Box Office Report: 'Identity Thief' No. 1 With $36.6 Million,
Melissa McCarthy a Bona Fide Star
9:02 AM PST 2/10/2013
The actresses' new comedy Identity Thief, co-starring Jason Bateman and directed by Seth Gordon, soared past expectations to score a $36.6 million debut, one of the top five openings of all time for an original R-rated comedy and the top opening so far of 2013, besting the $28 million scored four weeks ago by fellow Universal pic Mama.
Leading Celebrity Golden Globe Winner, Oscar Nominated Actress
5 new movies coming out this year
Melissa McCarthy
The Brand, licensing in fashion, cosmetics, beauty and home program.
This is the hottest celebrity licensing opportunity in a decade or more, at the level of Jessica Simpson, well above the reality TV opportunities and such out there with limits in credibility and durability.
We have strongest retail interest, just need design and production team, NYC showroom and sales staff, sales and distribution prowess for leading retail in each of Britain, Germany, Canada and Australia/New Zealand. Manufacturer to have or not have, as determined in talks, (1) all sizes versus plus sizes, (2) all tiers versus department, off-price department and mid-tier, with mass reserved for secondary Melissa brand and (3) apparel categories limited to sportswear and dresses and business suits versus more categories, too, such as active wear, lounge wear, sleepwear and intimates.
No movie star or scripted TV star of this caliber has ever done licensing, nor has a celebrity licensing program ever offered this strength and breadth of media support she brings to the table.
Game changer in design, game changer in media support and game changer in seriousness dedicated to plus heretofore a footnote at retail but about to be a cover page and title.
The Brand, licensing in fashion, cosmetics, beauty and home program.
We present Emmy Winning TV star/ Golden Globe and Oscar nominee movie star Melissa McCarthy for an exclusive fashion and beauty program. No major star is better suited for a fashion (plus-size) and cosmetics program. A 900-door Canadian retail group is currently pursuing Melissa for plus-size. We are in conversation with a major retail chain, retail partner for Melissa. Melissa would fit perfectly in a national TV ad campaign featuring its celebrity brand participants. And her star power and appeal will be matched by her products offering value affordably and a one-stop shopping destination for the plus-size customer.
America loves Melissa. Melissa is America’s plus-size sweetheart. Her mega-hit CBS network primetime TV series Mike and Molly with its 4th season to debut September with over 11 million weekly primetime viewers and millions more viewers, with the series now already sold in syndication on FX. She was just on the covers of Ladies Home Journal and Vanity Fair. She was the Oscar nominee for her breakout starring role in Bridesmaids. She has five more major studio releases thru Fall 2013: This is 40 out now, Identity Thief releases this month (with one of the biggest national billboard campaigns in recent memory), The Heat inJune, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sandra-bullock-melissa-mccarthy-comedy-416616. The Hangover 3 in July and Tammy in the Fall. Melissa’s comedic talent is unrivaled among women in Hollywood today. She hosts Saturday Night Live a second time in April, and she’ll be on the cover of more major magazines and on over a dozen talk shows in the coming months, even hosting one talk show.
Melissa is the perfect fit for the cosmetics customer. She’ll revolutionize the American beauty landscape with her star power, widespread likeability and charm.
Melissa’s a fashionista. A recent article in The Hollywood Reporter describes Melissa’s strong experience in fashion design, having studied clothing and textiles at university and designed costumes for a national dance company. Her inspiration to launch her own retail line came after searching for a dress to wear to last year’s Emmy’s. She said: “Trying to find stuff that’s still fashion-forward in my size is damn near impossible. It’s either for like a 98-year-old woman or a 14-year-old hooker, and there is nothing in the middle.” So, she designed her own gown to glowing national reviews. In recent Oscars and Emmy’sRed Carpet interviews, Melissa proudly announced her imminent plus-size fashion line.
Melissa marketing support for retail. Melissa will offer strong marketing support in coordination with the a retailers marketing/PR team. An integrated campaign of electronic, print and online advertising, promotion and publicity including TV and radio, weekly and monthly magazines including fashion books, newspapers and websites, retail appearances and social media. The New York Times has covered the increasing power of the plus-size fashion blogosphere and the overwhelming opportunity for fashion sophistication in plus-size. The blogosphere will go absolutely wild when Melissa enters this fashion space.
Melissa’s brand marketing team.Melissa also brings the celebrity brand building and marketing experience of The Robert Thorne Company. Our track record for female celebrities includes, among others, the Mary-Kate and Ashley global brand (over $1 billion in annual retail sales), the Hilary Duff brand (selling at over 16,000 retail doors) and now Snooki brand (#1 nationally performing categories in its early stages, with fashion coming this year). We always develop millions of dollars' worth of robust and innovative eye-catching media annually, at no cost to our retail partners. Please Google “Robert Thorne Greg Redlitz” for just some of the innovative brand initiatives we've spearheaded.
The timing is ideal for Melissa’s plus-size fashion and beauty program exclusively at a major retailer, her already proven star rising astronomically in the months ahead. Seizing on her explosive “A"-list entertainment career as a network primetime TV star, a Saturday Night Live host twice in one year, a movie star with five new major movies out this year alone and already an Oscar nominee for her first centerpiece staring movie role. We look forward to speaking with you, then meeting.
Melissa McCarthy Is Having Her Moment
Behind the Scenes of THR's Melissa McCarthy Cover Shoot
8:15 AM PDT 9/28/2011 by David Simpson
Mike & Molly star Melissa McCarthy lets THR know what it was like to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.