Latest news with #Furious7
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mark Gaines Dies: Longtime Universal Distribution Exec Was 77
Mark Gaines, who spent nearly 40 years at Universal, rising from local booker to EVP and general sales manager, died Wednesday at his home in Braselton, GA, Deadline has learned. He was 77. Gaines began his career at Universal in 1976, working as a booker in its Atlanta branch. He went on to serve as branch manager in various Southern cities, including Dallas in 1988, before relocating to Los Angeles in 1990 as VP, Division Manager. More from Deadline 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries Andrew Karpen Dies: Bleecker Street Media Founder And CEO Was 59 Jiří Bartoška Dies: Czech Actor And Karlovy Vary Film Festival President Was 78 He was named SVP, National Sales Manager, at Universal in 1994 before his promotion to EVP and general sales manager in 1997. He retired from that post in early 2016. 'During his nearly four decades in our industry, Mark has been an integral part of a rapidly evolving business,' Uni's then-distribution chief Nick Carpou said in a staff memo announcing Gaines' retirement then. 'In the early years, there were 'mom-and-pop' theaters in every town. He recalls selling films in gas stations and at exhibitors' homes over dinner. The consummate distributor, Mark once even did business at a county fair where the theater owner was selling his prize bull.' Gaines retired just after Universal Pictures' record-breaking year in 2015, when it led all studios with a nearly 24% domestic market share thanks to such mega-hits as Jurassic World, Furious 7, Fifty Shades of Grey and Pitch Perfect 2. That year, the studio set industry box-office speed records as the fastest to $1 billion domestic, $2 billion overseas and $3 billion worldwide. The studio did a personal-record $2.45 billion in 2015 and beat its all-time record for global grosses in a single year — by mid-June. RELATED: After he retired, Gaines sold his home in L.A.'s Toluca Lake neighborhood and moved back to his home state of Georgia. He was an avid golfer and a member of Lakeside Golf Club. Gaines lost his wife, former Paramount senior distribution executive Blayne Becker Gaines, in June 2024. DEADLINE RELATED VIDEO: Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mark Gaines Dies: Longtime Universal Distribution Exec Was 77
Mark Gaines, who spent nearly 40 years at Universal, rising from local booker to EVP and general sales manager, died Wednesday at his home in Braselton, GA, Deadline has learned. He was 77. Gaines began his career at Universal in 1976, working as a booker in its Atlanta branch. He went on to serve as branch manager in various Southern cities, including Dallas in 1988, before relocating to Los Angeles in 1990 as VP, Division Manager. More from Deadline 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries Richard Kahn Dies: Former Movie Academy President & Longtime Film Executive Was 95 Jiří Bartoška Dies: Czech Actor And Karlovy Vary Film Festival President Was 78 He was named SVP, National Sales Manager, at Universal in 1994 before his promotion to EVP and general sales manager in 1997. He retired from that post in early 2016. 'During his nearly four decades in our industry, Mark has been an integral part of a rapidly evolving business,' Uni's then-distribution chief Nick Carpou said in a staff memo announcing Gaines' retirement then. 'In the early years, there were 'mom-and-pop' theaters in every town. He recalls selling films in gas stations and at exhibitors' homes over dinner. The consummate distributor, Mark once even did business at a county fair where the theater owner was selling his prize bull.' Gaines retired just after Universal Pictures' record-breaking year in 2015, when it led all studios with a nearly 24% domestic market share thanks to such mega-hits as Jurassic World, Furious 7, Fifty Shades of Grey and Pitch Perfect 2. That year, the studio set industry box-office speed records as the fastest to $1 billion domestic, $2 billion overseas and $3 billion worldwide. The studio did a personal-record $2.45 billion in 2015 and beat its all-time record for global grosses in a single year — by mid-June. RELATED: After he retired, Gaines sold his home in L.A.'s Toluca Lake neighborhood and moved back to his home state of Georgia. He was an avid golfer and a member of Lakeside Golf Club. Gaines lost his wife, former Paramount senior distribution executive Blayne Becker Gaines, in June 2024. DEADLINE RELATED VIDEO: Best of Deadline All The Songs In Netflix's 'Forever': From Tyler The Creator To SZA 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries 'Poker Face' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Arrive On Peacock?
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mark Gaines Dies: Longtime Universal Distribution Exec Was 77
Mark Gaines, who spent nearly 40 years at Universal, rising from local booker to EVP and general sales manager, died Wednesday at his home in Braselton, GA, Deadline has learned. He was 77. Gaines began his career at Universal in 1976, working as a booker in its Atlanta branch. He went on to serve as branch manager in various Southern cities, including Dallas in 1988, before relocating to Los Angeles in 1990 as VP, Division Manager. More from Deadline 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries Richard Kahn Dies: Former Movie Academy President & Longtime Film Executive Was 95 Jiří Bartoška Dies: Czech Actor And Karlovy Vary Film Festival President Was 78 He was named SVP, National Sales Manager, at Universal in 1994 before his promotion to EVP and general sales manager in 1997. He retired from that post in early 2016. 'During his nearly four decades in our industry, Mark has been an integral part of a rapidly evolving business,' Uni's then-distribution chief Nick Carpou said in a staff memo announcing Gaines' retirement then. 'In the early years, there were 'mom-and-pop' theaters in every town. He recalls selling films in gas stations and at exhibitors' homes over dinner. The consummate distributor, Mark once even did business at a county fair where the theater owner was selling his prize bull.' Gaines retired just after Universal Pictures' record-breaking year in 2015, when it led all studios with a nearly 24% domestic market share thanks to such mega-hits as Jurassic World, Furious 7, Fifty Shades of Grey and Pitch Perfect 2. That year, the studio set industry box-office speed records as the fastest to $1 billion domestic, $2 billion overseas and $3 billion worldwide. The studio did a personal-record $2.45 billion in 2015 and beat its all-time record for global grosses in a single year — by mid-June. RELATED: After he retired, Gaines sold his home in L.A.'s Toluca Lake neighborhood and moved back to his home state of Georgia. He was an avid golfer and a member of Lakeside Golf Club. Gaines lost his wife, former Paramount senior distribution executive Blayne Becker Gaines, in June 2024. DEADLINE RELATED VIDEO: Best of Deadline All The Songs In Netflix's 'Forever': From Tyler The Creator To SZA 'Poker Face' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Arrive On Peacock? Everything We Know About Celine Song's 'Materialists' So Far
What's On
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
5 big movies that were filmed in Abu Dhabi
And the popular UAE attractions you can catch in them… Did you know the UAE capital was a winning choice for some of the biggest filmmakers and productions in the business? News to you? Here are 5 big movies that were filmed in Abu Dhabi. Furious 7 (2015) The movie that started the whole trend of filming Hollywood blockbusters in Abu Dhabi (sort of). You'll catch prominent landmarks such as the Etihad Towers and Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in some of the most jaw-dropping scenes of the franchise. @thefastsaga Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) JJ Abrams knew exactly what he wanted, and he sure got it by filming in the Abu Dhabi desert. Check out the UAE's sprawling dunes that were featured so prominently in this film from one of the world's top entertainment and media franchises. @starwars Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) Hollywood action superstar Tom Cruise was in town to film key scenes of Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One at the Midfield Terminal (as it was called back then), and what we now know as Zayed International Airport (AUH). @missionimpossible Dune: Part Two (2024) The golden dunes of Liwa were showcased in all their glory in Dune: Part Two, and the cast and crew even set up shop at the majestic Anantara Qasr Al Sarab during production. Catch a glimpse here. @dunemovie F1 (2025) Mean machine-themed F1 is due to hit the silver screen next month, and the big news is, you'll also be able to catch Abu Dhabi's own roaring Yas Marina Circuit in the film. When did that happen? Well, some of us spotted William Bradley Pitt during the Abu Dhabi GP last December, some of us thought we'd spotted him, and the rest of us, well, we went home and watched Moneyball. @f1movie The great rebate… But it gets better. As of January 1, 2025, Abu Dhabi Film Commission announced that the existing film rebate of 35 per cent, which has proved a huge hit with film studios from around the world, would increase to a full 50 per cent rebate. Read all about it here. > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
CBS News
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Wiz Khalifa's 'Kush + Orange Juice' changed his game. 15 years later, a sequel recaptures the spirit
Who understood the cool kids better than Wiz Khalifa? In 2010, the easygoing Pittsburgh rapper released his breakout mixtape "Kush + Orange Juice," crafting the ideal soundtrack for stylish stoners — breezy songs about girls and weed broadcast through his generously enunciated flow. For those paying attention, mass commercial appeal was all but assured. Just five years later he'd release the diamond-selling "See You Again" with singer Charlie Puth for the "Furious 7" film, one of the biggest songs of the decade. "A lot of artists who, you know, stick to what originally made them, them — they don't get the opportunity to make a hit song like that," he told The Associated Press. "So, I really feel blessed and grateful to have songs like that under my belt." Now, a decade from "See You Again" and 15 years removed from "Kush + Orange Juice," he's gearing up to release a sequel, "Kush + Orange Juice 2," out Friday. Leading up to the album, Khalifa started dropping freestyles — a nostalgic return to his early career days, the era where discovering hot new records meant scouring rap blogs and SoundCloud. Listeners ate it up. "It's just something I just kept doing for my fans and for the people who support me," he said of the freestyles. "That really sparked the fire and just let me know that there was a demand for that again." Khalifa was already working on "Kush + Orange Juice 2" when he started releasing the freestyles, but the interest from his fans certainly helped embolden the project. He wanted to tap into the feel-good nature of the original. "The excitement for it came from what the music actually does for people or what it reminds them of," he explained. "I think they get a feeling of some of the best times and some of the most fun and important times. And if you want that now, then you're gonna turn my music on and I'm gonna give you something new for you to have those same experiences." And there are similarities: The radio skit of the first mixtape endures on the second, but most importantly, there is a shared lackadaisical cool — from the smooth melodicism of "5 Star" to the anthemic "Khalifa's Home" — accomplished with the help of some robust features: Gunna, Don Toliver, DJ Quick, Juicy J, Ty Dolla $ign, Terrace Martin, Curren$y and more. "Everyone who's involved with it ... they're really close to what the origin of the actual 'Kush + Orange Juice' story. So, it just makes sense, and it just makes the story even bigger," he says. In a song near the end of the new album, "Super Duper High Outro," Khalifa suggests there may be a third installment in the "Kush + Orange Juice" series. "If we wanna do number three, we'll do number three," he says on the track. "I'll see y'all in 10 years, man." "We'll keep it going," he says of the series. "Just keep it going nonstop." But for now, he wants people to connect with "Kush + Orange Juice 2" like they did with the first one. "I just hope that they need this in their life, and that this is the perfect thing to come at the perfect time," he says of the album. It certainly doesn't hurt that it's releasing 4/20 weekend.
