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Friday, November 29, 2019

Long Range Tracking: The Gentlemen and The Turning

This week’s report offers up an early read on two films currently slated for on Friday, January 24, 2020 as our first look into the new year continues.

The Gentlemen
Opening Weekend Range: $10 – 15 million

PROS:

  • Director Guy Ritchie’s fans could turn out in healthy fashion for his return to the crime/thriller/comedy genre if reviews prove positive for this project. The ensemble cast may add further appeal to casual adult moviegoers.

  • Early social tracking is unsurprisingly tricky this far out, but leaning positive relative to similar films in the genre.

CONS:

  • Competing with NFL playoffs and opening one week after a holiday frame will be noteworthy challenges.

The Turning
Opening Weekend Range: $10 – 15 million

PROS:

  • Universal has a solid track record of delivering surprise performances from the horror genre, and the PG-13 rating here should further aid appeal to teens.

  • Initial trailer footprint metrics are encouraging as the early marketing stage recently began.

CONS:

  • As the third horror/thriller release of January, it will need to stand out (or the other two disappoint) in order to break out beyond expectations.

8-Week Tracking and Forecasts

Release Date Title 3-Day (FSS) Opening Tracking Range 3-Day (FSS) Opening Forecast % Chg from Last Week Domestic Total Range Domestic Total Forecast % Chg from Last Week Distributor
12/6/2019 Dark Waters (Wide Expansion)   n/a     n/a   Focus Features
12/6/2019 PLAYMOBIL: The Movie $3,000,000 – $8,000,000 $4,500,000   $10,000,000 – $20,000,000 $14,000,000   STX
12/13/2019 Black Christmas $12,000,000 – $17,000,000 $14,000,000 8% $30,000,000 – $40,000,000 $37,700,000 8% Universal
12/13/2019 Jumanji: The Next Level $40,000,000 – $60,000,000 $50,000,000   $225,000,000 – $275,000,000 $265,000,000   Sony / Columbia
12/13/2019 Richard Jewell $10,000,000 – $15,000,000 $13,000,000   $60,000,000 – $80,000,000 $80,000,000   Warner Bros.
12/20/2019 Cats $10,000,000 – $20,000,000 $14,000,000   $60,000,000 – $120,000,000 $75,000,000   Universal
12/20/2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker $185,000,000 – $225,000,000 $200,000,000   $550,000,000 – $750,000,000 $680,000,000   Disney / Lucasfilm
12/20/2019 Bombshell (Wide Expansion) $5,000,000 – $10,000,000 $5,000,000   $30,000,000 – $45,000,000 $40,000,000   Lionsgate
12/25/2019 Little Women (2019) $16,000,000 – $26,000,000 $20,000,000   $80,000,000 – $120,000,000 $100,000,000   Sony / Columbia
12/25/2019 Spies in Disguise $13,000,000 – $23,000,000 $16,000,000   $70,000,000 – $110,000,000 $80,000,000   Fox / Blue Sky
12/25/2019 Uncut Gems   n/a     n/a   A24
1/3/2020 The Grudge (2020) $10,000,000 – $20,000,000 $14,000,000   $25,000,000 – $45,000,000 $32,000,000   Sony / Columbia
1/10/2020 1917 (Wide) $18,000,000 – $23,000,000 $21,000,000   $75,000,000 – $100,000,000 $82,000,000   Universal / DreamWorks
1/10/2020 The Informer $2,500,000 – $7,500,000 n/a   $7,000,000 – $15,000,000 n/a   Aviron
1/10/2020 Just Mercy (Wide) $13,000,000 – $18,000,000 $14,000,000   $50,000,000 – $70,000,000 $59,000,000   Warner Bros.
1/10/2020 Like a Boss $15,000,000 – $20,000,000 $17,000,000   $45,000,000 – $60,000,000 $51,000,000   Paramount
1/10/2020 My Spy $7,000,000 – $12,000,000 $7,500,000   $20,000,000 – $30,000,000 $21,000,000   STX
1/10/2020 Underwater $5,000,000 – $10,000,000 $6,500,000   $12,000,000 – $25,000,000 $18,000,000   Fox
1/17/2020 Bad Boys for Life $21,000,000 – $31,000,000 $25,000,000   $55,000,000 – $75,000,000 $64,000,000   Sony / Columbia
1/17/2020 Dolittle $30,000,000 – $50,000,000 $40,000,000   $120,000,000 – $170,000,000 $145,000,000   Universal
1/24/2020 The Gentlemen $10,000,000 – $15,000,000 $12,000,000 NEW $30,000,000 – $50,000,000 $38,000,000 NEW STX
1/24/2020 The Last Full Measure   n/a     n/a   Roadside Attractions
1/24/2020 Run   n/a     n/a   Lionsgate / Summit
1/24/2020 The Turning $10,000,000 – $15,000,000 $14,000,000 NEW $25,000,000 – $40,000,000 $38,000,000 NEW Universal

Contact us for information about subscribing to Boxoffice’s suite of forecasting and data services.

Alex Edghill contributed to this report

The post Long Range Tracking: <em>The Gentlemen</em> and <em>The Turning</em> appeared first on Boxoffice.



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Weekend Report: Frozen II Pacing for $115-125M 5-Day Holiday Record, Knives Out Targets $40M+ 5-Day Debut

Friday Report: Disney’s Frozen II is pacing for a Thanksgiving weekend record as it took in $23.78 million on Wednesday and $14.718 million on Thursday, bringing the total cume to $202.3 million domestically after seven days.

Based on its current trajectory, the blockbuster sequel remains on track to meet our forecasts of beating Catching Fire‘s holiday record six years ago. We’re currently projecting $80 – 85 million for the three-day weekend, translating to a $115 – 125 million five-day haul.

Meanwhile, Knives Out is breaking out beyond even our optimistic forecasts as it stands at $14.7 million after just two days. The pic earned $8.495 million on opening day Wednesday (including all sneak preview earnings from Tuesday night and last weekend), followed by another $6.2 million on Thanksgiving Day. Updated projections stand around $27 – 32 million for the three-day weekend and $40 – 47 million for the overall five-day opening.

More to come throughout the weekend…

The post Weekend Report: <em>Frozen II</em> Pacing for $115-125M 5-Day Holiday Record, <em>Knives Out</em> Targets $40M+ 5-Day Debut appeared first on Boxoffice.



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Thursday, November 28, 2019

Disney+ Continues to Push Social Tracking for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Social Media Snapshot – Monday November 18 to Sunday November 24

Buzz for Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker continues to pick up, registering s its most dominant week across the board on the year. It easily led all three services and is drawing huge interest for both the Rise Of Skywalker and Disney Plus sibling, The Mandalorian. It broke its own Instagram weekly record for most likes in a single week since we started monitoring the service closely six months ago.

Twitter

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker led all four metrics on Twitter on the week with 310,362 post likes and 61,717 retweets. This was over three times its nearest competitor, Cats. In terms of the best single posts on the week, Skywalker had to share those honors with Jumanji: The Next Level as they both secured an 8.0 power rating. Jumanji got a huge boost from it’s a-list star Dwayne Johnson who posted a photoshopped image of himself and fellow co-star Kevin Hart which cleared grabbed a whole lot of interest on the week. Cats accounted for the third most popular single post on the week with its new trailer.

Film New Page Likes Posts Post Likes Post Retweets
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker       14,919  25  310,362        61,717 
Cats         4,286          85,041        20,106 
No Time To Die             302          28,068          4,772 
Sonic The Hedgehog         1,152          20,075          3,937 
Bill & Ted Face the Music             762          17,637          3,001 

Top 3 Posts:

Movie Date Power*
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker 19-Nov 8.0
Jumanji: The Next Level 24-Nov 8.0
Cats 18-Nov 7.8



* Calculated by Likes + Shares + Comments

Facebook

The Rise Of Skywalker also led Facebook with 169,978 likes on the week, more than four times of the second place, Call Of The Wild. For a number of reasons, Facebook has been the hardest service for Skywalker to lead but there was no stopping it this week. Ironically, it didn’t secure the single largest post on the week, as Harrison Ford’s Call Of The Wild took the honors from the very franchise that granted him superstar status 40 years before.

Film  New Page Likes  Posts  Post Likes  Post Shares 
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker       16,633  22        169,978        31,374 
Call Of The Wild             N/A          41,917        25,023 
Cats          3,582          29,629        18,094 
No Time To Die         1,138          28,660          1,607 
Bad Boys For Life             170          28,522          4,110 

Top 3 Posts:

Movie Date Power*
Call Of The Wild 20-Nov 8.1
Cats 19-Nov 7.8
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker 19-Nov 7.5



* Calculated by Likes + Shares + Comments

Instagram

Jedigram was dominated as usual by Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker which had a mind-boggling 5,073,597 likes on the week from its 17 posts. It also secured the top three most powerful single posts on the week. Amazingly, Skywalker beat the second place film with more than 20 times its nearest competitors for both likes and comments.

Film New Followers  Posts  Post Likes  Post Comments 
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker       88,508  17  5,073,597        35,293 
No Time To Die          5,909  251,148          1,785 
Spies In Disguise          1,859  155,621          1,498 
Jumanji: The Next Level        11,108  15  115,089              577 
Bad Boys For Life         2,193  74,152              914 

Top 3 Posts:

Movie Date Power*
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker 18-Nov 9.8
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker 19-Nov 9.6
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker 19-Nov 9.5



* Calculated by Likes + Shares + Comments

The post Disney+ Continues to Push Social Tracking for <em>Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker</em> appeared first on Boxoffice.



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Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Cineplex Announces Plans for Junxion Entertainment Complexes

Cineplex announced plans for Junxion, a concept that is a movie theatre, dining destination, and entertainment complex all in one place. Offering shared experiences for movie lovers and entertainment seekers alike, Junxion will be a complete night out for guests of all ages, Cineplex says. 

Junxion’s cinemas will offer a range of moviegoing experiences, including UltraAVX™ and recliners where guests can have food and drinks delivered to their seats. The complex will feature an open lobby for events and performances, a stage for live music, space for outdoor screenings, and an amusement games and attractions area. Along with new and classic video and redemption games, guests can enjoy the latest interactive experiences like virtual reality from VRstudios. An evening of fun is sure to work up an appetite, so guests can look forward to a range of dining experiences at Junxion’s food hall will offer a range of dining experiences, including tasty food options, an indoor food truck, and a bar featuring handcrafted cocktails, wine, and craft beer.  

Junxion guests will have their pick of programming and events, including live music, trivia nights, game nights, outdoor screenings of movies, and live TV events. Plus, SCENE members will earn points with every Junxion visit, which they can redeem for food, game credits, or a trip to the movies. 

“Junxion is where Cineplex’s famous moviegoing experience meets our innovative entertainment offerings. It will bring together the best of both worlds and provide guests with an unforgettable and unmatched social experience,” said Ellis Jacob, president and CEO of Cineplex. “As Canada’s entertainment landscape continues to evolve, we are proudly introducing this state-of-the-art community hub where families and friends can come together to play, dine, unwind, and have fun.” 

Working in partnership with Cushman & Wakefield, the first location will be at Erin Mills Town Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, as part of the Centre’s ongoing redevelopment. 45,000 square feet will include six auditoriums, a food hall featuring an indoor food truck, amusement gaming, a space for live events, and an outdoor screen on a rooftop patio. The complex is targeted to open in late 2020.

Cineplex plans to open similar entertainment destination locations across Canada in the coming years, leveraging retrofits of its existing theatre network as well as new locations, including at Kildonan Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Cineplex now operates 165 theatres across the country, including its popular VIP Cinemas experience. The company also operates seven locations of The Rec Room, a destination for eats and entertainment, and two locations of the reinvented Playdium entertainment complex.

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Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Weekend Forecast: Frozen II Could Claim Thanksgiving Record as Knives Out Looks to Carve Up Sleeper Hit Debut

One of the most lucrative moviegoing corridors of the years is nigh as Thanksgiving arrives in the States. Two films will debut the day before Thursday’s holiday, but it will be Disney’s reigning animated blockbuster — Frozen II –that will win the weekend overall.

Fresh off a $130.3 million domestic weekend debut, the best ever for an animated release in November, Frozen II remains positioned as the top family choice during the long holiday weekend. Parents and women both under and over 25, in particular, should help the pic achieve strong retention thanks to positive word of mouth and expected back-loading as parents plan their trip to theaters around travelling and Black Friday shopping.

The current record for Thanksgiving weekend belongs to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which posted a $74.2 million three-day in its second frame exactly six years ago. That represented a 53 percent drop from its November-record $158.1 million debut the weekend prior, but one can safely expect Frozen II to generate a softer decline in its second weekend thanks to the aforementioned family appeal.

For reference, the original Frozen holds the second best Turkey Day weekend take with $67.4 million three-day (also six years ago) in its wide release debut.

Joining the mix this weekend is writer/director Rian Johnson’s star-studded ensemble Knives Out, an adult-leaning whodunit that has been excellently marketed by Lionsgate in recent weeks, leading to an impressive social media and tracking footprint for a mid-range budgeted film. We think the film could be poised to break out well beyond even our own optimistic forecasts, though this will be a largely word-of-mouth-driven release positioned to draw significant walk-up business this weekend and in the weeks ahead.

Knives Out earned a reported $2.03 million from last weekend’s sneak previews on Friday and Saturday, which the studio has confirmed will be rolled into the reported earnings for Tuesday night’s official preview grosses as part of the opening day figure.

Meanwhile, Queen & Slim courts the arthouse crowds this weekend with a wide release from distributor Universal. Pre-release models have compared similarly to titles like If Beale Street Could Talk, The Hate U Give, and The Goldfinch — though there is some upside to keep in mind given the skewed holiday opening comparison.

Among holdovers, look for family-driven titles and well-received pics like Ford v Ferrari and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood to remain key components of an overall strong weekend.

Key Weekend Ranges

  • Frozen II ($75 – 95 million 3-day)
  • Knives Out ($18 – 25 million 3-day)
  • Queen & Slim ($4 – 9 million 3-day)

Top 10 v. Last Year

Boxoffice projects this weekend’s top ten films, during the three-day portion, will increase approximately 50 to 55 percent from the same weekend last year, which did not have the benefit of Thanksgiving attendance. That weekend was led by Ralph Breaks the Internet and various holdovers with an overall $106.2 million top ten take.

For a somewhat more relevant comparison, Thanksgiving weekend last year generated $203.8 million during the three-day portion — although with the aid of two big openers in Ralph and Creed II. We expect this Thanksgiving weekend to miss that mark by approximately 17 to 22 percent.

Weekend Forecast

Film Distributor 3-Day Weekend Forecast Projected Domestic Total through Sunday, December 1 % Change from Last Wknd
Frozen II Disney $85,000,000 $270,400,000 -35%
Knives Out Lionsgate $20,300,000 $30,000,000 NEW
Ford v Ferrari Fox $15,000,000 $81,800,000 -5%
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Sony / Columbia $11,500,000 $32,600,000 -13%
21 Bridges STX $7,300,000 $21,100,000 -21%
Queen & Slim Universal $7,100,000 $9,900,000 NEW
Playing with Fire Paramount $4,300,000 $38,400,000 -5%
Midway Lionsgate $3,600,000 $48,800,000 -22%
The Good Liar Warner Bros. $3,300,000 $17,200,000 -3%
Last Christmas Universal $3,200,000 $32,900,000 3%

Forecasts subject to change as location counts are finalized before Friday

The chart above excludes releases and potential expansions from limited and platform films

Contact us for information about subscribing to Boxoffice’s suite of forecasting and data services

The post Weekend Forecast: <em>Frozen II</em> Could Claim Thanksgiving Record as <em>Knives Out</em> Looks to Carve Up Sleeper Hit Debut appeared first on Boxoffice.



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NAC Appoints Rob Novak, Martin Hubbard to Board of Directors

PRESS RELEASE


The National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) has announced two appointments to fill a recent vacancy on the Board of Directors. NAC President Adam Gottlieb, ACS, has appointed Rob Novak, Vice President of Concessions with Marcus Theatres Corporation, to fill a two-year term on the Board of Directors. Novak also currently serves as co-Chair of the NAC Charity Golf Outing which benefits Variety – the Children’s Charity, the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation and The Variety Boys and Girls Club of Los Angeles.

In a related move, Gottlieb named Martin Hubbard; CCM, Chief Operating Officer of Platinum Cinemas; as Regional Vice President Upper Midwest Region (Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota). The post was previously held by Novak.

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Date with Destiny: Two Strangers Become Defiant Folk Heroes in Melina Matsoukas’s Queen & Slim

She’s an attorney who’s decided to go on a Tinder date, mainly as a diversion from thinking about her failure to get a client off death row. He’s a Costco employee and devout churchgoer who’s hoping to get lucky with this beautiful stranger—but the chemistry isn’t there. Driving home, the pair’s ordinary night takes a momentous turn when they’re stopped by a policeman for a minor infraction. The cop is needlessly confrontational, the woman is shot in the leg when she pulls out her cell phone, a scuffle ensues, and the patrolman receives a fatal bullet wound.

Those are the opening minutes of Queen & Slim, the highly topical debut feature for both director Melina Matsoukas, who’s helmed iconic music videos and episodes of the acclaimed TV comedy series “Insecure” and “Master of None,” and screenwriter Lena Waithe, the first black woman to win a Primetime Emmy for writing for a comedy series, for the autobiographical “Thanksgiving” episode of “Master of None,” which Matsoukas directed. The Universal Pictures release opens wide on November 27.

The fact that the unnamed (until the closing moments) Queen and Slim are black and the cop is white plays very much into their fateful choice to flee the scene of the traffic stop and go on the run. “People are on two different sides” about that decision, Matsoukas observes. “And I think what becomes the determining factor is race. I think as a black woman who lives that life, you understand the threat that law enforcement as an institution is. … She knew in that moment that had they stayed, they’d be killed, and that’s just the reality of being a black person living in this country.”

Melina Matsoukas

Once Queen and Slim take to the road, the film becomes an episodic journey filled with unpredictable encounters, as the dashcam recording of the incident goes viral and they are celebrated as folk heroes within the black community. Queen’s sleazy uncle calls them “the black Bonnie and Clyde,” but a more suitable movie reference would be feminist renegades Thelma and Louise. “These people are very much not criminals,” Matsoukas declares. “They are two people who have a shared experience who were forced into the intimacy of this car and fall in love against the backdrop of this racist society that they live in. So it’s very much more Thelma and Louise. Lena has always talked about the parallels between Queen & Slim and Thelma & Louise. Their struggle is obviously about being a woman and [dealing with] abuse, and there’s the friendship and intimacy those two women are able to develop on the road. [Both films are] very much a love story.”

Matsoukas notes, “One of the things that attracted me to this script is that it straddles the line between different genres. It starts off somewhat as a rom-com, then it becomes very much a horror film for these two characters, and then it’s a dramatic love story that also borderlines on this fantasy between them. It’s kind of a reverse slave-escape odyssey, where they travel south instead of north. And they learn so much about each person that they encounter and so much from each other.”

Calling Waithe her “work soul sister,” Matsoukas says, “Our collaboration is like no other that I’ve experienced, and I’m just honored to be on this journey with her.” While they were working on the groundbreaking “Thanksgiving,” Waithe told her about the feature script she was writing and her determination to have Matsoukas direct it. “And I was like, ‘Maybe. Send me the script when you’ve finished.’ I try not to allow personal relationships to dictate my work—whatever I choose to work on really comes from my passion for the foundation, and that is the script. She finished it, and a few months later I read it and I was inspired, I knew that I had to tell this story. I knew it was necessary for me and it was the first feature [story] that I wanted to tell. It definitely fell in line with a lot of elements that are important to me as a filmmaker—it’s provocative and it’s political and it’s saying something, but it’s also at the same time entertaining. It has a lot of commercial appeal where it can be broad and independent at the same time.”

Even before Matsoukas got a look, Oscar nominee Daniel Kaluuya had read the script. “Lena really wanted to cast him and I was not so sure. I had someone else in mind, and I only knew him from Get Out, and I didn’t think that his character in Get Out was who Slim was. So I didn’t see it at first. It’s just a testament to his talent—he’s our Paul Robeson, he’s our Denzel Washington, he’s tremendous. The person he is in Get Out is obviously very different than Slim and I’m sure very different than any other role he will play in his career. We met for what was supposed to be a five-minute coffee and it turned into a five-hour-long conversation about work and life and film and our experiences navigating this world as black people and how important it was for him to be able to play this role. And by the end of that conversation, I offered him the film. And then I went back to Lena and said, I hope you still want him.”

Cast opposite Kaluuya is a dynamic newcomer, Jodie Turner-Smith. “Lena and I both wanted to utilize this opportunity as a platform to introduce a new black actress, because we don’t necessarily get those opportunities often. But it’s quite the challenge to find somebody not as experienced who can stand up against Daniel. Kudos to our amazing casting director, Carmen Cuba, because Jodie was in her first round. I saw Jodie on a commercial maybe seven years ago. I knew her, but at the time she was only modeling and I didn’t realize how much she had been working on her craft as an actress, and she was incredible in her tapes. So we brought her in to test against Daniel and she held her own—she challenged him and they elevated each other’s performance. Other people shrank under his talent and his confidence, and she did the opposite—she came in and he blushed, and that’s all we needed from Queen. Queen comes in and she’s a really strong, powerful woman who’s also disappointed in this date. And now we have to make Daniel Kaluuya not attractive, which is quite a challenge. But, yeah, she’s upset about it. And we knew in that first test that there was nobody else to play our Queen.”

The movie’s Queen needed to be imposing: She’s the one who takes charge after that deadly confrontation. “We wanted her to start off like a Malcolm X and him like a Martin Luther King. And by the end of it they would kind of switch roles and learn from each other. They’re two very different types of black people—we’re not a monolithic group. Although we’re connected, we’re all very different. She has seen the system fail her and her clients, so she comes in with this armor where she’s not very open. And by the end, she’s completely naked to this man and very vulnerable and has learned so much about taking risks and loving and it being OK to follow and not always having to lead.”

Queen & Slim was financed by Brad Weston and Pam Abdy’s production company Makeready, which has a distribution deal with Universal. “It’s great because Lena and I both have final cut on it, and they allowed us the creative freedom to tell a story through a black lens, through our own lens that doesn’t have any filter,” Matsoukas notes. “But then it also has the push of a major studio, which I think is really important and kind of the best of both worlds.”

Matsoukas earned their trust in part because she’s become something of a legend in the music video world. She’s directed videos for an incredible gallery of music stars, including Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Kylie Minogue, Snoop Dogg, Christina Aguilera, Solange, Ne-Yo, and Robin Thicke. She’s also one of Beyoncé’s go-to directors, having helmed nine of her music videos, including the striking, controversial “Formation.”

“I think my background in videos was an incredible education for this moment,” she reflects. “I was able to be experimental for many years in terms of the types of work that I did, and it really honed my skills as a filmmaker and informed my choices. It’s incredibly challenging doing a film—I’m not used to working on something for a year. I moved to New Orleans to start prepping in October, so it was a full year of my life. But it’s incredible to be able to tell such a three-dimensional story and be able to infuse so much of myself into each frame and to create a complete narrative. Obviously I utilized my background in videos to come here, but it feels like a very natural progression for me as a filmmaker to create my first film.”

Asked about her filmmaking heroes as she moves into her feature career, Matsoukas names Julie Dash (“an incredible influence on my eye and my interest in film”), Mira Nair, Barry Jenkins, Pedro Almodóvar, Spike Lee, Spike Jones, and Wes Anderson. “This list could go on and on. But I’m a fan of the power of cinema and also of all the people who give voice to the voiceless and create stories that aren’t usually told.”

That aim and aesthetic surely apply to Matsoukas’s feature debut. “I hope audiences come away with an education, that they feel like they learned more about the black experience, that they learned to humanize these characters and really were able to experience love with them.”

The post Date with Destiny: Two Strangers Become Defiant Folk Heroes in Melina Matsoukas’s <em>Queen & Slim</em> appeared first on Boxoffice.



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Monday, November 25, 2019

Weekend Box Office Key Insights: Frozen 2 Heats Up w/ $130.2M Domestic, $358.4M Global Debut

Ice is Back with a Brand New Invention

If the Disney animated musical sequel hadn’t topped the box office, it would have been as if hell “froze” over. But Frozen II opened with a hot $130.2M domestic weekend, in line with pre-release projections.

Disney’s estimate kept going higher and higher. The studio’s Saturday weekend projection was $120M, then their Sunday revised estimate rose to $127M, and by Monday’s weekend actuals had slightly topped $130M.

That’s +93.2% above the original film’s three-day Thanksgiving weekend opening, and even +39.1% above its five-day opening if including the original’s Wednesday and Thursday.

Perhaps the better comparison is to other recent Disney animated sequels. It started +7.7% ahead of Toy Story 4, but -3.5% behind Finding Dory.

The estimated audience demographics for Frozen II were 59% female and 31% under age 11.

Factoring in its $228.2M overseas opening, the film’s global debut totalled $358.4M. That’s the new record for both highest animated overseas opening previously held by Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs with $152M, and highest animated global opening previously held by this summer’s The Lion King with $244.5M.

Read our magazine’s cover story on Frozen II, including interviews with co-directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck.

Downshifting

Last weekend’s leader, Disney/Fox’s racecar drama Ford v. Ferrari, put the brakes on with a -50.0% decline to second place with $15.7M.

Read our interview with Ford v. Ferrari director James Mangold.

The “Day” Has Come

Sony’s Fred “Mr. Rogers” Rogers biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood began with a gentle $13.2M in third place.

That’s a bit below most pre-release projections, which had it in the $14M to $18M range. But with very positive word of mouth and a likely choice for families over the holiday season, look for this title to hold well in the weeks ahead.

Read our interview with co-screenwriters Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue.

Take ‘Em to the Bridge

STX’s action movie 21 Bridges couldn’t bridge the gap with a fourth place start of $9.2M, in line with pre-release projections.

The audience demographics were 56% male and 75% over age 25.

Billion-Dollar Movies

Warner Bros.’ Joker crossed the $1B mark globally last weekend, last Friday to be exact. This weekend it continued to pad its total, having now earned $708.8M overseas and $1.03B globally.

Frozen 2 is virtually certain to cross the billion-dollar mark as well, likely at some point in December or maybe January. The original earned $1.27B globally.

Limited Releases

Frozen 2 had the weekend’s top per-screen average at $29,338. Not too far behind was Focus Features’ legal drama Dark Waters, opening with $102,606 in four theaters for a $25,651 average.

How’d This Weekend Compare?

Total box office this weekend was $204.4M. That’s +87.3% above last weekend but -5.6% below this same three-day frame last year during Thanksgiving weekend, when Ralph Breaks the Internet led with $56.2M.

The Year So Far

Year-to-date box office stands at $9.85B. That’s -7.2% behind this same date last year, down from -6.4% after last weekend.

That’s also the lowest YTD level vs. 2018 since after the second weekend of July, at -8.6%.


Monday’s Weekend Actuals (Domestic)

FRI, NOV. 22 – SUN, NOV. 24

WIDE (1000+)

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Frozen II $130,263,358 4,440 $29,339 $130,263,358 1 Disney
2 Ford v. Ferrari $15,730,678 -50% 3,528 0 $4,459 $57,720,248 2 20th Century Fox
3 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood $13,251,238 3,235 $4,096 $13,251,238 1 Sony Pictures
4 21 Bridges $9,250,117 2,665 $3,471 $9,250,117 1 STX Entertainment
5 Midway $4,640,673 -45% 2,627 -615 $1,767 $43,048,234 3 Lionsgate
6 Playing with Fire $4,515,388 -46% 2,760 -425 $1,636 $31,522,035 3 Paramount Pictures
7 Charlie’s Angels $3,236,460 -61% 3,452 0 $938 $14,002,052 2 Sony Pictures
8 Last Christmas $3,099,535 -52% 2,411 -1043 $1,286 $27,851,925 3 Universal Pictures
9 The Good Liar $3,017,800 -46% 2,454 15 $1,230 $11,408,594 2 Warner Bros.
10 Joker $2,746,029 -49% 1,410 -927 $1,948 $326,857,842 8 Warner Bros.
11 Harriet $2,330,100 -49% 1,346 -665 $1,731 $36,024,155 4 Focus Features
12 Doctor Sleep $2,088,610 -65% 1,476 -2379 $1,415 $29,005,352 3 Warner Bros.
13 Maleficent: Mistress of Evil $2,051,520 -58% 1,605 -944 $1,278 $108,974,578 6 Disney
14 Terminator: Dark Fate $1,250,589 -71% 1,022 -1455 $1,224 $59,581,886 4 Paramount

LIMITED (100 — 999)

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Jojo Rabbit $1,588,234 -42% 787 -208 $2,018 $16,140,947 6 Fox Searchlight
2 Parasite $1,255,325 -33% 433 -187 $2,899 $16,498,762 7 NEON
3 Zombieland: Double Tap $540,733 -72% 455 -952 $1,188 $71,541,944 6 Sony Pictures
4 The Addams Family $474,425 -73% 837 -998 $567 $95,514,844 7 United Artists Releasing
5 Black and Blue $320,106 -65% 260 -298 $1,231 $21,395,063 5 Sony / Screen Gems
6 Countdown $294,113 -75% 298 -648 $987 $24,894,793 5 STX Entertainment
7 Depeche Mode: SPIRITS in the Forest $232,452 276 $842 $673,932 1 Trafalgar Releasing
8 Pagalpanti $227,714 117 $1,946 $227,714 1 Eros International
9 The Lighthouse $180,967 -53% 113 -177 $1,601 $10,171,652 6 A24
10 Abominable $143,880 -57% 221 -78 $651 $59,941,385 9 Universal Pictures
11 Pain and Glory $136,730 -36% 217 -9 $630 $3,322,264 8 Sony Pictures Classics
12 Downton Abbey $124,500 -59% 159 -144 $783 $96,550,930 10 Focus Features
13 Gemini Man $66,027 -43% 108 -68 $611 $48,419,465 7 Paramount Pictures
14 Arctic Dogs $55,026 -73% 195 -161 $282 $5,589,952 4 Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
15 It Chapter Two $38,447 -35% 105 -27 $366 $211,543,420 12 Warner Bros

PLATFORM (1 — 99)

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Honey Boy $252,322 24% 44 27 $5,735 $922,719 3 Amazon Studios
2 Waves $165,936 24% 21 17 $7,902 $333,167 2 A24
3 Dark Waters $102,606 4 $25,652 $102,606 1 Focus Features
4 Better Days $87,789 -73% 35 -53 $2,508 $1,835,039 3 Well Go USA Entertainment
5 Motherless Brooklyn $71,295 -86% 86 -525 $829 $9,111,366 4 Warner Bros.
6 Jay & Silent Bob Reboot $64,688 -63% 5 -5 $12,938 $2,762,773 6 Fathom Events / Saban Films
7 Judy $40,249 -61% 58 -65 $694 $23,849,438 9 Roadside Attractions / LD Entertainment
8 Hustlers $36,128 -55% 75 -43 $482 $104,872,008 11 STX Entertainment
9 The Lion King $33,605 -42% 87 -29 $386 $543,601,690 19 Walt Disney Pictures
10 Ad Astra $28,785 -33% 50 -28 $576 $50,139,904 10 20th Century Fox
11 No Safe Spaces $24,264 -79% 24 -31 $1,011 $434,873 5 Atlas Distribution
12 Everybody’s Everything $23,971 -60% 19 -10 $1,262 $514,805 2 Gunpowder & Sky
13 Once Upon a Time In Hollywood $20,361 -19% 25 -4 $814 $140,949,943 18 Sony Pictures
14 Frankie $17,835 120% 33 18 $540 $129,588 5 Sony Pictures Classics
15 The Peanut Butter Falcon $16,265 -44% 39 -26 $417 $20,411,823 16 Roadside Attractions
16 Toy Story 4 $16,231 -46% 48 -22 $338 $434,010,223 23 Disney
17 The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful $14,949 10 $1,495 $34,415 2 CJ Entertainment
18 Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice $13,801 -62% 25 -10 $552 $4,188,614 12 Greenwich Entertainment
19 The Current War $13,465 -70% 35 -108 $385 $5,918,827 5 101 Studios
20 Varda by Agnes $12,390 2 $6,195 $12,390 1 Janus Films
21 Synonyms $12,356 23% 12 5 $1,030 $141,624 5 Kino Lorber
22 Citizen K $10,571 1 $10,571 $10,571 1 Greenwich Entertainment
23 Mickey and the Bear $7,603 -19% 4 3 $1,901 $18,838 2 Utopia
24 My Dear Liar $6,918 -61% 3 0 $2,306 $90,545 3 CMC
25 The Kingmaker $6,661 -51% 7 -1 $952 $55,296 3 Greenwich Entertainment
26 The Warrior Queen of Jhansi $3,326 -97% 20 -257 $166 $174,102 2 Roadside Attractions
27 Shooting the Mafia $3,251 2 $1,626 $3,251 1 Cohen Media Group
28 Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project $3,213 -61% 3 2 $1,071 $19,836 2 Zeitgeist Films
29 When Lambs Become Lions $3,155 1 $3,155 $3,155 1 Oscilloscope Laboratories
30 Matthias & Maxime $3,056 -46% 5 -3 $611 $364,207 7  
31 Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound $2,808 7% 8 -1 $351 $45,230 5 Matson Films
32 Ága $2,550 419% 1 0 $2,550 $31,562 12 Big World Pictures
33 American Dharma $2,090 -65% 3 -5 $697 $32,279 4 Utopia
34 Immortal Hero $2,006 -15% 5 0 $401 $42,941 6 Freestyle Releasing
35 Where’s My Roy Cohn? $1,955 -63% 5 -14 $391 $693,449 10 Sony Pictures Classics
36 Gift $1,778 176% 5 -3 $356 $28,738 7 Matson Films
37 Mr. Klein $1,674 -63% 2 -1 $837 $176,343 12 Rialto Pictures
38 The Killing Floor $1,583 1 $1,583 $1,583 1 Film Movement
39 Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins $1,105 -74% 5 -6 $221 $691,302 13 Magnolia Pictures
40 Edie $990 2 $495 $67,633 12 Music Box Films
41 By the Grace of God $883 -66% 5 -2 $177 $54,763 6 Music Box Films
42 The Woman Who Loves Giraffes $813 -13% 1 0 $813 $11,621 8 Zeitgeist Films
43 Give Me Liberty $800 -24% 2 1 $400 $229,749 14 Music Box Films
44 Scandalous: The Untold Story of the National Enquirer $735 -93% 3 -9 $245 $16,743 2 Magnolia Pictures
45 Anthropocene: The Human Epoch $712 1 $712 $103,965 9 Kino Lorber
46 David Crosby: Remember My Name $629 7 $90 $730,320 19 Sony Pictures Classics
47 Western Stars $480 -95% 12 -132 $40 $1,578,434 6 Warner Bros.
48 The Golden Glove $450 188% 3 1 $150 $5,963 9 Strand Releasing
49 Aquarela $333 -81% 3 1 $111 $301,161 15 Sony Pictures Classics
50 Maiden $260 -92% 2 -2 $130 $3,159,132 22 Sony Pictures Classics
51 Stuffed $163 1 $163 $9,406 6 Music Box Films
52 Desolation Center $132 -89% 1 -2 $132 $31,782 11 Matson Films
53 Gregory’s Girl $37 1 $37 $7,321 8 Film Movement

The post Weekend Box Office Key Insights: <em>Frozen 2</em> Heats Up w/ $130.2M Domestic, $358.4M Global Debut appeared first on Boxoffice.



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ShowEast 2019 Recap: Tech and Support

Companies across the industry increase collaborative efforts in confronting the (digital) challenges ahead

Digital cinema has brought a growing array of audiovisual formats and technologies—features like immersive audio, laser projection, panoramic screens, and motion seating—that has led to unique moviegoing experiences, oftentimes at higher ticket prices. As we approach the expiration of the virtual print fee (VPF) model, questions about the availability and sustainability of new advanced formats have been raised by the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and other industry members. Their concerns include not only keeping tabs on digital cinema standards, but ensuring the affordability of new technology that can help grow the industry. 

Paramount’s release of Ang Lee’s Gemini Man dominated the conversation in a cinema technology roundtable at ShowEast, held October 14–17 at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. The film, which had just premiered the weekend leading up to the convention, had enjoyed a lukewarm box office after a release that promoted its pioneering advanced-format credentials: shot in 120 fps high frame rate (HFR) 3-D. The overwhelming majority of theaters around the world weren’t equipped to exhibit it at its full potential, so Paramount worked with exhibitors to develop a suitable advanced-format alternative that could work for a large-scale release. Despite the tepid response from audiences, tech executives at ShowEast remained confident that HFR could eventually gain traction among moviegoers. 

“There is still a perception today that HFR has a ‘soap-opera effect’ [i.e., it resembles video footage] regarding the way that the content looks,” said Andrew Poulain, director of worldwide cinema products at Dolby Laboratories. “Filmmakers have to learn how to use this tool to better engage their audience. I think that high frame rates are ultimately inevitable, tied together with other technology changes like increasing high brightness and display technologies.” 

As cinema technology advances, the roundtable agreed that exhibitors’ views of new offerings had similarly evolved. “I’ve been in the general technology-leasing business too many years to mention, and technology was viewed as a necessary evil for years,” said Michael Vienhage, SVP and regional manager of CSI Leasing. “Now it’s beginning to be seen as a way to differentiate one’s offerings, and I think that’s how exhibitors will look at technology going forward.”

No longer that “necessary evil,” emerging technologies are now seen as either catalysts to raising the audiovisual standard or (more cynically) responsible for raising ticket prices. Communicating what exactly a tech upgrade brings, both to the exhibitor and its moviegoers, will become a bigger responsibility for marketers. “Putting ‘4K’ on a billboard doesn’t necessarily allow you to charge more for a movie ticket,” said Brian Claypool, V.P. of product management of global cinema at Christie Digital. 

That doesn’t mean the technology isn’t worth embracing; a switch from xenon digital projectors to laser projectors, for example, simultaneously increases the picture quality and brightness levels and lowers overall energy costs. “The real benefit of laser isn’t going to be its wider color gamut or higher frame rates, but the fact that you’ve got a consistent, high-quality, and bright image that’s actually more affordable for your cinema,” said Todd Hoddick, chief revenue officer at Cinionic. 

Tony Adamson, SVP of strategic planning at GDC Technology of America, agreed with that sentiment—adding that caveat that marketing any technology investment is important for exhibitors. “I’ve seen laser [and xenon digital projection] side by side, and where the consumer gets stuck is that I don’t think they really care,” he said. “They’re here to see a movie and I don’t think they care about what the light source is. I think it’s incumbent on the exhibitor to market the difference … to educate and let [audiences] know that things are changing.”

Another ShowEast session, on broader marketing challenges, addressed the influence of social media on digital ticketing, and in particular the benefits (or not) of a title-driven marketing strategy. Promoting studio content, after all, doesn’t necessarily build awareness of any one cinema chain. In this age of expanded amenities and premium cinema experiences, distinguishing one’s own cinema has become nearly as important as promoting the upcoming weekend’s new releases. “Let’s face it, the consumer is going to find the studios’ content; it’s exciting and they’re going to respond to it, and you have to promote your own amenities in addition to that,” said Valerie Shortall, V.P. international marketing at Cinemark. “It just depends what that experience is. You have to examine these markets individually and how to get your messages through in conjunction with the studios’ content.” 

Engaging with moviegoers online has become a priority for many of the companies who provide services to exhibitors. A prime example is national cinema-advertising leader NCM, which communicates with a mass movie audience every weekend through its pre-show. “For the past few years we’ve moved beyond and rebranded our pre-show to take a much greater B2C focus,” said Steve Ochs, SVP of marketing and creative at NCM. “We have a scaled audience of 700 million moviegoers going through our 20,000-plus screens every year, so we’re constantly asking ourselves, how do we talk to them on a regular basis? How do we drive them to the exhibitors’ experiences?”

While social media platforms represent the most visible digital front in the marketing battle for viewers’ attention, older tools like email marketing have made a resurgence thanks to the rise of big data. “It’s a channel that remains incredibly relevant in specific targeting, because you know in advance what these customers want to see, and that data becomes extremely relevant,” said Cinemark’s Shortall. “If you don’t have an email-marketing platform, I suggest you get one, as you’ll see an automatic uplift [in sales]. It’s a weekly exercise aimed at loyalty customers. It’s all about tailoring different messages to different people.” 

“It has to be targeted; the days of mass emails are over,” agreed Mark Malinowski, V.P. of global marketing at National Amusements. “We’ll look at three to four emails per week, each with different messages, to the same audience every week. We target other emails to bring customers over to our loyalty program and site; it’s all about delivering a specific message to a specific customer.” 

All these avenues of communication lead to the same goal: increasing digital ticketing transactions. That part of the equation is at the center of the efforts of companies like Atom Tickets and Fandango, who specialize in bringing innovative e-commerce solutions to exhibitors. Max Lynn, V.P. of corporate development at Atom Tickets, believes movie ticketing is following in the steps of ecommerce to become a mobile-native experience. “[We] decided to tackle mobile ticketing from the standpoint of ecommerce,” he said. “We asked, how do we get people from [content] discovery into theaters as quickly as possible? That’s why we invested heavily from the perspective of the social conversation from the ground level: What are my friends talking about [seeing]? And how can we reduce the friction [of ticket buying] as much as possible when three-plus friends are involved?”

Tackling mobile ticketing as an ecommerce solution, Fandango has expanded its ticketing operations beyond its own website and app to include other web publishers popular with consumers. “Our goal at Fandango is to be where the customer is,” explained Melissa Heller, V.P. of domestic ticketing. “From a typical ecommerce standpoint, we’ve done integrations across the board—from Google to Apple—we’re not trying to change your buying behavior, we’re trying to convert you [to purchase] where the customer is or where they might be.”

Not all tech innovations come with an immediate adoption rate, however. While voice-activated ticketing through virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa and Apple’s Siri have been available for over a year, they haven’t caught on in a significant way. “It’s really about ‘test and learn’; you don’t know which of the 10 new things around the corner will work—but as a technology company, you have to be there,” said Atom’s Lynn. “Our Amazon Alexa skill was the first to enable reserved seating. Do a lot of people use it? Not really. Will they? Perhaps … sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith [on new technology], while ensuring that the ecommerce app maintains that fidelity across the website and mobile app. It’s often a case of blazing a trail, seeing if it works, and waiting for the use across channels to follow from that.”

This spirit of innovation and collaboration among competitors in digital ticketing and cinema technology signals a change in the business culture that is also spreading among exhibitors. As new challenges to the business emerge, initiatives like the Global Cinema Federation (GCF) have helped bring competitors together in an effort to better tackle mutual concerns.

“To some extent, [exhibitors] were not informed enough in several countries on what was happening elsewhere and what we could do about it,” said Eduardo Acuña, head of Americas at Cinépolis, during a panel session featuring members from the GCF. “There are great associations like NATO and UNIC, but in the rest of the world most exhibitors didn’t know what was happening. It made sense to join forces in an effort to inform and educate our fellow exhibitors on what’s happening in other countries and how that can affect us.” 

Among the issues that have become top priorities for the GCF are international trade and investment, movie theft, music rights, accessibility, and last, but certainly not least, theatrical exclusivity. 

“It’s absolutely, if not number one, a top concern for exhibitors everywhere across the globe,” said Jackie Brenneman, general counsel and director of industry relations at NATO. “Because we are a trade body and have the world’s largest exhibitors in the same room, we can’t internally discuss or externally advocate for any specific window—at all. What we can do is collect meaningful data, and good data tells stories … using that kind of publicly available data, we can start to do real advocacy and education work that’s appropriate within the constraints of competition law, which we take very seriously.”

That sharing of data has helped international exhibitors learn from each other’s success stories. From decreasing the rate of movie theft in Canada to learning about negotiations with distributors about the theatrical window in the U.K., this collaboration has led to better-informed decisions at circuits around the world. It helps establish a standard that can address mutual goals and concerns simultaneously. 

When it comes to cinema technology, that level of collaboration among exhibitors is precisely what John Fithian, NATO president and CEO, suggested in a recent Boxoffice Procolumn (“It’s Time for Theater Owners to Reassert Leadership on Cinema Technology,” September 2019). At ShowEast, the technology executives on the industry roundtable seemed open to a closer rapport with exhibitors. “It’s up to us tech vendors to keep our technologies relevant and bring them to bear, but I’d like to see the industry coming together … to tell us what is important so we can build technology that is relevant to the cinemas. The exhibitor’s voice is critical to this,” said Wim Buyens, CEO of Cinionic. 

Whether it was international trade, advanced formats, or emerging e-commerce solutions, ShowEast 2019 revealed that continued success for theatrical exhibition depends on the collaboration among exhibitors and the companies that help them bring the magic of the movies to audiences worldwide. 

The post ShowEast 2019 Recap: Tech and Support appeared first on Boxoffice.



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ShowEast 2019 Tackles Innovations and Challenges Ahead

Digital cinema has brought a growing array of audiovisual formats and technologies—features like immersive audio, laser projection, panoramic screens, and motion seating—that has led to unique moviegoing experiences, oftentimes at higher ticket prices. As we approach the expiration of the virtual print fee (VPF) model, questions about the availability and sustainability of new advanced formats have been raised by the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and other industry members. Their concerns include not only keeping tabs on digital cinema standards, but ensuring the affordability of new technology that can help grow the industry. 

Paramount’s release of Ang Lee’s Gemini Man dominated the conversation in a cinema technology roundtable at ShowEast, held October 14–17 at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. The film, which had just premiered the weekend leading up to the convention, had enjoyed a lukewarm box office after a release that promoted its pioneering advanced-format credentials: shot in 120 fps high frame rate (HFR) 3-D. The overwhelming majority of theaters around the world weren’t equipped to exhibit it at its full potential, so Paramount worked with exhibitors to develop a suitable advanced-format alternative that could work for a large-scale release. Despite the tepid response from audiences, tech executives at ShowEast remained confident that HFR could eventually gain traction among moviegoers. 

“There is still a perception today that HFR has a ‘soap-opera effect’ [i.e., it resembles video footage] regarding the way that the content looks,” said Andrew Poulain, director of worldwide cinema products at Dolby Laboratories. “Filmmakers have to learn how to use this tool to better engage their audience. I think that high frame rates are ultimately inevitable, tied together with other technology changes like increasing high brightness and display technologies.” 

As cinema technology advances, the roundtable agreed that exhibitors’ views of new offerings had similarly evolved. “I’ve been in the general technology-leasing business too many years to mention, and technology was viewed as a necessary evil for years,” said Michael Vienhage, SVP and regional manager of CSI Leasing. “Now it’s beginning to be seen as a way to differentiate one’s offerings, and I think that’s how exhibitors will look at technology going forward.”

No longer that “necessary evil,” emerging technologies are now seen as either catalysts to raising the audiovisual standard or (more cynically) responsible for raising ticket prices. Communicating what exactly a tech upgrade brings, both to the exhibitor and its moviegoers, will become a bigger responsibility for marketers. “Putting ‘4K’ on a billboard doesn’t necessarily allow you to charge more for a movie ticket,” said Brian Claypool, V.P. of product management of global cinema at Christie Digital. 

That doesn’t mean the technology isn’t worth embracing; a switch from xenon digital projectors to laser projectors, for example, simultaneously increases the picture quality and brightness levels and lowers overall energy costs. “The real benefit of laser isn’t going to be its wider color gamut or higher frame rates, but the fact that you’ve got a consistent, high-quality, and bright image that’s actually more affordable for your cinema,” said Todd Hoddick, chief revenue officer at Cinionic. 

Tony Adamson, SVP of strategic planning at GDC Technology of America, agreed with that sentiment—adding that caveat that marketing any technology investment is important for exhibitors. “I’ve seen laser [and xenon digital projection] side by side, and where the consumer gets stuck is that I don’t think they really care,” he said. “They’re here to see a movie and I don’t think they care about what the light source is. I think it’s incumbent on the exhibitor to market the difference … to educate and let [audiences] know that things are changing.”

Another ShowEast session, on broader marketing challenges, addressed the influence of social media on digital ticketing, and in particular the benefits (or not) of a title-driven marketing strategy. Promoting studio content, after all, doesn’t necessarily build awareness of any one cinema chain. In this age of expanded amenities and premium cinema experiences, distinguishing one’s own cinema has become nearly as important as promoting the upcoming weekend’s new releases. “Let’s face it, the consumer is going to find the studios’ content; it’s exciting and they’re going to respond to it, and you have to promote your own amenities in addition to that,” said Valerie Shortall, V.P. international marketing at Cinemark. “It just depends what that experience is. You have to examine these markets individually and how to get your messages through in conjunction with the studios’ content.” 

Engaging with moviegoers online has become a priority for many of the companies who provide services to exhibitors. A prime example is national cinema-advertising leader NCM, which communicates with a mass movie audience every weekend through its pre-show. “For the past few years we’ve moved beyond and rebranded our pre-show to take a much greater B2C focus,” said Steve Ochs, SVP of marketing and creative at NCM. “We have a scaled audience of 700 million moviegoers going through our 20,000-plus screens every year, so we’re constantly asking ourselves, how do we talk to them on a regular basis? How do we drive them to the exhibitors’ experiences?”

While social media platforms represent the most visible digital front in the marketing battle for viewers’ attention, older tools like email marketing have made a resurgence thanks to the rise of big data. “It’s a channel that remains incredibly relevant in specific targeting, because you know in advance what these customers want to see, and that data becomes extremely relevant,” said Cinemark’s Shortall. “If you don’t have an email-marketing platform, I suggest you get one, as you’ll see an automatic uplift [in sales]. It’s a weekly exercise aimed at loyalty customers. It’s all about tailoring different messages to different people.” 

“It has to be targeted; the days of mass emails are over,” agreed Mark Malinowski, V.P. of global marketing at National Amusements. “We’ll look at three to four emails per week, each with different messages, to the same audience every week. We target other emails to bring customers over to our loyalty program and site; it’s all about delivering a specific message to a specific customer.” 

All these avenues of communication lead to the same goal: increasing digital ticketing transactions. That part of the equation is at the center of the efforts of companies like Atom Tickets and Fandango, who specialize in bringing innovative e-commerce solutions to exhibitors. Max Lynn, V.P. of corporate development at Atom Tickets, believes movie ticketing is following in the steps of ecommerce to become a mobile-native experience. “[We] decided to tackle mobile ticketing from the standpoint of ecommerce,” he said. “We asked, how do we get people from [content] discovery into theaters as quickly as possible? That’s why we invested heavily from the perspective of the social conversation from the ground level: What are my friends talking about [seeing]? And how can we reduce the friction [of ticket buying] as much as possible when three-plus friends are involved?”

Tackling mobile ticketing as an ecommerce solution, Fandango has expanded its ticketing operations beyond its own website and app to include other web publishers popular with consumers. “Our goal at Fandango is to be where the customer is,” explained Melissa Heller, V.P. of domestic ticketing. “From a typical ecommerce standpoint, we’ve done integrations across the board—from Google to Apple—we’re not trying to change your buying behavior, we’re trying to convert you [to purchase] where the customer is or where they might be.”

Not all tech innovations come with an immediate adoption rate, however. While voice-activated ticketing through virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa and Apple’s Siri have been available for over a year, they haven’t caught on in a significant way. “It’s really about ‘test and learn’; you don’t know which of the 10 new things around the corner will work—but as a technology company, you have to be there,” said Atom’s Lynn. “Our Amazon Alexa skill was the first to enable reserved seating. Do a lot of people use it? Not really. Will they? Perhaps … sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith [on new technology], while ensuring that the ecommerce app maintains that fidelity across the website and mobile app. It’s often a case of blazing a trail, seeing if it works, and waiting for the use across channels to follow from that.”

This spirit of innovation and collaboration among competitors in digital ticketing and cinema technology signals a change in the business culture that is also spreading among exhibitors. As new challenges to the business emerge, initiatives like the Global Cinema Federation (GCF) have helped bring competitors together in an effort to better tackle mutual concerns.

“To some extent, [exhibitors] were not informed enough in several countries on what was happening elsewhere and what we could do about it,” said Eduardo Acuña, head of Americas at Cinépolis, during a panel session featuring members from the GCF. “There are great associations like NATO and UNIC, but in the rest of the world most exhibitors didn’t know what was happening. It made sense to join forces in an effort to inform and educate our fellow exhibitors on what’s happening in other countries and how that can affect us.” 

Among the issues that have become top priorities for the GCF are international trade and investment, movie theft, music rights, accessibility, and last, but certainly not least, theatrical exclusivity. 

“It’s absolutely, if not number one, a top concern for exhibitors everywhere across the globe,” said Jackie Brenneman, general counsel and director of industry relations at NATO. “Because we are a trade body and have the world’s largest exhibitors in the same room, we can’t internally discuss or externally advocate for any specific window—at all. What we can do is collect meaningful data, and good data tells stories … using that kind of publicly available data, we can start to do real advocacy and education work that’s appropriate within the constraints of competition law, which we take very seriously.”

That sharing of data has helped international exhibitors learn from each other’s success stories. From decreasing the rate of movie theft in Canada to learning about negotiations with distributors about the theatrical window in the U.K., this collaboration has led to better-informed decisions at circuits around the world. It helps establish a standard that can address mutual goals and concerns simultaneously. 

When it comes to cinema technology, that level of collaboration among exhibitors is precisely what John Fithian, NATO president and CEO, suggested in a recent Boxoffice Procolumn (“It’s Time for Theater Owners to Reassert Leadership on Cinema Technology,” September 2019). At ShowEast, the technology executives on the industry roundtable seemed open to a closer rapport with exhibitors. “It’s up to us tech vendors to keep our technologies relevant and bring them to bear, but I’d like to see the industry coming together … to tell us what is important so we can build technology that is relevant to the cinemas. The exhibitor’s voice is critical to this,” said Wim Buyens, CEO of Cinionic. 

Whether it was international trade, advanced formats, or emerging ecommerce solutions, ShowEast 2019 revealed that continued success for theatrical exhibition depends on the collaboration among exhibitors and the companies that help them bring the magic of the movies to audiences worldwide. 

The post ShowEast 2019 Tackles Innovations and Challenges Ahead appeared first on Boxoffice.



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