Inspiration goes Mainstream

By  John W. Kennedy

Today’s special dispatches from the crossroads of faith, media and culture are comprised of notes from the Variety Family Entertainment & Faith Based Summit that was held in LA last Thursday. I just flew back and, boy, are my arms tired. Incredibly lame jokes aside, the event provided ample evidence that family and faith-supportive entertainment is now attracting some of the entertainment industry’s top talent while actually outperforming more supposedly hip and edgy fare.

1. Early arrival.  I got the Sofitel Hotel on Beverly Boulevard about an hour before the event was scheduled to begin. Good thing I was already registered because, as I understand, it was already sold out. The summit was organized in association with the public relations firm Rogers & Cowan. I was happy to get the opportunity to meet up with a few of the folks who have frequently helped me with this blog in the past, including Senior V.P. Lesley Burbridge, Kimberly Schroeder and Christina Garvin. Their professionalism was on display throughout the entire day which extremely well-produced and came off without any apparent hitches. Hats off to them!

2. Stats. The summit began with some data analysis presented by Rentrak Chief Research Officer Bruce Goerlich, Dove Foundation CEO Dick Rolfe and Mastermedia International CEO Larry W. Poland. The general gist of their reports pointed to an audience for family, faith and values-friendly films and TV shows that is wide, culturally-diverse, educated and, to boot, carries excellent credit ratings (which should be of interest to advertisers).

Dick Rolfe distributed the Dove Foundation’s 2012 Film Profitability Study which examined film box office results from 2005 through 2009.  The report found that of the 1000 most-widely-distributed film during that time frame, 376 (38%) were rated R, 412 (41%) were PG-13, 178 (18%) were PG and only 34 (3%) were rated G.  During the same period, G-rated movies averaged profits of 108.5 million dollars with PG films averaging 65.5 million in plus-side revenues.  PG-13 film, meanwhile, averaged 59.7 million in profits. Bringing up the rear were R-rated movies with average profits of about 12.7 million.

So, the study points out, Hollywood released 11 times more R-rated movies than G-rated movies from 2005 through 2009 — yet the averaged G-rated film produced over eight times the profit of its R-rated counterpart.  As the report notes, the market for G-rated fare seems far from saturated.

The Dove Foundation, as you may know, also awards its seal of approval to films that support positive human values. The report notes that, during the period covered,  Dove-approved films were 2.5 times more profitable as film that failed to meet it human values criteria.  Dove-approved PG films were 2.8 times more profitable than other PG films.  Dove-approved PG-13 films, meanwhile, were 1 3/4 times as profitable as non Dove-approved films with the same rating.

The bottom line appears to be that audiences prefer movies that support traditional values (i.e. faith, family, kindness, forgiveness, gratitude) to those that ignore them or even treat them with ridicule and contempt.


3. Simon says the advertisers are there to support family/values-based programming. Following the numbers display, Variety Deputy Editor Cynthia Littleton  interviewed Ben Simon who heads up Walmart’s global family entertainment marketing initiatives  and is co-chair of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Alliance for Family Entertainment. The latter group was begun by P&G  and Johnson & Johnson out of a concern that, as network television edged toward edgier and edgier programming, it was losing its effectiveness as a means of reaching all members of a family. What’s more, their customers were clearly telling them that they wanted prime-time programs they could comfortably watch with their children. (Full list of ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment members here).

The ANA Alliance has been instrumental in supporting the development of such shows as Gilmore Girls and Friday Night Lights and in finding talented writers who may be the creators of family-family hits of the future. Toward the end, the organization has named Megan Angelo as the winner of its America’s Newest Comedy Writer contest for her sitcom script O’Connell for Congress.

Simon, who has been a major force behind Family Movie Night, a series films/backdoor pilots Walmart and P&G got onto the prime-time schedules of NBC and Fox (albeit mostly on Saturday nights), convincingly argued that that family audience isn’t a niche audience. It is, in fact, the mainstream audience.
Yes, the audience is there. But, beyond that, if networks want to please their advertisers, they’d be wise to get behind programs that speak to families.

4.  Mark Burnett previews The Bible. The man behind Survivor and The Voice gave an enthusiastic audience an early look at clips from his upcoming 10-hour miniseries which he’s producing with his wife Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel) who also has an acting role in the epic.  Says Burnett, “I couldn’t give a shit about the business model. This was about love and faith.” ( More at Variety)

5. GMC (Gospel Music Channel) and Magic Johnson team up to create a positive cable network. As part of a panel discussion on The State of Family and Faith-Based Entertainment, GMC Vice Chairman Brad Siegel talked about branding his channel as home of “Uplifting Entertainment” (i.e. positive TV movies and TV series in the vein of 7th Heaven). He also talks about partnering up with the NBA legend to create Aspire TV. Set to debut on Comcast systems next Sunday (June 30), the 24-hour channel will offer positive and uplifting entertainment programming tailored toward the African-American community.
Also contributing to the conversation (moderated by Variety’s Cynthia Littleton) were Ben Howard (Provident Films), Simon Swart (Fox Home Entertainment), Darren Melameth (Crown Media Family Networks) and Dale Ardizzone (The Inspiration Networks).

6. The School That Fell From the Sky. During a networking break, I met with Vince Gratzer, the proprietor of the independent Las Cruces Productions. He’s optioned the rights to the harrowing-but-inspirational autobiography of Fred Hargesheimer. Shot down by the Japanese during World War II, the reconnaissance pilot survived the deadly jungles of enemy-occupied New Britain where (after pleading to God for help) he was finally rescued by villagers who risked their lives to nurse him back to health.  Years after the war, Hargesheimer returned to the impoverished village that protected him and spent several years building schools, libraries and clinics in gratitude to God and the people who protected him in his darkest hours. Vince is seeking a production partner/production company to partner with to bring Fred’s story to the screen.
(Read more here)

7. Marketing Them and They Will Come. A discussion of how to market family and faith-based films was led by Dan Merrell, President and CEO of the Nashville-based entertainment marketing firm Propeller. Participants included Richard Ingber who heads worldwide marketing for Alcon Entertainment, Spark Networks CEO Greg Liberman, Rio Cyrus (SVP/Marketing for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment), Movie to Movement Founder Jason Jones, Arleen Lopez (who handles faith marketing for Pantelion Films) and Kim Dorr-Tilley who is both co-owner and founder of Defining Artists Agency and an associate pastor with Bel Air Presbyterian Church’s Entertainment Ministries.

8. How to make successful faith-based entertainment? That topic was discussed by a panel comprised of people who have achieved great success doing just that. Motive Marketing CEO Paul Lauer led the discussion. Participants included Brian Bird of Believe Pictures, John Shepherd of MPower Pictures, Michael Van Dyck of the Paradigm Talent Agency, Rich Peluso (Affirm Films), John Kilkullen (Bible 360) and Movieguide Publisher Ted Baehr. If you want to be inspired, read the personal stories of Brian Bird and Michael Van Dyck.

9. Lunch. Great food. Spoke with a rep from The 168 Film Project.

10. The Chronicles of Walden. Variety Film Critic Peter Debruge interviewed Walden Media Co-Founder Michael Flaherty about how the company behind the film version of The Chronicles of Narnia came to be.

11. A New Age. How new technologies present new challenges and new opportunities for family and faith-based media was discussed by a panel led by Variety TV Editor Andrew Wallenstein. Michael Jay Solomon, an industry legend who ran Lorimar/Telepictures (during the original Dallas era)  talked about Truli.net, a new social networking  site featuring Christian content due to officially launch on July 9th.  Other participants included Jonathan Yang (Salem Web Network), Susan Jackson (Freestyle Digital Media), Dean Waters (Vimby) and Maura Dunbar of Odyssey Networks. Odyssey Networks, Dunbar noted, also remains heavily involved in developing content for traditional television, including the Jeff Foxworthy-hosted The Great American Bible Quiz set to bow soon on GSN (Game Show Network).

12. What’s Next in Family Entertainment? Variety Managing Editor Kirstin Wilder asked October Baby director Jon Erwin, Oogieloves creator Kenn Viselmann, Charlie Ebersol(Executive Producer of USA’s The Moment), Documentary Channel CEO James Ackerman and Flashlight Entertainment Co-Founder Brian Wells.

13. A Star is Born? During a break someone asked me to check out the Official Campaign for Baby Peggy Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Here’s her story, per Wikipedia.

14. Follow the Money. But to follow it, you have to know where to look for it. Tips on that were offered by MJM Entertainment Group Founder Mark Joseph (producer of Doonby). Participants included George Taweel (George Taweel Productions), Cindy Bond (Mission Pictures International), Lance McAlindon (Front Porch Entertainment), GG Filmz Founder Deborah Giarratana (producer of Machine Gun Preacher) and October Baby Executive Producer Dave Johnson.

15. Creative Masters in Family and Faith-Based Entertainment. The final panel discussion was anchored by Variety’s Brian Lowry. Participants included X-Men producer Ralph Winter, Psych and LA Law star Corbin Bernsen (who starred in and directed Rust, a faith-based drama that earned him a Director’s Choice Award at the San Diego Christian Film Festival), producer-writer Dean Batali, producer Lori McCreary (Invictus) and producer Jason Carbone (Beverly’s Full House

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/faithmediaandculture/#ixzz1z1LnpiiQ

The Family Entertainment and Faith-Based Summit

The Family Entertainment and Faith-Based Summit produced by Variety in association with Rogers & Cowan will look at the business of television and film product that is created for families and faith-based audiences. The Summit will explore the development, production and marketing of this content and look into the future of these markets.   (FROM June 21, 2012)

 

8:30 – 9:30am   Check-In/Welcome Remarks/Morning Networking

9:30 – 10:00am Research/Case Studies
9:30 a.m. to 9:40 a.m. Rentrak ResearchPresented by Bruce Goerlich, Chief Research Officer, Rentrak
9:40 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. Dove Study on Family Film ProfitabilityPresented by Dick Rolfe, Co-Founder & CEO, The Dove Foundation
9:50 to 10:00 a.m. Study on the Evangelical Community "Evangelicals: Research on 100 million media consumers who are diverse, traditional, and not so..."
Presented by Larry W. Poland, PH.D., Chairman and CEO of Mastermedia International

10:00 – 10:30am Keynote Conversation with Ben Simon, Director, Walmart & Co-Chair, ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment
Interviewed by Cynthia Littleton, Deputy Editor, Variety

10:30 – 10:40am Mark Burnett - To Talk About His New Bible Series For History

10:40 – 11:20am State of Family and Faith-based EntertainmentAs audiences are increasingly divided across growing media options, family entertainment like The Blind Side, Narnia, Courageous and October Baby has the power to unify and attract massive audiences worldwide. At the same time, successful outreach to the faith-based communities can mean a measurable boost in box office and ratings for family entertainment. Top studio and TV chiefs will discuss the key ingredients to building these cross-over hits.
*What are critical story elements to rally family audiences and entice major studios to handle these projects? What is the right balance between a compelling plotline and content that fits into audience values?
*What are the marketing models for film and TV – is it easier to strike important co-promotional relationships with brands on family projects?
*Historically, home entertainment has been a strong sector for family and faith-based titles. How have changes to this industry impacted the family and faith-based genre?
*What are exciting projects on the horizon that may boost this entertainment category, such as high-profile directors Darren Aronofsky and Steven Spielberg attached to Noah and Moses respectively?
Moderated by Cynthia Littleton, Deputy Editor, Variety
Confirmed Speakers:
Ben Howard, Co-Founder, Provident Films
Simon Swart, EVP & GM, Fox Home Entertainment
Darren Melameth, VP, Program Planning & Scheduling, Crown Media Family Networks(Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movie Channel)
Brad Siegel, Vice Chairman, GMC TV
Dale Ardizzone, COO, The Inspiration Networks

11:20 – 11:30am Networking Break

11:30 – 12:15am Reaching Family and Faith-Based Audiences: Launching and Marketing Films to Create Universal Hits The family and faith-based audiences do share some similarities in content choices, such as demand for projects that are safe for kids to watch. Studios hope to reach both in launching their films and TV series to maximize their potential – but what is the best way to pitch a mainstream family film to the faith-based segment to ensure you gain fans and don’t alienate anyone along the way? And vice versa, how do you promote projects with spiritual and religious content for mainstream success, such as profitable bonanza Soul Surfer? Top marketers and their partners will analyze what it means to pitch movies and TV projects to different audience groups for an overall impactful and cohesive campaign.
*What were the results of recent pitching broadly-targeted non-religious themed projects to the faith-based demographic – i.e. Relativity’s Act of Valor, TLC’s Sarah Palin’s Alaska, Alcon’s Dolphin Tale; Sony’s The Vow? What works in these sorts of campaigns?
*What elements of certain broad films are necessary to cross over between larger family audiences and the faith-based demographic?
*What were the secret ingredients of the Soul Surfer campaign getting out to mainstream audiences?
*What partnerships are critical in campaigns – aligning with which family-friendly organizations, church groups and pastors, bloggers, etc.?
Moderated by Dan Merrell, President, CEO & Founder, PROPELLER
Confirmed Speakers:
Richard Ingber, President, Worldwide Marketing, Alcon Entertainment
Greg Liberman, President & CEO, Spark Networks
Rio Cyrus, SVP, Marketing, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Jason Jones, Founder, Movie to Movement
Kim Dorr-Tilley, Co-Owner & Founder, Defining Artists Agency & Associate Pastor, Entertainment Ministries, Bel Air Presbyterian Church
Arleen Lopez, Project Manager, Faith Marketing (Gril in Progress), Pantelion Films

12:15 – 1:00pm The Opportunity in Faith-Friendly and Faith-Based Content: What is Success Today?
There is tremendous opportunity in backing faith-centered projects. The faith-based audience is underserved as they seem to crave the relatively few films released in this genre, and are large enough in number to impact box office – such as with Facing the Giants and Courageous. However, not every faith-based project has broken through and found an audience –as people are spread across so many entertainment choices and platforms, the faith-based included. Top distributors, creators and marketers of faith-based content will explore what it means to thrive in this space.
* What is the opportunity for production companies and distributors to enter this business?
* What is the status of TV and delivering faith-based content? The genre seems to skew heavier on the theatrical and DVD side, but it seems like cable/satellite/broadband channels, and their ability to support niche interests can be a viable delivery tool?
* What is necessary to know about the faith-based market to spark their interest for projects?
* What are budget considerations when filming within this niche – is it tricky to attract big name production and acting talent to faith-based projects? Is being labeled a ‘religious’ director/actor/producer controversial in Hollywood?
Moderated by Paul Lauer, Founder & CEO, Motive Marketing
Confirmed Speakers:
Brian Bird, Partner, Believe Pictures
John Shepherd, President, Mpower Pictures
Ted Baehr, Founder and Publisher, Movieguide
Michael Van Dyck, Agent, Paradigm Talent Agency
Rich Peluso, VP, Affirm Films, Sony Pictures Entertainment
John Kilkullen, President, Bible 360, Hearst Corporation

1:00 – 2:00pm Lunch

2:00 – 2:30pm Afternoon Keynote Conversation with Michael Flaherty, Co-Founder, Walden MediaInterviewed by Peter Debruge, Senior Film Critic, Variety

2:30 – 3:15pm Harnessing Digital Media for Family and Faith-Based Entertainment The growth of digital technology has been a boon for niche content producers, in that they don’t have to rely on mainstream-skewing studios/networks to release or market their product. This translates within digital theaters and their alternative programming campaigns; in the home with video-on-demand and streaming; and through digital gaming and apps. Can digital distribution and social media open critical doors for different niches to reach audiences? Top faith-based and family distributors and technology partners will talk about how digital media is advancing their business.
*What content distributors are succeeding in expanding audiences through digital platforms? What is the best strategy given so much choice in how new technologies can deliver content?
*What is the impact of Web communities, apps and other interactive entertainment geared towards family and faith-based audiences? Examples include Jesus Daily on Facebook and the Journey of Moses App.
Moderated by Andrew Wallenstein, TV Editor, Variety
Confirmed Speakers:
Michael Jay Solomon, CEO & President, Truli Media Group & Co-Founder, Telepictures
Jonathan Yang, VP, Sales, Salem Web Networks
Maura Dunbar, EVP & Chief Content Officer, Odyssey Networks
Susan Jackson, CEO, Freestyle Digital Media
Dean Waters, CEO, Mark Burnett Productions' Vimby

3:15 – 4:00pm What’s Next in Family Entertainment?
Within the family and faith-based genres – there is much diversity in the types of content that can fall under these labels. How has the launch of Hub, DisneyXD and other kids-centric channels impacted the business? Can popular faith-based comics, such as Shonda Pierce, break into mainstream with her PG-rated and safe-for-families comedy? Pioneers of these family and faith-based categories and their partners will talk about the significance of these sub-genres.
Moderated by Kirstin Wilder, VP & Managing Editor, Variety
Confirmed Speakers:
Jon Erwin, Director, October Baby
Kenn Viselmann, Founder, Itsy Bitsy Entertainment Company & Producer/Creator, The Oogieloves
Charlie Ebersol, Co-Founder, The Hochberg Ebersol Company (THE Company)/Executive Producer, The Moment on USA Network
James Ackerman, President & CEO, The Documentary Channel
Brian Wells, Co-Founder, Flashlight Entertainment

4:00 – 4:15pm Networking Break

4:15 – 5:00pm Film Finance and Production for Family and Faith-based Entertainment Brands and advertisers have long pleaded with Hollywood to create more family content in which their products can safely and positively be integrated. Walmart and Proctor & Gamble have famously been huge family entertainment advocates, having funded movies that are distributed on the major broadcast networks and promoted in stores. Investment angels, family-advocacy organizations and churches want to support this content as well. Leading financing entities and their production partners will discuss the marketplace for funding family and faith-based entertainment.
Moderated by Mark Joseph, Producer (Doonby, Reagan) and Founder, MJM Entertainment Group
Confirmed Speakers:
George Taweel, Founder, George Taweel Productions
Cindy Bond, Co-Founder & President, Mission Pictures International
Lance McAlindon, Chief Research Officer, Front Porch Research
Deborah Giarratana, Producer, Machine Gun Preacher& Founder, GG Filmz
Dave Johnson, Executive Producer, October Baby

5:00 – 5:45pm Creative Masters in Family and Faith-Based Entertainment Top directors, producers and writers of hit family and faith-based projects will talk about what is driving their storytelling.
*What plotlines and characters are attracting audiences – is it important to look for cross-over potential between faith-based audience and general family viewers?
*With faith-based projects, is there concern of being pigeonholed into only being successful in that category?
*What are dream projects that leading directors, producers and writers would like to make in the future?
Moderated by Brian Lowry, Senior Columnist, Variety
Confirmed Speakers:
Ralph Winter, Producer, X-Men:Wolverine, X-Men: The Last Stand
Corbin Bernsen, Actor/Producer (Psych, The Big Year)
Dean Batali, Producer & Writer, That 70's Show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chonda Pierce's This Ain't Prettyville)
Lori McCreary, Producer (Invictus, The Magic of Belle Island)
Jason Carbone, Executive Producer (Tia and Tamera, Beverly's Full House)

5:45pm Networking Reception

Supreme Court Rules Against FCC Profanity, Nudity Policy

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against the FCC's policy regulating curse words and nudity on broadcast television.

In an 8-0 decision, the high court threw out fines and sanctions imposed by the Federal Communications Commission. The case involved some uncensored curse words and brief nudity on various networks,

"Because the FCC failed to give FOX or ABC fair notice prior to the broadcasts in question that fleeting expletives and momentary nudity could be found actionably indecent, the Commissions' standards as applied to these broadcasts were vague," the Supreme Court said in its opinion.

The court said the FCC is "free to modify its current indecency policy" in light of the ruling.

The justices, though, declined to issue a broad ruling on the constitutionality of the FCC indecency policy. Instead, the court concluded only that broadcasters could not have known in advance that obscenities uttered during awards show programs and a brief display of nudity on an episode of ABC's NYPD Blue could give rise to sanctions. ABC and 45 affiliates were hit with proposed fines totaling nearly $1.24 million.
It was the second time the court has confronted, but not ruled conclusively on, the FCC's policy on isolated expletives. Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his opinion for the court that "it is unnecessary for the court to address the constitutionality of the current policy."

The case arose from a change in the FCC's long-standing policy on curse words. For many years, the agency did not take action against broadcasters for one-time uses of curse words. But, following several awards shows with cursing celebrities in 2002 and 2003, the FCC toughened its policy after it concluded that a one-free-expletive rule did not make sense in the context of keeping the air waves free of indecency when children are likely to be watching television.

Forecast: Cruise, Sandler Indulge in 80s Nostalgia This Weekend

The box office gets a heavy dose of 80s nostalgia this weekend thanks to musical Rock of Ages, which utilizes 80s rock tunes for all of its songs, and R-rated comedy That's My Boy, which finds Adam Sandler sporting an 80s mullet. This isn't the first time that a June weekend has harkened back to that decade: in 2010, The Karate Kid remake and The A-Team adaptation opened to a combined $81 million. There's virtually no chance that Rock of Ages and That's My Boy deliver a similar result, and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted will likely hold on to first place.

Rock of Ages and That's My Boy feature two of the most bankable stars in recent movie history, though Tom Cruise's portrayal of fictional rock legend Stacey Jaxx isn't likely to have a huge impact on the initial box office haul for Rock of Ages. Cruise was one of, if not the, biggest box office draw in the world up until a few years ago, when some poor movie choices and bizarre behavior seemed to weaken his brand a bit. He's coming off a monster success in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, though, which set a new record for Cruise with over $693 million worldwide.

The Stacey Jaxx character is outside of Cruise's action star wheelhouse, though, and Rock of Ages advertising has almost completely ignored his presence in the movie (he makes an appearance in all of the material, but Cruise's name is rarely referenced and the character's signature long hair and sun glasses makes the actor hard to recognize). Instead, the focus of the Rock of Ages campaign has been the retro setting and the catchy music, and advertisements attempt to assure audiences that the movie is "Nothin' But a Good Time." This has been effective enough, and fans of the Broadway production and jukebox-style TV shows like American Idol should be able to drive the movie to an opening level similar to recent Summer musicals Hairspray and Mamma Mia! (both over $27 million).

With advertisements putting Adam Sandler front-and-center, star power will be much more relevant for That's My Boy, which opens at 3,030 locations this weekend. Beginning with The Waterboy in 1998, Sandler has had 12 movies reach $100 million at the domestic box office, which is the most for any lead actor during that period in time. However, he's coming off one of his worst box office performers ever in Jack and Jill, which debuted last November and ultimately earned $74.2 million. That's not enough to declare that Sandler's lost his mojo, but it's definitely possible that his shtick is growing a bit tired.

In That's My Boy, Sandler echoes some of his star-making roles (Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison) by playing a crude, belligerent man-child. This movie goes a step further with most of its antics, though, and as a result was tagged with an R rating. That could be a plus, since there's clearly demand for R-rated comedy (The Dictator didn't do the trick), and since fans of Sandler's early work are probably old enough to make it to That's My Boy. At the same time, Sandler has been working almost exclusively in PG-13 territory through his entire career, and as of late he's been a big draw for family audiences who won't be attending his newest movie in any significant way. Even with the clever Father's Day tie-in, it's unlikely That's My Boy gets close to the $30-million-plus that most of his movies open to (Sony is modestly projecting something in the high-teen-millions).

Weekend Forecast (June 15-17)
1. Madagascar 3 - $33.8 million (-44%)
2. Rock of Ages - $28.6 million
3. That's My Boy - $24.5 million
4. Prometheus - $23.5 million (-54%)

Bar for Success
As long as it gets close to Hairspray and Mamma Mia! ($27+ million), Rock of Ages will be off to a good start. Giving That's My Boy some leeway due to its R-rating, it's in solid shape at around $25 million.

Forecast: 'Prometheus,' 'Madagascar 3' Go Head-to-Head This Weekend

So far this Summer, it's always been pretty clear which movie would wind up taking the top spot at the box office each weekend. That's definitely not the case this weekend, though, as highly-anticipated sci-fi flick Prometheus squares off against the third installment in DreamWorks' Madagascar series. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted is reaching 4,258 locations, which is the 11th-widest release ever (second-widest for an animated movie behind Shrek Forever After), while Prometheus is no slouch either at 3,394 venues (10th all-time for an R-rated movie). Both movies should earn over $40 million, though from there it's tough to call.

After endless speculation, it's now been made pretty clear to those keeping score—yes, Prometheus is functioning as a prequel to director Ridley Scott's Alien. That movie kicked off the larger Alien franchise when it earned $78.9 million, or the equivalent of $249.1 million adjusting for ticket price inflation, in Summer 1979. James Cameron continued the series with 1986's Aliens ($85.2 million, $181.8 million adjusted), and both Scott and Cameron's outings are widely considered to be classic entries in the sci-fi genre. Unfortunately, the franchise lost some of its luster with disappointing sequels Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection in the 1990s and then with mash-ups Alien Vs. Predator and Aliens Vs. Predator - Requiem in the last decade.

However, even with one recent commercial declaring that "Before Alien, there was Prometheus," the movie's status as a prequel has not been its main selling point. Instead, Prometheus has primarily been sold as an action-packed, thought-provoking original sci-fi movie. Previews mix stunning visuals with a palpable sense of dread (the repeating scream has been a centerpiece of the campaign), and feature one of the year's most intriguing taglines ("The Search for Our Beginning Could Lead To Our End").

Considering it's an "original" sci-fi movie from an acclaimed filmmaker, it calls to mind 2010's Inception and 2011's Super 8, and these comparisons should help moderate expectations surrounding Prometheus's opening a bit. Inception was director Christopher Nolan's follow-up to The Dark Knight and featured stunning imagery, big ideas, and a popular lead actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), but opened to just $62.8 million (a great number, but less than 40 percent of The Dark Knight's $158.4 million). Meanwhile, Super 8 debuted on the same weekend as Prometheus, and only earned $35.4 million initially. That movie's late-game marketing was fairly unremarkable, though, while Prometheus's push remains attention-grabbing, and with 3D premiums attached it could wind up close to Inception's figure.

The movie's R-rating does remain a potential hurdle: while The Matrix Reloaded and 300 opened to $91.8 million and $70.9 million, respectively, big openings for R-rated action movies are rare. In fact, only 11 R-rated movies have ever opened above $50 million. Still, this could a self-fulfilling prophesy: afraid that an R-rating is restrictive, the major studios mostly avoid pumping big money in to R-rated tentpoles.

Even if it doesn't become a huge hit domestically, Prometheus appears well-positioned for a strong foreign run. Through Tuesday, the movie had already earned $46.1 million from 15 markets, and it had great openings last weekend in Russia, the U.K. and France. It expands in to an additional 35 territories this weekend including Australia, South Korea and Taiwan.

While The Avengers and MIB 3 had some traction with family audiences, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted is the first movie this Summer to exclusively target that crucial constituency. The franchise has so far provided some of DreamWorks Animation's biggest hits: the first Madagascar earned $193.6 million in 2005, and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa netted $180 million in 2008. Neither are necessarily beloved by audiences—they both have decent 6.7 ratings on IMDb—but the characters are memorable enough and Paramount's marketing has done a fine job differentiating the third entry with their "Wig Out" campaign.

Unfortunately, animated sequels have been getting pummeled lately in comparison to their predecessors. Last year, well-reviewed Kung Fu Panda 2 opened 21 percent lower than it's well-regarded predecessor, while Happy Feet 2 debuted with only about half as much as the first Happy Feet. Of course, Cars 2 opened a tad higher than the first Cars, and it also added some European flavor, so there's a chance Madagascar 3 winds up close to the last movie's $63.1 million debut. Paramount is currently forecasting around $45 million for the weekend.

Madagascar 3 is also opening in 28 foreign markets this weekend, though most of those aren't in Europe thanks to the start of the Euro Cup. The movie opened to an incredible $3.7 million in Russia on Thursday, which is a new record for an animated release, and it also earned $1.9 million in both South Korea and France. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa wound up grossing $423.9 million overseas, and based on the recent trend for animated sequels the odds are that Madagascar 3 winds up higher.

Weekend Forecast: June 8-10
1. Prometheus - $55.5 million
2. Madagascar 3 - $53.8 million
3. Snow White - $28.7 million (-49%)
4. MIB 3 - $15.2 million (-46%)
5. The Avengers - $11.6 million (-43%)

Bar for Success
With the addition of 3D, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted really ought to get close to Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa's $63.1 million: $50 million seems like a fair benchmark. Regardless of how impressive the trailers are, R-rated sci-fi isn't really an easy sell, so anything over $40 million is a good start for Prometheus.

Author Ray Bradbury has died in California

LOS ANGELES – Ray Bradbury, the science fiction-fantasy master who transformed his childhood dreams and Cold War fears into telepathic Martians, lovesick sea monsters, and, in uncanny detail, the high-tech, book-burning future of Fahrenheit 451, has died. He was 91

He died Tuesday night, his daughter said Wednesday. Alexandra Bradbury did not have additional details.

Although slowed in recent years by a stroke that meant he had to use a wheelchair, Bradbury remained active into his 90s, turning out new novels, plays, screenplays and a volume of poetry. He wrote every day in the basement office of his Cheviot Hills home and appeared from time to time at bookstores, public library fundraisers and other literary events around Los Angeles.

His writings ranged from horror and mystery to humor and sympathetic stories about the Irish, blacks and Mexican-Americans. Bradbury also scripted John Huston's 1956 film version of Moby Dick and wrote for The Twilight Zone and other television programs, including The Ray Bradbury Theater, for which he adapted dozens of his works.

"What I have always been is a hybrid author," Bradbury said in 2009. "I am completely in love with movies, and I am completely in love with theater, and I am completely in love with libraries."

Bradbury broke through in 1950 with The Martian Chronicles, a series of intertwined stories that satirized capitalism, racism and superpower tensions as it portrayed Earth colonizers destroying an idyllic Martian civilization

READ MORE AT http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/story/2012-06-06/ray-bradbury-dies/55417888/1

Consumers Poised To Pay More For Web-Delivered Video Than For Discs: Report

Spending for DVDs and Blu-ray discs is falling so fast that 2012 likely will be first year when consumers will pay more to buy and rent movies via the Internet, according to a report today from IHS Screen Digest Video Intelligence Service. The research firm says that the average household will spend $123.50 to buy and rent discs this year — down from $133.21 last year and $149.53 in 2010. The average home spent $206.78 in 2006, when Blu-ray discs were introduced. Looked at another way, people spent $8.8B last year to buy packaged videos, down 12% vs 2010. That will keep falling to $5.4B in 2016 — which IHS notes is “the level in 1997 when DVDs were first launched.”

Meanwhile, consumers paid $5.7B to rent discs last year, down 7.3%. Much of that drop was due to the cut backs at Blockbuster, as well as the snafus at Netflix’ DVD rental business. With that largely behind us, and rental kiosks becoming more popular, disc rentals will increase slightly to $6B in 2016. IHS says that kiosks accounted for 34% of disc rental spending last year, and will grow to 41% this year, and hit 52% in 2015.

The silver lining for studios is that the online business is growing. “If revenue were to be added from other viewing options such as video-on-demand, Internet-based sales and rentals, and subscription streaming from providers like Netflix and Hulu Plus…consumer spending across all outlets of home video would amount to nearly $17.2B,” says IHS senior analyst for U.S. video Michael Arrington.

In a separate report, IHS said that spending for online movies more than doubled to $992M last year, mostly due to the growth of Netflix’s streaming service — which passed Apple to be the No. 1 online movie provider. Web spending is expected to double again this year but then slow, the company says, unless a company such as HBO offers a standalone streaming service or someone offers a Web-based replacement for pay TV.

Forecast: 'Snow White' Goes to War This Weekend

The first weekend of June is typically a tough time to open a movie, given the usual strength of the late May holdovers. How fortuitous, then, that the only major studio release this weekend—Snow White and the Huntsman—is opening on the heels of MIB 3, which is performing fine enough but isn't sucking all the oxygen out of the air. This should give Snow White plenty of room to breathe at its 3,772 locations, and it will likely claim the top spot at the box office this weekend.

Last year, both Universal and Relativity announced Snow White projects around the same time, and there was subsequently a bit of release date musical chairs between the two competing titles. Ultimately, Relativity won out on the release date battle by pushing their movie Mirror Mirror so early that there was literally no way Snow White and the Huntsman could be finished in time to beat it to the gate. Mirror Mirror turned out to be a non-issue for Huntsman, though—the movie has earned just $62.4 million at the domestic box office, and was so completely different in tone and visual palette that it didn't provide much of a conflict.

From the epic, visually-arresting first teaser trailer, it was clear that Snow White and the Huntsman was going to be aiming for a much older audience than Mirror Mirror. Subsequent material has continued that push, with the latest round of commercials showcasing the bold interpretation of story elements like "The Forest," "The Dark Army," "The Troll," and more. This has clearly been designed to target young men who drive box office receipts for dark fantasy movies, but as a result the Snow White character (played by Twilight Kristen Stewart) has been fairly marginalized. This suggests Universal is banking on women turning out because Snow White is in the title, though assuming the target audience is already on board has backfired recently (What to Expect When You're Expecting with its "Dudes Group" campaign).

Universal is anticipating low-to-mid $30 millions based on tracking. They have already committed to developing a sequel, though obviously the future of that depends largely on the movie's box office performance. Even if the movie doesn't perform great domestically, though, its epic scale, strong visuals and straightforward narrative should translate to strong business overseas, and its kicking off its foreign run this weekend in 45 territories including South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Mexican war movie For Greater Glory also opens nationwide this weekend at 757 locations. The movie tells the story of the Cristero War (1926-29), and should appeal to Catholic, Hispanic audiences. Arc Entertainment has bought enough ad space that awareness is high, though its' still a niche product that could have trouble reaching the Top 10.

Weekend Forecast (June 1-3)
Snow White - $39.8 million
MIB 3 - $26.2 million (-52%)
The Avengers - $21.5 million (-41%)

Bar for Success
Universal Pictures opened Robin Hood to $36.1 million two years ago—it's hard to see a reason why Snow White and the Huntsman should open below that mark.

George Lucas announces retirement

One of Hollywood's most iconic directors and producers has reportedly called it quits. George Lucas recently told Empire magazine that he plans on leaving his company Lucasfilms and retiring to spend more time on making movies as a hobby.

Although Lucas may not get behind the camera for any more "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones" movies, he did leave the door open for some more projects in the future. However, whether or not they make it big screen is up in the air, he says.

"I've always wanted to make movies that were more experimental in nature and not have to worry about showing them in movie theaters," he told the magazine.

Lucas' retirement from the movie industry may not come as much of a surprise to some people. The last film he directed was the 2005 hit "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." Since then, he has served as a producer on several films including 2010's "Red Tails."

Whether his retirement is permanent remains to be seen, but fans looking to take at trip down memory lane can check out some of Lucas' best movies including "American Graffiti" and "Labyrinth," which he produced.