Eat.Sleep.Movie.Repeat

Box Office Battles and Blockbuster Predictions: The Inside Scoop on Snow White and Minecraft

• Brent Harbour and Ross Churchouse

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Snow White's troubled journey to theaters reveals the growing chasm between online discourse and actual audience experiences. After enduring an 18-month hate campaign before release, Disney's remake scored a brutal 1.6 on IMDB while simultaneously earning a respectable 74% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. We discuss what this means for the studio and the film industry at large as Disney conducts "serious soul-searching" to recover from underwhelming box office numbers.

Looking ahead to brighter prospects, we preview the Minecraft movie starring Jack Black as Steve alongside Jason Momoa (who was spotted around Ponsonby during filming in New Zealand) and our own Jemaine Clement. This digital LEGO-like phenomenon has captivated children worldwide, and the film is poised to dominate the upcoming school holidays with early strong pre-sales indicating significant interest from families.

For adult moviegoers seeking substantive cinema after the slow start to 2024 (blame the 2023 actors' strike), several promising titles are on the horizon. Rami Malek stars in "The Amateur" as a CIA decoder seeking vengeance, while Cillian Murphy follows his Oppenheimer success with "Small Things Like These," a hard-hitting drama about Ireland's troubled church history. Meanwhile, New Zealand's homegrown hit "Tina" continues its remarkable five-week run at #1, approaching $5 million and drawing emotional responses from audiences of all ages.

Whether you're looking for family entertainment, thought-provoking drama, or pulse-quickening thrills, cinema's comeback is gaining momentum. Head to your local independent theater, grab some Jaffas, and support the magic of the big screen experience!

Book your tickets to the movies at Cathay Cinemas Kerikeri here - or at Lido Cinema Hamilton here!