21 hours Ago By Pamela McClintock
There’s a reason why Donna Langley has risen from running Universal Pictures to now serving as chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment and Studios. Take Wednesday afternoon at CinemaCon as weary theater owners waited for Universal to present its upcoming slate. Instead of the usual speeches and industry shout-outs, she and her team started off the presentation with an orchestral presentation of famous movie songs and scores conducted by famed musical director Rickey Minor.
They were, of course, all from Universal titles: Jaws , Jurassic Park , Oppenheimer , E.T. the Extraterrestrial and Wicked , among many others.
The performance by the 43-piece orchestra flown in from Los Angeles brought down the house. “Wow! Let’s hear it again for Rickey Minor and his amazing orchestra,” said Langley when taking the stage to equally huge applause. “It’s so emotional.
OK. Oh my goodness.” Amid uncertain times for a number of major Hollywood studios, Langley was a calming force when taking the stage.
Nor was she about to cede ground in the resurfaced debate over theatrical windows . More than any conglomerate, NBCU has pushed the boundaries of experimenting with collapsing theatrical windows. “It’s great to be back here at CinemaCon.
Celebrating the power of movies and the promise of an unparalleled theatrical experience with this incredible community is always one of the highlights of my year. It’s also one of the rare times we are able to come together as a collective and show off a little bit; show off what our filmmakers have been cooking up after years of development and production, culminating in big theatrical campaigns that inspire audiences to go to the theater.” She said it was also “about more than showing off.
It’s about showing up.” Added the exec: “Our audiences are evolving, and we need to work harder than ever to earn a share of their time and their wallets. You all know what Universal brings to the table, and it’s proven to be a successful formula for all of us in this room.
” Langley noted that Universal’s film empire has consistently delivered the highest number of wide releases in terms of sheer volume in the post-pandemic world. And, along with Disney, it is the only studio to have crossed $4.5 billion in global box office sales in any given year since the pandemic.
“And beyond commercial success, we back up those numbers with quality movies,” Langley said. “Since 2021, Universal has had more top five hits at the global box office than any other studio, and the highest average rating for its films on Rotten Romatoes. And we will continue to show up with premium entertainment to compel audiences to buy movie tickets.
” In return, however, exhibition must deliver a theatrical experience that is going to be better than anything audiences will find at home, Langley said. “Walking into a movie theater and settling into your seat with anticipation of the story waiting to unfold on screen in front of you is why we do what we do. There’s no question we continue to face an uphill climb, but it’s one we will climb together,” she said.
Langley could have easily sat out CinemaCon as do many of counterparts at her level of the exec ranks. Instead, she chose to speak directly to exhibitors and kick-off the presentation. This year, Universal and its film divisions will release at least 20 films, more than any other studio (the same held for the past few years).
At NBCU, Langley oversees all entertainment programming and marketing across Peacock, Bravo and NBC, including primetime and late night. She also continues to spearhead global creative strategy, business operations, production, acquisitions, marketing and distribution for the portfolio of award-winning Film and Television Studio. Said the exec: “There is a lot to be excited about and a lot to be proud of, and our upcoming slate is definitely no exception.
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