Latest news with #Warners
Newsroom
23-07-2025
- Business
- Newsroom
Sky taking the reins at Three makes sense for everyone
Comment: TV3 was New Zealand's first privately owned television station but in 35 years of operation it has lost well north of $1 billion in total for a string of local and overseas owners. While it produced some great TV it was also a great destroyer of shareholder value. The latest owner, US giant Warner Bros. Discovery finally cried enough and gave it away to Sky for less than you'd tip a waiter. Warners must have been close to shutting the doors on what was left of the local TV network after previously gutting the operation and contracting out its 6pm news production to Stuff. It may have stemmed the bleeding, but it clearly had no appetite for the investment required to keep the channel competitive. After buying the TV operation in 2020 (minus its only real asset – a large building and adjacent properties on Auckland's city fringe) for $20 million Warners lost hundreds of millions trying to keep a channel that produced some local shows, including news and (light) current affairs, afloat. In the end, it left a shell of a station (programmes are put to air from a control room in Sterling, Virginia) playing mainly reality shows. Sky has always been the logical owner of Three, but it has been smart enough not be sucked into paying over the odds for a free-to-air broadcaster in a small and declining market dominated by a state-owned network. There have been plenty of discussions between Sky and TV3's owners over the years, and at least one formal offer, which was turned down by the private equity funds that controlled MediaWorks (TV3's parent company at the time). Then CEO of Sky, John Fellet, dryly and correctly remarked at the time 'I think I've dodged a bullet.' One Australian private equity fund paid about $800 million for the business but lumbered the company with $700 million in debt. The banks moved in (not for the first time) and tipped MediaWorks into the hands of the receivers in 2013. A new set of private equity owners struggled along and lost hundreds of millions before selling up in 2020. No doubt Sky would have, once more, run the ruler over the TV operation at this point. It would have come up with a price tag of $1 but Michael Anderson (former MediaWorks CEO) pulled off a genius move and convinced US-based Discovery to pay $20 million for the TV assets. Discovery later merged with Warners – both companies enjoyed long-term relationships with Sky. From the beginning, Discovery seemed devoid of a strategy. The writing was on the screen when Warners left its major hits like Game of Thrones, White Lotus and other popular programmes on Sky channels. These shows could've transformed Three and seriously hurt TVNZ but clearly Warner Bros. felt it could make more money leaving them at Sky. The enduring relationship with Sky has clearly played a role in Warners giving Three to its local ally. Sky CEO Sophie Maloney told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking that she and her Warners counterpart (based in Singapore) had been discussing various options for Three off and on for about two years. Maloney also indicated that despite all of Warners' restructuring of the business and the deal with Stuff to supply it with a cut-price news service, Three was still unprofitable. Maloney's rock-steady confidence around the deal has been reassuring for Sky shareholders and, under questioning from a skeptical Hosking, she was unequivocal that TV3 would return to profit under Sky's management. Her optimism has been shared by share broking analysts with one predicting the deal might be worth $48 million to Sky. Sky says it has locked in a supply of Warner programmes for Three and judging by Maloney's confidence around profitability it is likely to be at a very good price. The synergies and value that Sky can bring to Three have always been obvious. Its sales and marketing team will take over the free-to-air inventory and add it to the advertising spots it's selling on the pay TV channels. Having more eyeballs available to advertisers will help it compete, and possibly give it an edge over TVNZ and other media companies. Three will also be a handy vehicle to promote Sky's own channels and subscription products. More rugby and cricket on Three will boost its ratings and Sky might also decide to migrate the best programmes from Sky Open (formerly Prime) to its new free-to-air platform. This would allow it to shut Sky Open, which is likely to have been losing millions annually. Sky has had to persist with its loss-making channel, so it could guarantee a free-to-air outlet for sport. That problem is now solved. Hosking put it to Maloney that TVNZ was now 'dead in the water' in terms of sport but the Sky CEO diplomatically suggested that certain segments of TVNZ's audience might be attractive enough to keep it in the hunt. NZ on Air will also find Sky a more attractive owner of Three than Warner Bros. While the reach of a platform rather than its owner should be the major factor in funding local shows for a network, there had to be some unease about giving millions in public money to an American corporate giant that has been rapidly reducing its staff and financial commitment to local programming. Will Sky look to up the level of quality programming (local and international) on Three? It's hard to know. Any significant cash investment in shows, unless they are a spectacular ratings success, is hard to recoup in this market. Warners and previous owners of Three have found out the hard way. Sky might be interested in a modest investment given its zero-capital outlay. It will want to stall the decline of the linear audience as much as it can while it builds up the on-demand platform, ThreeNow. Maloney described ThreeNow, which has been growing audiences, as a jewel in the crown. She will have a decision to make when Three's contract with Stuff to produce a 6pm news bulletin ends. The contract may have one, but most likely two, years to go. Sky will probably want a better product while Stuff will want more money. It might be an opportunity to move to a 30-minute, higher-quality bulletin. Before Warner Bros. shut its own news division (Newshub), it had, for many years, produced a nightly 30-minute news bulletin for Prime (Sky Open). It was a point of difference in the market and one of Prime's strongest performing shows.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's A Box Office Hit: ‘Superman' Leaps Higher To $125M Opening
MONDAY UPDATE: Warner Bros' and DC Studios' Superman is higher with a $125M opening. This is where rivals saw it on the high yesterday AM; the James Gunn movie's Sunday being robust with $31.3M, -17%. Warners' revised Friday and Saturday for the pic is $56.1M and $37.6M. Not even kryptonite will ease Superman's grip on his second weekend, which should be around -50% with around $62.5M. How's that? Matt Reeves' The Batman eased -50% in its second weekend while the last two Gunn Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 respectively declined -56% and -48%. You'll remember how much many marveled about the hold on the third GOTG. Superman's competition this weekend are mere flies to the son of Jor-El: Paramount's animated movie Smurfs, Sony's reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer and A24's Ari Aster politico western comedy action movie, Eddington. Superman's wings will get clipped on July 25 with the arrival of Marvel Studios and Disney's The Fantastic Four: First Steps. More from Deadline 'Superman' World Premiere: The Best Of The Red Carpet Savior Or Failure? What The Critics Are Saying About 'Superman' James Gunn Reveals How Bradley Cooper Cameo Came About In 'Superman' Global for Superman is $220M, which is about $20M higher than where we spotted it. The Americana of it all with Mr. Blue and Red (and yellow) always prevented him from flying to further coasts, i.e. Man of Steel's foreign B.O. only repped 57% of its global haul and it was even less on Bryan Singer's Superman Returns which was 49% of global. UPDATE EARLY SUNDAY: Refresh for more updates Warners is reporting Superman this morning at a $122M opening, but this Man of Steel is higher per rivals in the $124M-$125M range. Splitting the difference is $123M. Saturday per Warner Bros and as we told was $37.7M, -33%, for the James Gunn directed movie. Warners believes Sunday is -25% from Saturday with $28.2M while rivals believe that there's an even bluer sky for Kal-El around $30M. Warner Bros execs have every reason to be doing the Krypto doggie dance this morning as it's the studio's second $100M-plus opening this year after A Minecraft Movie ($162M). Technically, Warners owns the No. 1 and No. 3 biggest openings of the year currently. Warners owns six No. 1 openings YTD. It's also DC Studios co-head Peter Safran's biggest opening ever at the box office (ahead of Aquaman's $67.8M), the second-best opening for a Superman movie overall behind Batman v. Superman ($166M), the best opening for a Superman first franchise installment ahead of Man of Steel ($116.6M reported 3-day), and the second best opening, as we said all along, for Gunn behind Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($146.5M). Talk about pressure. DC Studios in their new chapter bet on their co-studio Boss, Gunn, to tee them off. What if Superman didn't work? Then the whole house of cards falls down, right? But there's another way of thinking: Let's talk about the risk involved had DC Studios not tapped Gunn to direct Superman. He's arguably one of the best superhero filmmakers out there right now, and a visionary who can steer between art and commerce. In regards to how Warners and DC overcame the cynics, who were out there from the onset of the first trailer. Studio sources say that they always knew coming off recent broken DC movies, there would be an uphill battle to convince audiences and be open to the new DC and Superman. It was going to take more than a 2 1/2 minute piece to get people off their couches. Clearly in the first trailer, the story wasn't going to be fully told. Too soon. It was a feel piece, all tone and feel with no dialogue. Every beat of the campaign was planned and calculated until this weekend which culminated in a great orchestral swell of social sentiment, audience scores and critical reviews. EntTelligence reports 7.7 million admissions this weekend for Superman off an average ticket price of $15.77 and average PLF ticket price of $18.95. Wait, weren't some sources expecting Superman to go hog wild after the $22M previews with a $140M-$150M opening? Is MAGA to blame? Is Gunn's 'immigrant' comments to blame? It's my understanding, not at all, because the red county zones for this type of movie aren't underperforming (more on that soon), rather they're churning out the average amount of cash for a PG-13 family adventures movie. At $120M+, this is the ceiling for a standalone Superman movie when he's not fighting Batman in the desolate remains of Gotham. Superman's legs aren't that different from Man of Steel's, but that's only for each movie's first three days (Thursday-Saturday), read the Zack Snyder movie between its $12M previews and Friday did…$56M. Its Saturday fell -35% for $36M [And as we told you further down, Matt Reeves' The Batman eased -24% between its Friday/previews and Saturday]. Back in the whip and buggy days of 2013, Warners didn't combine previews into Friday, rather they rolled into the weekend (Man of Steel doing a $116.6M 3-day and $128.6M running cume). Sunday held like a miraculous rock for Man of Steel earning $36.2M, even with Saturday. When does that ever happen? Why did it happen? It was Fathers Day. AMC Burbank remains the highest grossing single-location gross for Gunn's Man of Steel at $261.2K. The top ten theater locations for Superman were 1. AMC Burbank, 2. AMC Lincoln Square New York, 3. Regal Irvine Spectrum Los Angeles, 4. AMC Empire New York, 5. AMC Disney Springs Orlando, 6. Regal Edwards Marq'E Houston, 7. AMC Universal Citywalk Los Angeles, 8. AMC Garden State New York, 9. Regal Kendall Village Miami, and 10. Regal Atlantic Station Atlanta. The top ten markets were 1. Los Angeles, 2. New York, 3. Dallas, 4. Chicago, 5. San Francisco, 6. Houston, 7. Washington DC, 8. Toronto, 9. Atlanta, and 10. Philadelphia. Comscore and Paul Dergarabedian report that this weekend is coming in at $200M, +59% from the same weekend a year ago. The summer box office is clicking at $2.35 billion, currently a post Covid best, +17% over last year's first Friday in May through July 13. Still, the summer lags behind 2019 pre Covid by -14%. Overall box office year for Jan. 1 through July 13 stands at $4.7 billion, +15% ahead of the same frame a year ago, but -24% behind pre-Covid 2019 (which at this point in time stood at $6.2 billion). Sunday morning reported figures: 1.) Superman (WB) 4,135 theaters, Fri $56.5M, $37.7M Sun $28.2M-$30M 3-day $122M-$124M/Wk 1 2.) Jurassic World Rebirth (Uni) 4,324 (+16) theaters, Fri $11.5M Sat $16M Sun $12.3M 3-day $40M (-57%), Total $232.1M/Wk 2 3.) F1 (WB) 3,412 (-320) theaters, Fri $3.7M (-47%) Sat $5.2M Sun $4.1M 3-day $13M (-50%), Total $136.1M/Wk 3 4.) How to Train Your Dragon (Uni) 3,285 (-429) theaters, Fri $2.34M Sat $3M Sun $2.38M 3-day $7.8M (-31%), Total $239.8M/Wk 5 5.) Elio (Dis) 2,730 (-505) theaters, Fri $1.2M (-20%) Sat $1.6M Sun $1.1M 3-day $3.9M (-32%), Total $63.6M/Wk 4 6.) 28 Years Later (Sony) 2,208 (-709) theaters, Fri $815K (-26%) Sat $1.1M Sun $800K 3-day $2.72M (-40%), Total $65.7M/Wk 4 7.) Lilo & Stitch (Dis) 2,075 (-485) theaters, Fri $800K Sat $1.1M Sun $800K 3-day $2.7M (-31%), Total $414.5M/Wk 8 8.) M3GAN 2.0 (Uni) 1,658 (-1,475) theaters, Fri $430K Sat $570K Sun $350K, 3-day $1.35M (-66%), Total $22.3M/Wk 3 9.) Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (Par) 1,132 (-413) theaters, Fri $395K Sat $625K Sun $430K 3-day $1.45M (-47%), Total $194M/Wk 8 10.) Materialists (A24) 589 (-438) theaters, Fri $210K (-41%) Sat $292K Sun $219K 3-day $720K (-46%), Total $35.1M/Wk 5 UPDATED SATURDAY AM: Warner Bros/DC Studios' Superman after a $56.5M first day/previews is now looking at $115M-$121M opening. Many rivals believe that's on the high-end. For a first superhero movie in a franchise with excellent scores at a time when the fanboy audience can toss these comic book movies away like tissues, you can get down on your knees and thank the almighty for that opening. Very good start here for a movie where there was cynicism early on about the trailer (more on that in a bit). Superman is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound in a way that the Marvel Cinematic Universe' Thunderbolts* ($74.3M) and Captain America: Brave New World ($88.8M) haven't. Also, it's another great start for the summer box office, the second $100M+ opening after Lilo & Stitch's $146M. Superman cost before P&A $225M net. Zack Snyder's Man of Steel opened to $116.6M back in 2013, unadjusted for inflation. In terms of walk-up business, 49% told Comscore/Screen Engine's PostTrak that they bought their tickets same day, a prized number. Compare this to 41% who bought their tickets on the first Friday of Deadpool & Wolverine and the 57% who bought their tickets on day one for A Minecraft Movie. What's great about Superman: it has excellent audience exits of A- CinemaScore, 74% definite recommend and 86% positive on Comscore/Screen Engine's PostTrak. Solid A CinemaScores from the Under 24 set including kids. If it was just all beefcake grosses and so-so audience sentiment, there would be pause for concern. That's what happened with Batman v Superman. Despite holding the record for the biggest U.S./Canada opening for a DC movie at $166M stateside, that B CinemaScore was a tell-tale sign that audiences weren't entirely in love with the dark dwellings of the Snyderverse. Superman's A- CinemaScore is the same as Snyder's Man of Steel (A-) and ahead of Bryan Singer's Superman Returns (B+), and the Christopher Reeves 1987 bomb, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (C). On the high end, Superman is poised to rank second among Gunn's domestic openings behind Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($146.5M). Gunn's Man of Steel is playing evenly throughout the country with overindexed business in West, South and East. AMC Burbank is currently the highest grossing venue stateside with close to $170K. PLFs and Imax are driving 42% of the box office. The 7:15pm Imax show at the Mann's Chinese Theatre last night was close to sold out with many sitting through the credits and some cheering. Solid diversity demos here on Superman with 26% Latino and Hispanic, 19% Black, 9% Asian American and 41% Caucasian. Demo-wise, it looks like a fanboy film with exits similar to Deadpool & Wolverine even though that's a R-rated title. Male/female is 68%/32% (D&W was 63%/37%) with 66% under 35 (the same turnout as D&W). Demo quads in order are Men over 25 (43%, 87% grade), men under 25 (25%, 90% grade), women over 25 (19%, 81% grade) and women under 25 (13%, 90% grade). Biggest quad was 18-24 at 31%, which was the same exact percent as Deadpool & Wolverine. Reasons why people went on PostTrak: 49% said it looked fun and entertaining, 43% said it's because it was a superhero movie, while 40% say it's part of a franchise they like, with David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult and the cast overallcoming in at 26%. Most influential marketing materials per PostTrak were social media (20%), in-theater trailer (15%), online trailer (13%), friends and family (12%). Forever and a day from the time the first Superman trailer dropped in December through CinemaCon, some were put off by what they saw, whether it was the over-sentiment with the dog (sorry, but Krypto is one of the best parts of the movie), the robots, whatever. The point is that clearly a lot was kept out of the trailer, and that's a selling point sometimes on these Gunn movies or for any superhero movie. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in its trailers seemed to convey that nothing great would be going on, that it was more of the same, but then when one sat down in the theater, there was the Eureka that the sequel was significantly more in its fresh thread about Peter Quill and his father. Sometimes movie marketing has to risk it and keep their powder dry, with the actual film in the end being the biggest selling point, evident here in the great reviews at 82% and 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Overall second weekend of July is coming in at $197M for all titles, the best ever for the frame post Covid. That's 60% ahead of a year ago when Despicable Me 4 posted a second weekend of $43.5M, and it's +40% ahead of 2023 which was the frame's previous high mark post pandemic with $140M for all titles. 1.) Superman (WB) 4,135 theaters, Fri $56.5M, 3-day $115M-$121M/Wk 1 2.) Jurassic World Rebirth (Uni) 4,324 (+16) theaters, Fri $11.3M (-57%), 3-day $38.7M (-58%), Total $230.8M/Wk 2 3.) F1 (WB) 3,412 (-320) theaters, Fri $3.7M (-47%) 3-day $12.8M (-50%), Total $136M/Wk 3 4.) How to Train Your Dragon (Uni) 3,285 (-429) theaters, Fri $2.3M (-21%) 3-day $7.75M (-31%), Total $239.7M/Wk 5 5.) Elio (Dis) 2,730 (-505) theaters, Fri $1.2M (-20%), 3-day $4M (-31%), Total $63.7M/Wk 4 6.) 28 Years Later (Sony) 2,208 (-709) theaters, Fri $815K (-26%), 3-day $2.7M, Total $65.7M/Wk 4 7.) Lilo & Stitch (Dis) 2,075 (-485) theaters, Fri $800K Sat $1.1M Sun $800K 3-day $2.7M (-31%), Total $414.5M/Wk 8 8.) M3GAN 2.0 (Uni) 1,658 (-1,475) theaters, Fri $410k (-57%), 3-day $1.35M (-66%), Total $22.3M/Wk 3 9.) Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (Par) 1,132 (-413) theaters, Fri $400K (-53%), 3-day $1.4M (-49%), Total $193.9M/Wk 8 10.) Materialists (A24) 589 (-438) theaters, Fri $210K (-41%), 3-day $700K (-48%), Total $35.1M/Wk 5 UPDATED FRIDAY MIDDAY: Warner Bros/DC Studios' Superman is looking at a great $55M first day, including all those $22.5M previews. This puts the James Gunn directed movie on course as of this minute for a $115M+ 3-day. The weekend is still young, and there's room for upside. Some are spotting $120M. Is the MAGA sentiment hurting this movie? The notion is 'No'. According to box office stat org EntTelligence, red county theaters average 33% of the weekend box office for PG-13 family adventure movies, while blue counties average 61%. Superman's presales through Wednesday saw 60% of its business from blue county theaters, and 34% from red county venues. Meaning, business is right in line for the movie in regards to where it's suppose to be grossing; there's no sour sentiment. Also, non-frequent moviegoers don't make their ticket purchase decisions based on a director and his opinions. EntTelligence is currently seeing 44% percent of the Peter Safran-Gunn production coming from population centers with over a million people (the norm is 44%). That's a very good sign. With the major studios crying over fewer moviegoers watching their trailers, here's some great news: EntTelligence reports that the in-theater run of the Superman trailer reached 95.7M moviegoers, aided by prominent placement on Warner Bros/Legendary's A Minecraft Movie. Kudos to Warners for running a great in-theater marketing campaign. The comps of it all: Matt Reeves' The Batman posted a $56.6M first day/previews and eased -24% for $43.2M on Saturday turning into a $134M 3-day. Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 posted a $56M first day/previews, dipped -9% on Saturday for a $146.5M 3-day. Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 posted a $48.1M first day/previews, -19% Saturday decline with $38.8M for a 3-day of $118.4M. Wait, didn't you write $140M-$150M? Yes, sources get excited by big numbers. Here in L.A., you can forget about getting a good seat at the 7PM AMC Citywalk Imax. Premium seats are selling out. How the rest of the weekend is shaking out: 1.) Superman (WB) 4,135 theaters, Fri $55M, 3-day $115M-$120M/Wk 1 2.) Jurassic World Rebirth (Uni) 4,324 theaters, Fri $10.8M, 3-day $37M (-60%), Total $229.1M/Wk 2 3.) F1 (WB) 3,412 theaters, Fri $3M 3-day $10.7M (-58%), Total $133.8M/Wk 3 4.) How to Train Your Dragon (Uni) 3,280 theaters, Fri $1.7M 3-day $5.7M (-49%), Total $237.7M/Wk 5 5.) Elio (Dis) 2,730 theaters, Fri $950K, 3-day $3.1M (-46%), Total $62.8M/Wk 4 UPDATED FRIDAY AM AFTER EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros is seeing $22.5M all in for previews for James Gunn's Superman. Not only is that still the best previews YTD and a record for James Gunn, but it's higher than the previews for 2023's Barbie ($22.3M, 3-day $162M) and ahead of all the previews for Matt Reeves' The Batman ($21.6M, $134M opening in 2022). What do audiences think? It's a 78% definite recommend on PostTrak for general audiences — you can take that to the bank, seriously. Five stars from kids under 12 and parents. Superman is flying around everywhere. Will President Donald Trump's meme posted on the White House X handle be Kryptonite to business in addition to the snarks from right-wingers on Fox News? Not a chance, insiders say. Get out of the way, here comes Superman. RELATED: Gunn told the Sunday Times last week: 'I mean, Superman is the story of America … an immigrant that came from other places and populated the country. But for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.' RELATED: The statement was a reflection of the current aggressive immigration policies set forth by Trump. The filmmaker and co-DC Studios Boss in his chat with the Sunday Times isn't losing sleep over any criticism. 'Yes, it plays differently,' Gunn said. 'But it's about human kindness, and obviously there will be jerks out there who are just not kind and will take it as offensive just because it is about kindness. But screw them.' During an episode of Fox's table talk The Five this week, Republican operative Kellyanne Conway said: 'We don't go to the movie theater to be lectured to and have someone throw their ideology on to us. I wonder if it will be successful.' RELATED: Read Ted Johnson's coverage here. Yes, Ms. Conway, the movie will be extremely successful. At this level, industry projections have raised to $140M-$150M+ for the weekend. As we told you, Thursday night's previews include the Tuesday Amazon Prime Members shows, which collected $2.8M. It's gonna be a fun weekend, and Warner Bros, you've done it again with an overperformance streak that includes A Minecraft Movie ($162.7M), Sinners ($48M), Final Destination Bloodlines ($51.6M), F1 ($57M) and now Superman. Weekend 28, the second weekend of July last year, brought in $123M with the second frame of Despicable Me 4. The marketplace is going to boom past that easily. RELATED: Here's how the rest of the week went down: 1.) Jurassic World Rebirth (Uni) 4,308 theaters Thu $7.5M (-25% from Wed), Wk $136.3M/Wk 1 2.) F1 (Apple/WB) 3,732 theaters, Thu $2.5M (-34%), Wk $39.66M (-52%), Total $123.1M/Wk 2 3.) How to Train Your Dragon (Uni) 3,714 theaters, Thu $1.67M (-10%), Wk $19M (-41%), Total $232M/Wk 4 4.) Elio (Dis) 3,235 theaters, Thu $985K (-14%), Wk $10.3M (-42%), Total $59.7M/Wk 3 5.) 28 Years Later (Sony) 2,917 theaters, Thu $557K (-20%) Wk $7.4M (-50%) Total $63M/Wk 3 RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Count gravitational pull as a superpower for James Gunn's as the first movie under the filmmaker's DC Studios, which he co-runs with Peter Safran, is heading to a massive $21M+ in overall previews, sources tell us tonight. Oh, and audiences love it at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Gunn and Safran and all of Warner Bros can rest easy after the cynics' snarking over the first trailer back in December. That's the best RT audience score ever for a Superman movie, even better than Richard Donner's 1978 original (86%). Take that, trolls. Superman's preview figure includes Tuesday night's Amazon Prime members screenings cash of $2.8M, plus monies from showtimes which began today at 2 p.m. RELATED: Lots of records flying around here for the first title in DC's Phase One 'Gods and Monsters': First, Superman's previews rep a record for a James Gunn-directed film, besting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's $17.5M ($118.4M 3-day in 2023). It's also the best damn previews we've seen all year, ahead of Disney's Lilo & Stitch ($14.5M, $146M 3-day opening) and Captain America: Brave New World ($12M, $88.8M 3-day). While Warners was hoping for a $100M 3-day start and tracking and exhibition were spotting $115M-$130M, Superman, looks to be leaving all those projections in the dust. The IP has been done several times through history — not just on the big screen but going back to radio with several iterations on TV including the first 1950s George Reeves black-and-white show. So what's the deciding factor for non-frequent moviegoers to discover this superhero on the big screen again? Why, reviews. This Superman stands at 82% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, the second-best reviewed Superman ever after Richard Donner's 1978 original, which stands at 86%. RELATED: Other intriguing benchmarks: Gunn's Superman is easily ahead of the preview box office of Zack Snyder's 2013 Man of Steel ($9M, 10 p.m. start time, different era for previews, which turned into a $116.6M opening). There's also a shot when we wake up tomorrow morning it could be higher than Matt Reeves' The Batman from 2022, which did $21.6M in overall previews (including $4M Tuesday shows and Thursday showtimes that began at 3PM; $134M opening). Gunn's Superman is close to the sun as far preview records go for Superman movies overall, but hasn't surpassed it (and that's not a bad thing), meaning 2016's Batman v. Superman holds the record for the best previews ever for a Superman movie with $27.7M ($166M 3-day). Social media analytics firm RelishMix has noticed positive word of mouth leading up to opening with a massive social media universe across YouTube, TikTok, X, Instagram and Facebook of 953.8 million, +20% of superhero genre pics' reach before their openings. That reach buries that of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (709.7M) and The Batman (631.7M), Joker Folie à Deux (567M), and it's not far from Deadpool & Wolverine (1.15 billion). RELATED: Says RelishMix: 'The exuberant tone and dedication to the characters is winning many fans over, i.e. 'A comic book movie that's not ashamed to be a comic book is something we desperately needed,' and, 'The trailers we've gotten for this movie have given me the warm fuzzy feelings…this Superman feels right.' After his widely popular Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Marvel, James Gunn in the director chair is inspiring a lot of confidence: 'Mr. James Gunn is going to do us DC fans right for once.' The nostalgia is strong with this film, capturing the heart of the original 1978 film, 'His look reminds me of Reeves Superman,' and, 'The actors are great. And the theme music a remix of the old theme. Take my money now.'' These numbers do not come from Warners and by tomorrow business could be higher. Best of Deadline 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Soundtrack: From Griff To Sabrina Carpenter
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Box Office: ‘Superman' Saves the Day for DC Studios With $122M Domestic Opening, $217M Globally
The Man of Steel is back. James Gunn's Superman, one of the summer's most anticipated tentpoles in the U.S., flew to a solid box office debut of $122 million domestically from 4,135 theaters and $95 million from 79 markets overseas for an estimated global launch of $217 million. Its somewhat tepid start internationally isn't a surprise, considering the original creators of the comic book hero cast him as an uber American patriot and savior, a patina that has never entirely worn off (don't forget that Zack Snyder's 2013 film was titled Man of Steel, not Superman). Indeed, on the newest film's opening day, President Donald Trump posted a meme of himself on social media clad in tights and a cape. More from The Hollywood Reporter James Gunn Praises 'Superman' Box Office Success: "Incredibly Grateful for Your Enthusiasm" 'Superman' Star Nicholas Hoult Takes on New Role as Save the Children Ambassador Yes, Superman Has Always Been an Immigration Story The movie is a seminal moment in rebooting both DC Studios — which has struggled badly in recent years — and one of Hollywood's most iconic comic book film franchises. Gunn is in a unique position, being both the film's writer-director and the co-head of the Warner Bros.-owned DC, which he was tasked to run alongside Peter Safran by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Superman, costing $225 million to produce before marketing, is their inaugural release. 'What we always hoped to achieve with Superman was winning back the trust of our DC fans and indeed they have enthusiastically embraced our first entry in an exciting new theatrical universe,' said Warners global distribution president Jeff Goldstein. Added Zaslav separately, 'Superman is just the first step. Over the next year alone, DC Studios will introduce the films Supergirl and Clayface in theaters and the series Lanterns on HBO Max, all part of a bold ten-year plan. The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real, and I couldn't be more excited for what's ahead.' Superman successfully fended off the dreaded superhero fatigue that has plagued the domestic box office to become the first comic book movie in an entire year to cross $100 million. The last to do so was Marvel Studios and Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool & Wolverine, which launched to a jaw-dropping $211 million in summer 2024. And among all releases, Gunn's movie is only the third Hollywood title of 2025 to launch north of $100 million alongside fellow Warners tentpole A Minecraft Movie, which opened to $162.8 million, and Disney's live-action Lilo & Stitch, which sewed up $146 million in its debut. Crossing the century mark is no small feat for any movie in the post-pandemic era, and particularly for the troubled superhero genre. DC has been hit hard in particular. Superman is among only three DC titles that have opened to $100 million or more in eight long years after Wonder Woman, which started off with $103.3 million in 2017, and Matt Reeves' The Batman, which debuted to $134 million in 2022, not adjusted for inflation. (The latter was a standalone film, and not part of the DC Extended Universe, as was Wonder Woman). Another tidbit: Gunn's pic beat Man of Steel ($116.7 million) to rank as the biggest domestic launch ever for a solo Superman pic. In 2006, Bryan Singer's Superman Returns unfurled midweek in North America for a six-day start of $84 million, including $52.5 million for the three-day weekend. Snyder's follow up to Man of Steel was the 2016 mash-up Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which scored the biggest domestic DC opening of all time when earning $166 million over Easter weekend. Until now, Gunn was best known for being the mastermind behind Marvel's blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. The second Guardians boasts his biggest domestic opening at $146.5 million. Superman isn't likely to beat that record, but it did supplant 2013's Guardians threequel ($118.2 million) to rank as his second-best, not adjusted for inflation. Superman is banking on a long run thanks to strong word-of-mouth, with critics and audiences alike embracing the film. The pic earned an A- CinemaScore from moviegoers, the same grade given to Man of Steel and ahead of Superman Returns' B+. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is a stellar 94 percent, while the critics' score is a pleasing 82 percent. The event title is also playing to an ethnically diverse audience, another key advantage. Heading into the weekend, Superman's opening had been the subject of intense scrutiny. While tracking services predicted a domestic debut of $130 million or more, Warners and DC were more conservative in forecasting $100 million-plus due to a crowded marquee and the dreaded comic book factor. Even rival studios agree the marketplace is presently oversaturated with male-skewing fare, between Universal's Fourth of July blockbuster Jurassic World Rebirth and F1: The Movie, from Apple Original Films in partnership with Warners. According to exit polls, 68 percent of Superman ticket buyers were male, while nearly two-thirds of the audience were between the ages of 18 and 34. While fanboys are known for rushing out on opening weekend, older moviegoers are likely to bide their time and avoid the crowds, if they venture out at all. And gender-wise, the makeup of the audience should even out to some degree. Nearly 50 percent of the worldwide gross came from Imax, Dolby Cinema and other PLF screens, including 47 percent in North America. Imax turned in a notable $30 million. Superman stars David Corenswet in the titular role, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Rounding out the cast are Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific. Righting DC has been a top priority for Zaslav and his decision to put Gunn and Safran was certainly unorthodox. Righting DC, which had hit hard times, has been a top priority for Zaslav and his decision to put Gunn and Safran was certainly unorthodox. Gunn and Safran took over the reins of the superhero label in 2022 with the assignment 'to reimagine and unify the creative direction of DC under one leadership team, by breathing new life and excitement into one of the most iconic storytelling franchises in the world,' Zaslav said in his statement. 'I remember my first meeting with James three years ago. He spoke about growing up in Missouri and how the characters of the DC Universe weren't just stories to him, they were like his family. His personal bond with these DC heroes was powerful and I knew then that James was the right person to bring them to life. His love for the DC world runs deep, and it shines in every frame of his work.' Superman is also a win for the entire Warner Bros. film empire. Motion Picture Group chiefs Pamela Abdy and Michael De Luca have made a a remarkable comeback with such hits as A Minecraft Movie and Ryan Coogler's Sinners. Superman is the sixth WB title to open in first place this year, a feat no other studio has achieved thus far. But it isn't the only studio celebrating. Elsewhere, Universal and Amblin's blockbuster Jurassic World Rebirth stomped past the $500 million mark at the worldwide box office in only its sophomore outing. In North America, it came in second with $40 million from 4,224 locations for a domestic tally of $232.1 million. It fell less than expected, or 57 percent. Overseas, it took in $68.1 million for an early global cume of $529.5 million. Rebirth came in well ahead of Superman in China, where it is only days away from becoming the top-grossing Hollywood title of the year so far after earning another $10.8 million this weekend for a cume of $62.7 million. Rebirth continues to exceed expectations after posting a five-day domestic launch of $147.8 million over the long July Fourth corridor, including $92 million for the July 5-7 weekend, which is considered the official opening number. Still, Jurassic's overall start towered over Superman's, underscoring how Steven Spielberg's dinos provide the perfect summer escape. Joseph Kosinski's F1: The Movie also has plenty of gas left in the tank despite losing Imax screens to Superman. It dropped just 50 percent in its third weekend to roughly $13 million from 3,412 cinemas for an estimated domestic tally of $136 million and north of $375 million globally. Universal and DreamWorks Animation's live-action blockbuster How to Train Your Dragon stayed high up on the chart in its fifth weekend as it roared past the $550 million mark globally. It placed fourth in North America with $7.8 million from 3,825 locations for a domestic tally of $239.8 million. Overseas, it added $13 million to its coffers for a foreign total of $320.9 million and $560.8 million globally. Pixar's ill-fated Elio rounded out the top five domestically with $3.9 million from 2,730 theaters in its fourth weekend as it crossed $100 million in worldwide ticket sales, including $63.7 million in North America and $53.6 million overseas. At this pace, the film is likely to be one of the lowest-grossing titles in the history of the storied animation studio. Read David Zaslav's memo in full below: 'Three years ago, I hired James Gunn and Peter Safran to reimagine and unify the creative direction of DC under one leadership team, by breathing new life and excitement into one of the most iconic storytelling franchises in the world. James and Peter's commitment to honoring the legacy of the DC Universe while forging something new and enthralling is inspired. 'I remember my first meeting with James three years ago. He spoke about growing up in Missouri and how the characters of the DC Universe weren't just stories to him, they were like his family. His personal bond with these DC heroes was powerful and I knew then that James was the right person to bring them to life. His love for the DC world runs deep, and it shines in every frame of his work. 'This weekend, we watched Superman soar as James Gunn's passion and vision came to life on the big screen. Superman is just the first step. Over the next year alone, DC Studios will introduce the films Supergirl and Clayface in theaters and the series Lanterns on HBO Max, all part of a bold ten-year plan. The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real, and I couldn't be more excited for what's ahead.' July 13, 8:34 a.m.: Updated with revised weekend estimates. July 14, 11: 20 a.m.: Updated with statement from David 14, 11: 50 a.m.: A previous version of this story incorrectly characterized DC's box office track record. THR regrets the error. This article was originally published July 12 at 9:23 a.m. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Taylor Sheridan Sets Action Thriller ‘F.A.S.T.', Starring Brandon Sklenar, at Warner Bros. (Exclusive)
It may have taken the slow route of almost a decade, but Taylor Sheridan's action thriller F.A.S.T. is finally on the, um, fast track. In a deal involving high-level talks between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount, Sheridan has navigated a feature package that includes Brendon Sklenar, the star of the multi-hyphenate's hit 1923, and that series' main director and renowned cinematographer Ben Richardson, to land at Warners. More from The Hollywood Reporter Streaming Ratings: 'The Pitt' Hits High Mark With Season Finale Dwayne Johnson, Joe Ballarini Get 'Ripped' for 20th Century Studios (Exclusive) Harrison Ford Is Open to Continuing in 'Yellowstone' Universe After '1923' And how fast is F.A.S.T. moving? Warners has set an April 23, 2027 theatrical release date. Sklenar, who also starred in last year's It Ends with Us and the recent suspense movie Drop, will headline the action thriller with Richardson, who worked on The Fault in Our Stars and Beasts of the Southern Wild as DP, making his feature directorial debut. David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford of Heyday Films will produce the project with Sheridan and Jenny Wood of Bosque Ranch Productions in negotiations to join them. 'The breadth of Taylor Sheridan's body of work is simply astounding and unparalleled in sheer excellence and consistent quality and we could not be more honored to be making this film with him,' Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group's Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy said in a statement. 'With the hugely talent director Ben Richardson behind the camera and the exceptional producing talents of Heyday Films and Bosque Ranch, we are thrilled to have such an incredible creative team bringing F.A.S.T. to the big screen.' The coming together of the F.A.S.T. deal in one way encapsulates the shifting vagaries of the theatrical and streaming movie business. And it also exposes the tricky nature of navigating inter-studio relations. F.A.S.T. concerns a former special forces commando, down on his luck after he returns Stateside, who is tapped by the DEA to lead a black op strike team against CIA-protected drug dealers in his town. Sheridan wrote the script in the mid-2010s, when he was an established feature scribe with movies such as Sicario and Hell or High Water Under his belt. Warners, then owned by Time Warner, picked it up in 2018, with Sheridan initially signaling he wanted to direct and Chris Pratt circling to star. Gavin O'Connor later came on board as director in 2019, but by then, the studio was owned by AT&T, which didn't see a financial upside of releasing a movie with the budget in the $60 million to $70 million range theatrically. It was also, however, thought as too expensive to make as a streaming movie for its then-launching streaming service HBO Max. This was against a backdrop of a pandemic that was savaging the moviegoing experience and a streaming war that had gripped studios with the hallucinatory idea that streaming was the only future coming. Warners thus put F.A.S.T. into turnaround (only to have Amazon briefly flirt with it). Now, a project that was once a Warners theatrical feature with a Marvel star that almost morphed into streaming feature, was reacquired by Warners, now part of Warner Bros. Discovery and back in the theatrical game. But studios and movie releasing aren't the only things that have changed. Sheridan's lot in Hollywood has changed plenty as well. He created modern western Yellowstone for the Paramount Network in 2018, and it quickly became the most watched series on cable — a title it hasn't relinquished. Soon, Yellowstone spinoffs such as 1883 and 1923 sprouted on Paramount+, becoming a major draw for the service. Sheridan grew to one of the biggest showrunners in Hollywood, scorching his brand on Paramount+ with shows Tulsa King, Lioness, and Landman, among others. 'Taylor at this stage is Paramount+,' says one insider. The showrunner also has a strict exclusive deal with Paramount, which initially made moving forward on F.A.S.T. with Sheridan a non-starter — Until WBD head David Zaslav made it a priority. Sources say that dealmaking is still being finalized to give Sheridan a carve out from his Paramount pact to render screenwriting and producorial duties. That wrinkle is making the setting of a budget for F.A.S.T. a tricky proposition, as Warners wants to settle Sheridan's producorial involvement first, according to sources. It will likely be considerably less than the $65 million or so from over a decade ago, when it was initially judged to be too high for a theatrical release. F.A.S.T. will be overseen by Warner Bros. Pictures president of production Jesse Ehrman and exec vp of production Kevin McCormick. Sheridan is repped by CAA, LBI Entertainment, and Meyer & Downs. Sklenar is repped by WME, Neon Kite, and Goodman Genow while Richardson is repped by CAA. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now "A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CNN Chief Operating Officer Heads Back to Warner Bros. Discovery
After a two-year stint managing CNN's business during a leadership and strategy transition, David Leavy is heading back to his longtime home at parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. The executive had joined as chief operating officer of the cable news network during the short-lived Chris Licht-led era then stepped in to co-lead the brand days later after Licht was fired in June 2023. More from The Hollywood Reporter C-SPAN's Next Big Bet Is a "Radically Different" Sort of Cable News Show: 'CeaseFire' CNN to Air Live Broadcast of George Clooney's 'Good Night and Good Luck' in Broadway First CNN Sending Eva Longoria to France as 'Searching For' Franchise Expands (Exclusive) 'David arrived at CNN in tumultuous times and did a brilliant job stabilizing the company at a difficult moment,' read a note from CNN president Mark Thompson to staff on Wednesday. 'During the transition he led CNN jointly with Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley and Eric Sherling and played a central part helping me into my role as chairman and CEO before, as COO, leading multiple organizations and teams across revenue, promotion, operations and data.' Leavy, who had spent two decades at Discovery prior to parachuting in to CNN during a moment of uncertainty, will return to the Warners corporate fold in an unspecified role. 'David will spend the next month or so ensuring a smooth transition, which should also give everyone who's worked with him a chance to say thank you for his major contribution during his tour of duty here,' Thompson wrote. At the time of his appointment two years ago, CNN was in the middle of an overhaul executed by Licht that involved significantly reworking the channel's programming to combat declining ratings and multiple on-air talent shuffles. Licht, who joined the brand in 2022 after time as a producer at Morning Joe, CBS This Morning, and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, had his tenure cut short after Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav pulled the plug. ('I take full responsibility,' Zaslav said at the time.) Leavy was then tasked with ensuring a steady transition to the next leadership era at CNN, which kicked off months later when former BBC and New York Times executive Mark Thompson was named its new chief. Now just shy of two years at CNN, Thompson is executing a digital pivot that includes pushing for online subscribers, a strategy that proved successful for the Times as the paper amassed 11.7 million paying subs. That includes CNN launching a new standalone streaming service (apart from the pay TV bundle), with pricing to-be-determined, this fall. Thompson noted a slew of org chart reporting changes as Leavy returns to Warners. 'Following his departure, Phil Nelson's international commercial and revenue teams and Emily Kuhn's communications organization will report into me, as will Sam Felix in her role as overall head of partnerships. Paul Crum's Newsource groups will report into Phil. I will continue to work closely and directly with Karen Bronzo and her creative marketing organization. John Davies' Studio and Tech Ops will report into Eric Sherling's programming team,' the CNN chief wrote. Thompson added, 'Jamie Benedict's strategy team and Nick Cavaliere's research group will now all report to Adam Cohn, our CFO, and Christine Yi will also now report into Adam's team. John Courtney's Image + Sound teams will report into Virginia Moseley's Global News organization, and Stacey Wolf's business affairs team will move under Amy Entelis' leadership. Anne Gordon, David's longtime trusted right hand, will stay with him and also transition to WBD.' 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 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
