'Hunger Games' feasts, 'Napoleon' conquers but 'Wish' doesn't come true at Thanksgiving box office
The Walt Disney Co.โs โWishโ had been expected to rule the Thanksgiving weekend box office, but moviegoers instead feasted on leftovers, as โThe Hunger Games: Songbirds and Snakesโ led ticket sales for the second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Disney, Spectrum direct customers to other TV services as dispute keeping ESPN off air continues
A business dispute that has pulled ESPN and other Disney-owned companies off the air for nearly 15 million cable TV subscribers continues, with both companies taking the unusual step of directing customers to look elsewhere for their favorite networks.
Disney parks at the forefront after Igerโs return
Itโs been six months since Bob Iger canceled his retirement and stepped back into the top role at Disney to right a number of perceived wrongs under his handpicked successor, with one hovering right near the top: reconnecting with the Disney theme park die-hards and restoring their faith in the brand.
Disney parks at the forefront after Iger's return
Itโs been six months since Bob Iger canceled his retirement and stepped back into the top role at Disney to right a number of perceived wrongs under his handpicked successor, with one hovering right near the top: reconnecting with the Disney theme park die-hards and restoring their faith in the brand.
What is a special district in Florida? Hereโs an explanation
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday the state legislature would be taking up a bill during their special session that would look to dissolve six special districts in the state, including the Reedy Creek Improvement District which governs Walt Disney World.
With walkout threat over Floridaโs parental rights bill, Disney finds itself in balancing act
Even though only a small percentage of Walt Disney Co. workers participated in a walkout, organizers felt they had won a moral victory with the company issuing a statement denouncing the anti-LGBTQ legislation that sparked employee outrage.
New this week: 'Law & Order,' Madea and Tears for Fears
This weekโs new entertainment releases include a new album from Tears for Fears, that familiar โcha-CHUNGโ sound effect signals the return to TV of NBCโs โLaw & Orderโ and Tyler Perryโs gun-totting grandmother Madea in a fresh Netflix film.
'Death on the Nile' tops a quiet box office weekend
Hollywoodโs Super Bowl weekend largely fizzled with the muted debut of Kenneth Branaghโs long-delayed Agatha Christie whodunit, โDeath on the Nile,โ a tepid reception for the Jennifer Lopez romantic-comedy โMarry Meโ and modest box-office bumps for Oscar nominees.
'Shang-Chi' tops box office for 3rd straight weekend
โShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsโ is the top film at the box office for the third straight weekend, but the muted reception for Clint Eastwoodโs โCry Machoโ suggests older moviegoers still arenโt as eager to return to theaters.
Disney opening campus in Lake Nona, moving some SoCal workers
The Walt Disney Co. says it plans to build a new regional campus in Central Florida to house at least 2,000 professional employees who will be relocating from Southern California to work in digital technology, finance and product development.
6 major announcements that came out of Bob Igerโs last Disney shareholder meeting
Iger will formally pass the torch to the companyโs new CEO, Bob Chapek. Iger stepped down from his role as the Walt Disney Co. CEO in February 2020, citing a proper time for transition. He addressed shareholders in his last meeting, saying he knows Chapek will continue to make Disney the magical company itโs known to be. Disney cruises could come back this fallAdDuring the question and answer portion, a shareholder asked for a timeline for Disney cruises. Walt Disney Worldโs 50th AnniversaryThe most magical place on earth is preparing for its 50th-anniversary celebration.
Disney 1Q profit falls but beats expectations due to Disney+
NEW YORK โ The Walt Disney Co.'s net income fell sharply in its most-recent quarter, as the coronavirus pandemic still weighs heavily on many of its businesses, from theme parks to movies. But the results Thursday surpassed Wall Street's expectations thanks to subscribers flocking to Disney+ and other of the entertainment giant's streaming services. Disney+ subscribers totaled 94.9 million at the end of the quarter, more than double the subscriber base a year ago, when the service had been operating for only about two months. For Disney's fiscal first quarter, net income totaled $17 million, or 1 cent per share, compared with $2.1 billion or $1.16 cents per share a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, net income totaled 32 cents per share, compared with $1.53 per share in the prior-year quarter.
Kingdom of Wakanda destined for Disney + streaming service
Disney on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, announced a five-year exclusive TV deal with Cooglers Proximity Media company that includes development of a series based in the Kingdom of Wakanda from Cooglers Black Panther blockbuster. (Photo by Phil McCarten/Invision/AP, File)LOS ANGELES โ The Kingdom of Wakanda is staking out turf on the Disney + streaming service. A TV series set in the โBlack Pantherโ kingdom will be developed as part of a five-year, exclusive television deal the Walt Disney Co. announced Monday with filmmaker Ryan Cooglerโs Proximity Media company. Coogler wrote and directed 2018โs โBlack Panther,โ a box-office hit that turned Chadwick Boseman into a superstar. The Black Panther character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics, which became part of Disney in 2009 when the media giant acquired Marvel Entertainment.
Disneyland ends annual passes 10 months after virus closure
(AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)ANAHEIM, Calif. โ Disneyland is ending its annual pass program 10 months after the theme park shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, the theme park said Thursday. The park in Anaheim, California, said it would begin issuing pro-rated refunds to eligible passholders. โDue to the continued uncertainty of the pandemic and limitations around the reopening of our California theme parks, we will be issuing appropriate refunds for eligible Disneyland Resort Annual Passports and sunsetting the current program,โ Ken Potrock, president of Disneyland Resort, said in a statement. Disney officials would not say how many people hold these passes or how much the move will cost the company. The announcement comes the same week that Disneyland allowed county health officials to use its parking lot for a large-scale coronavirus vaccination site.
'Wonder Woman 1984' debuts with pandemic-best $16.7M
This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Gal Gadot in a scene from "Wonder Woman 1984." โWonder Woman 1984โ grossed an additional $19.4 million in international markets where it began playing a week earlier. But WarnerMedia is counting on โWonder Woman 1984โ to matter more to HBO Max, which wobbled in its initial rollout. Warner Bros. nevertheless seized on the returns for โWonder Woman 1984โ as the best as could be expected, given the circumstances. Streaming numbers weren't provided for โSoulโ or โWonder Woman 1984.โ WarnerMedia said nearly half of HBO Maxโs subscribers watched โWonder Woman 1984โ on its first day on the streaming platform, though it didn't say how long constituted a watch.
Disney+ subscribers reach 86.8 million worldwide
Chapek said Disney+ subscribers worldwide have reached 86.8 million, up from 74 million last month. But Disney also kept its biggest films โ including Marvel's โBlack Widow," Pixar's โLuca,โ a โLion Kingโ prequel โ on course for theatrical release. Jenkins becomes the first woman to direct a โStar Warsโ film. Among the โStar Warsโ series are two spinoffs of โThe Mandalorian,โ set during the series' timeline: โRangers of the New Republicโ and โAhsoka,โ with Rosario Dawson. Seven Disney films topped $1 billion worldwide.
Testing new release strategy, 'The Croods' opens to $14.2M
This image released by DreamWorks shows a scene from the animated film "The Croods: A New Age." โThe Croods: A New Ageโ is expected to shift to the home before Christmas for a $20 rental. โThe Croods: A New Ageโ grossed $9.7 million Friday-Sunday, which rivals even the weekend start for โTenetโ in September. Most have tapped out around $4 million on opening weekend. One of the biggest differences is that Universal spent more heavily to market the $65 million โCroodsโ sequel from DreamWorks Animation.
Disney to lay off thousands more workers as COVID-19 pandemic continues, new filing reveals
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Disney is laying off thousands more workers than initially expected, according to a new Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, Disney has lost billions of dollars in revenue as its parks and resorts were shut down for months. Walt Disney Co. reported fiscal fourth-quarter loss earlier this month thanks largely to changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shuttered attractions also forced more than 70,000 Disney workers to be furloughed for months, with only some returning to work with the parksโ phased reopenings. The latest round of Disney layoffs comes one week after Universal Orlando officials said more than 1,000 of its team members are facing layoffs.
Disney posts 4Q loss as parks business, costs drag results
Walt Disney Co. reported fiscal fourth-quarter loss on Thursday thanks largely to changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their primary focus is on making shows and movies for streaming services. Subscribers to Disney's main streaming bundle โ Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu โ top 120 million. Disney posted a loss of $629 million, or 39 cents per share, in the three months that ended Oct. 3. Disney said revenue at its parks, experiences and products business fell 61% to $2.6 billion.
Coronavirus: Disneyland Paris forced to close again
French President Emmanuel Macron has imposed a second nationwide lockdown that will shutter businesses, including Disneyland Paris. In line with latest direction from the French authorities, Disneyland Paris will be closing end of day on October 29th. A statement on the Disneyland Paris website reads:"In anticipation of celebrating the Christmas holiday season we will be taking reservations from December 19 โ January 3 and hope to be open based on prevailing conditions and government guidance at that time. Disneyland Paris will be closed from January 4 through February 12. Franceโs second lockdown will begin this Friday.