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By Rebecca Rubin According To The variety According To The variety On Jan. 7, Warner Bros. worldwide marketing chief Josh Goldstine was called into the office of his bosses, studio chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, at the end of the day to find out that he was being let go after four years at the company. His three year-contract was renewed in early 2024, so Goldstine’s dismissal came as a surprise to many on the Burbank lot, given that he played a key role in promoting successes that range from “The Batman” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” to “Barbie” and “Wonka.” Goldstine’s firing was publicized the following day, at the height of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, which some found to be in poor taste, though knowledgable individuals chalked up the timing to an u...

By J. Kim Murphy According To The variety The big splash continues for Disney’s “Moana 2,” which earned a massive $54.5 million on Black Friday from 4,200 locations, shattering the $34.1 million record that was notched by “Frozen II” in 2019. Not only that, but the film has now earned $140 million and already surged past the five-day holiday weekend record by “Frozen II” ($125 million) — and it didn’t even need Saturday or Sunday grosses to do it. It’s a welcome return to the top for Walt Disney Animation, particularly after turning in two box office duds (“Strange World” and “Wish”) over the past two Novembers — and it’s strong evidence that the company’s family fare is still a superlative theatrical draw. “Moana 2” was originally conceived as a Disney+ series, but the studio’s deci...