Steve Pond's Blog, page 169

Spotify’s Push Into Videos, Podcasts Sees Traction, With 12% Gain in Subscribers in First Quarter

Spotify on Tuesday morning reported it added another 5 million paying customers during the first quarter, indicating its bet on podcasts is continuing to help attract users who are interested in more than just music.

But the stock price of the Stockholm, Sweden-based streaming giant took a big early hit after its quarterly report was released, as its first quarter revenue matched analyst estimates and its operating profit fell short of what Wall Street was aiming for; Investors may have also been expecting Spotify to add more users during the quarter than it did, following a record-setting quarter to close 2024.

Analysts had been looking for Spotify to report an operating profit of $623 million for the quarter, compared to the $545 million the company posted. Spotify’s stock, which has been one of the rare strong performers among the tech giants in 2025, dropped 8% in early morning trading soon after the report was released.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, in a statement accompanying Spotify’s report, said his company is well-positioned to be an affordable entertainment choice for users, even as the global economic picture is gloomy.

“The underlying data at the moment is very healthy: engagement remains high, retention is strong, and thanks to our freemium model, people have the flexibility to stay with us even when things feel more uncertain,” Ek said. “So yes, the short term may bring some noise, but we remain confident in the long-term story, and the direction we’re heading in feels clearer than ever.”

Here are some of the key results: 

Revenue: Spotify reported €4.20 billion in first quarter revenue, or $4.78 billion, matching analyst estimates for the quarter. Sales were up 15% from the same time last year.

Subscribers: Spotify added 5 million premium subscribers between Jan. and March and closed the first quarter with 268 million subscribers. That topped analyst projections, which had the company adding about 3 million subscribers during the first quarter.

Interestingly, Spotify adding more-than-expected paying customers helped offset a loss of 2 million ad-supported subscribers during the quarter; Spotify now has 423 million ad-supported customers, following the first quarter decline.

Spotify was coming off of a holiday quarter in which it matched a company record of 11 million new premium subscribers; the company noted this was its second-best first quarter ever in terms of subscriber, following 2020.

Monthly Active Users: There were 678 million monthly active users on Spotify by the end of Mar., which is up 10% year-over-year. But that figure stands out, considering Spotify added a company-record 35 million MAUs during the fourth quarter of 2024, making it seem like the first quarter was a step back by comparison.

Earnings Per Share: The Stockholm-based company reported EPS of €1.07, or $1.22 EPS, which came in below most analyst estimates of about €2.00.

Profit: Spotify’s quarterly profit increased 30% year-over-year, hitting €225 million, or roughly $257 million. The company posted its first annual profit in 2024.

Beyond music, podcasts — and in particular, video podcasts — are becoming a bigger priority for Spotify. That was evident in the first quarter, when the Swedish streaming giant launched its “Spotify Partners Program,” giving creators more tools to create and monetize video podcasts. For podcasters, the big draw is that Spotify will now pay them a slice of extra money, based on how many Premium subscribers watch their show.

The program’s launch came as Spotify is looking to chase down YouTube, which has become the go-to destination for American podcast listeners. Spotify, as TheWrap reported earlier this month, has beefed up its selection of video podcasts in recent years, going from 100,000 in 2023 to more than 330,000 by the end of the first quarter, in an effort to keep podcast listeners on its app — and off of YouTube and Apple’s podcast app.

Heading into Tuesday, Spotify has been one of the rare prominent tech companies that has not seen its share price take a hit in 2025. Spotify’s stock is up 30% on the year and — after trading at an all-time high of $652.53 in Feb. — was trading for nearly $598 per share when markets closed on Monday.

Looking ahead, Spotify noted in its first quarter report that its projections for the second quarter are “subject to substantial uncertainty.” The company projected it will add another 5 million paying customers in the second quarter and that sales will hit €4.30 billion. Spotify is also anticipating it will finish the second quarter with 689 million MAUs — which fell a hair short of what analysts were looking for, and may have contributed to the morning stock drop.

Spotify will hold a call at 8:00 a.m. ET Tuesday to discuss its first quarter report.

The post Spotify’s Push Into Videos, Podcasts Sees Traction, With 12% Gain in Subscribers in First Quarter appeared first on TheWrap.

Jimmy Kimmel Jokes Trump Only Wants to Annex Canada to ‘Distract Us From the Fact That JD Vance Killed the Pope’ | Video

There was an election Tuesday night in Canada, one Donald Trump has had a very outsized impact on by his belligerently claiming he wants to illegally annex the country and make it part of the United States. But during his monologue on Tuesday night, Jimmy Kimmel had an amusing theory about that: Trump is just trying “to distract us from the fact that JD Vance killed the Pope.”

Obviously this is a reference to the many, many jokes about how the vice president was one of the last people to see the pope in person just hours before his death the day after Easter.

Kimmel got to this joke by talking about Trump’s new polling numbers, which are historically low for a president at the 100-day mark.

“I don’t know if you’ve seen, but Trump’s approval ratings are the lowest – for any President at this stage of his tenure in 80 years. A new poll from ABC News and The Washington Post has his approval rating at only 39%. After almost a hundred days in office, Trump is as popular as Kanye at a bat mitzvah,” Kimmel said.

“And what do you do when you’re down in the polls? You attack the polls,” Kimmel continued, at this point quoting a rant Trump posted on Truth Social, by saying, “FAKE POLLS FROM FAKE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS.”

“And it’s in all caps, so that means it’s extra true,” Kimmel continued, before once again quoting Trump directly. “”These people should be investigated for election fraud!'”

“Does he know there’s no election coming up? Maybe he means the election in Canada today? Also, this morning, El Presidemente appeared to suggest that Canadians, who voted on a new Prime Minister today, should vote for him for Prime Minister.”

Kimmel then quoted another Trump Truth Social rant in which he repeated his demand that Canada somehow become an American state. “Good luck to the Great people of Canada. Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World, have your Car, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Energy, and all other businesses, QUADRUPLE in size, WITH ZERO TARIFFS OR TAXES. ALL POSITIVES WITH NO NEGATIVES. IT WAS MEANT TO BE!”

“That’s right Canadians, vote for the man who puts the ‘whore’ in Tim Horton. He is, what is he doing? Usually when Trump tries to interfere in an election, at least it’s one of ours! Right?” Kimmel said. “This is like Drake running for Mayor of Compton.”

“Of course, Trump knows this isn’t gonna happen. No one in Canada is voting for him for anything, Canada’s not gonna be our 51st state. He just wants to distract us from the fact that JD Vance killed the pope the other day. That’s what this is,” Kimmel quipped.

You can watch the complete monologue below:

The post Jimmy Kimmel Jokes Trump Only Wants to Annex Canada to ‘Distract Us From the Fact That JD Vance Killed the Pope’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Colbert Says the 30% Who Still Approve of Trump’s Economy ‘Are Either in a Coma or in His Cabinet’ | Video

Stephen Colbert had a somewhat gleeful response to Donald Trump’s historically low recent polling, joking that the kind of polls he’s getting would be like someone being told they’d had the worst sex “since sex began.”

“His polling numbers are historically bad. In the New York Times poll… of his first 100 days, his approval rating is at 42%. In CNN, it’s 41% and then the ABC, Washington Post, Ipsos Flaming Hot Cheetos poll, he’s at 39%” Colbert explained.

“That is the worst polling number since polling began. I got to believe that’s hard to hear. ‘Babe when I said that was the worst sex ever, I only meant since sex began,'” Colbert quipped.

“Nothing Trump has done so far is particularly popular in any of these polls, but the thing really dragging them down is his handling of the economy,” the host continued. “In the ABC poll, more than 70% of Americans say the economy today is either not so good or poor, the other 30% are either in a coma or in his cabinet.”

Colbert noted that Trump himself is very angry about these polling numbers, and that he went on a long rant on his Twitter clone, Truth Social, falsely claiming the polls were rigged “fake polls” from “fake news.”

“Okay, that stuff, that might fool some people. Okay, if it was just one or two polls, but it’s all the polls That’s like having a mug that says world’s best, Mom, no matter what my kids say, fake hands, the polls,” he said.

Colbert later talked about Trump’s interview with Time Magazine, in which he falsely claimed he’s struck over 200 trade deals since flinging tariffs at every country on earth. (Trump has as of this date struck no such deals at all.)

“For the record, 200 deals would mean the Trump had made trade deals with all 195 countries in the world, plus five bonus trade deals. It’s true, folks. No, it’s true,” Colbert said, switching to his Trump impression. “That’s the art of the deal. That’s what I do. You know me. I made deals with Wakanda, Narnia, McDonald’s Playland, East Korea, and I drove a very hard bargain with the Princess of Genovia.”

There’s much more, and you can watch the whole monologue below:

The post Colbert Says the 30% Who Still Approve of Trump’s Economy ‘Are Either in a Coma or in His Cabinet’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

‘NCIS: Origins’ Creators, Mariel Molino Break Down Devastating Finale Cliffhanger: Is a Major Character Dead?

Note: This story contains spoilers from “NCIS: Origins” Episode 18.

“NCIS: Origins” reached a key moment in the franchise’s canon, leaving the fate of one fan-favorite character in limbo for the summer.

The CBS prequel series concluded Season 1 with “Cecilia,” an episode that fittingly put a spotlight on Cecilia “Lala” Dominguez (Mariel Molino) as her friend Lara Macy investigated Gibbs’ (Austin Stowell) involvement in the murder of sniper Pedro Hernandez. The tense investigation pushed the NIS team to its breaking point, which included a screaming match between Lala and Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid).

The tension reached a fever pitch when Lala successfully intimidated Lara into letting go of the investigation, just as she came to terms with being in love with Gibbs. But as she was on her way back to him, present-day Gibb’s (Mark Harmon) narration mirrored that of the series premiere, reminding audiences just how important Lala was to his journey as viewers saw an unconscious and bloody Lala after a gruesome car accident. The episode ended before revealing if the character is alive or dead.

Mariel Molino in “NCIS: Origins.” (Sonja Flemming/CBS)

“We knew going into this show that we wanted to take big swings … and there’s more to the story,” series co-creator David J. North told TheWrap. “As for whether Lala is dead, everybody will need to tune in to Season 2.”

“I always knew that Lala had to have a very profound impact on Gibbs in potentially a very profound and sad, heartfelt way,” Molino told TheWrap. “What’s most heartbreaking about that scene is that she never gets to tell Gibbs that she loves him. That’s what she’s on her way to tell him.”

North and co-creator Gina Lucita Monreal praised Molino for their performance throughout the finale, which saw the typically composed Lala start to crack at the thought of Gibbs facing consequences for avenging his family’s murder by killing Pedro Hernandez. As the investigation heated up, a quiet moment at Lala’s saw she and Gibbs almost kiss in the pool — only to be interrupted when Gibbs admits to Lala he gave his rifle to Lara for her investigation.

Austin Stowell and Mariel Molino in “NCIS: Origins.” (CBS)

“It was the most intimate scene we’ve gotten to shoot thus far, before Gibbs screwed it up,” Molino said. “I wanted to have that moment where Lala really surrenders herself to Gibbs and into the fantasy that one day they could be together.”

While Gibbs and Lala’s potential final moment had some steam, her last scene with Franks was a full-blown conflict. With Lara hot on Gibbs’ trail, Franks accused Lala of being Lara’s informant — which she does not take well. Lala yells at Franks and tells him that despite his repeated provocations and animosity toward her, she has always proven herself to be blindly loyal to all the members of the team.

North and Monreal teased that the cliffhanger will send shockwaves across the NIS team — regardless of if Lala lives or dies.

“If this is the end of Lala, we remember the last things we said to people, and then we have to live with that,” North said, noting that despite the finale’s dark turn there will be plenty of light-hearted moments as well.

“You can expect us to dig into all of our characters even more in Season 2, along with more cases of the week,” Monreal told TheWrap, adding that the writers’ room for the new season will not convene for a few weeks so it’s not clear yet if the show will pick up right after Lala’s accident or with a time jump.

Molino said that though she was surprised to see Lala’s potential death happen so soon during the run of “NCIS: Origins,” she was proud to portray the agent as a strong woman willing to lose it all to protect the ones she loves.

“I feel really lucky to have gotten to create a new character in a universe that is so appreciated and loved by so many, and to be welcomed so beautifully has been a gift,” Molino said while speaking about “NCIS” fans.

“NCIS: Origins” Season 1 is now streaming on Paramount+. The show has been renewed for Season 2.

The post ‘NCIS: Origins’ Creators, Mariel Molino Break Down Devastating Finale Cliffhanger: Is a Major Character Dead? appeared first on TheWrap.

FCC Commissioner Says Trump Is Waging a ‘Campaign to Censor and Control’ and ‘Harassing’ Broadcasters | Video

Speaking to Jake Tapper Monday afternoon on CNN’s “The Lead,” a sitting FCC commissioner openly criticized the regulatory agency’s current Chair as well as Donald Trump in unusually blunt terms.

Anna M. Gomez told Tapper that current FCC Chair Brendan Carr has essentially disregarded the recommendations of the agency’s experts in order to pursue a vendetta against “60 Minutes” on behalf of Donald Trump. And Trump, Gomez said, is waging a “campaign to censor and control” against Americans and the media in particular.

Her comments came in response to Tapper askinge her if the FCC’s role in approving the merger between Paramount and Skydance media is “connected in any way” to the FCC’s investigation of baseless fraud claims against Paramount-owned “60 minutes” over last year’s interview with Kamala Harris.

“So what we have before us is this complaint, as you mentioned, of news distortion by this separate group, the staff of the FCC,” Gomez, a telecommunications lawyer appointed to the FCC in 2023, said. “The expert staff of the FCC actually dismissed the complaint earlier this year, but the current chair reinstated the complaint, stating that it needed further investigation.”

“But let’s be clear [about] what this administration is doing. It is on a campaign to censor and control, and in particular with broadcasters, it is harassing them into, they hope, covering the news the way that they want it to be covered,” Gomez continued.

Asserting that she can’t comment on questions related to the merger specifically, “because it’s still pending,” she added, “I can tell you that there is no case of news distortion in the ’60 Minutes’ interview or the clips that were shown before the interview of Kamala Harris.”

Watch Gomez’s remarks on CNN below:

FCC Commissioner: Trump admin on a campaign to "censor and control"
Watch the full video here: https://t.co/ORFcVns6BP pic.twitter.com/sxfetzhbuD

— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) April 28, 2025

The post FCC Commissioner Says Trump Is Waging a ‘Campaign to Censor and Control’ and ‘Harassing’ Broadcasters | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Nicole Kidman to Receive Kering’s Women in Motion Award at Cannes

Kering, the fashion and luxury multinational company, announced Monday that Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award-winning actress and producer Nicole Kidman will receive the Women in Motion Award next month during the Cannes Film Festival. Past recipients include Viola Davis, Michelle Yeoh, Dame Donna Langley, Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. 

“It’s a true honor to receive this award from Francois, Thierry, Iris, my friends at the Kering Group as well as the Cannes Film Festival,” Kidman said in a statement. “I am proud to join this list of extraordinary women who’ve received this honor before me — artists and trailblazers I deeply admire. The Cannes Film Festival has been a part of my life for over 30 years and I am thrilled to add this incredible recognition to the many memories I’ve made here.” 

Since 2015, the award has recognized female trailblazers in the film world, artists who are driven to advance the place of women in cinema. It will be an eight-year hiatus for Kidman since she was last in Cannes, when she received the festival’s 70th Anniversary Prize.

“She was an obvious choice,” François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering, said. “Through her artistic standards, her committed choices and her concrete action to change representations in cinema, she is a powerful illustration of what Women in Motion has been defending for a decade.”

(Pinault is also married to actress Salma Hayek, who is often seen putting final touches on the dinner seating before guests settle in for the event.)

Very much a hard-working actress in Hollywood, Kidman had three movies and two TV shows come out in 2024, and this year she has had one film come out, “Holland” on Amazon’s Prime Video. It was reported by People in March that she’s taking 2025 off to rest.

Kidman kept up her fashion appearances in 2024, appearing at several Balenciaga shows like their spring-summer 2025 ready-to-wear and the fall 2024 couture show. Balenciaga is a Kering brand for which she is an ambassador alongside Michelle Yeoh, Isabelle Huppert and Kim Kardashian. A long admirer of the brand, Kidman wore it for her wedding to Keith Urban in 2006 and has worn the brand on many-a red carpet. In March of this year, Kidman returned to the City of Lights to support her daughter Sunday Rose, who walked in Miu Miu’s fall-winter 2025 women’s ready-to-wear show. 

In addition to the Women in Motion Award during the festival, Kering produces talks and podcasts that highlights women both on and off the screen. This year, Kering will celebrate 10 years of commitment to equality in arts and culture. 

The post Nicole Kidman to Receive Kering’s Women in Motion Award at Cannes appeared first on TheWrap.

Blumhouse Drops Horror Hit ‘M3GAN’ in Full on YouTube

Blumhouse just posted its horror film “M3GAN” to watch entirely free on YouTube.

As a way to promote the upcoming sequel “M3GAN 2.0” releasing this summer, the Blumhouse X account fired off a tweet with the entirety of the first film available to watch right then and there.

“Well isn’t today your lucky day,” the account said. “Our legal team let us post the entire ‘M3GAN’ movie. Enjoy!”

Well isn't today your lucky day? Our legal team let us post the entire M3GAN movie. Enjoy!https://t.co/c666SK2arX

— Blumhouse (@blumhouse) April 28, 2025

The 2023 horror film followed a lifelike doll run by a sophisticated AI meant to be the perfect companion to children. That’s just what M3GAN does – until she transitions into a murderous protector looking for revenge. The movie was a shocking hit for Blumhouse and earned mostly positive reviews, grossing over $180 million at the worldwide box office on a meager $12 million budget.

The sequel to the hit is once again helmed by the first’s director Gerard Johnstone and is based on a screenplay co-written by him and “M3GAN” screenwriter Akela Cooper.

“M3GAN 2.0” brings back Allison Williams’ Gemma as the creator of the robot who is forced to reboot M3GAN (played again by Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis) after a new robot named Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno) goes rogue and begins hunting down everyone involved with the creation of the original bot.

“I’ll admit: There were some bugs in my programming,” M3GAN says to her creator in clips for the sequel.

The trailer pitches the showdown as “this bitch vs. that bitch.”

“M3GAN 2.0” hits theaters on Friday, June 27.

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‘Yellowjackets’ Copyright Lawsuit Against Showtime Dismissed

Showtime and Lionsgate’s Entertainment One have prevailed in a lawsuit claiming their hit series “Yellowjackets” stole ideas from a 2015 film called “Eden.”

In court documents obtained by TheWrap, U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson dismissed the November 2024 lawsuit, saying that the television show and film – both about soccer teams that crash in the woods on the way to a game, and begin to lean into cult-like behavior, ultimately resorting to cannibalism – were not similar enough to constitute copyright infringement.

“There can be no serious dispute that escape attempts by shipwrecked or stranded survivors are prevalent throughout fiction and history, from Odysseus, Robinson Crusoe and Gilligan to Shackleton and the Uruguayan rugby team,” Pregerson wrote. “Instances of competition, tribalism and factionalism in disaster scenarios or in response to resource scarcity are nearly as commonplace, from ‘The Tempest’ to ‘Survivor’ to much of the post-apocalyptic genre, such as the ‘Mad Max’ films or any of a number of zombie stories, to, most archetypically, ‘Lord of the Flies.’”

The dismissal added that the similar themes of the two stories would lead to an obvious overlap. It explained, “It is difficult to imagine how any serious drama involving a descent into ritualized cannibalism, and its aftereffects, could possibly exclude elements of solemnity and brooding contemplation.”

Another sticking point for Pregerson was the setting for the two stories. “Yellowjackets” takes place in the Canadian woodlands while “Eden” is on an uninhabited island.

“Moreover, the ‘desolate area’ setting highlighted by Plaintiff is a common element of survival stories, including historical events such as the travails of the Uruguayan rugby team in the Andes or the Donner Party in the Sierra Nevada,” he wrote.

In the original filing, Eden Film Productions alleged that the series beared “strikingly similar elements” to the film.

“In both works, the survivors, which include various players and the coach, among others, must fight for their lives against the harsh elements, starvation through dwindling resources and the psychological toll of isolation in the form of growing darkness within themselves,” the complaint stated. “As they struggle to survive, tensions rise, alliances form, dark secrets emerge and moral boundaries are pushed to their limits — blurring the line between good and evil.”

The survival series continues to be a major hit for Showtime. The recently wrapped third season was the most-viewed yet. The finale secured 3 million global cross-platform viewers during its first seven days of availability. That number marks a 19% increase compared to the overall viewership for Season 2’s finale as well as a 54% increase in the streaming audience for that episode.

Showtime did not immediately response to TheWrap’s request for comment.

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FCC Chair Says CBS-Trump Settlement Talks Have Nothing to Do With Paramount-Skydance Deal Review

FCC chairman Brendan Carr sidestepped a question during a Monday press conference about how a potential settlement of President Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against CBS over its “60 Minutes” Kamala Harris interview could impact agency’s review of the Paramount-Skydance deal.

“The settlement and any discussions around that have nothing to do with the work that we’re doing at the FCC,” Carr said. “There’s at least three different things are going on: There’s the litigation, which we’re not a part of and there’s been no discussions about, there is the transaction that’s before us and there is the CBS news distortion [complaint]. And we’re taking those last two, running our normal course.”

“On the [Paramount-Skydance] transaction itself, we are getting close to the informal 180 day clock. I think we’re somewhere in the 160s but we’re just running our normal process across a lot of different transactions right now,” he added. “We’re just going to apply the law and the facts and the record and move forward. We are simply focused on the record that’s before us, and we’re going to make our decision based on the agency’s record itself.”

Despite Carr’s claim that the FCC’s work is unrelated to the lawsuit, the agency made the transcript and camera footage of the interview public as part of a “news distortion” investigation.

He previously said that a “news distortion” complaint from conservative law firm The Center for American Rights over the interview would likely arise in the agency’s review of the Skydance transaction. The final deadline for the public comment period ended on March 24.

“Personally, I have not reviewed those comments at this point, but at some point we will get to it in terms of reviewing the comments and making a final decision,” Carr said.

When asked about Trump’s public comments calling for the maximum fines and punishment for CBS, Carr said that no decisions have been made but that “all options remain on the table” and the investigation remains ongoing. He did not rule out the possibility for broadcast license revocations as a result of public interest standard violations.

“License revocations is a tool that the FCC has in its toolkit. It’s long been viewed as sort of the regulatory death penalty. So it’s a pretty high bar to meet to go down that path,” he said. “But it is one of the the options the FCC has, and we continue to take a vigorous look at the public interest standard and making sure that the FCC enforces it. We’ve opened lots of investigations so far. We’re going to see where they go.”

In addition to its scrutiny of Paramount, the FCC has launched investigations into Comcast and Disney over their diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

“There’s some concerning things that we’ve seen there about potential discrimination that we are continuing to run down inside the building, and we’ll see where that investigation on Disney and ABC goes,” Carr added. “But there’s some concerning elements there about potentially making race-based and gender-based discriminatory decisions. We have to let that play out in terms of the process, but that’s one where I’m particularly interested to see where it goes.”

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Mamoru Hosoda’s ‘Scarlet’ Sets Christmas 2025 Release Date at Sony

Sony has dated Oscar-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda’s latest animated feature “Scarlet” for Dec. 12. His last feature was 2021’s “Belle.”

Sony co-produced and co-financed the new animated feature with Studio CHIZU and Nippon TV. It is only being described as “the story of a brave princess who transcends time and space.” We’ll take it.

Hosoda’s previous films include “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” “Summer Wars,” “Wolf Children” and “The Boy and the Beast.” His 2018 feature “Mirai” was nominated for the Best Animated Feature film at the 91st Academy Awards. And “Belle,” released in 2021, became the highest-grossing film of his career after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.

In TheWrap’s review of that feature film, which follows a shy high school student who creates who own superstar identity in the fictional virtual world of U, Carlos Aguilar praised Hosoda’s latest as “an aesthetically imaginative and affectingly breathtaking fairytale for our modern world.

“‘Belle’ envelops you first with its clever mechanics and youthful preoccupations. But as the reflective subtext comes to light, it extends an invitation to reconnect with others offline and to beware the comfort of these surrogate identities,” he wrote. “Though they indeed present a playground to avoid the troubles of our real plane of existence, they are not the whole picture.”

If you’ve ever seen one of his films, then you know Hosoda is a singular talent and one of the most exciting voices in international cinema, no matter the medium. Each one of his films is an event and “Scarlet” is no different.

“Scarlet” hits theaters on Dec. 12, 2025.

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