Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
$6.95<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong><br />
JOHN FITHIAN<br />
ANSWERS THE<br />
QUESTION:<br />
TOO MANY MOVIES,<br />
OR TOO FEW?<br />
PATRICK<br />
CORCORAN SAYS<br />
“INNOVATE!”<br />
THE FUTURE OF<br />
ONLINE TICKETING<br />
WE TALK WITH<br />
FANDANGO’S<br />
PAUL YANOVER AND<br />
MOVIETICKETS.COM’S<br />
JOEL COHEN<br />
B&B THEATRE’S<br />
90TH BIRTHDAY<br />
OUR TRIBUTE<br />
The director and ocean<br />
explorer’s new documentary,<br />
James Cameron’s DeepSea<br />
Challenge 3D<br />
LIONSGATE’S<br />
DIVERGENT<br />
A FRANCHISE<br />
IN THE MAKING?<br />
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH OUR BOXOFFICE ® 3D PIONEER AWARD WINNER<br />
SPECIAL REPORT THE POWER & PROMISE OF 3D<br />
The Official Magazine of the National Association of Theatre Owners
Complete the experience<br />
(screech)<br />
The complete audio solution<br />
from the leader in digital cinema<br />
Unlock the potential of DCI digital cinema audio specifications with Christie ®<br />
Vive Audio. A complete audio solution that matches the awe-inspiring<br />
visuals Christie is known for with rich, dynamic sound. It’s perfect for any size<br />
theater and supports leading cinema audio formats, so you can unleash an<br />
immersive cinema experience that truly captivates.<br />
Visit us at CinemaCon Booth 2103A | viveaudio.com<br />
© <strong>2014</strong> Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. All rights reserved.
Julien Marcel<br />
CEO<br />
BoxOffice Media<br />
CELEBRATING<br />
This month, we celebrate the great aspects of the<br />
3D movement. Sometimes it’s too easy to let<br />
negativity overshadow the positive impact 3D has<br />
had on our industry. At BoxOffice, we are more<br />
interested in facts than opinions when it comes to<br />
measuring what this new technology has brought to<br />
the industry over the past five years.<br />
Speaking of 3D technology, is there a bigger<br />
expert than James Cameron? <strong>Pro</strong>bably not. Mr. Cameron receives<br />
our first ever BoxOffice Pioneer Award in this issue and discusses his<br />
new documentary, DeepSea Challenge 3D. It’s an honor to have such<br />
an established filmmaker—and deep-sea explorer—give us a candid<br />
interview about the film and the state of cinematic 3D.<br />
Also in this issue, NATO’s John Fithian and Patrick Corcoran push<br />
against conventional wisdom as it relates to the number of movies<br />
released each year and the number of seats in a theater. At BoxOffice, we<br />
hail thinking outside the box. It’s where all the best ideas come from.<br />
This month, we are also pleased to celebrate the 90th anniversary of<br />
B&B Theaters. It is amazing that such an established brand approaches<br />
the industry with the same hunger, idealism, and freshness of vision of a<br />
start-up. We can certainly relate to that at BoxOffice as we initiate a new<br />
era.<br />
It is truly a privilege for me to join the BoxOffice team. I know<br />
how much our valued readers treasure this publication and I will do<br />
everything I can to make sure that it remains as vital as ever in this<br />
constantly changing industry.<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 3
MAR. <strong>2014</strong> VOL. 150 NO. 3<br />
JAMES CAMERON’S<br />
DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D<br />
OPENS IN APRIL<br />
6 EXHIBITION BRIEFS<br />
The latest news from the exhibition industry<br />
12 EXECUTIVE SUITE by John Fithian<br />
TOO MANY MOVIES, OR TOO FEW? A paradox of theatrical distribution<br />
and exhibition<br />
16 GOOD IDEAS by Patrick Corcoran<br />
BUTTS IN SEATS Narrowing your focus to broaden your audience<br />
16 ONLINE TICKETING by Daniel Loria<br />
THE DIGITAL BOX OFFICE BoxOffice takes a look at the role online<br />
ticketing plays in today’s exhibition industry<br />
35 BOXOFFICE TRIBUTE<br />
B&B THEATRES CELEBRATES 90 YEARS<br />
BOXOFFICE PRO’S 3D REPORT<br />
22 BOXOFFICE 3D<br />
PIONEER AWARD by Michael White<br />
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH<br />
JAMES CAMERON<br />
28 3D OVERVIEW by Michael White<br />
NUMBERS PROVE BOX OFFICE VALUE<br />
TO STUDIOS, EXHIBITORS<br />
31 3 QUESTIONS<br />
WE QUIZ REALD’S CEO MICHAEL LEWIS<br />
32 THE NEXT BIG THING<br />
A LOOK AT WHAT INDUSTRY INNOVATORS<br />
SEE COMING DOWN THE ROAD<br />
LIGHTS!<br />
CAMERA!<br />
TAKE ACTION!<br />
We deliver<br />
innovative<br />
insurance<br />
products and risk<br />
management for the<br />
arts, entertainment,<br />
and theatre<br />
industries. With<br />
client locations in<br />
all 50 states,<br />
MOC is your<br />
protection<br />
destination<br />
42 OSCAR GOLD? by Shawn Robbins<br />
Will the $265 million hit Gravity win the big prize on <strong>March</strong> 2 and make our top<br />
five all-time list or will 12 Years a Slave grab gold and become one of the lowest<br />
grossing winners ever?<br />
44 BIG PICTURE by Daniel Loria<br />
PERSONALITY TEST The makers of Divergent provide BoxOffice with an<br />
inside look at the latest adaptation of a young-adult best seller<br />
48 COMING THIS MONTH<br />
in wide release<br />
Noah / 300: Rise of an Empire / Mr. Peabody & Sherman / Need for Speed<br />
The Single Moms Club / Divergent / Muppets Most Wanted<br />
in limited release<br />
The Grand Budapest Hotel / A Farewell to Fools / Grand Piano / Journey<br />
to the West: Conquering the Demons / On My Way / The Face of Love<br />
Enemy / One Chance / Bad Words / Veronica Mars / The Art of the Steal<br />
The Right Kind of Wrong / U Want Me 2 Kill Him? / Blood Ties / Cheap Thrills<br />
Maladies / Rob the Mob / Cesar Chavez / Finding Vivian Maier<br />
56 BOOKING GUIDE<br />
64 CLASSIFIEDS<br />
MOC<br />
Insurance<br />
Services<br />
THEATRE INSURANCE<br />
SPECIALISTS<br />
800·951·0600<br />
www.mocins.com license<br />
#0589960<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 5
EXHIBITION<br />
BRIEFS<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
PEPE BATLLE TO<br />
RECEIVE UNIC<br />
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD<br />
AT CINEEUROPE <strong>2014</strong><br />
n CineEurope and UNIC are pleased<br />
to announce that José “Pepe” Batlle<br />
(above), former CEO of CINESA<br />
in Spain and COO for Continental<br />
Europe, ODEON & UCI Cinemas<br />
Group will be the recipient of the<br />
UNIC Achievement Award at this<br />
year’s convention. This honor will be<br />
bestowed during the opening ceremony<br />
on Monday, June 16 at Centre<br />
Convencions Internacional Barcelona<br />
(CCIB), in Barcelona, Spain. The<br />
UNIC Achievement Award is given<br />
each year to an outstanding person<br />
for his or her dedication and service<br />
to European<br />
cinema exhibition.<br />
CINEMACON<br />
n CHADWICK BOSEMAN (right) WILL RECEIVE<br />
THE CINEMACON MALE STAR OF TOMORROW<br />
AWARD Boseman will be presented with this<br />
special honor at the CinemaCon Big Screen<br />
Achievement Awards ceremony to take<br />
place on Thursday evening, <strong>March</strong> 27,<br />
in The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.<br />
The Coca-Cola Company, the official<br />
presenting sponsor of Cinema-<br />
Con, will host the final night gala<br />
awards program.<br />
“From the moment Chadwick<br />
Boseman appeared onscreen<br />
as Jackie Robinson in 42 there<br />
was no doubt that he would be an<br />
actor to be reckoned with in Hollywood,”<br />
notes Mitch Neuhauser,<br />
managing director of CinemaCon.<br />
“With upcoming roles in Draft<br />
Day and Get on Up, Boseman is<br />
sure to continue to impress and<br />
entertain audiences around the<br />
world and we could not be more<br />
honored to present him with the<br />
CinemaCon Male Star of Tomorrow<br />
Award.”<br />
EXHIBITION<br />
REGAL CROWN CLUB MEMBERS CAN<br />
WIN A PERSONAL DRONE AIRCRAFT AND SONY TABLET<br />
n Regal Crown Club members who purchase a ticket to RoboCop are entered for<br />
a chance to win their very own drone aircraft. The high-tech drone also comes<br />
with a camera, batteries, storage/shipping case, and a Sony tablet.<br />
The vehicle has a wingspan of over three feet, was designed and built by Lehmann<br />
Aviation, and is capable of flight for up to 3 km on a single battery charge.<br />
“Regal prides itself on offering memorable, unique experiences inside the<br />
theater, and this RoboCop sweepstakes creates an opportunity for our guests to<br />
take the experience of the film home with them,” says Dave Doyle, chief information<br />
officer at Regal Entertainment Group. “Regal is proud to embrace innovative<br />
technologies across our industry, and we are excited about this prize.”<br />
CINEMACON<br />
n SHAILENE WOODLEY (left)<br />
WILL RECEIVE THE CINEMACON<br />
FEMALE STAR OF TOMORROW<br />
AWARD at this year’s CinemaCon.<br />
Woodley will be presented with this<br />
special honor at the CinemaCon Big<br />
Screen Achievement Awards ceremony<br />
to take place on Thursday evening, <strong>March</strong><br />
27, in The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The<br />
Coca-Cola Company, the official presenting<br />
sponsor of CinemaCon,<br />
will host the final-night gala<br />
awards program.<br />
“With an award-winning<br />
and awe-inspiring performance<br />
opposite George<br />
Clooney in The Descendants<br />
already under her<br />
belt, Shailene Woodley has already proven that she is<br />
a rising star to watch in Hollywood,” notes Mitch Neuhauser,<br />
managing director of CinemaCon. “With upcoming<br />
starring roles in 20th Century Fox’s The Fault In<br />
Our Stars, as well as Summit Entertainment’s Divergent<br />
series, Woodley will be one young star to be reckoned<br />
with and we could not be more pleased to honor her<br />
with the CinemaCon Female Star of Tomorrow Award.”<br />
Woodley’s feature film debut in The Descendants<br />
earned her many accolades including a 2012 Independent<br />
Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress, the<br />
National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting<br />
Actress along with a Golden Globe and Critics Choice<br />
award nomination. Most recently Woodley was seen<br />
in the critically acclaimed film The Spectacular Now,<br />
for which she has received an Independent Spirit<br />
Award nomination, along with the Gregg Araki–directed<br />
White Bird in a Blizzard. She can also be seen<br />
this month in Summit Entertainment’s Divergent (see<br />
page 44).<br />
6 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
Lease-to-own<br />
program<br />
The easy move to digital<br />
cinema projection<br />
Scrabble Ventures LLC is pleased to introduce an exciting new digital cinema<br />
equipment leasing program for USA exhibitors. Created with the support of the<br />
major Hollywood Studios and other content distributors, this new program has<br />
been specially designed for independent exhibitors who are interested in making<br />
the move to digital. No pre-qualifications or financial checks are required!<br />
To learn how you can make the move to digital, please contact us:<br />
Scrabble Ventures LLC<br />
info@scrabbleventures.com<br />
TEL 855 503 7322<br />
Don’t be left behind
EXHIBITION BRIEFS<br />
SOUND<br />
DOLBY ATMOS ADDS NEW DI-<br />
MENSION TO THE MONKEY KING<br />
n The Monkey King will be mixed<br />
and released in the Dolby Atmos<br />
cinema sound platform. The Monkey<br />
King, a much beloved story, is as<br />
much a part of Asian culture as The<br />
Odyssey or The Wizard of Oz is to<br />
the West. This first installment in a<br />
trilogy of live-action 3D movies is a<br />
prequel to The Journey to the West,<br />
the often-told story of the Monkey<br />
King’s adventures on the road to<br />
India.<br />
“As an important player in the<br />
filmmaking industry, we are always<br />
looking forward to delivering exceptional<br />
experiences through great<br />
storytelling and new technologies.<br />
Dolby Atmos will help us use sound<br />
to transport audiences right into<br />
the world of The Monkey King,” says<br />
director Soi Cheang.<br />
The Monkey King will be released<br />
in domestic markets September 14.<br />
ALTERNATIVE CONTENT<br />
NCM FATHOM PRESENTS<br />
ELTON JOHN: THE MILLION<br />
DOLLAR PIANO<br />
n Captured live from The Colosseum at<br />
Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, The Million<br />
Dollar Piano features all of Elton’s<br />
greatest hits from throughout his legendary<br />
career. At the centerpiece of this<br />
concert event is the show’s namesake<br />
piano. Featuring more than 68 LED video<br />
screens, this unique instrument was created<br />
especially for Sir Elton. NCM Fathom<br />
will be presenting The Million Dollar Piano<br />
in select theaters on <strong>March</strong> 18 and 28.<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
WANDA TO ADD 80 IMAX<br />
SCREENS BEGINNING IN 2016<br />
n The new IMAX screens at Wanda,<br />
the largest theater chain in the world,<br />
will bring the total in China to 210.<br />
Half of these additional screens will<br />
use next-generation laser projection.<br />
AWARDS<br />
U2 TO PERFORM AT THE OSCARS<br />
n Bono and the band will perform<br />
their Oscar-nominated song<br />
“Ordinary Love” from the film<br />
Mandela: A Long Walk Home at<br />
the <strong>March</strong> 2 ceremonies. This is<br />
the band’s second Oscar nomnation<br />
after “The Hands That<br />
Built America” from Gangs of New<br />
York. They lost that year to Eminem’s<br />
“Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile.<br />
8 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
UPCOMING 3D MOVIES<br />
<strong>2014</strong><br />
MAR 7 WARNER BROS. 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE<br />
MAR 7 FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN<br />
MAR 7 DISNEY/DREAMWORKS NEED FOR SPEED<br />
APR 4 DISNEY CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER<br />
APR 4 WARNER BROS./IMAX ISLAND OF LEMURS: MADAGASCAR<br />
APR 11 FOX RIO 2<br />
MAY 2 SONY/COLUMBIA THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2<br />
MAY 9 CLARIUS LEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY’S RETURN<br />
MAY 16 WARNER BROS. GODZILLA<br />
MAY 23 FOX X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST<br />
MAY 30 DISNEY MALEFICENT<br />
JUN 6 WARNER BROS. EDGE OF TOMORROW<br />
JUN 13 FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2<br />
JUN 27 PARAMOUNT TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION<br />
JUL 11 FOX DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES<br />
JUL 18 WARNER BROS. JUPITER ASCENDING<br />
JUL 18 DISNEY PLANES: FIRE AND RESCUE<br />
JUL 25 LIONSGATE/SUMMIT STEP UP ALL IN<br />
AUG 1 DISNEY GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY<br />
AUG 22 WEINSTEIN/DIMENSION SIN CITY: A DAME TO DIE FOR<br />
SEP 26 FOCUS THE BOXTROLLS<br />
NOV 7 DISNEY BIG HERO 6<br />
NOV 26 FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION HOME<br />
DEC 17 WARNER BROS. THE HOBBIT: THERE AND BACK AGAIN<br />
2015<br />
JAN 16 LIONSGATE NORM OF THE NORTH<br />
FEB 6 UNIVERSAL SEVENTH SON<br />
FEB 27 UNIVERSAL EVEREST<br />
MAR 27 FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR<br />
MAY 15 WARNER BROS. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD<br />
10 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
JUN 5 FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION B.O.O.: BUREAU OF OTHERWORLDLY OPERATIONS<br />
JUN 5 WARNER BROS./NEW LINE SAN ANDREAS<br />
JUN 12 UNIVERSAL JURASSIC WORLD<br />
JUN 19 DISNEY INSIDE OUT<br />
JUN 19 FOX THE FANTASTIC FOUR<br />
JUL 10 UNIVERSAL MINIONS<br />
JUL 17 WARNER BROS. PAN<br />
AUG 14 SONY/COLUMBIA THE SMURFS 3<br />
OCT 9 DISNEY THE JUNGLE BOOK<br />
NOV 6 FOX UNTITLED PEANUTS FILM<br />
NOV 25 DISNEY THE GOOD DINOSAUR<br />
DEC 18 DISNEY STAR WARS: EPISODE VII<br />
DEC 23 FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION KUNG FU PANDA 3<br />
2016<br />
FEB 12 UNIVERSAL UNTITLED PETS PROJECT<br />
MAR 4 DISNEY UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION FILM 1<br />
MAR 11 UNIVERSAL WARCRAFT<br />
MAR 18 FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION MUMBAI MUSICAL<br />
MAY 27 DISNEY ALICE IN WONDERLAND 2<br />
JUN 17 DISNEY FINDING DORY<br />
JUN 17 FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3<br />
JUL 1 SONY/COLUMBIA ANGRY BIRDS<br />
JUL 15 FOX ICE AGE 5<br />
NOV 4 FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION TROLLS<br />
NOV 23 DISNEY UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION FILM 2<br />
2017<br />
APR 7 FOX FERDINAND<br />
JUN 16 DISNEY UNTITLED PIXAR ANIMATION FILM 1<br />
NOV 22 DISNEY UNTITLED PIXAR ANIMATION FILM 2<br />
2018<br />
MAR 9 DISNEY UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION FILM 3<br />
MAR 23 FOX ANUBIS<br />
JUN 15 DISNEY UNTITLED PIXAR ANIMATION FILM 3<br />
NOV 21 DISNEY UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION FILM 4<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 11
EXECUTIVE<br />
SUITE<br />
TOO MANY MOVIES,<br />
OR TOO FEW?<br />
A PARADOX OF THEATRICAL DISTRIBUTION<br />
AND EXHIBITION<br />
by John Fithian,<br />
President and CEO, NATO<br />
Cinema operators in New York<br />
and Los Angeles have described to<br />
me the sheer volume of requests<br />
they receive to exhibit more movies<br />
than they can possibly manage.<br />
Members in other markets tell<br />
me they wish they had more<br />
commercial product to choose<br />
from, particularly in the “off-peak”<br />
months. Does the industry have<br />
too many movies, or too few?<br />
n Paradoxical though it may seem, the answer<br />
may be both. There may be too many movies<br />
playing on a limited number of screens with<br />
little or no chance of breaking into a wider<br />
theatrical run. At the same time, there may be<br />
too few movies that secure a wider theatrical<br />
footprint and have real commercial viability.<br />
Earlier this year a famed film critic for the<br />
New York Times, Manohla Dargis, wrote that<br />
“there are too many lackluster, forgettable and<br />
just plain bad movies pouring into theaters.”<br />
Indeed, nearly 900 movies were reviewed by<br />
that newspaper in 2013.<br />
Why do distributors want screen time<br />
if box office receipts will likely be very low?<br />
Often, a theatrical release satisfies a contractual<br />
agreement with financiers. Similarly, the simple<br />
fact of a theatrical release can be used to drive<br />
home release deals and sales. And many publications,<br />
such as the New York Times, publish<br />
film reviews principally for movies released<br />
theatrically, and those reviews can be helpful<br />
for the ancillary markets. Some distributors<br />
are so desperate to get a theatrical release that<br />
they pay to “four wall,” or rent out, a cinema<br />
auditorium(s) just to legitimize the claim that<br />
their movie played in theaters.<br />
At the same time, though, exhibitors<br />
outside the two leading markets of Los Angeles<br />
and New York often have a different experience.<br />
In a recent chat with the independent members<br />
of the NATO executive board, for example,<br />
I heard all four of those exhibitors explain<br />
that they would like more movie choices with<br />
commercial appeal for exhibition, particularly<br />
during the months of February, <strong>March</strong>, April,<br />
September, and October. The major studios<br />
with their big distribution and marketing<br />
machines often ignore some or most of those<br />
months when it comes to titles they consider<br />
potential hits. Compounding the problem, the<br />
number of movies released by the major studios<br />
has been in consistent decline. The six major<br />
studios who are members of the Motion Picture<br />
Association of America, and their subsidiaries,<br />
released 189 movies in 2007 compared with<br />
128 in 2012 (see chart).<br />
In terms of domestic box office receipts, the<br />
increasing concentration of returns is troubling.<br />
In 2013, 829 movies recorded a domestic gross,<br />
according to Rentrak. But a mere 31 of those<br />
movies, all of which grossed more than $100<br />
million, accounted for 54.4 percent of the total<br />
box office, while the 100 top-grossing movies<br />
accounted for 89 percent.<br />
Not only have the major studios distributed<br />
fewer movies, they have also reduced the<br />
breadth of genres they offer. In their desire to<br />
make tentpoles, the studios have concentrated<br />
189<br />
168<br />
158<br />
MAJOR STUDIO FILM RELEASES<br />
MPAA STUDIOS WITH SUBSIDIARIES<br />
SOURCE: NATO<br />
141 141<br />
128<br />
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012<br />
12 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
on sequels, prequels, and reboots of comic book stories or best-selling<br />
books or fairy tales. In other words, the studios have focused on<br />
known themes with pre-awareness and the potential for “four quadrant”<br />
commercial appeal. Original stories, particularly nonaction dramas and<br />
comedies, have a much more difficult time getting the green light in<br />
Hollywood.<br />
Lynda Obst, the successful producer of movies like Sleepless in Seattle<br />
and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, recently published a book that<br />
explains this phenomenon. In Sleepless in Hollywood (Simon & Schuster,<br />
2013), Obst describes what she calls a “new abnormal in the movie<br />
business” in which fewer, but bigger and more generic, movies are being<br />
made to satisfy a global audience.<br />
Obst believes that the first<br />
cause of this transition was the<br />
collapse of the DVD market.<br />
Between 1995 and 2005, the<br />
studios profited handsomely<br />
from DVD sales. During that<br />
period the DVD business<br />
represented 50 percent of the<br />
studios’ profits, which ran on<br />
average at about a 10 percent<br />
overall margin. With those profit<br />
margins, studios could offer a<br />
more diverse movie slate. Then,<br />
technology seriously damaged<br />
the DVD market as legal, and<br />
illegal, digital access emerged.<br />
The studios compounded the<br />
problem (my statement, not<br />
Ms. Obst’s) by facilitating cheap<br />
rentals and subscription services<br />
that greatly undermined the more profitable hard goods sales.<br />
At the same time that technology was changing the business, the<br />
global recession of 2008–2010 reduced the ability of consumers to buy<br />
movies. And a nasty strike by the writers’ union in 2007–2008 compounded<br />
problems even further. After the collapse of the DVD market,<br />
studio profit margins were reduced to approximately 6 percent on<br />
average.<br />
The DVD business is not coming back. To be sure, digital sales are<br />
growing for the studios now, but nothing yet like the Golden Goose days<br />
of the almighty DVD. So where did the studios turn for growth, and<br />
how did that move affect moviemaking and distribution? The international<br />
market provides the answer.<br />
Jim Cameron, whom we appropriately honor in this edition of the<br />
magazine, foreshadowed the growth of the international market back in<br />
December 1997 with the release of Titanic. That one movie broke global<br />
box office records and made money in new territories. Before Titanic,<br />
the domestic market was the key to Hollywood’s box office returns. As<br />
recently as the 1980s, international receipts on many movies counted for<br />
20 percent or so of Hollywood’s theatrical returns. By 2008, when the<br />
DVD market was collapsing and the world entered a period of economic<br />
turmoil, the domestic-international box office receipts breakdown was<br />
approximately fifty-fifty. Today, international box office constitutes more<br />
than 60 percent of most major movies, and more than 70 percent in<br />
some cases.<br />
In the January issue of this magazine, Daniel Loria chronicled the<br />
box office returns of the top 25 movies of 2013. Of those movies, four<br />
took more than 70 percent of their theatrical take internationally; 14<br />
more took more than 60 percent overseas; six took more than 50 percent<br />
but less than 60 percent internationally; and only one movie on that<br />
list (We’re the Millers at No. 25) took more than 50 percent from the<br />
domestic market.<br />
The United States represents approximately 5 percent of the world’s<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 13
EXECUTIVE SUITE<br />
UPCOMING EVENTS<br />
CinemaCon <strong>2014</strong> Mar. 24–27<br />
National Assoc. of Broadcasters<br />
(NAB) Conf. & Exhibition<br />
Apr. 5–10<br />
NATO of Pennsylvania Apr. 23<br />
NATO of CA/NV Southern<br />
California Film <strong>Pro</strong>duct Seminar<br />
Apr. 24<br />
North Central States NATO <strong>2014</strong> Apr. 29–30<br />
NATO of CA/NV Northern<br />
California Film <strong>Pro</strong>duct Seminar<br />
TONE <strong>2014</strong> Future of Cinema<br />
Conference<br />
Mid-Atlantic NATO “Cinema Show<br />
& Tell”<br />
Apr. 29<br />
May 7<br />
May 13–14<br />
ShowCanada <strong>2014</strong> June 3–5<br />
Cine Europe <strong>2014</strong> June 16–29<br />
NAC Convention & Trade Show<br />
<strong>2014</strong><br />
July 15–18<br />
ShowSouth <strong>2014</strong> Aug. 19–20<br />
Geneva Convention <strong>2014</strong> Sept. 9–11<br />
CineShow <strong>2014</strong> Sept. 16–17<br />
Kino Expo International<br />
Convention & Trade Show <strong>2014</strong><br />
NATO General Membershp and<br />
Board of Directors Meeting<br />
Sept. 22–26<br />
Sept. 30–Oct. 1<br />
Rocky Mountain NATO <strong>2014</strong> Oct. 7–9<br />
Australian International Movie<br />
Convention <strong>2014</strong><br />
Oct. 12–16<br />
ShowARama Oct. 14–16<br />
ShowEast <strong>2014</strong> Oct. 27–30<br />
CineAsia <strong>2014</strong> Dec. 9–11<br />
population. Americans go to the movies a little more than four times<br />
a year at a relatively (by global standards) high ticket price. The U.S.<br />
market is strong but mature. The European market is also relatively<br />
mature, though people there go to the movies about twice a year on<br />
average. Meanwhile, box office is exploding in places like China, India,<br />
Russia, and Brazil. Chinese box office grew 400 percent in five years and<br />
will likely outpace the United States by 2020. Simply put, the emerging<br />
markets have become the growth engine to replace declining DVD sales.<br />
What does the growth of the international market mean for the<br />
quantity and diversity of movies distributed by the majors in the United<br />
States? I have shown how the numbers have declined. Ms. Obst’s book<br />
describes the resulting death of genres, including many (but not all) comedies;<br />
sports movies; small dramas generally, and particularly those that<br />
explore national history; political pieces; period pieces; romances; movies<br />
with minimal pre-awareness; mixed genres; westerns; and more.<br />
AVATAR<br />
MARVEL’S THE<br />
AVENGERS<br />
TOY STORY 3<br />
IRON MAN 3<br />
TOP 5 HIGHEST-GROSSING 3D FILMS<br />
HARRY POTTER<br />
AND THE DEATHLY<br />
HALLOWS PART 2<br />
DOMESTIC<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
$760.5m<br />
$2,021.8m<br />
27.3% 72.7%<br />
$623.5m<br />
$895.2m<br />
41.0% 59.0%<br />
$415.0m<br />
$648.1m<br />
39.0% 61.0%<br />
$409.0m<br />
$806.4m<br />
33.7% 66.3%<br />
$381.0m<br />
$960.5m<br />
28.4% 71.6%<br />
SOURCE: BOXOFFICE.COM<br />
At the same time, 3D works better overseas than it does in the United<br />
States, which may explain why so many movies are released in that format.<br />
After Avatar (once again from our honoree Jim Cameron) and Alice<br />
in Wonderland had great success with 3D, the expectations were sky-high<br />
for the format. But as the technology didn’t work well with some movies,<br />
the slice of domestic box office coming from 3D has waned. Not so in<br />
many overseas territories. And the fact that China’s movie-import quota<br />
system applies differently to 3D than other movies also has an effect.<br />
Further compounding the problem in the United States are rules<br />
of some foreign countries that give preference to movies made in their<br />
homelands. To cope with these rules, the major studios enter into coproductions<br />
with foreign firms and produce movies in foreign lands. The<br />
coproduction factor also has a diminishing effect on the breadth of movie<br />
genres released by the majors in the United States.<br />
At the same time that major studios have reduced the number and<br />
scope of their slates, more independent movies are being made. These are<br />
the movies fighting to get on a few screens, often in New York and Los<br />
Angeles. Traditionally there have been three barriers to entry in the movie<br />
business: production costs, distribution costs, and marketing. Inexpensive<br />
digital technologies have made it easier to make and distribute movies.<br />
Yet few of these movies have found the ability to secure a theatrical run<br />
of more than a handful of screens, or the financial backing to properly<br />
market their wares. And yet we know that some of those movies could<br />
have substantial commercial success if they could secure broad screen<br />
access and awareness.<br />
The challenge for exhibitors who want more commercial movies of diverse<br />
genres on their screens is real and has become a topic for discussion<br />
at NATO. We look forward to exploring those issues in future discussions<br />
in this magazine.<br />
14 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
GOOD<br />
IDEAS<br />
BUTTS IN SEATS<br />
NARROWING YOUR FOCUS TO BROADEN<br />
YOUR AUDIENCE<br />
by Patrick Corcoran,<br />
Vice President and<br />
Chief Communications Officer, NATO<br />
WHAT IF I TOLD YOU YOU<br />
COULD NEARLY DOUBLE YOUR<br />
ATTENDANCE BY GETTING<br />
RID OF TWO THIRDS OF YOUR<br />
SEATS?<br />
Crazy, right? Well, it’s not just a crazy idea, because it’s<br />
happening right now. AMC Theatres has embarked on<br />
an ambitious renovation program that entails ripping<br />
out their existing seats and replacing them with wider,<br />
plusher, powered recliners that reduce the seat counts<br />
in those auditoriums by 66 percent. Those big new<br />
seats are getting a workout—attendance in those auditoriums<br />
has increased by an average of 91 percent.<br />
n AMC is not alone in this. I have had many conversations with<br />
exhibitors large and small who have launched similar conversion<br />
efforts, and they have invariably reported increased attendance<br />
with fewer seats. So what is driving this seeming paradox?<br />
Novelty is certainly one reason. New and improved ways of<br />
seeing movies in the movie theater have a way of bumping<br />
attendance. We saw a similar bump in the early part of<br />
the last decade with stadium seating. Digital-driven<br />
3D provided another boost. Innovations rapidly<br />
become the new expectation, and something new is<br />
required to exceed them.<br />
While annual box office is nearly $2 billion<br />
higher than it was in 2002, annual admissions<br />
have not kept pace. Approximately 200 million<br />
fewer tickets were sold in 2013 than<br />
in 2002, which remains the peak year<br />
for attendance in modern moviegoing.<br />
That is not to say that attendance is<br />
on a downward trajectory. We have<br />
experienced ups and downs over<br />
the period—roughly 80 million<br />
more tickets were sold in 2013<br />
than were sold in 2011—but<br />
we have yet to return to our<br />
peak.<br />
There are a lot of reasons for that. Variations in<br />
the movie slate from year to year (John Fithian explores<br />
the need for product diversity elsewhere in this issue); a<br />
stagnant job market for most of the decade before we ran into<br />
16 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
the worst economy since the Great Depression<br />
is another factor. I would argue that the cinema<br />
business has more than held its own during<br />
seriously tough times.<br />
And I would also argue that innovation is<br />
what has carried us through. Stadium seating<br />
is now commonplace throughout the industry;<br />
billions have been spent on remaking the<br />
way our audiences experience movies in our<br />
theaters. Hard on the heels of that transformation<br />
came another fundamental—and radical—<br />
transition. The digital cinema makeover, which<br />
has consumed another $2.5 billion, has had an<br />
impact not just on the exhibition business but<br />
on the moviegoing experience. Pristine images<br />
week in and week out are really something<br />
new for vast numbers of moviegoers. Some<br />
of our most reluctant theater owners, who<br />
felt they were being pressured into a costly<br />
transition that held no benefit for them, have<br />
been shocked at the quality of the images they<br />
can now project—and their customers have<br />
noticed.<br />
The transition to digital is nearly complete.<br />
Ninety-three percent of U.S. screens and more<br />
than 81 percent of theaters have made the<br />
change, and more convert every day. The economy<br />
is slowly but steadily improving. These<br />
innovations will allow us not just to hold our<br />
ground, but to grow.<br />
Digital cinema opens up new avenues for<br />
distribution of movies and other content,<br />
allowing us to tailor our offerings more closely<br />
to an audience we know more about than ever<br />
through loyalty programs and Facebook likes.<br />
The digitization and social networking of our<br />
culture have provided the biggest opportunities<br />
and challenges of our young century so far. The<br />
very access that the Internet provides also accelerates<br />
the fragmentation of our culture into<br />
smaller and smaller areas of interest. The mass<br />
audience that has always driven our industry<br />
has become harder to reach, even as our studio<br />
partners increasingly target a mass audience<br />
with every movie. Marketing budgets balloon<br />
as they chase the audience they need to make<br />
those big production budgets work.<br />
But we have always known that there isn’t<br />
just one audience—there are many, and they<br />
have different needs. You see it every week in<br />
your theaters as they combine, split up, and<br />
recombine for each new movie. This is partly<br />
a function of our product-driven industry;<br />
different people want to see different movies.<br />
Yet we have to reconcile that fact with another<br />
fact—a sizeable portion of the audience shows<br />
up at your box office to watch a movie, but not<br />
a particular movie. Ask your cashiers how often<br />
people step up to the window and ask, “What’s<br />
good?” or “What’s playing at 7:30?”<br />
What they are telling us is that they want to<br />
go to the movie theater. You can do your best<br />
to program your screens to offer movies with<br />
the best chance of luring an audience, but there<br />
are things that drive patrons to movie theaters<br />
that are more completely under your control,<br />
from the friendliness and helpfulness of your<br />
staff to the way you deal with rude patrons who<br />
disrupt that experience.<br />
Which brings us back to those new, stateof-the-art<br />
seats. The seats are not just more<br />
comfortable, but they put more control, quite<br />
literally, in customers’ hands. Broader availability<br />
of online ticketing and reserved seating<br />
are also tools that give customers control of<br />
their experience. American moviegoers have<br />
historically been resistant to reserved seating in<br />
theaters; it may be our democratic nature—everybody<br />
has the same shot at seats when the<br />
COCA-<br />
COLA<br />
FREESTYLE<br />
AMC IS TOUTING<br />
THIS MEGA-MACHINE<br />
THAT PUTS 100+<br />
DRINK CHOICES AT<br />
YOUR PATRONS’<br />
FINGERTIPS.<br />
auditorium doors open—but that seems to be<br />
changing.<br />
Concessions are another area where the customer<br />
is increasingly the boss. Soda machines<br />
that can offer a seemingly infinite variety of<br />
soda combinations, self-serve candy bins, and<br />
increasingly, full-service restaurant and bar<br />
menus offer patrons an array of choices that<br />
makes the moviegoing experience one that is<br />
particular to their tastes.<br />
The physical layout of your theater, the<br />
décor, and the range of seating and screen sizes<br />
and formats all provide ways to offer a moviegoing<br />
experience that suits your customers. Do<br />
you have an auditorium that’s more like an intimate<br />
screening room? One with couches? Does<br />
your lobby look more like an art gallery than a<br />
neon movie palace? Do you have table-side wait<br />
service in one and an over-21-only auditorium<br />
that serves movie-themed cocktails in another?<br />
All of these amenities exist now and there’s an<br />
audience for them.<br />
<strong>Pro</strong>prietary large-format screens, IMAX,<br />
and traditional screens are all out there, often<br />
facing one another across the same lobby. The<br />
audience is going to continue to fragment, and<br />
there is opportunity in that fragmentation.<br />
Blockbusters will continue to dominate the<br />
landscape, but getting everyone to come see the<br />
same thing is going to get harder and harder.<br />
The common wisdom is that the Internet has<br />
given consumers greater control over their entertainment<br />
choices, and that is true. The less common<br />
wisdom is that consumer control—giving<br />
the audience what they want, when they want<br />
it—represents a threat to movie theaters and<br />
provides a rationale for shrinking or eliminating<br />
the theatrical release window, but that is not a<br />
choice consumers can, or even seem interested<br />
in forcing upon our business. Only intentional<br />
business decisions, no matter how foolish, can<br />
end that exclusive marketing channel.<br />
What it really means, I think, is that audiences—consumers—everywhere<br />
have come<br />
to expect that they can choose the nature of<br />
their experiences, if they choose to have the<br />
experience at all. The mass experience, if not<br />
going away, is certainly changing. Paradoxically,<br />
attracting those smaller segments, those many<br />
audiences, may end up meaning we have a<br />
bigger audience overall.<br />
Fewer seats, higher attendance. Smaller<br />
audiences, higher attendance? Crazy.<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 17
BOXOFFICE TAKES A LOOK AT THE ROLE ONLINE TICKETING<br />
PLAYS IN TODAY’S EXHIBITION INDUSTRY<br />
By Daniel Loria<br />
Do you remember how it used to be? Waiting in<br />
line next to all those people in their Star Wars<br />
costumes, heart pounding in fear of reaching the<br />
box office only to be greeted by the dreaded Sold<br />
Out sign?<br />
That Kafkaesque scene was commonplace in the<br />
ancient year of 1999—a time before online ticketing<br />
n The essential nature of ticket purchasing makes it an excellent fit for<br />
e-commerce, according to Fandango President Paul Yanover. “It’s one<br />
of the most perfect products to buy through a self-service interactive<br />
interface, meaning I don’t have to try it on, it doesn’t perish; it’s a<br />
perfect product.”<br />
Recent developments indicate the marketplace will provide new<br />
opportunities for exhibitors in reaching clients through a variety of<br />
e-ticketing providers. AMC and Carmike Cinemas recently added<br />
MovieTickets.com as a provider, increasing consumer options in the<br />
space.<br />
“This could potentially open up some additional opportunities,”<br />
says Joel Cohen, CEO of MovieTickets.com. “It’s a definite shift in the<br />
industry and we’ll just have to see how it plays out.”<br />
revolutionized the cinemagoing experience for<br />
audiences around the world. Today online ticketing<br />
plays a major role in the exhibition industry.<br />
Companies are evolving in a dynamic<br />
marketplace, innovating<br />
through new technologies in<br />
order to provide consumers<br />
with a fast, reliable, and<br />
efficient way of enjoying<br />
their night at the<br />
movies.<br />
The new options do not present a direct challenge to Fandango’s<br />
activity in the marketplace, says Fandango’s Yanover.<br />
“It’s very uncomplicated,” he explains. “We structure relationships<br />
that work for us and for our partners. We have partners for whom<br />
exclusivity works for a variety of reasons, from the set of services we<br />
provide them and the level of integration we can achieve, all the way<br />
through the sense of simplicity for their consumers.<br />
“Other partners want nonexclusive relationships and want their ticketing<br />
pushed through as many channels as possible, and we’re with them—<br />
we’ll work closely with them on their products, marketing, and everyday<br />
operational needs. We don’t operate in a one-size-fits-all manner.”<br />
In many ways online ticketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all business<br />
either. The rise of e-commerce catapulted Fandango and MovieTickets.com<br />
into their roles as key players in the industry ever since both<br />
companies launched in 2000, but a cultural shift in film production<br />
has benefited the service too.<br />
Cohen confirms that the move toward bigger films with built-in<br />
franchise potential has helped business at MovieTickets.com, “The<br />
studios have worked very well with exhibition, making sure that<br />
18 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
tickets go on sale earlier and there’s really an<br />
event-type scenario built up for each one of<br />
these big movies.”<br />
Fandango has enjoyed similar growth<br />
thanks to the event marketing that dominates<br />
today’s film industry. The company has<br />
partnered with exhibitors and studios to offer<br />
“SuperTicket” bundles for select films that<br />
can include concession rebates, a pre-purchase<br />
of a digital or DVD copy of the film, and the<br />
opportunity to see a highly anticipated film<br />
days ahead of its wide release.<br />
The rise of mobile devices like smartphones<br />
and tablets has redefined consumers’<br />
approach to e-commerce, and online<br />
ticketing isn’t an exception. MovieTickets.<br />
com experimented with a podcast as early as<br />
2005, developing its mobile presence through<br />
the release of their first mobile ticketing app<br />
in 2007. Fandango launched a WAP site in<br />
2005 and entered the Apple App Store in<br />
2009. The Fandango app reached 39 million<br />
downloads across mobile platforms by the<br />
end of 2013.<br />
The online ticketing business, however,<br />
doesn’t provide an established blueprint for<br />
success. Examples from outside the United<br />
States signal the different routes that businesses<br />
can take in claiming a share of the market.<br />
AlloCiné maintains a dominating presence<br />
among cinema-oriented web portals in<br />
France. The company began as a telephone<br />
service for show times in 1993 before selling<br />
tickets through their service in 1994. A website<br />
followed in 1997, during the dawn of the<br />
Internet, eventually becoming the Internet<br />
resource for cinema in France. AlloCiné announced<br />
a partnership with French retail and<br />
event-ticketing giant FNAC at the<br />
2011 Cannes Film Festival.<br />
The companies<br />
would join forces in<br />
entering the online<br />
ticketing industry<br />
during a time when<br />
French exhibitors<br />
had begun making headway with proprietary<br />
e-ticketing technology. The new venture<br />
snapped up ticketing rights to the iconic Le<br />
Grand Rex theater in Paris, a popular site for<br />
big premieres in the country. The project hit<br />
a stumbling block, however, when the idea<br />
failed to gain traction among the country’s<br />
top exhibitors, falling short of its goal of<br />
becoming a universal solution for online<br />
ticketing in France. Le Grand Rex concluded<br />
its relationship with the AlloCiné-FNAC<br />
venture and the project was scrapped shortly<br />
thereafter.<br />
Clearly, maintaining successful relationships<br />
with exhibitors is vital for e-ticketing<br />
providers to thrive. “We really look at ourselves<br />
like relationship experts,” says Cohen.<br />
“We only do movie ticketing from an online<br />
and technology perspective; that’s our core<br />
competency and we want to bring solutions<br />
to the theaters so they can focus on their own<br />
day-to-day business.”<br />
Paul Yanover says he shares that philosophy<br />
and considers Fandango “as much of a<br />
B2B company as a B2C company.” He points<br />
to Fandango’s media partnerships as part of<br />
that strategy. “We are powering the ticketing<br />
for IMDb, Yahoo Movies, AOL<br />
Moviefone, MSN Movies, and<br />
others as well,” says Yanover.<br />
“We want movie ticketing to be<br />
available wherever and whenever<br />
people are talking or even thinking<br />
about movies.”<br />
Spanish e-ticketing leader<br />
Entradas.com adopted an innovative<br />
solution to spread the appeal<br />
of online ticketing in its home<br />
country. Leaders at that company<br />
made their product work with existing<br />
technology that consumers<br />
already trusted in order to build<br />
and expand their brand. Among<br />
other distribution options, the<br />
company offers ticket-buying and pick-up<br />
services at more than 11,000 ATMs across<br />
Spain, partnering with some of the country’s<br />
top banks in the process.<br />
Yanover emphasizes the importance of the<br />
consumer, noting Fandango’s efforts to make<br />
the e-ticketing experience as streamlined as<br />
possible. “We look at how we can maximize<br />
efficiency for the consumer in finding information,<br />
transactions, and delivery of tickets.”<br />
To do so, ticketing providers have<br />
increased their content offerings<br />
to include trailers, movie news,<br />
behind-the-scenes features, show<br />
times, and accurate maps. These<br />
data points are the bread-andbutter<br />
of the market, the basics<br />
that no company can overlook.<br />
Regardless of how you reach<br />
the consumer, whether it be via<br />
mobile apps or a bank’s ATM, the<br />
success of any business still hinges<br />
on providing the consumer with<br />
the necessary comfort and confidence<br />
to make a transaction.<br />
The studios have already realized<br />
the earning potential of the international<br />
box office. We are living in a time when a flop<br />
in North America can mean big business in<br />
emerging markets like China and Russia. The<br />
international market offers alluring opportunities<br />
in the online ticketing industry, as the<br />
global growth of the middle class has sparked<br />
a new boom for the exhibition industry.<br />
MovieTickets.com is an experienced player<br />
in international expansion, with a presence in<br />
17 countries, including the United Kingdom,<br />
Argentina, Mexico, Spain, and Canada.<br />
JOEL COHEN<br />
CEO<br />
MOVIETICKETS.COM<br />
PAUL YANOVER<br />
PRESIDENT<br />
FANDANGO<br />
Cohen is quick to underscore the importance<br />
of his company’s current relationship with<br />
exhibitors when it comes to launching a new<br />
venture abroad.<br />
“We work with our exhibitor partners who<br />
have a presence there to get a good understanding<br />
of a specific market. Once we are<br />
established, we work to get additional exhibitors<br />
in that particular area,” says Cohen. “In<br />
some areas, one of the positives is<br />
that the consumer buying activity<br />
is a bit more advanced than in<br />
the United States. We will do<br />
larger percentages of advance<br />
and online ticket sales in some of<br />
those countries when compared<br />
to U.S.”<br />
As the case study from France<br />
shows, however, expanding into<br />
a new country can coincide with<br />
exhibitors’ efforts at developing<br />
their own online ticketing<br />
systems. Cohen recognizes this<br />
as a challenge when working<br />
abroad. “Many exhibitors have<br />
established successful solutions<br />
on their own,” he says. “I’d say one of our<br />
challenges has been to convince some of the<br />
international markets that there is a need for<br />
an aggregator like there is in the U.S. with<br />
MovieTickets.com.”<br />
Fandango’s Yanover says he shares that<br />
outlook and views the role of online ticketing<br />
providers as part of the film community as a<br />
whole.<br />
“The broader reality of Fandango is that<br />
we are just as relevant to moviegoers<br />
who are not buying online. We<br />
are more than just a ticketing utility;<br />
we are a discovery, information,<br />
and ticketing environment.<br />
I think we benefit the industry<br />
in a really broad way. While I’d<br />
love everyone to buy their tickets<br />
through us, we’re important in<br />
the moviegoing ecosystem as a<br />
decision-making vehicle for all<br />
ticket-buyers, regardless of where<br />
they make their purchase.”<br />
The online ticketing business<br />
has been transformed by the<br />
emergence of digital technology<br />
and the rising popularity of e-commerce<br />
among consumers. As a result, these services<br />
have become an integral part of contemporary<br />
cinema culture. The digital box office<br />
isn’t merely a transactional environment, but<br />
a place where the moviegoing experience as<br />
a whole is promoted and celebrated. The<br />
Internet and digital technology might be the<br />
source of many headaches for the exhibition<br />
industry, but when it comes to online ticketing,<br />
it is a welcome solution to providing<br />
audiences with a better experience.<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 19
DIRECTOR AND OCEAN EXPLORER<br />
JAMES CAMERON ABOARD<br />
THE DEEPSEA CHALLENGER<br />
CONGRATULATIONS JAMES CAMERON<br />
BOXOFFICE 3D PIONEER AWARD
22 BOXOFFICE ®<br />
3D PIONEER AWARD<br />
OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW<br />
WITH JAMES CAMERON<br />
28 3D OVERVIEW<br />
NUMBERS PROVE BOX OFFICE<br />
VALUE TO STUDIOS, EXHIBITORS<br />
30 3 QUESTIONS<br />
REALD’S CEO MICHAEL<br />
LEWIS DISCUSSES NEW 3D<br />
TECHNOLOGIES<br />
32 THE NEXT BIG THING<br />
A LOOK AT WHAT SOME OF THE<br />
LEADERS IN 3D ARE PLANNING<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 21
Oscar-winning director James Cameron hasn’t rested on his laurels<br />
since his science-fiction epic Avatar turned 3D filmmaking into a Hollywood<br />
staple. Last year the filmmaker/explorer piloted a submersible<br />
to the deepest point under the ocean, the Mariana Trench. The resulting<br />
film, the August release James Cameron’s Deepsea Challenge 3D,<br />
by Michael White<br />
was shot using new 3D technology Cameron and his team designed.<br />
The film, along with and his previous contributions, earned Cameron<br />
the inaugural BoxOffice® 3D Pioneer Award. He discussed his new film<br />
with BoxOffice <strong>Pro</strong> in a telephone interview from his farm in New<br />
Zealand, where he is busy writing scripts for three Avatar sequels.<br />
(continued on page 24)<br />
Crammed with equipment and just 43<br />
inches (109 centimeters) wide, the<br />
interior of the pilot sphere is so small<br />
that Cameron had to keep his knees<br />
bent and could barely move.<br />
22 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
Congratulations<br />
JAMES CAMERON<br />
on receiving the<br />
BoxOffice<br />
3D Pioneer Award
BOXOFFICE PIONEER AWARD > JAMES CAMERON<br />
BoxOffice <strong>Pro</strong>: You put 3D on the<br />
map with Avatar, and now with Deepsea<br />
Challenge 3D you’re moving the<br />
genre forward again with new technology<br />
and a remarkable documentary<br />
film. But before jumping into questions<br />
about the movie, we would like to get<br />
your thoughts on the state of 3D. Is<br />
Hollywood getting closer to fulfilling<br />
the potential of the format?<br />
James Cameron: I think we still have a ways<br />
to go. The quality of projection continues to<br />
improve. It’s usually about light levels more<br />
than anything. I think high frame rate shows<br />
promise in resolving some of the issues people<br />
have with 3D, but so far it has relatively few<br />
champions—Peter Jackson and myself, and a<br />
few others. We continue to see milestone 3D<br />
productions where 3D is integrated into the<br />
filmmaking. You have auteur filmmakers who<br />
are making it an integral part of their artistic<br />
process, which I think is the best thing you<br />
could have.<br />
You’re known for making movies that<br />
are difficult with respect to technology<br />
and logistics. Avatar and Titanic come<br />
to mind. Here, you’re diving to the bottom<br />
of the Mariana Trench.<br />
And shooting in 3D! What’s the point of<br />
going if you can’t shoot in 3D?<br />
Was this the most difficult film you’ve<br />
done?<br />
If you look at it purely from an engineering<br />
standpoint and technical hurdles, yes.<br />
What was the biggest challenge?<br />
Just making the vehicle to get down there<br />
was challenging enough, but we also had to<br />
build the cameras. We actually built a camera<br />
that probably weighed less than a quarter of<br />
a pound, and the size of your thumb, that’s<br />
spitting out HD SDI. That’s pretty amazing.<br />
We stuck two of them into titanium housing<br />
to withstand almost 15,000 psi pressure. We<br />
wound up with two of these smaller housings<br />
side by side. We had an ocean-rated stereo<br />
camera system that weighed 4.5 pounds. It’s<br />
really a technical challenge, certainly along the<br />
lines of building the vehicle.<br />
Cameron descended 35,787 feet (6.77<br />
miles/10.90 km), but his ears didn’t<br />
pop during the journey; the pressure<br />
inside the pilot’s sphere stays constant.<br />
How much did the project cost?<br />
It’s a small fraction of what it would have<br />
cost had the government done it or big institutions<br />
done it. It was privately funded with<br />
some corporate sponsors and some money<br />
from myself. It was done extremely cost-effectively<br />
with a tiny team. Myself and one<br />
member of the sub’s team are the only two<br />
who had worked on a submersible before.<br />
My theory on it was to put together a young,<br />
bright-eyed group that didn’t know what they<br />
didn’t know. The vehicle was so far outside<br />
24 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
Designed by Volfoni in France
BOXOFFICE 3D REPORT > JAMES CAMERON<br />
The sub’s four external cameras are<br />
a tenth the size of previous deepocean<br />
HD cameras. The housings were<br />
designed by the Deepsea Challenge<br />
team, and the cameras themselves<br />
were created from scratch, from the<br />
sensor up.<br />
the box from its conception that we couldn’t<br />
see the box.<br />
Do you view yourself primarily as a<br />
filmmaker or an explorer?<br />
When I’m making a feature film, I’m a feature<br />
filmmaker. When I’m doing an expedition, I<br />
focus on that and being a filmmaker becomes<br />
secondary. I don’t want to define myself 100<br />
percent as a feature director because then the<br />
slings and arrows of critics and production<br />
problems become all consuming. So I will<br />
probably continue to do some of each.<br />
Was there a point when you felt you<br />
were in danger?<br />
You live with risks every second on a dive like<br />
that, when you depend on life support every<br />
second. An electrical fire could be devastating<br />
in such a tiny space. I didn’t let it prey on my<br />
mind. There was one point when I did have a<br />
close scrap. We were on one of the test dives<br />
in the New Britain Trench. The computer system<br />
failed and things were basically going nuts<br />
and I had to shut the sub down. I had to sit<br />
there and figure out how to stop the sub from<br />
crashing into the bottom, which I was able to<br />
do. So that was kind of scary.<br />
In DeepSea Challenge there is a segment<br />
that shows you as a child, building<br />
a cardboard submarine. You’ve set<br />
a number of films at sea. What inspired<br />
your interest in the ocean?<br />
It was an interesting journey because it started<br />
with science fiction and going to other planets.<br />
When I was at an impressionable age I<br />
came in contact with Jacques Cousteau. I read<br />
about him and watched his TV specials and,<br />
man, I just ate that stuff up because I related<br />
to it as exploring another world on this planet.<br />
When I was 16 I was scuba certified, which<br />
is no mean feat when you live 600 miles<br />
from the ocean in Canada. I made my first<br />
open-water dive in a creek.<br />
How did the reality compare with the<br />
imagination of your youth?<br />
I wasn’t that kid anymore, so I knew a lot<br />
about the deep ocean and I knew about the<br />
animals I would see. I didn’t expect to see a giant<br />
squid, for example. I saw what I expected<br />
to see, informed by science. But that doesn’t<br />
account for the emotional reactions. One was<br />
pride for the team and all it took for us to do<br />
it. I just happened to be the guy on the screen.<br />
And there’s always something amazing when<br />
you see something nobody has seen before.<br />
That’s a different sense of wonder.<br />
You had a terrible setback with the<br />
death of director Andrew Wight and<br />
cinematographer Mike deGruy in a helicopter<br />
crash just as you were about to<br />
sail to the Mariana Trench. How did you<br />
and crew deal with that?<br />
We just had to confront whether it even made<br />
sense to go on. It felt like there was this cloud<br />
over the project, with all of the risks of doing<br />
the deep diving with an unproven vehicle,<br />
an unproven crew. None of us had any faith<br />
in it and we just had this sense, did we really<br />
want to go out and maybe incur another<br />
tragedy? At a certain point almost everyone<br />
independently came to the same conclusion:<br />
Andrew and Mike, if they had lived and had<br />
to make this same decision, they would have<br />
gone on, because that’s what they did, they<br />
were explorers. And the best way to honor<br />
them was to go on.<br />
Generally documentaries don’t do well<br />
commercially. What advice would you<br />
give to documentarians to make their<br />
work more appealing?<br />
You have to know your market and you have<br />
to have realistic expectations. If you have a<br />
social cause, you have to understand people<br />
aren’t going to think about that as entertainment.<br />
That’s going to be self-limiting because<br />
most people, when they go to the movies, just<br />
want to have a good time. I think a film like<br />
DeepSea Challenge inhabits a halfway point<br />
because it offers adventure and it also has an<br />
educational component. You’re going to learn<br />
something.<br />
26 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
SOMETHING BRIGHTER IS COMING.<br />
MI-HORIZON3D<br />
EXPERIENCE MI-HORIZON3D AT CINEMACON | GET THE LATEST UPDATES AT MIHORIZON3D.COM
3D<br />
OUTLOOK<br />
Sandra Bullock, George Clooney,<br />
and director Alfonso Cuarón on the<br />
set of Gravity. The 3D space thriller<br />
has grossed more than $700 million<br />
worldwide since its October 2013<br />
debut<br />
NUMBERS PROVE BOX OFFICE<br />
VALUE TO STUDIOS, EXHIBITORS<br />
Lower production costs, better technology mean 3D<br />
adds as much as 30 percent to movie profit<br />
by Michael White<br />
n In the opening scenes of Alfonso Cuarón’s<br />
Gravity, viewers quickly realize that the astronauts<br />
portrayed by George Clooney and Sandra<br />
Bullock disagree about the joys of floating in<br />
orbit miles above Earth. Clooney’s veteran space<br />
traveler can’t get enough. Bullock’s character<br />
would rather be anywhere else.<br />
They might be a couple of fans, or critics,<br />
talking about 3D.<br />
Five years after 3D releases first broke the<br />
billion-dollar mark in domestic box office sales,<br />
critics, consumers, and auteurs still debate<br />
just what the three-dimensional effects add to<br />
the cinema experience. In the right hands—<br />
Cuarón’s, for example—3D draws the audience<br />
into a filmmaker’s imaginary world. Poorly<br />
done, it turns high drama into a joke.<br />
What isn’t debatable is the financial contribution<br />
3D has made to studios and exhibitors as<br />
they deal with tougher competition from cable,<br />
Internet-based movie services, and low-cost<br />
DVD vendors. Last year the surcharge for 3D<br />
showings around the world added $1.5 billion<br />
to box office sales, as estimated by MasterImage<br />
3D, the Los Angeles–based technology provider.<br />
For an international hit, the format can increase<br />
profit by more than 30 percent, according to the<br />
analysis of the International 3D Society. So it’s<br />
no surprise that the genre dominates box office<br />
charts. Last year, eight of the 10 top-grossing<br />
films worldwide were released in 3D.<br />
As early as 2008, Journey to the Center of<br />
the Earth, a modest success with $242 million<br />
in global ticket sales against a budget of $60<br />
million, teased the potential of 3D. James<br />
Cameron’s Avatar blew the business and creative<br />
possibilities wide open the following year. The<br />
science-fiction epic became the top-grossing<br />
film of all time with $2.7 billion in global ticket<br />
sales.<br />
“You cannot get away from the fact that<br />
for any movie that is animated or live action<br />
and has any sort of thrill component, 3D can<br />
be brought to this experience in a decidedly<br />
valuable way,” says Jim Chabin, president of<br />
the International 3D Society. “Your return on<br />
investment is going to be very, very good.”<br />
More than 84 percent of tickets sold worldwide<br />
for Warner Bros.’ Gravity were for 3D<br />
showings. The incremental price jump for the<br />
screenings accounted for about $200 million<br />
of the movie’s $694.4 million box office take,<br />
according to Beverly Hills–based RealD Inc.,<br />
the largest provider of 3D projection technology<br />
with about 25,000 screens worldwide.<br />
“Any business where you can have 20<br />
percent to north of 50 percent be a premium<br />
is a pretty good business,” says RealD Chief<br />
Executive Officer Michael Lewis. “In many<br />
cases it’s north of 50 percent, especially as you<br />
get into some of these overseas territories. That’s<br />
28 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
probably the number-one element right now<br />
that we’re excited about. As the filmmakers get<br />
better using this tech, there are a lot of markets<br />
just discovering it.’’<br />
Advocates argue that the artistry of 3D is<br />
improving as well. With more of Hollywood’s<br />
top directors choosing to make movies in 3D,<br />
the format may be poised to attract new converts<br />
among consumers who were turned off by<br />
a glut of poorly conceived projects that followed<br />
the success of Avatar. Auteur-driven films<br />
like Peter Jackson’s second Hobbit movie and<br />
Gravity, ranked fifth and eighth respectively in<br />
worldwide sales last year, have lifted the quality<br />
of storytelling and the look of 3D. Gravity was<br />
nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including<br />
Best Director and Best Actress for Bullock. Last<br />
year Ang Lee won the Best Director Oscar for<br />
the live-action fantasy Life of Pi.<br />
“It has really matured significantly,” says<br />
Barry Sandrew, founder and chief technology<br />
officer of Legend3D Inc., a special effects and<br />
conversion company whose credits include<br />
Life of Pi and The Amazing Spider-Man. “We’re<br />
seeing a broader range of genre. We’re seeing it<br />
in Hugo, Life of Pi, and The Great Gatsby.”<br />
The format can use the boost, particularly<br />
in the United States. Last year 3D admissions<br />
declined as much as 15 percent, costing studios<br />
and exhibitors $140 million to $220 million in<br />
potential revenue, according to B. Riley analyst<br />
New Zealand director Peter Jackson is<br />
a strong proponent of 3D technology<br />
in addition to HFR presentation. James<br />
Cameron his considering shooting and<br />
exhibiting the Avatar sequels at a high<br />
frame rate.<br />
Eric Wold. He blames the drop on an overly<br />
crowded 3D calendar and, in particular, too<br />
many animated films.<br />
Foreign audiences have embraced 3D more<br />
enthusiastically. About 342 million tickets<br />
were sold for 3D screenings outside the United<br />
States last year, compared with about 184<br />
million domestically, according to MasterImage.<br />
Opportunities for filmmakers and equipment<br />
suppliers are especially bright in emerging markets,<br />
says Chris Ward, president of LightSpeed<br />
Design Inc. The Bellevue, Washington–based<br />
company’s 3D polarization equipment is used to<br />
enhance images on 1,400 screens worldwide.<br />
Consumers overseas “tend to be a little more<br />
open-minded, a little less jaded,” he says. “People<br />
in these places are very excited about having<br />
a better product. It’s an affordable luxury.”<br />
“Best in class”<br />
Passive Polarization for 3D Digital Cinema<br />
3D<br />
Superior Optics<br />
Fast & Bright<br />
Sharp, Crisp Focus<br />
Advanced Heat <strong>Pro</strong>tection<br />
High Frame Rate (240fps)<br />
Hollywood Approved by Six Major Studios<br />
World’s Fastest Switch = Shortest Dark Time<br />
Now includes a<br />
5 Year<br />
No wonder over 1400 theaters around the<br />
world are enthusiastic about their DepthQ ®<br />
LC-Tec Displays AB U.S. Patent Number 8023052 B1<br />
Optical Warranty<br />
Visit us at CinemaCon, BOOTH 2712A<br />
by Lightspeed Design, Inc.<br />
email us at: sales@depthq.com<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 29
BOXOFFICE 3D REPORT > 3D OUTLOOK<br />
Sebastian Stan, as Bucky Barnes, does<br />
battle in Marvel’s next big 3D epic,<br />
Captain America: The Winter Soldier,<br />
opening worldwide later this month.<br />
Studios are scheduled so far to release 27<br />
films in 3D this year, including The Amazing<br />
Spider-Man 2 and Captain America: The Winter<br />
Soldier. Wold says he expects 3D demand to<br />
stabilize this year and rebound in 2015 when<br />
the lineup will include Star Wars: Episode VII,<br />
directed by J.J. Abrams. “I think this year is for<br />
rebuilding, to get consumers back on your side<br />
to embrace 3D,” he says. “Next year is going to<br />
be a huge year.”<br />
The number of 3D releases rose in 2010 as<br />
studios sought to cash in quickly on the success<br />
of Avatar. Revenue from 3D screens hit $2.2<br />
billion domestically, or about 21 percent of the<br />
total box office, on the sheer volume of films,<br />
according to Wold. But the rush to cash in<br />
resulted in poorly executed conversions that left<br />
consumers skeptical of what they were getting<br />
for the extra $3.50 or so they paid to see the<br />
films.<br />
The perfectionist Cameron spent 10 years<br />
developing Avatar. In the process, he and his<br />
crew created a unique 3D camera system and<br />
a performance-capture technique that enabled<br />
filmmakers to better depict the emotions of<br />
actors in scenes converted to animation. Those<br />
technologies, along with others developed since,<br />
are available at lower costs to producers. The<br />
average cost of converting a film to 3D has<br />
fallen as well, dropping to about $6 million last<br />
year from $9.6 million in 2010, according to<br />
MasterImage 3D’s estimate.<br />
Costs have been driven down in part because<br />
more equipment manufacturers are competing<br />
for business with studios and exhibitors, says<br />
Jerome Testut, managing director for Volfoni<br />
Americas, the U.S. unit of Paris-based Volfoni<br />
Group. The company makes 3D projection<br />
equipment designed to improve lighting and<br />
color contrast on the screen.<br />
“People are always looking for something<br />
simple to use, simple to deal with, with better<br />
light efficiency,” he says. “That for sure has been<br />
key. In terms of digital models, people didn’t<br />
even have a choice before.”<br />
The return on investment for a conversion<br />
averages about 7.3 times the cost, says<br />
Chad Aaron, MasterImage’s chief financial<br />
officer. He estimates that since 2010, the 3D<br />
surcharge has added $4.9 billion to revenue,<br />
based on an average per-ticket increase of<br />
$3.50 in the United States and $2.50 in international<br />
markets.<br />
Yet for James Cameron, what’s most important<br />
for the future of the format is that an<br />
increasing number of directors and cinematographers<br />
are taking time to master the skills<br />
necessary to incorporate 3D at the earliest<br />
stages of development.<br />
“There’s been pushback from the consumer<br />
for the premium price,” he continues. “When<br />
they see Hugo or Life of Pi they’re getting their<br />
money’s worth. When they see something that’s<br />
sort of two-and-a-half D and hard on their eyes<br />
and so on, they feel like they’re getting ripped<br />
off. It’s all going to come out in the wash eventually,<br />
but we’re not there yet.”<br />
Paramount Pictures credits the success of<br />
films including the Transformers and Star Trek<br />
series to starting early, says Corey Turner, vice<br />
president of post-production. It’s Turner’s job<br />
to work closely with directors J.J. Abrams,<br />
Michael Bay, and John Chu to integrate 3D<br />
into their films.<br />
“I think we’ve found a good balance,”<br />
between technology and storytelling, he says.<br />
“Besides success, ultimately, they’ve just been<br />
fun, and we’ve been able to create a partnership<br />
with the directors to preserve their traditional<br />
moviemaking style.”<br />
One challenge of converting live-action<br />
films to 3D is establishing the right depth<br />
relationships between objects on the screen,<br />
including the actors’ facial features. For World<br />
War Z, the studio created a precise sculpture of<br />
Brad Pitt’s face to eliminate the risk of distortions.<br />
“Brad Pitt is a face known to millions,”<br />
says Turner, “so you want to make sure people<br />
watching the movie in 3D recognize him.”<br />
RealD is offering financial and promotional<br />
30 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
incentives to encourage studios and exhibitors<br />
to plan for 3D early in the development and<br />
marketing processes for certain movies, says<br />
CEO Lewis. The incentives might include discounts<br />
on royalties, glasses, or marketing help,<br />
he says. The company will focus on potential<br />
break-out hits, he says.<br />
“Our goal is to identify these types of films<br />
early on, work closely alongside the key film<br />
constituents, and dedicate resources to maximize<br />
the performance of each film,” says Lewis.<br />
Cinema operators also are addressing the<br />
issue of screen lighting. By the time 3D images<br />
have passed from the projector through a 3D<br />
filter and the consumer’s glasses, the amount<br />
of light on the screen can be reduced by more<br />
than half. Companies including Dolby and<br />
MasterImage 3D are developing projection<br />
gear that puts more light on the screen. Marcus<br />
Theatres actually uses two separate projector<br />
units in its wide-screen auditoriums to ensure<br />
customers aren’t shortchanged, says Rolando<br />
Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer<br />
of Marcus, the fifth-largest U.S. cinema chain<br />
with 685 screens. About a third are set up for<br />
3D screenings.<br />
“There are the capabilities” needed to solve<br />
the lighting problem, Rodriguez says. “That<br />
shouldn’t be a hindrance. It’s more, so how do<br />
we ensure that the format connects with the<br />
consumer?”<br />
TOP 20 GROSSING 3D MOVIES<br />
1 Avatar $760,507,625<br />
2 Marvel’s The Avengers $623,357,910<br />
3 Toy Story 3 $415,004,880<br />
4 Iron Man 3 $409,013,994<br />
5<br />
Harry Potter and the<br />
Deathly Hallows Part 2<br />
$381,011,219<br />
6 Despicable Me 2 $368,061,265<br />
7<br />
Transformers:<br />
Dark of the Moon<br />
$352,390,543<br />
8 Frozen $340,829,000<br />
9 Alice in Wonderland $334,191,110<br />
10<br />
The Hobbit:<br />
An Unexpected Journey<br />
$303,003,568<br />
11 Up $293,004,164<br />
12 Man of Steel $291,045,518<br />
13 Monsters University $268,492,764<br />
14 The Amazing Spider-Man $262,030,663<br />
15 Gravity $259,673,000<br />
16 Despicable Me $251,513,985<br />
17<br />
18<br />
The Hobbit:<br />
The Desolation of Smaug<br />
Pirates of the Caribbean:<br />
On Stranger Tides<br />
$250,679,000<br />
$241,071,802<br />
19 Shrek Forever After $238,736,787<br />
20 Brave $237,283,207<br />
SOURCE: BOXOFFICE.COM / GROSSES INCLUDE 2D TOTALS<br />
With Gravity, audiences quickly caught<br />
on that the science-fiction adventure tale was<br />
a film that had to be seen in the format, and<br />
preferably on a wide screen. Cuarón used 3D<br />
to immerse his audience in the expanse of outer<br />
space and stun them with effects that included<br />
a terrifying sequence depicting a space station<br />
as it is torn apart by the hurtling debris. About<br />
84 percent of tickets sold worldwide were for<br />
3D showings, says Chabin of the International<br />
3D Society.<br />
Ultimately, success comes down to producing<br />
a movie that people want to see. In this<br />
sense, 3D is no different than any other medium.<br />
Gravity provided spectacular effects, but<br />
the film worked because audiences were captivated<br />
by the story of two astronauts, played by<br />
Clooney and Bullock, stranded in orbit with no<br />
way back to Earth, says Bud Mayo, president<br />
and chief executive of the New Jersey–based<br />
chain Digital Cinema Destinations Corp.<br />
“Gravity demonstrated it’s about the<br />
content,” says Mayo, who helped lead the<br />
transition to digital projection as CEO of<br />
Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. “The first and<br />
foremost thing that gets people into theaters is<br />
the answer to the most important question: Do<br />
I want to see this? Then the question becomes,<br />
do I want to see it in 3D? It’s incumbent on<br />
the creative people behind the movie to make it<br />
imperative that you see it in the 3D versions.”<br />
RealD Inc., the largest provider of<br />
3D projection technology, has been<br />
a leading force in bringing three-dimensional<br />
films to cinemas around the<br />
world. Chairman and Chief Executive<br />
Michael Lewis discusses the outlook<br />
for 3D and new technologies that will<br />
improve the format.<br />
BOXOFFICE: There has been a learning<br />
curve for filmmakers and exhibitors<br />
as they figure out how to make<br />
and market 3D movies. Do you feel<br />
they are closer to cracking<br />
that code?<br />
Michael Lewis: I would<br />
say they’ve probably<br />
already cracked it. It’s<br />
like any new technology.<br />
There’s a period of<br />
feeling out and figuring<br />
out how you maximize<br />
it from a technology<br />
and business<br />
standpoint.<br />
Clearly the<br />
ability to use<br />
the technology<br />
is getting easier<br />
QUESTIONS<br />
FOR REALD’S<br />
MICHAEL LEWIS<br />
and cheaper and the results qualitatively<br />
continue to improve, so I think that’s a very<br />
strong selling point.<br />
We’ve seen local-language productions<br />
win an increasing share of the<br />
box office overseas, including films<br />
made in 3D. China’s Journey to the<br />
West: Conquering the Demons, for<br />
example, buried Iron Man 3. How<br />
does this fit into the outlook for 3D<br />
growth?<br />
For us the focus is China, Russia, and<br />
Brazil. China is really interesting. Four of<br />
China’s top six movies last year were 3D. In<br />
Russia, of course, Stalingrad was a big hit,<br />
and that did north of $60 million just in<br />
Russia alone. So a market that was probably<br />
a low single-digit overall percent of our revenue<br />
at RealD starts moving north of double<br />
digits. Indigenous filmmaking is clearly a<br />
growth market.<br />
Laser projection systems promise to<br />
improve the look of 3D movies. What<br />
is RealD doing in this area?<br />
There has been R & D on lasers with other<br />
companies as well, but we think we are<br />
uniquely positioned. The promise of laser<br />
is to get more light on the screen at a lower<br />
cost. We’re reasonably optimistic that this<br />
is where the technology is going. It would<br />
resolve the issue of bulb brightness, and the<br />
potential is there to save on this cost—power<br />
costs and bulb costs. Initially, though,<br />
laser is probably only going to be suitable<br />
for large-screen.<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 31
INNOVATIONS IN LASER PROJECTION, IMAGE QUALITY, FRAME RATES,<br />
EYEWEAR, SCREENS, AND IMMERSIVE SOUND ENSURE A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR 3D<br />
LASER PROJECTION<br />
Consumers love 3D movies if the 3D movie is<br />
presented at the highest quality possible—both<br />
in production and in exhibition. And the key<br />
to a great 3D image is a bright picture. Xenon<br />
lamps and polarizing filters have limitations<br />
when it comes to high-quality 3D. According<br />
to Matt Cuson, senior director of cinema marketing<br />
at DOLBY as much as 90 percent of the<br />
light from a laser projector reaches the viewer as<br />
compared to 30–60 percent with systems currently<br />
available. Laser projection also holds the<br />
promise of signficantly less maintenance and<br />
lower energy expenditure reducing operational<br />
costs. NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS launched<br />
the first-ever DCI-compliant laser light source<br />
projector late last year with a light source that<br />
boasts a lifetime of 20,000 hours. Though a<br />
2K projector and targeted to smaller auditoriums,<br />
it is becoming available for operators this<br />
month. Laser projectors are also a greener alternative<br />
to xenon lamps, which must be replaced<br />
and disposed of.<br />
IMAGE QUALITY<br />
It’s all about the pixels. From mobile phones to<br />
cinema screens, the push is on to add more and<br />
smaller pixels. The more crisp and detailed the<br />
image, the clearer the 3D picture. CHRISTIE<br />
and BARCO lead the pack of 4K cinema<br />
projectors that pack 4four times the number of<br />
pixels in each frame than 2K projectors. However,<br />
3D image quality is also dependent on the<br />
polarizing filters and systems used, and companies<br />
like MASTERIMAGE and RealD are at<br />
the leading edge of presentation technology.<br />
Christie CP4230 DLP<br />
Digital Cinema 4K<br />
<strong>Pro</strong>jector<br />
FRAME RATES<br />
Frame rates have been a controversial subject<br />
the last few years, particularly with the release<br />
in 2012 of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey<br />
and its followup in 2013, which was shot at<br />
48fps in 3D. The logic behind the decision<br />
by the filmmakers was sound: a high frame<br />
rate (HFR) improves 3D presentation by<br />
removing much of the motion blur, juddering,<br />
and strobing that occur during action<br />
scenes where the camera moves are fast and<br />
furious. However, the look of a 3D HFR film<br />
is unlike the cinema moviegoers have grown<br />
accustomed to over the last 100 years. HFR<br />
brings a hyperrealism to the image that some<br />
viewers liken to live television. James Cameron<br />
intends to use HFR (perhaps as high<br />
as 60fps) on his Avatar sequels as will Andy<br />
Serkis (The Hobbit’s second-unit director) for<br />
his upcoming adaptation of Animal Farm.<br />
HFR is an acquired taste and its future is<br />
unknown at this point. But would you bet<br />
against Cameron?<br />
WHAT’S THE NEXT BIG THING?<br />
“With the 3D market maturing, exhibitors now can choose between<br />
several brands of 3D providers which follow the total cost of<br />
ownership model. Systems using disruptive new technologies (like<br />
Volfoni’s “Triple Beam” technology) will offer up to 20 percent more<br />
light than previous systems, creating significant savings in projector<br />
power, lamps, and electricity for exhibitors.”<br />
—Jerome Testut<br />
Chief Communications Officer<br />
Volfoni Group<br />
32 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
WHAT’S THE NEXT BIG THING?<br />
“We believe the cinema industry will continue to go premium. Premium<br />
large format theaters. Premium image quality through image<br />
processing like RealD TrueImage. Premium light levels through laser.<br />
Premium sound like Atmos. With so many entertainment options<br />
available, moviegoers will seek out a premium entertainment experience<br />
when they go to the theater and the industry will continue to<br />
elevate and deliver.”<br />
—Rick Heineman, Senior Vice President,<br />
Marketing Communications, RealD<br />
EYEWEAR<br />
Until autoscopic presentation arrives —3D<br />
without the glasses—exhibitors<br />
continue to have the choice of<br />
two technologies, each<br />
with its own strengths.<br />
With laser projection<br />
promising a brighter,<br />
sharper image, passive technologies<br />
like those offered by REALD will<br />
XPAND’s Cinema<br />
3D Active Shutter<br />
Glasses<br />
continue to improve the theatergoer experience.<br />
Active shutter systems, like those offered<br />
by XPAND are a good choice for operators<br />
who want to offer 3D without the installation<br />
of silver screens. Eyewear will be required for<br />
3D movies in the near future and vendors<br />
continue to devise ways to make them lighter,<br />
more comfortable, and easier to maintain.<br />
SCREENS<br />
Screen technology is a<br />
significant contributor<br />
to high-quality 3D<br />
presentation. To that<br />
end HARKNESS<br />
SCREENS, a leader in<br />
2D and 3D screen technologies,<br />
has just released a<br />
mobile app that calculates the<br />
capabilities of equipment choices<br />
and provides recommendations on projector,<br />
lamp, and screen choices based upon chosen<br />
screen size and light levels for 3D. An additional<br />
app, the Digital Screen Modeller, allows<br />
architects, engineers, and exhibitors to visualize<br />
and optimize digital cinema scenarios in a<br />
virtual environment.<br />
SOUND<br />
There’s more to 3D movies than just the<br />
visuals. Filmmakers can now precisely position<br />
and move sounds anywhere in a theater—even<br />
overhead—to heighten the realism and impact<br />
of every scene. Two of the films Oscar-nominated<br />
this year for best sound mixing, The<br />
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Gravity,<br />
utilized the DOLBY Atmos platform to design<br />
their aural soundscapes. Oscar-nominated<br />
sound mixer Christopher Boyes says this about<br />
working on the sound for The Hobbit: “We<br />
put the spider feet and the stress sounds right<br />
on top of us so that the audience feels the<br />
weight of the spiders overhead. This shows off<br />
the capabilities of Dolby Atmos in a unique<br />
way.” Combining HFR, brighter images, and<br />
realistic sounds is the next big thing.<br />
WHAT’S THE NEXT BIG THING?<br />
“The next big thing in cinema won’t be one technology but a combination<br />
of better sound and imaging solutions. One very exciting development<br />
will be highly realistic and clear 3D images that becomes<br />
possible with laser projection and Dolby 3D technology. The combination<br />
of Dolby 3D, high frame rate, and laser projectors can produce<br />
a bright, vivid, and sharp picture that appears natural and easy to<br />
watch. On the audio front, object-based audio technologies can pull<br />
audiences into the middle of the action by giving filmmakers the creative<br />
freedom to easily place or move sounds anywhere in the movie<br />
theater to create a lifelike, virtual reality of sound. Dolby is already<br />
equipping the cinema world with Dolby Atmos, the only object-based<br />
cinema sound platform available today. The future cinema experience<br />
will be unlike anything you can replicate in the home.”<br />
—Stuart Bowling, Director<br />
Cinema Market Development, Dolby<br />
Improve your bottom line with INTEGRA, our theatre management software solution<br />
Real-Time Operational Management<br />
✔ Better knowledge and control of all aspects of<br />
theatre operations<br />
Powerful Management Tools<br />
✔ Dashboards with configurable notifications<br />
and alerts<br />
Enhanced Card Security<br />
✔ PA-DSS out-of-scope payment processing<br />
✔ Point-to-point encryption<br />
omniterm.com<br />
STABILITY YOU CAN DEPEND ON<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 33
BOXOFFICE<br />
TRIBUTE<br />
ALL IN THE FAMILY<br />
WHILE B&B THEATRES CELEBRATES ITS 90TH BIRTHDAY, WE ASK THE<br />
FAMILY-OWNED CIRCUIT ABOUT WHAT MAKES THEM SUCCESSFUL AND<br />
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE FUTURE<br />
B&B Theatres stands for Bills and Bagby, two families<br />
that both launched movie theaters and joined forces—<br />
for business and love—in 1980.<br />
The history of B&B stretches back to 1924, when<br />
Elmer Bills Sr. bought the Lyric Theatre in Salisbury,<br />
Missouri, and founded Bills Theatres. It was there that<br />
he met his future wife, Johnnie, who played the piano<br />
accompaniment for the silent movies. Years later their<br />
son Elmer Bills Jr. was born into the business.<br />
In 1936, the elder Elmer hired 10-year-old Sterling<br />
Bagby as a concession clerk. Sterling grew up, fought<br />
in World War II, and came home to marry Pauline, a<br />
Higbee, Missouri, ticket seller. Together they started the<br />
Bagby Traveling Picture Show and roamed rural Missouri<br />
with their films, projection equipment, seats, and snack<br />
bar. The Traveling Picture Show screened movies in<br />
barns, schools, and parks. Eventually Sterling and Pauline’s<br />
company evolved into a Kansas circuit of drivein<br />
theaters and “hardtops,” their nickname for indoor<br />
theaters.<br />
Meanwhile, young Elmer Bills Jr. had met his wife-tobe,<br />
Amy, when both were 13 (he lovingly refers to her<br />
as “the best popcorn girl I ever hired”) and gone on to<br />
graduate from the University of Missouri in 1959. Elmer<br />
and Amy joined his parents, Elmer Sr. and Johnnie, and<br />
continued the expansion of Bills Theatres, Inc.<br />
(continued on next page)<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 35
BOXOFFICE TRIBUTE > B&B THEATRES<br />
THE B&B FAMILY: BROCK BAGBY, ZACH FORD, FIONA FORD, BOBBIE BAGBY FORD, ELMER BILLS, AMY BILLS,<br />
BRIDGET BILLS BAGBY, BOB BAGBY, BRITTANIE BAGBY BAKER, JESSE BAKER<br />
On January 1, 1980, the Bills and Bagby What is the secret to your success? Tell us about Sensory Friendly Showings.<br />
How did this idea come about?<br />
families cemented decades of friendship<br />
Bob Bagby: We have always had another generation<br />
by formally joining their two theater<br />
companies into B&B Theatres. At the same<br />
time, Sterling and Pauline’s son Bob married<br />
Elmer and Amy’s daughter Bridget, truly<br />
wedding their families together. After taking<br />
the B&B into the 21st century, Sterling<br />
Bagby passed away in October of 2000.<br />
Today, Pauline, Bob, Bridget, Elmer and<br />
Amy run one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing<br />
theater circuits. And Bob and Bridget’s<br />
children Bobbie, Brittanie and Brock (yes,<br />
they are all Bs) are the fourth generation to<br />
work for their family’s chain, which now employs<br />
more than 900 people. B&B Theatres<br />
was recognized in 1999 by the National Association<br />
of Theatre Owners as one of the<br />
oldest family-owned circuits in the Midwest.<br />
Through the years, B&B has seen the<br />
coming of sound, color, wide-screen, digital,<br />
3D, and countless small advances in<br />
stereo sound and projection. Their newest<br />
complexes offer the latest in sound and<br />
comfort, including DOLBY 7.1 surround<br />
sound and digital sound in all auditoriums,<br />
stadium seating, wide screens, high-back<br />
rocker chairs with cup holders, and digital<br />
projectors with 3D capabilities. Today, B&B<br />
operates theaters in towns of all sizes, and<br />
they’ve even opened multiplex theaters in<br />
many of the same places that once were<br />
home to their old-time single-screen and<br />
twin theaters. And Elmer Bills Jr. continues<br />
to maintain an office in Salisbury, Missouri,<br />
where the Lyric—the theater where his<br />
parents met—stands proudly as a town<br />
landmark.<br />
that wanted to carry on the family business,<br />
so everything we do is for the long haul. We own<br />
most of our real estate, we don’t have to operate<br />
to please stockholders, and long-term results are<br />
more important than quarterly profits. By having<br />
the next generation involved, we are always<br />
innovative and creative. It’s easy to get set in your<br />
ways, but young, fresh ideas and enthusiasm<br />
really push you to keep moving forward. We try<br />
to find underserved markets in noncompetitive<br />
areas. We have great relationships with other circuit<br />
leaders because we don’t really compete with<br />
anyone. Bridget and I love going to the movies<br />
and our children love going to the movies; it’s not<br />
just a business to us. We love what we do, we do<br />
it as a family, and we treat our employees as family<br />
members. There is just nothing like sitting in a<br />
dark auditorium with my Pepsi and hot popcorn<br />
with a crowd of moviegoers experiencing the<br />
magic of the movies. Of course we like it even<br />
better when the auditorium is full!<br />
Your Facebook page has over 30,000<br />
likes. How important is social media in<br />
how you market your theaters? How<br />
have you incorporated social media into<br />
your marketing and patron outreach?<br />
Bobbie Bagby Ford: Social media plays a vital<br />
role in our marketing efforts. We’ve moved away<br />
from focusing on our main page and have turned<br />
our focus to our individual theater Facebook<br />
pages. We have found the individual pages to<br />
be very successful. It is now the main way we<br />
connect with our guests. We post promotions,<br />
coupons, trivia, and specific movie information<br />
on these pages.<br />
Bobbie Bagby Ford: We saw there was a need in<br />
several of our communities. It is a new program,<br />
and we are proud to offer it. We open several auditoriums<br />
with varying sound and light levels to<br />
accommodate different needs. Seeing families get<br />
to enjoy a movie on the big screen together, often<br />
for the first time, is pretty darn special. At the<br />
end of the day, bringing the magic of the movies<br />
to people is what we are all about.<br />
Regarding the Marquee Bar & Grille—do<br />
you foresee more theaters adopting the<br />
cinema eatery model?<br />
Brock Bagby: Yes, our plans are to have some<br />
version of our Marquee Bar & Grille in most<br />
of our new theaters. Some of our customers<br />
simply do not have time to go out for dinner<br />
and a movie, and so if we can offer some sort of<br />
limited-menu items we might pick up customers<br />
who otherwise might have chosen dinner instead<br />
of a movie. A full bar is also something that our<br />
customers really like, but that will depend on<br />
local liquor laws. It’s very fun because our building<br />
designs are always changing to fit each new<br />
market. We aren’t a cookie-cutter big box, which<br />
can be frustrating to our architect, but each build<br />
is a fun, new challenge. It definitely keeps our<br />
development team busy.<br />
What is the greatest obstacle theaters<br />
must overcome in the next five years?<br />
Brock Bagby: Digital projection is wonderful<br />
but it is expensive to operate. Film rental continues<br />
to rise, labor costs and benefits are increasing,<br />
and the costs of building new state-of-the-art<br />
(continued on page 38)<br />
36 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
BOXOFFICE TRIBUTE > B&B THEATRES<br />
theaters with large screens is through the roof.<br />
The rapid change since digital will be a challenge;<br />
because of digital, technology is now moving very<br />
quickly. We have already seen huge changes in<br />
digital projection: 2K to 4K, higher light levels,<br />
HFR 3D, Xbrite 3D, dual projection, and now<br />
laser projection. On the audio end we are seeing<br />
3D immersive audio with AURO and Dolby<br />
Atmos. Another area that is changing is seating.<br />
With motion-sensor capability, luxury seating,<br />
leather rockers, in-theater dining seating with<br />
tables, etc., what seat to choose is becoming very<br />
difficult. Also, expanded concessions offerings<br />
is a new challenge. Many of us are longtime<br />
theater veterans, not longtime food and beverage<br />
veterans. Putting in full kitchens is a whole new<br />
ball game, something we are growing and trying<br />
to get better at daily. Overall the biggest challenge<br />
will be keeping up with the rapidly changing<br />
technologies while buoying oneself against the<br />
cost to install these amazing features, all without<br />
pricing yourself out of the market. We want<br />
customers to be able to afford to come week after<br />
week. We have to be careful about letting the<br />
pursuit of the new best thing escalate the price of<br />
showing movies to the point that we must charge<br />
more for admission. As my dad always says,<br />
“Everything in moderation,” and I think we do a<br />
great job with that and will continue to for many<br />
years to come.<br />
How big of a problem is texting during<br />
films? How do you handle it?<br />
Bobbie Bagby Ford: We have a zero texting policy.<br />
That policy is posted in our theaters and is in<br />
our on-screen preshow. We are pretty strict with<br />
this policy. Movies are meant to be an escape<br />
from reality, and we intend to continue to facilitate<br />
that escape for our guests.<br />
How does B&B Grand Screen differ from<br />
other large-format presentations?<br />
Brock Bagby: We are very proud because we premiered<br />
our B&B Grand Screen in October 2010.<br />
We were one of the first companies to begin a<br />
PLF experience. In the three years since, almost<br />
every major chain has jumped on the PLF wagon,<br />
and we as an industry have made rapid improvements<br />
in PLF presentation. We offer XL<br />
stadium seating. We always say, “Shaq can sit in<br />
front of you and you can see the screen.” We offer<br />
high-back 24- to 25-inch leather rocker chairs<br />
that are the utmost in theater comfort. We also<br />
boast over 10,000 watts of 7.1 Dolby surround<br />
sound. For all the event pictures, we have an employee<br />
talk before the film and point out all the<br />
features. We are very proud of our PLF Grand<br />
Screens; they create an epic experience that can’t<br />
be duplicated at home.<br />
You’re currently listed as No. 20 on our<br />
Giants of Exhibition list. What are B&B’s<br />
long-term goals?<br />
Brittanie Bagby Baker: The future looks super<br />
bright! The fourth generation [Bobbie Bagby<br />
Ford, Brittanie Bagby Baker, and Brock Bagby]<br />
of future owners is taking larger leadership<br />
positions. We’re continuing to expand each year<br />
with several projects lined up for the coming<br />
years. Food and beverage is something we’ll keep<br />
refining and adding to locations with the goal of<br />
offering the ultimate premium experience while<br />
not forgetting our core, which is families. We<br />
are a family company and plan to be around for<br />
another 90 years. We don’t want to be the generation<br />
that fails. We have a lot to live up to, but we<br />
welcome the challenge.<br />
Does being a family-owned business<br />
give you an advantage in the marketplace?<br />
What unique challenges do you<br />
(continued on page 40)<br />
Congratulations<br />
B&B Theatres!<br />
Celebrating 90 years in business proves that you<br />
elevate excellence in entertainment to a whole new level.<br />
christiedigital.com<br />
© <strong>2014</strong> Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. All rights reserved.<br />
38 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong><br />
CHRI3773_CinemaCon_CongratsAd_Feb-14_HalfPage_Final.indd 1<br />
14-02-11 10:47 AM
BOXOFFICE TRIBUTE > B&B THEATRES<br />
face that a publicly owned<br />
corporation does not? If<br />
a member of the Bagby/<br />
Bills family decided to go<br />
into the rental car business,<br />
would they be banished to<br />
the Phantom Zone?<br />
Bobbie Bagby Ford: No<br />
[laughs], they would not be<br />
banished to the Phantom<br />
Zone: too many escapees. But<br />
seriously, we were all encouraged<br />
to explore other ideas and<br />
options, but what can we say, it’s<br />
in our blood. It’s an exciting industry<br />
and I wouldn’t want to<br />
do anything else. I think there<br />
are some advantages to being a family-owned business. For one thing,<br />
we come up with a lot of awesome ideas (and an occasional tepid one)<br />
around the dinner table. We brainstorm together all the time. We also<br />
have employees who feel like family, some of whom knew our great<br />
grandfather and have worked beside my grandparents, parents, and now<br />
us. The challenge of being privately owned is funding new technologies.<br />
It’s my dad and mom’s name on the line at the end of the day. As a result<br />
though, we get to pursue passion projects and to dream big and to not<br />
answer to anyone but ourselves. And that, for the record, is great when<br />
you do something good, but when you mess up, you’ve let down your<br />
grandparents, parents, siblings, brothers-in-law, uncles—the list goes on.<br />
We are so lucky that we all work together so well. It’s easy when we have<br />
a common goal.<br />
THE LYRIC THEATRE IN SALISBURY, MISSOURI<br />
Do you offer alternative<br />
content (NCM Fathom,<br />
live events, etc.) in your<br />
theaters? If so, have these<br />
screenings been successful?<br />
Bobbie Bagby Ford: We<br />
do some alternative content and<br />
screenings. It really depends on<br />
the market. We have done gaming<br />
events, older movies, theme<br />
nights, live events, and more.<br />
The industry is changing and<br />
growing, and we need to change<br />
and grow with it. We would love<br />
to be able to show TV events like<br />
the Oscars, big games, etc. The<br />
industry just needs to get the<br />
licensing issues worked out first. We always look forward to trying new<br />
things.<br />
As a major and long-lived circuit, what advice can you give the<br />
small family-owned operator?<br />
Bobbie Bagby Ford: Be creative! We continue to see that grassroots<br />
marketing and social media can make or break an event. Don’t be afraid to<br />
try new show times, concession items, couponing, etc. Get in touch with<br />
your local community. There is great value in being involved and playing<br />
an active role in your community.<br />
What are you fondest memories of growing up in the exhibition<br />
industry?<br />
Bobbie Bagby Ford: When a movie hits, catching us by surprise. Being<br />
a family business, the thrill of a movie hitting is just awesome. For my<br />
family it means we are all texting, video chatting, calling, checking in<br />
with managers, and high-fiving. When I was a little girl, 101 Dalmatians<br />
hit far bigger than expected. We were having dinner at my grandparents’<br />
house, Elmer and Amy Bills. My other grandparents (the third set of<br />
owners, Sterling and Pauline Bagby) were on the phone and Papa Elmer<br />
popped champagne and sparkling grape juice for us. Such fun memories!<br />
My fondest childhood memories (and new memories, as I play a bigger<br />
role) involve the opening of new locations. It’s the fruit of everyone’s<br />
labor: welcoming the first guest, popping popcorn, cleaning bathrooms,<br />
side by side. My family and larger B&B family made me who I am today.<br />
Brock Bagby: So many wonderful memories, where do I start? One of my<br />
favorite memories was when I was in sixth grade and my dad took me out<br />
of school to go to the first Harry Potter screening. I felt so cool! I was so<br />
excited. Another favorite memory was at our Dodge City opening, where<br />
we had customers walking in the door as we were ushering carpet layers<br />
out the back door. It was down to the wire. A recent favorite memory<br />
is seeing my grandpa (Elmer Bills) inducted in the ShowEast Hall of<br />
Fame. What an honor it was for our family and company. We were all<br />
very proud.<br />
Brittanie Bagby Baker: A great memory that pops into mind was growing<br />
up watching the Academy Awards. To my family, they are what the<br />
Super Bowl is to most. As kids we got to stay up late, cast our votes, and<br />
my mom and grandma would make fabulous dinners and decorate the<br />
house like Hollywood.<br />
We also spent a lot of our summer traveling between our theaters or<br />
going on theatre runs. We loaded up in our motor home (sometimes<br />
both grandparents and my family) and traveled between sites checking<br />
the facilities. Even though it was work, we always managed to have a blast<br />
doing it.<br />
A recent memory has been watching as my husband, Jesse Baker, who<br />
40 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
also works for the company, become as passionate<br />
about the business as the rest of my family. He and<br />
my mother and grandmother were very instrumental<br />
in the exterior and interior design of our<br />
newest location, including creating the murals and<br />
designing the wallpaper, carpet, and railings. It was<br />
a proud moment to see their designs come to life.<br />
Bob Bagby: My favorite times and memories are<br />
theater openings. The entire family attends as well<br />
as our top “family member” employees. We work<br />
together all week to clean, train, and promote and<br />
then have a big red-carpet grand opening that is<br />
normally a benefit for a local charity. Seeing our<br />
entire team working together for a common goal<br />
and then seeing the look on our guests’ faces as they<br />
arrive is fantastic. At<br />
the end of the public<br />
event we have a private<br />
party for our extended<br />
B&B family that sometimes<br />
goes way too<br />
AMY BILLS<br />
ELMER BILLS<br />
late into the morning. BOB BAGBY<br />
Some memories that at BRIDGET BAGBY<br />
the time were stressful<br />
but now make us laugh BOBBIE BAGBY FORD<br />
are the opening when<br />
the water line broke on BRITTANIE BAGBY BAKER<br />
the sidewalk during a<br />
cold winter, and having BROCK BAGBY<br />
a huge “ice sculpture”<br />
ELMER BILLS AND STERLING BAGBY<br />
Owner: 2nd Generation<br />
President of B&B and Owner: 3rd Generation<br />
Owner of B&B: 3rd Generation<br />
Vice President of Marketing: 4th Generation<br />
Director of Business Affairs: 4th Generation<br />
Director of <strong>Pro</strong>gramming & Business Development:<br />
4th generation<br />
out in front of the theater; the opening when the<br />
toilets backed up on the carpet with ladies dressed<br />
in long evening gowns; and the night that we made<br />
our guests wait outside on the sidewalk while we<br />
had our final inspection; I wanted to be hospitable<br />
so we passed out free large drinks and popcorn to<br />
the guests. After waiting for 30 minutes outside and<br />
serving lots of free Pepsi, we finally were allowed to<br />
let our guests enter, but at the last minute we were<br />
told that we couldn’t open the toilets because there<br />
was a leak in the sewer line—and we were five miles<br />
from the closest restroom.<br />
Bridget Bagby: One of my favorite memories is<br />
after my mom, Amy Bills, finished selling tickets to<br />
The Sound Of Music, I’d dance to all the music out<br />
in the lobby. I saw<br />
the movie 23 times.<br />
B&B GENERATIONS<br />
It was, and still is,<br />
one of my favorite<br />
Chairman of the Board and Owner: 2nd Generation<br />
movies.<br />
Elmer Bills: Every<br />
day is great in this<br />
business. How do<br />
you pick just one?<br />
Amy Bills: The day<br />
Elmer asked me<br />
to be his “popcorn<br />
girl.”<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 41
Will the $265 million hit Gravity win the big prize on <strong>March</strong> 2 and make<br />
our top five all-time list or will 12 Years a Slave grab gold and become<br />
one of the lowest-grossing winners ever?<br />
Awards season brings out the critic in everyone. Hollywood<br />
hoists its glitz and glamour in tribute to what certain corners<br />
of the industry consider the “best” of the year, while movie<br />
fans get a chance to pick apart every reason the industry is wrong<br />
or right.<br />
Should Shakespeare in Love have won the 1998 Best Picture<br />
Oscar over Saving Private Ryan? Should The Shawshank Redemption<br />
or Pulp Fiction have won instead of the victorious Forrest<br />
Gump in 1994? These are two of the most passionate Oscar arguments<br />
within film circles in recent history. The latest question<br />
fueling the fires of debate: should the Academy revert back to its<br />
previous five-nominee system?<br />
The story behind the debate is relatively short: The Dark<br />
Knight, one of the most popular and iconic films of the modern<br />
box office era, failed to receive a Best Picture nomination in<br />
2008. When the Academy expanded the field to<br />
10 nominees beginning in 2009, many insiders<br />
credited the decision to the realization that with<br />
Hollywood’s most popular films often being<br />
ignored by Oscar, the relevance of the ceremony<br />
was slipping away. After all, for every person<br />
who saw 2008’s Best Picture winner, Slumdog<br />
Millionaire, nearly four saw Christopher Nolan’s<br />
Batman sequel.<br />
Now the debate is shifting again. Commentators<br />
and industry experts are pondering<br />
whether the expanded field has been a good<br />
thing. Some are of the opinion that the category<br />
lost its pedigree with the inclusion of films that,<br />
in previous years, probably wouldn’t have made<br />
the final cut of five—based on historical comparisons,<br />
such as the consistency of frontrunners<br />
to garner attention in other major categories like<br />
acting, directing, writing, and editing.<br />
by Shawn Robbins,<br />
Forums Editor, BoxOffice.com<br />
AVERAGE BEST<br />
PICTURE NOMINEE<br />
($MILLION DOMESTIC<br />
GROSS)<br />
2013 $82.6<br />
2012 $111.4<br />
2011 $69.8<br />
2010 $135.8<br />
2009 $170.5<br />
2008 $70.7<br />
2007 $71.6<br />
2006 $59.4<br />
2005 $49.1<br />
2004 $80.3<br />
Whether that camp is right or wrong is entirely subjective,<br />
and that’s why these debates will continue. That said, if the Academy’s<br />
goal has been to solidify the pop-culture relevancy of the<br />
Oscars, they’ve succeeded.<br />
From 2001 to 2008, only 10 films that grossed over $100<br />
million domestically were nominated for Best Picture. Half of<br />
them were made up of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and a couple<br />
of Martin Scorsese pictures. That total of 10 represents the same<br />
number as have been nominated in the last two years alone (six<br />
in 2012, four in 2013). In the last five years, 23 $100-plus-million<br />
earners have been nominated, with Avatar, Up, The Blind<br />
Side, Toy Story 3, Inception, and Gravity representing the biggest<br />
blockbusters to receive nods in recent years, each grossing more<br />
than $255 million stateside. Critics who oppose the expanded<br />
field generally agree that, with the exception of The Blind Side,<br />
these films would have made a theoretical fivefilm<br />
cut. That includes Gravity, which is the<br />
highest-grossing nominee in three years.<br />
How about this year’s American Hustle,<br />
The Wolf of Wall Street, or Captain Phillips?<br />
They’ve each earned between $104 million and<br />
$135 million as of the writing of this article,<br />
with a little more yet to come for Hustle and<br />
Wolf—especially if either takes home one of the<br />
big awards. These also would have been likely<br />
nominees in a supposed five-film cut, and they<br />
fill out the top four grossers of this year’s Best<br />
Picture nominees.<br />
Then we have 12 Years a Slave, Philomena,<br />
Dallas Buyers Club, Her, and Nebraska. Those<br />
films combined have grossed roughly half as<br />
much as Gravity, but they still represent some<br />
of the best reviewed films of 2013. Granted,<br />
the studio campaign machine is a heavy factor<br />
42 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
in the fates of movies contending for golden<br />
statues, but that group includes one frontrunner<br />
(12 Years a Slave) on the opposite end of<br />
the revenue spectrum from Gravity, while the<br />
remaining frontrunner—American Hustle—is<br />
in the middle with its $134 million so far.<br />
How’s that for parity?<br />
As a whole, 2013’s nine nominees have<br />
earned $742 million through February 4—<br />
noticeably down from last year’s $1 billion<br />
nine-nominee cumulative gross, 2010’s $1.36<br />
billion, and the staggering record of 2009’s<br />
$1.7 billion (anchored by Avatar’s $749 million).<br />
On the flip side, this year’s diverse group<br />
has already topped the disappointing class of<br />
2011, which drew only $628 million from<br />
nine films.<br />
Does the status quo change when speaking<br />
of Best Picture winners? Not really. Two of<br />
the lowest-grossing recipients in history were<br />
crowned after the category’s expansion: 2008’s<br />
The Hurt Locker ($17 million) is the all-time<br />
lowest, while 2011’s The Artist ($44.7 million)<br />
marked the third lowest. Contrast that with<br />
Argo ($136 million) and The King’s Speech<br />
($135.5 million)—highly respectable box<br />
office performers, but not necessarily blockbusters<br />
either.<br />
In special cases Oscar attention can be a<br />
major boon to a film’s success. Take last year’s<br />
Silver Linings Playbook and 2010’s Black Swan:<br />
both enjoyed leggy runs past the holiday<br />
season through great word of mouth, but also<br />
through significant attention from the awards<br />
circuit in general, and Oscar in particular,<br />
which helped make those pictures even more<br />
relevant to the general populace (particularly<br />
in Swan’s case).<br />
The takeaway here is simple: let’s not be<br />
hasty in writing off the expanded Best Picture<br />
nominee field after only a few years. Prior to<br />
2009 it was uncommon for movies that didn’t<br />
appeal to the niche tastes of film enthusiasts to<br />
receive much attention at the biggest awards<br />
ceremony in the world. Winners such as Titanic<br />
($601 million) and The Lord of the Rings: The<br />
Return of the King ($377 million) represent the<br />
rare instances where audiences’ and Hollywood’s<br />
opinions coalesced around the same<br />
hugely popular films, but typically, Oscar has<br />
a more balanced history of awarding smaller<br />
performers and mid-level box office hits.<br />
Now the nominee field allows for more of<br />
those types of hits. In turn, exhibitors can reap<br />
the box office benefits of under-the-radar movies<br />
crossing over into the mainstream, jaded<br />
enthusiasts can boast about artsy films gaining<br />
needed recognition, and general audiences can<br />
find something about the Oscars to hold their<br />
interest. That makes this year, arguably, the best<br />
example so far of how an expanded Best Picture<br />
field works to the benefit of all movie fans—<br />
not that that’s ever going to muzzle our inner<br />
critics, of course.<br />
Top Five Best Picture Winners<br />
$ Million Domestic Gross<br />
Titanic $600.8<br />
The Lord of the<br />
Rings: The Return<br />
of the King<br />
$377.0<br />
Forrest Gump $329.7<br />
Gladiator $187.7<br />
Dances with<br />
Wolves<br />
$184.2<br />
Bottom Five Best Picture Winners<br />
$ Million Domestic Gross<br />
The Hurt Locker $17.0<br />
The Last Emperor $44.0<br />
The Artist $44.7<br />
The Deer Hunter $49.0<br />
Amadeus $51.6<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 43
BIG<br />
PICTURE<br />
SHAILENE WOODLEY STARS IN<br />
44 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
PERSONALITY TEST<br />
The makers of Divergent provide BoxOffice with an<br />
inside look at the latest adaptation of a young-adult<br />
best seller<br />
By Daniel Loria<br />
<strong>Pro</strong>ducers Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher make a prolific<br />
producing team. The married couple will share their 12th<br />
producing credit on a feature film with Divergent, the bigscreen<br />
adaptation of Veronica Roth’s best-selling novel series.<br />
The story of how Divergent came to light begins well<br />
before the books’ success. <strong>Pro</strong>ducers on the film initially<br />
encountered the property before it flew off the young-adult<br />
shelves at bookstores across the country.<br />
“When we first bought it, it was an unheard-of manuscript<br />
by an unknown person,” explains Fisher, referring to the<br />
author Veronica Roth, who wrote Divergent as an undergraduate<br />
at Northwestern University.<br />
(continued on next page)<br />
OPENING MARCH 21, <strong>2014</strong><br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 45
BIG PICTURE > DIVERGENT<br />
“It was a manuscript by a young<br />
writer that was making the rounds,”<br />
adds Wick. “We read it and thought<br />
she was an incredibly fresh, original<br />
voice and natural storyteller.”<br />
The producing team was pleasantly<br />
surprised that, as Wick characterizes<br />
it, “a student sitting around<br />
a dorm would write a manuscript<br />
that was primitive in its emotional<br />
connection and also sophisticated in<br />
telling an emotional rite of passage<br />
in a kind of operatic story.” It didn’t<br />
take long before the producers<br />
approached Summit/Lionsgate to<br />
express their interest in the story.<br />
Divergent takes place in a futuristic<br />
Chicago where society has been<br />
divided into five different factions,<br />
separating the city’s residents<br />
according to specific personality<br />
traits. At the age of 16, all citizens<br />
take a test that reveals which faction<br />
they belong to. They then have the<br />
choice to join their newly revealed<br />
faction or stay with their family in<br />
their current one. When Tris Prior<br />
discovers she is Divergent, a person<br />
who doesn’t fit into any specific faction,<br />
she begins an odyssey that pits<br />
her against powerful people set out<br />
to eliminate all Divergent individuals<br />
from society.<br />
Lucy Fisher was drawn to the<br />
material instantly, she says, finding<br />
at its core “a young person writing<br />
about another young person finding<br />
their own identity.” Fisher emphasizes<br />
the story’s themes of self-discovery and identity that are universal<br />
for young people as they grapple with their own insecurities: “If I show<br />
people who I really am, will they like me or will they kill me?”<br />
Shailene Woodley, as<br />
Beatrice “Tris” Prior, is<br />
tested to determine her<br />
faction in futuristic Chicago<br />
Those themes clearly resonated in the highly competitive young-adult<br />
literary market as well, and Roth’s first novel was quickly catapulted to the<br />
top of the best-seller list. Summit/Lionsgate had already secured the film<br />
rights by that point. “We brought them the manuscript, they bought it<br />
and have been involved in every aspect of development, production, and<br />
distribution since,” says Wick.<br />
The project is in line with the studio’s recent blockbuster success after<br />
bringing the Hunger Games series to the big screen. “There’s no other studio<br />
that understands these type of films better and is more savvy at finding<br />
the audience for them,” says Wick.<br />
The release date is the most obvious strategy that Summit/Lionsgate<br />
is borrowing from the Hunger Games playbook. Divergent will open on<br />
<strong>March</strong> 21, the same weekend that made The Hunger Games a smash hit in<br />
2012, and a date that Fisher describes as, “the sweet spot after Christmas<br />
and before the big summer rush.”<br />
The calendar doesn’t guarantee success for the genre, however, a lesson<br />
that The Host learned the hard way with a $10.6 million opening weekend<br />
in the same frame last year. The Host was meant to continue the momentum<br />
stemming from the cross-quadrant appeal of author Stephenie<br />
Meyer’s Twilight series, but the project failed to gain any traction at the<br />
box office. The Host finished its run in North America with a disappointing<br />
$26.6 million haul.<br />
The Hunger Games might be the gold standard in terms of succeeding<br />
in the market, but recent box office<br />
misfires aimed at the same youngadult<br />
demographic loom ominously<br />
in the background. The Mortal Instruments:<br />
City of Bones had a similar<br />
box office performance as The Host,<br />
taking a $9.3 million opening weekend<br />
from late August and finishing<br />
with a $31.1 million tally in North<br />
America. Ender’s Game showed<br />
promise with a $27 million opening<br />
weekend in early November, but<br />
the sci-fi film was unable to post<br />
consistent holds at the box office<br />
and concluded its North American<br />
run with $61.7 million.<br />
The studio has faith that Divergent<br />
can thrive at the box office. A<br />
sequel, Insurgent, is scheduled to<br />
shoot this summer, with the studio<br />
aiming for a <strong>March</strong> 2015 release.<br />
<strong>Pro</strong>ducers on the film are also optimistic,<br />
noting the source material’s<br />
strength has proven itself in recent<br />
months.<br />
“When we made the movie, two<br />
of the books had been written and<br />
had sold two or three million copies,”<br />
explains Fisher. “By the time we<br />
finished the movie, the third book<br />
had already been released. The series<br />
will be at around 14 million in sales<br />
by the time the movie comes out.”<br />
That level of pre-awareness helps<br />
Divergent stand out in the marketplace,<br />
but the production team<br />
knew they needed to package the<br />
film with the right talent in order to<br />
make it a hit. Like The Hunger Games, Divergent looked at the independent<br />
circuit to find its young female star. Jennifer Lawrence broke through<br />
with her Academy Award–nominated performance in the independent<br />
drama Winter’s Bone, the Grand Jury winner for a dramatic film at the<br />
2010 Sundance Film Festival. Lawrence’s indie background proved she<br />
had the potential to become a mainstream star; The Hunger Games turned<br />
that potential into a reality.<br />
Shailene Woodley impressed critics and audiences alike with strong<br />
performances in Alexander Payne’s The Descendants and last year’s Sundance<br />
darling The Spectacular Now. The producers settled on Woodley as<br />
their lead on the same day they met her, immediately sensing her potential<br />
to become a star in her own right. Their search for the male lead, Four,<br />
would take them around the world before finding Theo James, a young<br />
English actor with the acting chops and leading-man looks necessary to<br />
play opposite Woodley.<br />
Creating the futuristic society of Divergent presented one of the biggest<br />
yet most appealing challenges for the producers. “It required a very high<br />
skill set,” explains Wick. “The director had to have a real nose for performance<br />
because it’s a character-driven movie. It’s also a movie that involves<br />
world creation, which necessitates the visual skills and intelligence to<br />
create a coherent world with science-fiction elements—a combination of<br />
utopia and dystopia. They have to pull that off along with an unusual mix<br />
of highly personal and epic elements.”<br />
Neil Burger won the job, bringing with him the experience of balancing<br />
intricate production design and a touch for nurturing performances in<br />
films like The Illusionist and Limitless.<br />
46 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
“I was drawn to this story of a young woman<br />
who goes from being very ordinary to being<br />
badass,” says Burger. “I also liked the themes<br />
of conformity: how one conforms to fit into a<br />
group or family, and the cost of not conforming<br />
to your society or community.”<br />
Burger shot the film on location in Chicago,<br />
using the city’s iconic skyline to lend Divergent<br />
the sort of verisimilitude usually absent from<br />
films in the genre. “We started by using Chicago<br />
as Chicago,” explains the director. “We used<br />
the monumental skyline that’s already there and<br />
augmented it in a futuristic way. We tried to<br />
keep everything as real as possible; 80 percent of<br />
what would be in the frame had to be real.”<br />
The producers hope to combine these<br />
elements to draw in audiences that aren’t already<br />
familiar with the book series, a key factor in the<br />
success of franchises like Harry Potter, Twilight,<br />
and The Hunger Games. Fisher says she trusts<br />
that the same attributes that helped the book<br />
become a hit will help the film find a wider<br />
audience.<br />
“So many people, not just girls but guys and<br />
women also, are drawn to these themes: How<br />
much can you reveal of yourself? What do you<br />
have to sacrifice to be your real self? Can you<br />
be more than one kind of person? Can you<br />
integrate all the aspects of your personality?”<br />
says Fisher. “Can you do all that and still get the<br />
guy?”<br />
Oscar-winner Kate Winslet<br />
costars as Jeanine Matthews,<br />
leader of the Erudite faction<br />
in Divergent<br />
NOVEMBER 2013 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 57<br />
ad.indd ads.indd 54 54<br />
6/6/13 10/4/13 7:44:53 AMPM<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 47<br />
ad.indd 54<br />
6/6/13 7:44 AM
COMING<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
n Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) brings<br />
the Old Testament (and Koran) story of the<br />
worldwide flood to the screen with a little<br />
help from Industrial Light and Magic, with<br />
Gladiator Russell Crowe as the 500-year-old<br />
grandson of Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins).<br />
Test screenings have seen mixed results and<br />
you’ll have to travel outside of North American<br />
if you want to see the earth destroyed<br />
in 3D.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Paramount Pictures CAST<br />
Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly DIRECTOR<br />
Darren Aronofsky WRITERS Darren Aronofsky,<br />
Ari Handel GENRE Biblical RATING TBD<br />
RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 28<br />
W I D E R E L E A S E S<br />
300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE<br />
3D<br />
n Delayed six months, this sequel to the 2007 Zach Snyder (Man<br />
of Steel) hit 300 fictionalizes the events surrounding the Battle of<br />
Artemisium during the second Persian invasion of Greece 2,500<br />
years ago. 300’s Rodrigo Santoro (above) returns as Xerxes, the<br />
God King.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Warner Bros. CAST Sullivan Stapleton, Rodrigo<br />
Santoro, Eva Green, Lena Headey DIRECTOR Noam Murro WRIT-<br />
ERS Zach Snyder, Kurt Johnstad GENRE Action | Drama | War<br />
RATING R for strong sustained sequences of stylized bloody<br />
violence throughout, a sex scene, nudity, and some language<br />
RUNNING TIME 102 min. RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 7<br />
3D<br />
MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN<br />
n Have you ever used Archive.org’s Wayback Machine? Ever<br />
wonder why it’s called that? This animated feature based on the<br />
Jay Ward television cartoon shorts Peabody’s Improbable History<br />
will answer your question. Ty Burrell voices the talking beagle, Mr.<br />
Peabody, who with his “pet boy” Sherman travel through time in<br />
Mr. Peabody’s invention, the WABAC, to meet famous men and<br />
women from history.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Fox CAST Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Stephen Colbert<br />
DIRECTOR Rob Minkoff WRITER Craig Wright GENRE Animation<br />
RATING PG for some mild action and brief rude humor RUNNING<br />
TIME 92 min. RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 7<br />
48 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
NEED FOR SPEED<br />
n Based on Electronic Arts’ spectacularly<br />
successful video game franchise, Need<br />
for Speed is banking on Breaking Bad’s<br />
Aaron Paul to carry this story of a man<br />
released from prison for a crime he didn’t<br />
commit, out to avenge the death of his<br />
friend. Michael Keaton appears as the<br />
reclusive organizer of illegal street races.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Disney CAST Aaron Paul,<br />
Dominic Cooper, Scott Mescudi DI-<br />
RECTOR Scott Waugh WRITERS George<br />
Gatins, John Gatins GENRE Action |<br />
Crime | Drama | Thriller RATING PG-13<br />
for sequences of reckless street racing,<br />
disturbing crash scenes, nudity,<br />
and crude language RUNNING TIME<br />
TBD RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 14<br />
THE SINGLE MOMS CLUB<br />
n Tyler Perry has written, directed, and acted in more than two dozen plays and films in the<br />
past eight years. Does this man ever sleep? His latest concerns the struggles of single women<br />
juggling children, life, and love who are thrown together as co-chairs of their children’s<br />
school fundraiser. They form a support group that they dub The Single Moms Club. Terry<br />
Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Perry himself appear as potential suitors.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Lionsgate CAST Nia Long, Amy Smart, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Zulay<br />
Henao, William Levy DIRECTOR/WRITER Tyler Perry GENRE Comedy | Drama RATING PG-<br />
13 for some sexual material and thematic elements RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE DATE<br />
<strong>March</strong> 14<br />
DIVERGENT<br />
n In a futuristic Chicago, people are divided<br />
into five distinct factions based on<br />
their personalities. Beatrice “Tris” Prior<br />
(Shailene Woodley) discovers that she<br />
is Divergent, meaning she does not fit<br />
into any one faction, and soon uncovers<br />
a sinister plot brewing in her seemingly<br />
perfect society. Divergent aims to be the<br />
latest in dystopian film franchises. For<br />
more, see this month’s Big Picture.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Summit CAST Shailene<br />
Woodley, Theo James, Zoë Kravitz<br />
DIRECTOR Neil Burger WRITER Evan<br />
Daugherty, Vanessa Taylor GENRE<br />
Action | Adventure | Romance | Sci-Fi<br />
RATING TBD RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE<br />
DATE <strong>March</strong> 21<br />
MUPPETS MOST WANTED<br />
n Jim Henson’s famed creations go on a European tour, selling out the grand theaters of<br />
London, Berlin, and Madrid. Unfortunately, Kermit bears an uncanny resemblance to the<br />
World’s Number One Criminal, Constantine (also played by Kermit), thus entangling the<br />
Muppets in international crime and intrigue. Tina Fey appears as a Russian gulag officer.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Disney CAST Kermit, Miss Piggy, Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell DIREC-<br />
TOR James Bobin WRITERS James Bobin, Nicholas Stoller GENRE Adventure | Comedy |<br />
Crime | Family | Musical RATING PG for some mild action RUNNING TIME 112 min. RELEASE<br />
DATE <strong>March</strong> 21<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 49
COMING THIS MONTH > LIMITED RELEASES<br />
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL<br />
n Set in a fantasy version of 1920s Europe,<br />
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a tale told in three<br />
timelines. To highlight this storytelling device,<br />
Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom) has shot<br />
the film in three aspect ratios: 1.33 (which<br />
is featured in the colorful trailer), 1.85, and<br />
2.35. The story concerns a concierge who has<br />
been left a valuable painting in the will of<br />
an elderly—and very murdered—one-night<br />
stand, and the efforts of her son to frame him<br />
for the killiing.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Fox Searchlight Pictures CAST<br />
Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham DIREC-<br />
TOR/WRITER Wes Anderson GENRE Comedy |<br />
Drama RATING R for language, some sexual<br />
content, and violence RUNNING TIME 100 min.<br />
RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 7<br />
A FAREWELL TO FOOLS<br />
n A German soldier is found dead near a<br />
village, and the local authorities must finger<br />
the culprit or they will all be shot by Nazis<br />
the next morning. Ipu (Gérard Depardieu),<br />
the madman of the village, is pressured by<br />
the town’s leaders to claim responsibility for<br />
the soldier’s death and die to absolve them of<br />
any guilt. A Farewell to Fools is a farce seen<br />
through the eyes of a young village boy, and<br />
the audience witnesses the comedy and horror<br />
of human nature as the villagers manipulate<br />
one another—even the ones you’d least expect.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Monterey Media CAST Gérard<br />
Depardieu, Harvey Keitel DIRECTOR Bogdan<br />
Dreyer WRITER Anusavan Salamanian GENRE<br />
Comedy | Drama | War RATING PG-13 for a<br />
violent image and brief strong language<br />
RUNNING TIME 85 min. RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 7<br />
GRAND PIANO<br />
n An English-language Spanish thriller, Grand<br />
Piano has a plot that is as simple as it is sinister:<br />
a concert pianist (Elijah Wood) who has<br />
been suffering from debilitating stage fright<br />
finally returns to the concert hall. During a<br />
Chicago performance he turns the page of the<br />
score in mid-arpeggio to discover a frightening<br />
message: miss a note and you and your wife<br />
will die. In a manner too complicated to describe<br />
here, the musician procures an earpiece<br />
so that the killer can speak to him during<br />
the concert. The film had a nice reception at<br />
Fantastic Fest in Austin in late 2013.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Magnet CAST Elijah Wood, John<br />
Cusack, Tamsin Egerton DIRECTOR Eugenio<br />
Mira WRITER Damien Chazelle GENRE Mystery<br />
| Thriller RATING R for some language RUN-<br />
NING TIME 90 min. RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 7<br />
3D<br />
JOURNEY TO THE WEST:<br />
CONQUERING THE DEMONS<br />
n A gigantic hit in China with a homegrown<br />
gross of over $200 million to date, actor/director/stunt<br />
performer Stephen Chow (Kung<br />
Fu Hustle) brings the classic Chinese novel to<br />
the screen as an action comedy. This is Chow’s<br />
first directorial effort that does not feature<br />
himself in a starring role but does feature<br />
characters named the Monkey King, Almighty<br />
Foot, Master Nameless, Fist of the North Star,<br />
and Killers One and Two.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Magnet CAST Huang Bo, Shu Qi,<br />
Wen Zhang DIRECTORS Stephen Chow, Derek<br />
Kok GENRE Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy<br />
RATING PG-13 for fantasy violence including<br />
bloody images, some sexual content, and<br />
partial nudity RUNNING TIME 110 min. RELEASE<br />
DATE <strong>March</strong> 7<br />
50 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
ON MY WAY<br />
n Bettie (Catherine Deneuve) is an aging<br />
former beauty queen with an estranged family.<br />
She loves a married businessman who always<br />
told her he would divorce his wife in order<br />
to marry her. But when he files for divorce,<br />
Bettie discovers that it is actually because he<br />
is also having an affair with another much<br />
younger woman. When she goes out to run<br />
some errands, she impulsively decides to leave<br />
her former life behind. She takes her car and<br />
just keeps on driving.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Wild Bunch Films CAST Catherine<br />
Deneuve, Gérard Garouste DIRECTOR<br />
Emmanuelle Bercot WRITERS Emmanuelle<br />
Bercot, Jérôme Tonnerre GENRE Drama RAT-<br />
ING TBD RUNNING TIME 116 min. RELEASE DATE<br />
<strong>March</strong> 7<br />
THE FACE OF LOVE<br />
n Annette Bening stars as Nikki in Israeli<br />
director Arie Posin’s story of a widow who falls<br />
in love with a man (Ed Harris) who bears an<br />
impossible resemblance to her late husband.<br />
Posin based the story on his own mother’s<br />
experience of seeing a man crossing a street<br />
who resembled her late husband. Robin Williams<br />
appears as a neighbor who has feelings<br />
for Nikki. In a nod to its filmic inspiration,<br />
a poster of Hitchcock’s Vertigo appears in the<br />
movie on the wall of a character’s home.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR IFC Films CAST Robin Williams,<br />
Annette Bening, Ed Harris DIRECTOR Arie<br />
Posin WRITERS Arie Posin, Matthew McDuffie<br />
GENRE Drama | Romance RATING PG-13 for<br />
brief drug references RUNNING TIME 92 min.<br />
RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 7<br />
ENEMY<br />
n Following along on The Face of Love’s dopplegänger<br />
theme, Enemy stars Jake Gyllenhaal<br />
as a man who sees his exact double in a movie<br />
and attempts to seek him out. Gyllenhaal plays<br />
the dual roles of Adam, a dull college professor<br />
with a beautiful girlfriend (Mélanie Laurent of<br />
Inglourious Basterds) and the sexually aggresive<br />
actor Daniel Saint Claire. An enigmatic puzzle,<br />
Enemy, based on The Double by Nobel laureate<br />
José Saramago, premiered to positive notices at<br />
the Toronto International Film Festival.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR A24 CAST Jake Gyllenhaal,<br />
Mélanie Laurent, Isabella Rossellini DIRECTOR<br />
Denis Villeneuve WRITER Javier Gullón GENRE<br />
Thriller RATING R for some strong sexual<br />
content, graphic nudity, and language RUN-<br />
NING TIME 90 min. RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 14<br />
ONE CHANCE<br />
n If you go to YouTube and search for “Paul<br />
Potts Britain’s Got Talent” you will find the<br />
4:10 clip (with 120 million votes to date)<br />
that inspired this movie. Potts, the first winner<br />
of the talent show, was an amateur opera<br />
singer who worked in a cell phone store but<br />
had dreams of life on the operatic stage. This<br />
lighthearted retelling of his rise from shop<br />
assistant to international recording artist stars<br />
Tony-winner James Corden (BBC’s Gavin<br />
and Stacey) as Potts (lip-synching Potts’s actual<br />
singing voice).<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Weinstein CAST James Corden,<br />
Julie Walters, Colm Meaney DIRECTOR David<br />
Frankel WRITER Justin Zachham GENRE Biography<br />
| Comedy | Drama RATING PG-13 for<br />
some language and sexual material RUNNING<br />
TIME 103 min. RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 14<br />
BAD WORDS<br />
n Guy Trilby (Jason Bateman), a 40-year-old high school dropout, gets his revenge by finding a<br />
loophole and attempting to win a spelling bee as an adult. Along the way, he befriends a female<br />
reporter and a young Indian contestant whom he exposes to the wilder side of life. The R-rated,<br />
red-band trailer has been popular online, and the script for Bateman’s first directoral effort<br />
has been highly regarded in the Hollywood community being compared to Bad Santa, a very<br />
positive sign.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Focus Features CAST Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, Rachael Harris DIRECTOR<br />
Jason Bateman WRITER Andrew Dodge GENRE Comedy RATING R for crude and sexual content,<br />
language, and brief nudity RUNNING TIME 88 min. RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 14<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 51
COMING THIS MONTH > LIMITED RELEASES<br />
VERONICA MARS<br />
n One of the most successful Kickstarter<br />
campaigns ever, with $5,702,153 raised from<br />
91,585 backers, Rob Thomas’s cult television<br />
series moves to the big screen seven years<br />
removed from its original UPN/CW network<br />
run. Kristen Bell (Frozen) returns as the amateur<br />
sleuth with her boyfriend Logan Echolls<br />
(played by series regular Jason Dohring) who<br />
is accused—once again—of murder.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Warner Bros. CAST Kristen Bell,<br />
Jason Dohring, Krysten Ritter DIRECTOR Rob<br />
Thomas WRITERS Rob Thomas, Diane Ruggiero<br />
GENRE Comedy | Crime | Drama RATING<br />
PG-13 for sexuality including references,<br />
drug content, violence, and some strong<br />
language RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE DATE<br />
<strong>March</strong> 14<br />
THE ART OF THE STEAL<br />
n Crunch Calhoun (Kurt Russell) is a motorcycle<br />
daredevil and semireformed art thief<br />
who agrees to pull off just one more heist<br />
with his brother, Nicky (Matt Dillon). When<br />
Calhoun gets his old team back together to<br />
steal a priceless historical book, the plan leads<br />
to another riskier plan formed by Nicky. The<br />
two brothers don’t realize that each one has his<br />
own hidden agenda and their plans go awry.<br />
Comic actor Jason Jones (The Daily Show)<br />
makes an appearance as an Interpol agent on<br />
the gang’s trail.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Darius Films CAST Kurt Russell,<br />
Jay Baruchel, Katheryn Winnick DIRECTOR/<br />
WRITER Jonathan Sobol GENRE Comedy<br />
RATING R for language throughout including<br />
some sexual references RUNNING TIME 90<br />
min. RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 14<br />
THE RIGHT KIND OF WRONG<br />
n Leo Palamino (Ryan Kwanten, True Blood)<br />
is a failed-writer-turned-dishwasher made<br />
famous for his many flaws and shortcomings<br />
in a blog called Why You Suck, a huge<br />
Internet success written by his ex-wife. Then<br />
Leo meets Colette (Sara Canning, Primeval:<br />
New World), the girl of his dreams…on the<br />
day she is marrying the perfect man. And so,<br />
the ultimate underdog story begins as Leo, a<br />
fearless dreamer, risks all to show Colette and<br />
the whole wide world all that is right with a<br />
man famous for being wrong.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Magnolia CAST Ryan Kwanten,<br />
Will Sasso, Catherine O’Hara DIRECTOR<br />
Jeremiah S. Chechik WRITERS Megan Martin,<br />
Tim Sandlin GENRE Comedy | Romance RAT-<br />
ING TBD RUNNING TIME 97 min. RELEASE DATE<br />
<strong>March</strong> 14<br />
U WANT ME 2 KILL HIM?<br />
n When 16-year-old Mark, a handsome and<br />
popular boy, meets local girl Rachel on the<br />
Internet, he quickly finds himself in an intense<br />
online relationship. Besotted, he will do anything<br />
for her—even befriend and defend her<br />
bullied, loner brother, John. When Rachel,<br />
who is trapped in an abusive relationship, is<br />
murdered, Mark and John are determined<br />
to avenge her death. Their actions draw the<br />
attention of a female MI5 agent as they unwittingly<br />
stumble into an ongoing operation.<br />
Soon Mark is recruited to commit a devastating<br />
crime, one that made British legal history.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Tribeca CAST Jamie Blackley,<br />
Toby Regbo, Joanne Froggatt DIRECTOR<br />
Andrew Douglas WRITER Mike Walden GENRE<br />
Drama | Thriller RATING TBD RUNNING TIME 92<br />
min. RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 14<br />
52 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
BLOOD TIES<br />
n After being released from prison, Chris<br />
(Clive Owen) tries to go straight, but is unable<br />
to start a new life and returns to his criminal<br />
ways. This puts him in direct conflict with his<br />
brother Frank (Billy Crudup), a New York<br />
cop. This Brooklyn-based thriller set in the<br />
’70s is a remake of the 2008 French film Les<br />
liens du sang by Jacques Maillot and premiered<br />
at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. And if you<br />
want your film to have that authentic ’70s<br />
vibe you, of course, cast James Caan.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Rogue CAST Clive Owen, Billy<br />
Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis, Zoe<br />
Saldana DIRECTOR Guillaume Canet WRITERS<br />
Guillaume Canet, James Gray GENRE Crime<br />
| Drama | Thriller RATING TBD RUNNING TIME<br />
144 min. RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 21<br />
CHEAP THRILLS<br />
n Craig is an auto mechanic who loses his<br />
job. He is unable to pay his rent and after<br />
seeing the eviction sign, he goes to a bar,<br />
where he meets someone from his old high<br />
school, Vince. A rich couple, Colin (Anchorman’s<br />
David Koechner) and Violet, give them<br />
money for completing certain tasks. The tasks<br />
are simple at first, but they later become violent.<br />
Fearnet says, “Cheap Thrills breezes by on<br />
a twisted idea, a fantastic cast and a bunch of<br />
ethical quandaries that are…eerily uncomfortable<br />
and slyly fascinating…”<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Drafthouse CAST Pat Healy,<br />
Sara Paxton, Ethan Embry DIRECTOR E.L.<br />
Katz WRITERS Trent Haaga, David Chirchirillo<br />
GENRE Thriller RATING TBD RUNNING TIME 85<br />
min. RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 21<br />
MALADIES<br />
n In addition to appearing in almost every<br />
movie coming out in <strong>2014</strong>, James Franco<br />
stars in this drama directed by Carter, the<br />
New York photographer/artist working from<br />
his own script. Franco had earlier appeared in<br />
the unusual Carter film Erased James Franco,<br />
which feartured the actor acting out scenes<br />
from his entire oeuvre. Maladies concerns a<br />
talented and successful actor (Franco) who retires<br />
at a young age due to a perceived mental<br />
illness and moves to a small town to live with<br />
his deranged sister and his best friend. The<br />
audience watches as their maladies intertwine.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Tribeca CAST James Franco,<br />
Catherine Keener, Fallon Goodson DIREC-<br />
TOR/WRITER Carter GENRE Drama RATING TBD<br />
Harkness_Android_iPad_Ad_half 7.25x4.75" (Box_Office_USA):Layout 1 02/10/2013 10:34 Page RUNNING 1 TIME 96 min. RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 21<br />
3D Screen Simulation<br />
Comes To Android!<br />
DIGITAL SCREEN MODELLER<br />
The number one screen choice of exhibitors<br />
Experts in screen technology and light on screen for over 80 years<br />
For more information visit: www.harkness‐screens.com<br />
TM<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 53
WANNA WIN YOUR<br />
OFFICE OSCAR ®<br />
LAUNCHES INDIE<br />
FOCUS<br />
$6.95<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2014</strong><br />
George Clooney on the<br />
set of his war drama<br />
BOXOFFICE ® MEDIA<br />
CHAIRMAN<br />
Peter Cane<br />
CEO<br />
Julien Marcel<br />
EXECUTIVE EDITOR /<br />
CREATIVE DIRECTOR<br />
Kenneth James Bacon<br />
BOXOFFICE ® PRO<br />
INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTORS<br />
Patrick Corcoran<br />
John Fithian<br />
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS<br />
Daniel Garris<br />
Daniel Loria<br />
Shawn Robbins<br />
Michael White<br />
BoxOffice® <strong>Pro</strong> available<br />
FREE each month on<br />
the iPad featuring news,<br />
features and daily updates<br />
of box office<br />
grosses<br />
$6.95<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2014</strong><br />
MARCUS THEATRES<br />
LAUNCHES INDIE<br />
FOCUS<br />
NATO’S IN-THEATER<br />
MARKETING<br />
GUIDELINES TAKE<br />
EFFECT<br />
LAUDED BRAZILIAN<br />
FILMMAKER<br />
REBOOTS ROBOCOP<br />
WANNA WIN YOUR<br />
OFFICE OSCAR ®<br />
POOL? WE’VE GOT<br />
YOUR BALLOT AND<br />
OUR PICKS<br />
PROTECT YOUR<br />
BUSINESS FROM<br />
CREDIT/DEBIT CARD<br />
THEFT<br />
AND<br />
GEORGE<br />
George Clooney on the<br />
set of his war drama<br />
The Monuments Men<br />
The Monument Man<br />
The Official Magazine Of The naTiOnal assOciaTiOn Of TheaTre Owners<br />
The Official Magazine Of The naTiOnal assOciaTiOn Of TheaTre Owners<br />
COPY EDITOR<br />
Laura Silver<br />
The Monument Man<br />
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT<br />
Ally Bacon<br />
BOXOFFICE.COM<br />
EDITOR<br />
Phil Contrino<br />
OVERSEAS EDITOR<br />
Daniel Loria<br />
FORUMS EDITOR<br />
Shawn Robbins<br />
NORTH AMERICAN GROSSES EDITOR<br />
Daniel Garris<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
VP OF ADVERTISING<br />
Susan Uhrlass<br />
9107 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 450<br />
Beverly Hills, CA 90210<br />
susan@boxoffice.com<br />
310-876-9090<br />
SUBSCRIPTIONS<br />
Lucia Borja<br />
Stark Services<br />
12444 Victory Blvd., 3rd Floor<br />
North Hollywood, CA 91606<br />
lucia@starkservices.com<br />
818-985-2003<br />
CORPORATE<br />
BoxOffice Media<br />
11911 San Vicente Blvd., Ste. 355<br />
Los Angeles, CA 90049<br />
corporate@boxoffic.com<br />
THEFT<br />
CREDIT/DEBIT CARD<br />
PROTECT YOUR<br />
BoxOffice® <strong>Pro</strong>, now in its 94th year, is the official magazine of the<br />
National Association of Theatre Owners and is delivered FREE<br />
FROM<br />
BUSINESS<br />
PICKS<br />
OUR AND<br />
BALLOT YOUR<br />
GOT<br />
WE’VE POOL?<br />
REBOOTS ROBOCOP<br />
FILMMAKER<br />
LAUDED BRAZILIAN<br />
Not a member? Join! In the meantime, you can subscribe NOW to the industry’s<br />
EFFECT<br />
oldest and most trusted publication. Subscribing is simple: just point your browser to<br />
TAKE<br />
GUIDELINES MARKETING<br />
NATO’S IN-THEATER<br />
BoxOffice.com, scroll down, and click on the subscribe button.<br />
BOXOFFICE.COM<br />
AND<br />
to all members.<br />
THEATRES<br />
MARCUS<br />
There are three subscription options:<br />
12 issues $59.95 / 24 issues $89.95 / 36 issues $109.95<br />
(international rates available)<br />
subscribe online: www.boxoffice.com/subscribe<br />
by phone: 818-286-3108<br />
or send your check to:<br />
BoxOffice <strong>Pro</strong>, P. O. Box 16015, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6015<br />
TO JOIN NATO, GO TO NATOONLINE.ORG<br />
The Monuments Men<br />
BoxOffice’s WebWatch Data<br />
Your customers are buzzing on the Internet about which movies they<br />
want to see—and which ones they don’t. Use our subscription service<br />
to predict Hollywood’s hits and misses before they hit your theater.<br />
Facebook and Twitter Tracking<br />
Follow our daily tracking of activity on these two wildly popular social<br />
media sites.<br />
News-Reeling?<br />
Let BoxOffice.com digest all the reports and rumors for you! Check<br />
our site daily for breaking industry news.<br />
GEORGE<br />
BOXOFFICE ® PRO (ISSN 0006-8527), Volume 150, Number 3, <strong>March</strong> <strong>2014</strong>. BOXOFFICE ® PRO is published monthly by BoxOffice Media, LLC, 11911 San Vicente Blvd., Ste. 355, Los<br />
Angeles, CA 90049, USA. corporate@boxoffice.com. www.boxoffice.com. Basic annual subscription rate is $59.95. Periodicals postage paid at Beverly Hills, CA, and at additional<br />
mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to BOXOFFICE PRO, P.O. Box 16015, North Hollywood,<br />
CA 91615-6015. © Copyright 2013. BoxOffice Media, LLC. All rights reserved. SUBSCRIPTION CUSTOMER SERVICE: BOXOFFICE PRO, P.O. Box 16015, North Hollywood, CA<br />
91615-6015, USA, Phone (818) 286-3108, Fax (800) 869-0040, bxpcs@magserv.com, www.boxoffice.com. BoxOffice ® is a registered trademark of BoxOffice Media LLC.<br />
54 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
ROB THE MOB<br />
n Small-timers Tommy and Rosie have two<br />
things in common: a crazy love for one another<br />
and prison records. Trying to go straight,<br />
Rosie lands a job at a debt-collection agency<br />
and persuades Tommy to join her. But soon<br />
Tommy is skipping his shifts to do something<br />
much more interesting—attend the landmark<br />
trial of Mafia hit man Sammy Gravano, whose<br />
graphic testimony could finally bring down<br />
flamboyant Gambino-family boss John Gotti.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Millennium CAST Michael Pitt,<br />
Nina Arianda, Ray Romano DIRECTOR Raymond<br />
De Felitta WRITER Jonathan Fernandez<br />
GENRE Crime | Drama RATING R for pervasive<br />
language, some sexual material, and brief<br />
drug use RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE DATE<br />
<strong>March</strong> 21<br />
CESAR CHAVEZ<br />
n Set in the ’70s, the film follows Cesar<br />
Chavez’s efforts to organize 50,000 farm<br />
workers in California, many of whom were<br />
braceros—temporary workers from Mexico permitted<br />
to live and work in the United States in<br />
agriculture and required to return home if they<br />
stopped working. Working conditions are poor<br />
for the braceros, who also suffer from racism<br />
and brutality at the hands of the employers and<br />
the locals. John Malkovich, as an inductrial<br />
grape farmer, opposes Chavez’s efforts.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR Panorama Media CAST Michael<br />
Peña, America Ferrera, Rosario Dawson<br />
DIRECTOR Diego Luna WRITER Keir Pearson<br />
GENRE Biography RATING PG-13 for some<br />
violence and language RUNNING TIME TBD<br />
RELEASE DATE <strong>March</strong> 28<br />
FINDING VIVIAN MAIER<br />
n Vivian Maier was an American street<br />
photographer from New York, though it was<br />
in France that Maier spent most of her youth.<br />
Maier returned to the U.S. in 1951 at age 25,<br />
where she took up work as a nanny and began<br />
to venture into photography. Consistently<br />
taking photos over the course of five decades,<br />
she would ultimately leave over 100,000<br />
negatives. Maier would further indulge in her<br />
passionate devotion to documenting the world<br />
around her through homemade films, recordings,<br />
and collections, assembling windows into<br />
American life.<br />
DISTRIBUTOR IFC Films DIRECTORS/WRITERS<br />
John Maloof, Charlie Siskel GENRE Documentary<br />
RATING PG RUNNING TIME 84 min. RELEASE<br />
DATE <strong>March</strong> 28<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 55
BOOKING<br />
GUIDE<br />
compiled by Daniel Garris<br />
TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS<br />
DISNEY 818-560-1000 / Ask for Distribution<br />
NEED FOR SPEED Fri, 3/14/14 WIDE Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper Scott Waugh PG-13 Act<br />
3D/Dolby Atmos/<br />
Quad<br />
MUPPETS MOST WANTED Fri, 3/21/14 WIDE Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey James Bobin PG Adv/Com/Fam Dolby Dig<br />
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER<br />
SOLDIER<br />
Fri, 4/4/14 WIDE<br />
BEARS Fri, 4/18/14 WIDE John C. Reilly<br />
Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson<br />
Anthony Russo, Joe<br />
Russo<br />
Alastair Fothergill, Keith<br />
Scholey<br />
NR Act/Adv 3D/IMAX/Dolby Dig<br />
NR Doc Dolby Dig<br />
MILLION DOLLAR ARM Fri, 5/16/14 WIDE Jon Hamm, Aasif Mandvi Craig Gillespie PG Dra/Sport Dolby Dig<br />
MALEFICENT Fri, 5/30/14 WIDE Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning Robert Stromberg NR Adv/Fan 3D/Dolby Dig<br />
PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE Fri, 7/18/14 WIDE Dane Cook Bobs Gannaway NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D/Dolby Dig<br />
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Fri, 8/1/14 WIDE Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana James Gunn NR Act/Adv/SF 3D<br />
THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY Fri, 8/8/14 WIDE Helen Mirren, Manish Dayal Lasse Hallström NR Dra<br />
ALEXANDER & THE TERRIBLE, HORRI-<br />
BLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY<br />
Fri, 10/10/14 WIDE Ed Oxenbould, Steve Carell Miguel Arteta NR Com/Fam<br />
BIG HERO 6 Fri, 11/7/14 WIDE Don Hall, Chris Williams NR Ani/Act/Adv 3D<br />
MCFARLAND Fri, 11/21/14 WIDE Kevin Costner, Maria Bello Niki Caro NR Dra/Sport<br />
INTO THE WOODS Thu, 12/25/14 WIDE Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp Rob Marshall NR Mus/Fan<br />
CINDERELLA Fri, 3/13/15 WIDE Lily James, Richard Madden Kenneth Branagh NR Adv/Dra/Fan<br />
FOCUS FEATURES Mingun Kim / 818-777-3071<br />
BAD WORDS Fri, 3/14/14 LTD. Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn Jason Bateman R Com Dolby Dig<br />
THE BOXTROLLS Fri, 9/26/14 WIDE Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright<br />
Graham Annable,<br />
Anthony Stacchi<br />
NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D/Dolby Dig<br />
SELFLESS Fri, 2/27/15 WIDE Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez Tarsem Singh NR SF/Thr<br />
FOX 310-369-1000 / 212-556-2400<br />
MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN Fri, 3/7/14 WIDE Ty Burrell, Max Charles Rob Minkoff PG Ani/Com/Fam 3D/Dolby Atmos<br />
The Sweet Sound of Saving Money...<br />
Average Savings of More Than 50%<br />
on Entire Sound System<br />
3 year warranty. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed<br />
$<br />
$ $<br />
$ $ $<br />
$<br />
$ $ $ $<br />
$ $ $<br />
Stetson Snell<br />
stetsonsnell@enparaudio.com<br />
505-615-2913<br />
Audio<br />
56 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
BOOKING GUIDE<br />
TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS<br />
RIO 2 Fri, 4/11/14 WIDE Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg Carlos Saldanha NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D/Dolby Atmos<br />
THE OTHER WOMAN Fri, 4/25/14 WIDE Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann Nick Cassavetes NR Com Dolby Dig<br />
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST Fri, 5/23/14 WIDE Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy Bryan Singer NR Act/Adv 3D/Dolby Atmos<br />
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS Fri, 6/6/14 WIDE Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort Josh Boone NR Dra/Rom Dolby Dig<br />
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 Fri, 6/13/14 WIDE Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler Dean DeBlois NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D<br />
DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Fri, 7/11/14 WIDE Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman Matt Reeves NR Act/SF 3D/Dolby Atmos<br />
LET’S BE COPS Wed, 8/13/14 WIDE Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr. Luke Greenfield NR Act/Com<br />
THE MAZE RUNNER Fri, 9/19/14 WIDE Dylan O’Brien, Will Poulter Wes Ball NR SF/Thr<br />
GONE GIRL Fri, 10/3/14 WIDE Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike David Fincher NR Dra/Thr<br />
BOOK OF LIFE Fri, 10/17/14 WIDE Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana Jorge R. Gutierrez NR Ani/Adv<br />
UNTITLED VINCE VAUGHN MOVIE Fri, 10/24/14 WIDE Vince Vaughn, Tom Wilkinson Ken Scott NR Com<br />
HOME Wed, 11/26/14 WIDE Jim Parsons, Rihanna Tim Johnson NR Ani/Adv/SF 3D<br />
EXODUS Fri, 12/12/14 WIDE Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton Ridley Scott NR Dra<br />
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 3 Fri, 12/19/14 WIDE Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson Shawn Levy NR Adv/Com/Fam<br />
FRANKENSTEIN Fri, 1/16/15 WIDE Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy Paul McGuigan NR Hor/SF<br />
POLTERGEIST Fri, 2/13/15 WIDE Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt Gil Kenan NR Hor/Thr<br />
THE SECRET SERVICE Fri, 3/6/15 WIDE Colin Firth, Taron Egerton Matthew Vaughn NR Act/Thr<br />
THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR Fri, 3/27/15 WIDE Tom McGrath, John DiMaggio Simon J. Smith NR Ani/Com/Fam 3D<br />
FOX SEARCHLIGHT 212-556-2400<br />
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Fri, 3/7/14 LTD. Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori Wes Anderson R Com/Dra<br />
DOM HEMINGWAY Fri, 4/4/14 LTD. Jude Law, Richard E. Grant Richard Shepard R Com/Cri/Dra<br />
BELLE Fri, 5/2/14 LTD. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson Amma Asante PG Dra Dolby Dig<br />
THE DROP Fri, 9/19/14 LTD. Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace Michaël R. Roskam R Cri/Dra<br />
LIONSGATE / 310-309-8400<br />
THE SINGLE MOMS CLUB Fri, 3/14/14 WIDE Nia Long, Wendi McLendon-Covey Tyler Perry PG-13 Com/Dra<br />
DIVERGENT Fri, 3/21/14 WIDE Shailene Woodley, Theo James Neil Burger NR Act/Adv/SF IMAX/Dolby Dig<br />
CESAR CHAVEZ Fri, 3/28/14 MOD. Michael Peña, America Ferrera Diego Luna PG-13 Dra<br />
DRAFT DAY Fri, 4/11/14 WIDE Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner Ivan Reitman PG-13 Dra/Sport<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 57
BOOKING GUIDE<br />
TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS<br />
THE QUIET ONES Fri, 4/25/14 WIDE Jared Harris, Sam Claflin John Pogue PG-13 Hor<br />
STEP UP ALL IN Fri, 7/25/14 WIDE Ryan Guzman, Briana Evigan Trish Sie NR Dra/Rom/Dance 3D<br />
THE EXPENDABLES 3 Fri, 8/15/14 WIDE Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham Patrick Hughes NR Act/Adv<br />
JESSABELLE Fri, 8/29/14 WIDE Sarah Snook, Mark Webber Kevin Greutert PG-13 Hor/Thr<br />
ADDICTED Fri, 9/5/14 WIDE Sharon Leal, Boris Kodjoe Bille Woodruff NR Dra<br />
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY<br />
- PART 1<br />
Fri, 11/21/14 WIDE Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson Francis Lawrence NR Act/Adv/SF IMAX<br />
NORM OF THE NORTH Fri, 1/16/15 WIDE Rob Schneider, Ken Jeong Anthony Bell NR Ani/Com/Fam 3D<br />
LAZARUS Fri, 1/30/15 WIDE Olivia Wilde, Mark Duplass David Gelb NR Hor/Thr<br />
INSURGENT Fri, 3/20/15 WIDE Shailene Woodley, Theo James NR Act/Adv/SF<br />
OPEN ROAD FILMS 310-696-7504<br />
SABOTAGE<br />
Fri, 3/28/14 WIDE<br />
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington<br />
David Ayer R Act/Cri/Thr Dolby Dig<br />
A HAUNTED HOUSE 2 Fri, 4/18/14 WIDE Marlon Wayans, Jaime Pressly Michael Tiddes NR Com/Hor Dolby Dig<br />
CHEF Fri, 5/9/14 WIDE Jon Favreau, Sofía Vergara Jon Favreau NR Com<br />
THE GREEN INFERNO Fri, 9/5/14 WIDE Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy Eli Roth R Hor/Thr<br />
PARAMOUNT 323-956-5000<br />
NOAH Fri, 3/28/14 WIDE Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly Darren Aronofsky NR Adv/Dra IMAX<br />
TRANSFORMERS:<br />
AGE OF EXTINCTION<br />
Fri, 6/27/14 WIDE Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz Michael Bay NR Act/Adv/SF<br />
HERCULES Fri, 7/25/14 WIDE Dwayne Johnson, Rufus Sewell Brett Ratner NR Act/Adv Quad<br />
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Fri, 8/8/14 WIDE Megan Fox, William Fichtner Jonathan Liebesman NR Act/Adv<br />
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 5 Fri, 10/24/14 WIDE Gregory Plotkin NR Hor<br />
INTERSTELLAR<br />
Fri, 11/7/14 WIDE<br />
Matthew McConaughey, Anne<br />
Hathaway<br />
Christopher Nolan NR SF IMAX<br />
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2 Thu, 12/25/14 WIDE Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson Steve Pink R Com<br />
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS 2 Fri, 2/13/15 WIDE Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke Paul Tibbitt NR Ani/Com/Fam<br />
FRIDAY THE 13TH Fri, 3/13/15 WIDE NR Hor<br />
3D/IMAX/Dolby<br />
Atmos<br />
58 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
BOOKING GUIDE<br />
TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS<br />
RELATIVITY Mara Buxbaum / 323-822-4800 / relativity@id-pr.com<br />
OCULUS Fri, 4/11/14 WIDE Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites Mike Flanagan R Hor<br />
BRICK MANSIONS Fri, 4/25/14 WIDE Paul Walker, David Belle Camille Delamarre NR Act/Cri/Thr<br />
EARTH TO ECHO Wed, 7/2/14 WIDE Teo Halm, Astro Dave Green PG Adv/Fam<br />
JANE GOT A GUN Fri, 8/29/14 WIDE Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor Gavin O’Connor NR Wes/Act<br />
THE BEST OF ME Fri, 10/17/14 WIDE Michelle Monaghan, James Marsden Michael Hoffman NR Dra/Rom<br />
BLACKBIRD Fri, 11/14/14 WIDE Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker Gina Prince-Bythewood NR Dra<br />
SONY 212-833-8500<br />
HEAVEN IS FOR REAL Wed, 4/16/14 WIDE Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly Randall Wallace PG Dra/Fam Quad<br />
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 Fri, 5/2/14 WIDE Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone Marc Webb NR Act/Adv<br />
3D/IMAX/Quad/<br />
Dolby Atmos<br />
MOMS’ NIGHT OUT Fri, 5/9/14 WIDE Sarah Drew, Sean Astin<br />
Andrew Erwin, Jon<br />
Erwin<br />
PG Com<br />
22 JUMP STREET Fri, 6/13/14 WIDE Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill Phil Lord, Chris Miller NR Act/Com Quad<br />
THINK LIKE A MAN TOO Fri, 6/20/14 WIDE Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy Tim Story NR Rom/Com<br />
DELIVER US FROM EVIL Wed, 7/2/14 WIDE Eric Bana, Olivia Munn Scott Derrickson NR Cri/Hor/Thr<br />
SEX TAPE Fri, 7/25/14 WIDE Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel Jake Kasdan NR Com<br />
WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL Fri, 8/22/14 WIDE Jim Caviezel, Laura Dern Thomas Carter NR Dra/Sport<br />
NO GOOD DEED Fri, 9/12/14 WIDE Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson Sam Miller NR Dra/Thr<br />
THE EQUALIZER Fri, 9/26/14 WIDE Denzel Washington, Chloë Grace Moretz Antoine Fuqua NR Act/Thr<br />
THE INTERVIEW Fri, 10/10/14 WIDE Seth Rogen, James Franco<br />
Evan Goldberg, Seth<br />
Rogen<br />
NR Com<br />
FURY Fri, 11/14/14 WIDE Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf David Ayer NR Act/Dra/War<br />
ANNIE Fri, 12/19/14 WIDE Quvenzhané Wallis, Jamie Foxx Will Gluck NR Mus/Fam<br />
KITCHEN SINK Fri, 1/9/15 WIDE Nicholas Braun, Mackenzie Davis Robbie Pickering NR Com/Hor<br />
THE WEDDING RINGER Fri, 1/16/15 WIDE Kevin Hart, Josh Gad Jeremy Garelick NR Com<br />
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS Tom Prassis / 212-833-4981<br />
JODOROWSKY’S DUNE Fri, 3/21/14 EXCL NY/LA Alejandro Jodorowsky Frank Pavich PG-13 Doc<br />
THE RAID 2 Fri, 3/28/14 EXCL NY/LA Iko Uwais, Arifin Putra Gareth Evans NR Act/Cri/Thr<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 59
BOOKING GUIDE<br />
TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS<br />
ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE Fri, 4/11/14 EXCL NY/LA Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton Jim Jarmusch R Dra/Rom Dolby Dig<br />
FOR NO GOOD REASON Fri, 4/25/14 EXCL NY/LA Johnny Depp, Ralph Steadman Charlie Paul R Doc<br />
UNIVERSAL 818-777-1000<br />
NEIGHBORS Fri, 5/9/14 WIDE Seth Rogen, Zac Efron Nicholas Stoller R Com Quad<br />
A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST Fri, 5/30/14 WIDE Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron Seth MacFarlane NR Com/Wes Quad<br />
THE PURGE 2 Fri, 6/20/14 WIDE Frank Grillo, Michael K. Williams James DeMonaco NR Hor/Thr/SF<br />
GET ON UP Fri, 8/1/14 WIDE Chadwick Boseman, Octavia Spencer Tate Taylor NR Dra<br />
LUCY Fri, 8/8/14 WIDE Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman Luc Besson NR Act/Thr<br />
AS ABOVE, SO BELOW Fri, 8/15/14 WIDE John Erick Dowdle NR Hor/Thr<br />
THE LOFT Fri, 8/29/14 WIDE Karl Urban, James Marsden Erik Van Looy R Thr<br />
SEARCH PARTY Fri, 9/12/14 WIDE Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller Scot Armstrong NR Com<br />
A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES Fri, 9/19/14 WIDE Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens Scott Frank R Act/Thr<br />
DRACULA UNTOLD Fri, 10/17/14 WIDE Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper Gary Shore NR Act/Hor<br />
OUIJA Fri, 10/24/14 WIDE Olivia Cooke, Douglas Smith Stiles White NR SF/Thr<br />
DUMB AND DUMBER TO Fri, 11/14/14 WIDE Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels<br />
Bobby Farrelly, Peter<br />
Farrelly<br />
NR Com<br />
UNBROKEN Thu, 12/25/14 WIDE Jack O’Connell, Domhnall Gleeson Angelina Jolie NR Dra/War<br />
UNTITLED MICHAEL MANN PROJECT Fri, 1/16/15 WIDE Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis Michael Mann NR Cri/Thr<br />
THE BOY NEXT DOOR Fri, 1/23/15 WIDE Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman Rob Cohen NR Thr<br />
SEVENTH SON Fri, 2/6/15 WIDE Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes Sergey Bodrov PG-13 Adv/Fan 3D/IMAX/Quad<br />
FIFTY SHADES OF GREY Fri, 2/13/15 WIDE Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan Sam Taylor-Johnson NR Dra/Rom<br />
EVEREST Fri, 2/27/15 WIDE Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin Baltasar Kormákur NR Adv/Dra 3D/IMAX<br />
WARNER BROS. 818-977-1850<br />
300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE Fri, 3/7/14 WIDE Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green Noam Murro R Act/War<br />
3D/IMAX/Dolby<br />
Atmos/Quad<br />
VERONICA MARS Fri, 3/14/14 LTD. Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring Rob Thomas PG-13 Com/Cri Quad<br />
ISLAND OF LEMURS: MADAGASCAR Fri, 4/4/14 LTD. Morgan Freeman David Douglas G Doc 3D/IMAX<br />
60 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
BOOKING GUIDE<br />
TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS<br />
TRANSCENDENCE Thu, 4/17/14 WIDE Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany Wally Pfister NR Act/SF<br />
GODZILLA Fri, 5/16/14 WIDE Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe Gareth Edwards NR Act/Adv/SF<br />
3D/IMAX/Dolby<br />
Atmos/Quad<br />
BLENDED Fri, 5/23/14 WIDE Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore Frank Coraci PG-13 Rom/Com Quad<br />
EDGE OF TOMORROW Fri, 6/6/14 WIDE Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt Doug Liman NR Act/SF 3D/IMAX/Quad<br />
JERSEY BOYS Fri, 6/20/14 WIDE John Lloyd Young, Christopher Walken Clint Eastwood NR Mus/Dra<br />
TAMMY Wed, 7/2/14 WIDE Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon Ben Falcone R Com<br />
JUPITER ASCENDING Fri, 7/18/14 WIDE Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis<br />
Andy Wachowski, Lana<br />
Wachowski<br />
NR Act/Adv/SF 3D/Quad<br />
INTO THE STORM Fri, 8/8/14 WIDE Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies Steven Quale NR Act/Thr<br />
IF I STAY Fri, 8/22/14 WIDE Chloë Grace Moretz, Mireille Enos R.J. Cutler NR Dra<br />
THE GOOD LIE Fri, 9/10/14 LTD. Reese Witherspoon, Corey Stoll Philippe Falardeau PG-13 Dra<br />
THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU Fri, 9/12/14 WIDE Jason Bateman, Tina Fey Shawn Levy R Com/Dra<br />
DOLPHIN TALE 2 Fri, 9/19/14 WIDE Nathan Gamble, Harry Connick Jr. Charles Martin Smith NR Dra/Fam<br />
THE JUDGE Fri, 10/10/14 WIDE Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall David Dobkin NR Dra<br />
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 Wed, 11/26/14 WIDE Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis Sean Anders NR Com<br />
THE HOBBIT:<br />
THERE AND BACK AGAIN<br />
Wed, 12/17/14 WIDE Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman Peter Jackson NR Act/Adv/Fan 3D/IMAX<br />
HEART OF THE SEA Fri, 3/13/15 WIDE Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker Ron Howard NR Dra<br />
WEINSTEIN CO./DIMENSION 646-862-3400<br />
ONE CHANCE Fri, 3/14/14 LTD. James Corden, Alexandra Roach David Frankel PG-13 Mus/Com Dolby Dig<br />
ST. VINCENT Fri, 4/11/14 WIDE Bill Murray, Naomi Watts Theodore Melfi NR Com<br />
CAN A SONG SAVE YOUR LIFE? Fri, 7/4/14 EXCL NY/LA Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo John Carney R Mus/Com/Dra<br />
THE GIVER Fri, 8/15/14 WIDE Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep Phillip Noyce NR Dra/Fan<br />
SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR Fri, 8/22/14 WIDE Josh Brolin, Eva Green<br />
Frank Miller, Robert<br />
Rodriguez<br />
NR Act/Cri/Thr 3D<br />
PADDINGTON Fri, 12/12/14 WIDE Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth Paul King NR Ani/Com/Fam<br />
AMITYVILLE Fri, 1/2/15 WIDE Franck Khalfoun NR Hor/Thr<br />
MARCH <strong>2014</strong> BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies 61
AD INDEX<br />
AMERICAN COMPUTER<br />
OPTICS, INC.<br />
(PORT WINDOW GLASS)<br />
240 Goddard<br />
Irvine, CA 92618-4625<br />
949-789-7700<br />
info@portwindowglass.com<br />
www.portwindowglass.com<br />
PG 58<br />
CARDINAL SOUND &<br />
MOTION PICTURE SYSTEMS<br />
6330 Howard Ln.<br />
Elkridge, MD 21075<br />
cardinal@cardinalsound.com<br />
www.cardinalsound.com<br />
PG 64<br />
CHRISTIE DIGITAL SYSTEMS<br />
10550 Camden Dr.<br />
Cypress, CA 90630<br />
www.christiedigital.com<br />
INSIDE FRONT COVER<br />
DOLBY LABORATORIES<br />
100 Potrero Ave.<br />
San Francisco, CA 94103<br />
Christie Ventura / 415-558-<br />
2200<br />
cah@dolby.com<br />
www.dolby.com<br />
INSIDE BACK COVER<br />
DOLPHIN SEATING<br />
313 Remuda St.<br />
Clovis, NM 88101<br />
575-762-6468<br />
www.dolphinseating.com<br />
PG 8<br />
ENPAR AUDIO<br />
Stetson Snell<br />
505-807-2154 / 505-615-2913<br />
stetsonsnell@enparaudio.com<br />
PG 56<br />
ENTERTAINMENT SUPPLY &<br />
TECHNOLOGIES, LLC<br />
4971 Van Dyke Road<br />
Lutz, FL 33558<br />
813-960-1646<br />
www.ensutec.com<br />
PG 4<br />
HARKNESS SCREENS<br />
Unit A, Norton Rd.<br />
Stevenage, Herts<br />
SG1 2BB UK<br />
+44 1438 725200<br />
www.harkness-screens.com<br />
PG 53, 55<br />
IRWIN SEATING COMPANY<br />
3251 Fruit Ridge NW<br />
Grand Rapids, MI 49544<br />
866-464-7946<br />
www.irwinseating.com<br />
PG 40<br />
KERNEL SEASONS<br />
1958 N. Western Ave.<br />
Chicago, IL 60647<br />
Krystal LaReese-Gaul<br />
773-292-4576<br />
www.kernelseasons.com<br />
PG 16<br />
LIGHTSPEED DESIGN<br />
1611 116th Ave. NE, Ste. 112<br />
Bellevue, WA 98004<br />
425-637-2818<br />
www.depthq.com<br />
PG 29<br />
MAROEVICH, O’SHEA &<br />
COUGHLAN<br />
44 Montgomery St., 17th Fl.<br />
San Francisco, CA 94104<br />
Steve Elkins / 800-951-0600<br />
selkins@maroevich.com<br />
www.mocins.com<br />
PG 5<br />
MASTERIMAGE 3D<br />
4111 W. Alameda Ave., Ste. 312<br />
Burbank, CA 91505<br />
818-558-7900<br />
www. masterimage3d.com<br />
PG 27<br />
MOVIE HEROES<br />
805-391-4376<br />
matt@movieheroes.com<br />
www.movieheroes.com<br />
PG 3<br />
ODELL’S<br />
8543 White Fir St. #D-1<br />
Reno, NV 89523<br />
odells@popntop.com<br />
www.popntop.com<br />
PG 59<br />
OMNITERM<br />
2785 Skymark Avenue, Unit 11<br />
Mississauga, Ontario<br />
Canada, L4W 4Y3<br />
866-629-4757<br />
www.omniterm.com<br />
PG 33<br />
QSC AUDIO PRODUCTS, LLC<br />
1675 MacArthur Blvd.<br />
Costa Mesa, CA 92626<br />
800-854-4079<br />
www.qsc.com<br />
PG 1<br />
READY THEATRE SYSTEMS<br />
4 Hartford Blvd.<br />
Hartford, MI 49057<br />
Mary Snyder<br />
865-212-9703x114<br />
sales@rts-solutions.com<br />
www.rts-solutions.com.com<br />
PG 57<br />
REALD<br />
100 North Crescent Dr.,<br />
Ste. 200<br />
Beverly Hills, CA 90210<br />
310-385-4000<br />
realdglasses@reald.com<br />
www.reald.com<br />
PG 10-11, 23, 34<br />
RETRIEVER SOFTWARE<br />
7040 Avenida Encinas<br />
Ste. 104-363<br />
Carlsbad, CA 92011<br />
760-929-2101<br />
www.retrieversoftware.com<br />
PG 61<br />
REYNOLDS & REYNOLDS<br />
300 Walnut St., Ste. 200<br />
Des Moines, IA 50309-2244<br />
Darlene Fischer<br />
515-243-1724<br />
info@reynolds-reynolds.com<br />
www.reynolds-reynolds.com<br />
PG 39<br />
SCRABBLE VENTURES<br />
10550 Camden Dr.<br />
Cypress, CA 90630<br />
855-503-7322<br />
www.scrabbleventures.com<br />
PG 7<br />
SCREENVISION<br />
1411 Broadway 33rd Fl.<br />
New York, NY 10018<br />
Darryl Schaffer<br />
212-497-0480<br />
www.screenvision.com<br />
PP 41, BACK COVER<br />
SENSIBLE CINEMA<br />
SOFTWARE<br />
7216 Sutton Pl.<br />
Fairview, TN 37062<br />
Rusty Gordon / 615-799-6366<br />
rusty@sensiblecinema.com<br />
www.sensiblecinema.com<br />
PG 64<br />
SONIC EQUIPMENT<br />
COMPANY<br />
900 West Miller Rd.<br />
Iola KS, 66749<br />
800-365-5701<br />
www.sonicequipment.com<br />
PG 9, 37<br />
USHIO AMERICA, INC.<br />
5440 Cerritos Ave.<br />
Cypress, CA 90630<br />
800-838-7446<br />
www.ushio.com<br />
PG 13<br />
VANTIV<br />
8500 Governors Hill Dr.<br />
Symmes Township, OH 45249<br />
866-622-2880<br />
www.vantiv.com<br />
PG 15<br />
VOLFONI<br />
3450 Cahuenga Blvd W,<br />
Unit 506<br />
Los Angeles, CA 90068<br />
213-304-5054<br />
www.volfoni.com<br />
PG 25<br />
WHITE CASTLE<br />
555 West Goodale St.<br />
Columbus, OH 43215<br />
614-559-2453<br />
carrollt@whitecastle.com<br />
www.whitecastle.com<br />
PG 47<br />
Angiel’s got stuff to do.<br />
But at this moment,<br />
she’s fighting cancer.<br />
That’s why St. Jude Children’s<br />
Research Hospital® spends every<br />
moment changing the way the world<br />
treats children – with pioneering<br />
research and exceptional care. And no<br />
family ever pays St. Jude for anything.<br />
Don’t wait. Join St. Jude in finding<br />
cures and saving children like Angiel.<br />
Because at this moment, she shouldn’t<br />
just be dreaming of trips to the beach<br />
and the park. She should be there.<br />
©2012 ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (10991)<br />
St. Jude patient Angiel:<br />
Big Dreamer<br />
Help them live. Visit stjude.org.<br />
62 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
COMING SOON<br />
PLUS SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL EDITION<br />
DISTRIBUTED AT THE CINEMACON INTERNATIONAL DAY LUNCHEON<br />
MONDAY, MARCH 24, <strong>2014</strong><br />
RESERVE BY MAR. 3, <strong>2014</strong> / MATERIALS BY MAR. 5, <strong>2014</strong> / ON SALE MAR. 17, <strong>2014</strong><br />
ADVERTISING CONTACT SUSAN UHRLASS / VP ADVERTISING / 310.876.9090 / SUSAN@BOXOFFICE.COM
BUYING & SELLING<br />
MARQUEE LETTERS. Buying and selling. New<br />
and Used marquee letters all types. We buy old.<br />
We sell new. All styles. Trade in your old letters<br />
and get new letters. Turn those old letters into<br />
cash. Your source for new <strong>Pro</strong>nto, Zip-Change,<br />
Snap Lok, Slotted. mike@pilut.com 800-545-<br />
8956<br />
DRIVE-IN CONSTRUCTION<br />
DRIVE-IN SCREEN TOWERS since 1945. Selby<br />
<strong>Pro</strong>ducts Inc., P.O. Box 267, Richfield, OH<br />
44286. Phone: 330-659-6631.<br />
EQUIPMENT WANTED<br />
ASTER AUDITORIUM SEATING & AUDIO. We<br />
offer the best pricing on good used projection<br />
and sound equipment. Large quantities available.<br />
Please visit our website, www.asterseating.<br />
com, or call 888-409-1414.<br />
AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTS<br />
LLC is buying projectors, processors, amplifiers,<br />
speakers, seating, platters. If you are closing,<br />
remodeling or have excess equipment in<br />
your warehouse and want to turn equipment<br />
into cash, please call 866-653-2834 or email<br />
aep30@comcast.net. Need to move quickly to<br />
close a location and dismantle equipment? We<br />
come to you with trucks, crew and equipment,<br />
no job too small or too large. Call today for a<br />
quotation: 866-653-2834. Vintage equipment<br />
wanted also! Old speakers like Western Electric<br />
and Altec, horns, cabinets, woofers, etc.,<br />
and any tube audio equipment. Call or email:<br />
aep30@comcast.net.<br />
COLLECTOR WANTS TO BUY: We pay top<br />
money for any 1920-1980 theater equipment.<br />
We’ll buy all theater-related equipment, working<br />
or dead. We remove and pick up anywhere in<br />
the U.S. or Canada. Amplifiers, speakers, horns,<br />
drivers, woofers, tubes, transformers; Western<br />
Electric, RCA, Altec, JBL, Jensen, Simplex and<br />
more. We’ll remove installed equipment if it’s<br />
in a closing location. We buy projection and<br />
equipment too. Call today: 773-339-9035; cinema-tech.com;<br />
email ILG821@aol.com.<br />
FOR SALE<br />
TWO USED BARCO 20C DIGITAL PROJEC-<br />
TORS WITH GDC SERVERS. Located in Roswell,<br />
NM. Purchased new and installed July<br />
2012. This 10 plex cinema opened September<br />
2012 with 2 Digital and ten 35 Film projectors, 2<br />
digital and 2 35 Film were installed side by side.<br />
Cinema converted February 2013 to 10 Sony 515<br />
digital projector VPF deal. The Barco’s for sale<br />
are still installed side by side with Sony’s. They<br />
can be run showing movies showing that they<br />
work perfectly. Also for sale installed with these<br />
Barco’s are 2 Master Image 3-D units, they also<br />
work very well. Each Barco-GDC-Master Image<br />
set cost $79,000.00 New. Please call Stetson<br />
Snell cell 505-615-2913 to to make an offer or to<br />
arrange to see the equipment operating. Sellers<br />
are MOTIVATED to sell, they understand this<br />
is now used equipment, all offers will be considered.<br />
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to<br />
purchase “working like new” these 2 used sets.<br />
BARCO 3D/DIGITAL EQUIPMENT FOR SALE:<br />
Purchase for $55K. Equipment list provided<br />
upon request. Contact seller at mschwartz@<br />
pennprolaw.com.<br />
PREFERRED SEATING COMPANY, your<br />
source for new, used and refurbished theater<br />
and stadium seating. Buying and selling<br />
used seating is our specialty. Call toll-free<br />
866-922-0226 or visit our website www.<br />
preferred-seating.com.<br />
12 PLEX THEATER FOR SALE with stadium<br />
seating. 6 acres of Land. Selling at below land<br />
value. $2,000,000. Located in Huntsville AL, at<br />
the University Mall. Please call 407-948-6751.<br />
TWO CHRISTIE DIGITAL PROJECTORS<br />
CP2000SB, Two Dolby DSS100, Two Dolby<br />
Show Player, Two Christie Series 1 ACT & Four<br />
Dolby Filter Wheel and <strong>Pro</strong>jector Assembly. All<br />
in very good condition. Call 360-993-0010.<br />
HELP WANTED<br />
THEATRE MANAGEMENT POSITIONS AVAIL-<br />
ABLE Pacific Northwest Theatre Company. Previous<br />
management experience required. Work<br />
weekends, evenings and holidays. Send resume<br />
and salary history to movietheatrejobs@gmail.<br />
com<br />
WE CLEAN THEATERS<br />
EXCLUSIVELY!<br />
From coast to coast for 35 YEARS.<br />
Let us give you our references.<br />
www.maintenancecooperative.com<br />
or call 770-503-1102<br />
THEATRE MANAGEMENT POSITION AVAIL-<br />
ABLE. Xscape Theatres is looking for managers.<br />
Previous theatre experience is required. Must<br />
be able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.<br />
Send resumes, references, and salary requirements<br />
to cewing@alianceent.com or mail<br />
to Aliance Management Co. LLC 825 Northgate<br />
Blvd. Suite # 203 New Albany, IN 47150. Will<br />
conduct interviews at CinemaCon <strong>2014</strong>.<br />
SERVICES<br />
DULL FLAT PICTURE? RESTORE YOUR XENON<br />
REFLECTORS! Ultraflat repolishes and recoats<br />
xenon reflectors. Many reflectors available for<br />
immediate exchange. (ORC, Strong, Christie,<br />
Xetron, others!) Ultraflat, 20306 Sherman Way,<br />
Winnetka, CA 91306; 818-884-0184.<br />
ALLSTATE SEATING specializes in refurbishing,<br />
complete painting, molded foam, tailor-made<br />
seat covers, installations and removals. Please<br />
call for pricing and spare parts for all types of<br />
theater seating. Boston, Mass.; 617-770-1112; fax:<br />
617-770-1140.<br />
CONSOLIDATED THEATRE SERVICES, LLC<br />
has a wide variety of theatre sound equipment<br />
available at competitive prices. Our extensive<br />
inventory includes amplifiers, processors,<br />
speakers and sound racks from makers such<br />
as JBL, Dolby, Ashly, Klipsch, Crown and more.<br />
You are welcome to call us at 305-908-1613 for<br />
further information.<br />
THEATER SPACE FOR LEASE<br />
AN 8,400 SQ. FT. SPACE containing two movie<br />
theaters is available for lease in Frankfort, KY, at<br />
a very reasonable lease rate. It would be perfect<br />
for the new concept of eating in the theater.<br />
The theaters are located in the middle of a major<br />
shopping center. The center owners would<br />
prefer an operating movie theater rather than<br />
convert the space into retail use. Contact Alexa<br />
at 859-221-9921 or email her at alexarkelley@<br />
gmail.com for more information.<br />
DIRECTOR OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE METROPOLITAN THEATRES, a fourth-generation, family-owned company<br />
based in Los Angeles, is seeking a self-motivated professional to ensure premiere<br />
guest service and optimize food and beverage profit at its 17 locations in California,<br />
Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and British Columbia, Canada. Goal-oriented and budgetminded<br />
candidates must have prior senior concessions experience, be available<br />
for limited travel and possess excellent analytical, leadership and communication<br />
skills. Please send resume and salary requirements to: jobs@metrotheatres.com<br />
64 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies MARCH <strong>2014</strong>
AVAILABLE<br />
NOW!