It didn’t take a genius to predict “Wicked” fans wouldn’t silently sit through the musical’s big-screen adaptation.
They wanted to sing, loud and proud, and it drove some audience members to distraction. It’s bad enough patrons yap through movies like it’s their private man cave.
Now, amateur crooners are belting out “Popular” and “Defying Gravity.”
Universal wised up and slated “sing-a-long” screenings for the musical blockbuster. More than 1,000 theaters across the globe will enjoy special “Wicked” presentations complete with on-screen lyrics.
Fans will have to wait until Christmas Day to unwrap that cinematic gift. That’s Hollywood – big, lumbering and slow to change.
Why wasn’t this plan in place from the film’s Nov. 22 debut? And why did it take so long to seize on the film’s participation push?
Instead, movie goers had to observe this fun-free mandate.
“At AMC Theaters, silence is golden. No talking. No texting. No singing. No wailing. No Flirting. And absolutely no name-calling. Enjoy the magic of movies.”
By Dec. 25 the film will be fading, nudged aside by fresh titles like “Nosferatu,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” and “Mufasa: The Lion King.”
Universal likely left serious money on the table. And the timing couldn’t be worse.
Theaters are enjoying a comeback of sorts this year. The box office numbers can’t match pre-pandemic levels. They may never get back to those figures.
Still, breakaway hits like “Wicked,” “Gladiator 2,” “Inside Out 2” and “Moana 2” show there’s still a hunger for the theatrical experience.
Tinsel Town has to act, fast, to capitalize on that momentum. These sing-a-long events are a perfect example.
Imagine if last year’s smash, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” offered a similar sing-a-long experience. It could have inspired young fans to see the film multiple times.
And, while we’re on the subject, theaters should consider special screenings for people who can’t put their smart phones away once the movie starts.
Why not set up dueling options for movie goers? One theatrical screen is for film fans who want silence during the presentation. The other screen? Talk away! We don’t mind.
It could coax reluctant movie goers back to the theater for a pristine experience, while chatty teens flock to the noisier alternative.
Hollywood has other potential ways to bring people back to theaters.
Retro releases are scoring big at the box office. Re-releases like “Hocus Pocus,” “Alien,” “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and, most recently, “Coraline,” have generated significant cash for their respective studios.
The latest example? Director Christopher Nolan’s 10-year-old “Interstellar” is drawing huge crowds.
Last weekend, “Interstellar” pulled in $4.57 million domestically[on IMAX screens], more than any new movie, and, at $27,500, a higher per-screen average than top grossers “Moana 2” and “Wicked.”
Variety gently chastised Hollywood studios – “Why Aren’t Studios Doing More [of This]?”
The answer is complicated. It isn’t as easy as slotting any old classic film into a modern movie house. Still, the financial risks appear modest and the rewards speak for themselves.
Even better?
Classic films unite generations of filmgoers. What parent wouldn’t want to experience “Jaws” or “Grease” all over again with their children seated next to them?
One area where Hollywood has quickly pounced? Movie tie-ins.
Film-themed popcorn buckets are all the rage, fueling movie collectors and casual fans alike.
Suddenly, every aspiring blockbuster has its own novelty bucket. Theater chains are dreaming up more and more whimsical—and, in some cases, distracting—contraptions in hopes of capturing attention. Regal’s Inside Out 2 bucket, modeled on the character of Anger, lights up, an interesting choice given that it’s designed for use in dark theaters.
NBC/Universal pushed this concept to the extreme with its $20,000 “Nosferatu” sarcophagus. The sales may not push past the single digits, but it’s a quirky marketing move that drew plenty of media attention.
Smart.
The theatrical model took a body blow courtesy of the pandemic. Dueling Hollywood strikes took the wind out the industry’s Barbenheimer-fueled comeback last year.
Now is the time to find new ways to bring audiences back to theaters. Great content helps, of course, but a little ingenuity goes a very long way.
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