Universal Pictures Gets Transparent
An enlightening LAT interview by Claudia Eller (Universal execs under fire for a flop-filled season) with Chairmen Marc Shmuger and David Linde around their disappointing summer slate. Three comedies and 1 period drama – respectively “Land of the Lost”, “Bruno”, “Funny People” and “Public Enemies” – all fell short at the box office given expectations, casting and previous filmmaker histories. The transparency of such an interview in Hollywood is to be commended from the two execs, and yet Nikki Finke will still be gunning for Jeff Zucker, one presumes. Per Schmuger: “First, there’s a real need to be making movies for less money. Second, there’s a real premium on sharper, more marketable concepts. Audiences are clearly seeking escape from their lives.” More after the jump… Read more >>
Weinsteins’ Media Makeover: Project Add-More-Runway
Via the NYT’s The Weinsteins Scramble to Regain a Golden Touch in Hollywood story, there’s more personality restructuring going on within the Weinstein Company: talk of the relatively new “newco” being stretched too thin in creating a “Barry Diller-style conglomerate” with the 2005 $1 billion in private equity from Goldman Sachs, which Joe Ravitch set up. Ravitch is now working with William Morris Endeavor. A few directors “made” by the Weinsteins, via Miramax/Disney days, impart that the guerilla-style of old, indie studio days needs to return. Kevin Smith, following “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” suggests that the brothers succeeded when they were hungry, but now are “starving and desperate.” Harsh but perhaps realistic. Read more >>
The Empire of Ari Emanuel
Leave it up to the NYT’s to create somewhat of a sensationalistic forum on the agency aftermath of the William Morris + Endeavor merger takeover. Under the headline “Mogul Ascends With Old Hollywood Clout,” the Times serves up little more than innuendo around golf games with outside investors, anonymous Hollywood insiders fearing both Ari and Rahm Emanuels, and finally, musical chairs or board seats with Ari on the Live Nation board. From Silicon Alley Insider - our preferred business read although they ditched their Entertainment blog “The Biz” somewhat quietly – made mention of the Ari Gold Ascendency of Emanuel, but both articles seem to only paint Ari as a hard ball player on the rise with a brother in the Obama Chief of Staff hot seat. One wonders how that fraternal conflict of interest can be of any use to either brother outside of easy sleepovers at the White House. Read more >>
Anti-Studio: Media Rights Capital(izes)
MRC, Media Rights Capital, is quickly becoming the new model for production companies and talent agencies – a hybrid of financing, rights ownership and innovative packaging. Its rights’ model shares ownership equity with film talent, moving beyond the usual pay-or-play contracts. After the jump, we’ll dive into their recent formation, industry perspective and what their success means to the market. Upcoming MRC titles include:
- Brüno- $42.5 million from Universal, rights revert to MRC; received new R-rating instead of NC-17 yesterday
- The B Team – Will Ferrell+Mark Wahlberg action/comedy, rights to Sony
- The Adjustment Bureau – Matt Damon action/romance/sci-fi, $62M budget, rights to Universal for 20 years, then revert to MRC; 20% first-dollar-gross backend. The studio puts up P&A and gets worldwide distribution rights. Read more >>
BusinessWeek, Top 25 Unsung Innovators
Another week, another innovator breakout list. BusinessWeek, via partnership with Boston Consulting Group, put together a list of 25 companies that could be the bigco innovators in 10 years, i.e., the Apples, Googles and Toyotas of tomorrow. Many of these companies already command good to great revenues for 2008 (included), with some having been around the block and back. In the midst: Alibaba.com, Future plc, Grameen Bank, Hulu, Mint.com and a few you wouldn’t expect. List after the jump… Read more >>