CBS Films

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CBS FILMS

CBS Films is a relatively new production company. It was founded in 2007 and oversees the development, financial components, production, and promotion of theatrical motion pictures and films.

The studio headquarters location is 1800 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Telephone: 310-575-7700

CBS WEBSITE

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CBS FILMS EXECUTIVE LEADERS AND OFFICERS

Co-President Wolfgang Hammer studied at University of Vienna Law School and received a master’s degree from Stanford University. Before working at CBS Films he worked for Media Rights Capital and Lionsgate. Hammer manages the financial and legal aspects of CBS Films.

Co-President Terry Press manages the creative process of the films produced by CBS. She also supervises the distribution and marketing of the films. She also does consulting for many films that are not produced by CBS Films.

 

Steven Friedlander serves at the Executive Vice President of Theatrical Distribution. Friedlander began his career at 20th Century Fox and has also worked for Fine Line Features and Warner Independent Pictures.

 

The Chief Financial Officer of CBS Films is Reid Sullivan, a Certified Public Accountant with a degree in Business Administration. Sullivan has managed financial operations at Arthur Andersen & Co., Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures Entertainment, and First Look Studios.

Rik Toulon is CBS Films’ Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Toulon handles business in connection with the company’s alliances and outside associations. He has a degree from the University of Southern California and a degree from University of California, Los Angeles.

The Executive Vice President of Production, Maria Faillace, manages the production of the films that CBS Films produces. She recently served as the Senior Vice President of Production at CBS Films.

CBS FILMS THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

The studio’s goal is to release four to six movies every year. They have been involved in the production and/or distribution of seven movies thus far.

CBS Films was involved in the production of Extraordinary Measures (2010), The Back-Up Plan (2010), Faster (2010), and Beastly (2011). CBS Films was a distributor for The Mechanic (2011), Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011), and The Woman in Black (2012).

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CBS Films produced Extraordinary Measures. Extraordinary Measures, starring Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford was released on January 22, 2010. The estimated budget was $31,000,000 and the reported gross was $11,854,694 (USA).

CBS Films produced The Back-Up Plan. The Back-Up Plan, starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O’ Loughlin, was released on April 23, 2010. The estimated budget was $35,000,000 and the reported gross was $37,481,242 (USA).

CBS Films produced Faster. Faster, starring Dwayne Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton, was released on November 24, 2010. The estimated budget was $24,000,000 and the reported gross was $23,240,020 (USA).

CBS Films was a distributor of The Mechanic. The Mechanic, starring Jason Statham and Ben Foster, was released on January 28, 2011. The estimated budget was $40,000,000 and the reported gross was $29,121,498 (USA).

CBS Films produced Beastly. Beastly, starring Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens, was released on March 2, 2011. The estimated budget was $17,000,000 and the reported gross was $27,854,896 (USA).

CBS Films was a distributor of The Woman in Black. The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Janet McTeer, was released on February 3, 2012. The estimated budget was $17,000,000 and the reported gross was 54,279,711 (USA). This CBS Film has been the most successful in the box office.

CBS Films was a distributor of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, starring Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt, was released on March 11, 2012. The reported gross was $7,077,214 (USA).

CBS FILMS UPDATES,NEWS, AND CURRENT EVENTS

CBS Film casted for their comedy Get A Job in March. They are in the pre-production stages. On March 7, 2012, they signed Bryan Cranston, Anna Kendrick, and Miles Teller to a cast already consisting of Nick Braun, Alison Brie, Brandon T. Jackson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Jay Pharoah.

Director Dylan Kidd expressed his happiness about the new cast in the press release:

“We are making an emotionally honest comedy about the challenges that every generation faces in our rapidly changing world. We have assembled an extraordinary cast to make that happen.”

On March 21, 2012, CBS Films signed actress Marcia Gay Harden to co-star in their upcoming comedy Get A Job. Harden is an Oscar and Tony Award-winner and was featured in Into the Wild and Mystic River. 

On March 22, 2012 CBS Films received motion/feature picture rights to the novel The Man Who Forgot His Wife by John O’Farrell. The novel tells the story of a man who develops amnesia and then realizes that he was is in the midst of separating his family by divorcing his wife. He can’t remember why and he attempts to solve the issues, fall in love again, and regain his memory.

CBS Films has made many executive promotions in the last month. They have named new Co-Presidents, and a new Executive Vice President of Production.

On April 23, 2012 CBS Corporation named Wolfgang Hammer and Terry Press Co-Presidents of CBS Films. They both possess the strong qualities needed to lead the company, but their duties will be slightly different even though they will work together in harmony. Hammer will handle the company’s financial state while Press is in charge of all creative processes of the company.

The President and CEO of CBS Corporation, Leslie Mooves, stated:

“In Terry and Wolfgang, we are fortunate to have two very skilled executives, each with terrific knowledge of the business and strong resumes of innovation.”

Read more about the promotions by clicking HERE.

On April 25, 2012 Maria Faillace was promoted from Senior Vice President, Production to Executive Vice President, Production.

This year, CBS Films is planning to release four films. 7500 (date TBA), The Words (September 21, 2012), Seven Psychopaths (November 2, 2012), and are in the midst of planning Last Vegas (date TBA). The Words is a romantic drama, Seven Psychopaths is an action comedy and Last Vegas is a comedy.

CBS Films has many motion pictures under the process to be released. Look for them in theaters!

Sources:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1244659/ – Extraordinary Measures

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212436/ – The Back-Up Plan

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1433108/ – Faster

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472399/ -The Mechanic

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152398/ – Beastly

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596365/ – The Woman in Black

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441952/ – Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

www.cbsfilms.com

http://www.cbsfilms.com/about_us/– CBS Overview

– CBS Overview Details

20th Century Fox

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by Rosemary Angelo

Image from Screenrant.com

Overview

20th Century Fox has been making and distributing movies for the past 75 years.  They are known for iconic films such as Avatar, Titanic, and the X-Men films.  The company is a part of Twentieth Century Fox International which is under Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. (1)

This Season so Far

So far this year 20th Century Fox has released four motion pictures.   In January they released Red Tails –in collaboration with Lucasfilm- which has earned a total of $49,621,987.  In February they released the Valentines Day flick This Means War, which has since grossed $52,463,012, and Chronicle in which made $63,577,998 as well as a re-release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 3-D which earned $43,430,964. On April 4th, 20th Century Fox re-released Titanic 3-D, and it has so far grossed $56,280,875.  The company also released their Three Stooges remake mid-April, and they have made $31,740,544 to date. (2)  Overall the company has earned $268 million, the most out of all the ‘Big Six’ companies.

Late in January, before the theatrical release of This Means War, Fox appealed to The Classification and Rating Appeals Board, petitioning to have the R rating lowered to a PG-13 in hopes of being able to attract a larger audience.  However, the request was denied due to sexual content in the film.  20th Century Fox later edited the film down to meet these requirements to achieve the PG-13 rating.(3)

Link to ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ reviews of This Means War

Re- Releases

This year 20th Century Fox has been relying on profits from films it is re- releasing, in addition to new motion pictures.  They have already re-released two films, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in January, and this month the studio re-released Titanic.  Both films were put back into theaters with 3-D effects to draw in an audience, and both contributed significantly to their initial profits.(4)  This summer the company will putting a third film back into theaters; Chariots of Fire will be playing in theaters across the UK as a part of the celebrations surrounding the London 2012 Summer Olympics.(5)

Trailer for the re-release of Chariots of Fire (from Blockbuster UK)

Since their re-releases, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace has now grossed $474,519,259, and Titanic has grossed a total of $657,069,063. (6)

Scheduled Releases

Over the course of the spring season 20th Century Fox plans on releasing two more films.  These include;  Prometheus (June), and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (June). (7)

Taken from the 20th Century Fox official website

Prometheus is the “indirect prequel” to the hugely successful Alien films, it is being directed by Ridley Scott, who directed the previous films in the franchise as well. (8)

Prometheus’ Theatrical Trailer

And later in the summer 20th Century Fox will be releasing two family films.  In August they plan on releasing the follow up to 2010’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and it’s 2011 sequel Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.  The third film will be titled Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days.  And in July they will release the most recent film in the Ice Age series; Ice Age: Continental Drift. (9)

Taken from the official 20th Century Fox website.

Hiring and Firing

In February Mary Daily was promoted from her position as top executive of motion picture marketing to President and chief marketing officer of worldwide marketing. (10)  In March Debbie Miller was hired as the new Executive VP of marketing. (11)  Also in March Chris Aronson was promoted to executive vice president of domestic distribution and general sales manager for the company. (12)

International

Titanic was particularly successful outside the U.S. as well, breaking China’s box office record for an Imax release when it made $7 million on its opening weekend.  It passed up the previous leader, last year’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon.(13)

Last year 20th Century Fox also signed a deal with Hopscotch/Entertainment One to have the company distribute their films across New Zealand and Australia.  This agreement allowed Fox to start off the year by marketing Midnight in Paris and We Need to Talk About Kevin this past February in those countries. (14)

Link to Hopscotch Distribution’s website

Awards

Paul Higginson, 20th Century Fox’s executive vice president of theatrical in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Todd Huntley the company’s senior vice president are being honored this summer at CineEurope 2012.  The two are being honored as distributors of the year for their work on Rise of the Planet of the Apes, X-Men: First Class, and Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. (15)

It was also announced in February that the film Rise of the Planet of the Apes, released by 20th Century Fox last year, will be nominated in the Feature film category for this year’s Genesis awards, sponsored by the humane society. “Animal welfare concerns, such as chimpanzees being used in research which is addressed in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, are reaching huge audiences, thanks to the quality and engaging storylines of these films.” Said HSUS senior director and event EP Beverly Kaskey. (16)

Link to the Website for the 2012 Genesis Awards

Advertising/Marketing

To promote the release of their recent superhero film Chronicle Fox flew human shaped RC planes over New York City.  The stunt drew attention from Youtube, as well as several news shows, including the Today Show. (17)

VIdeo of Chronicle Publicity Stunt

To further market 2011’s release of Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakqual the company partnered with Walmart to release a line of apparel inspired by the films. (18)

To incite buzz about Titanic’s 3-D release an advanced screening was scheduled for Valentines Day.  The effort was hugely successful, screenings around the country sold out within just a few hours of tickets going on sale. (19)

Other Media

Over the past few years 20th Century Fox has produced the popular family films in the Ice Age Franchise.  Now the studio is attempting to market the products further, through means other than film.  A Live show-to open in November- is currently being produced in London.  The show is titled “Ice Age Live! A Mammoth Adventure,” and will feature ice skating, music, puppets and arial arts.  Fox signed on last year with European Live and Stage Entertainment, and they are now beginning to promote the show as well as divulging more information. (20)

But that’s not the only market that Ice Age is popping up in.  20th Century fox has also been working on a game which will be distributed through Bigpoint.  The game will draw on all of the franchise’s films, and will be released strategically this summer along with the latest addition to the series; Ice Age: Continental Drift.  (21)

Sources

  1. 20th Century Fox International http://www.foxinternational.com/
  2.  Box Office Mojo  http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2012&p=.htm
  3.  Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/this-means-war-r-rating-fox-loses-appeal-285147
  4.  Box Office Mojo  http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2012&p=.htm
  5. Hollywood Reporter  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscar-winner-chariots-fire-return-303728
  6.  Box Office Mojo  http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2012&p=.htm
  7.  20th Century Fox http://www.foxmovies.com/
  8.  IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1446714/
  9.  20th Century Fox http://www.foxmovies.com/
  10.  Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mary-daily-fox-home-entertainment-chief-marketing-officer-290096
  11.  Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/debbie-miller-joining-fox-executive-VP-marketing-301744
  12.  Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fox-promotes-chris-aronson-303429
  13.  Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/titanic-3d-breaks-box-office-313688
  14.  Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/20th-century-fox-inks-home-267526
  15. Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/paul-higginson-todd-huntley-named-302068
  16. Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/war-horse-planet-apes-humane-society-genesis-awards-287660
  17. Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/chronicle-flying-people-viral-video-superpowers-286839
  18. Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fox-takes-alvin-chipmunks-merchandise-304506
  19. Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/titanic-3d-valentines-day-preview-286470
  20. Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ice-age-live-show-fox-producers-scrat-new-characters-316630
  21. Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fox-ice-age-online-game-connect-movie-fans-games-of-thrones-battlestar-galactica-310476

Activision/Blizzard

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by Isaac Davis

Formed in 2008 with the merging of Activision and Vivendi Games, Activision Blizzard is the second-largest video game publisher in North America.

Board of Directors
Robert A. Kotick – President and CEO
Jean-Bernard Lévy – Chairman
Brian G. Kelly – Co-Chairman
Philippe G. H. Capron – Director
Robert J. Corti – Director
Frédéric R. Crépin – Director
Lucian Grainge – Director
Robert J. Morgado – Director
Stéphane Roussel – Director
Richard Sarnoff – Director
Régis Turrini – Director

Notable Franchises

  • Call of Duty
  • Guitar Hero
  • Tony Hawk
  • Skylanders
  • Spiderman
  • James Bond
  • Warcraft
  • Starcraft
  • Diablo

Business (January 2012 – May 2012)
Activision Blizzard’s past fiscal year was “better than expected,” earning $4.49 billion, as opposed to $4.48 billion in 2010. Their Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was the top-selling title of the year, with its accompanying Call of Duty Elite service hosting over 7 million registered users and 1.5 million paid subscribers. The new Skylanders toy line/children’s game proved quite successful, selling 20 million toys worldwide1.

World of Warcraft (WoW), however, declined from 11.1 million subscribers to 10.2 million this year, with at least some of the decline being attributed to competitor Electronic Arts’ Star Wars: The Old Republic, which released in December 20112.

Following this news, WoW’s development studio, Blizzard Entertainment laid off 600 employees in an “organizational shift,” placing their current staff at around 5,000 worldwide3.

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick

In February, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick became a member of Coca-Cola’s board of directors. He had previously been a board member at Yahoo! from 2003 to 20084.

On March 5th, Activision hired Dennis Durkin, former VP and COO of Microsoft, as their new CFO5.

On April 5th, Worlds, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard over the technology used in WoW and Call of Duty (CoD). Worlds holds patents on a “system and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space”, and they had, in 2008, filed a lawsuit against NCSoft over their game City of Heroes, though it was dismissed in 20106.

Infinity Ward Controversy

After the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in 2009, Jason West and Vince Zampella, CEOs and co-founders of CoD development studio Infinity Ward, were fired under mysterious circumstances. Infinity Ward and all CoD IP has been owned by Activision since 2003. Activision claims they were fired over “breaches of contract and insubordination”7.

West and Zampella filed a lawsuit against Activision, leveling at least two fraud claims against them. The claims said that in firing them, Activision “fired them to avoid paying millions of dollars in royalties for [Modern Warfare 2]”. On March 5th 2012, one of these claims was dismissed by the California Superior Court. May 7th is the trial date for the remaining claims8.

On March 26th, Robert Bowling, creative strategist for the CoD series, suddenly left Activision after six years as the public face of the brand, with no indication of why he left or where he was headed9. On April 24th, he revealed that he is starting a new, independent development studio called Robotoki. Their first project is slated for “next-gen” consoles (that is, game systems yet to be announced)10.

Release Schedule (2012)
Prototype 2 (Radical Entertainment) – April 24 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Diablo III (Blizzard Entertainment) – May 15 (PC, Mac OS X)
Battleship (Double Helix Games) – May 15 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, 3DS, DS)
The Amazing Spider-Man (Beenox) – June 26 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS Vita 3DS, DS)
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD (Robomodo) – July (PS3, Xbox 360)
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (High Moon Studios) – August 28 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Skylanders: Giants (Toys For Bob) – Fall (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, PC 3DS, Mac OS X)
Call of Duty 9 [Working Title] (Treyarch) – Q4 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii U, PS Vita, 3DS)

Notes

  1. Curtis, Tom. “Activision Blizzard reports better than expected 2011 thanks to MW3, Skylanders”. Gamasutra.
  2. Rose, Mike. “Blizzard: Drop in WoW subs ‘attributable’ to Star Wars: The Old Republic”. Gamasutra.
  3. Caoili, Eric. “Blizzard cuts 600 employees in organizational shift”. Gamasutra.
  4. Curtis, Tom. “Activision CEO Bobby Kotick joins Coca-Cola’s board of directors”. Gamasutra.
  5. Hinkle, David. “Activision hires ex-Microsoft CFO Dennis Durkin”. Joystiq.
  6. Curtis, Tom. “World of Warcraft, Call of Duty accused of violating virtual worlds patent”. Gamasutra.
  7. Thorsen, Tor. “Top Infinity Ward devs fired for ‘insubordination,’ lawsuits ‘expected'”. Gamespot.
  8. Pettersson, Edvard. “Activision Wins Dismissal of One of Two Former Executives’ Fraud Claims”. Bloomberg.
  9. Navarro, Alex. “Robert Bowling Unexpectedly Announces He is Exiting Activision”. Giant Bomb.
  10. Reilly, Jim. “Robert Bowling Opens Game Studio”. Game Informer.

Picture Credits
http://www.videogameinvesting.com/?page_id=162
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/02/16/bobby-kotick-joins-coca-cola-39-s-board-of-directors.aspx
http://www.giantbomb.com/infinity-ward/65-1526/all-images/52-201193/infinityward_1_/51-186905/

Time Warner (cable channels)

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by Melissa Gattuso

TimeWarner was originally two separate companies, Warner Communications Inc. and Time Inc, which had assets of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. The merger occurred on March 4th, 1989. And as of mid 2010, it was the world’s second largest entertainment conglomerate in terms of revenue, only behind Disney, as well as the world’s largest media conglomerate. It’s cable channels include Home Box Office (HBO) and all the channels under Turner Broadcasting System like CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT, and TruTV. [2]

Major Competitors
Showtime, owned by CBS
MSNBC, owned by NBC
FoxNews, Fox Entertainment Group
Nickelodeon, owned by Viacom
A&E,  owned by the Hearts Corporation, Disney, and NBC Universal

Recent News

May

05/01 –  Michael Wright has been promoted to President, Head of Programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). In this role, Wright will continue to oversee all programming and scheduling for TNT and TBS, along with original programming for TCM and original content for all three networks’ digital extensions. [3]

April

04/30 -TruTV has rebranded themselves as “Bigger, Bolder, and Broader”. With this new campaign slogan, they are going to add more original content to their programming. The channel has seen success this past year, posting it’s best quarter ever this year. With the youngest primetime audience of such direct non-fiction competitors as Discovery, History and A&E, the channel is hoping to continue to increase it’s viewers with the new content. [4]

04/15- HBO’s buzzed about show Girls premieres. After a media frenzy of praise for the show created by Lena Durham who also stars, it experienced a flood of backlash. Most of the backlash and negativity resulted from the show’s lack of diverse characters as well as the character’s whining and unrealistic state of entitlement. Despite all this, after the first three episodes aired, the show was renewed on April 30th for a second season of ten episodes. [5]

March

03/20– TBS earned the number 1 spot for basic cable network with young adults.  The win can be attributed to the syndication of the popular The Big Bang Theory, as well as TBS‘ late night series, CONAN. Also announced was that the overall primetime audience has grown by 33% to 2.1 million viewers. [6]

03/14-  After a third horse died during production, HBO has decided to cancel its horse-racing drama Luck. The show only drew 1.1 million viewers for its premiere and had since since struggled to attract 500,000 viewers during its initial Sunday night broadcast. [7]

03/01– Game Change, a film about Sarah Palin’s role in the 2008 Presidential Election premiered on HBO on March 10th. Sarah Palin’s press released a response video to the original film trailer.

Game Change Trailer:

Palin’s Rebuttal Video:

February 

02/15-02/22- TBS renewed two of his very successful shows, CONAN and Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse. CONAN has been renewed through April 2014. And after finishing its first season as the number 1 basic cable sitcom, For Better or Worse, TBS has ordered an additional 35 more episodes. [8] [9]

January

01/29-  In recent years, HBO has earned about a quarter of the total annual profits for Time Warner, generating slightly more than $1 billion annually. Showtime is growing, but remains considerably behind. The Golden Globe winning series Homeland has brought recent success to the channel, but one show can barely compete with HBO’s string of successes. A Morgan Stanley report on CBS estimated that the cable channel earned $692 million in 2011. [10]

01/27–  Sandra Dewey, who has played an important role in the original-programming business strategies for TNT, TBS, Turner Classic Movies (TCM), truTV and Cartoon Network, has been promoted to executive vice president, head of business affairs for Turner Entertainment Networks (TEN) and Cartoon Network Originals. [11]

Upcoming Projects

HBO
An Aaron Sorkin written drama, The Newsroom, is premiering on June 24th.

True Blood is also returning for it’s fifth season on June 10th.
http://youtu.be/H1Jn8P3VS74

Also, the following series have been renewed: Boardwalk Empire, Enlightened, and Treme. And the series Entourage, which finished its final season, will be made into a feature film. [12]

TruTV

New Series Premiering Later this Year
Killer Karaoke featuring host Steve-o from Jackass, Container Wars, and Hardcore Pawn: Fort Braggs.

In Development
Upload with Shaquille O’Neill, Jeff & Curtis Lose Weight, and Turbulence. [13]

TBS

Men at Work,  from Sony Pictures Television, centers on four guys who work together at a magazine and are living the life in NYC. The new scripted comedy series premieres May 24th.

Sullivan and Son, stars Pittsburgh native comedian Steve Byrne as a man who leaves his job as a New York lawyer to come back to  his hometown of Pittsburgh to run a family-owned bar. With Vince Vaughn among its executive producers, the 10 episode series will premiere on July 19th. [14]

TNT

Returning Summer Series
Both Rizzoli & Isles which will return for its third season as well as Franklin & Bash, in it’s the second season, will premiere June 5th. Falling Skies will return for it’s second season with a two hour premiere on June 17th. The Closer, with it’s final season will premiere on July 9th with the last six episodes. And on July 15th, the 5th season of Leverage will premiere. [15]

New Summer Series

Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray reprise their famous characters as J.R., Bobby and Sue Ellen Ewing return to Southfork with secrets, schemes and betrayals along with a set of new characters in Dallas which premieres with a two hour episode on June 13th.

A new competition show, The Great Escape, will be hosted by Rich Eisen (NFL Total Access).  Teams of competitors try to find their way out of seemingly impossible situations for a chance to take home a cash prize.

Premiering on July 9th, Perception a new crime related drama starring Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Eric McCormack  as Dr. Daniel Pierce, who possesses an intimate knowledge of human behavior and a masterful understanding of the way the mind works.

http://youtu.be/mDiGZ0DU1mU

And on August 13th, Major Crimes premieres following the final of The Closer. Two-time Oscar nominee Mary McDonnell will continue her role from The Closer as Los Angeles Police Captain Sharon Raydor. [16]

References
1. TimeWarner image: http://www.localizedusa.com/logos/time-warner-inc-logo.jpg
2. http://www.timewarner.com/our-company/about-us/
3. http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=6071
4. http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=6067
5. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/16/girls-reviews-backlash-hbo-show_n_1429328.html
6.http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=6018
7. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/14/luck-canceled-hbo-dustin-hoffman_n_1346185.html
8. http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=5969
9. http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=5965
10. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/30/business/media/with-homeland-showtime-makes-gains-on-hbo.html?_r=1&ref=homeboxofficeinc
11.http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=5942
12. http://hbowatch.com/hbo-series-premiere-schedule/
13. http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=6067
14. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tbs-premiere-dates-men-at-work-sullivan-and-son-302146
15. http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=6008
16.http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=6008

Scripps Networks Interactive

Gallery

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This gallery contains 2 photos.

by Mina Johnson Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI) is widely known for its developments in television and Internent content that are centered around our daily lifestyles. Scripps Networks Interactive brings to consumer’s homes information related to travel, food, home, and entertainment … Continue reading →

Bad Robot

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by Joe Drum

Credit: Bad Robot

Bad Robot Productions, Inc.
1925 Century Park E Floor 22
Los Angeles, CA 90067-2701
Phone: (310) 392-3308
Website: http://www.badrobot.com

Key Executives:
J.J. Abrams, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer

Credit: Time Inc.

Bryan Burk, Executive Vice President

Credit: Zimbio

 

2012 Company Activity

Credit: Telegraph

January 13, 2012 – Paramount Pictures posted a press release to announce that J.J. Abrams had began production on the next “Star Trek” film.  The sequel is set to release on May 17, 2013 in 3D.  The studio was enthusiastic to announce this news, as Abrams’ 2009 “Star Trek” received rave reviews from critics and fans alike, and went on to gross $385 million worldwide at the box office.  From the press release: “Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions present a Bad Robot Production of a J.J. Abrams Film. Returning to their posts on the Enterprise are John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, and Anton Yelchin. They are joined by new cast members Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve and Peter Weller.”

Credit: Fox

January 16, 2012 – “Alcatraz,” a new television series co-produced by Bad Robot Productions premieres on FOX.  Executive-produced by J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk, the show follows the mysterious reappearance of 302 dangerous prisoners and guards from the notorious Alcatraz prison located on an island in San Francisco Bay, half a century after their sudden vanish.  The show stars Sarah Jones, Lost-alum Jorge Garcia, and science fiction-legend Sam Neill.
J. J. Abrams on “Alcatraz”:

Credit: Fox

January 22, 2012 – J.J. Abrams’ science fiction television series “Fringe” continues to battle ratings on Fox.  The show, co-produced by Bad Robot Productions and Warner Brothers, is currently winding down its fourth season.  Tired of losing money on the series, Fox executives are going back and forth with Warner Brother’s representatives in an attempt to reduce the show’s license fee.  If the show were to continue into a fifth season, the show would eclipse 100 episodes, the “magic number” in the realm of syndication.  Abrams, the shows creator, commented on the matter, adding “we remain hopeful that “Fringe” will be able to continue.”  Worst-case scenario, the show’s season four finale could serve as a series finale if need be, according to executive producer Jeff Pinkner.

Credit: The CW

January 31, 2012 – The CW network has ordered a one-hour pilot dubbed “Shelter” from J.J. Abram’s and “One Tree Hill” creator Mark Schwahn.  The drama, to be executive-produced by Bad Robot Productions, follows the lives of the guests and staff members of a prestigious New England summer resort.  This project will be the first time Abrams has returned to the CW since his debut on the previously named W.B. network’s show “Felicity” which aired from 1998-2002.  Additionally, it will give him the chance to work with CW president Mark Pedowitz and executive vice president of drama development Thom Sherman, who worked together on Abram’s ABC hit series “Lost.”

Credit: Screen Rant

February 2, 2012 – NBC has ordered a pilot for the drama “Revolution” from J.J. Abrams and “Supernatural” creator Eric Kripke.  Kripke will write the script, which surrounds “a group of characters struggling to survive and reunite with loved ones in a world where all forms of energy have mysteriously ceased to exist.”  Abrams and Bryon Burk will executive produce the show via their Bad Robot Productions shop.  This will be J.J. Abrams second television attempt at NBC, where his CIA drama “Undercovers” failed to be picked up after a few months last season.

Credit: Deadline

February 8, 2012 – Jon Favreau has been chosen to direct the pilot for the upcoming epic-adventure thriller “Revolution” for NBC.  The latest project from J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot handle, the drama revolves around a group of people struggling to survive in a world suddenly without energy.  While this is the first drama pilot Favreau will pen, he is no stranger to the game, having written comedy pilots for ABC’s In Case of Emergency and currently CBS’ Tweaked.  Favreau’s most recent credits include his role as director for the Iron Man films and last summer’s Cowboys and Aliens.

Credit: Screen Rant

February 22, 2012 – Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot Productions jointly announced the extension of their first-look agreement through December 2015.  The original deal has resulted in such films as “Mission: Impossible III,” “Cloverfield,” “Star Trek,” “Morning Glory,” “Super 8,” and most recently, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.”  Paramount is currently filming the sequel to 2009’s “Star Trek” with the help of Abrams’ Bad Robot for a May 2013 release.  It can be assumed the two will produce a third film in the franchise if the second film proves as fruitful as the first.  Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, had this to say on the agreement: ““J.J., Bryan Burk and the whole Bad Robot team are an integral part of Paramount and we’re proud to continue our collaboration. Their pictures have extraordinary resonance around the world and we’re so pleased Paramount will be their home for years to come.”  Abrams, who has enjoyed success with Paramount over the last six years, added “Brad, Rob, Adam and the whole Paramount team have given Bad Robot truly incredible support, a fun and smart collaborative environment and access to the best film distribution people in the business. I couldn’t be happier knowing that Bad Robot features will remain at Paramount.”

Credit: AMC

February 27, 2012 – Actor Giancarlo Esposito has been chosen as one of the leads in the upcoming J.J. Abrams thriller “Revolution.”  Esposito is most known for his role as the villainous Gustavo Fring on AMC’s “Breaking Bad” last season.  He will play Captain Neville, “a hard-as-steel military man with a genteel southern manner who may not always be what he seems.”  The Bad Robot-produced pilot currently sits in the pre-production phase.

Credit: CBS

March 14, 2012 – CBS has announced that the J.J. Abrams-produced “Person of Interest” has been renewed for a second season.  The show entails “a crime thriller about a presumed dead former-CIA agent, Reese, who teams up with a mysterious billionaire, Finch, to prevent violent crimes by using their own brand of vigilante justice.”  Jim Caviezel and Lost-alum Michael Emerson star.  The show is executive-produced by J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk, and represents one of Bad Robot Productions’ current television offerings alongside Fox’s “Fringe” and “Alcatraz.”

April 26, 2012 – “Fringe” fans stressing the fate of their beloved show can breath easy.  Fox has renewed the science-fiction thriller for a fifth and final season.  This news comes after months of speculation from both fans, industry members, and even the show’s producers were bracing themselves for the fourth season finale to be the show’s final bow.  The writers had two endings prepared should the renewal not have occurred.  In terms of why the decision to move forward with season five was eventually made, a few factors came into play.  First, the creation of a fifth season pushes the episode count over 100 for the series, the magical number for syndication deals moving forward.  Additionally, Warner Brothers agreed to lower the show’s reportedly expensive license fee.  On the announcement, Fox president Kevin Reilly added: “Bringing it back for a final 13 allows us to provide the climactic conclusion that its passionate and loyal fans deserve. The amazing work the producers, writers and the incredibly talented cast and crew have delivered the last four seasons has literally been out of this world. Although the end is bittersweet, it’s going to be a very exciting final chapter.”
Following the announcement, Fox released the below trailer for “Fringe” season five:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gvWqOZL8JXA
Credit: Fox

Works Cited
“About the Show.”  Alcatraz on FOX.  FOX.  28 January 2012.
<http://www.fox.com/alcatraz/about/>.
Andreeva, Nellie.  “Giancarlo Esposito To Co-Star In JJ Abrams/Eric Kripke’s NBC Pilot ‘Revolution.'” Deadline.  27 February 2012.  <http://www.deadline.com/2012/02/giancarlo-esposito-to-co-star-in-jj-abramseric-kripkes-nbc-pilot-revolution/>.
Andreeva, Nellie.  “Jon Favreau To Direct J.J. Abrams /Eric Kripke NBC Pilot ‘Revolution.'”  Deadline.  8 February, 2012.  <http://www.deadline.com/2012/02/jon-fareau-to-direct-j-j-abramseric-kripke-nbc-pilot-revolution/>.
Andreeva, Nellie.  “NBC Picks Up Eric Kripke/JJ Abrams Drama Pilot ‘Revolution.'”  Deadline.  2 February 2012.  <http://www.deadline.com/2012/02/nbc-picks-up-eric-kripkejj-abrams-drama-pilot-revolution/>.
Ausiello, Michael.  “Fox Renews Fringe For ‘Exciting and Climactic’ Fifth and Final Season.”  TV Line.  26 April 2012.  <http://tvline.com/2012/04/26/fringe-renewed-for-season-5/>.
Ausiello, Michael.  “Fringe Update: Season 5 Discussions Underway, J.J. Abrams ‘Hopeful’ Show Will Be Back.”  TV Line.  22 January 2012.  <http://tvline.com/2012/01/22/fringe-season-5-renewal-cancellation/>.
Mitovich, Matt.  “CBS Renews 18 Total Shows, Fate of Two CSIs Left Up In the Air.”  TV Line.  14 March 2012.  <http://tvline.com/2012/03/14/cbs-renewal-announcements-fall-2012/>.
Paramount Pictures.  J.J. Abrams Begins Production On the Next “Star Trek” Movie [Press release].  13 January 2012. <http://www.paramount.com/news/press-releases/jj-abrams-begins-production-on-the-next-%E2%80%9Cstar-trek%E2%80%9D-movie>.
Paramount Pictures.  Paramount Pictures & J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Extend Exclusive First-Look Deal [Press release].  22 February 2012.  <http://trekmovie.com/2012/02/22/paramount-extends-deal-with-jj-abrams-bad-robot/>.
Rose, Lacey.  “CW Orders Dramas from J.J. Abrams, Mark Harmon and ‘Vampire Diaries’ Producer.”  The Hollywood Reporter.  31 January 2012.  <http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cw-drama-pilots-jj-abrams-vampire-diaries-286147>.

 

 

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by Zachary Gulergun {5} Overview: Lucasfilm Limited is a privately held American film production company that was founded by George Lucas in 1971. It is currently located in Presidio of San Francisco, CA. The company is best known for producing the Star … Continue reading →