Publications
Publications
Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(199)
- Faculty Publications (88)
- September 2018 (Revised April 2019)
- Case
AMC Entertainment: Creating a Spectacular Moviegoing Experience (A)
By: Henry McGee and Aldo Sesia
In 2018, the Hollywood film industry is facing tough headwinds. Fewer and fewer Americans are going to movie theaters, opting instead to watch movies on demand in the comfort of their own homes or on portable devices. Adam Aron, the head of the world’s largest movie... View Details
- May 2018 (Revised February 2020)
- Case
Jason Blum's Blumhouse Productions
By: Anita Elberse
In March 2017, Jason Blum, the founder and chief executive officer of film and television production company Blumhouse Productions, has another blockbuster on his hands with the movie Get Out, produced for just $4.5 million. Remarkable returns for its micro-budget... View Details
Keywords: Entertainment; Media; Film; Movies; Creative Industries; Product-portfolio Management; Entrepreneurship; Innovation; Talent; General Management; Strategy; Marketing; Blockbusters; Film Entertainment; Innovation and Management; Talent and Talent Management; Competitive Strategy; Management Style; Marketing Strategy; Motion Pictures and Video Industry
- October 2017
- Case
LeBron James: Building a Hollywood Empire
By: Anita Elberse
It is June 2016. Superstar basketball player LeBron James and his childhood friend and business partner Maverick Carter are celebrating James’ third NBA championship. The duo will soon have to decide on a strategy for their media businesses—their film and television... View Details
Keywords: Film; Motion Picutres; Superstar; Innovation; Creative Industries; Talent; General Management; Celebrities; Marketing; Entertainment; Sports; Media; Film Entertainment; Innovation Strategy; Talent and Talent Management; Strategy; Digital Strategy; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry
- September 2017
- Supplement
Actera Group: Investing in Mars Cinema Group (A)
By: Victoria Ivashina and Eren Kuzucu
In summer of 2010, Murat Çavuşoğlu (HBS MBA 1994) led private equity firm Actera Group’s investment in Mars Cinema Group (Mars), the leading movie exhibitor in Turkey. Immediately after acquiring Mars and merging it with the second larger player in the market, AFM,... View Details
- September 2017
- Supplement
Actera Group: Investing in Mars Cinema Group (B)
By: Victoria Ivashina and Eren Kuzucu
In summer of 2010, Murat Çavuşoğlu (HBS MBA 1994) led private equity firm Actera Group’s investment in Mars Cinema Group (Mars), the leading movie exhibitor in Turkey. Immediately after acquiring Mars and merging it with the second larger player in the market, AFM,... View Details
- September 2017 (Revised July 2019)
- Case
Actera Group: Investing in Mars Cinema Group (A)
By: Victoria Ivashina and Eren Kuzucu
In summer of 2010, Murat Çavuşoğlu (HBS MBA 1994) led private equity firm Actera Group’s investment in Mars Cinema Group (Mars), the leading movie exhibitor in Turkey. Immediately after acquiring Mars and merging it with the second largest player in the market, AFM,... View Details
- September 2017 (Revised July 2019)
- Supplement
Actera Group: Investing in Mars Cinema Group (B)
By: Victoria Ivashina and Eren Kuzucu
Supplements the (A) case. View Details
- May 2017 (Revised November 2019)
- Case
The Dubai International Film Festival
By: Rohit Deshpandé and Alpana Thapar
This case follows the conception and emergence of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). In an already crowded and highly competitive industry, Abdulhamid Juma was attempting to define and establish a unique brand positioning for DIFF. Committed to its vision,... View Details
Keywords: Brand Positioning; Underdog Brand Building; Business Models; Non-profit; Managing Multiple Stakeholders; Film Entertainment; Brands and Branding; Business Model; Competitive Strategy; Decision Making; Growth and Development Strategy; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry
- May 2017 (Revised April 2020)
- Case
Raj Kapoor: The Socialist Showman
By: Geoffrey Jones and Snigdha Sur
This case examines the career of Raj Kapoor, the legendary Bollywood filmmaker of the postwar decades. It explores how Kapoor built RK studios after 1948 by releasing a series of movies that combined romance with social messages focused on the fate of the common man in... View Details
- November 2016 (Revised May 2017)
- Case
The Black List
By: Henry McGee and Sarah McAra
Franklin Leonard founded The Black List in 2005 as an innovative approach to identifying potential hit movie scripts via crowdsourcing. As the annual Black List proved to hold the scripts of some of Hollywood’s most successful films, from “Slumdog Millionaire” to... View Details
- October 2016 (Revised February 2020)
- Case
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
By: Anita Elberse
In June 2016, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is planning for the upcoming launch of an endeavor that is a first for a Hollywood actor with superstar status—a digital channel. The channel (named “Seven Bucks Digital Studios”) will be a new part of film and television... View Details
Keywords: Entertainment; Film; Motion Picutres; Superstar; Innovation; Creative Industries; Talent; General Management; Celebrities; Management; Information Technology; Strategy; Talent and Talent Management; Creativity; Marketing; Personal Development and Career; Film Entertainment; Innovation and Invention; Digital Strategy; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry
- May 2016 (Revised April 2019)
- Case
Legendary Entertainment: Moneyball for Motion Pictures
By: John A. Deighton and Leora Kornfeld
Legendary, the Hollywood studio responsible for such hits as Jurassic World and The Dark Knight, decides to take the marketing of its films in-house, and to market them fan-by-fan. Owner Thomas Tull acquires the big-data-in-sports firm started by Matt Marolda and... View Details
- April 2016 (Revised June 2019)
- Case
The Walt Disney Studios
By: Anita Elberse
In December 2015, Alan Horn, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, celebrates the world premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens—only the latest in a string of big bets that he has overseen. Disney pursues a “tentpole strategy” that revolves around at least eight... View Details
Keywords: Entertainment; Movie Industry; Film; Creative Industries; Product Portfolio Management; Innovation; Branding; Talent; Blockbuster; Superstar; Film Entertainment; Media; Strategy; Talent and Talent Management; Creativity; Product Launch; Brands and Branding; Product Development; Marketing; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry
- March 2016 (Revised May 2016)
- Case
UFO Moviez—Gentle Disruption
By: Hong Luo, Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Saloni Chaturvedi
UFO Moviez is an Indian technology services provider that enables low-cost, digital delivery of films to cinemas. UFO’s satellite-based technology enables a significantly wider release of films compared to traditional analog prints and standard, higher-resolution... View Details
- February 2015 (Revised April 2018)
- Supplement
Dalian Wanda Group: The AMC Entertainment Acquisition (B)
By: Willy Shih
When Dalian Wanda Group of China announced its plan to acquire the AMC Entertainment theatrical exhibition chain in the United States, many people in the U.S were mystified. Unlike China where theatrical exhibition was experiencing rapid growth, the U.S. market was... View Details
Keywords: AMC Entertainment; Wanda Group; Wang Jianlin; Theater Entertainment; Film Entertainment; Acquisition; Mergers and Acquisitions; Foreign Direct Investment; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Strategy; Expansion; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; China; United States
- December 2014 (Revised April 2018)
- Case
Dalian Wanda Group: The AMC Entertainment Acquisition (A)
By: Willy Shih
When Dalian Wanda Group of China announced its plan to acquire the AMC Entertainment theatrical exhibition chain in the United States, many people in the U.S. were mystified. Unlike China where theatrical exhibition was experiencing rapid growth, the U.S. market was... View Details
Keywords: Dalian Wanda Group; AMC Entertainment; Wang Jianlin; Theater Entertainment; Film Entertainment; Acquisition; Mergers and Acquisitions; Foreign Direct Investment; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Expansion; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; China; United States
- August 2014 (Revised May 2015)
- Case
Teaming at Disney Animation
By: Amy C. Edmondson, David L. Ager, Emily Harburg and Natalie Bartlett
Jonathan Geibel, Director of Systems at Walt Disney Animation Studios (hereafter referred to as Disney Animation), walked through the workspace occupied by the group he had been tasked to lead. Geibel knew he was part of a creative and magical environment. The Disney... View Details
- August 2014 (Revised June 2019)
- Case
MRC's House of Cards
By: Anita Elberse
In March 2011, Asif Satchu and Modi Wiczyk, co-chairmen and co-chief executive officers at independent production company Media Rights Capital (MRC), are debating whether to accept a licensing offer from Netflix for their most ambitious project to date, a new... View Details
- August 2014
- Case
Netflix: Designing the Netflix Prize (A)
By: Karim R. Lakhani, Wesley M. Cohen, Kynon Ingram, Tushar Kothalkar, Maxim Kuzemchenko, Santosh Malik, Cynthia Meyn, Greta Friar and Stephanie Healy Pokrywa
In 2006, Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, was looking for a way to solve Netflix's customer churn problem. Netflix used Cinematch, its proprietary movie recommendation software, to promote individually determined best-fit movies to customers. Hastings determined that a... View Details
Keywords: Crowdsourcing; Prizes; Digitization; Algorithms; Recommendation Software; Disruption; Transformation; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Technological Innovation; Knowledge Sharing; Applications and Software; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; United States
- October 2013
- Case
Rhythm & Blues
By: Willy Shih
The bankruptcy filing of Rhythm & Hues, who received an Oscar for the arresting visual effects in Life of Pi, raised questions about the challenges faced by the firms like it as well as the broader post-production industry. The rapid pace of technology certainly... View Details
Keywords: Post-production; Visual Effects; Digital; Entertainment; Animation Entertainment; Film Entertainment; Television Entertainment; Theater Entertainment; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Information Technology; Internet and the Web; Applications and Software; Information Infrastructure; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Los Angeles