Showbiz Sandbox 654: CinemaCon Promotes A Bright Future for Movie Theatres
April 16, 2024
CinemaCon, the annual gathering of cinema operators in Las Vegas, was filled with anxiety this year thanks to a lack of wide releases due to the recent labor strikes. However, most Hollywood studios showed up with a few movie stars to hawk an increasing number of big titles due later in the year and into 2025. As well, technology companies introduced some exciting new advances in projection and image quality. In all, the conference pointed toward better days ahead for movie theaters.
In even better news, it looks as if the many behind-the-scenes craft people who work on films and television shows may not go on strike like the writers and actors did last year. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) appears to be having very positive negotiations with Alliance of Motion Picture Television Producers on a new contract.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how Disney won its shareholder battle, the winners of this year’s Writers Guild Awards and CBS whips up a new streaming news service.
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Showbiz Sandbox 616: Movie Theaters Celebrate Recovery at CinemaCon
May 2, 2023
Movie theater operators from around the world gathered in Las Vegas last week for CinemaCon. Though the last two pandemic suppressed editions of the conference were filled with artificial optimism about the business, this year’s event showcased an industry that had survived and is indeed thriving thanks to a robust release schedule with plenty of new films to show.
Meanwhile, the cable news landscape was shaken up last week when Fox News fired its highest rated personality Tucker Carlson and CNN parted ways with longtime host Don Lemon. This came only one week after Fox News paid out $787 million to settle a defamation lawsuit.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Disney is suing the state of Florida, what caused the head of the BBC to step down and Netflix announced the end of its original DVD rental business.
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Showbiz Sandbox 582: Movie Theaters Come Roaring Back at CinemaCon
May 3, 2022
When cinema operators from around the world gathered in Las Vegas for CinemaCon last week, it quickly became obvious that movie theaters ain’t dead yet. Though a global pandemic may have decimated their business model for several years, audiences seem to slowly be returning to movie theaters. So have Hollywood studios who are starting to realize they can’t survive on streaming revenue alone.
Speaking of streaming, a poor earnings report in which Netflix announced they lost subscribers for the first time in a decade, has served as a moment for self-reflection for the company as well as the industry-at-large.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including an abrupt end to CNN+, “Fast & Furious 10” loses its director and Europe’s new media laws.
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Showbiz Sandbox 553: CinemaCon Makes A Case for the Big Screen
August 31, 2021
After more than a year in which most blockbuster releases headed to streaming services, movie theater operators gathered in Las Vegas last week for CinemaCon, their annual convention. Ryan Faughnder of the Los Angeles Times moderated a panel discussion at the event featuring the heads of major movie chains, distribution executives and director Patty Jenkins. He tells us what he learned at this year’s show.
One consistent headline to come out of CinemaCon was the call from both exhibitors and distributors for an exclusive theatrical release window. When it comes to China however, Hollywood studios are relieved to get any type of release these days, even if they only have a week to prepare for it.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how Apple is buying into classical music, women top the music charts for the first time in ten years and why China is canceling celebrities.
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Showbiz Sandbox 483: China Presents Hollywood With A Trillion Dollar Dilemma
March 2, 2020
Between intellectual property theft, forced joint ventures and strict government regulation, the entertainment industry has come to learn that doing business in China is difficult at best, complicated at worst. Chris Fenton, the CEO of Media Capital Technologies, knows a thing or two about doing film industry business in China, having worked in the Middle Kingdom on various project for decades. He joins us to explain the dilemma facing Hollywood in China as well as his upcoming memoir “Feeding the Dragon.”
China is, in fact, where the coronavirus originated before it spread to other countries throughout the world. Now, movie theaters in Italy and South Korea are joining their Chinese counterparts in shutting down, hoping to prevent further spread of the virus, and leading to what could be billions in box office losses.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, decided to suddenly step down last week and instead take on the role of Chairman. Disney theme park head Bob Chapek will be the company’s new CEO. We cover all the reasons for the executive shuffle.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the winners of this year’s Berlin Film Festival, Placido Domingo apologizes for past behavior (sort of) and why YouTube can’t censor content.
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Showbiz Sandbox 443: Netflix Dominates CinemaCon Conversation
April 8, 2019
Movie theater owners from around the world gathered in Las Vegas last week to see what upcoming releases studios have in store for them. Sony skipped this year’s CinemaCon leaving many puzzled as to why and Fox showed up with their new owner, Disney. Yet it was a company that doesn’t willingly release films in cinemas that generated some of the biggest buzz; Netflix.
What we learned from attending this year’s CinemaCon is that theatrical windows aren’t disappearing anytime soon, neither are moviegoing subscription services, but 3D grosses have collapsed everywhere but in Asia. Saudi Arabia, the hot topic of last year’s show, was barely mentioned.
You’d think during a year in which worldwide box office set a new record, cinema operators would be rejoicing, however exhibitor and studio consolidation has everyone on edge, as they wait and see how Disney handles its acquisition of Fox.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including a big ratings decline for “The Walking Dead,” the WGA and talent agencies continue their contentious discussions and the Justice Department goes after the Academy.
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Showbiz Sandbox 436: A Wealth in Diversity at Sundance
February 5, 2019
This year’s Sundance Film Festival was more diverse than it usually is in every way one might imagine. Sure, there were the usual crop of independent films and documentaries, but the predominance of women and people of color and queer voices was more notable than ever. In fact, female filmmakers took home most of the festival’s top prizes.
Sundance also proved to be a feeding frenzy for independent distributors with Amazon swooping in to spend more money than any other studio has ever spent during a single year at the festival. Usually, if one selection sells for over $10 million it makes headlines. This year there were at least three films that fell into that category.
Meanwhile the Super Bowl weekend proved to be a bust both at the box office, which was reached a 20-year-low, as well as on television, where the broadcast of the big game fell to a 10-year-low.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including Peter Jackson’s Beatles documentary, Hulu raises its prices and Spotify turns on a feature that allows users to turn off artists.
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Showbiz Sandbox 408: CinemaCon Shrugs Off Unwanted Disruptions
April 30, 2018
Movie theater owners from around the world descended upon Las Vegas for CinemaCon last week. Studios wooed exhibitors with clips from upcoming film releases while industry manufacturers lured attendees with the latest technology, including high-resolution LED screens as a method of showing movies to the masses. Much like the subscription service MoviePass, the screens left cinema operators wondering if they were just one more “innovation” nobody had asked for.
Meanwhile “Avengers: Infinity War” broke box office records both in North America and globally when it opened over the weekend. The latest Marvel superhero movie earned over $640 million in just three days, putting it on track to pass the billion dollar mark.
Speaking of “war,” one is brewing between the Writers Guild of America and talent agencies. The WGA wants to cancel their current agency agreements and rewrite them to prevent franchised agents from profiting off of packaging deals with television networks. Such arrangements currently allow agents to double dip and at times earn more than their clients for a project.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including Steven Spielberg signing on to direct the movie adaptation of DC Comic’s “Blackhawk,” the next “Star Trek” film lands a female director and Bill Cosby is found guilty of sexual assault.
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Showbiz Sandbox 361: Forget Release Windows, CinemaCon Proves the Screen is the Future
April 4, 2017
Cinema operators gathered in Las Vegas last week to attend the annual CinemaCon trade show where they were able to preview upcoming film releases and learn about some of the new technology on offer for their theatres. Naturally, box office was a big topic with global ticket sales (barely) hitting a record $38.6 billion. Even with a strong U.S. dollar, international box office still made up 71% of the total.
Another issue on everyone’s mind were theatrical release windows; studios want to introduce a premium video on demand offering that brings new releases to the home sooner, though exhibitors are understandably pushing back.
Meanwhile, there may be no movies to show in cinemas if screenwriters goes on strike. The Writers Guild of America has been meeting with producers and studios, however the sides are far apart in their negotiations and a strike is looking more likely.
Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including Robert Downey Jr. as Dr. Dolittle, why major advertisers are upset with YouTube and Adam Sandler reups with Netflix.
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Showbiz Sandbox 360: Can Spotify Come To Terms With Major Record Labels?
March 20, 2017
Even as Spotify has grown into the largest subscription streaming music service in the world, all of the company’s long-term licensing deals have expired and it has struggled to negotiate new ones that will help them lower costs and become a viable business. However new reports have emerged that Spotify may be close to reaching new licensing deals after agreeing to some strict terms from the labels.
Among these are marketing guarantees, the windowing of major releases and only placing full albums on the premium paid tier of their service. Spotify may have no choice but to accept the labels’ offer otherwise their much-anticipated IPO may fall apart once and for all.
Unlike Spotify, Netflix is a subscription streaming company that is at the top of its game and isn’t worried about squabbling with its content partners. Instead, the company has been busy altering its star rating system, restoring and lost Orson Welles film and bad-mouthing movie theaters.
Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including the opening of Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast” sets box office records, the head of the MPAA goes M.I.A. at CinemaCon and Saturday Night Live makes plans for prime time segments. Read more
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