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
Motivate Val Morgan Cinema Update 2019
Since opening the doors to its first cinema in the capital city of Riyadh in 2018, Saudi movie-goers can’t seem to get enough of this unique entertainment platform.
The Kingdom had 6.6 million cinema visits in 2019, and the 2020 pipeline is on track to meet this growing demand, with new locations set to open in Jubail, Taif, Al-Ahsa, Dhahran, Hail and other cities across the Kingdom.
As for the rest of the region in 2019, cinema exhibitors continued to maintain steady growth by investing in the opening of new locations and growing their circuit of innovative cinema experiences.
2019 was also the first year to have nine films cross the billion-dollar milestone (globally), surpassing 2015’s and 2018’s record of five billion-dollar films. Additionally, Disney (not counting Marvel or Star Wars) saw four films cross US$1 billion (globally) – the studio’s highest amount in any calendar year.
Motivate Val Morgan witnessed an increase in integrated cinema campaign bookings in 2019 – covering both on and off screen advertising, and welcomed a range of first-time advertisers to our list of clients.
Cinema is undoubtedly the ultimate platform for memorable storytelling, for it helps advertisers target specific audiences, builds deeper audience engagement and delivers valuable incremental reach when added as part of a larger media mix.
Click HERE to access the report and contact us to make cinema an integral part of your media plan in 2020!
