A trio of blockbusters — “Moana 2,” “Wicked” and “Gladiator 2” — led to record-breaking crowds at local movie theatres.
More than 2,500 movie watchers visited Iola Sterling Six Cinema over the weekend, owner Rob Mayer with RT Entertainment, Inc., said.
For the most part, families were drawn to “Moana 2,” an animated Disney sequel. It sold about 1,000 tickets, followed by “Wicked” with about 500. Other movies sold between 250 to 400 tickets.
“We weren’t expecting numbers quite like that,” Mayer said.
Nationwide, the trio of movies brought $420 million in box office receipts between Wednesday and Sunday for a record-setting Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The previous record was $315 million in 2018. Since the pandemic, holiday sales had not topped $200 million.
PART OF the Iola theater’s weekend success can be attributed to the Humboldt school district, which provided tickets to students and families to see any showtime Friday and Saturday. Amber Sellman, general manager for both theaters, estimated about 175 families took advantage of the offer. She said Terry Meadows with Humboldt High School approached her with a plan to offer tickets as a pre-Christmas gift and a way for families to spend time together.
“We had families from the school at every showing,” Sellman said.
“It’s the first time our company has done an arrangement quite like that, but we’d like to do it again. Everybody seemed to have a good time,” Mayer said.
MAYER noted growing interest in Moana since the original movie premiered in 2016, particularly as it is available to stream through Disney’s platform.
“Over time, people discovered it and fell in love with Moana,” he said.
The success of the sequel is an example of how streaming and movie theaters can work together, he said. Movie theaters offer an opportunity for a shared experience. Then, families can enjoy the movie again at home. The reverse is also true: interest can build via streaming services, and a blockbuster movie can capitalize on that popularity.
“I don’t see streaming as competition. I see it as complementary,” Mayer said.
The current trend is for franchise movies, with familiar characters in new stories. Mayer pointed to movies that will open for the Christmas season, such as “Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Sonic 3.” Both already have large followings based on previous stories.
It’s a double-edged sword. Audiences seem to enjoy seeing beloved characters in new stories, but movie production companies seem less willing to take a risk on something new, Mayer said.
He noted the Top 20 most popular movies in 2024 were all tied to existing intellectual property, either as a sequel, a remake or based on a book. “Wicked,” for example, is a movie based on a musical that’s based on a book inspired by a movie that’s based on a book. The only truly original movie was “If,” currently ranked No. 19.
