Hulu

Posted on November 20, 2013 by eamoomey

By Jiayi Jiang

HULU

12312 West Olympic Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90064, United States

www.hulu.com

phone:310-571-4700

About the company

Hulu is an online free video service that offers a selection of hit shows, clips, and movies from over 260 content companies. Hulu Venture was established in March 2007 and is operated independently by a team in the Los Angles office. Hulu videos currently only offer to users in USA,overseas territories and Japan In April 2009, Hulu became a joint venture of NBCUniversal Television Group, Fox Broadcasting Company, and Disney ABC Television Group. In addition to offering free content, Hulu also has a paid version called Hulu Plus, which supports more video content. [1]

Hulu plus service

HULU Plus

Hulu Plus is a paid online service that gives users access to unlimited instant streaming of TV shows, movies, trailers, and exclusive content. Hulu Plus complements the website Hulu by enabling paid users to watch episodes beyond the ones available for free.[2]

Key Person

CEO: Mike Hopkins

[3]Mike Hopkins http://www.thewrap.com//images/2013/10/Screen-shot-2013-10-25-at-2.52.35-PM.png

Mike Hopkins—–CEO

CFO: Elaine Paul

Elaine Paul——CFO

Competitors:

In the online video market, Hulu’s competitors are the other online video service companies— such as Amazon instant, Netflix, and iTunes, which offer their customes the ability to rent DVDs and to view or download streaming videos. Cable TV is another Hulu’s competitor’s.[3]

Financial information:

The company earned $695 million for 2012, which was a 65% jump over 2011. Also, according the previous CEO, Jason Kilar, Hulu plus adding over 3 million users which is double the number of 2011.The main revenue Hulu earned is form the subscription fee and AD sales. Hulu offers different of ad formats to satisfy what company want to deliver to Hulu’s user.[4]

In the news

1. Change of the Executive

Hulu’s leader ship level is tumultuous in 2013. In January, the founder CEO Jason Kilar left the company. From March, the acting CEO Andy took control of all the business in the company. Finally, on October 17th, the EX-head of distribution for FOX, Mile Hopkins, became the new parents of the Hulu. The first decision Mike did after he took the wheel of the position was nominate the new CFO, Elaine Paul, who was the previously head of strategy and business development at Disney.

The refresh of the whole executive team may bring the Hulu new energy to compete with Netflix and Amzon instant. Due to the background of the Mike Hopkins, the Fox Networks distribution chief, the business model of Hulu may change.[5][6]

2.Technology

: Free Video to Mobile devices

On October 23th, Hulu finally bring the free video to mobile. It is a big move for Hulu, after 6 years launched, they finally begin to open the market for mobile industry. However, for now,it just support clips but not full content. Also, the video are only available for mobile browser[7]

: Hulu join PS4

On November 12th, Hulu Plus officially supported for the Sony Playstation 4. For PS4 version, Hulu is trying to increase user experience by adding specific types of content like Hulu Kids, Originals. For the function part, the search engine has been introduced. User can also register account on the console itself. [8]

As mobile devices will take more important role in our life, Streaming video wbesite like Hulu has to get more ways for user to reach the information. Going to mibile is a rigth way for Hulu, but they have to work hard to increase the user experience.

3. Original Series

By far, Hulu has produced more than 25 Hulu original Series. Original Series is a way for Hulu to expand their TV Universe. Beside this, the exclusive shows also helps Hulu to earn large number of subscribers. Hulu is preparing 20 original series next year with the UK based on the splendid job of ‘The Wrong mans’ [9]

: Fugget About It

Fugget About It (October 13)A animated comedy about the misadventure of a mob family that’s forced to move to Canada.

: The strange calls

The strange calls (October 19)

This supernatural comedy about a police officer who has demoted to night watch in a town which strange calls happened every night.

: Behind the mask

Behind the mask:

A story about sports mascots and their lives in and out of Costume.[10]

Mother up!

: The Wrong mans

Mother up! ( November 6 )

An animated comedy Starring Eva Longoria, who plays a former music executive who moves to the suburbs to raise her children.[11]

The wrong mans (November 11)

A cooperated comedy series for the BBC and Hulu. British style comedy illustrated a pair of silly British work together to solve crime. This comedy was regard as the most successful comedy debutin previous eight years.[12]

Through the distribution of different types of original series of Hulu, they are on the way to attracting variety group of audiences. Not only for the western drama, Hulu now working on bring in more international drama. More content Hulu have, more subscriber they will have.

4.New Business strategy

At the developing age of Hulu, their mission was the complementary to the cable. However, After the Mike Hopkins became the CEO, the strategy changed as well.From the Report of Los Angeles Times’ Company Town.They said “The newly installed Hulu executive team is believed to already be pursuing deals with cable operators to offer subscribers access to Hulu as a way to watch current shows online, according to several people with knowledge of the situation.” [13] It is a good news for Hulu if it can successful become the platform to deliver onlince content of cable company. However, the problem is some cable company already offer the online service, so the talk is still in their early age.[14] [15]

Reference:

[1] About the company

[2]Hulu plus service

[3] Hulu’s competitors

[4] Financial information

[5] New CEO-Mike Hopkins

[6]Elaine Paul as CFO

[7] mobile video

[8] Hulu in PS4

[9] Hulu’s new original series

[10] Behind the mask

[11] Mother up

[12] The Wrong mans

[[13] Hulu’s new strategy

[14] Hulu Corporate with cable

[15] Leadership changes

YouTube

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Daniela Rodriguez

By Daniela Rodriguez

Courtesy of YouTube [1]

901 Cherry Ave.
San Bruno, CA 94066 USA

Phone: +1 650-253-0000

Fax: +1 650-253-0001 [2]

EXECUTIVE

Salar Kamangar–Courtesy of Google+ [3]

CEO of YouTube
Senior Vice President of Video at Google [4]

ABOUT YOUTUBE

YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005 by three PayPal employees. It was not until late 2006 that Google Inc. acquired YouTube as a subsidiary for $1.65 billion. [5] The company today has changed its focus to become more like a Television/Web channel and it has implemented some of Google’s strategies, which will be explained later in the profile.

YouTube in essence is a video-sharing website that allows billions of people around the world to watch, find and share originally-created videos. The website allows people to connect through forums and inspires others to share their voice. [6] In order to make video sharing possible, the website uses Adobe Flash Video and HTML5 Technology to display its wide variety of videos. These videos include, movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as, amateur content such as video blogging, short original videos and educational videos. YouTube and other networks, such as, CBS, BBC, Vevo and Hulu, have a partnership where these networks offer some of their content via YouTube. [7] This partner program has allowed thousands of channels to increase their profits by making at least six figures a year solely through their YouTube channel. [8]

YouTube is localized in 56 countries and across 61 languages, accounting for 70% of the website’s traffic. The company mainly targets young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 [8], and 65% of its viewers are males [9]. Statistics also depict that more than one billion users visit YouTube each month, over six billion hours of video are watched each month, and 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. [8]

YouTube’s omnipresence in every platform has caught advertisers’ attention. Thousands of advertisers are using TrueView in-stream ads and more than a million advertisers are currently using Google ad enterprises; mostly small businesses. [8] YouTube becomes a shared experience where voices are heard, communities are created and creators are born. One of the many talents that was discovered on YouTube was Justin Bieber, who now, is famous around the world. Their slogan “Learn. Share. Create” accurately defines and depicts users’s expectations through the accessibility and user-friendliness it provides them. [10]

Courtesy of YouTube [10]

FINANCIALS

The owner of YouTube, Google Inc., reported a steady rise in their financials from previous years. As of November 2013, Google Inc. stock is priced at $1,029.20. When Google first went public in August 2004, the company IPO was set at $85 per share. The company reported a gross income of $29.45 billion last year and a net income of $10.79 billion. It could be assumed therefore, that acquisition of companies, such as YouTube, have had a gigantic influence in Google’s current financials. [11] [12]

GOOGLE+ INTEGRATION WITH YOUTUBE

The addition of YouTube to Google’s family in 2006 was believed to be an extraordinary idea at the time. This year, however, many commenters are angry with the idea of YouTube being a subsidiary of Google Inc. because Google is changing and forcing YouTube to change its business model. This is because Google is attempting to use YouTube as a medium to advertise its products. [13]

Courtesy of Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty Images [15]

Google Inc. is known for its technological innovations. One of these creations was Google+ — Google’s social media. Since its creation, Google+ has been unsuccessful in competing with social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram. This is the reason why Google is trying to make Google+ become YouTube’s problem. Last week YouTube forced its users to create a Google+ account in order to allow them to comment on a video, which links a Youtube account to an actual identity. [14] More than 30,000 people complained on YouTube’s blog post about the new change. There are also a variety of Change.org petitions asking YouTube to revert to its old practices. The most popular petition has more than 50,000 supporters. [15]

According to many, what Google is forcing YouTube to do is violating YouTube users’ privacy. However, according to Google, this new implementation was to cease the anonymous venom that many were leaving on YouTube’s website. [13] Also, with the new system, content creators will be able to have more control when it comes to monitoring the comments on their videos. This technique will allow negative comments to sink to the bottom and as a result, positive opinions will be most visible. [15]

This is not the first controversy that YouTube has been involved with. According to Change.org, YouTube is the fourth most petitioned company after Facebook, Walmart and Apple. [15]

APP INOVATION- YOUTUBE CAPTURE

YouTube is currently trying to capture the iOS system, which will allow users to film, edit and rearrange multiple recordings into a single video. [16] This new offering will permit YouTube users to create videos similar to Instagram and Vine. YouTube will allow people to record as many clips as they want, with no time restriction to upload — differentiating itself from what its competitors are offering. [17]

Courtesy of YouTube Capture [18]

The app offers the simplest way to record videos. One needs to just tap and hold the red button displayed on the screen to record a video. When the video is finished, a bubble in the right-hand corner will bounce depicting that your video has been saved. Once the bubble is tapped, editing tools will be displayed on the screen with the selected video. To add other videos, one must tap the plus symbol on the bottom right-hand corner and select the clip they want to add. [16]

To go back and watch the video frame-by-frame the user must tap each thumbnail clip. This will allow the user to trim each shot by dragging the sliders on either side of the screen. When finished, the user can also add music from their own library or choose from YouTube’s expanded library. These unique aspects of YouTube’s video innovation will allow users to have a better video-recording experience. [16]

Once the video is done being edited, the user can upload the project to the YouTube channel and share it with friends on social media sites such as, Google +, Facebook and Twitter. [17]

NIELSEN, COMSCORE AND GOOGLE

According to telecom equipment company Sandvine, Netflix and YouTube account for 50 percent of all data transferred on fixed broadband networks in the U.S. On November 12th of this year, Google announced that Nielsen will be in charge of measuring YouTube’s ratings in 2014. [19]

Even though Google has its own system to measure what consumers watch and buy, the company decided to partner up with Nielsen and analytics company comScore to receive an objective third-party opinion. Google’s partnership with these two companies could give Google a revenue boost by allowing Google to diversify its products. As a result, this would attract more people and a more diverse set of marketers. [19]

Courtesy of REELSEO [20]

WORKS CITED-

[1] YouTube’s Logo Picture
[2] YouTube- Contact Us
[3] Salar Kamangar’s Headshot
[4] CEO of YouTube- Salar Kamangar
[5] YouTube- Information
[6] YouTube- About
[7] Social Media and Sites
[8] YouTube- Statistics
[9] YouTube- Demographic Report
[10] The YouTube Community
[11] Google Inc. Income Statement
[12] CNN Money- Google Goes Low
[13] Google’s recent YouTube fiasco isn’t just about privacy
[14] Google’s Relentless Campaign to Make Google+ Work Becomes YouTube’s Problem
[15] YouTube faces backlash for Google+ integration
[16] YouTube Capture for iOS now lets you record, edit and rearrange multiple clips into a single video
[17] YouTube- Capture
[18] YouTube Capture Picture
[19] Nilsen Will Measure Google’s YouTube in 2014
[20] Partnership of Google, Nielsen and conScore Picture

Focus Features

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Daniel Fabi

By Dan Fabi

Focus Features Logo courtesy of FocusFeatures.com

Locations

LOS ANGELES OFFICE

100 Universal City Plaza

Universal City, CA 91608

NEW YORK OFFICE

65 Bleecker Street – 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10012

INTERNATIONAL OFFICE

26 Aybrook Street

London W1U 4AN

United Kingdom

History

Focus Features is a subdivision of NBCUniversal, which primarily specializes in art films aimed at niche markets rather than mass market audiences [1]. Focus Features allows the directors of the films they produce to have a final say in the editing room to produce the film that they had initially envisioned, creating a successful brand of art house films [2]. Last year, the company celebrated its ten-year anniversary after being established in May 2002 through the merger of USA Films and Good Machine. Focus’s first widely released film was The Pianist, which received three Academy Awards for best actor, best director, and best adapted screenplay [3].

Adrien Brody wins the Oscar for best Actor in "The Pianist" (2002)

Photo Courtesy of the Associatedv Press

Key Executives

James Schamus
Photo Courtesy of news.uchicago.edu

James Schamus, Founder and Outgoing CEO

Prior to forming Focus Features, James Schamus was the co-president of production company Good Machine, which he founded in 1991. Eleven years later, Schamus merged with USA Films to create Focus Features. Schamus is also an Academy Award nominee, receiving screenwriting and original score nominations for his work on Good Machine’s Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon [4].

Peter Schlessel
Photo Courtesy of Deadline.com

Peter Schlessel, Incoming CEO

Formerly, Schlessel had founded FilmDistrict and was President for GK Films. GK has produced films such as Argo, Hugo, and World War Z. In January 2014, Schlessel’s term as Focus Features’ CEO will commence [5].

Andrew Karpen
Photo Courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com

Andrew Karpen, Outgoing Co-CEO

Karpen joined the Focus Features executive team over a year after it formed as the company’s COO. In May 2013, he was promoted to co-CEO. As Co-CEO, Karpen controlled Focus’s domestic and international activities. Before joining Focus Features, Karpen was Senior Vice President, finance of Oxygen Media, another subsidiary of NBCUniversal [6].

Adrian Alperovich
Photo Courtesy of homemediamagazine.com

Adrian Alperovich, Incoming COO

In May 2012, Alperovich was appointed Chief Operating Officer of FilmDistrict. Alperovich has been appointed to retain the title as his production company is absorbed by Focus. In January 2014, Alperovich’s term as Focus Features’ COO will commence [7].

Robert T. Gibson
Photo Courtesy of stage.nbcuni.com

Robert T. Gibson, CFO and Senior VP, Finance

In Mid-2004, Gibson joined Focus Features as Director, Finance and Strategic Planning. In 2009, he was appointed the company’s CFO. Gibson will follow the relocating of Focus Features headquarters to Los Angeles after previously being based in the company’s east coast offices [8].

Financials

In 2005, Focus Features released its highest grossing film, Brokeback Mountain. The film grossed over $83 million and received Oscars for best director, best adapted screenplay, and best original score [9]. In 2013 thus far, Focus has released six films, gaining a gross profit of $86.4 million. In 2012, the company received a gross profit of $131.2 million from eight films. By November of 2012, the company’s total gross from the six films they released was $109.1 million, most of which came from animated blockbuster film, Paranorman, with a total gross of over $56 million. From November 2012 to November 2013, Focus Features has seen a 21% drop in total gross [10].

Restructure

On October 1^st, 2013, Universal Pictures announced a restructuring of Focus Features caused by the production company’s owner, Comcast. Focus absorbed FilmDistrict and appointed many of the members of FilmDistrict’s production team. Peter Schlessel will replace James Schamus as the new CEO. Other transferring executives include Adrian Alperovich, former COO of FilmDistrict and incoming COO for Focus. After given the opportunity to relocate to Focus Features’ new headquarters in Los Angeles, former co-CEO of Focus, Andrew Karpen, chose to remain in New York City with his family [11].

Photo Courtesy of FilmDistrict

The reconstruction of Focus Features was meant to strengthen the company’s commercial competition with their rivals, some of which include DreamWorks Studios, Lions Gate Entertainment, and The Independent Film Channel LLC. By restructuring the company, Focus Features will begin producing films with more commercial potential [12].

Alison Thompson, head of Focus Features International

Alison Thompson
Photo Courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com

Along with the reconstruction of the executive team, the New York offices of Focus Features will be closed at an unspecified date and business will continue on the west coast [13]. On December 31^st, 2013, Focus Features International is set to close its headquarters. Alison Thompson, co-president of Focus International, will continue to run the department of Focus Features from outside of its London headquarters. The announcement has jolted the American Film Market, a major buyer of Focus International [14] [15].

Recent Film Releases

Dallas Buyers Club

Photo courtesy of critic.de

On November 1^st, Focus Features released the film Dallas Buyers Club to several select cities. The film tells the true story of a severely homophobic man, Ron Woodroof whom in 1985 is diagnosed with HIV, a disease he believed only homosexuals could catch. He then teams up with a group to form a “buyers club;” a group dedicated to purchasing medicines that they could not obtain in the United States. The film is rated R for profanity, violence, and nudity [17].

Photo Courtesy of UPI/Christine Chew

Due to it’s limited release, the film opened in nine theaters and gained $350,000 in its first week. As of November 17^th, the film has made about $3 million domestically. The film is directed by Jean-Marc Vallee and is starring Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner [18]. The film has gained much attention for its informational portrayal of the HIV virus as well as its groundbreaking performances by the lead actors. Lead actors McConaughey and Leto have been predicted for Oscar nominations by some of the industry’s top critics.[19].

The World’s End

Photo Courtesy of reggiestake.com

On August 23^rd, 2013, Focus released one of its highest grossing films of the 2013 fiscal year thus far called The World’s End. In it, a team of friends retries their “pub crawl” attempt, which they had failed 20 years earlier. The crawl involves twelve pubs in which each member must complete a pint of beer before they can move onto the next. The final pub, “The World’s End,” is the ultimate destination and one that the group failed to reach 20 years ago. Gary King, played by Simon Pegg, leads his team to the ultimate goal until they find that humankind is at stake [20].

Blu-Ray package Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy box set

Photo Courtesy of edgarwrighthere.com

The film was largely anticipated largely due to the reunion of the famed team of Director Edgar Wright and actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The three have worked together on two previous films, Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007) [21]. The World’s End is the final installment of what’s known as the “Cornetto trilogy” due to the films’ ever-present color schemes that relate to some of the company’s ice cream flavors.

Upcoming Film Releases

Fifty Shades of Grey

Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com

In May 2011, the novel Fifty Shades of Grey was released and immediately became a widespread smash. Focus Features subsequently picked up the movie rights to the series for $5 million. The film has an estimated budget of around $40 million [22].

The film (and book) is about literature student Anastasia Steele who through a business interview meets billionaire entrepreneur Christian Grey. The man, who is tormented by his inner demons, explores an intimate relationship with Steele. The two launch into graphic and descriptive bouts of sexual fantasy [23].

Entertainment Weekly cover for the stars of "Fifty Shades of Grey," Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson

Photo Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly

Fifty Shades of Grey has been a large topic of conversation in the media and one whose details have been kept hidden. There have been numerous rumors of casting and some announcements of cast dropouts. Pacific Rim actor Charlie Hunnam announced that he was dropping out from being the title character, Christian Grey. Since then, Jamie Dornan has been hired, an actor who has appeared in Marie Antoinette and the ABC show Once Upon a Time [24].

Sources

[1] Focus Features Description

[2] Ten Years of Focus Features Anniversary Video

[3] The Pianist Film Awards

[4] James Schamus Bio

[5] Focus Features to Absorb FilmDistrict

[6] Andrew Karpen Bio

[7] FilmDistrict Names Three New Marketing Executives

[8] Robert T. Gibson Bio

[9] Brokeback Mountain Film Awards

[10] Box Office Mojo – Focus Features All Time

[11] Focus Features Brings in Majority of FilmDistrict Team Post Shake-Up

[12] Focus Features Hoovers Profile

[13] Focus Features New York Office to Close

[14] Focus Features International Will Close Doors Dec. 31

[15] AFM Adjusts to Life After Focus Features Int’l

[16] Box Office Mojo – Focus Features Future Releases

[17] IMDb – Dallas Buyers Club

[18] Box Office Mojo – Dallas Buyers Club

[19] Rotten Tomatoes – Dallas Buyers Club

[20] IMDb – The World’s End Plot Summary

[21] IMDb – Edgar Wright

[22] Fifty Shades of Grey Film Facts

[23] Fifty Shades of Grey Plot Summary

[24] Fifty Shades of Grey Casting

Viacom

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Samuel Cohen

By Sam Cohen

Courtesy of Wikimedia [17]

Key Executives

Courtesy of Forbes.com [18]

Sumner M Redstone – Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors and Founder

Courtesy of allthingsd.com [19]

Philippe Dauman – President and CEO

Courtesy of Viacom.com [20]

Thomas Dooley – COO

The current incarnation of Viacom was founded in 2005 after the company split from CBS Corporation and took certain media properties with it. Viacom — short for Video & Audio Communications — is owned by National Amusements Inc., which also owns CBS Corporation. [1]

Viacom owns a number of media outlets, including Paramount Pictures, MTV Networks, Comedy Central, BET Networks, Nickelodeon Networks, Spike TV, CMT and VH1, as well as music production and online divisions. However, this profile focuses on the television holdings of the company.

Viacom’s headquarters in New York are at 1515 Broadway.
Courtesy of worldpropertychannel.com [21]

In 2013 Viacom has had a very successful third quarter, reporting $3.65 billion in revenue, up 9% from the third quarter last year. Net earnings for the third quarter were $806 million up 25% over the same period last year. Viacom’s total adjusted net earnings for 2013 were $2.32 billion, up 2% from the previous year. Viacom Media Networks, which accounted for $2.46 billion of that revenue, up 7% from the previous year’s third quarter, also accounted for revenue of $9.66 million in all of 2013, up 5% from last year [2]. For full 3rd quarter financials click here

This semester Viacom has been maintaining strong ratings for its established shows with returning seasons and relying on healthy ratings for event specials and award shows that have been held throughout the past few months and those that are scheduled in the coming months. These specials span the networks owned by Viacom and have battled both cable and broadcast shows for the top spot in the 18-to-49 demographic during their time slots. Viacom has also managed to effectively use social media to get more press for their specials and shows.

Miley Cyrus' controversial performance at the VMAs Courtesy of http://ibnlive.in.com

Miley Cyrus’ controversial performance at the VMAs.
Courtesy of ibnlive.in.com [22]

The first of these major events was the MTV Music Awards, which became national news because of the controversial performance by Miley Cyrus. The show was watched by nearly 10.1 million people and had the second highest viewership of any show on cable that week, losing only to A&E’s Duck Dynasty by 40,000 views [3]. The award show also topped most shows that week in the broadcast world for number of people who watched live or same day. The only show that beat out the Music Awards was Under the Dome, which aired that week on CBS [4]. The event was also a social media sensation, creating 120 national and worldwide trending topics on Twitter and 1.2 million like on Instagram [5]. The MTV Music Awards also broke a Twitter record: During Miley’s controversial performance 306 thousand tweets were tweeted per minute [5]. The show also garnered the ire of the Parents Television Council and was talked about across the news sphere for several days. in case you didn’t catch the performance you can see it here

Comedy Central has also done quite well this fall with strong showings from a number of returning shows as well as one new show, @midnight. Network ratings were up 10% across the board with Tosh.0 leading the way as the #1 cable program with males 18-to-24 [6]. That show was also the third most watched cable program on the night of its fall premier with two million viewers. [7]

The return of John Stewart to The Daily Show saw the show continue its dominance over late night in the cable world with The Colbert Report also coming in strong [8]. Key & Peele also have had a strong year, making number 1 in its time slot among men 18-to-24 and having 49% growth in audience from last season. [6]

@Midnight has been a successful addition to Comedy Central's late night line up Courtesy of laughingsquid.com

@Midnight with host Chris Hardwick has been a successful addition to Comedy Central’s late night line up.
Courtesy of laughingsquid.com [23]

South Park began its 17th season with stellar ratings. The season premier was the top show on cable among adults 18-to-49 and was the top show on TV among men 18-to-34 and men 18-to-24 [9]. Finally the network debut a new show @midnight to follow The Colbert Report. The show, which, Comedy Central had hoped would piggyback off of The Colbert Report, did more than that even beating Colbert in certain demographics. [10]

SpongeBob SquarePants has been the most watched kids show this quarter Courtesy of tvbythenumbers.com [14]

SpongeBob SquarePants has been the most watched kids show this fall.
Courtesy of tvbythenumbers.com [14]

Another Viacom media property that has had a good fall is Nickelodeon. The station consistently led the total day viewership among cable networks including, for example the three consecutive weeks ending November 3 [11], November 10 [12] and November 17 [13]. Nickelodeon has also dominated cable networks among the 2-to-11 demographic. The network has been top in the kids demographic for six straight weeks [14]. SpongeBob SquarePants has helped propel Nickelodeon to such heights as the number one program with kids 2-to-11 [14]. Nickelodeon has also had nine straight months of year-over-year ratings gains.

Nick Cannon Hosted the 2013 HALO Awards.
Courtesy of theholleywoodreporter.com [24]

Nickelodeon also had a special this weekend on Nick at Night: the TeenNick HALO Awards, which honored four teens for their community service and featured a number of celebrity guests. The show used social media to engage and connect with viewers by encouraging live tweeting and posts to Instagram with the hashtag #HALOawards [15]. Nickelodeon hoped that this interactive experience would change the way that award shows would take place in the future.

Another big upcoming event takes place on Viacom’s Country Music Television. CMT has done well this fall with music video ratings up from last year [6], but they’re hoping for a big boost from the upcoming CMT Artists of the Year special scheduled for primetime December 3. For more information on the event click here. CMT hopes to garner some solid ratings among certain psychographic groups especially the believer and maker psychographics.

Michelle Obama was a guest on a special 90 minute 106 and Park Courtesy of Newsone.com

Michelle Obama was a special guest on a 60 minute episode of 106 and Park
Courtesy of Newsone.com

The final Viacom network that just received a big boost is BET, which had two major events: one on Tuesday, November 19 and the other on December 1. On then 19th The First Lady of the United States appeared on 106 & Park, which has been the top music variety show on cable for the past 15 quarters [16]. Ratings for the special were not yet available as of noon on November 20th. On the 1st The Soul Train Awards hopes to duplicate the success seen by The BET Awards earlier this year.

Viacom has used its many networks to ensure that profits will continue to increase through the 4th quarter of 2013 and into 2014. The company’s strategy of getting strong showings from returning programs and excellent ratings on its large specials is working. The channels of the Viacom Media Networks clearly reach the demographics they are targeting and make Viacom one of the leaders in cable television programming.

Sources

[1] Viacom Wikipedia RET: 11/20/13

[2] Viacom 3rd Quarter Financial Report RET: 11/20/13

[3] Cable Ratings for the Week Ending August 25th RET: 11/20/13

[4] Broadcast Ratings for the Week Ending August 25th RET: 11/20/13

[5] Huffington Post – MTV VMA Ratings Rise For 2013 Thanks To *NSYNC Reunion, Robin Thicke And Miley Cyrus Performance RET: 11/20/13

[6] Viacom 4th Quarter ’13 Pulse Newsletter RET: 11/20/13

[7] Daily Cable Ratings Tuesday September 24th RET: 11/20/13

[8] Late Night Ratings RET: 11/20/13

[9] TV by the Numbers – South Park Season 17 Premier RET:11/20/13

[10] Deadline Hollywood – @Midnight’ Opens Well With Comedy Central’s Target Young Guy Crowd RET: 11/20/13

[11] Cable TV Network Weekly Ratings for Week Ending November 3rd RET: 11/20/13

[12] Cable TV Network Weekly Ratings for Week Ending November 10th RET: 11/20/13

[13] Cable TV Network Weekly Ratings for Week Ending November 17th RET: 11/20/13

[14] TV by the Numbers – Nickelodeon Tops Cable RET: 11/20/13

[15] TV by the Numbers – HALO awards RET: 11/20/13

[16] BET Press Releases – First Lady Visits 106 & Park RET: 11/20/13

[17] Wikimedia – Viacom Logo image RET: 11/20/13

[18] Forbes – Sumner M Redstone RET: 11/20/13

[19] Allthingsd – Philippe Dauman RET:11/20/13

[20] Viacom – Senior Management RET: 11/20/13

[21] World Property Channel – Viacom Renews New York HQ Lease RET: 11/20/13

[22] Ibnlive.com – Is Miley Cyrus the Only Celebrity to Popularise Twerking? RET:11/20/13

[23] Laughing Squid – @midnight, A New Late Night TV Show Hosted by Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick RET: 11/20/13

[24] Hollywood Reporter – Nick Cannon Announces Monthly Youth Honor at 5th Annual TeenNick HALO Awards RET: 11/20/13

[25] News One – First Lady Michelle Obama Discusses Education On BET’s 106 & Park RET: 11/20/13

Weinstein Company

Posted on November 18, 2013 by eamoomey

By Mark DiBona

The Weinstein Company Logo

The Weinstein Company (TWC) was founded in October 2005 by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, following their departure from the film studio Miramax, which they had founded 26 years earlier in 1979. Since its founding, the studio has earned a reputation for consistently putting out commercial and critical successes. Their films have had a continuous presence at the Academy Awards, including two consecutive best picture wins for The King’s Speech in 2010 and The Artist in 2011. The studio also owns Dimension Films, a genre studio founded by Bob Weinstein, best known for various horror films as well as the Spy Kids series. [1]

Key Executives

Harvey Weinstein, courtesy of TIME Magazine

Harvey Weinstein co-founded the company with his brother Bob Weinstein and has served as its co-chairman since. Weinstein also produces many of his studio films, which has led to him personally winning a best picture Oscar in 1998 for producing Shakespeare in Love during his tenure with Miramax. [2]

Bob Weinstein, courtesy of The Wrap

Bob Weinstein, in addition to co-founding The Weinstein Company and serving as its co-chairman, founded the studio Dimension Films in 1993. Focused on genre films, the studio has released such notable films as the Scream series, the Spy Kids series, and Sin City. [3]

Financials

Among the most prominent of the mini-majors, TWC has continually increased its presence since its founding in 2005. In 2012, the studio had a 2.57% market share with a combined film gross of $278, 608, 624 from 21 releases. So far in 2013, they hold a 4.78% market share with a combined $441,224,429 gross thanks to the runaway success of The Butler as well as holdovers from late releases of the previous year such as Django Unchained and Silver Linings Playbook, which also allowed them to end the first quarter of 2013 second in marketshare. [4], [5]

Awards

The Weinstein Company has earned a reputation as a perennial major player at the Academy Awards. Between Miramax and TWC there are 303 Oscar nominations and 75 wins. TWC alone has earned 7 best picture nominations and 2 wins since its founding. Much of this success is attributed to the Weinstein brothers, and Harvey in particular is known for his aggressive marketing techniques. For Silver Linings Playbook, which earned 8 nominations and 1 win, the cast appeared on various talk shows and discussed their personal connections to the film, such as this appearance on Katie where the director, David O. Russell, and stars Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper talk about their experiences with bipolar disorder, which is central to the film. . [1]

The Butler

Courtesy of imdb.com

Released on August 16th 2013, Lee Daniels’ The Butler details the story of an African-American man who serves as White House butler for 34 years and is inspired by a true story. It stars Forest Whitaker in the title role and Oprah Winfrey as his wife as well as featuring numerous cameos from actors like Robin Williams and John Cusack. It became a box office hit, earning $115,474,000 domestically and $31,192,066 in the foreign market against a $30 million budget and managed to hold the #1 spot for 3 of its first 4 weeks. [6]

The film is already being touted as a contender for the Academy Awards, with a possible Best Picture nomination. [7]

However, the film gained some notoriety when Harvey Weinstein publically attempted to fight the MPAA board’s decision that the film be renamed due to a 1916 Warner Brothers’ film called The Butler. This ultimately led to the film adding director Lee Daniels’ name into the title. [8]

Fruitvale Station

Courtesy of imdb.com

A smaller scale film, Fruitvale Station is a dramatization of the last day in the life of Oscar Grant III who was tragically shot on January 1st 2013 by a cop. Starring Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer, the film earned a respectable $16 million at the box office against a minuscule budget but earned critical acclaim, holding a 94% on Rottentomatoes. The Film also received large support and praise from celebrities including LeBron James, Oprah Winfrey, and drummer for The Roots, Questlove. [9], [10]

August: Osage County

Courtesy of imdb.com

Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name, August: Osage County is set for December 25th Release Date. Dealing with a large family who reunite in the Oklahoma house they grew up in following a crisis, the film features a large ensemble cast including Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Ewan McGregor. [11]

Originally considered to be a potential huge contender at the Oscars and frontrunner for Best Picture, mixed reactions from its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival have somewhat subdued these predictions. However, the film is still expected to earn at least a few nominations and also gather a large box office draw against its $25 million budget due to the presence of its stars. [12], [13]

The Future of the Weinstein Company

Courtesy of USA Today

On August 20th, TWC announced a groundbreaking multi-year deal with Netflix. The deal will make Netflix the sole subscription service for first-run films from TWC starting in 2016. The Weinstein Company already enjoyed a healthy relationship with the streaming service, using it as a pay TV home for their documentaries and various films including 2011 best picture winner, The Artist, but this deal has been described by Harvey Weinstein as “the biggest deal in the history of The Weinstein Company.” [14]

One of the most anticipated film projects beyond 2013 is Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, the long-delayed sequel to the 2005 film Sin City. As the first film earned over $158 million against a $40 million budget, the sequel is expected to do well and has been given a summer release date. It will feature a large cast of stars including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Brolin, Bruce Willis, and Jessica Alba. [15], [16]

Other 2014 releases include Tim Burton’s Big Eyes starring Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams and The Giver based on the beloved young adult novel. [17]

Looking ahead, The Weinstein Company is shaping up to continue to increase its market presence and climb to the top of the mini-major studios. Through continuous presentation of quality films with savvy marketing and its expansion into new fields, TWC should continue to experience success in the near future.

Sources

1. About the Weinstein Company
2. About Harvey Weinstein
3. About Bob Weinstein
4. The Numbers
5. Weinstein Co. Beats Most Majors in First Quarter
6. Boxofficemojo
7. Gold Derby Best Picture Predictions
8. “The Butler” Title Fight
9.Boxofficemojo, “Fruitvale Station”
10. The Official Fruitvale Station Tumblr
11. August: Osage County
12.August: Osage County early reviews, a mixed bag at TIFF
13. The Guardian
14. The Weinstein Co. Agrees to Exclusive Streaming Deal With Netflix
15. Boxofficemojo, “Sin City”
16. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
17. Rope of Silicon

DreamWorks Studios

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Kelsey Schwartzbach

By Kelsey Schwartzbach

DreamWorks Studios

http://www.dreamworksstudios.com

100 Universal City Plaza Dr., Bldg. 5121 Universal City, CA 91608

818-733-9300 [1]

DreamWorks Studios [2]

Key Executives:

Steven Spielberg, Principal Partner [3][4]

Stacey Snider, Principal Partner, Co-Founder, and CEO [5][6]

Jeff Small, CEO [7][8]

Holly Bario, President of Production [9][10]

A Brief History:

In 1994 Steven Spielberg, along with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, founded DreamWorks Studios. Their first full feature film was “The Peacemaker,” released in September of 1997, which starred two hollywood big shots: George Clooney and Nicole Kidman. In 1998 DreamWorks put out, arguably, one of its most successful movies, “Saving Private Ryan,” which was co-production with Paramount. That film did well at the Academy Awards, winning 5 Oscars out of 11 nominations. 1999-2001 were extremely successful years for DreamWorks, they released “American Beauty,” “Gladiator,” (a co-production with Universal Studios) which was the winner of The Academy Awards Best Picture that year, “Almost Famous,” (a co-production with Sony) “Meet the Parents,” (a co-production with Universal) “The Contender,” “Castaway,” (a co-production with 20th Century Fox) and “A Beautiful Mind.” DreamWorks Studios continues to produce excellent and award winning films, such as “War Horse,” “The Help,” and “Lincoln.” [11]

Financials:

Unfortunately, DreamWorks Studios financials are unavailable, but we are able to look at how DreamWorks’ past films have done in the box office to get an idea of how they are doing. DreamWorks most recent film, “The Fifth Estate” did not do well at the box office, and, in turn, DreamWorks lost a fair amount of money. The film cost $28 million to make, and only made $3,240,547 in America. Internationally the film made $2,900,000, making the total profit earned only $6,145,547, meaning DreamWorks Studios lost about $21,854,453, which is a significant amount of money. In addition, DreamWorks is releasing the movie “Delivery Man” on November 22nd, meaning a chance for more income. [12] [13]

Right Here, Right Now

So far, DreamWorks has only released one film in 2013, and that was “The Fifth Estate.”

Poster for The Fifth Estate [15]

A trailer for the film can be seen here. “The Fifth Estate” is a film, based on real events, about WikiLeaks, its founder, Julian Assange, and what happened when WikiLeaks went public. Initially, the film looked like it was going to be a large success, they had a lot of star power, including Benedict Cumberbatch, and an excellent director, which should have drawn a lot of people to the movie. [14]

In addition to Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Fifth Estate” included other successful actors, such as Peter Capaldi, Daniel Bruhl, Laura Linney, and Anthony Mackie. The director of the film was Bill Condon, who directed several successful films, such as “Dreamgirls,” and two of the “Twilight” Saga movies. All of the talent in this movie makes it seem as though it would do well in the box office, but, as stated earlier, this film did not do well in the box office, losing over $20 million on a film is never a studio’s goal. [12] [14] [16]

On Rotten Tomatoes the movie only received an approval rating of 39%, while the average user gave the film a 5.4/10. In addition, Rotten Tomatoes commented on the failure of the movie, stating it was just a platform to show off Cumberbatch’s excellent acting. [17]

Coming soon to a theatre near you

DreamWorks has one other film coming out in 2013, “Delivery Man,” which will premiere this weekend, November 22nd, 2013. A trailer can be seen here. [13]

Poster for Delivery Man [18]

The film stars Vince Vaughn as a lazy delivery man who finds out he accidentally fathered 533 kids from a sperm donation he made some twenty years earlier. 142 children end up filing a lawsuit to find out who their father is. The movie follows Vaughn’s character as he struggles with idea of revealing himself to some of his kids. [13]

The film also stars Chris Pratt and Cobie Smulders, who should draw people in to see the movie. “Delivery Man” is one of the most anticipated movies to come out for the rest of 2013, although the release date was not thought out well. The film is being released the same day as “Catching Fire,” the sequel to the extremely popular “The Hunger Games.” DreamWorks shouldn’t expect the largest numbers for the opening weekend because most audiences will drawn to see “Catching Fire.” The percentage of viewers who want to see this movie on Rotten Tomatoes is 95%. DreamWorks should expect this movie to come in second after “Catching Fire” after the first opening weekend. [13][19][20]

The first film that DreamWorks will release is “Need for Speed,” coming out on March 14th, 2014. [21]

Poster for Need for Speed [22]

The film is based on the popular video game of the same name. It tells the story of a cross-counrty race which starts out as a revenge, but then later turns into redemption. [21]

The film has an exceptional cast to it, starring Aaron Paul, Michael Keaton, Dakota Johnson, Imogen Poots, and popular rapper, Kid Cudi. DreamWorks can expect many Breaking Bad fans to rush to this movie, seeing as Aaron Paul, viewer’s favorite, will star in this movie. In addition, many fans of the acclaimed video game will come to see the movie as well. Many movies based on video games do not do well in the box office, but the star power of the cast will do well to attract many to see this film. [21][23]

In the News

The Bully Pulpit [25]

On October 30th, 2013 DreamWorks Studios gained the film rights to The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism, written by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The book, and movie, will tell the story of Roosevelt and Taft’s friendship turned bitter rivalry. The book is highly anticipated and Goodwin has already won a Pulitzer Prize before for her work. The Bully Pulpit will be a collaborative effort between Goodwin and Spielberg, something that has been done before; both worked together on the award-winning film, “Lincoln,” which was partly based on Doris’ book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. [24]

The production of “The Hundred-Foot Journey” begun on October 9th, 2013. The film is

The Hundred-Foot Journey [27]

based off of Richard C. Morais’ novel of the same name. It will star academy award winner Helen Mirren, is produced by Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Juliet Blake. The film is set to be release on August 8th, 2014. [26]

Sources:

[1] http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/42/42800.html [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[2] http://www.spectorentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Dreamworks.jpg [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[3] http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTY1NjAzNzE1MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNTk0ODc0._V1._SX267_SY400_.jpg [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[4] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/about/executives/steven-spielberg [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[5] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/stacey-snider-268656 [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[6] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/about/executives/stacey-snider [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[7] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/files/imagecache/news_image/small_jeff_website.jpg[Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[8] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/about/executives/jeff-small [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[9] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2011/12/Holly_Bario_WIE_40_a_p.jpg [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[10] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/about/executives/holly-bario [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[11] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/about/history [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[12] http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=fifthestate.htm [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[13] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/films/delivery-man [Ret: 16 Nov. 2013]

[14] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/films/the-fifth-estate [Ret: 17 Nov. 2013]

[15] http://collider.com/the-fifth-estate-featurette/ [Ret: 17 Nov. 2013]

[16] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0174374/?ref_=ttfc_fc_dr1 [Ret: 17 Nov. 2013]

[17] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_fifth_estate/ [Ret: 17 Nov. 2013]

[18] http://www.comingsoon.net/gallery/90015/hr_Delivery_Man_7.jpg [Ret: 18 Nov. 2013]

[19] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2387559/ [Ret: 18 Nov. 2013]

[20] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/delivery_man/ [Ret: 18 Nov. 2013]

[21] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/films/need-for-speed [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

[22] http://displaypict.com/need-for-speed-movie-2014-wallpapers.html [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

[23] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2369135/ [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

[24] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/news/dreamworks-studios-acquires-the-film-rights-to-pulitzer-prize-winning-author-doris-kearns-goodw [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

[25] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2013/10/the_bully_pulpit.jpg [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

[26] http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/news/production-has-begun-on-the-feature-film-adaptation-of-the-hundred-foot-journey-starring-academ [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

[27] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DMqA566VB6w/UdHdGWs4hVI/AAAAAAAAF1A/Fk46RvzNzd4/s600/the-hundred-foot-journey-book-cover-395×600.jpg [Ret: 19 Nov. 2013]

CBS Films

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Losa Meru

By Losa Amara Meru

- Photo Courtesy of collider.com [a]

CBS Films was established in 2007. Located in Brentwood, Los Angeles, the feature film studio is dedicated to managing the development, financing, production, and marketing of quality motion pictures that span all genres. Currently, they release 4 – 6 movies each year. Their reach includes global distribution with partners as well as self-distributed titles in the US.

What sets CBS Films apart is the budget size of the movies they produce and acquire. The pictures they release cost under $50 million each; they aim to reach the middle ground in between expensive franchise films, low-budget experimental art films, and “genre” films.

Their tagline is “A feature film studio releasing quality films in all genres.”

To date, the studio currently has nine released pictures. [1] [2]

Social Media Contact

Facebook || Twitter || Tumblr

Key Executives

Wolfgang Hammer, Co-President

Photo Courtesy of 5dinstitute.org [b]

Wolfgang Hammer began as Vice President of Production at Media Rights Capital, then became Executive Vice President of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, then moved to CBS Films and became the COO, and is now currently the Co-President of CBS Films. Wolfgang Hammer oversees finance, business, legal affairs, and acquisitions of the company. His specific contributions include overseeing the the acquisitions “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” “The Woman in Black,” and “The Words.” He also oversaw the co-financing and distribution deal for the Martin McDonagh film “Seven Psychopaths,” a 2012 British crime comedy starring Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, and Colin Farrell. [1] [3]

Terry Press, Co-President

Photo Courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com [c]

Terry Press previously served as the head of marketing for DreamWorks SKG and the principal of 7570 Marketing, Inc. before becoming the Co-President of CBS Films. A much sought after marketing consultant, she has consulted on CBS Films “The Mechanic,” “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” and “The Woman in Black,” as well as films such as “The Social Network,” “Julie & Julia,” “Valkyrie,” and “The Hunger Games,” which grossed $687 million worldwide under her leadership. In 2012, she was ranked on The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Power 100. Currently, she oversees distribution, marketing, creative, and physical production for CBS Films. [1] [4]

Financial Information

As CBS Films is a division of its parent company, CBS Corporation, there is no specific financial information available for the studio. However, financial information regarding CBS Corporation’s Entertainment division is available, which encompasses CBS Television Network, CBS Interactive, CBS Global Distribution, CBS Television Studios, and CBS Films.

Third Quarter Revenue (2013): $1.88 Billion

Third Quarter Revenue (2011): $1.63 Billion

Percent Increase (over 2 years): 15.3%

The growth in revenue from the Entertainment division has been positive due to the result of higher domestic licensing revenues, growth in network affiliation fees, the first-cycle availabilities of The Good Wife and NCIS: Los Angeles, and an increase in advertising revenues driven by the CBS Television Network. This positive growth allows CBS Films to have sufficient funds and resources to continue its quality film releases.

The chart below is indicative of CBS Corporation’s financial status as a whole (not just the Entertainment division). [5]

Photo Courtesy of money.cnn.com [d]

Current Film News

Last Vegas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvK3m0wJutI
[e]

On the weekend of November 1st, the movie “Last Vegas” starring Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, and Michael Douglas finished in 3rd place at the box office garnering $16,334,566 on a budget of $28 million. Currently, it is still doing well and has stayed in the top 5 weekend grossing movies since its release. To date, it has earned $46 million domestically.

“Last Vegas” has been received fondly by a wide audience. It received an “A-” on Cinemascore and has received nothing but compliments on how entertaining it was via CBS Film’s Twitter account. [5] [6]

Photo Courtesy of mrmovietimes.com [f]

According to a Huffington Post article, “Last Vegas” ranks as one of the “7 of the Best Movies for Grownups.” The article pointed out the fact that audiences over 50 accounted for 25% of all moviegoers and that that number continues to grow because “the boomer generation still really likes to go to theaters and see movies on the big screen.” According to data from the Motion Picture Association of America, the amount of post 50s adults watching movies increased by 1.6 million, a 25% increase from 2009-2012. This data points to the conclusion that CBS Films made a very smart move in creating a film with great star power, a good sized audience, and a timely release (near Thanksgiving). [7]

Inside Llewyn Davis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuQ8pz-5WLY

[g]

Photo Courtesy of impawards.com [h]

Opening in New York and Los Angeles on December 6th, “Inside Llewyn Davis” will be CBS Film’s next project to look out for. Written by Joel and Ethan Coen, the film won the Grand Prix, the second most prestigious prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. It has been screened to packed audiences at the New York, Chicago, London, and Telluride Film Festivals. Actors featured include Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Garrett Hedlund, John Goodman, F. Murray Abraham and Justin Timberlake. As a film primarily about a folk musician’s journey, CBS Films celebrated “Inside Llewyn Davis” with a concert performance on November 14th, 2013 by an “American progressive acoustic music trio” called Nickel Creek. Many prominent individuals in the music industry attended, including Barbara Streisand, Moby, James Brolin, former head of Fox Music, Robert Kraft, and the president of the American Music Association, Jed Hilly. It is rumored that Nickel Creek will be performing in multiple venues the week before the movie’s release. The soundtrack to the film was released on November 11th and has received positive reviews for its fitting early-60’s Greenwich Village folk roots sound.Unlike its comedy “Last Vegas,” CBS Films

acquired the rights to domestic distribution for $4 million, proving that it can make smart moves in the acquisition business. [5] [8] [9] [10]

______________________________________________________________

Current Film News Continued

November 19th, 2013 – CBS Films’ summer comedy, “The To Do List” became available for purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.

September 10th, 2013 – CBS Films recently acquired “The F Word,” an independent romantic comedy directed by Michael Dowse and starring Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, and Adam Driver. It was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and received mostly positive reviews. [5]

Sources

[1] http://cbsfilms.com/about/

[2] http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/11/business/la-fi-ct-cbsfilms11-2010jan11

[3] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1931533/

[4] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/terry-press-397478

[5] http://investors.cbscorporation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99462&p=quarterlyearnings

[6] http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?view=&yr=2013&wknd=44&p=.htm

[7] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/14/baby-boomer-movies_n_4268724.html?utm_hp_ref=fifty&ir=Fifty

[8] http://www.deadline.com/2013/02/inside-llewyn-davis-cbs-films-acquisition-coen-brothers/

[9] http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5793044/nickel-creek-reunites-new-album-inside-llewyn-davis

[10] http://www.npr.org/2013/11/03/242103173/first-listen-soundtrack-inside-llewyn-davis

Multimedia Sources

[a] http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/cbs-films-slice.jpg

[b] http://5dinstitute.org/images/made/u/people/_web_optimized/WH-Headshot_sm_565_330_85_sha_s_c1.jpg

[c] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2012/11/Terry_Press_a_p.jpg

[d] http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=CBS

[e] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvK3m0wJutI

[f] http://movietimes.s3.amazonaws.com/posters/las%20vegas%20movie%20times.jpg

[g] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuQ8pz-5WLY

[h] http://www.impawards.com/2013/posters/inside_llewyn_davis.jpg

FilmDistrict

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Jonathan Carnegie

By Jon Carnegie

[1]

1540 2nd Street
Suite 200
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-315-1722

Key Executives

Peter Schlessel
– courtesy of deadline.com

[2]

Graham King
– courtesy of deadline.com

[3]

Tim Headington
– courtesy of forbes.com

[4]

History

FilmDistrict was founded in September 2010 by CEO Peter Schlessel along with GK Film’s Graham King and Tim Headington. Described by its website as “a leading independent distribution, acquisition, co-production and feature film financing entity, designed to bring commercially viable films to targeted audiences across the United States” [5], FilmDistrict focuses primarily on producing diverse, wide-release films with high-profile casts. Since the company is independently owned, it is allowed to be flexible in today’s competitive marketplace and distribute the films it chooses to. Their first pick-up was the 2011 film “Soul Surfer“, based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton who “lost her arm in a shark attack and then overcame the odds to once again become a surfing champion” [6]. During the first three years FilmDistrict’s Schlessel “forged several partnerships to release FilmDistrict titles, partnering with TriStar on “Soul Surfer” and “Looper” and with Open Road on “Lockout” and “Red Dawn“” [11].

The company had a stellar 2011, selling nearly 16 million tickets, and releasing a string of successful films including Insidious, Drive, and Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey [7].FilmDistrict had a very quiet 2012, releasing only two films for an annual profit of $17 million [7].

Earlier this year the company promoted a trio of executives: Beth Lemberger, Brad Goldberg and Anjay Nagpal (to the positions of “executive VP of business affairs…VP of media and digital” and “senior VP of finance and business development”) [8]. In June, the company acquired the rights to the Elton John biopic “Rocketman” for $10 million [13]. On the box-office side, the company has had a stellar year thus far, grossing over $200 million, thanks mainly in part to their release Olympus Has Fallen [7] and “blowing past expectations” with Insidious 2‘s opening weekend gross of $40 million [9].

However, in October, a massive shake-up occurred at Focus Features with former CEO James Schamus being let go by Universal Pictures (their parent company) after 11 years on the job. Peter Schlessel, CEO and co-founder of FilmDistrict, will succeed Schamus at Focus Features, with FilmDistrict being absorbed by Focus, thus no longer “being a brand unto itself” but will live only through its existing titles [10] .

firstshowing.net [18]

Universal president Donna Langley declared the acquisition of FilmDistrict to be “a tremendous asset” to Focus “as the company broadens its portfolio beyond the production and distribution of specialty product” [10]. Many are worried that Focus will now become a more commercial-minded company with FilmDistrict’s acquisition, Variety writer Dave McNary states “While Focus has sometimes struggled with films that didn’t crossover from arthouses, FilmDistrict has made a specialty of releasing low-to-medium budget actioners that often saw solid returns, sometimes with prestige elements such as Spike Lee’s upcoming Korean remake “Oldboy” [11]. The loss of FilmDistrict is a blow to the indie film community which “looked to FilmDistrict as a valuable alternative to small specialty distribs and blockbuster-focused studios” [11]. FilmDistrict will cease operations after January 2014, with Spike Lee’s upcoming remake of the 2003 South Korean revenge film Oldboy being their last major release. The majority of FilmDistrict’s staff will follow Schlessel to Focus, and in some cases, replace, the majority of Focus Features’ staff including “Adrian Alperovich, who will continue his role for Focus as chief operating officer. Christine Birch, who also comes from FilmDistrict, will join Focus as marketing prexy, while Jim Orr and Lia Buman transition to Focus from FilmDistrict as heads of distribution and acquisitions, respectively” [12].

Financials

In their first full year as a film distribution company, FilmDistrict grossed $126,079,416 selling nearly 16 million tickets with a 1.24% market share. In 2012 the number dropped significantly, due to a smaller amount of film releases that year (these films also skewed more towards the independent side, which may have played a factor); their numbers in 2012 amounted to a profit of $17,260,217 with 2.1 million tickets sold and a market share of 0.16%. 2013 has undoubtedly been the company’s strongest financial year thus far and, due to the upcoming acquisition by Focus, will be their swan song as well. This year so far, the company has grossed a profit of $210,933,633 with nearly 26 million tickets and a market share of 2.29%. [7]

Film Releases

Olympus Has Fallen poster -collider.com

[15]

Olympus Has Fallen

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, this film stars Gerard Butler as “disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning” as he must rescue the President, played by Morgan Freeman, from terrorist kidnappers. [19]

Insidious: Chapter 2

Insidious: Chapter 2 poster -collider.com

[14]

The sequel to the very successful horror film from 2011 continues as the “haunted Lambert family seeks to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world”. [20]

Oldboy (2013) poster- ropesofsilicon.com

2013 has been a successful year for FilmDistrict’s releases with Olympus Has Fallen (a disaster movie set in The White House and starring Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, and Gerard Butler) and Insidious 2 (the sequel to the highly-successful 2011 horror film, with Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson returning as the protagonists) grossing about $182 million total by themselves [7].

This year, in addition to those films, the company has also released the following films: Parker (starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez), Dead Man Down (starring Colin Farrell), and the new remake of the Evil Dead franchise [16]. The final upcoming films for FilmDistrict will be the romantic comedy Walk of Shame (out March 14, 2014), Pompeii (February 28, 2014), and the Spike Lee-directed remake Oldboy (out this Thanksgiving weekend, starring Josh Brolin). The latter, as well as the romcom film That Awkward Moment, will be handled by FilmDistrict, while the former two films will be distributed and promoted by Focus Features. [11] In a short amount of time, merely a few years, FilmDistrict made an impact on the film business, offering an alternative for independent filmmakers while also distributing high-budget works to provide a unique balance in the industry.

Sources

[1] FilmDistrict Site

[2] Peter Schlessel

[3] Graham King

[4] Tim Headington

[5] About FilmDistrict

[6] Soul Surfer

[7] FilmDistrict’s Box-Office Numbers

[8] Execs Promoted (Variety)

[9] Insidious 2 Opening Weekend

[10] Focus Features Acquisition

[11] FilmDistrict’s DNA to Get Makeover

[12] Focus Team to Receive FilmDistrict’s execs

[13] Acquisition of Rocketman

[14] Insidious 2 Poster

[15] Olympus Has Fallen Poster

[16] FilmDistrict’s Filmography

[17] Oldboy Poster

[18] Focus/FilmDistrict poster

[19] IMDB: Olympus Has Fallen

[20] IMDB: Insidious Chapter 2

Lionsgate Entertainment

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Andrea Reindl

: Photo courtesy of: [1] www.hollywoodreporter.com

website: http://www.lionsgate.com/

Company Headquarters: 2700 Colorado Ave., Ste. 200
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Brief History:

: Photo courtesy of: [3] theatlatlanticwire.com

Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation was formed on July 3, 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia by Frank Giustra, a former investment banker. After its initial formation, it began a series of acquisitions of minor film studios in order to establish itself in the film industry. On January 13, 2012, Lionsgate announced that it had purchased Summit Entertainment, the producers and distributors of The Twilight Saga for $412.5 million [4]. This merger had been planned for 4 years. As of now, LGE is responsible for the distribution of the major franchises of The Hunger Games, Twilight, and more recently, Ender’s Game.

: Photo courtesy of: [5] www.thehungergamesexplorer.com/us/

Key Executives:

: Photo courtesy of: [2] lionsgate.com

Jon Feltheimer: Feltheimer has been the Chief Executive Officer of Lionsgate since March 2000. Before he joined Lionsgate, Feltheimer spent nine years at Sony Pictures Entertainment as head of the Columbia TriStar Television Group as well as heading Sony Entertainment Television.

: Photo Courtesy of [2] lionsgate.com

Michael Burns: Burns has been on the Lionsgate Board of Directors since 1999. In March of 2000, Burns became Vice Chairman of Lionsgate. Before joining the Lionsgate team, Burns had a background in investment banking.

Photo courtesy of [2] lionsgate.com

Steve Beeks: Beeks responsibilities include corporate and administrative matters. Under Beek’s strategic direction, 2012 has been the film division’s best year ever, earning over $1.2 billion domestically and over $2.5 billion internationally [26]

Quick Financials:

During its Second Quarter, Lionsgate reported a net income of $25.4 million. Revenue of the second quarter declined by 29% in comparison to the prior year’s corresponding quarter, most likely because of the timing of The Hunger Games home entertainment release [6].

Recent Past:

In the past six months, Lionsgate has become a favorite of Wall Street investors due to sleeper-hit films like Now You See Me and Instructions Not Included [7].

: Photo courtesy of: [8] magazine.topman.com

Now You See Me, a film directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, and Isla Fisher centers around a group of magicians who use illusions and slights of hand to pull off a bank robbery. The film was a surprise hit, earning $117,723,989 at the domestic box office and $234,000,000 internationally totaling to a $351,723,989 worldwide gross with a $75 million budget [8]. Critics’ reviews were mixed. Recently, a sequel for Now You See Me was confirmed [9].

: Photo courtesy of: [10] imdb.com

Instructions Not Included is a film co-written, directed by, and starring Eugenio Derbez that shattered box office records by being the highest-grossing Spanish-language film released in the U.S. of all time [11]. As of now, it has domestically grossed $44,239,362, with a worldwide gross of $85,317,913. Considering its estimated budget is $5 million, the profit for Lions Gate with this release has well-exceeded its expectations [12]. The success of Instructions Not Included has been attributed to Derbez’s star power in Mexico; he stars in a telenova as well as a variety show [13].

: Photo Courtesy of: [14] atomicsam.com

Ender’s Game, a sci-fi fantasy film based off of the popular young-adult novel by Orson Scott Card, however, failed to become the big box office draw that Lions Gate and its subsidiary, Summit Entertainment, had hoped. The film centered on a young protagonist named Ender Wiggin who is recruited by the military to attend a military academy in outer space to be trained to defend against a genocidal alien race that previously almost annihilated the human race. Controversy surrounded this movie due to the beliefs of the author of the novel, who is vocally against gay rights as well as a member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints [15]. The film grossed $53,593,921 domestically and $9,137,000 internationally, and grossed a total of $62,730,921. Its budget was $110 million [16].

: Photo courtesy of: [25] thehollywoodreporter.com

In other news not directly related to their film releases, James Keegan, who was Lions Gate’s Chief Financial Officer, retired on October 1st. Keegan was with the company for 25 years. However, Keegan will remain a consultant until January 3, 2014 to assist in the transition. Keegan was succeeded by James W. Barge, Viacom’s previous Chief Financial Officer since 2010 [17].

Next for Lions Gate:

Lionsgate has multiple projects in the works at the moment, with most of their content skewing to the younger-demographic that they seem to draw in so well.

Photo Courtesy of: [27] latino-review.com

The most-anticipated event on the near horizon is the release of T he Hunger Games: Catching Fire, sequel to the 2012 film The Hunger Games. Set to release on November 22, 2013, it is already conservatively estimated that the movie will earn between $140 and $150 million at the box office [18]. If this were to happen, it would break records, becoming the highest-grossing November release (the previous title-holder being The Twilight Saga: New Moon, with $142 million [19]).

On a conference call on November 8th regarding the studio’s quarterly earnings, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer stated that the studio was exploring the possibility of getting into the theme park business. The hypothetical theme park would be based around the blockbuster “Hunger Games” franchise. The studio has already been approached about the possibility of a theme park in two territories. No further details were given [20].

Photo courtesy of: [29] buzzsugar.com

Another highly anticipated film that Lions Gate is involved in that is also based off a successful young adult book series is Divergent, a sci-fi film directed by Neil Burger and starring Shailene Woodley. Divergent is set in a futuristic, dystopic America where people are divided into five factions based on their personalities. The story follows Beatrice “Tris” Prior whose personality does not fit into any of the five categories. The film also stars Kate Winslet and Zoe Kravitz. As of now, the release date is March 21, 2014 [21].

: Photo courtesy of: [22] www.hypable.com

In addition to the release of the Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Lionsgate is also looking forward to the release of Hercules: The Legend Begins under its Summit label, directed by Renny Harlin, and starring Kellan Lutz. This movie will trace the origins of Hercules from when he is “betrayed by his king, sold into slavery and fighting for his freedom to return to his true love” [23]. Lions Gate moved the premiere date of Hercules: The Legend Begins up to January 10 so it will not have to directly compete with Paramount’s Hercules, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson [24].

Photo Courtesy of: [28] moviepilot.de

Sources:

[1] “Lionsgate Pacts with Codeblack CEO Jeff Clanagan”. Hollywood Reporter.
RT: 11/17/13

[2] Lionsgate Governance RT: 11/17/13

[3] “Lionsgate Near a Deal to Buy Summit, Studio Behind ‘Twilight’ Movies, for $700 Million”. The Wire. RT: 11/18/13

[4] “It’s Official: Lionsgate Has Acquired Summit Entertainment for $412.5 Million”. comingsoon.net. RT: 11/18/13

[5] The Hunger Games Explorer RT: 11/18/13

[6] Lionsgate Second Quarter Fiscal Report 2014 RT: 11/17/13

[7] “Lionsgate Stock Jumps on Success From Sleeper Hits”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[8] “The Hunger Games (2012)”. Box Office Mojo. RT: 11/18/13

[9] “Now You See Me Gets a Sequel”. Den of Geek! RT: 11/18/13

[10] “Instructions Not Included (2013)”. IMDB. RT: 11/18/13

[11] Lionsgate Second Quarter Fiscal Report 2014. RT: 11/18/13

[12] “Instructions Not Included (2013)”. Box Office Mojo. RT: 11/18/13

[13] “Hollywood Gets ‘Instructions’ From Latino Audiences”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[14] “Over Thinking: Is it OK To See Ender’s Game?”. atomicsam.com. RT: 11/19/13

[15] “Orson Scott Card’s anti-gay views haunt ‘Ender’s Game’ Premiere”. LA Times. RT: 11/19/13

[16] “Ender’s Game (2013)”. Box Office Mojo. RT: 11/18/13

[17] “Longtime Lionsgate CFO James Keegan to Retire”. The Hollywood Reporter. RT: 11/18/13

[18] “‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ on Track for Mega $150 Million-Plus Debut”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[19] “‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ on Track for Mega $150 Million-Plus Debut”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[20] “‘Hunger Games’ Theme Parks Could Be Coming”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[21] “‘Divergent’ Movie First Look!”. hypable.com. RT: 11/18/13

[22] “‘Divergent’ Movie First Look!”. hypable.com. RT: 11/18/13

[23] “‘Hercules’ Battle Starting Jan. 10 as Lionsgate Moves Epic Forward”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[24] “Hercules’ Battle Starting Jan. 10 as Lionsgate Moves Epic Forward”. Variety. RT: 11/18/13

[25] “Longtime Lionsgate CFO James Keegan to Retire”. The Hollywood Reporter. RT: 11/18/13

[26] Steve Beeks Profile. RT: 11/19/13

[27] “‘The Hunger Game: Catching Fire’ UK Poster”. latino-review.com. RT: 11/19/13

[28] “Erster Trailer für Hercules – The Legend Begins – Bild 2 von 2”. www.moviepilot.de. RT: 11/19/13

[29] “Watch All Our Interviews With the Divergent Cast”. buzzsugar.com. RT: 11/19/13

By Andrea Reindl

MGM

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Trevor Heckendorn

By Trevor Heckendorn

Key Executives [1]

Gary Barber Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Ken Schapiro Chief Operating Officer

Jonathan Glickman President, Motion Picture Group

History

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) was founded in 1924 after entrepreneur Marcus Loew bought three separate production companies, Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, and Louis B. Mayer Pictures, and made them one. MGM soon became a powerhouse in the entertainment industry, producing some of the biggest hits of the 1930s and 40s, like Gone with the Wind, and The Wizard of Oz. However, MGM’s controlling grip on the world of cinema would begin slipping, and by 2010, they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. They would emerge from bankruptcy a few months later, under new leadership from Spyglass Entertainment partner, Gary Barber. MGM films have won an astounding 175 Academy Awards, including 14 Best Picture winners. [2] [3]

Financial Information

MGM has had a rocky past when it comes to financial stability. Despite filing for bankruptcy just a few years ago, they now seem to be positioned incredibly well for the future. Although MGM creates entertainment for the public, the company is still private, and so are their financial records. Also, since their rise from bankruptcy, MGM has yet to produce a movie on their own, and frequently partner with Columbia Pictures. However, looking over some of MGM’s recent productions (or co-productions), their revenue stream seems to be better than ever. Under new leadership, MGM has begun relying heavily on sequels, a generally safe move in the film industry. In 2012, MGM co-produced two films that grossed over $1,000,000,000, both of which have future sequels already planned. [4]

Recent Releases

Skyfall (2012) Distribution; co-produced with United Artist, Columbia Pictures, and Eon Productions Budget: $150-200 Million Gross: $1.1 Billion [5]

Daniel Craig returned as James Bond for the 23rd installment of the 007 series, the highest-grossing film franchise of all-time. Directed by Oscar-winner Sam Mendes, Skyfall surprised both critics and fans with its writing and breathtaking cinematography. It also became the highest grossing of the 23 James Bond movies, grossing over $1 billion. Skyfall would go on to be nominated for 5 Academy Awards, winning for Best Sound Mixing and Best Original Song (Skyfall by Adele). Daniel Craig has signed on for three more James Bond movies, with the 24th installment planned to be released November 2015. [6]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Co-Production with New Line Cinema, Warner Bros., and WingNut Films Budget: $200-315 Million Gross: $1.02 Billion [7]

J.R.R. Tolkein’s novels of epic adventures through Middle Earth continue to be blockbuster film adaptations, with this prequel to the Lord of the Rings series. It followed in the financial footsteps of its predecessors, generating over $1,000,000,000 in revenue, as all three of the Lord of the Rings movies have. Peter Jackson returned as director for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and plans to complete a Hobbit trilogy, with releases in 2013 and 2014. The Hobbit was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Production Design. However, The Hobbit may have been most newsworthy for its incredible budget, rumored to be upwards of $315 million, which would make it the largest budget of any film in history. The film was also a technological feat, utilizing CGI and 3D technologies in ways that hadn’t been seen before. The film was shot at 48 frames per second, making it the first wide release feature film to do so. [8]

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) Co-Production with Hasbro, Paramount Pictures, di Bonaventura Pictures, and Skydance Productions Budget: $130 Million Gross: $372 Million [9]

In 2013, MGM continued their reliance on sequels with the second installment in the G.I. Joe franchise, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Bruce Willis, and Channing Tatum. This star-studded action flick hauled in over $372 million dollars at the box office, a rare feat for a March release. Plans for a third installment of the series have been recently confirmed, with Jon Chu returning to direct. [10]

Carrie (2013) Distribution; Co-Production with Screen Gems Budget: $30 Million Gross: $53 Million [11]

MGM and Screen Gems tried their hand at making Stephen King’s 1974 into a feature film (for the third time) this October, with the release of Carrie. This horror film features Chloe Grace Moretz in the title role, with support from Emmy-winner Julianne Moore. This film seemed to be a safer investment for MGM, with the budget being only $30 million. That investment has already been made back, as Carrie continuing its theatrical run. [12]

Upcoming Releases

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (December 13, 2013) Co-Production with New Line Cinema, Warner Bros., and WingNut Films

The incredibly successful Lord of the Rings franchise adds another film this December, with the second installment in the Hobbit series being released internationally on December 13th. Peter Jackson is back to direct and write the screenplay, based on J.R.R. Tolkein’s novel, The Hobbit. Sir Ian McKellan, Martin Freeman, and company reprise their legendary roles, as The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug prepares to repeat the box office and critical success of the first film. Just as Peter Jackson did with the Lord of the Rings series, all three Hobbit films will be produced back-to-back, with the third installment, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, already planned for a December 2014 release. [13]

Robocop (Feburary 12, 2014) Distribution; Co-Production with Strike Entertainment and Columbia Pictures

RoboCop Poster - P 2013

Robocop makes his return to the big screen in Feburary 2014, starring Joel Kinnaman in the title role. This science fiction thriller is a remake of the original 1987 film of the same name. Other featured actors include Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, and Samuel L. Jackson. With a budget rumored to be over $120 million, MGM and Columbia Pictures are counting on audiences new and old to flock to this potential blockbuster. [14]

22 Jump Street (June 13, 2014) Co-Production with Relativity Media, Columbia Pictures, and Original Film

Following the surprise success of 21 Jump Street in March of 2012, MGM and Columbia Pictures have begun production on the sequel, 22 Jump Street. This comedy film features Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum reprising their roles as undercover cops, this time going undercover at a local college. The first film grossed over $200 million at the box office, and MGM can expect the sequel to do just as well. [15]

Future of MGM

Since their emergence from bankruptcy, MGM has been making safe investments, financing mostly adaptions and sequels. Additional movies slated for 2014 releases include a sequel to Hot Tub Time Machine, and an adaption of the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars. As MGM beings its return to being the powerhouse it once was, we may being to see more original productions, but for now, they have no reason to change their business strategy, as it is paying off quite well.

Sources

[1] MGM.com – MGM Today

[2] MGM.com – History

[3] Global Times – MGM restructuring becomes effective, new owners step in

[4] IMDb – MGM

[5] Box Office Mojo – Skyfall

[6] IMDb – Skyfall

[7] Box Office Mojo – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

[8] IMDb – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

[9] Box Office Mojo – G.I. Joe Retaliation

[10] IMDb – G.I. Joe Retaliation

[11] Box Office Mojo – Carrie