All articles tagged with #theatrical releases
The article explores how the future of cinema may involve more non-traditional releases like streaming events, re-releases, and special screenings, driven by changing audience habits and shortened theatrical windows, challenging the traditional movie-going experience.
Netflix is committed to continuing theatrical releases of movies and aims to acquire part of Warner Bros. Discovery through an $83 billion deal, despite competition from Paramount Skydance and regulatory scrutiny, with executives emphasizing support for Hollywood jobs and content production.
Paramount-Skydance prioritizes theatrical releases over streaming movies, with CEO David Ellison stating the debate about streaming's impact is over, emphasizing the importance of traditional theatrical windows for film value.
AMC CEO Adam Aron anticipates that under Skydance's ownership, Paramount will increase its theatrical movie releases, which could benefit theaters like AMC. Skydance's cash-rich position and new leadership are expected to boost Paramount's film output, with plans to release more movies in the coming years, potentially revitalizing the theatrical industry.
The article discusses the decline of original animated movies' success at the box office, highlighting that most recent releases have resulted in significant losses, and suggests that studios might consider treating theatrical animation as a loss leader, relying on streaming and franchise potential for profitability.
"Furiosa," the prequel to "Mad Max: Fury Road," is projected to have the lowest Memorial Day weekend opening in decades with $31M-$33M, raising concerns about the viability of theatrical releases. Despite strong reviews and a B+ CinemaScore, the film's niche appeal and marketing missteps are cited as reasons for its underperformance. Meanwhile, "Garfield" is expected to perform similarly, highlighting a challenging box office landscape.
Sony Pictures Entertainment's profits for the third-quarter of fiscal year 2023 surged 57% to $281 million, with revenues also rising 5% to $2.473 billion. The increase was attributed to higher television and digital streaming licensing revenues, home entertainment sales, and the success of theatrical releases like "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." Additionally, the company noted significant increases in the Financial Services, Pictures, and Music segments, with a 16% rise in sales for Games & Network Services. Sony also highlighted the success of Crunchyroll and expects the impact of Hollywood strikes to be around $133 million.
Pixar Animation Studios, owned by Disney, is bracing for possible layoffs later this year, with an estimated impact on up to 20 percent of its 1,300 workforce. The studio has faced challenges during the pandemic, including a rare round of layoffs last June and a mixed performance of its recent theatrical releases. Despite this, Pixar's upcoming projects, including the theatrical release of Disney+ titles and the opening of 'Inside Out 2', indicate ongoing efforts to revive its success in the animation industry.
The much-hyped Tamil film Captain Miller, starring Dhanush, has disappointed audiences with largely negative reviews, despite the initial promise and scale of the production. While Dhanush's performance is praised, the lack of drive in the story has led to a disappointing reception. The film's weak response may also impact its upcoming Telugu release, potentially leading to a complete washout in that market as well.
Pixar's pandemic films like Soul, Turning Red, and Luca are getting theatrical releases after being initially released on Disney+. Other studios are urged to follow suit and re-release orphaned pandemic content to fill the dearth of releases caused by strikes and delays. Suggestions include re-releasing films like Tenet in theaters and extending the lives of Oscar-winning films like Nomadland and Minari with theatrical releases, as there's currently a lack of new releases in the pipeline. The article emphasizes the significance of experiencing movies in theaters and suggests that audiences should have the opportunity to see acclaimed films on the big screen.
Pixar's films Soul, Turning Red, and Luca, which initially premiered on Disney Plus due to the pandemic, will be released in theaters in 2024. Soul will screen with the short film Burrow starting January 12th, Turning Red will start screening with the short film Kitbull on February 9th, and Luca will begin screening with the short film For the Birds on March 22nd. Tickets for these special engagement theatrical runs will go on sale on January 2nd, 2024.
The fall movie season is facing challenges due to ongoing Hollywood strikes, Covid-19, and Taylor Swift's blockbuster release. Despite these obstacles, studios are hoping to recreate the success of summer hits like "Barbenheimer." Notable theatrical releases include "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3," "A Haunting in Venice," "Rambo: Last Stand," "The Kill Room," and "The Creator." Taylor Swift's concert event, "Eras Tour," is expected to be a major movie event. Other releases include Martin Scorsese's latest film, a horror adaptation of a video game, and a romantic comedy starring Meg Ryan.
NBCUniversal highlighted its film slate during its upfronts pitch to media buyers, with a segment dedicated to the film output of Universal, Illumination, Focus Features, and DreamWorks. Fresh film titles have become significantly more important to the progress of Peacock, with the streaming service revealing that two-thirds of its 22 million subscribers have watched a new film release. The company revamped its pay-1 window when an output deal with HBO elapsed last year, shifting it over to Peacock.
Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chair-CEO Tom Rothman kicked off CinemaCon by addressing the state of theatrical releases and the importance of movie stars. He also announced that Apple Original Films has selected Sony as its distribution partner for the upcoming film Napolean, starring Joaquin Phoenix. Sony presented its upcoming slate of 23 films, including Bad Boys 4, Kraven The Hunter, and The Equalizer 3. The mood at CinemaCon is upbeat, with exhibitors predicting a rebound in the box office as the summer season nears.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie has set a new record for the biggest global opening of all time for an animated film, grossing $375.6 million over the long Easter holiday. The film is expected to surpass $500 million globally in the next few days. The success of the film, along with the theatrical release of Amazon's Air and Apple Original Films' Killers of the Flower Moon, is providing hope for Hollywood studios and exhibitors as a varied pipeline of product is returning to the marquee. The industry finally has a prepandemic level of consistent animated and family-friendly flicks throughout the summer and year-end holiday season.