Saudi Ministry of Education to showcase innovations at 2025 Geneva International Exhibition    7,523 violators of residency, labor, and border security laws deported in a week    Video contradicts Israeli army account of deadly March 23 strike on Gaza paramedics    Saudi Arabia spends over $241 million to implement de-mining projects in 3 countries    Italy's Meloni government approves controversial security decree expanding police protections and penalties    Egypt submits new Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange proposal: Report    'Everything is possible' — Ronaldo focused on titles, not 1,000-goal milestone after Riyadh Derby win    Saudi, US military leaders discuss enhanced defense cooperation in Riyadh    King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language launches program with Indiana University    Ronaldo brace powers Al Nassr past Al Hilal in Riyadh derby thriller    Ed Sheeran weaves Persian music into new song, Azizam    Al-Jadaan: Crown Prince's directives confirm government's ability to bring back balance to real estate market    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Foreign investors are allowed to engage in real estate business outside Makkah and Madinah Commercial speculation should not be the purpose of real estate transaction    Aubameyang fires Al Qadsiah into King's Cup final with stoppage-time winner over Al Raed    Musk's X is suing India, as Tesla and Starlink plan entry    Tesla sales plunge after backlash against Elon Musk    Danilo Pereira fires Al Ittihad into King's Cup final with dramatic stoppage-time double    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Counting by the billion, Hollywood's summer starts to sizzle
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 25 - 06 - 2015

NEW YORK — “A million dollars isn't cool,” said Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker in “The Social Network.” “You know what's cool? A billion dollars.”
He was talking about Silicon Valley, but he might as well have meant today's Hollywood. And lately, the movie business has been hot enough to be very cool. When “Jurassic World” crossed $1 billion globally on Monday after just 13 days of release, it did it faster than any movie before. And it wasn't just the first film this year, or even this season, to reach that mark. “Jurassic World” is the third billion-dollar movie this summer following “Furious 7” ($1.5 billion) and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” ($1.4 billion).
Those two films already rank among the five highest grossing films ever, and “Jurassic World” is certain to join them. A billion dollars is starting to look easy. The summer box office got off to a so-so start, but, suddenly, business is booming at the multiplex. After “Jurassic World” set an opening record two weeks ago, almost doubling expectations, Pixar's “Inside Out” followed up with a forecast-busting debut of its own, with $90.4 million.
An industry where the sky is often rumored to be falling, for the moment, is roaring.
“Audiences love to go to the movie theater,” says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box office data firm Rentrak. “I don't want to hear any more that people don't want to go to the movie theater and they just want to sit on their couch. They want to do both. That outside-of-the-home experience is essential and these two weekends prove it.”
The twin hits couldn't be more different. One is an Earth-stomping franchise entry that cynically alludes to its own corporate profit-driven existence; the other is a rainbow-colored burst of originality. When it comes to moviemaking, no rule is so set in stone that its opposite isn't true, too.
“Jurassic World,” both a sequel and a reboot, is directed by Colin Trevorrow but also came, importantly, with Steven Spielberg's name attached (as executive producer). The fourth “Jurassic Park” film — like the runaway success of “Furious 7” — has essentially proven, without a doubt, the new math of Hollywood: The money (especially in billion-form) is in franchises.
Author and journalist Mark Harris on Grantland mourned the success of “Jurassic World” as the death of something else: “what used to be the backbone of Hollywood moviemaking, namely self-contained, non-repeatable scripts, now threatens to become an anomaly, a charity act, a niche, a tithe to awards season, or a skippable option.”
What's striking about this new wave of franchise frenzy is that it's not even taking Hollywood's A-game. “Jurassic World” was virtually assured of making gobs of money, but few expected it be the biggest summer hit of all time. “As disposable as used Kleenex,” is how movie blogger David Poland of Movie City News described it, echoing the sentiments of most critics.
The “Fast & Furious” franchise also looks odd ranked just below “Titanic.” Yet, propelled by “Furious 7” and “Jurassic World,” Universal Pictures, which distributed both, has already had the biggest year ($3.8 billion) in its 103-year history. Some of the upcoming summer sequels (“Terminator: Genisys,” “Magic Mike XXL,” “Minions“) will surely be cheered by the recent box office numbers.
Pixar, which is owned by Disney, has its own plans for more sequels (“Finding Dory,” “Toy Story 4,” “The Incredibles 2“), but the large opening of “Inside Out” — the largest opening weekend by a wholly original property, surpassing “Avatar” — proves that a good idea, well told, can still drive enormous audiences.


Clic here to read the story from its source.