Thursday 12 December 2013
Wednesday 11 December 2013
Disney CFO Talks 'Star Wars,' ESPN Competition, Deal Outlook
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NEW YORK – The Walt Disney Co.'s acquisition plans and the outlook of its ESPN and studio businesses were in focus here Tuesday as CFO Jay Rasulo spoke at a big annual investor conference.
Appearing at the 41st Annual UBS Global Media and Communications Conference, he was asked about his appetite for acquisitions, saying "we don't have anything on the scale of Marvel or Lucasfilm right now." He added: "I don't feel there is anything we need," but "you will continue to see us do acquisitions in the future."
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When asked about potential divestitures, he said: "We look at the portfolio at all times" and are currently "happy" with all the assets.
Asked about the potential launch of an online pay TV provider, Rasulo echoed Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman's Monday prediction that it would happen sooner or later, but didn't name the likely company to launch first. He also said "we would certainly be happy to license our content" to such digital pay TV providers, but emphasized they would have to buy the whole bundle of Disney channels that traditional pay TV firms pay for. The current pay TV system is "still the most valuable system" of distributing TV content from a consumer's standpoint, he said, suggesting that a la carte offers wouldn't be consumer-friendly.
Questioned how quickly C7 ratings could become the standard in TV upfront advertising negotiations, he said it won't be this coming year yet.
Asked about Disney's decision to offer Disney Channel TV content via free-to-air networks in such countries as Germany and Russia, Rasulo said it allows the conglomerate "to distribute more strongly something that is quite important to us."
Discussing key growth drivers for Disney, he said he expected growth contributions from all units in the coming years. After the recent box office successes of Marvel, Lucasfilm's Star Wars VII, set for a 2015 release, will be a key driver of Disney's studio performance, Rasulo said. He also said there will be much more in terms of Star Wars consumer products on offer around that release. Overall, he said investors should expect Lucasfilm to follow the successful Marvel path now that it is part of Disney as the company would look to push its content across various Disney and other platforms just like in the case of the Marvel acquisition.
Asked about the recent decision to create four Marvel series for Netflix rather than a traditional TV network, Rasulo said the firm did content for Disney XD to keep things close to home before launching Marvel's Agents of SHIELD on ABC. The Netflix deal came when the company was ready to look outside for distribution, he added. "It's a little bit like the Avengers strategy" with four superhero creation stories that should eventually lead the heroes together, he explained about the blueprint for the Netflix series.
"I'm not sure I would call [Netflix] our go-to SVOD partner," Rasulo emphasized Tuesday when asked if it was the main go-to-place for the company nowadays, highlighting that the firm has also done deals with Hulu and other digital distributors. And he said the Marvel show deal was also pitched to others. "We try to be even-handed and, of course, advantageous to Disney," he said about Disney's approach to deciding where to take content. "We are out there playing the field."
Asked about Disney's position in sports amid the recent launch of Fox Sports 1, Rasulo said ESPN has always seen competition, and new competition hasn't hurt advertising demand at the sports giant and he continues to feel good about ESPN. "The ratings haven't changed a lot," he said, touting ESPN's bigger audience. But he emphasized that "we are not going to cede our position" or become complacent.
He predicted that Disney would end up getting NBA rights again, which ESPN and ABC currently share, but signaled he was expecting a lot of competition for them. He said they are the last remaining piece of the sports puzzle for Disney after other big league deals that it has already sealed.
Rasulo also said Tuesday that the firm's upcoming Shanghai Disneyland theme park could become the company's second-largest behind Disneyworld. And he signaled that after its planned 2015 launch, the firm could invest in it further. The park is within three hours of 300 million-plus people.
More Star Wars rides are likely to come to the firm's parks over time, he added as part of a broader theme parks discussion.
Asked about the latest feedback for the MyMagic+ digital wristbands at Disney's World Disney World theme park in Florida, Rasulo said it encourages users to plan their visits more. "When people plan at home, they tend to plan for a lot more time," he said, explaining that the main benefit for Disney is the expanded time people spend at the parks. He said it was still "early days" to assess the financial impact, but said the company is planning to roll the service out across the operation.
Discussing the importance of mobile devices, Rasulo said "it provides a huge opportunity to get our content out to consumers" previously not reached, particularly in international markets. He said content companies, for example, can't wait for India to launch its 4G mobile network.
"Investors should not expect a departure" from the successful strategy at Disney, Rasulo also told investors when asked about possible changes. Summarizing the three key pillars of the strategy are a focus on creative excellence, a conviction that technology must be embraced to increase content and a focus on international growth opportunities.
E-mail: Georg.Szalai@THR.com
Twitter: @georgszalai
TV Ratings: Bravo's Sunday Thrives Without Zombie Competition
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"The Real Housewives of Atlanta"If you're not in the NFL or fighting the living dead, it can be hard to get attention on Sunday night. But with AMC's The Walking Dead now off the air until Feb. 9, the battle for non-sporting eyeballs just got a lot more interesting.
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During the first Sunday in two months without The Walking Dead, cable crowned a new victor in Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta. The most successful installment of the reality franchise hit a season high, improving 21 percent in adults 18-49 for 2.1 million in the key demo. That's a 1.7 rating. Among total viewers, the show improved 22 percent for 3.7 million, another season high.
Bravo topped the night in the key demo across cable, the first Sunday it's held that distinction since April 7. At 9 p.m., Shahs of Sunset was also at a high with 1.97 million and a 0.9 rating among adults 18-49. (Freshman Fashion Queens pulled 766,000 adults 18-49 and 1.4 million viewers -- both up 22 percent to series highs.)
Still, Bravo's biggest growth came outside of primetime. Andy Cohen talker Watch What Happens Live pulled season highs with 1.9 million viewers and 1.1 million adults 18-49 (0.8 rating) -- growth of 21 and 41 percent, respectively.
Ylvis' 'The Fox' Is YouTube's Top Trending Video of 2013
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Ylvis still doesn't know what the fox says, but the Norwegian duo can take comfort: Its viral hit exploring that question has been named YouTube's top trending video of 2013.
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Also in the top trending videos category revealed Wednesday: a military version of "Harlem Shake," a Chatroulette take on Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" and Jean-Claude Van Damme's "Epic Splits" for Volvo.
YouTube also unveiled the top trending music videos and channels gaining the most followers in 2013.
In the music video category, the big winners were Psy ("Gentlemen") Miley Cyrus ("Wrecking Ball" and "We Can't Stop"), Katy Perry ("Roar") and P!nk ("Just Give Me A Reason") taking the five top spots.
When it comes to the YouTube channels seeing the biggest gains in subscribers, Swedish video game commentator Pewdiepie took the top spot, with Chilean comedian Hola Soy German, comedy duo Smosh, Beyonce and One Direction rounding out the top five.
Find the complete list below, with links of where to watch.
Top Trending Videos of 2013
1. Ylvis - The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?), tvnorge
2. Harlem Shake (original army edition), kennethaakonsen
3. How Animals Eat Their Food | MisterEpicMann, MisterEpicMann
4. Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball (Chatroulette Version), SteveKardynal
5. baby&me / the new evian film, EvianBabies
6. Volvo Trucks - The Epic Split feat. Van Damme, VolvoTrucks
7. YOLO (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar), thelonelyisland
8. Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise, CarrieNYC
9. THE NFL : A Bad Lip Reading, BadLipReading,
10. Mozart vs Skrillex. Epic Rap Battles of History Season 2., ERB
Top Trending Music Videos of 2013
1. PSY - GENTLEMAN M/V, officialpsy
2. Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball, MileyCyrusVEVO
3. Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop, MileyCyrusVEVO
4. Katy Perry - Roar (Official), KatyPerryVEVO
5. P!nk - Just Give Me A Reason ft. Nate Ruess, PinkVEVO
6. Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines ft. T.I., Pharrell, RobinThickeVEVO
7. Rihanna - Stay ft. Mikky Ekko, RihannaVEVO
8. Naughty Boy - La La La ft. Sam Smith, NaughtyBoyVEVO
9. Selena Gomez - Come & Get It, SelenaGomezVEVO
10. Avicii - Wake Me Up (Official Video), AviciiOfficialVEVO
11. One Direction - Best Song Ever, OneDirectionVEVO
12. Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man [Official Video], ElektraRecords
13. One Direction - One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks), OneDirectionVEVO
14. MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - CAN'T HOLD US FEAT. RAY DALTON (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO), RyanLewisProductions
15. Demi Lovato - Heart Attack (Official Video), DemiLovatoVEVO
16. Daft Punk - Get Lucky (Official Audio) ft. Pharrell Williams, DaftPunkVEVO
17. Avicii - Wake Me Up (Lyric Video), AviciiOfficialVEVO
18. David Guetta - Play Hard (Official Video) ft. Ne-Yo, Akon, davidguettavevo
19. Pitbull - Feel This Moment ft. Christina Aguilera, PitbullVEVO
20. Justin Timberlake - Mirrors, justintimberlakeVEVO
21. Taylor Swift - 22, TaylorSwiftVEVO
22. Calvin Harris - I Need Your Love ft. Ellie Goulding, CalvinHarrisVEVO
23. Ariana Grande - The Way ft. Mac Miller, ArianaGrandeVevo
24. 23 (Explicit), MikeWillMadeitVEVO, 112,861,589
25. Lady Gaga - Applause (Official), LadyGagaVEVO
Channels that gained the most subscribers in 2013
1. PewDiePie
2. HolaSoyGerman
3. smosh
4. RihannaVEVO
5. OneDirectionVEVO
6. portadosfundos
7. ERB
8. JennaMarbles
9. SkyDoesMinecraft
10. EminemVEVO
11. TheEllenShow
12. KatyPerryVEVO
13. machinima
14. TaylorSwiftVEVO
15. ElektraRecords
16. MileyCyrusVEVO
17. nigahiga
18. officialpsy
19. JustinBieberVEVO
20. TheFineBros
Brad Pitt and Brad Grey break: Plan B for Paramount exit (exclusive)
The relationship between the production of Brad Pitt and CEO of Paramount Brad Grey company is about to end, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
Production company Plan B of Pitt, which is the highest on the recent hit 12 years a slave and World War Z, out of his home in eight years when his contract with Paramount expires at the end of 2013. Plan B, Pitt running with Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, is directed to a three year contract with Arnon Milchan'snew Regency, producer for 12 years. RatPac Entertainment, the company's production and financial upstart founded by Australian billionaire James Packer and filmmaker Brett Ratner, will be a partner finance on Plan B films.
"Our society is built on working with the best talent in the business. '' "By providing Plan B, with their filmmaker solid relationships and stellar pool of talent into the fold with RatPac, we do just that," Brad Weston, president and CEO of new Regency, said in a statement.
"There very few partners in this company who are able to balance artistic integrity and commercial viability. Working hand in hand with the new Regency and RatPac, we feel that we have found a perfect fit, "a spokesman for Plan B, in a statement.
Gray, formerly a producer director before taking the position of head of the Paramount studio, co-founded the Plan B with Pitt and Jennifer Aniston woman in 2002. The company has had an agreement with Paramount since 2005.
During the paramount relationship, Pitt company had done a number of independent-style films (time of nothing, The Tree of Life) with other partners, but his biggest hit by far (and the only Pitt starring himself) was the epic of zombie World War Z, which grossed 540 million $ worldwide this summer. THR reported earlier Tuesday that a sequel is being prepared with Director Bayona, who has helmed the tragedy of tsunami in 2012 the Impossible.
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There were tensions between Paramount and Plan B during the production of Marc Forster- World War Z and more recently more than 12 years a slave. In October, THR reported that a dispute arose because the Paramount executives believed that plan B had breached the deal by the company with the studio failing to provide an opportunity to finance and distribute 12 years. In April 2012, a few weeks before Director Steve McQueen began filming the drama of slavery, new Regency agreed to co-finance and distribute the image via Fox Searchlight. The film won the first award buzz and running well at the box office, having narrated more than 35 million $ to this day.
However, the relationship between Pitt and grey would always amicable, and the studio will continue to collaborate on projects that have been developed during the term of Plan B at Paramount.
Plan B is familiar with the new Regency. More than 12 years, the two companies partnered with Mr. and Mrs. Smith and have just wrapped shooting on a true story, based on the book "true story: murder, memoir, Mea Culpa" by Michael Finke. This film starring James Franco, Jonah Hill and Felicity Jones and released by 20th Century Fox.
RatPac made a big push in Hollywood. Earlier this year, the company reached an agreement to supply up to 400 million $ in financing to Warner Bros.
"Plan B has become a consistent supplier of equipment of high level and talent. As a new company, we are able to partner with Arnon and his team at new Regency on this case, it gives us a big jolt to what we are trying to accomplish,"Packer and Ratner said in a statement.
THR COVER STORY: How a Mantra of Brad Pitt, "game on, F - ers!,' powered his Oscar competitor 12 years a slave"
Paramount has recently added producer Jerry Bruckheimer to its list, perhaps to fill the void of Plan B.
E-mail: Kim.Masters@THR.com
Twitter: @KimMasters
Disney déclenche une arme secrète en quête de « Banques » et « Congelé » Oscar gloire : son histoire
Legends Disney pose for a "class picture".For lovers of Hollywood history as me - or former members of the Academy who have lived it - it really is not much more exciting than festivities the past two nights on the parcel of Disney, in which the House of mouse pulled the string of awards voters and tastemakers in favour of the promotion of its primary live-action and animation awards contenders, save Mr. Banks and frozen.
Monday night, the studio hosted the first Los Angeles-banks - he already played at London and AFI film festivals - followed by an after party to return to the studio commissary.
PHOTOS: The Making of Disney Animation Oscar Contender 'frozen '.
On hand for the festivities were not only main creative talent from the movie - director John Lee Hancockand writer Kelly Marcel stars Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak, Jason Schwartzman, Paul Giamatti and Annie Rose Buckley - but also the talent principal film that inspired the film, features Mary Poppins Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. A man fell into two categories: 85 years Richard Sherman, who with his brother Robert, composed songs and the score for Poppins - winning Oscars for both - and which was also consultant musical on the banks, in which he is played by Schwartzman. (The whole group of them gathered to sing "Let's Go Fly a Kite" before the festivities began).
Andrews and Van Dyke left early in order to yield the spotlight to banks stars, who were joined at the after-party of young stars such as Jason Segel and Alison Williams. But Sherman undoubtedly was the toast of the party – just as it was in a November 9 Poppins sing-along songs that was also designed to evoke nostalgia and to channel towards the nomination of Oscar for banks.
Come Tuesday night, Sherman was back on the lot again, with dozens other legends of Disney, to celebrate the 90th year of Disney's Animation operations. At the event, which is held in a heated tent erected 'Legends Plaza', wisely studio President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger has hosted guests, touted the rich history of Disney explained how proud he was of the 53rd animated feature of the studio and the best animation feature frozen hope Oscar, which is submitted before the festivities began for the people who did it have not already seen it.
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(Frozen was number one at the box office last weekend, its second weekend in theaters.) Oddly, no pure and simple-Disney film won best animated film Oscar, which was founded only in 2001. Since then, Pixar-produced films have dominated the competition, claiming the prize in seven to 12 years.)
With studio President Alan Horn, President Ed Catmull and CEO Andrew Millstein , searching the public, introduced Iger - with a hug - her creative director John Lasseter, the closest thing that there is today Walt Disney himself. Lasseter explained how his admiration for the rich and unrivalled Disney history brought back to Disney in 2006, 23 years after being fired by him to push the idea of animation tirelessly by computer, but this time with its operation of Pixar in tow.
Lasseter has presented many of the "Disney legends" who played an important role in the studio, inviting each to take a bow. Among those on hand: Tony Anselmo, the voice of Donald Duck. Kathryn Beaumont, the voice of Alice in Alice in the Wonderland (1951) and Wendy in Peter Pan (1953); Bill Farmer, the voice of goofy; Floyd Norman, host first African American woman to Disney, which has worked on the beautiful sleeping beauty (1959) and the book of the Jungle (1967); Stan Freberg, voice of the Beaver in the Lady and the tramp (1955); 100 years Milton Quon, who worked on Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941); Russi Taylor, the voice of Minnie Mouse; and 103 years old Ruthie Thompson, who has worked at the studio for 40 years as an Inker.
The whole group - more Josh Gad, the voice for the character of instantly iconic snowman of frozen Olaf - then Lasseter joined for a class picture, which, unfortunately, is not recreatable when the studio celebrates its 100th anniversary of 10 years. To its credit, the studio decided to seize the moment and hope that Oscar voters will elect to do the same for the account of his films.
Twitter: @ScottFeinberg
'Switched at Birth' Creator Developing Family Thriller for ABC Family (Exclusive)
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ABC Family is doubling down on Switched at Birth creator Lizzy Weiss.
The youth-skewing cable network is reteaming with Weiss for Into Thin Air, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Into Thin Air is described as a high-concept family drama with thriller elements. Exact story details are being kept under wraps.
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Weiss created the project and will executive produce alongside Switched at Birth EP Paul Stupin. Into Thin Air marks the duo's second project at the cabler, following the Vanessa Marano-Katie Leclerc starrer, which will return for its third season on Jan. 13.
Switched has been a sturdy performer for ABC Family, earning a third-season renewal in July after taking home the Peabody Award and Television Critics Association prize for youth programming in 2012.
Weiss, who also penned the feature film Blue Crush, is repped by UTA and attorneys Bryan Wolf and Pam Black. Stupin, who served as an exec producer on Dawson's Creek, Beautiful People and Make it or Break It, is with WME.
Into Thin Air arrives as ABC Family is readying three comedy pilots from Tori Spelling, Ashley Tisdale and Bunheads duo Grant Levy and Dominik Rothbard. On the drama side, the youth-skewing cabler is readying an adaptation of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle as well as The Final Girls, a horror-thriller starring Jamie Lee Curtis. This year, ABC Family successfully launched dramas Twisted and The Fosters, which have both been picked up for additional episodes.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit