Much like how the character Jack Dawson proudly proclaims to be king of the world after boarding the Titanic, film director James Cameron could claim to be king of the box office. Cameron chooses to take a mellower approach, letting the numbers do the talking. His latest film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, hits theaters this Friday and is primed to break even more box office records.
According to the trade outlet, the latest installment in the long running Jurassic Park franchise has grossed over $850 million globally, while the Wicked sequel has made over $450 million to date. Of course, Variety notes, neither film's success rode solely on Bailey's shoulders. Both are sequels based on massively popular intellectual property. And both featured Bailey appearing alongside mega stars like Scarlett Johanssen and Ariana Grande. It's also worth noting that neither film was particularly well-received by critics.
Mitchell feels like a good choice for the part. His Broadway bonafides go back decades. Most notably, Mitchell wrote and originated the lead role in Hedwig And The Angry Inch , appearing in both the original off-Broadway production and the film adaptation . In the years since, he's taken roles on TV as Joe Exotic in Joe vs. Carol and in shows like City On Fire , , and .
Like its mischievous demigod protagonist, the Chinese animated fantasy film Ne Zha II has been a practically unstoppable force. Since its initial release in China, over Lunar New Year, the blockbuster has earned more than $2 billion worldwide. It's now the highest-grossing film of 2025, the highest-grossing animated film of all time, and the highest-grossing non-English-language film in history. The film has also been a magnet for conspiratorial chatter, with viewers and critics alike theorizing about the reasons for its box-office success.
In a year that's proven a bit soft at the box office, the biggest story (and just plain biggest film, period) is the monstrous power of " Ne Zha 2," a Chinese CGI animated feature that, during its theatrical release in January, utterly annihilated the likes of "Fantastic Four," "Superman," and even "A Minecraft Movie" to become the highest global earning film this year.
Like any good superhero, Ne Zha (pronounced "nuh jah") must balance his superpowers with super-size personal turmoil. Born human but juggling the unearthly abilities of both a god and a reincarnated demon, the animated preteen at the center of this summer's biggest blockbuster - one that in all likelihood you've never heard of - flies around courtesy of a red levitation ribbon while wearing a pair of flaming roller skates and armed with a fire-tipped spear and an earthquake-inducing Universe Ring.
