cinemas Archives

AppWizard

January 7, 2026

‘A Minecraft Movie,’ ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ Lead U.K., Ireland Box Office to $1.45 Billion in 2025, Best Post-Pandemic Result Yet

The theatrical market in the U.K. and Ireland generated £1.07 billion in 2025, reflecting a 1% increase from the previous year and marking the strongest box office performance since the pandemic began. The leading film was Warner Bros.’ “A Minecraft Movie,” which earned £45.9 million, followed by Universal’s “Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy” at £30.7 million, and Universal’s “Wicked: For Good.” Despite this growth, the figures are still 21% below the pre-pandemic benchmark of 2019. The year saw a record 224 saturation releases, up from 200 in 2024, indicating a recovery from pandemic-related production delays. Universal’s “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” opened in over 750 cinemas in September.

AppWizard

January 7, 2026

The UK box office had its best year since COVID in 2025

The U.K. box office generated £1.07 billion in 2025, marking its most successful year since the COVID-19 pandemic, though still 21 percent below pre-COVID levels. The top ten films of the year were all sequels, remakes, or adaptations, with "A Minecraft Movie" leading at £56.8 million. Other top films included "Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy" (£46.3 million), "Wicked: For Good" (£45.8 million), "Lilo & Stitch" (£37.3 million), and "Jurassic World Rebirth" (£36.1 million). Notably, no superhero films made the top half of the chart for the first time since 2020. Gen Z audiences showed a 25 percent increase in cinema attendance in 2025.

AppWizard

December 30, 2025

How A Minecraft Movie Proved Minecraft is Bigger than Just a Game in 2025

Minecraft has become a cultural phenomenon over the past decade, culminating in the release of A Minecraft Movie in 2025, which broke box-office records. The film's success is attributed to the shared experiences of gamers across generations, highlighting the game's universal appeal. The movie features iconic moments, such as the Chicken Jockey, which resonated with audiences in theaters, creating a communal experience. Despite critiques of its artistic merit, the film attracted large audiences, showcasing the power of nostalgia and community. Minecraft, as one of the best-selling video games, has established a significant presence across platforms, and the film emphasizes its impact on creativity and collaboration within the gaming community. After viewing the movie, many children were inspired to recreate scenes in their own Minecraft worlds, demonstrating the game's influence beyond its original medium.

AppWizard

December 30, 2025

Russia enforces Max messenger as mandatory digital passport app | Ukraine news

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new law that designates the Max messaging app as a digital passport, allowing users to verify their age and identity at public venues using a QR code. The app is mandatory for civil servants, public employees, and students, with non-compliance risking dismissal or expulsion. The Max app consolidates essential documents and communication tools, raising privacy concerns as user data becomes accessible to state agencies, including the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Critics describe the initiative as a move towards a tightly controlled system, with some referring to it as a “digital GULAG.” Russian authorities are promoting the app's integration into citizens' lives as part of a broader agenda to control digital existence.

TrendTechie

November 3, 2025

RuTube и VK Видео изменили правила игры на пиратском рынке контента

The volume of pirated video content in Russia decreased by over 14% in the first half of 2025, with a reported decline to approximately 0.6 million instances. The amount of blocked pirated content surged by 42% in 2024, reaching 12.5 million instances, and the number of blocked pirate domains rose to 110,000. Russia is the third-largest consumer of pirated content globally, following the United States and India. The peak of Russian online piracy occurred between 2015 and 2018. Torrents are becoming obsolete, particularly among younger generations, who prefer legal access to content. Users face risks from hackers when visiting sites offering free content, with warnings about potential viruses and data theft.

AppWizard

October 10, 2025

A Minecraft Movie gets inevitable sequel after grossing almost $1bn, putting lava chicken back on the menu

A sequel to A Minecraft Movie is in development and is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 23, 2027. Director Jared Hess will return to direct the sequel, which has been anticipated since discussions began in April. The original film achieved the largest domestic debut for a video game film in the U.S., grossing 1.5 million during its opening weekend and nearly 3 million globally. The total gross of the film is approaching billion. Unique screening experiences, such as the Chicken Jockey phenomenon, contributed to its success. Speculation about the sequel's storyline includes potential exploration of The Far Lands.

TrendTechie

October 4, 2025

«Консультант-Плюс» начал войну на уничтожение с торрент-трекерами

Rostelecom has blocked two torrent trackers, underverse.su and darkos.club, which hosted databases of legal documents from "Consultant-Plus." This action was taken by Roskomnadzor in accordance with the "anti-piracy" law, allowing copyright holders to seek court orders for blocking infringing resources. The law was expanded in 2016 to include all content types, except photographs. Consultant-Plus, established in 1992, has developed a legal database with approximately 90 million regulatory acts. The "Garant" system also achieved a blockade against the torrent tracker pirat.ca in spring 2016. All three torrent trackers have been completely blocked by Roskomnadzor and recorded in the Register of Prohibited Sites. Typically, the law allows for blocking specific URLs, but in this case, the entire range of pages associated with the trackers has been rendered inaccessible. Darkos.club had previously faced a blockade under the domain dark-os.com due to the distribution of business automation software, leading to a "perpetual" blockade by the Moscow City Court after repeated infringements.

AppWizard

July 20, 2025

Jack Black’s ‘Lava Chicken’ song has arrived in ‘Minecraft’

A remixed version of Jack Black’s song ‘Steve’s Lava Chicken’ from A Minecraft Movie has been added to Minecraft with the 1.21.94 update on July 14. The song, which is 34 seconds long, became the shortest-ever Billboard chart hit in April and reached Number 21 on the UK Top 40 charts. Players can obtain the music disc featuring Hyper Potions’ rendition by defeating a baby Zombie riding a Chicken, known as a Chicken Jockey. The addition received mixed reactions from gamers, with some praising it and others wishing for it to fade. The film adaptation of Minecraft has been successful in 2025, leading to discussions about cinema etiquette due to audience behavior during screenings. Jack Black made a surprise appearance at a screening, advising fans against disruptive actions. Additionally, Tony Hawk discussed his efforts to include tracks from Fontaines D.C. and IDLES in the Pro Skater 3+4 soundtrack.

AppWizard

July 4, 2025

Live Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Beats ‘A Minecraft Movie,’ Now Highest Grossing Film Worldwide in 2025

The live-action adaptation of "Lilo & Stitch" is the highest-grossing film of 2025 globally, with a worldwide gross of 7.6 million and an international take of 3.9 million. It surpassed the previous records held by "A Minecraft Movie," which grossed 4.9 million worldwide and 0.9 million internationally. "A Minecraft Movie" retains the U.S. domestic box office record for 2025, with a gross of 3.9 million. "Lilo & Stitch" is still in its sixth week of release, having debuted on May 23, and has contributed to making 2025 the most lucrative Memorial Day weekend in history for cinemas. It achieved the second-largest opening for any four-day holiday weekend, following "Black Panther" in 2018. The film ranks among the top films in markets such as Brazil and Mexico, helping Disney amass a total of 1.1 billion in 2025. Significant changes were made to the original narrative, including the omission of Captain Gantu and a twist ending where Nani relinquishes custody of Lilo. A live-action sequel, "Lilo & Stitch 2," is currently in development.

AppWizard

May 21, 2025

Doritos and Minecraft Movie Mixed Reality Campaign Ends with a Golden Chip

A mixed reality campaign called ‘The Nether Lands’ promoted ‘A Minecraft Movie’ and positioned Doritos as the ultimate movie snack. The campaign was initiated by United Playgrounds, with creative direction from Fitzroy and real-time activation by Livewall, while immersive tech was developed by Beyond. It launched on March 28 with a full-scale Minecraft portal in Amsterdam’s Museumplein, allowing players to collect resources and battle Piglins using their phones for a chance to win an 18-karat gold Dorito chip worth €1,000. The activation expanded to cinemas, train stations, and over 135 DOOH screens in the Netherlands and Belgium, enabling anyone with a bag of Doritos to access an AR-powered Minecraft adventure. The campaign gained global attention, particularly in Times Square and Piccadilly Circus, and was covered by international media. Key results included 400,000 unique interactions, 42.5 million impressions, a 185% lift in association with “movie nights,” and a 27% increase in brand preference.