Latest news with #Valenti
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Amazon MGM's Mike Hopkins Cozies Up To Theater Owners, Promises 'When Amazon Commits To Something, We Tend To Do It Big' — CinemaCon
Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video & Amazon MGM, made his debut at the studio's first CinemaCon tonight, breaking the ice with de rigueur anecdote of how he fell in love with cinema – going to see Stars Wars as a kid with his brother, both in jammies, 'even though I was a bit too old to wear pajamas in public.' Applause for that in the auditorium of Caesars Palace Las Vegas, and even more for his promise to deliver 15 feature films a year to theaters by 2027, and for years to come. The studio will begin with 12-14 films starting next year, Courtenay Valenti, head of Film, Streaming and Theatrical, said recently. More from Deadline How Awesome Is 'Project Hail Mary'? Ryan Gosling Says "We Tried To Put It On A TV Once - It Wouldn't Fit" - Amazon MGM Studios CinemaCon 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale' Trailer Ushers In 1930 & Tells Us It's Time To Say Goodbye - CinemaCon 'Wicked: For Good' First Look: Galinda Exclaims "Elphaba, They're Coming For You!" - CinemaCon 'We are committed to doing this for the long terms and when Amazon commits to something, we tend to do it big.' The company is putting together a distribution team to roll out films globally. 'Tonight, our job is to convince you that commitment [to theatrical] is real… and to prove to all of you how bullish we are on theatrical – both here in the U.S. and overseas,' he said. Amazon acquired MGM in 2022 and Hopkins said, 'I've had my eye on this ever since.' The deal, while rooted in expanding Amazon's massive Prime loyalty program, also 'really speaks to our excitement about the feature film business.' It's become even more exciting now that the company is in the clear to ramp up its James Bond franchise after making a deal to gain creative control from rights-holder and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. Amy Pascal and David Heyman have signed on to produce the next James Bond film. Valenti and Sue Kroll, the studio's head of global marketing, said the producers are currently 'both in London getting started. So thank you Amy and David.' 'It's still early days for us, and we have a ton of work to do,' he said. But the studio is committed to 'epic, culturally, relative storytelling that needs to be seen on giant screens like the one behind me.' Hopkins took the stage just days after Jennifer Salke's surprise exit as head of Amazon MGM Studios after seven years. She will not be replaced, with Valenti, and Head of TV Vernon Sanders, now reporting to Hopkins. Said Valenti: 'We're building a bold and diverse slate with theatrical in mind … Whether we're tapping into beloved IP or launching original concepts, our goal is the same: to deliver unforgettable, four-quadrant experiences that deserve the theatrical moment.' Best of Deadline The Best 7 New Movies To Watch On Netflix In April 2025 Everything We Know About 'Hacks' Season 4 So Far '1923' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
New York Times
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Amazon's New Movie Strategy Starts With Theaters
Amazon's movie strategy is finally ready for its close-up. After a decade-long dalliance with big-screen theatrical releases, the giant tech company will take center stage this week at the annual convention for theater owners, spending several millions of dollars to parade a stream of A-list stars including Ryan Gosling, Ben Affleck and Chris Hemsworth. It is the first time the company has ever taken on such a role. The point: to prove that its movie arm, Amazon MGM Studios, is serious about releasing around 14 big, broad commercial films a year to theaters nationwide and around the world. The appearance is the culmination of a strategic change for Amazon that began when it bought MGM, with the venerable studio's impressive library, in 2022 for $8.5 billion. For years, the company has released five to eight films theatrically, but it was never clear how long they would stay in theaters before going to Prime Video, Amazon's streaming service. 'Air,' starring Mr. Affleck and Matt Damon, received a 37-day exclusive theatrical release. 'Red One,' with Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, hit Prime just weeks after it debuted in theaters. Now with 14 movies a year, Amazon's lineup will rival those from the big studios in both size and scope, and most will spend 45 days in theaters before hitting pay-per-view and then Prime. Amazon is making the change in the middle of its own corporate shuffle. Jennifer Salke, who had overseen the film and television operations at Amazon Studios for seven years, abruptly left her job last week, surprising many people inside the company. So when the lights dim at the CinemaCon conference on Wednesday, all eyes will be on Courtenay Valenti, Amazon MGM's head of film, who will lay out the vision for the company's theatrical future. 'We have been talking about the theatrical slate and the commitment this company has to theatrical for about two years now,' Ms. Valenti, 61, said in an interview. 'Finally, we get to show, not tell.' Will Ms. Salke's departure upend any of that? 'It won't,' Ms. Valenti said. Amazon is pushing into theaters even as the movie business appears to be shrinking and audiences are more fickle than ever. Box office sales are down 11 percent from a year ago and remain far below prepandemic levels. It is one of the few out-of-home entertainment businesses that have yet to recover from Covid. Some theater owners say they hope Amazon will help fix one of the major problems plaguing their business — a scarcity of wide-release movies. 'Attendance is still down 35 percent, and that's not because moviegoers are somehow afraid to go to theaters,' said Adam Aron, chairman and chief executive of AMC Entertainment. 'The wide-release movie count is down 30 percent. So it's extremely good news for us that a major deep-pocketed company like Amazon is about to increase the number of movies.' Ms. Valenti joined Amazon in 2023, a year after it closed its purchase of MGM Studios. A 30-year veteran of Warner Bros., she was hired to put together a slate that could rival any legacy studio's. Her first order of business was to assure Hollywood that she was committed to making broad-audience films like the ones she shepherded at Warner Bros: 'Barbie,' 'Fury Road,' 'Elvis' and 'Happy Feet.' Second: Amazon would release these films at a regular cadence that both filmmakers and theater chains could rely on. In addition to the 14 to 16 films that Amazon now expects to release in theaters each year, another dozen will be produced directly for Prime Video. The company is also forming its own international distribution arm. 'Amazon is not doing this for us because they want us to feel good. They're doing it because it because it should be good for their business,' said Greg Marcus, chief executive of the company that operates Marcus Theaters, the fourth-largest chain in the country. 'Amazon is saying, 'If we're going to be in the streaming business, then we need to be in the theatrical business, too, if we want to maximize the impact of these movies.'' Still, there are no guarantees in the film business. Amazon owns the James Bond franchise, but any film in that 62-year-old series is years away. The company just took over creative control of the brand from its caretakers, Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, after a yearslong dispute. Amazon quickly put new producers in place — David Heyman ('Harry Potter') and Amy Pascal ('Spider-Man') — and it hopes to begin moving on an actor to play Bond in a new film as soon as possible, but it will take time. The company is also rebooting well-known MGM titles like 'The Thomas Crown Affair,' with Michael B. Jordan directing and starring; adapting best-selling novels (Andy Weir's 'Project Hail Mary' and Colleen Hoover's 'Verity'); and taking on a beloved Mattel property ('Masters of the Universe'). But much of what Amazon has planned are original stories. There's a crime drama with Mr. Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo in the vein of 'Heat'; a thriller, 'After the Hunt,' starring Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield; and a sci-fi film, 'Mercy,' starring Chris Pratt. 'They love movies, and they are taking chances on original I.P.,' said Jeb Brody, president of Imagine Features, which has six films in development with the company. 'They want all kinds of projects for all different audiences, but they are being discerning.' The new push is intense for Ms. Valenti, who has succeeded for many years in Hollywood in part because she doesn't seek out the spotlight — and often tries to avoid it. She said she was proud of the movies she was presenting at the theater convention this week but also constantly made sure to use 'we' instead of 'I' to refer to the work being produced. 'None of this happens by one person,' she said. A daughter of Jack Valenti, the longtime face of the movie industry as president of what is now the Motion Picture Association, Ms. Valenti had a brief career in finance before getting her start as an executive at Warner Bros. 'I feel like I'm a 61-year-old nepo baby,' she said with a laugh. But many in Hollywood seem to see her as something else: a sign that Amazon is finally getting serious about the movie business. 'She wants to hear what you have to say, and you want to hear what she has to say,' said Charles Roven, a producer who has worked with Ms. Valenti for decades and now has four projects at Amazon.
USA Today
31-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Lautaro Valenti vs. Hellas Verona – Player props & odds to score a goal on March 31
Lautaro Valenti vs. Hellas Verona – Player props & odds to score a goal on March 31 [gambcom-standard rankid="4130" ] Will Lautaro Valenti score a goal when Parma and Hellas Verona square off on Monday, March 31 at 12:30 PM ET? In the article below, we dissect the current stats, trends and odds for this match. Last time out, Parma wound up with a draw by a score of 1-1 away from home versus AC Monza while taking 10 shots, the same as AC Monza side's total. Keep up with Serie A action this season on Fubo! Lautaro Valenti's Odds to Score a Goal vs. Hellas Verona Odds to score a goal next game: +1800 Soccer player prop odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Sunday at 6:41 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. [gambcom-standard rankid="4142" ] Lautaro Valenti's 2024-25 Stats Thus far in 2024-25, Valenti has one Serie A goal for Parma, but zero assists. Comparing Valenti's expected goals total (0.0) to his actual total (one), you see those numbers are quite close. Thus far in the 2024-25 season, he has attempted four total shots. That's an average of 0.2 shots per match. Parma vs. Hellas Verona Scoring Insights With 35 goals in 29 matches, Parma is 12th in Serie A. On the flip side, Hellas Verona has conceded 58 goals in 29 games, 20th in the league. In Serie A, Hellas Verona has put up 29 goals in 29 matches (15th in league), and Parma has allowed 49 in 29 games (17th). With 35 goals scored and 49 conceded, Parma is 15th in Serie A in goal differential. In terms of goal differential, Hellas Verona is 20th in Serie A at -29. Parma vs. Hellas Verona Match Info Matchup: Parma at Hellas Verona Parma at Hellas Verona Time: 12:30 PM ET 12:30 PM ET Date: March 31, 2025 March 31, 2025 Venue: Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi Live stream: Watch this game on Paramount+ Watch Parma vs. Hellas Verona on Paramount+ More Player Props: [gambcom-standard rankid="4338" ]
Asharq Al-Awsat
19-03-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Istituto Marangoni, Fashion Commission Partner on Fashion Education in Saudi Arabia
Istituto Marangoni is set to launch its Riyadh campus in August 2025, following in-depth market analysis and assessments conducted in synergy with the Saudi Fashion Commission. The new Higher Training Institute will offer specialized programs designed to align with the needs of the Saudi fashion and luxury market and contribute to the Kingdom's economic diversification goals. The new campus of Istituto Marangoni will be based at King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), at the Riyadh Creative District (RCD), the new initiative managed and overseen by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC). As the incubator for RCD, RCRC successfully attracted a series of prestigious companies and institutions from the creative industry as tenants for the district. Instituto Marangoni chose Riyadh as the location of its new campus in the Kingdom because of its dynamic creative ecosystem, growing demand for high-level fashion education, and the city's strategic role in shaping the future of the industry in the region. Combining a rich cultural and historic heritage with ongoing technological development and rapid urban transformation, Riyadh is becoming the new hotspot for fashion and innovation, confirming Saudi Arabia's growing influence on the global fashion industry. As part of a strategic initiative to support the next generation of Saudi fashion professionals, the Ministry of Culture's Fashion Commission is supporting Istituto Marangoni in the launch of its new three-year undergraduate Advanced Training Diploma. Istituto Marangoni will therefore provide 50 scholarships for Saudi students enrolling in the program. This opportunity is open to Saudi nationals holding a high school certificate or an equivalent qualification. On March 17, the scholarship initiative was officially launched on the Istituto Marangoni website through a competitive selection process, giving aspiring Saudi fashion students the chance to receive partial funding for their three-year diploma programs, which will commence in late August 2025. Istituto Marangoni group managing director Stefania Valenti expressed her gratitude. "A sincere thank you to the Fashion Commission, the Ministry of Culture, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, and to Ministry of Investment for their invaluable support in establishing this Higher Training Institute,' she said. 'Our mission is to nurture local creative talent by combining global expertise with Saudi heritage, shaping the future leaders of the fashion and luxury industries in Saudi Arabia. This initiative will lay the foundation for developing a new generation of Saudi talents and managers, equipping them with the skills to connect with international markets while embracing the vision of the Fashion Commission and Saudi Vision 2030,' Valenti said. According to Fashion Commission Chief Executive Burak Cakmak, the partnership 'marks a pivotal moment for the Saudi fashion industry.' 'By investing in our local talent and providing them with world-class education, we are not only empowering the next generation of Saudi designers and leaders but also enriching the global fashion landscape with our unique cultural heritage. Together, we are building a sustainable and thriving fashion ecosystem that reflects the ambition of Saudi Vision 2030,' he said. Strategically located in Riyadh, the institute will offer a diverse range of specialized programs that integrate Saudi heritage with advanced technical and managerial expertise. The three-year undergraduate courses will prepare students for careers in the fashion industry, with programs including "Fashion Design & Accessories,Fashion Communication & Image,Fashion Management,Digital Communication & Media,Fashion Product," and "Fragrances & Cosmetics Management." The courses will be accredited by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), the government agency overseeing technical and vocational education in Saudi Arabia. In addition to undergraduate programs, the institute will provide upskilling and reskilling courses for industry professionals in both full-time and part-time formats. All programs will be delivered by a distinguished faculty composed of both international and local experts, ensuring a high-quality educational experience that meets global industry standards. To mark this significant partnership, a special Suhoor was held at the prestigious La Petite Maison in Riyadh, bringing together key stakeholders from the Fashion Commission, Istituto Marangoni, and the Saudi creative community.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former NOAA employees protest ‘illegal' firings outside Silver Spring headquarters
WASHINGTON () — Fired National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees held a rally outside NOAA Silver Spring headquarters against what they call 'illegal firings.' Former NOAA workers said the firings will jeopardize public safety and the economy because it will risk the lives of Americans who depend on their work. 'Beyond the personal devastation that I experienced, I see how it's blatantly illegal,' former NOAA employee Sabrina Valenti said. Democrats accuse DOGE of going after NOAA Valenti and other former employees are speaking out against the administration's mass federal firing, saying it puts American lives in danger. 'People are going to die during hurricanes because of inaccurate forecasts,' Valenti said. 'They fire the people who make the good forecasts. People are going to drown in their homes because either they weren't told to evacuate or when they tried to evacuate, they weren't able to because the road wasn't there. People's homes are going to be leveled in tornadoes or in supercells because they didn't know there was a tornado coming.' Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined the protest to warn about how the firings put everyday Americans at risk. He said he sent a letter to the Department of Commerce Secretary warning that the firings were illegal. 'What we need to do is fight this in the courts,' Van Hollen said. 'Fight this in Congress and fight this in communities across the country.' NOAA set to slash jobs 'imminently' Meanwhile, Elon Musk has defended the firing of federal employees by his Department of Government Efficiency as 'common sense.' 'If we don't do this, America will go bankrupt,' Musk said. 'That's why it has to be done.' NOAA creates daily forecasts for 122 local offices across the country. DC News Now reached out to NOAA but did not hear back in time for publication. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
