Showbiz Sandbox 277: CinemaCon Predicts A Bright Future For Moviegoing
April 27, 2015
When theater owners and film distributors from around the world convened last week for CinemaCon in Las Vegas they were presented with a slate of upcoming blockbusters and cutting edge innovations which forecast an optimistic future for the industry. After ending last year with the most depressed box office returns in recent memory, 2015 is shaping up to break all records with at least four films potentially grossing more than a billion dollars.
Adding to the optimistic outlook are emerging technologies that enhance the experience of going to the cinema. Upgrades such as immersive sound, laser projection and high dynamic range may help lure certain demographics back to theaters. Teenagers and young adults, for instance, have seen declining attendance since 2007 as the number of on-demand entertainment options began expanding.
Meanwhile, cable giant Comcast called off its $45 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable after government agencies informed the company they would actively work to block the merger. Regulators believed the deal, which many feared but felt would ultimately be approved, might allow Comcast to dominate not just cable television, but more importantly high speed Internet access.
Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including the end of “Sabado Gigante”, how WikiLeaks got involved in the Sony cyberattack and Netflix just keeps growing.
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‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’: Hundreds of German Theaters Boycotting Marvel Film
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/avengers-age-ultron-hundreds-german-791473
Trailer Report: ‘Star Wars’ Soars to 30 Million Views in First 24 Hours
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/trailer-report-star-wars-soars-789764
Could ‘Star Wars’ Open at $500 Million? The Force Is Strong
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/could-star-wars-open-at-789889
CinemaCon Shows Moviegoing Is Getting Luxurious for Whole Family
https://variety.com/2015/film/spotlight/moviegoing-gets-luxurious-for-whole-family-1201471451/
‘Spider-Man’ Animated Movie Coming in 2018
https://variety.com/2015/film/news/spider-man-animated-movie-coming-in-2018-1201477933/
CinemaCon: Dave Hollis Delivers International Keynote Address
http://celluloidjunkie.com/2015/04/21/cinemacon-dave-hollis-delivers-international-keynote-address/
CinemaCon: David Hancock Delivers Digital Cinema Update
http://celluloidjunkie.com/2015/04/27/cinemacon-david-hancock-delivers-digital-cinema-update/
WikiLeaks Posts Sony Pictures Documents, Angering the Studio
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/17/business/media/sony-pictures-is-angered-by-wikileaks-posting-of-its-stolen-documents.html?_r=0
HBO Forced a Bar to Shut Down Its Game of Thrones Viewing Party
http://www.grubstreet.com/2015/04/hbo-forces-bar-to-cancel-game-of-thrones-party.html
WME/IMG Buys Professional Bull Riders, Expanding Live Events Reach
https://variety.com/2015/biz/news/wme-img-buys-professional-bull-riders-1201472904/
CAA Promotes 20 Staffers to Agent, Executive Status
https://variety.com/2015/biz/news/caa-promotes-20-staffers-in-key-departments-1201480297/
Shawn Mendes and the 6-Second Path to Stardom
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/25/arts/music/a-rapid-rise-for-shawn-mendes-in-tune-with-social-media.html
Major Concert Competitor Global Live Launches, Announces Hires
http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/04/major-concert-competitor-global-live-launches-announces-hires.html
Netflix Ends Quarter With More Than 59 Million Subscribers
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-ends-quarter-more-59-789035
‘Full House’ Sequel Coming to Netflix
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/21/full-house-sequel-coming-to-netflix/?_r=0
Pandora Dropped 2.3 Million Listeners In Last 3 Months, Stock Falls As Net Loss Widens
http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/04/pandora-stock-falls-as-net-losses-widen.html
Sky 3D Goes On-Demand Only
http://www.rapidtvnews.com/2015042438060/sky-3d-goes-on-demand-only.html
Hacked Sony Emails Reveal That Sony Had Pirated Books About Hacking
http://www.dailydot.com/politics/sony-pirated-book-pdf/
Univision to End ‘Sabado Gigante’ After 53 Years
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/univision-end-sabado-gigante-53-789540
Native American Actors Quit Adam Sandler’s ‘Ridiculous Six’ Over Racist Jokes
https://variety.com/2015/film/news/adam-sandler-ridiculous-six-native-american-actors-walk-off-set-1201478694/
Comcast Kills Time Warner Cable Deal
http://www.wsj.com/articles/comcast-kills-time-warner-cable-deal-1429878881
Todd McCarthy: Richard Corliss, “A Populist Critic in the Best Way”
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/todd-mccarthy-richard-corliss-a-791415
Percy Sledge, Smooth Wailer in ‘When a Man Loves a Woman,’ Is Dead at 74
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/arts/music/percy-sledge-who-sang-when-a-man-loves-a-woman-dies-at-74.html
Paul Almond, Who Directed First ‘Seven Up!,’ Dies at 83
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/arts/television/paul-almond-the-director-of-seven-up-dies-at-83.html
Don Mankiewicz, Oscar-Nominated Screenwriter for ‘I Want to Live!,’ Dies at 93
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/don-mankiewicz-dead-oscar-nominated-791604
I love going to the movies. But these days, when movie chains talk about “Brighter pictures! Better sound! Bigger screens!” I don’t think “Great! Another reason to head out of the house and a see a movie!” I think, “Great! One more excuse for them to increase prices!” I don’t pay extra for stadium seating; I expect it. Why shouldn’t I expect great picture and sound? And why shouldn’t they just be glad I keep going to the movies instead of watching them on my TV, laptop, tablet or phone?