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Sunday, October 31, 2021

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Dune Wins Halloween Frame w/ $15.53M; My Hero Academia Debuts in 4th ($6.4M); Last Night in Soho ($4.22M) & Antlers ($4.2M) Disappoint

Despite the opening of no fewer than three titles in wide release this weekend (Last Night in Soho, Antlers and My Hero Academia) and the expansion of The French Dispatch into 788 theaters, Warner Bros.’ Dune easily retained the top spot at the box office in its sophomore frame with an estimated $15.53M, marking a rather steep 62% decline from its $41M debut. Mixed results were in store for the remainder of the weekend’s new titles, whose grosses were depressed in part due to Halloween falling on a Sunday.

As a big-budget tentpole, Dune had little direct competition this weekend, though as with previous HBO Max day-and-date titles – namely The Suicide Squad and Mortal Kombat, both of which dropped over 70% in their sophomore frames – it suffered a relatively steep decline. The $165M-budgeted title, which had a sequel greenlit by the studio last week, has taken in $69.4M in North America to date. Unfortunately, the Dennis Villeneuve-directed adaptation is facing down next weekend’s release of Marvel’s Eternals, which will surely dominate the box office and gobble up a substantial portion of Dune’s intended audience.   

Buoyed by the titular holiday, and despite competition from two new horror films, Halloween Kills finished in second place in its third weekend with an estimated $8.5M, a drop of just 41%. The total for the horror sequel now stands at $85.63M, which is about 57% of what its predecessor – which debuted exclusively in theaters pre-pandemic – had at the same point in its run.

No Time to Die eased just 36% to third place with an estimated $7.82M, bringing the James Bond entry to $133.33M through the end of its fourth weekend. Not adjusting for inflation, the MGM/UA release is running about even with 2006’s Casino Royale at the same point in its run.

Debuting in fourth place was Funimation’s My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission, which holds strong appeal among fans of the ongoing anime franchise. The prior two theatrical entries in the series – 2020’s My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising ($13.3M domestic total) and 2018’s My Hero Academia: Two Heroes ($5.8M domestic) – previously scored healthy limited-time runs in North America. Though it debuted in just 1,602 locations, World Heroes’ Mission leapfrogged over the weekend’s two higher-profile newcomers, Last Night in Soho and Antlers, to gross an estimated $6.4M.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage finished in fifth place in its fifth weekend with an estimated $5.75M, for a total of $190.44M to date. The antihero sequel is running just slightly behind the first Venom, which had $198.69M by the same point in its run, and will soon surpass the $200M mark — making it just the second film in the pandemic era to cross that threshold.

Falling below expectations in its opening frame was Focus Features’ Last Night in Soho, the latest film from director Edgar Wright. The horror-thriller, which finished neck-and-neck with the weekend’s other horror newcomer Antlers, was never expected to perform at the level of Wright’s last movie — the more traditional Baby Driver, which took in over $107M in North America in 2017 — and yet with just $4.22M from 3,016 locations, Soho came in under even the most conservative projections heading into the weekend. Though it received generally positive reviews, its difficult-to-market time-travel premise made it a tougher sell to mainstream audiences. Speaking of audience, the film skewed slightly male, with men making up 57% of the opening weekend turnout. The studio notes that Soho performed best on the coasts, with Los Angeles and New York making up nearly a quarter of the weekend audience.

Coming in just below Soho in seventh place — though their positions could switch once actuals are tallied on Monday — was Searchlight Pictures’ Antlers, which took in an estimated $4.2M from 2,800 locations. The Scott Cooper-directed film, which was originally slated for release in April 2020, simply couldn’t compete in a weekend crowded with other horror titles including Halloween Kills and Soho. The audience was nearly two-thirds male (59% vs. 41% female) and 69% under the age of 35.

After opening to a not-great $7.3M last weekend, Disney/20th Century Studios’ Ron’s Gone Wrong grossed an estimated $3.8M in its second frame, a drop of 48%. The animated title has taken in an underwhelming $12.6M to date.

In ninth place was The Addams Family 2, which grossed an estimated $3.28M in its fifth weekend, a drop of just 27%. The spooky animated title, which clearly benefitted from the Halloween frame, has a decent $52.86M to date – significantly below that of the first Addams Family by the same point in its run in 2019, though of course that film didn’t have a day-and-date release on VOD.

The French Dispatch grossed an estimated $2.76M in its expansion from 52 to 788 locations after the Wes Anderson title debuted to a solid $1.35M last weekend. The per-screen average for the oddball comedy was $3,503; its domestic total is now $4.64M.

OVERSEAS

Dune grossed an estimated $21.4M from 75 markets, giving it an overseas total of $222.7M and a worldwide total of $292.1M. To date, the sci-fi epic has grossed $33M in China, $29M in France, $21M in Russia, $19.9M in Germany and $18.1M in the U.K.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage also took in an estimated $21.4M, from 53 markets, bringing its international tally to $205.4M and its global total to $395.8M. The film’s top-grossing territories are Russia ($31.2M), Mexico ($21.5M), the U.K. ($20.2M), South Korea ($16.8M) and Brazil ($10.1M).


Title Estimated weekend % change Locations Location change Average Total Weekend Distributor
Dune $15,530,000 -62% 4,125 n/c $3,765 $69,401,232 2 Warner Bros.
Halloween Kills $8,500,000 -41% 3,616 -111 $2,351 $85,633,610 3 Universal
No Time to Die $7,818,525 -36% 3,507 -300 $2,229 $133,329,260 4 United Artists / MGM
My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission $6,401,452   1,581   $4,048 $6,401,452 1 FUNimation
Venom: Let There be Carnage $5,750,000 -38% 3,278 -235 $1,754 $190,441,558 5 Sony Pictures
Antlers $4,160,000   2,800   $1,486 $4,160,000 1 Searchlight
Last Night in Soho $4,160,000   3,016   $1,379 $4,160,000 1 Focus Features
Ron’s Gone Wrong $3,828,000 -48% 3,560 n/c $1,075 $12,639,987 2 20th Century Studios
The Addams Family 2 $3,276,353 -27% 2,757 -150 $1,188 $52,857,872 5 United Artists
The French Dispatch $2,759,000 105% 788 736 $3,501 $4,636,210 2 Searchlight
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings $1,078,000 -47% 1,115 -485 $967 $222,758,241 9 Walt Disney
The Last Duel $558,000 -73% 950 -2,115 $587 $10,076,470 3 20th Century Studios
A Quiet Place Part II $88,000   615   $143 $160,160,261 23 Paramount
Free Guy $77,000 -69% 185 -195 $416 $121,395,119 12 20th Century Studios
Candyman $59,000 -63% 659 -127 $90 $61,130,565 10 Universal
Heart of Champions $37,000   102   $363 $37,000 1 Vertical
Lamb $36,790 -77% 145 -290 $254 $2,676,410 4 A24
Jungle Cruise $34,000 -45% 100 -45 $340 $116,903,599 14 Walt Disney
Dear Evan Hansen $30,000 -74% 292 -197 $103 $14,899,905 6 Universal
The Souvenir Part II $26,485   3   $8,828 $26,485 1 A24
Mass $18,456 -22% 77 18 $240 $122,200 4 Bleecker Street
The Eyes of Tammy Faye $5,000 -48% 20 -5 $250 $2,397,200 7 Searchlight

The post WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: <em>Dune</em> Wins Halloween Frame w/ $15.53M; <em>My Hero Academia</em> Debuts in 4th ($6.4M); <em>Last Night in Soho</em> ($4.22M) & <em>Antlers</em> ($4.2M) Disappoint appeared first on Boxoffice.



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Cinemark Delivers Best COVID-Era Box Office Performance in Month of October

Cinemark, the third-largest cinema chain in North America, achieved its strongest month at the domestic box office of the pandemic in the month of October.

“Moviegoer enthusiasm for the in-theater experience reinforces the power of watching a great film in our larger-than-life immersive environment with our bingeworthy popcorn,” said Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi. “I am thrilled that we have reached a new milestone within the industry’s recovery, delivering our best monthly box office performance since the reopening of our theatres. I want to thank our entire Cinemark team that has worked tirelessly to provide a premium out-of-home entertaining escape for moviegoers. Congratulations to our studio partners for creating must-see big-screen content with something for everyone.”

Cinemark suspended operations in the United States in mid-March 2020 due to the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic. It began a phased reopening in mid-Summer 2020. October 2021 marks a turning point for the circuit during the pandemic, delivering its best box office results since the start of the crisis. Cinemark began the month by achieving the best October opening in its history with the release of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Subsequent theatrical releases like No Time To Die, Halloween Kills, The Addams Family 2, Dune helped the circuit sustain positive momentum through the rest of the month. The chain’s October box office earnings more than doubled those it achieved in May of this year.

Cinemark operates a total of 521 theaters and 5,864 screens across its global circuit in the United States and Latin America. Domestically, the chain’s footprint encompasses 4,426 screens across 323 locations in 42 states.

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Saturday, October 30, 2021

Christmas With The Chosen: The Messengers Sets Fathom Events Pre-Sales Record in First 12 Hours

The crowd-funded breakthrough hit The Chosen will be coming to cinemas with CHRISTMAS WITH THE CHOSEN: THE MESSENGERS, the first entry of the franchise to receive a theatrical release. Fathom Events will be handling its event cinema release in December, with the distributor already reporting record pre-sales within hours of the announcement.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CHOSEN: THE MESSENGERS broke Fathom Events’ record with $1.5 million in sales in the first 12 hours,” said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. “Originally slated to premiere in 1079 theaters, we’ve already added 450+ locations and thousands of screens to satisfy demand and anticipate these numbers will continue to grow.”

The faith-based title shows the birth of Christ through the eyes of Mary and Joseph, featuring actors from The Chosen series. The event will also features performances from extraordinary Christian artists and groups including Phil Wickham, Maverick City Music, For King and Country, Brandon Lake and many more.

Event cinema engagements begin on December 1, with additional screens and playdates added to accommodate demand. Showtimes are listed at TheChosen.tv/Christmas 

“When we decided to do a special Christmas episode, we knew it would be the ideal moment to get this on the big screen,” said series Creator, Writer and Director Dallas Jenkins. “It’s the first chance Chosen fans have had to gather all over the country, so we intend to make it worth it. And with all the incredible musicians assembled, this is a perfect event for inviting friends.”

The roster of performers for CHRISTMAS WITH THE CHOSEN: THE MESSENGERS currently includes:

  • Phil Wickham
  • Maverick City Music 
  • For King and Country 
  • Brandon Lake
  • Cain 
  • Leanna Crawford
  • Jordan Feliz
  • Dawson Hollow
  • Matt Maher
  • One Voice Children’s Choir 
  • The Bonner Family 
  • Bryan and Katie Torwalt
  • We The Kingdom 
  • Actors from The Chosen cast performing monologues:
    Austin Reed Alleman (Nathaniel) 
    Giavani Cairo (Thaddeus) 
    Luke Dimyan (Judas)
    Lara Silva (Eden)

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CHOSEN: THE MESSENGERS will be the Christmas event of 2021, and we are elated to bring it to the big screen so it may be seen by audiences nationwide,” said Fathom CEO Nutt.

The post <Em>Christmas With The Chosen: The Messengers</Em> Sets Fathom Events Pre-Sales Record in First 12 Hours appeared first on Boxoffice.



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Friday, October 29, 2021

Flix Brewhouse Taps Chance Robertson as President and COO

Chance Robertson, the former VP of Operations at Cinepolis USA, has been named as the new President and Chief Operating Officer of the dine-in chain Flix Brewhouse. The circuit, known for its unique brewpub-cinema concept, founded its first location in Round Rock, Texas in 2011 and currently operates 78 screens across 9 locations in 6 states.

“Chance is an intelligent and impactful leader who deeply understands both casual dining and theatrical exhibition. His outgoing personality and can-do attitude are terrific fits with our culture,” said Flix Founder and Executive Chair Allan Reagan. “The endemic staffing and supply shortages across the country now impacting hospitality industries as never before are an extreme set of problems, and Chance has the operational expertise needed to navigate these challenges.”

Longer-term, Reagan said Robertson’s insight and creativity will be applied to broadening the scope of Flix’s entertainment offerings while strengthening the brand. “Chance has the rare ability to both think and operate simultaneously in multiple time dimensions” he noted.

Robertson succeeds Matthew Baizer, who led operations at Flix Brewhouse since 2013. “Flix has been an incredible experience for me – the highs of building a great brand and the gut-wrenching lows of the pandemic’s financial hardships,” Baizer said.  “We’re on a major upswing now and I look forward as a board member to supporting Chance through this new chapter.” 

Baizer remains a member of the company’s board and is now president of a start-up called “The Hub,” which is a mixed-use, entertainment and restaurant district concept originated in Florida and rapidly expanding in Texas.  

“I’ve always admired Flix Brewhouse since my first days in cinema dining with Moviehouse & Eatery in Austin,” Robertson said.  “It’s truly exciting to return to my entrepreneurial roots leading Flix through today’s hurdles and strategically innovating both guest and team member journeys to create lasting success.” 

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Cinemark Creates New VP Role to Spearhead Strategic Vision of Gaming Initiatives

Cinemark has announced it will create a new vice president position, as yet unfilled, to focus on expanding the company’s moves into gaming. The role will focus on forging strategic partnerships and pursuing content and product licensing agreements with gaming companies and leagues.

Among the company’s recent forays into the gaming world include:

  • Last Thursday, October 21, Cinemark screened a theatrical simulcast of a campaign in the video game Critical Role, which sold out auditoriums across 25 U.S. cities.
  • Gamers can rent private Cinemark auditoriums to play video games with their friends or family on the big screen for up to two hours; more than 10,000 such hours have been rented for gaming to date. 
  • Cinemark will also livestream the the Game Awards at many of its locations in December.

“Our big screens, booming surround sound and ultra-comfy seats create an unbeatable, immersive environment for all varieties of gaming experiences, and we are thrilled to provide players with an incredible setting to enjoy their content in a new and exciting way,” Cinemark’s SVP of Global Content Strategy Justin McDaniel said in a press release. “Cinemark is consistently evolving to provide our guests the ultimate entertainment destination. We are excited to bring gaming and theaters closer together, as we continue to innovate and provide an exciting communal experience for all aspects of the gaming community.”

Cinemark ranked third on Boxoffice PRO‘s Giants of Exhibition 2021 list of North America’s largest cinema circuits, with 4,517 screens at 331 locations.

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Amsterdam’s 100-Year-Old Tuschinski Theatre Awarded ‘Royal’ Status by King of the Netherlands

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands granted Amsterdam’s Tuschinski Theatre the right to use the designation ‘Royal’ as a prefix on its centenary anniversary Thursday. The cinema will bear the name Royal Tuschinski Theatre from now on.

The title was officially awarded at the gala celebration in honor of this milestone anniversary by the King’s Commissioner Arthur van Dijk and Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema.

“The Tuschinski Theatre is our pride and joy and our flagship cinema, so we are extremely honored that we will be able to call it ‘Royal’ from now on,” Pathé General Director Jacques Hoendervangers said in a press release. “To us, the conferral of this status is the crowning achievement of… the many employees who been committed, through their efforts, to preserving the legacy of Abraham Tuschinski for a full century. We at the Royal Tuschinski Theatre are fully dedicated to ensuring that a feeling of luxury end enjoyment will remain accessible for everyone in the next century to come.”

“The iconic Tuschinski Theatre has become an institution in the international world of films and documentaries, and is of tremendous cultural and historical value,” Arthur van Dijk, the King’s Commissioner for Noord-Holland, added. “The conferral of this title is the prestigious acknowledgement of this status, and perfect reflects the reputation of this palatial cinema.’

The six-auditorium cinema opened in October 1921, designed by Hijman Louis de Jong in a lot previously occupied by 30 derelict buildings. It has a storied history: burned down during World War II, then under the management of Pathé for the past 25 years, and in 2020 it was proclaimed the “world’s most beautiful cinema” by Time Out magazine. Plus its new Bar Abraham serves cocktails based on classic films.

Last year, the cinema also won the ICTA EMEA [Europe, Middle East, and Africa] Award for Classic Cinema, bestowed annually by the International Cinema Technology Association. Read more about that award in Boxoffice PRO‘s November 2020 article here:

International Excellence: Celebrating This Year’s ICTA EMEA Award Winners

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Kinepolis Announces Quarterly Earnings, Touts Across-the-Board Attendance Increase

The multi-national circuit Kinepolis, which operates 108 cinemas across Europe, the United States, and Canada, has released their Q3 2021 earnings, revealing a continued increase in attendance thanks to a strong slate of blockbuster releases. Attendance numbers have continued to rise across the chain into October, thanks to the release of recent films Dune, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and No Time to Die.

The third quarter of 2021 saw Kinepolis welcome 7.1. million visitors, or 70.5 percent of the total visitors in the equivalent period of pre-pandemic 2019. All countries in which Kinepolis operates—the United States, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Poland—saw visitor-related revenue increase at a faster rate than attendance, the result of an increased per-patron spend on concessions and tickets compared to the previous quarter.

As of the end of Q3, year-to-date revenues for 2021 lag behind year-to-date revenues for 2020 by an average of 12.3 percent across all countries, due to Q1 2020 revenues being relatively un-impacted by the Covid pandemic. Comparing Q3 2021 to Q3 2020, however, grosses are up 193.1 percent. Proof of vaccination for cinema attendees is required in several markets in which Kinepolis operates, including France; the Netherlands; Canada (where Kinepolis operates as Landmark Cinemas); and Brussels, in Belgium.

Kinepolis’ top five earners in Q3 2021 were:

  • F9
  • Black Widow
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  • Free Guy
  • Jungle Cruise

Topping the list of local earners were:

  • K3: Dans van de Farao (Flanders)
  • Kaamelott – Premier Volet (France)
  • BAC Nord (France)
  • OSS 117: Alerte rouge en Afrique noire (France and Wallonia)
  • Luizenmoeder – De Film (Netherlands)
  • De Nog Grotere Slijmfilm (Netherlands)
  • De Slag om de Schelde (Netherlands)
  • ¡A Todo Tren! Destino Asturias (Spain)
  • Operación Camarón (Spain)

The last few months has seen a shift in theater counts across several Kinepolis markets. The chain closed or sold off eight low-earning cinemas in Canada, bringing their cinema count in that country to 40, down from 46 as of the beginning of the year. In the Netherlands, the chain opened the 11-screen Kinepolis Leidschendam, located in the country’s largest shopping center, on September 13. The Kinepolis Leidschendam was awarded the 2021 “Best New-Build of the Year” award by the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA).

Other recent landmarks for the circuit include the introduction of the Landmark Extras loyalty program to Landmark Cinemas in Canada. Extras consists of three tiers, one of which is the “Movie Club” subscription program, allowing the customer one movie ticket per month (in addition to other benefits) for a monthly cost of CAD 9.99. In France, October 2 saw Kinepolis launch the fourth edition of their “Discovery Day,” where visitors (or those watching via livestream) could watch a free trailer show promoting upcoming releases.

“I’m proud of the smoothness and speed with which we have restarted,” said Kinepolis Group CEO Eddy Duquenne in a statement, adding that the chain’s recovery is also reflected in its financials. “Blockbusters such as Dune, No Time to Die, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage are very successful right now, against a background of a pandemic that has not yet disappeared from society and is still impacting our activities.”

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Long Range Box Office Forecast: Ghostbusters: Afterlife Outlook, Eternals Tracking Softens, and More Updates

The pre-Thanksgiving domestic box office corridor will get a jolt of momentum with Ghostbusters: Afterlife on November 19. How is the anticipated follow-up to the classic 1980s franchise shaping up in box office outlooks so far?

In addition to that analysis below, we’ve also updated preliminary ranges for Eternals based on revised models factoring in mixed critical reviews, which are impacting social media sentiment, and a potentially related slowdown in pre-sales activity for the next Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster.

Nevertheless, the MCU brand has a gargantuan built-in audience even for unestablished sub-franchises that may be somewhat review-proof come opening weekend, so a great many factors are in play before the film opens one week from now.

Meanwhile, preliminary tracking ranges for Clifford the Big Red Dog (opening Wednesday, November 10) and King Richard (November 19) can also be found in the chart below.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Sony Pictures / Columbia
Friday, November 19 (Domestic)

PROS:

  • Fans of the iconic 1980s films have been enthusiastic about a return to the franchise’s roots as promised by director Jason Reitman, son of the original movies’ helmer, Ivan Reitman. As a direct sequel to the Bill Murray/Dan Aykroyd/Harold Ramis/Ernie Hudson-led films, nostalgia is a driving element for this follow-up — especially with the tease of returning characters from the original films.
  • Pre-release buzz and regular trailer rotations were already kicking in months before a planned summer 2020 release until the pandemic forced multiple delays for Afterlife, further increasing its profile as one of the films awaited by fans during this rebound phase of moviegoing. It will be exclusive to movie theaters upon release.
  • Current forecasting models point to interest levels comparable to Ready Player One, with interest highest among men over the age of 25 but considerable outreach to younger generations as well. Industry screenings in recent months have generated positive buzz, and the opportunity for expansion to include families and fans of pop culture staples like Netflix’s Stranger Things is notable given the focus on young main characters and an audience-friendly cast led by Paul Rudd.
  • Opening two weeks after Marvel Studios’ Eternals allows enough breathing room to prevent significant audience overlap, as does the fact that this will be the last live-action tentpole aiming for multiple demographics to be released before the middle of December. A full-scale Premium Large Format footprint is expected, with IMAX a notable component.
  • Furthermore, opening on the Friday before Thanksgiving should help extend the film’s legs and multiplier so long as word of mouth delivers. Critics are generally positive so far at 77 percent (from 35 counted reviews) on Rotten Tomatoes.

CONS:

  • The monkey on the back of the franchise is 2016’s Ghostbusters reboot, which misfired at the domestic and global box office with $128.4 million and $229.2 million, respectively, on a production budget north of $140 million. Although that film won over some fans and was driven primarily by women over 25, it also alienated much of the brand’s pre-existing core audience. Winning over that segment while still attracting a diverse crowd will be key to Afterlife‘s prospects beyond opening weekend.
  • This film is aiming to be more family-accessible than the 2016 effort, a challenging prospect right now given the prolonged wait for kids under 12 to be approved for COVID-19 vaccination and uncertainty as to how soon many parents would take advantage of such availability. Cautious household heads with younglings have shown their hesitancy to return to cinemas, and that may remain a factor heading deeper into the holiday movie schedule as it also coincides with flu season.

Long Range Box Office Forecast & 2021 Calendar
(as of 10/29/21)

Release Date Title 3-Day (FSS) Opening Low/High Range Pinpoint % Chg from Last Week Domestic Total Low/High Range Pinpoint % Chg from Last Week Estimated Location Count Distributor
11/5/2021 Eternals $67,000,000 – $92,000,000 -12% $165,000,000 – $215,000,000 -25% 4,000 Disney / Marvel Studios
11/5/2021 Spencer         n/a NEON / Topic Studios
11/10/2021 Clifford the Big Red Dog $9,000,000 – $14,000,000 -18% $35,000,000 – $65,000,000 -18% 3,100 Paramount Pictures
11/12/2021 Belfast         n/a Focus Features
11/19/2021 C’mon C’mon           A24
11/19/2021 King Richard $6,000,000 – $11,000,000 NEW $15,000,000 – $40,000,000 NEW   Warner Bros. Pictures
11/19/2021 Ghostbusters: Afterlife $45,000,000 – $65,000,000 NEW $130,000,000 – $190,000,000 NEW   Sony Pictures / Columbia
11/24/2021 Encanto           Walt Disney Pictures
11/24/2021 House of Gucci           MGM / United Artists Releasing
11/24/2021 National Champions           STXfilms
11/24/2021 Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City           Sony Pictures / Columbia Pictures
12/3/2021 Red Rocket           A24
12/3/2021 Wolf           Focus Features
12/10/2021 Cyrano           United Artists Releasing
12/10/2021 Don’t Look Up           Netflix
12/10/2021 Violence of Action           STXfilms
12/10/2021 West Side Story (2020)           Disney / 20th Century Studios
12/17/2021 Nightmare Alley           Disney / Searchlight Pictures
12/17/2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home           Sony / Columbia / Marvel Studios
12/22/2021 The King’s Man           Disney / 20th Century Studios
12/22/2021 The Matrix Resurrections           Warner Bros. Pictures
12/22/2021 Sing 2           Universal Pictures
12/25/2021 A Journal for Jordan           Sony Pictures / Columbia Pictures
12/25/2021 American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story           Lionsgate / Kingdom Story Company
12/31/2021 (no releases scheduled)            

All above figures represent best and worst case scenarios for how each respective film is currently tracking based on existing market conditions and projected model fluctuation before release. These are not final forecasts.

Pinpoint opening weekend and domestic total projections are available exclusively to Boxoffice PRO clients. For more information on forecasts, pricing, and availability, please contact us.

As always, the news cycle is constantly evolving as the pandemic dictates. Projections are subject to change amid breaking announcements.

The post Long Range Box Office Forecast: <em>Ghostbusters: Afterlife</em> Outlook, <em>Eternals</em> Tracking Softens, and More Updates appeared first on Boxoffice.



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Thursday, October 28, 2021

Weekend Box Office Forecast: Dune Set for #1 Repeat as Last Night in Soho, My Hero Academia, & Antlers Debut for Halloween

Capping off a streak of four consecutive $40 million-plus opening weekends this month, the end of October and Halloween weekend are poised for a brief and expected slowdown at the domestic box office.

Leading the charge in its second weekend will be Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune, which is fresh off a $41.0 million opening frame. Despite some cannibalization from a simultaneous HBO Max release and ongoing hesitancy from older audiences that kept the film from reaching pre-pandemic expectations, the film at least hit forecasts in its start.

Dune will retain the IMAX footprint driving a significant share of its business thus far, but the question now turns to how strong of a hold it can muster in its sophomore frame.

On the plus side: Dune faces very little direct competition as an adult-driven sci-fi epic, and word of mouth is very healthy so far. On the negative side: Warner Bros.’ experimental hybrid releases this year have a notorious history of posting big second weekend drops, and Dune will lose premium footprint in Dolby Cinemas to one of this weekend’s openers.

Whether or not buzz as a big screen event will continue convincing more audiences to view Dune in a cinema rather than at home is a major “X” factor now that the initial fan rush at the box office has passed. Making projections even more volatile is the fact that Warner Bros., after unveiling daily breakdowns over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, has resumed their pandemic-era practice of not reporting daily box office earnings this week.

Focus Features will deliver Soho in 3,016 locations this weekend following Dolby Cinema previews on Wednesday evening and traditional Thursday night previews. Tracking models suggest the film is likely heading for a debut in the mid-to-upper single digit million range with metrics comparable to films like Malignant (a hybrid release) and pre-pandemic titles Ready or Not and Bad Times at the El Royale. Pre-sales are heavy in Dolby Cinema but fairly light (so far) on traditional screens.

As openers go, Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho will open exclusively in theaters just in time for Halloween. The film has fresh 92 percent audience and 72 percent critics’ scores on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing, and it looks to appeal strongest among female demographics. Wright is fresh off the over-25, male-driven sleeper success of 2017’s Baby Driver, but Soho will likely play younger and more niche.

Speaking of sleepers, a candidate to crack the top five this weekend could be Funimation’s distribution of My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission. The film is set to open at an estimated 1,600 locations and follows on the successful run of 2020’s Heroes Rising entry in the franchise. That pic scored $9.3 million over a five-day midweek opening in late February just weeks before the pandemic crippled movie theaters and the world at large.

Forecasts are fluid given the absence of relative comparisons for Mission, but observable pre-sales from the dedicated fan base and healthy social trends suggest some upside for a potential debut north of $5 million this weekend. The film is not scheduled to hold Thursday previews.

Now under the Disney distribution banner, Searchlight Pictures’ and Scott Cooper’s Antlers will get a push at 2,800 locations this weekend as another pic hoping to take advantage of the spooky season frame. The film currently has a 64 percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Given competition against Soho and holdover business for the third frame of Halloween Kills on its namesake holiday weekend, Antlers has an uphill battle to capture mainstream attention based on lukewarm social media and tracking metrics. The film is modeling in a similar realm as fellow Searchlight pic The Night House and slightly below 2018’s Hell Fest from Lionsgate, although it may have a pre-sales boost from horror master Guillermo del Toro’s producing credit and promotional push.

As the overall market goes, Halloween could make daily jumps and drops a bit more erratic across the board than usual. This is the first time since 2010 that the holiday will land on a Sunday. Saw: The Final Chapter opened to a robust $22.5 million that weekend eleven years ago, but since nothing looks to open anywhere near that level, many holdovers could benefit with modest declines.

Within the top ten, Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch is aiming to build on the momentum of its strong $1.35 million platform start at 52 venues in 14 domestic markets last weekend as it expands to 788 venues and more than 60 local markets this Friday.

For comparison, The Grand Budapest Hotel didn’t reach that many locations until it expanded from 304 to 977 in its fourth frame back in 2014, earning $8.54 million at the time. On the more conservative end, Birdman earned $2.3 million in its fourth weekend expansion from 231 to 460 locations in November later that same year.

Of course, those are pre-pandemic benchmarks. While Dispatch‘s strong showing last weekend certain indicates a positive trend for the return of arthouse and older audiences, it remains to be seen how that progress translates and evolves in more representative markets across the country.

Meanwhile, Sony is opening A Mouthful of Air in limited release at 816 domestic locations.

Forecast Ranges

Antlers
Opening Weekend Range: $3 – 6 million

Last Night in Soho
Opening Weekend Range: $5 – 10 million

My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission
Opening Weekend Range: $5 – 10 million

Weekend Forecast

Boxoffice projects a 24 to 29 percent decline for this weekend’s top ten films from last weekend’s $94.7 million top ten aggregate.

Film Distributor 3-Day Weekend Forecast Projected Domestic Total through Sunday, October 31 Location Count % Change from Last Wknd
Dune Warner Bros. Pictures $18,400,000 $73,400,000 ~4,125 -55%
Last Night in Soho Focus Features $8,300,000 $8,300,000 3,016 NEW
No Time to Die MGM / EON / United Artists Releasing $8,100,000 $133,700,000 3,507 -34%
My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission Funimation $8,000,000 $8,000,000 ~1,600 NEW
Halloween Kills Universal Pictures $7,800,000 $85,100,000 3,616 -46%
Venom: Let There Be Carnage Sony Pictures / Columbia $6,000,000 $190,800,000 3,278 -35%
Ron’s Gone Wrong 20th Century Studios $4,000,000 $12,800,000 3,560 -45%
Antlers Disney / Searchlight Pictures $3,600,000 $3,600,000 2,800 NEW
The Addams Family 2 United Artists Releasing $3,200,000 $52,800,000 2,757 -29%
The French Dispatch Searchlight Pictures $3,100,000 $5,000,000 788 +131%

All forecasts are subject to revision before the first confirmation of Thursday previews or Friday estimates from studios or official sources.

Theater counts are updated as confirmed by studiosThe above table does not necessarily represent the top ten as some studios do not finalize weekend location counts and/or an intent to report box office returns prior to publishing.

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Milton I. Moritz to Step Down as President and CEO of NATO of California/Nevada

Milton I. Moritz will be retiring from his position as President & CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners of California/Nevada, the trade group representing California and Nevada cinemas, after a 23 year tenure as its President and Chief Executive Officer. His retirement will be effective January 31, 2022.

NATO of California/Nevada nearly doubled in size throughout Moritz’s stewardship, growing from 35 member companies to 63. Today, the association represents a total of 4,682 screens across California and Nevada. During his tenure, Moritz introduced college and vocational school scholarship grants awarded to field level member theaters’ employees and family members, and scholarship grants to aspiring filmmakers attending the film schools at UCLA and USC. He also launched the association’s community outreach efforts, with grants being presented to deserving organizations serving underprivileged and at-risk youth, feeding the hungry, combating substance abuse, and programs aiding children with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community.  Between the college scholarship grants and the grants to community organizations, NATO of CA/NV has distributed in excess of $8,000,000.00. 

Prior to assuming his position at NATO of California/Nevada, Moritz served as Vice President, Advertising & Publicity for Los Angeles-based Pacific Theatres for six years. Previously, Moritz headed the advertising and publicity department at American International Pictures (AIP), where he served as Senior Vice President, Advertising, Publicity and Promotion until his departure in 1979. While at AIP, Moritz was responsible for campaigns across several decades, including a series of “Beach Party” movies, a string of Vincent Price horror films, Pam Grier’s succession of urban action films, and titles such as I was a Teenage Werewolf, The Wild Angles, The Amityville Horror, among many others.

“It has been a privilege to serve NATO of California/Nevada for the past 23 years and to have remained so intimately involved in an industry which I have always loved,” said Moritz.  “I can think of no more fitting way of concluding my working years than leaving a position in the same field I entered when I had my own theater at the age of 21.”  

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This Week on the Boxoffice Podcast: Thomas Van de Weerd of the Netherlands’ 14-Seat (Any)Thing Cinema

On this week’s episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Russ Fischer break down the opening weekend of Dune, which matched expectations with a $41.1 million opening cume to become Warner Bros.’ . highest-opening movie of the pandemic. Another record was broken by limited release The French Dispatch, which broke Venom: Let There Be Carnage‘s record for the highest per theater average of the pandemic era.

In the episode’s feature interview, Pahle speaks with Thomas Van de Weerd, co-founder of the Netherlands’ (Any)Thing Cinema. The recipient of this year’s ICTA Special Innovation Award, the (Any)Thing Cinema boasts a grand total of 14 seats across three auditoriums, making it a prime example of the private cinema rental/micro-cinema trend that’s been gathering so much attention as post-shutdown cinemas seek to diversify their offerings.

Listen to This Week’s Episode Below and Subscribe to The Boxoffice Podcast on Any Major Podcast Platform.

You have three auditoriums with seven, five, and two seats each. The customers get to decide what movie they watch when they book, so it’s not like you have a set schedule. Can you give me a sense of how the (Any)Thing works from an operational perspective?

So from a technology standpoint, in terms of video and security and audio, we are just like any other digital cinema. We use DCPs, we use KDMs. From a back office perspective, we are a cinema. With the only big difference that we don’t have a programming department to decide what movies we play at what time. We have customers that decide what movie at what time. We are currently offering a little over 500 movies, including first-run movies, from Disney, Warner, and local independents.

The customer goes to the app, decides the movie, which auditorium, and what time. First, we look at the length of the movie…. Our software calculates, okay, this is a two hour movie. We need 15 minutes before the show and after the show. We’ll give you all the options that are available, and then you pick. And that’s how it works. Which is maybe scary from from an efficiency perspective, because you don’t get to efficiently program all the shows back to back. But what we see now is in our most popular room, we have on average in the past six weeks, three showings a day. And on a good day, we do five shows. On a Saturday. Without us having to interfere. It’s just the customer deciding, and it ends up pretty well.

Image Courtesy (Any)Thing Cinema

How do you handle concessions?

In this location, we are part of a restaurant and hotel. It’s a very small hotel, with eight rooms. And there’s a restaurant with about 40 seats. We make it possible for them to order within the the app. There’s a small button that you can click, and then you go to the menu—just like, these days, you have a lot of QR menus in restaurants. We offer that, and it’s connected to the food and beverage offering of the restaurant. As soon as you order, it will be delivered to the screening room. There’s a wide variety of options, so it’s not just popcorn and cola but it’s also food from the kitchen.

What sort of films are most popular at the (Any)Thing? Is it first-run stuff?

We’ve done a little over 500 shows… When people get a choice, of course everybody’s interested in movies, no doubt about it. But if you give customers the option to watch older movies, we thought there’s a market there too. What we see right now is that 50%, so half of all the shows we do, are movies that are in in their fifth week or later. If you take a look at the Dutch market, roughly 80% of the movies that are shown are in their first, second, third, or fourth week. So we’re already seeing a long-tail development there. What’s interesting for both consumers and rights-holders is that you get to show your movies longer in this concept, because we keep them available as long as we can get the rights.

That’s interesting. If you’re a super fan of something, you might go see it on the biggest screen in the opening weekend. But, with the (Any)Thing, if you want to catch up with something a bit later, you still can.

Exactly. We have to see how the theatrical market is going to develop after the pandemic. Before the pandemic, on average in the Dutch market we had somewhere between 400 and 500 movies released in a year. And I think on average they would run for seven weeks in a cinema. One of the reasons that I got excited about the project is that I wanted to see movies, but I was too late to see them in cinema. I’m not really a “first week” kind of guy. Now you’re able to decide to watch it two months after release. It really gives you some options.

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Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Gower Street Raises 2021 Global Box Office Forecast to $21.6 Billion

Gower Street Analytics, a data analytics company servicing the motion picture sector, has raised its 2021 global box office forecast to nearly $22 billion following better-than-expected results through the month of October. The firm is now expecting global box office to hit $21.6 billion in 2021, up from its previous forecast of $20.2 billion, with the potential to hit the $22 billion by the end of the year.

Gower Street states the $21.6 billion figure would represent an 80% bump from 2020’s results but still 49% 2019’s pre-pandemic numbers. The company cites gains in Asia Pacific (APAC) stemming from China’s box office recovery that represent a 52.2 percent market share of the global theatrical market, compared to 2020’s 50% figure. North America’s market share is expected to be down marginally, 21.6% compared to 2020’s 21.8%, with a similar decline in Latin America (4.6% compared to 2020’s 4.9%). Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) is expected to take the biggest loss in market share, down to 21.6% of the global market from 2020’s 23.1%.

More details on Gower Street’s final 2021 global box office forecast can be found on the company’s website.

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Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatres Names Fred Meyers as Chief Executive Officer

One of the longest-operating exhibitors in the United States has announced a new Chief Executive Officer. Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatres, a 112-year-old exhibitor which operates 78 screens in 6 locations across 5 states, has named former Silverspot Cinemas CEO Fred Meyers as its new Chief Executive Officer. Meyers will take on the role effective immediately, assuming the position previously held by company owner Tony Kerasotes.

Meyers is a 30-year veteran of the restaurant and hospitality industry who has dedicated over a decade of his career focused on theatrical exhibition. Prior to his role as CEO of Silverspot Cinemas, Meyers led the development and growth of Cobb Theatres’ CinéBistro dine-in brand as the company’s Executive Vice President of Food & Beverage. Meyers continued to serve in that function for CMX Theatres after its 2017 acquisition of Cobb Theatres.

“Fred is the right leader at the right time for ShowPlace ICON Theatres,” said Tony Kerasotes, who continues as Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatres’ Executive Chairman. “Fred’s extensive food and beverage knowledge, strong leadership skills, and track record of success in the exhibition industry made him the perfect choice for ShowPlace ICON Theatres as we navigate the ever-evolving movie exhibitor landscape.”

“I could not be more excited to join such a talented team of industry professionals. I’m humbled and honored to be given this opportunity.  The Kerasotes family has been a prominent player in the industry for so long. I look forward to building upon their record of success with our next generational brand, ShowPlace ICON Theatres. Showplace ICON will continue to lead the way in providing guest-centric, premium moviegoing experiences offering high-quality, freshly prepared food and drink menus with complimentary delivery to seat options. Of course, purists can always enjoy fresh popcorn, candy and soft drinks. As we navigate through the challenges our industry faces, we will continue to innovate and be forward-thinking in ways to best serve our guests and enrich their movie-going experiences.”

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Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Boxoffice Pro Barometer 2021 Food and Beverage Vendor of the Year: Vistar

Boxoffice Pro is reviving its iconic Boxoffice Barometer readers’ poll, a popular annual feature of our magazine for decades, in which exhibitors vote on the best achievements in the industry. In this newly revamped edition of the Barometer, representatives from over 50 exhibition circuits around the world voted online to select the most important and influential contributions to the exhibition industry in 2020.

Food & Beverage Vendor of the Year: Vistar

Interview with Sean Mahoney, Senior V.P. Sales and Marketing, Vistar


Since your acquisition by Wellspring Capital Management LLC in 2002, it looks like Vistar has entered new markets. Could you give me some background on your pre-2002 history?

Vistar is a division of Performance Food Group, which traces its beginnings back to 1875. In 2002, Wellspring Capital acquired Multifoods Distribution Group and renamed it “Vistar,” setting the stage for multiple acquisitions over the past decades. In 2015, Performance Food Group announced an IPO, and PFGC has been trading on the NYSE ever since.

At what point did Vistar begin working with movie theater concessions, specifically? And how has that part of your business evolved?

Vistar began supporting the exhibitor concessions and food service space around 25 years ago, with the acquisition of Liberto Distribution. We were able to retain many of the great people from this company and capitalize on their experience in theaters and concessions. As our business grew, so did the level of trust with our amazing business partners—and today, support of the exhibitor space is strongly woven into the fabric of our business.

In our Boxoffice Barometer poll, voted on exclusively by exhibitors, Vistar was voted, far and away, the best F&B vendor of 2020. What was your strategy for working with these theatrical customers during the awful year we all had in 2020?

Vistar’s longtime commitment to doing business with a strong customer-centric approach set the stage for us to support our customers through unprecedented challenges. We are as passionate about the movie theater business as they are, which made 2020 particularly difficult to navigate for all of us. That shared commitment and belief that going to the movies has been and will continue to be an important part of our culture in America, helped us work through the challenges in the best ways possible. While the sales impacts are still being felt today, it’s exciting to see the industry slowly rebound.

What lessons has Vistar taken from 2020 that will serve you as we move beyond the pandemic?

Vistar has been investing in a customer-centric approach for a long time. The challenges of last year in theaters and concessions reinforced for us the need to continue building on those strong customer relationships. We spent many hours moving inventory to the right operating centers, working with our suppliers to take product back or move it through other channels, and helping countless customers manage through shutting down in the best way to support the eventual reemergence of their business. I am very proud of our team for staying engaged and connected with our customers and for their creativity and innovation as they looked for alternatives and solutions with each twist and turn.

What are the top challenges that Vistar faced during the pandemic, and how did you work through them?

At the height of the pandemic, several Vistar customers were forced to shut down, almost overnight. That shifted our focus from getting product to the right place at the right time, to helping our customers respond to a total loss of sales. Our commitment to sustaining those customer relationships is helping us now as we start to see the industry slowly rebound.

When it comes to distribution logistics—what are some of the innovations that have positively impacted your business over the last several years?

We believe it’s almost impossible [for others] to match the national distribution reach that Vistar has built for our customers! With our own fleet and warehouse network, we have control over how we invest in our equipment—and, more importantly, how we invest in our people, who deliver for our customers every day. We take advantage of technology in many aspects of our business, including to help us mitigate production and delivery issues many suppliers are currently facing. We can offer any concessions, food service, janitorial, or nonfood item required in a concessions setting, including frozen and refrigerated products.

Across the exhibition industry, we’re seeing how data and digitalization has streamlined procedures in so many ways—from ticket sales to film booking. How does Vistar use data to better serve its cinema clients?

Vistar’s approach to our business blends strong relationships with our customers and our supplier base with solid understanding and use of data. With a mix of suppliers that are national consumer goods companies and niche players in the concessions space, we can identify trends from a more unique perspective. We work tirelessly with our suppliers to incorporate trend-setting products and gain category insights to help customers maximize the consumer experience and improve check averages. We build success for their business and ours when we combine data with our experienced theater representative base. The innovation our team brings to our customers supports them in offering variety and unique consumer experiences.

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CineLife Entertainment Announces Concert Documentary New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization Starring Bill Murray on February 2

CineLife Entertainment, a division of Spotlight Cinema Networks, will release the concert documentary film New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization in U.S. cinemas beginning February 2, 2022.

Featuring Bill Murray, cellist Jan Vogler, violinist Mira Wang, and pianist Vanessa Perez, the concert was filmed in Greece at the Acropolis. A co-production between Dorn Music, Makuhari Media, and Neda Film, the title originally premiered at the 74th annual Cannes Film Festival in July 2021.

“This concert-documentary brings together some of the most legendary and renowned voices of the industry,” CineLife Entertainment’s Executive Vice President Bernadette McCabe said in a press release. “We are thrilled to be distributing this across the country so viewers everywhere can enjoy this enchanting film.”

“We couldn’t be more humbled that the years of working with Bill Murray, Jan Vogler, Mira Wang, and Vanessa Perez on New Worlds has culminated in this worldwide theatrical release,” Dorn Music’s Tanja Dorn added. “We are thrilled that with our partners we can now bring it to audiences to enjoy.” 

Tickets will be available for purchase starting in December.

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Monday, October 25, 2021

Emagine Entertainment to Screen Michigan vs. Michigan State Football Game for Free at Select Cinema Locations Saturday

Five Emagine Entertainment cinema locations will show this weekend’s biggest college football matchup on Saturday at noon Eastern Time.

The five Michigan locations are in Royal Oak (200 N Main St), Saline (1335 E Michigan Ave), Novi (44425 W 12 Mile Rd), Canton (39535 Ford Rd), and the Emagine Palladium in Birmingham (209 Hamilton Row).

Heading into the game, University of Michigan is ranked #6 in the country while Michigan State is ranked #8.

Admission to the event is free, with tickets on a first-come first-serve basis. Food and drink specials include a four-piece chicken tenders and fries with a 16-ounce Bells Two Hearted ($18), a 16-ounce Founders All Day IPA ($18), or 16-ounce Bud Light ($17.50).

Based in Troy, Michigan, Emagine Entertainment ranked #20 on the Boxoffice Pro Giants of Exhibition 2021 ranking of North America’s largest cinema circuits, with 255 screens at 21 locations.

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Global Cinema Advertising Association (SAWA) Launches #HelloBigScreen Campaign

SAWA, the Global Cinema Advertising Association, unveiled their new #HelloBigScreen campaign Monday to emphasize the power of cinemas.

In the full 2:47 spot, six notable figures from the worlds of advertising, communications, marketing, and humanitarian work speak about what cinema means to them. Alphabetically, these notable names include:

  • Rosie Arnold, former Executive Creative Director of BBH London and former president of D&AD (Design and Art Direction).
  • Sir John Hegarty, recipient of the D&AD President’s Award and knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2007.
  • Mark Ritson, brand consultant who has taught at the the MBA programs for London Business School and MIT.
  • Marcello Serpa, former Creative Director and Co-Chair of AlmapBBDO, and recipient of 45 Clio Awards and 149 Cannes Festival Lions.
  • Mark Tutssel, former Executive Chairman and Global Creative Officer of Leo Burnett Worldwide.
  • Corinne Woods, Director of Communications at the United Nations World Food Programme.

The full video was edited by the the United Nations World Food Programme, while the corresponding social media campaign is being executed by SAWA member Sterkinekor in South Africa.

“As the pandemic hit, leading Hollywood film directors stood up and endorsed the power of cinema over all other screens,” SAWA’s CEO Cheryl Wannell said in a press release. “It is… great to see that the ad legends of our business have done the same, as it relates to the power of the cinema medium as the ultimate place for brands to appear.”

Watch the three-minute spot below:

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Sunday, October 24, 2021

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Dune Unearths $40.1M; Ron’s Gone Wrong Goes Wrong w/ $7.3M

Warner Bros. earned their biggest opening weekend since pre-pandemic with Dune, the ambitious sci-fi epic debuting with an estimated $40.1M.

Despite releasing simultaneously day-and-date on HBO Max, the title from director Denis Villeneuve exceeded the theatrical openings for his two most recent sci-fi films, coming +66.5 percent ahead of Arrival ($24.0M) and +22.4 percent ahead of Blade Runner 2049 ($32.7M).

Dune finished in line with expectations, with Boxoffice PRO‘s chief analyst Shawn Robbins projecting exactly $40M in his weekend forecast.

Playing on 4,125 locations, the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel earned a per-theater average of $9,725, with IMAX comprising an impressive 22.5 percent market share. (73 minutes of the film were shot using IMAX cameras.)

Animated comedy Ron’s Gone Wrong, from Disney’s 20th Century Studios, sputtered with a $7.3M opening — although that was about in line with Boxoffice PRO‘s $6.4M projection.

While the comparison is inexact because Wrong was an original film instead of a sequel, this month’s other main animated title The Addams Family 2 opened to $17.3M in early October. That’s more than double Wrong‘s opening despite the title’s theatrical exclusivity, versus a simultaneous streaming debut for Addams.

An estimated 41 percent of Wrong‘s audience was age 12 or under, the only age group not yet approved for COVID-19 vaccination, making it a challenge to get them to the cinema in sufficient numbers.

With a minimum of 45 days theatrical exclusivity guaranteed by Disney, the film could still gain ground through positive word of mouth. It earned an “A” CinemaScore, a 96 percent audience audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 81 percent critic score on the same website.

Searchlight Pictures’ The French Dispatch dispatched an estimated $1.3M on only 52 theaters, with its $25.0K average marking a new high for the post-pandemic era, exceeding the opening averages for Venom: Let There Be Carnage ($21.3K) and Black Widow ($18.7K).

Major tentpole releases have proven their ability to get audiences back to the cinema over the past five months, with eight films crossing the $100M domestic mark in that time. However, the arthouse and specialty audience have struggled in recent months, particularly because the audiences for such titles generally skew older, a demographic which has proven more reticent to go to the cinema in light of COVID-19 and the delta variant.

The French Dispatch is a jolt of electricity for the specialty box office, delivering record-breaking results in theaters across the country,” Searchlight Pictures’ SVP-General Sales Manager Frank Rodriguez said in a press release. “These figures show that after a year and a half, arthouse and independent theaters have a superhero of their own in Wes Anderson. What has been doubly encouraging is the crossover results in mainstream theaters hungry for Wes’ 10th film as well. We are thrilled that after several delays, moviegoers said it was worth the wait.”

Compared to the limited starts for the two other most recent titles directed by Anderson, 2018’s Isle of Dogs started with $1.6M on 27 theaters ($60.0K average), while 2014’s The Grand Budapest Hotel earned $3.6M on 66 theaters ($55.1K average).

French, costarring Timothée Chalamet who also plays the lead in this weekend’s box office leader Dune, will expand wide next weekend to 600+ theaters.

Halloween Kills

Universal’s horror sequel Halloween Kills led last weekend’s box office, but didn’t “kill” in its second frame with a -70.6 percent sophomore frame drop to an estimated $14.5M.

That’s notably steeper than the comparable drops for 2018’s prior installment Halloween (-58.7 percent) and 2007’s film also called Halloween (another installment in the decades-long franchise) with -63.9 percent.

Kill‘s steep drop is due in no small part to its simultaneous day-and-date debut on Peacock, as such releases have often experienced larger-than-expected theatrical drops during the pandemic.

Kills has earned $73.1M to date, running -42.0 percent behind 2018’s Halloween through the same point ($126.0M).

No Time to Die

The United Artists Releasing / MGM action-adventure sequel No Time to Die declined -50.0 percent to an estimated $11.8M in its third weekend. 

In its prior frame, the James Bond film’s -56.9 percent sophomore weekend drop marked the second-steepest of the five installments starring Daniel Craig: steeper than 2006’s Casino Royale (-24.6 percent), 2012’s Skyfall (-53.4 percent), or 2015’s Spectre (-52.1 percent), though not quite as steep at 2008’s Quantum of Solace (-60.4 percent). 

Among third-weekend drops, the tentative estimate is right in the middle of the pack, falling more than Skyfall (-13.6 percent) and Quantum (-29.4 percent), but not as much as Casino Royale (-50.9 percent, though it’s possible Time could exceed that drop when Monday afternoon actuals are released) or Spectre (-55.3 percent).

Time has now earned $120.0M to date domestically. Through the same point in their releases, that’s running -22.1 percent behind Spectre ($154.1M), -45.7 percent behind Skyfall ($221.1M), -15.1 percent behind Quantum ($141.4M), and +3.5 percent ahead of Casino ($115.8M, although ticket prices were also notably lower a decade and a half ago).

But Time‘s real headline this weekend came globally, as the film surpassed the $500M mark. Released in some overseas markets by MGM and in others by Universal, the film has now earned $405.6M overseas and $525.3M globally — and that’s with China set to debut next weekend.

It marks only the second Hollywood release to exceed $500M global since the pandemic, behind only F9 with $716.5M to date. Among all films, Time currently ranks fifth for the year globally, behind Chinese titles Hi, Mom ($822.0M) and The Battle at Lake Changjin ($769.0M), the aforementioned F9, and Chinese title Detective Chinatown 3 ($686.2M).

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Sony Pictures’ sci-fi sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage dropped by -44.8 percent to an estimated $9.1M in its fourth weekend.

Compared to 2018’s original Venom, the sequel declined more sharply in its second weekend (-64.7 percent versus -56.3 percent), then both posted almost identical third-weekend drops but the sequel held just the slightest bit better (-48.0 percent versus -48.4 percent). For their fourth frames, the original held a bit better with -40.9 percent.

Carnage has now earned $181.3M, or -3.1 percent behind its predecessor’s $187.1M through the same point.

Total box office

The cumulative box office this weekend came in at an estimated $93.5M. 

That’s -14.1 percent behind last weekend (when Halloween Kills led with $49.4M), 8.4x the same weekend in 2020 as films were just starting to come back to cinemas (when Honest Thief led for a second frame with $2.3M), and -13.0 percent behind the same weekend in 2019 (when Maleficent: Mistress of Evil led for a second frame with $19.3M).


Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates: October 22-24, 2021

Title Estimated weekend % change Locations Location change Average Total Weekend Distributor
Dune $40,100,000   4,125   $9,721 $40,100,000 1 Warner Bros.
Halloween Kills $14,500,000 -71% 3,727 22 $3,891 $73,104,845 2 Universal
No Time to Die $11,886,514 -50% 3,807 -600 $3,122 $120,041,599 3 United Artists (MGM)
Venom: Let There be Carnage $9,100,000 -45% 3,513 -500 $2,590 $181,829,631 4 Sony Pictures
Ron’s Gone Wrong $7,300,000   3,560   $2,051 $7,300,000 1 20th Century Studios (Disney)
The Addams Family 2 $4,339,247 -39% 2,907 -700 $1,493 $48,318,224 4 United Artists
The Last Duel $2,100,000 -56% 3,065 n/c $685 $8,567,968 2 20th Century Studios (Disney)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings $2,000,000 -40% 1,600 -700 $1,250 $220,973,832 8 Walt Disney
The French Dispatch $1,300,000   52   $25,000 $1,300,000 1 Searchlight Pictures
Free Guy $258,000 -60% 380 -535 $679 $121,254,001 11 20th Century Studios (Disney)
Lamb $156,905 -71% 435 -430 $361 $2,519,928 3 A24
Candyman $150,000 -66% 786 -226 $191 $61,027,225 9 Universal
Dear Evan Hansen $119,000 -69% 489 -485 $243 $14,834,695 5 Universal
Becoming Cousteau $110,959   319   $348 $110,959 1 National Geographic Entertainment
Jungle Cruise $55,000 -50% 145 -90 $379 $116,843,899 13 Walt Disney
Mass $23,272 -17% 59 22 $394 $89,516 3 Bleecker Street
I’m Your Man $7,200 -74% 36 -67 $200 $253,916 5 Bleecker Street
The Eyes of Tammy Faye $5,000 -78% 25 -30 $200 $2,383,991 6 Searchlight Pictures

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