Boxoffice Podcast

In this episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Rebecca Pahle, Shawn Robbins, and Chad Kennerk discuss last weekend’s box office—dominated by the concert film Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé–before looking ahead with updated forecasts on some of the biggest releases of December. In our feature segment, Pahle speaks with Frank Rodriguez, formerly of Searchlight Pictures, about Searchlight’s philosophy towards theatrical distribution and its new film Poor Things, out in limited release this weekend.

In this episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Rebecca Pahle, Shawn Robbins, and Chad Kennerk discuss last weekend’s box office—dominated by the concert film Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé–before looking ahead with updated forecasts on some of the biggest releases of December. In our feature segment, Pahle speaks with Frank Rodriguez, formerly of Searchlight Pictures, about Searchlight’s philosophy towards theatrical distribution and its new film Poor Things, out in limited release this weekend.

Give us your feedback on our podcast by accessing this survey: https://forms.gle/CcuvaXCEpgPLQ6d18 

Episode Resources:

• Weekend Box Office: RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ Earns Best Post-Thanksgiving Opening Since 2003’s THE LAST SAMURAI
• The Biggest Movies Coming to Theaters in December 2023

What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 02:30 Weekend box office top films
• 10:40 Searchlight Pictures’ Poor Things  
• 13:12 Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron
• 15:08 Major releases in the holiday season
• 20:04 Searchlight Pictures’ early years
• 29:00 What was your cinema growing up?
• 31:16 Film availability 

In this episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Rebecca Pahle, Daniel Loria, and Chad Kennerk discuss the Thanksgiving Frame, including the surprise performance of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Disney’s struggle to capture holiday moviegoers with their latest animated musical Wish.

Give us your feedback on our podcast by accessing this survey: https://forms.gle/CcuvaXCEpgPLQ6d18 

Episode Resources:

• Weekend Box Office: BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES Beats Both NAPOLEON and WISH on Thanksgiving Frame
• Long Range Box Office Forecast: AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM and MIGRATION
• Fading Snow: Director Francis Lawrence on Kindling the Franchise with Origin Story THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES

What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:16 What movie did you watch?
• 03:32 Weekend box office numbers
• 08:28 The downside of putting movies on Disney+
• 11:57 Wish international numbers
• 13:15 Disney’s 100 year marketing campaign
• 14:26 More weekend box office numbers
• 16:21 Amazon MGM’s Saltburn  
• 18:46 Five Nights at Freddy’s
• 20:59 Lionsgate’s Silent Night 
• 22:04 Angel Studios’ The Shift
• 23:29 Renaissance from Beyoncé
• 26:02 Most watch movies this year

In this episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Rebecca Pahle and Daniel Loria go over release date changes and the latest updates from Canadian exhibitor Cineplex before diving into Thanksgiving 2023: Will any holdovers be able to hang on? What new releases will break through over the long holiday weekend? Then, in our feature segment, Boxoffice Pro’s Chad Kennerk interviews Francis Lawrence, director of Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Give us your feedback on our podcast by accessing this survey: https://forms.gle/CcuvaXCEpgPLQ6d18 

Episode Resources:

• Fading Snow: Director Francis Lawrence on Kindling the Franchise with Origin Story THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES
• Weekend Box Office: HUNGER GAMES and TROLLS Open Far Below Predecessors, THE MARVELS Has MCU’s Steepest Sophomore Drop
• DUNE: PART TWO Moves Up Two Weeks From March 15 to March 1, 2024, Replacing THE FALL GUY

What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:04 MCU schedule switching
• 03:30 Diversification strategy of Cineplex
• 06:41 Weekend box office numbers
• 17:07 Napoleon theatrical release
• 19:32 Disney’s Wish
• 21:49 Holdover potential
• 26:24 The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
• 28:39 Bringing back the The Hunger Games world
• 29:30 Career built on adaptations
• 30:53 Production stories, bonding experiences
• 33:00 Community in a fandom
• 34:35 Working with IMAX
• 36:40 Technology and visual effects
• 38:10 Favorite theatrical experience  

In this week’s episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Rebecca Pahle, Shawn Robbins, and Russ Fischer discuss what’s come up during a heavy week of news: the end of the SAG/AFTRA strike, Warner Bros.’ controversial decision to shelve the film Coyote vs Acme, and what the latest round of schedule changes–and Captain Marvel’s disappointing debut box office–means for the MCU.

Give us your feedback on our podcast by accessing this survey: https://forms.gle/CcuvaXCEpgPLQ6d18 

Episode Resources:

• Weekend Box Office: THE MARVELS Earns Lowest Marvel Cinematic Universe Opening of All Time
• Disney Schedule Switch-Up: New CAPTAIN AMERICA, BLADE, THUNDERBOLTS Pushed to 2025, Leaving DEADPOOL 3 the Only Marvel Movie to Hit Cinemas in 2024

In this week’s episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Rebecca Pahle, Shawn Robbins, and Chad Kennerk discuss a slow week at the box office, as the Gen Z nostalgia-driven Five Nights at Freddy’s tops the box office for the second week running. Looking ahead, Robbins talks concerns for THE MARVEL’s opening weekend and TROLLS BAND TOGETHER’s international run in advance of its domestic debut on 11/17. In the feature segment, spooky season continues as Kennerk speaks to Virgil Cardamone of the Mahoning Drive-In Theater, where an event-based approach to screenings has made them a bucket list destination for horror fans.

Give us your feedback on our podcast by accessing this survey: https://forms.gle/CcuvaXCEpgPLQ6d18 

Episode Resources:

• Weekend Box Office: FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S is First Horror Leader in Post-Halloween Frame Since 1991
• Long Range Box Office Forecast: Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS

What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:33 The Mahoning Drive-In
• 01:45 Third lowest box office weekend of 2023
• 03:02 Five Nights at Freddy’s box office numbers
• 05:55 Day-and-Date opening
• 09:31 Nostalgic movies
• 13:12 Added show times 
• 14:58 Killers of the Flower Moon numbers drop
• 18:02 International box office numbers
• 20:37 The Marvels prediction
• 23:45 Preservation of drive-in culture
• 25:42 35 millimeter film fanatics
• 27:43 Going retro
• 29:43 Slight movement in the culture
• 34:11 Commitment of retro film
• 39:47 Breeding ground for creatives
• 41:23 Curated food and beverage experience
• 46:10 Plans for 2024 

In this week’s episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Rebecca Pahle, Russ Fischer, and Chad Kennerk break down the latest updates on the SAG/AFTRA strike and a number of release date changes before analyzing the outsized box office success of Five Nights at Freddy’s. In the feature segment, Rebecca interviews with Showcase Cinemas’ Rebecca Stein, doing a deep dive on events, influencers, and the evolution of in-cinema marketing.

Give us your feedback on our podcast by accessing this survey: https://forms.gle/CcuvaXCEpgPLQ6d18 

Episode Resources:

• Weekend Box Office: FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S More Than Doubles Record for Top Halloween Weekend All Time

In this week’s episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Russ Fischer, Shawn Robbins, and Chad Kennerk discuss the release of Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, the first place holdover of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, the current state of the SAG/AFTRA strike, and review box office numbers: including the “What’s This?” surprise of 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas rounding out the top five. In the feature segment, Daniel Loria speaks with Comscore’s Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian

Give us your feedback on our podcast by accessing this survey: https://forms.gle/CcuvaXCEpgPLQ6d18 

Episode Resources:

• ShowEast 2023: Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian Receives Al Shapiro Distinguished Service Award
• Weekend Box Office: TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR First Concert Film to Lead Twice, Fending Off KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:57 Boxoffice Podcast’s 200th episode
• 03:35 SAG-AFTRA update
• 05:42 Taylor Swift Eras Tour Concert Film leads box office
• 07:28 Weekend top 5 box office films
• 10:45 Effect of limited-time only films
• 13:17 Killers of the Flower Moon
• 20:40 Five Nights at Freddy’s
• 27:45 Start in cinema space
• 33:57 People are invested in box office movies
• 36:51 What makes the movie business exciting
• 42:11 Joining the industry for a living
• 48:22 Franchise trap
• 56:21 The halo effect of movie theaters on other business
• 59:30 Weekend wrap up podcast  

In this week’s episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, sponsored by Cinionic, a leader in the world of laser technology, hosts Rebecca Pahle and Russ Fischer break down the opening weekend success of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. In our feature segment, Pahle speaks with Ron Krueger II of Santikos Theaters, receiving the Salah  M. Hassanein Award at next week’s ShowEast, about giving back to the cinema community. Pahle also speaks with Dan Huerta, technical services director at Cinionic, about the newest addition to its laser portfolio.

Give us your feedback on our podcast by accessing this survey: https://forms.gle/CcuvaXCEpgPLQ6d18 

Episode Resources:

• Weekend Box Office: TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR Does All Too Well with $97M, Already Highest-Grossing Concert Film Ever
• Long Range Box Office Forecast: KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
• TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR Shatters Records for Highest Concert Film Global Opening Weekend

In this week’s episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Rebecca Pahle and Jesse Rifkin go over the latest in cinema news–including new NATO boardmembers–before diving into analysis of the debut performance of The Exoricst: Believer… and whether we can expect a $100M opening from Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. In our feature segment, Pahle speaks to director Raphael Sbarge about his film ONLY IN THEATERS, which pays tribute to Laemmle Theatres and the key part it’s played in the evolution of arthouse cinema in the U.S. He’s joined by Greg Laemmle and Maggie Mackay; Maggie, a returning guest to the podcast, updates us on her L.A. video store/screening space Vidiots.

Give us your feedback on our podcast by accessing this survey: https://forms.gle/CcuvaXCEpgPLQ6d18 

Episode Resources:

• Vidiots 

What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 02:41 New NATO executive board members
• 04:33 The Exorcist: Believer
• 06:00 Weekend box office Top 5
• 09:56 Taylor Swift concert film pre-sales
• 13:14 Laemmle Legacy
• 16:05 Wide releases is bouncing back
• 19:22 Vidiots physical media store rental
• 24:32 Approach to programming
• 27:00 The problem with streaming platforms
• 32:45 Maintaining the human element
• 35:29 Only in Theaters

In this week’s episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Rebecca Pahle, Russ Fischer, and Chad Kennerk discuss the upcoming Taylor Swift and Beyonce concert films, break down the current state of the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes, and review box office numbers: including the surprising success of Fathom Events’ The Blind and the box office potential for this weekend’s The Exorcist: Believer. In the feature segment, Rebecac speaks with B&B Theatres’ Chief Creative Officer Bobbie Bagby Ford on the family-owned chain’s continuing growth.

Give us your feedback on our podcast by accessing this survey: https://forms.gle/CcuvaXCEpgPLQ6d18 

Episode Resources:

• Weekend Box Office: PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE is Mighty, THE BLIND Surprises in Top 5
• RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ Will Take Over Movie Theaters Worldwide This December
• Get Rich or Die Laughing: DUMB MONEY Director Craig Gillespie Brings the GameStop Meme Stock Saga to the Big Screen
• Dawn of a Dynasty: Director Andrew Hyatt on his Duck Dynasty Biopic THE BLIND