Weekly Digest: 05.04.2026
Weekly Digest For Recent Film Industry News That Caught My Attention For The Week Of 05.04.2026
Introduction
This is your weekly digest for recent film industry news that caught my attention for the week of 05.04.2026.
Recent Film Industry News That Caught My Attention
Netflix has announced a notable first as Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia adaptation is shifting from a holiday 2026 release to spring 2027. The film is now set to debut on February 12, with a planned IMAX rollout, another first for Netflix, alongside an exclusive 54-day theatrical window before hitting the platform. This move comes roughly a year after Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos publicly dismissed traditional movie theaters as outdated.
There are rumors, via controversial scooper Jeff Sneider, a man that has me blocked on social media for calling him out for his antics which includes him confessing publicly to taking part in sexual acts during a screening, and no I did not make that up, that Tom Cruise is blaming director Christopher McQuarrie for the recent box office struggles of the last two Mission: Impossible films, and as a result doesn’t want him in contention to direct a third Top Gun installment. However, Sneider’s actual reporting suggests something far less dramatic in that both men may simply be looking to take a break from working together, with no real animosity involved.
Meanwhile, Bong Joon Ho’s next project, the animated film Ally, about a piglet squid dreaming of appearing in an ocean documentary, has been picked up by Neon, with eyes on a 2027 release and a potential run at the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize. The project has reportedly been in development since the release of Bongs Oscar Best Picture winning Parasite back in 2019, with his more divisively recieved Mickey 17 arriving in the interim.
Nintendo and Illumination have announced a new film slated for April 12, 2028, coincidentally, my wedding anniversary. Speculation points to this being a third Mario animated film, though expectations remain cautious. At the same time, Nintendo is reportedly fielding competing bids from Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures for a Metroid adaptation, while Warner Bros. retains the rights to Pokémon films and Sony continues development on a live-action Zelda project. At this point all I’m asking for from Nintendo is a half-way decent film adaptation because so far I’ve been unimpressed aside from 2019’s Detective Pikachu.
This Past Weekend At The Box Office
The Devil Wears Prada 2, which you can read my C+ review of, stormed out to a 200-plus million worldwide opening, proving the brand still has juice even if the movie itself doesn’t fully justify it in my mind. Critics have been mildly positive (78% on Rotten Tomatoes and 63 on Metacritic), while audiences seem content but not exactly enthusiastic (3.4 on Letterboxd, 6.9 on IMDb, and 87% on the Popcornmeter). The last major event film of the Spring box office season ended things with a bang.
Meanwhile, Angel Studios’ gamble on Andy Serkis’ animated take on Animal Farm has completely faceplanted. A three million opening is bad enough, but the real damage is in the critical reception with 24% on Rotten Tomatoes, 28 on Metacritic, and downright toxic audience scores (1.8 on Letterboxd, 2.7 on IMDb). I haven’t seen it yet, but nothing about these numbers suggests it’s worth rushing out to watch.
On the streaming side, Netflix and Skydance Media’s Swapped is landing exactly where these kinds of releases tend to,squarely in the middle. Critics are lukewarm (65% on Rotten Tomatoes, 54 on Metacritic), audiences are a bit kinder (3.5 on Letterboxd, 7.4 on IMDb, 85% on the Popcornmeter). I’m lower on it than most seem to be.
This Next Weekend At The Box Office
What I’d consider the first true summer box office event film arrives with Mortal Kombat II. Ironically, it’s dropping over Mother’s Day weekend, of all weeks. The sequel to the 2021 film is clearly banking on a course correction, most notably with its decision to recast the central protagonist, something that should, in theory, win back at least some of the skeptics. I’ll have a full review up for this one as I will be attending a press screening for it.
For counterprogramming, The Sheep Detectives, which I unfortunately missed at my invited press screening, is also hitting theaters. Early buzz has been surprisingly decent, with good enough reviews pointing to it as a viable family-friendly alternative.
What Else Is On My Mind
My Tampa Bay Lightning were eliminated from playoff contention this past weekend, losing in seven games to the Montreal Canadiens, the very team we handled with a gentleman’s sweep in the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. It’s a disappointing end, especially after a 50-win season and home-ice advantage had me thinking a return to the Finals was very much on the table. Instead, we spent the entire series playing catch-up and somehow went 1–3 at home. This group feels like it needs the same kind of wake-up call it got after that embarrassing first-round sweep following the 60+ win season back in 2019.
On a much more personal note, my grandfather on my father’s side, Luis Mendez Senior, passed away this past Saturday. My parents were literally walking through my front door to visit the baby when my dad got the call. He was nearing 90 and had been in poor health for a long time, so it wasn’t unexpected, but that doesn’t make it feel any less significant. Both sides of my family tend to have strong genetics and long lives, and I never got to know my maternal grandfather, so this is the first time I’ve lost someone this close. I’ve lost great-grandparents before, but this is different. I have clear memories, real conversations, with my Abuelo, especially about his love for Westerns. He grew up in the thirties and forties and would tell me about going to local nickelodeon theaters, dropping in a nickel to watch whatever new Western Hollywood was churning out at the time. Since his passing, I’ve found myself revisiting some of those classics. It’s surreal to think about the films he experienced on the big screen when they were brand new, stories that, in a small way, now feel like a bridge between us. Rest in peace, Abuelo. We’ll catch up in due time.