A weekly film and box office newsletter. Howdy, folks! I'm coming to you live from the not-so-snowy mountains of Park City, where I've been covering the Sundance Film Festival all weekend. This last hurrah in Utah before the festival relocates to Boulder next year has brought a feeling of nostalgia for Sundances of years past, but also cautious optimism that a location change might give the indie market the jump start it needs after a chilly last couple of years. One thing's for sure, the programmers did a swell job for the 2026 fest. There have already been several standout films, including Olivia Wilde's third directorial feature, "The Invite," a "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"-style chamber dramedy about two couples (Wilde/Seth Rogen and Edward Norton/Penelope Cruz) who meet for dinner. It had the packed Eccles theater in stitches and could have big commercial potential. Also receiving high early marks is Stephanie Ahn's drama "Bedford Park," about two broken people who hope to find healing in each other. And Beth de Arújo's "Josephine" has received considerable buzz as Gemma Chan and Channing Tatum star as parents of an 8-year-old girl who witnesses a violent assault. There's also the fairy tale "Wicker," starring Olivia Colman as a lonely woman who asks a basketmaker to weave her a husband. The literal straw man is played by Alexander Skarsgard, and yes, he's hot even as a basket man. Much more to come, and you can keep up with all of our Sundance coverage right here throughout the festival. Adam Chitwood
Box Office: ‘Mercy’ Opens to $11.2 Million as Box Office Plunges Into Cold StreakAmazon MGM’s “Mercy” has ended the five-weekend reign of 20th Century/Lightstorm’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” atop the box office charts, but it didn’t take much to get there as the Chris Pratt/Rebecca Ferguson thriller...
To continue reading, subscribe now with a 2-week free trial. Free for 14 Days – Then Just $4/Week
Free for 14 days, then $4/week (billed annually at $199). Renews yearly. Cancel at anytime during your 14 day trial window to avoid this charge. |