Predator Badlands Surges, Running Man Stumbles, And Wicked Returns To Revive Cinemas

What happens when a locally made sci-fi brawler outperforms the noise and a buzzy remake doesn’t land? We dig into Predator Badlands’ franchise-best opening and the Running Man’s stumble, then chart a hopeful path forward with Wicked For Good building real momentum. Along the way, we tackle a hard truth: New Zealand’s box office has slid about 15% over recent weeks, with empty prime-time shows even in major cities. Tight budgets, uneven releases, and a chorus of AI-fed hot takes telling people to stay home haven’t helped. Our take: trust your own eyes. Go see movies you’re curious about and decide for yourself.

We unpack why a faithful adaptation can clash with nostalgia, why Predator’s softer rating didn’t blunt the fun, and how Wicked’s early numbers suggest audiences still crave a big-screen musical when the storytelling sings. We spotlight a classic that punched above its weight—A Room with a View—proving a well-timed revival can beat new releases. Then we shine a light on Jay Kelly, Noah Baumbach’s low-hype, high-merit awards hopeful starring George Clooney and a quietly devastating Adam Sandler, and explain why limited theatrical windows deserve attention before they vanish to streaming.

To rebuild habit and hype, we debut Trailer Day: a free, one-hour barrage of upcoming trailers designed to turn curiosity into ticket-buying intent. We preview what’s next—Zootopia, a high-profile Avatar premiere, and the page-to-screen thriller The Housemaid with Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried—before placing our weekly wager on Wicked’s opening take. If you want cinemas in your town next year, use them now. Hit play, share this with a movie friend, and tell us: which film gets you off the couch first? Subscribe, rate, and leave a review to help more film lovers find the show.

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

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Format Recap
• 0:51 Predator Badlands Results And Reactions
• 3:16 Running Man Remake Underperforms
• 7:11 Wicked For Good Setup And Momentum
• 9:05 Classic Pick: A Room With A View
• 10:48 Awards Play: Jay Kelly Limited Theatrical
• 13:10 New Idea: Trailer Day Explained
• 16:13 The Box Office Slump And Why It Hurts
• 19:36 What’s Next: Avatar, Zootopia, The Housemaid
• 22:33 Weekly Wager: Wicked For Good Predictions
• 24:51 Final Push To Support Cinemas