{"id":150284,"date":"2022-12-07T01:26:07","date_gmt":"2022-12-07T01:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/will-movies-other-than-avatar-2-succeed-at-holiday-box-office\/"},"modified":"2022-12-07T01:26:07","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T01:26:07","slug":"will-movies-other-than-avatar-2-succeed-at-holiday-box-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/will-movies-other-than-avatar-2-succeed-at-holiday-box-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Movies Other Than ‘Avatar 2’ Succeed at Holiday Box Office?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\tLet’s get one thing out of the way: \u201cAvatar: The Way of Water,\u201d a sequel to the highest-grossing movie in history, is poised to be another box office smash for director James Cameron and Disney, which now owns the rights to Pandora and its inhabitants. The follow-up, which opens in theaters on Dec. 16, looks to collect a mighty $150 million to $175 million in its first weekend of release. <\/p>\n

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\tFor beleaguered movie theaters, the decades-in-the-making film can’t come soon enough. \u201cIt’s a very important movie,\u201d says Brock Bagby, executive VP of B&B Theaters, a family-owned circuit based in Missouri. \u201cWe’re hopeful it works.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tBut the Na’vi, as powerful and resilient as they may be, can’t prop up the movie theater business alone. Will any movies other than \u201cAvatar 2\u201d manage to succeed at the box office over the crucial holiday season?<\/p>\n

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\tAfter a dire Thanksgiving \u2014 one of the worst in modern history \u2014 cinema operators may be rightfully wary about foot traffic through the rest of the year. With films targeted to adults struggling, they are pinning their holiday hopes on movies with broad appeal, including \u201cPuss in Boots: The Last Wish,\u201d a sequel in the \u201cShrek\u201d universe.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cI was just asking myself, ‘What am I going to play at Christmas besides \u201cPuss in Boots’ and ‘Avatar’?\u201d asks Mark O’Meara, who runs Cinema Arts Theaters and University Mall Theaters in Virginia. \u201cI’m going to live and die by ‘Puss in Boots’\u2026There are a couple of saving graces, but not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tJeff Logan, owner of South Dakota-based Logan Luxury Theaters, is similarly concerned about the pipeline. \u201cUsually at Christmas, we have a limited number of screens, and we have to pick and choose which movie to go with,\u201d he says. \u201cThis year, we weren’t faced with that problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tAnd that’s an issue because multiplexes need momentum to keep people coming back. \u201cOne or two pictures can’t keep a theater open,\u201d Logan adds. \u201cWe need a flow of product.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tIt’s not lingering COVID fears that’s causing the slowdown in attendance. After all, summer was unexpectedly strong as \u201cTop Gun: Maverick,\u201d \u201cMinions: The Rise of Gru\u201d and \u201cDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness\u201d were propelled to blockbuster status. But the next few months were desolate, sparking fears that felt uncomfortably similar to peak pandemic times when theaters were completely closed and unable to bring in business.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cSummer was a shot in the arm, but this was a disastrous September,\u201d Logan says. \u201cA lot of profits were eaten up.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tIn terms of newer winter offerings, Universal’s Santa Claus thriller \u201cViolent Night,\u201d starring David Harbor, could benefit from word-of-mouth after slightly surpassing expectations with $13 million. Meanwhile, A24 hopes the renaissance of Brendan Fraser is alive and well as \u201cThe Whale\u201d debuts in limited release this weekend, along with \u201cEmpire of Light,\u201d a Searchlight drama from filmmaker Sam Mendes and star Olivia Colman. <\/p>\n

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\tWill these films buck the trend of underperforming awards season hopefuls or will older moviegoers remain selective about what’s worth the price of admission these days?<\/p>\n

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\tThe \u201cPuss in Boots\u201d sequel will kick off the Christmas season in earnest on Dec. 21, leaving director Damien Chazelle’s showbiz epic \u201cBabylon\u201d and Sony’s Whitney Houston biopic \u201cI Wanna Dance With Somebody\u201d to close out the year.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201c’Babylon’ looks very good,\u201d says Logan, who expects similar grosses to \u201cOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood.\u201d But he recognizes a lot has changed at the movies since Quentin Tarantino’s ode to showbiz opened in 2019. \u201cI don’t know if the average Joe cares about decadence in Hollywood, and the 1920s is a tough decade to sell to today’s audiences. It was so long ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tThe calendar is emptier than many had hoped because the rest of Hollywood wanted to steer clear of \u201cAvatar: The Way of Water,\u201d which is likely to dominate well into 2023. Even with 38% fewer new releases compared to pre-pandemic times, though, movie theater owners feel there’s no choice but to stay optimistic. <\/p>\n

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\t\u201cDo we wish there was more product? Absolutely,\u201d Bagby says. \u201cBut 2023 is even more loaded up. By 2024, we think it’ll be back to normal.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n