UPDATED with content spend stats from annual report: Giant Amazon said its total expenses for video and music came to $16.6 billion last year, up from $13 billion in 2021. Video and music expense includes licensing and production costs associated with content offered within Amazon Prime memberships, and costs associated with digital subscriptions and sold or rented content, according to the company’s latest annual report that followed fourth quarter financials yesterday. On an earnings call Thursday, CFO Brian Olsavsky noted that Amazon spent $7 billion on originals, live sports and licensed content in 2022, up from $5 billion the year before. It’s unclear if those figures include all worldwide video content, which is increasingly central to Amazon’s strategy in driving membership for Prime, the biggest loyalty program in the world and the beating heart of the company. Amazon (which acquired MGM last year for $8.5 billion in cash) carefully evaluates its return on … [Read more...] about Amazon Praises Video As Key Driver Of Prime; 2022 Content Spend, Including Music, Hit $16.6 Billion
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‘Knock At The Cabin’ Grabs $1.45 Million In Thursday Screenings, ‘80 For Brady’ $1.27M In Total Previews – Friday AM Box Office
Universal’s M. Night Shyamalan R-rated thriller Knock at the Cabin opened its doors last night to $1.45 million in previews off showtimes that began at 5 p.m. That number is just under the preview figure of Shyamalan ‘s Old, which did $1.5M before a $16.8M opening. Knock at the Cabin ‘s previews makes sense as the tracking outlook for the movie is between $15M-$17M at 3,643 theaters. It also has the fuel from PLF and Dolby ticketing. The pic cost $20M before P&A. While Old ‘s opening was at a time when moviegoers were making their way back to the cinema from the pandemic, when it comes to Shyamalan the theatrical business of his films boils down to his endings. Old put many off with a C+ CinemaScore and critics at 50% Rotten, the pic legging out to $48.2M. That was a different scenario from his recent Universal highpoints, Split ($40M opening, $138.2M domestic) and Glass ($40M opening, $111M domestic), which were connected to his 2000 thriller … [Read more...] about ‘Knock At The Cabin’ Grabs $1.45 Million In Thursday Screenings, ‘80 For Brady’ $1.27M In Total Previews – Friday AM Box Office
Sony Pictures Classics Picks Up Sundance Winner ‘The Persian Version’
Sony Pictures Classics has taken North American on Maryam Keshavarz’s The Persian Version which won the Audience Award (U.S. Dramatic Competition) and The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award (U.S. Dramatic Competition) at this year’s Sundance. Keshavarz is the first filmmaker to have two films win the Sundance Audience Award in the Dramatic Competition category. This is the second title that SPC has snapped out of Sundance, Deadline first telling you about their acquisition of A Little Prayer, which they took global rights on. Logline: Coming from two countries at odds with each other, Iranian-American Leila (Layla Mohammadi) strives to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures, while boldly challenging the labels society is so quick to project upon her. When her family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila navigates her relationships from arm’s length in an effort to keep her “real” life separate from her family life. However, when her secret … [Read more...] about Sony Pictures Classics Picks Up Sundance Winner ‘The Persian Version’
‘The Last Of Us’ Has Made A New Hit Of Linda Ronstadt’s 53-Year-Old Song ’Long Long Time’ – All Because Seth Rudetsky Knows Everything
Two years ago to this very day, Seth Rudetsky , the Broadway composer, musician, podcaster, host of a show on SiriusXM radio, fundraiser , musical cruise host, conveyer of pop culture trivia and, now, “source music consultant,” received a text from Craig Mazin, the screenwriter, director and producer. Mazin was friends with Ted Griffin, who is married to Sutton Foster, who knows, as does seemingly everybody else in musical theater, Rudetsky. “I get this text,” Sudetsky remembers, “in all capital letters, saying IT’S EMMY AND GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD WINNING CRAIG MAZIN. STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING. I NEED YOUR HELP.” Specifically, Mazin needed a song for a TV episode he was working on, a show tune along the lines of “I Miss The Music” from the 2006 Kander & Ebb musical Curtains , only older. If you’ve seen the third episode of HBO’s The Last Of U s, the post-apocalyptic drama created by Mazin and Neil Druckmann (based on a 2013 video game), you’ll know where this is … [Read more...] about ‘The Last Of Us’ Has Made A New Hit Of Linda Ronstadt’s 53-Year-Old Song ’Long Long Time’ – All Because Seth Rudetsky Knows Everything
Ben Affleck — Ex-Nanny Christine Ouzounian Brags … I’m Living the Lexus Life Now! (PHOTOS)
Ben Affleck 's former nanny is really enjoying unemployment -- flaunting a brand new convertible overlooking a Southern California beach! Christine Ouzounian said, "Keep calm and meet my new drop top Lexi" ... which appears to be a Lexus IS ... with a retail price that starts around $43,000. ET was first to report Christine's IG post. Ouzounian -- rumored to be at the center of Jennifer Garner and Ben's break up -- is getting used to the high life. A pic just surfaced of her on a private jet ... wearing all 4 of Tom Brady 's Super Bowl rings! She was reportedly flying with Ben and Brady to a June poker tournament in Las Vegas. Best nanny golden parachute ... ever. … [Read more...] about Ben Affleck — Ex-Nanny Christine Ouzounian Brags … I’m Living the Lexus Life Now! (PHOTOS)
Ben Affleck — He Didn’t Buy Nanny a Lexus … He’s Radio Silent with Her
Ben Affleck is not funding the new, lavish lifestyle of his former nanny ... this according to people very close to the situation. Former nanny, Christine Ouzounian , proudly posted a pic of her new convertible Lexus, leading people to believe Ben was underwriting her. Our sources say absolutely not. As for Ben flying Christine back from the Bahamas and to Vegas with Tom Brady , we're told a group of people were on the plane, and various people were trying on Brady's Super Bowl rings, including Christine. There are several reports Ben has put Christine up in a high end L.A. hotel, but our sources say that's absolutely not true. The sources do not take issue with reports that Ben had some sort of friendship with Christine, but they insist he currently has absolutely no contact with her. … [Read more...] about Ben Affleck — He Didn’t Buy Nanny a Lexus … He’s Radio Silent with Her
Hello Sunshine Shuts Down Kids & Animation Division
EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has learned that Hello Sunshine is shuttering its kids and animation business as part of a strategic decision to focus Candle Media ’s kids and animation efforts under Moonbug , the family production studio the corp snapped up for a near $3 billion in November 2021. Hello Sunshine will collaborate with Moonbug on future kids and animation projects. As a result, a few individuals will be departing Hello Sunshine over the coming weeks. The Blackstone-backed Candle Media, which is also co-run and co-founded by Tom Staggs, acquired Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine in August 2021 for $900M. At last April’s MIP TV , Candle Media co-founder Kevin Mayer spoke about synergies between both Hello Sunshine and Moonbug. The latter is the production company behind popular kids shows like CoComelon. CoComelon was one of the top three streaming programs in 2022 with 37.8 billion minutes viewed on Netflix per Nielsen, behind Stranger Things (52B) on … [Read more...] about Hello Sunshine Shuts Down Kids & Animation Division