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Skydance and Paramount Agree to Merge https://ift.tt/LK1tyWZ It's the news we've been waiting for since Paramount announced it was for sale: Skydance is officially stepping in to buy the movie studio. Paramount's board of directors approved the tentative deal yesterday, which sets everything in motion. Shari Redstone will sell the studio to David Ellison, and a new dawn in Hollywood begins. It's one where we maintain a movie studio, one now run by people who love making movies. This deal had wavered in the past months, with money disagreements on both sides. But they were able to put that behind them, switch stock holdings, and come together. Regulators will still have to approve this, but unless there's some crazy twist, this deal looks done. This is an obvious changing of the guard in Hollywood. Skydance Media was founded by Ellison in 2010 and has since made movies with other studios, including Paramount. They were behind the Mission: Impossible and Star Trek series as well as World War Z, True Grit, and many other titles. Filmmakers of all backgrounds should be excited about this merger because it takes a historic studio and puts them together with an up-and-comer who has a proven track record and wants to keep making big movies and not just sell the parts. It keeps a buyer in Hollywood, and keeps a lot of jobs around. The merger of Paramount and Skydance presents filmmakers with a wealth of potential benefits, from increased resources and opportunities to a wider distribution network and a focus on technology and innovation. This could lead to a new era of exciting and ambitious filmmaking projects, making it an exciting time to be part of the industry. We've had so many instances of bad news in recent years. This is good news. It signals that people will keep making movies and that there are people passionate about this business still working. Let me know what you think in the comments. via No Film School https://ift.tt/ZJy8Lht July 08, 2024 at 08:28AM

Taking a look at Sony's bid for Paramount I noticed this sweet graphic from Chartr detailing where its revenue came from in 2023. The theatrical revenue was short of $1B. Some things this data makes me consider: - I didn't realize how little revenue came from the films that these production dynasties compared to the full picture of their offerings. - Paramount has always been a top creator of films in my eyes, but the shift to streaming has made them change focuses slightly. Here are just a few films Paramount produced, helped produce, or distributed in 2023 that make this number surprising to me. The existing IPs of many of these films are so valuable, so it may point toward moviegoers looking for less sequels/original concepts. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (co-produced with Skydance, Hasbro and others) Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (co-produced with Entertainment One, Hasbro and others) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (studio credit, co-production with The Walt Disney Company and others) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (co-produced with Skydance and others) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (co-produced with Nickelodeon and others) Killers of the Flower Moon (co-produced with Apple and others) For comparison, Disney had box office revenues of $1.89B (Statista) in 2023. There's more revenue in TV for Paramount than there is in Films at the moment. Is Paramount putting too many of their eggs into this basket? Looking at this from a bidders perspective, do you make a plan to grow the film category? #film #streamingwars #paramount

And it's done. No more Paramount. The uncalled-for season 5 finale of Succession is over, with new kid on the block Skydance buying out Paramount Studios. The deal was blessed by bigwigs James Cameron and Ari Emanuel, who have faith in founder David Ellison to turn around the fortunes of Paramount. Ellison was backed by PE firm RedBird in the takeover process. Being the descendent of his 'oracle' father, David wants to upend the outdated tech stack of Paramount and make things more efficient. It's no secret that Paramount has been obliterated in the streaming war bloodbath. Meanwhile, under legendary animator John Lasseter, Skydance has already begun innovating in cloud animation. "The art challenges the technology, the technology inspires the art", Lasseter once quoted. It's the perfect feedback loop, if you ask me - only if it worked as well in practice. In the 21st century, many media companies have wanted to position themselves as tech companies, since they wanted to show their prowess in digital. Many of them ended up doing neither too well. Netflix, on the other hand, is a tech company that ended up doing media. We've seen them falter at media strategy from time to time (I'm taking Ocean's Eleven over Money Heist anyday), but never at the tech stack. Both Netflix and Amazon have been through multiple failures on media strategy, and Apple had the advantage of learning through the spillovers of those failures. Which makes Skydance somewhat revolutionary. They're explicitly a media company that does tech. They're in the business of getting Tom Cruise to do the craziest stunts man has ever done. Their job is doubly harder - they need to make their tech scale all the content they intend to make. And Ellison will have to create new IP from scratch in order to find a big break for the Paramount side of things. If they don't make the same mistakes as all of American major media has done, then maybe they could be the most successful media company to have also done tech well. It may be a possible reinvention of how we make and watch movies. We know that Ellison has the ambition to reinvent the entire value chain of movies. All that remains to be seen is whether Skydance can do it. (Photo is from the official pitch deck Skydance presented to the board of Paramount)

3 great Hulu movies you need to stream this weekend (January 10-12) Table of Contents Table of Contents Gone Girl (2014) Hidalgo (2004) Walk the Line (2005) Few streamers can provide the variety of movies that Hulu can offer up on a weekly basis. Having access to the film libraries of both Disney and 20th Century Studios definitely helps Hulu keep its selections robust, but it’s also able to draw upon films from other studios as needed. However, all three of this week’s selections for the three great Hulu movies that you need to stream this weekend were produced by either Disney or 20th Century Fox. Our first choice is an outstanding thriller that recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, followed by a real-life adventure story and one of the best music biopics of the 21st century. Need more recommendations? We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+. Gone Girl (2014) 20th Century Studios Director David Fincher‘s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl introduces one of the most terrifying villains in recent cinema history: Amy Elliott Dunne, in a star-making turn by Rosamund Pike. Amy is trapped in an increasingly loveless marriage with Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck), a man who is a habitual cheater. Amy’s revenge is anything but simple, yet it effectively frames Nick for her murder. Almost everything Nick does makes him seem guilty, which calls Amy’s fate into question. Not even hot shot lawyer Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry in one of his best performances) or Nick’s sister, Margo (Carrie Coon), can shield him from the glare of a media that’s eager to paint him as a murderer. Amy’s ex-boyfriend, Desi Collings (Neil Patrick Harris), knows more than he’s saying, but he doesn’t seem very inclined to help Nick escape the proverbial noose that his wife has placed around his neck. Watch Gone Girl on Hulu. Hidalgo (2004) Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Following The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Viggo Mortensen moved over to a different kind of epic in Hidalgo. In this historical biopic, Hidalgo is the name of the horse used by Frank Hopkins, a long-distance rider who is haunted by his past. In 1890, Hopkins is a performer for William “Buffalo Bill” Cody (J.K. Simmons) when he gets the opportunity to race Hidalgo in the Arabian desert. Neither Hopkins nor Hidalgo is welcome among his Arabic competitors, including Prince Bin Al Reeh (Saïd Taghmaoui). They are viewed as interlopers and targeted for death during the long-distance race. One of Hopkins’ few allies is Jazira (Zuleikha Robinson), a woman whose own fate is tied to Hopkins’ chances for victory. If he can win, then Jazira may be able to avoid an arranged marriage with the Prince. Watch Hidalgo on Hulu. Walk the Line (2005) 20th Century Studios This year marks the 20th anniversary of director...

Weekend Vibes!🎥✨ 🎬 Paramount Pictures: The Enchantment of Modern Payments 🎬 Ever noticed the extensive list of names in movie credits? Have you thought about how studios like Paramount Pictures coordinate such intricate operations? At Paramount, the thrill of filmmaking is unmatched. With a legacy of over 110 years, they produce 10 to 15 feature films annually, engaging thousands of crew, cast, and extras. Being a global studio means they navigate payments in various currencies, making timely transactions essential to their success. The primary obstacle they face is making sure payments are executed quickly and accurately. Any delays can throw off production, impacting everything from costumes to props. That's why they turn to JP Morgan. Thanks to modern payment solutions, Paramount can initiate and approve payments in just a day across multiple nations. This efficiency allows them to concentrate on what they excel at—creating cinematic magic. Modern payment systems are not merely about speed; they're also centered on trust and effectiveness. They help maintain robust relationships with vendors, ensuring all production facets run smoothly. Investing in a strong payment framework is crucial for businesses aiming to thrive and be efficient. It's about preparing for the future and guaranteeing the delivery of high-quality content to audiences! #GlobalPayments #FinTech #BankingInnovation #PaymentSystems #FutureProofing #ParamountPictures #MovieMagic #JPmorgan #FinastraPayments 🎥✨ Discover more:

Skydance and Paramount are deep into hashing out a complicated deal that would see the David Ellison’s studio and its backers take control of the storied film and television company owned by Shari Redstone. The exclusive month-long negotiating period through May 3 is likely to be extended perhaps by a few weeks, Deadline hears, given the complexity of the transaction. The rough contours of a Skydance deal would see a circa $2 billion payout to Redstone for a majority stake in family holding NAI (which controls Paramount though its voting Class A shares) as well as the National Amusements theater chain and associated real estate assets. Step two would see Paramount acquire Skydance in an all-stock deal valued at circa $4-5 billion. That’s being worked on and will likely wind up at the high end of the range.

Paramount presented Mutant Mayhem at CinemaCon last year.Photo: Kevin Winter (Getty Images) CinemaCon 2024 is upon us. Another chance for Hollywood to show the most important people in their business, the people who own the movie theaters, what they have in store, and how they’re all going to make a lot of money. The annual event kicks off in Las Vegas, NV today and as usual, io9 is on the scene to watch all the presentations, trailers, and more. In the past, CinemaCon is where Sony shared the first footage from Spider-Man: No Way Home, James Cameron revealed he was making five Avatar movies, and Warner Bros. announced The Batman Part II. It’s also the first place footage debuted from modern sci-fi gems like Arrival and The Creator. Basically, it’s a must-follow event in the world of movies. So what does this year have in store? Well, Sony isn’t attending, which is a bummer. No Spider-Man or Madame Web sequel news then. But Universal, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, Disney, and Paramount are all showing up, and though very little has been officially confirmed, here are some things we really, really hope we learn or see at the event. They probably won’t happen, but they could, and we can dream. Source link By Nakisisa George

Paramount Global faces uncertain times with its $16 billion debt and shifting industry dynamics. Amidst various suitors, Skydance emerges as a potential savior, led by CEO David Ellison. His track record and commitment to quality content could be Paramount's best bet for survival. While financial considerations loom, a partnership with Skydance offers hope for navigating industry changes. Paramount's future may rest on Ellison's shoulders, as Shari Redstone considers the studio's legacy and future prospects. Hard to imagine losing another studio with such rich history. #ParamountGlobal #Skydance #DavidEllison #EntertainmentIndustry #FutureOfFilm https://lnkd.in/gTPnZESx

A special committee of the Paramount Global board, charged with evaluating offers for the company, met Saturday morning, though rival bidders for the studio are awaiting word on next steps... Read More At:- https://lnkd.in/earhs8Hv Paramount #globalboard #company #studio #rivalbidders #paramount #news #NewsUpdate #newsfeed #dailynews #IBWNews

MARTIN GROVE'S HOLLYWOOD REPORT FOR 5/19/24: IF looked a little iffy Friday, but strong Saturday matinees for the family appeal comedy starring Ryan Reynolds boosted its opening to $35M.     Hollywood handicappers had been overly exuberant with $40-45M projections, so Saturday morning estimates of $30M made for unhappy headlines. What wasn't taken into account was that families don't go to Friday matinees. They turn up Saturday & Sunday afternoons -- so IF's total could kick up some more when the final numbers are in.   Reynolds' superstar luster and his hard work promoting IF are key factors in getting it open this well and positioning the John Krasinski written & directed film to play into the summer. Paramount's solid marketing campaign also worked to achieve what's a decent launch in a marketplace that will take years to recover from the 2023 strikes the AMPTP allowed to drag on.   Too much has been made of IF's miserable 49% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. What's much more important is RT's audience score of 87%, which indicates favorable word of mouth.     Driven by IF & KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, the overall marketplace, per Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian, totaled $98.989M, up1.6 % from the prior weekend, but down 20% vs. this time last year. Comscore's year to date tally has 2024 at $2.43B, down 21% from $3.08B in 2023. Last weekend, 2024 was down 22% vs. 2023.   Meanwhile, back at the multiplexes: Paramount/Maximum Effort's PG family film IF was #1 with $35M at 4,041 theatres ($8.661). It's done $24M internationally, per Comscore, for a worldwide cume of $59M. IF reportedly cost $110M to produce. It's tracking best for first choice with under-25 women (nine points over norm) and next best with women over 25 (six points over norm).   Disney/20th Century's KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES was #2 in weekend two with $26M (-55%) at 4,075 theatres ($6,380). It reportedly cost $160M to produce and has done $101.2M domestic and $237.5M worldwide.   Lionsgate's R rated horror thriller "THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1" opened #3 to $12M at 2,856 theatres ($4,202). It reportedly cost just $8.5M to produce and is tracking best for first choice with women under 25 (two points over norm). RT critics are a dreadful 14% and audiences are a dead 41%.   As for next weekend's wide releases: WB's R rated sci-fi action adventure FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA could raise boxoffice temps with $40-50M, per analysts, at about 3,700 theatres. RT critics are cheering at 85%. It's tracking best for first choice with men over 25 (five points over norm).   Sony/Alcon Entertainment's PG animated comedy adventure THE GARFIELD MOVIE could do $35M, per Hollywood handicappers, at about 3,700 theatres. RT critics are a blah 73%. It's tracking best for first choice with women under 25 (five points over norm).   #movies #boxoffice #martingrove #if