Time Warner

Posted on October 16, 2016 by emmichae

Lizzie Michael and Andrew Maercklein

Time Warner, Inc. logo [1]

Time Warner, Inc.

One Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019-8016
212-484-8000

Company

Time Warner, Inc. is an entertainment and media conglomerate whose works and influence reaches all over the world. First created in 1989 in a $14 billion merger between Time, Inc. and Warner Communications, Time Warner now owns magazines such as Time, People, and Sports Illustrated; HBO, The CW, and Cinemax, as well as the Turner Broadcasting System, which in turn holds networks such as TBS, CNN and Cartoon Network; DC Comics; and one of the world’s largest production companies, Warner Brothers Entertainment. [2] [3].

Some of Time Warner’s assets. [4]

The company has undergone a few trouble spots in the past, including a $164 deal with AOL in the year 2000. [5]. The deal, which eventually proved to be misguided and led to major financial losses in 2002, was said to be “the biggest mistake in corporate history” by current CEO and Chairman Jeff Bewkes. [6]. That being said, Time Warner has since rebouded and is currently enjoying success from several of its assets, including HBO and Warner Brothers, and is looking forward to the completion of an acquisition, with a total transaction value of
$108.7 billion, with AT&T. [7].

Who are some key executives?

: Jeff Bewkes – Chairman of the Board and CEO, Time Warner Inc. [8]

: Howard M. Averill – Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer [8]

: Paul T. Cappuccio – Executive Vice President and General Counsel [8]

: Gary L. Ginsberg – Executive Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Communications [8]

: Karen Magee – Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer [8]

: Carol A. Melton – Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy [8]

: Olaf J. Olafsson – Executive Vice President, International and Corporate Strategy [8]

Financial information

Time Warner is a publicly traded company on the NYSE under the ticket TWX. As of 11/17/16, their current stock price is $93.20, as compared to one of their primary competitors, Walt Disney Co., who is at $98.82. [9]. On Oct. 27 the company announced cash dividends for Common Stock at $0.4025 per share, with a record date of Nov. 30. and a payment date of Dec. 15. [10] [11]. Thanks in part to the AT&T announcement, Time Warner’s stock has been on the upswing, having increased nearly 22.07% since April 2016; additionally, about 67% of analysts covering Warner’s stock rate this as a good time to buy. [11].

TW revenues and earnings per share [12]

In Warner’s 3rd quarter reports for 2016, total revenues for Turner, HBO, and Warner Broadcasting combined were at more than $7 billion, and there was an increase of $153 million in cash and cash equivalents. [13]. With the recently released Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and HBO’s Westworld recently having success, revenues from ticket sales and merchandising for Time Warner can be expected to increase in 2016’s 4th quarter, and should give the company a strong year-end yield. [14].

Warner Brothers

Warner Bros. Logo [15]

Warner Bros., which was founded in 1923 and notably produced the first “talkie” in 1927’s The Jazz Singer, is one of the largest production companies in the world, with both New Line Cinema and DC Films in its toolbox. [16]. In 2015, Warner Bros.’ worldwide box office receipts exceeded $3 billion for the ninth consecutive year ($3.71 billion worldwide), and saw both international and domestic reaching the billions. [17].

[18]

The company houses several major franchises, including the Matrix series, the Harry Potter Franchise, and the world of DC Comics. In 2016 alone, multiple films were released to massive success, including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Sully, Suicide Squad, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Suicide Squad was in theaters for an impressive 14 weeks and earned more than $700 million worldwide, while Fantastic Beasts has been open for less than two weeks and has already made nearly $500 million. [19] [20].

This success will likely carry into 2017, as Wonder Woman, Justice League, and two more animated Lego movies are all slated for wide release. [21].

Machinima’s logo [22]

In news besides its releases, Warner Bros. also recently announced it will acquire Machinima, a “global programming service and production company” with a focus on gamer culture. [23]. The deal, which was estimated to be just slightly under $100 million, will allow Machinima to be its own entity within the Warner Bros. Digital Networks. [24].

HBO

HBO logo [31]

Home Box Office, or HBO, is one of Time Warner’s most successful divisions. In terms of its financial performance, in the 2016 third quarter HBO’s revenues increased 4%, or $59 million, to $1.4 billion due to a 5% increase in subscription revenues. [12].

HBO’s content has gone over incredibly well with viewers. HBO took home 22 Primetime Emmys at the 2016 Emmy Awards, the most of any other network for the 15^th year in a row. [12] [29]. Shows such as Veep, Game of Thrones, and Last Night with John Oliver all have loyal fan bases, while newcomer Westworld premiered in October 2016 to more than 13 million viewers. [12].

In other news, HBO just recently launched a new video streaming service in Spain, HBO España, that is expected to very well. The service offers both original HBO content, as well as films and programming from other networks as well, like Disney, Nickelodeon, and other Spanish programming. [30].

AT&T Merger

Click here for AT&T and Time Warner Merger (Video): http://nyti.ms/2exY5SK [27]

AT&T is looking to purchase Time Warner, Inc. in a $85 billion deal, and despite many setbacks, AT&T is confident the deal will go through. [25]. Were the FCC to oversee this deal, the time frame would have been elongated and the deal itself would be much less likely to go into effect. However, it is likely the deal will not be subject to the tight restrictions set by the FCC, as the FCC may be excluded from the process and the decision will be made by the Department of Justice. Randall L. Stephenson, the CEO of AT&T, is very optimistic regarding this scenario and said this deal will satisfy not only those looking for earnings growth, but also investors that are simply searching for income. [27]. However, this deal will cause AT&T to push its debt upwards of $190 billion. [27]. The average user of DirecTV Now will pay $35 per month, which translates to $1.32 gross margin, and despite an apparent lack of funding, there are expected to be approximately 15 million paid subscribers by 2020. [26].

AT&T logo [28]

Many investors are skeptical of the deal and doubt the level of success predicted by AT&T. AT&T, being the only company of its competitors to move in this direction, will be able to corner a large section of the market before anyone else. Through securing customers with a low price now, AT&T hopes to attract many more consumers in the future while still being able to raise the price of service as necessary. [26]. Furthermore, AT&T wants to boost their wireless business in an attempt to take back some of the market from other wireless companies. They plan to do this by allowing wireless users to watch DirecTV without using data. This is known as zero-rating and it’s frowned upon by the FCC because it would allow for AT&T to reduce competition, especially among its own assets. [25]. Between the low prices as well as other incentives to switch, AT&T is focused on increasing its consumer following as opposed to generating revenue. Revenue will theoretically be the focus after AT&T has accrued a mass following. In addition, it’s predicted there will be less subscription cancellations as well as a large boost in advertising revenue. [25]. Should the deal be successful, it will be one of the largest to date and will push AT&T further ahead of competitors. Should the deal not be approved, or even fail, AT&T will have to tread very carefully to avoid serious damage to the company’s finances, as well as the integrity of the company.

[27]

Resources

[1] Time Warner Cables Customer Service Phone Number, Office Address, Toll Free Helpline Support. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.officeaddresshelplinenumber.com/time-warner-cables-customer-service-phone-number-office-address-toll-free-helpline-support/

[2] The Creator of Time Warner, Steven J. Ross, Is Dead at 65. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/21/obituaries/the-creator-of-time-warner-steven-j-ross-is-dead-at-65.html

[3] Top 3 Companies Owned By Time Warner (TWX). Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/102215/top-3-companies-owned-time-warner.asp

[4] Company Profile. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.timewarner.com/company

[5] Statistics on Mergers. Retrieved November 27, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20120106045040/http://www.imaa-institute.org/statistics-mergers-acquisitions.html

[6] AOL merger was ‘the biggest mistake in corporate history’, believes Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/8031227/AOL-merger-was-the-biggest-mistake-in-corporate-history-believes-Time-Warner-chief-Jeff-Bewkes.html

[7] AT&T to Acquire Time Warner. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://about.att.com/story/att_to_acquire_time_warner.html

[8] Senior Corporate Executives. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.timewarner.com/company/management/senior-corporate-executives

[9] TWX: NY. Retrieved November 27, 2016. https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/TWX:US

[10] Time Warner Declares Regular Quarterly Cash Dividend. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.timewarner.com/newsroom/press-releases/2016/10/27/time-warner-declares-regular-quarterly-cash-dividend

[11] Dividend Action: Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX) advises to “Mark your calendars” for Dec 15, 2016; dividends expected to reach $0.40. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://friscofastball.com/2016/11/27/dividend-action-time-warner-inc-nysetwx-advises-to-mark-your-calendars-for-dec-15-2016-dividends-expected-to-reach-0-40/

[12] Time Warner Inc. Revenue & Earnings Per Share (EPS). Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/twx/revenue-eps

[13] Earnings Releases & Related Materials. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://ir.timewarner.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=70972&p=quarterlyearnings

[14] Weekend Box Office: November 25-27, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/

[15] Warner Bros. Logo Design Evolution. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://annyas.com/screenshots/warner-bros-logo/

[16] Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/divisions/warner-bros-entertainment-inc

[17] Warner Bros. Pictures. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/divisions/warner-bros-pictures

[18] Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Final Trailer [HD]. Retrieved November 28, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vso5o11LuGU

[19] Box Office Mojo: Suicide Squad. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=dc2016.htm

[20] Box Office Mojo: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=fantasticbeasts.htm

[21] Warner Bros., Quietly Thriving, Recasts Its Own Story. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/08/business/media/warner-bros-quietly-thriving-recasts-its-own-story.html

[22] Machinima. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.machinima.com/

[23] Warner Bros. Entertainment to Acquire Machinima. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/news/warner-bros-entertainment-acquire-machinima

[24] Warner Bros. Acquires Full Control of Machinima. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/warner-bros-acquires-machinima-1201920793/

[25] McAlone, Nathan. “Here’s Why AT&T Is Buying Time Warner, and Why It Thinks the Government Can’t Stop the Sale.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 15 Nov. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. http://www.businessinsider.com/att-time-warner-merger-government-regulation-2016-11

[26] Molla, Rani, and Shira Ovide. “AT&T Plays It Forward.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 23 Nov. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2016-11-23/at-t-wants-digital-video-share-with-direct-tv-now

[27] Morgenson, Gretchen. “The AT&T-Time Warner Merger: A Match Built on Hope.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Oct. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/30/business/the-att-time-warner-merger-a-match-built-on-hope.html?_r=0

[28] LLC, UnderConsideration. “Reviewed.” Brand New: New Logo and Identity for AT&T by Interbrand. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/new_logo_and_identity_for_att_by_interbrand.php#.WDyz-6IrL_Q

[29] How FX Broke HBO’s Grip on the Emmy Awards. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://fortune.com/2016/09/19/emmy-awards-2016-hbo-fx/

[30] HBO Launches in Spain, Adds Content from Disney, Nickelodeon. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://variety.com/2016/biz/global/hbo-espana-spain-disney-nickelodeon1201927778-1201927778/

[31] HBO Logos. Retrieved November 28, 2016. https://www.homeboxoffice.com/lodging/cmp/logos.html

Warner Bros. Pictures #1

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Mallory Rogers

Mallory Rogers

[22]

Warner Bros. Pictures

4000 Warner Blvd.,
Burbank, CA 91522

http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/divisions/warner-bros-pictures

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter

Facebook

KEY EXECUTIVES

Kevin Tsujihara [12]: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros.

Jon Gilbert [13]: President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Studio Facilities

Steve Papazian [14]: President, Worldwide Physical Production, Warner Bros. Pictures

Greg Silverman[15]: President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures

BACKGROUND

[16]

Warner Brothers Pictures produces and distributes a variety of anywhere from 18 to 22 films each year. To date, Warner Bros. has produced 23 films in 2015. These films range in genre from Pan to Vacation to Entourage. Warner Bros. is part of the Big 6, a group of movie studios that produce and distribute the majority of films in Hollywood.

[17]

The focus of Warner Bros. Pictures is to produce films that are wide ranging to appeal to all audiences. It “produces and maintains worldwide distribution rights.” It has joint ventures with Village Roadshow Pictures and PatPac-Dune Entertainment to finance such films. Warner Brothers Pictures also has a deal with Alcon Entertainment to help finance films. [11]

This company is also under the larger media conglomerate umbrella of TimeWarner. In addition to Warner Bros. Pictures TimeWarner also owns the remaining segments of Warner Bros. such as Warner Bros. Animation as well as HBO and Turner.

HISTORY

Well-respected and one of the most diversified companies in the industry, Warner Bros. Pictures has a storied past. Warner Bros. Studios was founded April 4, 1923 by brothers Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack. [11]

The four Warner brothers (left to right) Sam, Harry, Jack, and Albert, 1926. [18]

One of the moments that sparked its respect was the release of “the world’s first ‘talkie’” in 1927. This talkie was The Jazz Singer. A “talkie” is a synchronized-sound feature film. This innovative success spurred the success of the brothers’ film company for years to come.

[19]

However, their work in the film industry started much earlier. In 1903 the four brothers traveled though Pennsylvania and Ohio as traveling exhibitors showing films off a portable projector. The Great Train Robbery was one of the first films they displayed to the public. This film was hailed as “the first motion picture to tell a definite story.” From here, the brothers continued and expanded their business in Pennsylvania where they opened the Cascade Theater. Each brother had their own skill/job in the theater. Albert and Harry sold tickets, “Sam ran the hand-crank projector while Jack sang ‘illustrated’ songs during the intermissions to sister Rose’s piano accompaniment.” [11]

New Line Cinema, a unit of Warner Bros. Pictures, was acquired in 2008 by TimeWarner. Their production of highly successful, critically acclaimed films attracted them to TimeWarner. Though their production, marketing, development and distribution are all separate from Warner Bros. the collaboration serves to “maximize film performance and operating efficiencies.” [25]

Warner Bros. Pictures has amassed a large amount of success through the years, including the Harry Potter and Dark Knight franchises. This studio has been producing nearly 6,500 feature films since the late 1920s/early 1930s.

FINANCE

According to the third quarter results for 2015 ending in September 2015 Warner Bros’ parent company, TimeWarner, revenue has increased 5%. This 5% translates to $6.6 billion. However, these results did not include anything past September. This means the release of Pan and the lack of success it had in the box officer were not taken into account. The increase came from Warner Bros. and Home Box Office to offset the decline from Turner. Also from the third quarter Warner Bros. had an adjusted EPS of $1.25 and repurchased 41 million shares that will run through October 30 for $3.3 billion. [8] [24]

The proxy statement TimeWarer released to educate investors for the year 2015 lays out all that TimeWarner has done over the past year. It details what all has happened, operating strategies, expansion programs, etc. As of 2015 Warner Bros. Studios has production companies in 16 international territories. Warner Bros. Studios is expanding globally to capture a wider reach, becoming bigger. This plays into the financial aspect to see what is working in the company, what films have brought in, monetarily and other important financial details. In fact, “Warner Bros. generated over $4 billion at the global box office for the 6th year in a row; announced expanded slate of movies for 2016-2020.”[24]

FILMS THUS FAR

Producing 23 films this year to date, one of Warner Bros.’ more recent films, Pan, seemed to flop. [9] This flop did not sit well with executives after already having had a less-than- successful summer. None of its films surpassed $500 million worldwide. Settling in at number three among top movie studios when usually number 1 indicated to executives something had to change. Anticipated success from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was dashed after making only $13.4 million opening weekend. [3] Warner Bros’ looked at Straight Outta Compton, worked with New Line Cinema to produce it but backed out thinking its budget was too high ceding this film to Universal Studios. Hope for the remainder of the year was placed in Black Mass and others. Black Mass might be Warner Bros’ saving grace with rumors of Oscar consideration for main character Johnny Depp.

However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Pan, provided a setback for the studio. Going off the old story of Peter Pan this film aimed to reinvent the classic. With a $129 million dollar budget executives were sure this film would be a success. Originally supposed to be released in July Pan’s release date was later moved to October to avoid summer competition. This was concerning because Warner Bros. did not want to bump up against Pixels opening that same July weekend. Warner Bros. pulled the film to avoid the same weekend release as Pixels. [4] This change had a domino effect. Advertising and targeting tactics changed when the demographic of Pan originally aimed at, children, matured to skew older.

[23]

Its lack of success can also be attributed to the film being “overly formulaic and too wild a deviation from J.M. Barrie’s beloved children’s classic to succeed.” [3] Meant to be an origin story, Pan, didn’t quite make it. One box office analyst, Jeff Bock, remarked that fairy tale adaptations were a difficult feat to accomplish without the backing of Disney. The story strayed too far from the original fairy tale for audiences to be acutely engaged. Other adaptations did a much better job and were used as comparisons to this film; those compared were Spielberg’s Hook and the animated adaptation from Disney.
Warner Bros. is expected to lose anywhere from $130 to $150 million as a result. [4]

LOOKING TO CHINA

Hoping to expand to China’s “booming film market” Warner Bros. Pictures was in talks with China Media Capital (CMC) and came to an agreement in September to make more Chinese-language productions.    [6] This collaborative company is Flagship Entertainment Group Ltd. and it is hoping to combine the skills of Warner Bros. with the financial resources of CMC. In addition, CMC has collaborated with Oriental DreamWorks and IMAX for at least 10 Mandarin films to be produced.

[20]

They aim to “develop, distribute and produce a slate of Chinese-language films, including global tent poles, for distribution in China and around the world” using Warner Bros.’ name and network. [7] The new company they form will be owned primarily by CMC with a 51% share. Warner Bros. owns the remaining 49%.    [6] Hoping to bring more of Warner Bros’ signature storytelling and experience in the industry to China’s film industry this future of their collaboration is hopeful. This partnership may release a film as soon as 2016.

FUTURE FOR WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Looking to the future Warner Bros. Pictures is looking to produce a new film, King Kong vs. Godzilla. Recently acquiring the rights and hoping to debut the first in the trilogy in 2016 executives are excited about potential success of the highly anticipated film(s). Hoping to collaborate with Japanese studio, Toho, Warner Bros. Pictures was chosen over Universal to produce this remake of the 1962 film due to previous history. Also, Legendary Pictures decided to move this film to make it consistent and join the first Godzilla with the rest of its franchise. Having release Godzilla in May of 2014 with Godzilla 2 being released June of 2018 Warner Bros. wanted to keep it in the family. Hoping to feature more key components of the “Godzilla Universe” Legendary Pictures wanted to acquire rights to additional characters in this world. These characters include Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah.This is what Marvel Studios has done with its superhero films to keep the films together. [1]

This will be one of three in a trilogy to be produced in 2020. The lineup for films is as follows: Kong: Skull Island in 2017, Godzilla 2 in 2018 and then Godzilla vs. Kong in theaters 2020. Production for Kong: Skull Island was slated to begin October 19, 2015. Casting has already started with Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston and Corey Hawkins on board. Main roles are being considered for Samuel L. Jackson and John C. Reilly with Jordan Vogt-Robert signed on to direct. [5]

[21]

SLATED FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR

From top:

In The Heart Of The Sea: to be released December 11, 2015 [27]

Creed: In Theaters Now [28]

Point Break: to be released December 25, 2015 [26]

SOURCES

[1]  Fleming, Mike. “Warner Bros Sets King Kong Vs Godzilla, As Deadline Told You Last   Month.” Deadline. 14 Oct. 2015. Web. 24 Nov. 2015. <http://deadline.com/2015/10/king-kong-godzilla-warner-bros-legendary-pictures- 1201582155/>.

[2] Galloway, Stephen. “Warner Bros.’ Chilly Summer Puts Execs in the Hot Seat (Analysis).” The Hollywood Reporter. 19 Aug. 2015. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. <http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/warner-bros-chilly-summer-puts-816176>.

[3] Lang, Brent. “Does ‘Pan’s’ Box Office Bomb Spell the End for Origin Stories?” Variety. 12 Oct. 2015. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. <http://variety.com/2015/film/news/pan-box-office- bomb-death-of-origin-movies-1201615656/>.

[4] McClintock, Pamela. “Warner Bros.”Pan’ Could Lead to $150 Million Loss.” The Hollywood Reporter. 12 Oct. 2015. Web.25 Nov. 2015. <http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/warner-bros-pan-could-lead-831412>.

[5] Owen, Luke. “Warner Bros. Set to Remake King Kong vs. Godzilla.” Flickering Myth.   11 Sept. 2015. Web. 24 Nov. 2015. <http://www.flickeringmyth.com/2015/09/warner- bros-set-to-remake-king-kong-vs-godzilla.html>.

   [6] Spear, Lisa. “Warner Bros.Unveils New Chinese Film Venture.” Time. Time, 21 Sept. 2015. Web. 24 Nov.2015. <http://time.com/4042115/china-warner-brothers-film-movies-hollywood/>.

[7] Tartaglione, Nancy. “Warner Bros, China Media Capital Form Flagship Entertainment Group; JointVenture To Make Local-Language Films.” Deadline. 20 Sept. 2015. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. <http://deadline.com/2015/09/warner-bros-china- media-capital-flagship-entertainment-group-local-language-films-joint-venture- 1201537954/>.

[8] “Time Warner Inc.” Time Warner Inc. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.timewarner.com/>.

[9] “Warner Bros. Box Office Receipts by Release Date.”Box Office Mojo.Web.22 Nov. 2015. <http://www.boxofficemojo.com>.

[10] “Warner Bros. Partners With China Media Capital on Major Production, Distribution Joint Venture.” MSN. 20 Sept. 2015. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. <http://www.msn.com/en- nz/video/celebs/warner-bros-partners-with-china-media-capital-on-major- production-distribution-joint-venture/vi-AAexXnM?refvid=AAd57s2>.

[11] Warner Bros. Web. 22 Nov. 2015. <http://www.warnerbros.com/>.

[12] “Kevin Tsujihara.” WarnerBros.com. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[13] “Jon Gilbert.” WarnerBros.com. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[14] “Steve Papazian.” WarnerBros.com. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[15] “Greg Silverman.” WarnerBros.com. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[16] Santoso, Alex. “The Stories Behind Hollywood Studio Logos.” Neatorama. 3 Dec. 2008. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.

[17] Robehmed, Natalie. “Hollywood’s Most Profitable Movie Studios.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 May 2015. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[18] “What Los Angeles Can Learn From the Warner Bros.” Aarmadillocom. 2 July 2015. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[19] “The Jazz Singer (1927).” The Jazz Singer (1927). Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[20] “Star China Media Announces Appointment of a New Management Team.” China Screen News RSS. 02 Dec. 2015. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[21] Martinez, Phillip. “New ‘King Kong vs Godzilla’ Movie: Remake Needs To Happen In Next 5 Years.” IDigitalTimes.com. 02 Sept. 2014. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[22] “Warner Bros. Pictures.” Logopedia. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[23] “Pan.” Fandango. Fandango.com. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[24] “IR Relations.” TimeWarner. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[25] “New Line Cinema.” WarnerBros.com. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[26] “First Poster for the Point Break Remake.” Flickering Myth. 25 May 2015. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[27] “In the Heart of the Sea.” IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

[28] “Rocky Isn’t Doing So Well in New Creed TV Spot.” Film RSS. 24 Sept. 2015. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Posted on October 5, 2014 by htfergus

by Carly Kaplin

Warner Bros. Studios [a]

Contact Information:

Address: 3400 Riverside Drive, Burbank, CA 91522

Phone: (818) 972-8687

http://www.warnerbros.com/

Company Executives:

Kevin Tsujihara: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. [b]

Richard J. Fox: Executive Vice President, International, Warner Bros. Entertainment [c]

Thomas Gewecke: Chief Digital Officer and Executive Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, Warner Bros. Entertainment [d]

Dee Dee Myers: Executive Vice Present, Worldwide Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Warner Bros. Entertainment [e]

Company Overview:

Warner Brother’s is an entertainment company involved in the creation, production, distribution and marketing of many different forms of entertainment. The company specializes in feature films and television. Since they were founded, Warner Brother’s has produced nearly 6,500 feature films and 3,000 television shows. Warner Brother’s Studios is a subsidiary of Time Warner and within itself has several subsidiaries. [1]

Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack Warner [f]

Company History:

Warner Brother’s was founded on April 4th, 1923 by Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack Warner. The studio released the world’s first “talkie” movie on October 6th, 1927. Before this time, the world had never seen a movie with sound. This was a groundbreaking moment in the film industry. The studio won their first Oscar for best picture in 1937 for a film biography on the life of Émile Zola. In 1955, Warner Brothers started working in television creating the drama series, Cheyenne. [2]

Financials:

Warner Brother’s Studios is one of the global leaders in film production. However, the studio was negatively impacted by a low summer box office. Luckily, video-on-demand revenue contributed and raised revenue 3% to $2.8 billion. The studio made its highest box office numbers ever with the Harry Potter movies and The Dark Knight trilogy. The Dark Knight earned the studio over $530,000,000 domestic, and over $1 billion including international sales in 2008. In 2013, Warner Brothers television programs grossed almost $1.5 billion internationally. In the same year, the international box office for films generated revenue of over $5 billion for the fifth year in a row Warner Brothers made over $4 billion in the worldwide box office. Warner Brothers currently stands at third place in the 2014 studio market share of the box office with 14.3%, behind 20th Century Fox with 17.2% and Buenavista with 16.1%. Warner Brothers has released the most movies this year out of the three top studios, making it’s position at number 3 not ideal. [3] [4]

By the end of this year, Warner Brothers will have released a total of 21 feature films. The highest grossing movie of the year for the studio was The Lego Movie, generating a total domestic revenue of $257 million and $210 million internationally, making it a total of $468 million. [5] [6]

Warner Brother’s movies by release date in 2014 [g]

MV5BNjE5MzYwMzYxMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTk4MTk0OQ@@._V1_SY1006_CR25,0,630,1006_AL_

Gravity [h]

Recent History

In early 2014, Warner Brother’s films won 10 Academy Awards, the most of any other studio. 7 of these awards were taken by Gravity, two for The Great Gatsby and one for Her. Gravity took home the oscar for best director for Alfonso Cuarón, visual effects, cinematography, film editing, original score, sound editing and sound mixing. [7]

What’s Happening Now?

Warner Brother’s Studios has recently announced that they will be cutting 1,000 jobs from a total of around 8,000 companywide in an attempt to decrease costs since the low box office and television results this year. After 10 years at number one in the domestic box office, it is currently at number 3. Some divisions of the company are expected to be impacted more by these layoffs than others. The finance and information technology will be cut down more than film and television production groups. [8]

The Judge [i]

Warner Brother’s recently released The Judge on October 10th, 2014. The Judge made only $45.5 million in the domestic box office, which is not the success the studio would have hoped for the movie with a $50 million production budget. It did bring in $29 million international, bringing the total gross up to $74.5 million. The movie opened at number 5 its opening weekend, competing with the new releases of Dracula Untold and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, which opened at 2, and 3 respectively. [9]

Annabelle [j]

Annabelle, the prequel to last year’s The Conjuring, was the studio’s highest grossing movie this season. With a domestic total of $84 million but was widely popular overseas with an international total of over $186 million, it took the number one place in the international box office its opening weekend. The production budget was only $6.5 million so Annabelle was a huge success for Warner Brothers. Annabelle was released on October 3rd, opening at the number two spot in the box office, just barely beaten out by $400,000 by the highly anticipated Gone Girl. [10]

Horrible Bosses 2 [k]

Horrible Bosses 2 is the studio’s next movie to hit theaters, opening on November 26th, 2014. The first Horrible Bosses movie, released in July of 2011 made $60 million during its opening weekend. The budget was $35 million, meaning the movie made back almost twice its budget in the first weekend. This sequel is definitely one that didn’t do as well as the first movie. This past weekend was opening weekend for Horrible Bosses 2 and opening at the number 5 spot, they made a mere $15 million domestically. Having opened on a Wednesday, they did generate some more money before the “weekend” bringing the domestic total to $23 million. But this opening weekend was a tough one in terms of competition. Horrible Bosses was competing with the second weekend of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 which brought in the majority of audiences for this Thanksgiving weekend. Warner Brothers expected Horrible Bosses 2 to make around $35 million opening weekend, but the production budget was relatively low, at $42 million. Warner Brothers executives are hopeful that Horrible Bosses 2 will perform better next weekend as the excitement of The Hunger Games slows down as it enters its third week. [11] [12] [13]

Excitement continues to grow for fans of The Hobbit series as the trilogy comes to an end this year with The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. It will be released on December 17th, 2014 by Warner Brothers. The most talked about aspect of the movie so far is the 45 minute battle scene which ends the movie, the biggest fight scene director Peter Jackson has ever done. [5] [14]

Warner Brothers will be releasing two more movies before the end of the year. Inherent Vice on December 12th, featuring Owen Wilson and Reese Witherspoon, and American Sniper on December 25th, with Bradley Cooper, directed by Clint Eastwood. Inherent Vice has already won the Robert Altman award, which is given to “one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast.” [5] [15]

Sources:

1. Warner Bros. Company Overview – warnerbros.com RT: 11/15/2014

2. Warner Bros. Company History – warnerbros.com RT: 11/16/2014

3. Time Warner Q3 Earnings Results – money.cnn.com RT: 11/17/2014

4. Time Warner Annual Reports – TimeWarner.com RT: 11/15/2014

5. Warner Bros. Future Releases – boxofficemojo.com RT: 11/21/2014

6. The Lego Movie – boxofficemojo.com RT: 11/18/2014

7. Warner Bros. Oscar Results – hollywoodreporter.com RT: 11/17/2014

8. Warner Bros. Layoffs – nytimes.com RT: 11/19/2014

9. The Judge Box Office Mojo – boxofficemojo.com RT: 11/16/2014

10. Annabelle Box Office Mojo – boxofficemojo.com RT: 11/17/2014

11. Horrible Bosses Opening Weekend – boxofficemojo.com RT: 11/20/2014

12. Horrible Bosses 2 Opening Weekend – boxofficemojo.com RT: 11/30/2014

13. Variety Horrible Bosses 2 Article – variety.com RT: 11/30/2014

14. FansShare The Hobbit Article – fansshare.com RT: 11/21/2014

15. NoneSuch Inherent Vice Article – nonesuch.com RT: 12/1/2014

Multimedia Sources

a. http://corporate.kabam.com/company/ RT: 11/14/2014

b. Warner Bros. Company Executives – Kevin Tsujihara RT: 11/15/2014

c. Warner Bros. Company Executives – Richard J. Fox RT: 11/15/2014

d. Warner Bros. Company Executives -Thomas Gewecke RT: 11/15/2014

e. Warner Bros. Company Executives – Dee Dee Myers RT: 11/15/2014

f. PBS Gallery RT: 11/16/2014

g. Box Office Mojo RT: 12/1/2014

h. IMDB Gravity RT: 11/20/2014

i. IMDB The Judge RT: 11/21/2014

j. IMDB Annabelle RT: 12/1/2014

k. Collider.com RT: 11/17/2014

l. Youtube.com RT: 12/1/2014

Warner Bros. Pictures

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Dahlia Neeman

By Dahlia Neeman

The Warner Brothers logo. Image courtesy of Warner Brothers

About The Company

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

Contact

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

Key Executives:

Courtesy of warnerbros.com

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

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

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

Recent News

Courtesy of sciencefiction.com

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

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

Courtesy of imdb.com

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

Courtesy of The Telegraph

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

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

Courtesy of imdb.com

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

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

Financials

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

Coming Soon…

Courtesy of imdb.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warner Bros. Pictures

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Jacob Fleischman

by Jacob Everest Fleischman

Warner Bros. Pictures

Courtesy of thefilmstage.com

Warner Bros Pictures has produced and distributed thousands of titles since 1923 when it was founded by Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack Warner. WB is responsible for many iconic moments and accomplishments in the entertainment industry. To start, they are responsible for the first film with sound, The Jazz Singer. Following this Warner Bros had decades of success, even producing up to 40 movies a year during the 1940s. Jumping forward to the 1990s, Time Inc. and Warner Bros intertwined and became Time Warner, one of the powerhouses of todays entertainment industry. Warner Bros Pictures, as a subsidiary of Time Warner, produces between 18 and 22 movies a year and currently grosses over $4 billion a year. That brings us to our current place in time, post “The Dark Knight” and “Harry Potter” era, when Warner Bros Pictures was in charge of two of the most successful movie series of all time. [1] [2]

Conglomerate: Time Warner Inc.

Courtesy of financial-report.info

Parent Company: Warner Bros. Entertainment

CEO: Kevin Tsujihara

Chairman of the Board: Barry Meyer

Warner Bros Pictures Officers

President: Jeff Robinov

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

Mr. Robinov is in charge of it all. He oversees actual filming and production, distribution and the post-production. All of the other presidents report to him and he has the final say before it is passed to the Warner Bros Entertainment CEO Kevin Tsujihara and Chairman of the Board Barry Meyer. [3]

President, Domestic Distribution- Dan Fellman

Courtesy of http://ia.media-imdb.com/

Mr. Fellman has been in his position at Warner Bros Pictures since 1999 and worked there for 21 years before that. Fellman is widely known for his success with movies such as The Dark Knight, Superman Returns, The Hangover and The Blind Side. Among these, he has produced 57 movies that have grossed over $100 million. [4]

President, Worldwide Marketing- Sue Kroll

Courtesy of Variety.com

Ms. Kroll has been in her position since 2008. She oversees all marketing worldwide, both creative and business aspects of the job. She is in-charge of advertising, research, finding target audiences and bringing attention to the film. She most famously ran the marketing division for The Dark Knight which grossed over $1 billion worldwide. [5]

Most Recent Time Warner Inc. Quarterly Report

In Time Warner’s final quarterly report of 2012, it explains Warner Bros Pictures grossed $4.3 billion worldwide; this was predominantly led by The Dark Knight Rises and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Warner Bros Pictures also received two Golden Globes this year, which included Best Motion Picture- Drama for Argo. Along with the Golden Globe achievements, Warner Bros. Picture’s movies were nominated for 10 Academy Awards this year. [6]

Courtesy of imdb.com

“Right Here, Right Now” Semester News From the Studio

New Commander-in-Chief

Courtesy of www.trbimg.com/

The biggest thing to happen during this Spring to affect Warner Bros. Pictures actually was not a change made in the company. Warner Bros Entertainment, WB Pictures parent company, appointed a new CEO. Kevin Tsujihara announced he would be taking control of the mega-entertainment company as of March on January 28^th, 2013. [7]

The Hobbit is not really that short!

Courtesy of www.dezineguide.com

It is announced that the first Hobbit movie hit its $1 billion mark and the rest of the trilogy has already been planned out. The final Hobbit Movie will be released in December of 2014, after the second installment of the series is released in December of 2013. Tacking on to the end of the Lord of the Rings series this spin-off proved to be just what the world wanted to see grossing $301.4 domestically and over $700 million internationally to date. [8]

The man with the Billion Dollar Brain is Preparing for his Next Epic

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

On March 8^th, Warner Bros Pictures and Paramount announced that together they would co-produce and distribute, Academy Award nominee and billion-dollar movie maker Christopher Nolan’s next film. The Film, titled “Interstellar”, is sci-fi and will entail Nolan’s customary heroic story line. The fact that these two powerhouse studios are teaming up to produce and distribute this film together is extremely rare because the two do not normally work together on major releases. [9]

“RUN ITS GODZILLA”

Courtesy of www.badassoftheweek.com

While not much has been released yet, it is now public knowledge that a new Godzilla is in the works and will be released and distributed in 3D by Warner Bros. on May 16^th, 2014. The film has Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen and Juliette Binoche starring in the film. [10]

Recent Marketing

Courtesy of themovieblog.com/

Warner Bros Pictures is currently ramping up for a very busy spring and early summer with summer blockbusters that many people are looking forward to and could possibly define a top box office summer. Starting in early April we see the true life story of Jackie Robinson in 42 and following this we see our first summer blockbuster the re-make of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless classic The Great Gatsby. Then directly following this, just two weeks later we see the next installment of our favorite party-crazed drunks in The Hangover 3. Finally, most likely the most anticipated superhero movie of the summer, Man of Steel, the next Superman movie is released in June.

See the Man of Steel trailer here

Most Recently Warner Bros Pictures shined as a main attraction at WonderCon

With the upcoming release of Pacific Rim, Warner Bros decided to use this time with a huge collection of its target audience (at WonderCon) to debut a clip from the scene and hear from director, Guillermo del Toro. The scene creates enough suspense and confusion to make every nerd and non-nerd alike in the room anxious to run to the theaters on its opening weekend (July 12, 2013) to see the film. [11]

This has been a very busy late-winter and spring for Warner Bros Pictures with a number of huge films debuting at the beginning of this summer and a lot of films released during this time period. With all this in mind, it makes sense that there are so many presidents under Jeff Robinov to break up all of the executive work that keeps this studio at the top of its game.

Sources:

[1] Warner Bros. History http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/about/company-history.html

[2] Warner Bros. Overview http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/about/company-overview.html

[3] Jeff Robinov Bio http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/executives/operation-officers/jeff-robinov.html

[4] Dan Fellman Bio http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/executives/divisional-executives/dan-fellman.html

[5] Sue Kroll Bio http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/executives/divisional-executives/sue-kroll.html

[6] Time Warner Quarterly Report http://ir.timewarner.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=70972&p=quarterlyearnings

[7] Kevin Tsujihara Bio http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/executives/kevin-tsujihara.html

[8] The Hobbit Press Release http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/corpcomm/portal/press_release.jsp?id=WBPTheHobbitAnUnexpectedJourney1BillionDollarRev_03.03.13

[9] Christopher Nolan New Movie http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/corpcomm/portal/press_release.jsp?id=WBPInterstellarNov7ReleaseDate_03.08.13

[10] Godzilla Press Release http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/corpcomm/portal/press_release.jsp?id=WBPLegendaryPicturesGodzillaStartofProduction_03.18.13

[11] Pacific Rim Publicity http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/wondercon-pacific-rim-mortal-instruments-431926