An interesting feature from Deadline (as reported by Dark Horizons) has looked into a new box office trend that is worrying Hollywood. Original movies, aimed at adults, with interesting directors, have all fallen flat on their faces.
Hollywood darling Luca Guadagnino might have directed After the Hunt, but it is a box office disaster. Julia Roberts couldn’t save it. The $8 million budgeted movie has only made $6 million worldwide in 3 weeks.
Caught Stealing, The Smashing Machine, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, Anemone, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere… movie after movie aimed squarely at the adult sector have completely cratered. Awards buzz failed to generate any interest across the board.
The 40- to 60-plus-aged crowd, who used to attend movies regularly, are just staying at home.
Streaming is clearly an issue, but longer theatrical release windows aren’t seen as the answer due to faster word of mouth in the modern entertainment landscape, so movies now have to come out quite quickly on PVOD to make some money before their buzz fades completely.
70% of studio releases appear on PVOD within 45 days, and SVOD (eg. Disney+) takes about 90 days.
One by one, market segments that studios could previously rely on are falling away, even the grown-ups!
