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UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
SESSIONS KICK OFF WITH LOOK AT TRENDS
AMAZON SHINING ON TVOD…
…AND PVOD HAS A ROLE TO PLAY
BASE CONFIRMS NEXT SESSIONS
MONSTER CAMPAIGN FOR GODZILLA
JUSTICE STILL BEING SERVED
PRIME DAY OFFERS MONEY OF FILMS, TV…
…AND MAKES AMAZON BETTER VALUE
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
EUREKA UNVEILS SEPTEMBER SLATE
HMV PREPARES NEXT 100TH BIRTHDAY TITLES
BELLE RINGS FOR ANIME LTD
THE BULLDOG SPIRIT
BURIAL RIGHTS
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
AT THE MOVIES
TWEET OF THE WEEK
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
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With more than 100 people from more than half a dozen different territories registered and tuning in, trade organisation BASE kicked off its online Spotlight Sessions, aimed at looking at where the industry is and where it’s going, via Zoom this week. The session, keenly timed at three quarters of an hour, was short and sharp, with nary a wasted moment as key staffers at Kantar Worldpanel and Omdia had a state-of-the-union style look at the business of home entertainment and beyond and assessed where the industry is going as the world emerges from lockdowns and restrictions. As BASE research guru James Duvall said in his introduction: “In the past 16 months since Covid-19 became a part of our everyday life, how we engage with family and friends, how we engage with our shopping and how we engage with entertainment has changed. And has accelerated further consumer engagement with online n all its forms. Looking forward and as our country and regional lockdown measures ease and hopefully come to an end, our lives will change again. Being able to see how our engagement has evolved and what it means as we face forward whether it be the next six months into next year is key to helping evolve our strategies marketing and communication out to existing, lapsed and new consumers.”
Craig Armer at Kantar Worldpanel highlighted the work it has done looking at the current trends within viewership, paying particularly attention to consumers who have not yet had children (pre-families) as well as those with children. Kantar has also noted how older consumers are the least likely to engage with digital, unlike the other two groups, who have been won over during lockdown. These older consumers, he said, need the return of the stores and the ability to browse through films, either at a supermarket or more specialist outlet. As Armer concluded: “Families and pre-families are the ones who’ve really embraced digital formats over the last year. It will be really interesting to see what happens, given their fondness for other forms of entertainment and being able to go and do other things, to see how their spending habits change, but we have a really strong slate to keep them engaged as well. The in-store theatre experience is really vital to engage the olde group who are still relatively disengaged with digital and even online. We need to Draw these people back into store.”
Both Kantar Worldpanel and Omdia, the other company to present at the Spotlight Session, had noticed some slight slowing in Netflix’s growth rate too. But although some subscribers were talking about cancelling their Netflix contracts, the reality is that fewer actually go through with it than talk about it. And as Kantar’s Craig Armer concluded: “The high satisfaction rate and low cancellation intention means any major reduction in subscribers is unlikely.” Max Signorelli at Omdia also noted that phenomenon, as well as the fears customers were showing about returning to stores. As he said: “Despite new hopes consumers are still cautious when it comes to returning to stores. It’s not about to be solved or fixed yet. The use of home video services through digital is really growing. Netflix is slowing, [maybe] it has reached some kind of plateau. And Disney+ has shown it can come in and take market share.” He also pointed to the success of Youtube in advertising-supported vod, and the success of ITV Hub and BBC iPlayer in a similar territory.
Omdia’s Max Signorelli also highlighted how content hungry consumers now are, working across cinema, physical video, transactional video on demand and how premium vod is also making its mark. “Movies really have their place,” he said. “PVOD has seen significant usage in some markets. [In the US it was worth $800m], It’s a part of the industry that’s here to stay, it’s an experiment, it was for 2020, it’s a necessary evil some might say, but nevertheless we've seen significant use of it and we will continue to see use of it.” One factor potentially holding it back is how title dependent premium releases are.” He also noted how strong Amazon Prime is in the transactional video on demand market, where it is, he said, “dominant". He concluded showing how online video was growing compared with a decline of traditional pay TV, but qualified it, saying: “The direction in two lines shows the growth of online video and how it passed the 1b subscription mark and the decline of pay TV. Online video, svod, d2c here to grow rapidly but that’s not to the detriment of traditional platforms. Traditional business models can co-exist alongside new age business models and consumers are happy to engage with them on all fronts.”
BASE has now confirmed the subjects for the next two Spotlight Sessions, due to take place on June 30 and July 7 respectively. The first of the two is Challenging Piracy: Strategies for Tackling an Evolving Threat and includes a presentation from Stan McCoy, president and md for the Motion Picture Association (EMEA) as well as a panel discussion. On July 7 it’s D2C Panel - A View From The US, led by Lucas Bertrand, CEO and founder of Looper Insights, with a presentation from the NPD Group on viewing habits and a panel discussion. As BASE and DEGI head of insight James Duvall said: “Off the back of a highly successful first event, I’m delighted to announce our full line-up running throughout 2021! With UK Government pandemic restrictions easing since March and proposed to come to an end on July 19, this half year point is a good time to reflect on key topics across the Entertainment sector. While businesses in the main continue to have teams working from home, with a phased opening of offices across Q3 we will look to deliver these key topics all via virtual sessions. We hope all these sessions help to deliver the latest and freshest insight to a wide spanning European audience whilst also focusing on factor that are shaping our category today and into the future. From Piracy to Empowering Purchase, D2C to Cinema, we hope to provide something for everyone.” Tickets for June 30 are here and or July 7 here.
Meanwhile, sticking with BASE and the organisation is taking a closer look at the work being done across the retail estate to help push physical product in stores. This week it’s highlighted the physical release of Warner’s Godzilla Vs Kong, which made its bow in stores on June 14 across different SKUs ahead of Father’s Day. BASE, which plans to highlight further titles and the work being done by retailers and distributors in the set-up throughout the year. Keenly timed to hit the Father’s Day rush, it was further boosted by being part of a monster movie multi-buy in Morrisons. <Early indications in the midweeks were good and Project 22 lead and BASE senior marketing manager James Gallagher said: “Driven by Warner Bros. UK, this strong set-up, utilising premium space, demonstrates retailers on-going support for the physical category. As well as the tower takeover and lightboxes in Morrisons other highlights included ASDA’s out-of-category POS units in 300 stores, Sainsburys out-of-category POS units in 339 stores, Tesco’s out-of-category bumper POS units in 300 stores, and HMV’s front of store racking, POS units and window posters.” BASE head of insight James Duvall added: ‘With this title having been part of the top 10 box office titles every week since cinema’s reopened last month, now out on disc, the mid-week numbers are very promising. The first few days’ sales show Godzilla vs. Kong leading the Official Charts by a clear margin, including a strong percentage of sales across premium formats Blu-ray and 4K UHD.”
Godzilla Vs Kong is sitting at number two in the current Official Film Chart, the listing dated from June 10 to 16, beaten off only by another Warner title, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, at number one. New entries in the top 10 include the complete adventures of Indiana Jones from Paramount thanks to a new 4K release at number seven and, two places below that, Universal’s 2 Hearts.
Back to Amazon and the Prime Video service and its transactional strength mentioned above will receive a boost this Monday and Tuesday, June 21 and 22, as Amazon Prime Day launches for 48 hours. Part of the many – and well advertised – offers from the online behemoth are a set based around Prime Video, offering deals on films and TV programmes to rent or buy. As its statement announced: “Prime members can get up to 50 per cent off movies and TV shows to rent or buy through Prime Video, including Bad Boys for Life, Frozen 2 and A broad selection of popular movies are also available to rent from as little as £1.99 including Wonder Woman 1984, Words On Bathroom Walls and John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum.” The retailer is also pledging up to 30 per cent off selected DVD, Blu-ray and 4K.
At the same time, a press release from money.co.uk lands in our inbox and this further highlights Amazon’s increasing strength. The company assessed the different streaming services’ value for money offering and James Andrews, senior personal finance editor at money.co.uk, said: “When it comes to comparing deals offered by streaming services, you have to weigh up both the catalogue sizes, and the style of content available, not just the monthly cost. Even though the price of Prime Video remains the same as it was earlier in the year - £7.99 as part of your Amazon Prime subscription - the amount of content on the platform has increased since then. Currently, Prime Video has the largest catalogue size of all the streaming services, at around 20,000 films and TV shows total. However, it’s important to remember that not all of those titles are free to watch, meaning you might have to pay extra to rent or buy your favourite film or TV show. The new 50% deal will help to bring this cost down, but it won’t last forever.” In stores on Monday is the latest from Acorn, Too Close, a psychological thriller starring Emily Watson as a psychologist charged with assessing a mum accused of driving a car with kids in it off a bridge. The miniseries earned plaudits on its transmission earlier this year, with the physical release following, and, as Acorn’s Helen Squire said: “One of the best shows on linear TV recently was Too Close – a gripping three-part drama starring Emily Watson as forensic psychiatrist and Denise Gough as the apparent yummy-mummy monster accused of attempted murder. As the story unfolds it becomes an insightful and sensitive examination of mental illness but is no less thrilling as a result. We’re delighted to be able to bring this stunning series to disc this week.”
Forthcoming titles time, and Eureka has just announced its September releases, due from its Masters of Cinema and other associated imprints. Eureka national account manager Marcus Garwood talked us through the slate, saying: “September is traditionally the month for gathering in the harvest and we certainly have a bumper crop for film lovers to stock up their collections with. Wild West time first as Johnny Guitar (now regarded as one of the greatest western pictures of all time) makes its UK debut on Blu-ray as part of our Masters Of Cinema series. This 1954 gem is directed by Oscar-nominated Nicholas Ray (Rebel Without A Cause, In A Lonely Place) and stars Oscar-winning actress Joan Crawford (What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?, Mildred Pierce). The release will be encased in a limited edition hardbound slipcase. Disc extras include a brand-new video essay by David Cairns, brand new video piece by Tony Rayns and a brand new interview with Susan Ray. A swift change of weaponry from pistols to swords next as we launch another of our ever-popular martial arts classics; this time is the shape of 1983’s Duel To The Death. A directorial debut from Ching Siu-tung; known for his stunt work on Hero, A Chinese Ghost Story & The Warlords (amongst others) Duel To The Death pitches Ninja’s against Shaolin Monks where there can be only one winner to determine who’s swordsmanship is superior. This stunning 2K restoration comes to the UK for the very first time with a package including a Limited O-Card Slipcase (with gorgeous new artwork by Darren Wheeling), sumptuous extras, plus a Limited-Edition Collector’s Booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver.”
Retailer hmv is continuing apace with its plans for its centenary celebrations as it marks 100 years on the high street. Latest is the second announcement of titles due on its Exclusives Day, July 24, as 30 new, limited edition vinyl albums hit the shelves. The second batch includes everything from Morrissey’s Bona Drag to The Prodigy’s Fat Of The Land, Fontaines DC’s Dogrel to Sleaford Mods’ All That Glue, from Simply Red’s Stars to Zero 7’s Simple Things. hmv has already confirmed to The Raygun that it will be including DVD and Blu-ray releases as part of its activity, with further announcements due. Phil Halliday, md at hmv and Fopp, said: “We’ve already seen huge interest in our first exclusive vinyl drop, and we’re delighted to announce this second run of brilliant titles coming to stores and online very soon. We can’t wait to reveal more of our favourite albums of the last 100 years over the coming weeks.”
Acquisition news and Anime Limited has announced a major signing after inking a deal for UK and Irish distribution rites to Belle, the next film from manga experts Studio Chizu and director Mamoru Hosoda. The company released the director’s last film, Mirai, further strengthening the ties between the two. “Mamoru Hosoda is one of the greatest directors alive, and his film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is not only a personal favourite, but was the catalyst for the founding of this company,” said Andrew Partridge, CEO and Founder of Anime Limited. “Belle represents a dream team of talent from around the globe to create - this is a big screen extravaganza. Perfect for this time as we welcome people safely back to cinemas once more - I can‘t wait for people to see it!”
The Raygun headed online to catch up with the online premiere of Hollywood Bulldogs. It’s the latest feature film from former Blockbuster staffer, video store owner (he ran Videosyncratic in Oxford) and now filmmaker Jon Spira, who has also found time to pen probably the best book about the UK rental business, also titled Videosyncratic. The film is, as reported here recently, a look at the heyday of British stuntmen during the 1970s and 80s, when geezers such as Vic Armstrong and host of others ruled the roost and transformed films like Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Star Wars, the James Bond series and so many more. By turns hilarious, exciting and surprisingly moving, it’s a wonderful tribute to a bygone era. The film is due to premiere on Britbox from Thursday June 24. Spira said: “It was fantastic to be trusted by this gang of legendary stuntmen to tell their stories. I learned a lot of crazy stuff about so many classic films and now we finally get to share it all with the public, give these incredible practitioners a voice and, perhaps, make people stop for a moment and wonder why there has never been an Oscar or BAFTA for any area of stuntwork.”
Talking of people in and around the industry who’ve become successful filmmakers and another familiar face to many, including us at The Raygun, former OTMentertain design guru Ben Parker has just completed his second feature, it’s been announced this week. The designer turned director has wrapped shooting on Burial, which follows on from his underwater thriller The Chamber. The film is a wartime outing, which sees a band of Russian soldiers trying to spirit Hitler’s body back to the motherland at the end of the Second World War, and was shot in Estonia. Another familiar industry name, Hugo Spearing, is executive producer and sales for the film are being handled by Altitude Media Group, which has already secured deals in the likes of North America for its impending release… Meanwhile, Altitude’s UK distribution arm has also picked up the UK rights to Ted K, the Sharlto Copley starrer about Ted Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber, who waged a one man war against the US authorities…
And lastly, the Film and TV Charity is running its Looking Glass survey to assess the problems facing those employed in film, TV and cinema, including distribution and would welcome Raygun readers taking part. As the organisation said: “Two years ago, the charity’s original research uncovered a mental health emergency behind-the-scenes. Since 2019, everyone who works in film and TV has faced huge challenges, both the impact of Covid and of systemic discrimination highlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement are likely to have added additional pressure and affected your mental health.The charity is particularly keen to hear from people who are currently underrepresented, and from every corner of the industry. Your responses are completely confidential, and will help the charity to build support that’s inclusive and works for everyone.” You can complete the survey over here.
AT THE MOVIES
Never one to skimp or cut corners when it comes to running time – he turned the relatively slim Tolkein book The Hobbit into three separate feature films – Peter Jackson has gone similarly long when it comes to his Beatles series for Disney+. For the film, which has been put together from hours and hours of archive footage around their seminal final live performance on a rooftop in London’s Savile Row, will now air as three feature-length episodes via the streaming service. The Beatles: Get Back will have a six-hour-plus running time, with the three episodes making their debut over three consecutive nights at the end of November. “As a huge Beatles fan myself, I am absolutely thrilled that Disney+ will be the home for this extraordinary documentary series by the legendary filmmaker Peter Jackson,” said Bob Iger, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, The Walt Disney Company. “This phenomenal collection of never-before-seen footage offers an unprecedented look at the close camaraderie, genius songwriting, and indelible impact of one of the most iconic and culturally influential bands of all time, and we can’t wait to share The Beatles: Get Back with fans around the world.”
Specialist horror streamer Shudder continues to invest in filmmaking, with the news that it is producing the next instalment in the ongoing (and wonderful) V/H/S franchise, unveiling V/H/S/94, which sees a SWAT team descending on a remote warehouse for a raid, only to discover a secret cult and its sinister collection of video tapes… “The V/H/S series has been known for two things: its unbeatable lineup of filmmakers and its edge-of-your-seat terrifying found-footage stories,” said Craig Engler, GM of Shudder. “With V/H/S/94, the producers have upped their game—bigger, wilder, scarier than ever before. We can’t wait to unleash this new instalment on Shudder members.” “Thrilled seems like an understatement for just how stoked we all are to partner with Shudder”, said producer Josh Goldbloom. “We shot the film entirely during the pandemic, building sets in hotels, conference rooms, and in the spirit of the series’ punk rock roots we even ventured underground into a sewer. Our team channeled the misery of this past year appropriately, so rest assured it’s the biggest, baddest, and most bloodthirsty batch of tapes yet.”
The Toxic Avenger reboot continues to add to its swelling and ever-mutating cast. The latest to join the line up of the reboot of the Troma trash classic are the unlikely duo of Elijah Wood and Julia Davis. They join Peter Dinklage as the titular hero who is transformed from ordinary janitor into a superhuman mutant creature after falling into a vat of toxic waste, alongside Jacob Tremblay, Kevin Bacon and Taylour Paige, from Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. The film is being directed by Macon Blair, who was behind I Don't Feel At Home In This World Any More.
Soul music…
That Hollywood Bulldogs trailer in full…
Here’s Cardi B on the set of F9…
New Aardman, due on Netflix…
Farrell and Rudd heading to Apple…https://youtu.be/6ytJHe31Jgo
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