Author: marleneardoin@yahoo.com

AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH

Avatar: Fire and Ash is a 2025 American epic science fiction film directed by James Cameron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver from a story the trio wrote with Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno. Distributed by 20th Century Studios and produced by Lightstorm Entertainment, it is the sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and the third installment in the Avatar franchise. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Britain Dalton, Trinity Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Filip Geljo and Duane Evans, Jr. reprise their roles from the previous films, while Oona Chaplin and David Thewlis join the cast.

Cameron, who had stated in mid-2006 that he would like to make sequels to Avatar (2009) if it was successful, announced the first two sequels in early 2010 following the success of the first film, with the then-untitled Avatar 3 aiming for a December 2015 release. However, the addition of two more sequels (four in total) and the development of new technology required to film performance-capture scenes underwater, a feat never accomplished before, led to significant delays to allow the crew more time to work on writing, pre-production, and visual effects. Avatar: The Way of Water began shooting simultaneously with Fire and Ash in New Zealand on September 25, 2017, and filming wrapped in late December 2020, after over three years of shooting. With an estimated budget of over $400 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made.

Avatar: Fire and Ash had its world premiere at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, on December 1, 2025, and was first released in Germany and the Philippines on December 17, 2025, and in the United States on December 19. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the visuals, characters, performances, and action but criticized the runtime and simplicity of the plot.^[b] Two additional sequels, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, are in various stages of production and are scheduled to be released in 2029 and 2031, respectively.

Shortly after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake and Neytiri‘s family grapples with grief because of Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People. Led by the fiery leader, Varang, the Mangkwans have allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch, as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.^[7][8]

• Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, a former human and Colonel Miles Quaritch’s former informer and later archrival, who fell in love with Neytiri and befriended the Na’vi after becoming a part of the Avatar Program, eventually taking their side in their conflict with humans and transferring his mind into his avatar permanently. In the second film, he and his family have left the Omatikaya clan and joined the Metkayina clan.^[9][10]
• ^{Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri, Jake’s wife, who left the Omatikaya and joined the Metkayina. [9]} Saldaña described her character as having become a “full-blown racist” after the events of the second film, particularly towards her adoptive son, Spider, because he is a physical reminder of how humans were the ones who killed her biological son, Neteyam, to the point she has abandoned Eywa’s will, and her husband doesn’t really recognize her anymore.^[11]
• Sigourney Weaver as Kiri, the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine’s Na’vi avatar, whom Jake and Neytiri adopted.^[12]
• Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch, a former human military commander who led the RDA, the human organization colonizing Pandora, and died in their conflict with the Na’vi in 2154. He and other fallen soldiers were later resurrected as Avatar “recombinants.” He seeks revenge against Jake and his family, including his son Miles “Spider” Socorro.^[13]
• Oona Chaplin as Varang, the Na’vi leader of the volcano-dwelling Mangkwan clan.^{[14][15][16][17]} Cameron said of Varang, “Varang is the leader of a people who have gone through an incredible hardship. That hardens her. She will do anything for them, even things that we would consider to be evil.”^[18]
• Cliff Curtis as Tonowari, chieftain of the reef people clan of Metkayina.^[19][20]
• Britain Dalton as Lo’ak, Jake and Neytiri’s second son, and the narrator of the film.^[21][22][23]
• Trinity Bliss as Tuktirey (“Tuk”), Jake and Neytiri’s daughter and their youngest child.^[21][24][25]
• ^{Jack Champion as Miles “Spider” Socorro, the teenage son of Quaritch, born in Hell’s Gate (the human base on Pandora in the first film), who was rescued and adopted by Jake and Neytiri after the latter had previously killed Quaritch.[21][24][26]}
• Bailey Bass as Tsireya (“Reya”), a graceful and strong free diver of the Metkayina and Tonowari and Ronal’s daughter. In the second film, Tsireya emerges as Lo’ak’s love interest.^[21][22][27]
• Kate Winslet as Ronal, a free diver of the Metkayina and Tonowari’s wife, who is pregnant.^{[28][29][30][31]}
• Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge, the disgraced former head administrator for the RDA mining operation in the first film.^[32][33][34]
• Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman, a former scientist of the Avatar Program who chose to side with the Na’vi in the first film.^[35]
• CCH Pounder as Mo’at, the Omatikaya’s spiritual leader and Neytiri’s mother.^[36][37]
• Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore, Quaritch’s successor as commander of the RDA’s military operations.^[38]
• Brendan Cowell as Captain Mick Scoresby, the former commander of a private sector marine hunting vessel on the planet of Pandora, who previously lost an arm to Payakan.^[39][40]
• Jemaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin, a marine biologist employed by Scoresby.^[41]
• ^{Filip Geljo as Ao’nung, a young male hunter and free diver of the Metkayina, Tonowari, and Ronal’s son. [21][22][24]}
• Duane Evans, Jr. as Rotxo, a young male hunter and free diver of the Metkayina.
• Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel, a scientist who worked on the Avatar Program and later supported Jake’s rebellion against the RDA.^[42]
• Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet, a mercenary who fought and died in the RDA’s battle against the Na’vi in 2154. Years later, the RDA placed his memories into a recombinant.^[43]
• ^{David Thewlis as Peylak, the Na’vi leader of the Wind Traders, who will be featured in Fire and Ash, along with Avatar 4 and 5.[44][45][46]}

The film will also see the return of Payakan, the Tulkun who befriended Lo’ak in the second film.^[40]

____________________________________________________________________________

THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants is a 2025 American animated adventure comedy film based on the SpongeBob SquarePants television series, created by Stephen Hillenburg. The film is directed by series veteran Derek Drymon and stars the show’s regular voice cast alongside George Lopez, Ice Spice, Arturo Castro, Sherry Cola, Regina Hall, and Mark Hamill. The plot follows SpongeBob as he travels to the depths of the ocean to face off against the Flying Dutchman. It is the fourth theatrical film based on the series, following 2020’s Sponge on the Run.

The film was written by Pam Brady and Matt Lieberman, from a story by Brady and series creatives Marc Ceccarelli and Kaz. It was first developed as a direct-to-streaming film, but the project was retooled into a theatrical feature by February 2022. By April 2023, Drymon had been hired to direct the movie. In July 2024, Hamill was revealed to be voicing the Flying Dutchman in the film in place of Brian Doyle-Murray. John Debney composed the film’s score after having previously scored 2015’s Sponge Out of Water.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants premiered at the AFI Film Festival on October 26, 2025, and will be theatrically released by Paramount Pictures in the United States on December 19, 2025.

Desperate to become a “big guy,” SpongeBob, setting out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs, travels to the deepest depths of the ocean to follow the Flying Dutchman.^[3]

• Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants and Gary the Snail^[4]
• Clancy Brown as Mr. Krabs^[4]
• Rodger Bumpass as Squidward Tentacles^[4]
• Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick Star^[4]
• Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy Cheeks^[4]
• Mr. Lawrence as Plankton^[4]
• George Lopez as JK Fishlips, a fish news anchor^[5][6]
• Isis “Ice Spice” Gaston as an amusement park employee^[5][7]
• Arturo Castro^[5]
• Sherry Cola^[5]
• Regina Hall as Barb, the Flying Dutchman’s assistant^[5][8][9]
• Mark Hamill as The Flying Dutchman^[10]

____________________________________________________________________________

DAVID

David is an upcoming animated biblical musical drama film featuring the character of David from the Book of Samuel in the Old Testament. The film stars the voices of Phil Wickham, Brandon Engman, Asim Chaudhry, Mick Wingert, Will de Renzy-Martin, and Lauren Daigle. It is a follow-up to the five-part television miniseries Young David, which tells the story of a young Israelite shepherd, poet and warrior who is predestined to become the new King of Israel and embarks on a journey from beyond the shadow of an evil Philistine giant to prove to his people that true power lies not in a kingship but in faith and freedom.^[2]

David is scheduled to be released in theaters in the United States on December 19, 2025, by Angel Studios.

In an effort to save the Kingdom of Israel from the Philistines, a young Bethlehem musical shepherd and poet/warrior named David, who is predestined to become the new King of Israel, embarks on a journey from beyond the shadow of the Philistine giant Goliath in an attempt to show the Israelites that true power lies not from within Saul’s kingship but in their faith of God and freedom from their enemies.^[2]

• Phil Wickham as David: A shepherd from Bethlehem, who plays lyre and composes poetry.
  • Brandon Engman as young David
• Miri Mesika as Nitzevet: The mother of David
• Sloan Muldown as Zeruiah: The younger sister of David
  • Ashley Boettcher as teen Zeruiah
• Mark Jacobson as Jonathan
• Adam Michael Gold as Saul: King of Israel
• Asim Chaudhry as King Achish: The monarch of Gath
• Mick Wingert as Zaydel
• Will de Renzy-Martin as Vaizatha: The son of Persian vizier Haman
• Lauren Daigle as Rebecca
• Kamran Nikhad as Goliath

____________________________________________________________________________

THE HOUSEMAID

The Housemaid is an upcoming American psychological thriller film directed by Paul Feig from a screenplay by Rebecca Sonnenshine, based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Freida McFadden. The film stars Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone, and Elizabeth Perkins. Its plot follows a young woman with a troubled past (Sweeney) who becomes the live-in housemaid for a wealthy family (Seyfried and Sklenar). Their seemingly perfect life unravels when she discovers their household hides dark secrets.

The Housemaid is scheduled to be released in the United States by Lionsgate on December 19, 2025. The film received positive reviews from critics.

The film stars Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, and Michele Morrone.

• Sydney Sweeney as Millie Calloway, a housemaid
• Amanda Seyfried as Nina Winchester, a wealthy woman who hires Millie
• Brandon Sklenar as Andrew Winchester, Nina’s husband
• Michele Morrone as Enzo, a groundskeeper
• Elizabeth Perkins as Evelyn Winchester, Andrew’s mother^[3]
• Indiana Elle as Cecelia Winchester, Nina and Andrew’s daughter
• Mark Grossman as Scott Crawford, Millie’s first boyfriend
• Hannah Cruz as Lexi, Millie’s friend
• Megan Ferguson as Jilianne
• Ellen Tamaki as Patrice
• Alexandra Seal as Officer Jessica Connors
• Don DiPetta as Officer Jenkins
• Brian D. Cohen as Detective Smythe
• Lamar Baucom-Slaughter as Officer Stanley

____________________________________________________________________________

12/17/2025 #Avatar:FireandAsh #TheSpongeBobMovie:SearchforSquarepants #David #TheHousemaid