'DEMON SLAYER' PASSES $150M AT JAPANESE BOX OFFICE
WEEKLY FILM INDUSTRY NEWS DIGEST, UPDATED MONDAY NOVEMBER 02
Japan Box Office: ‘Demon Slayer’ Passes $150 Million Total
“Demon Slayer,” the megahit animation that has singlehandedly revived the limping Japanese box office, passed the $150 million mark on its 17th day of release, according to figures compiled by co-distributor Aniplex. Total admissions amount to 11.9 million....Released in 403 theaters on Oct. 16 by Aniplex and Toho, the film passed the $100 million milestone only ten days after its opening, a new speed record for the local box office.
The 38 Imax theaters handling the film have also reported fantastic numbers, with $1.8 million in the third weekend, a drop of only 11%. This is the fourth highest-ever weekend box office for Imax venues in the Japanese market. Also, the “Demon Slayer” $8.9 million Imax cumulative is second only to the $13.4 million that current record-holder “Bohemian Rhapsody” took nearly four months to make.
Cinemas Across England to Close as Country Set For Second Lockdown
Cinemas — and all non-essential businesses — across England are going to be ordered to close for a second time this year, with the government on Sunday announcing that the country will be going into a month-long nationwide lockdown from Thursday until the start of December.
Germany & France Order Re-Closing Of All Cinemas
French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that France will be entering a second national lockdown as it tackles rising COVID-19 cases. The country will only allow people out to buy essential goods, seek medical care, or exercise for an hour a day. The measures, which will see all cinemas shutter, will coming into effect on Friday (October 30) and will last until at least December 1...The CEO of Germany’s primary cinema organization HDF Kino on Wednesday said she was “stunned” by the move and warned theaters could be “driven to ruin.”
https://deadline.com/2020/10/germany-orders-re-closing-cinemas-france-could-be-next-1234604945/
Italy Re-Closing Cinemas Amid Coronavirus Surge
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte today announced that bars and restaurants must cease daily service as of 6PM beginning Monday (Oct 26). Cinemas, live theaters, gaming halls and discos will be closed altogether.
https://deadline.com/2020/10/italy-recloses-cinemas-spain-curfew-coronavirus-1234603083/
Malaysian Cinemas Close Again Due to Coronavirus Second Wave
Malaysian cinema operators have closed their doors for at least a month, following escalation of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The decision was a voluntary one announced by the Malaysian Association Of Film Exhibitors (MAFE). While the actual date of closure may vary slightly, the two largest chains Golden Screen Cinemas and TGV ceased admitting patrons on Monday (Nov. 2).
https://variety.com/2020/biz/asia/malaysian-close-cinemas-again-1234821299/
Global box office will not fully recover until 2023, predict cinema analysts
Research presented yesterday (October 27) at the third edition of the META Cinema Forum in Dubai suggested that global cinema box office will remain behind 2019 levels in both 2021 and 2022, reach near parity in 2023, and move ahead in 2024.
Pablo Carrera, principal research analyst for cinema intelligence at London-headquartered Omdia...emphasised the importance of local product to recovery. “We are starting to see signals of recovery – success cases in Asia with huge local titles in South Korea, China and Japan,” he said.“China and Japan are already generating greater revenue than the same weeks this time last year prior to the pandemic... And yet no t a single reported infection in a cinema.”
Phil Clapp: “The international market represents 73% of global box office...And there’s a very real danger that if the studios wait for the whole of the global cinema market to be reopened before they start releasing these [tentpole] films, they may find that in particular regions, there are very many fewer cinemas than they would have expected by the time that comes.”
Disney+ Adds Button To Let Mobile Users Easily Share Content Via Messenger Apps, Social Media
Disney+ Wednesday introduced a new sharing capability on mobile that lets subscribers share content via messenger apps or onto social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and others.Subscribers can tap a new “share” button found on the Disney+ title’s Details page, select the preferred medium and who they want to share with. The share button will compose a pre-populated message to accompany the share, but subscribers can overwrite it with a personal message. Recipients can click on the shared link to go straight to the Disney+ title, and if already a subscriber, start watching.
Netflix Raises Prices in the U.S.
The standard plan, which lets people stream on two screens at the same time and features access to Netflix's HD library, will cost $1 more, going from $13 per month to $14 per month. The highest-price premium plan, which allows up to four streams at the same time and also includes access to ultra HD programming, will increase by $2 to $18 per month...Netflix is keeping its cheapest offering, the basic plan, at $9 per month. That option only allows for one stream and does not give the subscriber access to HD programming.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-raises-prices-in-the-u-s
Amazon Touts “Tens Of Millions” Of Viewers For ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ On Opening Weekend
Amazon Studios has claimed “huge engagement” and “tens of millions” of customer views for Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat sequel on opening weekend.Amazon, which rarely reveals viewing data for its shows and movies, didn’t go into detail but said the performance represented a “great success.” The streamer also said more than one million fans tuned in to interact with character Borat on the movie’s Facebook watch party on Thursday night, and that the same number watched a branded content live stream on Twitch.
https://deadline.com/2020/10/amazon-borat-tens-millions-viewers-opening-weekend-1234604703/
‘Parasite’ Triumphs At Asian Film Awards
South Korean Oscar sensation Parasite was the big winner at this year’s Asian Film Awards, which were held today in an online format due to continued pandemic challenges.The movie won Best Film, Best Screenplay for co-writers Han Jin Won and director Bong Joon Ho, Best Production Design and Best Editing. Bong Joon Ho was pipped to the Best Director award, however, by Wang Xiaoshuai, who took the prize for Chinese feature So Long, My Son.
https://deadline.com/2020/10/parasite-triumphs-asian-film-awards-1234604681/
Sony Merges Film and TV Marketing Under One Roof
In a major restructuring, Sony Pictures Entertainment is merging its domestic film and TV marketing divisions under one umbrella. As a result, Sony becomes the first major studio to consolidate the once-disparate divisions, offering a testament to the blurring of the line between theatrical and streaming….(it)"will allow for better coordination and enable us to apply the collective expertise of our teams across all platforms throughout each title’s lifecycle, and to respond cohesively to new and emerging release patterns."
