Disney and Pixar’s new film “Hoppers” is leading the North American box office with a strong debut, while Warner Bros.’ “The Bride!” is stumbling. Studio estimates on Sunday show “Hoppers” made $46 million in its first weekend domestically and $88 million globally after adding in international receipts. In the same weekend, “The Bride!” opened with about $7.3 million in North America and a total of $13.6 million globally, despite a big production budget. “Hoppers” is a boost for original Pixar movies after “Elio” failed to connect with audiences. Reviews and audience scores also favor “Hoppers.” Meanwhile “The Bride!” is collecting mixed reactions from audiences and critics.

Who says to beware the Ides of March? The upside of a prolonged Oscar race has meant some unexpected late drama. For months, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” sailed through awards season, picking up prize after prize. But the wins for “Sinners” and Michael B. Jordan at Sunday’s Actor Awards have given the Oscar race what Smoke or Stack might call fresh blood. An Academy Awards that had looked like a runaway might be a close call, after all.

After a near awards-season sweep by “One Battle After Another,” “Sinners” won best ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild’s 32nd Actor Awards on Sunday, setting up a potential nail-biter finale in two weeks at the Academy Awards. Michael B. Jordan won best male actor, upsetting the category favorite, Timothée Chalamet, and handing the 39-year-old Jordan the most significant prize of his acclaimed career. As expected, Jessie Buckley won best female actor for her performance in “Hamnet.” Sean Penn won best supporting male actor for “One Battle After Another” and Amy Madigan won best supporting female actor for “Weapons.” A month after her death,

It's a come-from-behind story fit for Hollywood itself. Skydance's unlikely triumph in the battle for Warner Bros. Discovery, sealed with Netflix's step back, is a win two decades in the making. When Skydance founder David Ellison created the company at the age of 23 two decades ago, it registered little more than a blip in an industry accustomed to rich newcomers trying to gain a place beneath the glow of Hollywood's lights. Its first feature was a flop. But, slowly and surely, it has churned out successes that have led to its place at the pinnacle of media power.

Paramount is set to buy Warner Bros. Discovery after Netflix dropped out of bidding, setting up another major Hollywood merger. On Thursday, Netflix said the price no longer makes financial sense. Paramount topped Netflix’s earlier offer and aims to buy the whole company. Executives say the deal will help them compete in streaming and create bigger movie and television libraries. Paramount is also targeting about $6 billion in savings through overlapping job cuts. Theater owners have warned about more consolidation under any new ownership of Warner Bros. Paramount's purchase isn't a sure thing — regulators have already started reviews, and plans for HBO Max and Paramount+ remain unclear.

Netflix is declining to raise its offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business in a stunning move that effectively puts Paramount in a position to take over its storied Hollywood rival. On Thursday, after Warner’s board announced that Skydance-owned Paramount’s offer was superior to the agreement it had previously struck with Netflix, the streaming giant said the new price that would be required to buy Warner would make it a deal that is “no longer financially attractive.” Unlike Netflix’s bid, Paramount wants all of Warner’s operations, including networks like CNN and Discovery. That would put CNN under the same roof as Paramount’s CBS and combine two of Hollywood’s last five remaining studios.

Warner Bros. Discovery said that Paramount has raised the price of its takeover offer to $31 per share, potentially setting the stage for a fresh bidding war with Netflix over the future of the Hollywood giant. The company previously offered $30 per share when it first went directly to Warner stakeholders with its all-cash, hostile bid in December — just days after Warner struck a deal to sell its studio and streaming business to Netflix for $27.75 per share. Beyond upping its proposed purchase price, Warner said Paramount had increased its regulatory termination fee to $7 billion. Paramount also agreed to move up a previously-promised “ticking fee” payable to shareholders.