Den of Thieves 2: Pantera officially kicked off 2025 as far as new release movies go. Here at JoBlo, we’ve extensively previewed all the movies coming up this year, with articles devoted to upcoming blockbusters, and horror flicks. But what are you most excited to see? Now’s the time to take our poll and let us know!

Certainly, there are a ton of movies coming out this year that seem like a sure thing, but if you take a deep dive into the schedule, you’ll see there are some gambles. One of the biggest is that Disney and Warner Bros are both gambling that superhero fatigue isn’t a real thing. Disney is coming out with no less than three massive Marvel movies this year, while Warner Bros is hoping to kickstart James Gunn’s DCU with the ultra-ambitious Superman. There are also some surprisingly big-budget auteur movies, including Paul Thomas Anderson’s $100 million plus The Battle of Baktan Cross, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as not one but two Frankenstein movies (Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein).

Take our poll and let us know what movie has you the most hyped!

The post Poll: What 2025 Movie Are You Most Excited For? appeared first on JoBlo.

We movie fans are used to the calendar getting shifted around: this sequel is getting pushed back to a new weekend, this guy’s new film is moving up to avoid competition, etc. But when we hear that a movie is being shelved, gloves come off: What do you mean we’re no longer getting Coyote vs. Acme? (Sorry, I’m still not over that one yet.) And while sometimes the word is true, other times it’s what is commonly called “BS.” And that’s exactly what has happened with the sequel to A Simple Favor, as Paul Feig has been forced to defend the status of the movie as rumors somehow developed that Amazon wouldn’t be releasing it.

Responding to an unsubstantiated claim that the sequel to A Simple Favor was being shelved and that there was much “tea” to be spilled, Paul Feig wrote, “This is total BS. Sorry. The movie is finished and coming out soon. Don’t believe anything you read on social media these days.”

The poster continued to press Feig on just why there has been so much quiet on Amazon’s end for the A Simple Favor sequel – particularly when it comes to a release date or any promotional materials. To this, Feig gave him a little lesson on how films are made: “My friend, it’s called post production, which generally takes over half a year at least when you factor in editing, scoring, special effects, sound mixing, close captioning and all the technical quality control that has to be done. Our post schedule always had us finishing everything by mid-January. Movies don’t come out the second they’re finished because the studio spends the previous year deciding the best date to release it. We’ve always planned on something in the spring/summer of this year. That’s how movies work. I hope this helps.”

Sure, cameras started rolling in March 2024 and filming wrapped last May, but like Feig said – and like all of us movie lovers know – a motion picture takes so much time well after the last “Cut!” is yelled. And since a sequel to A Simple Favor doesn’t exactly have the prestige of a summer blockbuster, either, then there’s no point in slapping a confirmed release date this far out.

Are you looking forward to the sequel to A Simple Favor? What did you think of the first? Let us know below!

The post Paul Feig shuts down silly rumor that A Simple Favor 2 is getting shelved appeared first on JoBlo.

Times have been tough for a lot of us. But we never expected it to hit Buddy the Elf! Long gone are the days of smiling being his favorite — at least how Will Ferrell recently portrayed him. As we reported on a couple weeks ago, Ferrell turned up in full Buddy the Elf garb at a Los Angeles Kings game after Christmas, sitting there looking absolutely miserable and out of holiday cheer. Now, Ferrell is explaining what made him dress up like that.

Appearing on the New Heights podcast, Ferrell said, “That was just…I get these weird ideas every now and then. We’re season ticket holders for the L.A. Kings. We have seats right on the glass. I told my wife, ‘Over the break, it would be funny if I just got a Buddy the Elf costume and didn’t shave for a week, and I’m just sitting there with a candy cigarette and I’m just gonna sit there for a period and see how people react.’”

Ferrell confirmed that he wasn’t promoting anything but rather just gauging the crowd. So, no, this wasn’t some sort of viral marketing for Elf 2 but rather a playful way to give a glimpse into a post-holiday Buddy. “Buddy the Elf got laid off, I think, from the North Pole…He’s having a pull from his beer, smoking a cig.” While we’ll never get an Elf 2 (nor is it warranted, despite the 2003 original being an immediate Christmas classic — and is perhaps the most recent movie to earn that title — we do have to give Ferrell props for spreading the cheer…although I’m a little miffed he helped the Kings beat the Flyers.

Pulling in $171 million domestically, Elf would become one of the highest-grossing movies of 2003. Numbers like that would normally force a sequel but it’s really one-offs like this that make you appreciate the movie — and its star — even more. Add to that that co-stars James Caan, Ed Asher and Bob Newhart have all since passed, and you’ve already lost so much of the magic that would help make the sequel work.

What did you think of Will Ferrell’s return as Buddy the Elf? Do you think a sequel could work or is Elf best left as a standalone movie?

The post Will Ferrell explains viral Buddy the Elf moment appeared first on JoBlo.

It’s no secret that Lionsgate’s had a rough year at the box office. The mini-major is in bad shape after suffering pricey flops like Borderlands and The Crow. However, they’re scoring a much-needed win this weekend, with Den of Thieves 2: Pantera expected to finish in first place with a $15 million opening (about $3 million more than we predicted). That opening is in line with what the first film made back in 2018 and is a significant improvement over the last two Gerard Butler action flicks, Plane and Kandahar. The general thinking is that if it were not for the tragic Los Angeles wildfires, the film would have opened even higher, but even still, $15 million is a decent start for a movie that should have a long life on streaming. 

According to Deadline, Mufasa: The Lion King is a distant second, with $11 million plus, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3 should be in third with just over $8 million. Nosferatu is in 4th place with $6.3 million (with a terrific $81 million total), while Moana 2 is just behind it with $5.9 million.

However, Paramount’s Robbie Williams biopic, Better Man, has proven to be a complete disaster, with it only on track for $1 million despite playing on over 1200 screens. By comparison, Brady Corbett’s The Brutalist is set to earn the same amount on only 68 screens. The Last Showgirl, starring Pamela Anderson, is set to make about $1.35 million on less than half the amount of screens. Truly, this is a dire amount for a movie that was also bombed in the UK, where Robbie Williams is a household name. Given the $100 million plus budget, this will go down as a pricey flop, even if it’s quite a good film. So what happened? Williams’s appeal isn’t on the same level as someone like Bob Dylan (whose biopic, A Complete Unknown, has fared well), Elton John, Queen or Elvis. The fact that a CGI monkey plays him was maybe too big of a swing for director Michael Gracey, even if I have a hunch this will become a cult film down the line.

What are you watching this weekend?

The post Box Office Update: Den of Thieves 2 will be Lionsgate’s first Number 1 in over a year; Better Man tanks appeared first on JoBlo.

Despite a litany of streaming services out there to choose from, the only surefire way to have immediate access to a film is to own it yourself. But with companies like Best Buy getting rid of their Physical Media departments, collecting has become more and more niche. This is a shame because I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve gone to JustWatch and discovered the movie I was looking for wasn’t streaming ANYWHERE. And even worse when we go to find a copy and discover that it’s not even available to own physically! I’ve never heard of a company refusing to make money, but we’ve seen it time and time again in the movie industry.

As a big fan of the Scream franchise, I set out to collect all of the 4K Steelbooks for the franchise. Hell, I even imported the second one from Europe. And they look absolutely beautiful. Yet there’s still one entry that has yet to receive a 4K release, let alone in the Steelbook format: Scream 4. And why is that? It seems like a no-brainer to release all of the films in a nifty little set. Sort of like this one. But there’s been nothing but silence. Paramount released 4K versions of the first three films, as well as the more recent Scream 5 and 6. Yet why no Scream 4? Because it’s not owned by Paramount. This is where we get into the Lionsgate of it all. But first…

I need to break down an element of Lionsgate that can get a little confusing these days: Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation and Lionsgate Studios. I’m sure most of us can mentally conjure our favorite version of the logo sequence. In 2024, they merged their Studios division with Screaming Eagle Corp into Lionsgate Studios. Then, to avoid confusion with the parent company, Lions Gate Entertainment rebranded into Starz Entertainment. So when I say Lionsgate, I really mean Starz Entertainment. But that hasn’t really hit the vernacular yet so I don’t’ want to make this unnecessarily confusing. So I’ll just refer to the company as a whole as Lionsgate.

And this is where I remind you that while the first three films in the franchise were released by Miramax, the fourth was a product of the Weinstein Company. And despite those being headed by the same people, rights got a little wonky. The rights are an absolute mess can really be blamed on two people: Bob and Harvey Weinstein. I’m not sure if you’ve heard but the brothers have had a pretty rough go of it since Harvey was Me Too’d out of Hollywood in 2017. The ramifications were swift and The Weinstein Company folded in 2018. The company’s assets were purchased by Lantern Entertainment, who acquired the rights to the 277 Film Catalog. However, it did take some additional deals with Disney to acquire Scream 4 and The Matador. This included Dimension Films which released 2006’s Black Christmas. So how did Paramount get the rights to Scream?

The whole reason the Weinstein Company was formed in the first place was due to the Weinsteins leaving Miramax to form it in 2005. They were unhappy with Disney’s handling of the company. But that meant Disney still owned the rights to all the films released under Miramax, including the Scream franchise. So while they were able to acquire the rights to make sequels to the films made with Miramax, the rights to the actual films still stayed with Disney. That is until 2010 when Disney sold off Miramax. Miramax remained on its own until being purchased by Paramount Global in 2019. Which then allowed for the franchise’s return via Radio Silence in Scream 5.

So that’s two different Weinstein companies that were then purchased by other companies and had their assets redistributed. Unfortunately, they ended up in the hands of two competing companies. At this point, Lionsgate has no reason to partner with Paramount on some kind of massive box set. The most value their one film holds is by being separate and developing a fan need for it.

As for Black Christmas (2006)? A film that I’ve been wanting some company to come along and give it, it’s due? Well, Dimension Films was acquired by Lantern Entertainment, which then uses Lionsgate to distribute its physical media. And they have a lot to release. In fact, Lionsgate has been one of the better companies when it comes to releasing their library on 4K. And in a time of even Disney outsourcing their physical media needs, this is a good thing. Maybe it’s next in line and they’ll release some fantastic edition just in time for Christmas next year. Or it will just be another film that we have to put on a list titled “Why Aren’t These Films on Bluray?!”

Are there any movies you’re DYING to get on Bluray or 4K? Do you think we’ll ever see these film’s get proper releases? Let us know in the comments!

The post Why Haven’t We Gotten These Movies on 4K?! appeared first on JoBlo.

Bill Byrge, a mainstay of the Ernest movies who played the lovably quirky and virtually mute character of Bobby, has died. He was 86.

As Bobby, Bill Byrge was most memorable alongside Gailard Sartain’s Chuck, who put himself in the position of leader of the duo even though both were hilariously inept. Byrge really got his start with Sartain in ads, working for the Nashville-based company who was also producing the Ernest P. Worrell series of commercials.

With that, Bill Byrge got his first onscreen credit in Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam. But it would be Ernest Saves Christmas that he and Sartain broke out as the oddball brothers Bobby and Chuck, who have the duty of interpreting packages that contain helper elves (or is it elmes?). Outside of the short-lived series Hey Vern, It’s Ernest!, their other most notable pairing together was in Ernest Goes to Jail playing security guards. Byrge and Sartain would go separate ways for Halloween favorite Ernest Scared Stupid, with Byrge teaming up instead with John Cadenhead. He would appear in one more Ernest movie, Ernest Goes to School, in 1994.

The news of Bill Byrge’s passing was shared by his cousin online, posting in part, “My cousin, Bill Byrge, passed away in the Nashville area today at 12pm. He was a beautiful soul who made people laugh without even trying. He was the ‘Bobby’ character in several Ernest movies with Jim Varney. I always teased him of being a ‘star’ in our family. He deserved it as raised poor, but his momma taught him love, respect, and faith which he showed to everyone.”

Bill Byrge was far from being a household name, but if you grew up watching Jim Varney’s Ernest movies like I did, his work added so much to the affable charm of the series. Byrge was well into retirement at the time of his death — his last credit was 2010’s Billy & Bobby the Whacky Duo on Vacation! —  but his supporting roles in those movies will always be reserved, especially come the holiday season, as his strange outing in Ernest Saves Christmas is one of that movie’s greatest assets.

Leave your memories of Bill Byrge’s Bobby in the comments section below.

The post Bill Byrge, fan favorite in the Ernest movies, passes away appeared first on JoBlo.

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

Creature Commandos by Kevin Tiernan

Golgo 13 by Luis Martins

The Lighthouse by Fredlobo Lopez

Midsommar by Rebecca Colling

Nacho Libre by Sam Holland

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by DC Miller

Prey by Shalida

Squid Game by Hayden Willis

Total Recall by Matthew Spurlock

X-Men by Ryan Dunlavey

The post Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: Creature Commandos, The Lighthouse, Prey, Squid Game, Total Recall appeared first on JoBlo.

Many studios choose to unveil big new trailers during the Super Bowl, but Warner Bros. Discovery will reveal the latest look at one of their most anticipated movies of the year during the Puppy Bowl instead. THR reports that a special sneak preview of Superman will debut during the Puppy Bowl, with James Gunn set to appear with his dog Ozu, who was the inspiration for Krypto. The Superman director will also deliver a “special message” to viewers.

The Puppy Bowl (and the Super Bowl, if you’re into that) will air on February 9th. The event features a number of puppies playing with balls and toys in their own little stadium as it raises adoption awareness. “Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl serves as an annual pop culture programming event that continues to expand in reach, awareness and of course, puppies, every year,” said Howard Lee, chief creative officer of U.S. networks and president of Discovery Networks. “Win or lose, Puppy Bowl XXI will have the cutest players in the game on Sunday, February 9 and will inspire families across the country to adopt a new furry friend.“

The first teaser trailer for Superman was viewed over 250 million times in the first 24 hours after its release, becoming the most viewed and talked-about trailer in DC and Warner Bros’ history.

Superman stars David Corenswet (Pearl) as Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Ms. Maisel) as Lois Lane. The cast also includes Nathan Fillion (The Rookie) as Guy Gardner, a charismatic and slightly obnoxious member of the Green Lantern Corps; Isabela Merced (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Hawkgirl; Edi Gathegi (X-Men: First Class) as Mister Terrific; Anthony Carrigan (Barry) as Metamorpho; María Gabriela de Faría (Deadly Class) as The Engineer, a member of The Authority; Sara Sampaio (At Midnight) as Eve Teschmacher; Skyler Gisondo (The Righteous Gemstones) as Jimmy Olsen; Wendell Pierce (The Wire) as Perry White; Neva Howell (Logan Lucky) as Martha Kent; Pruitt Taylor-Vince (The Walking Dead) as Jonathan Kent; and Nicholas Hoult (The Great) as Lex Luthor. Superman is slated to hit theaters on July 11th.

The post Superman will get a sneak preview during the Puppy Bowl appeared first on JoBlo.

The grand return of Shrek will have to wait a little longer. Universal Pictures has pushed back the release of Shrek 5, which will now open on December 23, 2026, instead of July 1, 2025.

Taking Shrek‘s old release date will be Illumination’s Minions 3. The film was previously slated for June 30, 2027, but will now hit theaters on July 1, 2026. An untitled Illumination event movie has also shifted, moving from March 19, 2027 to June 30, 2027.

It’s been fifteen years since the release of Shrek Forever Ever, but the gang is all back for the new sequel. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz are returning to reprise their roles as Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona, with Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon set to direct. Dohrn worked as a writer on Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third and was also head of story on the fourth movie. He also voiced Rumpelstiltskin. Vernon previously co-directed Shrek 2 and provided the voice of the Gingerbread Man.

Murphy previously teased that he’d already done some recording on Shrek 5 last year and revealed that a Donkey spinoff movie is also in the works. “We started doing Shrek 4 or [Shrek] 5 months ago. I did this, I recorded the first act, and we’ll be doing it this year, we’ll finish it up,” Murphy said. “Shrek is coming out, and Donkey’s gonna have his own movie. We’re gonna do Donkey as well. So we’re gonna do a Shrek, and we’re doing a Donkey [movie].“

While it’s been a long time since the last Shrek movie, fans did return to the fairy tale universe in 2022 with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. The spinoff movie found Antonio Banderas reprising his role as the swashbuckling feline alongside Salma Hayek as Kitty Softpaws and Harvey Guillén as Perrito. In the film, Puss discovers that he’s burned through eight of his nine lives, and in order to get them back, he must find the Last Wish of the fallen Wishing Star. Other fairy tale characters are after the same prize, and Puss is also being stalked by a mysterious wolf.

The post Universal pushes back the release of Shrek 5 while moving Minions 3 forward by a full year appeared first on JoBlo.

According to Mel Gibson, Martin Scorsese wanted him to star in The Last Temptation of Christ, but the Lethal Weapon actor wasn’t interested.

“Interestingly enough, I was in a hotel room in the Savoy and I had food poisoning. I was near dead from it. I ate a bad oyster in London and I was dying in a hotel room and I couldn’t even leave. It was the worst,” Gibson said on the Joe Rogen Experience podcast. “While I was there, Scorsese calls the room and says, ‘Come here, I want to talk to you.’ I go and I talk to Martin and he’s in his room and all the windows, the screens, he’s drawn on. He’s got 18 different TVs going on at the same time in this dark room. He’s talking to me about the ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ and he wants me to play Jesus and I said, ‘Wow. I’m not doing that.’“

Although Gibson didn’t want to take part in the movie, he did praise Willem Dafoe for his performance. “He did something that I think nobody else did and I think he pulled it off because I totally believed it,” Gibson said. “He emptied himself out. He invited something else in. He meditated and let Christ in.” The Last Temptation of Christ, which found the biblical figure struggling with lust, fear, and doubt, came under fire from Christian groups upon release, who went so far as to claim the movie was blasphemy.

Gibson went on to direct his own Jesus Christ film, The Passion of the Christ, and is currently working on a sequel that he hopes to shoot next year.

Our next helping of Gibson will arrive with Flight Risk, an action thriller he directed from a script by Jared Rosenberg. The film stars Mark Wahlberg as a pilot transporting an Air Marshall (Michelle Dockery) who is accompanying a fugitive (Topher Grace) to trial. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions soar, and trust is tested, as not everyone on board is who they seem. The film will hit theaters on January 24th.

The post Mel Gibson says Martin Scorsese wanted him to play Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ appeared first on JoBlo.