1 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:10,879 Speaker 1: Welcome to another episode of Strictly Business, the podcast in 2 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: which we speak with some of the brightest minds working 3 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 1: in the media business today. I'm Andrew Wallenstein with Variety. 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 1: Let's go back to nineteen seventy eight, when a musical 5 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 1: set in a fictional American high school was all anyone 6 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: could talk about that summer thanks to that year's number 7 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: one movie, Grease, So. 8 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 2: Dad that sad. 9 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: Old folks like me may remember that song Summer Nights, 10 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: crooned by the star crossed lovers Sandy and Danny. It's 11 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 1: all about their seasonal flame that lasted right up until 12 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: the fall. Forty six years later. That song is not 13 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: unlike the question Hollywood is asking about a movie business 14 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: that has been surging since June. But will this surprisingly 15 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: hot and heavy romance between the audience and theaters make 16 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: it past this summer? To sort through this, I am 17 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: joined by my colleague at Variety Intelligence platform analyst Cory Erickson, 18 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: and Julie Sesnovich, an analyst at the data tracking firm Illuminate. 19 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: We'll be back in just a minute, and we are 20 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: back with Corey Erickson and Julie Sesnovich to talk about 21 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: the state of the box office. Thanks for joining me. 22 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 2: Guys. 23 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: Do you remember that song? Do you remember Grease? I 24 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 1: mean you guys are a lot younger than I am. 25 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 3: Oh, that is very much on my sing along playlist. 26 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 3: That is in the rotation. 27 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: But can you hit the high note, Corey at the 28 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: end there? Can you do what John Travolta did? 29 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 4: Believe I'm having technical difficulties with regard to that at 30 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 4: the moment. But again, next time. 31 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:27,959 Speaker 1: I could do it myself. I've got that falsetto. But 32 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 1: I think I'm gonna spare the audience on this one. 33 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: The box office, however, certainly hit a high note this summer. 34 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: And Corey, you're watching and writing about film trends year round, 35 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: as is Julie. But start for us and maybe lay 36 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: out some highlights of just what we've seen these past 37 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: few months from the box office. 38 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:52,359 Speaker 4: So yeah, the summer box office really had a lot 39 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 4: of heavy lifting to do after, you know, a late 40 00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 4: winter spring season that wasn't matching up all that well 41 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 4: to the same period last year. In fact, by the 42 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 4: time the first weekend of May came around, the domestic 43 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 4: box office was twenty one point six percent down from 44 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 4: the same time frame. A year ago. However, as you know, 45 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 4: we all saw a bunch of films really sort of 46 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 4: powered through the downturn and a more barren calendar to 47 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 4: really surprise, you know, much of the film going public. 48 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 4: This really first took off with Inside Out Too, which 49 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 4: hit theaters in the middle of June. Then of course 50 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 4: Deadpool and Wolverine came at the end of July, sort of, 51 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 4: you know, the last really big summer weekend and has 52 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 4: done tremendously well. 53 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: There's a bunch of big performing movies here, but this 54 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: was also like a real broad based success. We saw 55 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: a lot of different franchises overperform. Julie, was there anything 56 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: that stood out to you this summer for sure? 57 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 3: I mean, obviously you have. I mean I don't think 58 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 3: there was any known dimension in which dead Pool and 59 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 3: Wolverine would not make a ton of money. I think 60 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 3: for as oversaturated as Marvel can be, Like, this is 61 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 3: only the third Deadpool movie, and that's a character people 62 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 3: really respond to. Same with Inside Out. People really love 63 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 3: that movie. But you also see Kingdom of the Planet 64 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:16,840 Speaker 3: of the Apes being pretty strong, bad Boys, Rider Die 65 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 3: was pretty strong, Despicable in Me four, Quiet Place Day One. 66 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 3: These were all pretty strong, but I think there were 67 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 3: also some kind of more oddball, some outliers, like if 68 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 3: you look at It Ends with Us that came out 69 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 3: only a few weeks ago, it has already made more 70 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,599 Speaker 3: domestically than Furiosa made in its entire domestic run. 71 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 1: Mind boggling. 72 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 3: It's mind boggling. But at the same time, it isn't 73 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 3: that book is huge, that book is massively popular, and 74 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 3: when there are so many executives like smashing their heads 75 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 3: against the wall saying how do we make money in 76 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 3: this business? Like adapting popular books is can be a 77 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 3: pretty easy and low budget win. You also see Twisters, which, 78 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 3: for as much as people talk about it as IP, 79 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 3: I'm pretty sure the only thing it carries over from 80 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 3: the original film is the font. I mean, correct me 81 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 3: if I'm wrong. But that was a huge, huge hit, 82 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,919 Speaker 3: And in fact, they polled audiences who are interested in 83 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,039 Speaker 3: Twisters and said, like, what is the appeal of this 84 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 3: to you? Is it the stars? Is the IP the 85 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 3: number one answer? Tornado action, people want spectacle, people want 86 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 3: to go to the movies, and that that movie has 87 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,679 Speaker 3: already I think hit over two hundred and fifty million 88 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 3: domestic and then one that's really interesting to me is 89 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:30,600 Speaker 3: that the re release of Coraline, a fifteen year old 90 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 3: stop motion animated movie, made twenty four million dollars. That 91 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,559 Speaker 3: is more than some studio films this year. So I think, 92 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 3: you know, there's a lot of money to be had 93 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 3: in these like anniversary re releases, especially for specialty format 94 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 3: like the three D which has done so well in Coraline. 95 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 1: So it's not just about the biggest movies at the 96 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: box office. As I said, broad based success here. Yeah, 97 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: but my fear is people are listening to this and 98 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 1: be saying, like, well, duh, summer movie season, that's always 99 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: where the lion's share of the year's box office always 100 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: comes in. Of course it was successful. Well, I don't think, 101 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: given what we were talking about here that that was 102 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: a safe assumption in twenty twenty four. As Corey mentioned, 103 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,600 Speaker 1: number one, first half of this year, first four months, 104 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: I should say look disastrous. May in particular, number two, 105 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: which was the beginning of the summer crucial movies didn't 106 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 1: get off to a good start. And then three, I 107 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,799 Speaker 1: think what's even probably the most important thing to underline 108 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: is let's take a big step back on the big 109 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: picture part in the pun. The conventional wisdom coming out 110 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 1: of COVID and the strikes was that all this disruption 111 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,720 Speaker 1: was not only starving the twenty twenty four schedule of 112 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:45,719 Speaker 1: the best product that was shifted to twenty twenty five, 113 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: but that we were seeing the accelerating of a secular 114 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: decline for the theatrical business and that is far from 115 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: a new trend. And we saw some leading exhibitor stocks 116 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: performances underline those concerns. So that's what I'm trying to 117 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 1: get at today. What do we make of the movie 118 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: businesses summer surge and what does it say about the future? 119 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 1: Corey as you look to the fall, Julie indicated the 120 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: August month has actually delivered some good movies. Is that 121 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 1: really a period where we're used to seeing the kinds 122 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: of successes that we're seeing, because it almost feels like 123 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: August is like a separate period than the conventional movie summer. 124 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 4: I think to some degree, August has always been difficult 125 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 4: to predict. It did used to be conventional wisdom that August, 126 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 4: you know, was sort of the down summer month where 127 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:43,239 Speaker 4: studios sort of offloaded whatever films they really weren't sure 128 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 4: would do well in any part of the year, similar 129 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 4: to how some of the films that get dumped in 130 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 4: January and February have the same intention. However, a decade ago, 131 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 4: Guardians of the Galaxy, of course, kicked off August that 132 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 4: year and did tremendously well, and you know, passed into 133 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 4: doubt the notion that August movies, you know, couldn't do 134 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 4: well even if people were busy wrapping up their vacations 135 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 4: and so on. And yeah, it's really brought up. It 136 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 4: ends with us, was you know a rom compensation. It 137 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 4: really kicked the early half of the month into high 138 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 4: gear to a degree. It's already earned more than one 139 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 4: hundred million domestically, which was clearly better than some of 140 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 4: the misfires of the summer. But also too, you have 141 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 4: Alien Romulus, which came out in the middle of August. 142 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 4: It's not quite at the one hundred million market, but 143 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 4: it's another example of Disney's embrace of you know, the 144 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 4: assets it obtained from the deal with Fox five years ago, 145 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 4: to the point where it now has been able to 146 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 4: put to R rated movies together nearly back to back 147 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 4: on the summer schedule, Dead Blue, Wolvree and of course, 148 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 4: you know, has done much better than Alien Romulus, but 149 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 4: I think a movie like that following it shortly after 150 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 4: and getting close to the hundred million in mark is 151 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 4: in of you know what, you know, sort of a 152 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 4: new Disney slate can look like in the summer as 153 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,199 Speaker 4: it weighs, you know, its other assets beyond just the 154 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 4: highest performers. 155 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: And you've been noting the month by month comparisons of 156 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,679 Speaker 1: this year versus year ago. August is looking like it 157 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: actually may end up topping year ago, which I think 158 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: would be the just the second month this. 159 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:26,959 Speaker 4: Year that's happened nearly. Yes, it's just a little bit 160 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 4: under August from last year, but there are of course 161 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:34,439 Speaker 4: still a few days to go, and Friday and Saturday 162 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 4: will be the last two days of the month, so 163 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 4: there's a chance it could the month could end a 164 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 4: little bit better than a year ago. That difference wouldn't 165 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 4: be as dramatic as this March, which had both Dune 166 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 4: Part two and Ghostbusters Afterlife, which were of course films 167 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 4: that were meant to bow in twenty twenty three, but 168 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 4: were delayed by their respective distributors on account of the 169 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 4: dual strikes that were occurring. So so you know, if 170 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 4: you want to kind of compare how the summer could 171 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 4: have been or how the year could have been versus 172 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 4: what it is now, things could have conceivably been even 173 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 4: worse in the earlier part of the year if those 174 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 4: two films had stayed on track last year. 175 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,560 Speaker 1: And I think right now ye're to date. If last 176 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: year in the domestic box office made about nine billion, 177 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: where are we at right now percentage wise? 178 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:26,439 Speaker 3: I actually was just checking this earlier today. It's a 179 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 3: kind of neat data point where all told, we're at 180 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 3: two thirds of last year's box office and the year 181 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 3: is two thirds over, So things are looking pretty well, 182 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 3: and we still have a lot of blockbusters and big 183 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:39,679 Speaker 3: titles yet to come, as we will, I'm sure to 184 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 3: discuss further. 185 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: Yes, but I still don't want to leave the point 186 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: Julie that I, for one, and reading many people throughout 187 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: the year who are experts, given how grim the mood 188 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: was for most of the year, I'm shocked that summer 189 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,319 Speaker 1: performed as well as it did. What do you attribute 190 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: to and that too? And were you even surprised? 191 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 3: I mean, maybe this is the optimist in me, but 192 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,080 Speaker 3: I feel like I am never surprised when people go 193 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 3: see movies like that is fundamentally never a surprise to me. Again, 194 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 3: maybe this is disagree strongly you, Maybe this is like 195 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 3: the Pollyanna of it all, But I just think that, 196 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 3: like communal entertainment is tapping into something very primal that 197 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 3: humans have done since the dawn of civilization, whether it's 198 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 3: stories around a fire or gladiators, movies arguably are still 199 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 3: the most accessible and common and popular form, even if 200 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 3: it has taken a hit. So when people say, like, hey, 201 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 3: everyone wanted to go see the new Deadpool movie. Everyone 202 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 3: wanted to go see it ends with us. I'm always like, 203 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 3: of course they did. Movies are fun. Communal entertainment is fun. 204 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 3: I know, you know, I'm not naive. I know that 205 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,440 Speaker 3: the industry has had its share of adversity with the pandemic, 206 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 3: with the strikes. But at the end of the day, 207 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 3: I think fundamentally people want to see movies. I think 208 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 3: that is a truth that has never changed since movies 209 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 3: were invented. 210 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: I know. But if I may push back, I think 211 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: a little simplistic because I agree with you. On the 212 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: one hand, I have faith that the absolute top shelf 213 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: titles are going to perform great. And I'm not shocked 214 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 1: by Deadpool, and I'm not shocked by Inside Out. I'm shocked. 215 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: And this is where I say it's not so simplistic. 216 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: I'm shocked by just about everything else. I'm shocked that 217 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 1: so many franchises came back strong that were not sure things, 218 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: and as you yourself pointed out, all sorts of success 219 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: stories in the specialty world. Little movie called Thelma did 220 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 1: really nicely in the indie set. And so that's where 221 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 1: I deviate from your philosophy because it's like, I do 222 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:45,679 Speaker 1: think there is this communal primal thing of bringing people together, 223 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: but I take a dimmer view, and I think that 224 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 1: that communal primal need will be served fewer times through 225 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: a year as starved for great product as this, which 226 00:12:57,400 --> 00:12:59,199 Speaker 1: is again why I'm shocked. 227 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, I also so I think sometimes the total the 228 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 3: box office, the monetary value of the box office, can 229 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 3: confuse the issue. So I was curious about tickets sold. 230 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 3: So I was looking at some numbers on tickets sold. 231 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 3: And for most of the twenty tens, the number of 232 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:14,679 Speaker 3: movie tickets sold annually in the US was about one 233 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 3: point two to one point three billion. It varied a 234 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 3: little bit. In twenty twenty, it falls sharply to no 235 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 3: one's surprised to about two hundred million. But ever since 236 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 3: twenty twenty it's been creeping back up, up, up, up. 237 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 3: Fear it was eight hundred and thirty million. So obviously 238 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:32,960 Speaker 3: that's not one point two billion. It's a lot less. 239 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 3: And the answer is will it ever get back to that? 240 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 3: I don't know, but I feel like if there was 241 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 3: not again like this desire, it would not have crept 242 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 3: steadily back up every year since the pandemic, getting closer 243 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 3: and closer to that pre pandemic number. 244 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: Well, when you put that out there, though, I do 245 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: wonder whether you're touching on what could become a bigger issue, 246 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: which is clearly what's making up for this shortfall in 247 00:13:55,880 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 1: ticket volume is ticket price, and whether that that's going 248 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: to start to become a problem as especially if we 249 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 1: head into a more recessionary environment, even though film historically 250 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: has been very recession proof, whether when you're talking about 251 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:16,439 Speaker 1: eighteen nineteen dollars tickets, especially in these premium large formats 252 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 1: that are becoming a big driver of success. I mean, 253 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: what do you think, Corey is is there a looming 254 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: pricing issue. 255 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 4: Here, I'm not so sure. One sort of fun data 256 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 4: nerd hobby I like to do ahead of each box 257 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 4: office weekend is just go through you know, the top 258 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 4: exhibitors and look at seating charts for the show times 259 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 4: each weekend. And what I found is that even with 260 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 4: you know, the biggest high performing tent poles, when they 261 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 4: hit on a debut weekend, you'll look at the seating 262 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 4: charts for the iMac showings or the Dolby showings, and 263 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 4: those are you know, almost full to the brim. You know, 264 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 4: if you waited too long to get a ticket, you've 265 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 4: messed up because now you have to watch from the 266 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 4: front row. But then you take a look at the 267 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 4: normal showings and suddenly there are a lot more seats 268 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 4: that you know are blacked out and haven't been filled. 269 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 4: So I think the clear audience preference is the you know, 270 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:14,480 Speaker 4: they want the biggest screens, they want the clearest screens, 271 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 4: they want the theaters with the best seats, and that 272 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 4: does help drive up, you know, the ticket price per 273 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 4: and admission to help make up for the simple fact 274 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 4: that less people go to the movies these days on 275 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 4: account of you know, how much you can retrofit your 276 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 4: own home theater and the amount of services at play. 277 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 4: But regardless, I don't think there's been any kind of 278 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 4: drawback to large screen formats. You know, regardless of whatever 279 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 4: the anyone's individual economic situation is versus the collective economic situation, 280 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 4: people want to see the biggest films in the biggest 281 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 4: experience offered, and that to me is clearly the norm 282 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,360 Speaker 4: going forward. It's just a matter of which specific films 283 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 4: are being offered and the rate in which they're being offered. 284 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 4: You know, speaking to some of the box office discrepancies 285 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 4: throughout the summer at the high end and low end. 286 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 4: You know, one film that isn't really the kind of 287 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 4: movie made for the big IMAX experience, Neon's Long Legs. 288 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 4: That's still a film that ended up being their highest 289 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 4: grossing film ever in a summer that was otherwise, you know, 290 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 4: seeming like a very either or kind of thing. And 291 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 4: to Julie's point earlier about how it ends with us 292 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 4: beat Furiosa domestically, so did Long Legs by about five million, 293 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 4: which is crazy to think about. And you know, I'm 294 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 4: sure to long to Neon's favor, they were happy to 295 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 4: see that Long legs also did a few million better 296 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:43,360 Speaker 4: than a twenty four Civil War movie that you know 297 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 4: about in April, which was that distributor's attempt at more 298 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 4: of a bigger budget movie that you know could potentially 299 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 4: help spell out the picture for them, whether or not 300 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 4: they wanted to embrace some more kind of franchise, tentpole 301 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 4: oriented vision to what they do. 302 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: Well, poor Furyo. So we're beaten up pretty hard on this, 303 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,200 Speaker 1: but when we come back, we will turn the page 304 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: from summer to the fall and talk about the movies 305 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 1: to come at the end of the year. So stick 306 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 1: around and we are back with Corey Eriksson and Julie Sesnovich, 307 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: resident box office experts for this podcast, as we assess 308 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:31,120 Speaker 1: the state of the box office, which has come out 309 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: of the summer with its spark rekindled. And yet I wonder, 310 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 1: you know, I almost don't want to make too much 311 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:42,159 Speaker 1: of this because my fear is it could fade as 312 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: quickly as it rose. So what are we thinking as 313 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:49,919 Speaker 1: we look at these last four months of the year, Corey, 314 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: do we see indications that this momentum can continue? 315 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,159 Speaker 4: I think it certainly can continue to some of the 316 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 4: bigger tent poles. One point I do want to stress, 317 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:03,680 Speaker 4: you know, as much as we don't want your pessimism 318 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 4: anty to define the conversation is that even when looking 319 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 4: at how well the summer did, when you ultimately stack 320 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:17,199 Speaker 4: it up to the collective cumulative box office total for 321 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 4: twenty twenty four, it's still about eleven percent, or rather 322 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 4: about fifteen point four percent down from the same amount 323 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 4: of time last year. That doesn't mean the summer wasn't 324 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 4: a huge improvement. When you look at May through August 325 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 4: by themselves in twenty twenty four compared to last year, 326 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 4: the total number was only eleven point two percent down 327 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:43,640 Speaker 4: from last year versus over twenty percent at the start 328 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 4: of the summer for the you know, prior four months. 329 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:51,159 Speaker 4: So the summer did a tremendous amount of work getting 330 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 4: that number down. But what that means for the fall 331 00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 4: is that to match, you know, the little over nine 332 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 4: billion that twenty twenty three made the last four months 333 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:04,360 Speaker 4: of the year, are actually going to have to make 334 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 4: just about the same amount of box office that May 335 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 4: through August did. And that's something we've never really seen 336 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 4: happen in any box office year, you know, especially in 337 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:19,919 Speaker 4: the post COVID years, the summer months have accounted for, 338 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 4: you know, usually around between like forty three forty five 339 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 4: percent of the year's total box office, and you know, 340 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,360 Speaker 4: the fall isn't particularly close to that, So there is 341 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 4: still a lot of pressure on select ten poles scheduled 342 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:36,680 Speaker 4: for the fall to really help make up that difference. 343 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 4: But realistically speaking, the chances that it actually gets the 344 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 4: box office to the actual amount that twenty twenty three made, 345 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:45,360 Speaker 4: I'd say that's pretty slim. 346 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:48,359 Speaker 3: I will say, though, to be like the resident optimist again, 347 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 3: I do think twenty twenty three is kind of a 348 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:52,880 Speaker 3: weird year. I think it's kind of a weird year 349 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:56,119 Speaker 3: to compare to because it had because of the pandemic, 350 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 3: so many movies got bumped to twenty twenty three. It 351 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:00,880 Speaker 3: was kind of a huge bumper crop that all hit 352 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,160 Speaker 3: it once. So I think in some ways we may 353 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 3: be like making life harder for ourselves by comparing it 354 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,679 Speaker 3: to a year that had so many more titles that 355 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 3: were so anticipated. Obviously, that's how box office reporting works, 356 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 3: you compare it to the year before. But I do 357 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 3: just want to point that out because last year was 358 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:18,920 Speaker 3: kind of exceptional in that regard. 359 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 1: I thought you were going to say something to the 360 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: effect of a Barbenheimer's bump or a Barbenheimer's skew, because 361 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 1: what if those movies didn't succeed to the level. 362 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 3: That they did, What if they didn't succeed right? 363 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:32,200 Speaker 1: In other words, I think this would be a much 364 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:33,400 Speaker 1: more even comparison. 365 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 3: But yeah, I do think to your point, like, it's 366 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 3: interesting that use the example of Greece, because famously, in Greece, 367 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 3: the romance does last past the summer. I think that's 368 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:46,120 Speaker 3: kind of the whole point of Greece. So I am optimistic, 369 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 3: and I think, you know, even with the strikes, we 370 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 3: did kind of manage to pad out a pretty good 371 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 3: like last four months of the year. I think there's 372 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 3: a lot of things that could really lift the box 373 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 3: office up and get people excited. Like looking ahead to September, 374 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 3: I feel like Member always has one breakout hit that's 375 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:04,640 Speaker 3: kind of just like September is a weird month because 376 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 3: it's kind of where studios put movies that are either 377 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 3: on the rise or on the dip, like that they 378 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 3: overestimated or underestimated. It's kind of a no man's land. 379 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 3: But I really think Beetlejuice. Beetle Juice is gonna hit. 380 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,880 Speaker 3: It is tracking to at this point, it's tracking as 381 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 3: high as possibly one hundred million dollar opening, which is insane. 382 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 3: It premiered at Venice to Day. People love it. It 383 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:30,120 Speaker 3: has massive four quadrant appeal and if nothing else in September, 384 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:31,959 Speaker 3: I think that could really be something. 385 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:37,880 Speaker 1: Okay, by the way, Grease fact checking Tangent. Technically they 386 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: did break up at the end of the summer. In 387 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 1: a Summer Night's lyric they said, will still be friends. 388 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 1: So the relates broke up. 389 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 3: Okay, they got back together, and that's what matters. 390 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:53,960 Speaker 1: That love does truly conquer all. Okay, back on course, Corey, 391 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:59,400 Speaker 1: what are you thinking has high expectations for you at 392 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: the box off this in the coming months? 393 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:06,359 Speaker 4: Well, I think to me, the most obvious film that has, 394 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 4: you know, a chance to be a real sensation in 395 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:13,399 Speaker 4: the fall would be the long awaited Joker sequel, five 396 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 4: years after twenty nineteen's Joker became I believe, the first 397 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,400 Speaker 4: billion dollar R rated movie, if I'm remembering that correctly. 398 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 4: So this time Lady Gaga is joining the cast alongside 399 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 4: Woking Phoenix, so it's hard to see this film not 400 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:32,080 Speaker 4: you know, hit in a profound way for the October month, 401 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:37,639 Speaker 4: but also speaking to Julie's thoughts about Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, you know, 402 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 4: when you look at how a long overduced sequel like 403 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 4: Twisters did with very little relations to the first one, 404 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:48,119 Speaker 4: Beatle just Beetlejuice is you know, nearly all of the 405 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:51,159 Speaker 4: returning cast and the returning director, you know, plus some 406 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 4: additional help from General Ortega, whose Netflix show Wednesday is 407 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 4: of course very popular. That's a film that all signs 408 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 4: points to it being a hit, especially if a film 409 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:06,639 Speaker 4: like Twisters could you know, withstand the gap in between releases. 410 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,399 Speaker 4: And that also makes me curious about how the sequel 411 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 4: to Gladiator is going to do, since that also has 412 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 4: Ridley Scott returning to direct, not necessarily a returning cast, 413 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 4: but you know, for someone who is still around trying 414 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 4: to put you know, movies on the more expensive side together, 415 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 4: that's going to be an interesting one to watch, both 416 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 4: for how it does, you know, versus the original, but 417 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:31,680 Speaker 4: also too you know what that means for paramounts. Big Picture, 418 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 4: which has had not films that didn't hit their marks. 419 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 4: A quiet Place Day one was one of the smaller 420 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 4: highlights of the summer, but their slate in twenty twenty 421 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 4: four has particularly been on the smaller side. 422 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 1: So you've mentioned three movies in the fall worth keeping 423 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 1: an eye on. And the thing though I don't want 424 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:57,080 Speaker 1: to lose sight of, is there's a lot more. There's Malana, Mufasa. 425 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:01,480 Speaker 1: Those are big. Let's not underplay the success of kid 426 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:05,919 Speaker 1: friendly animation this year. That is a huge story in 427 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,000 Speaker 1: its own right, and so there's going to be some 428 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:11,879 Speaker 1: big pushes from those movies. And that's why, yes, I 429 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 1: agree with you on the math quary. It would be 430 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 1: quite something if the next four months managed to match 431 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:24,240 Speaker 1: what the summer months delivered. Yet I wouldn't be surprised 432 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:27,360 Speaker 1: if we actually got pretty damn close if these movies 433 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:31,560 Speaker 1: continue to overperform, because there is some pretty good amount 434 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,119 Speaker 1: of product left in the next four months. 435 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:36,440 Speaker 3: And yeah, I mean, just to do a lightning round. 436 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,840 Speaker 3: I mean you mentioned Mowana two and Mufasa. You also 437 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,400 Speaker 3: have a Sonic the Hedgehog sequel. There's a lot of sequels, obviously, 438 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 3: Venom the Last Dance. You have Smile Too, which was 439 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:46,400 Speaker 3: kind of a sleeper hit a couple of years ago, 440 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:48,360 Speaker 3: and I don't want to underplay that. On the same 441 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 3: day we have Gladiator Part two, we have Wicked Part one, 442 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:54,679 Speaker 3: or as people are calling it, glicked, is this new Barbenheimer? 443 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:57,479 Speaker 3: Nobody knows, but maybe. I mean those are both movies 444 00:24:57,800 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 3: that people are very aware of. They have a built 445 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 3: in fan base. You can wear a lot of fun 446 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:05,320 Speaker 3: outfits to the theater on your Glicked Day. I think 447 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 3: you know that could be something and not for nothing. 448 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,959 Speaker 3: It's the weekend before Thanksgiving, so people are kind of 449 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 3: like settling into the winter, but they haven't gone home 450 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,640 Speaker 3: to visit their family yet, so going out in big 451 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 3: groups of friends for a Glicked day. Who knows. 452 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 4: Speaking to the strength of animated films this year, Julie, 453 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 4: what do you make of the fact that December also 454 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 4: has an animated Lord of the Rings movie. 455 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 3: Coming out that I cannot figure that one out because 456 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 3: obviously Lord of the Rings is huge, It's hugely popular, 457 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:35,399 Speaker 3: but there hasn't been like a major Lord of the 458 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 3: Rings movie in twenty years. I don't know where the 459 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:40,960 Speaker 3: culture is at on it these days. I don't know 460 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 3: if the fact that it's animated is an additional incentive 461 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:47,440 Speaker 3: or less of an incentive and I'm hopefully mature enough 462 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:49,959 Speaker 3: to admit when I don't know, but that is that 463 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 3: is a question mark for me. But don't count it 464 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:52,679 Speaker 3: out either. You know. 465 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:57,880 Speaker 4: One thing that makes that another interesting on the calendar 466 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:00,399 Speaker 4: for me is that The Lord of the Ring The 467 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:04,160 Speaker 4: Rings of Power is of course back on Amazon Prime 468 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 4: this year. I think we're getting pretty close to the 469 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:09,720 Speaker 4: drop for that. So you know, it's one thing to 470 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:12,159 Speaker 4: look at how the typical temples do. But the thing 471 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 4: that's always on my mind it is, you know, our 472 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:19,080 Speaker 4: multimedia franchise is in a position where something doing really 473 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:22,760 Speaker 4: well in a TV medium or even sometimes a gaming medium, 474 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 4: can that translate back to the box office itself? You 475 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 4: know on the gaming front, of course, you brought up 476 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:32,640 Speaker 4: Sonic the Hedgehog three. That's one area that that's one 477 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 4: probably the one remaining film adaptation this year tied to 478 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:39,680 Speaker 4: gaming ip But I do think in this day and age, 479 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 4: it is worth considering how multimedia franchises, you know, help 480 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 4: boost the performance of one project in the medium versus 481 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:48,840 Speaker 4: the other. 482 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:52,160 Speaker 3: That's that's a great point. I think the best example 483 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:54,720 Speaker 3: we have so far of it is Marvel and Star Wars. 484 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:58,399 Speaker 3: I think they're building out these interconnected franchises of film 485 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 3: and TV, and I think what you've started to see 486 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 3: with that, unfortunately, is a bit of fatigue. Now there's 487 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:05,600 Speaker 3: not as much Lord of the Ring saturation as there 488 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 3: is Star Wars or Marvel saturation, so it's not a 489 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,399 Speaker 3: perfect comparison, but I think they can boost each other up, 490 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:14,119 Speaker 3: or maybe people can just get burnt out on it, 491 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:15,359 Speaker 3: so it can kind of go either way. 492 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,880 Speaker 1: Well, what's also interesting to note is that we haven't 493 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:21,919 Speaker 1: even touched on the fact that twenty twenty five was 494 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 1: supposed to be the conventional wisdom was that's when the 495 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:31,040 Speaker 1: box office renaissance will begin. All this sort of delayed products, 496 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: some great titles have all been pushed to that year, 497 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:38,360 Speaker 1: So twenty twenty four doesn't really matter. It's kind of transitional, 498 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:41,679 Speaker 1: and I think we've seen we've given the lie to that. 499 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: But how are we feeling now about twenty twenty five. 500 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 1: Does that mean, you know, has the renaissance just begun 501 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:52,159 Speaker 1: early or might we see the renaissance really crank up 502 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 1: to a whole new level in twenty five. 503 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:58,399 Speaker 4: I think twenty twenty five, by virtue of just the 504 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 4: sheer amount of films I'm looking at on these respective 505 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:05,879 Speaker 4: studio slates has a decent shot to improve on the 506 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 4: areas in which you know twenty twenty four fell under, 507 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:11,199 Speaker 4: because again, you know, there is a clear volume issue 508 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:16,719 Speaker 4: between two years. I think Universal especially, I see a 509 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:20,400 Speaker 4: whopping seventeen films currently scheduled, you know, for their main slate, 510 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 4: because of course they have films that release through focused 511 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:26,800 Speaker 4: features as well. And then Disney has, you know, whereas 512 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 4: this year was sort of you know, a down year 513 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:32,120 Speaker 4: for Marvel in terms of the number of films being released, 514 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 4: that all changes next year. You know, this Disney slate 515 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:38,520 Speaker 4: in twenty twenty five kicks off with Captain America Brave 516 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 4: New World in February, then there's a Thunderbolts movie in May. 517 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 4: Then you know, Fantastic Four returns with the new cast 518 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 4: in July, and then you also have Blade, which is 519 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:50,400 Speaker 4: still sin November. 520 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 3: I Blade, I don't think they're going to make that 521 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 3: because they haven't shot it yet and they are between 522 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 3: directors at the moment, so I would not count on Blade. 523 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 3: But that you're right, that is still three Marvel titles. 524 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:02,720 Speaker 4: Your point, and of course too, it's not all just 525 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 4: about Marvel in twenty twenty five as well. They have 526 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:11,040 Speaker 4: a live action snow White that's coming in March. There's 527 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 4: more on the Pixar front. Even in August and September 528 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 4: there are slots that no titles for a film exist, 529 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 4: but these are probably going to be devoted to titles 530 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 4: from the twentieth century side of things. So yeah, Disney 531 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 4: is going to have a busier slate next year than 532 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 4: this year, even as much as a film like Deadpool 533 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 4: and Wolverine, as well as Inside Out to you know, 534 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 4: overperformed to make up for the lack of films on 535 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 4: the slate. 536 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 3: And also next year Disney has an Avatar, which is 537 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 3: right right counted. 538 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: We should also step back here and point out the 539 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:48,600 Speaker 1: fact that, you know, just as I was saying, you know, 540 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:53,560 Speaker 1: the family friendly animation was a big story this year 541 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:57,320 Speaker 1: in film, Disney in it of itself was a big 542 00:29:57,360 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 1: story this year in the sense access was a true 543 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 1: comeback because this studio, mighty, as it has been dominant, 544 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 1: as it has been for so long, looked like it 545 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: had lost a step for a year or two, but 546 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 1: now it seems back on track. Contrast Warner Brothers, where 547 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:23,000 Speaker 1: I think there are some bigger problems that Horizon Kevin 548 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 1: Cosner film. I think it was just one of a 549 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 1: number of headaches they dealt with this year. Lionsgate had 550 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:33,760 Speaker 1: some headaches, so not success for everyone, but Disney seemed 551 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 1: to really rise head and shoulders above the rest. 552 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 4: I'd say so to speak a little bit more positively 553 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 4: to Warner Brothers, you know, speaking to the notion that 554 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:46,600 Speaker 4: twenty twenty five could be the year where things feel 555 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:49,280 Speaker 4: about as normal as they were before the pandemic. An 556 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:52,760 Speaker 4: interesting thing to note to Warner Brothers, especially with respect 557 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:57,120 Speaker 4: to how they lost a director like Christopher Nolan after 558 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 4: the strategy to put all of their films on HBO 559 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 4: Max in twenty twenty one, is when you look at 560 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 4: Warner Brothers twenty twenty five slate, they've won quite a 561 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:09,240 Speaker 4: few directors back. They have the next films from Bonk 562 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 4: June Hoe, who did Parasite. They have the next Ryan 563 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:15,920 Speaker 4: Coogler film. You know, he's obviously most known for his 564 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 4: work on Black Panther, but is still you know, an 565 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 4: al tour director in his own right doing his own 566 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 4: projects as well. You have the next Paul Thomas Anderson film. 567 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 4: And even though they missed out on getting the next 568 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:33,760 Speaker 4: the Batman sequel with Robert Padson, to stay on track 569 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:37,760 Speaker 4: for twenty twenty five. They also have the first Superman 570 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:41,800 Speaker 4: film under you know, the guidance of James Gunn dropping 571 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 4: in July. You know, that's the first film to be 572 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:50,120 Speaker 4: fully developed within the new DC structure under Warner Brothers Discovery. 573 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 4: So they could have a pretty strong year too. 574 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 3: And to your point about Disney, I would add like 575 00:31:56,120 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 3: Disney has a very like locked in strategy. Their mainline Disney, 576 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 3: they produce you know, live action tentpoles. They do Marvel, 577 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,640 Speaker 3: they do Star Wars, and they do animated. Then they 578 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 3: have you know, they own Fox Now, they have Fox 579 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 3: doing some more adult oriented kind of tent poles, and 580 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 3: then they have Fox Searchlight or just search Light now 581 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:21,600 Speaker 3: doing kind of the Arthouse Fair. That's what they've been 582 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 3: doing for years now. It's completely like locked in. And 583 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 3: even if some of the films don't hit as well, 584 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 3: that is their strategy. You look to Warner Brothers to 585 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 3: Universal the further way you go from that, No other 586 00:32:32,360 --> 00:32:36,840 Speaker 3: studio is locked into a strategy to that extent. I 587 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 3: think their other studios it's a bit more kind of 588 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:43,720 Speaker 3: like evolving, reacting to the marketplace. So Disney, for better 589 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 3: or worse, they got their stick. They do what they do, 590 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 3: so I think other studios it's always kind of an 591 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 3: evolving process. 592 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:56,120 Speaker 4: Even with those Superstar Temple franchises at Disney, they're still 593 00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:58,400 Speaker 4: able to dip into the well and bring a lot 594 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 4: of nearly for god franchises back to the fold. Another 595 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,160 Speaker 4: twenty twenty five highlight we didn't even touch on is 596 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:07,560 Speaker 4: they're bringing back Trot. There's a movie called tron Aris 597 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 4: lated for October. So even as they're you know, returning 598 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:14,080 Speaker 4: to a lot of their core strengths in the Temples 599 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 4: we're used to seeing from them, they're still dipping into 600 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 4: the well to bring things back too. 601 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 1: Well, it sounds like twenty twenty five, whether you're at 602 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:24,520 Speaker 1: Disney or wherever, is going to be a real embarrassment 603 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 1: of riches. Maybe a ten million dollar domestic year if 604 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: all goes right. And so far things are looking pretty good. 605 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:39,080 Speaker 1: Corey Julie really appreciate you joining me for your insights today. 606 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: Thanks again, Thanks. 607 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:41,720 Speaker 4: So much, Andy, Thank you. 608 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:48,120 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening. Be sure to leave us a review 609 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:51,880 Speaker 2: at Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. We love to hear 610 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:55,040 Speaker 2: from listeners. Please go to Variety dot com and sign 611 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 2: up for the free weekly Strictly Business newsletter, and don't 612 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 2: forget to to in next week for another episode of 613 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:03,680 Speaker 2: Strictly Business 614 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 4: MHM.