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The summer box office sizzled, but brace for a cooldown until November

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The summer box office sizzled, but brace for a cooldown until November


Movie stills from Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” and “Fantastic Four” and Warner Bros. Discovery’s “Superman.”

Courtesy: Disney | 20th Century Studios | Marvel Studios | Warner Bros. Discovery

Superheroes, dinosaurs and a genetically altered alien dog helped propel the summer box office haul above 2024 levels, but that momentum is about to stall.

Heading into the final stretch of the summer season — which started the first weekend in May and wraps up on Labor Day — the domestic box office is expected to reach at least $3.75 billion, according to data from Comscore. That’s about a 2% uptick from the previous summer.

Hollywood had hoped the 2025 summer would be a return to form for the box office, reaching the $4 billion mark, which had become the standard prior to the pandemic. Ticket sales reached that figure in 2023, thanks to the powerhouse team up of Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” and Universal‘s “Oppenheimer.” However, the the past two summers have borne the brunt of production shutdowns caused by the dual writers and actors strikes two years ago.

Last summer, Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” and Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” helped buoy the May-to-August season to $3.67 billion, much higher than box office analysts had predicted earlier in the year.

Summer box office tallies

  • 2024 — $3.7 billion
  • 2023 — $4 billion
  • 2022 — $3.4 billion
  • 2021 — $1.7 billion
  • 2020 — $176.2 million
  • 2019 — $4.3 billion
  • 2018 — $4.4 billion
  • 2017 — $3.8 billion
  • 2016 — $4.4 billion
  • 2015 — $4.4 billion
  • 2014 — $4 billion
  • 2013 — $4.7 billion*
  • 2012 — $4.2 billion

* Record summer box office revenue

Source: Comscore

Hollywood had hoped that the combination of major franchise titles — a new entry from the “Jurassic World” series alongside reboots of Superman and the Fantastic Four — would be enough to fuel the 2025 summer stretch to the $4 billion mark. Yet, none of those films generated more than $350 million domestically.

In fact, the highest-grossing film of the summer has been Disney’s live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch,” which has tallied $421 million domestically as of Sunday. The second-highest is “Superman,” which stands at $340 million.

In previous summers, top films like “Inside Out 2,” “Barbie” and “Top: Gun Maverick” each brought in at least $600 million in ticket sales.

“What started with a historic Memorial Day weekend gave way to a mix of underperformers and crowd-pleasing hits,” said Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory. “The back half of the season rebounded with several blockbusters and sleeper hits, but we continue to see audiences are highly selective when a barrage of franchise movies is out there despite many of those films generating positive reviews. Some connect in a big way, while others simply don’t catch on.”

Still, movie theater operators reported solid audience numbers and ticket sales during the second quarter, which included May and June box office figures.

“As to the strengthening industrywide box office, we firmly believe that this was not a short-lived spike, but rather, the beginning of a sustained and powerful resurgence for our entire industry,” Adam Aron, CEO of AMC, said during an earnings call last week.

Similarly, Cinemark CEO Sean Gamble noted during the company’s earnings call earlier this month that the April release of “A Minecraft Movie,” which ran well into the summer months, alongside “a steady stream of highly compelling new releases week after week, ignited a surge of summer moviegoing momentum.”

But he also warned that, as is typical in the theatrical business, August and September at the box office tend to “de-throttle a little bit.”

That is certainly the case this year, as well, but it is likely to extend well into October as well. While “Tron: Ares” and “Mortal Kombat II” are expected to draw in audiences during that month, box office analysts don’t expect a major breakout hit until late November.

“The post-summer corridor is looking a bit bereft of standout blockbusters,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “We’ll have to rely on the cumulative success of some low to mid-range performers along with what looks to be a really nice selection of awards caliber and indie films. That said, we may want to brace ourselves for a few fallow weeks at the box office.”

AMC’s Aron noted that the upcoming third-quarter box office will be “so-so given some seasonal, but not alarming softness,” but told investors to “hold onto your hats for the size of the box office in the fourth quarter.”

The turning point is expected to come Nov. 21 with the release of Universal’s “Wicked: For Good.” The highly anticipated sequel to last year’s hit “Wicked” is expected to open to over $100 million and steadily collect ticket sales through the rest of the year at the box office.

“Zootopia 2” arrives for the Thanksgiving holiday and is also expected to exceed $100 million during its opening frame.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” will cap off the year and is expected to bolster the box office during the first few weeks of 2026.

“The final months of the year have potential to be nothing short of stellar,” Robbins said.

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal, Fandango and CNBC.



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Top stocks to buy today: Stock recommendations for August 28, 2025 – check list – The Times of India

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Top stocks to buy today: Stock recommendations for August 28, 2025 – check list – The Times of India


Top stocks to buy today (AI image)

Top stock market recommendations: According to Aakash K Hindocha, Deputy Vice President – WM Research, Nuvama Professional Clients Group, Nykaa, Kaynes, and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories are the top buy calls for today. Here’s his view on Nifty, Bank Nifty and the top stock picks for August 28, 2025:Index View: NiftyAfter an inside bar formation on Monday, Nifty opened with a gap down reeling all throughout the session ahead of its trading holiday on Wednesday. The index has closed below its trailing support of 24800 allowing for further downside to be opened for 24500 / 24350. Nifty has also formed a bearish head and shoulders formation on daily charts with a neck line support seen at 24450. A break below the same post monthly expiry could reel in further pressure on the index.Bank NiftyUnderperforming Nifty, Bank has broken its support of 55050 opening for a test of sub 54000 odd levels to begin with. The index has also closed at a 3.5 month low on daily charts ahead of its monthly expiry scheduled on Thursday. 55000 is likely to act as resistance on the upside while the index slides below sub 54000 levels in the coming week.NYKAA (BUY):

  • LCP: 231.65
  • Stop Loss: 223
  • Target: 252

Stock has been gaining traction ever since its 3 year triangle breakout seen in June 2025. For now NYKAA has given the highest ever close in past 3 years of trading along with a huge cup and handle breakout on daily and weekly charts. This opens up for a 18-20% trading buy target on the stock, yet we would advise for an initial uptick being 250+ on this leg.KAYNES (BUY):

  • LCP: 6197
  • Stop Loss: 5980
  • Target: 6620

After a cup and handle breakout in early August 2025, stock has been consolidating near the breakout zone for the past 4 weeks now. Last week’s price action suggests further move northwards from CMP as the stock has completed multiple retests of its ongoing breakout.Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (BUY):

  • LCP: 1263
  • Stop Loss: 1230
  • Target: 1355

Sustaining above its 200 DMA support, DRREDDY’s has also given a bullish flag breakout on daily charts. This allows its initial upside to open for the 1350-1360 zone where it could meet another potential breakout on upside.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market and other asset classes given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)





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India may ask EU for concessions on lines of its deal with US – The Times of India

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India may ask EU for concessions on lines of its deal with US – The Times of India


NEW DELHI: Government is going to push for bridging the gaps on several contentious issues in trade talks with the European Union next month, while also demanding that the trading bloc offer concessions on carbon tax on the lines of the deal with the US, an official said Wednesday.“We are in the last mile, quite a few things are narrowing down. There are a handful of major issues and we are trying to narrow the gaps and then leave it to the leaders to take a political call,” the official said ahead of the next round of talks scheduled for Sept 8-12. EU commissioner for trade and economic security MaroS Šefcovicis also expected to travel to the Capital after the official level meeting to hold consultations with commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal.Both sides have set an year-end deadline to finalise the agreement and India is keen that it fills the missing link in Europe, having signed agreements with the UK and the four nation European Free Trade Association, comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.The deals are part of efforts to push for a diversified trade basket that provides Indian exporters access to crucial markets. India already has trade pacts, from Australia to Asean, the UAE and Mercosur countries, and is seeking more deals.Sources suggested that govt will help exporters diversify, with the focus expanded from 20 countries to 50, while also coming out with export promotion measures to overcome the challenge of US tariffs. Intensive consultations are lined up with exporters in the coming days.Govt officials said based on the feedback, strategies to offset the impact of the US tariffs, including support from the Centre, will be devised.Outreach in countries, including the UK, Japan, and South Korea, to push textiles exports are also planned, with similar initiatives planned for other sectors. In case of textiles for instance, 40 potential markets have been identified and in each case a targeted approach is proposed, positioning Indian companies as reliable suppliers of quality, sustainable, and innovative textile products. Official said that export promotion councils (EPCs) will be the mainstay of the diversification strategy.





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Baby sleeping bags being sold online ‘pose suffocation risk’, Which? warns

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Baby sleeping bags being sold online ‘pose suffocation risk’, Which? warns



More than 30 baby sleeping bags found on online marketplaces including Amazon and eBay pose a suffocation risk, according to an investigation.

Which? said online marketplaces had been allowing the sale of baby sleeping bags similar or identical to products that were officially recalled by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) for suffocation risks.

A common characteristic of the products found by Which? were hoods which could cover a baby’s head and face and result in suffocation, the watchdog said.

The inclusion of hoods does not comply with the British Standards Institution’s safety standards for this reason.

Some of the sleeping bags Which? looked at, such as a teddy bear-style blanket on Amazon Marketplace, did not have arm holes, despite sleeping bags needing them to meet the safety standard.

Those without can cause a baby to slip down inside the sleeping bag, covering their face and risking suffocation.

Which? also found a sack-style sleeping bag listing on eBay which showed a baby being “positively swamped” by the item.

The consumer group also found five listings on Etsy that it was “concerned about”, with two appearing to be identical to recalled products, and the other three in a similar style and listed as sleeping bags.

Which? is urging shoppers to avoid baby sleeping bags with hoods or excess material, such as large bows or other novelty additions, which risk covering a baby’s head and face while they move around in their sleep.

It is best to always use a sleeping bag with arm holes as these help to stop babies slipping down inside the bag.

Other items to avoid included products sold as multipurpose items, such as a swaddle, stroller cover and baby cocoon as well as a sleeping bag, to ensure individual items conform to safety standards.

Which? said it was concerned the products continued to be sold despite market surveillance undertaken by the OPSS earlier this year.

The regulator undertook test purchasing for a range of items sold online, including baby sleeping products, and worked with online marketplaces to remove the listings.

However Which? said it found 35 potentially lethal sleeping bags still being sold just four months later.

Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer protection policy, said: “It’s outrageous that dangerous baby sleeping bags are still being sold on online marketplaces.

“Our previous investigations showed this is part of a wider pattern: unsafe products are removed, only to resurface. The only way to break this cycle is by holding online marketplaces legally accountable, with tough penalties for failures.”

An Amazon spokesman said: “We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies.

“The products flagged are not in scope of the safety alerts shared by Which?.

“If customers have concerns about an item they’ve purchased, we encourage them to contact our customer service directly so we can investigate and help resolve their issue.”

An eBay spokeswoman said: “Consumer safety is a top priority for eBay. We work diligently to keep our site safe and prevent prohibited listings through seller compliance audits, block filter algorithms for unsafe listings, and AI-supported monitoring by our team of in-house specialists.

“These proactive measures have prevented millions of potentially unsafe products from being listed every year. Listings that violate eBay policy, including those identified in this investigation, are swiftly removed.”

Etsy has been approached for comment.



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