The film business has had to battle its way through everything from Covid shutdowns to strike-induced box office delays to steep competition from a tidal wave of high-priced streaming content over the past seven years.
The contraction in theatrical releases and the post-pandemic downturn at the box office has raised the stakes for every film release, from blockbusters to arty fare — so said a group of top theatrical marketing executives who spoke April 24 during a roundtable panel at Variety’s annual Entertainment Marketing Summit, presented by Deloitte.
“If you’re not an event movie for someone, you’re a movie for no one,” said Josh Goldstine, president of worldwide marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures Group, during the daylong, Sro event at the Beverly Hilton.
Goldstine noted the ante for theatrical films has been raised by “an extra $100 billion worth of streaming content that has entered the marketplace” since about 2017. Dwight Caines,...
The contraction in theatrical releases and the post-pandemic downturn at the box office has raised the stakes for every film release, from blockbusters to arty fare — so said a group of top theatrical marketing executives who spoke April 24 during a roundtable panel at Variety’s annual Entertainment Marketing Summit, presented by Deloitte.
“If you’re not an event movie for someone, you’re a movie for no one,” said Josh Goldstine, president of worldwide marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures Group, during the daylong, Sro event at the Beverly Hilton.
Goldstine noted the ante for theatrical films has been raised by “an extra $100 billion worth of streaming content that has entered the marketplace” since about 2017. Dwight Caines,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
In the run-up to the release of last December’s “Wonka,” Timothée Chalamet made a surprise visit to New York’s Hudson Yards for a screening of the fantasy musical for kids enrolled in After-School All-Stars. With the holiday season in full swing, the 28-year-old actor handed out gift bags filled with Xboxes, Nikes and, naturally, chocolate bars. It was a plan he concocted on his own and was followed by similar events, such as a January visit to a Minnesota high school, where he took selfies with students from the drama program.
“He took every kid’s hand who came. He took a photograph with everybody who asked him, which was pretty much everyone,” recalls “Wonka” producer David Heyman. “That was about his heart. But he’s also very savvy about marketing. He gets very engaged and brings ideas to the table.”
Chalamet is that rare performer who appeals to audiences of all ages.
“He took every kid’s hand who came. He took a photograph with everybody who asked him, which was pretty much everyone,” recalls “Wonka” producer David Heyman. “That was about his heart. But he’s also very savvy about marketing. He gets very engaged and brings ideas to the table.”
Chalamet is that rare performer who appeals to audiences of all ages.
- 3/13/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel and Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Sunday Am: It pays to wait.
With a near 600M social media draw boosted by Zendaya, Dave Bautista, Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, and Austin Butler, the move for Legendary/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two from the strike-stricken desert of the first weekend of November to early March has yielded an $81.5M domestic and $178.5M global opening. EntTelligence says that translates to 5.2M admissions for 70% of the weekend’s entire foot traffic.
Though logic prevailed to delay the movie from its first weekend in November to March (a decision made back in August), that was a daunting challenge for a movie that cost $190M, 80% financed by Legendary Entertainment. And nail-biting to say the least for those involved.
Changing release dates can be expensive: There’s a start and stop of the campaign, and a re-start again. Warners is also getting an 8% distribution fee. One casualty for Dune: Part Two during the strike was skipping San Diego Comic-Con, where they were scheduled to appear. But there’s also the carry-cost/finance charges for keeping the movie on the shelf. Once you do that media buy, you’re locked.
However, Warner Bros. domestic distribution boss Jeff Goldstein knew that early March was a rich bed, having launched such movies as The Batman ($134M) and Legendary’s Kong: Skull Island ($61M) here.
However, it became clear to the parties involved with Dune: Part Two that for a movie of this cost, and to mount a campaign at the level that this movie deserved, you needed the cast. It was essential for the actors to explain to the world what a special movie Dune: Part Two is.
When it came to the sequel, Legendary Chairman Josh Grode says, “There was no question this was going to be a 100% theatrical release worldwide.” Coming away from the first movie — which was crimped by Covid and a theatrical-day-and-date release on HBO Max stateside — Legendary did a bespoke analysis and evaluated the financial impact on the first Dune, speaking with global exhibition and Warner distribution, assessing the pandemic’s impact on a country-by-country basis.
The mission: to triangulate the data to come up with what the true mean theatrical box office value was of Dune to justify the $190M net global cost, a production which reaped tax benefits from Abu Dhabi, Jordan, and Hungary.
“We had a once-in-a-lifetime cast that was ready to go, a great script, and a great filmmaker,” says Grode.
Goldstein beamed today, “Denis Villeneuve is an extraordinary filmmaker who assembled an amazing, talented cast, and Mary Parent an epic producer who shepherded this movie and helped create a cultural moment globally.
“You have to see this movie on the largest screen you can. It’s not something you can experience at home,” added the distribution chief, “Cinemas make movie stars and movie stars make cultural moments.”
The gist of their pitch in the campaign: Dune: Part Two is a movie that’s a love story about a boy falling in love with a girl, and boy becoming a man, amid a world that’s pulling them apart. Those are universal themes that required the cast to market that message.
Premium formats across IMAX, Dolby Cinema, PLFs, 70mm, and motion seating drove a massive 48% of the weekend. For Imax alone in March, they notched an opening record of $18.5M, which is a 23% share of the sequel’s 3-day.
Opening domestic records: Biggest-ever for Denis Villeneuve (beating Dune‘s $41M), biggest for Timothee Chalamet (also beating Dune), biggest for Rebecca Ferguson (beating Mission: Impossible Fallout‘s $61.2M), best for Austin Butler (besting Once Upon a Time in Hollywood‘s $41M).
In a campaign driven by Warner Bros. marketing czar Josh Goldstine, there were crucial beats to hit, and there were great waves from that.
Let’s start with the first trailer, which became a cultural moment out of last year’s CinemaCon in April, which also ran on prints of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Fast X. The bit highlighted key talent, along with a photo gallery in Vanity Fair. That powerful “Thumper” teaser resulted in 282M social media reach, trending in 19 markets on Twitter and 29 markets on YouTube. The trailer was the No. 1 trending video on YouTube in the U.S., and #1 in Entertainment. At 24 hours, social volume trended ahead of comps.
Trailer 2 was dropped on Mission Impossible 7, Oppenheimer, and Meg 2, as well as social media and key linear, which further targeted the Dune fan community and reached a broader audience on TikTok.
Trailer 3 came off of the fan fervor and excitement generated from Brazil Comic-Con Ccxp. Warner further amplified the spot with thanks to top influencer support, brand extensions via games/Activision support, and prime in-theater trailer placement on Aquaman 2. The trailer earned a 99% positive-to-neutral reaction on social, and trended in 13 markets on YouTube, peaking at No. 1 in the U.S. and Canada. Social volume from trailer 2 to trailer 3 had a stronger hold than trailer 1 to trailer 2, we’re told, with females engaging more than any of the comp titles.
Throughout it all, cast was the biggest driver of social conversation. TikTok alone clocked 300M impressions.
Riveting moments on social included the following:
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Dune: Part Two spots aired during key programming and pop culture moments, i.e. during the Grammy’s with Taylor Swift Artist Affinity digital surround on Spotify, in a Netflix Griselda sponsorship, the Abbot Elementary premiere, NBC’s La Brea finale, the People’s Choice Awards, American Idol premiere, CBS’ The Equalizer premiere, Daytona 500, America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League finale (NBC), The Irrational finale (NBC), The Challenge finale, SAG Awards live red carpet on E!, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart return, and Univision Premio lo nuestro on Univision. There was also a TikTok top view during the day after the Super Bowl.
Dune: Part Two tickets went on sale on Jan. 26 in a multi-promo campaign with Imax.
On Feb. 9, Dune was re-released in Imax in 50 locations in 40-plus markets, as well as 58 off-shore territories which included a 10-minute sneak peek of the sequel and an announcement about the fan screening of Dune: Part Two on Feb. 25 (which made $2M). There was also that re-issue of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet on Feb. 23, which included exclusive Imax content of Dune: Part Two.
Among the brand partners for Dune: Part Two, there was Xbox, which had movie-themed custom consoles and the world’s first floating controllers. There was a Microsoft Flight Simulator Dune Expansion Pack, as well as content with Chalamet and Butler. At the London and NY premieres, there were Microsoft Flight Simulator Influencers and a life-size Ornithopter Game Simulator.
There was also a Govee collaboration with their TV backlights, which entail an immersive viewing experience via their smart lighting products, to mirror aesthetics of the film.
Also, a Hamilton watches partnership with two limited edition watches inspired by the film.
Another biggie was Samsung, which brought Dune2’s trailer to Neo Qled 8K screens in more than 65K retail stores around the world.
Also, Smartwater with paid social media posts week of release and a NY premiere sponsorship.
Car partner was Nio in China.
EntTelligence says that most people who attended Dune: Part Two went between the hours of 5Pm-8Pm (33%), followed by 1Pm-5Pm (31%), 8Pm and later (19%), and before 1Pm (17%).
The box office data org also reports that family groups came out more on Saturday, and their activity was much higher with the more economically priced standard format ($13.94 average price overall per ticket vs. premium average price ticket of $17.43). Families constituted 13% of the audience, an increase from Friday’s 5%.
“While both days predominantly attracted non-family attendees, the increased percentage of Family Groups on Saturday suggests a slight shift in the audience composition, making it more diverse in terms of household types,” says EntTelligence. Also, when comparing family attendance and adult age group variances across IMAX, standard, and large format screenings, the standard format drew 19% family attendance versus that group’s attendance at Imax (8%) and Plf overall (12%).
The top 10 locations overall are: 1. AMC Lincoln Square New York, 2. Tcl Chinese Los Angeles, 3. Cineplex Cinema Banque Scotia Montreal, 4. AMC Metreon San Francisco, 5. Regal Irvine Spectrum Los Angeles, 6. AMC Burbank, 7. Cineplex Scotiabank Toronto, 8. AMC Empire New York, 9. AMC Universal Citywalk Los Angeles, and 10. AMC Kips Bay New York.
Meanwhile, the top markets were Los Angeles, NYC, San Francisco, Toronto, Dallas, Seattle, DC, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Denver.
Hope is that more women turn out in the days to come: CinemaScore reports that 41% came out, which is a greater share than what PostTrak shows (37%).
Overall box office weekend hit $113M, -5% from a year ago, per ComScore. Meanwhile, thank God for Dune: Part Two, as it propelled the domestic box office for 2024 Ytd past the $1 billion line, though still -13% behind the same Jan. 1-March 3 frame a year ago.
Studio reported numbers:
1.) Dune: Part Two (Leg/WB) 4,071 theaters, Fri $32.3M, Sat $28.8M Sun $20.3M 3-day $81.5M/Wk 1
2.) Bob Marley: One Love (Par) 3,390 (-207) theaters, Fri $1.92M (-48%) Sat $3.4M Sun $2.09M 3-day $7.43M (-45%) Total $82.77M/Wk 3
3.) Ordinary Angels (LG) 3,020 theaters Fri $1.05M (-55%) Sat $1.66M Sun $1.14M 3-day $3.85M (-38%)/Total $12.5M/Wk 2
4.) Madame Web (Sony) 3,116 (-897) theaters, Fri $800K (-51%) Sat $1.46M Sun $940K 3-day $3.2M (-45%) Total $40.4M/Wk 3
5.) Chosen, Season 4, Ep. 7-8 (Fathom) 2,235 theaters, Fri $971K, Sat $1.2M Sun $936K 3-day $3.15M, Total $3.9M/Wk 1
6.) Migration (Ill/Uni) 2,204 (-230) Fri $450K (-32%) Sat $1.27M Sun $780K 3-day $2.5M (-13%) Total $123.4M/ Wk 11
7. Demon Slayer…(Sony) 1,949 theaters Fri $515K (-91%) Sat $905K Sun $645K 3-day $2.06M (-82%)/Total $15.7M/Wk 2
8.) Wonka (WB) 1,732 (-471) theaters, Fri $350K (-42%) Sat $865K Sun $520K 3-day $1.73M (-29%) Total $216.7M/Wk 12
9.) Argylle (App/Uni) 2,283 (-2) theaters, Fri $370K (-50%) Sat $650K Sun $380K Sun 3-day $1.4M (-49%) Total $43.9M/ Wk 5
10.)The Beekeeper (Amz MGM) 1,347 (-810) theaters, Fri $275K (-45%) Sat $524K Sun $314K 3-day $1.1M (-42%) Total $64.9M/Wk 8
11.)Drive-Away Dolls (Foc) 2,278 (-2) theaters Fri $300K (-71%) Sat $430K Sun $270K 3-day $1M (-58%)/Total $4.3M/Wk 2
more…
Saturday Pm: It might be raining in California and in the Northeast, but all Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros see is sun, sun, sun, and that’s from the rays of Dune: Part Two which posted a Saturday of $28M, which indicates that this Denis Villeneuve directed space opera is heading to an $80M stateside start. Nancy says the global debut is $160M.
Dune: Part Two‘s Saturday is bigger than Oppenheimer’s ($26.2M) and Five Nights at Freddy’s ($24.2M). The former is more and more becoming the comp given the premium ticket juice Dune 2 has; that Christopher Nolan directed Oscar nominated movie legging out to a near 4x for a final domestic gross of $329M. Against the pure Friday of $20.2M (less $12M previews), Dune: Part Two is +39% today. Muy bien.
Overall estimated box office weekend for all movies is pegged at $112.2M, which is -5% from the same weekend a year ago. This despite the fact that Dune 2 is posting a higher opening than that frame’s No. 1 title, Creed III which did $58.3M. The difference is that there were more holdovers in the marketplace posting double digit million grosses, i.e. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Cocaine Bear and Demon Slayer.
Austin Butler and Lea Seydoux get kissy kissy as ‘Dune: Part Two’ heads to $80M
Second place belongs to Paramount’s Bob: Marley: One Love which did $3.45M, +80% over Friday for a third weekend of $7.45M, -45%, for a running total of $82.7M. Both Dune: Part Two and Bob Marley: One Love will be the first two movies of 2024 to ultimately cross the century mark.
Saturday Am: Legendary Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two is shaping up at this moment to with a weekend take around $76M, which though not at that $80M expectation the industry was putting upon it, is still wonderfully 85% over of Dune‘s $41M opening, which was dampered down by Covid and pic’s avail on HBO Max. Friday came in with $32.2M, which includes previews. The last time we saw a Friday with previews north of $30M was at the end of October with Universal/Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy‘s posting $39.6M which turned into an $80M opening. Dune: Part Two‘s Friday is also just under that of Oppenheimer‘s which was $33M (and an $82.4M opening).
I hear that Dune: Part Two is going to have a great Saturday. Already as of this Am, Warners has $13.5M bagged for Saturday. I understand that they’re up 30% over the pure Friday (less previews). The sequel has an excellent 80% definite recommend, and an 80% definitely see in a theater. On Friday, close to half the audience bought their ticket day of indicating strong walk-up business.
At the end of the day, Dune: Part Two is a box office blessing, make no mistake. CinemaScore is a solid A, ahead of Dune‘s A-. PostTrak is still high at 5 stars, 94% positive. That’s enough spice to keep this sci-fi epic space worm movie going.
Some see the Denis Villeneuve directed movie’s take at $72M-$75M. We’ll get into that in a minute, but this sci-fi epic has all the diagnostics to overperform tonight. The question: do more of the Zendaya fans come out and does this turn into more of a date night film than it is: 20% came with their partner/spouse while 11% brought a date versus 21% who went alone and 17% who brought one friend. Women under 25 at 10% attended, and they gave the Timothee Chalamet, Austin, Butler, Zendaya pic an 85% to the 93%-plus grades of the other demos. Dune: Part Two is dude leaning at 65%.
Right now Imax and PLFs are driving 48% of the weekend gross similar to the first Dune and an amazing share for upscale tickets. Audiences are discerning and want to see this movie in the most ideal situation, meaning the best theater, greatest premium format and the best seats. Imax alone is 27% which is an unusually high share for Imax, and that’s big push to this movie in the best formats. There is a constant near sellout of Imax, Dolby and Plf auditoriums, even during early shows, at AMC’s Porter Ranch, Universal City, and Century City, however at the Valencia Regal just outside of LA. The problem with some of these premium auditoriums at AMC is that the first two rows are too close to the screen. Often, you don’t see them selling out. What winds up happening: If a moviegoer can’t get their best seat today, then they’ll see Dune: Part Two tomorrow.
PostTrak shows 18-34 repping 55% of the audience with 24–34-year-olds the largest demo at 34% with the overall over 35 crowd repping 41% of ticket buyers.
Adam Aron’s AMC Lincoln Square in NYC is the highest grossing theater in the nation at $165K so far. While Dune: Part Two is playing best everywhere, but overperforming in the West and Mountain regions.
On PostTrak, 54% said they snapped up ticket to Dune 2 because it’s part of a franchise they love, while 33% came because it’s a Villeneuve movie, 29% for Chalamet and Butler, and 21% for Zendaya.
Of those who’ve seen the movie, 47% said they’ll watch Dune: Part Two in a theater again — more than any other home watching option.
1.) Dune: Part Two (Leg/WB) 4,071 theaters, Fri $32.2M, 3-day $76M/Wk 1
2.) Bob Marley: One Love (Par) 3,390 (-207) theaters, Fri $1.92M (-48%) 3-day $7.35M (-45%) Total $82.6M/Wk 3
3.) Ordinary Angels (LG) 3,020 theaters Fri $1.05M (-55%) 3-day $3.7M (-40%)/Total $12.4M/Wk 2
4.) Chosen, Season 4, Ep. 7-8 (Fathom) 2,235 theaters, Fri $971K, 3-day $3.4M, Total $4.1M/Wk 1
5.) Madame Web (Sony) 3,116 (-897) theaters, Fri $800K (-51%) 3-day $2.85M (-52%) Total $40M/Wk 3
6.) Migration (Ill/Uni) 2,204 (-230) Fri $450K (-32%) 3-day $2M (-30%) Total $122.9M/ Wk 11
7.) Demon Slayer…(Sony) 1,949 theaters Fri $515K (-91%) 3-day $1.86M (-84%)/Total $15.5M/Wk 2
8.) Wonka (WB) 1,732 (-471) theaters, Fri $380K (-37%) 3-day $1.47M (-40%) Total $216.4M/Wk 12
9.) Argylle (App/Uni) 2,283 (-2) theaters, Fri $360K (-51%) 3-day $1.3M (-53%) Total $43.8M/ Wk 5
10.)The Beekeeper (Amz MGM) 1,347 (-810) theaters, Fri $275K (-45%) 3-day $1.02M (-48%) Total $64.8M/Wk 8
11.)Drive-Away Dolls (Foc) 2,278 (-2) theaters Fri $290K (-71%) 3-day $1M (-58%)/Total $4.3M/Wk 2
Updated, Friday late afternoon: The $190 million Legendary Entertainment/Warner Bros sequel Dune: Part Two is heading for a $30 million-$34 million Friday, inclusive of $12M previews, for what’s shaping up to be a $70M-$80M weekend at 4,071 theaters. Lower estimates stem from the fact that this movie is not a younger-skewing fanboy movie; those over 25 attended last night at 77%, with guys over 25 repping 53% of the crowd.
Last night’s Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak exits were from another galaxy at 5 stars, 94% positive. Women over 25 at 24% were the second-biggest demo, followed by men under 25 at 15% and women under 25 trailing at 8% (that portion of Zendaya’s fans haven’t showed up yet). The 25-44 demo repped 53% of the audience. Diversity demos were 48% Caucasian, 22% Hispanic and Latino, 13% Black, 10% Asian and 7% other.
I’m told there are still seats available — indicative in the pic’s opening. But if you’re trying to get seats this weekend in the Dolby auditorium of AMC’s Century City or Porter Ranch location, fuhgettaboutit.
We’ll have more updates as they come.
Related: ‘Dune: Part Two’ Movie Posters and Images: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Josh Brolin & More
Updated, Friday Am after Thursday Exclusive: Legendary/Warner Bros’ Dune Part Two has now grown to $12 million-plus in previews, Warner Bros said Friday. That’s from 4,500 locations; Imax alone delivered $4.5M of that number, or 38%. Of that preview figure, $2M came from an Imax fan screening on February 25. Audience reactions have hit Rotten Tomatoes and they’re at 95%, which is great. Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune saw 83% certified fresh from Rt critics and 90% from Rt audiences.
Dune: Part Two preview cash is just under that of Deadpool, which did $12.7M in 2016, and it’s just under the $13M made from Warner’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (midnight show starts back in 2012). Again, those didn’t have any fan screening money built in, but that’s interesting range of fanboy comps for two movies that opened to $132.4M and $84.6M, respectively.
Dune: Part Two is roughly 10 minutes longer than the 2021 version at 2 hours and 46 minutes. Given how important it is for fans to see this movie in Imax or a premium format, it will be interesting to see whether there’s a slow burn on this. Some box office sources have assumed the sequel is front-loaded, but it’s clear Dune: Part Two demands appointment viewing; moviegoers will want the right seats in the right auditorium for a near three-hour feature. Imax, Dolby Cinema and PLFs were a massive driver on the first pic, repping 50% of its $41M 3-day. Imax theaters alone delivered $9M from 404 screens on the first Dune for 22.5% of the weekend.
The last Dune saw $5.1M in previews delivering a $17.5M opening day, or 29%.
Meanwhile, movie theaters are approaching this movie like it’s Star Wars. Well beyond AMC’s Sandworm popcorn bucket (which are going for close to $70 on Etsy), chains are selling Dune-themed drinks.
Megaplex denizens drinking blue worm juice.
At Santikos Theatres in Texas the bar special is the Arrakis Sunset. At the Larry H. Miller Megaplex theaters in Utah, they’re serving blue worm juice (aka “The Water of Life”), which actually is Powerade.
The last Dune received an A- CinemaScore and 4 1/2 stars, 84% positive on Comscore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak, with a 66% definite recommend.
Yesterday, Deadline’s Nancy Tartaglione reported Wednesday’s offshore results, which were $7.6M (that includes previews) from 13 markets including No. 1s in each, particularly France, Italy and Korea.
Exclusive, Thursday Pm: Welcome back to the cinema, everyone.
Legendary Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two is off to a strong start with $10 million-plus in previews, per industry estimates Thursday. We hear that figure includes $2M from the Imax fan event screening that took place February 25. Note that these numbers do not come from Warner Bros, so they might be higher or lower Friday morning. Previews began at 3 p.m. today.
At $10M+, that’s the biggest preview cash we’ve seen since Barbenheimer on Thursday, July 20, when Warner Bros’ Barbie made $22.3M and Universal’s Oppenheimer did $10.5M. Also, Five Nights at Freddy’s, despite going day-and-date on Universal’s Peacock streaming service put up a great Thursday night preview of $10.3M on October 26.
Freddy’s opened to $80M, while Oppenheimer started at $82.4M. That’s the top end of where many are expecting the Denis Villeneuve-directed sequel to come in this weekend.
Far and away, Dune: Part Two‘s previews are ahead of the Thursday night of 2021’s Dune, which did $5.1M from showtimes that started at 6 p.m. They’re also ahead of John Wick: Chapter 4‘s $8.9M; that movie put up a $73.8M three-day total.
What is slightly difficult in projecting at this point is that presales for Dune: Part Two are premium-format frontloaded and standard advance ticket sales are Ok, per sources. Advance ticket sales of $18M typically indicates a movie will open to north of $100M, but many in distribution circles are taking those presales with a grain of salt.
Dune: Part Two has everything going for it: 95% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with critics and a social media universe per RelishMix of 575.5M across Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. That easily blows away the 468.9M Smu of the first Dune in October 2021 which was available day-and-date on HBO Max.
Reports RelishMix: “An element in re-dating Dune 2 in the strike from the first weekend in November was clearly the social fire-power of the cast with Zendaya at 227.8M, Dave Bautista at 180.1M, Timothée Chalamet at 21.1M, Florence Pugh at 9.5M, Austin Butler at 5.2M and Josh Brolin at 3.3M.”
On the social media monitor’s rule stick that’s “full activation at 10 on a scale of 10 with all cast super social and fully activated across all social platforms.”
Nothing but sun, sun, sun for Dune as far as social media chatter goes, just like its desert setting.
Says RelishMix, “Convo tone on Dune: Part 2 runs positive with chatter on all aspects of the film — everything from the camerawork to the soundtrack is drowning in praise: ‘I am so impressed by the scale of these movies. These are a masterclass in filmmaking; they don’t make them like this anymore.’ The ensemble cast is energizing fans, saying, ‘We get to see more of Zendaya!’ and, ‘It’s So good to see Christopher Walken back in action again.’ Fans are unanimous that director Denis Villeneuve can be trusted to deliver the goods as always, with fans remembering his work on Dune and Blade Runner 2049. Many comps this to original The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The score, by composer Hans Zimmer, is particularly getting fans riled up. ‘That music! Goosebumps galore! Zimmer does it again!’ The film is being described as even more than a blockbuster, instead as a “complex geopolitical thriller,’ and fans want more of it: “This better be a 3+ hour movie.'”
We’ll have more updates as they come.
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With a near 600M social media draw boosted by Zendaya, Dave Bautista, Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, and Austin Butler, the move for Legendary/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two from the strike-stricken desert of the first weekend of November to early March has yielded an $81.5M domestic and $178.5M global opening. EntTelligence says that translates to 5.2M admissions for 70% of the weekend’s entire foot traffic.
Though logic prevailed to delay the movie from its first weekend in November to March (a decision made back in August), that was a daunting challenge for a movie that cost $190M, 80% financed by Legendary Entertainment. And nail-biting to say the least for those involved.
Changing release dates can be expensive: There’s a start and stop of the campaign, and a re-start again. Warners is also getting an 8% distribution fee. One casualty for Dune: Part Two during the strike was skipping San Diego Comic-Con, where they were scheduled to appear. But there’s also the carry-cost/finance charges for keeping the movie on the shelf. Once you do that media buy, you’re locked.
However, Warner Bros. domestic distribution boss Jeff Goldstein knew that early March was a rich bed, having launched such movies as The Batman ($134M) and Legendary’s Kong: Skull Island ($61M) here.
However, it became clear to the parties involved with Dune: Part Two that for a movie of this cost, and to mount a campaign at the level that this movie deserved, you needed the cast. It was essential for the actors to explain to the world what a special movie Dune: Part Two is.
When it came to the sequel, Legendary Chairman Josh Grode says, “There was no question this was going to be a 100% theatrical release worldwide.” Coming away from the first movie — which was crimped by Covid and a theatrical-day-and-date release on HBO Max stateside — Legendary did a bespoke analysis and evaluated the financial impact on the first Dune, speaking with global exhibition and Warner distribution, assessing the pandemic’s impact on a country-by-country basis.
The mission: to triangulate the data to come up with what the true mean theatrical box office value was of Dune to justify the $190M net global cost, a production which reaped tax benefits from Abu Dhabi, Jordan, and Hungary.
“We had a once-in-a-lifetime cast that was ready to go, a great script, and a great filmmaker,” says Grode.
Goldstein beamed today, “Denis Villeneuve is an extraordinary filmmaker who assembled an amazing, talented cast, and Mary Parent an epic producer who shepherded this movie and helped create a cultural moment globally.
“You have to see this movie on the largest screen you can. It’s not something you can experience at home,” added the distribution chief, “Cinemas make movie stars and movie stars make cultural moments.”
The gist of their pitch in the campaign: Dune: Part Two is a movie that’s a love story about a boy falling in love with a girl, and boy becoming a man, amid a world that’s pulling them apart. Those are universal themes that required the cast to market that message.
Premium formats across IMAX, Dolby Cinema, PLFs, 70mm, and motion seating drove a massive 48% of the weekend. For Imax alone in March, they notched an opening record of $18.5M, which is a 23% share of the sequel’s 3-day.
Opening domestic records: Biggest-ever for Denis Villeneuve (beating Dune‘s $41M), biggest for Timothee Chalamet (also beating Dune), biggest for Rebecca Ferguson (beating Mission: Impossible Fallout‘s $61.2M), best for Austin Butler (besting Once Upon a Time in Hollywood‘s $41M).
In a campaign driven by Warner Bros. marketing czar Josh Goldstine, there were crucial beats to hit, and there were great waves from that.
Let’s start with the first trailer, which became a cultural moment out of last year’s CinemaCon in April, which also ran on prints of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Fast X. The bit highlighted key talent, along with a photo gallery in Vanity Fair. That powerful “Thumper” teaser resulted in 282M social media reach, trending in 19 markets on Twitter and 29 markets on YouTube. The trailer was the No. 1 trending video on YouTube in the U.S., and #1 in Entertainment. At 24 hours, social volume trended ahead of comps.
Trailer 2 was dropped on Mission Impossible 7, Oppenheimer, and Meg 2, as well as social media and key linear, which further targeted the Dune fan community and reached a broader audience on TikTok.
Trailer 3 came off of the fan fervor and excitement generated from Brazil Comic-Con Ccxp. Warner further amplified the spot with thanks to top influencer support, brand extensions via games/Activision support, and prime in-theater trailer placement on Aquaman 2. The trailer earned a 99% positive-to-neutral reaction on social, and trended in 13 markets on YouTube, peaking at No. 1 in the U.S. and Canada. Social volume from trailer 2 to trailer 3 had a stronger hold than trailer 1 to trailer 2, we’re told, with females engaging more than any of the comp titles.
Throughout it all, cast was the biggest driver of social conversation. TikTok alone clocked 300M impressions.
Riveting moments on social included the following:
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Dune: Part Two spots aired during key programming and pop culture moments, i.e. during the Grammy’s with Taylor Swift Artist Affinity digital surround on Spotify, in a Netflix Griselda sponsorship, the Abbot Elementary premiere, NBC’s La Brea finale, the People’s Choice Awards, American Idol premiere, CBS’ The Equalizer premiere, Daytona 500, America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League finale (NBC), The Irrational finale (NBC), The Challenge finale, SAG Awards live red carpet on E!, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart return, and Univision Premio lo nuestro on Univision. There was also a TikTok top view during the day after the Super Bowl.
Dune: Part Two tickets went on sale on Jan. 26 in a multi-promo campaign with Imax.
On Feb. 9, Dune was re-released in Imax in 50 locations in 40-plus markets, as well as 58 off-shore territories which included a 10-minute sneak peek of the sequel and an announcement about the fan screening of Dune: Part Two on Feb. 25 (which made $2M). There was also that re-issue of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet on Feb. 23, which included exclusive Imax content of Dune: Part Two.
Among the brand partners for Dune: Part Two, there was Xbox, which had movie-themed custom consoles and the world’s first floating controllers. There was a Microsoft Flight Simulator Dune Expansion Pack, as well as content with Chalamet and Butler. At the London and NY premieres, there were Microsoft Flight Simulator Influencers and a life-size Ornithopter Game Simulator.
There was also a Govee collaboration with their TV backlights, which entail an immersive viewing experience via their smart lighting products, to mirror aesthetics of the film.
Also, a Hamilton watches partnership with two limited edition watches inspired by the film.
Another biggie was Samsung, which brought Dune2’s trailer to Neo Qled 8K screens in more than 65K retail stores around the world.
Also, Smartwater with paid social media posts week of release and a NY premiere sponsorship.
Car partner was Nio in China.
EntTelligence says that most people who attended Dune: Part Two went between the hours of 5Pm-8Pm (33%), followed by 1Pm-5Pm (31%), 8Pm and later (19%), and before 1Pm (17%).
The box office data org also reports that family groups came out more on Saturday, and their activity was much higher with the more economically priced standard format ($13.94 average price overall per ticket vs. premium average price ticket of $17.43). Families constituted 13% of the audience, an increase from Friday’s 5%.
“While both days predominantly attracted non-family attendees, the increased percentage of Family Groups on Saturday suggests a slight shift in the audience composition, making it more diverse in terms of household types,” says EntTelligence. Also, when comparing family attendance and adult age group variances across IMAX, standard, and large format screenings, the standard format drew 19% family attendance versus that group’s attendance at Imax (8%) and Plf overall (12%).
The top 10 locations overall are: 1. AMC Lincoln Square New York, 2. Tcl Chinese Los Angeles, 3. Cineplex Cinema Banque Scotia Montreal, 4. AMC Metreon San Francisco, 5. Regal Irvine Spectrum Los Angeles, 6. AMC Burbank, 7. Cineplex Scotiabank Toronto, 8. AMC Empire New York, 9. AMC Universal Citywalk Los Angeles, and 10. AMC Kips Bay New York.
Meanwhile, the top markets were Los Angeles, NYC, San Francisco, Toronto, Dallas, Seattle, DC, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Denver.
Hope is that more women turn out in the days to come: CinemaScore reports that 41% came out, which is a greater share than what PostTrak shows (37%).
Overall box office weekend hit $113M, -5% from a year ago, per ComScore. Meanwhile, thank God for Dune: Part Two, as it propelled the domestic box office for 2024 Ytd past the $1 billion line, though still -13% behind the same Jan. 1-March 3 frame a year ago.
Studio reported numbers:
1.) Dune: Part Two (Leg/WB) 4,071 theaters, Fri $32.3M, Sat $28.8M Sun $20.3M 3-day $81.5M/Wk 1
2.) Bob Marley: One Love (Par) 3,390 (-207) theaters, Fri $1.92M (-48%) Sat $3.4M Sun $2.09M 3-day $7.43M (-45%) Total $82.77M/Wk 3
3.) Ordinary Angels (LG) 3,020 theaters Fri $1.05M (-55%) Sat $1.66M Sun $1.14M 3-day $3.85M (-38%)/Total $12.5M/Wk 2
4.) Madame Web (Sony) 3,116 (-897) theaters, Fri $800K (-51%) Sat $1.46M Sun $940K 3-day $3.2M (-45%) Total $40.4M/Wk 3
5.) Chosen, Season 4, Ep. 7-8 (Fathom) 2,235 theaters, Fri $971K, Sat $1.2M Sun $936K 3-day $3.15M, Total $3.9M/Wk 1
6.) Migration (Ill/Uni) 2,204 (-230) Fri $450K (-32%) Sat $1.27M Sun $780K 3-day $2.5M (-13%) Total $123.4M/ Wk 11
7. Demon Slayer…(Sony) 1,949 theaters Fri $515K (-91%) Sat $905K Sun $645K 3-day $2.06M (-82%)/Total $15.7M/Wk 2
8.) Wonka (WB) 1,732 (-471) theaters, Fri $350K (-42%) Sat $865K Sun $520K 3-day $1.73M (-29%) Total $216.7M/Wk 12
9.) Argylle (App/Uni) 2,283 (-2) theaters, Fri $370K (-50%) Sat $650K Sun $380K Sun 3-day $1.4M (-49%) Total $43.9M/ Wk 5
10.)The Beekeeper (Amz MGM) 1,347 (-810) theaters, Fri $275K (-45%) Sat $524K Sun $314K 3-day $1.1M (-42%) Total $64.9M/Wk 8
11.)Drive-Away Dolls (Foc) 2,278 (-2) theaters Fri $300K (-71%) Sat $430K Sun $270K 3-day $1M (-58%)/Total $4.3M/Wk 2
more…
Saturday Pm: It might be raining in California and in the Northeast, but all Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros see is sun, sun, sun, and that’s from the rays of Dune: Part Two which posted a Saturday of $28M, which indicates that this Denis Villeneuve directed space opera is heading to an $80M stateside start. Nancy says the global debut is $160M.
Dune: Part Two‘s Saturday is bigger than Oppenheimer’s ($26.2M) and Five Nights at Freddy’s ($24.2M). The former is more and more becoming the comp given the premium ticket juice Dune 2 has; that Christopher Nolan directed Oscar nominated movie legging out to a near 4x for a final domestic gross of $329M. Against the pure Friday of $20.2M (less $12M previews), Dune: Part Two is +39% today. Muy bien.
Overall estimated box office weekend for all movies is pegged at $112.2M, which is -5% from the same weekend a year ago. This despite the fact that Dune 2 is posting a higher opening than that frame’s No. 1 title, Creed III which did $58.3M. The difference is that there were more holdovers in the marketplace posting double digit million grosses, i.e. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Cocaine Bear and Demon Slayer.
Austin Butler and Lea Seydoux get kissy kissy as ‘Dune: Part Two’ heads to $80M
Second place belongs to Paramount’s Bob: Marley: One Love which did $3.45M, +80% over Friday for a third weekend of $7.45M, -45%, for a running total of $82.7M. Both Dune: Part Two and Bob Marley: One Love will be the first two movies of 2024 to ultimately cross the century mark.
Saturday Am: Legendary Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two is shaping up at this moment to with a weekend take around $76M, which though not at that $80M expectation the industry was putting upon it, is still wonderfully 85% over of Dune‘s $41M opening, which was dampered down by Covid and pic’s avail on HBO Max. Friday came in with $32.2M, which includes previews. The last time we saw a Friday with previews north of $30M was at the end of October with Universal/Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy‘s posting $39.6M which turned into an $80M opening. Dune: Part Two‘s Friday is also just under that of Oppenheimer‘s which was $33M (and an $82.4M opening).
I hear that Dune: Part Two is going to have a great Saturday. Already as of this Am, Warners has $13.5M bagged for Saturday. I understand that they’re up 30% over the pure Friday (less previews). The sequel has an excellent 80% definite recommend, and an 80% definitely see in a theater. On Friday, close to half the audience bought their ticket day of indicating strong walk-up business.
At the end of the day, Dune: Part Two is a box office blessing, make no mistake. CinemaScore is a solid A, ahead of Dune‘s A-. PostTrak is still high at 5 stars, 94% positive. That’s enough spice to keep this sci-fi epic space worm movie going.
Some see the Denis Villeneuve directed movie’s take at $72M-$75M. We’ll get into that in a minute, but this sci-fi epic has all the diagnostics to overperform tonight. The question: do more of the Zendaya fans come out and does this turn into more of a date night film than it is: 20% came with their partner/spouse while 11% brought a date versus 21% who went alone and 17% who brought one friend. Women under 25 at 10% attended, and they gave the Timothee Chalamet, Austin, Butler, Zendaya pic an 85% to the 93%-plus grades of the other demos. Dune: Part Two is dude leaning at 65%.
Right now Imax and PLFs are driving 48% of the weekend gross similar to the first Dune and an amazing share for upscale tickets. Audiences are discerning and want to see this movie in the most ideal situation, meaning the best theater, greatest premium format and the best seats. Imax alone is 27% which is an unusually high share for Imax, and that’s big push to this movie in the best formats. There is a constant near sellout of Imax, Dolby and Plf auditoriums, even during early shows, at AMC’s Porter Ranch, Universal City, and Century City, however at the Valencia Regal just outside of LA. The problem with some of these premium auditoriums at AMC is that the first two rows are too close to the screen. Often, you don’t see them selling out. What winds up happening: If a moviegoer can’t get their best seat today, then they’ll see Dune: Part Two tomorrow.
PostTrak shows 18-34 repping 55% of the audience with 24–34-year-olds the largest demo at 34% with the overall over 35 crowd repping 41% of ticket buyers.
Adam Aron’s AMC Lincoln Square in NYC is the highest grossing theater in the nation at $165K so far. While Dune: Part Two is playing best everywhere, but overperforming in the West and Mountain regions.
On PostTrak, 54% said they snapped up ticket to Dune 2 because it’s part of a franchise they love, while 33% came because it’s a Villeneuve movie, 29% for Chalamet and Butler, and 21% for Zendaya.
Of those who’ve seen the movie, 47% said they’ll watch Dune: Part Two in a theater again — more than any other home watching option.
1.) Dune: Part Two (Leg/WB) 4,071 theaters, Fri $32.2M, 3-day $76M/Wk 1
2.) Bob Marley: One Love (Par) 3,390 (-207) theaters, Fri $1.92M (-48%) 3-day $7.35M (-45%) Total $82.6M/Wk 3
3.) Ordinary Angels (LG) 3,020 theaters Fri $1.05M (-55%) 3-day $3.7M (-40%)/Total $12.4M/Wk 2
4.) Chosen, Season 4, Ep. 7-8 (Fathom) 2,235 theaters, Fri $971K, 3-day $3.4M, Total $4.1M/Wk 1
5.) Madame Web (Sony) 3,116 (-897) theaters, Fri $800K (-51%) 3-day $2.85M (-52%) Total $40M/Wk 3
6.) Migration (Ill/Uni) 2,204 (-230) Fri $450K (-32%) 3-day $2M (-30%) Total $122.9M/ Wk 11
7.) Demon Slayer…(Sony) 1,949 theaters Fri $515K (-91%) 3-day $1.86M (-84%)/Total $15.5M/Wk 2
8.) Wonka (WB) 1,732 (-471) theaters, Fri $380K (-37%) 3-day $1.47M (-40%) Total $216.4M/Wk 12
9.) Argylle (App/Uni) 2,283 (-2) theaters, Fri $360K (-51%) 3-day $1.3M (-53%) Total $43.8M/ Wk 5
10.)The Beekeeper (Amz MGM) 1,347 (-810) theaters, Fri $275K (-45%) 3-day $1.02M (-48%) Total $64.8M/Wk 8
11.)Drive-Away Dolls (Foc) 2,278 (-2) theaters Fri $290K (-71%) 3-day $1M (-58%)/Total $4.3M/Wk 2
Updated, Friday late afternoon: The $190 million Legendary Entertainment/Warner Bros sequel Dune: Part Two is heading for a $30 million-$34 million Friday, inclusive of $12M previews, for what’s shaping up to be a $70M-$80M weekend at 4,071 theaters. Lower estimates stem from the fact that this movie is not a younger-skewing fanboy movie; those over 25 attended last night at 77%, with guys over 25 repping 53% of the crowd.
Last night’s Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak exits were from another galaxy at 5 stars, 94% positive. Women over 25 at 24% were the second-biggest demo, followed by men under 25 at 15% and women under 25 trailing at 8% (that portion of Zendaya’s fans haven’t showed up yet). The 25-44 demo repped 53% of the audience. Diversity demos were 48% Caucasian, 22% Hispanic and Latino, 13% Black, 10% Asian and 7% other.
I’m told there are still seats available — indicative in the pic’s opening. But if you’re trying to get seats this weekend in the Dolby auditorium of AMC’s Century City or Porter Ranch location, fuhgettaboutit.
We’ll have more updates as they come.
Related: ‘Dune: Part Two’ Movie Posters and Images: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Josh Brolin & More
Updated, Friday Am after Thursday Exclusive: Legendary/Warner Bros’ Dune Part Two has now grown to $12 million-plus in previews, Warner Bros said Friday. That’s from 4,500 locations; Imax alone delivered $4.5M of that number, or 38%. Of that preview figure, $2M came from an Imax fan screening on February 25. Audience reactions have hit Rotten Tomatoes and they’re at 95%, which is great. Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune saw 83% certified fresh from Rt critics and 90% from Rt audiences.
Dune: Part Two preview cash is just under that of Deadpool, which did $12.7M in 2016, and it’s just under the $13M made from Warner’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (midnight show starts back in 2012). Again, those didn’t have any fan screening money built in, but that’s interesting range of fanboy comps for two movies that opened to $132.4M and $84.6M, respectively.
Dune: Part Two is roughly 10 minutes longer than the 2021 version at 2 hours and 46 minutes. Given how important it is for fans to see this movie in Imax or a premium format, it will be interesting to see whether there’s a slow burn on this. Some box office sources have assumed the sequel is front-loaded, but it’s clear Dune: Part Two demands appointment viewing; moviegoers will want the right seats in the right auditorium for a near three-hour feature. Imax, Dolby Cinema and PLFs were a massive driver on the first pic, repping 50% of its $41M 3-day. Imax theaters alone delivered $9M from 404 screens on the first Dune for 22.5% of the weekend.
The last Dune saw $5.1M in previews delivering a $17.5M opening day, or 29%.
Meanwhile, movie theaters are approaching this movie like it’s Star Wars. Well beyond AMC’s Sandworm popcorn bucket (which are going for close to $70 on Etsy), chains are selling Dune-themed drinks.
Megaplex denizens drinking blue worm juice.
At Santikos Theatres in Texas the bar special is the Arrakis Sunset. At the Larry H. Miller Megaplex theaters in Utah, they’re serving blue worm juice (aka “The Water of Life”), which actually is Powerade.
The last Dune received an A- CinemaScore and 4 1/2 stars, 84% positive on Comscore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak, with a 66% definite recommend.
Yesterday, Deadline’s Nancy Tartaglione reported Wednesday’s offshore results, which were $7.6M (that includes previews) from 13 markets including No. 1s in each, particularly France, Italy and Korea.
Exclusive, Thursday Pm: Welcome back to the cinema, everyone.
Legendary Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two is off to a strong start with $10 million-plus in previews, per industry estimates Thursday. We hear that figure includes $2M from the Imax fan event screening that took place February 25. Note that these numbers do not come from Warner Bros, so they might be higher or lower Friday morning. Previews began at 3 p.m. today.
At $10M+, that’s the biggest preview cash we’ve seen since Barbenheimer on Thursday, July 20, when Warner Bros’ Barbie made $22.3M and Universal’s Oppenheimer did $10.5M. Also, Five Nights at Freddy’s, despite going day-and-date on Universal’s Peacock streaming service put up a great Thursday night preview of $10.3M on October 26.
Freddy’s opened to $80M, while Oppenheimer started at $82.4M. That’s the top end of where many are expecting the Denis Villeneuve-directed sequel to come in this weekend.
Far and away, Dune: Part Two‘s previews are ahead of the Thursday night of 2021’s Dune, which did $5.1M from showtimes that started at 6 p.m. They’re also ahead of John Wick: Chapter 4‘s $8.9M; that movie put up a $73.8M three-day total.
What is slightly difficult in projecting at this point is that presales for Dune: Part Two are premium-format frontloaded and standard advance ticket sales are Ok, per sources. Advance ticket sales of $18M typically indicates a movie will open to north of $100M, but many in distribution circles are taking those presales with a grain of salt.
Dune: Part Two has everything going for it: 95% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with critics and a social media universe per RelishMix of 575.5M across Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. That easily blows away the 468.9M Smu of the first Dune in October 2021 which was available day-and-date on HBO Max.
Reports RelishMix: “An element in re-dating Dune 2 in the strike from the first weekend in November was clearly the social fire-power of the cast with Zendaya at 227.8M, Dave Bautista at 180.1M, Timothée Chalamet at 21.1M, Florence Pugh at 9.5M, Austin Butler at 5.2M and Josh Brolin at 3.3M.”
On the social media monitor’s rule stick that’s “full activation at 10 on a scale of 10 with all cast super social and fully activated across all social platforms.”
Nothing but sun, sun, sun for Dune as far as social media chatter goes, just like its desert setting.
Says RelishMix, “Convo tone on Dune: Part 2 runs positive with chatter on all aspects of the film — everything from the camerawork to the soundtrack is drowning in praise: ‘I am so impressed by the scale of these movies. These are a masterclass in filmmaking; they don’t make them like this anymore.’ The ensemble cast is energizing fans, saying, ‘We get to see more of Zendaya!’ and, ‘It’s So good to see Christopher Walken back in action again.’ Fans are unanimous that director Denis Villeneuve can be trusted to deliver the goods as always, with fans remembering his work on Dune and Blade Runner 2049. Many comps this to original The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The score, by composer Hans Zimmer, is particularly getting fans riled up. ‘That music! Goosebumps galore! Zimmer does it again!’ The film is being described as even more than a blockbuster, instead as a “complex geopolitical thriller,’ and fans want more of it: “This better be a 3+ hour movie.'”
We’ll have more updates as they come.
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- 3/3/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Dune: Part Two is gearing up to be a massive hit at the box office, following in the footsteps of its hugely successful predecessor. With a predicted debut of $170 million, fans can’t wait to see what’s in store. Timothée Chalamet leads the charge, giving MCU star Tom Holland a run for his money in the box office stakes.
Timothée Chalamet is currently starring in Dune: Part Two
Fans worldwide are eagerly awaiting this epic continuation of Frank Herbert’s saga. As excitement mounts, everyone’s wondering if Dune: Part Two will raise the bar for blockbuster movies.
Suggested“Sold a dream… delivered a nightmare”: Willy Wonka Inspired Event Ended With Children in Tears, Had Hundreds of Families Demanding Refunds
Dune: Part Two Anticipates A $170 Million Global Premiere
Dune: Part Two is about to hit theaters, and the buzz is real as it gears up for a global premiere,...
Timothée Chalamet is currently starring in Dune: Part Two
Fans worldwide are eagerly awaiting this epic continuation of Frank Herbert’s saga. As excitement mounts, everyone’s wondering if Dune: Part Two will raise the bar for blockbuster movies.
Suggested“Sold a dream… delivered a nightmare”: Willy Wonka Inspired Event Ended With Children in Tears, Had Hundreds of Families Demanding Refunds
Dune: Part Two Anticipates A $170 Million Global Premiere
Dune: Part Two is about to hit theaters, and the buzz is real as it gears up for a global premiere,...
- 2/29/2024
- by Muskan Chaudhary
- FandomWire
We’ve been waiting for this one for quite some time.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros.’ Dune: Part Two opens this weekend to give a much-needed jolt of testosterone to a box office winded by the dual strikes’ delay of titles. To date, the annual 2024 domestic box office hasn’t cracked a billion dollars yet, with only $866.3M through Sunday, 18% behind the January 1-February 25 frame a year ago.
The second part to Denis Villeneuve’s multi-Oscar-winning 2021 feature take of the classic Frank Herbert novel could very well see a $170M worldwide opening — that’s divided into $85M–$90M abroad and another $80M on the high end in U.S./Canada. Warners conservatively is projecting $65M, but most exhibitors and tracking services see near $80M.
Related: ‘Dune: Part Two’ First Reactions: Rave Reviews Topped By Critic Who Claims, “It’s...
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros.’ Dune: Part Two opens this weekend to give a much-needed jolt of testosterone to a box office winded by the dual strikes’ delay of titles. To date, the annual 2024 domestic box office hasn’t cracked a billion dollars yet, with only $866.3M through Sunday, 18% behind the January 1-February 25 frame a year ago.
The second part to Denis Villeneuve’s multi-Oscar-winning 2021 feature take of the classic Frank Herbert novel could very well see a $170M worldwide opening — that’s divided into $85M–$90M abroad and another $80M on the high end in U.S./Canada. Warners conservatively is projecting $65M, but most exhibitors and tracking services see near $80M.
Related: ‘Dune: Part Two’ First Reactions: Rave Reviews Topped By Critic Who Claims, “It’s...
- 2/27/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s been the year of a million pinks, billion dollar blockbusters, and apparently, hundreds of thousands of opinions about “Barbie.” So we’re adding yet another one to the mix: The Academy Awards excluding Greta Gerwig from the Best Director category and Margot Robbie from the Best Actress race does not prove that Kens really do rule the world.
Let’s look at the facts: “Barbie” received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay for Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Best Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling, Best Supporting Actress for America Ferrera, and a slew of crafts nods.
However, along with Charles Melton in “May December,” Penelope Cruz in “Ferrari,” and the “Priscilla” screenplay, “Barbie” was also “snubbed,” namely for lead star/executive producer Robbie and writer/director Gerwig in their respective categories of Best Actress and Best Director. When the nominations were announced, Twitter was set ablaze,...
Let’s look at the facts: “Barbie” received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay for Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Best Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling, Best Supporting Actress for America Ferrera, and a slew of crafts nods.
However, along with Charles Melton in “May December,” Penelope Cruz in “Ferrari,” and the “Priscilla” screenplay, “Barbie” was also “snubbed,” namely for lead star/executive producer Robbie and writer/director Gerwig in their respective categories of Best Actress and Best Director. When the nominations were announced, Twitter was set ablaze,...
- 1/24/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Updated, Sunday Am: Wonka had a very strong hold on Saturday with $14M, just -3% off from Friday/Thursday previews’ $14.4M resulting in an estimated $39M opening, which is slightly north of the $35.3M start that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse did back in the same mid-December slot in 2018. For family movies opening at this point in time, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and there’s a lot of road left for Wonka especially with 21% K-12/76% colleges off tomorrow per Comscore, rising to 66%/93% by Friday and finally 100% out all next week.
Per box office analytics firm, EntTelligence, Wonka‘s opening weekend translates to 3M admissions or 49% of the entire marketplace’s foot traffic.
Worldwide weekend for Wonka is bigger than expected at $92.6M including debuts in France, Belgium, Holland, Australia, Nz, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Poland. The Paul King-directed movie’s running global total is north of $151M.
Per box office analytics firm, EntTelligence, Wonka‘s opening weekend translates to 3M admissions or 49% of the entire marketplace’s foot traffic.
Worldwide weekend for Wonka is bigger than expected at $92.6M including debuts in France, Belgium, Holland, Australia, Nz, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Poland. The Paul King-directed movie’s running global total is north of $151M.
- 12/17/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The masterminds behind memorable marketing moments from “Barbie,” “Call of Duty,” “Pokerface” and even that creepy “Smile” campaign that placed grinning actors at various Major League Baseball games gathered Thursday at the Variety + Spotify Advertising’s Visionaries dinner to toast leaders in the field.
West Hollywoods’ Sunset Tower Hotel welcomed the industry’s leading innovators selected for Variety’s 2023 Digital Marketing Impact Report and the four recipients of the Variety Entertainment Marketing Visionaries Award, presented by Spotify. This year the honored executives included Johanna Faries, SVP and Gm of “Call of Duty” at Activision Blizzard; Josh Goldstine, president of worldwide marketing at Warner Bros. Pictures Group; Marc Weinstock, president of worldwide marketing and distribution at Paramount Pictures; and Shannon Willett, chief marketing officer at Peacock.
On the carpet the honorees were quizzed on their proudest moment of the past year. “Opening the doors of ‘The Continental’ hotel in New York...
West Hollywoods’ Sunset Tower Hotel welcomed the industry’s leading innovators selected for Variety’s 2023 Digital Marketing Impact Report and the four recipients of the Variety Entertainment Marketing Visionaries Award, presented by Spotify. This year the honored executives included Johanna Faries, SVP and Gm of “Call of Duty” at Activision Blizzard; Josh Goldstine, president of worldwide marketing at Warner Bros. Pictures Group; Marc Weinstock, president of worldwide marketing and distribution at Paramount Pictures; and Shannon Willett, chief marketing officer at Peacock.
On the carpet the honorees were quizzed on their proudest moment of the past year. “Opening the doors of ‘The Continental’ hotel in New York...
- 10/27/2023
- by Meredith Woerner
- Variety Film + TV
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After racking up over $1.4 billion at the global box office and sparking a cultural phenomenon that cannot be measured in dollars and cents, “Barbie” has become the year’s biggest success for movie theaters. Josh Goldstine, the marketing chief at Warner Bros., opened up about the marketing strategy that helped transform Greta Gerwig’s film into a worldwide sensation, including the iconic parody opening.
“You have this iconic brand that is both a reflector and creator of culture,” Goldstine said during the panel “Reel Resilience: Navigating the Theatrical Landscape in 2023” during TheWrap’s annual business conference, TheGrill, on Wednesday.
“There was such a fascination about what a ‘Barbie’ movie could be,” Goldstine continued. “Part of our job was to defy expectations and to use cultural curiosity about what this could be.
After racking up over $1.4 billion at the global box office and sparking a cultural phenomenon that cannot be measured in dollars and cents, “Barbie” has become the year’s biggest success for movie theaters. Josh Goldstine, the marketing chief at Warner Bros., opened up about the marketing strategy that helped transform Greta Gerwig’s film into a worldwide sensation, including the iconic parody opening.
“You have this iconic brand that is both a reflector and creator of culture,” Goldstine said during the panel “Reel Resilience: Navigating the Theatrical Landscape in 2023” during TheWrap’s annual business conference, TheGrill, on Wednesday.
“There was such a fascination about what a ‘Barbie’ movie could be,” Goldstine continued. “Part of our job was to defy expectations and to use cultural curiosity about what this could be.
- 10/5/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Speakers for TheGrill 2023 from across entertainment, media and tech industries joined TheWrap for dinner at Tesse Restaurant on Tuesday, kicking off the annual conference.
Attendees included Mattel chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz, president of worldwide marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures Group Josh Goldstine, director of computer science and AI laboratory at MIT Daniela Rus, chairman of Global Television Studios and Sony Pictures entertainment corporate development Ravi Ahuja, and other industry-leading figures.
WrapPRO’s flagship event is being held on Wednesday at 1 Hotel in West Hollywood. Attendees are being treated to expert speakers and panels discussing topics including the future of the entertainment industry, M&a, streaming, AI and more.
Photo by Ted Soqui
Peter Csathy and Sharon Waxman, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, TheWrap, TheGrill 2023 Dinner at the Tesse Restaurant
Photo by Ted Soqui
Sharon Waxman, Ravi Ahuja, Chairman, Global Television Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment Corporate Development, and Edward Menicheschi, President...
Attendees included Mattel chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz, president of worldwide marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures Group Josh Goldstine, director of computer science and AI laboratory at MIT Daniela Rus, chairman of Global Television Studios and Sony Pictures entertainment corporate development Ravi Ahuja, and other industry-leading figures.
WrapPRO’s flagship event is being held on Wednesday at 1 Hotel in West Hollywood. Attendees are being treated to expert speakers and panels discussing topics including the future of the entertainment industry, M&a, streaming, AI and more.
Photo by Ted Soqui
Peter Csathy and Sharon Waxman, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, TheWrap, TheGrill 2023 Dinner at the Tesse Restaurant
Photo by Ted Soqui
Sharon Waxman, Ravi Ahuja, Chairman, Global Television Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment Corporate Development, and Edward Menicheschi, President...
- 10/4/2023
- by Natalie Korach
- The Wrap
The opening scenes of Greta Gerwig's blockbuster "Barbie" feature multiple young girls, each of them dressed in drab, mid-'50s frocks, playing with baby dolls. A narrator (Helen Mirren) notes, prior to 1959, babies were the only doll option for kids, implying that little girls were being trained for their eventual expected role as housewives and mothers. Surreally, the girls are playing out in a vast, prehistorical desert, with no homes or parents anywhere to be seen.
Then, she appears.
Standing about 15-feet tall, Barbie (Margot Robbie) manifests in the dirt nearby. She stands there, statuesque, presenting the young girls with the next step in their playtime evolution. Baby dolls are instantly a thing of the past. Barbie, an adult doll, is now going to be the girls' whole world. The girls wander in idle awe up to Barbie, touching her leg, making sure she's real. One of the girls...
Then, she appears.
Standing about 15-feet tall, Barbie (Margot Robbie) manifests in the dirt nearby. She stands there, statuesque, presenting the young girls with the next step in their playtime evolution. Baby dolls are instantly a thing of the past. Barbie, an adult doll, is now going to be the girls' whole world. The girls wander in idle awe up to Barbie, touching her leg, making sure she's real. One of the girls...
- 9/10/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
It started with a curious text message from a friend, which stood out among the usual messages of congratulations coming through to my phone for the premiere of the third season of my Netflix show Indian Matchmaking: “To the devil w the Nyt! You keep making, we’ll keep watching. Trust that your viewer isn’t dumb. You just keep slaying, Smriti!”
Devil to The New York Times? I ripped open my Sunday paper and there it was, smack in the middle of The New York Times Magazine. The headline blared: “It’s Time To Break Up With Indian Matchmaking.” Oof.
The article itself went on to repeat many of the same missives I’ve heard about the show since its debut in peak-pandemic 2020 — that it doesn’t do enough to interrogate the colorism and casteism within the Indian community, that the creators (me) let a 60-something woman spew patriarchal one-liners unchecked,...
Devil to The New York Times? I ripped open my Sunday paper and there it was, smack in the middle of The New York Times Magazine. The headline blared: “It’s Time To Break Up With Indian Matchmaking.” Oof.
The article itself went on to repeat many of the same missives I’ve heard about the show since its debut in peak-pandemic 2020 — that it doesn’t do enough to interrogate the colorism and casteism within the Indian community, that the creators (me) let a 60-something woman spew patriarchal one-liners unchecked,...
- 8/8/2023
- by Smriti Mundhra
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Unless you’ve been trapped in a plastic toy box, there’s no escaping the Barbie-core movement that’s sweeping the globe — and potentially contributing a nationwide shortage of the color pink.
The marketing department at Warner Bros. has been working in overdrive to entice the masses for Greta Gerwig’s cotton candy-colored fantasy “Barbie,” which has been everywhere this summer. A key factor has been a dizzying array of partnerships with products that range from a bright fuchsia Xbox (for Stem Barbie) to this $1,350 Balmain cropped hoodie (for Disposable Income Barbie).
And that’s only scratching the surface of the brands that helped propel the movie to cultural touchstone status before arriving in theaters on July 21. In Malibu, there’s a real-life Barbie Dreamhouse that’s bookable through Airbnb. There’s also a themed boat cruise that’s setting sail in the Boston area.
The efforts of the extensive...
The marketing department at Warner Bros. has been working in overdrive to entice the masses for Greta Gerwig’s cotton candy-colored fantasy “Barbie,” which has been everywhere this summer. A key factor has been a dizzying array of partnerships with products that range from a bright fuchsia Xbox (for Stem Barbie) to this $1,350 Balmain cropped hoodie (for Disposable Income Barbie).
And that’s only scratching the surface of the brands that helped propel the movie to cultural touchstone status before arriving in theaters on July 21. In Malibu, there’s a real-life Barbie Dreamhouse that’s bookable through Airbnb. There’s also a themed boat cruise that’s setting sail in the Boston area.
The efforts of the extensive...
- 7/23/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Pink is the new green.
Barbie‘s release in theaters this weekend caps one of the most extensive and impressive marketing campaigns in recent memory. Put another way: Rarely does a film turn into a cultural touchstone before it opens in cinemas. Warner Bros.’ Barbie, which brings to life the world’s most famous fashion doll, is on the short list of exceptions.
In marketing circles, there is what is known as “paid media” and “earned media.” A TV spot for a trailer is considered paid media, for example. Earned media can be buzz on social media or publicity.
“One of the things about theatrical marketing is that it has the opportunity to engage the cultural zeitgeist in an exciting way. Everyone wants to be a part of something,” says Warners global marketing president Josh Goldstine, who also did long stints at Universal and Sony. “I’ve probably worked on...
Barbie‘s release in theaters this weekend caps one of the most extensive and impressive marketing campaigns in recent memory. Put another way: Rarely does a film turn into a cultural touchstone before it opens in cinemas. Warner Bros.’ Barbie, which brings to life the world’s most famous fashion doll, is on the short list of exceptions.
In marketing circles, there is what is known as “paid media” and “earned media.” A TV spot for a trailer is considered paid media, for example. Earned media can be buzz on social media or publicity.
“One of the things about theatrical marketing is that it has the opportunity to engage the cultural zeitgeist in an exciting way. Everyone wants to be a part of something,” says Warners global marketing president Josh Goldstine, who also did long stints at Universal and Sony. “I’ve probably worked on...
- 7/21/2023
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the aftermath of the shock ouster of NBC Universal’s CEO, industry executives present a tale of two Jeff Shells. To some, Shell’s acknowledgment that he was departing because of “an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company” came as a bolt from the blue. To others, not so much.
“I’m totally flabbergasted,” says an executive who says he was close to Shell. “Jeff was supposed to be the buttoned-up guy.” Asked if he had suspicions of improper conduct, a former NBCU executive says, “No, not at all. Not even a whiff. Not even an inkling.” Another, though not a fan of Shell, says, “I’ve never seen any of that [kind of behavior]. Never. I’ve never even seen him be flirtatious.”
A different portrait emerges from other NBCU sources. Shell “always had a crush on someone,” says one (female) former insider. “I knew he had crushes and said inappropriate things.
“I’m totally flabbergasted,” says an executive who says he was close to Shell. “Jeff was supposed to be the buttoned-up guy.” Asked if he had suspicions of improper conduct, a former NBCU executive says, “No, not at all. Not even a whiff. Not even an inkling.” Another, though not a fan of Shell, says, “I’ve never seen any of that [kind of behavior]. Never. I’ve never even seen him be flirtatious.”
A different portrait emerges from other NBCU sources. Shell “always had a crush on someone,” says one (female) former insider. “I knew he had crushes and said inappropriate things.
- 4/26/2023
- by Kim Masters
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Former Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox executive Steve Siskind has been tapped as the General Manager, Studio Analytics of Edo, Inc.
Siskind will spearhead Edo’s strategic partnerships with movie studios and streaming services, delivering the real-time data and insights they need to make timely, high-stakes decisions on how to best market their latest releases.
Siskind’s resume includes more than two decades of working on notable pics including The Wolf of Wall Street, Selma, Transformers, Iron Man, the Star Trek and Indiana Jones franchises. The exec is known for his vast knowledge in streaming and theatrical models, market strategy, creative optimization, and advertising effectiveness to Edo.
“We’re lucky to have one of the movie industry’s sharpest and most respected marketing minds in Steve leading our studio analytics business,” said Kevin Krim, Edo President & CEO. “Steve’s experience will reinforce our core strength in entertainment, working alongside...
Siskind will spearhead Edo’s strategic partnerships with movie studios and streaming services, delivering the real-time data and insights they need to make timely, high-stakes decisions on how to best market their latest releases.
Siskind’s resume includes more than two decades of working on notable pics including The Wolf of Wall Street, Selma, Transformers, Iron Man, the Star Trek and Indiana Jones franchises. The exec is known for his vast knowledge in streaming and theatrical models, market strategy, creative optimization, and advertising effectiveness to Edo.
“We’re lucky to have one of the movie industry’s sharpest and most respected marketing minds in Steve leading our studio analytics business,” said Kevin Krim, Edo President & CEO. “Steve’s experience will reinforce our core strength in entertainment, working alongside...
- 12/13/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Warner Bros. Discovery has promoted Cameron Curtis to EVP of Worldwide Digital Marketing, the studio said Tuesday.
The Hollywood veteran, with 15 years of experience driving digital campaign strategy and execution for major studios, has been at Warner Bros. since 2016. In that time he has overseen digital campaigns for “Aquaman” and “Joker”. He also worked on the campaigns for blockbusters like “Ready Player One” (581 million), “Elvis” (286 million) and “The Batman” (770 million).
“Among all the candidates we spoke with, Cameron came in with the most progressive perspective,” said Josh Goldstine, Warner Bros. President of Worldwide Marketing. “He understands the evolving role that digital is playing in these motion picture campaigns.”
Since being named EVP, Curtis has restructured the group into three teams, with one focused on social creative, another on talent and a third on digital partnerships. The structure creates teams of specialists with the ability to innovate and amplify at every...
The Hollywood veteran, with 15 years of experience driving digital campaign strategy and execution for major studios, has been at Warner Bros. since 2016. In that time he has overseen digital campaigns for “Aquaman” and “Joker”. He also worked on the campaigns for blockbusters like “Ready Player One” (581 million), “Elvis” (286 million) and “The Batman” (770 million).
“Among all the candidates we spoke with, Cameron came in with the most progressive perspective,” said Josh Goldstine, Warner Bros. President of Worldwide Marketing. “He understands the evolving role that digital is playing in these motion picture campaigns.”
Since being named EVP, Curtis has restructured the group into three teams, with one focused on social creative, another on talent and a third on digital partnerships. The structure creates teams of specialists with the ability to innovate and amplify at every...
- 11/29/2022
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Cameron Curtis has been upped to EVP of Worldwide Digital Marketing at Warner Bros.
Since being named EVP, Curtis has restructured the group into three teams focused on social creative, talent and influencer strategy, and digital partnerships.
The new digital marketing structure put in place creates teams of specialists with a mandate to innovate and amplify every stage of Warner Bros.’ theatrical marketing campaigns. Warners is known for working with creators and influencers in new and innovative ways. Stats show that 60 of consumers purchase their products when recommended by a creator or influencer. The studio is looking to continue to harness that as they spread the word on their theatrical slate via social media talent.
Curtis counts over 15 years of experience in driving digital campaign strategy and execution for major studios. He arrived at Warner Bros. in 2016 and has overseen digital campaigns on movies such as the studio’s highest grossing DC title ever,...
Since being named EVP, Curtis has restructured the group into three teams focused on social creative, talent and influencer strategy, and digital partnerships.
The new digital marketing structure put in place creates teams of specialists with a mandate to innovate and amplify every stage of Warner Bros.’ theatrical marketing campaigns. Warners is known for working with creators and influencers in new and innovative ways. Stats show that 60 of consumers purchase their products when recommended by a creator or influencer. The studio is looking to continue to harness that as they spread the word on their theatrical slate via social media talent.
Curtis counts over 15 years of experience in driving digital campaign strategy and execution for major studios. He arrived at Warner Bros. in 2016 and has overseen digital campaigns on movies such as the studio’s highest grossing DC title ever,...
- 11/29/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Former CBS Films President and Dreamworks marketing head Terry Press and former Paramount Vice Chairman will be informal advisors to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Deadline has confirmed. The news comes amid layoffs at Warner Bros Discovery hitting the programming operation overseen by HBO and HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys.
As the newly merged company re-gains its footing post AT&T, the duo will consult on myriad matters including marketing, however, we hear it’s not in a formal role like former Disney Chief Creative Officer and Warner Studio Vet Alan Horn.
Zaslav has been friends with Goldwyn going back to Discovery, and he was one of the guys he sat down with during his listening tour. Horn, meanwhile, is involved in strategic and operational consulting.
Essentially, Press and Goldwyn are there for Zas to bounce ideas off of.
Josh Goldstine, remains President of Worldwide Marketing. He steered...
As the newly merged company re-gains its footing post AT&T, the duo will consult on myriad matters including marketing, however, we hear it’s not in a formal role like former Disney Chief Creative Officer and Warner Studio Vet Alan Horn.
Zaslav has been friends with Goldwyn going back to Discovery, and he was one of the guys he sat down with during his listening tour. Horn, meanwhile, is involved in strategic and operational consulting.
Essentially, Press and Goldwyn are there for Zas to bounce ideas off of.
Josh Goldstine, remains President of Worldwide Marketing. He steered...
- 8/15/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
No matter the studio, there’s nary a theatrical movie poster or TV spot today that doesn’t feature the phrase “only in theaters” as prominently as the film’s title.
It’s not a coincidence. It’s a form of damage control.
Hollywood’s unified marketing push comes after a two-year period in which movie distribution patterns were ceaselessly changing and nearly every major movie was released in a different way. In the time since cinemas have started to rebound, studios have veered back to the one-size-fits-most approach for bringing movies to the masses. However, industry experts believe Covid-era effects are still reverberating.
“Because of those hybrid strategies, the lines have been blurred,” says Paul Dergarabedian, a senior Comscore analyst. “It’s created consumer confusion that’s going to have to be dealt with over time.”
In that period of mass experimentation, traditional studios were able to test strategies...
It’s not a coincidence. It’s a form of damage control.
Hollywood’s unified marketing push comes after a two-year period in which movie distribution patterns were ceaselessly changing and nearly every major movie was released in a different way. In the time since cinemas have started to rebound, studios have veered back to the one-size-fits-most approach for bringing movies to the masses. However, industry experts believe Covid-era effects are still reverberating.
“Because of those hybrid strategies, the lines have been blurred,” says Paul Dergarabedian, a senior Comscore analyst. “It’s created consumer confusion that’s going to have to be dealt with over time.”
In that period of mass experimentation, traditional studios were able to test strategies...
- 7/13/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Streaming viewership for David Chase’s “The Many Saints of Newark” is coming into focus, as is the massive bump it gave the series that inspired it, “The Sopranos,” according to WarnerMedia’s metrics.
While the film’s theatrical rollout last weekend earned $4.6 million at the domestic box office, its performance on HBO Max underscores an important advantage the WarnerMedia platform has against its competitors — the ability to resuscitate its deep bench of adult-skewing, culture-defining series.
An origin story behind a young Tony Soprano and his father figure Dickie Moltisanti, “Many Saints” finished last weekend as the top performing film title on HBO Max — netting more than triple the audience of the next most viewed title, the streamer said. The movie has also outperformed other comparable films in its budget range, including recent releases like Hugh Jackman’s “Reminiscence” and Clint Eastwood’s “Cry Macho” (both underperformers at the pandemic-stricken box office).
More interestingly,...
While the film’s theatrical rollout last weekend earned $4.6 million at the domestic box office, its performance on HBO Max underscores an important advantage the WarnerMedia platform has against its competitors — the ability to resuscitate its deep bench of adult-skewing, culture-defining series.
An origin story behind a young Tony Soprano and his father figure Dickie Moltisanti, “Many Saints” finished last weekend as the top performing film title on HBO Max — netting more than triple the audience of the next most viewed title, the streamer said. The movie has also outperformed other comparable films in its budget range, including recent releases like Hugh Jackman’s “Reminiscence” and Clint Eastwood’s “Cry Macho” (both underperformers at the pandemic-stricken box office).
More interestingly,...
- 10/8/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Warner Bros. Pictures Group has reorganized its marketing team such that they will now take the lead on the marketing of all HBO Max Original Films. Additionally, the studio has named three individuals to executive vice president in a restructuring of its executive team.
Both Terra Potts and Susannah Scott have been promoted to EVP of worldwide marketing, and the reorganization will also include a third executive to be named later. All three execs will report to Josh Goldstine, who will lead the unit and handle marketing for any movies made for streaming service HBO Max.
The three teams led by each executive will handle a slate of films either exclusive to theaters or intended for streaming, including those coming from the Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Warner Animation Group and DC Films labels.
The Warner Bros. Pictures Group team will work closely with the HBO Max team in growing subscriber numbers and engagement,...
Both Terra Potts and Susannah Scott have been promoted to EVP of worldwide marketing, and the reorganization will also include a third executive to be named later. All three execs will report to Josh Goldstine, who will lead the unit and handle marketing for any movies made for streaming service HBO Max.
The three teams led by each executive will handle a slate of films either exclusive to theaters or intended for streaming, including those coming from the Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Warner Animation Group and DC Films labels.
The Warner Bros. Pictures Group team will work closely with the HBO Max team in growing subscriber numbers and engagement,...
- 8/17/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Warner Bros. Pictures Group has reorganized its worldwide marketing team, Variety has learned exclusively. The Josh Goldstine-led unit will also take the marketing lead on all films the studio will make for streamer HBO Max.
Under the new structure, three integrated global teams will be created across an assigned slate of films, both those made for theaters and projects exclusive to streaming. Titles will come from the picture group’s labels including Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Warner Animation Group, and DC Films.
The shuffle brings the promotion of Terra Potts and Susannah Scott, both named executive vice president of worldwide marketing, and a yet-to-be-named third leader. All three will report to Goldstine.
“We have incredible subject matter expertise at our studio, in departments like publicity, creative advertising, and digital. More than ever, the nature of this business is interdisciplinary and this structure allows for collaboration,” said Goldstine. “Terra and Susannah are strategic,...
Under the new structure, three integrated global teams will be created across an assigned slate of films, both those made for theaters and projects exclusive to streaming. Titles will come from the picture group’s labels including Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Warner Animation Group, and DC Films.
The shuffle brings the promotion of Terra Potts and Susannah Scott, both named executive vice president of worldwide marketing, and a yet-to-be-named third leader. All three will report to Goldstine.
“We have incredible subject matter expertise at our studio, in departments like publicity, creative advertising, and digital. More than ever, the nature of this business is interdisciplinary and this structure allows for collaboration,” said Goldstine. “Terra and Susannah are strategic,...
- 8/17/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Sunday Am Writethru: It use to be that the studios would space their horror movies apart on the schedule. It’s not usual that one would open up immediately after the other for fear of cannibalizing the same audience. That didn’t happen this weekend as New Line’s The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It opened to $24M, while Paramount’s second weekend of A Quiet Place Part II took in $19.5M. All of this just speaks to audiences’ urge to return to the cinema after being cooped up for a year-plus during Covid. We saw a slightly similar clash of demos when two fanboy IPs, Mortal Kombat and Demon Slayer, went at it over the April 23-25 weekend, each posting respective solid results of $23.3M and $21.1M.
Conjuring 3 is the largest opening for an R-rated movie, and the third largest overall during the Pandemic. It’s the...
Conjuring 3 is the largest opening for an R-rated movie, and the third largest overall during the Pandemic. It’s the...
- 6/6/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Grayson has served as co-president of marketing at STX Films since 2017
Alissa Grayson has been named executive vice president of global publicity at Warner Bros. Picture Group, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.
Grayson has served as co-president of marketing at STX Films since 2017 and will now reunite with former Universal Pictures colleague Josh Goldstine, who was recently appointed president of worldwide marketing at Warner Bros.
Grayson will report to Goldstine and Johanna Fuentes, head of global communications at WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group. In her new role, Grayson will develop strategies for both domestic and international campaigns for films from Warner Bros. and its labels New Line Cinema, DC Films and Warner Animation Group.
She will begin her post — vacated by Michelle Slavich in 2020 to lead publicity for films, series and docs at Netflix — in June.
At STX, Grayson worked on titles including “Hustlers,” “A Bad Moms Christmas,...
Alissa Grayson has been named executive vice president of global publicity at Warner Bros. Picture Group, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.
Grayson has served as co-president of marketing at STX Films since 2017 and will now reunite with former Universal Pictures colleague Josh Goldstine, who was recently appointed president of worldwide marketing at Warner Bros.
Grayson will report to Goldstine and Johanna Fuentes, head of global communications at WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group. In her new role, Grayson will develop strategies for both domestic and international campaigns for films from Warner Bros. and its labels New Line Cinema, DC Films and Warner Animation Group.
She will begin her post — vacated by Michelle Slavich in 2020 to lead publicity for films, series and docs at Netflix — in June.
At STX, Grayson worked on titles including “Hustlers,” “A Bad Moms Christmas,...
- 4/28/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Warner Bros. Pictures Group has named Alissa Grayson as executive vice president of global publicity.
Grayson will join the studio from STX Films, where she’s served as co-president of marketing since 2017. In her new post, Grayson will reunite with former Universal Pictures colleague Josh Goldstine, who was recently named president of worldwide marketing at Warner Bros.
Grayson will report to both Goldstine and Johanna Fuentes, head of global communications for WarnerMedia’s studios and networks group. Starting in June, Grayson will work with the studio’s domestic and international publicity teams to develop strategies and campaigns on features and franchises from Warner Bros., and its labels New Line Cinema, DC Films and Warner Animation Group — spanning both theatrical releases and straight-to-service on HBO Max.
“Having worked together at Universal Pictures, I’ve known and been a fan of Alissa’s for years,” said Goldstine. “She has impeccable taste, great...
Grayson will join the studio from STX Films, where she’s served as co-president of marketing since 2017. In her new post, Grayson will reunite with former Universal Pictures colleague Josh Goldstine, who was recently named president of worldwide marketing at Warner Bros.
Grayson will report to both Goldstine and Johanna Fuentes, head of global communications for WarnerMedia’s studios and networks group. Starting in June, Grayson will work with the studio’s domestic and international publicity teams to develop strategies and campaigns on features and franchises from Warner Bros., and its labels New Line Cinema, DC Films and Warner Animation Group — spanning both theatrical releases and straight-to-service on HBO Max.
“Having worked together at Universal Pictures, I’ve known and been a fan of Alissa’s for years,” said Goldstine. “She has impeccable taste, great...
- 4/28/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: This just in: former STX co-president of marketing Alissa Grayson is heading to Warner Bros. as their new EVP of Global Publicity.
Prior to STXfilms, Grayson was at Universal for 22-years as EVP of publicity, working on campaigns for Despicable Me, Fast & Furious, Pitch Perfect, Bourne, Les Miserables, Trainwreck, Ted, Bridesmaids, and Neighbors. She joined STX in May 2017. Grayson was at STX for their Jennifer Lopez’s biggest live-action hit Hustlers ($105M domestic), as well as the studio’s licensed feature The Upside starring Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston ($108.2M WW). Other titles she worked on include The Upside, Bad Moms Christmas ($130.5M WW), Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game and Guy Ritche’s The Gentlemen, which was STX and Miramax’s last big release before Covid with $115.1M. Grayson previously worked with current Warner Bros. Worldwide Marketing President Josh Goldstine when he was at Universal. She will report to him,...
Prior to STXfilms, Grayson was at Universal for 22-years as EVP of publicity, working on campaigns for Despicable Me, Fast & Furious, Pitch Perfect, Bourne, Les Miserables, Trainwreck, Ted, Bridesmaids, and Neighbors. She joined STX in May 2017. Grayson was at STX for their Jennifer Lopez’s biggest live-action hit Hustlers ($105M domestic), as well as the studio’s licensed feature The Upside starring Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston ($108.2M WW). Other titles she worked on include The Upside, Bad Moms Christmas ($130.5M WW), Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game and Guy Ritche’s The Gentlemen, which was STX and Miramax’s last big release before Covid with $115.1M. Grayson previously worked with current Warner Bros. Worldwide Marketing President Josh Goldstine when he was at Universal. She will report to him,...
- 4/28/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated Exclusive: As we first told you last month, former Warner Bros. International Marketing EVP Julien Noble is headed to Universal, and will start as the studio’s new President of International Marketing on March 15 in Los Angeles.
You can read the internal memo from Universal Global Chief Marketing Officer Michael Moses below. Noble will report to Moses, and be part of the studio’s senior international think tank including distribution boss Veronika Kwan Vandenberg (also a Warner Bros vet) and Niels Swinkels. Noble will also work closely with Dwight Caines, President of Domestic Marketing.
Dear Colleagues:
I am happy to confirm the good news that Julien Noble is joining Universal as our new President of International Marketing.
Julien is a dynamic mix of experience, enthusiasm and entrepreneurialism and I’m certain he will be a strategic addition to our team as we confront the continuing impacts of the pandemic...
You can read the internal memo from Universal Global Chief Marketing Officer Michael Moses below. Noble will report to Moses, and be part of the studio’s senior international think tank including distribution boss Veronika Kwan Vandenberg (also a Warner Bros vet) and Niels Swinkels. Noble will also work closely with Dwight Caines, President of Domestic Marketing.
Dear Colleagues:
I am happy to confirm the good news that Julien Noble is joining Universal as our new President of International Marketing.
Julien is a dynamic mix of experience, enthusiasm and entrepreneurialism and I’m certain he will be a strategic addition to our team as we confront the continuing impacts of the pandemic...
- 2/20/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: JP Richards has been appointed head of film marketing strategy at Apple TV+. He will report to video marketing chief Chris Van Amburg. Richards will start the job next month, when his exit from Warner Bros is official. Last November, he left his position as Co-President of Worldwide Marketing at Warner Bros, one of several well regarded marketing executives who exited in the WarnerMedia restructure. Marketing head Blair Rich and EVP Marketing Animation and Family Films Jim Gallagher also exited. Josh Goldstine, who was consulting on the slate of Warner Bros films that will simultaneously launch on HBO Max, has named to head the department earlier this month.
Richards will help spearhead the growing ambitions of Apple’s original film slates. Richards spent six years at Warner Bros, starting as EVP of WW Digital Marketing, and then elevated to EVP of WW Marketing and Chief Digital Strategist. He was...
Richards will help spearhead the growing ambitions of Apple’s original film slates. Richards spent six years at Warner Bros, starting as EVP of WW Digital Marketing, and then elevated to EVP of WW Marketing and Chief Digital Strategist. He was...
- 1/19/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Warner Bros. has named Josh Goldstine president of worldwide marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman said Thursday.
Goldstine will succeed Blair Rich, who vacated the position in December. He will reported directly to Emmerich and will join the studio later this month.
“Josh is an outstanding marketer, with an impressive track record of eventizing a broad range of movies to great success in both theaters and more recently on streaming platforms,” Emmerich said. “He loves cinema, is a believer in the continued importance of the theatrical experience, and is incredibly deft at understanding and distilling filmmaker’s visions and intentions into attention-grabbing and results-delivering marketing campaigns. He has a future-focused skill set that will help us strategically navigate our evolving business, launching both our theatrical films and HBO Max original movies. He is a great addition to the Pictures Group, and we can’t wait for him to get started.
Goldstine will succeed Blair Rich, who vacated the position in December. He will reported directly to Emmerich and will join the studio later this month.
“Josh is an outstanding marketer, with an impressive track record of eventizing a broad range of movies to great success in both theaters and more recently on streaming platforms,” Emmerich said. “He loves cinema, is a believer in the continued importance of the theatrical experience, and is incredibly deft at understanding and distilling filmmaker’s visions and intentions into attention-grabbing and results-delivering marketing campaigns. He has a future-focused skill set that will help us strategically navigate our evolving business, launching both our theatrical films and HBO Max original movies. He is a great addition to the Pictures Group, and we can’t wait for him to get started.
- 1/7/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Exclusive: It what was greatly expected, Warner Bros. is set to name Josh Goldstine President of Worldwide Marketing, the former Universal exec taking over the post once occupied by Blair Rich. Warners is in the process of working on a deal with Goldstine, having just offered him the job. He’ll officially join the Burbank, CA studio later this month.
Goldstine will report to Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and work with the division’s senior management team. Goldstine will be charged with overseeing the studio’s global theatrical release slate including all Warner Bros, New Line, DC, Warner Animation group and HBO Max original features. His oversight will include Warner Bros. Pictures’ worldwide creative advertising, publicity, media, global digital, global promotions, worldwide research and multi-cultural groups.
Said Emmerich, “Josh is an outstanding marketer, with an impressive track record of eventizing a broad range of movies to great...
Goldstine will report to Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and work with the division’s senior management team. Goldstine will be charged with overseeing the studio’s global theatrical release slate including all Warner Bros, New Line, DC, Warner Animation group and HBO Max original features. His oversight will include Warner Bros. Pictures’ worldwide creative advertising, publicity, media, global digital, global promotions, worldwide research and multi-cultural groups.
Said Emmerich, “Josh is an outstanding marketer, with an impressive track record of eventizing a broad range of movies to great...
- 1/7/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Josh Goldstine has officially been named head of worldwide marketing at Warner Bros. Pictures.
The veteran feature film marketer emerged as successor to former marketing head Blair Rich in late December, Variety previously reported. Goldstine will report to Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group Chairman Toby Emmerich, and will oversee all theatrical releases.
“Josh is an outstanding marketer, with an impressive track record of eventizing a broad range of movies to great success in both theaters and more recently on streaming platforms. He loves cinema, is a believer in the continued importance of the theatrical experience, and is incredibly deft at understanding and distilling filmmaker’s visions and intentions into attention-grabbing and results-delivering marketing campaigns,” said Emmerich. “He has a future-focused skill set that will help us strategically navigate our evolving business, launching both our theatrical films and HBO Max original movies. He is a great addition to the Pictures Group,...
The veteran feature film marketer emerged as successor to former marketing head Blair Rich in late December, Variety previously reported. Goldstine will report to Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group Chairman Toby Emmerich, and will oversee all theatrical releases.
“Josh is an outstanding marketer, with an impressive track record of eventizing a broad range of movies to great success in both theaters and more recently on streaming platforms. He loves cinema, is a believer in the continued importance of the theatrical experience, and is incredibly deft at understanding and distilling filmmaker’s visions and intentions into attention-grabbing and results-delivering marketing campaigns,” said Emmerich. “He has a future-focused skill set that will help us strategically navigate our evolving business, launching both our theatrical films and HBO Max original movies. He is a great addition to the Pictures Group,...
- 1/7/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
It’s official: Warner Bros. has named Josh Goldstine its new president of worldwide marketing, the studio announced Thursday.
“Josh is an outstanding marketer, with an impressive track record of eventizing a broad range of movies to great success in both theaters and more recently on streaming platforms,” said Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich said in a statement.
His hire formalizes a more casual arrangement that saw Goldstine consulting on various movie marketing campaigns following the recent exits of worldwide marketing president Blair Rich and co-marketing president J.P. Richards.
Goldstine’s arrival at Warner Bros. marks a ...
“Josh is an outstanding marketer, with an impressive track record of eventizing a broad range of movies to great success in both theaters and more recently on streaming platforms,” said Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich said in a statement.
His hire formalizes a more casual arrangement that saw Goldstine consulting on various movie marketing campaigns following the recent exits of worldwide marketing president Blair Rich and co-marketing president J.P. Richards.
Goldstine’s arrival at Warner Bros. marks a ...
It’s official: Warner Bros. has named Josh Goldstine new president of worldwide marketing, the studio announced Thursday.
“Josh is an outstanding marketer, with an impressive track record of eventizing a broad range of movies to great success in both theaters and more recently on streaming platforms,” said Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich said in a statement.
His hire formalizes a more casual arrangement that saw Goldstine consulting on various movie marketing campaigns following the recent exits of worldwide marketing president Blair Rich and co-marketing president Jp Richards.
Goldstine arrival at Warner Bros. marks a career comeback of ...
“Josh is an outstanding marketer, with an impressive track record of eventizing a broad range of movies to great success in both theaters and more recently on streaming platforms,” said Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich said in a statement.
His hire formalizes a more casual arrangement that saw Goldstine consulting on various movie marketing campaigns following the recent exits of worldwide marketing president Blair Rich and co-marketing president Jp Richards.
Goldstine arrival at Warner Bros. marks a career comeback of ...
Exclusive: As 2020 winds to a close, talent reps are fighting with Warner Bros for back end compensation their clients would have earned had WarnerMedia waited out the pandemic instead of putting a year’s worth of theatrical films on HBO Max alongside U.S. theaters. And only telling filmmakers, casts and even financiers moments before the press release was issued, which went against the time tested discreet heads up rule that is a vital part of the give-and-take between reps and movie studio executives. The Little Things director John Lee Hancock, who discusses here the prospect of being the first movie in this hybrid release configuration, is more familiar than most with the concept of The Blind Side, after writing/directing the Warner Bros drama based on the Michael Lewis book about why the left offensive tackle is most vital to keeping a quarterback in one piece.
After Warner Bros...
After Warner Bros...
- 12/22/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Veteran Hollywood executive Josh Goldstine has emerged as the frontrunner for the president of worldwide marketing post at Warner Bros. Pictures, multiple insiders told Variety.
Goldstine is already a consultant for the studio, where he is working on such titles as “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Goldstine’s hire would fill the vacancy left by former president Blair Rich who will exit the studio at the end of 2020.
Warner Bros. declined to comment on the matter. Representatives for Goldstine declined to comment.
The studio has not yet extended a formal offer to Goldstine. Others in line for the job include former 20th Century Studios marketing co-president Kevin Campbell, insiders said. Variety previously reported that the field also included Michael Moses, Universal’s top marketing executive, who sources say recently reupped his contract and will remain in his current job.
For Goldstine, this gig would be a...
Goldstine is already a consultant for the studio, where he is working on such titles as “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Goldstine’s hire would fill the vacancy left by former president Blair Rich who will exit the studio at the end of 2020.
Warner Bros. declined to comment on the matter. Representatives for Goldstine declined to comment.
The studio has not yet extended a formal offer to Goldstine. Others in line for the job include former 20th Century Studios marketing co-president Kevin Campbell, insiders said. Variety previously reported that the field also included Michael Moses, Universal’s top marketing executive, who sources say recently reupped his contract and will remain in his current job.
For Goldstine, this gig would be a...
- 12/21/2020
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Add marketing executive at WarnerMedia to the endangered species list. In the space of two weeks, the media and entertainment giant has bid farewell to a dizzying array of marketing gurus, leaving major holes in the top executive ranks.
In short order, Jim Gallagher stepped down from his Warner Bros post as executive vice president of marketing animation and family films, Warner Bros Television Group President and Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Gregorian announced she would leave at the end of 2020, and Warner Bros. Co-President of Worldwide Marketing Jp Richards said he would exit in February. On Friday, news broke that Blair Rich, head of worldwide marketing at Warner Bros., was out, following months of rumors that her job was in jeopardy.
The spin from WarnerMedia is that some of the executives involved in this exodus did so of their own accord and that their departures were entirely organic. Their exits,...
In short order, Jim Gallagher stepped down from his Warner Bros post as executive vice president of marketing animation and family films, Warner Bros Television Group President and Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Gregorian announced she would leave at the end of 2020, and Warner Bros. Co-President of Worldwide Marketing Jp Richards said he would exit in February. On Friday, news broke that Blair Rich, head of worldwide marketing at Warner Bros., was out, following months of rumors that her job was in jeopardy.
The spin from WarnerMedia is that some of the executives involved in this exodus did so of their own accord and that their departures were entirely organic. Their exits,...
- 11/16/2020
- by Brent Lang and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Universal Pictures has completed a five-year exclusive deal with the Lego Group that will lead to the development, production and theatrical distribution of films constructed from the fusion of original ideas to the colorful building blocks. The deal was spearheaded by Donna Langley, Chairman, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and Jill Wilfert, Head of Entertainment of the Lego Group.
Universal established itself as the leader last year among a pack of studios chasing the rights to make future Lego movies, which Warner Bros had ridden to collective grosses north of a billion dollars. When one of the Lego films on the drawing board didn’t go forward, a ticking clock expired and the Lego’s film business became a free agent. Branded IP with proven box office draw doesn’t come along often, and Universal pounced.
More from DeadlineUniversal Ordered To Pay Fired Exec Josh Goldstine $20M By Arbitrator; Seth...
Universal established itself as the leader last year among a pack of studios chasing the rights to make future Lego movies, which Warner Bros had ridden to collective grosses north of a billion dollars. When one of the Lego films on the drawing board didn’t go forward, a ticking clock expired and the Lego’s film business became a free agent. Branded IP with proven box office draw doesn’t come along often, and Universal pounced.
More from DeadlineUniversal Ordered To Pay Fired Exec Josh Goldstine $20M By Arbitrator; Seth...
- 4/23/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The edict by major film and television companies to work from home is beginning to look like when we were kids and you listened to the radio to see if your school was among those canceling classes in a snowstorm.
We assume by tomorrow, most companies will have incorporated the work from home edict that is sweeping Hollywood and New York companies. NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell is among those advocating that staff stay at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus. His edict is not a full shutdown as much as a strong suggestion. See the memo below that he sent company-wide today:
More from DeadlineUniversal Ordered To Pay Fired Exec Josh Goldstine $20M By Arbitrator; Seth Byers Cleared Of "Inappropriate" Behavior - UpdateNBCUniversal Anoints Jeff Shell As CEO, Setting New Year's Day Start To TenureFrom NBCU To WarnerMedia To Disney, CEO Transitions Are Creating Real-Life 'Succession' Dramas
Hi Everyone,...
We assume by tomorrow, most companies will have incorporated the work from home edict that is sweeping Hollywood and New York companies. NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell is among those advocating that staff stay at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus. His edict is not a full shutdown as much as a strong suggestion. See the memo below that he sent company-wide today:
More from DeadlineUniversal Ordered To Pay Fired Exec Josh Goldstine $20M By Arbitrator; Seth Byers Cleared Of "Inappropriate" Behavior - UpdateNBCUniversal Anoints Jeff Shell As CEO, Setting New Year's Day Start To TenureFrom NBCU To WarnerMedia To Disney, CEO Transitions Are Creating Real-Life 'Succession' Dramas
Hi Everyone,...
- 3/12/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Former Universal executive Josh Goldstine has won a multimillion dollar arbitration case against the studio in the ballpark of $20 million after he was dismissed from the company in 2018 for “inappropriate conduct.”
After being unable to find employment in the height of the #MeToo era, Goldstine initiated legal action and this month has won an arbitration award from a private, retired judge that’s said to be in the ballpark of $20 million.
“I could not have survived this nightmare had it not been for the unwavering support of my family and our tremendous network of friends. I am eternally grateful to all of them and cannot wait to get back to doing what we have all been fighting for: getting a job and creating great work,” Goldstine said in a statement to TheWrap.
NBCUniversal declined comment.
Also Read: NBCUniversal's Peacock Wants to Make Advertisers Part of the Streaming Era
Goldstine was...
After being unable to find employment in the height of the #MeToo era, Goldstine initiated legal action and this month has won an arbitration award from a private, retired judge that’s said to be in the ballpark of $20 million.
“I could not have survived this nightmare had it not been for the unwavering support of my family and our tremendous network of friends. I am eternally grateful to all of them and cannot wait to get back to doing what we have all been fighting for: getting a job and creating great work,” Goldstine said in a statement to TheWrap.
NBCUniversal declined comment.
Also Read: NBCUniversal's Peacock Wants to Make Advertisers Part of the Streaming Era
Goldstine was...
- 1/20/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
(Updated With Seth Byers Details) Nearly two years after he was shown the door at Universal following undisclosed “inappropriate conduct” allegations, the studio’s former president of marketing Josh Goldstine has emerged with his name cleared and his bank account apparently quite healthy. While nowhere up in the eight digit pay out range, fired Universal Evp, Creative Strategy and Research, Seth Byers has also emerged from the dark shadow of his termination back in early 2018.
After months of declarations and depositions, a behind-closed-doors arbitration ruling more than a week ago determined that then Jeff Shell- and Donna Langley-run Universal Pictures rushed to judgment against the long-serving exec and Byers in 2018. Whether in the #MeToo wheelhouse or not, the precise details of why Byers was axed and Goldstine was fired in March 2018 after the latter was placed on administrative leave a month before remained unrevealed.
Sources have confirmed to...
After months of declarations and depositions, a behind-closed-doors arbitration ruling more than a week ago determined that then Jeff Shell- and Donna Langley-run Universal Pictures rushed to judgment against the long-serving exec and Byers in 2018. Whether in the #MeToo wheelhouse or not, the precise details of why Byers was axed and Goldstine was fired in March 2018 after the latter was placed on administrative leave a month before remained unrevealed.
Sources have confirmed to...
- 1/20/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
To understand the success that Universal has kept up over the past decade, you need only look at the production budgets and genres for the studio’s three highest grossing films in 2018: $170 million for the dinosaur blockbuster “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” $75 million for the animated Dr. Seuss adaptation “The Grinch,” and $10 million for a belated installment in the venerable horror series “Halloween.”
The result was a domestic annual total of more than $1.7 billion, 17 percent more than 2017’s total gross. And that gross jumps to $1.9 billion if you factor in Universal’s indie distribution wing, Focus Features. “The most consistent performers are obviously Disney, that has been in a league of its own, Universal and Warner Bros. have been back-to-back 2 and 3,” said Tuna Amobi, media analyst at Cfra Research.
Universal’s big moneymaker was “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” a sequel that proved the 2015 revival of “Jurassic Park” was so much...
The result was a domestic annual total of more than $1.7 billion, 17 percent more than 2017’s total gross. And that gross jumps to $1.9 billion if you factor in Universal’s indie distribution wing, Focus Features. “The most consistent performers are obviously Disney, that has been in a league of its own, Universal and Warner Bros. have been back-to-back 2 and 3,” said Tuna Amobi, media analyst at Cfra Research.
Universal’s big moneymaker was “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” a sequel that proved the 2015 revival of “Jurassic Park” was so much...
- 12/24/2018
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Michael Moses has been named Universal Pictures’ new president of worldwide marketing and has hired Dwight Caines as co-president, the studio announced in a company-wide memo.
The new hires come after former marketing chief Jeff Goldstine was fired from the company following accusations of inappropriate conduct. Two other marketing executives, Seth Byers and Scott Abraham, were also dismissed for inappropriate conduct.
Also Read: Fired Universal Executive Josh Goldstine Kept Mistress on Payroll, Inquiry Found (Exclusive)
Moses has been with Universal for 18 years, while Caines joins Universal after a 20-year tenure at Sony that ended in 2016. Moses will focus on the creative side of the marketing department, while Caines will focus on media and data-driven strategy. Both will report to Universal Pictures Chairman Donna Langley.
“Michael is a trusted advisor to senior leadership and possesses a strategic vision that few others in our business today can match,” Langley said in a...
The new hires come after former marketing chief Jeff Goldstine was fired from the company following accusations of inappropriate conduct. Two other marketing executives, Seth Byers and Scott Abraham, were also dismissed for inappropriate conduct.
Also Read: Fired Universal Executive Josh Goldstine Kept Mistress on Payroll, Inquiry Found (Exclusive)
Moses has been with Universal for 18 years, while Caines joins Universal after a 20-year tenure at Sony that ended in 2016. Moses will focus on the creative side of the marketing department, while Caines will focus on media and data-driven strategy. Both will report to Universal Pictures Chairman Donna Langley.
“Michael is a trusted advisor to senior leadership and possesses a strategic vision that few others in our business today can match,” Langley said in a...
- 6/18/2018
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Before Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom opens to a deafening roar at the box office with a $135M-$150M start, Universal has announced some promotions and appointments in the studio’s marketing ranks.
Eighteen-year marketing guru Michael Moses is being promoted to President of Worldwide Marketing, reporting to Langley. Having worked previously as Co-President of Ww Marketing alongside former marketing chief Josh Goldstine who was dismissed for inappropriate conduct back in March, Moses now takes on that exec’s position.
Separately Moses has tapped 20-year Sony vet Dwight Caines as Co-President of Marketing, assuming Moses’ previous post. At the Culver City lot, Caines was behind such hits as Angry Birds, Spectre, Hotel Transylvania 2, Goosebumps, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Equalizer, Fury, and 22 Jump Street.
Moses has named Ignition executive Lauri Brown Senior Vice President, Creative Advertising, who as a creative director worked on film campaigns for Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve and Peter Jackson.
Eighteen-year marketing guru Michael Moses is being promoted to President of Worldwide Marketing, reporting to Langley. Having worked previously as Co-President of Ww Marketing alongside former marketing chief Josh Goldstine who was dismissed for inappropriate conduct back in March, Moses now takes on that exec’s position.
Separately Moses has tapped 20-year Sony vet Dwight Caines as Co-President of Marketing, assuming Moses’ previous post. At the Culver City lot, Caines was behind such hits as Angry Birds, Spectre, Hotel Transylvania 2, Goosebumps, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Equalizer, Fury, and 22 Jump Street.
Moses has named Ignition executive Lauri Brown Senior Vice President, Creative Advertising, who as a creative director worked on film campaigns for Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve and Peter Jackson.
- 6/18/2018
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Universal has elevated Michael Moses to the position of worldwide marketing president and hired Dwight Caines as co-president of marketing, the studio announced in a company-wide memo.
The moves come as Universal has been rocked by a series of executive dismissals following allegations of inappropriate conduct by former marketing chief Josh Goldstine. Seth Byers, executive VP of creative strategy and research in the department, and Scott Abraham, another senior marketing executive, were also fired for inappropriate conduct.
Moses has been with the studio for more than 18 years, and is respected for his publicity know-how and big-picture strategizing. The thought is that Moses will be tasked with overseeing the creative aspects of the department, while Caines focuses on media and data-driven strategy.
In a letter to staff, Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley praised Moses as “a trusted advisor” with “a strategic vision that few...
The moves come as Universal has been rocked by a series of executive dismissals following allegations of inappropriate conduct by former marketing chief Josh Goldstine. Seth Byers, executive VP of creative strategy and research in the department, and Scott Abraham, another senior marketing executive, were also fired for inappropriate conduct.
Moses has been with the studio for more than 18 years, and is respected for his publicity know-how and big-picture strategizing. The thought is that Moses will be tasked with overseeing the creative aspects of the department, while Caines focuses on media and data-driven strategy.
In a letter to staff, Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley praised Moses as “a trusted advisor” with “a strategic vision that few...
- 6/18/2018
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Moses is being promoted to president of worldwide marketing at Universal Pictures, while former Sony exec Dwight Caines has been named co-president of marketing.
Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley announced the news Monday morning in a note to staff.
The reorganization of the ranks comes more than three months after Josh Goldstine stepped down as president of worldwide marketing following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct.
Moses, who had worked alongside Goldstine for years as co-president, is now assuming Goldstine's position. Caines will assume Moses' previous role as co-president. Caines spent ...
Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley announced the news Monday morning in a note to staff.
The reorganization of the ranks comes more than three months after Josh Goldstine stepped down as president of worldwide marketing following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct.
Moses, who had worked alongside Goldstine for years as co-president, is now assuming Goldstine's position. Caines will assume Moses' previous role as co-president. Caines spent ...
- 6/18/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael Moses is being promoted to president of worldwide marketing at Universal Pictures, while former Sony exec Dwight Caines has been named co-president of marketing.
Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley announced the news Monday morning in a note to staff.
The reorganization of the ranks comes more than three months after Josh Goldstine stepped down as president of worldwide marketing following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct.
Moses, who had worked alongside Goldstine for years as co-president, is now assuming Goldstine's position. Caines will assume Moses' previous role as co-president. Caines spent ...
Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley announced the news Monday morning in a note to staff.
The reorganization of the ranks comes more than three months after Josh Goldstine stepped down as president of worldwide marketing following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct.
Moses, who had worked alongside Goldstine for years as co-president, is now assuming Goldstine's position. Caines will assume Moses' previous role as co-president. Caines spent ...
- 6/18/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Universal Pictures executive Josh Goldstine was fired after an internal inquiry found that he had employed a mistress as a consultant, insiders told TheWrap exclusively. The reason for Goldstine’s firing from the studio — where he promoted films including “Jurassic World,” “The Mummy” and “Get Out” — has not been previously detailed. But three insiders said the inquiry found that the married former president of marketing hired the woman as a consultant to advise on Universal’s slate. One said the woman had also worked as a consultant for Goldstine in his previous role at Sony Pictures. Goldstine and Universal Pictures had no...
- 3/29/2018
- by Matt Donnelly and Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
Universal Pictures has fired marketing president Josh Goldstine following an investigation of “inappropriate conduct,” TheWrap has learned. The executive had been on administrative leave since last month when the studio announced the investigation as well as the dismissal of Seth Byers, an Evp in charge of creative strategy and research, following similar accusations. A rep for Universal declined to elaborate on the nature of the accusations or the contents of the investigation. Goldstine could not be reached for comment. Also Read: Universal Pictures Fires Evp, Places Marketing President on Leave Over 'Inappropriate Conduct' In a memo to staff, film division president Donna Langley and...
- 3/7/2018
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Josh Goldstine is out as Universal's president of marketing after a weeks-long investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct.
On Feb. 14, in a note to staff, Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley announced that Goldstine had been placed on administrative leave and that an investigation had been launched by both Universal and parent company Comcast after they found the allegations to be "both credible and indicative of an unacceptable climate."
At the time, the studio parted ways with executive vp creative strategy and research Seth Byers over misconduct. According to sources,...
On Feb. 14, in a note to staff, Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley announced that Goldstine had been placed on administrative leave and that an investigation had been launched by both Universal and parent company Comcast after they found the allegations to be "both credible and indicative of an unacceptable climate."
At the time, the studio parted ways with executive vp creative strategy and research Seth Byers over misconduct. According to sources,...
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