‘Wildwood’ Holds Strong; Fathom CEO Interview; Disney Cuts Continue

To kick off this week, we spoke with Fathom Entertainment CEO Jason Brenek about the distributor’s growing ambitions. Its widest release to date, Laika’s Wildwood on more than 3,000 screens, is showing encouraging staying power; the film earned $9 million in its second domestic weekend, down just 27%, bringing its 10-day total to $27.4 million. Meanwhile, China’s first AI feature, Sanxingdui: Future Past, followed up a disasterous opening weekend with an even worse sophomore frame, reaching just $253,000 after 11 days in theaters.

At Disney, another round of layoffs continues a brutal first year under new CEO Josh D’Amaro, defined by cuts, benefit rollbacks, AI investment, and stock buybacks.

More positively, we turned our attention to Gao Shan Pictures, the Réunion-based studio whose credits include Jim Queen, In Waves, and Lucy Lost. Kévin Giraud explores the creative partnerships, local talent, and environmental commitments behind its expanding operation. We also exclusively debuted the first trailer for Samhain, a fantasy feature from Spain’s Arriate Studio and Mexico’s ¡Viva Calavera! that brings Halloween and Christmas into collision.

On the series front, Blue Eye Samurai has a new second-season teaser, while Kojima Productions shared a fresh look at Death Stranding Isolations, its hand-drawn Disney+ series arriving in 2027.

Check out these stories and more at cartoonbrew.com.

1. 
   Fathom CEO Jason Brenek On Bringing ‘Wildwood’ To 3,000 Theaters, ‘The Amazing Digital Circus’ Surprise, And Finding Animation’s Next Big Audience

   Brenek discusses Laika’s creative control, lessons from a surprise box office hit, and plans to bring more anime to U.S. theaters.
2. 
   Disney’s Year Of Cuts Continues With Thousands More Layoffs Expected

   According to reports, managers have been asked to cut annual costs by 20%, with the savings coming from a mix of redundancies and other expense reductions.
3. 
   Strong Word Of Mouth Helps ‘Wildwood’ Beat Projections With $9 Million Weekend, Second Sunday Up 2% Over First Week

   Laika’s stop-motion feature fell just 27% in its second weekend, reaching $27.4 million domestically as audience polling pointed to strong word of mouth.
4. 
   Christmas Crashes Into Halloween In Animated Fantasy ‘Samhain,’ From Arriate, ¡Viva Calavera! (EXCLUSIVE TRAILER)

   Based on Lobón Leal’s graphic novel, the mixed-holiday adventure follows three friends into a world where magic and nature are exploited for profit.
5. 
   China’s First AI Feature Limps Through Second Weekend, Reaching Just $253,000 After 11 Days

   ‘Sanxingdui: Future Past’ reportedly cost $1.5 million to produce, but Chinese box office forecasts suggest it won’t gross even a third of that.

6. 
   ‘Jim Queen,’ ‘In Waves,’ ‘Lucy Lost’: What Do This Year’s Buzziest French Features Have In Common? Meet Studio Gao Shan Pictures

   Based on Réunion, the studio is expanding across borders while investing in local talent, sustainable production, and creative partnerships.
7. 
   ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ Season Two Arrives In January, Netflix Drops New Teaser

   Mizu takes her revenge quest to London, while back in Japan, Akemi and Taigen face a dangerous new shogun and Ringo searches for purpose.
8. 
   Kojima’s ‘Death Stranding Isolations’ Gets New Disney+ Teaser

   Sci-fi writer Tow Ubukata joins the hand-drawn series as writer, with new story details exploring the consequences of reconnecting a fractured America.
9. 
   Association of Japanese Animations Sets First-Ever Nippon Anime Awards For November 2027

   The AJA-backed initiative aims to celebrate anime’s artists and productions while supporting emerging talent and new business opportunities.
10. 
    2027 Oscars Short Film Contenders: ‘Apart’ Director Pola Maneli

    A forbidden friendship in apartheid South Africa is the focus of today's short, inspired by resistance woodcuts, harsh sunlight, and Nguni geometric patterns.