Laurence Phelan

Tom Holland is reportedly set to earn at least $100 million for starring in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, including a $20 million upfront fee and more than $80 million in box-office bonuses. The film has surpassed $2 billion globally in its third week, becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film ever and the second-fastest to reach that milestone. The payout marks a major increase from Holland’s reported earnings in earlier Spider-Man films and comes after a renegotiated contract. The film’s success is notable because Marvel and superhero movies had recently experienced declining box-office returns. Holland has also had a highly successful year with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and married Zendaya, his co-star in both films.

Nimrods is an amiable coming-of-age road comedy inspired by Green Day’s early touring years. It follows three 17-year-old Kansas City musicians who travel to Los Angeles after being tricked into believing they have been invited to open for Green Day. The film’s likable young cast, buoyant Green Day-heavy soundtrack and comic encounters make it enjoyable, although the script is unsophisticated and the music somewhat repetitive.

Sam Neill completed filming a role in the forthcoming live-action adaptation of Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda before his death from pneumonia at age 78. His character has not been disclosed, although fans have suggested he could play the King of Hyrule. Directed by Wes Ball and starring Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason as Link and Princess Zelda, the film is scheduled for release next May and will be the first movie adaptation of the long-running video game franchise. Neill also filmed roles in Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort, both due for release next year.

British film-maker Justin Hardy has died aged 61 after a heart attack, three weeks before the London premiere of Wrath of the Gods, the sequel he completed to his father Robin Hardy’s cult folk-horror films The Wicker Man and The Wicker Tree. Hardy’s family described him as energetic, creative and devoted, while his brother Dominic paid tribute to his commitment to original storytelling. Hardy directed 45 films and television productions and received a Bafta nomination for The Relief of Belsen. Wrath of the Gods, filmed in Shetland and starring Christiane Schaldemose, will premiere at FrightFest on 28 August.

Development of a Barbie sequel has stalled because Warner Bros. has not reached salary agreements with Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and director Greta Gerwig. Gosling is reportedly seeking $20 million, while the film rights will revert to Mattel if deals are not completed by December. Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have an idea for a sequel, but Mattel could pursue the project with another studio without the original film’s story elements or principal creative team. The impasse comes as Warner Bros. faces recent high-budget underperformance and other business difficulties.

George Lucas argues that resistance to artificial intelligence in filmmaking resembles opposition to the transition from horse-drawn vehicles to cars, calling AI the future and saying its adoption cannot be stopped. Gareth Edwards also supports generative AI, while Christopher Nolan criticizes the public’s rejection of “AI slop” and Steven Soderbergh remains uncertain about the technology’s long-term value. Lucas additionally objects to studios allowing audience testing and focus groups to dictate creative decisions.