TELLY
- BBC iPlayer results show Jan 2014 was biggest month ever for BBC iPlayer with over 315m TV and Radio requests. Sherlock’s Ep 1 generated 3.6m requests (3rd best requested show)
Hannibal’s SVOD marketing provides food for thought
NBC and Amazon host #13HourDevour event inviting fans to a mass binge-view complete with exclusive content, contests and live tweets from the cast. (in USA)
24: Live Another Day release new trailer
http://www.vulture.com/2014/03/see-another-24-live-another-day-teaser.html
Justin Long and Nick Frost join new Fox pilot ‘Sober Companion’
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nick-frost-star-foxs-sober-691052
Bravo to allow fans to vote for scenes they want to watch – one of several digital initiatives the NBCUniversal cabler is launching in 2014.
Fox’s / JJ Abram’s Almost Human comes to the UK – will air on Watch
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a560474/almost-human-to-air-on-watch-in-the-uk.html
Game Of Thrones: first episode of the new series will be broadcast at the same time in the UK and the US.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/26744393
TECH / INDUSTRY
Facebook buy Oculus Rift (that’s what that thing is above) – Virtual Headset Maker – for $2billion.
Might seem to have nothing to do with movie theaters or films…yet.
Zuckerberg said ‘Oculus has the potential to be the most social platform ever,” he said. ‘“Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.”
http://time.com/37842/facebook-oculus-rift/
Virgin Media in talks with Amazon Prime to link content to TiVo
‘Envisions including a link to Amazon Prime via Virgin’s TiVo set-top boxes’
http://www.homemediamagazine.com/streaming/virgin-media-talks-amazon-prime-link-32855
Amazon NOT offering a free TV and Music streaming service. They say…
MOVIES
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles…trailer finally drops! (Released today)
Has Michael Bay written all over it. TURTLE POWER! etc… (Released in the US May. UK – Oct)
The Purge: Anarchy trailer now out
Number of 18-24 year-old movie-goers dropped by 21%
…but 2-11 year-olds grew by 54% in 2012. (USA)
Chris Dodd (head of Motion Pictures Association) dismisses putting the blame on tech and makes some good points the footnote being: ‘“We can embrace technology, and use it to complement our offerings,” (IPads in cinemas for example… )
http://variety.com/2014/film/news/number-of-frequent-young-moviegoers-plummets-in-2013-1201146426/
Into The Storm (think Twister meets Paranormal Activity) premieres trailer on Digital Spy
Warner Bros release Bat Man 75th anniversary logo (below)
Movies: CASTING NEWS & EXCITING TITLES IN THE MAKING
Kevin Spacey to play Winston Churchill
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kevin-spacey-play-winston-churchill-690755
Madonna to direct Adé: A Love Story(Africa-set romance adapted from the novel by Rebecca Walker, daughter of Color Purple author Alice Walker)
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/mar/26/madonna-film-directing-ade-a-love-story
Promethius 2. With multiple Fassbenders!
http://metro.co.uk/2014/03/25/prometheus-2-to-feature-multiple-michael-fassbenders-with-march
Pierce Brosnan to appear in The Expendables sequel
Movies: BOX OFFICE & SALES MARKET
Grand Budapest tops Need For Speed at UK Box Office (Earns £6.31 in just 17 days after cinema release expanded)
http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/mar/26/grand-budapest-hotel-top-spot-box-office
Huge opening weekend in the US for Divergent $56m
Muppets Most Wanted…not so much ($16m) http://variety.com/2014/film/news/box-office-divergent-jump-starts-franchise-with-56-mil-opening-while-muppets-stumbles-with-16-5-mil-1201143628/
Frozen Easily Tops Home Vid Sales Chart (Frozen is out on Monday in the UK
http://variety.com/?p=1201148058
Noah set to flood box office with $40 opening in the US (despite mediocre reviews)
Movies: TODAY’S MAJOR THEATRICAL RELEASES (click title for trailers)
20 Feet From Stardom (Altitude)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Disney)
Legend Of Hercules (Lionsgate)
Muppets Most Wanted (Disney)
Afternoon Delight (House Distribution UK)
UK WEEKEND Box Office (21st – 23rd Mar)
| Rank | Title | Country of Origin | Weekend Gross | Distributor | % change on last week | Weeks on release | Number of cinemas | Site average | Total Gross to date |
| 1 | The Grand Budapest Hotel | UK/USA/Ger | £1,267,408 | 20th Century Fox | -3 | 4 | 458 | £2,767 | £6,309,128 |
| 2 | Need for Speed | USA/Ind | £988,255 | eOne Films | -51 | 2 | 477 | £2,072 | £3,691,108 |
| 3 | The Lego Movie | USA | £815,020 | Warner Bros | -18 | 6 | 517 | £1,576 | £31,128,785 |
| 4 | 300: Rise of an Empire | USA | £785,538 | Warner Bros | -36 | 3 | 419 | £1,875 | £6,868,104 |
| 5 | Non-Stop | UK/USA | £697,128 | StudioCanal | -23 | 4 | 421 | £1,656 | £8,097,443 |
| 6 | Starred Up | UK | £495,181 | 20th Century Fox | – | 1 | 316 | £1,567 | £495,181 |
| 7 | A Long Way Down | UK/Ger | £361,901 | Lionsgate | – | 1 | 363 | £997 | £361,901 |
| 8 | Labor Day | USA | £278,726 | Paramount | – | 1 | 319 | £874 | £278,726 |
| 9 | Ride Along | USA | £211,644 | Universal | -50 | 4 | 267 | £793 | £3,945,786 |
| 10 | Mr Peabody and Sherman | USA | £198,623 | 20th Century Fox | -18 | 7 | 398 | £499 | £12,600,160 |
| 11 | Under the Skin | UK/USA/Sui | £196,769 | StudioCanal | -18 | 2 | 75 | £2,624 | £596,070 |
| 12 | About Last Night | USA | £173,376 | Sony Pictures | – | 1 | 209 | £830 | £173,376 |
| 13 | Escape from Planet Earth | USA/Can | £160,505 | Entertainment | -38 | 3 | 370 | £434 | £925,940 |
| 14 | Tinker Bell and The Pirate Fairy | USA | £144,077 | Disney | -24 | 6 | 364 | £396 | £5,459,408 |
| 15 | The Book Thief | USA/Ger | £136,547 | 20th Century Fox | -52 | 6 | 311 | £439 | £3,743,526 |
| Total | £6,910,698 | 5,284 | £1,308 | £84,674,642 | |||||
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