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cineworld

Disney+/cinema same day release for Black Widow, Cruella

Disney has announced new release details for a number of titles on Walt Disney Studios’ upcoming slate of films. The much delayed Marvel prequel movie Black Widow will now be released in both cinemas and on the Disney+ streaming platform on July 9th. Prior to that, the live-action Cruella movie, a prequel to 101 Dalamations, […]

March 24, 2021By Nik Roseveare

Cineworld confirms reopening; Warner Bros deal

Cineworld, the world’s second-largest cinema chain, has announced it will reopen cinemas across the US in April, and UK cinemas will follow suit when lockdown restrictions are lifted in May. Cineworld has also announced that it has struck an exclusivity deal with Warner Bros studio. In the UK, Cineworld will have exclusive rights to Warner […]

March 23, 2021By Nik Roseveare

Wonder Woman 1984 fast-tracked to PVoD

Wonder Woman 1984, the much-delayed DC sequel movie, finally got a cinema release in the UK on December 16th – the same day that large portions of the country were moved into stricter coronavirus restrictions, enforcing the closure of all entertainment venues. With cinemas now shut indefinitely in around three quarters of the UK, Warner […]

December 21, 2020By Nik Roseveare

Research: Increasing US demand for 1st-run movies online

Research from analyst firm Parks Associates finds 25 per cent of US broadband households now prefer an OTT subscription service to watch new movies, while 24 per cent still prefer movie theatres to experience first-run movie titles. “Covid-19 has upended the traditional content-windowing process, and consumer research shows this paradigm shift is impacting consumer attitudes,” […]

December 15, 2020

Warner Bros: All 2021 movies on HBO Max same day as cinema

Warner Bros Pictures Group has announced that it is “committed to releasing its 2021 film slate via a unique, consumer-focused distribution model” in which the studio will continue to exhibit its movies theatrically worldwide, while adding an exclusive one month access period on the HBO Max streaming platform in the US concurrent with the film’s […]

December 4, 2020By Nik Roseveare

Forecast: Cinema to see rapid return in APAC; but not W. Europe

Ampere Analysis has published revised forecasts for global box office revenues in 2020, now just 25 per cent of the original estimate made in January, showing the devastating effect of coronavirus on the sector. At the start of 2020, Ampere forecast annual gross box office revenue of $44.5 billion (€37.1bn) globally, a stark contrast to […]

November 30, 2020

Blithe Spirit in cinemas and on Sky Cinema in Jan

Sky has announced the acquisition of Blithe Spirit from StudioCanal UK. The film will be released in cinemas and on Sky Cinema on January 15th across the UK and Ireland, and will also be available on streaming service NOW TV via the Sky Cinema Pass. The fantasy comedy, based on the play by Noël Coward, […]

November 20, 2020By Nik Roseveare

Satellite, cinema operators boosted by vaccine news

Europe’s two big names in satellite communications saw large uplifts to their share prices thanks to the news about a probable Covid-19 vaccine. Eutelsat rose a significant 9.56 per cent on November 10th (and at one point hit €9.70). SES rose 3.9 per cent to €7.99 (and at one point touched €8.12) per share. The […]

November 11, 2020By Chris Forrester

Cinemas ‘shocked’ by Disney+ film premieres

The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), representing European cinema operators, has responded to Disney’s decision to forego a cinema release for its upcoming Pixar animation Soul, and instead launch the movie straight onto its Disney+ streaming service on Christmas Day. It marks the third time during the pandemic that Disney has released a tentpole movie […]

October 13, 2020By Nik Roseveare

The Witches goes PVoD

The Witches is the latest film title that will skip a UK cinema release and instead premiere as a PVoD rental in homes. The adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl story, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci and Octavia Spencer, will be available to download from October 26th. Once downloaded, the […]

October 13, 2020By Nik Roseveare