30Th Alexandria Film Festival

Lifestyle FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2014 30th Alexandria Film Festival Egyptian actress Nadia Al- Jundi holds her award. Tunisian actress Fanana Egyptian singer Mohammed Munir kisses Tunisian director Taieb Al-Wuheishi during the 30th Alexandria film festival in Egypt’s northern Durra attends the 30th Mediterranean port city of the same name late September 10, 2014. (Right) Egyptian actor Nour Al-Sherif receives an award. — AFP Alexandria film festival. Bearded lady Wurst How Marvel’s success will help ‘Star Wars’ to sing in front ive years after buying Marvel board with the Marvel Studios people to accomplish,” Rasulo said. That includ- Studios and clearly benefitting but then we actually did it and that was ed promoting the characters to new of EU parliament Ffrom new film franchises, Disney is fantastic,” Rasulo said. audiences in and outside of the United taking what it’s learned in managing “The Avengers’” success-when it States through new TV shows, but also a the superheroes and applying it to earned $1.5 billion-may have surprised more expanded consumer products Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars.” Disney views Disney and Hollywood, but even more business. “We wanted to international- the “Star Wars” franchise as one that can so was that the sequels that followed ize Marvel,” Rasulo said. Disney is the be better exploited through new films, “did way better than the original ver- world’s largest licensee, earning a starting with next year’s “Star Wars: sions,” Rasulo said. “Not only did we record $40.9 billion in retail sales in Episode VII” and spinoffs, as well as TV build those ensemble superhero films, 2013 from merchandise featuring shows, like next month’s launch of but each one along the way.” Marvel’s superheroes, Disney’s princess- Disney XD’s “Star Wars Rebels,” toys, And now the massive success of es, Pixar’s toons and Lucasfilm’s “Star licensed merchandise and theme park attractions around the world. It’s not that “Star Wars” needed too much help. When Disney bought the company, “Star Wars” was already one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises, hav- ing earned $4.4 billion globally from six movies, and billions more from TV shows, videogames, theme park rides and merchandise. Disney just felt it could do even better, and the mantra at the company concerning “Star Wars” is: “do everything, but do it faster because we already know the route, and take it through the same channels” that worked so well for Marvel, said chief financial officer Jay Rasulo, who spoke Conchita Wurst Wednesday at Goldman Sachs’ ransvestite Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst will per- Communacopia Conference in New form in front of the European Parliament building in York. There are similarities and differ- “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which Wars.”Until the Disney acquisition, TBrussels on October 8, the bearded Austrian sensation ences between Lucasfilm and Marvel became the summer’s top earner, and Marvel was mostly focused on the toy said yesterday. European lawmaker Ulrike Lunacek, one of five and their properties, “but the similari- collected nearly $600 million world- business. “We wanted to lessen that MEPs from five different factions who invited Wurst to per- ties are far greater.” wide so far, has helped Disney figure dependence on toys and expand into form, said that the hour-long concert was part of a campaign Disney announced it would pay $4 how to launch characters that are even all other categories,” Rasulo said. to fight discrimination. billion to buy Marvel in 2009, and less known to moviegoers and use Lucasfilm also had a limited licensing “The wonderful signal for openness and anti-discrimination Lucasfilm in 2012, for another $4 billion. humor to attract new audiences like business developed for its sci-fi fran- that the people of Europe gave Conchita Wurst with their “The notion that you could put together women to what was once considered chise that mostly focused on toys and votes must be translated ... into forging a society and legal a series of origin films, of characters that just fanboy fare. US consumers. framework allowing everyone to live and to love without were not that well-known whether it And Disney has moved quickly to fear,” Lunacek said. Wurst won the Eurovision Song Contest- was Thor, whether it was Captain New audiences expand that through its consumer an often kitsch annual music extravaganza now more than 50 America, even Iron Man before our “Even though we had those ambi- products group, while developing new years old where people all over Europe and beyond vote for acquisition and then have those charac- tions, we had to deliver on them,” films and TV shows that will help boost their favorite song-in Copenhagen in May. In recent months ters assemble in a movie that just blew Rasulo said. But Disney always had big- sales and overall exposure. “We’re mir- she has performed at LGBT events around Europe and in July the doors off called ‘The Avengers’-it ger plans for Marvel. “Under the surface, roring Marvel but we already know the closed Jean Paul Gaultier’s haute couture show in Paris wear- was something that was on the drawing we had a more subtle thing we wanted path,” Rasulo said. — Reuters ing a black and red vampire-themed gown. — AFP.

Load more