Episode SummaryOn this episode, we consider the success that the Walt Disney Co. has enjoyed at the box office with film critic and film festival programmer Joe Meyers, and we visit with Kirill Poskonov, founder and the host of the LikeXR.tech podcast, to discuss Facebook’s forays into the metaverse.Resources:Benzinga Pro Benzinga.comPhil's Articles on Benzinga.comBenzinga PodcastsGuests:Film Critic and Film Festival Programmer Joe MeyersFounder and The Host of The LikeXR.tech Podcast Kirill PoskonovHost:Phil HallSubscribe to all Benzinga Podcasts at https://www.benzinga.com/podcasts Disclaimer: All of the information, material, and/or content contained in this program is for informational purposes only. Investing in stocks, options, and futures is risky and not suitable for all investors. Please consult your own independent financial adviser before making any investment decisions.Unedited Transcript:Welcome to Benzinga show business. I'm Phil hall and on today's show, we're going to be looking at two companies doing rather clever things later in the show. We're going to be discussing. Facebook and they are journey into the metaverse, but first we're going to be going to the movies specifically to the Disney films that have been dominating the box office.This year. My guest on the segment is Joe Myers. He is a former film critic with the Connecticut. He's also the programmer with the focus on French film festival that takes place every April in Greenwich, Connecticut, Joe, thanks so much for being a guest on today's show business. Oh my pleasure, Phil. Well, Joe, since the movie theaters reopened this spring, Disney has been dominating the box office month after month with movies like Ryan, the last dragon Prunella black widow jungle cruise.Free guy. And, uh, currently a shank tree is raining at the box office. What is Disney doing? Right? That the other studios aren't doing well, it seems like one of the things they've done right is combined theatrical releases with, um, movies being made available simultaneously on streaming services. You know, that old day and date, uh, thing, although as the year has progressed, You know, they've run into some bumps with that.I mean, Scarlett Johannson has a lawsuit in progress on black widow because she said it violated the terms of her contract. You know, that she's asked she and her lawyers are estimating that they lost somewhere between 20 to $50 million by the movie, not having us a full theatrical release. And it's interesting that the last movie, the martial arts movie sham key.Is that the title of it? Yes, it is. Yeah. I mean, that was a theatrical only, and it has made more than those other movies that they did day in date. So it looks like maybe Disney is getting back into the groove of theatrical exclusivity and then, you know, three, four months later putting it out on Disney.Plus what I found kind of strange with the Scarlet Johansson lawsuit is that. I was out in both theatrical and streaming and Emma Stone didn't complain. And then jumble crews came out in theatrical and streaming and the rock and Dwayne Johnson and Emily blunt didn't complain about it. But black widow, uh, was the one that got.Uh, Scarlett Johansson's law suit and also a public rebuke by the national association of theater owners against Disney for doing that. Why, what was it about black widow that, uh, uh, people, whereas the other films, nobody even thought twice about. Well, I mean, there were rumblings that Emma Stone might follow suit following the lead of Scarlet.The difference between black widow and Cruella and jungle cruise is the black widows part of the Marvel franchise, which has always grossed astronomical business around the world theatrically before it goes to video, uh, Emma Stone's Cruella was part of the, the Disney. As was jungle cruise. And I think the bottom line is not as much money as at stake with those two movies as it would be with a Marvel franchise picture.So I think, uh, Scarlet and her minions, we're looking at the, the incredible grosses that Marvel has scored with the theatrical only releases. I mean, I believe one of the Avengers movie is right now, the top theatrical grossing film in. Well, the first Disney had filmed this year. Might've been the weakest in terms of box office, but that was because so many theaters was so closed.And that was Ryan. The last dragon. Was that just a case of coming out at the wrong time? I think so. I, I think as the year progressed, things got better and really the theatrical window didn't fully open until New York and LA opened up theaters, which I think. Was in the later spring than that movie, you know, that everyone said that, uh, theatrical releases wouldn't resume full steam until New York and LA theaters were okay to open.Because I think I read a figure that those two markets are responsible for about 20% of the domestic gross of movies. That would make sense, but Disney also did something strange. They ...
