Movies
Bob Iger, eBay, sports agent Rich Paul, Chernin Group team up to buy 25% stake in toy maker Funko
A consortium including former Disney CEO Bob Iger, sports agent Rich Paul, eBay and the Chernin Group is buying a 25% stake in toy maker Funko. The investment, which is worth $263 million, or $21 per share, means Chernin will add two directors to Funko’s board. Chernin Group CEO Peter Chernin and Iger will serve […]
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Dead priest’s niece sues Catholic University, auction house to block sale of Judy Garland ‘Wizard of Oz’ dress
A lobby card from the film ‘The Wizard Of Oz,’ shows a film still of a scene in which American actress Judy Garland (1922 – 1969) (as Dorothy) wipes tears from the eyes of actor Bert Lahr (1895 – 1967) (as the Cowardly Lion), while watched by Jack Haley (1898 – 1979) (as the Tin […]
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‘We do crazy stuff’: How cinemas are going beyond studio marketing to lure moviegoers back
A Regal Cinemas movie theater stands at night on 42nd Street in New York, U.S., on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. Amir Hamja | Bloomberg | Getty Images “If you build it, they will come.” Universal’s president of domestic theatrical distribution borrowed the iconic line from “Field of Dreams” during the studios slate presentation at CinemaCon […]
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Bill Murray reflects on inappropriate behavior that led to the shutdown of his latest film
Bill Murray is still reflecting on his inappropriate behavior, which led to a production shutdown on the Searchlight Pictures’ film “Being Mortal” last week. On Saturday, the actor told CNBC that he had a “difference of opinion” with a woman he was working with on the film, saying, “I did something I thought was funny […]
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Meet Sox, the breakout star of Disney’s ‘Lightyear’ — and the next hot toy
Disney screened the first 30 minutes of its new Pixar film “Lightyear” at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Wednesday, but the biggest buzz among attendees wasn’t for the title character at the center of the “Toy Story” origin story. That distinction went to a small robotic cat named Sox. The ginger and white mechanical feline […]
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Same-day theatrical and streaming releases are dead as a business model, movie theater group CEO says
President & CEO of NATO John Fithian speaks onstage during CinemaCon 2021 The State of the Industry and MGM/UAR Presentation at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, on August 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. David Becker | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images […]
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Movie theater owners are optimistic ticket sales can continue to recover as the key summer season approaches
Still from “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Disney Superhero flicks have kept the box office afloat this year, spurring movie theater operators to think that audiences might finally be ready to return to cinemas en masse. Domestic ticket sales for the first four months of the year are still down around 40% compared […]
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Florida Gov. DeSantis signs bill revoking Disney’s special district status
View of the Walt Disney statue in front of Cinderella Castle inside the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Getty Images Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed into law a bill revoking the Walt Disney Company’s special district status in the state, just days after the legislation […]
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Florida Republicans vote to dissolve Disney’s special district, eliminating privileges and setting up a legal battle
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has his guns pointed at Disney World. On Thursday, the Florida state legislature passed a bill seeking to dissolve a special district that allows the Walt Disney Company to act as its own government within the outer limits of Orange and Osceola counties. The bill passed the state Senate Wednesday with […]
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Netflix is exploring lower-priced, ad-supported plans after years of resisting
In this photo illustration the Netflix logo in the App Store seen displayed on a smartphone screen. Rafael Henrique | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images After years of resisting advertisements on its streaming service, Netflix is now “open” to offering lower priced tiers with ads, co-CEO Reed Hastings said Tuesday. Hastings has long […]
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