2021 Summer Movie Non-Pool7/30/21  
Three new movies this week, and the averaged reviews are solid for all of them. The audience especially loves Jungle Cruise, but day-and-date with Disney+ Premier will limit its box office to a projected $30M. Critics are gushing over The Green Knight, but the audience clearly does not agree. Me? I can't wait to see it this week. Stillwater gets approval from both.
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) Jungle Cruise - 30M (30M)
2) The Green Knight - 9.6M (9.6M)
3) Old - 7.1M (31.1M)
4) Black Widow - 6.5M (167M)
5) Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins - 5.2M (23.5M)
6) Space Jam: A New Legacy - 4.5M (61M)
7) Stillwater - 4M (4M)
8) F9: The Fast Saga - 2.9M (168.8M)
9) Escape Room: Tournament of Champions - 2.1M (20.4M)
10) The Boss Baby: Family Business - 1.7M (5.37M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
Jungle Cruise = 63% / 93%
The Green Knight = 89% / 58%
Stillwater = 75% / 71%
Theater count:
Jungle Cruise = 4,310
The Green Knight = 2,500
Stillwater = 2,513
CinemaScore ratings:
Jungle Cruise = A-
The Green Knight = C+
Stillwater = B-
- SB
7/27/21Current Top 10:
         
Old led the way with a $16M weekend, while Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins disappointingly couldn't hit even it's low projection. I saw it. It's not good.
No new entries to the Top 10, but we do have some shakeup as F9 now sits at #1 with $163M. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard is now barely hanging on at #10 with $37M.
Next Weekend: The summer keeps going with three new Wide releases in Jungle Cruise, Stillwater and The Green Knight. Critics are approving of all three, and they especially love Green Knight at 95%.
- SB 7/23/21 
While we have two new releases in Old and Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, neither is expected to do much more than $15M. That creates some minor competition with a second weekend of Space Jam 2 for the top spot. Thankfully, Black Widow will become the 3rd movie to eclipse $150M. Baby steps.
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) Old - 15.3M (15.3M)
2) Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins - 15.1M (15.1M)
3) Space Jam: A New Legacy - 14.3M (59.7M)
4) Black Widow - 12.8M (156.9M)
5) F9: The Fast Saga - 4.8M (163.4M)
6) Escape Room: Tournament of Champions - 3.7M (16.2M)
7) The Boss Baby: Family Business - 3.3M (50.7M)
8) The Forever Purge - 2.2M (40.2M)
9) A Quiet Place Part II - 1.5M (157.8M)
10) Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain - 1M (3.9M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
Old = 57% / 49%
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins = 44% / 78%
Theater count:
Old = 3,355
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins = 3,521
CinemaScore ratings:
Old = C+
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins = B-
- SB
7/20/21Current Top 10:
A new entry into the Top 10 as Space Jam: A New Legacy surpassed projections with a $31M opening, knocking off Black Widow as the #1 movie in quick fashion. In fact, Black Widow's second weekend drop of 67.8% is the largest of the MCU. Only shows how impressive that opening weekend was with day-and-date streaming competition. In the Heights finally drops out of the Top 10.
Next Weekend: Two new Wide releases in Snake Eyes and Old. Critics are already pooping on both of them.
- SB 7/17/21  
Three new movies join the summer fun, and it should be kids that really win the weekend with Space Jam: A New Legacy. Of course, it's also getting day-and-date release on HBO Max, so TBH if I were a parent I wouldn't even bother shelling out $$$ for tickets, food and drinks when I can just have them watch at home. I definitely question this strategy. I also think that the movie looks like a hot mess, and the critics seem to agree with that 31% RT rating. Only The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard rated worse this summer. Ouch. And besides... Jordan > LeBron.
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) Space Jam: A New Legacy - 26.4M (26.4M)
2) Black Widow - 25.9M (131.9M)
3) Escape Room: Tournament of Champions - 8.8M (8.8M)
4) F9: The Fast Saga - 6.6M (154.4M)
5) The Boss Baby: Family Business - 4.9M (45M)
6) The Forever Purge - 3.7M (35.7M)
7) A Quiet Place Part II - 2.3M (155.1M)
8) Cruella - 1.4M (83.8M)
9) The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard - 1.1M (37M)
10) Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain - 1M (1M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
Space Jam: A New Legacy = 31% / 83%
Escape Room: Tournament of Champions = 42% / 79%
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain = 95% / 96%
Theater count:
Space Jam: A New Legacy = 3,950
Escape Room: Tournament of Champions = 2,815
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain = 952
CinemaScore ratings:
Space Jam: A New Legacy = A-
Escape Room: Tournament of Champions = B
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain = n/a
- SB
7/12/21Current Top 10:
$80M for Black Widow is wee bit less than the projected $93M, but knowing that Disney+ streaming pulled in (reportedly) another $60M that's quite an impressive box office haul. We could already be looking at the summer's top movie... unless one thinks an August release of The Suicide Squad or Free Guy can take over. Don't forget that Top Gun: Maverick bailed on the summer back in April. A shame as I bet it would have been a threat for that top spot. As for the current Top 10, we get a bit of a shake up as three movies drop out and three new jump in.
Next Weekend: Two new Wide releases that are both sequels... Space Jam: A New Legacy and Escape Room: Tournament of Champions. Only one of them is a kids movie. The other... isn't.
- SB 7/9/21
After more than a year's wait we FINALLY get the most aniticipated movie of the summer, Black Widow. Releasing in over 4000 theaters, even with day-and-date on Disney + Premier it's still expected to pull in $90M at the box office. Both critics and audience are fans, and it's already off to a $40M Friday start. Exciting!
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) Black Widow - 93M (93M)
2) F9: The Fast Saga - 9.4M (139.7M)
3) The Boss Baby: Family Business - 8.8M (34.8M)
4) The Forever Purge - 5.7M (26.3M)
5) A Quiet Place Part II - 2.5M (150M)
6) Cruella - 1.7M (80.3M)
7) The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard - 1.5M (35M)
8) Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway - 1.3M (37.6M)
9) In the Heights - 600KM (28.3M)
10) The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - 550K (63.6M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
Black Widow = 80% / 93%
Theater count:
Black Widow = 4,160
CinemaScore ratings:
Black Widow = A-
- SB
7/6/21Current Top 10:
  
Neither The Boss Baby: Family Business nor The Forever Purge were able to crack the Top 10 after their first weekends. That's... not good. Spirit Untamed rides on for another week! Hey, you want box office progress? This year's July 4th weekend was the first time during the pandemic where ALL TEN movies grossed over $1M. Baby steps!
Next Weekend: The movie that shaped the entire box office for more than a year, as whatever movements Marvel did with Black Widow, other studios followed. Thankfully they chose to keep it in theaters for those who don't wish to pay for Disney+ Premium Access.
- SB 7/3/21  
Universal is going for the trifecta this weekend with two newcomers along with F9. The animated The Boss Baby: Family Business is only expected to do $16M due to day-and-date streaming on Peacock, while The Forever Purge is only projected at $9M, well, because the franchise is getting tired. These movies are cash cows, but hopefully they're paying attention to that B- Cinemascore. On a positive note, F9 will become only the second film to cross $100M this summer... with more hits on the way.
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) F9: The Fast Saga - 25M (118M)
2) The Boss Baby: Family Business - 16.3M (16.3M)
3) The Forever Purge - 9.6M (9.6M)
4) A Quiet Place Part II - 4.6M (144.8M)
5) The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard - 3.3M (31.8M)
6) Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway - 3.2M (35.4M)
7) Cruella - 2.9M (77M)
8) Zola - 1.6M (2.5M)
9) The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - 1.5M (62.3M)
10) In the Heights - 1.2M (26.6M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
The Boss Baby: Family Business = 49% / 90%
The Forever Purge = 46% / 77%
Zola = 86% / 75%
Theater count:
The Boss Baby: Family Business = 3,640
The Forever Purge = 3,051
Zola = 1,468
CinemaScore ratings:
The Boss Baby: Family Business = A
The Forever Purge = B-
Zola = n/a
Everyone have a SAFE and FUN holiday!
- SB
6/29/21Current Top 10:
Another weekend that slightly exceeded expectations, as F9 cruised to $70M to take over the #3 spot in the list. We're finally seeing some hits that are making the bottom-feeders drop out, and we're finally getting projected weeks of only summer movies.
That said, I'm offering my own opinion here regarding current moviegoing. To date I've seen 18 movies at AMC since re-opening last August (I love their Stubs A-List plan), and based on AMC's original policy regarding mandatory masks, limited capacity and no immediate seating next to your own I never felt uncomfortable at the theater. And to be honest I definitely enjoyed seeing movies in huge auditoriums that often felt like my own personal theater. However, my ticket purchase to see F9 Wednesday night went unused as AMC has just revised their policy to no longer mandate masks or limit audience attendance/seating. That's right, after my purchase the seat map eventually showed I had someone sitting right next to my own seat in what became a rather packed showing in the Dolby auditorium. I'm sorry, but I think it's just too soon to open back up to full seating while maskless in an indoor environment. I walked up to the theater and by the time I got to the entrance I just turned around due to the uncomfortableness of the situation. Didn't want to spend 2+ hours thinking about the unknown person coughing right next to me. So I went back last night to go see F9 in a less crowded Dolby auditorium, and the only other people in my row were like 15 seats to the left and 4 seats to the right. That felt much better... except for the mom + 2 younger kids to my right who felt it necessary to talk and noisely rummage through their snack wrappers and candy packages throughout the entire movie. Thanks for ruining the experience for others. Ugh I liked it so much better when it was just me in there. Looks like going forward I'm going to have to be more selective in my movie times and seat selections.
Next Weekend: We get both ends of the spectrum with the animated The Boss Baby: Family Business going against The Forever Purge. I'll pass on both.
- SB 6/25/21
Took a little vacay and now I'm back with some catch-up updates. Enjoy!
Another single Wide release... and this one is a biggun. $69M for F9: The Fast Saga would be the biggest opening yet during this pandemic, but I'm a bit surprised to see an audience score of 84% and a CinemaScore of B+ knowing just how hungry kids are to go see this kind of action. It looks so stupid... and yet I'll still go see it :D
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) F9: The Fast Saga - 67M (67M)
2) A Quiet Place Part II - 6.6M (137M)
3) The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard - 4.8M (26M)
4) Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway - 4.7M (28.5M)
5) Cruella - 3.5M (70.8M)
6) The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - 3M (59M)
7) In the Heights - 2.4M (24.3M)
8) Spirit Untamed - 900K (15.6M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
F9: The Fast Saga = 61% / 84%
Theater count:
F9: The Fast Saga = 4,179
CinemaScore ratings:
F9: The Fast Saga = B+
- SB
6/21/21Current Top 10:
Slightly better performance than projected for The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard with $16M, but still a disappointment for a movie that nobody really asked to be made. Would have much preferred to have seen Ryan Reynolds' Free Guy get this summer slot instead, but I guess they made Hitman the sacrificial lamb with next week's release.
Next Weekend: We should see the biggest pandemic-opening yet with F9: The Fast Saga. Get ready for braincells to die!
- SB 6/17/21
Just one Wide release this week, and only $15M in 5 days for The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard when it's not even doing day-and-date streaming is not very promising. The critics definitely hate it.
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard - 9.7M (15M)
2) A Quiet Place Part II - 9.2M (124.9M)
3) The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - 6.7M (55.9M)
4) Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway - 6.3M (20.8M)
5) In the Heights - 6.1M (22.4M)
6) Cruella - 4.8M (64.5M)
7) Spirit Untamed - 1.5M (13.7M)
8) 12 Mighty Orphans - 750K (1.1M)
9) The Sparks Brothers - 650K (650K)
10) Wrath of Man - 425K (26.8M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard = 27% / 79%
Theater count:
The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard = 3,300
CinemaScore ratings:
The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard = B
- SB
6/14/21Current Top 10:
HUGE letdown for In the Heights, as it did less than half of its original projection ($11M vs. $24M). Even HBO Max idenified sub-par streaming viewings over the weekend (less than 700K households). Simply not the turnout WB expected. So bad, in fact, that Peter Rabbit 2 at $10M nearly out-grossed it. The actual winner of the weekend was AQP2 with another $12M, eclipsing $100M along the way. Summer 2021 success!
Next Weekend: The only Wide release makes an early appearance, as The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard opens on Wednesday. More time for more bucks.
- SB 6/12/21 
Time for some feel-good movies, as we get a hit musical and a family film this weekend. Once again we get the day-and-date treatment with In the Heights also being available on HBO Max. Boxoffice thinks it will do $24M, but we've already seen movies with this format exceed expectations. Both critics and audience seem to adore it. The audience also loves Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, which is projected to pull in $13M.
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) In the Heights - 24.2M (24.2M)
2) Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway - 13.2M (13.2M)
3) A Quiet Place Part II - 10.5M (107.9M)
4) The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - 9.4M (43M)
5) Cruella - 7M (56.3M)
6) Spirit Untamed - 3M (11.5M)
7) Wrath of Man - 700K (26.1M)
9) Spiral - 500K (22.9M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
In the Heights = 96% / 96%
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway = 69% / 91%
Theater count:
In the Heights = 3,456
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway = 3,346
CinemaScore ratings:
In the Heights = A
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway = n/a
- SB
6/7/21Current Top 10:
 
Both The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It ($24.0M) and Spirit Untamed ($6.2M) joined the Top 10, with the former exceeding projections by 25%. Take THAT HBO Max! But like nearly all horror movies it should fade pretty quickly. No threat to the top movie on the list, as we may just see AQP2 hit $100M by next Sunday.
Next Weekend: Now that we've gotten horror out of the way, we finally get the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway hit In the Heights. Also, kiddos get another one with Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.
- SB 6/3/21 
Two new releases, and it's new horror vs. old horror this weekend. Unfortunately for The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, its day-and-date arrangement with HBO Max will keep the box office grosses in check. And look at that... the kids finally get in on the summer with the DreamWorks animation Spirit Untamed. Joy.
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) A Quiet Place Part II - 22M (90.4M)
2) The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - 19.2M (19.2M)
3) Cruella - 11.7M (43.8M)
4) Spirit Untamed - 7.2M (7.2M)
6) Wrath of Man - 1.3M (24.7M)
7) Spiral - 1.1M (22M)
10) Dream Horse - 300K (2.4M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It = 62% / n/a
Spirit Untamed = 48% / 100%
Theater count:
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It = 3,100
Spirit Untamed = 3,211
CinemaScore ratings:
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It = B+
Spirit Untamed = A
- SB
6/1/21Current Top 10:
To no surprise, both A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella took over the top spots in the Top 10. Great to see both movies exceed expectations, particularly AQP2 hitting $57M over the extended weekend. Will be interesting to see if it has legs in a summer like this. I did see Cruella at the theater, and I enjoyed it MUCH more than I thought I would.
Next Weekend: We get both ends of the spectrum with the horror franchise The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and the animated Spirit Untamed. I'll pass on both, as this will make for a good week to go see AQP2 in Dolby (but I first need to see the original).
- SB 5/28/21 
TWO blockbusters open this weekend, which is fantastic to see! This Memorial Weekend looks exciting with both A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella finally being released, as both critics and audiences are impressed. AQP2 was originally scheduled for Spring 2020, and the buzz today is just as big as it was then. Cruella was originally scheduled for Christmas 2020 before shifting to Summer 2021, but unlike AQP2 it is getting the day-and-date Disney+ Premier treatment. Naturally, that is going to negatively impact box office $$$, and we all remember the heat Disney took when they started this trend with Mulan. Pretty easy to tell which flick will end the weekend at #1.
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) A Quiet Place Part II - 42M (51M)
2) Cruella - 17.5M (22M)
3) Spiral - 1.9M (19.4M)
4) Wrath of Man - 1.8M (21.8M)
6) Those Who Wish Me Dead - 1M (7.4M)
9) Dream Horse - 475K (1.5M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
A Quiet Place Part II = 90% / 95%
Cruella = 73% / 96%
Theater count:
A Quiet Place Part II = 3,726
Cruella = 3,892
CinemaScore ratings:
A Quiet Place Part II = A-
Cruella = A
Everyone have a SAFE and FUN Memorial Day weekend!!
- SB
5/25/21Current Top 10:
Spiral takes #1 this weekend... but is still #2 in our hearts. Nothing new of note over $1M total as the Top 10 has no changes.
Next Weekend: FINALLY it's blockbuster time with both A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella!! Looking forward to seeing how moviegoers respond over the long holiday weekend.
- SB 5/22/21
Only one new release of note, and it's not expected to make much of an impact at less than $1M. But the critics and audience love it. Gotta wait another week for a biggie.
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) Spiral - 4M (15.3M)
2) Wrath of Man - 3M (18.9M)
3) Those Who Wish Me Dead - 1.8M (5.5M)
8) Dream Horse - 800K (800K)
9) Finding You - 550K (1.8M)
10) Profile - 425K (1.4M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
Dream Horse = 90% / 97%
Theater count:
Dream Horse = 1,256
CinemaScore ratings:
Dream Horse = n/a
- SB
5/18/21Current Top 10:
Wrath of Man makes it a repeat in the #1 spot with a grand total of $14.5M. Watch out! Spiral was a disappointment earning only $8M against the projected $14M. But you know what WASN'T a disappointment? The Top Gun re-release in Dolby Atmos at AMC! Aggressive soundtrack. Jets screaming throughout the auditorium. Harold Faltermeyer's synth score bounding off the walls. Kenny Loggins never sounded so good!
Next Weekend: Ehhhh it's going to be more of the same as we don't get any new major releases. Just be patient...
- SB 5/15/21   
Week 2 of Summer Redux tests the waters on the horror front, giving us a spinoff from the Saw franchise. Spiral opens on 2,800+ screens and is projected to do double digits. That's big time right now, but the critics aren't being very nice to it. One surprise we get this weekend is the (moderate) box office release of Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead, in theaters one week before it hits Netflix. BoxOffice.com doesn't even know how to project it right now, as "there is no present confirmation that box office grosses will be reported." So they're slotting it between 2M and 3.5M. Frustratingly it's only playing at Cinemark theaters, and I'm an AMC guy. I guess I'll be waiting a bit.
For my money I'm going to see the Dolby re-release of Top Gun. Danger Zone!
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) Spiral - 14.8M (14.8M)
2) Wrath of Man - 3.5M (14.4M)
3) Army of the Dead - ???M (???M)
4) Those Who Wish Me Dead - 2M (2M)
9) Profile - 1.1M (1.1M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
Spiral = 39% / 76%
Army of the Dead = 67% / 93%
Those Who Wish Me Dead = 63% / 84%
Profile = 61% / 76%
Theater count:
Spiral = 2,811
Army of the Dead = 600
Those Who Wish Me Dead = 2,900
Profile = 2,033
CinemaScore ratings:
Spiral = B-
Army of the Dead = n/a
Those Who Wish Me Dead = B
Profile = B
- SB
5/11/21Current Top 10:
$8.1M for Wrath of Man is a nice start to the summer considering that Guy Ritchie's prior effort (The Gentlemen) opened to $10.6M back in pre-shutdown January 2020. For additional reference, Nobody opened to $6.8M in March. Fingers are crossed for a full summer of movies.
Next Weekend: Four Wide releases including the Saw-spinoff, Spiral.
- SB 5/8/21 
Hey all! We don't have an active pool this summer due to the continued volatility of the movie industry... but I'll still track the box office as if we were playing. This will be fun keeping tabs on 2021 summer movies, and help prep for SMP 2022. Will track movies that go Wide release and those that earn $1M+. Enjoy!
Wrath of Man is getting some big time love from the Audience. Guy Ritchie + Jason Statham = I'm there!
Boxoffice.com's predictions for this weekend:
1) Wrath of Man - 7.7M (7.7M)
8) Here Today - 0.8M (0.8M)
Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings (Critics / Audience Score):
Wrath of Man = 67% / 93%
Here Today = 49% / 96%
Theater count:
Wrath of Man = 2,875
Here Today = 1,200
CinemaScore ratings:
Wrath of Man = A-
Here Today = n/a
- SB
4/1/21Hey all! Well, with the news of the major markets New York and Los Angeles finally opening their doors to moviegoers we really hoped to make the SMP happen this year... but thanks to Box Office Mojo joining forces with IMDbPro our website's automated box office calculations are no longer functional. Grrrrr. And without those weekly figures our site cannot process movie rankings for our Standings. At least, not at the moment. We have a crack team looking into this... but based on where things stand today we unfortunately just won't be able to properly run the SMP in 2021. And that's a real shame as interest among participants was growing in recent weeks, even with the expectation that streaming was going to cut into the box office grosses. Just look at this week's release of Godzilla vs. Kong, as even with it now available on HBOMax it's still projected to do $22M over the weekend for a domestic total of $35M in 5 days. And that's after an international gross of $123M last weekend. AMC theaters in LA are reporting sold out showings (largely due to their limited capacity rules), and I'm seeing the same here at my local AMC. Many folks are itching to go back to seeing movies at the theater, and distributors are doing their part to make the experience as safe as possible.
Since our last post we have seen Disney (again!) bump Black Widow back a couple months to July 9 AND announce day-and-date (Premium) streaming on Disney+. Same for Cruella on 5/28. Free Guy also jumped back a couple months to 8/13. But you know what? They're all still summer movies just waiting to be watched on the big screen. Minions 2, however, did bail on summer 2021 completely and is now planned for 2022. The 2021 summer schedule is admittedly a bit thin, but there are still expected hits in A Quiet Place Part II, F9: The Fast Saga, Top Gun: Maverick and Jungle Cruise. I know I'll be seeing all of them :)
While we won't be able to submit picks this summer, and we won't be tracking full automated standings on the site, we still plan to provide weekly updates on the Home Page just as we used to. I'm personally looking forward to getting back into the swing of things here, so stay tuned for the first posting of box office projections in early May. See you soon!
- SB 2/2/21Hello everyone!! Taking a moment to check in and see how our friends have all been since we last spoke. 2020 will forever be one of the very worst years in our lifetimes. This pandemic has impacted each of us in different ways, and we hope that each person here has been able to effectively manage the crisis, is healthy, and is safe!
As we all are aware, the theater industry came to a grinding halt just prior to Summer 2020... but there became signs of life as certain markets opened back up starting in August. The theater chains that were able to survive the summer lockdowns devised plans to help protect their customer base, to then lure in moviegoers with re-releases of older hit films. The 10th anniversary of Inception in IMAX became the first big attempt re-introduce normalcy.
Personally speaking, I was excited for theaters to open back up. The concerns with going back into an indoor environment with other customers were very real, but my own mindset was that if my own city wasn't struggling, and AMC could both introduce and enforce rules for safety (including masks, social distancing, and limited ticket sales), AND I could sit away from the crowd in only large auditoriums, I would be fine. And if I didn't like what I was seeing... I was outta there. Here in northeast Florida AMC finally re-opened in late August, and I was there to see Inception in IMAX. And quite honsestly to my surprise... I was the ONLY person there for that showing. One seat filled smack in the center of a giant empty IMAX auditoroum. The theater itself was a ghost-town, and I couldn't tell if it was due to the pandemic or the fact that the movie was a re-release. Fast forward two more days and I'm seeing the longggg-delayed The New Mutants in a crowd of about 40 people. But just as AMC had designed, once you select your seat no one else can sit right next to you in any direction. Being masked up in my private bubble of empty seats, I felt more confident that this would work. Later that week... Tenet. The next night... Raiders of the Lost Ark (my #1 favorite movie of all time). Honest Thief. Wonder Woman. Die Hard (top-5 all time movie for me). Wonder Woman 1984. Monster Hunter. Alien.
The movies originally scheduled for Summer 2020 saw many different destinations, with streaming becoming the most controversial, particularly when it came to the decision of Premium Video On Demand (Mulan). Some studios cashed in quickly to ensure some kind of revenue (Greyhound), others held firm to a theatrical release no matter the financial consequences (Tenet), while others continue to resist the temptation of streaming to ensure future box office grosses (Black Widow). Distributors have not been thrilled (to say the least) with the decision-making of some studios, and an attempt to please most everyone was the strategy for WW84 opening 'day and date' with theatrical + HBO Max. Based on that "success" there is now a long-term plan for 2021 Warner Bros. movies to be released with the same rollout. Good for both HBO Max customers and moviegoers.
Below was our list of 2020 Summer movies and where they eventially wound up. Many of these are currently listed for Summer 2021, so we'll see how that shakes out.
Mulan (orig 3/9/20) -> 7/24/20 -> 8/21/20 -> Disney+ PVOD 9/4/20
Black Widow (5/1/20) -> 11/6/20 -> 5/7/21
Greyhound (5/8/20) -> 6/12/20 -> Apple TV+ 7/10/20
The Woman In the Window (5/15/20) -> Netflix 2021
Scoob! (5/15/20) - HBO Max 6/26/20
The Spongebob Movie: Sponge On the Run (5/22/20) -> 8/14/20 ($4.8M) + PVOD 2021
F9 (5/22/20) -> 4/2/21 -> 5/28/21
Wonder Woman 1984 (6/5/20) -> 10/2/20 -> 12/25/20 ($39.2M) + HBO Max
Soul (6/19/20) -> 11/20/20 -> Disney+ 12/25/20
Top Gun: Maverick (6/26/20) -> 12/23/20 -> 7/2/21
In the Heights (6/26/20) - 6/18/21 + HBO Max
Free Guy (7/3/20) -> 12/11/20 -> 5/21/21
Minions: The Rise of Gru (7/3/20) -> 7/2/21
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (7/10/20) -> 3/5/21 -> 6/11/21 -> 11/11/21
Tenet (7/17/20) -> 7/31/20 -> 8/12/20 -> 9/3/20 ($57.9M)
Jungle Cruise (7/24/20) -> 7/30/21
Morbius (7/10/20) -> 7/31/20 -> 3/19/21 -> 10/8/21 -> 1/21/22
Bill & Ted Face the Music (8/21/20) -> 8/14/20 -> 8/28/20 -> 9/1/20 -> 8/27/20 ($3.4M) + PVOD
With 2020 now behind us and vaccinations in effect, there is hope that we will have a Summer 2021 season. But we have a long way to go before it can be determined if there will be a SMP 2021. At this moment I count approx. 20 summer movies that are SMP-worthy... but it remains to be seen if they will hold their dates. We will let this play out a bit longer before making a decision, so keep your fingers crossed!
With so much sadness, anxiety and frustration all around us these days, we plan to do our best to make this movie site as enjoyable as possible as an escape from the madness :D
- SB | 