One of the best things about long-haul flights is finally having the time to sit down and binge watch tonnes of movies, especially some new releases you may have missed.
But have you ever wondered which films are the most popular at 30,000ft?
Well wonder no more. Air New Zealand has revealed to 1News the most popular movies on its flights in 2023.
Sit back and enjoy the show:
1. A Man Called Otto
176,000 views
Tom Hanks stars in Mark Foster's 2022 release which follows Otto, a grump who has given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. But when a young family moves in nearby, he strikes a friendship with Marisol that will turn his life around.
The film has received positive reviews and raked in US$113 million at the box office.
2. John Wick: Chapter 4
149,000 views
The Keanu Reeves-led action film clocks in at almost three hours long. (Source: Breakfast)
The fourth instalment in the John Wick franchise starring Keanu Reaves remains just as popular as its predecessors. The film has John Wick uncovering a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom he must face off against a new enemy with alliances around the world and forces that turn friends into foes.
The film raked in a huge US$440.1 million at the box office earlier this year.
3. Fast X
148,000 views
There’s plenty of the ridiculous, physics-defying spectacle we’ve come to expect, but nothing particularly ground-breaking for the franchise. (Source: 1News)
The latest in the long-running Fast and Furious franchise, Fast X is one of the highest-grossing films of 2023, with a whopping US$714 million at the box office. Dom Torreto is back and up against his most lethal opponent (Dante Reyes, portrayed by Jason Momoa) trying to break his family and destroy everything Dom loves. Dante's plot scatters Dom's family across the globe, before the target centres on Dom's 8-year-old son and changes everything.
4. No Hard Feelings
147,000 views
Gene Stupnitsky's sex comedy starring Jennifer Lawrence takes the number four spot, narrowly behind Fast X. The film follows Maddie Barker, a 32-year-old on the brink of bankruptcy. She finds an intriguing job from some parents looking for someone to "date" their 19-year-old son and bring him out of his shell before he goes to college. The film pulled US$87.2 million at the box office while Lawrence earned a nomination for Best Actress at the Golden Globes.
5. Avatar: The Way of Water
145,000 views
1News’ Richard Martin reviews one of the most anticipated films of the year. (Source: 1News)
James Cameron's Avatar sequel rounds out the top five. Filmed in New Zealand, it is one of the most expensive films made, but it was also a huge box office success, grossing over US$2.32 billion worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing film of all time. The film follows blue-skinned Jake Sully as he and his family seek refuge from the human threat with an aquatic clan living on the exomoon Pandora.
The film was nominated for four awards at the Academy Awards, and won for Best Visual Effects. Three more sequels are in production, with the next film set to be released at the end of 2025.
6. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
142,000 views
The film is the final outing for 80-year-old Harrison Ford as the iconic archaeologist. (Source: Breakfast)
The newest instalment of the franchise that has spanned over 40 years sees Harrison Ford continue in his role as Indiana Jones. The film is set in 1969 and follows Indy and his goddaughter Helena as they try to find a powerful artefact before Jürgen Voller, a Nazi-turned-NASA scientist, seizes it to alter the outcome of World War II.
Despite the popularity of the long-running franchise and the film being the first instalment in 15 years, it bombed at the box office, garnering just US$384 million, with projections of around a US$100 million loss for Disney.
7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
135,000 views
The James Gunn-directed film concludes the superhero trilogy which began back in 2014. (Source: 1News)
The third instalment in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy franchise features a star-studded superhero cast as they rally to defend the universe and one of their own. It's a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if unsuccessful.
Like its predecessors, it was a critical and commercial success, with director James Gunn praised for his direction and screenplay. The film grossed over US$845 million worldwide, becoming the fourth-highest grossing film of 2023.
8. Moana
134,000 views
An animated Disney classic, Moana continues to be a hit among families seven years on from its release. The film also hits close to home, as it is set in ancient Polynesia and tells the story of Moana, the daughter of a chief of a coastal village, who is chosen by the ocean to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti. Moana sets sail in search of Maui in hopes of returning the relic to Te Fiti and saving her people.
The film has received positive reviews and received US$682 million at the box office. A live-action remake is scheduled for release in 2025, while a spin-off series is scheduled to premiere on Disney+.
9. Black Adam
127,000 views
Richard Martin reviews the latest superhero blockbuster. (Source: 1News)
The second film in a row starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson (although this time not in an animated form), Black Adam is a spin-off to Shazam! and another film in the DC universe. Black Adam is an ancient superhuman released from imprisonment to free the nation of Kahndaq from the crime syndicate Intergang.
The film was not well received by critics and was a box office bomb, grossing just US$393 million worldwide.
10. 65
124,000 views
Scott Beck's science-fiction film stars Adam Driver as a space pilot who crashes on an unknown planet and tries to escape while surviving with a young girl. The planet (which actually turns out to be Earth) is riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures. The pair escape before an asteroid strikes Earth and causes the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Despite being so popular among flyers, the film received mixed reviews and grossed only US$60.7 million at the box office.
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