Latest news with #StephenSpielberg
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Movie Industry's First Summer Blockbuster Turns 50
The summer of 1975 was a terrifying one if you were trying to enjoy a beach vacation — and it's all Stephen Spielberg's fault. The movie Jaws is turning 50 this year, and there are huge celebrations ahead, according to Variety. The film will air on NBC on June 20 with a three-hour special, including "a new, special introduction." At the ballpark, baseball fans will also see "custom scoreboard content, exclusive fan giveaways, and more" at home games for the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies between June 20 and 22. If that's not enough, Peacock subscribers will have the opportunity to view shark-themed content from June 15 to July 14. Movies like Piranha, 47 Meters Down, Night Swim, and Captain Phillips were curated for the special collection. Of course, there will be plenty of merchandise available to consumers including a 50th anniversary edition of Jaws on 4K, Blu-ray, and digital beginning June 17 with a Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Story documentary included. Fans can also expect toys, T-shirts, and collectibles out at retail. Jaws is considered the movie industry's first summer blockbuster and stayed at the top of the box office for most of the summer of 1975, per NBC. It held the record for the "highest-grossing movie of all time" for two years until Star Wars took the top position. It was a troubled shoot due to the difficulties of filming in the open waters and the budget quickly skyrocketed. Producer David Brown explained in the 2004 book, Movie Moguls Speak: Interviews with Top Film Producers, that the initial budget "was $4 million and the picture wound up costing $9 million." The mechanical shark also kept breaking down, but Spielberg and stars Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw meticulously planned out the characters to give it a realistic feel, per Mental Floss. In the end, the technical problems led to a career-defining film for Spielberg. 'I had no choice but to figure out how to tell the story without the shark,' Spielberg told CBS News in 2015. 'So, I just went back to Alfred Hitchcock: 'What would Hitchcock do in a situation like this?' ... It's what we don't see which is truly frightening.'The Movie Industry's First Summer Blockbuster Turns 50 first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 12, 2025
Scottish Sun
09-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
One of UK's oldest cinemas first built in the 1930s in stunning Art Deco building to SHUT after bitter legal dispute
The cinema will be improved with new features LIGHTS OFF One of UK's oldest cinemas first built in the 1930s in stunning Art Deco building to SHUT after bitter legal dispute Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN HISTORIC cinema is set to shut down after several years of bitter legal disputes. The cinema will be closing for redevelopments almost a century after it was built in 1934. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The Curzon Mayfair was built in 1934 Credit: Alamy 3 Curzon no longer manage the site following years of legal disputes Credit: Alamy 3 It will retain its two screens, as well as getting a bar and restaurant Credit: Alamy After years of legal disputes, the Curzon Mayfair in London has withdrawn from litigation, allowing for the site to be redeveloped which is expected to begin in January 2026. Curzon had spent several years trying to negotiate a new long-term lease with the landlord before it expired in March 2024. A petition to save the cinema was signed by more than 20,000 people who enjoy regular premiere screenings, with directors like Stephen Spielberg attending for his film The Fablemans. Now though, the landlord will be going ahead with plans to refurbish the building themselves, meaning Curzon will no longer run the cinema. In a recent statement, Curzon said: "Sadly, Curzon has concluded that it had no option but to withdraw its legal challenge to the landlord's plans, given the risk of meeting the landlord's enormous legal costs should the challenge prove unsuccessful." They previously expressed concern that: "Curzon Mayfair will become no more than a glorified private members' club rather than a cinema and an iconic cultural institution will be lost forever." The site will be taken over by Fantasio, a development company with a successful history in rejuvenating London social spaces. CEO Dan Zaum said in a statement: "We are passionate about creating London's ultimate cinema experience. "The Mayfair cinema will always have film at its heart - and will become a vibrant venue serving the wider community, creatively, socially, educationally and beyond." They previously promised to spend £15 million on refurbishing the site, hoping to restore the cinema's original features and install new audio and visual screen technology. Final Destination Bloodlines Official Trailer The cinema itself will keep its two screens, while a new bar and dine-in restaurant will be built to enhance the movie-going experience. In a 2023 statement, the CEO of Fantasio said: "I see the Mayfair cinema being reinstated to its former glory and reinventing the art of cinema-going. "This iconic piece of architecture and integral part of London's cinematic history is yearning for revival." They also promised "a wide range of ticket prices" to ensure "that no-one feels this beautiful cinema is beyond their budget." Curzon criticised the landlord's plans, concerned that the cost of development would lead to expensive ticket prices and a "private members' club for the super-wealthy." They also fought back against Fantasio's claims that the cinema was in decline. They said: "Any suggestion by the landlord that it is a venue in decline is demonstrably false." Instead, they said they had experienced 25 per cent year-on-year growth in ticket sales over the past financial quarter. Fantasio previously successfully refurbished KOKO in Camden in a three year project that was delayed by fire and water damage. KOKO's redevelopment cost £70 million and was celebrated with reopening parties by the likes of Jorja Smith and Pete Doherty. They also oversaw the redevelopment of The Ned and The Wolseley, both iconic London venues that have had a new lease of life since the redevelopment.
The Sun
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
One of UK's oldest cinemas first built in the 1930s in stunning Art Deco building to SHUT after bitter legal dispute
AN HISTORIC cinema is set to shut down after several years of bitter legal disputes. The cinema will be closing for redevelopments almost a century after it was built in 1934. 3 3 3 After years of legal disputes, the Curzon Mayfair in London has withdrawn from litigation, allowing for the site to be redeveloped which is expected to begin in January 2026. Curzon had spent several years trying to negotiate a new long-term lease with the landlord before it expired in March 2024. A petition to save the cinema was signed by more than 20,000 people who enjoy regular premiere screenings, with directors like Stephen Spielberg attending for his film The Fablemans. Now though, the landlord will be going ahead with plans to refurbish the building themselves, meaning Curzon will no longer run the cinema. In a recent statement, Curzon said: "Sadly, Curzon has concluded that it had no option but to withdraw its legal challenge to the landlord's plans, given the risk of meeting the landlord's enormous legal costs should the challenge prove unsuccessful." They previously expressed concern that: "Curzon Mayfair will become no more than a glorified private members' club rather than a cinema and an iconic cultural institution will be lost forever." The site will be taken over by Fantasio, a development company with a successful history in rejuvenating London social spaces. CEO Dan Zaum said in a statement: "We are passionate about creating London's ultimate cinema experience. "The Mayfair cinema will always have film at its heart - and will become a vibrant venue serving the wider community, creatively, socially, educationally and beyond." They previously promised to spend £15 million on refurbishing the site, hoping to restore the cinema's original features and install new audio and visual screen technology. Final Destination Bloodlines Official Trailer The cinema itself will keep its two screens, while a new bar and dine-in restaurant will be built to enhance the movie-going experience. In a 2023 statement, the CEO of Fantasio said: "I see the Mayfair cinema being reinstated to its former glory and reinventing the art of cinema-going. "This iconic piece of architecture and integral part of London's cinematic history is yearning for revival." They also promised "a wide range of ticket prices" to ensure "that no-one feels this beautiful cinema is beyond their budget." Curzon criticised the landlord's plans, concerned that the cost of development would lead to expensive ticket prices and a "private members' club for the super-wealthy." They also fought back against Fantasio's claims that the cinema was in decline. They said: "Any suggestion by the landlord that it is a venue in decline is demonstrably false." Instead, they said they had experienced 25 per cent year-on-year growth in ticket sales over the past financial quarter. Fantasio previously successfully refurbished KOKO in Camden in a three year project that was delayed by fire and water damage. KOKO's redevelopment cost £70 million and was celebrated with reopening parties by the likes of Jorja Smith and Pete Doherty. They also oversaw the redevelopment of The Ned and The Wolseley, both iconic London venues that have had a new lease of life since the redevelopment. What is happening across hospitality and the cinema sector? Odeon confirmed it would close five of its branches in May last year. Cineworld has revealed six UK sites it will close as it enters the first phase of a major restructuring. Empire Cinema also closed multiple sites in 2023 after falling into administration in July of the same year. The company made the decision following "a thorough assessment of all available options". The hospitality sector has been struggling too. In April, family favourite restaurant chain Whitbread revealed it was set to shut more than 200 locations and axe 1,500 jobs. It shared the plans in its full year results, saying it planned to convert 112 restaurants into hotel extensions while closing 126 "loss-making" venues. Pub giant Wetherspoons has been closing boozers across the UK too, and Byron Burger fell into administration last year. In March, pizza giant Papa Johns said it would close dozens of locations.
