Brent Lang Executive Editor Rupert Murdoch just can’t stay single. Less than a year after divorcing Jerry Hall, the 92-year-old Fox mogul is hearing wedding bells again. He’s engaged to Ann Lesley Smith, a 66-year-old San Francisco police chaplain. According to gossip columnist Cindy Adams, who broke the story in the New York Post, Murdoch’s future wife was married to Chester Smith, a country-western singer, as well as a radio and TV executive who died in 2008. Adams reports that the two bonded over their shared knowledge of the media business as well as the fact that she once owned a vineyard and he still does. If they tie the knot, it will be Murdoch’s fifth marriage. Hall, a model and actress, was married to Murdoch for six years. In addition to Hall, Murdoch was previously married to Wendi Deng from 1999 to 2013; Anna Maria Torv from 1967 to 1999; and Patricia Booker, from 1956 to 1967.
AMC Quarterly Earnings: Losses Widen, Revenues Fall Despite ‘Avatar 2’ Box Office Success
01.03.2023 - 00:57 / variety.com
Brent Lang Executive Editor Even a return trip to Pandora wasn’t enough to lift quarterly earnings at AMC Theatres. Despite the box office success of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” revenues at the world’s largest cinema chain fell 15% in the fourth quarter, topping out at $990.4 million. That was down from $1.17 billion in the prior-year period. Losses also widened, as AMC posted a net loss of $287.7 million, a steeper shortfall than the $134.4 million in losses it recorded a year ago. AMC lost 26 cents per share, compared to a loss of 13 cents in the same quarter in 2021. That fell short of Wall Street’s projections. Analysts were expecting quarterly revenue of $1.05 billion and earnings loss of 22 cents per share. AMC’s stock was briefly up nearly 4% in after-hours trading before falling back into negative territory.
But AMC has often seen its share prices rise and fall independent of its financial results. The company, like GameStop, has been seen as a meme stock, one thats price was impacted by the sentiments of its army of retail investors, as well as by short sellers who believe that its shares are overinflated. At one point, AMC’s stock rode the wave of enthusiasm to a high of $72.62 a share. It has since returned earthward, and now trades at over $7 a share. The company’s results included a non-cash impairment charge of $133.1 million that was “related to long-lived assets.” Filings suggested that it had to do with lease obligations, as well as the costs associated with closing and reopening certain venues. AMC has attempted to find ways to expand its brand and launch new revenue streams as the theatrical box office has labored to come back from the pandemic. It has bought a stake in a gold and silver mine,
‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ pulls off Herculean feat in box office debut
according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo. The Post gave the sequel to the 2019 original “0 stars for a teenage train wreck.”“Scream VI” which was in the number one spot last week, shrieked its way down to second, with close to $5.2 million in sales.The horror film, the first in the slasher series to be set in New York City, enjoyed a $44.5 million opening weekend, the highest out of any in the franchise, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Michael B.
Why Melissa Barrera was happy that ‘In The Heights’ failed at box office
“Scream 6” star Melissa Barrera shot to fame by starring in the musical “In The Heights,” but she’s actually thankful it didn’t do so hot at the box office.“I am a firm believer in manifesting things into existence, and ‘In the Heights’ was one of those things,” the 32-year-old Mexican actress told People. “That’s the show where I belong — the first time that I ever saw people that looked like me on a Broadway stage.”The movie was directed by John M.
‘Scream VI’ slashed its way to the top of the box office
according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo.Its star, Dermot Mulroney, told The Post his affinity for the genre could be his “birthright,” since he was born on Halloween.The film dethroned last week’s box office champ, “Creed III,” which came in second, earning $7.52 million.The “Rocky” spinoff brought in $58.4 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office, which is more than any other movie in the boxing franchise, according to Screenrant.
Box Office: ‘Scream VI’ Scoring Franchise High $43.5 Million Opening
J. Kim Murphy Do you like scary movies? The rest of the box office does. Paramount’s “Scream VI” looks to spook off “Creed III” for the top slot at the domestic box office. The self-branded slasher re-quel grossed $19.3 million from 3,675 locations on its opening day, a figure that includes $5.7 million in previews. That’s more than enough to fend off the weekend’s other new releases, Sony’s science-fiction dinosaur thriller “65” and Focus Features’ sports comedy “Champions.” “Scream VI” is already a few steps ahead of its 2022 predecessor, which landed a $13 million opening day. In fact, the “Scream” franchise is proving to be bigger than ever. Should projections hold, the sixth entry will score a franchise record opening weekend of $43.5 million, a good deal higher than the $32 million that “Scream 2” earned in its 1997 bow.
‘Scream VI’ Slashes Box Offices With $43 Million Opening
After struggling during the holidays with “Babylon,” Paramount is back on the hot streak it had for much of 2022 with Spyglass’ “Scream VI,” which is performing just above pre-release projections with a $19.3 million opening day and an estimated $43.5 million opening from 3,675 screens. Heading into the weekend, the sixth installment of the late Wes Craven’s meta-horror franchise was projected for a $37-40 million launch, beating the $30 million opening of last year’s “Scream.” This result also beats the franchise opening record of $34.7 million set by “Scream 3”; though that threequel, which was released in 2000, still holds the record after inflation adjustment.
Oscar Halo Effect: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Most Viewed In Streaming Post Noms, ‘Elvis’ Most Watched Overall, ‘Avatar 2’ Biggest At Box Office
Oscar nom afterglow for this year’s Best Pictures was largely felt in the home than it was at the box office with a majority of titles already available to be viewed on the couch, except for 20th Century Studios/Disney’s 3D title Avatar: The Water.
As Box Office Revenue Starts To Return, Billions Hang In The Balance As Studios Juggle Streaming With Traditional Sell-Thru And Rental Market
Chuckle all you want about the last Blockbuster and its “be kind, rewind” smiley-face stickers. Nostalgic jokes aside, though, the arena once known as home video (digital sell-thru, rentals and even, yes, physical discs) remains a key variable in the Hollywood film equation — particularly now, as studios retool their streaming strategies and lean into the box office revival.
After ‘Creed III’ Delivers Box Office Knockout, Will Movie Theaters Keep Thriving in March?
Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Creed III” delivered a powerful box office knockout with its $58.6 million domestic debut, clobbering expectations and franchise records in the process. And there’s more good news for struggling theater owners starved for compelling content. It looks like the good fortune will continue in March with “Scream VI” (March 10), “Shazam: Fury of the Gods” (March 17), “John Wick: Chapter 4” (March 24) and “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” (March 31). There’s at least one major release every weekend through the rest of the month, offering the kind of stability that’s been desperately missing during the great box office reset.
‘Creed III’ proves to be a box-office heavyweight on its opening night
according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo.The “Rocky” spinoff, which The Post said keeps audiences “under its spell right until the end,” marks the ninth installment in the franchise. The action flick, which is the directorial debut of its leading man Michael B.
‘Creed III’ Punches Up $5.45 Million at Thursday Box Office
projected to pull in $40 million its opening weekend. MGM is projecting $35 to $38 million, on par with “Creed II”s $35.5 million opening. The 2018 sequel brought $3.7 million from preview screenings that took place on a Tuesday night ahead of the extended Thanksgiving weekend in 2018.“Creed III” must take in more than $115 domestically and $214 million worldwide to beat its predecessor, while the first installment in the franchise made $109 million in the U.S.
Box Office: ‘Creed III’ Opens With $5.45 Million in Previews
Jordan Moreau “Creed III” is stepping into the box office ring, and Michael B. Jordan’s latest movie has weighed in with $5.45 million in Thursday previews. The third “Creed” film is looking to deliver a powerful blow to the weekend box office with an opening between $36 million to $40 million. It should be the highest opening weekend for the boxing franchise, after the original “Creed” debuted with $29.6 million in 2015 and “Creed II” launched with $35.5 million in 2018. “Creed III” also landed the highest preview grosses of the series. The first movie, which opened on the Wednesday ahead of Thanksgiving in 2015, pulled $1.4 million in Tuesday previews. “Creed II” had a similar pre-Thanksgiving release in 2018 and made $3.7 million in Tuesday previews.
AMC Entertainment Q4 Sales Dip, Losses Widen; CEO Sees 2023 Recovery But Says Shareholders Must Approve Key Cash-Raising Measures
Giant movie chain AMC Entertainment saw revenue dip 15% last quarter to $991 million and losses widen on a one-time impairment charge in a fourth quarter was tough on exhibition in general with Avatar: The Way Of Water hitting late in the year, and a few misfires. A fuller release sked led by a steadier stream of tentpoles is expected to nudge the box office towards real post-Covid recovery this year.
After ‘Ant-Man 3’s’ Second Weekend Box Office Collapse, Should Marvel Get Concerned?
Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” took a sizable hit in its sophomore outing at the box office. Ticket sales for the third Marvel movie starring Paul Rudd’s subatomic hero were down 69% from its $105 million debut, resulting in the biggest second-weekend drop in the franchise’s history. That fall has inspired plenty of debate among analysts and experts: Is the film’s performance a blip or an inflection point in Hollywood’s biggest property? The answer is likely somewhere in between, according to senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “As second weekend drops go, anything in the 70% realm is pretty significant,” says Dergarabedian. “But movies that open with over $100 million are generally front-loaded. In some cases, ‘the bigger they are, the harder they fall’ comes into play.”
Korea Box Office: Theatrical Market Reaches Three-Month Low Despite New Releases
Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” held on to top spot at the South Korean box office. But the overall market continued to soften despite a slew of new release titles. Nationwide theatrical grosses totaled just $7.26 million. That made it the slowest box office weekend in over three months. “Quantumania” collected $2.0 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic), and enjoyed a 27% market share. The second weekend increment lifted its 12-day total to $10.6 million. Long-running Japanese animation title, “The First Slam Dunk” earned $1.36 million in its eighth weekend on release. Since Jan. 4 it has accumulated $28.0 million.
‘Cocaine Bear’ rushes to top of box office, earning over $8.5M in debut
according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo.The comedy, which is directed by Elizabeth Banks, whom The Post said, “keeps the powder gags fresh throughout,” is loosely based on a true story of a black bear in Georgia that ate millions of dollars worth of lost cocaine. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” which was in first place last week, creeped to second with an $8.3 million-dollar take.The plummet in sales for the superhero flick, which cost around $200 million to make, marks the worst-ever second-week drop for a Marvel film, according to Deadline.Remaining in third was “Avatar: The Way of Water” with $1.1 million in sales.
Box Office: ‘Cocaine Bear’ Earns $2 Million in Previews
Jordan Moreau “Cocaine Bear” is snorting up a solid opening weekend. The R-rated action-comedy earned $2 million in Thursday previews at the domestic box office. It opened in 3,000 North American theaters Thursday night and will expand to 3,534 on Friday. Universal’s bloody, real-life tale about a black bear on a cocaine-fueled rampage is projected to open with $15 million to $17 million this weekend. Some predictions have it opening with as much as $20 million, thanks to its positive word-of-mouth (or word-of-snout) and memeability online. The mid-budget film cost roughly $35 million, with much of it used on the CGI bear, so a launch in the upper teens would be a good sign.
Cinemark Reports $99 Million Loss Despite ‘Avatar 2’ Box Office Success
While the box office climbed out of its August/September slump during the final quarter of 2022, Cinemark still reported a quarterly loss of $99.3 million, or 82 cents per share, amid a sluggish Thanksgiving holiday and a Christmas hampered by winter storms throughout much of the U.S.Cinemark reported quarterly revenue of $599.7 million, a 10% drop from last year’s $666.7 million, and well below Q3’s $650 million. The results came in ahead of the average Wall Street estimate for $568.5 million in revenue, according to Zack’s Investment Services.
Despite ‘Avatar 2’ Box Office Success, Imax’s Quarterly Revenues Fall
Brent Lang Executive Editor Sometimes it takes more than a pair of global blockbusters to shake off the lingering impact of a devastating public health crisis. Quarterly sales and profits fell at Imax despite the commercial success of “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The big screen company recorded revenues of $98 million, a 10% drop from the $108.6 million that Imax recorded in the year-ago period. The company also recorded profits of $2.6 million, compared to the $10.1 million that Imax logged in the year-ago period. That came out to earnings of 19 cents a share, which failed to match the profits of the 31 cents that Imax recorded in the same period in 2021.
‘Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania’ Debuts Atop U.K. Box Office
Naman Ramachandran Disney’s “Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania” debuted in pole position at the U.K. and Ireland box office with £8.8 million ($10.6 million), according to numbers released by Comscore. In its third weekend, Universal’s “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish” collected £3.1 million in second place for a total of £17.1 million. In third place, Warner Bros.’ “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” earned £888,435 in its second weekend for a total of £3.8 million. Disney blockbuster“Avatar: The Way Of Water” continued to chart with £531,213 in its 10th weekend in fourth place for a mighty total of £75.5 million.