Entertainment
Why Giant Films is betting big on a bold WWII porn-comedy thriller… and calling it a ‘made-for-cinema revolution’
Father–daughter producers Poppy and Nick O’Hagan debut their new banner with Think of England, a daring wartime satire premiering at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
When Poppy O’Hagan picks up the phone, she sounds both nervous and exhilarated — the kind of energy producers feel when their first major film is just days away from a world premiere. Sitting beside her is her father, veteran producer Nicholas “Nick” O’Hagan, whose credits include The Great, The Serpent Queen and The Good Liar. Together, they are the creative force behind Giant Films, a new U.K.-based production company with one clear mission:
Bring audiences back to the cinema.
And their debut feature?
A provocative war satire with a logline you have to read twice:
“In a war situation, even making porn films may be a task of national importance.”
This is Think of England — a bold, absurd, sometimes outrageous exploration of wartime propaganda, human desire and the fragile boundaries of social norms. Written and directed by Richard Hawkins, the film premieres Friday in the main competition at the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF).
The film marks Hawkins’ first feature since 2004’s Everything, and its premise has already stirred early festival buzz.
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A secret mission to make… patriotic pornography?
Set during the tense days before the Allied landings in Normandy, the story follows a ragtag group of six individuals dropped onto a remote British island with an extraordinary mission:
Make adult films to boost morale among soldiers on the front lines.
Five of the six are already part of the adult film world.
One — the male lead — is absolutely not.
That friction becomes the heart of the story.
A tongue-in-cheek synopsis explains:
“This is the story of the other film — the forgotten companion to Churchill’s lavish Henry V propaganda project.”
While the real British government commissioned Laurence Olivier to shoot Henry V in bright 3-strip Technicolor, Hawkins imagines the other morale-boosting project: gritty, secretive and very far from Shakespeare.
The cast includes rising talent and familiar faces, among them:
Jack Bandeira, Natalie Quarry, John McCrea, Ronni Ancona, Ben Bela Böhm, Ollie Maddigan, and Oscar Hoppe.
“Made for Cinema” — A movement, not a slogan
For the O’Hagans, Think of England is more than a film — it is the opening statement of their creative philosophy.
Nick, who has spent decades navigating the streaming boom and the Netflix–A24 takeover of indie cinema, believes the industry is at a crossroads.
“Indie film may be done,” he says bluntly.
“Unless we restore the theatrical window and rebuild a sense of community. Cinema is communal. Cinema is shared oxygen.”
Poppy echoes the sentiment.
The pandemic, she says, didn’t just threaten arthouse cinema — it erased the sense of event-going.
“Our aim is to surprise audiences. To make films that feel made for the big screen. Films that encourage people to go out, sit together, and laugh or gasp in the same room.”
That ethos explains why their banner is named Giant Films:
“Small budget… giant ambition.”
A film about boundaries — societal, sexual, and cinematic
Think of England isn’t simply provocative for provocation’s sake.
It explores how governments manipulate desire, how societies decide what is “acceptable,” and how quickly those boundaries shift in times of crisis.
Writer–director Richard Hawkins, who co-wrote the script with Geoffrey Freeman, uses humor and taboo to examine propaganda and the ethics of morale-building during war.
Poppy O’Hagan calls it:
“A film about behaviour, agency, and how the camera — both metaphorically and literally — shapes our values.”
Nick adds:
“It’s outrageous, but it’s also deeply human. That’s what makes it cinematic.”
The O’Hagans: a family story behind the camera
Poppy’s entry into the industry began with a degree in French and Italian, followed by hands-on experience as a casting assistant on FX’s Atlanta. She produced acclaimed shorts including Ned Caderni’s This Film Is Not Yet Titled and Ben Daly’s The Fireplace, before joining the legendary Recorded Picture Company, working on films like Jan Komasa’s Good Boy.
Nick calls this partnership “serendipity.”
His daughter calls it “inevitable.”
A bold beginning — and much more on the horizon
Giant Films already has multiple projects in early development, but for now, all eyes are on Tallinn. The O’Hagans know their debut film is unusual — but that’s exactly the point.
“We didn’t want to start small,” Poppy says.
“We wanted to start loud.”
With Think of England, they may have done just that.
Entertainment
How ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Returned to Cinemas and Reclaimed Box Office Glory
Renewed ticket sales send Marvel’s 2019 finale past ‘Avatar’ to lead the all-time global chart again.
Seven years after its original release, Avengers: Endgame has unfinished business at the box office.
The Marvel Studios blockbuster has overtaken James Cameron’s Avatar to become the highest-grossing film worldwide once again. According to The Walt Disney Company’s October 4 announcement, Endgame now holds an estimated $2.9255 billion, narrowly ahead of Avatar’s $2.9237 billion. That puts just $1.8 million between two of cinema’s biggest hits.
The lead is small. The comeback, however, is substantial: a film released in 2019 has drawn enough fresh ticket sales to rewrite the all-time chart.
The ‘Encore’ release that tipped the balance
The latest theatrical run, titled Avengers Endgame: Encore, has earned $126 million worldwide, according to TheWrap. That includes $36.2 million in North America and $89.8 million from international markets—the extra business that pushed the film back into first place.
Audiences also had a reason to return beyond revisiting a familiar blockbuster. TheWrap reports that the reissue features a modified ending and three new scenes during and after the credits, connected to Avengers: Doomsday. The release therefore serves two purposes: bringing an established favourite back to cinemas and giving viewers a bridge to the next Avengers story.
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A rivalry with a history of reversals
This is another change of leadership in a box office contest that has lasted for years.
Endgame first displaced Avatar in 2019. Cameron’s science-fiction epic regained the crown following its Chinese re-release in 2021. Now, another theatrical return has swung the result in Marvel’s favour. Re-releases have become a decisive part of the competition, extending both films’ earning lives well beyond their original runs.
The distinction matters: this is the record for worldwide theatrical revenue without adjustment for inflation, including re-release earnings. It measures money collected rather than the number of tickets sold.
Why ‘Endgame’ matters to ‘Doomsday’
The timing gives Marvel’s comeback an added significance. Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to reach cinemas on December 18, 2026, and Disney has positioned Endgame as an important foundation for that next chapter.
Explaining the connection, Anthony Russo said: “You really need to pick the story up from where you left it in Endgame.”
That makes this return more than a victory lap. A film remembered for closing a major chapter of Marvel’s story is now helping introduce the next one—and, along the way, has taken back Hollywood’s most closely watched box office title.
Entertainment
Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ Faces a Tough Opening: Could ‘Verity’ Take the Lead?
Cruise’s star power meets a fresh box office challenge as the Colleen Hoover adaptation emerges as a formidable rival.
Tom Cruise has spent years persuading audiences to watch him attempt the impossible. With Digger, the challenge is different: convincing moviegoers to embrace an eccentric, darkly comic character who bears little resemblance to his familiar action heroes.
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, the film arrives in US cinemas on October 2, 2026, carrying considerable expectations. Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an oil tycoon confronting a catastrophe connected to his company’s actions. It is a conspicuous departure for an actor whose recent screen identity has been shaped by spectacular stunts and blockbuster franchises.
Yet the conversation before release has increasingly turned from Cruise’s transformation to a more uncomfortable question: how many people will buy a ticket?
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A costly film facing a modest opening
According to Koimoi’s September 30 report, Digger was tracking for a North American opening below $15 million, against a reported production cost of approximately $125 million. These are reported estimates, rather than confirmed earnings or a final accounting of the film’s costs.
That gap explains the concern surrounding Warner Bros.. An expensive production needs sustained attendance, and a subdued debut would place greater pressure on subsequent weekends and overseas markets.
An opening forecast cannot establish a film’s eventual profit or loss. It can, however, reveal how much work remains for the campaign.
Reviews have complicated the pitch
The critical response has been sharply divided. People reported reactions ranging from admiration for the film’s audacity and Cruise’s commitment to criticism of its scale, coherence and tone.
For potential ticket buyers, that creates an uncertain proposition. Cruise’s presence attracts attention, but attention does not automatically translate into enthusiasm for an unfamiliar kind of film.
The promotional campaign has leaned into that disagreement. The Guardian described advertising that places harsh reactions alongside praise, using the controversy itself to generate interest. Whether that approach encourages curiosity or deepens hesitation remains an open question.
Why ‘Verity’ makes the weekend more intriguing
The Hollywood Reporter expects Digger to open substantially behind Verity, the Amazon MGM Studios adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel. hollywoodreporter.com
Starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, Verity is also scheduled to open on October 2. Its psychological-thriller premise centres on a writer who discovers a disturbing manuscript while completing another author’s book series.
From a marketing perspective, an established novel and a recognisable thriller setup could offer a more immediate hook. Digger, by comparison, asks audiences to take a greater leap into unfamiliar territory.
The audience verdict is still ahead
Cruise has clearly committed to that leap. At the London premiere, Reuters reported that his transformation involved prosthetics and a padded bodysuit, alongside a demanding performance.
The commercial outcome remains unresolved. Strong audience recommendations could give Digger momentum beyond its initial forecasts. A weak response would make its financial challenge harder.
For now, the film’s biggest suspense lies beyond the screen: whether curiosity about Cruise’s unusual gamble becomes an opening-weekend ticket purchase.
Entertainment
‘Verity’ Could Outopen ‘Digger’: Why Tom Cruise Faces a Tough Contest
The competing releases raise a compelling question: which film will persuade more audiences to buy a ticket?
Tom Cruise has spent years persuading audiences to watch him attempt the impossible. With Digger, the challenge is different: convincing moviegoers to embrace an eccentric, darkly comic character who bears little resemblance to his familiar action heroes.
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, the film arrives in US cinemas on October 2, 2026, carrying considerable expectations. Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an oil tycoon confronting a catastrophe connected to his company’s actions. It is a conspicuous departure for an actor whose recent screen identity has been shaped by spectacular stunts and blockbuster franchises.
Yet the conversation before release has increasingly turned from Cruise’s transformation to a more uncomfortable question: how many people will buy a ticket?
ALSO READ : Emmy Nominations Announcement Gets a Star Twist… Liza Colón-Zayas & Jeff Hiller Set to Reveal 2026 TV Nominees
A costly film facing a modest opening
According to Koimoi’s September 30 report, Digger was tracking for a North American opening below $15 million, against a reported production cost of approximately $125 million. These are reported estimates, rather than confirmed earnings or a final accounting of the film’s costs.
That gap explains the concern surrounding Warner Bros.. An expensive production needs sustained attendance, and a subdued debut would place greater pressure on subsequent weekends and overseas markets.
An opening forecast cannot establish a film’s eventual profit or loss. It can, however, reveal how much work remains for the campaign.
Reviews have complicated the pitch
The critical response has been sharply divided. People reported reactions ranging from admiration for the film’s audacity and Cruise’s commitment to criticism of its scale, coherence and tone.
For potential ticket buyers, that creates an uncertain proposition. Cruise’s presence attracts attention, but attention does not automatically translate into enthusiasm for an unfamiliar kind of film.
The promotional campaign has leaned into that disagreement. The Guardian described advertising that places harsh reactions alongside praise, using the controversy itself to generate interest. Whether that approach encourages curiosity or deepens hesitation remains an open question.
Why ‘Verity’ makes the weekend more intriguing
The Hollywood Reporter expects Digger to open substantially behind Verity, the Amazon MGM Studios adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel. hollywoodreporter.com
Starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, Verity is also scheduled to open on October 2. Its psychological-thriller premise centres on a writer who discovers a disturbing manuscript while completing another author’s book series.
From a marketing perspective, an established novel and a recognisable thriller setup could offer a more immediate hook. Digger, by comparison, asks audiences to take a greater leap into unfamiliar territory.
The audience verdict is still ahead
Cruise has clearly committed to that leap. At the London premiere, Reuters reported that his transformation involved prosthetics and a padded bodysuit, alongside a demanding performance.
The commercial outcome remains unresolved. Strong audience recommendations could give Digger momentum beyond its initial forecasts. A weak response would make its financial challenge harder.
For now, the film’s biggest suspense lies beyond the screen: whether curiosity about Cruise’s unusual gamble becomes an opening-weekend ticket purchase.
How ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Returned to Cinemas and Reclaimed Box Office Glory
Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ Faces a Tough Opening: Could ‘Verity’ Take the Lead?
‘Verity’ Could Outopen ‘Digger’: Why Tom Cruise Faces a Tough Contest
‘Endgame’ Returns to No. 1 ‘Avatar’ Loses Its Box Office Throne
Mark Zuckerberg Faces a New Hollywood Reckoning Why Aaron Sorkin’s Film Hits Closer to Home
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