International
Warner Bros. Pictures set to break own box-office records
MUMBAI: The Warner Bros. Pictures Group is set to break the all-time industry worldwide box-office record of $3.66 billion, set by it in 2007, for the year 2009 with a projected year-end gross of $3.99 billion in global receipts.
Warner Bros. Pictures domestic gross is projected at $2.13 billion, surpassing the industry record of $1.789 billion set by the studio in 2008. Warner Bros. Pictures International continues to perform extremely well at the global box-office with a projected $1.86 billion year-end gross. 2009 is the ninth consecutive billion-dollar-plus year for both the domestic and international film distribution arms.
“We‘re really proud of this achievement and it was only possible through the combined efforts of an incredibly talented group of people, including everyone involved with the creation, production, marketing and distribution of more than two dozen films worldwide over the last 12 months,” said Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov.
“We have a great team leading our global efforts, including Sue Kroll, Dan Fellman and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, and along with Barry Meyer and Alan Horn, I congratulate everyone involved in helping us attain this success and look forward to continuing our creative and commercial winning streak,” Robinov added.
Highlights of the Warner Bros. Pictures Groups success in 2009 include:
Warner Bros. Pictures opened nine films in the #1 position at the U.S. box office in a single year-Gran Torino, Hes Just Not That Into You, Friday the 13th, Watchmen, 17 Again, The Hangover, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Final Destination and Where the Wild Things Are.
Warner Bros Pictures had 12 weeks of #1 movies at the U.S. box-office, more than any other studio in 2009.
The Studio has had five films gross over $100 million domestically in 2009- Watchmen ($107 million),
Terminator Salvation ($125 million), The Hangover ($277 million), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($302 million) and The Blind Side ($185 million, still in release) and Sherlock Holmes is projected to cross the $100 million mark.
The Studio has also had five films gross over $100 million internationally in 2009-Yes Man ($132 million), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ($205 million), Gran Torino ($121 million), The Hangover ($190 million and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($632 million).
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the highest-grossing worldwide film of 2009 with $934 million in worldwide box-office receipts. It‘s also the second-highest domestic-grossing Harry Potter movie at $302 million and the third-highest-grossing internationally with more than $632 million at the overseas box office.
The Hangover earned more than $277 million domestically, making it the top-grossing R-rated comedy of all time. The film is also the highest-grossing R-rated U.S. comedy overseas of all time at $190 million.
The Blind Side spent its third week in release at the #1 spot at the U.S. box-office and has grossed $185 million domestically to date and continues to play at 2766 locations throughout the holidays.
Gran Torino marked the biggest opening weekend ever for a Clint Eastwood film and his highest-grossing film ever domestically and worldwide. The film grossed $148 million domestically and $121 million overseas.
Friday the 13th had the largest four-day opening of all time for a horror film.
Among the Studios 2010 releases are Valentines Day (from New Line Cinema), starring Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez and Queen Latifah; Clash of the Titans, starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes; Sex and the City 2 (also from New Line), the sequel to the 2008 box-office hit; Christopher Nolans Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio; and Harry Potter and the Death.
International
Moskino and Bollywood: Moscow Film Cluster and Film City Mumbai signed a cooperation agreement
Moscow Film Cluster has signed a cooperation agreement with Film City Mumbai. The parties agreed to cooperate in developing the film industry, promoting shooting locations and supporting filmmakers.
The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the India International Film Tourism (IIFTC) Conclave in Mumbai. At this forum, the Moscow Film Cluster presented Moscow’s opportunities for film shooting, including infrastructure projects such as Film City Moskino and Film Factory. Special attention was paid to the Moscow rebate system – up to 45% – and the co-production development.
Memorandum of Understanding between the Film City and Moscow Film Cluster provides for the establishment and development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the film industry development, including joint promotion of shooting locations, support for filmmakers, implementation of marketing and industry events, development of incentive support measures and strengthening of economic and cultural interaction between India and Moscow.
The parties also intend to promote the development of the audiovisual sector through the exchange of experience, joint initiatives and the search for opportunities to create new industry partnerships and clusters.
Moscow Film Cluster is a major city initiative led by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to develop the capital into a global cinema hub. It brings together key production infrastructure – such as the Moskino Film Сity, Film Factory and Gorky Film Studio – along with the Film Commission, digital platform and cinema chain to streamline shooting, support productions and attract international filmmaking to Moscow.
Also, Moscow offers a rebate of up to 45%: 30% as direct production cost compensation, up to 15% for visa and accommodation support. The Moscow Image Grant provides up to $255,000 for films showcasing iconic city views.
The Moscow Film Cluster booth attracted considerable attention from Indian producers and studios. Over 80 business meetings were held, including those with major Indian companies.
One of the booth guests was the famous Indian actress Khushboo Sundar, known to Soviet and Russian audiences for her role in My Soul and considered the leading star of Tamil cinema, in whose honor one of the local temples was even built. Prithul Kumar, representative of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of the officials responsible for regulating the film industry in the country, also expressed interest in the development of the Moscow Film Cluster.
One of the highlights of the India International Film Tourism Conclave was the awarding of The Greatest of All Time in the For Cinematic Excellence category. The movie was shot in Moscow. The jury members noted the project’s contribution to the development of tourism.
The shooting of The Greatest of All Time AGS by Entertainment was organized with the assistance of the Moscow Film Cluster and the Moscow Film Commission and took place in April 2024 on the streets of Moscow. The scenes were shot in such famous locations as Patriarch Bridge, Teatralnaya Square, Manezhnaya Square, Kazarmenny Lane, Podsosensky Lane, Nikolskaya Street and one of the festival venues of Moscow Seasons.
The Greatest of All Time became a landmark event in Indian box office history. It ranked fourth in box office earnings among all movies released in India in 2024 and is one of the most successful Tamil-language movies in history.
At the same time, the shooting of another joint Russian-Indian movie started at the Moskino Film City in Moscow. A film project dedicated to badminton became one of the first participants in the Moscow rebate program.
A project by Smena & WISH Media (Russia) and Kartina Entertainment And Sports Private Limited (India) will tell the story of a badminton player who travels to India with the Russian national team to compete in a tournament. Russian viewers will see for the first time the scale of sporting competitions in Asia, where badminton is a cult sport and draws packed stands of fans.
The agreement on the joint production of the Smash movie was signed st the Moscow International Film Week in August 2025. And as Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, a rebate application was also submitted at that time to reimburse part of the costs incurred during the shooting process in the Russian capital.
