Good Things Come in Threes for Woody Allen as ‘Cafe Society’ Picked to Kick-Off Cannes
Woody Allen’s latest film, featuring Jesse Eisenberg as a 1930s screenwriter, will usher in a program rumored to contain films from Spielberg, Almodóvar and Refn. Allen’s 49th film, which is screening out of competition, will be his third to kick off Cannes. (GD)
Why ‘Batman V Superman’s’ Profits Could Well be Lower than ‘Zootopia’
Warner Bros.’ Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice might come up $3.7M million short of breaking even in its global theatrical run. However, the first title in DC features 2.0., which was blasted by critics with a 29% Rotten score, likely will turn a minimum profit of $207.9M once all revenue streams are accounted. (DL)
Vice Secures Foothold in UK Market with Controlling Stake in Pulse Films
Shane Smith’s Vice Media has acquired a controlling stake in U.K. production company Pulse Films, which was founded by Thomas Benski and Marisa Clifford in 2005. The acquisition will bolster Vice’s programming capabilities across linear, digital and mobile. (VAR)
Jerry Bruckheimer Snags Cannes Gold Lion Winner Nicolai Fuglsig To Direct Afghan War Film
Jerry Bruckheimer has tapped Danish filmmaker Nicolai Fuglsig to direct the Afghanistan war pic drama Horse Soldiers for Lionsgate. The project follows a team of CIA agents and special forces who head into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in an attempt to dismantle the Taliban. (DL)
Rio Olympics Could Boast Highest National Ad Sales For Any Media Event in U.S. History
NBC announced that it has passed the $1 billion milestone in ad sales for the 2016 Olympic Games — 129 days before the sporting event opens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (BI)
Scott Rudin’s Broadway Revival of ‘Front Page’ to Star Nathan Lane and John Slattery
Nathan Lane and John Slattery will lead the starry cast of an upcoming Broadway revival of The Front Page, opening in New York in the fall with Scott Rudin producing. (VAR)
A Closer Look at the Might of WB’s Marketing Push for ‘Batman V Superman’
The might of the marketing push for Batman v Superman underscores how Warner Bros. left nothing to chance in promoting Zack Snyder’s movie, which launches DC Entertainment’s cinematic universe in the battle to rival Marvel. (THR)
Top Ten Trailers: ‘Captain America’ Holds onto the No. 1 Spot For Third Straight Week
The second trailer for Captain America: Civil War was the most viewed trailer on YouTube and Facebook for the third straight week. Civil War had 11.4 million views for the week and now has racked up more than 96 million cumulative views since its March 10 debut. (THR)
Behind the Scenes on How the ‘Supergirl’-‘Flash’ Crossover All Came Together
Crossovers are nothing new to the small-screen versions of the DC Universe, but they not only jumped worlds but networks with freshman Supergirl and star Melissa Benoist welcoming The CW’s The Flash, which is in its second season. Here’s how it came to be. (DL)
The 12 Best VR Experiences You Can Have on the Oculus Rift Right Now
With 30 launch titles available on the Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset right now, you may be wondering where to begin. There’s a wide range in price, comfort level and game genre. If you don’t have the time to try them all we’ve compiled this list of our personal favorites. (CT)