Behind the Screens

We have a special episode for our listeners, with a panel recorded live from VistaCon26: Illuminating the future of cinema: connection, experience, and innovation.

When entertainment is just a click away, how do cinemas reclaim their role as cultural hubs? This panel explores the future of cinemagoing in a world where convenience often trumps experience. How do exhibitors make cinema a regular habit again? Can theatres evolve beyond seats, screens and sound to become vibrant gathering spaces that foster community connection and wellbeing?

Global experts in technology, guest experience, cinema, and related industries composed our digital panel:

Justin Honaman

Global Head, Worldwide Retail, Restaurants & Consumer Goods GTM, Amazon

Sheila Liming

Associate Professor at Champlain College and author of Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time

Stephen Follows

Film data Researcher, Author, Educator, Producer and Founder and Head of Innovation for Catsnake: The Story Agency

Theresa English

Principal at TK Architects

Between holdovers of GOAT and Wuthering Heights and a number of new releases, our hosts have a lot to cover this week. Join us Behind the Screens to see how I Can Only Imagine 2, How To Make A Killing, and EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert impacted the box office this week, as well as a new preview of Scream 7 pre-sales.

Topics and times:

• Box office overview: Goat, Wuthering Heights, I Can Only Imagine 2 - 1:01
• I Can Only Imagine 2 audience analysis - 1:49
• How To Make A Killing box office - 3:30
• How To Make a Killing audience analysis - 4:12
• EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert box office, audience, and marketing recommendations - 5:23
• Scream 7 pre-sales box office tracking - 9:00
• Scream 7 pre-sales audience - 10:20
• Next week - 12:53

Find us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/vista-group-limited/, and follow lifeatvistagroup on Instagram

After a week off for VistaCon26, our Behind the Screens hosts are back with a packed episode of insights, covering the past weekend performance with Wuthering Heights, Goat, and Crime 101, before we take a look over the horizon to see how Scream 7 is shaping up both in the box office and audiences.

Topics and times:

• VistaCon26 - 0:15
• Box office weekend overview - 2:00
• Wuthering Heights audience analysis - 2:50
• Wuthering Heights box office and implications - 6:22
• Goat box office overview - 7:50
• Goat audience analysis - 9:48
• Crime 101 box office and audience - 11:32
• Pre-sales tracking and audience for Scream 7 - 14:33

Find us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/vista-group-limited/, and follow lifeatvistagroup on Instagram

A range of new titles hit the big screen this weekend with impressive results. Matthew and Simon take us through the box office, audience analysis, and marketing opportunities for Send Help, Iron Lung from Markiplier, and more on this packed episode of Behind the Screens.

Topics and times:

• Weekend box office overview - 0:40
• Send Help international box office results - 2:16
• Send Help audience analysis - 3:09
• Iron Lung international box office results - 4:48
• Iron Lung audience analysis - 5:48
• Melania box office and reception - 7:43
• Melania audience analysis - 8:46
• The Strangers: Chapter 3 pre-sales and audiences - 10:12
• Solo Mio and marketing opportunities - 12:11
• Next week - 14:46

Find us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/vista-group-limited/, and follow lifeatvistagroup on Instagram

Chris Pratt returned to the big screen with Mercy this past weekend. While the box office was quietened in the US due to storms, Matthew and Simon have a lot of pre-sales data to dig into between upcoming titles Iron Lung, Send Help, and Shelter this week Behind the Screens.

Topics and times:

• Winter storm impact on the US box office - 0:30
• Weekend box office results - 1:34
• Mercy audience analysis - 2:54
• Next week; Iron Lung, Send Help, Shelter - 6:36
• Iron Lung pre-sales performance and promotion - 7:13
• Iron Lung pre-sales audience comparisons and marketing impact - 7:58
• Send Help pre-sales tracking - 11:57
• Send Help pre-sales audience comparisons - 12:51
• Shelter pre-sales audience - 14:27
• Next week - 16:00

Find us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/vista-group-limited/, and follow lifeatvistagroup on Instagram

With 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple underperforming at the box office this week, Matthew and Simon are digging into the audiences and comparisons to the previous instalment to find out why, and what opportunities marketers may have to boost the title's performance. Mercy pre-sales give us a look ahead to Chris Pratt's next big screen outing here on Behind the Screens.

Topics and times:

• Netflix news from the trades - 0:26
• Small-screen plotting and the erosion of attention - 2:37
• Weekend box office overview - 4:57
• 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple international box office breakdown - 6:34
• 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple marketing and reception - 7:26
• 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple audience analysis and marketing opportunities - 8:45
• Mercy pre-sales comparisons and impressions - 12:14
• Mercy pre-sales audience - 13:09
• Next week - 14:45

Find us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/vista-group-limited/, and follow lifeatvistagroup on Instagram

Two new titles hit the big screen this weekend. With Primate and Greenland 2: Migration in the open, our hosts are analysing the box office, audiences, and marketing opportunities for both movies. Join us Behind the Screens for the latest insights from this past weekend, as well as pre-sales previews to see how 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is shaping up.

Topics and times:

• Anaconda 2 and The Housemaid impressions - 1:00
• Box office overview - 3:24
• Primate audience analysis - 4:27
• Primate marketing opportunities - 6:55
• Greenland 2: Migration box office and audience - 7:50
• Pre-sales for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple - 10:42
• Next week - 12:38

Find us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/vista-group-limited/, and follow lifeatvistagroup on Instagram

A new year means a brand new season of Behind the Screens, starting off with the final box office look across the year for 2025. Avatar: Fire and Ash continues to make that holiday period shine, and we dig into the pre-sales tracking and audiences for upcoming titles Primate and Greenland 2: Migration. Join us Behind the Screens for an exciting new year of insights.

Topics and times:

• Holiday season box office and 2025 overview - 0:42
• The opportunities in cinema in 2026 - 2:25
• Box office updates: Avatar Fire and Ash - 4:51
• Box office updates: Zootopia 2 - 5:45
• Box office updates: The Housemaid, Marty Supreme, Anaconda 2 - 6:22
• Primate pre-sales comparisons and tracking - 7:34
• Primate pre-sales audience analysis - 8:53
• Greenland 2: Migration pre-sales comparisons and audiences - 10:14
• Next week - 12:38

Find us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/vista-group-limited/, and follow lifeatvistagroup on Instagram

At the end of the season for this year's Behind the Screens, we're looking to the big weekend to come, with pre-sales and audience analysis for Avatar: Fire and Ash. Join us to find out how Fire and Ash compares to The Way of Water and what opportunities its audience may offer.

Topics and times:

• Box office roundup - 0:58
• Avatar: Fire and Ash pre-sales tracking and upcoming titles - 3:15
• Avatar: Fire and Ash pre-release audience analysis - 4:34
• Tone impressions of Avatar: Fire and Ash - 6:19
• Avatar: Fire and Ash audience continued and marketing opportunities - 7:24
• The Housemaid pre-release audience analysis - 8:15
• Looking ahead to 2026 - 9:29

Find us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/vista-group-limited/, and follow lifeatvistagroup on Instagram

It was a big weekend at the box office and for industry news. With Five Nights at Freddy's 2 hitting the big screen, Lauren and Matthew take us through the audiences and marketing opportunities for the horror sequel. But our eyes are turned a few weeks from now to the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash. Join us Behind the Screens to see how marketers can not only bridge the gap for the week to come, but build audiences for the end of year titles.

Topics and times:

• Netflix and Warner Bros. deal - 0:39

• How exhibitors can plan ahead - 2:40

• Box office overview, Zootopia 2, Now You See Me, Wicked: For Good - 4:24

• Five Nights at Freddy's 2 box office performance - 6:25

• Five Nights at Freddy's 2 audience analysis - 7:14

• Marketing recommendations to bridge a quiet week until Avatar - 9:16

• Looking ahead; Ella McCay - 12:52

• Ella McCay pre-sales audience and marketing opportunities - 14:20

• Avatar: Fire and Ash pre-sales analysis and audiences - 17:35

• Opportunities for Avatar to lean into - 21:51

Find us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/vista-group-limited/, and follow lifeatvistagroup on Instagram