The power of a wide theatrical release was realized this weekend by streamer Amazon in its pivot back to the big screen with MGM/United Artists Releasing’s Creed III. It easily minted the best opening ever for the Seattle-based parent, as well as for the Rocky franchise, with $58.6M domestic, $100.4M worldwide.
While Amazon has snapped up some tentpole movies during the pandemic for the service — i.e. Paramount’s Coming 2 America and Skydance’s The Tomorrow War — Creed III repped a big commitment by them for the big screen following their $8.45 billion purchase of MGM back in May 2021.
Talk about downstream revenues here: Creed III was made for $75M before P&a, and is easily poised to profit. Kudos to Prime Video and Amazon Studios SVP Mike Hopkins and Amazon Studios Head Jen Salke for keeping in place MGM’s distribution boss Erik Lomis and theatrical marketing apparatus of Gerry Rich,...
While Amazon has snapped up some tentpole movies during the pandemic for the service — i.e. Paramount’s Coming 2 America and Skydance’s The Tomorrow War — Creed III repped a big commitment by them for the big screen following their $8.45 billion purchase of MGM back in May 2021.
Talk about downstream revenues here: Creed III was made for $75M before P&a, and is easily poised to profit. Kudos to Prime Video and Amazon Studios SVP Mike Hopkins and Amazon Studios Head Jen Salke for keeping in place MGM’s distribution boss Erik Lomis and theatrical marketing apparatus of Gerry Rich,...
- 3/5/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Sunday Am Update: By the calendar’s measure of recent box office years, it is the first weekend of summer. But because movie theaters are still closed in most of Europe and Brazil because of the pandemic, Disney decided to move Marvel’s Black Widow to July 9.
The good news is that we will finally have a semblance of a summer box office season, unlike last year, and United Artists Releasing is filling the vacancy left by Disney this weekend with the Miramax/MGM production of Guy Ritchie’s R-rated Jason Statham action title, Wrath of Man, which had a solid Friday at the B.O. during the pandemic with $3M (including $500K Thursday previews), then continued on to make the same amount of cash yesterday, and will see a 3-day opening of $8M at 2,875 theaters.
That’s a bit more than what Universal’s gritty R-rated Bob Odenkirk shoot-...
The good news is that we will finally have a semblance of a summer box office season, unlike last year, and United Artists Releasing is filling the vacancy left by Disney this weekend with the Miramax/MGM production of Guy Ritchie’s R-rated Jason Statham action title, Wrath of Man, which had a solid Friday at the B.O. during the pandemic with $3M (including $500K Thursday previews), then continued on to make the same amount of cash yesterday, and will see a 3-day opening of $8M at 2,875 theaters.
That’s a bit more than what Universal’s gritty R-rated Bob Odenkirk shoot-...
- 5/9/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The search has begun for a new co-president of domestic marketing at 20th Century Fox.
The studio has already spoken to Oren Aviv, the former marketing president at Walt Disney Studios, but insiders stressed that Fox toppers are likely to meet with other candidates as well.
Earlier this week, longtime Fox co-president of marketing Pam Levine exited the studio. She shared the job with marketing co-president Tony Sella, who remains in the post.
There's no shortage of names for Fox to consider, including former Paramount worldwide marketing president Gerry Rich, former Warner Bros. domestic marketing president Dawn Taubin and former co-president of worldwide marketing for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Val Van Galder.
The search won't be restricted to Hollywood. Fox execs will take meetings with candidates in New York as well, although the new hire will be based on the Fox lot in Los Angeles.
The studio has already spoken to Oren Aviv, the former marketing president at Walt Disney Studios, but insiders stressed that Fox toppers are likely to meet with other candidates as well.
Earlier this week, longtime Fox co-president of marketing Pam Levine exited the studio. She shared the job with marketing co-president Tony Sella, who remains in the post.
There's no shortage of names for Fox to consider, including former Paramount worldwide marketing president Gerry Rich, former Warner Bros. domestic marketing president Dawn Taubin and former co-president of worldwide marketing for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Val Van Galder.
The search won't be restricted to Hollywood. Fox execs will take meetings with candidates in New York as well, although the new hire will be based on the Fox lot in Los Angeles.
- 12/23/2010
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As studio specialty labels continue to contract, Paramount Pictures is downsizing 2-year-old Paramount Vantage, merging it more tightly with its parent studio.
While Vantage will continue as a production label under president Nick Meyer, the functions of Vantage's marketing, distribution and physical production departments are merging with the corresponding departments at Paramount. Three senior positions are being eliminated, including that of Vantage distribution executive vp Rob Shulze.
Vantage's Megan Colligan has been named co-president of domestic marketing along with Paramount executive Josh Greenstein, and both will report to Gerry Rich, president of worldwide motion picture marketing.
Jim Tharp, Paramount president of domestic marketing, will oversee the consolidated distribution department. Vantage's Georgia Kacandes, as exec vp physical production, will head the combined physical production department.
While Vantage will continue as a production label under president Nick Meyer, the functions of Vantage's marketing, distribution and physical production departments are merging with the corresponding departments at Paramount. Three senior positions are being eliminated, including that of Vantage distribution executive vp Rob Shulze.
Vantage's Megan Colligan has been named co-president of domestic marketing along with Paramount executive Josh Greenstein, and both will report to Gerry Rich, president of worldwide motion picture marketing.
Jim Tharp, Paramount president of domestic marketing, will oversee the consolidated distribution department. Vantage's Georgia Kacandes, as exec vp physical production, will head the combined physical production department.
Michael Vollman has added theatrical publicity to his responsibilities at Paramount Pictures.
In his expanded role as executive vp integrated marketing and theatrical publicity, Vollman will oversee national publicity campaigns as well as lead the studio's field and integrated marketing activities. He will continue to report to Paramount president of worldwide marketing Gerry Rich.
"Mike has played an integral and impressive role at Paramount since he came on board," Rich said. "He has stepped up as a leader time and time again, and I'm confident that his great relationships, dedication and many years in film marketing will be a great benefit to the department."
Vollman, who has served as executive vp integrated marketing at the studio since 2006, also spent a decade at DreamWorks, where he oversaw field marketing, Internet marketing and media promotions and handled campaigns for such films as "The Ring", "American Beauty" and "Madagascar".
Before DreamWorks, Vollman was a marketing manager at Buena Vista Pictures, where he worked on Western field campaigns including "The Rock", "The Lion King" and "The Mighty Ducks".
In his expanded role as executive vp integrated marketing and theatrical publicity, Vollman will oversee national publicity campaigns as well as lead the studio's field and integrated marketing activities. He will continue to report to Paramount president of worldwide marketing Gerry Rich.
"Mike has played an integral and impressive role at Paramount since he came on board," Rich said. "He has stepped up as a leader time and time again, and I'm confident that his great relationships, dedication and many years in film marketing will be a great benefit to the department."
Vollman, who has served as executive vp integrated marketing at the studio since 2006, also spent a decade at DreamWorks, where he oversaw field marketing, Internet marketing and media promotions and handled campaigns for such films as "The Ring", "American Beauty" and "Madagascar".
Before DreamWorks, Vollman was a marketing manager at Buena Vista Pictures, where he worked on Western field campaigns including "The Rock", "The Lion King" and "The Mighty Ducks".
- 4/26/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paramount Pictures has promoted Amy Powell to senior vp interactive marketing, the studio said Tuesday. In her new post, Powell will oversee interactive marketing strategies for all of the studio's releases. Working closely with Paramount's traditional marketing team and filmmakers, she will create campaigns to reach moviegoers worldwide and across various mediums including the Internet, mobile and wireless devices and gaming platforms. In addition, Powell will spearhead the reinvention of the Paramount.com Web site and handle media planning, third-party promotions and editorial outreach. Powell, who has served as vp of the department since 2004, will report to president of worldwide marketing Gerry Rich. Before joining Paramount, Powell was director of interactive marketing at Sony Pictures, where she managed campaigns for Spider-Man, Men in Black, Black Hawk Down and 50 First Dates. She is a member of the Next Gen Class of 2005.
- 2/22/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Tom Cruise convened a hush-hush summit on the Paramount lot in December, about 100 top-level Viacom executives gathered to strategize a surefire launch of Paramount Pictures' Mission: Impossible 3, which opens May 5 in the U.S. With so much riding on the J.J. Abrams-helmed Cruise starrer -- the film marks the first project greenlighted by the new studio regime headed by Brad Grey and Gail Berman -- Viacom decided to marshal its far-reaching forces to ensure the summer tentpole's success. "It was fantastic," Paramount president Berman recalled of the summit. "It came from (president of worldwide picture marketing) Gerry Rich and (president of worldwide marketing, distribution and operations) Rob Moore and their brilliant idea of bringing the various Viacom divisions together and have them take an early look at the earliest teaser and meet Tom and J.J. and hear their vision of the movie."...
- 2/17/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paramount Pictures was ready to take advantage of Super Bowl Sunday's massive viewership to kick off the Ultimate Mission, an online scavenger hunt promoting Mission: Impossible 3, which opens in May. A 30-second commercial, which was set to air during the game's first half, promoted the interactive contest that involves clues hidden in specially created original shorts available for viewing on various Web sites. The spot also held the clue to solve the first question in the competition, which begins today and plays out over the next three months. "It's only a taste, but this spot will definitely tell you what we've got in store on May 5," said Gerry Rich, president of worldwide motion picture marketing at Paramount Pictures.
During much of the past year, Paramount Pictures appeared to be undergoing a slow motion makeover. The rehab process actually began in 2003: With the studio mired in seventh place in terms of market share, both John Goldwyn, vice chairman of Paramount Motion Picture Group, and Arthur Cohen, president of worldwide marketing, resigned. The new year saw Donald De Line take over the reins of production chief, while Gerry Rich took over the marketing chores. And Sherry Lansing, chairman of Paramount Motion Picture Group, began sending out signals that the studio was ready to take more risks. But a new round of change was set in motion when Viacom chairman and CEO Sumner Redstone appointed Leslie Moonves and Tom Freston co-presidents of Viacom, with the MTV-experienced Freston in charge of the studio. Almost immediately, Lansing ally Jonathan Dolgen resigned as chairman of the Viacom Entertainment Group. And in November, Lansing said that she will step down when her current contract expires at year's end. But the transition is likely to happen sooner than that, since as the new year began, Viacom was negotiating with talent manager Brad Grey to replace Lansing.
Gerry Rich, who has served as a marketing executive at both Miramax Films and MGM, is joining Paramount Pictures as its new president of worldwide motion picture marketing, Paramount has announced. Rob Friedman, Paramount's chief operating officer and vice chairman of the motion picture group, announced the move Friday. Rich's appointment concludes a six-month search that began in September when Arthur Cohen stepped down from the post he had held for 14 years (HR 9/10). Under the terms of the three-year deal, Rich will be responsible for all aspects of domestic and international marketing for Paramount's theatrical releases. He begins work at the studio's Melrose Avenue lot in two weeks and will report to Friedman. "Gerry's the real deal and brings the experience I've been looking for," Friedman said. "The thing I love about Gerry is that he comes from a multidimensional background -- he's worked at Miramax and in the independent world and with a big studio at MGM."...
Gerry Rich and Larry Gleason will not be joining Miramax after all. After more than a month of negotiations, the two former MGM executives were unable to come to a deal with the New York-based company that would have seen Rich heading up its marketing operations and Gleason taking over distribution (HR 3/11). Negotiations officially ended this past weekend. According to Rich, whose recent consulting gig with Miramax ended March 28, geography proved tough to conquer. Rich and Gleason were angling to remain in Los Angeles, while Miramax's marketing and distribution operations are based in New York. "It was difficult by nature", Rich said. "We attempted to overcome the obstacles but found that the deal couldn't be done. These guys have been fiercely loyal to me, and we'll all remain good friends." Rich, who served a previous stint at Miramax as senior vp marketing from 1991-93, will look elsewhere for opportunities, while Gleason, who served in Paramount's distribution operations before joining MGM, will remain a consultant for MGM. At Miramax, the two execs were expected to fill positions that have been open since last year's departure of marketing specialist Mark Gill, the former Miramax Films Los Angeles president who left to become president of Stratus Films Co., and the promotion of Rick Sands, Miramax's veteran distribution head, to chief operating officer.
Gerry Rich and Larry Gleason are nearing deals to join Miramax Films as heads of marketing and distribution, respectively, according to sources. Although New York-based Miramax declined comment on the speculation, the addition of the two execs would presumably fill positions that have been open since last year's departure of marketing specialist Mark Gill -- the former Miramax Films Los Angeles president who jumped ship to become president of Stratus Film Co. -- and the promotion of Rick Sands, Miramax's veteran distribution head, to chief operating officer. Rich and Gleason both exited MGM in June 2001 as part of a major studio shake-up and have since taken various consulting roles. Neither executive could be reached for comment. Rich served a previous stint at Miramax, as senior vp marketing from 1991-93. He joined MGM in 1993 as executive vp worldwide marketing and was named president of marketing in 1995. Gleason joined MGM in 1994 from Paramount Pictures, where he was president of the theatrical exhibition group. Before Paramount, Gleason was president of Mann Theatres and was president of marketing and distribution at the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group.
- 3/11/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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