Boxoffice Podcast

Latest Episodes:

F9 Breaks Pandemic Records with $70M Domestic Debut Jul 01, 2021

Show notes

In this week’s episode of The Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Russ Fischer, Rebecca Pahle, and Shawn Robbins talk about the box office success of F9 on its domestic debut as well as predictions on two more Universal titles to debut next weekend—one getting theatrical exclusivity one going day-and-date.

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Episode Resources:

CinemaCon 2021

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
01:29 Dune is rescheduled to debut on October 22
03:21 Domestic box office hits $1B sales for 2021
05:05 F9 opens at $70M gross in 4179 locations
09:51 We still cannot rush how people are quickly coming back to the cinemas
16:26 A Quiet Place Part 2 drops 32% in its 5th weekend
18:19 Universal is putting out 3 movies within a 2-weekend timeframe
20:48 Predictions for The Forever Purge

UKCA's Phil Clapp on the Second Return of UK Movie Theaters Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

In this week’s episode of The Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Russ Fischer, Daniel Loria, and Rebecca Pahle talk about the top five box office titles of this past weekend, with The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard topping the charts in its first weekend of release. Updates on Arclight/Pacific’s closure is followed by the episode’s main feature: a conversation between Loria and UNIC and UKCA’s Phil Clapp on the status of U.K. cinemas as they emerge from their second round of closures.

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Episode Resources:

CinemaCon 2021

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
01:36 The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard opens at 11.6M weekend gross
03:54 Pacific Theaters filed for Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy code
07:13 The Beatles: Get Back will debut as a 3-part series on Disney Plus
08:52 Hotel Transylvania: Transformania is moved to debut on October 1st
11:20 UK cinemas were able to reopen mid-May
13:27 Safeguarding and welcoming of audiences were properly handled
16:44 There’s a form of general business support from the government
21:03 The movie industry is huge ecosystem that includes hourly-wage earners
23:42 Social distancing and 50% capacity limits are still being implemented
28:42 Ensuring that the foundations are in place and continuously helping small theaters
31:52 CinemaCon registration is open!

What Went Wrong with In the Heights? Jun 17, 2021

Show notes

In this week’s episode of The Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Russ Fischer, Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Shawn Robbins talk about the disappointing opening weekend for In the Heights, Peter Rabbit 2 not pulling in as many family moviegoers as expected, and lessons learned from the first half of 2021.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
01:35 A Quiet Place Part II crosses $100M mark
02:44 In the Heights’ disappointing opening weekend
07:48 With a title with a diverse cast, there was a struggle with promotion
11:24 Female audience over 30-35 remains the most cautious in going back to the cinemas
15:45 The staying power for family films didn’t help Peter Rabbit 2
18:43 How does a shorter window or lack of exclusivity impact the word of mouth?
22:43 How long will it take for moviegoers to fully come back?
24:40 Recovery of the cinema is directly tied to vaccination efforts
26:27 Even when the US market recovers, it may not mean the same for the international market
28:44 LA theaters are doing well selling tickets
29:54 Which titles will become niche performers?

INDIE FOCUS with Gateway Film Center's Chris Hamel, Presented by Spotlight Cinema Networks Jun 10, 2021

Show notes

In this week’s episode of The Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria and Rebecca Pahle discuss this week’s box office numbers with The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It taking the top spot as A Quiet Place Part II dropped to second place. A trio of family titles round out the top five movies in the domestic market, potentially setting the stage for a strong debut for Sony’s Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.

Chris Hamel, president of the Gateway Film Center in Columbus, Ohio joins the podcast in the debut edition of our new monthly segment, Indie Focus, presented by Spotlight Cinema Networks. Chris discusses the internal and external challenges of operating an independent theater during the pandemic and shares his optimism on an eventual recovery for the movie theater industry.

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Episode Resources:

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
01:26 It was a battle of the horror sequels in the box office weekend
06:02 Cruella drops on its second week, Untamed joins top 5 films
11:36 The Gateway Film Center is focused on artists and filmmakers
13:21 Earned the trust of legacy art leaders and built meaningful relationships
15:14 Gateway hosts events and serves as a venue for film festivals and screenings
17:49 Understanding the proper health measures required to be a responsible exhibitor
20:31 Concession offered were limited based on safety protocols
25:12 The curatorial aspect is forming a trust and bond with the audience
29:10 Appealing to national brands while maintaining good relationships with local venues

With A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella, Memorial Day Marks a Turning Point for An Industry Recovering from Covid Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

In this week’s episode of The Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Russ Fischer, Rebecca Pahle, and Shawn Robbins discuss how Memorial Day box office marks a turning point for domestic exhibition, the implications of Amazon purchasing MGM, and the steep second week drop of F9 in China.

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Episode Resources:

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
02:30 Amazon purchases MGM for $8.45 billion dollars
07:40 The theatrical release predictions for No Time to Die and future Bond movies
09:25 Boss Baby: Family Business will open on July 2 as day-and-date
15:30 Expectations for A Quiet Place Part II opening on limited seating capacity still
16:51 Progressive box office openings with several titles lined up for release
19:15 F9 drops to 85% on its 2nd week in the Chinese theaters
23:05 Cruella’s box office debut
25:33 Disney’s attempt to re-invent old movies

F9 Opens Big Overseas & A Conversation with Distribution Veteran Bob Berney May 27, 2021

Show notes

In this week’s episode of The Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria and Rebecca Pahle discuss promising signs at the overseas box office—including a great reopening weekend in the UK and the first $100 million-plus of the pandemic with F9’s debut in China.

In the feature segment, distribution veteran Bob Berney, CEO of Picturehouse and the former head of marketing and distribution at Amazon Studios, joins Daniel to talk about the current state of theatrical distribution. Berney shares his insights on the current volatility in the market as streaming companies make a play for big movies and major franchises at the multiplex, while specialty players learn to adapt to a market without the influence of the film festival circuit.

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Episode Resources:

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
01:07 The UK market reopens
04:44 F9 opens big in China
07:51 The long-term impact of shortened theatrical exclusivity window
10:58 F9’s performance in other overseas markets
13:31 High stakes for the domestic market over Memorial Day weekend
18:25 Seeing where we are at with recovery efforts
20:42 Picturehouse CEO Bob Berney
27:14 The role of new films in the recovery effort from the pandemic
31:06 Independent films need word of mouth
34:54 The missing piece that will connect indie films to audiences
41:26 Metrics of success for streaming platforms
42:36 Survival of the theatrical experience with renewed competition from streamers

Mega Media Mergers Abound as Movie Theaters Welcome Back Audiences May 20, 2021

Show notes

In this week’s episode of The Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Shawn Robbins talk about potential mega mergers among media conglomerates—and why it’s too early to discern their potential impact on the entertainment industry. The hosts also delve into the box office potential of Disney’s Jungle Cruise and Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II as the long-term future of the theatrical exclusivity window comes into focus.

In the feature segment, we share highlights from the Boxoffice Live Sessions webinar with the organizers of Cinema Week, a campaign designed to engage audiences with the moviegoing experience running from June 22-27.

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Episode Resources:

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
01:20 WarnerMedia spinning off of AT&T
06:04 Speculation about MGM to be acquired by a steaming platform
08:40 Cineworld has signed deals with Universal and Disney
09:56 Free Guy and Shang-Chi going under a 45-day window, Jungle Cruise going day-and-date
13:30 Does Jungle Cruise have the potential to become a franchise?
15:24 Disney on franchising movies and shows
16:25 Opening weekend for Spiral
22:20 Cinema Week: a six-day event designed to re-engage moviegoers
23:39 Brandon Jones (FilmFrog Marketing) on Cinema Week
26:09 Attend the next live webinar on May 25th, 9am PST
26:40 Melissa Boudreau on what exhibitors do to re-engage moviegoers
28:50 Exhibitors need to rethink their marketing approach
29:20 Rich Daughtridge on exhibitors to get creative with community engagement and brand promotion

Netflix Arrives at the Multiplex and an Inside Look at Demon Slayer’s Success May 13, 2021

Show notes

In this week’s episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria and Rebecca Pahle discuss a few key points from AMC’s recent earnings call, Zack Synder’s Army of the Dead landing a week-long exclusive theatrical run before it’s Netflix debut, and Cinemark signing an agreement with major studios.

In the main segment, Mitchel Berger, Senior Vice President, Global Commerce at Funimation talks about the rise of anime popularity not just in North America but across other territories and how this new wave of culture has helped in the theatrical recovery efforts.

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Episode Resources:

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
02:08 Insights on AMC’s earnings call
04:00 Snyder’s Army of the Dead’s week-long exclusive theatrical run before Netflix debut
07:58 Cinemark signed an agreement with Universal, Warner Bros., Disney, Paramount, and Sony to distribute titles
10:47 AMC, Cinemark, and Marcus: vaccines is the strong factor for recovery efforts
12:17 Wrath of Man opens at $8.1M gross
16:20 Demon Slayer stays at the 2nd place on its third box office week
18:22 Funimation relies on a deeply connected anime fan base
21:28 Streaming services allowed exponential growth of new anime fans
23:34 Demon Slayer continues to bring in moviegoers in different territories
26:38 The future role of anime might have in the box office

Marvel Ramps Up Its Marketing and the Future of Private Cinema Rentals May 06, 2021

Show notes

In this week’s episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Russ Fischer, Daniel Loria, and Rebecca Pahle talk about the latest updates on Demon Slayer’s second week and title changes on some big films. In the main segment, the group shares some of the very interesting insights from exhibition representatives during the Boxoffice Barometer live session.

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Episode Resources:

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:56 Demon Slayer continues to top box office despite a drop in its second week
03:28 Black Widow is set to open on July 9
04:14 Marvel’s video campaign on visiting movie theaters again
08:38 French cinemas to open at 35% capacity
09:48 The future of private cinema rentals
11:44 The Boxoffice Barometer concept
13:42 Barometer winners for each individual category
14:56 Feature article topics for the next Boxoffice Pro magazine issue
15:58 Tony Adamson on private cinema rental micro cinema trend
18:40 Micro-cinemas remains essential for independent and mid-sized theaters
19:38 Santikos Entertainment has been offering private screenings
21:57 Should exhibitors consider remodeling to cater to more private screenings?
23:30 Marcus Theaters are pushing for private rentals
26:02 Cinépolis USA on post COVID scenario for private rentals
28:45 Private cinema rentals have become pricier
30:19 B&B Theatres: People will still go for private rentals even at a higher rate
33:22 Have you tried the private rental viewing?

Oscars Recap, Mortal Kombat and Demon Slayer Open Big, and the Future of Anime at the Box Office Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

In this week’s episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Shawn Robbins share their impressions of this year’s Academy Awards: a great shout-out in the pre-show but were movie theaters snubbed during the main broadcast? The panel also also looks at a record weekend at the pandemic box office with the debuts of Mortal Kombat and Demon Slayer. Mortal Kombat delivered the highest opening weekend for an R-rated movie during the pandemic and Demon Slayer emerged as a surprise crossover hit at the box office. What does Demon Slayer’s success tell us about the future potential of anime titles at the box office?

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Episode Resources:

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
02:45 Sony announces additional release date changes
04:15 Cinema Week
06.20 Oscars Recap
07:45 The Big Screen is Back and a Successful Pre-Show
09:15 Were Movie Theaters Snubbed During the Main Broadcast?
14:00 Trailer Releases During the Oscars
16:30 Weekend Box Office Analysis
17:00 Mortal Kombat Tops the Box Office
18:00 Demon Slayers Surprises at the Box Office
19.40: Can the Market Build on this Momentum?
21:00 The Future Potential of Anime at the Box Office
23.10: Anime Breaking Through to the Mainstream
24.15 What’s Your Favorite Anime Title?

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