Theatres are riding high after this weekend’s blockbuster box office performance for DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, lifting industry spirits to a pandemic-era high. The good vibes between exhibitors and studios began at CinemaCon, where the major studios committed to supporting the theatrical window and showcased a slate of upcoming tentpoles such as TOP GUN: MAVERICK (5/24), JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION (6/10), and AVATAR 2: THE WAY OF WATER (12/16) among others.
Business Insider’s Travis Clark reviews the 2022 lineup for each major studio and polls various exhibitors to get their perspectives on the state of moviegoing.
At CinemaCon, studios made bankable commitments to exhibitors. Universal unveiled 20 theatrical releases in 2022, Warner Bros. committed to using a 45-day exclusive theatrical window for all their major 2022 releases, and Disney showcased a series of upcoming titles, also using a 45-day exclusive theatrical window.
There are some concerns about the studios’ output, with the release schedule for Warner Bros. and Paramount seeming to thin out at the end of 2022. The future of theatrical releases from MGM is unclear in the wake of the studio’s acquisition by Amazon.