In this week’s episode of The Boxoffice Podcast, Rebecca Pahle and Jesse Rifkin discuss a quiet post-Thanksgiving weekend, which saw Disney’s Encanto maintain its top placement amid a slate of specialty releases. 

In the feature segment, Daniel Loria speaks to director Sean Baker about his latest film, Red Rocket, a dark comedy film that follows the life of a washout porn star and his ticket back into the porn industry through an intrigued teenage girl.

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Episode Resources:

• Encanto Remains No. 1 w/ $12.7M Over Slow Post-Thanksgiving Frame

What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:01 Special screenings for West Side Story and The Tragedy of Macbeth
• 02:38 Encanto maintained its top spot
• 07:03 Funaimation’s Sword Art Online Progressive debuts at the tenth spot 
• 10:13 New specialty titles 
• 13:06 Awards season
• 15:27 Red Rocket is a dark comedy film
• 17:12 When was Red Rocket conceptualized?
• 21:37 A realistic teenager intrigued by the idea of prostitution
• 26:29 Is there a parallel between the adult industry and theatrical distribution
• 29:58 Helping films to find their own audience
• 31:34 Releasing a dark comedy film during the recovery period