Lionsgate Entertainment

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Taylor Kowalski

Taylor Kowalski

Courtesy of Lionsgate Entertainment [1]

Company Contact Information

Los Angeles Address:

Lionsgate Corporate

2700 Colorado Ave.

Santa Monica, CA 90404

(310)-449-9200

[1]

Executives

Jon Feltheimer, CEO since March 2000.

Michael Burns, Vice Chairman since March 2000.

Steve Beeks, President since February 2004

Joe Drake, Preisdent of the Motion Picture Group since August 2007

Jim Keegan, Chief Financial Officer since April 2002

[1]

Company Overview

Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation is a leading multimedia entertainment company that maintains a presence in film and television production and distribution, home and family entertainment, digital distribution, as well as international distribution and new channel platforms. Committed to low overhead, entrepreneurial business models, cost discipline, and niche focus, Lionsgate has recently seen the success of their 12-year growth strategy, which led to Lionsgate becoming a major name in the world marketplace. [6]

Lionsgate Film’s list of successful films includes The Hunger Games, The Saw Saga, and a long list of Tyler Perry’s films. In addition, Lionsgate Television’s current programming includes successes such as FX’s Anger Management, AMC’s Mad Men, ABC’s Nashville, and Showtime’s Nurse Jackie.

Other Lionsgate holdings and subsidiaries include Lionsgate Music and Publishing, Tigergate, Mandate Pictures, Maple Pictures, Kix, Epix, Thrill, TVGuide.com, FEARnet.com, Debmar-Mercury, Elevation Sales, and Break.com.

Brief History

Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation was founded by Frank Giustra in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia. A majority of the funding for its founding was put forth by Yorktown Securities, a bank with stake in Frank Giustra’s mining assets. [2]

To further itself in the industry, Lionsgate acquired other small production houses, purchasing Cinepix Film Properties, which was then dubbed Lionsgate Films, as well as North Shore Studios, then renamed to be Lionsgate Studios. After more purchases, the Lionsgate Media subsidiary was founded to produce content for television. [2]

After Feltheimer became CEO, Lionsgate Entertainment acquired Trimark Pictures for approximately $50 million in June of 2000. Lionsgate also purchased Artisan Entertainment in 2003. They went on to purchase Rebus Film Distribution of the United Kingdom in October 2005, which became Lionsgate UK on February 23^rd, 2006. Also in 2006, Lionsgate sold Lionsgate Studios to Bosa Development Corporation. In June of 2007, Lionsgate Music and Publishing was founded. [2]

In 2009, Lionsgate acquired the TV Guide Network. [3]

In January of 2012, Lionsgate acquired Summit Entertainment, the producers of The Twilight Saga, which helped Lionsgate cross the $1 billion dollar threshold for the first time. This success is also attributed to the release of The Hunger Games. [1]

Courtesy of The Hunger Games [16]

Competitors

DreamWorks Studios

Imagine Entertainment

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Incorporated

[18]

Finances

As the fiscal year ended March 31^st, 2013, the annual financial reports for Lionsgate have not been released yet.

Their first-quarter financial report for 2013 reported revenue of $471.8 million, with a price of $.33 per share with the first quarter of fiscal 2013 ending June 30, 2012. [4]

The second-quarter earnings release reports revenue of $707.0 million with a price of $.56 per share with the second quarter of fiscal 2013 ending September 30, 2012. [4]

The third-quarter earnings release reports revenue of $743.6 million with a price of $.28 per share with the third quarter of fiscal 2013 ending December 31, 2012. [4]

View Available Financial Reports

Courtesy of Yahoo Finance [5]

At the closing of April 5^th, Lionsgate’s stock had gone up .74 of a point, a 3.29% increase.

With blockbuster films such as The Hunger Games: Catching Fire being released in 2013, Lionsgate is likely to have a comparable year to that of 2012, during which the release of franchised movies, including The Twilight Saga and The Hunger Games, led to more than $2.5 billion being made at the worldwide box office in 2012. [6]

Recent News

Courtesy of IMDB [14]

January 22, 2013– Lionsgate’s comic-based film DREDD achieved a DVD and Blu-Ray release that made it the best-selling new release title of the year. DREDD also became the top film download of the week, beating out all other films in digital sales as well. This feat adds to Lionsgate’s list of films that have made up for a lacking box office performance through DVD and Blu-Ray sales, helping Lionsgate be the industry leader in DVD-to-box office conversion. [7]

Official DREDD Trailer

February 12 and 13, 2013– Media Investor Gordon Crawford joined Lionsgate’s board of directors, increasing the size of the board to 13 members. In addition, Wayne Levin signed a long-term agreement to act as Lionsgate’s General Counsel and Chief Strategic Officer. [8] [9]

March 5, 2013– Andrew Kramer was named Chief Operating Officer of International Distribution. [10]

BD-2-wallpapers-breaking-dawn-part-2-32962100-1680-1050

Courtesy of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 [15]

March 5, 2013– Lionsgate reported that Summit Entertainment’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 sold 3.85 million DVD’s and Blu-Rays in its first weekend of release. This news is more significant due to the fact that 27% of the sales were Blu-Ray copies, up from the 22% seen for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, which further indicates the growing acceptance of the Blu-Ray format. Similarly, 20% more transactions were electronic, such as Video On Demand, for this film. [11]

Official Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Trailer

March 21^,2013– Lionsgate and the new digital entertainment service M-GO announced that they are partnering to bring Lionsgate’s library of films and television programs, such as The Hunger Games, Twilight, Madea, and Mad Men, to the digital service for customers to purchase or rent. [12]

Courtesy of TV Guide [15]

March 26, 2013– CBS Corporation and Lionsgate officially partner in a 50/50 ownership of the TV Guide Network as well as TVGuide.com, a cable channel that reaches 80 million households. [3]

Future

Though Lionsgate may not have as profitable of a fiscal year in 2013 and 2014 due to The Twilight Saga wrapping up and no longer overlapping The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire as well as the rest of the trilogy are sure to be box office successes for Lionsgate.

Other upcoming films for Lionsgate include The Big Wedding, We the Peeples, You’re Next, I, Frankenstein, and Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas. Lionsgate is also planning to add to the Texas Chainsaw 3D franchise. [13]

Official We The Peeples Trailer

Official You’re Next Trailer

Official Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas Trailer

In addition, Summit Entertainment’s upcoming 2013 slate includes Now You See Me, Red 2, The Tomb, and Ender’s Game.

Sources

1. Lionsgate Official Website http://www.lionsgate.com

2. Lionsgate History http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/lions-gate-entertainment-corporation-history/

3. Lionsgate and CBS for TV Guide Network http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lionsgate-eyes-sale-tv-guide-282649

4. Lionsgate Quarterly Earnings http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=quarterlyEarnings

5. Yahoo Finance Report http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=LGF

6. Lionsgate Company Overview http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-homeprofile

7. DREDD Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1776610&highlight=

8. Gordon Crawford Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1784145&highlight=

9. Wayne Levin Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1784588&highlight=

10. Andrew Kramer Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1792410&highlight=

11. Twilight Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1792214&highlight=

12. M-GO Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1798829&highlight=

13. Lionsgate Films http://www.lionsgate.com/?section=film

14. DREDD on IMDb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343727/

15. Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Photo Page http://www.breakingdawn-themovie.com

16. The Hunger Games Official Website http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index.html

17. TV Guide Network http://www.tvguide.com

18. Yahoo Finance, Lionsgate Competitors http://finance.yahoo.com/q/co?s=LGF+Competitors

Spyglass Entertainment

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Mack Bleach

by Mack Bleach

Logo

245 N. Beverly Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.443.5800 (Tel)
310.443.5912 (Fax)
http://www.spyglassentertainment.com/

ORIGINS [1][2]
Co-founded by veteran producers and executives Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum in 1998, Spyglass Entertainment Group, LLC, is a small, private American production company that was forged from the joint investments from The Walt Disney Company—a later distributor for them—and several European investors, including Scandinavia’s Svensk Films, Portugal’s Lusomundo, Germany’s Kirch Group, and Italy’s Mediaset. Its current lone European distributor is StudioCanal UK. The Cerberus Capital Group, a private equity firm, acts as its parent holding company.

Birnbaum and Barber

KEY PEOPLE [3]
Gary Barber – Co-founder, Co-chairman, Co-CEO
Roger Birnbaum – Co-founder, Co-chairman, Co-CEO
Jonathan Glickman – President
Jose Gutierrez – CFO, Executive VP
Peter Oillataguerre – Executive VP of Production
Rebekah Rudd – Executive VP of Post-Production

ROLE
As a younger, smaller production house, Spyglass is owned and maintained by other companies and has either co-financed, co-distributed, and most importantly, co-produced, its films alongside other production groups; never has it produced a film on its own. However, Spyglass is known to finance and produce television and films for international distribution purposes, partnering with Canal Plus for television distribution in France, Sweden and Poland, Sogecable S.A. for Spanish television, Pony Canyon Inc. for distribution in Japan, and Forum Film Ltd. for Israeli cinema [2].

CINEMA SUCCESS [4]
Since its inception in 1998, the company has released films with every one of the “Big Six” film studios, garnering over $5 billion in global sales. Spyglass has co-produced a variety of different types of films for over a decade, including, most notably, the $661-million-dollar worldwide launch of The Sixth Sense (1999), followed by Bruce Almighty (2003), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) Star Trek (2009), and Get Him to the Greek (2010). Prior to Spyglass and MGM’s merger in 2010, The Sixth Sense, Bruce Almighty, and Seabiscuit (2003), dominated domestic box offices, helping to bring US totals to nearly $2 billion in revenue before the end of the decade. Spyglass films have collected over 34 Oscar nominations and 3 wins.

Theatrical poster

The Sixth Sense (1999)
Produced for Disney’s Hollywood Pictures affiliate, the M. Night Shyamalan-directed thriller pic starring Bruce Willis earned six Oscar nominations and grossed over $500 million worldwide, ranking it as the ninth highest grossing film in history at the time. Its commercial success confirmed investors’ faith in Barber and Birnbaum and was the company’s first breakthrough [2].

Theatrical poster

Bruce Almighty (2003)
Its most important film of the 2003-2004 releases, the Jim Carrey comedy pulled in nearly $500 million worldwide and its particular international draw heavily bolstered Spyglass’ financial standing through the international rights it acquired with co-financing partners overseas [2].

Theatrical poster

Seabiscuit (2003)
Coming after a split with Disney and a proud new partnership with co-financier DreamWorks, the film adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand’s novel about the famous racehorse, starring Tobey Maguire, proved to be a commercial and critical success that earned seven Oscar nominations. Spyglass put up half the budget with Universal Pictures, agreeing to rights for all international markets while Universal handled domestic markets [2].

Theatrical poster

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
Based on the best-selling novel by Arthur Golden, the Rob Marshall-directed, Steven Spielberg-produced and Spyglass-produced drama starring Ken Watanabe and Michelle Yeoh garnered three Oscars out of its six nominations, including Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design in 2006 [5].

By the end of the decade, with analogous companies like Bel-Air, Mutual Film, Alcon, Mandalay, and New Regency facing financial ruin and scaling back activity, Spyglass’ success in the movie business was considered a fluke in the system. Because Spyglass Entertainment Television division’s debut endeavor, Miracles, failed in 2004, followed by the television failures of The Ranch and Out of the Shadows, Spyglass devoted itself to a strictly film content producer, and throughout the 2007-2008 year was especially prolific, producing fifteen films, from The Lookout (2007) to Four Christmases (2008). Today, Spyglass’ competition consists of Beacon Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, and IFC. [2][6]

MERGER [7][8]
Around Christmas 2010, the ailing Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (MGM) was ready to declare bankruptcy when Spyglass, one of the studio’s creditors, wrote off nearly $5 billion in debts, accumulated interest and fees in a trade for ownership of MGM, although both Spyglass and MGM would be considered separate entities. Barber and Birnbaum became co-charman and co-CEOs of the studio, despite Spyglass’ stake being reduced from 5% to 1% in a move by business magnate Carl Icahn, who, as a 14% owner, agreed after the plan was re-packaged to exclude titles from the Spyglass archives.

Get Him to the Greek (2010) Trailer [9]
One of Spyglass’ first co-produced films following the merger, and a highly successful comedy.

ACTIVITY [10]
Since the merger, Spyglass has scaled back its operation, and only produces several films a year [2], if that, which includes Dinner for Schmucks (2010), The Tourist (2010), No Strings Attached (2011), and, most recently, The Vow (2012).

Spyglass is currently attached to the action-adventure film adaptation of Radical Comics’ Hercules: The Thracian Wars (2014), which starts pre-production in May, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Ian McShane.
Barber, Birnbaum, and Glickman (as Spyglass Entertainment) are signed on as producers for Ironbow: The Legend of William Tell, a version of the Swiss folk hero’s legendary creation of the Swiss Confederation, written by Jay Wolpert and directed by Justin Chadwick.
The trio are also producers, along with Robert De Niro, on The Undomestic Goddess, a film in development based on Sophie Kinsella’s novel of the same name.
Spyglass’ producers have teamed up with writer/director Brian Koppelman and several other producers in the development of The Game, a film adapation of Neil Strauss’ memoir as a pickup artist, starring Josh Gad.
In another adaptation, Spyglass has signed on as co-producer of the 1979 remake of the sci-fi/horror film, The Brood, written by Cory Goodman and directed by Breck Eisner.
Spyglass is behind Spanky Johnson: Monster Hunter (2014), a comedy about a boy who is forced to assume his father’s monster hunting business, starring Dan Fogler, who also appeared in Spyglass’ 2007 comedy success, Balls of Fury.

References

[1] www.spyglassentertainment.com

[2] http://www.answers.com/topic/spyglass-entertainment

[3] http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1505245

[4] http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/series/SpyglassEntertainment.php

[5] http://motioncolor.blogspot.com/2011/08/memoirs-of-geisha.html

[6] http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spyglass-entertainment-forms-television-division-megan-wolpert-to-head-spyglass-entertainment-television-as-senior-vice-president-76555697.html

[7] http://www.globaltimes.cn/business/world/2010-12/603275.html

[8] http://variety.com/2010/film/news/mgm-restructuring-becomes-official-1118029320/

[9] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6ixkr0-qvo

[10] http://pro.imdb.com/company/co0031181/

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Posted on December 2, 2012 by jwu17

By Jimena Wu

Official 20th Century Fox 2012 Logo – Courtesy of Google Images

Company Information [2]

10201 W. Pico Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA, 90064 United States

(310) 369-1000

http://www.foxmovies.com

Brief Overview

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation is a subsidiary of Fox Inc., owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. 20^th Century Fox Film Corporation’s motion pictures are produced or acquired by the company’s smaller units, including: Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios [1].

The company has had major success with motion pictures, including the huge hits Star Wars, Titanic, and it’s most successful in the box office yet, Avatar, released in 2009. Avatar recorded up to a gross of $749,766,139, including nine Academy Awards nominations and three wins. [23]

Top 3 Competitors [2]

The Walt Disney Studios

MGM Studios, Inc.

Columbia Tristar Motion Picture Group

Key Executives [3]

Keith Rupert Murdoch – Chairman of Board & CEO

Ricardo Crespo – Senior Vice President of Global Creative

Eduardo Echeverria – Senior Vice President of Latin America

Pam Kunick-Cohen – Senior Vice President of Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products

Robert Marick – Executive Vice President

Brief History: The Formation of Twentieth Century Fox [5]

20th Century Fox was funded in 1935 with the merging of the Fox Film Corporation and Twentieth Century Pictures. It was co-founded by Joseph Schenck, president of United Artists, and Darryl F. Zanuck, former head of production at the Warner Bros. Studio.

Elaboration & Transformation of Company Logo after Fox Film-20th Century merged in 1935 [4]

The company separated itself from others, as the productions of The Grapes of Wrath in 1940 and How Green Was My Valley in 1941 won Academy Awards. However, by the 1950’s, movie attendance dropped, bringing film productions down as well. Consequently, studios couldn’t afford to keep contracts with directors and actors. This event of disappointment led to Zanuck leaving to Paris in 1956, striving to become an independent film producer. The company lost huge amounts of money in between the years of 1959-1962.

In 1962, Zanuck returned as president, and his film The Longest Day, released through 20th Century Fox, got an Academy Award nomination and earned enough revenue for the company to start producing again in 1963. During the 1960’s, Zanuck used the “blockbuster strategy”, consisting of releasing expensive productions. The Sound of Music, released in 1964, brought more than $79 million in revenues.

The 1980’s were hard times since many productions didn’t compensate for their production costs. However, with the entrance of Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corporation, in 1985, the company made it to the top spot among studios, gaining more than 18% of the box-office share in 1991.

Right Here, Right Now

20th Century Fox at the Box Office

The company began the Fall of 2012 with the release of Won’t Back Down in September 28, 2012, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis. However, despite its notorious casting, this movie was ranked as the worst saturated release ever, bringing only $2,603,370 in the opening weekend. The movie made a total of $5,310,554. [6]

Taken 2 Movie Poster – Courtesy of Google Images

In October 5, 2012, the awaited Taken 2, starring Liam Neeson, was released, making $49,514,769 in its opening weekend [8]. Despite all of the critics, Taken 2 was the reason the overall box office was up more than 40 percent over the same weekend last year [7]. The movie scored $361,060,485 worldwide, showing strong results for a $45 million production [8].

Following Taken 2, Chasing Mavericks, starring Gerard Butler, was released October 26th, disappointing with a $2,268,274 debut. The movie made a total domestic gross of $5,843,722, barely one-fourth of its $20 million production budget [9]. However, Hurricane Sandy could have affected this result, as it”may have suppressed business by about 10 percent.” [10]

Wreck-It Ralph Poster – Courtesy of Google Images

As the storm passes, Wreck-It Ralph came to the #1 spot in its opening weekend with $49,038,712 [11]. This movie has actually become the biggest box office ever for Disney Animations [12]. After five weeks in theaters, it still maintains itself in the top ten, recording a total domestic gross of $159,213,887 and a worldwide gross of $203,213,887 (as of December 5, 2012) [11].

Lincoln opened in limited theaters in November 9, 2012 and released worldwide November 16, recording $944,308 for the opening weekend, and $21,049,406 in its second place, getting into the box office’s top 3. Lincoln, a film produced by Steven Spielberg, remained at #3 for two weekends, including Thanksgiving weekend. As of December 5, 2012, the movie earned a total domestic gross of $87,088,719, already compensating its production costs of $65 million. [13]

Next up for 20th Century Fox was Life of Pi, released November 21, which was considered to be “tough to sell” and a “gamble” for the company [14]. This film’s production budget will definitely be hard to compensate as it cost $120 million to produce, mainly because of its unbelievable graphic effects. The movie did pretty good in the opening weekend, earning $22,451,514, and also performed fairly well during the Thanksgiving weekend in the 5th spot, behind Twilight, Skyfall, Lincoln, and Rise of The Guardians. However, it is still at half its production budget, reporting $51,676,132 in total domestic gross as of Dec. 5, 2012. [15]

Life of Pi – Movie Poster – Courtesy of Google Images

The next movie for Fox is called Parental Guidance, which was supposed to be released during the Thanksgiving weekend but will now be released December 25th, 2012. The movie has high expectancies as it has less competition during Christmas than what it would’ve had during Thanksgiving [16].

First-Quarter Earnings (Quarter ended Sept. 30) – See full News Corp. Earnings Release

Rupert Murdoch led the company to more strong results as the fiscal quarterly earnings for the first quarter, ending in September 30, 2012, reported earnings of $2.23 billion, compared with $738 million made last year. Revenue also rose in large amounts, from $7.96 billion to $8.14 billion. As for the role Twentieth Century Fox plays in this increase in earnings, filmed entertainment reported quarterly segment operating income of $400 million, $53 million higher than a year ago, when the segment operating income was $347 million. This is majorly due to the huge success Ice Age: Continental Drift had in box offices back in July. As of December 5, the $95 million film has earned a total worldwide gross of $874,920,192 [24]. Also, Fox made a licensing deal with Netflix back in May 2012, which contributed enormously to the rise in profit [17]. Through this licensing agreement, Fox classic films were distributed to Latin America. “Our alliance with Twentieth Century Fox continues to get stronger and benefit Netflix’s members across the globe,” said Jason Ropell, VP of content acquisitions at Netflix. [25]

Deals/News

August 2012

Fox to Distribute DreamWorks Animation Movies [18]

DreamWorks has decided to shift from Paramount Pictures to 20th Century Fox looking for a 5-year distribution deal. This deal will place DreamWorks’ animated titles in Fox’s animation division, Blue Sky Studios. This deal will go into effect in 2013.

DreamWorks Logo – Courtesy of Google Images

Company Perspective: “DreamWorks Animation is a great company that makes terrific films and everyone here feels privileged and honored to have been chosen to distribute their marvelous work throughout the world,” stated Fox Filmed Entertainment CEOs and Chairmen, Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman. “We are particularly excited to add DreamWorks Animation’s films to the strong and growing slate of movies from our outstanding Blue Sky Studios division, which is coming off another global blockbuster with Ice Age: Continental Drift, and has Epic and Rio 2in advanced production. Together we will be a dominant force in animated entertainment for years to come.” [19]

September 2012

Fox Hoped To Boost Movie Downloads By Offering Titles Ahead of Discs [20]

In order to increase movie downloads, Fox has decided to offer the option to downnload movies through Amazon, CinemaNow (Best Buy), iTunes, PlayStation, VUDU (Walmart), and Xbox, before the home video or DVR formats are available.

November 2012

Sony, Fox, and Universal Sign On For PGA’s Producers’ Mark Credit [21]

Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, and Universal Pictures signed on to apply the ‘Producer’s Mark’ Certification. This is a huge advancement in the industry and a step forward to protecting the right of producers and the ‘produced by’ credit.

Independence Day ‘3D’ Cancelled [22]

Independence Day (1996) – Movie Poster – Courtesy of Google Images

Plans had been made by 20th Century Fox to produce a 3D adaptation of the 1996 blockbuster, Independence Day. However, due to difficulties in reuniting the original cast, the company has decided to cancel it. The movie was due for July 2, 2013, which was perfectly timed for it to be released during the Independence weekend. This would’ve potentially help the movie top the box office during the opening weekend and gain high revenue for the company.

Coming Soon (Click to see the trailers)

Broken City

Parental Guidance

EPIC

A Good Day To Die Hard

The Heat

References

[1] News Corporation: http://www.newscorp.com/management/20film.html

[2] Hoovers: http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.Twentieth_Century_Fox_Television.ff69d030bb3d82da.html

[3] Bloomberg BusinessWeek: http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/people.asp?privcapId=35867

[4] Logo Images: http://www.closinglogos.com/page/20th+Century+Fox+Film+Corporation

[5] History: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/66/Twentieth-Century-Fox-Film-Corporation.html#ixzz2EFVbd3Ul

[6] Box Office Mojo – Won’t Back Down: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=learningtofly.htm

[7] Yahoo Movies – Taken 2: http://movies.yahoo.com/news/taken-2-blows-away-box-office-critics-50-163212681.html

[8] Box Office Mojo – Taken 2: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=taken2.htm

[9] Box Office Mojo – Chasing Mavericks: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ofmenandmavericks.htm

[10] The Week – Hurricane Sandy: http://theweek.com/article/index/235648/6-ways-hurricane-sandy-affected-the-entertainment-world

[11] Box Office Mojo – Wreck It Ralph: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=rebootralph.htm

[12] Wreck It Ralph: http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Latest-News-Wires/2012/1105/Wreck-it-Ralph-Biggest-box-office-opening-ever-for-Disney-animation

[13] Box Office Mojo – Lincoln: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lincoln.htm

[14] Company Town – Life of Pi: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-life-of-pi-tough-sell-20121119,0,5088507.story

[15] Box Office Mojo – Life of Pi: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lifeofpi.htm

[16] Parental Guidance: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118052479

[17] Hollywood Reporter – Quarterly Profit: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/news-corp-reports-huge-rise-387027

[18] Fox to distribute DreamWorks: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-08-20/fox-to-distribute-dreamworks-animation-movies

[19] Company Perspective – DreamWorks deal: http://www.deadline.com/2012/08/exclusive-dreamworks-animation-to-fox/

[20] Movie Downloads: http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/fox-digital-hd-movie-download/

[21] Sign for PGA: http://www.deadline.com/2012/11/producers-mark-credit-program-pga-sony-fox-universal/

[22] Independence Day 3D: http://www.nme.com/filmandtv/news/independence-day-3d-cancelled/291343

[23] Box Office Mojo – Avatar: http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=avatar.htm

[24] Box Office Mojo – Ice Age: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=iceage4.htm

[25] Netflix and Fox Licensing Agreement: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-fox-agreement-latin-america-brazil-323988

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Posted on November 28, 2012 by wjmcdona

by Will McDonald

MGM Studios
10250 Constellation Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 449-3000
www.mgm.com

MGM’s Logo

[1]

About:

MGM Studios Inc. is a privately held entertainment company that produces motion pictures and television programs worldwide. It has won over 175 Oscars, including 14 Best Picture wins. Leo the Lion is MGM’s mascot, who appears at the beginning of all of the films. Above the lion on the mascot is MGM’s logo “Ars gratia artis,” which is Latin for “Art for art’s sake.”
[2]

Major Competition:

Lions Gate Entertainment
Sony Pictures
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
[3]

Key Executives:

Gary Barber-Chairman and CEO
Ken Schapiro-Chief Operating Officer
Jonathan Glickman-President of the Motion Pictures Group
[4]

In October, Chairman and CEO Gary Barber announced that Jonathan Glickman will continue his role as president of the Motion Pictures Group until 2017.
[5]

Jonathan Glickman

[6]

Brief History of MGM:

In 1924, MGM came to be when Marcus Loew arranged a merge between Goldwyn Pictures, Metro Pictures Corp, and eventually Louis B. Mayer Pictures, creating Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The studio dominated the Hollywood industry for many years, discovering many new stars and producing award winning movies, such as Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz.
[2]

In 2010, MGM filed for bankruptcy, hindering their ability to make new movies. Fortunately, that same year, MGM emerged from this crisis and began to produce movies again.
[7]

Finances:

In November 2012, MGM reported a $23.4 million net profit for the the third quarter in 2012, increasing from the $15.2 million net profit from the third quarter in 2011. MGM had a $4.3 million loss in operating income, as opposed to its $32.8 million gain in the third quarter of 2011. CEO Gary Barber claimed that the results were hurt by distribution and marketing costs of the films, which MGM spent more money on this year than the previous year. Yet, he remains optimistic, as MGM expects to have a substantial increase in revenue in the fourth quarter results with the succesful release of Skyfall and the highly anticipated The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
[8]

Recent News:

In October 2012, MGM won appeals court in a long battle against the financial backers of the movie Madison, starring Jim Caviezel. In 2009, the backers of the 2005 film sued MGM, claiming that MGM’s failure to distribute the film cost them millions of dollars. The backers of the film sued the studio in Illinois, but the court ruled in favor of MGM, deciding that MGM did not have enough contact with this state as a basis for the lawsuit.
[9]

Roger Birnbaum, who became co-CEO with Barber in December 2010, recently stepped down in November to become one of MGM’s producers. He wanted to focus more on movies and talent, instead of working on the business side of the film industry. He will begin his new role as the executive producer of RoboCop, set to release in 2014. RoboCop is a remake of the 1987 film.
[10]

Relevant Movies:

Co-produced by MGM and Time Warner, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit, will be released in the United States on December 14, 2012. This film is expected to break box office records, contributing to an annual box office increase, which hasn’t happened since 2009. Media analysts predict that this film will help draw viewers into the movie theaters again, despite the growing competition of the television and the Internet. This film has been widely anticipated, ever since the release and success of the Rings trilogy. This film will also be released in 3D and IMAX. The director of the film, Peter Jackson, shot the film in 48 frames per second, compared to the 24 frames per second of standard films. His goal was to make the audience feel more engaged and part of the journey. Some fear that this will make them feel sick, but scientists assure audiences that this won’t be an issue.
[11][12]
[13]

According to the movie’s twitter handle, @TheHobbitMovie, audience members can buy their tickets ahead of time through Fandago, an online service that sells movie tickets via the internet, and get a free song from the soundtrack in exchange.
[14]

Skyfall, MGM’s latest James Bond movie, has brought in $869 million worldwide. MGM co-produced this movie with Eon Productions and Sony Pictures. This latest chapter in the franchise is the highest grossing James Bond movie of all time, starring Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem. This film was released on the 50th anniversary of the series, directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes. Skyfall came very close to the #1 spot at the box office the first weekend of December, with Summit Entertainment’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2 barely edging it out. Skyfall helped break the domestic box office record for Thanksgiving weekend, raking in $290 million. The previous record was $273 million in 2009. This was also the first Bond film to ever appear in IMAX.
[15][16]

In addition to the US market, Skyfall was a sensation in foreign markets, not only as the most succesful film of 2012 at the UK box office, surpassing Dark Knight Rises, but also as the highest grossing film in the UK box office history, surpassing Avatar. On its opening weekend in various foreign markets, it debuted as number one in 25 different countries.
[17] [18]

[19]

On November 21, MGM released a remake of the 1984 film Red Dawn, grossing a domestic total of $38.4 million as of December 5, yet with an estimated $65 million production budget. Despite the famous stars of the movie, such as Josh Hutcherson, Josh Peck, and Chris Hemsworth, this action remake has received negative ratings amongst the critics, with a small 12% score from Rotten Tomatoes, a popular website that reviews films. Filming of Red Dawn was completed in 2009, and was set to be released in November 2010, but MGM’s financial troubles made this difficult, therefore the film was not released until two years later.
[20][21]

“Red Dawn” (2012) movie poster

[22]

International deals:

In September 2012, pay TV company C More Entertainment renewed a multi-year licensing agreement with MGM, giving this Nordic region TV channel provider the rights to air a large selection MGM’s movie library on linear and on-demand channels. This gives C More the right to air both movies that have already been released, such as Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and movies that have yet to be released, such as The Hobbit trilogy. This deal also ensures that C More subscribers can watch all the movies on different platforms, such as computers and mobile devices via their internet service, C More Play.
[23]

This is the logo for C More Entertainment, a pay TV company for the Nordic region.

[24]

MGM renewed partnership with Sky Italia, a new Italian satellite platform, enlarging MGM’s library on Sky Cinema. Starting in September, Sky Cinema Classics began hosting the best of MGM catalogue in high definition, with almost 200 titles per year. These films will also appear on Sky On-Demand, a new innovation from Sky Italia.
[25]

Sky Italia’s logo

[26]

Upcoming projects:

MGM and Paramount Pictures will co-produce Hercules, a famous fiction movie about a heroic man. MGM was initially the only studio involved in the project, but Paramount recently signed on to produce as well. The film is set to start filming in the beginning of 2013, with Brett Ratner as the director. The film has confirmed Dwayne Johnson to star in the film. Ryan Condal wrote the script, which he adapted from the novel, Hercules: The Tharacian War.
[27]

To keep updated with all of MGM’s other projects, follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook.

References

1. MGM Logo courtesy of Google Images

2. http://www.mgm.com/#/about/mgm-history

3. http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/104/104990.html

4. http://www.mgm.com/#/about/mgm-today

5. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jonathan-glickman-as-president-mgm-378957

6. Jonathan Glickman courtesy of Google Images

7. http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2010/12/20/mgm-out-of-bankruptcy/

8. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/james-bond-hobbit-raise-hopes-391209

9. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/mgm-wins-appeals-court-ruling-377720

10. http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/mgm-co-chairman-ceo-roger-birnbaum-steps-down-will-become-producer-gary-barber-to-become-sole-chairman-ceo/

11. http://www.timeslive.co.za/entertainment/2012/12/03/hobbit-may-bring-a-hollywood-ending-to-2012-box-office

12. http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/tech/The-hobbit-Coming-at-You-in-48-Frames-per-Second-182238431.html

13. http://youtu.be/G0k3kHtyoqc

14. https://twitter.com/thehobbitmovie

15. http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/2012/12/02/twilight-skyfall-remain-top-picks-for-fans/CNoybhjsUlxjedPQxHXfBI/story.html

16.http://www.sourcenewspapers.com/articles/2012/11/27/news/doc50b53b9e4574f390701931.txt

17. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/nov/09/skyfall-biggest-seller-box-office

18. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/skyfall-becomes-biggest-uk-box-office-398138

19. http://youtu.be/bqGt3exPArA

20. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=reddawn10.htm

21. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234719/trivia

22. Red Dawn poster courtesy of Google Images

23. http://www.telecompaper.com/news/c-more-entertainment-renews-deals-with-mgm-paramount–898595

24. C More Entertainment logo courtesy of Google Images

25. http://www.eutelsattvawards.com/a-new-agreement-for-a-stronger-partnership-between-sky-italia-and-mgm/

26. Sky Italia logo courtesy of Google Images

27. http://movies.yahoo.com/news/paramount-boards-mgms-hercules-dwayne-johnson-officially-attached-231316144.html

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Posted on September 18, 2012 by jsrich02

by [Jeffrey Rich ]

MGM Logo Courtesy of Google Images

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is a media company, most often involved in the distribution of films, television productions, and home video.

Contact Information

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Address: 245 N. Beverly Drive,
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: 310-449-3000
E-mail Address: comments@mgm.com

Brief History

Its trademark roaring lion has become the beacon of MGM. Marcus Lowe, who organized the merger of Metro Pictures Corp. with Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Productions, established Metro- Goldwyn- Mayer (MGM) in April 1924.

It was under the prolific leadership of Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg, a visionary of production, that MGM became a leading company of film making. It is said that the studio attracted “more stars than are in the heavens.”

From 1924-1954, known as the golden three decades in Hollywood, MGM managed to produce a Best Picture Nominee for twenty years in a row. One particularly spectacular year, in 1939, Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, both MGM films, were nominated for Best Picture. Together the two films took home ten Oscars that year.

MGM Building, Beverly Hills, CA. Picture Courtesy of mgm.com

Today MGM possesses more than 175 Academy Awards, including 15 for Best Picture, in their vast vault. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is a leading entertainment company and is focused whole-heartedly on the distribution of films and television programing across the globe. With one of the largest libraries of films and television content, MGM invests in television channels and film distribution both domestically and internationally. [1]

Key Figures

Gary Barber- Appointed Chairman and CEO in October 2012. Prior to this her served as a Co-Chairman and and CEO since December 2010.

Ken Shapiro- Chief Operating Officer, as of February 2011. Before joining MGM Shapiro co-founded a private investment management company.

John Glickman- President of Motion Picture Group. Previously Glickman was president of Spyglass Entertainment.

Roma Khanna- President of MGM’s Television Group and Digital. She joined MGM having recently worked for NBCUniveral, as President of Universal Networks International and Digital Initiatives.

Top Competitors

Fox Filmed Entertainment

The Walt Disney Studios

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Finances

In November of 2010 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer declared bankruptcy. A federal court had decided to reject the takeover bid by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and therefore MGM instead declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. About 80% of MGM’s creditors supported a pre-packaged bankruptcy plan to eliminate $4 billion in debt. [2]

This third quarter has shown a loss for MGM operating income. A loss of $4.3 million from $32.8 million the same quarter the year before. However, Gary Barber, CEO, is not at all worried. MGM had recorded a net profit of $23.4 million compared to last year’ $15.2 million in the same quarter. This is mainly because MGM sold many of its satellite TV channels.

The worldwide success of the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, and the excitement surrounding the anticipated release of the first, of the three, Hobbit, movies has Barber predicting a very successful fourth quarter. [3]

Movies Today

Skyfall Movie Poster, Courtesy of Google Images

Currently MGM has the film Skyfall, the twenty-third James Bond movie, out in wide release. The movie was released on the weekend of November 9^th-11^th, and it grossed $88 million in that first weekend. Currently it has domestically grossed almost $250 million in only four weeks. Internationally it has taken in over $870 million. [4]

In the United Kingdom, Bond’s homeland, Skyfall, has become the largest grossing movie of all time, surpassing James Cameron’s, Avatar. The movie has taken in £94.27 million (or $151.8 million) in 40 days, surpassing Avatar’s £94 million (or $151.3 million) which is astonishing, considering that it took Avatar 11 months to reach that total. [5]

Not only has Skyfall become the largest grossing movie in the UK, but also it has claimed the title of greatest Bond ever, in terms of money, taking in the largest gross from any other Bond thus far. However, even though Skyfall is the largest grossing movie in the UK, it is still not the most attending. That title still belongs to another, far older, MGM classic from 1939, Gone With the Wind. [6]

Hobbit Movie Poster, Courtesy of Google Images

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first installment to the three-part prequel of the critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy. Peter Jackson returns as director in this new trilogy, which plans to be released in the United States on December 14, 2012. However, unlike the high remarks her won for his adaptation of the Ring’s trilogy, he is garnering some criticism for his new rendition of this J.R.R. Tolkien’s book.

One Variety critics calls the film an “artificial quality in which the phoniness of the sets and costumes becomes obvious, while well-lit areas bleed into their surroundings, like watching a high-end home movie.” [7]

The reason for these unlikely reviews is that Jackson decided to shoot the entire Hobbit movie using 48 FPS (Frames Per Second) filming. Usually films are shot in 24 FPS, the switch, as some like James Cameron agree, is that 48 FPS eliminate the “strobing” seen in standard films. Some people, however, argue that the effects look almost soap opera-ish. However, audiences will have to weigh in on their opinions about the new FPS shooting when The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, hits theaters later this month. [8]

One more film in the works for MGM coming up soon is Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters. This new dark twist on the classic fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel makes the sibling duo a team of witch hunters who find and kill witches all around the world. [9]

Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters Movie Poster, Courtesy of Google Images

The film has had its problems in production. It was originally set to be released in March of 2012, but was pushed back to January of 2013. The fact that it’s now an R-rated film might have something to do with that problem in the production schedule. There is much skepticism now about the success of the film. After similar fairy tale spin offs have flopped, such as Snow White and the Huntsman and Red Ridding Hood, critics are not very optimistic about this latest revived concept. However, the film has some nice stars, including Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, and Famke Janssen. [10]