THANKSGIVING WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: The Croods: A New Age Gives North American Theaters a Jolt With Highest Opening Since March

The Croods: A New Age was a breath of fresh air at North American movie theaters this weekend, grossing an estimated $14.22 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame and $9.71 million from Friday-Sunday on 2,221 screens. If the latter figure holds, the Universal release will surpass Tenet ($9.35 million) as the biggest three-day opening since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered theaters in March. The Croods’ per-screen average was $4,392 over the three-day period and $6,429 over the five-day. This marks the fifth straight weekend Universal has enjoyed the No. 1 film at the North American box office, following Come Play, Let Him Go (both Focus Features titles) and Freaky, which held the top spot for two consecutive weekends. The studio has four more films set to release this year, including All My Life (Universal) and Half Brothers (Focus) on Dec. 4 and Young Woman (Focus)...

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Early Weekend Report: The Croods: A New Age Reaches $4.6M 2-Day Domestic Start, $3M Opening Day in China

Universal has checked in during this holiday break with a brief update on the early performance of The Croods: A New Age, reporting that the film has earned $4.6 million in its first two days of domestic release. Broken down, that sum has been reached through a $1.9 million Wednesday opening and a $2.7 million Thursday haul. While Wednesday’s result was already slightly ahead of expectations, Thursday’s 42 percent increase was unexpected and quite atypical for Thanksgiving. Traditionally, most films post a decline on the holiday — particularly those opening on the Wednesday immediately before, and especially franchise films with wide appeal. For example, Pixar’s Coco dropped over 32 percent from Wednesday to Thursday during the 2017 holiday week, and Disney’s Ralph Breaks the Internet slid 44.5 percent the year after. Both films, like Croods, opened the day before Thanksgiving. What...

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A Century in Exhibition—The 1970s: A New Hope

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of Boxoffice Pro. Though the publication you hold in your hands has had different owners, headquarters, and even names—it was founded in Kansas City by 18-year-old Ben Shlyen as The Reel Journal, then called Boxoffice in 1933, and more recently Boxoffice Pro—it has always remained committed to theatrical exhibition. From the 1920s to the 2020s, Boxoffice Pro has always had one goal: to provide knowledge and insight to those who bring movies to the public. Radio, TV, home video, and streaming have all been perceived as threats to the theatrical exhibition industry over the years, but movie theaters...

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Weekend Box Office Forecast: The Croods: A New Age Arrives for Thanksgiving as the First Major Studio Animation Movie Since March

Following an expected dip at the domestic box office last weekend, largely driven by renewed curfews, lockdowns, and theater closures amid surging virus cases, cinema operators still up and running will receive a much needed reprieve this frame as Universal launches The Croods: A New Age in an estimated 2,211 locations. The sequel to 2013’s original film is one of the few titles this year to actually stick to its 2020 release plans. In fact, it was moved up ahead of schedule after the litany of other delays and evolving market conditions gave it a greater purpose to serve exhibitors starved for content. The film was originally slated to open during Christmas. As the only major studio consistently releasing films at the moment, Universal is poised to enjoy its fourth #1 title in a month as Croods aims to draw families willing to venture out over the long Thanksgiving holiday...

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Warner Bros. Confirms Wonder Woman 1984 International Release Dates

Following last week’s announcement that the studio will be distributing Wonder Woman 1984 as part of a hybrid day-and-date strategy with theaters and a streaming option in the United States on Christmas Day, Warner Bros. this morning confirmed its theatrical rollout dates for the rest of the world. The current target is to reach 82 territories. Key markets include the United Kingdom and France opening the film on December 16, followed by China and Japan on December 18. The following week will see the debut of the highly anticipated DC sequel in Germany and Korea (December 23), followed by Canada and the United States, among others, on December 25. Following those releases, Australia and New Zealand will get the film on December 26. Russia will see the pic debut on January 14, while Italy will bow on January 28. Other countries and regions, such as Latin America, remain...

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Local Community Rallies to Save Poland’s Kino Pionier 1907 Independent Cinema

In operation since 1907, the Kino Pionier 1907 in Szczecin, Poland has been through wars, regime changes, the 1918 Spanish flu… and now, Covid-19. It has, to put it lightly, been a year of struggle for the theater. The initial closure of Poland’s cinemas was announced on March 12; cinemas were allowed to re-open on June 6 under capacity restrictions. The Kino Pioner, faced with dwindling attendance and a shortage of films to program, found itself in a dire financial situation. That’s when their local community stepped up with a crowdfunding campaign meant to save a theater that, at one point, was certified by the Guinness Book of World Record as the world’s oldest still in operation. The Kino Pionier 1907, says co-owner Jerzy Miśkiewicz, is the only independent cinema in Szczecin, a port city located near the border of Poland and Germany. In terms of programming, the...

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2020 Box Ofice Crosses $2 Billion Domestically

A little-noticed milestone was achieved at the theatrical box office this weekend: $2 billion in North American ticket sales. For the prior three years, the $2 billion threshold was reached in early-to-mid March. In 2019 it came in mid-March, on the coattails of Captain Marvel, Us, and Aquaman. In 2018 it came in early March, from the successes of Black Panther, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. In 2017 it also came in early March, led by Get Out, Logan, Hidden Figures, and The Lego Batman Movie. 2020 originally looked like it was going to reach the $2 billion mark in mid-to-late March, perhaps a week or two behind recent years, but still in the same general range. Year-to-date box office stood at $1.69 billion through the March 6-8 weekend, the last “fully open” frame in the U.S. It rose to $1.78 billion after the March 13-15...

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French Cinemas Permitted to Re-Open as Early as Mid-December, in Time for Wonder Woman 1984 Launch

This article originally appeared in French on Boxoffifce Pro France. French President Emmanuel Macron announced a potential mid-December re-opening date for the country’s cinemas during a televised address on Tuesday evening, contingent on public health benchmarks being met ahead of time.  Cinemas in France were originally ordered to close by government mandate on March 14 due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. As cases dissipated nationwide, cinemas began to reopen their doors on June 22. By the Fall, however, a second wave of the virus forced movie theaters to close once again on October 30.   Addressing the nation’s cultural sector, Macron thanked those institutions “who held on and were able to innovate and create other connections with their audiences… We need them. Culture is essential to our lives as citizens.” Most businesses in France will...

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Ultimate Outdoor Entertainment to Open First ‘Ultimate Drive-In’ Location in Austin, 2021

PRESS RELEASE Ultimate Outdoor Entertainment (UOE), a Texas-based outfit that specializes in outdoor movie screen rentals, has announced the opening of their first drive-in theater in East Austin by April 2021. Branded The Ultimate Drive-In™, the theater will provide a hybrid movie experience combining open-air cinema seating with premium parking, alongside LED screens and SkyView Deck seating. Their approach will include dining and drink packages, contactless food and drink delivery or exclusive SkyDeck Loft concierge services, and a mix of repertory movies and new releases with theme nights and party packages. Various ticket options allow viewers to bring their own snacks, or guests can order the amazing Ultimate Grilled Cheese Donut or fresh popcorn packages delivered straight to their seats or vehicles. “We began our outdoor movie adventure in Austin, TX in 2008,...

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This Canadian Theater’s Patrons Gave $4,500 for a Chance to Haunt It When They Die

Like any old venue, the Regent Theatre in Picton, Ontario has experienced its fair share of (alleged) supernatural activity: cash boxes flying off shelves, cold spots, inexplicable sensations. But until now, it didn’t have a resident spirit to call its own. “There’s lots of anecdotal stories, third hand, you know, ‘My friend’s brother worked there in the projection room back in the ’80s, and he was working alone one night and felt a cold breath on the back of his neck,’” Regent Theatre board chair Benjamin Thornton tells Boxoffice Pro. “But no one story stuck.” To rectify that, Thornton decided to hold a “Ghost of the Regent” contest, allowing patrons to support the nonprofit venue—which hosts both first-run and repertory films as well as live events—with a $25 donation in exchange for a chance to win “the perpetual right to haunt the theater” after death. All donations...

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NATO Members Discuss Path Forward for Exhibition Industry During Annual Meetings

BY NATO STAFF NATO’s Annual Meetings are usually held in Los Angeles every fall. This year, those meetings were all held virtually.  While a lack of in-person interaction with members left a void, we still received a lot of great feedback on how NATO should move forward during these difficult times. Here is a summary of the meetings that were held: Executive Board Meeting Following the Advisory Board meeting, the Executive Board met in closed session to provide direction regarding NATO’s priorities, to consider recommendations presented by NATO committees, and to review NATO financial reports. The Executive Board discussed strategic initiatives currently under way at NATO, including efforts to help member companies survive the Covid-19 pandemic—the state/local government relations grants program, lobbying support for relief legislation, an industry public relations...

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Showcase Cinemas Launches Voice-Activated Ticketing for Amazon Alexa-Enabled Devices

Moviegoers can now customize their ticket buying experience at Showcase Cinemas on Alexa-enabled devices. The voice-activated solution allows moviegoers to find showtimes and purchase tickets on Amazon’s digital assistant for any of the circuit’s 25 U.S. locations. The voice-activated solution—developed by Boxoffice Pro’s corporate parent, The Boxoffice Company—allows moviegoers to find standard and premium format showtimes, reserve seats, and purchase tickets. Once a transaction is completed, Showcase sends the tickets directly to a customer’s email so they can be scanned from their phone at the theater. Customers can activate the skill on the Alexa mobile app by searching for Showcase Tickets under the Skills & Games menu or command their Alexa device by saying, “Alexa, enable Showcase Cinemas.” Once it’s set up, customers can use the skill with commands such as...

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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Freaky Finishes At No. 1 Again Over Quiet Pre-Thanksgiving Frame

Freaky, the Universal body swap horror-comedy that topped the box office last weekend, again finished at No. 1 over a quiet pre-Thanksgiving frame that saw a dearth of major new studio releases. Grossing an estimated $1.2 million in its second weekend, Freaky now sits at $5.6 million after ten days of release. In announcing the results, Universal noted that the theatrical footprint in North America has been reduced from 3,400 to 2,800 screens since last weekend, putting a damper on turnout. Freaky itself lost over 400 screens. Rising to second place was 101 Studios’ The War With Grandpa, which took in an estimated $733,067 and now has $16.18 million through its seventh weekend of release. Third and fourth place went to two Focus features titles that previously debuted at No. 1: Let Him Go, which brought in an estimated $710,000, and Come Play, which grossed an estimated...

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Long Range Box Office Forecast: The Implications of Wonder Woman 1984‘s Day-and-Date Christmas Release

After weeks of seeming inevitable, we now know the distribution fate of Wonder Woman 1984 is that of a hybrid December 25 release. Industry news outlets and blogs are awash with speculation surrounding what Warner Bros.’ strategy of a simultaneous streaming release alongside the film’s theatrical debut means for movies and movie theaters. It’s the latest development in a year filled with speculation, uncertainty, unease, and then more speculation. The bad news, quite obviously, is this means the highly anticipated sequel — previously touted in our own internal forecasts and those of other industry watchers as a candidate to earn $1 billion-plus at the global box office, and potentially become the highest grossing film of the year — won’t play anywhere near as large of a role in theatrical recovery as it could have. It’s a shame for cinema lovers, particularly given what...

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