Using examples from last year, we are going to look at two big box-office forces driving change. As well as what the industry may need to consider to keep up. But first, let’s look at why this shift is significant.

Opening Weekend Importance?

With many films marketed months before their release, the opening weekend is when interest is, theoretically, at its highest, due to the prominence it has been given. Barring slow-release periods, subsequent weeks will likely see diminishing returns as other films take customers’ interest. So the opening domestic weekend is seen as the point for maximum returns. It can then set the tempo for press coverage around the film, which can drive future engagement.

However, this mindset arguably contributes to a self-fulfilling cycle. Commentators have noted that attaching negative labels to a film, e.g. “disappointment” or “bomb”, early in its theatrical life, creates a negative association that can follow a film forever. Affecting box office, and therefore future licensing and home media sales.

Nevertheless, as Stephen Galloway told Variety, “based on the cost of movies and inflation, reliance on opening weekend is Hollywood’s only strategy. There is no alternative.” But is that true?.

Word of Mouth

Cinemas have faced an uphill battle to bring in customers post-COVID. Especially when everyone knows a film will be available to stream soon after it releases. Big properties still attract crowds, but titles with little to no name recognition, especially those with big budgets, are more unpredictable. Even if they have acclaimed directors behind them. This is where word of mouth comes in. Many have theorised that current audiences are more discerning about spending a night out at the cinema, potentially due to how much it costs. Thus, they will likely wait for positive word of mouth before watching a specific film. This means it can take longer for original titles to make their mark. However, when positive word of mouth can be hugely impactful.

To analyse this claim, let’s look at two films from last year: Sinners and One Battle After Another. Both were made by acclaimed directors playing outside genres they were used to. And both had long tails at the domestic box office. 

According to Box Office Mojo, Sinners stayed in the domestic box office top 20 consistently for around 13 weeks. It also didn’t drop below half its first week’s takings until its fourth week. Which is an incredible feat. One Battle After Another, while not as successful, remained in the domestic box office charts consistently for 26 weeks. Being in the top 20 consistently for 10 weeks. Awards attention definitely kept the film in the public consciousness, but the film didn’t truly become an awards frontrunner until several weeks after its release. Meaning it stayed running because of audience interest and critical praise. Considering the average theatrical window is currently around 30-45 days, both these films demonstrated extraordinary staying power.

International Box Office

Additionally, the international box office played a big role for both movies. Sinners was already successful, pulling in around 3 times its budget domestically, but with its international takings, it became the second-highest-grossing original movie worldwide in 2025. And while One Battle After Another was an overall flop, international screenings allowed the film to make its budget back.

Keeping Up

Matt Weisbecker has said that film marketing is primarily focused on the opening weekend, with promotion dropping significantly afterwards. This is incredibly counterintuitive. There is no way that everyone can see a movie during its opening weekend. Even after months of building anticipation. Considering the long tails that are provided to movies based on positive feedback from audiences and award bodies, surely this is proof that marketing up to release is not the sole way to maximise box office returns.

More marketing materials need to be spread throughout the theatrical run to keep more eyes on the film. This can then be used to take advantage of positive word of mouth. With focus needing to be put both online and in person to drive audience interest.

Likewise, even films that underperform domestically can recoup substantial sums at the international box office, which means international marketing needs to be maintained and further prioritised. Especially since it accounts for a huge amount of Hollywood box office and can also drive further interest down the line in international markets.  

The US opening weekend is still a good data point. But considering the power that is demonstrated by international takings and word of mouth, it needs to stop being considered the make-or-break factor when it comes to judging if a movie is financially successful.

The post Word of Mouth Replacing the Opening Weekend appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Deadpool 2

Deadpool is famous for his sense of humour and fourth wall breaking, and the studio embraced his sense of humour for its marketing campaign, from posters pitching it as a Valentine’s Day romantic comedy, to poking fun at the character’s history, as well as Ryan Reynold’s career, to much success. The marketing was as good if not better than the final film, so when the sequel was announced, there were high expectations

Somehow they outdid themselves, with the first teaser showing Deadpool channelling his artistic side in a Bob Ross parody. There was also a James Bond inspired intro song, performed by Celine Dion (complete with high-heeled dancing Deadpool), and box art for other films featuring the character. Footballer David Beckham featured in one spot as a response to a joke in the first film. It even managed to raise money for a charity. It was impossible to not know this film was coming out, even on LinkedIn.

The Blair Witch Project

A rare example of a marketing scheme that wouldn’t work today, the film was marketed as genuine found footage, with the three characters pitched as actual missing persons on posters. The whole movie was sold as a “true story”, with the website featuring interviews with concerned family members and the actual film being recovered from their investigation.

“The Blair Witch Project” was the first film to really take advantage of the internet (it was released in 1999) and kicked off the found footage genre used in films like “Cloverfield” and “Paranormal Activity”. As part of the “true story” angle, the directors even posted in forums to give “evidence”. Many people thought the film was real, with the actors not appearing at the premiere and being listed as deceased, leading to family members receiving sympathy cards.

Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic 1960 thriller was shrouded in secrecy up until it’s release, with one trailer simply giving a tour of the Bates’ Motel. With very little of the plot revealed in the marketing, stars not doing press and no critic screenings, Hitchcock oversaw all the promotion, ensuring that no secrets would be revealed before people had chance to see it.

There was a method to his apparent madness though, especially not allowing latecomers into screenings, as he didn’t viewers to miss the film’s biggest star before they get killed off early on. This caused long queues to form, much to the delight of cinemas, and Psycho is now one of the most famous films of all times, with the shower scene being homaged or parodied countless times.

The Cloverfield Paradox

The “Cloverfield” Franchise always has mysterious marketing, with the trailer for the first film having no title, just a release date. Each release is also accompanied by an Augmented Reality game, which provides vague clues, such as a conspiracy about a slushy company in the Cloverfield universe. While many of these bits of information do not connect to the films in a big way, they do flesh out the world and help to connect each entry in the series, with an active fan page, logging and connecting each clue

The third film, “The Cloverfield Paradox”, had it’s announcement trailer debut during the Super Bowl Halftime Show, with the film being available later that day. A 3rd film had been announced but no official information given until the trailer dropped, with the full film available almost at the same time. it’ll be hard to top for a fourth entry.

The Dark Knight

The marketing for Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film began 15 months before the film was to be released in theatres. Whereas most marketing makes an audience aware of the film, this time they actually got to be involved. For every email address that signed up to a (fictional) Harvey Dent campaign site, a pixel was removed, when enough people signed up less than 24 hours later, it revealed the first image of the Joker.

At San Diego comic con, the “Joker” took over, asking guests to complete a series of challenges, which unlocked a teaser trailer. The campaign brought Gotham City out into the real world. Heath Ledger’s untimely passing, created a bigger buzz about his role as the Joker, even winning him a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Also Read: How The Blair Witch Project Changed Horror

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