The Lucas Museum

 

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

George Lucas offered up the first look of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art at the ComicCon convention in San Diego last week. The Museum, which will be located in Los Angeles, will open its doors in 2026.

Lucas has been collecting art for over 50 years and includes pieces from Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, Jessie Smith and many others.

"It occurred to me about eight years ago that I didn't know what I was going to do with all the art I had collected, and I refused to sell any of it. Art is more about an emotional connection. Not how much it cost, or what celebrity made it. I've worked with hundreds of illustrators in my life and they're all brilliant, but they never get recognition. This museum is a temple to these people" said Lucas at ComicCon. 

Lucas has had I long history with ComicCon going back to the very first 'Star Wars'. "It's one thing that this kind of art be celebrated, and it's all due to science fiction. SciFi is a myth, but we have made it real" said Lucas about the museum's artwork.

Lucas at ComicCon

No date for the launch of the Museum has been set but it will be the first of its kind. Located at the Exposition Park in LA it will be over 300,000 sq.ft. in size. It will house galleries, two theatres, a library, restaurant, cafe, retail and community spaces.

 

The Kingdom of Jordan: The Place to Movie-Make

 Jordan has moved to the front of the pack by releasing a tiered cash-rebate program for filmmakers - with reimbursement of up to 45% of the local-spend on production. This 45% excludes the automatic exemption from the country's 16% value-added tax and 10% withholding tax, so the total reimbursement could reach a whooping 66%.

"We studied every rival country from all over the world and decided we had to out-incentivize each of them" says Mohannad al-Bakri, Managing Director of the Royal Film Commission (RFC). "Between the rebate, zero tax, and production crews that can step straight onto a movie set, Jordan is now the country with the most cost-effective moviemaking worldwide. 

Under the new scheme, foreign and local movie shoots start at a 25% cash rebate and accelerate to 45% by hiring Jordanian crews, showcasing Jordanian landscapes and culture, or agreeing to on-screen promotional placement of local goods and services. 

Jordan sits in the middle of the Middle East

"We've also slashed the bureaucratic red tape", states Ahmad al-Khatib, Jordanian cultural and communications manager. "Gear can clear customs in 24 hours, visas are bundled, and our liaison personnel streamline the production process - whether the use of drones, street scenes, or car chases, etc." 

Jordan's Queen Rania & King Abdullah, avid backers of the RFC

'Dune', 'Star Wars', 'The Martian' were all shot in Jordan. The RFC hosts 'familiarization' tours for producers and directors looking for a place to shoot. Additionally, the RFC manages six training facilities in Amman (Jordan's capitol) where all the necessary elements that make up moviemaking are taught. 

Essentially the Jordanian government is bankrolling a large chunk of every film produced within Jordan in return for jobs, skills transfers, and tourism dollars. And there is no censorship by the government.

So, with a 45% cash back deal, trained production crews, and a hands-free government the Jordanian offer is extremely alluring to many filmmakers.

By: Jim Lavorato

4DX and Screen X Give IMAX Angst

 

ScreenX with panoramic viewing

Admissions for 4DX and ScreenX-equipped movie auditoriums were up, a whopping 47% for the first six months of 2025 as compared to 2024. This compares to the North American box office gross, which was up 18%.

CJ-4Dplex, the Korean company behind the 4DX and ScreenX systems, is now poised to expand. "This demonstrates the growing popularity of unique theatrical formats", says CJ-4DPlex CEO Don Savant.

A 4DX-equipped auditorium boasts motion-synchronized seating, smoke machines, and powerful fans and water misters to simulate storm scenes. While Screen X auditoriums use multiple screens to expand a film's image to panoramic viewing.

Worldwide, there are 435 ScreenX locations and 775 4DX installations.

"Consumers are clearly seeking experiences that cannot be duplicated in their homes or even at mainstream cinemas, including IMAX theatres. Moviegoing is evolving and premier formats like 4XD and ScreenX are leading the way", states Don Savant.

'How To Train Your Dragon' was a 4DX release and grossed over $81,000 per screen. While 'F1' earned $57 million in only 65 4DX auditoriums.

ScreenX beats the IMAX on-screen image in terms of size and scope

IMAX, once alone in the premium movie viewing arena, now faces competition and has recently touted that 2025 will be a record year for them as well.

By: Jim Lavorato

Celebs Pay to Protect Their Personas

 Keanu Reeves reported that he pays "several thousands of dollars per month" to take imitations off TikTok and Meta.

Keanu with partner Alexandra Grant

Reeves pays a company called Loti to take down thousands of social media accounts each year. Reeves is one of the most impersonated celebrities, and his lack of social media use creates a mystique around his personal life.

Reeves has appeared issuing political messages, advertising products, and on dating sites. Generative AI makes it easy and much more convincing. 

Reeves isn't the only celeb, any number of high-profile people also pay to have their images and voice taken off social platforms. Tom Hanks, for example, had his likeness and voice used for pitching a company that solicted dental work. Morgan Freeman, had his AI generated image and voice used on a series of videos by a person pretending to be his niece. And the list goes on - from Jamie Lee Curtis to Brad Pitt.

Marco Rubio, Head, U.S. Department of State

There is no safe place any longer. Even Marco Rubio, the Head of the Department of State, had his voice copied and phone calls made to his counterparts in various other countries, requesting information and discussing State issues. 

AI generative personas are very difficult to prevent and catch the perpetrators.

By: Jim Lavorato

Cruise and Pitt Team Up

 Reuniting Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in a movie would ensure big bank at the box office.

 

Both A-listers are coming off major blockbusters - Pitt with 'F-1 The Movie' and Cruise' Mission Impossible - Final Reckoning'. Now, director Joseph Kosinski wants to make a sequel to 'Days of Thunder' (1990) which stared Tom Cruise and combine it with the theme from 'Top Gun Maverick' which Kosinski also directed.

Pitt and Cruise last worked together on 'Interview With a Vampire' (1994) when they were both up-and-comers. They have remained friends ever since and both turned out to be mega-stars.

Recently, Cruise appeared at the 'F-1's' London premiere to congratulate Pitt and pose for photos. Pitt told reporters that he was interested in joining Cruise once again; however, he stated, "I'm not gonna hang my ass off airplanes and shit like that." Making a clear reference to the stunts Cruise is famous for.

Given the right premise, a sequel to 'Days of Thunder' showcasing both stars would be an instant billion-dollar movie. So why shouldn't they do it and have fun? 

Athletes Turn to Movies for Second Career

 

Payton Manning | Lewis Hamilton | Serena Williams

'F1', the hit film about Formula One racing was co-produced by Lewis Hamilton, the British driver who has won seven F1 championships. He was closely involved in ensuring the film's authenticity, particularly in the portrayal of race scenes, jargon, and the behind-the-scenes operation of an F1 race team.

Consumers idolize sports figures in the same way they do movie stars so transitioning into movies is a natural segway to higher fame and fortune. 

Lewis Hamilton is not the first sports figure that has turned to the entertainment industry, particularly movies, as a means for continued success as they age. Others include LeBron James, Peyton Manning and his brother Eli, Steven Curry, Simone Biles, and Serena Williams have all turned to the entertainment industry for career continuation. This trend will continue as athletics become brands themselves, and Catlin Clark quickly comes to mind. 

I watched 'F1' at a local cinema, and it was great! It's a must-see on a big screen as the realism of the race scenes would be lost via TV viewing.