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‘Gladiator II’, ‘Moana 2’, ‘Wicked’ give Cineplex 141% gain over 2023

Consumer, Market News, Media
TSX:CGX
12 December 2024 12:21 (EST)
(Source: Cineplex.)

(Source: Cineplex.)

Cineplex (TSX:CGX) reported box office revenue of C$48.9 million for November 2024, marking a significant increase of 141 per cent compared to November 2023 and reaching 94 per cent of the pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019.

This surge in revenue highlights the ongoing recovery and growth of the cinema industry.

A top contributor to this success was the popularity of premium viewing experiences, which accounted for 42.0 per cent of the November box office, up from 36.7 per cent in November 2023. This trend reflects moviegoers’ increasing preference for enhanced cinematic experiences such as 3D, D-BOX, IMAX, ScreenX, VIP, and UltraAVX.

November was a standout month for Cineplex, driven by the simultaneous releases of two highly anticipated films, “Gladiator II” and “Wicked.” The excitement surrounding these releases led to what was dubbed the ‘Glicked’ weekend. “Wicked” had a record-breaking opening weekend, earning C$112.5 million, the highest ever for a film based on a Broadway musical.

Adding to the month’s success, “Moana 2” made a splash with a C$139.7 million in its opening three-day weekend, setting a new record for the highest U.S. Thanksgiving three-day weekend of all time. It also achieved the highest five-day opening of all time, with C$225.4 million.

“The record-breaking trio of “Gladiator II”, “Wicked” and “Moana 2” brought diverse genres and compelling content to theatres, giving movie-goers even more reasons to head to their local theatre,” Cineplex’s president and CEO, Ellis Jacob said  in a news release. “This wide selection of content solidifies movie-going as a shared experience, bringing people together for these special cinematic moments. As these titles extend into the holiday season, we’re ending the year on a high note by also adding “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”, “Kraven the Hunter”, “Mufasa: The Lion King”, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” and “Nosferatu.””

Kraven? Really? Anyway, premium formats played a significant role in the box office performance of these films. ‘Wicked” saw 70.5 per cent of its revenue from premium formats, “Moana 2” had 59.8 per cent, and “Gladiator II” had 46.2 per cent. This trend underscores the growing demand for immersive and high-quality movie experiences.

Period

2019 Box
Office

2023 Box Office

2024 Box Office

2024 as a Percentage
of 2019

2024 as a
Percentage of 2023

October

$54,528

$37,354

$34,031

62 per cent

91 per cent

November

$52,314

$34,640

$48,918

94 per cent

141 per cent

Total

$106,842

$71,994

$82,950

78 per cent

115 per cent

(*) Amounts are in thousands of dollars.

International programming also contributed to Cineplex’s strong performance, accounting for 11.8 per cent of the November box office revenue, significantly outperforming the 3.8 per cent seen by North American peers. Films like “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” and Hello, Love, Again” were among the top ten films for the month, with “Hello, Love, Again” becoming the highest-grossing Filipino language film in Cineplex history.

Overall, November 2024 was a landmark month for Cineplex, showcasing the resilience and evolving preferences of moviegoers.

Cineplex Inc. is a household Canadian brand active in the film entertainment and content, amusement and leisure and media sectors. It operates more than 169 movie theatres and entertainment venues across the country.

Cineplex stock (TSX:CGX) opened trading at C$ 12.91 and has risen 54.24 per cent since the year began.

Join the discussion: Find out what everybody’s saying about this movie theatre stock’s online booking fee on the Cineplex Inc. Bullboard, and check out the rest of Stockhouse’s stock forums and message boards.

The material provided in this article is for information only and should not be treated as investment advice. For full disclaimer information, please click here.

(Top photo via Cineplex.)


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