Independent Spirit Awards | Principles & Practices

by Lisa Kitay

History and Overview

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

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

Fall of 2012 Happenings

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

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

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

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

[16]

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

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

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

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

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

Money, Money, Money

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

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

Rank

Movie Title (click to view)

Studio

Total Gross / Theaters

Opening / Theaters

Open

Seven Psychopaths

CBS

$14,787,728

1,480

$4,174,915

1,480

10/12

–

Chart Courtesy of boxofficemojo.com [32]

Important People

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

Coming up in 2013

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

Sources:

[1] Logo Courtesy of http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/markets/2012/rich-companies-low-taxes/

[2] http://www.cbsfilms.com/

[3] http://www.cbscorporation.com/

[4] Logo Courtesy of http://aroundthenetworks.com/the-woman-black-featurette/cbs-films-logo-wide-4/

[5] http://www.cbsfilms.com/

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

[7]http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3546&p=s.htm

[8]http://www.cbsfilms.com/news/seven_psychopaths_nominated_for_two_independent_spirit_awards

[9] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1732981/

[10] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005377/

[11] Image Courtesy of http://www.ineedmyfix.com/2012/11/28/sam-rockwell-has-kidnapped-another-dog/seven-psychopaths-premiere-2-271112-4/