The American Film Institute (AFI) announced its official selections of the top 10 movies and TV shows of 2025 today, and the best picture race has come into sharper focus, with Wicked For Good, One Battle After Another, and Frankenstein all earning the top film distinction by the film conservatory. On the TV Side, Emmy Favorites The Pitt, Severance, and The Studio earned recognition.
Netflix, Universal Pictures/Focus Features, and Searchlight were the big winners on the film side, taking home two prizes each. With an equal mix of blockbusters and indie fare, most moviegoers would likely be pleased if this list translated to the Best Picture lineup. Last year, Oppenheimer was honored just days before it took home the top film prize, while Shōgun and Hacks were dubbed two of the best shows of 2024 by AFI before their respective Emmy wins this September.
Read below for the full list of AFI winners, and if you’re as obsessed with awards as we are, check out our Awards Leaderboard for 2024/2025.
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Get ready to journey back to Hawkins to watch Eleven, Mike, Hopper, and their friends fight off the monsters that lurk in the Upside Down! The first part of the highly anticipated final season of Stranger Things is officially streaming on Netflix, and fans and critics are already hooked. Since premiering in 2016, Stranger Things has become a cultural phenomenon and one of the biggest franchises of the last 10 years. Co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer sit down with Rotten Tomatoes to give us insight into the show’s inception, their favorite moments, and what to expect in the final episodes of their landmark television series.
Stranger Things: Season 5 is currently in streaming on Netflix.
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Regina Hall may only be in One Battle After Another for eight minutes, but she steals every second in a performance that many critics are saying stands out among the film’s large ensemble. Paul Thomas Anderson’s electrifying action-comedy has already won awards from the National Board of Review and The New York Film Critics Circle, and Hall is expected to be side-by-side with the cast during its awards campaign.
On this episode of the Awards Tour Podcast, host Jaqueline Coley sits down with Hall to talk about the first time PTA told her about the role, the Blackness of the film, and the exhaustion of Deandra. Check out the full interview above, and reserve your tickets for the 70mm IMAX re-release on Fandango today.
Jaqueline Coley for Rotten Tomatoes: One thing I think is interesting in the latter half of this story, [Deandra] also embodies what a lot of Black women are experiencing, which is the struggle of the fight after so many losses. When you get into that car, in that scene, and you just sigh, that’s the sigh of every Black woman of 2025. That is the sigh of “I am so tired.” Talk about that scene and that day…
Regina Hall: That sigh was the realization of the end; it was the exhaustion of the fight; it was “what now?” It was, “what has happened, what will happen, what is happening.” It was all those things. She’s such a tremendous actor — April Grace, who played Sister Rochelle. She had more in the film, but in their conversation, you realize they were in the fight together. She was like, “I just couldn’t do it.” What keeps us compelled and committed, and also exhausted?… You can’t give up, but you’re like, “Can I continue?” They both exist.
One Battle After Another returns to theaters on Friday, December 12th.
It’s been two years since Five Nights at Freddy’s jump-scared its way into theaters, and the sequel is finally here. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 hits theaters December 5, with director Emma Tammi returning to expand the haunted animatronic universe. This new chapter ups the stakes with a new animatronic antagonist: The Marionette.
So, did Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 live up to the hype for both fans and new viewers? Critics suggest fans of the franchise will walk away happy, even if a few story choices might leave audiences scratching their heads. Check out some of the first reviews below:
With better scares and more surprises, Scott Cawthon stays true to FNaF loyalists while improving remarkably all around, creating one of the strongest PG-13 horror flicks recently.
— Cole Groth, FandomWire
Where the first movie left fans satisfied with the bare minimum, and non-fans bewildered with boredom, the second installment will likely leave fans even happier and non-fans satisfied with a solidly entertaining robot slasher.
—Aidan Kelly, Collider
Better than the original and fans of the games are going to scream at some of the surprises packed into this sequel.
— Zach Pope, Zach Pope Reviews
Emma Tammi returns with an improved visceral sequel, although only to a certain extent.
— Casey Chong, Casey’s Movie Mania
If you’re curious, give it a try. Hardcore horror fans won’t find much terror here, but teenagers are likely to have a blast.
—Karina, Adelgaard, Heaven of Horror
One scene in particular is so egregiously silly, you can’t help but cackle like a hyena. It is absolutely critical to the film’s resolve and somehow comically absurd.
— Julian Roman, MovieWeb
It should be funnier, it should be more frightening, and it needed everyone involved to bring a feistier game to a film that began life as, well, a game.
— Terry Staunton, Radio Times
The killer mascots may spring the coop, but this sequel never breaks free of its own conventionality.
—Tim Grierson, Screen International
A supernatural video-game slasher movie of astonishing clunky crudeness.
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is less of a movie and more a series of fan service moments, Easter eggs, and teases of the overarching game lore, held together by baffling plot choices.
— Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting
The sequel does get kudos for introducing a truly scary creature amid the decidedly nonfrightening, bow-tie wearing, big-eyed animatronics — The Marionette, a truly unsettling (slightly Jigsaw-like) dude with a mask that has rosy red cheeks and a body with elongated arms.
—Mark Kennedy, Associated Press
The Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 movie may have been better if it had stayed true to the second game rather than trying to carry on the story from the first film.
— Megan Garside, GamesRadar+
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is certainly different, I’ll give it that. It’s far more ambitious with both the storytelling and scares, and sports a noticeable jump in production value.
—Alex Harrison, Screen Rant
At least Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 parties like its 1999 with some retro casting. Matthew Lillard is back (in flashback) as Afton. His fellow Scream star Skeet Ulrich also pops up. And best of all, Wayne Knight – the computer nerd from Jurassic Park and Newman from Seinfeld – plays Mr. Berg.
— James Mottram, NME (New Musical Express)
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 opens in theaters on December 5, 2025.
The New York Film Critics Circle announced the winners of their 2025 awards this morning on Twitter, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s opus One Battle After Another took the top prize, with star Benicio Del Toro winning Best Supporting Actor. Josh Safdie and co-writer Ronald Bronstein won the Best Screenplay award for Marty Supreme, and Neon’s The Secret Agent took home two prizes for Best Actor and Best International Feature.
The NYFCC Awards are chosen by a group of critics from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines, and qualifying online general interest publications. Last year, The Brutalist won Best Film, and Ramell Ross won Best Director.
Read on for the complete list of winners below, and if you’re as obsessed with awards as we are, make sure to check our Awards Leaderboard and new Awards Tour Podcast to keep up to date on buzz and accolades for the best movies of the 2025/2026 awards season.
Film: One Battle After Another
Director: Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident
Actor: Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
Actress: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan, Weapons
Screenplay: Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein, Marty Supreme
Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters
Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw for Sinners
Non-Fiction Film: My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow
International Film: The Secret Agent
First Film: Carson Lund’s Eephus
Student Prizes: London Xhudo (Undergraduate, NYU) and Tan Zhiyuan (Graduate, The New School)
Special Prizes: Museum of Moving Image, Screen Slate
Gladiators, demigods, and tomb-raiding archaeologists are among the popular characters returning to must-see TV shows in December, joined by an American in Paris, a mutated post-apocalyptic bounty hunter, and a cat and his walking goldfish brother. From the Mojave Wasteland and New Vegas to the halls of Ellmore Middle School, here are the six streaming series you should catch up on before they continue this month.
Spartacus
(Starz)
What it is: This Starz series inspired by the titular Roman soldier-turned-slave-turned-gladiator has something of a tragic history, with original lead Andy Whitfield passing away after the first season. Liam McIntyre ultimately took over the role for two more seasons, but not before Starz produced a six-episode prequel series (Spartacus: Gods of the Arena). We now get a sequel series, following the formerly villainous character Ashur (a role reprised by Nick E. Tarabay) as he becomes the new owner of Batiatus’s gladiator training camp. The show is set in an alternate timeline where he was not killed on Mount Vesuvius at the end of the third season (aka Spartacus: Vengeance). The first two episodes of Spartacus: House of Ashur premiere on Starz on Friday, December 5.
Why you should watch it: Fans of the Spartacus TV universe have gone 12 years without any new content, making House of Ashur a major television event for this thrilling guilty-pleasure franchise. The original show ran from 2010 to 2013 and served up historical drama for the sword-and-sandals crowd with a heaping helping of sex and violence, and the “what if” scenario of this sequel allows for an exciting expansion.
Where to watch: Starz and Netflix (subscription, Spartacus seasons 1-4); buy at Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Google Play, and Apple TV
Commitment: Approx. 36 hours (for seasons 1-4)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
(Disney+)
What it is: Based on the best-selling series of YA novels by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians follows a 12-year-old boy who learns he’s the half-mortal son of the Greek god Poseidon. In the show’s first season, adapted from The Lightning Thief, he is sent to a camp for demigods and embarks on a quest to find Zeus’s missing thunderbolt. The first two episodes of the second season premiere on Disney+ on Wednesday, December 10.
Why you should watch it: Following a disappointing effort to bring the Percy Jackson books to the big screen, this TV adaptation rights all the wrongs of the film version thanks to the involvement of author Rick Riordan and a more faithful age-appropriate cast. And leading that cast is the exceptional young actor Walker Scobell. The series also features a few impressive guest stars in the roles of the gods, including Lin-Manuel Miranda and the late Lance Reddick.
Where to watch: Disney+ and Hulu (subscription, season 1)
Commitment: Approx. 5.5 hours (for season 1)
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
(Netflix)
What it is: The latest screen adaptation of the Tomb Raider video game franchise, this animated series follows the adventures of the titular archaeologist, voiced by Hayley Atwell. Specifically, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is a sequel to the Shadow of the Tomb Raider games and a prequel to the original Tomb Raider game released 30 years ago. The show’s second and final season premieres in full on Netflix on Thursday, December 11.
Why you should watch it: After the moderately entertaining movie adaptations starring Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander, an animated series proved the best way to go for both faithful and improved elements. While especially appealing to gamers familiar with the bookends to this otherwise original storyline, it’s also entertaining on its own. And even more than the Tomb Raider films, it just might serve as a gateway to the source material.
Where to watch: Netflix (subscription, season 1)
Commitment: Approx. 3.5 hours (for season 1)
Fallout
(Prime Video)
What it is: Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, and Walton Goggins star in this post-apocalyptic drama series based on the Fallout video game franchise. Set 200 years after a nuclear holocaust, the show follows a young woman who leaves her underground community to search for her kidnapped father. Along the way, she teams up with a Brotherhood of Steel squire and a ghoul bounty hunter. Fallout: Season 2 premieres on Prime Video on Wednesday, December 17.
Why you should watch it: Not just any wild sci-fi show set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Fallout is another example of a prestige video game adaptation, given the involvement of Westworld co-creator and The Dark Knight co-writer Jonathan Nolan. Plus, it stars Walton Goggins, who makes any TV series better and who earned an Emmy nomination for his performance in this one. The first season was also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series.
Where to watch: Prime Video (subscription, season 1)
Commitment: Approx. 8 hours (for season 1)
Emily in Paris
(Netflix)
What it is: From the creator of such iconic TV series as Beverly Hills 90210 and Sex in the City, this romance show stars Lily Collins as a Chicago woman fresh out of grad school who moves to France for a social media marketing job. Across four seasons, viewers follow Emily’s love life and professional endeavors, which relocate her to Rome at the end of season 4. The fifth season of Emily in Paris begins streaming in its entirety on Netflix on Thursday, December 18.
Why you should watch it: Emily in Paris remains one of the most popular original series on Netflix, with such success continuing for over five years despite fluctuations in its critical reception. The show has all the charms you could want from a Paris-set rom-com, from its cast to its costumes, and offers a sense of virtual tourism with its European locations — reportedly sparking an actual tourism boost as well. So be prepared to book that trip!
Where to watch: Netflix (subscription, seasons 1-4)
Commitment: Approx. 21 hours (for seasons 1-4)
What it is: The title character, Gumball Watterson, is a 12-year-old cat who causes mischief alongside his adopted brother, Darwin, a 10-year-old goldfish with legs. Their latest animated series is a revival of The Amazing World of Gumball and continues to follow the duo’s misadventures around their town of Elmore, California. The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball: Season 2 begins streaming in full on Hulu on Monday, December 22.
Why you should watch it: The Gumball shows are a surreal delight and offer a clever mix of animation styles, consistently ranking among the most imaginative programs on television. Once you’ve immersed yourself in their universe, you’ll be hooked by the beautifully bonkers plot and visuals. Fans of the original run (which you’ll quickly find yourself among) won’t be disappointed with the continuation, as it picks things up as if there weren’t a six-year hiatus.
Where to watch: Hulu (subscription, season 1, plus The Amazing World of Gumball seasons 1-6 and the spinoffs Darwin’s Yearbook and The Gumball Chronicles)
Commitment: Approx. 51 hours (for season 1, plus The Amazing World of Gumball seasons 1-6 and the spinoffs Darwin’s Yearbook and The Gumball Chronicles)
Thumbnail image by Prime Video
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The National Board of Review (NBR) has announced its picks for the best films of 2025. An organization made up of film enthusiasts, industry professionals, academics, and filmmakers, the NBR’s is one of the first winners lists announced in 2025, quickly following the Gotham Awards.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another nabbed Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners was honored with Best Original Screenplay and Outstanding Cinematography, while Rose Byrne reicieved the Best Actress award for her performance in If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You.
Below is a the list of the 2025 award recipients, announced by the National Board of Review:
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Frankenstein
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
Rental Family
Sinners
Train Dreams
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Wicked: For Good
Left-Handed Girl
The Love That Remains
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt
2000 Meters to Andriivka
Come See Me in the Good Light
My Mom Jayne
Natchez
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Baltimorons
Bring Her Back
Father Mother Sister Brother
Friendship
Good Boy
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
The Mastermind
Rebuilding
Sorry, Baby
Urchin
The Critics Lab is a series of Rotten Tomatoes resources designed to support critics in developing their craft and career, from how-to guides to advice on pitching, publishing, and networking, to conversations about film, television, community, and culture.
What were critics – LGBTQIA+ or not – saying about queer movies in the ‘80s and ‘90s? How were queer communities writing about movies before the internet? And why are queer critics historically and currently important to pop culture?
Our panel at NewFest37 in New York City, featuring critics and filmmakers, answered these questions and more.
Critics joined Rotten Tomatoes at NewFest27 to sift through queer reviews from the 1940s to the ’90s, to explore how LGBTQ+ communities have historically dissected popular culture.
The conversation dove into pre-internet trends in criticism and how historically important films screening at NewFest37 (The Celluloid Closet, My Beautiful Laundrette, and Desert Hearts) were covered upon release versus more recently, to reflect on evolving understandings of the films.
Panelists also reflected on their experiences with queer entertainment and criticism – including what LGBTQ+ films are most meaningful to them.
Moderated by Murtada Elfadl, NewFest programmer and freelance critic for Variety, the conversation included:
Be sure to check out Murtada, Richard, and Valerie’s work on the Tomatometer – and follow @GLAAD on all social platforms.
Check out the Critic Resources page for additional tips, tricks, and advice for critics.
Want to know if your favorite television series is among the latest cancelled TV shows? Bookmark this page to learn about Disney+ and Netflix cancelled shows, when network series get the axe, and which cable TV limited series are being reworked as “anthologies” to squeeze every single drop of fan love (and awards) out of them.
How it works: Renewals are obvious: new season = yay! Cancelations are more complicated. When a network or streaming service announces that they’re not making another season of a show, we count that as cancelled (or “canceled” if you spell it without SEO considerations). Sure, some shows “come to a natural end,” but someone somewhere said “enough.” So to avoid debating the semantics of “cancelled” versus “retired,” we’re just going to go with the former. There are also some instances, either due to scheduling conflicts, or various delays, where the answer is “I dunno.” In those instances, we will leave the series as renewed and list the most recent season until we’re told otherwise.
Feel free to debate specific titles in the comments. But first: learn which series will live on, which were renewed and then cancelled, which are switching channels and which have simply reached their expiration date.
[Updated 12/4/25]
Hulu Wants Chad Powers Back for a Sophomore Season
A little over a month after its season 1 finale, Hulu’s sports comedy Chad Powers has been renewed for a second season. Glen Powell stars in the series as a disgraced college football star who dons prosthetics and a wig and joins a struggling school to continue playing under a false identity.
Hulu Renews All’s Fair for Season 2
All’s Fair will officially return for a second season on Hulu. The series—starring Kim Kardashian, Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash, Teyana Taylor, and Glenn Close—became Hulu’s most-watched scripted premiere in the last three years. And despite a rough ride with critics, All’s Fair has cultivated a passionate fanbase that can’t get enough of its unapologetic campiness and chaos.
Netflix’s Too Much Will Not Return for Season 2
Lena Dunham’s comedy Too Much, led by Meg Stalter and Will Sharpe, won’t be coming back for a second season on Netflix. Dunham has noted that she always envisioned the project as a limited series, keeping its story contained to one chapter. The show’s debut run still made an impression, earning a Certified Fresh rating on the Tomatometer.
HBO Rolls Out a Wave of Renewals for Its Hit Shows
HBO Max announced a fresh wave of renewals across its high-performing titles. The network has officially greenlit a second season of the hit comedy series I Love LA, along with Season 2 of Task and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the latest chapter in the expanding Game of Thrones universe. Also returning is The Chair Company, which will be back for its sophomore season, while the fiery epic The House of the Dragon is confirmed to soar into a fourth and final season in 2028 (with season 3 set to premiere this summer).
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The 1% Club: season 2 (Showtime/Paramount+) – Renewed
3 Body Problem: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
7 Little Johnstons: season 15 (TLC) – Renewed
30 Coins: season 2 (HBO Max) – Renewed
48 Hours: season 36 (CBS) – Renewed
60 Minutes: season 57 (CBS) – Renewed
61st Street: season 2 (The CW) – Renewed
90 Day Fiancé: Love in Paradise: season 4 (TLC) – Renewed
90 Day: The Single Life: season 4 (TLC) – Renewed
100 Foot Wave: season 3 (HBO Max) – Renewed
9-1-1: season 8 (ABC) – Renewed
9-1-1: Lone Star: season 5 (Fox) – Cancelled
1923: season 2 (Paramount+) – Renewed (after the second, and final, season)
The $100,000 Pyramid: season 8 (ABC) – Renewed
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Abbott Elementary: season 5 (ABC) – Renewed
Acapulco: season 4 (Apple TV+) – Cancelled (after the fourth, and final, season)
Access Daily: through 2026 (syndication) – Renewed
Access Hollywood : through 2026 (syndication) – Renewed
Accused: season 2 (Fox) – Renewed
Adults: season 2 (FX) – Renewed
After Midnight: season 2 (CBS) – Cancelled
The Agency: season 2 (Showtime/Paramount+) – Renewed
Alert: Missing Persons Unit: season 3 (Fox) – Renewed
Alice in Borderland: season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
Alien: Earth: season 2 (FX) – Renewed
All American: season 8 (The CW) – Cancelled
All Creatures Great and Small: seasons 7 and 8 (PBS) – Renewed
All’s Fair: season 2 (Hulu) – Renewed
All Of Us Are Dead: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Amazing Race: season 37 (CBS) – Renewed
America’s Got Talent: season 20 (NBC) – Renewed
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
American Crime Story: season 4 (FX) – Renewed
American Dad!: seasons 22-25 (Fox) – Renewed
American Horror Story: season 13 (FX) – Renewed
American Horror Stories: season 3 (Hulu) – Renewed
American Idol: season 8 (ABC) – Renewed
American Ninja Warrior: season 18 (NBC) – Renewed
And Just Like That …: season 3 (HBO Max) – Cancelled (after the third, and final, season)
Andor: season 2 (Disney+) – Cancelled (after the second, and final, season)
Animal Control: season 4 (Fox) – Renewed
Annika: season 3 (PBS) – Renewed
Avatar: The Last Airbender: season 3 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after the third, and final, season in 2026)
The Bachelor: season 30 (ABC) – Renewed
The Bachelorette: season 21 (ABC) – Renewed
Bachelor in Paradise: season 10 (ABC) – Renewed
Bad Monkey: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Bad Sisters: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Baking It: season 2 (Peacock) – Renewed
Ballard: season 2 (Prime Video) – Renewed
Bargain Block: season 4 (HGTV) – Renewed
Barmageddon: season 2 (USA Network) – Renewed
Bar Rescue: season 9 (Paramount Network) – Renewed
Barbecue Showdown: season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
Based on a True Story: season 2 (Peacock) Cancelled
The Bear: season 5 (FX/Hulu) – Renewed
Beat Shazam: season 8 (Fox) – Renewed
Beauty in Black: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Bel-Air: season 4 (Peacock) – Cancelled (after the fourth, and final, season)
Below Deck: season 13 (Bravo) – Renewed
Below Deck Down Under: season 3 (Bravo) – Renewed
Below Deck Mediterranean: season 11 (Bravo) – Renewed
Below Deck Sailing Yacht: season 5 (Bravo) – Renewed
Berlin: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Bet: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Big Brother: season 27 (CBS) – Renewed
Big Mouth: season 8 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after the eighth, and final, season)
Billy the Kid: season 3 (MGM+) – Cancelled (after the third, and final, season)
Black Doves: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Black Mirror: season 7 (Netflix) – Renewed
BMF: season 4 (Starz) – Cancelled
Bob’s Burgers: seasons 16-19 (Fox) – Renewed
Bookie: season 2 (HBO Max) – Cancelled
Bosch Legacy: season 3 (Amazon Freevee) –Cancelled (after the third, and final, season)
Boston Blue: season 2 (CBS) – Renewed
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: season 6 (Shudder) – Renewed
The Boys: season 5 (Prime Video) – Cancelled (after the fifth, and final, season)
Bridgerton: season 5 and 6 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Buccaneers : season 3 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Butterfly: season 1 (Prime Video) – Cancelled
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The Capture: season 3 (BBC) – Renewed
Castlevania: Nocturne: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Catfish: The TV Show: season 9 (MTV) – Cancelled
Celebrity Family Feud: season 10 (ABC) – Renewed
The Celebrity Traitors: season 2 (BBC) – Renewed
Chad Powers: season 2 (Hulu) – Renewed
The Chair Company: season 2 (HBO Max) – Renewed
The Challenge: season 40 (MTV) – Renewed
The Challenge: All Stars: season 5 (Paramount+) – Renewed
The Chi: season 8 (Showtime) – Cancelled
Chicago Fire: season 13 (NBC) – Renewed
Chicago Med: season 10 (NBC) – Renewed
Chicago P.D.: season 12 (NBC) – Renewed
Churchy: season 2 (BET+) – Renewed
The Circle: season 7 (Netflix) – Renewed
Citadel: season 4 (Prime Video) – Renewed
Citadel: Diana: season 1 (Prime Video) – Cancelled
Citadel: Honey Bunny: season 1 (Prime Video) – Cancelled
Claim to Fame: season 3 (ABC) – Renewed
Clean Slate: season 1 (Prime Video) – Cancelled
The Cleaning Lady: season 4 (Fox) – Renewed
Cobra Kai: season 6 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after the sixth, and final, season)
Colin From Accounts: season 2 (Paramount+) – Renewed
The Comeback: season 3 (HBO Max) – Cancelled (after the third, and final, season)
Common Side Effects: season 2 (Adult Swim)- Renewed
Conan O’Brien Must Go: season 3 (HBO Max) – Renewed
The Conners: season 7 (ABC) – Cancelled (after the seventh, and final, season)
Countdown: season 1 (Prime Video) – Cancelled
Couples Therapy: season 4 (Showtime) – Renewed
Creature Commandos: season 2 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Crime Scene Kitchen: season 3 (Fox) – Renewed
Crime Nation: season 2 (The CW) – Renewed
Criminal Minds: Evolution: season 3 (Paramount+) – Renewed
Criminal Record: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Cross: season 2 (Prime Video) – Renewed
Cruel Intentions: season 1 (Prime Video) – Cancelled
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Dancing With the Stars: season 33 (moves back to ABC) – Renewed
Dark Matter: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Dark Winds: season 3 (AMC/AMC+) – Renewed
The Day of the Jackal: season 2 (Peacock) – Renewed
Deal Or No Deal Island: season 2 (NBC) – Cancelled
Death By Fame: season 3 (ID) – Renewed
Deli Boys: season 2 (Hulu) – Renewed
Dept. Q: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Devil’s Hour: season 3 (Prime Video) – Renewed
Dexter: Original Sin: season 2 (Paramount+) – Cancelled
Dexter: Resurrection: season 2 (Paramount+) – Renewed
The Diplomat: season 4 (Netflix) – Renewed
Doctor Who: season 15 (Disney+) – Renewed
Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out: season 2 (Lifetime) – Renewed
The Drew Barrymore Show: season 5 (Syndicated) – Renewed
Dune: Prophecy: season 2 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Duster: season 1 (HBO Max) – Cancelled
Doc: season 2 (Fox) – Renewed
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Elsbeth: season 2 (CBS) – Renewed
Emily In Paris: season 5 (Netflix) – Renewed
English Teacher: season 2 (FX) – Cancelled
The Equalizer: season 5 (CBS) – Cancelled
The Eternaut: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Euphoria: season 3 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Everyone Else Burns: season 2 (The CW) – Renewed
Fallout: season 3 (Prime Video) – Renewed
Family Guy: seasons 24-27 (Fox) – Renewed
The Family Stallone: season 2 (Paramount+) – Renewed
Fargo: season 5 (FX) – Renewed
FBI: season 7 (CBS) – Renewed
FBI: International: season 4 (CBS) – Cancelled
FBI: Most Wanted: season 6 (CBS) – Cancelled
Fire Country: season 3 (CBS) – Renewed
Fix my Frankenhouse: season 2 (HGTV) – Renewed
The Floor: season 3 (Fox) – Renewed
For All Mankind: season 5 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Forever: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Foundation: season 3 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
The Four Seasons: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Franchise: season 1 (HBO Max) – Cancelled
Frasier: season 2 (Paramount+) – Cancelled
From: season 4 (MGM+) – Renewed
Fubar: season 2 (Netflix) – Cancelled
Genius: season 4 (Disney+) – Renewed
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: season 3 (Adult Swim) – Renewed
The Gentlemen: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Ghosts: season 4 (CBS) – Renewed
The Gilded Age: season 4 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Ginny & Georgia: seasons 3 and 4 (Netflix) – Renewed
Going Dutch: season 2 (Fox) – Renewed
Goosebumps: season 2 (Disney+) – Cancelled
The Graham Norton Show: through season 36 (BBC One) – Renewed
The Great American Recipe: season 4 (PBS) – Renewed
Grantchester: season 11 (PBS) – Cancelled
The Great North: season 5 (Fox) – Cancelled
Grey’s Anatomy: season 22 (ABC) – Renewed
Grimsburg: season 2 (Fox) – Renewed
Grosse Pointe Garden Society: season 1 (NBC) – Cancelled
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Hacks: season 5 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Halo: season 2 (Paramount+) – Cancelled
The Handmaid’s Tale: season 6 (Hulu) – Cancelled (after the sixth, and final, season)
Harlem: season 3 (Prime Video) – Cancelled (after the third, and final, season)
Harley Quinn: season 5 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Hazbin Hotel: seasons 3 and 4 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Heartstopper: season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
Hell’s Kitchen: season 23 (FOX) – Renewed
Help! I’m in a Secret Relationship: season 3 (MTV) – Renewed
High Potential: season 2 (ABC) – Renewed
Hightown: season 3 (Starz) – Cancelled (after the third, and final, season)
Hijack: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Hit-Monkey: season 2 (Hulu) – Renewed
Holey Moley: season 4 (ABC) – Renewed
Hollywood Houselift With Jeff Lewis: season 2 (Amazon Freevee) – Renewed
Home: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
House of David: season 2 (Prime Video) – Renewed
House of the Dragon: season 4 (HBO Max) – Cancelled (after the fourth, and final, season)
HouseBroken: season 2 (Fox) – Renewed
How to Die Alone: season 1 (Hulu) – Cancelled
Hysteria!: season 1 (Peacock) – Cancelled
I Am Groot: season 2 (Disney+) – Renewed
I Can See Your Voice: season 4 (Fox) – Renewed
I Love LA: season 2 (HBO Max) – Renewed
I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson: season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Impact: Atlanta: season 3 (BET+) – Renewed
Impractical Jokers: season 11 (truTV) – Renewed
Indian Matchmaking: season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
Industry: season 4 (HBO Max) – Renewed
The Institute: season 2 (MGM+) – Renewed
Interview with the Vampire: season 3 (AMC/AMC+) – Renewed
Invasion: season 3 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Invincible: season 5 (Prime Video) – Renewed
Is It Cake?: season 4 (Netflix) – Renewed
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: seasons 16, 17 and 18 (FXX) – Renewed
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James May: Our Man In …: season 3 (Prime Video) – Renewed
Jimmy Kimmel Live: through season 23 (ABC) – Renewed
Judge Steve Harvey: season 2 (ABC) – Renewed
Judy Justice: seasons 3 and 4 (Amazon Freevee) – Renewed
Julia: season 2 (HBO Max) – Cancelled (after the second, and final, season)
Kaos: season 1 (Netflix) – Cancelled
Karamo: season 2 (syndication) – Renewed
The Kardashians: season 6 (Hulu) – Renewed
Killing It: season 2 (Peacock) – Renewed
King of the Hill: season 16/17 (Hulu) – Renewed
Kingdom Business: season 2 (BET+) – Renewed
Kin: season 2 (AMC+) – Renewed
The Kitchen: season 40 (Food Network) – Cancelled
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: season 2 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Krapopolis: season 4 (Fox) – Renewed
Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines: season 8 (Magnolia Network) – Renewed
Magnum P.I.: season 5 (moves to NBC) – Cancelled (after the fifth, and final, season)
Make or Break: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Making the Cut: season 3 (Prime Video) – Renewed
A Man on the Inside: Season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Mandalorian: season 3 (Disney+) – Renewed
Married to Medicine: season 11 (Bravo) – Renewed
The Masked Singer: season 12 (Fox) – Renewed
MasterChef: season 14 (Fox) – Renewed
MasterChef Junior: season 9 (Fox) – Renewed
Masters of Illusion: season 14 (The CW) – Renewed
Matlock: season 2 (CBS) – Renewed
Mayfair Witches: season 3 (AMC/AMC+) – Renewed
Mayor of Kingstown: season 4 (Paramount+) – Renewed
Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham: season 2 (Starz) – Renewed
Mid-Century Modern: season 1 (Hulu) – Cancelled
Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles: season 15 (Bravo) – Renewed
Million Dollar Secret: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Minx: season 2 (Starz) – Renewed
Miss Scarlet: season 5 (PBS) – Renewed
MO: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
MobLand: season 2 (Paramount+) – Renewed
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Monster: season 4 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Morning Show: seasons 4 and 5 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Motorheads: season 1 (Prime Video) – Cancelled
Mr. & Mrs. Smith: season 2 (Prime Video) – Renewed
Mr. Throwback: season 1 (Peacock) – Cancelled
The Ms. Pat Show: season 5 (BET+) – Renewed
Murderbot: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Murder Under the Friday Night Lights: season 2 (ID) – Renewed
My Brilliant Friend: season 4 (HBO Max) – Cancelled (after the fourth, and final, season)
My Lady Jane: season 1 (Prime Video) – Cancelled
My Life Is Murder: season 4 (Acorn TV) – Renewed
My Life With the Walter Boys : season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
My Unorthodox Life: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Mythic Quest: season 4 (Apple TV+) – Cancelled
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NCIS: season 22 (CBS) – Renewed
NCIS: Hawai’i: season 3 (CBS) – Renewed
The Neighborhood: season 7 (CBS) – Cancelled (after the eighth, and final, season in 2025-26)
Next Level Chef: season 4 (Fox) – Renewed
The Night Agent: season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
Night Court: season 3 (NBC) – Cancelled
Nine Perfect Strangers: season 2 (Hulu) – Renewed
Nobody Wants This: season 3 – Renewed
Not Dead Yet: season 2 (ABC) – Renewed
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P-Valley: season 3 (Starz) – Renewed
Pachinko: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Palm Royale: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
The Paper: Season 2 (Peacock) – Renewed
Paradise: season 2 (Hulu) – Renewed
Password: season 3 (NBC) – Renewed
Peacemaker: season 2 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Penn & Teller: Fool Us: season 11 (The CW) – Renewed
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: season 3 (Disney+) – Renewed
Physical: 100: season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Pitt: season 2 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Platonic : season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
The Playboy Murders: season 2 (ID) – Renewed
Poker Face: season 2 (Peacock) – Cancelled
Pop Culture Jeopardy!: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed (following its first season on Prime Video)
Poppa’s House: season 1 (CBS) – Cancelled
Power Book III: Raising Kanan: season 5 (Starz) – Renewed
Power Book IV: Force: season 3 (Starz) – Cancelled (after the third, and final, season)
Presumed Innocent: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Project Runway: season 22 (moves to Freeform, Disney+ and Hulu) – Renewed
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder: season 4 (Disney+) – Renewed
Pulse: season 1 (Netflix) – Cancelled
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Queer Eye: season 10 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after the tenth, and final, season)
The Rainmaker: season 2 (USA Network) – Renewed
Ransom Canyon: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Reacher: season 4 (Prime Video) – Renewed
The Real Housewives of New Jersey: season 14 (Bravo) – Renewed
The Real Housewives of New York City: season 14 (Bravo) – Renewed
The Real Housewives of Orange County: season 18 (Bravo) – Renewed
The Real Housewives of Potomac: season 9 (Bravo) – Renewed
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City: season 5 (Bravo) – Renewed
The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip: season 4 (Peacock) – Renewed
Real Time with Bill Maher: seasons 23 and 24 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Reasonable Doubt: season 4 (Hulu) – Renewed
The Recruit: season 2 (Netflix) – Cancelled
The Rehearsal: season 2 (HBO Max) – Renewed
The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy: season 3 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
The Residence: season 1 (Netflix) – Cancelled
Resident Alien: season 4 (moves to USA Network) – Cancelled
Rhythm + Flow: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Rick and Morty: season 12 (Adult Swim) – Renewed
Ridiculousness: season 14 (MTV) – Cancelled
The Rig: season 2 (Prime Video) – Renewed
The Righteous Gemstones: season 4 (HBO Max) – Cancelled (after the fourth, and final, season)
Rivals: season 2 (Disney+ / Hulu)- Renewed
Rogue Heroes: season 3 (MGM+) – Renewed
The Rookie: season 8 (ABC) – Renewed
Running Point: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
RuPaul’s Drag Race: season 18 (MTV) – Renewed
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: season 10 (Paramount+) – Renewed
The Sandman: season 2 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after the second, and final, season)
Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale: season 2 (Sundance Now) – Renewed
Sausage Party: Foodtopia: season 2 (Prime Video) – Renewed
School Spirits: season 3 (Paramount+) – Renewed
The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy: season 2 (Prime Video) – Renewed
Secret Level: season 2 (Prime Video) – Renewed
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: season 4 (Hulu) – Renewed
Selling Sunset: season 9 Renewed
Selling The OC: season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
Severance: season 3 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
The Sex Lives of College Girls: season 3 (HBO Max) – Cancelled
Shark Tank: season 16 (ABC) – Renewed
Sheriff Country: season 2 (CBS) – Renewed
Shifting Gears: season 2 (ABC) – Renewed
Shōgun: seasons 2 and 3 (FX/Hulu) – Renewed
Shoresy: season 5 (Hulu) – Renewed
Shrinking: season 3 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Silo: season 4 (Apple TV+) – Cancelled(after the fourth, and final, season)
The Simpsons: season 37-40 (Fox) – Renewed
Sister Boniface Mysteries: season 4 (BritBox) – Renewed
Slow Horses: season 7 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Suits LA: season 1 (NBC) – Cancelled
So You Think You Can Dance: season 18 (Fox) – Renewed
Solar Opposites: season 6 (Hulu) – Cancelled (after the sixth, and final, season)
Somebody Feed Phil: season 8 (Netflix) – Renewed
South Park: season 30 (Comedy Central) – Renewed
Squid Game: season 3 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after the third, and final, season)
Squid Game: The Challenge: season 3 (Netflix) Renewed
St. Denis Medical: season 2 (NBC) – Renewed
Star Trek: Lower Decks: season 5 (Paramount+) – Renewed
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: season 5 (Paramount+) – Cancelled (after fifth, and final, season)
Stranger Things: season 5 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after fifth, and final, season)
The Studio: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Sullivan’s Crossing: season 3 (The CW) – Renewed
Summer House: season 9 (Bravo) – Renewed
The Summer I Turned Pretty: season 3 (Prime Video) – Cancelled (after third, and final, season)
Sugar: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Supacell: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
SurrealEstate: season 3 (Syfy / Hulu) – Renewed
Surface: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Survival of the Thickest: season 3 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after third, and final, season)
Survivor: season 47 (CBS) – Renewed
S.W.A.T.: season 8 (CBS) – Cancelled
Sweet Magnolias: season 4 (Netflix) – Renewed
Sweetpea: season 2 (Starz) – Renewed
Task: season 2 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Teacup: season 1 (Peacock) – Cancelled
Ted: season 2 (Peacock) – Renewed
Ted Lasso: season 4 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Tehran: season 4 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Tell Me Lies: season 3 (Hulu) – Renewed
Temptation Island: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Terminal List: season 2 (Prime Video) – Renewed
That’s My Jam: season 3 (NBC) – Renewed
A Thousand Blows: season 2 (Hulu) – Renewed
Tires: season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: through 2028 (NBC) – Renewed
Too Hot To Handle: season 6 (Netflix) – Renewed
Too Much: season 1 (Netflix) – Cancelled
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft: season 2 (Netflix) – Cancelled
Top Chef: season 21 (Bravo) – Renewed
Tracker: season 2 (CBS) – Renewed
The Traitors: seasons 4 and 5 (Peacock) – Renewed
True Detective: season 5 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Trying: season 5 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
Tulsa King: season 3 (Paramount+) – Renewed
Twisted Metal: season 3 (Peacock) – Renewed
Tyler Perry’s The Oval: season 5 (BET) – Renewed
Tyler Perry’s Sistas: season 8 (BET) – Renewed
Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan: season 5 (Nickelodeon) – Cancelled
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The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On: season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Ultimatum: Queer Love: season 2 (Netflix) – Cancelled
United Gangs of America: season 2 (Vice TV) – Renewed
Unsolved Mysteries: season 5 (Netflix) – Renewed
Untamed: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Upload: season 4 (Prime Video) – Cancelled (after the fourth, and final, season)
The Upshaws: season 4 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after the fourth, and final, season)
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The Valley: season 2 (Bravo) – Renewed
Vanderpump Rules: season 12 (Bravo) – Renewed
Vanderpump Villa: season 2 (Hulu) – Renewed
The Vince Staples Show: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Virgin River: season 8 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Voice: season 29 (NBC) – Renewed
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: season 4 (AMC) – Cancelled (after a fourth, and final, season)
The Walking Dead: Dead City : season 2 (AMC) – Renewed
Wahl Street: season 2 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Walker: season 4 (The CW) – Renewed
Watch What Happens Live: season 21 (Bravo) – Renewed
The Watcher: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
The Waterfront: season 1 (Netflix) – Cancelled
Watson: season 2 (CBS)- Renewed
The Way Home: season 4 (Hallmark Channel) – Cancelled (after the fourth, and final, season)
We Are Lady Parts: season 2 (Paramount+) – Renewed
We Were Liars: season 2 (Prime Video) – Renewed
Weakest Link: season 3 (NBC) – Renewed
Wednesday: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Welcome to Wrexham: season 5 – Renewed
We’re Here: season 4 (HBO Max) – Renewed
What If…?: season 3 (Disney+) – Renewed
What We Do in the Shadows: season 6 (FX) – Cancelled (after the sixth, and final, season)
The Wheel of Time: season 3 (Prime Video) – Cancelled
When Calls the Heart: season 14 (Hallmark Channel) – Renewed
The White Lotus: season 4 (HBO Max) – Renewed
Whitstable Pearl: season 3 (Acorn TV) – Renewed
Wicked City: season 3 (AllBlk) – Renewed
Wild Cards: season 3 (The CW) – Renewed
Will Trent: season 4 (ABC) – Renewed
Winter House: season 3 (Bravo) – Renewed
Wipeout: season 3 (TBS) – Renewed
The Witcher: season 5 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after the fifth, and final, season)
With Love, Meghan: season 2 (Netflix) – Renewed
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place: season 2 (Disney+) – Renewed
Wolf King: season 2 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after the second, and final, season)
Wolf Like Me: season 2 (Peacock) – Renewed
Women in Blue: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed
World’s Funniest Animals: season 4 (The CW) – Renewed
X-Men ’97: season 3 (Disney+) – Renewed
XO, Kitty: season 3 (Netflix) – Renewed
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Yellowjackets: season 4 (Paramount+) – Cancelled (after a fourth, and final, season)
Yellowstone: season 5 (Paramount Network) – Cancelled
Yolo: season 3 (Adult Swim) – Renewed
You: season 5 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after the fifth, and final, season)
You, Me & My Ex : season 2 (TLC) – Renewed
The Young and the Restless: season 52-55 (CBS) – Renewed
Young Sheldon: season 7 (CBS) – Cancelled (after the seventh, and final, season)
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The nominations for the 41st annual Film Independent Spirit Awards are in! Each year, the Spirit Awards celebrate bold, independent voices in film and television, creators working outside the major studio system, with nominees selected by committees of industry professionals across writing, directing, producing, editing, acting, criticism, and festival programming.
Recommended: Awards Calendar: 2025-2026
Leading this year’s film nominations is Peter Hujar’s Day, earning five nods, including recognition for stars Rebecca Hall and Ben Whishaw — who is also nominated on the TV side for his performance in Netflix’s Black Doves. In television, Adolescence, Forever, and Mr. Loverman tied for the top spot with four nominations each.
Explore the full list of nominees below, and tune in February 15 to see who takes home the honors!
Best Feature
Peter Hujar’s Day
The Plague
Sorry, Baby
Train Dreams
Twinless
Best First Feature
Blue Sun Palace
Dust Bunny
East of Wall
Lurker
One of Them Days
Best Director
Clint Bentley, Train Dreams
Mary Bronstein, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Lloyd Lee Choi, Lucky Lu
Ira Sachs, Peter Hujar’s Day
Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby
Best Screenplay
A Little Prayer
Sorry, Baby
Sovereign
Splitsville
Twinless
Best First Screenplay
Blue Sun Palace
Friendship
Lurker
One of Them Days
Outerlands
Best Lead Performance
Everett Blunck, The Plague
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kathleen Chalfant, Familiar Touch
Chang Chen, Lucky Lu
Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams
Dylan O’Brien, Twinless
Keke Palmer, One of Them Days
Théodore Pellerin, Lurker
Tessa Thompson, Hedda
Ben Whishaw, Peter Hujar’s Day
Best Supporting Performance
Naomi Ackie, Sorry, Baby
Zoey Deutch, Nouvelle Vague
Kirsten Dunst, Roofman
Rebecca Hall, Peter Hujar’s Day
Nina Hoss, Hedda
Jane Levy, A Little Prayer
Archie Madekwe, Lurker
Kali Reis, Rebuilding
Jacob Tremblay, Sovereign
Haipeng Xu, Blue Sun Palace
Best Breakthrough Performance
Liz Larsen, The Baltimorons
Kayo Martin, The Plague
Misha Osherovich, She’s the He
SZA, One of Them Days
Tabatha Zimiga, East of Wall
Best Cinematography
Blue Sun Palace
Dust Bunny
Peter Hujar’s Day
Train Dreams
Warfare
Best Editing
Eephus
Good Boy
Splitsville
The Testament of Ann Lee
Warfare
Best Documentary
Come See Me in the Good Light
Endless Cookie
My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 — Last Air in Moscow
The Perfect Neighbor
The Tale of Silyan
Best International Film
All That’s Left of You
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
A Poet
The Secret Agent
Sirāt
Robert Altman Award
The cast, casting director, and director of The Long Walk
Someone to Watch Award
Tatti Ribeiro
Neo Sora
Annapurna Sriram
Truer Than Fiction Award
Tony Benna
Rajee Samarasinghe
Brittany Shyne
John Cassavetes Award
The Baltimorons
Boys Go to Jupiter
Eephus
Esta Isla
Familiar Touch
Producers Award
Emma Hannaway
Luca Intili
Tony Yang
Best New Scripted Series
Adolescence
Common Side Effects
Forever
Mr. Loverman
North of North
Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
Citizen Nation
Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time
Pee-Wee As Himself
Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television
Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae
Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series
Sydney Chandler, Alien: Earth
Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Ethan Hawke, The Lowdown
Lennie James, Mr. Loverman
Anna Lambe, North of North
Lola Petticrew, Say Nothing
Seth Rogen, The Studio
Lovie Simone, Forever
Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex
Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series
Ariyon Bakare, Mr. Loverman
Babou Ceesay, Alien: Earth
Sharon D. Clarke, Mr. Loverman
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
Erin Doherty, Adolescence
Stephen McKinley Henderson, A Man on the Inside
Poorna Jagannathan, Deli Boys
Xosha Roquemore, Forever
Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex
Ben Whishaw, Black Doves
Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series
Asif Ali, Deli Boys
Wally Baram, Overcompensating
Owen Cooper, Adolescence
Michael Cooper Jr., Forever
Ernest Kinglsey Junior, Washington Black
Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
Chief of War
The Independent Spirit Awards ceremony will take place on February 15.
On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News.
It’s time to go back to Pandora, with Avatar: Fire and Ash arriving in theaters later this month, and the first reactions already pumping fans up for the further adventures of the Na’vi. James Cameron’s third installment in the Avatar franchise promises more of the same with a few new surprises, but if you know you know: These movies deliver spectacle like nothing else being made today, and if you’re already on board, you’re going to be wowed once again by the visuals, the action, the world-building, and both the returning and added characters.
Here’s what critics are saying about Avatar: Fire and Ash:
James Cameron did it again! Avatar: Fire and Ash is jaw-dropping from start to finish.
— Dorian Parks, Geeks of Color
Avatar: Fire and Ash is a staggering achievement of moviemaking, and an all-around phenomenal film.
— Jazz Tangcay, Variety
Master storyteller and visionary filmmaker James Cameron again delivers a hyperreal experience that is emotional and exhilarating…this is an audacious feast that delivers more than anyone ordered.
— Simon Thompson, The Playlist
Three films in, James Cameron still has the sauce, making the epic spectacular feel emotionally impactful.
— Courtney Howard, Variety
Three films in and I still can’t get over how magical the Avatar movies are…Avatar: Fire and Ash truly feels like a ride.
— Perri Nemiroff, Collider
The franchise keeps raising the bar, and Cameron continues to push boundaries with every frame.
— Sean Tajipour, Nerdtropolis
Never doubt James Cameron. Avatar: Fire and Ash is another sprawling, ambitious, gorgeous adventure.
— Cody Dericks, Next Best Picture
Fans of the previous two will be very pleased.
— Todd Gilchrist, Screen Rant
Well, if you don’t like Avatar 1 or 2 then I don’t know how you’d expect to like this when it’s made by the exact same people.
— Adam Hlaváč, Heroes Reforged
I may not be the biggest Avatar superfan, but Avatar: Fire and Ash proves once again that James Cameron can and will always deliver the ultimate cinematic spectacle.
— Sean Tajipour, Nerdtropolis
Hands down, it’s my favorite installment in the series.
— Dorian Parks, Geeks of Color
It’s the best one yet.
— Bill Bria, Slashfilm
It’s the best and, unexpectedly, the horniest of the three.
— Todd Gilchrist, Screen Rant
James Cameron raises the stakes. It’s bigger, better, and more emotional than ever before.
— Jazz Tangcay, Variety
Fire and Ash is the biggest, heaviest, most epic Avatar film to date. It plays like a Part 2 to The Way of Water‘s Part 1…it may also be the weirdest of the three.
— Kevin L. Lee, AwardsWatch
Fire and Ash is also easily the most INTENSE Avatar movie yet.
— Chris Killian, ComicBook.com
There’s a noticeable increase in complexity in quite a few aspects of the production.
— Perri Nemiroff, Collider
Cameron reaches past the visual fireworks and delivers a much more complex, much more drama-laden story than the first two films…the best of the series.
— David Poland, Hot Button
Avatar: Fire and Ash delivers the most emotional moments of the franchise and is, by far, the most epic in both scope and runtime.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
It contains a couple of the most emotional moments in the series…[but] Way of Water remains the peak for me.
— Eric Goldman, MovieWeb
It doesn’t feel like the huge leap forward for the narrative of the series that Way of Water did.
— Cody Dericks, Next Best Picture
Avatar: Fire and Ash is the first James Cameron sequel that feels kinda like a regular follow-up rather than an innovative re-envisioning of its predecessor’s world.
— Jesse Hassenger, AV Club
The messiest entry.
— Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture
Cameron gives us at least a half dozen things we have never seen on a screen before, even in the Avatars.
— David Poland, Hot Button
It has as much of a spectacle as its predecessors, while adding even more lore to James Cameron’s Pandora…but it did feel like just another Avatar movie.
— Rachel Leishman, The Mary Sue
There’s a ton of new ideas, concepts, and sequences, but there’s also a bit that feels like a rehash of the first two films. But the new stuff is absolutely worth your time and money.
— Scott Mendelson, The Outside Scoop
If you liked [the previous] entry, it’s a lot more of the same.
— Cody Dericks, Next Best Picture
I will say Way of Water spoiled us with SO MUCH new stuff, this one feels slightly repetitive with little new.
— Cris Parker, 3C Films
Stunned by the degree to which this feels like the same movie as the last one. Drag and drop cinema!
— Brett Arnold, Yahoo! Movies
It mines the least amount of new material from covering so much ground.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
Cameron isn’t demonstrating many new tricks, but I literally do not care — repetition is allowed when it’s perfecting the beats of past movies with jaw-dropping spectacle and darker, strife-rich storytelling.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse
We all thought James Cameron was making his Star Wars, but Avatar: Fire and Ash cements it as his Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (highly complimentary). This is so At World’s End coded.
— Griffin Schiller, FilmSpeak
It is 100% At World’s End to The Way of Water being the Dead Man’s Chest entry. Especially when 1 is the standalone story and then 2 and 3 come together to make one big story with ambitious swings.
— Kevin L. Lee, AwardsWatch
There’s a setpiece in this thing that plays like Mad Max: Fury Road meets Pirates of the Caribbean, and it’s in the *first* act of the movie. I’m still in awe.
— Bill Bria, Slashfilm
It owes a debt to Frank Herbert’s Dune.
— Chase Hutchinson, TheWrap
It’s unreal how immersive it is.
— Adam Hlaváč, Heroes Reforged
I’ve never felt so immersed in a world like this.
— Dorian Parks, Geeks of Color
It grabs you and sweeps you up in this snowball of emotion, action, and spectacle as only James Cameron can deliver.
— Germain Lussier, io9.com
I couldn’t believe how quickly I was pulled back into the world of Pandora and swept up in the situation.
— Perri Nemiroff, Collider
Avatar: Fire and Ash is a visual masterpiece.
— Kaitlyn Booth, Bleeding Cool
James Cameron once again delivers a remarkable visual feast.
— Cris Parker, 3C Films
I was blown away by the visuals.
— Adam Hlaváč, Heroes Reforged
It’s a full-on visual feast that pushes Pandora to insane new heights. There were moments I genuinely couldn’t believe what I was looking at.
— Nate Adams, The Only Critic
It’s easily one of the most visually stunning films to hit theaters in years.
— Dorian Parks, Geeks of Color
It’s every bit as gorgeous as you’d expect.
— Chris Killian, ComicBook.com
Cameron expands the series’ visual capacity with some innovative, trippy sequences.
— Cody Dericks, Next Best Picture
The team who worked on this really knocked the visual effects out of the park. It’s such a spectacle.
— Jazz Tangcay, Variety
The character and costume design for Varang and her people are undeniably striking.
— Perri Nemiroff, Collider
It’s a technical marvel.
— Jazz Tangcay, Variety
Technically, it’s as incredible an achievement as ever.
— Brett Arnold, Yahoo! Movies
You really can truly see and feel that every ounce of this movie was crafted with the utmost thought and care by human minds and hands.
— Perri Nemiroff, Collider
James Cameron delivers a towering spectacle of such all-in splendor that it plays like it’s the last movie that’s ever going to get made.
— Scott Mendelson, The Outside Scoop
We get some great action sequences.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
Avatar: Fire and Ash has some fun action set pieces.
— Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch
It just casually drops ~3-4 of the best/coolest action sequences of the year.
— Jesse Hassenger, AV Club
The action sequences are eye-popping but this time crackle with surrealist flourishes.
— Drew Taylor, TheWrap
Payakan is still my fave, but Varang is the MVP.
— ourtney Howard, Variety
Get ready for Oona Chaplin as Varang. She is a standout!
— Jazz Tangcay, Variety
Oona Chaplin is this film’s beautifully unhinged standout as Varang.
— Branyan Towe, Loud and Clear Reviews
Oona Chaplin is the best new element – she’s iconic, she’s gaggy, etc, and her ash tribe rocks.
— dy Dericks, Next Best Picture
The fire tribe are a scene-stealing presence. Oona Chaplin’s dynamic with Quaritch was a highlight.
— Cris Parker, 3C Films
Stephen Lang is having the time of his life, making Miles Quaritch the MVP of the whole series.
— Griffin Schiller, FilmSpeak
Quite a few of the characters make a big impression, but…I’m just blown away by Zoe Saldaña’s work in this franchise. There’s an unparalleled intensity to her work, and it makes every ache Neytiri suffers and every ounce of determination she exudes especially palpable.
— Perri Nemiroff, Collider
Zoe Saldaña. Wow. She’s staggering. This movie really brings back Neytiri front and center.
— Kevin L. Lee, AwardsWatch
Avatar: Fire and Ash is overstuffed with a lot of plot…there are novel concepts here I wish were more thoroughly explored.
— Josh Parham, Next Best Picture
Similar to the last two films, there are aspects of the story that feel a bit too familiar and/or surface.
— Perri Nemiroff, Collider
Story-wise, it’s the same “capture/rescue” plot over and over again, with some laughable dialogue thrown in the middle. The runtime is criminal.
— Kaitlyn Booth, Bleeding Cool
It falls into the same trap of repetition as the previous films. Lots of setup for little payoff…far too long.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
Boy, if it isn’t mostly a repetitive bore. Virtually identical to The Way of Water and feels pointless…These movies also never need to be three hours long.
— Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch
One thing I don’t love? The hyper-realistic frame rate. It sucks to have seen it like that, and it’s distracting.
— Tomris Laffly, AV Club
This is why the big screen still matters and why I’ll always show up for these films.
— Sean Tajipour, Nerdtropolis
This is what movie theaters were built for.
— Courtney Howard, Variety
You gotta see this thing in Dolby 3D (1.85:1)!
— Adam Hlaváč, Heroes Reforged
Still the best franchise for 3D and 2025’s best example of why the theatrical experience is essential.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
Go see it in 3-D in the best theater you can find because it’ll blow your mind.
— Chris Killian, ComicBook.com
Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in theaters on December 19, 2025.
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As we enter the thick of the holiday season, Hollywood is offering a little bit of everything for a variety of audiences, ranging from big sci-fi spectacles and bloody genre thrills to family fare, small, intimate dramas, and even a spoof comedy.
We asked you to vote for the films you’re most excited about in December, and you responded by choosing James Cameron’s return to Pandora, Benoit Blanc’s next case, new pizza parlor scares, Tarantino’s ultimate Kill Bill cut, and a Timothée Chalamet–led biopic. Read on for the five most anticipated movies of December!
No. 1
Avatar: Fire and Ash
(2025)
Release Date: December 19, 2025
James Cameron takes us back to Pandora for the highly anticipated third chapter of the Avatar saga…this time plunging into brand-new environments and introducing the fierce “Ash People,” a fire-aligned Na’vi clan far less welcoming than the tribes we’ve met before. Oona Chaplin steps in as Varang, a formidable new Na’vi antagonist. Riding the massive momentum of Avatar: The Way of Water, this installment arrives with the added intrigue that part of Avatar 4 has already been filmed.
No. 2
Release Date: December 12, 2025 on Netflix
Benoit Blanc is back on the case in the next Knives Out adventure, with Daniel Craig reprising his role as the charismatic, puzzle-loving detective. Netflix is keeping story details tightly under wraps, but the film has been teased as Blanc’s most perilous challenge yet. Expect a fresh ensemble to stir the pot, including Josh O’Connor.
No. 3
Five Nights at Freddy's 2
(2025)
Release Date: December 5, 2025
Freddy Fazbear and his animatronic crew aren’t done with us yet. The smash-hit horror adaptation returns for a second helping, reopening the doors to its notorious pizza parlor for another round of jump scares. The first film was a success, pulling in over $80 million theatrically and becoming a major streaming win for Peacock and Blumhouse. After success like that, a sequel was practically guaranteed and fans cannot wait to see what’s in store.
No. 4
Release Date: December 5, 2025
Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill will arrive back to theaters, melding Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 into the single, unrated revenge odyssey he always envisioned. Uma Thurman returns as The Bride, the warrior who survives a brutal attack by her former lover and boss, Bill, and sets off to settle the score with the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. This definitive version features a brand-new anime sequence and even includes an old-school intermission.
No. 5
Marty Supreme
(2025)
Release Date: December 25, 2025
Josh Safdie turns his lens toward the world of table tennis with Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet as real-life ping-pong prodigy Marty Reisman. By 22, Reisman had already earned five bronze medals at the World Table Tennis Championships, but his rise wasn’t without hardship. Chalamet is joined by Odessa A’zion and Gwyneth Paltrow in bringing this underdog sports biopic to life. The film has secured a glowing response from critics so far.
Thumbnail images by ©20th Century Studios
There’s no getting around the fact that December belongs to the movies, and there typically just isn’t a whole lot of high-profile TV to be found during the last month of the year. But that doesn’t mean we don’t still have a few noteworthy titles to look forward to, and we’ve gathered the best ones for you to vote on.
We asked you to vote for your most anticipated TV or streaming series of the month, and you responded by choosing the return of Fallout to Prime Video, Percy Jackson’s dangerous adventures, Rowan Atkinson getting into holiday chaos, a new Spartacus series, and a new western drama. Read on for the five most anticipated TV or streaming shows of December!
No. 1
Fallout: Season 2
(2025)
Premiere Date: December 17 on Prime Video
Prime Video’s Fallout is back for a second season, dropping December 17 and shifting the action to the chaos of New Vegas. Familiar faces return as Lucy and The Ghoul set out on a high-stakes search for her missing father, while Maximus becomes tangled in internal battles brewing within the Brotherhood of Steel. New arrivals shake things up too, including Justin Theroux as the enigmatic power player Robert House and Macaulay Culkin in a wild, genius-level role that promises a new brand of madness.
No. 2
Premiere Date: December 10 on Disney+
The fan-favorite Disney+ adventure charges into its next chapter with an adaptation of the novel The Sea of Monsters. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover set sail (literally) on a dangerous quest across treacherous waters to track down the Golden Fleece. Along the way, Percy inches closer to the truths he’s been chasing: where he fits in a world filled with gods and monsters, and who he’s ultimately meant to become.
No. 3
Man Vs Baby: Season 1
(2025)
Premiere Date: December 11 on Netflix
Holiday chaos gets an extra twist in this new comedy as Rowan Atkinson plays a well-meaning dad who suddenly finds himself caring for a missing baby while housesitting a luxurious London penthouse. Atkinson and Will Davies are behind the series, and Alanah Bloor and Claudie Blakley have joined the cast.
No. 4
Premiere Date: December 5 on Starz
House of Ashur, premiering on Starz on December 5, imagines Ashur rising from slave to master as he takes command of the very ludus that once owned him. Ashur teams up with the fierce gladiatrix Achillia in the new drama. It’s a fresh twist on the Spartacus legacy that fans are looking forward to.
No. 5
The Abandons: Season 1
(2025)
Premiere Date: December 4 on Netflix
Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey lead this new Netflix western, arriving December 4. Set in the Washington Territory of 1854, The Abandons follows two formidable women at the helm of very different clans: Anderson’s Constance Van Ness, matriarch of a wealthy dynasty, and Headey’s Fiona Nolan, who protects a found family of orphans and outcasts. Their worlds collide through buried secrets, forbidden romance, and two crimes that bind their fates to a coveted stretch of land hiding a silver vein.
Thumbnail images by Prime Video
This year may have saved the best for last, as evidenced by the glowing first reviews for Marty Supreme. Josh Safdie delivers another gripping cinematic achievement, comparable to his and brother Benny Safdie’s Uncut Gems, with this movie following the career of a young ping-pong player. Yet, the most exciting thing about this movie is said to be Timothée Chalamet’s Oscar-worthy performance, leading an impressive ensemble cast through the uniquely riveting story.
Here’s what critics are saying about Marty Supreme:
It’s one of the year’s best films.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
It is easily one of the best films of the year.
— Shakyl Lambert, CGMagazine
It is one of the best films of the year, even if I don’t care for the Safdie films, mostly.
— Julian Lytle, RIOTUS
It’s one of the year’s few masterpieces.
— Peter Debruge, Variety
This is one of the most exciting and engaging films you’ll see all year.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
Marty Supreme is one of the best movies of the year. I can’t wait to watch it again.
— Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm
Believe the hype about this one, folks… When you think about the cinema of 2025, it’s likely that this flick will be right there amongst your favorites.
— Joey Magidson, Awards Radar
In a year full of underwhelming disappointments, A24’s Marty Supreme is here to save the day… [It’s] a slice of cinema unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
— M.N. Miller, InSession Film
The film plays like a big-budget arthouse roller coaster ride.
— Aaron Neuwirth, We Live Entertainment
Calling something “a wild ride” is one of the most hackneyed quote-whore favorites, but for this wraparound sensory experience, it’s a neat fit.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
It’s almost absurd how Marty Supreme never stops…. There’s nothing calm about this film. For two and a half hours, you just have to give yourself over to controlled chaos, which makes for a pulse-pounding cinematic experience.
— Joey Magidson, Awards Radar
Marty Supreme jumps off the screen, big and bold, riveting and exciting, eclectic and alive with an electric charge… Wild, kinetic, and deliriously enjoyable from start to finish.
— M.N. Miller, InSession Film
It’s a roman candle of a movie that feels like it was shot out of a cannon.
— David Ehrlich, IndieWire
From the moment the film opens with its jaw-droppingly unhinged opening credits sequence, the movie never stops putting its foot on the gas and never lets up.
— Shakyl Lambert, CGMagazine
It barrels ahead with the electricity and momentum of a championship rally and closes on one of the most satisfying finales of the year.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
This genre-defying original is an exhilarating sports comedy, a scrappy character study, a thrumming evocation of early ‘50s New York City — plus a reimagining of all those things.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Marty Supreme is a sprawling odyssey that chases our titular character around the world, yet at its core, it’s a quintessential New York story about a man with the drive and conviction to chase a dream that only he believes is possible.
— Sophia Ciminello, AwardsWatch
Marty Supreme works on many levels, being part sports film, crime thriller, and dark social chaos comedy.
— M.N. Miller, InSession Film
Think of it as Uncut Gems meets Catch Me If You Can, and maybe you’re halfway there.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
It’s easy to make comparisons between Marty’s adventure and the one that Adam Sandler’s Howard Ratner experienced in Uncut Gems.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
Marty Supreme is bigger and has a more epic scale than something like Uncut Gems, but is very much a companion piece.
— Joey Magidson, Awards Radar
Also, a bit like If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, the latest film from Bronstein’s wife, Mary Bronstein, which was co-produced by Josh Safdie.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
It’s easy to see the influence of Martin Scorsese’s After Hours, and especially The Color of Money.
— Todd Gilchrist, Screen Rant
Safdie and Bronstein take ping pong and turn it into the most exhilarating sport on screen… [It’s] one of this generation’s best sports dramas.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
The film in many ways recreates the rhythms of an ‘80s sports movie, focusing on a promising athlete who encounters his fiercest opponent and must fight for the opportunity to see who between them is truly the best.
— Todd Gilchrist, Screen Rant
Marty Supreme is essentially a 1980s sports movie thrown into a 1950s New York film — all in a Safdie wrapping.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
It might start like a conventional sports biopic… setting the stage for a classic sports underdog story. Yet, Marty Supreme is anything but a conventional sports movie.
— Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy
Josh Safdie re-engineers all of the tropes associated with underdog sports films – dissecting, examining, and ultimately subverting their traditional formulations.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
It won’t be for everyone, and the insanely manic middle section might turn anyone off who may just be expecting a quirkier take on the sports drama.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
Marty Supreme is laugh-out-loud funny on several occasions.
— Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm
The surrounding characters heighten the comedy, with Safdie’s humor emerging through terrible decisions, escalating disasters, and awkward social collisions that make you laugh while covering your eyes.
— M.N. Miller, InSession Film
The title sequence is so hilarious that it tends to set off spontaneous bursts of applause.
— David Ehrlich, IndieWire
[The title sequence] was funnier, and better, when Amy Heckerling did it in 1989, to kick off Look Who’s Talking.
— Stephanie Zacharek, TIME Magazine
In his first solo directing effort since 2008’s The Pleasure of Being Robbed, Josh answers which half of the duo is the better filmmaker.
— Peter Debruge, Variety
It’s obvious that Josh Safdie may be the better director than his brother.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
Marty Supreme is an excellent presentation of what Josh Safdie is able to accomplish as a filmmaker in his own right.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
Marty Supreme bears the stamp of a gifted auteur carving out his own space with his own signature.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Safdie and Ronald Bronstein’s script packs a lot in, but every piece fits perfectly to the wider picture.
— Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy
Safdie and Ronald Bronstein’s screenplay pulls no punches… The duo effortlessly balances the familiar Safdie anxiety-inducing momentum with an emotional undercurrent that sneaks up on you.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
It’s a splenetic wonder of a screenplay… Sequences metastasize out of each other like fast-growing tumors as the script hides a cosmic design that only reveals itself in hindsight.
— David Ehrlich, IndieWire
Josh Safdie and the cinematographer Darius Khondji made a very good-looking film. There’s a warmth to the color on the screen that adds to the tension and pacing of the film. It makes you feel hot and bothered.
— Julian Lytle, RIOTUS
Khondji captures the raw grit of 1950s New York while giving the ping pong matches an intimate yet frenetic energy that elevates every rally. His lens never sits still, mirroring Marty’s own roller coaster journey.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Thanks to the cinematography from Darius Khondji, we feel the filth of the city, yet also a surprising warmth throughout.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
The most invaluable contribution behind the camera is the granular period recreation of the great veteran production designer Jack Fisk, both on soundstage sets and New York locations. It’s like flipping through a gorgeous photography book of the city in bygone days, high and low.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Legendary production designer Jack Fisk showcases some of the most impressive work in his storied career, creating detailed New York City streets, magnificent interiors, and sports arenas around the world that feel remarkably tactile.
— Sophia Ciminello, AwardsWatch
The production design, by the god-tier Jack Fisk, may be the best thing about the movie… The picture was shot, in various tones of puddle-water and mud, by the previously great Darius Khondji.
— Stephanie Zacharek, TIME Magazine
Probably one of the film’s greatest achievements… is the eclectic casting around Chalamet by casting director Jennifer Venditti.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
The creativity of casting director Jennifer Venditti extends, of course, to the wide array of supporting performers and cameos, but should be lauded most for bringing Paltrow back to cinemas.
— Sophia Ciminello, AwardsWatch
This may well be the ensemble of the year, to the point where its side characters are so vivid, it single-handedly proves why we need the Oscars to have their newly introduced Casting category… It truly deserves at least a nomination.
— Joey Magidson, Awards Radar
One of the most bonkers ensemble casts in recent memory… While some of the casting choices might sometimes come off as a shock, it doesn’t take long before they’ve proven why they’re just the right pick for this wild ride.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
It’s an impressive ensemble that ranks among the year’s best.
— Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy
One of the year’s best performances… There are not enough adjectives to fully capture what Timothée Chalamet does here.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Timothée Chalamet turns in career-best work with a performance that may well prove to be his Oscar-winning role.
— Joey Magidson, Awards Radar
Chalamet is phenomenal, delivering daring, Oscar-caliber work.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
In the defining performance of his still-burgeoning career, Timothée Chalamet makes you want to believe in this instantly iconic character, too, even if sometimes you also want to strangle him.
— Peter Debruge, Variety
Chalamet makes one of the most colossal movie performances of the 21st century seem as natural as a lay-up.
— David Ehrlich, IndieWire
It’s a sensational performance… In a year of good performances, none have been as transformative as Chalamet’s.
— Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy
No role up until now has so fully captured all of his talents so aptly like Marty Supreme does.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
The moments when Chalamet slips fully into the character glimmer, marking a major achievement for the actor.
— Sophia Ciminello, AwardsWatch
The breakout performance is the marvelous A’zion.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
The strongest of the lot, outside of Chalamet, is Odessa A’zion.
— Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy
Outside of Chalamet, the real MVP is Odessa A’zion in a star-making performance.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
The film’s biggest revelation comes from Odessa A’Zion… In fact, A’Zion nearly steals the entire show when she takes on a larger role during the latter half of the film.
— Shakyl Lambert, CGMagazine
A crook played with gnarled seediness by Abel Ferrara in one of many inspired casting strokes… Paltrow does some of her best work.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Gwyneth Paltrow is as good as she has been in quite some time… The most surprising turn comes from Kevin O’Leary.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Shark Tank panelist Kevin O’Leary [is] perfectly cast as the smug face of American industry.
— Peter Debruge, Variety
The most striking component of Marty Supreme is composer Daniel Lopatin’s synth-pop, New Wave-inspired score.
— Sophia Ciminello, AwardsWatch
Daniel Lopatin’s score is resplendent. His blossoming compositions register on a similar connective scale to Tangerine Dream’s filmic works. Warm synths swell and abate, sounding not just symphonic, but ethereally hymnal.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
Outside of One Battle After Another and Sinners, I cannot think of a better or more impactful score this year than Lopatin’s work on Marty Supreme. His music pulses and electrifies with every cue, the kind of score that makes you nod along and think, Good God, this is good.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Daniel Lopatin’s exciting score, mixed with anachronistic ’80s pop songs on the soundtrack, gives everything a vibrant, thrilling aura.
— Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm
Any midcentury period piece that opens and closes with Tears for Fears is not doing things the orthodox way. (The music cue for Peter Gabriel’s “I Have the Touch” is exhilarating.)
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Cranked up to 11, the synthesized chimes of Tears for Fears’ “Change” blast straight out of the gate, lending the kind of galvanic kick normally reserved for the nail-biting finale of a sports movie.
— Peter Debruge, Variety
The score and the use of eighties music at times make you feel this is a timeless New York story. Each song is used at the right time.
— Julian Lytle, RIOTUS
Historically, it doesn’t make sense, but tonally, it’s just right.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
Imagine! 1980s music in a movie set in the 1950s. Crazy, right? This is “Look at me!” filmmaking at its most exhausting.
— Stephanie Zacharek, TIME Magazine
If Marty Supreme has a flaw, it’s that at 150 minutes, it can’t always hold its propulsion as effectively throughout.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider
The film can get a bit exhausting and repetitive, dragging and sagging in stretches, despite its excitement and chaos.
— Sophia Ciminello, AwardsWatch
Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine lumbers in comparison, but it has heart, intelligence, and a point that the story actually supported. Any or all of which would have dramatically improved Marty Supreme.
— William Bibbiani, TheWrap
Marty Supreme opens in theaters on December 25, 2025.
Anyone who doubted that Zootopia 2 was going to be one of the kings of the winter season (and, quite frankly, the year) should be checking their credentials. Since summer, this column has been including the animated sequel as part of the trio of films (along with Wicked: For Good and Avatar: Fire and Ash) that would be adding a billion (maybe close to $1.5 billion) on the domestic sales chart and helping to put 2025 over the top as the biggest box office year since the pandemic. Well, this weekend it boasted the second biggest Thanksgiving opening ever, and worldwide it is already one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of the year.
Disney’s Zootopia kicked off the Spring season back in 2016 with a $75 million opening. It went on to gross $341 million domestic (seventh best of the year) and $1.02 billion worldwide (fourth best). It is the fifth-highest grossing non-sequel animated film ever. Now it has a sequel. Nine years later, Zootopia 2 took over Thanksgiving with $96.8 million over the weekend and $156 million since Wednesday, as well as its Tuesday previews. (The 4:20 matinee on Tuesday I attended at my local theater was sold out.)
That $156 million in five days is the eighth-best start for a film in November. Its 12-day ranking will be higher next week, as it likely will have one of the top five second weekends for a November release ever. Frozen II made $163.8 million in its first five days. Zootopia 2 will aim to be just the seventh November release to have grossed over $250 million in its first 12 days, five of which grossed more than $424 million. We shall see if the latest sixth film on that list has the legs for such a milestone.
Globally though, forget about it. Thanks to an outpouring of fanfare in China, where the film is second only to Avengers: Endgame’s single-day record for a Hollywood film, Zootopia 2 is already over $556 million worldwide. Its $400 million international haul is already the eighth-best in 2025, with over $271 million alone coming from China. It will be in the top five by next weekend, where it will march towards becoming just the second billion-dollar Hollywood film of the year after Lilo & Stitch. Ne Zha 2 still owns the lead with $1.9 billion, nearly $1.88 billion of that coming from the international market.
Last year’s Wicked had the fourth-best 10-day total ever in November with $263.1 million. Now, Wicked: For Good has the fourth-best ever with $270.4 million. That is after adding $62.8 million over the weekend and $93 million since Wednesday. As originally predicted, Wicked’s second act would open better than the first, but might finish behind its totals overall. This takes nothing away from the boatloads of cash For Good has grossed already, quickly adding to a total that already has it in the win column for Universal. Part One had a Thanksgiving weekend of $81.1 million (3-day) and $118.2 million (5-day), marking a significant decrease for Part Two. Those numbers were even achieved in a contest against the biggest Thanksgiving opening of all-time in Moana 2, which pulled in over $225 million over the 5-day holiday before it fell 63% to $51.2 million in its second weekend. For Good’s numbers are a little closer to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, rather than Catching Fire, which could give it a finish in the $375-399 million region rather than crossing the $400 million milestone, though the film is close to that worldwide with $393 million.
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t took in $7 million over the weekend and $10.1 million since Wednesday. That brings its 17-day total to $49.6 million on the domestic side, while overseas it is over $137 million. It may not be as big as the previous two films, but it is at least approaching the category of success. Starship Troopers and Gothika were the only November releases between $45-50 million after their third weekends to not reach $60 million. Now You Don’t was right in the middle, with the sixth-best third weekend amongst the 12 of them. Christmas with the Kranks, The Haunted Mansion, and A Bad Moms Christmas all surpassed $70 million. Now You Don’t is ahead of all three, and it bested The Haunted Mansion’s third weekend by roughly $800,000.
Predator: Badlands finished off its fourth weekend with $4.8 million. With $6.6 million made since Wednesday, its 24-day total rests at $85 million. Only three November releases to make over $80 million by the end of their fourth weekends failed to reach $100 million. They include The Marvels, Red One, and M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable. Red One had a $7 million fourth weekend before falling off big in weekends six and seven, and it is currently a couple million ahead of Predator: Badlands. The overall numbers may feel like a bit of a disappointment, as the $105 million production hopes to make up the difference in VOD and home media sales. But with $173.7 million worldwide, this is officially the highest-grossing film to feature the Predator.
There is no avoiding the fact that Paramount’s The Running Man is one of the biggest theatrical bombs of the year. In 17 days, the $110 million production has grossed just $34.2 million domestic and another $26 million overseas. That is after $5.5 million from Wednesday-to-Sunday and a third weekend of only $3.7 million. The Schwarzenegger original also had its third weekend over the Thanksgiving holiday, earning $5.36 million (3-day) and $7.97 million (5-day). At this rate, Edgar Wright’s version of Stephen King’s novel is barely going to outgross the 1987 film. It hasn’t been a great year for the theatrical side of Paramount just as their merger with Skydance Media went through in August. Their 2026 slate includes the new Scream, a new Scary Movie, and the animated Paw Patrol and Last Airbender films.
A24’s Eternity with Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen did not find its audience over the holiday, opening with just $3.1 million over the weekend and $5.2 million since Wednesday. However, the film is only in 1,348 theaters, so compare that to the studio’s launches over the years between 900-1,999 theaters. They include Free Fire (1,070 theaters, $994,431 opening), Zola in 2021 (1,468 theaters, $1.2 million), You Hurt My Feelings (912 theaters, $1.39 million), and Opus (1,764 theaters, $1.01 million).
Hakari’s Rental Family with Brendan Fraser made $2.1 million in its second weekend and $3 million since Wednesday, bringing its 10-day total to $7.3 million. Fraser’s Oscar-winning role in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale was initially platformed by A24 and went on to gross $17.4 million throughout its awards run. Rental Family is only Searchlight’s second release of the year, with two more on the horizon: Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On? and Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee.
Focus launched Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet in 119 theaters over the holiday, and the awards favorite made $880,000 over the weekend and $1.3 million in its first five days of release. Funny enough, the studio also released the comedy Hamlet 2 back in 2008 in 103 theaters, and it opened to $439,925 in its first weekend before going wider into 1,597 locations the following week, where it made $1.69 million. Hamnet is hoping to make more of a splash with its upcoming expansion, drawing in fans of the book and more with the promises of tears as its name (and Jessie Buckley’s) comes up a lot as more critic nominations come out next month.
Jalmari Helander’s Sisu made $7.26 million back in 2023, a pretty solid total for a non-English action film. His sequel, Sisu: Road to Revenge, which is mostly English and fierce silent gazes, opened last week and added $1.2 million over the holiday to bring its 10-day total to $4.1 million. Finally, ending its run in the top 10 is Sony Classics’ Nuremberg. James Vanderbilt’s film made $749,000 over the weekend and $1.08 million since Wednesday to bring its total to $12.5 million. It is the company’s highest-grossing domestic release since 2017’s Call Me By Your Name grossed $18.09 million.
(Netflix again has chosen to not release figures on their 600-theater release of Wake Up Dead Man. Some reports say it made enough to make the top 10, but unless they report estimates they will not be considered official here.)
Outside of the top 10, Kleber Mendonca Filho’s The Secret Agent with Wagner Maura made $46,000 in two theaters. The $23,000 per-theater-average is Neon’s third best of the year behind Sentimental Value ($50,008) and the single theater gross of Orwell: 2+2=5 of $25,887 its opening weekend. The Secret Agent has made $71,000 since Wednesday. Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, meanwhile, made $451,000 in 284 theaters over the weekend and $666,000 since Wednesday. It has made $2.3 million to date.
Folks may have had no interest in Osgood Perkins’ Keeper, but horror in the winter season is hoping to have a new champion with Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, the sequel to the incredibly popular video game adaptation that grossed $80 million its opening weekend despite being available at home. Bleecker Street releases the Downton Abbey spoof Fackham Hall. Sony Classics has the musical Merrily We Roll Along, with Daniel Radcliffe. Finally, Lionsgate will release Quentin Tarantino’s complete epic, Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair.
Erik Childress can be heard each week evaluating box office on Business First AM with Angela Miles and his Movie Madness Podcast. [box office figures via Box Office Mojo]
Thumbnail image by ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The kids from Hawkins are finally back with the release of Stranger Things: Season 5, and the first reviews are online and very positive. Only the first half of this fifth and final season has been made available on Netflix until Christmas, but the four episodes are enough to satisfy fans after three years of waiting. The show remains a nostalgic thrill with plenty of scares, but it’s the character moments that really make it worth sticking with to the end.
Here’s what critics are saying about Stranger Things: Season 5:
For a series that’s been MIA since 2022, it hasn’t lost a step in terms of vibrant personality and PG-13 horror spectacle.
— Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
It’s a welcome but bittersweet reunion for fans of the show who’ve spent the last decade watching a gaggle of misfit kids (now teens) weaponize their nerd skills against supernatural and mortal enemies in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana.
— Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times
What a start to the last season it is. Epic action, heartbreaking moments, all done on a grand scale.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
It remains a masterful interplay of light and dark, funny and tense, playful and deeply serious.
— Karl Quinn, Sydney Morning Herald
No Stranger Things fan is going away disappointed from these episodes, which leave anticipation for the rest of the season at fever pitch.
— Laura Martin, BBC.com
On the basis of these maiden chapters, it’s regained some of its footing, maximizing its lengthy runtimes with urgent, breakneck action.
— Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
The Duffer Brothers have come up with a newly beguiling, action-packed way to lead viewers down a very familiar road.
— Eric Deggans, NPR
A three-year break and the prospect of a clear ending has allowed the show to regain its focus — which was sometimes lost in previous, more sprawling chapters.
— Rebecca Nicholson, Financial Times
Stranger Things definitely needs to switch off its boombox, hang up its catapults and admit it’s too old for these capers, but it’s worth indulging it one last time.
— Jack Seale, Guardian
Its balance of suspense and humor is more assured than in Season 4, due in no small part to fewer extraneous elements.
— Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
There is something familiar and comforting about knowing that Eleven, Mike, Will, Robin, Steve, Dustin, Nancy, Jonathan, and Lucas are all training to fight this evil together. It is reminiscent of season one, but with much higher stakes this time around.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
Season 5 [is] more geographically focused than its predecessor, which put thousands of miles between groups of the protagonists. That pays off in more concise run times than the bloat of Season 4.
— Alison Herman, Variety
It’s Robin and Will, having a heart-to-heart that includes a beautiful speech from Robin about her identity that proves very important for the plot — but more importantly, who she and Will are as characters. It’s genuine and human and real.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
It’s a good assembly, and even when the plot starts to drag or becomes hard to follow, there’s enough charisma that it can, like Kate Bush warbling through a cassette player, drag you back into the room.
— Nick Hilton, Independent
The big bro/little bro relationship between Dustin and Steve is still the series’ heart, and its most believably complex.
— Kelly Lawler, USA Today
Elevating the storylines of younger characters helps bridge the age gap created when the core cast of kid actors had the audacity to grow up over the show’s run.
— Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times
Fans will be pleased to see the Duffers linking back to scenes from the first series, and answering crucial questions – namely, who first kidnapped Will, and for what reason, and how they may have underestimated him.
— Laura Martin, BBC.com
If a certain development in Will’s relationship to the Upside Down comes off a bit cheesy, it’s still a satisfying payoff to years of watching poor fragile Will rub his neck and seize up in psychic pain.
— Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter
The episodes are [not] devoid of shocks — one major sequence features some perfect home invasion horror, with serious stakes for all involved.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
There’s no escaping that the show has morphed into an allegory about child exploitation and sexual abuse. It’s the logical fulfilment of its Stephen King-inspired destiny, perhaps, but it’s made Stranger Things a much darker thing than anyone could have predicted when it all began.
— Karl Quinn, Sydney Morning Herald
The visuals have once again stepped up a notch… The scale is massive, the production is insane, the sets and effects look incredible.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
The Duffer Brothers stage this latest Stranger Things run with lots of whiplash camerawork and sharp, punchy edits to make sure that things move as fast and furiously as Vecna’s Demogorgon minions.
— Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
Stranger Things’s superb production design [is] a demonstration that not every Netflix show needs to look terrible.
— Nick Hilton, Independent
The initial quartet of chapters are so packed with gory action [and] movie-grade visual effects.
— Bob Strauss, TheWrap
It’s hard not to notice that it, too, seems caught in a murky CG expanse that looks big but feels small, full of scenes that look sort of like life from a distance but don’t feel much like it up from up close.
— Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter
We get closer, longer looks at the Demogorgon and that thing is absolutely terrifying.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
The horror has been dialled up a notch… We don’t just get a Demogorgon now, we get a horde of them. And when they attack, those talons don’t just rip at flesh, they pierce it.
— Karl Quinn, Sydney Morning Herald
It is like IT, if 90 per cent of the novel involved Pennywise baring his teeth and chasing the children. It lacks the contrast – the light and shade – which in earlier seasons really brought out the emotional heart of the show.
— Nick Hilton, Independent
Netflix and the Duffer brothers spared no expense for the final episodes… There are several big action set pieces and battles just in the first few episodes.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
The fight scenes remain action-packed and heart-palpitating.
— Kelly Lawler, USA Today
It goes big with its set pieces, highlighted by a fourth episode attack that the Duffers orchestrate with plenty of sharp CGI murder and mayhem.
— Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
The bombastic Episode 4 is Stranger Things at its best; 81, presumably very expensively produced, minutes culminating in an epic battle between the demons, the military and the people of Hawkins. Grenades, gunfire and flame throwers abound, before two explosive twists in the final minutes.
— Laura Martin, BBC.com
It’s amusing to watch the crew booby-trap a house, Home Alone-style, against a Demogorgon, or turn to a hilariously unlikely hero for a highly complicated rescue mission.
— Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter
Little Holly Wheeler is a fun new addition, even if it’s extremely unclear how old she is supposed to be (wasn’t she a toddler just last season?).
— Kelly Lawler, USA Today
Maya Hawke, now 27, has the most convincing youthful energy in this acting cluster… Hawke overdoes it in an entertaining, charming way. As usual, Winona Ryder just overacts.
— Bob Strauss, TheWrap
The cast is as solid as before, no matter that they all look too old for their parts.
— Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
One or two have developed into slightly awkward screen presences, but for the most part that early casting was good. Winona Ryder and David Harbour, too, give committed, full-throated performances.
— Nick Hilton, Independent
What hinders the show is its overly dense mythology, as well as its reliance on cliches and borrowed plot elements.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
At least one of its subplots is groan-worthy even by the series’ standards.
— Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
This final series is also the victim of what I call Marvelisation: a feeling that the drama needs to be set against an interminable fight between humans and extraterrestrials.
— Nick Hilton, Independent
By declining to enrich its characters as they age, Stranger Things traps itself in arrested development. When you get bigger without going deeper, you end up stretched thin.
— Alison Herman, Variety
It’s thrilling; and if it’s a precursor to how the Duffer Brothers plan to wrap up the show then viewers are in for an all-time great TV ending.
— Laura Martin, BBC.com
We will have to wait until the New Year to see how Stranger Things concludes, and whether it can stick that particular landing. But the Duffer Brothers have created something, in the beleaguered town of Hawkins and its luckless citizenry, that is admirably immersive.
— Nick Hilton, Independent
If these first few episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 are any indication, we are in store for one wild, chilling, thrilling, and heartbreaking adventure.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
When Stranger Things hits the level one might call epic, it’s not because of CGI battles, but because unexpected heroes are rising to the occasion. That happens more than once in the first half of Season 5, making it a promising start. Let’s hope the second half lives up to that.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Possibly (probably) Stranger Things will have to open itself up in the second half of its final season, as it prepares to send the characters off for good.
— Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter
There are still a few chances left for Stranger Things to take our breath away. I want us all to expect that kind of greatness from a show as expensive, influential and far-reaching as this one.
— Kelly Lawler, USA Today
Volume 1 (four episodes) of Stranger Things: Season 5 premieres on Netflix on November 26, 2025; Volume 2 (three episodes) premieres on December 25; and Volume 3 (the series finale) premieres on December 31.
“Brilliant, Powerful, the performance of his career.” These are just a few things critics are saying about Stellan Skarsgård’s performance in Sentimental Value. The drama currently holds a 96% on the Tomatometer and a 97% on the Popcornmeter, and critics say Skarsgård “soars” in his role as Gustav, a once-renowned director who reunites with his estranged daughters.
The actor stopped by Rotten Tomatoes for an episode of the Awards Tour Podcast to talk to host Jaqueline Coley about the movie and being a “Nepo Daddy.” He also shares his thoughts on Andor and returning to the Dune franchise. Check out the full interview above, and reserve your tickets on Fandango today.
Jaqueline Coley for Rotten Tomatoes: Talk about this year, for you, and how satisfying it’s been to have these two [projects]. Andor is something that you’ve worked several years, but then I think with Sentimental Value, this is a film that’s really precious to you.
Stellan Skarsgård: I mean, I really like Andor, too, because it’s such wonderful writing and it was sort of a profound production. It expanded the Star Wars universe in a way. But of course, [with] Sentimental Value, this is one of the best roles I’ve ever had. And it was written specifically for me, tailor-made. So it’s like wearing a very comfortable suit.”
Sentimental Value is now playing in theaters.
After almost 10 years, Disney takes audiences back to the land of Zootopia, where animals live in harmony (mostly) alongside each other, and a rookie cop named Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and her new partner Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) are onto a new mystery. The first reviews for Zootopia 2 are in, and critics are howling with praise for it, from its thoughtful themes and immersive world-building to its gag-a-minute comedy and dazzling visuals.
Here’s what critics are saying about Zootopia 2:
Where Zootopia was about these two learning to trust one another, its sequel concerns the trickier goal of mutual respect… These movies are comedies first and crime-film homages second, but it’s their tertiary value as social commentary that makes the franchise so indispensable: Behind the laughs are teachable moments… With the Zootopia movies, there’s seldom any doubt that while Nick and Judy have our attention, life is teeming just out of frame — which naturally suggests an infinite number of stories might be told in Zootopia’s seemingly incompatible zones… But if there was any mystery to whether the creative team could sustain Zootopia’s charms, Nick and Judy have effectively put our minds to rest.
— Peter Debruge, Variety
That’s not to imply that Zootopia 2 isn’t funny, zippy, and highly enjoyable — it is indeed — but it’s also got the kind of heart that has too long seemed to be missing from other Disney animated offerings. There’s a weight to the messaging of the film. There’s real care behind the bond between Nick and Judy… Worth the wait? Yes, and we can’t wait for the next one to take wing (wink).
— Kate Erbland, IndieWire
Zootopia 2 can take the title as Disney’s most effective animated sequel yet. In most regards, the formula that propelled the first one to hit status remains unchanged: an encyclopedia of animal puns, an upbeat tune by Shakira and a twist villain. And yet, Zootopia 2 arrives as an expansion with a punchier, more focused approach to its mature ideas.
— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times
This sequel… proves more than worth the lengthy wait, knocking it out of the park with its dazzling visuals, sophisticated humor and doses of genuine emotion… The plot is just an excuse for a series of uproarious episodes featuring delightful animal characters both old and new… While no individual scene matches the brilliance of the previous film’s classic sequence featuring a sloth DMV clerk… Zootopia 2 features one hysterical gag after another beautifully orchestrated by co-directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard.
— Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Zootopia 2 manages to capture the magic of the first film and give us something more to be excited about within the world and the lore of Zootopia… Like any good Disney movie, the themes presented in Zootopia 2 are significantly deeper than the surface level concept… Zootopia 2 is well worth the nearly 10 year wait for it and hopefully we’ll be back with Nick, Judy, and Gary sooner rather than later.
— Rachel Leishman, The Mary Sue
The first Zootopia was such a joy that it’s almost surprising to find Zootopia 2, arriving nearly a decade later, just as charming, funny, and fiercely entertaining. What could have been a phoned-in, cynical cash grab instead becomes a heartfelt action comedy crafted with care… Ultimately, this sequel is packed with humor, action, and heart, culminating in emotional declarations that underscore how meaningful Judy and Nick’s bond has become. By the end, Zootopia 2 not only satisfies longtime fans but leaves room for a third installment.
— Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media
Zootopia 2 is actually quite good: frequently funny, packed with clever gags and lively set pieces, and anchored by a rich thematic core… This sequel marks a return to the kind of consistent quality we once expected from the House of Mouse, buoyed by being a multi-quadrant good hang. To summarize: it was so wonderful.
— Matt Oakes, Silver Screen Riot
Just because a sequel isn’t ambitious doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t be at least decent. Zootopia 2 falls squarely into this category. It’s thoroughly entertaining, fast-paced and will surely please kids, especially age 10 and under. Parents might tap an impatient toe now and then, but it’s got plenty of little in-jokes and sly references to keep the adults engaged.
— Christopher Lloyd, The Film Yap
Like the first movie, Zootopia 2 is frantically paced, highly eccentric, and uniquely focused on the bond between our two protagonists… Zootopia 2 is gorgeously animated, absurdly fun, and hilarious… Yet, it’s cloaked in this familiarity that, at best, feels like a homage to buddy cop franchises such as Lethal Weapon and, at worst, feels like the sequel is choosing the safest way to expand the franchise.
— Tyler Taing, Discussing Film
Zootopia 2, directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard (both veterans from the first film), is, like many long-in-coming sequels, a slightly watered down version of what came before… But the central relationship of Judy and Nick, a team-up with some echoes of 48 Hours, remains a compelling one, and the primary reason that Zootopia 2 will be plenty satisfying to families seeking more cartoony lions and tigers and bears (oh my) this November. It looks great, it’s mildly funny and animal cities are fun
— Jake Coyle, Associated Press
The good news is that Disney has tried to be even more thoughtful and nuanced with its oppression metaphors this time around. The bad news is that the Mouse House also seems less invested in Zootopia as an artistic effort, churning out a sequel that feels more like a Disney+ TV show than an animated epic.
— Caroline Siede, AV Club
There are a few laughs in Z2: of course there are. But they are algorithmically generated and corporately approved. It’s the kind of movie you put on an iPad to keep the children quiet on a long plane or train journey; nothing wrong with that of course, but the heart and soul are lacking.
— Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
Zootopia 2 comes on strong. Too strong. It seeks to bowl the audience over with noise, velocity and an insistent tone that frankly winds up being kind of irritating. It works so hard to win the viewer over that it paradoxically keeps it at a distance.
— Soren Anderson, Seattle Times
Zootopia 2 opens in theaters on November 26, 2025.
Everyone wanted to see how Wicked ended, even if many of them already knew. Despite some chatter about trying to squeeze another chapter out of this story, this weekend did debut the final act originally delivered on the stage, and it had the 30th-biggest opening of all time. Set to be the first guaranteed hit of the winter season For Good, it is also the beginning of a trifecta of films including Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash that will help put 2025 on a path to have the biggest box office year since the pandemic, defying all the chicken littles out there trying to diminish the future of the theatrical experience.
If you followed the tracking on the numbers for Wicked: For Good this week, it appeared as if each trade and pundit was trying to out-headline the other: $150 million. $180 million. A record-breaking $200 million! Those were the clicks. Then, of course, you read the fine print and realized those were worldwide figures. Still, nothing to sneeze at, as Part One opened to $164 million globally, with $112.5 million of that on the domestic side. Wicked: Part One is one of the few all-time grossers to make more domestically than on the international side. Only seven of the top 50 domestic grossers of all time have managed this feat: Black Panther, The Dark Knight, Rogue One, Wicked: Part One, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Wonder Woman and The Hunger Games. But now we are burying the lede.
The bottom line this weekend is that Wicked: For Good began its domestic run with nearly twice its international haul. A solid $150 million domestic gross (compared with $76 million internationally) is the second-highest of the year behind only A Minecraft Movie’s $162.8 million, and it’s the fourth-best international launch of the year behind Jurassic World: Rebirth ($322.6 million), Minecraft ($313.7 million), and Lilo & Stitch ($307.2 million), just ahead of Superman ($220 million). For Good also ranks ahead of three of the Twilight films, which opened on the third week of November between $138-143 million. Wicked: For Good now joins those films, along with Harry Potter and Hunger Games movies, in the ranks of the $100 million-plus openers on pre-Thanksgiving weekend. Funny enough, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 was the only film of that bunch to reach $300 million domestic.
In addition, this marks the biggest debut ever for a Broadway adaptation, a record that was previously held by — any guesses? — the first Wicked film.
Given the success of Wicked’s first act, it seems likely that For Good will become the second. However, reviews are not nearly as strong (70% on the Tomatometer compared to the first film’s Certified Fresh 88%). Awards pundits are already adjusting their expectations, and even fans of the stage musical (when I’ve asked) reluctantly agree that Act Two was never as good as Act One to begin with. Regardless, it is going to have a great stay over the holiday, racking up dollars along with Zootopia 2. From there we’ll see if $300 million is the only milestone it reaches, but for the same price tag for both movies ($150 million each), Universal is going to see at least $1.25 billion in return for the effort.
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t lost more than half its audience in its second weekend, dropping 57% to $9.1 million. The first sequel was at $41 million after 10 days, while this one is at $36.8 million. A $60-65 million domestic finish is not unreasonable, but like its predecessors, it’s the international numbers that turned these into big solid hits for Lionsgate. Now You Don’t is now at $109 million outside the U.S. and has a way to go to reach the $351 million and $334 million of the first two films. It definitely needs to reach at least $200 million to have a chance of turning a theatrical profit, and that is no guarantee just yet.
Predator: Badlands continues to dip. This week it fell 51% down to $6.2 million. That brings its 17-day total to $76.2 million, similar to a title no film wants to be associated with on the financial side: The Marvels, which had $76.7 million at this point after a $6.3 million third weekend. Badlands is still likely to outperform that, but it is looking increasingly likely that it will be the third November release in the last three years to reach $75 million by this point and not hit $100 million. The Marvels in 2023 and last year’s Red One are the only November releases in that category. Red One made $12.7 million over Thanksgiving weekend in its third Fri-Sun and ultimately tapped out at $97 million domestic to be one of 2024’s biggest bombs. Badlands’ numbers won’t be nearly as bad, and it will still be the highest-grossing film of the franchise, but at just $159 million globally right now, it is feeling like a bit of a disappointing run.
For all the money that Tom Cruise and Glen Powell helped make Paramount on Top Gun: Maverick, it’s going the other way this year with the final Mission: Impossible film and now the re-adaptation of Stephen King’s The Running Man. Edgar Wright’s film fell 65% to $5.8 million in its second weekend for a 10-day total of $27 million. That is a lot closer to Mortal Kombat: Annihilation than anyone wants to be, with its $27.7 million 10-day total and $6.7 million second weekend. Running Man will pass that film’s $35 million take, but a landing in the $40 million realm is well below what anyone hoped for this new version. International numbers are not helping either (only an additional $21 million to date) and this is quickly turning out to be one of the year’s biggest misfires.
Hikari, who has directed episodes of Tokyo Vice for HBO MAX and Beef for Netflix, released their English-language feature debut with Rental Family, starring Brendan Fraser. The film has earned a strong reception from critics since its festival debuts at Toronto and elsewhere. It’s only Searchlight Pictures’ second release of 2025 after The Roses was dumped at the end of August and made $15.2 million (still their fourth-highest grosser since the pandemic). Rental Family began with $3.3 million in 1,925 theaters for Searchlight’s fifth-best start since the pandemic behind A Complete Unknown ($11.6 million), The Menu ($9.0 million), The Roses ($6.2 million), and Antlers ($4.2 million), and ahead of See How They Run ($3.0 million), The Night House ($2.8 million), Next Goal Wins ($2.5 million), and Nightmare Alley ($2.4 million)
If you attended festivals back in 2022, genre fans were abuzz over Jalmari Helander’s Sisu and its violent premise of an ex-soldier fighting Nazis over gold. Lionsgate released the film at the end of April 2023, when it opened to $3.3 million and finished with $7.2 million. Not bad, considering it was half a foreign language film and had no major names in it. Well, if you attended Fantastic Fest this year (or read about it), you would know that people went wild again over the sequel Sisu: Road to Revenge, which even earned comparisons to Mad Max: Fury Road. As they have for Paddington and the 28 Years series this year, Sony took over distribution for the sequel, and it opened this weekend to $2.6 million. The first film is Certified Fresh at 94% on the Tomatometer. Currently, the sequel is Fresh at 96%.
The adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Regretting You continues to get into the plus column for Paramount. Despite being the fourth-worst reviewed film of the year to open in over 3,000 theaters (28%) ahead of only Flight Risk (27%), Smurfs (21%), and Love Hurts (19%), it made another $1.5 million this weekend to bring its 31-day total to $47.2 million. Approaching $90 million globally, the $30 million production is in the black for Paramount and the most profitable film on their 2025 theatrical slate.
The top film of October, Black Phone 2, continues to add to its lead over Tron: Ares (the second-highest grossing film of the month and, perhaps, the second biggest bomb of 2025). Scott Derrickson’s supernatural thriller made $1 million, bringing its total to $76.3 million. The sequel to the adaptation of Joe Hill’s (aka Stephen King’s son) short story has grossed more than any of the adaptations of his father’s books this year – The Monkey ($39.7 million), The Life of Chuck ($6.7 million), The Long Walk ($35.1 million), and The Running Man ($28+ million and counting).
A solid congratulations is in order to Sony Classics for their wide release of Nuremberg. After making another $1.2 million in its third weekend, it is now their highest domestic grosser ($11 million) since Call Me By Your Name and its Oscar run back in 2017. That film finished with over $18 million. Nuremberg will not reach that and is unlikely to have much of an Oscar run, but congrats on getting the film out there for audiences across the country. Rounding out the top 10, Sarah’s Oil holds on for another week with $772,000. The Amazon/MGM release has grossed $10.4 million in 17 days.
Just outside of the top 10, Osgood Perkins’ Keeper fell 76% from its debut last week down to $600,000. November and December is generally not the horror season, and the Neon release has made just $3.9 million. Doing better for them is Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, which made another $635,000 in only 151 theaters. The awards player has made $1.48 million to date.
We are just a few days away from Thanksgiving, and one of the biggest titles of the season (and likely the year) is set to open. Zootopia 2, the sequel to Disney’s billion-dollar original hit from 2016, should be packed with families as it seeks to be part of a $3 billion global holiday trifecta that also includes Wicked and Avatar. Netflix is also briefly releasing Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man, in theaters before it appears on their platform on Dec. 12. It is already Certified Fresh at 95% on the Tomatometer. The afterlife rom-com Eternity, with Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen, is at 83% and hopes to siphon off some patrons. Then, in limited release, look for one of the year’s biggest award contenders in Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet. Jessie Buckley could be this year’s Best Actress winner, and the film is Certified Fresh at 88%. Finally, Neon is also releasing The Secret Agent with Wagner Moura. It boasts a perfect Certified Fresh 100% on the Tomatometer with 73 reviews at the moment.
Erik Childress can be heard each week evaluating box office on Business First AM with Angela Miles and his Movie Madness Podcast. [box office figures via Box Office Mojo]
Thumbnail image by Giles Keyte/©Universal Pictures
“Movie musicals are kind of having a renaissance in cinema right now,” says Tomatometer-approved critic Carla Renata when she joined Kristen Lopez and Chauncey K. Robinson to talk to Rotten Tomatoes about their favorite musicals.
Wicked: for Good has just landed in theaters, and while the world gears up to see Jon M. Chu’s highly-anticipated sequel, we’re taking this time to explore some of the most iconic movie musicals that have graced the big screen, from Singin’ in the Rain to The Wizard of Oz. Hear from the critics as they share their insight on the genre, as well as their personal favorite moments, like the Cowardly Lion’s epic solo, “If I Were King of the Forest.”
Check out the full interview above and reserve your tickets to Wicked: For Good on Fandango today.
Academy Award-winner Brendan Fraser is our guest this week on the Awards Tour Podcast, and Rotten Tomatoes Awards Editor Jacqueline Coley discusses his new film Rental Family, a heartwarming dramedy where he plays an American actor who lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. Fraser talks about meeting the director HIKARI, immersing himself in Japanese culture, what fans can expect in the new Mummy film, and working with such legends as Pauly Shore, Ricki Lake, and famous “theater geek wizard nerd” Martin Scorsese.
Be sure to check out Rental Family, which is now in theaters, and we’ll see you on the next stop of the Awards Tour.
Jacqueline Coley for Rotten Tomatoes: So you play an actor living in Japan who is essentially hired out to play various figures in funerals, family events, and just in some people’s lives. And there’s a lot of emotional entanglement with a lot of the folks who are doing this job. What I think is interesting for you is sort of the actor’s exercise of it, because there’s a lot of meta aspects of it that you can kind of play with this actor, because every actor has had a moment where they don’t know what they’re going to do next. So how was that for you, playing that part out on screen?
Brendan Fraser: I might blow your mind when I say this, but Phillip Vandarploeug, my character, is not a very good actor. He’s someone who’s been out of the United States for about seven years, and we don’t have to wonder too much why, but he’s happy to be reinventing himself. And during his time there, he was hired as the token White guy, as many expats take advantage of that angle in Tokyo, I learned, to distinguish themselves when taking jobs in advertisement and that kind of thing. So I think he got hired to do this toothpaste commercial, “Mr. Clear-bright Man,” which was convenient, put a little money in his pocket, and he thinks he might have started his acting career around that time. So, let’s disabuse ourselves of any creative artistry that he might have.
But the point is he’s searching, he’s looking for something better, and he might not even know it yet. But he does kind of back up into this opportunity with an agency that rents members of families to their clients — the clients being people who are bereft of a daughter, a sister, a boyfriend, their mother, for whichever reasons — and to fill that void. Even though it might be only make-believe, hence needing actors to do the job convincingly. What happens is the more thornier, prickly ethical and moral questions arise, and that’s where this director, HIKARI, comes in. Because the movie lives in that area in-between, where we have to decide, “What is make-believe, and how does it serve a purpose, to give the service to people that they need, even if everyone knows they’re pretending, and is that acceptable?” And as it turns out, Yeah… Yeah, it is.
Rental Family is now playing in theaters.
Rotten Tomatoes’ premiere dates calendar keeps track of the most anticipated new 2026 TV premieres and your favorite returning shows. Bookmark this page to get updates on network schedules, when the latest Netflix series launch, when Disney+ shows will premiere, what films and specials are coming your way, and more.
Industry: Season 4 – January 11, 2026
HBO’s award-winnings series Industry returns for Season 4 on January 11. Based on the first teaser trailer, this season is set to thrust Harper and Yasmin into even more high stakes. As they each fall deeper into the worlds of influential players, their complicated friendship strains under the pressure of money and control.
Tell Me Lies: Season 3 – January 13, 2026
Hulu’s Tell Me Lies is officially back for a third season, which is set to premiere on January 13 on Hulu. The eight-episode season finds Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) diving back into their complicated romance as a new spring semester begins at Baird College. Fans can expect more drama and chaos in the third installment of this hit romantic drama.
Outlander: Season 8 – March 6, 2026
The end of an era is near…Outlander will return for its eighth and final season on March 6 exclusively on Starz. New episodes will stream weekly, closing out the saga that’s captivated fans for over a decade. Season 8 will follow Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitríona Balfe) as the Revolutionary War brings new challenges to their home at Fraser’s Ridge. The Frasers must fight not only for survival but to protect the love that has carried them across centuries. Outlander’s final chapter is set to deliver an unforgettable farewell to one of television’s most beloved couples.
Scrubs – February 25, 2026
ABC announced a whole slew of 2026 midseason premieres, notably headlined by the return of the beloved sitcom Scrubs, which reunites regular cast members Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, and John C. McGinley, on February 25. Two other scripted series debuting new seasons include Will Trent: Season 4 and The Rookie: Season 8, which both premiere on January 6, while American Idol: Season 24 and The Bachelorette: Season 22 will begin airing on January 26 and March 22, respectively.
Shrinking: Season 3 – January 28, 2026
A premiere date has been set for the popular Apple TV+ series, Shrinking: Season 3. The critically-praised Certified Fresh dramedy, starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, will premiere on January 28. A one-hour episode will kick off the season, and new episodes will drop weekly.
Jan. 1
Run Away (2026), Netflix
Jan. 4
31st Annual Critics Choice Awards (2026), E!/USA
Tuesday, Jan. 6
The Rookie: Season 8 (2026) ABC
Will Trent: Season 4 (2026) ABC
Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: Season 12 (2026) PBS
Wednesday, Jan. 7
The Masked Singer: Season 14, Fox
Thursday, Jan. 8
The Pitt: Season 2, Netflix
The Traitors: Season 4, Peacock
His & Hers (2026), Netflix
The Game: Season 1 (2025) BritBox
Friday, Jan. 9
A Thousand Blows: Season 2, Hulu
Tehran: Season 3, Apple TV+
Sunday, Jan. 11
Industry: Season 4, HBO Max
The Night Manager: Season 2, Prime Video
83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2026), CBS
Tuesday, Jan. 13
Tell Me Lies: Season 3, Hulu
Wednesday, Jan. 14
Hijack: Season 2 (2026) Apple TV+
Thursday, Jan. 15
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy: Season 1 (2026) Paramount+
Sunday, Jan. 18
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Season 1 (2026) HBO Max
Monday, Jan. 26
Drops of God: Season 2 (2026) Apple TV+
American Idol: Season 24 (2026) ABC
Memory of a Killer: Season 1 (2026) FOX
Tuesday, Jan. 27
Wonder Man: Season 1 (2026) Disney+
Wednesday, Jan. 28
Shrinking: Season 3 (2026) Apple TV+
Thursday, Jan. 29
Bridgerton: Season 4 (2026) Netflix
Sunday, Feb. 1
68th Grammy Awards (2026), CBS
Friday, Feb. 6
Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony (2026), NBC/Peacock
Sunday, Feb. 8
Super Bowl LX (2026), NBC
The 'Burbs: Season 1 (2026) Peacock
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Cross: Season 2, Prime Video
Sunday, Feb. 15
Dark Winds: Season 4, AMC+
Thursday, Feb. 19
The Night Agent: Season 3, Netflix
Friday, Feb. 20
The Last Thing He Told Me: Season 2, Apple TV+
Strip Law: Season 1 (2026) Netflix
Wednesday, Feb. 25
Scrubs (2026), ABC
The Greatest Average American (2026), ABC
Friday, Feb. 27
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Season 2, Apple TV+
Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars (2026), ABC
TBD
American Love Story (2026), FX
Sunday, Mar. 1
Y: Marshals: Season 1 (2026) CBS
Friday, Mar. 6
Outlander: Season 8, STARZ
Tuesday, Mar. 10
One Piece: Season 2, Netflix
Sunday, Mar. 15
98th Oscars – The Academy Awards (2026), ABC
Sunday, Mar. 22
The Bachelorette: Season 22, ABC
The Faithful (2026), Fox
March TBD
The Comeback: Season 3, HBO Max
Friday, April 3
Your Friends & Neighbors: Season 2, Apple TV+
House of the Dragon: Season 3, HBO Max
Camp Rock 3 (movie), Disney+
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Nearly eight years after Mockingjay, Part 2 closed the book on Katniss Everdeen’s fight for freedom, The Hunger Games is returning to the big screen with a brand new chapter. Following the success of 2023’s prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Lionsgate is once again taking audiences back to Panem… this time with a story fans have been eager to see brought to life.
Titled The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the upcoming film adapts Suzanne Collins’ latest novel and reunites director Francis Lawrence with producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson. With a release date already set in stone, fans are looking forward to the newest installment in the franchise.
Here’s everything we know about The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is set to release in theaters on November 20, 2026.
The creative team behind Sunrise on the Reaping reads like a reunion of Hunger Games veterans. According to Deadline, Francis Lawrence, who previously directed Catching Fire, both parts of Mockingjay, and the recent prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is set to return at the helm, bringing his seasoned vision back to Panem. The script is in the hands of Billy Ray, the screenwriter who first brought Suzanne Collins’ original novel to theaters, making this a full-circle moment for the franchise. Longtime producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson of Color Force are once again overseeing the production, with Cameron MacConomy on board as executive producer.
The cast of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is nothing short of stacked, pulling together an impressive lineup of rising stars, and award-winning legends to bring this prequel-sequel to life. Leading the charge is Joseph Zada (We Were Liars) as a young Haymitch Abernathy, the role made famous by Woody Harrelson in the original films. Producer Nina Jacobson has called casting Haymitch one of the biggest challenges of the production, noting the need to capture both the mischievous spark and the underlying depth that define the character.
Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List, Harry Potter) plays President Coriolanus Snow, stepping into the role previously portrayed by Donald Sutherland and Tom Blyth, with Jacobson calling his casting both a tribute to Sutherland and a personal dream fulfilled. Glenn Close joins as Drusilla Sickle, the razor-edged escort for District 12, while Billy Porter (Pose) plays her estranged husband, Magno Stift, the tributes’ reluctant fashion designer.
Maya Hawke (Stranger Things) plays Wiress, another District 3 victor mentoring the District 12 team, and Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under) takes on Mags, the tough but compassionate former champion from District 4.
The film also introduces younger versions of familiar faces. From District 3, Kelvin Harrison Jr. appears as Beetee, here as a past victor whose son is a tribute in the Games, lending his tech expertise to sabotage efforts; Jeffrey Wright originated the role in the original Hunger Games film. Elle Fanning (The Great) steps into the role of Effie Trinket, originally portrayed by Elizabeth Banks, serving as Haymitch’s image-conscious stylist. Kieran Culkin (Succession) takes over as Caesar Flickerman, the Games’ slick and smarmy TV host, while Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog) plays a young Plutarch Heavensbee, years before becoming a rebellion leader, capturing the reaping for District 12.
Joining Haymitch from District 12 is McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, one of the other tributes from Haymitch’s home district, and Whitney Peak (Gossip Girl) as Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s girlfriend and a descendant of Rachel Zegler’s Lucy Gray Baird from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Ben Wang takes on the role of Wyatt Callow, District 12’s other male tribute with a knack for reading the odds, while Molly McCann plays Louella, the youngest tribute from the district, and Iona Bell appears as Lou Lou, Louella’s Capitol-appointed double.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping marks the sixth installment in the blockbuster Hunger Games series. According to People, Collins’ 2025 novel bridges the gap between The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and the events of Katniss Everdeen’s original story. Set 24 years before the first film, the story follows a young Haymitch Abernathy as he is thrust into the brutal 50th Hunger Games, better known as the Second Quarter Quell. This notorious event doubled the number of tributes from each district, making it the bloodiest Games in Panem’s history. Haymitch must navigate the deadly arena but also the manipulations of the regime. Along the way, fans can expect the film to dive into Haymitch’s relationship with love interest Lenore Dove.
The original Hunger Games films were a box office powerhouse, cementing the franchise as one of the most successful dystopian sagas in movie history. Kicking off in 2012, the first film earned over $690 million worldwide, a remarkable feat for a YA adaptation at the time. The 2013 sequel, Catching Fire, became the highest-grossing installment, raking in just over $865 million globally and topping the U.S. box office for the year. Along with the two-part finale, Mockingjay, Part 1 (2014) and Mockingjay, Part 2 (2016), the series’ total global earnings are just under $3 billion. The films also launched actress Jennifer Lawrence into global superstardom.
The first Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping teaser trailer has officially dropped. The film officially began production in Summer 2025 in Spain’s Somiedo Natural Park (via a social media announcement). With a late 2026 release date, we most likely won’t see an official trailer until mid-2026.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is set to release in theaters on November 20, 2026.
Are you a book and movie lover? Stories by your favorite authors are coming to life on the big screen! From psychological thrillers to slow-burn romances, a whole slew of bestselling novels are being adapted into films. The 2025-2026 lineup promises some of the most highly anticipated book-to-movie adaptations yet. Read on to discover which stories you won’t want to miss.
The Housemaid
(2025)
Release Date: December 19, 2025
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone
Paul Feig’s latest film is a psychological thriller based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Freida McFadden. Sydney Sweeney stars as a struggling woman who finds work as a housemaid for an affluent couple (Amanda Seyfried and It Ends with Us’ Brandon Sklenar), only to discover her new employers may harbor some dark secrets. In other words, perfect Christmas Day viewing.
People We Meet on Vacation
(2026)
Release Date: January 9, 2026
Director: Brett Haley
Starring: Tom Blyth, Emily Bader, Sarah Catherine Hook
Based on Emily Henry’s bestseller, People We Meet on Vacation brings to the screen the slow-burn romance of opposites Poppy and Alex, best friends who’ve spent a decade taking one summer trip together each year. But after a falling out two years ago, they haven’t spoken, until Poppy convinces Alex to take one last vacation that just might change everything. The film is directed by Brett Haley (Hearts Beat Loud) and stars Tom Blyth and Emily Bader.
Project Hail Mary
(2026)
Release Date: March 20, 2026
Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce
Another high-stakes sci-fi adaptation is headed to the big screen, this time from bestselling author Andy Weir (The Martian). Project Hail Mary stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, an astronaut who wakes up alone on a space station with no memory of who he is or why he’s there. As fragments of his memory return, he discovers he’s on a mission to the Tau Ceti solar system to stop a cosmic event that has already pushed Earth into the early stages of a new ice age. The film is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
Reminders of Him
(2026)
Release Date: March 13, 2026
Director: Vanessa Caswill
Starring: Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, Lainey Wilson, Lauren Graham.
Avid readers of Colleen Hoover’s novels (including It Ends With Us) will be thrilled to know that another adaptation is in the works, and this time, director Vanessa Caswill is leading the charge with Reminders of Him. Set to premiere March 13, the story centers on Kenna, (Maika Monroe), who, after an outing with her boyfriend, makes an unbearable mistake that sends her to prison. Seven years later, she returns to her hometown in Wyoming, hoping to rebuild her life and earn the chance to reunite with her young daughter.
The Odyssey
(2026)
Release Date: July 17, 2026
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Mia Goth, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Robert Pattinson
Academy Award winner Christopher Nolan follows up Oppenheimer with an adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, which tells the story of Odysseus (Matt Damon) in the aftermath of the Trojan War. The film’s massive star-studded ensemble includes Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Mia Goth, Charlize Theron, and more.
Verity
(2026)
Release Date: October 2, 2026
Director: Michael Showalter
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnett
Another Colleen Hoover film adaptation is on the way, this time for her bestseller Verity. The film will center around struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), who is hired under mysterious circumstances to serve as the ghostwriter for celebrated author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway). The film is directed by Michael Showalter and also features actor Josh Hartnett.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
(2026)
Release Date: November 20, 2026
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Joseph Zada, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin, Jesse Plemons, Mckenna Grace, Ben Wang
The follow-up to the 2023 Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes catches up with a now older Coriolanus Snow, this time played by Ralph Fiennes, as he fields a new crop of tributes that includes a young Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada). The film is based on Suzanne Collins’ book of the same name, which was published in March of 2025.
Sense and Sensibility (2026)
Release Date: TBD
Director: Georgia Oakley
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones
Details are still under wraps, but Focus Features has revealed that Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) will star in a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s timeless classic Sense and Sensibility. The new film is following in the footsteps of versions like Ang Lee’s 1995 film and the acclaimed 2008 drama miniseries.
Kill Your Darlings (2026)
Release Date: TBD
Director: James Gray
Starring: Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts is set to lead the film adaptation of Kill Your Darlings, the highly anticipated new novel by author Peter Swanson. This murder mystery unfolds a marriage in reverse order, peeling back layers to reveal a dark and dangerous secret at the heart of the couple’s relationship. The source novel was published in June 2025.
The Love Hypothesis
Release Date: TBD
Director: Claire Scanlon
Starring: Lili Reinhart, Arty Froushan, Tom Bateman, Jaboukie Young-White, Nicholas Duvernay, Rachel Marsh
Remember when Twilight fan fiction turned into Fifty Shades of Grey? This is sort of like that, but for the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and with less BDSM. The source novel for this film started as Star Wars fan fiction that specifically shipped Rey and Kylo Ren, then turned into a novel about a college Biology student (Riverdale alum Lili Reinhart) who falls in love with her professor (Tom Bateman) when the two agree to pretend that they’re dating. Who knows, maybe we’ll get another trilogy out of this.
Thumbnail image by Sony Pictures
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It’s been one year since Jon M. Chu captured the hearts of millions with Wicked. Critics called the film “an absolute marvel,” and viewers fell in love with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s on-screen chemistry. They’re now rushing back to theaters to the see highly anticipated sequel Wicked: For Good. While the film currently holds a 69% on the Tomatometer, the Popcornmeter says it’s Verified Hot.
RT’s Jacqueline Coley recently sat down with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and director Jon M. Chu to talk about the how they transformed their characters, what it was like singing “For Good” for the first time, and how hard it was to say goodbye. Check out the full interview above.
Wicked: For Good is now in theaters. Reserve your tickets on Fandango today.
