‘Fantastic Four' Tops Box Office in Reset for Marvel Franchise
Adapted from the 1960s comic books of the same name, Fantastic Four stars Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby as superheroes seeking to prevent Galactus from destroying Earth. The picture, which has a retro look, scored strongly with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Industry tracker Boxoffice Pro had forecast sales of $115 million to $135 million.
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Fox News
12 minutes ago
- Fox News
New film company founded by tech industry veterans wants to make Hollywood pro-American again
A new film company with ties to the tech and defense world is on a mission to reignite patriotism in Hollywood. The backers of the new project, called Founders Films, believe there's a growing appetite among audiences for bold stories that inspire and celebrate the American spirit. But they say that content has become increasingly rare in mainstream entertainment. "Movies have become more ideological, more cautious, and less entertaining," the company wrote in a pitch to investors, first reported by Semafor. "Large segments of American and international viewers are underserved. Production costs have soared and sales are flagging." The new studio aims to fill that gap by producing a range of content — from historical dramas to big-budget blockbusters — that celebrates American greatness, ingenuity and heroism. The commercial success of films like "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Oppenheimer" and series such as "Yellowstone" show that audiences are hungry for these types of stories, sources close to the project told Fox News Digital. While "unapologetically pro-American," Founders Films stresses that its mission is not partisan. Rather, it wants to make compelling films with a broad appeal. The project is already attracting significant interest from investors and collaborators, the sources said. One project has already been sold to a major studio. The company hopes to produce its own films, collaborate with other production companies and finance the development of other projects that align with its mission. Proposed project ideas include a film dramatizing the evacuation of the World Trade Center on 9/11, a movie about the "botched withdrawal from Afghanistan" and a multi-season spy thriller exposing "China's plans to replace the United States as the dominant global power," according to the Semafor report. Founders Films' leadership team has ties to Palantir, a tech giant which builds defense software solutions for the U.S. military and Allied forces. One of the film company's co-founders is Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer at Palantir. Ryan Podolsky, an early Palantir employee and U.S. Marine veteran, also serves as co-founder and CEO of the film company, while investor Christian Garrett is the third co-founder. Sankar immigrated to the United States as a child after fleeing violence in Nigeria and has often spoken about his gratitude to the United States. In a blog post late last year, he outlined his vision for the new film project, saying Hollywood needs to return to the "American cinematic universe" that shaped his love for America. "I remember growing up as an immigrant kid at the end of the Cold War, watching movies like Red Dawn, Top Gun, Rocky IV, and The Hunt for Red October," he wrote in the December 2024 Substack post. "These movies were the pump-up material of Peak America. They were awesome, and they instilled a healthy aversion to ushanka-wearing commies, for good measures." Sankar called out Hollywood executives for being unwilling to criticize America's adversaries today out of fear doing so would hurt them financially. "America is in the middle of Cold War II against a communist enemy with more people, more money, and more military might than the Soviets ever had," he wrote in the post. "The CCP is playing a more careful game than the Kremlin, but as the Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Taiwanese know, it's no less tyrannical, even genocidal." "What is Hollywood doing to expose this new villain and inspire Americans? When was the last time you saw the CCP presented as a bad guy in a major motion picture, like the USSR? Cold War II is heating up, yet the American Cinematic Universe is AWOL. Worse than that, it's compromised by Chinese influence," he wrote. "Breaking out of our cultural malaise will require the studios to wake up and choose America," his post went on to say. "But it will also require a new crop of artists who are disenchanted with the status quo and who can re-enchant audiences with new, well-told stories."
Tom's Guide
41 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
When is 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' coming to streaming? Here's our best guess
"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" sees a new incarnation of Marvel's First Family making their big debut, and the MCU's final movie of 2025 seems to be another strong outing (after "Thunderbolts"). "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" takes us back in time to a retro-futuristic world, introducing us to the group — Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) — as they defend the Earth from a terrifying presence: Galactus (Ralph Ineson). The movie's already on its way to success: at the time of writing, it's bested James Gunn's "Superman," earning a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than the DCU summer blockbuster. And, given the amount of hype behind "Fantastic Four: First Steps," box office success seems bound to follow. If you can't make it to the movies to see the new "Fantastic Four" movie anytime soon, we don't currently have a "Fantastic Four: First Steps" streaming date just yet. That said, below I've made an educated guess at when the movie might be available to watch at home. At the time of writing, the only way to see "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is by heading to your nearest movie theater. It only hit the big screen on July 25 (or July 24, in the U.K.), and that's likely where it'll stay for some time. And before it makes its streaming debut, the "Fantastic Four's" new adventure will first hit premium video-on-demand (PVOD) storefronts like Amazon or Apple. Like I mentioned, we do not yet have a streaming release date for "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," but I have an idea of when the movie might land on Disney Plus. Right now, I'm predicting "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" will come to Disney Plus in (or around) October 29, 2025. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. That's based on the average length of time we've waited for recent Disney releases to come to Disney's streaming services. For example, Rami Malek thriller "The Amateur" recently came to Hulu (and Disney Plus, outside the US) 98 days after it hit the big screen. "Snow White," meanwhile, came to Disney Plus 83 days after it premiered, whilst "Captain America: Brave New World" landed on May 28, 104 days after it first hit theaters. Looking further back, we waited 97 days to stream "Mufasa: The Lion King," and 106 for "Moana 2". So, if we assume we'll wait around 90-100 days to stream "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" on Disney Plus, we arrive at that potential Disney Plus release date of Wednesday, October 29, 2025 (hence my guess above). Nothing official has been confirmed by Disney, though, and if this new Marvel release approaches "Deadpool & Wolverine" levels of box office success, there's every chance Disney might keep it in theaters a little longer. As soon as we get any official news or a confirmed "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" streaming date, we'll be sure to update this article. If you're looking for something to keep you entertained in the meantime, check out our round-up of the best movies on Disney Plus for plenty more top streaming recommendations. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Christina Applegate explains 'I don't enjoy living' comments after worried fans react
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Christina Applegate is clarifying recent comments that she made about struggling with her mental health amid her battle with multiple sclerosis (MS). During the June 4 episode of her "MeSsy" podcast, which she co-hosts with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, the 52-year-old "Dead to Me" actress shared that she was "in a depression." "Like a real, f--- it all depression where it's kind of scaring me a little bit because it feels really fatalistic. I'm trapped in this darkness right now that I haven't felt like... I don't even know how long, probably 20 something years," said Applegate, who first revealed her diagnosis with the chronic disease in 2021. "This is being really honest... I don't enjoy living. I don't enjoy it. I don't enjoy things anymore," she added. In the latest episode of the "MeSsy" podcast, Applegate reassured fans who were concerned about her well-being and said she was "very disturbed" by the "clickbait" about her remarks. CHRISTINA APPLEGATE ADDRESSES FUTURE AS AN ACTRESS AMID MS DIAGNOSIS "I'm good. Does that take a little bit of the pressure off of all of you? I'm good," Applegate said. "Let's address it," said Sigler, who is also battling MS. "We are going to address it," Applegate said. "I was talking about some dark stuff I was thinking and feeling." "This is our safe place to get those things out," she continued. "Because I feel that when we hold things in, we give them power. I also think that there's so much shame that a lot of people feel when they're going through mental health issues, and they call them issues." "I hate that," the actress added. "It's not mental issues. It's not a problem. It's a moment. It's a thought. It's a feeling. And when people hold those in because they're so afraid to say how they truly feel, we give it immense power." The "Married… with Children" alum said she believes "society has told us that we're supposed to be just f------ fine." "And I am not into that," Applegate said. "I am not a proponent of that kind of thing. I think that it's incredibly healing and important to be able to express the thoughts, whether that makes someone uncomfortable or not, to be able to say it." LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Following her remarks, the Emmy Award winner said she began receiving text messages from people who were worried about her and had to reassure them that she has "beautiful people around me and beautiful support systems." However, Applegate expressed her fear that the outpouring of concern might make others more reluctant to express their feelings. "By making such a big deal about it you're making other people think, 'Oh, s---, I can't talk about this.' And that is not OK with me," she said. "It's important to be able to say these things. And, no, I'm not sitting here on suicide watch, OK? I am not. Nor have I ever been." "I dare anyone to be diagnosed with MS or any kind of chronic illness that has taken who you were prior to that moment and go, 'This is great,'" she continued. "You know? No, you have moments of feeling, 'This is tiring and I don't wanna do this.' But you do it, and by having friends like you and my beautiful friends that I have saying this s--- out loud, it releases the pressure in the balloon." Applegate revealed her diagnosis on X, formerly Twitter, in 2021. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER "Hi friends. A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS," she wrote. "It's been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition," Applegate continued. "It's been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a--hole blocks it." In a separate post, she added, "As one of my friends that has MS said, 'We wake up and take the indicated action.' And that's what I do." In her first lengthy in-person interview since she found out about the illness, Applegate opened up about the "hell" she has been living in. "I live kind of in hell," she said during a "Good Morning America" interview in March. "I'm not out a lot, so this is a little difficult, just for my system. But of course, the support is wonderful, and I'm really grateful." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
