We’re 75% full this week, with Ryan Scott opting out. We spend the hour talking about If’s complicated $33.7 million domestic debut (remember G-Force?), whether we should be “happy” that The Strangers Chapter 1 opened with $12 million (if horror becomes as franchise-dependent as every other theatrical genre…), and whether anyone should be surprised at the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black earning less than $3 million for the weekend (I was there… in early 1992… when The Babe bombed). We also talk shop about what pre-release tracking is actually for (not ironclad predictions) and whether the PVOD revenue stream and the renewed interest in third-party licensing may make the bar for theatrical profitability lower, especially for non-franchise titles than it’s been over the last decade.
In terms of the written word…
Lisa Laman has penned a piece for Fangoria about how The Strangers went from a single-story, one-and-done slasher drama to a horror franchise.
Ryan Scott’s latest “Tales from the Box Office” charted the five-year anniversary of Godzilla as well as a number-cruncher on how many movies every American moviegoer, on average, would have to see per year to keep theaters relatively healthy. Spoiler, it’s less than you’d think.
Jeremy Fuster’s latest TheWrap Pro articles include an interview with USC’s Dr. Stacy L. Smith over how Hollywood’s current diversity/inclusivity take-backs are not in anyone’s best commercial interest.
As always, if you like what you’re hearing, do the usual thing of liking, sharing, commenting and *smashing* (using a cartoon mallet) that subscribe button with every justified ounce of strength and passion.
Jeremy Fuster - https://www.thewrap.com/author/jeremy-fuster/
Lisa Laman - https://lisalaman.wixstudio.io/lisaportfolio
Ryan C. Scott - https://www.slashfilm.com/author/ryanscott/
Ep 16: ‘If’ Doesn’t Whiff but the Amy Winehouse Biopic Fades ‘To Black'