FilmTake

The “Netflix of China” Signs Streaming Deal with Warner Bros.

March 26, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

China’s iQiyi online video service entered into a streaming output agreement with Warner Brothers.

Paramount Pictures Deal is Dead

March 21, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

Paramount will not receive the $1 billion in slate funding from China’s Shanghai Film Group, and Hua Hua Media. A source said, the “Paramount deal is dead.”

Streaming

Cable TV is Doomed!

March 7, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

The days of cable television are numbered after the launch of YouTube TV in the U.S. The will cost $35 a month for a family plan with at least 40 channels.

Broadcast & PayTV

Last Year Canal+ Lost 500,000 Subscribers in France

March 5, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

With increased competition from Netflix and Amazon, Canal+ lost a half of million subscribers in France during 2016.

UPDATED: China’s Recon Group Plans Buyout of Millennium Films

March 5, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

China’s Recon Group plans to buy a majority stake in genre-distributor Millennium Films for $100 million.

Changing Exhibition Markets and Practices

March 1, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

Wanda Group is in the position to transform theatrical exhibition markets in English-speaking territories.

Update: Wanda’s Buyout of Dick Clark Productions Falls Apart

February 22, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

Update: Dick Clark Productions sues Dalian Wanda for $25 million after the Chinese conglomerate failed to complete it’s $1.07 billion buyout.

Distribution

Power Failure for Voltage Pictures Deal

February 21, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

Xinke, a Chinese copper processing company revoked their offer to acquire 80% of Voltage Pictures for $350 million.

Distribution

Paramount Pictures: How Not to Run a Studio

February 19, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

In an unsurprising decision that many industry followers have expected, Paramount Pictures’ CEO Brad Grey is leaving the studio after 12 years.

China Expected to Officially Expand Film Quotas

February 12, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

China’s top film regulator, announced through state-run news sources that a quota expansion is likely in the coming months.

China Warns the US About Protecting Media Assets

February 12, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

Wang Jianlin, chairman of Wanda Group, warned the U.S. last week against implementing protectionist measures for media assets.

European Film Market: Netflix and Amazon Propel Competition

February 12, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

Love them or hate them, Netflix and Amazon are shaking loose cobwebs from the film market. The momentum from Sundance has sellers optimistic.

Distribution

Leaderless Sony Pictures $1 Billion Writedown

February 5, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

After $1 billion writedown Sony Corp. announced that it does not plan to sell Sony Pictures. The company is under pressure to sell after mounting losses.

Can Lionsgate Challenge the Studios Once Again?

February 4, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

After a string of massive hits, Lionsgate traveled full circle in 2016 when its top-grossing domestic film was Boo! A Medea Halloween.

Television Takes Over the Internet

January 31, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

Only days apart, the UK’s largest satellite broadcaster, Sky, and the US’s biggest cable company, Comcast, announced plans to expand their services online.

Hollywood’s Growing Dependency on Chinese Capital

January 29, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

The media industry’s increasing dependence on Chinese capital sets up a crisis once the chickens of China’s property market come home to roost.

Streaming

A New Record for Netflix

January 22, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

Netflix added 19 million subscribers in 2016, a new record for the digital distributor. Although, the company has quadrupled its long-term debt since 2014.

China’s Deserted Movie Theaters

January 15, 2017 FilmTake Comments Off

China doubled the number of movie screens from 20,000 in 2013 to 41,000 by 2016. Conversely, 2016 was the worst year in a decade at China’s box office.

Streaming