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CATALOGUE WOES AS NEW RELEASE SHINES
MAVERICK, CITY CONTINUE STRONG YEAR FOR PARAMOUNT
CARELL BACKS TRUST’S MOMENTS
CAGE UNLEASHED…
…WITH A GRANDE DAY TO FOLLOW
RAY OF SUNSHINE
101 OPENS THE GATES
BACK FOR GOOD
TRINITY HAS A LAUGH
FUTURE FROM VERTIGO
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
AT THE MOVIES
TWEET OF THE WEEK
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK 
ERA, the Entertainment Retailers’ Association, has been running a rather interesting item on its Twitter feed in recent weeks, under the banner of the “Monday morning market drop”, where it highlights some noteworthy chart-based facts and figures to kick off the week. And this week’s was rather interesting, in that after highlighting the huge success of Paolo Nutini’s latest LP (“The music category continues to be driven by a strong slate of new releases as @PaoloNutini's Last Night in the Bittersweet takes the No.1 spot in both the digital and physical album charts having sold 34.4k units”) with more on the home entertainment business too. And it’s here it was more interesting for Raygun readers, as ERA noted: “The DVD and Blu-ray market is struggling to keep pace with music in 2022 as growth in physical new release sales are not enough to offset catalogue product decline.” It’s a snapshot of how business is, and shows that, despite the success of boutique labels releasing deluxe versions of catalogue titles, other sectors are struggling. More on this next week in the newsletter…
Meanwhile, this week’s Official Film Chart success sees Paramount taking top slot for its big new release on digital The Lost City, with the pairing of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, ably assisted by Daniel Radcliffe, entering on the strength of its digital release ahead of the physical bow. It’s the latest in a strong year for the studio, with the likes of Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Top Gun also on the Official Film Chart top 10, while the mammoth Top Gun sequel Maverick continuing to forge ahead at the box office. It’s turned Paramount into the most successful studio of the year and Maverick’s huge $1 billion theatrical haul on a global level has broken all box office records; not east in becoming Tom Cruise’s biggest box office earner ever. "It's rare to get the special kind of alchemy that creates a true event film, and we have been absolutely blown away by the global response," said Brian Robbins, Paramount Pictures' president and CEO. And, as analyst Paul Dergarabedian said: ”For any film to join the $1 billion club is a monumental achievement. But Top Gun: Maverick hitting $1 billion during the pandemic is a bit different. It was the perfect movie at the perfect time because it starred one of Hollywood's last movie stars, in a movie that delivered on all fronts to all audiences around the world.” More from Paramount in the coming weeks…
Universal is currently enjoying box office success too too and Steve Carell has been busy pushing the studio’s current box office hit Minions: The Rise Of Gru at every available opportunity, with such innovations as reading the bedtime story on CBeebies (“I loved reading to my kids when they were younger so it was a great pleasure to read a Bedtime Story for CBeebies, (about a pair of mischievous eyebrows causing havoc, which is something we can all relate to)”), but he’s also been supporting the Industry Trust and its ongoing Moments Worth Paying For campaign. As he noted in specially filmed excerpts: “There's just nothing like seeing a movie with a group of people. Committing yourself to this moment of time, with some loved ones and maybe some strangers too. There’s nothing like that shared experience, and feeling everyone else in that room responding to a movie……..I love it.” As ever, the clip highlights the importance of watching films legitimately and paying for them and directs consumers to findanyfilm.com. You can see it here https://youtu.be/5n0_jYIYK0I
Releases for Monday July 11 now and chief among them is a biggie from Lionsgate, so we took the opportunity to talk to the company about its forthcoming releases for the coming months. And the company’s SophIe Fawcett said: “Lionsgate’s Q3 Home Ent. slate gears up for the summer! Starting the quarter strong, July will see the release of THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT. In this action-packed comedy, Nicolas Cage plays Nick Cage, channeling his iconic characters as he’s caught between a superfan (Pedro Pascal) and a CIA agent (Tiffany Haddish). Later in the quarter things will steam up with the release of GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE. The two-time Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson (Love, Actually) embodies the candour and apprehension of retired teacher Nancy Stokes, and newcomer Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders) personifies the charisma and compassion of sex worker Leo Grande. As Nancy embarks on a post-marital sexual awakening and Leo draws on his skills and charm, together they find a surprising human connection.”
More on The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent out on July 11 came from Lionsgate’s Olivia Dean, who discussed its marketing, saying; “Following a successful theatrical and PVOD run, we’re delighted to bring The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent to home entertainment. Nicolas Cage fans have been a huge driving force behind the campaign, and we have a range of formats to appeal to the hardcore fans including a limited edition Steelbook and a 4K UHD. We’re supporting the release with a strong media campaign across VOD, London Underground, social and Amazon, plus an online publicity campaign and a promotional partnership with Topps Pizza.”
Also due is the latest from Acorn, whose DI Ray follows the path of some of the company’s biggest hits such as Line Of Duty. The company’s Helen Squire said: “With TV fans still trying to fill the Line of Duty space, Jed Mercurio’s exec produced DI Ray could be just what they need. The titular detective is brought in to solve an honour crime but the truth ends up being far more complicated than that. With rumours of a second series next year we’re delighted to launch another ground-breaking drama on DVD and digital.”
And out on digital on July 11, there’s one from 101 Films, in the shape of 181/2, which marks the anniversary of the Watergate break-in that kicked off the scandal that brought down the president of the US, Richard Nixon. Comment came from the company’s Tim Scaping who said: “18½ is a fictional take on an unseen aspect of the Watergate scandal in which a White House transcriber obtains the only copy of the infamous 18½ minute gap in Nixon's tapes. It's refreshingly inventive and an interesting 'what if' that breathes new life into a well-worn piece of American history. Rising star Willa Fitzgerald and the legend that is Bruce Campbell have both supported the release which has been a fantastic boost to awareness.”
Chief among the releases of course is the eagerly awaited Get Back, the Peter Jackson project covering the Beatles’ recording sessions given a physical release at last after its debut on Disney+. The title was due for release earlier last year but shelved and finally makes it into stores as of July 11. The film was critically acclaimed and won audience praise on its original streaming bow, but the Blu-ray is earning plaudits too, check this review from geekvibesnation.com in the US: While this is available to stream in 4K on Disney+, I would honestly say the Blu-Ray release offers the stronger picture quality overall. The lack of compression issues on this physical release greatly improves the experience. You really get a sense of depth when the lads are positioned at different points in the studio and rehearsal space. The colors featured in the footage have an impressive sense of vibrancy to them, especially in certain lighting or with some elements of the production design. The skin tones look natural across all of the people on screen, and you get a strong amount of detail in close up, especially. The archival footage has no instances of damage or anomalies such as banding or compression artefacts. While we still dream of a 4K UHD release one day, we are simply grateful to be able to own this on physical media in high definition at all.Disney Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray set featuring a terrific A/V presentation in a beautiful collector’s package. Even the most casual music fan will probably gain a lot from this. Essential.”
Another week, another acquisition from Trinity Cine Asia, which has announced it has picked up rights to Asian hit Chilli Laugh Story for the UK and US. Its previews alone in Hong Kong saw it just behind Minions: The Rise Of Gru and Top Gun Maverick in terms of per screen average. It is released on these shores this coming Friday, July 15, before arriving in the US a week later. Trinity Cine Asia director Cedric Behrel said: “While the epidemic brought devastation to theatres all over the world, it is rewarding to see the audience’s appetite for a wider array of films on the big screen again. Although we haven’t yet fully emerged from the disaster, the post epidemic re-opening has presented fresh opportunities in the cinema realm for us. While we have released documentaries in the US before, we have never had a release on that quick turnaround model, opening multiple cities on the same date across North America as well as the UK. We are very thankful to exhibitors for giving us the opportunity to do this, and of most of all grateful to We Distribution for spicing things up for everyone”.
Also on the acquisition front comes news from Vertigo Releasing that it has picked up one of the most talked about films from this year’s Cannes film festival, Crimes of the Future. The David Cronenberg directed film harks back to the director’s earlier body horrors and won rave reviews and is certain to shock some, but delight his devoted followers. What’s more, it had many film fans nervous as no UK deal had been announced, until Vertigo's statement. The company said: “Vertigo Releasing acquired the rights from Rocket Science, who are handling international sales. Vertigo’s Edward Caffrey, and Claire Taylor of Rocket Science negotiated the deals. Vertigo plans to release CRIMES OF THE FUTURE widely in cinemas 9th September 2022.” Caffrey added: “Caffrey said: “It’s an honour to be working with David Cronenberg whose films are always an event, which is what we need more of in the independent marketplace right now.” In its review, meanwhile, Variety noted: “David Cronenberg is out to provoke and disturb us with something far more traumatic than mere monsters.” We can’t wait.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I am truly humbled and honoured by the award of an MBE, but of course it reflects on all the staff at Rarewaves who have grown this business into a leading UK exporter of millions of products worldwide. Without them it would not have been possible.”
Industry stalwart and pioneer Brad Aspess on his MBE awarded for his contribution to international trade and exports at online retailer rarewaves.com…
“All at Rarewaves are incredibly proud of Brad and this accolade. He is a truly inspirational leader and role model, and has nurtured an amazing entrepreneurial spirit at Rarewaves. Anyone that knows Brad will know how much he deserves this award.”
Rarewaves md Rob Evans on the same MBE, awarded earlier in June
AT THE MOVIES
Music biopics are, in case you haven’t noticed, all the rage, and here comes another, as news urges that Sam Taylor-Johnson is to direct Back To Black, a film based on the life and tragic death of chanteuse Amy Winehouse. She’s already been the subject of a documentary, while this new film version of her life story boasts the involvement of the singer’s estate, meaning it will be able to use her admirable discography, including the track that inspired the film’s name…
And just as another Marvel blockbuster lands in cinemas, with Thor: Love And Thunder arriving on screens, news arrives of another on the way. Seems as if Captain America 4 is moving ahead, with Anthony Mackie set to star and, now, a director is at the helm. Cloverfield Paradox helmer Julian Onah is behind the camera, with the team who worked on The `Falcon And The Winter Soldier…
Meanwhile, there was further heat for Marvel fans as Taron Egerton signalled a desire to join the superhero world and Marvel films, talking about a meeting he had with Marvel boss. Seems like everyone wants him to star as Wolverine when the character and his X-Men group are revived, an inevitability for the MCU. Egerton tol the NY Times: “"I don’t think it would be wrong to say that. I’d be excited but I’d be apprehensive as well, because Hugh is so associated with the role that I’d wonder if it’d be very difficult for someone else to do it.”
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Follow us on www.twitter.com/theraygun
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Die from Altitude…
On the way to Arrow’s streaming service
You're in luck…
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