Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by EricJ » June 12th, 2020, 2:21 am

Randall wrote:
June 11th, 2020, 9:58 pm
Even with some states allowing theatres to open, there is still the question of what will be playing on those screens. I think the drive-ins will do well over the summer.
A few indie horror films that couldn't play "digital premieres" did well on the drive-in circuit, and Trolls: World Tour even made its way out of the box--
At least on the few drive-in theaters that weren't simply local screenings of past classic films.

It's possible that not enough chain theaters (and certainly not AMC) will be open in time for Warner's big summer-tentpole "Wonder Woman '84" rollout, so now's a good chance to see drive-ins' ability to draw first-run audiences during the summer.

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by Ben » June 12th, 2020, 4:19 am

The plan for inside theatres is to operate at 25% capacity for the first couple of weeks with some classic blockbuster reissues (but not Gone With The Wind!) and then ramp up to 50% capacity for Christopher Nolan's Tenet — which is being seen as the big test — in July, and Mulan the week later. WW84 is way off in the distance at this point.

They believe that even at 50% that these films will make the same kind of money as people will space out catching them instead of rushing on opening weekend, which is probably true because most theatres after an opening weekend operate between being 25-50% full anyway, even on big films.

Obviously it’s contingent (not contagent!) on the virus not striking back, which doesn’t look out of the question at this point, so everything could change again...

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by EricJ » June 12th, 2020, 5:31 pm

So...IF studios use the virus as an excuse to get themselves used to not making as much money (just as they were on the pre-virus Bubble of literally creating the entire industry around "Record-breaking opening weekends!", to try and make up for multiplex-saturated 5000-screen wide releases having shelf-lives of three weeks at best)...

...Maybe a change back to smaller independent 3-5 screen theaters wouldn't be as painful, with the loss of the big chains?
Back in the 80's, it took two or three MONTHS for a movie to become a smash hit, even when movies stopped traveling around theaters, and opened wide at 1500 screens.

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by Ben » June 12th, 2020, 9:00 pm

..and WW84 has been moved to October.

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by gaastra » June 25th, 2020, 10:16 pm

For the first time in a long time drive ins count for the weekly box office! Not only that but they have went back and counted the last few weeks as well!

The last 9 weeks no 1 was trolls world tour! Universal gets the last laugh! It's movie is offically no 1 for 9 weeks!

It has been topped this week. In first place is the 90s film jurassic park back in first place! In second place jaws!

Goonies, et and back to the future return to the top 10 also!

https://deadline.com/2020/06/weekend-bo ... 202966822/
1..Jurassic Park (Uni) 230 (+98) theaters, 3-day: $517,600 (+226%),lifetime cume: $404.3M /wk no. 1,411

2…Jaws (Uni) 187 theaters, 3-day: $516,300, lifetime cume: $263.9M/wk. no. 2,349

3..The Invisible Man (Uni/Blumhouse) 157 (+10) theaters, 3-day: $201,300 (-47%), cume $68.4M/Wk 17

4..Trolls World Tour (Uni) 289 (+41) theaters 3-day: $160,000 (-42%), cume: $3.9M/Wk 11

5..The Hunt (Uni) 95 (+12) theaters, 3-day: $136,700 (-40%), cume: $8.4M/Wk 15

6..Back to the Future (Uni) 122 theaters (+91), 3-day: $131,600 (-50%)/Running lifetime cume: $214.3M/wk 1,825

7. Followed (Global) 42 theaters, 3-day: $127,231/Wk 1

8..E.T. (Uni) 100 theaters (+22), 3-day: $126,100 (-35%)/lifetime cume: $435.4M/Wk 1,985

9..Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony) 97 theaters (+5) 3-day: $117,900 (-44%), cume: $323.2M/Wk 28

10..The Goonies (WB) 170 theaters (+34) 3-day: $110,850 (-28%), lifetime cume: $65.6M/Wk 1,829

So universal gets a win and 80s and 90s films are back in the top 10 box office! Next few weeks wonder woman and spider-verse as well as wizard of oz and kiki's delivery service are all getting rereleases. Kind of crazy. It also shows how big drive ins have got and is a huge win for trolls world tour! Why on earth did scoob not get a drive in release?

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by Ben » June 26th, 2020, 4:54 am

Universal also gets the win with the 80s films, of course: all those Spielberg titles (plus Invisible and Hunt) are theirs too. Only Followed, Jumanji and Goonies come from other studios. And not a Disney to be found - would have expected some classics to get another outing, but this has indeed turned out to be Universal's game!

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by gaastra » June 26th, 2020, 7:41 am

Yeah where are the classic disney movie or marvel films at the drive-ins? Dreamworks animation is missing also! WB is about to rerelease wizard of oz, harry potter, batman 89, and may release gremlins! Disney is missing.

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by EricJ » June 26th, 2020, 1:41 pm

gaastra wrote:
June 26th, 2020, 7:41 am
Yeah where are the classic disney movie or marvel films at the drive-ins? Dreamworks animation is missing also! WB is about to rerelease wizard of oz, harry potter, batman 89, and may release gremlins! Disney is missing.
With Universal now showing Trolls, Invisible Man and beloved Universal brandname franchises at the struggling local drive-ins, I suspect they were the only studio pushy enough to figure out how to still get their movies into theaters at ALL during the lockdown, and cornered the market, while the other studios were wringing their hands and waiting for the multiplexes to reopen and new production to resume.
And now, as we see, Warner has also now just caught on to the idea that people still want to go to theaters, even if it's to see some old franchise revival at a local outdoor setup, and that the only ones who'd leave the house are parents taking kids to Oz and Wonder Woman.

Disney's too busy with their Streaming Exclusives, and Sony just played it safe with their family hits, but other studios may soon catch on.


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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by Ben » July 3rd, 2020, 1:06 pm

Read this a couple of days ago...so cool an idea!

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by gaastra » July 6th, 2020, 7:08 pm

This weeks top 2 films at the american box office--

1. zootopia!

2. Avengers!

https://www.cartoonbrew.com/box-office- ... 93897.html

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by gaastra » July 12th, 2020, 8:23 pm

Empire strikes back is in first place this week!
Black panther is in 2nd
Inside out is in 3rd.


Ghostbusters, jaws and jurassic park still in the top 15 also!

https://deadline.com/2020/07/star-wars- ... 202983364/

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by Randall » July 12th, 2020, 8:42 pm

2020 is weird.

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by Ben » July 13th, 2020, 4:00 am

Oh, you’re not enjoying it?

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Re: Drive In Movies Making A Big Comeback!

Post by Randall » July 13th, 2020, 10:44 pm

I keep trying to switch off this episode of The Twilight Zone, but it's not working. On the other hand, at least it's in colour.

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