After “Cruella” and “A Quiet Place” made Orlando movie theaters feel normal again for a couple of days, attendance has been down the last couple of weeks since.
“In The Heights” is sadly shaping up to be a bomb, and “The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife” won a muted box office this weekend with only $12 million. Both films are a good time respectively.
It’s not a stretch to say that Orlando’s post pandemic movie theater attendance might be permanently damaged if Vin Diesel and Scarlett Johansson can’t fix it.
I’m talking about “F9” and “Black Widow”.
“F9”, the latest “Fast And Furious” movie will lead, and it needs to fill theaters. These movies always do well in Central Florida. The good sign is that screenings of all eight previous Fast And Furious movies have done well in Orlando, as the franchise turns 20. Even though I”m convinced a lot of fans thought it was the new movie. This film should do well into the Fourth Of July weekend, even with company as “Boss Baby 2” jumps in for some family holiday revenue.
“Black Widow” is going to be a little more complicated because it’s sharing it’s release with Disney Plus Premiere Access, which could make it economically more viable for families of more than a couple to stay home. The true Marvel movie OGs will want to watch it in a theater though.
We’ve been waiting for both of these movies for a year. Ironically, the last big action release before theaters shuttered was “Bloodshot”. Another Vin Diesel joint.
If those falter, “Space Jam 2” could share the load, but by that time we’re depending on a basketball player in LeBron James to save the box office. “Jungle Cruise” with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt could do also do well, but that’s another joint release with Disney Plus.
It will have to be F9 and Black Widow that will have to really kick off our summer at the movies. Fingers crossed that we start filling seats.