Upcoming releases include awards heavyweights ’Poor Things’, ’All Of Us Strangers’.
Searchlight Pictures has hired Derval Whelan as head of distribution, who returns to the specialty studio where she previously served for 14 years until 2021.
Based in New York, Whelan will responsible for strategising and implementing release patterns for the company’s upcoming slate and replaces Frank Rodriguez, who has joined Amazon MGM Studios as general sales manager.
The Searchlight roster includes awards season heavyweights Poor Things, the Venice Golden Lion winner directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, and All Of Us Strangers, Andrew Haigh’s romance which is...
Searchlight Pictures has hired Derval Whelan as head of distribution, who returns to the specialty studio where she previously served for 14 years until 2021.
Based in New York, Whelan will responsible for strategising and implementing release patterns for the company’s upcoming slate and replaces Frank Rodriguez, who has joined Amazon MGM Studios as general sales manager.
The Searchlight roster includes awards season heavyweights Poor Things, the Venice Golden Lion winner directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, and All Of Us Strangers, Andrew Haigh’s romance which is...
- 11/20/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Derval Whelan, who previously worked at Searchlight Pictures for 14 years until 2021, is returning to the Disney specialty label as their Head of Distribution. She takes over for former Head of Distribution Frank Rodriguez, who Deadline told you departed for Amazon MGM to be their General Sales Manager.
Whelan will be responsible for strategizing and implementing release patterns for the company’s slate. She’ll be based in New York.
Presidents of Searchlight Pictures David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield beamed, “We’ve known Derval for a long time, she was part of some of our most incredible successes over the years. Her expertise and acumen in the distribution space are unrivalled, and we couldn’t be happier to have her back at Searchlight.”
During Whelan’s time in distribution at Searchlight she worked on such Oscar winning titles as 12 Years a Slave, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Shape of Water,...
Whelan will be responsible for strategizing and implementing release patterns for the company’s slate. She’ll be based in New York.
Presidents of Searchlight Pictures David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield beamed, “We’ve known Derval for a long time, she was part of some of our most incredible successes over the years. Her expertise and acumen in the distribution space are unrivalled, and we couldn’t be happier to have her back at Searchlight.”
During Whelan’s time in distribution at Searchlight she worked on such Oscar winning titles as 12 Years a Slave, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Shape of Water,...
- 11/20/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon MGM has hired Searchlight Pictures’ longtime distribution chief Frank Rodriguez as its new general sales manager, the studio announced in a memo to employees Thursday.
Rodriguez brings more than 40 years of distribution experience to his new company, starting his career at 20th Century Fox in 1982 after graduating from Uc Santa Barbara. Fox launched Searchlight in 1994 and tapped Rodriguez to join the new specialty division, where he worked for two years before joining Jeffrey Katzenberg’s newly launched DreamWorks Pictures.
At DreamWorks, Rodriguez oversaw sales for the studio’s films in New York, and when it was acquired by Paramount Pictures, he joined that studio and became its SVP of Eastern sales.
In 2012, Rodriguez returned to Searchlight and began an 11-year run as distribution chief that saw him oversee the release of multiple Oscar winners, including four that won Best Picture: Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” Alejandro Inarritu’s “Birdman,...
Rodriguez brings more than 40 years of distribution experience to his new company, starting his career at 20th Century Fox in 1982 after graduating from Uc Santa Barbara. Fox launched Searchlight in 1994 and tapped Rodriguez to join the new specialty division, where he worked for two years before joining Jeffrey Katzenberg’s newly launched DreamWorks Pictures.
At DreamWorks, Rodriguez oversaw sales for the studio’s films in New York, and when it was acquired by Paramount Pictures, he joined that studio and became its SVP of Eastern sales.
In 2012, Rodriguez returned to Searchlight and began an 11-year run as distribution chief that saw him oversee the release of multiple Oscar winners, including four that won Best Picture: Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” Alejandro Inarritu’s “Birdman,...
- 11/2/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Big shift in the film distribution sphere here today as Searchlight’s longtime Head of Distribution Frank Rodriguez is heading to Amazon MGM Studios as their new General Sales Manager.
Rodriguez will report to Amazon MGM Head of Distribution Kevin Wilson, who was named to the position in April following the passing of longtime distribution boss Erik Lomis. The recent hire of Rodriguez is part of the restructuring of the theatrical distribution group over at Amazon MGM. Already at Amazon MGM is East Coast distribution vet Mark Boxer, who came to the studio during the Bob Berney era, who was named Head of Specialty Theatrical Distribution back in April.
Rodriguez–who received the distinguished ShowEast honor the “Bingham Ray Spirit Award” last month– has been at Searchlight since 2012 when it was Fox Searchlight and has overseen the domestic distribution of a slew of Oscar and award winning arthouse hits...
Rodriguez will report to Amazon MGM Head of Distribution Kevin Wilson, who was named to the position in April following the passing of longtime distribution boss Erik Lomis. The recent hire of Rodriguez is part of the restructuring of the theatrical distribution group over at Amazon MGM. Already at Amazon MGM is East Coast distribution vet Mark Boxer, who came to the studio during the Bob Berney era, who was named Head of Specialty Theatrical Distribution back in April.
Rodriguez–who received the distinguished ShowEast honor the “Bingham Ray Spirit Award” last month– has been at Searchlight since 2012 when it was Fox Searchlight and has overseen the domestic distribution of a slew of Oscar and award winning arthouse hits...
- 11/2/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Searchlight Pictures’ Sundance-winning original comedy Theater Camp will take in an estimated $281,172 or $46.9k per theater at six locations opening weekend — the best limited opening for the distributor since Jojo Rabbit in the fall of 2019 ($349k in five locations). That’s after the A CinemaScore film on Sunday pulled ahead of Searchlight’s The Banshees Of Inisherin four-theater debut last year.
The number’s higher than Searchlight anticipated and the demographic mix a surprise at over 50% 25-34 year-olds,” said SVP Frank Rodriguez. “We didn’t expect that. It was a young audience. We got a lot of the older demos too. It’s a great spot to be in.”
AMC Lincoln Square and Alamo Brooklyn led the way, with Theater Camp at each booking the second-highest weekend gross behind Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning. It took the top spot at the Angelika. LA locations are AMC Century City, the Grove and AMC Burbank.
The number’s higher than Searchlight anticipated and the demographic mix a surprise at over 50% 25-34 year-olds,” said SVP Frank Rodriguez. “We didn’t expect that. It was a young audience. We got a lot of the older demos too. It’s a great spot to be in.”
AMC Lincoln Square and Alamo Brooklyn led the way, with Theater Camp at each booking the second-highest weekend gross behind Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning. It took the top spot at the Angelika. LA locations are AMC Century City, the Grove and AMC Burbank.
- 7/16/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Jonathan Majors and Magazine Dreams flexed some big muscles tonight at the drama’s Sundance Film Festival premiere with the actor drawing a standing ovation.
Screening at the jam-packed near 2,500 seat Eccles Theater just outside Park City, the Elijah Bynum film had the room buzzing early on with a crowd that included the likes of director Boots Riley, Sundance juror Jeremy O. Harris, Sony Pictures Classics co-head Michael Barker, Searchlight Distribution Boss Frank Rodriguez, and the label’s SVP of Acquisitions and Production Chan Phung. Magazine Dreams was such a must-see that many of these buyers were forced to cue up in crowded lobby before theater ushers allowed them in; the film starting 45 minutes late. Afterwards there was a lot of activity in the lobby with would be buyers intermingling with the audience of the next movie.
Magazine Dreams is certain to be lifting some heavyweight with buyers. While the...
Screening at the jam-packed near 2,500 seat Eccles Theater just outside Park City, the Elijah Bynum film had the room buzzing early on with a crowd that included the likes of director Boots Riley, Sundance juror Jeremy O. Harris, Sony Pictures Classics co-head Michael Barker, Searchlight Distribution Boss Frank Rodriguez, and the label’s SVP of Acquisitions and Production Chan Phung. Magazine Dreams was such a must-see that many of these buyers were forced to cue up in crowded lobby before theater ushers allowed them in; the film starting 45 minutes late. Afterwards there was a lot of activity in the lobby with would be buyers intermingling with the audience of the next movie.
Magazine Dreams is certain to be lifting some heavyweight with buyers. While the...
- 1/21/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan and Will Estes as Jamie Reagan in ‘Blue Bloods’ season 13 episode 6
There’s trouble brewing between Danny and Jamie on CBS’s Blue Bloods season 13 episode 6, “On Dangerous Ground.” Episode six was directed by Ralph Hemecker from a script by Jack Ciapciak and will air on Friday, November 18, 2022 at 10pm Et/Pt.
The cast is led by Tom Selleck as Frank Reagan, Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan, and Bridget Moynahan as Erin Reagan. Will Estes stars as Jamie Reagan, Len Cariou is Henry Reagan, Sami Gayle is Nicky Reagan-Boyle, Marisa Ramirez plays Det. Maria Baez, and Vanessa Ray is Officer Eddie Janko.
Season 13’s recurring guest stars include Abigail Hawk, Gregory Jbara, Robert Clohessy, Steven Schirripa, Andrew Terraciano, and Will Hochman.
“On Dangerous Ground” Plot: Danny and Jamie clash over a gang-related shooting after Jamie oversteps as part of his new position and Danny empathizes too closely with a victim.
There’s trouble brewing between Danny and Jamie on CBS’s Blue Bloods season 13 episode 6, “On Dangerous Ground.” Episode six was directed by Ralph Hemecker from a script by Jack Ciapciak and will air on Friday, November 18, 2022 at 10pm Et/Pt.
The cast is led by Tom Selleck as Frank Reagan, Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan, and Bridget Moynahan as Erin Reagan. Will Estes stars as Jamie Reagan, Len Cariou is Henry Reagan, Sami Gayle is Nicky Reagan-Boyle, Marisa Ramirez plays Det. Maria Baez, and Vanessa Ray is Officer Eddie Janko.
Season 13’s recurring guest stars include Abigail Hawk, Gregory Jbara, Robert Clohessy, Steven Schirripa, Andrew Terraciano, and Will Hochman.
“On Dangerous Ground” Plot: Danny and Jamie clash over a gang-related shooting after Jamie oversteps as part of his new position and Danny empathizes too closely with a victim.
- 11/11/2022
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Updated to include comments by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse: Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch did what a glum arthouse market was waiting for, revved it up with a smashing three-day average. “If Wes builds it, they will come,” said an elated Searchlight Pictures after a long wait to get the film into theaters.
It opened in 14 markets and in a total of 52 theatres. Over the 3-day weekend, the film is estimated to gross $1.3 million for per screen average of at least $25K, which marks the highest of any film opening during the pandemic — topping even the most successful commercial products over the last 18 months and easily grabbing the specialty crown. Wide releases from The Black Widow to Shang-Chi to Venom to Bond to Dune have cleaned up but a revival had not taken flight at the arthouse yet.
Searchlight SVP-General Sales Manager Frank Rodriguez called film “a...
It opened in 14 markets and in a total of 52 theatres. Over the 3-day weekend, the film is estimated to gross $1.3 million for per screen average of at least $25K, which marks the highest of any film opening during the pandemic — topping even the most successful commercial products over the last 18 months and easily grabbing the specialty crown. Wide releases from The Black Widow to Shang-Chi to Venom to Bond to Dune have cleaned up but a revival had not taken flight at the arthouse yet.
Searchlight SVP-General Sales Manager Frank Rodriguez called film “a...
- 10/25/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
“The French Dispatch,” director Wes Anderson’s tribute to 20th-century magazines, opened at the domestic box office with a robust $1.3 million from only 52 theaters.
For platform releases like “The French Dispatch,” which kick off in select theaters rather than in thousands nationwide, the key metric is per-theater average instead of overall weekend box office tally. Notably, “The French Dispatch” averaged $25,000 in ticket sales per location, marking the best per-theater average of any film opening during the pandemic. That distinction was previously held by Sony’s comic book adventure “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” and Disney’s superhero adaptation “Black Widow”. With $1.3 million between Friday and Sunday, the well-reviewed “The French Dispatch” landed in ninth place on domestic box office charts.
“‘The French Dispatch’ is a jolt of electricity for the specialty box office, delivering record-breaking results in theaters across the country,” said Searchlight Pictures’ senior VP and general sales manager Frank Rodriguez.
For platform releases like “The French Dispatch,” which kick off in select theaters rather than in thousands nationwide, the key metric is per-theater average instead of overall weekend box office tally. Notably, “The French Dispatch” averaged $25,000 in ticket sales per location, marking the best per-theater average of any film opening during the pandemic. That distinction was previously held by Sony’s comic book adventure “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” and Disney’s superhero adaptation “Black Widow”. With $1.3 million between Friday and Sunday, the well-reviewed “The French Dispatch” landed in ninth place on domestic box office charts.
“‘The French Dispatch’ is a jolt of electricity for the specialty box office, delivering record-breaking results in theaters across the country,” said Searchlight Pictures’ senior VP and general sales manager Frank Rodriguez.
- 10/24/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
After a long Covid delay, The French Dispatch opens this weekend with distributor Searchlight Pictures and the industry hoping the whimsical Wes Anderson’s film brings a touch of Grand Budapest Hotel-ish coin to the specialty box office.
Hoping, but not counting on it, as the box office take beyond studio tentpoles has been largely dour and stubbornly unpredictable. The French Dispatch debuts in 52 theaters and 14 markets in a crowded field including the pop culture phenomenon called Dune.
Searchlight acquired The French Dispatch in September of 2019 and it was to have played at a Covid-canceled Cannes in 2020. It premiered on the Croisette this year instead, then screened at the BFI London Film Festival, Telluride, the New York Film Festival –hitting 25 fests in all.
Anderson’s tenth film — full name The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun — brings to life a collection of stories from the final issue of...
Hoping, but not counting on it, as the box office take beyond studio tentpoles has been largely dour and stubbornly unpredictable. The French Dispatch debuts in 52 theaters and 14 markets in a crowded field including the pop culture phenomenon called Dune.
Searchlight acquired The French Dispatch in September of 2019 and it was to have played at a Covid-canceled Cannes in 2020. It premiered on the Croisette this year instead, then screened at the BFI London Film Festival, Telluride, the New York Film Festival –hitting 25 fests in all.
Anderson’s tenth film — full name The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun — brings to life a collection of stories from the final issue of...
- 10/22/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
In 2014, Fox Searchlight methodically rolled out “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” a twee pastiche of old-world Europe, in movie theaters across North America. The quirky comedic drama, from director Wes Anderson, had an opening that would be familiar to most indie films: playing in only four theaters (two in New York and two in Los Angeles) before gradually checking into more venues.
The studio was rewarded for its efforts, averaging more than $200,000 per location in its initial run and establishing arthouse records that still hold. “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” which eventually made $59 million in North America and $179 million globally and won four of nine Oscar nominations, remains a gold standard for commercial success in the specialty space.
Seven years and one world-changing pandemic later, Searchlight Pictures is back in the Wes Anderson business. After many delays, “The French Dispatch” debuts in select theaters on Oct. 22, though it’s facing a much rockier moviegoing landscape.
The studio was rewarded for its efforts, averaging more than $200,000 per location in its initial run and establishing arthouse records that still hold. “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” which eventually made $59 million in North America and $179 million globally and won four of nine Oscar nominations, remains a gold standard for commercial success in the specialty space.
Seven years and one world-changing pandemic later, Searchlight Pictures is back in the Wes Anderson business. After many delays, “The French Dispatch” debuts in select theaters on Oct. 22, though it’s facing a much rockier moviegoing landscape.
- 10/14/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
The Eyes of Tammy Faye has something going for it that Searchlight Pictures’ Summer of Soul did not — a minimum 45-day exclusive theatrical window now that Hollywood appears to be in the midst of a pivot to encourage moviegoing. Eyes, directed by Michael Showalter, opens on 425 screens, expanding to another 400 next weekend.
The distributor’s films for the rest of the year will also follow parent Disney’s newfound determination to give cinemas a fighting chance after numbers from a handful of wide releases showed that can make economic sense.
Eyes also has gathering momentum as a string of high-profile festival titles from Venice, Telluride and Toronto, as well as Cannes, cycle into starving theaters. It started last week with Paul Schrader’s Oscar Isaac starrer The Card Counter from Focus Features. That had an Ok debut.
The distributor’s films for the rest of the year will also follow parent Disney’s newfound determination to give cinemas a fighting chance after numbers from a handful of wide releases showed that can make economic sense.
Eyes also has gathering momentum as a string of high-profile festival titles from Venice, Telluride and Toronto, as well as Cannes, cycle into starving theaters. It started last week with Paul Schrader’s Oscar Isaac starrer The Card Counter from Focus Features. That had an Ok debut.
- 9/17/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Questlove’s Summer of Soul is up to 753 theaters as the doc about the 1969 ‘Black Woodstock’ concert in Harlem that debuted in two locations last weekend crossed into arthouse, commercial and urban venues.
Not that it was easy, said Frank Rodriguez, SVP General Sales Manager, Searchlight Pictures. “Exhibitors are eager to get back on track,” he said. “We had to push very hard in a crowded marketplace” that includes The Boss Baby: Family Business, The Forever Purge and week two of the first true post-Covid blockbuster, F9.
Rodriguez cited notable performances in Brooklyn, San Francisco and Georgetown in D.C. after what was basically an extended promo in NY and LA. Deadline is hearing from industry estimates that Thursday night came in north of $78K.
Full title Summer of Soul, which features never-before-seen concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone,...
Not that it was easy, said Frank Rodriguez, SVP General Sales Manager, Searchlight Pictures. “Exhibitors are eager to get back on track,” he said. “We had to push very hard in a crowded marketplace” that includes The Boss Baby: Family Business, The Forever Purge and week two of the first true post-Covid blockbuster, F9.
Rodriguez cited notable performances in Brooklyn, San Francisco and Georgetown in D.C. after what was basically an extended promo in NY and LA. Deadline is hearing from industry estimates that Thursday night came in north of $78K.
Full title Summer of Soul, which features never-before-seen concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone,...
- 7/2/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Questlove’s Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) will tease the specialty box office this weekend with the brilliantly reviewed Sundance Grand Jury and Audience award-winner in special engagements in two theaters to tee up a wide release on some 600 screens, and Hulu, July 2.
The film from Searchlight Pictures about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which features never-before-seen concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and others, will strike a chord at the El Capitan Theater in LA and the Magic Johnson AMC Harlem.
Footage from the festival in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park) held the same year as Woodstock was stored in a basement and all but forgotten for 50 years before today and this film, which was directed by musician Ahmir Khalib Thompson, known as Questlove, drummer of...
The film from Searchlight Pictures about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which features never-before-seen concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and others, will strike a chord at the El Capitan Theater in LA and the Magic Johnson AMC Harlem.
Footage from the festival in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park) held the same year as Woodstock was stored in a basement and all but forgotten for 50 years before today and this film, which was directed by musician Ahmir Khalib Thompson, known as Questlove, drummer of...
- 6/25/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Matthew Greenfield, David Greenbaum both promoted to president. Expanded role for Searchlight Pictures International head Rebecca Kearey.
In a surprise announcement in the run-up to Sunday’s Oscars where Searchlight Pictures is in contention with awards heavyweight Nomadland, chairmen Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula are to retire from the specialty division after more than two decades.
Longtime Searchlight production heads Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum have both been promoted to president, Searchlight, and will jointly run the company. They report to Disney Studios content chairman Alan Bergman and Disney Studios content chief creative officer Alan Horn.
The shake-up brings an...
In a surprise announcement in the run-up to Sunday’s Oscars where Searchlight Pictures is in contention with awards heavyweight Nomadland, chairmen Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula are to retire from the specialty division after more than two decades.
Longtime Searchlight production heads Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum have both been promoted to president, Searchlight, and will jointly run the company. They report to Disney Studios content chairman Alan Bergman and Disney Studios content chief creative officer Alan Horn.
The shake-up brings an...
- 4/20/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Matthew Greenfield, David Greenbaum both promoted to president. Expanded role for Searchlight Pictures International head Rebecca Kearey.
In a surprise announcement, Searchlight Pictures chairmen Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula are to retire from the specialty division after more than two decades.
Longtime Searchlight production heads Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum have both been promoted to president, Searchlight, and will jointly run the company. They report to Disney Studios content chairman Alan Bergman and Disney Studios content chief creative officer Alan Horn.
The shake-up brings an expanded role for respected president of Searchlight Pictures International Rebecca Kearey, who now adds business...
In a surprise announcement, Searchlight Pictures chairmen Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula are to retire from the specialty division after more than two decades.
Longtime Searchlight production heads Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum have both been promoted to president, Searchlight, and will jointly run the company. They report to Disney Studios content chairman Alan Bergman and Disney Studios content chief creative officer Alan Horn.
The shake-up brings an expanded role for respected president of Searchlight Pictures International Rebecca Kearey, who now adds business...
- 4/20/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
A seismic shift here in the independent film sphere in the walk-up to Oscar Sunday: Longtime Searchlight Pictures Chairmen Nancy Utley (65) and Steve Gilula (70) have announced their retirement after a two decades-plus run with the classic label which Disney purchased from Fox.
Searchlight veterans Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum, the studio’s longtime heads of production, have both been promoted to President, Searchlight, and will jointly run the company. Greenbaum and Greenfield will report to Disney Studios Content Chairman Alan Bergman and Disney Studios Content Chief Creative Officer Alan Horn.
The news comes just before Oscar Sunday when Searchlight’s Nomadland starring Frances McDormand is expected to notch the Best Picture and Best Director win for filmmaker Chloe Zhao. Should Zhao win Best Director, she’ll be the second woman to do so at the Oscars and the first person of color. To date, Nomadland has won the PGA, DGA,...
Searchlight veterans Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum, the studio’s longtime heads of production, have both been promoted to President, Searchlight, and will jointly run the company. Greenbaum and Greenfield will report to Disney Studios Content Chairman Alan Bergman and Disney Studios Content Chief Creative Officer Alan Horn.
The news comes just before Oscar Sunday when Searchlight’s Nomadland starring Frances McDormand is expected to notch the Best Picture and Best Director win for filmmaker Chloe Zhao. Should Zhao win Best Director, she’ll be the second woman to do so at the Oscars and the first person of color. To date, Nomadland has won the PGA, DGA,...
- 4/20/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Indie film stalwarts Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula are retiring as co-chairmen of Searchlight Pictures.
The longtime executives and producers behind the unit, formerly Fox Searchlight, will be replaced by executives David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield. Utley and Gilula each served more than two decades at the label, offering consistency and prestige cinema through ownership changes and market transformation. The news comes as Searchlight’s “Nomadland” is heavily tipped to win Best Picture at this Sunday’s Oscars.
Greenbaum and Greenfield, equally long-serving heads of production, have been elevated to co-presidents and will report to Disney Studios Content chairman Alan Bergman and chief creative officer Alan Horn. The Walt Disney Company purchased Searchlight as part of its 2019 deal for the Murdoch family’s entertainment assets.
“Thanks to the stewardship and pitch-perfect creative instincts of Steve Gilula and Nancy Utley, Searchlight has cemented itself as one of the finest film studios in history,...
The longtime executives and producers behind the unit, formerly Fox Searchlight, will be replaced by executives David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield. Utley and Gilula each served more than two decades at the label, offering consistency and prestige cinema through ownership changes and market transformation. The news comes as Searchlight’s “Nomadland” is heavily tipped to win Best Picture at this Sunday’s Oscars.
Greenbaum and Greenfield, equally long-serving heads of production, have been elevated to co-presidents and will report to Disney Studios Content chairman Alan Bergman and chief creative officer Alan Horn. The Walt Disney Company purchased Searchlight as part of its 2019 deal for the Murdoch family’s entertainment assets.
“Thanks to the stewardship and pitch-perfect creative instincts of Steve Gilula and Nancy Utley, Searchlight has cemented itself as one of the finest film studios in history,...
- 4/20/2021
- by Matt Donnelly and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Superhero thriller “The New Mutants,” one of the first major movies to open since coronavirus forced theaters to close in March, launched to $7 million over the weekend. Though ticket sales were on the lower end of expectations, the Disney and 20th Century Studios title marks the biggest debut yet for a new release during the pandemic.
Around 60-70% of theaters have reopened across the U.S. and Canada, according to Disney. However, some of the biggest moviegoing markets, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, New Jersey and New York, still remain closed. In parts of the country where theaters have resumed business, venues are capping capacity and keeping space between seats to comply with social distancing measures. “The New Mutants” played in 2,412 theaters, making it the widest release in months.
Overseas, “The New Mutants” amassed $2.9 million from 10 markets, bringing its global haul to $9.9 million.
“We’re encouraged by the results,...
Around 60-70% of theaters have reopened across the U.S. and Canada, according to Disney. However, some of the biggest moviegoing markets, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, New Jersey and New York, still remain closed. In parts of the country where theaters have resumed business, venues are capping capacity and keeping space between seats to comply with social distancing measures. “The New Mutants” played in 2,412 theaters, making it the widest release in months.
Overseas, “The New Mutants” amassed $2.9 million from 10 markets, bringing its global haul to $9.9 million.
“We’re encouraged by the results,...
- 8/30/2020
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Fox Searchlight is ready to put another stake in the ground for this year’s awards season race with the theatrical release of the Terrence Malick drama A Hidden Life starring August Diehl and Valerie Pachner. The release marks a reunion between the Fox Searchlight and Malick since 2011’s Tree Of Life starring Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain.
“We are thrilled to reunite with Terrence and his team, plus new craftspeople we didn’t yet work with on Tree of Life,” said Frank Rodriguez, Svp General Sales Manager, Fox Searchlight Pictures. “It has been a long and fruitful relationship. It has been wonderful to work with August Diehl and Valerie Pachner as well.”
Based on true events, A Hidden Life tells the story of the modest hero Franz Jägerstätter (Diehl), an Austrian farmer-turned-World War II conscientious objector who refused to fight for the Nazis. Pachner stars as his wife and...
“We are thrilled to reunite with Terrence and his team, plus new craftspeople we didn’t yet work with on Tree of Life,” said Frank Rodriguez, Svp General Sales Manager, Fox Searchlight Pictures. “It has been a long and fruitful relationship. It has been wonderful to work with August Diehl and Valerie Pachner as well.”
Based on true events, A Hidden Life tells the story of the modest hero Franz Jägerstätter (Diehl), an Austrian farmer-turned-World War II conscientious objector who refused to fight for the Nazis. Pachner stars as his wife and...
- 12/13/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
When exhibitor Jeff Logan talks to friends and customers about upcoming movies, he’s sometimes greeted with a shrug.
“I’ll tell them there’s a new ‘Terminator’ and they’ve brought back Arnold and Linda Hamilton, and they don’t seem too excited about that,” says Logan. “Or there’s another ‘Rambo,’ and they’ll go, ‘Geez, isn’t he getting old?’ Sometimes they go back to the well too many times.”
Logan has been in the movie business all his life. As the owner of Logan Luxury Theatres, a cinema chain his father started in 1933, he runs three venues in South Dakota, and he has a good feel for the health of the industry, at least when it comes to Middle America. He’s been through boom and bust times, and in 2019, he thinks that the problem for theaters hasn’t been Netflix or HBO or any of...
“I’ll tell them there’s a new ‘Terminator’ and they’ve brought back Arnold and Linda Hamilton, and they don’t seem too excited about that,” says Logan. “Or there’s another ‘Rambo,’ and they’ll go, ‘Geez, isn’t he getting old?’ Sometimes they go back to the well too many times.”
Logan has been in the movie business all his life. As the owner of Logan Luxury Theatres, a cinema chain his father started in 1933, he runs three venues in South Dakota, and he has a good feel for the health of the industry, at least when it comes to Middle America. He’s been through boom and bust times, and in 2019, he thinks that the problem for theaters hasn’t been Netflix or HBO or any of...
- 11/19/2019
- by Brent Lang and Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Put on a happy face: In its fourth weekend in theaters, Warner Bros.’ “Joker” returned to the top of domestic box office charts, narrowly defeating Disney’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.”
The two villains had been in a close race for first place, but Sunday estimates show “Joker” will walk away victorious with $18.9 million in ticket sales. Those rankings could change Monday morning after final tallies are reported since “Maleficent 2” is trailing behind with $18.5 million.
It’s rare for any film to claim No. 1 in its fourth outing, but the surprise (and non-consecutive) win for “Joker” highlights its impressive endurance despite initial fears that it would incite violence. It’s only the third movie this year — following Universal’s “Glass” and Disney’s “Avengers: Endgame” — to secure in first place during three weekends. “Joker” also recently became the most successful R-rated movie in history, collecting $849 million worldwide. Joaquin Phoenix’s...
The two villains had been in a close race for first place, but Sunday estimates show “Joker” will walk away victorious with $18.9 million in ticket sales. Those rankings could change Monday morning after final tallies are reported since “Maleficent 2” is trailing behind with $18.5 million.
It’s rare for any film to claim No. 1 in its fourth outing, but the surprise (and non-consecutive) win for “Joker” highlights its impressive endurance despite initial fears that it would incite violence. It’s only the third movie this year — following Universal’s “Glass” and Disney’s “Avengers: Endgame” — to secure in first place during three weekends. “Joker” also recently became the most successful R-rated movie in history, collecting $849 million worldwide. Joaquin Phoenix’s...
- 10/27/2019
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
After a summer that sometimes left observers worried about the state of the indie box office, this weekend saw not one, not two, but three films earn per screen averages of over $30,000 in the biggest specialty weekend of 2019.
The top average of the weekend went to Fox Searchlight’s “Jojo Rabbit,” which opened on five screens in Los Angeles and New York and grossed an estimated $350,000 for an average of $70,000. That total is higher than the three weekend total of Searchlight’s last release, “Lucy in the Sky,” which grossed $59,000 this weekend for a total of $274,000.
“Jojo Rabbit” wasn’t the most critically acclaimed film out of the Toronto International Film Festival — it has a 77% Rotten Tomatoes score — but it won the festival’s coveted audience award. Fox Searchlight distribution chief Frank Rodriguez told TheWrap that audience and exhibitor response to the film has been strong, and noted that director...
The top average of the weekend went to Fox Searchlight’s “Jojo Rabbit,” which opened on five screens in Los Angeles and New York and grossed an estimated $350,000 for an average of $70,000. That total is higher than the three weekend total of Searchlight’s last release, “Lucy in the Sky,” which grossed $59,000 this weekend for a total of $274,000.
“Jojo Rabbit” wasn’t the most critically acclaimed film out of the Toronto International Film Festival — it has a 77% Rotten Tomatoes score — but it won the festival’s coveted audience award. Fox Searchlight distribution chief Frank Rodriguez told TheWrap that audience and exhibitor response to the film has been strong, and noted that director...
- 10/20/2019
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Even before Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and won the Audience Award, the World War II satire was getting plenty of attention from Hollywood — because it was a comedy about Hitler. The filmmaker had a cult following after his films Boy, What We Do In the Shadows and Hunt For the Wilderpeople. After Thor: Ragnarok, Waititi’s stock skyrocketed and his fanbase grew. Audiences have been waiting for Jojo Rabbit to hit theaters and with the critical buzz its been getting, Fox Searchlight could possibly expect a delightful weekend.
Also opening this weekend is Feras Fayyad’s The Cave. With his success, acclaim and Oscar nomination for Last Men in Aleppo, his The Cave will certainly be a documentary feature to watch during award season.
Also this weekend, the François Ozon drama By the Grace of God is another deep dive into the child...
Also opening this weekend is Feras Fayyad’s The Cave. With his success, acclaim and Oscar nomination for Last Men in Aleppo, his The Cave will certainly be a documentary feature to watch during award season.
Also this weekend, the François Ozon drama By the Grace of God is another deep dive into the child...
- 10/18/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
After Judy opened to nearly $3 million last weekend, the specialty box office has a hard act to follow this frame. But there are a couple of films that could possibly match Roadside Attractions and Ld Entertainment’s biopic about musical legend Judy Garland.
Fox Searchlight is releasing Lucy in the Sky today. The space drama stars Natalie Portman, who’s always a box office draw, and the pic marks the first theatrical release for Noah Hawley — we’ll see if the collaboration can strike gold at the box office. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures Classics is riding a wave of confidence, kicking down the door with Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory starring Antonio Banderas. Cinephiles are expected to flock to the Spanish auteur’s latest, which marks the eighth cinematic collaboration between the director and star.
Also opening this weekend is Michael Beach Nichols’ too-creepy-to-be-true documentary Wrinkles the Clown, which can...
Fox Searchlight is releasing Lucy in the Sky today. The space drama stars Natalie Portman, who’s always a box office draw, and the pic marks the first theatrical release for Noah Hawley — we’ll see if the collaboration can strike gold at the box office. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures Classics is riding a wave of confidence, kicking down the door with Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory starring Antonio Banderas. Cinephiles are expected to flock to the Spanish auteur’s latest, which marks the eighth cinematic collaboration between the director and star.
Also opening this weekend is Michael Beach Nichols’ too-creepy-to-be-true documentary Wrinkles the Clown, which can...
- 10/4/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
“Angel Has Fallen,” the third chapter in Lionsgate and Millenium’s action franchise starring Gerard Butler, had a stronger opening weekend than expected, collecting $21.25 million during its first three days of release.
Those ticket sales were enough to top domestic box office charts, bumping last weekend’s champ, Universal’s comedy “Good Boys,” to second place. Starring Jacob Tremblay, “Good Boys” generated $11.75 million in its sophomore outing, boosting its domestic total to $41.4 million.
“Angel Has Fallen” nearly matched the $21.6 million debut of its predecessor, 2016’s “London Has Fallen.” The first film, 2013’s “Olympus Has Fallen,” kicked off with $30.4 million.
“We wanted to give enough distance from the big summer tentpole films,” Lionsgate’s president of domestic distribution David Spitz said of the movie’s late August release. “We had the opportunity, and the movie really delivered.”
Opening weekend crowds were virtually split across gender lines (51% male), while almost 60% of moviegoers...
Those ticket sales were enough to top domestic box office charts, bumping last weekend’s champ, Universal’s comedy “Good Boys,” to second place. Starring Jacob Tremblay, “Good Boys” generated $11.75 million in its sophomore outing, boosting its domestic total to $41.4 million.
“Angel Has Fallen” nearly matched the $21.6 million debut of its predecessor, 2016’s “London Has Fallen.” The first film, 2013’s “Olympus Has Fallen,” kicked off with $30.4 million.
“We wanted to give enough distance from the big summer tentpole films,” Lionsgate’s president of domestic distribution David Spitz said of the movie’s late August release. “We had the opportunity, and the movie really delivered.”
Opening weekend crowds were virtually split across gender lines (51% male), while almost 60% of moviegoers...
- 8/25/2019
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Refresh for updates Disney’s’ CinemaCon session kicked off with compilation sizzle of Disney and Fox films including X-Men, Dark Phoenix, Bohemian Rhapsody, Zootopia, Avengers: Endgame, extolling the library fruits of its recent merger.
There was one moment which was a wink at the audience: Wolverine asked in some X-Men footage, “What is this place?” which then cut to a shot of Black Panther, as if he was asking the King of Wakanda for the answer.
“I’ve put some sizzle reels together in my time, but that one blows my mind, I’m still just getting my mind around this,” said Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn on the top of Disney’s CinemaCon session which didn’t feature any stars or directors onstage, just Disney-Fox suits. The session was ended with the first 17 minutes of Toy Story 4.
Taking the stage after Horn, Disney’s President of Distribution...
There was one moment which was a wink at the audience: Wolverine asked in some X-Men footage, “What is this place?” which then cut to a shot of Black Panther, as if he was asking the King of Wakanda for the answer.
“I’ve put some sizzle reels together in my time, but that one blows my mind, I’m still just getting my mind around this,” said Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn on the top of Disney’s CinemaCon session which didn’t feature any stars or directors onstage, just Disney-Fox suits. The session was ended with the first 17 minutes of Toy Story 4.
Taking the stage after Horn, Disney’s President of Distribution...
- 4/3/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
There’s a new favourite at the specialty box office.
Fox Searchlight’s “The Favourite” bowed in four venues in New York and Los Angeles, generating a hefty $420,000. That averages out to $105,500 per location, ranking as the best theater average since “La La Land” almost two years ago. “The Favourite” now holds the biggest screen average since Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name” in 2017.
The studio plans to expand “The Favourite” next weekend to around 30 locations in seven markets including San Francisco, Dallas, Austin, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, and Phoenix. Fox Searchlight will continue to slowly grow its theater count and hopes to get to its widest reach, around 600 theaters, by Dec. 14.
“It’s way beyond our expectations,” said Frank Rodriguez, Fox Searchlight’s head of distribution. “There is so much competition in the overall marketplace, but it shows there’s room for other movies. Thank god...
Fox Searchlight’s “The Favourite” bowed in four venues in New York and Los Angeles, generating a hefty $420,000. That averages out to $105,500 per location, ranking as the best theater average since “La La Land” almost two years ago. “The Favourite” now holds the biggest screen average since Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name” in 2017.
The studio plans to expand “The Favourite” next weekend to around 30 locations in seven markets including San Francisco, Dallas, Austin, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, and Phoenix. Fox Searchlight will continue to slowly grow its theater count and hopes to get to its widest reach, around 600 theaters, by Dec. 14.
“It’s way beyond our expectations,” said Frank Rodriguez, Fox Searchlight’s head of distribution. “There is so much competition in the overall marketplace, but it shows there’s room for other movies. Thank god...
- 11/25/2018
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Telluride/Toronto documentary Free Solo ascended to some of the best opening box office stats of the year and even scaled new peaks in the nonfiction realm. Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the National Geographic Film/Greenwich Entertainment release grossed a massive $300,804 in just four theaters, averaging $75,201, the best opening-weekend PTA of 2018, climbing over previous title holder, Eighth Grade. The bow for the film about Alex Honnold’s attempt to scale Yosemite’s 3,200-foot El Capitan without a rope also is the best opening-weekend PTA for a documentary ever, overtaking 2006 Oscar winner An Inconvenient Truth, which averaged $70,333 in its opening frame in four locations. Free Solo’s opening all but assures it’ll join the year’s big three docs, Rbg Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and Three Identical Strangers as 2018’s nonfiction behemoths.
Meanwhile, Fox Searchlight’s The Old Man & The Gun starring Robert Redford,...
Meanwhile, Fox Searchlight’s The Old Man & The Gun starring Robert Redford,...
- 9/30/2018
- by Brian Brooks
- Deadline Film + TV
“A Quiet Place” had another noisy weekend at the domestic box office, reclaiming the No. 1 slot in its third frame.
John Krasinski’s thriller co-starring Emily Blunt continued on its stellar run, earning $22 million from 3,808 locations. “A Quiet Place” had another impressive holdover, declining only 34% to bring its domestic tally to $132 million. That was enough to top Dwayne Johnson’s “Rampage” and Amy Schumer’s “I Feel Pretty.”
Bumped down to No. 2, Dwayne Johnson’s “Rampage” collected $21 million in 4,115 theaters in its second weekend. So far, the film has made $66.6 million at the North American box office. Luckily, “Rampage” has been able to justify its expensive price tag with a strong international showing. It has crossed the $200 million mark overseas, claiming $57 million this weekend. That brings its global tally to $283 million.
Stx’s “I Feel Pretty” bowed in third with $16.2 million from 3,440 theaters. The Schumer-led comedy also features Michelle Williams,...
John Krasinski’s thriller co-starring Emily Blunt continued on its stellar run, earning $22 million from 3,808 locations. “A Quiet Place” had another impressive holdover, declining only 34% to bring its domestic tally to $132 million. That was enough to top Dwayne Johnson’s “Rampage” and Amy Schumer’s “I Feel Pretty.”
Bumped down to No. 2, Dwayne Johnson’s “Rampage” collected $21 million in 4,115 theaters in its second weekend. So far, the film has made $66.6 million at the North American box office. Luckily, “Rampage” has been able to justify its expensive price tag with a strong international showing. It has crossed the $200 million mark overseas, claiming $57 million this weekend. That brings its global tally to $283 million.
Stx’s “I Feel Pretty” bowed in third with $16.2 million from 3,440 theaters. The Schumer-led comedy also features Michelle Williams,...
- 4/22/2018
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
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