Showbiz Sandbox 443: Netflix Dominates CinemaCon Conversation
April 8, 2019
Movie theater owners from around the world gathered in Las Vegas last week to see what upcoming releases studios have in store for them. Sony skipped this year’s CinemaCon leaving many puzzled as to why and Fox showed up with their new owner, Disney. Yet it was a company that doesn’t willingly release films in cinemas that generated some of the biggest buzz; Netflix.
What we learned from attending this year’s CinemaCon is that theatrical windows aren’t disappearing anytime soon, neither are moviegoing subscription services, but 3D grosses have collapsed everywhere but in Asia. Saudi Arabia, the hot topic of last year’s show, was barely mentioned.
You’d think during a year in which worldwide box office set a new record, cinema operators would be rejoicing, however exhibitor and studio consolidation has everyone on edge, as they wait and see how Disney handles its acquisition of Fox.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including a big ratings decline for “The Walking Dead,” the WGA and talent agencies continue their contentious discussions and the Justice Department goes after the Academy.
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‘Shazam!’ Leads Weekend with $53M Debut; ‘Pet Sematary’ Digs Up $25M
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4501&p=.htm
‘Shazam!’ Strikes $102M Overseas Bow; ‘Pet Sematary’ Digs $17M; ‘Dumbo’, ‘Us’ Top $200M WW – International Box Office
https://deadline.com/2019/04/shazam-opening-weekend-china-global-international-box-office-1202589047/
“Unplanned” Abortion Film Promotes Nutty Conspiracy Theory a la QAnon
https://www.mediaite.com/online/mike-pence-promoted-an-anti-abortion-movie-hours-before-films-organizers-pushed-qanon-conspiracy/
Class Reunion Remake Becomes Box Office Hit in Latvia
http://filmneweurope.com/news/latvia-news/item/117837-box-office-class-reunion-remake-becomes-box-office-hit-in-latvia
The List Of Cinema Subscription Services Expands As Infinity Enters U.S. Market
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamos/2019/03/26/the-list-of-cinema-subscription-services-expands-as-infinity-enters-u-s-market/
Atom Tickets Launches “Atom Movie Access,” A Movie Subscription Service For Exhibitors
https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/atom-tickets-launches-atom-movie-access-a-movie-subscription-service-for-exhibitors/
Lil Nas X Has Hit with “Old Town Road”
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/lil-nas-x-old-town-road-country-trap-interview-815846/
Lil Nas Does Remix of “Old Town Road” With Billy Ray Cyrus
https://news.avclub.com/lil-nas-x-made-a-remix-to-old-town-road-with-billy-ra-1833807373
Don Flemons on Lil Nas X
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/old-town-road-black-cowboys-dom-flemons-818220/
Lil nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus and Country Music
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/05/business/media/lil-nas-x-billy-ray-cyrus-billboard.html
“Walking Dead” Season Finale Hits Series Low
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/walking-dead-has-lowest-rated-finale-ever-1198709
AMC Plans Third ‘Walking Dead’ Series
https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/amc-third-walking-dead-series-1203182793/
Law & Order SVU Renewed For record-setting 21st Season
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/law-order-svu-renewed-record-setting-21st-season-nbc-1198112
How America’s Biggest Theater Chains Are Exploiting Their Janitors
https://variety.com/2019/biz/features/movie-theater-janitor-exploitation-1203170717/
Small Exhibitors Struggle To Survive
https://variety.com/2019/film/features/small-theaters-exhibitors-movie-business-1203170700/
Vice Media Agrees to $1.87 Million Settlement for Paying Female Staffers Less Than Men
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/vice-media-agrees-187-million-settlement-paying-female-staffers-men-1197427
Waterstones says it can’t pay living wage, as 1,300 authors support staff appeal
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/mar/26/waterstones-says-it-cant-pay-living-wage-authors-petition-sally-rooney-val-mcdermid
There Were 255M Paid Streaming Users in 2018
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/there-were-255m-paid-streaming-users-in-2018-driving-a-9-7-rise-in-global-recorded-music-revenues-to-19-1bn/
Just Who is Seeing Shows on the Road? Broadway National Tour Demographics REVEALED!
https://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2019/03/just-who-is-seeing-shows-on-the-road-broadway-national-tour-demographics-revealed.html
Ridley Scott Approves Of High School Version of “Alien”
https://deadline.com/2019/03/ridley-scott-alien-the-play-reaction-new-jersey-high-school-gladiator-1202584389
Stats Show Fans Are Listening to New Billie Eilish Album, not just Tracks
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/shock-news-billie-eilish-proves-that-young-people-will-stream-albums-when-theyre-encouraged-to-do-so/
Blackstone & Story Factory Deal Pulls Bestselling Authors Steve Hamilton, Reed Farrel Coleman, Meg Gardiner Away From Penguin Random House
https://deadline.com/2019/04/authors-steve-hamilton-reed-farrel-coleman-meg-gardiner-blackstone-deal-the-story-factory-1202586240/
Every Music Company is Morphing Into the Same Thing
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/every-music-company-is-morphing-into-the-same-thing-811329/
Gender Pay Gap in UK Music Biz
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/revealed-what-major-labels-are-paying-women-compared-to-men-in-the-uk/
‘We Clearly Have A Problem’: Study Highlights Shortage Of Female Country Artists & Songwriters
https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8505802/usc-annenberg-country-music-female-artists-inclusion-study
Fatal ‘Motherless Brooklyn’ Fire Offers Hard Lessons For Film Productions – Update
https://deadline.com/2019/03/fatal-motherless-brooklyn-fire-offers-hard-lessons-for-film-productions-1202584954/
Helen Mirren: “I Love Netflix, but F–k Netflix”
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/04/helen-mirren-netflix-cinemacon
AMC Proceeding With Building Theaters in Saudi Arabia
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/amc-proceeding-plan-build-movie-theaters-saudi-arabia-1199362
Director Agnes Varda Dies at 90
https://variety.com/2019/film/news/agnes-varda-dead-dies-director-french-new-wave-1203175854/
Shelley Lazazr, Ticketing Pioneer, Dies at 69
https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/shelley-lazar-founder-slo-ticketing-dead-dies-1203177092/
Rapper Nipsey Hussle Dies at 33
https://variety.com/2019/music/obituaries-people-news/nipsey-hussle-shot-los-angeles-1203177111/
Ranking Roger of The Beat Dies at 56
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/ranking-roger-dead-the-beat-singer-general-public-tributes-best-songs-a8841356.html
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