Graham Brown

MARTIN GROVE'S HOLLYWOOD REPORT FOR 6/23/24: Exhibitors were in Holdover Heaven this weekend as INSIDE OUT 2 delivered an animated $100M in ticket sales.   At first, Hollywood handicappers thought the Disney/Pixar blockbuster toon would to do $75M, but once the weekend began the buzz-ards were up to  $95M -- and then $98M!   IO2 is proof that Wall Street guessed wrong about moviegoing being dead. Hollywood's mad rush into streaming technology to replace theatrical exhibition -- new technology that the Street greedily promoted during the pandemic -- has cost the studios billions of dollars that will likely never be recouped. There also are billions of lost dollars thanks to Hollywood's  heavy handed approach to 2023's labor negotiations. Nonetheless, moviegoing is still alive and well -- when people believe films are worth their time & money.   IO2 just brought moviegoing back to life as TOP GUN: MAVERICK did in 2022 and BARBIE & OPPENHEIMER did in '23. But this time there's a stream of A List content hitting theatres from mid-summer through year end -- like DESPICABLE ME 4 (7/3), DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE (7/26), BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (9/6), JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX (10/4), WICKED: PART I (11/27), MOANA 2 (11/27), LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM (12/13) & MUFASA: THE LION KING (12/20).   The weekend marketplace soared to $150.95M, per Comscore, down 29.7% from the prior weekend, but up 37% vs. this time last year. Comscore's year to date tally has 2024 at $3.37B, down 21% from $4.28B in 2023. The previous weekend, 2024 was down 24% vs. 2023.   Meanwhile, back at the multiplexes: IO2, which reportedly cost $200M to produce, stayed #1 with $100M, down just 35% in weekend two at 4,440 theatres ($22,523). It's done $355.2M domestic and $724.4M worldwide, per Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian.   The weekend's only studio wide opening was Focus Features' THE BIKERIDERS, which opened #3, per Comcore, to $10M at 2,642 theatres ($3,785). It's tracking below norm for all demos. Rotten Tomatoes critics are an okay 81%, but audiences are a blah 74%. TB reportedly cost $40M to produce.   As for next weekend: Paramount/Platinum Dunes' PG-13 horror prequel A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE is opening at about 3,600 theatres. The hit franchise's prequel stars  Lupita Nyong'o, a Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner in 2014 for 12 YEARS A SLAVE. It's tracking best with women over 25 (seven points over norm).   WB/New Line Cinema's R rated HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA - CHAPTER 1 begins director, co-writer & star Kevin Costner's two part epic look at the Old West during and after the American Civil War. Costner's emotional journey explores how the West was both won and lost. It's tracking below norm for all demos. RT critics hate it at 47%. HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA - CHAPTER 2 hits theatres 8/16 via WB.     (See more at www.ZAMM.com)   #movies #boxoffice #martingrove #insideout2

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A new debate on the cost of cool, which digs into the environmental impact of increasing vinyl sales and rising concerns among several major artists. In summary, some counter-argue that the tech behind vinyls is significantly evolving, notably with BioVinyl, whilst others mention the environmental cost of storage data from streaming platforms. For me, it is entertainment, it is what consumers want, and it is the same debate as EV cars vs. good old gas. It’s evolution meets nostalgia. What do you reckon? 

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Exciting times in the world of NHL!! 🏒 Disguise is making waves in NHL arenas, transforming game experiences like never before. From stunning visual effects to immersive fan engagements, the fusion of Disguise in arena environments is taking the NHL by storm. Keep your eyes peeled for the latest trends reshaping the game-day experience! #NHL #createtogether

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MARTIN GROVE'S HOLLYWOOD REPORT FOR 5/12/24: APES climbed atop the boxoffice chart with $56.5M, giving exhibitors new hope after a grim winter and spring.   While KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES' opening doesn't come close to 2014's DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, which kicked off to $72.6M and did $710.6M worldwide, times have changed and those good old days may be gone forever. Nonetheless, KINGDOM's launch is in the ballpark compared to 2011's RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES ($54.8M) and 2017's WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES ($56.3M).   Driven by KINGDOM, the overall marketplace, per Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian, totaled $94.4M, up 26.4% from the prior weekend, but down 9% vs. this time last year. Comscore's year to date tally has 2024 at $2.29B, down 22% from $2.93B in 2023. Last weekend 2024 was down 21% vs. 2023.   Meanwhile, back at the multiplexes: Disney/20th Century's PG-13 sci-fi action adventure KINGDOM earned its $56.5M at 4,075 theatres ($13,865). Internationally, it opened to $72.5M, per Comscore, bringing its worldwide total to $129M.   KINGDOM reportedly cost $160M to produce -- but that money's all on the screen as there aren't any $20M stars in the movie! Hollywood handicappers were bullish on KINGDOM from the start with $50-60M estimates.   Going into this weekend, KINGDOM was tracking best for first choice with men over 25 (10 points over norm) and next best with men under 25 (six points over norm). Women under 25 were okay with five points over norm. Women over 25 were the least likely to be going with three points over norm. Rotten Tomatoes critics are happy at 81% while audiences are just okay at 78%.   Universal/87 North's PG-13 action dramedy THE FALL GUY, directed by David Leitch (JOHN WICK) and starring Ryan Gosling & Emily Blunt, fell to second place in weekend two with $13.7M (-51%) at 4,008 theatres ($3,418). It's done $49.7M domestic and $103.7M worldwide. FALL  reportedly cost $130M after Australia tax credits.   MGM/Amazon's CHALLENGERS held on to third place in weekend three with $4.7M (-38%) at 2,609 theatres ($1,795). It reportedly cost $55M to produce and has done $38.1M domestic and $68.7M worldwide.   As for next weekend's wide releases: Paramount/Maximum Effort's PG rated family dramedy "IF," directed by John Krasinski and starring Ryan Reynolds, should keep the boxoffice sizzling. Media pundits expect $45-55M at about 3,900 theatres.   It's tracking best and equally well for first choice with women under & over 25 (each nine points over norm) and next best with men under 25 (six points over norm). Men over 25 are the least excited (two points over norm).   Lionsgate's R rated horror thriller "THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1," opening at about 2,800 theatres, is tracking best with men under & over 25, but just equal to norm. It's below norm with men & women under 25. Some more exuberant analysts see it opening to $15-20M.   #movies #boxoffice #martingrove #kingdom            

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More Sony, Less Strategy “The plan would include auctioning off CBS, cable channels like MTV and the Paramount Plus streaming service. Paramount Pictures would be combined with Sony’s business.” So Sony’s entire strategy here is to spend $26 billion, sell off ALL the assets except the studio - not an easy task btw - all just to make Sony Pictures bigger? Seems like a LOT of squeeze for a questionable amount of juice. https://lnkd.in/eeEu8x_Z Paramount #mergersandacquisitions #movies

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Already, 50 UK festivals have announced they will either postpone, cancel, or completely shut down in 2024. Without immediate intervention, we could see the number of lost festivals exceed 100 this year due to rising and unpredictable costs. In early February, the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) launched the "5% For Festivals" campaign, advocating for a temporary VAT reduction on festival tickets to prevent more closures. This campaign aimed to raise awareness among festival-goers about the challenges faced by promoters over the past five years and encouraged them to lobby their MPs for support. However, the campaign is currently on hold as the country prepares for a general election. The solution is clear: the UK Government needs to provide temporary relief by reducing VAT on ticket sales from 20% to 5% for the next three years. This would give festival promoters the breathing room they need to recover and continue offering vibrant cultural events. For more details, read the full story https://lnkd.in/d3wPUR7r

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Remember the story of the long tail? In 2006, the successful book "The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More" captivated audiences. Now, a new phenomenon is emerging - "the middle class." Remember the successful book of 2026 "The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More'  Now in 2024, according to the Luminate report, an increasing number of artists are hitting between 1 million and 10 million on-demand audio streams in H1. This goes beyond the traditional model, offering exciting opportunities to explore. #musicacquisition #musicrights #AImusic #mentor Read more about this growing trend: https://lnkd.in/dyhzeE3d

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“Sony Music Entertainment is set to acquire the catalog of legendary rock band Queen in a landmark deal worth GBP £1 billion (USD $1.27 billion at current exchange rates). That’s according to Hits, which reported on Wednesday (June 19), citing sources, that Sony Music has emerged as the winning buyer for Queen’s recording and publishing rights, as well as royalties from previous deals with Disney Music Group and Universal Music Group. Disney owns the band’s recorded music catalog in North America, while UMG has a global distribution agreement with Disney. Separately, Queen band members Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon – plus the Freddie Mercury estate – each own equal shares in the company Queen Productions Ltd, which owns the group’s recording catalog outside the US and Canada, Music Business Worldwide noted in a report last year. UMG, as Disney’s distributor, will reportedly retain distribution rights in North America, although Sony will receive the royalties. UMG’s worldwide distribution rights will then transfer to Sony in 2026 or 2027, making Sony Music the sole distributor and owner of all Queen content globally, Hits explained. The deal also reportedly includes name and likeness rights, opening doors for merchandise and other ventures. Meanwhile, Queen’s founding members, May and Taylor, who continue to tour with vocalist Adam Lambert, will reportedly retain control of revenue from live performances.” Read the full article for more: #Queen #SonyMusic #UMG #DisneyMusicGroup #UniversalMusicGroup #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #Creators #Artists

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“The UK recorded music industry grew for the ninth consecutive year in 2023, bringing in £1.43 billion. Streaming and physical music saw growth, and the independent sector also enjoyed an increased share of album sales and streams. This is all according to a new stats pack from BPI The BPI has published its annual ‘All About The Music’ report on the British record industry's performance in the previous calendar year. The topline stat is that revenues grew by 8.1% in 2023 to £1.43 billion. That’s the ninth consecutive year of growth. According to the record industry trade group’s stats pack, more than half of that (58%) came from subscription streaming, sync and public performance combined contributed 13.6%, vinyl sales 9.9%, ad-funded audio and video streams 9.5%, and CDs 6.8%. Physical media actually saw stronger percentage growth than streaming last year, with CDs, vinyl and other formats all up individually, and collectively up 12.8% on 2022 - vinyl seeing the biggest jump, up 18.6% year-on-year. Streaming overall saw revenues rise by 8.4%, with ad-funded streaming growing fastest at 12.4%. In terms of actual revenues, physical brought in £243.4 million, while streaming generated £962.1 million. In terms of what people were listening to, Miley Cyrus came out top with her song ‘Flowers’, which enjoyed ten consecutive weeks at number one in the UK singles chart. This run helped female artists to score a record tally of weeks at the top of the UK top 40 - 31 out of 52 weeks. Women appear in seven slots in the top ten for the full year, including Raye, Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding and SZA.” #BPI #UK #Streaming #Artists #StreamingRoyalties #Royalties #RecordedMusic #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #MusicStreams #MusicRoyalties #Songs #Recordings #MusicBusiness #Music #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz

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Two very important observations. Do read 💡

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🎻 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰’𝘀 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲’𝘀 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 🎶 In an era where the value of cultural heritage is often questioned, it’s fascinating to see a survey like this from the Association Of British Orchestras. Such research is crucial and should be conducted more frequently to highlight the timeless relevance of classical music. Key findings: 1. 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 71% of Britons turn to classical music for significant life events. 🌟 2. 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: 74% believe orchestras are vital to the UK’s cultural heritage. 🎺 3. 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: "Relaxing" (37%), "Timeless" (36%), "Powerful" (36%), and "Emotional" (33%) are commonly linked to classical music. 🌿✨

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Two very important observations about Sony here: 1️⃣ The fact that Sony bided its time through the streaming wars has been extensively covered in the trades. They resisted the urge to sink millions of 💲to create their own platform and instead purely profited off their catalog by dealing it to the content hungry +’s of the world. This stacked cash in their cabinets and also let them observe audience behavior without risk. Now Sony is flush and informed. 2️⃣ The Alamo acquisition shines a light on a very interesting division of Sony called Sony Pictures EXPERIENCES. If you go through the trouble of building a division with that title and you combine the details of point 1, I’d say Sony believes there is value to be mined in traditional and event theatrical. Sony, with its methodical approach, will certainly have massive sway over the future of exhibition. This is 💯% exciting news. Great to see one of the studios go another way and be diligent. I believe we will see a lot of leadership from Sony in the upcoming years. #alamo #sony #filmindustry #movies

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MARTIN GROVE'S FILM FLASHBACK: STAR WARS EPISODE 1 - THE PHANTOM MENACE - 25TH ANNIVERSARY REISSUE OPENS 5/3/2024 -- If you saw STAR WARS in 1977, you likely were jolted a bit 22 years later when it suddenly became the series' fourth episode. That renumbering came when George Lucas answered fans' calls for more STAR WARS movies. Instead of new sequels, he gave them a prequel trilogy -- starting with STAR WARS: EPISODE I – THE PHANTOM MENACE, which opened May 19, 1999 via 20th Century-Fox and, most recently, had a 25th anniversary reissue May 3, 2024. Written & directed by Lucas, MENACE's stars include Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor & Natalie Portman. Its story precedes the original trilogy by 32 years. Lucas had realized while writing STAR WARS that he had far more story material than would fit into one movie. After his first episode became a global boxoffice phenomenon with $775.4M in ticket sales, Lucas moved forward with two sequels that he didn't want to direct. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980), directed by Irvin Kirschner & written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, did $538.4M globally. RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983), directed by Richard Marquand & written by Lawrence Kasdan and Lucas, did $475.1M globally. For the next 22 years, that was the entire STAR WARS movie universe. By the 1990s, advances in computer generated imagery (CGI) caught Lucas's attention because now visual effects were possible that he couldn't do for  the earlier episodes. It also helped that Lucas could now spend whatever it took to achieve his vision on screen. His first three episodes' budgets reportedly were $11M, $18M and $32.5M while reports put MENACE's budget at $115M. News of the prequels surfaced in October 1993 as Lucas was writing MENACE. Years earlier he'd developed enough backstories to make prequels work, which accelerated his writing. Lucas hadn't wanted to write or direct the prequels, but he wasn't able to bring others on board. He asked Kasdan to return to write MENACE, but Kasdan said Lucas, himself, should now resume full creative control of his STAR WARS films. Lucas reportedly also failed to get Frank Darabont (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) to write the script or to hire Carrie Fisher as the project's  script doctor. Lucas also went after directors, including Ron Howard, who recalled  in November 2015 that he, Robert Zemeckis & Steven Spielberg were all offered to direct MENACE. They all told Lucas he should do it, himself. Fortunately for Lucas, he took their good advice. MENACE grossed $1.03B worldwide. STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002), which Lucas directed & co-wrote (with Jonathan Hales), grossed $653.8M globally. And STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005), which Lucas directed & wrote, did $868.4M worldwide. #movies #martingrove #starwars  

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Is Kansas getting ready to compete with neighboring states offering film & TV tax incentives? 👀 Filmmakers are currently urging legislators to pass the Film Tax Credit Bill in Kansas. The bill would create a Film and Digital Media Production program, offering a sales tax exemption and non-refundable tax credits to qualifying production activities in the state. Educational and economic development programs to incentivize and promote the growth of the film production industry in Kansas would also be established. Some details from the proposed bill are: ➖ Program funding of $12 million dollars annually, of which $10 million would be allocated to film & TV tax credits with $2 million funding workforce training & educational funds ➖ 30% transferable tax credit on eligible spend ➖ Potential uplifts available for multi-film deals, television series, high budgeted projects, investing in local infrastructure, and projects hiring 50% or more Kansas residents  ➖ Initial application required The approval of this bill will certainly help Kansas lure film and television productions to their state, in addition to creating more jobs, expanding workforce development in the industry and aid in promoting tourism. DM me for more information, and follow me for future tax credit and incentive updates! #filmproduction #filmmaking  #filmmakers #accountants

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https://lnkd.in/eV8diHqd Private Division’s origin story WRT #norestforthewicked… Shortly after we incubated Private Division within Take-Two in 2017, we signed this game, then codenamed 'Forsaken,' from Moon Studios. Ophir Lupu and Blake Rochkind pitched me, Ed Tomaszewski, and Tom Bass during E3 of that year. It checked all the key boxes for us, while simultaneously validating the need for a new kind of independent games publisher that became PD. Here was a game that represented an ambitious step up from an already proven, talented team. Moon had shipped Ori & The Blind Forest to great success, and was still heads down on Ori 2. Thomas Mahler & Gennadiy Korol wanted to do something big to shake up the Action RPG space, which hadn't seen much innovation, while the genre was growing audience on the backs of successful iterations in the Dark Souls franchise, Bloodbourne and others. But how does a team with fewer than 100 people make a vibrant, open world game with a signature art style, world-class animation, and deeply-satisfying, moment-to-moment gameplay? I still don’t know…you’ll have to ask the folks at Moon, because they just did it. We couldn’t be more proud to ship this title.

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Earlier this month, I was blessed to cover the Texas Eclipse Festival. There's been a ton of conspiracies and complaints circulating online about how disorganized and "dangerous" the festival was, but in my experience, that was FAR from the case. People on the internet just like to be negative, because, unfortunately, that's often the content that gets the most traction. If you want to know what the Texas Eclipse Festival was ACTUALLY like, check out my review with MP3 MAG!

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