In the midst of a perceived superhero slump, one hero rises above all others (including an overperformer from ancient Greece two weeks prior) to become the pinnacle of what the blockbuster summer genre has to…
Early Movers: Is The Hunger Games Still a Blockbuster IP?
Hollywood is well aware that the defining franchises of the last several decades are showing signs of wear and tear. Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Jurassic Park, Fast & Furious—even the Minions are not immune to…
The World Cup and ‘The Odyssey’ Wanted the Same Audience. Both Won
There are two unshakable realities that help determine a company’s success or failure: both consumer attention and disposable income are terrifyingly limited resources. Without an endless supply of either, the sports and film industries attempt…
Tracking Schedule – Week of 7/20
The chart below shows the films that are scheduled to be fielded this week. Titles one through eight are set, nine and 10 are subject to change if an unexpected event disrupts the schedule. If…
Weekend Preview: The Data Behind The Odyssey’s IMAX Moment
This weekend marks the release of one of the most anticipated films of the year, The Odyssey from Christopher Nolan. Although anticipated in cinephile circles, without an established superhero IP or a Barbie boost, The…
Weekend Preview: ‘Moana’ & the Problem With Converting the Country
Awareness is a huge priority in the film industry, for better or for worse. In a practical sense, a film’s awareness establishes the immediate audience scope. Moviegoers who turnout for a film are only going…
The World Cup’s Invisible Audience
FX President John Landgraf, widely considered one of the best executives in small screen history, once said 80% of television viewing is lean back and only 20% is lean-forward. What he meant was that the…
Weekend Preview: ‘Supergirl’ and the New Comic Box Office Reality
Last year saw the start of James Gunn’s new DC cinematic universe with Superman, which became the highest grossing comic book movie of the year ($354 million domestic). In 2026, Marvel retaliates by bringing in…
Weekend Preview: Can ‘Toy Story 5’ Go to Infinity & Beyond at the Box Office?
It’s easy to say Toy Story 5 will open to big dollars without any data. Death, taxes and blockbuster box office for this franchise are facts of life. Like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the…
Weekend Preview: ‘Disclosure Day’ Tests if Steven Spielberg Still Has His Base
If the King of Blockbusters can’t get a summer tentpole film into blockbuster-metric territory, then is the film heading for a disaster day rather than “Disclosure Day”? No, as long as the metrics still appear…