More on the new Indiana Jones movie
Will kids, who weren’t alive when Raiders of the Lost Ark debuted, come out in droves to support the latest flick? That’s the question posed in today’s LA Times article:
While a handful of confident box-office prognosticators interviewed here say the initial returns could be far greater — as much as $180 million — the true measure of the film’s ultimate success will not be told over the Memorial Day weekend. And that’s why Paramount is making a huge “Indy” push aimed at kids.
Hollywood’s big studios have mastered, particularly in recent years, the art of the blockbuster opening, those carpet-bombing marketing assaults that propel brand-name franchises into the box-office stratosphere. The three biggest three-day openings in movie history — the third films in the “Spider-Man” and “Shrek” franchises and the second “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie — all have landed in the last two years.
What the studios have not come as close to perfecting, though, is playability, a gauge of how much audiences really enjoy a particular film. And because “Indiana Jones” holds such robust interest among older moviegoers (who don’t typically storm theaters on opening weekend), the fourth film’s playability could become crucial.
Both of my sons (17 and 7 years old) are excited to see it. How about your kids?