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☆ From ‘Barbenheimer’ to Taylor Swift, here are the most important films of 2023 and why they worked
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-27 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Hannah Beier | The Washington Post | Getty ImagesCall 2023 an explosive comeback at the box office. Together, those three films contributed more than $1.5 billion to the domestic box office, according to data from Comscore. But in the meantime, here's a look at some of the most important theatrical releases of 2023 — and why they worked. Meanwhile, Disney has seen its animated content lag at the box office in the wake of the pandemic. "His Only Son," a biblical drama released in early 2023, cost $250,000 to make and generated $12.4 million at the box office.

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Hannah Beier, Mario, Comscore, Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan's, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Chris Pratt, Charlie, Luigi, Disney, Kung, Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson's, Buda Mendes, tas23, Swift, Beyoncé, Tim Ballard, Jim Caviezel, Covid, Blumhouse, Cabrini, Saint Francesca Cabrini, Bonhoeffer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Organizations: Washington Post, Getty, Warner Bros, Mario Bros, Universal, Disney, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, Swift, AMC, National Football League, Angel Studios, Century Fox, Roman Catholic, Reich Locations: Somerdale , New Jersey, There's, New York, Universal, Hollywood, Colombia

U.S. Rep. John Curtis won't run to succeed Mitt Romney, leaving the race to replace the nationally known Utah senator clear of one of the state's best known Republicans. “We’ve accomplished a lot but my work for them is not done," Rep. John Curtis wrote in a Monday op-ed in the Deseret News. “I believe we need elected leaders who are more concerned about doing their job than getting the next job. Curtis emerged as a possible candidate after Romney, 76, announced last month that he won’t run for reelection. He would have been a formidable contender for the job in Republican-dominated Utah, along with Republican Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, 54, who announced his campaign Wednesday.

Persons: John Curtis, Mitt Romney, “ We’ve, “, ”, Curtis, Romney, Mike Lee, Donald Trump, who's, Adrielle Herring, Brad Wilson, Wilson, Joe Biden's, Trent Staggs, Rod Bird Jr, Roosevelt, Tim Ballard, Ballard Organizations: Rep, Deseret, Senate, Romney, Republican, Republican Utah, Operation Underground Railroad, Democrats Locations: Utah, Provo, Curtis, U.S, Mexico, Riverton

Republican Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson is poised to formally announce at a Wednesday night rally that he is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mitt Romney, who recently announced he won't run for reelection. Romney announced earlier this month that he won't seek a second term, saying younger people needed to step forward. Wilson would likely fall somewhere between Romney and Lee in that regard, said Damon Cann, head of Utah State University’s political science department. He launched an exploratory committee even before Romney’s announcement and recently said he will resign from his speaker job and the state House on Nov. 15. The winner of next year's Republican primary on June 25 will be heavily favored to win the general election in November.

Persons: Brad Wilson, Mitt Romney, Romney, Mike Lee, Donald Trump, Wilson, Lee, Damon Cann, Mike Lee’s, ” Cann, Cann, Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, ”, Rod Bird Jr, Tim Ballard, Ballard, of Jesus Christ, Trump Organizations: Republican Utah, U.S, Senate, Utah State, Utah’s House, GOP, Riverton Mayor, Operation Underground Railroad, Operation Underground, of Jesus, Saints, Utah Legislature, Republican Locations: Utah, Romney, Salt Lake City, Draper, Massachusetts, Roosevelt, Salt

☆ Trump-endorsed 'Sound of Freedom' has outgrossed 'Mission: Impossible,' 'The Flash'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Over the last four weeks, Angel Studios' "Sound of Freedom," an indie film that has drawn the support of former President Donald Trump and other conservatives, has captured nearly $150 million in domestic ticket sales. "Sound of Freedom" is also on the heels of Disney's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," which has generated around $167 million in box-office grosses in the U.S. and Canada. "'Sound of Freedom' is a summer movie success story that wasn't even on the radar just a few short weeks ago," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. "Sound of Freedom" wrapped filming in 2018. "'Sound of Freedom' benefitted not only from this but also by providing a non-typical summer style movie experience."

Persons: Donald Trump, Mario Bros, Tom Cruise, Indiana Jones, Shawn Robbins, Paul Dergarabedian, Tim Ballard, Jim Caviezel, Robbins, Trump, Steve Bannon, Trump's, Kari Lake, Jack Posobiec, Kevin McCarthy, Dergarabedian Organizations: Angel Studios, Hollywood, Warner Bros, DC, Century Fox, Walt Disney Co, Comcast, CNBC Locations: U.S, Canada, Hollywood, Colombia, New Jersey, Arizona, Washington, NBCUniversal

☆ Trump to host screening of 'Sound of Freedom,' the divisive anti-child-trafficking hit film
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Former President Donald Trump this month will host a screening of "Sound of Freedom," the surprise hit film about rescuing sex-trafficked children that has been embraced in right-wing circles, his 2024 campaign announced Thursday. "Sound of Freedom" has made more than $53 million as of Wednesday, Deadline reported. Utah-based Angel Studios distributed "Sound of Freedom," selling tickets through an online "pay it forward" campaign. Other conservative outlets have defended the film from its critics, and Ballard has pushed back on those linking it to QAnon. That outlandish right-wing internet conspiracy revolves around the idea that Trump was secretly fighting against shadowy, powerful rings of satanic pedophiles.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Eduardo Verastegui, Ron DeSantis —, DeSantis, Disney, Bob Iger, Jim Caviezel, Indiana Jones, Tim Ballard, Ballard, Caviezel, Mel Gibson's, Steve Bannon Organizations: White House, Prosperity, GOP, Florida Gov, Disney, CNBC, The New York Times, Rotten Tomatoes, Angel Studios, New York Times, Homeland Security, Operation Underground Railroad, Underground Railroad, Trump Locations: Bedminster , New Jersey, Florida, Disney's, Utah, Colombia, Colombian, QAnon

☆ A Film About Child Trafficking Takes on Summer Blockbusters
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Marc Tracy | More About Marc Tracy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Sound of Freedom,” a thriller starring Jim Caviezel as a federal agent who takes on child traffickers, will not be the summer box office’s biggest hit. The film — whose distributor, Angel Studios, has a big success with “The Chosen,” a streaming series about the life of Jesus — was the third most watched film in North America last weekend. Its $19.7 million weekend take was behind only the horror film “Insidious: The Red Door,” which made $33 million in its first weekend, and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which made $27.4 million in its second. “Sound of Freedom” is based on a true story: Caviezel plays Tim Ballard, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security agent who investigated pedophiles. Some critics say the film appeals to the QAnon movement, which posits a false conspiracy theory accusing progressive elites of pedophilia.

Persons: Jim Caviezel, “, Jesus —, Indiana Jones, Caviezel, Tim Ballard, Ballard, Donald J, Trump, Neal Harmon, Angel’s, ” Organizations: Angel Studios, “, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, Operation Underground Railroad, Fox News, Guardian Locations: North America

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