Global boxoffice revenue will decline $32 billion due to Covid-19 closures, representing a 71.5% plunge, estimates a London-based researcher that is nonetheless upbeat about a healthy though not complete rebound in two years. Omdia Research’s latest syndicated report "Movie Windows: Adapting for the Future” forecasts 2020 global boxoffice will amount to just $13 billion, for … [Read more...] about Virus Costs Cinema $32bn, But Rebound Forecast
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Viewing ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Via Politics
The Netflix movie "Hillbilly Elegy" is a lightning rod for attention as film critics and pundits find a stealth political undertone that irritates them. The searing family drama starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams is based on a 2016 memoir nonfiction book about growing up poor in economically backward America. The political buzz for the book and now Netflix movie directed by … [Read more...] about Viewing ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Via Politics
Digital Hipsters, Kids Diverge on ‘Clifford’
A video revealing “Clifford the Big Red Dog” drew mixed reviews, as adult digital literati found it garish, though tots and kids are probably just fine. The movie will be live-action, not animated. The family film’s distributor, Paramount Pictures, and producer Entertainment One released the image a few days ago in an orchestrated reveal encouraging fans to connect and pass … [Read more...] about Digital Hipsters, Kids Diverge on ‘Clifford’
Cinemas Craft Durable VOD Model
The movie-release window for video-on-demand after cinema is getting more crowded, in what should be viewed as good news because a durable formula is being hashed out that works for both Hollywood and cinema. Earlier this week, the nation’s #3 theater chain Cinemark cinched a deal for the Universal Pictures slate and separately Warner Bros. unveiled a combination … [Read more...] about Cinemas Craft Durable VOD Model
Indie ‘True’ Shines Amid Pandemic
An independent film, “True to the Game 2,” made an impact in national box office laid low by Corona-19 pandemic. Over the Nov 6-8 boxoffice weekend, the urban action film took in $290,000 from 247 locations with a per screen average of $1,174—a good showing in the virus social-distancing era. That per-screen average appears to rank #2 nationally among all films in … [Read more...] about Indie ‘True’ Shines Amid Pandemic
Majors Retool Execs for Streaming Age
Hollywood’s major movie studios are remaking their executive structures to adapt to the steaming age, which means reducing theatrical marketing infrastructure. This week, Sony Pictures combined theatrical, home video (includes DVD) and TV executive structures, and reduced headcount. “Moving forward, we will be combining our theatrical, home entertainment and television … [Read more...] about Majors Retool Execs for Streaming Age
‘Harry Potter’ Mobile Game Casting ‘Spells’
Warner Bros. Interactive licensed a Harry Potter casual game to Zynga, giving the literary and movie property digital merchandise to keep consumers engaged in the wizards and magic world. The basic game is titled “Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells.” Says a press release, “Featuring the soundtrack and voice-over recordings from the original ‘Harry Potter’ films, fans follow … [Read more...] about ‘Harry Potter’ Mobile Game Casting ‘Spells’
Drive-in Theaters Come to Cinema Rescue
Drive-in theaters were something of a regional and seasonal backwater until the pandemic made watching entertainment from inside a car cool again. Instances where drive-in initiatives attract throngs of consumers gives hope that cinema will snap back once the coronavirus disappears. Music concerts and esports video game competitions have even embraced the outdoor drive-in … [Read more...] about Drive-in Theaters Come to Cinema Rescue
Cinemas Reopen Cautiously Amid Virus Worries
Cinemas around the world are nervously piecing together comeback plans -- opening with social distancing, shoring up their corporate coffers with cash and restructuring operations to withstand lean times. It's a slow process made worse with deadline pressures but in the long run it should succeed. Cinema infrastructure is top-notch and audiences locked down by the … [Read more...] about Cinemas Reopen Cautiously Amid Virus Worries
Coronavirus: We’ve Seen This Movie Before
The torrent of predictions of the quick demise of movie cinema strikes me as tunnel-vision bordering on dishonesty -- and provably by simply looking at past history and ingrained human behavior patterns. Hey, if movie theaters are dead, then so are legitimate theater (Broadway), music concerts, theme parks, cruise ships and audience attendance at sports events. But the … [Read more...] about Coronavirus: We’ve Seen This Movie Before