Paramount Global Q2 DTC Subscribers At 64 Million; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Buoys Theatrical Revenue

Naman Ramachandran “Mariupol. Unlost Hope,” one of two Ukrainian documentaries recently acquired by Beta Film’s Autentic Distribution, will be released in 40 cities across the world, which are similar to Mariupol either by population or as a port and/or industrial center, or cities that are twinned with Mariupol, on Aug. 24, Ukraine independence day.The film shows the Ukraine war through the eyes of ordinary people who lived through the first month of the invasion in Mariupol.

The Countryfile and former Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton, who is in the lineup for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, won a tap-dancing competition as a teenager – but has insisted she cannot dance. When asked to reveal a little known secret about herself in an unearthed 2016 interview, Skelton replied: “I won a Ken Dodd tap-dance award when I was 17. “Not a lot of people know this, but I’m very good at tap-dancing.

Continuing its hypersonic run, Paramount/Skydance’s Top Gun: Maverick has, in its 13th weekend of release, crossed the $1.4B mark worldwide, lifting the cume to a touch over $1.403B through today.

Holly Jones After its debut at  Sundance in January, where it earned the World Cinema Dramatic Competition award for directing, Ukrainian wartime drama “Klondike” nabbed top honors for best international film at the Chile’s 18th Santiago International Film Festival (Sanfic).“Klondike,” written, directed and edited by Ukrainian filmmaker Marina Er Gorbach (“Omar and Us”), tells the story of expectant couple Irina and Anatoly who live in the village of Grabove, near the Russia-Ukraine border during the high conflict that coincides with downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. The couple faces devastation up-close as Irina refuses to relocate, even as troops close in.Best director went to Chile’s Roberto Baeza for his documentary effort “Punto de Encuentro,” a gripping portrait of filmmakers striving to recreate the story of their fathers, tortured and imprisoned under the dictatorship.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorZurich Film Festival has revealed the lineup for its Hashtag section, which is devoted to “a topic that is trending on social media,” the event said Thursday. This year’s section screens films under the title #MyReligion, and deals with “questions of faith, euphoria and modern deities.”“Whether in the U.S.A., Russia or the Middle East, we are seeing a comeback of religions,” Christian Jungen, ZFF artistic director, said.

President Zelenskyy Comedy ‘Servant Of The People’ Remade In Poland

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorWalmart reached a deal with Paramount Global to include the Paramount+ streaming service as part of the retailing giant’s Walmart+ membership program, Variety has confirmed.The move by the Walmart is intended to make Walmart+, which launched in September 2020, more competitive with Amazon’s Prime by adding a streaming-entertainment component. Walmart+ costs $12.95 per month (or $98 per year), providing subscribers with same-day delivery on more than 160,000 products.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterNexstar Media Group revealed Monday it is set acquire a 75% majority stake in the CW Network from Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery, more than six months after first beginning negotiations for the deal.Warner Bros.

Naman Ramachandran On the occasion of India’s 75th Independence Day on Aug. 15, the first teaser of Bollywood war epic “Pippa” has been revealed and Dec. 2 has been set as the release date.

pledge to take action on the nonprofit’s key issues.With the economic scars of the COVID-19 pandemic remaining and Russia’s war on Ukraine looming, Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans recognizes the concert is coming at a more critical time than ever. “These are urgent issues,” the nonprofit’s exec told The Associated Press. “That’s why our campaign’s focus on ending extreme poverty now — not next year, not the year after, but right now.

Nottingham will not be in the mix to host Eurovision 2023, the leader of the city’s council has confirmed.  Last month the BBC confirmed the UK would be taking charge of next year’s contest after it was previously announced winners Ukraine had been ruled out amid the ongoing Russian invasion. A number of cities are thought to be eyeing up a bid to be chosen as host, with locations such as Manchester, Brighton, Sheffield and Birmingham in the mix.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterHook, line and sinker. “Top Gun: Maverick” has toppled “Titanic” as the seventh-biggest film ever at the domestic box office, earning $662 million in ticket sales.For Paramount, “Top Gun: Maverick” has also overtaken “Titanic” as the studio’s biggest film in its 110-year history.

Documentary Now! is back on IFC and it is set to premiere Season 53 on Wednesday, October 19 at 10 p.m. ET with two new episodes. The titles of the two-part season premiere are “Soldier of Illusion,” written by John Mulaney, and “Trouver Frisson,” which plays tribute to the Agnès Varda films.

Carson Burton Alexander Skarsgård, Nicholas Braun, French actor Liliane Rovère and others have joined the cast for Season 53 of “Documentary Now!,” IFC announced Friday. The channel also released a first look teaser as well as final details for two new episodes to round out the season.Known for paying homage to the world of documentaries, “Documentary Now!” Season 53 will debut with on Wednesday, Oct.

Paramount Global CFO Naveen Chopra indicated streaming losses would total about $1.8 billion this year, higher than Wall Street expected, but stuck to the company’s target of peak DTC losses in 2023.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorEven Tom Cruise can’t fly past the costs of making great content.Despite seeing strong revenue gains from its streaming operations and from the success of the sequel to Cruise’s “Top Gun” in theaters, Paramount Global saw profit drop in its second fiscal quarter as it increased investment in new content while seeing decreases in advertising and affiliate fees at its main TV businesses.The owner of the CBS broadcast network, the Nickelodeon cable channel and the Paramount movie studio said operating income fell by 33% in the period, down to $819 million, compared with more than $1.2 billion in the year-earlier period. Revenue during the quarter increased 19% to nearly $7.8 billion, compared with nearly $6.6 billion a year earlier.