You Can Take a Stake in Elon's xAI Before June 1st...

Elon Musk's private AI firm xAI may have just leapfrogged ChatGPT and Google's Gemini--building what experts call the future of AI. For the first time, you can take a stake starting at $500.

Hollywood lands a much-needed box office hit with ‘A Minecraft Movie’

LINDSEY BAHR
April 06, 2025

Hollywood needed "A Minecraft Movie" to be a hit, and it delivered in its opening weekend, significantly narrowing this year's box office deficit.

No one guessed just how big it would be. In its first few days in theaters, the movie earned a staggering $157 million in ticket sales from theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. Internationally, it's looking at an additional $144 million for a global debut of $301 million. And with school spring breaks ongoing, "A Minecraft Movie" is just getting started.

Not only is it the biggest opening of 2025, "A Minecraft Movie" also broke the record for a video game adaptation, a distinction previously held by "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" ($146 million). Going into the weekend, analysts projected "Minecraft" might hit $80 million. Instead, it nearly doubled that figure.

Nothing is guaranteed in the movie business, but an offering based on the best-selling video game of all time makes for a good start. It hardly mattered that the block-based game doesn't exactly have a narrative. Many of its 200 million active monthly players turned out in droves anyway.

The PG-rated movie, directed by Jared Hess ("Napoleon Dynamite"), was a co-production of Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. It cost a reported $150 million to make, not including marketing and promotion expenses. Jack Black and Jason Momoa lead the ensemble cast (Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers and Sebastian Eugene Hansen). Their characters are transported into an imaginative dimension called the Overworld and need to go on a dangerous, and immensely silly, adventure to get home.

Critics were largely mixed on "A Minecraft Movie," but audiences gave it a more promising B+ CinemaScore and 4/5 stars in PostTrak exit polls. Men made up around 62% of the audience, and 64% were under the age of 25. Warner Bros. went big on its release, opening the film in 4,263 locations domestically and 36,000 screens internationally.

"Younger audiences love going to the movie theater, believe it or not," said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. "We thought this was an audience who would migrate to the small screens, but this is the perfect small screen to big screen alliance. It became a must-see theatrical event. Awareness was off the charts."

Video game adaptations have had some pivotal successes in recent years, including "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," the "Sonic" series and "Five Nights at Freddy's."

"Video games were once a genre that had very mixed results at the box office, but the code has finally been cracked," Dergarabedian said.

Second place at this week's box office went to the Jason Statham action pic "A Working Man," which added $7.3 million in its second weekend. Third place was occupied by the second installment in the episodic "The Chosen: Last Supper" series. Part two (made up of episodes three through five) earned $6.7 million over the weekend. The third and final batch of episodes arrive in theaters on April 11.

"Snow White" slid to fourth place in its third weekend, bringing in $6.1 million. It's now made over $168 million globally.

It's been a difficult start to 2025 for Hollywood and movie theaters, with disappointments including "Snow White" and "Mickey 17." But one hit can change the tides significantly, especially with in-theater marketing pushes in full swing for the pivotal summer movie season, which kicks off the first weekend in May.

Before this weekend, the box office was running at a 13% deficit compared with last year. Now the gap is down to 5%.

Continue Reading...

Popular

Warren Buffett's Top Stock Picks Now Come With a 15% Income Bonus Through This Fund

A new ETF is offering investors the chance to follow in the footsteps of one of the world's most successful investors and earn income at the same time.

Musk's Ex-Wife Opens Up About Why Life With Elon Was So Difficult

Justine Wilson recently shed light on the complexities of their marriage and the challenges she faced being married to the Tesla CEO.

The Most Important "AI Stock" You've Never Heard Of - Ad

The AI revolution is moving faster than anyone expected. But what no one is talking about is the one company AI simply can't exist without. It may be the single most important AI investment, yet most people don't even know its name. For now. The moment Wall Street catches on, this $20 stock could explode.

Yale Classmates Urge Bessent To Reconsider Trump White House Role — Treasury Secretary Calls It an 'Honor'

A group of Yale University alumni publicly appealed to Treasury Secretary Bessent, urging him to reevaluate his position within the Trump administration.

Jeff Sperbeck, former agent for John Elway, dies after injury at 62

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Jeff Sperbeck, a business partner and former agent for NFL Hall of Famer John Elway, died Wednesday after suffering an injury last weekend at a Southern California golf resort community. He was 62.

Trump's Crypto Blueprint Unveils This Infrastructure Powerhouse - Ad

One blockchain token sits at the heart of Washington's pro-crypto agenda. Institutions are loading up while it still trades at a discount. Here's how to get in for $3.

Shiba Inu Burn Rate Skyrockets 2,094%: What Is Going On?

Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) has seen a massive spike in burn activity and on-chain growth, fueling speculation of a

UPS to cut 20,000 jobs, close some facilities as it reduces amount of Amazon shipments it handles

UPS is looking to slash about 20,000 jobs and close more than 70 facilities as it drastically reduces the amount of Amazon shipments it handles.

This Intercept Stopped the Gold Sector Cold - Ad

114.26 g/t over 10.6m. That's not a typo. And it wasn't deep exploration-it was in an active mining zone.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Asks,'How Much Did Majorie Taylor Greene Make When She Bought The Dip?'

"Just how much did Marjorie Taylor Greene make when she bought the dip?" Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asks in the caption of a YouTube video calling for a ban on Congressional trading.

60,000 Americans to lose their rental assistance and risk eviction unless Congress acts

Moments after Daniris Espinal walked into her new apartment in Brooklyn, she prayed. In ensuing nights, she would awaken and touch the walls for reassurance — finding in them a relief that turned to tears over her morning coffee.

Gold Is Being Poured. the Market Hasn't Reacted. - Ad

A test mining program just demonstrated that an experienced mining team has unlocked the value in a built mine atop a high-grade gold deposit. Ore's already been processed. But the stock is still trading like it's early stage. That won't last long.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar to pay back Syria's debt to the World Bank

BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi Arabia and Qatar said Sunday they will pay Syria’s outstanding debt to the World Bank, a move likely to make the international institution resume its support to the war-torn country.

A massive explosion and fire strikes Iranian port and injures at least 281 people

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The number of injured from an explosion Saturday at a port in southern Iran jumped to 281, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Nvidia Is About to Shock the World: July 23rd - Ad

Jeff Brown, the tech legend who picked shares of Nvidia in 2016 before they jumped by more than 22,000%, is warning everyone to... Mark this date on your calendar: July 23rd! That's when Nvidia could help send shares of this Elon Musk supplier skyrocketing higher.

Trump's AI Education Push, Cramer's AI Stock Optimism, And More: This Week In Artificial Intelligence

Week full of AI news: Trump advocates for AI education, Cramer bullish on AI stocks, Amazon and Nvidia dismiss data center fears, OpenAI's restructuring raises concerns, Nadella's Microsoft introduces AI updates.

Brace Yourself for Jeff Bezos' "Amazon Helios" - Ad

Amazon delivers 20 million packages a day... powers some of the most popular websites... delivers medication to half of the U.S. population... and even produces award-winning films and TV shows. But a Wall Street legend -- twice featured on 60 Minutes -- predicts that "Amazon Helios" will be bigger than all of those... COMBINED.

Elon Musk Drops Stunning Bombshell? - Ad

Behind closed doors, Musk revealed a game-changing breakthrough technology that could shake the tech world & crush major companies. Why is no one talking about it? Luckily, we had a man on the inside - watch now to see the details & how to profit!

Tens of thousands of Los Angeles County workers begin 2-day strike

LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than 50,000 Los Angeles county workers began a two-day strike Monday evening, closing libraries and disrupting administrative operations across the nation's most populous county.

Swiss leader says Trump administration foresees 'privileged' talks with 15 countries on US tariffs

GENEVA (AP) — The Swiss president says Switzerland is among 15 countries with which the United States plans to conduct “privileged” negotiations to help reach a deal in the wake of sweeping U.S. tariffs on dozens of countries that have shaken global markets.

Biggest Dividend Payout in U.S. History: $1 Trillion up for Grabs! - Ad

Trump just launched a $1 trillion National Investment Fund to replace income taxes and send direct payouts to Americans. You could claim up to $21,307--before the first public checks go out. This is historic. Act now to be first in line.

World Liberty's Stablecoin In $2 Billion Deal, SoFi Reintroduces Crypto And Riot Platforms' Q1 Results: This Week In Crypto

The weekend was a whirlwind of activity in the financial world, with a particular focus on cryptocurrencies. From Peter Schiff’s surprising preference for Dogecoin over Bitcoin to Riot Platforms’ Q1 results, there was no shortage of intriguing developments. Let’s dive into the top stories. Peter Schiff Prefers Dogecoin Over Bitcoin

Musk defends his work as he prepares to wind down at DOGE but gives hazy answers on future

WASHINGTON (AP) — , preparing to step back from his work leading the , had a request of the reporters gathered at the White House to interview him: Before he would answer any questions, he wanted someone to tell him a joke.

Elon's Greatest Invention... Hidden in South Memphis? - Ad

Tech legend Jeff Brown recently traveled to the industrial zone of South Memphis to investigate what he believes will be Elon's greatest invention ever... Yes, even bigger than Tesla or SpaceX.

World Economic Forum: "Arguably the Most Exciting Human Discovery Since Fire" - Ad

Sam Altman, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg are all investing vast sums of money into a radical technology. According to Bloomberg, this could become 10 times bigger than AI, quantum computing, electric vehicles, cryptocurrencies, and robotics combined. And one stock is at the center of it all.

Applied Digital (APLD) Secures $150M Preferred Equity Deal: What's Going On?

Applied Digital shares are trading higher by 14% during Thursday's session. The company announced it had entered into a Preferred Equity Purchase Agreement with select investors.

Nigel Farage takes aim at the UK's dominant parties with hefty gains in local elections

LONDON (AP) — The hard-right party Reform UK led by snatched a seat in Parliament from the governing Labour Party and won hundreds of local council seats from the opposition Conservatives in elections that Farage hailed Friday as a turning point towards ending the two parties' poltiical dominance.

Gold Is Breaking Records. This Stock Hasn't Moved Yet. - Ad

With gold over $3,200, one near-term producer is still trading like a developer. But the mill is running, crews are working underground, and first production is months away.

Activists to rally worldwide on May Day, with US protests targeting Trump policies

CHICAGO (AP) — From worker rights rallies to marches for social justice, activists around the globe will kick off demonstrations on Thursday.

No.1 Opportunity for 2025 [Take Action Now!] - Ad

Starlink's potential IPO Could Be the Biggest in History--Silicon Valley insider James Altucher has uncovered a way to profit BEFORE the IPO--with as little as $50. Musk's $180B giant is set to launch--will you miss out? Claim your spot before it's too late.

Gentex Q1 Impacted By Tariff Uncertainty, Suspends Mirror Production For Chinese Market

Gentex shares fall as Q1 results reflect tariff pressures, prompting a halt in China-bound mirror production and a lowered 2025 sales outlook.

The Cross-Chain Giant Set for 1,000%+ Gains - Ad

This multi-chain protocol's volume is exploding while its price is still under the radar. Institutions are moving in fast-get our urgent report before retail wakes up.

Submarine designers in Connecticut say they'll strike on May 18 if contract deal isn't reached

GROTON, Conn. (AP) — About 2,500 workers at Electric Boat shipyard in Connecticut plan to strike on May 18 if a tentative contract agreement is not reached with the submarine builder, the union president announced during a rally Thursday.

Trending Now

Information, charts or examples are for illustration and educational purposes only and not for individualized investment management This message contains commercial elements, such as advertising. We only send these offers to those who have opted in to our newsletter. Past performance is not indicative of future results. For these reasons we strongly suggest trading in a DEMO/Simulated account. The information provided by us is for educational and informational purposes only. We make no representations or warranties concerning the products, practices or procedures of any company or entity mentioned or recommended and have not determined if the statements and opinions of the advertiser are accurate, correct or truthful. If you use, act upon or make decisions in reliance on information contained or any external source linked within it, you do so at your own peril and agree to hold us, our officers, directors, shareholders, affiliates and agents without fault.

Copyright finstrategist.com
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service