Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Gaga Chromatica Ball, Star Wars: The Acolyte and The Garfield Movie.
The Garfield Movie premiere
Chris Pratt and Hannah Waddingham premiered their new Garfield movie in Hollywood on Sunday, as the iconic cat also had his paws immortalized in cement in front of the Tcl Chinese Theatre.
Hannah Waddingham, Chris Pratt and Garfield creator Jim Davis Danielle Misher (co-head, global theatrical marketing, Sony Pictures Entertainment), Josh Greenstein (president, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group), Andrew A. Kosove (co-ceo, co-founder, Alcon Entertainment) and Broderick Johnson (co-ceo, co-founder, Alcon Entertainment)
Gaga Chromatica Ball premiere
Lady Gaga, appearing in two show-stopping looks, walked the red carpet and sat for a Q&a at the world premiere of her HBO concert special in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Lady Gaga
Star Wars: The Acolyte...
The Garfield Movie premiere
Chris Pratt and Hannah Waddingham premiered their new Garfield movie in Hollywood on Sunday, as the iconic cat also had his paws immortalized in cement in front of the Tcl Chinese Theatre.
Hannah Waddingham, Chris Pratt and Garfield creator Jim Davis Danielle Misher (co-head, global theatrical marketing, Sony Pictures Entertainment), Josh Greenstein (president, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group), Andrew A. Kosove (co-ceo, co-founder, Alcon Entertainment) and Broderick Johnson (co-ceo, co-founder, Alcon Entertainment)
Gaga Chromatica Ball premiere
Lady Gaga, appearing in two show-stopping looks, walked the red carpet and sat for a Q&a at the world premiere of her HBO concert special in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Lady Gaga
Star Wars: The Acolyte...
- 5/24/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament is back. While studios during Covid wildly embraced the theatrical day-and-date model when cinemas were closed, they soon realized there’s nothing more profitable than a theatrical release and the downstreams that come with it. If anything, theatrical is the advertisement for a movie’s longevity in subsequent home entertainment windows. Entering the conversation in 2023 were the streamers, such as Apple, who have also realized the necessity of theatrical to eventize their movies. The financial data pulled together here for Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament is culled by seasoned and trusted sources.
The Film
Anyone But You
Sony/Columbia Pictures
Net Profit: $103M
Sony development executive Maia Eyre brought this Will Gluck-Ilana Wolpert project into the studio. Mix in the genius, sizzling-hot pairing of Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney and Top Gun: Maverick‘s Glen Powell and you get a long holiday honeymoon for...
The Film
Anyone But You
Sony/Columbia Pictures
Net Profit: $103M
Sony development executive Maia Eyre brought this Will Gluck-Ilana Wolpert project into the studio. Mix in the genius, sizzling-hot pairing of Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney and Top Gun: Maverick‘s Glen Powell and you get a long holiday honeymoon for...
- 5/2/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Palm Royale and Apples Never Fall.
SXSW
Hollywood headed over to Austin for the annual festival, which this year ran from March 8 to March 16 and featured the premieres of The Fall Guy, Road House, I Don’t Understand You, Immaculate, Civil War and The Idea of You.
Emily Blunt, Winston Duke, Stephanie Hsu, Ryan Gosling, Hannah Waddingham, Kelly McCormick, and David Leitch attend the SXSW premiere of ‘The Fall Guy’ Post Malone, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lukas Gage, Jennifer Salke and Conor McGregor at the ‘Road House’ premiere Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells at the ‘I Don’t Understand You’ premiere party Michael Mohan, Benedetta Porcaroli, Sydney Sweeney, Simona Tabasco, and Alvaro Morte attend the world premiere of ‘Immaculate’ Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny and Alex Garland attend...
SXSW
Hollywood headed over to Austin for the annual festival, which this year ran from March 8 to March 16 and featured the premieres of The Fall Guy, Road House, I Don’t Understand You, Immaculate, Civil War and The Idea of You.
Emily Blunt, Winston Duke, Stephanie Hsu, Ryan Gosling, Hannah Waddingham, Kelly McCormick, and David Leitch attend the SXSW premiere of ‘The Fall Guy’ Post Malone, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lukas Gage, Jennifer Salke and Conor McGregor at the ‘Road House’ premiere Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells at the ‘I Don’t Understand You’ premiere party Michael Mohan, Benedetta Porcaroli, Sydney Sweeney, Simona Tabasco, and Alvaro Morte attend the world premiere of ‘Immaculate’ Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny and Alex Garland attend...
- 3/15/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gary Dauberman had a good thing going at Warner Bros. for several years. He worked on the screenplays for the company’s two-part adaptation of Stephen King’s novel It, scripted the Conjuring Universe films Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, and The Nun, co-created the 2019 Swamp Thing TV show, and wrote and directed Annabelle Comes Home. But then he wrote and directed an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel Salem’s Lot for the company… and two years after principal photography wrapped, they still haven’t figured out what they want to do with his Salem’s Lot. So it’s no surprise that Dauberman is now set up at a different company. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Dauberman has signed a first-look deal with Sony’s Screen Gems for feature films. He is expected to “create projects for himself while curating a slate featuring established and up-and-coming filmmakers.”
Ashley Brucks took...
Ashley Brucks took...
- 12/6/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Trolls Band Together, The Crown, Saltburn and May December.
The Crown premiere
Elizabeth Debicki, Jonathan Pryce, Khalid Abdalla, Rufus Kampa, Fflyn Edwards, Ed McVey, Luther Ford and Meg Bellamy walked the red carpet on Sunday for the Los Angeles premiere of the sixth and final season.
Peter Morgan and Elizabeth Debicki Luther Ford, Khalid Abdalla and Ed McVey
Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes premiere
Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage and Jason Schwartzman attended the Los Angeles premiere of their Hunger Games prequel on Monday, with support from Olivia Rodrigo, who has a song in the film. On Wednesday, the cast attended another premiere event in NYC.
Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, Josh Andrés Rivera,...
The Crown premiere
Elizabeth Debicki, Jonathan Pryce, Khalid Abdalla, Rufus Kampa, Fflyn Edwards, Ed McVey, Luther Ford and Meg Bellamy walked the red carpet on Sunday for the Los Angeles premiere of the sixth and final season.
Peter Morgan and Elizabeth Debicki Luther Ford, Khalid Abdalla and Ed McVey
Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes premiere
Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage and Jason Schwartzman attended the Los Angeles premiere of their Hunger Games prequel on Monday, with support from Olivia Rodrigo, who has a song in the film. On Wednesday, the cast attended another premiere event in NYC.
Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, Josh Andrés Rivera,...
- 11/17/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Last November, CAA held a town hall on antisemitism, part of a series hosted through CAA’s Amplify Presents program, described as “a network of changemakers” working toward “systemic change for communities of color.” The program was introduced by agent Maha Dakhil, who said it was “focused on fighting antisemitism and promoting allyship.” Next up was CAA co-chairman Richard Lovett. “This morning, we will learn once again how much words matter,” he said, “and the damage caused by human beings with large platforms who do not use their platforms responsibly.”
Twelve months later, Dakhil finds herself at the center of a firestorm ignited by her own use of a large platform: Instagram, where she had 27,000 followers before she locked her account and deleted her posts. In the wake of her comments on the Israel-Hamas War, Aaron Sorkin fired her. High-level Hollywood executives including Spyglass Media chairman and CEO Gary Barber,...
Twelve months later, Dakhil finds herself at the center of a firestorm ignited by her own use of a large platform: Instagram, where she had 27,000 followers before she locked her account and deleted her posts. In the wake of her comments on the Israel-Hamas War, Aaron Sorkin fired her. High-level Hollywood executives including Spyglass Media chairman and CEO Gary Barber,...
- 10/31/2023
- by Kim Masters
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In a strong sign of support of Israel from Hollywood, more than 700 figures from the entertainment industry have signed an open letter to condemn Hamas and demand the safe return of hostages being held in Gaza.
The letter is the first major move from the entertainment industry, as Israel has been under attack.
Released by the nonprofit Creative Community for Peace, the letter has been signed by celebrities and Hollywood leaders including Gal Gadot, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Pine, Mayim Bialik, Liev Schreiber, Amy Schumer, Michael Douglas, Jerry Seinfeld, Debra Messing, Ryan Murphy, Greg Berlanti, Haim Saban, Irving Azoff, Ynon Kreiz, Mark Hamill, Howie Mandel, Bella Thorne, Antoine Fuqua and more.
The open letter calls on the entertainment community at large to speak out forcefully against Hamas, to support Israel, to refrain from sharing misinformation about the war and to do whatever is in their power to urge Hamas terrorists...
The letter is the first major move from the entertainment industry, as Israel has been under attack.
Released by the nonprofit Creative Community for Peace, the letter has been signed by celebrities and Hollywood leaders including Gal Gadot, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Pine, Mayim Bialik, Liev Schreiber, Amy Schumer, Michael Douglas, Jerry Seinfeld, Debra Messing, Ryan Murphy, Greg Berlanti, Haim Saban, Irving Azoff, Ynon Kreiz, Mark Hamill, Howie Mandel, Bella Thorne, Antoine Fuqua and more.
The open letter calls on the entertainment community at large to speak out forcefully against Hamas, to support Israel, to refrain from sharing misinformation about the war and to do whatever is in their power to urge Hamas terrorists...
- 10/12/2023
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
Ashley Brucks has been named the new president of Screen Gems, TheWrap has learned. She will exit Paramount after a 15-year run to join the Sony Motion Picture Group on Nov. 13. She will be replacing departing president Steve Bersch, who opted not to renew his contract.
Prior to her new position at Sony, Brucks had most recently served as the senior EVP and head of development at Paramount Players. She brought the original “Paranormal Activity” to the studio and oversaw all seven chapters in the $890 million-grossing horror franchise.
Ashley Brucks also oversaw both “Quiet Place” movies — itself an original horror franchise that has thus far earned $631 million worldwide with a third on the way next March. She helped revive the “Scream” franchise via the last two installments and can claim credit for the success of “The Lost City,” “Crawl” and the recent “Pet Semetary” remake.
In a statement offered to Sony employees,...
Prior to her new position at Sony, Brucks had most recently served as the senior EVP and head of development at Paramount Players. She brought the original “Paranormal Activity” to the studio and oversaw all seven chapters in the $890 million-grossing horror franchise.
Ashley Brucks also oversaw both “Quiet Place” movies — itself an original horror franchise that has thus far earned $631 million worldwide with a third on the way next March. She helped revive the “Scream” franchise via the last two installments and can claim credit for the success of “The Lost City,” “Crawl” and the recent “Pet Semetary” remake.
In a statement offered to Sony employees,...
- 9/28/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Update: As we previously told you, Paramount EVP Ashley Brucks has landed the top job at Screen Gems.
She starts Nov. 13.
Here’s the note from Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group Presidents, Josh Greenstein and Sanford Panitch.
Dear colleagues,
While the trades were premature in reporting this, we are excited to let you know that starting November 13, Ashley Brucks will join the Motion Picture Group as President, Screen Gems, guiding production for our genre label.
Ashley has overseen some of the most successful genre films in recent years. She most recently served as Senior EVP and Head of Development at Paramount Players. Over her nearly 15-year tenure at Paramount, she brought in the original Paranormal Activity and went on to oversee all seven installments in the nearly billion-dollar franchise. Ashley also oversaw the critically acclaimed box office hits A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II, along with Scream and Scream VI,...
She starts Nov. 13.
Here’s the note from Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group Presidents, Josh Greenstein and Sanford Panitch.
Dear colleagues,
While the trades were premature in reporting this, we are excited to let you know that starting November 13, Ashley Brucks will join the Motion Picture Group as President, Screen Gems, guiding production for our genre label.
Ashley has overseen some of the most successful genre films in recent years. She most recently served as Senior EVP and Head of Development at Paramount Players. Over her nearly 15-year tenure at Paramount, she brought in the original Paranormal Activity and went on to oversee all seven installments in the nearly billion-dollar franchise. Ashley also oversaw the critically acclaimed box office hits A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II, along with Scream and Scream VI,...
- 9/28/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Screen Gems has a new leader.
Ashley Brucks has been named president of the Sony film division, best known for its lower-budgeted genre and comedy fare.
The exec, coming in from Paramount where she served as an exec vp at studio label Paramount Players, steps into the shoes worn by Steve Bersch, who stepped down last week and retired after a 16-year stint at Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Bersch oversaw several divisions, including faith-based Affirm Film, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and Screen Gems. Brucks, who begins her post Nov. 13, will only lead the latter and will report to motion picture group president Josh Greenstein and Sanford Panitch. (Affirm will continue to be run by Rich Peluso and Spwa will still be headed by Joe Matukewicz. Instead of reporting into Bersch, the pair will now report into Greenstein and Panitch.)
Brucks is coming in with plenty of genre experience. The 15-year Paramount...
Ashley Brucks has been named president of the Sony film division, best known for its lower-budgeted genre and comedy fare.
The exec, coming in from Paramount where she served as an exec vp at studio label Paramount Players, steps into the shoes worn by Steve Bersch, who stepped down last week and retired after a 16-year stint at Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Bersch oversaw several divisions, including faith-based Affirm Film, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and Screen Gems. Brucks, who begins her post Nov. 13, will only lead the latter and will report to motion picture group president Josh Greenstein and Sanford Panitch. (Affirm will continue to be run by Rich Peluso and Spwa will still be headed by Joe Matukewicz. Instead of reporting into Bersch, the pair will now report into Greenstein and Panitch.)
Brucks is coming in with plenty of genre experience. The 15-year Paramount...
- 9/28/2023
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Steve Bersch will step down as the President of Screen Gems, TheWrap has learned. The 16-year Sony executive has opted not to renew his contract when it ends on Dec. 1. The reason for his departure is not known.
Screen Gems will now report to Josh Greenstein and Sanford Panitch jointly, including Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions under new president Joe Matukeqicz and Affirm Films under Rich Peluso. Sony will, in the coming months, share updates on Screen Gems’ leadership transition.
Bersch joined Sony Pictures as president of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions in 2008 and added “President of Screen Gems” to his responsibilities in 2018. He will exit on a high note.
“Insidious: The Red Door” earned $188 million worldwide on an $18 million budget this summer, making the year’s top-grossing horror title thus far. The Patrick Wilson and Lin Shaye-starring supernatural franchise has earned $741 million on a combined $42.5 million budget. That makes it one of the most profitable,...
Screen Gems will now report to Josh Greenstein and Sanford Panitch jointly, including Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions under new president Joe Matukeqicz and Affirm Films under Rich Peluso. Sony will, in the coming months, share updates on Screen Gems’ leadership transition.
Bersch joined Sony Pictures as president of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions in 2008 and added “President of Screen Gems” to his responsibilities in 2018. He will exit on a high note.
“Insidious: The Red Door” earned $188 million worldwide on an $18 million budget this summer, making the year’s top-grossing horror title thus far. The Patrick Wilson and Lin Shaye-starring supernatural franchise has earned $741 million on a combined $42.5 million budget. That makes it one of the most profitable,...
- 9/15/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Exclusive: After nearly 16 years on the Culver City, CA lot, Steve Bersch, President of Screen Gems, is departing Sony when his contract ends on Dec. 1.
We understand it’s a very amicable exit, and that the executive, who is going out on a high note with the highest grossing horror movie of the year, Insidious: The Red Door ($188.5M), is eyeing other pursuits after a long career in the motion picture business. As Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group CEO and Chairman Tom Rothman says in his note to staff below, he tried to convince Bersch to stay.
Deadline also understands that Scott Strauss, EVP of Production for Screen Gems, will also be exiting when Bersch departs.
That box office result for Insidious: Red Door also repped the record for the $730M grossing franchise, one which Bersch has been with since Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group bought North American rights...
We understand it’s a very amicable exit, and that the executive, who is going out on a high note with the highest grossing horror movie of the year, Insidious: The Red Door ($188.5M), is eyeing other pursuits after a long career in the motion picture business. As Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group CEO and Chairman Tom Rothman says in his note to staff below, he tried to convince Bersch to stay.
Deadline also understands that Scott Strauss, EVP of Production for Screen Gems, will also be exiting when Bersch departs.
That box office result for Insidious: Red Door also repped the record for the $730M grossing franchise, one which Bersch has been with since Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group bought North American rights...
- 9/15/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Sony also shows footage from The Equalizer 3, Kraven The Hunter, Gran Turismo.
First footage from Ridley Scott’s Napoleon from Apple Original Films and a 14-minute sequence from Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse were among the highlights of Sony’s CinemaCon presentation on Monday evening.
Sony Pictures Entertainment chair Tom Rothman teed up the first-look from Napoleon starring Joaquin Phoenix at the climax of a brisk session at the Colosseum in Caesar’s Palace.
Attendees got to see a fierce, large-scale action sequence believed to be from the 1805 Battle of Austerlitz as Napoleon’s army engaged Russian and Austrian forces...
First footage from Ridley Scott’s Napoleon from Apple Original Films and a 14-minute sequence from Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse were among the highlights of Sony’s CinemaCon presentation on Monday evening.
Sony Pictures Entertainment chair Tom Rothman teed up the first-look from Napoleon starring Joaquin Phoenix at the climax of a brisk session at the Colosseum in Caesar’s Palace.
Attendees got to see a fierce, large-scale action sequence believed to be from the 1805 Battle of Austerlitz as Napoleon’s army engaged Russian and Austrian forces...
- 4/25/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sony kicked off CinemaCon’s four days of studio presentations with one hell of a mission statement: “We are not fucking around here,” Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Tom Rothman told a theater full of theater owners. Badass trailers for “The Equalizer 3” and “Kraven the Hunter,” as well as first footage from raunchy R-rated Jennifer Lawrence comedy “No Hard Feelings,” backed him up.
Rothman wasn’t the only one flying past PG-13 on Monday. Footage from the newest “Equalizer” and “Kraven,” which is Sony’s first R-rated Marvel film, brought the gore (and Aaron Taylor-Johnson got in early on the F-bomb train), and the J. Law comedy was nothing but (very well-received) sex jokes. Clearly, Sony was sending a message about boldness.
Still not sold? The studio kicked off the entire program with Will Smith (and Martin Lawrence), which is certainly a choice. The “King Richard” Best Actor winner who...
Rothman wasn’t the only one flying past PG-13 on Monday. Footage from the newest “Equalizer” and “Kraven,” which is Sony’s first R-rated Marvel film, brought the gore (and Aaron Taylor-Johnson got in early on the F-bomb train), and the J. Law comedy was nothing but (very well-received) sex jokes. Clearly, Sony was sending a message about boldness.
Still not sold? The studio kicked off the entire program with Will Smith (and Martin Lawrence), which is certainly a choice. The “King Richard” Best Actor winner who...
- 4/25/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Leave it to Tom Rothman to get a crowd going.
It has become a tradition for the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chair-ceo to kick off CinemaCon with a colorful remark. This year was no different as he took to the stage in Las Vegas Monday night and addressed the state of theatrical as it continues to find its footing following the Covid-19 crisis.
“For the past three years, as the punditocracy pissed on your business, we at Sony held fast. We were the only major studio devoted entirely to theatrical,” said Rothman, sparking applause. “We were sure in the conviction that movies in movie theaters couldn’t just survive but triumph.”
Rothman also delivered another message: “The other thing pundits say is movie stars don’t matter anymore. I really hope all my competitors believe that shit. True movie stars matter more than ever, they are just more rare than ever.
It has become a tradition for the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chair-ceo to kick off CinemaCon with a colorful remark. This year was no different as he took to the stage in Las Vegas Monday night and addressed the state of theatrical as it continues to find its footing following the Covid-19 crisis.
“For the past three years, as the punditocracy pissed on your business, we at Sony held fast. We were the only major studio devoted entirely to theatrical,” said Rothman, sparking applause. “We were sure in the conviction that movies in movie theaters couldn’t just survive but triumph.”
Rothman also delivered another message: “The other thing pundits say is movie stars don’t matter anymore. I really hope all my competitors believe that shit. True movie stars matter more than ever, they are just more rare than ever.
- 4/25/2023
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sony Pictures helped kick off CinemaCon 2023 in Las Vegas with a fun presentation that teased many upcoming movies, including Bad Boys 4, Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, the Gran Turismo movie, and more.
During the presentation, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence addressed the crowd via a video the duo filmed for CinemaCon in Miami, where shooting for the movie takes place. Smith looks in top shape in the footage, and the pair says they’re in their fourth week of shooting.
After Bad Boys for Life grossed $426 million worldwide, it was clear that a sequel would soon follow, and not even SlapGate could stop it. Bad Boys 4 will find Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returning to direct from a script by Chris Bremmer. Bad Boys for Life cast members Paola Núnez, Vanessa Hudgens, and Alexander Ludwig will return for the fourth installment alongside Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. It...
During the presentation, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence addressed the crowd via a video the duo filmed for CinemaCon in Miami, where shooting for the movie takes place. Smith looks in top shape in the footage, and the pair says they’re in their fourth week of shooting.
After Bad Boys for Life grossed $426 million worldwide, it was clear that a sequel would soon follow, and not even SlapGate could stop it. Bad Boys 4 will find Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returning to direct from a script by Chris Bremmer. Bad Boys for Life cast members Paola Núnez, Vanessa Hudgens, and Alexander Ludwig will return for the fourth installment alongside Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. It...
- 4/25/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Sony’s CinemaCon presentation kicked off Monday evening in Las Vegas with a little help from Mike Lowrey and Marcus Bennett.
The leads of the Bad Boys franchise — played respectively by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence — added some star power to the festivities, even if it happened to be remote via a recorded message from the set.
“Wassup, CinemaCon!” Smith said after he and Lawrence exited a black Porsche against the backdrop of a row of production trailers. “The Bad Boys back in the building. We on set and we are so sorry we couldn’t be there with you.”
Smith went on to say that they just started shooting as he was briefly interrupted by his co-star who requested that he correct the intro by saying that they are, in fact, not sorry that they couldn’t be inside the Colosseum tonight. “We had to be here, Will,” Lawrence noted,...
The leads of the Bad Boys franchise — played respectively by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence — added some star power to the festivities, even if it happened to be remote via a recorded message from the set.
“Wassup, CinemaCon!” Smith said after he and Lawrence exited a black Porsche against the backdrop of a row of production trailers. “The Bad Boys back in the building. We on set and we are so sorry we couldn’t be there with you.”
Smith went on to say that they just started shooting as he was briefly interrupted by his co-star who requested that he correct the intro by saying that they are, in fact, not sorry that they couldn’t be inside the Colosseum tonight. “We had to be here, Will,” Lawrence noted,...
- 4/25/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Updated: Sony Pictures kicked off the first night of CinemaCon on Monday with a taped message from Will Smith and Martin Lawrence from the set of Bad Boys 4.
Smith beamed: “What’s up CinemaCon? We’re glad we’re not there, cause we’re here and they’re paying us to be here!”
“Bad Boys 4 is coming, we’re hyped, excited. We’re in the fourth week of shooting; everything is going to be spectabulous,” he added before bringing Sony Motion Pictures Group president Josh Greenstein onstage.
The duo didn’t announce a title for the new movie, which sees Bad Boys for Life filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returning behind the camera. No date has been set for the sequel. The franchise currently counts $840.7 million in box office through three movies.
Related: CinemaCon 2023 – Deadline’s Full Coverage
“There was a lot of noise about the death of exhibition,...
Smith beamed: “What’s up CinemaCon? We’re glad we’re not there, cause we’re here and they’re paying us to be here!”
“Bad Boys 4 is coming, we’re hyped, excited. We’re in the fourth week of shooting; everything is going to be spectabulous,” he added before bringing Sony Motion Pictures Group president Josh Greenstein onstage.
The duo didn’t announce a title for the new movie, which sees Bad Boys for Life filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returning behind the camera. No date has been set for the sequel. The franchise currently counts $840.7 million in box office through three movies.
Related: CinemaCon 2023 – Deadline’s Full Coverage
“There was a lot of noise about the death of exhibition,...
- 4/25/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro, Nancy Tartaglione and Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
While no footage was offered, Sony did take time in the CinemaCon presentation to tease the next installment in the “Bad Boys” franchise. Sony’s opening presentation featured Will Smith and Martin Lawrence stumbling through an intro with confusion about whether they were happy or unhappy not to be at CinemaCon.
The film is four weeks into shooting, and the brief joke pre-taped bit concluded with the stars introducing Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group President Josh Greenstein who came to the stage and bragged about 23 theatrical releases for the coming year, emphasizing a wide variety of movies beyond just conventional blockbusters.
“Bad Boys for Life” was the last super-duper blockbuster of the pre-covid era, legging out to $206 million domestic from a $73 million Fri-Mon debut and earning $430 million worldwide on a $95 million budget. It was a shockingly well-received and successful film, which made a fourth installment inevitable.
Also Read:
‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife...
The film is four weeks into shooting, and the brief joke pre-taped bit concluded with the stars introducing Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group President Josh Greenstein who came to the stage and bragged about 23 theatrical releases for the coming year, emphasizing a wide variety of movies beyond just conventional blockbusters.
“Bad Boys for Life” was the last super-duper blockbuster of the pre-covid era, legging out to $206 million domestic from a $73 million Fri-Mon debut and earning $430 million worldwide on a $95 million budget. It was a shockingly well-received and successful film, which made a fourth installment inevitable.
Also Read:
‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife...
- 4/25/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
In an age of streaming and Covid concerns when many older-skewing dramatic films find their way safely into homes, Sony Pictures rolled the dice on the Tom Hanks drama A Man Called Otto. It grossed 15.3 million in its third–weekend wide expansion over the four-day MLK weekend, well surpassing its 8M projection.
Related Story Moviegoing Happens Over MLK: ‘Avatar 2’ Soars With 40M 4-day, ‘M3GAN’ Moves 21M+, ‘Puss In Boots 2′ Hits 112M, ’Otto’ Bright At 15M+ – Update Related Story 'A Man Called Otto': Read The Screenplay For Tom Hanks-Starring Remake Of A Swedish Hit Related Story He Ping Dies: Chinese Director Of 'Sun Valley' and 'Warriors Of Heaven And Earth' Was 65
The result surprised rival distributors, many who were underwhelmed initially by the Marc Forster-directed title’s exclusive four-theater run in New York City and Los Angeles over New Year’s weekend, which did a 14,000 per-theater average/56K opening.
Related Story Moviegoing Happens Over MLK: ‘Avatar 2’ Soars With 40M 4-day, ‘M3GAN’ Moves 21M+, ‘Puss In Boots 2′ Hits 112M, ’Otto’ Bright At 15M+ – Update Related Story 'A Man Called Otto': Read The Screenplay For Tom Hanks-Starring Remake Of A Swedish Hit Related Story He Ping Dies: Chinese Director Of 'Sun Valley' and 'Warriors Of Heaven And Earth' Was 65
The result surprised rival distributors, many who were underwhelmed initially by the Marc Forster-directed title’s exclusive four-theater run in New York City and Los Angeles over New Year’s weekend, which did a 14,000 per-theater average/56K opening.
- 1/16/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
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The competition between Hollywood studios is fierce and sharp as a spear. On the opening weekend of most films, rival executives are quick to judge (and snipe). That wasn’t so in the case of The Woman King, the Black female-led epic action-adventure film that opened to a better-than-expected 19.1 million over the Sept. 16-18 weekend at the domestic box office.
“Usually, everyone is rooting against you,” says Sony Motion Picture Group co-president Josh Greenstein during a joint interview with TriStar Pictures president Nicole Brown. Adds Brown, who guided the movie: “Everyone is coming together for this one. It’s a win for Hollywood.”
No major Hollywood studio has produced an action-historical drama centering on an ensemble cast of dark-skinned Black women. Just as films such as Black Panther, Girls Trip and Crazy Rich Asians were defining moments for diversity, so is Woman King,...
The competition between Hollywood studios is fierce and sharp as a spear. On the opening weekend of most films, rival executives are quick to judge (and snipe). That wasn’t so in the case of The Woman King, the Black female-led epic action-adventure film that opened to a better-than-expected 19.1 million over the Sept. 16-18 weekend at the domestic box office.
“Usually, everyone is rooting against you,” says Sony Motion Picture Group co-president Josh Greenstein during a joint interview with TriStar Pictures president Nicole Brown. Adds Brown, who guided the movie: “Everyone is coming together for this one. It’s a win for Hollywood.”
No major Hollywood studio has produced an action-historical drama centering on an ensemble cast of dark-skinned Black women. Just as films such as Black Panther, Girls Trip and Crazy Rich Asians were defining moments for diversity, so is Woman King,...
- 9/21/2022
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sony Boss Says Studio Deserves Some Credit for ‘Top: Gun Maverick’ Box Office: ‘Venom’ Paved the Way
Tom Cruise’s “Top: Gun Maverick” is the box winner of the year so far, and it’s not even close. The long-awaited sequel has earned 617 million and counting at the domestic box office and 1.2 billion so far worldwide. Outside of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and its 1.9 billion gross, “Top: Gun Maverick” has been hailed by many in the press as reigniting the box office after the pandemic woes. But not so fast, say Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group co-presidents Sanford Panitch and Josh Greenstein. The duo recently told Vulture that Sony deserves some credit for “Top Gun: Maverick’s” box office dominance.
As Panitch and Greenstein see it, Sony Pictures was one of the first studios to bring audiences back to the theater in mass during the pandemic. The studio opened “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” in October 2021 to a 90 million debut (10 million more than the original “Venom” opened...
As Panitch and Greenstein see it, Sony Pictures was one of the first studios to bring audiences back to the theater in mass during the pandemic. The studio opened “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” in October 2021 to a 90 million debut (10 million more than the original “Venom” opened...
- 7/18/2022
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
In a world awash in marketing messages and entertainment options, spurring consumers to check out new movie titles at the multiplex is no easy task. And that was before pandemic conditions made everything about going to a theater that much more complicated.
“Now there’s an extra step,” said Michael Moses, chief marketing officer for Universal Pictures. “We have to convince them to go to the movies, and then we have to convince them to pick our movie.”
Moses spoke Tuesday afternoon as part of Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit, presented by Deloitte, which was held at NeueHouse Hollywood. The daylong, in-person event featured marketers and executives from across the content and distribution spectrum.
The lively discussion about the state of content marketing included Sony Motion Pictures Group president Josh Greenstein and Ukonwa Ojo, chief marketing officer for Amazon Prime and Amazon Studios and was moderated by Claudia Eller, Variety Editor-in-Chief.
“Now there’s an extra step,” said Michael Moses, chief marketing officer for Universal Pictures. “We have to convince them to go to the movies, and then we have to convince them to pick our movie.”
Moses spoke Tuesday afternoon as part of Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit, presented by Deloitte, which was held at NeueHouse Hollywood. The daylong, in-person event featured marketers and executives from across the content and distribution spectrum.
The lively discussion about the state of content marketing included Sony Motion Pictures Group president Josh Greenstein and Ukonwa Ojo, chief marketing officer for Amazon Prime and Amazon Studios and was moderated by Claudia Eller, Variety Editor-in-Chief.
- 5/25/2022
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Sommer Carbuccia’s time-traveling comedy short “Mac & Cheese” was awarded best film at the 2022 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Awards. “Mac & Cheese” took home a total of three prizes at the annual event, with Amanda Pinto winning best director and Jake Nathanson scoring best editor.
The ceremony returned in-person for the first time in two years on Thursday night at Sony Pictures Studios’ Cary Grant Theater in Los Angeles. Christine Bélange and Liz Whitmere won the writing prize for their work on “Superhero Inc.” while “Seven” star Natalie Trevonne was saluted with best actor.
Jennifer Montzingo’s “Ily”, which centered on a group of disabled actresses, earned the nod for best awareness campaign. At the beginning of the awards presentation, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group president Josh Greenstein gave opening remarks and introduced the challenge’s founder, Nic Novicki.
Presenters included “Sound of Metal” star Paul Raci, “As We See It” actors Rick Glassman,...
The ceremony returned in-person for the first time in two years on Thursday night at Sony Pictures Studios’ Cary Grant Theater in Los Angeles. Christine Bélange and Liz Whitmere won the writing prize for their work on “Superhero Inc.” while “Seven” star Natalie Trevonne was saluted with best actor.
Jennifer Montzingo’s “Ily”, which centered on a group of disabled actresses, earned the nod for best awareness campaign. At the beginning of the awards presentation, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group president Josh Greenstein gave opening remarks and introduced the challenge’s founder, Nic Novicki.
Presenters included “Sound of Metal” star Paul Raci, “As We See It” actors Rick Glassman,...
- 5/7/2022
- by Ashley Hume
- Variety Film + TV
As the studio that released a 1.9 billion box office hit in the midst of record Covid-19 infection rates, it was fitting that Sony Pictures was the first studio to make its presentation at CinemaCon 2022, and Chairman/CEO Tom Rothman and his team took a victory lap after a successful winter led by “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
“What are you guys doing here? Don’t you know you’re dead? Not only merely dead but most sincerely dead?” Rothman joked to the CinemaCon attendees as he touted the 3.3 billion that Sony films have grossed at the worldwide box office.
Along with the runaway success of “No Way Home,” Sony also released another Marvel hit with “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” which reached 500 million worldwide without the aid of China, while “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and “Uncharted” also found solid success with domestic audiences. The numbers vindicate Rothman and Sony motion picture group president...
“What are you guys doing here? Don’t you know you’re dead? Not only merely dead but most sincerely dead?” Rothman joked to the CinemaCon attendees as he touted the 3.3 billion that Sony films have grossed at the worldwide box office.
Along with the runaway success of “No Way Home,” Sony also released another Marvel hit with “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” which reached 500 million worldwide without the aid of China, while “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and “Uncharted” also found solid success with domestic audiences. The numbers vindicate Rothman and Sony motion picture group president...
- 4/26/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Sony Pictures kicked off this year’s return-to-normal CinemaCon on Monday evening as the first major studio to unveil its slate of forthcoming titles at the Las Vegas event. The studio is already the crowned king of Hollywood in 2022 thanks to the massive success of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which since releasing in late December cleared 1.89 billion globally and is the sixth highest-grossing movie of all time. No small feat in a pandemic or any other time, really, and with an 88-day theatrical window, as Sony brass pointed out.
The presentation inside the Caesars Palace Colosseum is hosted by Sony Pictures chairman and CEO Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures president Josh Greenstein, president of international releasing Steven O’Dell, and president of domestic releasing Adrian Smith. “When I was here seven months ago, I said theatrical would triumph and indeed it has, and we did it together,” said Greenstein upon the presentation’s start,...
The presentation inside the Caesars Palace Colosseum is hosted by Sony Pictures chairman and CEO Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures president Josh Greenstein, president of international releasing Steven O’Dell, and president of domestic releasing Adrian Smith. “When I was here seven months ago, I said theatrical would triumph and indeed it has, and we did it together,” said Greenstein upon the presentation’s start,...
- 4/26/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Bullet Train director David Leitch came with more than a trailer for his upcoming July 29 action film, rather the pic’s opening.
Leitch called the pic “his action thriller with a comedic edge,” saying “All of us at 87 North Productions are 100 committed to cinema experience, and when we were making this film during Covid and mask we were sure it would be seen in a cinema. We made this movie for the big screen, and it’s meant to be seen in theaters.”
“All have conflicting objectives,” he added by the characters played by Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Joey King, Zazie Beetz, Bryan Tyree Henry, Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Bad Bunny.
In the opening, we see Brad Pitt aka Ladybug getting a cell phone call from a mysterious female voice giving him an assignment as he strolls the alleys of Tokyo. He heads to a subway locker to retrieve sleeping powder,...
Leitch called the pic “his action thriller with a comedic edge,” saying “All of us at 87 North Productions are 100 committed to cinema experience, and when we were making this film during Covid and mask we were sure it would be seen in a cinema. We made this movie for the big screen, and it’s meant to be seen in theaters.”
“All have conflicting objectives,” he added by the characters played by Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Joey King, Zazie Beetz, Bryan Tyree Henry, Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Bad Bunny.
In the opening, we see Brad Pitt aka Ladybug getting a cell phone call from a mysterious female voice giving him an assignment as he strolls the alleys of Tokyo. He heads to a subway locker to retrieve sleeping powder,...
- 4/26/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro, Jill Goldsmith and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
With the box office’s rebound just as 5K attendees are reconvening at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, exhibition and studios can rest easy knowing that there’s a return to a theatrical window. For most studios with tentpole fare, that’s 45 days, and for those titles with less commercial appeal or aimed at specialty audiences, it’s 17 days.
With a summer box office that’s loaded with such window-respecting movies as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Top Gun: Maverick, Thor: Love & Thunder, Jurassic World: Dominion, Lightyear, Elvis, Nope, Bullet Train, and more, it’s pretty safe to say that most of the majors have gotten their jonesing for day-and-date out of their system. They’ve largely learned that collapsed windows siphon ticket sales, spur greater piracy and infuriates talent. Studio executives are re-awakening to the power of windows, and if there’s any indication to which way the wind is blowing,...
With a summer box office that’s loaded with such window-respecting movies as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Top Gun: Maverick, Thor: Love & Thunder, Jurassic World: Dominion, Lightyear, Elvis, Nope, Bullet Train, and more, it’s pretty safe to say that most of the majors have gotten their jonesing for day-and-date out of their system. They’ve largely learned that collapsed windows siphon ticket sales, spur greater piracy and infuriates talent. Studio executives are re-awakening to the power of windows, and if there’s any indication to which way the wind is blowing,...
- 4/25/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Movie theaters have benefited from a pair of unlikely heroes.
Once written off as also-rans in the battle for ticket buyers, Sony and Paramount have been flexing their muscles at the box office lately with a wide range of offerings. The two studios are responsible for seven of the 10 highest-grossing films of 2022 and currently represent more than 46 of all domestic revenues, according to Comscore. This is a marked turnaround from a year ago: At this point in 2021, Paramount and Sony represented roughly 5 of domestic revenues.
Analysts say that Paramount and Sony have been adept at scheduling their movies as the business recovers from Covid-19. With rivals such as Disney, Warner Bros. and Universal choosing to hold off many of their major tentpoles until summer or the holiday season, the two studios pushed many of their top titles to the first half of the year. Sony’s blockbuster success with “Spider-Man: No Way Home...
Once written off as also-rans in the battle for ticket buyers, Sony and Paramount have been flexing their muscles at the box office lately with a wide range of offerings. The two studios are responsible for seven of the 10 highest-grossing films of 2022 and currently represent more than 46 of all domestic revenues, according to Comscore. This is a marked turnaround from a year ago: At this point in 2021, Paramount and Sony represented roughly 5 of domestic revenues.
Analysts say that Paramount and Sony have been adept at scheduling their movies as the business recovers from Covid-19. With rivals such as Disney, Warner Bros. and Universal choosing to hold off many of their major tentpoles until summer or the holiday season, the two studios pushed many of their top titles to the first half of the year. Sony’s blockbuster success with “Spider-Man: No Way Home...
- 4/20/2022
- by Brent Lang and Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
And on the first weekend of October, Eddie Brock and Venom said, “let there be carnage.”
Sony’s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” burned up the box office this weekend with an estimated $90 million in ticket sales, giving “Venom 2” the biggest opening since the coronavirus pandemic started last year and the second-biggest October launch ever, behind only 2019’s “Joker.”
That puts the Tom Hardy sequel in the top position during the pandemic, ahead of even officially sanctioned Marvel Cinematic Universe movies like “Black Widow” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” The PG-13 “Venom 2” not only blew past the original “Venom” debut in 2018 but also box office projections. Heading into the weekend, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” was expected to gross anywhere between $60 and $65 million — or possibly as low as $40 million.
“With apologies to Mr. Twain: The death of movies has been greatly exaggerated,” Sony film...
Sony’s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” burned up the box office this weekend with an estimated $90 million in ticket sales, giving “Venom 2” the biggest opening since the coronavirus pandemic started last year and the second-biggest October launch ever, behind only 2019’s “Joker.”
That puts the Tom Hardy sequel in the top position during the pandemic, ahead of even officially sanctioned Marvel Cinematic Universe movies like “Black Widow” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” The PG-13 “Venom 2” not only blew past the original “Venom” debut in 2018 but also box office projections. Heading into the weekend, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” was expected to gross anywhere between $60 and $65 million — or possibly as low as $40 million.
“With apologies to Mr. Twain: The death of movies has been greatly exaggerated,” Sony film...
- 10/4/2021
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Sunday Am Final w/chart: Sony, which has been overly cautious and conservative in its projections for Venom: Let There Be Carnage, always had a hit on their hands. The Marvel sequel easily scored the best domestic opening at the box office with $90.1M, exceeding the previous pandemic U.S./Canada debut of Black Widow, which was $80.8M.
Not only that, but the Sony/Marvel movie exceeded the original 2018 title’s opening of $80.2M by 12%, amazing for a sequel to best its first chapter’s grosses during a pandemic.
Even though Sony has sent movies straight to streamers to financially survive during the pandemic, when it comes to whatever titles they’re releasing in theaters, they’re bullish about the theatrical window. Venom 2 is a win for them and the industry in regards to that business philosophy. Black Widow went day-and-date in cinemas on the Disney+ Premier PVOD tier.
Not only that, but the Sony/Marvel movie exceeded the original 2018 title’s opening of $80.2M by 12%, amazing for a sequel to best its first chapter’s grosses during a pandemic.
Even though Sony has sent movies straight to streamers to financially survive during the pandemic, when it comes to whatever titles they’re releasing in theaters, they’re bullish about the theatrical window. Venom 2 is a win for them and the industry in regards to that business philosophy. Black Widow went day-and-date in cinemas on the Disney+ Premier PVOD tier.
- 10/3/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Happy Friday International Insiders. Tom Grater here delivering you a round-up of this week’s international news. To get this sent to your inbox every Friday, sign up here.
Edinburgh TV Fest 2021
High-profile gathering: One arguably positive impact of lockdown life has been how efficient international industry events have become, admittedly after a few bumps in the road. Hats off to organizers of the Edinburgh TV Fest, who this week put on a jam-packed procession of high-profile panels, not just one after the other but even at times overlapping. It was hard to keep up with it all, but no doubt that the overall quality of discussion was high.
Highlights: Where to begin? Jack Thorne set the tone for the event in the prestigious MacTaggart Lecture slot. The National Treasure scribe called out the TV industry, saying it had “failed disabled people. Utterly and totally.” His words echoed throughout the following days,...
Edinburgh TV Fest 2021
High-profile gathering: One arguably positive impact of lockdown life has been how efficient international industry events have become, admittedly after a few bumps in the road. Hats off to organizers of the Edinburgh TV Fest, who this week put on a jam-packed procession of high-profile panels, not just one after the other but even at times overlapping. It was hard to keep up with it all, but no doubt that the overall quality of discussion was high.
Highlights: Where to begin? Jack Thorne set the tone for the event in the prestigious MacTaggart Lecture slot. The National Treasure scribe called out the TV industry, saying it had “failed disabled people. Utterly and totally.” His words echoed throughout the following days,...
- 8/27/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
While Sony was light on talent at its CinemaCon presentation, its executives got thunderous applause for passionately defending theatrical exclusivity at a time when other studios have released films day-and-date on streaming.
“Debuting movies simultaneously in theaters and at home is devastating to our collective businesses,” Sony Motion Picture Group President Josh Greenstein told the attendees at Caesar’s Palace. “Our movies will be seen exclusive first in our movie theaters,” said Greenstein. “Movie theaters and the theatrical movie experience will triumph.”
Sony’s presentation consisted of a brief sizzle reel and the premiere of the first trailer for Marvel Studios’ “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which had a low-resolution leak on Sunday. Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra then presented the first public screening of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” with an in-person introduction from director Jason Reitman and his father, original “Ghostbusters” director Ivan Reitman.
But the biggest applause was for the Sony execs,...
“Debuting movies simultaneously in theaters and at home is devastating to our collective businesses,” Sony Motion Picture Group President Josh Greenstein told the attendees at Caesar’s Palace. “Our movies will be seen exclusive first in our movie theaters,” said Greenstein. “Movie theaters and the theatrical movie experience will triumph.”
Sony’s presentation consisted of a brief sizzle reel and the premiere of the first trailer for Marvel Studios’ “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which had a low-resolution leak on Sunday. Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra then presented the first public screening of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” with an in-person introduction from director Jason Reitman and his father, original “Ghostbusters” director Ivan Reitman.
But the biggest applause was for the Sony execs,...
- 8/24/2021
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
CinemaCon opened with a bang in Las Vegas Monday night as Sony executives used their spot as the convention’s first presenters to decry day-and-date releases as “devastating” to the film industry, while doubling down on their commitment to an exclusive theatrical window, according to multiple reports from journalists in attendance.
The subtext was clear: Sony is an outlier among major studios; it’s the only one without its own streaming service and the only one that has not used the pandemic as an excuse to premiere films in theaters and for at-home viewing on the same date, a move that his drawn ire from theatrical exhibitors. But Sony Pictures Chairman Tom Rothman put an even finer point on it when he congratulated 20th Century’s “Free Guy” on its box office performance, citing two reasons: “Number one, it’s terrific, and number two, you can’t watch it at home.
The subtext was clear: Sony is an outlier among major studios; it’s the only one without its own streaming service and the only one that has not used the pandemic as an excuse to premiere films in theaters and for at-home viewing on the same date, a move that his drawn ire from theatrical exhibitors. But Sony Pictures Chairman Tom Rothman put an even finer point on it when he congratulated 20th Century’s “Free Guy” on its box office performance, citing two reasons: “Number one, it’s terrific, and number two, you can’t watch it at home.
- 8/24/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Sony, which was last seen at CinemaCon in 2018, brought the confab back to post(ish)-pandemic life today. Its President of the Motion Picture Group, Josh Greenstein, took center stage and reiterated the Culver City lot’s “commitment to protecting and preserving the theatrical window.” That drew a great roar from the Caesar’s Palace Colosseum crowd.
Despite booking three hours on the conference schedule, Sony kept it short, but came with passionate speeches about the big screen and great surprises. Specifically, the first trailer to their Disney MCU threequal Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was reportedly leaked over the weekend on social and the first preview of their Nov. 11 sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife . The latter filled the bulk of the studio’s presentation time tonight, with director Jason Reitman and producer (and original 1984 and 1989 feature director) Ivan Reitman appearing.
Greenstein continued: “Debuting movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home...
Despite booking three hours on the conference schedule, Sony kept it short, but came with passionate speeches about the big screen and great surprises. Specifically, the first trailer to their Disney MCU threequal Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was reportedly leaked over the weekend on social and the first preview of their Nov. 11 sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife . The latter filled the bulk of the studio’s presentation time tonight, with director Jason Reitman and producer (and original 1984 and 1989 feature director) Ivan Reitman appearing.
Greenstein continued: “Debuting movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home...
- 8/24/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Longtime Sony Pictures Entertainment executive Keith Le Goy has been named the studio’s chairman of worldwide distribution and networks.
Le Goy joins Spe motion picture group’s Tom Rothman and global TV studios and corporate development’s Ravi Ahuja as one of three chairman-level leaders running the studio’s business under Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra.
In addition to continuing to oversee Sony Pictures Television’s international networks operations, programming and strategy unit and Funimation division, Le Goy — who has been at Spe for 22 years — will also help to lead the studio’s newly combined theatrical, home entertainment and TV distribution and marketing businesses alongside Josh Greenstein.
Here’s the full memo from Vinciquerra:
I am pleased to announce that Keith Le Goy has been named Chairman, Worldwide Distribution and Networks. In this role, Keith will continue to oversee Spt’s international networks operations, programming and...
Le Goy joins Spe motion picture group’s Tom Rothman and global TV studios and corporate development’s Ravi Ahuja as one of three chairman-level leaders running the studio’s business under Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra.
In addition to continuing to oversee Sony Pictures Television’s international networks operations, programming and strategy unit and Funimation division, Le Goy — who has been at Spe for 22 years — will also help to lead the studio’s newly combined theatrical, home entertainment and TV distribution and marketing businesses alongside Josh Greenstein.
Here’s the full memo from Vinciquerra:
I am pleased to announce that Keith Le Goy has been named Chairman, Worldwide Distribution and Networks. In this role, Keith will continue to oversee Spt’s international networks operations, programming and...
- 4/28/2021
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
Keith Le Goy has been promoted to chairman of distribution and networks at Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The promotion gives the company three chairman-level execs running the studio’s main areas of business. The others are Tom Rothman, chairman of the motion picture group, and Ravi Ahuja, chairman of the company’s global television studios and corporate development.
Spe chairman Tony Vinciquerra confirmed the promotion in a memo to employees. (Read it in full below.)
Le Goy, who had been president of worldwide distribution and networks, recently spearheaded two major deals with Netflix and Disney, which both closed earlier this spring. Combined, they will bring an estimated $3 billion to the company and represent an upgrade over a prior first-window deal with Starz, bolstering Sony’s standing as a major film and TV supplier. It also showcases key franchises like Spider-Man and Jumanji on major streaming platforms, a strategic viability because Sony...
The promotion gives the company three chairman-level execs running the studio’s main areas of business. The others are Tom Rothman, chairman of the motion picture group, and Ravi Ahuja, chairman of the company’s global television studios and corporate development.
Spe chairman Tony Vinciquerra confirmed the promotion in a memo to employees. (Read it in full below.)
Le Goy, who had been president of worldwide distribution and networks, recently spearheaded two major deals with Netflix and Disney, which both closed earlier this spring. Combined, they will bring an estimated $3 billion to the company and represent an upgrade over a prior first-window deal with Starz, bolstering Sony’s standing as a major film and TV supplier. It also showcases key franchises like Spider-Man and Jumanji on major streaming platforms, a strategic viability because Sony...
- 4/28/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
The 22-year studio veteran gives it three chairman-level execs
Sony Pictures Entertainment has promoted Keith Le Goy to chairman of worldwide distribution and networks.
Le Goy had been serving as president of the division. With this appointment, Spe now has three chairman-level leaders running the studio’s lines of business and divisions under CEO Tony Vinciquerra. The other two are Tom Rothman, who runs the motion picture group and Ravi Ahuja, who heads up the TV studios and corporate development business.
“Keith will continue to oversee Spt’s international networks operations, programming and strategy group and our Funimation business, with my oversight,” Vinciquerra said in an internal memo. “Keith will also co-lead our recently merged theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution and marketing businesses with Josh Greenstein, with Tom Rothman’s oversight.”
Under Le Goy, Sony has recently signed two major licensing deals with Netflix and Disney, solidifying the studio...
Sony Pictures Entertainment has promoted Keith Le Goy to chairman of worldwide distribution and networks.
Le Goy had been serving as president of the division. With this appointment, Spe now has three chairman-level leaders running the studio’s lines of business and divisions under CEO Tony Vinciquerra. The other two are Tom Rothman, who runs the motion picture group and Ravi Ahuja, who heads up the TV studios and corporate development business.
“Keith will continue to oversee Spt’s international networks operations, programming and strategy group and our Funimation business, with my oversight,” Vinciquerra said in an internal memo. “Keith will also co-lead our recently merged theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution and marketing businesses with Josh Greenstein, with Tom Rothman’s oversight.”
Under Le Goy, Sony has recently signed two major licensing deals with Netflix and Disney, solidifying the studio...
- 4/28/2021
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Sony Pictures Entertainment veteran exec Keith Le Goy has been named chairman of distribution and networks.
The announcement was made by Spe chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra, who wrote that Le Goy will continue to oversee Sony Pictures Television’s international networks operations, programming and strategy group, and the Funimation division, as well as “co-lead our recently merged theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution and marketing businesses with Josh Greenstein, with Tom Rothman’s oversight.” Le Goy recently led negotiations on the pay-one window deal with Netflix and the subsequent pay-two window deal with Disney.
With the appointment, Le Goy becomes Sony’s ...
The announcement was made by Spe chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra, who wrote that Le Goy will continue to oversee Sony Pictures Television’s international networks operations, programming and strategy group, and the Funimation division, as well as “co-lead our recently merged theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution and marketing businesses with Josh Greenstein, with Tom Rothman’s oversight.” Le Goy recently led negotiations on the pay-one window deal with Netflix and the subsequent pay-two window deal with Disney.
With the appointment, Le Goy becomes Sony’s ...
- 4/28/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sony Pictures Entertainment veteran exec Keith Le Goy has been named chairman of distribution and networks.
The announcement was made by Spe chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra, who wrote that Le Goy will continue to oversee Sony Pictures Television’s international networks operations, programming and strategy group, and the Funimation division, as well as “co-lead our recently merged theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution and marketing businesses with Josh Greenstein, with Tom Rothman’s oversight.” Le Goy recently led negotiations on the pay-one window deal with Netflix and the subsequent pay-two window deal with Disney.
With the appointment, Le Goy becomes Sony’s ...
The announcement was made by Spe chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra, who wrote that Le Goy will continue to oversee Sony Pictures Television’s international networks operations, programming and strategy group, and the Funimation division, as well as “co-lead our recently merged theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution and marketing businesses with Josh Greenstein, with Tom Rothman’s oversight.” Le Goy recently led negotiations on the pay-one window deal with Netflix and the subsequent pay-two window deal with Disney.
With the appointment, Le Goy becomes Sony’s ...
- 4/28/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Disney is laying off staffers in its studio division — including six individuals at Searchlight — according to an individual with knowledge of the situation. A rep for Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the number of employees affected, but Variety reported that the cuts involved at least 50 staffers and the elimination of several hundred open positions.
Disney’s studio marketing group along with its theatrical stage team in New York will also be impacted. The reductions follow the news that ESPN is eliminating 500 jobs in an effort to cut costs amid the coronavirus pandemic, ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro informed his staff on Thursday.
Back in September, Disney eliminated around 28,000 domestic jobs in its theme parks division due to uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, two-thirds of which will be part-time roles. The company blamed California for exacerbating its financial woes due to its “unwillingness” to lift Covid-19 restrictions that would allow Disneyland,...
Disney’s studio marketing group along with its theatrical stage team in New York will also be impacted. The reductions follow the news that ESPN is eliminating 500 jobs in an effort to cut costs amid the coronavirus pandemic, ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro informed his staff on Thursday.
Back in September, Disney eliminated around 28,000 domestic jobs in its theme parks division due to uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, two-thirds of which will be part-time roles. The company blamed California for exacerbating its financial woes due to its “unwillingness” to lift Covid-19 restrictions that would allow Disneyland,...
- 11/5/2020
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
“Ultimately, these changes will better position us as a studio for when we come out of this pandemic.”
Sony Pictures Entertainment is to adopt a regional model for its international film marketing and distribution teams as part of a corporate restructure that will also see theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution marketing teams merge in the US.
As part of the restructure, announced on Tuesday (October 27) by Sony’s motion picture group president Josh Greenstein and networks and distribution president Keith Le Goy (pictured), co-president of global marketing Andre Caraco has chosen to depart after more than 30 years at the studio.
Sony Pictures Entertainment is to adopt a regional model for its international film marketing and distribution teams as part of a corporate restructure that will also see theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution marketing teams merge in the US.
As part of the restructure, announced on Tuesday (October 27) by Sony’s motion picture group president Josh Greenstein and networks and distribution president Keith Le Goy (pictured), co-president of global marketing Andre Caraco has chosen to depart after more than 30 years at the studio.
- 10/27/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“Ultimately, these changes will better position us as a studio for when we come out of this pandemic.”
Sony Pictures Entertainment is to adopt a regional model for its international film marketing and distribution teams as part of a corporate restructure that will also see theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution marketing teams merge in the US.
As part of the restructure, announced on Tuesday (October 27) by Sony’s motion picture group president Josh Greenstein and networks and distribution president Keith Le Goy (pictured), co-president of global marketing Andre Caraco has chosen to depart after more than 30 years at the studio.
Sony Pictures Entertainment is to adopt a regional model for its international film marketing and distribution teams as part of a corporate restructure that will also see theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution marketing teams merge in the US.
As part of the restructure, announced on Tuesday (October 27) by Sony’s motion picture group president Josh Greenstein and networks and distribution president Keith Le Goy (pictured), co-president of global marketing Andre Caraco has chosen to depart after more than 30 years at the studio.
- 10/27/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Layoffs hit Sony Pictures’ marketing and distribution teams on Tuesday as the Hollywood studio combined parts of its domestic and international film and television operations. Roughly 35 positions have been eliminated in the consolidation, according to insiders.
In addition, veteran executive Andre Caraco has decided to step down as co-president of global marketing, ending a decades-long run at the studio. Caraco worked on the likes of “Men in Black,” “Jumanji,” “The Social Network,” and “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” and was a popular presence on the company’s lot.
“While I understand Andre’s decision that this is the right time personally for him to move on, the company and I myself will miss him hugely,” said Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures’ chairman. “He is a superior executive. His smarts, insight, experience and enthusiasm make him an exceptional colleague and a gifted film maven. He is, also, a true class act.
In addition, veteran executive Andre Caraco has decided to step down as co-president of global marketing, ending a decades-long run at the studio. Caraco worked on the likes of “Men in Black,” “Jumanji,” “The Social Network,” and “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” and was a popular presence on the company’s lot.
“While I understand Andre’s decision that this is the right time personally for him to move on, the company and I myself will miss him hugely,” said Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures’ chairman. “He is a superior executive. His smarts, insight, experience and enthusiasm make him an exceptional colleague and a gifted film maven. He is, also, a true class act.
- 10/27/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Sony is merging its theatrical, home entertainment and TV distribution marketing operations under the co-oversee of Josh Greenstein, the studio’s Motion Picture Group President, and Keith Le Goy, the studio’s Networks and Distribution President.
The move comes at time for the Culver City, CA studio as it responds to viewers’ changing viewing habits during the pandemic, and the need to respond to emerging release patterns by harnessing Sony’s collective expertise in marketing a title through its entire lifecycle, across all platforms.
Due to the combining of departments, we hear that roughly 35 staffers were cut in distribution and marketing. While studio brass have been considering this type of restructuring for some time, the pandemic further hastened that decision.
Stateside, all theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution marketing divisions will be brought together, while there will be a regional model for those businesses abroad.
In the U.S., Sony...
The move comes at time for the Culver City, CA studio as it responds to viewers’ changing viewing habits during the pandemic, and the need to respond to emerging release patterns by harnessing Sony’s collective expertise in marketing a title through its entire lifecycle, across all platforms.
Due to the combining of departments, we hear that roughly 35 staffers were cut in distribution and marketing. While studio brass have been considering this type of restructuring for some time, the pandemic further hastened that decision.
Stateside, all theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution marketing divisions will be brought together, while there will be a regional model for those businesses abroad.
In the U.S., Sony...
- 10/27/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Sony Pictures Entertainment (Spe) is changing the game with its latest venture. The studio has revealed that they have inked a unique first-look deal with Jeff Friday Media (Jfm), the newly-formed production house launched by the company CEO Jeff Friday, founder of the annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF), which has become a leading festival and touchstone for Black content creators.
Under the multi-year deal, Sony will be offered first consideration for narrative feature films submitted to the Festival, and year-round access and introductions to emerging filmmakers discovered by Friday. In a time when Hollywood is actively seeking diverse and inclusive voices in front of and behind the camera, the deal will broaden Spe’s pipeline, ushering in the next generation of storytellers, and accelerating exposure and opportunity for filmmaking talent of color. Friday will serve as producer of the original films created by the talent he discovers.
“Diverse...
Under the multi-year deal, Sony will be offered first consideration for narrative feature films submitted to the Festival, and year-round access and introductions to emerging filmmakers discovered by Friday. In a time when Hollywood is actively seeking diverse and inclusive voices in front of and behind the camera, the deal will broaden Spe’s pipeline, ushering in the next generation of storytellers, and accelerating exposure and opportunity for filmmaking talent of color. Friday will serve as producer of the original films created by the talent he discovers.
“Diverse...
- 10/19/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated, June 29: After the theatrical release schedule shifted once again last week with New York and Los Angeles still closed, and Tenet heading to Aug. 12 and Mulan to Aug. 21., Sony is moving their Tri-Star Selena Gomez executive produced romantic comedy Broken Hearts Gallery to Aug. 7, the weekend after Solstice Studio’s Unhinged on July 31. The pic has continually been scheduled in the weekend after Unhinged as part of the tee-up for theaters reopening as they head toward Warner Bros.’ Tenet.
Disney still has 20th Century Studios’ The Empty Man on Aug. 7. No word yet if that moves. We’re also waiting to see if STX’s Aug. 14 Gerard Butler release Greenland moves as well as Lionsgate’s Antebellum and Focus Features’ Let Him Go, both sharing Mulan‘s new release date.
Updated, June 16 Pm: Following the domino release schedule explosion Friday in the wake of Warner Bros’ Tenet shifting...
Disney still has 20th Century Studios’ The Empty Man on Aug. 7. No word yet if that moves. We’re also waiting to see if STX’s Aug. 14 Gerard Butler release Greenland moves as well as Lionsgate’s Antebellum and Focus Features’ Let Him Go, both sharing Mulan‘s new release date.
Updated, June 16 Pm: Following the domino release schedule explosion Friday in the wake of Warner Bros’ Tenet shifting...
- 6/29/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Sony’s “The Broken Hearts Gallery” will be one of the first wide releases of the summer.
The romantic comedy from executive producer Selena Gomez hits theaters on July 10 — a week before Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” opens.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions’ Stage 6 Films acquired worldwide rights to Natalie Krinsky’s directorial debut from producer and financier No Trace Camping.
Solstice Studios thriller “Unhinged,” starring Russell Crowe, opens nationwide on July 1, but “Broken Hearts Gallery” is the first major studio release.
Movie theaters have been closed nationwide since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic. There were 554 locations open in the U.S. last weekend, including 243 drive-ins. About 500 of the nation’s 5,400 theaters are in California, which is allowing cinemas to reopen on June 12.
“The Broken Hearts Gallery” stars Geraldine Viswanathan, Dacre Montgomery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Molly Gordon, Phillipa Soo, Suki Waterhouse, Arturo Castro, Ego Nwodim, Taylor Hill and Bernadette Peters.
“Hearing...
The romantic comedy from executive producer Selena Gomez hits theaters on July 10 — a week before Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” opens.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions’ Stage 6 Films acquired worldwide rights to Natalie Krinsky’s directorial debut from producer and financier No Trace Camping.
Solstice Studios thriller “Unhinged,” starring Russell Crowe, opens nationwide on July 1, but “Broken Hearts Gallery” is the first major studio release.
Movie theaters have been closed nationwide since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic. There were 554 locations open in the U.S. last weekend, including 243 drive-ins. About 500 of the nation’s 5,400 theaters are in California, which is allowing cinemas to reopen on June 12.
“The Broken Hearts Gallery” stars Geraldine Viswanathan, Dacre Montgomery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Molly Gordon, Phillipa Soo, Suki Waterhouse, Arturo Castro, Ego Nwodim, Taylor Hill and Bernadette Peters.
“Hearing...
- 6/9/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Sony has acquired the rights to “The Broken Hearts Gallery,” a romantic comedy executive produced by Selena Gomez, that the studio will release in theaters on July 10, making it the earliest major studio release of the summer.
Geraldine Viswanathan (“Bad Education”) and Dacre Montgomery (“Stranger Things”) co-star in the film that is the directorial debut of Natalie Krinsky.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions’ Stage 6 Films acquired the worldwide rights to “The Broken Hearts Gallery” from producer and financier No Trace Camping. Elevation Pictures will distribute the film in Canada.
Also Read: Sony, WarnerMedia, Disney, ViacomCBS Weigh in on George Floyd Protests Urging 'Collective Empathy,' 'Action'
Sony’s release plans for “The Broken Hearts Gallery” put it ahead of Warner Bros.’ “Tenet,” which has held firm to its July 17 release date even as other major tentpole films both before and after it have shuffled release dates. It does still come...
Geraldine Viswanathan (“Bad Education”) and Dacre Montgomery (“Stranger Things”) co-star in the film that is the directorial debut of Natalie Krinsky.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions’ Stage 6 Films acquired the worldwide rights to “The Broken Hearts Gallery” from producer and financier No Trace Camping. Elevation Pictures will distribute the film in Canada.
Also Read: Sony, WarnerMedia, Disney, ViacomCBS Weigh in on George Floyd Protests Urging 'Collective Empathy,' 'Action'
Sony’s release plans for “The Broken Hearts Gallery” put it ahead of Warner Bros.’ “Tenet,” which has held firm to its July 17 release date even as other major tentpole films both before and after it have shuffled release dates. It does still come...
- 6/9/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
In the wake of TriStar boss Hannah Minghella heading to lead Bad Robot’s film department, Sony Motion Pictures Group Chairman Tom Rothman this morning promptly announced that TriStar Evp Nicole Brown will be taking over the division, an organic order of progression. Brown came to TriStar from Good Universe six years ago as Svp.
Brown’s career in the independent world focused on discovering new talent and working with first time directors like Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Drew Barrymore, Lorene Scafaria and Diablo Cody. At Good Universe she served as Evp of Production, and executive produced Rogen comedies including This Is The End in addition to developing features like Last Vegas and Neighbors.
Here is Rothman’s email to staff:
Dear colleagues,
I want to make you aware of some changes affecting our TriStar label.
After 14 terrific years of dedicated service to the company, Hannah Minghella will be...
Brown’s career in the independent world focused on discovering new talent and working with first time directors like Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Drew Barrymore, Lorene Scafaria and Diablo Cody. At Good Universe she served as Evp of Production, and executive produced Rogen comedies including This Is The End in addition to developing features like Last Vegas and Neighbors.
Here is Rothman’s email to staff:
Dear colleagues,
I want to make you aware of some changes affecting our TriStar label.
After 14 terrific years of dedicated service to the company, Hannah Minghella will be...
- 10/17/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
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