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Lionsgate and the Erwin brothers’ faith-based Kingdom Story Company — which successfully released The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at the box office last weekend — announced Tuesday they are renewing their first-look deal for another three years. That will put them in business together for a full decade.

The pact was announced by Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson and Kingdom Story Company CEO Kevin Downes, who co-founded the company in 2019 alongside Jon and Andrew Erwin.

In a twinned move, Downes revealed that the company has promoted Kingdom Story president and COO Brandon Gregory to partner.

“Over the past decade, Kingdom films have established a unique ability to connect with their audiences in the faith community and beyond through high quality storytelling and exceptional productions, like their holiday hit The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” Fogelson said in a statement.

Added Downes, “2024 has been Kingdom Story Company’s biggest year ever with a slate of three films.

Lionsgate has renewed a three-year, first-look deal with Kingdom Story Company.

The announcement extends the partnership to 10 years and follows the theatrical release of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” which opened to $11 million over the weekend. Already this year, Lionsgate and Kingdom have collaborated on the faith-based “Ordinary Angels” starring Hilary Swank and musical biopic “Unsung Hero” about Grammy winner Joel Smallbone. “Ordinary Angels” earned $20 million at the global box office while “Unsung Hero” generated $21 million worldwide. All three 2024 releases will be profitable for the studio, according to Lionsgate.

“Over the past decade, Kingdom films have established a unique ability to connect with their audiences in the faith community and beyond through high quality storytelling and exceptional productions,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson.

Kevin Downes, co-founder and chief executive officer of Kingdom Story Company, added, “2024 has been Kingdom Story Company’s biggest year ever with a slate of three films.

Fresh off success with their holiday family comedy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Lionsgate and the faith-based Kingdom Story Company have agreed to renew their three-year first-look deal, extending the studios’ total collaboration to 10 years.

The deal puts a capstone on Kingdom Story Company’s biggest slate yet, which comprised three films with Lionsgate in 2024: Ordinary Angels, starring Hilary Swank and Alan Ritchson; Unsung Hero, from Grammy-winning faith-based artist Joel Smallbone; and the aforementioned Best Christmas Pageant Ever, which exceeded tracking by opening with $11.1 million at the domestic box office this past weekend ($12.2 M/4-day) and is positioned to continue playing through the holiday period.

Dallas Jenkins (of The Chosen fame) directed the latter film, starring Judy Greer and Pete Holmes, which adapts the children’s book by Barbara Robinson. Each of the Kingdom-developed and produced films released this year is expected to turn a profit for the studio.

Lionsgate’s genre-spanning 2024 slate of heist comedies, weepy coming-of-age tales, cheeky video game adaptations and horror stories was aiming to fill a void. Most of these were the kinds of movies that major Hollywood studios have either stopped making entirely or largely relegated to streaming services.

And yet, instead of packing seats at multiplexes due to pent-up demand, everything from director Eli Roth’s irreverent console-to-screen adventure “Borderlands” ($32 million globally), the “Crow” reboot ($23.7 million) and historical crime drama “1992” ($2.9 million) to Halle Berry’s post-apocalyptic horror story “Never Let Go” ($16.2 million), Dave Bautista-led action-comedy “The Killer’s Game” ($5.9 million), Francis Ford Coppola’s sci-fi epic “Megalopolis” ($11.2 million) and “Wonder” prequel “White Bird” ($6.8 million) has sputtered at the box office. That’s a string of seven consecutive flops — each with paltry single-digit debuts — in the nine weeks between early August and mid-October.

“It was a pretty diverse slate and certainly wasn’t cannibalization of films,...

Shrinking isn’t afraid to get messy, and Shrinking Season 2 Episode 3 delivers an emotional rollercoaster that will have you laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next.

“Psychological Something-ism” is all about making mistakes — big ones, small ones, and the kind that make you want to crawl into a hole.

But in true Shrinking fashion, it reminds us that life’s screw-ups are what make relationships stronger, even if they get a little tangled along the way.

(Apple TV+)

From Alice’s reckless outburst to Liz’s well-meaning disaster and Jimmy’s heartfelt victory, this episode was packed with moments that made you think, “Oh no, they did Not just do that.”

But hey, that’s what keeps us coming back for more!

Alice’s Grief Takes Over, Leading to a Major Misstep

We knew Alice was teetering on the edge, but wow, did she jump headfirst off the emotional cliff this time?...

Four-time Grammy Award-winning duo for King + Country are bringing their annual popular holiday concert A Drummer Boy Christmas to theaters nationwide for the first time in a limited engagement December 5-9 on 1,000+ screens.

The faith-based duo, brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, announced they will then take a brief touring hiatus in 2025 to create new music and work on their next feature film project. Their last, Unsung Hero from Kingdom Story Company was released by Lionsgate in April and grossed over $20 million.

Joel Smallbone directed and starred as his father David Smallbone, who moved with his family from Australia to the U.S. after his music company collapsed. His children, for King + Country, and Rebecca St. James, became well known inspirational music acts.

For King + Country is currently on a 31-city U.S. tour titled for King + Country Live: The Unsung Hero 2024 Tour.

They launch the annual A Drummer Boy Christmas | The 2024 Tour Experience on Dec.

The Fall TV season has just begun but there’s still a lot to look forward to!

The 2024 fall TV season is a nice return to normalcy after last year was thrown off by the Hollywood strikes. NBC and ABC have begun their slates, CBS is about to unleash theirs and cable and streaming has plenty of shows coming. It looks like mid-October is the bulk of it but there are still plenty of shows on streaming between then and the end of November to get ready for! Here’s a quick guide to the biggest shows still to debut this fall for TV lovers!

Lioness season 2

October 27 on Paramount+

L-r Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade and Zoe Saldana as Joe in Lioness, episode 3, season 2, streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Paramount+

Season 2 of the Paramount+ spy thriller brings back Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman for more action.

Forget summer blockbusters. On July 1, ABC’s six-season hit series Lost became available for streaming on Netflix and the show’s availability on not one, but two major streaming services (the other being Hulu) has skyrocketed the story of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 back into the spotlight. From original fans of the series, which ran from 2004 to 2010, to new Dharma Initiative recruits, all eyes are on the lush island where characters like Jack, Kate, and Sawyer found themselves fighting to survive and keep their own dark secrets hidden.

Lost’s renaissance is sure to leave a new generation of viewers asking questions about the mythology of the island, the story of its strange inhabitants, and what the heck happened in the final episode. And, don’t even get us started on explaining the series’ epilogue, which new viewers won’t find on Netflix or Hulu. There’s also bound...

Based on a remarkable true story, Unsung Hero follows Helen (Daisy Betts) and her husband David Smallbone (Joel Smallbone) as they move their family from Down Under to the States with nothing more than their seven children, suitcases, and their love of music. As Helen and David set out to rebuild their lives, they begin to realize the musical prowess in their children, who would go on to become two of the most successful acts in inspirational music history: five-time Grammy-winning artists for King + Country and Rebecca St. James.

Unsung Hero is available on VOD on July 2 and Blu-ray and DVD on July 9.

Enter for your chance to win a DVD of Unsung Hero, courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Two (2) winners will be selected at random.

Here’s how to enter:

Step 1: Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, or Bluesky.

Step 2: Social this message:

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Unsung Hero, a faith based family drama directed by Joel Smallbone and Richard L. Ramsey, delves into the real-life story of the Smallbone family. This includes members of the popular Christian rock group for King and Country Joel and Luke as they navigate the challenges of emigrating from Australia to the United States. The film centres around Helen Smallbone (played by Aussie actor Daisy Betts), whose strength and unwavering support for her family proved to be vital for their continued success.

The narrative focuses on the family’s struggle to establish a new life in Nashville amidst financial difficulties and cultural adjustments. Joel Smallbone portrays his father, David Smallbone, a once successful tour manager struggling to keep his business afloat. The musician-turned-filmmaker captures the character’s journey from despair and pride to humility and hope with authenticity and conviction.

Unsung Hero’s strength lies in its portrayal of the family...

Jonathan Jackson is making his long-awaited return as Lucky Spencer on “General Hospital,” Deadline‘s Lynette Rice reported.

According to the outlet, Jackson will be back in Port Charles as his Daytime Emmy Award-winning character “later this summer in what is expected to be a long run.” This also marks the first time Jackson will have been back on the show since making a brief appearance in 2015.

The news of Jackson’s return to the show coincides with executive producer Frank Valentini letting it slip earlier this month that a former male cast member would return and that fans would “go crazy for him.”

Look for Jackson to begin taping later this summer at “General Hospital” with his first airdate set for early fall. Storyline details remain under wraps, but fans should expect a reunion of sorts between Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) and Lucky as they deal with what’s happening in their children’s lives,...

Jonathan Jackson is checking back into “General Hospital.”

The Emmy-winning actor will reprise his role as Lucky Spencer on the long-running ABC soap opera in what is said to be a long stint. He is set to return to “General Hospital” later this summer.

For those not caught up with America’s second-longest soap in history, Jackson originated the role of Lucky in 1993 and played the character, who is the son of Luke and Laura Spencer (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis), on more than 380 episodes of “General Hospital.” Jackson was an on-and-off mainstay of the soap until 2011, when he went on to play Avery Barkley in another ABC show, “Nashville.”

His return to “Gh” marks Jackson’s first time playing Lucky since 2015, when he returned to the soap for a brief stint. Throughout his run on the show, Jackson was nominated for nine Daytime Emmy Awards and won five, in...

Exclusive: This is the announcement that General Hospital fans have been waiting for: Lucky Spencer, aka the Emmy-winning Jonathan Jackson, is on his way back to Port Charles.

Soap viewers have been salivating over the possibility of a major star returning after Gh executive producer Frank Valentini teased it on the red carpet earlier this month at the Daytime Emmys. “A former cast member is coming back,” he told ABC7. “And I think that the audience will go crazy for him.”

That him turned out to be Jackson, who hasn’t been on the soap since 2015 when he returned for a brief stint. He’s coming home to the ABC sudser later this summer in what is expected to be a long run.

More characters from Gh‘s past will make appearances in the next few months, too. The sudser already confirmed that Bryan Craig will reprise his role as...

Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man” is a certified hit for Netflix, and a rare one: It’s an original film that’s critically acclaimed as well as a popular success.

Meanwhile on PVOD, Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” dominated “Godzilla Minus One” (Toho) not only in theaters (more than three times the gross) but also in home interest.

“Civil War” (A24) is #1 again at iTunes in its fourth week of availability (#2 at Fandango), a remarkably strong showing for a film with a strong but sub-$70 million domestic box office take.

“Hit Man” has led Netflix’s most-watched movie list for 10 days, the first film to do so since 2023 Netflix production “Leave the World Behind” starring Julia Roberts; it held the spot for 13 days last December. We await word on actual viewing minutes, which it recently touted for “Atlas” with Jennifer Lopez. Already, “Hit Man” has more days...

Directed by Joel Smallbone and Richard L. Ramsey, Unsung Hero is a heartwarming tale that, in this ever-changing world, tells us the kind of sacrifices our parents make for us and to what extent they are willing to go for our happiness. It tells us that you don’t need an army to conquer the world; you just need those few loved ones around you, and you can achieve whatever you want in your life. So, let’s find out what happened in the film and if the screenplay stays true to the real-life events or if the makers have taken certain creative liberties.

Spoiler Alert

Is It Based On A True Story?

Joel Smallbone, one of the members of the Kings & Country band and also the son of David and Helen, has directed the film together with Richard Ramsey, and they have mostly stayed true to the real-life facts.

In the early ’90s, the Smallbone family moved from Sydney, Australia to Nashville, Tennessee in pursuit of a new start. David and his wife, Helen, uproot their lives and six children, seeking refuge in Nashville after the collapse of David’s music company in Australia.

As the family settles into their new home, they encounter some challenging situations, including financial and familial struggle. Despite the uncertainty, Helen’s unwavering belief and David’s determination propel them towards success for them and their children.

Brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, of famous Christian rock band for King & Country, bring us this charming biopic that charters the trial and tribulations of their family’s move to America and their sister’s eventual signing to a reputable record label.

We spoke to the brothers about what the film meant to them and about it being a love letter to their own unsung hero,...

Yet again, a new film sits atop the box-office weekend top ten as Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga managed to stave off fellow newcomer The Garfield Movie by a mere $0.7 million to take the top spot prior to the holiday.

In its first weekend of release, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga brought in $25.5 million for Warner Bros., allowing it to finish just ahead of Sony Pictures Releasing’s second-place claimant, The Garfield Movie, which brought in $24.8 million during its debut weekend. Meanwhile, this pushed last weekend’s top film If to third place where it added $16.1 million for Paramount Pictures, bringing its two-week tally to $58.7 million. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes dropped two spots as well, landing in fourth place this weekend with $13.4 million. This gives the 20th Century Studios film a three-week total of $122.8 million. Universal Pictures’ The Fall Guy lost a spot as it fell from...

For decades, Memorial Day weekend has traditionally been a hugely busy weekend at the box office, often offering the biggest of franchise sequels — or in this case, two potential franchise prequels? Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

The Memorial Day bump that has helped so many franchise installments before will certainly be in play for George Miller‘s return to the post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max with “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” a prequel that tells the earlier story of Charlize Theron‘s character from “Mad Max: Fury Road.” This one stars Anya Taylor-Joy as the title character, joined by Chris Hemsworth as a new antagonist called Dementus, as well a mix of new characters and ones that appeared in “Fury Road.”

Miller’s career as a filmmaker pretty much began back in 1980 with “Mad Max,” a cult action movie that introduced Mel Gibson to the world,...

“If” (Paramount) may have fallen short of its anticipated $40 million opening, but the glass is at least half-full. Preview and initial numbers suggested it could end up around $28 million; instead, its initial estimate is $35 million.

That improvement, along with its A Cinemascore, suggests a film that could stick around. It would be a real boost for the cause of original non-franchise production. Domestic on “If” is better than foreign, which stands at $24 million, $20 million from this weekend. That puts it at $59 million worldwide.

The full weekend is projected to hit $99 million. If that becomes $100 million, it would mark the first time since Easter. By comparison, 2023 saw every weekend from April 7 through mid-August hit that level. In 2019, with significantly lower ticket prices, that was the case from post-Super Bowl through Labor Day.

‘The Fall Guy’©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

Any positive news is welcome. We are three weeks into summer playtime...

Yesterday, it looked like John Krasinski’s If would fall wildly short of industry exceptions, with the film initially tracking for a $40 million opening. While the final $35 million start marks a significant shortfall, the weekend matinees have been stronger than expected for this poorly reviewed family film. It did about $5 million more this weekend than I predicted. Many will undoubtedly view this as a poor start for a pretty expensive ($110 million) studio film, but there’s reason to be optimistic that the movie will have legs. The film has scored a superb A CinemaScore rating, which means that even if critics (such as myself) hated it, paying audiences like it. The star-studded flick includes Ryan Reynolds and Krasinski himself in front of the camera, while Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller Bride, Emily Blunt and more play the voices of the titular IFs (imaginary friends).

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes...

Currently out in theatres, Unsung Heros is a Christian movie that follows Luke, Joel, and Rebecca Smallbone of the For King & Country band, and their story of how they became top Christian recording artists.

Joel Smallbone directs the flick, which explores themes of faith, family bounds, and resilience as the Smallbones travel from Australia to America after their music company crumbles.

Actor Jonathan Jackson plays Eddie DeGarmo in the film, and recently spoke with Hollywood Insider about how the script brought him to tears.

Jonathan Jackson – Interviewed During “Unsung Hero” Premiere

Jackson, best known for his roles on soap opera General Hospital and primetime drama Nashville was interviewed on the red carpet, during the Unsung Hero premiere.

He notes that the movie’s release is “exciting”, adding that in some ways it came quicker than he thought as everyone involved was anxiously anticipating the film’s release.

When asked about the movie,...

Talking apes managed to wrestle away the top spot of the box-office weekend from a stuntman as Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes finished just $6.8 million ahead of The Fall Guy

Debuting in first place to claim the box-office weekend crown was Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes with $56.5 million for 20th Century Studios. Finishing just behind that was last weekend’s top film, The Fall Guy with $13.7 million. This gives the Universal product a two-week tally of $49.7 million. Meanwhile, Challengers held onto third place with $4.7 million earned over its third weekend in release, giving the United Artists Releasing film a grand total of $38.1 million to date. Also holding steady was the Screen Gems release Tarot which took in $3.5 million over the weekend to retain the fourth spot of the top ten and bring its two-week total to $12.0 million. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire also stood firm...

The annual celebration of Mom brightened things up at the summer box office, with the first movie to open over $50 million since March. Read on for the weekend box office report.

The hopes for the summer box office were almost dashed by the poor showing of season opener “The Fall Guy” last weekend, so fortunately, this weekend didn’t follow suit. Of course, the big winner for the weekend was 20th Century’s franchise sequel “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which came into the weekend with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 80% Fresh, on par with “The Fall Guy.”

After making $6.6 million in Wednesday and Thursday previews and $22.2 million on Friday (including those previews), Disney has estimated “Apes” to open with $56.5 million, which is slightly higher than the $56.2 million opening for “War for the Planet of the Apes” in 2017.

See Grab the popcorn and sound off in our movie...

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (Disney) opened to $56.5 million, slightly above pre-opening projections, which is encouraging after “The Fall Guy” (Universal) last week. That’s a relief to theaters that hope summer releases meet their potential and buffer what is expected to be a major drop in revenues versus last year.

20th Century Fox released “Planet of the Apes” in 1968. For an old franchise, this is one that still has plenty of life: The “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” opening matched the last “Planet of the Apes” installment in 2017 (albeit when tickets cost 15 percent less). Speaking of old franchises, it also beat the $55 million opening of the 2021 Bond entry “No Time to Die.” Disappointing B Cinemascore aside, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” seems poised for a solid run.

The opening for “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” doubled that of “The Fall Guy...

Challengers failed to repeat as the top film of the box-office weekend as newcomer The Fall Guy easily claimed first place by a margin of $20.4 million. Universal Pictures enjoyed dominance over the box-office weekend top ten as the studio sported three films in the weekend’s list.

Claiming first place was The Fall Guy with $28.5 million, easily besting the second-place film, the re-release of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace which took in $8.1 million for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. This pushed last weekend’s top film, Challengers, to a third place finish where it added $7.6 million, raising its two-week total to $29.5 million for United Artists Releasing. Screen Gems, meanwhile, enjoyed the debut of Tarot in fourth place where it managed to bring in $6.5 million for the studio. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was consequently dropped two spots where it claimed fifth place with $4.5 million over the weekend.

When Universal decided to jump on the first weekend of May, a slot normally taken up by Marvel’s popular superhero movies, they were hoping the combo of “Barbenheimer” stars, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, would make “The Fall Guy” a huge early summer hit. That’s not what happened. Read on for the weekend box office report.

Going into the weekend, “The Fall Guy” had everything going for it, from two of the biggest Oscar-nominated stars from 2023’s biggest blockbusters – one who recently hosted “Saturday Night Live” to great success – plus reviews had been great going back to its premiere at the SXSW Film and TV Festival. Universal even screened the movie for exhibitors (i.e. theater owners) at the annual CinemaCon to get excitement going for the start of the summer movie season.

On Friday, Universal opened “The Fall Guy” nationwide into 4,002 theaters, another indicator that many were expecting a huge hit,...

With ”The Fall Guy” (Universal), summer 2024 box office didn’t kick off; it just sort of happened. It opened to $28.5 million, a 52 percent drop from last year with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” Hopefully, that will be the last precipitous weekend drop (aside from the inevitable “Barbie”/”Oppenheimer” July weekend of $310 million).

This $76 million domestic weekend is bad, but “The Fall Guy” shortfall is worse. Estimates were broad, but worst-case scenarios predicted $30 million. The Ryan Gosling action rom-com had all the earmarks of audience appeal. Whatever its possible limitations — and a $130 million budget — that’s a terrible look to start the summer.

Despite good reviews, Gosling’s momentum, director David Leitch’s proven box office success, the usually lucrative playdate, and a decent A- Cinemascore, “The Fall Guy” opened to only a little more than $3 million above “Civil War” (A24), April’s best opener.

“The Kingdom of the Planet...

While the big-screen adaptation of The Fall Guy was never expected to open to mega-blockbuster numbers, no one thought the well-reviewed Ryan Gosling movie would stumble out of the gate to this extent. Indeed, Hollywood insiders assumed this had a shot at a $40 million plus opening (we expected about $35 million). Now it looks like David Leitch’s film will only make $28.5 million over what’s widely considered the first weekend of the summer movie season. Last year, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 made $110 million in the same frame.

The Fall Guy was never expected to open anywhere near that number. Indeed, it was originally planned as a March release, only to be moved thanks to how empty the release calendar is due to the SAG/WGA strikes from last year. Still, given how well it was reviewed (we loved it) and the fact that stars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt...

Counting On alum Jinger Duggar Vuolo is back with a new surprise for the fans. The 30-year-old mom has been keeping things private when it comes to her kids. She barely shares photos of her daughters online and only shows back-facing shots of them. Until recently, Jeremy’s wife left many in awe after sharing a clip of Evangeline and Felicity looking all grown up. Keep reading to see the adorable video.

Counting On: What Is Jinger Duggar Up To Today?

Jinger has been busy over the past few weeks, attending different events. The Counting On alum participated in a red carpet event last month for the premiere of Unsung Hero, which her friend produced. The mother of two also went golfing with Jeremy in Arizona last week while visiting some of their friends. But despite all the activities, Jinger never forgets to share updates about her daughters, Evangeline and Felicity.

Counting On alum Jinger Duggar Vuolo is back with a new revelation about her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. The 30-year-old mom has been spreading awareness about the controversial teachings of the Iblp. She even released a book about the questionable practices of Bill Gothard titled “Becoming Free Indeed.” However, Jinger shocked many people after saying that even her parents neglected some of their church’s rules. Keep reading to see her statements.

Counting On: How’s Jinger Duggar Today?

Jinger has been living her best life with Jeremy in Los Angeles. The Counting On alums like to share some of their trips with the kids. This week, Jinger revealed that they traveled to Arizona to play golf. She also participated in a red carpet event during the premiere of “Unsung Hero,” which was produced by her friend, Joshua Walsh. But aside from trips, Jinger likes to participate in interviews as well.

This weekend marks the official start of the summer movie season. Yeah, I know – it’s still springtime, but if you follow blockbuster movie release dates, you’ll know that May’s always been prime real estate, with many of the biggest money earners of all time coming out in that month. Last year, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 kicked off the season with a muscular $118 million opening. Sadly, this year’s first big would-be blockbuster, The Fall Guy, looks like it will only open with about a fraction of that take, with the industry predicting a $35-40 million opening.

That opening would put it right in line with director David Leitch’s last big action flick, Bullet Train, which opened with $30 million on its way to a $103 million North American cume and a $239 million worldwide total. That was considered a more-than-ok number, considering the film only had a budget in the $90 million range.

The past two weekends at the box office have been, in a word, miserable. Yes, "Challengers" won this most recent frame with a $15 million opening, but the total take for the weekend domestically was just over $60 million. Last weekend, when "Abigail" and Guy Ritchie's "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" underperformed, the weekend total was barely above $65 million. When total ticket sales for a weekend are less than what would be a so-so opening weekend for a summer blockbuster, things are dire. Fortunately, there are a couple of bright spots among the darkness.

On its fifth weekend in theaters, "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" pulled in $7.2 million domestically, dropping just 25% from weekend four. It held the number three spot on the charts behind this weekend's newcomers, "Challengers" and "Unsung Hero" ($7.75 million). That was also enough to bring it past the $500 million mark globally. Director Adam Wingard's monster flick...

"Challengers" Zendaya brings the heat in the new romantic sports drama in Luca Guadagino’s “Challengers.” Completing the cast are Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor (see review below). "Unsung Hero" Joel & Luke Smallbone of the Christian pop group for King + Country created an homage to family and mothers everywhere with “Unsung Hero.” See my

The post Movie Reviews: “Challengers,” “Unsung Heroes” & Streaming Latest appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.

Now playing in theaters, here is all the available showtime information and potential streaming release date for Unsung Hero.

Unsung Hero is a faith-based drama co-directed by Richard Ramsey and Joel Smallbone, released on April 26 through Lionsgate distribution.

It follows the base on true events journey of Rebecca, Joel, and Luke Smallbone, members of For King & Country, as they pursue their path to becoming Christian recording artists. 

Read full article on The Direct.

Worldwide box office April 26-28 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world) Cume (world)3-day (int’l)Cume (int’l)Territories 1. The Roundup: Punishment (various) $24.4m $24.6m $24.4m $24.6m 6 2. Challengers (Warner Bros) $24m $25m $9m $10m 53 3. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Warner Bros) $15.2m $503.5m $11.7m $318.6m 83 4. Kung Fu Panda 4 (Universal) $15.2m $15.2m $5m $5m 63 5. Civil War (A24) $15.1m $86.2m $8.1m $30m 46 6. The Fall Guy (Universal) $8.7m $8.7m $8.7m $8.7m 38 7. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Sony) $8.3m $188m $5m $8m 61 8. Abigail (Universal) $7.9m $28.6m $2.6m $9.9m 75 9. Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentagram (Toho)

$7.9m $55.7m $7.9m $55.7m 105 10. Unsung Hero (Lionsgate) $7.8m $7.8m N/A N/A 1

Credit: Comscore.

After two weeks atop the box-office weekend, Civil War was pushed from the number one spot (and then some) and replaced by Challengers which took first place by a margin of $7.2 million.

In its first weekend of release, the United Artists Releasing product starring Zendaya, Challengers debuted in first place with a total of $15.0 million. This was enough to easily best second-place finisher Unsung Hero which debuted with a total of $7.8 million earned for Lionsgate Films. Meanwhile, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire held its ground at number three where it added $7.2 million over its fifth weekend in release to bring its overall total for Warner Bros. to $181.7 million. All of this pushed last weekend’s top film, Civil War, to fourth place where it took in $7.0 million for A24, giving the film a three-week total of $56.2 million. Also falling three spots was Universal Pictures’ Abigail which dropped from second...

Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” (Amazon MGM) nearly doubled any other gross in its opening weekend, taking an easy #1 with an estimated $15 million. That’s respectable for the Zendaya-starring erotic tennis drama.

However, another week with this level of a #1 film isn’t what theaters need. After a month of intriguing new releases, none of them are likely to gross as much as $75 million in the U.S./Canada. Theaters faced a double burden — too few films released, and too few perform — but May could be different: It starts the summer season next week with “The Fall Guy” (Universal).

“Challengers” was not an automatic sell. It has Zendaya and excellent reviews (83 Metacritic score). Recent R-rated, sexually charged dramas are unusual these days. “Saltburn,” also from Amazon MGM, grossed $11 million in its release — $4 million less than the “Challengers” opening. “No Hard Feelings” with Jennifer Lawrence had the same opening gross last summer.

April came to a close with a number of smaller releases, ahead of the start of the summer movie season launching in May, though one movie definitely stood out ahead of the others. Read on for the weekend box office report.

Luca Guadagnino‘s tennis romance, “Challengers,” starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, opened in 3,477 theaters on Friday with solid reviews, racking up $1.9 million in previews from Thursday and earlier. After pulling in $6.2 million on Friday (including previews), “Challengers” won the weekend with ease, making an estimated $15 million, and receiving a fair “B+” CinemaScore from audiences polled, as the movie became the talk of social media all weekend. “Challengers” also added another $9 million overseas in 52 markets to bring its global total to $25 million.

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Lionsgate opened “Unsung Hero,” the inspirational story of the Smallbone musical family, co-written, co-directed, and starring Joel Smallbone,...

As expected, Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers scored an easy win this weekend, with a $15 million weekend, just a touch softer than we predicted earlier this week. The tennis-cantered love triangle was no doubt boosted by Zendaya’s star power, with her hotter than ever in the wake of Dune: Part Two’s blockbuster showing this winter. IMAX screens were dominated by Zendaya in one form or another, with both Challengers and Dune 2 playing in the format this weekend thanks to the latter’s re-release.

Notably, the film posted Guadagnino’s best box office opening to date, with the weekend total more than doubling the total take of his previous biggest opener, Bones and All. It’ll be interesting to see if Challengers can hold up in the coming weeks, with The Fall Guy opening next weekend and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes opening the weekend after. With...

Game, set, now what to make of this match?

“Challengers,” a sexy, subversive, R-rated drama set in the world of tennis, easily took first place at a sluggish domestic box office this weekend with $15 million from 3,477 locations. On one hand, it’s a respectable result for an artsy movie aimed at discerning, adult audiences, but what keeps it from being a championship performance is that “Challengers” has a hefty $55 million budget (to say nothing of its marketing costs). The Amazon MGM Studios release will need strong word-of-mouth if it’s going to keep rallying — and next week brings Universal’s “The Fall Guy,” a Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-comedy that marks the start of summer blockbuster season. The competition only stands to get fiercer from here.

Amazon MGM would probably argue that “Challengers” doesn’t need to be a box office phenomenon in order to be successful. The higher...

Zendaya’s romance-tennis drama Challengers is battling to serve up a $15 million opening at the box office but will have enough points to win the weekend match either way.

MGM Amazon Studio made the bold decision to open Luca Guadagnino’s sexy adult drama nationwide, versus a platform release, considering it’s more of an arthouse movie than a commercial play. MGM is still predicting a $15.2 million start based on Friday’s gross of $6.2 million from 3,477 cinemas and Zendaya’s huge fan base. Rival studios, however, have it coming in anywhere between $13.5 million and $15 million (heading into the weekend, tracking suggested the latter number).

Audiences aren’t embracing the R-rated film to the degree that reviewers did, giving it a B+ CinemaScore. Female moviegoers made up 58 percent of Friday’s audience, while a whopping 76 percent of ticket buyers were between ages 18 and 34. Challengers is playing best on the two coasts,...

“Challengers” netted a $6.2 million opening day from 3,477 North American theaters, a figure that includes $1.9 million from preview screenings. Amazon MGM Studios’ love-triangle drama is set to match industry projections for a $15 million debut. The tennis film also gets extra revenue from tickets for premium large-format auditoriums, including some Imax screens.

The Zendaya starrer will easily launch above the competition to claim the top spot on domestic charts — not small potatoes for an original, R-rated drama in the age of studio IP addiction. But “Challengers” does carry a $55 million production budget, so it’ll have to keep rallying into the summer months to score a profit in theaters. Reviews have been stellar, while early ticket buyers lean positive with audience survey firm Cinema Score tallying a “B+” grade. Amazon MGM has good buzz on its side for the weeks ahead.

“Challengers” stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a tennis prodigy who turns...

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The box office is going through its customary late April slowdown prior to the start of the summer box office in May, though the lack of a major release on the level of pre-covid hits like “Shazam!” or “The Fate of the Furious” at the start of the month has caused overall grosses to sink lower.

That has allowed Amazon MGM’s “Challengers” to take the No. 1 spot as the only film with more than $10 million grossed this weekend, earning $6.1 million on Friday from 3,477 theaters as industry estimates have it making $15.2 million this weekend, consistent with pre-release projections.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Zendaya, the mid-level budgeted tennis drama was acquired by Amazon MGM as part of a two-film package with the director’s 2022 horror romance “Bones and All.

As we predicted earlier this week, Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers is set to lead the box office this weekend, with Deadline reporting that it’s on track for a $15 million opening. While that’s a bit below the $17 million we forecasted for the film, that’s still a decent start for a character-driven drama, with the Zendaya-led film an Amazon-MGM production that’s set for an eventual debut on Prime Video. Indeed, the studio has had a lot more luck with launching their fare theatrically than many of their competitors, with Challengers opening similarly to Air and The Beekeeper, both Amazon-mgm movies whose theatrical success paved the way to big streaming numbers.

It certainly helps that Zendaya’s become a big star in the wake of Dune: Part Two’s blockbuster run this winter. However, whether the $50 million film is ultimately judged to be a box office success...

Challengers has finally taken to the court.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino, the movie earned $1.9 million in box office previews for MGM and Amazon Studios as it prepares to open everywhere on Friday. The majority came from Thursday night shows, but there was also a special Imax sneak earlier this week.

The critically acclaimed movie features Zendaya as a tennis player caught up in a love triangle. She stars opposite Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor.

“Smart, seductive and bristling with sexual tension, Challengers is arguably Luca Guadagnino’s most purely pleasurable film to date; it’s certainly his lightest and most playful,” writes THR‘s David Rooney in his rave review. “As agile and dynamic as the many tennis matches it depicts, the love-triangle drama pits the rivalry on the court of two former best friends against their competing desire for a self-possessed woman whose hunger to win is not diminished...

Amazon MGM Studios’ Challengers, starring Zendaya and directed by Luca Guadagnino, made $1.9M in previews, a figure $100K shy of what Universal’s Cocaine Bear did. The tennis sexy romcom is hoping to open to $15M for the weekend.

Critics love Challengers at 91% certified fresh, but last night’s audiences were so-so on it with three stars on Screen Engine/Comscore’s PostTrak at 3 1/2 stars, 75% positive and a 56% definite recommend. Women over 25 at 35% came out as well as womn under 25 at 25%, but guys over 25 got pulled along as dates at 25% with men under 25 at 14%. It wasn’t Zendaya’s girl fans who liked the movie the most, but men over 25 at 80%. Overall best demo grades for Challengers came from the 25-34 bunch and 45-54 folks. Originally the movie was scheduled to go in mid-September, but got pushed to this weekend due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

“Challengers” is getting ready to serve at the box office.

Director Luca Guadagnino’s sexy tennis drama made $1.9 million at the the box office in Thursday previews.

The Amazon MGM film, which stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is expected to make between $12 million and $15 million in its opening weekend. It’s poised to take the number one spot this weekend and beat A24’s “Civil War,” which has conquered the box office the last two weeks.

The trio of young stars play tennis pros caught in a personal and professional entanglement. Zendaya, who’s coming off the sci-fi blockbuster “Dune: Part Two,” plays Tashi Duncan, a former prodigy who had to retire from tennis after a serious injury. Mike Faist, who played Riff in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” is Art Donaldson, another tennis pro caught in a losing streak who later marries Tashi and is coached by her.

I had a great time talking to Joel and Luke Smallbone as much as I had fun watching their heartfelt film “Unsung Hero.” After making a name for themselves as members of the Christian pop group for King + Country, the duo is setting their sights on Hollywood with “Unsung Hero.” Luke serves as a

The post “Unsung Hero” with Joel and Luke Smallbone appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.

The heartrending hook behind “Unsung Hero” isn’t solely discovering how one tight knit family birthed two chart-topping contemporary Christian musical acts, although that is an interesting draw. It’s not necessarily learning how the Aussie expats survived a slew of hardships through togetherness and fortitude. The fascinating angle it adopts is similar to the way Steven Spielberg explored a tumultuous time in his childhood with “The Fablemans,” as Joel Smallbone (who co-wrote and directed with Richard L. Ramsey) also engages with family history, portraying his father grappling with financial and personal crises. The co-directors re-contextualize character-building circumstances, crafting a soul-stirring testament to the power of family and faith in the process.

David Smallbone (Joel Smallbone) is at the top of his game in early 1991. He’s got a great support system at work as one of Australia’s top Christian artist concert promoters, luring in such performers as the heavy metal hair band Stryper.

Titans of the faith-based filmmaking industrial complex they helped to create, Kingdom Story Company founders Andrew and Jon Erwin built their brand on the Christian rock biopics “I Still Believe” and “I Can Only Imagine,” ultra-benign stories of faith, loss, and profit that rely on powerful songwriting to compensate for sermon-like storytelling, and frame their subject’s artistic success as both a testament to their faith and a megaphone for the word of Jesus Christ. Absent the rigor or artistry of secular comps like “Love & Mercy” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (but also absent the Wikipedia-driven ghoulishness of more recent examples like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”), these movies are happy to function as feature-length commercials for the musicians they were made to honor, just as they’re happy to offer halos to the people who inspired them.

That’s a key feature of cinematic evangelism,...