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Transformers, World War Z, and More: 5 Key Viacom Franchises for
the Next Decade
Transformers
• Transformers is Viacom and Paramount’s
biggest movie series, with the four films in the franchise having grossed more than
$3.7 billion in global ticket sales according
to boxofficemojo.com. A fifth Transformers film is expected in
2017.
TransformersDomestic ticket sales
Worldwide ticket sales
Transformers $319 million $710 million
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
$402 million $836 million
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
$352 million $1.12 billion
Transformers: Age of Extinction
$245 million $1.1 billion
• Domestic ticket sales for Transformers movies have dipped since 2009’s Revenge of the Fallen, but strong international performance has made up for the declining American box office share.
World War Z
• In 2013, World War Z
overcame a troubled
production and expectations it
would flop, grossing over $540 million
globally.
World War Z
• Despite not releasing in China, World War Z did roughly $338 million in foreign ticket sales.
• Paramount and Viacom will vie to have the film in Chinese theaters for summer 2017, but may encounter resistance, as the country has been reluctant to screen films starring Brad Pitt after his performance in 1995’s Seven Years in Tibet.
Nicktoons
Paramount is working on a movie that will bring
some of its biggest Nicktoons properties together, potentially
uniting characters from shows including Hey
Arnold!, Rugrats, Ren & Stimpy, and Rocko’s
Modern Life.
Nicktoons
• Viacom and Paramount have some great, underused
characters under the Nicktoons banner.
• If the upcoming team-up movie is successful, it could help launch new versions of
classic cartoons on Nickelodeon. The prospect of reviving previously successful shows on the network is likely very attractive to Viacom, as
Nickelodeon’s ratings are struggling.
The Daily Show
• As one of the most important shows on one of Viacom’s most important networks, there’s a lot riding on the transition from former host Jon
Stewart to new host Trevor Noah.
The Daily Show
• Comedy Central ratings were down 30% in the first quarter of 2015, and a healthy Daily Show will be needed to get things back on the
right track.• Following Jon Stewart’s exit from
The Daily Show, ratings for sister program The Nightly Show fell
roughly 40%. If the revamped Daily Show is a hit, it should help to
bring back some of that lead-in audience.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles successfully
reintroduced the heroes in a half-shell to
the silver screen, generating over $485 million in global ticket sales on a production
budget of $125 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• A sequel is on track for a 2016 release.
• Ninja Turtles is also an important property for Viacom’s Nickelodeon
network, with the latest cartoon take on the
franchise heading into its fifth season.
Can Viacom’s big franchises help it bounce back?
• Viacom has some potent properties at its disposal, but it is facing big challenges going forward.
• Leaning more heavily on its film wing could help the company weather poor television ratings. Successfully expanding the Transformers series is crucial to that
end, but the company also needs to strengthen the rest of its film lineup. World War Z, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the Nicktoons movie are key here, as are the
Mission Impossible and Star Trek series. • At the moment, the strength of Viacom’s film lineup looks like it will grow
significantly, but it’s uncertain if even solid improvement will be enough to offset continued difficulties in television.
• It seems unlikely that Comedy Central will be able to recreate the magic of the Jon Stewart-Stephen Colbert late night combo, and the MTV and Nickelodeon networks
are also both in great need of new hits.
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