Director J.J. Abrams took a break from putting the finishing touches to Star Trek Into Darkness to talk to Empire Online about his next project, which will see him heading to a galaxy far, far away for the first installment in Disney’s upcoming Star Wars sequel trilogy, Star Wars: Episode VII. “I don’t know [how I will approach Episode VII] because we’re just [...]
‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ Comes Up Box Office Gold
March 10, 2013 | Posted by
“Oz the Great and Powerful” is heading over the box-office rainbow after an estimated $24.1 million Friday put it on pace for a $75 million debut weekend. It was a strong start for Disney’s $200 million, 3D special-effects extravaganza, though running under the most bullish analysts’ projections. The PG-rated prequel to the 1939 classic “The [...]
Disney, ‘Star Wars’ Creator George Lucas Make $2 Billion Stock Deal
February 7, 2013 | Posted by
The Walt Disney Company on Wednesday registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission the transfer of more than 37 million shares of its stock to George Lucas, making him the second largest single shareholder in the entertainment giant after the estate of Steve Jobs. Lucas’ 37,076,679 shares in Disney, based on the company’s current stock [...]
‘Wreck-It Ralph’ Scores Top Spot in Weekend Box Office
November 5, 2012 | Posted by
“Wreck-It Ralph” burst into the theaters this weekend and snagged the top box office spot. “Wreck-It Ralph” generated $49.1 million this weekend and broke the record for Disney’s biggest box office opening, a title that belonged to 2010’s Tangled. “Ralph” also got rave reviews from critics, earning an impressive 84 points from Rotten Tomatoes. “Wreck [...]
Fans Need Not Fear Star Wars 7
November 1, 2012 | Posted by
A new “Star Wars” trilogy is surely on its way and die-hard fans of the series have already aimed their light sabers at Disney, the new owner of Lucasfilm. However, if recent history is any indicator, Disney has no plans to severely alter the beloved franchise. Disney purchased comic book giant Marvel Entertainment Inc for $4 billion in 2009 [...]
Cashing Out: Lessons Learned from George Lucas
October 31, 2012 | Posted by
An entrepreneur by the name of George Lucas just cashed out of the company he founded and built: Lucasfilm. Unlike many entrepreneurs who build companies these days, George Lucas didn’t raise any VC money. And that means he gets to keep the whole check Disney wrote for his company, which was for a not-inconsequential $4 [...]
‘Love and Hip Hop Atlanta’ Top Cable Show in Black America
August 31, 2012 | Posted by
Despite the attacks and critiques of “Love and Hip Hop Atlanta,” the show clearly has a certain appeal in black America, as it took two of the top five slots in the most-watched cable shows among African Americans, according to the weekly Nielsen survey on Target Market News. The rankings were for the third week [...]
Avengers 2: Joss Whedon Confirmed to Write & Direct
August 8, 2012 | Posted by
Marvel Studios has weighed in with a statement that confirms the 2015 release date that Deadline had heard about the sequel to The Avengers. “Joss Whedon has signed an exclusive deal with Marvel Studios for film and television through the end of June 2015. As part of that deal, Whedon will write and direct Marvel’s [...]
Michelle Obama Clarifies Remarks on N.Y.C. Drink Ban
June 6, 2012 | Posted by
First lady Michelle Obama says banning big servings of sugary drinks isn’t anything she’d want to do at the federal level but she offered some kind words for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s effort to do just that. Shortly after saying that Tuesday, the first lady issued a statement backing away from taking a stand [...]
‘Avengers’ Beats ‘Battleship’ To Remain No. 1
May 20, 2012 | Posted by
“The Avengers” continues to muscle out everything else Hollywood throws at it, easily sinking naval rival “Battleship” and other new releases. With $55.1 million domestically, Disney’s superhero sensation remained No. 1 for a third-straight weekend and took in more than the three big newcomers combined. Overseas, “The Avengers” added an additional $56 million. The film [...]
