Muvi Cinemas opens the first ever movie theater in the city of Khamis Mushait in Saudi Arabia at Mujan Park – Khamis
Muvi Cinemas opened its newest location at Murjan Park in the city of Khamis Mushait – KSA, on 11January 2022.
The 9-screen cinema with a total of 1,368 seats also features a ScreenX and Xperience screen, and is the first ever theatre in the city of Khamis Mushait – a city in south-west Saudi Arabia, located east of Abha.
Similar to other locations operated by the exhibitor, Muvi Cinemas at Mujan Park – Khamis was designed by UK’s , and the mall the cinema is located in boasts a wide range of entertainment and shopping options, restaurants, and cafes for the entire family to enjoy and experience.
Together with the openings of muvi Boutique – Tala Mall and Boulevard Riyadh (which opened in December 2021) and Al-Yasmin Mall (which opened in January 2022), Muvi Cinemas presently operates 174 screens across 20 locations in 9 cities across Saudi Arabia.
*More information on muvi Boutique – Tala Mall (Riyadh), Boulevard Riyadh (Riyadh) and Al-Yasmin Mall (Jeddah) to follow soon.
Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities on the screens of first ever cinema in Khamis Mushait, KSA – Muvi Cinemas Mujan Park – Khamis.
In this edition of ‘What’s Buzzin Behind the Screen’, we bring you the latest industry news – everything you need to know about what’s happening behind the scenes in Hollywood. From the latest trailer releases to box office collections and movie announcements, here’s the January 2022 update:
Stay tuned for the latest industry news in our February 2022 edition.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Empire Online
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
VOX Cinemas opened its fifteenth location in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at Jubail Galleria Mall in Jubail on 25th October 2021, in line with its commitment to make entertainment experiences accessible to everyone across Saudi Arabia, and contribute to the growth of the entertainment industry in the country.
Located at Jubail’s must-visit shopping and lifestyle destination, VOX Cinemas – Jubail Galleria Mall features five screens, including a Kids screen – a dedicated auditorium for young movie lovers to watch the latest family-friendly films. All auditoriums boast cutting-edge audio-visual technology for an unmatched cinematic experience.
Mohamed Al Hashemi, Country Head of Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment, Cinemas, and Lifestyle in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said: “VOX Cinemas is excited to join forces with Al Mutlaq Group to open our first cinema in Jubail as we continue to expand our footprint to new cities as well as opening entertainment experiences where we have an established presence. We’re also extremely proud to support job creation with the hiring of local talent, including our first female cinema manager in the Eastern region who will be leading our business in Jubail, as part of our commitment to realise the goals of Vision 2030. The Kingdom is evolving at a rapid pace into a global powerhouse of leisure and entertainment, and we will build on the success of 2021 by significantly increasing our pace of growth. We will also continue to introduce pioneering concepts that provide a place where communities can socialise and enjoy quality time together. We look forward to creating more great moments with our guests at VOX Cinemas Galleria Mall – Jubail.”
Abir Al Mutlaq, Director of Transformation, Al Mutlaq Group added: “VOX Cinemas has a wealth of market expertise and consistently delivers exceptional entertainment experiences for families throughout the Kingdom. We are extremely proud to collaborate once again following our first opening at The Roof in Riyadh in 2019. The state-of-the-art cinema is the first-of-its-kind in Jubail Industrial City and a strategic addition to Galleria Mall. We are confident that it will be a popular entertainment destination with families and movie lovers in the Eastern Province.”
With the opening of Jubail Galleria Mall, VOX Cinemas now operate a total of 154 screens across 15 cinemas in 6 cities in KSA, making it the largest exhibitor by screen count and ticket sales in the country. It is also the largest independent film distributor in the Kingdom.
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 – Jubail Galleria Mall.
Sources: Zawya and VOX Cinemas
It’s been nearly two years since the onset of the pandemic, and whilst the world is moving towards returning to near normalcy, cinemas around the world are now open, with audiences back to enjoying movies on the BIG screen at cinema.
However, the lingering question that remains is that, despite the surge in streaming content, can cinemas return to pre-pandemic levels?
We have explored current market trends and how the present will influence the future of this time-honored tradition – watching a movie on the BIG screen:
The Great Escape: Cinema is undoubtedly a means of escape. Movies were the most popular form of entertainment during the dreary moments of pandemic, but recent box office figures have proven that viewing movies at home is just a ploy to compensate for the inability of watching movies in a theater. A majority of audiences believe movies enjoyed at the cinema offers a range of richness and passion that goes beyond the mere escape from reality.
Content: Filmgoers are willing to return to the cinema for content they believe in. During the early stages of reopening, cinemas struggled mainly due to the lack of content, as a result of major tentpoles placed on hold, while others released across on-demand platforms. However, when studios were willing to take risks, which was the case with Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, it paid off well.
An Experience: The pandemic has changed the consumption behavior of cinema audiences. However, this change represents a huge opportunity for the industry to engage in more innovative and personal ways with moviegoers. Cinema visits can be part of a broader experience-based value delivered to audiences. For example, an increase in the number of films made in new digital formats – such as IMAX and Dolby, illustrate the positive shift in the audiences’ fondness for cinema as an experience.
Patience is Profit: When movies are released simultaneously on streaming platforms, the profit potential – for blockbusters, is hindered. For example, Marvel’s Black Widow, which had the potential to gross between $750 million and over $1 billion at global box office, made much less due to simultaneously releasing on streaming platforms. In a similar manner, the earning potential for original movies to become megabuck movies is also limited by streaming release.
The Future: Increased production costs have been a pain point for independent filmmakers, for only the larger studios that can take bigger risks in terms of funding and marketing their movies. Studios recognize that the economics of blockbusters are based on box office. Thus, for the next few years, original scripts will be less sought after by studios for theatre releases in favor of franchises and reboots. It is also likely that more studios will expand their animation offering to adult and family audiences, given that it is easier to produce.
It’s becoming clearer that the pandemic likely exacerbated trends that were already in place before it began—blockbusters earn bigger bucks, and the gap in terms of fare between independent films and superhero movies grows. 2021 has done necessary legwork for cinema recovery. While the franchise frenzy will continue to drive the cinema recovery in 2022, audiences are yet to be tested on their willingness to support smaller movie releases in theaters.
Sources: Variety, CineBlend, Deloitte and IMDB
Meet the SAWA #HelloBigScreen Ad Legends for cinema – Sir John Hegarty, Mark Ritson, Corinne Woods, Marcello Serpa, Mark Tutssel and Rosie Arnold
SAWA (Global Cinema Advertising Association) recently launched a three-minute video – #HelloBigScreen … aimed at raising awareness for the unparalleled POWER and EFFECTIVENESS of cinema.
The video features six Ad Legends – the world’s most iconic names in the advertising, film and humanitarian worlds, sharing their thoughts on the importance of cinema by offering their endorsement to the ultimate creative expression in advertising – the ‘Cinema Medium’.
SAWA #HelloBigScreen Ad Legends Campaign:
Here’s what Sir John Hegarty (world-renowned creator of legendary ad campaigns for Levi’s, Lego, and Audi, among other), Mark Ritson (leading global advertising guru — brand consultant, and former marketing professor and has worked globally as a private marketing consultant for global organisations) and Corinne Woods (Director of Communications at United Nations World Food Programme and a key player in the transition and strategic implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals) have to say about the cinema medium:
Sir John Hegarty – Attention:
Cinemagoers are the most valuable & lucrative audience to reach because they’ve paid to be at the Cinema… “In a world of constant interruptions and distractions – Attention is the holy grail for marketers and that’s the reason why I like Cinema.”
Sir John Hegarty – Place of Dreams:
“I love the Cinema, it’s a Palace of Dreams, a place to be entertained and inspired, where your imagination is set free and Cinema is unique in a world of distraction.” The Big Screen is difficult to ignore and ads cannot be skipped or muted.
Sir John Hegarty – Mother of All Screens:
Does size matter to you? “When we see our life reduced to some handheld screen and we then go into a Cinema – the Mother of all screens – it is something to be sought after.”
Mark Ritson – Chasing Attention
“In an era where we are chasing attention and ‘viewability’ is a crucial word and targeting younger audiences is getting harder and harder – remember the power of the incredible medium of Cinema.”
Mark Ritson – Cult Ads Guinness & Levis 1984
“Let’s not forget the incredible emotion and viewability of Cinema and what wonderful things Cinema Advertising can do for brands.” If you want your message to have impact with high recall, using cinema as a platform guarantees powerful brand impact.
Corinne Woods – Perfect Environment
“The cinema experience is unique and tells stories to an audience that sits together, and as a community, watch films together as a community. It’s important to change the world and the cinema Medium can contribute to that.”
Marcello Serpa – No Distractions
“The bigger the screen, the bigger the emotion – that’s the power of Cinema.”
Rosie Arnold – A Strange Year
“Its not just the glory of the big screen, the sound and the visual elements, its the shared experience that is more powerful than anything I can think of. When the screen opens and the movie starts, you are moved and effected not just by the movie, but the Cinema advertising as well.”
Mark Tutssel – Curtains Open
“I love cinema advertising. It can turn up the volume and transfix an audience. It is a different Medium, you sit in the dark and are told a story.”
Mark Tutssel – Nothing Like It
“There’s nothing like Cinema that can captivate an audience.”
Mark Tutssel – Finest Cult Cinema Ads
“Think of some of the finest cult Cinema ads, highly engaging, changed culture and struck a visceral cord with audiences. Magical films that you can watch again and again and ideas that stay with audiences forever.”
Think cinema for effective advertising! Contact us to display your brand on the big screen across the GCC.
Hegarty, Ritson, Tutssel, Arnold, Woods and Serpa Endorse the Power and Value of the Global Cinema Medium in SAWA ’s #HelloBigScreen Ad Legends Campaign
A powerful three-minute video and multiple social media campaigns featuring vignettes from some of the world’s most iconic names in the advertising, film and humanitarian worlds launched on October 25th, 2021, aimed at raising awareness for the unparalleled power and effectiveness of Cinema. SAWA – the Global Cinema Advertising Association, and its members around the globe will utilize cinema, the trade press and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube), to reach marketers, moviegoers and creative/media agencies.
The #HelloBigScreen Ad Legends campaign is a first for SAWA and the global cinema medium, and was created to support a medium that has showed its unswerving resilience over many decades – to be able to adapt and survive pretty much anything including the 1918 Pandemic as well as the current one. The campaign will launch featuring these Ad legends sharing their thoughts on the importance of cinema by offering their endorsement to the ultimate creative expression in advertising – the ‘Cinema Medium’.
The #HelloBigScreen Ad Legends campaign features:
Sir John Hegarty, world-renowned creator of legendary ad campaigns for Levi’s, Lego, and Audi, among other. John has been given the D&AD President’s Award for outstanding achievement and in 2014 was admitted to the US AAF Hall of Fame, awarded a Knighthood by the Queen in 2007 and recipient of the Lion of St. Mark, Cannes Lions.
Mark Ritson, a leading global advertising guru — brand consultant, and former marketing professor and has worked globally as a private marketing consultant for global organisations. He has a PhD in Marketing and taught on the MBA programmes of leading business schools including London Business School and MIT.
Corinne Woods, Director of Communications at United Nations World Food Programme and a key player in the transition and strategic implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Corinne was instrumental in developing a 3-year partnership with SAWA and its global Cinema Advertising companies to promote goal number 2, Hunger.
Marcello Serpa, Brazil’s most honoured and awarded art director, with 45 Clio Awards, and 149 Cannes Festival Lions, including Latin America’s first Grand Prix and the recipient of the Lion of St Mark from Cannes Lions. He was Creative Director and co-chairman of AlmapBBDO and built it into one of the most successful agencies in the world.
Mark Tutssel, Former Chairman and Global Creative Officer of Leo Burnett worldwide and creator of famous campaigns for brands such as Samsung, McDonalds, Coca Cola and P & G He has won every major creative accolade, including nine Cannes Grand Prix, over 600 Cannes Lions, the first-ever D&AD White Pencil, two D&AD Black Pencils, seven One Show Best of Show Pencils and two Emmy Awards.
Rosie Arnold, Former Executive Creative Director BBH London. At BBH Rosie won numerous awards for her creative work on brands such as Levi’s, Pretty Polly Robinsons, Audi, Heineken Shell, Yeo Valley and Lynx. Rosie was also the first female President of D&AD and introduced “The White Pencil”- awarded for work that not only sells but does good in the world
“I love the Cinema, it’s a Palace of Dreams, a place to be entertained and inspired, where your imagination is set free, and the Cinema Medium is unique in a world of distraction,” said Sir John Hegarty.
SAWA members participating in the campaign are Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and the Middle East, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay.
“As the pandemic hit, leading Hollywood Film Directors stood up and endorsed the power of Cinema over all other screens. It is therefore great to see that the Ad legends of our business have done the same as it relates to the power of the Cinema medium as the ultimate place for Brands to appear,” said ‘Cheryl Wannell, CEO of SAWA.
3-minute Longform #HelloBigScreen Ad Legends Campaign:
One of the 30-second Social Media Content Videos of Sir John Hegarty:
As a member of SAWA, Motivate Val Morgan is proud to support this global cinema initiative. Stay tuned across our social platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter) for more on the #HelloBigScreen Ad Legends campaign, which will feature 11 individual 30-second videos of each Ad legend.
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)
In this edition of ‘What’s Buzzin Behind the Screen’, we bring you the latest industry news – everything you need to know about what’s happening behind the scenes in Hollywood. From the latest trailer releases, to box office collections and movie announcements, here’s the October 2021 update:
Stay tuned for the latest industry news in our November 2021 edition.
Source: Screen Rant, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Rotten Tomatoes and Cinema Blend
With the reopening of cinemas in most states of India, Asian movie lovers will witness the return of the much anticipated movie releases on the big screen, that were previously pushed back due to the ongoing pandemic.
Cinema theatres in India and overseas markets popular for Indian movie releases, are anticipating heavy footfall during the Diwali weekend, which falls on 4 November 2021, for the line-up includes both regional and big-ticket titles.
From Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi, Rajinikanth’s Tamil movie Annaatthe and more, here is a comprehensive list of Asian movie releases over the remainder of 2021:
Star (Malayalam)
Synopsis: Prithviraj plays Dr Derrick who tries to unearth the mystery in the story. The mystery of star – the Betelgeuse in the Orion constellation.
Release Date: 28 October 2021
Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Joju George and Sheelu Abraham
Sooryavanshi (Hindi)
Synopsis: Sooryavanshi traces the acts and serious antics of DCP Veer Sooryavanshi, the chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad in India.
Release Date: 4 November 2021
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh
Annaatthe (Tamil)
Synopsis: Directed by Siruthai Siva, Annaatthe is a rural action-entertainer with Rajinikanth playing the role of a village headman.
Release Date: 4 November 2021
Cast: Rajinikanth, Nayanthara, Prakash Raj and Keerthy Suresh
Bunty Aur Babli 2 (Hindi)
Synopsis: Bunty and Babli are forced out of retirement after a spate of robberies with their trademark sigil start appearing across India.
Release Date: 18 November 2021
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji and Pankaj Tripathi
Satyameva Jayate 2 (Hindi)
Synopsis: Revolves around the fight against injustice and misuse of power. From police and politicians to industrialists and a common man, the film will explore corruption in all spheres.
Release Date: 25 November 2021
Cast: John Abraham, Divya Khosla Kumar and Anup Soni
Maanaadu (Tamil)
Synopsis: On the day of a public conference by the state’s Chief Minister, his bodyguard and a police officer are stuck in a time loop.
Release Date: 25 November 2021
Cast: T.R. Silambarasan, Kalyani Priyadarshan and S.J. Suryah
83 (Hindi)
Synopsis: The story of India’s incredible cricket World Cup victory in 1983. The World Cup that taught India to win.
Release Date: 23 November 2021
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Tahir Raj Bhasin
Pushpa: The Rise (Telugu)
Synopsis: Based on the smuggling of red sandal trees in Seshachalam forest|
Release Date: 23 December 2021
Cast: Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil and Rashmika Mandanna
Jersey (Hindi)
Synopsis: The about a thirty six year old cricketer who stopped his cricketing career ten years ago, and now aiming to return to the Indian Cricket team to realize his son’s dream and to prove his ability
Release Date: 30 December 2021
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur and Palak Singh
*Movie release dates are subject to change
Advertisers… here’s your chance to target Asian audiences in the lead up to Diwali and over the rest of Q4 2021. Mark your calendars and contact us to plan your cinema advertising campaigns alongside these Asian movie releases.
Sources: IMDB and VOX Cinemas movie release schedule
