Tag Archives: Animation

Dreamworks Animation

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DreamWorks_Animation_SKG_logo_with_fishing_boy_svg

DreamWorks Animation SKG logo                                                 Source: operation build tv

 Dreamworks Animation SKG

Contact

1000 Flower Street Glendale, CA 91201

Phone: (818) 695-5000

Twitter: twitter.com/dwanimation

Homepage: http://www.dreamworks.com/home/

Investors’ page: http://ir.dreamworksanimation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=185803&p=irol-irhome

Key Executives

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Jefferey Katzenberg, CEO and CED                     Source: Forbes.com

Fazal F. Merchant, CFO

Fazal F. Merchant, CFO                   Source: Hollywood Reporter

 

Ann Daly, President

Ann Daly, President Source: Hollywood Reporter

Background Information

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Dreamworks Animation SKG headquarters                    Source: bizjournals.com

Dreamworks Animation is an animation producing company that has been around since 2004. They are well known to the world having produced numerous films including ‘Shrek,’ ‘Wallace and Gromit,’ ‘Chicken Run,’ ‘How to Train your Dragon,’ ‘Kung Fu Panda,’ and ‘Madagascar.’

History

The-deadly-trio

From the left, founders of Dreamworks; Jefferey Katzenberg, Steven Speilberg, and David Geffen                                          Source: thegraphicslate.com

On October 12, 1994, three experienced hollywood entertainment veterans gathered up and founded Dreamworks SKG targetting to create a new Hollywood major film company. Mr. Katzenberg, a former Disney executive, recruited his own animation staff from Disney, while Spielberg brought in some of his animation artists from Amblimation, located at London.

In 2004, with Jefferey Katzenberg, Dreamworks’ animation department departed from its parent company Dreamworks/Public Data Images. They made an individual company that distributes and produces their own animations and named it Dreamworks Animation. Since their foundation in 2004, Dreamworks Animation has won 3 Academy Awards, 1 Golden Globe Award and has been nominated for both Academy awards and Golden Globe awards countless times.

Current Plan(2016)

  • MOVIES

Starting this quarter, Dreamworks Animation SKG changed their plans from producing 3 movies a year to producing only 2 movies a year. Although they have produced only one movie last year, “Home“; this year they are planning to launch 2 movies; ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ and ‘Trolls‘.

  1.  KUNG FU PANDA 3

Kung Fu Panda 3, one of Dreamworks Animation’s most successful animated film after Shrek, has hit the film market with great impact and has already achieved success world wide.

Avoiding to launch their movie at the same date with the new Star Wars movie, Kung Fu Panda 3 pushed back their launch date to January 29th. Collaborating an advertisement for Super Bowl with Wix before the release turned out to be a big success to have the public aware of the movie.

Though their stock prices have dropped by 6 dollars per stock, Dreamworks Animation did not seem to be worried at all. By earning 48 million dollars at the first week of the release, Kung Fu Panda kept their effort at the Box Office with great consistency.

However, due to Deadpool’s amazing success at the Box Office, Kung Fu Panda 3’s winning streak had to stop at the third week of their release. Though Kung Fu Panda 3’s weekly gross immediately reduced after Deadpool and Zootopia’s monopoly, the ‘Panda‘ still had an alternative and unreplacable plan.

Thanks to the Chinese giants who distributed and exhibited the ‘Panda’ movie at China, Dreamworks Animation could not only succeed on having a great start on 2016, but they also could recover their stock prices. Due to the success, Dreamworks could announce their last quarterly reports for 2015 safely with 55 cents per share: which was 39 cents higher than expected to be.

     2.   TROLLS 

Trolls is the last movie that Dreamworks Animation will release this year. Trolls will be open to the public in November, with some star voices that the audience might recognize. For Dreamworks Animation to continue their favorable situation, and compete with Disney and Pixar, Trolls must also achieve success.

  • NEW MEDIA

       VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER

Not just movies, but Dreamworks Animation has reached their range to Television Series all over the world. Realizing that producing profit-unpredictable feature films might not make a jackpot, Dreamworks Animation switched their target to a rather non-risky platform such as SVODS since 2013. After buying Classic Media’s classic TV animation characters for $155 million, Dreamworks Animation has announced that they will be producing and distributing Noddy, the classic 90s-00s animation at France and at the United Kingdom.

Netflix is one of the most frequently accessed media platform that 69-million people use regardless of their age. Dreamworks Animation has announced a partnership with Netflix last January. Netflix are now going to be a global home of various Dreamworks -Animation produced featured films including ‘The Adventures of Puss in Boots,’ and ‘Dinotrux.’ Plus, the two video giants will be launching ‘Trollhunters,’ and ‘Voltron: Legendary Defender’, a remake of a legendary Japanese animation.

Awesomeness TV is also one of Dreamworks Animation’s main source of income. Though giving Verizon 24.5% of Awesomeness TV’s stake, Dreamworks still remains as the main owner having over 50% of the stakes. It costed about 110 million dollars to buy the Awesomeness TV, but it is now making 70 million dollars of extra revenue every year; which is exceeding the profit of any other source of income that Dreamworks Animation has.

How important are these new media that Dreamworks started to concentrate on?

dreamworks dd

Source: Variety.com

As seen above, Dreamworks Animation’s revenue has exceedingly increased in 2015. Compared to 2012, 2013 and 2014 was not a good year for Dreamworks Animation because their revenue from feature films reduced and the profit from their newly-trying items weren’t too strong to shine. However, in 2015, even though ‘Home’ was the only featured film that they produced, their revenue from TV series and media made Dreamworks Animation leap in the market.

untitled

Source: Variety.com

Like above, Dreamworks Animation is having fun with the new media that they have recently started investing on. Although feature films are not doing so well as they did in the past, their strategy concentrating on subscription video-on-demand are crucial to their growth.

  • INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
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Dreamworks Animation land on Korea as a channel                           Source: Worldscreen.com

Not just China, but now they are targetting the whole world. Dreamworks Animation has put effort on producing spin-offs for each countries. They concentrated ‘Kung Fu Panda’ spin-offs in China and ‘How to train your dragon’ spinoffs in Korea; which have made a huge amount of profit and awareness of the company in countries.

On April 20th, Dreamworks Animation and Korea Telecom made an agreement to launch a ‘DREAMWORKS CHANNEL’ in South Korea. After having a bunch of success in Asia, Dreamworks Animation decided to launch their own channel in South Korea; which is the third independent channel that they have created in Asia. Starting in May, the channel will be officially distributed via ‘OLLEH TV.’

Conclusion

 In a nutshell, Dreamworks Animation seem to having been adjusting to the market trend for a past few years, but they have now fixed their goal using new media as their medium. Though it might be risky to put most of their eggs in Netflix, investors and the public will have to look forward to what the company is up to in the following years.

Citation

DreamWorks Studios

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by SOPHIA HOEKE

DreamWorks Studios

DreamWorks Studios is a production company based in Universal City, California, and they are most widely known for producing feature films, however, they also produce television programming, music, and video games. The founders of DreamWorks studios are Jeffery Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg, and David Geffen. They founded the company in 1994 and the current CEO is Stacey Snider. DreamWorks has produced films such as Shrek (2001), American Beauty (1999), Meet the Fockers (2004), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Cast Away (2000).

When DreamWorks was founded in 1994, all three male founders, Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen, were already industry royalty and paired together knowing they were about to create something great. Geffen confidently stated that it was the first time in his career that he actually wanted to work with partners.

Shrek was the first franchise that really turned DreamWorks Studios into the booming company the Katzenberg always wanted, but not in the way he intended. The film incorporated a celebrity cast, a boy-friendly narrative, obnoxious pop-culture references, and more, and eventually lead to the company producing all of the recognizable crazy-funny, talking-animal type films, but this was not the artistic direction in which the founders had wished the company would pursue.

As of Fall 2004, DreamWorks Studios is no longer affiliated with DreamWorks Animation. Dream Works Animation spun off into a publicly traded company that solely produced animated feature films and TV programs. DreamWorks Studios’ founder, Jeffrey Katzenberg, moved with DWA and currently holds their position of CEO.

Here is a video by Ethan Jones of Movie Munchies of the variation of the DreamWorks logo as it progressed and the turned into the DreamWorks Animation logo after the separation in 2004.

In late March, it was announced that Steven Spielberg is signed to direct “Ready Player One”, a screenplay of the original Science Fiction novel written by Ernest Cline, the only catch is, this film is being produced by Warner Bros., not Dreamworks Studios. So the question is why did Spielberg make this temporary move and what effect will it have on Dreamworks?

ready-player-one-featured

According to this news clip by Jeff Sneider, a film reporter for The Wrap, Spielberg may be the perfect fit to head this project because he was raised as a gamer and the plot of the movie is based around ‘80’s pop culture. Although Spielberg did not grow up in the ‘80’s, he certainly had a hand in creating the pop culture of the time. So those reason may have to do with Spielberg’s choice to take a leave of absence from his own studio, leaving it temporarily in the hands of Michael Wright and Halle Berry.

Bloomberg Business also fills us in on Spielberg’s collaboration with Walt Disney Co. to produce Roald Dahl’s The BFG. Walden Media is a principle investor in the Vancouver-based production of this film about everyone’s favorite big friendly giant. One of the reasons that Spielberg is helping Disney out with this project is that Disney is currently taking care of all DreamWorks Studios distribution deals, and has lent DreamWorks $156 million with another $90 million coming this September to help with their company debt. Michael Wright, DreamWorks Studios’ CEO says,

“Over the years, we have enjoyed a fruitful collaboration, and we couldn’t be more excited to be working with Disney in this expanded capacity on ‘The BFG,’”

As of last year, Disney had distributed 11 DreamWorks Studios films, and this collaboration will only lead to continuing future endeavors between the two companies.

So with DreamWorks Studios going through these tough times with little to no feature films in production over the past few months and temporarily losing their founder and top director, Steven Spielberg, what have they been doing?

Characters-of-DreamWorks-wallpaper-dreamworks-animation-26449044-1366-768

DreamWorks has been very busy negotiating and making plans with The Foundation for Investment in the Riviera Maya to build an amusement park in the popular tourist city of Cancun in Punta Maroma. The new park will be modeled similarly to the other DreamWorks Studios amusement park located just outside of New York. There will be restaurants, commercial spaces, theaters, and aquatic attractions themed around Madagascar, Antz, Shark Tale, Puss in Boots, and of course, Shrek.

Puss in Boots Roller Coaster

This is not the only amusement park endeavor that DreamWorks Studios has been working on recently. In Singapore, DreamWorks is launching it’s first ever suspended roller coasted themed around one of their famous characters, Puss in Boots.

Hollywood Reporter also tells us that there are also plans being made by DreamWorks executives to collaborate with the same trio of Chinese production companies that developed Transformers: Age of Extinction in conjunction with Paramount. Jiaflix, China Movie Channel, and 1905 Pictures are all joining with DreamWorks Studios to put into action their plans for the Need For Speed sequel. Jiaflix president, Marc Ganis, confidently stated,

“We expect this partnership, which brings together a winning brand like Need For Speed with the team that propelled Transformers 4 to unprecedented success, will create one of the next great franchises for movie fans around the world.”

The film does not have a cast, writer, or director yet, but the proposal from these three companies has been made to DreamWorks, and they are eagerly awaiting a response.

Need For Speed

Another production deal that is underway but being kept a very big secret is a Netflix original series produced by DreamWorks called Dinotrux. Rotoscopers tells us that this project has been in production for some time now and is set to be released in Summer 2015. Other than the projected release date, and a promotional Facebook page containing only graphic images, no more information has been released.

dinotrux

DreamWorks has been having a seemingly quiet year, however that has not been the case. There have not been many feature films released in the last few months nor have many been put into production, but the efforts of the studio to stay afloat despite their recent downward spiral are prevalent. The company has invested in various projects as stated above and is making sacrifices where necessary. In example, temporarily carrying on without their founder and primary director, Steven Spielberg, while he partners with companies that will help DreamWorks with their debt. All of these smaller projects and partnerships will hopefully help DreamWorks Studios find it’s way back to producing feature films.

DreamWorks Studios

Focus Features

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by John Pflieger
[21] Focus Features Logo

[21] Focus Features Logo

Focus Features is a film production and distribution company that serves at the art house film department of the NBCUniversal brand.  Started in 2002, Focus Features is currently run by CEO Peter Schlessel, who took the helm in late 2013 after Focus and the FilmDistrict merged in 2013 [1].  Focus Features has had great success over the last 12 years with critically acclaimed releases like Brokeback Mountain, Dallas Buyers Club, and Lost in Translation just to name a few.  The former being the most successful Focus Feature production to date, grossing $83 million and receiving 3 Academy Awards and receive nominations for 5 more along with a slue of other awards [2][3].

Financials

Catering usually to more specific audiences then some of the major production house, Focus Features is currently ranked 12th for top grossing production companies in the 2014 year, with a total gross of $104 million, which puts them in control of 1.1% of the current market share [4].  Though falling short to its 5th ranked older brother Universal Pictures, the smaller production company has managed to sustain an average gross of $8.7 million per release over the course of its 11 releases in 2014 [4][5].  With award season approaching, Focus has the potential to see continued growth in revenue through the beginning of 2015.  With Oscar buzz surrounding actor Eddie Redmayne of Focus Features most recent release The Theory of Everything, a nomination for best actor has the potential to increase revenue by about $600,000, where a win in the category could yield nearly $6 million in increased revenue[6][7].  Though Focus is only responsible for a small portion of NBCUniversal’s $1.4 billion filmed entertainment revenue, the small production house continues to boast impressive figures[8].

Recent Releases 

“The Theory of Everything “

[22] The Theory of Everything Poster

[22] The Theory of Everything Poster

The biographical film chronicles the life of astrophysicist Stephen Hawking as he fell in love with his wife Jane, explored the science of universal time, and struggled with the debilitating neurological disease of ALS[9].  Eddie Redmayne, who plays Steven Hawking, has already been labeled by Variety as one of the main contenders for the Best Actor Academy Award[6].  The film, which opened November 7th in a limited release to 5 theaters grossed $208,763 and continued to succeed as it hit a wide release November 26th in 802 theaters and grossed slightly over $5 million in its wide release opening[10].  As of December 1st the film has grossed $9.6 million and has the potential to see continued success as the holidays and award season approaches[10].

“Kill The Messenger”

[23] Kill The Messenger Poster

[23] Kill The Messenger Poster

A political thriller starring Academy Award nominated actor Jeremy Renner, tells the story of journalist Gary Webb, who stumbles across a dark story that involves drugs and government cover-ups[11].  The film opened October 10th in 374 theaters and grossed $941,809 in its opening weekend.  At its widest relapse the film was only in 427 theaters and to date has only grossed $2.4 million, having been stifled by the Buena Vista release of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” which was release the same day and saw far greater success[12][13].

“The Boxtrolls”

[24] The Boxtrolls Poster

[24] The Boxtrolls Poster

This family film tells the tail of an adventure of a group of unique creatures as they raise an orphan and fight for their lives in an effort to thwart their local town villain[14].  This film has been the most successful release for Focus Features this year having grossed nearly $50 million.  The feature opened September 26th 3,464 theaters and gross $17.2 million, which accounted for 34.9% of the films total gross domestically[15].  The film went on to gross $56.2 million worldwide, making a total of $105.7 million, which is a huge success not only for Focus Films, but also for the small Oregon based stop-motion animation house Laika Studios, which carried out the animation for “The Boxtrolls.”[15][16]  The small animation studio also produced “ParaNorman” and “Coraline” for Focus Features, which are both in Focus Feature’s top 5 for most successful domestic grossing films[5].  Only days after the opening of “The Boxtrolls”, Focus Features signed an agreement with Laika to work with them on 3 more feature length films[17].  This agreement proves to be especially wise when looking at the fact that all three of the films that Laika and Focus have teamed up on have grossed over $100 million world wide, making them highly profitable[17].  There is still room for more success in the coming months, seeing that “The Boxtrolls” received 13 nominations in this years Annie Awards, and is only expected to receive more nods as award season get underway[18].

Upcoming

Focus Features consistently releases 10-12 films a year, making them a highly productive production house for the scale of their operation[5].  As of now, Focus has announced a few new projects that will be coming up in 2015 which will have the potential to make quite a splash in the market place in the upcoming year.

[25] 50 Shades of Grey Poster

[25] 50 Shades of Grey Poster

One of the more anticipated Focus Features releases of 2015 is the adaptation of the novel 50 Shades of Grey.  The popular 3 part book series will be treated as a trilogy by focus and will follow the saga of the novels quite closely.  The film is scheduled to be released on Valentines Day, offering an interesting option for holiday viewing[19].

[26] Black Sea Poster

[26] Black Sea Poster

Another highly anticipated 2015 Focus release is the upcoming release starring Jude Law, “Black Sea”.  The apparent action movie casts Law as a submarine captain who is working with a team of Russian and English crew members to salvage Nazi gold in a sunken U-boat.  The film is scheduled to be released January 23 of 2015[20].

Future of Focus Features

The future for Focus Features appears to be very bright.  With a recent 3 film deal with Laika Studios, this is a air of optimism, because with the success of the studio’s earlier films, we can only assume that with the proper marketing and distribution the next 3 should be just as successful.  Also with the “50 Shades of Grey” series on the horizon, there are multiple prospects for continued growth.  As we see the success of Comcast and NBCUniversal and their continued growth, the potential for the expansion of Focus Features is exponentially increased.

Citations:

1.     Focus Features Announces More Key Senior Hires, hollywoodreporter.com, RT; 12/01/14

2.    Brokeback Mountain, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

3.   Brokeback Mountain Awards, imdb.com, RT: 12/01/14

4.   Studio Market Share, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

5.   Focus Features, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

6.   Contender: Lead Actor Preview, Variety.com, RT: 12/01/14

7.   How Oscar Nominations Affect the Box Office, Businessinsider.com, RT: 12/01/14

8.   Comcast Earnings Release, cmcsk.com, RT: 12/01/14

9.   The Theory of Everything, Rottentomatos.com, RT: 12/01/14

10. The Theory of Everything, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

11. Kill the Messenger, Rottentomatos.com, RT: 12/01/14

12.  Kill the Messenger, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

13.  Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

14.  The Boxtrolls, Rottentomatos.com, RT: 12/01/14

15. The Boxtrolls, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

16.  Laika Studios, Laikastudios.com, RT: 12/01/14

17. Focus Features, Laika Ink Three-Film Pact, hollywoodreporter.com, RT; 12/01/14

18.  Boxtrolls leads Annie Award nominations, bbc.com, RT; 12/01/14

19. 50 Shades of Grey, fiftyshadesmovie.com, RT; 12/01/14

20. Black Sea, focusfeatures.com, RT; 12/01/14

21. Focus Features Logo, thewrap.com, RT; 12/01/14

22. The Theory of Everything Poster, imdb.com, RT; 12/01/14

23. Kill the Messenger Poster, imdb.com, RT; 12/01/14

24. The Boxtrolls Poster, imdb.com, RT; 12/01/14

25. 50 Shades of Grey Poster, imdb.com, RT; 12/01/14

26. Black Sea Poster, imdb.com, RT; 12/01/14

NewsCorp/21st Century – Fox

Aside

 

by Lina Ortega

21st Century Fox

Image courtesy of: http://new.pentagram.com/2013/05/new-work-21st-century-fox/

 

[Image courtesy of: new.pentagram.com]

www.21cf.com

 Contact information

                                                         21st Century Fox                                                                                                         1211 Avenue of the Americas                                                                                                              44th floor                                                                 New York, NY 10036-8701

Key Executives

Rupert Murdoch

                              Rupert Murdoch: Chairman & Chief Executive Officer                               [Image courtesy of: thenation.com]

President and Chief Operating Officer

                              Chase Carrey: President and Chief Operating Officer                              [Image Courtesy of: stockspinoffs.com]

James Murdoch: Co-Chief Operating Officer

                                    James Murdoch: Co-Chief Operating Officer                                     [Image Courtesy of: mikeangryman.com]

About 21st Century Fox

What was once News Corporation since 1953 [I], is now comprised by “News Corp” and “21st Century Fox.” News Corp consists of a publishing group that includes several newspapers like Wall Street Journal, New York Post and Times of London. 21st Century Fox is a broadcasting and film company that includes the “Fox News channel”, “20th Century movie and television studios”, “Fox sports”, “FX”, “National Geographic” and “FOX broadcast network”. [II] This separation was intended to ensure that both companies were conducted under more a centered management, which makes both companies more valuable.

21st Century Fox is a global media company and was founded in June 28, 2013 [III]. It acquires market from four principal operating segments: 1- Cable network programming, which it’s mostly production and licensing content through cable, telecommunications providers, and broadcast satellite. 2- Television, which operates the company’s 28 full-power broadcast stations. 3- Film Entertainment, the operator of the company’s numerous film and television production studios. 4- Direct Broadcast Satellite Television, which provides programming to international markets. The company also holds a 39% of BSkyB, the British entertainment and communications provider. 21st Century Fox makes its revenue principally on affiliate subscriptions, broadcast  and advertising fees, content licensing and retransmission revenues to maintain the top line [IV]. Fox Broadcasting Company ended the year 2012 at number one in the key adult demographic for the eight consecutive year in America [V].

Financials

The Cable Network Programming segment surpassed $12 billion in revenue for the first time in its history, up 13% over their prior year.                                                             2014 21st Century Fox Annual Report:2014 21st Century Fox Annual Report

What’s Happening Now?

In cable programming, FX Networks has currently 25 successful shows on air [VI].

Photo courtesy of: The Christian Post

Image courtesy of: The Christian Post

American Horror Story is now on the 7th episode of its 4th season “Freak Show” and it is one of the most watched TV series of the FX Networks. The show presents an anthology of different narratives for each new season [VII]. With an 8.4 out of 10 by IMDB, the show went from 2.82 million viewers on its first season to 4.00 million viewers now [VIII].

 

In television, FOX has a great variety of very recognized shows that can range mostly in animation, comedy, and thriller.

Photo courtesy of: forbes.com

Image courtesy of: forbes.com

One of the FOX newest TV shows premiered recently on September 22, 2014 with 8.21 million viewers [IX]. Gotham explores the beginning tales of Commissioner Gordon.  While in the show he is still a detective, he has yet to meet Batman and the villains who made Gotham City so popular [X]. Gotham received two nominations in the TV divisions for the “American Society of Cinematographers 29th annual Outstanding Achievement Awards” . Additionally, the pilot was recognized in the category for a TV movie, miniseries or pilot [XI].

20th Century Fox is one of the most recognized film industries in the world. This year 2014, Fox released 13 feature films with a result of $1,539,266,539 in total gross [XII]. This includes: X-Men: Days of Future Past, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, How to Train your Dragon 2, Gone Girl and Rio 2, as in order of total ranking.

Photo courtesy of: msmagazine.com

Image courtesy of: msmagazine.com

Gone Girl was released in October 3, 2014 and it has a domestic total of $160,757,000 as of today November 30th, plus a $173,400,000 of foreign totals while the production budget was only 61 million. Currently in its 5th week, it is ranked number 8 [XIII]. Gone Girl has received many awards including  the “Hollywood Film Award” at the 2014 Hollywood Film Festival [XIV].

Penguins of Madagascar is an animated comedy distributed by 20th Century Fox and is its newest film on the market, released on November 26, 2014. This film takes the peculiar penguin characters of the previous Madagascar movies, whom must stop a villain doctor from destroying the world [XV]. As of its first weekend it is currently number two with a total gross of $36 million [XVI].

This has been one of the best years for Fox and they are not planning on backing down. On December 5, 2014 The Pyramid will be released. The Pyramid is about an archaeological team ventures to unlock the mysteries of a lost pyramid and instead find themselves hunted by an insidious creature [XVII].

As Europe’s leading entertainment company, Sky has 20 million consumers across five countries: Italy, Germany, Austria, the UK, and Ireland [XVIII].

Photo courtesy of: denofgeek.com

Image courtesy of: denofgeek.com

Penny Dreadful is a psychological thriller that brings together literature’s most terrifying classical characters, like Dr. Frankenstein and Dorian Gray [XIX]. It aired on May 11, 2014, and it won “Most Exciting New Series” at the Critics Choice Television Awards [XX]. Penny Dreadful is coming back with its new season for a 2015 debut on the channel [XXI].

In Other News

Photo courtesy of: The Independent

Image courtesy of: The Independent

Exodus: Gods and Kings has received criticism due to its lack of ethnic diversity, to which Rupert Murdoch decided to respond by tweeting the following: “Moses film attacked on Twitter for all white cast. Since when are Egyptians not white? All I know are.” [XXII]. Murdoch has not received too many good responses about this issue.

Photo courtesy of: realscreen.com

Image courtesy of: realscreen.com

On October 10, 2014, 21st Century Fox and Apollo made an agreement to create a leading company multi-platform content provider each of them owning 50 percent. Now Endemol, Shine Group, and Core Media will be a sole group in over 30 markets including digital, gaming and distribution operations [XXIII].

Up until 2018, Fox has 48 movies, including many sequels as well as prequels that are yet to come [XXIV].

[I] News Corporation Limited History     From 2002. Retrieved November 27, 2014             [II] NewsCorp Divides Into Two Companies     From June 28, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2014                                                                                                                              [III] 21st Century Fox Company Details     Retrieved November 27, 2014                         [IV] 21st Century Fox Analysis     From November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2014.                                                                                                                                   [V] Fox Broadcasting Company     Retrieved November 29, 2014.                                        [VI] 21st Century Fox     Retrieved November 27, 2014.                                                       [VII] American Horror Story     Retrieved November 29, 2014                                               [VIII] American Horror Story Numbers     From October 13, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2014                                                                                                                                   [IX] Monday Final Ratings     From September 23, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2014     [X] Gotham TV Show     From September 22, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014           [XI] ASC Nominations for TV Cinematography     From November 19, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                                                                           [XII] 20th Century Fox Box Office Mojo     From November 23, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                                                                                             [XIII] Box Office Mojo     Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                       [XIV] Gone Girl Tops Hollywood Film Awards     From November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                                                                           [XV] The Penguins of Madagascar     Retrieved December 1, 2014                                 [XVI] Penguins of Madagascar Box Office Mojo     Retrieved December 1, 2014.               [XVII] The Pyramid     Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                           [XVIII] Sky     Retrieved November 29, 2014.                                                                         [XIX] Penny Dreadful TV Series     Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                       [XX] Penny Dreadful Awards       Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                    [XXI] Penny Dreadful First Look     From November 21, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                                                                                                   [XXII] Rupert Murdoch’s Response     From November 30, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                                                                                                   [XXIII] 21st Century Fox and Apollo     From October 10, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2014.                                                                                                                                   [XXIV] New Movie Releases     Retrieved November 30, 2014.

DreamWorks Animation

Posted on by 
by Devon Parker
1_dreamworks_animation_logo

[1] The Dreamworks Animation Company Logo

 History

Dreamworks SKG is a motion picture company that was originally founded in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. However it was not until the fall of 2004 that Dreamworks Animation SKG got its start as a publicly traded company. Katzenberg then moved to become the Chief Executive Officer of Dreamworks Animation. It is now considered a separate company than Dreamworks SKG, producing exclusively high-end animated feature films [2].

Key Executives

CEO

[3] Jeffrey Katzenberg: CEO. Photo Courtesy of Dreamworks Animation

President

[4] Ann Daly: President. Photo Courtesy of Dreamworks animation

VP

[5] Lew Coleman: CFO & Vice Chairmen. Photo Courtesy of Dreamworks Animation

 

Financials 

As the third quarter financial results were finalized and publicly shared at the end of October the company acknowledged their successes. The company reported total revenue for the quarter of $180.9 million, which in comparison to the 2013 third quarter report of $154.5 million was a big accomplishment. “The third quarter of 2014 was strong for DreamWorks Animation, with both quarterly revenue and earnings per share up 17% in a year-over-year comparison,” shared Katzenberg. The CEO attributed this success to the overwhelming success that How to Train Your Dragon 2 brought the company. At the worldwide box office How to Train your Dragon 2 earned over $615 million at the worldwide box office making it the highest-grossing film of 2014. The 2014 fourth quarter results when finalized are expected to be determined by the most recent release of Penguins of Madagascar, which premiered in theaters on November 26, 2014, and the at home release of How to Train your Dragon 2 [6].

In Theaters 

penguins

[7] Courtesy of Dreamworks Animation

Dreamworks Animation’s most recent and only release over the past three months was this past Wednesday, November 26th. Penguins of Madagascar, a spin off of the Madagascar franchise that released in 2005. The group of witty penguins, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, Ken Jeong, John Malkovich, and Peter Stormare are on a spy mission in which they must join forces in order to prevent an evil villain from taking over the world [7]. The goal of this animation feature was to draw in the past fans of the franchise as well as attract the family holiday audience around the Thanksgiving release. The animation feature had an okay opening week finishing off second in the box office behind The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. The weekend Box Office Mojo shows its success over just the holiday weekend grossing $25.6 million. [8]. The box office also shows its success over the course of the first five days, with a domestic gross of $36 million and a foreign gross of $65 million, giving the worldwide total of $98.6 million. Unfortunately the gross income of Penguins of Madagascar’s opening did not compare to that of Madagascar‘s opening three day weekend of $60 million, therefore falling short of Dreamworks Animation’s ultimate expectations [9].

Recent Success

[10] How to Train Your Dragon 2 Trailer

How to Train Your Dragon 2 made its last surge in theaters both domestically and globally over Labor Day weekend of 2014. Hiccup, voiced by Jay Baruchel and Toothless’ journey continues. In their adventure to an ice cave that leads to their discovery of new wild dragons the two find themselves trying to keep the peace [11]. It officially crossed the $600,000,000 million mark, “A record-breaking opening in China coupled with phenomenal success in territories around the world have catapulted Dragon 2 to become the highest grossing animated film of the year and one of the top ten grossing films of the year in any genre.” On top of the first two movies success Dreamworks Animation publicly announced that there will a third How to Train Your Dragon 3 to be released in June of 2017. The film will have the same writer, director and producer Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold. As well as some of the same cast, including Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera as Astrid and Cate Blanchett as Valka. [12]

The How to Train Your Dragon franchise has contributed tremendously to the success of the company in the past few years. How to Train Your Dragon 2, single handedly contributed to the majority of success for Dreamworks Animation’s financial third quarter of 2014. “Films generated sales of $142.4 million and segment gross profit of $64.3 million to the third quarter, with “How to Train Your Dragon 2″ contributing $74.2 million in revenue as it continues to play worldwide. [13]” As the year comes to an end Dreamworks Animation can still expect financial benefits from the DVD release around the holidays.

Upcoming Releases

Home Pic

[14] Courtesy of News.Mic

Dreamworks Animation Studios will be releasing a new animation feature currently set for March 27, 2015. A story about an alien race Boov, that invades Earth, while relocating the humans one very “resourceful” girl by the name of Tip teams up with a Boov alien. The two take on the adventure of intergalactic battle and learning what’s really at stake. Tip will be voiced by Rihanna, while her new alien acquaintance Oh will be voiced by Jim Parsons and the leader of Boov, Captain Smek will be voiced by Steve Martin  [15].

The anticipated feature film is one different from any other. Tip, the heroine of Home, marks one of the first black female 3D animated character that any Hollywood studio has ever had. [16] The film was originally to be released during the Thanksgiving holiday slot however it was strategically switched with the release of Penguins of Madagascar. It was thought by the management of Dreamworks Animation that the Madagascar franchise would fare better during the holiday competition while Home would be more successful on its own. “We will continue to be as flexible as necessary when it comes to our release dates,” said Dawn Taubin, chief marketing officer at DreamWorks Animation also adding, “We’re confident that this date switch gives both of our upcoming releases the largest opportunity for success…” [17].

[18] Home trailer

Additions to Netflix

Dreamworks Animation new Netflix series All Hail King Julien will premiere five twenty-two minute episodes on December 19, 2014. The story line takes place before Madagascar however still star the well known cast of Julien, Mort and Maurice, voiced by Danny Jacobs, Andy Ritcher, and Kevin Richardson as well as a new line up characters. All Hail King Julien will have the lemurs taking on the adventures of Madagascar in a very comedic way drawing in a wide viewer audience [19].

All Hail Pic

[20] Courtesy of Dreamworks Animation

The new show joins Dreamworks Turbo FAST, as the studios television line up continues to grow. It is their hope the by the end of 2016 there will be another 10 new animated series on Netflix. Margie Cohn, the head of television for DreamWorks Animation explains that “All Hail King Julien is really a showcase for our talented artists to bring the Netflix audience the great storytelling, compelling characters and fantastic design that is the hallmark of DreamWorks Animation.” [21]

Sources

[1] Dreamworks Animation Logo, auocoms.com/dreamworks-animation-logo, RT: 11/15/14

[2] “Our History”, www.dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 11/15/14

[3] Jeffrey Katzenberg, www.dreamworksanimation.com, RT: 11/12/14

[4] Ann Daly, www.dreamworksanimation.com RT: 11/12/14

[5] Lew Coleman, www.forbes.com, RT: 11/12/14

[6] Dreamworks Finance, ir.dreamworksanimation.com/investor-relations/financial-information/default.aspx, RT: 11/30/14

[7] Penguins of Madagascar, www.dreamworksanimation.com, RT: 11/15/14

[8] Boxoffice Weekend Results, boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/1/14

[9] Boxoffice Mojo Weekend Report, boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/1/14

[10] How to Train Your Dragon 2 Trailer, youtube.com, RT: 11/15/14

[11] How to Train Your Dragon 2 Summary, IMDB.com, RT: 11/18/14

[12] “How to Train Your Dragon 2 Crosses $600,000,000″, PRNewswire.com, RT: 9/17/14

[13] “‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ Lifts Dreamworks Animation Earning”, Variety.com, RT: 11/20/14

[14] Home Picture, News.mic.com, RT: 11/29/14

[15] Home Summary, IMDB.com, RT: 11/29/14

[16] “Dreamworks Latest Movie…”, News.mic.com, RT: 11/29/14

[17] “‘Home,’ ‘Penguins of Madagascar’ Swap Release Dates, Variety.com, RT: 11/28/14

[18] Home Trailer, Youtube.com, RT: 11/29/14

[19] “All Hail King Julien”, IMDB.com, 11/30/14

[20] “‘All Hail King Julien’ picture”, madagascar.dreamworks.com, RT: 11/30/14

[21] “The Wildest Party Ever Hits the Jungle when the Netflix Original Series  ‘All Hail King Julien’ Debuts Dec. 19″, dreamworksanimation.com, RT: 11/30/14

Buenavista/Disney Pictures

Posted on by 
by Izzy Lynch

Courtesy of www.waltdisneystudios.com

Photo Courtesy of [1]  www.waltdisneystudios.com

Contact

Address: 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA. 91506

Phone: (818) 560-1000

Twitter: @DisneyPictures

 

History and Properties

Snow White Original Vintage Film Poster. Photo Courtesy of www.animationartstudio.com

Snow White Original Vintage Film Poster. Photo Courtesy of www.animationartstudio.com

The Walt Disney Studios is the world-renowned film division of the film-turned-lifestyle corporation, The Walt Disney Company (NASDAQ: DIS) [2]. Founded in 1923 under the name The Disney Brothers Studios by brothers Walter E. Disney and Roy O. Disney, the company gained recognition for Walt’s impressive art in second dimension animation and the rich character portrayals [3]. The company has become the most successful animation brand in the world, crafting iconic characters such as Mickey Mouse, and producing timeless features such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Mary Poppins (1964), Lion King (1994) and many more. Since the studios’ inception, the company has grown to host multiple lucrative businesses, including resorts, theme parks, and merchandise, all utilizing the characters created through the company’s television and film productions. The studios have expanded their reach to include The Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, The Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios (2006), Lucasfilm Limited LLC (2012), Marvel Studios (2009), Touchstone Pictures, Disneynature, and Disneytoon Studios. Films produced by these subsidiaries are distributed through The Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures [3].

 

CEO and Chairman of The Walt Disney Company, Robert A. Iger. Photo Courtesy of www.waltdisneystudios.com

CEO and Chairman of The Walt Disney Company, Robert A. Iger. Photo Courtesy of [4] www.waltdisneystudios.com

Management

As of 2005, Robert A. Iger has headed The Walt Disney Company, serving as both Chief Executive Officer and Chairman [4]. Iger reinstated the company’s relationship with the previously affiliated Pixar Animation Studios in 2006, which led to the hiring of Pixar Chief Executive Officer John Lasseter and Pixar President Edwin Catmull to head the then floundering Disney Animation sector of the studios. Since incorporating the two as Chief Creative Officer and President of the Walt Disney Animation Studios respectively in 2008, the company has seen an incredible improvement in the quality of content, producing blockbuster hits including Wreck It Ralph (2012), Frozen (2013), and Big Hero 6 (2014) [5].

 

Financial Information

The Walt Disney Company, which became a publicly traded entity in 1940 [6], released its Q4 and 2014 financial reports on November 6th, 2014 to reveal record-breaking numbers for the fourth year in a row. Along with impressive numbers from the overall company, Studio Entertainment revenues soared 22% from last year, earning nearly $7.3 billion out of the nearly $49 billion company revenue total, garnering the largest increase in revenue of the Company’s other business ventures [7].

The Walt Disney Company's 52 Week Stock Price Chart. Photo Courtesy of Businessweek.com

The Walt Disney Company’s 52 Week Stock Price Chart. Photo Courtesy of Businessweek.com

Recently, the company experienced an impressive increase in their current trading price with the release of their eighty-eight second Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser. Trading prices for the company rose to a share price of $92.96 on Friday, November 28th [8], which has proven to be not only a 52-week high, but also an all time high for the company [9]. While stock prices represent the entire Walt Disney Company, it is important to note that the characters from the film productions are an integral part of what keeps the company relevant and popular, which has a significant impact on the stock price.

 

Current Projects

The Walt Disney Studios operates their production of films in the format of larger tent-pole franchises supporting the lower budget features. The company tends to produce films that fulfill the requirements of the four quadrants of moviegoers: both male and female, over and under 25 years of age.

After Disney’s overwhelming domestic and international success of 2013’s animated hit Frozen, the company has continued to produce high quality and exceptionally profitable films throughout its current slate [10], which includes both live action and animated features. Towards the closing of a strong summer for the company, with releases such as Maleficent and Planes: Fire and Rescue, Marvel Studios released the tent-pole live action film Guardians of the Galaxy [10], which has garnered the title of being the top grossing film of 2014 with a total earning of $331.1 million at the global box office; a considerable achievement for its $170 million budget [11]. Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Bradley Cooper, the film explores the uniting of a motley crew attempting to save the galaxy at the hands of an evil villain [12]. The film premiered on August 1st, 2014, and was highly praised by critics and audiences alike, scoring a 90% critic approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes [13].

Big Hero 6 Promotional Poster. Photo Courtesy of www.marvel.wikia.com

Big Hero 6 Promotional Poster. Photo Courtesy of www.marvel.wikia.com

Guardians of the Galaxy served as the ideal primer for the November 7th release of Big Hero 6, a collaboration of the Walt Disney Animation Studios and Marvel Studios. Big Hero 6, with its $165 million production budget [14], incorporated characters from Marvel’s 5,000-character bank into the Animation Studios’ computer generated imagery format [15]. The result was a success; the film garnering a $50 million domestic box office in its opening weekend, as well as gaining the top spot of the weekend box office ahead of highly anticipated films, such as Warner Brothers’ Interstellar [16]. The film has netted $224.1 million in the worldwide box office to date [16].

 

Future Projects

The Walt Disney Studios have many high profile projects planned for release through 2019, having announced multiple films from each of its accompanying brands. Many of these films include live-action reboots of past Disney classics, continuations of prior franchises, or new franchise launches.

The most highly anticipated upcoming releases include the reboots of the Star Wars franchise. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by the talented J.J. Abrams, utilizes the Lucasfilm-constructed universe to continue the saga and is scheduled for release in December, 2015. The film, which takes place in a time after Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), starring Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and others from the first installment of the series, has generated great interest. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger has announced that his contract has been extended from terminating in March 2015 to June 2018 to oversee the release of two of the three upcoming Star Wars films [17].

Walt Disney Studios has also announced the continuation of the wildly popular Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, with a new film scheduled to be released in the summer of 2017.  The film will be titled Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales [18].

Marvel plans to continue the producing widely profitable Avengers, Thor, Captain America, and Guardian of the Galaxy franchises, scheduling to release sequels to the films through 2018.  Marvel has multiple other first-appearance films set to premier as well [19].

Pixar Animation Studios has announced the production of Toy Story 4, which came as a shock to many after the seemingly neat conclusion of the franchise with the release of Toy Story 3 (2010) [20]. Pixar has also announced plans to revive The Incredibles and Finding Nemo films with sequels, including the anticipated release of the film Finding Dory in 2016 [21].  Pixar is anticipating the release of their next film, Inside Out, a story told through a child’s emotions, in June of 2015 [21].

 

Sources

[1] “The Walt Disney Studios >> Walt Disney Studios Home” The Walt Disney Studios Retrieved 28 November 2014

[2] “DIS-NASDAQ.com” NASDAQ.com Retrieved 30 November 2014

[3] “Disney History” The Walt Disney Company Retrieved 29 November 2014

[4] “Rober A. Iger – The Walt Disney Company” The Walt Disney Company Retrieved 29 November 2014

[5] “Big Hero 6 Proves it: Pixar’s Gurus Have Brought the Magic back to Disney” Wired.com Retrieved 29 November 2014

[6] “Chronology of The Walt Disney Company” Chronology of The Walt Disney Company Retrieved 26 November 2014

[7] “Disney Fiscal Report 2014”  The Walt Disney Company Retrieved 22 November 2014

[8] “DIS: Stock Information”  Businessweek.com Retrieved 28 November November 2014

[9] “‘Star Wars’ Trailer Awakens Walt Disney Stock” TheGuardian.com Retrieved 30 November 2014

[10] “The Walt Disney Studios Current Slate The Walt Disney Studios Retrieved 28 November 2014

[11] “2014 Top Grossing Films” BoxOfficeMojo.com Retrieved 1 December 2014

[12] “Guardians of the Galaxy – IMDB” IMDB.com Retrieved 1 December 2014

[13] “Guardians of the Galaxy Review – Rotten Tomatoes” RottenTomatoes.com Retrieved 28 November 2014

[14] “Big Hero 6 Box Office” BoxOfficeMojo.com Retrieved 30 November 2014

[15] “Disney Buys Marvel Entertainment” TheGuardian.com Retrieved 26 November 2014

[16] “Nov. 7th 2014 Weekend Results” BoxOfficeMojo.com Retrieved 30 November 2014

[17] “Bob Iger to Remain Disney Chief through 2018” Variety.com Retrieved 26 November 2014

[18] “‘Pirates of the Caribbean 5’ Set for Summer 2017” The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 23 November 2014

[19] “Marvel Studios Announcements” The Slate Retrieved 27 November 2014

[20] “Pixar’s ‘Toy Story 4’ Set to Play in Theaters in 2017” Variety.com 07 November 2014

[21] “Pixar Animation Studios Official Slate” Pixar Retrieved 30 November

 

Viacom

Posted on by 
By Sam Mackoff
[1] Viacom Logo

[1] Viacom Logo

ABOUT VIACOM

Viacom, short for Video and Audio Communications, is a mass media company that produces content globally across television, movies, online and mobile platforms.  Viacom’s media networks reach about 700 million global subscribers, making it one of the world’s largest media conglomerate [2].  Viacom operates about 170 leading entertainment brands including MTV Networks, VH1, BET Networks, Comedy Central, CMT, SPIKE, Nickelodeon Networks, Paramount Pictures and more [3].

Television Networks 

[4] Viacom's Media Brands

[4] Viacom’s Media Brands

Viacom has a large variety of networks that represent a diverse collection of programming. From Nickelodeon, the leading brand in children’s entertainment, to Comedy Central, the number one brand in comedic television, Viacom continues to produce original content that is relevant to all different audience members [4].  Some of Viacom’s leading shows are Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, MTV’s Teen Wolf and Awkward, Comedy Central’s South Park and many more [5].

Film

Paramount Pictures logo

[6] Paramount Pictures Logo

Paramount Pictures Corporation is a production and distribution studio for film.  It is a subsidiary of Viacom.  Paramount distributes content from DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Marvel Studios, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies [4]. Paramount is ranked as the fourth highest grossing film distributor [7]. Some of Paramount’s notable films are, “Transformers”, “Indiana Jones”, “Star Trek”, “Titanic”, and “Forrest Gump” [8].

 FINANCIALS

Viacom is a publicly held.  This year, Viacom did well financially with its media networks revenue, but did not do well financially in film entertainment.  The media networks revenue had a $462 million increase to $9.7 billion by the end of 2013 [9].   The film entertainment revenues had a $538 million decrease from the previous year to $4.3 billion by the end of 2013 [9].  Viacom’s net earnings still increased 2% from 2012 to 2013, from $2.3 billion in 2012 to $2.4 billion in 2013 [9].

KEY EXECUTIVES

[10] Philippe Dauman, President and Chief Executive Officer

[10] Philippe Dauman,
President and Chief Executive Officer

[11] Thomas E. Dooley, Chief Operating Officer

[11] Thomas E. Dooley,
Chief Operating Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECENT NEWS
Viacom and Google Call a Truce

image6611550x

[12] Google Vs. Viacom

After seven years of battling in court, Viacom and Google have settled the copyright infringement lawsuit, in which neither company exchanged money to the other.  Viacom filed a $1 billion lawsuit in 2007 against YouTube, which is owned by Google, stating that there were billions of dollars in damages for copyright infringement by uploading unauthorized clips from Viacom programming.  After years of arguing, Viacom and YouTube released a settlement statement saying, “This settlement reflects the growing collaborative dialogue between our two companies on important opportunities, and we look forward to working more closely together” [13].

Viacom Teams Up with Tumblr

Tumblr-partnership-with-Viacom

[14] Tumblr and Viacom Partnership

Viacom announced an exclusive partnership with the popular blogging website, Tumblr. The two companies together will offer co-branded campaigns and content for shows and events for Viacom’s networks through the 2014 Upfront Season.  This partnership marks Viacom as the first television programmer to develop a marketing partnership with Tumblr. Viacom’s partnership with Tumblr creates a unique opportunity for Viacom to use this creative platform with its advertisers in order to reach a large audience because of its major social activity.  On the consumer end, it allows users to view content in a fun and interactive way [15].

RELEASES

[16] “The Wolf of Wall Street”, directed by Martin Scorsese

The Wolf of Wall Street

The dark comedy, “The Wolf of Wall Street”, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort’s life. The film takes you through the New York stockbroker’s journey from rags to riches, starting in penny stocks to running an extremely successful firm.  This film has had major success worldwide.  The high admiration has earned the film a Golden Globe and five Academy Award nominations [17]. Surpassing all Christmas sales in theaters on its holiday release date [18], the film made $10 million on its opening day and over $18 million on its opening weekend [19]. This film has accumulated grosses of $116.9 million domestically and $272.7 million in the foreign market [19].

 

001_Noah_poster

[20] “Noah”, directed by Darren Aronofsky

Noah

The recent release of the biblical inspired film, “Noah”, directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Russell Crowe, is inspired by the biblical story of Noah’s Ark.  Noah is chosen by God to take on a mission to rescue the innocent before an apocalyptic flood hits the world.  This film ranked #1 at the box office on its opening weekend on March 28th [21].  “Noah” brought in a diverse audience including men and women of all ages that were Christian, Catholic Latino and African American [22].  “Noah” has faced a sizable decline with a 68% drop since its release [23].  Predictions say that this number will increase during the weekend of Easter because of the faith based audience [24].  “Noah” has made $93.3 million domestically and $197.4 million in the foreign market [21].

 

 UPCOMING RELEASES

Nickelodeon Introduces a New Awards Show

8-Kids-Choice-Sports-Awards-2014-350x348

[25] Michael Strahan, Future Host of Kids Choice Sports

Nickelodeon announced a new award show called Kids Choice Sports, hosted by former football player, Michael Strahan, set to debut this summer.  Kids Choice Sports give viewers the opportunity to have a voice in the show by voting for their favorite teams, players and sports moments as well as selecting the stars to get slimed.  In additions to the awards, the event will also have a musical performance, competitions against athletes and slimed filled sports stunts [26].  Kids Choice Sports has the potential to bring in a whole new audience of parents and children who are interested in sports, as well as other viewers who want to be a part of the additional events of the awards show.

Candid Camera Returns After 66 Years

Candid-Camera-creator-Allen-Funt-499x400
[27] Allen Funt, the Original Host of Candid Camera

TV Land announced that it is bringing back a new version of the 1940’s show, Candid Camera.  Candid Camera is a show that captures the reactions of people in unusual situations using hidden cameras.  Peter Funt, the son of the host and creator of the original show, will be co-producing Candid Camera.  There are 10 new episodes that are set to air this summer [28].

 

Transformers To Release Fourth Film

The fourth Transformers film called, “Transformers: Age of Extinction”, is hitting the theater this summer.  This film was directed by Michael Bay and has notable actors staring in it such as Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, and Jack Reynor [29].  This popular franchise has earned $2.6 billion in the global box office.  The bar for this film was set very high after the last film, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”, earning $1.1 billion globally.  This film is set to release June 27th [30].

Trailer [31]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Recreated in a Live Action Film

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is returning to the screen in a live action film this summer. Producer Michael Bay and director Jonathan Liesmasman, are working together to recreate the story that was originally based off of a comic series [32].  Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount said, “Michael Bay is committed to making sure young audiences have a reason to flock back to your theaters” [33]. This action comedy film is about four trained ninja turtles that work together to fight off evil.  This summer blockbuster, starring Megan Fox, Noel Fisher, Will Arnet, Jeremy Howard and Alan Ritchso, is set to release August 8th [32].

Trailer [34]

Sources

[1] Viacom’s Logo, Adweek.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[2] About Viacom, Viacom.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[3] “Viacom: Veteran Leading the Way”, Investing Daily, 12/31/2013, RT: 4/17/2014

[4] Viacom Brands, Viacom.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[5] Most Popular TV Shows, TV.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[6] Paramount Pictures Logo, Nickelodeon.Wikia.com, RT: 4/18/14

[7] Leading Distributors- 1995-2014, The-Numbers.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[8] Paramount All Time Box Office Results, BoxOfficeMojo.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[9] Viacom Inc.- Annual Report, Viacom.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[10] Philippe Dauman, Trialx.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[11] Thomas E. Dooley, CNN.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[13] “Google and Viacom Settle Copyright-Infringement Lawsuit over YouTube”, Variety, 3/18/2014, RT: 4/19/2014

[14] Viacom and Tumblr, YourNewSticker.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[15] “Yahoo’s Tumblr First TV Ad Deal Is with Viacom”, Variety, 3/20/2014, RT: 4/19/2014

[16] Wolf of Wall Street Poster, UBCFilmSociety.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[17] Wolf of Wall Street Awards, IMDB.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[18] “‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Poised for No. 1 at Christmas Box Office with $10 Million”, Variety, 12/25/13, RT: 4/19/14

[19] Box Office Results, BoxOfficeMojo.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[20] Noah Poster, MovieFanatic.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[21] Box Office Results, BoxOfficeMojo.com, RT: 4/19/14

[22] “‘Noah’ sails to estimated $44-Million Opening at Box Office”, Los Angeles Times, 3/30/2014, RT: 4/19/14

[23] “North America: ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ Sets New April Record with $96.2M”, BoxOffice.com, 4/6/14, RT: 4/19/14

[24] “‘Heaven is for Real’ Posts Strong Opening Day Returns”, BoxOffice.com, 4/17/14, RT: 4/19/2014

[25] Kids Choice Sports Picture, TVByTheNumbers.zap2it.com, RT: 4/20/14

[26] “Nick Launching Sports Award Show”, BigStory.ap.org, 3/13/214, RT: 4/20/14

[27] Allen Funt, rtvfmediastudies.tcu.edu, RT: 4/20/14

[28] “Candid Camera: TV Land Reviving Classic Series for Summer”, TVSeriesFinale.com, 4/9/14, RT: 4/20/14

[29] Transformers Cast and Crew, IMDB.com, RT: 4/20/14

[30] “‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ to Kick Start New Trilogy”, Variety, 4/11/14, RT: 4/20/14

[31] Transformers: Age of Extinction Trailer, Youtube, 3/5/2014, RT: 4/20/2014

[32] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cast and Crew, IMDB.com, RT: 4/20/14

[33] “Paramount Kicks Off CinemaCon With ‘Ninja Turtles,’ ‘Transformers’ Footage”, Variety, 3/24/14, RT: 4/20/14

[34] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Trailer, Youtube, 3/27/2014, RT: 4/20/2014

DreamWorks Animation

Posted on by 
by Alex Wenner

dreamworks_animation_logo_1

1000 Flower St.
Glendale, CA, 91201, United States
(818) 695-5000
dreamworksanimation.com

Origins:

DreamWorks’ Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen on the cover of Time Magazine, March 27, 1995. Coutesy of malibucomplete.com

Co-founded in 1994 by entertainment veterans Stephen Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, DreamWorks Animation SKG has released a total of twenty-six animated feature films that have grossed over $10 billion worldwide (as of 2012). In 1995, DreamWorks embarked on a co-production venture with Pacific Data Images. This new unit was created to produce computer-animated motion pictures, beginning with 1998’s Antz. In 2005, Viacom purchased the live-action division of DreamWorks, only to end this partnership in 2008. Reliance Entertainment now acts as its parents company. 20th Century Fox took over international marketing and distribution for SKG in 2012, and the SKG studio now handles its own domestic distribution. In addition to feature films, DreamWorks produces television programming and other family entertainment. [1] [2]

Key Executives:

Spielberg, Courtesy of static-I3.org

Jeffery Katzenberg, Courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com

Jeffrey Katzenberg – CEO and Director: Directed Disney‘s animation unit to successes like The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994) before co-founding DreamWorks Animation in ’94. Heavily involved in early SKG animation hits.

Lew Coleman – President and CFO: Spent 37 years in the banking industry before joining SKG in 2007.

Stephen Spielberg– Principal Partner: One of Hollywood’s most recognizable names and

Lew Coleman, Courtesy of dreamworksanimation.com

talents, Steven Spielberg co-founded the studio. From 1997 to 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull , all Spielberg films were released through DreamWorks live-action division. [3] [4]

Financials: [5]

Revenue: $749 million (2012)

Operating Income: -$65 million (2012)

Animation Portfolio:
DreamWorks has enjoyed considerable success, both commercial and critical, with its large library of animated films. SKG’s films boast a $430 million gross average, an astounding number second to only Pixar. Four of DreamWorks films rank amongst the fifty highest-grossing films of all time, and the studio can lay claim to sixteen of the fifty highest-grossing animated features of all time. Though the studio has a history of traditionally-animated films (The Road to El Dorado, Sinbad), SKG has confirmed that all future films will be computer-animated. [6]

Chicken Run (2000)

Courtesy of impawards.com

 

Co-financed and distributed by DreamWorks for Aardman Animation, the stop-motion animated Chicken Run marked one of the company’s first forays into animated motion pictures. It was a decisive success, grossing nearly $228 million worldwide with a $42 million budget.

 

 

 

Shrek (2001)

DreamWorks found solid gold with the release of Shrek, a box-office smash-hit that

Courtesy of traileraddict.com

catapulted the studio to the forefront of film animation alongside studios like Pixar and Disney. The green ogre grossed $485 million worldwide and earned the Academy’s first award for Best Animated Feature. The computer animation used in Shrek was different from the traditional animation methods used in previous DreamWorks features, and the film’s release marked a subtle change in direction for the studio; now it would focus its efforts almost entirely on computer animation. Its sequel, Shrek 2, would go on to shatter box-office records in 2004 ($920 million worldwide gross).

Madagascar (2005)

Courtesy of impawards.com

 

Following the computer-animated tradition of Shrek, Madagascar continued the string of massive success for SKG, taking in $530 million worldwide in ’05.

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

impawards.com

Jack Black stars in this computer animated comedy that marked DreamWorks biggest opening for a non-sequel, and the highest grossing animated feature of the year ($632 million worldwide).

Rise of the Guardians (2012)

Expected to launch a new franchise, Guardians (featuring a re-envisioning of classic characters Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, etc.)  was considered a flop despite being well-received critically and grossing over $300 million worldwide. It also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. [7]

Courtesy of yodale.org

Recent Activity:

February 26, 2013 – DreamWorks Animation reported a quarterly loss of nearly $83 million, mainly due to the disappointing performance of Rise of the Guardians (which still brought in over $300 million to an estimated $145 million budget, excluding marketing costs). CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg attributes Guardians lackluster performance to poor marketing. Another film in production, Me & My Shadow, was sent back into development, accruing more losses for the studio. As a result of the studios reset setbacks, SKG announced a series of layoffs that will see around 350 employees lose their jobs by the end of the year. This resulted in a small drop in SKG stock.[8]

March 13, 2013 – Despite watching its stock price drop in the wake of its 4th quarter earnings report, DreamWorks Animation SKG stock experienced an 8% rise after an analyst predicted the studio’s new release, The Croods, will exceed box office expectations. As of April 7th, The Croods has earned over $330 million worldwide in two and a half weeks. [9] [10]

March 20, 2013 – DreamWorks Animation releases the theatrical trailer for its upcoming summer 2013 animated feature, Turbo. Starring voice talent such as Ryan Reynolds, Snoop Dogg, Paul Giamatti and Luis Guzman, the film chronicles a snail’s dream of becoming a racing legend, and will be distributed by 20th Century Fox. [11]

Upcoming Projects- Even with the recent theatrical release of The Croods and the summer release of Turbo, DreamWorks Animation SKG has a full slate of movies set for production. Two sequels to SKG’s acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon (2010) are set for release in 2014 and 2016. In fall 2013, SKG plans to release Mr. Peabody & Sherman, a Rocky & Bullwinkle spin-off. With five planned releases including new films from the Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda franchises, 2015 figures to be a huge year for Animation SKG. [12] 

Sources:

[1]  http://animation.about.com/od/industryprofiles/p/dreamworks.htm

[2] http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/company

[3] http://quotes.wsj.com/DWA/company-people

[4] http://www.forbes.com/companies/dreamworks-animation/

[5] http://quotes.wsj.com/DWA?mod=DNH_S_cq

[6] http://animation.about.com/od/industryprofiles/p/dreamworks.htm

[7] http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/series/DreamworksAnimation.php

[8]  http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/dreamworks-reports-82-7-million-loss/

[9] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dreamworks-animation-stock-surges-8-428424

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

[11] http://www.firstshowing.net/2013/watch-dreamworks-animations-speedy-theatrical-trailer-for-turbo/

[12] http://screenrant.com/dreamworks-animation-lineup-2013-2016/all/1/

DreamWorks Animation

Posted on by 
by Alex Benis

DreamWorks Animation SKG

Location

1000 Flower Street, Glendale, California 91201

(818) 695-5000 ; www.dreamworksanimation.com

Key Executives

  • Jeffrey Katzenberg (Chief Executive Officer/Director/Co-Founder) [pictured below]

2

  • Lew Coleman (President/Chief Financial Officer)
  • Ann Daly (Chief Operating Officer)
  • Anne Globe (Chief Marketing Officer)
  • Heather O’Connor (Chief Accounting Officer)
  • Michael R. Francis (Chief Global Brand Officer)
  • Andrew Chang (General Counsel/Corporate Secretary)
  • Rich Sullivan (Deputy Chief Financial Officer)

About

3

DreamWorks Animation SKG is an animation studio located in Glendale, California that produces animated films, television series and live entertainment for audiences worldwide.  With a staff totaling more than 2,100 employees facilitating production, DreamWorks creates and distributes on average roughly three feature-length films for theatrical release in addition to many other smaller-scale projects.  Boasting the rank of being the fourteenth best place to work according to Fortune Magazine, the animation studio is the one of the most versatile in the world and is the birthplace of stories that wrestle with the imagination.

Historical Background

18

DreamWorks SKG was jointly founded on October 12, 1994 by the triumvirate made up of: director & producer Steven Spielberg, music executive David Geffen and former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg.  With its formation, artists from Spielberg’s previous unsuccessful animation studio, Amblimation, were attracted for employment.  In 1995, the young animation studio signed a co-production deal with Pacific Data Images, forming the subsidiary PDI, LLC which split the ownership 60/40 favoring PDI.  The new business partition would go on produce its first-ever feature film: Antz.  In 1997, DreamWorks partnered with British stop-animation studio Aardman Animation to co-produce Chicken Run.  At the turn of the century, DreamWorks SKG created the business division DreamWorks Animation and halted the use of hand-drawn animation following the production of Shrek (which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film).  In 2004, the studio became the first to produce two computer-generated animated feature films in a single year with the theatrical release of Shrek 2 and Shark Tale.  The same year, DreamWorks Animation was further divided into DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. managed by Katzenberg under the terms that 12 new films be distributed by the end of 2010’s fiscal fourth quarter.

Financials

For 2012, the animation studio raked in an impressive $749.8 million – topping its previous year’s revenue by $42 million dollars which can be credited to the release of Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.  Additionally, DreamWorks ended 2012 with $82.7 million in revenue with their total assets reaching $1.945 billion and a total equity of $1.346 million.  Their fiscal fourth quarter results are as follows:

4.1

From June to September, DreamWorks increased their annual revenue from $162.8 million to $186.3 million.  Following the month of October, profitability increased much more rapidly – with the most likely cause being related to the marketing of their newest movie at the time: Rise of the Guardians.  By December 31st, the studio’s revenue stream for the quarter was capped off at $264.66 million, slightly over a third of their annual earnings.  Overall, DreamWorks incurred a $36.4 million loss over the course of the entire year in comparison to their overall revenue of the previous year.

In The News

19

Dreamworks’ fourth quarter holiday release, Rise of the Guardians, proved successful at the box office: being largely responsible for just over one-third of the animation studio’s overall revenue for that year.  Centering around an evil spirit named Pitch, the character archetypes of imagination (The Sandman, The Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause, etc.) are given no choice but to join forces in order to defeat a looming enemy that threatens childrens’ beliefs.  Starring heavyweights Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman and Jude Law, the film was described by one critic as being “one for the kids, [but] fun enough to put a smile on parents’ faces.”  Domestically, Rise of the Guardians grossed $103 million, which was surprisingly only 34% of its $303.5 million worldwide gross.  In the weeks that followed its release, the film was rewarded with a 74% fresh tomato overall.

17

Released just last week on March 22, DreamWorks Animations’ The Croods grossed a total $72.8 million its opening weekend.  When a prehistoric family’s home is destroyed, they are forced to embark on a journey across an unfamiliar land in search of a new home.  Written-and-directed by Chris Sanders (Lilo and Stitch, The Lion King) and Kirk de Micco, the feature film boasts a talented cast starring Nicholas Cage, Emma Stone and actor Clark Duke, who is best-known from roles in the ABC series GREEK and the acclaimed superhero movie Kick-Ass.  The film is currently the highest-grossing film at the box office –  concluding the weekend at $43.6 million.  The Croods also holds a 67% fresh rating on rottentomatoes.com and a 7.5/10 on imdb.com.  After just two weeks at the box office, Dreamworks first animated feature film of 2013 has grossed $227 million in total and is currently the number one ranked movie worldwide.  So far, The Croods is in position to exceed studio’s 2012 revenue profitability – with two other feature-length theatrical releases later this year.

Upcoming Animations

July 19, 2013: Turbo

5

Following the story of a snail who gains superior speed after a freak-accident, Turbo aspires to escape his slow-paced world to compete in the Indy500.  Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamotti and Ken Jeong are all attached to the project set to be the studio’s primary summer release.

November 1, 2013: Mr. Peabody & Sherman

6

Mr. Peabody & Sherman is DreamWorks’ adaptation of the well-known Rocky and Bullwinkle side-cartoon about an exceptionally smart dog who owns a human as a pet.  When they travel back in time, they are tested when they realize they could potentially unravel the fabric of their universe.  The feature film is set to be directed by Rob Minkoff (The Lion King) and will star Ty Burrel (Modern Family) and Max Charles (The Amazing Spiderman) voicing Mr. Peabody and Sherman, respectively.

March 14, 2014: Me and My Shadow

7

Lesser-known than DreamWorks’ two previously-mentioned feature films, Me and My Shadow follows the story of a seemingly boring man’s shadow that craves for a more exciting lifestyle.

Other Projects Currently In Production

June 20, 2014: How To Train Your Dragon 2

8

November 26, 2014: Happy Smekday!

9

March 27, 2015: The Penguins of Madagascar

10

June 5, 2015: Trolls (working title)

13

November 6, 2015: B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations

14

[Seth Rogan supposedly attached]

December 19, 2015: Mumbai Musical (working title)

16

[Kevin Lima (Tarzan, Enchanted) will be directing with music composed by A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)]

March 18, 2016: Kung Fu Panda 3

11

June 18, 2016: How To Train Your Dragon 3

12

Sources

[1] http://dreamworksanimation.com

[2] http://ycharts.com/companies/DWA/revenues

[3] http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=dwa

[4] http://ir.dreamworksanimation.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=743403

[5] http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-companies/2012/snapshots/14.html

[6] http://screenrant.com/dreamworks-animation-lineup-2013-2016/all/1/

[7] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-croods/

[8] http://www.imdb.com

[9] http://boxofficemojo.com

20th Century Fox

Posted on by 
by Bria Holness

Photo courtesy of fanpop.com

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp

10201 West Pico Boulevard,

Los Angeles, California 90035

www.foxmovies.com

 A Brief History

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, also known as 20th Century Fox, was established on May 31, 1935 when the founders of Fox Film Corporation and Twentieth Century Pictures decided to merge into one.  It is now one of the major American film studios that produces, acquires, and distributes motion pictures.  Based in Los Angeles, California, it operates as a subsidiary of Fox Entertainment Group Inc. and is responsible for some of the top grossing movies, including Avatar and Titanic. [1] [2]

Quick Financials

During the first quarter, which encompasses the months of January, February, and March, 20th Century Fox brought in a gross income of $256.9 million, a 13.7% decrease in comparison to the first quarter of 2012; however, this is also an 123.7% increase in comparison to 2011. [19]

 Key Executives

Keith Rupert Murdoch

Photo courtesy of biography.com

Murdoch is the founder of News Corporation, in which 20th Century Fox is a subsidiary of, and has been its Chairman since 1991. Since 1992, Murdoch has been the Chairman of Fox Entertainment Group Inc. and its Chief Executive Officer since 1995. He operates as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. [2]

 Eduardo Echeverria

Photo courtesy of variety.com

Echeverria is Senior Vice President of Latin America at Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and has served as so since 2001. [2] Echeverria manages the sales and marketing operations and theatrical distribution for all Fox Filmed Entertainment product in Latin America. [2]

 Michael Peikoff

Since July 1, 2007, Peikoff has been Senior Vice President of Licensing and Merchandising of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. His duties include managing internal and external communication for the licensing division and managing retail marketing and licensed promotion initiatives in the U.S. [2]

 Robert Marick

Photo courtesy of licensing.biz

As Executive Vice President since July of 2010, Marick manages the global licensing of Fox’s television and film assets across different platforms including television promotions, interactive gaming, literary publishing, themed entertainment, and consumer products.   [2]

 Ricardo Crespo

Photo courtesy of centralpa.aiga.org

Crespo has served as Senior Vice President of Global Creative at Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation since July 2010. [2]  Prior to joining the 20th Century Fox team, Crespo held several leadership positions at Saatchi & Saatchi, Mattel Inc., Bozell Worldwide, and McCANN ERICKSON. [4]

In The News

Broken City

Photo courtesy of radionowindy.com

  20th Century Fox Films released its first film of the year, Broken City, starring Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, and Catherine Zeta Jones, on January 18th.  The film told the story of a New York City cop, who one night gets involved in a scandalous shooting.  He’s stripped of his badge but kept out of jail by the works of New York’s Mayor, who offers him a lump sum of money to investigate his wife.  While doing so he finds himself in the middle of a much larger scandal as he realizes that the Mayor isn’t who he seems to be.

During its opening weekend, the film made about $9 million and $4 million the weekend after.  With an estimated budget of $55 million, it has made an overall gross of $19,667,601 up to date.  It has received mixed reviews ranging from being called a complete mess to being considered an entertaining thriller.  Nonetheless, there seems to be a majority consensus—the cast and the numerous twists are great but can only keep the “weak” storyline going but so far, causing it to receive a B- from Entertainment Weekly. [5] [6]

20th Century Fox employed an interesting marketing strategy for the movie.  Instead of featuring promotional quotes from legitimate movie critics, they chose to use tweets from the hashtag, #BrokenCity, in which basically anyone could be a critic.

Photo courtesy of cultureblues.com

The studio believed it was a way to be more personable and interactive and to get fans more excited for the upcoming film.  However, the tactic raised many questions about the weight of movie critics’ opinions and whether or not they carry the same weight as the opinions of the fans. [7]

Wahlberg also held a special, early screening of the film as a fundraiser for the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation . He offered a chance to win tickets at Celebrities for Charity. [8]

A Good Day to Die Hard

Photo courtesy of movies.wikia.com

20th Century Fox released the fifth movie of the Die Hard franchise, A Good Day to Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis and Jai Courtney, on February 14th.  This is the first of the franchise to not be released during the blockbuster summer months and instead in the cold month of February. [9]  The film tells the story of a cop, John McClane, who travels to Moscow to help his unruly son Jack, unaware that Jack is really a CIA agent attempting to stop a nuclear weapons robbery.  Despite their differences, they are forced to work together to keep each other and the world safe. [5]

The film was produced for about $92 million.  During its opening weekend, it made $24,834,845 domestically and $45,301,894 oversees, giving it the number one spot of films newly released that weekend. [10] However, this is over $70 million less than what the last movie of the Die Hard franchise made in the summer of 2007.  With this comparison, it could be considered disappointing. [11]

Very unlike the previous films of the series, the film has been largely slated by various critics.  Based on 40 “generally unfavorable” reviews, Metacritic has given the movie a 28 out of 100 and based on 184 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes has given it a score of 4 out of 10. On both sites, several reasons for such low scores have been cited but the majority seems to agree on a muddling plotline with too many holes and twists as the movie’s downfall. [12] [13]

The Croods

Photo courtesy of filmofilia.com

20th Century Fox teamed up with DreamWorks Animation for the first time in the production and release of The Croods, a prehistoric comedy for the family, starring Nicholas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, and Catherine Keener.   It officially premiered worldwide on March 22nd and brought in $43,639,736 during its opening weekend. [18]

The film follows the story of a caveman, Crug, who must lead his family across an unstable and dangerous landscape after an earthquake destroys their home. While doing so they come across a nomad who charms everyone but Crug with his revolutionary modern ways. [14]  As of April 1st, with a budget of about $135 million, the film has made $93,893,394 domestically and $148,802,379 from foreign theaters, amounting to $242,695,773 worldwide. [18]

To build up anticipation of the release of the movie, DreamWorks made a deal with Rovio to create a mobile game based on The Croods, an impressive marketing strategy. In the game, the Croods, a family of cave men, find their way out of the Stone Age through the use of a new tool, the idea. They hunt and gather their way through new landscapes as they tame creatures they’ve never seen before.

Rovio released the game for Apple and Android devices on March 14, just about a week before the official release of the film. [15]

What’s Next for 20th Century Fox?

20th Century Fox plans to release another 3-D animated family film, Epic, which is based on the children’s book, The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs. From the creators of Ice Age and Rio, Epic follows the story of a teenage girl, who finds herself magically transported into a secret universe.  While there, she must team up with a group of capricious characters in order to save their world and her own from Queen Tara, the evil spider. [16]

Starring the voices of Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Colin Farrell, Aziz Ansari, Steven Tyler, Johnny Knoxville, Beyonce Knowles, and Pitbull, the film is scheduled to be released on May 24th. [17]

Sources

[1] http://www.thestudiotour.com/fox/chronology.shtml

[2]http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapid=35867

[3] http://www.screendaily.com/echeverria-promoted-to-evp-latin-america-at-fox/4030307.article‘

[4] http://centralpa.aiga.org/previous-events/ricardo-crespo-creative-ronin

[5] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235522/

[6] http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20483133_20657927,00.html

[7] http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Broken-City-TV-Spot-Turns-Podium-Over-Twitter-Fans-34876.html

[8]http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass_roundup/2013/01/mark-wahlberg-broken-city-hingham.html

[9] http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/02/13/3852964/its-a-good-day-for-john-mcclane.html

[10] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/17/weekend-box-office-a-good-day-to-die-hard_n_2707284.html

[11] http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=diehard.htm

[12] http://www.metacritic.com/movie/a-good-day-to-die-hard

[13] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_good_day_to_die_hard/

[14] http://www.movieinsider.com/m2646/the-croods/

[15] http://variety.com/2013/digital/games/the-croods-go-mobile-with-angry-birds-creator-1200001701/

[16] http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/283733/cbb/20th-century-fox-presents-family-and-kiddie-films-in-2013

[17] http://www.movieinsider.com/m3739/epic/credits/

[18] http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=croods.htm

[19] http://boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?view=company&view2=ytd&compare=Q1&studio=fox.htm