English Entertainment
‘DaVinci’s Code’ unlocks ratings bonanza for NGC US
MUMBAI: National Geographic Channel (NGC) in the US has announced that its special Unlocking DaVinci’s Code: The Full Story which aired earlier this month got it record ratings.
The two hour special which aired on 19 December at 9 pm got a 1.6 Household rating and 1.2 in the 25-54 age group. 1.3 million persons 2+ on an average watched the special. Furthermore, more than four million tuned in to part of the special with more than 2.8 million tuned in for the 9 p.m. broadcast alone.
The documentary was the result of Dan Brown’s best selling book. The documentary deals with the hidden secrets and meanings of Da Vinci’s Code. With Avengers star Patrick McNee serving as host, the producers interview a series of art critics and historians, shedding light on the legacy linking Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, and Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. The programme delves into the symbolism some experts say is encoded into such masterpieces as the Last Supper and Mona Lisa.
NGC claims to be available in 52 million homes in the US.
English Entertainment
Ellison takes his Paramount-Warner Bros case straight to theater owners
The Skydance chief goes to CinemaCon with promises and a skeptical crowd waiting
CALIFORNIA: David Ellison strode into a room packed with thousands of cinema owners and executives at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Thursday and did something rather bold: he looked them in the eye and asked them to trust him.
The chief executive of Paramount Skydance vowed that his company would release a minimum of 30 films a year if regulators greenlight its proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, a deal that has made theater owners deeply, and loudly, nervous.
“I wanted to look every single one of you in the eye and give you my word,” Ellison told the crowd. “Once we combine with Warner Bros, we are going to make a minimum of 30 films annually across both studios.”
It was a confident pitch. Whether it landed is another matter. Cinema operators have already called on regulators to block the deal, and scepticism in the room was hardly concealed.
Ellison pushed back by pointing to recent form. Paramount, born from the merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media last August, plans to release 15 films this year, nearly double the eight it put out in 2025. Progress, he argued, was already underway.
He also threw theater owners a bone they have long been chasing: all films, he pledged, would run exclusively in cinemas for a minimum of 45 days, drawing applause from a crowd that has spent years fighting for exactly that commitment across the industry.
“People can speculate all they want,” Ellison said, “but I am standing here today telling you personally that you can count on our complete commitment. And we’ll show you we mean it.”
Fine words. The regulators, however, will have the last one.
