{"id":274565,"date":"2021-06-15T00:16:50","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T21:16:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-in-the-heights-box-office-story-is-about-context\/"},"modified":"2021-06-15T00:16:50","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T21:16:50","slug":"the-in-the-heights-box-office-story-is-about-context","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-in-the-heights-box-office-story-is-about-context\/","title":{"rendered":"#The In The Heights Box Office Story is About Context"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#The In The Heights Box Office Story is About Context<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\">\n                <\/aside>\n<p><!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 3.7.9--><em>Welcome to our\u00a0weekly box office report, which we do a little differently. Rather than focusing on the money, FSR senior editor\u00a0Christopher Campbell is more interested in the estimated attendance \u2014 or number of tickets sold. Because the value of money changes over the years, but the value of actual moviegoers remains the same. This week, we look at the opening box office attendance numbers for new releases In the Heights, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, and more.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>There are so many factors to consider when forecasting and analyzing box office. And that\u2019s in a normal year. In 2021, with the pandemic still ongoing, vaccinations still in progress, and moviegoing still not a necessary pastime for many recovering Americans, it is especially difficult to determine why any release is an im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>te success or not \u2014 and what that even means. For a niche-genre and non-franchise movie such as Jon M. Chu\u2019s <em><strong>In the Heights<\/strong><\/em>, which is also available on a sub<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a>ion video-on-demand service (HBO Max) simultaneous with its theatrical opening, there are so many circumstances worthy of examination when looking at its debut.<\/p>\n<p>In its first three days of release in North America, the New York-set musical has grossed $11.4 million, which is the equivalent of about 1.2 million tickets sold. That\u2019s less than half of what Box Office Pro <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boxofficepro.com\/weekend-box-office-forecast-in-the-heights-and-peter-rabbit-2-the-runaway\/\">had forecast last week<\/a> for the opening, anticipating attendance closer to 2.6 million (within a range of 2.2 million on the low end, and 3.3 million on the high). And <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boxofficepro.com\/long-range-box-office-forecast-f9-in-the-heights-peter-rabbit-2-the-conjuring-3-the-hitmans-wifes-bodyguard\/\">one month ago<\/a>, the same site had that as a low-ball number with 4.9 million people being <em>in the<\/em> <em>heights<\/em>, as it were, of its range of potential turnout. I don\u2019t know why the expectation was <em>so<\/em> great, even with the hugely positive critical reception (97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 85 on Metacritic), but it has deservedly been viewed as an immensely anticipated film for a while, one that would <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2021\/06\/in-the-heights-fandango-poll-moviegoers-return-pandemic-1234771425\/\">pull crowds back to cinemas <\/a>in droves.<\/p>\n<p>Well, that may still happen, just slower than envisioned. And that\u2019s not abnormal for a movie of its kind. <em>The Greatest Showman<\/em> opened to fewer than a million tickets sold (though it\u2019s 1.6 million if we look at its whole Christmas long weekend debut) before becoming one of the top twenty releases of 2017. And the hyped-up <em>Cats<\/em> opened to a crowd of roughly 723,000 in 2019. Sure, they didn\u2019t have the review power, but unfortunately, great reviews don\u2019t always mean great box office, particularly when it comes to musicals \u2014 an awesome musical is still a musical to those who aren\u2019t fans of the genre. Not even the \u2018A\u2019 grade that <em>In the Heights<\/em> received from polled moviegoers on its opening night via Cinemascore nor the Rotten Tomatoes user score of 95% are certain indicators that word of mouth will influence mainstream audiences.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Opening weekend attendance estimate for the last ten wide-release movie musicals adapted from Broadway shows [plus total tickets sold, in brackets]:<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"padding-left: 80px;\"><b><i>In the Heights<\/i> (2021) \u2013 1.2 million [TBD]<br \/><\/b><i style=\"font-size: 1.14285rem;\">Cats<\/i> (2019) \u2013 0.7 million [3 million]<br \/><i style=\"font-size: 1.14285rem;\">Into the Woods<\/i> (2014) \u2013 3.8 million [15.7 million]<br \/><i style=\"font-size: 1.14285rem;\">Annie<\/i> (2014) \u2013 1.9 million [10.5 million]<br \/><i style=\"font-size: 1.14285rem;\">Jersey Boys<\/i> (2014) \u2013 1.6 million [5.8 million]<br \/><i style=\"font-size: 1.14285rem;\">Black Nativity<\/i> (2013) \u2013 0.5 million [0.9 million]<br \/><i style=\"font-size: 1.14285rem;\">Les Mis\u00e9rables<\/i> (2012) \u2013 3.4 million [18.7 million]<br \/><i style=\"font-size: 1.14285rem;\">Rock of Ages<\/i> (2012) \u2013 1.8 million [4.8 million]<br \/><i style=\"font-size: 1.14285rem;\">Nine<\/i> (2009) \u2013 0.7 million [2.6 million]<br \/><i style=\"font-size: 1.14285rem;\">Mamma Mia!<\/i> (2008) \u2013 3.9 million [20.1 million]<\/p>\n<p>Think about it: moviegoers know that with a horror film or action movie, particularly one from a franchise like The Conjuring Universe or Legendary\u2019s <em>Monsterverse<\/em>, even if they are not exceptional <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a>, they\u2019ll deliver something of worth in a big-screen viewing versus watching at home on HBO Max. <em>In the Heights<\/em> might be on people\u2019s radars and look appealing, but it\u2019s safer and more financially sound for them to check it out at home if available rather than taking their chances in theaters. For those endorsing the theatrical experience of <em>In the Heights<\/em> or in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>, the downside here is that once someone sees this movie on HBO Max and loves it, they\u2019re probably more likely to stick with the streaming option over heading to the cinema for repeat viewings \u2014 whereas plenty of subscribers who first saw <em>Godzilla vs. Kong<\/em> on HBO Max still had a desire to see the giant monsters brawling on as big a screen as possible once they felt safe to go back to the theater.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This flop at the box office gotta stop. We are still in a pandemic correct ? Also Covid has hit poc harder than any other community. My 72 year old mom isn\u2019t going to a movie theater and saw it on HBO max and that\u2019s ok. Before we panic let\u2019s give it a month <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gE5c5HkYrH\">pic.twitter.com\/gE5c5HkYrH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kathia Woods (@kathia_woods) <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kathia_woods\/status\/1403883252625117186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 13, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Of the seven Warner Bros. movies released day-and-date in theaters and on HBO Max at the same time, <em>In the Heights<\/em> is only the second one not to open at number one (chart-toppers include <em>The Little Things<\/em>, <em>Tom &amp; Jerry<\/em>, <em>Godzilla vs. Kong<\/em>, <em>Mortal Kombat<\/em>, and <em>The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It<\/em>). The other, <em>Judas and the Black Messiah<\/em>, is good company to be in \u2014 the movie did place first on its opening day, too, just like <em>In the Heights<\/em> did last Friday. All of these WB releases, including <em>Judas<\/em>, dropped significantly in their second weekend, so I\u2019m going to let next weekend\u2019s attendance numbers for <em>In the Heights<\/em> provide a better picture of whether it\u2019ll have longer legs than the rest. Of course, there\u2019s also more competition in theaters now than there was with most of the previous WB releases (and a new action-comedy sequel, <em>Hitman\u2019s Wife\u2019s Bodyguard<\/em>, and the latest from Pixar, <em>Luca<\/em>, come out this week). But I am optimistic that over time it will be fine.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not something I can say about the weekend\u2019s other major studio release, <em><strong>Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway<\/strong><\/em>, which also performed lower than expected with an attendance of roughly 1.1 million. That\u2019s with it being a family film sequel with modest to relatively positive reviews \u2014 a similar reception to the original, in fact (slightly better than the original if you\u2019re looking at Rotten Tomatoes, slightly worse if you\u2019re looking at Metacritic). Yet the first movie drew a crowd of about 2.7 million in its opening weekend in February of 2018. Unlike a lot of family sequels of recent years, this one doesn\u2019t have a significant home-entertainment presence, and the original <em>Peter Rabbit<\/em> isn\u2019t easily accessible at the moment via any major streaming service. But even without the alternative of a similar effort at home, family sequels, in general, aren\u2019t a very safe bet anymore. Plus, so far, post-pandemic moviegoing hasn\u2019t proven strong with family attendance yet anyway.<\/p>\n<p>In other new-release <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>, another sequel fared more intriguingly considering it wasn\u2019t on many people\u2019s radars: the Mike Epps-led horror-comedy <em><strong>The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2<\/strong><\/em> debuted on just 420 screens with an estimated attendance of about 116,000. Compare that to the original <em>Meet the Blacks<\/em> (currently available to stream via Starz), which opened on more than double the screens in April 2016 and sold around 470,000 tickets in its first few days. That\u2019s not bad considering the pandemic, lower screen count, and fact that the follow-up was filmed four years ago. According to its distributor, <em>The House Next Door<\/em> had the best debut for a feature on fewer than 1,000 screens since March of 2020! That\u2019s good news for indies and other movies not able to pull audiences in with a promise of spectacle they can\u2019t get at home, though this is also just further evidence that horror is going to be killing it this summer.<\/p>\n<p>Another new movie in the top ten this week is <em><strong>Queen Bees<\/strong><\/em>, an older-leaning comedy starring Oscar-winner Ellen Burstyn as a reluctant newcomer to a retirement community with a cliquish population reminiscent of high school (it should have been called\u00a0<i>Golden <\/i><em>Mean Girls<\/em>). Its attendance of under a million on just five hundred screens is decent given all the current circumstances, plus it was made available on VOD the same day. You know movie theaters are headed back in the right direction after the last year when thousands of older folks \u2014 they tend to pay a lower ticket price so I won\u2019t focus too much on the estimated attendance number here \u2014 are back in the cinemas for this sort of picture. Maybe they\u2019re sneaking into <em>In the Heights<\/em> afterward to give it a look and will come back to see it later. That\u2019s what my late grandmother who introduced me to theater-hopping would have done.<\/p>\n<p>Here are this week\u2019s top ten movie releases by estimated ticket sales [with totals in brackets]:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">1. <em>A Quiet Place Part II<\/em> \u2013 1.3 million [11.9 million]<br \/><strong>2. <em>In the Heights<\/em> \u2013 1.2 million [1.2 million]<\/strong><br \/><strong>3. <em>Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway<\/em> \u2013 1.14 million [1.1 million]<\/strong><br \/>4. <em>The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It<\/em> \u2013 1.09 million [4.8 million]<br \/>5. <em>Cruella<\/em> \u2013 0.7 million [6.1 million]<br \/>6. <em>Spirit Untamed<\/em> \u2013 0.3 million [1.2 million]<br \/><strong>7. <em>The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2<\/em> \u2013 0.12 million [0.1 million]<\/strong><br \/>8. <em>Wrath of Man<\/em> \u2013 0.07 million [2.8 million]<br \/><strong>9. <em>Queen Bees<\/em> \u2013 0.04 [0.04 million]<\/strong><br \/>10. <em>Spiral: From the Book of Saw<\/em> \u2013 0.03 million [2.5 million]<\/p>\n<p><em>All box office gross figures sourced from Box Office Mojo, The Numbers, and Box Office Pro unless otherwise stated.<\/em>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/in-the-heights-box-office\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=in-the-heights-box-office\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#The In The Heights Box Office Story is About Context&#8221; Welcome to our\u00a0weekly box office report, which we do a little differently. Rather than focusing on the money, FSR senior editor\u00a0Christopher Campbell is more interested in the estimated attendance \u2014 or number of tickets sold. Because the value of money changes over the years, but&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":274566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/in-the-heights.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[1542,89816,72707],"class_list":["post-274565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-box-office","tag-in-the-heights","tag-musicals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=274565"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274565\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/274566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=274565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=274565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=274565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}