“Inside Out 2” and “Despicable Me 4” are expected to boost box office | Wilnesh News

There’s a big piece missing from the box office – family movies.

Some popular songs for kids — generic “Super Mario Bros.” Chief among them – increased ticket sales. But many family movies have either debuted on streaming platforms rather than the big screen post-pandemic, or been released so far apart on the calendar that any ticket sales momentum has quickly evaporated.

Over the past few months, a steady stream of family-friendly movies have been hitting theaters. Each film builds on the success of the last, revitalizing the box office and giving cinema operators hope for a better second half of the year. disney Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” made a particularly big splash, grossing $155 million in its opening weekend, a feat that helped the animation studio regain its place in the industry after a rough patch. reputation.

“Momentum is an important factor in box office sales,” said Chris Johnson, CEO of Midwest theater chain Classic Theaters.

So far in 2024, domestic box office is down 23% from last year and down 40% from 2019.

More kid-friendly hits, such as the upcoming “Despicable Me 4,” may be one of the keys to a box office rebound.

“Family-friendly” movies come in a wide variety of genres. Even among box office analysts, this definition varies, with some arguing that a film’s rating is the qualifier, while others believe it depends on the content of the film itself.

“Family movies come in all shapes and sizes,” said Box Office Theory founder and owner Sean Robbins. “As observers, we sometimes limit descriptors to animated movies, or movies with a certain rating, or those that are literally about one character’s family. However, they encapsulate a wide variety of stories.”

Family movies typically include superhero movies, live-action adventure films and comedies, Robbins noted.

“Think about how many families it takes to make as much money as Star Wars, the Marvel Universe, Top Gun: Maverick and Barbie,” he said. “The most important thing is, what is friendly? ” that is approachable and relevant to as many people as possible.”

So while some families watching Inside Out 2 might consider Universal’s Twister or Warner Bros. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will be released later this year for family viewing, while others may opt for Sony’s Harold and the Purple Crayon, Paramount “Transformers One” or Universal Pictures’ “Robots.” The highly anticipated “Moana 2” will be released on Thanksgiving, and the third “Sonic” movie will be released in December.

“No matter how you define it, the family movie genre has arguably been hit hardest by the pandemic than any other genre, and at the height of this unfortunate situation, parents were reluctant to head to physical theaters,” Paul said. Understandably. “Fast forward to 2024, and family movies are undoubtedly the highlight of this challenging summer. “

Before the pandemic, more than two dozen family movies had hit theaters in 2019, with Disney’s “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Toy Story 4” and “Frozen 2” making up the top 10 highest-grossing films of 2019. Four of the films.

In 2020, there were less than a dozen family films released. Release numbers remain well below 2019 levels due to production shutdowns caused by the pandemic and a double strike in Hollywood.

“2023 is actually going to be a record year for us, but it could have been a lot better,” Classic Cinemas’ Johnson said, noting that there are no family-friendly ticket prices. “You can’t ignore the family audience and its importance.”

Johnson said he felt “re-energized” after the opening performance of “Inside Out 2.”

The film grossed another $22.2 million on Monday, accounting for 14% of the weekend box office and the second-highest Monday box office in Pixar film history.

While it’s clear there’s interest in a sequel, Johnson noted that’s thanks to the recent release of ParamountThe opening price of “IF” was US$33 million. sony“The Garfield Movie” debuted with a box office of $24 million.