Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery shouldn’t be held up by regulators because it won't entrench a monopoly. Here’s why: The $81 billion merger is stalled at a U.S. federal court over monopoly concerns. The two entertainment giants are parents of two of Hollywood’s five major studios. Netflix is so large at $45.2 billion in film/TV program … [Read more...] about Par-WB: Merger Meddling Gone Awry
economics
Mood Swing: Cinema Is Cool Again
Though underappreciated, movies in cinemas are again top of the Hollywood food chain (cinema’s appeal illustrated in AI-generated image above). “The big screen’s obituary has been written so many times — even by the people who make films,” writes entertainment critic Johnny Oleksinski in the New York Post. “When ‘The Sopranos’ and 'The Wire' were airing on HBO (Home Box … [Read more...] about Mood Swing: Cinema Is Cool Again
Kids Demographic Saving Cinema
Despite the naysayers, cinema’s outlook continues to gradually improve as it recovers from the pandemic, video streaming competition and interrupted movie flow from Hollywood labor strikes. The key favorable trends are wide-release film output expected to return to pre-pandemic levels next year, the children’s demographic embraces movie-going (children's blockbuster … [Read more...] about Kids Demographic Saving Cinema
Best Bet for Netflix: Acquiring Theatricals
Netflix gets a better economic return from licensing hit theatrical films, which are more cost effective and hold up better in viewing than its original films, says researcher Ampere Analysis. “Netflix's big-budget originals like 'Damsel' and 'Lift' burn bright but fade quickly,” says a Hollywood Reporter story by Scott Roxborough, summarizing the Ampere report "Unpacking … [Read more...] about Best Bet for Netflix: Acquiring Theatricals
Wow! $215 for Cinema+Meal
A movie theater in the basement of a posh New York City hotel charges lofty prices up to $215 per person when meal included! The Cannes Cinema is a compact 66-seat movie theater in the basement of the five-star Hotel Barriere Fouquet in New York City, which is located in the trendy and bohemian Tribeca district. Offices for the Tribeca Film Festival are nearby. While … [Read more...] about Wow! $215 for Cinema+Meal
Neon Stakes Out Distribution Turf
Seven-year-old Neon emerged as a mainstay in the hardscrabble domestic theatrical distribution business, where most new entrants fail or shrink to irrelevancy within a few years. Highlights of its short history include 2020 Oscar Best Picture winner “Parasite,” the Korean-language import; and also sassy ice skater drama “I, Tonya.” And this year, there's the sleeper horror … [Read more...] about Neon Stakes Out Distribution Turf
Hard Times Grip Cinema
Hard times have hit the cinema business as the Bronx region with 1.4 million residents lost one of its two multiplexes; Walt Disney Studios' once-dependable comic book adaptations are sputtering; and Paramount Pictures struggles to sell itself. While recent developments are mostly unfavorable, Sony Pictures Entertainment agreed to buy movie-and-a-meal Alamo Drafthouse … [Read more...] about Hard Times Grip Cinema
Strikes Derail Film Marketing, Cinema Comeback
The Hollywood strikes by actors and writers undercut movie publicity for new releases — since talent ordinarily publicize their films — and more ominously threaten to push back normal film flow already upended by the pandemic. The actors SAG-AFTRA work stoppage started July 14, which augments the May 2 beginning of the Writers Guild of America walkout. The strikes impact … [Read more...] about Strikes Derail Film Marketing, Cinema Comeback
Labor Strife Crimps Film Marketing
The strike by Hollywood screenwriters might seem distant to film marketing, which focuses on release-ready films, but labor turmoil is taking a toll on cinema premieres. Myriad secondary impacts from Hollywood labor strife are crimping movie marketing: * Uncertainty that film talent will do publicity for finished films. * Awards events are under boycott threat. * TV … [Read more...] about Labor Strife Crimps Film Marketing
Discounting Fever Engulfs Film Biz
With recession fears looming, price cuts are beginning to pop up across the movie landscape at video streamers, while being considered by theaters. In some cases, these take the form of bundling multiple streaming services or offering a cheaper advertising-supported streaming service, as Netflix and AMC+ have done recently. NBCUniversal’s mainstream video streamer Peacock … [Read more...] about Discounting Fever Engulfs Film Biz