“Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” is dominating the box office in its opening weekend in North America. According to studio estimates on Sunday, it surpassed expectations earning $63 million in ticket sales over the weekend. This marks the biggest opening ever for the weekend after Thanksgiving and the largest for a PG-13 movie this year. “Zootopia 2" landed in second place with $43 million, followed by “Wicked: For Good” in third place. “Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution” and “Now You See Me: Now You Don't” rounded out the top five. With just a few weeks left in 2025, the domestic box office has just passed $8 billion.

Netflix has struck a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max. The $72 billion deal announced Friday would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the world’s biggest streaming services under the same ownership — and join Warner’s television and motion picture division, including DC Studios, with Netflix’s vast library and its production arm, which has released popular titles such as “Stranger Things” and “Squid Game.”

RoboCop has found a permanent home in Detroit — all 11 feet and 3,500 pounds of him. A statue of the crime-fighting movie character has been welcomed by fans since it began standing guard over Detroit Wednesday afternoon in the Motor City's Eastern Market area. Jim Toscano says streams of people have driven by his FREE AGE film production company where the bronze mold-cast statue is bolted into concrete. “RoboCop” developed a cult following after it hit theaters in 1987. It was set in a crime-ridden near-future Detroit. The city's homicide numbers have now dropped below mid-1960s levels, and the statue was erected without objection from city officials.

Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year featured a stage design resembling a giant PlayStation controller. This nod to Sony's console, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, highlights its cultural impact. From Hollywood films to music videos, PlayStation has transcended gaming. Sony's strategy involved targeting teens and young adults, making gaming cool and accessible. The PlayStation 2 became the bestselling console, while the PS4 stabilized the brand after a PS3 stumble. PlayStation's influence now extends to movies, TV shows, fashion, and even tattoos, reflecting its deep connection with fans.

“Zootopia 2" broke box office records with a massive Thanksgiving weekend opening. The Disney sequel earned $96 million in North America over the weekend and $156 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame. Since its Wednesday opening, it has made $556 million globally, making it the highest international opening for an animated movie. “Wicked: For Good” also performed well, earning $62.8 million domestically over the weekend. The two sequels made Thanksgiving weekend a bright spot in an otherwise challenging year for theaters. “Zootopia 2" arrives nearly a decade after the original, featuring a bunny cop voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin and a scheming fox voiced by Jason Bateman.

Universal Pictures' "Wicked: For Good" has taken the box office by storm, earning an estimated $150 million in North America and $226 million globally in its opening weekend. It's the biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical adaptation, surpassing the first film's $112 million launch, and the second biggest of the year. Released earlier this week, the film played in 4,115 North American locations by Friday, with IMAX showings contributing $15.5 million. Women made up 71% of ticket buyers. Directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Cynthia Ervio and Ariana Grande, the film's success is crucial for the exhibition industry as the year ends.

The third installment of the “Now You See Me” series has topped the North American box office, beating “The Running Man” this weekend. According to studio estimates Sunday, Lionsgate's “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” earned $21.3 million, while Paramount's “The Running Man” made $17 million. Including international sales, the worldwide opening for “Now You See Me” is estimated at $75.5 million. The film, directed by Ruben Fleischer, brings back the original cast and introduces new magicians. Reviews were mixed, but audiences were more positive. “The Running Man,” directed by Edgar Wright, also received mixed reviews and earned $28.2 million worldwide.

Pope Leo XIV has welcomed Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, Greta Gerwig and dozens of other Hollywood luminaries to a special Vatican audience. Leo encouraged the filmmakers and celebrities gathered in a frescoed Vatican audience hall to use their art to include marginal voices. He called film “a popular art in the noblest sense, intended for and accessible to all.” The encounter was organized by the Vatican’s culture ministry and follows on similar audiences Pope Francis had in recent years with artists and comedians. But it also seemed to have particular meaning for history’s first American pope, who grew up in Chicago in the heyday of Hollywood.