5 Things Learned at CinemaCon: Fading A-Listers, Killer Comedies, Where Are the Minorities?
April, 18, 2013 7:29 pm | Comments On #CinemaCon, Melissa McCarthy, MoviesCinemaCon, the annual lovefest between movie theater owners and studios, is always rigidly on message. People love the communal movies and the cinemas will never go away, studio chief after studio chief announces with barely a passing mention of the digital upstarts that are endangering the moviegoing experience.
Between the panegyrics and the sizzle reels, the gaudy box office stats and the celebrity appearances, it's easy to detect an industry in transition. From a lack of ethnic and female faces to the rise of a new crop of A-list actors, here are five things that should be on Hollywood's radar after the exhibition trade show.
1. Hollywood Needs More Women and Minorities Stat
The rise of markets such as Brazil and China in recent years has shown Hollywood that catering to the global box office is critically important to the long-term...
Read MoreMelissa McCarthy: Men Who Say Women Aren't Funny Should Get Out Of Their Caves
April, 18, 2013 3:16 pm | Comments On #CinemaCon, funny, Melissa McCarthy, Movies, Sandra Bullock, the heat, WomenMelissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock have a newsflash for comedy misogynists -- women can be funny too.
"When the crazy thing years ago was like, 'Women aren't funny,' I thought, 'What cave do you live in?'" McCarthy said at a press conference Thursday for "The Heat."
The raunchy comedy finds the actresses playing two cops who are equally adept with a foul-mouthed wisecrack and a snub-nosed firearm. It is directed by Paul Feig, who previously guided McCarthy to an Oscar nomination in "Bridesmaids."
Also read:...
Read MoreCinemaCon: Fox Proclaims Itself a 'Dominant Player in Animation'
April, 18, 2013 2:54 pm | Comments On #CinemaCon, Epic, Movies, peanuts, turboFox chairman Jim Gianopulos hailed his studio as the new "dominant player in animation" on Thursday, telling exhibitors that the combination of its in-house animation studio, Blue Sky, and its new distribution partner, DreamWorks Animation, had catapulted Fox to the front of the class.
While Pixar has yet to slip with a single film at the box office, there is no question Fox has staked out a leading position in terms of quantity of successful films. As the Fox chief was quick to point out at CinemaCon, the two most successful animated franchises of all-time, "Ice Age" and "Shrek," now reside under the same roof.
With an eye toward the global box office, the...
CinemaCon: Fox Teases Ben Stiller's Bold 'Secret Life of Walter Mitty'
April, 18, 2013 12:52 pm | Comments On #Ben Stiller, CinemaCon, Kristen Wiig, Movies, sean penn, Secret Life of Walter MittyTwentieth Century Fox stormed the CinemaCon movie convention on Thursday with an extended look at its latest bold, costly, visually arresting gamble, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."
The reimagining of the story of a man living a life of quiet desperation - in this version as a photo archivist for Life Magazine - is directed and produced by Ben Stiller, who also stars in the title role. He escapes from his mundane surroundings through elaborate fantasies that find him doing otherworldly tasks such as working as an ice climber on a glacier.
Even in their unfinished form, the special effects are spectacular.
Despite the successful box office track record of...
Read More'Charlie Brown' to Become Animated 3D Movie From Fox
April, 18, 2013 11:14 am | Comments On #Charlie Brown, CinemaCon, Fox, MoviesCharlie Brown, the beloved comic-book character, will be coming to the bigscreen in a 3D animated version in 2015, 20th Century Fox announced at the CinemaCon movie convention in Las Vegas on Thursday.
The rights to the iconic comic book character have long been unavailable. Charles Schulz, who died in 2000, had always been reluctant to grant movie rights to his characters, and his family has zealously guarded his copyright.
"This will forever change the face of animation," Fox Chairman Jim Gianopulos quipped to the crowd of a few thousand exhibitors, as he unveiled a huge 3D image of Charlie Brown's familiar face -- the first image of the film that's being created by Blue Sky Studios, Fox's animation partner. ...
Read MoreCinemaCon: Sony Takes a Broad Approach to Moviemaking as Rivals Slim Down
April, 17, 2013 10:47 pm | Comments On #After Earth, CinemaCon, Movies, SONY, white house downAt a time when most major studios are winnowing their slates to a handful of big-budget releases, Sony is taking an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to its movie production.
In its presentation to theater owners at the annual CinemaCon movie convention on Wednesday, the studio distinguished itself from competitors with a two-hour presentation that looked at a dozen upcoming releases of all shapes and sizes includiing "White House Down," "Captain Phillips" and "Smurfs 2." The presentation dwarfed those of big-studio competitors like Warner Bros and Disney, at least in terms of quantity if not quality.
It also highlighted the different approaches major Hollywood companies are taking to the challenges of growing their movie businesses when faced with threats from cable television and digital players. Instead, Sony repeatedly touted its...
Read MoreCinemaCon: RealD Unveils a Solution to 3D’s Darkness Problem
April, 17, 2013 6:25 pm | Comments On #Christopher Nolan, CinemaCon, Movies, precision white, RealD, Roger Ebert3D movies just got a whole lot brighter. Real D, a leading licensor of 3D technologies, unveiled its new Precision White Screen technology at CinemaCon on Wednesday in a bid to improve the 3D viewing experience.
RealD CEO and Chairman Michael Lewis deemed it the next step in the premium cinema experience, saying it brings “40 percent more total light than silver.”
Also read: 3D Still A Hit With Foreign Audiences, But Domestically It's a Different Story
When Hollywood first turned to 3D to help improve attendance and charge higher ticket prices, er, to offer customers a better movie experience, many directors, customers and critics...
Read MoreCinemaCon: Disney Promises More 'Star Wars,' 'Pirates of the Caribbean'
April, 17, 2013 2:41 pm | Comments On #Alan Horn, CinemaCon, Movies, Star WarsWalt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn told theater owners Wednesday that the company is focused on developing a slate packed with "Star Wars," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and animated adventures.
Horn said that going forward, Disney will premiere between 14 to 15 films a year. Eight of these films will be big-budget event films like the forthcoming sequels to "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Finding Nemo."
He also had a message for theater owners who are worried that a glut of R-rated movies this winter contributed to a box office slump that saw ticket sales plunge 12 percent.
Horn said that the second the curtain rises and Disney's Magic Kingdom logo appears on screen, audiences will know they're going to see a family movie.
"That's what makes this company so special," Horn said.
Pixar,...
Read MoreCinemaCon: 'Lone Ranger' Footage Wins Over Crowd With Action Mayhem
April, 17, 2013 2:14 pm | Comments On #CinemaCon, Disney, Johnny Depp, Lone Ranger, Movies, tontoWalt Disney Studios screened an action-heavy sneak peek of “The Lone Ranger” at CinemaCon that seemed to grow on theater owners as more and more scenes of cowboy and Indian mayhem unfolded.
At its conclusion, they gave the presentation loud and sustained applause. Their response should quiet some fears about the $215 million production, which has been buffeted by reports of budget overruns and production delays.
The movie is perhaps the biggest question mark of the summer box office. It's difficult to tell if Johnny Depp's star power will be bright enough to outshine a summer overflowing with big-budget sequels.
The footage, featuring a massive train heist and collision, makes clear that Depp's take on the masked avenger's sidekick Tonto will be another installment in his ongoing collection of eccentrics -- a list that already...
Read MoreCinemaCon: How Movie Theaters Can Make More Money - More Opera, Flexible Pricing
April, 17, 2013 1:08 pm | Comments On #Avatar, CinemaCon, metrpolitan opera, Movies, theater ownersMovie theaters owners have gathered in Las Vegas to assess the state of the film business, and during a Wednesday panel a few industry leaders pondered how they can solve an acute problem -- routinely empty seats.
Though movies such as “Avatar” can pack a theater for months, theater owners often grapple with filling theaters that are vacant for more than half the week.
“Monday-to-Thursday, there is almost no one in the theater,” Carmike Cinemas’ chief David Passman said. “It’s a problem we need to solve.”
Also read: Opera, Live Theater Ride to the Rescue of Troubled Multiplexes
During the day, kids are in school, parents are at work and the unemployed are out looking for work. At night,...
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Description
TheWrap at the 2011 CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas
