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"Flow" director Gints Zilbalodis on the secret sauce behind his Golden Globe-winning film

"Flow," Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis' acclaimed movie, beat some heavy-hitters to win Best Motion Picture (Animated) at the 2025 Golden Globes.

The big picture: The 85-minute movie about a cat displaced by a flood won the award over two Disney films, the new "Wallace & Gromit" entry and "The Wild Robot."


A scene from "Flow." Photo: Courtesy of Janus Films

What they're saying: Zilbalodis told Axios on the Golden Globes red carpet Sunday why he chose to capture animals in their natural state for the film.

  • "We looked at cat and dog videos. We wanted them to behave like animals, they don't speak, they don't tell jokes. ... I think animals are so funny and interesting, we don't need to change them," Zilbalodis said.

How to watch: "Flow" is still showing in theaters and will be available to rent or buy digitally this week.

Zoom out: Elsewhere at this year's Golden Globes, the Spanish-language Netflix movie "Emilia PΓ©rez" won four awards β€” including a supporting actress honor for Zoe Saldana.

  • "The Brutalist" won three film awards, including best drama.
  • In the TV categories, "Hacks" was named best musical or comedy series and "Shogun" won best TV drama.

Go deeper: Why Oscar-worthy movies skip your local theater

Editor's note: This article has been updated with details of other winners at the Golden Globes.

"Glicked" deals and experiences for "Gladiator II" and "Wicked" fans

For the second time in as many years, two big-budget movies with major fanfare will premiere on the same date.

Flashback: 2023's summer double-feature phenomenon called "Barbenheimer" raked in $311 million at the box office in its opening weekend.


The big picture: Fandango's recent survey found 65% of moviegoers want to see both "Gladiator II" and "Wicked" in theaters.

Yes, but: Be prepared to watch quietly.

Here's how the world is commemorating "Glicked":

"Gladiator II"

πŸ›‘οΈ Airbnb bringing "Gladiator" to life

Booking a trip to Europe this spring? Airbnb is hosting a free "Gladiator" experience at the Colosseum in Rome.

How it works: Guests can request to book a three-hour experience occurring on May 7 and 8, 2025.

  • Participants will get to pick their own armor and train, eat and "fight" like ancient warriors.

Bookings open Nov. 27

🍿 AR popcorn bucket

Cinemark's latest popcorn bucket rewards you for getting to the bottom with a QR code that launches an augmented reality gladiator fight scene.

  • The fine print: The bucket is only available during opening weekend and is sold out online.

"Wicked"

πŸ₯€ Specialty drinks and cups

Starbucks launched two drinks inspired by the "Wizard of Oz" spinoff.

  • Drinkware like cold cups and tumblers with magic wand straws are still being sold in stores.

πŸŽ„ The train station Christmas "tree"

An emerald "Wicked"-inspired sculpture stands at London's St. Pancras International train station.

  • By the numbers: It took 20 people and more than 4,000 hours to craft the 36-foot-tall installation.

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