Showbiz Sandbox 621: Summer Box Office Is Much Cooler Than Expected
July 4, 2023
In a year which boasted a bevy of summer blockbusters, moviegoers haven’t been turning up at theaters for some of the more highly anticipated releases. Instead, big budget titles such as “The Little Mermaid,” “Elemental,” “The Flash,” and even “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” among others have all had underwhelming opening weekends. Is depressed movie attendance a temporary trend or is it the new normal?
Meanwhile, when SAG-AFTRA extended their contract negotiations with producers into July Hollywood averted a dual strike with both actors and writers walking picket lines. The ongoing writers strike is already causing studios to shift release dates back by months if not years.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the Academy sets new rules for the Best Picture Oscar, big name directors make their case for the Turner Classic Movies network and Ryan Seacrest takes over as host of “Wheel of Fortune.”
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Ryan Seacrest Named New ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/27/business/media/ryan-seacrest-wheel-of-fortune.html
‘Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny’ Clocks Soft $130M Global Bow
https://deadline.com/2023/07/indiana-jones-and-the-dial-of-destiny-elemental-spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-china-global-international-box-office-1235427838/
Box Office: ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ Stumbles With $60 Million Debut, ‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’ Flops
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/box-office-indiana-jones-5-opening-weekend-disappointment-1235660071/
China Box Office: ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Bombs With $2.3M Opening
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/china-box-office-indiana-jones-5-bombs-lost-in-the-stars-1235528181/
CineWorld Restructures After Complete Collapse, CEO and OTher Execs Receive Millions
https://deadline.com/2023/06/regal-cineworld-bankruptcy-plan-hearing-attorney-stockholders-mooky-greidinger-1235426411/
Disney Reshuffles Release Dates For Major Releases
https://celluloidjunkie.com/digest/disney-reshuffles-release-dates-for-major-releases/
French Filmmaker Luc Besson Definitively Cleared of All Charges in Rape Case
https://variety.com/2023/film/global/luc-besson-rape-charges-cleared-1235650624/
Jonathan Majors Return Changes MCU Future
https://insidethemagic.net/2023/06/johnathan-majors-innocence-changes-course-of-the-mcu-zg1/
Grammys Add Three New Categories, Including Best African Music Performance and Best Pop Dance Recording
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/grammys-add-new-categories-best-african-music-performance-pop-dance-recording-1235513523/
‘Hamilton’ Cast Recording Becomes First Broadway Album Certified Diamond
https://www.broadwaynews.com/hamilton-cast-recording-becomes-first-broadway-album-certified-diamond/
How MLB Took Over a Regional Sports Network in 24 Hours
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/how-mlb-took-over-padres-bally-sports-rsn-in-24-hours-1235515509/
Shocking Closure at L.A.’s Mark Taper Forum Reflects a Crisis at Regional Theaters Nationwide
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-06-17/center-theatre-group-closing-mark-taper-forum-public-dallas-theater
Chicago’s Tony-Winning Lookingglass Theatre Pauses Programming, Cuts Staff
https://deadline.com/2023/06/lookingglass-theatre-chicago-programming-staff-cuts-tony-awards-1235428229/
Zaslav Brings in Spielberg, Scorsese, Anderson to Help Curate TCM Film Lineup After Shake-up
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/28/spielberg-scorsese-pta-to-curate-films-for-tcm.html
Spotify’s Podcast Plan is Going Off the Rails
https://www.theverge.com/23768886/spotify-podcast-strategy-mistakes-joe-rogan-exclusives-trevor-noah
Oscars to Require ‘Expanded Theatrical Run’ to Qualify for Best Picture Beginning in 2025
https://variety.com/2023/film/awards/oscars-theatrical-expansion-requirements-best-picture-1235651334/
Cord-Cutting to Reduce Pay TV to Just 38 Percent of U.S. Households by 2027, PwC Forecasts
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/cord-cutting-streaming-avod-pwc-report-outlook-2027-1235517286/
Global Cinema Admissions Won’t Rebound Even by 2027, Though Revenue Will, PwC Forecasts
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/global-cinema-revenue-forecast-pwc-pandemic-admissions-1235517475/
Carmen Sevilla Dies: Spanish Film Star Who Played Mary Magdalene In ‘King Of Kings’ Was 92
https://deadline.com/2023/06/carmen-sevilla-dead-actress-king-of-kings-spanish-cinema-was-92-1235426606/
Treat Williams, Star of ‘Everwood’ and ‘Prince of the City,’ Dies in Motorcycle Accident at 71
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/treat-williams-dead-everwood-prince-of-the-city-1235513850/
Legendary Knopf Editor Robert Gottlieb Dies at 92
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/92552-legendary-knopf-editor-robert-gottlieb-dies-at-92.html
Glenda Jackson, Oscar-Winning Actress Turned Politician, Dies at 87
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/15/world/europe/glenda-jackson-dead.html
Sheldon Harnick, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Lyricist, Dies at 99
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/23/theater/sheldon-harnick-dead.html
Lawrence Turman Dies: Oscar-Nominated Producer Of ‘The Graduate’, ‘American History X’ & More Was 96
https://deadline.com/2023/07/lawrence-turman-dies-oscar-nominated-producer-of-the-graduate-american-history-x-and-more-dies-at-age-96-1235429081/
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