The horror genre staged a triumphant comeback following the pandemic, led by the 2021 release of A Quiet Place: Part II, which garnered a staggering US$297.4M worldwide (with over US$2.5M from UAE alone). Beyond renewing confidence in the cinematic medium, this extraordinary achievement prompted film studios to reevaluate their horror movie release strategies.
This momentum carried into 2022, as notable titles like Scream V, Smile, and Nope achieved remarkable success, captivating audiences on both the global and regional box office fronts.
2023, marked by the successful release of a series of horror films such as M3gan, Evil Dead Rise, and The Boogeyman. Alongside these, new releases such as Insidious: The Red Door, Cobweb, and Talk to Me are delighting in prosperous theatrical runs in.
However, the tale doesn’t conclude here! The horror landscape of 2023 is by no means finished, as the most exciting moments are still ahead, especially with Halloween looming on the horizon. From the highly awaited reboot of the classic psychological horror masterpiece, The Exorcist: Believer, to the spine-chilling tenth installment of the renowned SAW franchise, here’s a look at the horror movies set to grace the remainder of 2023:
The Nun 2 – 07 September 2023
A Haunting In Venice – 14 September 2023
SAW X – 05 October 2023
The Exorcist: Believer – 13 October 2023
Five Nights at Freddy’s – 26 October 2023
Thanksgiving – Expected 17 November 2023
The movie follows a serial killer in Massachusetts who attempts to make a carving board out of unsuspecting victims. The film continues the Grindhouse universe, and just like Machete and Hobo with a Shotgun, it is based on one of the fake trailers in the Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino collaboration from 2007.
Salem’s Lot—TBA 2023
Based on Stephen King’s novel, the movie follows a writer who goes to a small town, only to find out that it’s being overrun by vampires. The movie stars Pilou Asbæk in the role of Richard Straker, Lewis Pullman as Ben Mears, Spencer Treat Clark as Mike Ryerson, and Nicholas Crovetti as Danny Glick.
Dark Harvest—TBA 2023
Based on Norman Partridge’s eponymous novel, Dark Harvest concerns a specter named Sawtooth Jack who goes up against violent gangs of boys hoping to take down the supernatural creature once and for all. The horror movie boasts a stellar cast, with the likes of Elizabeth Reaser, Jeremy Davies, Luke Kirby, and Ezra Buzzington.
With these exceptional upcoming titles, audiences can look forward to more thrilling and chilling experiences as the genre continues to evolve and captivate viewers worldwide.
Source: Screen Rant, Collider, VOX Cinemas
Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan leads the list of upcoming Indian blockbusters releasing in the second half of 2023
Indian cinema is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in 2023, recapturing the pre-pandemic excitement with a captivating lineup of titles.
One standout release in the first half of the year was Pathaan (Hindi), featuring the charismatic Shah Rukh Khan, emerging as the most popular Indian movie of the year to date. Additionally, other noteworthy box office successes include Adipurush (Hindi and Telugu), Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (Tamil), Waltair Veerayya (Telugu), and Romancham (Malayalam).
As we venture into the second half of 2023, the Indian Box Office keeps its promise of an exhilarating lineup of major tentpoles. Already scoring success both domestically and internationally are Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (Hindi) and Bro (Telugu). Audiences can also eagerly anticipate the upcoming releases of OMG 2 (Hindi), starring Akshay Kumar, Jailer (Tamil), featuring the legendary Rajnikant, and King of Kotha (Malayalam), starring Dulquer Salman, all set to hit the big screen in August 2023.
As for September 2023 and beyond, here are the most anticipated Indian blockbusters scheduled for release:
Jawan (Hindi)
Release Date: 7 September 2023
Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Deepika Padukone
Salaar (Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam)
Release Date: 28 September 2023
Stars: Prabhas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tinu Anand, Shruthy Hassan
Leo (Tamil)
Release Date: 19 October 2023
Stars: Joseph Vijay, Anurag Kashyap, Sanjay Dutt
Ganapath: Part 1 (Hindi)
Release Date: 20 October 2023
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Himanshu Jaykar, Kriti Sanon
Tiger 3 (Hindi)
Release Date: 10 November 2023
Stars: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi
Animal (Hindi)
Release Date: 1 December 2023
Stars: Ranbir Kapoor, Triptii Dimri, Anil Kapoor
Pushpa: The Rule Part 2 (Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, and Malayalam)
Release Date: 15 December 2023
Stars: Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil, Rashmika Mandanna
Yodha (Hindi)
Release Date: 15 December 2023
Stars: Sidharth Malhotra, Disha Patani, Raashi Khanna
Dunki (Hindi)
Release Date: 22 December 2023
Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Boman Irani
Following these highly anticipated Indian blockbusters presents an excellent opportunity for brands to reach and engage with the Asian audience.
Think cinema for ‘attention-grabbing’ advertising!
*Movie release dates are subject to change
Source: IMDb, Google
Jazeera Airways recently booked an integrated cinema campaign through Zenith Media, to promote their summer offers, coinciding with the release of the action blockbuster Fast X at VOX Cinemas – The Avenues in Kuwait.
The on screen component of the campaign included a 30 sec. ad following Fast X, while the off-screen execution witnessed Jazeera Airways taking over the ‘Hero Screen’ (above the candy bar) from 23 May to 05 June 2023.
Leverage the power of an integrated cinema campaign to increase brand visibility through a combination of on and off screen advertising.
Contact us for more information on integrated cinema advertising opportunities across the Middle East.
Related Articles:
FIFA | Integrated Cinema Campaign | UAE & KSA
Armani Code | Integrated Cinema Campaign | KSA
Kibsons International recently booked a sampling activity at select cinema locations across Abu Dhabi between 19-21 May 2023.
The sampling activity was booked to coincide with the release of the action blockbuster, Fast X, which collected over US$3.3 million in its opening weekend in the UAE, and $319 million globally.
The sampling was Kibsons’ second cinema campaign of this year, following the successful integrated campaign in January.
The latest campaign entailed the distribution of branded boxes containing a selection of fresh fruits, snacks, and a discount voucher for patrons to collect at the entrance and exit of the cinema auditoriums at the respective locations.
Contact us to learn more on how off screen cinema advertising can help move your brand closer to its target audience.
Source: Box Office Mojo.
Check out the ads that featured in cinema during the Eid al-Fitr 2023 long weekend!
The region witnessed an upswing in activity during the Eid al-Fitr long weekend, marking one of the most bustling periods of the year thus far, with residents gathering at malls and entertainment venues to partake in the festivities.
With the release of several blockbusters during the extended weekend, cinemas were buzzing with patrons eager to watch their favorite titles in the company of their loved ones. This presented brands with a unique opportunity to engage a captive audience and leave a lasting impression through both on-screen and off-screen advertising initiatives.
From product promotions to messages of unity and support, here are the ads that lit up the big screen during Eid al-Fitr 2023:
WWE 2K23 – FTM John Wick: Chapter 4
Duration: 30 Secs
Country: KSA
Please Note: In compliance with the country’s regulations, a revised and concise version of the WWE 2K23 advertisement screened in KSA.
Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre
Duration: 30 Secs
Country: UAE
Al-Futtaim Automall
Duration: 40 Secs.
Country: UAE
Prime Healthcare Group– FTM Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan
Duration: 15 Secs
Country: UAE
Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival
Agency: 30 Secs x 2
Country: UAE
Cultural Development Fund
Duration: 30 Secs
Country: KSA
Dallah Home Care
Duration: 20 Secs
Country: KSA
Diriyah Gate Development Authority
Duration: 30 Secs
Country: KSA
Galaxy Jewels
Duration: 20 Secs
Country: KSA
Al Theeb Specialist Centre
Agency: 15 Secs
Country: KSA
Boubyan Bank
Duration: 1.10 secs & 1.08 Secs
Country: Kuwait
Kaya Skin Clinic – FTM Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan
Duration: 15 Secs
Country: UAE
McDonald’s
Duration: 30 Secs
Country: Kuwait
Talabat
Duration: 15 Secs
Country: Kuwait
Elabd Foods
Duration: 15 Secs
Country: Egypt
Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation
Duration: 15 Secs
Country: Egypt
Private Natural Cotton
Duration: 30 Secs
Country: Egypt
American University of Bahrain
Agency: 45 Secs
Country: Bahrain
Information & eGovernment Authority Bahrain
Duration: 2 x 50 Secs
Country: Bahrain
Escape Code
Duration: 1.06 Secs
Country: Bahrain
In addition to the on screen ad, ElAbd booked two sampling activities at Mall of Egypt and City Center Almaza for a period of two weekends.
Think cinema for ‘attention-grabbing’ advertising! Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities alongside special events and celebrations.
Jonathan Cruz and Saymon Medeiros from And Us won gold at the UAE Young Lions Digital Competition 2023
The 20th edition of the esteemed UAE Young Lions Digital Competition, hosted by Motivate Media Group and Motivate Val Morgan – the official UAE representatives of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, witnessed 21 teams across 15 agencies compete on Saturday, 4th March 2023.
The Judging and Awards Ceremony followed on Wednesday, 8th March 2023, with Jonathan Cruz and Saymon Medeiros from And Us winning Gold.
Jonathan Cruz and Saymon Medeiros will receive a full week’s delegate pass and an all-expense-paid trip to represent the UAE at the International Young Lions Digital Competition – part of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, in June 2023.
Adila Fataliyeva and Isha Sharma from Science and Sunshine secured Silver, while Haneen Chaarawi and Sebastian Galindo Rubiano from McCann Dubai and Rim Reda and Kezia Shamil from Leo Burnett tied for Bronze.
This year’s client brief was from RoadSafetyUAE – an award-winning CSR & engagement program established in 2014, which serves as a communication, improvement, and education platform for all traffic participants in the UAE. Participating teams were challenged to develop a creative and innovative, ‘root cause’ based, long-lasting and universally true awareness campaign to help change the behaviour and mindset of young drivers in the UAE.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Thomas Edelmann, Managing Director, RoadSafetyUAE stated: “Young drivers represent about 50% of all road fatalities in the UAE and hence, this segment must be tackled by creating awareness for safe behavior, in a relevant manner. The team members of all twenty-one participating teams precisely represented the target audience, resulting in the creation of a series of genuinely insightful and pertinent campaigns that adhered to the guiding principle of “by them…for them!” As a means of honouring the outstanding creative endeavors, it would be ideal for the agencies behind the twenty-one teams to engage their clients and invite them to adopt the cause of road safety, while also leveraging some of the innovative concepts presented in partnership with RoadSafetyUAE. We want to thank Motivate Val Morgan and Getty Images for organizing and supporting the UAE Young Lions Digital Competition 2023, as well as the team members and the agencies behind them for their commitment and hard work.”
The jury panel for this year’s competition comprised of Girogia Fattoracci (Leo Burnett), Ingersol Jayakumar (Precise Communications), Andrej Arsenijevic (Commonwealth McCann), Steve De Lange (And Us), Anton Marais (Publicis Middle East), Anshuman Bhattacharya (Havas Middle East), Claudia Canas (FP7 McCann), David Willett (Weber Shandwick), Jordache Fernandes (KEKO Dubai), Raja Rizkallah Nadim (Science & Sunshine), Saleh Elghatit (Serviceplan), Rodrigo Scapolan (TBWA\RAAD), Rita Harbie (Saatchi & Saatchi MEA), and Robert Habib (C2 Communications)
Ian Fairservice, Managing Partner, Motivate Media Group, said: “This year has seen a notable increase in the number of entries, signifying the industry’s progress and resilience in the aftermath of the pandemic. I was mightily impressed with the quality of the work produced by the future of the creative industry. As always, it was extremely difficult to narrow down the top submissions but in the end there had to be a winning team – I want to congratulate everyone who put their all into the competition, but especially the winners, Jonathan Cruz and Saymon Medeiros from And Us, who I’m sure will be great ambassadors during this year’s Cannes Lions event.”
The UAE Young Lions Digital Competition – hosted by Motivate Media Group and Motivate Val Morgan and supported by Getty Images (exclusive image provider of the competition), aims to unveil the brightest creative minds from across the UAE, and is part of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity – the world’s biggest celebration of creativity in communications. The 2023 festival will take place between 19-23 June at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France.
LIONS Scholarship will support more than 130 underrepresented members of the creative community and emerging talent with access to Cannes Lions
LIONS has announced the launch of the LIONS Scholarship, which is designed to support the next generation of talent. The scholarship offers a group of young people from around the world a fully funded place on the Cannes Lions Brand Marketers and Creative Academies, which will take place during the Festival in June.
The new initiative sits alongside a range of talent programmes which are part of LIONS’ drive to introduce more opportunities for underrepresented groups through fully funded talent programmes at Cannes Lions.
Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said, “We’ve spent 70 years helping to shape careers, foster connections, and platform the power of creativity on a global scale. As we look forward to the next 70 years, we will focus on creating opportunities, providing access, and nurturing the next generation of creative marketing leaders. As part of our mission to support those ‘in the making’ and drive progress for people, we’re opening up the Festival to more than 130 people from groups traditionally underrepresented in the creative industries. To mark our 70th edition, we’re introducing the inaugural LIONS Scholarship. This initiative is designed to increase the accessibility of Cannes Lions’ bespoke academies, which offer a curated education programme at the heart of the Festival.”
The LIONS talent programme includes a range of early career initiatives with the LIONS Academies and Young Lions Competitions designed to catapult young talent in their careers. Additionally, LIONS current talent accelerator programmes continue this year, including See It Be It, which aims to help achieve equal gender representation of creative directors and leaders.
Included within the wider talent programme are community-led initiatives which have been designed in partnership with the global creative industry. These include: a programme with The Black Executive CMO Alliance to bring Future Leaders from The BECA Playbook to Cannes; complimentary passes for the winners of the Perifa Education Programme which is designed for creatives from the Brazilian peripheries; support of the #CannesForAll initiative, launched by the Brixton Finishing School, DigiLearning Foundation and Lollipop Mentoring, with Festival access for their 12 talents; and a continued partnership with Cephas Williams to provide Black talent with Cannes Lions access and curated Festival programme.
Learn more on all the LIONS talent programmes, along with how to apply here
Cannes Lions will take place from 19-23 June in Cannes, France.
Sylndr, an automotive-focused e-commerce marketplace in Egypt, recently booked a promotional campaign for its website at VOX Cinemas – Mall of Egypt and City Centre Almaza from 26 January to 13 February 2023.
The campaign involved an off-screen cinema advertising where a kiosk with a promoter was set up in the foyer area of the cinemas at Mall of Egypt and City Centre Almaza.
The promoter engaged with cinemagoers by explaining the platform and inviting them to participate in a ‘spin-the-wheel’ contest, with the chance to win a car or other exciting prizes. This interactive experience allowed patrons to learn about the sylndr.com.
Contact us for more on how off screen cinema advertising could help move your brand closer to its target audience.
From Scream VI to Fast X, Super Bowl 2023 saw a string of enticing new trailers
The Super Bowl 2023 brought us more than just an epic football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, it also gave us a sneak peek into some of the most anticipated movies of the year. Major movie studios including Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. and Disney all paid big bucks to promote their hottest titles.
From big-budget blockbusters to captivating dramas and spine-chilling thrillers, this year’s Super Bowl was a showcase of what’s to come from Tinseltown. Whatever genre it is you fancy, there was something for everyone during the trailer segment of the Super Bowl 2023. Here’s a rundown of all the movies that got a promotional boost during this year’s event.
Creed III
Release Date: 2 March 2023
30-second spot from Creed III at Super Bowl 2023 showcases more of the training and rivalry between Michael B. Jordan’s title character and Jonathan Majors’ Damian Anderson.
65
Release Date: 2 March 2023* (*Could be pushed to 9 March 2023)
Sony Pictures promoted 65 – a science-fiction thriller starring Adam Driver as a pilot who crashes and becomes stranded on Earth 65 million years ago. Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the film also stars Ariana Greenblatt and Chloe Coleman.
Scream VI
Release Date: 9 March 2023
Courteney Cox, Jenna Ortega, and Melissa Barrera headline this new minute-long Super Bowl 2023 spot that offers a longer look at one of the thriller’s set pieces briefly glimpsed in the previous trailer.
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Release Date: 20 April 2023
The Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Super Bowl 2023 trailer goes a long way to promise how action-packed it will be. Though brief, the teaser is a fast-paced, breathless montage of multiple action set-pieces, mythical creatures and even a titular dragon.
Air
Release Date: 6 April 2023 (International Release)
Ben Affleck’s next directorial offering sees Matt Damon play the man whose brainchild saw the birth of Nike’s Air Jordans. The first trailer for Air was revealed before Super Bowl LVII, with a big game spot along for the ride.
Guardians of Galaxy Vol. 3
Release Date: 4 May 2023
Disney used the Super Bowl broadcast to spotlight the third installment of Guardians of the Galaxy starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper as the titular band of Marvel superheroes.
Fast X
Release Date: 19 May 2023
10 main movies in, it’s impossible not to know what you’re getting with the Fast & Furious franchise. The Super Bowl Fast X teaser and the full trailer released before it showed off all of the best parts: a new ostentatious villain in the shape of Jason Momoa, returning heroes and anti-heroes, major set-pieces, ludicrous physics and some good old-fashioned racing.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Release Date: 08 June 2023
There’s more than just a sneak peek in this Transformers: Rise of the Beasts TV spot, because it’s not only a short promo for the film, but also an ad for Porsche, which is what Autobot Mirage transforms into in the trailer.
The Flash
Release Date: 15 June 2023
The first trailer for The Flash not only gives us a pretty good idea how the story might play out, but also reveals Michael Keaton in the Batsuit (and his Batmobile), Michael Shannon’s Zod, and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, among other things. We also got a shorter minute-long TV spot for the film containing a lot of the same footage.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Release Date: 30 June 2023
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth installment of the hit Indiana Jones franchise featuring the return of Harrison Ford as the titular swashbuckling archaeologist.
Click here to check out the leading brand commercials that aired during Super Bowl 2023.
Think cinema for effective advertising! Contact us.
Source: Empire, Variety
The cinema industry successfully ushered global audiences back into theatre in 2022 largely owing to the steadier flow of blockbusters in comparison to 2021, with Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Avatar: The Way of Water leading the long list of successful titles this year.
While 2021 was a dress rehearsal for the future of cinemas, 2022 has proved that cinema is back for real. This was especially evident in Saudi Arabia, when the country overtook Italy in annual box office revenue (in US$ terms), highlighting the prominence of cinema in the region.
Box office in 2022 had its first test with Scream which grossed nearly US$1M in the UAE alone and marked the successful return of the horror genre in the region since the pandemic. This was followed by the chartbuster performance of Matt Reeve’s The Batman, which earned a combined US$12M in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which earned US$6.7M in the UAE.
Summer blockbusters highly contributed to the recovery of the global box office in 2022, with Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick grossing a combined US$21.2M in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and over US$1.5 billion globally. Jurassic World: Dominion and Minions: The Rise of Gru also performed well, grossing over US$1.7M and US$1.64M in UAE and Saudi Arabia, respectively.
August to October was a challenging phase for cinemas in the region due to a weaker movie release schedule owing to pandemic-related delays. The year however ended on a high note with the release of James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, which earned close to US$10M in the UAE in its opening weeks. Arabic titles such as Bahebek, 3amohom, and Men Agl Zeko also topped the 2022 charts across GCC.
Here’s our 2022 wrap-up featuring the top movie releases in the eight countries we cover, the most watched genres across the region, the top 15 cinema ads booked through us that lit up the big screen, and last but not least, the new cinema locations added to our circuit and our milestones:
UAE
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Oman
Kuwait
Bahrain
Qatar
Lebanon
The 15 blockbuster ads (in no particular order) – booked through Motivate Val Morgan, that lit up the big screen in 2022 (also featured in Campaign Middle East):
Brand: Mercedes-Benz Burmester
Title: Innovations by Mercedes-Benz: Dolby Atmos
Media Agency: OMD
Brand: NEOM
Title: Trojena – Journey To New Heights
Media Agency: Starcom
Brand: Emirates
Title: Gerry the Goose Flies Better
Media Agency: UM MENA
Brand: Rolex
Title: Rolex & Cinema – The Path
Media Agency: Mindshare
Brand: Sephora
Title: Amna Al Qubaisi – Emirati F3 Driver – Redefining Beauty with Sephora
Media Agency: Spark Foundry – Publicis Media
Brand: Malabar Gold
Title: Brides of India
Brand: Hermès
Title: Terre d’Hermès
Media Agency: Havas Media
Brand: Thailand Tourism
Title: Amazing Thailand
Media Agency: Media Republic
Brand: Hayatna
Title: Grow Your World With Hayatna
Media Agency: Hearts & Science
Brand: Riyadh Book Fair
Media Agency: Blue Horizon
Brand: Infiniti QX60
Title: Take the Wheel
Media Agency: OMD
Brand: Jindal Shadeed
Media Agency: United Media Services
Brand: Theeb
Brand: Yas Island
Title: Yas Yas Baby
Media Agency: Initiative Media
Brand: Al Nahdi Pharmacies
2022 saw our cinema circuit expand with several new locations:
Our dedicated cinema buying platform – CinePlan and CineMeasure, was launched, which enables data-driven, audience-based buying across our network of cinemas in the Middle East. The platform was also recognized as one of Campaign Middle East’s Top 10 Media Milestones of 2022.
Get ready for an exciting year at the movies in 2023! Here are the top 20 movies to look forward to over the year ahead:
For more on the movies coming out in 2023, be sure to check out our sizzle reel
