There’s no slowdown in Hollywood news as we approach the holiday break, and we round it up here.

Sonic 3 (see “’Sonic 3’ Trailer”) was the top movie of the weekend with a surprisingly high $62 million in North America, which puts it above the first in the series ($58 million) and behind the second ($72 million), according to Variety.  It had substantial star power, including Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, and Keanu Reeves in roles.  Sonic 3 beat Mufasa, which had a disappointing $35 million gross against expectations of $50 million. The Sonic 3 performance is good enough for a fourth installment of the Paramount franchise, which has been given a Spring 2027 release date.

DC has released the first trailer for its upcoming Superman feature (see below), due out July 11, 2025 (see “Movie Release Calendar”). The big reveals include the presence of other DC superheroes, providing the set-up for a new cinematic universe.  The film dropped the “Legacy” portion of the name earlier this year and is now simply titled Superman. Production was wrapped July 30, according to director James Gunn (see “’Superman’ Is in the Can”). 

Jared Leto has been cast as Skeletor in the new live action Masters of the Universe film from Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Films, according to Hollywood Reporter.  In addition to Leto, Sam C. Wilson has been cast as Trap Jaw, Hafthor Bjornsson as Goat Man, and Koho Attah as Tri-Klops. Casting has been proceeding slowly, with Allison Brie as Evil-Lyn the last announcement in September (see “’MotU’ Casting”).  Nicholas Galitzine is He-Man, Camila Mendes is Teela, and Idris Elba is Duncan/Man-at-Arms. Release date is June 5, 2026.

Crunchyroll has released a trailer (see below) for Solo Leveling S2 – Arise from the Shadow, which will debut on January 4, almost exactly one year after the launch of the successful first season.  The theatrical release of Solo Leveling- ReAwakening, which recapped S1 along with the first two episodes of S2 (see “’Solo Leveling – ReAwakening’ Trailer”), grossed $3.35 million in North America, according to Box Office Mojo.

HBO and Legendary Television have renewed their live action series Dune: Prophecy see “’Dune: Prophecy’ Teaser”), the producers announced in conjunction with the final episode of the first season on Sunday.  The first episode of S1 attracted around 15 million viewers worldwide, HBO said.   Showrunner and executive producer Alison Schapker will continue in her roles. 

No new James Bond movies are in the works due to a stalemate between the family that controls the property and Amazon MGM Studios, which has the media rights, according to the Wall Street Journal.  The Broccoli family has creative control, but is refusing to make any movies with Amazon MGM over differences in philosophy, including such basics as how to make a decision about the next actor to play the role after Daniel Craig, who departed after No Time To Die (see “’Bond’ Trailer”). It’s already been a three year break since No Time To Die, and no prospects for movement toward a new film.