5 WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TAKEAWAYS: A Quiet Place Part II, Cruella, Spiral

#1: Theatrical exclusivity is key What accounts for the discrepancy in earnings between Memorial Day weekend’s two major theatrical debuts? Theatrical exclusivity. Paramount’s science-fiction horror sequel A Quiet Place Part II played exclusively in cinemas, where it will remain for 45 days before moving to Paramount+. Meanwhile, this weekend’s other major debut, Cruella, opened day-and-date in both theaters and for a $30 surcharge for Disney+ subscribers. Quiet‘s estimated $57.0M four-day opening, when including Memorial Day Monday, was actually +4.8% above its predecessor’s $54.3M four-day take. [Read Boxoffice PRO‘s interview with A Quiet Place Part II sound editors Erik Aadahl and Ethan van der Ryn here.] On the other hand, Cruella‘s estimated $26.5M four-day debut came in -32.3 percent behind the similar Disney villain-themed Maleficent:...

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WEEKEND ESTIMATES: A Quiet Place Part II Sets Pandemic Record in Domestic Debut , Cruella Finishes Second with $20M+ Bow

The summer movie season is here, welcoming mass audiences back to the movies and launching a recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic for the domestic box office.  The weekend’s debut of Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II and Disney’s Cruella introduced the most important milemarker for the domestic recovery effort since Tenet’s release in September 2020. This time around, however, the results are significantly more upbeat.  The domestic launch of A Quiet Place Part II set a new pandemic benchmark with an estimated $48.3 million three-day haul from 3,726 screens. The four-day figure, which spans the length of the Memorial Day weekend, is estimated to come in at $58.5 million. The film recorded the highest domestic debut for IMAX since January 2020 with an estimated $4.1 million three-day and $5 million four-day contribution from the premium format.  The tally...

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A Quiet Place Part II Scores Highest Domestic Opening Weekend of the Pandemic, on Track to Surpass Original’s 4-Day Debut

The domestic box office just hit another major milestone in its recovery with the debut of Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II. The sequel opened to $48.3 million from 3,726 screens, according to the studio’s three-day estimates. The four-day figure, which spans the length of the Memorial Day weekend, is estimated to come in at $58.5 million. The tally represents the biggest opening weekend of the pandemic by a considerable margin, eclipsing Warner Bros.’ Godzilla vs. Kong three-day bow of $31.6 million, four-day take of $34.1 million, and six-day opening week haul of $50.2 million from 3,064 screens. Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II is playing exclusively at cinemas for a 45-day period, whereas Godzilla vs. Kong opened simultaneously on HBO Max at no additional cost to subscribers. A Quiet Place Part II’s opening weekend numbers came in just 3 percent shy of its predecessor’s...

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Early Weekend Estimates: A Quiet Place Part IISmashes Pandemic Records with $19.3M Friday, Eyeing $55-60M+ 4-Day Holiday Frame; Cruella Healthy at $25M 4-Day

Summer box office is back. Paramount reports this morning that A Quiet Place Part II thrilled domestic audiences to the tune of $19.3 million on opening day Friday, including Thursday night’s $4.8 million preview grosses, from 3,726 North American cinemas. That figure blows away the previous pandemic era record for an opening or single day gross, formerly held by Godzilla vs. Kong‘s $9.7 million opening day (a Wednesday) and $12.7 million on the Saturday of its debut weekend. Perhaps just as impressive is the fact that this highly anticipated and well-reviewed sequel bested the $18.86 million opening day of its 2018 predecessor, A Quiet Place. That film went on to earn $50.2 million for its traditional three-day opening weekend. Part II‘s opening day, and eventual weekend figures, are also locked to set new all-time regards for the horror genre on Memorial Day weekend...

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Christie Technology to be Used in BAFTA’s Redesigned London Headquarters

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) selected Christie this week as a technology partner for their redeveloped London headquarters, slated to open to the public in early 2022. According to a company press release, the technology will include: A 1.2 x 2.7 meter (3.9 ft x 8.8 ft) Christie MicroTiles® LED video wall that will welcome visitors with content at the reception entrance. The Ray Dolby Room foyer will be fitted with two video walls and a floor-to-ceiling projection display using 1DLP® laser projectors, Christie Pandoras Box Server and Christie Mystique Premium Edition, a multi-camera automated warping and blending tool for stacking and edge-blending projection systems. The Shaw Theatre will be powered by a DCI-compliant Christie CP2309-RGB pure laser cinema projector, for screens up to 13 meters (44 feet) wide. Multi-purpose spaces and boardrooms...

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Emagine Entertainment Locations to Host Summer Kids Series for $3 a Ticket

Starting June 4, Emagine Theatres will show 21st century animated favorites on the big screen for $3 per ticket, with titles including: The Secret Life of Pets from June 4-10 Sing from June 11-17 Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron from June 18-24 Madagascar from June 25 to July 1 Kung Fu Panda from July 2-8 Trolls: World Tour from July 9-15 Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch from July 16-22 How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World from July 23-29 Minions from July 30 to August 5 For $6.75, patrons can upgrade to the “magic pack” with popcorn and a small drink. To buy tickets, visit here. Emagine Entertainment ranked as North America’s #20 largest exhibition circuit in Boxoffice PRO‘s Giants of Exhibition 2021, with 225 screens at 21 locations.   The post Emagine Entertainment Locations to Host Summer Kids Series for $3 a Ticket appeared first on Boxoffice. from Boxo...

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CinemaCon Unveils Initial Lineup of Participating Studios for 2021 Event

CinemaCon, the annual convention organized by the National Association of Theatre Owners, unveiled an early look at the studios and distributors confirmed to participate at this year’s event. Focus Features, Lionsgate, MGM/UAR, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing, Universal, the Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Pictures all feature among the first batch of companies committed to presentations or screenings at the world’s largest convention for the movie theater industry. Further details about the event, including convention programming, award winners, and additional studios and distributors set to participate, is expected to be announced in the coming months. CinemaCon will be making its return to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from August 23-26 after having to cancel the 2020 edition due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year’s edition, originally scheduled for...

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Weekend Box Office Forecast: A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella Usher In Next Phase of Theatrical Recovery as Summer Movie Season Returns

Summer movie season is officially back this Memorial Day weekend. The long, and seemingly interminable, road toward the next phase of box office recovery is finally at the feet of an industry which has worked tirelessly over the past 14 months to wage the pandemic war and safely welcome audiences back to movie theaters. For the first time during the COVID-19 vaccine era, a major studio tentpole will release exclusively in theaters: Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II. It represents just the second major tentpole (after last August’s Tenet) to release exclusively in theaters throughout the entire pandemic. Also occurring for just the second time since March 2020, Disney will release a film — Cruella — in domestic theaters, duplicating the hybrid day-and-date strategy employed for this spring’s Raya and the Last Dragon. The symbolism of this inflection point will likely outweigh...

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Santikos Entertainment Announces Tenth Location

San Antonio-based Santikos Entertainment has announced the opening of their tenth location, set to begin operations in late summer 2021. The theater, located in New Braunfels, Texas, is a pre-existing cinema that was operated by Alamo Drafthouse prior to that chain filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March of this year. As part of integrating the theater into the Santikos chain, it will receive new recliners, upgraded digital projection, and new food and drink options, per Santikos COO Rob Lehman. Says Lehman, “We’re confident our New Braunfels family will be blown away by their new hometown cinema experience.”   Santikos already has ties to the New Braunfels community, having held a food drive for the New Braunfels Food Bank out of their nearby Cibolo, Texas location earlier this year. “This new venue serves one of the fastest-growing communities in the country...

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Cinemark Strikes Deal with D-Box for Installations at 8 Additional Cinemark Theaters in the U.S.

D-Box has signed a new agreement with Cinemark to install D-Box motion-control recliner seats in eight additional Cinemark locations. That brings the total number of Cinemark D-Box auditoriums to 99 in the U.S. The new D-Box installations will take place at Cinemark locations in Daly City, Roseville, Waco, Jacksonville Frisco, Kirkland, Durbin Park, and Downey. “We are thrilled and excited to collaborate once again with our long-time partner Cinemark,” said D-Box President and CEO Sébastien Mailhot in a statement. “This new agreement confirms the extra value the d-box cinematic experience brings to moviegoers when choosing their entertainment, we are offering a complete immersive dimension to the cinematographic experience for moviegoers.” “We are highly encouraged with the status of the theatrical recovery in North America given the rapid deployment of vaccines, easing...

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This Week on The Boxoffice Podcast: Bob Berney on the New Landscape for Theatrical Distribution

In this week’s episode of The Boxoffice Podcast, distribution veteran Bob Berney joins Boxoffice Pro editorial director Daniel Loria in a conversation about the seismic changes affecting theatrical distribution and exhibition as audiences return to theaters. After starting his career programming independent and specialty films for movie theaters in Texas, Berney made the jump to distribution and went on to release some of the most successful arthouse titles of the last three decades. Roles at IFC Films (Y Tu Mamá Tambien, My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Newmarket Films (The Passion of the Christ, Monster, Whale Rider), and FilmDistrict (Insidious, Drive) preceded his appointment as head of marketing and distribution at Amazon Studios in 2015. During his four years at Amazon, Berney helped launch the tech giant’s foray into theatrical distribution with a strategy that embraced...

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The Biggest Movies Coming to Theaters Memorial Day Weekend and June

After a 2020 theatrical summer movie season we’d rather forget, summer 2021 should be one to remember. Starting in earnest on Memorial Day weekend, releases in late May and June aim to pack audiences into cinemas. A new survey from National Research Group (NRG) found 70 percent of Americans say they are “very” or “somewhat” comfortable seeing movies on the big screen, a record high since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown began in March 2020. As an added incentive, the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), the Motion Picture Association (MPA), and North American exhibitors are joining forces for the first ever Cinema Week on June 22-27,...

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Fandango Study Reveals Consumer Confidence in Return to Cinemas, Lists Most Anticipated Films of the Summer

A study conducted by Fandango, the largest digital ticketing portal for cinemas in the United States, has revealed that 93 percent of moviegoers have expressed satisfaction in their return to the movies. A total of 4,000 ticket buyers through Fandango were asked about their recent cinema experience in the poll, with 87 percent of those surveyed indicating they felt their theater did a great job in making them feel safe. Fandango’s study also revealed that 76 percent of moviegoers supported measures like socially-distanced seating, enhanced cleaning measures, and contactless ticketing. 86 percent of respondents said they were comfortable ordering concessions. 78 percent found their fellow moviegoers were more attentive than usual in their return to the cinema, with minimal distractions like talking or cell phone use in the auditorium. Of those surveyed, 77 percent indicated...

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Amazon Enters Into Agreement to Acquire MGM

In a first-of-its-kind acquisition of a major Hollywood studio by a streaming outfit, Amazon and MGM have entered into a definitive merger agreement that, pending approvals, will see Amazon acquire MGM for $8.45 billion. Under the agreement, Amazon will own the rights to MGM’s historic catalog, with Amazon’s official statement citing works including franchise starters Rocky, Robocop, and Tomb Raider, among classics like 12 Angry Men and Raging Bull. Said Mike Hopkins, SVP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team. It’s very exciting and provides so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling.” Among MGM’s currently active franchises, the most popular—and lucrative—is James Bond, currently distributed in North...

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