The animated feature Super Mario Galaxy Movie, a co-production between Illumination, Nintendo, and Universal, has become the first film project to cross the $1 billion milestone worldwide in 2026. The movie achieved this historic result during its tenth weekend in theaters.
Toy manufacturer Hasbro has announced the creation of Sixth Wall, an independent AI studio. The primary objective of the new division is to protect the company’s intellectual property from hundreds of thousands of unauthorized generations on third-party AI platforms, while providing partners with official, “verified” digital twins of iconic characters for integration into new interactive formats.
Thailand is entering the global race to become Asia’s premier media hub. The country’s Creative Economy Agency (CEA), in partnership with the Department of International Trade Promotion, has announced the launch of the Bangkok International Content Market 2026 (BICM 2026)—the kingdom’s first-ever international B2B platform dedicated to the sale and co-production of films, series, and animation.
The US box office has been gripped by a veritable “horror fever,” with three genre titles simultaneously topping the domestic charts at the height of the summer season. Leading the weekend was Paramount and Miramax’s comedic parody Scary Movie 6, which raked in an impressive $55 million during its debut.
Streaming platform Netflix has announced the global launch of a new thematic section entitled “Watch Your Favorite Books.” This interactive hub was created specifically for the book community, inspired by the immense popularity of literary adaptations on the platform.
The phenomenon of viral internet content continues to rewrite the rules of the Hollywood business. Director Kane Parsons’ thriller The Backrooms has crossed the historic $100 million milestone at the domestic box office (US and Canada), becoming the first film in A24’s history to reach this mark—achieving it in just six days.
Iconic Hollywood director Martin Scorsese has joined the development team at generative AI startup Black Forest Labs as a creative advisor.
Large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Claude are increasingly being utilized by audiences as personalized guides for media content.
Over the next decade, the streaming platform Freely is well-positioned to become the UK’s primary free-to-air television service.
A wave of IT and YouTube nostalgia has swept the global box office, turning into a massively successful business case. Director Kane Parsons’ thriller The Backrooms, which evolved from a viral internet phenomenon, made a triumphant international debut, grossing $118 million in its opening weekend.
