Category Archives: TRF235.3 Fall 2012

Warner Bros. Pictures

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by Michele Riley
Warner Bros. Logo courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

Warner Bros. logo courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. is a global company leading in the creation, production, distribution, licensing, and marketing of all forms of film, television, and music entertainment.

Warner Bros. is a subsidiary of Time Warner. Its headquarters are located in Burbank, California and New York.

Subsidiaries of Warner Bros Entertainment, Inc. include: Warner Bros. Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Home Video, New Line Cinema, TheWB.com, DC Entertainment, and half of the CW Television Network.

Key People: 

Barry Meyer: Chairman and CEO

Jeff Robinov: President and COO

Edward A. Romano: Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Brief History/Overview

Warner brothers, Albert, Sam, Harry, and Jack, founded the Warner Bros. company on April 4, 1923. The company made an impression in the entertainment world by releasing the first ever synchronized-sound feature film “The Jazz Singer” in 1927. From then on, Warner Bros. became known as a leader in film and one of the top studios in Hollywood. In addition to being a leader in the creation of contemporary relevant films, the company introduced the first “four-legged star”, modernized the movie musical, and established the gangster-picture era. [1]

In 1937, “The Life of Emile Zola” won Warner Bros. their first Oscar for Best Picture, a huge accomplishment for the company. Throughout the 40s, 50s, and 60s Warner Bros. Pictures continued to create notable films. [2]

Warner Bros. has merged and changed owners many times throughout its years. In 1967, it was sold to Elliot and Ken Hyman and was renamed Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. Steve Ross and his Kinney Corporation purchased the company in 1969, renaming it Warner Communications, Inc. Not until the 1990s was the company merged with Time Inc. to become Time Warner Inc. The new company thrived in the 1990s. Its pictures broke records, was critically raved around the world, and was nominated for and won many Academy Awards. Barry Meyer and Alan Horn took over Warner Bros in 1999 beginning a new era of profitability for the Studio.[1]

For Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.’s full history click here

For a list of Warner Bros. Films click here

Recent News

The Warner Bros. lawsuit against the heirs of the co-creator of Superman has been settled as of October 2012. Warner Bros. has been in a court battle against the heirs of Joseph Shuster, co-creator of Superman, since 2003. In 1938 Shuster had assigned DC Comics “the exclusive right to the use of the [Superman] characters and story.” The heirs of Shuster presented Warner Bros. with a termination notice in 2003. In May 2010, Warner Bros. filed a lawsuit asking the court to declare the heirs’ termination notice invalid. They claimed that “the heirs had given up any termination rights as the result of a 1992 contract they signed with DC Comics.” [3]

According to The Wall Street Journal, the decision to the May 2012 lawsuit has finally been settled. The court ordered that the family of Joseph Shuster doesn’t have the right to terminate a copyright grant covering Superman.

This comes as a huge relief and victory to Warner Bros. Entertainment who is currently in the process of producing “Man of Steel” set to release in 2013. [3]

Another Warner Bros. film that has been getting a lot of attention recently is the James Bond film, “Skyfall,” released November 6, 2012. As of November 11th the film had earned $518.6 million worldwide, including $428.6 million internationally. The 23rd installment is certain to surpass the $586.1 million earned by “Quantum of Solace” and the $594.2 million earned by “Casino Royale.” “Skyfall” did exceptionally well in IMAX theaters. It took in $13.1 million during it’s debut, which is the highest debut in a non-summer opening. [4]

Warner Bros’ film, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” has been in the headlines a lot over the past month. On November 28, 2012, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that 27 animals died on the set. It has been reported that three horses, six goats, six sheep and a dozen chickens died at a ranch they were housed at during the New Zealand shoot. Director Peter Jackson and Warner Bros. studios deny mistreatment. PETA has called for CGI creations to replace live animals in films. [5]

Despite the backlash, thousands of New Zealanders attended the red carpet event of the world premiere in New Zealand. Important officials and dozens of stars showed up for the premiere. Among them was New Zealand Prime Minister John Key who said, “New Zealand took a risk investing in ‘The Hobbit.'” and “it’s paid off.” There are screenings in the films higher frame rate taking place throughout New Zealand and prompting strong ticket demand and sell outs. The film is set to release in the U.S. December 14, 2012. [6]

Warner Bros’ “Argo“, released October 12, 2012, has surpassed $100 million at the box office as of December 2, according to The Wall

“Argo” official poster, courtesy of “The Hollywood Reporter”

Street Journal’s “Market Watch.” Argo is one of the best reviewed films of the year. Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution, has said, “‘Argo’ is one of those rare cinematic achievements that has been equally and enthusiastically embraced by both critics and audiences.” [7]

In addition to releasing new movies, Warner Bros. has been making important business deals this fall. On November 15, Entertainment Weekly reported Warner Bros. signed a 20-picture deal with IMAX. Warner Bros. will release 20 films in IMAX over the next three years. [8]

On November 26, 2012, Warner Bros. extended its relationship with Village Roadshow Pictures Group through 2017, securing $1.125 billion to fund multiple projects, including “Mad Max: Fury Road,” with Charlize Theron, and “All You Need Is Kill” with Tom Cruise. [9]

Financials 

Warner Bros. Entertainment is publicly traded as Time Warner, or TWX on the New York Stock Exchange. In January, 2012 their revenue was $36.33 billion. At the end of the year, December, 2012 their revenue is $46.57 billion. The percent change this year is 29%. [10] These numbers are for Time Warner as a whole. To get a better picture of what the Warner Bros. Entertainment revenue looks like, we can look at the financials from last year. The net U.S. revenue for “movies, TV production, and video games” in 2011 was $6,483 million. Though this still includes TV production and video games, the number is closer to what the movie revenue alone would look like. [11]

Future Projects
“The Great Gatsby” is perhaps the most talked about upcoming 2013 film. There has been a huge outpour of excitement from anticipating audiences. Based off of Scott F. Fitzgerald’s classic and beloved novel, The Great Gatsby, production is a long time coming. The film is set to release in May is directed by Baz Luhrmann and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan. The trailer has heightened excitement throughout the country, revealing the film’s modern yet classic feel, a juxtaposition that is intriguing the masses. [12]


“The Great Gatsby” official trailer, courtesy of “TheHollywoodBird” on YouTube

Warner Bros. is set to release, in co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures, “Gangster Squad,” January 2013. The film is a period crime drama film that has been highly promoted by Warner Bros. this year. The film stars Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, Emma Stone, and Sean Penn.

“The Hangover Part III” hasn’t been promoted as much as some of Warner Bros’ other upcoming 2013 releases. However, being part of the popular “Hangover” series, the film is sure to bring in a large audience. It will be the final film of the series, scheduled to release in May.

“Man of Steel,” a Superman film, is set to release in June 2013. The film will be a reboot of the film series. It will portray the origin story of Superman. Henry Cavill, playing Superman, said that the movie is intended to bring Superman into “the modern world” so that “everyone can associate” with him. [13]

 

References

[1] Warner Bros. (2011). Company History. Retrieved from http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/about/company-history.html

[2] Wikipedia. (2012, Dec 5). List of Warner Bros. Films. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Warner_Bros._films

[3] Orden, E. (2012 October). Judge Rules for Warner Bros. in Superman Case. Retriever fromThe Wall Street Journal.

[4] McClintock, P. (2012, Nov 11). Box Office Report: “Skyfall” Nabs Top Bond Opening in North America With &87.8 Million. Retrieved from The Hollywood Reporter.

[5] Daunt, T. (2012, Nov 28). What The Hobbit’s 27 Animal Deaths Mean for Movies. Retrieved from The Hollywood Reporter.

[6] Bulbeck, P. (2012, Nov 28). “The Hobbit” World Premiere in New Zealand Draws Stars, Thousands of Fans, Rave Reviews. Retrieved from The Hollywood Reporter.

[7] Market Watch. (2012, Dec 2). Warner Bros. Pictures’ Acclaimed Hit “Argo” Strikes Box Office Gold, Surpassing $100 Million. Retrieved from The Wall Street Journal: Market Watch.

[8] Labrecque, J. (2012, Nov 15). Warner Bros. Signs 20-Picture Deal with IMAX. Retrieved from Entertainment Weekly.

[9] Bond, P. (2012, Nov 26). Warner Bros. Extends $1 Billion-Plus Village Roadshow Deal Through 2017. Retrieved from The Hollywood Reporter.

[10] Google Finance. (2012, Dec 7). Time Warner Inc. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3ATWX&ei=axnCUIDGPILl0QHyUA

[11] Advertising Age. (2012, Oct 1). Time Warner. Retrieved from http://adage.com/datacenter/mediatrees2012/#138

[12] Zakarin, J. (2012, May 22). ‘The Great Gatsby’ Trailer Presents Leonardo DiCaprio and Empty Grandeur in 3D. Retrieved from The Hollywood Reporter.

[13] Kit, B. (2012, July 14). Comic-Con 2012″ ‘Man of Steel’ Footage So Good It Makes Fans Cry. Retrieved from The Hollywood Reporter.

 

Universal Pictures

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by Jordan Frankel


© Copyright 2012 Universal Studios

Key People

Ron Meyer– President and Chief Operating Officer

Adam Fogelson– Chairman

Jimmy Horowitz– President

Rick Finkelstein– Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer

Brief Overview

This year Universal celebrates its 100th anniversary, the company was incorporated April 30th, 1912 and has been shaping the history of film ever since. It is the oldest movie studio in the United States of America and has made such classics as All Quiet on the Western Front, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Deer Hunter, and Schindler’s List.[i]

In May of 2004 controlling stake in Universal was sold to General Electric resulting in the creation of the media super-conglomerate NBC Universal, while Universal Studios Inc. remained the name of the production subsidiary. Than in 2009 GE and Comcast announced a NBC Universal joint venture, with 51 percent owned by Comcast and 49 percent owned by GE.[ii]

 Films

For Universal Pictures the most surprising, successful, and highest grossing movie of the year came in the form of a stuffed animal teddy bear and it wasn’t the family friendly kind either. Ted, the R-rated comedy starring Seth MacFarlane, Mark Walhberg, and Mila Kunis, became the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time and the first to gross over $500 million in the box office.[iii] The budget for Ted is $50 million and it is also the 8th highest grossing movie of the year.[iv]  The movie becomes available to own on December 11th, just in time for the holidays.

This fall Universal Pictures saw some success with The Bourne Legacy, a re-launch of the Bourne film franchise, based off of the Robert Ludlum’s novels. Matt Damon played Jason Bourne in the first three movies which in total grossed close to half a billion dollars with each new movie grossing more than the previous one.[v] Damon did not reprise his role in The Bourne Legacy; instead Jeremy Renner took over under the character Alex Cross. The reboot made the least amount of money of the four movies earning just over $113 million in the domestic box office.[vi] The worst part is the budget for this fourth film was $125 million, the highest of any Bourne film.[vii]

Since its release on September 28th, Pitch Perfect has become the second largest earner in musical comedy history at the box office behind School of Rock.  Starting with a budget of $17 million, Pitch Perfect has grossed just over $63 million thus far.[viii] Behind the directing of Jason Moore and a strong performance by Anna Kendrick the movie was well received by critics and got an “A” CinemaScore on an A+ to F scale. The DVD and Blu-Ray will be available on December 18th.

The biggest disappointment of the fall movie season for Universal Pictures is The Man With the Iron Fists. Since its release on November 2nd, the movie has just made its budget of $15 million back as of December 4th.[ix] With names like RZA, Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu and Quentin Tarantino attached to the film the buzz leading up to the movie was high, but mixed reviews and a CinemaScore of “C+” has caused Universal to reduce the number of theaters from 1,872 to 174 in just four weeks.[x]

Universal Pictures is looking to dominate Christmas weekend, as it is the only studio releasing a movie on December 21st and Christmas Day. The first movie will feature Judd Apatow’s return to the director’s seat in the kind of sequel to Knocked Up called This is 40.  Apatow is the mind behind some of Universal’s biggest comedy hits, the for mentioned Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old-Virgin. This is 40 stars Apatow’s wife Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd. Critics have met the movie with great reviews, its over 80% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Universal Picture’s lone hope for a Best Picture Oscar is Les Miserables. The film is based on the Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil‘s musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s epic novel, all of which have the same title.  Acclaimed director Tom Hooper leads an ensemble cast featuring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway. The cast and crew took a major risk on this project, the actors sing “live” – they taped the vocal tracks while shooting, rather than in post-production – to make the film seem more real like an opera.[xi]  Besides receiving the academies top award the film has the potential to be seen in the categories of Best Director and Best Actor.[xii]

 Other News

Universal Pictures shelled out a lot of money this fall for two scripts with big names attached to them. It started in early September when Universal outbid DreamWorks for David Guggenheim’s (the writer of Safe House) new project entitled Black Box. The deal was reported to be in the seven-figure range. [xiii] A month later Universal purchased the rights to a comedy being produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Kevin Messick and Chris Henchy.[xiv]  The biggest script news out of Universal this fall is that the company selected Kelly Marcel to adapt the highly controversial book “Fifty Shades Of Grey” into a feature film.[xv]

Universal also began a couple major marketing campaigns for some of its 2013 movie releases. In late October they released the first trailer for Despicable Me 2, the original film was a big hit, grossing $543 million worldwide in 2010 and spawned an Orlando theme park ride.[xvi]  In September the company released its first look of the comedy Identity Thief, the studio moved the release date of this movie from mid-May to February 8th.[xvii]  The trailer with the most buzz is from Jurassic Park 3D, the studio is releasing the classic April 5th.

 Finances

As of December 2nd Universal Pictures held the 4th highest market share among studios with 12.2%, the studio trails Sony, Buena Vista, and Warner Bros. Universal Pictures has grossed $1.2 billion with just 15 films produced, the least among the top four.[xviii] Since October 4th the studio has made just over $75 million.[xix] The company should reach the $100 million mark for quarter four for the sixth straight year if This is 40 and Les Miserables make their money back.[xx]  In September Universal announced that they had already surpassed its best-ever result for North American box office beating the 2008 figure of $1.127 billion.[xxi]

A subsidiary of Universal Pictures is Focus Features. Located on the Universal lot Focus Features produces and distributes its own movies that are considered more art house type films.[xxii]  Separate from Universal, Focus Features controls 1.4% of the market share so far in 2012.  The company has made $135 million from eight movies thus far.[xxiii] They have one movie currently in theaters, Anna Karenina and will be releasing two more films by years end, Hype Park on Hudson and Promised Land.[xxiv]

Universal reached a major deal with Michael Eisner’s company, Tornante, in mid-November.  Tornante will produce an unspecified number of films to be sold globally by Universal. Tornante operates a cluster of media properties, including Vuguru, a digital studio focused on making original content for platforms like Hulu and AOL, and the Topps Company, the sports card creator and marketer. Mr. Eisner has spent recent months raising money for a film production fund and would like to have a movie in the marketplace by 2015.[xxv]

[i] History http://www.nbcuni.com/film/universal-pictures/

[ii] History http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/12/03/us-nbc-comcast-timeline-idUSTRE5B22SO20091203

[iii] Ted http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/seth-macfarlanes-ted-crosses-500-391158

[iv] Ted http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ted.htm

[v] The Bourne Legacy http://collider.com/bourne-numbers-bourne-identity-bourne-legacy/188050/

[vi]  The Bourne Legacy http://boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=bourne.htm

[vii] The Bourne Legacy http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bourne4.htm

[viii] Pitch Perfect http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=pitchperfect.htm

[ix] The Man With the iron Fists http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=manwiththeironfists.htm

[x] The Man with the Iron Fists http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/man-iron-fists/review/385363

[xi] Les Miserables http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/dec/06/les-miserables-review-first-look

[xii] Les Miserables http://www.indiewire.com/article/2013-oscarpredictions

[xiii] Black Box http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/universal-back-in-biz-with-safe-house-scribe-david-guggenheims-black-box/

[xiv] Will Ferrell http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/universal-acquires-threesome-pitch-for-will-ferrell-and-adam-mckays-gary-sanchez/

[xv] Fifty Shades of Grey http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/kelly-marcel-fifty-shades-of-grey-screenwriter_n_1949163.html

[xvi]  Despicable Me 2 http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/despicable-me-2-trailer-premiere-universal-steve-carell/

[xvii] Identity Thief http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/identity-thief-trailer-melissa-mccarthy-jason-bateman-universal-pictures/

[xviii] Finances http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/

[xix] Finances http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?view=company&view2=&yr=2012&timeframe=Q4&sort=&order=&studio=universal.htm

[xx] Finances http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?view=company&view2=ytd&compare=Q4&studio=universal.htm

[xxi] Finances http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/universal-surpasses-best-domestic-box-office-year/

[xxii] Focus Features http://focusfeatures.com/about

[xxiii] Focus Features http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?yr=2012&view=company&studio=focus.htm

[xxiv] Focus Features http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?view2=upcoming&view=company&studio=focus.htm

[xxv] Tornante http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/michael-eisner-announces-a-film-deal-with-universal/

begin here

Paramount Pictures

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by Samantha Palumbo

Credit: Google Images

Paramount Pictures is the longest operating film and television production and distribution company in the United States, and is the last major film studio to have its headquarters in Hollywood, CA. Paramount Pictures is a division of the media conglomerate Viacom, and boasts more than 1,000 films in its collection, including iconic films such as the Indiana Jones series, Forrest Gump, and Titanic, and uses Paramount Home Entertainment to distribute its films on DVD and Blu-ray.

Brad Grey
Credit: IMDB.com

Key People:

Brad Grey– Chief Executive Officer

Frederick Hunstberry – Chief Operating Officer

Mark Badagilacca – Chief Financial Officer

Randall Baumberger – President of Paramount Studio Group

 

History:

Founded in 1912 by Adolph Zukor, Jesse Lasky, and Cecil DeMille, Paramount Pictures became the first studio in Hollywood to make a feature length film with its version of The Squaw Man, originally a stage play. By 1920 the studio was releasing two-three new pictures a week, and established its famous symbol of a snow-covered mountain peak, which remains today [12].

Throughout the years, some of the most iconic directors and actors of all time have worked with Paramount to create the classic films we have today, such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments (1923), and Blake Edwards’ Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), starring Audrey Hepburn. Next to these classic

Credit: IMDB.com

films, Paramount also produced some of the most successful television series of all time, including Happy Days, The Brady Bunch, Cheers, and Fraiser[10]. The studio first dabbled in the world of television in the 1960’s, after it purchased Desilu television studios from Lucille Ball, and expanded its original 26-acre lot. The studio lot today covers 65 acres with thirty stages, and offers tours to the public to show fans the sets of legendary films, and walk in the footsteps of leaders of the cinema world [10].

Paramount has never slowed down, and went on to produce the highest grossing film of all time, Titanic (1997), until 20th Century Fox released Avatar in 2009, which is now the box office record holder. Further success flooded the studio under the director of Brad Grey, who became CEO back in 2005. Under his direction, Paramount released eight of its top 10 highest grossing films of all time, including the Transformers and Paranormal Activity franchises, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Star Trek [12]. The studio made history at the Academy Awards back in 2010 with 20 total nominations, due to the success of True Grit, The Fighter, and How To Train Your Dragon, and has had countless awards over its reign as the largest studio, with successes such as No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. In 2011, Paramount made box office history yet again with six consecutive movies grossing more than $100 million dollars, an industry record, with the releases of Rango, Thor, Kung Fu Panda 2, Super 8, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and Captain America [12].

Recent Films:

Paranormal Activity 4

Paramount has seen great success with the Paranormal Activity franchise, but experienced disappointing results with the release of the fourth film on October 19, 2012. Paranormal Activity 2 opened at the box office with $40.7 million in 2010, and an even

Credit: IMDB.com

higher opening weekend for Paranormal Activity 3 came at $52.6 million last October, so they were disappointed to see the fourth film start with $29 million opening weekend [2]. The fourth film in the series has yet to gross as high as the first three, but may see more cash flow come in with the DVD release, set for January 2013. Despite not having staggering success, Paranormal Activity 4 still earned the studio its budget and more, and the fifth installment of the franchise has a set release date for October of 2013. The success of the fifth film may show Paramount if audiences have been paranormal-activitied-out.

Paranormal Activity 4 also had a different type of promotion out for the film, which was a contest to see which 25 cities around the world voted the most to have a free screening of the film three days before the theatrical release. Participants voted for their city through a Facebook application, and the results came out October 11th. Lima, Peru was ranked as the #1 city, which received a free screening, as well as cities in Brazil, Russia, Argentina, the U.K., France, Germany, and the United States [9].

Flight

November proved to be a box office success for Paramount with the release of its adult drama, Flight, starring Denzel Washington, which currently has a domestic total of $83 million. Though opening weekend only reached $25 million, and did not make the films budget of $31 million right away, the film has held its own over the past month while competing with box office blockbusters Skyfall and Breaking Dawn Part 2 [6]. The film, about an alcoholic pilot, received some press after Anheuser-Busch asked Paramount in late October to remove the Budweiser logo from the film, as they felt it negatively portrayed the brand, which is an advocate of responsible drinking [4]. The company stated

“We would never condone the misuse of our products, and have a long history of promoting responsible drinking and preventing drunk driving. We have asked the studio to obscure the Budweiser trademark in current digital copies of the movie and on all subsequent adaptations of the film, including DVD, On Demand, streaming and additional prints not yet distributed to theaters [4].”

Though Anheauser-Busch was displeased with the incorporation of their product in the film, there was little they could do about it legally since trademark laws do not give companies the right to censor their products in film and television. Paramount did not remove the logos from Flight, and Budweiser can still be seen throughout the movie and trailer.

 

Paramount also finished its seven year distribution deal with DreamWorks with Rise of the Guardians, which released on November 21 to extremely disappointing results. With a production budget of $145 million, the opening weekend only earned $24 million and a current domestic total only reaching $51 million [5]. This was the last film Paramount will distribute for DreamWorks, as DreamWorks announced at the end of August that they signed a deal with 20th Century Fox as their new distributor [3]. As a result, Paramount may see a dip in their income come 2013, as DreamWorks was a big income generator for them, paying Paramount $50 million in theatrical release fees alone.

Upcoming Releases:

Credit: IMDB.com

The studio is set to release three films in December 2012, including The Guilt Trip, starring Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand, Not Fade Away, and Jack Reacher, starring Tom Cruise [1].

The Guilt Trip, a story about a man who goes on a road trip with his mother, should attract a variety of generations and audiences with the team of comedy powerhouse Rogen and famed Streisand, and Jack Reacher, an action flick about an investigator hunting a military sniper, is sure to attract Cruise fans. Not Fade Away could prove to be a bit of a miss for the studio, as it has no major celebrities and not much advertising.

 

Top Competitors:

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Fox Filmed Entertainment

The Walt Disney Studios [11].

Financials:

In the most recent fourth quarter financial report from Viacom, the conglomerate reported a 17% drop in revenues from $4.05 in 2011 to $3.36 billion in 2012. The company stated that it is hard to compare these two years due to the major financial impact Transformers: Dark of the Moon had when Paramount released it last June. The film had a total gross of $353 million, so without another large blockbuster in 2012, the numbers were sure to drop [7]. Director of Transformers 4, Michael Bay, announced on November 8th that Mark Wahlberg is set to star in the next film of the franchise, which Paramount has set to release June 27, 2014 [8]. With hype already building for the film, and an A list celebrity now attached, Viacom should definitely see their income skyrocket again in 2014.

Works Cited:

[1]. http://www.movieinsider.com/c6/paramount-pictures/

[2]. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/search/?q=paranormal%20activity

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

[4]. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/05/budweiser-flight-removal-paramount_n_2080328.html

[5]. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=guardians.htm

[6]. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=flight.htm

[7]. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/search/?q=transformers%20dark%20of%20the%20moon

[8]. http://www.paramount.com/news-and-social-media/news-and-press-releases/michael-bay-re-teams-his-pain-and-gain-star-mark

[9]. http://www.paramount.com/news-and-social-media/news-and-press-releases/paranormal-activity-fans-around-world-have-wanted-it

[10]. http://www.paramountstudios.com/working-on-the-lot/general-info/history.html

[11]. http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/competition.Paramount_Pictures_Corporation.454f21dcb6c08c2b.html

[12]. http://www.paramount.com/100-years-paramount/paramount-story

Dreamworks Animation

Posted on by 
by Emma Sauerwein

DreamWorks Animation SKG

1000 Flower Street, Glendale, California 91201

Phone: 818-695-5000 Website: www.dreamworksanimation.com

 Background

DreamWorks Animation SKG is a publicly traded, American animation studio, producing computer generated animated feature films, television series and live entertainment properties. Appealing to a demographically as well as geographically widespread audience, DreamWorks Animation is able to garner success year after year.

DreamWorks SKG was founded in 1994 by three entertainment giants, Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg. DreamWorks was able to begin creating its computer generated films in 1995 with the film, Antz, after signing a co-production deal with Pacific Data Images [3]. In 2000, DreamWorks gave animation its own business division which would regularly produce animated features. It wasn’t until October of 2004 that DreamWorks Animation SKG was spun off as its own publicly traded company, headed by Jeffrey Katzenberg [1]. Since its founding in 2004, DreamWorks Animation SKG has released 24 films, 15 of which are included in the 50 highest grossing animated features of all time [2]. The animation studio works primarily out of its original campus in Glendale, California.

Key Executives

  • Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer and Director

  • Lew Coleman, Chief Financial Officer and President
  • Ann Daly, Chief Operating Officer
  • Anne Globe, Chief Marketing Officer
  • Heather O’Connor, Chief Accounting Officer [17]

DreamWorks Animation in the News

  • DreamWorks Animation released its latest CG animated film, Rise of the Guardians, November 21, 2012. Despite heavy advertising and high hopes of an estimated $55 million opening weekend, the film only brought in $32.6 million [8]. Unfortunately analysts are calling it one of the company’s most disappointing releases and the numbers are further reflected in the 5% decrease in stock, 94 cents to $17.11 [8]. This is news comes as a surprise due to the seasonal characters reflecting the time of year as well as a lack of competition on opening weekend. Janney Montgomery Scott financial analyst, Tony Wible, predicted the $55 million in revenue as well as a $39 million profit estimate. However, if the film continues in its slump internationally, DreamWorks Animation could be looking at a $15 million loss.

  • DreamWorks Animation announced in August its plans to develop a $3.1 billion cultural and entertainment district in Shanghai with its partners in China. This endeavor will be named The Dream Center and will contain many shops, reaturants and theaters upon its expected completion in 2016 [5]. The Chinese government is encouraging projects aimed at the metropolis’ middle class in order to aid the nation’s media industries. This six block district will also include Oriental DreamWorks, a new joint venture studio formed with Chinese partners, China Media Capital, the Shanghai Media Group and Shanghai Alliance. The theme will be Kung Fu Panda as the film’s third installment will be filmed and produced in Shanghai [5].

 

 

 

 

  • This summer, July 2012, DreamWorks Animation CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg announced the creation of an indoor theme park at American Dream at the Meadowlands, NJ based around the characters of famous DreamWorks Animation films [12]. “We look forward to working with Triple Five Worldwide to incorporate DreamWorks Animation characters, storytelling and technology into a unique and innovative family entertainment experience at the venue,” says Katzenberg. The theme park aims to include a water park, themed rides, ice skating rink, indoor ski park, restaurants as well as 1.7 million square feet of retail space.
  • Also at the end of the summer, DreamWorks Animation reported that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Classic Media, which owns some of the best known and enduring franchises for $155 million [11]. The deal was made with Boomerang Media Holdings LLC. Classic Media has a vast portfolio of intellectual property including 450 titles and 6,100 episodes of programming. Some of these esteemed titles include, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Lassie, Where’s Waldo and Rocky and Bullwinkle. The thousands of works from Classic Media will contribute characters and stories to the family friendly entertainment giant of DreamWorks Animation SKG. The company formerly known as Classic Media has been renamed to DreamWorks Classics [11].

Technology

  • Since 2009, DreamWorks Animation has committed to producing all future feature films in the 3D format [9]. This transformation involved a great deal of restructuring as well as educating from within the company. The CG animation process completely changed from its standard form of 2D. 3D has become more popular over the years as big name companies create 3D televisions and fellow studios commit to the 3D promise. CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg, worked with exhibitors to get more compatible screens as well as with technology giant, Samsung, as a partner on the 3D launch [10]. In the first Samsung model, the “3D Kit” included a copy of DreamWorks Animation’s Monsters vs. Aliens.

  • In a forum hosted by USA Today at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications of Syracuse University, Katzenberg discussed the future of filmmaking technology. “3D is the greatest advancement in film history since the advancement of color in the ’30s.” When asked about the future of the growing technological process Katzenberg made it evident that while he has complete confidence in 3D, he also knows that it will take time before we see progress. “The transition from black and white to color took 20 years, the transition to sound took 8 years, I think we’ve only begun to see the effects.”
  • On November 8, 2012, DreamWorks Animation released the latest of its collection of mobile and tablet apps in conjunction with leading smartphone games publisher, PikPok. The newest game is in relation to the recently released Rise of the Guardians. Dash n Drop is available for $0.99 at the iTunes App Store as well as Google Play for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android [18]. The launch trailer for this app can be found at: Dash n Drop Launch Trailer.

Financials

  • Due to Hurricane Sandy which hit much of the east coast at the end of October 2012, DreamWorks Animation had to postpone its quarterly results announcement until Thursday, November 1st [6]. The company’s third quarter ending September 30, 2012 resulted in a total revenue of $186.3 million and a net income of $24.4 million. This was a significant increase compared to third quarter of 2011 which garnered $160.8 million in revenue and a net income of $19.7 million [13]. The company’s success can be attributed to the international box office success of Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, which is now the fifth highest grossing film globally of the year.
Upcoming Releases
  • The next DreamWorks Animation film following Rise of the Guardians is an animated feature called The Croods. Set to release on March 22, 2013, the directors are the team of Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders [16]. This will be the first DreamWorks Animation film distributed by 20th Century Fox as opposed to Paramount, as the

    company signed a five year distribution agreement in August 2012 [14]. The film is set in the prehistoric era and stars famous actors such as Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage and Ryan Reynolds.

    Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ4QJCjvN8c

  •  As Chief Marketing Officer, Anne Globe, discussed at a question-answer forum at Syracuse University, all DreamWorks Animation films take four years to produce and therefore the slate has been announced through 2016. A film slated for 2013 titled, Turbo, will be released on July 19. This will be the 27th installment in the DreamWorks Animation collection, directed by David Soren and starring voice actors of Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph [15]. Turbo is a story about a garden snail that has an impossible dream of becoming the fastest snail in the world.
Sources

CBS Films

Posted on by 
by Lisa Kitay

1

History and Overview

CBS Films is a division of CBS Corporation, which is one of the original broadcast companies.[2] CBS is a mass media company that produces and allocates entertainment content that reaches the entire world.  Today it is one of the largest groups of media content companies as well as it owns the most watched Television station in the United States. The film division is just one of their many facets.[3]

4

CBS Films is a baby in the large scope of the entertainment industry. It started in 2007. It has many jobs within its company, including development, financing, production and marketing of theatrical motion pictures. It projects to release four to six films of a wide variety of genres per year with budgets no more than fifty million, but has not been able to debut more that two films per year. They released their first film in the beginning of 2010. CBS films manages the global distribution with partners as well as self-distributing the films in the United States. Currently CBS Films has releases nine films: “The Back –Up Plan”, “Faster”, “The Mechanic”, “Extraordinary Measures”, “Beastly”, “The Woman in Black”, “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”, “The Words”, and “Seven Psychopaths”.[5]

 

Fall of 2012 Happenings

6

In October of 2012, CBS Films released Seven Psychopaths.  This has been their second release in 2012. Even though it opened in ninth place making $ 4.17 million[7], Seven Psychopaths earned two nominations for Independent Spirit Awards for the Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Male categories.  Writer and Director, Martin McDonagh is up for the award of Best Screenplay and Sam Rockwell for Best Supporting Male.[8] McDonagh has also written and directed “In Bruges”. In addition he has also produced many short films.[9] Rockwell has been seen on screens in many occasions and will be seen in films to come. Some of his leading roles include “Lawn Dogs”, “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”, and “Choke”.[10]

11

Even though this picture is receiving nominations, CBS was disappointed in the response from its audience. The weekend report on boxofficemojo.com said that it earned the “lowest nationwide opening ever for CBS Films”. The demographic for this film is male age twenty-five and up. It only opened in half as many theaters as its competing movies during its opening weekend, which could have contributed to its minimal box office gross. CBS Films predicted it would make forty percent more upon its release. It has not been determined the exact reason for its low outcome, but the small demographic that it appeals to is said to have an impact. [12]

According to boxofficemojo.com, Seven Psychopaths ranked 19 in the quarterly reports. It had a total gross of $14,666,353 and was released in 1,480 theaters.[13]

This film follows Colin Farrell who plays a struggling screenwriter in Los Angeles. He entangles himself in the web of the criminal underworld because Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell decide to steal a dog.[14]

15

[16]

Following their release of Seven Psychopaths, CBS Films accomplished something that has never been done before. After long negotiations, four of Hollywood’s most acclaimed actors will be seen on the big screen at once. On November 15th, CBS announced that in late 2013 “Last Vegas” will be released in theaters. With a cast consisting of Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, this film will be the premiere of these Oscar nominated actors on screen simultaneously. This movie, which has a plot that follows the four friends around Las Vegas for the bachelor party of the last friend to walk down the aisle, has a budget of $16.6 billion. CBS is working with Good Universe to produce and distribute this film that Jon Tureltaub will direct and Dan Fogelman will write.[17]

18

Following a similar trend, CBS Films announced its plan to release another 2013 movie with major stars as its leading actors. Like “Last Vegas”, they have also connected Rachel Bilson and Andy Samberg to a movie coming out Valentines Day of 2013 called “The To Do List“.[19]

They also attempted to attach “Thor” actor, Chris Hemsworth, for the leading role in their production of “American Assassin”, a film based on the novel by Vince Flynn. He reported rejected due to scheduling time conflicts.[20]

21

Even though Scott Derrickson is not a leading actor in Hollywood, in the directing world he is very highly recognized. He has previously directed projects such as “Sinister” which was released early this year, as well as the Exorcism of Emily Rose.[22] CBS Films has attached him to making the iconic video game, “Deus Ex: Human Revolution” into a screenplay.[23] He will not only direct this film but write the screenplay as well.  It will take place in the near future when major scientific advances debut focusing on human augmentation.  The main character, an ex-SWAT security specialist, must take on mechanical augmentation to be able to figure out a global conspiracy.[24]

25

In addition to attaching big name industry personal to their projects in the month of November, CBS also announced that it acquired the distribution rights to The Last Exorcism Part II from studiocanal. This is the sequel of The Last Exorcism, which grossed more than $20 million its opening weekend. Ed Gass-Donnelly will direct this film, which will continue from where the last film left off. Star Ashley Bell, is found abandoned in the woods with no recollection of the previous months. As she begins to live her new life, the evil force possesses her body again stating the exorcism over again. This film is said to be released march of 2013. Scott Shooman, who is the Executive Vice President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, collaborated with Harold van Lier of Studiocanel. [26]

27

 

Money, Money, Money

As a corporation as a whole, CBS has had a 5.4% profit increase from 2010 to 2011 reaching $1,276 billion revenue in just movies, TV production, and video games alone.[28] In 2012, at the end of September, the entertainment segment of CBS had total revenue of $ 1,680 million; compared to the previous year it had $ 1,632 million.[29] Even though there is no concrete source to confirm this, from the comparison between 2011 and 2012, I can assume that CBS’s profit slightly increased from numbers in 2011. And although the third quarter results released by CBS Corporate did not include CBS Films specifically in their entertainment segment with their individual earnings, they are included in the total number given.

The most recent release, “Seven Psychopaths”, ranked sixth making a total gross of $ 14,676,509. CBS Films in total has profited $219,338,027[30] from their entire collection of movies since they opened their doors in 2007.[31]

Rank Movie Title (click to view) Studio
Total Gross / Theaters Opening / Theaters Open Close
19 Seven Psychopaths CBS $14,787,728 1,480 $4,174,915 1,480 10/12 –
Chart Courtesy of boxofficemojo.com [32]

Important People

Five specific individuals keep CBS Films active. Wolfgang Hammer[33], who has also been the COO of CBS Films, oversees business, finance, legal affairs and acquisitions. Joining the company in April, Terry Press is head of the creative distribution, marketing and the physical production.[34]  On December 5th, 2012 she was ranked number 71 in The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment: Power 100.[35] Steven Friedlander, the Executive Vice President of Theatrical Distribution is in charge of the domestic theatrical acquisitions and distributions.[36] Rik Toulon who has been recognized as a leading attorney for media and entertainment in California and noted in Best Lawyers in America, is the Executive Vice President and General Counsel. As this title he oversees all the legal activities and is involved with the company’s distribution, finance, acquisition, key vendor and strategic alliance arrangements.[37] Lastly, Maria Faillace holds her second job at CBS films as Executive Vice President of Production. There is she in control the production for the division’s homegrown titles.[38]

Coming up in 2013

CBS Films has yet to reach its quota of releasing six films a year, but 2013 will be different. “Last Vegas” is in production now and has a projected release date of Christmas of 2013. “Gambit” is complete and is also to be released in December 2013. “7500” and “Get a Job” are both in post-production now. ” The To Do List” and the “Last Exorcism Part II” are also on the horizon to come to theaters this year.[39]

 

Sources:

[6] Billboard image from http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/08/31/seven-psychopaths-red-band-trailer/

[16] Official Trailer- http://youtu.be/Jbq4nGObfqA

[17] http://www.cbsfilms.com/news/last_vegas_begins_production_in_las_vegas

[18] Image Courtesy of http://www.moviefanatic.com/2012/11/last-vegas-cast-introduced-in-new-still-michael-douglas-bachelor/

[21] Courtesy of http://www.deadline.com/tag/chris-hemsworth/

[22] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0220600/

[25] Courtesy of Google images

[26] http://www.cbsfilms.com/news/cbs_films_acquires_the_last_exorcism_part_ii

[27] Courtesy of http://anythinghorror.com/2012/08/14/big-casting-news-for-the-last-exorcism-2/

[31]http://boxofficemojo.com/quarterly/?view=releasedate&yr=2012&quarter=Q4&sort=gross&order=DESC&studio=cbsfilms.htm

[32] http://boxofficemojo.com/quarterly/?view=releasedate&yr=2012&quarter=Q4&sort=gross&order=DESC&studio=cbsfilms.htm