How Is Movie Performance Measured Now? Screen Talk’s Future of Movies Edition

As the summer comes to a close, the future of moviegoing (and crowded gatherings in general) remains an open question. This week, with Screen Talk co-host Eric Kohn on vacation, I grilled IndieWire’s Box Office Editor Tom Brueggemann on the new metrics that determine success in a streaming universe. Tom and I dig into how to measure a film’s performance, as streamers routinely block grosses and hide their numbers.

And as the annual exhibitor convention CinemaCon convenes in Las Vegas next week, we debate the theatrical future. Theaters may be reducing costs via revised rents and fewer shows, but they are also looking to alternatives to movies.

More films are showing in theaters, including Sundance breakout and Oscar hopeful “CODA,” also streaming on AppleTV+ last weekend. But just how did the movie open? Not with as much buzz as Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” which built a lot more excitement over many months in theaters ahead of its 2020 Oscar wins. There’s no question that long theater runs legitimize a movie.

We look at the prospects for four wide releases coming this weekend, including “Westworld” co-creator Lisa Joy’s first feature film, “Reminiscence” (Warner Bros/HBO Max), a film noir homage starring Hugh Jackman, Thandiwe Newton, and Rebecca Ferguson, as well as an indie documentary making the rounds, film distribution veteran Ira Deutchman’s “Searching for Mr. Rugoff.” 

Listen to the full episode below.

Screen Talk is produced by Leonardo Adrian Garcia and available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and hosted by Megaphone. You can subscribe here or via RSS. Share your feedback with Thompson and Kohn on Twitter. Browse previous installments here, review the show on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to let us know if you’d like to hear the hosts address specific issues in upcoming editions of Screen Talk. Check out the rest of IndieWire’s podcasts on Apple Podcasts right here.