Film distributors and exhibitors would love to tell you that theaters are being killed by streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. But yet, here we are at the end of 2018, and all signs point to the fact that not only is the streaming space thriving, but so are the multiplexes.

According to a new report from comScore (via Deadline), 2018 is yet another record-breaking year (at least financially) for the film industry.

Continue reading Worldwide Box Office Reached New Heights In 2018 Thanks To Some Massive Domestic Hits at The Playlist.

When the first “Jurassic World” was announced, many assumed it would be the introduction of the dinosaurs from the original films to, you know, the world. What it ended up being is “Jurassic Park…Again.” Then when “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” was released earlier this year, fans thought that this was finally the time that dinosaurs begin to interact with the world. But, instead, what fans got was “Jurassic Mansion.” And now, with “Jurassic World 3” on the horizon, and the very end of ‘Fallen Kingdom’ showing that dinosaurs were finally interacting with the world, it wouldn’t be crazy to deduce that this is the film that shows dinosaurs in the city.

Continue reading Colin Trevorrow Says ‘Jurassic World 3’ Will Not Include Dinosaurs Terrorizing Cities at The Playlist.

The Academy of Motion Pictures announced the 20 contenders in the running for the 2019 Visual Effects Oscar this afternoon. There were a few notable snubs among the submissions including “Venom,” “A Wrinkle in Time,” “The Meg” and “Rampage.”  Some of the surprise entries included “Isle of Dogs,” “Mary Poppins Returns” and “Incredibles 2.”

READ MORE: ‘Aquaman’ early reactions: ‘Avatar’ meets ‘Jupiter Ascending’

The full list of all 20 films still in the race are as follows:

“Ant-Man and the Wasp”
“Aquaman”
“Avengers: Infinity War”
“Black Panther”
“Bumblebee”
“Christopher Robin”
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”
“First Man”
“Incredibles 2”
“Isle of Dogs”
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”
“Mary Poppins Returns”
“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”
“Mortal Engines”
“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”
“Paddington 2”
“A Quiet Place”
“Ready Player One”
“Solo: A Star Wars Story”
“Welcome to Marwen”

The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the preliminary list of films eligible for further awards consideration.

Continue reading ‘Aquaman,’ ‘Black Panther’ & ‘First Man’ Among 20 Visual Effects Oscar Finalists at The Playlist.

***The following contains MINOR SPOILERS for “The Predator,” “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” and “Alien: Covenant.”***

There’s a scene midway through Shane Black’s “The Predator” where a government agent named Traeger (Sterling K. Brown) explains to biologist Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn) that the titular creatures have been visiting Earth more frequently because they smell blood in the water.

Continue reading The Messy Nihilism And Shared DNA Of ‘The Predator,’ ‘Alien: Covenant,’ & ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ at The Playlist.

As this weekend approached, box office analysts predicted that the #1 spot would be a battle between the animated threequel “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” and Dwayne Johnson’s “Die Hard” knock-off, “Skyscraper.” While ‘Hotel Transylvania’ did what was expected, “Skyscraper” ended up burning to the ground, so to speak.

Coming in at #1, surprising no one, is ‘Hotel Transylvania 3,’ with a weekend total of $44.1 million.

Continue reading ‘Hotel Transylvania 3’ Wins The Weekend As ‘Skyscraper’ Crumbles At The Box Office at The Playlist.

Perhaps one of the most underrated aspects of Marvel Studios’ dominance at the box office is their uncanny ability to have sequels outperform the previous films. Unless it’s a rare exception, common sense would dictate that a sequel will do less than its predecessor. But when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’re almost guaranteed a higher opening weekend with each subsequent film.

So, it’s no surprise that this weekend’s first weekend total for “Ant-Man and the Wasp” performed far better than the first “Ant-Man” back in 2015.

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp’ Scores A Giant-Sized Opening Weekend at The Playlist.

In the wild and crazy summer months of box office reporting, there are actually weekends that can be labeled as boring and predictable. This weekend surely is one of those times. Not only did the films in the top 10 all fall where anticipated, but there really weren’t any surprising numbers at all.

For the second weekend in a row, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” earned the #1 spot. This weekend the dino actioner pulled in an estimated $60 million, for an expected drop of -59.5% from its big opening.

Continue reading ‘Fallen Kingdom’ Continues To Dominate The Box Office As ‘Sicario 2’ And ‘Uncle Drew’ Beat Expectations at The Playlist.

The “Jurassic Park“/”Jurassic World” franchise is well-known for recycling beloved characters in its sequels. ‘The Lost World‘ saw the return of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) as a main character, and “Jurassic Park III” saw the return of Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) as a main character and Ellie (Laura Dern), for a brief cameo.

Continue reading Colin Trevorrow Hints At More Beloved Characters Returning In ‘Jurassic World 3’ at The Playlist.

“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” roared to a gargantuan $150 million debut this weekend. While that’s 28% down from the 2015’s massive $208.8M opening, it’s ultimately a small drop, plus that was the first ‘Jurassic’ film in nearly 15 years and nostalgia and anticipation for the film, much like the first “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was at a fever pitch. Nothing really outperforms the opening installment of a beloved franchise that’s returning decades later and ‘Fallen Kingdom’ held audiences fascination much more than many had expected.

Continue reading Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Roars To A Gigantic $150 Million Debut Weekend [Box Office] at The Playlist.

It’s the 25 year anniversary of “Jurassic Park.” And “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” has lumbered into theaters. But before hunkering down to revisit the original, or heading off to the theaters to marvel at the pure spectacle of the fifth installment, let’s revisit 2001’s “Jurassic Park III.”

READ MORE: ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’: The Franchise Erupts, But It’s Never Enough [Review]

Honest Trailers went to the lab and cooked up their take on the final film of the original trilogy.

Continue reading ‘Jurassic Park III’ Honest Trailer: The Movie That Left The Franchise Extinct at The Playlist.

Welcome to another edition of The Playlist Podcast, a discussion about film news and other film and television related items.

I’m joined as always by Playlist Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez to discuss “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” the fifth film in the “Jurassic Park” series and the immediate follow-up to the $1.67 billion-dollar grossing “Jurassic World.”

We start with some initial box office predictions for the latest dino adventure, which started rolling out overseas two weeks ago and has already amassed nearly $400 million.

Continue reading ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ & The Time For The Dinos… To End [Podcast] at The Playlist.

25 years ago, director Steven Speilberg invited us to take a tour of a theme park. But this wasn’t just any regular outing. It was “Jurassic Park,” the cinematic adaptation inspired by Michael Crichton‘s novel of the same name. Upon it’s 1993 release, the film was a huge success, critically and commercially. And with that great success, you would figure, why not revisit the film? Draw it out more, bring back the characters, make a whole new park.

Continue reading Here’s An Explanation Why No One Can Make A Worthy Sequel To ‘Jurassic Park’ at The Playlist.

Ready or not, the fifth entry in the “Jurassic Park” franchise, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” is set to hit theaters this week. With the first “Jurassic World” breaking records at the box office, many are predicting a huge weekend for the dinosaur epic. But ‘Fallen Kingdom’ wouldn’t have nearly as big of an opening if it was R-rated. So, Universal was smart enough to make sure director J.A.

Continue reading ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Deleted Scene Featured LGBTQ Character Discussing Her Sexuality at The Playlist.

2015’s “Jurassic World” featured an irresistible premise: the failed dinosaur theme park promised in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 original is finally realized, open and thriving. And the mega-popular, mega-profitable institution has become its own industrial complex fueling corporate greed, exploitation and the playing-with-fire dangers of genetic mutation. Though conceptually sound, the Colin Trevorrow-directed effort was a rather shabby effort at best, albeit one that surely pleased audience with its billion-dollar grosses.

Continue reading ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’: The Franchise Erupts, But It’s Never Enough [Review] at The Playlist.

If you were hoping that the early reviews for “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” would be a good barometer for the quality of the film, then you’re out of luck. The reviews that have been posted so far on Rotten Tomatoes range from solid to downright awful. As of this writing, the current Tomatometer score is at 67%, but that is changing by the second [editor’s update: it appears to be finalized at 70%].

Continue reading ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Early Reviews Range From Great To “Infuriating” at The Playlist.

It’s only June and already it feels like many of the hottest films of the summer have come and gone (in part becathe use blockbuster season is starting earlier and earlier each year). “Avengers: Infinity War,””Deadpool 2,” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story” have all debuted in theaters to varying levels of success, and before July hits with more Marvel, a “Mission: Impossible” sequel and Dwayne Johnson proving he can make any premise seem even remotely alluring due to his sheer level of charm, we have a month to explore a more eccentric variety of titles.

Continue reading 10 Movies To Watch In June at The Playlist.

Sure, it’s still April, but summer is almost here. At least the summer movie season, which starts extra early this year thanks to Marvel’s early release of “Avengers Infinity War”—yep, blockbusters are even encroaching into the spring because that precious release date real estate is getting harder and harder to find. And summer means blockbusters and huge tentpoles, but for the eclectic, omnivorous filmgoer, there’s a variety of high, low and in the middle art to take in.

Continue reading Summer Movie Preview: 36 Films Worth The Watch at The Playlist.

Filmmaker J.A. Bayona is making the leap from moderately-budgeted films to massive blockbusters this summer with the release of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” Previously, the director was best known for his films “A Monster Calls,” “The Orphanage,” and “The Impossible,” but now will have a (probable) billion-dollar film under his belt. And in a recent interview, a “Jurassic World” producer admits Bayona’s transition to blockbuster filmmaking could have happened sooner.

Continue reading Producer Admits That J.A. Bayona Was First Choice To Helm ‘Jurassic World’ Before Colin Trevorrow at The Playlist.

When “Jurassic World” came out in 2015, it became the 4th highest-grossing film of all time. Aside from the “Jurassic Park” franchise being revived, that meant we’d be getting a sequel. “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” is about to arrive in theaters and judging by the trailer, it appears darker than its predecessor. Also, Jeff Goldblum returns as Dr. Ian Maclolm which is promising.

Continue reading New ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Trailer Makes The Case For The Franchise To Beat Extinction at The Playlist.

As with most blockbusters these days that manage to make serious bank, studios are constantly thinking ahead for the future of the franchise and “Jurassic World” is no exception. After the 2015 reboot earned over $1 billion at the box office, expanding the world was a no brainer.

READ MORE: First Look At Jeff Goldblum In New Footage From ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’

In an interview with journalist Sebas Trebany, director Colin Trevorrow revealed that he’s specifically planned for more with the upcoming “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom“saying that “it’s designed for people  who want to know what’s going to happen next.” ‘Fallen Kingdom’s’ full tyrannosaurus-sized synopsis is below:

It’s been four years since theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment.

Continue reading ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Super Bowl Trailer: Isla Nubar Faces Extinction at The Playlist.

“Jurassic World” was a success at the box office and with fans, but if there was one complaint, it was that the storyline was pretty similar to the first movie. Similar, but missing one crucial element — the sometimes shirtless stammering of everyone’s favorite chaos theorist, Dr. Ian Malcolm.

READ MORE: First Look At Jeff Goldblum In New Footage From ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’

Thankfully, the powers that be have heard the call, and Jeff Goldblum will be donning his shades and returning to the prehistoric  mayhem in “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” In addition to Goldblum, Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and B.D.

Continue reading ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Trailer: Life Finds A Way at The Playlist.

The trailer for “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” was rumored to arrive last week, but nothing happened. However, it’ll unspool tomorrow and today Universal has released a behind-the-scenes teaser with tons of new footage that in some respects steals the thunder for Thursday’s clip. Or at least, reveals a lot of what we’ll see including the first footage of Jeff Goldblum’s return. Here’s the synopsis:

With all of the wonder, adventure and thrills synonymous with one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history, this all-new motion-picture event sees the return of favorite characters and dinosaurs—along with new breeds more awe-inspiring and terrifying than ever before.

Continue reading First Look At Jeff Goldblum In New Footage From ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ at The Playlist.

As certain corners of the internet call for the removal of Colin Trevorrow from “Star Wars: Episode IX” following the disastrous reviews for “The Book Of Henry,” Disney has about $1.6 billion reasons why they might want to keep him around. That was the worldwide haul for 2015’s “Jurassic World,” which of course has spurred a highly anticipated sequel, that’s in the hands of J.A.

Continue reading Poster & Title Revealed For ‘Jurassic World 2’ at The Playlist.