2021 witnessed the return of movies to the big screen with the release of the most anticipated movies that were delayed by the pandemic.
Hollywood had an active year with a variety of films released, such as sci-fi flicks, Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, musicals, character dramas, thrillers, and animations. The audience were quick to re-embrace cinema as their favourite cultural activity.
As we are nearing the end of 2021, let us look back at some of the highlights from the year 2021 that helped bring movies back to the big screen.
UAE:
KSA:
Egypt:
Oman:
Kuwait:
Bahrain:
Qatar:
Lebanon:
(based on Box Office)
10 blockbuster ads (in no particular order) that lit up the big screen in 2021, as featured in Campaign Middle East :
Brand: Cartier
Title: Expo 2020 Women’s Pavilion
Agency: MediaCom MENA
Brand: Yas Island Abu Dhabi
Title: Stayin’ On Yas
Agency: Starcom
Brand: stc
Title: Our Culture is Our Future
Agency: Universal Media KSA
Brand: Etisalat
Title: #TogetherMeans
Agency: Initiative Abu Dhabi
Brand: Hermès
Title: The Legend of Hermès Della Cavalleria
Agency: Havas Media ME
Brand: NEOM
Title: Made to Change
Agency: Starcom
Brand: Mercedes
Title: The New Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Agency: OMD
Brand: TRA Bahrain
Title: Digital Theft
Brand: Gulf Bank
Title: AlDanah
Agency: Wavemaker MENA
Brand: Porsche
Title: Macan – Your Sidekick,Everywhere
Agency: BPG Kuwait
There are a dizzying amount of exciting new movies coming to theaters in 2022. These are the top 10 movies you should be looking forward to in the coming year:
For more on the movies coming out in 2022, be sure to check out our sizzle reel, which launches towards the end of January 2022
Souces : Vox Cinemas, IMDB, Box Office Mojo
One of the most anticipated blockbusters of this year – Godzilla vs. Kong, has been a huge hit in every market it opened, pulling in a record setting US$ 141.7 million overseas. The film opened in 38 different international markets, with China accounting for US$ 99 million over eight days – the country’s largest box-office debut in nearly two years.
With international audiences flocking to movie theaters once again, the U.S. box office too made its triumphant return with the blockbuster earning a thumping US$ 27.9 million in North America in just three days of its release (31 March 2021). In the UAE, the blockbuster garnered an astounding 138,000 admissions in its first four days, with a US$ 1.9 million weekend total – far more than any film has managed since the pandemic began. Saudi Arabia was right behind the UAE with 76,000 admissions for the feature.
The film has also been a hit with critics, currently sitting at 81 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes with 118 reviews counted.
The record COVID-era opening of Godzilla vs. Kong is especially encouraging since Netflix made headlines for paying nearly US$ 450 million to acquire the rights for two sequels to Knives Out. Key tests ahead for global cinema are A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount) and F9 (Universal) – set for international release on 28 May and 25 June respectively, both of which are initially theater exclusives.
Recent hits such as Tom & Jerry and Raya and the Last Dragon also opened in the 20,000 admissions range in the UAE. Open for seven weeks now in the, Tom & Jerry has totaled over 150,000 admissions – an impressive achievement for the animated/live action hybrid, while the Malayalam film The One also opened with 20,000 admissions, all of which indicate that business is back in a big way in the UAE.
Upcoming blockbuster releases across the Middle East include: Mortal Kombat (8 April), Free Guy (20 May), Cruella (27 May), Luca (17 June), F9 (24 June), Top Gun: Maverick (1 July), Black Widow (8 July), Jungle Cruise (29 July), The Suicide Squad (5 August), The Boss Baby: Family Business (16 September), Dune (30 September), Spider-Man: No Way Home (17 December) and The King’s Man (22 December).Advertisers, mark your return to the BIG SCREEN in a BIG WAY!
Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities alongside the above mentioned blockbusters.
Sources: The Numbers, Esquire Middle East, Collider, Forbes and IMDb
Introducing the Cannes Lions Awards LIVE Briefings!
The Awards that benchmark global creative excellence are now open for entries, earlier than usual this year to give you more time to prepare your work. In June 2021, Cannes Lions juries will judge and award work from both 2020 and 2021.
By entering Cannes Lions, you will have access to one of their Awards Experts, a personal adviser to guide you through the entire entry process and answer any (really: any) of your questions. The talented team has also put together a mini-series of Live Briefings.
Tune in for expert advice and insider tips on how to give your work the best possible chance of success.
The remaining Cannes Lions Awards Live Briefings are as follows:
What’s New for 2020/2021?
An introduction to the changes to this year’s Awards, including a guide to the eligibility dates for ‘2020 work’ and ‘2021 work’. We’ll also take a closer look at the debut of the Creative Business Transformation Lions, the evolved Creative Effectiveness Lions and the refreshed PR and Film Craft Lions.
TUESDAY 1 DECEMBER
8:30AM GMT/4:30PM SGT AND 5PM GMT/12PM EST
How to Craft your Entry
Expert advice on how to make sure that the magic of your idea is as clear as possible for the Jury. Including advice on what to consider before producing your case film and how to approach the written submission, with guidance from past Jurors and winners.
THURSDAY 3 DECEMBER
8:30AM GMT/4:30PM SGT AND 5PM GMT/12PM EST
Click here for more information on the Cannes Lions Live Briefings and to sign up for a place.
Motivate Media Group and Motivate Val Morgan are the official representatives of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the UAE.
Source: Cannes Lions
