Comscore CEO and Executive Vice Chairman Bill Livek announced Monday his intention to retire from the role, though a specific date of departure was not set, while still serving as the Vice Chair of Comscore’s Board through the completion of his Board term in mid-2024.
Livek previously served as CEO of Rentrak up through its merger with Comscore in 2016, after which he served on the enlarged company’s Board for three years until becoming CEO in 2019. His career in media measurement began in 1978.
“It has been an honor to serve Comscore’s shareholders, customers and employees, and I am so proud of what we have accomplished together as a team to make Comscore synonymous with census measurement,” Livek said in a press release. “I am confident about Comscore’s future and honored to continue to be part of it.”
“On behalf of the Comscore Board, employees and industry, we want to thank Bill for his leadership and successful turnaround of Comscore,” Comscore’s Board Chair Brent Rosenthal added. “Bill ensured that Comscore is in a stronger position than it’s ever been and prepared to serve as the future of media measurement.”
AMC announced a shakeup of several top executives on Monday, including:
Dan Ellis, currently AMC’s Senior Vice President of Development and International, will become its new Chief Operations and Development Officer. He replaces John McDonald, who’s retiring as the head of U.S. Operations after a 47-year movie cinema exhibition career, all with AMC, starting at an individual theater in 1975 and serving in his current role since 2011.
Eliot Hamlisch, currently Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ Executive Vice President of Loyalty and Revenue Optimization, will become AMC’s Chief Marketing Officer. He replaces Stephen Colanero, who’s retiring after 12 years in the position at AMC.
Jennifer Douglass, currently AMC’s Senior Vice President of Food & Beverage, becomes Senior Vice President of U.S. Operations. (Read Boxoffice PRO‘s 2019 interview with Douglass here.)
Cynthia Pierce, currently AMC’s Senior Vice President of Facilities / Sight & Sound, becomes Senior Vice President of Design, Construction, Facilities, and Sight & Sound.
Michael Hans, currently AMC’s Vice President of Real Estate, becomes Senior Vice President of Domestic Development.
Hank Green, currently AMC’s Vice President of Operations, becomes Vice President of Food & Beverage.
“During the more than six years that I have been privileged to lead AMC, our company has been fortunate to have an unbelievably talented and dedicated team of executive officers, whose focus has been on delivering a superb theatrical experience for our guests while driving value for our shareholders,” CEO Adam Aron said in a press release. “Over time, change in leadership at any organization is inevitable. But in this case, I know that Eliot, Dan and Sean — along with our other officers with increasing responsibilities — will continue in that great tradition of executive leadership at AMC, will cause AMC to shine and help propel AMC ahead in the years to come.”
AMC ranked #1 in Boxoffice PRO‘s Giants of Exhibition 2021 list of North America’s largest cinema circuits, with 7,800 screens at 600 locations.
European cinema trade groupe UNIC (International Union of Cinemas announced Monday that IMAX Corporation and Vista Group will be the principal sponsors of its Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme.
Now in its fifth year after launching in 2017, the 12-month program offers workshops, mentors, and networking opportunities for women working in the cinema exhibition industry. IMAX’s Director of Theatre Development for EMEA (Europe + Middle East + Africa) Alessandra Pavan Bernacchi and Vista Group subsidiary Movio’s Chief Client Officer Sarah Lewthwaite are both alumni.
More information is available here. Potential mentors and mentees alike can apply for the 2022-23 edition through March 30 by emailing Diana Stratan at dstratan@unic-cinemas.org.
“We are delighted to welcome IMAX and Vista Group as ‘Champions of UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme.’ They share UNIC’s ambition to see more inclusion and diversity in the industry,” UNIC CEO Laura Houlgatte said in a press release. “This partnership will take the programme to the next level as we empower more female professionals to achieve leadership roles and realize their full potential.”
“We need a broader and more diverse group of people working at all levels across our industry, full stop. That’s why programs like Women’s Cinema Leadership are so critical to the future of cinema, both for those behind the camera, for executives in the business, and for audiences around the world who expect and deserve to experience unique stories from all creators,” IMAX Entertainment President Megan Colligan said.
“Having experienced first-hand the positive impact that the UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme has, I couldn’t be prouder for Vista Group to sponsor this next edition,” Lewthwaite added. “While diversity of content can help drive box-office results, we believe that it’s greater diversity in our boardrooms that will create long-lasting success for our industry.”
Less than a week ahead of The Batman’s hugely-anticipated theatrical rollout, the major studios opted against releasing any new product in theaters this weekend, allowing Sony’s Uncharted to retain the No. 1 spot over its sophomore frame with an estimated $23.25M. Another holdover, the Channing Tatum dramedy Dog, also showed strong legs in second place. Elsewhere, Open Road debuted the Foo Fighters horror-comedy Studio 666 and UAR rolled out Cyrano in semi-wide release.
After surpassing expectations last weekend with a solid $44.01M three-day tally, Uncharted held well in its sophomore frame, with a 47% drop from its debut. The Tom Holland-Mark Wahlberg video game adaptation seems to have benefitted from strong word-of-mouth (its Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score stands at a winning 90%), as well as goodwill from Holland’s starring turn in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which continues to be a force at the North American box office nearly three months out from its initial release.
Overseas, Uncharted grossed an estimated $35M from 64 markets, including $4.4M in the U.K. (down just 12% for a total of $24.8M), $4.1M in France (-36%, $12.2M), $3M in Australia (-26%, $7.8M), $2.6M in Germany (-23%, $6.7M), $1.5M in Italy (-43%, $4.9M), $1.4M in Spain (-33%, $8.8M) and $1.3M in Mexico (-29%, $4.3M). Its international total is now $143M and the global tally is $226.4M. Uncharted is set to open in China on March 14.
United Artists’ Dog also enjoyed a strong hold in its second frame, down just 32% to an estimated $10.13M after opening to a better-than-expected $14.88M over the Friday-to-Sunday period last weekend. The Channing Tatum dramedy, which has $30.9M to date, has the potential to weather the Batman storm relatively well next weekend given its strong appeal to older females.
Spider-Man: No Way Home remained in third place with an estimated $5.75M in its 11th weekend (a drop of just 38%), bringing the total for the MCU blockbuster to an extraordinary $779.89M to date. It remains to be seen whether the Sony release can withstand the presence of The Batman enough to hit the $800M domestic mark, though it remains a technical possibility for now. Overseas, No Way Home grossed another $7M this weekend from 63 markets, bringing its global total to $1.85B — thereby surpassing the initial run of Titanic, which finished its original release with $1.84B worldwide.
In fourth place, Death on the Nile grossed an estimated $4.5M in its third weekend of release, down just 31% from last weekend. The Disney/20th Century Studios sequel has $32.75M to date. Overseas, the murder mystery film took in an estimated $10.6M from 47 territories, lifting its international tally to $68.5M and its worldwide total to $101.3M.
Finishing in fifth was Jackass Forever with an estimated $3.18M in its fourth weekend, bringing the total for the Paramount comedy to $52.07M. Overseas, it grossed an estimated $1.7M from 4 markets for an international total of $16M and a worldwide tally of $68.07M.
Opening in sixth place was Studio 666, the meta horror-comedy in which the Foo Fighters (starring as themselves) battle supernatural forces while recording their tenth album in an Encino mansion. Debuting exclusively in theaters, the Open Road title came in below expectations with a soft $1.58M from 2,306 locations, with a good chunk of the audience presumably consisting of pre-existing fans of the band. Reviews for the film were mixed.
Universal’s Marry Me dropped to seventh place with an estimated $1.85M, bringing the total for the Jennifer Lopez rom-com to $20.21M through the end of its third weekend. Overseas, the film grossed an estimated $2.65M from 67 territories for a total of $23.67M internationally and $56.6M worldwide.
Following that in eighth place was Universal/Illumination’s Sing 2, which took in an estimated $2.11M in its tenth weekend. The animated sequel has a total of $151.2M so far in North America, while overseas it now stands at $200.29M after taking in another $8.44M from 66 territories this weekend. Its worldwide tally is $351.49M.
The second new opener of the weekend, UAR’s Cyrano, took in an estimated $1.4M from 797 locations in ninth place, giving it a per-location average of $1,757. Reviews for the theatrically exclusive film, which stars Peter Dinklage as the title character and comes from director Joe Wright, were generally (if not overwhelmingly) positive. The distributor reports that the audience was 59% female. Overseas, Cyrano took in an estimated $1.04M from 10 markets.
Finally, Scream grossed an estimated $1.35M in its seventh weekend of release, bringing the total for Paramount’s horror “re-quel” to a sturdy $79.22M.
SPECIALTY RELEASES
The Godfather 50 Years, released by Paramount to celebrate the classic film’s 50th anniversary, opened in 156 locations and took in an estimated $900k for a per-location average of $5,769. It grossed an additional $1.4M overseas from 27 markets, including $395k in the U.K. and $135k in Mexico.
Neon’s The Worst Person in the World continued doing good business in limited release with an estimated $421,672 from 554 locations. The domestic total for the critically-acclaimed title is now $1.82M.
ShortsTV’s 2022 Oscar Nominated Short Films grossed an estimated $402k in its opening weekend from 355 locations, for a per-location average of $1,133.
Sideshow/Janus Films’ Drive My Car grossed an estimated $148,227 from 162 locations, bringing the total for the Best Picture nominee to $1.84M.
Cinemark, the third-largest circuit in North America, released its 2021 yearly financials on Friday, reporting $1.51 billion in revenue—a 120 percent improvement over the prior yea’s results. The circuit’s performance is slightly ahead of the recovery of the domestic box office overall, which grew by 113 percent against 2020’s final figures.
Annual admissions revenue at Cinemark comprised $780.0 million (up 118 percent), while concessions revenue comprised $561.7 million (up 143 percent). However, the company reported a total annual net loss of $-422.8 million, which nonetheless marked an improvement from its $-616.8 million net loss in 2020.
A big portion of the circuit’s recovery came in the fourth quarter, when it welcomed 48 million across its theaters in the United States and Latin America. Q4 figures represented a 54 percent improvement over the prior quarter in 2021. The circuit finished the year on a strong note thanks to the success of Sony’sSpider-Man No Way Home, which became the highest-grossing title of all-time at Cinemark and helped the chain generate positive cash flow across its global circuit over Q4 2021.
Cinemark is planning on further improving its financial performance in 2022 off the strength of a more consistent studio slate and the circuit’s investment on premium amenities. Recliner seating is currently available at approximately two-thirds of its domestic theaters, and the circuit counts on nearly 300 premium large format XD and IMAX auditoriums worldwide. Cinemark also offers D-BOX immersive seating across 250 of its theaters, and provides enhanced food and beverage menu items throughout 75 percent of its global circuit.
“The theatrical exhibition industry, and our company, made huge strides recovering from the ongoing effects of the pandemic throughout 2021, culminating in an exceptional fourth quarter,” stated Sean Gamble, Cinemark’s President & CEO, in a press release. “During the quarter, Cinemark surpassed North American industry box office performance by more than 700 basis points when comparing results against 4Q19. Our Latin American admissions also over-indexed their corresponding industry benchmarks by a similar degree.”
Gamble continued, “Over 48 million guests visited our Cinemark theaters in the fourth quarter, demonstrating an enduring consumer demand to experience great films in an immersive, shared, cinematic environment. This rebound in attendance generated positive results in cash flow from operations, net income and Adjusted EBITDA across our entire global organization for the first time since the onset of COVID-19 – all significant milestones in our recovery.”
Gamble concluded, “We are highly encouraged by recent favorable developments in the state of the virus, government restrictions and associated consumer sentiment regarding moviegoing. Furthermore, we are greatly looking forward to a robust slate in 2022 that includes a long list of highly anticipated franchises, as well as a broad range of diverse films, providing varied offerings for all audiences.”
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.
This week’s report welcomes the addition of Paramount Pictures’ The Lost City to the Long Range Forecast. Led by Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, the comedy is slated to open exclusively in theaters on Friday, March 25.
In addition, the chart below includes the latest tracking update for next week’s highly anticipated launch of The Batman, as well as the removal of Guy Ritchie’s Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre from the forecast and calendar following STXfilms’ un-dating of the picture late last week.
The Lost City
Paramount Pictures
March 25, 2022
PROS:
In an era when star power is often questioned, Bullock and Tatum each have arguments in their favor when it comes to drawing ability at the box office.
Bullock has long history of success in the comedic genre from the Miss Congeniality films to The Proposal, Ocean’s 8, and The Blind Side, while Tatum expanded his audience through the Jump Street and Magic Mike franchises before recently helping to drive Dog above expectations.
Early tracking and social metrics for the comedy are on par with pre-pandemic releases such as Game Night and Blockers, both of which leveraged strong casts in the way Lost City hopes to with Daniel Radcliffe and Brad Pitt making well-promoted supporting turns. Current models are also not far behind those of Free Guy, with room to grow on all fronts.
By the end of March, the domestic market will be relatively barren. This film’s release weekend will mark The Batman‘s fourth, and no intervening openers before March 25 will stand out with mainstream audiences in the way Lost City is bidding to.
The film’s promise of escapist comedy with appeal to men and women should be a strength as we hope to get a clearer sense of audience sentiment heading into spring as COVID cases decline, especially with a theatrically exclusive release.
CONS:
This genre isn’t well-tested during the pandemic era yet and could be a significant barometer of what content consumers prioritize in theaters versus a later streaming release, so forecasts are naturally volatile until closer to release.
Pre-sale activity isn’t likely to signal the full potential of its run, either, with significant “date night” and walk-up business expected for a non-IP release. Reviews, by extension, could be important for determining staying power.
Appeal is likely to lean slightly toward adult women, an audience that — until Dog‘s over-performance — has frequently been the most cautious to return to moviegoing.
Competition in the stretch weekends will be worth considering as Morbius (April 1), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (April 8), and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (April 15) immediately proceed The Lost City‘s first frame.
Long Range Box Office Forecast & 2022 Calendar
(as of 2/25/22)
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
3/4/2022
The Batman
$130,000,000 – $170,000,000
-10%
$330,000,000 – $475,000,000
-9%
TBD xx
Warner Bros. Pictures
3/11/2022
(no wide releases scheduled)
3/18/2022
The Outfit
n/a
n/a
Focus Features
3/18/2022
The Unbreakable Boy
n/a
n/a
Lionsgate / Kingdom Story Company
3/18/2022
Umma
n/a
n/a
Sony / Stage 6 Films
3/18/2022
X
n/a
n/a
A24
3/25/2022
The Lost City
$15,000,000 – $25,000,000
NEW
$45,000,000 – $85,000,000
NEW
Paramount Pictures
4/1/2022
The Contractor
Paramount Pictures
4/1/2022
Morbius
Sony Pictures / Columbia
4/8/2022
Ambulance
Universal Pictures
4/8/2022
Untitled Searchlight
Walt Disney Pictures
4/8/2022
Untitled Universal Event Film 2022 2
Universal Pictures
4/8/2022
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Paramount Pictures
4/15/2022
Eiffel
Blue Fox Entertainment
4/15/2022
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Warner Bros. Pictures
4/15/2022
Father Stu
Sony Pictures / Columbia
4/15/2022
Untitled WB Event Film 2022 1
Warner Bros. Pictures
4/22/2022
The Bad Guys
Universal Pictures / DreamWorks Animation
4/22/2022
The Northman
Focus Features
4/22/2022
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Lionsgate
5/6/2022
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Disney / Marvel Studios
5/13/2022
Firestarter
Universal Pictures
5/20/2022
DC Super Pets
Warner Bros. Pictures
5/20/2022
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Focus Features
5/27/2022
Bob’s Burgers
Disney / 20th Century Studios
5/27/2022
Top Gun Maverick
Paramount Pictures
6/3/2022
Untitled WB Event Film 2022 2
Warner Bros. Pictures
6/10/2022
Jurassic World: Dominion
Universal Pictures
6/10/2022
Untitled Searchlight
Disney / Searchlight
6/17/2022
Lightyear
Disney / Pixar
6/24/2022
The Black Phone
Universal Pictures
6/24/2022
Elvis
Warner Bros. Pictures
6/24/2022
Untitled Blumhouse Project
Universal Pictures
6/29/2022
Shotgun Wedding
Lionsgate
7/1/2022
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Universal Pictures
7/8/2022
Thor: Love and Thunder
Disney / Marvel Studios
7/15/2022
Bed Rest
STXfilms
7/15/2022
Bullet Train
Sony Pictures
7/15/2022
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Focus Features
7/22/2022
Blazing Samurai
Paramount Pictures
7/22/2022
Nope
Universal Pictures
7/22/2022
Where the Crawdads Sing
Sony / 3000 Pictures
7/29/2022
Black Adam
Warner Bros. Pictures
7/29/2022
Venegance
Focus Features
8/5/2022
Easter Sunday
Universal Pictures
8/5/2022
Secret Headquarters
Paramount Pictures
8/5/2022
Untitled WB Event Film 2022 3
Warner Bros. Pictures
8/12/2022
Untitled Searchlight
Disney / Searchlight
8/12/2022
Man from Toronto
Sony Pictures / Columbia
8/19/2022
Beast
Universal Pictures
8/26/2022
The Bride
Sony Pictures / Columbia
8/26/2022
Samaritan
United Artists Releasing
9/2/2022
(no releases scheduled)
9/9/2022
Salem’s Lot
Warner Bros. / New Line
9/16/2022
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Lionsgate
9/16/2022
Distant
Universal Pictures
9/16/2022
The Woman King
Sony / TriStar Pictures
9/23/2022
Don’t Worry Darling
Warner Bros. Pictures
9/23/2022
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
Universal Pictures / DreamWorks Animation
9/23/2022
Untitled 20th Century 2022 3
Disney / 20th Century Studios
9/30/2022
Bros
Universal Pictures
10/7/2022
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)
Sony Pictures
10/14/2022
Halloween Ends
Universal Pictures
10/14/2022
White Bird: A Wonder Story
Lionsgate
10/21/2022
Ticket to Paradise
Universal Pictures
10/21/2022
Untitled Paramount
Paramount Pictures
10/28/2022
The Devil’s Light
Lionsgate
11/4/2022
The Flash
Warner Bros. Pictures
11/4/2022
Untitled Bee Gees
Paramount Pictures
11/4/2022
Untitled David O. Russell
Disney / 20th Century Studios
11/11/2022
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Disney / Marvel Studios
11/18/2022
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Sony / Columbia Pictures
11/18/2022
Untitled WB Event Film 2022 4
Warner Bros. Pictures
11/18/2022
She Said
Universal Pictures
11/18/2022
Thirteen Lives
MGM / United Artists Releasing
11/23/2022
Creed III
MGM
11/23/2022
The Fabelmans
Universal Pictures
11/23/2022
Strange World
Walt Disney Pictures
12/2/2022
Violent Night
Universal Pictures
12/9/2022
(no releases scheduled)
12/16/2022
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Warner Bros. Pictures
12/21/2022
Avatar 2
Disney / 20th Century Studios
12/21/2022
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Sony Pictures / TriStar Pictures
12/21/2022
Mario
Universal Pictures
12/23/2022
Untitled 20th Century 2022 6
Disney / 20th Century Studios
12/25/2022
A Man Called Otto
Sony Pictures / Columbia
12/30/2022
(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.
The Marcus Corporation has announced the upcoming retirement of EVP and CFO Douglas A. Neis, an industry veteran who’s been with Marcus for 36 years. After Neis’ retirement on May 15, 2022, Marcus’ CFO role will be filled by Chad Paris, current corporate controller and treasurer of The Marcus Corporation.
Neis will serve as an advisor to the company following the transition.
“Doug has been a friend and valued colleague since the day I joined The Marcus Corporation, and I know I speak for all of us when I say how grateful we are for the impact he has made on our company,” said Gregory S. Marcus, president and chief executive officer of The Marcus Corporation. “Over the course of 36 years, Doug has been a stalwart through times of growth and opportunity as well as times of change and challenge. Yet through it all, Doug kept us on course thanks to his thoughtful foresight, unbending integrity, and calm ‘get it done’ demeanor. This is true even in how he approached his retirement, with smart planning and deft execution in recruiting, mentoring, and soon promoting Chad Paris as his successor. Since joining the company in October 2021, Chad has worked closely with Doug and me to understand our financial structure and our focus on maintaining a strong balance sheet, which has served us well over the years. Quite quickly Chad became a natural part of our team, and I am thrilled a professional of his caliber and character will support our strategy in the years ahead.”
Neis joined The Marcus Corporation in 1986 as controller of the Marcus Theatres division before being promoted to controller of Marcus Restaurants in 1987. In 1991, Neis was appointed vice president of planning and administration for Marcus Restaurants, and in 1994 was named director of technology for The Marcus Corporation. He was elected corporate controller in 1995 and was promoted to chief financial officer and treasurer in 1996. In 2018, Neis was promoted to executive vice president of The Marcus Corporation.
Incoming CFO Paris comes to The Marcus Corporation from global manufacturing company Jason Industries, where he’s served as CFO.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to work with so many great people as well as three generations of the Marcus family during my lengthy career at The Marcus Corporation,” Neis said. “I have enjoyed getting up each and every day and going to work for the best movie theater and hotel company in the world – this truly has been my second family. As I get ready to spend more time with my wife, Sue, along with our four children and their families, I know I leave The Marcus Corporation in great hands, confident that it is positioned to continue to thrive in the years ahead.”
Luxury theater chain Emagine Entertainment announced this week that its affiliate, Dandiprat Holdings LLC, has initiated processes to remodel and upgrade four former Goodrich Quality Theaters locations, with the goal of turning them into state-of-the-art movie palaces.
The theaters are located in Kochville Twp., Michigan; Batavia, Illinois; Portage, Indiana; and Noblesville, Indiana.
The four facilities, leased from Spirit Realty Capital, Inc., were placed under Emagine’s management in September 2020 following the bankruptcy of Goodrich Quality Theaters, Inc. earlier that year. Three of the venues reopened last summer as governmental restrictions imposed on movie theaters due to Covid-19 were lifted and the supply of first-run feature films returned. The two Indiana facilities will remain operational throughout construction, as one half of each building will be cordoned off at a time for work to proceed. The renovation of the Saginaw venue is nearly complete. Total completion of the aggregate $22 million remodeling project is slated for late 2022.
Paul Glantz, Emagine’s Chairman noted: “All four of these theaters were good performers for the former operator. We will turn them into great theaters—facilities that guests will love based on all the enhancements we have planned.” Specifics about the venues and details of the upgrades planned for each location follow.
After a welcome surprise from Uncharted last week, the domestic box office enters a “calm before the storm” corridor with a post-holiday frame that precedes the highly anticipated launch of The Batman next week.
Before we get to the Caped Crusader’s return, though, the business of February must be closed out. As noted, Uncharted exceeded even the most optimistic of forecasts during its Presidents’ Day frame start with $44 million over the three-day portion. That’s the fourth highest debut in history for a video game adaptation behind Sonic the Hedgehog, Detective Pikachu, and 2001’s Tomb Raider: Lara Croft.
Thanks to star Tom Holland, Sony capitalized on the aura of Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s massive success — in tandem with co-star Mark Wahlberg, a strong video game fan base, and better-than-hoped walk-up business at ticket kiosks. Reception is far more positive than that of critics, too, so far with a 90 percent Rotten Tomatoes audience score, indicating the sophomore weekend drop could be padded despite coming off an inflated weekend. The lack of significant competition entering the market also will play a positive role for Sony’s latest theatrically exclusive hit.
Notably, Uncharted will lose a small chunk of its premium screen format this weekend — specifically to The Godfather (50 Years), opening an estimated 156 Dolby Cinema auditoriums from Paramount Pictures.
Also over-performing last weekend was United Artists Releasing’s Dog, courting a predominately over-35 female audience with lead Channing Tatum and a crowd-pleasing story driving healthy results. Staying power should be strong for the non-IP comedy/drama, and the strength of its audience turnout is an encouraging signal for what has been the most cautious returning moviegoer demographic throughout the waning stages of the pandemic.
While major studios are sitting this weekend out, allowing the aforementioned titles breathing room before The Batman, two counter-programmers will offer theaters and audiences new content nonetheless.
Open Road Films claims the only wide release of the weekend with Studio 666 from the brains of Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters. As a specialty horror release with a modest marketing footprint, some front-loading is to be expected by the band’s followers. Early reviews are solid for the genre at 76 percent from critics.
Comparisons are limited, but social tracking and pre-sales are comparable to those of Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho. That pic opened to $4.2 million last October, but the bar for success is quite different for Studio 666 as a movie pitched more from a grassroots standpoint than a mainstream push.
The film is set to open in approximately 2,306 theaters, per distributor Open Road. Previews begin Thursday evening at 5pm.
Bowing in limited release this weekend is also UAR and Joe Wright’s Cyrano, beginning its oft-delayed and staggered rollout. Advertising and social imprints are more prominent for this opener despite a lower venue footprint than Studio 666, the former thanks largely to strong reviews and a presence on this year’s award circuit.
Wright has a strong resume of box office successes including Darkest Hour, Atonement, Anna Karenina, and Pride and Prejudice, cultivating a fan base that should help drive the early stages of Cyrano‘s distribution. The filmmaker recently interviewed with Boxoffice Pro to discuss his latest project.
Interest markers and social activity for the genre are on the positive side, trending slightly ahead of recent limited openers and expansions such as Licorice Pizza, Belfast, Spencer, and The French Dispatch. However, caution is warranted given Cyrano‘s target adult female audience, meaning turnout remains challenging to forecast under current market conditions.
Still, the film is exclusively in theaters and the tiered release plan mirrors that of pre-pandemic strategies designed to build word of mouth in multiple geographic regions before embracing a wider footprint. Cyrano was targeted for 750 locations as of last week, but Showtimes Dashboard projections indicate a slightly wider showing that could exceed 900 domestic theaters by the time final bookings are made. Previews will be held on Thursday evening.
Key Forecast Ranges
Dog Second Weekend Range: $7.5 – 11.5 million
Uncharted Second Weekend Range: $20 – 25 million
Cyrano Opening Weekend Range: $2 – 5 million
Studio 666 Opening Weekend Range: $2 – 5 million
Weekend Forecast & Location Counts
Boxoffice projects between a 35 to 40 percent decrease for this weekend’s top ten films from last weekend’s $90.2 million top ten aggregate.
Film
Distributor
3-Day Weekend Forecast*
Projected Domestic Total through Sunday, February 27
Location Count
% Change from Last Wknd
Uncharted
Sony Pictures / Columbia
$23,500,000
$85,100,000
~4,275
-47%
Dog
United Artists Releasing
$8,800,000
$29,600,000
~3,677
-41%
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Sony Pictures / Columbia & Marvel Studios
$6,100,000
$780,100,000
~2,900
-18%
Death on the Nile
Disney / 20th Century Studios
$4,200,000
$32,500,000
~3,100
-36%
Jackass Forever
Paramount Pictures
$3,200,000
$52,200,000
~3,000
-38%
Cyrano
United Artists Releasing
$2,800,000
$2,800,000
~950
NEW
Studio 666
Open Road Films
$2,700,000
$2,700,000
2,306
NEW
Sing 2
Universal Pictures
$2,100,000
$151,000,000
~2,300
-26%
Marry Me
Universal Pictures
$1,900,000
$20,500,000
~3,000
-49%
Scream (2022)
Paramount Pictures
$1,300,000
$79,100,000
~1,600
-34%
Blacklight
Briarcliff Entertainment
1,865
*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 studios. The 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.
EVO Entertainment Group, the largest operator of cinema-entertainment centers in the United States, will be opening its first Dallas-Fort Worth area location on March 11. Tickets for the venue’s grand opening will be on sale to the public beginning on March 22 through the circuit’s website.
The Dallas-Fort Worth site will be located at 1450 Plaza Place in Southlake Town Square, in a nearly 70,000 square foot state-of-the-art entertainment complex. The space has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation to become EVO’s flagship experiential entertainment concept featuring seven upscale dine-in theaters with heated-recliner seating and push-button wait service, a scratch kitchen and craft bar with outdoor patio space, a 12-lane bowling center, over 100 video and redemption arcade games, climbing walls, bumper cars, a three-story gravity ropes course, outdoor patio, private corporate and social event spaces, and more.
“We could not be any more excited to open our doors and welcome guests to our first DFW entertainment destination” said EVO Entertainment Group Chief Operating Officer, Cesar Guzman. “We have family and deep roots here and are thrilled to bring our brand of the entertainment experience to this community.”
The site is expected to employ approximately 200 individuals. Job seekers can submit an application to join the EVO team by visiting www.evocinemas.com/jobs.
EVO Entertainment Southlake Town Square’s hours of operations for opening weekend will be 9 a.m. to 1 am. Friday, March 11, 2022 and Saturday, March 12, 2022; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, March 13, 2022.
Call him the modern-day master of the period drama. Director Joe Wright, whose award-winning films have taken audiences through Britain of the 1940s (The Darkest Hour, Atonement), 19th-century Russia (Anna Karenina), and Georgian-era England (Pride & Prejudice) turns to 17th-century France with Cyrano, in theaters January 21 from MGM.
An adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, this new version of the classic love story—based on a 2018 stage adaptation penned by Erica Schmidt, who also wrote the screenplay–makes several key changes to its source material. One: It’s a musical, with music by Bryce and Aaron Dessner of Grammy-winning band The National, and lyrics by The National’s Matt Berninger and his frequent collaborator (and wife) Carin Besser.
Two: Schmidt has eliminated Cyrano’s signature long proboscis, instead presenting Peter Dinklage (who is married to Schmidt and starred in the stage Cyrano) as the witty, lovelorn lead, who offers to woo his beloved Roxanne (Haley Bennett, also reprising her role) on behalf of another man by writing love letters for the handsome Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) that the younger man then delivers under his own name. “I think with any other version there was the feeling that the actor—however convincing—can at the end of the day sit in the makeup chair and pull the big nose off of his face,” says Wright. “Pete brought an inherent truth and honesty to Cyrano that I found deeply affecting.”
The result is a profoundly moving film buoyed by a career-best performance from Dinklage, who seems born to play a character both brash and deeply wounded by the world. In advance of the film’s theatrical release, Wright spoke to Boxoffice Pro about making a film about human connection during the middle of a worldwide pandemic.
First off, congrats on the film. I loved it, as did my boyfriend, who is not typically a musical or period-drama person.
Oh, good. I’m not really much of a musical person myself. I think the movie is almost a musical for people who don’t normally like musicals.
How did you get attached to this project, then? I know it’s based on a preexisting musical stage adaptation of Cyrano—
Haley Bennett invited me to go and watch a tiny workshop production [of it] at a theater in Chester, Connecticut, which seated like 120 people. I’d always loved the story of Cyrano. I felt somehow emotionally connected to Cyrano as a character, especially as a teenager. But when I saw Erica’s workshop production, with Peter Dinklage playing Cyrano and Haley playing Roxanne, suddenly it was like a fresh, new light had been shed on an old, dusty piece of material, and I understood how it might be possible to turn that into an exciting new movie.
When I think of Cyrano de Bergerac—obviously, it’s a classic, well-respected piece of literature. But in terms of movie adaptations, the most common reference point for most people would probably be Roxanne, with Steve Martin and his big fake nose. Not that Peter Dinklage isn’t a funny actor, but your movie is much more emotionally affecting than that prior approach.
The story has an emotional and spiritual depth that I feel is often missed from the original source material. That’s not to say that I wanted to treat it with a kind of [over-the-top] seriousness, but I think it’s there in the material. Certainly, the complications of that love triangle I find incredibly moving. I see myself and my fellow humans reflected in those characters. There’s a beauty and a tenderness. I find tenderness itself very moving.
Since you have that emotional connection to the source material, I was wondering if I could get your thoughts on how you approached the ending. It’s a bit of a hard one to land, because you get used to seeing the story as a traditional love triangle, and then—I don’t know, can you spoil a play that’s 125 years old?
One of the interesting things about the Steve Martin version, Roxanne, is that it had a happy ending, and this doesn’t. I sometimes think the happiest ending available to us is simply acceptance. And I do think there is acceptance at the end of the story, you know? If one grounds that ending in that sense of acceptance, then that will hopefully see us through. It also, for me, inspires me to try and do better. I don’t think it’s a hopeless feeling. I think there is hope for the audience at the end of the movie. Hope in the story they’ve seen, but hope in their own lives, too.
When was production on this? Where did it fall in the pandemic timeline?
Right bang in the middle. We’d been adapting it for about three years. I already felt that, with the Internet age and social media and so on, there was a pertinence to the story, which I saw as being about human connection and our need, as humans, to connect with other humans, which we often fail to do. I felt that already spoke to the Internet age. Then the pandemic hit, and all human connection was literally severed. It was June 28, 2020, when I felt we’d gotten the script to a place I was happy with and ready to start production.
So I called up Eric Fellner at Working Title and I said, “We’ve got to make this movie. We’ve got to make it now.” Because of the themes of the film, but also because I knew that a lot of my friends and colleagues—actors, dancers, crew—were in Britain having a lot of trouble putting food on the table, because our government was very, very late in supplying any financial help to the self-employed, especially in the arts sector. I knew a lot of people, especially those actors who work mainly in the theater, who were having a really bad time. So I called Eric Fellner and said, “We’ve got to make this movie, and we need to do it now.” And he said, “You’re crazy. There’s a global pandemic on.” And I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I don’t care about that. Tell me, what is the percentage of likelihood that we can get this film made?’ And he said, “About five percent.” So I said, “Great. I’ll go with that.”
We went to my usual backer, Focus, and they weren’t doing anything. We tried a few people. We took it to MGM, and literally within 24 hours they came back and said, “Yes, we want to do this, and we’re betting on the future of cinema because if we don’t bet on the future of cinema, then we’re betting on the death of cinema.” I found that really moving. And so we were off. We started shooting at the beginning of October 2020, and we wrapped on December 18, 2020, on the island of Sicily. We made it in a spirit of defiance, almost, against this bleak situation that we’d found ourselves in. I don’t know if the film would be quite as passionate were it not for those circumstances.
It’s such a bright, airy film. Visually, it’s a little escape for two hours.
Exactly. A little escape that also reflects back on us, on our hearts and our need for human connection.
As you’re making Cyrano, you’re seeing all these films continue to get pushed down the schedule, to in some cases go day-and-date or bypass theatrical entirely. Were you having conversations about that, about how this film would be released? Was there ever any question that it would be theatrical?
There was never any question from [MGM’s] Mike De Luca and Pamela Abdy, and indeed [MGM board chair] Kevin Ulrich, that the film would receive a theatrical release. They believe strongly, as I do, in the theatrical experience. The collective experience, you know? And I think so far they’ve been proved correct. They seem to be doing OK.
Have you had the chance to go back to cinemas much since they reopened in London?
Yeah, very much so. I think it’s really important. And I love it. There’s been recent scientific proof that when you collect an audience together in a theater, their heartbeats actually synchronize. Literally. Which I’m sure we are aware of subconsciously, if not consciously. I think we feel that. Sure, you can have that synchronized heartbeat at a music concert or even in church, but for me, my church is the cinema and storytelling. I feel that experience when I’m in a theater with other people. I feel like I’m connected to them, and that together, we’re collectively connected to the story we’re being told. If it’s a good one.
And if it’s a bad one, you’re connected too, just in a different way. We’ve all been to those screenings.
Yeah, that too! But also, the other thing, there’s a lot of talk about the big-screen experience. To me, yes, it’s about the big screen, but it’s also about the big sound experience. The totally immersive experience of the 7.1 surround sound system, or even the Atmos system, which I love. To feel fully immersed in the wonder of that bass and that treble is something quite different from the home experience, where if you’re lucky the sound is coming out of a couple of decent speakers. But that’s rare.
I forget the name of the song—the one with Glen Hansard [musician and star of Once] and other soldiers singing before going off to war. It’s very somber and touching. The way it’s filmed isn’t flashy. You need to be immersed in it through sound.
Absolutely. I’ve tried to make a film that isn’t flashy. I feel like, as my career develops, I’m more and more interested in the challenge of apparent simplicity and how difficult that is, how challenging it is.
I was flashing back to Anna Karenina watching this—they’re both very fluid, dancerly films.
I always conceived Anna Karenina as being a ballet. It was choreographed by the same choreographer [as Cyrano], Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, who is a dear friend and absolute genius. The most incredibly focused artist I think I’ve ever worked with. That felt like a ballet, and this feels like a natural progression from that work.
What was the first movie that you went to see, after things opened back up?
The first movie I went back to was Cruella, with the kids.
Both that and Cyrano have just amazing costumes. I love a well-costumed movie.
I loved that movie. I recently saw Don’t Look Up. I love that movie. I love comedies. I love the Judd Apatow comedies. I was excited to speak to [Don’t Look Up director] Adam McKay the other day, because he’s the guy who directed Anchorman. That’s a fucking masterpiece.
Reminds me of how Christopher Nolan is a MacGruber superfan. It doesn’t seem like it would fit, but y’know, the man has good taste.
My taste is eclectic. Just because I often make literary adaptations and period movies—which is a whole other subject—my taste for movies is certainly not that narrow.
Well, since you brought it up, is there something in particular that drives you toward period dramas?
I see them as being fantasies. I don’t really see them as reenactments of a past. I was brought up in a puppet theater in London, and we did fairy tales. There’s something of the fairy tale about the period movie. I can invent worlds. I like the whole kind of—without sounding like an egotist—the world-building thing. I feel constrained by contemporary life and contemporary drama. I find it difficult to—my imagination feels constrained by contemporary life. Everything has to be real, you know? Whereas with a period fantasy/fairy tale, my imagination is freer, and I can take greater leaps of imagination and faith. That, to me, is really exciting.
But also, there’s something I find personally reassuring when I realize that people in the past have gone through similar difficulties and experiences. It makes me feel less alone and more understood. It helps me.
I also think cowboy movies are period movies. I think sci-fi movies are period movies. They’re just a future period. I’d love to do a sci-fi movie one day. I think they’re all period movies. Being English, I’ve tried to break down, a little bit, the walls of what is considered a “British period movie.” Not least because I think there’s a perceived reactionary—even, dare I say it, conservative—persona of period movies. And I’ve tried to fight that from within and reclaim the past for a good, old-fashioned Democratic Socialist like myself.
And, in Cyrano, for the outcasts, for the misfits, for a woman who doesn’t want to get sold off to a man she doesn’t love—who wants more out of a romance.
Absolutely. I remember reading Atonement, the novel, for the first time and for the first 90 pages feeling like I was in a very traditional English period novel and not really understanding why I should be thinking about this as a movie. And then suddenly—on, I think, page 96—Ian McEwan uses the C-word. It hit me like an atomic bomb. I suddenly went, “Oh, wait a minute, this is something completely different. I need to sit up and pay attention here, because this isn’t what I thought it was.”
Your adaptation hit that note in exactly the same way.
That’s why I put a giant typewriter sound on that specific word, because I wanted it to sound like a bomb, too.
To what you said about fantasy world-building: I remember reading an interview with Keira Knightley about how she’s drawn to period dramas because they have more complex, meaty roles for actresses. And—unlike in a lot of modern movies—her character probably won’t be sexually assaulted.
Digital cinema software and support service provider Arts Alliance Media (AAM) is partnering with Cielo, one of the cinema industry’s leading cloud-based monitoring and analytics software companies, to bring a new Network Operations Center (NOC) solution to movie theaters worldwide.
The offering, Lifeguard, was developed collaboratively by Arts Alliance Media and Cielo and is designed to provide an all-inclusive asset management tool with an enriched user experience. Lifeguard offers over 30 operational reports to help exhibitors identify issues and manage their theaters more efficiently. It presents a one-click remote for every digital device within an organization, enabling comprehensive visibility and meticulous monitoring. As a cloud-based solution, exhibitors can enjoy easy installation with no hardware required. Existing AAM customers who do not yet own Lifeguard can trial the new software for free.
“We are excited to bring together two of the industry’s leading software companies to deliver even more value to exhibitor partners”, said Guillermo Younger, Founder and CEO of Cielo. “With this partnership, Arts Alliance Media customers will now have access to state-of-the-art monitoring and analytics for their cinema operations to reduce preventable issues and save them money.”
Dale Miller, Chief Commercial Officer at Arts Alliance Media added, “providing exhibitors with a flawless solution that maximizes hardware performance and reduces missed shows and lost revenue is our foremost priority, and our partnership with Cielo facilitates that. Together, we’re confident this revitalized Lifeguard package offers exhibitors the tools required to operate without compromise.”
Showtime Analytics announced an agreement Monday with Reel Cinemas Ltd, the independent British cinema exhibition chain, to provide their operational data platforms and customer communication solutions.
The company’s technological offerings include Showtime Insights (which offers real-time analytics on items ranging from tickets to concessions), Showtime Benchmark (which collates an exhibitor’s box office data on categories from individual movies to genres and days of the week), and Showtime Engage (which provides behavioral data analysis of repeat customers and allows for personalized marketing).
Reel Cinemas Ltd currently operates 15 multiplexes with 78 screens, across the U.K., including two sites which opened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One of the biggest changes our industry has seen as a result of the COVID pandemic is a huge growth in online ticket sales, with the vast majority of all Reel Cinemas tickets now sold in advance via our website or app,” Reel Cinemas’ Head of Operations Muhammad Faisal said in a press release. “Working with Mark DeQuervain and the team at Showtime Analytics offers us an unrivalled opportunity to better understand those customers’ behaviors and desires. [This] means we can best communicate with each of them as individuals, ensuring they are fully aware of the films coming to their local Reel Cinema that will most appeal to them and their families.”
“Reel Cinemas have done a phenomenal job of demonstrating growth through innovation over the last 20 years, and we have watched their journey as they have evolved and developed even through the midst of a global pandemic,” Showtime Analytics’ CEO Richie Power added. “To be a part of the next chapter in Reel’s story is a true recognition of how leading exhibitors are trending towards a data driven approach to understanding and growing their business.”
Following a relatively slow Super Bowl frame, the North American box office picked back up again over the long President’s Day weekend with the release of Sony’s Uncharted, which easily won the weekend with an estimated $44.16M through Sunday and $51M through Monday from 4,275 locations. Elsewhere, United Artists/MGM’s Dog also saw strong results while LD Entertainment’s The Cursed just barely scraped its way to a top 10 debut.
“This result is yet another extraordinary testament to the appetite for the theatrical experience that Sony Pictures bet on,” said Sony Pictures president Josh Greenstein in a statement. “Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg are brilliant together. Thank you to our sister company, PlayStation, for their incredible partnership, and all the many people who worked so hard to bring this film to life in a big, theatrical way.”
Though reviews for Uncharted definitely finished on the “Rotten” end of the equation (it’s currently at 40% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences seem to be enjoying it much more than critics. On RT, the film’s Audience Score currently stands at 90% from over 1,000 verified ratings. That suggests Uncharted could benefit from positive word-of-mouth in the weeks ahead – or at least until The Batman hits theaters on March 4 and inevitably blows all other releases out of the water.
Second place went to Dog, which stars Channing Tatum (who also co-directs) as a U.S. Army Ranger charged with bringing the canine of a recently deceased servicemember to his funeral. Like Uncharted, the PG-13 heart-tugger performed at the high end of expectations this weekend, bringing in an estimated $15.14M over the three-day frame and $18.05M over the four-day from 3,677 locations.
While not aimed at younger children due to a slightly edgier tone than your typical Hollywood “dog movie,” Dog nonetheless arrives in a marketplace which is currently light on films of the heartwarming variety, which probably helped it achieve the better-than-expected result this weekend, particularly in the West, South and Midwest, which accounted for 75% of the film’s business collectively. Audiences skewed heavily older, with 73% over the age of 25, 53% over the age of 35 and 37% over the age of 45, while 54% was female. Reviews for Dog were mixed-to-positive, while its Cinemascore is an A- and on PostTrak, 84% of audience ratings were in the top two boxes, seeming to bode well for its long-range prospects.
The unstoppable Spider-Man: No Way Home rose one spot to third place in its 10th weekend of release, giving its star Tom Holland two of the three top-grossing movies of the frame. The Sony/Marvel blockbuster – which officially surpassed Avatar’s lifetime tally last week to become the third highest-grossing film of all time domestically – took in an estimated $7.2M over the three-day (down just 4%) and $8.8M over the four-day, which would bring its total to an incredible $771.74M so far. Given its staying power, No Way Home conceivably has a shot at passing $800 million by the end of its run, though that would still put it short of Avengers: Endgame – currently the second highest-grossing film of all time in North America with $858.37M.
Last weekend’s No. 1 film, Disney/20th Century Studios’ Death on the Nile, fell 51% to fourth place in its second weekend with an estimated $6.3M over the three-day frame and $7.2M over the four-day, which would put its 11-day total at $25M. That’s a steep drop-off in performance from its predecessor, Murder on the Orient Express, which finished its domestic run with $102.83M. Internationally, Death on the Nile grossed an estimated $19.8M from 50 territories over the three-day frame, lifting its international total to $49.9M and its global total to $74.9M through Sunday.
Another former No. 1, Paramount’s Jackass Forever, finished in fifth place in its third weekend with an estimated $5.24M over the three-day frame and $6.2M over the four-day, which would bring its total to $47.74M. That’s not far off from the first Jackass movie, which had $53.2M at the same point in its release (albeit at 2002 ticket prices). While it looks likely to finish its run as the lowest-grossing of the Jackass films, Forever is still an apparent win for Paramount given the film’s mild $10M budget.
Universal’s Marry Me dropped from third to sixth place in its second weekend with an estimated $3.68M over the three-day frame, down a substantial 54% from its debut, and an estimated $4.27M over the four-day. That would bring the Jennifer Lopez rom-com, which was made available day-and-date on the Peacock streaming platform, to $17.39M, putting it about 21% behind the star’s 2018 rom-com Second Act at the same point in its run. That film finished its domestic run with $39.28M, a total Marry Me looks more than likely to fall short of. That said, we have no way of knowing home many viewers watched the film on Peacock, making it difficult to engage in a direct comparison. Overseas, the film took in an estimated $5.2M from 67 territories, bringing its international tally to $19.13M and its worldwide total to $36.53M.
Sing 2 finished in seventh place with an estimated $2.84M over the three-day and $3.81M over the four-day in its ninth weekend, giving the leggy Universal/Illumination sequel $148.33M so far. Overseas, it grossed an estimated $10.33M from 66 markets for an international total of $184.72M and a global tally of $333.05M.
Eighth place went to Paramount’s Scream, which took in an estimated $1.96M over the three-day and $2.28M over the four-day in its sixth weekend for a total of $77.33M so far. Briarcliff’s Blacklight, which fell 49% to an estimated $1.77M three-day and $2.06M four-day in its second weekend, finished in ninth. Its total now stands at $7.36M.
The top 10 was rounded out by The Cursed, which came in with an estimated $1.72M over the three-day weekend and $1.95M over the four-day from 1,687 locations. The werewolf film, which drew fairly positive reviews for a horror pic, premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival under the title Eight for Silver.
SPECIALTY RELEASES
Oscars Best Picture nominee Licorice Pizza grossed an estimated $634k over the three-day and $767k over the four-day from 1,307 locations, down 670 locations from last weekend. The Paul Thomas Anderson comedy has $15.49M to date.
NEON’s The Worst Person in the World added over 200 locations in its third weekend and grossed an estimated $500k over the three-day frame and $594k over the four-day, bringing its domestic total to $1.2M.
Drive My Car, also a Best Picture nominee at the Oscars, added nearly 90 locations in its 13th weekend and took in an estimated $209k over the three-day frame and $248k over the four-day from 213 locations. That would bring the total for the Janus Films/Sideshow release to $1.57M.
Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates: February 18-20, 2022
Fresh off its Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, CODA will return to cinemas for one weekend only from Friday, February 25 to Sunday, February 27.
The film will screen three times a day at cinemas in select cities, free of charge. Audiences at a Los Angeles showing can also participate in a live Q&A with the cast and writer/director Siân Heder.
The comedy-drama follows teenager Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones), the only hearing member of an otherwise-deaf family in working class Massachusetts: father Frank (Kotsur), mother Jackie (Marlee Matlin), and brother Leo (Daniel Durant). During her senior year of high school, Ruby finds herself torn between wanting to leave college to study her true passion, music, versus staying in her hometown to remain as a translator for her family’s American Sign Language. “CODA” stands for “child of deaf adults.”
CODA was originally released in August primarily on Apple TV+, with only a token theatrical run maxing out at 101 theaters.
“Every so often, a film comes along that strikes a deep emotional chord for audiences who celebrate its win for humanity. CODA does just that,” Apple’s head of features Matt Dentler said in a press release. “Siân and the amazing cast and crew of CODA gave the world a gift with this film, and we are inspired to pass this gift on.”
