Motivate Val Morgan | Yearly Wrap-Up | 2022

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:

 

Top Five Movies – By Country

 

UAE

  1. Top Gun: Maverick
  2. Doctor Strange: in the Multiverse of Madness
  3. Avatar: The Way of Water
  4. Minions 2: The Rise of Gru
  5. Thor: Love and Thunder

 

Saudi Arabia

  1. Top Gun: Maverick
  2. Bahebek (Egyptian)
  3. 3amohom (Egyptian)
  4. Men Agl Zeko (Arabic)
  5. The Batman

 

Egypt

  1. Kera We El Gin (Egyptian)
  2. Wahed Tany (Arabic)
  3. 3amohom (Egyptian)
  4. Bahebek (Egyptian)
  5. Al Gareema (Arabic)

 

Oman

  1. Top Gun: Maverick
  2. Bahebek (Egyptian)
  3. Minions 2: The Rise of Gru
  4. Avatar: The Way of Water
  5. Jurassic World Dominion

 

Kuwait

  1. Top Gun: Maverick
  2. Minions 2: The Rise of Gru
  3. Bahebek (Egyptian)
  4. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
  5. 3amohom (Egyptian)

 

Bahrain

  1. Top Gun: Maverick
  2. Bahebek (Egyptian)
  3. Minions 2: The Rise of Gru
  4. Black Adam
  5. The Batman

 

Qatar

  1. Top Gun: Maverick
  2. Minions 2: The Rise of Gru
  3. Jurassic World Dominion
  4. Bahebek (Egyptian)
  5. Black Adam

 

Lebanon 

  1. Bahebek (Egyptian)
  2. Al Hayba (Arabic)
  3. Taraf Talet (Lebanese)
  4. Top Gun: Maverick
  5. Doctor Strange: in the Multiverse of Madness

 

Most Watched Genres – Regional

 

Wrap Genres 2022

 

Top 15 Cinema Ads

 

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 AgencyBlue Horizon

 

 

Brand: Infiniti QX60
Title: Take the Wheel
Media Agency: OMD

 

 

Brand: Jindal Shadeed
Media AgencyUnited Media Services

 

 

Brand: Theeb

 

 

Brand: Yas Island
Title: Yas Yas Baby
Media Agency: Initiative Media

 

 

Brand: Al Nahdi Pharmacies

 

 

Cinema Circuit Growth

 

2022 saw our cinema circuit expand with several new locations:

 

MVMCCG

 

  1. Muvi Cinemas (KSA): The View, Atelier La Vie, Mujan Park, Al-Yasmin Mall, Tala Mall (Boutique), Boulevard Riyadh and Park Avenue
  2. AMC Cinemas (KSA) – Garden, Tabuk Boulevard and The Walk
  3. Cinépolis Cinemas (KSA) – Al Hokair Time, Al Massarah
  4. Cinépolis Cinemas (Bahrain) – Amwaj Islands
  5. Reel Cinemas (KSA) – The Granada Mall

 

Milestone

 

Our dedicated cinema buying platformCinePlan 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.

 

 

Blockbusters to Look Forward to in 2023

 

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:

  1. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania – February
  2. Creed III – March
  3. 65 – March
  4. Shazam! Fury of the Gods – March
  5. John Wick: Chapter 4 – March
  6. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – March
  7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – May
  8. Fast X – May
  9. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – June
  10. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – June
  11. The Flash – June
  12. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – June
  13. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One – July
  14. Oppenheimer – July
  15. The Marvels – July
  16. Barbie – July
  17. Dune: Part Two – November
  18. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes – November
  19. Wonka – December
  20. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – December

For more on the movies coming out in 2023, be sure to check out our sizzle reel

 

 

Lexus | Car Display | VOX Cinemas – City Centre Mirdif

Lexus booked a car display with Motivate Val Morgan, through Play Dooh at VOX Cinemas – City Centre Mirdif during the Eid Weekened (7-14 July 2022).

 

The car display featured the all-new Lexus IS 350 2022 in the foyer area of the popular cinema location, and was timed to coincide with the release of the long-awaited Marvel blockbuster Thor: Love and Thunder.

 

Lexus Car Display Cinema Campaign 2022

 

Perfectly blending power, enthralling performance, striking design and sophistication, Lexus IS delivers a driving experience that stirs every emotion.

 

Motivate Val Morgan offers a range of off screen promotional activities to compliment and support on screen advertising, ranging from Digital Screens, Sampling Inside Cinemas, to Lighboxes, and much more.

 

Contact a member of our sales team for more information on how off-screen cinema advertising could help move your brand closer to its target audience, and click here to read more on Lexus IS.

 

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2022 Cinema Ad Spend to Grow by 168% in the U.S.

Cinema ad spend in the U.S is expected to grow by 168% in 2022.

 

The advertising industry was one of the most affected by the pandemic. 2021 however, witnessed a rapid bounce back, with most mediums reaching a record high and surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

In a recent study, Magna Advertising forecasted U.S. ad spend in 2022 for each medium, and while most mediums are expected to grow less in 2022 –  a result of the doom-and-gloom narrative surrounding the ad market owing to the impending recession, ad spend on cinema is expected to increase by 168%.

 

U.S. ad spend in 2022

 

Due to a disappointing first half in 2021, full-year ad sales amounted to just 24% of pre-COVID levels, however it is projected that cinema advertising will enjoy its first quasi-normal year since 2019, with audience admissions already witnessing a boost with the release of The Batman, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Top Gun: Maverick, and a large slate of blockbusters set to release over Q3 and Q4 2022: Jurassic World Dominion, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Black Adam and Avatar: The Way of Water.

As movie attendance is on the rise, marketers in both the U.S and globally are also looking at the ‘attention’ aspect cinema affords advertisers. Recent research by Amplified Intelligence reveals that cinema scores 80% ‘active’ attention and 20% ‘passive attention’ with zero wastage and no decay – the highest statistic thus far for active attention in a market of 30-40% attention average.

 

Sources: Magna Global, Variety and Mi3

What’s Buzzin Behind The Screen – Industry News – January 2022

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:

 

  1. Given the cinema closures and audience worries during the pandemic, there have been some successful movies in 2021. But it took the MCU to deliver a true blockbuster, as Spider-Man: No Way Home crossed the $1 billion mark globally just 12 days after it was released. As of now, the movie is at $1.05 billion, making it the third-fastest film to reach that mark, after Avengers: Infinity War and the top title holder Avengers: Endgame.

 

  1. For the second year in a row, China ended 2021 as the world’s largest theatrical film market. Total movie ticket revenue in the country clocked in at $7.3 billion (RMB 47.3 billion, assuming an average annual exchange rate of RMB 6.45 to $1), more than double last year’s total and down just 26 percent from a pre-pandemic high of $9.2 billion (RMB 64.3 billion) in 2019, according to data from regional box office tracker Artisan Gateway.

 

  1. Josh Hartnett is the newest addition to Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer, despite already including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, and Rami Malek. The movie is set in the backdrop of WWII, and portrays the life of scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in developing the atomic bomb.

 

  1. Actors today are increasingly interested in portraying Hollywood luminaries of the golden age. Both Jamie Bell and Tom Holland have been linked with Fred Astaire in the last couple of years and now Chris Evans is rumored to be playing Gene Kelly in a new movie. The movie will revolve around 12-year-old boy working at the MGM lot in 1952 who develops an imaginary friendship with legendary movie star Kelly while he works on his next film.

 

  1. Taika Waititi is directing an adaptation of Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius’ graphic novel The Incal – an epic space opera, which follows P.I. John Difool who stumbles upon a mystical artifact which forces him on a journey to save the universe. As for Waititi, his next project to arrive in theaters will be Thor: Love and Thunder, and he’s also working on a Star Wars movie.

 

  1. With Encanto out in the world, Disney has now announced its next big animation project –Strange World. The movie will tell the story of an uncharted and treacherous land where fantastical creatures await the legendary Clades, a family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest — and by far — most crucial mission. A November 2022 release date has been set for the movie directed by Don Hall.

 

  1. Dave Bautista, who had a great year in 2021 with Dune and Army Of The Dead, now plans to add another respected director to his impressive list of collaborators as he has signed on to direct M Night Shyamalan‘s next film, Knock At The Cabin. The filmmaker’s follow-up to Old is, naturally, a complete mystery so far, with Shyamalan merely teasing the title. Bautista is also involved in Rian Johnson‘s Knives Out 2 and is currently working with James Gunn on Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3.

 

  1. The reuniting of Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot from Wonder Woman will have to stand in line. Jenkins has stepped down as director of Cleopatra, a chronological thriller starring Gadot as Egypt’s renowned ruler. The director of the Marvel superhit The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, namely, Kari Skogland will now be directing the movie. However, Patty Jenkins will not leave the filming completely. She’ll continue to produce Cleopatra as she concentrates on her following two films, Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman 3 as well as Disney and Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Rogue Squadron.

 

Stay tuned for the latest industry news in our February 2022 edition.

 

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Empire Online

 

 

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2021 | MVM Yearly Wrap | The Return of the Big Screen

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.

 

Top 10 Movies of 2021 – by Country

 

UAE:

  1. No Time to Die
  2. Fast and Furious 9
  3. Godzilla vs Kong
  4. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
  5. Al Kameen [Arabic]
  6. Shang – Chi : The Legend of the 10 Rings
  7. Black Widow
  8. Jungle Cruise
  9. Free Guy
  10. Cruella

 

KSA:

  1. Waafet Reggaala [Arabic]
  2. Wrath Of Man
  3. No Time to Die
  4. Fast and Furious 9
  5. Mesh Ana [Arabic]
  6. Cruella
  7. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
  8. A Quiet Place: Part II
  9. Mama Hamel [ Arabic ]
  10. El Ens W El Nems [Arabic]

 

Egypt:

  1. Al Arif [Arabic]
  2. El Ens W El Nems [Arabic]
  3. Mesh Ana [Arabic]
  4. Waafet Reggaala [Arabic]
  5. Al-Baa’d La Yazhab L Al-Ma’zoun Maratayen [Arabic]
  6. No Time to Die
  7. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
  8. Fast and Furious 9
  9. Mako [Arabic]
  10. The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It

 

Oman:

  1. Fast and Furious 9
  2. No Time to Die
  3. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
  4. Jungle Cruise
  5. Wrath Of Man
  6. Sooryavanshi [Hindi]
  7. Shang – Chi : The Legend of the 10 Rings
  8. Master [Tamil]
  9. Kurup [Malayalam]
  10. A Quiet Place: Part II

 

Kuwait:

  1. No Time to Die
  2. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
  3. Escape Room: No Way Out
  4. Black Widow
  5. Shang – Chi : The Legend of the 10 Rings
  6. Cruella
  7. Mesh Ana [Arabic]
  8. Free Guy
  9. Fast and Furious 9
  10. A Quiet Place: Part II

 

Bahrain:

  1. No Time to Die
  2. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
  3. Jungle Cruise
  4. Free Guy
  5. Fast and Furious 9
  6. Shang – Chi : The Legend of the 10 Rings
  7. El Ens W El Nems [Arabic]
  8. Dune
  9. The Suicide Squad
  10. Mesh Ana [Arabic]

 

Qatar:

  1. No Time to Die
  2. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
  3. Free Guy
  4. Shang – Chi : The Legend of the 10 Rings
  5. Luca
  6. Black Widow
  7. Fast and Furious 9
  8. A Quiet Place: Part II
  9. Dune
  10. The Boss Baby 2: Family Business

 

Lebanon:

  1. Fast and Furious 9
  2. No Time to Die
  3. Mesh Ana [Arabic]
  4. Shang – Chi: The Legend of the 10 Rings
  5. Black Widow
  6. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
  7. Jungle Cruise
  8. Free Guy
  9. Eternals
  10. Dune

(based on Box Office)

 

 

Most Watched Genres of 2021 – Regional

 

Most Watched Genres - 2021

 

 

Top 10 Cinema Ads of 2021

 

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

 

 

 

Looking Forward

 

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:

 

  1. Morbius – January 27
  2. The Batman – March 3
  3. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – April 14
  4. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – May 5
  5. John Wick: Chapter 4 – May 26
  6. Top Gun: Maverick – May 26
  7. Jurassic World: Dominion -June 9
  8. Thor: Love and Thunder – In cinemas July 7
  9. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – In cinemas November 10
  10. Avatar 2 – In cinemas December 15

 

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

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