Universal Pictures

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Lukas Lamble

By Luke Lamble

Universal Pictures logo

History

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]

Key Executives [5]

Ron Meyer (nbcumv.com)

Ron Meyer – Vice Chairman, NBCUniversal

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.

Suzanne Cole (nbcumv.com)

Suzanne Cole – Executive VP, Media, Universal Pictures

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 Me 2 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]

Sources

[1] Universal Pictures History

[2] NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment Unite to Create NBC Universal

[3] Comcast Completes Acquisition of GE’s 49% Stake In NBCUniversal

[4] About Universal Pictures

[5] NBCUniversal Film Executives

[6] NBCUniversal 2012 Annual Report

[7] 2013 Studio Market Shares

[8] NBCUniversal 2012 Annual Report

[9] Movie Franchises by Studio

[10] Universal Pictures’ 2013 Movie Releases

[11] The Best Man Holiday Plot Summary

[12] The Best Man Holiday Box Office Performance

[13] The Best Man Holiday Performance Analysis

[14] Despicable Me 2 Plot Summary

[15] Despicable Me 2 Box Office Performance

[16] Fast & Furious 6 Plot Summary

[17] Fast & Furious 6 Box Office Performance

[18] Dwayne Johnson Tweets Fast & Furious 7 Photo

[19] Ted 2 Scheduled Release

Walt Disney/Touchstone Pictures

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Maria Cristo

By Maria F. Cristo

Courtesy of: http://www.topnews.in

The Disney Story

“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]

Courtesy of: http://www.tumblr.com

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]

Courtesy of: http://davelandblog.blogspot.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hXsLTcgmLQ

This short video visually illustrates my description of Walt Disney’s achievements.

Executives

CEO of the Walt Disney Company: Robert Iger

Robert Iger [3]

Chairman of Walt Disney International: Andy Bird

Andy Bird [4]

Walt Disney Studios Chairman: Alan F. Horn

Alan F. Horn [5]

Walt Disney Studios President: Alan Bergman

Alan Bergman [6]

Walt Disney Studios VP and Global Communications: Paul Roeder

Paul Roeder [7]

Walt Disney Studios Senior VP and Human Resources: Carolyn Wilson

Carolyn Wilson [8]

Walt Disney Pictures

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]

Disney Animation Studios [10]

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. [

Courtesy of: http://animateddisney.tumblr.com/

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.

Courtesy of: http://www.logancountychamber.com

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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]

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/johnny-depp/images/180935/title/pirates-caribbean-photo

Courtesy of: http://www.fanpop.com

Marvel

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]

Courtesy of: http://dorkshelf.com

Disneynature

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]

Courtesy of: http://collegiatetimes.com

Touchstone [14]

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.

Courtesy of: http://thedisneyblog.com

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.

Courtesy of: http://www.filmofilia.com

Disney’s Numbers

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]

http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2013/03/upcoming-adaptation-disneys-frozen/

Courtesy of: http://www.alsc.ala.org

March 6, 2013

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]

Courtesy of: http://www.theverge.com

April 8, 2013

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]

Sources:

1. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/

2. http://www.biography.com/people/walt-disney-9275533

3. http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about-disney/leadership/ceo/robert-iger

4. http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about-disney/leadership/corporate-management-team/andy-bird

5. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/unit/6/bio/1015

6. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/unit/6/bio/29

7. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/unit/6/bio/621

8. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/unit/6/bio/831

9. http://www.waltdisneystudios.com/

10. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/unit/76

11. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/unit/74

12. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/unit/246

13. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/unit/261

14. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/unit/264

15. http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/sites/default/files/reports/q1-fy13-earnings.pdf

16. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/news/1238

17. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/news/1277

18. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/news/1288

19. http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/news/1293

20. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/viacom-disney-stocks-hit-highs-434709

Paramount Pictures

Posted on April 9, 2013 by John Peter Amato Jr

Paramount’s Logo
Courtesy: jennielsen.com

Paramount Pictures
5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 956-8398

Paramount Pictures is the fifth oldest film studio in America. It is a Viacom company, and with over 1,000 titles and numerous awards, it continues to produce entertaining, lucrative, and successful content. Divisions within Paramount include Paramount Vantage, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc, Paramount Studio Group, Worldwide Television Distribution, Paramount Famous Production, and Paramount Parks and Resorts [10].

Brad Grey, C.E.O. and chairman of Paramount Pictures, has held his positions since 2005.

Brad Grey, C.E.O., Chairman, Paramount Pictures
Courtesy: hollywoodreporter.com

After succeeding Sherry Lansing, Grey is responsible for 8 of Paramount’s top 10 highest grossing films of all time, including the Transformers series, Star Trek, Iron Man 1 & 2, Shrek the Third, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Paramount takes advantage of its rich historical value and prime location. It is the last remaining studio in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles.The studio hosts tours and many events within the studio. It is a major tourist destination in Los Angeles. An intimate tour of the studio leaves a visitor with a sense of the 100 year Hollywood history Paramount has to offer. Visiting offers opportunity to see where some of the most celebrated films and TV shows of all time were produced [4].

Paramount Studios
Courtesy: flickr

HERE AND NOW

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Film Poster
Courtesy: collider.com

Paramount is notorious for their highly grossing blockbuster films. Currently sitting at the top of the box office is Paramount Picture’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation. This science-fiction action, starring Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, and Channing Tatum, has already grossed $86.4M [8]. Despite the criticisms of the movie from fans and authors on websites such as rottentomato.com, the studio has still benefited from a lucrative return on their mediocre sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Scott Mendelson, a box office pundit and film market analyst, describes Paramount’s success:

Paramount did a few very smart things during the production of this Jon Chu-helmed sequel. In fact, other than the fact that it’s not a very good movie (arguably the hardest variable to plan on, natch), Paramount Pictures and MGM’s handling of G.I. Joe: Retaliation may be a primer on how to successfully launch a tentpole film in today’s marketplace [3].

Paramount held off on the release of the movie, which was planned to go into theaters in June 2012. Fast forward 9 months to March 2013, add in increased 3D ticket prices with Paramount’s decision to adapt the film to 3D, and G.I. Joe: Retaliation has pulled in $233M and counting worldwide. Because the international market went for the 3D option, the decision to wait 9 months to convert the movie into 3D really paid off [3].

“The Rock,” Dwayne Johnson
Courtesy: businessinsider.com

The success can also be attributed to the films’s low budget and the decision not to reshoot parts of the film. With $233M made on worldwide sales, Paramount has already begun profiting heavily from the movie. Increasing its moderate $130M budget would not have made it an exponentially more entertaining film, according to Mendelson [8][3]. By sticking to its budget, appropriating 9 months for the transition to 3D, and refraining from taking exessive reshoots during post production, this mediocre sequel translated into a lucrative worldwide film.

JUST AROUND THE BEND

Upcoming on Paramount’s agenda is the release of some huge titles. Star Trek Into the Darkness is set to release on May 17 [10]. This sequel is being directed and produced by J.J Abrams, the man who previously produced and directed the recent 2009 Star Trek.

Star Trek Into the Darkness Film Poster
Courtesy: taylormarsh.com

There are high expectations for this Paramount Picture franchise. Because Star Trek is such a storied franchise, fanatics are concerned about the anagonist’s role as well as overall expectations for the film. Benedict Cumberbatch, the man purportedly playing the role of “Khan,” speaks to these concerns [7]:

“That way madness lies… I think that’s the thing, isn’t it? If you have an over preoccupation with perception and trying to please people’s expectations, then you can go mad. We’ve got J.J. Abrams, and he’s already beautifully cracked that nut in the first film, and I think it pleased a lot of the varying camps: people who were coming to the franchise for the first time, the J.J. Abrams fans and the Star Trek fans, so that was a big comfort to me [2].

Paramount hopes to capitalize on the excitement of the film following the extremely successful 2009 Star Trek that found its way into the top 10 highest grossing films in Paramount history.

FURTHER DOWN THE LINE
There are two films Paramount is set to release within the next six months that have gained the attention of film-fanatics.With the phenomenon of AMC’s The Walking Dead, Paramount is “feeding” on America’s cultural fetish with zombies in Marc Forster’s apocalyptic horror film World War Z starring Brad Pitt [10].

World War Z Film Poster
Courtesy: movienewz.com

Set to release on June 21, there have been some setbacks during production and a reported thrift between Pitt and Forster. After initial production had finished, this $125M budget film had to reshoot for seven weeks and its entire third act was rewritten [9]. Regardless, Paramount has high expectations for this gutty apocalyptic film, hoping it will be a summer blockbuster.

After the success and popularity of the 2004 film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, news of the sequel has been highly anticipated. Starring Will Ferrell, this goofy comedy’s plot is still up in the air. Anchorman The Legend Continues is set to release on December 20, and fans are gearing up for another round of laughs [10].

Anchorman The Legend Continues Film Poster
Courtesy: Wikipedia.com

Paramount’s executive decisions to make these movie sequels shows the studio’s main goal-to make successful, lucrative films. By taking advantage of names like Will Ferrell in the upcoming Anchorman, franchise names like Star Trek, and cultural fetishes like zombie apocalypses, Paramount hedges their bets with expected profitable films.

PARAMOUNT’s GLOBAL REACH
In one of the most luxurious places in the world, Paramount Hotels and Resorts has partnered with the United Arab Emirates-based luxury developer DAMAC Properties to build a 540 room hotel in Dubai. This building, DAMAC Towers by Paramount, acts as a gateway for Paramount to spread their media content around the globe. The hotel will offer residences as well as temporary stays [1].

DAMAC Towers by Paramount
Courtesy: damacproperties.com

It will feature Paramount themed restaurants, bars, swimming pools, and contain a movie theater. The rooms will also have the accommodation to access exclussive Paramount films. According to initial reports, the Dubai venture has been a success, with the first level of residences already sold out. Construction is projected to be finished by the end of 2015. Paramount Hotels and Resorts is also extending its reach to Boao, China, where another hotel should be completed by the end of 2016 [5].

Sources:

[1] http://www.damacproperties.com/en/offer/offers/damac-towers-by-paramount.html

[2] http://screenrant.com/star-trek-2-into-darkness-images-gallery/

[3] http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2013/04/08/paramount-did-everything-right-with-g-i-joe-retaliation-except-make-a-good-movie/

[4] http://www.paramountstudiotour.com

[5] http://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/5593/20130402/paramount-pictures-open-first-movie-themed-hotel-dubai.htm

[6] http://www.imdb.com/list/BrYbKOsKKBQ/

[7] http://www.latinospost.com/articles/16107/20130408/star-trek-darkness-villain-spoilers-report-claims-knowledge-john-harrisons.htm

[8] http://movies.yahoo.com/box-office/

[9] http://io9.com/5918390/zombie-movie-world-war-z-is-an-undead-disaster

[10] http://www.paramount.com

20th Century Fox

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Rebecca Drootin

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp

10201 West Pico Boulevard,
Los Angeles, California 90035

Mail: P.O. Box 900,
Beverly Hills, California 90213
Phone: 310-277-2211
Fax: 310-203-1558
www.foxmovies.com [1]

20th Century Fox’s iconic logo.

Summary:

20th Century Fox is a film production and distribution company under Fox Entertainment

Recent Best Picture winner, Life of Pi, is a 20th Century Fox film.

Group which is a part of the media conglomerate, News Corporation. The company releases about 14 films a year many of which have been very successful [1]. 20th Century Fox formed in 1935 and has been one of the top film studios for almost a hundred years [2]. The subsidiary companies to 20th Century Fox include Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios [1]. 20th Century Fox is most notably responsible for James Cameron’s films Avatar and Titanic as well as classics such as the Star Wars series, Home Alone, the Ice Age series, Independence Day, The Sound of Music, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and hundreds more [4].

Fox Searchlight’s logo

Fox Searchlight is a speciality division under 20th Century Fox. The company tends to release smaller budget, niche-genre films. Many of Fox Searchlight’s films have earned Academy Award nominations and wins such as Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, Slumdog Millionaire, The Descendants, and Black Swan [4].

Executives [15]

Rupert Murdoch

Chris Petrikin- Executive Vice President, Global Communications
Rupert Murdoch- Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Robert Marick- Executive Vice President
Ricardo Crespo- Senior Vice President of Global Creative
Thomas E. Rothman- Board Member
Robert Harpe- Board Member
James Gianopulos- Board Member

Financial Information

News Corp’s current share price is $30.9 up 36.6% from 19.58 at this time last year. Their revenue for the year 2012 was $34.33 billion a 2% increase from their 2011 revenue of $33.4 billion [3].

This graph represents the share price of News Corp stock since 2008 [9].

20th Century Fox is currently number 4 in the market, holding an 11.7% share. It has grossed $256.9 million. Compared to its position in April of 2012, it is down $40 million in revenue, with the same amount of films released. In 2012, they finished 6th in the market with a 9.5% share, releasing 15 films. 2012 was a successful year, having increased profits from 2011 by 4.9%, up from $977 million to $1 billion [4].

Fox Searchlight is currently 16th in the market with a .2% of the market share. It has currently grossed $4.5 million at the box office with the release of 4 films so far this year. Searchlight finished 2012 grossing $117.8 million, down 22.7% from the 2011 gross of $152.4 million. For 2012, Fox Searchlight was 12th in the market a slight decline from their 2011 position of 11th in the market. In 2012 they released 10 movies and in 2011 they released 11, most likely causing the decline in profits [4].

Competitors

The Weinstein Company is independently owned unlike most studios that fall under a media conglomerate.

20th Century Fox competes most closely with the five other major studios (Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros, Disney, Universal, and Paramount.) Universal is currently number one in the market, followed by the Weinstein Company, and Buena Vista. Universal has only released 2 films so far this year, one being the successful film, Identity Theif, and have still been experiencing profits from their late 2012 releases including the award winner Les Miserables. Beuna Vista released the high grossing, Oz The Great and Powerful. The recent wild success of the Weinstein Company has caused it to become more comprable in profits to 20th Century Fox than to Fox Searchlight though they release similar types of films. This has largely been due to their award winning films Django Unchained and Silver Linings Playbook. 20th Century Fox has held a high position in the market due to the success of The Croods. Other 2013 releases inclue Broken City and A Good Day to Die Hard [4].

Recent News

After a phone hacking scandal in 2011 and increased pressure from shareholders, News Corp will be splitting into two separate companies mid-2013. 20th Century Fox and all other Fox brands will become a part of a new company titled Fox Group. The publishing side of the company will remain News Corporation. Fox Group is slated to be led by Chase Carey, president and chief operating officer, Rupert Murdoch, chief executive and chairman, and James Murdoch, who will serve as the deputy chief operating officer [6]. Due to this split, 20th Century Fox’s co-chairman Tom Rothman will be resigning, leaving co-chairman, Jim Gianopolus, to lead the entire film division [11].

The 2013 release of The Croods has been notable for more than just its success at the box office. The film is the first to be released under DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox’s new partnership. Formerly, DreamWorks films were distributed by Paramount but the two companies ended this agreement late last year. This new deal has been very profitable for 20th Century Fox, as The Croods grossed $44.7 million in its opening weekend alone [7].

20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios are currently preparing for the release of the film Epic. Director, Chris Wedge, known for the Ice Age films, claims that Epic shows both technological advancement and genre evolution for Blue Sky [12]. The companies are heavily promoting the film that is set to release in May. Teaming up with Rite-Aid, the film will be an official charity partner of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals [13].

20th Century Fox is taking initiative to lead the industry in the new medium of digital media. In September, the Home Entertainment division decided

to release digital copies of the film Prometheus three weeks before the DVD and Blu-ray release. In attempt to make online films more accessible and affordable, the company is also moving to dispel online piracy. 20th Century Fox is the first of the major studios to place such high importance on the release of digital content, calling the initiative Digital HD. Fox will release all recent films on Digital HD in addition to the effort to have over 600 Fox titles available on other digital platforms [8]. 20th Century Fox as well as other studios are currently in a prolonged legal battle with Google due to online piracy issues. The companies are requesting Google to remove links to pirated content but Google is responding by publishing the requests from these companies with direct links to the pirated content. This phenomenon is being called “copyright irony.” [14]

Fox Searchlight recently announced that it will be releasing the upcoming film, Twelve Years A Slave, rather than the parent company 20th Century Fox. The Steve McQueen film features Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, and the young Quvenzhane Wallis. It will premier in December [10]. Fox Searchlight currently has two films in theaters: Danny Boyle’s thriller Trance and Chan-wook Park’s Stoker which experienced festival success [10].

Sources:

[1] http://www.newscorp.com/management/20film.html

[2] http://www.cobbles.com/simpp_archive/zanuck-schenck.htm

[3] http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=NWS+Key+Statistics

[4] http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studios

[5] TRF 235 Lecture Notes: Barbara Jones, Class 2

[6] http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/news-corp-announces-its-corporate-split-and-the-closing-of-the-daily/

[7] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/25/movies/the-croods-and-olympus-has-fallen-lead-the-box-office.html?_r=2&

[8] http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/20th-century-fox-s-mary-daily-taking-digital-lead/238751/

[9] http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=NWS+Interactive#symbol=nws;range=20080103,20130401;compare=;indicator=volume;charttype=area;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=off;source=undefined;

[10] www.foxsearchlight.com

[11] http://www.medialifemagazine.com/people-9-17-12/

[12] http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=101806

[13] http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1149205

[14] http://businessofcinema.com/hollywood/twentieth-century-fox-and-others-in-piracy-battle-with-google/71643

[15] http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/people.asp?privcapId=35867

Photos

1.http://www.foxstudios.com/data/image/teasers/category_bg_home.jpg

2.https://twimg0-a.akamaihd.net/profile_images/495817344/FoxLogo_FanfareVersion.jpg

3.http://www.impawards.com/2012/posters/life_of_pi.jpg

4.http://www.foxsearchlight.com/media/blog_post_images/fsl_logo2.jpg

5. http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/files/2010/09/rupert-murdoch.jpg

6. http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/articles/2010/11/19/weinstein.jpg?1290168446

7. http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BODU3NzI5ODc1NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODQ2NDU1OA@@._V1_SX214_.jpg

8. http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/threatlevel/2011/09/FBI_Anti-Piracy_Warning.jpeg

DreamWorks Animation SKG Studios

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Richard Laubenstein

Ricky Laubenstein

DREAMWORKS ANIMATION SKG

A Brief History

Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen founded DreamWorks SKG in 1994. The “S”, “K”, and “G” comes from the first letter of the last names of the founders. The combination of Spielberg and Katzenberg’s directing prowess, with Geffen’s unmatched musical soundtrack production, turned the company into an instant powerhouse. Their focus was to create and distribute animated feature films. They made partnerships with Microsoft and special effects company PDI in the mid 90’s to increase production quality. The company was eventually sold to Paramount but has created nearly thirty films since it was founded.

Corporate Figures

Jeffrey Katzenberg- Chief Executive Officer and Director

Despite co-founding the company, Jeffrey has only served as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors since 2004. He has a long history of success including being chairman of the board of The Walt Disney Studios for ten years from 1984 to 1994. There he produced several smash hits including Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King.

Lew Coleman- President and acting Chief Financial Officer

Coleman has a rich financial back round working at Wells Fargo Bank for thirteen years and then another ten years at Bank of America where he served as Chairman and Head of Capital Markets. In 2001, he was blessed with the opportunity to be in the Northrop Grumman Board of Directors. By 2004, he became the director of DreamWorks and after a year was promoted to President of DreamWorks Animation.

Ann Daly- Chief Operating Officer

Ann’s experience is un-surmounted with fourteen years of work in The Walt Disney Company. There she developed strategies for the marketing, sales, and distribution for the home video division. She was quickly appointed president of Buena Vista Home Video. She then moved to be the head of the animation division of DreamWorks SKG in 1997 where she focused more on the production side of things. After several successful years she was promoted to chief operating officer in 2004.

Anne Globe- Chief Marketing Officer

After graduating at Syracuse University, Globe got her start marketing at The Walt Disney Studios. With her wide set of skills and passion it was not long until she moved to be Director of National Promotions for Universal Pictures and Universal Studios Hollywood. Shortly after she was promoted to Vice President of Promotions at MCA/Universal. In 1996, Globe became a part of the DreamWorks team developing promotional campaigns for DreamWorks Animation feature films and creating consumer products. Anne Globe is mostly known for her strategic partnerships and long lasting relations with Hewlett Packard and Intel.

Financial Report

DreamWorks Animation SKG released their financial statement for the fourth quarter (2012) and compared them to the last four years. There was a steady rise in equity starting at one billion in 2008 to 1.3 billion in 2011, however it platued at 1.3 again in 2012. Yet total revenues and total assets did increase from the previous year, which will instill investor confidence.

Recent Projects

The Croods

“The Croods” takes place in pre-historic time and is about a family who lost their cave and no longer has a home. The movie, recently released on March 22 2013, follows their adventure of discovery through an unknown world. Starring Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage, and Ryan Reynolds it is a story that the whole family will enjoy. It was the number one ranked movie the opening weekend making a whopping $43 million. It grossed more over seas with a total of $204 million in foreign countries and $125 million domestically adding up to a worldwide gross of nearly $330 million. The marketing strategy was certainly geared towards kids with a partnership with Nickelodeon. The movie was featured under Nickelodeon’s “Nicksclusives” and they consistently aired the movie trailer on the channel in between episodes.

Rise of the Guardians

“Rise of the Guardians” is another kid-oriented animated feature film that involves the holiday heroes we all know and love combining forces to stop evil and preserve imagination for the world. It was released last November 21st .Starring Hugh Jackman and Alec Baldwin the movie debut at a number four ranking the opening week grossing at nearly $23 million. It seems to be a re-occurring pattern for DreamWorks as foreign sales nearly doubled domestic sales with over $200 million with a total gross of over $300 million worldwide. An essential element to the movie as a whole was the consumer products that went with it. Having action figures of characters in the movie is a highly effective way of marketing and keeps it relevant to the kids. DreamWorks also made a unique business move with the release of the DVD around Easter time. Since the Easter bunny was one of the main characters in the story, the DVD came with two hopping eggs. It may seem miniscule, but even little things like eggs make the DVD more memorable and attractive for consumers.

-Rise of the Guardians action figures

Puss in Boots

“Puss in Boots” was released back on October 28, 2011 and is based off the supporting character in the “Shrek” movies. The story takes place long before Puss met Shrek and involves him saving his town with the help of Kitty Softpaws and Humpty Dumpty. The movie grossed $34 million opening weekend with a number one ranking. Domestic sales barely broke over production costs with nearly $150 million but almost tripled that with foreign sales at over $405 million. The marketing strategy fit well with the on your feet action in Puss in Boots. DreamWorks developed a series of games that involved different elements of the movie. You can be Puss and climb up the beanstalk in the game “Beanstalk Boost” or participate in a dance competition in the game “Dancing Boots”. You can even take a shot at directing with the game “Dance Fight Mix Master” where you pick different clips of the movie to mesh together and make them funny. Having interactive games gives kids a different perspective on the movie and creates an emotional attachment to the characters. With a spin-off movie like this it not only elaborates the “Shrek” series but also further promotes DVD sales and the movie “Shrek: The Final Chapter”. Now when consumers watch the classic “Shrek” tales there is so much more behind the character Puss in Boots because they now know his story.

DreamWorks Animation SKG for the Future

DreamWorks Animation SKG has a long history of creative ingenuity. They have seemed to dominate the animated feature film genre for quite some time now. The company has shown no signs of stopping and will continue to grow and develop new stories as well ass continue their spin-offs to keep their classics relevant.

Work Cited

[1] Company Information, Movies, Corporate figure heads and pictures http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/company

[2] Company Press http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/dreamworks-animation-skg-inc/index.html

[3] Company Timeline http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/97/DreamWorks-SKG.html

[4] Company Insight http://www.closinglogos.com/page/DreamWorks+Pictures

[5] Company box office numbers http://www.boxofficemojo.com/

[6] Company Future

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/24929/what-does-the-future-hold-for-dreamworks-animation

Lionsgate Entertainment

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Robert Lezama

by Robbie Lezama

2700 Colorado Ave., Ste. 200

Santa Monica, CA 90404

Telephone (310) 449-9200
Facsimile (310) 255-3870

http://www.lionsgate.com/

Brief Overview:

One of the Liongate’s most profitable subsidiaries, Lionsgate Films continues to compete in the film industry as a “mini-major” studio, producing hits like The Hunger Games and distributing the infectious Twilight series. While Lionsgate Entertainment also focuses on the production and distribution of television, family/home entertainment, on demand and digital content, we know Lionsgate mainly for the films. Noteabley, Lionsgate Films also owns Summit Entertainment, which produced Twilight, and 43% of the production studio Roadside Attractions.

Twilight and The Hunger Games

When people in the film industry think of Lionsgate, they think of The Hunger Games and the Twilight Series. The Hunger games grossed about $68.3 million after it came to theaters on March 23, 2012. Subsequently, its first weekend barreled through and came out with $152.5 million. This became Lion gate’s highest grossing film in just one weekend. The Twilight series has become attracted a global fan base and continues to sell both in and out of theaters. The last installation of the series was released in theaters November 12, 2012. Lions Gate’s timely acquisition of Summit Entertainment aided in the studio’s continual success.

Executives

Jon Feltheimer

CEO Lions Gate Entertainment:

Jon is the Chief Executive Officer of Lions Gate Entertainment and has held that position since 2000. Feltheimer’s has led Lionsgate to grow into the leading American independent filmed entertainment studio.Before joining Lionsgate, Mr. Feltheimer spent nine years at Sony Pictures Entertainment, where he served as head of the Columbia TriStar Television Group and head of Sony Entertainment Television.

Patrick Wachsberger

CO-Chairman Lions Gate Films

Patrick Wachsberger is the President and CEO of Summit Entertainment and also serves as a Co-Chairman for Lionsgate Films. Prior to running Summit Entertainment, Wachsberger served as President and CEO of Odyssey Entertainment and Odyssey Distributors, Ltd. Prior to heading Odyssey, Wachsberger was President of J & M Entertainment, one of the industry’s leading foreign sales companies. He served there for 11 years.

Rob Friedman

CO-Chairman Lions Gate Films:

As Co-Chairman of Lionsgate Films, Rob oversees all aspects of Lionsgate’s domestic and international feature film acquisition, production and distribution as well as the home entertainment releases of theatrical feature films.

Financials:

Lionsgate Entertainment:

Financial Highlights
Fiscal Year End:	March
Revenue (2012):	1587.60 M
Revenue Growth (1 yr):	0.30%
Employees (2012):	607
Employee Growth (1 yr):	24.90%

Films like Twilight and Expendables 2, helped the film studio to a $37.8 million in profit for the third quarter. Liongate’s total film revenue was $673.5 millon. This is due to the increased revenue streams of the studio’s home entertainment and theatrical divisions. The studio, “brought Twilight franchise in-house when it bought Summit at the beginning of 2012.” Even after the transaction of $412.5, Lionsgate still made more than $52 million in the quarter.

Current News:

CBS And Lionsgate Enter 50/50 Partnership On Highly Distributed Entertainment Cable Network

On March 26, 2013 CBS and Lionsgate entered a 50/50 partnership for the cable network TVNG and TVGuide.com. Originally, Lionsgate had purchased TV Guide for $255 million in 2009 and sold JP Morgans, One Equity, a %49 share towards the end of that year. In this deal CBS bought their share for $100 millon from One Equity. In the end, this partnership will allow “CBS’s programming, production and marketing assets with Lionsgate’s resources in motion pictures, television and digitally delivered content.”

DVD and Blu-ray Sales for the Fifth Film in The Franchise Increase From Breaking Dawn – Part 1’s Opening Weekend

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, which came out in stores March 2, had record breaking numbers. Overall the film has grossed $829 million at the box office. The fact that this is the fifth film in the franchise and is the highest grossing, goes to show how powerful the fan following really is. By purchasing Summit Entertainment on Janurary 13, 2012, Lionsgate was able to bank on this last Twilight film which continues to thrive. Blu-ray sales accounted for a about 27% of first weekend sales. This is 22% up of the first weekend sales of Breaking Dawn Part 1.

Whats Next for Lionsgate films?

Temptation

Lionsgate’s most recent release is the film Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor starring, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Vanessa Williams and Brandy Norwood.The film follows a married woman and her temptation for a charming billionaire, which only leads to betrayal and recklessness.

The Big Wedding

In theaters April 26, The Big Wedding follows a long divorced couple that fakes being married as their family unites for a wedding. The movie will star Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton and Katherine Heigl.

Peeples

Coming to theaters May 10, the film, Peeples, covers the story of “regular guy” crashing a “preppy” family reunion only to ask for their daughter’s hand. This comedy will star Craig Robinson, Kerry Washington and David Alan Grier.

You’re Next (In theaters August 23)

This thriller follows a family away for a reunion as they come under attack during their wedding anniversary. With a surprising twist and shocking visuals, Youre Next will deliver. The film will star Sharni Vinson, Joe Swanberg and AJ Bowen.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire In theaters November 22

As one of Lionsgate’s more anticipated films, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is in theaters Novemeber 22, will surely deliver. In this sequel, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, two previous winners, Katniss and Peeta, are dethroned from the victories and are put back in to the arena. This second installation in the Hunger Games “trilogy”, will surely bring a massive first weekend at the box office.

Works Cited:

http://www.ctam.com/html/summit/bios/feltheimer.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Feltheimer

http://www.filmbug.com/db/343434

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Friedman#cite_note-1

http://m.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cbs-and-lionsgate-enter-5050-partnership-on-highly-distributed-entertainment-cable-network-200102471.html

http://markets.on.nytimes.com/research/stocks/fundamentals/fundamentals.asp?symbol=LGF

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/twilight-expendables-2-boost-lionsgate-third-quarter-profit-77186

http://markets.on.nytimes.com/research/stocks/tools/analysis_tools.asp?symbol=LGF

http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1792214&highlight=

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2070862/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1931435/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1951264/

DreamWorks SKG Studios

Posted on April 8, 2013 by eamoomey

by Emily Moomey

– Courtesy of dreamworksstudios.com [1]

DreamWorks Studios
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
818-733-7000

Company Overview

DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company that focuses primarily on films and television programming. The original studio was founded In 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen as an independently owned entity. The studio had initial success with it’s hit television show “Spin City” and went on to release it’s first film “The Peacemaker” in 1997 [2]. The company also garnered high financial success with animated feature length films. In 2004 DreamWorks Animation was spun-off and became its own publicly traded company and Katezenberg left with the animation division to became the CEO. In 2006 the studio was sold to Viacom, the parent company of Paramount Pictures, but after two years of partnership DreamWorks left Paramount and signed a deal with the Reliance ADA Group [3]. The current DreamWorks Studios was co-created by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider along with funding from the Reliance ADA Group.

Key Figures

Steven Spielberg – Principal Partner and Co-Chairman [4]

Stacey Snider – Principal Partner/Co-Chairman/CEO [5]

Jeff Small – Chief Operating Officer [6]

Financials

DreamWorks Studios was created with initial financial backings from the original three founders. Spielberg, Katzenberg, and Gaffen all contributed $33 million and co-founder of Microsoft Paul Allen fronted $500 million to kick start the company. [7] The company worked hard to retain it’s ownership and remain an independent film studio, but some hard-hitting flops in its later years at the box office brought the company into concerning debt. In 2006 Spielberg and his constituents sold DreamWorks to Viacom and Paramount pictures for $1.6 billion, which included $400 million of debt assumptions. [8] Under Paramount the studio produced a large number of successful and critically acclaimed films. Still, just two years later Speilberg closed a deal with the Reliance ADA Group for an investment of $500 million, while J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. provided $700 million towards another independent venture. [9] Since 2008 the studio has again struggled at the box office and had to restructure it’s finances. Each year the company has tried to negotiate for more money from the Reliance ADA Group, and most recently just received another $200 million investment from them. [10]

Filmography

Although the company has had some financial struggles, DreamWorks Studios has produced many unforgettable films. In its early stages, Spielberg released “Saving Private Ryan” which earned him the Oscar for best Director that year along with four other wins out of the eleven nominations for the film. Additionally, it was the highest grossing domestic release of that year. [11] In 1999 the studio released “American Beauty” starring Kevin Spacey which kicked off a string of box office hits. These included “The Contender”, “Castaway”, “Meet the Parents”, “Almost Famous” and “Gladiator” which won the 2000 Oscar for Best Picture. With these films came a very successful year at the box office, earning the studio over $2 billion worldwide. [12] While the animation division was still a part of DreamWorks Studios they produced “Shrek” starring Mike Meyers and Cameron Diaz which brought home the first ever Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film. Over the years, the company also created such box office hits as “Dreamgirls” and the “Transformers” and “Paranormal Activity” franchises. Most recently the biggest buzz coming from the studio was for “The Help” which earned over $200 million at the box office and Spielberg’s “Lincoln” that just earned Daniel Day Lewis an Oscar for Best Actor at the 2013 Academy Awards. [13]

Click on this link to view the “Lincoln” trailer – [14]

In the News

When DreamWorks Studios transitioned back into an independent company they secured a deal with The Walt Disney Company to distribute their films worldwide. Just last month, in March 2013 it was confirmed that Disney along with Showtime renewed an output deal with the studio through 2018. The agreement states “DreamWorks Studios’ films theatrically released by Disney through 2018 will air across Showtime, The Movie Channel and Flix, as well as its multiplex channels”. [15]

In film news, DreamWorks Studios has decreased the amount of films released in the upcoming years significantly compared to the number they have been known to create. Previously, the company would release on average six films a year. In 2012 they only released two, “Lincoln” and “People Like Us”. They have the same plans for 2013 with Vince Vaughn’s comedy “The Delivery Man” and a film about the Wikileaks scandal called “The Fifth Estate”. [16]

Click here to view a clip about the upcoming film “The Fifth Estate” [17]

However, there seems to be hope for the future. The studio has announced that it has acquired the rights to some exciting new films, including the script based on the true story of the a Capella group Straight No Chaser, which the film will be titled. It will tell the story of the groups rise to success through YouTube. [18] Additionally, there are two other films in the works for the studio. The first is “Need For Speed”, a racing action movie based on the Electronic Arts video game set to be released in 2014. Just recently Michael Keaton signed on to star in the film. [19] The second is not yet set for production but DreamWorks is working to buy the script for “Merry Men”. The company just offered a six-figure number for the rights to the film. Although there have been numerous versions of the Robin Hood story, this film looks to attack it from the perspective of his fellow merry men. [20]

Finally, just this month it was announced that the studio obtained the life rights to the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight Team”, the news reporters that won a Pulitzer prize for revealing the cover-up of the pedophile priests in the Catholic churches of Massachusetts. Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer have signed on to co-write the script and the studio will work with Participate to produce the film. Josh Singer also wrote the script for the “The Fifth Estate” for DreamWorks. [21]

Sources
[1] Dream Works logo
[2] DreamWorks Studios
[3] New York Times – A Studio’s Real Life Drama
[4] Spielberg photo
[5] Snider photo
[6] Small photo
[7] DreamWorks Studios
[8] reuters.com – Paramounts DreamWorks Come True
[9] reuters.com – DreamWorks Completes Deal with Reliance ADA
[10] LA Times – DreamWorks Studios Stays Alive
[11] DreamWorks Studios History
[12] DreamWorks Studios History
[13] DreamWorks Studios History
[14] Lincoln Trailer
[15] deadline.com – Showtime and Disney Renew
[16] DreamWorks Studios
[17] News on “The Fifth Estate”
[18] Straight No Chaser
[19] “Need for Speed”
[20] deadline.com – Merry Men
[21] Upcoming film release for Catholic church scandal

Paramount Pictures

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Alejandro Navas Baquerizo

by Alejandro Navas

Courtesy of www.closinglogos.com

5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

(323) 956-8398

History [1]

Founding Fathers
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

In 1912, Adolph Zukor acquired the U.S distribution rights to Queen Elizabeth, a silent French film, though his Famous Players Film Company. His success inspired Jesse Lasky and Cecil DeMille to team up and make The Squaw Man, the first Laky Feature Play Company film and first feature-length Hollywood film. In 1916, these two companies merged. Soon after, the new Famous Players-Lasky Corporation merged with a distributor called Paramount Pictures to form Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation, the first company that was able to control all aspects of filmmaking (production, distribution and exhibition). This company went bankrupt through the great depression in 1932, but Zukor reorganized the company, named it Paramount Pictures Inc. and brought success back to it.

Paramount Pictures Today

Paramount Pictures Studios
Courtesy of magazine.uc.edu

Paramount Pictures Corporation is owned by and is a branch of the media conglomerate Viacom. Paramount produces and distributes television and film material that has been very successful over the years, allowing the company to be ranked as one of the most lucrative and largest movie studios. It is the fifth oldest film studio in the world and the last major film studio located in Hollywood district, California. Paramount Pictures is divided into eight sub-divisions: Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc, Paramount Studio Group, Worldwide Television Distribution, Paramount Famous Productions and Paramount Parks & Resorts [2]. In addition, Paramount Pictures is part of the Paramount Motion Picture Group, which also includes Paramount Vintage, Paramount Classics, Paramount Animation, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies [3].

Executives [3]

Brad Grey

Courtesy of www-deadline-com.vimg.net

Grey is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures. He is responsible of the development and production of all the feature films included in the Paramount Motion Picture Group. His responsibilities also include the worldwide business operations for all the sub-divisions of Paramount Pictures. Grey produced the award winning series The Sopranos and he is the winner of various awards including multiple Golden Globes and Emmy Awards. He is also the founder of Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, Hollywood’s most successful management and production firm according to Forbes.

Rob Moore

Courtesy of www.hollywoodreporter.com

The Vice Chairman position was given to Moore in 2008. His responsibilities ensue to oversee Paramount’s Worldwide Marketing, Distribution, Home Entertainment, Digital, Interactive, Television, Licensing, and Business Affairs divisions. Before working for Paramount, Moore worked thirteen years at The Walt Disney Studio and then founded Revolution Studios.

Frederick Huntsberry

Courtesy of www.123people.com

In 2006, Huntsberry was named Chief Operating Officer. He takes care of the worldwide strategic planning and operations for the studio. Prior to working at Paramount Pictures, Huntsberry worked NBC Universal, where he held the President position.

Adam Goodman

Courtesy of thezog.wordpress.com

Goodman has been the President of Paramount Film Group since 2009. Prior to working at Paramount Pictures, Goodman was the President of Production at Dreamkworks Studios.

Activity

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Courtesy of IMDb.com

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters Trailer

Hansel & Gretel was released on January 25^th, 2013. This film is a tweaked version of the fairy tale Hansel & Gretel, where they become bounty hunters and follow and kill witches all around the world. This film made a staggering $19.7 million gross on the opening weekend, placing it in the number one spot at the time. The following weekends, the weekend gross plummeted down to $9 million and continued to drop constantly. The movie made its budget back domestically, making $55.4 million when the production budget was $50 million. Where Paramount succeeded immensely with this film was in the foreign market, making $163.8 million, more than triple the budget. This totals $219.2 million worldwide [4]. Paramount’s foreign marketing and distribution, as well as good reviews allowed this movie to be profitable.

Top Gun 3D

Courtesy of www.beyondhollywood.com

Paramount re-released the famous 1982 Top Gun starring Tom Cruise on February 8^th, 2013. They re-mastered the film into IMAX 3D and also released it in Blu-ray [5]. The re-mastering of this film is cheaper than the actual production, so Paramount is smart to use old material, adapt new technology that audiences are attracted to, which is relatively cheaper, and then most likely make a profit out of doing this. On it’s release weekend, Top Gun rounded the top 10s with $2 million including both ticket and Blu-ray sales [6].

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Courtesy of IMDb.com

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Trailer

Released on March 28^th, 2013, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, starring Dwayne Johnson, D.J Cotrona and Channing Tatum, is about the G.I. Joes fighting their enemy Cobra and at the same time survive threats from the government that could wipe them out. This is the second G.I. Joe produced under Paramount Pictures, the first one was G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra back in 2009 [7]. Retaliation’s opening weekend gross was only $10.5 million, while it’s second weekend gross increased to $55.0 million. Worldwide, Retaliation has already made its budget of $130 million back, with $231.8 million. This film is only on its second week, therefore if weekend gross is constant, it will generate a lot of profit for Paramount worldwide [8].

Future

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters Sequel [9]

On March 18^th, 2013, after Hansel & Gretel reached $200 million worldwide, Paramount and MGM confim that a sequel is in development. The revenue that the film is generating hints that audiences are interested in this film, and would probably watch a sequel. As said before, even though this film only opened with $19.6 million domestically, most of the profit is being generated overseas. The producers of the first film, Will Farell, Adam McKay and Kevin Messick are expected to return and produce the second one. This signals the beginning of a franchise.

Satellite Movie File Delivery To Theaters [10]

Courtesy of www.deadline.com

On March 7^th, Paramount signed on for satellite delivery of digital movies. A delivery service like such, would be cheaper and faster than what is used today. Today’s delivery consist of the physical transportation of harddrives to cinemas, but with satellite delivery that job would be cut. Paramount joined this initiative with three production companies and three major theater chains. This initiative is being carried out by the Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition.

Sources

[1] The Paramount Story http://www.paramount.com/100-years-paramount/paramount-story

[2] Paramount Divisions http://www.paramount.com/inside-studio/studio/divisions

[3] Paramount Motion Picture Group http://www.paramount.com/inside-studio/studio/executives/meet-executives/brad-grey

[4] Box Office Mojo: Hansel & Gretel http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hanselandgretelwitchhunters.htm

[5] Top Gun 3D IMAX http://www.imax.com/movies/m/top-gun-an-imax-3d-experience/

[6] Deadline – Top Gun 3D http://www.deadline.com/2013/02/eastern-winter-storm-could-devastate-box-office-as-movie-theatre-chains-shut-down/

[7] IMDb – G.I. Joe http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1583421/?ref_=sr_1

[8] Box Office Mojo: G.I. Joe: Retaliation http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=gijoe2.htm

[9] Deadline – Hansel & Gretel Sequel http://www.deadline.com/2013/03/hansel-and-gretel-witch-hunters-sequel/

[10] Deadline – DCDC http://www.deadline.com/2013/03/disney-paramount-lionsgate-join-wb-uni-for-satellite-movie-delivery-to-theatres/

MGM

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Lyndsey Lombard

by Lyndsey Lombard

Image courtesy of articles.latimes.com

10250 Constellation Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90067 310.449.3000 / www.mgm.com

A Brief History

MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) Studios is an American media and entertainment company that produces and distributes films and television programs. It was founded in April 1924 and has been producing classic films since then such as “Rocky,” “West Side Story,” and “The Wizard of Oz.” While the company has not been producing as many movies independently after coming back from bankruptcy in 2010, it still is responsible for distributing many recent popular films [1]. MGM currently has a distribution deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment, which allowed it to distribute the most recent Bond movie, “Skyfall” [2]. Some of the current films MGM has co-produced are “The Hobbit,” “21 Jump Street,” and “Hansel and Gretel.”

Key Figures

Image courtesy of aceshowbiz.com

Gary Barber is Chairman and CEO of MGM, Inc. and has held this position since October 2012. Previously, he served as Co-Chariman and CEO since December 2010 alongside Roger Birnbaum. Barber and Birbaum founded Spyglass Entertainment together in 1998 [3]. With Barber’s help, MGM has been able to make a strong comeback after declaring bankruptcy in 2010.

Image courtesy of latimesblogs.latimes.com

Ken Schapiro took on the title of Chief Operating Officer in February 2011. He was previously the co-founder of the private investment management company, Qualia Capital LLC [3].

Image courtesy of www.hollywoodreporter.com

As President of the Motion Picture Group, Jonathan Glickman, is in charge of the production and development of all MGM films. He too has a successful history prior to this position at Spyglass Entertainment [3].

Financials

The future is looking up for MGM post-bankruptcy. After MGM acquired Carl Icahn’s stake for $590 million in July 2012, the company went public [4]. According to the 2012 year-end results, revenue was up 97% over 2011. They reported total revenue of $1.38 billion, which was an increase of $681 million from the prior year.

“Skyfall” and “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” landed MGM with two films in the top 15 of box office history. These two films also gave MGM the title of being the only studio to have two back-to-back films make $1 billion at the box office.

Image courtesy of imdb.com

“Skyfall” was named the biggest James Bond release of all time and also the biggest film in the UK by crossing the £100 million mark.

The total home entertainment revenue of 2012 was greater than that of 2011 even though no new titles were released. The fourth quarter was extremely strong with $96 million in revenue, which shows how successful the promotions for James Bond 50^th anniversary were. The worldwide home entertainment generated a total of $195 million, which was $1 million more than the prior year.

The worldwide television licensing revenue generated a total of $395 million, which was also a large increase by $23 million from the prior year.

The 2012 Adjusted EBITDA showed a 48% increase to $286 million. It was adjusted due to revenue growth. The revenue growth was so substantial that it offset the increase in marketing, distribution, and operating expenses [5].

Recent Releases

Image courtesy of www.comingsoon.net

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB11JlyjmkE

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters was released January 25, 2013 and directed by Tommy Wirkola. MGM co-produced it with Paramount. It is a twist on the children’s fairy tale, Hansel & Gretel. In the movie, Hansel and Gretel are all grown up and now bounty hunters that kill witches. It was released in 3D and IMAX. The movie made $19 million in its opening weekend and $219 million total worldwide. It made a lot more money overseas than domestically. Its production budget was $50 million [6]. Hansel & Gretel will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 11, 2013.

Image courtesy of www.comingsoon.net

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLR3HrV71yM

G.I. Joe: Retaliation was released March 29, 2013 and directed by Jon M. Chu. This is the third movie out of the series and it starred new cast members such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Bruce Willis. It was #1 its opening weekend making $40 million. Its total worldwide gross is $231 million so far. Its production budget was $130 million. This movie was also released in 3D and IMAX [6].

Upcoming Films

Image courtesy of imdb.com

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H369sxjyhx8&feature=player_embedded

Carrie is an upcoming horror film that is the third adaptation of the Stephen King’s 1974 novel, Carrie. The film is co-produced by MGM and Screen Gems. It stars Chloe Moretz and Julianne Moore. The release date is set for October 18, 2013. With this release, MGM and Screen Gems are hoping to stay as close to the original novel’s storyline. Their current promotion for the movie is extremely original. At the end of the trailer, they provide you with a toll free number to call, which plays back a scene with the characters.

Future MGM Films

There is definitely a trend of adaptations and remakes in MGM’s upcoming film releases. Two other upcoming releases are “RoboCop,” which is set to release February 7, 2014, and “Hercules: The Thracian Wars,” which is set to release August 8, 2014.

Image courtesy of www.comingsoon.net

“RoboCop” is a science fiction action film that will feature Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, and Gary Oldman. It is a remake of the original 1987 film. José Padihla, a Brazilian film director, who has not released a feature film in the U.S. yet, will direct it [7].

“Hercules: The Thracian Wars” will feature Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Hercules in this adaptation of the Radical Studios graphic novel from 2008. Its main competition in the box office will be Disney/Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which is set to release a week prior. If this movie is successful, it could lead to another franchise for MGM [8].

More recently MGM has teamed up with GK Films to develop a new Tomb Raider franchise based on the Lara Croft video game franchise. The two original films from 2001 and 2003 that starred Angelina Jolie grossed $432 million worldwide so MGM hopes to achieve the same success [9].

Image courtesy of www.filmofilia.com

“The Hobbit” trilogy was confirmed in a MGM news release this past February. The second film, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” was given a December 13, 2013 release date and the third film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” was officially given the release date of December 17, 2014. The first film in the trilogy did so well that they hope the success will follow throughout. MGM is co-producing these films 50/50 with New Line Cinema [10].

With all of these plans in place, MGM’s future looks strong and successful.

Sources

1. MGM History

2. Sony Pictures Deal

3. MGM Today

4. Carl Icahn sells stake in MGM

5. MGM 2012 Year-End Results

6. Box Office Mojo

7. RoboCop Release

8. Hercules Release

9. Tomb Raider Franchise Announcement

10. The Hobbit Trilogy Announcement

Weinstein Company

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Shawn Namet

by Shawn Namet

The Weinstein Company logo

History

Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the founders of Miramax, launched The Weinstein Company in October 2005. The studio handles the production and distribution of films as well as production of television content. Weinstein Company films took home the Academy Awards for Best Picture in 2011 and 2012, for The King’s Speech and The Artist, respectively. The Weinstein Company also owns Dimension Films, a label started by Bob Weinstein in 1993, which has produced films like Scream and Scary Movie. [1]

Key Executives

Harvey Weinstein
Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

Harvey Weinstein founded Miramax in 1979 with his brother Bob Weinstein. The two have been nominated for 303 Academy Awards between them, 75 of which they have won. [2]

Bob Weinstein
Courtesy of the New York Post

Bob Weinstein established Dimension Films in 1993 while still at Miramax. The Dimension Films label specializes in science fiction, action, and horror films like Piranha, Grindhouse, and Sin City, as well as family films like Spy Kids. [3]

Financials

After finishing 2012 in eighth place among film distributors with a 2.4% market share, the Weinstein Company has moved up to second place with a 12.1% market share as of April 4, 2013. The smaller independent studio beat out most of the major studios in box office grosses for the first quarter with $282.4 million in revenue, up from $75.6 million at the same time last year. The lead may not hold, however, since the upcoming Summer season of blockbuster action films like Iron Man 3 is sure to give larger studios a boost that could take them the top of the box office rankings. The studio climbed the list thanks to high grosses from Silver Linings Playbook and Django Unchained, which also garnered critical acclaim and numerous Oscar nominations. [4] [5] [6]

Recent Film Releases

Silver Linings Playbook

Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

Director David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, adapted from a book by Matthew Quick, is the story of Pat Solitano, a man struggling with bipolar disorder who is released from his court ordered stay in a mental institution and attempts to put his life in order and win back his wife. Pat then meets the recently widowed Tiffany, who convinces him to compete in a dance competition as a way to prove himself to his wife. [7]

Silver Linings Playbook began its theatrical run in a limited release in only 16 theaters, but would eventually spread across the country to play in more than 2,800 theaters in its twelfth week. [8]

The film has made a total domestic gross of almost $130 million on a budget of just $21 million, and received an average review score of 81 out of 100, representing universal acclaim from major film critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. The film went on to receive eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won lead actress Jennifer Lawrence her first Oscar. [6] [8] [9]

Django Unchained

Courtesy of the Weinstein Company

The latest in a series of director Quentin Tarantino’s collaborations with the Weinstein Company, Django Unchained, follows a slave, Django, who is freed and recruited by bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz. The pair track down and attempt to rescue Django’s wife at a plantation owned by the brutal Calvin Candie.[10]

Tarantino’s first foray into the western genre made $30 million dollars for it’s Christmas release, and went on to gross a total more than $162 million domestically. Like Silver Linings, Django received universal acclaim on Metacritic with an average review score of 81 out of 100. The film received five Academy Award nominations, winning in both the Original Screenplay category as well as the Supporting Actor category for Christoph Waltz’s performance as Dr. Schultz. [11] [12] [6]

Despite the critical and commercial success of Django Unchained, the picture drew criticism for the consistent use of racial slurs in the film’s dialogue. Director Spike Lee was especially outspoken on the issue. Controversy does not appear to have harmed the film’s box office revenues or Oscar hopes, and in fact brought the film more publicity and visibility in the news media. [13]

Upcoming Projects

Big Eyes

Tim Burton
Courtesy of Biography.com

The Weinstein Company is in the process of completing a deal to fund and distribute the next film from popular director Tim Burton, titled Big Eyes. The film is based on the true story of Walter and Margaret Keane, a couple who found success in creating some of the first mass marketed artwork, selling their paintings through retailers across the United States until their partnership and marriage bitterly ended. Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams are set to star.

Many of Burton’s recent films have been highly successful at the box office, with his film Alice in Wonderland grossing over $334 million domestically. Given Burton’s current popularity and the dedicated fan base he has gathered, Big Eyes could be a boost for the studio, even though the subject matter may not lend itself to a large scale event film like Alice. [14] [15]

Early Oscar Contenders

The Weinstein Company has already begun laying out release dates for some of its Oscar hopefuls, focusing on the traditional year end award season. The first will be August: Osage County, a dark comedy with an ensemble cast including Meryl Streep, Sam Shepard, and Julia Roberts. The studio has also acquired the distribution rights to Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury and Audience Award, Fruitvale, which is also likely to be an awards contender.

Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly in “Grace of Monaco”
Courtesy of guardian.co.uk

In recent months the company has also announced acquisition of United States distribution rights for two high-profile biopics that are likely to garner nominations in acting categories. The Weinsteins will distribute Grace of Monaco, starring Nicole Kidman as classic Hollywood actress Grace Kelly, as well as Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, which will star Idris Elba as South African president and apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. [16]

Coming Soon

The Weinstein Company has begun promoting Only God Forgives, starring Ryan Gosling. A May 2013 release date has been announced for France, hinting at a showing at the Cannes Film Festival. [17]

The studio’s next film to release will be Scary Movie 5, the newest installment in the horror parody franchise. The film is expected to draw in an established fan base, and advertisements show a focus on cameos from celebrities like Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan. [18]

Sources

[1] About the Weinstein Company

[2] About Harvey Weinstein

[3] About Bob Weinstein

[4] Box Office Mojo – Studio Market Share

[5] Hollywood Reporter – Box Office Report

[6] Cinema Blend – Oscar Nominations and Winners

[7] IMDb -Silver Linings Playbook

[8] Box Office Mojo Silver Linings Playbook

[9] Metacritic – Silver Linings Playbook

[10] IMDb – Django Unchained

[11] Box Office Mojo – Django Unchained