This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk recap the opening weekend of “Wuthering Heights” and cover all the latest news in theatrical exhibition. Then in the feature segment, Daniel speaks with Barry Hertz, Deputy Arts Editor at the Globe and Mail, about his new book Welcome to the Family: The Explosive Story Behind Fast & Furious, the Blockbusters that Supercharged the World. 

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00:00 Intro

00:21 Episode Preview Barry Hertz Interview

01:00 Weekend Box Office Kickoff and Weathering Heights Opening

06:11 Weathering Heights $38M Debut Analysis

08:00 Warner Bros.’ Ninth #1 in a Row

08:21 Sony’s Goat Opens to $35M

08:44 Amazon MGM’s Crime 101 Overperforms

11:43 Amazon MGM’s 2025 Slate Momentum

13:00 Disney Hits $1B Globally in February

14:00 Warner Bros. Sale Update

14:26 New Fast & Furious Release Date 2028

16:02 Barry Hertz Joins the Podcast

17:00 Discovering the First Fast & Furious

21:00 From Street Racing Article to Global Franchise

23:26 How the Franchise Went Global

29:00 Was Tokyo Drift Almost Direct to DVD?

30:00 Justin Lin Reinvents the Series

33:00 Universal and Vin Diesel Decline Participation

37:57 On Set Tensions and Diesel Johnson Rift

39:00 Scrapped Villain Super Team Plans

41:00 What’s Happening With Fast X Part 2?

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk discuss all the Big Game trailer spots from Super Bowl LX. Then in the feature segment, Rebecca speaks with Sirāt director Óliver Laxe about the impact of the film on audiences and the importance of the theatrical experience. 

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01:33 Super Bowl Trailer Roundtable Begins

03:19 Major Trailer Omissions (Spider-Man, Avengers)

04:00 Scream 7 Big Game Spot & Presales

05:29 Super Mario Galaxy Marketing Push

06:06 First Look at Supergirl

07:28 Amazon MGM’s Project Hail Mary Trailer

10:26 Pixar’s Hoppers Original IP Test

14:20 Minions and Monsters Title Reveal

16:20 First Footage: The Mandalorian & Grogu

23:37 Spielberg’s Disclosure Day Wins the Game

25:36 Kevin James Viral Marketing for Solo Mio

27:05 Weekend Box Office Recap

27:49 Stray Kids Event Cinema Breakout

30:38 Netflix’s Adventures of Cliff Booth Debate

32:18 Transition to Oliver Laxe Interview

33:47 Interview: Cinema as Catharsis

35:53 Why SIRĀT Must Be Seen Theatrically

37:22 Warning About Streaming-First Deals

38:39 Early Cinema Memory: The Bear

39:18 The Sacred Energy of Theaters

41:16 Making a Radical Film Popular

42:10 Reaching Younger Audiences

44:00 “Bitter Medicine with Honey”

45:18 Influences from 1970s American Cinema

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk discuss the opening weekend of 20th Century Studios’ Send Help along with Iron Lung and the Amazon/MGM Studios’ documentary Melania. Then in the feature segment, Rebecca speaks with Proctor Companies’ Michael Giacinto about the evolution of dine-in cinema, highlighting the company’s recent renovation of Alamo Drafthouse’s Mountain View, California location. 

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This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk cover the weekend box office and review the 2026 Oscar nominations. Then in the feature segment, Rebecca speaks with Wynn Salisch, the president of the Mid-South Theatre Association and Casablanca Payments, to preview the Mid-South Theatre Convention coming up in Memphis, TN from March 30 to April 1. 

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What to Listen For

• 00:42 Weekend Box Office Overview
• 01:00 Mercy Takes #1 in Weak January
• 01:35 Post-Avatar Box Office Slowdown
• 02:00 Upcoming Releases & Tracking Forecasts
• 03:00 Indie & January Action Releases
• 04:15 Documentary Box Office Expectations
• 05:00 UK & Ireland Box Office Forecast
• 06:02 Oscar Nominations Overview
• 07:04 Major Oscar Snubs & Surprises
• 08:27 Best Picture Race Breakdown
• 10:00 Supporting Acting Categories
• 16:00 Lead Actor & Actress Races
• 23:00 Director, Editing & Score Discussion
• 39:39 International Feature Film Race
• 42:00 Technical Awards & Visual Effects
• 43:31 Best Picture Predictions
• 48:57 Mid-South Theater Convention Promo
• 50:04 Interview: Win Salish Begins
• 55:00 Value of Regional Theater Conventions
• 01:00:00 Future of Exhibition & Gen Z
• 01:02:31 Registration Reminder & Wrap-Up

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk discuss the latest news in theatrical exhibition, including a disappointing opening for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and new quotes from Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos on a 45-day theatrical window for Warner Bros. titles. Then in the feature segment, Daniel speaks with Matthew Frank, associate editor of The Ankler, about his insights following a cross-country trip to visit 58 movie theaters across the U.S. 

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What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 02:00 Weekend Box Office: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Performance
• 04:34 Netflix, Warner Bros., and the 45-Day Theatrical Window Debate
• 10:37 Q1 2026 Box Office Outlook and Market Performance
• 11:21 Amazon MGM’s Mercy Forecast and International Expectations
• 16:31 Feature Interview Begins: Matthew Frank’s Cross-Country Theater Road Trip
• 20:09 Inside Independent Cinemas and Small-Town Theater Realities
• 24:12 How Release Date Changes Hurt Local Exhibitors
• 28:42 Highlights From Visiting 58 Movie Theaters
• 33:00 Premium Formats, Renovations, and Industry Challenges
• 35:33 How Cinemas Can Improve the Moviegoing Experience

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk cover the latest industry news and preview Sony’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Then in the feature segment, Daniel speaks with Dine-In Cinema Summit founders Amy and Matt Mader of Venue Valet to preview this year’s show happening February 2-6 in Austin, TX. 

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What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:07 Weekend Box Office: Primate Overperforms
• 02:41 Repertory Cinema & Theatrical Experiences
• 06:18 Remembering Colleen Barstow
• 08:27 Industry Leadership Updates
• 10:34 ICTA North America Cinema Awards
• 12:09 Blue Ribbon Awards Relaunch
• 14:11 Box Office Outlook & Horror Trends
• 16:22 28 Years Later Franchise Discussion
• 21:46 Dine-In Cinema Summit Interview Begins
• 23:18 Evolution of the Dine-In Cinema Summit
• 26:41 Hospitality & Guest Experience in Cinemas
• 29:44 “Let’s Adapt” Programming & Diversification
• 33:06 Alternative Content & FEC Strategies
• 37:58 Food, Beverage & Kitchen Operations
• 39:12 Battle of the Brands Cook-Off
• 41:36 Operations, Pricing & Data Insights
• 45:02 Summit Sponsors & Industry Support
• 48:21 Why the Summit Matters Before CinemaCon
• 50:37 Registration Details & Final Takeaways
• 51:18 Closing Remarks & Subscribe CTA

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, presented by AgileTix, co-hosts Daniel Loria and Rebecca Pahle cover the latest industry news and discuss the end-of-year box office performance. In the feature segment, Rebecca Pahle speaks with Shane Burkett (Director of Strategic Marketing) and Tanya Key (Senior Account Executive) of Agile Ticketing on the many ways in which technological solutions can help turn the occasional cinemagoer into a loyal customer.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro 

03:00 2025 Box Office Ends at $8.87B and Misses $9B Goal

04:38 Disney Crosses $6B as Avatar: Fire and Ash Hits $1B

05:15 Zootopia 2 Becomes the Top Hollywood Release Ever in China

06:07 Avatar’s Domestic Decline and International Strength

08:07 Strong Start to 2026 Despite a Slower January Slate

13:00 Agile Ticketing Interview Begins

16:06 The Rise of Event Programming and Custom Cinema Experiences

24:07 Loyalty Programs and Data-Driven Patron Engagement

33:18 Pre-Ordering Concessions and Reducing In-Theater Friction

36:02 Episode Wrap-Up and What’s Next

Join us for our annual box office preview episode, as we look ahead to some of the most anticipated movies and biggest potential hits of 2026. We start our analysis with discussion on a difficult Q1 with few titles poised to become major hits. Our Q2 conversation highlights titles like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu, Toy Story 5, Supergirl, and Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day. Q3 should be the best quarter of the year with a monster month of July, where Minions 3, Moana, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey should combine to lift the box office to new heights. We close our discussion with Q4 titles like Jumanji 3, The Cat in the Hat, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Dune 3, and Avengers: Doomsday..

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In this episode of The Boxoffice Podcast, Daniel Loria, Chad Kennerk, Rebecca Pahle, and Albert Lawrence discuss the year’s biggest stories, trends, and moviegoing moments in theatrical exhibition for 2025. On the Story of the Year, the team discusses the potential sale of Warner Bros. and its implications for the industry at large. Warner Bros. is named Distributor of the Year for an all-time-great-caliber slate, and independent filmmaker is recognized as the Industry Figure of the Year for his defense and promotion of the theatrical experience. The Viral Marketing Campaign of the Year goes to A Minecraft Movie’s Chicken Jockey, and Sony’s Demon Slayer Infinity Castle is singled out as the box office surprise of the year. In this engaging conversation, the hosts discuss the standout performances of 2025, and their favorite movies and movie-going moments of the year.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro 

01:00 The Power of Collective Moviegoing

02:15 2025 Industry Recap and Episode Overview

03:10 Story of the Year Warner Bros Sale

06:05 Netflix and Theatrical Windows Shift

07:00 Movie of the Year Debate Minecraft vs Ne Zha 2

09:30 Industry Figure of the Year and Consolidation

12:20 Exhibition Trends Event Cinema and Anime

15:55 Distributor of the Year Warner Bros

20:05 Viral Marketing of the Year Log Truck Campaign

24:00 Viral Moviegoing Moment Chicken Jockey

26:05 Anime Breakout and Demon Slayer Box Office

28:50 Biggest Box Office Disappointments of 2025

33:00 Best Performances of the Year

39:00 Favorite Moviegoing Moments

48:00 Best Needle Drops in Movies

51:30 Top Movies of 2025

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, presented by Barco, co-hosts Daniel Loria and Rebecca Pahle cover the latest industry news and preview upcoming releases like Avatar: Fire and Ash, along with its premium technology offerings. Then in the feature segment, Daniel talks to Barco Cinema’s vice president of marketing Adam Cassels to discuss the evolution of premium cinema technology, including the rollout of HDR by Barco.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro 

01:20 Warner Bros Acquisition Fallout

04:25 Global PLF and Cinema Tech News

08:10 Mega Entertainment Centers vs Micro Cinemas

12:35 Zootopia 2 Hits One Billion

13:20 Christmas Corridor Box Office Forecast

14:05 Avatar Fire and Ash Opening Outlook

19:50 SpongeBob The Housemaid and David

26:00 Christmas Day New Releases

29:05 Barco Cinema Interview Begins

33:10 Laser and HDR Explained

38:20 How HDR Changes Moviegoing

45:20 Future of Premium Large Format

51:00 Episode Wrap and Year End Preview