Boxoffice-March.2000

DISTRIBUTION: Following a seven-year
industry trend. 1998's boxoffice receipts
reached a new high of S6.88 billion, surpassing
1997's record gross of $6.37 billion
by 9.9 percent. Admissions, too. were up 5.5
percent to nearly 1.39 billion, marking the
highest number of tickets sold since 1959.
SUPPLIERS: Handing over S3 1 million in
stock and a seat on its board of directors.
Boca Raton. Fla. -based Big Entertainment
acquired Times Mirror's Hollywood
Online, folding all of the online vendor's
resources into hollywood.com. Also, in the
single largest purchase commitment in its
68-year history. Ballantyne of Omaha
inked a deal to supply a minimum of 2.000
complete projection systems to Regal
Cinemas over the next two years.
INTERNATIONAL: Rumors speculating
that German cinema group Kinowelt
Medien was interested in taking over
Belgium-based exhibitor Kinepolis abounded,
resulting in a six percent increase in the
Belgian circuit's stocks. Also, electronics
giant Sony Corp. announced plans to establish
a cinema operations arm in its native
Japan. The company said it would model its
new chain after Loews Cineplex
Entertainment, which handles Sony's multiplexes
tin North America.
HEARD HERE: "For Line, the look is
kind of like Lenny Kravitz: tight pants.
funky boots, browns and oranges." That's
how Omar Epps described the fashion of
his Lincoln Hayes in the 75-year-old
MGM's "The Mod Squad." Of the original
TV show, Epps said, "In '68. there was
so much going on politically, as far as
youth being active. That was the premise
of the show: a black guy, a white guy and
a while girl kicking ass together, fighting
the power. I think it's coming back now.
that youth are politically aware today."
APRIL ISSUE
EXHIBITION:
Investment firm Warburg
Pincus announced
that it would
put Mann up for sale
after just a year of
the studio. Meanwhile, producer Joel
Silver and director Robert Zemeckis
formed Dark Castle Entertainment, a
Warner Bros.-based production company
dedicated to mid-budget horror pics,
including a remake of Williams Castle's
"House on Haunted Hill."
SUPPLIERS: MovieFone surprised the
industry and Wall Street by announcing its
sudden decision to sell to Internet giant
American Online, which acquired the web
ticketer for S388 million in stock.
INTERNATIONAL: Russian film production
and exhibition industries received a
series of tax breaks designed to foster their
growth. Implemented to restore Russia's
formerly prosperous film production
industry, the tax changes, were scheduled
after three years. Meanwhile,
to end
Australia-based Hoyts announced plans to
sell its U.S. extension numbering approximately'
900 screens
HEARD HERE: Saying she "never
thought a period piece could be so sexy,"
actress Salma Hayek described how she
was "tricked" into wearing a "lingerie sort
of thing from the 1800s" in Warner's summer
popcorner "Wild Wild West." "What
happens at one point [is] I'm in some sort
of sexy outfit because the bad guy
Kenneth [Branagh] plays has all these girl's
handling him, and they're really sexy. And
at one point they capture me and put me in
a really sexy outfit, and put me in a cage
for him. But then 1 get rescued, and they
take me with them—but I don't have anything
to wear, so I'm stuck in this outfit."
MAY ISSUE
EXHIBITION: Chestnut
Hill. Mass.-based i
General Cinemas was
i
chosen to operate,
j
manage and market
j
the Seattle landmark i
Cinerama theater,
i
Paul Allen's Vulcan
j
Northwest decided to
'<
purchase the historic
>-
theatre in February 1998 and embarked on
a multimillion dollar renovation meant to
establish it as one of the premiere technologically-equipped
movie venues in the
world.
DISTRIBUTION: After having its claims
to a live-action Spider-Man movie dismissed
by a Los Angeles Superior Court
judge. MGM opted not to appeal and risk
i
ownership. Some observers
a countersuit by comic book publisher
pointed to
the recent financial
Marvel, giving up any claims to a webslinger
movie
for a reported 52 million.
losses suffered by Also, Sony bowed a family division, and
the exhibition indus- *~
whole one
BOXOFFICE reported on the death of
try as a as possibility for Stanley Kubrick ("Eves Wide Shut").
Warburg's decision while others speculated SUPPLIERS: A U.S. Court dismissed
that policies implemented by Mann CEO Dolby Laboratories' lawsuit against Smart
Jeffrey Lewine, including a change regarding
Devices alleging that Smart's CM333 mod-
the company's relationships with which decodes Dolby SR motion pic-'
ule,
Paramount and Warner Bros., impacted ture encoded soundtracks, uses noise
Warburg's sentiment toward the chain. reduction technologies covered by Dolby
DISTRIBUTION: Columbia Pictures patents. Later. Dolby accused the cinema
inked a landmark deal with Hollywood sound company of alleged false advertising
screenwriters, guaranteeing them a cut of
and trademark infringement for use of
the gross receipts on films they write for the pharse "Surround EX." a suit that was
eventually settled out of court.
INTERNATIONAL: Springtime saw
Universal Studios announce its plans to
retain international distribution with
Polygram Filmed Entertainment, while
Warner Village's flagship 18-screener in
Italy posted record admission numbers
with approximately 375.000 tickets sold in
just two months of operation. Warner also
made a splash in Japan, with its local cinema
arm. Warner Mycal Corp.. opening six
new multiple-sereeners.
HEARD HERE: BOXOFFICE was at the
Oscar ceremonies, and among our favorite
quotes were those from a barely tuxedo'd
Roberto Benigni (we think ecstasj might
have popped the other jacket button), who
said o\' his best actor award. "How can I
explain the emotion and the exuberance?
The ocean of gratitude that 1 have for this?
The wonderfulness of this happiness this
is irrepeatable." Of the tense weeks of
post-nom wailing that preceded her best
actress victory, a pretty-in-pink Gwyneth
Paltrow said. "You get a nomination, and
it's the most extraordinary thing. And then
it sort of occurs to you. "Why are they
making us go through this? They should
just stop after the nominations.'"
JUNE ISSUE
EXHIBITION:
Hollywood producer.
Brad Krevoy, former
AMC Entertainment
president Ron Leslie,
longtime theatre executive
Peter Fornstam
and law firm head
and real estate attorj
ney Richard Law- ; >-
rence finalized the establishment of Resort
Theatres of America, a circuit with plans to
open multiplexes in vacation resorts throughout
the country. Krevoy was appointed as
chairman of the new circuit, Leslie was
named company's president and CEO,
Fornstam heads international operations and
Lawrence acts Resort's eeneral counsel.
DISTRIBUTION: After nearly two years
of lawsuits. Sony and MGM settled their
battle over James Bond out of court.
Under the complicated agreement. Sony
paid MGM $5 million to stop the litigation,
but MGM paid Sony twice that to
acquire all outstanding rights to the lucrative
franchise. The dispute began in 1997
when Sony announced that it was launching
a competing 007 franchise based on
right it had purchased from Kevin
McClory. who collaborated with Ian
Fleming on the "Thunderball" script and
claims to be a co-creator of the cinematic
Bond. Across town. Barry Reardon retired
from his presidency at Warner Bros.
Domestic Theatrical Distribution.
SUPPLIERS: Shortly after its acquisition
by BigE. Hollywood Online sold 35 percent
of its company to CBS in exchange
for $100 million in promotional and content
support over the next seven years.
INTERNATIONAL: International growth
was the name of the game as Londonbased
Virgin Cinemas revealed a five-year
plan to expand into the United States.
Ireland and Japan and German-based
exhibitor Cinemaw announced that it
would construct two new multiplexes in
Denmark. Other exhibitors, however,
chose to stay close to home, especially in
the Bool, with Naples-based Stella Film
March. 2000 31