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Highbrow Films Aimed at Winning Oscars Are Losing Audiences

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Highbrow Films Aimed at Winning Oscars Are Losing Audiences

A 12 months in the past, Hollywood watched in despair as Oscar-oriented movies like “Licorice Pizza” and “Nightmare Alley” flatlined on the field workplace. The day appeared to have lastly arrived when status movies had been now not viable in theaters and streaming had without end altered cinema.

However studios held out hope, deciding that November 2022 would give a extra correct studying of {the marketplace}. By then, the coronavirus wouldn’t be such a complicating issue. This fall can be a “final stand,” as some put it, an opportunity to point out that greater than superheroes and sequels may succeed.

It has been carnage.

One after one other, movies for grown-ups have failed to search out an viewers sufficiently big to justify their value. “Armageddon Time” value roughly $30 million to make and market and picked up $1.9 million on the North American field workplace. “Tár” value at the very least $35 million, together with advertising; ticket gross sales complete $5.3 million. Common spent round $55 million to make and market “She Stated,” which additionally took in $5.3 million. “Devotion” value nicely over $100 million and has generated $14 million in ticket gross sales.

Even a charmer from the field workplace king, Steven Spielberg, has gotten off to a humdrum begin. “The Fabelmans,” based mostly on Mr. Spielberg’s adolescence, has collected $5.7 million in 4 weeks of restricted play. Its price range was $40 million, not together with advertising.

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What’s going on?

The issue shouldn’t be high quality: Opinions have been distinctive. Quite, “individuals have grown snug watching these motion pictures at dwelling,” mentioned David A. Gross, a movie marketing consultant who publishes a e-newsletter on field workplace numbers.

Ever since Oscar-oriented movies started exhibiting up on streaming providers within the late 2010s, Hollywood has anxious that such motion pictures would sometime vanish from multiplexes. The diminishing significance of massive screens was accentuated in March, when, for the primary time, a streaming movie, “CODA” from Apple TV+, gained the Academy Award for finest image.

That is about greater than cash: Hollywood sees the shift as an affront to its id. Movie energy gamers have lengthy clung to the fantasy that the cultural world revolves round them, as if it had been 1940. However that delusion is difficult to maintain when their lone measuring stick — our bodies in seats — reveals that the lots can’t be bothered to return watch the movies that they prize most. Hollywood equates this with cultural irrelevancy.

Certain, a core crowd of cinephiles continues to be turning out. “Until,” centered on Mamie Until-Mobley, whose son, Emmett Until, was murdered in Mississippi in 1955, has collected $8.9 million in the USA and Canada. That’s not nothing for an emotionally difficult movie. “The Banshees of Inisherin,” a darkish comedy with closely accented dialogue, has additionally introduced in $8 million, with abroad ticket patrons contributing an extra $20 million.

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“Whereas it’s clear the theatrical specialty market hasn’t totally rebounded, we’ve seen ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ proceed to carry out strongly and drive dialog amongst moviegoers,” Searchlight Footage mentioned in a press release. “We firmly imagine there’s a spot in theaters for movies that may provide audiences a broad vary of cinematic experiences.”

Nonetheless, crossover consideration is nearly at all times the objective, as underlined by how a lot movie corporations are spending on a few of these productions. “Until,” as an illustration, value at the very least $33 million to make and market.

And keep in mind: Theaters maintain roughly half of any ticket income.

The hope is for outcomes extra according to “The Lady King.” Starring Viola Davis because the chief of an all-female group of African warriors, “The Lady King” collected almost $70 million at home theaters ($92 million worldwide). It value $50 million to supply and tens of hundreds of thousands extra to market.

Oscar-oriented dramas not often develop into blockbusters. Even so, these motion pictures used to do fairly nicely on the field workplace. The World Warfare I movie “1917” generated $159 million in North America in 2019 and $385 million worldwide. In 2010, “Black Swan,” starring Natalie Portman as a demented ballerina, collected $107 million ($329 million worldwide).

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Most studios both declined to remark for this text or supplied anodyne statements about being pleased with the status dramas they’ve not too long ago launched, no matter ticket gross sales.

The unwillingness to have interaction publicly on the matter could mirror the annual awards race. Having a contender labeled a field workplace misfire shouldn’t be nice for vote gathering. (Oscar nominations will probably be introduced on Jan. 24.) Or it might be as a result of, behind the scenes, studios nonetheless appear to be greedy for solutions.

Ask 10 completely different specialty movie executives to clarify the field workplace and you’re going to get 10 completely different solutions. There have been too many dramas in theaters currently, leading to cannibalization; there have been too few, leaving audiences to search for choices on streaming providers. Everybody has been busy watching the World Cup on tv. No, it’s tv dramas like “The Crown” which have undercut these movies.

Some are nonetheless blaming the coronavirus. However that doesn’t maintain water. Whereas initially reluctant to return to theaters, older audiences, for probably the most half, have come to see theaters as a virus-safe exercise, in response to field workplace analysts, citing surveys. Practically 60 % of “Lady King” ticket patrons had been over the age of 35, in response to Sony Footage Leisure.

Hollywood considers anybody over 35 to be “outdated,” and that is who usually involves see dramas.

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Perhaps it’s extra nuanced? Older audiences are again, one longtime studio govt recommended, however refined older audiences usually are not — partially as a result of a few of their favourite artwork home theaters have closed they usually don’t wish to combine with the multiplex lots. (He was critical. “Too many individuals, too more likely to encounter a sticky ground.”)

Others see an issue with the content material. Many of the motion pictures which can be struggling on the field workplace are downbeat, coming at a time when audiences need escape. Think about the profitable spring launch of the rollicking “Every part, In every single place All at As soon as,” which collected $70 million in North America. Baz Luhrmann’s bedazzled “Elvis” delivered $151 million in home ticket gross sales. .

“Folks prefer to name it ‘escape,’ however that’s not really what it’s,” Jeanine Basinger, the movie scholar, mentioned. “It’s leisure. It may be a critical matter, by the way in which. However when movies are too introspective, as many of those Oscar ones now are, the viewers will get forgotten about.

“Give us fun or two in there! After I take into consideration going out to see distress and degradation and racism and all the opposite issues which can be fallacious with our lives, I’m too depressed to placed on my coat,” continued Ms. Basinger, whose newest guide, “Hollywood: The Oral Historical past,” co-written with Sam Wasson, arrived final month.

Some studio executives insist that field workplace totals are an outdated manner of assessing whether or not a movie will generate a monetary return. Focus Options, as an illustration, has advanced its enterprise mannequin within the final two years. The corporate’s movies, which embrace “Tár” and “Armageddon Time,” at the moment are made out there for video-on-demand rental — for a premium worth — after as little as three weeks in theaters. (Earlier than, theaters obtained an unique window of about 90 days.) The cash generated by premium in-home leases is substantial, Focus has mentioned, though it has declined to offer monetary info to assist that assertion.

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The fear in Hollywood is that such efforts will nonetheless fall quick — that the conglomerates that personal specialty movie studios will determine there’s not sufficient return on status movies in theaters to proceed releasing them that manner. Disney owns Searchlight. Comcast owns Focus. Amazon owns United Artists. The chief executives of those corporations like being invited to the Oscars. However they like revenue much more.

“The excellent news is we’ve now obtained a really giant streaming enterprise that we will go forward and redirect that content material towards these channels,” Bob Chapek, Disney’s former chief govt, mentioned at a public occasion on Nov. 8, referring to status movies. (Robert A. Iger, who has since returned to run Disney, could really feel otherwise.)

Others proceed to advocate persistence. Mr. Gross identified that “The Fabelmans” will roll into extra theaters over the following month, hoping to capitalize on awards buzz — it’s a front-runner for the 2023 finest image Oscar — and the end-of-year holidays. Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon,” a drug-and-sex induced fever dream about early Hollywood, is scheduled for vast launch on Dec. 23.

“I feel motion pictures are going to return again,” Mr. Spielberg not too long ago advised The New York Instances. “I actually do.”

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Las Vegas' Mirage Resort to close after 34-year run. Volcano to go dormant

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Las Vegas' Mirage Resort to close after 34-year run. Volcano to go dormant

Once hailed as “Las Vegas’ first 21 Century resort,” The Mirage Hotel & Casino confirmed Wednesday that its iconic volcano outside of its front entrance is going dormant less than a quarter of a century into the new millennium.

Owner Hard Rock International announced the hotel will cease operations on July 17, with bookings being accepted until July 14. The iconic resort — sporting a jungle-fantasy theme —was perhaps best known for its exploding 54-foot man-made volcano, magicians Siegfried and Roy, and its white tigers and dolphins.

“We’d like to thank the Las Vegas community and team members for warmly welcoming Hard Rock after enjoying 34 years at The Mirage,” said Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International in a statement.

The resort is expected to be redeveloped into the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas, with the volcano giving way to a nearly 700-foot guitar-shaped hotel. The project is expected to open in spring 2027. A similar 638-room hotel stands in Hollywood, Fla.

The Associated Press reported that more than 3,000 employees will be laid off. Hard Rock acknowledged it would pay roughly $80 million in severance packages for union and nonunion labor.

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The Culinary and Bartenders Union accounts for about 1,700 Mirage workers. It announced Wednesday that its workers have two options.

The first was a severance package of $2,000 for every year of service plus six months of pension and health benefits. The second option gives employees a lesser, undisclosed amount while maintaining seniority rights for the duration of the property’s closure along with 36 months of recall rights for jobs at the new hotel.

“Culinary Union members at The Mirage have a strong union contract, ensuring that workers are protected, even as the property closes its doors entirely for three years from July 2024 – May 2027,” said Ted Pappageorge, Culinary Union secretary-treasurer, in a statement Wednesday.

The new hotel is projected to employ nearly 7,000 employees, according to Hard Rock management, while 2,500 construction jobs are expected during the rebuilding process.

Hard Rock said that all reservations beyond July 14 would be canceled and that guests should contact the guest services department or booking agency for a refund.

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The Mirage’s closure is the second on the strip this year.

In April, the 66-year-old Tropicana closed its doors to make way for a 30,000-seat stadium that is expected to serve as the home of the Oakland A’s.

The Mirage’s opening by casino tycoon Stephen A. Wynn in 1989 was hailed as the ushering of a new era of resorts. It was the first strip hotel to open since the MGM Grand in 1973.

Wynn shelled out $600 million, then the most expensive casino project, for the sprawling 103-acre property.

The Mirage was the first fully integrated hotel, according to Alan Feldman, a Distinguished Fellow at UNLV’s International Gaming Institute.

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Integration meant operating and treating all facets of the resort, including casino, food and beverage, retail, entertainment and convention space, with equal importance, according to Feldman, who rose to become an executive with the Mirage and stayed from 1989 to 2019.

Feldman said hotel owners previously cared first about the casino and “everything else was last.”

“They gave away entertainment, food and rooms as long as someone came and played,” said Feldman. “The Mirage was the first to believe you could actually make money in these areas if you invested enough.”

Its glistening 30-story white-and-gold towers were said to make neighboring Caesars Palace look “retiring by comparison.” Traffic occasionally backed up on the strip as engineers tested gas-flared flames 40 feet into the air every few minutes.

“People just got out of the cars and went over to see what was going on,” one limousine driver said at the time.

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The hotel included a 20,000-gallon fish tank at its reception desk and 3,049 rooms.

Its animals — and its white tiger habitat — brought the resort fame and infamy, including in 2003 when a tiger critically injured magician Roy Horn.

The Mirage’s opening kicked off a resort building and remodeling spree that included the debut of the Circus Circus’ Excalibur in June 1990, the $250-million renovation of Caesars Palace and the opening of Treasure Island in 1994.

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Sony warns tech companies: Don't use our music to train your AI

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Sony warns tech companies: Don't use our music to train your AI

Sony Music Group is sending letters to 700 artificial intelligence developers and music streaming services warning them to not use its artists’ music to train generative AI tools without its permission.

The company — one of the three largest recorded music firms — said it is explicitly opting out of the use of its music for training or developing AI models through text or data mining or web scraping as it relates to lyrics, audio recordings, artwork, musical compositions and images. Sony Music Group artists include Celine Dion, Doja Cat and Harry Styles.

“We support artists and songwriters taking the lead in embracing new technologies in support of their art,” Sony Music Group said in a statement on its website Thursday. “Evolutions in technology have frequently shifted the course of creative industries. … However, that innovation must ensure that songwriters’ and recording artists’ rights, including copyrights, are respected.”

The letters were sent to companies including San Francisco-based ChatGPT creator OpenAI and Mountain View-based search giant Google, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly. OpenAI and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The move comes as the entertainment industry is grappling with rapid innovations in artificial intelligence technology. Writers and actors raised concerns last summer about whether leaving AI unchecked could threaten their livelihoods. Meanwhile, some creatives have marveled at the advancements that could allow them to pursue bold ideas with tight budgets.

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This year, OpenAI unveiled its text-to-video tool Sora, which was used to create a four-minute music video for music artist Washed Out. The director of the video told The Times that Sora helped him depict multiple locations and visual effects that he otherwise couldn’t have.

But AI can also create chaos. Celebrities have dealt with “deep fakes” — false videos or audio depicting a celebrity endorsing certain brands or activities. To help protect their clients against unauthorized use of their voice and likeness, Century City-based Creative Artists Agency is helping talent create their own digital doubles.

On Thursday, two New York voice-over actors sued Berkeley-based AI voice generator business Lovo for unauthorized use of their voices. Lovo did not immediately return a request for comment. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Some people in the entertainment industry have said they would like the AI companies to be more transparent about how they are training their tools and whether they have the appropriate copyright permissions.

OpenAI has said its large language models, including those that power ChatGPT, are developed through information available publicly on the internet, material acquired through licenses with third parties and information its users and “human trainers” provide.

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The company said in a blog post that it believes training AI models on publicly available materials on the internet is “fair use.”

But some media outlets, including the New York Times, have sued OpenAI. The newspaper raised alarms about how its stories are being used by the tech company.

In Sony Music Group’s letters to AI businesses, the company said it has reason to believe its content may have been used to train, develop or commercialize artificial intelligence systems without its permission, according to a copy obtained by the Times. Sony Music Group asked the tech companies to provide information regarding that use and why it was necessary.

Sony Music Group, owned by Tokyo-based electronics giant Sony Corp., also wants music streaming providers to add language in its terms of service saying that third parties are not allowed to mine and train using Sony Music Group content, the person familiar with the matter said.

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A woman was dragged by a self-driving Cruise taxi in San Francisco. The company is paying her millions

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A woman was dragged by a self-driving Cruise taxi in San Francisco. The company is paying her millions

General Motors’ autonomous car company, Cruise, has reportedly agreed to pay an $8-million to $12-million settlement to a woman who was hospitalized after getting dragged along the pavement by a self-driving taxi in San Francisco last year.

The woman, a pedestrian, was struck by a hit-and-run vehicle at 5th and Market streets and thrown into the path of Cruise’s self-driving car, which pinned her underneath, according to Cruise and authorities. The car dragged her about 20 feet as it tried to pull out of the roadway before coming to a stop.

She sustained “multiple traumatic injuries” and was treated at the scene before being hospitalized.

It’s unclear when the settlement was reached or the exact amount, sources familiar with the situation told Fortune and Bloomberg. The condition of the woman, whose name was not released by authorities, is unknown, but a representative of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital told Fortune that she had been discharged.

Cruise initially said that its self-driving car “braked aggressively to minimize impact” but later said the vehicle’s software made a mistake in registering where it hit the woman. The car tried to pull over but continued driving 7 mph for 20 feet with the woman still under the vehicle.

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“The hearts of all Cruise employees continue to be with the pedestrian, and we hope for her continued recovery,” Cruise said in a statement.

Cruise halted its driverless operations after its autonomous taxi license was suspended by California’s Department of Motor Vehicles. The company was also accused of lying to investigators and withholding footage of the car crash.

Cruise said this week that it would start testing robotaxis in Arizona with a “safety driver” behind the wheel in case a human needs to take control of the vehicle, according to a company news release.

“Safety is the defining principle for everything we do and continues to guide our progress towards resuming driverless operations,” according to the release.

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