Bosco685 Posted October 1, 2020 Author Share Posted October 1, 2020 Quote A letter signed by several prominent filmmakers, including Christopher Nolan and James Cameron, is urging Congress to help save America’s struggling movie theaters. Theaters in many states recently reopened on a partial-capacity basis, mainly to host Nolan’s new film, Tenet. Despite major campaigns promoting the film and efforts on behalf of companies like AMC and Cinemark, the reopening efforts have not brought enough revenue to sustain the theaters. As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, and the fall promises to bring a rise in case numbers once again, the fate of theaters is uncertain. Tenet was heralded by many as the savior of the big screen, but even a Christopher Nolan blockbuster hasn’t been enough to shoulder the weight on its own. The film barely broke $41 million domestically after its fourth weekend. And while the film remained at number one during that fourth weekend, it was the weakest performance for a number one at the box office in over 30 years, bring in just $3.4 million. With the very survival of movie theaters in question, filmmakers have penned a letter to Congress asking that unallocated CARES Act funds be used to help the industry stay afloat. Per Deadline, the letter’s signatories include Nolan, Cameron, Sofia Coppola, Greta Gerwig, Rian Johnson, Martin Scorsese, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Patty Jenkins, Steve McQueen, Zack Snyder, Taika Waititi, and many more. The letter has also been signed by executives from NATO, the DGA, and the MPA. You can read an excerpt below. “The moviegoing experience is central to American life. 268 million people in North America went to the movies last year to laugh, cry, dream, and be moved together. Theaters are great unifiers where our nation’s most talented storytellers showcase their cinematic accomplishments. Every aspiring filmmaker, actor, and producer dreams of bringing their art to the silver screen, an irreplaceable experience that represents the pinnacle of filmmaking achievement." "As well as their critical cultural impact, theaters are economic force multipliers. In addition to the 150,000 employees working in cinemas nationwide, the industry supports millions of jobs in movie production and distribution, and countless others in surrounding restaurants and retailers that rely on theaters for foot traffic. Movie theaters are also leaders in employing underrepresented groups, including people with disabilities, senior citizens, and first-time job holders. Cinemas are an essential industry that represent the best that American talent and creativity have to offer. But now we fear for their future.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Cool Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 Man - I really hope they do not give Fed money to the movie theaters to stay afloat. I'm conflicted about helping the airline industry (especially since they had so many years of large profits) but theaters are definitely not necessary for the US economy. How many people really make their money at theaters nation wide? Movie will still get made but by the streaming services and all we are really talking about are the low paid theater workers and some executives - not really a huge part of the economy. If we give money to theaters there are so many other industries which will have to be bailed out next. media_junkie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperheart Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 (edited) ‘No Time To Die’ Delayed To Easter Weekend 2021 As Pandemic Takes Grip At Box Office https://deadline.com/2020/10/no-time-to-die-delayed-to-easter-2021-1234590519/ Edited October 2, 2020 by paperheart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperheart Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 and AMC keeps touting theater re-openings. HELLO!, there's nothing to show and no one is going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco685 Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 This year sucks beyond belief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperheart Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 2 hours ago, Bosco685 said: This year sucks beyond belief. smart financial move, less bleeding shut down than open Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco685 Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco685 Posted October 5, 2020 Author Share Posted October 5, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Cool Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 10 hours ago, Bosco685 said: I wonder how many of those 45,000 employees are full time and are not minimum wage workers. It's still a blow to the economy but in the grand scheme of things really not huge. I'm not sure if the movie business will ever be the same after the lengthy closure just because people have invested in home theaters and moved on to streaming full time. Time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperheart Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 still to come: Soul goes to Disney + WW84 goes to sometime in 2021 AMC closes theaters Oscars cancelled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercury Man Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 23 minutes ago, paperheart said: Oscars cancelled Well that's one positive. D84 and Larryw7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan Boy Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Quote A letter signed by several prominent filmmakers, including Christopher Nolan and James Cameron, is urging Congress to help save America’s struggling movie theaters. Theaters in many states recently reopened on a partial-capacity basis, mainly to host Nolan’s new film, Tenet. Despite major campaigns promoting the film and efforts on behalf of companies like AMC and Cinemark, the reopening efforts have not brought enough revenue to sustain the theaters. As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, and the fall promises to bring a rise in case numbers once again, the fate of theaters is uncertain. Tenet was heralded by many as the savior of the big screen, but even a Christopher Nolan blockbuster hasn’t been enough to shoulder the weight on its own. The film barely broke $41 million domestically after its fourth weekend. And while the film remained at number one during that fourth weekend, it was the weakest performance for a number one at the box office in over 30 years, bring in just $3.4 million. With the very survival of movie theaters in question, filmmakers have penned a letter to Congress asking that unallocated CARES Act funds be used to help the industry stay afloat. Per Deadline, the letter’s signatories include Nolan, Cameron, Sofia Coppola, Greta Gerwig, Rian Johnson, Martin Scorsese, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Patty Jenkins, Steve McQueen, Zack Snyder, Taika Waititi, and many more. The letter has also been signed by executives from NATO, the DGA, and the MPA. You can read an excerpt below. “The moviegoing experience is central to American life. 268 million people in North America went to the movies last year to laugh, cry, dream, and be moved together. Theaters are great unifiers where our nation’s most talented storytellers showcase their cinematic accomplishments. Every aspiring filmmaker, actor, and producer dreams of bringing their art to the silver screen, an irreplaceable experience that represents the pinnacle of filmmaking achievement." "As well as their critical cultural impact, theaters are economic force multipliers. In addition to the 150,000 employees working in cinemas nationwide, the industry supports millions of jobs in movie production and distribution, and countless others in surrounding restaurants and retailers that rely on theaters for foot traffic. Movie theaters are also leaders in employing underrepresented groups, including people with disabilities, senior citizens, and first-time job holders. Cinemas are an essential industry that represent the best that American talent and creativity have to offer. But now we fear for their future.” I think the real question is to ask yourself each is whatever if your health’s sake is worth sitting in a closed room with dozens of other viewers for two-3 hours? There are too many chances when one or two viewers sitting close to you is one of covid-positive carriers. I went to only one movie since Covid mess come in. That was the “New Mutants” and inside the theatre were only 6-8 people among me with three seats closed between each aviavible seat. That is the only time I went to see. Again? I doubt as long there is no big blockbuster to come until 2021 or 2022. Realistically I truly believe the health sake is far more important than the entertainment. I can get that watching in my own home with a TV. But to each own if they really desperate need to go enter a closed environment for 2-3 hours there. No thanks. I do get the point that the theatre businesses need to survive. But they can rebound back later ... after we ALL get the vaccine first! D84 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco685 Posted October 6, 2020 Author Share Posted October 6, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco685 Posted October 8, 2020 Author Share Posted October 8, 2020 Quote WarnerMedia is expected to enact a new round of layoffs amid the AT&T-owned company’s ongoing restructuring. According to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, the company is looking to cut costs by as much as 20% and lay off thousands in the coming weeks. That would follow the hundreds of layoffs made in early August that saw Warner Bros. and HBO hardest hit. “Like the rest of the entertainment industry, we have not been immune to the significant impact of the pandemic,” said WarnerMedia in a statement shared with Variety. “That includes an acceleration in shifting consumer behavior, especially in the way content is being viewed. We shared with our employees recently that the organization will be restructured to respond to those changes and prioritize growth opportunities, with an emphasis on direct-to-consumer. We are in the midst of that process and it will involve increased investments in priority areas and, unfortunately, reductions in others.” The move comes under the leadership of new WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, who stepped into the top spot in the spring. Since then, a wave of executive changes have been made, including the ouster of HBO Max’s Bob Greenblatt and Kevin Reilly, the merging of the company’s production operations, and the positioning of Warner Bros. chief Ann Sarnoff to oversee all content for the HBO Max streaming service as well as basic cablers TNT, TBS and truTV. With all that is going on, no shocker here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperheart Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 On 10/5/2020 at 3:55 PM, paperheart said: still to come: Soul goes to Disney + WW84 goes to sometime in 2021 AMC closes theaters Oscars cancelled Disney/Pixar’s ‘Soul’ Moving To Christmas Day Release On Disney+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperheart Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 Ontario Shutting Movie Theaters For 28 Days As COVID-19 Cases Rise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperheart Posted October 10, 2020 Share Posted October 10, 2020 $6.75BB, on its way to $8.5BB, below a year ago Domestic Yearly Box Office YTD Comparison Calendar grosses Compare Year to Date January 1 - October 10 Data as of Oct 10, 2:33 PDT Year Gross vs 2020 vs 2019 vs 2018 vs 2017 vs 2016 vs 2015 2020 $1,913,732,057 - -77.9% -79.2% -77.1% -78.2% -77.4% 2019 $8,663,564,40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco685 Posted October 12, 2020 Author Share Posted October 12, 2020 (edited) Quote International theater owners, starved for films to play in their significantly safer non-American cinemas, lament Disney's decision to dump Soul directly onto Disney+. The film was initially supposed to premiere in June but was then delayed to November. Now, Disney has decided to cut their losses and release Soul on Disney+ this Christmas. Per Variety, in a statement from the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), theater owners have expressed their disappointment in Disney's decision to release Soul on Disney+. Additionally, the film will only reach theaters in countries where Disney+ is not an option. UNIC calls it "a distributor delivering another blow" to their industry. Read the most important bulk below: 'The vast majority of cinemas across Europe and indeed many regions of the World are now open and able to offer a safe and enjoyable return for audiences. Cinema operators have invested massively in offering the safest possible experience to their audiences on the basis of a promising schedule of new film releases. Yet again, however, they find a distributor delivering another blow. The decision on Soul is doubly frustrating for operators who were counting on the release after the film was previewed at a number of key European film festivals.' Edited October 12, 2020 by Bosco685 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco685 Posted October 12, 2020 Author Share Posted October 12, 2020 Quote Reacting to its tumultuous 2020 and looking to establish a corporate structure suited to the transformation to come, the Walt Disney Co. has introduced a major streamlining of its media and entertainment businesses. Under the new structure, Disney’s world-class creative engines will focus on developing and producing original content for the Company’s streaming services, as well as for legacy platforms, while distribution and commercialization activities will be centralized into a single, global Media and Entertainment Distribution organization. Kareem Daniel, formerly President, Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, will lead the new distribution group. COVID-19 has ravaged Disney more than any other media company, given its direct impact on theme parks, travel, theatrical moviegoing, TV advertising, live sports and other longtime income sources. Streaming has been a bright spot, but it is by definition a money-losing endeavor for Disney, which advised investors in 2019 that it would be years before Disney+ and other streaming platforms turn a profit. The MED group will be responsible for all monetization of content—both distribution and ad sales—and will oversee operations of the company’s streaming services. It will also have sole P&L accountability for Disney’s media and entertainment businesses. In the official announcement of the reorg Monday, Disney said it has scheduled an investor day for December 10 when it will lay out further details about its plans for 2021 and beyond. The creation of content will be managed in three distinct groups—Studios, General Entertainment, and Sports—headed by current leaders Alan F. Horn and Alan Bergman, Peter Rice, and Jimmy Pitaro. All five leaders will report directly to Disney CEO Bob Chapek. Disney Parks, Experiences and Products will continue to operate under its existing structure, led by its chairman, Josh D’Amaro, who will still report to Mr. Chapek. Rebecca Campbell will serve as chairman of international operations and direct-to-consumer. Bob Iger, in his role as Executive Chairman, will continue to oversee creative endeavors, as he indicated was the plan when he passed the CEO baton last February. “Given the incredible success of Disney+ and our plans to accelerate our direct-to-consumer business, we are strategically positioning our Company to more effectively support our growth strategy and increase shareholder value,” Chapek said. “Managing content creation distinct from distribution will allow us to be more effective and nimble in making the content consumers want most, delivered in the way they prefer to consume it. Our creative teams will concentrate on what they do best—making world-class, franchise-based content—while our newly centralized global distribution team will focus on delivering and monetizing that content in the most optimal way across all platforms, including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and the coming Star international streaming service.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco685 Posted October 12, 2020 Author Share Posted October 12, 2020 We've come a long ways from just a few months ago when some mocked Universal Pictures for considering a streaming/theater strategy to now Disney is going to make this one of its core missions to survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
