Latest news with #MichaelDeLuca
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Sinners' Passes Box Office Milestone No Original Film Has Reached in 8 Years
On Saturday, Warner Bros.' 'Sinners' reached a box office milestone that no original film has achieved in eight years: $200 million in the U.S. and Canada. Driven by critical and audience acclaim that has made it a must-see for millions of Americans, Ryan Coogler's musical vampire horror hit is the highest domestic grossing original movie since the Pixar movie 'Coco,' which grossed $210 million during its Thanksgiving run in 2017. 'Sinners' has passed that total before inflation adjustment with an estimated domestic total of $216 million after four weekends in theaters. The loss of Imax screens to Marvel Studios' 'Thunderbolts*' has done little to slow its momentum, enjoying a fourth weekend total of $23 million that alone is higher than the opening weekend of any horror film since Paramount's 'Smile 2' last October. Sporting a reported $90 million budget and a rare agreement to return rights to the film to Coogler in 25 years, 'Sinners' was a big risk for Warner's film studio chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy as they seek to build relationships with filmmakers via big-budget original titles like Paul Thomas Anderson's upcoming 'One Battle After Another.' That risk has paid off in a big way. While overseas grosses are low at $69 million, 'Sinners' will pass $300 million worldwide in the coming week and turn a profit theatrically. It is also setting itself up for plenty of post-theatrical revenue with its early Oscar buzz that should play into strong interest in premium on-demand and Blu-Ray sales and could potentially boost streaming subscriptions upon its release on Max. As for the rest of its box office run, 'Sinners' is on pace to gross at least $275 million domestic. That would be enough to make it the highest grossing live-action original film before inflation adjustment since Alfonso Cuaron's 'Gravity' in 2013. Beyond that, passing $292 million domestic would put it above Christopher Nolan's 'Inception' to become the highest grossing original film of the past 15 years, and crossing $300 million would make it the first original film to do so since the highest grossing film of all time, 'Avatar.' The post 'Sinners' Passes Box Office Milestone No Original Film Has Reached in 8 Years appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Warner Bros. Discovery Adds 5.3 Million Streaming Subs as Losses Narrow, Studios Slow on Tough Box Office
Warner Bros. Discovery framed its streaming business as its growth engine in its first-quarter 2025 earnings report Thursday, noting that it had added 5.3 million subscribers to a total of 122.3 million, and grew streaming revenue by 8 percent to $2.7 billion and adjusted EBITDA to $339 million. In a shareholder letter, WBD CEO David Zaslav underscored that Max's focus appears to be diverting somewhat from the big, broad offering the company had initially pitched. More from The Hollywood Reporter Warner Bros. Movie Chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy: Don't Count Us Out Just Yet 'White Lotus,' College Hoops Help Warner Bros. Discovery Gain TV Market Share in March As Warner Bros. Discovery's Max Launches in Turkey, Its Leader Talks Up Plans for Growth 'It has become increasingly clear that Max stands apart on quality. Its unique recipe for success blends HBO and Max original premium storytelling, locally produced series, premium local sports, and a breadth of blockbuster and distinctive movies — all delivered with a consistently high standard of quality that few can match,' he wrote. The company largely beat Wall Street expectations in the quarter, though both its linear TV businesses and its studios division saw revenues decline from the same quarter a year ago. Total revenues were $9 billion, down 10 percent from the same quarter a year ago, with a net loss of $453 million (an improvement from a year ago), and adjusted EBITDA of $2.1 billion, essentially flat. Free cash flow was $302 million, a decline of 23 percent. In linear TV, revenues were $4.8 billion, down 7 percent from a year ago, with adjusted EBITDA of $1.8 billion, down 15 percent from a year ago. In studios, revenues fell by 18 percent to $2.3 billion, with adjusted EBITDA rising to $259 million. Studio revenues benefitted from Warner Bros. TV, while film struggled due to a lighter theatrical slate. The company, however, notes that both A Minecraft Movie and Sinners will bolster its Q2 performance. The company also debuted its new corporate structure in the first quarter, with Zaslav framing it as presenting the company with new optionality. 'Importantly, the transparency fostered by this new structure will improve strategic optionality and flexibility to pursue potential opportunities as they arise,' he wrote. 'As we have noted in the past, we believe the existing ecosystem, including content producers and both networks and streaming distribution platforms, will undergo significant change. With added flexibility and expanded pathways to create shareholder value as a result of this new structure, our board of directors now has a greater number of tools at its disposal as it evaluates and enacts changes.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Ryan Coogler Deserved That Rich ‘Sinners' Deal
On this week's Screen Talk, co-hosts Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio dig into Ryan Coogler's $90-million period vampire musical 'Sinners,' starring Michael B. Jordan as twins Smoke and Stack, as well as the boffo box office and the controversial deal. Warners opened the movie to a bigger-than-expected $48 million Easter weekend, and a weak $15 million overseas. The only other horror film to ever earn an A CinemaScore was James Cameron's sequel 'Aliens' in 1986. It's rare and bodes well for a broader audience. Nearly half of the opening-day audience was Black, which increased to 38 percent by the weekend's end. More from IndieWire Jon Hamm Shares Don Draper Commonality That Earned Him 'Mad Men' Role : 'Nobody Knows Who This Guy Is' The Secret Weapon Behind the VFX of 'A Minecraft Movie' Warners has bragging rights over this one and, with 'A Minecraft Movie,' enjoyed two movies grossing over $40 million. It spells some relief for embattled studio heads Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy. The movie is original and unusual, and thoughtful and entertaining enough to warrant success. It's exactly what we have all been clamoring for timid Hollywood to do. Anne commends Michael De Luca for taking this shot. The controversy is how so many media analysts, including The New York Times, gauged these grosses and the film's chances of success. There was undue skepticism, which people like the Russos and Ben Stiller called out for their framing of the film's success after opening weekend. Remember, we have PVOD coming down the pike, where Warners can take a huge chunk of the at-home gross. Plus, there's a landmark deal at play with Coogler taking ownership rights of the film after 25 years, and not the studio. It's seeing an uptick in grosses throughout weekdays which is rare for a horror movie, these often take a sharp fall. Plus, 70mm screenings on weekdays at the AMC Lincoln Center are regularly sold out; it's become the hardest ticket in town. The movie scored rave reviews, as most of Coogler's movies have done. All of his directed films are in the 80s on Metacritic, except for the 'Black Panther' sequel. And 'Black Panther' was the only Marvel film to be nominated for Best Picture. He elevated the 'Creed' franchise. He deserved the unusual deal he got from Warner Bros. to take rights ownership after 25 years. Meanwhile, we have some new entries at Cannes. As we expected, they added Lynne Ramsay's Jennfier Lawrence and Robert Pattinson vehicle 'Die, My Love' in competition. And Kristen Stewart's directorial debut 'Chronology of Water, an Un Certain Regard entry, will compete for the Camera d'Or. Ethan Coen's 'Honey, Don't' starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, and Chris Evans is a Midnight movie, whatever that means. Of course on the TV side with 'The White Lotus,' 'The Pitt,' '1923' and 'Landman' in the rear view, we're now reveling in Craig Mazin's 'The Last of Us' Season 2, which broke our hearts and many others' last week, as well as Season 2 of Tony Gilroy's 'Star Wars' TV prequel 'Andor,' the best 'Star Wars' pinoff since 'Mandalorian,' starring the fabulous Diego Luna and Stellan Skarsgård. We will dig into that next week. Anne caught up with 'The Accountant 2' from producer-star Ben Affleck and director Gavin O'Connor, who is a strong director of actors and action. It follows up on the first 2016 film, reuniting the autistic accountant (Affleck) with his brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal), who is now a lethal assassin. So is the accountant when he wants to be. The movie veers from character study and brother bonding to an action nail-biter. Cynthia Addai-Robinson returns as agent Marybeth Medina, horrified by the ways the brothers extract their info. Neither of us loved Daniel Minahan's 'On Swift Horses,' starring Jacob Elordi, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Will Poulter in a clunky period melodrama. We root for Edgar-Jones to get together with Elordi's footloose veteran turned gambler, whose performance is modeled after early Montgomery Clift, rather than his romance with Diego Calva. It's a sad film where nobody gets what they want, and the characters are lost in their own suffering. Last up, we ask what took the Academy so long to demand that members watch every film in every category in order to vote for them? See all the Academy's new rules of IndieWire Quentin Tarantino's Favorite Movies: 64 Films the Director Wants You to See Nightmare Film Shoots: The 36 Most Grueling Films Ever Made, from 'Deliverance' to 'The Wages of Fear' The 24 Best Vampire Movies Ever Made, from 'Nosferatu' to 'Sinners'
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Warner Bros. Heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy Take ‘Minecraft' Victory Lap, Toast a ‘World-Class Achievement'
Warner Bros. Pictures Group studio heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy took a victory lap after the stunning record opening for 'A Minecraft Movie' this weekend, telling staffers in a companywide memo Monday, 'This is truly a world-class achievement!' The film, based on the hit video game, dominated the global box office with a staggering $313.7 million gross worldwide. They also highlighted its record-breaking performance as 'the largest domestic opening weekend of 2025, the biggest since July, and Warner Bros.' largest opening weekend since 2023.' 'This is what happens when we believe in the power of our creativity, each other and the strength of great storytelling,' they added. The blockbuster success comes at a crucial time for the pair, as CEO David Zaslav has begun taking early-stage talks with potential successors, according to media reports. The 'Jumanji'-esque adventure film stars Jack Black as Steve, the player avatar in the hit video game from Mojang Studios who guides four people lost in the block-filled Overworld and teaches them how to survive against the creatures that lie within. 'A Minecraft Movie' carries a reported $150 million budget, with 75% footed by Warner Bros. and the rest by Legendary. That is a flip in the production budget share for Warner and Legendary's 2024 hit 'Dune: Part Two,' but nonetheless continues what has been a fruitful partnership between the two studios. Read De Luca and Abdy's memo in full below: 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 Variety first reported the news. The post Warner Bros. Heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy Take 'Minecraft' Victory Lap, Toast a 'World-Class Achievement' appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘A Minecraft Movie' Sets Video Game Box Office Record With $157 Million Opening
Not even the most optimistic projections for Warner Bros./Legendary's 'A Minecraft Movie' had it on the threshold of a bigger opening weekend than 'Barbie,' but that is where we are as it has set a new video game adaptation record with a breathtaking $157 million from 4,269 theaters and a global launch of $301 million. After weeks of poor turnout at movie theaters and the worst March box office outside the pandemic since the 1990s, 'Minecraft' has had the same drought-busting effect on the marketplace that Pixar's 'Inside Out 2' had last summer. By the end of the weekend, the year-to-date box office total is expected to go from 11% down year-over-year to 6% and should continue to shrink with an April market that will be far more robust than last year's. If 'Minecraft' overperforms in Sunday matinees, it could top the $162 million 3-day opening of 'Barbie' back in July 2023, having already joined the top 5 highest opening weekends before inflation adjustment for Warner Bros. It has also passed the $146.3 million 3-day opening of 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' for the largest opening weekend ever by a video game film. 'A Minecraft Movie' carries a reported $150 million budget, with 75% footed by Warner Bros. and the rest by Legendary. That is a flip in the production budget share for Warner and Legendary's 2024 hit 'Dune: Part Two,' but nonetheless continues what has been a fruitful partnership between the two studios. 'We're absolutely overjoyed 'A Minecraft Movie' has been so warmly received by audiences around the world,' Warner Bros.' film chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy said in a statement thanking Legendary and Vertigo entertainment as well as their marketing and distribution teams. ''A Minecraft Movie''s decade long journey to the screen was overseen with great care by WBP's Jesse Ehrman and his team, and we are thrilled their efforts have resulted in such a tremendous response.' What's interesting is that audience reception, while still positive, isn't as strong as 'Mario' or other recent family hits. CinemaScore grades came in at a B+ — usually a warning sign for family films since kids and parents usually give top marks — while PostTrak came in at 65% definite recommend and the audience Rotten Tomatoes score stands at 87%. Yet on social media, the general consensus is that 'Minecraft' benefits from seeing it in a theater, with kids and gamers cheering as Jack Black makes one reference after another to the memes created by the game's fans over the years. That's the sort of 'see it now, not on streaming' word-of-mouth that theater owners are desperate for, and it is being driven by teens and Gen Z young adults with 35% of the opening weekend crowd being between the ages of 13-17. With two more weekends until Easter and many kids on school break during that time, we will see how much of the 'Minecraft' fan base is still untapped and how much appetite there is for repeat screenings from families. More to come… The post 'A Minecraft Movie' Sets Video Game Box Office Record With $157 Million Opening appeared first on TheWrap.
