Mexico Marks First Blockbuster of the Year With Wedding Rom-Com ‘Mesa de Regalos' From the Mediapro Studio and Pampa Films
Produced by Spain's The Mediapro Studio and Buenos Aires-based Pampa Films, its box office success is welcome news for Mexico's film industry, which continues to see a slump in post-pandemic theatrical admissions, despite some gains.
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According to the latest report from Canacine, the Mexican Film Industry's Chamber of Commerce, theatrical admissions grew 33% in 2023 compared to the previous year but still lagged 32.30% behind its pre-Covid benchmark of 2019. The phenomenon is worldwide given the inexorable rise of streaming platforms, changing consumer habits and other factors.
Ranking second after 'Captain America Brave New World' (posting $6.5 million) in the week of Feb. 10-16, 'Mesa de Regalos' ($5.8m) is still light years behind the number one all-time box hit in Mexico, Eugenio Derbez's 2013 hit 'Instructions Not Included' ('No se aceptan devoluciones'), which clocked 15.2 million admissions.
Directed by Noé Santillán-López ('Infelices para siempre,' 'Veinteañera, divorciada y fantástica') it stars Cassandra Sánchez-Navarro and José Eduardo Derbez, and has continued to lure more auds since its Jan. 16 theatrical release by Disney. 'Admissions grew the second week which likely means that word of mouth has driven its box office success,' said Cabe Bossi of Pampa Films. 'We can also attribute the marketing machinery of Disney, which pulled out all the stops to promote our film,' said Pampa Films partner, Pol Bossi.
'They always thought in Mexico that wedding-themed movies were past their prime but 'Mesa de Regalos' disproved it, thanks to its great script and cast as well as timing as Mexican audiences like going to the movies during the first part of the year,' said Catalina Porto, executive producer and head of The Mediapro Studio Colombia & Mexico.
Penned by Juan Carlos Aparicio, Mateo Stivelberg and Daniela Richer, the romcom follows Antonia (Sánchez-Navarro) and Nicolás (Derbez), two inseparable friends who, after watching their peers achieve emotional and professional stability, feel stuck in their own lives.
After attending countless weddings, they hatch a clever (and slightly outrageous) plan: to get married. However, their union is a strategic move to pretend to be a loving couple, throw an extravagant wedding and take advantage of the gift registry to fulfill their dreams. But as they navigate the charade, not everyone buys into their relationship, and amidst growing doubts and appearances, unexpected feelings begin to surface, threatening to derail their well-laid plans.
'Our challenge was to make a film that would have universal appeal. The script began in Colombia in collaboration with Pampa Films in Argentina where post production took place and was shot in Mexico with Mexican talent,' Porto told Variety, who added that social media posts have been overwhelmingly positive, including for its soundtrack.
Disney plans to stream the movie across Latin America on Disney+.
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USA Today
41 minutes ago
- USA Today
'King of the Hill' reboot: Season 14 premiere date, cast, how to watch
A decade and a half has passed since audiences dropped in on the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, but the hearts of its beer-sipping residents have stayed much the same. Animated comedy "King of the Hill" is returning for a reboot after 15 years off the air, bringing viewers back into the lives of Hank, Peggy and Bobby Hill, along with their friends Dale, Bill, Boomhauer and beyond. The revival is spearheaded by original co-creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge, who also voices protagonist Hank Hill. The rest of the original voices return as well, though Johnny Hardwick, the voice of Dale Gribble, was only able to record part of the season before dying in 2023 and being replaced by Toby Huss. The original cast also suffered the loss of John Redcorn's voice actor, Jonathan Joss, who was shot and killed at the age of 59 in June. Joss completed recording for the season before his death. Here's how to catch the new season. When does 'King of the Hill' Season 14 premiere? Season 14 will premiere on Monday, Aug. 4. All 10 episodes in the season will drop at the same time. How to watch 'King of the Hill' Season 14 "King of the Hill" Season 14 will stream exclusively on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. Cast of 'King of the Hill' Season 14 cast According to Disney+, the cast of the reboot includes: 'King of the Hill' reboot trailer


UPI
43 minutes ago
- UPI
'King of the Hill' voice cast adapted to older characters
1 of 7 | Bobby learns that Connie and Chane practice ethical nonmonogomy in "King of the Hill," on Hulu Monday, but he is not ready for it. Photo courtesy of Disney Aug. 4 (UPI) -- While it has been 15 years since new episodes of King of the Hill aired on Fox, only nine years have passed for the characters in Season 14, premiering Monday on Hulu. Bobby Hill (voice of Pamela Adlon) is now 21 years old and his parents, Hank (Mike Judge) and Peggy (Kathy Najimy) are retired. In a recent Zoom interview with UPI, ensemble cast members Lauren Tom and Toby Huss said it was easy to adjust to their characters' ages. Tom plays Connie, Bobby's neighbor and classmate in the original series, and a lingering potential love interest. Tom, 63, shared how Connie is closer in age to her own voice now that the character is in her 20s. "It was actually harder for me in the beginning to play someone 12," Tom said. "King of the Hill was my first voiceover job so I did a lot of learning as I went." Huss, 58, previously voiced supporting roles like Hank's father, Cotton. When voice cast member Johnny Hardwick died in 2023, Huss took over Hardwick's character, conspiracy theorist neighbor Dale Gribble. Hardwick recorded seven episodes before his death, and the seventh is dedicated to him in the new season. Huss had to add sporadic lines to some of those episodes and aimed for them to blend in seamlessly. "I didn't want to change Dale," Huss said. "I think Johnny and I smoked about the same amount of cigarettes over our lifetime so we both have a good gravelly thing." Huss said he focused on specific sounds Hardwick made -- as long he could mimic those, he could sound like Dale. "If you hear it, you'll go, 'Okay, that's the tone of Dale. That's close enough,'" Hardwick said. Beyond the voice cast, the show's animators had to capture the older characters, too. Showrunner Saladin K. Patterson, who executive produces with creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, teased that one character has let himself go in the ensuing years, though reverts closer to his original appearance in later episodes. Otherwise, the changes are subtle. Hank's hair is grayer. Boomhauer (also Judge) has an extra line in his face. "We didn't want it to be a shock," Patterson said. "We still wanted people to feel like they're watching people that they always knew and loved." Tom also voices Connie's mother, Minh. A highly competitive socialite who rubs her victories in the Hills' faces, Minh has lost some of her subtlety in Tom's new portrayal. "I like to say that Minh used to be passive-aggressive but now she's just aggressive," Tom said. "I think it's okay that my voice has gotten a little bit lower if you compared this season to the pilot from the '90s." Patterson said the team briefly considered leaving the characters the same as they were in the original series. 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She is in a relationship with another character, but both Connie and her boyfriend practice Ethical Nonmonogamy. "I actually had to ask my kids what ENM stood for," Tom said. "That's so progressive and cool for her. It just gives it more conflict rather than just have them get back together easily." Modern social phenomena give King of the Hill a lot more episodic stories. Hank may be confused by all gender bathrooms but he is ultimately sensitive to them. He also acknowledges he does not want to get canceled, though the show avoids using terms like "woke." "We have Hank reference cancel culture for sure, but things like wokeness, that term in and of itself has been appropriated and usurped by the political factions that want to weaponize it so much," Patterson said. "We wanted to stay away from letting our show be weaponized as well." Patterson clarified that King of the Hill was never overtly political. Rather, he distinguished, it was "a show that talked about cultural things. There's a difference." Therefore, an episode of the revival addresses cultural appropriation in a King of the Hill way. Bobby is criticized for operating a Japanese fusion restaurant when he is not Japanese, but Patterson defends Bobby's intentions. "When people have their own agenda, people project that agenda onto good intentions," Patterson said. "The comedy comes from Bobby being stuck in the middle in the way that Hank in the original was often stuck in the middle. And Bobby's trying to say, 'This is about a celebration of things, not about excluding or appropriating or anything.' It felt like that was good cultural social commentary."


Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
How to watch 'King of the Hill' season 14 online from anywhere
Of course, now we actually have "King of the Hill" season 14 in our midst, it makes perfect sense that it's back. This might be Olympic level understatement but quite a lot has happened in the world since we last saw Peggy and Hank in Arlen, Texas and their roles in a "fish out of water" season might help us make some sense of it all... Here's how you can watch "King of the Hill" season 14 online around the world and from anywhere with a VPN. 'King of the Hill' season 14 will premiere with a full season 10 episode drop on Hulu in the U.S. on Monday, August 4 at 12 a.m. PT/ 3 a.m. ET.. It will also be available to stream on Disney+ worldwide.• U.S. — Hulu / Disney Plus Bundle• Rest of the World — Disney Plus• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN risk-free And so, having returned from a retirement-funding exercise in Saudi Arabia, they now have rating cab drivers out of 5 and gender neutral toilets to cope with not to mention the frequently delayed arrival as "soccer" as a major sport in the U.S. and perhaps even an indication that EVERYTHING has changed forever. Bobby is now a chef in Dallas (and this was one of the first hooks co-creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge used to get back into the show) and all the favourite characters return but not necessarily in the same shape they were in 2009. It's been a hell of a ride for everybody (*GOOD NEWS* - Season 15 is on the way). Read on and discover how you can watch "King of the Hill" season 14 online with all the streaming details you need below. "King of the Hill" season 14 - aka "The reboot" - will premiere with a full season 10 episode drop on Hulu in the U.S. on Monday, August 4 at 12 a.m. PT/ 3 a.m. ET. Hulu plans start from $7.99/month, and new users can get a 30-day free trial of Hulu. You can subscribe to Hulu on its own or, for even better value, you can opt for the Disney Plus bundle. The package gets you access to the entire Hulu and Disney Plus catalogs from only $9.99/month. Or you can add live sport with ESPN Plus for only five bucks more. And for anybody in the market for a full on cable replacement, all Hulu shows are included in the provider's Hulu + Live TV (3-day free trial). Prices start from $76.99/month after the trial expires. Americans abroad who want to catch the show via their own domestic streaming platform can do so from anywhere with a VPN. We recommend NordVPN. If you're traveling overseas and "King of the Hill" season 14 isn't airing where you're currently located, that doesn't mean you have to miss the show while you're away from home. With the right VPN (virtual private network), you can stream the show from wherever you are. We've evaluated many options, and the best VPN you can get right now is NordVPN. It meets the VPN needs of the vast majority of users, offering outstanding compatibility with most devices and impressive connection speeds. You can try it risk-free for 30 days if you take advantage of NordVPN's no-quibble money-back guarantee. NordVPN deal: FREE $50 / £50 Amazon gift card Boasting lightning fast speeds, great features, streaming power, and class-leading security, NordVPN is our #1 VPN. ✅ FREE Amazon gift card worth up to $50/£50✅ 4 months extra FREE!✅ 76% off usual price Use Nord to unblock Hulu and watch "King of the Hill" season 14 online with our exclusive deal. Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the U.K. and want to view a U.S. service, you'd select a U.S. server from the location list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the show. Head to your streaming service app — so Hulu for example — and watch "King of the Hill" season 14 online from wherever you are in the world. "King of the Hill" season 14 will stream on Disney Plus in territories outside the U.S. with the same release date: Monday, August 4. The Disney Plus prices are as listed below: 🇨🇦 In Canada, you will have to fork out CA$7.99 every month.🇬🇧 U.K. "King of the Hill" fans can tune into season 14 from £7.99.🇦🇺 Aussies can catch season 14 for AU$13.99 a month. Abroad while season 14 is streaming on Disney Plus? Use NordVPN and access your usual "King of the Hill" streams. Season 14 Episode 01: "Return Of The King" - Hank and Peggy move back to Arlen and struggle to readjust to their old life. Bobby runs into a childhood friend in Dallas. S14 E02: "The Beer Story" - Hank and Bobby are competitors in a home beer brewing competition. Boomhauer bonds with Luke Jr. over non-alcoholic beer. S14 E03: "Bobby Gets Grilled" - In his search for authentic robata charcoal, Bobby is accused of cultural appropriation. The Hills and Gribbles go to the Bush presidential library where Dale incites incident. S14 E04: "Chore Money, Chore Problems" - Hank joins an app for handymen and struggles to get a good rating. Bobby learns that Connie is dating a mutual friend. S14 E05: "New Ref In Town" - Hank secretly becomes a soccer referee. Bobby goes to buy a car and leaves the dealership with more than he bargained for. S14 E06: "Peggy's Fadeout" - Hank discovers that Bill's new coworkers think he's married, while Bobby discovers Connie's boyfriend may be cheating on her. Peggy struggles with her self-identity after getting rejected from a teaching opportunity. S14 E07: "Any Given Hill-Day" - Bobby tries to bond with Hank at the Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Camp, but Willow interferes. Peggy starts a lending library in an effort to bring the neighborhood together. S14 E08: "Kahn-scious Uncoupling" - The Souphanousinphones throw a lavish anniversary party to hide a secret that only Hank knows. Bobby is stressed out catering the party while trying to help Connie. S14 E09: "No Hank Left Behind" - Hank takes Good Hank to a men's camp to instill good values, but the camp is not what Hank thought it would be. Peggy stays at Bobby's apartment after getting an MRI. S14 E10: "A Sounder Investment" - Peggy and Hank's friends start a pig eradication business, but Hank is hesitant to join them. Bobby and Connie struggle to bond as adults. In short, because it should never have gone away in the first place. Its fanbase has remained loyal and fanatical since the dumb decision to axe the show in 2009 and that popularity has turned up at conventions and fanfests ever since. A read through of the episode "Husky Bobby" (S02 E06) at a 20th anniversary event went down so well co-creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge decided to bring Hank and Peggy bang up-to-date with a 2025 season. He is. The 59 year old recorded lines for 4 episodes before his death in June this year. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.