AMC Theatres CEO Defends Sightline Pricing Changes & Will Watch Customer Reaction “Very Closely”

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Running March 10-19, and now hosting the Spanish Screenings, the Malaga Film Festival is now firmly established as Spain’s biggest movie event in the early part of the year. Strategically positioned fairly sharp on the heels of the Berlinale, the Spanish event offers top Spanish titles at the German festival the chance to consolidate their reputations while often producing new discoveries, especially from first-time directors.  Many titles, from a Spanish film industry whose younger directors are highly social conscience and favor art-house, are issue driven.  “There’s a search for identity, whether a young trans girl’s exploration of gender identity or young leads to understand the world they live in, or the search for love and a sense pf strangeness, of being a stranger to oneself,” Juan Antonio Vigar, Málaga Film Festival director said of this year’s main Competition. Following, a brief breakdown of its titles. 

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic Just as the Coca-Cola company, after smudging a perfect product in 1985 with the New Coke, brought that product back and called it Coca-Cola Classic, the 95th Academy Awards telecast made a game attempt to rectify the mishaps of the past few years — the ratings slippage, the pared-down-like-a-skeleton-in-a-train-station 2021 edition, the debacle of The Slap — by bringing back something that we might call Oscar Classic. It was safe, it was familiar, it was tasteful, it was reassuring. It didn’t rock the boat, it didn’t overstay its welcome (actually, that marks sort of a break from Oscar Classic), and it left you feeling that the world’s preeminent awards show, all doom-saying punditry to the contrary, is still, on balance, a very good thing.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com Goonies never say die, even 38 years later. It’s been almost four decades since Richard Donner’s “Goonies” premiered, and the bond between the band of pre-teen outsiders, who happen upon a pirate ship off the coast of their little town in Oregon, remains strong. Moments after his crowd-delighting win at the Academy Awards, an elated Ke Huy Quan entered the press room to yet another standing ovation. When asked how his younger self would embrace the recent news of his Oscar win, the actor turned nostalgic. “My younger self would not know all the struggles that I went through to be here,” Quan said. “Because he was just having the time of his life being a kid, being on the set, on a pirate ship, going down a waterslide. Right before this night started, Corey Feldman, one of my ‘Goonies’ brothers called. I was talking to Kerri Green and of course tonight Jeff Cohen, who is my entertainment lawyer, is here tonight with me. Sean [Astin] reached back, Josh [Brolin], Martha [Plimpton]. We are always bonded. We’re family forever. Goonies never say die!”

Naman Ramachandran U.S.-Europe media fund APX Group has acquired a 50% stake in London’s Twickenham Film Studios. The move comes weeks after Twickenham Studios chair Sunny Vohra acquired a 6.95% stake in the APX Group for more than $70 million, reflecting a market cap of $1.1 billion for APX, which is planning a public listing on New York Stock Exchange later this year. APX and Twickenham did not disclose the financial value of the deal. As part of the acquisition, APX Group will rebrand its global network of studios with the Twickenham Studios name. The parties have also agreed on an accelerated expansion plan to acquire additional studios and land suited for studio construction in Europe and the U.S., all under the Twickenham Studios brand.

Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City's experience will count for nothing during the Premier League run-in and that the desire fuelling Arsenal's late winners is something that the Blues can't match.

2023 Oscars «In Memoriam» segment.While this year's tribute to those stars we've lost was moving and emotional — featuring a tearful introduction from John Travolta and a powerful performance of «Calling All Angels» by Lennt Kravitz — glaring omission of some big-name stars shook up some viewers at home.Anne Heche — who died following a fiery car crash in August at the age of 53 — was not a part of the segment, despite her many film roles.Also absent from the televised tribute was longtime film veteran Tom Sizemore — who died on Mar. 3, at age 61, two weeks after suffering a brain aneurysm that left him hospitalized.One of the most surprising omissions was that of Charlbi Dean, who died on Aug.

Rihanna took to the stage at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday and gave viewers a show-stopping rendition of her Oscar-nominated single, “Lift Me Up,” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.

Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson really are best pals.

Brendan Fraser has won the best-actor Oscar for “The Whale,” a transformative role in which he revived a career that was once so bright.

Malala Yousafzai is staying out of the “Don’t Worry Darling” drama.

In at least one universe, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a Best Picture winner!

Tom Cruise will not be at the 95th Academy Awards.

Lady Gaga is always ready to burst into action.

Celebs gathered at the Dolby Theatre in California on Sunday night to celebrate the best of films at the 95th Academy Awards.

Lady Gaga gave a performance that had people talking.

Introducing Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh.

AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron said the new Sightline ticket pricing regime the chain’s trying out in three markets has the potential to expand the moviegoing market and prevent future price hikes.

Giant movie chain AMC Entertainment saw revenue dip 15% last quarter to $991 million and losses widen on a one-time impairment charge in a fourth quarter was tough on exhibition in general with Avatar: The Way Of Water hitting late in the year, and a few misfires. A fuller release sked led by a steadier stream of tentpoles is expected to nudge the box office towards real post-Covid recovery this year.  

AMC Entertainment will debut its new retail popcorn line at hundreds of Walmart locations on March 11 –  Academy Awards weekend, the company announced this morning.