The euphoric reviews and strong word of mouth helped boost ticket sales, which easily exceeded analysts’ expectations ahead of the releas...
The euphoric reviews and strong word of mouth helped boost ticket sales, which easily exceeded analysts’ expectations ahead of the release. “Top Gun: Maverick” received a rare A-plus rating from ticket buyers in CinemaScore’s exit polls. Paramount also backed the release with a savvy marketing campaign that included a monumental premiere on an aircraft carrier; a video stunt with James Corden which went viral; promoted by hundreds of TikTok and Instagram influencers; a website allowing fans to generate personalized call signs with augmented reality photos; and original Lady Gaga songs. As always, Cruise traveled the world on a tightly controlled publicity tour.
In the United States, concerns about the coronavirus seem to have faded. About 85% of pre-pandemic ticket buyers (those who attend at least four films a year) currently feel safe going to the cinema, according to a survey by National Research Group, a film industry consultancy. In January, about 65% felt safe. NRG data shows that consumers in general consider movie theaters to be safer than gyms, bars and restaurants.
“This is the real turnaround,” said Mooky Greidinger, chief executive of Cineworld, owner of Regal Cinemas, the second-largest multiplex chain in the United States. “We are very, very optimistic for the rest of the year.” He noted that a large percentage of “Top Gun: Maverick” ticket buyers opted for premium-priced screenings at large-format theaters such as IMAX. “Give us a movie like ‘Top Gun!’ every weekend,” he says.
For the first time since early 2020, Greidinger and other theater owners will get their wish. The box office struggled to rebound in part due to sporadic studio production. “We would have a really big one and then nothing to follow,” Fithian said. “Spider-Man: No Coming Homefor example, was a juggernaut in late December and January, taking in $1.9 billion worldwide. But he also had theaters largely to himself, with February almost devoid of big-budget offerings.
In the coming weeks, Hollywood will deliver a series of killer sequels and prequels, including ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’, ‘Lightyear’, ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ and ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’. Other high-profile summer offerings include “Where the Crawdads Sing,” “Elvisand “Nope” by Jordan Peele. Theater owners also have high hopes for “The Black Phone,” a Blumhouse thriller, and “Bullet Train,” starring Brad Pitt.
“There is finally a range of options for moviegoers of all types,” Fithian said. “Cinema begets cinema,” he added, with trailers playing in theaters one weekend fueling attendance the next.
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