This Week's Handful of Must-See Headlines

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Box Office

Summer Success: Behind This Year’s Box Office Boost
The summer box office experienced a dramatic turnaround with Deadpool & Wolverine leading the charge, earning $211 million domestically in its opening weekend and setting a record for R-rated films. Its success, along with hits like Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4, and Twisters, revitalized the industry.

Film Festival

Inside Locarno: Festival Director Discusses Upcoming Festival
Switzerland's Locarno Film Festival, under director Giona A. Nazzaro, returns with a strong lineup of world premieres from prominent arthouse filmmakers. Opening on August 7 with Gianluca Jodice’s The Flood, the festival runs until August 17. Nazzaro highlights the festival's role in showcasing diverse films, bridging the gap between major events like Cannes and Venice.

Technology

Virtual Box Office: Selling Movie Tickets in Online Gaming
Warner Bros., Roblox, and Fandango have teamed up to launch a virtual box office within Roblox for Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. US users aged 13 and up can buy movie tickets directly in the game’s "Escape the Afterlife" experience, inspired by the films. This collaboration is Roblox’s first venture into e-commerce.

International

Going for Gold: This Year’s Olympics Set To Break Advertising Records
The UK's Creators’ Rights Alliance (CRA), representing over 500,000 creators, is challenging tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI for using copyrighted material without permission in AI development. The CRA demands proper licenses, fair compensation, and transparency for the use of creative works.

Broadway

Theater Phenomenon: Biggest Hits on Broadway
Oh, Mary! and The Outsiders are Broadway hits, with the former grossing over $1 million weekly and outperforming many big musicals, while the latter consistently sells out and exceeds capacity. Both shows highlight a strong summer for Broadway, with increased attendance and revenue compared to last year.

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