It's the end of an era in the Australian screen industry with the departures of Jo Bladen, Disney’s general manager, studios and live entertainment, and Marc Wooldridge, Fox Film Distributors MD for Australasia.
The global rise of streaming services has not directly impacted cinemagoing but it has hurt independent films which traditionally have performed well at indie cinemas.
The US studios and independents have booked more than two dozen films for the US summer season, starting with the launch of Disney/Pixar’s Soul on June 19.
Drive-in cinemas in Adelaide and Heddon Greta near Newcastle resumed trading last Friday, drawing big crowds, as a survey of more than 20,000 Australians showed 98 per cent look forward to cinemas re-opening.
Warner Bros' 'Tenet' reigned in its second weekend while Disney's 'The New Mutants' opened meekly as the long, slow road to recovery for Australian cinemas continues.
Five new mainstream titles entered the market last weekend - but none could beat the third frame of Warner Bros' Tenet, which is benefiting from repeat business.
Like a Photon Creative's animated family franchise 'The Tales From Sanctuary City' continues to rack up overseas sales, ranking as one of Australia's most successful exports.
In many respects, the screen sector today is virtually unrecognisable from three and a half years ago, and not just because the coronavirus pandemic has devastated sections of the industry.