This summer movie season hasn’t been without its mainstream success stories, from “The Little Mermaid” to “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” But duds like “The Flash” are a reminder that even the biggest, loudest releases aren’t guaranteed hits.
Now, internet buzz is centered around a pop culture matchup for the ages, as “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” open head-to-head on July 21. Early box office tracking, however, suggests that neither movie is poised to generate huge numbers. And with “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” tracking at a low $65 million for its opening this weekend (on a budget of around $250 million), it doesn’t seem that a busier post-pandemic summer movie season is the same thing as a profitable one.
What gives?
While audiences return to movie theaters, not every demographic is such an easy draw. In this week’s episode of Screen Talk, Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson break down those challenges and how they may play out in the coming weeks. Thompson also shares some initial thoughts on “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” another summer blockbuster that seems poised to do well — but will get bumped from IMAX screens once “Oppenheimer” takes them over.
This week’s episode includes some additional discussion of the potential strike by SAG-AFTRA and why the negotiation could end up taking longer than originally planned. The hosts also share some viewing suggestions for July 4.
Screen Talk will return after next week.
Watch the full episode above or listen to it below.
Screen Talk is produced by Azwan Badruzaman and available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify, and hosted by Megaphone. Browse previous episodes here, subscribe here, and be sure to let us know if you’d like to hear the hosts address specific issues in upcoming editions of Screen Talk.
