Universal Pictures CEO Steps Down
ey Silver has resigned as chairman and chief executive officer of Universal Pictures here in a continuing executive shuffle. Silver's departure follows the exit of Universal Studios' chairman Frank Biondi Jr., due to a string of unsuccessful movies and the increased involvement of Seagram CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. in his company's entertainment holdings.
Ron Meyer, president and chief operating officer of Universal Studios, will take over Silver's duties. There are no plans for a successor to Silver, Seagram said.
"Both Casey and I felt this was the appropriate time to make a change," said Meyer. "We will continue our relationship in an independent production capacity."
Said Silver, "As chairman and CEO for the past three years, I am very proud of the films released during that time and I'm especially pleased with the films scheduled for the next 24 months." He confirmed that he will continue working with the company on an independent basis.
"Big Chill" Returns With Special Edition
CULVER CITY, Calif. -- A new 15th-anniversary special edition of the 1983 hit movie "The Big Chill" will be released to the sell-through video market on Jan. 26 following a theatrical re-release and promotional campaign.
The title has been digitally remastered and includes a 15-minute segment of interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and an additional nine minutes of scenes that were cut from the original version of the film. Suggested retail price for the pan-and-scan VHS version will be $14.95, while the wide-screen version will be priced at $19.95. The DVD will not have a suggested retail price. Order dates are Dec. 22 for VHS and Dec. 29 for DVD.
In 1983, "The Big Chill" was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Glenn Close). The soundtrack, which has gone platinum six times in the 15 years since it was released, will be remastered and reissued by Motown Records.
Promotional support for the video release will include a major advertising and promotional campaign, including two half-hour specials on VH1. A "Big Chill" sweepstakes will offer a Toyota Solara as the grand prize.
Hot Video Game
Is Running Scarce REDMOND, Wash. -- The hottest video game of the fourth quarter is in short supply. "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time," from Nintendo of America here, was released Nov. 23, but was being rationed to stores, which were mostly selling only to customers who had pre-ordered the title. This probably means strong rental activity for supermarkets when the title finally does become widely available.
An estimated 500,000 copies had been presold, and Nintendo is predicting that it will sell 2 million units in less than two months.
"We're moving the product into stores just as fast as we can produce it," said Peter Main, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Nintendo of America. "We remain on track to ship 2.5 million copies of Zelda 64 to stores by Christmas Eve, and the game also remains on track to become the fastest-seller in U.S. history," he said.
Artisan Sets
Rental Program
SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Artisan Home Entertainment's first-quarter Platinum Choice rental buying program will make the titles "Pi," "Permanent Midnight," "Strangeland" and "Jerry Springer's Ringmaster" available to retailers for less than $35 a copy. Retailers also will receive a full-size standee and "The Making of Jerry Springer's Ringmaster," a 22-minute looped featurette for in-store play.
MGM to Add to Film Library
SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has agreed to acquire part of the PolyGram film library from Seagram, Montreal, for $235 million.
The collection includes 1,300 titles, including "Fargo," "The Graduate" and "When Harry Met Sally." It would increase MGM's library to 5,200 titles.
Top 10 Supermarket Video Rental Titles
Last
Rank WkTitle (Wks Out)
Armageddon (2)
1 1 Buena Vista $22.99
Small Soldiers (3)
2 2 DreamWorks $22.99
Dr. Dolittle (1)
3 N Fox $19.98
Godzilla (4)
4 3 Columbia $22.95
Deep Impact (5)
5 4 Paramount $107.37
The Horse Whisperer (3)
6 6 Buena Vista $107.37
Hope Floats (6)
7 5 Fox $19.98
The Negotiator (1)
8 N Warner $107.37
A Perfect Murder (8)
9 7 Warner $107.37
Lost in Space (8)
10 8 New Line $22.98
N=New * Minimum advertised price Week ended NOV. 29
This chart, tailored for the supermarket video market, is based on information taken from more than 1,000 supermarket rental locations serviced by Ingram Entertainment, La Vergne, Tenn.
