Six billion dollars: this is the symbolic figure that Disney has returned to reach at the global box office in 2025, after five years of absence from that goal that seemed unattainable. A result that officially marks the end of a dark period for the House of Mickey Mouse and the return to pre-pandemic glories, when between 2016 and 2019 those 6 billion had become almost an annual habit.
The road to getting back to grinding these figures, however, was anything but simple. After the dark years of the pandemic and the controversial management of Bob Chapek (2020-2022), characterized by questionable choices such as excessive investment in streaming, Bob Iger is back at the helm at a critical moment. The Disney brand was in fact going through its period of least popularity, amidst accusations of excessive “political correctness” and a series of commercial failures that seemed to have broken the spell.
The return to past glories is mainly thanks to three titles. The live-action of Lilo & Stitch opened the dance in May with over 1 billion in global takings (against a 100 million budget). Zootropolis 2, released at the end of November, has already exceeded 1.2 billion (the production cost was 150 million). Avatar: Fire and Ashdespite the monstrous budget of 400 million, is quickly moving towards the billion club with almost 473 million raised in just a week.
The rest of the 2025 line-up tells a different story, however. Alongside moderate performances like those of Fantastic Four: Beginnings (522 million against 200 million budget) e Captain America: Brave New World (415 million for 180), sensational flops stand out: Snow White (205 million compared to 250 invested), Tron: Ares (142 per 200), Predator: Badlands (184 for 105) and Elio (154 for approximately 200).
Fonte: Coming Soon
KPop Demon Hunters shows no signs of slowing down its triumphal march. The CG animated film from Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation, directed by Maggi Kang and Chris Appelhans, has exceeded 500 million total views since its release, consolidating itself as the most watched original title ever on the streaming platform. With 7.9 million views, it also placed third in Netflix’s English-language film rankings.
Inspired by Korean culture and folklore, the feature film is enjoying a fairytale awards season: three Golden Globe nominations (Best Animated Feature Film, Best Song for “Golden” and Best Box Office Result), accolades at the Critics’ Choice Awards and a place of honor as one of the favorites for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film. His songs have also conquered the Billboard charts, demonstrating how animation can become an all-round cultural phenomenon.
Appointment on January 5th for the Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton, where KPop Demon Hunters will attempt to transform record numbers and critical consensus into concrete rewards. One thing is certain: this film has already written an important page in the history of contemporary animation.
Source: animationmagazine.net
Plot twist in the Avatar universe. The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbenderthe highly anticipated animated feature film that was supposed to debut in theaters on January 30, 2026, was removed from the cinema calendar by Paramount Pictures. The film, produced by Avatar Studios in collaboration with the Korean studio Mir (Devil May Cry), will arrive exclusively on Paramount+ in autumn 2026.
The move is part of a larger deal that cements Paramount+ as the exclusive home of the Avatar animated universe. Along with the film, the platform will host the new 2D series Avatar: Seven Havensalongside The Legend of Korra and the original series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The Legend of Aang finds an adult Aang and his companions years after the events of the original Nickelodeon series. The stellar voice cast includes Taika Waititi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Dee Bradley Baker, Freida Pinto, Ke Huy Quan, Dave Bautista (in a yet-to-be-revealed villain role), Eric Nam as Aang, Jessica Matten as Katara and Steven Yeun as Zuko. Lauren Montgomery (Superman: Doomsday, Wonder Woman) is directing, with Steve Ahn and William Mata as co-directors.
For Paramount Pictures, this move leaves only 2026 animated film calendar PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie (August 14) e The Angry Birds Movie 3 (December 23). A strategy that focuses entirely on streaming for the more adult franchises, reserving theaters for the more family-friendly titles.
Source: animationmagazine.net
And we conclude again with Disney, which continues its strategy of valorizing iconic villains. According to exclusive sources of the magazine Deadlinethe studio is in the early stages of developing a live-action film dedicated to Gastonthe antagonist arrogant of Beauty and the Beast.
Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) is writing the screenplay, while Michelle Rejwan (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Andor) will produce the project. No director has yet been chosen. Kate Herron and Briony Redman had signed an earlier draft of the script.
Gaston, who first appeared in the 1992 animated classic as a ruthless hunter rejected by Belle, had already been brought to the big screen by Luke Evans in the 2017 live-action remake, which grossed over a billion dollars at the box office. At the time, a TV series focusing on the character with Evans as the protagonist was discussed, but the project was shelved.
This new version, however, will be completely original, with a new actor and more “swashbuckling” tones. Internal sources reveal that the studio is very enthusiastic about the concept, which promises to explore the character from a new perspective.
Source: Deadline
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