NEWS OF THE WEEK IN REVIEW: "SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES" IS MESSAGE SENT VIA MONDAY'S NEW THREE MINUTE TRAILER FROM DISNEY/MARVEL PROMOTING MOVIEGOING + UPCOMING STREAM OF MARVEL TITLES THAT SHOULD BOOST BOXOFFICE RECOVERY. PREVIEW INCLUDES FOOTAGE FROM: "BLACK WIDOW" (7/9), "SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS" (9/3) & "ETERNALS" (11/5)...
APPLE TV+ HAS POTENTIAL CONTENDER FOR 94TH OSCARS IN SCI-FI DRAMA "FINCH," DIRECTED BY MIGUEL SAPOCHNIK (6 "GAME OF THRONES" EPISODES) & STARRING TOM HANKS. IF THIS SOUNDS A LOT LIKE UNIVERSAL/AMBLIN'S SCI-FI DRAMA "BIOS" -- WELL, IT IS "BIOS." APPLE TV+ ACQUIRED & RETITLED "BIOS" TO STREAM LATER THIS YEAR (PROBABLY AS AWARDS SEASON HEATS UP). SO DON'T LOOK FOR "BIOS" IN THEATRES 8/20. APPLE TV+ PREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED 2020 ACTION DRAMA "GREYHOUND," STARRING HANKS, FROM SONY...
DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO FILL 8/20 SLOT OPENED UP BY DEPARTURE OF "BIOS." DISNEY STEPPED IN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY TO MOVE SEARCHLIGHT'S R RATED HORROR THRILLER "THE NIGHT HOUSE" FROM 7/16. IT'S GOOD FIT WITH: PARAMOUNT/NICKELODEON'S ANIMATED COMEDY ADVENTURE "PAW PATROL" & LIONSGATE/MILLENNIUM'S ACTION CRIME THRILLER "THE PROTEGE."...
EXHIBS SEE STEADY STREAM OF R RATED FILMS AS KEY FACTOR IN SPRING BOXOFFICE RECOVERY SLOWING AFTER PG-13 "GODZILLA VS. KONG'S" SUCCESS. "WRATH" WILL BE FOURTH WIDE RELEASE R MOVIE IN LAST THREE WEEKS – FOLLOWING "MORTAL KOMBAT," "DEMON SLAYER" & "SEPARATION." R TITLES #5, #6 & #7 ALL OPEN 5/14 -- "THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD," "SPIRAL" & "PROFILE." FIRST REAL FAMILY FILM ON DECK, UNIVERSAL/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION'S PG "SPIRIT UNTAMED," DOESN'T HIT THEATRES UNTIL 6/4...
NETFLIX'S R RATED ZOMBIE HORROR "ARMY OF THE DEAD" WILL INVADE THEATRES – ALREADY INCLUDING CINEMARK & MARCUS -- 5/14 FOR ONE-WEEK EXCLUSIVE THEATRICAL RUN BEFORE 5/21 STREAMING START. PER MARCUS CORPORATION CEO GREG MARCUS ON INVESTORS CALL: "WE ARE IN THE WORLD OF EXPERIMENTATION. OBVIOUSLY, IT'S A VERY SHORT WINDOW."...
DON'T LOOK FOR SONY'S LIVE ACTION MUSICAL COMEDY FANTASY "CINDERELLA" IN THEATRES 7/16. IT'S NOW HEADING TO AMAZON PRIME FOR A STREAMING DEBUT LATER THIS YEAR. UNLIKE 2020 WHEN EVERY PICTURE STUDIOS TOOK OFF RELEASE SCHEDULE SPELLED DOOM FOR EXHIBITORS, UPCOMING SUMMER IS STILL PACKED WITH PRODUCT...
PARAMOUNT/NEW REPUBLIC'S SCI-FI THRILLER "INFINITE" WON'T LAND IN THEATRES 9/24 AS PLANNED. IT WILL NOW STREAM INSTEAD ON PARAMOUNT+ IN JUNE. THAT ECHOES PARAMOUNT'S DECISION LAST YEAR TO SCRAP THEATRICAL RUN FOR "THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE ON THE RUN" IN FAVOR OF PARAMOUNT+ STREAMING LAUNCH...
CINEMARK NOW HAS CUSTOMIZED THEATRICAL WINDOW DEALS WITH ALL FIVE MAJOR STUDIOS, IS WORKING WITH NETFLIX ON MINI PRE-STREAMING THEATRICAL RUN AND HOPES TO DO MORE WITH NETFLIX AND OTHER STREAMERS, CINEMARK CEO MARK ZORADI TOLD WALL STREET ANALYSTS ON 5/7 EARNINGS CALL...
