As a seasoned moviegoer who’s been through the rise and fall of VHS tapes, Betamax, and even 3D glasses that didn’t quite work, I must say I’m thrilled to see the resurgence of legacy films in cinemas. It’s like a time machine trip down memory lane, with the added bonus of a hug for a ticket!
At exactly 10:41 am on December 6th, outside the AMC Theatres in Lincoln Square, New York City, a woman around middle age came to a halt before a man who was displaying a sign stating “2 FREE TICKETS FOR INTERSTELLAR NOW.
“Right now?” she said.
“Right now!” he replied, before revealing a hidden cost on the back of the sign: “1 HUG.”
With great enthusiasm, she paid a substantial sum for an old movie ticket: a matinee pass to watch a film from over a decade ago, specifically “Interstellar” by Christopher Nolan. In online secondary markets, tickets for this 2014 space epic had been on sale for weeks, with some priced as high as $215. This was due to all 166 Imax screens selling out immediately upon the rerelease. Last weekend, “Interstellar” earned an impressive $4.57 million domestically, making it the highest-grossing new movie. Moreover, its per-screen average of $27,500 surpassed that of popular movies like “Moana 2” and “Wicked.” The demand is so high that Imax is planning to increase the number of theaters showing it next weekend.
As a film enthusiast, I’ve noticed a fascinating trend: classic movies are making a big comeback on the big screen! With studios eager to capitalize on their extensive libraries and the current post-pandemic, post-strike Hollywood landscape offering fewer blockbuster films yearly, it seems that timeless cinema is enjoying a resurgence.
One notable example is the 2009 stop-motion animated film “Coraline,” starring Laika, which earned an impressive $33.6 million when re-released through Fathom Events in August. A partnership between AMC, Regal, and Cinemark, Fathom specializes in targeted rereleases since 2005. “Coraline” holds the record for their highest-grossing film ever, contributing to a successful run for the company. In total, Fathom’s legacy releases from 2024 accumulated $74 million – a significant increase of 311% compared to 2022.
According to Fathom CEO Ray Nutt, the pandemic played a significant role in boosting interest in movie theater revivals. He explains that people had been confined to their homes for a year and the opportunity to return to cinemas to watch legacy films was a welcome one. Essentially, it brought audiences back to theaters, which is beneficial for everyone involved. This year, however, has seen a shift in perspective among studio executives; after the success of “Coraline,” they’ve been expressing curiosity about using this strategy for their own films as well.
It’s an interesting point to consider: Since studios can re-release their old titles for a substantial amount of money occasionally, one might wonder why we don’t see more frequent rereleases.
“It’s harder than it looks to drive an audience,” says one distribution head. Big titles alone may not be enough to fill seats. And while digital prints are a nominal cost, bringing back a title in 70mm or 35mm means sourcing prints and projectors and sometimes hiring projectionists, putting even greater pressure on marketing to deliver awareness. On that front, anniversaries are the easiest built-in marketing tool; studios can use a theatrical rerelease to promote a special Blu-ray edition — “and then we’ll join forces to promote it together,” Nutt says. A new edition in a franchise can also be a good excuse for a rerelease; 2009’s “Avatar” grossed $24.7 million three months before the debut of “Avatar: The Way of Water.” And A24 has built hype for its new releases by leveraging its monthly Imax screening series as a promotional tool, like when the studio launched a redux of “Ex Machina” ahead of director Alex Garland’s 2024 blockbuster, “Civil War.”
Moreover, it’s not only essential but also important to entice audiences to visit theaters by offering unique experiences beyond just watching the film. This could involve premiering “Interstellar” exclusively in IMAX, upgrading “Coraline” to 3D, or transforming the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy for the immersive 4DX technology.
According to Nutt, every piece of content we provide offers additional benefits. Instead of merely watching at home, you’ll experience something more enriched or enhanced.
The successful re-release of “Coraline” in 2021, earning $75.3 million domestically during its initial release, was the result of a multi-year campaign. According to Laika’s marketing chief David Burke, who joined the company in 2019, there was a growing fan base for the film visible on social media platforms like TikTok. However, it didn’t initially appear as a demand for a theater release. Instead, the studio deliberately fostered a sense of community by generating unique “Coraline” content for TikTok and organizing exhibitions showcasing artwork from the movie.
Burke mentioned that we noticed an interest in the idea, especially among fans who might have encountered it through home media. Partnering with Fathom Events, a re-release of ‘Coraline’ in 2022 generated $805,000 on a single day; the following year, another re-release made $7.1 million over four days. In essence, the audience was evident, and although Burke didn’t provide an exact number, he stated that the studio’s marketing expenses for a larger release this year were within the “low seven figures.
In 2023, A24 experienced a comparable outcome upon re-releasing the Talking Heads concert film “Stop Making Sense.” This independent studio transformed the event, collaborating with Imax, showcasing the movie at the Toronto Film Festival, producing a tribute album, and for a while, reuniting the band. The film amassed over $5 million domestically in 2023, surpassing its initial box office performance; A24 reported that approximately 60% of the audience weren’t alive when “Stop Making Sense” initially premiered in 1984, and 75% were experiencing it in a theater for the first time.
According to Jeff Bock, an analyst from Exhibitor Relations, it’s quite obvious that there’s a continuous interest in these movies across the entire year. Despite the fact that the 2025 release calendar has bounced back from the dip caused by strikes, there are some weekends that could benefit from additional support. To tackle this issue, Imax will re-screen “Se7en” in theaters to celebrate its 30th anniversary, and Fathom is planning to re-release “The Goonies” for its 40th.
According to Bock, audiences prefer watching movies away from home. He believes that’s where the future lies for the film industry.
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2024-12-11 21:16