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Reigning Hollywood Studio Universal Brings 'Wicked' to Movie Summit

Chairman of NBC Universal Studio Group Donna Langley introduced a crop of new titles. VALERIE MACON / AFP
Chairman of NBC Universal Studio Group Donna Langley introduced a crop of new titles. VALERIE MACON / AFP
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Reigning Hollywood Studio Universal Brings 'Wicked' to Movie Summit

Chairman of NBC Universal Studio Group Donna Langley introduced a crop of new titles. VALERIE MACON / AFP
Chairman of NBC Universal Studio Group Donna Langley introduced a crop of new titles. VALERIE MACON / AFP

Universal Pictures was crowned Hollywood's top studio last year, dethroning Disney at the box office for the first time in nearly a decade with a string of mega-hits like "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" and the Oscar-winning "Oppenheimer."
So as movie executives gathered at this week's CinemaCon summit in the face of gloomy industry forecasts and a shortage of upcoming major releases, at least one company had plenty to celebrate in Las Vegas, AFP said.
"There's not much more you could ask for than being number one at the box office, and winning the Academy Award for best picture," said chairman Donna Langley during Universal's presentation on Wednesday.
"It would have been easy enough to just sort of drop the mic after that one, right? But it's not enough for us," she said, before introducing a crop of new titles, including "Wicked."
Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jeff Goldblum were brought on stage to promote the starry movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. The first of two films hits theaters in November.
For many big-screen owners, Universal -- thanks to a diverse mix of original movies that does not rely on the struggling superhero genre, and some smart viral marketing campaigns -- offers a potential roadmap to recovery.
They are pinning hopes on "Wicked," and animated films like "Despicable Me 4" and "The Wild Robot," to bring much-needed customers back at a tough moment for the industry.
Overall box office receipts had been slowly recovering each year since the pandemic, but are expected to shrink in 2024.
That is largely due to Hollywood strikes that shuttered film productions for months last year, leaving major gaps in release calendars.
'Fresh'
But while rivals like Disney, Warner and Paramount have struggled for various reasons, these are heady times for Universal.
Just 12 months ago, Langley brought director Christopher Nolan onto the same Las Vegas stage, to introduce for the first time his movie "Oppenheimer."
In an expensive gamble, Universal had lured Nolan from his traditional home at Warner, promising to give his movie about the atomic bomb lavish backing.
"Oppenheimer" grossed nearly $1 billion. Nolan appeared via video on Wednesday to thank theater owners for their role.
Speaking with AFP, Universal's international distribution president Veronika Kwan Vandenberg said it has become clear the industry "can't rely on the films that have traditionally been exceptionally strong in the last 20 years."
Unlike competitors, Universal does not have any of the major superhero franchises that until recently dominated multiplexes.
That had been a stick to beat Universal with in years past. But as rivals' movies like "Madame Web" and "The Marvels" have flopped, a sense that audiences are tired of near-identical superhero fare has grown.
"All these sequels and franchises coming into the marketplace have done very well for a very long time. But we're in a place today where... the audience really wants to know, 'what's different about this?'" said Kwan Vandenberg.
'Barbenheimer'
Social media has become an increasingly key tool for movie studios.
Universal -- along with Warner -- benefited from capturing last summer's viral "Barbenheimer" phenomenon.
Because these trends are typically organic in origin, it is "an incredibly hard thing to do," said Kwan Vandenberg.
But Universal has been more successful than most, with recent examples including a TikTok dance craze for horror film "M3GAN."
A year earlier, the "Gentleminions" trend involved teenagers dressing in suits for trips to watch the new "Minions" film.
In October, a viral trend of stealing posters and promotional cut-outs from theaters for "Five Nights At Freddy's" broke out.
While the trend was extremely frustrating for theater owners, it generated priceless publicity for the Universal movie.
"When we launched the first trailer of 'M3GAN' and we saw how viral the TikTok dance became, we started to lean into events all over the world featuring that," said Kwan Vandenberg.
"It's not something we're necessarily creating. But we are helping to support the awareness and the excitement around it."

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Entertainment

‘You Can See Everything’ Captures Weirdness of ‘Post-Truth Era’

People take part in an Elizabeth Holmes look-alike contest in Los Angeles, California, on November 8, 2026. (AFP)
People take part in an Elizabeth Holmes look-alike contest in Los Angeles, California, on November 8, 2026. (AFP)
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‘You Can See Everything’ Captures Weirdness of ‘Post-Truth Era’

People take part in an Elizabeth Holmes look-alike contest in Los Angeles, California, on November 8, 2026. (AFP)
People take part in an Elizabeth Holmes look-alike contest in Los Angeles, California, on November 8, 2026. (AFP)

Breakout hit documentary "You Can See Everything" has spawned a cultural moment.

The three-hour-long film plunges audiences into the surreal world of Elizabeth Holmes, one-time doyenne of Silicon Valley imprisoned for fraudulent claims about her supposedly revolutionary blood-testing tech.

A smash box office success, the film -- which begins one month before Holmes heads to prison -- has spawned ubiquitous internet memes, lookalike contests and commentary from influencers enamored by the darkly comic, deadpan style of her mock inquisitor, Nathan Fielder.

Holmes's legend as a rare woman tech founder has proven fertile ground for numerous media postmortems of her sham business's implosion.

"I've followed this story a lot over the years," said filmgoer Alexandra Lesnik, 29, at a packed afternoon screening in Brooklyn, the first time she had watched a documentary in a theater.

"This was a new, different perspective of her."

Another cinemagoer, Nathan Sayers, said he had "read a lot about her" ahead of the film's release.

"What brought me was a lot of buzz among friends," added Sayers, 53, who concluded the A24 film was in his "top five movies."

Kate Rennebohm, assistant professor of film studies at Lawrence University, said she had "students waiting after class every day to talk about the film -- as well as emailing me out of the blue."

Weaving a web combining reality TV, mockumentary and exaggerated naivety, Fielder peels back the layers of a convicted liar who nonetheless does everything to convince the viewer, and maybe herself, she is truthful.

Throughout the lengthy immersion in Holmes's weird world, the viewer is invited to grapple with the question of whether the former billionaire businesswoman truly believed she created a medical marvel, and whether she was manipulated by others.

"The story just changes in so many ways, and I feel like the villain also changes a lot in the story too," said New Yorker Avery Smith, 27.

- 'Deny, deny, deny' -

"The film has fully transcended the documentary label," said Nora Stone, an assistant professor of film production at the University of North Alabama.

The film, which has generated persistent Oscar buzz and pulled in some $80 million at the domestic box office, has benefited from the marketing muscle of the A24 studio, she added.

Columbia University researcher Geoffrey Lokke said the filmmakers' call to fans not to spread spoilers "added to its intrigue and mystery."

None of the film's participants emerge unscathed. Even the producers themselves catch strays for their handling of the film's anti-heroes, including Holmes's husband.

Through the film's slow-burn, Holmes becomes a cypher for the explosion of power and influence wielded by the tech giants in the age of AI, according to Rennebohm.

"(She) inevitably represents the broader ethos of self-delusion and reality-denial underlying Silicon Valley and the American tech industry," she told AFP.

Stone, the film professor, said that "You Can See Everything" is about something even bigger, mirroring the political moment.

"It is a perfect encapsulation of the post-truth era," she said.

"Elizabeth Holmes does exactly what Donald Trump does -- deny, deny, deny."

Entertainment

Harry, Meghan Visit Brussels after Thomas Markle Arrest

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrived at the European Parliament, the first time she has been seen in public since her father's arrest. Nicolas TUCAT / AFP
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrived at the European Parliament, the first time she has been seen in public since her father's arrest. Nicolas TUCAT / AFP
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Harry, Meghan Visit Brussels after Thomas Markle Arrest

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrived at the European Parliament, the first time she has been seen in public since her father's arrest. Nicolas TUCAT / AFP
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrived at the European Parliament, the first time she has been seen in public since her father's arrest. Nicolas TUCAT / AFP

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrived at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday on a trip coming days after her estranged father was charged over alleged possession of child sexual abuse images.

A cluster of photographers awaited the couple, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as they entered the EU parliament for an event about the dangers children face on social media.

It was Meghan's first public appearance since her father Thomas Markle was arrested in Florida on Friday and charged with one count of possession of child sexual abuse material.

Dressed in all black with a small poppy pin -- the symbol of remembrance for soldiers who died in battle -- Meghan held tightly on to Harry's hand. The duke was dressed in a sombre dark blue suit, also with a poppy and dark-colored tie.

The couple projected calm, ignoring a question from the gaggle of journalists waiting at the parliament about her father, AFP said.

But later Meghan appeared smiling next to Harry as she met European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and Spanish EU lawmaker Antonio Lopez-Isturiz.

The visit also marks the first time the couple appeared together at a public event abroad, since returning to live in Britain this summer after six years in the United States.

The duke and duchess began their visit by opening an art installation honoring children who died because of online abuse and exploitation, dubbed the "Lost Screen Memorial".

They had been due to give a joint speech, but only Harry is now expected to speak. He will also take part in a panel event with international activists.

- 'Child safety' speech -

An unnamed source told the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper that Meghan is "just not strong enough emotionally to be doing any public speaking" following her father's arrest.

An anonymous friend was quoted as saying in the Times that Harry will speak about "child safety".

"You can read into his speech what you will, and it can be taken in any number of ways," they said.

The 82-year-old Markle was taken into custody by FBI agents early Friday at the retirement home where he lives in Lakeland, Florida and has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination.

The US Justice Department said Markle allegedly "kept child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls, in two Los Angeles-area storage units he rented for nearly two decades".

Markle could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

British tabloids reported last month that pictures of child sex abuse had been found at Markle's former home in the Philippines, allegations later confirmed by police in the southeast Asian country.

He denied those allegations.

Meghan released a statement saying she was "deeply distressed" by the accusations, adding that she had blocked contact between him and her children Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, over previous "troubling and disturbing" allegations.

- 'Call to action' -

Tuesday's event, hosted by MEP Lopez-Isturiz, highlights the "urgent need to make the digital world safer for every child", a statement said, adding it was a "call to action" for policymakers, technology companies and society to do more to protect children.

The parliament installation shows 50 images of children who died as a result of harm they suffered on social media, taken from their parents' lock screens.

Harry and Meghan quit royal duties in early 2020, but still carry out similar activities in a private capacity.

On Sunday, Harry attended a Remembrance Day event in a small town, while his father King Charles III led the nation in a two-minute silence at the Cenotaph in London honoring soldiers killed in the line of duty.

Entertainment

Five Things to Know about 'Grand Theft Auto'

The next title in the GTA series is widely expected to be the biggest game of the decade. SAEED KHAN / AFP/File
The next title in the GTA series is widely expected to be the biggest game of the decade. SAEED KHAN / AFP/File
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Five Things to Know about 'Grand Theft Auto'

The next title in the GTA series is widely expected to be the biggest game of the decade. SAEED KHAN / AFP/File
The next title in the GTA series is widely expected to be the biggest game of the decade. SAEED KHAN / AFP/File

The video game that launched 1,000 controversies and made billions of dollars for its studio is back -- "Grand Theft Auto VI" will hit a console near you on November 19.

The title is widely expected to become the biggest game of the decade, its launch coming 13 years after the previous edition scaled new heights in terms of gameplay and profitability.

Here are five things to know about GTA.

- Trailblazer -

The first two games in the series, which debuted in 1997, offered a top-down view of the action as players took on the role of a criminal on missions around cities.

But "GTA III" set the standard in 2001 for what games could be like, offering a combination of a three-dimensional open world, advanced graphics and gameplay that won widespread critical acclaim and legions of fans.

Each new GTA title since then has been hailed by both industry analysts and gamers for pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the medium, AFP said.

- Cash cow -

And they have all been bestsellers, bringing in billions of dollars for Take-Two Interactive, parent company of the Rockstar Games studio.

Despite not releasing a flagship GTA game for more than a decade, the series has remained a cash cow, especially thanks to its multiplayer online version, where users can buy in-game items.

The last game in the franchise, "GTA V", was released in 2013 and reached $1 billion in retail sales "faster than any entertainment release in history", Take-Two has said.

"GTA V" has sold around 230 million copies, according to the company's most recent figures, making it the second best-selling game of all time, behind Minecraft.

The entire GTA franchise has sold a mammoth 470 million units, according to Take-Two.

- Magnet for controversy -

With the wild success came a wave of controversies. Critics have from the start accused the series of glorifying violence and encouraging players to engage in criminal behavior -- allegations Take-Two executives have denied.

GTA games have also faced strong criticism for misogynistic portrayals of women, caricatures of ethnic minorities and depictions of torture.

Despite being praised for their often biting cultural satire, the level of violence in the games has at times led to bans and restrictions in some countries.

Target Australia stopped selling "GTA V" in 2014, citing customer concerns. GTA games also carry a content rating for mature audiences only. Take-Two executives have said customers should be free to choose what games they buy.

- A cultural institution -

GTA has become a cultural institution despite the criticism, with its content spawning countless online memes and fans around the world referencing its scenes and dialogue.

Its growing influence has attracted some of the biggest names in entertainment to its cast. Tommy Vercetti, the main character in 2002's "GTA: Vice City", was voiced by Hollywood star Ray Liotta.

Other cameos in the series include Samuel L. Jackson, Burt Reynolds, musician Phil Collins and comedian Ricky Gervais. In 2021, hip-hop superstar Dr. Dre featured.

The French electro duo Justice is composing the soundtrack for "GTA VI" and an album built around the game's universe brings together musicians including rapper Travis Scott and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.

- The next chapter -

The studio formally revealed "GTA VI" with a trailer in December 2023.

The new game is set in Leonida, a fictionalized version of Florida that includes a return to the Miami-inspired Vice City. It follows a criminal couple, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos.

Originally targeted for late 2025, "GTA VI" was pushed back twice before settling on its November 19 release date on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.

The game reportedly cost between $1 billion and $1.5 billion to produce, which would make it the most expensive cultural product ever.