Studio Weekend Estimates: ‘Night School’ Opens to $ M; ‘Smallfoot’ Brings in $ M

The one-two punch of Night School and Smallfoot this weekend helped September 2018 close out to near-record highs (second only to last year), with the new releases bringing in an estimated $ million and $ million, respectively. Further down the chart, Hell Fest had a decent opening while Little Women debuted just outside the Top 10. Though it fell on the lower end of expectations, Night School nonetheless won the crown at the North American box office this weekend thanks to the pairing of two of comedy’s biggest stars (Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart). The duo’s combined A-list wattage allowed the Universal release to overcome negative reviews (it’s at 30% at Rotten Tomatoes) to fall right in line with the opening of Hart’s 2014 release About Last Night, which debuted to $25.6 million back in 2014. Looking at Hart’s box office history, that’s actually one of...

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Long Range Tracking: ‘Creed 2,’ ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet,’ & ‘Robin Hood’

This week’s report features an early look at Thanksgiving weekend and how the frame’s three major releases are currently tracking. Fun fact: Disney currently owns the top nine three-day Thanksgiving openings of all time. If Ralph Breaks the Internet meets early tracking projections, it would surpass Warner Bros.’ Four Christmases ($31.1 million) to give Disney complete ownership of the holiday’s top ten opening weekends (not accounting for inflation). Creed 2Opening Weekend Range: $20 – 25 million The film’s first teaser has generated solid buzz online since debuting nearly two months, while the most recent trailer released this week has stirred up positive conversation once again. While we’re expecting some diminished returns from 2015’s predecessor, the return of Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in a natural sequel that again touches on the...

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Thursday Night Report: ‘Night School’ In Session w/ $1.35M; ‘Smallfoot’ Earns $850K; ‘Hell Fest’ Nabs $435K

Friday Update: Universal’s Night School reported in with a $1.35 million start last night, a very encouraging start to the weekend for the Kevin Hart/Tiffany Haddish-led comedy. Shows began at 7pm in an estimated 2,500 locations. Last night’s earnings compare like this: 78 percent ahead of Boo 2! A Madea Halloween ($760K) 21 percent behind Girls Trip ($1.7 million) 25 percent behind Get Hard ($1.8 million) Also displaying a healthy start, Warner Bros.’ Smallfoot took in $850K from 3,100+ locations yesterday. Shows began at 4pm, getting a leg up on weekend business that will skew Friday/weekend projections for now, but the animated pic came in 93 percent ahead of Storks‘ $440K Thursday start two Septembers ago. Meanwhile, Hell Fest scored an estimated $435K last night, coming in 29 percent behind Winchester ($615K)...

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CMX Cinemas Names Jose Leonardo Marti as New CEO

PRESS RELEASE Miami, FL (Sept. 27th, 2018) – CMX Cinemas, the eighth largest movie theater chain in the U.S., has named its new Chief Executive Officer, Jose Leonardo Marti. Most recently, Martí led the recent acquisition of Cobb Theaters and CinéBistro for CMX Cinemas. A 30-year career finance and cinema veteran, Martí led the acquisition which now has CMX Cinemas operating 36 locations in the U.S., making it one of the largest movie theater chains in the country. As CEO for CMX, he is responsible for spearheading the company’s aggressive growth expansion plans. “We are happy to welcome our great friend and colleague Jose Leonardo Marti to the CMX Cinemas team as our new CEO,” said Rogelio Velez, CEO of Grupo Cinemex S.A de C.V. the owning and managing theatre company headquartered in Mexico. “He is a proven leader in finance and operations and thanks to his expertise...

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Webedia and Ymagis Partner on EclairColor HDR Promotion

PRESS RELEASE ___________________________________________________________________ Paris (France) and Berlin (Germany), 27 September 2018/ Ymagis Group (FR0011471291, MAGIS, PEA-PME, TECH 40), the European specialist in digital technologies for the film industry, and Webedia, one of the world’s leading groups in the online entertainment and recreation industries, today announced a partnership for the promotion of EclairColor HDR cinemas and mastered films on AlloCiné (France) and Filmstarts (Germany). The two websites attract respectively 13.8 million and 3.1 million unique visitors per month (Médiamétrie/NetRatings, April 2018 and AGOF, April 2018). “We are extremely satisfied with this partnership with Webedia, which focuses on the promotion and referencing of our EclairColor HDR solution on two of the leading cinema websites for the general public – AlloCiné and Filmstarts,”...

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Trailer Impact: ‘A Star Is Born’ Posts Highest Recall; ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ Sparks Most Interest in a Cinema View

Top Three Trailers with Highest Recall Score Among Moviegoing Audiences Moviegoers tell us the trailers they most recall seeing at their most recent visit to a cinema A Star Is Born (Warner Bros.) Friday, October 5 21.0% of moviegoers (162 respondents) saw and recalled this trailer. That’s down from 25.1% last week, its peak to date. The title spends its sixth week in the top three, and fifth week at #1 including last week. Bradley Cooper stars in the romantic drama about a superstar singer who falls in love with a struggling independent musician, played by Lady Gaga in her first movie lead role. Venom (Sony) Friday, October 5 18.2% of moviegoers (141 respondents) saw and recalled this trailer. That’s down from 21.6% last week, its peak to date. The title spends its fifth week in the top three, all of them at #2 including last week, behind either A...

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Weekend Forecast: ‘Night School,’ ‘Smallfoot,’ & ‘Hell Fest’ Set to Close Out September

September comes to a close this weekend, and Universal’s Night School is hoping to attract an under-served audience with a first place opening. Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish will go a long way toward helping that happen, especially the latter whose star is quickly rising after the breakout success of last year’s Girls Trip and a role in this summer’s Uncle Drew. Tracking for the film suggests a debut north of Boo! A Madea Halloween ($28.5 million) is achievable, while metrics are fairly similar to those of Hart’s own Get Hard ($33.8 million). Warner Bros. will aim to capture the runner-up spot this weekend with Smallfoot eyeing a debut around $20 million or more. Opening one week after the successful debut of The House With A Clock In Its Walls could hinder breakout potential, but as the first major...

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AMC Theatres’ Stubs A-List Loyalty Program Surpasses 380,000 Members

PRESS RELEASE ______________________________________________________________ LEAWOOD, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– AMC Theatres® (NYSE:AMC) is excited to announce that AMC Stubs A-List, which was launched exactly three months ago today to stimulate moviegoing across all age groups including millennials, continues to deliver on its promise and potential. During the traditional “slow period” at movie theatres in late August and September, as the summer blockbusters give way to school schedules, AMC Stubs A-List membership signups continue to greatly outpace the Company’s expectations, as more than 380,000 moviegoers are now A-List members. That’s a 120,000-member increase during the last six weeks. A-List also is helping keep the box office hot at AMC, as A-List’s impact on attendance, along with AMC’s other attendance-driving initiatives and a robust film slate, has AMC in position...

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EclairGame to Hold 10 Ciné Sessions Video Game Tournaments at Kinepolis Theater in Brussels

PRESS RELEASE ______________________________________________________________ Paris (France) and Brussels (Belgium) – 26 September 2018 / EclairGame, the new eSports-based entertainment solution for cinemas (Ymagis Group, FR0011471291, MAGIS, PEA-PME, TECH 40), and Belgian public broadcaster RTBF today announced the signature of an agreement for ten esports-based Ciné Sessions cinema events, in partnership with the Kinepolis cinema chain. Premiering 27 September and held weekly from 7-11 pm through 6 December, the ten Ciné Sessions events branded under RTBF’s new urban playground “Tarmac” will take place at the Kinepolis Brussels complex. It will be hosted by popular gaming personalities Sunny, Tahiti and Mr Quaraté, and live-streamed on the TARMAC’s official Twitch channel, Tarmacbe, as part of its Thursday evening “Que Le Stream” show, aka #QLS. Open to players across...

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SMPTE Publishes Standards for Immersive Audio in Cinemas

PRESS RELEASE ______________________________________________________________ WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Sept. 25, 2018 — SMPTE®, the organization whose standards work has supported a century of advances in entertainment technology and whose membership spans the globe, today announced the publication of new SMPTE ST 2098 standards for immersive audio. The Society has published ST 2098-1:2018, Immersive Audio Metadata; ST 2098-2:2018, Immersive Audio Bitstream Specification; and ST 2098-5:2018, D-Cinema Immersive Audio Channels and Soundfield Groups. “Immersive audio makes a significant impression on audiences, and because of the real value it adds, we’re seeing an increasing number of movies being mixed for the immersive environment,” said Brian Vessa, founding chair of SMPTE’s Technology Committee on Cinema Sound Systems (TC-25CSS) and executive director...

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MediaMation Awarded U.S. Patent for Immersive Armrests

PRESS RELEASE  _____________________________________________________________ TORRANCE, California – September 25, 2018 MMI, a global company focused on the development and manufacturing of innovative and interactive technology, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued US Patent 10,076,712, entitled “Systems and methods for fluid delivery in seat systems”. The new system offers a cinematic experience that immerses moviegoers into the film’s environment. The special arm rests have the capability to emit wind, air and water blasts, and scent effects on cue to MMI’s 4D motion EFX seat programming. This armrest innovation essentially replaces the need for setting up a network of fans throughout the theater that would traditionally serve the purpose of helping create these effects. “We are very pleased that the US Patent office agrees...

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CinemaNext Equips France’s National Center of Cinematography and Moving Image With EclairColor HDR

PRESS RELEASE ____________________________________________________________________ Paris – Asnières-sur-Seine (France) – 25 September 2018 / CinemaNext, the European specialist in cinema exhibitor services (Ymagis Group, ISIN: FR0011471291, TICKER: MAGIS, PME-PEA, TECH 40), today announced that it has completed the installation of three new auditoria at the CNC’s (France’s National Center of Cinematography and Moving Image) headquarters located in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. The CNC’s brand-new site has been equipped with the latest in cutting-edge image technology: EclairColor HDR, 3D-capable Sony Digital Cinema 4K projectors, and the innovative Twavox solution for audio description and hearing support. “Having won the tender, we are delighted to lend our technical expertise and know-how to this complex project,” said Maxime Rigaud, Managing Director of CinemaNext...

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African Exhibitor CanalOlympia To Install Vista Cinema’s Veezi Management System in All Locations

PRESS RELEASE ____________________________________________________________________ [Auckland, NZ, Paris, France; 25th September 2018] Vista Group International (NZX & ASX: VGL) company Vista Entertainment Solutions (‘Vista Cinema’) and Vivendi’s CanalOlympia have signed an agreement to roll-out Vista Cinema’s Veezi across all their cinema venues. Veezi, already utilised by cinemas in 27 countries, is Vista Cinema’s SaaS cinema management solution for Independent cinemas. Currently operating 9 venues across 7 countries, CanalOlympia is the leading network of cinema and live performance venues in Africa. Several additional sites are set to open in the months to come, extending the breadth of the CanalOlympia footprint. The CanalOlympia operation showcases the diversity of African culture and has helped bring cinemas back to countries currently...

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Geneva Convention 2018: Interview with Bob Bagby, President & CEO, B&B Theatres

A family company at its core, B&B Theatres has experienced dramatic growth under the leadership of Bob Bagby—who has helped establish the circuit as one of the 10 largest cinema chains in the country. The opening of the circuit’s new flagship location in Liberty, Missouri, represents a new chapter in the storied history of the Bills and Bagby families and a new era for the company. Boxofficecaught up with Bob Bagby ahead of the Geneva Convention, where he is set to receive this year’s Larry D. Hanson Award, to discuss some of his most recent accomplishments at the helm of the family-owned circuit. B&B Theatres has enjoyed impressive growth over the last decade, becoming one of the 10 biggest circuits in the United States. Can you tell us a bit about that journey, working together with the family to grow the circuit into national prominence? It has been a journey...

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Geneva Convention 2018: Interview with Bud Mayo, Chairman, New Vision Theatres

A veteran in the exhibition industry and pioneering voice for the expansion of digital and event cinema, Bud Mayo has been at the forefront of cinema innovation for the past three decades. Over the last couple of years, Mayo has been busy with his latest project: the launch of New Vision Theatres, a new circuit that found its way into the U.S. exhibition market following the acquisition of Carmike by AMC. Boxofficespoke with Mayo ahead of his being honored at this month’s Geneva Convention as the 2018 recipient of the Paul Rogers Award. You’ve been involved with several high-profile projects throughout your career, and now you’re going back into the fold and launching another new circuit. Tell us about the experience of bringing New Vision to life; how did this opportunity come about?  As much as anything else, there’s always room to continue what you started out...

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Greatness Awaits: Interview with ‘In Search of Greatness’ Director Gabe Polsky

What made the best athletes of all time the best? In his provocative new documentary In Search of Greatness, in theaters November 2, Gabe Polsky puts forth a counterintuitive explanation – with implications extending far beyond the world of sports. Rather than those with the best physical stature, Polsky contends that it’s the innovators whose innovations change their sport who truly excel. He cites examples of athletes who were hardly perfect physical specimens but broke the mold: boxer Rocky Marciano going undefeated after pioneering shorter punches closer to his opponent, or Dick Fosbury breaking the high jump world record by jumping backwards. Polsky spoke to BOXOFFICE about how his movie will change how he parents his newborn son, the film’s political implications, and landing interviews with legends like Wayne Gretzky, Jerry Rice, and Pelé. Your film’s message...

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Eclair and Samsung Partner to Bring Onyx Cinema LED Technology to European Filmmakers and Distributors

PRESS RELEASE — Paris (France) and Seoul (South Korea), 24 September 2018/ Eclair, a leader in content services for the motion picture and television industries (Ymagis Group – ISIN: FR0011471291, MAGIS, PEA-PME, TECH 40), today announced an agreement with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. for the installation of the Onyx Cinema LED solution in its facilities located in Paris-Vanves. Eclair will be among the first to provide professional services specifically tailored for the Onyx Cinema LED – contrast ratio of 1 000 000:1, color grading with true zero nit black, and EclairColor DCP mastering – to European filmmakers, producers and distributors beginning in November. “After announcing earlier this year the successful integration of our EclairColor HDR solution with the Onyx Cinema LED, we are delighted to expand our collaboration with Samsung to offer moviegoers the best ever...

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Studio Weekend Estimates: ‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls’ Scores with $26.9M; ‘Fahrenheit 11/9’ and ‘Life Itself’ Underperform

The House With a Clock in Its Walls spooked its way to the No. 1 spot on a relatively weak weekend at the domestic box office, bringing in an estimated $26.9 million on over 3,500 screens. Other new wide releases didn’t fare nearly as well, with Fahrenheit 11/9, Life Itself, and Assassination Nation all underperforming in the low single-digit millions. Starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett, The House With a Clock in Its Walls is the first PG-rated effort from director Eli Roth, who made his name on the grisly Hostel franchise over a decade ago. The leap into more kid-friendly territory paid off, as the adaptation of the 1973 John Bellairs/Edward Gorey novel scored a debut that actually improved on the opening of Black’s Goosebumps, which opened to $23.6 million back in 2015. That film powered its way to $80 million domestically, representing a solid 3.3x weekend-to-final...

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Long Range Tracking: ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,’ ‘Instant Family,’ & ‘Widows’

This week’s report breaks down the third weekend of November, currently slated to see the continuation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter prequel series. We also offer up tentative projections for two original films opening the same weekend. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of GrindelwaldOpening Weekend Range: $70 – 80 million Potterheads will undoubtedly unite again for this anticipated sequel to 2016’s first prequel/spin-off film, which earned a respectable $234 million domestically and $814 million globally. The returning and expanded cast — now including Jude Law as a young Dumbledore and Johnny Depp as the titular antagonist famous in Potter lore — could provide significant hooks to keep many casual fans interested. This new series of films is probably best compared to The Hobbit trilogy, although we expect this entry to remain relatively flat with the 2016...

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