Oprah's O Mag to End Regular Print Editions after 20 Years

Oprah Winfrey. (AP)
Oprah Winfrey. (AP)
TT
20

Oprah's O Mag to End Regular Print Editions after 20 Years

Oprah Winfrey. (AP)
Oprah Winfrey. (AP)

O, The Oprah Magazine is ending its regular monthly print editions with the December 2020 issue after 20 years of publication.

The brand, which is among the most recognizable magazines in the US, is not going away but will become more "more digitally-centric," said a Hearst spokeswoman Monday. There will be "some form of print" after the December issue "but what it is exactly is still being worked out."

Oprah Winfrey launched O with Hearst in 2000 and today is the editorial director. "I’m proud of this team and what we have delivered to our readers over the past 20 years," she said in a statement provided by Hearst. "I look forward to the next step in our evolution."

Hearst declined to answer why they were dropping the regular print edition, saying only it was a "natural next step" for the brand. Magazines have been trying to grow their digital properties as print advertising shrinks and people spend more time online.

The economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has further hurt print advertising sales, with research firm Magna in June predicting a 23% drop for US national magazines this year.

On its website, O Magazine says it has a total audience of 10 million, while industry tracker Alliance for Audited Media said the magazine had a total circulation of about 2.3 million as of the last six months of 2019.

Hearst, a private company, is in the midst of executive turmoil. The president of Hearst Magazines, Troy Young, resigned abruptly last week after the New York Times reported on sexist comments he made at work.

Hearst named its CFO, Debi Chirichella, as acting president of Hearst Magazines, which publishes major magazines including Elle, Esquire, Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping. Hearst's other businesses include local TV stations, newspapers and ratings agency Fitch.



‘Lilo & Stitch’ Cruises to No. 1 Again; John Wick Spinoff ‘Ballerina’ Dances to 2nd Place

Stitch arrives at the premiere of "Lilo and Stitch" on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Stitch arrives at the premiere of "Lilo and Stitch" on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
TT
20

‘Lilo & Stitch’ Cruises to No. 1 Again; John Wick Spinoff ‘Ballerina’ Dances to 2nd Place

Stitch arrives at the premiere of "Lilo and Stitch" on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Stitch arrives at the premiere of "Lilo and Stitch" on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

In the box office showdown between a deadly assassin and a chaotic CG alien, “Lilo & Stitch” still had the edge. The Disney juggernaut celebrated a third weekend at the top of the charts, while the John Wick spinoff “Ballerina” did not jeté as high as expected.

According to studio estimates Sunday, “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina” earned $25 million from 3,409 theaters in the US and Canada, The Associated Press reported. Several weeks ago it was tracking to open in the $35 to $40 million range, but that was adjusted down several times. Ultimately, it still came in lower than forecasts. The movie, directed by Len Wiseman, makes a sideline character out of Keanu Reeves’ John Wick and focuses on Ana de Armas. It takes place during the events of “John Wick 3.”

The box office performance is a bit perplexing result considering that “Ballerina” got good critic reviews and audience exit polls. Conventional wisdom would say that word of mouth might have given it a boost over the weekend. But, recently, opening weekend isn’t the end all that it used to be. “Ballerina” could be in the game for the long haul.

The Lionsgate release, a Thunder Road Films and 87Eleven Entertainment production, had a hefty production price tag reported to be in the $90 million range. But much of that cost has already been offset by foreign pre-sales. Internationally, it earned $26 million from 82 countries, bringing its global opening to $51 million.

As the first spinoff, it’s the second lowest opening of the five-film franchise – above only the first film which opened just over $14 million in 2014, which does not account for inflation. The franchise overall has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.

First place once again went to “Lilo & Stitch,” which added another $32.5 million in North America, bringing its domestic total to $335.8 and global tally to $772.6 million. In just 17 days, it's already made more domestically than the live-action “The Little Mermaid” did in its entire run ($298 million).

“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” slid to third place with $15 million, bringing its worldwide total to $450.4 million. “Karate Kid: Legends” earned $8.7 million to take fourth place. And “Final Destination: Bloodlines" rounded out the top five with $6.5 million.

The new Wes Anderson movie “The Phoenician Scheme” expanded beyond New York and Los Angeles to 1,678 theaters nationwide. The Focus Features release starring Benicio del Toro made an estimated $6.3 million and landed in sixth place.