Boxoffice-March.2000

and Carlo Bernaschi forming a new multiplex
partnership as well as France-based Pathe and
domestic exhibitor VIS forming a joint venture
to develop new plexes throughout Italy.
HEARD HERE: Speaking to us two months
before the release of what became the most
successful animated film for Disney since
"The Lion King," "Tarzan" producer Bonnie
Arnold said, "At times, it's a bit daunting.
Disney is going to do the story of Tarzan,
and all of a sudden that becomes the new
interpretation of Tarzan. People knew the
Cinderella story before Disney's 'Cinderella.'
but that becomes the defining one. These
days, if you think of Aladdin, most likely you
think of Disney's Aladdin." There's sort of
the weight of having to live up to what's come
before you." The spirits were with them,
though, given that the character's creator had
long been on their side: Imagining a cartoon
version of his Jungle King, writer Edgar Rice
Burroughs in a 1936 letter opined of the project,
"The cartoon must be good. It must
approximate Disney excellence."
JULY ISSUE
EXHIBITION:
William Kartozian,
who served as the president
of NATO for
years, made the surj
i
prising announcement
that he would step i
down from his position :
at the end of 2000. He
i
described his decision
•
to leave the organiza-
'"
*"
tion as "a gut feeling" and a move he
"believe[d] is right." Another significant summer
announcement was that Dallas-based
Cinemark would be put up on the auction
block. Circuit owners Cypress Group, which
holds a 44 percent stake; company founder
and CEO Lee Roy Mitchell, who holds 51
percent; and circuit management, which
holds the remaining five percent asked for a
purported SI. 6 billion for the 2.300-screen
chain.
DISTRIBUTION: Although MGM chairman
Frank Mancuso had made no secret
about wanting to retire early and had ardently
been seeking a successor for some time, it
sill came as somewhat of a surprise when
majority owner Kirk Kerkorian suddenly
replaced him with MGM Grand president
and COO Alex Yemenidjian. Vice chairman
Robert Pisano also resigned, and Universal
Studios president and COO Chris McGurk
stepped into the post.
SUPPLIERS: Sony Electronics and Panavision
Inc. announced a joint research and
development project that will develop a filmless,
digital camera in time for Lucasfilm Ltd.
to use on the second "Star Wars" prequel.
INTERNATIONAL: After months of investigation
by the European Commission, it
appeared that antitrust allegations leveled
against distribution partnership United Intl.
Pictures were about to be dropped due to
lack of sufficient evidence. However, stronger
in his case was Down Under media mogul
Kerry Packer, who was able to successfully
acquire a controlling stake of Oz circuit
Hoyts, despite then-CEO Peter Ivany's initial
resistance.
HEARD HERE: BOXOFFICE received
unconventional—and unconventionally
short—celebrities wishing to go on record in
our pages about their Columbia films:
Gonzo the Great and Elmo. Of his "Muppets
From Space" shoot, Gonzo revealed that the
project had experienced a goodly (or would
that be piggly) amount of creative conflict.
"There was a little tension between [Miss
Piggy and Andie MacDowell]. There's always
tension off-set, but it happened that there
was tension on-set. too.... Piggy has a little
problem with beautiful women." Meanwhile.
our favorite little red hot monster was discussing
one of the locales for "The
Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland"
Grouchland itself. "[On] Sesame Street, we
always try to clean up, keep our streets clean.
In Grouchland, they do just the opposite!
They throw trash around and. when they go
in the car wash, they dirty their cars instead
of clean them. It's just their nature!"
AUGUST ISSUE
EXHIBITION:
In
reaction to recent reproach
against the
entertainment industry
and its potential
role in the outbreak
of teen violence,
NATO implemented
an initiative that
would require younger
cinemagoers to provide
photo IDs
before gaining admissions to R-rated pics.
Also noteworthy was multiplex pioneer
AMC's announcement that it would scale
down the size of future projects. The company
cited difficulty in obtaining enough product
and providing adequate parking for 30-
screen theatres as reasons for the strategy
change.
DISTRIBUTION: Jeffrey Katzenberg won a
major legal battle in his lawsuit against the
Walt Disney Co. when the presiding judge
ruled that the studio breached contract with
him, requiring the Mouse House to pay him
a two percent bonus plus interest.
Katzenberg had left the company in 1994,
two years before his contract was up, and
Disney claimed he therefore gave up a bonus
that would have given him a share of all revenue
gleaned from projects instigated under
his reign. The two parties eventually settled
out of court for an undisclosed sum, which
insiders peg at between $250 million and
$275 million, including the $117 million
Disney had already paid.
SUPPLIERS: New Line Cinema reached an
unprecedented agreement with AOL. signing
a multi-million-dollar, long-term interactive
marketing deal with the Internet provider,
which will heavily advertise 15 to 20 of the
studio's films online.
INTERNATIONAL: American exhibition
giant Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corp.
announced the formation of two new partnerships
in Europe: One with Italian producer
and distributor Aurelio De Laurentiis,
which aims to build a new multiplex chain
throughout Italy; the other with Transturk
Holding A.S., which plans to construct and
operate cinemas in Turkey. Romania and the
Turkic Republics of the CIS. Also on
move was South Africa-based cinema ope
tor Ster Kinekor's European trading bra
Ster Century, which revealed plans to bt
nearly 100 new screens throughout Spain.
HEARD HERE: Aside from elsewhere ne
ly running us out of hyphens in our effort
elide his numerous anglo-saxonis:
Australian actor Russell Crowe described
Buena Vista film, "Mystery, Alaska," ii
markedly fits-and-starts fashion: "It's
hockey movie. Well, it's not really a hoc
movie. It's actually a woman's film coucl
in a hockey movie. It's a very hard movie
pin down for people because, really, it's ab
a town and it's about a group of people
really has very little to do with sports, exc
that part of the nature of this town is ba
on who plays this particular sport." Crc
went on to receive considerable critical prc
and Oscar-nomination forecasts for his f
for Buena Vista—in "The Insider." W
much greater directness, he landed
"Insider" role when he told Michael Ma
this about the director's considering him
the role: "You know, I think you're bein
little silly."
SEPTEMBER ISSUE
-< -,
EXHIBITION: In this:
issue, BOXOFFICE rej
i
ported the news that
AMC founder and
exhibition industry
i
trailblazer Stanley Dur-
\
wood passed away at
j
the age of 78. Among
;
his numerous career I
accomplishments i
were overseeing the
i
opening of the country's
first multiplex and the installation
concession stands within theatres. Also m
ing news was United Artists president
CEO Kurt Hall, who was named Pionee
the Year by the Foundation of Mot
Picture Pioneers.
DISTRIBUTION: Warner Bros co-h
honchos Bob Daly and Terry Semel stun
Hollywood when they announced that t
would not be renewing their contracts v
the studio and would be departing at the
of the year. Exec. VP and COO Barry Ms
was later named the new chairman and C
of the company, and former Castle R1
CEO Alan Horn was tapped as his seco
in-command as president and COO.
SUPPLIERS: New Line further capitali
on the boxoffice success of "Austin Pow
The Spy Who Shagged Me" by launching
online auction site that offered goodies s
as the film's Corvette convertible, which i
mately sold for $100,000. Other New I
film memorabilia is also up for sale, an
portion of the proceeds go to charity.
INTERNATIONAL: Some new del
opened, with three of Japan's largest don
tic film companies—Toho, Toei
Shochiku -reaching an agreement to c
struct and operate a cinema in the city
Sapporo, while others closed, namely
powerhouse Golden Harvest, which
nounced that it would shut down its 1<
subsidiary in Hong Kong after nearly
years of doing business in the city.
32 BOXOFFICE