Box Office Wipeout: Lowest October Revenue Since 1997
North America's cinema box office has experienced its worst October revenue in over two decades, with a total of $425 million earned in the month, according to Variety. This dismal figure falls short of October 2020's paltry $63 million, which was also marred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Industry insiders attribute the lackluster results to the scarcity of blockbuster films, with only Tron: Ares and a handful of mid-tier releases managing to attract audiences. The sci-fi epic, however, was a disappointment on its own terms, grossing just $67 million in North America despite an estimated budget of $133 million.
Awards-season fare also underperformed, with high-profile films like Dwayne Johnson's wrestling drama and Julia Roberts' #MeToo drama failing to meet expectations. The lackluster performances were further exacerbated by the absence of a successful horror release during the Halloween weekend.
The holiday period, typically a boon for horror movies, was instead marred by poor box office numbers. Black Phone 2, considered one of the leading horror releases of the season, managed a mere $8 million over the Halloween weekend. Meanwhile, highly anticipated film Shelby Oaks flopped, earning just $770,000 from its wide release in over 1,700 theaters.
Baseball's World Series also played a role in dampening box office earnings, as many potential moviegoers were distracted by the sport's climax on the night of November 2. As one analyst noted, "The major releases this month failed to deliver. Simple as that." The absence of compelling horror options was deemed a "no-brainer" for attracting audiences.
A glimmer of hope came in the form of Taylor Swift's concert film, which drew massive crowds during its limited release in October, raking in $34 million over the course of just three weekends. However, this small silver lining failed to offset the broader downturn in box office revenue.
North America's cinema box office has experienced its worst October revenue in over two decades, with a total of $425 million earned in the month, according to Variety. This dismal figure falls short of October 2020's paltry $63 million, which was also marred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Industry insiders attribute the lackluster results to the scarcity of blockbuster films, with only Tron: Ares and a handful of mid-tier releases managing to attract audiences. The sci-fi epic, however, was a disappointment on its own terms, grossing just $67 million in North America despite an estimated budget of $133 million.
Awards-season fare also underperformed, with high-profile films like Dwayne Johnson's wrestling drama and Julia Roberts' #MeToo drama failing to meet expectations. The lackluster performances were further exacerbated by the absence of a successful horror release during the Halloween weekend.
The holiday period, typically a boon for horror movies, was instead marred by poor box office numbers. Black Phone 2, considered one of the leading horror releases of the season, managed a mere $8 million over the Halloween weekend. Meanwhile, highly anticipated film Shelby Oaks flopped, earning just $770,000 from its wide release in over 1,700 theaters.
Baseball's World Series also played a role in dampening box office earnings, as many potential moviegoers were distracted by the sport's climax on the night of November 2. As one analyst noted, "The major releases this month failed to deliver. Simple as that." The absence of compelling horror options was deemed a "no-brainer" for attracting audiences.
A glimmer of hope came in the form of Taylor Swift's concert film, which drew massive crowds during its limited release in October, raking in $34 million over the course of just three weekends. However, this small silver lining failed to offset the broader downturn in box office revenue.
. I mean, I know we've got the rise of streaming and all that, but still... $425 million for October? That's crazy low! Back in my day, you could count on a big movie opening weekend to make some real money 
. Now it's just a bunch of mid-tier flicks tryin' to scrape by 
. And don't even get me started on the holidays 
... I remember when horror movies were all the rage during Halloween, but now they're just a joke 
. I guess that concert film with Taylor Swift kinda saved the day 
, but it's not enough to make up for the rest of 'em. I dunno, maybe we've just gotten too used to watchin' stuff on our phones 
... what do you think? 
and them horror movies? zero chance of attractin anyone during halloween weekend 
black phone 2 and shelby oaks were both total flops 
like what happened to the industry fam?! u need some scary flicks or action-packed blockbusters or whatever to get people back in seats 
but i heard taylor swift's concert film was a lil bright spot 
guess that helps out but still... box office numbers are straight up whack this october 
I'm not surprised about the low October box office numbers tbh. All these big-name movies that were hyped up for months just... didn't deliver 
. And I mean, who can forget Tron: Ares? That was a total misfire 
. Even Taylor Swift's concert film did better than most of the other movies out there 
. But, you know, at least it's giving us something to watch and talk about 
.
hope taylor swift's concert film does better than expected & brings some sunshine to this dismal month
** The state of the North American cinema box office is really not looking good right now 
. I mean, $425 million for October? That's like a drop in the ocean compared to other months. And it's not just the numbers that are concerning - it's the fact that there aren't even any big-budget blockbusters to speak of. I'm talking about movies that can bring in millions at the box office. Instead, we're stuck with mid-tier releases and low-budget flicks that barely make a dent.
. Is everyone just playing it safe? Are they too afraid to take risks on big-budget films? Whatever the reason, it's definitely a worrying trend 
.
.
. and don't even get me started on the horror releases... black phone 2 was like, super hyped and still managed only $8 million 
, so at least something's working for them. anyway, hoping december will be better 
. And honestly, who can blame people for skipping horror movies this Halloween? Black Phone 2 was basically a zombie (pun intended) of a film – 8 million dollars is like, tiny 
! Maybe next month we'll get some new blockbusters to make our wallets happy again 
- they can pick and choose what they want to watch, you know? But still, $425 million is kinda low for October... that's like, a decent chunk of change 
. Maybe the studios just need to try some new things and take some risks 
... or something 
. And yeah, baseball was on at the same time, so some people probably went to catch the World Series instead of seeing a movie 
. Oh well, Taylor Swift's concert film made up for something, I guess 
and instead we get these meh mid-tier flicks and sci-fi epics that bomb hard 
. Tron: Ares? $67 million? What even was that? That's like, what they paid for the set design alone 
. And Julia Roberts' #MeToo drama? Just another example of Hollywood trying too hard to be "woke" and failing miserably 
.
. Black Phone 2 was like the ultimate disappointment, $8 million for its Halloween weekend? That's like, my rent money for the month 
.
. Can we please just get a good horror movie that doesn't suck? 
.
. Until then, I'm gonna be over here rewatching my old fave films from the 90s 
! I mean, a low october rev since 1997?! 
. and don't even get me started on taylor swift's concert film being the only thing that brought in some decent $$