Guilty pleasures
By NewsPress Now
‘Inside Out 2’ scores massive $155M opening
Hollywood’s summer movie anxieties gave way to joy this weekend with the massive debut of Disney and Pixar’s “ Inside Out 2.” The animated sequel earned $155 million in ticket sales from 4,440 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Not only is it the second-highest opening weekend in Pixar’s 29 years of making films and the second-biggest animated opening ever (behind only the $182.7 million launch of “Incredibles 2” in 2018); It’s also the biggest of 2024, and since “Barbie.” With an estimated $140 million from international showings, “Inside Out 2” had a staggering, and record-breaking, $295 million global start.
Tony Chambers, who heads theatrical distribution for Disney, was confident that the film would do “extremely well.” But even he was surprised at how much it exceeded already high expectations.
“People go to the theaters for great movies,” Chambers said. “The reviews, the word of mouth just helped build this momentum … It’s becoming a bit of a phenomenon.”
Importantly, “Inside Out 2” audiences spanned ages and all demographics. Post-COVID, he said, breakout successes depend on attracting multicultural audiences.
The success is significant for Pixar, marking a much-needed return to form for a studio that has had a string of underwhelming launches including “ Elemental,” which did eventually become a success, and “ Lightyear,” which didn’t. It’s also vitally important for the greater Hollywood ecosystem and the health of theatrical exhibition, which had been running at a 26% deficit.
“Everybody needed this because success begets success,” said Chambers, who has been getting excited calls from exhibitors and fellow studios alike. “It’s great for the industry, great for Pixar and great for the business overall.”
Disney was already having a good summer, with “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which this weekend was in third place in its sixth weekend with $5.2 million (bringing its global total to $374.5 million). And next up is “ Deadpool & Wolverine “ (July 26).
Kelsey Mann directed “Inside Out 2,” which picks up with Riley as she turns 13. That means the arrival of new emotions like Anxiety (Maya Hawke) and Envy ( Ayo Edebiri ) to Joy’s (Amy Poehler) party. It got glowing reviews from critics (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) and polled audiences who gave it an A CinemaScore, suggesting that this won’t be a first-weekend wonder. With kids out of school and an open market until “Despicable Me 4” enters the ring over the Fourth of July, “Inside Out 2” is just getting started.
“This is a monumental weekend for movie theaters,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.
“Inside Out 2” is estimated to have cost around $200 million to produce, which does not account for the millions spent on marketing. Going into the weekend, it was tracking for a debut in the $90 million range, which would have been in line with “Inside Out’s” first weekend in June 2019. Even that would have been considered a terrific achievement, and enough to claim the biggest opening of the year — finally unseating March releases like “ Dune: Part Two “ and “ Godzilla x Kong.”
“For the entire industry that works for theatrical, this is a huge turning point for 2024,” said Daniel Loria of Boxoffice Pro. “This is the sort of weekend we’ve been waiting for.”
As the only major release of the weekend, its theatrical footprint was equally impressive playing on 400 IMAX screens, over 900 “premium large format” screens and over 2,500 3D screens.
This recommitment to theatrical comes after Disney sent several Pixar films straight to its streaming service, Disney+, over the pandemic including “Soul,” “Luca” and “Turning Red.” Last month, the New York Times reported that Pixar had decided to return its focus to feature films (and not producing shows for Disney+) and that it had laid off 14% of its workforce (about 175 employees).
“As important as this weekend is for the industry at large, for Pixar this is huge. They’ve been trying to get their groove back since the pandemic,” Dergarabedian said. “They’ve really come back big.”
Second place went to Sony’s “ Bad Boys: Ride or Die, “ now in its second weekend with $33 million, down only 42% from its opening. In just 12 days, it’s already earned over $112 million domestically and $214 million globally. As of Friday, the four-film franchise had crossed the $1 billion mark.
“Bad Boys’” success last weekend was the start of a higher-earning turnaround for the lagging summer movie season. For Hollywood, the summer season, which runs from the first weekend in May through Labor Day, usually represents about 40% of the yearly box office. The deficit is still significant, with ticket sales down 28% for the summer and 24% for the year (and this is still before “Barbenheimer”) but it’s progress in a more promising direction nonetheless.
“We’re not going to get there overnight,” Dergarabedian said. “But it’s good news for theaters. And we have some big movies on the way.”
On the ground, theater owners saw their cineplexes come to life this weekend.
“It has been magical,” said Jeff Whipple, a vice president for Megaplex Theaters. “We have seen literally generations of families brought together for this movie.”
Megaplex Theaters operates 15 locations and 173 screens in Utah and Southern Nevada. And the energy was palpable, Whipple said. Not only have families been hanging around after the showtimes to discuss the film; They’ve also been scoping out what’s coming next with kids taking pictures of the “Despicable Me 4” posters and displays and dads taking note of the “Deadpool & Wolverine” date.
“I think word is going to spread on this film and help draw people into theaters throughout the summer,” Whipple said.
Pope Francis
meets more than
100 comedians
VATICAN CITY | Before flying to Italy’s southern Puglia region to meet world leaders at the Group of Seven summit, Pope Francis hosted a very different audience at the Vatican on Friday celebrating the importance of humor.
The pontiff welcomed more than 100 comedians from 15 nations, including U.S. celebrities Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert and Conan O’Brien.
“In the midst of so much gloomy news, immersed as we are in many social and even personal emergencies, you have the power to spread peace and smiles,” Francis told the comedians.
“You unite people, because laughter is contagious,” he continued, asking jokingly, “Please pray for me: for, not against!”
Francis pointed out that in the creation, “Divine wisdom practiced your art for the benefit of none other than God himself, the first spectator in history,” with God delighting in the works that he had made.
“Remember this,” he added. “When you manage to bring intelligent smiles to the lips of even a single spectator, you also make God smile.”
Francis also said it was OK to “laugh at God” in the same way “we play and joke with the people we love.”
After delivering his speech, Francis greeted all the comedians individually, sharing laughs and jokes with some of them.
“It was great, it was very fast and really loving, and made me happy,” Goldberg said afterward.
O’Brien noted that the pope “spoke in Italian, so I’m not quite sure what was said.”
“To be in that room and to be with all my fellow comedians, some of whom I’ve been good friends with for many years, in that environment, was quite strange,” the TV host added. “All of us were thinking, how did this happen? Why are we here, and when are they going to throw us out?”
Colbert admitted his Italian “is really bad, I would like to speak it better.” But he managed to remind the pope that he had done the audiobook for his memoir.
“It was wonderful, he’ll never forget me,” he joked.
Sean ‘Diddy’
Combs returns
key to New York City
NEW YORK | Sean “Diddy” Combs has returned his key to New York City after a request from Mayor Eric Adams in response to the release of a video showing the music mogul attacking R&B singer Cassie, officials said Saturday.
The mayor’s office said Combs returned the key after Adams sent letters to the embattled musician’s offices in New York and California on June 4 rescinding the key and asking for it to be sent back to City Hall. The city received the key June 10.
In his letter, Adams wrote he was “deeply disturbed” by the attack, adding “I strongly condemn these actions and stand in solidarity with all survivors of domestic and gender-based violence.”
Combs’ career has been derailed by numerous accusations of sexual abuse, as well as a federal criminal sex-trafficking investigation that led to raids of Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami.
In May, CNN aired security video of Combs attacking Cassie in a hotel hallway in Los Angeles in 2016. Combs has said he is “truly sorry” for the attack on Cassie and called his actions “inexcusable.” Cassie, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, sued Combs last year, setting off a wave of increased scrutiny on Combs. That case was settled a day after it was filed.
Adams awarded Combs with the key at a ceremony last year that coincided with the release of a new album.
Howard University this month rescinded an honorary degree awarded to Combs and ended a scholarship program in his name following the release of the video involving Cassie.
Combs, founder of Bad Boy Records, is one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives in the last three decades, turning musical success into a business empire.
An email sent to a representative listed online for Combs was not immediately returned.
Charles Barkley says next season will be his last on TV
Charles Barkley said Friday that next season will be his last on TV, no matter what happens with the NBA’s media deals.
The Hall of Fame player has spent the last 24 years working as a studio analyst for TNT, which could lose the rights to broadcast NBA after next season.
But no matter where the games end up, Barkley won’t be following.
“There’s been a lot of noise around our network the last few months and I just want to say I’ve talked to all the other networks, but I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT,” Barkley said while working on NBA TV’s NBA Finals postgame show.
The NBA’s current deals with ABC-ESPN and Turner Sports expire after next season and the league has been talking with NBC, ESPN and Amazon, among other networks and platforms, about what comes next. Commissioner Adam Silver said last week he hopes new long-term deals will be completed shortly.
Barkley and broadcast teammates Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith have discussed their uncertain future on their popular “Inside the NBA” studio show. Barkley would seemingly draw interest from any network televising NBA, but the 61-year-old has decided that 25 years will be enough and he will “pass the baton,” hopefully, to a TNT teammate such as Vince Carter or Jamal Crawford.
“But I have made the decision myself no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television,” he said.
—From AP reports
