Boxoffice Podcast

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk recap the latest news in theatrical exhibition, including promotions at both Cinergy and AMC Entertainment, as well as the opening of Film Alley Breckenridge. For the feature segment, our friends at Cinema United bring us The Running Man panel from CinemaCon 2025, with stars Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, and director Edgar Wright in a conversation moderated by Jacqueline Coley.

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This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk discuss the latest news in distribution and exhibition, including the announcement that Belgium-based Kinepolis has signed an agreement to acquire the operations of U.S. cinema chain Emagine Entertainment. In the feature segment, Daniel is joined by Flix Brewhouse’s Chris Randleman to preview the 2025 Holiday box office.

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro 
01:02 Halloween Stories & Why Classic Horror Still Hits
03:15 When Prestige Directors Go Nuclear – Bigelow’s Bold New Film
05:46 The Box Office Slump No One Saw Coming
08:03 Power Moves & Shake-Ups Across Hollywood
11:00 Who Will Buy Warner Bros? The Industry’s Biggest Question
14:03 Chris Randleman: Inside the Theatrical Trenches
15:12 What Went Wrong This Fall at the Movies?
16:43 Can November Turn Things Around?
18:53 Hidden Gems & Underdogs of Awards Season
21:03 Why Wicked Could Save the Holiday Box Office
25:46 How Gen Z Is Quietly Reviving Moviegoing
28:16 The Return of the Family Blockbuster
30:07 Streamers Want Theaters Again — But Do They Get It?
36:08 How Horror and Spectacle Keep December Alive
41:12 Betting on Variety: The Secret to a Strong Holiday Slate
45:09 Can Feel-Good Stories Win Christmas 2025?
50:35 The Box Office Comeback We’ve Been Waiting For
55:16 2026–2027: The Rebirth of Theatrical Movies

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk discuss the ongoing challenges at the October box office and how Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc surpassed expectations. Then in the feature segment, Daniel speaks to Joe Garel of Western Film Services on exhibition strategies for navigating the current downturn at the box office.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro 

01:05 October Box Office Struggles Begin

03:14 Chainsaw Man’s Surprise Success

06:00 Roof Man and Theatrical Highlights

07:03 Weak Openings for New Releases

09:00 The Worst October Since 1998

12:03 Delayed Releases and Scheduling Issues

13:25 Relying on Re-releases to Fill the Gap

15:56 Meet Joe Garel of Western Film Services

17:05 Finding Underserved Audiences (Filipino Film Success)

20:00 Flexible Booking and Alternative Programming

21:10 Pricing Strategy and Audience Behavior

23:25 Smarter, Audience-Driven Programming

24:55 Why the Market Is Struggling

26:45 The New Formula: Dynamic Booking & Showmanship

28:40 Reviving Showmanship in Cinemas

29:50 Sports as the Next Big Opportunity (FIFA Test)

33:00 Event Cinema and Concert Success

34:20 Reaching Younger Audiences Raised on Screens

36:15 Targeted Marketing and Community Connection

39:00 Partnering with Influencers & New Content (Paris Hilton Doc)

41:00 The Power of Local Outreach & Email Lists

43:00 Bringing Back Nostalgia and Themed Screenings

44:45 Pricing Barriers and Attendance Decline

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk discuss the ongoing October box office slump, with consecutive sub-$100 million weekends, and cover the latest news in theatrical exhibition, including the social media announcement that AMC is discussing plans to screen Netflix titles, starting with the re-release of KPop Demon Hunters. 

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro 

00:26 Catching Up on Awards Season Films

04:00 “The Black Phone 2” Review & Discussion

05:36 Netflix’s “Frankenstein” Theatrical Run

07:05 AMC–Netflix Partnership Announcement

11:00 Cinema Industry Leadership Updates

12:38 Landmark Cinemas Renovation

13:48 Cineplex Streamlining & CEO Transition

14:47 Vista Group Launches “React”

16:00 Barco Expands HDR by Barco

17:09 The October Box Office Slump

18:02 New Releases & Weekend Forecast

20:15 Angel Studios Swaps “Zero AD” for “David”

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Rebecca Pahle and Chad Kennerk recap the latest news in theatrical exhibition, including the debut of Tron: Ares. Daniel Loria speaks to Cinepolis CEO Alejandro Ramirez Magana and Daniela Michel about the Morelia Film Festival, celebrated for its support of independent and global cinema. Rebecca talks to Josh Frank, the creator of Silents Synced about the upcoming Silents Synced release A Woman of the World vs Pearl Jam, arriving in theaters on November 7.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro 

01:13 Tron: Ares Review and Discussion

04:00 Upcoming Weekend Forecasts

06:01 Tracking Update: Wicked: For Good

07:03 Genre Releases – Predator: Badlands & The Running Man

07:28 Transition to Independent Cinema Segment

08:01 Interview with Alejandro Ramirez & Daniela Michel – Morelia Int’l Film Festival

09:00 Why Is It Important for Exhibitors to Support Independent Cinema?

11:00 How Did the Morelia Film Festival Begin?

14:00 How Did Mexican Cinema Rebuild Its Industry?

21:00 How Did Cinépolis’ Distribution Arm Emerge from the Festival?

23:00 What Can Audiences Expect from This Year’s Morelia Lineup?

25:55 Transition to Second Interview – Silent Synced

26:00 Who Is Josh Frank and What Is Silent Synced?

27:00 How Did the Idea to Pair Pearl Jam with A Woman of the World Begin?

29:00 What Makes This Silent Film Unique?

33:00 How Do Modern Audiences Respond to Silent Films?

37:00 What Challenges Do Independent Cinemas Face Today?

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk recap the latest news in theatrical exhibition, including a statement from the MPA on AI. They also recap the weekend box office performances of AMC Distribution’s number one three-day release of Taylor Swift | The Official Release Party of a Showgirl and the disappointing debut of A24’s The Smashing Machine. Then in the feature segment, Daniel speaks to Derek Cianfrance, the director and co-writer of Paramount Pictures’ Roofman, which arrives in theaters on October 10.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro 

01:00 Box Office Recap: Disappointing Openings

04:25 Industry Outlook & 2025 Forecasts

06:34 Excitement Builds for Wicked for Good

09:00 AI Controversy & Copyright Concerns

12:00 Feature Interview – Derek Cianfrance on Roofman

18:35 Casting Channing Tatum & Kirsten Dunst

24:00 Rebuilding the 1990s Toy Store World

29:00 Film School Lessons & Artistic Influences

34:00 The Power of Moviegoing & Shared Experience

37:00 Closing & Next Episode Preview

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk recap the opening weekend performance of Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, cover the latest news in exhibition, and preview the October slate—including the surprise addition of Taylor Swift | The Official Release Party of a Showgirl.

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro 

00:28 PTA’s One Battle After Another

01:02 Press Screening Reactions (Smashing Machine)

02:11 PTA Box Office & Career High

02:53 Warner Bros. Hot Streak

04:22 Hollywood Tariff Threats

07:55 Advisory Committee & Industry Response

08:17 October Preview Kickoff

09:07 Taylor Swift: Life of a Showgirl (AMC Event)

10:56 A24’s The Smashing Machine with Dwayne Johnson

13:37 Avatar: The Way of Water Re-Release

13:57 Daniel Day-Lewis in M&A

15:12 Horror Spotlight: Bone Lake (Bleecker Street)

16:22 Tron: Ares Preview

18:14 Paramount’s Ruman (Channing Tatum)

19:07 A24’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

19:42 Sony Faith-Based Soul on Fire

20:22 Netflix Thriller House of Dynamite

21:03 Musical Adaptation Kiss of the Spider Woman

21:54 Universal’s Black Phone 2

23:47 Lionsgate’s Good Fortune (Keanu Reeves)

24:42 Angel Studios’ Truth and Treason

25:13 Amazon/MGM’s After the Hunt

26:42 Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind

27:22 Chainsaw Man: The Movie (Anime)

28:23 Paramount’s Regretting You (Colleen Hoover)

29:02 Bruce Springsteen Biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere

31:43 Richard Linklater’s Rogers & Hart Film

32:52 Yorgos Lanthimos Sci-Fi Remake

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk recap the latest industry news, including Taylor Swift’s upcoming event cinema release and Cinema United’s announcement of the $1.5 billion that has been invested in cinemas around the country. Boxoffice Pro’s Max Evry is then joined by The Strangers – Chapter 2 director Renny Harlin to discuss the success of his horror franchise gamble and the second chapter of his Strangers trilogy, which arrives in theaters September 26th from Lionsgate. In the feature segment, Daniel Loria and Lumma’s Rolando Rodriguez recap the inaugural CineLATAM, discussing the event's success and its significance for the Latin American market.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro 

00:36 Fathom Screenings & Recent Movie Reviews

05:20 Highlights from New York Film Festival

09:21 Horror Releases & Box Office Updates

10:15 Studio Merger Rumors & Market Concerns

11:14 $1.5B Investment in Cinema Upgrades

12:45 September Box Office Trends

14:05 Upcoming Releases & Forecasts

15:02 Taylor Swift Event Cinema Announcement

18:24 Release Date Changes & New Projects

21:20 Interview: Renny Harlan on The Strangers: Chapter Two

27:10 Sponsor Message – Luma 4D

28:05 CINELATAM Recap with Rolando Rodriguez

35:30 Premium Formats & New Technology

39:55 Closing Takeaways from CINELATAM

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk recap the latest industry news, including the $70.6M debut of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which now holds the record as the highest-grossing anime title in North America. Daniel is joined in the feature segment by fifth-generation exhibitors Nathan and Jacob Schulman to discuss their family's 100-year history in the industry and Schulman Theatres’ entertainment center model, which integrates bowling and an arcade with a made from scratch menu.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro 

00:43 Baseball & Football Banter

02:13 Recent Screenings

03:28 Cine LatAm Recap Teaser

05:17 Box Office – Demon Slayer Record

07:58 Global Anime Performance

10:06 Conjuring & Anime Trends

12:05 Weekend Forecast

13:15 Jordan Peele’s Him

14:14 Remembering Robert Redford

16:41 Skydance–Warner Bros. Rumors

19:21 Schulman Theaters – Intro

21:01 Family Business & Legacy

25:01 Movie Entertainment Center Model

28:03 Small Market Strategy

29:21 COVID Recovery

30:55 Food & Beverage Expansion

32:11 Programming & Families

33:45 Premium Formats & Pricing

35:09 Audience Changes

37:08 Future Plans – Bowling, Arcades, Music

40:04 Industry Stability

42:11 Theater Design & Spaces

45:13 Arcades as Revenue

46:34 Growing Up in Theaters

This week on the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk review The Conjuring: Last Rites, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, and Caught Stealing while breaking down box office results and previewing upcoming releases like Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. They also discuss the shifting release calendar through 2027 before Daniel sits down with Julien Marcel, CEO of Cine Group and publisher of Boxoffice Pro France, to unpack Canal+’s acquisition of UGC and its impact on French and global exhibition.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro 

01:01 Movie Recaps: Conjuring Last Rites & Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

03:59 Review of Caught Stealing (Austin Butler)

07:02 Box Office Results: Conjuring Last Rites Record-Breaking Debut

12:01 Hamilton Finally Hits Theaters

15:03 Upcoming Release Preview: Demon Slayer Infinity Castle

18:17 Anime Momentum: Chainsaw Man & Sony’s Strategy

19:19 Release Calendar Shifts (2026–2027: Paw Patrol, Superman, Bluey, Star Wars, Spider-Verse, Shrek 5)

22:43 Summer 2027 Tentpole Lineup

23:39 Sponsor Message

24:02 Interview with Julien Marcel (UGC & Canal+ Deal)

25:02 UGC’s Role in French Exhibition & Distribution

26:18 Canal+ Background & Strategic Integration

28:18 French Media Windows & Canal+ Influence

30:00 Fragmented Ecosystem & Succession in French Exhibition

33:02 Outlook: French/US Pipelines, Cinema Innovation & Challenges