Showing posts with label The Conjuring: Last Rites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Conjuring: Last Rites. Show all posts
Free movie ticket offer turning into a flop show
8:33 AM
‘Buy one get one free’ plans on opening weekend itself being seen as a tactic by producers to push bad films, say experts
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; September 15, 2025)
Mumbai: Increasing frequency of introducing 'buy one get one' (BOGO) offer on movie tickets, either in the opening weekend or on the opening day of a film's release rather than much later is proving to be counterproductive for producers as audiences are perceiving this tactic as the last resort to deal with low audience interest and boost collections of bad films, said film trade analysts, producers and distributors.
Recently, the makers of Hindi films such as Tanvi The Great, Baaghi 4, Ek Chatur Naar, and Heer Express announced BOGO offers on the opening day itself.
"BOGO ticket offers either on the opening day, or weekend have become a new trend in recent months," said Shaaminder Malik, a film distributor and trade analyst. "Earlier, makers would wait for at least two weeks and introduce BOGO offers on tickets to sustain momentum in collections of films which have already clicked with audiences," he added.
BOGO offer on film tickets first began with the rationale of making incremental collections on films which have already worked with audiences. Producers could afford to give BOGO offers of such films since the box office collections had already surpassed their estimates in the initial weeks. They would, therefore, launch a BOGO offer much after a film is released in theatres.
For instance, the makers of the film Gadar 2, which received a tremendous response from audiences, introduced a BOGO offer only in the third week of its release. For such films, a BOGO offer helps to boost ticket sales by 10-20%, said trade analysts. It also allows makers of mid-and-small-sized films to attract audiences to theatres. A pitfall of this practice is producers lose money when films fail to provide high incremental collections post the offer as they pay for the free tickets. Exhibitors' share in collections, however, remains intact.
"The general understanding of BOGO offers is that one gets a ticket free on buying a ticket. But this is a marketing thing. In real terms, one gets a discount of a certain amount on a ticket which is capped and borne by a producer," explained Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director at Karmic Films.
"These campaigns are tactical marketing spending to build momentum in footfalls. But they can never be a substitute for organic success of films."
Largely, producers have not gained from these marketing initiatives if one considers the performance of recent films. Even after the BOGO offer, Baaghi 4, which released on September 5, collected Rs. 47.5 crore compared to Rs. 72 crore by the English film, The Conjuring: Last Rites, which released on the same date.
"BOGO offers are so excessively used that they have a negative effect. Today, audiences interpret a BOGO offer as an indication that a film is not good. So, it is backfiring," said Girish Johar, producer and film business expert.
Though producers are resorting to BOGO offers, besides getting high-value deals from streamers and satellite channels, these entities have become stricter in buying films at irrational prices from producers.
(Crisp) Movie Review: THE CONJURING: LAST RITES by FENIL SETA
8:12 AM
The Conjuring: Last Rites starts on a chilling note, after which it gets a bit slow. There's humour this time and though it keeps the interest going, one misses the jumpscares and scary scenes, for which we have signed up for. The script also has some weaknesses. Finally, the film gets to that level in the second half. The last 20-30 minutes are gripping and give you your money's worth. Both Vera Farmiga (Ed) and Patrick Wilson (Lorraine) are excellent as always, while Mia Tomlinson (Judy) impresses in a crucial role. Ben Hardy (Tony) essays the role of the awkward yet lovable character with panache. Steve Coulter (Father Gordon) leaves a huge mark. The actors playing the Smurls do well, especially Kíla Lord Cassidy (Heather). All in all, while The Conjuring: Last Rites isn’t as outstanding as The Conjuring 2, it packs in enough chills to make it a worthwhile big-screen experience.
My rating - *** ½ out of 5!
My rating - *** ½ out of 5!
Hollywood set for a blockbuster 2025 in India
9:08 AM
Share of total box office collections expected to reach 22% in 2025, compared with just under 10% last year
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; January 6, 2025)
Hollywood is on the verge of a successful year in India, with its share of total box office collections expected to more than double in 2025, reaching 22% from less than 10% last year, said producers and industry analysts.
This dramatic rise is fuelled by three key trends—a growing appetite for larger-than-life spectacles, rising acceptance of Hollywood films dubbed in regional languages, and a high recall value of intellectual properties (IPs) that had already captivated audiences.
In the past decade, the contribution of Hollywood films to the total box office collection ranged between 18% and 20%.
Devang Sampat, managing director at Cinepolis India, said, “We expect the contribution of Hollywood films to exceed 20% after a not-so-satisfactory last year. The 2025 lineup features films that resonate strongly with the Indian audience.”
Movies such as Avatar: Fire and Ash, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, The Conjuring: Last Rites, Captain America: Brave New World, Karate Kid: Legends, Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Now You See Me 3 boast a strong fan following in India.
Girish Wankhede, a movie trade analyst, said, “I think the contribution of Hollywood films to India’s total box office collection is likely to double compared to last year.” He added that 2024 experienced the ripple effects of strikes by writers and actors in Hollywood, which impacted the production and performance of tentpole films—high-budget, studio-backed money-spinners.
According to US-based consulting firm Camoin Associates, the strikes—centred around demands for fair compensation, better working conditions, and concerns about the use of AI—by writers and actors from May to September 2023 likely caused an economic loss of over $5 billion across the US. The disruption also affected the worldwide performance of Hollywood films.
Data from American movie database website Box Office Mojo reveals that the cumulative worldwide collection of 200 Hollywood films released in 2024 was $24.80 billion—a 26% decline.
Hollywood films set for release in India in 2025 are major tentpole productions designed to be experienced in theatres, not on mobile devices. This key factor has fuelled optimism for higher box office collections of Hollywood films in India.
Ameya Naik, producer and founder of Fantasy Films, an event management company said, “In India, over the past ten years, Hollywood films with strong recall value and recognizable IPs have performed exceptionally well, delivering box office collections of Rs 80-150 crore each in India alone.” He added that the success of such films is driven by their IPs, rather than the star power of actors.
In 2024, high-recall IP films such as Deadpool & Wolverine and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire demonstrated this trend, generating Rs 169.2 crore and Rs 134.4 crore, respectively, according to box office research firm Sacnilk.
Increasing acceptance of dubbed versions of tentpole films has also contributed significantly to Hollywood's growing success in India.
Jaidev Hemmady, a Hindi film scriptwriter, noted, “Studios in Hollywood have realized the importance of dubbing their films into regional languages in India. These dubbed versions have not only emerged as a valuable revenue stream for studios but have also expanded the audience base for tentpole Hollywood films in India.”
The trend is evident in the case of Mufasa: The Lion King, which collected over Rs 131.4 crore in India, according to Sacnilk. Notably, the Hindi dubbed version contributed Rs 44.1 crore to the total, surpassing the English original’s Rs 41.9 crore collection.
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