Universal Pictures

DVD Rental Kiosk Firm Redbox Sues Warner Home Video

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 19, 2009 - 9:16am.
Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. - Redbox, a unit of Coinstar (NASD: CSTR) that operates over 17,000 $1-per-night DVD rental kiosks, has filed suit against Warner Home Video (NYSE: TWX), alleging the studio is degrading consumers' rights by limiting distribution of its DVDs to Redbox until 28 days after they go on sale. Last week, Redbox filed a similar suit against News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) 20th Century Fox, and yesterday, a federal court dismissed two motions in Redbox's lawsuit against Universal (NYSE: GE).

Court Orders Video Site Zattoo to Stop Inserting Ads in Movies

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 21, 2009 - 10:30am.
Berlin - Film studios Universal (NYSE: GE) and Warner Bros. (NYSE: TWX) have won a preliminary injunction from a German court against Zattoo, a Switzerland-based video portal that was inserting its own ads into streams of movies that air on free German TV channels, Variety reported.

Universal Delays "BioShock" Movie Project

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2009 - 11:40am.
Los Angeles - Universal Pictures (NYSE: GE) has halted pre-production on its planned movie adaptation of Take-Two Interactive's (NASD: TTWO) "BioShock" video game, Variety reported. Universal and director Gore Verbinski are reportedly looking at cheaper alternate locations, after a budget for Los Angeles rose to some $160 million. Verbinski reportedly turned down directing duties for a fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" in order to direct and product a BioShock movie.

Sony, Universal Team on PS3 Game, Blu-ray Disc Kiosks

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 5, 2008 - 1:25pm.

London - Sony Entertainment and Universal Pictures have partnered to stock vending machines in the U.K. with PlayStation 3 games and Blu-ray disc movies, Bit-Tech reports. The touch-screen kiosks will reportedly also feature slots for downloading content to different types of storage media.

Electronic Arts Courts Suitors for Movie Rights to New Game

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 31, 2008 - 6:18am.

Los Angeles - Electronic Arts (NASD: ERTS) is courting four Hollywood movie studios all bidding on the big screen rights to an as-yet-unannounced new title from the video game publisher, Variety reports.

Universal to Bring EA's "Army of Two" Game to Big Screen

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2008 - 11:21am.

Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts (NASD: ERTS) said on Friday that it has struck a deal with Universal Pictures to bring its "Army of Two" game to the big screen. Scott Stuber, through Stuber Productions, will produce the film along with EA, and screenwriter Scott Burns, who recently co-wrote "The Bourne Ultimatum," will adapt the game for the screen. Production is set to begin in 2009. Army of Two has grossed over $100 million in sales since its release in March.

Five Studios Pledge Support for Digital Cinema Upgrades

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 1, 2008 - 11:35am.

Los Angeles - Five of Hollywood's major movie studios on Wednesday pledged to support a $1 billion effort to equip 20,000 U.S. movie theater screens with digital cinema projection systems. Digital Cinema Implementation Partners (DCIP), a joint venture that represents theater owners AMC Entertainment, Cinemark and Regal Cinemas signed the pact with Disney (NYSE: DIS), Fox (NYSE: NWS), Lionsgate, Paramount (NYSE: VIA) and Universal (NYSE: GE), which calls for the studios to pay a "virtual print" fee of about $1,000 per screen to help offset costs, the Associated Press reported.

Buzz Watch: Sacha Baron Cohen's New Movie "Bruno" Has Online Appeal

Authored by Jay Baage on June 18, 2008 - 6:13am.

Sacha Baron Cohen will follow-up last year's success of Twentieth Century Fox’s "Borat" with another R-rated comedy based on a Cohen character from "The Ali G Show" namely the flamboyant fashion journalist "Bruno". This time it will be a Universal production (they won the bidding war, reportedly coughing up $42 million for the worldwide rights) and the release date is set to be May 15, 2009, making it a high-profile summer release. "Bruno" is an example of a controversial movie that will present traditional marketers with a challenge, but it has potentially huge online appeal. There is already an unauthorized (?) site set up with user-generated news, video and pics from the movie that you can find here. It will be very interesting to see Universal's approach to marketing this movie going forward...

D3Publisher to Create Games for "Coraline," "Shaun the Sheep"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 16, 2008 - 12:16pm.

Los Angeles - Japanese video game publisher D3Publisher said on Monday that it has signed deals to publish games based on Universal/Focus Features' forthcoming stop-motion animated HD feature "Coraline," as well as Aardman Animation's TV series "Shaun the Sheep." Console versions of "Coraline," based on the Neil Gaiman novel, will be developed by Papaya Studios, while handheld versions are being created by ART -- which will also create the Nintendo DS version of "Shaun the Sheep."

Take-Two Sells "BioShock" Movie Rights to Universal Pictures

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 9, 2008 - 8:17am.

New York - Take Two Interactive's (NASD: TTWO) 2K Games label announced on Friday that it has signed a deal with Universal Pictures to develop a movie based on its "BioShock" game, to be directed and produced by Gore Verbinski ("Pirates of the Caribbean"). Financial terms of the deal, or a timeline for the project, were not disclosed.

Access IT, Studios to Add 10,000 Digital Cinema Screens

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 11, 2008 - 10:39am.

Morristown, N.J. - Access Integrated Technologies (Access IT) (NASD: AIXD), a provider of digital cinema projection systems for movie theaters, announced on Tuesday a massive deal with four major movies studios, to provide movies to up to 10,000 digital cinema systems in the U.S. and Canada.

Universal Pictures Taps Minick to Create Mobile Film Portals

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 2, 2007 - 12:06pm.

London - Universal Pictures said on Thursday that it has hired Minick, a provider of wireless infrastructure and interactive applications, to build and manage its mobile film portals on a global basis. The sites and partner portals will provide consumers with information about Universal's films and DVDs, as well as the ability to download promotional and premium mobile content, and participate in affinity programs.

DoubleClick Launches New "Teaser" Flash Video Ad Format

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 31, 2007 - 3:43pm.

New York - Digital marketing technology and services firm DoubleClick on Tuesday introduced a new online ad format, the "Teaser," that features short flashes of video. Universal Pictures is the first to utilize the format, in connection with advertising for its upcoming film, "The Bourne Ultimatum." When the Flash video ad is rolled over, three links appear that drive users to the film's trailer, an online game, and Internet ticket sales.

Universal Pictures, Google Team on "Bourne" Promotional Game

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 12, 2007 - 5:04pm.

New York - Universal Pictures has partnered with Google and marketing firm Big Spaceship on a promotional online game for its "Bourne Ultimatum" movie, in which players will have to utilize Google's search engine, maps, images and YouTube. Players will assume the identity of a former CIA agent, and "search" for rogue agent Jason Bourne, as well as the chance to win a 2008 Volkswagen Toureg 2, modeled after the one used in the film.

Universal, NBC Offer Download-to-Own Content via Germany's T-Com

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 11, 2007 - 2:15pm.

Berlin - Universal Pictures International Entertainment and NBC Universal International Television Distribution have signed a deal with German telco T-Com to distribute download-to-own media content in Germany, Variety reported. The company will be the first in Germany to offer the ability to download Hollywood films and burn them to DVD, with most offered day-and-date with their DVD releases. T-Com will offer Universal and NBC content via its T-Home IPTV and T-Online video-on-demand services.

Studios, Theater Owners Team on Digital Cinema Delivery System

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 6, 2007 - 12:39pm.

Burbank, Calif. - Hollywood movie studios Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures announced on Tuesday that they have partnered with a number of theater owners on a joint venture that will deploy a digital cinema delivery system.

Sierra to Publish "Scarface: The World Is Yours" for Nintendo Wii

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 2, 2007 - 4:27pm.

Los Angeles - Vivendi Games' Sierra Entertainment said on Friday that it will publish a version of "Scarface: The World Is Yours," based on the classic Universal Pictures gangster film, for the Nintendo Wii this summer. The company said it has already sold 1.5 million units of the title worldwide on other platforms.

Manager, Digital Marketing - Universal Pictures - Universal City, CA

Authored by dmw on June 6, 2006 - 9:01am.
The individual in this position will work closely with the SVP for Universal Pictures Digital Marketing and the VP for Universal Home Entertainment Digital Marketing in the building of continuity for online campaigns from the theatrical window through the home entertainment release.

Namco Bandai Gets Game Rights to "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift"

Authored by dmw on April 4, 2006 - 4:16pm.
Santa Clara, Calif.- Japanese video game publisher Namco Bandai announced on Tuesday that it has obtained the rights from Universal Studios Consumer Products Group to develop a racing game based on Universal Pictures' upcoming "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift". Developed by Eutechnyx for PlayStation 2 and the PSP, the game is slated for release in the summer of 2006.

Visiware to Develope Interactive TV Games for Universal Pictures

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 15, 2005 - 9:14am.
Sevres, France - Visiware, a developer of interactive TV games, announced on Thursday that it has signed an agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group to develop a number of interactive TV games based on Universal Pictures properties. France-based Visiware will first create two interactive TV games based on "King Kong," including a 200-question trivia game that incorporates photos and behind-the-scenes images from the movie. Other Universal interactive TV games will also be developed and released within the next six months. Visiware's Playin'TV interactive games channel is currently available in 77 countries on 33 networks.