It’s after Labor Day, which means the summer box office is officially over.
And what a summer it was. Unlike last year, this season was filled with surprises and more than a little, shall we say, surprising optimism for theater owners.
And for good reason. The full May 1 to Sept. 7 summer box office is expected to total $4.76 billion, according to Rentrak data, making it the highest summer on record (surpassing the record set by the summer of 2013, which boasted “Iron Man 3,” “Despicable Me 2” and “Man of Steel” as the top domestic releases).
To state the obvious, this year’s total is a vast improvement on last summer, and even beat the pre-pandemic 2019 season.
In June, my colleagues David Viramontes, Cerys Davies and I made predictions for what we’d see this summer. How did we fare?
In full transparency, we were wrong about the biggest movie of the summer, which we figured would be “Toy Story 5” or “The Odyssey.” In fact, the crown went to “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which has spun out more than $2.3 billion globally. In our defense, those movies still did pretty well. “Toy Story 5” racked up more than $1.1 billion worldwide, while “The Odyssey” is nearing $1.6 billion.
So we’re back to give you what we’ve learned and our thoughts on the rest of the year. Here are the highlights of our conversation:
What is it about “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” that made it such a hit?
Masunaga: Audiences want emotional stories they can relate to. You can’t just make a superhero movie a visual spectacle anymore. It’s important to have great effects, of course, but if there’s no deeper story about the humanity of the characters, I think that ends up falling short with viewers. “Brand New Day” touched on something a lot of people can relate to — loneliness and alienation — so putting that front and center in a character with super powers made it that much more compelling.
Viramontes: I guess Tom Holland and Zendaya are bigger movie stars than I thought? I knew people loved them, but I didn’t know people love them enough to supercharge “Brand New Day’s” U.S. and Canada box office to the tune of more than $898 million, making it the second highest-grossing movie of all time at the domestic box office behind “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Some analysts might argue that it’s the character of Spider-Man that’s making this movie a hit, but I’d counter that it’s Tom and Zendaya in these roles whom audiences can’t get enough of.
Davies: I had forgotten how much commotion its predecessor, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” caused. During a time when many moviegoers were hesitant to get back into theaters post-COVID-19, the 2021 release — which featured Holland, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, all playing Spider-Man — earned a whopping $1.9 billion at the global box office. And on top of that, the movie ended on such a sad note, so it only makes sense that audiences were eager to see how Holland’s Spider-Man carried on.
So what is the true winner this summer?
Masunaga: On-location shoots and real stunts. Both “The Odyssey” and “Brand New Day” emphasized this kind of real-world filmmaking, and audiences flocked to both.
Viramontes: In a summer of massive box office and megasized formats, one winner reigns supreme: popcorn bucket innovation. Specifically, one eye-catching bucket for “The Odyssey.” The film, shot entirely on Imax 70 millimeter film, required the development of a new camera, so to mark the occasion, Hollywood’s brightest minds released a revolutionary new product: a popcorn bucket shaped like an Imax camera. The Times’ resident popcorn bucket expert called it “the greatest popcorn bucket ever created.”
Davies: This was truly the summer of seeing movies in special formats. It felt like everyone was trying to get in front of an Imax screen and was willing to do almost anything to make it happen. Whether it was seeing “The Odyssey” in 70 mm or “Spider-Man” in Imax, the demand was so high that theaters started hosting showings at times like 3 and 7 a.m.
What movies are we keeping an eye on for the next few months?
Masunaga: “The Odyssey” proved that people are into epics, so I’m keeping my eye on “Ramayana.” The first film of two, based on a Hindu epic, is coming out in November. With an estimated production budget of about $200 million to $250 million, a score from Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman and visuals from DNEG, known for “Dune: Part Two,” it should be a sight to see.
Viramontes: Two movies I’m really looking forward to, beyond the awards season dramas we’ll all be talking about, are “Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” Lionsgate’s latest entry into the young adult dystopian franchise, and “Digger,” Tom Cruise’s new comedy with Oscar favorite Alejandro González Iñárritu. Putting aside their box office, these just look like a good time at the movies.
Davies: “Wicker,” a rom-com where Alexander Skarsgård plays a man made out of — you guessed it — wicker, is definitely one to keep tabs on. Both its outlandish and provocative nature could translate into a bit of surprise win for the box office.
This summer has been notable for big blockbusters, but which mid-budget movies were a hit?
Masunaga: After the winding, high-profile journey that “Coyote vs. Acme” had in getting to theaters, it’s noteworthy that it finally made it to the big screen. Its box office haul so far isn’t huge, but a movie emerging from the depths of studio cuts after widespread Hollywood outcry seems like a win.
Viramontes: I really loved Olivia Wilde’s “The Invite.” I missed it at Sundance, so I made it a priority to catch it during its release. During a day off, I wandered over to the Vista on Sunset and caught a packed weekday matinee. The audience was super responsive, the air conditioning was blasting and the hot dog was juicy. Talk about a perfect moviegoing experience. I’m definitely keeping an eye on how this one fares during awards season.
Davies: “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” the satirical horror film, was a great addition to this season of moviegoing. It was funny, scary, sexy and very introspective. It’s the kind of movie where you leave the theater with more questions than answers, but in the best way possible.
What did we learn from audiences that could carry on the rest of the year?
Masunaga: Theaters have been saying this for a while, and it’s true — audiences will come out for event movies and those that feel like they’re a critical part of the proverbial water cooler talk. That theory will be put to the test again in December with “Dunesday” — the Dec. 18 release of “Dune: Part Three” and “Avengers: Doomsday.”
Viramontes: Gen Z audiences and filmmakers are here to stay. Two movies in particular were nearly impossible to ignore this summer: “Obsession” and “Backrooms.” Both were made by young male directors who cut their teeth on YouTube. Both generated sizable box office totals and a lot of buzz about the future of Hollywood. As moviegoers, let’s just hope studios take this lesson to heart — give young filmmakers the opportunity to make their passion projects.
Davies: Never, ever doubt a superhero, especially one played by Tom Holland. This is definitely something to keep in mind as we approach Marvel’s highly anticipated release, “Avengers: Doomsday.”
Stuff We Wrote
Number of the week
The most-watched English language “movie” on Netflix for the week of Aug. 24 wasn’t really a movie — it was a 27-minute preview of the latest “Grand Theft Auto” video game, called “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look.”
The preview got 31.1 million views and was composed of in-game PlayStation 5 footage, Netflix said last week. The game from publisher Rockstar Games is one of the most anticipated releases of the year and will debut in November.
The big numbers for the extended look came despite an unauthorized leak of scenes from the game, days before the exclusive preview. Rockstar Games’ parent company, Take-Two Interactive, issued subpoenas to Microsoft, Discord, X and Google to track down the alleged hackers.
What I’m watching
I’m continuing to make my way through HBO Max’s “Hacks” in hopes of finishing before the Emmys.
