Welcome back to Box Office Breakdown, the weekly segment where I analyze the top ten highest grossing films of the past weekend.
Unfortunately, since most theatres are still closed down due to the COVID-19 and will continue to be for a while, we are unable to analyze the box office as studios are not reporting weekend projections. Due to this situation, studios are prematurely pulling films from theatres and releasing them on VOD, allowing audiences to watch them within the comfort of their own home. While theatres are temporarily shut down for an indefinite amount of time, we are dedicating this segment to analyzing how each film fares on VOD.
This past weekend saw the release of Focus Feature’s high profile, music-based comedy The High Note, which is the latest film from director Nisha Ganatra (Late Night). The film stars Dakota Johnson as Maggie Sherwoode, an aspiring music producer who works as a personal assistant to a egotistical and demanding global superstar Grace Davis played by Tracee Ellis Ross. The film was initially set to release theatrically on May 8th, but Focus Features decided to release it directly on VOD, instead of postponing it. This decision seemed to pay off, as it is charting within the top 10 on most major platforms, including iTunes. That being said, the critical reception is generally muted, so it’s unclear whether it has the longevity to continue to draw in audiences in the coming weeks.
In streaming news, Amazon Prime released The Vast of Night, which has been gaining some major traction. Despite a very low budget, a first time director and a relatively unknown cast, this Close Encounters to the Third Kind inspired sci-fi film received spectacular reviews and has been praised for its unique, dialogue driven approach to the genre.
Aside from new releases, we wanted to report which films have been generating the most sales on the iTunes Charts. Apple doesn’t release statistics or a weekly chart, so these are the top 10 films on iTunes based on the moment this article was being written:
10. The Lodge
9. Emma
8. Little Women
6. Scoob!
2. Bombshell
1. Midway
In the coming weeks, we will continue to analyze the state of VOD releases and will provide updates regarding upcoming films.
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