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Toho's
Spirited Digital Screening
 Hayao
Miyazaki’s blockbuster, Spirited Away held its first digital
screening by Japanese exhibition giant, Toho, on July 20 at the
Umeda Sukara-za Cinema in Osaka, per Screen Daily. Toho owns two
of six screens equipped with digital projectors in Japan and used
an Imax Digimax projector for the event. The three-day opening gross
was $228,629 (Y28m), the highest of all 336 screens showing the
animated feature. Toho also plans to screen the digital Final
Fantasy and Jurassic
Park III in September.
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Pathe
Distribution has 'Dinner' Plans
 Pathe
Distribution, in charge of U.K. theatrical releases as a division
of the French Pathe Entertainment, has obtained all U.K. rights
to Bob Giraldi's Dinner Rush, according to the Hollywood
Reporter. Pathe acquired the rights from U.K.-based Entertainment
Capital Group Worldwide for an undisclosed sum. Dinner Rush
is set in a NY Italian restaurant and stars Danny Aiello, Edoardo
Ballerini, Vivian Wu, Mike McGlone, Kirk Acevedo, Sandra Bernhard,
John Corbett and Summer Phoenix. Pathe Distribution Head of Acquisitions
Berenice Fugard said of the film, "Dinner Rush is a fresh,
appetizing and very amusing take on a classic recipe of loyalty
and revenge. We look forward to releasing it later in the year."
Access Motion Picture Group will release the film in the US this
fall.
FCC
Approves Murdoch Deal
Rupert
Murdoch is set to buy broadcaster Chris-Craft, after the Republican-controlled
FCC approved the $5.4 billion deal amidst outrage from Democratic
members, according to Variety. The deal will give Murdoch ten Chris-Craft
stations, including two major ones in L.A. (KCOP) and NY (WWOR),
which together with Murdoch's Fox Television Stations will now cover
41% of the national audience. Current regulations forbid ownership
of a broadcast property and a newspaper in the same market; however,
Fox received a waiver from the FCC years ago allowing it to own
WNYW-TV in Gotham and the Post. With the new deal, the FCC is giving
Fox two years to either get rid of one of its two NY VHF stations
or the NY Post.
British
TV Exec Leaves to Head USA Entertainment
Chief
Executive Michael Jackson will be leaving London's Channel Four
Television to become President and CEO of USA Entertainment, overseeing
USA Cable, Studios USA and USA Films, according to Indiewire. USA
Networks Chairman and CEO Barry Diller said of Jackson, "He has
had great success in building up Channel 4 into a major force in
Britain. He is a genuinely creative programmer and in the end, and
for us something of the beginning, that's what will distinguish
our production and distribution of television programs and theatrical
motion pictures."
Universal
Partners with AOL TW
Universal
Picture's partnership with AOL Moviefone is to expand into a deal
to promote its films in AOL Time Warner's biggest media brands,
according to Variety. The deal, expected to value tens of millions
of dollars, would see Universal's movies promoted on WB net, TNT,
AOL, AOL By Phone, and AOL Moviefone. The 18 month partnership with
AOL Moviefone allows moviegoers to view trailers and order tickets.
Universal's vice chairman Marc Shmuger said of the partnership,
"We're delighted to launch our latest studio releases across AOL
Time Warner's combined media properties."
Blockbuster
Reconsiders Revenue-Sharing
Blockbuster
Inc.'s current revenue-sharing agreements with major studios may
soon be over after announcements of the largest U.S. video rental
chain's second-quarter net loss. The revenue-sharing agreement was
implemented in the late 90's to revive an ailing video rental market,
but it does not cover the increasingly popular DVD rentals. Blockbuster
CEO John Antioco told Hollywood Reporter that DVDs are "the most
important development in our business since the invention of the
VCR," adding that DVDs receive a 10% better profit margin than VHS
tapes. The company's loss for the second quarter ending June 30
narrowed to $15.6 million, or 9 cents a share, from $27.9 million,
or 16 cents, a year earlier.
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