POACHERS TURNED GAMEKEEPERS SNARE GOLDMAN WITH BEST BREW July 18, 2011 SHARP-suited, discerning of taste and with a generous disposable income they can easily take elsewhere. Yes, the Goldman crew are a tough crowd – but even the investment bank’s most hard-nosed deal-makers are being won over by the new Italian opposite the Goldman Sachs fortress on Fleet Street, which is gaining a reputation for the [...]
Harry Potter nets £300m July 17, 2011 THE final Harry Potter film has shattered worldwide box office records with $476m (£295m) in global ticket sales since it opened last week. And the $168.6m US and Canadian takings for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2” is the best three-day opening for a film ever, distributor Warner Bros said yesterday. It [...]
An absolutely wizard send off July 14, 2011 Film HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART II Cert:12A THE closing episode in the decade-long Harry Potter saga is pretty much as epic, as entertaining and as impressive as you’d hope it could be. After the flabby slowness of Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows Part One, this rips us along on a tumultuous tide [...]
Asia boosts Burberry’s first quarter July 13, 2011 SHARES in Burberry leapt to yet another record-high yesterday after the British luxury brand reported a 34 per cent underlying growth in quarterly sales. The fashion house outshone market expectations, posting revenues of £367m for the three months to 30 June, with Asian countries leading the growth. Sales from Burberry’s retail operations, which make up [...]
BLOOMSBURY CAUTIOUS ON TRADING OUTLOOK July 11, 2011 HARRY Potter publisher Bloomsbury Publishing said yesterday it remains cautious about trading due to soft revenues and “difficult prevailing retail conditions”. The publisher said the current consumer economy is the worst it has been for decades. Bloomsbury, which publishes the Harry Potter series in the UK, also said yesterday that it has bought Continuum International [...]
Life, the universe, everything July 7, 2011 Film THE TREE OF LIFE Cert: PG-13 A FILM whose purpose is a slow, dream-like pondering on the meaning of life, the universe and everything – from fiery planets and early amoebic life through to the disappointments and small dramas of our modern lives, and beyond into transcendental spirituality – is never going to be [...]
Harry Potter and the publishers of fury June 23, 2011 JK ROWLING yesterday delivered a warning shot to the publishing industry that it must adapt to the rapidly-changing online world or risk becoming marginalised. The Harry Potter author revealed she will offer her record-breaking children’s books for download through her own website, circumventing the need to visit digital bookshops like those owned by the likes [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS May 25, 2011 Cable & Wireless The telecoms company has appointed Ian Gibson as chief financial officer and executive director, with effect from 21 July. Gibson joined the group in 1995 and has held a number of senior management positions, most recently deputy chief financial officer. In 2009 he was appointed as acting chief financial officer and played [...]
Pirates break box office record May 22, 2011 The latest Pirates of the Caribbean film made $346.4m (£213.2m) in its global box office debut this weekend, falling short of forecasts but still making it the biggest opening weekend this year. Disney said “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” set a record as the highest international movie opening of all time, with $256.3m [...]
James Bond studio backs £96m Peel bid April 27, 2011 PINEWOOD Shepperton, the iconic British studios that has played host to screen legends including James Bond and Harry Potter, looks set to be sold to Peel Holdings for £96m. Peel fought off an eleventh hour rival approach from controversial Fulham FC owner Mohamed al Fayed. The former Harrods owner is thought to be mulling an [...]