Wednesday: Lionsgate Vote; New John Lennon Doc; Village Roadshow Auction; Toys 'R Us Movie; Conclave Bounce; Max Password Crackdown
Lionsgate shareholders approved their vote to spin off Starz. Meanwhile Steven Soderbergh has a John Lennon documentary in the works.
It's Wednesday, April 23rd. Here's what you need to know.
Today's Headlines
As expected, Lionsgate Shareholders Overwhelmingly Approved the separation of the studio and Starz businesses at the April 23 annual meeting. (Source: Variety)
Director Steven Soderbergh is shopping a documentary about John Lennon’s Final Interview—with plans to complete it by year’s end. (Source: Deadline)
A Delaware bankruptcy court judge has set key dates in the potential sale of Village Roadshow. Interested bidders must submit their offers by May 16. If multiple parties are in the running, An Auction Will Be Held on May 20. (Source: ScreenDaily)
Nostalgia and demand for Game & Toy Centered IP continues. Story Kitchen has partnered with Toys 'R Us to develop a live-action film, with a story based on the store. (Source: Variety)
Following the death of Pope Francis at age 88 on April 21, viewership of the political thriller Conclave—which explores the selection of a new pope, Surged 283% on Amazon Prime Video, rising from 1.8 million to 6.9 million minutes viewed. (Source: CNN)
Streaming service Max is Following Netflix's Password Crack Down effort by offering their own extra member add-on plan. (Source: The Hollywood Reporter)
Box Office Rankings
Monday, April 21st
1) Sinners - $7,800,185
2) A Minecraft Movie - $5,690,677
3) The King of Kings - $2,107,688
4) The Amateur - $769,100
5) Pride & Prejudice - $471,720
Source: Box Office Mojo
MNP Studio Index
Wednesday, April 23rd (Market Close)
Markets were up today on Trump's softer stance towards Fed Chair Powell and China. Studio stock rose, with the MNP Studio Index up 2.18% overall. Warner Brothers Discovery (up 4.78%) is enjoying a bounce from concurrent hits Sinners and A Minecraft Movie.
MNP Streaming Index
Wednesday, April 23rd (Market Close)
Fantastic day for the MNP Streaming Index, ending up 2.5%. Roku was up 5.6% on analyst comments and Warner Brothers Discovery (up 4.78%) announced a new add-on plan for Max.
MNP Theater Index
Wednesday, April 23rd (Market Close)
Mixed performance from the index today (Cinemark was down 1.29% , but Imax ended up 2.55%).
Film Festivals/Conferences Today
San Francisco International Film Festival, US - April 17-27
Sunny Bunny LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, Ukraine - April 18-25
Upcoming Film Festivals/Conferences
New York Cinefest, April 24-27
Atlanta Film Festival, US - April 24-May 4
BCN Film Fest, Spain - April 24-May 2
Canneseries, France - April 24-29
Far East Film Festival, Italy - April 24-May 2
HotDocs, Canada - April 24-May 4
JFilm Festival, US - April 24-May 4
Milwaukee Film Festival, US - April 24-May 8
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, US - April 24-29
MubiFest Chicago - April 26-27
Watch This Tonight
Possession (1981), Directed by Andrzej Zulawski
A daring film that amplifies psychological horror with gore, Possession is really unlike anything you've ever scene.
Disclaimer/Transparency
MovieNewsPro is a film industry news monitoring service. All stories have been previously reported elsewhere and are not exclusive stories to MNP. All information is believed to be accurate at the time of reporting. MovieNewsPro uses a full array of technology to gather information, including machine learning, automation and artificial intelligence throughout its business monitoring, editing and reporting process. MovieNewsPro sector indexes (Streaming, Studio and Theater) are virtual indexes - there are no actual funds invested. Sector index total value dollar amounts are based on an initial hypothetical investment of $100,000 on March 17th, 2025. We are not licensed investment advisors and our information should not be used as investment advice.