Boxoffice - August 2019

DANIEL LORIA
>> The second half of 2019 roared to life thanks
to the box office success of titles like Sony’s Spider-Man:
Far from Home and Disney’s The Lion
King in July. Their respective opening weekends
($92 million for Spidey and $191 million for
Simba & Co.) helped reinvigorate a domestic
market that was sorely in need of more blockbusters.
The slow start to the year became a concern
from Hollywood to Wall Street, even if the sluggish
start was expected based on a back-loaded 2019
slate. Although a trio of Disney hits (Aladdin,
Avengers: Endgame, and Toy Story 4) helped keep
the first half of the year afloat, it will be refreshing
to see a number of other studios roll out highly
anticipated titles in the coming months. Our own
box office analysts have confidence in a domestic
market rebound in Q3 and Q4, a sentiment
echoed in one of this month’s NATO columns by
Patrick Corcoran and Phil Contrino. Slow periods
might be annoying, but they’ve always been a part
of the industry. As Patrick and Phil remind us,
it’s important to keep that in mind when media
analysts unfamiliar with the industry’s usual swings
prophesize impending doom.
Disney’s The Lion King opened during the hottest
weekend of the year (as of this writing) in New
York City, the home base for our editorial office.
Like many of our colleagues, I sought refuge from
the heat at the movies. All this sun brings to mind
one of the feature stories included in this month’s
issue: a deep-dive into how cinemas have used solar
technology, by Rebecca Pahle and Vassiliki Malouchou.
Admittedly, it’s not a story likely to drive
much traffic to our web portal, boxofficepro.com,
but it’s the sort of B2B reporting that we’re proud
to feature in our magazine. I highly recommend
this longer read, preferably enjoyed at the beach for
those of you bringing us with you on your holiday.
As Boxoffice looks forward to its own 100-
year anniversary in 2020, Kevin Lally turns his
attention to the United Artists centennial being
celebrated this year. Our executive editor tackles
the studio’s storied history, from its beginnings as
an incubator for filmmakers to its current incarnation,
the result of the merger of Annapurna and
MGM. The story of United Artists provides a fascinating
look at an icon of American cinema with
ties to production, distribution, and exhibition.
It’s only right that a look at our industry’s celebrated
past should be followed by a glimpse into its
future. In this issue of Boxoffice you’ll also find
a couple of feature stories on innovative cinemas:
Rebecca Pahle’s profile of Event Cinemas’ boutique
cinema concept, and my own visit to Star Cinema
Grill’s Houston location—featuring the largest
direct-view LED cinema screen in the hemisphere.
Those stories complement our exclusive interview
with Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi, who shares
his view on what cinemas must do to continue
providing a top-quality experience for audiences
worldwide.
Daniel Loria
Editorial Director
Boxoffice Media
Daniel@Boxoffice.com
2 AUGUST 2019