Now we’ve finally seen strong signs of a Box Office recovery, the rhetoric has turned to how to keep this momentum rolling. With June establishing a high point for the domestic Box Office so far, talk has turned to what July will bring. Many predict that the release of Thor: Love and Thunder may well be a key part of this. Brandon Blake, entertainment attorney for Blake & Wang P.A, explains further.
The Big July
July is typically the highest-grossing month for the Box Office, with only June and December ever holding a candle to it. Most predict that this July will be the best month we’ve had since the start of the pandemic. Given that June pulled in $970M, that’s a juicy benchmark. Although we’re still not back to normal- a ‘typical’ pre-COVID June would have pinged over $1B, but getting 84% of the way there (as we did in June) is nothing to sneeze at. Yet we also saw only 4 big releases in June, less than recent months. The lack of movie alternatives continues to plague theaters, so it’s a solid enough start.
Into July
July, however, brings six new releases- and each has a wide opening, too. There’s also a lot of widespread appeal, with both Minions: Rise of Gru and Nope, alongside Thor: Love and Thunder, to look forward to. With just these three, there’s at least the potential to hit the $1B mark. That is if Thor manages to follow the Doctor Strange pattern and outperform its previous three movies. Given that Marvel is booming at the moment, and the film is getting a coveted summer release, unlike predecessors, it’s certainly possible.
Overall, July has a strong slate, with contenders likely to drive mass appeal, pull in older audiences and families, and add to the growing Box Office recovery. It’s certainly looking possible for July to top $1B- and that would have been unthinkable this time last year. That alone is worth celebrating.
