Even this early in the month, we can say one thing for the September Box Office. It has to be better than August! It was a lackluster month for sure, but coming off the heels of a very hot summer, also to be expected. Blake & Wang P.A entertainment lawyer, Brandon Blake, digs into the September slate and what we can expect.
Lack of Product
It’s important to point out (again) that it’s not a lack of willing attendees causing the slump. It’s the lack of product to offer them. Historically, September has the lowest box-office gross of any month, too, which makes for glum reading. Sadly, we only have four titles from big name studios, and a handful of others- none of which are really seen as potential blockbusters. The relocation of two key pictures (Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Distant) to new release dates has not helped, either. It’s a little better than the dull August lineup, but that’s about all you can say for it, and it will sadly pull down some of the overall Box Office recovery we’ve seen this year.
Back to the… Past?
Disney is bringing a new title to the table in Barbarian, and the horror film has built some anticipation with positive word of mouth. We also have Sony’s The Woman King which may help, but that will have to wait for its Toronto International Film Festival debut to know for certain.
However, there is a return to the theater planned for the runaway hit, Spider-Man: No Way Home, despite it now being available on streaming. There’s also the remastered release of Avatar hitting the screens. Strange to think of old titles as new sources of hype, but anything will help this month.
At least there was the $3 discounted ticket festival over the Labor Day weekend to help this month limp along until the festive season slate hits. Hopefully we’ll see some new blockbusters to pep the system up again at that point.
Film and Television 