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“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

☆ Facebook is still thriving 20 years later. Here’s how
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Twenty years after its launch, social media giant Facebook continues to show unprecedented staying power after burying early competitors like MySpace and Friendster and establishing a distinct foothold in the burgeoning social media landscape. Daniel Acker/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesStrong social connection was the linchpin of Facebook, differentiating it from other primordial social media sites. MySpace’s monthly active users had trickled down to an estimated 35 million in mid-2011, according to a Comscore report at the time. In contrast, by September of that year, Facebook was seeing almost 800 million monthly active users. In April 2012, the company acquired photo-centric social media platform Instagram for about $1 billion.

Persons: Harvard University undergrad, Mark Zuckerberg, “, ”, Pablo Boczkowski, alums, ” Zuckerberg, Daniel Acker, Justin Timberlake, Friendster’s, Friendster, Boczkowski, Meta’s, ” Boczkowski, WhatsApp, Meta Organizations: New, New York CNN, Harvard University, Facebook, Communication Studies, Northwestern University, Harvard, New York Times, Bloomberg, Getty, MySpace, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Google, Meta, Inc, “, TikTok, Twitter Locations: New York, Zurich, India, Brazil, Argentina, Italy

☆ 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

☆ Best-picture Oscar nominees 'Barbenheimer' account for 88% of the slate's box-office haul
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's no surprise that Warner Bros.' "Barbie" and Universal's "Oppenheimer" were among the 10 best-picture nominees announced Tuesday for this year's Academy Awards ceremony. The duo exploded into cinemas in July, generating big box-office bucks and enchanting critics and audiences alike. Helmed by academy darlings Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan, respectively, the dichotomous films have been on Oscar prediction lists for months. Although Gerwig missed out on a best director nomination, both filmmakers received nods for their screenplays. Best Picture nominees for the 2024 Academy Awards "American Fiction" (MGM/Amazon)"Anatomy of a Fall" (Neon)"Barbie" (Warner Bros.

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Hannah Beier, It's, Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan, Gerwig, Maestro, Read Organizations: Washington Post, Warner Bros, year's, Paramount, Searchlight, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Disney Locations: Somerdale , New Jersey

With a dearth of new releases in cinemas, Paramount Pictures' Tina Fey-scripted musical “Mean Girls” pushed its two-week total past $50 million, along with $16.2 million internationally. The top 10 films collectively accounted for just $51.3 million in box office, according to Comscore. The Jason Statham thriller “The Beekeeper,” from Amazon MGM Studios, remained in second place, grossing $8.5 million in its second weekend to bring its total to $31.1 million. Warner Bros. “Wonka,” six weeks into its smash run in theaters, was third, with $6.4 million in ticket sales. In its fourth week of release, the Blitz Bazawule-directed film starring Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson and Danielle Brooks, grossed just $720,000.

Persons: Oscar, Tina Fey, it's, Ariana DeBose, Jason Statham, “ Wonka, It's, Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Bridget Jones's Baby, Ava DuVernay's “, Aunjanue Ellis, Taylor, Isabel Wilkerson, Yorgos, Emma Stone, Cord Jefferson's, ”, Jeffrey Wright, Jonathan Glazer’s, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P, Henson, Danielle Brooks, Comscore, “ I.S.S Organizations: Paramount Pictures, U.S, Bleecker, Audiences, Hollywood, Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, Searchlight, Globe Locations: Russia

☆ 'Mean Girls' is the Queen Bee of the box office, opens to $28 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bebe Wood, Renee Rapp and Avantika Vandanapu star as The Plastics in the 2024 adaptation of "Mean Girls." Paramount's "Mean Girls," a musical film adaptation of the Broadway show and beloved 2004 film of the same name, opened to an estimated $28 million at the domestic box office, on its way to a $32 million take for the holiday weekend. "The success of Mean Girls this weekend is a case study in nostalgia successfully paired with a fresh and modern hook for today's female audience," said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. In fact, the biggest percentage of ticket sales were for those aged 26 to 35, who accounted for 34% of all opening weekend ticket sales. Mean Girls is truly an [intellectual property] that's evolved into a multi-threat pop culture standout."

Persons: Bebe Wood, Renee Rapp, Avantika, Glen Coco, Lindsay Lohan, Paul Dergarabedian, Tina Fey's, Shawn Robbins, Steve Buck, Gen, BoxOffice.com's Robbins Organizations: Plastics, Paramount, Warner Bros Locations: Hollywood

☆ Here's what Wall Street wants to see from Hollywood this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

But Wall Street is worried that hero may never come for Hollywood. Yet, Wall Street still isn't satisfied. Warner Bros. Wall Street wants a solution, or, at the very least, a company to set the stage for a potential solution. watch nowConsider M&A difficultiesMergers and acquisitions present another path to a bigger bundle, but Wall Street isn't sure there will be a big deal in 2024.

Persons: Doug Creutz, Creutz, Michael Nathanson, MoffettNathanson, Rafael Henrique, Lightrocket, Nathanson, Shari Redstone, David Zaslav, Bob Bakish, Barbie Organizations: Getty, Hollywood, Disney, Warner Bros, Discovery, Comcast, Paramount Global, Netflix, Companies, Warner Bros . Discovery, Paramount, Cowen, Century Fox, Amusements, Comcast's, Universal

The Messenger, the struggling news media startup co-founded by publishing veteran Jimmy Finkelstein, is urging potential investors to make a long-shot bet on a dramatic rebound in advertising this year. CNBC has obtained an investor deck The Messenger was using as recently as late December to entice potential individuals or companies to infuse it with $20 million. The Messenger ended 2023 with a net loss of $43 million, according to the documents. Comscore latest numbers show that we generated 88 million page views in November, and Google Analytics shows that we generated 100 million page views in December. Our traffic is growing at 30% a month, already putting us ahead of many major news publications," the company spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.

Persons: Jimmy Finkelstein Organizations: CNBC, The New York Times, Google Analytics

☆ How Disney made Star Wars the top film franchise of 2023 without a theatrical release
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-30 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Sunset Boulevard | Corbis Historical | Getty ImagesThe Force remains strong with the Star Wars franchise. Despite not releasing a theatrical film since 2019, Star Wars has been named the top film franchise of 2023 by Fandom, the world's largest platform for entertainment fans. In between each film in the sequel trilogy, Disney released a film that harkened back to an important plot point from past Star Wars films. "At the time, Disney's strategy was to essentially release one new Star Wars film theatrically each year," said Peter Csathy, founder and chair of advisory firm Creative Media. Rebuilding an empireDisney isn't set to release another Star Wars film in cinemas until 2026.

Persons: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Georges Lucas, Paul Dergarabedian, Star Wars Disney Harry Potter, James Bond, Disney, Harry Potter, Kylo Ren, Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, —, Princess Leia, Han, Peter Csathy, Csathy, Boba Fett, Rosario Dawson, Tano, Ahsoka, Count Dooku, Stephanie Fried, Diego Luna, Cassian Andor, Alan Tudyk Organizations: Star Wars, Star, Disney, Comscore, Star Wars Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros, DC Studios, Lucasfilm, Wars, Creative Media, Lucasfilm Disney Locations: Florida

☆ 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

☆ 'The Color Purple' wins the holiday box office with second-highest Christmas debut of all time
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-26 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

With $18.15 million in box office receipts, the studio's newest film "The Color Purple" had the highest Christmas Day opening since 2009 and the second-largest Christmas Day opening of all time. It was a very Merry Christmas for Warner Bros. Adding ticket sales from "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" and "Wonka," Warner Bros. Discovery held the top three spots at the box office over the holiday. Warner Bros.' collection of December releases runs the spectrum of genres and demographics, offering a diverse slate of entertainment for almost every moviegoing audience.

Persons: Sherlock Holmes, Wonka, Paul Dergarabedian, Oprah, Steven Spielberg Organizations: Warner Bros ., Warner Bros, Discovery

☆ 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' has fourth-lowest opening in DCEU franchise history
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-24 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The weekend performance of "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" is on par with Warner Bros.' DC franchise in recent years. "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" dog-paddled to a $28.1 million domestic opening, the fourth-lowest in the history of the DC Extended Universe. "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" added $80.1 million from international ticket sales Friday through Sunday, bringing its total expected global take to $120 million (including the domestic Christmas expectations for Monday). The first "Aquaman" also benefited from international ticket sales back in 2018. Fury of the Gods," "Blue Beetle," "The Flash" and "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" — all released after the announcement — would have no connection to future DC projects and were not must-see theatrical experiences.

Persons: Adam, Jason Momoa's, James Gunn, Peter Safran, Paul Dergarabedian Organizations: Warner Bros, DC, Warner Bros . Discovery, DC Studios Locations: Canada

☆ These 3 stocks could rally by another 50%, analysts say, despite big jumps this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Three stocks — Liberty Broadband , U.K.'s BT Group and JD Sports Fashion — have risen by double-digit percentages this year. Liberty Broadband Liberty Broadband is a telecommunication holding company that has an ownership interest in Charter Communications, the second-largest cable operator in the United States. The consensus price target of analysts polled by FactSet points to a 55% upside potential for Liberty Broadband shares from the current share price of $82. Deutsche Bank views Liberty Broadband as an attractive way to invest in Charter, estimating it trades at a 32% discount to net asset value (NAV). BT.A-GB YTD line Their price target of 220 pence implies an additional 79% share price increase over the next year from the current share price of 123 pence.

Persons: FactSet, Bryan Kraft, Benjamin Soff, Morgan Stanley, Openreach, Terence Tsui, Kate Calvert, Calvert, JD, Michael Bloom Organizations: Liberty Broadband, BT Group, JD, Wall, CNBC Pro, CNBC Pro Stock, Liberty Broadband Liberty Broadband, Charter Communications, Deutsche Bank, CHTR, BT, JD Sports, North America, Dick's Sporting Goods Locations: United States, Alaska, U.K, BT.A, Europe, North, Derby, Heerlen, Netherlands, U.S

☆ 'Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce' tops box office
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 4 (Reuters) - "Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce" premiered at the top of the U.S. box office, raking in $21.8 million during the typically anemic first weekend of December, according to research firm Comscore. Beyonce Knowles' concert film marked the first time a movie crossed the $20 million mark on this weekend since the 2003 movie "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise, Comscore said. Live Nation reported that the superstar’s 56-stop Renaissance World Tour earned more than $579 million worldwide - a hot ticket that economists say may have fanned inflation in Europe. In addition to the concert scenes, the film gave a rare glimpse at how Beyonce grapples with stardom and motherhood. Although "Renaissance's" box office fell short of Swift's $96 million opening weekend, Comscore's Dergarabedian said the result will likely be the same.

Persons: Beyonce, Mario Anzuoni, Beyonce Knowles, Tom Cruise, Comscore, Paul Dergarabedian, Taylor, Comscore's Dergarabedian, Dawn Chmielewski, Kat Stafford, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Labor, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, New York

☆ Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ tops the box office with $21 million opening
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Beyoncé was crowned “queen of the box office” after her concert movie topped the box office in its opening weekend. “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” a documentary about the artist’s record-breaking world tour, raked in $21 million since its Friday opening, according to BoxOfficeMojo. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” placed second, grossing $14.5 million and “Godzilla Minus One” debuted with an $11 million opening. Notably, “Renaissance” became the first film in two decades to cross the $20 million benchmark for its opening weekend following Thanksgiving, a typically sluggish one. So far this year, domestic theaters have grossed $8.26 billion, about $740 million shy of the $9 billion plus expected for the full year.

Persons: New York CNN — Beyoncé, Beyoncé, ”, Tom Cruise’s “, Taylor Swift, Novembers, – CNN’s Leah Asmelash, Eva Rothenberg Organizations: New, New York CNN, AMC Theatres, AMC, SAG Locations: New York, Hollywood

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

☆ Hollywood box office sales slump in November
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Movie theaters slumped into a “Slow-vember,” say industry analysts, as several of the season’s most anticipated movies drew underwhelming box office sales last month. Domestic theaters grossed about $553.6 million this November, a 12% decline from last year and still more than $400 million short of pre-pandemic levels, according to data from research firm Comscore. Between 2009 and 2019, Novembers were a reliably lucrative month and could be counted on to rake in nearly a billion dollars, owing in part to the long Thanksgiving weekend. It was also surpassed by “The Hunger Games,” which was the top movie over Thanksgiving weekend, grossing $42 million. December could see a similar slump, according to Robbins, given the “Ghostbusters” sequel has been delayed until next year and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” will likely not live up to the first movie’s box office revenue.

Persons: Novembers, “, ”, Paul Dergarabedian, ” “, Shawn Robbins, Robbins, Marvel’s, Mockingjay, Jennifer Lawrence’s Organizations: CNN, Marvel, Box, SAG

☆ '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

☆ Disney's 'Wish' disappoints during Thanksgiving, extending an animation box office rut
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Its latest animated feature "Wish," billed as a celebration of 100 years of storytelling, fumbled at the box office during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It tallied just $31.6 million over the five-day period, far below box office analysts' expectations of between $45 million and $55 million. It's historically rare for Disney to lag at the Thanksgiving box office. The company has for more than a decade released top-grossing animated films during the Wednesday-to-Sunday frame and even set records for highest-grossing openings for films released on Thanksgiving. The underperformance of "Wish" extends an unfortunate pattern for the company, which operates two animation studios — Walt Disney Animation and Pixar.

Persons: Napoleon, Ridley Scott, it's, Paul Dergarabedian Organizations: Apple, Disney, Walt Disney Animation, Pixar

☆ 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

☆ Disney used to own the Thanksgiving box office. 'Wish' is trying to win it back
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

However, in the wake of the Covid pandemic, the box office has struggled to regain its foothold on the Thanksgiving holiday. "Thanksgiving films in this movie marketplace must rely more heavily on December moviegoing to determine their ultimate box office fate." Box office analysts often disregard 2020's $21.4 million Thanksgiving haul, as few theaters were open and there were few films to watch. Not to mention, box office expectations have not been particularly accurate this year. Trouble in the Magic Kingdom"Wish" has a lot riding on its opening weekend, as Disney looks to rebound from a slew of box office letdowns.

Persons: Ariana DeBose, Asha, Paul Dergarabedian, moviegoing, Ralph, Coco, TriStar's Eli Roth, Napoleon, Taylor, Shawn Robbins, Mario Organizations: Disney, BoxOffice.com, Mario Bros, Sony

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” topped the North American box office in its first weekend in theaters with $44 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” is an interesting case study for a franchise that’s been dormant for 8 years and is testing the waters for a new era. Its $44 million from 3,776 locations, including 1,610 premium screens, marks a low for films carrying “The Hunger Games” in the title. With an added $54.5 million from 87 international markets, the film has already earned $98.5 million out of the gates. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” $44 million.

Persons: ”, Jennifer Lawrence, Katniss Everdeen, Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Adam Fogelson, Suzanne Collins, Collins, Coriolanus Snow, Paul Dergarabedian, “, Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Eli Roth, Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Michael Fassbender, Taika Waititi, Paul Giamatti, “ Priscilla, Sofia Coppola, Disney's, ” Ridley, Napoleon ”, ” Dergarabedian, Comscore, “ Taylor Swift Organizations: American, Lionsgate, Rotten, SAG, Universal, DreamWorks Animation, Marvel, TriStar Pictures, Spyglass Media, Walt Disney Co, Searchlight Pictures, Toronto Film Locations: Germany, Plymouth , Massachusetts

☆ Putin’s brutal war on Ukraine vanishes from news coverage amid raging conflict in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In the days before the Israel-Hamas war, the battle in Ukraine amounted to about eight percent of CNN’s television coverage. After the attacks, CNN —the cable news network that provided the most Ukraine coverage — fell to under one percent. The noted drop in Ukraine war coverage from the press, given the fresh violence in the Middle East, is not completely surprising. As Kolbe told me, “Putin’s media campaign to paint Ukraine as divided, corrupt, and a puppet of the U.S. and NATO, is a central part” of his strategy. The lack of press attention makes that all the more easier.

Persons: It’s, Vladimir Putin’s, —, ensnared Washington, Donald Trump’s, Putin, Paul Kolbe, “, ”, Russia “, ” Kolbe, Kolbe Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, Internet Television, GDELT, Belfer Center for Science, International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, Central Intelligence Agency, Hamas, U.S, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Israel, Maine, Russian, ”, Russia, Ukraine wanes, NATO

☆ Disney's box office problems ramp up pressure on CEO Bob Iger and studio chief Alan Bergman
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It's rare for Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger to acknowledge his company has had creative missteps. At the time, Disney's animation and live-action studio divisions had struggled with a string of failed movies, including including "The Alamo," and "Home on the Range" and "Pooh's Heffalump Movie." He also acquired Pixar, giving Disney an immediate infusion of quality movies and a brand of storytelling that rubbed off on Disney's traditional animation studio. In 2006, acquiring Pixar quickly improved Disney's film quality and box office results. Iger noted the Disney animation studio's next release, "Wish," which stars Ariana DeBose and debuts in theaters on Wednesday, could begin a run of sustainable hits for Disney.

Persons: Bob Iger, it's, I've, Iger, —, Alan Bergman, Ariana DeBose, Ralph, Coco Organizations: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star, Trian Partners Locations: Comscore

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