Film Bookazine Total Film Annual Volume 5 Vorige editie

After two of the most trying years in film history, cinemas are open for business. Changing habits have contributed to softer box office returns over the last 12 months, leading to choppy waters for major chains like Cineworld, but there have been rare instances (looking at you, Top Gun: Maverick and Spider-Man: No Way Home) of films performing at or above pre-pandemic levels. Streaming isn’t going anywhere anytime soon – and nor should it – but what’s clear is that audiences will continue to turn out in droves for films taking full advantage of the big screen experience. Unsurprisingly, superheroes continue to dominate, but there’s a clear appetite for stories that don’t originate in comic books, with the likes of Everything, Everywhere All At Once and Baz Luhrmann’s glitzy Elvis biopic resoundingly exceeding expectations.

There’s also a big blue behemoth waiting in the wings in Avatar: The Way Of Water, the long-awaited sequel to the highest-grossing film of all time. A lot’s changed in the 13 years since king of the world James Cameron put Pandora on the galactic map, but a wise person never counts Cameron out. Skip ahead to p72, and you can find out why he remains a peerless world builder, from the man himself.

Like cinemas finding renewed purpose in the face of streamers, here at Total Film we believe a lovingly curated, beautifully designed print product still has a place in a non-stop digital world. To that end, what you’re reading represents the very best of the year in Total Film’s monthly offerings, and is packed with world-exclusive insight from some of the most exciting filmmakers working today.

We hope you enjoy what you’re about to read, and here’s to another great year at the movies!