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Tag: Maleficent

  • Star Movies to premiere ‘Maleficent’

    Star Movies to premiere ‘Maleficent’

    Mumbai, 24th June, 2015: In the words of legendary playwright William Congreve, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”. This June, Star Movies brings to you a chance to witness what drove a powerful fairy to become a vengeful villain with the television premiere of ‘Maleficent’ on 28th June at 1pm and 9pm!

     

    Directed by Robert Stromberg, this dark fantasy film starring one of Hollywood’s best actresses, Angelina Jolie, takes inspiration from the 1959 animated classic, Sleeping Beauty and narrates the story from the perspective of the glowering villainess, Maleficent. After being betrayed in love, the once kind fairy is driven to exact revenge from her perpetrator by cursing the infant princess to fall into a death-like sleep by pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel on her sixteenth birthday, with the elusive ‘kiss of true love’ as the only way to lift the curse. However, over the years, Maleficent becomes the innocent princess’ fairy godmother and later the hero as her strong motherly love for Aurora breaks the curse that she herself had cast.

     

    Star Movies has always believed in weaving the magic of its movies beyond the television screen. The marketing campaign for the TV premiere will ask its followers on twitter to save the princess from falling for Maleficent’s spell. The princess is on her way to the dungeon where the curse will fall upon her, and as the Star Movies follower you can stop her, save her. But Maleficent has blocked your way with different spells. Break the spells on your way to the castle and help save #MaleficentOnStarMovies

     

    Each broken spell will unlock exciting gifts, making the journey truly astounding. This message will be further amplified through branding across PVR theatres and in Jet Aircrafts.

     

    So don’t forget to experience this iconic tale like it’s never been told before on 28th June at 1pm and 9pm only on Star Movies!

  • Disney FY-2104 op inc grows 21 per cent; Studio Entertainment segment op inc up 234 per cent

    Disney FY-2104 op inc grows 21 per cent; Studio Entertainment segment op inc up 234 per cent

    BENGALURU: The Walt Disney Company Inc (Disney) reported operating income (op inc) of $ 13,005 million (26.6 per cent of overall revenue or TIO) in the year ended 27 September 2014 (FY-2014), up 21.3 per cent from the $ 10,724 million (23.8 per cent of TIO) in FY-2013. The company’s TIO in FY-2014 at $ 48,813 million was 8.4 per cent more than the $ 45,041 million in 2013.

     

    “Our results for fiscal 2014 were the highest in the company’s history, marking our fourth consecutive year of record performance,” said Disney chairman and CEO Robert A Iger. “We’re obviously very pleased with this achievement and believe it reflects the extraordinary quality of our content and our unique ability to leverage success across the company to create significant value, as well as our focus on embracing and adapting to emerging consumer trends and technology.”

     

    Disney’s Studio Entertainment segment reported a 234.3 per cent growth in op inc in FY-2014 at $ 1,549 million (11.9 per cent of all op inc) from $ 661 million (6.2 per cent of all op inc) in FY-2013. This segment’s revenue in FY-2014 at $ 7,278 million (14.9 per cent of TIO) grew 21.7 per cent to $ 5,979 million (13.3 per cent of TIO) in the previous year.

     

    Here is what Disney has to say about Studio Entertainment numbers: 

     

    Higher operating income was driven by increases in worldwide theatrical distribution and worldwide home entertainment. Higher worldwide theatrical distribution results were due to the success of Guardians of the Galaxy and Maleficent in the current quarter compared to Monsters University and The Lone Ranger in the prior year quarter.

     

    The increase in worldwide home entertainment was due to higher unit sales, lower per unit costs and higher net effective price resulting from the success of Frozen. Other significant titles included Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier in the current quarter and Iron Man 3 in the prior-year quarter. 

     

    Let us look at the results for FY-2014 and Q4-2014 reported by Disney.

     

     Overall Revenue:

     

    In Q4-2014 (quarter ended September 27, 2014), Disney reported a 7.1 growth of TIO to $ 12,389 million from US$ 11568 million in the corresponding quarter of last fiscal, but was marginally less (0.6 per cent less) than the $ 12,466 million in Q3-2014. 

     

    Q4-2014 op inc at $ 2,775 million (22.4 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014 was 11.7 per cent more than the $ 2,484 million (21.5 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2013, but 28.1 per cent lower than the $ 3,857 million (30.9 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2014. 

     

    Segment Revenue: 

     

    Five segments contribute to Disney’s numbers – Media Networks; Parks and resorts; Studio entertainment; Consumer products; and Interactive.

     

    Media Networks Segment:

     

    The company’s Media Network segment is the largest in terms of contribution to overall revenue (TIO) and op inc This segment consists of two sub-segments – Cable Networks and Broadcasting.

     

    In FY-2014, Disney’s Media Network segment reported revenue of $ 21,152 million (43.3 per cent of TIO), up 3.9 per cent from the $ 20,356 million (45.2 per cent of TIO) in FY-2013. Op inc from this segment rose 7.4 per cent to $ 7,321 million (56.3 per cent of overall op inc) in FY-2014 from $ 6,818 million (63.6 per cent of overall op inc) in FY-2013.

     

    Disney’s Media Network segment reported 5.5 per cent rise in revenue from $ 4,946 million (42.8 per cent of TIO)  in Q4-2013 to $ 5,217 million (42.1 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014, but was 5.3 per cent less than $ 5,511 million (44.2 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2014. Op inc dropped marginally by 0.3 per cent from $ 1,443 million (58.1 per cent of overall op inc) in Q4-2013 to $ 1,437 million in Q4-2014, but was 37.2 per cent lower than the $ 2,296 million (59.5 per cent of overall Op Inc) in Q3-2014 (51.8 per cent of op rev).

     

    Parks and Resorts

     

    In FY-2014, this segment’s revenue at $ 15,099 million (30.9 per cent of TIO) grew 7.2 per cent from $ 14,087 million (31.3 per cent of TIO) in FY-2013. Op inc increased 20 per cent in FY-2014 to $ 2,663 million (20.5 per cent of overall op inc) from $ 2,220 million (20 per cent of overall op inc) in FY-2013.

     

    Disney’s Parks and resorts segment reported 6.6 per cent growth in y-o-y revenue to $ 3,960 million (32 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014 from $ 3,716 million (32.1 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2013, but marginally less (0.5 per cent less) than the $ 3,980 million (31.8 per cent of overall revenue) in Q3-2014. This segment’s op inc grew 6.6 per cent to $ 687 million (24.8 per cent of overall op inc) in Q4-2014 from $ 571 million (23 per cent of overall op inc), but was 19 per cent less than the $ 848 million (22 per cent of overall op inc) in Q3-2014.

     

    Here is what Disney has to say about Parks and Resorts numbers:

     

    Operating income growth for the quarter was due to an increase at our domestic operations, partially offset by a decrease at our international operations.

     

    Higher operating income at our domestic operations was driven by increased guest spending and attendance, partially offset by higher costs and lower vacation club ownership sales. The increase in guest spending was primarily due to higher average ticket prices for theme park admissions and for sailings at our cruise line and increased food, beverage and merchandise spending. Higher costs reflected increased costs for MyMagic+ and the absence of an offset in the prior-year quarter from a property sale, partially offset by lower pension and post-retirement medical costs. Decreased vacation club ownership sales reflected the prior-year success of The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, for which sales commenced at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2013.

     

    The decrease at our international operations was due to lower operating performance at Disneyland.

     

    Lower operating income at Disneyland Paris was driven by higher operating and marketing costs and lower attendance, partially offset by increased guest spending, due to higher average ticket prices, and higher real estate sales.

     

    Studio Entertainment

     

    Three sub-segments of the Studio entertainment segment contribute to Disney’s revenue – Theatrical distribution; Home entertainment; and TV/SVOD distribution and other.

     

    Annual figures for this segment have been mentioned above.

     

    Disney’s Studio entertainment segment reported 18.1 per cent jump in revenue in Q4-2014 at $ 1,778 million (14.4 per cent of TIO) from $ 1,506 million (13 per cent of TIO), but was 1.6 per cent lower than the $ 1,807 million (14.5 per cent of TIO). This segment reported more than double (2.35 times) growth in op Inc in Q4-2014 at $ 254 million (9.2 per cent of overall op inc), but was 38.2 per cent lower than the $ 411 million (10.7 per cent of overall revenue) in Q3-2014. 

     

    Consumer Products 

     

    This segment has two revenue streams – licensing and publishing (licensing); and retail and other (retail).

     

    Consumer products segment reported 12.1 per cent growth in consumer products to $ 3,985 million (8.2 per cent of TIO) in FY-2014 from $ 3,555 million (7.9 per cent of TIO) in the last year. Op inc from this segment for FY-2014 grew 21.9 per cent to $ 1,356 million (10.4 per cent of overall op inc) from $ 1,112 million (10.4 per cent of overall op inc).

     

     Disney’s Consumer products segment reported 6.8 per cent increase in revenue in Q4-2014 to $ 1,072 million (8.7 per cent of TIO) from $ 1,004 million (8.7 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2013 and 18.8 per cent more than the $ 902 million (7.2 per cent of all revenues) in Q3-2014. This segment reported 9.2 per cent hike in op inc to $ 379 million (13.7 per cent of overall op inc) from $ 347 million (14 per cent of overall revenue) in Q4-2013 and 38.8 per cent more than the $ 273 million (7.1 per cent of overall Op Inc) in Q3-2014. 

     

    Disney says that higher operating income from Consumer products was due to an increase at its Merchandise Licensing business driven by the performance of Frozen and Spider-Man merchandise partially offset by lower revenues from Monsters and Iron Man merchandise.

     

    Interactive 

     

    Disney says that Interactive revenues for the quarter (Q4-2014) decreased by $34 million to $362 million, and segment operating income increased to $18 million driven by the success of our mobile game Tsum Tsum and recognition of a minimum guarantee for a games licensing contract. These increases were partially offset by lower Disney Infinity performance due to the timing of the launch of Disney Infinity 2.0, which was launched on 23 September 2014, compared to Disney Infinity 1.0, which was launched on 18 August 2013.

     

     

    Please click here for financial results

  • 2014 is coming of age for Prime Focus World: Namit Malhotra

    2014 is coming of age for Prime Focus World: Namit Malhotra

    MUMBAI: Basking in the glory of the success of Academy award winning Gravity and close on the heels of the box office successes of Noah, Non Stop and The Amazing Spiderman 2, Prime Focus World (PFW), the creative services subsidiary of Prime Focus has been busy with Hollywood’s summer line up.

     

    Recently released film credits of PFW are Walt Disney Pictures’ dark fantasy adventure Maleficent starring Angelina Jolie and Warner Bros. Pictures’ sci-fi flick Edge of Tomorrow starring Tom Cruise. The team behind the special effects for Maleficent and Edge of Tomorrow are located in London and Mumbai.

     

    “2014 is seeing the coming of age of Prime Focus World as a credible creative services provider to the biggest studios in Hollywood,” said Prime Focus founder and chairman & CEO of Prime Focus World Namit Malhotra. “There is genuine appreciation for our creative prowess, global scale and most importantly our unique business model, all of which have matured over the years. The spectacular success of films that we have collaborated on has only reinforced our overall value proposition in Hollywood.”

     

    In the last five years since PFW went global, it has consistently invested in talent and infrastructure to build capability and capacity to deliver world class visual effects and stereo 3D for highly demanding Hollywood studios. If the summer line-up of 2014 is anything to go by, PFW has achieved a degree of acceptance and credibility no other Indian company in the creative services space has ever managed in Hollywood. PFW’s visual effects and stereo 3D conversion teams have been busy working on some of the biggest Hollywood summer releases, which is almost half of all the mainstream releases from the studios this summer!

     

    Maleficent which opened last week has flown to number 1 at the Box Office on its opening weekend and is the biggest ever debut for star Angelina Jolie. Time magazine in its review has called Edge of Tomorrow which releases on 6 June “a furiously time-looping joy ride and the smartest action film of the early summer season”.

     

    Along with being the Exclusive 3D conversion partner for Edge of Tomorrow, Prime Focus is also the Exclusive 3D conversion partner and VFX provider for Seventh Son, starring EMMY Award winner Julianne Moore (Game Change) and Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones) scheduled to be released next year.

     

    Prime Focus World is the exclusive VFX partner on Sin City: A Dame To Kill For, Robert Rodriguez’s long-awaited, ultra-stylized comic book sequel. Sin City: A Dame To Kill For is PFW’s largest VFX commission to date and will produce over 2,000 visual effects shots for the stereo 3D movie, currently slated for an August 2014 release.

  • Angie-ficent!

    Angie-ficent!

    MUMBAI: “Let us tell an old story anew,” Janet McTeer’s voice echoes as a revision to the old fable opens. Given the rather stodgy characters in the 1959 Walt Disney classic Sleeping Beauty, the character of Maleficent is by far, the most interesting; which makes her perfect fodder for a revisit.

     

    The concept of retelling the classic Sleeping Beauty from the antagonist’s point of view is intriguing but the film itself is a visual feast.

     

    All’s well for the young and beautiful fairy Maleficent till a boy Stefan stumbles into the forest where she lives and wins her heart. However, ambition takes its toll and Stefan leaves Maleficent only to return for worse – cutting off her wings. Having lost her wings and her faith in love, a shattered Maleficent resolves to seek revenge at any cost and destroy Stefan and his newly minted empire.

     

    Comparisons with Disney’s 1959 film are inevitable, especially in the first half which includes scenes reminiscent of the old film, making the storyline and development of Maleficent’s character rather anomalous. However, as malevolence tries to redeem itself through maternity, right from the expose of Aurora to the curiosity of first love to Maleficent exposing her most vulnerable side in the final climactic event, Linda Woolverton’s screenplay shines through in the second half.

     

    Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie (Girl, Interrupted) is mesmerising as Maleficent; malevolent but motherly when required. Elle Fanning brings her own vivacity to Aurora while Sharlto Copley as Stefan makes the Queen of Evil look sunnier in comparison. After reprising a Dolores Umbridge whom fans love to hate in the Harry Potter franchise, Imelda Stanton’s turn as pixie is the surprise package.

     

    After winning many a golden statuette for production design, Academy Award winner Robert Stromberg makes a stellar directorial debut with Maleficent, coupled with a gripping score by Emmy Award winner James Newton Howard.

     

    It’s possible you’ll continue to hum Lana Del Rey’s rendition of Once upon a Dream long after leaving the movie theatre!

  • Disneys upcoming movie to star Australian newcomer Mitchell Hope

    Disneys upcoming movie to star Australian newcomer Mitchell Hope

    Disney Channel has finally found its lead in the Australian newcomer, Mitchell Hope for its upcoming live-action adventure movie, Descendants. Hope has been cast to play Ben, the son of Beauty (Queen) and the Beast (King). Hope joins Dove Cameron (Liv & Maddie), who will star as Mal, daughter of Maleficent, the malevolent villain from Sleeping Beauty.

     

    Descendants is set in a present day idyllic kingdom, where the benevolent teenaged son of the king and queen (Beast and Belle from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast) is poised to take the throne. His first proclamation: offer a chance at redemption to the trouble-making offspring of Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, the Evil Queen and Jafar who have been imprisoned on a forbidden island with all the other villains, sidekicks, evil step-mothers and step-sisters. These villainous descendants (Carlos, Mal, Evvie and Jay, respectively) are allowed into the kingdom to attend prep school alongside the offspring of iconic Disney heroes including Fairy Godmother, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and Mulan. However, the evil teens face a dilemma. Should they follow in their nefarious parents’ footsteps and help all the villains regain power or embrace their innate goodness and save the kingdom?”

     

    The film will be written by Josann McGibbon whose earlier work includes: Runaway Bride and Desperate Housewives and Sara Parriott (The Starter Wife) and directed by Kenny Ortega (High School Musical). The film’s scheduled to start production in 2014 spring and is slated for a 2015 premiere.

     

    Hope’s previous work includes TV mini-series Never Tear Us Apart: the Untold Story of INXS.