DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ ‘Venom 3’ leads box office again, A24’s ‘Heretic’ scares up $11 million bebut in sleepy weekend
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Variety-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

“Venom: The Last Dance” is looming over the domestic box office in its third weekend of release. As a result, overall domestic box office revenues remain down more than 11% from 2023 and nearly 27% from 2019, according to Comscore. “Heretic,” featuring “Notting Hill” star Hugh Grant playing against type as a villain, notched third place with $11 million from 3,221 venues. The well-reviewed family film has endured at the box office with minimal week-to-week drops (this weekend was down only 11%), earning $130.2 million domestically and $292 million worldwide so far. Ticket sales declined 52% from its soft $5 million debut, bringing the Robert Zemeckis-directed film to $9.3 million domestically.

Persons: “, ”, Hill, Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Grant, Critics, David A, Gross, Dallas Jenkins, Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, Lauren Graham, Tom Hardy, Eddie Brock, ” Gross, Dwayne “, ” Johnson, Paramount’s “, ” “, Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Robert Zemeckis, Ralph Fiennes, Paul Dergarabedian Organizations: Rotten, Entertainment Research, Sony Pictures, Everett, Universal, DreamWorks, Miramax, Sony Locations: Hollywood, North America, New York

☆ ‘Venom 3’ slinks to $51 million, lowest opening weekend of comic book trilogy
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Variety-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

1 at the box office, but the comic book film fell significantly short of expectations. After much bigger launches, the first “Venom” powered to $856 million worldwide while “Let There Be Carnage” surpassed $500 million worldwide. The follow-up to 2019’s billion-dollar hit “Joker” has turned into a box office disaster with $57.8 million domestically and $201.1 million globally. The R-rated sequel to 2022’s “Smile,” which topped the box office last weekend, has generated $40.7 million in North America and $83 million worldwide to date. The well-reviewed family film has endured at the box office with minimal week to week drops, amassing $111 million domestically and $232 million worldwide so far.

Persons: “, Tom Hardy, ”, Venom, Kelly Marcel, Hardy, Eddie Brock, Jeff Bock, ’, Robert Zemeckis, Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Dwayne “, ” Johnson, “ Moana, David A, Gross, Ralph Fiennes, Edward Berger, Audiences, Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh, Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or Organizations: Marvel, Sony, Yankees, Dodgers, Rotten, Entertainment Research, Warner Bros, Catholic, Universal, DreamWorks, Cannes Locations: New York City, Los Angeles, North America, CinemaScore, Russian

☆ ‘Terrifier 3’ tops box office with $18 million debut, ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ collapses with brutal 81% drop
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Variety-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

There’s only room for one killer clown at the top of box office charts. Meanwhile “Joker: Folie á Deux,” which topped the box office last weekend, collapsed in third place with $7.055 million from 4,102 theaters. So far, “Folie a Deux” has generated $51.6 million domestically and $165.3 million globally. The well-reviewed family film has amassed $83.73 million domestically and $148 million globally to date. It has earned $52.8 million domestically and $111 million worldwide so far.

Persons: “, Beetlejuice, ”, Joaquin Phoenix, Damien Leone, David A . Gross, Pharrell Williams, Morgan Neville, Rogers, Gross, Sony’s, Jason Reitman, Sebastian Stan, Donald Trump, CinemaScore, Trump, Tim Burton’s, ‘ Taylor Swift, Paul Dergarabedian, “ It’s Organizations: Warner Bros, Rotten, Motion, Entertainment Research, Cannes Film, Briarcliff Entertainment, Universal, DreamWorks, Optimus Locations: North America, CinemaScore

☆ GLAAD finds overall decline in LGBTQ representation in major studio films
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

GLAAD, the LGBTQ media advocacy organization, has released its 12th annual Studio Responsibility Index tracking films released during 2023. Despite “a huge increase in LGBTQ characters who were front and center in their own narratives,” the study found the number of films with LGBTQ characters dropped in 2023. The survey looked at 256 films from 10 major distributors and their subsidiaries and streaming services. Those 70 films included 170 LGBTQ characters, of which 46% were characters of color, representing an increase of 6% from the 2022 study. If LGBTQ representation continues to decline in major releases, these companies will lose relevance with a crucial buying audience.

Persons: GLAAD’s Vito Russo, Sarah Kate Ellis, ” Megan Townsend, GLAAD's Organizations: GLAAD, Amazon, Apple, Lionsgate, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony, Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros, Discovery, NBC, ”, Queer Creative Summit, Equity, Media, Entertainment Initiative, GLAAD Media Institute Locations: Mexico

☆ None of the Big Three has won a grand slam this year. They leave a legacy which has transformed tennis on and off the court.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But this year, men’s tennis has had a different complexion since none of Federer, Nadal or Djokovic has won a grand slam title for the first time since 2002. Whatever comes next is unlikely to mirror the previous era, leaving men’s tennis in an unfamiliar position, shorn of its three biggest icons who transcended the court. Carlos Alcaraz has already won four grand slam titles at the age of 21. “There has to be a real recalibration … because I already see people talking, like, ‘Can Alcaraz catch Djokovic’s grand slam record?’” Rothenberg tells CNN Sport. Medvedev and Dominic Thiem, who is retiring at the end of this year, are still the only men born in the 1990s to win a grand slam.

Persons: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray, –, Carlos Alcaraz, Alcaraz, Sinner, “, Mats Wilander, Pete Sampras, That’s, Ben Rothenberg, Matthew Stockman, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, Holger Rune, Daniil Medvedev, ’ ” Rothenberg, Williams, ”, Wilander, Rafa Nadal, Medvedev, Dominic Thiem, Ryan Pierse, Rafa, ” Simon Cambers –, it’s, “ It’s, ” Jett Wright –, Topnotch Management –, David Foster Wallace, Anna Wintour, Angela Weiss, … Don’t, Björn Borg, Matteo Berrettini, Hugo Boss, Gucci, Simon Graf, Wright, Ernesto S, they’ll Organizations: CNN, Big, Australian, Wimbledon, Eurosport, CNN Sport, Federer, Serena, Nadal, “ Tennis, Topnotch Management, Getty, Cambers, MLB, MLS, NBA Locations: –, American

☆ Free TV Streaming Is Surging, and It's a Problem for Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-29 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The basic problem: It's unclear how these free services could support new, Hollywood-style programming even if they wanted to. Now, with YouTube making the jump to TV screens and "free, ad-supported TV" (FAST) services having a moment, where does that leave Hollywood? Tech and legacy media will battle over free TV in the coming monthsLooking ahead, the major players already ahead in free TV will likely continue to gain share. Free streaming may seem like a way for Hollywood to claw back viewers. If not, it's hard to say what winning in the battle for free TV will actually get them.

Persons: Prognosticators, YouTuber Jamie Clement, Tubi's, Sarah Lee, Evan Shapiro, There's, Jenn Vaux, it's, Max, Peacock, Roku, It's, Tubi, Adam Lewinson, WBD, Laura Florence, Horowitz Organizations: Netflix, Business, YouTube, Hollywood, Disney, Hulu, Warner, Comcast, FX Networks, Parks Associates, Nielsen, Media, Fox, ABC News, NFL, FAST, Horowitz Research, Hub Entertainment Research, Tech, Fire TV, Paramount, Pluto, SVP, Global, Fremantle, JPMorgan, CNBC Locations: Hollywood, Fremantle

☆ Streaming is getting more expensive for consumers. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-16 | by ( Justine Fisher | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Now, looking for a return on their content investments, Disney , Warner Bros. Disney said last week that its combined streaming services — Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ — were profitable for the first time during its fiscal third quarter. Ahead of earnings, Disney announced it's raising streaming prices by $1 to $2 a month for Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+. Similar to Disney, Paramount Global said last week in its quarterly earnings conference call that its streaming business, centered on flagship service Paramount+, reached profitability. Discovery said during its second-quarter earnings conference call that streaming ad revenue doubled year over year.

Persons: Jaque Silva, Mike Proulx, Disney, Bob Iger, Iger, Discovery's Max, Comcast's Peacock, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Forrester's Proulx, Proulx, Discovery's Wiedenfels, Discovery, Tim Nollen, Ted Sarandos, Sarandos Organizations: Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros . Discovery, Forrester, Hulu, ESPN, Warner Bros, Paramount, Paramount Global, Discovery, Max, Hub Entertainment Research, Getty, Media, Macquarie, Westend61 Locations: Paramount's, Peacock

☆ YouTube has become the ultimate 'must-have' service for consumers and kicked Netflix out of the top 5
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Hub Entertainment Research found that 75% of people rated YouTube Premium as a must-have. The new data comes from Hub Entertainment Research, a 10-year-old market research firm that asked people what their must-haves are in entertainment services and platforms. Four of the top five are YouTube services, with 75% rating YouTube Premium a must-have. It's joined in the top five by free YouTube, YouTube TV, and YouTube Music. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, It's Organizations: Entertainment Research, Netflix, Spotify, Service, YouTube, Hub Entertainment Research, Business

☆ Tennis has a hot summer coming, fueled by Zendaya, ‘Challengers’ and luxury sponsors
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Elsa/Getty Images“We say no a lot,” admits Evan Zeder, director of global sports marketing for New Balance’s tennis and baseball units. Lacoste, the French luxury brand, was born with tennis in mind since its start in 1933. Lacoste’s polo shirts have become a major part of the “tennis aesthetic,” or the luxury athleticism #tenniscore trending on social media. Alcohol brands trying to crack the US market see the growing popularity of tennis as an opportunity to introduce themselves to drinkers. Dobel became the US Open’s official tequila sponsor last year, bringing alongs its Ace Paloma cocktail that it sells at other tennis tournaments it sponsors.

Persons: New York CNN — It’s, ”, Louis Vuitton, Loewe, Serena Williams, they’re, Bob Lynch, ” Lynch, Roger Federer, Anne Hathaway, Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal, Christophe Petit Tesson, Novak Djokovic, Williams, Naomi Osaka, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff, “, outfitter, Gauff, she’s, Aryna, Elsa, Evan Zeder, Tommy Paul, it’s “, Lacoste, René Lacoste, “ Lacoste, Catherine Spindler, Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, ” Novak Djokovic, Mike Stobe, ” Zendaya, ” Spindler, Maestro Dobel, Dobel, Paloma, Lander Otegui, Otegui, ” Otegui, Charlize Theron, Arthur Ashe, Katie Holmes, “ It’s, it’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, luxe, Vogue, ESPN, ABC, Tennis, United States Tennis Association, Brands, MLB, MLS, NBA, Tennis Channel, Netflix, CNN, YouTube, That’s, Wimbledon, Microsoft, Nike, Adidas, Lacoste, Australian, US, USTA Locations: New York, “, Swiss, Paris, Poland, Australia, London, Chambord, Mexico, Miami, Indian Wells, Cincinnati

More was riding on “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a historical crime drama about a string of murders against the Osage nation in the early 1920s. “Killer of the Flower Moon” also marks the best wide-release debut for a film from a streaming company. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, said of the “Killers of the Flower Moon” launch. As dissimilar as “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” are, they’re alike in their extended run times. “Killers of the Flower Moon" also reeled in more young moviegoers than one might have expected.

Persons: Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, ” Martin Scorsese, Taylor Swift, “ Taylor Swift, ”, Swifties, David Grann’s, Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, mightily, Apple, Ridley Scott’s, Napoleon, Joaquin Phoenix, Matthew Vaughn’s “, ” David A, Gross, David Gordon Green, Tim Burton's, Comscore, “, “ Leo Organizations: Apple Studios, AMC Theaters, Paramount Pictures, Apple, Netflix, MGM, Sony, Universal, Paramount, Entertainment Research Locations: North America, Osage, Venice

☆ Ongoing strikes could kill Hollywood's momentum after the 'Barbenheimer' bump, but 4 industry insiders and analysts are still optimistic about the future of these 5 entertainment companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Here's which entertainment companies will outperform, according to analysts and industry insiders. Four industry veterans Insider spoke with unanimously agreed that unless the strikes are resolved soon, the movie industry's much-needed revival will fizzle out. In a mid-July note about the movie industry, Reese and Pachter highlighted three theater-related companies that are best positioned to survive in this difficult environment. FuboTV should be a winner since it's a solid alternative for cord cutters who still need news and sports coverage, which aren't impacted by the strikes, Pachter noted. Netflix is perhaps the most fascinating company in the media industry right now.

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Paul Dergarabedian, Alicia Reese, David A, Gross, Strikes, Reese, Michael Pachter, Dergarabedian, Pachter, Richard Gelfond, JPMorgan's David Karnovsky, Wedbush's Pachter, aren't, it's Organizations: Hollywood, Wedbush Securities, Entertainment Research, Alliance, Television Producers, Consumers, Netflix Locations: Hollywood, creatives

☆ This exclusive chart reveals why the groundswell of buzz around 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' could help reverse Hollywood's box-office doldrums in spite of the actors' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This year, a number of films have flopped at the box office, including "Elemental" and "The Flash." A social-media analysis from Diesel Labs points to possible success for "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" — here's why. Temperatures are rising all around the world, with one notable exception: the box office, where this year's film openings have mostly been, at best, lukewarm. Social-media attention on forthcoming and recent film releases looks to be generally trending higher for titles like "Barbie," "Oppenheimer," and "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Pt. This story has been updated to reflect new box office estimates and an estimate of how many moviegoers will see "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" on the same day.

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Mario Bros, tentpole, Indiana Jones, —, Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, Michael O'Leary, David A . Gross, Tom Cruise's, Gross, Screenrant, Ruby Gillman, Mario, America's, Christopher Nolan's, Greta Gerwig's, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Rami Malek, Reed Alexander Organizations: Diesel Labs, SAG, Writers Guild of America, www.diesellabs.com Diesel Labs, National Association of Theatre Owners, Warner Bros, Rotten, Entertainment Research, Variety, Disney, Mario Bros, Writers Guild, Wednesday, London Locations: Hollywood, North America

☆ New data reveals why the groundswell of buzz around 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' could help reverse Hollywood's box-office doldrums in spite of the actors' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This year, a number of films have flopped at the box office, including "Elemental" and "The Flash." A social-media analysis from Diesel Labs points to possible success for "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" — here's why. Temperatures are rising all around the world, with one notable exception: the box office, where this year's film openings have mostly been, at best, lukewarm. Social-media attention on forthcoming and recent film releases looks to be generally trending higher for titles like "Barbie," "Oppenheimer," and "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Pt. Diesel Labs’ data has found that social-media buzz about the forthcoming launches of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” is trending ahead of last year’s benchmark levels.

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Mario Bros, tentpole, Indiana Jones, —, Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, David A . Gross, Tom Cruise's, Gross, Screenrant, Ruby Gillman, Mario, America's, Christopher Nolan's, Greta Gerwig's, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Rami Malek, Reed Alexander Organizations: Diesel Labs, SAG, Writers Guild of America, www.diesellabs.com Diesel Labs, Warner Bros, Rotten, Entertainment Research, Variety, Disney, Mario Bros, Writers Guild, Hollywood Locations: Hollywood, London

☆ 1 in 5 studio films included an LGBTQ character in 2021, GLAAD report finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Sixteen of the 77 films released by those studios (20.8%) featured 28 LGBTQ characters, the report found. That percentage is down slightly from 2020, during which 10 of the 44 theatrical releases (23%) featured 20 LGBTQ characters, according to the report. Of the 16 films that included LGBTQ characters in 2021, 11 films (69%) included gay male characters, four (25%) included lesbian characters and two (13%) included bisexual characters, according to the report. For the second year in a row, GLAAD found that there were zero LGBTQ characters with disabilities or LGBTQ characters living with HIV represented in the year’s films. The majority of the 28 characters, 17, received fewer than five minutes, and six of those characters received less than a minute of screen time.

☆ ‘Game of Thrones’ ended with a thud. But ‘House of the Dragon’ has caught fire
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Frank Pallotta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —HBO has created a kingdom of hits, with none as popular as “Game of Thrones.” But “Game of Thrones” ended with a thud in 2019 when critics and fans were unhappy with the fantasy epic’s ho-hum conclusion (Bran Stark on the Iron Throne? Create more “Game of Thrones,” of course. Enter “House of the Dragon,” a prequel that takes place almost 200 years before the events of its predecessor and focuses on the Targaryen family. To put that number into context, season seven of “Game of Thrones” averaged 32.7 million viewers per episode, and season 8, its final season, averaged 46 million viewers. (It doesn’t hurt that “Game of Thrones” is pretty much like watching sports, albeit with more dragons.)

Search resuls for: "Entertainment Research"

15 mentions found