Now that it's officially been 4 years since America was shut down by the pandemic, Ken creates a new strategy in order to have the podcast hosts put it behind them for good. He, Codi and Kyle discuss the great opening of Dune Part 2, but question why a third movie hasn't been announced yet. Plus, in honor of the Oscars coming this weekend, the OTB Podcast awards come back for its second year with all new categories!

After a rough few months, the hosts of the podcast are over the moon for Dune Part 2 opening this weekend. The three of them bring their predictions for what the opening gross could be, and how things could play out in its entire theatrical run. Codi and Kyle also discuss Lionsgate making a live-action movie of the anime, Naruto, while Ken wishes he could be anywhere else to avoid the nerd talk.

We are just days away from the release of Dune Part 2, which will bring the industry's mood back up after weeks of underwhelming movies. But that doesn't mean everything is perfect, after Kyle and Ken take note of IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) starting to hint at a possible strike. Kyle also gives his thoughts on Drive-Away Dolls and an upcoming April release called Sasquatch Sunset.

Kyle informs Codi and Ken that Regal has been playing less trailers than usual at their theaters, so speculating begins on if other chains will follow. Kyle also gives a quick review of the upcoming horror movie Immaculate, while also addressing his disappointment with Lisa Frankenstein's box office. The three also discuss the new trailers that came from the Super Bowl.

The hosts have noticed some theaters being unsure of playing Dune Part 2 at their theaters, so they break down the reasons why it will perform better than the previous movie. They also talk about the surprise announcement of Moana 2 and if studios may be scheming to sign AI companies rather than sue them.

Kyle gives a glowing review of American Fiction, which emphasizes that now is the time to be playing the movie in theaters after it received many Academy Award nominations. On top of that, he, Codi and Ken bring up stories of filmmakers like Doug Liman and Jordan Peele, who go the extra mile in supporting theatrical exhibition over streaming.

Codi, Kyle, and Ken are usually not fans of the Oscars, but there could be one or two titles from their recently announced nominees that could benefit movie theaters. Codi and Ken also take a moment to discuss why there are so many re-releases of previously released films this month and the annoyances that come with booking them. Kyle also gives shout outs to under the radar gems that theaters may want to book.

Codi, Kyle and Ken talk about Tom Cruise and his production company moving onto the Warner Bros. lot to develop original movies and franchises for movie theaters. Speaking of Warner Bros, they made a few changes on the release schedule that could lead to shake ups in the first quarter of 2024. The podcast crew also discusses the news of National Popcorn Day coming January 19th, and the problem with Star Wars currently.

After coming back from the Christmas break, Kyle gets to gush to Ken over how amazing The Iron Claw is. And the both of them arrive into the New Year celebrating the success that came from the Christmas box office, which could be an indicator on how the industry will progress forward. They also speak about a film company's CEO's comments on its current state and how dead on the money he was.

Codi, Kyle and Ken celebrate the end of the year by looking forward in the first quarter of 2024 for what the best movies could be for theaters, as well as talk about what changes in behavior there could be for moviegoers. They also have to keep the sky from falling as they bring up the rumors of Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures potentially merging.