Filed under: MISC | Tags: CBS, CBS Corporation, National Amusements, Sumner Redstone, Viacom, Walt Disney, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort
Sumner Redstone’s family holding company, National Amusements, is said to be kicking off an auction to sell parts of its movie-theater chain. The move aims to pay down debt and help Redstone avoid having to sell some or all of his controlling stakes in Viacom and CBS. (Iwantmedia 3/27, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123808650011149523.html 3/27)
Nearly 800 jobs are being eliminated at Disney’s Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, sources say. Disney, which employs about 62,000 “cast members” in Central Florida, is making cuts as the company reorganizes its domestic operations. More layoffs are expected. (Iwantmedia 3/27, http://www.clickorlando.com/money/19026688/detail.html 3/27)
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Filed under: MISC | Tags: Cary Grant, DVD, Laraine Day, Lucky, Ticketmaster, United States, United States Department of Justice, Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. is launching the Warner Archive Collection, an “on demand” DVD program in which fans will be able to order theatrical features from the studio’s library that are not available on disc and receive a custom-made DVD for $20. Films also can be downloaded for $15. (Iwantmedia 3/23, http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/dvd/2009-03-22-classic-films-on-demand_N.htm 3/23)
Lucky day: Cary Grant and Laraine Day star in 1943′s Mr. Lucky, one of the classics Warner Bros. now offers as a made-to-order DVD via the Web.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster Entertainment have each received an expected “request for additional information” from the United States Department of Justice regarding their proposed merger announced on Feb. 10. The news comes a day after Ticketmaster reported a fourth-quarter loss of $1.07 billion, as the company took a goodwill charge of $1.1 billion to reflect the decline of its stock price. Live Nation reported losses of $337.5 million earlier in the month. (Cynopsis 3/23)
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Filed under: MISC | Tags: Blow Dry, Emma Roberts, Head injury, Joely Richardson, LiamNeeson, NatashaRichardson, Patty Hearst, Vanessa Redgrave
Actress Natasha Richardson, 45, passed away after suffering a head injury from a ski accident. The news was made public by a publicist for Richardson’s husband, Liam Neeson. The statement did not expound on the cause of her death. Richardson is the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave, and the sister of actress Joely Richardson. She won a Tony for her portrayal of performer Sally Bowles in Broadway’s 1998 revival of Cabaret, and one of her most notable films was in the title role of the 1988 biopic Patty Hearst. More recent films include Blow Dry, Main in Manhattan, Evening and most recently as Mrs. Kingsley in the film Wild Child with Aidan Quinn and Emma Roberts. (Cynopsis 3/19)
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Filed under: MISC | Tags: Arts, Box Office, Film Formats, Filmmaking, IMAX, Large format, Movie theater, Movies
Large format film exhibitor IMAX reported a net loss per share of $0.21 for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2008, compared to a net loss per share of $0.25 for Q4 of fiscal 2007. The Toronto-based company says it has successfully launched its IMAX digital product in 46 theaters during the second half of 2008 and has now installed a total of 60 IMAX projection systems. New release Watchman generated $8 million in box office receipts during its first 6 days. (Cynopsis 3/13)
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Filed under: MISC | Tags: Arts, DVD, Entertainment, Japan, Movie studio, Movies, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Television
Sony Pictures Entertainment, the movie studio subsidiary of the Japanese electronics maker, is laying off nearly 250 people and eliminating nearly 100 open positions in an effort to cut costs. The studio cites declines in television syndication, DVDs and advertising sales. (Iwantmedia 3/11, http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090310/ap_on_hi_te/sony_pictures_cuts 3/10)
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Filed under: MISC | Tags: Arts, Box Office, Comic book, Dark Knight, Movies, Warner Bros., Watchmen, Zack Snyder
The Warner Bros. brooding, superhero thriller “Watchmen” took in more than $50 million at the box office this weekend, but the R-rated, comic-book adaptation fell short of hitting the kind of numbers that the studio hoped would turn it into the next “Dark Knight.” (Iwantmedia 3/9, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123653679431864173.html 3/9)
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Filed under: MISC | Tags: Arts, Comic book, Comics, Creators, Dark Knight, Warner Bros., Warner Brother, Watchmen
After “The Dark Knight” became the second-highest grossing film ever, Warner Brothers is placing its bets on another comic-book adaptation, the $130 million “Watchmen.” A studio restructuring by Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes is putting more emphasis on big “tent pole” movies. (Financial Times 3/6)
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