Summary: The “Star Wars” franchise was never a huge phenomenon in China the way it was elsewhere in the world, so it wasn’t much of a shock when the latest installment, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” flopped in its opening weekend in the country. It even came in second behind a local martial arts epic from Donnie Yen. In fact, eight out of the top ten earning movies in China during 2019 were homegrown hits as the country’s annual box office reached new heights.<br> The box office won’t break any records in North America this year, despite the strong opening of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” A film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Cats” sure isn’t helping either. It opened to scathing reviews and grosses to match. Good news though, a new version of the film should be in theaters for its second week.<br> Meanwhile, Netflix released subscriber info region by region and investors liked what they heard. Obviously, Netflix has hit peak subscribership in the United States, but when you look at how the company is doing in the rest of the world, you can see its customer base is growing substantially.<br> Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including a new owner for Miramax, NBC/Universal reveals the pricing for the upcoming streaming service and “South Park” rules cable television for the seventh year in a row.<br> <br> ‘Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker’ Delivers $175.5M Debut While ‘Cats’ Coughs Up a Furball<br> <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3446670340" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3446670340</a><br> China Box Office: ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ Flops Spectacularly<br> <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/star-wars-rise-skywalker-flops-spectacularly-china-1264737" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/star-wars-rise-skywalker-flops-spectacularly-china-1264737</a><br> Cats Is Still Being Finished<br> <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/universal-notifies-theaters-cats-is-being-updated-improved-visual-effects-1264689" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/universal-notifies-theaters-cats-is-being-updated-improved-visual-effects-1264689</a><br> Cohen Media Group Acquires Curzon and Artificial Eye in UK<br> <a href="https://deadline.com/2019/12/curzon-cinemas-acquired-cohen-media-group-1202816303/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://deadline.com/2019/12/curzon-cinemas-acquired-cohen-media-group-1202816303/</a><br> Top 10 Films Of The Year in Chinese Box Office<br> <a href="http://chinafilminsider.com/2019-year-in-review-top-10-blockbusters-in-chinese-cinema/">http://chinafilminsider.com/2019-year-in-review-top-10-blockbusters-in-chinese-cinema/</a><br> Chinese Box Office Sets All Time Record<br> <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-hits-all-time-high-2019-1263609">https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-hits-all-time-high-2019-1263609</a><br> South Park Tops Cable in Key Demo For 7th Year In A Row<br> <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/south-park-viewers-watched-30-billion-minutes-show-2019-1263298">https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/south-park-viewers-watched-30-billion-minutes-show-2019-1263298</a><br> Cox Fined $1B For Failing To Stop Copyright Infringement<br> <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/legal-and-management/8546842/cox-1-billion-piracy-lawsuit-labels-publishers">https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/legal-and-management/8546842/cox-1-billion-piracy-lawsuit-labels-publishers</a><br> TV Academy Charges Fees For Digital Screeners<br> <a href="https://variety.com/2019/tv/awards/emmys-television-academy-screeners-cost-dvds-rules-1203444574/">https://variety.com/2019/tv/awards/emmys-television-academy-screeners-cost-dvds-rules-1203444574/</a><br> ‘Pulp Fiction’ studio Miramax stake sold to ViacomCBS
