Hollywood closed out an up and down 2023 with “Wonka” regaining No. 1 at the box office, strong sales for “The Color Purple” and an overall $9 billion in ticket sales that improved on 2022’s grosses but fell about $2 billion shy of pre-pandemic norms.

“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” led a crowd of new releases at the box office on the weekend before Christmas Monday.

Power, ambition, luxury.

Early awards in Hollywood’s unfurling awards season have gone to films like Celine Song’s tender relationship drama “Past Lives,” Jonathan Glazer’s piercing Holocaust film “The Zone of Interest” and Martin Scorsese’s sprawling Osage murders epic “Killers of the Flower Moon.”.

If you’re a fan of the classic film “The Color Purple,” you will love Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg’s new trailer for the Warner Bros. movie musical.

In a starry presentation that included Timothée Chalamet, Oprah Winfrey, Zendaya and a first look at ‘Dune: Part Two,’ “Barbie” was no doubt the brightest star of Warner Bros.

FILE - Actress Cynthia Erivo poses for a portrait during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Sept. 10, 2019. Erivo portrays Aretha Franklin in the National Geographic miniseries Genius: Aretha. (Photo by Arthur Mola/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK – “The Color Purple” turned into Grammy, Tony and Emmy gold for Cynthia Erivo. The performer’s brilliant performance in the Broadway revival won her the 2016 Tony for best actress in a musical. “I guess I didn’t expect to be this close this soon,” Erivo told The Associated Press of her almost-EGOT status.