Steve Pond's Blog, page 2026
December 31, 2019
Sonny Mehta, Longtime Publisher of Knopf, Dies at 78
Sonny Mehta, the longtime publisher of the Random House imprint Alfred A. Knopf, died Monday of complications from pneumonia, the publisher announced. He was 77.
The head of Knopf since 1987, Mehta published the work of nine Nobel Prize winners, memoirs by both George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton as well as popular best-sellers such as Michael Crichton’s “Jurassic Park,” E.L. James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey” and Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”
“Mehta’s contributions to the world of letters and publishing are without precedent,” the publisher said in a statement. “His exacting standards — in editorial, production, design, marketing, and publicity — were a beacon to the book industry and beyond.”
Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2019 (Photos)
Born Ajai Singh Mehta but known as Sonny, he grew up the son of an Indian diplomat. Upon graduating from Cambridge University, he went into book publishing. He quickly established a high-low reputation with the U.K. paperback imprint Pan Books, where he published the works of both rising literary stars like Ian McEwan and Salman Rushdie as well as commercial best-sellers by Jackie Collins and Douglas Adams.
In 1987, he became the third editor in Knopf’s history — handpicked by his predecessor, Robert Gottlieb, who left to edit The New Yorker. Mehta soon became an outsize presence in the halls of parent company Random House, with his chain-smoking and signature beard.
While building the imprint with a mix of serious literature as well as popular hits, he also acquired the Vintage paperback imprint and expanded his reach internationally. His fiefdom continued to grow as did Random House, including its 1999 acquisition by the German conglomerate Bertelsmann AG and the 2012 merger with Penguin Group.
Related stories from TheWrap:
Mariah Carey’s Twitter Account Hacked, Hijackers Post Racist and Pornographic Messages
On Tuesday, the twitter account belonging to R&B legend Mariah Carey was briefly hijacked by hackers who subsequently used it to post racist, pornographic and sexist messages — and attempt to reignite Carey’s old disagreement with rapper Eminem.
The hackers, who called themselves “Chuckling Squad,” revealed themselves at 3:23 p.m. on Tuesday by tweeting “Eminem can still hold this p—-” from Carey’s account. The comment was an apparent reference to a longstanding argument between the singer and the rapper after he claimed they dated in a 2002 song. Carey has long denied she and Eminem dated, and has pushed back against the claim in several songs of her own.
In addition to attempting to revive the beef with Eminem, the hackers also posted several pornographic images, racist references, and multiple tweets promoting themselves, along with calls to follow several new Twitter accounts that were created on Tuesday. The hackers also offered to share the password to Carey’s Twitter account.
Also Read: Twitter to Verify Primary Candidates, Relaunch 'Election Labels' on Candidate Profiles
Representatives for Carey didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap. However, within approximately half an hour, the “Vision of Love” singer or her representatives had regained control of her account, and the offending tweets — along with everything else Carey has ever tweeted — were deleted. Carey has not tweeted anything new as of this writing.
See some screenshots from the hack — with profanities as well as the hackers’ self identifications edited out so as not to publicize them — below:
Related stories from TheWrap:
12 Biggest Media and Tech Deals of the Decade, From Facebook-Instagram to Disney-Fox
Thousands of Facebook Employees Had Their Bank Info Stolen (Report)
How to Stream Univision’s ‘Feliz 2020’ New Year’s Celebration Featuring Pitbull Live Online
Univision will be ringing in the new year with “Feliz 2020,” a coast to coast event that will feature a concert by international superstar Pitbull — who will, in what is now a tradition for Univision’s New Year’s celebration, will be performing live from his hometown of Miami.
The party will kick off at 8 p.m. EST and will hop around the country for other musical performances in New York, Los Angeles and San Antonio.
Aside from Pitbull, musical guests will also include Nacho, Darell, Paulina Rubio, Amara la Negra and I’m Chino in Miami. In San Antonio, Belinda, Bronco, Álex Fernández, Los Ángeles Azules and Kinky will perform. And in Times Square in New York, there will be performances by Pedro Capó, Joss Favela feat Mariachi Sol de México and CNCO. Also in New York we’ll be treated to a performance by Yennis Bencosme, who won Univision’s singing competition show “Reina de la Canción” last month.
Also Read: How to Stream 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest' 2019
“Feliz 2020” will, of course, be broadcast on Univision via traditional television providers, as well as Univision’s streaming service, Univision NOW, which is available online and via smart devices. A seven-day free trial is available for new subscribers.
In addition, Univision will be streaming “Feliz 2020” on Facebook.
There are a ton of options for watching New Year’s 2019 festivities around the country tonight. These include ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” Fox’s “New Year’s Eve with Steve Harvey,” “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen” on CNN, and Fox News’ “All-American New Year.” And let’s not forget, of course, the standard Times Square ball drop stream, which you can stream for free.
Related stories from TheWrap:
When and How to Watch CNN's 'New Year's Eve Live' With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen
How to Stream CNN's 'New Year's Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen' 2019
How to Stream Fox's 'New Year's Eve With Steve Harvey'
How to Stream 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest' 2019
‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ – We Need to Talk About This Rose Tico Situation
(This article contains some spoilers for Rose Tico’s role, such that it is, in “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.” I would say these are not major spoilers.)
One of the weirder things that happened in the wake of “The Last Jedi,” which sparked endless online arguments about its merits, is that a group of nerds who disliked the film decided to take their anger out specifically on Kelly Marie Tran, the actress who plays Rose Tico.
It was a bad time caused by bad people. And yet “The Rise of Skywalker” nonetheless feels very much like parts of the film were constructed specifically to cater to those harassers — and the way it takes Rose, who was a main character in the last movie, and dumps her into a minor background role is Exhibit A.
Now, when Rose was first introduced back in “The Last Jedi,” it wasn’t necessarily the cleanest fit. She spent most of the movie with Finn (John Boyega) going on a side adventure that had no real bearing on the main plot and thus, unlike the characters who were in “The Force Awakens,” never actually got to establish herself as part of the new trilogy’s ensemble. She never got to be part of the group, and thus felt kinda extraneous.
That’s not an unfixable problem. John Boyega promised that the main crew of this new trilogy would spend a lot more time together in “The Rise of Skywalker,” so really all that needed to be done was to include Rose in that crew. After all, extraneous or not she was inarguably one of the film’s main characters and even got to deliver a line of dialogue summing up what amounts to the moral of the story. And at the end of “The Last Jedi,” Rose and Finn have basically become a couple, so it would make sense to bring her along on Finn’s adventures with Poe and Rey.
Also Read: Nothing About Emperor Palpatine's Return in 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' Makes Sense
Except that doesn’t happen, like at all. In “The Rise of Skywalker,” Rose basically gets the same treatment Jar Jar received in “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith.” Relegating her to a very minor role — barely more than a cameo — the film tries to present her like she was never actually one of the main characters in this new trilogy. And her interactions with Finn suggest nothing more than professional courtesy, an especially weird thing to do considering the last time we saw them, they were kissing.
I can’t pretend to know exactly what the thought process was behind this decision, but there are not all that many reasons why they would push Rose out of frame like this. The big one, as we all know, is that a bunch of freakin’ nerds conducted a months-long harassment campaign that drove Kelly Marie Tran off social media after “The Last Jedi” came out. Actually, that’s the only reason I can think of. That doesn’t mean it is the only possible reason, obviously. “The Rise of Skywalker” is full of shockingly inexplicable creative decisions — we’re talking about a movie with a huge fleet of Death Stars here. But if there’s some other reason why she’s only in a handful of scenes, it’s not something we could ever intuit.
One gets the feeling that “The Rise of Skywalker” is trying to undo the setup provided by “The Last Jedi,” sort of like how that film set out to defy your expectations based on how “The Force Awakens” kicked off the trilogy. Abrams and co. will insist that’s not the case, but Rose serves as pretty solid evidence.
Also Read: The 22 Worst Parts of 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'
And that’s annoying! I can understand, in a general sense, criticisms of how her character was handled in “The Last Jedi.” What I can’t understand, in the third movie of a trilogy and ninth movie of a series, is simply refusing the play the cards you’re dealt. You can’t just toss one of the main characters aside just because a couple dozen angry internet nerds didn’t like her in the last movie.
Or I guess you can, since that’s exactly what happened with Rose in “The Rise of Skywalker.” And that’s not great, Bob.
Related stories from TheWrap:
'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' – How Is Emperor Palpatine Still Alive?
Whose Voices Were Those at the End of 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'?
Box Office Year In Review: Disney Conquers, But Who Else Had a Good 2019?
If two other studios in Hollywood had even half the success that Disney had this year, the 2019 box office would have broken last year’s record $11.8 billion take, and may have even topped the $12 billion mark in North America. Instead, 2019 was a year where a single studio stoked fears of a monopoly over the entertainment industry while the rest were left fighting for a distant second.
For the first time in Hollywood history, the five highest-grossing films of the year all came from one studio, with Disney striking gold over and over with “Frozen II,” “Captain Marvel,” “Toy Story 4,” ” The Lion King” and the film that became an unprecedented global phenomenon and the new all-time box office record holder, “Avengers: Endgame.”
Also Read: 2019 Movie Franchise Tracker: Which Blockbusters Are Getting Sequels? (Photos)
Meanwhile, only four non-Disney films from two studios have managed to gross more than $200 million, leaving Disney to take eight of the top 10 slots. As noted back in November, it was the inability of Disney’s competition to match their strong 2018 results that ended up being the main reason why 2019 failed to match last year’s sky-high expectations.
But even in a lopsided market, some studios managed to find success on their own terms, either by repurposing old IP in creative new ways or by working with proven directors with their own original ideas. One studio, however, found itself back in an ugly yet familiar situation. Read on to see the 2019 highlights and lowlights for each of Hollywood’s top studios.
Also Read: Baby Yoda Movie? Bob Iger Says Disney+ 'Star Wars' TV Shows Could Become Films
DISNEY: $3.69 billion domestic market share, 34% market share ($4.23 billion, 37% share including Fox)
Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios
Highlights: “Avengers: Endgame” ($858 million dom./$2.79 billion WW); “The Lion King ($543 million dom./$1.65 billion WW)
Lowlights: “Dark Phoenix” ($65.8 million dom./$252 million WW)
On top of the jaw-dropping domination of the box office charts mentioned above, Disney released an unprecedented six $1 billion global hits this year — soon to be seven with “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” — and became the first studio ever to gross more than $8 billion worldwide. Then $9 billion. Then $10 billion. All-in-all, roughly one in every three movie tickets sold in North America was for a Disney release.
So complete was Disney’s domination of the movie landscape that even the big stumbles of its latest acquisition, 20th Century Fox, look like mere speed bumps in hindsight. Bob Iger changed Hollywood for good by completing the purchase of one of Disney’s main competitors this spring, only for Fox to take a $171 million operating loss in its first financial quarter under Disney’s portfolio. That’s thanks in large part to “Dark Phoenix” ending the “X-Men” series with a bomb, and other than the decent success of James Mangold’s “Ford v Ferrari,” Fox did little to contribute to Disney’s unprecedented market share.
But Disney knew that Fox’s 2019 theatrical slate wasn’t going to be big. They wanted the company to give the recently launched Disney+ a wider range of titles to stream. On their own, Disney had more than enough highly-anticipated films to pull the box office out of slumps on more than one occasion. With no “Avengers” or “Star Wars,” Disney is unlikely to replicate this year’s riches in 2020, but three original animated films, a “Mulan” remake, the long-awaited arrival of “Black Widow,” and Steven Spielberg’s new take on “West Side Story” via Fox should be more than enough to make it the top moneymaker in town yet again.
WARNER BROS.: $1.54 billion domestic market share, 14% market share
Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Highlights: “Joker” ($333 million dom./$1.06 billion WW); “It: Chapter Two” ($211 million dom./$470 million WW)
Lowlights: “Doctor Sleep” ($31 million dom./$71 million WW); “The Goldfinch” ($5.3 million dom./$9.4 million WW)
WB’s 2019 can best be described as “feast or famine.” Its biggest feast came in the form of “Joker,” a polarizing take on Batman’s nemesis that captured the zeitgeist in a way no other non-Disney release did this year. It became the first comic book movie to take home the Golden Lion and the first R-rated film to earn $1 billion worldwide. A Best Actor Oscar nomination for Joaquin Phoenix and a possible Best Picture nom might be in its future.
Joining “Joker” at the feast was “It: Chapter Two,” a sequel that didn’t reach the heights of its horror record-breaking 2017 predecessor but still found a strong return on investment. Two new franchises were also started with the modest successes of “Detective Pikachu” and “Shazam!” in Q2.
But on the famine side were a slew of poorly reviewed adult dramas that bombed one after another in the second half of 2019. At this year’s Produced By Conference, studio head Toby Emmerich said that those adult dramas were their attempt to fill in audience demand for more mature fare that Disney’s event release strategy would not cover.
Instead, films like “The Kitchen,” “The Goldfinch,” and “Motherless Brooklyn” all crashed out with both critics and audiences. But perhaps the biggest bust was “Doctor Sleep,” a sequel to “The Shining” that was well-received by critics and audiences but overestimated the interest among wider moviegoers in a Stephen King novel that doesn’t have an easy hook like an evil clown or a graveyard that breeds zombies.
Next year will be an extremely interesting year for Warner Bros. “Birds of Prey” will give audiences a different kind of R-rated DC action, while “Wonder Woman 1984” and “In the Heights” could give the studio a summer that could rival Disney. WB also has one of the biggest gambles of the year: “Dune,” an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel at a time when audiences have been rejecting hard sci-fi films like “Blade Runner 2049” and “Annihilation.”
UNIVERSAL: $1.28 billion domestic market share, 11.7% market share
Photo credit: Universal Pictures
Highlights: “Us” ($175 million dom./$256 million WW); “Hobbs & Shaw” ($173 million dom./$760 million WW)
Lowlights: “Cats” ($17.8 million dom./$34.8 million WW through 10 days)
When you hit lots of home runs, a bunch of singles and doubles feel like a letdown on in comparison…even if you’re still getting on base. While Universal had no $1 billion hits or any films in the annual top 10, they still managed to get to $1 billion in domestic grosses through a mix of smaller but still potent tentpoles and original titles.
Leading the way for the studio was Jordan Peele’s “Us,” an original horror film that not only solidified the Oscar winner’s spot as a can’t-miss filmmaker but also proves that Universal’s first-look deal with his Monkeypaw production banner will be a source for original and intriguing films that the studio can put out on an annual basis. And while the “Fast & Furious” spinoff “Hobbs & Shaw” and “Secret Life of Pets 2” didn’t yield summertime bucks as big as their predecessors, they were still strong tentpoles that helped Universal cross $1 billion yet again.
Which makes it all the more unfortunate that “Cats” ended Universal’s year on a sour note. While distribution execs who spoke with TheWrap remained confident in the musical even after the release of its dunked-on trailer, the CGI humanoid felines alienated audiences and turned “Cats” into a bomb of colossal proportions. Universal will try to quickly rebound with the wide release of “1917” to kick off 2020, followed by sequels to “Trolls,” “Minions,” “Halloween” and the big tentpole, “Fast & Furious 9.”
SONY: $1.26 billion domestic market share, 11.5% market share
Photo credit: Sony
Highlights: “Spider-Man: Far From Home” ($390.5 million dom./$1.13 billion WW); “Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood” ($141 million dom./$370 million WW)
Lowlights: “Charlie’s Angels” ($17.7 million dom./$57.5 million WW); “Men In Black International” ($80 million dom./$253 million WW)
Sony had a high profile bomb with “Charlie’s Angels” in November, but it was still able to increase its annual grosses thanks in large part to “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” a film that absorbed the excitement from “Avengers: Endgame” and gave Sony their second $1 billion hit in studio history. That MCU gravy train was nearly derailed when Sony and Disney broke off their partnership on “Spider-Man” films, but a new round of negotiations led the two sides to agree to make one more movie together.
But Sony’s proudest accomplishment is likely “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,” the result of Quentin Tarantino looking for a new studio to make his ninth film after the downfall of longtime producer Harvey Weinstein. Sony won the bidding war for his next project, giving them an original awards contender to add to their slate.
2020 will see Sony get a good head start with holdover grosses from “Jumanji: The Next Level” before rolling the dice on several attempts to build more name brand blockbusters that will hopefully do better than the ill-fated “Men In Black: International.” These include the Spidey spinoff “Morbius” and another attempt to drum up interest in “Ghostbusters” with Jason Reitman’s “Afterlife.” But one 2020 film that might get kicked down the road is the planned adaptation of the “Uncharted” video game series, which hit another snag this week after director Travis Knight stepped down from the project.
LIONSGATE: $768 million domestic market share, 7% market share
Photo credit: Lionsgate
Highlights: “John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum” ($171 million dom./$325 million WW); “Knives Out” ($112 million dom./$217 million WW after five weekends)
Lowlights: “Hellboy” ($21.9 million dom./$40 million WW)
Lionsgate isn’t entirely out of the hole it fell into in 2018, but it has gone a long way in getting back out. After a year in which its top domestic grosser made just $53 million, this studio found two $100 million-plus grossers, one from the still-rising “John Wick” series and another from an original story by Rian Johnson. The latter will be particularly noteworthy looking forward as “Knives Out” was heavily promoted by Lionsgate as a sign of their new identity: a place where auteur-driven films can thrive.
But whether the momentum can continue next year remains to be seen. The creator-driven approach will continue with films like Janelle Monae’s horror film “Antebellum” and “The Organ Donor,” a reboot of the “Saw ” franchise based on a story idea from lead star Chris Rock. Lionsgate will also kick off the launch of faith-based Kingdom Studios with “I Still Believe.”
There’s also a lot of predictions that Lionsgate will be bought out by Apple, WarnerMedia, or one of the many other companies entering the streaming space next year in an attempt to acquire more content, but we will cross that bridge if we come to it.
PARAMOUNT: $537 million domestic market share, 4.8% market share
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures
Highlights: “Rocketman” ($96 million dom./$189 million WW)
Lowlights: “Terminator: Dark Fate” ($62 million dom./$250 million WW); “Gemini Man” ($48 million dom./$166 million WW)
In 2018, it felt like Paramount had started to turn things around under new head Jim Gianopulos. So much for that. The Viacom-owned studio now finds itself in the same situation Lionsgate was in last year, with no $100 million-plus domestic releases and murmurs of sales to a streaming company swirling around it.
While Universal was able to navigate a year without its biggest tentpoles on the slate, Paramount found itself struggling to gain traction without Tom Cruise making a movie for them. Their highest-grossing film, “Rocketman,” turned a decent profit but was well short of the dizzying heights of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” another biopic about an English rock icon directed by Dexter Fletcher. Meanwhile, the studio put blockbuster-sized investments in Ang Lee’s “Gemini Man” and a recognized name in “Terminator: Dark Fate,” only to see both films flop hard.
2020 should be a better year, if for no better reason than Cruise returning to the slate with “Top Gun: Maverick.” A sequel to Paramount’s big self-grown box office hit, “A Quiet Place,” will also be on the slate, as will a new “Spongebob Squarepants” movie. But Paramount still needs to figure out how to expand their stable of reliable hits, or more years like this one will be coming.
Related stories from TheWrap:
2019 Movie Franchise Tracker: Which Blockbusters Are Getting Sequels? (Photos)
State of the Movie Franchises: 5 Lessons Hollywood Learned in 2019
Apple, Microsoft Are the Biggest Wall Street Winners of 2019
Trump Renews Attack on CNN’s Chris Cuomo: ‘I Should Release Some of His Dishonest Interviews’
President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of CNN anchor Chris Cuomo Monday night, tweeting the anchor is “fake news.”
“He is Fake News, will always be Fredo to us. I should release some of his dishonest interviews? Coupled with bad ratings, he’d be out!” he wrote, referencing a viral video from this summer that showed the primetime journalist reacting angrily to being called the name of a character in “The Godfather.” In the video, which earned Cuomo support from Fox News’ Sean Hannity, the New York governor’s brother compares “Fredo” to “the n-word” for Italians.
Trump was promoting an end-of-year Breitbart piece that also took aim at the “Fredo” incident and promised a few more “embarrassing” Cuomo moments, too.
Also Read: Sean Hannity Has Chris Cuomo's Back After CNN Host's Swear-Filled Rant Over 'Fredo' Insult
A representative for Cuomo and CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s attack.
Trump also retweeted a video he tweeted once in November that featured a dubbed clip of Cuomo contacting his mother, former New York first lady Matilda Cuomo, via phone on a CNN set. Trump’s voice is dubbed in to offer responses to Cuomo’s statements to his mother.
For the most part, Trump’s voice just calls Cuomo and CNN’s chief political correspondent Dana Bash “fake news.”
Related stories from TheWrap:
CNN's Chris Cuomo Responds to 'Fredo' Commotion: 'I Should Be Better'
Sean Hannity Has Chris Cuomo's Back After CNN Host's Swear-Filled Rant Over 'Fredo' Insult
How ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Capped a Decade of Change for Movie Theaters
When looking back at how the movie theater business has changed in the last decade, one might think about streaming, declining ticket sales and a wave of recliners, alcohol and other new offerings that arrived to entice customers back to multiplexes. But on opening weekend of “Avengers: Endgame,” all those stormy warnings of industry decline never felt more distant.
In theaters around the world, from rural markets to the biggest cities, screenings for the Marvel Studios blockbuster were selling out just minutes after advance tickets went on sale weeks before release. Hundreds of the largest theaters in the country stayed open around the clock for the whole weekend, and thousands more introduced new screenings once all their available showtimes sold out. And then when those new showtimes sold out, they added even more.
Movie theaters have had to turn on all the concession cashiers and bring all hands on deck for event releases in the past — the 1999 release of “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” comes to mind — but nothing on the scale seen with the release of “Avengers: Endgame.” That theaters were able to so quickly meet that demand is thanks to several key technological advances and trends that evolved in the last decade:
Also Read: 'Star Wars' and 'Little Women' Can Help the Box Office More Than Last December's Hits
Online ticketing: Ryan Noonan, public relations director at AMC Theaters, points to online ticketing as the biggest change the exhibition industry has seen in the last few years. In 2010, AMC estimates that around 5% of tickets sold by the theater chain came from ticketing websites. In 2014, AMC added online ticketing to their own website, and this year, it estimates that more than 50% of ticket sales have come from either their site or third party partners like Fandango or Atom Tickets. “It’s an option that our customers are especially using now, avoiding lines for the box office during the winter months,” Noonan told TheWrap. “Before online ticketing, I’m sure everyone could remember having to wait in long lines going down the sidewalk to get a ticket for a big movie on opening night. Now they can skip the line and we can get them into the theater faster.”
Reserved seating: With online ticketing came reserved seats, another trend that Noonan says has changed how moviegoers approach getting tickets. “I think that having reserved seats has made going to the movies into something that people plan out in advance more often, much like going to a sports game or a concert,” he said. “We try to accommodate those people who want to plan ahead by giving them the option to order concessions online as well as tickets, and for our theaters that helps reduce congestion when we have high attendance.”
Showtimes on Google: The high attendance all weekend for “Avengers” required moviegoers to know when new showtimes became available. Thanks to the other big tech advance of the decade — showtimes on Google — that was possible. Gone are the days of checking a newspaper or calling the theater for updated schedules. Now, new showtimes for event releases can be created by theaters and posted for easy access for customers within minutes.
Also Read: IMAX Sets New Company Box Office Record on Eve of 'Rise of Skywalker' Release
Getting that data from movie theaters to Google is the job of French data company Webedia and their recently rebranded cinema division, The Boxoffice Company. Last month, the two businesses announced that they would work together to create a new, enhanced ticketing system for Google that would allow users to search for a movie and find showtimes, and then guide them to Fandango and other sites where they can buy tickets.
“We work with the studios on all major releases to synchronize when advance tickets go on sale, and then we are connected on a minute-to-minute basis with all the point-of-sale outlets like movie theaters to quickly update when new showtimes are added to the schedule,” The Boxoffice Company CPO Marine Suttle said.
“This technology also helps with targeting specific customers based on the movies they buy tickets for, as theater chains and online ticketers are now using their loyalty programs to guide customers to movies that they may be interested in based on their buying habits,” she added.
Also Read: 'Frozen II' Becomes Disney's 6th $1 Billion Box Office Hit in 2019
Movie theater execs insist that streaming is not an enemy of their industry.
National Association of Theatre Owners president, John Fithian, said as much in his interview with TheWrap last month. But no one can deny that in an age where people can access millions of movies without leaving their couch, the process of going out to a theater can feel like a hassle in comparison. While recliners and the best projection and sound can be nice perks, it will be for naught if an infrequent moviegoer is put off from returning to a theater by a string of inconveniences. Continuing to streamline that experience will be key for theaters moving forward.
Related stories from TheWrap:
'Cats' Box Office Hairball: How Much Money Could Tom Hooper's Musical Lose?
State of the Movie Franchises: 5 Lessons Hollywood Learned in 2019
50/50 in 2020? Half of Next Year's 10 Highest Grossing Films Could Have Female Directors
ABC Rings in 2020 With a Barbara Walters ‘This Is 20/20’ Tribute (Video)
Tuesday morning, the “Good Morning America” crew said goodbye to 2019 and hello to “20/20”… or, rather, 2020. ABC talent across the news and entertainment divisions joined the “GMA” hosts to greet a new decade by looking back on the history of a franchise that spans a few decades itself, focusing on Barbara Walters’ iconic “this is 20/20” line.
The “GMA” team premiered the sendup in the 8:00 a.m. ET hour, asking, “Barbara… what year is it?”
Also Read: Amy Robach's 2015 Reporting on Jeffrey Epstein Won't Be Included in ABC News Special
From there, years’ worth of footage of Walters delivering her signature line rolled, followed by some of ABC’s stars giving the phrase a spin on their own. Sofia Vergara of “Modern Family,” Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest said, “This is ’20/20.'”
So did “Bachelor” contestants and Stephen A. Smith. Even Whoopi Goldberg gave it a try, asking, “Do I get the job?”
Also Read: Impeachment Hearing Ratings: ABC Wins in Key Demo, MSNBC Is Last
The spoof comes at a good time for the flagship news program, which is in its 42nd season. Notably, “20/20” improved over 2018’s ratings in 2019: Total viewers went up 8%, from 4 million to 4.3 million, according to Nielsen data. The ABC program beat NBC’s “Dateline” in total viewers for the first time in three years.
Watch here to see ABC’s stars usher in the new year with a tribute to Walters.
Related stories from TheWrap:
Amy Robach's 2015 Reporting on Jeffrey Epstein Won't Be Included in ABC News Special
ABC News and Apple News to Join Forces for Election Coverage
December 30, 2019
Carrie Underwood Steps Down as CMA Awards Host After 12 Years
After 12 consecutive years, Carrie Underwood is stepping down as host of the Country Music Association Awards. The seven-time Grammy winning country singer made the announcement on Instagram Monday afternoon.
“One of the highlights of 2019 and of my entire career so far was being on stage with the legends that are Reba and Dolly Parton. I’m so proud that we could celebrate the incredible female artists that are part of the legacy of country music, past, present and future, and I’m thankful for the huge audiences all over the world that tuned in to see it,”Underwood wrote.
“It’s hard to believe that it was my 12th year hosting and I will always treasure every show, from the 11 that I was so lucky to do with my partner in crime and friend for life, Brad Paisley, to sharing the stage with two of my all-time heroes. I’m so incredibly grateful to everyone involved with the CMA Awards all these years. It’s hard to imagine topping what we have accomplished together, so I’ve decided that it’s time to pass the hosting torch (at least for now!) to others that will cherish it and honor it as much as I do. I’ve got so many exciting things coming in the new year and beyond, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for all of us.”
Also Read: Barack Obama Shares His Favorite Books of 2019
Underwood has co-hosted the CMAs every year since 2008, usually alongside Brad Paisley. In the 2019, she hosted alongside country legends Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton as part of the ceremony’s celebration of female performers. Over her career she has won nine CMAs.
See her announcement below:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) on Dec 30, 2019 at 11:03am PST
Related stories from TheWrap:
Jury Awards 'Walking Dead' Stuntman's Estate $8.6 Million In Wrongful Death Trial
'Star Wars' and 'Cats' Arrive, But Awards Season Won't Notice
How Netflix Is Ruffling Feathers With Latest Pricy Awards Season Blitz
Michael Bloomberg Says He’d Turn White House’s East Room Into an Open Office Plan
Ah, the open office floor plan. Beloved by managers, begrudgingly accepted by workers. But what if your office were in…the White House?
Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and presidential hopeful, said on Monday that he’d turn 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.’s East Room into an “open office plan,” tweeting a photo of endless messy cubicles underneath the stark white, moulded ceilings of the White House’s event and reception room.
“I’ll use the Oval Office for some official functions — never for tweeting — but the rest of the time, I’ll be where a leader should be: with the team.”
As president, I'll turn the East Room into an open office plan, where I’ll sit with our team.
I’ll use the Oval Office for some official functions – never for tweeting – but the rest of the time, I’ll be where a leader should be: with the team. https://t.co/zIU3ZL5uIv pic.twitter.com/jLwWKJCmxw
— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) December 30, 2019
Bloomberg’s tweet came alongside news that his campaign was moving its headquarters to Times Square and setting up shop in the old New York Times building on West 43rd St. A campaign official confirmed to Politico that the presidential hopeful now has more than 300 staffers at his headquarters.
“In sports, the coach or manager is right there with the players, giving directions, drawing on white boards, huddling during timeouts, motivating and inspiring — and picking someone up when they’ve made a mistake,” Bloomberg wrote in an email to staffers announcing the new offices, according to Politico. “Managers in every organization should be performing those same roles. Walls just get in the way, by stifling communication and making collaboration more difficult. Some people like to build walls. I like to tear them down.”
As for his decidedly corporate design plans for the White House? Twitter users and journalists alike had their own reactions.
me reading this tweet pic.twitter.com/9vZsvtVOcd
— Ryan Mac ???? (@RMac18) December 30, 2019
executive orders via slack, let's fucking GO
— Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) December 30, 2019
The only people I've met who like open-office plans happen to have their own private office.
— Sedary Raymaker (@SedaryRaymaker) December 30, 2019
give ???? the ???? chief ???? of ???? staff ???? a ???? standing ???? desk
— josh terry (@JoshhTerry) December 30, 2019
Related stories from TheWrap:
Michael Bloomberg Has Outspent Major Democratic Candidates in TV Ads By Himself (So Far)
Bloomberg Media Acquires CityLab From The Atlantic
Elizabeth Warren Accuses Michael Bloomberg of 'Buying the Presidency' – on Bloomberg TV
Trump Re-Election Campaign Bans Bloomberg News Reporters From Rallies, Events
Steve Pond's Blog
