Boxoffice - February 2017

The first four films, to be released in
2017, include Luc Besson’s highly anticipated
adaptation of the comic book series Valerian
and the City of a Thousand Planets, an
epic science fiction–action film written and
directed by Besson, starring Dane DeHaan,
Cara Delevingne, and Clive Owen; The Circle,
starring Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, and
John Boyega, and directed by James Ponsoldt;
Lone Scherfig’s Their Finest, a romantic comedy-drama
set in World War II Great Britain
starring Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, and
Bill Nighy; and Renegades, a heist adventure
written by Luc Besson and Richard Wenk and
directed by Steven Quale, starring Sullivan
Stapleton and J.K. Simmons.
In making the announcement, Shmuger
said, “STX Entertainment’s Motion Pictures
Group is the perfect home for EuropaCorp’s
films. They bring the highest level of studio
expertise to the marketing and distribution
process, but they also bring an energy and
nimbleness not found in a traditional major
studio. This could not be a better fit for us.”
Alongside its new arrangement with STX,
EuropaCorp will maintain its 50 percent ownership
of RED, the marketing and distribution
joint-venture it formed in 2014.
YMAGIS
GROUP
APPOINTS
RÉMI
GÉRARD
CFO
n Ymagis Group
has appointed
Rémi Gérard as
chief financial
officer following
the departure of Pierre Flamant.
After two full years as Ymagis Group
CFO and nine years at the head of the
finance department at its exhibitor-services
subsidiary dcinex (CinemaNext), Pierre Flamant
has chosen to pursue other professional
opportunities and will leave the group at the
end of February 2017. Rémi Gérard joined
Ymagis Group in January 2017.
“I would like to thank Pierre for his
unfailing professionalism and strong involvement
in the Group’s success over the last
two years, during which he made significant
contributions to its development and restructuring.
I wish him much success in his next
endeavor,” said Jean Mizrahi, founder, chairman
and CEO of Ymagis Group. “I am also
pleased to welcome Rémi to the team. With
his wealth of experience as CFO of several
corporations, we will continue to pursue a
controlled and profitable growth strategy in
this rapidly evolving market.”
A graduate of France’s ESSEC Business
School, Gérard began his career at accounting
firm Arthur Andersen in Paris and
London before assuming various financial
leadership functions.
4DX FINISHES RECORD-
SETTING 2016
n 4DX closed out a successful 2016,
recording more than 15 million moviegoers
and $200 million at the worldwide box
office.
Attendance has increased 20 percent and
gross box office has increased 25 percent in
comparison with the last year’s record, 12
million moviegoers and $160 million gross
box office.
In 2016, CJ 4DPLEX also increased
the number of 4DX seats worldwide from
30,000 to 43,000. The five highest-performing
countries for 4DX, by gross box office,
were Japan, Korea, percent, China, Mexico,
and the UAE. (continued on page 10)
FEBRUARY 2017 BoxOffice ® 9