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☆ ‘Moana 2’-led Thanksgiving box office could be best in post-pandemic era
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Sarah Whitten | Whitten Is A Social Media Writer For Cnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The domestic box office is poised for its biggest Thanksgiving haul since the pandemic thanks to a Polynesian princess, a pair of witches and a revenge-fueled gladiator. Disney’s “Moana 2” hit theaters Wednesday and is expected to generate between $120 million and $150 million in box office receipts in the U.S. and Canada through Sunday. The second-highest haul for the holiday period was the $294.2 million secured during the same five-day period in 2013. After ruling the Thanksgiving box office for years with titles from Pixar and Disney Animation, it’s failed to live up to expectations with its recent string of releases. In 2016, “Moana” opened over the Thanksgiving holiday, generating $82.1 million.

Persons: It’s, Universal’s, Paramount’s, ”, Shawn Robbins, that’s, “, “ Ralph, II, Paul Dergarabedian, it’s, “ Moana, “ Coco ”, Ralph Organizations: Disney, Fandango, Comscore, Pixar, Disney Animation, “, Comcast, CNBC Locations: U.S, Canada, ‘, Comscore, “ Moana ”, “, NBCUniversal

☆ 'Moana 2'-led Thanksgiving box office could be best in post-pandemic era
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The domestic box office is poised for its biggest Thanksgiving haul since the pandemic thanks to a Polynesian princess, a pair of witches and a revenge-fueled gladiator. Disney's "Moana 2" is set to hit theaters Wednesday and generate between $120 million and $150 million in box office receipts in the U.S. and Canada through Sunday. Box office analysts believe the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, which runs from Wednesday to Sunday, should easily clear $200 million in ticket sales and could even become the second- or third-highest Thanksgiving period in cinematic history. After ruling the Thanksgiving box office for years with titles from Pixar and Disney Animation, it's failed to live up to expectations with its recent string of releases. In 2016, "Moana" opened over the Thanksgiving holiday, generating $82.1 million.

Persons: It'll, Universal's, Shawn Robbins, that's, Ralph, Paul Dergarabedian, it's, Coco Organizations: Fandango, Pixar, Disney Animation, Disney, Comcast, CNBC Locations: U.S, Canada, Comscore, NBCUniversal

☆ 'Wicked' soars with $114 million domestic opening, 'Gladiator' snares $55.5 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-24 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The box office was a popular destination this weekend as Universal's "Wicked" and Paramount's "Gladiator II" arrived in cinemas. "Wicked" is expected to snare $114 million during its domestic opening, the highest debut of a Broadway adaptation in cinematic history, according to Sunday estimates. Tracking projections for "Wicked" started around $80 million in late October, but rose to a range of $120 million to $140 million. Meanwhile, "Gladiator II" is expected to open with $55.5 million in ticket sales domestically, according to Sunday estimates. This is lower than box office expectations, which called for a haul between $60 million and $80 million.

Persons: Paul Dergarabedian, Oppenheimer, Michael O'Leary, NBCUniversal Organizations: Hollywood, Disney, Warner Bros, National Association of Theatre, Comcast, CNBC Locations: NBCUniversal

☆ 'Wicked' tallies $19 million in previews, as 'Gladiator II' team-up heads for $200 million opening weekend
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Sarah Whitten | Whitten Is A Social Media Writer For Cnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The box office this weekend will be painted pink and green, with a splash of red. Universal’s “Wicked” and Paramount’s “Gladiator II” arrive ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday and are expected to tally more than $200 million in combined ticket sales this weekend. Whatever it hauls in for the weekend, “Wicked” should debut as the highest-opening Broadway adaptation in cinematic history. Meanwhile, “Gladiator II” tallied $6.5 million from Thursday previews and is expected to add between $60 million and $80 million to the domestic weekend tally. Cinemark has a “Gladiator II” popcorn bucket shaped like the Colosseum and a gladiator helmet that fits over its drink cups to hold popcorn.

Persons: Paramount’s, ”, Shawn Robbins, “, Paul Dergarabedian, “ It’s, ” Robbins, Greg Marcus, Marcus Theatres, Marcus, ” Marcus, NBCUniversal Organizations: Fandango, Amazon, Hollywood, Rotten, Comscore, Marcus Corporation, Marcus Hotels, Resorts, Comcast, CNBC Locations: U.S, Canada, ”, Comscore, NBCUniversal

☆ Disney debuts its latest cruise ship, Treasure, as part of a plan to double its fleet by 2031
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Next month, the Disney Treasure cruise ship will make its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida, to the Caribbean, officially becoming the sixth ship in the company's lineup. The cruise ship Disney Treasure. A guest room on the Disney Treasure cruise ship. Worlds of Marvel, a restaurant on Disney's cruise ship Treasure that was inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jumbeaux's Sweets, inspired by the ice cream parlor in Disney's "Zootopia," is a gelato and sweets shop on Disney's Treasure cruise ship.

Persons: Minnie, hadn't, Thomas Mazloum, Gavin Doyle, Doyle, —, Coco, Jumbeaux's Sweets, Jumbeaux's, I've, we've, There's Organizations: Disney, Disney Destiny, Oriental Land Company, Disney Cruise, Disney Disney, Royal, Cruise, de Coco, Mariachi Plaza, Pixar, Marvel, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Steakhouse, Skipper, Skipper Society, Cruise Lines International Association, Disney's Oceaneer, Walt Disney Theatre, Lucasfilm Locations: Port Canaveral , Florida, Caribbean, Japan, Royal Caribbean

☆ AMC is poised to ride the box office rebound, as long as its debt doesn't get in the way
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Leonardo Munoz | View Press | Corbis News | Getty ImagesThe domestic box office is on the rebound, having posted its highest third-quarter ticket sales since the pandemic. AMC operates around 900 theaters and 10,000 screens globally, a larger footprint than its chief rivals Cinemark and Regal. By the time the Covid pandemic shuttered theaters and shut down Hollywood, AMC was already $5 billion in the red. Despite the better-than-expected box office performance, AMC saw a 12% decline in attendance during the period. "They talked a lot about new investments and upgrading their theaters and expanding their premium screens, adding XL screens.

Persons: Leonardo Munoz, Cinemark, it's, Adam Aron, they're, Eric Wold, Riley, Oppenheimer, Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Wold, King, Sony's, Hunter, Aron, Lars Niki, Alicia Reese, Reese isn't, Eric Handler Organizations: AMC, View Press, CNBC, Warner Bros, Disney, Disney AMC, Paramount, Dolby Cinemas, Getty, Roth Capital Markets Locations: New York City, Hollywood, North America, Europe, U.S, Saudi Arabia, New York, Los Angeles, fanbases

☆ Disney is turning record parks profits — even before its big expansions
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Gary Hershorn | Corbis News | Getty ImagesAll is well in the Magic Kingdom. Experiences, which includes parks, resorts, cruises and consumer products, was the second-highest revenue driver behind Disney's entertainment division, which tallied $41.18 billion in fiscal 2024. "It's small things adding up to big things," said David Lightbody, senior vice president of Disney Live Entertainment. Limited time holiday merchandise available at Disney parks. A stunning firework show is held at the Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World Resort on July 1, 2021 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Persons: Gary Hershorn, King Thanos, it'll, Gavin Doyle, Doyle, Mouse, Helene, Milton, David Lightbody, Lightbody, Lindsay Brookshier, Disney hasn't, Liao Pan Organizations: Magic, Walt Disney World, Corbis, Getty, Magic Kingdom, Disney, Big, Marvel, Epcot, Guardians, Falcon, Disney Live Entertainment, Walt Disney, Disneyland's, Pixar Fest, Medianews, Orange, China News Service Locations: Orlando , Florida, Magic, Florida, California, Hong Kong, Anaheim, Walt, Lake Buena Vista , Florida

☆ Mattel pulls thousands of 'Wicked' dolls off shelves after printing adult website on packaging
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Instead of listing the website for Universal's "Wicked" movie, boxes featured a link to a pornographic website for a group called Wicked Pictures. "Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S., which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page," Mattel said in a statement. Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel Customer Service for further information." Target , Walmart and Amazon had removed the line of "Wicked" dolls from their online storefronts as of midday Monday, as had Best Buy , Barnes & Noble and Macy's . The mishap comes as Universal floods retail shelves with "Wicked"-related product ahead of the film's Nov. 22 release.

Persons: Mattel, Noble, James Zahn, —, Jaime Katz, Zahn, NBCUniversal Organizations: Wicked Pictures, Mattel, Consumers, Service, Walmart, Amazon, Barnes, Universal, Morningstar, eBay, Facebook, Comcast, CNBC Locations: U.S, Target, NBCUniversal

☆ Painting the town pink and green: 'Wicked' takes over retail ahead of theatrical debut
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

These "Wicked" collaborations cross the spectrum from apparel, accessories, footwear, beauty and costumes all the way to home decor, toys and even one-of-a-kind cars. Universal 's theatrical retelling of the famed Broadway musical is creating buzz ahead of its Nov. 22 release with hundreds of merchandise offerings from dozens of retail partners. "Barbie" painted the town pink in 2023, and now "Wicked" is upping the ante by adding a splash of green. The report, which surveyed 2,000 adults in the U.S., also determined that fandom collaborations and partnered releases are most successful among niche super-fandoms. What could also drive demand is the fact that these merchandise collaborations are limited-time only.

Persons: Barbies, Betty Crocker, it's, Evan Hanson Organizations: Walmart, Mattel, Lexus, Gershwin, Broadway, Retailers, Universal, Hollywood Locations: New York City, U.S

☆ Halloween to holidays: How Disney turns over its parks between its two most important seasons
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-02 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

DisneyIt's time for Disney parks to swap pumpkins for poinsettias. In the thick of its busiest season, Disney's domestic theme parks have already begun to transition from Halloween decorations to Christmas colors. About two weeks before Halloween, Disney's crew begins installing "inconspicuous" elements for the holiday season, such as lighting rigs. Festive food options arrive just in time for the holidays at Disney's theme parks. At the Walt Disney World resort, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party launches Nov. 8 and Jollywood Nights start Nov. 9.

Persons: Ken Potrock, Mickey, Mickey's, Gavin Doyle, Doyle, —, Jack Skellington, Santa Claus Organizations: Disney, Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney, Christmas Party Locations: Orlando , Florida, Anaheim , California, Florida, California, It's, Santa

☆ Thanksgiving box office showdown shows importance of premium screens
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

All three titles are expected to thrive at the box office, both during their openings and as they run through the rest of the year. The physical screens are often bigger than traditional movie screens or have auditoriums that feature higher-quality sound systems or seating options. These screens account for 9.1% of the domestic box office, around $600 million in 2024. PLF receipts still represent a small portion of the overall box office, with most audiences seeing films on traditional digital screens. However, it's no small feat that PLF box office has grown 33% in just five years.

Persons: Shawn Robbins, Lars Niki, Paul Dergarabedian, Steve Buck, Buck, Oppenheimer, Adam Jeffery Organizations: Paramount, Disney, Hollywood, Getty, National Association of Theatre, Warner Bros, CNBC Locations: New York City, North America, Square, NYC

☆ 'Joker: Folie a Deux' is this year's latest box office flop. Here's what else has disappointed
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

And it's not the only blockbuster-budgeted film to disappoint at the box office this year. "A combination of hits and flops are a hallmark of every box office year," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. But for more traditional media companies, that have long traded off their successes at the box office, shareholders still want to see a big theatrical return on investment. UniversalEstimated production budget: $80 million$80 million Global box office: $100 million$100 million Release date: Feb. 14, 2024 Sony's Spider-Man universe films have been hit-or-miss at the box office for years. However, despite solid reviews — a 90% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes — the film failed to explode at the box office.

Persons: Joaquin Phoenix, Arthur Fleck, It's, Todd Phillips, it's, Paul Dergarabedian, Shawn Robbins, Robbins, Arthur Fleck's, Lady Gaga, Harley Quinn, Eli Roth's, Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Greenblatt, Blanchett, — Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, John Cena, Samuel L, Jackson, Howard, Elly Conway, Guy, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer, Colt, Jody Moreno's, Blunt, Cassandra Webb, Max, George Miller, Chris Hemsworth, Francis Ford Coppola, Cesar Catilina, Adam Driver, — Adam Driver, Dustin Hoffman, Giancarlo Esposito, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Voight, Coppola Organizations: Warner Bros, Universal, Lionsgate, Sony, Hollywood, Netflix, Apple, Arkham State Hospital, Audiences, Rotten, Fury Locations: Lionsgate's, Dua Lipa, New York City, Australia, York City, New Rome

☆ Netflix earnings are after the bell. Here's what to expect
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LOS ANGELES — Netflix is due to report third-quarter earnings after the closing bell Thursday. Wall Street will be paying close attention to details surrounding the company's advertising-supported business model, upcoming live sporting events and the continued effects of its password crackdown on subscriber numbers. After all, this is one of the last times Netflix will report subscriber data to shareholders, as it plans to focus on revenue and other financial metrics as performance indicators. This has led some Wall Street analysts to predict that Netflix will soon announce price hikes. New Street Research analyst Dan Salmon and Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne both noted expected price increase announcements in recent research notes to investors.

Persons: Dan Salmon, Morgan Stanley, Benjamin Swinburne Organizations: Netflix, LSEG Revenue, Street Research

☆ Universal's Epic Universe theme park set to open in May 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Universal 's Epic Universe theme park will open its gates on May 22, 2025, in Orlando, Florida. First announced in 2019, Epic Universe represents the single-largest investment Comcast's NBCUniversal has ever made in its theme parks business and in Florida overall, CEO Brian Roberts said at the time. Epic Universe will be anchored around the Loews Hotels' Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a 500-room property that will have a dedicated entrance to the park for hotel guests. This first phase of tickets will allow guests to purchase three-, four- or five-day admission to Universal's Orlando Resort, with one-day admission to Epic Universe. Additionally, annual passholders will have the chance to buy single-day tickets to Epic Universe on Oct. 24 before they go on sale to the general public.

Persons: Harry Potter –, NBCUniversal, Brian Roberts, we're, Karen Irwin Organizations: Magic, Nintendo, Orlando, Universal Studios, Universal Orlando Resort, Loews Hotels, Universal, Comcast, CNBC Locations: Orlando , Florida, Berk, Florida, NBCUniversal

☆ Disneyland hikes ticket prices for its highest-demand days
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Still, the company has sought to offer discounted tickets and hotel stays for those who opt to visit Disneyland during off-peak periods. Much like the airline, hotel and even concert entertainment industries, Disney's theme parks operate on a demand-based pricing model. But to handle demand, Disney has a tiered ticket system. Tier 0 is the lowest demand, the $104 base ticket price, while Tier 6 is the highest demand and will see an increase of $12 to $206 per ticket. Disney's online ticketing website for those theme parks — Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot — already reflects pricing increases for 2025, which were reported back in February.

Persons: Price, Jessica Good, Disney Organizations: Walt Disney Company, Disney, Disneyland Resort, Lightning, Walt Disney World, Hollywood Studios, Epcot Locations: California, Orlando , Florida, Magic Kingdom

☆ Hollywood's franchise frenzy: More than half of top studios' 2025 movies are existing IP
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-06 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The 2024 box office has been inundated with sequels, prequels and remakes, with the top 10 titles of the year all coming from existing intellectual property. Looking at the current 2025 calendar, between 50% and 70% of the movies from the six major studios — Universal , Disney , Warner Bros. , Paramount , Sony and Lionsgate — will be related to existing IP. Craig T Fruchtman | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty ImagesEven before Hollywood was disrupted by the pandemic and the meteoric rise of streaming content, the domestic box office was heavily reliant on franchise titles. While that's a 11.3% drop from last year and lags 25% behind pre-pandemic levels, the haul is better than box office analysts had expected. "Some of the most well-received box office hits in recent memory have been sequels or films based on existing brands and there is still a variety of original content out there."

Persons: There's, Paul Dergarabedian, Guy, Bob Marley, Craig T Fruchtman, Kung, Dergarabedian, Kraven, Hunter, King, Shawn Robbins, Bridget Jones, MEGAN, Downton, Michael, John Wick Organizations: Marvel, Disney, — Universal, Warner Bros, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate, Comscore, Getty, Hollywood, Universal, Century Fox, Warner Locations: Shanghai, China, Kingdom, New York City, Peru

☆ 'Joker: Folie a Deux' snares $40 million in domestic debut, less than half of first film
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-06 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

"Joker: Folie a Deux" stumbled to just $40 million in domestic ticket sales during it opening weekend, a far cry from the $96.2 million its predecessor brought in during its debut in 2019. Just last month, the film was expected to haul-in closer to $70 million, but as reviews poured in, that estimated figure slumped to around $50 million. Audiences and critics applauded Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga's performances in "Folie a Deux," but they felt the story had too many ideas and not enough plot. At present, "Folie a Deux" carries a 33% score on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes from 258 critical reviews and 31% audience score from more than 2,500 moviegoer reviews. NBCUniversal owns Rotten Tomatoes.

Persons: Paul Dergarabedian, Todd Phillips, Joaquin Phoenix, Gaga's, Adam Nayman, NBCUniversal Organizations: Comscore, Comcast, CNBC, Rotten Locations: NBCUniversal

☆ Disney to ditch Slack following July data breach
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse float passes by during the daily Festival of Fantasy Parade at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World on May 31, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. The Walt Disney Company will no longer use Slack for in-house company communication months after a hack that involved more than a terabyte of company data being leaked to the public. Representatives from Disney and Salesforce, the owner of Slack, did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. "Companies also have to take the right measure to prevent phishing attacks and to lockdown their employees' social engineering," he added. Benioff noted that Disney continues to use Salesforce products in other aspects of its business including its Disney store, Disney guides, sales and service operations and its call centers.

Persons: Mickey Mouse, Mouse, Hugh Johnston, Slack, Marc Benioff, Benioff, Disney Organizations: Magic, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney Company, Disney, CNBC, Bloomberg Locations: Orlando , Florida

☆ Hollywood's secret weapon is an independent animation studio called Titmouse
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Amazon Prime Video's "The Legend of Vox Machina" is one of the many shows using animation from independent studio Titmouse Animation. Amazon StudiosThere's a powerhouse in the entertainment industry that remains unknown to many casual cartoon viewers — it's called Titmouse Animation. Titmouse worked on Disney's "Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures," a series of animated shorts set in the Star Wars universe. "When we were looking at animation studios, Chris [Prynoski] made it really clear that Titmouse wanted to get into prime-time-style adult animation and that their No. Netflix's "Big Mouth" was produced through Titmouse's animation studio.

Persons: it's, haven't, you've, Chris Prynoski, doesn't, Titmouse, Prynoski, we've, Chris, Shannon Prynoski, Daria, Beavis, Ben Kalina, they've, Kalina, Andrew Goldberg Organizations: Amazon, Amazon Studios, Netflix, Paramount, Hollywood, Disney, Universal, MTV, Cartoon Network, MTV Animation, Wars Galaxy, Star Wars, Warner Bros

☆ Women's sports are on an upward trajectory as fans, brands engage
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The fervor and passion surrounding women's sports aren't going to go away, said Jessica Berman, commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League. Gotfredson noted that fans of women's sports are "fanning differently" and are more engaged "from a brand partner perspective" than those who follow men's sports and male athletes. "It's still a small percentage of brands spending in women's sports," she said. Both Brink and USC's women's basketball star JuJu Watkins agreed that more women's sports games need to be more accessible for fans, with Brink saying "keep showing it and making it easier to watch." Yet Berman said women's leagues have a lot of catching up to do.

Persons: Caitlin Clark, Destanni Henderson, Jessica Berman, They're, We've, Berman, Sara Gotfredson, Gotfredson, Cameron Brink, Angeles Sparks, USC's, JuJu Watkins, Brink Organizations: Indiana, Atlanta, WNBA, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, National Women's Soccer League, CNBC, Trailblazing Sports, Women's National Basketball Association, Google, Ally Bank, AT, Angeles, United States Soccer Federation Locations: Gainbridge, Indianapolis , Indiana

☆ Summer box office bounced back thanks to 'Inside Out 2,' 'Deadpool & Wolverine'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-04 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Thanks to some anthropomorphic emotions and a bad-mouthed, fourth-wall breaking antihero, the domestic summer box office scraped together $3.6 billion in ticket sales. Box office analysts and cinema owners braced themselves a few months ago for the possibility that the summer movie season could be the worst showing in a decade. But it wasn't until mid-June that the box office got a proper surge of moviegoers. Through Labor Day, the film was the highest-grossing summer movie with $650 million in box office receipts. Box office analysts foresee the summer's momentum carrying over into the fall, ultimately bolstering the overall third-quarter box office results.

Persons: Paul Dergarabedian, it's, Guy, George Miller's, Max, Disney's, Dergarabedian, Romulus, Eric Handler, Roth MKM, Shawn Robbins Organizations: Comscore, Labor, Marvel, Disney, Marvel Studios, Warner Bros, Deadpool, Universal, Fathom, Comcast, CNBC Locations: Kingdom, NBCUniversal

☆ A look at the behind-the-scenes business of Hollywood studio lot tours
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-31 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Hosted by Universal , Warner Bros. , Sony and Paramount , studio lot tours showcase the movie-making process from set design and sound recording to costumes and props. Building facades at the Warner Bros. studio lot. Floor to ceiling shelves filled with marble and faux marble busts at Warner Bros.' studio tour prop house. Studio Tour Hollywood Grand Re-Opening at Warner Bros. Studios on June 24, 2021 in Burbank, California. For the first six months of their employment with the studio, these pages serve as studio tour guides.

Persons: Tama, Robert Thompson, Adam Burke, Burke, Thompson, Mayer, Sarah Whitten, Tony Tasset, Oz, bauer, Foley, Gilmore, Harry Potter, Matt Winkelmeyer, Paul Dergarabedian, Alfred Hitchcock's, Truman, Benjamin Button, Steven Spielberg, Gabriel Bouys, King Kong, Allen J Organizations: Getty, Hollywood, Syracuse University, Universal, Warner Bros, Sony, Paramount, Los Angeles Tourism Board, Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Sony Pictures, Metro, Goldwyn, CNBC, Social, Sony Pictures Entertainment, CNBC Warner Bros, Warner Bros ., Fantastic, Studios, Turner, Paramount Studios, Bloomberg, Universal Studios, Afp, Universal Studios Hollywood, York, Los Angeles Times Locations: New York City, Los Angeles, Culver City, Central, Burbank , California, Los Angeles , California, York, Hollywood, New York

☆ Lego revenue jumps 13% in first half of 2024, boosted by Lego Fortnite and diverse brick sets
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-28 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesAn inflation-fueled sales slump hit the toy industry in the first half of 2024, but one company is gaining market share brick by brick. On Wednesday, Lego said revenue during the first six months of the year jumped 13%, reaching 31 billion Danish kroner, or about $4.65 billion. Last year, Lego saw a trend of consumers "trading down" or opting for lower-priced sets, while still buying the same volume as the year before. Lego has continued to build on pandemic-era growth with a diverse slate of products that cater to kids and adults alike. Sales in the U.S. and Europe remain strong, Christiansen noted, while China sales are flat.

Persons: Niels Christiansen, Christiansen, Barbie, Harry Potter Organizations: Nurphoto, CNBC, Epic, Mattel, Hasbro, Star, Sustainability Locations: Shanghai, China, Danish, U.S, Europe

☆ Disney's 'Deadpool & Wolverine' becomes the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-16 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The trio of Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and Shawn Levy has captured lightning in a bottle with "Deadpool & Wolverine." As of Thursday, the Disney and Marvel film is the highest-grossing R-rated title of all time, surpassing Warner Bros.' "Joker." With $516.8 million in domestic ticket sales and $568.8 million from international audiences, "Deadpool & Wolverine" has exceeded $1.085 billion globally. "Deadpool & Wolverine" arrived in theaters late July on the back of a string of hits and misses from one of Disney's most bulletproof franchises. The last film released by the studio was "The Marvels," which arrived in November and had the lowest opening and lowest overall box office haul for an MCU film ever.

Persons: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Shawn Levy, Shawn Robbins, That's, Kevin Feige, Reynolds, Levy, Robbins, Marvel Organizations: Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros, Century Fox, San Diego Comic, & $

☆ 'Deadpool & Wolverine' tops $1 billion at the global box office
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-11 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Over the weekend, Disney and Marvel's "Deadpool & Wolverine" became only the second R-rated film to top $1 billion at the global box office. "Deadpool & Wolverine" is the first R-rated Marvel Cinematic Universe flick, as the previous two Deadpool films were produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is also the second Disney film to top $1 billion at the global box office this year. Box office analysts expect "Deadpool & Wolverine" won't be the last for the company this year, either. The Toy Story franchise has generated $3.2 billion at the global box office, the two Frozen films surpassed $2.7 billion worldwide, the two Incredibles films tallied $1.8 billion globally, and "Zootopia" reached $1 billion worldwide during its run in 2016.

Persons: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Dergarabedian, Kang, It's, Disney, Shawn Robbins Organizations: Disney, Warner Bros, Century Fox, Marvel, Star, & $ Locations: Comscore

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