Weekend Box Office Reportedly on Track for Lowest Haul in 22 Years, Thanks to COVID-19
Written by SOURCE on March 15, 2020
As was widely expected by industry analysts following the most bizarre news week in recent memory, the domestic box office numbers for the weekend are not looking good.
Saturday morning, Deadline‘s Anthony D’Alessandro came through with word that the domestic weekend box office is currently tracking toward a 22-year-low with a predicted $58.5 million.
By comparison, Comscore points out that the Sept. 11-13 weekend in 1998 amassed $56.8 million, though this era of cinema was known for having a dry period each year. And for additional comparison, the report cites the fact that box office weekends following closely behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks had higher hauls than the one presently being expected for the three-day period that’s still in progress.
This weekend’s current expectations, which place at approximately 42 percent behind last weekend’s $100.7 million, can possibly—at least according to one analyst—bounce back if the usually-relied-upon Saturday boost manages to hold true despite it all. As for the projected box office leader, that would be Disney and Pixar’s Onward.
A number of hotly anticipated movies (and surefire box office contenders) have been hit with delayed releases due to COVID-19 containment measures. Among the affected releases are John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place Part II, Daniel Craig’s final James Bond entry No Time to Die, and Fast & Furious 9. The latter was originally slated for a May release, but has now been pushed back nearly a year to April 2021.
“Moving [the release date] will allow our global family to experience our new chapter together,” the “Fast Family” explained in a statement earlier this week.
