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Warner Bros. Pictures

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By Ken Kawada

Courtesy of Deadline

Brief Overview

The Warner Brothers Pictures was founded on April 4, 1923, and it is one of the major studios in Hollywood. The studio handles production and distribution of films, and finances or co-finances their films. They collaborate with other studios such as Village Roadshow Pictures, Castle Rock Entertainment and RatPac-Dune Entertainment. The studio is known for producing  award winning films such as The Dark Knight, Inception and Argo. [1]

Key Executives

Greg Silverman

Courtesy of Deadline

Silverman is the President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production for Warner Brothers Pictures. Appointed in June 2013, he oversees the studio’s development activities, global production and budget. He also works with the studio’s senior management to seek opportunities for the company. [2]

Steven S. Spira

Courtesy of Variety

Spira is the President, Worldwide Business Affairs for Warner Brothers Pictures. Promoted on January 2004, he is responsible for overseeing the business aspects of the studio’s operations that include development, production and distribution of films. [3]

Sue Kroll

Courtesy of Film Independent

Kroll is the President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution for Warner Brothers Pictures. She oversees the strategic creation and marketing campaigns for the studio’s international releases. [4]

Recent Releases

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Courtesy of Movie Wallpapers

 

Continuing the success of Peter Jackson’s epic fantasy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Warner Brothers Pictures released its latest sequel on December 2, 2013, just in time for the award season. The film follows the titular character, Bilbo Baggins as he continues his journey with the dwarves to reclaim their homeland from the dragon Smaug. Based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel of the same name, this anticipated sequel is the second film in the The Hobbit franchise. [5]

The film’s release was the fourth best opening weekend for the month of December, slightly behind the first Hobbit film. On Metacritic, the film received an average review score of 66 out of 100, which indicates generally favorable reviews from critics. Many critics have highlighted the overall improvement from the first film in the series, but still criticized the length. [7]

It has grossed over $950 million at the worldwide box office to this date, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2013. The Desolation of Smaug received 3 nominations at this year’s Academy Awards, including best visual effects.  [6]

The LEGO Movie

Courtesy of Forbes

 

This 3D animated film is this year’s unexpected hit. Starring the voices of Christ Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman and Will Arnett, the film tells the story of an ordinary LEGO construction worker, mini-figure who joins a quest to stop an evil tyrant from destroying their world. [8]

The film’s mass appeal to both children and adults contributed to the film’s success at the box office. The studio has already announced a sequel for the film, potentially starting a new franchise for Warner Bros. As of now, the sequel is set to be released in 2017. Jared Stern and Michelle Morgan were hired to pen the script for the sequel, but it is still unknown whether writer/director of the first film, Phil Lord and Chris Miller will return. The plot is also still yet to be determined. [9]

The film received an average review score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating an universal acclaim from critics. The film’s release was the second best opening weekend for the month of February, behind Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Grossing over $400 million to this date on a $60 million budget, the film is projected to continue its success in Blu-Ray and DVD sales. [10] [11]

300: Rise of an Empire

Courtesy of Nerdlocker

 

7 years after the release of their blockbuster film, 300, the studio finally released the long anticipated sequel on March 7 of this year. The film was initially scheduled to be released last August, but due to unknown circumstances, the film was pushed back to March of this year. Based on Frank Miller’s yet to be published graphic novel Xerxes, the film tells a story of Greek general Themistokles, and his charge against the Persian forces led by Xerxes and Artemisia. Zack Synder, who directed the first film in the series, served as the writer and producer for this film. [12]

As of April, the film has grossed over $300 million on a $110 million budget. 67.9% of the total gross comes from the international market. Compared to its predecessors, the film is not as successful, but still on a good track thanks to the international market. On the critic side, the film had a similar average review score with its predecessor, scoring 48 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating mixed or average reviews. Fans of the first film have criticized the storyline, but praised the visual style. [13] [14]

86th Academy Awards

Courtesy of International Business Times

In addition to the financial success for Warner Brothers Pictures, the studio also collected 21 nominations at the 86th Academy Awards, personal best for Warner Brothers. Gravity, which was released last October, tied with American Hustle for most nominations. By the end of the night, Gravity won seven awards, including Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron, who was the first Hispanic director to ever win in the category. Spike Jonze’ Her also received 5 nominations, including Best Picture. The film eventually won Best Writing for an original screenplay. The studio won a total of 10 Oscars by the end of the night. [15]

Financial

In 2013, Warners Brothers Pictures had the most successful theatrical year in company history, taking the number one spot in domestic, international and worldwide box office. The studio cumulated $1.893 billion in domestic box office, and $3.145 in international box office, surpassing the $5 billion mark, which is the first for the studio and only the second time that the feat has been achieved by any studio in Hollywood. Bolstered by the successes of films like The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Gravity, and Man of Steel, Warners Brothers was able to beat other major competitors like Disney. [1] [16] [17]

Coming Soon…

Warner Brothers Pictures will be releasing Transcendence, starring Johnny Depp, and directed by cinematographer, Wally Pfister, making his directional debut. Pfister is a usual collaborator of Christopher Nolan, known for The Dark Knight and Inception. As of now, the critical reception has mostly been negative, which can greatly impact the box office result. Hoping to continue their success from last year, they will be releasing more blockbusters as we approach the summer season. Godzilla, Edge of Tomorrow and Jupiter Ascending are other films that are slated to be released later this year. [18]

 

Sources

[1] Warner Bros. Pictures

[2] Greg Silverman

 [3] Steven S. Spira

[4] Sue Kroll

[5] The Hobbit IMDB

[6] The Hobbit Box Office Mojo

[7] The Hobbit Metacritic

[8] The LEGO Movie IMDB

[9] Cinema Blend, The LEGO Movie Sequel 

[10] The LEGO Movie Metacritic

[11] The LEGO Movie Box Office Mojo

[12] 300: Rise of an Empire on IMDB

[13] 300: Rise of an Empire Box Office Mojo

[14] 300: Rise of an Empire Metacritic 

[15] The Hollywood Reporter Oscar Coverage

[16] Warner Bros. Leads Global Market Share

[17] Comingsoon.net Warner Bros. Pictures  2013 Box Office

[18] Deadline Hollywood coverage on WonderCon

Warner Bros. Pictures

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By Dahlia Neeman

 

The Warner Brothers logo. Image courtesy of Warner Brothers

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 4th, 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

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By Jacob Tobias
Courtesy of Warner Brothers

Warner Brothers Pictures Logo [1]

History

Warner Brothers Pictures was founded on April 4, 1923. Since then Warner Brothers has been at the forefront of the movie industry. Founded by the 4 Warner brothers, Albert, Sam, Harry, and Jack, Warner Brothers quickly became a leader in motion pictures. Warner Brothers Pictures is responsible for Oscar winners such as, Casablanca, My Fair Lady, Driving Miss Daisy, and Million Dollar Baby. Warner Brothers Pictures is consistently a leader in the film industry. [2] 

Key Executives

Kevin Tsujihara Courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter

Kevin Tsujihara
Courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter [3]

Barry M. Meyer Courtesy of thezog

Barry M. Meyer
Courtesy of thezog [4]

Greg Silverman Courtesy of Deadline

Greg Silverman
Courtesy of Deadline [5]

Kevin Tsujihara is the CEO of Warner Brothers. Barry M. Meyer is the chairman of Warner Brothers, and under his leadership consistently ranks as one of the strongest and most profitable studios in the film industry. Greg Silverman is the President of Creative Development and Worldwide Production for Warner Brothers Pictures. Silverman oversees the creative development and the budget for Warner Brothers Pictures.[6] [7] [8]

Financials

In 2012 Warner Brothers Pictures grossed $1.66 billion domestically, and another $2.67 billion internationally. It was the twelfth consecutive year in which the domestic box office, as well as the international box office has exceeded the billion dollar mark. In 2013 Warner Brothers is expected to cross the billion dollar mark again thanks to blockbusters such as Gravity, which has exceeded $500 million worldwide, Man of Steel, which has totaled about $663 million worldwide, We’re The Millers, which has totaled $266 million worldwide, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which is projected to earn approximately $230 million domestically. This continued success should have Warner Brothers Pictures above the $4 billion dollar mark worldwide by the end of the year. [9] [10]

Recent Releases

Gravity

Gravity Poster Courtesy of comingsoon.net

Gravity Poster
Courtesy of comingsoon.net [14]

Gravity is a space thriller directed by Alfonso Cuarón, and starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. The film follows the struggle of a medical engineer and an astronaut after they are stranded in space after an accident. [11]

Gravity opened in 3,575 theaters on October 4, 2013 to a number one ranking at the box office. It raked in $55, 785,112 during the opening weekend. It has gone on to make $240, 379, 710 domestically and another $275,200,000 in the foreign box office. That totals a gross of $515, 579,710 worldwide approximately five times its projected budget. [12]

Gravity has received universal acclaim and received a score of 96 out of 100 on Metacritic. Along with the incredible success in the box office there is also a lot of Oscars buzz surrounding the film. Critics believe that Gravity will receive a nomination for best picture, and may receive several other nominations as well, including a nomination for Best Actress for Sandra Bullock. [11] [13]

We’re The Millers

We're the Millers Courtesy of impawards.com

We’re The Millers
Courtesy of impawards.com [15]

We’re The Millers is the story of a drug dealer who creates a pseudo family in order to smuggle drugs across the Mexican border. Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, the film stars Jason Sudeikis, and Jennifer Aniston. [16]

We’re The Millers opened on August 7, 2013 and grossed $26, 419,396 the opening weekend. The film is still in select theaters around the country and currently the film has grossed $150, 024,262 domestically and another $116,300,000 in the foreign box office. [17]

Overall the film was not warmly received by critics. We’re The Millers received a Metacritic score of 44 out of 100. Although critic reviews were mostly mixed the imdb rating for the film is 7.1 stars out of 10. Clearly the target demographic of the film received the film much better than critics. Considering the mixed reviews the film still did extremely well for the studio, grossing over $250 million worldwide.

Upcoming Projects

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug poster Courtesy of collier.com

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug poster
Courtesy of collider.com [18]

On December 13, 2013, Warner Brothers will release the second installment of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy. The film is projected to make about $230 million domestically, not quite as high as the first film, but still a good number for the studio. In 2014, Warner Brothers will release the third film of the trilogy, The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Although the reception for the first film was not overwhelming the studio is hoping that the return of familiar faces from The Lord of the Rings will aide in The Hobbits release. [10]

Although the first film made over $300 million, Warner Brothers has been working hard to market Gandalf, and Legolas, as well as the dragon Smaug, in an attempt to avoiding losing out on Lord of the Rings fans who did not enjoy the first film. The studio is hoping that the return of such characters will provide a breath of fresh air for the trilogy and will bring in more than the projected sum of $230 million. [10]

Superman vs Batman

Warner Brothers owns DC Comics so there has been a ton of success with both the Batman

Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck Courtesy of Vulture

Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck
Courtesy of Vulture [19]

and Superman franchises. The Dark Knight trilogy was wildly successful for the studio, and in 2013 Man of Steel was released. In the second installment of the Superman franchise Warner Brothers has brought together the man of steel and the caped crusader.

Ben Affleck has been cast as the newest Batman to star alongside Henry Cavill. The casting has come with major scrutiny. Director Zack Synder has given his full support to Affleck and is excited for the opportunity to work with him. The film is set to debut in the summer of 2015, and aims to piggyback off the success of the several DC Comics franchises. [20]

Grudge Match

Grudge Match Poster Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly

Grudge Match Poster
Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly [21]

Grudge Match, is the story of two aging boxing rivals who fight 30 years after their last bout. It is the first time that Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone share the big screen. Grudge Match has an excellent cast and there is talk that it may be this years Silver Linings Playbook.

Grudge Match exemplifies Warner Brothers ability to produce movies with star power and the studio is hoping that Grudge Match could be the feelgood movie of the holiday season. It is to be released on Christmas Day. [22] [23]

 

 

 

Sources

[1] Warner Brothers Pictures Logo

[2] Warner Brothers Company History

[3] Kevin Tsujihara Picture – Hollywood Reporter

[4] Barry M. Meyer Picture- Who Controls Hollywood

[5] Greg Silverman Picture- Deadline

[6] Kevin Tsujihara Bio- Warner Brothers

[7] Barry M. Meyer Bio- Warner Brothers

[8] Greg Silverman Bio- Warner Brothers

[9] About Warner Brothers Pictures

[10] Box Office Mojo- Holiday Predictions

[11] Gravity- Imdb

[12] Box Office Mojo- Gravity

[13] Entertainment Weekly- Sandra Bullock Oscar Buzz

[14] Gravity Poster- comingsoon.net

[15] We’re The Millers Poster- impawards.com

[16] We’re The Millers- Imdb

[17] Box Office Mojo- We’re The Millers

[18] The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Poster- collider.com

[19] Vulture- Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck

[20] Batman vs Superman- Imdb

[21] Grudge Match Poster- Entertainment Weekly

[22] Fox News- De Niro and Stallone Face Off

[23] Grudge Match- Imdb

Warner Bros. Pictures

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

Warner Bros. logo courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

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

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

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

Key People: 

Barry Meyer: Chairman and CEO

Jeff Robinov: President and COO

Edward A. Romano: Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Brief History/Overview

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

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

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

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

For a list of Warner Bros. Films click here

Recent News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Financials 

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

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


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

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

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

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

 

References

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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