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HONG KONG, Jan 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - China’s first big vacation of 2023 offers shallow relief to investors. Passenger car sales dropped 21% from the same festive period last year, per Nomura analysts, and real estate keeps plunging. Central bankers terrified that China’s reopening will fuel more global inflation will be relieved. Chinese consumers enjoyed their holiday but there was little sign of dramatic “revenge consumption.” Scarred consumers have too many reasons to avoid splurging for the foreseeable future. The opinions expressed are her own)Follow @ywchen1 on TwitterloadingCONTEXT NEWSMainland China’s Lunar New Year holiday runs from Jan. 21 to Jan. 27 in 2023.

☆ MoviePass CEO Stacy Spikes on his plans to relaunch the service (for real) and bring back an unlimited option
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Stacy Spikes told Insider he plans to put MoviePass out of beta and make it available for all by the summer. You would think Spikes would want to run as far away as possible from the movie-ticket-subscription startup. Before Stacy Spikes created MoviePass he created the Urbanworld Film Festival. I wanted to put that down because I see so many times people approach me and think MoviePass was my first business. MoviePassThe MoviePass beta version is focused on the credits system, e-ticketing, and fixing bugsWhat have been the biggest challenges in getting this beta version of MoviePass off the ground?

☆ Robert De Niro was almost my 50-50 partner in MoviePass — and he showed me the 'Raging Bull' boxing ring to try to seal the deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Stacy Spikes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

One night, I said to Marianne, "What if we made a Netflix for the movie theater industry? I tried to push my subscription idea, but it fell flat. I continued to tread water on my subscription idea, but things were slow going. One Saturday, a dear friend of ours named Peter called and asked how the movie subscription idea was coming. They're interested in buying both the Urbanworld Film Festival and the movie subscription company for one million dollars.

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' is the third James Cameron movie to gross $2 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Disney 's "Avatar: The Way of Water" has topped $2 billion at the global box office, making it the third James Cameron film to reach this benchmark. As of Sunday, "The Way of Water" had tallied $598 million from domestic ticket sales and $1.426 billion from foreign markets. "The film has now joined that very exclusive box office club and has made it look almost effortless," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. As the industry rebounds, films like "The Way of Water" have proven that moviegoers are eager to return for big blockbuster spectacles. Correction: This story was updated to reflect that "The Way of Water" is the third James Cameron movie to gross $2 billion at the global box office.

"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is coming to theaters on February 17. Where can I buy 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' tickets? 'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania' Movie Tickets The first film in Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” premieres in theaters on February 17. Are there any 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' movie ticket promotions? Disney/Marvel StudiosThough no date has been confirmed yet, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" will stream on Disney Plus after its run in theaters.

☆ 39 more Regal theaters are closing in the US amid bankruptcy. See the full list.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Travis Clark | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Over three dozen Regal Cinemas locations in the US are expected to close. Cineworld detailed the plan to reject the leases starting February 15 in a new bankruptcy filing on Tuesday. Regal is the second-largest cinema chain in the US, behind AMC, with over 500 theaters. The company's plan to close locations during its bankruptcy is fairly routine. Cineworld filed for bankruptcy at a time when the larger theatrical industry is struggling to fully rebound from the pandemic.

☆ I saw 'Last of Us' on a big screen. Here's why more blockbuster TV shows should be shown in movie theaters.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

More blockbuster TV shows like "Last of Us" should be shown on the big screen. It raised the question: Should more TV shows be put on the big screen? That event earned nearly $5 million, according to Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt. The airings earned $2 million from just 205 theaters, according to The Los Angeles Times, and the episodes had already aired on HBO. Meanwhile, blockbuster shows like "House of the Dragon" and "The Rings of Power" had premiered on the small screen.

☆ 'Avatar 2' soars past 'Top Gun' with $1.5 billion to become highest-grossing film of 2022, and it's already the 10th biggest movie ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Avatar: The Way of Water" has surpassed "Maverick's" box office haul in just its first three weeks in theaters, raking in an astonishing $1.51 billion worldwide since Dec. 16 according to Box Office Mojo data. Box office watchers don't expect "Avatar 2" to slow down any time soon. Along with the original "Avatar" ($2.92 billion) and "Titanic" ($2.2 billion), Cameron has now directed three of the 10 biggest blockbusters ever. "The first movie famously just kept going and going and going." "Avatar's" box office dominance wasn't a given from the outset.

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" will start streaming exclusively on Disney Plus on February 1. Check out the trailer for 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'Though the original "Black Panther'' movie starred the late Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa, Boseman does not appear in the sequel. How to watch 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'You can watch "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" at home on Disney Plus starting February 1. Is 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' worth watching? Letitia Wright in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Tesla, Imax, Netflix, Robinhood, Amazon & more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Evercore ISI initiates American Express Global Business Travel Group as outperform Evercore initiated the corporate travel business company with an outperform rating and said it's a beneficiary of corporate travel recovery. AmEx GBT is the leading business to business travel management platform, providing software and services to manage travel, expenses, and events for corporate travel." Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight Morgan Stanley said it sees a "buying opportunity" for shares of Tesla. Piper Sandler reiterates Tesla as overweight Piper said Tesla could become a key ESG holding. Morgan Stanley reiterates Wells Fargo as overweight Morgan Stanley said the banking giant is a top beneficiary of rate increases. "

☆ Disney’s ‘Avatar’ Sequel Opens With Ticket Sales Shy of Predictions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Robbie Whelan | Austin Ramzy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ was shown on over 1,500 IMAX screens worldwide. “Avatar: The Way of Water” made waves at the box office, but lingering concerns over the coronavirus tempered ticket sales in China, where the makers of the sci-fi epic were hoping to score a major hit. Directed by James Cameron and distributed by Walt Disney Co.’s 20th Century Studios, the film earned $435 million in theaters around the world in its debut, the second-highest global opening-weekend gross of 2022, trailing only “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” from Disney ’s Marvel Studios.

☆ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ gives James Cameron his first $100 million domestic debut
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The highly anticipated “Avatar: The Way of Water” took in $134 million at the US box office, giving director James Cameron his first $100 million opening weekend — despite falling short of analyst predictions. “Avatar: The Way of Water” has so far earned $435 million at the global box office. Though Cameron hasn’t revealed exactly how much it cost to make the “Avatar” sequel, one answer isn’t in doubt: a lot. In 2009, “Avatar” earned $77 million in its opening weekend and collected 80% of its gross from 3D showings. “The Way of Water” notched the second highest all-time IMAX global opening weekend and the biggest IMAX December global opening ever.

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' opens to $134 million, just missing box office expectations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Internationally, "Way of Water" tallied $300.5 million, bringing the film's opening weekend haul to $434.5 million. The Chinese box office contributed around $265 million to "Avatar's" global tally a decade ago, but the market has grown significantly since. Since cinemas reopened in the country, it has been one of the fastest markets to recover and generate box office success. Box office analysts aren't concerned with the movie's smaller-than-expected domestic box office, particularly because of how it has played internationally. "It's premature to qualify the film's degree of success at this stage, especially with Cameron's history of long runs at the global box office," Robbins added.

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' makes the visual effects in Marvel movies and other blockbusters look amateur
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In an interview with ComicBook.com last week, the filmmaker threw shade at the visual effects in Marvel movies, comparing them to those in "Avatar: The Way of Water," his long-awaited sequel to the first "Avatar." After a year of Marvel movies and other big-budget tentpoles whose looks didn't impress me, the movie was a breath of fresh air. That same month, a VFX artist who has worked on Marvel movies wrote a scathing essay for Vulture, alleging that Marvel overworks VFX houses and demands last-minute changes. The reality is that the problems with Marvel movies are a reflection of the state of big-budget movies in general. Audiences are already realizing that these premium formats are the best way to see "The Way of Water."

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with IMAX CEO Richard GelfondImax CEO Richard Gelfond joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss the release of the new Avatar movie 'Avatar: The Way Of Water' and what it means for theaters.

"Avatar: The Way of Water" premiered December 16 exclusively in theaters. Though the movie is currently exclusive to theaters, it's expected to hit Disney Plus at some point in 2023. Like the original movie, "Avatar: The Way of Water" is directed by James Cameron ("Titanic"). As of December 16, there is no official streaming date set for "Avatar: The Way of Water." The sequel repeats one of the biggest draws of the first "Avatar" movie in terms of being a groundbreaking visual spectacle.

☆ Watching 'Avatar: The Way Of Water' from your couch 'is not going to cut it,' says IMAX CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatching 'Avatar: The Way Of Water' from your couch 'is not going to cut it,' says IMAX CEOIMAX CEO Richard Gelfond joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss the release of the new Avatar movie ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ and what it means for theaters.

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' could be heading for a $175 million box office opening
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, "Avatar: The Way of Water" tells the story of the Sully family. It's been more than a decade since James Cameron's "Avatar" shattered box office records. The movie, which opens this week, is set to snare between $150 million and $175 million domestically during its opening weekend. While the first movie only opened with $77 million in 2009, "Avatar" had unparalleled staying power at the box office. "In the big picture, I'd expect a leggy box office run whose story won't be told on opening weekend alone," said Shawn Robbins, chief media analyst at BoxOffice.com.

☆ A strong China open for 'Avatar' lays the ground for a film stock rally, Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese audiences appear eager to see Disney's "Avatar: The Way of Water," according to initial ticket sales ahead of the film's Dec. 16 opening. In 2009, China accounted for only $910 million in ticket sales, but 10 years later its box office receipts swelled to $8 billion. Stage set for box office recovery Morgan Stanley's Xu expects China's box office to rebound 50% in 2023, to Rmb51 billion, with the assumption that China's reopening gains momentum in the spring. In China, there is a "rich slate of blockbuster films" ready to come to theaters, Xu said. With this in mind, Xu raised her price targets for IMAX China, Ali Pictures, Wanda Film , Enlight and China Film.

The Game Awards 2022 will stream live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on December 8. Along with genre-specific awards, The Game Awards also celebrates the developers and artists behind the games, giving out trophies for best vocal performance, best art direction, and best music. How to watch The Game Awards 2022You can watch The Game Awards 2022 for free on nearly a dozen different platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Steam. The Game Awards winners will be decided by an industry voting jury and fan votes that were held prior to the show. Fans were allowed to vote up until December 7 on The Game Awards website.

☆ Meme stock mania may finally be over
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Meme stocks, that is. Shares of movie theater chain AMC (AMC) have plummeted 55% this year. But investors may also be realizing that companies like GameStop, AMC and Bed Bath & Beyond face legitimate challenges. But mostly, investors are aware of the fact that in uncertain times like this, it may make more sense to play it safe instead of taking a huge gamble on a meme stock. Add all that up and it’s a miserable time for investors to be considering speculative meme stocks.

☆ Meta is promoting its VR headset with a 3D spaceman bursting out of London's most famous advertising billboard
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Meta unveiled a new 3D ad for its Meta Quest 2 VR headset on London's Piccadilly Circus. Meta's Reality Labs took over the Piccadilly Lights in the heart of London's West End to promote its Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset. Since 2019, the Facebook owner has pumped $36 billion into Reality Labs, according to an Insider analysis of Meta's financial filings. Reality Labs posted an operating loss of $9.4 billion in the first nine months of this year alone. The Meta Quest 2 ad will run until the end of the year and it will be rolled out across the US as well.

Cinemas stocks got a boost Wednesday after a report said Amazon plans to spend $1 billion a year on theatrical film releases. The tech company plans to make between 12 and 15 movies for movie theaters each year, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. A smaller number of films will be produced in 2023 as Amazon builds up its output, the report said. Amazon has deepened its investments in original content over the years through its Prime Video streaming unit, as well as its movie and television studios. Earlier this year, the e-retailer bolstered its media ambitions when it acquired legendary movie maker MGM Studios for $8.45 billion.

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Amazon, Coinbase, Carvana, Intel, Imax & more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

UBS upgrades Werner to buy from neutral UBS said it sees upside for several trucking company names. "We are upgrading three truckload names to Buy from Neutral including HTLD, WERN , and SNDR and reiterating our Buy on KNX. Bank of America reiterates Amazon as buy Bank of America said reports of a cost cutting review at Amazon are a "positive." JPMorgan reiterates Silvergate as overweight JPMorgan said the crypto company's exposure to FTX is overblown. JPMorgan reiterates Netflix as overweight JPMorgan said it has "increased conviction" in shares of the streaming giant.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Walgreens, Coinbase, Duolingo, Ralph Lauren and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Doximity — The online platform for medical professionals skyrocketed more than 27% after the company reported better-than-expected quarterly results. Walgreens — Shares rose 6% after an upgrade to buy from hold Deutsche Bank, which said it liked Walgreens' merger and acquisition plans. Duolingo — Shares of the foreign language learning platform lost 10% after the company reported revenue below expectations while also posting a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss. Wynn Resorts — The casino stock jumped more than 8% after China said it would ease some Covid restrictions, trimming quarantine time for international travelers by two days. General Motors — The automotive giant's stock jumped more than 6.3% after Citi reiterated the company as a top pick.

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