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☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' nears $900 million globally, boosted by international ticket sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Disney and James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" snared an estimated $56 million during its second weekend in theaters, a 58% drop from its debut. A decline in ticket sales is common for blockbuster titles, with most seeing a 50% to 70% slip. Box office analysts noted that cold winter weather and storms during the Christmas weekend likely led to slower ticket sales domestically. Additionally, international ticket sales continue to thrive. "The Way of Water" has generated $855 million in global ticket sales since its Dec. 16 release — $254 million domestically and $601 million from international markets.

☆ Three Marvel sequels are the most anticipated movies of 2023, according to Fandango
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A trio of upcoming Marvel movies − the newest installments of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man and Ant-Man franchises − are the top three most anticipated films for 2023, according to a new survey by Fandango. Many of the most-anticipated films are prequels, sequels or films otherwise connected to a well-known franchise. 2023's Top 10 Most-Anticipated Movies Across Categories 1. "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" (Universal )Among the top 10 overall most anticipated films, only "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" isn't part of an established movie series. Last year, 80% said they wanted to see a minimum of five movies in theaters.

☆ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ gives James Cameron his first $100 million domestic debut
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The highly anticipated “Avatar: The Way of Water” took in $134 million at the US box office, giving director James Cameron his first $100 million opening weekend — despite falling short of analyst predictions. “Avatar: The Way of Water” has so far earned $435 million at the global box office. Though Cameron hasn’t revealed exactly how much it cost to make the “Avatar” sequel, one answer isn’t in doubt: a lot. In 2009, “Avatar” earned $77 million in its opening weekend and collected 80% of its gross from 3D showings. “The Way of Water” notched the second highest all-time IMAX global opening weekend and the biggest IMAX December global opening ever.

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' opens to $134 million, just missing box office expectations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Internationally, "Way of Water" tallied $300.5 million, bringing the film's opening weekend haul to $434.5 million. The Chinese box office contributed around $265 million to "Avatar's" global tally a decade ago, but the market has grown significantly since. Since cinemas reopened in the country, it has been one of the fastest markets to recover and generate box office success. Box office analysts aren't concerned with the movie's smaller-than-expected domestic box office, particularly because of how it has played internationally. "It's premature to qualify the film's degree of success at this stage, especially with Cameron's history of long runs at the global box office," Robbins added.

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' makes $17 million in Thursday previews, driven by big 3D sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" snared $17 million during its Thursday night previews on its way towards a $175 million opening weekend. Premium formats will be a big factor in the film's opening weekend and its overall box office run. EntTelligence estimates that for "The Way of Water" 3D tickets will average around $16.50 each while 2D will cost around $12.50 a piece. Meanwhile, in Asia-Pacific, which includes Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, 39% of box office receipts were for these more expensive showings. The film had incredible staying power at the box office, running in theaters through August 2010, a staggering 234 days.

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' is set to crush the box office. It won't be enough to salvage 2022 for theaters.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Avatar: The Way of Water" is on pace for a solid box-office debut. "This is great news for theaters that have been looking for a proper blockbuster to take us out of 2022 and into 2023 with some much-needed box office momentum." Its box office dropped just 2% in its second weekend, for instance. Comscore is projecting the US box office to end the year with $7.2 billion — a vast improvement from last year's $4.5 billion, but still far below the $11 billion-plus that the US box office totaled every year from 2015 through 2019. There have been 37 fewer wide releases in theaters through December 5 this year than in 2019, Dergarabedian said.

☆ Disney is in an animation slump after 'Strange World' and 'Lightyear' flopped. Bob Iger may have the magic touch to turn it around.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney's "Lightyear" and "Strange World" have flopped at the box office this year. Its latest animated movie, "Strange World," opened over the Thanksgiving weekend with $18 million over the five-day holiday in the US. This year was the first real test of the pandemic era to see if Disney's animated films could attract large swaths of consumers to theaters. In 2020 and 2021, Disney's animated movies either went straight to Disney+ or received a hybrid release on streaming and in theaters. But this year, Disney's movies have typically been released in theaters for 45 days before debuting on the streaming service.

☆ Thanksgiving used to be a movie feast. This year? Slim pickings
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Frank Pallotta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —Thanksgiving weekend has historically offered a cornucopia of films, letting moviegoers get out of the house and kick back after eating copious amounts of turkey, mashed potatoes and pie. The North American box office has few new films this weekend that are likely to draw tons of moviegoers. Another Disney film, Marvel’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” is now in its second week and is set to win the holiday weekend with around $40 million domestically. For example, films like “Creed,” “Moana,” and “Knives Out” opened on Thanksgiving weekends and did well. As for Thanksgiving, Dergarabedian hopes that as the theater industry normalizes, the holiday will make a comeback.

☆ 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' eyes $180 million opening weekend, highest November debut ever
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Disney and Marvel Studios' "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" snared an estimated $180 million during its domestic debut, earning it the record for the biggest opener in the month of November and the second-highest opener of 2022. "Wakanda Forever" is estimated to pull in 12.7 million patrons this weekend, according to data from EntTelligence. Only Marvel's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" has pulled in more moviegoers, bringing in 13.7 million during its opening weekend in May. If "Wakanda Forever" sees a surge in ticket sales Sunday, it could surpass that figure. Like "Black Panther," "Wakanda Forever" features a predominately Black cast, but it also has several Hispanic actors.

☆ 'Black Panther: 'Wakanda Forever' aims to recreate blockbuster magic. Disney and theaters are counting on it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Frank Pallotta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

If early projections and ticket sales are any indication, it appears “Wakanda Forever” will be just that. Why “Wakanda Forever” matters to theaters"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is set to be one of the biggest films of the year. “Every blockbuster counts more than ever for movie theaters right now.”Why does it matter how “Wakanda Forever” does this weekend? Why “Wakanda Forever” matters to Disney"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" could break records this weekend. The performance of “Wakanda Forever” likely won’t move the needle on Disney’s stock, given that investors remain heavily focused on the company’s streaming endeavors.

☆ 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' aims to break box office records this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The long-awaited sequel to 2018's smash hit "Black Panther" isn't just another Marvel film. "Wakanda Forever" has a chance to not only be the biggest opener in 2022, but also the highest ever opener of the month of November. Box office analysts and theater operators are expecting African American and Hispanic moviegoers to flock to cinemas this weekend. Like "Black Panther," "Wakanda Forever" features a predominately Black cast, but it also has several Hispanic actors. According to Comscore, 37% of the opening weekend audience for "Black Panther" was Black, accounting for more than double what the demographic usually represents for other Marvel films.

☆ Women lead Wakanda through turmoil in 'Black Panther' sequel
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LOS ANGELES, Nov 7 (Reuters) - At the start of the follow-up to 2018's groundbreaking Marvel movie "Black Panther," the kingdom of Wakanda is reeling. The beloved King T'Challa dies at the opening of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," a script change made after actor Chadwick Boseman passed away from cancer in 2020 just before the sequel was due to start filming. "T'Challa surrounded himself with powerful women," actor Letitia Wright said in an interview ahead of the movie's global rollout that starts on Wednesday. "We see these women in this film step into another level of leadership, together." "Black Panther" broke ground as the first superhero movie with a predominantly Black cast.

☆ Why horror films kill at the box office all year round
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Frank Pallotta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —One of Paramount’s biggest blockbusters this year is a surprise hit that hasn’t slowed down at the box office since opening at No. The film, which stars Sosie Bacon as a psychiatrist being tormented by visions of horrifying smirks, opened to $22.6 million at the domestic box office late September. Many horror films this year have done the same, showing that — aside from superhero movies — horror is Hollywood’s most dependable genre at the box office. Audiences have been sporadic and the overall North America box office is down about 34% from the pre-Covid levels of 2019. “The box office results have been scary impressive.”

☆ 'Black Adam' wins a star-powered box office
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Frank Pallotta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —Who says movie stars no longer matter in Hollywood? Theaters and box offices got a much-needed boost this weekend thanks to superhero flick “Black Adam” and romantic comedy “Ticket to Paradise” — two films led by big stars. 1 spot at the domestic box office with an estimated $67 million. The debut of “Black Adam” is the largest opening at the box office since July’s “Thor: Love & Thunder.” (Warner Bros., like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. In fact, Universal suffered a set back just a few weeks ago when “Bros.,” another romantic comedy, flopped at the box office.

☆ 'The Woman King' shows why the box office needs more mid-budget movies
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"The Woman King" held firm at the box office during its second weekend in theaters. "Proof that ''The Woman King' is in it for the long haul is reflected in its 42% second-weekend drop," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. Lower-budget films like this don't make explosive box office numbers but provide much-needed supplementary revenue to cinemas. While big-budget franchise films dominate the box office charts, films with small-to-mid budgets are equally important to the theatrical ecosystem. Without them, the domestic box office loses out on billions in ticket revenue.

☆ 'Avatar' re-release shows franchise's overseas strength while pulling in $10 million domestically
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Disney is expected to snare $30 million in ticket sales globally from its theatrical re-release of 2009's "Avatar." While domestic ticket sales, which will reach $10 million, according to projections, are in-line with analysts' projections, it's the international tally of $20 million that has box office analysts buzzing. "Avatar: The Way of Water," the first of four sequels to the original film, is slated for release in December. There's clearly still audience interest for "Avatar," box office analysts agreed after seeing Sunday's projected figures. However, it's still up in the air as to whether that interest will translate to ticket sales in December, particularly for 3D showings.

☆ 'Avatar' returns to theaters as Disney tries to hype audiences for its long-delayed sequel
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bringing the highest-grossing film of all time back to theaters has two purposes for Disney: drum up excitement for "The Way of Water" and fill a vacant spot on the theatrical calendar. The rerelease of the original film is a sort of litmus test for whether audiences still want to visit its eco-conscious science fiction world. But it never captured the cultural relevance that Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe – both also owned by Disney – have enjoyed. "Avatar" captivated audiences more than a decade ago, in part because of the technology that Cameron helped develop to film and animate the movie. Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, "Avatar: The Way of Water" tells the story of the Sully family.

Eight years after the show’s debut, the podcast circuit across all storytelling genres has never been more crowded or competitive. But in today’s oversaturated market, could any one show prove to be as singularly culture-shaping — influential enough to help free an imprisoned person? “I remember a time when I could keep up on new podcast series, but nowadays that seems virtually impossible,” he added. Cindy Ord / Getty Images file“Serial” is not the only podcast to have helped put more focus on a possible miscarriage of justice. In the years since, the stylistic tropes of true-crime podcasting have become all too easy to satirize.

☆ ‘The Woman King’ poised for big box-office run after surprisingly strong opening weekend
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

During a lull in the movie calendar, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “The Woman King” is generating the kind of buzz — and ticket sales — that the box office desperately needs. ″‘The Woman King’ opened on the high end of our expectations and looks poised for a very healthy theatrical run thanks to strong word of mouth,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. Overall ticket sales were driven predominantly by older female viewers, a demographic that has been slower to return to cinemas coming out of the Covid pandemic. Additionally, Black audiences accounted for 56% of all opening weekend ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada. “Much like ‘Black Panther,’ ‘The Woman King’ demonstrates that positive, culturally based stories can resonate strongly among all audiences,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

☆ 'The Woman King' poised for big box-office run after surprisingly strong opening weekend
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

During a lull in the movie calendar, Gina Prince-Bythewood's "The Woman King" is generating the kind of buzz — and ticket sales — that the box office desperately needs. "'The Woman King' opened on the high end of our expectations and looks poised for a very healthy theatrical run thanks to strong word of mouth," said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. Overall ticket sales were driven predominantly by older female viewers, a demographic that has been slower to return to cinemas coming out of the Covid pandemic. Additionally, Black audiences accounted for 56% of all opening weekend ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada. "Much like 'Black Panther,' 'The Woman King' demonstrates that positive, culturally based stories can resonate strongly among all audiences," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

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