Sony Pictures Entertainment Third-Quarter Profits Jump 57% To $281M

Poor Things” director Yorgos Lanthimos will reteam with Element Pictures on a remake of South Korean fantasy comedy “Save the Green Planet,” Variety has learned. Lanthimos — whose latest film, “Poor Things,” is nominated for 11 Oscars and just won five BAFTAs (including best actress for Emma Stone) — is expected to start shooting the movie in the U.K. and New York this summer.

Ben and Jackie Foden are now proud parents again after welcoming their newest child into the world on January 9.The former Rugby player, 38, and his wife of almost five years, shared the happy news with OK! that they had welcomed a baby girl who arrived two weeks early via a planned C-section at 12pm, weighing 8lb 3oz. In the exclusive first pictures of the couple posing together with three year old daughter Farrah and their newest bundle of joy, Ben and Jackie look totally smitten after their little one's arrival. Confirming the happy news to OK!, Jackie told us: "I ended up having a planned C-section with Olympia as during my pregnancy I was diagnosed with cholestasis [linked to liver issues which results in itchiness] and I was so uncomfortable and itchy towards the end.

EXCLUSIVE: After we broke news of the studio acquiring Margot Robbie starrer Big Bold Beautiful Journey, we can reveal that Sony Pictures has boarded another of the European Film Market’s most in-demand projects: Past Lives director Celine Song‘s next movie, Materialists, which A24 is selling.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Sony Pictures has bought international rights to “Materialists,” Celine Song’s follow up to “Past Lives” which is nominated for best picture and original screenplay at the Oscars. The worldwide deal for “Materlialists” excludes certain territories. A24 will handle the U.S.

Ellise Shafer Sony Pictures has acquired the worldwide rights to “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” a fantasy romance starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, in the first major deal of the European Film Market in Berlin. The film will be directed by Kogonada, who also helmed the TV series “Pachinko” and the sci-fi drama “After Yang.” “The Menu” scribe Seth Reiss penned the script. “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” marks Robbie’s follow-up role to “Barbie,” the $1 billion blockbuster that she also produced.

EXCLUSIVE: The EFM market has lift off! In the first major worldwide pact done on the ground here in Berlin, Sony has tied up a deal in the $50M range for Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Colin Farrell (The Batman) package A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, which is one of the market’s hottest scripts.

Lord Snowdon's photographs of Lady Diana Spencer perfectly captured her transformation from debutante to Princess - and his collection included a particularly special image that was lost for over 30 years. After his marriage to Princess Margaret in 1960, Lord Snowdon - whose real name was Antony Armstrong-Jones - was granted unparalleled access to the royal family.

Sony and Marvel have an exciting upcoming slate of movies!

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Dark Star Pictures has acquired North American rights to “Zenithal,” a kung fu comedy directed by Jean-Baptiste Saurel, an up-and-coming filmmaker whose previous short, “The Dickslap,” premiered at Cannes’ Critics Week. “Zenithal” is being represented in international markets by Best Friend Forever, which will unveil an exclusive promo reel at the EFM. Currently in post-production, the film will world premiere this year.

Sony is rewarding its game show chief.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Sony Pictures Television vet Suzanne Prete, who has driven the studio’s game show division since its launch in 2022, has been upped to president. The exec will continue to report to Sony Pictures TV chairman Ravi Ahuja, who announced the news Thursday in a memo to staffers.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor AGC Studios and Meridian Pictures has sold U.S. and Canada as well as Asia pay TV rights for the Brad Anderson-directed thriller “The Silent Hour,” starring “Suicide Squad’s” Joel Kinnaman, “1917’s” Mark Strong, “New Amsterdam’s” Sandra Mae Frank and “8 Mile’s” Mekhi Phifer, to the newly revitalized Paramount label Republic Pictures. In the film, Kinnaman plays a Boston police detective who suffers an on-the-job accident that leaves him hearing impaired.

EXCLUSIVE: Writer-producer Judalina Neira (The Boys, Daisy Jones and the Six) has signed an overall deal with Sony Pictures Television focused on developing drama series for cable and streaming through her newly launched production company, Famous Last Words Productions. For her first project under the pact, Neira is taking on a signature Sony title, Bewitched.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Operating income at the ‘Pictures Division’ of Sony Group Corporation climbed by 56% to hit $281 million in the October to December 2023 quarter, the Japanese company reported on Wednesday. Sales increased from $2.35 billion to $2.47 billion in the latest period. The division spans movie production and distribution, television networks and TV content production.

Poor Things took a pair of prizes including Best Picture at the Set Decorators Society of America‘s 2023 SDSA Awards, which were handed out today. Yorgos Lanthimos’ film starring Emma Stone also won for Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Period Feature Film.

Following a thorough search to find its new Karate Kid, Sony Pictures has tapped Ben Wang to star in the next installment in the franchise, Deadline has confirmed.

according to Billboard.The deal would also be the biggest ever for the work of a single musician, the BBC reported.Jackson, who died in 2009, remains immensely popular on music streaming services like Spotify, where he averages 40 million monthly listeners.Just two of his countless hits, “Billie Jean” and “Beat It,” have each been played more than one billion times on Spotify alone, according to the BBC.The deal comes just as an upcoming biopic about Jackson’s life and career starring his nephew is set to hit the big screen next year.The deal also reportedly includes tracks by other artists that had been acquired by Jackson’s Mijac publishing group — including hit songs by Ray Charles, Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, the BBC reported.The Jackson deal is as big or bigger than the $1.2 billion deal sought by Queen, which includes royalties for streams and other uses like the Freddy Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” and theatrical productions, according to Billboard.Sony’s deal with Jackson’s estate does not include royalties from the Broadway play and other theatrical productions featuring his music, the outlet reported.Sony paid $100 million in 1991 to buy the first half of what became Sony/ATV— ATV being the catalog that Jackson purchased in 1985 that included the Beatles catalog, according to Billboard.

Michael Jackson‘s catalogue in a landmark deal.According to Billboard, the company will fork out at least $600million (£475million) for its stake in the late star’s publishing and recorded masters catalogue, with sources valuing it at between $1.2billion and $1.5billion in total. However, no exact figure is known currently.Should these numbers be accurate, the deal is expected to be the biggest-ever valuation of an artist’s music assets.It is said that Sony’s deal with the Michael Jackson estate does not include royalties from Broadway’s MJ The Musical and other theatrical productions featuring the King Of Pop’s material.But it reportedly includes songs by other acts from Jackson’s Mijac publishing catalogue such as Sly & The Family Stone, Curtis Mayfield and Ray Charles.The deal, which Billboard said closed in late 2023, trumps the $1.2billion that Queen are currently seeking for their recorded music, publishing and other income streams like royalties from the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic.Almost exactly one year ago, it was reported that the Michael Jackson estate was nearing a huge deal to sell half of its ownership in his catalogue.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Sony Pictures has acquired international distribution rights to “YOLO,” a mainland Chinese comedy film that releases in China on Saturday, the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday. The film is written, directed by and stars Jia Ling, China’s top-grossing female filmmaker. She portrays Le Ying, an unemployed woman in her thirties who still lives with her parents until one day, she meets a boxing coach (portrayed by Lei Jiayin), who just may change her life.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music In what is apparently the conclusion of a deal that Variety tipped a year ago, Sony Music Group has completed a transaction to acquire half of Michael Jackson’s publishing and recorded masters in a transaction that values the total catalog at around $1.2 billion, and possibly more, sources confirm to Variety. Billboard reports that Sony will pay at least $600 million for the stake. If accurate, the deal is the biggest for a single music artist’s assets to date.