A record-setting cinema year, a horror film’s move home and an anime with a weekly rhythm: tonight’s useful news spans three very different screens. This 26 September Evening edition catches up on three Friday announcements the Morning briefing did not cover, and focuses on what each one changes for viewers.
Film and TV Developments to Know
Universal Passes $5 Billion at the Global Box Office
- Announced: Friday 25 September.
- 2026 global box office: More than US$5 billion in Universal-distributed releases.
- Reported split: US$1.788 billion domestic and US$3.218 billion international.
- Context: The first studio to reach the milestone in 2026.
Universal says its 2026 releases have crossed US$5 billion worldwide. Its reported total combines domestic and international takings; it is a distributor milestone, rather than the gross of a single film or a UK-specific figure. The company says it reached the mark for the third time in its history, after 2015 and 2017.
For filmgoers, the number shows how several different kinds of theatrical success can build a studio’s year, from event-scale releases to animation and smaller titles. It does not mean every film on the slate performed alike, and the final annual total remains open as more releases arrive. The most useful takeaway is the breadth of the cinema audience still turning up across genres.
Evil Dead Burn Sets Its HBO Max Debut
- Announced: Friday 25 September.
- Film: Evil Dead Burn, directed by Sébastien Vaniček.
- US streaming: HBO Max from Friday 2 October.
- US television: HBO on Saturday 3 October at 8 p.m. ET.
- UK subscription date: A territory-specific listing has not been confirmed.
Warner Bros. Discovery has dated the next home-viewing window for Evil Dead Burn. The film reaches HBO Max on 2 October, with a US HBO television showing the following evening. The announcement calls the streaming debut global, but its release is filed in the US pressroom; UK viewers should check a local service listing before assuming the same day applies to them.
That gives US horror fans a clear early-October option without spoiling the film’s shocks. Vaniček’s entry is a new chapter in the franchise, with Souheila Yacoub and Tandi Wright among its cast. Anyone seeking a gentler Halloween pick should know the series’ reputation for intense horror before pressing play.
Steel Ball Run Gets a Weekly Netflix Schedule
- Confirmed: Friday 25 September.
- Series: Steel Ball Run JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
- Availability: Netflix says the second stage began worldwide on 25 September.
- Schedule: The second and third stages comprise 11 episodes, releasing weekly on Fridays.
Netflix has clarified the release pattern for the next stretch of Steel Ball Run JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Its second stage began on 25 September, and the second and third stages together will unfold across 11 Friday episodes for members worldwide, including the UK and US.
The practical change for fans is simple: this is a weekly appointment, rather than a full-season drop. Netflix has given a run length and day of the week, though viewers should check their local app for each episode’s exact time. Newcomers can start with the first stage, already available on the service, without a plot summary that spoils the race ahead.
Movieversalfilm Takeaway
Universal’s milestone tells a larger cinema story, while Evil Dead Burn and Steel Ball Run give viewers firmer plans for the coming week. These are Friday announcements worth catching up on this evening: one measures the year at the box office, one sets a US horror streaming date, and one makes an anime release schedule clear for fans worldwide. The UK streaming position for Evil Dead Burn still needs a local confirmation.
Which update changes your plans most: a cinema trip, a horror night or a weekly anime watch?