Latest news with #EricHandler
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Lilo & Stitch' beats Tom Cruise and 'Mission: Impossible' in record Memorial Day weekend box office
A chaotic blue alien and the high-flying escapades of Tom Cruise propelled the Memorial Day weekend box office to record heights, giving relief to theater owners still struggling from a post-pandemic malaise among moviegoers. Walt Disney Co.'s live-action film "Lilo & Stitch" hauled in $183 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates, placing it in first place. It's the biggest Memorial Day weekend opener ever, not adjusting for inflation, topping "Top Gun: Maverick," which debuted with $160.5 million in 2022. Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media's "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning" brought in $77 million domestically for second place. "Final Destination Bloodlines," "Thunderbolts*" and "Sinners" rounded out the top five this weekend. The two new studio blockbusters were big overseas, too. Globally, "Lilo & Stitch" collected $341.7 million including domestic ticket sales. The worldwide tally for "Mission: Impossible," the eighth in the series, was $190 million. Historically, the holiday has been one of the biggest moviegoing weekends of the year, serving as a springboard for the busy summer months. But since the 2020 pandemic and the dual writers' and actors' strikes in 2023, it has become a less reliable indicator of the theatrical business. "The calendar thinned out a little bit, particularly post-pandemic," said Eric Handler, media and entertainment analyst at Roth Capital. "You just didn't have the depth that you used to have. But it's good to see that there's two big event movies this year." "Lilo & Stitch" and "Mission: Impossible" also largely catered to different audiences, lowering the risk that audiences would pick and choose between similar films. Box office grosses have typically done better with more genres in theaters. The reported budget for "Lilo & Stitch" was $100 million, while "Mission: Impossible" reportedly cost $300 million to $400 million to produce, placing it among the most expensive movies ever. The strong showing on Memorial Day weekend adds to a solid spring at the box office. Powered by films including Warner Bros. Pictures' "A Minecraft Movie" and Ryan Coogler's "Sinners," domestic theatrical revenue for April totaled $875 million, close to the pre-pandemic average of $886 million for the same month from 2015-19, Handler said. Then in May came Disney and Marvel Studios' "Thunderbolts*" and Warner Bros. Pictures' "Final Destination Bloodlines," which have kept up steady business at theaters. "This spring has been so good for the box office, it usually means the summer is going to be strong," said Kimberly Owczarski, associate professor in the department of film, television and digital media at Texas Christian University. "Last year, we didn't have those big tentpoles in April and early May that usually start the season. Because we've had that, people are in the moviegoing mood." Last year, the holiday weekend grossed just $132 million, making it the worst Memorial Day weekend box office in nearly 30 years. Films like "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" and "The Garfield Movie" brought in about $30 million each that weekend, a distinct difference from the mega-hauls that blockbusters traditionally gross during Memorial Day weekend. The slow start last year to the all-important summer movie season made distributors and exhibitors anxious. It wasn't until Disney-Pixar's "Inside Out 2" debuted in mid-June that the box office started to turn around. This year, however, a seemingly strong lineup of familiar blockbusters for most of the summer has given industry insiders optimism. Sony Pictures' "Karate Kid: Legends" comes out at the end of the month, followed by Lionsgate's "John Wick" spin-off "Ballerina" in early June. Other anticipated releases include Universal Pictures' live action "How to Train Your Dragon" and "Jurassic World Rebirth," Disney-Pixar's original animated film "Elio," Warner Bros.' "Superman" and Disney and Marvel Studios' "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." That's boosted hopes for a stronger overall theatrical business this year. Analysts say the 2025 domestic box office could gross an estimated $9.2 billion to $9.5 billion, which would be an improvement on last year's $8.7 billion. More importantly, it's higher than the 2023 box office total of $9 billion, which would indicate continued growth and a "true recovery," Handler said. However, those numbers still pale in comparison with pre-pandemic box office totals, including $11.4 billion in 2019 and $11.9 billion in 2018. Even before the pandemic, theaters were starting to see declines in attendance, a trend that accelerated during COVID-19 when people got used to staying at home and watching movies on streaming platforms. As the pandemic and the strikes decreased the number of movies in theaters, and the length of time between a movie's theatrical debut and its availability for home viewing shortened, theaters lost more of the crucial business of the casual moviegoer. "When the content is good, people show up," Handler said. "The content cycle is favorable right now, and hopefully we'll see that continue through the next two years.' 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
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Lilo & Stitch' trounces Tom Cruise and ‘Mission: Impossible' in record Memorial Day weekend box office
A chaotic blue alien and the high-flying escapades of Tom Cruise propelled the Memorial Day weekend box office to record heights, giving relief to theater owners still struggling from a post-pandemic malaise among moviegoers. Walt Disney Co.'s live-action film 'Lilo & Stitch' hauled in $183 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada, placing it in first place. Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media's 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning' brought in $77 million domestically for second place. 'Final Destination Bloodlines,' 'Thunderbolts*' and 'Sinners' rounded out the top five this weekend. Historically, the holiday has been one of the biggest moviegoing weekends of the year, serving as a springboard for the busy summer months. But since the 2020 pandemic and the dual writers' and actors' strikes in 2023, it has become a less reliable indicator of the theatrical business. 'The calendar thinned out a little bit, particularly post-pandemic,' said Eric Handler, media and entertainment analyst at Roth Capital. 'You just didn't have the depth that you used to have. But it's good to see that there's two big event movies this year.' 'Lilo & Stitch' and 'Mission: Impossible' also largely catered to different audiences, lowering the risk that audiences would pick and choose between similar films. Box office grosses have typically done better with more genres in theaters. The reported budget for 'Lilo & Stitch' was $100 million, while 'Mission: Impossible' reportedly cost between $300 million and $400 million to produce, placing it among the most expensive movies ever. The strong showing on Memorial Day weekend adds to a solid spring at the box office. Powered by films including Warner Bros. Pictures' 'A Minecraft Movie' and Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners,' domestic theatrical revenue for April totaled $875 million, close to the pre-pandemic average of $886 million for the same month from 2015 to 2019, Handler said. Then in May came Disney and Marvel Studios' 'Thunderbolts*' and Warner Bros. Pictures' 'Final Destination Bloodlines,' which have kept up steady business at theaters. 'This spring has been so good for the box office, it usually means the summer is going to be strong,' said Kimberly Owczarski, associate professor in the department of film, television and digital media at Texas Christian University. 'Last year, we didn't have those big tentpoles in April and early May that usually start the season. Because we've had that, people are in the moviegoing mood.' Last year, the holiday weekend grossed just $132 million, making it the worst Memorial Day weekend box office in nearly 30 years. Films like 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' and 'The Garfield Movie' brought in about $30 million each that weekend, a distinct difference from the mega-hauls that blockbusters traditionally gross during Memorial Day weekend. The slow start last year to the all-important summer movie season made both distributors and exhibitors anxious. It wasn't until Disney-Pixar's 'Inside Out 2' debuted in mid-June that the box office started to turn around. This year, however, a seemingly strong lineup of familiar blockbusters for most of the summer has given industry insiders optimism. Sony Pictures' 'Karate Kid: Legends' comes out at the end of the month, followed by Lionsgate's 'John Wick' spin-off 'Ballerina' in early June. Other anticipated releases include Universal Pictures' live action 'How to Train Your Dragon' and 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' Disney-Pixar's original animated film 'Elio,' Warner Bros.' 'Superman' and Disney and Marvel Studios' 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps.' That's boosted hopes for a stronger overall theatrical business this year. Analysts say the 2025 domestic box office could gross an estimated $9.2 billion to $9.5 billion, which would be an improvement on last year's $8.7 billion. More importantly, it's higher than the 2023 box office total of $9 billion, which would indicate continued growth and a 'true recovery,' Handler said. However, those numbers still pale in comparison to pre-pandemic box office totals, including $11.4 billion in 2019 and $11.9 billion in 2018. Even before the pandemic, theaters were starting to see declines in attendance, a trend that accelerated during COVID-19 when people got used to staying at home and watching movies on streaming platforms. As the pandemic and the strikes decreased the number of movies in theaters, and the length of time between a movie's theatrical debut and its availability for home viewing shortened, theaters lost more of the crucial business of the casual moviegoer. 'When the content is good, people show up,' Handler said. 'The content cycle is favorable right now, and hopefully we'll see that continue through the next two years.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Roth MKM Maintains a Buy Rating on Take-Two Interactive (TTWO)
In a report released on May 19, Eric Handler from Roth MKM maintained a Buy rating on Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO), with a price target of $265.00. The rating update came after the company reported its fiscal Q4 2025 earnings on May 16. A close-up of a hand holding a game controller, demonstrating the interactive entertainment of the company. Analysts are bullish on Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO) because of its notable results for fiscal year 2025. Net bookings for Q4 2025 reached $1.58 billion, at the top of its guidance range. The strong performance was attributed to all of its labels, including NBA 2 K, which delivered one of its strongest on-record periods with recurrent consumer spending growth of 42%. Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TTWO) initial financial outlook for fiscal 2026 reflects a continuation of its current positive trends, with net bookings of $5.9 billion to $6 billion, reflecting a 5% year-over-year increase at the midpoint of the range. While we acknowledge the potential of TTWO as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TTWO and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the . READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Roth MKM Maintains a Buy Rating on Take-Two Interactive (TTWO)
In a report released on May 19, Eric Handler from Roth MKM maintained a Buy rating on Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO), with a price target of $265.00. The rating update came after the company reported its fiscal Q4 2025 earnings on May 16. A close-up of a hand holding a game controller, demonstrating the interactive entertainment of the company. Analysts are bullish on Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO) because of its notable results for fiscal year 2025. Net bookings for Q4 2025 reached $1.58 billion, at the top of its guidance range. The strong performance was attributed to all of its labels, including NBA 2 K, which delivered one of its strongest on-record periods with recurrent consumer spending growth of 42%. Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TTWO) initial financial outlook for fiscal 2026 reflects a continuation of its current positive trends, with net bookings of $5.9 billion to $6 billion, reflecting a 5% year-over-year increase at the midpoint of the range. While we acknowledge the potential of TTWO as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TTWO and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the . READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Globe and Mail
21-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Is Take-Two Stock (TTWO) a Buy After Earnings?
Take-Two (TTWO) stock was up on Monday as analysts updated their coverage of the company following its latest earnings report. As a reminder, the video game publisher posted adjusted earnings per share of $1.07 on revenue of $1.58 billion, compared to Wall Street's estimates of $1.10 per share and $1.55 billion in revenue. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks straight to you inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Despite those mixed results, analysts remain bullish on TTWO stock. Morgan Stanley analyst Matthew Cost maintained an Overweight rating and increased his price target to $265 from $210, representing a possible 13.35% upside for the company's shares. UBS analyst Chris Schoell kept a Buy rating for TTWO stock and increased the price target to $275 from $230, a potential 17.63% upside. Five-star Roth MKM analyst Eric Handler reiterated a Buy rating and $265 price target, implying a 13.35% upside for the shares. Analysts remain bullish on Take-Two stock as the company gears up to release Grand Theft Auto VI on May 26, 2026. This could be a huge catalyst for TTWO shares as its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V, is the second-best-selling game in history with over 215 million units shipped. Even a fraction of those sales could be a huge win for Take-Two and its investors. TTWO Stock Movement Today While Take-Two had to delay Grand Theft Auto VI to 2026, and its latest earnings were mixed, TTWO stock has remained a strong investment in 2025. The company's stock jumped 3.05% on Monday morning, and has rallied 26.93% year-to-date. Is TTWO Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold? Turning to Wall Street, the analysts' consensus rating for Take-Two is Strong Buy, based on 15 Buy ratings over the last three months. With that comes an average TTWO stock price target of $253.60, representing a potential 8.3% upside for the shares. See more TTWO stock analyst ratings Disclaimer & Disclosure Report an Issue
