Cinema enthusiasts are optimistic about the future, particularly with the release schedules for the second half of 2024 and 2025. The much-needed boost from Bad Boys: Ride or Die at the start of June, following an average May, and highly anticipated titles such as Inside Out 2, A Quiet Place: Day One, and Deadpool & Wolverine lined-up for release, ensure that the global box office will maintain its momentum this summer. The slowdown in 2024 was largely due to last year’s dual labor strikes, which halted Hollywood and pushed many blockbusters to 2025. But will a strong movie lineup in theaters be enough to solve this problem, or are there other issues studios need to address to achieve the collective horsepower needed to reach pre-pandemic results and demand?
According to reports from the Global Cinema Federation, cinemas worldwide are gearing up for a new era focused on enhancing the movie-going experience. However, achieving box office growth requires a collaborative effort between exhibitors and studios. Here are the GCF’s suggestions for studios to contribute to this collective push:
The need for a higher number of titles remains crucial for the growth of global box office, as the number of theatrical releases has significantly decreased since the pandemic. While there are several blockbusters scheduled for release in 2025, one good year alone is not sufficient to exceed the levels of pre-pandemic box office revenue. Hence studios must understand the importance of increasing the quantity of films available in theaters to drive overall revenue growth and achieve the consistent high-grossing box office performance seen prior to the pandemic.
According to a survey by the ticketing platform BookMyShow, the majority of customers express their readiness to return to theaters for a wider variety of genres when there is a film they want to see. However, there has been a noticeable decline in the production and release of romantic comedies and animated films since the pandemic. This gap in the market represents a missed opportunity, as these genres have traditionally drawn significant audiences. Reviving the production of rom-coms and animated films can cater to a wide demographic, encouraging more frequent trips to the cinema
The trend of shortening the theatrical window, particularly in the US, has significant repercussions on the international box office. When films are swiftly moved to streaming platforms after their initial release, it weakens the incentive for international audiences to see the movie in theaters, as they may prefer waiting for the streaming release. Additionally, piracy on these platforms can further erode the studios’ potential revenue. To counteract this, the Global Cinema Federation suggests maintaining a longer exclusive theatrical window to preserve the unique value proposition and box office draw of the cinema experience worldwide.
The length of movies is another factor that influences audience turnout. Extremely long run-times can deter some viewers due to time constraints or comfort concerns. Balancing film lengths to ensure they are engaging yet not excessively long can help maximize audience retention and satisfaction. Providing a mix of shorter and feature-length films can cater to various audience preferences, making it easier for more people to fit a movie outing into their schedules.
Effective marketing is crucial for driving box office success, especially for non-blockbuster films. This involves not only traditional advertising methods, but also leveraging digital platforms and targeted campaigns to reach potential viewers. Multi-channel strategies can build audience awareness and excitement for upcoming films. Engaging promotional activities, social media buzz, and partnerships with influencers can further amplify the reach and impact of marketing efforts, ultimately boosting ticket sales.
Source: Global Cinema Federation Report
Pixar has long established itself as a powerhouse in the world of animation, consistently delivering blockbuster hits that captivate audiences of all ages. From the record-breaking success of ‘Elemental’ to the heartwarming tales of ‘Toy Story’ and ‘The Incredibles,’ Pixar has cemented its reputation for creating some of the most beloved animated films of all time. Adding to its impressive roster is the sequel to the Academy AwardⓇ-winning ‘Inside Out’, poised to continue Pixar’s legacy of excellence in emotional storytelling and animation.
Eight years after the original release, excitement for the sequel has reached new heights, demonstrating just how beloved the first film was. With news and speculation continuously emerging, here is everything we know about Inside Out 2 so far.
Inside Out 2 hits the big screen on June 13th, 2024. The release is just around the corner, so get ready to revisit the world inside Riley’s head.
Inside Out 2 will premiere in all Middle Eastern markets with a full Arabic voice cast, alongside the original English language, showcasing Arab talent. This marks the first Disney animation to be released in Arabic.
The latest trailer teases the arrival of new emotions and the challenges Riley faces as a teenager.
The good news? The original cast is returning! Amy Poehler is back as Joy, Phyllis Smith voices Sadness, Lewis Black brings Anger to life, and Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling return as Fear and Disgust, respectively. New additions to the voice cast include Maya Hawke and Tony Hale, though their roles remain a mystery for now.
Picking up from the first film, Inside Out 2 explores Riley’s mind as she enters her teenage years. The established emotions—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust—will face some new company. The trailer hints at the arrival of complex emotions like Anxiety, Embarrassment, and possibly Ennui (boredom). How will these new players navigate Headquarters and influence Riley’s life?
Kelsey Mann steps in as director, taking the reins from Pete Docter, who helmed the first film. However, Docter remains involved as an executive producer, ensuring the spirit of the original is carried forward.
With a movie targeted toward families and children, Inside Out 2 presents a perfect opportunity for brands to reach a wide audience. Contact us to advertise alongside this upcoming family blockbuster.
Source: Collider, Pixar YouTube, IMDb
Here are the ads that lit up the big screen during Eid-Al-Adha 2023:
Gazebo – FTM Indiana Jones & The Dial of Destiny
Country: UAE
Operators: Select VOX Screens at Mall of the Emirates
Dallah Hospital
Country: KSA
Operators: Select AMC, Muvi, Reel & VOX Locations
Oriental Weavers
Agency: Initiative Cairo
Country: Egypt
Operators: Select VOX Locations
Vodafone
Agency: UM Qatar
Country: Qatar
Operators: Select VOX Locations
Gravity
Country: Bahrain
Operators: Select VOX Locations
Kuwait Finance House
Agency: Mindshare Kuwait
Country: Kuwait
Operators: VOX Cinemas
Think cinema for ‘attention-grabbing’ advertising!
Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities alongside upcoming summer blockbusters.
The 2023 edition of CinemaCon drew to a successful close after four days of thrilling presentations, demonstrations, and discussions, which offered an unparalleled opportunity for industry leaders to come together and discuss the future of cinema.
CinemaCon attendees were privy to exclusive product presentations, cutting-edge technology demonstrations, and thought-provoking panel discussions featuring experts from various sectors of the industry, including studio executives, theatre operators, and technology providers.
Leading studios, including Disney, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery, presented their latest trailers for upcoming theatrical releases, and as always, the event concluded with the ‘Big Screen Achievement Awards’ – held in honor of celebrities whose contributions to the industry have helped shape cinema into what it is today.
If you missed any of the presentations, fear not! Here are the latest trailers that were released during the event:
Sony Pictures set the tone for CinemaCon 2023 by showcasing a variety of major movie trailer releases and announcements. Some of the notable titles that were unveiled included Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Gran Turismo: The Movie, The Equalizer 3, and Insidious: The Red Door.
The Equalizer 3
Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington presented the first trailer of The Equalizer 3, in which he reprises the role of former government assassin Robert McCall. The film is described as the “final chapter” in the story, indicating that it could be the last with Washington as Robert.
The film is set to release in cinema on 31 August 2023.
Gran Turismo: The Movie
Orlando Bloom and Stranger Things star David Harbour presented a new trailer for Gran Turismo: The Movie. The film is based on the life of Jann Mardenborough, a real-life Gran Turismo player who became a professional racer. Archie Madekwe plays Mardenborough in the film. It also stars Djimon Hounsou as Mardenborough’s father. Harbour plays Jack Salter, a retired race car driver, who trains Jann.
The film is set to release in cinema on 10 August 2023.
Insidious: The Red Door
CinemaCon 2023 attendees were treated to an extended trailer for Insidious: The Red Door.The new footage showed an adult Dalton (Ty Simpkins) being haunted by a wide variety of demons while now attending college. At the request of his wife Renai (Rose Byrne), father Josh (Patrick Wilson) accompanies him to help move into his college dorm where he realizes that Dalton’s connection to “the Further” is coming back in full force.
The film is set for release in cinema on 6 July 2023.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Fourteen minutes from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was shown at CinemaCon 2023 as the studio is still finishing the movie. The latest trailer shows Miles Morales as he returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
The film is set to release in cinema on 1 June 2023
Other movies showcased by Sony Pictures included Kraven the Hunter (5 October 2023), Dumb Money (19 October 2023) and Napoleon (21 November 2023).
Warner Bros. Discovery presented a slew of trailers and announcements on 25 April, the second day of the mega event. Here is a look at the studio’s upcoming releases including three DC Extended Universe (DCEU) movies — The Flash, Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
The Flash
Ezra Miller plays two versions of Barry Allen in different realities. While Ben Affleck appears as Batman in his own reality, Michael Keaton returns as the Dark Knight in an alternate reality in the story. Sasha Calle’s Supergirl and Michael Shannon’s General Zod are also seen in much more detail in the new trailer.
The film is set to release in cinema on 15 June 2023.
Blue Beetle
The Blue Beetle footage shown at CinemaCon 2023 was very similar to the trailer that was recently released. However, it did give us an even better look at the villainous Carapax. The trailer shows what fans have already seen, which is Xolo Maridueña’s Jamie Reye getting his hands on an alien object that looks like a mystical scarab which turns him into a superhero.
The film is set to release in cinema on 17 August 2023.
Barbie
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling joined director Greta Gerwig for an extended trailer release of Barbie.
The film is set to release in cinema on 20 July 2023.
Other movies showcased by Warner Bros. Discovery included: Dune: Part Two (2 November 2023), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (19 December 2023), Wonka (14 December 2023), The Color Purple (24 December 2023), The Nun II (7 September 2023), Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (TBA).
Disney brought Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Animation and Pixar films to CinemaCon 2023. Among these were MCU films Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels, animated movie Elemental, and highly anticipated movies The Little Mermaid and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
A Haunting in Venice
The third instalment in Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot movies had its first teaser trailer release at CinemaCon 2023.
The film is set to release in cinema on 14 September 2023.
Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins
The maverick Taika Waititi is ready with his sports comedy film Next Goal Wins. It is about the American Samoa football team, known infamously for its 31-0 loss to Australia in a FIFA game in 2001. The film follows Michael Fassbender’s Thomas Rongen, a coach who is hired to help the team qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The film is set to release in cinema on 16 November 2023.
Elemental
Pixar’s Elemental is an animated film about residents of Element City, each of whom belong to an elemental group — land, air, water and fire. The extended 20-minute clip focussed on a fire element character, Ember, from the time she was a baby to her younger years. Unable to control her temper, she causes a disaster which brings her in conflict with water-element character Wade.
The film is set to release in cinema on 15 June 2023.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny concluded Disney’s slate of presentations at the event. Attendees got to see an action-packed clip from the upcoming film. The clip followed Harrison Ford’s Indy and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena in pursuit of Mads Mikkelsen’s antagonist character Jürgen Voller through Tangier in Morocco.
The film is set to release in cinema on 29 June 2023.
Other movies showcased by Disney included: The Creator (28 September 2023) and Wish (21 November 2023).
Paramount Studios showcased their 2023 and 2024 slates of highly anticipated movie titles during their presentation at CinemaCon 2023.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
CinemaCon 2023 was treated to a brand new look at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The footage was extended from the already-released teaser.
The film is set to release in cinema on 3 August 2023.
The studio showcased a full 20 minutes of the upcoming film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, starring Tom Cruise and set to release on 11 July 2023, along with the first trailer for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, which is scheduled for release on 19 October 2023, and a first look at A Quiet Place: Day One, set to release on 8 March 2024.
Universal and Focus Features presented their films after Disney on Day 3 of CinemaCon 2023.
Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan took to the stage to introduce Oppenheimer, one of the most-anticipated movies of 2023. Nolan said that a full trailer may be attached to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 theatrical release. A five-minute reel was then shown to attendees. Cillian Murphy plays J. Robert Oppenheimer in the film. Matt Damon essays Major General Leslie Groves. Among the A-list star cast of the film are Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, David Dastmalchian, and Rami Malek among others.
The film is set to release in cinema on 20 July 2023.
Fast X
Vin Diesel made a surprise appearance at CinemaCon 2023 to announce that Fast X – Part 2 will be released in theaters in 2025. The announcement was made after the first part of the movie, Fast X, which is set to be released in cinemas on 18 May 2023. The event came to a close for the day following a trailer of Fast X.
Other titles showcased by Universal and Focus Features included: Drive-Away Dolls (22 September 2023), Kung Fu Panda 4 (6 March 2024), Wicked (November 2024).
Source: Lifestyle Asia, DiscussingFilm
