Yes, it is August of 2022, and you are reading this. And yes, there is a chance that “Spider-Man: No Way Home” will return to the top of the box office charts in the United States… About eight months after the superhero movie came out and brought the theatre business back to life. Sony is re-releasing the film, which has already made an impressive $804 million in North America and $1.9 billion worldwide in more than 3,850 theatres over Labor Day weekend. This time, the movie will have 11 minutes more footage, making it even better. Thank you, Peter Parker!
How, pray tell, is it possible that “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which came out in December, would be the most popular movie in the United States in the last few weeks of summer? Well, it’s not surprising when you think that studios stopped making movies for the big screen in August after ticket sales went up at the beginning of popcorn season. In the past few weeks, going to the film has gone from boring to almost empty.
Last weekend, Sony’s horror movie “The Invitation” only needed $6.8 million to win first place at the box office. This was the lowest amount required to win first place in more than a year. And the winner this weekend may be able to be the best with even less.
The second time around, ticket sales for “The Invitation” will likely drop by 50% to 55%. This would mean the movie would make between $2.5 million and $3 million. Even though it’s hard to keep track of re-releases like “Spider-Man,” the Marvel giant could probably make a few million dollars. There’s also a good chance that “Top Gun: Maverick” from Paramount will be the most popular movie on its 15th weekend in theatres. Tom Cruise’s blockbuster sequel has been a summer mainstay, making $691 million in the U.S. and $1.4 billion worldwide and counting. By Friday, it will be in 3,105 more theatres.
National Cinema Day is on September 3 could throw off these estimates. This is because most movie tickets in North America will only cost $3 on Saturday. This is much less than the country’s average price of $9. More than 3,000 theatres, including big chains like AMC and Regal, will offer discounts to fill up theatres during the slow summer months.
A short clip from ‘SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME: THE MORE FUN STUFF VERSION’ has been released. pic.twitter.com/8IMfJakq2B
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) August 24, 2022
Only one new movie, “Honk for Jesus,” is out. Save Your Soul” is being shown in a lot of theatres. But it’s also coming out simultaneously in 1,879 theatres and on Peacock, so box office watchers don’t think it will make much of a difference in ticket sales. Focus Features bought the well-reviewed movie at the Sundance Film Festival for $8.5 million. Any number in the low single digits would be a win for the company.
Most theatre owners have gotten used to hybrid releases, but “Honk for Jesus” still makes them sad. “Save Your Soul” has a lot of big names behind it. Jordan Peele and Daniel Kaluuya produced the movie, which stars Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown as the husband and wife of a megachurch in the middle of a scandal.
Kate Erbland of IndieWire called “Honk for Jesus” a “winning combination of the divine and the horrific, a takedown of not only fervent religion but also our worst human impulses.” Adamma Ebo wrote and directed “Honk for Jesus.” Her sister, Adanne Ebo, was in charge of making the movie.
Universal is bringing back the original summer blockbuster, Steven Spielberg’s 1975 shark thriller “Jaws,” to more than 1,200 theatres in North America over the weekend. This is a more significant dose of nostalgia than 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Theatre owners have been busy booking showings of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” ($1 million from 255 theatres last weekend) and E.T. ($35,000 from 95 theatres the previous weekend), even though they don’t have much to show.
If Hollywood doesn’t start making new movies soon, “Casablanca” might have to come back.
Stay tuned for more updates, Nog Magazine.