‘Unhinged’ Sees Increased Business On Saturday For $4M Opening As Exhibition Turns Lights Back On
Entertainment social media analyst RelishMix reports before this weekend that Unhinged‘s social media universe across YouTube views, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram was at 23.1M with a reposting video viral rate of 15:1. The average wide release studio thriller pre-pandemic would average a social media universe of 78.6M, and a reposting rate of 24:1 (granted, an apples to oranges comparison given how many distributors aren’t providing box office comps to their feature openings since our exhibition infrastructure isn’t completely back on line).
Among the positive chatter that RelishMix spotted on social media for Unhinged: “Fans who are amused by the rage and tone of the plot are onboard and calling out how ‘Every single Karen, those people who seek to turn each and every social interaction into a passive aggressive power struggle, deserve this.’ Discussions which are sarcastically playing off of Crowe’s strong performance are one of the films most driving convo points by far, ‘LOL so he’s coming after her and her kid and murdering people cause she aggressively honked at him in traffic and won’t apologize? This may be the greatest movie ever made.'”
Beleaguered American, Chinese cinema theaters try to plan for post-coronavirus era
When AMC Theaters slowed their roll, delaying the reopening of approximately 600 theaters around the country from mid-July to July 30, some theaters in low risk areas of China reopened on this Monday.
Moreover, they have a massive backlog of titles to exhibit, including Hollywood titles "Sonic the Hedgehog," "Dolittle," and Oscar winners, "Ford v Ferrari," "1917," and "Jojo Rabbit."
This good news from China brought relief to Hollywood as well, even though they knew most of China's theaters remained shuttered as well so far after a brief and partial reopening in mid-March.
The huge market in China can not be replaced by others, such as the resurgence of outdoor drive-in theaters amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a popular phenomenon in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, where viewers can watch films outdoors on a huge screen from the safety of their own cars. There are not enough drive-ins left to power a massive studio weekend release to a 500-million-U.S. dollar box office or more.
"Sitting in a closed-in theater with no windows is iffy," President of RelishMix, Marc Karzen, told Xinhua Tuesday. "So drive-in movies are a thing again. But it's not dark until 9:00 p.m., so you can't push massive box office for new movies through them. They work best for vintage movies."
RelishMix is a leading Hollywood social analytics firm for film, television and streaming programs that tracks and enhances social engagement for new releases.
Is ‘Tenet’ Still Sticking On Its July 17 Release Date?
The good news for Tenet so far: since the first trailer dropped on Dec. 19 last year, global online views have clocked a great 46.3M, with a viral video rate on YouTube of 41:1 and daily views in the mid-30K daily range per RelishMix.
“Christopher Nolan fans have been churning in anticipation of the complexities of the trailer that was dropped Dec. 19th, and convo continues to speculate as to how ‘Nolan’ this film will be, especially as moviegoers are literally locked-out of what is posed to be an unquestionable ‘theatrical experience’,” RelishMix tells Deadline.
And we hear that Tenet, which is already finished, is as amazing as Inception.
FULL STORY: https://deadline.com/2020/05/tenet-coronavirus-release-date-change-movie-theaters-1202928823/
Warner Bros. Lines Up Virtual Exhibition Partners For ‘Scoob!’; Pic’s TikTok Challenge Nears 4B
EXCLUSIVE: We’ve learned and confirmed that some exhibitors will be sharing in this weekend’s revenues for the Warner Bros. digital and PVOD release of Scoob!
Warner Bros. opted to take their Tony Cervone-directed animated release into homes this Friday instead of theaters given the continued near nationwide exhibition shutdown during COVID-19. Scoob! will be available for a 48-hour PVOD rental at the price of $19.99 U.S. or for the electronic-sell-through price of $24.99 U.S.
Now the way this works is that those ordering Scoob! through an exhibitor’s website will be redirected to another website where they can purchase or rent the title. While Warner Bros. didn’t disclose the exhibition revenue share terms on Scoob!, we’ve heard from some that those movie theater websites directing traffic will then get a share of the respective revenue earned though their site (around 10% of each purchase or rental).
Warner Bros. EVP and General Sales Manager for Domestic Theatrical Scott Forman has been key in lining up the roster of virtual exhibition partners for Scoob! including B&B Theatres, Cineplex Odeon, Alamo Drafthouse, Larry H. Miller Megaplex, Marcus, National Amusements, Studio Movie Grill, Santa Rosa Entertainment, Roadhouse and Cinemagic.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ #ScoobDance TikTok challenge views have heated up from 2.1 billion on Friday to 3.6B and climbing according to RelishMix. “The trending hashtags in TikTok are working like hashtags were in early Twitter days six to eight years ago. If you had a post and wanted to show up in hashtags trends, you’d ‘Hashtag stuff’ your post with trending hashtags and that’s what users are doing on TikTok,” RelishMix tells Deadline.
Scoob! follows the never-before-told story of Scooby-Doo’s origins, and his friendship with Shaggy and how they joined forces with aspiring young detectives Fred, Velma and Daphne to become the celebrated Mystery Inc. Scooby and the gang face the biggest and most challenging mystery of their careers: a plot that will unleash the legendary ghost dog Cerberus upon the world. Will Forte, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Isaacs, Gina Rodriguez, Zac Efron, Amanda Seyfried, Kiersey Clemons, Ken Jeong, Tracy Morgan, Simon Cowell, and Frank Welker star.
‘Avengers: Endgame’ Is No. 1 In Deadline’s 2019 Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament; How Its Billion-Dollar Opening Rocked Exhibition And Generated A $900M Profit
When it comes to evaluating the financial performance of top movies, it isn’t about what a film grosses at the box office. The true tale is told when production budgets, P&A, talent participations and other costs collide with box office grosses and ancillary revenues from VOD to DVD and TV. To get close to that mysterious end of the equation, Deadline is repeating our Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament for 2019, using data culled by seasoned and trusted sources.
The tournament is not done yet. On Monday, we’ll look at last year’s biggest bombs and profit outliers, the latter those titles with small budgets that yielded big returns. Plus, we’ll officially crown this year’s champion.
More indicators of Endgame‘s future success: its insane social media wattage. Both Endgame trailers were two of the most-watched of all time, clocking massive 24-hour views of 289M on December 7, 2018 and 268M on March 14, 2019. The pic’s social media universe, per RelishMix, was second to Infinity War with 2.45 billion followers across Instagram (223.6M), Twitter (1.8B), Facebook fans, video views (198.3M+87.6M) and YouTube views. This blew away the social media counts of other big campaigns, such as Fate of the Furious (1.8B), Beauty and the Beast (1.3B) and Despicable Me 3 (1.2B).
Your Favorite Celebrity Will See You Now - Wall Street Journal
The coronavirus is changing how entertainers relate to their audiences, with brand-name stars stuck at home looking to create intimate connections with fans.
Now is a good time to ask a celebrity for a favor.
Alicia Keys put out a phone number for fans to text—917-970-2001—and occasionally sends back uplifting messages and songs to cheer them during the coronavirus outbreak. John Krasinski helped arrange for the original stars of “Hamilton” to perform a video-chat serenade for a girl who couldn’t see the musical on tour due to the lockdown. And, perhaps the biggest miracle of them all, Beyoncé retweeted one of her 15.5 million followers, which brought Queen B’s total Twitter activity to 17 listed posts. LINK: https://twitter.com/JasmynBeKnowing/status/1239697115527315457?s=20
“I AM DYIIIIIINNNGG SEND HELP!!!!! I AM CRYIIIIIIIIIIIIING,” Jasmyn Lawson wrote on Twitter after seeing that the superstar retweeted her idea to group-watch Beyoncé’s 2019 concert documentary with other fans.
The coronavirus is changing how entertainers relate to their audiences, creating intimate connections that make selfies look like relics. It also has shifted the power dynamic: Where social-media influencers have long clamored for recognition by Hollywood, now it is brand-name stars stuck at home who are competing for extra attention on the internet.
“People are feeling so uncertain and stressed out, so a reply from your favorite artist on a Q&A—it’s like an autograph times a million billion,” says Lara Cohen, Twitter’s global head of partnership solutions. “I think this will only strengthen the need for artists to connect directly with their fans.”
Ms. Keys was lying next to her 9-year-old son after he fell asleep on Wednesday night when she decided to text some fans. Her dedicated cell number, which she has offered audiences in the past, has exploded with more than 15,000 new messages in the last several days. “It’s real—it’s not like a robot,” she says of her recorded replies. “I might just make up a song on the spot, nothing major, a cute, silly song. There are definitely people who reach out to me with sick family members or they themselves are sick, or they’re going through difficult times.”
In a national crisis, striking the right tone is tricky. Celebrities don’t want to look like they’re focused more on maintaining their pop-culture relevance than on the well-being of their admirers.
Many fans called it an unscripted delight recently when the musician Questlove received a phone call from Stevie Wonder while live-streaming Mr. Wonder’s music on YouTube. When Mr. Wonder suggested the musician call back later, Questlove allowed a hint of disbelief in his voice when he asked: “I can call you?”
Hit a self-promotional note during a national crisis, though, and the backlash is swift. When Jennifer Lopez posted glam shots for her new shoe line at the start of the lockdown, calling the pictures “a little something to brighten your day” with the added hope that followers “#StaySafe,” angry comments flooded her feed. “Jennifer people are dying,” one person wrote. A spokeswoman for Ms. Lopez declined to comment.
On Instagram Live, where celebrities can respond to fans with a shout out or impromptu chat, viewership was up 70% in the past month, says Charles Porch, Instagram’s head of global partnerships.
“For the viewer to have an effect on the narrative is a big idea—it’s ‘Jetsons’ style interactive television with live comments,” says Marc Karzen, founder and CEO of RelishMix, a Hollywood social-analytics firm. The more freewheeling format that has emerged in recent weeks may stick around after the crisis blows over, he says, perhaps with monthly subscription fees attached.
With production on most series shut down, Mr. Karzen says, programming executives at TV and cable networks will be scrambling to fill their summer schedules. “The race will be on,” he says, “and unscripted and quickly produced ideas will move to the front of the line.”
Bidding wars are next. Shows like “Bright Minded,” a new Instagram Live celebrity interview series from Miley Cyrus, are seen as blueprints for future screen projects that could continue after the pandemic. Ms. Cyrus has received overtures from TV studios, streaming services and book publishers about continuing what she has started with the show, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions.
The new environment means more celebrities find themselves in moments they cannot always control. During a live video chat, Justin Bieber accepted a viewer’s request to talk. “Hello? Why are you hiding?” he asked as a person appeared to dodge out of the frame. “This is weird.” The internet later speculated that the fan was naked. (Nudity violates Instagram’s community guidelines and the platform aims to stop streams that break the rules, a spokeswoman said.)
This format works for entertainers eager to create an aura of spontaneity. Lady Gaga acted caught off guard last week when “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon called to video chat with her, an awkward moment that he replayed during his opening monologue. “Am I on TV?” she asked. Mr. Fallon got mileage out of the bit.
Unfiltered stars are on parade right now. January Jones made a pig-nose while pulling off a facial-treatment mask in one social-media post. “I have no issue with looking ridiculous,” Ms. Jones said in an email. “I’m possibly more extreme in my silliness because I’m not working and it’s one of my only creative outlets!”
Arnold Schwarzenegger sat in his kitchen in one video feeding carrots to his mini-horse Whiskey (“Yummies, huh?”) and praising his mini-donkey Lulu. “Look at that beautiful smile she has,” he said. In another clip, he fed them salad off his plate.
Using his Bafta awards as a backdrop, Ricky Gervais sang, “I’ve got a song that will get on your nerves” several times for viewers on Twitter. Social mentions about the British comedian, who has been taking questions from followers in a daily live show on Twitter, jumped 1,700% in March over the previous month, according to the online media analytics firm Talkwalker.
“Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig had largely abandoned social media after receiving scathing comments—even death threats—over his remake of “Ghostbusters” with female leads. But lately he has been keeping a regular cocktail date on Instagram Live, dancing with his wife and offering inspirational thoughts. He mixes drinks at 5 p.m. Pacific Time every day, a bit of appointment viewing at a moment when streaming seems to have killed that idea altogether.
“Quarantine Cocktail Time” is set at a bar in Mr. Feig’s guesthouse. Mr. Feig is launching his own spirits brand, Artingstall’s Gin, and sometimes he flashes the bottle as he mixes cocktails. He says he treads carefully around that subject on his show to not appear to be promoting it.
He makes a ceremony out of mixing drinks, putting on a suit and tie for the occasion, sometimes even a tuxedo. “I can only look at so many celebrities looking like they haven’t taken a shower in five days,” he says. “Everybody is coping with this the way they can, but at the same time you’re like, ‘You know, we’re still in show business. Let’s try to put on a show.’” https://www.instagram.com/paulfeig/
The Marketing Arm, which examines shifts in the popularity of brands and celebrities, found that stars whose comments weren’t sufficiently thoughtful after the outbreak were losing the trust of consumers. Those like Dolly Parton, who started reading bedtime storiesonline earlier this month, or Mr. Krasinski, who highlights happy stories in his new YouTube show, “Some Good News,” were endearing themselves to consumers, the company found.
When Aubrey Bauman heard that all the coronavirus shutdowns included a performance of “Hamilton” in Jacksonville, Fla., which she was supposed to see for her ninth birthday, the disappointment was real. “She went in her room and screamed,” says her mother, Mary Ann Bauman. On the night they would have seen the show, Ms. Bauman tagged “Hamilton” creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda in a tweet, noting that they would watch the movie “Mary Poppins Returns” instead.
Mr. Krasinski, who is married to “Mary Poppins” actress Emily Blunt, invited Aubrey onto his internet show, where this week she was surprised with a remote performance from “Hamilton.” Mr. Miranda reunited with the original cast in “Brady Bunch” style boxes on the screen while Aubrey covered her mouth in disbelief.
The clip has gone viral. Ms. Bauman sees it as a balm for difficult times. “We’re so glad that she has helped to bring joy to so many people.”
Write to Ellen Gamerman at ellen.gamerman@wsj.com
FULL STORY IN WSJ, may require subscription: https://www.wsj.com/articles/your-favorite-celebrity-will-see-you-now-11586577603
‘Onward’ Still Seeing Blasé $39M-$40M Opening, But Are Coronavirus Fears Really To Blame?
ONWARD: RelishMix adds that on social, that potential moviegoers think “the journey/quest story line feels a bit tired. For others, the story, the characters, or the Disney brand have recently upset them for some reason or another. For others, this entry to the Pixar filmography does have its unpopular elements from the portrayal of the characters to the ‘borrowing’ from other pop culture favorites.”
In sum, rivals say that they’re not surprised at the results here for Onward: It’s a movie that they guessed could have overperformed on the Pixar brand into the $50Ms, and also underperformed for what it inherently is. Social media metrics were strong, according to RelishMix, with 366M across YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, which is ahead of the average family animated film. Holland and Pratt have been promoting the film aggressively, especially to their combined social media following, which is near 80M. Again, should there be any misstep in Onward‘s grosses here, don’t blame the Disney marketing machine, which was firing on all cylinders. It’s a product situation.
THE WAY BACK: Warner Bros.’ Ben Affleck drama The Way Back was moved to this date from the fall to capitalize on the March Madness basketball season. The pic is coming in the low end of where tracking was seeing it at $8.4M, in 3rd place. This was a personal drama which Affleck has reflected upon in interviews, but the film’s paltry opening has nothing to do with waning star power at all, as he’s had his highs and lows. “To his credit, this film industry veteran has championed his successes and failures in recent interviews, talking about everything from this current movie to his family troubles and addiction, too,” reports RelishMix.
FULL STORY: https://deadline.com/2020/03/onward-opening-weekend-disney-pixar-coronavirus-invisible-man-1202876016/
How ‘The Invisible Man’ Made A $29M Appearance For Universal & Blumhouse
INVISIBLE MAN: Invisible Man first trailered on Warner Bros.’ Doctor Sleep back in November, but gained greater visibility on Bad Boys for Life and 1917 throughout the winter. Between Uni’s first two trailers for Invisible Man online, it churned over 100M views. RelishMix says that the viral video rate of Invisible Man was at 24:1 ahead of the genre average of 20:1 with average daily views of the pic’s YouTube clips hovering around 22.5K before opening, ahead of the typical 20K for the thriller genre.
Genre and subject matter were the key drivers that pushed audiences into theater per PostTrak respectively at 41% and 32%. Overall, the most influential pieces of Invisible Man‘s marketing according to PostTrak for moviegoers were in-theater trailers (20%), TV spots (14%), word of mouth from friends (12%) and the YouTube trailer (11%). Overall social media universe for Invisible Man prior to opening across YouTube (39M+ views), Facebook, Twitter, Instagram per RelishMix was 71.2M just under the 82M average of a drama thriller.
‘Hedgehog’ Bites Back At ‘Wild’ Dog As ‘Sonic’ Speeds To No. 1 With $26M+; $203M+ WW
CALL OF THE WILD: The older the exits get with Call of the Wild, the better the responses with 45-54 giving it an 84% on PostTrak, and 55+ a 92%. But the 18-44 crowd weren’t that amused giving it grades between 69%-77% (which explains the negative skewing social media reaction that RelishMix was seeing, online potential audiences saying they were put off by the CGI which takes them out of the movie). Those over 55+ were the single largest quad at 27%. Updated PostTrak on Wild shows females over 25 leading (41%), then men over 25 (40%) followed by a huge drop in females under 25 (10%) and men under 25 (9%). Wild played best in the South and Mid-west drawing 67% Caucasian, 13% Hispanic, 13% Asian/Other and 7% African American.
THE BOYS II: Relish Mix noticed a moderate social media reach for Boy II at 47M across YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram versus the average horror movie’s reach of 94M. Video materials were low at 9:1 viral rate versus average horror pic’s 27:1. “Brahms has no truly stand-out social media materials to speak of. And, it’s one of those films that the audience has moved on from given how the movie has moved dates, not to mention it’s a sequel with few stars and some curious messaging – and the moderate engagement on social reflects this sentiment,” says RelishMix which noticed mixed to negative online chatter about the sequel. There’s confusion as whether Boy II is a sequel or prequel, which is why many are alienated by Brahms. Relish sees that audiences are asking “‘Where are we here and what’s the story?’ The materials are not resonating or clear in their pitch to moviegoers, and they take to social to share that sentiment,” says the social media analytics corp.
‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ Rings Up Record Domestic Videogame Pic Debut Of $57M & 4-Day $68M; Global Launch At $100M
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: While a feature version of Sonic had been brewing as far back as the 1990s at MGM (and then Dreamworks for a bit), this iteration with Original Film producer Moritz has been simmering since 2013 at Sony. By 2016, Oscar-nominated animated short director Jeff Fowler (Gopher Broke) boarded with EP Tim Miller, the project repping Fowler’s feature directorial debut. The following year, Original Film landed a first look at Paramount, with Sony putting Sonic in turnaround, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Heading into the weekend, social media monitor RelishMix spotted an excitement among Sonic fans about seeing him on the big screen for the first time, “with some interesting carryover to more casual family/animated ticket purchasers as well.”
“The overall sentiment from fans is one of ‘thanks’ to Paramount for adjusting the first look of Sonic to match a more beloved one based on the Sega video games. The fans’ discussion suggests they feel as if they’ve been heard while most of the time, they are not (even if they do end up buying tickets to cinemas or seeing the re-make/re-imagining later).”
Sonic touted a social media universe heading into opening weekend of 577.5M, close to 3-fold higher than the average video game movie, comprised of 18.2M Facebook Fans, 11M Facebook video views, 32.9M Twitter Followers, an enormous 508.9M YouTube views and 6.5M Instagram followers.
Social media activity was also excellent for Sonic with a viral re-post rate for video materials of 30:1, far outweighing the usual 13:1 for the videogame pic genre. The average daily YouTube views for top clips were around 116K, far ahead of the standard 16K for the genre, but also these clips were spread across a variety of themes and not simply skewed by boosted support on the studio platform.
“Overall, Sonic is the video game based hit that others strive to be – and its social reach and activity actually benefited from the film’s false start last May (referring to its initial trailer – see our Notables for more),” says RelishMix in their latest report.
While RelixhMix says that the social media campaign for Sonic “had plenty of fine efforts…from the soundtrack to Jim Carrey’s presence (18.1M followers),” the best publicity was actually director Fowler’s response to fans that he was taking the hedgehog into dental surgery after their gripes piped online over the blue guy’s teeth. In the wake of this, RelishMix noticed that fans continued to seek out the old trailer that was pulled (now on a foreign site), which fueled another 25M views toward the pic’s overall social reach. Then “when the new, revised Sonic debuted in trailers last November, fans were delighted. They were just as ready to discuss and debate as they were in May of 2019, but now, the discussion veered toward a frenzy as the fans touted their influence on a big screen production of one of their favorite heroes. Credit to Fowler and Paramount for pivoting based on social media discussion and reading the reach/activity from last May correctly – that unchanged, the film would have had challenges ahead.”
FANTASY ISLAND: Some say the biggest hurdle for Fantasy Island is that it didn’t come off as scary in the trailers; that’s why we’re not at a $20M-plus opening for the pic. RelishMix says that while the new spin on the ABC series put off older viewers who were upset that Tattoo wasn’t in the movie, “most folks who see the trailer feel like they know what they’re getting into – and they are either in the mood, or they’re not. Discussion suggests that those headed to theaters to try this horror take on a beloved series are skewing younger and are definitely fans of cast members like Lucy Hale and Maggie Q. They like the idea of a Blumhouse take on a vacation gone wrong, and feel like the Valentine’s Day holiday allows them a good excuse for a popcorn flick.”
Hale, who now stars on CW’s Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene, is the biggest social media driver of the film, counting 38.4M followers which is more than a third of Fantasy Island‘s social media reach across Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram (112.5M).
How ‘Birds Of Prey’ Went Astray With $33M+ Opening
BIRDS OF PREY - “There are plenty of questions from comic book fans as to who are the new characters. Why doesn’t Black Mask always have the black mask on? And more. So, while the naysayers definitely have their concerns not only about plot, but also about the film’s woke level,” reports entertainment social media analytics corp RelishMix.
RelishMix reports that Birds of Prey has a moderate social media universe of 298.3M across Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, which is half the 600M+ for the superhero genre, “and for further context, Margot Robbie is the only cast member with a substantial social presence (21.3M followers),” says the analytics corp. Again, another unfortunate downside to Birds of Prey: They didn’t cast up with a number of branded stars who could hit various touchpoints with female and mass moviegoers, particularly their young female base.
Continues RelishMix, “Looking closer at primary social media metrics, Birds Of Preyis challenged. Sure, the viral rate of 48:1 looks strong, particularly against seven total clips shared by Warner Bros. But, as we saw with Terminator: Dark Fate a couple months ago, many of these clips could be contributing to a larger social discussion, rather than genuine excitement to see the film. Also, the movie is behind, with 500 new Facebook Fans daily added to its official page, compared to the usual genre average closer to 4K. Finally, the film is earning about 70K view daily on YouTube across its top clips. But many of the earned clips are very low indeed compared to the four or five owned pacing in the hundreds of thousands.”
FULL STORY: https://deadline.com/2020/02/birds-of-prey-weekend-box-office-margot-robbie-1202853768/
Super Bowl Weekend 'Gretel & Hansel' over ‘Rhythm Section’
GRETEL & HANSEL: Largely a digital push here for Gretel & Hansel, according to RelishMix, with a social media universe across YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram of 87.6M before opening, just ahead of the horror pic average of 82.1M, “thanks mostly to paid-buy support on YouTube” says RelishMix.
“The campaign for this title, similar to other January releases, was brief and to the point, resulting in good activity. While the movie’s average daily new Facebook fans are only a few hundred, the score for YouTube activity is much higher. Gretel & Hansel is earning about 43.5K average daily YouTube views across its top clips – which is ahead of the 27.7K benchmark for the horror genre, thanks to big paid-buy support from Orion over the past couple weeks.”
However, despite Lillis’s push on her social media channels (2.2M across Instagram and Twitter), RelishMix says the online chatter for the film has “plenty of snarky conversation making up the negative side, as in, ‘you switch the names and that’s supposed to be new?’ This side of the discussion claims this is another example of feminism entering their beloved genre, and it’s unnecessary. Even if these opinions are in the minority, there are enough in volume to call out here. As a side note, fans and non-fans poking fun at the title in switching other film titles has been fun to observe, from King The Lion to Oz the Wizard.“
RHYTHM SECTION: She’s receiving praise for her turn as a British proper girl-turned-prostitute-turned assassin, but the problem is that Rhythm Section is boring Jason Bourne; a La Femme Nikita we’ve seen all too much before. Moviegoers agree with critics, according to RelishMix, which reports, “Discussion on social for this movie is leaning negative, as the overall sentiment reflects an audience that has seen the ‘bad-ass chick’ before, and there is little to nothing new here.”
“For reasonable action/adventure fans, they are asking two things that indicate their interest in Rhythm Section is mild to nil. First, why do we need another super-spy/assassin female lead film, as movies mentioned above have done it so well – and this movie offers what exactly in freshness? Second, how and why is it reasonable in a ‘real movie’ that a 100-pound woman can toss around 250-pound villains? Much the same sentiment was voiced for last fall’s Terminatorinstallment, and suggests that this action is acceptable in a superhero film, but not this genre.”
RelishMix also notes that the pic’s campaign started late, with the second look at the film debuting only last week – which has been noted in conversation online. “What Rhythm Section lacks is the dazzling partnership or spot that has galvanized fans,” says RelishMix. Despite the OK social media universe of 75.1M, which is under the average 90M for an action/adventure title, “the key social metrics for Rhythm Section offer a challenging look for a substantial opening weekend. The movie is adding a handful of new Facebook fans on a daily basis, and many of the video views on the platform are from the last couple weeks, often indicating a paid buy. As for average daily YouTube views, Rhythmis scoring a light 3.3K, which is far below the usual 14.2K for the genre.”
'The Gentlemen' On Track With ‘The Turning’ Slammed With Second ‘F’ Of 2020
THE GENTLEMEN: RelishMix was impressed by the social media universe accrued here by The Gentlemen with 104M followers (broken down that’s 5.6M Facebook fans, 39.5M Facebook video views, 3.4M Twitter followers, 51M YouTube views and 4.5M Instagram followers), ahead of the typical action/comedy which counts 82.8M by opening week.
Reports RelishMix: “For January releases, studios offer a quick and simple campaign – and STX’s Gentlemen is no exception. The first trailer dropped in early October, and with very few materials released in between then and mid-December, the bulk of the campaign was only a month long. To that end, the film is succeeding on average daily YouTube views of 23.4K for top clips (just ahead of the benchmark 22.1K). While some of these views are indeed driven by paid STX buys, the consensus seems to be that fans are liking Ritchie’s return to the gangster genre that made him an internationally renown director.”
On the downside RelishMix notices the online chatter, “There are some who don’t like these types of movies to begin with. These folks don’t like violence, but they can’t understand the characters’ dialogue – which is a real two-edged sword for fans who adore these elements of Ritchie’s films. Speaking of two-edged swords, there are fans who say they’ll avoid it because of Hugh Grant and other individual cast members who they feel just don’t belong in this kind of action/comedy romp.”
check out Hugh Grant's "sleazy fellini" and a bunch of other scallywags in @thegentlemen - out today
64.4k Likes, 311 Comments - Matthew McConaughey (@officiallymcconaughey) on Instagram: "check out Hugh Grant's "sleazy fellini" and a bunch of other scallywags in @thegentlemen - out today"
THE TURNING: Says RelishMix, “The campaign for this thriller with horror elements was very straight forward and rather brief” (probably because the studio knew it was so bad). The first and only trailer from debuted in early October. The film has Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard, who was only activated in the last several days – and the non-social Mackenzie Davis.
Add the social media analytics corp about Turning‘s death, “The mixed discussion for this drama/thriller bordering on horror genre is most certainly leaning negative. While the volume of discussion is light no doubt related to the few materials shared, the consensus is one of disbelief. Sure there is a target audience that kind of likes watching ‘creepy kids’ in a spooky house. But, this contingent is in the minority as most feel the casting feels off and the scares are unbelievable.”
FULL STORY: https://deadline.com/2020/01/bad-boys-for-life-the-gentleman-the-turning-weekend-box-office-1202840184/
‘Bad Boys For Life’ So Good With $68M+; ‘Dolittle’ With $30M+
BAD BOYS: Says social media monitor RelishMix about the online chatter they noticed in advance of this weekend, “Both Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have their fans, and this core contingent is excited by the materials they’re seeing for Bad Boys for Life. As for newcomers, Kate Castillo is getting some shout-outs, as are Vanessa Hudgens and some of the other new team members. It’s clear it’s about the action for those willing to make the trip to theaters, the action and that Porsche.”
And social media was scorching for the threequel, with its total followers across Facebook, FB video views, Twitter, YouTube views and Instagram counting a huge 900M, in large part to a monstrous Black Eyed Peas song contributing to the reach. YouTube views for the movie are at 575.6M alone for the film, with RelishMix noting that “even without the Peas song, the reach easily exceeds this level.”
The pic’s viral video rate is massive at 25:1, with a mix of official clips from ESPN and Telemundo. Together, Smith and Lawrence count 137.5M fans, with Smith accounting for 86% of that tally. Like Dwayne Johnson, Smith is dominating his social feeds to alert the world that he’s got a new movie out, and both Lawrence and him have been pushing the pic since it began shooting in Miami when they announced production on Instagram. That post alone drew 11.1M on Smith’s handle.
2.6m Likes, 112.9k Comments - Will Smith (@willsmith) on Instagram: "It's been a LOOOONG time Coming. But now it's Here! @BadBoys For Life 🚨 We back!! @martinlawrence"
Meanwhile that Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin song cut for the film “Ritmo” has clocked close to 411M views since Oct. 10. Being shared on the Peas’ VEVO YouTube channel (6.6M) also didn’t hurt.
“Since then, the video has grown to account for 44% of this movie’s entire social reach. Still, there’s no denying the re-posts of the music video – not to mention the immense views for other Bad Boysclips. The point is, this music video seems to have kick-started the awareness for Bad Boys for Life, whereas last November’s Charlie’s Angels (also a Sony release with a huge music video contributing to its social campaign) seems more one-dimensional, in that fan listened and liked the video – but failed to see its association to the music with the strength that Bad Boys seems to have,” adds RelishMix.
In fact, if we you minus the Peas music video and Smith’s social media following, Bad Boys for Life would still be left with a near half billion worth of followers (well ahead of the action comedy average social media universe count of 156M).
FULL STORY: https://deadline.com/2020/01/bad-boys-for-life-dolittle-1917-weekend-box-office-1202833726/
‘Grudge’ Slammed With ‘F’ CinemaScore
THE GRUDGE: Why are audiences so ticked off at Grudge? Says RelishMix who spotted negative chatter on social, “Fans of horror films are established as some of the most loyal and discussion prone of all genres – and The Grudge proves that sentiment with fans comparing this version to early ones, both made in the U.S. and Japan. But, even fans have issues with this latest version of the Grudgemovies. The consensus of fans and more casual moviegoers alike is how can another one of these films be made ‘so soon.’ It seems like there’s a limit in the audience’s mind for some film franchises – beloved as they are – that sometimes it’s just too soon for another entry. Plus, this version has not helped itself with its confusing messaging as to the very plot line. Even horror fans are asking, is this a remake, a reboot, or some kind of chapter in between the originals? And… ‘where is Sarah Michelle Geller’, as she might be receiving more convo than any cast member from this 2020 version.”
The social media dynamics of Grudge really didn’t scare any excitement up. Pic’s overall social media universe of 76.1M was behind the genre average of 82M before opening weekend. There are hardly any stars pushing the pic on social with John Cho doing his part. “The movie’s key social media measures are not indicating a target audience engaged with the material,” reports RelishMix. Viral rate for Grudge is 7:1 while the average horror pic’s viral video rate is 25:1. “Further, the average daily YouTube views are coming in at 13.6K for top clips – normally 27.7K. And, several of these clips are either unlisted by the studio, or they are certainly ad-supported leading up to this weekend’s open. Similarly, new average daily Facebook additions are in the hundreds, not the usual 1.7K,” says RelishMix.
‘Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker’ Force Grips 3rd Best December Opening With $193M+; Drat Those ‘Cats’ $7.6M, ‘Bombshell’ $5.8M
SKYWALKER: RelishMix reports that Skywalker has “an exceptional social media universe” with 670M followers, even though it’s below the 796M that Last Jedi had by opening weekend. Nonetheless, Skywalker‘s SMU is still ahead of the sci-fi genre’s 268.1M. Broken out Skywalker‘s SMU counts 116.5M Facebook fans, 44.6M Facebook video views, 20.1M Twitter Followers, 424.8M YouTube views and 63.5M Instagram followers.
“There was such insane anticipation for 2015’s Force Awakens that any sequel was going to struggle to match it, even after such a long hiatus for the series,” says RelishMix about the calming down of Skywalker‘s social media footprint. Nonetheless the viral reposting rate of Skywalker videos is great at 30:1. While the pic’s tops stars like Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver aren’t socially activated, they’ve been on the talk show circuit as early as November, even prior to Thanksgiving and those clips have been out there in full on social. The average daily YouTube views for Skywalker’s clips are coming in about 42K, which is a little ahead of the 40K usual for the sci-fi genre. That daily average figure certainly peaked to 100K views during different points in the campaign, from the first trailer out of Star Wars Celebration to D23 and beyond.
The 24-hour global traffic for the first Skywalker teaser out of Star Wars Celebration on April 12 was 111M, which was 20M more than Last Jedi‘s teaser (91M on April 14, 2017) and more than double the 24-hour traffic for Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser from Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, 2014. Still that number paled greatly in comparison to the first 24 hours clocked by Avengers: Endgame (289M views last December), Avengers: Infinity War (238M) and the Thanksgiving day drop of The Lion King (224.6M views). Note these are from organic and paid views.
One Skywalker related video that has clocked plenty of traffic (14.3M views) is a heartfelt spot from Philippines company Globe PH, one the ninth-quel’s global partners. It’s the length of a traditional trailer, but features the scavenger hunt that two little kids go on to help their friend, who happens to be deaf, experience Skywalker for herself. “With millions of views over the past month, it’s a great example of the kind of materials left for the last 4-6 weeks of the campaign that have put engagement on social on full tilt,” praises RelishMix.
No shocker here, but RelishMix always noticed a divided reaction to Skywalker online, though it leaned slightly positive with many shouting out that they already bought tickets and made plans. “Especially after The Last Jedi, some fans are frustrated by the direction of the series and have plenty of discussion points to support their theories. And not to roll too far down the rabbit hole, but everyone from the cast to Disney execs are being prosecuted in the court of Star Wars public opinion,” says RelishMix.
CATS: Heading into the weekend, Cats ironically looked fantastic on social media with a universe reach of half billion, way ahead of the the usual drama/musical’s 112M total according to RelishMix. The pic’s videos have a massive viral rate of 28:1. But just because Cats is purring views, that doesn’t necessarily mean the reception is positive. One of the reasons why the trailer got so many clicks stemmed from the fact that people were making fun of it. Also in regards to Cats‘ SMU, “most musicals don’t have Taylor Swift in the cast – and she makes up 56% of the Cats SMU on her own with 281M followers. She’s fully activated and supporting the pic on social,” adds RelishMix. Overall, the cast, including James Corden, Rebel Wilson and Jason Derulo, reps 75% of Cats’ SMU. “Swift has been actively involved from the start, from the poster share to the behind-the-scenes look last July, and has now been very helpful in promoting the song and subsequent video, ‘Beautiful Ghosts’ for the movie.”
RelishMix noting the great gripes against Cats on social media reports, “Moviegoers are asking, ‘What’s the plot, please?’ Something about a wish to become something more? The question is not unique in its attitude and disdain for the look of well-known actors running around in body suits making snarky cat comedy. For non-cat lovers, too, there are plenty of jokes and disparaging discussion. It’s also worth mentioning that there are some Broadway theater fans of Cats who aren’t necessarily liking what they’re hearing/seeing on this 2019 version for cinemas.”
‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ Advancing To $52M+ Opening; ‘Richard Jewell’ & ‘Black Christmas’ Earn Lumps Of Coal
JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL: RelishMix screams joyfully that Jumanji: The Next Level had an exceptional Social Media Universe of 788.4M. The typical Family/Live action movie has an SMU of 154.9M, and the sequel’s followers far exceed the level of Welcome to the Jungle, which had a total reach of 568M by opening weekend. Next Level‘s universe is comprised of 130.4M Facebook Fans, 21.9M Facebook video views, 78.7M Twitter Followers, an enormous 264.3M YouTube views and 293.1M Instagram Followers.
Also, social media activity was very healthy for Next Level with a viral video rate of 22:1 to the genre’s average of 13:1. Prior to opening, the average daily YouTube views for Next Level’s top clips were a whopping 84.1K, far ahead of the genre average 15.9K. “And, that’s across multiple clips – not just the videos with support from Sony on this platform,” reports RelishMix.
With Dwayne Johnson and Hart together counting well over 377M followers, Sony “capitalized upon the film’s super-social cast” says RelishMix, with the studio “arranging a ton of social support for Next Level‘s take on the storyline. Credit to Sony for wrangling the crew – many of which returned from the 2017 film – and producing entertaining spots the closer opening came.” They were literally everywhere and anywhere including parody sketches such as a Thanksgiving bit with the cast, a Wedding Crashers take off between Johnson and Danny DeVito, and the whole gang singing “Jumanji Bells”. See the latter below which was part of Hulu’s Seasons Streaming:
“There is a lot to like with Next Level, starting with the returning cast. The Rock, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan are all adored by family-friendly moviegoing audiences. And, for the most part, Fans are liking the change of pace with the ‘something’s wrong with the game’ storyline. Even Ozzy Osbourne’s song featured in the trailer is getting some call-outs. All in all, the discussion leans heavily positive for a sequel that had such an entertaining predecessor – not to mention all the super-social cast returning and some new faces like Awkwafina added, too,” says social media monitor RelishMix which has a pulse on what’s working and what’s not at the multiplex.
RICHARD JEWELL: Says RelishMix, “Social discussion for this latest Eastwood drama is politely and diplomatically described as heated. There are those who feel like Eastwood’s films are masterpieces of dramatic storytelling. But, there is plenty of impassioned discussion over the greater topic of the media in this country, its power and Jewell as the obvious example for many comments. Negative discussion ranges from interesting points and counter-points to outright disgraceful language and vitriol far too common in our current social environment. The bottom line is that, like other controversial movies, much of the convo specific to the film is mixed – and a good percentage of the film’s total volume concerns topics tangential to Jewell.”
BLACK CHRISTMAS: After cutting a great trailer for Black Christmas, (viral rate was high according to RelishMix at 28:1, above the horror genre’s 25:1 viral rate) how the hell did this film burn up like a Christmas tree? Some prestige critics from Variety and NY Times enjoyed the movie with others applauding the pic’s “skewering of toxic masculinity, the white male literary canon, rape culture” as IndieWire praised. But overall this reboot of the 1974 movie and 2006 Dimension movie in which the sorority girls vs. the guys is being knifed in the back by moviegoers with an awful D+ Cinemascore and 1 1/2 stars and a 38% definite recommend on PostTrak. Some genre critics (over RT here is a bad 43% Rotten) complain that the first first hour of this 92 movie is a drag, with all of the scares falling flat. RelishMix screams, “The general feeling is that the trailer ruins the film by giving away too much and revealing the very twist of the movie related to a cult.”
‘Frozen 2’ Rains Cash On Black Friday With $34M+, Thanksgiving 5-Day Record At $126M+, Sequel Set For $450M
KNIVES OUT: Knives Out has accumulated a social media universe that’s around 114M, per RelishMix, made up of 10.9M Facebook fans, 3.4M Facebook video views, 5.4M Twitter followers, 32.3M YouTube views and 5.4M Instagram followers. That’s ahead of the typical drama/thriller, which has an SMU of 82.8M. Organic views for top clips are averaging 34.9K, which is far ahead of the usual 22K for average daily YouTube views. Some campy stuff that worked in the spirit of the pic’s comedic vein is a Martha Stewart Facebook parody spot feature Curtis, clocking over 5.9M views, 842K in the last week:
“The curiosity around Knives Out for the audience is, which is it – more serious, or comedic? And that’s part of the fun. The movie has achieved social engagement leaning heavily positive based on its campaign’s core messaging, ‘When was the last time you had fun at the movies?’ The cast really helped this mystery film gain traction and build the fun toward opening weekend. For example, Evans drove plenty of moviegoers to see the trailers and other fun clips for Knives, which speaks to the after-effect of the Avengers series. Craig and Curtis, the latter hot off of Halloween last year, were instrumental in this film’s reach and engagement achievements, as convo confirms. There is also the usual references to the songs, the moments, and the hunt for those ‘Easter eggs,’ particularly in the fun materials put out by a thriller/mystery like Knives,” reports RelishMix.
While Evans is the social media leader for the pic with close to 21M followers, others include Katherine Langford with 14.6M on Instagram, and even Johnson with over 1M between Twitter and Instagram. The latter has been posting behind-the- scenes materials from the set and provided the organic push toward last Friday and Saturday’s sneak previews (which made over $2M). West coast biz for Knives Out is still strong.
QUEES & SLIM: RelishMix saw mixed convo toward the pic heading into the weekend, which might explain pic’s OK start (we should also note that the pic is only at 1,690 locations), and that a movie with its topic of injustice is a little heavy around Thanksgiving. Also, “The cast of Queen & Slim is moderate in its reach and activation for the film. Daniel Kaluuya appeared on Steven Colbert, and writer Waithe has been interviewed on a myriad of shows and radio programs recently. But, Kaluuya’s Instagram is set to private, and co-star Jodie Turner-Smith has a smaller social footprint than most stars,” observes RelishMix.
‘Frozen 2’ Heating Up Frigid B.O. Marketplace With $117M-$130M, Still Best Opening For November Animated Pic
FROZEN 2: To say that Frozen 2s social media universe was on fire is an understatement with RelishMix reporting that the sequel counted 900.7M before opening on its way to 1 billion across Facebook, Facebook views, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube view. That’s far and above the average family pic which is typically around 338.5M and even ahead of Aladdin (736M opening SMU) and about to surpass The Lion King (925M at open).
Says RelishMix about the sequel’s social chatter, “Fans are discussing theories, expectations and songs related to the sequel. Those who adored the original Frozen have different reasons why – the characters, the songs, the animation style, the time of year of release and more are mentioned as to why this film tugged at their heartstrings. Their expectation is that part 2 will do the same, and from the materials they’ve been enjoying, their expectations are justified.”
Frozen 2‘s viral video rate of materials is at a strong 19:1, ahead of the family genre rate of 18:1. Frozen’s official Facebook page, which was the same as the 2013 film, is earning over 10K new fans daily. “This rate is certainly in a handful of the highest of movies this year. Finally, the movie’s top clips on YouTube are earning over 61K daily views on average, once again far exceeding the genre average 28.5K,” reports RelishMix.
It doesn’t end there, there’s Kristen Bell with 15.5M followers plus Idina Menzel who brings the Broadway crowd with close to 4M and they are out there promoting nonstop. “Bell has been doing a great job on the talk show circuit recently, sharing all her experiences of making this sequel from Ellen to GMA. And, she’s using her social reach to share these BTS moments and ‘secrets’ with fans, too,” continues RelishMix. Bell’s husband Dax Shepard even hysterically promoted Frozen 2 on Conan with a clip “because we live in California which is a community property state which means anything she acquires during our marriage is half mine. So, we have the same exact stake in Frozen 2.”
And the soundtrack is another awesome piece of power Disney wields in tubthumping Frozen 2. Their YouTube Disney Music VEVO page counts over 16.5M subscribers with such hot hits from the sequel being Panic at the Disco’s take on the song “Into the Unknown” (1.4M views), as well as Menzel’s original of the song which is clocking 2M views. “Subsequently, fans have ripped and re-posted the clips, sometimes as lyrics videos, other times as ‘how to’ play on the piano, etc… and it’s all built toward Frozen 2‘s opening,” says RelishMix.
Back in February, Disney dropped the first trailer to Frozen 2 which became the most viewed for an animated pic ever in its first 24 hours with 116.4M, besting Incredibles 2 record of 113.6M (those are for organic and purchased views). “Disney, to its credit, has amassed one of the largest social media footprints of all studios, especially when tallying in the Disney, Pixar and other tangential organizations under the umbrella, as they are typically all engaged to support films like Frozen 2 that have a lot of anticipation. That said, the overall strategy of a very early teaser followed by another couple of trailer drops interspersed with big, event-worthy social materials – and capped with a final month of heavy, diverse social media clips and fun has worked for Maleficent 2, The Lion King, Toy Story 4 and now Frozen 2. All of these films had tremendous brand partners, sharable soundtracks and social media materials that kept the fire well fueled leading to open,” says RelishMix.
A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
“This film has a run a standard campaign and not over-complicated its message that, if you’re looking for a feel-good, family friendly film this holiday season, look no further than Neighborhood,” says RelishMix, “but cast activation (on social) is one of the film’s weaknesses.” Tom Hanks despite having 16M on Twitter, hasn’t promoted the pic, which is similar to his other pics. Social Media universe was OK at 109.1M with a higher viral video at 15:1. Still conversation has been upbeat with potential moviegoers saying they cried during the trailer, or “in from the start” with even fans of the Focus Features doc on board to see this feature narrative with Hanks as Mister Rogers. With 96% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, Beautiful Day is the best reviewed movie out of this weekend’s wide entries, even higher than Frozen 2‘s 75% Certified Fresh.
21 BRIDGES
Despite having a good social media universe of 82M, video viral rate of materials were low at 8:1. Social media chatter was mixed with naysayers griping, “that this cop/action genre doesn’t seem cinema worthy. They feel like they’ve seen the shoot-em-up, cops action extravaganza before, and that 21 Bridges is played-out. Some are also discouraged by the mixed reviews trickling in, which surely play a part in the decision to holiday moviegoers who have so many choices this time of year,” adds RelishMix. That said, those who bought tickets weren’t totally turned off by the Chadwick Boseman movie at 4 Stars and a B+ Cinemascore.
‘Ford v Ferrari’ Jumps To $30M As ‘Charlie’s Angels’ Is Kicked Out Of Heaven With $8M+
FORD V FERRAR!: “Fans call out the fact that the second trailer and recent materials have won them over, that what they’re hearing from social chatter is swaying them. That said, the unlikely duo of Damon and Bale has piqued plenty of folks’ interest. While most are unfamiliar with the true story the movie is based upon, they do have their favorite cars – and they are debating them along with those who are familiar with the story. Le Mans, the merits of Ford, Ferrari, Chevy Aston Martin – they’re all up for discussion surrounding this thriller. And, the music from the official materials is also getting plenty of adoring convo,” reports RelishMix.
FULL STORY: https://deadline.com/2019/11/ford-v-ferrari-charlies-angels-weekend-box-office-1202787070/