Netflix Acquires ‘SpongeBob: Sponge on the Run’ International Rights From Viacom (EXCLUSIVE)

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorWhile Universal’s Dolittle and Warner Bros’ reissue of Interstellar were the big kahunas in China this weekend, Russell Crowe-starrer Unhinged hit the road in 19 new markets over the session. Among them, the UK, Australia, Netherlands and New Zealand where the Solstice Studios pic was No.

New York Times.The Utah native found his breakthrough role in a recurring role in the 1970s period drama “The Waltons.” Soon, he played a range of often crotchety characters on the big screen, including a nuclear power plant engineer in 1979’s “The China Syndrome,” a tenacious district attorney in 1981’s “Absence of Malice” and a country music manager in 1983’s “Tender Mercies.”His biggest role may have come in Ron Howard’s 1985 hit “Cocoon” as the leader of a group of senior-citizen outcasts

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorSATURDAY UPDATE: Since cinemas reopened in China’s low-risk areas on July 20, the market today had its biggest day yet. Box office was $5.74M (RMB 40M) overall for the day, according to Maoyan figures.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorChina’s second Friday with cinemas back to business in low-risk areas rang up another $4M at local turnstiles, a 39% increase versus the same day last week. About 60% of movie theaters are now operating, with capacity limits and social distancing still in place, so all numbers are to be taken with a grain of salt, though they are encouraging.

Manori Ravindran International EditorVenice Golden Lion contender “Miss Marx,” starring Romola Garai as the spirited daughter of philosopher Karl Marx, has secured its first tranche of international deals ahead of the September fest. (Watch the film’s exclusive trailer above.)Written and directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli (“Nico, 1988,” “Cosmonaut”), with Celluloid Dreams serving as international sales agent, the film has been picked up by DDDreams in China and B-Team in Spain.

STX Entertainment and Indian movie major Eros International have closed their stock-for-stock merger, forming film and TV company Eros STX Global Corp., which looks to play in Hollywood, Bollywood and China. The combined company "creates a financially robust global studio leader across three continents with strategic content and distribution partnerships for an unprecedented global footprint," Eros said in a statement on Thursday, as it announced completion of the deal.

Also Read: Inside Streaming's Emmy Dominance: Netflix Has More Noms Than the 4 Broadcast Networks Combined“The Parkers,” “Half & Half” and “One on One” will debut in October. “The Parkers” was a spinoff of “Moesha” that starred Mo’Nique.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorOn their first Friday back to operations, Chinese cinemas did roughly $2.92M worth of box office business — more than tripling Thursday’s figures and making a sizable jump from Monday when theaters opened to about $501K in low-risk areas across the country.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterIt has been a long six years since Scott Sava persuaded some Chinese investors to give him $13.5 million to make an animated film.An illustrator from Franklin, Tenn., Sava had written a graphic novel for his twin boys about a magic box of animal crackers, and he wanted to adapt it to the screen.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorWith some of China’s cinemas reopened this week in low-risk areas, and as tomorrow sees Beijing get partially back to business as well, box office has continued to rise. As of 11:30PM tonight local time, Thursday’s takings hit $940K, according to ticketing service Maoyan.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorAs expected, Chinese authorities have given the go-ahead for cinemas in Beijing to reopen this coming Friday. That’s also when the first new Hollywood titles will hit the market, including Dolittle and Bloodshot.

Rebecca Davis editorBritish Hollywood director Simon West has been ordered by a Beijing tribunal to return $200,000 in directors fees to Chinese firm Hongmaisui HMS Entertainment in a legal dispute over an unmade 2014 film.HMS filed the case with the Beijing Arbitration Commission back in 2016, after the production was derailed by difficulties in procuring a visa for West that left him unable to enter China for pre-production at the scheduled time.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorEXCLUSIVE: Lots of movement on the international box office front this past weekend, and into the beginning of the week. Korean zombie sequel Peninsula, as we reported Sunday, made a meal of five overseas markets with a $21M Wednesday-Sunday frame.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorAs Chinese cinemas began the reopening process today, box office crossed $472K by 8PM local. Maoyan’s real-time ticketing platform reports that play is led by new entry A First Farewell at around $184K.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorEXCLUSIVE: Wasting no time as cinemas prepare to reopen beginning next week in most of China, a first batch of titles due for release has been identified. Universal’s Dolittle has been granted a July 24 date while we understand that Sony’s Bloodshot, handled locally by Bona Film, will also go out that same day.

Netflix has acquired Paramount and Nickelodeon's The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Runfor international markets, excluding China where the streaming giant has no presence. Domestically, the film is bypassing a theatrical release and will instead debut on premium VOD in early 2021 before soaking up an exclusive spot on CBS All Access, ViacomCBS previously said.

Jake Kanter International TV EditorBBC One’s adaptation of Vikram Seth’s best-selling novel A Suitable Boy is heading to Netflix outside of the U.S., Canada and China, distributor BBC Studios has announced.The streamer has also clinched the Lookout Point drama for subscribers in UK and Ireland after its 12-month iPlayer window has expired following its broadcast on BBC One. Lookout Point-owner BBC Studios is currently in talks with a U.S.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefGlobal streaming giant Netflix has come on board “A Suitable Boy,” the BBC Studios and Lookout Point adaptation of Vikram Seth’s bestselling novel. The series begins airing later this month in the U.K.

Patrick Hipes Executive Managing EditorNetflix has acquired rights to Bombay Rose, Gitanjali Rao’s animated film that last year became the first Indian animated pic to open Venice Critics Week.

Anthony D'Alessandro Editorial Director/Box Office EditorEven though Paramount’s SpongeBob: Sponge on the Run is heading to VOD and ultimately CBS All Access in the states next year, overseas it will be streamed by Netflix; the exception being China. Netflix has acquired international rights for what was originally intended to be one of Paramount’s big summer movies.