MGM Studios

Posted on December 1, 2014 by amschw01

by Abby Schwartz

[1] MGM‘s iconic logo and mascot Leo the Lion

History

MGM Studios was founded in 1924 through the merger of three pre-existing studios: Metro Pictures Corp., Goldwyn Pictures, and Louis B. Mayer Productions. This leading entertainment company is involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. Some of the studio’s early work include successful classics such as Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz [2]. Once a major player in the industry, MGM filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2010 but emerged shortly thereafter, leaving Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum of Spyglass Entertainment as heads on the company [3]. A mere two years later however, Birnbaum left MGM to return to producing, making Barber the sole CEO and Chairman of the company [4]. 2014 marks the 90th Anniversary of the studio. In celebration, movies will be re-released on Blu-ray and a special trailer will be played throughout theaters giving the viewers a glimpse into the rich history of the company [5].

Key Executives

[6] Gary Barber (L)- Chairman and CEO

[7] Jonathan Glickman (R)- President, Motion Picture Group

[8] Roma Khanna (L)- President, Television Group and Digital

[9] Dene B. Stratton (R)- CFO

Finances

Although still partially privately held by MGM Holdings Inc. MGM has been publicly releasing its finances since its bankruptcy in 2010 and IPO for MGMB was offered in 2012. In its most recent quarterly report (Q3), the company announced net income of $28.5 million, up from 16.5 in the same quarter last year. The revenue however, came in about $9 million lower in comparison to the same quarter in 2013 [10]. This drop was expected since 2013 generated significant revenue thanks to the “theatrical explosion” of Skyfall, the 23rd installment in the successful James Bond franchise, in late 2012 [11].

MGM also revealed in its report that it had paid $343 million for a 55% stake in a joint venture with Mark Burnett, Roma Downey, and Hearst Entertainment Productions [12]. All of the interests will be consolidated in United Artists Media Group – a new media venture. This venture gives MGM a stake in successful television shows such as Survivor, The Voice, Shark Tank, and the upcoming miniseries A.D. [13].

Upcoming Projects

The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (12/17/14)

[14] The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies Trailer

The Hobbit: Battle of Five is the final installment in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel of the same name. It is a co-production with New Line Cinema, WingNut Films, and Warner Bros. who also is the film distributor. According to Jackson, the movie is not so much about this final battle per se, but rather about what will happen to beloved characters. The film stars franchise favorites Ian McKellen and Martin Freeman [15]. This past week, according to iSpot.tv, The Hobbit spent the most money in television advertising, having twelve variations of the ad play on 47 networks [16].

Max (01/30/15)

Not much is known about this co-production with Warner Bros. due out this January. Directed by Boaz Yakin, the film tells the story of Max, a service dog who returns to the U.S. after his handler’s traumatizing death. Once stateside, he is adopted by the man’s grieving family and helps them heal, moving past their tragedy [17].

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (02/20/15)

[18] Hot Tub Time Machine 2 Trailer (NSFW)

This comedic farce is the sequel to the 2010 film Hot Tub Time Machine and stars funny men Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, and Clark Duke who are all reprising their characters introduced in the first film. Joining them will be Parks and Recreation’s Adam Scott, who fill the spot left opened by John Cusack. Originally due out Christmas Day, it was announced in October that the film was being pushed back until February, thus avoiding direct competition with Sony’s fellow buddy film The Interview which stars comedy duo James Franco and Seth Rogan [19]. MGM will distribute and co-produce the film with Paramount Pictures.

Don’t Mess With Texas (05/08/15)

[22] Vergara and Witherspoon pose for a photo on set

Bringing together Reese Witherspoon and Sofía Vergara, the female centric comedy set for a spring release is about a cop (Witherspoon) who goes on the run with a prisoner (Vergara), who is the wife of a drug dealer [20]. Co-produced with Warner Bro. and Newline Cinema, the action-comedy is being directed by Anne Fletcher known for popular films such as The Proposal and more recently Guilt Trip [21].

Poltergeist (07/24/15)

The 80s film about a Californian family haunted by supernatural forces and was also produced by MGM, is getting an update. This remake of the horror film is written by Pulitzer Prize Winner David Lindsay-Abaire and being produced by The Evil Dead‘s Sam Raimi [23]. Initially, the film – based on the original, considered by many to be the scariest film of all time – received an R rating from the MPAA, but producer Steven Spielberg successfully lobbied for the film to receive a PG-13 rating [24]. Rosemarie DeWitt, who plays mom Amy Bowen, revealed that the iconic line from the original “They’re Here” will be featured in the film which will also have lots of modern tech gadgets like iPads to reflect on the current times [25].

Bond 24 (11/06/15)

The currently working-titled film will be the 24th installment in the successful franchise.

Daniel Craig as James Bond in a movie poster for Skyfall (2012)

Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes will reprise their roles as 007 and director respectively [26]. Additionally, Academy Award Winner Christoph Waltz has been tapped to play iconic villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who has not been featured in a Bond film since 1981 [27]. Hilary Swank has recently been rumored to be the next Bond Girl, making her the oldest one in the history of the franchise, but many believe this to be just talk and that the coveted role will go to French actress Léa Syedoux [28]. In legal news, MGM continues a copyright infringement case against Universal over Bond, claiming that their upcoming film ‘Section 6’ is a rip-off of the spy franchise. Universal has been trying to get the case dismissed since its filing in May claiming that MGM is afraid of any possible competitors [29].

Ben Hur (02/26/16)

Though not premiering for over a year, this remake of the 1959 film based on Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel is already creating significant buzz. The film marks the first known collaboration between MGM and Burnett/Downey and tells the epic story of a falsely accused prince (Ben Hur) who manages to survive years of slavery and vows to take vengeance on his friend Messala who betrayed him. Boardwalk Empire star Jack Huston is confirmed to play the title role. He joins the previously cast Morgan Freeman who is slated to play Ben Hur’s mentor Ildarin [30]. Toby Kebbell, Ayelet Zurer and Olivia Cooke are slated to star as Massala, Naomi (Ben Hur’s mother), and Tirzah (Ben Hur’s sister) respectively [31].

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Sources

[1] Leo The Lion GIF. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2014.

[2] MGM HomePage. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2014.

[3] McNary, D. (2010, November 4). Judge OKs MGM Bankruptcy Motions. Retrieved November 19, 2014.

[4] Finke, N. (2012, October 3). MGM’s Roger Birnbaum Steps Down To Return To Producing; Gary Barber Now Revived Studio’s Sole Chairman & CEO. Retrieved November 19, 2014.

[5] METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER CELEBRATES 90 YEARS OF EXTRAORDINARY FILMMAKING. (2014, January 22). Retrieved November 11, 2014.

[6] Gary Barber Photo. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014.

[7] Jonathan Glickman Photo (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014.

[8] Roma Khanna Photo (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014.

[9] Dene B. Stratton Photo (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014.

[10] Wanvari, T. (2014, November 18). MGM Holdings revenue down, income up in Q3-2014. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

[11] MGM HOLDINGS INC. For the quarter ended September 30, 2014. (2014, November). Retrieved November 22, 2014.

[12] Lang, B. (2014, November 13). MGM Spent $343 Million for Mark Burnett/Roma Downey Joint Venture. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

[13] Fleming, M., & Busch, A. (2014, September 22). MGM Buys 55% Of Roma Downey And Mark Burnett’s Empire; Relaunches United Artists. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

[14] The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Official Main Trailer [HD]. (2014, November 6). Retrieved November 23, 2014.

[15] Truitt, B. (2014, November 6). ‘Five Armies’ closes the curtain on Middle-earth. Retrieved November 23, 2014.

[16] ‘The Hobbit’ Battles Its Way to Top TV Ad Spend Position. (2014, November 26). Retrieved November 29, 2014.

[17] Max. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2014.

[18] Hot Tub Time Machine 2 – Red Band Trailer. (2014, July 24). Retrieved November 26, 2014.

[19] McClintock, P. (2014, October 14). Christmas Exodus Continues as ‘Hot Tub Time Machine 2’ Pushes Back Release – Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 26, 2014.

[20] Don’t Mess with Texas. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2014, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2967224/

[21] Anne Fletcher. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2014.

[22] Sofia Vergara and Reese Witherspoon. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2014.

[23] Poltergeist. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2014.

[24] Marquina, S. (2014, October 17). Poltergeist Reboot Scores PG-13 Rating By the MPAA. Retrieved November 27, 2014.

[25] Malkin, M. (2014, October 5). Will Poltergeist Remake Include ”They’re Here”? Retrieved November 30, 2014.

[26] Bond 24. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2014.

[27] London, C. (2014, November 23). You weren’t expecting this, 007. But…BLOFELD’S BACK! Bond will be having kittens as evil foe returns – with double Oscar winner Christoph Waltz tipped to play him . Retrieved November 26, 2014.

[28] Leston, R. (2014, November 29). Hilary Swank Linked With Bond 24. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[29] Patten, D. (2014, October 7). Universal Hits Back At “Desperate” James Bond Lawsuit From MGM & 007 Producers. Retrieved November 23, 2014.

[30] Fleming, M. (2014, September 16). ‘Ben-Hur’ Remake: ‘Boardwalk Empire’s Jack Huston Lands Title Role. Retrieved November 28, 2014.

[31] Sneider, J. (2014, November 13). ‘Ouija’ Star Olivia Cooke May Play Jack Huston’s Sister in ‘Ben-Hur’ Remake (Exclusive) – TheWrap. Retrieved November 29, 2014.

Universal Pictures

Posted on October 5, 2014 by jprooney

by John Rooney

Universal Pictures logo [17]

Location: 100 Universal Plaza, Universal City, California 91608

Web: http://www.universalpictures.com

History

Universal Pictures, Inc. was founded in 1912 by filmmaking partners Carl Laemmle and Robert Cochrane. As the oldest American film studio, Universal maintains its status as a powerhouse in the world of movie production and distribution. The studio is part of NBCUniversal, which is altogether owned by Comcast. [1] In its over one-hundred years of history, the studio has produced dozens of beloved classics such as Jurassic Park, E.T. and Jaws.

Key Executives [2]

Donna Langley, Chairman, Universal Pictures

Donna Langley, Chairman Universal Pictures [2]

Promoted to chairman in September of 2013, Langley has the task of overseeing all film production for Universal Pictures and Focus Features.

Jeff Shell, Chairman, Universal Filmed Entertainment

Jeff Shell, Chairman,
Universal Filmed Entertainment [2]

Shell took over in September of 2013. He came from Comcast, where he previously was the head of Universal International. He is in charge of worldwide operations for the film studio.

Ron Meyer, Vice Chairman, NBCUniversal

Ron Meyer – www.nbcumv.com [2]

Also appointed in September of 2013, Meyer’s job is to oversee all operations and planning for the company from films to theme parks.

Finances

Universal finished 2013 in third place in terms of revenue, just behind Warner Brothers and Disney. The studio also saw its largest worldwide revenue ever, $3.67 billion ($1.42 billion domestic, $2.25 billion international). This was a considerable increase from the $3.13 billion the studio made in 2012. Films such as Identity Thief, The Purge, and Mama helped the studio achieve such success. [3]

In 2013, Universal broke the $2 billion revenue mark in the international market for the first time ever. Fast & Furious 6, another huge film for Universal, opened at number one in 65 international territories and gave the studio it biggest opening weekend ever. Other films such as Despicable Me 2 and Oblivion helped throw Universal into the global spotlight. [4]

Competition

For years, some of Universal’s main competition has been other large film studios such as Disney, Warner Brothers, Fox, and CBS. [5] However, another large area of competition for Universal and other film companies is movie and TV streaming software such as Netflix and Hulu. A consumers ability to stream content online from a subscribed service is sure to hurt DVD sales. Additionally, online streaming companies have been making all sorts of business ventures in order to create and sell their own original content. [6]

Recent Film Releases

Neighbors

Neighbors [7]

An R-rated comedy from Good Universe, Neighbors is a hilarious account of a young husband and father’s struggles to peacefully coexist with a reckless group of fraternity brothers. The film stars Seth Rogen and Zac Efron, with Rose Byrne and Dave Franco in supporting roles. It was directed by Nicholas Stoller, who is famous for other projects such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to The Greek. The film received positive reviews for the most part, earning a 73% from the top critics at “Rotten Tomatoes”. [7]

The movie opened on May 9, 2014. It saw a successful first weekend with opening revenue at about $49 million. The film raked in about $150 million domestically and $180 million internationally, with a total gross of over $286 million. [8]

The Purge: Anarchy

The Purge: Anarchy [9]

A sequel to the 2013 thriller The Purge, The Purge: Anarchy follows a group of diner employees as they fight to survive the annual “Purge”, a night where all crime is legal across America. Written and directed by James DeMonaco, the film stars Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, and Zach Gilford. The film received mixed reviews, with critic’s complaints focused mainly on flaws in the writing. [9]

The film was released on July 18, 2014 and saw an opening weekend revenue of nearly $30 million. It earned nearly $72 million domestically and about $38 million internationally, for a total of almost $111 million in revenue. In comparison to its predecessor, The Purge: Anarchy did not open as strongly, but earned about $22 million more in total revenue. [10]

Dumb and Dumber To

Dumb Dumber To [11]

The long awaited sequel to the 1994 Farrelly Brothers comedy Dumb and Dumber, Dumb and Dumber To presents the mindless antics of Harry and Lloyd once again as they set out on a mission to find Harry’s daughter. The film stars the comedy duo of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels and was directed by J.B. Rodgers and Bobby Farrelly. The movie has not fared very well with critics in its first two weeks, with many saying that its brand of humor is not as fun and fresh as it used to be. [11]

The first Dumb and Dumber was wildly successful for Universal, snagging over $247 million worldwide. It’s prequel Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd was a huge box office flop, earning just over $39 million. Universal has commonly found success in sequels and film franchises. Dumb and Dumber To opened on November 14, 2014 in 3,154 theaters with an opening revenue of just over $36 million, giving it the #1 spot for the weekend. Thus far the film has made $67 million in the U.S. and $20 million in the international box office, adding up for a total of almost $88 million. [12]

What’s Next From Universal Pictures

Fifty Shades of Grey

50 Shades of Grey [13]

Based on the wildly popular romance novel of the same name, Fifty Shades of Grey tells the story of the masochistic relationship between a wealthy business man and one of his young female employees. The movie stars James Dornan and Dakota Johnson and is directed by Sam Taylor-Wood. The Focus Features film has completed production, and it set to make its wide release on February 13, 2015. [13]

Jurassic World

Jurassic World [14]

Universal hopes to continue its trend of successful sequels and film franchises with Jurassic World, the fourth installment of the Jurassic Park series. It will be starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, with Colin Trevorrow as director and Steven Spielberg as executive producer. The film has been in development since 2001, and was originally set to be called Jurassic Park IV. Shooting began last April in locations such as Hawaii and New Orleans. The movie is currently in post-production and editing, and is set to release on June 12, 2015. [14]

Warcraft

Warcraft Poster [15]

In 2016, Universal will be adapting a video game to film for the first time in its history. Based on World of Warcraft, an immensely popular online gaming program, Warcraft is set to be an epic fantasy tale of good versus evil. The film has been in development since 2006 and is currently in production. British film star Toby Kebbel and Paula Patton have been casted as two of the lead roles. The movie will have its wide release on March 11, 2016. [15]

Steve Jobs Biography Film

On November 25, 2014, Universal bought the rights from Sony Corporation to produce a biography film on Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs. It all be based on a biography by author Walter Isaacson entitled “Steve Jobs”. [16]

References

[1] http://www.history.com/news/the-renegade-roots-of-hollywood-studios

[2] http://deadline.com/2013/09/shocker-adam-fogelson-out-in-universal-shakeup-582309/

[3]http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/studio-smackdown-2013-warner-bros-668302

[4] http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/109124-universal-pictures-crosses-2b-mark-at-the-overseas-box-office-for-the-first-time

[5] http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/competition.Universal_Studios_Inc.7a0e7231fca927ed.html

[6] http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/08/technology/netflix_starz_contract/

[7] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/neighbors_2014/

[8] http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=townies.htm

[9] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_purge_anarchy_2014/?search=the%20purge%20anarchy

[10] http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=purge2.htm

[11] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dumb_and_dumber_to/

[12] http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=dumberto.htm

[13] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2322441/

[14] http://www.jurassicworld.org

[15] http://www.warcraft-themovie.com

[16] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-25/universal-pictures-acquires-jobs-film-from-sony-corp.html

[17] http://www.universalpictures.com

AMC Networks

Posted on October 5, 2014 by mtzukin

by Meg Zukin

AMC Networks

photo courtesy of under consideration.com [i]

Contact Information[ii]—

11 Penn Plaza

New York, NY 10001

Main phone: 212-324-8500

http://www.amcnetworks.com

About—

AMC Networks is an American entertainment company which owns and operates AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, WE, IFC Films, and AMC Networks International. Initially, AMC was known as Rainbow Media Holdings and until 2011, was a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems. In 2011, Cablevision made Rainbow Media Holdings a publicly traded company and changed its name to AMC Networks [iii].

AMC has recently gained momentum through television shows like The Walking Dead, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad, on its cable channel, AMC [iv]. IFC Films and its affiliate channel, IFC, are responsible for indie films like Boyhood [v] and quirky television comedies like Portlandia [vi]. Recently, the company acquired a 49.9% stake in BBC through a joint venture that cost $200 million [vii].

Key Executives—

Charles Dolan, Executive Chairman AMC Networks

Josh Sapan, President and CEO of AMC Networks

Charlie Collier, President and General Manager of amc

Jennifer Caserta, President and General Manager of IFC

Sarah Barnett, President and General Manager of BBC America and SundanceTV

Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects and IFC Films

Marc Juris, President and General Manager of WE tv

Pictures and titles courtesy of http://www.amcnetworks.com/about-us/leadership [viii]

Financials—

AMC Networks just reported its third quarter earnings. Net revenues increased a whopping 31.4% to $520 million [ix]. International revenue reached $122.7 million, up 765% from last year. This could be attributed to acquisitions of both BBC and Chellomedia, a deal AMC made in February which gave them a stack of networks in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia [x]. The company also reported earnings of $53.2 million, or 74 cents a share. Analysts estimated that AMC Networks would come in at 73 cents a share and thus, they surpassed projections [xi].

According to the third quarter report, AMC Networks is currently working with a $110 million operating income [xii].

When the market closed on December 1, 2014, AMCX was down 1.34% at $63.99 per share. The company hit a low-point in mid-October at $52.75 per share and was at its highest in March at $77.40 per share. Looking at the past 3 years (when AMCX became a publicly traded company), we see exponential growth overall.

photo courtesy of Google Finance [xxx]

What’s Happening Now?—

Sarah Barnett Named President and General Manager, BBC America

AMC Networks announced last week (November 21, 2014) that current SundanceTV chief, Sarah Barnett, would be moving up to President and General Manager of BBC America [xiii]. Barnett began her career at BBC in production before she spent a decade at SundanceTV. She will start her new position in January, surveying over both SundanceTV and BBC America until AMC taps someone else to oversee SundanceTV. The current General Manager at BBC, Perry Simon, who was on the team behind Orphan Black, is moving to production with BBC Worldwide North America [xv].

Barnett certainly has the chops for an upgrade in position. Under her reign, she established Sundance as an original programming network with shows like Rectify, Top of the Lake, and The Honourable Woman [xvi] With this new position she will continue to report to Ed Carroll, Chief Operating Officer of AMC Networks.

AMC Announces Two-Night Premiere for Spin-Off Series “Better Call Saul”

AMC’s next new drama series, Better Call Saul, will debut on Sunday, February 8 with its second episode debuting the next night, Monday, February 9 [xvii]. The series follows Breaking Bad character Saul Goodman, prior to him becoming Walter White’s lawyer lawyer.

video courtesy of AMC Networks on Youtube [xviii]

The back-to-back premiere is “AMC’s first ever two-night series premiere event” according to Charlie Collier [xix]. Season one is slated for 10 episodes and Talking Dead will air before it, a solid segue for high-ratings for both shows. Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan co-created the spin-off with writer-director Peter Gould [xx].

AMC Networks and BBC Worldwide Enter Partnership

In October, AMC Networks bought a 49.9% stake in the BBC America cable channel. They paid $200 million to BBC Worldwide and the marriage between the two companies leaves BBC with a 50.1% stake in BBC America [xxi]. BBC America is available in almost 80 million homes domestically and was the most critically acclaimed channel on ad-supported television in 2013 [xxii].

BBC America will be managed as a standalone channel within AMC, much like how AMC, WE tv, and SundanceTV are operated. Even though BBC still has a grander stake in its American counterpart, AMC Networks will maintain operational control over the company, as well as affiliate and advertising sales [xxiii].

This agreement occurred almost exactly on the one-year anniversary of AMC’s $1 billion acquisition of Liberty Global’s international network, Chellomedia. That acquisition led to AMC Networks International which is available in 140 countries [xxiv].

AMC Networks/IFC Films Acquires Rights to “October Gale”

IFC Films bought the American rights to writer-director Ruba Nadda‘s thriller, October Gale, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. IFC Films also released another film by Nadda, Cairo Time. The film stars Patricia Clarkson, Tim Roth, and Scott Speedman. Clarkson plays a doctor who takes in a skeptical man when he floats ashore at her secluded cabin with a gunshot wound [xxv]. Myriad Pictures is handling worldwide sales.

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein Return to Portlandia

Portlandia will return to IFC for its ten-episode fifth season in January. This season will showcase a laundry list of cameos including Vanessa Bayer, Steve Buscemi, Peter Giles, Justin Long, Shepard Fairey, Jane Lynch, and Olivia Wilde, amongst others [xxvi].

video courtesy of IFC Youtube

Viewers will be able to recap previous seasons on New Year’s Day when IFC will air a marathon but seasons 1 through 4 are also available on Netflix and iTunes [xxvii].

IFC Orders New Comedy Series: “Gigi’s Bucket List”

IFC has ordered a series starring David Krumholtz as “Gigi,” a 72-year-old Jewish grandmother from Boca Raton, Florida. Krumholtz is also an executive producer along with Grandma’s House Entertainment.

It will shoot this year and is slated to air in 2015. Gigi indulges herself after she discovers that she has access to her dead husband’s bank account [xxviii]. This series fits in with IFC’s quirky personality and will air in 73 million U.S. homes [xix].

David Dobkin to Direct “Badlands” for AMC

In July, AMC ordered Badlands, a martial arts drama that is loosely based on the Chinese Journey to the West. It is the third AMC series that was picked up straight to series at the network [xxxi].

However, it was announced on November 24, 2014 that director David Dobkin has signed onto the project as series director and executive producer. Dobkin has worked on Wedding Crashers and Shanghai Knights previously. AMC bought six, one-hour, episodes with an expected premiere either in late 2015 or early 2016 [xxxii].

Works Cited—

[i] AMC Logo accessed 11/20/2014

[ii] AMC Contact accessed 11/20/2014

[iii] Hoovers AMC profile accessed 11/20/2014

[iv] AMC Shows accessed 11/20/2014

[v] Boyhood, IFC accessed 11/22/2014

[vi] Portlandia, IFC accessed 11/22/2014

[vii] AMC Networks/BBC accessed 11/22/2014

[viii] AMC Leadership accessed 11/22/2014

[ix] Quarter Earnings accessed 11/30/2014

[x] Chellomedia deal accessed 12/1/2014

[xi] Quarter projections accessed 11/30/2014

[xii] Operating income accessed 11/30/2014

[xiii] Sarah Barnett, BBC accessed 11/22/2014

[xiv] Perry Simon future plans accessed 12/1/2014

[xv] BBC Worldwide North America accessed 12/1/2014

[xvi] Sarah Barnett at Sundance accessed 11/22/2014

[xvii] Better Call Saul premiere accessed 10/28/2014

[xviii] Better Call Saul video accessed 12/1/2014

[xix] AMC double night debut accessed 12/1/2014

[xx] Co-creators Better Call Saul accessed 12/1/2014

[xxi] BBC deal accessed 11/24/2014

[xxii] Metacritic BBC critically-acclaimed accessed 11/29/2014

[xxiii] BBC America management accessed 12/1/2014

[xxiv] Chellomedia acquisition accessed 12/1/2014

[xxv] October Gale acquisition accessed 10/28/2014

[xxvi] Portlandia fifth season accessed 12/1/2014

[xxvii] Recap New Year’s Day accessed 12/1/2014

[xxviii] IFC orders comedy series accessed 12/1/2014

[xix] IFC series accessed 12/1/2014

[xxx] Current state of stock market accessed 12/1/2014

[xxxi] Badlands accessed 12/1/2014

[xxxii] David Dobkin signs on accessed 12/1/2014

Zynga

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Caroline Mahony

Zynga, Inc.
699 Eighth St
San Francisco, CA 94103

Phone Number: (855) 449-9642
Fax Number: (302) 636-5454
Website: http://www.zynga.com

Zynga, Inc. was founded with the mission of “connecting the world through games” It is a leading provider of social game services for the web and mobile worlds, and it boasts franchises such as FarmVille, Words With Friends, and Zynga Poker. As of September 30, 2013, the company had 133 million monthly active users enjoying its games. Zynga games are available on Facebook, Zynga.com, Apple iOS, and Google Android. [1]

Zynga was founded in 2007 in San Francisco, California by Mark Pincus, Eric Schiermeyer, Michael Luxton, Justin Waldron, Kyle Stewart, Scott Dale, Steve Schoettler, and Andrew Trader. Mark Pincus’ American bulldog Zinga serves as the inspiration behind the name and logo of the company. [2]

As of July 1, 2013, Don Mattrick is the current CEO as well as the member of its board of directors, after serving as President of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. Also on the board of directors are L. John Doerr, who also serves on the board of Directors for Google, Inc.; William “Bing” Gordon, who has a background in venture capitalism; Reid Hoffman, who served as Chairman of the Board of LinkedIn Corporation; Jeffrey Katzenberg, who also serves as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc; Stanley J. Meresman, who has directed several private and public companies, Sunil Paul, who also has a background in venture capitalism; and Ellen Siminoff, President and CEO of Shmoop University, Inc. Board members contribute to the company with fresh and diverse experiences, having been appointed as recently as April of 2013. [2]

Zynga also has an impressive leadership team that works on projects for social good. For example, since 2009, Zynga has raised over $15 million dollars for non-profits by connecting their over 1 million players with fifty different organizations. In 2013, Zynga partnered with NewSchools Venture Fund to improve the quality and radius of learning games and mobile applications by creating an education technology accelerator. [3]

On October 24, 2013, Zynga announced its Third Quarter Financial Results for the quarter that ended on September 30. Zynga saw revenue of $203 million, which was down 36% year-over-year. It also saw bookings of $152 million, down 40% year-over-year. The company experienced a net loss of $68 thousand dollars, and, before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization, saw earnings of $7 million. In response, CEO Don Mattrick seemed confident:

Our teams are working hard to compete more aggressively on the web, move to mobile and develop new hits, and I am happy with the early progress we have made…I am confident that Zynga is rewiring itself in a meaningful way that will strengthen the core of our business and put us back on track to achieve significant long term growth and profits.

Mattrick seemed confident, despite the fact that his companies “rewiring,” or restructuring, cost them $17 million dollars in office closures and acquisitions impairments. [4]

Zynga did take some hits this past year. Their results also showed a general decrease in usership from the third quarter of 2012 to the third quarter in 2013. Daily active users decreased 49% to 30 million users, monthly active users decreased 57% to 133 million, monthly unique users decreased 45% to 97 million, and monthly unique players decreased 46% to 1.6 million. On the bright side, average daily bookings per average daily active user increased 17% to $0.055. [4]

During the third quarter of 2013 alone, Zynga launched Fairy Tale Twist, Ninja Kingdom, and Hit it Rich on web platforms. [5]

For mobile platforms, in the third quarter of 2013, it launched 1 Word (KiK Messenger App) and CastleVille Legends. New Scramble with Friends, Baseball Slam (3P), and CityVille KRE-O are also new hits that Zynga released. As of the end of the third quarter of 2013, Zynga had 3 of the top 10 games on Facebook, the ever-popular FarmVille 2, Zynga Poker, and Words With Friends. These results are based on the daily active user count reported by Facebook Application Programming Interface. [5]

Zynga is a company publically traded on the New York Stock Exchange. As of November 20, the stocks are priced at $4.11 a share [6], and have been impressively strong lately, due to themes/events of the past month that drew momentum behind the company. Under Don Mattrick, the new CEO, Zynga has shifted its focus. Originally, the company wrestled with the idea of real money games to create a loyal and ever-growing user base, as well as a chunky revenue stream, but after licensing problems, they ditched the idea. Instead, Zynga is focusing its attention on the mobile gaming market in order to decrease their dependence on the social market [7]. For example, Zynga originally earned 90% of their bookings from Facebook, but that has decreased to 76%. This can be partially attributed to Facebook charging a 30% revenue share agreement. Perhaps if online gambling becomes legal, Zynga may decide to reshift their focus once again.

In November of 2013, Zynga won a high profile lawsuit against Mattel’s Scrabble. Scrabble sued Zynga for using the name “Scramble with Friends,” which they claimed was too similar to its own trademark. [8]

High Court Justice Peter Smith dismissed the claim that the name was too similar, but motioned that Zynga change the way it displayed the name. More specifically, of one the “M”s in “Scramble” is displayed in a corkscrew style, which the judge ruled “gives the impression that the word is Scrabble when one looks at it quickly and has the propensity to confuse.” Once the logo is changed, Zynga is good to go, and will continue distributing the game in the United Kingdom. [8]

Zynga has caught the eyes of technology buffs, stock market observers, mobile app designers, and game players alike. Within the past year, the company has reported revenue losses and the loss of two top executives. However, with new CEO Don Mattrick, the company is exploring new and innovative ways to continue the success it has seen even in such infancy. Projected revenue for the final quarter of 2103 is between $175 million and $185 million, with net loss estimated between $21 billion and $31 million. The future of the company looks bright, but only time will tell.

Sources

[1] Zynga background information

[2] Zynga’s key players

[3] Zynga leadership team

[4] Zynga Third Quarter Financial Results

[5] New Zynga games

[6] Zynga stock information

[7] Zynga’s new mobile strategy

[8] Scramble with Friends vs. Scrabble

Focus Features

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Daniel Fabi

By Dan Fabi

Focus Features Logo courtesy of FocusFeatures.com

Locations

LOS ANGELES OFFICE

100 Universal City Plaza

Universal City, CA 91608

NEW YORK OFFICE

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

INTERNATIONAL OFFICE

26 Aybrook Street

London W1U 4AN

United Kingdom

History

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

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

Photo Courtesy of the Associatedv Press

Key Executives

James Schamus
Photo Courtesy of news.uchicago.edu

James Schamus, Founder and Outgoing CEO

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

Peter Schlessel
Photo Courtesy of Deadline.com

Peter Schlessel, Incoming CEO

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

Andrew Karpen
Photo Courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com

Andrew Karpen, Outgoing Co-CEO

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

Adrian Alperovich
Photo Courtesy of homemediamagazine.com

Adrian Alperovich, Incoming COO

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

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

Robert T. Gibson, CFO and Senior VP, Finance

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

Financials

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

Restructure

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

Photo Courtesy of FilmDistrict

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

Alison Thompson, head of Focus Features International

Alison Thompson
Photo Courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com

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

Recent Film Releases

Dallas Buyers Club

Photo courtesy of critic.de

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

Photo Courtesy of UPI/Christine Chew

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

The World’s End

Photo Courtesy of reggiestake.com

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

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

Photo Courtesy of edgarwrighthere.com

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

Upcoming Film Releases

Fifty Shades of Grey

Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com

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

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

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

Photo Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly

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

Sources

[1] Focus Features Description

[2] Ten Years of Focus Features Anniversary Video

[3] The Pianist Film Awards

[4] James Schamus Bio

[5] Focus Features to Absorb FilmDistrict

[6] Andrew Karpen Bio

[7] FilmDistrict Names Three New Marketing Executives

[8] Robert T. Gibson Bio

[9] Brokeback Mountain Film Awards

[10] Box Office Mojo – Focus Features All Time

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

[12] Focus Features Hoovers Profile

[13] Focus Features New York Office to Close

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

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

[16] Box Office Mojo – Focus Features Future Releases

[17] IMDb – Dallas Buyers Club

[18] Box Office Mojo – Dallas Buyers Club

[19] Rotten Tomatoes – Dallas Buyers Club

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

[21] IMDb – Edgar Wright

[22] Fifty Shades of Grey Film Facts

[23] Fifty Shades of Grey Plot Summary

[24] Fifty Shades of Grey Casting

DreamWorks Studios

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Kelsey Schwartzbach

By Kelsey Schwartzbach

DreamWorks Studios

http://www.dreamworksstudios.com

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

818-733-9300 [1]

DreamWorks Studios [2]

Key Executives:

Steven Spielberg, Principal Partner [3][4]

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

Jeff Small, CEO [7][8]

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

A Brief History:

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

Financials:

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

Right Here, Right Now

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

Poster for The Fifth Estate [15]

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

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

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

Coming soon to a theatre near you

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

Poster for Delivery Man [18]

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

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

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

Poster for Need for Speed [22]

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

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

In the News

The Bully Pulpit [25]

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

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

The Hundred-Foot Journey [27]

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

Sources:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MGM

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Trevor Heckendorn

By Trevor Heckendorn

Key Executives [1]

Gary Barber Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Ken Schapiro Chief Operating Officer

Jonathan Glickman President, Motion Picture Group

History

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

Financial Information

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

Recent Releases

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Upcoming Releases

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

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

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

RoboCop Poster - P 2013

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

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

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

Future of MGM

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

Sources

[1] MGM.com – MGM Today

[2] MGM.com – History

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

[4] IMDb – MGM

[5] Box Office Mojo – Skyfall

[6] IMDb – Skyfall

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

[8] IMDb – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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

[10] IMDb – G.I. Joe Retaliation

[11] Box Office Mojo – Carrie

[12] IMDb – Carrie

[13] IMDb – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

[14] IMDb – RoboCop

[15] IMDb – 22 Jump Street

Picture Sources

MGM Logo (courtesy of wikia.com)

Gary Barber (courtesy of MGM.com)

Ken Schapiro (courtesy of MGM.com)

Jonathan Glickman (courtesy of MGM.com)

Skyfall (courtesy of Forbes.com)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (courtesy of venganzamedia.com)

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (courtesy of propagandistmag.com)

Carrie (courtesy of fansshare.com)

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (courtesy of comicbookresources.com)

RoboCop (courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com)

22 Jump Street (courtesy of collider.com)

20th Century Fox

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Kathryn Moshenek

By Katie Moshenek

20th Century Fox logo for Runner Runner(2013) [1]

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

10201 W. Pico Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90064

www.foxmovies.com

Brief history

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, also known as 20th Century Fox, is currently one of the major film studios in America. Starting in 1935 as a merger between two major film corporations, 20th Century Fox was sold to News Corp. in 1985, and in early 2013 News Corp. split into News Corp. and 21st Century Fox, with the latter company retaining Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.[2][3] Movies that 20th Century Fox is most known for include Avatar, the Star Wars franchise (now with Disney), and Independence Day.[4]

Key Executives

Rupert Murdoch [5]

21st Century Fox Chairman and CEO- Rupert Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch was in charge of News Corp. since 1979 and when the company split in June 2013, Murdoch became Executive Chairman of News Corp. and the Chairman and CEO of 21st Century Fox, of which 20th Century Fox is a subsidiary of. Murdoch has been extremely influential in media through purchasing media companies and creating his own.[6]

Jim N. Gianopulos [7]

20th Century Fox Chairman and CEO- James N. Gianopulos

James N. Gianopulos has been at 20th Century Fox as President of 20th Century Fox International and then CEO since 1994, overseeing Titanic and Avatar, the highest grossing films of all time.[8]

Financials

June 30th is the end of 21st Century Fox’s fiscal year and according to their reports, for 20th Century Fox this past year was up $300 million from $8.36 billion to $8.64 billion. This past quarter, which encompassed all of April, May, and June of 2013, was also up $21 million from the past quarter from $2.014 billion to $2.035 billion.[9]

In Recent News

The Book Thief poster [10]

20th Century Fox’s movie The Book Thief is out in limited release until Thanksgiving weekend in hopes it will gain momentum and find its audience. [11] The book-turned-movie is about a little girl in WWII finding solace in stealing and sharing books when Nazi’s in Germany are burning them up. Leading up to the movie’s release though, Fox was not letting a marketing chance pass by and ended with some truly creative advertising. On October 23rd, Fox bought two whole pages of ad space in The New York Times, which is worth $105,840, and left them completely blank except for a small url on the second page which goes to a site about the film.[12]

Little Free Library [13]

Further creative marketing has popped up. On November 20th Century Fox also partnered with Little Free Libraries, a company that creates little free “’take a book, leave a book’ gathering places”, to advertise 20th Century Fox’s upcoming movie The Book Thief by creating custom Little Libraries.[13]

Ivanhoe Pictures [14]

Also in early November, 20th Century Fox’s subsidiary Fox International Productions made a deal with Ivanhoe Pictures, a TV and film company. Ivanhoe Pictures is a recent company and focuses on projects with global appeal. Ivanhoe Pictures has signed a four year, $130 million co-finance deal with FIP and the money will go towards co-financing 10 local-language projects FIP has now in India, South Korea, China, and Taiwan. Those areas are the top four local Asian markets and the companies don’t intend to miss out on any action, especially within China, which is predicted to soon be the largest film market in the world.[15][16]

What’s Next?

Proposed Miami Wilds[17]

20th Century Fox and Dinosaurier-Park International, a Germany company that runs the biggest outdoor dinosaur park in Europe, are battling over park space in Miami-Dade County. With 120 vacant acres, the space surrounds Zoo Miami and after over a decade of work, the county is finally vetting the two companies’ proposals. If the county decides to go with 20th Century Fox’s proposal for “Miami Wilds”, the park will become a theme park inspired by their two blockbuster animated films Ice Age and Rio, will cost $930 million to make, create 2,750 jobs, have 30,000 square feet of retail space, outdoor event space, and a massive water park, and would open around 2018.[17]

Epic Magazine Logo [18]

In late August when Epic Magazine launched with its new business model for journalism, 20th Century Fox was the first to bite. Launched by two seasoned magazine-to-movie writers, one whom had even written the Wired Magazine story that was the base for Argo [19], Epic was created to have long and in-depth articles published online for free and would be funded by selling the film rights to film companies.

Though 20th Century Fox and Epic only have a first-look deal, it’s nothing to disregard. The deal will allow 20th Century Fox do just what the deal sounds like: get a first look, and be the first in line to purchase the film rights if Fox wants the story. It’s a great deal for Fox so that they will get to have first pick of fresh stories, but also good for the magazine who will not only make money off of it, but will not have to go through the chaos of fighting film companies when an article gets noticed.[20][21]

Online Silk Road Marketplace Logo[22]

In mid-October, 20th Century Fox snagged its first article to use despite it not even being written yet.[23]The article being written by Joshua Davis is a real and ongoing story, and is about the owner of the online black market site “Silk Road” who was arrested for drug trafficking as well as hiring a hitman to kill one of his employees.[24] 20th Century Fox has already hired Dennis Lehane, writer of Shutter Island and Mystic River as well as episodes of Boardwalk Empire and The Wire, to turn the article into a script. Fox has also hired Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping to produce alongside the two founders of Epic Magazine, Joshua Davis and Joshuah Bearman.[25]

Sources

[1] 20th Century Fox logo for Runner Runner(2013)

[2] Brief chronology of 20th Century Fox

[3] Guardian article on News Corp. split

[4] 20th Century Fox’s highest grossing films

[5] Photo of Murdoch courtesy of Wikipedia

[6] Murdoch Bio

[7] Photo of Gianopulos courtesy of University of Southern California

[8] Gianopulos Bio

[9] 21st Century Fox quarter earnings

[10] The Book Thief poster courtesy of Imp Awards

[11] Yahoo on The Book Thief

[12] Adage article on NYT blank ads

[13] 20th Century Fox and Little Free Libraries partnership

[14] Photo of Ivanhoe Pictures logo courtesy of Deadline.com

[15] LATimes article about 20th Century Fox and Ivanhoe Pictures deal

[16] Hispanic Business article on TCF and Ivanhoe Picture deal

[17] Huffington Post article on proposed parks

[18] Epic Magazine logo from their Tumblr

[19] Deadline article on making of Argo

[20] Deadline article on Epic Magazine launch

[21] The Verge article on first-look deal with 20th Century Fox

[22] Online Silk Road Marketplace logo courtesy of Wikipedia

[23] The Verge article on Silk Road film

[24] The Verge article on arrest of Silk Road owner

[25] Deadline article on Silk Road film production

Warner Bros. Pictures

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Dahlia Neeman

By Dahlia Neeman

The Warner Brothers logo. Image courtesy of Warner Brothers

About The Company

Warner Brothers Pictures is a major film studio founded in 1932. Their studios are located in Burbank, California. They have many divisions including feature films, animation, DVD and Blu-ray. Some of their highest grossing films include “The Dark Knight”, “Harry Potter” and “Inception”. Each year, Warner Brothers produces and distributes 18-22 films. They either fully finance or co-finance every film they produce and distribute films that are financed and produced by others. They also keep the international distribution rights. Last year they were the only studio to gross $4.3 billion at the box office. [1]

Contact

3400 W. Riverside Drive Burbank, CA 91505
877-491-8687
www.warnerbros.com

Key Executives:

Courtesy of warnerbros.com

Barry M. Meyer is the Chairman of Warner Brothers. He has been working at the company for 14 years. In 2010 he received the Directors Guild of America’s Honorary Life Member Award. [2]

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

Kevin Tsujihara became the Chief Executive Officer of Warner Brothers in March, 2013. He previously held the position of President of Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. [3]

Recent News

Courtesy of sciencefiction.com

On June 14th, Warner Brothers released “Man of Steel” which became the second highest grossing film of 2013 (behind “Iron Man 3”). This Superman movie broke the opening release record for the month of June grossing over $116 million [4]. The success of this film is the start of a new franchise for Warner Brothers putting it in a position to compete with Marvel in the superhero genre. Marvel currently dominates the superhero movie platform with its countless characters, but now Warner Brothers can add Superman to its list next to Batman and The Green Lantern [5].

In July, Warner Brothers announced there will be a movie featuring Batman and Superman set to be released in 2015 [6]. In this new release, Christian Bale will not play Batman; instead, the role will be played by Ben Affleck [7]. Affleck’s presence should help to draw in a female audience to a movie genre that traditionally attracts a mostly male audience. The announcement that Affleck will play Batman has received a great deal of media attention, and as a result there is a lot of hype for the film before production has even started. This should further solidify Warner Brothers presence in the superhero genre.

Courtesy of imdb.com

In July 2013 Warner Brothers distributed the film “The Conjuring” which became a huge success in the horror film genre. Based on a true story, the film revolves around the investigation of paranormal occurrences in a family’s New England home. This thrilling motion picture broke the record for opening weekend for a horror film, bringing in $41 million. This film was also one of the top grossing horror films Warner Brothers has released. [8]

Courtesy of The Telegraph

The “Harry Potter” franchise has been one of Warner Brothers most profitable enterprises. Based on the book series by J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers has produced eight films grossing a total of $7.7 billion. After the final film in 2011, it seemed that Warner Brothers’ most lucrative franchise had departed for good. It was a surprise on September 12 2013, when Warner Brothers announced a deal with J.K. Rowling to produce a new movie franchise based on her new book series Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them [9]. If this series is successful, Warner Brothers will have a new potential money-making franchise under its belt.

On September 30, Warner Brothers agreed on a $450 million deal with RatPac-Dune Entertainment. RatPac-Dune Entertainment will finance 75 Warner Brothers films. Films will be from any genre, and the first film was “Gravity.” [10]

Courtesy of imdb.com

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, the science fiction thriller “Gravity” became a huge international success for Warner Brothers. The cutting-edge special effects and enthralling storyline won this film renowned attention all over the world. The film stars two Oscar winning actors, Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, whose prominence among both male and female audiences contributed to ticket sales. Released on October 4^th, this film grossed over $55 million opening weekend at the box office, breaking the record for an opening weekend in October [11]. 3D sales made up 80% of the gross, surpassing “Avatar” which held the record for 3D sales. With 3D sales becoming less popular, the success of this film proves that audiences will still pay for 3D films if they feel that it is an integral part of the film and not just an add-on [12]. The film so far has earned $516 million worldwide [13].

Following the success of “Gravity”, on October 17 Warner Brothers announced a new deal with Jonas Cuaron, one of the writers of the film. He will be the screenwriter for the film “The Lost City.” [14]

Financials

Warner Brothers stock value in the past year has been increasing gradually, ranging from $44.71 to $70.77. It is currently at $66.28. With the success of “Gravity’s” release in October the company’s stock value increased significantly. In the beginning of October the value started out at $65 and by the end of October the value was up to $70. This is the highest value Time Warner has had all year. This year’s stock value is much better than it had been in 2012. In 2012 it fell to a low of $34.70 and only toward the end of the year began increasing up to the mid forties. This shows that this year has been very successful financially for Warner Brothers. [15]

Coming Soon…

Courtesy of imdb.com

With the success of Warner Brother’s hits this year, Chief Financial Officer of Time Warner John Martin estimated that this year could be even more profitable than last year. Last year, Warner Brothers showed a $1.24 billion profit from its films. This year, with the help of “Gravity”, Warner Brothers has already shown a $751 million profit [16]. “The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug” will be released this December and it is anticipated that this film will be highly profitable at the box office (last year, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” grossed over $84 million opening weekend) [17]. Click here for the trailer. This box office success could result in Warner Brothers showing higher profits compared to last year. The third movie of this franchise is already in pre-production and is set to be released at the end of 2014. In addition, Warner Brothers already has a list of films planned for release through the year 2017 [18].

[1] Warner Brothers Company Overview Retrieved: 10/15/13

[2] Warner Brothers Executive Barry Meyer Retrieved: 10/15/13

[3] Warner Brothers Executive Kevin Tsujihara Retrieved: 10/15/13

[4] Screen Rant Article Retrieved: 11/18/13

[5] The Atlantic Wire Article Retrieved: 11/18/13

[6] Batman News Article Retrieved: 10/15/13

[7] Deadline Article Retrieved: 10/15/13

[8] Business Wire Article Retrieved: 10/20/13

[9] NY Daily News Article Retrieved: 9/30/13

[10] Time Warner Press Release Retrieved: 10/10/13

[11] Hollywood Reporter Article Retrieved: 10/19/13

[12] imdb.com Retrieved: 10/18/13

[13] “Gravity” Box Office Results Retrieved: 11/19/20

[14] Variety Article Retrieved: 10/18/13

[15] Warner Brothers Financials Retrieved: 11/19/20

[16] Hollywood Reporter Article Retrieved: 11/18/13

[17] “The Hobbit” Box Office Results Retrieved: 11/19/13

[18] Warner Brothers IMDB Retrieved: 11/19/13

Paramount Pictures

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Shaugnessy Elsroth

By Shaugnessy Elsroth

Paramount Pictures Logo [19]

Paramount Pictures Corporation

5555 Melrose Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90038
323.956.5000
www.paramount.com

A Brief Overview

Adolph Zukor – Founder [20]

Paramount Pictures Corporation is a subsidiary of the top ranked media firm Viacom. It globally produces and distributes filmed entertainment. The corporation was founded in 1912 by Adolph Zukor and was originally known as the Famous Players Film Company. In 1994, Viacom acquired Famous Players and renamed it to Paramount Pictures. The company annually releases twelve different movies and distributes them through its Paramount Home Entertainment. 2012 marked Paramount’s 100th year anniversary and despite being one of the oldest motion picture companies in America, they show no signs of slowing down any time soon. [1] [2]

Key Executives

Brad Grey – CEO [21]

Brad Grey

Grey is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Paramount Pictures Corporation and has held the position since 2005. He is in charge of all development and production generated by Paramount Motion Picture Group. Aside from Paramount Pictures, the Group includes Paramount Vantage and Insurge Pictures. [3]

Mark Badagliacca – CFO [22]

Mark Badagliacca

Since 2000, Badagliacca has served as Paramount Pictures Corporation‘s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He is in control of the finances, treasury, accounting and financial planning for the corporate company. [4]

Fredrick Huntsberry – COO [23]

Fredrick Huntsberry

Huntsberry started his position as the Chief Operating Officer for Paramount Pictures Corporation in 2006. As the C.O.O, he manages the planning and operations for the studio, including their financial department, IT department, and human resources. [5]

In Memory Of

A. C. Lyles

A. C. Lyles [24]

On September 27, 2013, Paramount‘s well-known producer and employee of over eighty-five years, Andrew Craddock Lyles, passed away at the age of 95. Lyles’ affiliation with the company began when he was only 10 years old, as he handed out fliers for a local theatre owned by Paramount in his hometown in Florida. His career in Hollywood began when he started working in the mail room at Paramount. He later moved up to become a studio publicist and further onto a producer. His wife, Martha Vickers, survives him and has asked for donations in honor of her husband to be sent to the Motion Picture Fund. [6]

In the News

End of Summer Double Feature Special

Double Feature Special Promo [25]

From August 30^th to September 5^th, Paramount Pictures Corporation offered moviegoers a special double feature experience to see two of its big summer blockbuster hits, Star Trek Into Darkness and World War Z for the price of one ticket. Select theaters offered this limited opportunity in both 2D and RealD 3D; AMC Theatres, Carmike Cinemas, Marcus Theatres, and Regal Cinemas. [7] [8] [9]

For an external link to view this trailer, click here. [26]

Star Trek Into Darkness originally came out May 16 and during its opening weekend it generated $70,165,559 in the domestic box office. From opening weekend to August 25 it brought in $227,377,844. The weekend before this special double feature only added $106,356 to the total revenue, but with the introduction of the two for one deal, the weekend from August 30 to September 2 added $1,056,014 to their overall gross, increasing the total profits to reach $228,756,232. [10]

For an external link to view this trailer, click here. [27]

World War Z was released on June 21 and brought $66,411,834 in sales during its first weekend at the domestic box office. Up until August 30, $198,854,941 was generated for its revenue. The weekend before the special feature produced a small profit of only $314,920. With the introduction of the two for one deal however, the weekend of September 3 increased the gross income with an additional $1,650,374. Ultimately, after October 6, World War Z’s overall revenue totaled to $202, 349,504. [11]

Bad Grandpa

Bad Grandpa Advertisement [28]

Paramount Pictures Corporation‘s most recent comedy, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa was released on October 25. The movie is the fourth installment in the Jackass movie series, which is based off of the hit MTV reality series produced by DickhouseTV, where the cast is known for their self-injuring stunts and pranks. Johnny Knoxville stars as the lead character, Irving Zisman, who takes a road trip with his grandson and ridiculousness ensues.

For an external link to view this trailer, click here. [29]

The film collected $32,055,177 in its opening weekend, toppling Warner Bros.‘s drama Gravity, which only raked in $20,135,387 that weekend. [12] [13] Analysts were waiting for something to take out Gravity, since it had stayed at the top of the movie charts for its first three weeks, and Bad Grandpa did the job. After four weeks in theaters, Bad Grandpa has thus far accumulated $90,202,000, which is just shy of its $100 million goal. [12] [14]

Trimming Positions

Paramount Pictures California Headquarters [30]

In the beginning of October, Paramount Pictures stated that 110 job cuts will be made spanning its worldwide offices. In a recent statement, Chief Operating Officer Fredrick Hunstberry announced that reductions are being made to five percent of the company’s 2,200-person workforce. [15] The departments impacted are finance, human resources, and information technology, international home-media distribution, legal and marketing. [16] The company’s intent is to reorganize the corporation in order to better adapt themselves to the film industry’s increasing competition. [15]

What’s Coming Up?

Release Date Change

The Wolf of Wall Street Promo [31]

The Wolf of Wall Street is Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest movie where he plays the wealthy stockbroker, Jordan Belfort. Over Belfort’s years as a swindler, he developed a serious drug addiction, getting wrapped up in the rich party lifestyle and refused to cooperate in a large fraud case pertaining to corruption on Wall Street. Martin Scorsese is the director of this black comedy, which is based on Belfort’s self-titled memoir. Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey are among other cast members. [17]

For an external link to view this trailer, click here. [32]

The film was originally set to be released November 15, and has since been changed to come out in theaters on Christmas day, December 25. [18] The purpose of the set back is due to issues surrounding the movies long length of three hours, as well as a debate pertaining to its potential NC-17 rating. As a result of the setback, other studios are left scrambling to refigure their movie schedules. Sony has pushed back its release date for The Monuments Men from December 18 to February 7^th of next year. The RoboCop remake has thus been postponed and will now be coming out in theaters on February 12^th. For Paramount, their initial holiday movie Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, is now set to come out January 7, 2014. Ultimately, the process of changing one release date shows how problematic and chaotic the procedure for movie scheduling is during “Oscar season”. [18]

Sources

1) http://www.paramount.com/100-years-paramount/paramount-story
Retrieved September 8, 2013

2) http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.Paramount_Pictures_Corporation.454f21dcb6c08c2b.html
Retrieved September 8, 2013

3) http://www.paramount.com/inside-studio/studio/executives/meet-executives/brad-grey
Retrieved September 8, 2013

4) http://www.paramount.com/inside-studio/studio/executives/division-executives/mark-badagilacca
Retrieved September 8, 2013

5) http://www.paramount.com/inside-studio/studio/executives/meet-executives/fedrick-huntsberry
Retrieved September 8, 2013

6) http://variety.com/2013/film/news/paramounts-longest-employee-a-c-lyles-dies-at-95-1200682146/
Retrieved October 10, 2013

7) http://www.marketwatch.com/story/paramount-pictures-and-leading-exhibitors-announce-star-trek-into-darkness-and-world-war-z-double-feature-2013-08-27
Retrieved September 8, 2013

8) http://www.paramount.com/news-and-social-media/news-and-press-releases/paramount-pictures-and-leading-exhibitors-announce
Retrieved September 8, 2013

9) http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/08/27/star-trek-world-war-z-bring-back-double-feature/
Retrieved September 8, 2013

10) http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=startrek12.htm
Retrieved November 15, 2013

11) http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=worldwarz.htm
Retrieved November 15, 2013