L.A. fires hit Hollywood hard, Focus Features boss talks specialty films
The economic damage of the fires ravaging the Los Angeles area represents yet another blow to struggling entertainment industry workers.
Before getting into the main topic of this weekâs newsletter, we have to acknowledge the story dominating our region. Wildfires have devastated Southern California since early last week, leaving thousands of residents displaced, their homes reduced to ash and rubble.
The deadly blazes have dealt another brutal blow to the greater Los Angeles area, swiftly becoming one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
A preliminary estimate by weather forecasting service AccuWeather estimated the damage and total economic loss at $52 billion to $57 billion, but that figure has since been revised higher, and it now looks like the loss could be several times that amount. The fires have destroyed thousands of structures and killed at least 25 people.
Everyone you talk to in L.A. â whether in Hollywood or not â knows at least one person or family who lost their home. The devastation is unsparing and has harmed people at all levels of the industry. The Palisades and Eaton fires leveled communities populated by executives, producers, movie stars and below-the-line workers.
As my colleagues Samantha Masunaga and Stacy Perman wrote, the disaster has hammered the entertainment industry at a time when many were already struggling to get back to work after the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 writersâ and actorsâ strikes and a prolonged retrenchment by companies that make films and television shows.
Movie and TV shoots were again put on pause, and the awards season calendar was upended.
Further disruption came Monday, when the motion picture academy again delayed the announcement of nominees for the 97th Academy Awards until Jan. 23. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences extended the Oscars voting window until Jan. 17 and canceled its annual nominees luncheon.
The Producers Guild of America has postponed its nominations announcement multiple times. The AFI Awards luncheon and the Critics Choice Awards are postponed indefinitely. The Writers Guild of America said it will delay its nominees announcement until further notice. The Grammys will proceed as planned on Feb. 2, but with new efforts to raise funds for wildfire relief.
Awards may seem frivolous amid such destruction, but theyâre a key part of the Hollywood economic machinery.
As with many catastrophes, one heartening aspect of this story has been the displays of kindness and resilience in the face of tragedy, including individuals donating to the countless GoFundMe campaigns. On the corporate side, Disney, Comcast, Paramount, Netflix and SAG-AFTRA have pledged millions of dollars to groups supporting relief and recovery efforts.
The Times has helpful resources for people seeking ways to help.
Itâs not easy to be in the specialty film business these days. But Focus Features, the prestige-minded unit of Comcastâs Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, has been enjoying a strong run lately.
Its politicking papal succession drama âConclave,â starring Ralph Fiennes and directed by Edward Berger, has grossed $69 million in global ticket sales, including $31.5 million domestically (Focus acquired the U.S. rights in 2023). The movie is expected to receive multiple Oscar nominations. âNosferatu,â a gothic vampire picture from Robert Eggers, has collected $136 million in worldwide receipts since its Christmas Day debut.
Not bad, particularly at a time when the box office is dominated by action franchises and kids movies, and when theatrical windows are much shorter than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for smaller films, like the adult-oriented dramas, comedies and festival picks that Focus pursues.
This comes ahead of the Sundance Film Festival, where the company is set to premiere âThe Ballad of Wallis Island,â starring Carey Mulligan. Other upcoming Focus releases include Steven Soderberghâs âBlack Bagâ and âDownton Abbey 3.â
I recently caught up with Peter Kujawski, who has served as chairman of Focus since 2016, to discuss the state of the indie film business and other hot topics in the sector. This interview, which took place last month before the release of âNosferatu,â was edited for length and clarity.
Youâve said previously that the specialty film business was potentially poised for another golden age, which is a counter-intuitive take. Why?
Itâs more broad than just what I think is a positive moment for specialty film, but also for film in general.
If you look at the landscape right now, in terms of what audiences seem to be coming to theaters for, and taking ownership of and amplifying through their own lives, more and more youâre seeing that they are the bold swings, the ones that feel like they are coming from unique, visionary points of view.
Itâs great for audiences and the film business as a whole in terms of building a future for new filmmakers and new voices. And for the specialty sector, itâs great because thatâs what weâve been doing all along.
When you say fans and audiences are taking ownership of films, what do you mean? Are we talking about Letterboxd? Social media?
Thatâs certainly a big part of it. I think Letterboxd specifically has been a great thing for films and for audiences.
A film like âConclave,â by traditional metrics several years ago, would have been considered squarely a classical piece of prestige filmmaking for an older audience. And thatâs a big part of its success.
But also a big part of it has been younger audiences showing up and amplifying it through a take on social media, whether itâs the âMean Girlsâ memes or using the shot of the cardinal taking the hit off the vape pen. The fact that audiences are connecting to that aspect and the joyousness, entertainment value and humor of that movie is kind of new for a film like that.
You also see it happening with âNosferatuâ â this moment in time of people owning that by responding to the sarcophagi that weâve got in movie theaters and being like, âIn December, my whole personality is going to be âNosferatu.ââ For hyper intellectual property-based films, that has been happening for a while. But certainly for a film like âNosferatu,â thereâs just a fresh energy.
Some of that stuff you can lean into and facilitate through marketing, right?
âFacilitateâ is a good word for it, because you definitely canât create that energy. You can try all you want to create it, but all you can do is provide the tools for that energy to harness.
Itâs not unheard of to release a big horror movie on Christmas, but itâs still perhaps unexpected. What was the thinking behind that decision?
Youâre right that itâs not unheard of. Maybe most famously: Dec. 26, 1973, âThe Exorcistâ comes out. Thereâs no better example. And I actually think thatâs not a coincidence.
When we announced the date, there was a lot of discussion online about, âIt should be Halloween. What are you guys thinking?â Trust me, I love going to the movies and watching a certain kind of horror film in October. But also, thereâs a reason that every major culture and religion in the world has a festival of lights of some sort around the winter solstice. Thatâs because, deep in the DNA of who we are, weâre most afraid when itâs most dark.
Thatâs actually what Rob [Eggers] is doing with this film. Heâs not creating panic with jump scares and things like that. The movie delivers those. But what Rob is so good at is fear. That real languishing sense of dread over a whole movie.
Thereâs also a tradition of movies coming out that day announcing themselves as a major piece of cinema. And I hope that people really see what weâve been talking about, that Rob has made a big and beautiful and epic piece of cinema.
Whatâs the status of older moviegoers coming back to theaters? Thatâs the sweet spot for a movie like âConclave.â
Thereâs no doubt that that particular segment of the audience has been the slowest in coming back. But for sure, âConclaveâ has a core older audience that really came out for that movie. And I think thatâs a stepping stone. We are one of the companies providing films for this audience and doing it with regular cadence. And I think itâs even more important that the regular cadence remain there so that the habit of moviegoing can continue.
I want to give a shout-out to a movie that we werenât involved in that did a brilliant job of it. Look at the audience for âThelma.â Itâs not obvious that that film would do the box office that it did [$12.5 million worldwide], but I think it did because the movie was brilliant, funny and heartfelt and also gave something to an audience that is largely underserved.
Youâre under the Universal film umbrella, which means your titles are released in theaters first and then come out on premium video on-demand just a few weeks later. Is that strategy working?
We have seen it do a couple things right from the get-go. One, it really does work. It absolutely drives quite significant incremental revenue to the movie. Trust me, no one has been more vocal internally about advocating for the stress-testing of the idea. Weâve looked at it over and over again and literally have reams of back-up data showing that the audiences engaging with the film on PVOD are not cannibalizing the audiences that engage theatrically.
I occasionally hear from readers that some of these more slow-burn movies now leave theaters really quickly, sometimes before they can get out to see them. Is that issue offset by the advantages you mentioned?
In our experience, itâs not that films leave theaters any faster than they would have. Certainly, when platforming a movie, we take the time to build it up to its moment of wide release, and then itâs a few weeks later when PVOD comes along. But weâve looked at it over and over again, and weâre seeing that itâs incremental business.
Do you feel like youâve come up with the right mix of movies? How do you think about building out your slate?
We try to be smart about the balance in terms of the size of our swings. But the ethos behind all of them is really the same. We want every movie we make to be unmistakably unique and impossible to conceive of as a work by any other filmmaker. On that level, I think weâre absolutely hitting that mark.
Is there a âone that got awayâ last year in terms of festival picks or any other movies that you wish youâd had?
Itâs gonna sound like a line, and itâs really not. Iâve been doing this long enough to know youâre gonna pick some that do great, youâre gonna pick some that donât do so great. I actually donât ever really worry much about the things that are out there that we donât have. Instead, I look at it as how exciting it is that thereâs a lot of us in this space who are finding and championing voices.
Youâve done thought-provoking political movies, like âOn the Basis of Sexâ and âBlacKkKlansman.â Right now, studios seem nervous to touch hot button political issues in filmmaking. Do you see that chilling effect happening?
Itâs sort of the story of the day. If something comes across our desk that we love and are responding to, of course we would jump to do that again, and I believe we would be given all the support weâve always been given.
You want to be smart and careful that you are telling the story for the right reasons, and that youâre telling the story in a way that is still grounded in an authentic human experience. Rather than trying to create a film that is built to be a piece of politics, which, historically, if you go too far in that direction, can often backfire.
The Sundance Film Festival is considering moving to a new home after decades in Park City, Utah. What do you think is going to happen?
I have no idea, and I donât want to speculate in terms of the city auction. The most important thing is that, no matter where the festival is, the organization is incredibly strong and does a lot of vital work for the business of film and the art of film, and thatâs not going to change. No matter where they are, Sundance is going to be Sundance. Iâm really optimistic about that, wherever it lands.
Newsletter
Youâre reading the Wide Shot
Ryan Faughnder delivers the latest news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production â and what it all means for the future.
Enter email address
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
For TV reporters covering fires in L.A., the tragedy gets personal. Journalists telling the fire story to the nation are keeping emotions in check as they deal with the massive losses and requests to check whether friendsâ homes are still standing.
Vince McMahon will pay $1.7 million to settle SEC allegations over hush money agreements. The former WWE impresario agrees to settle allegations that he paid millions in hush money to two women without telling his board.
Rachel Maddow returns to five nights a week on MSNBC. Maddow will be a nightly host through the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. Alex Wagner returns to the time period on May 1.
Disney, partners pull the plug on Venu Sports streaming service. Venu was announced in 2024 as a slimmed-down streaming package that would have offered such channels as ESPN.
Alec Baldwin sues New Mexico, claiming malicious prosecution. Six months after being cleared of criminal charges in the âRustâ shooting death, Baldwin has filed a suit alleging malicious prosecution and defamation.
Warner Bros. shakes up studio leadership amid film underperformance. The exiting executives, Josh Goldstine and Andrew Cripps, were not in charge of picking movies.
Music: Jason Isbellâs âSoutheastern,â a 2013 alt-country masterpiece.
Words (from Cornelia Powers): If âBaby Sharkâ represents the worst of childrenâs music, this is the genreâs best.
Currently, the Dallas Mavericks (22-17) have three players on the injury report, including Kyrie Irving, in their matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans (8-32) at Smoothie King Center on Wednesday, January 15 at 8:00 PM ET. The Pelicans have two players on the injury report. Watch the NBA, other live sports and more on Fubo. [âŠ]
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 have three players on the injury report, including Kyrie Irving, in their matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans (8-32) at Smoothie King Center on Wednesday, January 15 at 8:00 PM ET. The Pelicans have two players on the injury report. Watch the NBA, other live sports and more on Fubo. [âŠ] %23kyrieirving) |
 |
 |
Kate, Princess of Wales, announced that her cancer is in remission. Kate underwent abdominal surgery and chemotherapy, although the palace has not revealed what type of cancer she has.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
After losing a portion of her home to the devastating L.A. wildfires, Mandy Moore has moved in with another former Disney Channel actress.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The actor is revisiting Cruise's bizarre comments nearly 20 years later in her new memoir.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Christina Applegate slammed Hollywood critics who consider the âdevastatingâ Los Angeles fires to be âgoodâ
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
A curious incident aboard a flight reveals unexpected passenger behavior and dynamics.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Mandy Moore, whose home was also heavily damaged by the L.A. wildfires, had a blunt response for critics who shamed her for sharing her in-lawsâ GoFundMe.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The rapper and his three youngest offspring were photographed grabbing munchies from a 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyoâs Ginza district.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
One member of the Royal Family is reportedly set to refuse their 'HRH' title, making them free to follow their own path despite the fact future-King Prince William has 'big plans' going forward
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Struycken's son-in-law has launched a GoFundMe to help the actor and his wife.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.