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MEGA DRIVES DIGITAL
SURVEY, SOCIAL SUPPORT INITIATIVE
GADGET SHOW HOST SUPPORTS
BASE: SUPERB SUPPORT FROM DIGITAL
US: DIGITAL CATCHES UP WITH DISC
UK CINEMA ADMISSIONS HOLD STEADY
FIRST BLOOD OF 2020 FOR RAMBO…
…LIONSGATE CONVERTS AGAIN
PLENTY WANT TO TAKE KEELER HOME
TREE TO BLOSSOM
WONDERS NEVER CEASE
ABBEY RETURNS
HOTEL FOR HOME
ELEPHANT STAMPEDES BACK
WEATHERING THE STORM
WWE HEADS TO FIVE TOO
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
THE RAYGUN 2019 SURVEY
QUOTE OF THE WEEKTWEET OF THE WEEK
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK  If you can't read this newsletter or see the ads, please click here.
It was a good week for… Rambo, a long-time video favourite, returns for one last time in the top slot…
It was a bad week for… US figures for 2019 show physical suffering in the States too…
This week has been all about Mega Movie Week, as our Twitter feed and social media accounts seemed to be full of messages promoting the initiative, aimed at getting the great British public to get into digital consumption of films and TV fare. As reported here previously, the campaign, put together by BASE working with ERA, saw a raft of retailers – 10 in all – getting together with BASE members (eight distributors) to offer key titles at competitive prices to get consumers into downloading films and TV. Running from Monday January 20 through to Sunday evening, January 26, it was designed to showcase how easy it is to download and keep. The retailers behind it included Amazon Prime Video, the Apple TV app, BT TV Store, Chili, Google Play Store, Microsoft, PlayStation Store, Rakuten TV, Sky Store and Talk Talk TV, while distributors and studios on board included BBC Studios, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Paramount Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Spirit Entertainment, StudioCanal and The Walt Disney Company. Titles on offer flagged in the communications included Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum, Rocketman, Playmobil: The Movie and Horrible Histories The Movie: Rotten Romans.
The Mega Movie Week initiative was supported by a website, megamovieweek.co.uk, with social media and PR activity. A press release was issued supporting the week-long promotion with a survey highlighting some of the benefits of downloading, as well as aiming to remove obstacles to consumers getting involved. The survey, which questioned some 2,000 consumers, showed that one in 10 punters had downloaded content on to their mobile devices – among the places they watched were “holiday poolside and beach, the bath and even doctor’s waiting room”. It also showed the benefits according to this already downloading, which were “ability to select and watch films instantly (29 per cent); it’s easy and straightforward (27 per cent); being able to watch any time anywhere on my devices (25 per cent); having access to a huge amount of choice whilst not having to leave the comfort of my own home, or even the sofa (23 per cent) and being able to watch when travelling e.g. on the plane or a train journey (16 per cent).
Continuing with Mega Movie Week another interesting figure from the survey showed that some 64 per cent – almost two thirds – of consumers were left confused by the terminology and welter of different terms and phrases used to describe downloading and surrounding digital tech. Expert advice from tech-heads and gadget freaks was needed. Step forward then Georgie Barrat, a presenter on The Gadget Show, acting as ambassador. She said: “I’m obsessed with technology and the latest advances, but sometimes we just need to take pause and remember how much the digital age has transformed and improved one of the nation’s favourite pastimes, watching brilliant movies. A decade ago, I don’t think any of us would have expected to be able to instantly and easily enjoy our favourite films during our work lunchbreak, whilst on holiday or in on the dull commute to work. I do appreciate there’s so many options out there, that sometimes it can be confusing. I look forward to chatting about our weirdest and most wonderful viewing experiences but also, how we can cut through the jargon to ensure we’re all able to make the most of the brilliant offers across Mega Movie Week.”
More comment on Mega Movie Week came from BASE chief executive Liz Bales. She told The Raygun: “The Mega Movie Week activity in 2019 was a bold and undoubtedly disruptive campaign that utilised just as bold and disruptive a message to engage new and lapsed customers with digital ownership. For 2020 we have evolved both the messaging and the creative supporting the campaign to create a much more overtly educational campaign designed to engage audiences with the simplicity and versatility of digital collection you can access anytime, anywhere, and we're incredibly proud of how it has been executed and implemented. Once again we've seen superb support from all of the digital platforms functionally able to offer a pure EST/VOD service, and the category marketing campaign has been fine tuned to reach those we understand need some guidance to get to grips with buying digitally. Marketing materials this year have evolved to include out of home spots and cinema advertising as well as print, radio and digital spots, pulling out a clear retail message while also reminding audiences about the sense of occasion that elevates planned purchase into that genuinely special movie night. With the campaign set to run until Sunday, we'll be sharing initial results internally with our members and at the same time we'll be applying learnings from both the 2019 and 2020 campaigns as we work to refine a strategy that will see us testing a range of levers to drive engagement with digital transaction across 2020."
And still the end of year figures come in, with other sectors and countries reporting how 2019 was for them. Chief among them were the Digital Entertainment Group’s figures for the US home entertainment market. These showed that consumer spending on home entertainment in all its forms rose by 8.4 per cent to a whopping $25.2 billion. As in the UK, digital was responsible for much of the growth, with all its assorted forms (svod, digital downloads and digital rentals) growing over the past 12 months. It’s services such as Netflix and Amazon which are growing the fastest – accounting for 63 per cent of the total market, up almost a quarter on 2018, and worth a total of $15.9 billion. Digital rentals were up by nine per cent, while downloads, EST, download and keep or whatever your preferred term is, were up by 5.1 per cent. Disc sales across assorted formats were down a touch over 18 per cent, but see still worth some $3.29 billion. Total disc spending across rental and retail was $4.73 billion, compared with $4.53 billion on digital transactional. This means discs still hold sway in the transactional arena – just, with 51 per cent. The split has gone down from 62 per cent two years ago, meaning digital will outstrip disc in 2020. Rental of discs from kiosks and vending machines was worth $1.44 billion, down almost 20 per cent, a similar amount to physical disc rental from stores, now worth $250 million.
Equally interesting were the figures from the UK cinema industry, released by Cinema First, the body that includes the FDA and UK Cinema Association among its key members. These showed that admissions at UK cinemas totalled 176 million, on a par with, albeit slightly below, the 2018 figures, themselves a record that saw cinema-going reached its highest level for 50 years. It’s also the third year running that UK box office has exceeded £1.25 billion. The figures are up some 27 per cent since 2010. Interestingly – and perhaps boding well for home entertainment in 2020, much of the success came towards the end of 2019. Figures for the final six weeks of the year were up 23 per cent on the end of the previous year. In total there were 900 films released at cinemas, with 20 new cinemas opening. This year is off to a good start too, with The Rise Of Skywalker and Little Women both performing well and 1917's opening weekend helping box office at the start of 2020 to a 25 per cent increase on the previous year. Cinema First chair Iain Jacob said: “The 2019 figures prove that cinema is alive and in remarkable shape with audiences having better access to a diverse film slate and massive investment making the big screen experience better value than ever. As we enter a new decade, the film production sector in the UK continues to flourish, generating significant value to the UK economy and British films continue to captivate audiences both at home and abroad. With a phenomenal roster of upcoming films already scoring big at the box office, 2020 is off to a great start.”
And what’s been happening in 2020? Well, Lionsgate has kicked off the year much as it ended it – with another big hit sitting at number one. For the highest new entry in this week’s Official Film Chart is the first release of the year from the company, Rambo Last Blood. More on that below, but the Stallone vehicle has dislodged Hustlers off the top spot, the Jennifer Lopez starrer falling to number seven. It Chapter 2 went back up the charts to number two thanks to additional physical sales, with a box featuring the horror and its predecessor a new entry at number eight. The other new entry in the top 10 was Universal’s TV to film property Downton Abbey: The Movie.
So, Rambo: First Blood follows Lionsgate’s last release, the pre-Christmas biggie Angel Has Fallen, into the number one position, cementing the company’s strong end to 2019 and making for an equally impressive beginning to 2020, particularly with Knives Out due in March. Commenting on its success, the company’s Ben Grunbaum said: “We’re super pleased with the Week 1 results for Rambo - Last Blood. Our clear and consistent marketing message came across in our action-packed advertising, PR and social activity. The conversion to box office was once again an incredible result which is testament to the combined efforts across the teams at Lionsgate and Elevation. And of course, to be top of the charts so far this week with steady daily sales, we’re all hoping to hold the number one spot and keep on going strong into Week 3 and beyond.”
The January television landscape has been dominated by The Trial Of Christine Keeler, a look at the scandal that rocked politics in the 2960s and changed it for ever, the Profumo Affair. Penned by Apple Tree Yard scribe Amanda Coe it has earned hundreds of column inches for the retelling of an oft-told take from a new perspective. Not only is it compulsive viewing, but feels both relevant and timely in today’s political climate. The series ends on a Sunday night having drawn audiences of more than 5 million viewers, with Acorn releasing the accompanying DVD on Monday January 27. Oh, and in a timely move, it’s also on the cover of Radio Times this week. Commenting on the release, Acorn’s Helen Squire said: “With the star quality of Sophie Cookson, Emilia Fox, James Norton and Ben Miles it’s no surprise that this drama has got noticed and it has all the elements to thrill audiences – sex, scandal and spies. Satisfying the current popularity of drama based on true events it also sits very well with Acorn’s catalogue of high-quality drama such as Chernobyl and Line of Duty. With thanks to publicist Debbie Murray at Aim for PR and retailers for their support, we’re expecting people to take Christine Keeler home with them on Monday.”
Another week, another acclaimed release from the thriving Picturehouse Entertainment label. Next up from the label following hot on the heels of the highly recommended Inna De Yard, released on January 20, comes The Last Tree. In keeping with the label's previous releases, the film arrives in stores with a welter of glowing four- and five-star reviews behind it, as well as a clutch of awards (two BIFAs in this case). Commenting on the release, Head of Distribution for Picturehouse Entertainment Nick McKay said: "Shola Amoo's film is a stunning piece of work. The acclaim it has received is well deserved as are the awards the film has picked up; it was wonderful to see Sam Adewunmi win Most Promising Newcomer and Ruthxjiah Bellenea win Best Supporting Actress at the BIFAs. It is an outstanding film and all those involved will certainly be names to watch for the future!"
It’s been a busy start to the year for independent label Second Run, which has its first big release due in stores on Monday ahead of some fevered activity from the imprint. Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders is a Czech classic that has gained further weight over the years thanks, among other things, to the score, long a favourite among those in the know. It’s already proved to be one of the bestsellers in Second Run’s catalogue on DVD and is now making the transition to Blu-ray in a special edition released on January 27. As Little White Lies editor David Jenkins noted: "It's best to strap yourself in and allow a dizzying melange of visual and sonic flights of fancy to just wash over you and consider the result after the fact. It's powered by pure sensory overload... This new Blu-ray edition arrives on the film's 50th anniversary, and it's definitely worth celebrating.” It’s followed by a season of films from Japanese director Kazuo Hara, the man behind the company’s last release of 2019, The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On, at the ICA from January 31. This should give a new lease of life to the film, which was rated by critics and home entertainment enthusiasts as one of 2019’s best titles. And then, following in March, is the company’s second theatrical release, Vitalina Varela, due in cinemas on March 6. This earned plaudits in year-end polls too, sitting at number 10 in Sight & Sound’s 50 Best Films of 2019 listing. Second Run's Chris Barwick said: "It’s been a busy start to the New Year, and we’re delighted to be bringing our enduringly popular Valerie and Her Week of Wonders to Blu-ray with a fine selection of extras, but also to be continuing our long relationship with filmmaker Pedro Costa as we prepare to release his multi-award winning Vitalina Varela in cinemas. We look forward to a successful year with a typically eclectic slate and more surprises ahead.”
It’s a big Monday for Universal, with a brace of big releases due from the studio. First up is the TV to film (and now home entertainment) release of Downton Abbey: The Movie. Much of the marketing campaign centres on Highclere Castle, the home of the film, with an on-pack offer giving the chance to win a trip to the location, with a global press event based at the location with a screening for journalists. Coverage has ben secured in the likes of Empire, Metro, OK! Magazine, Daily Express Online and Country & Town House. There’s been a further influencer event, with Highclere further used as part of a partnership with Just Go! Holidays offering an exclusive trip to the venue, alongside other hook-ups with the Mail and iWeekend. In terms of other marketing Universal said it is aiming to make the title “unmissable" to its target audience, with traditional elements including TV and print. The former includes hero spots in the likes of Coronation Street, This Morning and Vera. The film is positioned as “a night in fit for royalty” and its further enhanced by Mr Carson himself, aka Jim Carter, voicing the spots. there's further support from social spots. Senior product manager Emily Evans said: "“I have absolutely loved working on Downton Abbey The Movie. I am a big fan of the TV show, so to work on the film has been a pleasure and a privilege.”
Meanwhile, coming bang up to date is one of the more harrowing films we've seen over the past year, Hotel Mumbai. The film tells the true story of the devastating terror attack on the titular tourist spot, boasting an all-star cast including Dev Patel, Jason Isaacs and Armie Hammer as those coming under fire from terrorists. The release is being supported with a digital-focused campaign, with pre-roll spots on premium online platforms and further social media activity, alongside PR activity targeting national print and online outlets. Universal’s Macayla Madden-Forde said: “We’re delighted to bring such a powerful and poignant film with such brilliant performances from the likes of Dev Patel to home entertainment.”
Studiocanal has this week unveiled plans for one of its next big restorations and releases from its vast catalogue. And it’s one the company teased last year, as it brings David Lynch’s classic The Elephant Man back to cinemas and on to home entertainment formats in a newly-restored version. The film, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is being given the full restoration treatment, with David Lynch himself involved in the process. He’s overseeing the 4K work in Bologna, as well as other elements in LA. It is, Studiocanal has promised, as close to the original look of the film as possible and has used state of the art equipment. The film features a tour de force performance from John Hurt, and picked up three BAFTAs, including Best Film and Actor, and eight Oscar nominations, and will now return to cinemas on March 13. The home entertainment release, across digital, DVD, Blu-ray and a 4K Ultra HD SKU, is out on April 6, with a further Steelbook available. The release features new extras, with the top of the range version coming with a 64-page booklet and artcards. Commenting on the announcement, Studiocanal’s Alison Arber said: "We were delighted to announce this week the upcoming release of a stunning new 4K restoration of critically acclaimed masterpiece The Elephant Man. Director David Lynch was very much involved in the process, overseeing the restoration of both picture and sound. With theatrical screenings in March followed by a 4K UHD collector’s edition on April 6, this is a truly exciting release and a must-have for film fans.” More on this in the coming weeks…
Keep an eye out for All The Anime’s latest theatrical release, Weathering With You. For its opening weekend was deemed a huge success, outstripping that of one of the company’s previous biggies, Your Name, by 15 per cent. The Japanese anime title took £221,320 (including previews) in its opening frame. Both are from the same director, Makoto Shinkai, but the latest is set to go even further. For after opening on some 57 screens, it’s widening its distribution even further next week, going to 260 plus screens. Its home entertainment release will arrive later in the year, with the success of this release providing plenty of awareness for this latest big animation hit. Commenting on the release, All The Anime’s Andrew Partridge said, "We're thrilled at the performance of Weathering With You at the cinemas so far and together with our distribution partner National Amusements will be scaling up the release to over 260 screens on January 30 which we believe would make it the widest theatrical release yet for an anime feature film. This investment sets up Weathering With You for a smash hit home video release in late Q3 early Q4 of 2020 following in the steps of the performance of the previous Your Name from director Makoto Shinkai."
No sooner had the WWE unveiled its new home for its regular programming in the UK – transferring to BT Sport after a lengthy run appearing across Sky Sports and other channels – than the wrestling giant has unveiled another major broadcast deal that could also widen the audience for the WWE and grappling. One of the positive potential benefits in this week’s news, which will see WWE highlights programmes appearing on Channel 5 at the weekends, could be the boost it gives to the WWE’s popularity, meaning a wider audience and more home entertainment sales. Smackdown and RAW will be appearing on Saturday and Sunday mornings respectively on 5, with further programming on the UK’s Paramount channel and 5’s My5 catch-up and streaming service, marking the first time the WWE has been on free-to-air TV for almost 20 years. James Tatam, vice president of commercial, digital and operations for Channel 5, said: “WWE has strong appeal throughout the UK and across generations so we’re very excited to be bringing their high-quality entertainment to an even bigger free-to-air audience in the UK.” Celebrating the announcement, Ken Law, who looks after WWE home entertainment releases at Fremantle, said: “This new free-to-air TV deal is another massive boost for us in Home Ent. TV is the awareness platform for all other parts of WWE’s business, and their licensed partners, to prosper and these new 2020 deals mean WWE will be seen in more homes, with a greater reach and larger audience than it has since 2001. I myself got back into WWE in the late 90’s thanks to the free-to-air TV deal with Channel 4 at the time and this new Channel 5 deal will see the same thing happening two decades on for lapsed WWE fans as well as introducing a whole new generation to the joys of wrestling.”
One more thing: why not fill in our annual survey looking at the best and worst of the year just gone, as well as looking ahead to the next year. Here are the all important questions – answer them and send via email to tim@theraygun.co.uk
Favourite three releases of the year:
Highlight of 2019:
Lowpoint of 2019:
Event of the year:
Biggest challenge in 2020:
What I’m most looking forward to in 2020:
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Our new methodology is similar to the BBC iPlayer in their rankings based on 'requests' for the title, 'most popular' articles on The New York Times, which include those who opened the articles, and YouTube view counts. This way, short and long titles are treated equally, levelLing the playing field for all types of our content including interactive content, which has no fixed length."
Netflix, announcing that The Witcher is on track to become its biggest series ever, at the same time as it revealed new metrics for measuring audiences, from having watched 70 per cent to merely having watched two minutes, “long enough to indicate the choice was intentional”, as it said.
AT THE MOVIES
The Star Wars saga continues, although rather than the ongoing plot we’re referring to reported issues from its forthcoming TV series. They’ve not been the easiest in bringing to the screen and now reports are emerging that Obi-Wan, its Ewan McGregor starring offshoot charting the adventures of the Jedi, which take place somewhere between Revenge Of The Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope, have hit a few problems. The series has been put on hold to allow for script rewrites, with the crew in pre-production here in the UK, at Pinewood, being sent home. It’s also rumoured that the series may morph into four episodes rather than the originally intended six. Disney and Ewan McGregor have played down the stories, the latter at a press junket saying everything was still on track for the series to appear on Disney+. Star Wars fans, meanwhile, have gone into frantic overdrive speculating as to what might be happening…
Stop trying to make fetch a thing… set to music. For it seems as if Mean Girls, the Tina Fey penned high school shenanigans script that still resonates, may be turned into a musical feature outing. There’s already a US stage production, heading to the UK at some stage, but now a feature film version of the musical version will introduce the adventures of Cady and the Plastics to whole new generations. Creator Fey said: "I’m very excited to bring Mean Girls back to the big screen. It’s been incredibly gratifying to see how much the movie and the musical have meant to audiences. I’ve spent sixteen years with these characters now. They are my Marvel Universe and I love them dearly."
Also taking to the stage: another film hit from a bygone era, The Karate Kid, now an improbably nearly 40 years old, is also going to be the subject of a stage musical. Original creator Robert Mark Kamen is on board for the Broadway version of Miyagi and his protege, and he said: ““Never in my wildest dreams did I think this little movie would reach across generations the way it has. And beyond my wildest dreams did I think what started out as a love letter to my devotion to Okinawan Karate and the man who taught me would become a full-blown Broadway musical. But here it is. Here I am. And here is hoping that what comes to the stage brings the same joy and relevance The Karate Kid has brought to countless kids and their parents for the past 35 years."
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
"Creepy little mutant."
We’re stuck here…”
“You never learn your lesson, do you?”
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