VOX Cinemas wins the Highest Grossing Exhibitor in The Middle East 2020-21 award for generating revenue amounting to US$171.7 million in the Middle East from October 2020 to October 2021 at the META Cinema Forum Awards 2021.
VOX Cinema’s US$171.7 million box office revenue represents more than 21 percent of the US$800 million box office revenue expected in the Middle East in 2021, according to research by Omdia.
The 4th edition of the META Cinema Forum – the largest cinema convention, covering Middle East and African markets, powered by Yummz Hot Chips Cafe, took place between 26th and 28th October 2021 at the Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai.
Eight winners were honoured with the highest industry accolades at the META Cinema Forum Awards for their achievements – based on the numbers collated from industry sources – making it the most authentic industry awards based on performance. Two of the awards were presented by META Cinema Forum while the rest 6 were presented by Comscore.
VOX Cinemas won the Highest Grossing Exhibitor in The Middle East 2020-21 award for generated revenue amounting to US$171.7 million in the Middle East from October 2020 to October 2021.
Cinemarine Cinemas won the Exhibitor of the Pandemic Period of Turkey. Cenk Sezgin, Chief Executive Officer, Cinemarine Cinemas, received the award for his organisation.
Murat Cemcir, Enterprising investor, Producer, Artist, was adjudged the Fastest Box Office Success in a Very Short Seasonal Period in Turkey. His organisation saw 21 million in admission and TL226 million Turkish Lira box office revenue in 10 movies.
Four Star Films won the Highest-grossing English Title in the Middle East 2020-21 for Fast & Furious 9 with box office revenue reaching US$16.98 million in the Middle East.
Empire Entertainment and Orient Films won the Highest-Grossing Arabic Title in the Middle East 2020-21–for Waafet Reggaala, which generated US$15.08 million box office revenue in the Middle East.
Film One won the award in the Highest-Grossing Title in Africa 2020-21 category for Omo Ghetto: The Saga, with box office revenue reaching US$1.66 million in West Africa.
Muvi Cinemas won the Exhibitor of the Year 2020-21 award for its recent accomplishments in growth and development during a period of great uncertainty having established 121 screens over 13 locations across Saudi Arabia.
Eagle Films won the Distributor of the Year 2020-21 in recognition of the support and dedication to deliver a pipeline of quality films during a period of risk and instability having more than 46 most films released during October 2020 – to October 2021 – including Wrath of Man and The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.
Unlike other industry awards that are based on either corporate marketing presentations, public perception or jury nominations, META Cinema Forum Awards is based on pure numbers that puts them at the top of the ranking in each category where the names were chosen from.
Leila Masinaei, Managing Partner, Great Mind Events Management, said, “This is a true reflection of the best performance in each category in the film industry and we are pleased to honour them with their well-deserved awards.
“The numbers dictate who wins the awards. For example, Four Star Films won the Highest-grossing English Title in the Middle East 2020-21 for Fast & Furious 9 that is based on the box office revenue figure, reaching US$16.98 million in the Middle East. No one can dispute its rank as top-grossing film in the region.
“As MENA Cinema Forum matures as the largest cinema convention in the Middle East and Africa, we want to make thing more transparent to ensure authenticity of the awards that are based on third-party research.”
Box office revenue in the Middle East is set to cross US$800 million in 2021, US$1 billion in 2022 and US$1.3 billion in 2024, recovering from US$250 million in 2020 – marking the fastest recovery in the world, according to research by Omdia.
More than 500 industry delegates, experts and participants discussed the opportunities and challenges faced by the industry stakeholders at this year’s META Cinema Forum. The three-day mega film industry conference took place just a few weeks into Dubai Expo 2020 – the largest event in the Middle East and Africa region.
The Middle East and Africa region has one of the fastest growing entertainment industries in the world and governments are investing heavily to diversify economies and reduce dependency on a single economic sector
Motivate Val Morgan was a media partner for this year’s META Cinema Forum.
Sources: Press Release (Great Mind Events Management)
The Brief invites LIONS Members across the world to come together to create a progress-driving creative campaign for the World Woman Foundation
The winning team will receive complimentary passes to Cannes Lions 2022 and all entrants will see work showcased across global LIONS channels
LIONS announces the launch of The Brief, a new initiative to bring creatives together to develop progress-driving creative campaigns for the World Woman Foundation to positively impact the future of women and girls across the world.
Open to all LIONS Members, The Brief will connect people from all corners of the globe, all levels of seniority, and from across the spectrum of creativity, to form teams who will compete to produce a winning campaign and brand identity for a new World Woman Foundation programme. On 15 November, a live briefing, hosted by LIONS Membership and the World Woman Foundation, will officially launch the challenge to all entered teams.
The work will be judged by a panel of creative industry legends, chaired by: Jonathan Mildenhall, Founder, TwentyFirstCenturyBrand. Jury members include: Nicky Bullard, CCO, MRM; Wesley ter Haar, Founder, Media.Monks; Josy Paul, Chairman, BBDO India and Mauricio Sarmiento CCO, Leo Burnett Bogotá.
Speaking about the initiative, Gaelle Comte, SVP, LIONS Membership, comments, “The Brief is an exciting and important moment in the LIONS Membership journey. At its heart the platform has always been about providing a place where our community can surround themselves with the very best advice, coaching, and opportunities to drive their creativity forward. This is a time for our Members to connect with others beyond their usual circle. We’re privileged to be in a position that allows us to convene the global industry and pull together the most diverse talent; we’re certain that as a result we will see some outstanding responses to the brief, with creativity being used as a full force for good.”
The World Woman Foundation is a US-based 501(c)(3) public charity with a current global footprint in 20 countries and a vision to empower 1 million women and girls worldwide by 2030. It aims to elevate women’s socio-economic milieu by providing access to capital, building community, commerce opportunities, and coaching in STEAM fields.
Speaking about the partnership, Rupa Dash, CEO, World Woman Foundation, said, “We see women’s entrepreneurship as a critical factor for creating new jobs and contributing to societies’ social and economic growth. Our timely partnership with LIONS for The Brief will merge the power of creativity and gender equality to reimagine the global reset in a bold new way for female entrepreneurs worldwide. Our collaboration will ignite new ideas and energies to bring equity and equality for aspiring young female entrepreneurs to play a similar role in the global labor market irrespective of gender. Ultimately our shared mission to inspire and engage with female entrepreneurs, could possibly add $28 trillion, or 26% to the global gross domestic product (GDP), which will be a gamechanger.”
Teams will have four weeks to work on their creative idea ahead of the submission deadline on 10 December. The winners of The Brief will receive complimentary passes to attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June 2022, and all entrants will see their work promoted on LIONS channels.
Key dates:
Registration is now open
Registration closes: 5 November
Teams confirmed:12 November
Creative sprint: 4 weeks, with the deadline for submissions on 10 December.
Judging: 10-21 January
Winners announced: 26 January
Interested Members can register to take part in the programme here.
Further information on LIONS Membership and how to become a member is available here.
Peek a BOO… the SPOOKY season is upon us…. iIt’s Halloween!
We’re well into October, the month of Halloween, and to get you in the mood, we’ve put together a list of 10 movies, apart from the usual Hocus Pocus/Frankenstein fare.
Also be sure to check our Halloween ‘Spookymeter’ before watching a movie from the recommended list, to decide if it’s super scary, scary, or not so scary.
The House With A Clock In Its Walls (2018)
Spookymeter: Not-So-Scary – Fantasy – Kids and Family
Cast: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro
Synopsis: Based on the children’s classic written by John Bellairs, this magical adventure tells the spine-tingling tale of 10-year-old Lewis, who goes to live with his uncle in a creaky old house with a mysterious tick-tocking noise.
The Mortuary Collection (2019)
Spookymeter: Scary – Haunted House – Male/Female 18+
Cast: Tristan Byon, Eden Campbell, Clancy Brown
Synopsis: What’s better than an Anthology of Horror tales at this time of the year? A young drifter is hired as a mortician and learns a series of twisted tales about the place from an eccentric senior mortician.
The Wolfman (2010)
Spookymeter: Scary – Monster Movie – Male/Female 16+
Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins
Synopsis: Joe Johnston’s remake of universal’s classic monster movie ‘The Wolfman’ about an American bitten by a werewolf and eventually cursed by it. It offers intense visuals in a mysterious castle filled with love, murders, and monsters.
Corpse Bride (2005)
Spookymeter: Not So Scary – Animation – Kids and Family
Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson
Synopsis: When a shy groom practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her. A must watch hilarious ageless classic.
Candyman (2021)
Spookymeter: Scary – Urban Legend – Male/Female 16+
Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Tony Todd
Synopsis: The sequel to the 1992 horror film returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend first began. Revisiting or watching the 1992 movie as a precursor is highly recommended.
Us (2019)
Spookymeter: Scary –Mystery – Male/Female 16+
Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Synopsis: Jordan Peele’s (Get Out) underrated gem, about a family’s beach vacation that turns to chaos when their doppelgängers appear and terrorize them. The storyline is full of wacky twists and surprises which makes it a must watch for Halloween.
The Night House (2021)
Spookymeter: Super Scary – Haunted House – Male/Female 18+
Cast: Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Evan Jonigkeit
Synopsis: In a haunted house on a lake in upstate New York, a grieving widow encounters her dead husband and begins to uncover her recently deceased husband’s disturbing secrets. The movie, directed by David Bruckner, is the one for the new age horror lovers.
Brightburn (2019)
Spookymeter: Scary – Supernatural- Male/Female 16+
Cast: Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn
Synopsis: Do all the superhuman babies grow up to be heroes? What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, proves to be something far more sinister?
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Spookymeter: Not-So-Scary – Comedy – Kids and Family
Cast: Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd
Synopsis: We all watch the 1984 classic as part of our Halloween celebrations. This year, director Jason Reitman brings a new take to franchise. The movie tells the story of two kids discovering their connection to the original Ghostbusters. In cinemas 18 November 2021.
Hereditary (2018)
Spookymeter: Super Scary – Cult – Male/Female 18+
Cast: Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Gabriel Byrne
Synopsis: The secret ancestry of a family is revealed over the course of the movie. The more they discover, the more they uncover the sinister fate they seem to have inherited. Want more from the same director? Check out Midsommar (2019).
Have yourself a heart-pounding and unnerving Halloween!
Source: IMDB and YouTube
Tuesday 5th October is the official Global James Bond Day – a celebration of 59 years of the Bond franchise since the release of Dr. No in 1962. This year, we celebrate the success of Daniel Craig’s last turn as 007 in No Time To Die.
Last Thursday (30th September 2021), we witnessed the return of the ‘licensed troubleshooter’ on the BIG Screen in a BIG way, exceeding conservative pre-weekend projections by rocketing to record US$119M in its opening weekend at international box office (a total of 54 markets).
The 25th James Bond film is also the first Hollywood title of the pandemic-era to cross US$100M in its international launch without China.
No Time To Die opened on 985 screens in the Middle East, making it the biggest release in the market this year. UAE and Saudi Arabia grossed US$2M and US$1.8M, respectively, in its opening weekend (Sept. 30 – Oct. 3).
The weekend opening of James Bond – No Time To Die was not only a busy weekend at the cinema, for it was also the busiest weekend’s in 2021 for Motivate Val Morgan, for we witnessed an influx of brands joining the ‘BondWagon’ to secure advertising alongside the most anticipated movie of the year.
Here are the advertisers who gained coverage beside 007 himself:
DHL
Campaign Type: Follow A Movie (No Time To Die)
Country: Egypt
Locations: VOX Cinemas – City Centre Alexandria, City Centre Almaza, Mall of Egypt
B.Tech
Campaign Type: Follow A Movie (No Time To Die)
Country: Egypt
Locations: VOX Cinemas – City Centre Alexandria, City Centre Almaza, Mall of Egypt
Christian Dior
Campaign Type: Follow A Movie (No Time To Die)
Country: KSA & UAE
Locations: Multiple AMC, Muvi, Reel and VOX cinema locations
Cartier
Campaign Type: Follow A Movie (No Time To Die)
Country: KSA, UAE & Qatar
Locations: Multiple Muvi, Reel and VOX cinema locations
Spotii
Campaign Type: Follow A Movie (No Time To Die)
Country: KSA & UAE
Locations: Muvi Cinemas – Mall of Arabia and VOX Cinemas – Riyadh Park Mall
Armani / Prive
Campaign Duration: Sept. 30th to Oct. 29th
Country: UAE
Locations: Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall and VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates
Galaxy Fusions
Campaign Duration: Sept. 30th to Nov. 3rd
Country: UAE
Locations: Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall and VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Mirdif, Nakheel Mall and Wafi City
*A total of three commercials that will screen in rotation.
Land Rover (Defender)
Campaign Duration: Sept. 30th to Oct. 13th/Oct. 20th
Country: UAE & Kuwait
Locations: Multiple Reel and VOX cinema locations
Saudi German Hospital
Campaign Duration: Sept. 30th to Dec. 1st
Country: UAE
Locations: Multiple Reel and VOX cinema locations
Campaign Duration: Sept. 30th to Dec. 1st
Country: Kuwait
Location: VOX Cinemas – The Avenues
Yas Island
Campaign Duration: Sept. 30th to Oct. 13th
Country: UAE
Locations: Multiple Reel and VOX cinema locations
Atlantis
Campaign Type: Follow A Movie (No Time To Die)
Country: UAE
Locations: Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall, Dubai Marina Mall and The Pointe, and VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates
Prada
Ad Format: 4DX
Campaign Duration: Sept. 30th to Oct. 27th
Country: UAE
Locations: Multiple VOX cinema locations
Kuwait Finance House
Campaign Duration: Oct. 1st to Oct. 21st
Country: UAE
Location: VOX Cinemas – The Avenues
*A total of three commercials that will screen in rotation.
Doha Academy
Campaign Type: Follow A Movie (No Time To Die)
Country: Qatar
Location: VOX Cinemas – Dubai Festival City
RedBull Mobile
Country: Oman
Locations: Multiple VOX cinema locations
The campaign was meant to commence on Sept. 30th; however it has been delayed due to Cyclone Shaheen raging through parts of the Gulf region – mainly Oman. The campaign will therefore commence at a later point in October 2021.
Lincoln
Campaign Type: Follow A Movie (No Time to Die)
Country: UAE
Location: VOX Cinemas – Yas Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mercato and City Centre Mirdif
*The two commercials will screen in rotation
LEGO
Campaign Type: Follow A Movie (No Time to Die)
Country: UAE
Location: Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall
Bank Muscat
Campaign Type: Follow A Movie (No Time to Die)
Country: Oman
Location: Multiple VOX cinema locations
Audi (Q5)
Campaign Duration: Oct. 4th to Oct. 24th
Country: KSA
Location: VOX Cinemas – Riyadh Park Mall and Muvi Cinemas – Mall of Dhahran
On screen advertising wasn’t the only hit during the release of Not Time To Die. From digital screen ads by DHL, a sampling activity by Galaxy, to a car display by Aston Martin at the premier/opening in Egypt and more, check out the off screen activities booked through Motivate Val Morgan on the weekend starting Sept 30th.
In Bond we believed, and as always… 007 delivered!
With an exciting lineup of movies ahead: Venom: Let There Be Carnage, The Last Duel, Eternals, Sooryavanshi (Hindi), Annaatthe (Tamil), House of Gucci, West Side Story, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Matrix Resurrections, The King’s Man, 83 (Hindi) and more, don’t miss out on aligning your brand alongside the release of these anticipated blockbusters.
Contact a member of our sales team for on and off screen cinema advertising opportunities over the weeks ahead.
Sources: 007.com, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and Box Office Mojo
The LIONS Creativity Report recognises the world’s most creative companies, people and sectors globally: Nisha Ganatra, Director of Grand Prix Lion-winning ‘#wombstories’ for Libresse takes Director of the Festival; and Dentsu ranks first as Regional Network of the Festival – Asia Pacific.
LIONS has released the global LIONS Creativity Report, which benchmarks creative success across the industry. This year, the report is extended and the official rankings are presented alongside trends, analysis, and interviews with Lion-winning creators, uncovering what it takes to produce the highest-ranking work in the world.
The global rankings within the LIONS Creativity Report record the performance of the world’s most creative companies, people, and regions. The rankings are compiled using data from Lion-winning and shortlisted work across 2020 and 2021, including PwC as the process integrity partner at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity since 2013.
The LIONS Creativity Report presents four Regional Network of the Festival awards and 11 global awards: Holding Company, Network, Agency, Independent Agency, Creative Brand and Palme d’Or, as well as Health Network, Health Agency, Media Network, Agency by Track, and Independent Agency by Track of the Festival. The creative rankings also include the Festival’s top performing Director, Art Director, Creative Director and Copywriter.
The official rankings were revealed at LIONS Decoded, a one-day broadcast designed for international LIONS Members to learn and be inspired. Tuning in from across the globe, Decoded audiences saw 11 multi-Lion-winning ideas deconstructed and brought to life. Whether you missed the whole LIONS Decoded livestream, or just a few key sessions, you can now sit back, relax, and watch each and every session from LIONS Decoded on your brand new LIONS TV platform – exclusive to Members.
The LIONS Creativity Report is available to all LIONS Members and an expanded version is available to subscribers of LIONS’ insights and intelligence platform The Work.
Simon Cook, Managing Director, LIONS, comments: “Alongside the definitive rankings, the LIONS Creativity Report contains actionable insights that can support the creative community to learn from the global talent behind the world’s highest ranking creative work. The report spotlights the companies and people producing game-changing work and sets the benchmark for the future of creativity.”
Susie Walker, VP, Insight & Awards, LIONS, added: “Ranking in the LIONS Creativity Report is an immense achievement and we’re delighted to celebrate the creative success of the people and companies behind the work, within this report. The stories and insights demonstrate how creative excellence and effectiveness is impacting brands and businesses right across the globe.”
The official rankings are announced as follows. Full rankings are found within the report:
Creative Location Rankings:
Creative City Rankings:
Creative People of the Festival Rankings:
Director of the Festival
Creative Director of the Festival
Art Director of the Festival
Copywriter of the Festival
Regional Network of the Festival – Asia Pacific
Regional Network of the Festival – EMEA
Regional Network of the Festival – Latin America
Regional Network of the Festival – North America
The LIONS Creativity Report is included as part of LIONS Membership, the world’s leading creative network of people and businesses to drive professional, personal and societal progress through creativity. Members receive exclusive access to events, content and networking opportunities through the year. Annual LIONS Membership is €249 and is complimentary for all Cannes Lions award winners.
The LIONS Creativity Report is also available to all subscribers to LIONS’ insights and intelligence platform The Work, alongside a series of insight reports and access to all the data and rankings.
Source: Cannes Lions Press Release
Atlantis recently executed a cinema activation – ‘Cinevation’ – during a Black Widow session in the IMAX auditorium of VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates.
The Atlantis ad booked to screen alongside the blockbuster Black Widow played first, followed by the activation video with a message to the audience to look under their seats for a special surprise – vouchers to visit Aquaventure Waterpark.
One lucky couple also won the bumper price – a romantic staycation at Dubai’s most iconic resort.
On Screen Commercial:
Activation Video:
The cinema activation was part of an annual deal booked by Atlantis (through Magna Global) to promote the resort’s Marine & Water Park, F&B and Rooms alongside eight movies releasing between 2021 and 2022 – including No Time to Die, Gucci and Missions: Impossible 7.
Have a similar or more creative in-cinema activation in mind for your brand? Contact a member of our sales team today for more information.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Marvel’s first epic to star an Asian hero and Disney’s first theatrical-only release since 2019, had a lot of factors against it, but it didn’t just overcome them, it practically somersaulted over.
According to tracking website Box Office Mojo, Shang-Chi earned $8.8 million from Thursday night (September 2) previews which began at 7pm across North America, the second highest preview result of the pandemic era behind Black Widow‘s $13.2 million, but rang up an estimated US$75.5 million at U.S. theaters between Friday September 3, and Sunday September 5 (labor weekend). As of September 19, the blockbuster has garnered US$160.9 million and US$112 million at the domestic and international box office (respectively), which equates to over US$272.9 million at worldwide box office (1.8 times the production budget of US$150 million), and is the second biggest opening of 2021.
Bob Chapek, Disney’s CEO, described the film as an “interesting experiment”, for the movie was the first franchise by studio to exclusively release in theatre, without the simultaneous release on Disney+, since the outbreak of the pandemic. But Simu Liu, the lead actor in Shang Chi, wrote on twitter – “We are not an experiment… We are the surprise.”
Media and industry pundits too labeled Shang-Chi as a ‘gamble’ for the studio’s choice of committing to a theatre only release, citing various reasons: the pandemic affected box office ticket sales, the fact that Labor Day weekend is typically slow for theaters, and the protagonist is a newcomer (with tweethearts of social media even referring to Liu as ‘Shang-Who’). However, based on movie reviews and box office figures: Shang-Chi broke the high-risk perception by major studios of releasing exclusively in theatres and not having a simultaneous streaming release, proved that the pandemic won’t stop people showing up for Marvel, and that even on a traditionally slow weekend, audiences were willing to return to the big screen for highly anticipated blockbusters.
After Black Widow, Jungle Cruise and Cruella concurrently released on Disney+, the studio announced last week that the rest of its 2021 slate — including Marvel’s Eternals and Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story — will each screen exclusively in theaters. The news is promising for cinema exhibitors, for Disney films are routinely among the highest-grossing of the year.
Next up for Marvel are Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Eternals and Spider-Man: No Way Home, releasing October 21, November 4 and December 16, 2021.
Contact us for cinema advertising alongside these upcoming blockbusters.
Sources: npr, The Numbers, Variety, Vulture, L.A Times and Cinemablend
VOX Cinemas – Mall of Oman is the largest cinema in the Sultanate.
The cinema features 3 Gold cinemas – the cinema exhibitor’s first luxury cinema offering in Oman
VOX Cinemas opened its largest cinema in Oman at the newly launched Mall of Oman in Muscat on 1st September 2021. The 15-screen cinema, with a total of 1471 seats, features IMAX, Gold and Kids concepts.
The three Gold cinemas at VOX Cinemas – Mall of Oman is the cinema exhibitor’s first luxury offering in the Sultanate, with an adjoining VIP Lounge offering moviegoers a luxurious and diverse menu of popular and modern flavors presented in signature VOX style.
In addition to refreshment counter favourites such as popcorn, nachos and hotdogs/burgers, cinemagoers of VOX Cinemas – Mall of Oman can also indulge at the Nutella Bar and Kitchen 35 – a bakeshop with artisan breads, pastries and fresh juices.
Mall of Oman is home to a host of brands including a 9,000 square meter Carrefour Hypermarket and several brands from Landmark Group (Max Fashion and Centrepoint), Majid Al Futtaim (Hollister), Al Futtaim Group (Marks & Spencer) and Apparel Group (LC Waikiki, R&B and SMYK). Other famous outlets at the mall include DKNY, Nespresso, G-SHOCK, Homes R Us, Tavola and Al Khalili Buildex. The mall also features a 1,000 plus seater food court which offers a selection of global chains. For patrons looking for more indulgent cuisine options from across the globe, the mall will soon feature various cafés and restaurants, including over 50 dining options.
80% of Mall of Oman’s gross leasable area is leased and the mall is set to welcome over 300 additional retail outlets in the coming months. The mall will also feature the largest indoor snow park in the Sultanate next year, spanning over 14,000 square meters.
VOX Cinemas presently operates 78 screens across 14 locations in 6 cities of Oman.
As the official cinema advertising partner of VOX Cinemas, Motivate Val Morgan congratulates the exhibitor on the opening of its largest cinema in the Sultanate of Oman, and warmly welcomes this new location to our regional cinema circuit.
Click here to book your tickets at this new cinema, and contact a member of our sales team for cinema advertising opportunities on the screens of VOX Cinemas – Mall of Oman.
Sources: Majid Al Futtaim (Press Release) and Arabian Business
The 10th installment of CinemaCon, the largest annual gathering of the motion picture industry, took place between 23 – 26 August 2021 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
CinemaCon is a global event that attracts delegates from more than 80 countries across the cinema industry, including studios, distributors, exhibitors and content creators.
Whilst the scale of the event was nowhere close to previous editions, mainly due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions, the show did go on, with studios setting the stage for their upcoming movies and giving the industry hope, confidence and a clear message that cinema is here to stay.
Here’s a roundup of studio announcements at CinemaCon 2021:
This year’s event enumerated blockbusters such as F9, Godzilla vs. Kong, A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella as the major drivers behind the extraordinary resurgence of the cinema industry, due to their encouraging box office figures. However, the highlight of the show included the preview of upcoming tentpoles by major studios, while it was announced that most of the preview films will be exclusive theatre releases.
This edition of CinemaCon also featured some discussions on the industry’s challenges coming out of the pandemic. Patty Jenkins, director of ‘Wonder Woman 1984’, emphasized that day-and-date” release is a “heartbreaking experience”. “I’m not a fan of day-and-date, and I hope to avoid it forever,” stated the filmmaker, expressing her strong preference of maintaining an exclusive theatrical window for all her upcoming films. “I don’t understand why we’re talking about throwing (the big-screen experience) away for 700 different streaming services that there’s no room for in the marketplace. It’s crazy to me,” said Jenkins. “One studio should plant a flag and make a huge move just for the theatrical experience, and the filmmakers will go there as a result”
The Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures also slammed day-and-date releases, pointing to the success of Free Guy at box office, and stated that such ‘terrific’ movies are not meant to be watched at home.
The next edition of CinemaCon is scheduled to be held between 25 – 28 April 2022.
Sources: CinemaCon and Box Office Pro
Michelin star chef Akira Back partners with VOX Cinemas for a special menu for its luxury cinema concept –THEATRE
VOX Cinemas, the dedicated cinema arm of Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East and Africa, has announced a partnership with Akira Back, world-renowned Michelin star chef. The highly-anticipated culinary collaboration, which launches in the United Arab Emirates in September, will see the global restauranteur curate a special menu for THEATRE, VOX Cinemas’ luxury cinema concept, so moviegoers can enjoy an unparalleled dining experience.
Guests at THEATRE can expect a modern Japanese menu which features a dynamic combination of Akira Back’s signature dishes as well as culinary creations exclusive to VOX Cinemas. Famed for his sense of adventure and creativity, Akira Back has enjoyed an illustrious career bringing his culinary expertise and artistry across the globe, with a portfolio of critically acclaimed restaurants and lounges in destinations like Beverly Hills, San Diego, Seychelles North Island, Toronto, Singapore, Seoul, Dubai and more.
VOX Cinemas’ THEATRE combines film with fine food and provides guests with the option of dining in an exclusive private lounge area or having their food delivered straight to their seat through the in-theatre waiter service. Redefining the luxury cinema experience, THEATRE boasts reclining leather seats, plush blankets and pillows and cutting-edge audiovisual technology in a stylish and intimate setting.
Ignace Lahoud, Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas said, “Cinemagoers in the region are becoming increasingly discerning and we are extremely excited about collaborating with Chef Akira Back to introduce a new era in fine dining and film in response to rising expectations. At VOX Cinemas, we offer more than just movies and, are continuously diversifying our offering so guests can enjoy an all-encompassing cinematic experience. We believe that F&B plays a major part in enhancing the moviegoing experience and, with Chef Akira Back at the helm, THEATRE is sure to set a new benchmark in cinema dining.”
Chef Akira Back added, “THEATRE has revolutionised the luxury cinema experience and, I’m extremely proud to join forces with VOX Cinemas given our shared commitment to innovation. Together we believe that F&B is a complementary component of going to the movies and we have designed a menu that is sure to appeal to the most discerning guests and movie lovers.”
The menu by Akira Back will be available at VOX Cinemas across the United Arab Emirates in September before being rolled-out across Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait later in the year. The official launch dates will be announced closer to the time.
Source: VOX Cinemas (Press Release)
