Wicked London stage show soars to record revenue Culture The West End production of Wicked, prequel to MGM classic The Wizard of Oz, reported its revenue rose 4.5 per cent to a record £27.8m last year. The rise was thanks to hype for the movie based on it, which yesterday became the highest-earning musical adaptation of all time. Mega stars Ariana Grande and Jeff [...]
French film-makers get their claws on £35m of UK taxpayers’ cash to make Paddington movies Culture French film production company StudioCanal benefited from £35.8m of UK taxpayers’ cash to make a television series and three movies about British icon Paddington bear, with £13.4m alone handed out for the latest film which premiered on Friday. StudioCanal’s owner, French media giant Vivendi, posted a net profit of £336.6m (€405m) last year on revenues [...]
Disney’s Magical Cruise Company sails ahead as Disneyland parks struggle retail According to recently filed accounts, Disney’s cruise line sailed past the £1.6bn ($2bn) revenue mark in 2023 for the first time in its 25-year history, thanks to a surge in demand as it emerged from the pandemic. Disney’s filings in the United States don’t disclose the results of all of the businesses it owns and [...]