United News of Bangladesh

“Avatar: The Way of Water” claimed the No. 1 spot on the domestic box office charts for the seventh weekend in a row with an additional $15.7 million, according to studio estimates on Sunday. It was a quiet weekend overall, notable mostly for the Hindi language blockbuster “Pathaan” that broke into the top five and the post-Oscar nominations rereleases of films like “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and “The Fabelmans.” “Avatar 2’s” first-place North American run has only been matched by the first “Avatar,” and, in the past 25 years, bested by “Titanic” (which stayed in first place for 15 weeks). All three were directed by James Cameron. Read more: 'Avatar 2,' 'M3GAN' hold onto top spots at the box office Globally, “The Way of Water” has now grossed an estimated $2.1 billion, passing “Star Wars: The Force Awakens," to become the fourth-highest grossing film of all time (of which Cameron has directed three). “James Cameron just keeps ticking off all the records and milestones,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “And it's still got a wide-open marketplace.” Second place went to Universal and DreamWorks’ family-oriented offering “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish,” which made $10.6 million in its sixth weekend. The animated spinoff has earned over $140.8 million in North America and was recently made available to stream at home, too. Third place went to Sony's “A Man Called Otto" with $6.8 million from 3,957 locations. The meme-able horror “M3GAN,” a Universal release, snuck into fourth place with $6.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $82.3 million. The Indian film “Pathaan,” starring Shah Rukh Kha in his first role in five years, settled in fifth place with $5.9 million from only 695 screens. “A top five appearance is really impressive,” Dergarabedian said, noting that the marketplace over the past several years has presented opportunities for Indian films to break into the domestic top 10. Neon also launched the horror movie “Infinity Pool,” written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg and starring Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård, in 1,853 locations following its Sundance debut. It made an estimated $2.7 million. The romantic comedy “Maybe I Do,” with Diane Keaton, Richard Gere and Susan Sarandan, made $562,000 from 465 screens. And Lukas Dhont’s Cannes-winning boyhood drama “Close” opened on four screens in New York and Los Angeles, earning $68,143. Read more: 'M3gan' dolls up with $30.2M while 'Avatar' stays No. 1 Many studios boasting best picture nominees also chose to capitalize on the buzz of Tuesday’s Oscar nominations with sizable re-releases. “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” which got a leading 11 nominations, came back to theaters in force playing on 1,400 screens where it earned another $1 million. The A24 release has made $71 million domestically to date. Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans,” nominated for seven Oscars, also expanded to 1,962 screens in North America and took in an additional $760,000, bringing its domestic total to $16 million. And Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking” also added a few hundred screens, earning $1 million over the weekend. It’s made $2.4 million to date. The Oscar boosts could continue over the coming weeks, too — the show isn't until March 12. “We are seeing in real time the halo effect of the Oscar nominations on these best picture nominees,” Dergarbedian said. “The Oscar bounce is back, something we haven’t seen over the past couple of years.” Several of the highest profile releases of the weekend were both star-driven comedies that went straight to streaming: Netflix had “You People,” with Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jonah Hill and Lauren London and Amazon Prime Video offered “Shotgun Wedding,” with Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Coolidge. Seven weekends into “Avatar 2,” theater owners are also likely looking for the next big blockbuster, which is still a ways off. “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” doesn’t arrive in theaters until Feb. 17. But, as Dergarabedian said, “2023 is already looking more like 2019 rather than the last three years." “This is great news for theaters,” he said. "You have the Oscar bounce in play, an Indian film in the top 5 and ‘Avatar’ breaking records left and right.” Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, with Wednesday through Sunday in parentheses. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. 1. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $15.7 million. 2. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” $10.6 million. 3. “A Man Called Otto,” $6.8 million, 4. “M3GAN,” $6.4 million. 5. “Pathaan,” $5.9 million. 6. “Missing,” $3.8 million. 7. “Plane,” $3.8 million. 8. “Infinity Pool,” $2.7 million. 9. “Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist,” $2.4 million. 10. “The Wandering Earth 2,” $1.4 million.

The names of the recipients of the National Film Awards 2021 have been announced. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry issued a gazette notification on Thursday (January 26). Eminent artists Doly Jahur and Ilias Kanchan have been honoured with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for their contributions to the film industry. Every year, the government honours artists in various categories, for their contributions to the film industry. The award is considered to be one the most prestigious prizes given for films in Bangladesh. Thirty-four awards will be given in 27 categories this year. Noted artistes Doly Jahur and Ilias Kanchan have been honoured with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for their contributions to the film industry. "Lal Moroger Jhuti" and Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's "Nonajoler Kabbo" have been jointly announced as winners in the 'Best Film' category. The 'Best Director' prize will go to Rezwan Shahriar Sumit, for "Nonajoler Kabbo". 'Dhar', directed by Aka Reza Ghalib, won the award in the best short film category, while 'Bodhobhumite Ekdin' got the award for the best documentary category. Siam Ahmed and  Mir Sabbir Mahmud were named the best actors for leading role in film 'Mridha Bonam Mridha' and 'Raatjaga Fool, respectively' The best actress in leading role award 2021 went to Ajmeri Haque for the film 'Rehana Maryam Noor’ and Tasnova Tamanna for 'Nona Joler Kabbo'. The best-supporting role award went to Fazlur Rahman Babu for the film ''Nona Joler Kabbo' while Shampa Reza won the best supporting actress award for the film 'Padma Puran'. Md Abdul Mannan (Joyraj) was awarded best actor in a negative role for film 'Lal Moroger Jhuti'. Probhash Kumar Bhattacharya (Milon) got the award for comedy in the film 'Mridha Bonam Mridha.' Afia Tabassum (Afia Jahin Jayma) won the best child artiste award for the film 'Rehana Maroam Nur', while a special award on the children division went to Jannatul Mawa Jhilik for the film 'Ja Harie Jai'. Sujeyo Sham bagged the best music director's award for the 'Joiboti Kannyar Mon' film. KM Abdullah Al Murtaza Muhin won the award in the best singer category for film 'Padma Puran', while the best singer female award went to Chandana Majumder (film 'Padma Puran'). The best lyricist award went to the late Gazi Mazharul Anwar for the song of the 'Joiboti Kannyar Mon' film. Sujeyo Sham won the best composer award for the film 'Joiboti Kannyar Mon'. The best story writer award went to Rezwana Shahriar Sumit for the film 'Nona Joler Kabbo'. The other award winners are: Nurul Alam Atik (screenwriter), Towqir Ahmed (dialogue), Samir Ahmed (best editing), Shihab Nurun Nabi (best art direction), Syed Kashef Shahbazi, Sumon Kumar Sarkar and Mazharul Islam Razu (jointly for best cinematographer), Shaiba Talukder (sound designer), idila Kasrin Farid (costume and design) and Md Farukh and Md Farhad Reza Milon jointly won the best makeup artists award. Read more: Siam in line for first National Award, Nonajoler Kabbo to win big 

The Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam film industries have made an elite start to the New Year. South Indian films are going to grace the second month of the 1st quarter of 2023 as well. Though movie lovers have to wait for the year busters, these films can give them a good quality time till then. Let's get up-to-date with the 10 most-hyped South Indian Films set to release on February 2023. 10 Best South Indian Movies Releasing in February 2023 Bommai Nayagi/ Tamil/ 3 Feb 2023 This musical drama film is the debut of young Tamil director Shaan. Produced by Pa Ranjith under Neelam Productions, the film cast Yogi Babu in the lead role, with GM Kumar and Harikrishnan Ambudurai in supporting roles. The core story of the socio-emotional movie is about a beautiful emotional bond between father and daughter, which will give the audience a feel-good feeling. The film's cinematography was done by Athisayaraj R, music by Sundarmurthy KS, and editing by Selva RK. Read More: ‘Shonibar Bikel’ gets censor clearance on a Saturday afternoon Vaathi/ Tamil/ 17 Feb 2023 Vaathi, which means master or leader, is the title of the new action drama starring Dhanush. It is a simultaneous Tamil and Telugu film directed and written by Venky Atluri, while the Telugu version is titled Sir. Several changes were made to the Telugu version of the period film, including changing the name of the lead character to Bala Gangadhar Tilak and changing the name of the school to Tirupati Educational Institution. Dhanush's role here is that of a third-class junior lecturer in an educational institution, who stands up to institutions whose commercial interests are bigger than educating children. Produced by Fortune Four Cinemas and Seethara Entertainments, Dhanush's lead co-artist is Yukta Menon. After the theatrical release, Netflix took over the OTT streaming rights of the film. Read More: 2022 Highest-Grossing South Indian Movies Borrder/ Tamil/ Feb 24, 2023 This spy film based on patriotism is a much-awaited movie. Directed by Arivazhagan Venkatachalam, the thriller movie stars Arun Vijay, Steffy Patel, and Regina Cassandra. The movie, which features a military campaign, is the cinematography by B Rajashekar and produced by Vijaya Raghavendra of All In Pictures. The music of the film is composed by Sam CS and overall editing is supervised by VJ Sabu Joseph. Shaakuntalam/ Telugu/ February 17, 2023 It is a historical film directed and written by Gunasekhar and produced by Neelima Guna under Guna Teamworks. The main story is adapted from Kalidasa's popular play Abhijananam Shakuntalam. The film will feature Samantha in the title role and Dev Mohan as King Dushmanta. Besides, Madhu, Ananya Nagalla, Gautami, and Aditi Balan will be seen in other roles. Along with Telugu, the movie will also be released in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam in 3D format on the same day. The film's music is scored by Mani Sharma, the cinematography is handled by Sekhar V. Joseph and Prawin Pudi looks after the film editing aspect. Read More: 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023: Unleash the Craze of Movie Mania Michael/ Telugu/ 17 February 2023 A young man takes it upon himself to settle a conflict between several gangs over a single place. This crime thriller film revolves around the story of how much his attempt will see the light of day. Karan C Productions and Sri Venkateswara Cinemas production is directed and written by Ranjith Jeyakodi. The action movie stars Sundeep Kishan and Vijay Sethupathi in lead roles. The film's music was composed by Sam CS, film editing by R Satyanarayan and sound recording by Babychen Paul.

‘Shonibar Bikel’ (Saturday Afternoon), one of the most talked-about Bangladeshi films for the past four years for not getting clearance by Bangladesh Film Censor Board, finally got its clearance, coincidentally on a Saturday afternoon. Director of the film Mostofa Sarwar Farooki confirmed the development to UNB. There are now no obligations to theatrically release the film, based on the 2016 Holey Artisan attack, according to the appeal board consisting of actress and lawmaker Suborna Mustafa, Jatiya Press Club general secretary and former censor board vice chairman Shyamal Dutta, eminent silver screen actress Sucharita and former Additional Secretary Nurul Karim. The members of the appeal board saw the film today. With this clearance, the film has no more restrictions to have its theatrical release countrywide, Shyamal Dutta said to the media. Read: Holey Artisan victim's mother vows to fight release of Bollywood film on tragedy Previously, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said that the Bangladesh Film Censor Board did not clear the film as the then board members gave their opinion based on several aspects including the security and image of the country. Although ‘Shonibar Bikel’ fought for its clearance, Bollywood proceeded with the film ‘Faraaz’, based on the same incident, will hit the theatres on February 3. Farooki and many other prominent artists then took to the media with the demand of ‘Shonibar Bikel’s clearance before ‘Faraaz’.  Read: Holey Artisan Victim Faraaz's Heroism is Now on the Silver Screen “We are very happy and also thankful to the honourable members of the Censor Board. We are now awaiting the board's letter and as soon as we receive the letter, we will start the work of release. Our target is the release of the film before ‘Faraaz’,” Jaaz Multimedia, the distributor of the film posted on its official Facebook page. With an ensemble cast of Nusrat Imrose Tisha, Zahid Hasan, Mamunur Rashid, Iresh Zaker, Nader Chowdhury, Gousul Alam Shaon, Indian-Bengali film actor-director Parambrata Chatterjee and Palestinian actor Eyad Hourani - Farooki's 'Shonibar Bikel’ received multiple awards at different festivals across the world. 

Sushant Singh Rajput entered the world of acting in 2008 through the TV serial 'Kis Desh Mein Hai Mera Dil.' Before entering acting, Rajput was a brilliant engineering student. He won the National Olympiad in Physics. Although he had to get admission to Delhi College of Engineering due to family pressure, his own desire was to become an astronaut. However, Shushant realized that a passion for acting was growing inside him, after attending an acting class under theater director Barry John. He joined Shiamak Davar's dance class while pursuing his graduation in mechanical engineering. He performed as a background dancer in the popular song Dhoom Again from the 2006 film Dhoom 2. He was seen in the background dancing team of Aishwarya Rai at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. In the same year, he left his four-year engineering hustle and devoted himself fully to dancing and acting. He came to Mumbai and started struggling to fulfill his dream. Read More: Holey Artisan victim's mother vows to fight release of Bollywood film on tragedy Rajput eventually landed in Nadira Babbar's theater troupe Ekjut, where he spent two and a half years. Sushant started acting in lead roles in the soap opera Pavitra Rishta which started in 2009. And this work paved the way for him to the silver screen. Many Bollywood critics used to call him the Second SRK.  Let's get to know about the best 5 movies of Sushant Singh Rajput. Top 5 Films of Sushant Singh Rajput Kai Po Che / 2013 Rajput made his full-length screen debut with this sports film directed by Abhishek Kapoor. The main story was taken from Chetan Bhagat's 2008 novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life. Three friends Ish, Omi, and Govi are very passionate about their own sports careers. The drama of their sports life and friendship revolved around the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, the 2002 Godhra train fire, and the 2002 Gujarat riots. Read More: 2022 Highest Grossing Movies Worldwide This first solo Disney·UTV production was a huge commercial and critical success. Rajkumar Rao, Amit Sadh, and Amrita Puri were the main co-artists of Rajput in this buddy drama film. Rajput received a Filmfare Award nomination for Best New Actor for his portrayal of Ish in the film. Kai Po Che also helped him win Best Male Debut at the Producers Guild Film Awards and Most Promising Newcomer at the Screen Awards. MS Dhoni The Untold Story / 2016 This movie, written and directed by Neeraj Pandey, is one of the best works of Rajput's film career. This biographical film is based on the life of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former T20, ODI, and Test captain of the Indian national cricket team. The film features Dhoni's rise in cricket career through various events starting from his childhood. Read More: Top 10 Upcoming South Indian Films in January 2023

Three days after the trailer for Hansan Mehta’s much-talked-about Bollywood film ‘Faraaz’ was released, Ruba Ahmed, the mother of Abinta Kabir who was killed by militants in the Holey Artisan Attack on July 1, 2016, alongside Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain, Tarishi Jain and Ishrat Akhond, among others, said that she is against releasing the film and will try to stop projecting the film in Bangladesh. Ahmed, who is already fighting a legal battle alongside Tarishi Jain’s mother in the Delhi High Court to stay the release of ‘Faraaz’ which is scheduled to hit theatres in India on February 3, said in a press conference at the Abinta Kabir Foundation on Thursday that the filmmakers have violated their privacy and made the film without their proper consent.  “For the last six years, I have been dealing with the enormous pain of losing my only daughter, Abinta Kabir, whom we lost due to that horrific incident. When we first came to know in 2019 that Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt was planning to make a film on the incident, we sent him a letter to which he replied that he respects my decision and will not continue the film,” Ruba Ahmed said at the press conference.  Stating that she was shocked to discover the poster of ‘Faraaz’, realising that the filmmakers did not stop making the film. She then contacted Hansal Mehta, director of the much-acclaimed biographical financial thriller television series ‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’ and asked about the project. “I asked him what gave him the right to make the movie as this incident happened in Bangladesh and it is being made in Bollywood, and he answered that he wanted to draw attention against violence through the film. My question is, a number of terrorist events took place in India between 2016 and 2023 - why can’t they make movies based on the events that happened in India?” Outlining her concerns about the film, Ruba Ahmed said, “We lost 22 people in that incident including Abinta Kabir, Tarishi Jain, and Faraz Hossain, to name a few. However, as the name also suggests, there is undoubtedly more emphasis on one character in the film. The filmmakers did not observe the incident in person, how could the film portray only one of them as a hero?” “In this film, they changed Abinta's name to Ayesha, Tarishi's name to Tari, and even I was also portrayed as Rabeya. In the trailer, they showed a riot scene where my daughter's picture was also visible. Without our consent, how they got the right to invade and violate our privacy?” she questioned. At the press conference, she was also asked about Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s much-talked-about film ‘Shonibar Bikel’ (Saturday Afternoon) which is also fictionalized on the same incident and battling with Bangladesh Film Censor Board for its release since 2019. "Farooki received my legal notice and responded to me. The decision to proceed with the film now totally rests with the Bangladeshi government and the censor board," she said. “I don’t want anyone to imagine the pain of witnessing your daughter's last moment on the silver screen. This movie should not come to Bangladesh. This type of personal tragedy should not be screened on Netflix or Amazon or any other OTT platform," Ruba Ahmed said at the press conference. Produced by T-Series and Benaras Media Works, ‘Faraaz’ features an ensemble cast with six newcomers including legendary Indian actor Shashi Kapoor’s grandson Zahaan Kapoor marking his Bollywood debut in the title character. The film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on October 15 last year.  The release date was finalised after the Delhi High Court recently refused to grant a stay for release in a suit filed by the mothers of Abinta Kabir and Tarishi Jain, who claimed their right to privacy with respect to their deceased daughters. “To ensure that the film doesn't get to come to Bangladesh, I will go to the Supreme Court of India," Ruba Ahmed said. Read more: Holey Artisan Victim Faraaz's Heroism is Now on the Silver Screen

Though unveiling new surprises in the new year has started, there is a shadow of 2022 inside everything. Film festivals are echoing the buzz of South Indian movies of yesteryear. After the pandemic, a bunch of cinemas was released in the Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada film industries. However, not all movies got the same success. Let's take a look at the IMDB’s list of the highest-grossing South Indian movies in 2022. Top 10 Highest-Grossing South Indian Movies in 2022 KGF Chapter 2 ~ USD 160 million worldwide This sequel to the 2018 hit film K.G.F: Chapter 1 was directed and written by Prashant Neel. After establishing himself as the king of the Kolar Gold Fields, the killer Rocky must now deal with adversaries and government officials. Moreover, another bigger challenge before him is his own past. Produced by Hombale Films, the Kannada film starred Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Srinidhi Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Prakash Raj, and Archana Jois. The period action film released on 14 April 2022 grossed USD 124 million domestically. It currently has an IMDb rating of 8.3. Read more: 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023: Unleash the Craze of Movie Mania RRR ~ USD 150 million worldwide Directed by SS Rajamouli, this Telugu film is currently the jewel of the Indian film industry. Because it won the Best Song award at this year's Golden Globes. The DVV Entertainment production was co-written by Rajamouli himself along with V Vijayendra Prasad. The main story is set in the 1920s, depicting the friendship of two Indian revolutionaries, Raju and Bhima, and their deadly struggle against the British Empire. N T Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan were in the lead roles. And they were accompanied by Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Shriya Sharan, and Samuthirakani. Released on 25 March 2022, the film grossed USD 117 million in India alone. This blockbuster has a current rating of 7.9 on IMDb. Read More: Indian Movie RRR’s Success at Golden Globe 2023 Vikram ~ USD 69 million worldwide It was a Tamil film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, produced and starring Kamal Haasan. The script of the action thriller was written by Rathna Kumar and Lokesh. This second installment of the Lokesh cinematic universe after Kaithi (2019) released on 3 June 2022. Apart from Kamal, the film also starred Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Narain, Chemban Vinod Jose, and Kalidas Jayaram. The film grossed over USD 16.9 million from the Indian subcontinent. The film's current IMDb rating stands at 8.4. Ponniyin Selvan 1 ~  USD 63 million worldwide This epic adventure Tamil film was directed by Mani Ratnam. The movie's writing team consisted of Elango Kumaravel, B Jayamohan, and Ratnam himself. Its story was adapted from Kalki Krishnamurthy's 1955 novel Ponnayan Selvan. Produced by Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions, this historical action film released on 30 September 2022. Read More: 2022 Highest Grossing Movies Worldwide The film's large ensemble cast includes Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Trisha, Karthi, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Shovita Dhulipala, Aishwarya Lakshmi, R Sarathkumar, and Prakash Raj. The story of the film revolves around the early life of Arulmoji Varman, the famous emperor Chola prince from 947-1014 AD. The film became the first Tamil movie to gross more than USD 69 million from all over India. The current IMDb rating of the movie is marked at 7.8. Kantara ~ USD 56 million worldwide This action thriller film was produced by Hombale Films of the Kannada cinema industry. The film will show the conflict between a Kambala champion and an upright forest official Murali. The movie was written and directed by Rishabh Shetty who also played the lead role. Read More: Top 10 Upcoming South Indian Films in January 2023 Released on 30 September 2022, the film crossed USD 24.6 million in net collections domestically on its 30th day. After six weeks, the film started breaking Baahubali 2's record. The film currently has a rating of 8.4 on IMDb.

New movies like “Plane” and “House Party” were no match for “Avatar: The Way of Water” and the killer doll horror “M3GAN” at the box office this weekend. The two holdovers topped the charts again according to studio estimates Sunday. In first place for the fifth weekend in a row was James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequel, which added an estimated $31.1 million through Sunday. That total will likely balloon to $38.5 million by the end of Monday’s Martin Luther King holiday. As of Sunday, the film's domestic total now rests at $562.9 million (the 13th biggest of all time) and its global total is $1.89 billion. “Avatar 2” needs to pass $1.92 billion to trump “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which is currently the sixth highest grossing film of all time globally. “There were such huge expectations and a lot of naysayers that opening weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “But ‘Avatar,’ for a James Cameron movie, is moving at lightning speed up the domestic and global box office chart. I think he always knew this would be a $2 billion movie." Second place went to Universal and Blumhouse’s “M3GAN” which in its second weekend in theaters added $17.9 million through Sunday and an estimated $21.2 million including Monday. The modestly budgeted thriller that cost a reported $12 million to produce has made $59.8 million in North America. Read more: 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023: Unleash the Craze of Movie Mania Horror movies typically have very steep second weekend drop offs in ticket sales, but “M3GAN” only fell 41%. Dergarabedian said that’s almost unheard of for a horror picture and shows “world class staying power.” Universal also claimed the third place spot, with “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” which audiences continued to seek out in theaters even though it’s currently available to rent at home. The family-friendly animated film added $13.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $110.3 million. “A Man Called Otto,” from Columbia Pictures, expanded to 3,802 theaters this weekend, adding $12.7 million through Sunday, and $15 million including Monday, to take fourth place. Directed by Marc Forster, the adaptation of “A Man Called Ove” starring Tom Hanks is proving to be something of a rarity in the theatrical marketplace as an adult-targeted drama that is doing well. The Gerard Butler action pic “Plane,” a Lionsgate acquisition for release in North America, rounded out the top five with a better-than-expected $10 million in its first three days. In the film, Butler plays a pilot whose crash landing on an island is only the first of his troubles. On the island, most of the passengers are taken hostage. “Plane” got better-than-average reviews with 75% positive from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Sixth place went to the second major new offering this weekend, “House Party,” a reboot of Reginald Hudlin’s 1990 hit that spawned several spinoffs. The film, which made $3.9 million through Sunday from 1,400 locations, was originally intended as a straight-to-HBO Max property but Warner Bros. pivoted to a theatrical release as a gesture to audiences and exhibitors hungry for new films. The R-rated, youth-oriented comedy did not score well with critics. Overall, the three-day box office total is going to net out around $100 million, which is not quite at pre-pandemic levels, but still up some 44% from the same weekend last year. "January is not going to be the slow month we thought. It’s a great combination of films out there that's not just dominated by ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’" Dergarabedian said. “Theaters need movies and the studios are supplying those.” Read more: 2022 Highest Grossing Movies Worldwide Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, with Wednesday through Sunday in parentheses. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. 1. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $31.1 million. 2. “M3GAN,” $17.9 million. 3. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” $13.4 million. 4. “A Man Called Otto,” $12.7 million. 5. “Plane,” $10 million. 6. “House Party,” $3.9 million. 7. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” $2.2 million. 8. “The Whale,” $1.5 million. 9. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” $1.2 million. 10. “Waltair Veeraya,” 905,000.

As 2023 begins, the countdown has begun for the release of the year's most awaited movies. As the popularity of movies has been established long ago, movie lovers can’t wait to experience the surprises. There is a lot of hype about possible villains for the new installments, and possible twists on old stories. There is endless discussion about whether the upcoming movies will be able to do justice to their old selves, or whether they will be able to start a new craze. This article lists the most anticipated movies of 2023 out of the shouts. 10 Most Awaited Films Releasing in 2023 Ant-Man and the Wasp- Quantumania | February 17, 2023 Marvel is going to start the year 2023 with this movie. This 31st movie of MCU will make its name as the first movie of phase five of MCU. Directed by Peyton Reed and written by Jeff Loveness, Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly will reprise their roles as Scott Lang and Hope Pym, respectively. In this third installment of Ant-Man, Scott-hope and their family will be brought to the Quantum Realm where they will encounter Kang the Conqueror, the infamous supervillain from Marvel Comics. Read More: Indian Movie RRR’s Success at Golden Globe 2023 John Wick Chapter IV | March 24, 2023 John Wick, starring Keanu Reeves, continues to pull audiences even after three consecutive editions. Written by Michael Finch and Shay Hatten and directed by Chad Stahelski, this neo-noir action film will once again feature some breathless fighting sequences. Before gaining his freedom, Wick must face a new enemy that threatens to turn his old friend into an enemy. Lionsgate CEO John Feltheimer confirmed the production of the 5th movie alongside the shooting of this fourth installment. Guardians of the Galaxy (Volume 3) | May 5, 2023 James Gunn is going to appear again in the guardians of the galaxy to give Marvel fans a new surprise. This sequel to 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will mark the 32nd movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Star Lord's old team will be seen this time going to war with Marvel's new character Adam Warlock played by Will Poulter. However, the bad news for Gunn fans is that this will be his last Guardians film. Read More: 2022 Highest Grossing Movies Worldwide. Fast X | May 19, 2023 Those who love to see all their favorite stars together have been following up on the Fast and Furious franchise since its inception. Via Fast X, this action franchise, written by Justin Lin, is entering its tenth year. This time, however, Louis Leterrier is directing and Dan Mazzeu contributed to the screenplay along with Lin. Vin Diesel’s character Dominique Toretto's old team and Charlize Theron as villain remain unchanged. But Jason Momoa and Brie Larson will appear with surprises in new roles. More good news – February 2024 is already targeted for the release of the eleventh movie. Spider-Man- Across the SpiderVerse | June 2, 2023 This co-production of Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation is going to be a great treat for Spider-Man fans. Here, the audience will see an unprecedented world of a different dimension called Spider-Verse, where Miles' adventure will be accompanied by Spider-Force. This sequel of the 2018 animated film marks the directorial debut of Joaquim dos Santos and Justin K. Thompson. They will be accompanied by Kemp Powers. In addition to Shameek Moore as the main character Miles, other voiceover artists include Hailee Steinfeld, Zach Johnson, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, and Oscar Isaac. Read More: 5 Best Movies of Mel Gibson.

The 21st edition of the Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF), one of the longest-running cultural festivals in the country, officially began in the city Saturday, with 252 films set to be showcased from 71 countries till January 22. Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen inaugurated the festival as chief guest, while civil aviation and tourism secretary Mokammel Hossain and popular West Bengal actor Sabyasachi Chakrabarty were present as special guests at the inaugural ceremony. Presided over by the DIFF chief patron and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, the welcome remarks were delivered by festival director Ahmed Muztaba Zamal, founding organiser of this coveted festival. Inaugurating the 21st edition, Foreign Minister Momen said that the DIFF has given young and aspiring filmmakers in Bangladesh and elsewhere the opportunity to interact with contemporary artistic trends, greatly influencing the development of a strong and positive national cinema culture. "I commend Rainbow Film Society's initiative and effort, which since 1977 have been devoted to fostering a strong film culture in Bangladesh. It truly is one of the Bangladeshi film society movement's most active film organizations, and I wish the festival a great success," Momen said at the ceremony. Read more: Korean Film Festival 2022 opens