A year after the “Barbenheimer” cultural frenzy that raked in hundreds of millions for Hollywood, the movie-making business is entering summer with no clear blockbuster on the horizon and lingering questions about the future of movie theaters.
Universal’s “The Fall Guy,” was seen by many box office watchers as the potential spark the business needed to lure moviegoers back to theaters and kick off what studios are hoping will be a profitable summer.
But the action rom-com's underperformance during its opening weekend has experts in the film business warning such a flop is another red flag for an industry still reeling from the ripple effects of the coronavirus pandemic and labor issues that put some major projects on hold.
“After the pandemic and the strikes, the movie industry just hasn’t been able to catch a break,” said Shawn Robbins, a film consultant and box office analyst. “'Fall Guy' sort of had to shoulder the burden of being the big summer opener, but we’re still seeing the tail end of the effects of those delays.”
The blockbuster success of WarnerBros.'s “Barbie” and Universal’s “Oppenheimer” last summer was celebrated by many across the industry as a needed anecdote for the years-long trend in declining attendance at movie theaters.
The global box office was estimated to have reached a more than 30 percent gain in 2023 from the year prior, but that figure still lags........