Media Decoder: Fandango Adds MSN to Its Ticket-Sales Portals

To ensure that award voters see its movie before the early onset of Oscar voting, Universal Pictures is holding a series of screenings of "Les Misérables" in Los Angeles and New York.

MySpace is squaring up to Yahoo and Microsoft's MSN internet portals in an attempt to win marketing campaigns from big brands reluctant to invest large sums in social media advertising

ByNick Chiu:Valassis Communications, Inc. (VCI) was a consumer-driven, future-focused media company. Since George Valassis founded the company more than 40 years ago, Valassis Communications' focus is to deliver savings to consumers on behalf of advertisers looking for an exceptional return on investment. Today, VCI delivers through its RedPlum Media Portfolio, including newspaper, in-the-store display, and online.

The Motion Picture Association of America pointed to an increase in global ticket sales for 2011, despite a substantial decline in the number of films produced.

It appears that the movie box office will be down for 2010, but not by much. Total ticket sales are estimated to weigh in at $10.556 billion, just under the $10.6 billion posted last year.

Hollywood studio Universal Pictures plans to reenter the toy and games business with an array of products for its 3-D computer-animated sequel 'Despicable Me 2.'Universal Pictures is getting back into the toy business — led by a swarm of small, yellow creatures with a penchant for mischief.

Universal Pictures is for the first time releasing a series of movies designed to be global blockbusters akin to 'Transformers' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean.'Soon after Pete Berg signed on to direct a big-screen version of the board game Battleship, he was summoned to meet with the new heads of Universal Pictures.