Open Road Films’ Liam Neeson-led thriller “The Marksman” topped the box-office for the second weekend in a row, grossing just over $2 million.
While that performance, combined with its $6.1 million gross after ten days of release, allowed it to win the box-office for the weekend – it paints a grim picture of the exhibition landscape.
Last week’s pushing of almost every major release before May, combined with a slower than expected vaccine rollout and movie theaters still closed indefinitely in major markets, means the future of cinemas remains unclear.
Adam Aron, CEO of the world’s largest cinema chain AMC Entertainment, spoke with The New York Times the other day and confirmed they’ve raised $204 million of the $750 million they need to last for the near future. In addition, a potential new lifeline involves a financing package tied to the European theater chain owned by AMC – Odeon.
AMC’s pioneering of its deal with Universal over a PVOD release within 17 and 31 days of a theatrical launch has also now been adopted by the competition with the last hold out, Regal Cinemas, reportedly “in talks with Universal for a similar arrangement”.
Source: THR
