National Amusements, Inc. is an American privately owned movie theater operator and mass media holding company incorporated in Maryland and based in Norwood, Massachusetts .
46-572: The company owns 71 theaters and 689 screens throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, and Latin America under several brands, such as Showcase Cinemas , Multiplex Cinemas, and Cinema de Lux. It is the controlling shareholder of Paramount Global . National Amusements was founded by Michael Redstone , and later passed to his son Sumner Redstone . After his 2020 death, the company was passed to
92-437: A Ben Affleck biographical drama on Nike's Air Jordan shoe line. On October 12, 2022, Kylian Mbappé and his production banner, Zebra Valley, signed a multi-year first-look deal with Skydance Sports. On November 3, 2022, Skydance Sports announced a behind-the-scenes documentary series following the 2024 America's Cup , produced by Free Solo directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin . In November 2022,
138-464: A 5% to 10% minority stake. Jun Oh was hired by Skydance Media as head of theatrical, interactive and legal affairs in October 2018. In February 2020, RedBird Capital Partners and CJ ENM invested in the company. In April 2020, Skydance Media named veteran entertainment executive Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon to the newly created post of general counsel. On October 20, 2021, Skydance announced Skydance Sports,
184-701: A 72% stake in the then-named Entercom as of the spin-off. Showcase Cinemas Showcase Cinemas is a movie theater chain owned and operated by National Amusements . It operates in the United States , Brazil (under the name UCI Cinemas ), the United Kingdom , and Argentina . Showcase operates a total of 18 theaters in the United States: ten in the Greater Boston area within Massachusetts , and
230-537: A 9.7% equity stake and 79.9% voting interest in Paramount Global , and used to operate its predecessors, the second CBS Corporation and the second Viacom before their closure in 2019, both split from the also defunct First Viacom . The company may hold an unspecified stake in Audacy, Inc. , as part of the reverse Morris trust that spun CBS's radio assets off to that company; CBS Corporation shareholders overall held
276-434: A chain of movie theaters in the region. In 1959, when the founder's son Sumner Redstone joined the company, it was renamed National Amusements, the present name. On June 10, 1987, the company became the majority owner of the original incarnation of Viacom , a former CBS subsidiary syndicating television programs to stations around the United States . Since the buyout, Viacom continued to expand through purchases from
322-587: A companion talk show hosted by Aisha Tyler from Archer , under its label company Uncharted. In September 2019, writer David S. Goyer also signed an deal with Skydance Television for an exclusive multi-year overall agreement as well under his Phantom Four company. In April 2019, Daredevil writer Lewaa Nasserdeen joined Skydance Television in an overall deal as well while developing a semi-autobiographical comedy-drama series on Showtime . In May 2019 Alison Schapker , showrunner of Altered Carbon , made an overall deal with Skydance Television to develop series at
368-478: A documentary on women's basketball player Diana Taurasi . In March 2022, Religion of Sports signed with Skydance Sports to develop, finance, and produce a slate of sports-related shows for multiple platforms, starting with a series called The Owl . It is created and executive produced by Michael Perri and directed by Aurora Guerrero. In April 2022, it was reported that Amazon Studios had partnered with Skydance Sports, Artists Equity , and Mandalay Pictures on
414-417: A first look deal with Exile Content Studio to develop and produce scripted series. By February 2021, the studio also signed a first look deal with Impact, a global talent network and development accelerator program owned by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer for television productions. In November 2021, Peter Johnson joins Skydance Television as a television executive reporting for Bill Bost. By December 2022, it
460-458: A first-look TV deal with Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood from their company Undisputed Cinema. Skydance Interactive (formerly known as The Workshop Entertainment ) is a game division which was launched on May 5, 2016. It focuses on developing ambitious titles, managing projects licenses with other developers, and developing software innovative game mechanics as well as for VR and emerging platforms. In May 2017, Chris Hewish
506-1024: A further two in Rhode Island ; five in the New York City suburbs; and one in Springdale, Ohio . These theaters operate under the brands Showcase Cinemas, Cinema de Lux, and (in the sole case of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts ) Showcase SuperLux. Several now-shuttered locations in New York City formerly operated under the name Multiplex Cinemas. The Cinema de Lux brand was established in 2008 to denote locations that offered in-theater dining options and full bars with seat delivery service. All locations are wheelchair accessible and offer assistance devices for hearing- and sight-impaired customers. Internationally, Showcase operates 8 theaters in Argentina, 29 in Brazil, and 16 in
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#1733092253911552-539: A group of investors, and a $ 500 million line of credit from J.P. Morgan Chase. Skydance renewed its slate deal with Paramount in the summer of 2013 for four more years. On May 3, 2016, Skydance launched the Skydance Interactive division last year following the acquisition of The Workshop Entertainment and announced in January 2017 for a new story-driven virtual reality game titled Archangel . Skydance also created
598-453: A new $ 1 billion credit facility, giving the film and TV studio enhanced flexibility to invest in its business lines. In January 2024, it was reported that David Ellison was interested to buy Paramount Global 's parent company National Amusements from Shari Redstone . Skydance held exclusive talks with Paramount on a merger, but the window expired with no deal in place. An independent committee representing Paramount would go on to recommend
644-426: A new division led by Jon Weinbach that would produce sports-themed content. In January 2022, Skydance reached a non-exclusive multi-year first-look deal with Apple Original Films for a slate of live-action films. Variety reported that the agreement called for two films per-year at a budget of at least $ 125 million each, and Skydance receiving a payout of at least $ 25 million per-film. Skydance would also retain
690-493: A number of original virtual reality video games based on the expansive world of The Walking Dead universe. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners and The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution were to be the inaugural titles co-developed by the two companies. In 2023, they also published a Final Cut version of Arashi: Castle of Sin developed by Endeavor One and was released on December 5, 2023 on next-generation virtual reality consoles. Skydance Animation
736-654: A process in which Skydance will acquire National Amusements for $ 2.4 billion, pay Paramount's Class A and Class B stockholders $ 4.5 billion in cash and shares, and then perform an all-stock merger between Paramount and Skydance. The company operates more than 1,500 movie screens across the Northeastern United States , the United Kingdom , and Latin America under its Showcase Cinemas , Showcase Cinema de Lux, Multiplex Cinemas, and Cinema de Lux . In Canada , National Amusements, through its 1994 acquisition of Viacom, also owned Famous Players ; individual cinemas from
782-601: A production label named Uncharted in December 2016 to house content which falls outside of the action, sci-fi, or fantasy genres. On March 16, 2017, Skydance launched the Skydance Animation division by forming a multi-year partnership with Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios . In August 2017, Skydance and Paramount renewed their slate deal for another four years to 2021, with the addition of Skydance's animated films for distribution. On January 25, 2018, Tencent bought
828-399: A revised offer from Ellison that would see Skydance purchase National Amusements for $ 2 billion. In June 2024, CNBC reported that Skydance and Paramount agreed to terms on a merger, which was awaiting approval from National Amusements. After it was reported on June 11 that merger talks had fallen apart, negotiations between the two were reported to have restarted on July 2, and Skydance
874-432: A series which was based on Sword Art Online . After the 2017 announcement of developing a series adaptation of Isaac Asimov 's science fiction book series Foundation with David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman serving as the production's writers. In 2018, Apple TV+ bought the streaming rights to the series renewing it for a second season upon its release in 2021. In June 2018, Dietland aired on AMC along with
920-551: A trust led by his daughter Shari Redstone . After nearly 90 years of control by the Redstone family, in July 2024, David Ellison 's Skydance Media announced its intent to acquire National Amusements and perform an all-stock merger between it and Paramount Global. The company was founded by Michael Redstone in 1936 in the Boston suburb of Dedham as Northeast Theater Corporation , operating
966-499: Is a division launched by Skydance on October 20, 2021, which is dedicated to sports films , series, and documentaries. It is led by Jon Weinbach . In January 2022, Skydance Sports announced a co-production agreement with Meadowlark Media on sports documentaries. The first two productions under this agreement were Good Rivals —a three-part documentary series on the Mexico–United States soccer rivalry for Amazon Prime, and
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#17330922539111012-438: Is a television production company launched by Skydance on May 1, 2013. The division hired Marcy Ross as division president and a month later, Carolyn Harris joined Skydance Television as vice president. However, in January 2020, Ross left her position transitioning to a deal with the media company, where she continues to be an executive producer on Grace and Frankie , Altered Carbon , Condor and Foundation . Bill Bost
1058-469: Is the animation division of Skydance Media; it focuses on animated feature films and television series. It was founded on March 16, 2017. Its first film was Luck and its first short film was Blush . Skydance New Media is a video game development studio founded by Skydance on November 18, 2019, led by Amy Hennig . In October 2021, the studio announced a planned collaboration with Marvel Entertainment for an action-adventure game. In April 2022, it
1104-555: The NFL announced a joint venture with Skydance Sports via its NFL Films division and investment arm 32 Equity to create a "premier global multi-sports production studio". The first projects announced under the venture included a documentary miniseries on Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (which was acquired by Netflix in May 2024), the NFL Draft documentary The Pick is In for The Roku Channel ,
1150-484: The Northeastern United States (with the exception of one location in Ohio). The following year, National Amusements planned to sell $ 390 million of notes to refinance a large part of the company's bank owed debt. In 2019, it was announced that the multinational media conglomerates controlled by National Amusements — Viacom and CBS Corporation — would re-merge to form a new company named ViacomCBS. Viacom and CBS announced that
1196-642: The Paramount partnership and an equity investment by Larry Ellison, who was then the sixth richest person in the world, Skydance raised $ 350 million in equity and credit to co-finance its films. On October 25, 2011, Skydance tried to sign its own first production client with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci of K/O Paper Products , but the deal never materialized. On May 1, 2013, Skydance launched Skydance Television, hiring Marcy Ross as division president. In 2014, Jesse Sisgold joined Skydance as President of Business Affairs & Strategic Planning and later that year
1242-506: The United Kingdom. Skydance Media Skydance Media, LLC , also known as Skydance Productions , is an American media production and finance company based in Santa Monica , California. Founded by David Ellison in 2006, the company specializes in films, animation, television, video games, and sports. In 2009, the company entered a five-year partnership to co-produce and co-finance films with Paramount Pictures . This agreement
1288-524: The company's annual D23 Expo in person and through broadcasts on multiple streaming platforms. Along with the announcement, Disney said that the panel would also debut a "sneak peek" at Skydance New Media's Marvel title, which is described as being an "ensemble game". During the showcase on September 9, 2022, the Marvel project confirmed prior reports that it would be set during World War II . Also Captain America and Azzuri / Black Panther will be featured as
1334-598: The early 1990s to the early 2000s, announcing plans to merge with Paramount Communications (formerly Gulf+Western ), parent of Paramount Pictures , in 1993 (which closed in 1994), buying the Blockbuster Video chain in 1994, merging with the original CBS Corporation in 2000, and acquiring BET Holdings (which became BET Media Group ) in 2001. In March 2005, due to Viacom's declining stock price, National Amusements announced that it would split its media subsidiary into two companies that would remain under its control, which
1380-500: The end of 2008, due to financial troubles, owners Sumner Redstone and Shari Redstone sold $ 400 million of nonvoting shares in National Amusements. In October 2009, the company sold almost $ 1 billion of its interest in the stock of CBS and Viacom and sold 35 theaters to Rave Motion Pictures . Today these theatres are owned by Cinemark , AMC , Alamo, or have closed. National Amusements now almost exclusively operates theaters in
1426-684: The intellectual property rights to the films produced under the agreement, and would still be allowed to work with other distributors. On October 13, 2022, Skydance completed a $ 400 million strategic investment round which was led by KKR , a first-time investor, and joined by the Ellison family who are majority shareholders. By April 13, 2023, Skydance Media backed a new venture from country star Tim McGraw based in Nashville called "Down Home"; with two scripted series in development, along with plans on features and animation to follow. On July 7, Skydance brought
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1472-599: The main characters in the ensemble, alongside Gabriel Jones of the Howling Commandos unit and Nanali, leader of the Wakandan Spy Network, while the Hydra organization would serve as the main villains. In March 2024, during the showcase of State of Unreal, the project is revealed to be titled Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra with the game being powered by Unreal Engine 5 and will be released on 2025. Skydance Sports
1518-477: The merger would close on December 4; following the official close, the company began trading on the NASDAQ the following day. In 2022, the company was renamed Paramount Global . Sumner Redstone , who was National Amusements' chairman, CEO and owner, died on August 11, 2020. His holdings were transferred to a trust led by his daughter Shari Redstone . In January 2024, it was reported that film producer David Ellison
1564-522: The now-defunct chain are now owned by Cineplex Entertainment and Landmark Cinemas . In 2004, National Amusements acquired the Brazilian operations to cinema chain UCI, and revamped them so they could be more in line with their Showcase chain. They also share some of the corporate identities of Showcase and have XPlus & De Lux rooms in selected cinemas, as well as fully reclining seats. National Amusements owns
1610-506: The studio, including a US remake of a South Korea series called Hotel del Luna . By August 2019, writer Olivia Purnell had signed an overall deal with Skydance Television writing projects for the studio. In May 2020, Nick Santora also got an overall deal with Skydance Television with a series starting Arnold Schwarzenegger called FUBAR , soon to be released on Netflix. In May 2020 Skydance Television named Drew Brown as head of production. In December 2020, Skydance Television signed
1656-508: Was announced that Lucasfilm Games would collaborate making a game based in the Star Wars universe. There has been speculation that the game will be a revival of Project Ragtag which was also led by Henning. In August 2022, Marvel's parent corporation The Walt Disney Company announced their intentions to showcase a slate of video games based on their IP at the joint Disney & Marvel Games Showcase . It would happen in conjunction with
1702-499: Was announced that Octavia Spencer 's production company, Orit Entertainment, has entered a multiyear first-look deal for scripted projects for Skydance Television. On March 21, 2023, James Patterson has signed an exclusive first-look pact with Skydance Television to adapt his works such as the upcoming series Cross along with other projects in development like Women's Murder Club and the upcoming book Jane Smith . In May 2024, Skydance Television doubles on their series output and signed
1748-467: Was completed on December 31. The original Viacom became the second CBS Corporation as it kept CBS , Simon & Schuster , and Paramount Network Television (now CBS Studios ), among other assets, while MTV Networks , BET Media Group, and Paramount Pictures were spun-off to a sister company under the Viacom name. The second iterations of Viacom and CBS Corporation commenced trading on January 3, 2006. At
1794-631: Was formed in 2006 by David Ellison , son of Larry Ellison , co-founder and then-CEO of the Oracle Corporation . The firm's first film was Flyboys in 2006; it starred Ellison and was co-financed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . In the fall of 2009, Skydance and Paramount Pictures signed a five-year co-financing, production and distribution agreement, with Paramount holding an additional option of distribution. Before August 2010, Skydance hired Dana Goldberg, formerly of Village Roadshow Pictures , to oversee development and production. In August 2010, with
1840-582: Was hired as EVP Interactive help to set and execute overall strategy for Skydance Interactive, and oversee development, partnerships, and new business opportunities. On July 18, 2017, its first VR game, Archangel was launched. The game recently expanded into an online multiplayer upgrade, Archangel: Hellfire . Two days later, Skydance Interactive revealed their second original game called PWND , an multiplayer free to play game released on April 6, 2018, where players use Pwns to win. In 2018, Skydance Interactive partnered with Skybound Entertainment to develop
1886-467: Was interested in buying National Amusements from the Redstones. If the acquisition would be closed, the company would be placed under Ellison's Skydance Media . On July 2, it was reported that Skydance had reached a preliminary agreement, and that it had been referred to a special committee of Paramount's board for approval. On July 7, Skydance officially announced its intent to acquire Paramount Global, under
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1932-510: Was launched on WGN America ; it received critical acclaim throughout its run, but failed to secure adequate ratings, resulting in the series being canceled for 2 seasons in 2015. Later in April 2017, director Sam Raimi signed his first look deal at Skydance Television with his television producing partner Debbie Liebling . By September 2017, a multi-year overall agreement was signed by producers Patrick Massett and John Zinman after they joined
1978-461: Was promoted from senior vice president to president of Skydance Television. In November 2022, Bost stepped down and launched his own company; Netflix 's Matt Thunell took his place. In May 2014, Jake Rose joined Skydance Television as EVP Production and in March 2018, Carol Turner joined Skydance replacing Rose and overseeing production on site at the studio. By July 2014 its first show, Manhattan ,
2024-405: Was renewed twice, extending to 2021. On July 7, 2024, Skydance announced its intent to merge with Paramount Global in an $ 8 billion transaction, under an agreement in which Skydance would acquire Paramount's publicly-held controlling shareholder National Amusements , and then perform an all-stock merger with the company. The transaction is expected to close in spring 2025. Skydance Productions
2070-790: Was reported to have reached a preliminary agreement. On July 7, Ellison officially announced his intent for Skydance to take over Paramount Global in an $ 8 billion deal, after having received approval from a special board committee. The deal will be structured so that a group of investors from Skydance will pay $ 2.4 billion in cash to purchase National Amusements, and Paramount Global will pay its Class A and Class B stockholders $ 4.5 billion in cash and shares. Paramount would add $ 1.5 billion in primary capital to its balance sheet. The second phase will see an all-stock merger between Skydance Media and Paramount, valued at $ 4.75 billion. Paramount Global would have 45 days to look for better or matching offers from other bidders before finalizing. Skydance Television
2116-522: Was upped to Chief Operating Officer. Again he was promoted in 2017 to President & COO. In March 2014, Don Granger joined the company as the EVP of Feature Productions, a newly created position; he reports to Dana Goldberg who is the company's chief creative officer. In March 2015, Anne Globe joined the company as chief marketing officer. Later in the same year, Skydance raised $ 700 million in new financing. The refinancing included $ 200 million in equity from
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