Latest news with #Abdy
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy Tout ‘A Minecraft Movie' as a ‘World-Class Achievement' in Companywide Memo
Brick by brick, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy are taking a win for this weekend's monster hit 'A Minecraft Movie.' The co-heads of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, recently bedeviled by a string of flops and whispers about their futures at the company, addressed the whole of their corporate parent Warner Bros. Discovery in a memo on Monday. The pair claimed victory on behalf of the studio for the record-smashing video game adaptation – which earned nearly $315 million at the worldwide box office in its first outing – a movie co-produced with Legendary Entertainment. More from Variety 5 Reasons 'A Minecraft Movie' Became a Record-Breaking Box Office Success China Box Office: 'A Minecraft Movie' Debuts on Top, Ending the Long Reign of 'Ne Zha 2' Box Office: 'Minecraft' Is Already the Second-Biggest Movie of the Year With $313 Million in Global Debut De Luca and Abdy noted that 'A Minecraft Movie' represented 'the largest domestic opening weekend of 2025, the biggest since July, and Warner Bros.' largest opening weekend since 2023. This is truly a world-class achievement!' The execs concluded the memo saying, 'This is what happens when we believe in the power of our creativity, each other, and the strength of great storytelling.' That message was echoed multiple times last week in Las Vegas, when De Luca and Abdy presented their upcoming films at CinemaCon. They extolled the value of big creative swings that 'drive culture and create long-term value.' On the eve of the annual exhibitors convention, Variety reported that De Luca and Abdy's studio had become consumed by tension thanks to misfires like 'Mickey 17' and Robert De Niro's 'The Alto Knights' — to say nothing of upcoming risks like Paul Thomas Anderson's $130 million 'One Battle After Another' starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and Maggie Gyllenhaal's $80 million 'The Bride!' Both titles played well at CinemaCon. The 'Minecraft' cash haul will surely be a tonic for the executives as they try to replicate that success for the rest of the year. In a separate email to their studio team, De Luca and Abdy celebrated synergies across the company that helped promote 'A Minecraft Movie,' including activations with Food Network, TBS, TNT Sports, Cartoon Network and more. They also quoted Jack Black's character in the film, who delivers the line: 'Anything you can dream about here, you can make.' Read the full memo from De Luca and Abdy to WBD: Team, It's a hit! This opening weekend, movie-going audiences dug into A Minecraft Movie, making it the no. 1 film in the U.S. and 75 global markets, bringing in an impressive $313.7 million – the largest domestic opening weekend of 2025, the biggest since July, and Warner Bros.' largest opening weekend since 2023. This is truly a world-class achievement! Thanks to the creativity and collaboration of teams across WB Pictures and the entire company, our film about the power of imagination and building something bigger than ourselves sparked incredible reactions from audiences everywhere. From viral videos to uncontainable fan excitement, A Minecraft Movie has ignited a worldwide block party! It also paved the way for record-setting partnerships, marketing firsts, and continued progress in harnessing the talent and resources across the entire organization to create cultural moments that truly matter. A massive congratulations and heartfelt thanks to every colleague who helped craft this epic adventure – together, we've built something truly special. A Minecraft Movie is the result of an incredible team effort, brick by brick. This is what happens when we believe in the power of our creativity, each other, and the strength of great and Pam Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
Wall Street Journal
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘A Minecraft Movie' Is the Hit Hollywood's Been Waiting For
'A Minecraft Movie' opened to an estimated $301 million worldwide, delivering a much-needed hit to Hollywood after a dismal start to the year at the box office. The Warner Bros. Discovery WBD -11.90%decrease; red down pointing triangle movie based on a Microsoft videogame grossed $157 million in the U.S. and Canada, the strongest domestic opening of the year and the biggest since Marvel's 'Deadpool & Wolverine' last July. 'Minecraft' pulled in another $144 million overseas. The adaptation of the globally popular videogame topped expectations and is the latest proof that well-known intellectual property makes it much easier to draw audiences to theaters. The first three months of 2025 have been a disaster for the movie industry, with box office disappointments including 'Snow White,' 'Mickey 17,' 'Captain America: Brave New World,' 'Novocaine' and 'The Alto Knights.' The total domestic box office in that period was $1.42 billion, down 12% from last year and 41% from 2019, the last year unaffected by the pandemic and 2023's Hollywood labor strikes. The first three months of the year 'could not have been any worse for us,' Bill Barstow, chief executive of Main Street Theatres, a small chain of cinemas based in Nebraska, said at the CinemaCon industry convention in Las Vegas last week. Many theater owners were buzzing at CinemaCon about 'Minecraft's' potential to break out based on advance ticket sales. Warner Bros. Discovery's film business has been under growing pressure with two of this year's biggest flops, 'Mickey 17' and 'Alto Knights,' and arguably the biggest box office disaster of 2024 in 'Joker: Folie à Deux.' Studio chiefs Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca have been spending large sums on risky projects at a time when the rest of their company is under pressure to cut costs. 'Minecraft' was in development at Warner Bros. for several years before Abdy and De Luca took over in 2022, but they oversaw its production. Its success is a shot in the arm for the company. The film is likely to be quite profitable for Warner and its financing partner, Legendary Pictures, and to spawn sequels. 'Minecraft' is likely to remain No. 1 at the box office for a few weeks. The biggest coming films in April are Disney's 'The Amateur,' a thriller based on a little known book, and Warner's 'Sinners,' an original horror movie set in the early days of blues music starring Michael B. Jordan. 'Sinners' is one of Abdy and De Luca's risker bets of the year. Many in Hollywood are hoping the summer will make up for the rough first several months of the year, with potential hits including new entries in the Mission: Impossible and Jurassic World series and a live-action remake of 'Lilo & Stitch.' Hollywood's summer-movie season kicks off the first weekend of May with a new Marvel movie, 'Thunderbolts.' Write to Ben Fritz at
New York Times
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘A Minecraft Movie' Arrives as a Surprise Box Office Smash
There are no fail-safe formulas in Hollywood, but this one comes close: Take an established yet underexploited (or musty) cultural property — preferably one that stirs strong feelings of nostalgia among young adults — and add stars playing to type, abundant visual effects and a savvy marketing campaign that makes core fans feel appreciated. It's difficult to pull off, but Legendary Entertainment has done it repeatedly. The most recent example came over the weekend with 'A Minecraft Movie,' which was made in partnership with Warner Bros. The film was on track to sell an astounding $140 million in tickets in North America from Friday through Sunday, according to box office analysts. Citing advance ticket sales and surveys that track consumer interest, analysts had projected a domestic opening weekend of closer to $80 million. 'A Minecraft Movie,' a PG-rated comedic fantasy starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa and based on the 2011 video game, also scored overseas, where it was expected to take in an additional $100 million or more, analysts said. The film cost $150 million to make, not including global marketing costs. Legendary, which is independently owned, covered 25 percent of the budget. Warner Bros. shouldered the balance. Reviews were mixed. Hollywood in general, and Warner Bros. in particular, badly needed a hit. Box office revenue in the United States and Canada fell 11 percent in the first three months of this year compared with the same period in 2024, in part because of major flops like 'Snow White' (Disney) and 'Mickey 17' (Warner Bros.). There were also other underperformers, including a pair of low-budget duds from the once-unstoppable Blumhouse horror studio. Warner Bros. found a blockbuster in September with 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.' But its performance since then has been dismal, with a gangster movie championed by David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, flatlining last month. Several of the company's coming films are seen as risks by theater owners and Warner Bros. Discovery investors, including 'Sinners,' a $90 million original, R-rated horror thriller set in the 1930s. It arrives on April 18. Mr. Zaslav has informally met with candidates to replace Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private process. The talks were earlier reported by Bloomberg. Ms. Abdy and Mr. De Luca declined to comment. A spokesman for Warner Bros. Discovery said, 'The rumor of an imminent leadership change at the studio is not accurate.' Strong ticket sales for 'A Minecraft Movie' could give the embattled executives some breathing room. Ms. Abdy and Mr. De Luca pushed the project into production and oversaw its completion. Warner Bros. also arranged for a major marketing partnership with McDonald's that generated widespread conversation on TikTok, a platform that has become a crucial seat-filling tool for studios and theaters. But much of the credit for 'A Minecraft Movie' belongs to Legendary. After struggling for years to come up with the right director, story, structure and tone, Warner Bros. brought on Legendary as a 'Minecraft' partner in late 2019. In addition to financing, Legendary offered producing prowess. Jared Hess, known for instilling films like 'Nacho Libre' and 'Napoleon Dynamite' with awkward humor, was hired to direct the movie. Mr. Momoa ('Aquaman') and the madcap Mr. Black ('Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle') joined the cast. 'A Minecraft Movie' is the third time that Legendary has turned challenging source material into broad-audience pay dirt. The company resuscitated King Kong in 2017, resulting in a trilogy that collected $1.6 billion worldwide. Legendary was also the force behind 'Dune: Part One' (2021) and 'Dune: Part Two' (2024), which took in $1.1 billion, a feat for films that rely on complex science-fiction lore. 'Dune: Messiah' is scheduled for release next year. Warner Bros. released and invested in the Kong movies (which also star Godzilla). Ditto the 'Dune' franchise. 'A Minecraft Movie' adds to a boom in game-based films. Other successes include Universal's animated 'Super Mario Bros. Movie' and Paramount's 'Sonic the Hedgehog' series. 'Five Nights at Freddy's' from Blumhouse and Universal was a surprise sensation in 2023. According to PostTrak, a research service, about 43 percent of ticket buyers for 'A Minecraft Movie' were ages 18 to 24. Children ages 13 to 17 made up 35 percent.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
With studio chiefs in the hot seat, Warner Bros. bets on an ambitious film lineup
As Warner Bros.' embattled studio heads Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca confidently unveiled their upcoming films to movie theater owners in the Caesars Palace Colosseum on Tuesday evening, there was little to suggest a studio in trouble. During their presentation at CinemaCon — the movie business' trade show in Las Vegas — they elicited cheers after bringing out Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor to promote their film, "One Battle After Another." They got the audience to collectively groan in horror at a particularly gory clip from "Final Destination: Bloodlines" involving an MRI machine, body piercings and a vending machine spring. And they introduced the star of "The Bride!" as well as Superman himself, David Corenswet, who walked onstage to the "Superman" score with co-stars Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult. 'It's a great honor to play a role that exists so clearly in the public consciousness," Corenswet said onstage after receiving loud applause. And yet, Abdy and De Luca's future — and the success of Warner Bros.' film bets — is far from certain. After a string of box office disappointments and grumblings about high budgets, rumors have been swirling that De Luca and Abdy's days at the top of the nearly 102-year-old studio are numbered, which the studio has denied. In October, the Burbank studio's highly anticipated 'Joker: Folie à Deux' was a dud, falling far short of expectations despite a reported budget of at least $190 million before marketing. Director Todd Phillips was given much freedom to make his divisive musical sequel starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. The gamble backfired. Then in March, Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho's sci-fi thriller "Mickey 17" struggled at the box office. The film has made only $121 million globally, despite a reported budget of $118 million. The Robert De Niro-led mob movie "The Alto Knights" also bombed with $9 million. The studio is counting on the family-friendly and video-game-inspired "A Minecraft Movie," which comes out in theaters this weekend, to turn its fortunes around. It's expected to open with about $60 million in domestic ticket sales. (Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. president of global theatrical distribution, told the Colosseum crowd Tuesday that advance sales have been impressive.) The presentation featured some high-stakes gambles. De Luca and Abdy have bet on big-budget projects by auteur directors not based on tested intellectual property, the kinds of movies that make risk-averse studio chiefs sweat bullets. The executives showed footage for "One Battle After Another," a $130-million crime thriller written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. "It's an incredibly epic movie," DiCaprio said onstage. They also showed footage from Maggie Gyllenhaal's "The Bride!," which will arrive in theaters next year and has a reported budget of $80 million. Abdy told the crowd Tuesday night that "audiences will be knocked out" by Gyllenhaal's take on the classic Mary Shelley story of "Frankenstein," saying it "introduces us to a world that could only spring from Maggie's brilliant imagination." "It will rock your world,' De Luca added. There was also footage from Zach Cregger's "Weapons," a summer horror film about an entire classroom of children that goes missing, and a video message from Ryan Coogler to promote his upcoming film "Sinners." "There's a lot to look forward to over the next year," Abdy said. Attendees leaving the Colosseum on Tuesday night mused that the presentation gave them confidence in the studio's slate of films. "Warner Bros. showcased a lot of reason to be optimistic about their slate as the CinemaCon presentation highlighted a number of high-potential, diverse and commercially attractive releases later this year and beyond," said Shawn Robbins, founder of film business analysis site Box Office Theory. Some of the studio's box office struggles predate Abdy and De Luca's tenure and were projects green-lighted by a previous regime. De Luca and Abdy were named to lead the storied studio in 2022, replacing Toby Emmerich. They previously helmed MGM's movie operations, where they championed filmmaker-driven movies such as Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" and Ridley Scott's "House of Gucci." Amazon had closed an $8.5-billion deal to purchase MGM, home of the 'Creed' and James Bond films. Nonetheless, the string of flops has led to questions about their leadership and created uncertainty at the studio, which has already gone through a shake-up this year. Marketing chief Josh Goldstine and international film distribution head Andrew Cripps announced their departures in January. The pressure on the film division comes as Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav has taken much interest in its operations. The company is saddled with billions of dollars in debt and has slashed thousands of jobs to cut costs. The perceived instability of the film studio's leadership has made some filmmakers wary about setting up projects with Warner Bros., especially those that may need development, said a Hollywood insider who requested anonymity to protect relationships. Warner Bros. rebutted speculation that Abdy and De Luca's jobs are in jeopardy. In a statement to Bloomberg, company spokesperson Robert Gibbs said that "the rumor of an imminent leadership change at the studio is not accurate." A studio spokesperson pointed to the diverse slate of films set for release, as well as a range of actors and filmmakers who have films with Warner Bros. in various stages of development, including Emerald Fennell, Sydney Sweeney, Tom Cruise and Timothée Chalamet. Under De Luca and Abdy's watch, the studio relaunched its animation division, which has five films in production, including "The Cat in the Hat." Subsidiary New Line Cinema has franchise installments, including "The Conjuring: Last Rites" and a "Mortal Kombat" sequel. (After a "Final Destination: Bloodlines" clip, Richard Brener, president of Warner Bros. division New Line Cinema, said with a deadpan expression, "See you at the Oscars.") For De Luca, joining Warner Bros was a bit of a homecoming. He'd served as New Line's president of production until he was fired in 2001 after a run of box office flops. His replacement was Emmerich. De Luca and Abdy are known for their taste and being filmmaker-friendly. De Luca produced "The Social Network," and Abdy did "Garden State" and "Queen & Slim." Fellow Warner Bros. executives onstage for the CinemaCon presentation offered praise and support for Abdy and De Luca's leadership, as well as the studio's future. Bill Damaschke, president of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, thanked the pair for allowing him to join the team, saying their shared vision was "truly inspiring." "Telling original stories and taking risks is the only path toward creating new global franchises," Damaschke said. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
With studio chiefs in the hot seat, Warner Bros. bets on an ambitious film lineup
LAS VEGAS — As Warner Bros.' embattled studio heads Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca confidently unveiled their upcoming films to movie theater owners in the Caesars Palace Colosseum on Tuesday evening, there was little to suggest a studio in trouble. During their presentation at CinemaCon — the movie business' trade show in Las Vegas — they elicited cheers after bringing out Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor to promote their upcoming film, 'One Battle After Another.' They got the audience to collectively groan in horror at a particularly gory clip from 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' involving an MRI machine, body piercings and a vending machine spring. And they introduced the star of 'The Bride!' as well as Superman himself, David Corenswet, who walked on stage to the 'Superman' score with co-stars Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult. 'It's a great honor to play a role that exists so clearly in the public consciousness,' Corenswet said onstage, after receiving loud applause. And yet, Abdy and De Luca's future — and the success of Warner Bros.' film bets — is far from certain. After a string of box office disappointments and grumblings about high budgets, rumors have been swirling that De Luca and Abdy's days at the top of the nearly 102-year-old studio are numbered, which the studio has denied. In October, the Burbank studio's highly anticipated 'Joker: Folie à Deux' was a dud, falling far short of expectations despite a reported budget of at least $190 million before marketing. Director Todd Phillips was given much freedom to make his divisive musical sequel starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. The gamble backfired. Then in March, Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho's sci-fi thriller 'Mickey 17' struggled at the box office. The film has made only $121 million globally, despite a reported budget of $118 million. The Robert De Niro-led mob movie 'The Alto Knights' also bombed with $9 million. The studio is counting on the family-friendly and video game-inspired 'A Minecraft Movie,' which comes out in theaters this weekend, to turn its fortunes around. It's expected to open with about $60 million in domestic ticket sales. (Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. president of global theatrical distribution, told the Colosseum crowd Tuesday that advance sales have been 'impressive.') The presentation featured some high-stakes gambles. De Luca and Abdy have bet on big budget projects by auteur directors not based on tested intellectual property, the kinds of movies that make risk-averse studio chiefs sweat bullets. The executives showed footage for 'One Battle After Another,' a $130-million crime thriller written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. 'It's an incredibly epic movie,' DiCaprio said onstage. They also showed footage from Maggie Gyllenhaal's 'The Bride!,' which will arrive in theaters next year and has a reported budget of $80 million. Abdy told the crowd Tuesday night that 'audiences will be knocked out' by Gyllenhaal's take on the classic Mary Shelley story of 'Frankenstein,' saying it 'introduces us to a world that could only spring from Maggie's brilliant imagination.' 'It will rock your world,' De Luca added. There was also footage from Zach Cregger's 'Weapons,' a summer horror film about an entire classroom of children that goes missing, and a video message from Ryan Coogler to promote his upcoming film 'Sinners.' 'There's a lot to look forward to over the next year,' Abdy said. Attendees leaving the Colosseum on Tuesday night mused that the presentation gave them confidence in the studio's slate of films. 'Warner Bros. showcased a lot of reason to be optimistic about their slate as the CinemaCon presentation highlighted a number of high-potential, diverse, and commercially attractive releases later this year and beyond,' said Shawn Robbins, founder of film business analysis site Box Office Theory. Some of the studio's box office struggles predate Abdy and De Luca's tenure and were projects green-lighted by a previous regime. De Luca and Abdy were named to lead the storied studio in 2022, replacing Toby Emmerich. They previously helmed MGM's movie operations, where they championed filmmaker-driven movies such as Anderson's 'Licorice Pizza' and Ridley Scott's 'House of Gucci.' Amazon had closed an $8.5-billion deal to purchase MGM, home of the 'Creed' and James Bond films. Nonetheless, the string of flops has led to questions about their leadership and created uncertainty at the studio, which has already gone through a major shakeup this year. Marketing chief Josh Goldstine and international film distribution head Andrew Cripps announced their departures in January. The pressure on the film division comes as Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav has taken much interest in its operations. The company is saddled with billions of dollars in debt and has slashed thousands of jobs to cut costs. The perceived instability of the film studio's leadership has made some filmmakers wary about setting up projects with Warner Bros., especially those that may need development, said a Hollywood insider who requested anonymity to protect relationships. Warner Bros. rebutted speculation that Abdy and De Luca's jobs are in jeopardy. In a statement to Bloomberg, company spokesperson Robert Gibbs said that 'the rumor of an imminent leadership change at the studio is not accurate.' Under De Luca and Abdy's watch, the studio relaunched its animation division, which has five films in production, including 'The Cat in the Hat.' Subsidiary New Line Cinema has franchise installments, including 'The Conjuring: Last Rites' and a 'Mortal Kombat' sequel. (After a 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' clip, Brenner, with a deadpan expression, said, 'See you at the Oscars.') For De Luca, joining Warner Bros was a bit of a homecoming. He'd previously served as New Line's president of production until he was fired in 2001 after a run of box office flops. His replacement was Emmerich. Both De Luca and Abdy are known for their taste and being filmmaker friendly. De Luca produced 'The Social Network,' while Abdy did 'Garden State' and 'Queen & Slim.' Fellow Warner Bros. executives on stage for the CinemaCon presentation offered praise and support for Abdy and De Luca's leadership, as well as the studio's future. Bill Damaschke, president of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, thanked the pair onstage for allowing him to join the team, saying their shared vision was 'truly inspiring.' 'Telling original stories and taking risks is the only path toward creating new global franchises,' Damaschke said.
