The marketing comes as the U.S. box office is trying to shake itself out of a slump, still reeling from actor and writer strikes in 2023 and the production delays that followed. Major tentpoles have shifted, with Wall Street analysts recently saying they expect a rebound to pre-pandemic’s $10 billion in domestic receipts, but not until 2026.
AMC and competitors like Cinemark and others are amping up their marketing efforts with improved concessions, on-site events, loyalty perks and experiential activations to try to lure consumers back to the theaters and away from their streaming services. The brands have taken on more of the heavy lifting—work that was previously the domain of Hollywood studios—to try to put butts in seats.
Sand-swept savior
All eyes are on Dune: Part Two, which officially opens today, to be the first mega-hit of 2024. So it’s no accident that AMC’s retooled spot debuts concurrently with the well-reviewed Denis Villeneuve’s action-thriller starring Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh and Austin Butler among a cast overflowing with A-list talent.
AMC is capitalizing on the anticipated crowds at the multiplexes this weekend and going forward by showing the new Kidman ad, which “took on a cult-like nature,” Aron said during the earnings call. “It really hit the American zeitgeist.”
The campaign—parodied on Saturday Night Live and co-opted briefly for a Saw X promotion from Lionsgate—has its own merchandise line, though it’s too soon to know if 2024’s iteration will spawn more hoodies, onesies and backpacks.
And whether it can sear into the public consciousness like its predecessor did is still an open question.
“The idea of a 2.0 will generate attention simply because it is a remake and it was beloved,” David Schwab, executive vice president at Octagon, told Adweek. “That said, it is very hard to replicate the success of an original in anything. I still do think it will be well received and spread outside of the paid buy—it just might not go viral like before.”
