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For a sense of the challenge of today’s incomprehensibly diffuse media ecosystem, consider the scope of activity in digital advertising within the Magic Kingdom alone.

“In any given week, there are 4 billion to 5 billion ad impressions running across Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN,” said Josh Mattison, executive VP of digital operations for Disney Advertising, during a session at Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit. “In any given month, we see 50,000 pieces of ad creative come in.”

Disney’s Josh Mattison

Mattison shared those numbers during a conversation about using AI tools to assist with the staggering volume of advertising and marketing materials that flow through Disney’s digital pipes. Those stats underscore the issue that vibrated underneath just about every panel at the April 24 event: The methods for capturing audiences’ attention are proliferating at an exponential rate, while many consumers — especially Zoomers and millennials — have grown increasingly allergic to the perception...

If the economic uncertainty of the past few weeks leads the U.S. into a full-fledged recession, studio and streamer marketing chiefs are confident Hollywood will hang tough against the headwinds.

That was one of the major themes discussed Thursday by a half-dozen senior film and TV marketing chiefs at the Variety Entertainment Marketing Summit, presented by Deloitte. The panelists traded notes on how the post-theatrical management of films has changed — for the better — for some major studios now that they have output deals with sibling streaming platforms such as Hulu, in the case of Disney, and Peacock, for Universal Pictures. The masters of ballyhoo chopped it up on the delicate handling of awards campaigns, the elusiveness of Gen Z consumers and how marketing around blockbusters and franchises is now a year-round obligation to keep fans engaged and interested.

Regarding the economic environment, the film chiefs noted that the biz...

Exclusive: Loretta Ramos has been named Senior Director of Blumhouse and K Period Media’s Screamwriting Fellowship program.

Ramos previously served as interim head of the Sundance Institute’s Women of Sundance program.

In her role, she will be responsible for overseeing the program for the two companies, which is run in partnership with the Sundance Institute.

The invite-only program is accepting recommendations for applicants until Friday.

Said Ramos, “There are some truly electric new voices in horror. Writers from all types of backgrounds are bringing new dimensions to the genre, and I’m so excited to lead this initiative to provide equitable opportunities and make sure they feel supported in bringing their visions to life. It’s been wonderful getting to know the teams at K Period Media and Blumhouse and I’m looking forward to working together.”

Kimberley Steward, Founder of K Period Media, and Jason Blum, Founder/CEO of Blumhouse,...

Utopia and Fathom Entertainment will premiere “A Rad Documentary” in more than 700 screens nationwide on March 20 in honor of Rad Day 2025. Celebrating the 80s BMX cult classic film “Rad,” the new documentary revisits production, catches up with the cast, and interrogates the film’s impact on pop culture.

“As a BMX’er, being a stunt rider in Rad was a dream come true but producing ‘A Rad Documentary’ and helping tell the story behind the film has been a full circle moment,” said producer Chris Phoenix. “It’s incredible to be able to share it with the fans whose passion and dedication to the movie have made it a classic for almost 40 years.”

“A Rad Documentary” will premiere as part of a double feature alongside a 4k restoration of “Rad” on March 20 in theaters across the U.S. and Canada. Tickets for Rad Day are now on sale at FathomEntertainment.

Variety and Meta hosted an intimate dinner with top entertainment marketing executives in Beverly Hills on Wednesday at Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura. Among the notables who took part were Universal Pictures’ Dwight Caines, Paramount Pictures’ Marc Weinstock, Warner Bros.’ Josh Goldstine, Hulu’s Barrie Gruner, Searchlight Pictures’ Michelle Hooper, HBO/Max’s Pia Chaozon Barlow, the CW’s Chris Spadaccini, Disney’s Ryan Stankevich, Netflix’s Shelly Gillyard, Paramount+’s Michael Engleman and BET Networks’ Kimberly K. Wilson.

The evening featured a spotlight conversation on AI trends with Nathan Garvie, Meta’s director of product design, and Cynthia Littleton, Variety co-editor in chief.

The film business has had to battle its way through everything from Covid shutdowns to strike-induced box office delays to steep competition from a tidal wave of high-priced streaming content over the past seven years.

The contraction in theatrical releases and the post-pandemic downturn at the box office has raised the stakes for every film release, from blockbusters to arty fare — so said a group of top theatrical marketing executives who spoke April 24 during a roundtable panel at Variety’s annual Entertainment Marketing Summit, presented by Deloitte.

“If you’re not an event movie for someone, you’re a movie for no one,” said Josh Goldstine, president of worldwide marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures Group, during the daylong, Sro event at the Beverly Hilton.

Goldstine noted the ante for theatrical films has been raised by “an extra $100 billion worth of streaming content that has entered the marketplace” since about 2017. Dwight Caines,...

Ufeg’s Make It Universal and Rotten Tomatoes have partnered to create the new “Seen on Screen” podcast hosted by Rotten Tomatoes awards editor Jacqueline Coley. The bi-weekly podcast offers a behind the scenes look into Universal productions and conversations with Universal employees about the impact of film on their lives.

“Seen on Screen” also aims to demystify the interworkings of the film industry to listeners. Episodes will showcase the many employment opportunities available across a major studio and highlight the diversity within the Universal staff.

“Movies have the unique ability to unite us – in them we either see a reflection of ourselves or they give us a window into perspectives and experiences that are unlike our own but are worth exploring,” said Dwight Caines, Universal Pictures president of domestic marketing. “The ‘Seen on Screen’ podcast celebrates the inclusive culture of our studio by putting a spotlight on the people...

On Saturday night, City Year Los Angeles hosted their 12th annual Spring Break: Destination Education benefit which raised over $2.2 million to support thousands of students across L.A. thrive in school and in life.

Octavia Spencer speaks at City Year LA's Spring Break Destination Education

Credit/Copyright: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for City Year Los Angeles

The event brought together over 900 guests — including community and business leaders, celebrities and influencers, families and AmeriCorps members for an exciting night of food, fun, and entertainment in support of education. The benefit honored Academy Award-winning actor, producer, and longtime City Year L.A. board member Octavia Spencer and Kevin Demoff, COO of the Los Angeles Rams and City Year LA board member. Actor, comedian, and television host Joel McHale emceed the event which featured a special musical performance by Grammy-nominated singer Chlöe Bailey, known mononymously as Chlöe.

Academy Award-Winning actor and producer Viola Davis...

When it comes to entertainment marketing, TikTok is the new “ground zero.”

That was among the views expressed by a panel of five top film and TV marketing executives held Wednesday as part of Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit at the One Hotel in West Hollywood.

The lively conversation, moderated by Claudia Eller, Variety’s chief production officer, touched on the challenge of working with shrinking marketing budgets, the need to create bespoke content for an array of platforms and the thrill of scoring big with earned media and word of mouth. But the discussion became the most animated when the group discussed the outsized role that TikTok now plays in spreading the word on entertainment content.

“It’s democratized the ability for anyone to have a voice. It has exploded the entire space wide open,” said Christian Parkes, chief marketing officer for Neon. “It’s a place where we...

When “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” opened in theaters last December, the spinoff sequel in the “Shrek” universe began its box office run with an unremarkable $12 million. But the animated adventure, about a swashbuckling cat voiced by Antonio Banderas, has enjoyed nine lives on the big screen.

After nearly two months, ticket sales have climbed to $177 million in North America and $454 million globally — and counting. That’s an impressive haul, particularly given the commercial struggles of other recent animated fare such as “Lightyear” and “Strange World.”

“It is certainly rare to see a film leg out to a 15 lifetime multiple from its three-day debut,” says Universal’s president of domestic distribution Jim Orr. “The film is exciting, heartwarming and immensely satisfying for a broad audience.”

Much of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’s” slow-and-steady box office success is attributed to positive reviews, enthusiastic word-of-mouth and minimal competition from family films.

Blumhouse and K Period Media, the production company founded by Kimberly Steward, revealed their inaugural cohort of nine fellows selected to participate in the first annual Blumhouse and K Period Media Screamwriting Fellowship, the companies announced on Tuesday.

The program, created in partnership with the Sundance Institute, was established to provide support and mentorship to underrepresented emerging film and television writers aspiring to work in the horror genre.

The week-long intensive lab kicks off today in Los Angeles with the generous support of advisors Karen Joseph Adcock, Simon Barrett, Dwight Caines, Jacob Chase, Bridget Savage Cole, Mike Flanagan, Christine D’Souza Gelb, Alayna Glasthal, Josh Godfrey, Disney Hall, Walter Hamada, Cindy Holland, Danielle Krudy, Chris Landon, Nick Lazo, Keith Levine, Damon Lindelof, Crystal Liu, Grant Moninger, Ryan Murphy, Couper Samuelson, Rob Savage, Ryan Turek and Kevin Williamson.

Also Read:

‘Dead by Daylight’ Movie in the Works at Blumhouse, James Wan’s...

Over the course of the global pandemic, Universal Pictures was the first studio to bypass theaters and release select films via streaming, strike the only deals with major exhibitors to shorten the theatrical window, and introduce a new hybrid window that straddles theaters and homes.

That’s why 2020 will be remembered as a year full of bold moves for the trio of Universal marketing executives Variety is honoring with this year’s Marketing Visionary Award presented by Spotify: president of worldwide marketing Michael Moses, co-president of domestic marketing Dwight Caines and president of international marketing Simon Hewlett.

Listen to the podcast here:

It would be an understatement to say Covid-19 upended their business as the plans for dozens of movies scheduled over dozens of months to run in thousands of multiplexes worldwide had to be completely rethought. It was like nothing Moses experienced over the two decades he’s been promoting movies at Universal.

Add marketing executive at WarnerMedia to the endangered species list. In the space of two weeks, the media and entertainment giant has bid farewell to a dizzying array of marketing gurus, leaving major holes in the top executive ranks.

In short order, Jim Gallagher stepped down from his Warner Bros post as executive vice president of marketing animation and family films, Warner Bros Television Group President and Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Gregorian announced she would leave at the end of 2020, and Warner Bros. Co-President of Worldwide Marketing Jp Richards said he would exit in February. On Friday, news broke that Blair Rich, head of worldwide marketing at Warner Bros., was out, following months of rumors that her job was in jeopardy.

The spin from WarnerMedia is that some of the executives involved in this exodus did so of their own accord and that their departures were entirely organic. Their exits,...

The Oscars unveiled new guidelines this week that are designed to promote diversity and inclusion both in front of and behind the camera.

But the rules are inspiring confusion and controversy as studios and filmmakers try to figure out what the mandates mean for their movies. No worries: that’s where Variety comes in, with an “Oscar Rules for Dummies” that can serve as crib notes for awards hopefuls.

Does this go into effect immediately?

No, it does not. The 2020-2021 rules under the Covid-19 pandemic are unchanged. For the next two years, the requirements set forth by AMPAS are not mandatory. In an effort to collect data and put these practices into effect, studios will need to simply fill out the form and include it with the other filing paperwork when submitting for best picture. This will be for Oscars 2022 and Oscars 2023. The requirements will not go into effect...

Covid-19 and its long-term affects on film marketing took center stage at the Keynote Marketing Roundtable event on Wednesday, as part of Variety‘s Entertainment Marketing Summit.

Brent Lang, Variety‘s executive editor of film and media, moderated the panel conversation, which featured various professionals from the marketing side of the film industry. Participants included Paul Noble, co-president of global marketing at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sumyi Antonson, senior vice president of marketing and distribution at Neon, Rebecca Kearey, president of Searchlight Pictures International, Dwight Caines, co-president of marketing at Universal Pictures, Jason Cassidy, vice chairman of Focus Features, and Christian Davin, global head of movie marketing at Amazon Studios.

Throughout the event, they discussed the need to be flexible during the pandemic, new technological approaches to advertising, and the durability of the exhibition business, which has been hit hard by coronavirus closures.

“In the old days so to speak, we...

Michael Moses has been named Universal Pictures’ new president of worldwide marketing and has hired Dwight Caines as co-president, the studio announced in a company-wide memo.

The new hires come after former marketing chief Jeff Goldstine was fired from the company following accusations of inappropriate conduct. Two other marketing executives, Seth Byers and Scott Abraham, were also dismissed for inappropriate conduct.

Also Read: Fired Universal Executive Josh Goldstine Kept Mistress on Payroll, Inquiry Found (Exclusive)

Moses has been with Universal for 18 years, while Caines joins Universal after a 20-year tenure at Sony that ended in 2016. Moses will focus on the creative side of the marketing department, while Caines will focus on media and data-driven strategy. Both will report to Universal Pictures Chairman Donna Langley.

“Michael is a trusted advisor to senior leadership and possesses a strategic vision that few others in our business today can match,” Langley said in a...

Before Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom opens to a deafening roar at the box office with a $135M-$150M start, Universal has announced some promotions and appointments in the studio’s marketing ranks.

Eighteen-year marketing guru Michael Moses is being promoted to President of Worldwide Marketing, reporting to Langley. Having worked previously as Co-President of Ww Marketing alongside former marketing chief Josh Goldstine who was dismissed for inappropriate conduct back in March, Moses now takes on that exec’s position.

Separately Moses has tapped 20-year Sony vet Dwight Caines as Co-President of Marketing, assuming Moses’ previous post. At the Culver City lot, Caines was behind such hits as Angry Birds, Spectre, Hotel Transylvania 2, Goosebumps, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Equalizer, Fury, and 22 Jump Street.

Moses has named Ignition executive Lauri Brown Senior Vice President, Creative Advertising, who as a creative director worked on film campaigns for Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve and Peter Jackson.

Universal has elevated Michael Moses to the position of worldwide marketing president and hired Dwight Caines as co-president of marketing, the studio announced in a company-wide memo.

The moves come as Universal has been rocked by a series of executive dismissals following allegations of inappropriate conduct by former marketing chief Josh Goldstine. Seth Byers, executive VP of creative strategy and research in the department, and Scott Abraham, another senior marketing executive, were also fired for inappropriate conduct.

Moses has been with the studio for more than 18 years, and is respected for his publicity know-how and big-picture strategizing. The thought is that Moses will be tasked with overseeing the creative aspects of the department, while Caines focuses on media and data-driven strategy.

In a letter to staff, Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley praised Moses as “a trusted advisor” with “a strategic vision that few...

Michael Moses is being promoted to president of worldwide marketing at Universal Pictures, while former Sony exec Dwight Caines has been named co-president of marketing.

Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley announced the news Monday morning in a note to staff.

The reorganization of the ranks comes more than three months after Josh Goldstine stepped down as president of worldwide marketing following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct.

Moses, who had worked alongside Goldstine for years as co-president, is now assuming Goldstine's position. Caines will assume Moses' previous role as co-president. Caines spent ...

Michael Moses is being promoted to president of worldwide marketing at Universal Pictures, while former Sony exec Dwight Caines has been named co-president of marketing.

Universal Filmed Entertainment chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley announced the news Monday morning in a note to staff.

The reorganization of the ranks comes more than three months after Josh Goldstine stepped down as president of worldwide marketing following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct.

Moses, who had worked alongside Goldstine for years as co-president, is now assuming Goldstine's position. Caines will assume Moses' previous role as co-president. Caines spent ...

Christine Birch is out as head of domestic marketing at Sony Pictures, Variety has learned.

Her status at the studio has been in question after employee complaints about alleged marijuana use on the Sony lot prompted a human resources investigation, first reported by Variety on March 21. Birch denied to human resources executives that she smoked pot at the office. There was a growing sense, however, that Birch’s position at the company was untenable and that employees in the department were balking at working under the executive due to her caustic style. She was asked to take a leave as an investigation took place.

The investigation found no official wrongdoing and Birch was not suspended. But it’s understood that Birch came to agree with the company’s senior leadership that a return to work had become impossible after news broke about the investigation.

Birch joined Sony in 2016 from Focus Features,...

The Sony Pictures Entertainment (Spe) hierarchy has promoted Michael Pavlic to president of worldwide creative advertising.

Pavlic most recently served as evp of creative advertising and will assume the position previously held by Tommy Gargotta, who is stepping aside.

He reports to Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group president of domestic theatrical marketing Dwight Caines.

Pavlic joined Spe in 2009 and has worked on campaigns for 22 Jump Street, American Hustle, Zero Dark Thirty, Moneyball, Zombieland and Julie & Julia, among others.

He previously worked at Big Picture Entertainment as an editor and producer and as manager of creative advertising at Spe from 2003-2005.

The Sony Pictures Entertainment (Spe) hierarchy has promoted Michael Pavlic to president of worldwide creative advertising.

Pavlic most recently served as evp of creative advertising and will assume the position previously held by Tommy Gargotta, who is stepping aside.

He reports to Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group president of domestic theatrical marketing Dwight Caines.

Pavlic joined Spe in 2009 and has worked on campaigns for 22 Jump Street, American Hustle, Zero Dark Thirty, Moneyball, Zombieland and Julie & Julia, among others.

He previously worked at Big Picture Entertainment as an editor and producer and as manager of creative advertising at Spe from 2003-2005.

Update, 10:24 Am Pt: Here’s the deal on Mike Pavlic, who takes that top post as president of Worldwide Creative Advertising, the one beloved vet Tommy Gargotta relinquished yesterday. Pavlic had been Evp Creative Advertising, and he will report to Dwight Caines, President of Domestic Theatrical Marketing for Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. Pavlic will oversee domestic and global creative advertising team in all films released under the Sony umbrella. “Mike is a talented and passionate creative executive whose instincts are as strong as his commitment to great work,” said Caines. “I am thrilled that he will be mentoring and leading […]...

Sony Pictures has released its first teaser for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 today, and you can see the first stamp of Dwight Caines, the president of Theatrical Marketing for Sony Pictures. who hatched this campaign with his Sony Pictures International counterpart Nigel Clark. Caines ran digital marketing for Sony worldwide, and this first trailer has been launched simultaneously online in a massive global play. Versions of it were made more than 12 languages, including Russian and three different Chinese dialects. The trailer launched simultaneously on every Sony platform down to the Times Square billboard, and reams of other sites around the world. This is likely to become more common on event pictures, as all the studios embrace look at event pictures as global commerce instead of separate campaigns for domestic and international. The sequel brings back Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. This time around,...