Disney fourth installment of the “Toy Story” franchise hit over $1 billion in global box office sales, the company announced this week. The film is Disney’s fifth billion dollar release this year.
“It is almost comical,” Sean O'Connell, the managing director of Cinemablend, said of Disney’s success.
“Toy Story 4” was made by Pixar, a Disney ($DIS) subsidiary, and released domestically on June 20, boasting over $120 million in its debut weekend. To date, the film has grossed over $421 million in the U.S. and nearly $580 million internationally.
Disney’s other films that hit $1 billion in sales this year include “Captain Marvel,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King” and “Avengers: Endgame.”
In total, Disney has so far had four animated films reach the $1 billion milestone: “Incredibles 2,” “Finding Doy,” and “Toy Story 3,” which was in 2010.
“I want some other studios to step up and put out movies that break through the culture zeitgeist,” O’Connell said. “And it is not happening right now.”
O’Connell added that Disney’s success this year is significant, especially since the studio does not have any expected hits for release in 2020. Yet with four months left in the year, Disney still has a strong lineup coming with the release of “Frozen 2” in November and "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in December.
Disney's stock has been up roughly 23 percent year-to-date.
The Chinese government brought the sitcom "Friends" back to its streaming services. However, it had instances of LGBTQ+ references left out, after the series had been banned on Chinese streaming platforms for years.
Season 13 "Shark Tank" contestant Tania Speaks secured a $400,000 deal for her Speaks Organic Skincare brand with "Shark" Mark Cuban while also being named one of the best pitches in the history of the show — all at 19 years old. Now 20, Speaks joined Cheddar News to talk about the skincare line, the clean beauty industry, and the moment that host Cuban was moved by her pitch. "I couldn't believe that he got emotional. I'm surprised I held back my tears that long," the young entrepreneur revealed. "It's just amazing for someone else to be inspired by your story, especially Mark Cuban himself."
The media giant formerly known as ViacomCBS has officially rebranded itself as Paramount Global with a focus on its streaming service, Paramount Plus. Naveen Chopra, chief financial officer at Paramount, joined Cheddar to discuss the company’s name change and streaming wars. "There are components of content licensing that we continue to do, either historical arrangements or opportunities to license content that don't really impinge on what we're trying to do with our owned and operated services and that continues to be an important ingredient in our broader financial model," he said. "But our number one priority is putting our best assets on Paramount Plus." Chopra also discussed theatrical release windows before feature films hit its service and the platform's subscription goals.
In efforts to help support black-owned brands. Ulta Beauty says it will make a commitment to not only give these brand shelf space but also help them navigate the ins and outs of growing a business. Last week, the beauty retailer announced in order to reach those goals, the company will spend $50 million on diversity and inclusion programs, including an accelerated program to mentor entrepreneurs of color. CEO of Ulta Beauty, Dave Kimbell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
