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‘Hobbit’ And ‘Les Miserables’ Drive December Movie Profits: SNL Kagan

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Thursday January 17, 2013 @ 12:32pm PSTTags: Movie Profits, SNL Kagan, The Hobbit

Warner Bros’ latest visit to Middle Earth should generate $1.26B in revenues from all major sources — 3.59 times its expected costs — putting it on track to become the most profitable movie released in December, SNL Kagan says today. The research company builds a financial model for films by using early box office results to estimate likely revenues from theaters, home video, and free and pay TV deals against probable costs. To account for many variables it can’t ascertain (including distribution fees, interest, profit participation, and residuals), Kagan figures a movie will be profitable if expected revenues are 1.75 times higher than estimated costs. Those with a lower ratio but that are still higher than 1.40 times are in a gray area. Films below that are deemed likely money losers. By that standard three other December films will end up in the black: Universal’s Les Miserables ($396.7M in expected revenues/2.37 times costs), Weinstein Company’s Django Unchained ($473.2M/2.18X) and Columbia Picture’s Zero Dark Thirty ($230.7M/2.10X). Those falling short include: Paramount’s Jack Reacher ($253.8M/1.38X), Universal’s This Is 40 ($159.5M/1.14X), Fox’s Parental Guidance ($163.3M/1.12X), Disney’s Monsters, Inc 3D ($75.0M/0.77X), Paramount’s The Guilt Trip ($89.1M/0.57X), and FilmDistrict’s Playing For Keeps ($37.7M/0.28X). READ MORE »

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Movie Profits Driven By Stories And Directors, Not Stars, Academics Conclude

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Wednesday December 12, 2012 @ 1:20pm PSTTags: Big Deals Film, Movie Casting, Movie Profits, Scripts

Movie making is often an insane business. But moguls turn out to be pretty rational about it according to a chapter in an upcoming economics text and a recent article in an academic journal. Researchers say that studios wisely bet on stories and directors. Star worship “is all but a myth,” writes S. Abraham Ravid — a finance professor at Yeshiva University — in The Economics Of Creativity, to be published next month. “Stars can still sell magazines, but not movies.” Why do studios pay big bucks for Academy Award-winners? It’s part of a strategy, along with co-financing, to reduce the risk of making big-budget films — especially R-rated ones, which represent the biggest gambles. Stars should draw at least some fans, even to a stinker of a movie, the theory goes. “In an industry where a big failure is much more dreaded than a big success is wished for, insurance is worth its weight in gold, or in eight-figure salaries.” Read More »

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‘Madagascar 3′ And ‘Magic Mike’ Lead Movie Profit Parade For June: Kagan

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Wednesday July 25, 2012 @ 1:41pm PDTTags: Big Deals Film, Movie Profits, SNL Kagan

Only four of last month’s 12 major movie releases are clearly destined to be profitable according to the latest monthly tally from SNL Kagan. The research firm says that DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted should lead the pack with projected total revenues (at $783.3M) coming in 2.31 times higher than total costs (of $339.4M). Kagan forecasts each film’s revenues from all sources, except for merchandise and second-cycle TV sales. It compares that to all the expenses it can identify, except for things like distribution fees, interest, profit participations and residuals. Since Kagan can’t account for everything, it figures a film is clearly profitable if estimated revenues are at least 1.75 times estimated costs. Films with an expected revenues-to-costs ratio of at least 1.40 are considered to be in a gray areas while those below 1.40 are deemed likely unprofitable. By that standard, Warner Bros’ Magic Mike came in second at 2.23 ($252.6M revenues to $113.5M costs), followed by Universal’s Ted at 2.20 ($439.4M to $199.4M), and Disney/Pixar’s Brave at 2.11 ($788.9M to $374.1M). Those on the bubble are Lionsgate’s Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection at 1.57 ($91.2M to $58.3M), Fox’s Prometheus at 1.54 ($450.7M to $292.0M), and Universal’s Snow White And The Huntsman at 1.52 ($531.4M to $349.7M). Read More »

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Animation Still Decade’s Most Profitable Movie Genre: SNL Kagan

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Tuesday April 10, 2012 @ 3:50pm PDTTags: Big Deals Film, Movie Profits, SNL Kagan

It was a close contest but sci-fi/fantasy films came in second in the research firm’s analysis of different films’ financial performance in the decade from 2002 through 2011. Since analysts can’t tell how much studios spend for things like negatives, marketing, and DVD reproduction, SNL Kagan figures a film is clearly profitable if the revenues it can estimate from all sources are at least 75% higher than the costs it can calculate. Those with margins of at least 40% are considered to be on the bubble (profitability usually depends on specific deals the studios have with theaters) while movies below 40% probably lost money.  By that measure, the decade’s 1,444 films were on the bubble with average worldwide revenues per film of $216.6M and costs of $133.3M, resulting in a 63% margin. The best investments overall were animated films that had a budget of between $90M and $100M: The five films in that category had a 292% margin. The worst performers were two westerns with a budget of $50M or less; costs ran 80% ahead of revenues. Read More »

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KAGAN: March Was Dismal for Movie Profits

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Thursday April 14, 2011 @ 5:53pm PDTTags: Battle: Los Angeles, Limitless, Mars Needs Moms, Movie Profits, Rango, Red Riding Hood, Take Me Home Tonight

I love these kinds of reports because they confirm for us what we already suspect. According to research firm SNL Kagan, a film must hit 1.75 on its Kagan Profitability Index to become a moneymaker. But the dozen March releases will average 1.03 … Read More »

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STUDIO SHAME! Even Harry Potter Pic Loses Money Because Of Warner Bros’ Phony Baloney Net Profit Accounting

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday July 6, 2010 @ 8:58am PDTTags: Art Buchwald, Coming to America, Harry Potter Net Profit Statement, Harry Potter Profits, Movie Profits, Studio Accounting
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Signing a deal that makes anyone a net profit participant  in  a Hollywood movie deal has always been a sucker’s bet. In an era where studios have all but eliminated first dollar gross and invited talent to share the risk and potential rewards, guess what? Net profit deals are … Read More »

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