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☆ Crowdfunding Hollywood: How studio Legion M taps fans-turned-investors to make movies
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Emma Mcintyre | Getty ImagesWhen Paul Scanlan and Jeff Annison first dreamed up their production studio, Legion M, they set out to build not just a company, but a community. While crowdfunding is not a new concept, Legion M is taking it to the next level — giving ordinary moviegoers a seat at Hollywood's table. That's what sets Legion M apart. For Legion M's "My Dead Friend Zoe," the company collected funds from Legion M investors and from larger, more traditional Hollywood financiers, including Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce. He said working with Legion M "felt very natural from the first call."

Persons: William Shatner, Emma Mcintyre, Paul Scanlan, Jeff Annison, Jay, Bob, Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Simon Pegg, Minnie Driver, Nandor Fodor, Zach Braff's, Rob Thomas, Veronica Mars, Annison, Zoe, Travis Kelce, Chris Temple, Glauber Contessoto, Zach Ingrasci, Erik Tanner, Frazer Harrison Organizations: Legion, San Diego, Theatre, Business, Amazon Prime, Kansas City Chiefs, Spring Studio, Getty, Angel Studios, Con, Paramount Theater Locations: San Diego , California, Hollywood, New York City, Austin , Texas

“Argylle,” the $200-million star-studded spy thriller from Apple Studios, debuted with $18 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. The first two — Martin Scorsese's “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Ridley Scott's “Napoleon” — could be called successful. Paramount handled “Killers of the Flower Moon,” while Sony steered “Napoleon.”“Argylle," with “Kingsman” director Vaughn at the helm, was made with aspirations of starting a new franchise. On another quiet weekend in cinemas, the rest of ticket sales went mainly to holdovers and awards contenders. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore.

Persons: Apple, “, Matthew Vaughn, Oscar, Martin Scorsese's, Ridley Scott's “ Napoleon ” —, “ Napoleon, ”, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, ” “, Kingsman, Vaughn, Taylor Swift, Swift, Jesus, Wonka, Jefferson's, Jeffrey Wright, Yorgos, Emma Stone, Comscore, “ Wonka, Jake Coyle Organizations: Apple Studios, Apple, Universal Pictures, Paramount, Sony, “, Angel Studios, Warner Bros, MGM

☆ Wall Street is watching for a $10 billion domestic box office in 2026. Disney could get it there
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

While 2024 and 2025 boast franchise-rich movie slates, Wall Street doesn't expect ticket sales to top $10 billion domestically until 2026. The domestic box office has not hit that benchmark since 2019 before the Covid pandemic. When the box office does again surpass that threshold, Disney could be the driving force. After all, the first Avatar generated nearly $800 million at the domestic box office after its release in 2009. Therefore, where industry experts see gaps between major tent poles, there could be smaller-budgeted films that add incremental value to the overall box office.

Persons: it'll, Eric Handler, Roth, snared, Handler, Shawn Robbins, Robbins, Bob Iger, It's, Jonathan Majors, Taylor, it's Organizations: ANGELES, Star Wars, Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Disney Animation, Universal, Paramount, Warner Bros, Hollywood, Angel, AMC, Comcast, CNBC Locations: U.S, Canada, NBCUniversal

☆ ‘The Book of Clarence’ Review: Messiahs Wherever You Look
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Alissa Wilkinson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The subject of a Jesus movie is technically Jesus. Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” paints a heavily Catholic, heavily bloody image of a suffering hero. “The Jesus Film,” produced for evangelistic purposes, takes its text entirely from the biblical account, attempting to render a literalist version of a savior. “The Book of Clarence” is something entirely different than these and dozens of other renderings. As with that series, “The Book of Clarence” is a highly ambitious attempt at relatability, with an added reverence for the old-school “Ben-Hur”-era Hollywood biblical epics.

Persons: Jesus —, —, Mel Gibson’s, Franco Zeffirelli’s “ Jesus of Nazareth ”, “, ”, William Wyler’s “ Ben, Hur, Jesus, Clarence ”, you’ve, “ Ben, Jeymes Samuel Organizations: Angel Studios, CW

☆ From ‘Barbenheimer’ to Taylor Swift, here are the most important films of 2023 and why they worked
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-27 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Hannah Beier | The Washington Post | Getty ImagesCall 2023 an explosive comeback at the box office. Together, those three films contributed more than $1.5 billion to the domestic box office, according to data from Comscore. But in the meantime, here's a look at some of the most important theatrical releases of 2023 — and why they worked. Meanwhile, Disney has seen its animated content lag at the box office in the wake of the pandemic. "His Only Son," a biblical drama released in early 2023, cost $250,000 to make and generated $12.4 million at the box office.

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Hannah Beier, Mario, Comscore, Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan's, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Chris Pratt, Charlie, Luigi, Disney, Kung, Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson's, Buda Mendes, tas23, Swift, Beyoncé, Tim Ballard, Jim Caviezel, Covid, Blumhouse, Cabrini, Saint Francesca Cabrini, Bonhoeffer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Organizations: Washington Post, Getty, Warner Bros, Mario Bros, Universal, Disney, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, Swift, AMC, National Football League, Angel Studios, Century Fox, Roman Catholic, Reich Locations: Somerdale , New Jersey, There's, New York, Universal, Hollywood, Colombia

Her concert picture, “ Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” opened in first place with $21 million in North American ticket sales, according to estimates from AMC Theatres Sunday. The 39-city, 56-show “Renaissance” tour, which kicked off in Stockholm, Sweden in May and ended in Kansas City, Missouri in the fall, made over $500 million and attracted over 2.7 million concertgoers. Toho's 33rd Godzilla film is set in the aftermath of World War II, stars Ryunosuke Kamiki and was directed by Takashi Yamazaki. “Trolls Band Together” landed in fourth place in its third weekend with $7.6 million, bringing its domestic total to $74.8 million. “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” $21 million.

Persons: Beyoncé, ”, Elizabeth Frank, “, John Woo, Paul Dergarabedian, “ Taylor Swift, it’s, Swift, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, EntTelligence, ” Dergarabedian, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Takashi Yamazaki, Koji Ueda, Ridley Scott’s “ Napoleon ”, Joaquin Phoenix, “ Wonka, Comscore, “ Napoleon Organizations: North, AMC Theatres, AMC, Films, Comscore, Netflix, Swift's, Rotten, Toho International, Toho Global, Apple Original, Sony Pictures Locations: U.S, Canada, Stockholm, Sweden, Kansas City , Missouri, Japan

☆ 'Sound of Freedom' studio looks to build on crowdfunding success with new film 'The Shift'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Angel Studios is set to release "The Shift" this Friday. A relative newcomer to Hollywood, Angel Studios uses a Kickstarter-style method of generating funds. "Innovation and outside the box thinking has put Angel Studios on the map. "Sound of Freedom" isn't the only Angel Studios title to exponentially overperform its budget. A crowdfunding campaign in partnership with Angel Studios raised more than $1.2 million for prints and advertising costs.

Persons: Brock Heasley, Neal McDonough, America, Angel, Jim Caviezel, Covid, Paul Dergarabedian, Blumhouse Organizations: Angel, Hollywood, Angel Studios, Warner Bros

☆ 'Sound of Freedom,' hit child-trafficking thriller endorsed by Trump, will stream on Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon Prime Video has secured the rights to one of the hottest box office releases of 2023 — Angel Studios' "Sound of Freedom." Angel Studios calls the model "pay it forward." Angel Studios, which has become known for its faith-based content, has a wide variety of projects on the docket going forward. The studio is set to release a sci-fi thriller called "The Shift" in December and biographical drama "Cabrini" in March. Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated how many "pay it forward" tickets Angel Studios sold for "Sound of Freedom."

Persons: Jim Caviezel, Donald Trump, Cabrini Organizations: Amazon, Angel, Angel Studios, Century Fox, Walt Disney Co Locations: U.S, Colombia, Bedminster , New Jersey

☆ 'Barbie' wins the summer box office, but fall looks gloomy — even with Taylor Swift
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Top summer movies of 2023, domestic Warner Bros.' "Barbie" — $612.3 millionSony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" — $381.2 millionDisney's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. Still, the 2023 summer box office managed to trail pre-pandemic levels by just 5.9%, or a little more than $200 million, according to data from Comscore. "Perhaps the most notable aspect of the summer movie season of '23 was its volatility," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. "Barbie," a partnership between Warner Bros. and Mattel , generated $612.3 million between its July 21 release and Labor Day, representing 15% of the total summer box office. Warner Bros.

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Taylor, Swift, Paul Dergarabedian, Tom Cruise, Indiana Jones, Rebecca Ferguson, Denis Villeneuve's Organizations: Warner Bros, Hollywood, Labor, Guardians, DC, Mattel, Angel Studios Locations: Hollywood, U.S, Canada

☆ Trump-endorsed 'Sound of Freedom' has outgrossed 'Mission: Impossible,' 'The Flash'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Over the last four weeks, Angel Studios' "Sound of Freedom," an indie film that has drawn the support of former President Donald Trump and other conservatives, has captured nearly $150 million in domestic ticket sales. "Sound of Freedom" is also on the heels of Disney's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," which has generated around $167 million in box-office grosses in the U.S. and Canada. "'Sound of Freedom' is a summer movie success story that wasn't even on the radar just a few short weeks ago," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. "Sound of Freedom" wrapped filming in 2018. "'Sound of Freedom' benefitted not only from this but also by providing a non-typical summer style movie experience."

Persons: Donald Trump, Mario Bros, Tom Cruise, Indiana Jones, Shawn Robbins, Paul Dergarabedian, Tim Ballard, Jim Caviezel, Robbins, Trump, Steve Bannon, Trump's, Kari Lake, Jack Posobiec, Kevin McCarthy, Dergarabedian Organizations: Angel Studios, Hollywood, Warner Bros, DC, Century Fox, Walt Disney Co, Comcast, CNBC Locations: U.S, Canada, Hollywood, Colombia, New Jersey, Arizona, Washington, NBCUniversal

☆ The secret to the huge 'Barbenheimer' box office take? FOMO
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Hannah Beier | The Washington Post | Getty Images'At a crossroads'The historic box office combination of Warner Bros.' "Barbie" and Universal's "Oppenheimer" arrived a time when even the most dependable franchise movies have failed to lure in audiences. Together "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" generated $244.5 million during their first three days in theaters — $162 million for "Barbie" and $82.5 million for "Oppenheimer." Adding ticket sales from Paramount's newest "Mission Impossible" film, Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" and Angel Studios' "The Sound of Freedom," the weekend box office topped $311 million, the fourth-highest weekend haul in history. watch nowThe FOMO effect"Barbenheimer's" historic weekend was also fueled by a sense of urgency, which the box office has been lacking in recent months. He noted that both films would have been box office hits regardless, but "the mystique of them opening on the same day elevated their profiles to an entirely new level."

Persons: Oppenheimer, Hannah Beier, , Indiana Jones, Shawn Robbins, Barbie, Robbins, shies Organizations: Colonial Theater, Washington Post, Getty, Warner Bros, Marvel, Angel Studios Locations: Phoenixville , Pennsylvania, ,

☆ Fact Check-No evidence hiccups at Sound of Freedom AMC showings are intentional
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

There is no evidence to claims being shared online about AMC theaters suppressing attendance to the Sound of Freedom film, according to Angel Studios, the film’s distributor, and AMC, a major movie theater chain that broadcast the film. “AMC is trying to sabotage ‘Sound of Freedom,’” reads one post (here). Another says, in part, “AMC Theatres is running The Sound Of Freedom into the ground!” (here). Haters?”Aron updated the number of attendees in another tweet on July 12, 2023, that more than one million had seen the film at AMC theaters (here). AMC theaters was not suppressing attendance to the Sound of Freedom film, according to AMC and Angel Studios.

Persons: ”, Forbes, Adam Aron, ” Aron, Brandon Purdie, “, ” Neal Harmon, Read Organizations: AMC, Angel Studios, ‘, Indiewire, of, Reuters, ” AMC Locations: U.S

☆ ‘Sound of Freedom’ is a box office hit. It has an unusual ticket strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

More than 10 million tickets have been purchased through the app, called Pay It Forward. During the movie’s July 4 opening, “Sound of Freedom” scored $11.5 million from direct box office sales and $2.6 million, or over 20%, from Pay It Forward ticket sales. A spokesperson for Angel Studios told CNN that these posts could be tied to group ticket sales. For individual tickets, Angel Studios’ system creates a code that allows another person to redeem a free ticket directly from theaters. Angel Studios does not release what percentage of ticket sales come from customers buying other people tickets.

Persons: “ Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, ”, Jesus, Angel, Daniel Loria, Jim Caviezel, Donald Trump, Caviezel, Ted Cruz, Ted Cruz of, theatergoers, Loria, Adam Aron, “, Jeff Bock Organizations: New, New York CNN, “, Angel Studios, Angel, ”, Twitter, New York Times, AMC, AMC Theatres, CNN Locations: New York, American, Texas, Ted Cruz of Texas

☆ 'Barbenheimer' tops $235 million in domestic debut, eyes second-highest box office weekend ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"Barbenheimer" exploded over the weekend, generating an estimated $235.5 million in ticket sales and reinvigorating the domestic box office. "It was a truly historic weekend and continues the positive box office momentum of 2023," said Michael O'Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. Some box office analysts project that Monday's official weekend numbers could be quite a bit higher than Sunday's estimates, and push "Barbenheimer" weekend up the charts. The success of "Barbenheimer" comes at a time when the domestic box office has faced some hurdles. They've reignited the summer box office flame, and they've proven that studios can be a little more aggressive with counter-programming strategies in the future."

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Shawn Robbins, Michael O'Leary, O'Leary, Paul Dergarabedian, Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones, Robbins, They've, NBCUniversal Organizations: Marvel, Star Wars, Warner Bros, National Association of Theatre, Rotten, Angel Studios, Comcast, CNBC Locations: Hollywood, NBCUniversal

☆ The box office success of 'Sound of Freedom' — an action film about child trafficking — really shouldn't be a big surprise
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

"Sound of Freedom" is a box-office hit, taking in $90 million since opening July 4. The movie is a huge success for an indie — and there's clearly a market for this kind of content. Movies marketed to conservative Christians have defied expectations and crushed at the box office in the past. The "God's Not Dead" film series has also seen success at the box office since the first movie came out in 2014, raking in $64 million worldwide against a $2 million budget. "Sound of Freedom" has caused controversy, in part because of star Jim Caviezel's ties to QAnon and the questionable figure his character is based on.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jim Caviezel's Organizations: Service, Homeland Security, Office Mojo, Fox News, Angel Studios Locations: Wall, Silicon, Utah, QAnon

☆ Trump to host screening of 'Sound of Freedom,' the divisive anti-child-trafficking hit film
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Former President Donald Trump this month will host a screening of "Sound of Freedom," the surprise hit film about rescuing sex-trafficked children that has been embraced in right-wing circles, his 2024 campaign announced Thursday. "Sound of Freedom" has made more than $53 million as of Wednesday, Deadline reported. Utah-based Angel Studios distributed "Sound of Freedom," selling tickets through an online "pay it forward" campaign. Other conservative outlets have defended the film from its critics, and Ballard has pushed back on those linking it to QAnon. That outlandish right-wing internet conspiracy revolves around the idea that Trump was secretly fighting against shadowy, powerful rings of satanic pedophiles.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Eduardo Verastegui, Ron DeSantis —, DeSantis, Disney, Bob Iger, Jim Caviezel, Indiana Jones, Tim Ballard, Ballard, Caviezel, Mel Gibson's, Steve Bannon Organizations: White House, Prosperity, GOP, Florida Gov, Disney, CNBC, The New York Times, Rotten Tomatoes, Angel Studios, New York Times, Homeland Security, Operation Underground Railroad, Underground Railroad, Trump Locations: Bedminster , New Jersey, Florida, Disney's, Utah, Colombia, Colombian, QAnon

☆ A Film About Child Trafficking Takes on Summer Blockbusters
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Marc Tracy | More About Marc Tracy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Sound of Freedom,” a thriller starring Jim Caviezel as a federal agent who takes on child traffickers, will not be the summer box office’s biggest hit. The film — whose distributor, Angel Studios, has a big success with “The Chosen,” a streaming series about the life of Jesus — was the third most watched film in North America last weekend. Its $19.7 million weekend take was behind only the horror film “Insidious: The Red Door,” which made $33 million in its first weekend, and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which made $27.4 million in its second. “Sound of Freedom” is based on a true story: Caviezel plays Tim Ballard, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security agent who investigated pedophiles. Some critics say the film appeals to the QAnon movement, which posits a false conspiracy theory accusing progressive elites of pedophilia.

Persons: Jim Caviezel, “, Jesus —, Indiana Jones, Caviezel, Tim Ballard, Ballard, Donald J, Trump, Neal Harmon, Angel’s, ” Organizations: Angel Studios, “, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, Operation Underground Railroad, Fox News, Guardian Locations: North America

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