Boxoffice Podcast

This week, Russ and Rebecca talk with two executives from Charlotte Film Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing a dedicated art house space to the Charlotte, North Carolina, left without one after the closure of the decades-old Manor Theatre in spring 2020. 

President Brad Ritter and Program Director Jay Morong of the Charlotte Film Society talk about the rich history of the Manor Theatre as well as building a new art house space from the ground up—including their planned changes to the traditional programming model.

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Episode Resources:

• Charlotte Film Society
• The Fundraiser
• Manor Theatre History

What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:22 Latest news on AMC’s stock market price
• 04:00 What’s the end game for AMC’s latest stock price
• 07:13 The Little Things premiere week
• 08:58 We are joined today by Brad Ritter and Jay Morong of Charlotte Film Society
• 10:56 The lack of art houses in Charlotte
• 14:02 The Manor Theatre’s rich history
• 19:03 Efforts to bring back art houses in Charlotte
• 21:49 Finding the right space to revive an art house
• 24:12 Despite COVID, fundraising response has been positive
• 30:09 How theater programming has changed over time
• 36:05 Opening plans for the Manor Theatre
• 43:32 Programming plans for the opening
• 44:43 Consistency with what the audience would want to see
• 48:40 The target is to showcase as many unique films as possible
• 54:34 Theatrical window changes can reinvent film bookings

This week, Russ, Daniel, and Shawn discuss sweeping release date changes for big movies from major studios, beginning with the James Bond tentpole No Time to Die. They offer predictions on titles that will remain theatrical versus moving to PVOD or day-and-date release, and discuss the degree to which studios are banking on mass vaccination.   

This week’s episode of The Boxoffice Podcast is brought to you by QSC. Visit QSC.com/podcast to find out more. 

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What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 02:25 New, numerous changes to the 2021 release slate
• 03:58 MGM: No Time to Die and The Addams Family 2
• 07:03 Will No Time To Die remain a theatrical release?
• 09:14 Paramount and the power of Tom Cruise 
• 14:39 Godzilla vs. Kong's move up to March
• 17:56 Ironically, Warner Bros. has the biggest theatrical releases in Q1
• 19:58 The Universal and Focus Features slate
• 22:02 Black Widow is still scheduled a for May 7 theatrical release
• 22:11 Changes to the 20th Century Studios and Searchlight slate
• 24:48 Sony’s Connected goes to Netflix
• 26:24 Update list of Sony's release dates
• 30:28 Studios are banking on the vaccine roll-out

This week, Daniel and Rebecca talk to Luis Castelazo, the Chief Financial Officer at CMX Cinemas. The North American division of Mexican operator Cinemex, CMX Cinemas became one of the ten largest theater chains in the U.S. shortly after opening in 2017. More recently, in April of this year it became the first top-ten chain to file for Chapter 11 following the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic; they emerged from bankruptcy in December.

In an open letter published in December, Castelazo advocated for lower film rentals in response to the trend towards shortened theatrical exclusivity windows, which he argues could have a serious effect on theater attendance. In this episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, he discusses the evolution of CMX Cinemas and the need for a hard look at the film rental status quo.

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Episode Resources:

• CMX Cinemas Website
• CMX Open Letter

What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 02:05 Wonder Woman 1984 drops in its 4th weekend
• 05:51 Welcoming Luis Castelazo of CMX Cinemas
• 06:17 How CMX Cinemas became one of the top 10 circuits
• 10:45 Navigating the changing pandemic landscape
• 15:24 Viable solutions for exhibition on the road to recovery
• 17:36 New theatrical arrangements could save the industry
• 19:23 Did the day-and-date release affect WW84's box office?
• 21:01 Can the industry recover with shortened windows?
• 22:51 What causes drops in attendance?

This week, Russ and Rebecca talk to Maggie Mackay, the Board Chair of the Vidiots Foundation, a non-profit community video store and movie theater. Vidiots is dedicated to inspiring interaction through film by providing access to a diverse collection of more than 50,000 DVD and Blu-ray discs and rare VHS tapes.

They talk about the history of Vidiots as a video store and the planned opening of a movie theatre space in Eagle Rock on the east side of Los Angeles, the status of Los Angeles art house theaters, and keeping the moviegoing community together despite the lure of streaming.

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Episode Resources:

• Vidiots Foundation Website
• Click here to donate
• Vidiots is on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:59 Welcoming Maggie Mackay
• 04:20 What is Vidiots?
• 07:29 Plans to open and exhibition space details
• 11:30 What's the atmosphere like in LA for art house theaters?
• 16:31 Vidiots as a place to get movies that people aren't seeing anywhere else
• 19:23 People go to video stores when they have access
• 23:13 The challenges of fundraising
• 25:26 When can Videos open?
• 31:15 The rich experience of going to the video store

Happy New Year! In this week’s episode, Daniel, Rebecca, and Shawn take a look at the box office returns for Wonder Woman 1984 and the impact of its availability on HBO Max. Additionally, they discuss how Warner Bros. is releasing box office information, and offer an overview of the possible major film releases coming this spring. 

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What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:59 What’s your New Year’s resolution?
• 02:46 Quick rundown of the first two weekends of Wonder Woman 1984 box office
• 08:21 Warner Bros. not releasing enough box office data
• 11:23 Theatrical run is almost serving as like a marketing push
• 13:15 The impact of Wonder Woman 1984 through HBO max, before movie theaters are even open
• 17:08 Can we expect No Time to Die to be released soon?

In this week’s episode, Russ, Daniel, Rebecca, and Shawn step away from news to discuss their few theatrical experiences in 2020, the culture of theater-going versus streaming at home, a slate of excellent films to watch wherever you can, and what to look forward to in 2021.   

Happy New Year!

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What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:46 The best moviegoing moments in 2020.
• 11:59 Were you able to see new films before and during the pandemic?
• 18:55 Some of the early titles derailed by the Coronavirus.
• 20:46 A lot of viewing choices at home, and friend circles versus criticism.
• 23:00 Did you have any great at-home viewing experiences in 2020?
• 30:02 What movies do you look forward to watching in 2021?

In this week’s episode, Russ, Daniel, Rebecca, and Shawn discuss Warner Bros. announcement to stream the entire 2021 film slate on HBO Max, what was covered in Disney’s Investor Day presentation, and the responses from different circuits on the recently announced streaming plans of the major studios.  

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What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:03 How does everyone feel about year 2020 ending
• 04:22 Warner Bros. moved its entire slate day-and-date on theatrical and HBO Max in 2021
• 10:01 How circuits respond to Warner Brother’s announcement
• 14:25 Should film rental be reduced from the current 57%, if the window between a theatrical release and a streaming release is reduced?
• 18:51 Disney announced its pivot to streaming on Disney Investor Day
• 27:17 Update on Avatar 2 
• 31:11 What upcoming project was announced in the Disney Investor Day
• 34:48 What titles in the first quarter can help in the recovery?

In this week’s episode, Russ, Daniel, and Rebecca talk to John Fithian, CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO). They discuss the recent updates in the passing of the next stimulus package, shifts to the theatrical exclusivity window, and the communication strategy in promoting a safe return to cinemas.

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What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:48 What's at stake with the next stimulus package?
• 10:48 What is slowing down recovery efforts in the US?
• 14:19 Reactions to shifts in theatrical exclusivity 
• 17:49 Different proposals during the pandemic to change how movies are released
• 21:55 Fallout from Warner Bros. HBO Max plans
• 24:06 Timeframe for recovery in the US
• 28:20 Campaigns to promote a return to cinemas

In this week’s episode, Russ, Rebecca, and Shawn talk about the box office numbers of The Croods: A New Age on Thanksgiving weekend, updates on the release schedule of some upcoming movies, the possible outcome of Wonder Woman 1984 domestic theater release, and the upcoming Boxoffice Podcast anniversary.

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What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro.
• 01:35 Boxoffice on Thanksgiving weekend 
• 02:47 The Croods: A New Age in the box office
• 07:17 Universal moved The 355 to 2022
• 07:55 Can The Croods: A New Age play long enough in theaters?
• 09:35 Where is 2020 going to end in the box office?
• 10:48 Updates on Monster Hunter and News of the World
• 13:02 The impact of Wonder Woman 1984 release
• 17:54 Possible numbers for Wonder Woman 1984 opening weekend and domestic theater run
• 24:01 What classic movie you'll watch in a theater
• 27:25 Will there be more movie release schedule changes?
• 30:09 Domestic industry to possibly restart by April 2021 - John Fithian 
• 31:10 We need to have an anniversary episode
• 32:42 Look forward to our guest next week!

In this week’s episode, Russ, Daniel, and Rebecca talk about Cinemark’s shortened theatrical window deal with Universal, and break down recent statements from leading distribution executives on PVOD, theatrical exclusivity windows, co-existing with streaming, and reaching out to non-regular moviegoers.

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What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro.
• 02:48 Cineplex joins AMC, Cinemark in offering private rentals.
• 04:17 Cinemark signs shortened theatrical window with Universal.
• 08:20 What happens to smaller and low performing films?
• 11:31 Details on “Cinemark’s Dynamic Window.”
• 14:42 Distributors certain theatrical windows will shrink.
• 17:41 How do exhibitors co-exist with streaming platforms?
• 21:58 A lack of marketing spend for new releases.
• 24:51 Appealing to more moviegoers.
• 27:13 How to reach people who don't go to the cinema anymore.
• 30:14 Unity between exhibition and distribution is critical.
• 33:28 Don't forget to take the survey!