Behind the Screens

By Vista GroupTechnology

Behind the Screens episodes

February 04, 2025Dog Man, Companion, and Captain America pre-sales
Dog Man took a bite of the box office this weekend, beating expectations. We bring you all the insights into the box office and audience for both new releases Dog Man and Companion, plus join us for a look at pre-sales for the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World here on Behind the Screens.

Topics and times:
International Box office & Chinese New Year - 1:39

Reflecting on the Chinese movie industry - 4:06

Dog Man box office overview - 4:47

Dog Man audience analysis - 5:34

Marketing recommendations with Dog Man - 7:15

Companion box office overview - 9:01

Companion audience analysis - 9:54

Box office roundup - 12:38

Upcoming releases - 13:05

Captain America: Brave New World pre-sales analysis - 14:02

Next week - 14:43

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

Box Office Overview:
The Chinese New Year box office in China this year is 27% ahead of 2024 with a total of $978m, led by Nezha 2 with $550m at time of recording. Nezha 2 is therefore on track to potentially become China’s biggest film of all time.

Dog Man led the US box office this past weekend with $36m for its debut, the 2nd-biggest January animated opening behind Kung Fu Panda. It took a further $6m internationally for a worldwide debut of $40m.

Companion came in second position with $9.65m from the domestic market and $5.5m from 61 international territories, totally a $15.2m worldwide debut.

Mufasa: The Lion King stayed strong with a drop of 28%, grossing an additional $6m.

One Of Them Days likewise saw a small drop of only 25%, grossing $6m.

And Flight Risk rounded out the top 5 with $5.2m, a drop of 52%.
17 min
January 28, 2025Flight Risk, Presence, and Pre-Sales for Dog Man and Companion
New releases Flight Risk and Presence hit the big screen, and we’re bringing you all the numbers. Join us to find out how Wahlberg and Soderbergh each impacted the box office, as well as exploring pre-sales for the upcoming Dog Man and Companion on this week’s Behind the Screens.

Topics and times:
Box office overview; Flight Risk, A Complete Unknown - 0:41

Flight Risk audience analysis - 4:19

Flight Risk reception and comparison to similar genres - 6:02

Presence box office and audience analysis - 6:54

The Soderbergh effect - 8:58

Pre-sales for Dog Man - 10:53

Pre-sales for Companion - 12:00

Chinese New Year box office - 12:30

Next week - 13:09

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

Box Office Overview:
Mufasa remained on top for it’s 6th weekend in a row, reaching a global total now $630M now.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 grossed an additional $16.1M globally this weekend.

Flight Risk debuted to a tick over $16M globally.

Nosferatu reached a worldwide total of $166M.

A Complete Unknown has reached totals of $63M domestically, and $74.2M internationally.
15 min
January 22, 2025One Of Them Days, Wolf Man, and how to market during a quiet period
The holiday weekend in the US may have had a lacklustre box office overall, but with the surprise success of One of Them Days, our hosts have not only a number of insights into not only the audience behind the success, but analysis of Wolf Man, historical comparisons, and more as we look towards the next big tentpole releases this week on Behind the Screens.
Topics and times:
The Brutalist AI use controversy - 1:06

MLK Weekend historical comparisons - 3:12

Global box office overview - 5:26

One of Them Days box office overview - 6:17

One of Them Days audience analysis - 6:29

Wolf Man box office and audience analysis - 9:04

Upcoming titles, holdovers, and marketing during the quiet period - 11:16

Next week - 14:02

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

Box Office Overview:
Mufasa kept the global lead with an additional $31.8M worldwide, bringing the domestic total past $200M and approaching $600M globally.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 grossed an additional $23.8M this past weekend around the world.

Wolf Man unfortunately fell short of predictions with $10.9M domestically and $4.8M internationally for a total of $15.7M.

One of Them Days made a surprise success with $11.6M from the 3-day weekend and $14.2M for the 4-day holiday weekend total.
16 min
January 14, 2025Den of Thieves 2 and 2024 holdover milestones
Our hosts’ favourite action hero, Gerard Butler, is back on the big screen with Den of Thieves 2: Pantera this week, and we bring you all the numbers and audience analysis. 2024’s December releases score massive milestones, and we look ahead to Captain America: Brave New World this week on Behind the Screens.

Topics and times:
Situation in LA - 0:40

Box office holdovers and milestones - 2:16

Domestic holdovers - 4:07

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera box office overview - 5:59

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera audience analysis - 7:02

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera comparisons and reception - 9:29

Upcoming titles - 10:14

Captain America: Brave New World previews and predictions - 11:16

Next week - 12:50

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

Box Office Overview:
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera opened in the domestic market to $15.5M, and $5M across 34 international territories for an opening weekend total of $20.5M.

The Lion King: Mufasa surpassed the half-billion dollar mark this weekend, reaching a global total of $540M.

Nosferatu came in 3rd position with an added $21M worldwide.

Moana 2 meanwhile approaches the $1B mark, which will make it Disney 3rd 2024 release to hit $1B. It currently sits at $990M globally, with $550M internationally and $440M domestically.

Wicked reaches for $700M with a global current total of $698M.
14 min
January 08, 20252025 kickoff - Holiday picks, Golden Globes highlights, and Mufasa & Sonic marketing opportunities
New year, new movies! Matthew and Ryan kick things off with their latest movie picks from the holidays, and the standout moments from the Golden Globe Awards. We look back at 2024’s box office results, diving into the audiences of the holiday hits - Mufasa: The Lion King, Sonic The Hedgehog 3, and Nosferatu. Plus, the duo preview an exciting lineup of movies for 2025 on this week’s Behind the Screens.

Topics and times:
Matthew & Ryan’s holiday picks - 0:32

Golden Globe Awards recap - 4:02

2024 box office wrap-up - 6:01

2025 preview - 8:44

Mufasa: The Lion King box office overview - 10:46

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 box office overview - 11:18

Nosferatu box office overview - 12:42

Wicked box office overview - 14:10

Mufasa: The Lion King audience analysis - 14:49

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 audience analysis - 20:50

Nosferatu audience analysis - 23:22

Next week - 27:03

Box Office Overview:
2024’s domestic box office finished with $8.75B (-3.3% from 2023), with the global box office at $30.5B(-10% from 2023).

Mufasa: The Lion King added $23.8M domestically and adding $53.5M internationally, bringing the global total to $476.4M.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 took another $21.2M domestically and $5.2M internationally, bringing its cumulative total to $336M, and the franchise to over $1B worldwide.

Nosferatu crossed $100M worldwide with $69.4M domestically and $31M internationally.

Moana 2 about to cross $1B worldwide with $960.5M cume, adding $38.4M this past weekend

Wicked has become the highest grossing Broadway adaptation ever worldwide with a $681.3M global cume.
32 min
December 17, 20242024 year in review: Kraven, Lord of the Rings, and what we see in 2025
It’s our season finale! As the holidays approach, we’re diving into the latest releases of Kraven The Hunter and Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim, then taking a look back across 2024’s best titles, biggest trends, and box office forecasting. Join us for one last peek ahead at pre-sales for Mufasa and Sonic 3 as well as our hopes and predictions for 2025 on Behind the Screens.

Topics and times:
CineAsia highlights - 0:20

Local content and Hollywood content - 1:07

Domestic box office year-on-year comparison - 2:10

Kraven The Hunter box office overview - 3:24

Kraven The Hunter audience analysis - 4:55

Kraven The Hunter marketing recommendations - 7:51

The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim box office overview - 9:55

The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim audience analysis - 11:46

The Lord of the Wings: War of the Rohirrim UK insights - 13:37

Holdovers and box office roundup - 14:46

September 5 and other previews - 15:35

Mufasa and Sonic 3 pre-sales - 16:54

2024 in review: trends, notes, and out favourite films - 18:41

Our hopes for 2025 - 21:55

See you next year!

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

Box Office Overview:
Moana 2 remained in 1st place, reaching $720M worldwide.

Wicked likewise remained in 2nd place with $44M domestically, reaching $525M cumulatively.

Kraven The Hunter debuted to 3rd position with $11M from the domestic market and $15M from 60 international territories for a global debut of $26M.

Gladiator II has now crossed $250M internationally and over $140M domestically, fast approaching the $400M mark globally.

Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim debuted to 5th position, with $4.5M domestically and $5.7M from 72 international markets for a global total of $10.25M for its opening weekend.
28 min
December 10, 2024More box office records smashed: Moana, Bollywood, and Interstellar re-release
Moana 2 continued to break down records with a record post-thanksgiving weekend packed with content. From Moana, Wicked, and Gladiator to Bollywood and Interstellar’s IMAX re-release, there’s a lot to explore this week Behind the Screens — join us to discover all the box office and audience insights!

Topics and times:
Another record box office weekend - 0:36

Domestic box office overview - 1:18

Interstellar re-release - 2:46

Pushpa 2: The Rule box office and audience analysis - 4:21

Marketing recommendations for sell-out sessions - 6:36

Moana 2 box office overview - 8:19

Holdovers box office - 10:46

Gladiator II opportunities - 12:10

Remaining new releases - 12:56

Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim early release - 14:33

Kraven The Hunter preview - 16:06

September 5 - 17:03

Next week - 17:52

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

Box Office Overview:
Moana 2 grossed $52M domestically, now exceeding $300M, and a further $103.5M internationally, where the total also exceeds $300M for a total over $600M worldwide.

Wicked grossed $34.9M in the domestic market, bringing the total to $320M domestically, and grossed $26M internationally, where the total reached $135M.

Gladiator II grossed $12.5M domestically and $17M internationally, bringing the worldwide totaly to $368.4M.

Pushpa 2: The Rule came in 5th place with $9.3M in the domestic market.
20 min
December 03, 2024Moana 2 smashes Thanksgiving records! How to entice more moviegoer visitation
With Moana 2 absolutely smashing lists of records over the Thanksgiving weekend period, we have an enormous episode of insights into everything Moana, Wicked, Gladiator, and more. Ryan breaks down how movie marketers can entice moviegoers to visit more frequently with such a busy box office, and as we look towards the end of 2024, there’s a vast amount of opportunity to be gained from these insights!

Topics and times:
Magic at the box office - 0:30

Thanksgiving domestic box office record set - 1:04

Moana 2 box office overview - 3:26

Moana 2 per-theatre averages - 4:50

Moana 2 records breakdown - 5:32

Moana 2 audience analysis - 10:08

Moana 2 reception - 13:07

Holdovers and international box office - 13:30

Upcoming releases - 17:11

How can cinema marketers bring moviegoers back faster than usual? - 18:29

Next week - 22:30

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

Box Office Overview:
Moana 2 broke records with its opening across the Thanksgiving weekend, grossing $135.5M domestically over the 3-day weekend, and $211M over the 5-day period, with an additional $165.3M internationally, making its global total debut reach $386.3M.

Wicked grossed $80M domestically for the 3-day with a 28.9% drop, and $117.5M over the 5-day for a domestic total to date of $262.4M. Internationally, it grossed $96.9M, making its global total now $359.3M.

Gladiator 2 grossed $30.7M for the 3-day with a 44.2% drop, and $44M for the 5-day, bringing the domestic total to date to $111.2M. Internationally, it grossed $27.2M, making its global total now $320M.

Red One grossed $12.9M for the 3-day, only a 2.5% drop, and $18.7M for the 5-day, reaching $76M to-date in the domestic market. Internationally, it grossed $5M.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever grossed $3.3M over the 3-day and $4.9M over the 5-day, reaching $32M total to-date.
25 min
November 26, 2024Marketing Wicked and Gladiator: can a new Barbenheimer be made? + Moana 2 pre-sales audience analysis
With a massive weekend seeing the debut of both Wicked and Gladiator II, we have a full house to examine the box office, audiences for the US and the UK, and the marketing opportunities to make the best of these new films on the big screen. Can their crossover create a new Barbenheimer? We dive into every facet, as well as in-depth pre-sales analysis of the audience for the upcoming Moana 2 here on Behind the Screens.

Topics and times:
Wicked opening weekend box office overview - 0:50

Wicked’s US audience analysis - 2:47

Wicked’s UK audience analysis - 5:06

Encouraging repeat visitation for Wicked - 6:22

Sing-along controversies and audience engagement - 9:02

Wicked production cost efficiency - 12:03

Gladiator II box office overview - 12:51

Gladiator II audience analysis - 14:26

Gladiator II UK audience evolution and marketing recommendations - 15:51

Bonhoeffer box office and audience analysis - 18:20

Holdovers in the box office - 20:41

Moana 2 pre-sales audience analysis - 21:35

Moana 2 in the UK market and marketing recommendations - 23:40

Next week - 31:05

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

Box Office Overview:
Wicked debuted to $114M in the domestic market over the weekend, with another $50.1M internationally for a worldwide debut of $164M.

Gladiator II grossed $55M in its domestic opening, with a further $50.5M from international markets, taking its global total now past $220M.

Red One had a drop of 59% against the two newcomers, grossing $13M in the domestic market, and now crossing $100M globally.

Venom: The Last Dance has reached a worldwide cumulative total of $456M.
33 min
November 19, 2024Are you not entertained? Gladiator 2 UK audience analysis, Red One, and pre-sales for Wicked
With Gladiator 2 opening internationally, we took a unique look at the analysing the movie’s UK audience ahead of its US release. With Red One debuting, and more pre-sales looks at Wicked and previews of Moana 2, this episode of Behind the Screens is packed with new insights — don’t miss it!

Topics and times:
Complex Worldwide release schedule - 0:18

Red One box office overview - 0:56

Red One audience analysis - 3:08

Christmas films & Red One audience reception - 6:50

Costs of production and entertainment factor - 8:13

Gladiator 2 international box office - 9:10

Gladiator 2 UK audience analysis - 11:05

Box office milestones - 14:30

Wicked: Part One pre-sales analysis - 15:47

Moana 2 preview - 16:14

Matthew’s Wicked takeaway - 17:30

Next week - 18:42

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

Box Office Overview:
Gladiator 2 released in a number of international markets, grossing $87M around the globe this weekend ahead of its US release.
Red One debuted to $34.1M domestically and $14.7M internationally for a worldwide weekend of $48.8M and running cumulative total of $82.1M.
21 min

About Behind the Screens

From the publisher's feed

Each week, Matthew Liebmann, Vista Group’s Chief Product, Innovation, & Marketing Officer, and Simon Burton, Vista Group's Chief Film Officer draw from their extensive industry experience to deliver box office and audience insights for major movie releases.