governor Gavin Newsom extended an unexpected olive branch. On Monday, Newsom announced he would like to work with the Trump administration to establish a $7.5 billion federal tax incentive to boost domestic film production.
After months of silence, Rockstar Games dropped a brand-new GTA 6 trailer today—and it’s already stirring debate. Clocking in at 2 minutes and 46 seconds, the trailer showcases breathtaking visuals, a glimpse at the criminal underworld of modern-day Vice City, and a more detailed look at the game’s protagonists. But there’s one thing fans can’t help but notice: Lucia, the heavily marketed female lead, doesn’t show up until over a minute in.
In one of the strangest pivots in Marvel Studios history, the company has begun actively rebranding its latest film Thunderbolts as The New Avengers—after the film has already opened in theaters. While no official title change has appeared in theater listings yet, Marvel has launched a coordinated promotional campaign referring to the film by its new moniker, signaling a dramatic shift in branding strategy.
Just when guests thought the virtual queue system at Universal Orlando couldn’t get more frustrating, a quiet update on the resort’s website has ignited a fresh wave of anxiety—this time about access to entire lands within Epic Universe.
Universal Orlando’s upcoming park, Epic Universe, isn’t even officially open yet, but it’s already facing mounting pressure from theme park enthusiasts due to issues surrounding one of its most anticipated attractions. Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry has captured the imagination of early guests with its stunning visuals and next-gen ride technology. But the ride is also drawing criticism—not for its design, but for the Harry Potter virtual queue system guests are required to use.
Paramount and Avatar Studios are catching serious heat this week after confirmation emerged that the upcoming animated sequel film The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender is replacing the original beloved voice cast—not because the actors retired or passed on the roles, but over their race. This, according to the film’s casting director, is because they no longer align with the fictional animated characters’ ethnic backgrounds.
JK Rowling has already found herself at odds with Snape actor Paapa Essiedu ahead of the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series.
The divide surrounding HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series has deepened, as several Potter franchise actors—both past and present—signed an open letter opposing the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court decision affirming that the legal definition of “sex” refers to biological sex. Among the signatories were Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne, original film series actress Katie Leung, and most notably Paapa Essiedu, who will portray Severus Snape in the new television adaptation.
The legal battle between Blake Lively and It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni has officially spilled over into A-list territory. Pop superstar Taylor Swift has reportedly been subpoenaed in connection with the lawsuit, despite not being directly involved in the production at the heart of the dispute.
The summer movie season has officially begun, and Marvel Studios is once again finding itself in the uncomfortable position of managing expectations. Thunderbolts, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, earned $76 million in its opening domestic weekend box office—enough to claim the number one spot, but not enough to escape comparisons to the studio’s most notable misfires.
Kevin Feige, long hailed as the mastermind behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is now facing the harsh reality of a franchise in freefall. And instead of taking accountability, Feige is quietly trying to shift the blame anywhere he can—to Disney, to streaming, even to the fans. A new Wall Street Journal profile, conveniently dropped the same week Thunderbolts collapsed at the box office with a $76 million opening, reveals a series of revealing admissions and insider accounts that suggest the architect of the MCU is working overtime to distance himself from Marvel’s recent failures.
In a surprise announcement Sunday night, President Donald Trump revealed a sweeping new policy: 100% tariffs on all movies produced outside the United States. These Hollywood tariffs are part of his broader plan to revive American film production, which he says has been steadily drained by international competition and foreign incentives.