Post-Christmas Box Office Shake-Up, Avatar: Fire and Ash & Holiday Movie Talk

The FlickRadio Movie Talk team returns the day after Christmas to unpack a busy, unexpected box office and reflect on where holiday moviegoing stands as the year winds down. Host Guy T. Wehman is joined by Allison Rose and Stephen Leibowitz as they break down Avatar: Fire and Ash falling short of past franchise openings, the continued global strength of Zootopia, and why family films like SpongeBob are carrying theaters through the holiday corridor. The discussion turns to new releases, including the comedic reimagining of Anaconda, the emotionally resonant Song Sung Blue, and how audience reactions can differ sharply from critical response. The trio also examines a curious late-December slate of genre films arriving with little fanfare. The episode’s most heated debate centers on reports that Amazon Prime Video is streaming an edited version of It’s a Wonderful Life, removing a pivotal sequence that defines the film’s emotional core. What does this mean for classic films in the streaming era? Classic picks of the week include The Jazz Singer (1980) and Gremlins (1984), closing out the year with a reminder of how deeply holiday movies are woven into film history. Read more movie news, reviews, and box office coverage at FlickDirect.