This spring, The Walt Disney Company builds on powerful momentum from a record-breaking 2025, with an exciting slate that fans across Lucasfilm, Pixar Animation Studios, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures won’t want to miss.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2 is now the No. 1 domestic release of 2025, also ranking as the No. 1 MPA animated film of all time worldwide. This milestone marks the second consecutive year that The Walt Disney Studios has delivered the top domestic release — and in 2025, Disney claimed three of the top four domestic films overall with Zootopia 2, Lilo & Stitch, and Avatar: Fire and Ash.

That strength extends to streaming. 20th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands debuted as the No. 1 film premiere on Hulu since Prey, drawing nearly 9 million global views in its first five days across Disney+ and Hulu. In total, audiences have streamed more than 300 million hours of the Predator franchise globally on Disney’s streaming platforms.

Disney enters 2026 on a remarkable run, backed by a daring slate poised to captivate audiences around the world.

Here’s what’s coming to theaters this Spring 2026:

• Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers — March 6
• Searchlight Pictures’ Ready or Not 2: Here I Come — March 20
• 20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2 — May 1
• Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian and Grogu — May 22

Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers

Release Date: March 6

Disney and Pixar’s next original animated comedy follows a young animal lover who “hops” her consciousness into a robotic beaver to communicate with animals and protect their habitat. The all-star ensemble features the voices of Piper Curda (Mabel), Bobby Moynihan (King George), Jon Hamm (Mayor Jerry), Meryl Streep (Insect Queen), Dave Franco (Titus), Kathy Najimy (Dr. Sam), and more. Hoppers delivers heart, humor, and a wholly original world to fans of all ages.

Searchlight Pictures’ Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Release Date: March 20

Let the game begin! Moments after surviving an all-out attack from the Le Domas family, Grace (Samara Weaving) discovers she’s reached the next level of the nightmarish game — and this time with her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) at her side. Grace has one chance to survive, keep her sister alive, and claim the High Seat of the Council that controls the world. Four rival families are hunting her for the throne, and whoever wins rules it all. The unpredictable sequel raises the stakes on the deadly game that made the first film a breakout hit. Radio Silence’s Ready or Not 2 also stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, with David Cronenberg, and Elijah Wood.

20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2

Release Date: May 1

The Devil Wears Prada 2? This spring? Groundbreaking. After two decades, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci return to the fashionable streets of New York City and the sleek offices of Runway Magazine in the eagerly awaited sequel to the 2006 phenomenon that defined a generation.

Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian and Grogu

Release Date: May 22

After more than 6 years since Star Wars was in theaters, the galaxy’s favorite duo is about to make their debut on the big screen. When dangerous warlords threaten a peaceful galaxy, the New Republic calls upon legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu to protect everything the Rebellion fought for. Directed by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian and Grogu also stars Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White and is produced by Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Ian Bryce, with music composed by Ludwig Göransson.

Following a record-setting year in theaters, Disney’s 2026 lineup raises the bar with fresh storytelling, fan-favorite worlds, and big-screen experiences designed to bring audiences together.

This summer, Disney and Pixar return with Toy Story 5 on June 19, followed by Disney Live Action’s highly anticipated reimagining of Moana on July 10. Searchlight Pictures keeps the energy high with the comedy Super Troopers 3 on August 7, before 20th Century Studios closes out the blockbuster season with Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars on August 28.

Every pixel of Avatar: Fire and Ash is a visual spectacle — right down to the bespoke costumes and accessories created by Oscar^® winner Deborah L. Scott, whose work in the groundbreaking film is nominated for Best Costume Design at the 98th Academy Awards^®.

“I was very surprised by this nomination,” Scott said. “My work on this film was outside the box. I’m really proud of the costume design branch of the Academy, because this nomination is proof that we can design costumes in all sorts of ways, in all sorts of places. That’s the most exciting thing — cracking the door open a bit. That’s what I’m proudest of.”

Scott is one of Disney Legend James Cameron‘s stalwart collaborators, having designed the costumes for Titanic (1997) before reuniting with him to work on Avatar (2009), Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), and Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) — four of the most successful films of all time. Scott’s designs are singular, as her work in the Avatar franchise imaginatively and sinuously blends artistry with technology — a modus operandi that mirrors Cameron’s.

“Things have changed a lot,” Scott said. “With the first film, we were still figuring out a lot of the technology in real-time. That’s when it became clear that we needed to make physical samples. The VFX houses had a hard time with it; they would sort of shudder if you gave them a feather, or anything else that was soft. But they rose to the challenge. With the second film, the technology was better, so it was almost like, ‘Forget what we did before. Maybe there’s a cleaner, better way to do things — without sacrificing the design.’ We created a smoother pipeline to avoid troubleshooting with the VFX team down the line. That was important, because there were more costumes, and they were far more detailed.”

Impressive Improvement

Avatar: Fire and Ash is once again set on the moon Pandora, home to the Na’vi people. For this film, Scott and her team spent years developing intricate textiles, beading, and embroidery for nearly 1,000 costumes. While Scott’s designs were rendered digitally by Wētā FX, everything was fabricated as real, tangible items. In fact, midway through production, Scott improved efficiency by creating a “lending library” — a digital and physical archive of accessories, costumes, and props for the Wētā FX artists to reference.

“It can be hard for people to understand the design from just a drawing, which is why the initial concept was to make the costumes, and then we would put them into the digital pipeline. I would never dumb a design down; that’s not an option,” Scott said. “The only option is to create each piece to the best of my ability and then turn it over to the VFX artists and recreate it with them. I get to guide them in their process. With a real, actual sample, nothing is left to guesswork. Previously they’d receive an item, scan it, and photograph it — but the wonderful artists didn’t ever have the real thing in front of them.”

“So, I would go over to Wētā Workshop, and I would put the items on mannequins,” Scott continued. “I wanted the artists to see them, to feel them, to look at them — to really get the details down. If you’ve ever been in a workshop, or if you’ve ever made a garment, you know it’s a very particular process. We can have long discussions about the width of the seam or what kind of bead to use. I do the same thing with the digital artists, just in a different way. We discuss things like, ‘How does it move in the wind? How heavy is it? Does it press to the body or is there space?’ It’s a very detailed, very long, but rewarding journey.”

Ceaseless Creativity

Whereas Avatar introduced audiences to the rainforest-dwelling Omatikaya Clan and Avatar: The Way of Water introduced the shoreline-inhabiting Metkayina Clan, Avatar: Fire and Ash doubled the number of clan introductions. Part of Scott’s responsibility was to create clothing, accessories, and props that would distinguish the Tlalim Clan, aka the Wind Traders, and the Mangkwan Clan, aka the Ash People, from the two established Na’vi clans.

“I knew the two clans had to be remarkably different while still following the same rules of all the clans: they weave, they make their own garments, etc.,” Scott said. “You stay within the framework, so the real fun was getting to customize things based off of their stories.”

The Tlalim Clan “mostly flies around in a gondola,” she continued. “It’s a higher elevation, so it’s colder and windier. How did they cover up their bodies? In talking to Jim, I thought, ‘They’re happy-go-lucky. They travel around and spread gossip and bring wares, so they should be much more colorful.’ Then I thought, ‘What colors haven’t we done?’ I settled on some very saturated jewel tones. For their weaving, we loomed cloth; it has a lot of variations. My idea was, ‘When they’re up in the sky, what are they looking at? The sky, the clouds, the earth. What does it look like when they look down?’ I put that into the design.”

Meanwhile, the Mangkwan Clan — whose culture and lifestyle were dramatically altered after a volcanic eruption destroyed their home — have striking look inspired by their wrath.

“These are people who are really masochistic and sadistic,” Scott said. “We knew that the environments always play an important role in the costuming, and their environment is a burnt-out volcanic landscape. They have less materials. They’re not traveling around in a gondola collecting things; they’re living in a pretty yucky situation. Jim gave me the idea for the first headdress that Varang [Oona Chaplin] wears, as well as the idea of minimal clothing; that’s how many first peoples started. You’ll notice that in the supporting players — not with Varang so much, because she’s pretty high ranking and gets whatever she wants. These people don’t have a lot of time to make a lot of stuff, so they decorate their bodies, which is another incredibly common thing indigenous peoples do. The red color scheme, Jim was pretty set on. We talked a lot about, ‘Is it matte? Is it shiny? Is it granular? Is it ink? Is it paint?’ I started doing designs on paper of different ways to put stripes on the body. What does it mean? Does the lowest guy have one stripe? The masochism and the sadistic part comes in through the piercings and the scarification. It’s a way to show that their bodies — and their body ornamentation — are almost more important than clothing.”

For Scott, being able to play in the Avatar sandbox has been a dream come true.

“That’s the gift, right? You get to continually go to new places with Jim; he’s not doing a repeat,” Scott said. “We follow the characters through the script and think, ‘What’s the most exciting way to present this?’ The world’s our oyster. We can come up with anything.”

Hosted by Conan O’Brien, The Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT from the Dolby^® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

20^th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands — the latest chapter in the iconic sci‑fi franchise — debuted last week as the #1 film premiere on Hulu since Prey, drawing nearly 9 million global views in its first five days on Disney+ and Hulu.

That momentum extends well beyond Predator: Badlands. Viewers have now streamed more than 300 million hours of the Predator franchise globally across Disney+ and Hulu. Fans can explore the Predator Creators Collection, now available on both platforms in the US, which includes 15 new videos that deepen the experience with creator‑led insights and perspectives.

The streaming success of Predator: Badlands follows an equally impressive theatrical run. The film became the highest‑opening and highest‑grossing Predator movie in the franchise’s 37‑year history and earned a 95% “Verified Hot” audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, signaling strong fan enthusiasm from theaters to living rooms.

With the Predator franchise having generated more than $925 million in total box office worldwide to date, Predator: Badlands represents the latest evolution of a legacy that continues to grow — reaching new audiences, deepening fan engagement, and showing how this legendary hunter remains as formidable as ever.

20th Century Studios’ Send Help — opening in theaters on Friday, January 30 — is a psychological survival thriller from director and producer Sam Raimi that tracks the escalating twists and turns that unfold after Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams), an awkward and overlooked employee at a consulting firm, and her arrogant boss, Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien), survive a plane crash and wind up stranded together on a deserted island.

The “rivetingly bonkers” (The Hollywood Reporter) screenplay is by screenwriting duo Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, who pitched it to producer Zainab Azizi, President, Raimi Productions. “When it comes to developing projects with Sam, it’s all about the character,” Azizi said. “When Damian and Mark pitched the idea of Linda Liddle, I knew Sam had to hear it right away.”

Raimi — renowned for his masterful blend of comedy and horror, which includes his signature gonzo visual style — was immediately taken by the story and all its moral ambiguities. “By setting the story on a deserted island with only two people, it allowed Damian and Mark to really get deep with these characters,” Raimi said. “With no one else to interrupt them, it’s easier to lie to each other or try to pull something over on the other.”

In that way, Send Help is “a devilish treat” (Deadline). Indeed, it’s a true-two-hander, with McAdams and O’Brien each showcasing their limitless range as Raimi continually subverts the viewers’ expectations. “When we were developing the script, we always wanted to make sure that we were ahead of the audience,” Azizi said. “Audiences today are so smart, but what Mark and Damian wrote is full of twists and turns and surprises. It’s totally original.”

Raimi added, “We thought it would be really interesting for the audience to go through this transformation of identification. That was one of the unique things about the script, and the actors and I really ran with that. We didn’t know if it had been done before in movies; there’s probably a reason why they don’t do it, because you risk never getting the audience back. So, there were a lot of fears in my head, but the excitement of the possibility of creating something original in that way, if we were successful, far outweighed all my fears.”

Raimi needn’t have worried, as he “knows precisely which buttons to push” (Variety).

“I tried to keep ‘Sam Raimi’ in the box he belongs in, as I was trying to service the script and the characters,” Raimi said. “Yes, when there’s an outrageous moment, that’s where I let ‘Sam’ do his thing and make it a little more outrageous than maybe it should be. But I also wanted to make an entertaining movie. That’s why we’re in this — to give the audience a thrill. I hope the movie stirs people’s imaginations and causes them to talk about ‘what if.’”

The Walt Disney Studios announced on Sunday that 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ash has officially surpassed $1 billion at the global box office, cementing another monumental achievement for James Cameron’s groundbreaking franchise and underscoring its unparalleled connection with audiences worldwide.

The milestone makes Avatar: Fire and Ash the third film in the franchise to surpass $1 billion globally, establishing Avatar among the most elite franchises in cinema history — and one of only a select few whose three films have each crossed the billion-dollar threshold. It is also the third $1 billion title released by The Walt Disney Studios in 2025 alongside Zootopia 2 and Lilo & Stitch.

Avatar: Fire and Ash has demonstrated the franchise’s signature theatrical staying power, building its global total through sustained performance driven by premium-format demand, and extended international play — hallmarks that have defined the Avatar phenomenon since 2009.

Key Highlights:

• $ 1.083 billion global gross to date ($306 million domestic / $777.1 million international)
• No. 2 MPA global release of 2025
• No. 2 among the year’s top-grossing MPA international releases with standout results across multiple markets including China ($138 million and the second highest-grossing MPA film of 2025), France ($81 million), Germany ($64 million), and Korea ($44 million)
• Franchise power with three Avatar films delivering a combined global box office total exceeding $6.35 billion to date

Avatar: Fire and Ash continues its theatrical run in theaters worldwide.

About Avatar: Fire and Ash:

James Cameron takes audiences back to Pandora in an immersive new adventure with Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the Sully family. The film, which is directed by James Cameron and features a screenplay by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, and a story by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver & Josh Friedman & Shane Salerno, is produced by James Cameron, p.g.a., and Jon Landau, p.g.a., with Richard Baneham, Rae Sanchini, and David Valdes serving as executive producers. The film also stars Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Oona Chaplin, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, David Thewlis, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, Britain Dalton, Jamie Flatters, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Brendan Cowell, Bailey Bass, Filip Geljo, Duane Evans, Jr., and Kate Winslet.

20^th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ash rolled out with an estimated box office gross of $347.1 million around the world this weekend, returning audiences to the visually stunning and immersive 3D world of Pandora.

Directed, written, produced, and edited by James Cameron, Avatar: Fire and Ash was the No. 1 film at the box office both domestically, grossing $89 million, and internationally, grossing $258.1 million.

Including the opening of Avatar: Fire and Ash, the three films in the Avatar franchise have now grossed $5.6 billion to date.

The film was the No. 1 Motion Picture Association (MPA) release in all material markets except Japan this weekend, with an especially historic start in China. In China, Avatar: Fire and Ash brought in $57.6 million, making it the second highest MPA opening of 2025, behind only Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2.

Not only are audiences coming out in droves to see the film, but once seated, they’re enjoying the quality of the third installment in this multi-Academy Award-winning series as well. The movie holds a 91% Rotten Tomatoes Verified Moviegoers score, 4.5/5 PostTrak score, and an “A” CinemaScore.

“I don’t know if you say the big screen exists for this movie or this movie exists for the big screen — but it is the reason to go to the movies,” Steve Asbell, President, 20th Century Studios, previously said.

Domestic audiences have been enjoying the film on the biggest and most advances screens possible, with Premium Formats delivering an overall 66% of the opening weekend, and 3D showtimes contributing 56% of the box office.

The Avatar films have now delivered three of the top ten December openings of all time, and The Walt Disney Studios now account for five of the top ten domestic opening weekends of 2025.

Fans of Avatar can immerse themselves in the franchise beyond the movie theater, by visiting Pandora — The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort, a land that celebrates the power of nature through immersive, innovative attractions and experiences.

“I always think of the films as aspirational in the sense that, ‘I’d love to go there!’” Cameron said.

Avatar: Fire and Ash wasn’t the only Disney film connecting with audiences at the box office this weekend. Zootopia 2 continues its historic run, now standing over $1.276 billion worldwide.

The animated sequel has grossed $283.1 million domestically and $993 million internationally, maintaining its status as the No. 1 MPA global release of 2025. The film stands at the No. 2 MPA release of all time in China with an estimated $539 million to date, behind only Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame.

Zootopia 2 is also currently the No. 5 MPA global animated release of all-time, as Disney now accounts for four of the top five MPA global animated releases ever.

Avatar is an otherworldly franchise with global appeal.

Disney Legend James Cameron‘s Avatar was released theatrically in 2009 and went on to gross more than $2.9 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. Adored by audiences and critics alike, the film went on to receive nine Academy Award^® nominations, winning for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects, and was also honored with two Golden Globes^® Awards, for Best Film – Drama and Best Director. Thirteen years later, Avatar: The Way of Water captivated moviegoers again, grossing more than $2.3 billion worldwide and winning the Oscar^® for Best Visual Effects.

“Avatar represents everything that makes cinema one of the most enduring and powerful art forms of the last 100 years,” Steve Asbell, President, 20th Century Studios, said in the video (above). “It’s got spectacle, it’s got world creation, it’s got action, it’s got humor, and at the center of it, it has a deeply emotional story about a family that we can all relate to.”

The third installment in the franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash, opens in theaters on Friday, December 19, and continues the story of the complex and dynamic Sully family on Pandora.

Cameron — the director, writer, producer, and editor behind the blockbuster film franchise — said, “I always think of the films as aspirational in the sense that, ‘I’d love to go there!’”

Since 2017, guests visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort have been able to do just that at Pandora – The World of Avatar, a land that celebrates the power of nature through immersive, innovative attractions and experiences.

The goal was to create a “sense of awe and wonder,” Chris Beatty, Portfolio Creative Director, Walt Disney Imagineering, said. “Avatar and Disney’s Animal Kingdom both share a common thread — that we are all connected by nature. That is one of the core tenants, or pillars, of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, making Avatar the perfect brand for this park.”

Avatar will expand its presence across Disney Parks, with the current Hollywood Backlot area at Disney’s California Adventure becoming home to a new Avatar destination. This project is still in early development, and additional details will be revealed at a later date.

But first, the world of Avatar will expand onscreen when Avatar: Fire and Ash — starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Oona Chaplin, Edie Falco, David Thewlis, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Brendan Cowell, Bailey Bass, Kate Winslet, and others — is released in theaters.

As Asbell said in the video above, “I don’t know if you say the big screen exists for this movie or this movie exists for the big screen — but it is the reason to go to the movies.”

Avatar: Fire and Ash — an immersive new adventure in Disney Legend James Cameron and 20th Century Studios’ groundbreaking film franchise — opens in theaters December 19, transporting audiences back to the breathtaking world of Pandora. The story picks up shortly after the events of Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), with the Sully family still living amongst the Metkayina Clan while mourning Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), who was killed in a fierce battle with the “Sky People” from the RDA (Resources Development Administration).

Jake Sully, aka Toruk Makto (Sam Worthington), and Neytiri (Academy Award^® winner Zoe Saldaña) are dealing with the loss in their own way, which breeds tension. “Both characters go back to their default,” Worthington said. “Neytiri goes back to Eywa [the All-Mother of Pandora] and Jake goes back to soldiering. They’re both just trying to find a path through.”

Despite his strength, Jake now realizes “how vulnerable he is,” Worthington added. “He may not be able to protect his family or his chosen family — meaning all the Na’vi clans.”

Neytiri, meanwhile, “is in such a dark place, and she can’t control herself,” Saldaña said. “Obviously, [her grief] is impacting her relationships with her family, because she doesn’t have a will to do anything. She’s losing purpose and she’s starting to question everything.”

Saldaña continued, “Neytiri is a mirror to so many stories that we hear in our lives and throughout history. When someone experiences a great deal of loss at the hands of a community or an entity, that pain is calcified, and it turns into absolute hate and aberration… It’s almost like violence begets violence, and so does pain. If you experience pain, you unconsciously want others to experience the same pain as you, because you feel so miserable and alone in it. Neytiri is at the precipice of really falling and becoming what will eventually be Varang… If not for the love that she has with Jake, and inherently her children, I think Neytiri would’ve joined someone like Varang with the Mangkwan people.”

Playing with Fire

Varang — a formidable, unpredictable shaman played by Oona Chaplin — is the leader of the Mangkwan Clan. After a volcanic eruption destroyed her clan’s Hometree, they transformed its charred remains into their new home, forsaking Eywa and nature itself.

“Varang comes from a place that has been devastated by natural disaster,” Chaplin said. “Her people have suffered this great trauma. She figured out a way to harness the power of that pain and grief and desperation and really turn it into her strength. So, really, her weakness is her strength, and that gives her a very interesting relationship with fear and power. Very early on, Jim [Cameron] said to me, ‘Everything that makes her afraid — anywhere she sees that there’s power — she goes right for it, and she tries to destroy it.”

She finds an unlikely ally in Quaritch (Stephen Lang), the Colonel in charge of an elite team of soldiers resurrected as recombinants, a breed of transgenic human/Na’vi hybrid warriors created by the RDA. “His relationship with the parent company, the RDA, has soured,” Lang said. “As a result, that opens him up to other possibilities. He needs a path.”

That path inevitably leads him to Jake.

“The juxtaposition of admiration and contempt that the two feel for each other is a very dynamic, volatile combination,” Lang said. “It seems to be a recipe for all kinds of drama.”

Worthington added, “They’re in perfect mirror reflections of each other… Whether they’re conscious of it or not, they recognize themselves in the other. Also, they’ve come from Earth to this planet. A lot of the characters we meet were born on Pandora. These guys, they’re immigrants… We’re seeing the power that Pandora has on these characters and how it can transform one from a dumb grunt in a wheelchair to a leader — and the other from a steadfast, solid rock of a colonel to a mercurial man who’s unsure of where his destiny lies.”

Quaritch is also grappling with the revelation that Spider (Jack Champion) — a human child who was orphaned by war raised alongside the Sully children — is his biological son. “It’s confusing to him, but at the same time, it presents possibilities for him to explore the avenue of being a father, which he’s never experienced,” Lang said. “He’s not good at it; it doesn’t come native to him at all. But it’s what’s happening. He’s flexible enough to adapt.”

The Ties That Bind

Spider, likewise, has complicated feelings about his newfound lineage. Yet, even as Neytiri ostracizes him — blaming him and the “Sky People” for Neteyam’s death — he grows closer to Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), and Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss). “[The children] come up against so many challenges,” Weaver said. “The kids are separated from their parents: ‘This time dad and mom aren’t gonna come in and rescue us. We’ve got to figure it out for ourselves. We have to learn to rely on each other, trust each other, take care of each other.’ You see all the kids coming into their own in a way they haven’t before.”

Just as it’s always been, family is at heart of the Avatar films.

“This is about their growth,” Saldaña said. “This family is recovering from a great loss and reconnecting and individualizing themselves but solidifying their bond as a family. Together, they’re unbreakable. They’re inseparable. They can do anything. They can survive anything.”

From Academy Award^®– and Emmy Award^®-winning writer, director, producer, and Disney Legend James L. Brooks comes 20th Century Studios’ Ella McCay, a heartwarming family film made in tribute to the screwball comedies of the 1950s. Releasing exclusively in theaters on Friday, December 12, Ella McCay features an all-star ensemble that includes Emma Mackey (in her first American starring role), Oscar^® winner and Disney Legend Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Lowden, Kumail Nanjiani, Ayo Edebiri, Spike Fearn, Julie Kavner, Rebecca Hall, Becky Ann Baker, and Joey Brooks, with Albert Brooks and Woody Harrelson.

An uplifting story brimming with hope, Ella McCay marks Brooks’ first original feature film in 15 years. “The truth is I’ve never stopped working,” the prolific multihyphenate said. “I’ve produced two films, and The Simpsons is always there for me to work on. But this story, well… I was going crazy not writing! I started writing, but it took me a long time because while the characters happened very easily, the story to put them in was more of a search.”

Ella is a capable, idealistic woman from a dysfunctional family — one whose childhood dream of becoming governor comes true, just as her personal life comes crashing down. While the movie touches upon Ella’s teenage trauma and its long-lasting effects, it’s ultimately a hopeful story about family and all of the beautiful mess that comes with it.

“I come from a fractured family due to an errant dad; that has something to do with the guy in this movie,” Brooks said of Harrelson’s character, whose multiple indiscretions sour his relationship with his daughter, Ella, and his son, Casey (Fearn). “When you have an errant dad, and when you have that kind of background in your life, it’s as the narrator says in her opening remarks: ‘When you see people living happy, normal, smiling lives, it’s a knife through the heart.’ The ambition to join a ‘normal’ family is very much a part of this film.”

Thankfully, Ella has always been able to rely on her fiercely loyal Aunt Helen (Curtis).

“There are these moments in her life — these key checkpoints, if you will — and Aunt Helen is at every single one of them, right by her side, guiding her, coaxing her, believing in her, seeing her,” Mackey said. “Aunt Helen is the foundation of this family in a very big way.”

Curtis, however, was quick to credit Brooks and Mackey for doing the heavy lifting on set.

“The movie’s called Ella McCay, and it could only happen if the person playing Ella McCay was Emma Mackey,” Curtis said. “She is Ella McKay, and without her performance taking you there, it doesn’t matter about the rest of us. I’m telling you right now, it’s her. It’s her!”

As for Brooks, Curtis said, “You wait for whole life for James L. Brooks to write you a note that says, ‘Will you come play Aunt Helen in this script that I wrote?’ The movie is so light [and hopeful], but the process was [interesting], because it’s from his head, and he’s a constant editor. He is fascinating. It was a wrestling match for me, because my instinct didn’t take me where he wanted me to go. I had to let go of that, which is very scary as an artist, because you feel very naked. At the end of the day, I’ve seen the movie, and it feels light. That was all him.”

As such, the character-driven comedy is “very truthful,” Mackey said. “I think people will be able to see themselves, the good and the bad, in all of these characters, to some extent.”

Brooks added, “I don’t know who said it, but the best thing — and I believe this — that popular culture can do for you, that a movie can do for you, is to tell you you’re not alone.”

This past weekend, 20th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands opened at No. 1 at the global box office with an estimated $80 million, delivering the strongest global opening in the Predator franchise’s nearly 40-year history. To help bring writer/director Dan Trachtenberg’s vision to life, the filmmakers turned to the most trusted source: the Walt Disney Archives.

“This year, 20th Century Studios just celebrated its 90th anniversary. That’s many decades of film history, and the Walt Disney Archives is so proud to steward that collection,” Cesar Gallegos, Senior Manager of Collections & Preservation at the Walt Disney Archives, said in the video (below). “Our mission at the Walt Disney Archives is to preserve the rich history of this amazing company. We ensure that our history is protected and used for inspiration.”

When The Walt Disney Company acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019, it also acquired the company’s vast archives, which included artifacts, costumes, masks, weaponry, and other iconic props seen in the Predator franchise, from Predator (1987) through The Predator (2018). So, before production began on Predator: Badlands (now in theaters), producer Ben Rosenblatt, creature designer Alec Gillis, and others mined the Archives for inspiration.

“We definitely used the Archives as a resource to be able to access whatever has been kept from those previous films,” said Rosenblatt, who also produced Prey (2022). “The team at the [Walt] Disney Archives has done a really great job and has always been at our disposal, should we request anything. We used all resources available to us from the past to influence the future.”

Predator: Badlands is now playing exclusively in theaters in IMAX^®, Dolby^® Cinema, RealD (3D), Cinemark XD, 4DX, ScreenX, and premium screens. The previous chapters in the Predator franchise — from 1987’s Predator to 2025’s Predator: Killer of Killers — are now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for U.S. bundle subscribers.

This weekend, 20^th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands opened No. 1 at the global box office with an estimated $80 million, delivering the strongest global opening in the Predator franchise’s nearly 40-year history. The opening also helped power The Walt Disney Studios past the $4 billion mark at the global box office for the fourth consecutive year.

Predator: Badlands also opened No. 1 at the domestic box office with an estimated $40 million in ticket sales, which is also a record for the Predator franchise. Internationally, the film brought in an estimated $40 million in box office receipts as well.

This is the first Predator film to open theatrically after Disney’s acquisition of 21^st Century Fox in 2019, and the level of opening reflects the strength and value of this long-term franchise to the theatrical market.

But, this isn’t the first success that Disney has had with the franchise, as Predator: Badlands — from director Dan Trachtenberg — comes after Disney has already produced two Predator installments that have been massive hits on streaming.

In 2020, Steve Asbell, President, 20^th Century Studios, and Scott Aversano, Executive Vice President, 20^th Century Studios, began developing Prey — set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago — with Trachtenberg and screenwriter Patrick Aison. Produced by Trachtenberg and Ben Rosenblatt, the film was released on Hulu in 2022 to critical acclaim — evidenced by a 94% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes — and commercial success, becoming the service’s biggest debut at the time of its release.

Based on that success, Trachtenberg pitched two exciting new Predator ideas that were not traditional sequels: an animated anthology film, and a new, riskier concept for a story where the Predator would be seen like never before: as the protagonist.

Disney agreed and immediately began developing both projects.

That animated anthology film became Predator: Killer of Killers, which was released on Hulu in June 2025 to extraordinary acclaim, garnering a 95% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was also a tremendous success in terms of viewership on the platform.

In 2023, the team of director Trachtenberg, writer Aison, and producer Rosenblatt reassembled to begin development on Predator: Badlands. Beyond its already extraordinary theatrical success, this film continues the streak of acclaimed Predator installments, sitting at a stellar 95% “Verified Moviegoer” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 85% critics score on the service.

Predator: Badlands has kicked off the fall box office in a big way, and that’s not all that’s coming from Disney.

Later this month, on November 26, Walt Disney Animation Studios is releasing the highly anticipated Zootopia 2, the sequel to the billion dollar-grossing Zootopia.

And, on December 19, 20^th Century Studios will be back with Avatar: Fire and Ash from legendary filmmaker James Cameron. This is the third installment of the Avatar franchise, which has not only pioneered groundbreakingly innovative cinematic techniques, but is also a box office juggernaut, with the previous two films in the franchise accounting for two of the three biggest box office hauls globally of all time.

20th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands tells the story of Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young Predator exiled from his clan. In a quest to prove his worth, he travels to the deadliest planet in the galaxy to hunt an unkillable creature, the Kalisk. There, he finds an unlikely ally in a severed and stranded robot named Thia (Elle Fanning). Predator: Badlands is directed and produced by Dan Trachtenberg, a two-time Emmy^® Award nominee for Prey (2022) who also directed the animated anthology Predator: Killer of Killers (2025), both of which premiered exclusively on Hulu. Predator: Badlands is the first movie in the Predator Universe that centers on the species known as the Yautja — and it’s also the first in the franchise to make the Predator both a protagonist and an underdog.

“Dek is a monster, and he behaves as ferociously as you’d expect,” Trachtenberg said. “Dimitrius gives a performance that’s incredibly powerful and intimidating, but taps into subtle vulnerabilities to draw the audience in. Dek is part of a [pantheon] of characters who are antiheroes, who are rogues, and yet you still pull for them to do the right thing.”

Elaborating on that point, Schuster-Koloamatangi said he “didn’t want to make Dek human, because he’s not human; he’s a Predator. He will rip your face off if you come at him the wrong way. But we’ve never seen a Yautja in a setting like this before. He’s the runt of the litter. He’s vulnerable. He’s never been on a hunt, so he hasn’t earned what the other Yautjas have. For instance, he doesn’t have a cloaking device or a shoulder cannon, and his gauntlets are compromised early on. That really enhances the story in terms of how much you invest in Dek. You see him as an underdog, and everyone’s felt like that at least once in their lives. We’ve all felt excluded before, so it’s commendable when you see something as monstrous as a Yautja go through all these obstacles and find the resilience to pull himself out of that. I think people love to see that journey, and it makes them want to root for him.”

A Predator Evolves

When Predator — which pitted Alan “Dutch” Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) against a technologically advanced extraterrestrial — was released in 1987, it created an instantly iconic character that rivaled that of “Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees,” Trachtenberg said. “They are all forces of destruction, but from the very beginning, the Predator had already distinguished itself as more than a creature just based around fright.”

The key differentiator, he argued, is that Predator “combined so many different genres.”

“That was the first time I had ever seen a movie like that, that started out as a military action movie, then became a horror movie, then a slasher movie, then a science-fiction movie,” Trachtenberg explained. “Embracing that component has allowed me to make movies [within the Predator Universe] that are also unique and original and surprising.”

With Predator: Badlands, Trachtenberg said, “We’ve taken full advantage of that. We thought, ‘What kind of culture would create a species with that mindset?’ We looked to our own history, to the more Spartan-like cultures. I thought a lot about the high fantasy of Conan the Barbarian, and the way those cultures are portrayed, and concocted the Yautja.”

After he was cast in the film, Schuster-Koloamatangi immersed himself in the Predator Universe and had many conversations with Trachtenberg about how to create a Predator unlike anything audiences have ever seen onscreen before. “Dan gave me a lot of freedom, and he put a lot of trust in me as a performer to bring this character to life,” he said. “It was about homing in on who this particular Yautja was, because he’s such a unique character, and it’s a unique story that we’re trying to tell. It was fun trying to figure out who Dek was.”

Trachtenberg, for one, can’t wait for audiences to meet Dek.

“I would say Prey is to The Terminator what Badlands is to T2,” Trachtenberg said, referencing two of Disney Legend James Cameron’s iconic films. “This is a real, giant, visceral thrill ride, but it also has an enormous, heaping dose of heart and emotionality.”

Predator: Badlands opens exclusively in theaters on Friday, November 7, in IMAX^®, Dolby^® Cinema, RealD (3D), Cinemark XD, 4DX, ScreenX, and premium screens. The previous films in the franchise — from 1987’s Predator to 2025’s Predator: Killer of Killers — are now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for U.S. bundle subscribers.

On Friday, 20th Century Studios’ Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, starring Jeremy Allen White as the iconic rockstar Bruce Springsteen, hits theaters.

The film chronicles the making of Springsteen’s 1982 Nebraska album. Recorded on a 4-track recorder in Springsteen’s New Jersey bedroom, the album marked a pivotal time in his life and is considered one of his most enduring works — a raw, haunted acoustic record populated by lost souls searching for a reason to believe.

When producers Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Eric Robinson set out to adapt Warren Zanes’ acclaimed book Deliver Me from Nowhere into a feature film, their goal was clear: “The idea wasn’t to do a Springsteen documentary, which has been done beautifully before, but to make a narrative film about this specific period,” Goldsmith-Vein said.

Getting the Band Together

The search for a director led them to Scott Cooper, whose previous work had already demonstrated his ability to handle key themes — which Springsteen himself was looking for — with authenticity.

“I’d seen Crazy Heart, so I knew Scott knew how to handle music in a film. I’d seen Out of the Furnace, so I knew he could capture the blue-collar life and had real feel for it,” Springsteen said. “He also knew he wasn’t making a biopic, but a character-driven drama with some music… Outside of being a lovely man and an amazing director, he felt like the right guy for the job.”

For Cooper, the project was about stripping away the mythology.

“This isn’t about ‘The Boss,’ the icon. It’s about Bruce — alone, at a crossroads, staring inward,” Cooper explained. “For me, this isn’t a film about mimicry. It’s a film about finding the essence of who Bruce is because there’s only one Bruce Springsteen. I wanted to fully immerse the viewers in the intimate experience of how these now iconic songs came to be.”

That begged an important question: which actor would be able to embody the essence of a rock ‘n’ roll legend?

The filmmakers, and Springsteen himself — quickly had one person in mind: Jeremy Allen White, the Emmy® Award winning star of FX’s The Bear.

“It wasn’t an immediate ‘yes’ for me,” White admitted. “Not because it wasn’t exciting, but because it’s Bruce.“

However, when Cooper informed White that Springsteen himself wanted him for the role, the actor moved past any trepidations and dove head-first into the part. And the casting paid off, as White’s performance invites audiences into the heart and mind of a legendary musician.

“Jeremy didn’t try to do any sort of impression; he simply inhabited my inner life,” Springsteen said. “The camera picked up on those complexities and that was essential in making the character completely believable. That’s where he’s performing his magic from, and he just did a beautiful job of it.”

White’s preparation was intense. Prior to signing onto the film, he had little experience singing or playing guitar.

“I at least needed to get to the place where I could feel as comfortable and as natural as possible, because Bruce is at his most comfortable when he’s got a guitar in his hands,” White said.

All of White’s singing was recorded live, including “Born in the U.S.A.,” filmed at the Power Station — the same studio where Springsteen and the E Street Band recorded Nebraska in January 1982.

Cooper described the scene as “as electric and spine tingling a moment as I’ve ever had in my life.”

Bruce Springsteen’s Personal Touch

Springsteen and his longtime manager Jon Landau — who is portrayed by Academy Award® nominee Jeremy Strong in the film — were deeply involved throughout the script’s development.

Cooper recalled, “Both Jon and Bruce were remarkably generous throughout the script’s development — offering insights, some never before shared — knowing I was striving for authenticity at every step. They weighed in on everything from production design to costuming, down to the smallest details. I also turned to them during casting, ensuring every choice felt true to the world we were creating.”

Landau’s trust in Cooper was significant: “Jon Landau actually said to me, ‘Scott, this is the first time in 50 years that Bruce has ever handed the wheel over to somebody else.’”

Starring Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is written for the screen and directed by Scott Cooper, based on the book Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes. The film also features Jeremy Strong as Springsteen’s long-time confidant and manager, Jon Landau; Paul Walter Hauser as guitar tech Mike Batlan; Stephen Graham as Springsteen’s father, Doug; Odessa Young as Faye; Gaby Hoffman as Springsteen’s mom, Adele; Marc Maron as Chuck Plotkin; and David Krumholtz as Columbia executive Al Teller. Arriving only in theaters October 24, 2025, the film is produced by Cooper, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Eric Robinson, and Scott Stuber. Tracey Landon, Jon Vein, and Zanes executive produce.

From 20th Century Studios and Lightstorm Entertainment, Disney Legend James Cameron‘s Avatar: The Way of Water — the Academy Award-winning box office phenomenon that grossed more than $2.3 billion globally — will be re-released in 3D exclusively in theaters starting Friday, October 3, for a one-week special engagement.

The idea to re-release the visually striking and emotionally resonant film came from Cameron himself. “I brought the idea up,” Cameron said. “We did it successfully with the first film [2009’s Avatar] coming out right before The Way of Water. It reminded people about the world and what they loved about an Avatar film, so why not just do that again?”

Cameron said he’s excited to give audiences around the world “a rare opportunity” to revisit the world of Pandora before the December 19, 2025, release of Avatar: Fire and Ash.

“I don’t want to convey the message that you need to see The Way of Water in order to understand Fire and Ash. Fire and Ash is a fully formed storytelling unit on its own; you don’t need to do your homework,” he said. “But if you want to experience it fully, absolutely go and see The Way of Water first. Take your friends, get them familiarized with what it is that moved you and makes you want to see Fire and Ash. It’s been a little under three years since [The Way of Water] has been available to see in a movie theater, in [Dolby] Atmos sound, in 3D, on the big screen. This is the kind of film that wants to be seen that way. Maybe someone who was a little too young to see it then can now see it for the first time.”

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water tells the story of the Sully family — from the trouble that trails them and the lengths they go to keep each other safe to the battles they fight to stay alive and the tragedies they overcome. Upon its release, the film was nominated for four Academy Awards^®, became the third highest-grossing film of all time worldwide, and also set a new standard for visual effects.

The film reaches new heights and explores the undiscovered depths of Pandora, led by returning stars Sam Worthington as Jake, Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri, Sigourney Weaver as Kiri, and Stephen Lang as Quaritch, with Cliff Curtis and Kate Winslet joining the cast as Tonowari and Ronal, respectively. The film also introduces Britain Dalton as Lo’ak, Jamie Flatters as Neteyam, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuk, Bailey Bass as Tsireya, and Jack Champion as Spider.

“It’s a grand adventure. It’s beautiful, it’s compelling, it’s heart-wrenching — it’s all those things we want from a movie. It’s a kind of mega experience,” Cameron said. “Somebody said to me that Avatar movies are like the circus coming to town; it doesn’t happen that often, and you want to participate. I thought, ‘Wow, that’s really cool.’ I love to be an artist and work with great artists to create something special that comes into people’s lives. The theatrical marketplace is very crowded… It’s hard to squeeze in time for a movie that was released three years ago, so this is a special opportunity. I hope people take advantage of it.”

With a laugh, Cameron added, “I’ll certainly go see it!”

When it comes to gripping espionage thrillers, Rami Malek has cracked the code.

As the star and producer of 20th Century Studios’ The Amateur (in theaters Friday), the Academy Award-winning actor wanted to put an unexpected twist on the genre. Audiences are used to seeing sleek, highly trained spies leap into action, but his character — unassuming, revenge-driven everyman Charlie Heller — is the polar opposite.

A brilliant but timid CIA decoder, Charlie doesn’t have any experience in the field. But when his wife (Emmy Award winner Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a London terrorist attack — and his supervisors refuse to take action — he takes matters into his own hands.

“Being underestimated is an element that delivers us some of the funniest moments in the film,” Malek explained. “I think that’s what so gratifying for the audience, that no one expects anything out of this human being and yet he outwits them moment to moment.”

As Charlie embarks on a dangerous global mission to track down those responsible for his wife’s death, he must also navigate grief while confronting a world far outside his expertise.

“He’s at least one step ahead, and if he’s not, he’s even more resourceful,” Malek said of his character. “It’s as if his brain operates on an exponentially higher level when he’s thrust into corners where really anyone might not be able to paint themselves out of. But it’s that element of surprise, it’s that element of perhaps people not being as aggressive as they would otherwise be in tracking down this individual. They lack belief in him and having someone lack of sense of belief in you can ultimately be one of your most powerful assets.”

James Hawes directs The Amateur from a screenplay by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli, based on the 1981 novel by Robert Littell. Malek — who produced the film with Hutch Parker, Dan Wilson, and Joel B. Michaels, with JJ Hook serving as an executive producer — said he was most interested in showing Charlie’s emotional journey in his quest to avenge his late wife.

“Once I connect with a certain idea — a piece of material, something that I find might challenge the way we look at human beings, look at ourselves, identify with characters in cinema, and [offer] a unique, fresh take on this genre — I thought it could be an extraordinary challenge,” Malek said.

In addition to Malek and Brosnahan, The Amateur also stars BAFTA winner Caitríona Balfe, Emmy Award winner Jon Bernthal, Golden Globe winner Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Emmy Award winner Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, and Danny Sapani, with Academy Award nominee Laurence Fishburne.

The Amateur is now playing exclusively in theaters nationwide.

Production is underway on 20th Century Studios’ Deliver Me from Nowhere, the eagerly anticipated movie adaptation of Warren Zanes’ fascinating telling of the making of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 “Nebraska” album. Slated for theaters in 2025, the film is written and directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Hostiles, Antlers, Black Mass) and stars Jeremy Allen White (The Bear, The Iron Claw, Shameless) as the visionary musician as he embarks on an emotional journey to record “Nebraska.”

“Beginning production on this film is an incredibly humbling and thrilling journey,” said Cooper. “Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska’ has profoundly shaped my artistic vision. The album’s raw, unvarnished portrayal of life’s trials and resilience resonates deeply with me. Our film aims to capture that same spirit, bringing Warren Zanes’ compelling narrative of Bruce’s life to the screen with authenticity and hope, honoring Bruce’s legacy in a transformative cinematic experience. It has been a great pleasure to collaborate with Bruce and Jon [Landau] as I tell their story, and their creative energy fuels every part of this journey. As well, I’m excited to reunite with my friend, David Greenbaum [president, Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios], as he embarks on his new role at Disney, adding another layer of inspiration to this project.”

White has won consecutive Golden Globe®, SAG, Critics’ Choice and Emmy® Awards in the past two years for his performance in FX’s hit series The Bear. Joining White in Deliver Me from Nowhere are a host of talented, award-winning performers.

• Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice, Succession), who’s an Emmy-, Golden Globe-, Critics’ Choice-, SAG Award®- and Tony®-winning actor, stars as Springsteen’s long-time mentor and manager, Jon Landau.
• Paul Walter Hauser (Black Bird, Richard Jewell) portrays guitar tech Mike Batlan.
• Odessa Young (Mothering Sunday, The Staircase) is young Faye, a formative love interest in Springsteen’s life.
• Sir Stephen Graham (Young Woman and the Sea, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) plays Springsteen’s father.
• Johnny Cannizzaro (Quantum Leap, Jersey Boys) joins the cast as The E Street Band member Stevie Van Zandt.

The development of “Nebraska,” which followed Springsteen’s 1981 “The River Tour,” marked a pivotal time in his life, one that he would only openly talk about decades after its release. It’s regarded as a landmark in his musical odyssey and a source of inspiration for a generation of artists and musicians. Recorded on a 4-track recorder in Springsteen’s New Jersey bedroom and without The E Street Band, “Nebraska” is considered one of Springsteen’s most enduring works—a raw, haunted acoustic record populated by lost souls searching for a reason to believe.

Among the most recognized South Jersey natives, Springsteen maintains a huge footprint at the Jersey Shore, frequenting local shops, pizza parlors, pubs, restaurants and music venues. Filming for Deliver Me from Nowhere will take place primarily in locations in New Jersey and New York, with additional production in Los Angeles.

Cooper produces with the Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein (The Maze Runner trilogy, Juror #2) and Eric Robinson (Kodachrome, Last Days), who developed the project with Cooper. Scott Stuber (Frankenstein, Ted, Safe House) also produces. Tracey Landon (Maestro, Amsterdam), who recently worked with Cooper on The Pale Blue Eye, and Warren Zanes are executive producing.

20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romuluswritten and directed by Fede Alvarez and produced by Ridley Scott — and available to purchase at digital retailers this week — takes the sci-fi/horror-thriller franchise back to its roots with a new group of space colonizers coming face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. The film — which opened at the top of the box office — also reaches new territory in The Walt Disney Company’s efforts to create more sustainable productions, part of its commitment to environmental sustainability in all facets of the company. Led by Green Eyes Consultancy, the Alien: Romulus production crew used a dedicated sustainability department to reduce their environmental impact via the use of innovative set construction materials, recycling and composting programs, and advanced technologies to reduce fuel use and emissions. 

How Alien: Romulus demonstrated sustainable filmmaking

Recyclable Paper Board Sets

Alien: Romulus was the first tentpole feature film for the industry to utilize sets constructed from recycled cardboard case material. The product performs like a conventional wood set — it can be painted, machined, have a structurally sound and strong build. The best part? Unlike a traditional set, these can be recycled, meaning the materials that were once the set of Alien: Romuluswere recycled and then made into sets.

Renewable Energy

The production crew of Alien: Romulus worked with Origo Studios to procure 100% renewable energy for all electricity used in the filming process — a first for a Disney production using a leased studio. In addition, emissions were further reduced through electric vehicles, LED set lighting, and smart power management systems, leading to overall reduced emissions.   

Reducing Landfill Waste

Aiming to reduce waste going to landfills, the production crew prioritized waste sorting, which is the process of separating waste based on its materials and recyclability. The crew collected and diverted from landfill 1739 kg of selected waste — nearly 3,839 pounds.A weekly newsletter educated crew on the importance of waste sorting, leading to a significant decrease in the amount of waste sent to landfill and increase in recycling by minimizing contamination.

“This is the first film where I actually noticed [sustainability]. I’ve noticed people doing their part,” Tom Moran, Executive Producer, said. “It’s more challenging, but I would love to live up to that challenge.” The sustainability efforts on Alien: Romulus will have far-reaching results that will benefit future productions. Disney aims to ensure that all productions are created in an environmentally responsible manner to help make positive progress in addressing collective impacts. 

To learn more about Disney’s commitment to the environment, visit Disney Planet Possible.

Alien: Romulus is now available to purchase at digital retailers (Amazon, Apple, Fandango At Home). The film also arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 3.

20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus — the latest chapter in the iconic Alien franchise — took the No. 1 spot with an estimated $41.8 million opening at the domestic box office this weekend, exceeding industry expectations.

This is the second biggest domestic opening in the current Alien series and the biggest opening of director Fede Alvarez’s career.

The film — which stars Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson — was also a global hit notching an estimated $109.9 million worldwide.

This weekend saw The Walt Disney Studios hold both the No. 1 and No. 2 spots domestically with Alien: Romulus and Deadpool & Wolverine.

Alien: Romulus — which takes place chronologically after 1979’s Alien which was directed by Ridley Scott — follows a young group of scavengers who come face-to-face with the most terrifying creature in the universe.

Scott acted as a producer on Romulus, and “he’s been a great partner at every level,” according to Alvarez.

“At the beginning, he was the first one to really pinpoint the things that were going to make this movie pop. And he was totally right,” Alvarez said. “So, he helped me to zero in on the elements that needed all of my attention.”

Alvarez — who also wrote the film with Rodo Sayagues — added that “the whole point of this movie was to take back Alien to the simplicity of the beginning of the franchise, where it was, above all things, a horror movie.”

The new film was also a hit with critics, as it is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Alien: Romulus caps off The Walt Disney Company’s strong summer at the box office with Disney releasing the No. 1 title for May, June, and July.

The Walt Disney Studios now account for an estimated 42% of the Domestic summer box office, having held the No. 1 spot for 8 of the 16 weekends.

That includes the highest grossing animated film of all time, Inside Out 2 ($1.626 billion at the box office globally), and the highest grossing R-rated film of all time, Deadpool & Wolverine ($1.143 billion at the box office globally).

On top of that, another film from a franchise formerly under the 21st Century Fox umbrella — May’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes — earned roughly $400 million at the global box office.

Alien: Romulus is yet another example of Disney’s unique ability to produce creative stories while crafting must-see theatrical events for a global audience.

The Alien franchise is one that has taken many twists and turns over the decades since the first chapter, Alien, was released in theaters in 1979.

“It went through many, many transformations and natural evolutions of a franchise,” Fede Alvarez, the writer and director of the latest installment, Alien: Romulus, said. “The whole point of this movie was to take back Alien to the simplicity of the beginning of the franchise, where it was, above all things, a horror movie.”

20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus, which opens in theaters Friday, follows a group of young space colonizers as they’re scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station. The group — played by a cast of exciting young stars like Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu — are attempting to make a quick score and be on their way within minutes, only to come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

Marrying the Old and New

In order to achieve the scariest atmosphere possible, Alvarez chose to emulate the original film in the series, which was directed by legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott.

To take the movie back to its horror roots, “We needed to make the film the way those first films were made,” Alvarez explained. “Those films were pre-digital effects.”

That means the baseline for the production process was practical and in-camera — just like the earlier films in the series. Sets and creatures were built so that the actors could feel the same terror on set that audiences would feel in theaters.

“That’s why we built everything on practical effects, animatronics, [and] miniatures for the spaceships, and combined them with the latest computer-generated work that the best companies like Industrial Light & Magic and WĒTĀ can provide,” Alvarez said. “I think it’s a marriage of the new things and the old things, the classic things that create a movie that looks modern.”

The Original Returns

“The best partner you can have for an Alien movie, obviously, is Ridley Scott,” Alvarez said.

And that’s just who Alvarez got. Scott — the director of the original film and producer and director on many of the subsequent films in the series — acts as a producer on the latest movie and was hands-on in giving Alvarez advice to strengthen the production.

“He’s been a great partner at every level,” Alvarez noted. “At the beginning, he was the first one to really pinpoint the things that we were going to make this movie pop. And he was totally right. So, he helped me to zero in on the elements that needed all of my attention.”

Scott was also on hand during the editing process to help “tighten up the pace, kick the tires, make sure that everything that was on the movie needed to say on the movie,” Alvarez said. “And he’s been a great advocate for the film since.”

Made for Theaters

Scott is a filmmaker with no shortage of box office hits, and — unlike many of the characters in the films — the iconic Alien film series is one of the highest-grossing science fiction horror franchises in box office history.

With all its real Xenomorphs and practical sets, Alien: Romulus is also made to be seen on as big a screen as possible.

Audiences will have the opportunity to experience Romulus in a variety of premium and large screen formats only available in theaters — everything from IMAX to XD to ScreenX to 4DX.

Alien: Romulus continues a string of major theatrical releases from The Walt Disney Company over the past few months, with hits like Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine (which both crossed $1 billion at the box office), and another film that reinvigorated a franchise formerly under the 21st Century Fox umbrella — Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which was May’s biggest release and ultimately earned nearly $400 million at the global box office.

Collectively these films showcase the company’s ability to produce and market theatrical films in innovative ways — like seeing apes riding horseback along the beach or facehuggers strewn across attendees of San Diego Comic-Con — that drive awareness to large swaths of moviegoers.

Unlike the original film’s famous tagline, when fans see this new horror film in theaters, other viewers will be able to hear them scream.

A new Kingdom reigned over the box office this weekend.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes — the latest chapter in the iconic Planet of the Apes franchise — took the No. 1 spot with an estimated $58.5 million opening at the domestic box office this weekend, exceeding industry expectations.

This is the seco^nd biggest domestic opening in the current Apes series and the biggest opening of director Wes Ball’s career.

The film — which stars Freya Allan, Owen Teague, and Kevin Durand — was a hit around the world notching $131.2 million worldwide for its debut.

“It is a great result – a testament to the quality of the movie, the love and affinity for the franchise and it is a great way to kick-start the summer box office,” commented Tony Chambers, EVP of Theatrical Distribution.

Kingdom follows three groundbreaking films (2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes), which have brought in a combined $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office. It also acts as a “kind of a prequel and a sequel” in that it falls after the last three films, but before the events of the 1968 classic, according to Ball.

“We gave it a new spirit, a new character, a younger character, who’s going to rediscover a world with us as the audience,” Ball said.

The new film — which takes place many generations after War and tells the story of a young ape’s harrowing journey across a new empire — was also a hit with critics.

Kingdom is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with critics praising its innovative special effects, scale, and cinematic beauty while proclaiming it one of the best editions in the franchise.

“This movie is built for that great collective dream that we all enter when we go to a theater together. It’s meant to be big,” Ball said. “You want to immerse yourself in this world that is just incredibly rich and visual.”

20th Century Studios’ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes opens in theaters nationwide this weekend, and the film is already garnering rave reviews from critics.

Kingdom is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with critics praising its innovative special effects, scale, and cinematic beauty while proclaiming it one of the best editions in the iconic franchise.

The film — which brought in $6.6 million at the domestic box office in previews — takes place many generations after 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes and tells the story of a young ape’s harrowing journey across a new empire. It is the latest chapter in the Planet of the Apes franchise following three groundbreaking films, which have brought in a combined $1.6 billion globally.

“This movie is built for that great collective dream that we all enter when we go to a theater together. It’s meant to be big,” director Wes Ball said. “You want to immerse yourself in this world that is just incredibly rich and visual.”

Here is some of the praise that Kingdom has received:

“More groundbreaking than ever.” — USA Today

“Mixing action thrills and visual spectacle with a surprisingly thoughtful challenge to the belief that humanity is the exclusive domain of man, the films are among the increasingly rare summer blockbusters to combine brawn and brains… Director Wes Ball carries on that tradition in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.” — The Hollywood Reporter

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is such a rewardingly cerebral journey.” — IndieWire

“Best film of the franchise.” — Good Day New York

“Throughout these nail-biter cat-and-mouse sequences, immersive cinematographer Gyula Pados’ camerawork is impressive and spine-tinglingly exciting, crafting large-scaled action that is heart-poundingly tense, and more logically constructed than what we often see these days.” — RogerEbert.com“This lush, thrilling adventure demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.” — Slashfilm “It’s another worthy installment in a series that is pretty much unparalleled in contemporary times.” — Vanity Fair

In the final moments of 1968’s Planet of the Apes, Charlton Heston’s George Taylor slams his fists into the sands once he comes to the realization that the horrifying Planet of the Apes he landed on is, in fact, Earth. As waves crashed into Heston and the decaying ruins of the Statue of Liberty were slowly revealed, one of the most indelible images in cinema history was born.

That moment would not only stun audiences, but it would later leave a mark on a young Wes Ball — the director/producer of 20th Century Studios’ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which opens this weekend in theaters nationwide. (The film, which is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, will also be available in IMAX®, Dolby Cinema®, 4DX, ScreenX, and premium screens everywhere.)

“I had very early memories of watching the original 1968 movie on TV,” Ball said this week. “The images are kind of ingrained in my brain, so I was drawing on that a lot, making this movie.”

Kingdom is the latest chapter in the Planet of the Apes franchise following three groundbreaking films (2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes), which have brought in a combined $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office.

The new film takes place many generations after War and tells the story of a young ape’s harrowing journey across a new empire. Ball said that since the arc of Andy Serkis’ Caesar ended in the prior trilogy, Kingdom is a “kind of a prequel and a sequel” in that it falls after the last three films, but before the events of the 1968 classic.

“Following Caesar’s storyline, in which the character goes from Pinocchio in Rise to a Moses figure in War, we wanted to make a new chapter in this long legacy of Apes films,” Ball said. “We gave it a new spirit, a new character, a younger character, who’s going to rediscover a world with us as the audience.”

Despite the new Kingdom that Ball and crew are building, the film maintains many of the unique hallmarks of the prior Planet of the Apes films, including innovative special effects that bring the apes to life using performance capture technology.

It also uses technology to build a dilapidated post-apocalyptic world in which rusty ships have washed up on shore and skyscrapers have been engulfed by forests.

“This movie is built for that great collective dream that we all enter when we go to a theater together. It’s meant to be big,” Ball said. “You want to immerse yourself in this world that is just incredibly rich and visual.”

But the Planet of the Apes franchise is more than just effects and world building, it’s a story that holds “a mirror to ourselves and reminds us of what it means to be humans,” according to Ball.

“You see humanity, even though they’re apes,” he said. “There’s plenty of stuff that I think will resonate with audiences about the world today. But we hope audiences just have a great adventure with these new characters and that Kingdom continues this legacy of films that have been iconic for the last 55 years.”

20th Century Studios’ The Creator, now in theaters, is an epic sci-fi action thriller set amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence (AI). Directed, produced, and co-written (with Chris Weitz) by acclaimed filmmaker Gareth Edwards, the story is eerily prescient in that it grapples with questions about what it means to be human, whether humans should embrace or fear AI, and whether the two can coexist. “I’ve always been interested in those sorts of questions,” Edwards says. “My favorite science fiction films always have meat on the bone. The genre takes in aspects of the world and twists them slightly, and so it certainly makes you question all your beliefs and previous assumptions.”

The Creator is set in the year 2070, after AI has decimated the city of Los Angeles. Western governments respond by wholly banning AI, while Eastern nations continue to develop the technology to the point where robots have become sentient and embraced as equals. The story picks up when Joshua (John David Washington), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving his missing wife, Maya (Gemma Chan), is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who created a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war—and mankind itself. Joshua and his team of elite operatives cross enemy lines, into the AI-occupied territory, only to discover that the world-ending weapon he’s been instructed to destroy is AI in the form of a child, Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles).

To bring Edwards’ vision of the future to life, the production traveled more than 10,000 miles to 80 different locations across Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, the U.K., and the U.S. “I wanted it to feel as realistic as possible—not use green screen, not use motion capture suits, but go to real villages and temples all around the world and shoot the actual journey the characters go on,” Edwards says. “When you do that, you don’t want to delete everything you’re seeing, because it’s so rich, beautiful, interesting, and sort of alien, in a way. You want to let the world into the shots. Something I learned from [Disney Legend] George Lucas is that you want to change about 25% at most and let the rest stay as is. We tried to keep the sets open as well; we didn’t close the roads or the beaches. We let villagers come and go. It’s not a documentary, but it has a naturalism to it.”

Rather than design the film up front, Edwards­—who spent the first decade of his career as a visual effects artist—took the unconventional approach of saving the post-production design work until after filming had wrapped. “It’s actually way easier to do it backwards,” Edwards explains. “Here’s my bad analogy: People normally make a film by painting a target on a wall. Then, they stand back with a bow and arrow and try to hit a bullseye—and they usually miss. What I was trying to do was stand back, fire an arrow at a wall, and wherever it hit, paint a bullseye around that and make it look perfect. To do that, we shot lots and lots of material. The first cut was about five hours, but then we could edit the movie without caring about the effects or the design. It allowed us to see the most beautiful things that worked the best. Once you’re there, you can start to design the film.”

Admittedly, after Edwards finished directing Lucasfilm’s Rogue One: A Story Wars Story (2016), he became “kind of obsessed with camera technology”—and that obsession led him and director of photography Greig Fraser to develop a revolutionary lightweight camera system for The Creator that has multiple configurations, allowing them to shoot on the go and still deliver a high-resolution image. “This camera can shoot at 12,800 ISO, so you can see in moonlight,” Edwards says. “With a camera this sensitive, you can use very small lights to light your scenes.” This meant the LED lights didn’t need to be affixed to giant, heavy equipment that often required hours to set up and later rearrange. Instead, the best boy would simply hold the light on a pole (much like a sound recordist would hold a microphone)—and as the actors would move around, the lighting would instantly adapt. “We had to do a little test to prove it to the studio,” Edwards says, laughing, “because obviously it sounds a little crazy.” After Industrial Light & Magic polished Edwards’ test footage (“They were surprised by how efficient it is”), New Regency greenlit The Creator.

Edwards’ big bet paid off, with critics calling The Creator “breathtaking” (Forbes), “a masterpiece” (Screenrant), and “the best sci-fi film of the past decade” (ComicBook.com). With the film now playing in theaters, Edwards hopes it will inspire audiences to ask themselves the very same questions that inspired him to write and direct it. “I think we’ve all got it wrong. We spend 99% of our lives worrying about food and money and nonsense,” he says. “Now and again, you’ll have a drink with a friend, and you end up chatting about the universe. Films are great opportunities to take those really profound ideas and put them in a story in a way that won’t overwhelm you but will make you think.”

Today, 20th Century Studios releases A Haunting in Venice, an unsettling supernatural thriller based upon Agatha Christie’s novel Hallowe’en Party. It’s the third film in the $490 million film franchise that began with Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and continued with Death on the Nile (2022). Kenneth Branagh returns as director, producer, and star of the latest installment, from a screenplay by Michael Green. Set in eerie, post-World War II Italy on All Hallows’ Eve, A Haunting in Venice finds the renowned (but now retired) sleuth Hercule Poirot (Branagh) living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city. He reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying haunted palazzo—and when one of the guests is murdered, Poirot is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.

Like its predecessors, A Haunting in Venice boasts an all-star ensemble cast that includes Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Michelle Yeoh. James Prichard, chairman and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited and Christie’s great-grandson, returns as an executive producer—and in an exclusive interview, he discusses taking the film franchise in a bold new direction.

Hallowe’en Party was first published in 1969. What makes Agatha Christie’s stories so timeless—and what makes the Hercule Poirot stories so perfect for film adaptations?
James Prichard: I think it’s the stories. That’s the simple thing, really. She had this extraordinary genius for inventing plots. Great stories stand the test of time and they also work across different cultures and languages, which is why we have such a global presence.

A Haunting in Venice deviates from Hallowe’en Party more so than the previous film adaptations of her work. How did you ensure it retained the right tone and same spirit?
James: One of the great things about this project is that the team has been together for quite a long time. Michael has written all three scripts, Ken’s directed and starred in all three, and Steve Asbell [President, 20th Century Studios] has been involved in all three. There’s an awful lot of trust involved in that. When they came up with the idea of doing Hallowe’en Party—but doing it very differently by setting it in Venice rather than an English country village, doing some fairly radical things with the story, and adding in a horror layer—we were working from a basis of trust. Michael has earned our respect, and when he said he wanted to do a few things with the story, we let him get on with it. Having done two quite faithful adaptations of very big, famous Agatha Christie titles with Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, we wanted to try to do something different and surprise our audience—both with a story that maybe they don’t know as well, and also with a tone that might surprise them. There are nods to the horror genre in this film, but it’s still a murder mystery. It may borrow from other genres, but I think it’s all the better for it.

With the added horror element, A Haunting in Venice takes the franchise in a new direction. Why was that right approach, as opposed going more comedic, for example?
James: One of the things I’m quite clear on is that I know my place; I know my skill set and I know where I can add value and where I can’t. I know quite well that I don’t have a creative bone in my body, so when you come into creative conversations, I trust the people who do have the creative bones—like Michael and Ken. And they both felt the horror genre was the way to go. There are lighter, funnier moments in the film; I think one of the things my great-grandmother is underestimated for is the way she used humor. But it was Michael and Ken’s idea to lean into the horror here. If we get to make more films, we might lean into other things, but I think Michael and Ken came up with a very good idea.

This marks your third film with Kenneth and Michael based classic literary characters. How has their understanding of Hercule Poirot and Agatha’s writing evolved over time?
James: Through these films, both Ken and Michael have investigated Poirot way more than my great-grandmother did in the books. Perhaps most obviously, he gets his backstory at the beginning of Death on the Nile—his First World War experience and the genesis of his mustache. This film has a slightly different story arc for Poirot. He starts off in a bit of a depression, shut off from the world in his Palazzo in Venice with his bodyguards protecting him from everyone. Ariadne Oliver [Fey] bullies her way in to see him and into investigating the case. Through the torment and torture of the case—which involves him coming to terms with the possibility that there is a supernatural being, that there is something beyond even his capabilities and understanding—he reaches a different level of contentment with the world and finds an ability to engage with it again. That’s a fun adjunct to the murder mystery, which is the traditional purveyor of an Agatha Christie story.

From Murder on the Orient Express to A Haunting in Venice, you’ve assembled a murderer’s row of talent. Why do so many actors want to be part of this film franchise?
James: I think there’s a renewed seriousness in her works, and I think actors are pulled that way. I think one of the big attractions is Ken. He’s obviously a very well respected director, but I think he’s also a director who actors like working for—or with. As an actor himself, he understands actors, and he’s sympathetic to actors. With all three films, if you speak to the casts, they’ve all had a lot of fun. Ken has a big theatrical background, and he treats these casts much more like a theatrical troupe than film actors. Inside and outside of work, they all seem to have fun, and they play games. Ken creates a sense of teamwork. That’s why people enjoy the experience of working on these movies, as well as the movies themselves.

Agatha Christie wrote more than 30 novels featuring Hercule Poirot. Have you given any thought as to which story you might want to adapt next with Kenneth and Michael?
James: I’m careful here, because I’d hate to get ahead of myself or tempt the fates. But I would be remiss to not say that if Ken and 20th Century Studios want to make more films, we will very happily come along for the ride. There are, obviously, other “exotics” you could do; you could do Evil Under the Sun or Appointment with Death, with their glorious settings. But I wonder if it wouldn’t be quite fun to do a more traditional English murder mystery after having done something really unexpected and surprising with A Haunting in Venice.