MGM

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Bradley Hanford

MGM Logo [1]

Finances

After a bankruptcy declaration in 2011, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has regained its position as a profitable major film studio in the last five years. MGM Studios is owned by the larger parent company of MGM Holdings Inc., a company formed from what was formerly Spyglass Entertainment [2]. In 2015, the studio made $1.56 billion in revenue, resulting in an operating income of $258.78 million. This was up from $1.44 billion and $243.03 million, respectively, in 2014. 2015 was the company’s third consecutive year of posting record revenue and income. MGM Holdings’ total assets currently stand at $3.045 billion [3]. The studio has been in the process of repurchasing its stocks since its bankruptcy, and in March announced that $300 million more would be added to their repurchasing plan. The ramping up of the repurchasing plan has been taken as a sign of confidence in the company’s continued growth [4].

Recent Acquisitions

In January of 2016, MGM fully acquired the United Artists Media Group, a film and television production company that had been a joint venture with Mark Burnett, Roma Downey and Hearst Productions. MGM had acquired a 55% stake in Burnett, Downey and Hearst’s One Three Media and LightWorkers Media in September 2014, and relaunch the companies as United Artists. As of January 2016, all revenues, expenses and assets of United Artists are now consolidated under the MGM name [5].

Gary Barber [6]

Mark Burnett [7]

Jonathan Glickman [8]

Executives

MGM’s three top executives are Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary Barber, President of the Television and Digital Group Mark Burnett, and President of the Motion Picture Group Jonathan Glickman. Barber and Glickman were previously the heads of Spyglass Entertainment, where Barber oversaw the production of a total of $5 billion in box office productions. MGM became the first studio to release back-to-back films making over $1 billion at the box office under Barber’s leadership with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Skyfall. Burnett was named to his position in January 2016, when MGM fully acquired his United Artists company. His former United Artists co-owner Roma Downey is President of LightWorkers Media, which is now the “faith and family division of MGM Television” [9].

Current Releases

How To Be Single [14]

MGM has only released two films thus far in 2016, both of which were coproduced with New Line Cinema and were distributed by New Line’s parent studio Warner Brothers [10] [11]. These films were How To Be Single and Barbershop: The Next Cut, both relatively small-scale but still distinctly mainstream offerings, opening in 3,343 and 2,661 theaters respectively. How To Be Single was by far the more successful, bringing in $46.8 million in domestic box office revenue and a total of $105.3 million worldwide, against a production budget of $38 million [12]. Barbershop was less successful, though not necessarily a flop. It brought in $20.2 million in its opening weekend (April 15-17) against predictions in the high-$20 millions range. Its production budget has not been released to the press [13]. These films also show that MGM is willing to target underserved demographics with their films, with How To Be Single being described as attempting to be a “feminist rom-com” and Barbershop being specifically marketed towards African-Americans.

Upcoming Releases

MGM has three more coproductions with release dates in 2016, each with their own significant potential for profit.

Me Before You is slated for a June 3 release, and is a romantic drama abou a young woman (Emilia Clarke) who falls in love with a paralyzed man she is caring for (Sam Claflin) [15]. The plot description puts in squarely in the vein of other successful films like The Fault In Our Stars and Me and Earl and The Dying Girl, which also dealt with themes of serious illness and young adult romance. The film’s cast should also appeal to this young demographic, as Emilia Clarke is a rising star due to her role as Daenerys Targaryen on the HBO television show Game of Thrones (also in the film is Clarke’s Thrones co-star Charles Dance) [16], and Sam Claflin has gained fame from the Hunger Games series [17]. The film is based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Jojo Moyes. MGM is co-producing the film with New Line Cinema (a division of Warner Bros.) and Sunswept Entertainment [18].

Ben-Hur is the first of MGM’s two remakes of classic films in 2016, and will be released on August 19. It’s also the more outwardly risky- its director, Timur Bekmambetov, is hardly an established hitmaker, and the only big name in its cast is Morgan Freeman in a supporting role (the title role is played by the essentially unknown Jack Huston) [19]. Still, Ben-Hur has the name recognition of one of the most famous and successful films ever made, as well as the appeal of a big-budget summer blockbuster. MGM is co-producing the film with Paramount Pictures [20].

The Magnificent Seven, set for release on September 23, is a remake of the classic John Sturges Western starring Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson, itself a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s legendary Seven Samurai. The film is being directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Southpaw), and stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke, among others [21]. That combination of commercially successful director and all-star cast is a solid predictor for the film’s financial success. Pratt, especially, has been a major draw at the box office, headlining such hits as Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World [22]. MGM is co-producing the film with Columbia Pictures, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures [23].

MV5BMTM4ODI5MjA2N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODUwODk1OQ@@._V1_UY317_CR0,0,214,317_AL_

Michael B. Jordan [28]

In Development

Future projects of MGM’s include a recently announced reboot of the Tomb Raider series, which they will coproduce with Warner Bros [24] (Daisy Ridley, star of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has been confirmed as being in talks to star in the series) [25]. This would be the newest in a succession of recent MGM coproductions with Warner Bros., including films like the Hobbit trilogy and Creed and its upcoming sequels [26]. Other future MGM productions include a remake of the 1968 heist thriller The Thomas Crown Affair with Creed star Michael B. Jordan [27].

Conclusion

It’s not clear whether MGM will make a return to producing or distributing films by themselves, or whether they will continue serving only in a co-producer or co-distributor role, as they have since their bankruptcy. The studio has released progressively more films per year since the 2010 bankruptcy, climbing from one release in 2010 to seven in 2015 [29]. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is still a long way from their former position as the largest and most profitable movie studio in Hollywood [30], but the success they’ve had in their recent films and their continued financial growth bodes well for the future of the company.

[1] Koscis, James (November 10th, 2009). MGM Logo. James Koscis Design + Imaging. Retrieved: April 18th 2016.

[2] Ovide, Shira and Spector, Mike (November 5th, 2010). Everything You Need to Know about the MGM Bankruptcy. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved: April 10th 2016.

[3] Investor Relations. MGM Studios. Retrieved: April 12th 2016.

[4] Lieberman, David (March 25th, 2016). MGM Board Adds $300M To Stock Repurchase Plan. Deadline. Retrieved: April 13th 2016.

[5] McNary, Dave (December 14th, 2015). Mark Burnett Named President of MGM Television. Retrieved: April 12th 2016.

[6] Today. MGM Studios. Retrieved: April 12th 2016.

[7] Today. MGM Studios. Retrieved: April 12th 2016.

[8] Today. MGM Studios. Retrieved: April 12th 2016.

[9] Today. MGM Studios. Retrieved: April 12th 2016.

[10] How to Be Single (2016)- Company Credits. IMDb. Retrieved: April 15th 2016.

[11] Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016)- Company Credits. IMDb. Retrieved: April 15th 2016.

[12] How to Be Single (2016). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved: April 10th 2016.

[13] Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved: April 10th 2016.

[14] How To Be Single. IMDb. Retrieved: April 10th 2016.

[15] Titles- Me Before You. MGM Studios. Retrieved: April 17th 2016.

[16] Game of Thrones. IMDb. Retrieved: April 17th 2016.

[17] Sam Claflin. IMDb. Retrieved: April 17th 2016.

[18] Me Before You- Company Credits. IMDb. Retrieved: April 17th 2016.

[19] Ben-Hur. IMDb. Retrieved: April 18th 2016.

[20] Ben-Hur (2016)- Company Credits. IMDb. Retrieved: April 18th 2016.

[21] The Magnificent Seven. IMDb. Retrieved: April 18th, 2016.

[22] Chris Pratt. IMDb. Retrieved: April 18th, 2016.

[23] The Magnificent Seven (2016)- Company Credits. IMDb. Retrieved: April 18th, 2016.

[24] McNary, Dave (February 25th, 2016). Warner Bros. Joins MGM on ‘Tomb Raider’ Reboot. Variety. Retrieved: April 20th, 2016.

[25] Ritman, Alex (March 21st, 2016). Daisy Ridley Confirms ‘Tomb Raider’ Reboot Talks. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved: April 20th, 2016.

[26] McNary, Dave (February 25th, 2016). Warner Bros. Joins MGM on ‘Tomb Raider’ Reboot. Variety. Retrieved: April 20th, 2016.

[27] Kit, Borys (February 24th, 2016). Michael B. Jordan, MGM to Remake “The Thomas Crown Affair. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved: April 20th, 2016.

[28] Michael B. Jordan. IMDb. Retrieved: April 23rd, 2016.

[29] Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: Completed. Movie Insider. Retrieved: April 23rd, 2016.

[30] Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved: April 23rd, 2016.

Disney/ABC

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Darian Ruderman

(Courtesy of onmogul.com) https://onmogul.com/jobs/music-production-intern-disney-channels-summer-2015

500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4581
(818) 560-1000
www.disneyabcpress.com

History/About the Company

In 1995, Disney/ABC Television Group was born when The Walt Disney Company announced that it would acquire Capital Cities/ABC Inc. for $19 billion [1].

Since then, Disney/ABC Television Group has expanded to provide entertainment, news and kids programming to viewers via more than 200 affiliated stations across the U.S. Disney/ABC Television Group’s properties include ABC Television Network, ABC Owned Television Stations Group, ABC Entertainment Group, Disney Channels Worldwide, Freeform, formerly known as ABC Family, as well as Disney/ABC Domestic Television and Disney Media Distribution. Hyperion publishing and the Company’s equity interests in A+E Networks and Hulu round out the Group’s portfolio of media businesses [2].

Key Senior Executives

(Courtesy of Disney) http://www.disneyabcpress.com/disneyabctv/executives/

(Courtesy of Disney) http://www.disneyabcpress.com/disneyabctv/executives/

Channing Dungey’s new presidency makes her the first African-American to ever lead a major broadcast network. Formerly the executive vice president of ABC drama development, Dungey helped develop series such as “Scandal,” “Quantico,” “Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD,” “How to Get Away With Murder” and “American Crime” [3].

Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company (Courtesy of Disney) https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about/

Finances

(Courtesy of Yahoo! Finance) http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=DIS

The Disney/ABC Television Group is publicly traded under The Walt Disney Company (DIS) on the New York Stock Exchange. On Friday, April 22, DIS closed out at $103.77 per share. In the past three months, Disney’s stock prices have been on a pretty steady incline, with a brief dip in early February. The recent strong numbers are a direct result of the Disney release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Global success of the movie drove record quarterly operating income at both Studio Entertainment and Consumer Products & Interactive Media, which grew at 86% and 23%, respectively [4]. The company reported their quarter one earnings call for 2016 on February 9, 2016. The earnings results webcast can be heard here: https://ditm-twdc-us.storage.googleapis.com/q1-fy16-earnings.mp3.

It was announced on Thursday, April 21, that the Walt Disney Company sold its 50% stake in Fusion, the multi-platform network launched in 2013, making Univision the sole owner. As the majority owner of Fusion, Univision (NYSE: UCI) will create a separate media group that will include recently acquired The Onion and other digital properties. Univision also will take over ABC’s role in handling distribution and ad sales for Fusion’s multi-platform network and will have editorial control [5]. Disney has been changing its own channel line up, rebranding its ABC Family channel as Freeform, targeting millennial women, while investing in Vice Media Inc., which focuses on young men [6]. In recent years, Fusion has been losing money, making the company’s move, most likely, a financially smart one.

2016-2017 Season

Named as the new president of ABC Entertainment, Channing Dungey faces the hard task of mending an ABC schedule with some holes. With five of its nine half-hour comedies already scheduled to return in 2016-17, and another two virtual shoe-ins for renewal, ABC’s sitcom lineup is arguably the strongest on TV. Certainly it is the most stable; “Modern Family” and “The Middle” next fall will embark upon their eighth seasons, while the homegrown “Black-ish” is getting closer to beginning syndication with its season three pick-up [7].

Set to premiere next for ABC is “Uncle Buck,” based on the hit movie of the same name. The series will star Uncle Buck (Mike Epps) as a fun-loving but irresponsible guy who needs a job and a place to stay. His brother and sister-in-law need some help around the house, wondering if they could be the answer to each other’s problems [8]. The show is set to premiere this Summer on June 14, following a preview of the revived game show “To Tell the Truth,” Hosted by “Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson.

(Courtesy of ABC) http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/uncle-buck-abc-comedy-debuts-june/

To get a sneak peek at the new comedy series “Uncle Buck,” starring Mike Epps and Nia Long, click the link to view the official trailer: http://abc.go.com/shows/uncle-buck/video/most-recent/VDKA0_1thuvv8f

Along with “To Tell The Truth,” “100,000 Pyramid,” another game show that is being rebooted from the original, will make its debut on Sunday, June 26 at 9 p.m. following the second season premiere of “Celebrity Family Feud.” Both “Pyramid,” which was originally aired in 1973 and hosted by Dick Clark, and “To Tell the Truth,” which aired in 1956 and was hosted by Budy Collyer [9], will bring a new and older skewing audience to ABC during primetime on Sunday nights.

In The News

(Courtesy of ww.oscar.go.com) http://oscar.go.com/news/oscar-news/oscars-2016-nominee-contenders-and-categories

On February 28, 2016, ABC aired the 88th Academy Awards hosted by comedian Chris Rock, which brought its lowest ratings in eight years. The network has been airing the Oscars since the emergence of television, outside of the periods in the 1950s and 1970s when the award show was aired on NBC [10]. The low viewership was seen as surprising seeing that this year’s Oscars were one of the most talked about awards in recent years, due to backlash and protests over the Academy’s lack of diverse nominees [11]. Also making news was Leonardio Decaprio’s first Academy Award win. Chris Rock held the controversial hosting gig, addressing #OscarsSoWhite with a mixture of jokes and serious statements [12]. Despite all of the talk around and leading up to the event, viewers decided not to tune in, as the numbers clearly speak for themselves.

On Monday, April 18, Ben Sherwood unveiled a plan for ABC to expand the availability of its programming via authenticated streaming platforms by offering to establish such deals on behalf of its 200-plus affiliate stations around the country. The initiative dubbed “Clearinghouse” is described as a “turnkey” solution for ABC’s affiliate stations. Sherwood said that the 14 ABC affiliates in the Hearst TV station group have agreed to lead the pilot program for a technological and administrative template that ABC has hammered out with DirecTV for its Watch ABC app [13].

The new “Pyramid” game show will be hosted by Michael Strahan, who on Tuesday, April 19, announced that he would be leaving his daytime gig at “Live! With Kelly and Michael” for a full-time role on ABC’s flagship morning show “Good Morning America” [14]. With GMA’s ratings leadership in extreme danger of being overshadowed by NBC’s “Today Show,” executives at ABC have come up with something that looks great on paper – adding more of Michael Strahan, the former football player who has transformed himself into one of the most winning personalities on today’s TV screen [15]. ABC’s Summer Schedule is sure to be a busy one, packed with a new spinoff series and various rebooted game shows featuring various of celebrities.

(Courtesy Disney Channel) http://www.eonline.com/news/758430/disney-channel-is-airing-every-original-movie-ever-to-celebrate-a-massive-milestone-see-the-schedule

On Wednesday, April 20, Disney Channel unveiled plans for the 100th DCOM Celebration, a summer programming marathon centered on the airing of the network’s 100th original move since 1997. Things kick off May 27 with a four-day marathon of the 51 most popular original movies followed by encore presentations of these and every other movie in the franchise through June [16]. Releasing 100 movies in 19 years is no small feat, and is surely something to celebrate!

[1] Fabrikant, Geraldine. “Walt Disney To Acquire ABC In $19 Billion Deal To A Giant For Entertainment.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 31 July 1995. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/01/business/media-business-merger-walt-disney-acquire-abc-19-billion-deal-build-giant-for.html?pagewanted=all

[2] “Overview.” Our Business Areas. Disney, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://datg.disneycareers.com/en/our-business-areas/overview/

[3] Birnbaum, Debra. “Channing Dungey Named ABC Entertainment President, Replacing Paul Lee.” Variety. Variety Media, LLC., 17 Feb. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/channing-dungey-abc-entertainment-president-1201708379/

[4] The Walt Disney Company. THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY REPORTS RECORD QUARTERLY EARNINGS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF FISCAL 2016. N.p., 9 Feb. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. https://ditm-twdc-us.storage.googleapis.com/q1-fy16-earnings.pdf

[5] Jarvey, Natalie. “Disney’s ABC Sells Fusion Stake to Univision.” The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disneys-abc-sells-fusion-stake-886643

[6] Palmeri, Chritopher. “Disney Pulls Out of Fusion Joint Venture With Univision.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 21 Apr. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-21/disney-pulls-out-of-fusion-joint-venture-with-univision?cmpid=yhoo.headline

[7] Crupi, Anthony. “Laugh It Up: Already Flush With Comedies, ABC Looks for More Homegrown Sitcoms for 2016-17.” AdAge. AdvertisingAge, 21 Mar. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://adage.com/article/media/flush-comedies-abc-seeks-homegrown-sitcoms/303203/

[8] “Watch Uncle Buck TV Show – ABC.com.” ABC. Disney, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://abc.go.com/shows/uncle-buck

[9] McLennan, Cindy. “To Tell the Truth, $100,000 Pyramid: ABC Game Show Reboots Coming in June – Canceled TV Shows – TV Series Finale.”Canceled TV Shows TV Series Finale. TV Series Finale, 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/tell-truth-100000-pyramid-abc-game-show-reboots-coming-june/

[10] Guerrasio, Jason. “The Oscars Had the Lowest Ratings in Years, and ABC Is Trying to Get Control to Revamp Them.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 01 Mar. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://www.businessinsider.com/oscars-abc-contract-2016-3

[11] The Show Averaged 34.3 Million Viewers on Sunday Night. “Oscars Brings in Third-lowest Viewership in History.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 29 Feb. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/29/media/oscars-ratings-academy-awards/

[12] Griggs, Brandon. “Chris Rock: ‘You’re Damn Right Hollywood Is Racist'” CNN. Cable News Network, 29 Feb. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/28/entertainment/chris-rock-oscars-so-white-feat/

[13] Littleton, Cynthia, and David S. Cohen. “ABC Tries to Expand Affiliate Streaming Access with Clearinghouse Initiative.” Variety. Variety Media, LLC., 18 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/abc-affiliate-streaming-clearinghouse-watch-abc-1201755595/

[14] Holloway, Daniel. “‘Uncle Buck,’ ‘To Tell the Truth’ Premiere Dates Set as ABC Unveils Summer Schedule.” Variety. Variety Media, LLC., 19 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/uncle-buck-to-tell-the-truth-premiere-dates-abc-summer-1201757030/

[15] Steinberg, Brian. “ABC’s Morning Madness: Will Michael Strahan Blitz Score Touchdowns for ‘GMA,’ ‘Live’?” Variety. Variety Media, LLC., 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/michael-strahan-good-morning-america-abc-kelly-ripa-1201757700/

[16] Hipes, Patrick. “Disney Channel Original Movie ‘The Swap’ Set As Network Plans 100-Pic Celebration.” Deadline. Penske Business Media, LLC., 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://deadline.com/2016/04/disney-channel-original-movie-the-swap-dcom-marathon-1201741163/

Disney Movies #1

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Connor Walsh

Connor Walsh

Walt Disney Studios Logo [1] Source: Walt Disney Studios Corporation

COMPANY INFORMATION

Address: [1]
500 S Buena Vista St
Burbank, CA 91521

Key Executives: [2]
Source for all pictures of key executives: The Walt Disney Studios Executive Team

Alan Horn-Chairman

Sean Bailey- President, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Paul Roeder- Vice President, Global Communications

Ed Catmull- President, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios

Kathleen Kennedy- President, LucasFilm Ltd.

John Lasseter- Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios

HISTORY

Walt Disney Studios was founded in 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy Disney under the name Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. The studio found early success with its “Alice Comedies,” before creating cartoon icon Mickey Mouse and developing a series of short films around the popular mouse. In 1937, the newly named Walt Disney Studio released its first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, to critical and commercial success. By the 1950s, the studio was producing both live-action and animated films. This expansion led to a splitting of the studio into Walt Disney Pictures, for live-action films, and Walt Disney Animation Studios, for animated films, all under the Walt Disney Studios parent company. [3]

As of 2015, Walt Disney Studios has grown to include several other film divisions and subsidiaries. Touchstone Pictures was created in 1984 to create more adult-oriented films to attract new markets. DisneyToon Studios and Pixar are two animation companies, with DisneyToon creating mostly direct-to-video films. Disneynature was founded in 2009 to release independent nature documentaries. The next year, Disney purchased Marvel Entertainment, focused on creating superhero films based on the long-running Marvel comics. In 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm, Ltd. and now own the rights to film franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. [3]

FINANCIALS

As of December 2015, Disney Studios holds 15.9% market share ranking it second behind Universal for the year. [4] Disney’s fourth quarter reports showed only a very slight increase in profits from last year, in regards to their entertainment division. The division grossed $1.783 billion in its fourth quarter, making the worldwide gross $7.366 billion for the year. This is a 1% increase from last year’s total of $7.278 billion. These numbers are mainly attributed to box office performances like Inside Out, Ant-Man, and Bridge of Spies being similar to the performances of Guardians of the Galaxy and Maleficent from 2014. [5] Despite this, Disney’s stock has increased greatly over the past few months, going from $95.36 a share in August to $115.39 currently. [6] One of the biggest reasons for this is the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which is expected to break several box office records and has already sold millions of dollars in merchandise. [7]

FALL 2015 FILMS

Inside Out

Inside Out Poster [8] Source: IMDB

Pixar’s Inside Out was not released in the fall season, but it still maintained a strong theater presence during this time. Opening in June, Inside Out‘s opening broke the box office record for an original, non-sequel property with $91 million in its first three days. [9] The film experienced a resurgence in the month of September with it reopening in 2,204 theaters. As of the end of November, it is still shown in some theaters and has grossed over $850 million worldwide. [10] The film’s critical reception is largely attributed to these high numbers with a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. [11] Because of scores like these, the movie’s notoriety spread through word-of-mouth.

Ant-Man

Ant-Man Poster [14] Source: IMDB

Similarly to Inside Out, Marvel’s Ant-Man was not released during the fall. While its numbers were not as good as Inside Out, Ant-Man did quite well in the box office and exceeded expectations. The film opened to number one with a weekend gross of more than $57 million. As of late November, it too is still showing in several theaters. [12] In late October, Ant-Man became the ninth movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to break $500 million. There were some concerns about the movie since Ant-Man is a relatively unknown superhero but positive reviews, the star power of Paul Rudd, and its ties to the Marvel Cinematic Universe made it a bigger hit than anticipated. [13]

Bridge of Spies Poster [16] Source: IMDB

Bridge of Spies

Released on October 16, Touchstone Feature’s Bridge of Spies tells the real-life story of James Donovan, a Brooklyn insurance claims lawyer who was sent by the CIA to the Soviet Union to negotiate the release of a captured American pilot. [15] On a budget of $40 million, the film has grossed over $95 million, making it a box office success for Disney. The success can be attributed to the star power of those who worked on the film, as it was directed by Steven Spielberg, written by the Coen Brothers, and stars Hollywood icon Tom Hanks.

The Good Dinosaur

The Good Dinosaur Poster [18] Source: IMDB

Released on November 25, Pixar’s second film of the year The Good Dinosaur tells the story of a boy and a dinosaur who form a bond in an alternate timeline where the dinosaurs never became extinct. The film grossed more than $56 million on its opening weekend, which is considered to be a disappointment by Pixar’s standards. While the film is expected to break even, The Good Dinosaur had the weakest launch in Pixar’s twenty year history. [17] There are several reasons why this is the case. First are the reviews, which only point to the movie being okay. The timing was also not ideal, as the movie launched at the same time as The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 and Creed, which have both been early box office successes. Lastly, the marketing for the movie was considered to be poor, as Disney has been focusing most of its attention on promoting Star Wars: The Force Awakens. [13]

THE FUTURE

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Official Trailer [19]
Source: Youtube

Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens is Disney’s biggest project of the year and is poised to do massive box office numbers. The seventh film in the Star Wars franchise takes place thirty years after the events of 1981’s Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and features returning stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill along with a new cast. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is expected to shatter several box office records with many speculating that it could become the highest-grossing film of all time. [20] Disney’s heavy marketing campaign has built up a huge amount of hype for the film’s December 18 release. The film has actually already made $50 million through pre-sale tickets, alone breaking pre-sale ticket records. [21] The J.J. Abrams-directed space opera is the first in a planned new trilogy and the purchase of Lucasfilm, Ltd. is quickly looking like one of Disney’s smartest decisions in the past few years.

SOURCES

[1] The Walt Disney Studios. Retrieved 29 November 2015.

[2] The Walt Disney Studios Executive Team. Retrieved 29 November 2015.

[3] D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. Disney History. Retrieved 29 November 2015.

[4] Box Office Mojo. 2015 Studio Market Share. Retrieved 30 November 2015.

[5] 5 November 2015. The Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney Company Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Earnings for Fiscal Year 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.

[6] Yahoo Finance. The Walt Disney Company DIS. Retrieved 30 November 2015.

[7] Saiim, Palwasha. 1 December 2015. Profit Confidential. DIS Stock: 3 Reasons to be Bullish on the Walt Disney Company. Retrieved 1 December 2015.

[8] IMDB. Inside Out. Retrieved 1 December 2015.

[9] Eisenberg, Eric. 24 June 2015. Cinemablend. Inside Out Just Broke an Important Box Office Record. Retrieved 1 December 2015.

[10] Box Office Mojo. Inside Out. Retrieved 1 December 2015.

[11] Rotten Tomatoes. Inside Out (2015). Retrieved 1 December 2015.

[12] Box Office Mojo. Ant-Man. Retrieved 1 December 2015.

[13] Mendelson, Scott. 1 December 2015. Forbes. Box Office: Why Pixar’s ‘Good Dinosaur’ is Marvel’s ‘Ant-Man.’ Retrieved 1 December 2015.

[14] IMDB. Ant-Man. Retrieved 1 December 2015.

[15] Crockatt, Richard. 27 November 2015. Independent. Bridge of Spies: The True Story behind Jim Donovan’s defense of a Soviet spy in an American court. Retrieved 2 December 2015.

[16] IMDB. Bridge of Spies. Retrieved 2 December 2015.

[17] Whitten, Sarah. 30 November 2015. CNBC LLC. Pixar to ‘keep swimming’ after ‘Good Dinosaur’ falls short at box office. Retrieved 2 December 2015.

[18] IMDB. The Good Dinosaur. Retrieved 2 December 2015.

[19] The Official Star Wars Youtube Page. Youtube. Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer (Official). Retrieved 2 December 2015.

[20] Romano, Nick. 28 April 2015. Cinemablend. Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poised to Shatter Every Box Office Record We’ve Ever Had. Retrieved 2 December 2015.

[21] 2 December 2015. Press Chronicle. Star Wars: The Force Awakens Has Made $50 Million Before Launch. Retrieved 2 December 2015.

Buena Vista/Disney Pictures

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Jordyn Rosenberg

by JORDYN ROSENBERG

[2] Walt Disney Pictures Logo

HISTORY

The Lion King

From 1988 to present day, Disney Pictures has released some of the most successful films in Hollywood. Disney’s most iconic and memorable titles include, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and The Beast. Disney has pushed the boundaries of the film industry since its beginning with the production of the first full length animation film, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, in 1937, as well as the release of their first live action film, Treasure Island, in 1950 [1].

Treasure Island

After the death of Walt Disney in 1966 his brother Roy Disney took the lead. The company only continued to grow when Robert Iger was named chief executive officer in 2005. Currently, Disney owns Walt Disney Animation Studios, Marvel, Touchstone, Disneynature & Lucasfilms. On February 5th 2015, Thomas O. Staggs, [16] Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, was named Chief Operating Officer of The Walt Disney Company.

FINANCIALS

In 2015, Buena Vista or Disney Pictures Studios held 10.8% market share and earned a total gross of $319 million. With only three movie releases thus far in 2015, the studio is ranked 4th. [13] The studio is behind 20th Century Fox, Universal, and Warner Bros. The companies rank is anticipated to rise with the rest of their 2015 slate. [3] After a full slate of 13 movies in 2014, the company grossed $1,617.5 billion, held a market share of 15.6% and ranked 2nd behind 20th Century Fox. The Walt Disney Company released its first quarterly report [14] for 2015 on February 3rd. Within the overall company, earnings per share increased 23% to $1.27 billion from $1.03 billion in the 2014 fourth quarter report [15]. Specifically, in studio entertainment, revenues have decreased 2% to 1.9 billion from 1.8 billion in 2014. Lower theatrical distribution numbers were a result of the performance of Big Hero 6 in comparsion to the release of Frozen last year.

KEY EXECUTIVES

[22] Alan Bergman – President, The Walt Disney Studios

Alan Horn - Chairman, Walt Disney Studios

[23] Alan Horn – Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios

[24] Robert Iger – Chairman and Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company

IN THEATERS

Cinderella

Cinderella

The live-action remake, directed by Kenneth Branagh, of the notorious Disney animation, Cinderella, did well in the box office opening weekend. Opening at number 1, the weekend of March 13th 2015, the movie earned an opening weekend gross of $67,877,361 domestically. Including international gross, the film made over $70 million opening weekend and made their $95 million budget in the second week. In total, Cinderella has made $438,036,467 worldwide [6]. With a large part of the target audience being female children, the cast, including, Lily James and Richard Madden, was fairly unknown [7]. The seven minute Frozen Fever short at the beginning of the film, based of the extremely popular animation Frozen, may have been a drawing factor for audiences. Although the film had one of the biggest debuts of the year, its numbers fell short of what was expected by Disney. The lower figures mean the new film fell behind Disney’s last live-action remake, Maleficent [8].

Monkey Kingdom

Monkey Kingdom

The Disneynature film, set in South Asia, follows the story of a macaque monkey, named Maya. With a new son, Kip, and her longtime home, Castle Rock, being taken over, Maya faces various struggles. Her ultimate goal is to get her home back and establish a good future for her son. The movie is narrated by Tina Fey. The director of the film, Mark Linfield, spent over 2 and a half years filming and following the animals for the movie [9]. The movie was released on April 17th. The opening weekend numbers have yet to be released. . .

SPRING 2015 RELEASES

McFarland, USA

McFarland USA

Released on February 20th, 2015, the sports-drama, McFarland USA, tells the story of a high school cross-country team as they attempt to succeed under the supervision of a new coach, played by Kevin Costner. The director of the film, Niki Caro, expressed that film is especially timely with the current debate over immigration [5]. The movie is set in a highly immigrated area and a majority of the athletes are from migrant families. Opening weekend grossed $11,020,798 and the movie made an overall domestic total of $42,715,645 [4]. The film was not as successful as Disney had hoped, opening at number 4 in theaters and continually falling in rank week to week. .

FUTURE SLATE

Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland will be released on May 22nd 2015. The movie was directed by Brad Bird and stars Academy Award winning actor, George Clooney. The cast also includes Britt Robertson, this year’s “Star of Tomorrow” award winner [11] at CinemaCon, and Judy Greer. The films tells the story of a young girl who finds a mysterious and magical pin. Touching the pin reveals a new and better world [10]. Disney is keeping the details of the plot a vaulted secret. Disney’s new sci-fi/fantasy film is inspired by the Disneyland park attraction and Disney World’s Epcot theme park. In a newly released featurette, Disney informs audiences of the tie between the film, Walt Disney and his original team’s vision for the future. The film is inspired by Walt’s vision of what the future would be like, as well as his ideas for the development of society [12]. The nostalgia of the film and reference to Walt Disney, adds Tomorrowland to Disney’s list of inspired remake films, such as last year’s Maleficent and this year’s Cinderella.

FUTURE FOR DISNEY PICTURES

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

On March 12th 2015, The Walt Disney Company held their 2015 annual meeting of shareholders [17]. At the meeting, CEO Robert Iger and Chief Creative Officer, John Lassester [18] announced exciting future projects for Disney. In October of 2012 Walt Disney Studios bought Lucasfilm for $4 billion [19]. At this years annual meeting, Disney acknowledged three new Star Wars projects the studio has been working on. Star Wars: The Force Awakens will premier in theaters on December 18th 2015. The film is the 7th episode of the Star Wars series and is set thirty years after the last Star Wars film, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, which was released in 1983. The film was directed by J.J. Abrams and stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, & Carrie Fisher. The 2nd official teaser was released in April 16th 2015.

Disney Annual Meeting of Shareholders 2015

At the meeting, Iger announced the production of another Star Wars film, Rogue One. Set to release on December 16th 2016, the film written by George Lucas is a spin-off to the original franchise. Finally, Star Wars: Episode VIII will arrive in theaters on May 26th 2017 [20]. The film will be directed by Rian Johnson and will continue the Star Wars story after episode 7. In addition, Disney Animation has officially announced plan of production for Frozen 2. After the huge success of the original film, it is no surprise that Disney is taking advantage of a sequel [21]. A release date has yet to be set for the film.

SOURCES

[1] Walt Disney Studios History. Walt Disney Studios. Retrieved: April 16th 2015

[2] Walt Disney Studios Logo. Walt Disney Studios. Retrieved: April 16th 2015

[3] Walt Disney Studios Current Slate. Walt Disney Studios. Retrieved April 16th 2015

[4] McFarland USA. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 16th 2015

[5] Johnson, Ted (February 21st 2015) What McFarland USA Says About Immigration. Variety. Retrieved April 16th 2015

[6] Cinderella (2015). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 16th 2015

[7] Acuna, Kirsten (March 16th 2015) Cinderella Opening Weekend. Business Insider. Retrieved April 16th 2015

[8] Lang, Brent (March 16th 2015) Cinderella Falls Short. Variety. Retrieved: April 16th 2015

[9] Miller, Gregory (April 16th 2015) Monkeys of ‘Monkey Kingdom’ NY Post. Retrieved: April 16th 2015

[10] Breznican, Anthony (January 18th 2015) George Clooney & Tomorrowland. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved: April 16th 2015

[11] Lang, Brent (March 11th 2015) Britt Robertson Tomorrowland. Variety. Retrieved: April 16th 2015

[12] White, James (April 16th 2015) Tomorrowland Featurette. Empire Online. Retrieved: April 16th 2015

[13] Box Office by Studio: Buena Vista. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[14] Walt Disney First Quarter 2015. Walt Disney Studios. Retrieved: April 17th 2015.

[15] Walt Disney Fourth Quarter 2014. Walt Disney Studios. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[16] Thomas Staggs COO. Walt Disney Pictures. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[17] Disney Annual Shareholders Meeting 2015. Walt Disney Company. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[18] John Lasseter. Walt Disney Company. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[19] Krantz, Matt (October 30, 2012). Disney Lucasfilm. USA Today. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[20] Kludt, Tom (March 12 2015). Star Wars Episode VIII. CNN Money. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[21] Graser, Mark (March 12 2015). Frozen 2. Variety. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[22] Alan Bergman. Walt Disney Studios. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[23] Alan Horn. Walt Disney Studios. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[24] Robert Iger. Walt Disney Company. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[25] Lion King Movie Poster. Fan Pop. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[26] Treasure Island Poster. Wikimedia. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[27] Alan Bergman Picture. Walt Disney. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[28] Alan Horn Picture. Walt Disney. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[29] Robert Iger Picture. Walt Disney. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[30] Cinderella Poser. Wikia. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[31] Monkey Kingdom Poster. StitchKingdom. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[32] McFarland USA Poster. IMP Awards. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[33] Tomorrowland Poster. WP Images. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[34] Star Wars: The Force Awakens. IMDB Media. Poster Retrieved: April 17th 2015

[35] Annual Shareholders Meeting Image. Visions Fantastic. Retrieved: April 17th 2015

Buenavista/Disney Pictures

Posted on October 5, 2014 by iclynch

by Izzy Lynch

Photo Courtesy of [1] www.waltdisneystudios.com

Contact

Address: 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA. 91506

Phone: (818) 560-1000

Twitter: @DisneyPictures

History and Properties

Snow White Original Vintage Film Poster. Photo Courtesy of www.animationartstudio.com

The Walt Disney Studios is the world-renowned film division of the film-turned-lifestyle corporation, The Walt Disney Company (NASDAQ: DIS) [2]. Founded in 1923 under the name The Disney Brothers Studios by brothers Walter E. Disney and Roy O. Disney, the company gained recognition for Walt’s impressive art in second dimension animation and the rich character portrayals [3]. The company has become the most successful animation brand in the world, crafting iconic characters such as Mickey Mouse, and producing timeless features such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Mary Poppins (1964), Lion King (1994) and many more. Since the studios’ inception, the company has grown to host multiple lucrative businesses, including resorts, theme parks, and merchandise, all utilizing the characters created through the company’s television and film productions. The studios have expanded their reach to include The Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, The Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios (2006), Lucasfilm Limited LLC (2012), Marvel Studios (2009), Touchstone Pictures, Disneynature, and Disneytoon Studios. Films produced by these subsidiaries are distributed through The Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures [3].

CEO and Chairman of The Walt Disney Company, Robert A. Iger. Photo Courtesy of www.waltdisneystudios.com

CEO and Chairman of The Walt Disney Company, Robert A. Iger. Photo Courtesy of [4] www.waltdisneystudios.com

Management

As of 2005, Robert A. Iger has headed The Walt Disney Company, serving as both Chief Executive Officer and Chairman [4]. Iger reinstated the company’s relationship with the previously affiliated Pixar Animation Studios in 2006, which led to the hiring of Pixar Chief Executive Officer John Lasseter and Pixar President Edwin Catmull to head the then floundering Disney Animation sector of the studios. Since incorporating the two as Chief Creative Officer and President of the Walt Disney Animation Studios respectively in 2008, the company has seen an incredible improvement in the quality of content, producing blockbuster hits including Wreck It Ralph (2012), Frozen (2013), and Big Hero 6 (2014) [5].

Financial Information

The Walt Disney Company, which became a publicly traded entity in 1940 [6], released its Q4 and 2014 financial reports on November 6th, 2014 to reveal record-breaking numbers for the fourth year in a row. Along with impressive numbers from the overall company, Studio Entertainment revenues soared 22% from last year, earning nearly $7.3 billion out of the nearly $49 billion company revenue total, garnering the largest increase in revenue of the Company’s other business ventures [7].

The Walt Disney Company’s 52 Week Stock Price Chart. Photo Courtesy of Businessweek.com

Recently, the company experienced an impressive increase in their current trading price with the release of their eighty-eight second Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser. Trading prices for the company rose to a share price of $92.96 on Friday, November 28th [8], which has proven to be not only a 52-week high, but also an all time high for the company [9]. While stock prices represent the entire Walt Disney Company, it is important to note that the characters from the film productions are an integral part of what keeps the company relevant and popular, which has a significant impact on the stock price.

Current Projects

The Walt Disney Studios operates their production of films in the format of larger tent-pole franchises supporting the lower budget features. The company tends to produce films that fulfill the requirements of the four quadrants of moviegoers: both male and female, over and under 25 years of age.

After Disney’s overwhelming domestic and international success of 2013’s animated hit Frozen, the company has continued to produce high quality and exceptionally profitable films throughout its current slate [10], which includes both live action and animated features. Towards the closing of a strong summer for the company, with releases such as Maleficent and Planes: Fire and Rescue, Marvel Studios released the tent-pole live action film Guardians of the Galaxy [10], which has garnered the title of being the top grossing film of 2014 with a total earning of $331.1 million at the global box office; a considerable achievement for its $170 million budget [11]. Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Bradley Cooper, the film explores the uniting of a motley crew attempting to save the galaxy at the hands of an evil villain [12]. The film premiered on August 1st, 2014, and was highly praised by critics and audiences alike, scoring a 90% critic approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes [13].

Big Hero 6 Promotional Poster. Photo Courtesy of www.marvel.wikia.com

Guardians of the Galaxy served as the ideal primer for the November 7th release of Big Hero 6, a collaboration of the Walt Disney Animation Studios and Marvel Studios. Big Hero 6, with its $165 million production budget [14], incorporated characters from Marvel’s 5,000-character bank into the Animation Studios’ computer generated imagery format [15]. The result was a success; the film garnering a $50 million domestic box office in its opening weekend, as well as gaining the top spot of the weekend box office ahead of highly anticipated films, such as Warner Brothers’ Interstellar [16]. The film has netted $224.1 million in the worldwide box office to date [16].

Future Projects

The Walt Disney Studios have many high profile projects planned for release through 2019, having announced multiple films from each of its accompanying brands. Many of these films include live-action reboots of past Disney classics, continuations of prior franchises, or new franchise launches.

The most highly anticipated upcoming releases include the reboots of the Star Wars franchise. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by the talented J.J. Abrams, utilizes the Lucasfilm-constructed universe to continue the saga and is scheduled for release in December, 2015. The film, which takes place in a time after Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), starring Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and others from the first installment of the series, has generated great interest. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger has announced that his contract has been extended from terminating in March 2015 to June 2018 to oversee the release of two of the three upcoming Star Wars films [17].

Walt Disney Studios has also announced the continuation of the wildly popular Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, with a new film scheduled to be released in the summer of 2017. The film will be titled Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales [18].

Marvel plans to continue the producing widely profitable Avengers, Thor, Captain America, and Guardian of the Galaxy franchises, scheduling to release sequels to the films through 2018. Marvel has multiple other first-appearance films set to premier as well [19].

Pixar Animation Studios has announced the production of Toy Story 4, which came as a shock to many after the seemingly neat conclusion of the franchise with the release of Toy Story 3 (2010) [20]. Pixar has also announced plans to revive The Incredibles and Finding Nemo films with sequels, including the anticipated release of the film Finding Dory in 2016 [21]. Pixar is anticipating the release of their next film, Inside Out, a story told through a child’s emotions, in June of 2015 [21].

Sources

[1] “The Walt Disney Studios >> Walt Disney Studios Home” The Walt Disney Studios Retrieved 28 November 2014

[2] “DIS-NASDAQ.com” NASDAQ.com Retrieved 30 November 2014

[3] “Disney History” The Walt Disney Company Retrieved 29 November 2014

[4] “Rober A. Iger – The Walt Disney Company” The Walt Disney Company Retrieved 29 November 2014

[5] “Big Hero 6 Proves it: Pixar’s Gurus Have Brought the Magic back to Disney” Wired.com Retrieved 29 November 2014

[6] “Chronology of The Walt Disney Company” Chronology of The Walt Disney Company Retrieved 26 November 2014

[7] “Disney Fiscal Report 2014” The Walt Disney Company Retrieved 22 November 2014

[8] “DIS: Stock Information” Businessweek.com Retrieved 28 November November 2014

[9] “‘Star Wars’ Trailer Awakens Walt Disney Stock” TheGuardian.com Retrieved 30 November 2014

[10] “The Walt Disney Studios Current Slate The Walt Disney Studios Retrieved 28 November 2014

[11] “2014 Top Grossing Films” BoxOfficeMojo.com Retrieved 1 December 2014

[12] “Guardians of the Galaxy – IMDB” IMDB.com Retrieved 1 December 2014

[13] “Guardians of the Galaxy Review – Rotten Tomatoes” RottenTomatoes.com Retrieved 28 November 2014

[14] “Big Hero 6 Box Office” BoxOfficeMojo.com Retrieved 30 November 2014

[15] “Disney Buys Marvel Entertainment” TheGuardian.com Retrieved 26 November 2014

[16] “Nov. 7th 2014 Weekend Results” BoxOfficeMojo.com Retrieved 30 November 2014

[17] “Bob Iger to Remain Disney Chief through 2018” Variety.com Retrieved 26 November 2014

[18] “‘Pirates of the Caribbean 5’ Set for Summer 2017” The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 23 November 2014

[19] “Marvel Studios Announcements” The Slate Retrieved 27 November 2014

[20] “Pixar’s ‘Toy Story 4’ Set to Play in Theaters in 2017” Variety.com 07 November 2014

[21] “Pixar Animation Studios Official Slate” Pixar Retrieved 30 November

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