Yes, it’s possible that some HBO Max subscribers opted to watch the movie at home rather than venturing out to theaters, depressing overall box office ticket sales.
“It’s not really a box office vs.
is putting its entire 2021 film slate, consisting of “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and “Dune,” among others, on HBO Max in an effort to boost streaming service subscribers.
Warner Bros.
“Our experience, which is backed up on ‘In the Heights,’ is that if the movie hits a high level in theaters, it hits a high level on the service,” Goldstein told the outlet.
“In the Heights” carries a $55 million production budget, which means it needs to gross roughly $110 million at the global box office to cover that cost.
To be fair, streaming complicates that math, because the film’s value is not just dependent on its box office figures.
If you’ve turned on cable in the past few weeks, chances are you’ve been treated to a trailer for “In the Heights.” The studio embarked on a massive campaign to promote the film through costly TV spots, influencer screenings and social media hits featuring Ariana Grande, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Jackman and more.
“There was enthusiasm and hope that a movie like this would create huge interest in movie theaters because it benefits from the communal experience,” says Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst with Comscore.
“In the Heights,” which centers on a lively neighborhood in upper Manhattan, was a hit when it opened on Broadway in 2008, winning several Tony Awards.
For “In the Heights,” its 2.5 hour runtime also likely limited the number of showtimes per day.
Musicals may have an unreliable track record at the box office, but many successful song-and-dance properties as of late, like “La La Land” , which boasted a cast of well known actors, are the exceptions.
promoted the movie very heavily, to their credit,” says Robbins.
At this rate, “In the Heights” won’t reach that level of box office glory, but industry analysts are optimistic that the film can stick around in theaters without much direct competition over the summer.
A lot has been hinging on the commercial results for “In the Heights” because it’s the rare studio movie to feature an almost entirely Latino cast.