trend insights - Comcast Spotlight

TREND
INSIGHTS
2015 Movie
Marketing Recap
and 2016 Preview
Feb. 2016
2015: A RECORD YEAR FOR HOLLYWOOD
BREAKING $11 BILLION IN BOX OFFICE DOMESTICALLY
The U.S. Box Office: After a somewhat lackluster 2014, Hollywood bounced back with vengeance in 2015,
recording a record high $11.122 billion in domestic ticket sales (U.S. and Canada). This represents an increase
of 7.4% from 2014 and exceeding Hollywood’s previous high water mark of $10.923 billion in 2013.
The box office success were aided by a number of popular movie franchises, reboots and sequels. The three
top grossing movies of the year were either reboots or sequels of popular movie franchises, Star Wars: The
Force Awakens, Jurassic World and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Collectively, these three films alone totaled
$1.85 billion in box office receipts domestically. Other film franchises that ranked in the Top 12 in box office
were such familiar titles as; Furious 7, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, Cinderella, Spectre (James
Bond), Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation and Pitch Perfect 2.
Domestic Box Office: By Year (in Millions)
$ 12M
+6.5%
$ 11M
$ 10M
$ 9M
-5.8%
$8,840.50
+4.2%
+4.9%
-0.3%
$9,663.80
$9,630.70
2007
2008
+10%
-0.3%
$10,595.50
$10,565.60
-3.7%
$10,837.40
+7.4%
+0.8%
$10,923.60
-5.2%
$11,122.60
$10,360.80
$10,174.30
$9,209.50
$ 8M
$ 7M
$ 6M
2005
2006
Source: Box Office Mojo
2
TRENDS | INSIGHTS
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Movies were popular throughout the year. Below are a few box office highlights of 2015.
• Although Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper opened up in four theaters on Christmas Day 2014 (to qualify
for that year’s Oscars), it did not open up nationwide until January 16, 2015. The film broke a record for
ticket sales in any January weekend. American Sniper domestic total generated over $350 million in ticket
sales, 99.6% of the tickets sold occurred in 2015.
• The opening weekend of Fifty Shades of Grey released on February 13 generated $85.2 million in ticket
sales, the most of any weekend movie opening that month.
• The opening weekend of Furious 7 released on April 3 produced $147.2 million in box office receipts, the
highest of any weekend film opening on that month.
• The opening weekend of Jurassic World released on June 12 was the highest grossing of any weekend
movie opening weekend in the U.S. ever at $208.8 million. That record lasted just over six months.
• The opening weekend of Transylvania 2 released on September 25 generated $48.5 million, the highest of
any weekend film opening on that month.
• The debut weekend of Star Wars: The Force Awakens which opened on December 18 and generated a
record $248 million. In less than two weeks, the film became the highest grossing movie of 2015 with
$740.3 million. When box office sales of 2016 is factored, the film replaced Avatar as the top grossing film
of all time.
TOP TEN GROSSING FILMS RELEASED IN 2015
Rank
Movie Title
Studio
Total Gross
Theaters
Opening
Theaters
Open
Close
1
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
BV
$ 740,265,583
4,134
$ 247,966,675
4,134
12/18
-
2
Jurassic World
Uni.
$ 652,270,625
4,291
$ 208,806,270
4,274
6/12
11/19
3
Avengers: Age of Ultron
BV
$459,005,868
4,276
$ 191,271,109
4,276
5/1
10/8
4
Inside Out
BV
$ 356,461,711
4,158
$ 90,440,272
3,946
6/19
12/10
5
Furious 7
Uni.
$ 353.007.020
4,022
$ 147,187,040
4,004
4/3
7/24
6
Minions
Uni.
$ 336,045,770
4,311
$ 115,718,405
4,301
7/10
-
7
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 2
LGF
$ 274,222,959
4,175
$ 102,665,981
4,175
11/20
-
8
The Martian
Fox
$ 225,930,402
3,854
$ 54,308,575
3,831
10/2
-
9
Cinderella (2015)
BV
$ 201,151,353
3,848
$ 67,877,361
3,845
3/13
9/17
10
Spectre
Sony
$ 197,828,955
3,929
$ 70,403,148
3,929
11/6
-
Source: Box Office Mojo
TRENDS | INSIGHTS
3
Another factor was rising ticket price, to see a movie. According to boxofficemojo.com in 2015 the average
ticket price cost $8.34, an increase from $8.17 in 2014. By comparison, in 2005 the average ticket price cost
$6.41 and in 1995 it was $4.35. After reaching a 20-year low in 2014, the number of tickets sold in 2015 also
reached 1.33 billion, from 1.27 billion in 2014. Nonetheless, it is below the high water mark set in 2002 when
1.575 billion tickets were sold (and the average movie ticket cost $5.81).
In total, ten movies generated over $200 million in ticket sales (including American Sniper). According
to Box Office Mojo, the top ten films accounted for 34.5% of all box office receipts. Going back 15 years
no other year had the Top 10 films account for over 30% of total ticket sales. Conversely, only 95 movies
earned over $25 million in 2015, the lowest figure since 2001 when only 91 films crossed that threshold.
2015 recorded three of the five worst openings of all time for films playing in 2,000+ theaters, Jem and the
Holograms, Rock the Kasbah and We Are Your Friends. Other box office disappointments included Victor
Frankenstein, Burnt and Strange Magic.
Billion Dollar Box Office: There have been 24 films that have generated over $1 billion in global ticket sales,
five of them were released in 2015. Star Wars: The Force Awakens without being released in China, the
second biggest movie market, reached $1 billion in ticket sales in just 12 days, breaking the record set earlier
in the year by Jurassic World (13 days) which had opened in China simultaneously.
Furious 7 actually grossed higher in China at $390 million than in the United States at $353 million. At the
time, Furious 7 was the highest grossing film of all time in China. In 2015 the Chinese box office grew by
48.7% reaching $6.78 billion, making it the second largest movie market in the world. By comparison, five
years ago the Chinese box office totaled only $1.51 billion. China is expected to become the world’s biggest
film market surpassing North America by the end of 2017. Based on the success domestically and explosive
growth in China, Rentrak estimates the global movie market is expected to approach a record high of $40
billion in 2015, exceeding the 2014 mark of $36.4 billion.
2015 Worldwide Billion Dollar Grosses
Rank Movie Title
4
Studio
Worldwide
Domestic
% (Domestic)
Overseas
% (Overseas)
1
Jurassic World
Uni.
$ 1,669.0
$ 652.3
39.1%
$ 1,016.7
60.9%
2
Furious 7
Uni.
$ 1,515.0
$ 353.0
23.3%
$ 1,162.0
76.7%
3
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
BV
$ 1,510.8
$ 740.3
49.0%
$ 770.5
51.0%
4
Avengers: Age of Ultron
BV
$ 1,405.0
$ 459.0
32.7%
$ 946.0
67.3%
5
Minions
Uni.
$ 1,157.3
$ 336.0
29.0%
$ 821.2
71.0%
TRENDS | INSIGHTS
Studios: Universal Pictures and Disney were the top two studios in 2015. Between them they had accounted
for over 40% of all box office receipts, with Universal Pictures garnering a 21.6% market share and Disney
coming in at 19.2%. Both studios easily surpassed $2 billion in domestic ticket sales, all six of the top
grossing films of 2015 came from the two studios. Although Warner Brothers ranked third at 14.1%, the
studio failed to have any one film rank in the 15 for the first time in 35 years.
Globally, Universal Pictures grossed $6.8 billion in 2015, surpassing the record set by Fox the previous year of
$5.5 billion. Disney generated over $5 billion worldwide for the first time.
Young Moviegoers: Helping to drive Hollywood to its box office record was the return of younger age
groups (under the age 25), back to the movie theater. Historically, younger age groups are the heaviest
movie goers as well as early adopters of digital technology, a growing concern for theater owners.
According to National Research Group’s 2015 Moviegoing Report, Persons 12-24 saw an average of 8.4 films
in 2015, an increase from 7.1 in 2014. According to the report, younger age groups tend to go the movies to
hang out with their friends. Additionally, they are more likely to go to movies in large groups and see the
same film multiple times. Of the ten highest grossing movies of 2015, the under 25 year olds was the largest
age group in attendance in eight of them, the two lone exceptions were The Martian and Spectre.
Moviegoing Frequency in Three Words
Average Number of Movies Seen
2013
2014
2015
8.4
Digital
REBOUND
7.1
12-24
8.4
7.7
Transitional
8.1
24-44
STABLE
8.0
7.2
Traditional
6.7
45-74
CHALLENGED
6.1
Q200/201. How many times have you been to the movies at a movie theater within the past 12 months? Regular – Luxury
Respondents: Moviegoers 12-74;2014-2015 Total: 7.7, 7.3, 7_4 respectively
TRENDS | INSIGHTS
5
After a banner 2015 in which Hollywood sold over $11 billion in ticket sales in the U.S alone, a record. The
movie industry, in 2016, will continue to release many films based on familiar characters, re-boots, spinoffs,
remakes and/or sequels, in hopes of repeating the success of the previous year. Similar to 2015, these “tentpole” films will be released throughout the year with an emphasis on the all-important summer months.
There will also be a number of original films, with hopes of creating a new film franchise.
Once again, look for a handful of high-profile films based on super hero comic books primarily from Marvel
and DC Comics in 2016. There will be a couple of X-Men movies as well as a couple of films based on Marvel
comic book characters. There will be a number of sequels including Alice in Wonderland, Kung Fu Panda,
Zoolander and Star Trek to name a few. There are a few re-boots including Tarzan, The Jungle Book and
Ghostbusters. Look for several new sci-fi films based on novels that target young adults (among the heavy
moviegoers). There will also be prequels to two of the most popular (and lucrative) film franchises of all time,
Harry Potter and Star Wars. Since more dollars are spent on video games than movies, there will be several
films based on popular video games such as Warcraft and Assassin’s Creed. Also look for Matt Damon
to return as Jason Bourne, Renee Zellweger to headline as Bridget Jones and Tom Hanks will, once again,
portray Robert Langdon. Will Smith however, will not be seen in the long awaited sequel to Independence
Day. A few biopics of note will chronicle Edward Snowden and Roy Kroc. Also in 2016 we will get a new look
at Spider-Man in the Marvel Comics/Disney film, Captain America: Civil War.
Although there are approximately 700 films released in the U.S. each year, on the following pages are a look
at 40 movie releases of note for 2016. Included is the studio, a brief film description and cast members. The
films are listed by their scheduled U.S. release dates.
JANUARY
The Fifth Wave (January 22): From Columbia Pictures, the film is based on a young adult science fiction
novel by Rick Yancey. Four previous waves of increasingly deadly alien attacks have left most of Earth
decimated. Cast members include Chloë Grace Moretz, Maika Monroe and Liev Schreiber.
Kung Fu Panda 3 (January 29): An animated sequel from DreamWorks. In this film Po must face two hugely
epic, but different threats: one supernatural and the other a little closer to his home. Voice cast includes
Angelina Jolie, Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman and Jackie Chan.
FEBRUARY
Hail Caesar (February 5): From Universal Pictures is a comedy from the Coen Brothers (Fargo, Big
Lebowski). The film set in 1950’s Hollywood is about a superstar actor who gets kidnapped and is held up for
ransom by an unknown group. Cast members include George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum,
Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes and Jonah Hill.
Deadpool (February 12): From 20th Century Fox/Marvel. Deadpool made his debut in 2009’s X-Men Origins:
Wolverine, and now gets his first solo film (and eighth X-Men film). A one-time special force operative was
subjected to an experiment leaving him with accelerated healing powers, disfigured skin an unstable mind,
and a warped sense of humor. Armed with new abilities and a new identity, he tracks down the man who
nearly destroyed his life. Stars Ryan Reynolds.
6
TRENDS | INSIGHTS
Zoolander No. 2 (February 12): From Paramount Pictures, Ben Stiller reprises his role as a male supermodel.
Co-stars include Penelope Cruz, Fred Armisen, Owen Wilson and Kristin Wiig.
Gods of Egypt (February 26): From Lionsgate, a common thief joins a mythical god on a quest through
Egypt. Cast members include Gerard Butler, Rufus Sewell, Geoffrey Rush and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
The Witch (February 26): A horror movie from A24 films. Set in 1630’s New England, the story is about a
devout couple with five children. When their newborn son mysteriously vanishes and their crops fail, the
family begins to turn on one another. Cast members include Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie.
MARCH
Knight of Cups (March 4): From Broad Green Pictures, a Los Angeles based screenwriter is consumed by his
existential emptiness that comes from his success. Cast members include Christian Bale, Natalie Portman,
Cate Blanchett and Antonio Banderas.
The Divergent Series: Allegiant (March 18): From Summit Entertainment, the film is based on the finale of
Veronica Roth’s bestselling Divergent books, a trilogy of science fiction books for young adults. Two people
venture into the world outside of the fence and are taken into protective custody by a mysterious agency
known as the Bureau of Genetic Welfare, who possess an authoritative reign over the United States. Cast
members include Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Naomi Watts.
Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (March 25): From DC Entertainment/Warner Bros, for the first time
these two comic book superheroes appear in the same non-animated film. Other superheroes will also be
appearing. The film is expected to launch a series of future Justice League films as well. Ben Affleck stars as
Batman, other cast members include Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Jeremy Irons.
TRENDS | INSIGHTS
7
APRIL
The Jungle Book (April 15): From Disney is a live-action film based on the studios 1967 animated movie and
Rudyard Kipling novel. An orphan boy is raised in the jungle with the help of a pack of wolves, a bear, and
a black panther. Previous live action films based on Disney animation have been popular of late including
Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. Voice cast includes Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson and
Idris Elba. Newcomer Neel Sethi has been cast as Mowgli.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War (April 22): From Universal is a prequel/spin-off/sequel to Snow White and the
Huntsman. Two evil sisters prepare to conquer the land; two renegades; Eric the Huntsmen, who previously
aided Snow White in defeating Ravenna, and his forbidden lover, Sara set out to stop them. Stars Charlize
Theron, Emily Blunt, Chris Hemsworth and Jessica Chastain
MAY
Captain America: Civil War (May 6): From Marvel Studios/Disney Studios, is the next Avengers movie and
thirteenth film from marvel, it highlights a schism between Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man
(Robert Downey Jr.) over the government’s oversight and regulation of super heroes. Other cast members
include Scarlett Johansen, William Hurt, Paul Rudd and Jeremy Renner. Of note, this the Marvel Studios
debut of Spider-Man (previously from Sony Pictures) being played by Tom Holland.
Snowden (May 13): From Open Road films is a dramatization from Oliver Stone about a government
contractor who in 2013 leaked classified information about U.S. surveillance programs. A documentary on
the subject, Citizenfour had won an Oscar in 2014. Cast members include Shailene Woodley, Scott Eastwood,
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Nicolas Cage.
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (May 20): From Universal Pictures, the movie is a sequel from the 2014 comedy.
A sorority moves in next door to a home with a young child. The homeowners enlist their former nemeses,
the fraternity (from the first film), to help battle these raucous new neighbors. Stars Chloë Grace Moretz,
Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Seth Rogan and Selena Gomez.
The Nice Guys (May 27): From Warner Brothers, a dark comedy about a private investigator and a hired gun
trying to locate a missing female and fading porn star, in 1970’s Los Angeles. He soon uncovers a conspiracy.
Cast members include Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe.
Alice through the Looking Glass (May 27): This sequel from Disney returns with many of the original cast
members. Based on the Lewis Carroll novel, Alice wakes up in Wonderland and travels through a mysterious
new world to retrieve a magical scepter that can stop the evil Lord of Time before he turns forward the clock
and turns Wonderland into a barren, lifeless old world. Stars Mia Wasilowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway
and Helena Bonham Carter.
X-Men: Apocalypse (May 27): From 20th Century Fox, is a sequel to 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. It
is the ninth installment in the X-Men film series that are based on characters appearing in Marvel Comics.
The movie is set in the 1980’s and it does not focus on Hugh Jackman’s character Wolverine, but, on other
characters. Cast includes James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence and Oscar Isaac.
8
TRENDS | INSIGHTS
JUNE
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (June 3): From Paramount Pictures, an animated re-boot
that is based on a 2013 downloadable video game. The Turtles return to save the city from a dangerous
threat. Cast includes Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tyler Perry, Stephen Amell and Laura Linney.
Warcraft (June 10): From Universal Pictures is an epic fantasy/adventure based on the popular video game
series and series of novels from Blizzard Entertainment. The CGI enhanced film features a battle between
humans and Orc’s. Cast members include Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton and Robert Kazinsky.
The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist (June 10): From Warner Brothers is a sequel to the horror film The
Conjuring, which released in 2013. Paranormal detectives travel to England to investigate a council house in
the London Borough of Enfield. Returning cast members include Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.
Finding Dory (June 17): From Pixar Animation and Disney comes the much awaited animated sequel (of
2003’s Finding Nemo), Finding Dory. Voice cast is headed by Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks.
Independence Day 2: Resurgence (June 24): From 20th Century Fox is the long awaited sequel. Original
cast members Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum return. The sequel however will not include Will Smith, he
reportedly was asking for too much money. Independence Day was the top grossing film in the U.S. in 1996.
JULY
The Legend of Tarzan (July 1): From Warner Brothers is another film based on the 1914 novel by Edgar Rice
Burroughs. In this version, Tarzan now acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the
jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment. Stars Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie,
Samuel L. Jackson and Christopher Waltz.
The BFG (July 1): From Disney comes The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) the movie is based on a 1982 novel by
Roald Dahl and is directed by Steven Spielberg. The family film is about a young girl, the Queen of England
and the BFG who set out on an adventure to capture the evil, man-eating giants who have been invading the
human world. Stars Mark Rylance, Bill Hader, Rebecca Hall and Ruby Barnhill.
Ghostbusters (July 15): This re-boot from the popular 1980’s film franchise from Sony will feature four female
ghost busters. Cast members include Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig (from Bridesmaids) as well as Kate
McKinnon and Leslie Jones from Saturday Night Live. Original Ghostbusters Dan Ackroyd and Bill Murray
make appearances.
Star Trek Beyond (July 22): From Paramount Pictures is the newest Star Trek feature film, in time for the
50th anniversary of the franchise. This is the third Star Trek film for Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana and Zachary
Quinto. A new Star Trek series is scheduled to be streamed on CBS All Access in 2017.
Bourne 5 (working title): (July 29): From Universal Pictures, the latest Bourne film marks the return of Matt
Damon in the title character replacing Jeremy Renner. The film will pick up 12 years after Jason Bourne went
off the grid back in 2004. Other cast members include Julia Stiles, Alicia Vikander and Tommy Lee Jones.
TRENDS | INSIGHTS
9
AUGUST
Suicide Squad (August 5): From DC Comics and Warner Brothers comes Suicide Squad. The film is about a
secret government agency that recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in
exchange for clemency. Stars Margot Robbie, Scott Eastwood, Will Smith, Jared Leto and Cara Delevingne.
SEPTEMBER
Bridget Jones’s Baby (September 16): The third film in the franchise. From Universal Pictures, it follows the
continuing adventures of British publishing executive Bridget Jones as she enters her 40’s. In this sequel,
she finds herself in a romantic quandary: she’s pregnant, and not entirely sure who the father is. Stars Renee
Zellweger, Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey.
OCTOBER
The Girl on the Train (October 7): From DreamWorks, the movie is based on a best-selling book by Paula
Hawkins. The film follows the story of a woman, who goes on a train to London. She witnesses the “perfect
couple”. But one day, havoc ensues this couple, and she becomes involved in their drama/ murder mystery.
Stars Rebecca Ferguson, Emily Blunt and Édgar Ramírez.
Inferno (October 14): From Imagine Entertainment the sequel is based on Dan Brown’s fourth novel,
published in 2013. After waking up in a hospital room in Florence, Italy, with no memory of what has
occurred for the last few days, Harvard professor Robert Langdon suddenly finds himself the target of a
manhunt. Cast members include Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones.
Underworld 5: Next Generation (working title) (October 21): The action-horror sequel will focus on a new
and younger generation of vampires and Lycans, who are locked in a seemingly never-ending battle between
races. Returning cast members include Theo James, Kate Beckinsale and Charles Dance.
10 TRENDS | INSIGHTS
NOVEMBER
Doctor Strange (November 4): From Marvel Studios/Disney. This is Marvel’s second film release of the year.
After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes
him under his wing and trains him to defend the world against evil. Cast members include Rachel McAdams,
Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetwl Ejiofor and Tilda Swinton.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (November 18): From Universal Pictures, the J.K. Rowling novel
follows the adventures of a writer in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards seventy years
before Harry Potter reads his book in school. Stars Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell, Ron Perlman,
Jon Voight and Samantha Morton.
Moana (November 23): An original animated Disney film set in the ancient South Pacific. A young woman
uses her navigational talents to set sail for a fabled island. Joining her on the adventure is her hero, the
legendary demi-god Maui. Voice cast includes Dwayne Johnson, Alan Tudyk and Auli’i Cravalho.
The Founder (November 25): A biopic from the Weinstein Company on the life of Roy Kroc who acquired
and then turned McDonald’s into the successful fast food franchise. Cast members include Michael Keaton,
Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch.
DECEMBER
Rogue One: Star Wars Story (December 16): From Disney, the film takes place before the events of Star
Wars: A New Hope. Although it will be a departure from the epic films, they will have elements familiar to
the Star Wars universe. The storyline revolves around rebels who set out on a mission to steal the plans for
the Death Star. Stars Felicity Jones, Alan Tudyk, Diego Luna and Forest Whitaker.
Assassin’s Creed (December 21): From Ubisoft, the film is based on the video game. Assassin’s Creed has
sold over 73 million copies and launched several novels, comic books and short films. Cast members include
Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons.
Passengers (December 21): A sci-fi film about a spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and
transporting thousands of people, has a malfunction in one of its sleep chambers. As a result, a single
passenger is awakened 60 years early. Faced with the prospect of growing old and dying alone, he
eventually decides to wake up a second passenger. Cast members include Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt,
Michael Sheen (voice) and Laurence Fishburne.
Looking beyond 2016 expect more franchise films getting released. According to The Wrap, Disney will have
more franchise films from Marvel, Pixar Animation and Star War coming out over the next five years. Warner
Brothers will release a series of Justice League films from DC Comics featuring Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Additionally, Fox will have three years of Avatar sequels. Many other major studios are also
planning five year strategies for film franchises.
TRENDS | INSIGHTS
11
www.ComcastSpotlight.com