Latest news with #DwayneJohnson
CNET
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
We Sure Watched a Lot of Old Netflix Hits in the First Half of the Year
Netflix released its biannual viewership report on Thursday ahead of its second-quarter earnings call. The findings represent engagement numbers for the first six months of 2025, which equate to about 99% of what was watched between January and June. The hit TV series Adolescence and the action film Back in Action, which starred Jamie Foxx (in his first on-screen role since his hospitalization) and Cameron Diaz, topped the charts. Surprisingly, some Netflix originals, released in 2023 and earlier, have shown staying power on the streaming service. TV shows Orange Is the New Black, Money Heist, Lucifer and Ozark clocked in over 100 million hours of viewing in the first half of the year, with fans binge-watching every season of each series. Stranger Things remains popular this year, too. Holiday action movie Red Notice -- which stars Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans -- and family films Leo and We Can Be Heroes charted more than 20 million views in the first half of the year. Talk about longevity. Netflix Netflix's earnings report shows a revenue jump of 16%. Considering the over 95 billion hours of content watched by the streamer's global audience throughout the first six months of the year, that growth makes sense. The company's investment in live programming has also paid off, with shows like WWE Raw drawing over 280 million viewing hours since its premiere in January. Their "local for local" strategy, which invests in creating content tailored to cultures and regions outside the US, has also been working. Ms. Rachel and Sirens have also scored big so far. Netflix More than one-third of viewership was tied to non-English-language titles, including the German film, Exterritorial. Nearly half of the 25 most-watched programs in the first half of 2025 were non-English, including Squid Game, which was the third-most-watched show.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
A real wag: Superman gets the bleak realities of dog ownership spot on
Superman might be one of the most confusing blockbuster films to hit the big screen this year. The tone, as you might expect from a goofball superhero movie that is plainly about the invasion of Gaza, is all over the shop. Too many characters contribute too little to the plot. There are moments when it feels like it was written specifically to provide work for the silly-glasses and ironic-haircut industries. It is a bit of a mess. But that said, one thing is demonstrably true: the dog is cool. As shown in the trailer, Krypto the superdog is Superman's secret weapon. A mile away from his last screen outing, where he was muscular and proud and voiced by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Superman's Krypto is scrappy and wild. He doesn't obey commands. He destroys whatever equipment is put in front of him. Whenever he may or may not save the day, it seems like he does it out of accident rather than design. And now everybody wants one. Research by the dog training app Woofz has shown that Google searches for 'adopt a dog near me' jumped 513% during Superman's opening weekend. What's more, searches for 'rescue dog adoption near me' rose by 163%, while 'adopt a puppy' rose by 31%. And these searches are specific, too. Krypto is apparently a schnauzer-terrier mix, and 'adopt a schnauzer' searches have risen by almost 300% since Superman's release. There are many potential reasons for this. Perhaps viewers who found themselves confused by Superman's swampy storytelling latched on to Krypto as a guidepoint. Perhaps they have short attention spans and fail to think things through, as with the boom of dalmatian sales (and subsequent boom in dalmatian abandonments) after 101 Dalmatians was released in 1996. Or perhaps it's because Superman is one of the rare films to get dog ownership exactly right. So often in Hollywood, dogs are either loyal companions or would-be therapists who teach their owners about the meaning of love. Think of Marley and Me, in which a dog helps Owen Wilson to love and then dies. Or Turner and Hooch, in which a dog helps Tom Hanks to love and then gets murdered. Or Old Yeller, in which a dog helps a boy to love and then the boy shoots it with a shotgun. Some mix the formula up a little – in The Call of the Wild a dog teaches Harrison Ford to love, and then Harrison Ford dies – but you get the gist. Meanwhile, Krypto is a bit of a dick. The first time we meet him, Superman has been beaten for the very first time. Bleeding and broken, as a last resort he calls on his faithful pup to help him to safety. In any other film, this is exactly what Krypto would have done. But here he leaps all over Superman instead, doing little but compounding his injuries. He's excited. He wants to help. But he's also a dog, so he's sort of useless. Winningly, there's no sentimental ending to his story, either. He doesn't ever really bond with Superman, and he definitely doesn't die. In the end (and this probably counts as a spoiler), Supergirl comes and picks him up, and Superman barely even notices. There's no growth. Nobody learns anything. It's sort of great. It's telling that Krypto was only written into the script after James Gunn adopted a dog of his own, named Ozu. Last year on Twitter, Gunn wrote that 'Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs and never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least. He immediately came in and destroyed our home, our shoes, our furniture – he even ate my laptop. It took a long time before he would even let us touch him. I remember thinking, 'Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?' – and thus Krypto came into the script.' And maybe that's the key here. There were no misty-eyed Marley and Me-style reminiscences about Ozu. Gunn was living through the incredibly annoying part of dog ownership where neither party fully trusts the other, and just lifted it wholesale into the script. And this realistic depiction has apparently translated to the hearts of Superman's audience, as we will soon see when thousands of schnauzers are definitely not abandoned at shelters four months from now.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
A real wag: Superman gets the bleak realities of dog ownership spot on
Superman might be one of the most confusing blockbuster films to hit the big screen this year. The tone, as you might expect from a goofball superhero movie that isplainly about the invasion of Gaza, is all over the shop. Too many characters contribute too little to the plot. There are moments when it feels like it was written specifically to provide work for the silly-glasses and ironic-haircut industries. It is a bit of a mess. But that said, one thing is demonstrably true: the dog is cool. As shown in the trailer, Krypto the superdog is Superman's secret weapon. A mile away from his last screen outing, where he was muscular and proud and voiced by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Superman's Krypto is scrappy and wild. He doesn't obey commands. He destroys whatever equipment is put in front of him. Whenever he may or may not save the day, it seems like he does it out of accident rather than design. And now everybody wants one. Research by the dog training app Woofz has shown that Google searches for 'adopt a dog near me' jumped 513% during Superman's opening weekend. What's more, searches for 'rescue dog adoption near me' rose by 163%, while 'adopt a puppy' rose by 31%. And these searches are specific, too. Krypto is apparently a schnauzer-terrier mix, and 'adopt a schnauzer' searches have risen by almost 300% since Superman's release. There are many potential reasons for this. Perhaps viewers who found themselves confused by Superman's swampy storytelling latched on to Krypto as a guidepoint. Perhaps they have short attention spans and fail to think things through, as with the boom of dalmatian sales (and subsequent boom in dalmatian abandonments) after 101 Dalmations was released in 1996. Or perhaps it's because Superman is one of the rare films to get dog ownership exactly right. So often in Hollywood, dogs are either loyal companions or would-be therapists who teach their owners about the meaning of love. Think of Marley and Me, in which a dog helps Owen Wilson to love and then dies. Or Turner and Hooch, in which a dog helps Tom Hanks to love and then gets murdered. Or Old Yeller, in which a dog helps a boy to love and then the boy shoots it with a shotgun. Some mix the formula up a little – in The Call of the Wild a dog teaches Harrison Ford to love, and then Harrison Ford dies – but you get the gist. Meanwhile, Krypto is a bit of a dick. The first time we meet him, Superman has been beaten for the very first time. Bleeding and broken, as a last resort he calls on his faithful pup to help him to safety. In any other film, this is exactly what Krypto would have done. But here he leaps all over Superman instead, doing little but compounding his injuries. He's excited. He wants to help. But he's also a dog, so he's sort of useless. Winningly, there's no sentimental ending to his story, either. He doesn't ever really bond with Superman, and he definitely doesn't die. In the end (and this probably counts as a spoiler), Supergirl comes and picks him up, and Superman barely even notices. There's no growth. Nobody learns anything. It's sort of great. It's telling that Krypto was only written into the script after James Gunn adopted a dog of his own, named Ozu. Last year on Twitter, Gunn wrote that 'Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs and never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least. He immediately came in and destroyed our home, our shoes, our furniture – he even ate my laptop. It took a long time before he would even let us touch him. I remember thinking, 'Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?' – and thus Krypto came into the script.' And maybe that's the key here. There were no misty-eyed Marley and Me-style reminiscences about Ozu. Gunn was living through the incredibly annoying part of dog ownership where neither party fully trusts the other, and just lifted it wholesale into the script. And this realistic depiction has apparently translated to the hearts of Superman's audience, as we will soon see when thousands of schnauzers are definitely not abandoned at shelters four months from now.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Who is the biggest movie star of the 21st century?
There's a phenomenon that occurs when a bona fide movie star enters a room. After more than a decade as an entertainment journalist, interviewing countless actors, it's something I've experienced only a handful of times. Before you even know they're there, you feel the atmosphere inexplicably shift. It becomes electric, suddenly charged. You can't see them yet - but you already know they're there. With more celebrities crammed into Hollywood than ever before, it's only the most top-tier of movie stars that can manage this science-defying feat. Tom Cruise. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Cate Blanchett. I've seen - or literally felt - all of them do it, first-hand. Our 25@25 series will finally put to bed the debates you've been having at the pub and around dinner tables for years – and some that are just too much fun not to include. Every generation has their own top-billing stars. The sixties and seventies had John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Barbra Streisand. You get my drift. But here we are, 25 years into the new century (arguably a defining era of cinema), which begs the question: who is the face of it? It's not just box office success, although that's a major factor. It's also their general presence, talent, global name recognition, and their ability to dominate premium headlines throughout their career … not just around the release of their biggest movies. With all those factors in mind, I've whittled down all the options to just 10 nominations so we can decide, once and for all, who should be named the Biggest Movie Star of the last 25 years. As noted above, Cruise, Johnson and Blanchett are obviously on that list. They're joined by Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Scarlett Johansson and Angelina Jolie. Now as part of 25@25 series, I need you, our valued readers, to help me on my noble quest to figure out who takes out the top prize. Listen, just for the record, I vote Tom Cruise. Only a true star can deliver a smackdown like this. But don't give me that much power! Cast your own vote in the poll above, and help us pick the ultimate winner. And if you're looking for some genuinely bonkers facts you probably didn't know about all these megastars, watch the video above - from near-death experiences to weird phobias, it'll blow your mind.
Pink Villa
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Highest Grossing DC Movies In India; Joker occupies top spot; Can Superman claim number one position?
DC films have thrilled Indian audiences with iconic heroes and epic stories for many years. Superman (2025) is poised for a solid Rs 10 - 10.50 crore gross opening in India. It is pegged to smash USD 225 million for its opening weekend worldwide. The early reception for Superman is positive and if all goes well, it could top the list of DC's highest-grossing films in India. Here are the top 12 DC movies by their India gross collections. The Highest Grossing DC Movies In India Are As Under Rank Movie India Gross Collections 1 Joker Rs 84 crore 2 Batman Vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice Rs 73 crore 3 Aquaman Rs 72 crore 4 Black Adam Rs 58 crore 5 The Dark Knight Rises Rs 56 crore 6 The Batman Rs 50 crore 7 Justice League Rs 42 crore 8 Man Of Steel Rs 39 crore 9 The Flash Rs 37 crore 10 Aquaman Rs 31 crore 11 Shazam! Rs 27 crore 12 The Dark Knight Rs 19 crore Why Superman (2025) Could Claim the Top Spot James Gunn's Superman is generating solid buzz. This reboot film promises a fresh and bold take on the iconic hero. If public reviews are positive, word-of-mouth could make Superman an uncontainable force in India. Fans are eager for a Superman story that balances hope, action, and relatability. This is something that James Gunn is known for delivering. A strong opening, paired with great reviews, could push it past Joker's Rs 84 crore, potentially crossing Rs 100 crore. That would be a first for DC in India. DC Films Have Been Performing Poorly In India; Black Adam Is The Biggest Anomaly With Pretty Good India Collections Going by the list, the collections of DC films have been going down by the year. Superman can really change the fortune of DC films for the better. The biggest anomaly in the list is Black Adam. While the movie was a global underperformer, it did well in India. A good reason for it is the presence of Dwayne Johnson. If not for him, the film would have not done half as much as what it did. Superman In Theatres Superman hits theatres on 4th July. Tickets for the movie can be booked now. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more box office updates like these.
