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Forbes
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Disney's Controversial ‘Snow White' Is 2025's Biggest Critical Failure—So Far
The long-awaited live-action remake of Disney's classic 'Snow White' has been hailed by critics as the worst of 2025's widely released films so far after years of pre-premiere controversies that included racist backlash, concerns about the casting of dwarves and politically motivated criticism of its two leading ladies. Rachel Zegler stars in "Snow White." Disney 'Snow White,' which was released in 4,200 theaters in March, was reviewed favorably by only 39% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes. With more than 250 critics weighing in, the movie was called "contrived," "cheesy" and 'mediocre' on its way to becoming the worst reviewed of the year's biggest films so far. Despite the unfortunate claim to fame, "Snow White" has grossed $87.2 million to become the 11th highest-grossing film of the year as of June 30. 'Snow White' is one of five of the year's highest-grossing releases that received a positive rating from less than 60% of reviewers, as did 'A Working Man (47%), "A Minecraft Movie' (48%), "Captain America: Brave New World' (48%) and 'Karate Kid: Legends' (59%). Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here : Despite also being among the worst-reviewed films of the year, 'A Minecraft Movie' has made more than any other U.S. release. The film has grossed $423.9 million since April. Key Background Plans for a live-action remake of 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" were first reported almost a decade ago, and news broke in 2021 that Rachel Zegler, a Latina actress, would star as the title character. Since then, the film has been a hot bed of controversy. The decision to cast Zegler was met with immediate backlash online and racist comments about the decision to cast a person of color as the "fairest of them all.' Others were angered when Zegler called the original story, first told in a 1937 animated movie, "dated" and referred to the story's Prince Charming as a "stalker," vowing the new adaptation would take a 'different approach.' The inclusion of actress Gal Gadot as the film's Evil Queen was met with calls for a boycott over her pro-Israel stance. The actress is Israeli, served in the Israel Defense Forces and has publicly supported Israel since the start of the recent Israeli–Palestinian conflict in 2023. Zegler has been publicly pro-Palestinian rights. In 2022, the concept of the new 'Snow White' film was criticized by actor Peter Dinklage, who has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, when he questioned the need for dwarfs in a modern-day retelling of the story, calling the original 'backwards.' Other actors with dwarfism spoke up to express the opposite view, saying not casting dwarfs would be a "missed opportunity to make a movie with seven little people." Ultimately, the seven dwarves in the remake were created using CGI, instead of being played by actors. Gal Gadot in "Snow White." Disney 'You're progressive in one way but then you're still making that f—ing backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f— are you doing, man?' Dinklage said. 'Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soap box? I guess I'm not loud enough. I don't know which studio that is, but they were so proud of it. All love and respect to the actress and all the people who thought they were doing the right thing. But I'm just like, 'What are you doing?'' Tangent Supporters of President Donald Trump vowed to boycott 'Snow White' after Zegler spoke out against his election in 2024. Zegler posted on Instagram to say she hoped "Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace". She said his election would lead to "another four years of hatred." Trump supporters demanded Disney fire Zegler, including conservative media personality Megyn Kelly, who called Zegler "a pig." Zegler later apologized, saying, "I let my emotions get the best of me." Disney reportedly hired a social media guru to vet any further online posts from Zegler between the election and the film's March release. Further Reading Report the details...
Tom's Guide
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
5 best new movies to stream this weekend on Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock and more (June 28-29)
We're in the thick of summer now, and our favorite way to beat the heat is watching the latest movies across the best streaming services. Whether you're looking for an explosive action thriller or a haunting thriller, there's something for everyone's tastes on this list. Leading the pack this week is 'A Working Man" on MGM Plus, a Jason Statham-led action movie packed with all the familiar thrills you'd expect. For a more offbeat thriller, the Australian indie hit "In Vitro" just landed on paid video-on-demand platforms. Netflix also has a new documentary "Trainwreck: Poop Cruise," about a cruise from hell for those morbidly curious. Meanwhile, horror fans are eating good this week between "Nosferatu" arriving on Prime Video and the meditative horror movie "The Woman in the Yard" on Peacock. If you're looking to skip the search and find your next movie night pick, you're in the right spot. Here's our guide on the best new movies to watch this weekend. With a title like "Poop Cruise," Netflix's latest installment in its "Trainwreck" docuseries is bound to turn some heads (it certainly caught my attention when the trailer popped up on my Netflix account). What began as a four-day cruise from Texas to Mexico quickly spiraled into chaos for the more than 4,000 passengers and crew aboard when a fire crippled the ship's electrical systems. It left the ship adrift with no engine power, refrigeration, AC, or functioning toilets (in case you couldn't already guess from the voyage's infamous nickname). Over a harrowing four days stranded at sea, the passengers endured raw sewage seeping into the hallways and dripping down the walls, shortages of food and water, and tensions that erupted into full-blown brawls. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Watch it now on Netflix "A Working Man" just might be Jason Statham's Statham-iest film to date. It may lack some of the freshness of his previous outing with director David Ayer, last year's surprisingly charming "The Beekeeper," but fans of Statham's gritty, no-nonsense action hero persona will find much to enjoy. "A Working Man" sticks to a blueprint that fans of the genre will undoubtedly recognize. Statham stars as Levon Cade, a retired marine turned construction foreman. When a human trafficking ring kidnaps his boss's daughter (Arianna Rivas), he's forced to dust off his deadly set of skills for one last mission. His search pulls him into a dark criminal conspiracy, setting off a chain of events that puts his hard-earned new life at risk. Audiences have been far more enthusiastic about "A Working Man" than critics, likely because there's nothing quite like seeing Statham dismantle a Russian mafia militia with just his fists (oh, and a decorative ox skull he yanked off the wall). Watch it now on MGM Plus Director Jaume Collet-Serra, known for "The Shallows" and "House of Wax," brings his signature style of horror to "The Woman in the Yard" for a terrifying spin on the Boomer mantra, "Get off my lawn!" "Till" actress Danielle Deadwyler stars as Ramona, a mother of two who is grappling with grief and guilt after the sudden death of her husband. Since she lives in an isolated, half-renovated farmhouse, she's understandably alarmed when a mute woman covered head to toe in black appears in her yard. Especially when the stranger breaks her silence to deliver a chilling message: "Today's the day." This time around, the terror has a more psychological bent than Collet-Serra's previous films, delivering a slower, moodier descent into unraveling sanity. Each scare skillfully builds the film's central mystery for a payoff that feels as genuinely satisfying as it is haunting. Watch it now on Peacock Robert Eggers once again cements his status as a modern master of horror with "Nosferatu," a haunting reimagining of the 1922 silent classic inspired by Bram Stoker's "Dracula." While the storyline closely mirrors the original, Eggers injects his signature atmospheric dread and a streak of dark humor for a chilling experience that feels both timeless and uniquely his own. Set in the late 1830s, the film follows newlyweds Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) and Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) as they become wrapped up in a slow-burning nightmare. When Thomas travels to the foreboding estate of Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) in Transylvania for a business deal, eerie visions that have haunted Ellen since childhood begin to resurface. Though the villagers warn Thomas to keep his distance, he forges onward and discovers that Orlok is no mere recluse but rather something far more horrifying: a terrifying monster with its sights on Ellen's soul. Watch it now on Prime Video This Australian indie sci-fi thriller earned a rare 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with many highlighting how it winds up the tension with its unsettling score and precisely executed jolts. Set in a not-so-distant future ravaged by ecological collapse, "In Vitro" follows Layla (Talia Zucker) and her husband Jack (Ashley Zuckerman), who struggle to make a living on their remote cattle farm. To pull their family back from the brink of financial ruin, Jack turns to experimental animal breeding technology. Things grow tense between them as strange and unsettling events begin to haunt their property. But Layla only discovers the full extent of what horrors Jack has unleashed when a storm knocks out their power and releases his experiments. Buy or rent on Amazon or Apple
Tom's Guide
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
5 top new movies to stream this week on Netflix, Hulu, Peacock and more (June 24-30)
This week doesn't boast the strongest lineup for new movies, but that doesn't mean there aren't some worth checking out across the top streaming services. Whether you're into chilling horror or an explosive action thriller, there's a bit of something for every taste. The top new movie release is 'The Actor' on Hulu, a moody, surreal psychological drama about a 1950s New York performer who loses his memory after an assault and tries to rebuild his identity in a small Ohio town. Other notable picks include 'The Ritual,' arriving on premium video-on-demand (PVOD) streaming platforms, and 'A Working Man,' coming to MGM Plus, which sees Jason Statham trying to take down a dangerous criminal network. If you're after something new to watch over the next few days, you're in the right spot. And don't forget to check out our guide to the best TV news shows coming up this week, too. What was meant to be a luxurious four-day cruise from Galveston, Texas, to Cozumel, Mexico, quickly turned into a nightmare for the more than 4,000 passengers and crew aboard. An engine room fire damaged critical electrical cables, leaving the ship powerless with no engines, no refrigeration, no lights, no air conditioning, and most disastrously, no working toilets. As the days passed, untreated sewage began flooding the ship, food supplies started running low, and frustration boiled over into passenger unrest. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 'Trainwreck: Poop Cruise' is the latest entry in Netflix's 'Trainwreck' documentary series. This episode revisits the infamous 2013 Carnival Triumph disaster, where passengers were stranded at sea without power or plumbing, leading to unsanitary conditions and earning the event its nickname. Watch on Netflix from June 24 Following the surprising charm of last year's 'The Beekeeper,' Jason Statham teams up again with director David Ayer for 'A Working Man.' However, this new collaboration plays it much more straight, delivering a fairly conventional action thriller. That's where it loses some points. Still, if you enjoy the familiar formula of Statham's gritty heroes, this will hit the mark. 'A Working Man' follows Levon Cade, a hardworking construction foreman trying to move past his shadowy history as a decorated black ops operative. But when his employer's daughter is abducted by a human trafficking ring, Levon returns to his old, lethal ways. His quest to save her drags him back into a brutal criminal world and places his own family in danger. While critics were lukewarm on the movie, audiences responded far more positively, clearly enjoying the familiar thrills and Statham's intense presence. Watch on MGM Plus from June 26 'The Ritual' is probably one of the worst-reviewed movies of the year, currently holding a mere 6% on Rotten Tomatoes. I'm not surprised, given it stumbles for a few reasons, most notably its heavy reliance on familiar exorcism clichés that make the story feel predictable and somewhat flat. Even with big names like Al Pacino and Dan Stevens, the performances don't quite land. That said, user reviews suggest audiences found it more enjoyable than critics did. It's not a movie you need to completely avoid, but don't expect many scares, as it feels more like a dark thriller than a traditional horror flick. 'The Ritual' dramatizes the 1928 exorcism of Emma Schmidt (portrayed by Abigail Cowen), one of the most documented cases in U.S. history. Set in Earling, Iowa, the story follows two priests — Father Theophilus Riesinger (Pacino), a seasoned exorcist, and Father Joseph Steiger (Stevens), a younger priest grappling with his faith, as they perform a harrowing series of exorcisms to save Emma. In the end, this movie will likely appeal to those interested in its topic, but for others, it may fall short on delivering scares or entertainment. Buy or rent on Amazon from June 27 'The Woman in the Yard' is a movie I went into hoping for more than it delivered. But unfortunately, this Blumhouse effort doesn't quite live up to that standard. While it does offer a few genuinely unsettling moments, it mostly hovers around the 'average' rating. If you love horror, you'll probably still find something to like in this one, especially if you enjoyed both the film and book versions of 'The Woman in Black.' In 'The Woman in the Yard,' Danielle Deadwyler stars as Ramona, a grieving and physically injured mother coping with the loss of her husband after a serious car crash. Living in a remote farmhouse with her two children, Ramona's fragile hold on reality is tested when a mysterious woman clad in black suddenly appears on her front lawn. At first dismissed as a stranger in distress, the figure soon becomes a relentless and sinister presence, creeping ever closer to Ramona's home. Watch on Peacock from June 27 Duke Johnson proves himself to be a filmmaker with a distinct visual and creative sensibility, something that was already apparent in his collaboration with Charlie Kaufman on the Oscar-nominated 'Anomalisa.' With 'The Actor,' Johnson steps out on his own for his first solo live-action feature, adapting Donald Westlake's novel "Memory," which was written in the 1960s but only published decades later. That sense of temporal disorientation seeps into nearly every frame of the movie. Even if you're unfamiliar with the source material, Johnson's artistic touch is unmistakable. 'The Actor' centers on Paul Cole (André Holland), a New York actor who awakens with no memory in a small 1950s Midwestern town after a violent assault. Struggling to piece together his identity, he takes up work at a tannery and begins a tentative romance with local costume designer Edna (Gemma Chan) as fragments of his past gradually resurface. This psychological drama plays out like a haunting, noir-tinged identity mystery where no face or place feels quite real, and even Paul's own recollections are filtered through a dreamlike, stage-like aesthetic. Watch on Hulu from June 30
Forbes
29-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Jason Statham Hit ‘A Working Man' Gets Streaming Premiere Date On MGM+
Jason Statham in "A Working Man." Amazon/MGM Studios A Working Man — Jason Statham's hit crime thriller from his Beekeeper director David Ayer — is coming soon to streaming on MGM+. Rated R, A Working Man opened in theaters on March 28 before arriving on digital streaming via premium video on demand on April 15. The official summary of A Working Man reads, 'Levon Cade (Statham) left behind a decorated military career in the black ops to live a simple life working construction. But when his boss' daughter (Arianna Rivas), who is like family to him, is taken by human traffickers, his search to bring her home uncovers a world of corruption far greater than he ever could have imagined.' A Working Man also stars David Harbour, Michael Peña, Ilsa Gie and Jason Flemying. An Amazon/MGM Studios production, A Working Man will arrive on streaming on MGM+ on Thursday, June 26, according to When to Stream. MGM+ offers a single, ad-free package for $6.99 per month or $58.99 per year. Sylvester Stallone and director David Ayer co-wrote the screenplay for A Working Man, which is an adaptation of author Chuck Dixon's 2014 novel Levon's Trade. In an interview with Moviefone following the release of A Working Man in theaters, Ayer explained how influential Stallone was in his life and career and as such, how the script completed a full-circle moment. 'It is funny how life has these circles. As a kid I saw 'Rocky' and it made me want to work out and learn to box,' Ayer told Moviefone. 'But as a young writer, once I heard the story of how he had written the script and been so protective of it and ultimately got the film made the way he wanted on his terms, that inspired me to do the same thing with Training Day, which came together like a dream for me.' Ayer added that when he had the chance to work with Stallone on what became the final script for A Working Man, 'it just made a lot of sense.' 'I mean, here's this '80s action icon, this legend who really understands action. So, the script had a great starting point for me,' Ayer told Moviefone. 'Then to bring Jason Statham into that, who is really the inheritor of that action tradition from the '80s and '90s. I mean, you just don't have icons like that in the action space like Jason. So, it just felt like a great team-up.' A Working Man made $37 million in North American theaters and $61.6 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $98.6 million against a $40 million production budget before prints and advertising, per The Numbers. A Working Man debuts on streaming video on demand on MGM+ on June 26.
Metro
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
'Absurd' Amazon Prime thriller hits number 1 with viewers stopping weekend plans
It's Spring Bank Holiday weekend – but Amazon Prime Video subscribers are staying indoors to watch an 'absurd' thriller movie instead. A Working Man, which was co-written by none other than Sylvester Stallone, stars Jason Statham and Stranger Things actor David Harbour. The film follows Statham, 57, as his character Levon Cade, an ex-Royal Marines commando who is called back into action when his boss' daughter Jenny (Arianna Rivas) is kidnapped. From there, Cade – who had been working in construction after retiring from the Marines – is pulled back into his former life to confront the Russian mafia and save Jenny. A Working Man is directed by David Ayer, known for his work on the 2014 Brad Pitt war film Fury and the 2016 version of Suicide Squad, starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie. And it seems movie fans can't get enough of the Statham-lead action, with Amazon Prime Video subscribers apparently abandoning their Bank Holiday weekend plans. On X, @AKlay19 called A Working Man 'exactly what you'd expect a Jason Statham movie to be,' adding that it's 'a hard-hitting action flick that is quite fun when it leans into its absurdity'. @YoakoJono admitted the film was 'more of the same' from Statham and Stallone but qualified that, adding that 'these types of films are always entertaining'. Elsewhere, @IAmKalki13 said: '[A Working Man is a] typical Jason Statham style fast paced action thriller. No dull moments – an easy, entertaining watch!' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The film has soared to number one in the UK trending charts on Amazon Prime Video this weekend, ahead of new releases like the Minecraft Movie, Becoming Lez Zeppelin, and Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel. However, the film wasn't well-received by critics at the time of its release in March, with its Rotten Tomatoes rating currently sitting at just 49% based on 150 reviews. And on X, @CinemaAdictosss reflected its mixed reception: 'Well, it's another one of Statham's revenge films… Another one for the collection, but this one is very forgettable.' With that said, ordinary folk who watched the movie have put its Rotten Tomatoes audience rating at a much healthier 87% based on more than 2,500 ratings. Matt J said: 'It's a Jason Statham film, and it's exactly what one would expect…. High body count and lots of action with a decent 'save the girl' story.' A Working Man also stars Jason Flemyng as Russian mafia captain Wolo Kolisynk, Merab Ninidze as Yuri, and Michael Pena as Joe, Cade's boss and Jenny's father. More Trending Stranger Things star David Harbour plays a character named Gunny Lefferty, who is listed in the cast as Cade's best friend and an ex-Royal Marine himself. The success of A Working Man on Amazon Prime Video has come not long after the Prime Video release of Statham's shark-battling movie The Meg. Released in 2018, The Meg followed rescue diver Jonas Taylor as he leads a group of scientists on a rescue mission in the Pacific Ocean, as they encounter a terrifying 75-ft megalodon. Watch A Working Man on Amazon Prime Video. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
