There’s little chance for a return to past highs for Hollywood in the China cinema market, which is the world’s second largest overall. And it’s not just because of pandemic. While “Avatar: The Way of Water” is a blockbuster, Chinese regulators reduced theatrical distribution slots for foreign imports — meaning Hollywood films — that in years past bulked up overall cinema … [Read more...] about Even ‘Avatar 2’ Can’t Fix China Doldrums
economics
Wall Street Bullish on Cinema
Wall Street is always a forward indicator — its job is to anticipate — and the cinema recovery gets a thumbs up from stock analysts. Giant brokerage Morgan Stanley issued an upbeat report on Cinemark Holdings, which is the third ranked U.S. movie-theater chain, and that optimism is broadly spreading that cinema will not only survive but thrive. The praise is significant … [Read more...] about Wall Street Bullish on Cinema
New Streaming Deals Upend Status Quo
Release windows for theatrical and video-on-demand in the streaming age are unsettled, suddenly experiencing significant upheaval across the globe. An animated Disney film skips theatrical in France (see accompanying “Strange World” image) to go straight to Disney+ streaming. And a separate Apple TV+ deal for a Brad Pitt movie reportedly incorporates an unprecedented … [Read more...] about New Streaming Deals Upend Status Quo
Film Tie-ins Rebound at Restaurant Chains
Movie tie-in promotions, which were snuffed out by the pandemic, are gradually returning. Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., which are both owned by CKE Restaurants, just announced a tie-in with “Jurassic World Dominion,” while Applebee’s unveiled a promotion mid-month with “Top Gun: Maverick.” Universal Pictures premieres the sixth full-length theatrical film of the dinosaur yarn … [Read more...] about Film Tie-ins Rebound at Restaurant Chains
Rattled Video Streamers Tackle ‘Churn’
Experiencing sudden chaos from an unexpected leveling of growth, Netflix, Disney+ and other subscription video-on-demand (S-VOD) services are shoring up their economics, trying to curb costly customer churn. Hot competition among S-VOD platforms made for lax industry practices such as generous account sharing; signups with no contracts allowing for quick cancellations; and … [Read more...] about Rattled Video Streamers Tackle ‘Churn’
Cinema Rises From the Dead
After pundits emphatically proclaimed cinema-is-dead/won’t ever come back during the 2020-21 pandemic lockdown, exhibition enjoys a surprisingly swift comeback in 2022. That bounce-back is well deserved. The reasons? Competition from video streaming suddenly diminished when downbeat Netflix earnings April 19 lowered the perceived sky-is-the-limit upside of video … [Read more...] about Cinema Rises From the Dead
‘Ambulance’ Cinema Stumble Blamed on Netflix
The boxoffice stumble of Universal Pictures’ action thriller “Ambulance” is blamed on Netflix streaming original movies in the action-adventure genre, diminishing audience desire to hoof to cinemas for the same. Helmed by pedigree action-film director Michael Bay, R-rated “Ambulance” ranked fourth the past weekend with a weak $8.7 million in boxoffice for the three-day … [Read more...] about ‘Ambulance’ Cinema Stumble Blamed on Netflix
Tiny ‘Frequent’ Demo Drives Boxoffice
Cinema is still a “frequent moviegoer” affair. Major studio trade group the Motion Picture Association estimates that 3 percent of the U.S./Canada population accounts for an outsized 34 percent of movie ticket sales. That 3 percent that drive cinema economics are “frequent” attendees, defined as individuals that buy at least 12 movie tickets a year, according to the MPA. … [Read more...] about Tiny ‘Frequent’ Demo Drives Boxoffice
Financier Disses Pairing VOD With Cinema
A financier that invested billions of dollars in producing films with Warner Bros. Pictures asserts in a lawsuit that simultaneous streaming with cinema premieres diminishes economic return, especially from piracy spawned by streaming. Australian media company Village Roadshow (VRS) sued Warners for premiering its calendar 2021 film slate (17 theatricals) on corporate … [Read more...] about Financier Disses Pairing VOD With Cinema
‘People’s’ Rescue of AMC Fizzles
After an unbelievable run-up, the stock price of cinema circuit AMC Entertainment is in free fall, as the flood of small investors calling themselves apes evaporates. From a high surpassing $55 a share last year, AMC closed at $14.52 a share today. With the air out of the balloon, professional investors expect AMC’s stock price to settle under $10/share because of its heavy … [Read more...] about ‘People’s’ Rescue of AMC Fizzles