DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ These 10 retail brands are the fastest growing in the U.S., Yelp says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Chains owned by publicly traded restaurant companies accounted for half of the top 10 fastest-growing retail brands in the U.S. last year, according to a new Yelp report. Of the 50 fastest-growing chains in Yelp's report, 35 were restaurant brands. Jack in the Box, First Watch and Dutch Bros were among the public restaurant chains included in the report, but they didn't crack the top 10. Popeyes' higher sales have encouraged franchisees to open more locations and led new operators to join the brand, Restaurant Brands executives have previously said. In 2023, Popeyes surpassed KFC as the second-most popular chicken chain in the U.S. by sales, trailing only Chick-fil-A.

Persons: Jack, Levi Strauss, Cava CAVA, Cava, Zachary Lucy, Scott Olson, Darden, Yum, Stephanie Dhue, Tim Hortons, Burger King, Randy Risling, Popeyes, Michael Siluk, Freddy's, Kyle Rivas, It's, Justin Sullivan Organizations: Dutch Bros, Publicly, Nordstrom, Costco, New York Stock Exchange, Pacific Coast League, Omaha Storm, Memphis Redbirds, AP, LongHorn, Getty, Darden, steakhouse, Parent, Yum Brands, Taco Bell, KFC, East, CNBC, Wawa, Toronto Star, Brands, Restaurant Brands, UCG, Thompson, Capital Partners, Rally House, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Subs Locations: U.S, Cava, Werner, Omaha , Nebraska, Nebraska, Skokie , Illinois, California, West, Wawa, Bethany Beach , Delaware, Philadelphia, It's, Louisiana, Lansing , Kansas, Kansas City , Missouri, Midwest, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Olive, Lincolnwood , Illinois, Jersey, Petaluma , California

☆ Profit from video games that were turned into movies doubled in 2023. Hollywood wants more.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hollywood is increasingly adapting video games into movies and TV shows. Video game studios are cautious, fearing adaptations could compromise their intellectual properties. But Hollywood has a backup plan: Video games. Ampere found that Hollywood shifted its focus away from comic books in movies and television shows last year in favor of video game adaptations like "The Last of Us." Video game adaptations typically get a bad rap as schlocky retellings, especially from younger gamers.

Persons: —, Ampere, Mario, Barbie, Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore, Helene Juguet, Lance Reddick —, Black —, Strauss Zelnik, Zelnik Organizations: Hollywood, Service, Wall Street, Ampere, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Mario Bros, Guardians, Marvel, Ubisoft Film, Television, Newsweek, Forbes, Miami, Electronic Gaming Association Locations: London, Austin

☆ To stream or not to stream: Hollywood studios could send more films to the big screen as Wall Street pushes for profits
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Since it came out on Jan. 12, the $36 million film has tallied $83 million globally, according to data from Comscore. Low-budget films are typically those that cost under $20 million — films from the horror genre often fall in this category, as well as some independent features. The annual box office those years reached $11.9 billion and $11.4 billion, respectively. Domestic wide releases by year 2017 — 107 wide releases2018 — 112 wide releases2019 — 112 wide releases2020 — 32 wide releases2021 — 67 wide releases2022 — 71 wide releases2023 — 95 wide releases * Wide releases are any films that debut in more than 2,000 locations. Source: ComscoreIn 2023, 95 films had wide releases, 15% fewer titles than pre-pandemic times, and the box office barely surpassed $9 billion.

Persons: Bebe Wood, Renee Rapp, Avantika, Eric Handler, Roth, Paul Dergarabedian, Demeter, — Organizations: Plastics, Paramount Paramount, Paramount, Wall Street, Street, Netflix, Disney, Universal, Warner Bros Locations: Comscore

☆ YouTube megastar MatPat of The Game Theorists is retiring, saying he wants more time with his son
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Game Theorists launched in 2011 with Patrick and his wife Stephanie Patrick. Patrick and Stephanie built up their legacy by playing video games and theorizing about the "lore" behind the story arcs. The couple's son, Ollie, is getting older, and Patrick said he wanted to spend more time with him. There are going to be nine more episodes on The Game Theorists, Patrick said, and he would be continuing to play games on GTLive for "the foreseeable future." Advertisement"As always, my friends remember, it's just a theory — a game theory," he said.

Persons: —, MatPat, Matthew Patrick, Patrick, Stephanie Patrick, Stephanie, Ness, Ollie, Tom Scott's, didn't, Amy, Lee, Patrick said Organizations: Service, YouTube, Business, Theory Media, Media

☆ Hunger Games prequel, 'Napoleon' lead as Thanksgiving box office shows signs of life
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

LionsgateThis year's Thanksgiving box office was both feast and famine for the theatrical industry. Meanwhile, Disney's latest animated feature "Wish," which celebrates the company's 100th anniversary, fell startlingly short of box office expectations, tallying just $31.7 million over its first five days in theaters. "It wouldn't be a holiday box office season without some occasional upsets and this weekend is delivering on that front," said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. Overall, the Thanksgiving box office secured around $172 million, an improvement over the previous three years of pandemic-pressured ticket sales. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, the five-day Thanksgiving spread — consisting of the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through Sunday — had resulted in more than $250 million in ticket sales each year.

Persons: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Coriolanus Snow, Lucy Gray Baird, Napoleon, Disney's, Shawn Robbins, Robbins, — Organizations: SONY, Lionsgate, Sony, Apple, MGM, Warner Bros Locations: Lionsgate's

Neither of the weekend’s top new releases — “Wish” and Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” — could keep up with Lionsgate's “Hunger Games” prequel. With an estimated budget of $200 million, “Napoleon” may still have a long road to reach profitability for Apple, which partnered with Sony to distribute “Napoleon” theatrically. “Wish," at least, is faring better than Disney’s Thanksgiving release last year: 2022's “Strange World" bombed with a five-day $18.9 million opening. Alexander Payne's film starring Paul Giamatti as a boarding school instructor made $3.8 million over the five-day weekend. Ticket sales overall reached $172 million in U.S. and Canada theaters over the five-day holiday weekend, according to Comscore.

Persons: ”, Ridley Scott’s “ Napoleon ” —, Lionsgate's, Panem, Napoleon ”, Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon, Martin Scorsese’s, “ Napoleon ”, “ Ralph, Coco ”, Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Critics weren't, ’, Paul Dergarabedian, We're, “, Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Bradley Cooper's, Maestro ”, Alexander Payne's, Paul Giamatti, Comscore, “ Napoleon, “ Taylor Swift Organizations: Walt Disney Co, Rotten, Apple Studios, Apple, Sony, Disney, Marvel, DreamWorks, Universal Pictures, Amazon, MGM, Netflix, it's, “ Locations: Waterloo, Oxford, Canada

☆ Some Chick-fil-A customers can now skip the drive-thru and have their chicken sandwiches delivered by drone
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Chick-fil-A began testing drone delivery in Texas and North Carolina last year. Retailers and restaurants testing drone service include Walmart, Amazon, and Jersey Mike's. Chick-fil-A restaurants in Granbury, Texas, and Durham, North Carolina, have been testing drone deliveries since September 2022. AdvertisementIn Florida, customers within the restaurant's drone drop zone can order delivery by drone through the Chick-fil-A app. Drone delivery is still experimental in the US but is catching on among top retailers and restaurant chains.

Persons: —, Chick, Cane's, Papa Organizations: Florida . Retailers, Walmart, Amazon, Service, Papa Johns , Jersey Mike's Subs, Cream, Little Caesars, Starbucks Locations: Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Jersey, Brandon, Granbury , Texas, Durham , North Carolina, Virginia Beach , Virginia, Tel Aviv, Papa Johns , Jersey, Little, Southern California, California, California , Texas

☆ Chuck E. Cheese is retiring its robots and it's probably not because of a horror movie
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chuck E. Cheese has officially retired Munch's Make Believe Band. The change was made as part of an update to all Chuck E. Cheese locations. AdvertisementIt's lights out for the unlively characters of Chuck E. Cheese's nostalgic animatronic band, and it probably has nothing to do with "Five Nights at Freddy's." So did Chuck E. Cheese remove the animatronics to avoid scaring the kids? Representatives for Chuck E. Cheese did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Persons: Chuck E, —, WTHR, Chuck, Freddy Fazbear's Organizations: Service, Representatives Locations: Northridge, Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley

☆ Hollywood actors' strike is set to end Thursday after SAG-AFTRA reached a tentative agreement with major studios
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Alison Brower | Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative agreement to end its strike against the Hollywood studios. The strike lasted 118 days, and, along with the Hollywood writers' strike, halted most film and TV production. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, announced Wednesday evening that it had secured a tentative deal with Hollywood studios to end a strike of nearly four months, a spokesperson for the guild confirmed to Insider. The guild's national board will review the tentative deal on Friday, November 10, after which the union said "further details" would be released. While 2023 has seen some box office highs, most notably the summer's Barbenheimer phenomenon, movie theaters, and Hollywood studios are still struggling to recover from the pandemic drop in theatergoing.

Persons: AFTRA, —, Netflix —, Bob Iger, Donna Langley, Ted Sarandos, David Zaslav, Debra Messing, Pedro Pascal — Organizations: Hollywood, Service, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Writers Guild of America, Warner Bros, Disney, Netflix, Discovery, WGA, Apple, Paramount, Sony, Writers Locations: California, Hollywood, —

☆ 'Five Nights at Freddy's' rides PG-13 rating, video game fame to Halloween box office crown
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Mike Calia | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

If anything was going to topple Taylor Swift at the box office, it had to be a killer animatronic bear, right? Swift's "Eras Tour" concert film came second for the weekend, with an estimated $14.7 million, putting its domestic total at $149.3 million. "Five Nights" is also based on a popular horror-survival video game series that gave it a built-in younger audience. That helped it overcome generally awful reviews that left the film with a 26% "rotten" rating on movie-review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Data firm EntTelligence said the movie accounted for 65% of foot traffic to theaters during the weekend.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Chuck E, EntTelligence, Audiences, Emma Tammi's Organizations: Universal, Rotten

Keep reading to see where to watch the Five Nights at Freddy's movie online. Five Nights at Freddy's is best described as the lifelike reimagination of your inner child's worst Chuck E. Cheese nightmare. Where to watch Five Nights at Freddy's onlineFive Nights at Freddy's is streaming through the Peacock app in the United States. How to watch Five Nights at Freddy's with a VPNSign up for a VPN if you don't have one. Watch Five Nights at Freddy's.

Persons: Chuck E, Jason Blum, they've, ExpressVPN, Insider's Organizations: Peacock, animatronics, Universal Pictures Locations: United States

☆ ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ review: Josh Hutcherson stars in another game-to-screen slice of horror
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“Five Nights at Freddy’s” wants to do for animatronic arcade characters what “It” did for clowns. Fleshing that out, the movie begins by quickly indicating why Freddy’s might need a new employee, and why Mike desperately needs a new job. "Five Nights at Freddy's" turns the game into a horror movie. Even so, the net result is another slice of horror that at best feels a little half-baked. “Five Nights at Freddy’s” premieres October 27 in US theaters and on Peacock.

Persons: ”, Scott Cawthon, Emma Tammi, Seth Cuddeback, ” Josh Hutcherson, Chuck, Mike, Piper Rubio, he’s, Patti Perret, Jim Henson’s, tickle, Hutcherson, Rubio, Elizabeth Lail Organizations: Universal Pictures Locations: Peacock

☆ Malawians fear storm Freddy could make deadliest cholera outbreak worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Eldson Chagara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I am fearful of cholera but there is no potable water and I have no option. Malawi seemed to be getting its deadliest cholera outbreak yet under control, with World Health Organization figures showing a decline in cases and deaths, but locals and health experts worry that trend could quickly reverse in Freddy's wake. [1/9] Hendry Keinga reacts after he lost a family member during the Mtauchira village mudslide in the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy in Blantyre, Malawi, March 16, 2023. Malawi has conducted two oral cholera vaccination campaigns, but a global surge in cholera outbreaks has meant vaccines are in short supply. Another Ndirande resident, Francis Moyani, said he was determined to get the cholera vaccine as he was scared of contracting the disease.

☆ Madagascar suspends schools as cyclone Freddy approaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Lovasoa Rabary | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANTANANARIVO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Madagascar's government on Tuesday suspended schools and transport in the path of tropical cyclone Freddy, which was likely to make landfall in the southeast of the country by evening. The cyclone is expected to hit Mananjary district, about 270 km from the capital Antananarivo, with winds of nearly 155 km per hour, Madagascar's meteorological services said. All traffic in cyclone Freddy's projected path was suspended overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, the country's ministry of transport and meteorology said. Cyclone Freddy is expected to make landfall nearly a month after storm Cheneso battered the island nation of 29 million, killing 33 people and forcing thousands from their homes. "It is expected to cause locally devastating winds and a very dangerous sea state near the impact zone in Madagascar," UNOCHA said on Monday.

"A Nightmare on Elm Street" movies can also be rented or purchased from retailers like Amazon. Below, you can find complete details on how to stream, rent, or buy all nine "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies. What's the correct order to watch the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' movies? New Line CinemaThe best way to watch the "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies is in chronological order of release date. The first six "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies are part of a connected series of stories.

Search resuls for: "Freddy's"

15 mentions found