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Brooks Barnes

@theancientqueen.bsky.social
206 followers 57 following 24 posts

Short-order cook slinging Hollywood hash for the New York Times since 2007. Forged in Montana and Wisconsin.

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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
It's the biggest opening for a doc (excluding concerts) in 14 years, since "Chimpanzee" in 2012 Of course, "Melania" also had more marketing $$$ than any doc in history, courtesy of Amazon Busloads of senior citizens arrived at a theater in Cleveland My story: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/b...
nytimes.com
‘Melania’ Arrives With Strong Box Office Showing for a Documentary
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
"These mergers always promise benefits, but they always deliver diminished competition, lower pay and fewer jobs for workers." www.nytimes.com/2025/12/06/b...
nytimes.com
Angst Turns to Anger in Hollywood as Netflix Hooks Warner Bros.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
But Who Is the Snake in ‘Zootopia 2’? After sparring with Disney in court over the first Zootopia, Gary Goldman is convinced that Gary De'Snake is based on ... him “Is this meant as some kind of confession? How on earth did this ever get approved by Disney?” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/04/b...
nytimes.com
But Who Is the Snake in ‘Zootopia 2’?
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 30/11/2025
Parents need ways to entertain the kiddos, even in the iPad age. But plenty of people went without kids, perhaps looking for a pick-me-up: Entertaining is entertaining www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/b...
nytimes.com
‘Zootopia 2’ Goes Wild at the Worldwide Box Office
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Miss P's production-worn suede pumps sold for $22,400. Alas, outside of my bidding range. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/b...
nytimes.com
Miss Piggy, Fraggles and an Auction at the Twilight of a Hollywood Era
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
I did a short profile on Jared Bush, Disney Animation's newish chief creative officer and "Zootopia 2" writer-director. Among other things, I learned that his dad and granddad both worked for the CIA 👀 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/b...
nytimes.com
Can Disney Animation Reclaim Its Magic?
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
"WTF Is That on Your Shoulder?" sadly did not pass muster with the copy desk as a hed on this late-summer brite www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/b...
nytimes.com
Move Over, Mouse Ears: For Disney Adults, There’s a New Obsession
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Reposted by Brooks Barnes
Nicole Sperling @nsperling.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
Voight's been making the rounds of Hollywood and showed up at Mar-a-Lago with two one-page docs drafted by the MPA and endorsed by a bunch of guilds outlining the industry's needs. No tariffs were mentioned in either. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/m...
nytimes.com
Trump Called for Movie Tariffs After a Meeting With Jon Voight
The president’s call for tariffs caused confusion in Hollywood, which has seen a steep drop-off in local film and television production.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
The British family that has steered the James Bond franchise for more than 60 years, zealously protecting the superspy from the indignities of Hollywood strip mining, has agreed to relinquish control to Amazon. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/20/b...
nytimes.com
Amazon Gains Creative Control Over the James Bond Franchise
The British family that has for decades held complete control over everything involving the globe-trotting superspy is relinquishing it to Amazon.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
Marvel’s New ‘Captain America’ Is No. 1, Despite a Backlash and Poor Reviews www.nytimes.com/2025/02/16/b...
nytimes.com
Marvel’s New ‘Captain America’ Is No. 1, Despite Poor Reviews
“Captain America: Brave New World” was expected to take in $84 million from Thursday through Sunday in North America.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
I telephoned Paddington to talk me off the ledge www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/m...
nytimes.com
Ben Whishaw, as Paddington Once More, Is Here to Make You Feel Better
With “Paddington in Peru,” the British actor voices the beloved bear for the third time. His calming charm remains the franchise’s calling card.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
Alex Gibney sold his doc film company to Wendy Schmidt -- Google money -- and will expand into more progressive-issue topics. She told me she made an offer to buy Participant but Jeff Skoll decided he'd rather shut it down 👀 www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/b...
nytimes.com
Documentarian Alex Gibney Teams Up With a Google Billionaire
The Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney has sold a majority stake in his Jigsaw Productions to the philanthropist Wendy Schmidt.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Bob Iger: "Can we help in setting up temporary schools? Can our Imagineers help design new town centers? Rebuilding is not just about money. It’s about ingenuity and determination.” www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01...
nytimes.com
Bob Iger on Disney’s relief efforts: ‘Can we help in setting up temporary schools?’
Mr. Iger, the company’s chief executive, said Disney wants to be part of the rebuilding effort in Los Angeles.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
Hollywood finds itself in a surreal spot: reeling from personal loss with much of the business untouched At Disney alone, 64 employees lost their homes. But there was almost no moviemaking in LA to disrupt -- all shooting elsewhere www.nytimes.com/2025/01/14/b...
nytimes.com
Hollywood’s Filmmaking Continues Despite L.A. Wildfires
Because of costs, few movies are shot locally, leaving the industry in a surreal spot: reeling from personal loss with much of the business untouched.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
After two days closed for the fires, Universal Studios Hollywood was back in the business of manufactured reality on Friday. A quick dispatch: www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01...
nytimes.com
At Universal Studios Hollywood, a hint of normalcy returns.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
Hollywood hoisted a white flag in the culture war on Sunday. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/06/b...
nytimes.com
Golden Globes Stars Avoided Politics
Sunday’s show was Hollywood’s first megaphone since Donald Trump was elected to a second term. This time, there was barely a peep about it.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
Golden Globe voters did little to clear up a blurry awards picture in Hollywood on Sunday, giving little-seen films like “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Pérez” roughly equal treatment and snubbing some perceived Oscar front-runners, including "Anora." www.nytimes.com/2025/01/05/a...
nytimes.com
Golden Globes 2025 Takeaways: ‘Emilia Pérez’ and ‘The Brutalist’ Win Big
“Shogun,” the FX drama, also had a strong night, winning best TV drama, best actor, best actress and best supporting actor.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
Why is Ariana Grande a supporting nominee at the Globes when her role is a lead? www.nytimes.com/2025/01/05/m...
nytimes.com
Why Is Ariana Grande a Supporting Nominee at Golden Globes for Her ‘Wicked’ Role?
The pop star plays Glinda in the film, while Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, is nominated as the lead.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
The $1 million Golden Globe gift bags have no shame. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01...
nytimes.com
The Golden Globe swag bags have no shame.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
The HFPA is gone. But is scandals will live on. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01...
nytimes.com
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is gone. Its scandals will live on.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
Item: The Globes, long an ungodly mess, have seemingly pulled themselves together. Icky contretemps continue behind the scenes, however. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01...
nytimes.com
Golden Globes 2025 Live Updates: What to Expect Ahead of Red Carpet
The event, which honors work in both film and television, will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern time, 5 p.m. Pacific time, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
I was asked to answer this (perennial) reader question: What Do Movie Producers Do, Anyway? www.nytimes.com/2025/01/05/m...
nytimes.com
What Do Movie Producers Do, Anyway?
And why do they get the trophy for best picture at the Oscars?
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
A lot of filmmakers took interesting risks this year 👏 But the box office, for the most part, swung squarely back to the same-old, same-old 👎 This is why studios take fewer and fewer chances on original movies: www.nytimes.com/2024/12/31/b...
nytimes.com
The Top Movies of 2024: ‘Wicked’ and Nine Sequels
Box office returns have started to stabilize. But nine of the top 10 box office hits this year were sequels. And the 10th was “Wicked.”
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Brooks Barnes @theancientqueen.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
‘Wicked’ Jump-Starts the Box Office, but at a Cost Movies, especially ones like “Wicked,” a mega-spectacle with mega-reviews based on a mega-musical, used to be able to commandeer the culture by themselves. Now it takes 10 months of marketing pleading. www.nytimes.com/2024/11/24/b...
nytimes.com
‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II’ Jump-Start the Box Office, but at a Cost
Battling a 27 percent decline in domestic ticket sales compared with before the pandemic, studios left no marketing drum unthumped in releasing the movies.
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