North America Regains Box Office Crown 

►In Tom, we trust. After two, brief years of dominance, China is surrendering the global box office crown back to North America in 2022. In the depths of the pandemic, China swept past the U.S. in total ticket sales for the first time in movie history in 2020. But the first half of 2022 has delivered a very different picture. THR's Patrick Brzeski reports that ticket sales in China totaled only $2.6 billion over the past six months, down 38 percent from the same period in 2021, as the country struggles with a strict “COVID-zero” approach to the pandemic. 

Total ticket revenue in North America, meanwhile, made a healthy comeback in the first half of the year, as the studios began restoring exclusive theatrical windows for their biggest releases and pandemic restrictions shifted to the background. The story.

—"I’m sick to my stomach every time news like this comes out." Rachel Brosnahan and singer Richard Marx reacted with shock and anger over the mass shooting in their hometown of Highland Park, Illinois on Monday that has left six people dead and wounded at least 30. The story. 

—"Absence of constrictive violent behavior." A judge in southern Italy on Monday ordered Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis released from detention at his hotel while prosecutors decide whether to pursue their investigation of whether he allegedly had sex with a woman without her consent over two days, his lawyer said. The story. 

—Cost-cutting hits Europe. With Warner Bros. Discovery targeting $3b in cost savings, the company is adjusting its programming strategy for streaming service HBO Max in parts of Europe. The entertainment conglomerate will no longer produce originals for HBO Max in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Central Europe and Turkey, the company said Monday. The story.

—One thing at a time, buddy. James Cameron has revealed he may not direct all the upcoming (if they ever come) Avatar films. In an interview with Empire magazine, Cameron said the fourth and fifth movies in the franchise that's still one released film haven’t gone into production and that he might not be at the helm. The story.

'Minions 2' Hits Record $125M July 4th Opening

►The party continues. The long July 4th holiday weekend was a box office extravaganza for Hollywood as Minions: The Rise of Gru scored a huge four-day opening of $125.2m domestically. Overseas, the movie crossed $86m on Sunday for a global booty of $200m-plus. By Monday, the tally will be north of $220m.

THR's Pamela McClintock writes that Minions 2 will boast one of the top starts ever at the domestic box office for an animated Hollywood tentpole, not adjusted for inflation. The movie’s performance is significant in that it confirms that parents and younger kids, who have been conspicuous by their absence during the pandemic, are ready to return to the multiplex in droves. 

Top Gun 2 continues to boom more than a month after first flying into theaters and looks to benefit from the patriotic holiday. The pic fell a scant 14 percent from last weekend to $25.5m. For the long weekend, it should earn an estimated $32.5m as it heads for the $600m mark domestically after finishing Monday with an expected $571m. The Tom Cruise movie also continues to impress overseas, where it earned another $37m for a foreign tally of $544.5m and $1.11b globally. The box office report. 

—Kids eh. Minions 2 has a surprising demo to thank for setting off fireworks at the July 4th box office with one of the best animated tentpole openings in history: Male teenagers and younger male adults. The TikTok meme #GentleMinions has been gaining strength throughout the long holiday weekend as male Gen Z’ers showed up at cinemas in dress suits and scarves — the go-to uniform for the supervillain Gru — to watch the latest entry in the Despicable Me franchise. The story.

—How real is the boom and will it last? With monthly North American box office revenue hitting nearly $1b for the first time since the pandemic began, THR's Pamela McClintock looks into whether the recovery is sustainable, especially with the telling lack of product in the coming months. The analysis.

Jamie Campbell Bower on "Savage" 'Stranger Things' Ending

►"I allowed myself to get lost; I granted myself permission." THR's Jackie Strause spoke to Jamie Campbell Bower, the Brit actor who plays a key role in the fourth season of Stranger Things. Bower talks about the complexities of his character, getting an honest (and terrified) reaction from a scene partner and his thoughts for the final season. Warning spoilers. The interview.

—"It’s a redemption tale." THR's Ryan Parker spoke to Stranger Things season four breakout Joseph Quinn, who plays fan-favorite Eddie. Quinn discusses the enormous arc his character goes through and that heartbreaking scene. Warning spoilers. The interview.

—Don't expect lengthy episodes. The Duffer Brothers have been talking Stranger Things season four on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, and explained why the episodes went so long. The duo revealed they don't expect season five’s episodes to be as long as 80 minutes, except for the series finale. The story. 

Film Review: 'Thor: Love and Thunder' 

►"Muscles are no cure for Marvel fatigue." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder. Chris Hemsworth's space Viking is joined by former love Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) to rescue the abducted children of Asgard and stop the rampage of Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcherer. The review.  

—Scandi heaven. Ingmar Bergman’s Faithless is getting a TV adaptation from Swedish director Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). The series comes from Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT and Denmark's Miso Film. Alfredson will direct all six episodes written by Sara Johnsen (July 22). The project will explore the relationship between passion and love through an erotic triangle. The story. 

—Shaking things up. The British Independent Film Awards is moving to gender-neutral performance categories and adding a new feature documentary debut director category. It is also splitting its music honor into two categories. The story. 

—ICYMI. Traveling back in time to Friday, we heard the news that HBO canceled The Time Traveler’s Wife after a single season. The drama series, based on Audrey Niffenegger’s best-selling novel, drew unfavorable reviews, social media ridicule and a fairly small on-air audience. The story. 

In other news...

—Netflix sets Swedish comedy film about 40-year-old reliving her best day again and again

—Britney Spears’ former business manager involved in creating singer’s conservatorship, attorney says

—R. Kelly remains on suicide watch “for his own safety,” say authorities

—Lindsay Lohan marries businessman Bader Shammas

—Alex Law, Hong Kong writer, director of Echoes of the Rainbow, dies at 69

—Peter Brook, British theater and film director, dies at 97

—Joe Turkel, the bartender in The Shining, dies at 94

What else we're reading...

—Shocking report from Amy Kaufman and Meg James on Hollywood producer Randall Emmett offering actresses roles in exchange for sexual favors, amongst a host of other awful, and illegal things [LAT]

—Lauren Katz on the healing powers of Netflix’s Heartstopper [Vox]

—Lucas Shaw writes that with a recession looming the age of Peak TV is ending and an age of austerity is beginning [Bloomberg]

—Ben Cohen on Netflix, Stranger Things and what happens when the disruptor becomes disrupted [WSJ]

—Wild story out of China, hackers have stolen personal info on 1 billion people and asking only 10 bitcoin for it [Bloomberg]

Today...  

...in 2003, Fox premiered creator Josh Schwartz’s hourlong teen drama The O.C., which aired for four seasons on the network. The original review.

Today's birthdays: Ronald D. Moore (58), RZA (53), Michael Stuhlbarg (54), Edie Falco (59), Jenji Kohan (53), Ryan Hansen (41), Huey Lewis (72), Pruitt Taylor Vince (62), Claudia Wells (56), Kathryn Erbe (57), Ji Chang-Wook (35), François Arnaud (37), Danay Garcia (38), James Morosini (32), Blu Mankuma (74), Anthony Welsh (39), Robbie Robertson (79), Mike Cahill (43)