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☆ Lebanon approves 'Barbie' film for release after bid to ban it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A boy stands near an advertising billboard of the movie 'Barbie' at a cinema theatre, as Lebanon approved the film to be screened in cinemas following an initial attempt to ban it, in Beirut, Lebanon September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi Acquire Licensing RightsBEIRUT, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Lebanon on Friday approved the "Barbie" film to be screened in cinemas following an initial attempt to ban it by its culture minister over claims it contradicts conservative values. Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi in turn asked General Security's censorship committee to review the film and give its recommendation. Kuwait has banned "Barbie" and supernatural horror film "Talk to Me" to protect "public ethics and social traditions", the state news agency said last month. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, the movie sends Mattel Inc's (MAT.O) Barbie doll on an adventure into the real world.

Persons: Emilie Madi, Mohammad Mortada, Bassam Mawlawi, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, Ken, Mattel, Nour Hajjar, Maya Gebeily, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, General Security, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Beirut, Rights BEIRUT, Kuwait, Lebanese

Discovery, was among the Western studios to pull out of Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. A “Barbie House” photo zone was set to open in Moscow last week and Russian clothing brands have launched pink Barbie-themed collections. “Hi Barbie!” one Moscow-based influencer said to her fans, asking them which of her Barbie looks they like the most. Commentaries in state media have linked the movie and the doll to the United States’ “downhill” culture and geopolitical aims. Now they have somewhat different ideals,” said Moscow State Pedagogical University Associate Professor Tatyana Semenova according to Russia’s privately owned National News Service outlet.

Persons: Barbie ”, Barbiemania, “ Barbie, hasn’t, ”, Barbie, Bulkin Sergey, “, influencer, Specialnaya, doesn’t, Dmitry Kosyrev, –, Maria Butina, Butina, Tatyana Butskaya, Barbie don’t, Tatyana Semenova Organizations: CNN, Warner Bros, Russia Russia’s Ministry of Culture, Warner Bros Discovery, RIA Novosti, Press, Moscow, Mattel, Hollywood, Duma, International Affairs, State, State Duma, Moscow State Pedagogical University, National News Service Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russia Russia’s, Siberian, Tyumen, Moscow, Russian, EU, United States, Asia, South, Vietnam, United Russia

☆ "Barbenheimer" makes waves for July's movie spending, but box office recovery still lags
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Amina Niasse | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 31 (Reuters) - "Barbenheimer" - the twin-bill summer box office phenom - sure helped to drive U.S. consumers back to cinemas last month, but movie-going is still struggling to catch up to other recreational spending categories post-pandemic. While that helped long-suffering box office receipts, it made less of a splash for overall consumer spending when compared to larger categories like clothing and household furnishings, economists at Oxford Economics said. It made a big difference in the live-event spending area though, at least for the moment. This summer’s box office has been out of the ordinary with ticket sales for the season up $500 million from last summer’s sales, according to data firm Box Office Mojo. While other categories of live-event spending have fully recovered from the hit delivered by pandemic shutdowns, film attendance outlays remain at roughly 65% of their pre-COVID levels.

Persons: Mike Blake, Oppenheimer, Michael Pearce, Taylor, Amina Niasse, Dan Burns, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, Commerce Department, Warner Bros, Oxford Economics, Graphics, Mojo, Sporting, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Gillette, Billboard, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Massachusetts

☆ Taylor Swift's concert film headed to movie theaters
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO-Taylor Swift performs during the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert at Madison Square Garden in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., December 13, 2019. "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" will play in cinemas in North America starting Oct. 13, the "Anti-Hero" singer announced on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. "The Eras Tour has been the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far and I'm overjoyed to tell you that it’ll be coming to the big screen soon," Swift said. Adult tickets for Swift's documentary cost $19.89 each, a nod to Swift's "1989" album, and children's tickets will cost $13.13. Reporting by Lisa Richwine; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Caitlin Ochs, it’ll, Swift, Lisa Richwine, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Madison, REUTERS, AMC Entertainment, Warner Bros, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, North America, Hollywood

☆ 'This is my world': Russia's top Barbie fan sees herself in movie
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MOSCOW, Aug 25 (Reuters) - As the proud owner of 12,000 Barbie dolls, Russian collector Tatiana Tuzova was more excited than most to watch the Hollywood movie based on her idol. "I want everything in the real world to be as bright, beautiful and glamorous (as Barbie Land). But when you're out in the real world, there are so many things missing." She said she liked the fact that the Barbie heroine of the film remained true to herself even when she crossed into the real world. She just adapted, let's say, to the real world - as, in general, I did."

Persons: Barbie, Tatiana Tuzova, Maxim Shemetov, Margot Robbie, Tuzova, didn't, Mark Trevelyan, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Army, Air Force, Thomson Locations: Krasnogorsk, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, MOSCOW

☆ 'Barbenheimer', rains in Northern Europe spur Kinepolis sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Olivier Sorgho | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Belgian cinema operator Kinepolis (KIPO.BR) said on Thursday July was one of its best months in terms of sales as blockbuster films "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer", along with rainy weather in Northern Europe, lured people into cinemas. "Here in... Northern Europe, we essentially had in the month of July good cinema weather, meaning a lot of rain," Duquenne said. Duquenne said that in Spain, where Kinepolis owns 10 cinema complexes, people "often come to the cinemas because we do have air conditioning". On Thursday, Kinepolis posted record half-year sales, as attendance at its cinemas grew 22.8% year-on-year to 16.8 million visitors. That figure still fell short of pre-pandemic levels, standing at 74.8% of the attendance in the first half of 2019, excluding the cinemas Kinepolis took over and inaugurated.

Persons: Oppenheimer, Eddy Duquenne, Mario, Barbie, Duquenne, Kinepolis, Olivier Sorgho, Devika Organizations: Mario Bros, Thomson Locations: Belgian, Northern Europe, ., Belgium, Netherlands, United States, Spain

GAZA, Aug 16 (Reuters) - With car tyres, rocks and mounds of sand as seats, Palestinians of all ages have been enjoying a rare trip to the movies at a big-screen event on the Gaza beachfront. Hosted by "The Sea is Ours" cafe, the screenings were designed to promote issues of culture and history approved by the conservative Islamist Hamas government. "We can get movies on mobile phones, but this is something new and is nice," said 15-year-old Hadeel Hejji. Ali Mhana, 35, the cafe owner and local playwright, said he had never been to a regular cinema. People are here all the time, including children, who get attracted by the sound and image and come to watch the movies," Mhana said.

Persons: Ferdinand, Mohammad Zidan, lolled, Hejji, Ali Mhana, Mhana, Nidal Almughrabi, Alison Williams Organizations: Thomson Locations: GAZA, Gaza

☆ Algeria bans 'Barbie' movie, media and official source say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Margot Robbie attends the European premiere of "Barbie" in London, Britain July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska/File PhotoALGIERS, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Algeria has banned the movie "Barbie," which had been showing at some cinemas in the country for several weeks, an official source and the local 24H Algerie news site said on Monday. The official source said the film "promotes homosexuality and other Western deviances" and that it "does not comply with Algeria's religious and cultural beliefs." Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, the movie sends Mattel Inc's (MAT.O) doll on an adventure into the real world. Reporting by Lamine Chikhi, writing by Angus McDowall, editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Margot Robbie, Maja Smiejkowska, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, Ken, Mattel, Lamine Chikhi, Angus McDowall, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Ministry, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, ALGIERS, Algeria, Algerie, Lebanon, Kuwait

☆ Opinion: The shattering aftermath in Maui
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —The Polynesian demigod Maui was so powerful he could raise islands up from the ocean floor and capture the sun to slow it down. We know Lahaina will be rebuilt, and the government response — city, state and federal — will be a huge part of that. “You can beat the drum of ‘women’s rights’ and defend tooth-and-nail women’s sports, so long as you only do so to denigrate trans women.”For more on the World Cup:Shaista Aziz: This Women’s World Cup has been unlike any other. That’s a great thingAmy Bass: The US loss at the Women’s World Cup sends a clear messageBill Bramhall/Tribune Content AgencyLet’s make a deal? In a country where federal prosecutors overwhelmingly win their cases, Trump’s odds of going to trial and winning both federal cases are slim — and he may face similarly daunting odds in the other cases.

Persons: Bill Weir, Jeff Melichar, ” Clay Jones, Melichar, “, Shaw, Naka Nathaniel, Kaua’i “, ”, ALICE, Lawrence Downes, ” Drew Sheneman, Peter Bergen, Laura Tillman, ” “, David Petraeus, ” Bergen, Tillman, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden’s, ” Mary Ziegler, ” Ziegler, Roe, Patrick T, Brown, Wade, Kevin McCarthy, Biden, “ Biden, Julian Zelizer, ” Dana Summers, Donald Trump, Podcaster Megyn Kelly, “ I’m, Nicole Hemmer, Megan “ Rapinoe, Kelly, Shaista Aziz, Amy Bass, Bill Bramhall, Will Handelsman, it’s, Trump, William D, Cohan, Puck, David Rubenstein, Scott Galloway, Jill Filipovic, “ Trump, Galloway, pardoning, ” Filipovic, …, Jesus, Kelli Rhee, Rhee, ” Don’t, Drew Sheneman, Agency Brian Elmore, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Adam Kinzinger, Ukraine Aanchal Saraf, Rebecca H, Oppenheimer’s, Joseph, I’ll, Neil J, Holly Thomas, Sara Stewart, “ Oppenheimer, Christopher, “ Barbie, “ Barbie ”, ” Stewart Organizations: CNN, Coast Guard, Honolulu Civil, ‘, Aloha, New York Times, …, Agency, UN, Republican, GOP, ”, Republicans, Democratic, Federal, FIFA, US, National Soccer Team, New York University, Trump, Arnold Ventures, Ukraine Aanchal, Warner Bros . Locations: Maui, Lahaina, Hawaii, Naka, Hilo, Kaua’i, Afghanistan, Afghanistan’s, Kabul, Ohio, California , Vermont, Michigan, Georgia, Trump, Ukraine

In fact, they were the real-life celebrations of thousands of cinema fans in South India as they welcomed the latest film release by one of the country’s biggest superstars. Fans dance during the screening of Indian actor Rajinikanth's new Tamil-language movie 'Jailer' on the first day of its release in Mumbai on August 10. Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty ImagesA cult-like followingRajinikanth, 72, who has starred in more than 160 movies, is near synonymous with South Indian cinema. Its release day became an unofficial public holiday for many with several companies in the cities of Bengaluru and Chennai giving their employees a day off to watch the film. One of the biggest South Indian hits last year, “RRR,” made history by scooping its first Oscar for the best original song, “Naatu Naatu.”Video Ad Feedback This Indian film is nominated for an Oscar.

Persons: ”, Rajinikanth, Rajinikanth's, Punit Paranjpe, Tom Cruise, Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, jubilation, John Lennon, Padma Bhushan, Vibhushan, India’s, Kollywood ”, “, Oscar, M.M, Keeravani Organizations: CNN, Redbooks, Le, Getty, Padma, Confederation of Indian Industry, Globe, Carpenters, The Carpenters Locations: South India, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Mumbai, AFP, Bengaluru, Chennai

☆ Film festival brings the world to Kosovo
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Fatos Bytyci | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Spectators watch a movie in an open-air cinema on a medieval fortress during Dokufest documentary and film festival in Prizren, Kosovo August 9, 2023. REUTERS/Fatos BytyciPRIZREN, Kosovo, Aug 11 (Reuters) - The medieval fortress overlooking the southern Kosovo town of Prizren is one of the striking venues for Dokufest, a film festival that has become one of the Balkan country's biggest cultural events. "In the absence of us not being able to travel abroad we brought the world here with people, films, possibilities, friendship." And with Kosovo only recognised by around 110 other countries, their passport is among the weakest in the world. "We do something so real and on the ground and genuine like I make a personal film about my mother.

Persons: Sinan Pasha, Dokufest, Veton Nurkollari, Jude Chehab, Chehab, Fatos Bytyci, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Dokufest, Balkan, Thomson Locations: Prizren, Kosovo, Fatos, PRIZREN, Serbia, Colombia, Tanzania, Britain, Canada, United States, Lebanese, American

CNN —Authorities in Lebanon moved to ban the “Barbie” movie from cinemas on Wednesday, saying it promotes homosexuality and violates the nation’s values. The minister said the movie also “promotes sexual deviance and transsexuality,” by Lebanese state-run media on Wednesday. “Sexual deviance” is a term commonly used in the Middle East to refer to homosexuals. The ban comes amid heightened anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by some politicians and government officials in Lebanon and the wider Middle East. He referred to homosexuality as “sexual perversion” and identified same-sex relations as a “threat” to Lebanon.

Persons: Barbie, Mohammad Mortada, ”, Hassan Nasrallah, Hussain bin Ali, Prophet Mohammed’s, Nasrallah, “ Barbie ” Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Rights Watch Locations: Lebanon, ”, Lebanese, East, Kuwait, Iraq, Denmark, Sweden, Vietnam, South China

☆ Australia Women's World Cup: After Barbie, the Matildas became the new heroes in cleats
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But now, seemingly in the blink of an eye, we’re all wearing green and gold for our newest heroes, Australia’s Women’s World Cup hopefuls, the Matildas. Sam Kerr takes the ball during a FIFA World Cup 2023 round of 16 match between Australia and Denmark at Stadium Australia on August 7. “A lot of people just frankly don’t want to believe women’s sport is doing well,” Lassey told CNN. Football Australia said part of the rationale for bringing the Women’s World Cup to Australia was to use it to grow the women’s game – backed by a 357 million Australian dollar ($232 million) FIFA legacy fund. Argus says the World Cup is a turning point for women’s sport because the turnout and viewing numbers have proven that there’s an enthusiastic audience.

Persons: Barbie, Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig, Australia’s, they’ve, Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso, Daniela Porcelli, “, ”, Jackie Schougaard, Alfred Hotel, “ Everyone’s, It’s, Jason Lassey, –, ” Lassey, Matildas, —, “ I’m, Hannah Mckay, Bruce McAvaney, I’m, Maddie Meyer, Kevin Argus, ” Argus, we’ve, Lassey, We’re, Robbie, Gerwig, Barbie ”, ” Gerwig Organizations: Australia CNN, Neighbours, Hollywood, Chelsea, FIFA, Stadium Australia, France, Brisbane, Caxton, Footy Industry, –, AFL, Australian Football League, CNN, Denmark, Sydney, Football Australia, team, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, RMIT, Socceroos, ”, “, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Denmark, Melbourne

☆ Lebanon moves to ban 'Barbie' film for 'promoting homosexuality'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Lebanon's culture minister moved to ban the film "Barbie" from cinemas on Wednesday, saying it "promotes homosexuality" and contradicts religious values. Mortada's decision said the film was found to "promote homosexuality and sexual transformation" and "contradicts values of faith and morality" by diminishing the importance of the family unit. Lebanon was the first Arab country to hold a gay pride week in 2017 and has generally been seen as a safe haven for the LGBT community in the broadly conservative Middle East. Mawlawi last year took a decision to ban events "promoting sexual perversion" in Lebanon, understood to refer to LGBT-friendly gatherings. In a speech last month, Nasrallah called on Lebanese authorities to take action against materials he deemed to be promoting homosexuality, including by "banning" them.

Persons: Mohammad Mortada, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Mortada's, Bassam Mawlawi, Mawlawi, Nasrallah, Lebanon's, Bechara Boutros, Rai, Ayman Mhanna, Samir Kassir, Mhanna, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, Ken, Mattel, Laila Bassam, Gebeily, Toby Chopra, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hezbollah, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BEIRUT, Lebanon

☆ Record temperatures, plus Barbie, help to drive record movie box office
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Ellie Stevens | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Advertisements for the films "Oppenheimer" and "Barbie" appear at AMC Theaters at The Grove on Thursday, July 20, 2023, in Los Angeles. Chris Pizzello/APThis summer, scorching heat waves are helping take the movie box office to new levels. Movie-theater air conditioning is generally silent, powerful and adapts quickly to temperature swings. Within 5 years of the introduction of air conditioning in movie theaters in the 1920s, Basile said, 3,000 movie theaters were forced to put it in just to keep up with the industry. “Before air conditioning existed in movie theaters, summer was considered the dead season.” Not anymore.

Persons: “ Oppenheimer, “ Barbie, Hope Torres, —, ” Torres, Oppenheimer, Chris Pizzello, Barbie ”, ”, Shawn Robbins, Tyler Whitmore, ‘ Oppenheimer ’, ” Whitmore, Salvatore Basile, “ Oppenheimer ”, Eric Thayer, Basile, Michael O’Leary, Jeff Yanc, John Carpenter’s, ” Yanc Organizations: CNN, Maya Cinemas, AMC Theaters, AMC, Sunday, Boxoffice, ”, Hollywood, Regal Cinemas, Warner Bros . Pictures, Warner Bros ., TCL, Bloomberg, Getty, AC, National Association of Theater, Mushroom People Locations: Maya Cinemas Fresno, Fresno , California, California, Grove, Los Angeles, Phoenix , Arizona, Arizona, Los Angeles , California, Cineworld, Tucson , Arizona

☆ 'Barbie' is less than $100 million away from a billion-dollar box office heading into third weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Barbie" is less than $100 million away from topping $1 billion at the global box office. "Joining the billion-dollar box office club is a watershed moment for 'Barbie' and Greta Gerwig as the latter will become the first solo female director to achieve that feat," said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. Anna Boden, co-director of Disney's "Captain Marvel," was the first female director to be attached to a billion-dollar live-action film. When "Barbie" tops this mark, it will become the first billion-dollar film to do so for the newly minted Warner Bros. Box office analysts don't expect "Barbie" ticket sales to stall after this weekend, either.

Persons: Barbie, Greta Gerwig, Shawn Robbins, Anna Boden, Marvel, Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, Robbins, It's, Paul Dergarabedian Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Mattel, BoxOffice.com, Disney, Warner Bros, Comscore, Screen, – American Federation of Television, Radio Artists Locations: Comscore, Hollywood

☆ Regal cinemas owner Cineworld emerges from bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —The owner of Regal cinemas announced Tuesday that it had emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after slashing billions off its debts, just as smash hits “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” give the movie theater industry a much-needed lift. “Cineworld is ready and fully able to succeed in this dynamic and constantly changing movie theater industry,” chairman Eric Foss said in a statement. (Warner Bros., like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Cineworld struggled to stay afloat during the pandemic, when it, along with other cinema chains, was forced to close its movie theaters worldwide. But whether the summer blockbusters will translate into a sustained revival for movie theaters remains to be seen.

Persons: Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer ”, Eric Foss, Eduardo Acuna, Cineworld “, ”, Ann Sarnoff, Cineworld, Barbie, “ Oppenheimer, Disney’s “ Indiana Jones Organizations: London CNN, Regal, AMC, Cinepolis, Warner Bros, CNN, Warner Bros ., Universal Studios, Hollywood Locations: Cinepolis Americas, United States, ”, Disney’s

☆ 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

☆ 'Barbenheimer' is a billion-dollar win for the global box office
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Barbenheimer" remains red-hot at the box office. Domestically, "Barbenheimer" saw smaller-than-average second week ticket sales drops as millions of moviegoers headed to cinemas to catch the popular flicks. Second week numbers are often looked at by box office analysts as an indicator of whether a film will have longevity at the box office or will fizzle quickly. Similarly, the confluence of these two films boosted the overall domestic box office compared with last year's haul to this point. The overall domestic box office still lags behind prepandemic levels by around 16%, however.

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Paul Dergarabedian, Greta Gerwig, Dergarabedian, NBCUniversal Organizations: Warner Bros, Comscore, Mattel, Labor, Comcast, CNBC Locations: Somerdale , New Jersey, moviegoing, NBCUniversal

☆ Movie Theaters Are Essential. We Need to Treasure Them Before They’re Gone. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Mark Jacobson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

I was there with 200 or so other patrons, a gloriously mixed crowd, to see “Oppenheimer,” one half of the Barbenheimer cultural moment. For a moment, it was possible to forget the grim realities that still linger for the cinema business, circling like vultures. So is Regal, which narrowly avoided having to close its theater in Union Square. On the day before the blockbuster weekend, the Regal UA in Staten Island, one of the last remaining theaters in that borough, closed its doors for good. In the time of streaming and 146-inch TV screens, the simple act of going out to the movies feels contrarian, even subversive.

Persons: “ Oppenheimer, ”, beheld, we’d, tellingly Organizations: AMC, Regal UA, Paris, Netflix, Radio City Music Hall, Machine, Union Locations: New Mexico, Union, Staten Island, Manhattan, York

☆ 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, ,

☆ Mattel bets on Barbie revival, posts surprise quarterly profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Savyata Mishra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The California-based company also posted a surprise profit in the second quarter and its sales exceeded market expectations. The "Barbie" movie made a record-breaking debut in cinemas over the weekend, with $162 million in ticket sales in the United States and Canada. Mattel is slated to release a Disney Princess film later this year and another one in early 2024, with a Hot Wheels movie set for 2025. Kreiz said the "Barbie" movie's success will "serve as a template" for collaborations on other Mattel-owned intellectual property. Mattel maintained its full-year sales forecast, which it expects to be flat from last year, and adjusted profit per share between $1.10 and $1.20 per share.

Persons: America Ferrera, Margot Robbie, Maja Smiejkowska, Ynon Kreiz, Kreiz, Richard Dickson, Savyata Mishra, Pooja Desai Organizations: America, REUTERS, Mattel, Reuters, Disney, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, California, United States, Canada, billings, Bengaluru

☆ Fact Check-Barbie movie didn’t show Greater Albania map
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The map of Greater Albania, a political concept that seeks to unite all Albanian people under one rule, does not appear in the Barbie movie. A fabricated headline alleging Serbia banned the film due to its inclusion of such a map features a digitally altered frame of the blockbuster hit. The circulating image includes a scene of the movie, but with an edited map. A Greater Albania map does not appear in the Barbie movie. A headline on social media claiming Serbia banned the film due to this map is fabricated and includes a digitally altered frame.

Persons: Margot Robbie, Read Organizations: BBC, Reuters Locations: Albania, Serbia, Balkans, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albanian, South, Serbian

☆ Sex scene with Florence Pugh in 'Oppenheimer' becomes latest target of India's Hindu nationalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Pugh stops during intercourse and picks up a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduism’s holiest scriptures, and asks Murphy to read from it. India’s film board gave “Oppenheimer” a U/A rating, which is reserved for movies that contain moderate adult themes and can be watched by children under 12 with parental guidance. In 2020, Netflix (NFLX) received significant backlash in India for a scene in the series “A Suitable Boy” that depicted a Hindu woman and Muslim man kissing at a Hindu temple. Ahead of the release of “Oppenheimer,” Murphy said he read the Bhagvad Gita in preparation. “I thought it was an absolutely beautiful text, very inspiring,” he told Indian film critic Sucharita Tyagi in an interview.

Persons: New Delhi CNN — Christopher Nolan’s, “ Oppenheimer ”, Robert Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Jean Tatlock, Pugh, Murphy, Uday Mahurkar, “ Oppenheimer, Greta Gerwig’s, Barbie, Vivek Agnihotri’s, ” Murphy, ”, Sucharita Tyagi, “, Oppenheimer, ” Oppenheimer Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Netflix, ISIS, Trinity Locations: New Delhi, India, Kerala, Indian

☆ 'Barbie' movie debut shines even brighter as final tally rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The final Friday to Sunday tally for the "Barbie" movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling was slightly higher than the $155 million the studio estimated on Sunday. "Barbie" is the No.1 movie of the year based on domestic opening weekend sales, beating the $146.4 million haul for April release "The Super Mario Bros. The story of the making of the atomic bomb brought in $82.4 million in the United States and Canada from Friday through Sunday, up from the earlier estimate of $80.5 million. In 78 international markets, "Oppenheimer" collected nearly $98.0 million for a global total of $180.4 million. Both movies beat expectations and helped the U.S. and Canadian box office surpass $300 million for just the fourth time in history.

Persons: Margot Robbie, Maja Smiejkowska, Warner Bros, Ryan Gosling, Mario, Greta Gerwig's, Barbie, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Lisa Richwine, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Warner, Mario Bros, Mattel Inc, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, United States, Canada, U.S

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