“Come Play” is a terrifying thriller from Focus Features and Amblin. This film has debuted in various theaters in the United States this weekend. However, it seems that audiences did not heed the title of ‘Come Play.’ This is a PG-13 horror film and has been able to generate just $3.15 Million from 2183 screens. The revenue isn’t overly impressive considering the production costs, but it is enough to lead box office charts, which are already sleepy in these pandemic times.
The theater industry has been greatly affected by this pandemic. In North America, movie-going has been incredibly slow. What’s the reason? The two vital markets comprising the theaters of Los Angeles and New York have remained closed. These venues have been shuttered and closed; all the big studios are hesitant to release potential blockbusters with big-budgets.
That’s the reason why the studios are resorting to releasing movies with smaller scales like “Come Play.” Some more movies in the theaters’ release list include: “The Empty Man,” a supernatural thriller, and “The War With Grandpa,” a family flick.
Exclusive Details About ‘Come Play’ Revealed
This is a chance for theater owners to impress viewers with new products and experiences. ‘Come Play’ is an early bird amidst the sleepy box office charts; it came in ahead of expectations.
Data regarding pre-release tracking suggests the numbers in finance. The film has resulted in inaugural weekend sales of around $2 Million to $2.5 Million.
Now, let’s hear the word of the analysts. David A. Gross runs Franchise Entertainment Research, a movie consulting firm. He refers to the inaugural of “Come Play” as ‘soft.’
David has also made several other observations as well. He notes that “like all recent wide releases,” the theater count of ‘Come Play’ is in line with the proportion of closed theaters in the United States and is somewhat low.
Here is a quick statistic to understand the proportion of theaters closed in this great country. Roughly 50% of theaters located in North America are open. This data comes from Comscore, an authentic source trusted by the news outlet Variety.
There are many more things to consider before commenting on the ‘sluggish’ performance of ‘Come Play.’ One such factor is ‘Halloween.’ Even without a pandemic, newly released movies are likely to struggle when a Halloween falls on a weekend. The reason is quite simple here: Patrons are out dressed in costume to gather candy.
Some Fresh New Gossip Around ‘Come Play’
This year, Halloween has been different. Did we know how the popular trick or treat would be played during COVID? We all are forced to remain indoors for the majority of the year, let alone Halloween. So, who gets a chance here? Horror Films. They had the chance to see stronger mid-week holds.
Come Play has earned some praises as well. Box Office Analysts applauded the film because it had no major movie star like Robert De Niro or Liam Neeson. Still, it managed to avail similar opening weekends like “Honest Thief” or “The War With Grandpa.”
Read: Hugh Laurie Plays The Role of A Politician In Roadkill
Views Around “Come Play” Simplified
How to see “Come Play” as a film? Obviously, a win for the industry. It showcases the inherent appeal for horror movies in the “communal environment of a darkened movie theater” if we go by the words of Paul Dergarabedian. Paul is a senior media analyst with Comscore.
Let’s read what he has to say about the film inaugural and the infamous Halloween:
“Traditionally, when Halloween lands on a Saturday, it casts a negative spell on revenue, but this weekend it actually put a spotlight on movies that all, in some measure, benefited from the holiday tie-in.”
