Sony Corporation

Posted on October 16, 2016 by crtraver

Charlotte Traver, Brendan Weaver, David Sorokanich

Sony Entertainment Logo [15]

Company

Located in New York, NY, Sony Corporation of America is the US headquarters of Sony Corporation, which is based in Tokyo, Japan. Sony is involved in multiple businesses including electronics and mobile, film and television, music, gaming, digital services, and others. Sony employs about 125, 300 people and recorded annual sales of $71.7 billion of the fiscal year ending in March 2016.

Background

Sony Electronics is a leading provider of audio/video electronics and products. Sony Mobile is also a leading company in providing video, game, audio and communications technology products. Sony Pictures Entertainment is a huge innovator in major motion picture production and produces major blockbusters regularly. Sony Music Entertainment is one of the most well-known global recorded music companies and features artists famous on both a local and international scale. Sony/ATV Music Publishing works alongside Sony Music Entertainment and is the world’s leading music publisher. Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC is known for the PlayStation, a popular gaming console owned by millions of Americans. Other businesses that may not be as well known include Sony DADC, Sony Biotechnology Inc., Micronics, Inc., and Sony Card/Sony Rewards. [7]

Sony Pictures Executives

CEO of Sony Entertainment where he oversees the Sony’s global enterprise including Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Michael Lynton: CEO of Sony Entertainment where he oversees the Sony’s global enterprise including Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing [18]

Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for Sony Pictures Entertainment he oversees the company’s financial affairs and development

Philip Rowley: Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for Sony Pictures Entertainment he oversees the company’s financial affairs and development [18]

Executive Vice President & Chief Communications Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment responsible for the distribution and implementation of Sony Pictures Entertainment communications

Robert Lawson: Executive Vice President & Chief Communications Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment responsible for the distribution and implementation of Sony Pictures Entertainment communications [18]

Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Pictures Group in which he oversees the production and distribution of all Sony films

Tom Rothman: Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Pictures Group in which he oversees the production and distribution of all Sony films [18]

Senior Executive Vice President & General Counsel for Sony Pictures Entertainment and is the highest ranking legal consultant for Sony and is head of its law department

Leah Weil: Senior Executive Vice President & General Counsel for Sony Pictures Entertainment and is the highest ranking legal consultant for Sony and is head of its law department [18]

Sony Entertainment Financials

Screenshot of MarketWatch Report on Sony Corp. Stocks on Nov. 29, 2016 [13]

Sony Entertainment’s 2016 Q2 Earnings, which were finalized on September 30, 2016, show a 10.8% decrease in Sales and Operating Revenue compared to 2015’s Q2. Q2 is also showing a 45.7% decrease in Operating Income, a 40.5% decrease in Income before Income Taxes, and a 4.8% decrease in Sony Entertainment net income attributed to stockholders. These are all in comparison to the success Sony Entertainment showed in Q2 of 2015. [12] Furthermore, as of November 29, 2016, Sony Entertainment stock prices are at $29.49 per share. This is much lower in comparison to the past three months in which shares were at a high of $34.17. [13]

Sony Launches China Writers Initiative

On November 1, 2016, Sony Pictures Entertainment launched a China Writers Initiative, which will allow emerging and well-known writers from China access to the studios. Writers will be able to work with Hollywood film and television executives and screenwriters to collaborate on ideas for both Hollywood and Hollywood Chinese productions. The program was developed with Sony Pictures China and is intended to be a mutually educational program for both countries involved. Sony Pictures will select four writers at a time to travel to Los Angeles and work at the Sony Pictures Studios. A finalist will then be selected and able to produce their chosen project. [6]

Sony Dives into Virtual Reality

Sony Interactive Entertainment of America has been on the forefront of virtual reality technology and has just recently made VR accessible for all. With the release of the PlayStation VR in October 2016, virtual reality is available for all gamers who wish to take gaming to a new level. Virtual reality takes players into an immersive atmosphere never experienced before, one in which players are in the game themselves and experience something entirely different from traditional gaming. The release of the PlayStation VR included 30 games, but Sony Interactive Entertainment predicts that the PlayStation VR will have 50 games by the end of the year. President Shawn Layden of Sony Interactive Entertainment commented that virtual reality brings a “new medium into the homes of PS4 fans”. Sony Interactive Entertainment hopes that virtual reality will soon enter the homes of many average Americans, as more and more interactive experiences independent of gaming are released. A variety of VR experiences such as Hulu, Allumette, Invasion! and others will soon offer their own interactive experiences. [9]

[11]

Sony’s PlayStation VR outsold other virtual reality headsets released in 2016, including the HTC Vive and Facebook’s Oculus Rift. The PlayStation VR is predicted to outsell both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift by more than 295,000 headsets, which is largely due to price. The PlayStation VR is a simple add on to the PlayStation 4, so users find this headset to be a better choice since many already own the console. However, SuperData Research’s director of research Stephanie Llamas seems to think that without a push in marketing from Sony, they will forever remain behind their potential.

-Is 2016 The Year Virtual Reality Finally Goes Mainstream? by NPR [14]

New Chairman and CEO of Sony Music

Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Entertainment, announced that Doug Morris will transition from operational management of Sony Music Entertainment and assume the role of Chairman in April 2017, and Rob Stringer, who was formerly Chairman and CEO of Columbia Records, will become CEO of Sony Music. Over the last six years as CEO, Morris has increased Sony Music’s market share and profitability. This has helped Sony achieve its status as the second largest music company in the world. He has also helped Sony reach its impressive status by initiating partnerships with record labels, extending a joint venture deal with Syco Entertainment, and by supporting the growth and development of Vevo, which he founded with Eric Schmidt in 2009. [4]

Rob Stringer, new CEO of Sony Music [17]

New Bob Dylan releases from Sony Music

A massive 36CD box set of Bob Dylan’s 1966 concert tours of the US, UK, Europe, and Australia was released on November 11 by Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment. The box set, “The 1966 Live Recordings”, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the live performances. The recordings are drawn from three main sources: soundboards, CBS Records mobile recordings, and audience tapes. The majority of the recordings are previously unreleased in any format and are being made available for the first time ever. [10]

Sony Pictures Classics Acquires The Comedian

Sony Pictures Classics has announced that they’ve acquired North American rights to Taylor Hackford’s comedy, THE COMEDIAN, starring Robert De Niro and Danny DeVito. Written by Art Linson, the film centers around an aging comic whose attempts to reinvent himself fail to impress an audience that only wants to know him as a former television character he played. Warner Bros. International will be handling foreign distribution of the film, under its deal with Cinelou.[2]

Sony Pictures Acquires TEN Sports From ZEE

Sony Pictures have entered into agreements to acquire TEN Sports Network from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited for 385 million dollars. The acquisition will add South Asia’s leading sports network to SPN’s portfolio of channels. Ten Sports holds broadcast rights to wrestling, cricket, football, golf, motorsports, and cycling events. SPN comprises Sony Entertainment Television, one of India’s leading Hindi general entertainment television channels.[5]

Sony has acquired TEN Sports Network from Zee Entertainment Enterprises [16]

Sony and Multi-Deal International

In its commitment to broaden its global presence and its support of local language productions, Sony Pictures International Productions has signed a multi-picture development deal with filmmakers Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman. The deal will allow Mexico and LA-based Cisneros and Shuman to write and produce three new films. Cisneros is one of the most successful writers in the Latin American film industry, with successes such as Instructions Not Included and Familia P. Luche. In 2014, Cisneros and Shuman began collaborating, writing the FOX feature comedy “Upgrade.” [3]

Sony Recognized as a Leader in Combating Climate Change

For the second year, Sony has been recognized as one of the highest performing companies on the CDP Japan 500 Climate Change Report 2016. CDP surveyed over 5,500 companies globally to compile their list. Their inclusion in the list recognizes the company’s effort to reduce the energy consumption of its manufactured products, curb greenhouse gas emissions at its operating sites, and accelerate use of renewable energy. Sony is one of 193 companies worldwide to be ranked as an “A” company, a distinction it has achieved for 2 consecutive years. [1]

Actions Sony has taken to combat climate change [19]

Works Cited

Sony Recognized as a Leader in Combating Climate Change in the CDP Japan 500 Climate Change Report 2016 for 2nd Consecutive Year. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS ACQUIRES CINELOU’S THE COMEDIAN. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
SONY PICTURES INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS SIGNS MULTI-PICTURE DEVELOPMENT DEAL WITH EDUARDO CISNEROS AND JASON SHUMAN. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
ROB STRINGER PROMOTED TO CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
Sony Pictures To Acquire TEN Sports From ZEE. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT MOTION PICTURE GROUP LAUNCHES CHINA WRITERS INITIATIVE. Sony Pictures. Retrieved: November 28, 2016.
Who We Are. Sony.com. Retrieved: November 29, 2016.
Company News. Sony.com. Retrieved: November 27, 2016.
Gilbert, Ben (November 29, 2016). PlayStation is on track to crush Facebook and HTC in the first year of VR sales. Business Insider. Retrieved: November 28, 2016.
Columbia/Legacy Set to Release Bob Dylan: The 1966 Live Recordings, A Monumental Box Set featuring Every Known Recording from the Artist’s Mythic and Controversial 1966 Tour of the US, UK, Europe and Australia. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
PlayStation VR – Games Preview Summer 2016 | PSVR. Youtube.com. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
Sony Corporation 2016 Q2 Report. Retrieved November 26, 2016. https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/library/fr/16q2_sony.pdf
MarketWatch Reports on Sony Corporation Stocks. Retrieved November 29, 2016. http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/sne/profile
NPR on Virtual Reality. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/12/30/461432244/is-2016-the-year-virtual-reality-finally-goes-mainstream
Sony Entertainment Logo. Retrieved November 27, 2016. https://www.sony.co.uk
Ten Sports Logo. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.afaqs.com/news/story/44872_Ten-Sports-unveils-new-network-logo
Rob Stringer Photo. Retrieved November 29, 2016. https://www.sonymusic.com/executives/rob-stringer/
Sony Management Team. Retrieved November 29, 2019. http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/management.html
Sony CRS Reporting. Retrieved November 29, 2016. https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/csr_report/environment/

Sony Pictures

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Ruby Johnson

10202 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City, California

sonypictures.com

HISTORY

Sony Pictures, also known as Sony Pictures Entertainment, was formed in 1987 when Columbia Pictures and Tristar Pictures merged to form Columbia Pictures Entertainment (CPE). However, it was not until two years later that the Coca-Cola Company, who owned CPE, sold the business to Sony, who promptly renamed it. Since it became a Sony property, the film production and distribution company has seen successes in both the commercial and critical spheres; Sony Pictures has broken records with releases like Men In Black and won a plethora of Oscars over the years for films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and many others [1].

COMPANY

Sony Pictures is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment. The company is divided into Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, Sony Pictures Studios, and Sony Pictures Television. Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group handles the distribution of Sony’s massive library of over 3,500 titles. Sony Pictures Studios offers a variety of production-related services, operating out of the Culver City studio complex which boasts sixteen sound stages [2].

Sony Pictures Plaza in Culver City, CA

FINANCIALS

As of April 17^th, 2016, Sony Pictures held a total of 5.6% studio market share, with Sony Pictures holding 5.2% and Sony Pictures Classics holding 0.4% [3]. With regards to distribution, Sony Pictures holds the third spot just behind Warner Brothers and Walt Disney, with 12.6% of the market share [4].

Sony’s earnings report for the current fiscal year will be released on April 28^th, 2016 at 4:45 PM [5]. On January 29^th, the Sony Corporation released its financial results for its third quarter. Sales for Sony Pictures increased from 206.6 billion yen in the third quarter of 2014 to 262.1 billion yen in the third quarter of 2015. This represents a 26.9% increase in yen, which Sony attributed this increase to a surge in theatrical revenues due to international successes like Spectre and Hotel Transylvania 2 [6]. Top investment analysts are advising investors to hold their position with Sony stock, as forecasts show a predicted 27% median increase from last fiscal year’s stock prices [7].

On April 24^th, Sony’s stock prices closed at $26.59, a five-cent decrease from the previous day’s close. Over the past year, Sony shares have reached a high of $32.95 and a low of $19.90 [8]. However, the past month has seen fairly stable stock prices, seeing change of no more than $2 for the entire period from mid-March to late April [9]. As of April 24^th Sony shares are up 7% from 2015 [10].

KEY EXECUTIVES

[11] Michael Lynton: CEO of Sony Entertainment Inc., Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment

[12] Tom Rothman: Chairman of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group

[13] David C. Hendler: Senior Executive Vice President and CFO of Sony Pictures Entertainment

[14] Robert Lawson: Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment

[15] Leah Weil: Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Sony Pictures Entertainment

RECENT RELEASES

Miracles from Heaven (PG)

Despite receiving a multitude of negative critical reviews [16], the faith-based drama Miracles from Heaven has grossed over $64 million internationally, making it a huge success—its production budget was a mere $13 million. The film was released on March 16^th through TriStar, a property of Sony Pictures [17].

The Brothers Grimsby (R)

Though Sony has not released the budget for the film, The Brothers Grimsby has undoubtedly been a financial disappointment. Debuting on March 11^th, the movie has yet to break just $7 million in the United States. That being said, the film has been a hit internationally with revenues upwards of $20 million outside the US. With pricey talent such as Sacha Baron Cohen, Penelope Cruz, Rebel Wilson, and Gabourey Sidibe, it’s doubtful Sony has seen a return on investment as of yet [18].

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (PG-13)

This satirical take on the novel was released on February 5^th to less-than-enthusiastic reception. Though the film saw a budget of $28 million, it has grossed just $16 million worldwide, with the opening weekend accounting for 48.8% of that [19].

UPCOMING RELEASES

The Angry Birds Movie (PG)

This 3D film adaptation of the popular game will be released on May 20^th. Sony Pictures is clearly expecting to cash in on the video game’s massive audience and has invested in a $250 million promotional campaign which includes a Happy Meal promo with McDonald’s and multiple television ads for car company Citroën. Other partnerships consist of Ziploc, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, Home Depot, and about 100 more brands and companies [20].

Ghostbusters (PG-13)

The buzz surrounding the remake of Ghostbusters is still going strong. The film features four female stars—Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon—in place of the all-male cast the original film had. The remake has raised important questions regarding women’s roles in popular film. Ghostbusters is slated for theatrical release July 15th [21].

UPDATES AND DEVELOPMENTS

On April 7^th, US District Judge R. Gary Klausner approved a multi-million dollar settlement in a class-action lawsuit by previous employees of Sony Pictures. The lawsuit was a result of the cyberhacking incident back in 2014, which released personal information of many employees and Sony partners. The agreement will give the 437,000 people involved identity theft protection until 2017 [22].

Nas x Ghostbusters Clothing Line

The next day, Sony Pictures announced that their Consumer Marketing department will be working with the rapper Nas to create a high-end Ghostbusters fashion line. The collection, called Nas x Ghostbusters, will be collaborating with brands like FILA, New Era, Monster, HSTRY, Italia Independent, and Tokyobike, and will be exclusively unveiled by HYPEBEAST. The collaborations will help reach the millennial market [23]. Sony Pictures is also teaming up with Activision for a Ghostbusters video game that will operate on PC, iOS, Android, and Kindle [24].

At CinemaCon the week of April 11^th, Sony Pictures announced a variety of groundbreaking projects and ideas, most notably MIB 23. The film is a unique concept: a mashup sequel to both Men in Black and 21 Jump Street. Other ambitious projects include animated films like a CGI version of the Beatrix Potter stories of Peter Rabbit and a third installment in the Hotel Transylvania franchise. They also are in the process of developing the animated The Emoji Movie, which will be set inside an iPhone [25].

Sony Pictures is taking a marked interest in sequels and remakes, hoping to capitalize on the popularity of existing films and franchises. There are plans for Blade Runner 2, the follow-up to the original 1982 movie. Then, they are working on a remake of Jumanji, as well as the final film in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. In addition, the company will release a movie version of Stephen King’s wildly popular book The Dark Tower. All the films Sony Pictures teased at the convention are tentatively slated for release between late 2016 and late 2018 [26].

SOURCES

[1] Company History. Sony Pictures. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[2] Divisions. Sony Pictures. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[3] Studio Market Share. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[4] Market Share for Each Distributor 1995-2016. The Numbers. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[5] FY2015 Earnings Announcement. Sony. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[6] Consolidated Financial Results for the Third Quarter Ended December 31, 2015. Sony News & Information. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[7] Equities: Sony Corp. Financial Times. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[8] Sony Corp. ADR. MarketWatch. Retrieved April 24, 2016.

[9] Sony Corp Ord Stock Chart. Nasdaq. Retrieved April 24, 2016.

[10] Sony: Film Slate Ready To Deliver. Seeking Alpha. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[11] Michael Lynton. Sony Pictures. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[12] Tom Rothman. Sony Pictures. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[13] David C. Hendler. Sony Pictures. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[14] Robert Lawson. Sony Pictures. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[15] Leah Weil. Sony Pictures. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[16] Miracles from Heaven: EW Review. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[17] Miracles from Heaven. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[18] The Brothers Grimsby. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[19] Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[20] The Angry Birds Chirp With Big Promo Partners McDonald’s, Citroen. Deadline. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[21] Upset about an all-female ‘Ghostbusters’? Screenwriter Katie Dippold makes no apologies. LA Times. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[22] Judge Approves Settlement in Sony Pictures Hacking Case. Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[23] Sony Pictures Consumer Marketing Teams Up with Hip-Hop Icon and Entrepreneur NAS for Nas x Ghostbusters Fashion Collection. PR Newswire. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[24] Sony Pictures Teaming with Activision for New Ghostbusters Game. Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[25] Sony Pictures & Warner Bros Preview 2016-2017 Line-up. Slash Film. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[26] Sony Pictures Teases The Dark Tower, MIB 23, Passengers and More at CinemaCon. Comingsoon.net. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[27] Sony Pictures Logo. JOLT Digest. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[28] Michael Lynton Photo. Jewish Journal. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[29] Tom Rothman Photo. IMDb. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[30] David C. Hendler Photo. Sony Pictures. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[31] Robert Lawson Photo. Sony Pictures. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[32] Leah Weil Photo. Sony Pictures. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[33] Miracles from Heaven Trailer. YouTube: MovieClips Trailers. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[34] The Brothers Grimsby Trailer. YouTube: Sony Pictures Entertainment. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[35] Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Trailer. YouTube: MovieClips Trailers. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[36] The Angry Birds Movie Trailer. YouTube: Google Movie Trailers. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[37] Ghostbusters Trailer. YouTube: Sony Pictures Entertainment. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[38] Nas x Ghostbusters Photo. Hypebeast. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[39] Sony Pictures Plaza Photo. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

Columbia Pictures

Posted on December 1, 2014 by iwmccour

by Ian McCourt

Columbia Pictures

Image Courtesy Fortune.com [i]

Contact Information: [ii]

10202 West Washington Boulevard

Culver City, CA 90232

310-244-4000

www.sonypictures.com

Key Executives:

Michael Lynton CEO, Sony Entertainment, Chairman and CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Amy Pascal Co-Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group

Doug Belgrad President, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group President, Columbia Pictures

David Hendler Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Michael De Luca
President, Production, Columbia Pictures

Hannah Minghella President, Production, Columbia Pictures

Executives Photos and Information Courtesy of: http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/management.html [iii]

About Columbia Pictures:

In 1918, Harry and Jack Cohn formed CBC Film Sales with an associate of theirs, Joe Brandt. CBC Film Sales (Cohn-Brandt-Cohn) then produced small-budget short films and featurettes until a few experiments with feature films and an eye for larger profits prompted them to form Columbia Pictures Corporation in 1924. Columbia established itself in the cinema world, however, with the discovery of director Frank Capra in 1927. He would bring the company many Academy Awards, including the Best Picture films “It Happened One Night” and “You Can’t Take it With You.” Columbia would continue to grow and prosper as the decades moved past, and it was bought by Coca-Cola in 1982. However, a mere seven years later, Columbia Pictures and all of its holdings were bought by the Sony Corporation in 1989. [iv] It is now a part of Sony Pictures Entertainment‘s Columbia Tristar Motion Picture Group, along with Tristar Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics and Screengems. [v]

Financials:

It is to be noted that Sony’s Financial Reports for the Pictures Division encompasses not only Columbia Pictures, but also the Tristar Pictures and Screengems studios, as well as any TV production and distribution financials. Regardless, Sony Pictures Entertainment reported that revenue decreased 3% on a constant currency (U.S. dollar) standard to 1,671 million dollars for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2014 from 1,815 million for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2013. [vi][vii] This was due to lower theatrical revenues due to fewer theatrical releases in Q2 FY14 as opposed to Q2 FY13. [viii] Sony predicts that the pictures division will make 8,100 million U.S. dollars for the total Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2015. [ix]

What’s Happening Now?

In 2014, Columbia Pictures has released nine films, three of which are still in theaters as of December 1, 2014. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and 22 Jump Street are leading in gross so far respectively, with 22 Jump Street still in theaters. [x]

22 Jump Street
This sequel to the hit 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum and follows the adventures of Officers Schmidt and Jenko as they go undercover as college students. The film is directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord.

Image and Synopsis Courtesy IMDB [xi]

In its opening weekend (June 13-15, 2014), 22 Jump Street opened at number one, making $57,071,445 domestically to its $50 million budget. The film is now in its twenty-third week, having made $331,333,876 worldwide as of December 1, 2014. [xii]

The Equalizer
In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington stars as a man who has put his dark past behind him, only to return to his old ways when he meets a girl who is under the control of Russian gangsters. The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Image and Synopsis Courtesy IMDB [xiii]

In its opening weekend (Sept. 26-28, 2014) The Equalizer opened number one at the box office, earning $34,137,828 to its $55 million budget. Now in its ninth week, the film has made $190,173,178 internationally as of December 1, 2014. [xiv]

Fury
Fury, starring Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, and Shia LaBeouf, tells the tale of an Army Sergeant nicknamed Wardaddy (Pitt) who commands a Sherman tank with a five-man crew against amazing odds in an attempt to cripple Nazi Germany. The film is written and directed by David Ayer.

Image and Synopsis Courtesy IMDB [xv]

Opening number one at the box office, Fury made $23,702,421 to its $68 million budget during its opening weekend (Oct. 17-19, 2014). Going through its seventh week in theaters, Fury has made $171,707,000 internationally as of December 1, 2014. [xvi] On Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, 2014, the movie was free at Regal and AMC Theaters for all current personnel or veterans with a valid I.D. [xvii]

Ghostbusters (30th Anniversary Re-Release)
To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the 1984 classic, Ghostbusters was back in theaters beginning August 29, 2014. [xviii] It tells the story of three parapsychology professors struggling for work who decide to open up a ghost removal business. It stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Sigourney Weaver. It is directed by Ivan Reitman. [xix]

Image Credit Fandango.com [xx]

The re-release opened at fifteenth its opening weekend (August 29-31, 2014), making $1,756,513. It closed on September 18, 2014, despite being advertised as only being open for one week. During this time, it made $3,580,343. This makes the film’s total lifetime gross $242,212,467 as of December 1, 2014. [xxi]

In Other News:

In early November, Columbia Pictures requested to a Florida federal court that its anti-piracy policies be kept secret. The information on these policies is now in a closed case between Hotfile, a file-sharing site that closed down in 2013, and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). [xxii] Columbia is insisting that if this information were released, it would render the company incapable to protect its copyrighted works. This comes after U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled that the information is in the public interest and should be released. [xxiii]

Image Courtesy Dailytech [xxvi]

On November 24, 2014, hackers took control of Sony’s computer systems. A group claiming to be the hackers then criticized Sony CEO Michael Lynton in a tweet, calling him “a criminal.” [xxiv] Since then, versions of five films belonging to Sony Pictures have been released online: Annie, Fury, Still Alice, Mr. Turner, and To Write Love on Her Arms. Of those five films, only Fury has been released in theaters, but even that film hasn’t had a DVD release yet. These films are already reported to have been illegally downloaded hundreds of thousands of times. [xxv] Sony has since hired Mandiant Forensics Unit to clean up the attack, and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations has begun looking into the incident. Sony has been looking to see if the attack was perpetrated by North Korea-backed hackers in retaliation to the upcoming release of the movie, The Interview, which is a comedy about an attempt to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. [xxvii]

What’s To Come:

Annie

Image Courtesy IMDB [xxix]

One of the films leaked from the hack, Annie will be released in theaters on December 19, 2014. Starring Quvenzhane Wallis, Jamie Foxx, and Cameron Diaz, this musical film tells of a young foster kid (Wallis) who toughs out the hard knock life of New York City in 2014. While it will be competing against Disney‘s Into The Woods, the film is predicted to make about $95 million. [xxviii]

The Interview

Image Courtesy IMDB [xxxi]

To be released on Christmas Day, December 25, 2014, The Interview is the latest comedy co-directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Starring Rogen and James Franco, the film is about journalist Dave Skylark and producer Aaron Rapoport from the popular TV show Skylark Tonight as they are hired by the CIA to assassinate Kim Jong Un. It is predicted to make $90 million. [xxx]

[i] Columbia Pictures Logo. Retrieved 11/29/2014.
[ii] Sony Pictures Contacts. Retrieved 11/29/2014.
[iii] Sony/Columbia Executives. Retrieved 11/29/2014.
[iv] History of Columbia Pictures. Retrieved 11/29/2014.
[v] Sony Divisions. Retrieved 11/29/2014.
[vi] Sony Financials Q2 FY14. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[vii] Sony Financials Q2 FY13. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[viii] Sony Financials Q2 FY14. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[vix] Sony Predictions. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[x] Columbia Films 2014. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xi] 22 Jump Street Info. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xii] 22 Jump Street Box Office. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xiii] The Equalizer Info. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xiv] The Equalizer Box Office. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xv] Fury Info. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xvi] Fury Box Office. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xvii] Fury Free for Veterans 11/11. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xviii] Ghostbusters Re-release Info. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xix] Ghostbusters Info. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xx] Ghostbusters Re-release Poster. Retrieved 11/30/2014.
[xxi] Ghostbusters Re-Release Box Office. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxii] Hotfile Shuts Down. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxiii] Columbia Anti-Piracy Case. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxiv] Hackers take Sony. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxv] Sony Movies Leaked. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxvi] Hackers Call Out Lynton on Twitter. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxvii] Sony Responds to Hack. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxviii] Annie Info. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxiv] Annie Poster. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxx] The Interview Info. Retrieved 12/1/2014.
[xxxi] The Interview Poster. Retrieved 12/1/2014.

Relativity Media

Posted on October 5, 2014 by jlspivac

Relativity Media Logo[1*]

by Jeff Spivack

HISTORY

Founded in 2004 by industry icon Ryan Kavanaugh, Relativity Media produces and distributes film, television, music, sports, and fashion globally. The company’s diverse portfolio and nontraditional business model distinguish it amongst its competitors. For the first five years of its existence, Relativity Media was primarily a finance and film funding company, without an actual studio or film producing division.[1] In January of 2009, Relativity Media acquired Rogue Pictures from Universal Pictures for $150 mil and in doing so, became a fully outfitted movie studio. From this point on, the studio began producing its own films in its own studios, adding more films to its release schedule each successive year.[2] In an effort to further expand their operation, in 2010 the company took over the 45-person marketing and distribution team of Starz’s Overture Films.[3] To date, Relativity Media’s film studios have produced and distributed over 30 films. The company has continuously grown, and has built a varied and multi-faceted business that delves into a number fringe markets, though in recent years analysts have remarked that Relativity’s performance may be slacking. 2014 marks the company’s ten year anniversary.[4]

Key Executives

Ryan+Kavanaugh+November+Man+Premieres+Hollywood+qlYI0FI9yDal

Relativity Media Founder and CEO Ryan Kavanaugh[2*]

The founder and CEO of Relativity Media, Ryan Kavanaugh, quickly and unexpectedly rose to prominence in the industry. His first notable accomplishments came in the form of successful and original film financing arrangements which he organized for Universal, Warner Bros., Sony, and other film studios. Early in his career, industry pundits thought he might have an early retirement given a DUI and probation violation he acquired during his initial successes, but he quickly turned things around and has been scandal free for the past few years.[5] In founding Relativity Media in 2004 with Lynwood Spinks, Kavanaugh managed his company in a way that is often compared to the analytical methods exhibited in the film “Moneyball”.[6] Kavanaugh is often the recipient of industry awards and accolades for his original approach and unmitigated success. In addition to his professional successes, Kavanaugh has participated in major philanthropic pursuits, founding several charitable organizations and committing large donations to charities that focus on children such as The Art Of Elysium.[7]

Relativity Media President Tucker Tooley[3*]

President of Relativity Media, Tucker Tooley, joined the staff in 2007 as the President of Worldwide Production. Before accepting a position at Relativity Media, Tooley had extensive film industry experience, previously working as president of Tooley Productions as well as Creative Executive at Interlight Productions.[8] In 2011 Tooley became the President at Relativity Media and has since been the producer and executive producer of some of Relativity’s most successful films. He also played a large part in the company’s 2009 transition from film financier to film studio and will be a major player during the studio’s eventual IPO.[9]

Financials

Relativity media has participated in the financing, distribution, or structuring of over 200 films. As of 2014, box office revenue has generated over $17 billion worldwide for the company. Much of the relatively small film studio’s success can be attributed to its performance in foreign markets.[10] Relativity Media’s most successful release to date was the 2011 Immortals, which grossed $84 million domestically and $143 million in foreign markets.[11] Theatrical releases account for only 60% of Relativity’s revenue, indicating a highly diversified revenue stream. The company will continue this campaign and plans to have 50% of its revenue coming from alternate sources by next year[12]

Initial Public Offering

Relativity Media’s IPO preparations[4*]

Beyond its slate of film releases this year, Relativity has made substantial steps towards a planned upcoming IPO by attempting to raise capital and grow its business through acquisitions, such as its $1.1 billion bid for Makers Studios which it eventually lost to a competing bid by the Walt Disney Company. Sources believe that the planned IPO will value the company somewhere between $6 billion and $10 billion. CEO Ryan Kavanaugh’s strategy for the IPO preparation is one of diversification, which he hopes will entice investors by offsetting the volatile nature of film markets.[13]

Additionally, Relativity has made strategic partnerships with multiple Chinese companies, and has publicly suggested that it may list its stock in both New York and Hong Kong. Its largest partnership will be with Chinese broadcaster, Jiangsu, with which Relativity will co-finance, produce, and distribute translatable content for both economies.[14] Kavanaugh stated the following in regards to his recent dealings in China.

We view China as being as important as the United States for Relativity. We’ve put a big bet on China, and the partnerships we announced today will further strengthen the robust foundation we have built in China.[15]

Other moves, such as plans to refinance their debt and the hiring of attorney Carol Genis make it clear that Relativity Media will likely go public within the next 12 months. Below, Kavanaugh explains his decision to hire Carol Genis.[16]

I have worked closely with Carol for more than a decade, relying on her sound counsel. She is an incredibly talented executive with an intimate understanding of our business and her experience and insight will prove vital as we prepare for an IPO[16.5]

Kavanaugh Hires New Staff[5*]

Theatrical Releases

Relativity Media’s 2013 season was less then desirable, returning only $242, releasing a total of 9 films by the end of the year.[17] Jason Dietz from Metacritic.com, a film performance rating site, had this to say about Relativity’s 2013 season.

Relatively speaking, Relativity performed horribly with critics in 2013, earning negative notices for more than half of its releases. The studio did score some hits, none bigger than the Nicholas Sparks adaptation Safe Haven, which grossed nearly $100 million worldwide against a $28 million budget. But there were also numerous duds, including animated family film Free Birds, drama Out of the Furnace, and thriller misfire Paranoia[18]

Relativity released 7 new films during the 2014 season, commanding 2.0% of the market share. As of November 30th, Relativity’s total gross for the 2014 season amounts to $181 million. Below are Relativity Media’s 2014 releases in descending order of highest grossing to lowest grossing. Hold your cursor over the movie poster to see the film’s Box Office gross. Click the poster to read a synopsis and access cast and crew information about the film on IMDb.com[19]

The Releases

Earth To Echo[6*]

3 Days To Kill[7*]

Oculus[8*]

Best Of Me[9*]

The November Man[10*]

Brick Mansions[11*]

Beyond The Lights[12*]

References

[1] About Us. Retrieved November 24, 2014, from http://www.relativitymedia.com/About.aspx

[2] Cieply, M. (2009, January 4). Universal Sells Rogue for $150 Million. The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/05/business/media/05rogue.html?_r=1&

[3] Finke, N. (2010, July 23). Relativity Takes Over Overture from Starz. Retrieved November 24, 2014, from http://deadline.com/2010/07/relativity-takes-over-overture-from-starz-56058/

[4] Riley, J. (2014, May 6). Relativity Media Celebrates 10th Anniversary (VIDEO). Retrieved November 25, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/film/spotlight/relativity-media-celebrates-10th-anniversary-video-1201172992/

[5] About Us. Retrieved November 24, 2014, from http://www.relativitymedia.com/About.aspx

[6] Pomerantz, D. (2013, May 6). Why Ryan Kavanaugh Is Now The Most-Watched Man In Hollywood. Retrieved November 25, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2013/04/17/why-ryan-kavanaugh-is-now-the-most-watched-man-in-hollywood/

[7]Philanthropy. Retrieved November 25, 2014, from http://www.relativitymedia.com/Philanthropy.aspx

[8] Tucker Tooley. Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=118221022&privcapId=24439893

[9] About Us. Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://www.relativitymedia.com/About.aspx

[10] About Us. Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://www.relativitymedia.com/About.aspx

[11] Immortals. Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=warofgods.htm

[12] Atkinson, C. (2014, June 12). Relativity Media to close $1B pre-IPO funding. New York Post. Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://nypost.com/2014/06/12/relativity-media-to-close-1b-pre-ipo-funding/

[13] Sakoui, A., & Erlichman, J. (2014, April 14). Relativity Media Sends offer for Makers Studios Over Disney. Retrieved November 27, 2013, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-14/relativity-media-sends-offer-for-maker-studios-over-disney-s.html

[14] Sakoui, A., & Erlichman, J. (2014, June 19). Relativity Media Plans to Raise Capital Ahead of Planned IPO. Retrieved November 7, 2014, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-19/relativity-media-plans-to-raise-capital-ahead-of-planned-ipo.html

[15] Coonan, C. (n.d.). Relativity CEO Ryan Kavanaugh: ‘China Is Just as Important to Us as the U.S.’ Retrieved December 1, 2014, from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/relativity-ceo-ryan-kavanaugh-china-712036

[16] Mcnary, D. (2014, September 2). Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Continues Prepping for IPO, Taps Managing Director. Retrieved November 27, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/film/news/ryan-kavanaughs-relativity-ipo-managing-director-1201296042/

[16.5] Mcnary, D. (2014, September 2). Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Continues Prepping for IPO, Taps Managing Director. Retrieved November 27, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/film/news/ryan-kavanaughs-relativity-ipo-managing-director-1201296042/

[17] Studio Market Share. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://boxofficemojo.com/studio/?view2=yearly&view=company&p=.htm

[18] Dietz, J. (2014, January 23). Metacritic’s 5th Annual Movie Studio Report Card. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://www.metacritic.com/feature/film-studio-rankings-2014

[19] Relativity. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/yr=2013&view=company&studio=relativity.htm

Image Sources

[1*]Snider, M. (2012, May 22). Relativity Media Logo. Retrieved November 30, 2014, from http://www.geekfore.com/?attachment_id=1987

[2*] “The November Man” Premiers in Hollywood. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2014, from http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/aOUGAlyXxtJ/November Man Premieres Hollywood/qlYI0FI9yDa/Ryan Kavanaugh

[3*] Huver, S. Tucker Tooley Helps Stars Make it Big Read more at http://la-confidential-magazine.com/living/articles/its-all-relativity#KXq4xRUfDqI5bB4u.99. Retrieved November 30, 2014, from http://la-confidential-magazine.com/living/articles/its-all-relativity

[4*] Atkinson, C. (2014, June 12). Relativity Media to close $1B pre-IPO funding. New York Post. Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://nypost.com/2014/06/12/relativity-media-to-close-1b-pre-ipo-funding/

[5*] Mcnary, D. (2014, September 2). Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Continues Prepping for IPO, Taps Managing Director. Retrieved November 27, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/film/news/ryan-kavanaughs-relativity-ipo-managing-director-1201296042/

[6*] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2183034/

[7*] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2172934/?ref_=fn_al_tt_7

[8*] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2388715/?ref_=nv_sr_1

[9*] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972779/?ref_=nv_sr_1

[10*] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2402157/?ref_=nv_sr_1

[11*] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1430612/?ref_=nv_sr_1

[12*] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3125324/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Columbia Pictures

Posted on October 5, 2014 by jvelez03

by Javier Vélez

Columbia Pictures

Courtesy of fortune.com (a)

Contact Information: (b)

Address: 10202 W. Washington Blvd.

Culver City, CA 90232

Phone: 310-244-4000

http://www.sonypictures.com/

Key Executives: (c)

Doug Belgrad (President)

Robert Osher (COO of Columbia Pictures)

Hannah Minghella (President of Production)

Michael De Luca (President of Production)

About Columbia Pictures:

Rita Hayworth Courtesy of: Fanpop.com

The production studio known today as Columbia Pictures was founded in 1918 by Joe Brandt and brothers Jack and Harry Cohn. Originally named Cohn-Brandt-Cohn Film Sales, the company became Columbia Pictures in 1924. During the Hollywood Golden Age, Columbia had many stars of the era under contract, such as Rita Hayworth and William Holden, and became a major player in the movie business thanks to the productions of director Frank Capra.(d) In 1982, the company was bought by Coca-Cola, and in 1989 Sony purchased it for $3.4 billion.(e) Columbia Pictures is currently the film production and distribution division of Sony Picture’s Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, part of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a Sony subsidiary.(f) The most recent movement at the executive level occurred on July 16, 2014, when Doug Belgrad was promoted to president of the Sony Motion Picture Group. (g)

Financials:

Columbia Pictures, and its parent company Sony Pictures Entertainment, are privately traded.(h) The company has had notable releases in the last few years, including box office successes such as Skyfall and the Spider-Man franchise. From its 853 films produced or distributed for Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures releases have grossed $31,650,056,784, an average of $37 million per film.(i) In 2014, Columbia Pictures has held a 13.0% market share as of November 23.(j)

The Amazing Spider-Man Courtesy of Boxofficemojo.com

Columbia Pictures Success:

At the 2014 Oscars, films distributed by Columbia Pictures received 16 nominations. American Hustle received 10 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Director. It won two Oscars, Jennifer Lawrence for Best Supporting Actress and David O. Russell & Eric Warren Singer for Best Original Screenplay. (k)

American Hustle poster Courtesy of: Forbes.com

The other Columbia release that received Oscar Nominations was Captain Phillips. Of the six nominations received, the most noteworthy were for Best Picture and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for first-time actor Barkhad Abdi. The film did not win any Academy Awards.

The stars of Captain Phillips, Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi Courtesy of aceshowbiz.com

Columbia Pictures Presents:

Columbia Pictures has produced and/or distributed 17 films in 2014. Between superhero films, action films, and comedies, among others, the studio has released some of the most well-received films of the year by audiences.

During the summer, Columbia Pictures produced the sequel to 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”, starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Jamie Foxx. The movie was released on May 2, 2014 in 4,324 theaters, grossing $110,700,722 in its first week. It went on to have a successful run in theaters, grossing over $200 million domestically and over $505 million in foreign markets, for a worldwide gross of $708, 983, 323 against a budget of $200 million. (l) In China, the movie was released in 11,002 theaters, a record amount of screens. (m) The film was not as big a hit with critics, receiving mixed reviews. (n)

Teaser Poster for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Courtesy of: Boxofficemojo.com

Another high-profile release in the summer of 2014 was 22 Jump Street, the sequel to 2012’s critical and commercial hit, 21 Jump Street. The movie, which pokes fun at conventional sequels, starred the buddy cop team of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as they move on from high school to college.

It was released on June 13, 2014, and went on to gross $191 million domestically, making up its $50 million budget. Internationally, the film made $131 million, for a total worldwide gross of $331 million. It was also well-received by critics, obtaining a 84% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. (o) (p)

Now Playing:

The Equalizer poster Courtesy of: IMDB.com

After the summer blockbuster season, Columbia Pictures has released two films that have been well-received by audiences. The first is “The Equalizer”, an action film directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington as a retired government official who must save an innocent girl from Russian gangsters. The film was released on September 26, 2014. (q) It is adapted from a TV series of the same name that aired on CBS from 1985 to 1989. (r) This is Fuqua’s and Denzel’s first film together since Training Day, for which Denzel won an Academy Award for Best Actor. The film opened its box office run with a $45 million gross its first week, opening in first place. It went on to gross $99 million domestically and $90 million in international sales, for a worldwide gross of around $190 million against a budget of $55 million. (s) The film received mixed-to-positive reviews. (t)

The other film Columbia has released in the fall is “Fury”, a World War II tank movie starring Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, and Logan Lerman, written and directed by David Ayer. The movie deals with a tank unit behind enemy lines during the latter stages of the war and presents, with unflinching reality, the brutalities of war. (u) The film was released on October 17, 2014 and opened in first place at the box office with a $33 million gross its first week. “Fury” is still in theaters, and as of November 28, 2014 has grossed approximately $81 million domestically and $74 million globally, good for a total gross of $155 million against a budget of $68 million. For the week of November 21-27, the film’s sixth week, “Fury” was still in the top 10 highest grossing films of the week. (v) (w) The film has been well-received by critics, holding a 78% “Certified Fresh” Rotten Tomatoes rating. (x)

Future:

Annie (2014) poster Courtesy of: IMDB.com

Columbia Pictures plans to take advantage of the holiday season, distributing two films. The first is a modern re-telling of the musical “Annie”,produced by Jay-Z and starring Jamie Foxx and Quvenzhané Wallis. The movie will be released on December 19, 2014. The comedy-musical will look to appeal to a broad audience. (y)

Another film being distributed in December by Columbia Pictures is the comedy “The Interview”. The controversial film (z) stars James Franco and Seth Rogen as a TV presenter and his producer, respectively, who are sent to North Korea to kill Kim Jong-un. The film will be released on December 25, 2014, and will look to appeal to mature audiences on Christmas Day. (aa)

Movies to be distributed and/or produced by Columbia Pictures in the following years include a Neill Blomkamp film titled Chappie, an Angry Birds movie, and spin-offs of the Amazing Spider-Man franchise. (bb) Also in production is the next installment in the Bond franchise, with the working title of Bond 24. The film will once again be helmed by “Skyfall” director Sam Mendes and will star Daniel Craig as the titular 007 agent and Christoph Waltz as a Bond villain. It is yet to be seen how production of these and other Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures films will be altered by the November 24, 2014 hacks on their worldwide computer networks. Recent releases like “Fury” and soon-to-be-released features like “Annie” were leaked by this attack. (cc) (dd)

Sources:

(a) Columbia Pictures information on Fortune.com
(b) Columbia Pictures contact information on Yahoo! Finance
(c) Columbia Pictures senior management
(d) Columbia Pictures history
(e) Yahoo! Finance company profile
(f) Sony Entertainment Divisions
(g) Doug Belgrad promoted to president
(h) Google Company Summary
(i) Sony/Columbia All-Time Box Office
(j) Studio Market Share
(k) American Hustle at the Oscars
(l) Amazing Spider-Man 2 Box Office results
(m) Amazing Spider-Man 2 at the Chinese box office
(n) Amazing Spider-Man 2 Critical Reception
(o) 22 Jump Street Box Office results
(p) 22 Jump Street Critical Reception
(q) The Equalizer IMDB information
(r) The Equalizer Remake Information
(s) The Equalizer Box Office results
(t) The Equalizer Critical Reception
(u) Fury IMDB information
(v) Fury Box Office summary
(w) Fury Box Office weekly
(x) Fury Critical Reception
(y) Annie IMDB information
(z) The Interview controversy with North Korea
(aa) The Interview IMDB information
(bb) Amazing Spider-Man franchise spin-offs
(cc) Hackers paralyze Sony computers
(dd) Sony films are released online illegally

Columbia Pictures

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Alexander Hill

By Alexander Hill

10202 West Washington Boulevard,

Culver City, California 90232

Key Executives [1]

Michael Lynton
Chairmen and CEO

Amy Pascal
Co-Chairmen

David Hendler
Senior Executive Vice President and CFO

Michael Deluca
President, Production
Columbia Pictures

Charles Sipkins
Executive Vice President and CCO

History:

Two brothers, Jack and Harry Cohn, and their partner Joe Brandt founded Columbia Pictures in 1918. The studio was originally named Cohn-Brandt-Cohn Film Sales, before officially becoming Columbia Pictures in 1925. Over the following decades the film company would be propelled into the Hollywood spotlight, developing a national following and becoming one of the major film studios in America. The company would be sold to the Coca-Cola Company in 1982, before becoming an individual entity known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment under Tri-Star in 1987. In 1989 for a reported $3.4 billion [2], the Sony Corporation of Japan and its board approved the purchase of Columbia Pictures Entertainment, a move that would have a long-lasting impact on the future of the company. [3]

Financials:

Columbia Pictures, and Sony Pictures Entertainment are both privately traded companies. After the initial purchase of Columbia, there were some financial woes for Sony after a series of poor box office results during the early 90’s. More recently the studio has had a number of successes with the Spiderman and James Bond franchises, Hitch, and Hancock just to name a few. Columbia Pictures operates under the much broader Sony Pictures Entertainment and Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, and often works with other studios when producing films. This upcoming year Columbia plans to release two sequels (The Amazing Spiderman 2, and 22 Jump Street), whose predecessors grossed over $900,000,000 combined worldwide. [4][5]

Recent Releases:

American Hustle (2013)
Budget: $40,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $251,171,807 [6]

By far the biggest success recently for the studio is critically acclaimed film “American Hustle”. The film racked up 10 Academy Award Nominations, although it failed to bring home a single award against a stacked field that included “12 Years a Slave”, “Wolf of Wall Street”, and “Gravity” just to name a few. The plot follows con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), and his redheaded girlfriend (Amy Adams), as they work with an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) to fool a group of politicians, and mafia members. The star-studded cast, and clever script made American Hustle extremely profitable for the studio, garnering over $150 million domestically. [7]

The Monuments Men (2014)
Budget: $70,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $155,118,847 [8]

Part of the 2014 slate of movies for Columbia Pictures, “The Monuments Men” follows a group of American soldiers penetrating Nazi lines to recover precious artwork. The film is based on an actual group of soldiers and was developed in large part by George Clooney who was extremely invested in the production, in which he wrote, directed, and starred. Originally planned to release in 2013, the film was pushed back to 2014 due to a number of technically difficulties. It was greeted by mediocre reviews, and fairly lackluster box office results. [9][10]

RoboCop (2014)
Budget: $100,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $241,279,202 [11]

A reboot of the 1987 franchise, RoboCop returned in 2014 with actor Joel Kinnaman behind the robotic mask. With an enormous budget of $100 million the film failed to impress in the United States, bringing in a very low $57 million. This number may have come as a surprise to the studio who expected to see many old fans of the franchise return for the remake. The film opened just one week after the “Lego Movie”, and the stiff competition may have impacted the films earnings. Despite disappointing domestic totals, the film did manage to gain some traction overseas and was extremely popular in the UK and other parts of Europe. It is till unclear whether or not a sequel will be produced, but with the films international success it is certainly a possibility. [12][13]

Upcoming Releases

The Amazing Spider Man 2
Release Date: May 2nd, 2014
Trailer

In 2012, the studio released “The Amazing Spider Man” which drew in over $700 million worldwide. After the huge success of the Spider Man trilogy which featured Tobey Maguire, the franchise returned with Andrew Garfield in the title role. In just under 2 weeks Spidey will return to the United States, and should be the years largest draw for the studio. The film was already released internationally in some areas, and grossed $47 million in its first weekend; a number which is higher than the “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” opening in similar regions. Captain America currently sits atop the box office rankings for the second straight week, but Spider Man is looking poised to make a run at that position upon release. [14][15]

22 Jump Street
Release Date: July 13th, 2014
Trailer

In addition to doing a second Spider Man, Columbia Pictures is slated to release the sequel to “21 Jump Street” in 2014. “22 Jump Street” will see the duo of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum return in hopes of topping their $200 million dollar success back in 2012. The last film had Hill and Tatum attending high school, but they’ve moved on to college for the sequel which is sure to draw back the young audience they targeted the first time around who may have moved on to college themselves. [16][17]

Future of Columbia Pictures

As Columbia Pictures enters 2014 they seem to be focused on recreating and building upon already established brands. With two sequels headlining their summer release schedule,and reboots continuously showing large profits for the studio don’t expect their formula to change anytime soon. Also noteworthy is Sony Picture Entertainments recent interest in turning its existing video game titles into movies. Rumors have been circulation around the internet that a Sonic the Hedgehog movie could be in the works from Columbia, and this could be the first of many video games Sony sends to the production company as they continue to be one of the industries most vertically integrated corporations.

Sources

[1] Sony Pictures Entertainment Executives – Sony Pictures
[2] 1989 Article on Sony Purchase of Columbia – The New York Times
[3] History of Columbia – Sony Pictutes
[4] Google Finance: Columbia Pictures – google.com/finance
[5] Columbia Pictures – Box Office Mojo
[6] American Hustle – Box Office Mojo
[7] American Hustle – IMDB
[8] Monuments Men – Box Office Mojo
[9] Push Back of Monuments Men – Grantland
[10] Monuments Men – IMDB
[11] RoboCop – Box Office Mojo
[12] RoboCop Opening Weekend – Variety
[13] RoboCop – IMDB
[14] The Amazing Spider Man 2 Opening Weekend – Forbes
[15] The Amazing Spider Man 2 – IMDB
[16] 21 Jump Street – Box Office Mojo
[17] 22 Jump Street – IMDB

Photo Sources

Columbia Logo (courtesy truthcontrol.com)
Michael Lynton (courtesy sonypictures.com)
Amy Pascal (courtesy sonypictures.com)
David Hendler (courtesy sonypictures.com)
Michael Deluca (courtesy sonypictures.com)
Charles Sipkuns (courtesy sonypictures.com)
American Hustle Poster – (courtesy boxofficemojo.com)
Monuments Men Poster – (courtesy boxofficemojo.com)
RoboCop Poster – (courtesy boxofficemojo.com)
The Amazing Spider Man 2 Poster – (courtesy sonypictures.com)
22 Jump Street Poster – (courtesy sonypictures.com)

Columbia Pictures

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Lillian Terzis

By Lily Terzis

(1) Columbia Pictures Logo, featuring a woman carrying a torch, representing Columbia, who is a personification of the United States.

Headquarters
10202 W. Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA
90232

Contact Information
Phone: 310-244-4000
URL: sonypictures.com

Key Executives

Robert Osher, Chief Operating Officer of Columbia Pictures (3)

Doug Belgrad, President of Columbia Pictures (2)

About the Company

Columbia Pictures is a production and distribution company founded in 1924 by Jack Cohn, Harry Cohn, and Joe Brandt. It is currently owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, operating as part of Sony’s Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, through which Sony produces most of its big budget movies. Considered one of the leading film studios in the world, Columbia Pictures is one of Hollywood’s “Big Six”, distributing over 22 films yearly in the United States alone. Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group operations are located in six other countries: Columbia Pictures Producciones Espanolas in Madrid; Columbia Pictures Producciones Mexico in Mexico City; Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia in Hong Kong; and others in the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Japan (16).

Top Competitors

Warner Brothers Entertainment Inc (6)
Walt Disney Studios (6)
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (6)

History

(4) Frank Capra, a well known director for Columbia Pictures

During the Golden Age of of Hollywood, Columbia Pictures was considered one of the ‘Little Three’. Much of their earlier success can be accredited to director Frank Capra, who created Columbia’s first all “talkie” feature, titled “The Donovan Affair”. His film ‘It Happened One Night’ earned Columbia their first Best Picture Academy Award and brought the studio to fame. In the mid ’40’s, Columbia released their highest-grossing movie ever, “The Jolson Story”. This earned them another Best Picture award as well as marked the beginning of their most profitable decade (5).
.

Columbia Pictures joined with HBO and CBS to form TriStar Pictures in 1985 (7)

.
In 1982, Columbia was bought by Coca Cola. This was a lucrative time for the company as they expanded into other forms of entertainment, such as home video. Three years later, Columbia joined with HBO and CBS to make the first new motion picture studio in decades, TriStar Pictures. This major studio was the had the fastest growth in the history of the film industry.

Sony Corporation purchased Columbia Pictures in 1989 for $3.2 billion (5). This purchase was unprecedented, and was, at that time, the largest acquisition by a Japanese company. Columbia Pictures has been gaining success ever since.

Finances

Columbia Pictures does not make its finances known to the public. It is not a publicly traded company, its parent company Sony, is traded under the name SNE at $18.51 a share. Columbia and Sony Pictures together have grossed $1,065.8 million this year alone, and control 11.4% of the market share (21). They are currently ranked as the number 4 studio by Box Office Mojo, just under Buena Vista.

Recent Releases

Movie Poster for “Captain Phillips” (8)

Captain Phillips
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: October 11, 2013
Production Budget: $55 Million

“Captain Phillips” is a true story about an American cargo ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates and was a hugely successful film, its widest release in 3,143 theaters. Despite the competitively successful “Gravity” released at a similar time, the film is doing very well. So far, it has grossed over $97,820,373 domestically, which is much more than its budget. Its opening weekend, it was ranked number 2 at the box office (9).

You can find the trailer for this film HERE
.

Poster for the movie “Elysium” (11)

Elysium
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: August 9, 2013
Production Budget: $115 Million

“Elysium” is a film about the future, where the wealthy live on a space ship and the poor must live on the destroyed earth. The main character’s mission is to create equality. The film’s domestic total gross so far is $92,947,675, but its foreign gross is $192,007,963. Its widest release was to 3,284 theaters and ranked number 1 its opening weekend (10).

You can find the trailer for this film HERE
.

Movie Poster for “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” (20)

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: September 27, 2013
Production Budget: $78 million

“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2” is an animated movie for children. It features the voices of some celebrities, like Anna Faris, Andy Samburg, and Neil Patrick Harris. This was a highly successful film for Columbia, grossing $34,017, 930 domestically its opening weekend in 4,001 theaters. It was immediately ranked number 1 at the box office. So far, the film has made almost double its budget, grossing $113,125,418 domestically as of November 18th (19).

You can find the trailer for this film HERE.

Upcoming Releases

Movie poster for “American Hustle” (12)

American Hustle
MPAA Rating: Not yet rated
Release Date: December 13, 2013

“American Hustle” is about a con man and his partner, a British woman, who are forced to work for the FBI. This film is expected to do well at the box office. It has a lot of star power, as the cast is made up of Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Louis CK, and Christian Bale (12). This film is generating a lot of buzz as it is soon to show at its first film festival, the Dubai International Film Festival, or DIFF.
.
You can find the trailer for this film HERE.

Movie Poster for “The Amazing Spider-Man” (13)

The Amazing Spider-Man 2
MPAA Rating: Not yet rated
Release Date: May 2, 2014

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is starring Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, and Jamie Foxx. It is being produced by Matthew Tolmach, who is a previous co-president of Columbia Pictures (14). Columbia Pictures has had a huge amount of success with the Spider-man franchise. Working with Marvel, Columbia also plans to release an IMAX 3D version (15).

.
.

Recent News

In 2012, Sony released that it had made over $4 billion worldwide, mostly in part to Columbia’s successful films, including “Skyfall“, “The Amazing Spider-Man“, “21 Jump Street“, “Men in Black 3“, and “Hotel Transylvania“. The Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group now has a motion picture library with over 3,500 titles with 12 Best Picture Academy Awards. Currently, Columbia plans to continue creating big budget box office hits and gaining large profits for Sony Pictures Entertainment. In the upcoming 2014-2015 year, the studio plans to create some sequels to their previously successful films, such as “Bad Teacher 2“, “Hotel Transylvania 2” and “22 Jump Street” (16). Columbia is also looking to produce some Oscar contenders, like “Annie“, a modern telling of the classic musical. It is set to be released in 2014, and stars Quvenzhane Wallis who was nominated for an Oscar for her acting in “Beasts of the Southern Wild” (17).

Recently, Columbia’s parent company Sony has not been doing so well. This year, they were ranked fourth in domestic box-office sales, and gained a revenue of $1.13 billion, which is down 32% from last year. They are undergoing many changes, especially after some box office flops like “White House Down” and “After Earth” (18). They are reportedly reviewing their process for how movies are selected and are looking to cut costs.

Sources

[1] Columbia Pictures Logo
[2] Doug Belgrad
[3] Robert Osher
[4] Frank Capra
[5] History of the studio
[6] Top Competitors
[7] TriStar Logo
[8] Image for Captain Phillips
[9] Movie info Captain Phillips
[10] Elysium info
[11] Elysium Poster
[12] American Hustle Poster and Info
[13] Amazing Spiderman Poster
[14] Spiderman Producer
[15] Spiderman Info
[16] Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group
[17] Annie
[18] Sony Finances
[19] Cloudy Chance of Meatballs Info
[20] Cloudy Chance of Meatballs Poster
[21] Financial Information Columbia and Sony

Columbia Pictures

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Matthew Fernandes

By Matthew Fernandes

Columbia Pictures Logo – Columbia Pictures [1]

Columbia Pictures is a major film production and distribution studio, and primary wing of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. The company is a leading division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. With a history spanning nearly 100 years Columbia has produced over 3,500 films, many among them classics [23].

Columbia Pictures Logo Transformation

Columbia, Screen Gems and Sony Picture Entertainment Logos [4]

Columbia’s History

Beginnings

Harry Cohn [2]

Columbia has a long history, beginning in 1922 with producers Harry Cohn, Jack Cohn and Joe Brandt [2].

Joe Brandt [2]

Jack Cohn [2]

They had originally called the company CBC, but changed the name to Columbia in 1922. They produced their first film More to Be Pitied Than Scorned that same year [2].

Film Poster [3]

Capra and the 30s

In 1924, the company really began to expand with the debut of director Frank Capra [2]. Capra directed such classic films during the ’30s as It Happened One Night (1934), which gained Columbia Pictures its first Best Picture Academy Award. [2]

Frank Capra: Director [2]

Fast-forward: 1980s-present

Columbia grew quickly following Capra’s success, earning several academy awards, becoming one of the first major studios to invest in television [2], and launching Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment. In 1982, the company established an impressive television library with Columbia TriStar Television [2]. The next year, Columbia formed TriStar Pictures with CBS and HBO [2].

In 1989 the Sony Corporation purchased Columbia Pictures Corporation, bringing Columbia into its entertainment division. [2] Since then, the company has had several major successes. They continue to dominate, but more as a film distributor and production studio for Sony’s major films [20]. The executives for Sony and Columbia Pictures provide key leadership.

Executives

Michael Lynton [5]

Though not a direct member of the Columbia Pictures executive team, Michael Lynton is the CEO of Sony Entertainment, as well as the Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. As chairman, overseeing Columbia’s operations. [5]

Doug Belgrad – sonypictures.com [6]

Since 2008, Doug Belgrad has served as the president of Columbia Pictures [6]. Since then, he has overseen some of Columbia’s most recent successes such as Captain Phillips and This is the End.

Hannah Minghella – sonypictures.com [7]

Hannah Minghella serves as Columbia’s President of Production, having joined the company in 2005 and receiving a promotion to her current position in 2010 [7].

Together, Columbia’s management has guided the company through varied amounts of success [5]. Columbia works directly under Sony Picture Entertainment for its productions distribution, distribution deals, and financial ventures.

Financials

Columbia is privately traded, so current financial data is unavailable [21]. However, Box Office Mojo estimates that Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment have earned over $1 billion in gross sales this year, and controlled 11.5 percent of the market share [22]. Despite some recent successes, Columbia Pictures experienced some criticism. According to a recent Bloomberg article, Sony Corporation has hired Bain and Co. to manage $100 million in spending cuts that are meant to improve Sony Pictures Entertainment. The article attributes some of the changes to After Earth and White House Down two recent film releases by Columbia [23].

2013: Snapshot

Like many major production studios, Columbia has many projects in development at any given time, though it has worked mainly as production house and distribution company for Sony over the past few years. The following releases are projects that the company has either released in the past year or recently put into development.

White House Down: Box Office Disappointment

White House Down was one of Columbia’s major releases for the summer. This action thriller stars Channing Tatum a cop who must save his daughter and the United Stated President (played by Jamie Foxx) from an unknown terrorist group. [8]

Film picture – [9]

According to Box Office Mojo, the film brought in over $200 million, but had a production budget of over $150 million [9]. This was surprising given that the film released during the summer and had the makings of a blockbuster. The movie had to compete with a similar film called Olympus Has Fallen starring Morgan Freeman and Gerard Butler, which might have caused a divide in film audiences over which movie to see. Columbia Pictures and Sony might be able to salvage some profit with a home entertainment release since they will most likely retain the rights, but this film seems like a missed opportunity for Columbia Pictures.

Cloudy With Chance of Meatballs 2: A Strong Success

This past fall, Columbia Pictures managed the theatrical release for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. The new film is the sequel to Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, a popular animated film that Columbia Pictures released in 2009 in conjunction with several other studios [11].

This second installment has been a success relative to the summer mishap of White House Down, earning almost $200 million worldwide compared to a budget of $78 million [10]. Columbia Pictures will most likely benefit from a profitable DVD release as well, bringing in more profit after the film closes in theaters.

Captain Phillips

Film Poster [17]

One of Columbia Picture’s most recent leases is Captain Phillips the suspense thriller based on the actual hijacking of Maersk Alabama, which was captured by Somalian pirates in 2009 [12]. Tom Hanks plays the eponymous character Captain Richard Phillips, giving the film some major star power.

Film Photo [12]

The film has done well since its October release nearly doubling its budget of $55 million [13]. Despite critical success for the film, a recent New York Post article criticized it for portraying a false story.

The actual crew of the film has spoken out against the portrayal of Captain Phillips, which they claim to be completely false [14]. The film does not seem to be suffering from this poor press, however. If the film receives any Oscars, it will probably have another wave of sales after its eventual DVD release.

Future Projects

RoboCop

This film is a recreation of the 1987 sci-fi film of the same name. The story follows Alex Murphy, a cop who becomes a machine-human soldier after experiencing a nearly fatal injury [16].

Film Poster [16]

RoboCop Trailer 2013

RoboCop Trailer Photo [15]

The film has some well-known actors, but the real appeal is film’s name itself. Given the popularity of the original character and the film’s President’s Day weekend release date, RoboCop should draw huge audiences for Columbia Pictures.

New Acquisitions

Columbia Pictures has recently been listed as a production studio for some of Sony Picture Entertainment’s most recent acquisitions. One of the most notable acquisitions is Annie, for which Sony gained the film distribution rights this year [18]. The film version of the classic musical is set to release next year.

Columbia has also started developing projects based on the popular novels The Rosie Project and Tomorrow And Tomorrow [19]. Both of these projects are still in development, but will join the slate of films that Columbia is set to produce for the coming year, including The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and RoboCop [18].

Despite some of the financial criticism that Columbia Pictures received for some of its more recent box office disappointments, it is still one of the dominant film studios. And given some of the high-profile film’s on Columbia’s slate for the coming year, it will most likely retain its position as a major entertainment entity.

References

[1] Columbia Pictures logo

[2] Sony Pictures – History of Columbia Pictures

[3] More to be Pitied Than Scorned Film Poster

[4] Transformation of Columbia Logo

[5] Michael Lynton Profile

[6] Doug Belgrad Profile

[7] Hannah Minghella Profile

[8] White House Down Official Site

[9] White House Down Movie Data

[10] Cloudy With a Chance of Meatball 2 Movie Data

[11] Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs IMDB

[12] Captain Phillips Movie Official Website

[13] Captain Phillips Movie Data

[14] “Crew Members Deny Captain Phillips Heroism” – New York Post

[15] RoboCop Official Trailer

[16] RoboCop IMDb

[17] Captain Phillips IMDb

[18] Columbia Pictures Film Distribution List IMDb

[19] Sony Acquires The Rosie Project

[20] Columbia Profi le Business Week

[21] Google Finance For Columbia Pictures

[22] Studio Market Shares

[23] Sony Corporation Divisions – Columbia TriStar

MGM

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Lyndsey Lombard

by Lyndsey Lombard

Image courtesy of articles.latimes.com

10250 Constellation Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90067 310.449.3000 / www.mgm.com

A Brief History

MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) Studios is an American media and entertainment company that produces and distributes films and television programs. It was founded in April 1924 and has been producing classic films since then such as “Rocky,” “West Side Story,” and “The Wizard of Oz.” While the company has not been producing as many movies independently after coming back from bankruptcy in 2010, it still is responsible for distributing many recent popular films [1]. MGM currently has a distribution deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment, which allowed it to distribute the most recent Bond movie, “Skyfall” [2]. Some of the current films MGM has co-produced are “The Hobbit,” “21 Jump Street,” and “Hansel and Gretel.”

Key Figures

Image courtesy of aceshowbiz.com

Gary Barber is Chairman and CEO of MGM, Inc. and has held this position since October 2012. Previously, he served as Co-Chariman and CEO since December 2010 alongside Roger Birnbaum. Barber and Birbaum founded Spyglass Entertainment together in 1998 [3]. With Barber’s help, MGM has been able to make a strong comeback after declaring bankruptcy in 2010.

Image courtesy of latimesblogs.latimes.com

Ken Schapiro took on the title of Chief Operating Officer in February 2011. He was previously the co-founder of the private investment management company, Qualia Capital LLC [3].

Image courtesy of www.hollywoodreporter.com

As President of the Motion Picture Group, Jonathan Glickman, is in charge of the production and development of all MGM films. He too has a successful history prior to this position at Spyglass Entertainment [3].

Financials

The future is looking up for MGM post-bankruptcy. After MGM acquired Carl Icahn’s stake for $590 million in July 2012, the company went public [4]. According to the 2012 year-end results, revenue was up 97% over 2011. They reported total revenue of $1.38 billion, which was an increase of $681 million from the prior year.

“Skyfall” and “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” landed MGM with two films in the top 15 of box office history. These two films also gave MGM the title of being the only studio to have two back-to-back films make $1 billion at the box office.

Image courtesy of imdb.com

“Skyfall” was named the biggest James Bond release of all time and also the biggest film in the UK by crossing the £100 million mark.

The total home entertainment revenue of 2012 was greater than that of 2011 even though no new titles were released. The fourth quarter was extremely strong with $96 million in revenue, which shows how successful the promotions for James Bond 50^th anniversary were. The worldwide home entertainment generated a total of $195 million, which was $1 million more than the prior year.

The worldwide television licensing revenue generated a total of $395 million, which was also a large increase by $23 million from the prior year.

The 2012 Adjusted EBITDA showed a 48% increase to $286 million. It was adjusted due to revenue growth. The revenue growth was so substantial that it offset the increase in marketing, distribution, and operating expenses [5].

Recent Releases

Image courtesy of www.comingsoon.net

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB11JlyjmkE

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters was released January 25, 2013 and directed by Tommy Wirkola. MGM co-produced it with Paramount. It is a twist on the children’s fairy tale, Hansel & Gretel. In the movie, Hansel and Gretel are all grown up and now bounty hunters that kill witches. It was released in 3D and IMAX. The movie made $19 million in its opening weekend and $219 million total worldwide. It made a lot more money overseas than domestically. Its production budget was $50 million [6]. Hansel & Gretel will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 11, 2013.

Image courtesy of www.comingsoon.net

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLR3HrV71yM

G.I. Joe: Retaliation was released March 29, 2013 and directed by Jon M. Chu. This is the third movie out of the series and it starred new cast members such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Bruce Willis. It was #1 its opening weekend making $40 million. Its total worldwide gross is $231 million so far. Its production budget was $130 million. This movie was also released in 3D and IMAX [6].

Upcoming Films

Image courtesy of imdb.com

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H369sxjyhx8&feature=player_embedded

Carrie is an upcoming horror film that is the third adaptation of the Stephen King’s 1974 novel, Carrie. The film is co-produced by MGM and Screen Gems. It stars Chloe Moretz and Julianne Moore. The release date is set for October 18, 2013. With this release, MGM and Screen Gems are hoping to stay as close to the original novel’s storyline. Their current promotion for the movie is extremely original. At the end of the trailer, they provide you with a toll free number to call, which plays back a scene with the characters.

Future MGM Films

There is definitely a trend of adaptations and remakes in MGM’s upcoming film releases. Two other upcoming releases are “RoboCop,” which is set to release February 7, 2014, and “Hercules: The Thracian Wars,” which is set to release August 8, 2014.

Image courtesy of www.comingsoon.net

“RoboCop” is a science fiction action film that will feature Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, and Gary Oldman. It is a remake of the original 1987 film. José Padihla, a Brazilian film director, who has not released a feature film in the U.S. yet, will direct it [7].

“Hercules: The Thracian Wars” will feature Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Hercules in this adaptation of the Radical Studios graphic novel from 2008. Its main competition in the box office will be Disney/Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which is set to release a week prior. If this movie is successful, it could lead to another franchise for MGM [8].

More recently MGM has teamed up with GK Films to develop a new Tomb Raider franchise based on the Lara Croft video game franchise. The two original films from 2001 and 2003 that starred Angelina Jolie grossed $432 million worldwide so MGM hopes to achieve the same success [9].

Image courtesy of www.filmofilia.com

“The Hobbit” trilogy was confirmed in a MGM news release this past February. The second film, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” was given a December 13, 2013 release date and the third film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” was officially given the release date of December 17, 2014. The first film in the trilogy did so well that they hope the success will follow throughout. MGM is co-producing these films 50/50 with New Line Cinema [10].

With all of these plans in place, MGM’s future looks strong and successful.

Sources

1. MGM History

2. Sony Pictures Deal

3. MGM Today

4. Carl Icahn sells stake in MGM

5. MGM 2012 Year-End Results

6. Box Office Mojo

7. RoboCop Release

8. Hercules Release

9. Tomb Raider Franchise Announcement

10. The Hobbit Trilogy Announcement

Columbia/TriStar Pictures

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Bailey Garno

Bailey Garno

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/index.html

CONTACT:

10202 West Washington Boulevard

Culver City, CA 90232

The TriStar Building

United States

Phone: 310-280-7700

Originally formed as Columbia Pictures Corporation by Jack Cohn, Harry Cohn, and Joe Brandt, Columbia TriStar Motion Pictures has evolved into one of the most accredited motion picture libraries worldwide. The group is a division within Sony Pictures Entertainment, and encompasses Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, and Screen Gems. [1]

Columbia/TriStar operations are situated in six other countries worldwide: Columbia Pictures Producciones Mexico functions in Mexico City; Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia functions in Hong Kong; Columbia Pictures Producciones Espanolas functions in Madrid; and additional divisions are in the United Kingdom, Brazil and Japan. [2]

SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM: [3]

Michael Lynton – CEO, Sony Entertainment, Inc.; Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Amy Pascal – Co Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment; Chairman, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Entertainment Group

The Columbia TriStar Motion Pictures Group is a highly valued operation within Sony Corporation of America (SCA). Distributing around 22 films a year in the United States alone, Columbia TriStar includes a production studio, film labels, and global motion picture production operations. The film company is consistently producing the most popular pictures at the box office.

RECENT RELEASES:

The Call (2013): “The Call” stars Halle Berry as a 911 operator destined to meet the killer of her past. Directed by Brad Anderson, this story will have you on the edge of your seat.

Release Date: March 15, 2013

Production Budget: $13 million

Opening Weekend: $17,118,745 [4]

Zero Dark Thirty (2012): Director Kathryn Bigelow’s historical drama/thriller chronicles the hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden in this Oscar-winning film starring Jessica Chastain and Jason Clarke.

Production Budget: $40 million

Release Date: December 19, 2012

Opening Weekend: $417,150 (limited); $24,428,936 (wide)19, 2012 (limited); January 11, 2013 (wide) [5]

Skyfall (2012): Daniel Craig stars once again as 007, otherwise known as James Bond, in this action flick directed by Sam Mendes.

Release Date: November 9, 2012

Production Budget: $200 million

Opening Weekend: $88,364,714 [6]

Evil Dead (2013): Frede Alvarez has, according to critics, directed the scariest movie of all time. A remake of the original 1981 film, “The Evil Dead,” this horror film stars Jane Levy.

Release Date: April 5, 2013

Production Budget: $17 million

Opening Weekend: $26,000,000 [7]

The films mentioned above are Sony/Columbia’s highest grossing films in 2013; however, “The Call” and “Evil Dead” are the only films released by the studio this year to date (April 7). There were seven films (three additional films not seen above) that have grossed from Sony/Columbia this year. A breakdown of the studios’ first quarter grossing this year will reveal that the January-March quarter was at its lowest since 2000, with a -60.2% drop in grossing compared to last years numbers. [8]

For a better look at the studio’s statistics, follow the link here.

Future Releases:

After Earth: Set 1,000 years into the future after the demise of planet Earth, this sci-fi action film starring Jaden Smith and his father Will Smith will take audiences on a journey. After crashing onto the destroyed and unrecognizable planet, the characters must fight to stay alive and recover their rescue beacon. This film was directed by M. Night Shyamalan and has not yet been rated. Scheduled release date: June 7, 2013. Click here for a peek at this exhilarating story of survival. [9]

This is the End: A hilarious depiction of real celebrities reacting to the apocalypse. While attending James Franco’s house party, a group of unlikely celebrities come together–and are torn apart–in the wake of the end of the world. Directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, “This is the End” presents an impressive and hilarious cast for audiences. Schedule release date: June 14, 2013. Click here to find the trailer. [10]

White House Down: Starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, this action/drama will remind audiences of the recent release, “Olympus Has Fallen.” While touring the White House, Tatum must save his daughter and the President as the capital falls to armed invaders. Director Roland Emmerich and screenwriter James Vanderbilt will have audiences on the edge of their seat. Scheduled release date: June 28, 2013. Click here to see a preview of the trailer. [11] Additional future releases for the year include Grown Ups 2, The Smurfs 2, Elysium, The Moral Instruments: City of Bones, One Direction: This is Us, Battle of the Year, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Captain Phillips, Carrie (2013), David O. Russell Untitled, and Monuments Men.

Recent News:

On March 28th this year, Sony Pictures announced on Twitter (@SonyPictures) that the company has launched a new beta site for easy viewing on your desktop, mobile device or tablet. Perusing this new launch, users will visibly see an update compared to the older site, which is still currently functioning. Content is same across both sites; however, the recent revamp was done for accessibility in response to the rapidly growing use of smart phones and other portable devices. Following the trend of this transition, this has certainly been a wise business move for the entertainment company. [12]

Sony Picture’s co-chairman, Amy Pascal, was honored in late March at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian gala event. Pascal received the organization’s Icon Award as an avid advocate for gay and lesbians in Hollywood. Pascal’s speech focused on continuing to include lesbians and gays in Hollywood, but not in the stereotypical roles that the past may have assigned them too. After commenting on how influential Sidney Poitier and Will Smith’s roles as black man have become, Pascal says, “Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to wait another 40 years for a character to save the world who just happens to be gay?” [13]

Sony Pictures Entertainment had a successful 2013 awards season! At the 2013 Oscars, SPE took home 7 awards including: Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Waltz in Django Unchained); Best Foreign Film (Armour); Best Original Screenplay (Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained); Best Original Song (“Skyfall” in Skyfall); Best Documentary (Searching for Sugarman); and Best Sound Editing (a tie!–between Hallberg & Landers for Skyfall, and Ottoson for Zero Dark Thirty). Congratulations to all winners and nominees! [14]

Sony Pictures studio blog released an article on February 26th this year announcing Screen Gems and Rainforest Films were honored with the Cinema Vangaurd Award at the 2013 African American Film Critics Association Special Achievements Awards ceremonies. Screen Gems received recognition for its continued support of positive portrayals of African Americans around the world [15]

Works Cited:

[1] “Sony Pictures Timeline.” Sony Pictures Entertainment Museum. N.p., 2006. Web. 04 Apr. 2013. http://www.sonypicturesmuseum.com/studio/timeline

[2] “Divisions | Sony Pictures.” Divisions | Sony Pictures. Sony Pictures Digital Productions Inc., 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[3] “Senior Management Team.” Sony Pictures. Sony Pictures Digital Productions Inc., 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[4] “The Call (2013) – Box Office Mojo.” Box Office Mojo. IMDB, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[5] “Zero Dark Thirty (2012) – Box Office Mojo.” Box Office Mojo. IMDB, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[6] “Skyfall (2012) – Box Office Mojo.” Box Office Mojo. IMDB, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[7] “Evil Dead (2013) – Box Office Mojo.” Box Office Mojo. IMDB, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[8] “Box Office by Studio | Sony/Columbia.” Box Office Mojo. IMDB, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[9] “After Earth.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 15 Oct. 2012. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[10] “This Is the End.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 22 July 2012. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[11] “White House Down.” IMDb. IMDb.com, 11 Nov. 2012. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[12] SonyPictures. (2013a, March 28). Visit the new SonyPictures.com and our hottest titles on your desktop, tablet or mobile device! pic.twitter.com/tUfxBa2AHD [Twitter post] Retrieved from https://twitter.com/SonyPictures

[13 ] Brittany. “Amy Pascal Receives Icon Award.” Sony Pictures. Social Central Moderator, 22 Mar. 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[14] “Sony Pictures at the Oscars.” Sony Pictures. Social Central Moderator. N.p., 25 Feb. 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

[15] “Screen Gems and Rainforest Films Honored by African American Film Critics Association.” Sony Pictures. Social Central Moderator. N.p., 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 4 Apr. 2013. http://www.specentral.com/2013/02/screen-gems-and-rainforest-films-honored-by-african-american-film-critics-association.php

Principles & Practices

Website by the students of TRF235

Tag Archives: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Corporation

Sony Pictures

Columbia Pictures

Relativity Media

Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures

Contact Information: (b)

Key Executives: (c)

About Columbia Pictures:

Financials:

Columbia Pictures Success:

Columbia Pictures Presents:

Now Playing:

Future:

Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures

About the Company

Top Competitors

Sources

Columbia Pictures

MGM

Columbia/TriStar Pictures