Boxoffice Podcast

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, brought to you by Arts Alliance Media, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk discuss the success of Warner Bros.’ Minecraft, this weekend’s release of Sinners, and Blumhouse’s annual Halfway to Halloween Film Festival. In the feature segment, the executive director of The Cinema Foundation, Bryan Braunlich, shares more about the upcoming @ the Movies initiative ‘Sneak Peek Showcase’, previewing exclusive content to audiences nationwide on April 22nd and 24th.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro

00:56 Last Movie Watched: Sinners (IMAX)

02:52 Box Office Outlook for Sinners

03:40 Daniel’s Theater Visit in Philadelphia

04:44 Minecraft’s Box Office and Chicken Jockey Craze

05:45 Handling Rowdy Theater Behavior

07:10 Audience Participation and Jack Black’s Surprise Visit

09:08 Halfway to Halloween: Interactive Horror Screenings

10:44 Tech in Theaters: Second-Screen Experience Debate

12:50 Alamo Drafthouse Strike Ends

14:56 Sneak Peek Showcase Overview with Brian Brown Lake

16:33 Structure and Goals of the Showcase

18:12 Exclusive Content and Audience Warnings

20:20 Measuring Success with QR Data

21:48 Future Vision for Sneak Peek Showcase

24:52 A Celebration of Cinema

This week on the Boxoffice podcast, brought to you by Arts Alliance Media, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle, and Chad Kennerk discuss the impact of A Minecraft Movie's $163M domestic opening, boosting the March box office to nearly $400M, and the movie's $313M global launch. The Cinema Foundation's @ the Movies initiative ‘Sneak Peek Showcase’ will preview upcoming films to audiences nationwide on April 22nd and 24th, with $3 tickets supporting industry charities. In the feature segment, Daniel speaks to Marcus Corporation CEO Greg Marcus, to discuss the major topics of CinemaCon 2025, including the push for a minimum 45-day film exclusivity window.

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

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro

01:00 Minecraft Movie Sparks Box Office Revival

03:30 Record-Breaking Numbers Across North America

04:45 Premium Formats Drive Audience Interest

06:00 Global Box Office Performance for Minecraft

07:15 The Cinema Foundation’s ‘At the Movies’ Preview Initiative

08:30 Exclusive Trailers & Behind-the-Scenes Previews Nationwide

09:30 Final Destination: Bloodlines Trailer Reactions

10:30 Immersive Theater Concepts & Themed Auditoriums

11:00 Greg Marcus Interview Introduction

12:00 Thoughts on 45-Day Minimum Theatrical Window

13:30 Data-Backed Argument for Longer Windows

15:00 Marketing Challenges & Changing Consumer Habits

16:00 Trailer Cap Concerns & Pre-Show Time Limitations

17:30 CapEx Investments in Theaters Across the U.S.

18:30 Economic Sustainability in Exhibition Business

20:30 Challenges with Studio Economics & Streaming Pressure

21:45 How to Incentivize Longer Windows from Studios

23:00 Can Amazon/MGM Fill the Fox-Sized Gap in Release Slates?

24:30 Netflix’s Limited IMAX Window Strategy Critique

26:00 Making the Pie Bigger – Why Theatrical Still Matters

27:00 CinemaCon 2025 Recap: Takeaways & Industry Optimism

28:00 Greg Marcus Goes Viral – Social Media & Cinema Promotion

In the sixth and final episode of the CinemaCon 2025 Boxoffice podcast series, brought to you by TAPOS, co-hosts Daniel Loria and Chad Kennerk are joined by J. Sperling Reich of Celluloid Junkie and Chris Randleman Chief Revenue Officer of Flix Entertainment to discuss the final day of CinemaCon, including studio presentations from Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Studios, as well as the Wednesday evening presentation from Amazon MGM Studios. Then Rebecca Pahle is joined in the sponsored segment by Alan Roe, the CEO of Jacro and TAPOS, to discuss the evolution of cinema concepts and the company’s collaborative commitment to the cinema industry. The feature segment highlights the CinemaCon 2025 international day panel Globally Speaking: Different Perspectives, One Common Goal. Moderated by Cinema United President & CEO Michael O’Leary, the panel includes Jeff Goldstein, the President of Global Distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures; Alejandro Ramírez Magaña, the CEO of Cinépolis; Tim Richards, the Founder & CEO of Vue; and Mark Viane, the President of International Distribution at Paramount Pictures.

In the fifth episode of the CinemaCon 2025 Boxoffice podcast series, brought to you by TAPOS, co-hosts Daniel Loria and Chad Kennerk are joined by Eric Kohn, the artistic director of Southampton Playhouse to discuss the studio presentations from Angel Studios and Universal Pictures/Focus Features. In the feature segment Rebecca Pahle speaks to International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) President Mark Mayfield of Meyer Sound about the growing interest in software technology, network interconnectivity, and AI in cinema operations.

In the fourth episode of the CinemaCon 2025 Boxoffice podcast series, brought to you by TAPOS, co-hosts Daniel Loria and Chad Kennerk discuss the State of the Industry address and the news from the Lionsgate and Warner Bros. presentations. In the sponsor segment, Daniel is joined by executives from ICE Theaters to discuss the premium format and a record-breaking 2024. Daniel is then joined in the feature segment by the Global Cinema Federation’s Jane Hastings, the CEO of EVT, to discuss GCF’s latest study on moviegoing trends. 

In the third episode of the CinemaCon 2025 Boxoffice podcast series, brought to you by TAPOS and Barco, co-hosts Daniel Loria and Chad Kennerk are joined by Alexander DelVecchio, the general manager of Rutgers Cinema to discuss the first full day of CinemaCon 2025 and the evening studio presentation from Sony Pictures. In the feature segment, Daniel is joined by EF&B/NAC President Rob Novak, the President of Marcus Theatres, to discuss the evolving food and beverage industry.

In the second episode of the CinemaCon 2025 Boxoffice podcast series, brought to you by TAPOS and Barco, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle and Chad Kennerk discuss the biggest topics and questions facing exhibition as the industry gathers for CinemaCon 2025. Then Daniel is joined in the feature segment by Vue International Founder and CEO Tim Richards CBE, the recipient of this year’s award for Global Achievement in Exhibition, to discuss his career and the investment Vue is making in cinema renovations, AI-driven programming, and new distribution strategies.

In the first of our CinemaCon 2025 Boxoffice podcast series, brought to you by TAPOS, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle and Chad Kennerk are joined by guest analyst Andrew Marszal of AFP to discuss what they hope to see from the studio presentations at this year’s CinemaCon. Then Daniel is joined by The Boxoffice Company’s CEO Stan Ruszkowski and Marine Suttle, the managing director of Boost to discuss the company's mission to build and connect global audiences to movie experiences through data, tech, and media. In the feature segment, Cinema United President and CEO Michael O'Leary joins Daniel to preview CinemaCon 2025, the largest and most important gathering for the worldwide motion picture industry.

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

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro

02:15 State of the Industry

08:30 Major Studio Presentations to Watch

14:45 Independent & Specialty Films at CinemaCon

20:20 Technology & Innovation in Exhibition

26:50 The Evolution of Theater Chains

33:15 The Role of Event Cinema & Special Screenings

38:50 Interview: Michael O’Leary (Cinema United)

47:20 Marketing Strategies for 2025 Releases

53:10 Predictions for the Biggest Box Office Hits of 2025

58:30 Key Takeaways & Final Thoughts

In this episode of the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle and Chad Kennerk discuss the latest box office and exhibition news, including this week’s announcement that the National Association of Theatre Owners has rebranded as Cinema United. In the second UKCA edition of the Boxoffice Podcast, Sharon Reid, the director of marketing and partnerships at Cinema First, joins Daniel in the feature segment to discuss the organization's role in promoting UK cinema attendance.

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

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro

01:05 Oscars Recap

02:01 A24’s “Anora” Wins

02:46 Conan O’Brien on Theatrical

03:35 Biggest Surprises

04:49 Limited Recognizability?

06:37 Balancing Act

09:06 A Bit of Both

11:50 Top Moments

13:19 James Bond

15:59 NATO Reacts to A24’s Oscar

16:59 Trailers

17:54 March Box Office Preview

25:00 Interview with Shankweiler’s

27:49 The Decision to Become Owners

30:04 Finding Shankweiler’s

34:49 Valuable Lesson

36:51 Doubling Admissions

40:00 Programming

44:00 Audience

45:58 Concessions

55:22 The Future of Independent Cinemas

In this episode of the Boxoffice podcast, co-hosts Daniel Loria, Rebecca Pahle and Chad Kennerk discuss this weekend’s upcoming releases and the recent re-release of Purple Rain in Dolby Cinema at AMC. Chad talks to Dan Berk and Robert Olson, the directors behind Paramount Pictures’ Novocaine, which hits theaters March 14th. Then Daniel is joined by the UK Cinema Association’s Phil Clapp to discuss the UKCA’s annual conference, taking place on March 18th-19th.

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

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro

01:00 Off-Peak Movie Success: Purple Rain Re-Release

03:00 This Weekend’s Movie Releases

05:00 The Appeal of Novocaine: A Pain-Free Action Comedy

06:07 Interview: Novocaine Directors Dan Burke and Robert Olson

14:02 The Return of Character-Driven Action Films

16:00 The Deeper Message: Embracing Differences

18:05 Experiencing Novocaine in 4DX

19:15 The Unexpected Importance of Pie in Novocaine

21:10 Reflecting on the Directors’ Journey

23:20 Formative Moviegoing Experiences

25:00 UK Cinema Industry Outlook with Phil Clapp

27:05 Addressing Industry Challenges

29:10 Engaging Young Audiences

32:20 Learning from Wicked’s Box Office Success

35:00 Cross-Industry Marketing Lessons

37:10 Enhancing the Cinema Experience on a Budget

40:00 The Future of Cinema Technology

42:10 AI in Cinema: A Growing Conversation

46:00 Subscription Models for Small Cinemas

50:00 Sustainability in the Cinema Industry