Relativity Media engages in full-scale film and television production and distribution, music publishing, sports management and digital media. Relativity Media has produced, distributed, or financed over 200 films and generated more $22 billion in box office revenue worldwide. The company partners with and invests in other media-related companies, including a recent partnership with Major League Gaming (MLG). [2] Currently, their film Free Birds is in theaters.
Executives:
Ryan Kavanaugh Tucker Tooley Happy Walters Gregory Shamo Robbie Brenner
CEO President Co-COO Co-COO Pres., Production
Ryan Kavanaugh is both the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Relativity Media. He is a producer, and has been producer or executive producer of many of Relativity Media’s recent movies, including Out of the Furnace and The Family.
Tucker Tooley, as president of Relativity since 2007, oversees its daily operations, as well as marketing and distribution. He was also producer of We’re The Millers, released in summer 2013.
Happy Walters, since 2012, has served as Co-Chief Operating Officer for Relativity. He helps determine the direction that Relativity Media will go in future seasons and handles day-to-day operations.
Gregory Shamo oversees the corporate, business, and legal affairs of Relativity Media, as well as assisting the day-to-day operations of the company. He has helped lead several of the major deals that Relativity Media has made, including the distribution agreement they have made with Twentieth Century Fox.
Robbie Brenner, the President of Production, leads the production team in filmmaking. She has overseen a large number of the films produced by Relativity Media, and led the acquisition of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Don Jon. [3]
Recent Releases:
Don Jon Official Trailer Don Jon, directed by and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is a comedy about Jon, a rather stereotypical stud who can get a different girl every weekend, and Barbara, a girl raised on Disney looking to find her Prince Charming. It focuses around their attempt to find intimacy despite their differences and the fantasies of the culture of the time. [4]
Don Jon opened on 27 September, and made a domestic gross of over $24 million, on a production budget of only $6 million, reaching #5 in the weekend box office on its opening weekend. [5]
Free Birds Official Trailer Free Birds, directed by Jimmy Hayward and excellently premiering in the month of November, is a buddy comedy about a pair of turkeys who want nothing to do with each other, but must team up in order to change history and remove turkeys from the holiday menu. [6]
Free Birds is currently in its fourth week, having opened on 1 November. It has already grossed over $42 million out of its $55 million budget, and has remained in the Top 5 weekend box office for all three weekends. [7]
Financial Information for Relativity Media is unavailable, as it is not a publicly traded company.
The Shift:
Relativity Media has largely focused on financial backing of projects created by other groups or studios, but that is changing. The company spent months exchanging one financial backer for a full consortium of investors, and with the closure of this shift, the company is ramping up production on a large variety of coming projects as it becomes a full-fledged studio capable of releasing 10 to 15 movies per year. [8]
Among the upcoming projects is the adaptation of the memoir Not Without Hope, which will be financed, produced, and distributed by Relativity Media. Dwayne Johnson is planned to star in the film, which is based on a story of four friends who were tragically stranded at sea, struggling to survive while hoping for help to come. [9]
Another upcoming project, to be released on 6 December, is Out of the Furnace, a gritty drama produced by Scott Cooper, about a blue collar man whose brother is pulled into a crime ring. When his brother disappears, he takes matters into his own hands to find justice for his brother. [10]
Partnership with Major League Gaming:
MLG and Relativity Media have partnered to begin producing original content about professional gamers. Though professional gaming is somewhat of a niche market, it is expanding, and quite a few people follow it closely, many saying that professional gamers deserve as much respect as professional athletes. They plan to produce content to better paint a picture of these players and the audiences to non-gamers, hoping that some of these gamers may even eventually become attached to brands in the same way that many athletes today are. It has been pointed out that both companies target similar demographic audiences, with most of their products targeting men much more than women. [2]
Mr. Keith Rupert Murdoch, 82 years old Chairman of the Board and CEO
HIS TEAM [3] Mr. Eduardo Echeverria – Senior VP of Latin America Mr. Michael Peikoff – Senior VP of Licensing and Merchandising Mr. Robert Marick – Executive VP
BIO
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, better known as 20th Century Fox, is one of the top six world-renowned American film studios. It is a fully-equipped studio with over 17 stages, based out of the Century City area of Los Angeles, California. It is a subsidiary of the major media conglomerate 21st Century Fox as of recent divisional affairs. Major motion pictures from the studio include Avatar, Star Wars, X-Men, and Independence Day. [5]
20th Century Fox began as Fox Film Corporation, which was started by movie theater chain entrepreneur William G. Fox. He began Fox Film Corporation when he merged his two companies Greater New York Film Rental and Fox Office Attractions Company in 1915, unknowingly creating the foundations of one of the biggest film production companies in American history. Fox Film Corporation eventually merged with Twentieth Century Pictures on May 31, 1935 to become what we know today as The Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, or simply, 20th Century Fox. [1]
20th Century Fox is a subsidiary of the newly established 21st Century Fox. This past June 2013, mega-media distributor News Corporation (founded by Rupert Murdoch in 1979) was split into two separately traded companies; 21st Century Fox and News Corp. The film/media assets (20th Century Fox Studios) went to 21st Century Fox, and the publishing assets went strictly to News Corp. This highly anticipated split was achieved to appease long-term shareholders who were tired of the lesser of the successes, the publishing assets, from weighing down the stock. [4]
FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT
21st Century Fox (the owner of the subsidiary 20th Century Fox) is publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol FOXA. As of last week (Tuesday, November 5th) it has been an official quarter since the June 2013 split of News Corporation into News Corp and 21st Century Fox. Since the split, the quarter report reveals that 21st Century Fox profit has experienced a 44% profit loss. Net income for the past quarter was 1.26 billion or 54 cents a share [8] whereas a year ago, it was 2.23 billion or 94 cents a share. This drop may be due the launch of two new cable channels, FXX and Fox Sports 1, however Fox executives recognize their success take time. “We knew going in that building these networks would take a few years, not months, and many of our signature events and programs are yet to be launched” Chase Carey, Chief Operating Officer of 21st Century Fox, said. However in terms of studio revenue, there was a 9% increase to $2.12 billion in the past quarter, partially attributed to the sale of popular TV series New Girl to Netflix and strong movie releases such as The Wolverine and The Heat, although neither compared to last year’s blockbuster Ice Age: Continental Drift. [7]
In Theaters now: 20th Century Fox recently released the young adult film The Book Thief on November 8, 2013, based on the best-selling novel. It tells of the journey of a young adopted girl, Liesel, and her life-changing experiences during World War II in Nazi-occupied Germany. Because of the film’s heavy theme and need to find its niche audience, it is being released gradually. Over opening weekend it was only released in four theaters (two in New York and two in LA), the second weekend it opened in 29 theatres, and its major release will be November 27, over Thanksgiving weekend. [12] The film ranked #30 in terms of gross total and has made a total of $569,000 thus far, although greater success after its main release is highly anticipated. [11] On the same day The Book Thief was released, another 20th Century Fox motion picture, 12 Years A Slave, took box offices by storm. It is the story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, who is sold into slavery in the antebellum south. The movie is in its 5th week and ranks #8 on top grossing movies on the past weekend. It has made nearly 25 million dollars and is showing in 1,411 theatres. [11]
Past successes of the quarter include the drug trafficking thriller The Counselor (which currently ranks #18 in its 4th week) which has made $16,582,000. Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake’s Runner Runnercame in third in its opening weekend, after Gravity and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs. Although it did not receive much praise from the critics, Runner Runner’s international release helped its numbers greatly. It grossed a domestic total of over 19 million dollars and adding this to its foreign box office totals, the film has earned over 60 million dollars. [14]
Other films released this year include the indie teen romance The Spectacular Now, comedy The Internship, and 3-D animated kids movie Epic. In 2012, 20th Century Fox hits included Life Of Pi, Lincoln, and Diary Of Wimpy Kid: Dog Days. [13]
WHAT’S TO COME?
Walking With Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty will finish out 20th Century Fox’s releases of 2013. For 2014, Devil’s Due, Son of God, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, The Maze Runner, the extremely expensive sequels X-Men: Days of Future Past, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, are all in store.[13]
20th Century Fox recently began discussing plans for the creation of a theme park near Miami Florida’s Zoo, after its recent agreement to create one in Malaysia. The plan would consist of 70 acres of a traditional “Orlando-style” amusement park with rides and attractions themed around the studio’s recent hit movies, such as Rio, Ice Age, Life of Pi, and Night at the Museum. There would be a separate 16-acre water park, an expansive hotel, a movie theater (used for Fox film premiers), a concert hall, a shopping strip, and a sports park. The cost of the park is 1 billion dollars, although Fox is only looking to pay $800 million of it, and hopes Miami-Dade County can fund the rest. Although nothing is finalized yet, Fox projects a dual-phased opening, one in 2018 and one in 2020. [15]
Founded in 1923 under the name “The Disney Brothers Studio”,The Walt Disney Studios began as a humble cartoon studio, producing classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Fantasia, Mary Poppins, and The Lion King. Today, The Walt Disney Studios, also known as Disney/Buena Vista, has become one of the largest film companies in the world, churning out internationally successful live-action and animated films aimed at entertaining the whole family. The Walt Disney Studios umbrella encompasses several studios owned and operated by The Walt Disney Studios, including Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Touchstone Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, and Marvel Studios. Disney also acquired Lucasfilm Ltd. in late 2012 for $4 billion. [1][2][3]
Key Executives
Robert A. Iger– Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company
Alan Bergman– President of The Walt Disney Studios
Photo courtesy of www.waltdisneystudios.com
Financials
In 2013, The Walt Disney Company brought in $45.0 billion of revenue ($9.4 billion gross profit), up from $42.3 billion in 2012 ($8.9 billion gross profit) , and $38.0 billion in 2010 ($6.7 billion gross profit). As of this writing (11/18/2013), Disney stock sits at an even $70.00 per share, a significant increase from $47.45 a year ago (11/19/2013).[4] Through November 14th, 2013 Disney/Buena Vista commands 13.1% of the studio market share, trailing Warner Bros. (17.8%) and Universal (14.6%).[5] Disney/Buena Vista thrives on the blockbuster, with four films grossing over $100 million domestically in 2013 and 2012. Of these eight films, three of them are part of Marvel Studio’s “Avengers” franchise, which shows the enormous financial returns on Disney’s $4 billion investment to purchase Marvel Entertainment in 2009.[6][7] In early November 2013, Disney/Buena Vista broke its all-time global box office record of $3.79 billion, set in 2010, with over six weeks and three major releases left to go in 2013, setting Disney/Buena Vista up for a year of eye-popping numbers. [17]
Recent Film Releases
Photo courtesy games.disney.com
Planes– DisneyToon Studios’ Planes follows a crop-dusting plane named Dusty Crophopper with big dreams of being a racer and a fear of heights. After training under veteran fighter, Skipper, Dusty qualifies for the prestigious Wings Across the World race. There, as an underdog, he meets friend and foe, but, more importantly, learns to break down his physical and mental barriers.[8]
As a DisneyToon production, Planes was initially meant for a straight-to-DVD release and cost Disney a relatively cheap $50 million to make, yet opened with a robust $22 million weekend opposite Sony’s Elysium in early August, eventually pulling in $89 million domestically in over 3,700 theaters. [9] [10][6]
The film received a Metascore of just 32 from review-aggregator site Metacritic.com with some reviewers appreciating the modesty of the film, while others docked the film for lacking the quality of other animated Disney films and an overly simplistic plot. [11]
Thor: The Dark World takes place two years after the events of Thor, focusing on Thor’s quest for peace in the nine realms of Asgard. Thor misses Earth and his love-interest Dr. Jane Foster, but is prevented from traveling back to her by Odin, Thor’s father. However, when Foster travels through a wormhole, uncovering an ancient weapon called Aether that threatens the fate of Asgard and Earth. Thor then decides to team up with Foster and his half-brother, and villain of the Thor and Marvel’s The Avengers films, Loki, to destroy the Aether and save Asgard from the wrath of the dark elf Malekith. [12]
At the time of this writing Thor:The Dark World has earned over $145 million at the domestic box office just two weekends after its November 8th release in over 3,800 theaters, and should recoup its $170 million budget in the very near future. The Dark World has also thrived overseas, pulling in just under $333 million worldwide. The real test will be to see how the film performs after Lionsgate releases The Hunger Games: Catching Fire onNovember 22nd which some believe will open with a $150 million weekend. Nevertheless, The Dark World is already a financial success for Disney and should continue to put up strong numbers at the box office for several weeks as the holiday movie-going season kicks off. Click here to watch the trailer for Thor:The Dark World[12][15]
Upcoming Film Releases
Photo courtesy of wikia.disney.com
Frozen–Frozen is the latest effort from the wildly successful Walt Disney Animation Studios, opening the day before Thanksgiving on November 27th, 2013. Based on the fairy tale written by Danish Author Hans Christian Andersen, “The Snow Queen,” Frozen revolves around the story of two sisters, Anna and Elsa, the latter of which has the supernatural ability to control ice and snow. When Elsa accidentally uses these powers in public, she flees, plunging the kingdom into eternal winter. Determined to end the cold snap, Anna enlists the help of the mountain man Kristoff and the animated snow man Olaf. [16]
Opening up the day before Thanksgiving should give Frozen ample time to marinate in the holiday climate before more major titles are released before for Christmas. As with Thor:The Dark World, Frozen will have to compete with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire for attention, but the film keeps a significant advantage in its subject matter as a children’s musical adventure in the midst of several films that touch more serious topics. Frozen will also benefit from being released in 3D, which will provide a major boost to its numbers at the box office. On the other side of the spectrum of success, Frozen could garner some looks as the Academy Awards approach in a relatively weak year for animated movies that included a sequel (Despicable Me 2) and a prequel (Monsters University) as the highest earners at the box office in the animated category. [16]
Columbia Pictures is a major film production and distribution studio, and primary wing of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. The company is a leading division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. With a history spanning nearly 100 years Columbia has produced over 3,500 films, many among them classics [23].
They had originally called the company CBC, but changed the name to Columbia in 1922. They produced their first film More to Be Pitied Than Scorned that same year [2].
In 1924, the company really began to expand with the debut of director Frank Capra [2]. Capra directed such classic films during the ’30s as It Happened One Night (1934), which gained Columbia Pictures its first Best Picture Academy Award. [2]
Columbia grew quickly following Capra’s success, earning several academy awards, becoming one of the first major studios to invest in television [2], and launching Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment. In 1982, the company established an impressive television library with Columbia TriStar Television [2]. The next year, Columbia formed TriStar Pictures with CBS and HBO [2].
In 1989 the Sony Corporation purchased Columbia Pictures Corporation, bringing Columbia into its entertainment division. [2] Since then, the company has had several major successes. They continue to dominate, but more as a film distributor and production studio for Sony’s major films [20]. The executives for Sony and Columbia Pictures provide key leadership.
Though not a direct member of the Columbia Pictures executive team, Michael Lynton is the CEO of Sony Entertainment, as well as the Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. As chairman, overseeing Columbia’s operations. [5]
Since 2008, Doug Belgrad has served as the president of Columbia Pictures [6]. Since then, he has overseen some of Columbia’s most recent successes such as Captain Phillips and This is the End.
Hannah Minghella serves as Columbia’s President of Production, having joined the company in 2005 and receiving a promotion to her current position in 2010 [7].
Together, Columbia’s management has guided the company through varied amounts of success [5]. Columbia works directly under Sony Picture Entertainment for its productions distribution, distribution deals, and financial ventures.
Financials
Columbia is privately traded, so current financial data is unavailable [21]. However, Box Office Mojo estimates that Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment have earned over $1 billion in gross sales this year, and controlled 11.5 percent of the market share [22]. Despite some recent successes, Columbia Pictures experienced some criticism. According to a recent Bloomberg article, Sony Corporation has hired Bain and Co. to manage $100 million in spending cuts that are meant to improve Sony Pictures Entertainment. The article attributes some of the changes to After Earth and White House Down two recent film releases by Columbia [23].
2013: Snapshot
Like many major production studios, Columbia has many projects in development at any given time, though it has worked mainly as production house and distribution company for Sony over the past few years. The following releases are projects that the company has either released in the past year or recently put into development.
White House Down: Box Office Disappointment
White House Down was one of Columbia’s major releases for the summer. This action thriller stars Channing Tatum a cop who must save his daughter and the United Stated President (played by Jamie Foxx) from an unknown terrorist group. [8]
According to Box Office Mojo, the film brought in over $200 million, but had a production budget of over $150 million [9]. This was surprising given that the film released during the summer and had the makings of a blockbuster. The movie had to compete with a similar film called Olympus Has Fallen starring Morgan Freeman and Gerard Butler, which might have caused a divide in film audiences over which movie to see. Columbia Pictures and Sony might be able to salvage some profit with a home entertainment release since they will most likely retain the rights, but this film seems like a missed opportunity for Columbia Pictures.
Cloudy With Chance of Meatballs 2: A Strong Success
This past fall, Columbia Pictures managed the theatrical release for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. The new film is the sequel to Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, a popular animated film that Columbia Pictures released in 2009 in conjunction with several other studios [11].
This second installment has been a success relative to the summer mishap of White House Down, earning almost $200 million worldwide compared to a budget of $78 million [10]. Columbia Pictures will most likely benefit from a profitable DVD release as well, bringing in more profit after the film closes in theaters.
One of Columbia Picture’s most recent leases is Captain Phillips the suspense thriller based on the actual hijacking of Maersk Alabama, which was captured by Somalian pirates in 2009 [12]. Tom Hanks plays the eponymous character Captain Richard Phillips, giving the film some major star power.
The film has done well since its October release nearly doubling its budget of $55 million [13]. Despite critical success for the film, a recent New York Post article criticized it for portraying a false story.
The actual crew of the film has spoken out against the portrayal of Captain Phillips, which they claim to be completely false [14]. The film does not seem to be suffering from this poor press, however. If the film receives any Oscars, it will probably have another wave of sales after its eventual DVD release.
Future Projects
RoboCop
This film is a recreation of the 1987 sci-fi film of the same name. The story follows Alex Murphy, a cop who becomes a machine-human soldier after experiencing a nearly fatal injury [16].
The film has some well-known actors, but the real appeal is film’s name itself. Given the popularity of the original character and the film’s President’s Day weekend release date, RoboCop should draw huge audiences for Columbia Pictures.
New Acquisitions
Columbia Pictures has recently been listed as a production studio for some of Sony Picture Entertainment’s most recent acquisitions. One of the most notable acquisitions is Annie, for which Sony gained the film distribution rights this year [18]. The film version of the classic musical is set to release next year.
Columbia has also started developing projects based on the popular novels The Rosie Project and Tomorrow And Tomorrow [19].Both of these projects are still in development, but will join the slate of films that Columbia is set to produce for the coming year, including The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and RoboCop [18].
Despite some of the financial criticism that Columbia Pictures received for some of its more recent box office disappointments, it is still one of the dominant film studios. And given some of the high-profile film’s on Columbia’s slate for the coming year, it will most likely retain its position as a major entertainment entity.
founders initially planned to create DreamWorks as a diversified media firm, however they quickly realized that this was the wrong approach and transformed DreamWorks into a television and film developing, producing and distributing powerhouse. The partners sold DreamWorks to Viacom in 2005 and the majority of DreamWorks Studios’ films are now marketed and distributed by Walt Disney Studios. [6][7]
DreamWorks Studios is a mini-major motion picture company led by Steven Spielberg in partnership with the Reliance ADA group. DreamWorks develops and produces films and television programming with a goal of releasing or producing a minimum of five to six films each year. Since its inception, DreamWorks Studios has produced and developed over 75 motion pictures including three consecutive Academy Award Best Pictures in 1999, 2000 and 2001. With distribution outlets in North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and Russia, DreamWorks’ success in the film industry prompted the company to split into two separate entities in 2004, DreamWorks Studios and DreamWorks Animation. [8]
Financials
Unlike DreamWorks Animation, DreamWorks Studios has remained a privately held company and is not required to release financial statements to the public. However, significant financial information about the company is available through research. Initially funded by the three founders who each contributed $33 million, DreamWorks was also initially capitalized by an investment of $500 million from Microsoft co-Founder, Paul Allen. Despite earning Academy Awards for Best Picture in 1999, 2000 and 2001, nu-
merous box office flops resulted in a $400+ million debt for the film company, which nearly declared bankruptcy twice. In February 2006 DreamWorks and Viacom agreed to terms that awarded Viacom control of DreamWorks Studios for an approximate $1.5 billion. Viacom assumed DreamWorks’ debt, however Viacom’s film distribution company, Paramount Pictures, also acquired DreamWorks’ film library that was valued at $900 million. [9] In 2008, DreamWorks ended its distribution deal with Paramount Pictures and inked another $1.5 billion deal with one of India’s largest media companies, Reliance ADA Group, which now owns 50% of the DreamWorks Studios. JP Morgan executives Clark Hallren and Alan Levine guided Reliance Media’s formulation of a business plan for DreamWorks Studios. [10]
Early Filmography
Although considered a mini-major film company, DreamWorks competes with major film studios. In 1997, DreamWorks released its first film, The Peacemaker. After several smaller films, DreamWorks made a significant impact in 1998 with the release of Saving
Private Ryan, featuring Tom Hanks. Grossing just under $500 million, the film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. DreamWorks Studios’ success was just beginning. During the next three years DreamWorks Studios films won Best Picture for American Beauty (1999), Gladiator (2000) and A Beautiful Mind (2001), bringing in over $1 billion and 14 Academy Awards. DreamWorks Studios also enjoyed success in television with the HBO 10-part mini series, ‘The Pacific’ (2010). The series was nominated for 23 Emmy Awards, winning eight. [6]
Right Here. Right Now.
Radical Changes
Despite its film and television success, by 2012 DreamWorks Studios was losing tens of millions of dollars a year. In 2013, the founders began streamlining operations to focus on improving profits. Although DreamWorks has its history as a Hollywood film
‘Lincoln’ DreamWorks film co-financed with 20th Century Fox [10.6]
company, the studio began slashing budgets and transitioning to more of an independent film company. Beginning by reducing annual films in production from six to two, they tightened film schedules from 60-days to 40-days as well as keeping film budgets under $30 million. DreamWorks now utilizes co-financing on almost all of its films to reduce its financial risk and has slashed its work force from 120 employees to a lean 80. [11]
With DreamWorks’ new business plan they now have the flexibility to release three or four films a year. This year, DreamWorks produced and released three new films. The first, ‘The Fifth Estate’, released on October 18, 2013, chronicles the demise of the company WikiLeaks. The film “reveals the quest to expose the deceptions and corruptions of power that turned an Internet upstart into the 21st century’s most fiercely debated organization.” Although a popular and compelling story, the film has yet to earn a fraction of its $28 million budget, only earning $3 million domestically to date. [12][13]
The second film being released this Friday, November 22, 2013 is the comedy ‘Delivery Man’ featuring Vince Vaughn. This heavily marketed film presents the story of underachiever David Wozniak, whose uneventful life gets turned upside down when he finds out that he unintentionally fathered 533 children via sperm donations that he made in his youth. [14][15]
The final film that DreamWorks has finished production on this year is the action-packed ‘Need For Speed’. A spinoff of the popular video game series set to release March 14,
2014, this film is DreamWorks’ attempt to grab a piece of the racing genre popularized by Universal Studios’ ‘The Fast and The Furious’ which has released six movies and is the most successful racing movie series ever. [16][17]
2013 Acquisitions
Along with slashing budgets and modifying business plans, DreamWorks Studios has focused on purchasing rights to popular literary works. Early in 2013, they obtained the rights to Richard C. Morais’s best-selling novel, ‘The One-Hundred Foot Journey’. The film went into production on October 9, 2013 and is scheduled for release on August 8, 2014. Also in October 2013, DreamWorks Studios acquired an untitled pitch from screenwriting
brothers Phil and Scott Rosenberg. “Plot details are being kept under wraps, but sources describe the film as a ‘modern-day-mission movie’ with a supernatural twist. [18]” Industry experts are waiting to see if DreamWorks will put the pitch into production. The most recent purchase occurred on October 30, 2013 when DreamWorks acquired the film rights to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin’s recently released book, The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism. Goodwin and DreamWorks successfully collaborated on the 2012 film ‘Lincoln’ which grossed over $275 million. [19][20]
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA www.paramount.com
KEY EXECUTIVES
Brad Grey courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter
Brad Grey is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Paramount Pictures since 2005. Grey has won Academy Awards as producer for many films such as The Departed and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Under Grey’s tenure Paramount released some of their highest grossing films of all time such as Transformers, Indiana Jones, and the Paranormal Activityfranchises. [1]
Rob Moore courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter
Rob Moore has been the Vice Chairman since 2008. He previously worked at the Walt Disney Company for 13 years as Senior Financial Analyst and was later appointed Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations. [2]
Frederick Huntsberry courtesy of Paramount.com
Frederick Huntsberry has been the Chief Operating Officer since 2006. His previous work includes different positions in the Finance and Business Development at Universal Studios. He was the President of NBC Universal Television Distribution. [3]
Adam Goodman courtesy of thezog.info
Adam Goodman is the President of Paramount Film Group since June 2009. He previously served as President of Production. He also was the President of Production at Dreamworks Studio. Some of his work that he is credited for includes Flight,Super 8, andTrue Grit. After the success with the Paranormal Activity franchise Goodman created Paramount’s micro-budget division called Insurge Pictures which distributed successful films like Justin Beiber: Never Say Never, Jackass 3D and Katy Perry: Part Of Me.[4]
BREIF HISTORY
In 1912 Adolph Zukor founded the Famous Players Film Company that would later be called Paramount Pictures Inc. Paramount is the is the longest functioning and only major studio that remains in Hollywood. With remarkable talent and executives Paramount was a leader in the entertainment industry from very early on. The company won their first Academy Award in 1927 for Best Picture, just one year after moving to their present studio lot. They pride themselves with the highest grossing movie of all time, Titanic. In 2011 Paramount broke a record in the film industry with six consecutive films bringing each bringing in a revenue over $100 million dollars at the box office. Last year marked Paramount’s 100th year in the entertainment industry. Media conglomerate Viacom owns Paramount Pictures. [4][5]
FINANCIALS
So far this year Paramount Pictures released 7 movies, with a $810 million dollar yearly gross. It is ranked number 6 behind Warner Bros, Universal, Buena Vista, Sony/Columbia, and 20th Century Fox. As of November 2013, Paramount has a 8.9% market share, already surpassing 2012’s results when Paramount was ranked number 7 with a 8.4% market share, a gross difference of $106 million dollars. After several quarters of declining revenue, Paramount Pictures had the best quarter yet with an 11% increase in revenue. Star Trek Into Darkness is Paramount’s most successful movie of 2013, followed by World War Z and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. With the anticipation of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, coming out December 20th, it will be interesting to see if Paramount can climb the ranks and place top 5. [6][7][8][9]
RECENT NEWS
courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa was the only film Paramount released this fall. It has brought in $90 million from a $15 million dollar budget. The lighthearted comedy impressed moviegoers, surpassing popular films such as Gravityand Captain Phillips in box office results.
courtesy of fandango.com
Paramount tried something different this Fall. From August 30th-September 5th Paramount combined Star Trek Into Darkness and World War Z into a double feature where moviegoers would be able to see these two films for the price of one in select AMC theaters. This is the first time a studio has done this. [10][11]
courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is Paramount’s most anticipated movie of 2013 will be released on December 20th. Paramount is coming out with very classy and creative marketing and promotional ideas for this upcoming film. [12]
For instance, Paramount Pictures is teaming up with Dodge Brand in a humorous promotion contest for Anchorman 2. Fans will be able to win an all-new 2014 Dodge Durango by going to funnyordie.com to play “Hands on Ron Burgundy”. This contest tests fan’s endurance and perseverance to see how many times they can touch Ron Burgundy. The fan who lasts the longest in one session wins a new car with about a hundred additional prizes for those who place close. [13] [14]
Also, Paramount is allowing fans to see Anchorman 2 two days before the December 20th release date. They announced that special “supertickets” will be available on November 26th. Paramount is expanding on their promotional idea done with World War Z’s “megaticket” that viewers bought for $50 to see the film 2 days before national release, available in 5 U.S. cities. [15]
On November 14 The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Paramount Pictures is in development on a number of sequels that in Mission Impossible, World War Z, Star Trek and G.I.Joe.[17]
David Chase courtesy of imbd.co
David Chase The Sopranos director, sold Paramount Pictures the script of Little Black Dress. Thumbnail: While working a potentially lethal investigation at a post-war job, she gets involved with a superstitious NYPD detective who helps bring her back from a personal precipice. This film is in the developmental stage. [18][19]
Recently, Paramount has expressed disappointment regarding California’s tax incentives to bring film productions back to Hollywood. The Los Angeles Mayor promised to “storm” Sacramento to bring about a greater annual Film/TV Tax Credit program. Paramounts Studio Group President, Randy Baumberger was quoted saying:
“virtually no feature films are shot in LA anymore. What producers need are commitment and consistency. What producers are looking for is to be able to plan out 3 or 4 years”. [20]
Universal Pictures (or Universal Studios) is one of the Big Six major film companies. It is a motion picture studio that produces and distributes films. Universal Pictures owns Focus Features and Illumination Entertainment as well. [1][2]
Brief History
Universal Pictures was founded in 1912, making it the oldest movie studio in the United States, and the fourth oldest studio currently in production in the world. In May 2004 Vivendi Universal sold it’s controlling share of the company to General Electric, creating NBCUniversal (General Electric is NBC’s parent company). However, the film production subsidiary of the company remains named Universal Studios. Jaws (1975), E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and Jurassic Park (1993) are some of Universal Studios most famous films, each breaking box office records to become the highest-grossing film of their time. [3]
Stephen B. Burke Chief Executive Officer, NBCUniversal
photo courtesy of NBCUniversal
Stephen B. Burke oversees all aspects of NBCUniversal, including Universal Pictures. He has been in this position since January 2011, and has previously worked as Chief Operating Officer of Comcast Corporation, which owns NBCUniversal. [5]
Cesar Conde Executive Vice President, NBCUniversal
Photo courtesy of NBCUniversal
Cesar Conde oversees NBCUniversal International. This includes film production and distribution. Conde was previously the president of Univision, before joining NBCUniversal in October 2013. [6]
Stuart J. Epstein Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, NBCUniversal
Photo courtesy of NBCUniversal
Stuart J. Epstein oversees the company’s financials, which includes the financials of Universal Pictures. He has been in this position since October 2011. [7]
Jeff Shell Chairman, Universal Filmed Entertainment
Photo courtesy of NBCUniversal
Jeff Shell oversees worldwide operations for Universal Pictures. This includes the global theatrical, as well as home entertainment businesses. He was appointed this position in September 2013. [8]
Financials
Financially Universal Pictures is doing extremely well. Revenue increased 3.3% from the third quarter of 2012 to the third quarter of 2013. This brought the revenue to $1.4 billion. There was a decrease in home entertainment revenue brought on by the fact that there was a lower volume of releases. The revenue still increased however, due to strong box office results from films such as Despicable Me 2. [9] [10]
On November 18th, 2013 Universal Pictures announced the studio had broken the record for highest-grossing year ever at the North American box office with $1.352 billion. Universal Pictures has had eight films come in at number one in the box office this past year including Mama, Identity Thief, Oblivion, Fast & Furious 6, Despicable Me 3, The Purge, 2 Guns, and Riddick. [11]
Current News
Photo courtesy of SourceFed Click to view trailer
Despicable Me 2
Much of Universal Picture’s financial success for this fiscal year is due to the release of Despicable Me 2. Despicable Me 2 is the sequel to the blockbuster Despicable Me (2010), which grossed more than $540 million, making it the 10th biggest animated motion picture in US history. Despicable Me 2 saw the same success, earning over $365 million domestically, and over $916 million worldwide just in the box office. The film will be released on Digital HD November 26th, and on Blu-Ray December 10th, setting Universal Pictures up to make even more profits with home releases or the film. [12]
Despicable Me 2 was released July 3rd, 2013. It is an animated film, that was also released in 3D. It revisits the now ex-villain Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), his newly adopted daughters, and the lovable and hilarious Minions. The film shows Gru trying to find and defeat a new super criminal with the help of new characters Lucy Wilde (voiced by Kristen Wiig) and Dr. Nefario (voiced by Russell Brand). With new characters that include new star power to the film, along with an already huge fan base set up by the first film, Despicable Me 2 was destined to succeed. [13] [14] [15]
In Theaters Now
Universal Pictures currently has films in theaters, some of which are doing very successfully. The most recent releases are:
Photo courtesy of Cinemark Click to view trailer
The Best Man Holiday
Released: November 15th, 2013
Domestic revenue so far: over $32 million [16][17][18]
After 15 years a group of college friends reunite for the holidays, resulting in drama, comedy and romance.
Photo courtesy of ComingSoon.net Click to view trailer
About Time
November 1st, 2013
Domestic revenue over $11 million [16]
Tim discovers a family secret; that he can time travel. He uses this ability to fix his mistakes, and get his dream girl. [19]
Looking Forward
Future Releases [20] [21]
Universal Pictures has some highly anticipated movies set to release in 2014. These films are anticipated to be box office hits, which will undoubtedly add to the company’s financial success. Universal Pictures also has a variety of films that differ in genre and audience, pulling in different demographics to their films.
Lone Survivor
Release date: January 10th, 2014
Based on the true story of a SEAL Team mission from 2005. A group of four SEAL Team members set out to kill Ahmad Shahd, a Taliban leader, when they ran into complications. Marcus Luttrell was the only SEAL to survive this mission. Mark Wahlberg, Emile Hirsch, Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Ludwig, and Eric Bana all star in the film, giving it fantastic star power. [22]
Neighbors
Release date: May 9th, 2014
This comedy features a couple (played by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) who move in next to a fraternity house filled with obnoxious college boys (played by Zac Efron and Dave Franco). This film employs star power from seasoned comedians, as well as actors that appeal to a young adult audience. [23]
50 Shades of Grey
Universal Films recently announced a pushed release date for their highly anticipated film 50 Shades of Grey, based off of a novel by E.L. James with the same. The film’s release date was pushed from August 1st, 2014 to February 13th, 2015. This push was necessary due to the original films star, Charlie Hunnam’s abrupt departure from the project. Just two weeks later Jamie Dornan was cast to fill the role. The film has been getting major buzz due to the large following of the book. The company also decided to push the date because it will now fall by Valentines Day, hopefully increasing the potential audience. [24]
Other News
Comcast Corporation recently announced a plan to begin selling movies over its cable service. Movies will be sold for about the same price as a DVD, but sell directly to pay-TV. The films would also be available a few weeks before their DVD release. This plan will go into effect before the end of the year. Comcast will be working with Universal Pictures, as well as 21st Century Fox and Warner Bros. [25]
Warner Brothers Pictures was founded on April 4, 1923. Since then Warner Brothers has been at the forefront of the movie industry. Founded by the 4 Warner brothers, Albert, Sam, Harry, and Jack, Warner Brothers quickly became a leader in motion pictures. Warner Brothers Pictures is responsible for Oscar winners such as, Casablanca, My Fair Lady, Driving Miss Daisy, and Million Dollar Baby. Warner Brothers Pictures is consistently a leader in the film industry. [2]
Key Executives
Kevin Tsujihara Courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter [3]
Kevin Tsujihara is the CEO of Warner Brothers. Barry M. Meyer is the chairman of Warner Brothers, and under his leadership consistently ranks as one of the strongest and most profitable studios in the film industry. Greg Silverman is the President of Creative Development and Worldwide Production for Warner Brothers Pictures. Silverman oversees the creative development and the budget for Warner Brothers Pictures.[6][7][8]
Financials
In 2012 Warner Brothers Pictures grossed $1.66 billion domestically, and another $2.67 billion internationally. It was the twelfth consecutive year in which the domestic box office, as well as the international box office has exceeded the billion dollar mark. In 2013 Warner Brothers is expected to cross the billion dollar mark again thanks to blockbusters such as Gravity, which has exceeded $500 million worldwide, Man of Steel, which has totaled about $663 million worldwide, We’re The Millers, which has totaled $266 million worldwide, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,which is projected to earn approximately $230 million domestically. This continued success should have Warner Brothers Pictures above the $4 billion dollar mark worldwide by the end of the year. [9][10]
Gravity is a space thriller directed by Alfonso Cuarón, and starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. The film follows the struggle of a medical engineer and an astronaut after they are stranded in space after an accident. [11]
Gravity opened in 3,575 theaters on October 4, 2013 to a number one ranking at the box office. It raked in $55, 785,112 during the opening weekend. It has gone on to make $240, 379, 710 domestically and another $275,200,000 in the foreign box office. That totals a gross of $515, 579,710 worldwide approximately five times its projected budget. [12]
Gravity has received universal acclaim and received a score of 96 out of 100 on Metacritic. Along with the incredible success in the box office there is also a lot of Oscars buzz surrounding the film. Critics believe that Gravity will receive a nomination for best picture, and may receive several other nominations as well, including a nomination for Best Actress for Sandra Bullock. [11] [13]
We’re The Millers opened on August 7, 2013 and grossed $26, 419,396 the opening weekend. The film is still in select theaters around the country and currently the film has grossed $150, 024,262 domestically and another $116,300,000 in the foreign box office. [17]
Overall the film was not warmly received by critics. We’re The Millers received a Metacritic score of 44 out of 100. Although critic reviews were mostly mixed the imdb rating for the film is 7.1 stars out of 10. Clearly the target demographic of the film received the film much better than critics. Considering the mixed reviews the film still did extremely well for the studio, grossing over $250 million worldwide.
Upcoming Projects
The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug poster Courtesy of collider.com [18]
On December 13, 2013, Warner Brothers will release the second installment of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy. The film is projected to make about $230 million domestically, not quite as high as the first film, but still a good number for the studio. In 2014, Warner Brothers will release the third film of the trilogy, The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Although the reception for the first film was not overwhelming the studio is hoping that the return of familiar faces from The Lord of the Rings will aide in The Hobbits release. [10]
Although the first film made over $300 million, Warner Brothers has been working hard to market Gandalf, and Legolas, as well as the dragon Smaug, in an attempt to avoiding losing out on Lord of the Rings fans who did not enjoy the first film. The studio is hoping that the return of such characters will provide a breath of fresh air for the trilogy and will bring in more than the projected sum of $230 million. [10]
Superman vs Batman
Warner Brothers owns DC Comics so there has been a ton of success with both the Batman
Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck Courtesy of Vulture [19]
and Superman franchises. The Dark Knight trilogy was wildly successful for the studio, and in 2013 Man of Steel was released. In the second installment of the Superman franchise Warner Brothers has brought together the man of steel and the caped crusader.
Ben Affleck has been cast as the newest Batman to star alongside Henry Cavill. The casting has come with major scrutiny. Director Zack Synder has given his full support to Affleck and is excited for the opportunity to work with him. The film is set to debut in the summer of 2015, and aims to piggyback off the success of the several DC Comics franchises. [20]
Grudge Match
Grudge Match Poster Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly [21]
Grudge Match, is the story of two aging boxing rivals who fight 30 years after their last bout. It is the first time that Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone share the big screen. Grudge Match has an excellent cast and there is talk that it may be this years Silver Linings Playbook.
Grudge Match exemplifies Warner Brothers ability to produce movies with star power and the studio is hoping that Grudge Match could be the feelgood movie of the holiday season. It is to be released on Christmas Day. [22] [23]
Founded in 1912, Universal Pictures, Inc. is the oldest American movie studio and continues to be a leader in the world of motion picture production and distribution. [1] In 2004, General Electric bought Universal Pictures. [2] GE sold all of its control of Universal in 2011 to the cable provider, Comcast, creating NBCUniversal. Universal Pictures still operates as the movie production subsidiary. [3] In 2012 alone, Universal has produced a diverse selection of award-winning movies such as the film production of Les Misérables and the comedy hit, Ted. [4]
Meyer served as President and COO of Universal Pictures since 1995 before being made Vice Chairman of NBCUniversal in September 2013. He currently oversees all facets of the company, while still managing its portfolio of film assets amongst others
Donna Langley (nbcumv.com)
Donna Langley – Chairman, Universal Pictures
Langley began working at Universal in 2001 as the senior vice president of production. After being named Chairman of Universal Pictures in September 2013, she assumed the role of overseeing the production and distribution of the company’s feature films.
Since the beginning of her tenure at Universal Pictures, the studio has experienced some of its most lucrative successes. Because of this success, Cole was named Executive Vice President of Media in 2008. She now oversees all strategic activities for the marketing and distribution of the studio’s feature films.
Financials(all numbers in millions)
Recent years have been good for Universal Pictures and its parent NBCUniversal. From 2011 to 2012, revenue for NBCUniversal grew by almost $5,000, from $19,028 to $23,812. Filmed entertainment was responsible for approximately 21% of the total revenue in 2012, generating $5,159. That was up from $4,239 generated by Universal Pictures in 2011. [6]
NBCUniversal logo
In regards to how Universal Pictures measured up against the five other major movie studios, so far in 2013, Universal holds a 14.6% market share amongst all the studios, placing it second behind Warner Brothers. This year Universal Pictures has grossed $1,329.3 from the release of 13 movies. [7]
Competition
The main concern for NBCUniversal and Universal Pictures right now is the new technologies that are affecting traditional media production and distribution methods. This is referring mainly to companies like Netflix and Hulu that syndicate video programming online. A growing concern is that these companies and others like them are beginning to create and obtain their own original content. [8]
Recent Film Releases
Universal Pictures has developed a reputation for having great success with movie franchises with such iconic franchises such as Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, and the Bourne series. [9] In 2013, Universal stuck with this trend and reaped the benefits of new installments in the Despicable Me and Fast & Furious series, amongst an eclectic mix of other successful films. [10]
The Best Man Holiday
A sequel to 1999’s The Best Man, The Best Man Holiday picks right up with the old college friends from the The Best Man, as they all reconvene for some Christmas celebrations. Amidst all the fun times, sparks of old romances begin to rekindle and old rivalries that had faded away over time arise again. Taye Diggs, Terrence Howard, Morris Chestnut, Monica Calhoun, and Regina Hall star in this quintessential holiday comedy-drama written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. [11]
The Best Man Holiday (vibe.com)
Released on November 15, 2013, in just three days The Best Man Holiday has nearly doubled its budget so far, bringing in $32,536,350. That’s also $6.5 million over the $24 million it was projected to earn. [12] Tagged as “just another black comedy,” The Best Man Holiday has not only offered more evidence that generally black films can succeed, but that this is no typical movie by any sense, except for the fact that it is generally crowd-pleasing. (No particular race or age group dominantly represents itself in the film’s audience demographics). In fact, CinemaScore even gave the movie an A+, an extremely rare feat for any film. [13]
Despicable Me 2
Gru (Steve Carell), a former master villain, has settled into family life after adopting and coming to love his three daughters, but peace and quiet is not lasting for the villain-turned-hero, as he is called upon to save the world from a new super-villain. And just as the world needs Gru’s help, so does his eldest daughter who has fallen for a classic bad-boy and an inevitable source of heartbreak. Kristen Wiig and Benjamin Bratt star alongside Carell in this story of one former villain’s attempt to be a hero for the world and for his own family. [14]
Despicable Me 2 (ropeofsilicon.com)
The original Despicable Me (2010) was a tremendous release for Universal, ranking seventh all-time amongst its highest grossing movies by bringing in $251,513,985 domestically. On July 3, 2013, Despicable Me 2 was released and has shattered that record, becoming the all-time highest grossing movie for Universal Pictures with $365,943,520 of domestic revenue. This income has far surpassed the film’s production budget of $76 million, and that’s not even factoring in its performance in the worldwide box office. To the delight of the studio, 60.1% of the movie’s total revenue came from foreign releases, grossing $550,100,000 worldwide. All in all, Despicable Me2 has brought in $916,043,520 for Universal Studios, and subsequently, is still playing in 305 theaters across the U.S. [15]
Fast & Furious 6
The very CIA agent who has been trying to track them down in order to defeat a new crew of criminal drivers who are causing chaos in twelve countries across the world calls upon refugees of the law. In an effort to be pardoned from the charges against themselves, Dom and Brian (Vin Diesel and Paul Walker) get their old gang of expert drivers back together to take to the streets of London and defeat these mercenary drivers. Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson star in this pedal-to-the-metal thriller. [16]
Fast & Furious 6 (teaser-trailer.com)
The sixth film in the Fast & Furious series was the most successful installment to date for the studio, becoming its ninth highest grossing film of all time, and reaping in the most revenue of all the Fast & Furious films. Fast & Furious 6 generated $238,679,850 for Universal, making it the second highest grossing film of 2013 behind Despicable Me 2. In the worldwide box office, Fast & Furious 6 brought in another $550 million, bringing its total gross to a lofty $788,659,850. Given the $160 million budget, Universal Pictures had another major box office winner with this film. [17]
What’s to Come from Universal Studios
Fast & Furious 7
Fast & Furious 7 (hitfix.com)
Just a little over a year after Fast & Furious 6 came out, the seventh is already on its way, slated for a July, 2014 release date. This time, the brother of the defeated world-criminal from Fast & Furious 6 has come onto the scene seeking revenge for his brother’s death. [18]
Ted 2
Ted 2 (collider.com)
Universal Pictures also has plans to release the sequel to its wildly successful, raucous comedy Ted. However, Universal did not produce the original, but acquired the rights to it and distributed it as a Universal Pictures film. Despite not having the rights yet, the studio is confident it will be able to secure them and go forward with production of the sequel. [19]
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney
It all started in Chicago, when a baby by the name of Walter Elias Disney was born in 1901. Walt enjoyed drawing from a young age, and based his life on this one passion. His first job was at a small art studio in Kansas City, where he met his future partner, Ubbe Iwerks. Ubbe, Walt, and his brother Roy joined forces in 1923 and opened a Hollywood studio: the Disney Brothers’ Studio. In the next five years, the company created Mickey Mouse, a character that would become an extremely powerful worldwide icon, and whose face would become the company’s image. Steam Boat Willie was the company’s first release, and launched Mickey into fame. Walt Disney was an pioneer, and as such he used Mickey to introduce sound to cartoons, a great innovation in early motion pictures. The company proudly released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, a movie that is still considered the greatest American animated movie today. This first movie embodied Disney’s essence in every way possible, it represents everything that Disney was back then and still is today. Snow White’s profits allowed the company to open a bigger more sophisticated base in Burbank, California three years later. [1]
This reformed company continued producing animated hits such as Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi. In 1950, Disney launched it’s first of many live action films, Treasure Island. Each story that came out of the company was new, detailed, touching, and sent a positive message to people of all ages. Walt Disney lived to see his dream come true in 1955; the inauguration of a park that embodied the spirit of all of his movies in real life. Eleven years later, Walter Elias Disney died, but his legacy continues to touch the hearts of millions of people around the world. The dream that started with a deep passion for drawing, genuine imagination, and a mouse, is now a multibillion dollar company with more than 150,000 employees that holds assets in every sector of the media. [2]
The Walt Disney Studios is a division in the Walt Disney Company that produces, promotes and distributes both animated and live-action films in the US and internationally. Its top three competitors are Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros. Entertainment, and Paramount Pictures Corporation. The studios divisions include: animation, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Marvel Productions, Touchstone Pictures, and Disneynature. [9]
The animation division is the oldest division of the Walt Disney Studios. The year 1937 marks the beginning of its first feature length animated film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. From then, Disney animated films have combined evolving technology and beautiful artistry to make inspiring stories that mark the childhood of many. Famous films that have emerged from this division include: Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Lilo and Stitch, and Tangled. [
DisneyToon Studios is an innovative branch of Walt Disney Pictures animation that produces feature-length animated films for the company. Many of its films are sequels to films that are produced by the animation studios such as Tarzan, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King. They also make movies that star Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, and Peter Pan’s Tinker Bell.
The Walt Disney Company owns yet another animated company: Pixar Animation Studios. This production company has produced 13 films that have done incredibly well in theaters and home entertainment, as they are greatly appreciated by the public. Pixar films impact kids, teenagers, and parents alike. The characters and stories are held dear by people of all ages all over the world, and have generated Disney a total of $7.8 billion. Films produced by Pixar include Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Up.
This division is responsible for the creation of all Disney live-action films. It started in 1950, when it launched Disney’s first live-action film ever, Treasure Island. Since then, this Studio has been releasing family-oriented films that compete with companies like Universal, and 20th Century Fox. These films explore fantastic worlds, and are usually packed with colorful and often humorous adventure, as can be seen in Pirates of the Caribbean. Movies made by this division may also be remakes of old classics like Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, and OZ The Great and Powerful, it’s newest release. [11]
In 2009, the Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment and its 8,000 characters for $4 billion. Expensive as it was, it was a great investment, as the company has hugely benefitted from the purchase. In four years Disney has profited from hits such as Iron Man, The Avengers, and Thor. Disney will continue to profit through sequels to these movies and other new releases starring Marvel characters. [12]
Disneynature was established on Earth Day 2008, and is Walt Disney Studio’s most recent division. Disney started this division to promote conservation awareness through heartfelt films such as Earth, Oceans, African Cats, and Chimpanzee. Part of the revenues collected from their release were used to benefit the environment. Three million trees were planted in Brazil, and 40,000 acres of marine life, 65,000 acred of African savanna, and 130,000 acres of Chimpanzee land went under protection. [13]
Touchstone Pictures was launched to the public in 1984 with the hit film Splash. The company arose due to controversies surrounding Disney releases that were not considered appropriate for the family atmosphere of the company. Disney released its first PG rated movie ever, The Black Hole, in 1979. Four years later, the company released Trenchcoat, a film that was also criticized for its inappropriate content. This film is believed to be responsible for Disney’s launch of Touchstone Pictures, a Walt Disney Pictures division that would be in charge of producing films that did not have to be suitable for children. Critics believed that this division was out of place for a company like disney, yet it was the top source of income for Disney in the 80s. Touchstone pictures debuted with the film Splash, starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. The film set the tone for future touchstone films, as it contained some nudity.
Touchstone’s second movie was an R-rated film, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, which featured a story about a rich yet unhappy couple that head a dysfunctional family, the very opposite of Disney’s representative ideals. After these two inauguration films, The Walt Disney Studios has launched more than 200 films produced by Touchtone Pictures, including: The Nightmare Before Christmas, Armageddon, Ed Wood, Signs, Pearl Harbor,The Count of Monte Cristo, and Steven Spielberg’s new release: Lincoln.
The year 2012 was great for the Walt Disney Company in general, and for The Walt Disney Studios as well. Last year the company experienced a 5% growth in total revenue and a 6% growth in net income when compared to 2011 numbers. The studios, however, generated 73 million dollars less in the fourth quarter of 2012 than it did for the same quarter of the the previous year. After subtracting the cost of goods sold, the profit earned by the studios for the same quarter was 234 million, very low compared to the previous year’s 413 million, a plunging 43% decrease. [15]
On the News
December 19, 2012
Walt Disney Pictures announces that Jonathan Groff will be part of the cast of it’s upcoming movie Forzen. The Tony Award nominee will join forces with Kristen Bell to voice the lead characters of Disney’s new adventure comedy, expected in theaters on November 27 of this year. [16]
Disney officially released the trailer to the third Iron Man movie. [17]
March 27, 2013
The Walt Disney Studios discloses the full voice cast of Disney’s Planes, the company’s new animated film which is expected to open in theaters August 9 of this year. Among the lead voices are Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Garrett. [18]
April 2, 2013
During her live show, Ellen DeGeneres left her audience and the rest of the world astounded when she announced that Disney Pixar agreed to produce a sequel to Finding Nemo. Finding Dory is expected to come out in theaters November 25, 2015. [19]
After several weeks of great numbers, the Disney stock reaches it’s highest point ever at $58.54. Even though they had a great year for business, they are stil laying off employees as an anticipation of costly rising technologies. [20]
Ryan Kavanaugh Tucker Tooley Happy Walters Gregory Shamo Robbie Brenner
Don Jon Official Trailer
Free Birds Official Trailer
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