Pvolve’s Post

JULY 4TH AM UPDATE: Illumination/Universal’s Despicable Me 4 came in a little lighter than spotted, but strong enough at $27M at 4,030 theaters. While 5-day forecasts are always hard to project this far off, everything becomes clear by Friday. Even at this level, the fourth chapter of Gru/sixth Minions title could still see a $70M 3-day and $120M 5-day. Interest in this bunch hasn’t waned yet for audiences who gave it an A CinemaScore, the same grade as chapters 1 and 2, and a notch above Despicable Me 3’s A-. Overall it’s the fifth A for the Minions/Despicable Me franchise.

- Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management are in talks to acquire Paramount Global, with a bid of $26 billion. - Paramount Global's special committee allowed an exclusivity period with Skydance to expire, indicating a shift in negotiations dynamics. - The potential acquisition would create a Hollywood powerhouse, combining Sony Pictures' vast entertainment portfolio with Paramount Global's iconic franchises. To know more, read the full article on #theenterprise #SonyPictures #ApolloGlobalManagement #ParamountGlobal #Acquisition #MediaIndustry #Entertainment #Hollywood #SkydanceMedia #BoxOffice #globalbusiness #theenterprisenews #followformore #global #finance

To succeed in this business, you have to provide what audiences *want to see* in theaters. In a post Covid-19 & post Hollywood strikes landscape especially, now is not the time to take box office gambles. "Content is king", and the studios should double down on this focus to continue the theatrical recovery we have been observing. #BoxOffice #Studios #Forecasts #Movies #BusinessIntelligence #MovieTheaters

This week’s long range forecast brings another major franchise release set to hit theaters in March as the box office outlook steadies following a rough start to 2024. Can GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE live up to (or exceed) the brand's recent performances? At present, models point to a domestic start of $35 million or more. Additionally, my tracking models are showing a slight uptick in DUNE: PART TWO's potential. The film's review embargo lifted earlier this week, currently sitting at a stellar 98 percent from 132 Rotten Tomatoes critics. DUNE's pre-sales continue to be front-loaded and premium screen-heavy, but with one week before release, the snowballing momentum could be enough to bring in more casual audiences for the sci-fi epic. I'm currently expecting a debut likely north of $70 million domestically next weekend, with potential to reach $80 million+ depending on how the next few days ago. Full GHOSTBUSTERS analysis and updated forecasts at the link below. The Boxoffice Company Boxoffice Pro Sony Pictures Entertainment Warner Bros. Pictures #ghostbusters #dune #boxoffice #movies #cinema #theaters #film #entertainment #trendingonlinkedin #trending #trendingnews #trendingtopics

Lots of great movies coming out this summer, but this is going to be THE movie of the summer!! Let's talk about your ad running onscreen in front of all of them! #mediabuying #mediaplanning #Mediaadagency #solarmarketing #utilitiesmarketing

No surprise here that Disney+ isn’t interested in more of this, even if it comes from such an important franchise. As Jimmy Doyle reported last month utilizing Luminate data, Acolyte is the latest indication of diminishing returns from the streaming-first phase into which Star Wars has been steered. https://lnkd.in/gZmq2JcV And that’s not just bad news for Disney+. The studio was counting on streaming iterations like Acolyte to keep the franchise warm until its big return in 2026 to theaters, where Star Wars will be coming off a much-needed 7-year rest after some bad outings (I don’t remember The Last Jedi either). The Star Wars franchise has some big long-term strategic questions to answer to ensure optimal brand maintenance.

Blockbuster Strategy Analysis: The 2023 box office, with a $9.1 billion turnover, marks a shift in Hollywood's blockbuster strategy. Diverse content and adaptable distribution have become key as studios navigate changing audience tastes and streaming impacts. Universal studio leads with a successful mix of lower-budget films and a bold VOD approach, while Disney faces challenges with tent pole, high-investment franchises. Warner Bros. and Sony find balance with non-franchise hits and varied budgets, respectively. 2023 results suggest a shift in blockbuster strategies, where flexibility and diversity in content and distribution channels are key to success. #BoxOfficeTrends #ESMM #BlockbusterStrategy

Hollywood has made bad films since the beginning. We are coming into a time when major studios are facing bankruptcy, getting merged with other studios or corporate entities, or selling off IP’s. We’re seeing long-lived entertainment franchises faultering. Why? Here, I’ll discuss two of the biggest franchises in the industry, and bad decisions that have led to their current faltering state. https://buff.ly/3wWfjDv-

The plethora of sequels, prequels and remakes has many moviegoers wondering if Hollywood has any ideas anymore. 2025 won't be changing anyone's minds with wore than half of top studios movies based on existing IP to drive ticket sales. Different cover, same franchise...leading up the summer, the movie box office was sweating over whether the season would be a bust. It wasn't until Disney and Pixar's “Inside Out 2” came in and not kept the lights on, but generated enough to buy new ones. This was followed Universal’s “Despicable Me 4″ and “Kung Fu Panda 4", which essentially saved the box office. And of the bunch, you'll notice one thing - they're all sequels. Of the top 20 highest-grossing domestic releases of 2024, only two original content: Paramount’s “IF” and Neon’s “Longlegs.” The rest are predominately sequels to major blockbuster features, new and old, or tied to a popular book (Sony’s “It Ends With Us”), television show (Universal’s “The Fall Guy”) or based on a popular historical figure (Paramount’s “Bob Marley: One Love”). Nostalgia and familiarity sell. There's nothing wrong with sequels, prequels and remakes. In fact, these types of movies in the past have been notoriously bad in terms of scripts and production. Jaws 2, Tron: Legacy, Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, Teen Wolf 2 - anything with a 2 in the title or beyond generally were pretty awful. These days, however, studios are increasingly banking on the art of the redux with flashy marketing campaigns, and hopefully, better content. So, get ready for more. On the other hand, the better viewing experience for moviegoers may be from non-franchise releases. And, who knows, they may even have their own eventual sequel if they do well https://cnb.cx/3TWMr6i #movies #hollywood #entertainment #paramount #universal #sony #disney #lionsgate #warnerbros

🎬 Sequel Syndrome: Is Hollywood Sacrificing Originality for Box Office Profits? 💰 It’s no secret that Hollywood has a serious case of sequel and franchise fever. From superhero universes to endless reboots, it seems like every major release is part of a larger, ongoing saga. But here’s the question: At what cost? Sure, sequels and franchises bring in the big bucks. They’re safe bets in a risk-averse industry. But this obsession with familiar titles might be stifling creativity. How many fresh, original stories are we missing out on because studios are more focused on the next blockbuster franchise? When was the last time a completely new concept truly shook the industry? Are we sacrificing innovation and artistic risk in favor of the same old formulas? Filmmaking should be about pushing boundaries, exploring new ideas, and challenging audiences. Yet, in a landscape dominated by sequels, where does that leave original storytelling? Let’s not lose sight of what makes cinema truly powerful—its ability to surprise, inspire, and take us somewhere we’ve never been before. Are we trading originality for predictability? Is it time to rethink our approach? #Filmmaking #OriginalContent #Hollywood #Cinema #CreativityVsCommerce