Hollywood
Warner Bros. is the highest earning Hollywood studio of 2013
MUMBAI: In a record-breaking year, Warner Bros. Pictures emerged as the top-grossing studio for 2013, ranking number one in domestic, international and worldwide market shares. Reportedly, the Studio was at the number one spot in global market share in 2013 with $5.04 billion in global ticket sales, followed by Disney and Universal.
Warner Bros.’s domestic revenue was $1.9 billion, while its overseas haul was $3.14 billion for a total $5.04 billion, up from $4.25 in 2012. While Disney’s domestic revenue reached at $1.72 billion, up 11 percent over 2012 and international revenue was at $3.01 billion; Universal’s revenue clocked at $1.9 billion domestic and $3.14 billion internationally.
Warner Bros. president of Domestic Distribution Dan Fellman; president of International Distribution Veronika Kwan Vandenberg; president of Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Pictures and Sue Kroll made the announcement recently.
Fellman said in a release, “We are extremely proud of all the remarkable benchmarks reached in 2013. These terrific numbers speak to the diversity of our slate, which has enabled us to deliver great entertainment to a broad range of audiences throughout the year.”
Warner Bros. in the year produced a varied variety of films reaching out to audiences all over the world. Two current hits, still in theatres, are among the Studio’s highest-grossing films for the year: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in partnership with New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), at $659 million worldwide and counting; and Gravity at $663 million to date.
The Summer blockbuster Man of Steel from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, was the Studio’s top-grossing release for the year at $668 million globally. The other movies that were the highlight at Box Office include Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Pacific Rim with $411 million; The Hangover Part III also in partnership with Legendary, at $362 million; The Great Gatsby in partnership with Village Roadshow Pictures, at $351 million; New Line Cinema’s The Conjuring with $318 million; and We’re the Millers also from New Line, at $270 million.
Interestingly, for a Hollywood studio, it is just the second time to have achieved such a business. Earlier, in 2001 Paramount had made the same mark.
Hollywood
Disney chair confident CEO Josh D’Amaro will ‘rise to the occasion’ in Trump–Kimmel row
Board backs new chief as ABC controversy tests leadership early on
NEW YORK: The Walt Disney Company has placed the responsibility of handling the escalating dispute between Donald Trump and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel squarely on its new chief executive, Josh D’Amaro.
Speaking at a business conference in Oslo, Disney chair James Gorman said it would be up to the CEO and his team to determine the company’s response to the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He noted that such challenges are not uncommon for large corporations and require careful handling at the leadership level.
The row intensified after both Donald Trump and Melania Trump publicly called for Kimmel’s dismissal following remarks made on his show. The comments, which referenced the First Lady, sparked backlash in the days leading up to a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Kimmel addressed the issue on-air, clarifying that his joke was intended as a reference to the couple’s age difference and not an incitement to violence. He also expressed sympathy for those affected by the incident and reiterated his stance against violent rhetoric.
Despite mounting pressure, Gorman refrained from offering specific guidance on the future of the show or the host. Instead, he voiced confidence in D’Amaro’s leadership, describing him as “world class” and capable of navigating the situation effectively.
The episode presents an early and high-profile test for D’Amaro, who stepped into the top role just last month. How Disney balances editorial independence, public sentiment and political pressure will likely shape not just the outcome of this controversy, but also the tone of its leadership in the months ahead.
