Movies Are a Bright Spot in a Glum Quarter for Sony

Sony announced a 48% year-over-year drop in operating income for the quarter ending in September, owing in part to earthquake damage that hindered its profitable image-sensor manufacturing business. But the movie business was doing more than its fare share, contributing a $32 million quarterly profit. Theatrical hits from the period included Ghostbusters, Sausage Party and Don't Breathe, a big improvement over last year when the heavily promoted Pixels was a dud. [Deadline, Reuters]

Pursuing Diversity, AMPAS Starts Revoking Inactive Members' Voting Privileges

Reacting to criticism that the fims chosen for Oscar recognition too-often reflect a homogenous voting mody, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has acted, revoking the voting privileges of members who are no longer "active in the field of motion pictures." Under the new rules, members may lose the ability to vote if they go for at least one full decade without a screen credit. The Academy says less than 1 percent of the voting body has been demoted to "emeritus" status; one effect of the rules is that they hit older members of the Academy the hardest. [Los Angeles Times]

dunkirk-posterChristopher Nolan's Dunkirk May Get an Early 35mm/70mm-only Opening

Movie site Indie Revolver cites "a source with knowledge of the release" who says Warner Bros. will reward theaters that can still project film with a 48-hour window on director Christopher Nolan's upcoming World War II film Dunkirk. That move would mirror the early release strategy employed for Nolan's previous Interstellar, which opened early in 240 theaters that projected it on film. [Indie Revolver]

Deadpool's Tim Miller Pivots to a Different Kind of Hero

After leaving the Deadpool sequel over the typical "creative differences" with star Ryan Reynolds, Blur Studios owner Tim Miller is looking to make Sega videogame character Sonic the Hedgehog the star of a new family film combining CG characters and live action. Jeff Fowler, whose short film "Gopher Broke" earned an Oscar nomination in 2005, will direct and Miller will executive-produce. [The Hollywood Reporter]

James Cameron Says There Is a Time for HFR, and a Time for 24fps

James Cameron, whose Avatar sequels are widely expected to push the bounds of what's currently possible in filmmaking technology, says that despite the availability of high-frame-rate HFR cinematography, 24fps footage is still important because it offers a "veil of unreality." He suggested that HFR may be used sparingly by directors on an as-needed basis, calling it "a tool, not a format." Cameron, along with fellow frame-rate innovator Douglas Trumbull, was being honored at the SMPTE Centennial Gala. [The Hollywood Reporter/Behind the Screen]