The $300m Transformers Age of Extinction has taken in China has artificially inflated its overseas box office as rentals are about 25% Paramount will see less than $75m of that back. in the US it was seen before its release as the saviour of the summer but the reboot will be the worst performing of the franchise and the first since the original film to take less than $300m at the US box office.
Many are saying that this years slump is caused by many of the films that were set to be released this summer being delayed. But had those films opened the situation would be far worse as at present mega films are opening against each other on the same weekend this is not expanding the marketplace its just cannibalizing the films potential box office.
Many say 2015 and 2016 will be better but with more mega films opening against each other the situation will only get worse. There might of not been any Lone Range or John Carter failures but when the accountants work out the profits on these films there will be little champagne flowing.
In years gone by the summer would bring surprises films that weren’t predicted to be as massive as they became. 22 Jump Street would be in that category had it not been a sequel.
Going to the movies used to be a cheap night out but prices have increased dramatically over the last few years with exhibitors adding a third more for 3D films (but no one has ever explained the justification for them to do that). In the UK it will cost me over £16 ($27) to see a 3D film at my local cinema how any exhibitor can possibly justify that cost to see a film I would like to know. 10 years ago I would go to the cinema twice or more a month now its half a dozen times a year, the only film I paid to see in 3D was Gravity. I’m sure I am like many people who are cutting down the amount of times they are going to the cinema. It used to be a cheap night out.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was released in the UK in April it is out on DVD in September and likely to be on Sky Movies around Christmas. Years ago a film would take more than 6 months to get to DVD and a year after its cinema release before it came to pay TV. So I have a choice do I pay to see it in the cinema for £16 or buy the DVD for less than £16 three months later or see it in the comfort of my home 3 months later?
With the change from film to digital going to the cinema has lost much of charm cinemas used to be unique now you can go to any cinema in any city around the world and they all look and feel the same; exhibitors are splitting big auditoriums in to many smaller cinema screens with some not much bigger than your TV at home.
Then you have companies like IMAX installing IMAX into conventional cinemas and calling them IMAX but in reality it is a quarter of the size of true IMAX but they still charge IMAX prices which again is ripping off cinemagoers.
