Box Office Surprises, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and Muppets on Broadway

Summer Box Office Struggles

• 📉 The 2025 summer movie season is ending with unexpected box office results, as traditional blockbusters underperform.
• ⚠️ Well-reviewed films like Fantastic Four: First Steps and 28 Years Later experienced significant second-weekend drop-offs (67% and 68% respectively).
• 📊 Projections suggest the summer box office may only reach $3.75 billion, a slight increase from 2024's $3.66 billion, falling short of the anticipated $4 billion.
• 🏠 Many attribute this trend to ingrained streaming habits developed during the pandemic, with audiences opting to wait for films to become available at home.

K-Pop Demon Hunters' Theatrical Takeover

• 🌟 The animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters, originally released on Netflix in June, unexpectedly debuted at #1 at the North American box office with $18 million.
• 🎤 This success is attributed to a singalong version released in 1,700 theaters, coinciding with a promotional push that included lighting up the Empire State Building and bus tours in Times Square.
• 🎬 Netflix announced the singalong version would be available on their streaming service at midnight, raising questions about the strategy behind the limited theatrical run.
• 🎶 The film's soundtrack has also achieved significant success, spending six non-consecutive weeks at the top of the charts, surpassing soundtracks from Disney's Frozen and DreamWorks' Trolls.

Broadway and Animation News

• 🎭 Magician Rob Lake will be joined by The Muppets for a holiday season show at the Broadhurst Theater, running from October 28th to January 18th, 2026.
• 🎟️ Broadway Week in NYC (September 8th-21st) offers two-for-one tickets to Disney's Aladdin and The Lion King with the code NYC BW400.
• 🎃 The Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail returns to the New York Botanical Gardens from September 25th to November 30th, promising more scenes, songs, and merchandise.
• 🎬 The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens will host a 35mm screening of The Black Cauldron on October 11th to celebrate its 40th anniversary, followed by a discussion with author Neil O'Brien.

Animation Industry Updates

• 📚 New animation-related books discussed include The Art of Smurfs by Matt Murray and The Fearless Art of Mike Gabriel, a catalog of the Disney director's work.
• 🗓️ CTNX 2025, a convention for animation professionals and enthusiasts, will be held November 20th-23rd at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel.
• 🎬 Warner Brothers Pictures has moved the release date for its CG animated version of The Cat in the Hat to November 6, 2026.
• 📺 Futurama Season 13 will premiere all 10 episodes on Hulu on September 15th.
• 📀 The digital version of The Bad Guys 2 was released on August 19th, with the Blu-ray and DVD release on October 7th. Pixar's Elio digital version was also released August 19th, with physical media on September 9th.
• 🎤 The Museum of the Moving Image will celebrate Jim Henson's birthday on September 20th-21st, marking the 70th anniversary of the Jim Henson Company with special events and a film compilation of Henson's greatest moments.