Box Office
B ... As in Billion: Analysts Predict Huge 2022 Box Office Numbers
Hollywood is poised to rebound even more in the new year, with Gower Street Analytics projecting a global box office haul upwards of $33.2 billion. That’s a lot of popcorn! This number demonstrates around a 58% increase from 2021’s current tracked draw of $21 billion. And after a long, hard 2020, the sharp upward trend must feel nice to studios and filmmakers desperate to get the industry back on track. While Gower estimates that it will still take until 2023 for the global box office to return to pre-pandemic numbers, this is a very good sign of a strong recovery. Plus, Hollywood still has a few tricks up its sleeve, with Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home on deck for a December release and several huge films (such as The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick, and Jurassic World: Dominion) set for 2022. Big releases should mean big numbers, and the industry is excited to get back to normal. Now, where’s my popcorn...?
Film
License and Registration: New Collection of Classics Enter National Film Registry
What do the films The Return of the Jedi and Selena have in common? Both were just inducted into the National Film Registry. These two titles were among the 25 films chosen for preservation by the Library of Congress this year, a tradition that allows the institution to preserve classic titles deemed important for different reasons. In deference to many of the issues facing our communities in 2021, many of this year’s inductees are films that include subject matter dealing with racially motivated violence against people of color, including The Murder of Fred Hampton, Who Killed Vincent Chin? and Requiem-29. “Films help reflect our cultural history and creativity and show us new ways of looking at ourselves,” said Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress. “Though movies haven’t always been deemed worthy of preservation, the National Film Registry will preserve our cinematic heritage, and we are proud to add 25 more films this year.” This year’s large spectrum of movies also includes The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Sounder.
Music
Saying Goodbye to Midem: World's Largest Music Conference is Discontinued
The primary international music industry conference, Midem, just announced that it will not be returning in 2022 and that the brand will be taken over by the city of Cannes. In an announcement, Midem owner RX France said, “Due to the lasting pandemic and following a review of its activity, RX France [formerly Reed Midem] has decided to no longer organize the Midem events.” The 2022 conference was scheduled to occur between June 7 and June 10. The conference began in 1967 and came to be known as the ultimate showcase for the world's biggest artists and executives. But within the past few years, attendance began to dwindle. The company has made several efforts to combat falling numbers by changing the season in which the conference is held and by launching tandem events in other locations. However, these efforts did little to move the needle. According to reports, other conferences owned by RX France will not be affected and are still set for in-person events in the spring of next year.
Streaming
Watching Over Facetime: Streamers Support Apple SharePlay
During its Worldwide Developers Conference back in June, Apple announced the release of SharePlay on iOS 15.1, which offers co-viewing experience across several media apps. Disney+ is the latest streaming app to jump on board in support of the new SharePlay feature. With Disney+’s newest update, subscribers will be able to host and attend sessions that allow up to 32 people to enjoy the latest catalog title together. SharePlay has been touted as great solution for people who cannot be together during the holidays—at least they can host a great virtual movie night! This co-viewing feature is part of the FaceTime app, so all users need to do it start the call and then open any app that supports this feature to gain access to SharePlay. Playback controls are also available to all viewers, with Disney noting that each participant will be able to select individual subtitle settings. This new feature is a natural progression for this type of software, as remote work and video calling apps like Zoom are now commonplace. According to Jerrell Jimerson, EVP of Product & Design for Disney Streaming, “With thousands of movies and shows and a growing content catalog of new titles and originals, SharePlay provides another opportunity for personal friends and family around the world to come together and create new memories with their favorite stories on Disney+.”
Film
No Spoilers! Sony Fights Back Against Spider-Man Leaks
On Wednesday, December 15, sizable portions of the latest Marvel/Sony blockbuster, Spider-Man: No Way Home, appeared on YouTube. The videos were only available to the public for a few minutes before Sony’s digital teams were able to remove the leaks with copyright infringement notices. The exact nature of the leaks was not revealed, though they ranged in quality and contained several legitimate spoilers. Sony worked diligently to remove these leaks, as well as other pirated footage that was suggested via algorithm, to persevere the sanctity of the film and keep key plot details a secret. The cast and studio have joined in, asking those who saw the film at the premiere or press screenings to keep the details to themselves. “Let people experience it the way they want to experience it,” said Marvel executive, Victoria Alonso. “Because if you already know what happens, there’s no point. There are many surprises, so let people enjoy it.” This fast action by Sony is part of Hollywood’s continued fight against piracy. Other movies that premiered this year like Black Widow and Dune struggled with their simultaneous online and theatrical release. Spider-Man: No Way Home is a theatrical exclusive, but even so, it is still susceptible to piracy that could damage box office revenue drastically. As one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year, No Way Home has been subject of several leaks ever since the release of the first trailer.
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