WIRE Buzz: The Rise of Skywalker hits $1 billion; Daniel Craig is NOT James Bond in Heineken ad; more

Another one joins the club! Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now the seventh Disney film released in 2019 to make a billion dollars at the box office. Deadline reports that through Tuesday, the J.J. Abrams-directed film raked in $481.3 million in U.S. ticket sales and $519.7 million in international box office receipts, bringing the global tally to $1.001 billion. 

The Rise of Skywalker joins Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, Frozen 2, Captain Marvel, Aladdin, and Toy Story 4 as one of the Disney films from 2019 that crossed the billion-dollar threshold. Sony’s Spider-Man: Far From Home and Warner Bros’ Joker also are part of that billion dollar club. 

The Rise of Skywalker is the fourth among the post-Disney acquisition Star Wars films to make over a billion dollars, according to Box Office Mojo. Abrams’ The Force Awakens (2015) brought in in $2.068 billion worldwide, while Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi (2017) garnered $1.332 billion, and Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One (2016) earned $1.056 billion.

We’d like to attribute the film's massive global success entirely to Babu Frik (who's big scene was just made available online and can be seen above), but in truth, Babu needs to share the credit. The film’s massive box office success is most likely part and parcel with Disney being a freakin’ box office juggernaut. That, and the fact that this is, after all, Star Wars. 

Meanwhile, Daniel Craig may be playing Bond, James Bond, but that doesn't mean he is Bond. But tell that to anyone who winds up in his path in this charming Heineken ad.

The actor accidentally leaves his passport in the cab and does his darndest to hunt it down. And while Craig is playing himself, everyone believes him to be Britain's best secret agent. So what if he gets a bit winded while chasing down his cab? Also, not for nothing, but we don't seem to recall Bond ever running into the staff when entering the backdoor of a restaurant... or helping them pick up their tray of dropped glasses. 

And of course, Craig has a different drink of choice than Bond.

Check out the ad below. 

No Time to Die, the latest Bond film starring Craig, hits theatres Apr. 8. 

And finally, great news, Pokémon fans! The first episode of Pokémon: Twilight Wings, a new seven-episode limited animated series, is now available to watch on Pokémon TV and the official Pokémon YouTube channel.

Separate from the regular Pokémon series (but still obviously connected), Pokémon: Twilight Wings is set in the Galar region, where Pokémon battles have become a cultural sensation. The miniseries will do a deep dive of the Galar residents' lives, their dreams, the realities they face, the challenges they must overcome, and the conflicts they must resolve. 

The first episode, "Letter," introduces a new character named John, and also features Chairman Rose and Oleana. Here it is:

New episodes of Pokémon: Twilight Wings will be released monthly,