AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH debuts on-top as we head into Christmas week, taking $85 million from 3,800 theatres for 20th Century Studios. It gets 67% on the Tomatometer. By contrast, 2022’s AVATAR: WAY OF WATER holds the highest opening weekend for the Franchise, with $134 million.

Faith film DAVID opens in second with $25 million from 3,118 theatres for Angel Studios, getting 67% on the Tomatometer.

Debuting in third is THE HOUSEMAID with $21 million from 3,015 theatres for Lionsgate/Cineplex Pictures. It gets 76% on the Tomatometer.

THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH OF SQUAREPANTS opens in fourth with $17 million from 3,557 theatres for Paramount Pictures, getting 87% on the Tomatometer. 2015’s THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER still has the highest opening for the Franchise, with $55 million back in 2015.

ZOOTOPIA 2 rounds this Top Five out with $15.1 million, a four week total of $283 million for Disney.

Is one of Cinema’s biggest breakout stars in 2025, a 71-year-old Canadian entrepreneur? Yes, you read right. Kevin O’Leary has come out of nowhere to surprise us all with a fantastic performance in buzzy Oscar contender MARTY SUPREME, as businessman Milton Rockwell! The Dragons’ Den and Shark Tank star makes a very natural transition to the big screen in Josh Safdie‘s latest, with a key role as husband to Gwyneth Paltrow‘s Kay Stone, while also seeing a lucrative business opportunity in Timothée Chalamet’s titular character.

O’Leary has been doing the rounds this week in support of the Christmas Day release, spotted a couple times already at new Yorkville hotspot, Powder Room, where he was spotted enjoying an intimate Nick Jonas performance.

We finally met O’Leary, who was so kind to stop for a snap before completing his rounds. A gentleman!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX®film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX® film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.

The Odyssey stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong’o, with Zendaya and Charlize Theron.

The Odyssey is produced by Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan for their company, Syncopy. The executive producer is Thomas Hayslip.

Genre: Mythic Action Epic

Cast: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong’o, with Zendaya and Charlize Theron

Written and Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Produced by: Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan

Executive Producer: Thomas Hayslip

Toronto has reached peak starpower in December, with legendary Lauryn Hill bringing her ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Tour to the City, as part of her Canadian tour. Not only did Toronto get two chances to see her this week, one show at The Mod Club and one at Massey Hall, she also announced a surprise Pop-Up at IT’S OK on Queen West, giving fans a chance to buy her merch and the rare opportunity to meet her.

Hill has been an important part of the soundtracks of our lives for those who grew-up during the late ’90s and early 2000s. She is an eight-time Grammy winner and her Music has opened doors for several female Artists who still to this day credit her as a visionary.

She literally is everything we could’ve imagined. While many joke about her operating in her own time zone (always late!), it should be remembered that she was so gracious and generous to those who were lucky enough to see her.

Highlights:

.. and this happened too! Hill shared our interaction with her followers! OMG. We will never stop talking about this!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Funnyman Matt Rogers can do no wrong! The Las Culturistas Co-Host brought back his Christmas special CHRISTMAS IN DECEMBER to Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall, filling the room and delivering the holiday cheer! Starting right at 8 PM sharp, Rogers delivered the laughs, but also the VOCALS, with a 17-song set that included material from his Christmas album HAVE YOU HEARD OF CHRISTMAS? and also covers including “No Good Deed” from Wicked and “All I Want for Christmas is You”. He even incorporated Taylor Swift’s “Elizabeth Taylor” into “Hottest Female in Whoville“. His Podcast Co-Host Bowen Yang even made an appearance on-stage.. via a cardboard cutout! Too fun!

Towards the end of the Show, Rogers made his way into the audience where we even got a moment with him! Over the moon about this!

The Show was recorded, so hopefully there will be a chance to see this online soon!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

By Mr. Will Wong

It was a complete massive takeover as AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH‘s Canadian Premiere took place at Toronto’s Scotiabank Theatre last night. Visionary Canadian FilmmakerJames Cameron got a hero’s welcome home, bringing along with him Avatar Franchise star Stephen Lang to walk the carpet. The theatre was decked-out for a fully immersive experience with displays, carpets, lighting, decals, props, and more. Lucky guests who got to see the Film first witnessed an introduction by Cameron and Lang. Canadian Actor Filip Geljo (Aonung) also was in-attendance.

This third Avatar film is poised to add to the historic Franchise’s record-setting success. To date, the previous films together have grossed $5.2 billion globally. In this installment, we see Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) cope with loss, yet also encountering a new aggressive Na’vi clan led by Varang (Oona Chaplin), plus the potential resurgence of former enemies, including Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang).

We had the absolute pleasure of chatting with both Lang and Cameron as they made their way down a super-sized press line, giving facetime to influencers and Media alike, showing grace and generosity with their time.

While brief, Justin Waldman and I got to chat with Lang who once again reprises his role as Quaritch and he speaks candidly about the process of performance capture – which he has now mastered – and also about his own experience with fatherhood, playing a father in the Film.

Cameron spoke about his experience being a Kapuskasing native and how that informs his filmmaking, what he loves about Toronto, and also the importance of seeing AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH in cinemas.

20th Century Studios Canada release AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH in theatres December 19, 2025.

Justin Waldman‘s review here. This Film must be witnessed for the spectacle alone!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Poised to be a global smash, we get a new look at upcoming Korean Rom-Com Series CAN THIS LOVE BE TRANSLATED? Coming to Netflix January 16, 2026.

ABOUT

Can This Love Be Translated? is a romantic comedy series, where an unexpected romance blossoms between multilingual translator Joo Ho-jin and global celebrity Cha Mu-hee. As their worlds intertwine, can they bridge the gap between language and emotion, unlocking each other’s hearts?

CAST:

Kim Seon-ho (When Life Gives You Tangerines, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Start-Up) stars as Ju Ho-jin, a multilingual translator fluent in English, Japanese, Italian, and more.

Go Youn-jung (Resident Playbook, Sweet Home, Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow) plays Cha Mu-hee, a Korean actress who became a global star through her role as a zombie character.

Sota Fukushi (As the Gods Will, Bleach, My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday) appears as Hiro Kurosawa, a Japanese actor who joins Mu-hee on a dating trip show.

Directed by: Yoo Young-eun

Written by: Hong Sisters (Hong Jung-eun, Hong Mi-ran)

Produced by: Imaginus, Triii Studio

Cast: Kim Seon-ho, Go Youn-jung, Sota Fukushi, Lee E-dam, Choi Woo-sung

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES starring Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon is in theatres May 8, 2026 via Amazon MGM Studios!

Also starring Hong Chau, Emma Thompson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein, Rhys Darby

Screenplay and screen story by Craig Mazin

Directed by Kyle Balda

Three of Barstool’s Top Sports Podcasts Will Be Available Only on Netflix Starting in Early 2026 – Pardon My Take, The Ryen Russillo Podcast, and Spittin Chiclets!

Netflix today announced a new multi-year partnership with Barstool Sports, bringing the video versions of three of their top sports podcasts to the streamer.

The agreement includes all new episodes from the podcast lineup, as well as select library episodes from each show. The audio versions of each podcast will remain widely available anywhere fans listen to podcasts.

Video podcast episodes will launch on Netflix in early 2026 in the US, with more markets to follow.
The podcasts joining Netflix in early 2026 include Pardon My Take, The Ryen Russillo Show, and Spittin Chiclets.

Dave Portnoy, Founder of Barstool Sports Quote: “We’re excited to partner with Netflix and hopefully bring new audiences to each platform.”

Lauren Smith, Netflix VP of Content Licensing and Programming Strategy Quote: “We’re thrilled to team up with Barstool Sports and bring their top video podcasts to Netflix. This partnership broadens how our members connect with Barstool’s leading sports voices and delivers exactly what our members crave: unfiltered commentary, sharp takes, and undeniable humor. We look forward to giving fans another exciting way to engage with the conversations they love on Netflix.”

Full Lineup:
Pardon My Take: The top-ranked sports podcast on Barstool, hosted by Big Cat and PFT Commenter, delivering their signature blend of sharp sports commentary and fan-favorite segments.

The Ryen Russillo Show: Host Ryen Russillo brings his acclaimed sports analysis and conversations with some of the most compelling voices in sports today.

Spittin’ Chiclets: Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette, and Rear Admiral break down the latest across the NHL, along with their trademark pop-culture insights.

Name a better duo than Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista! THE WRECKING CREW is coming to Prime Video Canada January 28, 2026.

Details:

Directed by | Ángel Manuel Soto

Written by | Jonathan Tropper

Produced by | Jeff Fierson, p.g.a., Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista, Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, p.g.a.

Starring | Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Claes Bang, Temuera Morrison, Jacob Batalon, Frankie Adams, Miyavi, With Stephen Root and Morena Baccarin

Synopsis | In this action comedy, two estranged half-brothers, Jonny (Jason Momoa) and James (Dave Bautista) are forced to reunite after their father’s mysterious death. As they set out to uncover the truth, buried secrets resurface and loyalties are tested, unveiling a conspiracy that can tear their family apart. Together, they are ready to WRECK anything that gets in their way. Set in the streets of Hawaii, the film is directed by Angel Manuel Soto (Blue Beetle) and also stars Claes Bang, Jacob Batalon, Stephen Root, and Morena Baccarin.

Run Time | 2 hours 2 minutes