Kathmandu : Hollywood seems to find relief this summer, just as many expected. Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ and Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ have provided significant relief to Hollywood. In the period leading up to August, these two films have collectively earned a staggering 4 billion dollars worldwide.
According to Variety Magazine, this earnings surge can be attributed to the high demand for movies during the summer (and throughout the year), indicating that the audience’s desire to watch films remains strong despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Barbie’ has earned 612 million dollars in North America and a whopping 1.36 billion dollars globally, making it one of the highest-grossing films of the summer (and the year). ‘Oppenheimer’ has performed exceptionally well at the domestic box office, earning 311 million dollars, and 850 million dollars globally.
During this summer, other notable films include Sony’s animated ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ (381 million dollars), Disney and Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ (358 million dollars), the remake of ‘The Little Mermaid’ (298 million dollars), and the action thriller ‘Sound of Freedom,’ led by Jim Caviezel, earning 181 million dollars.
Last summer, Hollywood earned 3.4 billion dollars. The release lineup for this summer, combined with this year’s earnings, demonstrates the robust nature of the film industry, even in the midst of a pandemic.
“This is an excellent result and another positive step for the industry,” said David A. Gross, a film industry analyst at Franchise Entertainment Research. However, when looking at the lineup of films in production, some concerns arise. Some film releases may face delays due to the ongoing pandemic situation.
One such film is ‘Don: Part 2,’ which has been postponed to 2024. The release lineup for this year’s summer has been affected due to these circumstances. Additionally, films like ‘Kraven: The Hunter,’ ‘Ghostbusters,’ and the tennis drama ‘Challengers’ with Zendaya have also faced delays. This is because star actors are not allowed to participate in film promotion activities due to the ongoing Hollywood strike.
In conclusion, while Hollywood is experiencing a positive surge in earnings this summer, uncertainties and disruptions caused by factors like the pandemic and labor strikes are affecting the release schedules of upcoming films