Universal Pictures

Aside

by [Bobby O'Brien]

Universal Pictures Logo [1]

Overview & History

Universal Pictures, a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is considered one of the planet’s most renowned film studios. For nearly a century the company has produced academy award winning films and culture shaping content. Over the past 6 months, Universal Picture’s tradition of excellence has continued. Since June 29th 2012, Universal Pictures has released 5 major motion pictures. Of these films, 4 have placed within the top 70 grossing films of 2012, and 3 have placed within the top 50. These five films have accumulated a combined gross product of $442, 317, 963. [2]

Carl Laemmle [4]

In 1915, German-American Film pioneer, Carl Laemmle, founded Universal Studios with the help of Abe and Julius Stern. The trio constructed two movie sets on a former chicken farm in Los Angeles California. Ninety-eight years later, 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Los Angeles California remains the home of Universal Studios. [3] Today Universal Pictures is spearheaded by several accomplished and capable leaders, including James Schamus, Jimmy Horowitz, Cindy Gardner, Adam Fogelson, and Rick Finkelstein.

Executives

James Schamus [6]

James Schamus is the Chief Executive Officer of Universal Pictures. He has held the position since May of 2006. Schamus also serves as the Co-President of Focus Features, a sister company of Universal Pictures. [5]

In May of 2010, Jimmy Horowitz was named president of Universal Pictures. Horowitz manages day to day business operations for the studio and serves as a key member for Universal’s senior management team. He has worked for Universal for more than 18 years. [7]

Cindy Gardner has served as Universal Studio’s Senior Vice President since September 2005. Gardner is responsible for the company’s media relations, issues management, philanthropy, and special events. [8]

Adam Fogelson has held the title of Chairman of Universal Pictures since October of 2009. He oversees worldwide operations for the motion pictures group. Projects that Fogelson has worked on include American Pie, Knocked Up, and Erin Brockovich. [9]

Rick Finkelstein serves as Universal Pictures Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer. This Jerry Seinfeld-look-alike oversees Universal Picture’s worldwide home entertainment and television distribution. [10]

Recent News

September:

September 7th, 2012

The Street has recently informed the public of Universal Pictures plans to release Pitch Perfect, a musical comedy staring Anna Kendrick, on Friday September 28th, one week earlier than its scheduled premiere on October 5th. The film’s wide release is set to remain on its prior date, however select theaters in North America will have an opportunity to see it ahead of time. The limited release was constructed following positive feedback from early screening moviegoers. Universal Pictures feels that Pitch Perfect has a reliable and sturdy target audience that is eager for the film’s release. To some surprise, Universal Pictures has promoted Pitch Perfect with “the most extensive screening campaign in the studios history.” [11]

September 25th, 2012

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Universal Pictures has set a record for the “highest grossing-year domestically in the studio’s 100 year history”. On Monday September 24th, the studio surpassed the previous record of $1.27 billion set in 2008. More than a third of the studio’s gross product came from The Lorax and Ted, acquiring a combined $432 million. This ground-breaking news comes before the release of four major Universal Pictures’ films, including Pitch Perfect, The Man WIth the Iron Fists, This is 40, and Les Miserables. Universal Pictures is on track to shatter its 2008 record. Perhaps it will be far more than four years before the record of 2012 will be broken. [12]

October:

October 29th, 2012

According to Variety, Universal Pictures has alas acquired the rights to Subdivision. The sci-fi comedy written by Morgan Jugerson and Alex Ankeles will be produced by Justin Lin and Elaine Chin. All involved in the deal have been sure to keep the

Fast Five [16]

premise under wraps. Lin may be remembered for his recent success associated with Fast Five, a film he produced that was released in April of 2011. Universal’s VP of production, Kristin Lowe, will oversee the project. Unfortunately, a feasible release date for the film has yet to be determined. [13]

October 31st, 2012

PR Newswire has reported that Universal Pictures will release its Despicable Me 2, trailer on iTunes today. The occurrence marks the first time that the studio has released a trailer on iTunes with international versions available within the same 24 hour period. This development perhaps illustrates the studio’s continued technological and global advancements. Despicable Me 2 hits theaters on July 3rd 2013. [14] Universal will attempt to play off of the success of Despicable Me, which raked in a total domestic gross of $251,513,985 in the summer of 2010. [15] Look for Despicable Me 2 to make a big splash this summer.

November:

November 12th, 2012

The Hartford Courant has recently reminded us that, November 15th, 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking premiere of To Kill a Mocking Bird. Universal

To Kill A Mockingbird [18]

Pictures’ adaptation of Harper Lee‘s novel will be re-released on Thursday, November 15th in select theaters. The 1962 film won Gregory Peck an Oscar for his portrayal of Atticus Finch. It will forever be remembered as an American classic. [17]

November 13th, 2012

At 9 a.m. pacific standard time, the Los Angeles Times reported a story that is sure to shake up the film industry. According to the newspaper, Michael Eisner‘s Tornante Co. has finalized a distribution deal with Universal Pictures. The multiyear deal will lead Universal Pictures to market and distribute movies financed by Tornante. Eisner is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company. In an attempt to “return to his roots” of moviemaking Eisner looks to take advantage of the industry’s lack of original stories. He hopes that the first of Tornante’s feature films will be released no later than early 2014. In a time when the film industry is cluttered with sequels and remakes, it is encouraging to hear of an opportunity for new and original content. With the money and support of Universal Pictures, Tornante Co., is likely to become a household name in Hollywood. [19]

November 29th 2012

In March of 2012 Universal Pictures Spent $5 million to acquire the movie rights of Fifty Shades of Grey, the best selling novel written by E.L. James. The Hollywood Reporter has released a story stating that Universal pictures has recently filed a lawsuit against Smash Pictures and director James Lane, who have recently finished producing Fifty Shades of Grey: A XXX Adaptation. Luv Moves a distribution company that packaged and allocated DVD’s of the porn parody has also been targeted in the lawsuit. Universal Picture’s and Fifty Shades Ltd. are requesting an injunction and further monetary damage. [20]

December

December 4th 2012

Universal Picture’s Les Miserables, is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2012. Set to be released on Christmas day, the musical starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathawayis due for a strong opening weekend and perhaps some

Les Miserables [21]

recognition from the academy. The Sacramento Bee has reported an announcement from Universal Pictures, stating that the film will be “digitally remastered into the immersive IMAX format” and released in IMAX theaters worldwide. The film will be released in IMAX theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Montreal on December 25th. Those abroad will have to wait until January 10th for the film’s IMAX release. Greg Foster, the President of IMAX entertainment, stated that Les Miserables “lends itself perfectly to the IMAX Experience”. The IMAX release of Les Miserables is sure to amplify the buzz surrounding the movie and its premiere. The second format option and increase in screens may lead to a tremendous financial success. [22]

Future

The upcoming winter and remainder of 2012 appears to be promising for Universal Pictures. On December 21st 2012, This is 40, a film written and directed by Judd Apatow, will be widely released in North America. The highly anticipated Les Miserables, will premiere on Christmas day and the Osama Bin Laden murder thriller, Zero Dark Thirty, will be released two and a half weeks later. A fitting end to a record-setting year seems to be in store for Universal Pictures.

Sources:

[1] Universal Pictures’ Twitter Account; https://twitter.com/UniversalEnt

[2] Box Office Mojo; 2012; http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2012&p=.htm

[3] U.S. History: Universal Studios; http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3086.html

[4] Silent Hollywood; http://silenthollywood.com/carllaemmle.html

[5] Bloomberg Business Week; http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=2144227&privcapId=2092219&previousCapId=804881&previousTitle=Universal%20Studios,%20Inc.

[6] IMBD; James Schamus; http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0770005/

[7] NBC Universal Website; Executives; Jimmy Horowitz; http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/executive/universal-pictures/jimmy-horowitz/

[8] NBC Universal Website; Executives; Cindy Gardner http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/communication-lead/universal-pictures/cindy-gardner/

[9] NBC Universal Website; Executives; Adam Fogelson http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/senior-corporate-executives/universal-pictures/adam-fogelson/

[10] NBC Universal Website; Executives; Rick Finkelstein http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/executive/universal-pictures/rick-finkelstein/

[11] PR Newswire; The Street; http://www.thestreet.com/story/11689878/1/universal-pictures-to-release-pitch-perfect-in-select-theaters-on-friday-september-28-2012.html

[12] Tatiana Siegel; Pamela McClintock; The Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/universal-pictures-box-office-hits-one-billion-373928

[13] Jeff Sneider; Variety; http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118061411

[14] PR Newswire; United Business Media; http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/universal-pictures-announces-the-new-despicable-me-2-trailer-will-launch-worldwide-on-itunes-on-wednesday-october-31-2012-176616821.html

[15] Box Office Mojo; http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=despicableme.htm

[16] Netflix; http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Fast_Five/70157102?locale=en-US

[17] Susan Dunne; Hartford Courant; http://articles.courant.com/2012-11-12/entertainment/hc-alt-mockingbird-1115-20121112_1_connecticut-post-atticus-finch-digiplex-bloomfield

[18] Amazon; http://www.amazon.com/To-Kill-a-Mockingbird/dp/B000ID37RM

[19] Dawn C. Chmielewski; The Los Angeles Times http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-tornante-strikes-deal-with-universal-20121112,0,2336520.story

[20] Eriq Gardner; Hollywood Reporter; http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/fifty-shades-grey-porn-adaptation-395478

[21] IMBD; Les Miserables; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1707386/

[22] IMAX Corporation; The Sacramento Bee; http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/04/5030373/universal-pictures-les-miserables.html

Spyglass

Image

by Jocelyn Yan

History

Founded in 1998 by co-CEO’s Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, Spyglass Entertainment is an American production, finance, and distribution company responsible for blockbusters such as No Strings Attached, 27 Dresses, and The Sixth Sense. European media giants, Kirch Group and Mediaset, invested $250 million to form Spyglass Entertainment. Spyglass is known for co-financing with several other production studios such as Touchstone Pictures and Paramount Studios to produce box-office hits. The company is owned by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, which has a significant stake in Spyglass. Spyglass’ headquarters are based in Los Angeles. [1]

When MGM, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, filed for bankruptcy on November 3, 2010 due to its inability to pay for its $4 billion in increasing interest payments and debt, the executives of Spyglass presented MGM with a reconstruction plan in exchange for equity stake and management. As a result, co-CEO’s of Spyglass, Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum took over, becoming co-CEO’s and co-chairs of MGM.[2] Recent reports have shown that Spyglass’ takeover of MGM has indeed led to MGM’s recent profitability and success.[3]

Recent News

July-September 2012

Because of the impending releases of two major blockbusters, Skyfall and The Hobbit, MGM submitted an IPO or Initial Public Offering filing, which allows investors to gauge the value and success of the coming films. Especially significant due to MGM’s post-bankrupt state, this IPO filing attracts interest for potential investors. Looking to go public, MGM has emerged from post-bankruptcy to profitability due to Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum’s cutting and different approach towards distribution. Carl Icahn, MGM’s largest investor, sold his 25% stake in MGM in order for MGM to receive a higher IPO value. [4]

October 3, 2012

Spyglass announced that co-CEO Roger Birnbaum stepped down as co-CEO to redirect his energy towards producing. This decision leaves Gary Barber as the sole CEO of Spyglass and MGM. Birnbaum stated, “I have been in the film business a long time, and my greatest passion has always been producing. Now is the time for me to return to what I love to do the most…producing films.” Both Birnbaum and Barber have stated that the decision was “amicable.” Birnbaum chose to stay and exclusively produce with Spyglass and MGM. They look forward to continue sharing success together. [5]

November 2012

The release of the much-anticipated film of the James Bond series, Skyfall directed by Sam Mendes, proved to be a major success. Skyfall earned a staggering $33 million at the box office in its first day, November 9. As expected, Skyfall was also a leading earner at the box office for the Wednesday to Sunday Thanksgiving stretch right behind the number one earner Breaking Dawn 2. During Thanksgiving week, Skyfall grossed $36 million for the 3-day period and $51 million for the total 5-day period. To date, Skyfall has grossed $245 million domestically and $868 million internationally. Overall, Skyfall is the largest grossing James Bond movie in history.[6]

December 2012

Another well-known series based on JRR Tolkien’s fantasy novels is slated for a
successful release on December 14.[7] The first of three films The Hobbit: There and Back Again directed by Peter Jackson has already launched an extensive advertising campaign to promote the trilogy.

The Hobbit trilogy is partnering with New Zealand’s tourism department, Microsoft, and Denny’s to ensure successful box office results. Air New Zealand recently released an inflight safety video that features characters from Tolkien’s novels. Moreover, the
airline painted one of their airplanes with The Hobbit theme and characters greet passengers in New Zealand airports.[8] Microsoft is featuring The Hobbit characters on its Windows Phone platform.[9]

While, Denny’s is using The Hobbit characters to push “Hobbit-inspired” menu items such as Frodo’s Pot Roast Skillet and Build-Your-Own Hobbit Slam.[10] These companies intend to share the publicity and wealth over the impending success of the beginning of the release of The Hobbit trilogy.

References

[1] http://www.spyglassentertainment.com/

[2] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703506904575592200573445526.html

[3] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mgm-bankruptcy-return-21-jump-street-303431

[4] http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-07/mgm-studio-said-to-seek-ipo-before-next-bond-movie

[5] http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/mgm-co-chairman-ceo-roger-birnbaum-steps-down-will-become-producer-gary-barber-to-become-sole-chairman-ceo/

[6] http://www.boxoffice.com/statistics/movies/bond-23-2012

[7] http://www.mgm.com/about/pdf.php

[8] http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11-27/hobbit-gets-red-carpet-welcome-as-new-zealand-eyes-dwarven-gold

[9] http://www.geekosystem.com/the-hobbit-windows-phone/

[10] http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/denny-diner-middle-earth-160333541.html

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Posted on September 18, 2012 by jsrich02

by [Jeffrey Rich ]

MGM Logo Courtesy of Google Images

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is a media company, most often involved in the distribution of films, television productions, and home video.

Contact Information

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Address: 245 N. Beverly Drive,
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: 310-449-3000
E-mail Address: comments@mgm.com

Brief History

Its trademark roaring lion has become the beacon of MGM. Marcus Lowe, who organized the merger of Metro Pictures Corp. with Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Productions, established Metro- Goldwyn- Mayer (MGM) in April 1924.

It was under the prolific leadership of Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg, a visionary of production, that MGM became a leading company of film making. It is said that the studio attracted “more stars than are in the heavens.”

From 1924-1954, known as the golden three decades in Hollywood, MGM managed to produce a Best Picture Nominee for twenty years in a row. One particularly spectacular year, in 1939, Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, both MGM films, were nominated for Best Picture. Together the two films took home ten Oscars that year.

MGM Building, Beverly Hills, CA. Picture Courtesy of mgm.com

Today MGM possesses more than 175 Academy Awards, including 15 for Best Picture, in their vast vault. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is a leading entertainment company and is focused whole-heartedly on the distribution of films and television programing across the globe. With one of the largest libraries of films and television content, MGM invests in television channels and film distribution both domestically and internationally. [1]

Key Figures

Gary Barber- Appointed Chairman and CEO in October 2012. Prior to this her served as a Co-Chairman and and CEO since December 2010.

Ken Shapiro- Chief Operating Officer, as of February 2011. Before joining MGM Shapiro co-founded a private investment management company.

John Glickman- President of Motion Picture Group. Previously Glickman was president of Spyglass Entertainment.

Roma Khanna- President of MGM’s Television Group and Digital. She joined MGM having recently worked for NBCUniveral, as President of Universal Networks International and Digital Initiatives.

Top Competitors

Fox Filmed Entertainment

The Walt Disney Studios

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Finances

In November of 2010 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer declared bankruptcy. A federal court had decided to reject the takeover bid by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and therefore MGM instead declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. About 80% of MGM’s creditors supported a pre-packaged bankruptcy plan to eliminate $4 billion in debt. [2]

This third quarter has shown a loss for MGM operating income. A loss of $4.3 million from $32.8 million the same quarter the year before. However, Gary Barber, CEO, is not at all worried. MGM had recorded a net profit of $23.4 million compared to last year’ $15.2 million in the same quarter. This is mainly because MGM sold many of its satellite TV channels.

The worldwide success of the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, and the excitement surrounding the anticipated release of the first, of the three, Hobbit, movies has Barber predicting a very successful fourth quarter. [3]

Movies Today

Skyfall Movie Poster, Courtesy of Google Images

Currently MGM has the film Skyfall, the twenty-third James Bond movie, out in wide release. The movie was released on the weekend of November 9^th-11^th, and it grossed $88 million in that first weekend. Currently it has domestically grossed almost $250 million in only four weeks. Internationally it has taken in over $870 million. [4]

In the United Kingdom, Bond’s homeland, Skyfall, has become the largest grossing movie of all time, surpassing James Cameron’s, Avatar. The movie has taken in £94.27 million (or $151.8 million) in 40 days, surpassing Avatar’s £94 million (or $151.3 million) which is astonishing, considering that it took Avatar 11 months to reach that total. [5]

Not only has Skyfall become the largest grossing movie in the UK, but also it has claimed the title of greatest Bond ever, in terms of money, taking in the largest gross from any other Bond thus far. However, even though Skyfall is the largest grossing movie in the UK, it is still not the most attending. That title still belongs to another, far older, MGM classic from 1939, Gone With the Wind. [6]

Hobbit Movie Poster, Courtesy of Google Images

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first installment to the three-part prequel of the critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy. Peter Jackson returns as director in this new trilogy, which plans to be released in the United States on December 14, 2012. However, unlike the high remarks her won for his adaptation of the Ring’s trilogy, he is garnering some criticism for his new rendition of this J.R.R. Tolkien’s book.

One Variety critics calls the film an “artificial quality in which the phoniness of the sets and costumes becomes obvious, while well-lit areas bleed into their surroundings, like watching a high-end home movie.” [7]

The reason for these unlikely reviews is that Jackson decided to shoot the entire Hobbit movie using 48 FPS (Frames Per Second) filming. Usually films are shot in 24 FPS, the switch, as some like James Cameron agree, is that 48 FPS eliminate the “strobing” seen in standard films. Some people, however, argue that the effects look almost soap opera-ish. However, audiences will have to weigh in on their opinions about the new FPS shooting when The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, hits theaters later this month. [8]

One more film in the works for MGM coming up soon is Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters. This new dark twist on the classic fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel makes the sibling duo a team of witch hunters who find and kill witches all around the world. [9]

Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters Movie Poster, Courtesy of Google Images

The film has had its problems in production. It was originally set to be released in March of 2012, but was pushed back to January of 2013. The fact that it’s now an R-rated film might have something to do with that problem in the production schedule. There is much skepticism now about the success of the film. After similar fairy tale spin offs have flopped, such as Snow White and the Huntsman and Red Ridding Hood, critics are not very optimistic about this latest revived concept. However, the film has some nice stars, including Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, and Famke Janssen. [10]

Fall Press Releases from MGM.com

September 4th, 2012: A NEW AGREEMENT SEALS THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN SKY ITALIA and MGM

September 7th 2012: SKYFALL ROYAL WORLD PREMIERE – LONDON, 23RD OCTOBER 2012

September 13th, 2012: MGM PICTURES’ AND COLUMBIA PICTURES’ “ROBOCOP” DIRECTED BY JOSÉ PADILHA, SET TO BEGIN PRODUCTION IN TORONTO

September 17th, 2012: WARNER BROS. PICTURES, NEW LINE CINEMA AND METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES TO CELEBRATE TOLKIEN WEEK WITH WORLDWIDE TRAILER DEBUT FOR “THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY”

September 26th, 2012: C MORE RENEWS EXCLUSIVE MULTIPLE YEAR FILM AGREEMENT WITH MGM

September 26th, 2012: SKYFALL™ TO BE RELEASED IN IMAX® THEATRES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA ONE DAY EARLY, ON NOVEMBER 8

September 28th, 2012: Bond Visits BOND IN MOTION to launch Bond 50 Blu-ray Collection

October 1st, 2012: ADELE’S “SKYFALL,” OFFICIAL THEME SONG TO LATEST JAMES BOND 007 FEATURE SKYFALL™, PREMIERES AT 0:07 BST VIA ADELE.TV ON OCTOBER 5

October 3rd, 2012: METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER’S ROGER BIRNBAUM TRANSITIONS TO AN EXCLUSIVE PRODUCER ROLE AT THE STUDIO

October 15th, 2012: JONATHAN GLICKMAN EXTENDS AS PRESIDENT, MOTION PICTURE GROUP, FOR METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIOS, INC.

November 2nd, 2012: SKYFALL SETS NEW BOX OFFICE RECORD

November 5th, 2012: SKYFALL CONTINUES TO SMASH UK BOX OFFICE RECORDS

November 7th, 2012: PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIOS TO PARTNER FOR HERCULES

November 8th, 2012: SKYFALL REACHES NEW BOX OFFICE HEIGHTS AND BECOMES THE BIGGEST FILM OF 2012

December 5th, 2012: SKYFALL SMASHES UK BOX OFFICE RECORD TO BECOME BIGGEST FILM OF ALL TIME

Sources:

[1] MGM Studios http://mgm.com/corporate/index.html#/about/mgm-history

[2] Linda Sandler, Dawn McCarty & Tiffany Kary http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-03/metro-goldwyn-mayer-files-bankruptcy-after-rejecting-lions-gate-takeover.html

[3] Alex Ben Block http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/james-bond-hobbit-raise-hopes-391209

[4] Box Office Mojo http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bond23.htm

[5] Anne Thompson http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/skyfall-continues-torrid-overseas-box-office

[6] Patrick Kevin Day http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-skyfall-highest-grossing-movie-united-kingdom-20121205,0,1235543.story

[7] Critics Give Hobbit Middle Marks http://dawn.com/2012/12/07/critics-give-epic-hobbit-middle-marks/

[8] PJ Hammans http://the-hobbit-movie.com/2012/12/03/director-cameron-wades-into-48-fps-debate/

[9] Hansel and Gretel http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1428538/

[10] Hansel and Gretel Delay http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2012/10/hansel-and-gretel-witch-hunters-gory-red-band-trailer-is-no-fairy-tale.html

Lionsgate Entertainment

Posted on September 18, 2012 by careiff

by [insert your name here]

begin here

DreamWorks Animation

Posted on September 18, 2012 by ijteckli

by Ian Tecklin

DreamWorks Animation SKG

Location

1000 Flower Street, Glendale, California 91201

(818)-695-5000 | http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/

About

DreamWorks Animation SKG is a publicly traded animation studio that produces animated feature films, television series, and live entertainment. The company strives to produce two or three animated feature films a year that offer its audiences original stories and high-quality visual imagery, with the hope of capturing the imaginations of its audiences.

Brief History

DreamWorks SKG was founded in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg, and David Geffen. After signing a co-production deal with Pacific Data Images (PDI) in 1995, the studio went on to release its first film, Antz, in 1998. In 2000, DreamWorks SKG launched a new

division, DreamWorks Animation, with the intention of producing two types of animated feature films: stop-motion and CG. In 2004, after a series of highly successful computer-animated films, including Shrek, Shrek 2, and Shark Tale, the company stopped producing stop-motion, hand-drawn films, and instead focused on releasing only CG animated films. Most importantly, it was in late 2004 that the division separated and became a publicly traded company named DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (NASDAQ: DWA), headed by Jeffrey Katzenberg. Subsequently, in 2006, DreamWorks Animation entered into a distribution agreement with Paramount Pictures, which will last until the end of 2012. Since its inception in 2004, DreamWorks Animation has released 25 animated feature films, all of which have an average gross of over $400 million, and a combined gross of over $10 billion worldwide. [1]

Key Executives

Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Office and Director

Lew Coleman, President and Chief Financial Officer

Ann Daly, Chief Operating Officer

Anne Globe, Chief Marketing Officer

Heather O’Connor, Chief Accounting Officer

Andrew Chang, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Rich Sullivan, Head of Corporate Finance

Daniel Satterthwaite, Head of Human Resources

http://ir.dreamworksanimation.com/management.cfm

Major Competition

Pixar Animation Studios – http://www.pixar.com/

Blue Sky Studios – http://blueskystudios.com/

Walt Disney Animation Studios – http://www.disneyanimation.com/

Sony Pictures Animation – http://www.sonypicturesanimation.com/

Finances

For all of 2011, DreamWorks Animation SKG had a revenue of $706 million, net income of $110 million, total assets of $1.779 billion, and total equity of $1.357 billion [2]. More recently, DreamWorks Animation released its third quarter 2012 financial results on November 1, 2012. For the quarter, the company reported total revenue of $186.3 million and net income of $24.4 million, which is up from 2011’s third quarter results, which listed a revenue of $160.8 million and net income of $19.7 million [3]. The improvement in this quarter’s results are primarily due to the box office success of Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, which grossed over $740 million at the worldwide box office.

July:

July 23, 2012

DreamWorks Animation SKG announces its acquisition of Classic Media for $155 million cash. Classic Media is an animation studio and production company that has the rights to classic properties including Casper the Friendly Ghost, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Lassie, The Lone Ranger, George of the Jungle, and Where’s Waldo. With this acquisition, DreamWorks Animation can now implement Classic Media’s large and diverse library of characters across its array of businesses, including feature films, television series, live entertainment, consumer products, and theme parks. Classic Media will become a division of DreamWorks Animation SKG, and will be renamed DreamWorks Classics. For the full article, click here [4].

August:

August 7, 2012

DreamWorks Animation SKG announces its plans to develop an entertainment district in Shanghai, China. The district will be called The Dream Center, and will cost an estimated $3.1 billion to construct. Within the district will be theaters, restaurants, shops, performance halls, and an entertainment area. The Dream Center is beneficial for both China and the United States. For China, it strengthens the country’s media industries and can have a positive effect on the economy. For the United States, it can increase revenue for American films and products, and target a growing Chinese population. In addition to promoting DreamWorks Animation properties, The Dream Center will also be home to Oriental DreamWorks, a $350 million animation studio, where only animated films for China will be produced. The Dream Center is expected to be completed in 2016. For the full article, click here [5].

August 20, 2012

DreamWorks Animation leaves Paramount Pictures and has hired 20th Century Fox as its distributor. Since its inception in 2004, DreamWorks Animation has been in a distribution agreement with Paramount, until the agreement’s scheduled termination in 2012. Since DreamWorks Animation does not have the resources to market and release its films on a global basis, it needs the help of a large studio. According to the report, Fox will receive an 8 percent fee for handling theatrical, DVD, and international distribution. The decision to enter into a distribution agreement with 20th Century Fox is surprising given the fact that Fox already has a successful animation studio called Blue Sky Studios, which has produced such hits as Rio and the Ice Age franchise. For the full article, click here [6].

September:

September 9, 2012

DreamWorks Animation releases its film schedule, which includes a slate of 12 films through 2016. The titles of the films are The Croods, Turbo, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Me And My Shadow, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Happy Smekday!, The Penguins of Madagascar, Trolls (working title), B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations, Mumbai Musical (working title), Kung Fu Panda 3, and How to Train Your Dragon 3. DreamWorks Animation typically releases two to three films a year, however, with the new schedule, the company will release three to four films a year, an ambitious increase. For the full article, click here [7].

October:

October 17, 2012

DreamWorks Animation SKG CEO, Co-Founder and Director Jeffrey Katzenberg visits the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Mr. Katzenberg came to Newhouse as part of the USA TODAY CEO Forum, moderated by USA TODAY’s Mike Snider. During the event, Mr. Katzenberg discussed stories from throughout his career, talked about the current state of the entertainment industry and where it is heading, and offered advice on careers in the entertainment industry. For a full recap of the event, click here [8].

November:

November 1, 2012

DreamWorks Animation SKG releases its Q3 financial results. According to the report, total revenue was $186.3 million and net income was $24.4 million (up from 2011 Q3 revenue of $160.8 million and net income of $19.7 million). In the quarter, regarding feature films, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted contributed approximately $47.1 million of revenue, Puss In Boots contributed $44.8 million of revenue, Kung Fu Panda 2 contributed $9.0 million, and Megamind contributed $0.7 million. For a summary of the third quarter financial report, click here [9].

November 21, 2012

DreamWorks Animation releases Rise of the Guardians, a film about notable childhood figures (Santa Claus, Jack Frost, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and Sandman), who team up to fight and stop the Boogey Man from hurting children. The film debut to a disappointing $32.3 million over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend. In fact, the opening is the lowest for a DreamWorks Animation film since 2003’s Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. The film cost an estimated $145 million to produce. Though Rise of the Guardians will not be a success at the box office, DreamWorks Animation’s next three films are all original stories, and given the company’s track record with original tales, the films should do well. For the full box office report, click here [10].

Upcoming Events

The Croods – March 22, 2013. To view the trailer, click here.

Turbo – July 19, 2013. To view the poster, click here.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman – November 1, 2013. To view the first-look image, click here.

Sources

[1] Box Office Mojo http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=dwanimation.htm

[2] DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/DWA/2039658139x0x563198/3224AB5D-241A-400B-BF77-702A544925C1/DWA_2011_Annual_Report.pdf

[3] DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. http://ir.dreamworksanimation.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=718066

[4] Eriq Gardner http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dreamworks-animation-classic-media-acquisition-155-million-353014

[5] David Barboza and Brooks Barnes http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/business/global/08iht-park08.html?_r=0

[6] Brooks Barnes http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/dreamworks-animation-leaves-paramount-for-20th-century-fox-as-distributor/

[7] Nikki Finke http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/dreamworks-animations-release-schedule/

[8] Mike Snider http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2012/10/22/ceo-forum-dreamworks-jeffrey-katzenberg/1646191/

[9] DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. http://ir.dreamworksanimation.com/releases.cfm

[10] Box Office Mojo http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3574&p=.htm

Columbia/TriStar Pictures

Posted on September 18, 2012 by kkwon01

by Kevin Kwon

Contact Information: 10202 West Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232 United States.

Phone: (310) 244-4000 Fax: (310) 280-1509

Website: http://www.sonypictures.com/

QUICK PROFILE AND HISTORY

Columbia/Tristar Pictures, also known as the Columbia Tristar Motion Picture Group or more recently, Sony Tristar Group, serves as a part of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is the film and television division of Sony Corporation. Columbia/Tristar Pictures is responsible for the marketing, licensing, and promotion of its products. The company boasts an impressive library of over 3,500 movies and twelve films that received Best Picture Academy Awards. A total of three studios makes up Columbia/Tristar Pictures which are: Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, and Sony Pictures Classics. Each of these three studios serves a special purpose; Columbia Pictures specializes in large budget films, Sony Pictures Classics focuses on both foreign and domestic independent films, while Screen Gems is more like a mix of the two.¹

Although founded in 1924, Columbia Pictures was only purchased by Sony for 3.4 billion USD in 1989. The purchase was an unprecedented event and it became the largest acquisition by a Japanese company at that time. Soon after, Sony had moved Columbia to its permanent home in Culver City, California.²In 1998, Sony merged its own TriStar Pictures into its Columbia Pictures division which resulted in a single production company. The reason for this merger, as stated by John Calley, CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment at the time, was because Sony wanted to “focus on producing a larger number of pictures with greater efficiency and less rivalry.”³

For a more detailed look at the company’s history, you can visit here.

KEY EXECUTIVES

Michael Lynton, image courtesy of
www.sonypictures.com

Michael Lynton – Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. CEO of Sony Corporation of America. CEO of Sony Entertainment, Inc.⁴Amy Pascal – Co-Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.⁴

Douglass Belgrad, image courtesy of www.awn.com

Jeff Blake – Vice Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.⁴

Steven N. Bersch – President of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions.⁴Douglass Belgrad – President of Columbia Pictures.⁴Hannah Minghella – President of Production for Columbia Pictures.⁴Clinton Culpepper – President of Screen Gems.⁴Michael Barker, Tom Bernard, and Marcie Bloom – Co-Presidents and Co-Founders of Sony Picture Classics.⁵

COLUMBIA TRISTAR PICTURES IN LATE 2012

August

August 29, 2012 – Sony Pictures Entertainment along with EON Productions, MGM Studios, and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announced their plan to make October 5, 2012, the official and globally celebrated James Bond Day.

Image courtesy of www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com

On this special day, fans of the Bond franchise all over the world will be able to experience numerous events such as a live auction charity with Bond related items, a concert with timeless Bond themes, and Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007, a new documentary from a joint effort between Columbia Pictures, MGM Pictures, Passion Pictures, and Red Box Films. This mega James Bond event not only celebrates the franchise’s 50^th anniversary, but also creates hype and awareness toward the upcoming Bond film from Columbia Pictures, Skyfall. Director Sam Mendes’ Skyfall is one of Columbia Pictures’ most anticipated films in 2012.⁶

September

September 27, 2012 – Although it was already widely known that the upcoming Bond film, Skyfall, was going to be released in IMAX, more news regarding the movie’s relationship with IMAX was revealed. On September 27, 2012, Columbia Pictures announced through the official 007’s Twitter feed that the movie will be released a day early in IMAX theaters. It was also mentioned that the day early release was exclusive to IMAX theaters in the States.⁷ The studio is building great hype for its upcoming Bond film and expects loyal fans of the franchise to experience the movie in IMAX a day early.

Hotel Transylvania poster, image courtesy of www.imdb.com

September 28, 2012 – Columbia Pictures released the animation feature, Hotel Translyvania. The budget for the film amounted to $85 million. Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, Hotel Translyvania benefited from a strong voice acting cast made up of talents such as Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, and Selena Gomez. The movie enjoyed the greatest debut ever for a Columbia Pictures animation feature at $42.5 million in opening weekend, a record that was previously held by The Smurfs at $35.6 million.⁸ In total, the film earned a worldwide gross of $296.6 million and a domestic gross of $143 million.⁹

October

Here Comes the Boom poster, image courtesy of www.imdb.com

October 12, 2012 – Columbia Pictures released, Here Comes the Boom, a movie directed by Frank Coraci. Actor Kevin James stars as a biology teacher who enters the world of mixed martial arts in order to raise money for his struggling school. The movie falls under the Comedy genre, but fails to garner enough laughs from both the fans and the studio. In its debut, Here Comes the Boom, only earned about $3.63 million which marked the worst opening in Kevin James’ career. Altogether, the movie made about $42 million domestically and $53.6 million worldwide.¹⁰

October 26, 2012 – The highly anticipated, Skyfall, is released in many foreign markets which includes but is not limited to the United Kingdom, France, South Korea, Russia, Brazil, and Belgium. The United States will have to wait another two weeks before Skyfall is shown in theaters. On top of high reviews from critics, the film dominated the markets it was introduced in. In the UK, Skyfall, broke the record for a Saturday theater attendance as well as becoming the 2^nd highest grossing film in its opening weekend with a total of #32.3 million made. The film from Columbia Pictures claimed first place in every market it was introduced in during that opening weekend.¹¹

November

Skyfall poster, image courtesy of www.forbes.com

November 11, 2012 – Columbia Pictures finally released, Skyfall, the 23^rd Bond film in its domestic debut on November 9, 2012. The movie enjoyed tremendous success internationally, and it did not disappoint domestically during its opening weekend. Director Sam Mendes’ Skyfall with its impressive cast featuring Daniel Craig as Bond, set the highest opening weekend record ever domestically in Bond film history with a total gross of $88.4 million. This is a tremendous increase from the two previous Bond films, Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale, that both featured Daniel Craig as the beloved spy. Also, Skyfall, was shown in IMAX theaters on Thursday due to its early release and made $2.2 million outside the $88.4 million total weekend gross.¹² In total (up to December 7, 2012), Skyfall, earned a domestic gross of $249 million and a worldwide gross of $872.4 million. In only twelve days since release, Skyfall, took its place as the highest-grossing Bond film of all time.¹³ The highly successful Skyfall owes part of its success to the great marketing team in Columbia Pictures. The team was responsible for creating awareness and hype up to the film’s release worldwide. During the 2012 London Olympics, an event that was watched by millions, Bond made a spectacular appearance in the opening ceremonies. People who witnessed the opening ceremonies could not forget the image of Bond and the Queen jumping out of a plane to join the festivities. Bond’s appearance during the opening ceremonies made people realize again how awesome the iconic spy really is. On top of that event, Adele’s song for the movie was supposedly “leaked,” which added to the hype for the film. The song was well received and reached high rankings in billboard charts all over the world.¹⁴

December

December 3, 2012 – In the upcoming sequel to, The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Dane DeHaan who is famous for his role in the movie, Chronicle, is cast as Harry Osborn.

Dane DeHaan, image courtesy of www.mtv.com

Harry Osborn is a huge character in the Spider-Man universe and serves as a friend to Peter Parker as well as an enemy. Director Marc Webb who directed, The Amazing Spider-Man, is also working on the sequel. He revealed Dane DeHaan’s role as Harry Osborn via Twitter. The Spider-Man franchise is significantly and financially important to Columbia Pictures and Sony reserves all rights to the franchise on film despite the character belonging to the company, Marvel, which is now owned by Disney.¹⁵

2012 WRAP UP

Columbia/Tristar Pictures enjoyed massive success in 2012 with titles such as: Skyfall, The Amazing Spider-Man, Men in Black 3, Hotel Transylvania, Resident Evil: Retribution, Underworld: Awakening, and 21 Jump Street. The Amazing Spider-Man enjoyed the 2^nd largest success after Skyfall with a total gross of $754 million worldwide. The third movie in its franchise, Men in Black 3, followed behind with a total gross of $624 million worldwide. Columbia/Tristar Pictures has the number one market share in North America. There is still one more major film to be released in 2012 which is, Zero Dark Thirty, a film by Kathryn Bigelow. The movie will be released on December 19, 2012.¹⁶

References

1. Hoovers Inc. (2012). Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. Retrieved November 3, 2012, from Hoovers.com:
http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.Columbia_TriStar_Motion_Picture_Group.9a3fb312ea9f08a6.html

2. Sony Pictures Entertainment. (2006). Sony Pictures History. Retrieved March 18, 2012, from Sony Pictures Entertainment Museum: http://www.sonypicturesmuseum.com/studio/history/1

3. Matzer, M. (1998). Sony Is Combining Its TriStar, Columbia Units – Los Angeles Times. Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 7, 2012, from:
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/31/business/fi-34433

4. Senior Management Team. (2012). Sony Pictures. Retrieved October 5, 2012, from:
http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/management.html

5. About Us. (2012). Sony Classics. Retrieved October 15, 2012, from: http://www.sonyclassics.com/about-us/bio-tom-bernard.php

6. James Bond Day Set For October 5. (2012). MTV Movies Blog. Retrieved November 2, 2012, from:
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/08/29/james-bond-day/

7. Billington, A. (2012). Bond’s ‘Skyfall’ Now Set to Open in US IMAX Theaters One Day Early | FirstShowing.net.FirstShowing.net. Retrieved November 3, 2012, from: http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/bonds-skyfall-now-set-to-open-in-us-imax-theaters-one-day-early/

8. Subers, R. (2012). Weekend Report: ‘Hotel Transylvania’ Scares Up New September Record – Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 26, 2012, from: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3536&p=.htm

9. Hotel Transylvania (2012) – Box Office Mojo. (2012). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 3, 2012, from:
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hoteltransylvania.htm

10. Here Comes the Boom (2012) – Box Office Mojo. (n.d.). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 20, 2012, from:
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=herecomestheboom.htm

11. Segars, F. (2012). Foreign Box Office: ‘Skyfall’ Blasts Off Overseas With Massive $78.6 Million. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 30, 2012, from: www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/foreign-box-office-skyfall-blasts-383848

12. Subers, R. (2012). Weekend Report: ‘Skyfall’ Scores Best Bond Debut Ever – Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 30, 2012, from: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3565&p=.htm

13. Skyfall (2012) – Box Office Mojo. (2012).Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 1, 2012, from:
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bond23.htm

14. Marks, J. (2012). Sony’s marketing team sets up ‘Skyfall’ as one of the best Bond movies ever – West Palm Beach Marketing | Examiner.com. Welcome to Examiner.com | Examiner.com. Retrieved December 2, 2012, from:
http://www.examiner.com/article/sony-s-marketing-team-sets-up-skyfall-as-one-of-the-best-bond-movies-ever

15. ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’ Casts Dane DeHaan As Harry Osborn – Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV.com. (2012).New Music Videos, Reality TV Shows, Celebrity News, Top Stories | MTV. Retrieved December 2, 2012, from:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1698274/amazing-spiderman-2-dane-dehaan.jhtml

16. SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT SCORES BIGGEST YEAR EVER AT GLOBAL BOX OFFICE, PASSING $4 BILLION FOR FIRST TIME IN STUDIO HISTORY AS SKYFALL™ BECOMES THE BIGGEST BOND OF ALL TIME. (2012).Sony Pictures. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from:
http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2012/11_12/111812_skyfall.html

CBS Films

Posted on September 18, 2012 by cblangsd

by Christopher Langsdorf

courtesy of aroundthenetworks.com

A Brief History

Created in 2007 CBS FIlms has released nine films to date. The studio handles the development, financing, production and marketing of films. The company has global partnerships in addition to the fact they distribute their own films in the United States. The studio has released nine films and is expected to release anywhere from four to six films per year. [1]

Key FIgures

Wolfgang Hammer

courtesy of www.hollywoodreporter.com

Hammer is currently one half of the Co-Presidents of CBS FIlms. Hammer is the former Executive Vice President for Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. He oversees business, finance, acquisitions and legal affairs for CBS Films. [1]

Terry Press

courtesy of www.cbsfilms.com

Press is the second half of CBS Films Co-Presidents. She oversees creative, marketing, distribution and physical production for the company. Press is the former head of marketing for Dreamworks SKG and was recently honored by THR’s Power 100 rankings for Women in Entertainment. Press came in as number 71 on the list. [1]

Maria Faillace

Image courtesy of www.cbsfilms.com

Faillace responsibilities fall on overseeing the production of the companies original home grown titles. Previously Faillace served as CBS FIlms Senior Vice President of Production as well as spending eight years as a member of Fox 2000, where she eventually became the Vice President of Production. [1]

Scott Shooman

courtesy of www.hollywoodreporter.com

Shooman is the Executive VIce President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions for CBS Films. He recently negotiated the deal in which CBS Films acquired the sequel to the movie The Exorcism. Shooman spent ten years as a member of Sony Pictures. [2]

The Quarterly Report

CBS Corporation recently released their third quarter financial reports as well as their financial earnings for the year to date. Their entertainment division (which CBS FIlms is part of) saw an increase in revenue as it increased to $1.68 billion compared to $1.63 for the same quarter last year. The OIBDA for the entertainment division saw a slight drop off as it was only $384 million vs. $405 million for the quarter last year. However, the Entertainment OIBDA saw an increase for the nine month period to $1.21 billion when compared to $1.11 billion for the first nine months of last year. [3]

In The News

Seven Psychopaths

courtesy of www.royleonard.com

CBS Films most recent release is the film Seven Psychopaths starring Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson and Christopher Walken. The movie opened on October 12th and tells the story of a struggling writer who gets roped into the criminal world of dog kidnapping by a few of his friends. During its opening week the film made $5.8 million and around $4 million the week after.The overall budget for the film was $15 million and the film has made about $14 million to date. Despite its somewhat quiet opening week earnings the film has been very well received and garnered a large number of positive reviews. [4] [5]

In addition to the movie’s cult like popularity it was also recognized by Film Independent, a non profit art organizations which produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards every year since its inception in 1986. Film Independent announced the nominees for each category this past November and Seven Psychopaths received two nominations in two different categories. The first nomination went to Sam Rockwell for Best Supporting Actor and the second nomination was awarded to Martin McDonagh for the “Best Screenplay” category. [4] [6] [7]

The marketing strategy for the film was quite original. Shortly before the movie came out posters started appearing in Hollywood, California for Woody Harrelson’s missing dog.

courtesy of mockingjay.net

This was of course a take off on the dog that is stolen from his character in the movie. In addition to the posters a Twitter account for his movie character Charlie Costello, was created. [8]

Seven Psychopaths received the Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness People’s Choice Award. This was the first time a movie released by CBS Films won any type of award. Seven Psychopaths is the second and final release by the company this year. [9}

The Words

the films stars Bradley Cooper as a struggling writier. courtesy of veryaware.com

The Words was the first film released on September 7th, 2012 and was the first movie released by CBS Films this year. The Words had the third worst opening weekend of the year for any film as it made just $4.75 million (only Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and People Like Us had worse opening weekends at $3.8 million and $4.3 million respectively). [10] [11]

CBS Films purchased the distribution rights to The Words for $2 million, after the film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. [16]

CBS Films did their best to market the film in an attractive way. However, there was backlash as some felt the commercials and trailers for the film were too vague and did not provide enough of an idea as to what the film was about. [10]

CBS Films created a rather original marketing tactic when they encouraged fans of their Facebook page to help write a short story that had the possibility of appearing in the film. They selected the story ideas of 20 finalist who helped complete a short story entitled “No Promises” and each received a free kindle as a prize for their part of the story being selected for the final manuscript. The object of the contest was to create an interactive marketing campaign for the film. Box Office Mojo cited several possible reasons for the films disappointing opening weekend including the fact that for many it was the back to school time of the year which could have had a harsh impact on the film because of it’s PG-13 rating, meaning it was aimed more towards young adults as well as those in their early to mid twenties. [10][12]

The words was produced independently for about $6 million and the film has made $11.4 million domestically and $350,000 oversees to date. [11]

Deus Ex: The Movie

November 15th, 2012 marked a busy day for CBS Films as the company made big news in the film industry on two different fronts. The first story to surface was the announcement that CBS Films will be releasing a movie adaptation of the highly acclaimed video game Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The game launched in 2011 and received critical appraise from the majority of reviewers. [13]

CBS Films has announced they have signed Scott Derrickson to both direct and wirte the screenplay for the film. Derrickson recently directed the financially successful horror film Sinister, which opened last October and has made over $50 million on a budget of just $3 million. [14] [15]

the protagonist of the video game: Adam Jensen courtesy of thegamefanatics.com

The production of the film will be overseen by Maria Faillace and CBS Films Creative Executive Alex Ginno. The news of CBS’s film adaptation of the video game was met with generally positive reaction. The game collected over 100 awards including a nomination for overall game of the year for 2011 and is expected to translate well to film due to its strong narrative. [15] [17] [18]

The Last Exorcism Part 2

The second bit of news to break on November 15th was CBS Films announcing they acquired the distribution rights to the sequel of the extremely popular horror movie The Last Exorcism Part 2 from Studiocanal. The film is scheduled to be released March 2013 and will be directed by Ed Glass-Donnelly. Ashley Bell will return to reprise her role as the film’s protagonist. [19] [20]

courtesy of screenrant.com

Scott Shooman negotiated the deal with Studiocanal, which gives CBS Films the rights to distribution but allows Studiocanal to retain distribution rights in France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The previous film surpassed expectations and earned $20 million, while the sequel has been entirely financed by Studiocanal. [19] [21]

Last Vegas

courtesy of examiner.com

November 5th, 2012 marked one of the company’s biggest announcements to date. The announcement concerned the filming and 2013 release of the movie Last Vegas which will star Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Kevin Kilne and Michael Douglass. The film will be directed by John Turteltaub, while Adam Brooks and Dan Fogelman write the screenplay. [4]

The movie will follow the story of four men in their late sixties who decide to throw a bachelor party for the only one of them who is still single.This film will mark the first time in history that these four men will appear on the same screen together. Between the four men they have collected six Oscar wins and a total of fourteen nominations. [22]

CBS Films Future

In October it was reported by The Hollywood Reporter that Sony Pictures has struggled in both 2011 and 2012 suffering revenue losses from the films they’ve released. Rumors have been circulating that the division of Sony may soon hit the open market and be available for purchase,. something Sony President Kaz Hirai has denied stating that “There is no reason to sell these industry-leading businesses, and no consideration is being given to the idea.. In a recent interview, head of CBS Corporation Leslie Moonves was asked about his interest in Sony Pictures should it become available for purchase. Moonves said he would highly consider making the purchase should the opportunity arise. “We love our current portfolio, but as a content company, we would want to look at them,” [23] [24]

Sources

[1] CBS Films http://www.cbsfilms.com/about_us/

[2] Scott Shooman http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/acquisitions-exec-scott-shooman-moves-216581

[3] CBS Entertainment 3rd Quarter http://investors.cbscorporation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99462&p=irol-newsArticle&id=1755755

[4] Actor, Director and Writer biographies http://www.imdb.com/

[5] Seven Psychopaths Financial Information http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=sevenpsychopaths.htm

[6] Film Independent Spirit Awards http://www.spiritawards.com/

[7] Seven Psychopaths Award Nominations http://www.cbsfilms.com/news/seven_psychopaths_nominated_for_two_independent_spirit_awards

[8] Seven Psychopaths Marketing Campaign http://mockingjay.net/2012/09/11/woody-harrelson-featured-seven-psychopaths-viral-marketing/

[9] Seven Psychopaths People’s Choice Award http://www.hitfix.com/awards-campaign/silver-linings-playbook-beats-argo-for-toronto-film-festival-peoples-choice-award

[10] The Words Opening Weekend http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3522&p=.htm

[11] The Words Financial Information http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=words2012.htm

[12] CBS Films Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/CBS-Films/86622447300

[13] Deus Ex Movie Announced http://www.gamesgreed.com/blog/deus-ex-movie-in-the-works/

[14] Sinister Financial Information http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=sinister.htm

[15] Deus Ex Director http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/729505/deus-ex-movie-confirmed-sinister-director-takes-the-helm/

[16] CBS Films buys The Words http://www.indiewire.com/article/cbs-films-buys-sundance-closing-night-film-the-words

[17] Deus Ex video game awards http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news-2476-Game-of-the-Year-Awards-2011—The-Nominees.html

[18] Deus Ex Game of the year nomination http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news-2476-Game-of-the-Year-Awards-2011—The-Nominees.html

[19] Last Exorcism Sequel Information www.cbsfilms.com

[20] Last Exorcism Sequel Information last-exorcism-2-release-date-images

[21] Last Exorcism Sequel Acquisition ?ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deadline.com%2F2012%2F11%2Fcbs-films-lands-u-s-distribution-rights-to-last-exorcism-ii%2F

[22] Lat Vegas Information las-vegas-stars-michael-douglas-robert-de-niro-morgan-freeman-kevin-kline

[23] Sony Pictures for Sale sony-chief-kaz-hirai-film-384605

[24] Les Moonves comments on Sony Pictures les-moonves-cbs-would-consider-380187

Miramax

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Kelvin Sherman

Miramax is one of the most prestigious entertainment companies in the world. The company has over 700 motion pictures that are award winning. Collectively, the library has received 284 Academy Award nominations and 68 Oscars, including four Best Picture Awards.

History

Brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein in Buffalo, New York founded Miramax in 1979. The name of the company was formed using the first names of their parents Max and Miriam. Miramax was originally created to distribute independent films categorized as commercially unworkable by the big studios. The company’s first obtained success when the Weinstein brothers partnered with British producer Martin Lewis and acquired the U.S. rights to two concert films he had produced. The shows were produced to benefit Amnesty International, a human rights organization. In 1993, the Walt Disney Company purchased Miramax for $60 million dollars. On December 3, 2010 Disney sold Miramax to Filmyard Holdings which is owned by Colony Capital, for $663 million dollars. The company has since stood on its own as an entertainment production company.

Recent January 2012-Present

The co-owner of Miramax, Colony Capital, failed to acquire Summit Entertainment. Colony Capital planned to merge it with Miramax, to create a studio with 700 classic specialty titles in its library that would include the Twilight franchise, a foreign sales operation and the ability to produce and distribute its own pictures.

Miramax CEO Mike Lang Explains His Focus on Digital Marketing

MiraMax College Tour

In early February Miramax launched it’s new college tour with its introductory event being held in Santa Monica at Loyola Marymount University. Miramax’s classic film Good Will Hunting was screened for students and was followed by a question and answer with producer Chris Moore. The tour continued to the University of Colorado at Boulder to present another Miramax classic, Jackie Brown, directed by Quentin Tarantino. The question and answer session at this screening had the star of the film Pam Grier present.

“We started the College Tour as a way to share our films with a new generation of film lovers and expose them to some modern classics that are just as relevant today as when they were first released. It is also a wonderful opportunity for young student filmmakers at colleges and universities across America to connect with first class talent in a very candid and open environment.”– Tommy Moreno, Senior Vice President, Operations

Former Miramax CEO Mike Lang

Shortly after Miramax’s chief executive Mike Lang abruptly exited the company after only one year at the position. Lang released this statement: “I’ve enjoyed my time at Miramax. The company has a great team, and I remain highly supportive of Miramax and its opportunities ahead. I wish the team continued success.” It is still unclear why Lang left the company. Steve Schoch, Miramax CFO, will serve as interim CEO until the position is filled.

Post Mike Lang

On March 29th, Miramax announced the expansion of their global sales team. Miramax made two new hires, Mathilde Rottier, Stuart Shaw, Astrid De Berardinis and Alexandra Tullberg. Mathilde Rottier will be the Vice President of the global sales team, Stuart Shaw, Astris De Berardinis and Alexandra Tullberg as Directors of Sales. The hires were made because of the high demand for Miramax content in new regions such as the Middle East and Asia. “We are also pleased to continue the expansion of our London office with the additions of Alexandra, Astrid and Stuart. They will serve as key sales liaisons with European and Middle Eastern providers as we introduce our lasting and modern films to many territories for the first time.” said Joe Patrick, Head of Worldwide Sales at Miramax.

Miramax added another broadcaster to its licensed content list. British multichannel broadcaster UKTV made an agreement with Miramax in which a number of Studio hit films will be made available to UKTV subscribers in the UK and Ireland across its basic pay and DTT channels.

Miramax made another deal TV platform. The company announced on April 1st that that it has made a deal with Sky Italia in which Sky Italia will show many of Miramax’s collection on the company’s pay television channels in Italy. “The Miramax library offers hit movies in every genre, from action-adventure and horror to comedy and family films – and a vast array of award-winning dramas. We are pleased to continue developing alliances around the globe and that the Miramax films will continue to be available in the Italian market through Sky Italia’s fantastic service.”, said Danny Goldman, Miramax’s Senior Vice President and Head of Sales in Europe.

Legal Dispute

Miramax’s parent company Filmyard Holdings LLC was sued by David Bergstein who claimed he was owed 6 million dollars and 3.3 percent equity in Miramax. Bergstein claims he orchestrated the Colony Capital led purchase of Miramax from The Walt Disney Company. The number that Bergstein is claiming he is owed is worth more than twenty million dollars. The suit was settled outside of court three weeks later, but details of the settlement’s amount was not released.

References

(1) Miramax Film Corporation

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Miramax-Film-Corporation-company-History.html

(2) Miramax Blog

http://www.miramax.com/blog/

(3) Miramax CEO Unexpectedly Resigns: Los Angles Times

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2012/03/miramax-ceo-mike-lang-unexpectedly-resigns.html

(4) Miramax to License Samuel Goldwyn Film Library

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/miramax-samuel-goldwyn-film-library-licensing-deal-306788

(5) Miramax inks UKTV pact: International sales arm expanded

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-03-29/entertainment/sns-201203290825reedbusivarietynvr1118052044mar29_1_miramax-inks-channels

(6) Miramax Owner Settles David Bergstein Lawsuit

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/miramax-david-bergstein-lawsuit-315620

(7) Miramax College Tour

http://www.miramax.com/2012/02/15/miramax-college-tour-cu-boulder-2/

(8) Goldsmith, Jill (April 2, 2012).

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118052165?refCatId=13

(9) BT Vision and Miramax Sign On Demand Movie Deal

http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20120131005592/en

DreamWorks Animation

Gallery

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Kelly Criscione

This gallery contains 14 photos.

by Kelly Criscione DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio that creates computer-generated feature-length movies and television specials. Initially, the company produced dramatic narratives films, such as The Prince of Egypt, The Road to Eldorado and … Continue reading →

20th Century Fox

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Joshua Podrid

Brief Overview

Founded May 31^st 1935 by William Fox, Joseph Schnenck, and Darryl Zanuck, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation has grown to become one of the leading film production companies in the world. Along with the five other major film studios, 20^th Century Fox has its headquarters based in Los Angeles, California. The studio is actually a subsidiary of News Corporation, which is headed by Rupert Murdoch. The company was officially created when Fox Film Corporation merged with Twentieth Century Pictures in 1935. Some of 20^th Century Fox’s most well-known films include The Star Wars Trilogy, X-Men, and Die Hard just to name a few. The company is also responsible for such TV Shows as The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad. Actors such as Marilyn Monroe and Shirley Temple have been film stars who were employed by 20^th Century Fox. The studio also has partnership with Lucasfilm, EuropaCorp, and Spyglass Entertainment.

Recently, 20^th Fox Century has been spotlighted in the news for its claims that Blue-Ray technology is not dead. The studio says that they plan to revive this fairly new technology by retailing more movies and improving overall quality. The production company also recently pulled a trailer for a summertime movie release called Neighbourhood Watch because some found it inappropriate for its PG Rating. Fox will continue to maintain its prominent and strong position in the large field of producing media in film, television, and music.

Brief History –> Current State

1935- began a two company merger.
Fox Film Corporation joined Twentieth Century Pictures to complete what would become one of the most powerful and widespread film companies to ever exist. The company originally started as an independent distributor for film distribution company, United Artists. When important stocks were loss, Co-founder, Darryl Zanuck, began searching for new investors and distributors for movie productions. In May, 1935, Fox Film’s Sidney Kent decided to attempt to merge with Twentieth Century Pictures with hopes of helping his ailing Fox company. Eventually, with Kent as president, Zanuck as head-of-production, and Joseph Schenck as chairman, one of Hollywood’s biggest film powerhouses was created.

The progression of the logo for the company has gone through 10 existing changes throughout its 75 plus years of progression.
1935 (founding date)

2010 (75th Anniversary)

The technology and graphics of a large amount of what Fox is comprised of have drastically improved over the years. Fox now offers many popular animated cartoons.

The 1950’s brought much struggle for the somewhat thriving company. The advent and social boom of public television in domestic settings interfered harshly with the progression of any movie company during this time. Fox had made big investments in some movies, hoping that there would be an opportunity to strike a large sum of money before they predicted television’s massive expansion.

Zanuck almost independently produced low-budgeted movies in these times of desperation. Fox Studios produced over 20 movies in only 14 months. The mid 1960’s brought serious positive optimism for Zanuck and his company. The release of The Sound of Music in 1964 was the predicted payoff that Zanuck had hoped for. The film grossed over $80 million in revenues, and became top of the box office charts for weeks. In surpassing MGM’s Gone with the Wind, which monetarily had not been topped for almost 30 years, 20th Century Fox became prominent as one of America’s most powerful studio companies.
Some 45 years later, Fox still makes profit from this musical movie, as in 2010, the film was released in Blue-Ray.

Again, the 1980’s brought struggle for the company as they released three consecutive movies with a lack of profit. The budgets outweighed the profits for movies such as:
The Rose, and I Ought to be in Pictures.

In 1985, News Corporation’s Rupert Murdoch, invested $132 million in 20th Century Fox to own half of the company. With the combination of this money, the resources Murdoch offered, and the acquirement of several television networks, Fox Studios almost immediately advanced $88 million in profits. Just recently in late April, a committee of British lawmakers claimed that Murdoch was inevitably unfit to run his News Corp company, along with 20th Century Fox.

With the help of Murdoch’s fundings, 20th Century Fox was able to establish itself as one of America’s most thriving and successful Film studios to ever exist.

In 1988, The New York Times, headlined an article: “20th Century-Fox Advances in Box-Office War.” The release of Tom Hanks’ Big profited the company over $100 million. This was a major milestone for 20th Century Fox in becoming one of the top movie production companies.
See NYTimes article

20th Century Fox hangs on to the 5th position of the “Big Five” Studio Production Companies. It trails such industry giants as Universal and Sony.
The following chart represents the money distribution to the top ten film production companies in America in the year 2012:

20th Century Fox should continue to remain a dominant force for film production in the movie industry for much time to come.

After Fox attempted to delay DVD production of some popular films, Redbox, the 1 dollar per night DVD rental technology, has decided to sue Fox because they felt as if this action would intentionally delay Redbox sales and put their business at a disadvantage. A news article on this major drawback in Fox’s thriving success can be found here:
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/3894082/

News Source recently published an article that spoke of choosing a new software to monitor Fox’s video content around the world.
The technology, called Civolution, will track audience members’ usage of any of Fox’s video content. It will also manage and hopefully monetize much of what Fox publicly broadcasts via television, movies, the internet, or any other source of media information today.
The service offered is called Teletrax. Teletrax will help to establish certain viewing preferences, trends, and predictions that can be made for 20 Century Fox’s future. For example, Fox is currently monitoring video data usage in other places across the world, such as Europe, and the Middle-East. This allows Fox to analyze user data globally and helps the company to compare American data with data from places around the world.

News Source interviewed with 20 Century Fox’s ECO, Tom Rothman, about the future release of some Fox Studio made films. Two included were the mention of, yet another, X-Men movie. This promises to be a box-office success according to Rothman, who claims the movie features a more “Bad ass Wolverine” character. (Complex Magazine)
Rothman also spoke of the 2012 release of the new Die Hard series movie. A Good Day to Die Hard will feature the ageless Bruce Willis, but also the inclusion of his son. The film aims to satisfy mostly a male audience. Rothman claimed that the film will attract many for its usage of rarely seen emotions from Bruce Willis because he has grown close with his son. The film hopes to be another successful inclusion to the very popular Die Hard series.

Super hero movies that Fox has been responsible for have often disappointed audience members. Fox hopes to reboot their making of a new Fantastic Four movie after the previous two failures. Fox also hopes to rewrite or remake many of its older stories. The unsuccessful film, Daredevil, saw little box-office and domestic success. It was claimed as one of the worst super hero movies of all time in fact. Fox has recently hired David James Kelly to rewrite another Daredevil movie. While Kelly has no actual prior Hollywood screenplay writing background, Fox Studios hopes that the second go at this super hero film will be much more of a success.

20th Century Fox is always hoping to move forward in their movie production, and in their presence in many other media industries. The addition on many anticipated films should promise to keep Fox’s business thriving for years to come.
Whether Fox will surpass other production companies is at question; the studio should not worry much about losing its top ranks though.
The following page link outlines, by year, all the movies that 20th Century Fox has ever released.
Full List of 20th Century Fox Movies

Fox employs thousands of workers worldwide, owns dozens of global headquarters, and is partially responsible for much that we see in the movies, television, the news, the internet, and any other media source we use.