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[LordOfLore]

Link.

Audiences got their first look at Marvel Television’s upcoming ABC series “Inhumans” over the Labor Day weekend, though not on TV. But soft numbers at the feature-film box office are not an encouraging sign for how the show will perform on TV.

As part of a unique production partnership, Marvel, ABC Studios, and IMAX mounted a theatrical release for the first two episodes of the superhero-action drama. Over the weekend, the 84-minute “Inhumans” feature earned an estimated $2.6 million across 676 IMAX screens worldwide, including $1.5 million via 393 IMAX screens in North America. That tally is relatively modest. But given that the holiday weekend saw no new wide U.S. releases from studios and capped an abysmal summer at the box office, IMAX is getting credit for taking a swing.

“My hat was off to any distributor that released something at least new and innovative and different on this very slow Labor Day weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore. “At least IMAX looked at the marketplace, saw an opportunity and did [something] for the fans. To me, that’s a winning strategy.”

Marvel, ABC, and IMAX announced the greenlight for “Inhumans” last November as a joint production that would see IMAX share costs with the Disney division, then premiere the first two episodes exclusively ahead of the show’s fall premiere on ABC. (The episodes air back-to-back Sept. 29 on ABC with several minutes of additional footage not seen in the IMAX feature included.)

Such crossovers between television and theatrical film are rare. When the “Game of Thrones” season four finale screened in IMAX theaters over Super Bowl weekend in 2015, it drew $1.4 million in the U.S. — a shade less than the “Inhumans” premiere.

Thanks to the investment from IMAX, Disney divisions Marvel and ABC consider the show effectively paid for, regardless of its performance on broadcast, where it will air on Friday nights. But the trailers for series and clips screened this summer at Comic-Con have fueled negative early buzz for the series.

Speaking at the Television Critics Association press tour in August, ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey warned reporters that the premiere episode that had been made available for them to view was not a complete project. “I think that the episode that you guys have seen is still a bit of a work in progress,” Dungey said. “We are still a month away from final air, but I do feel like there’s great opportunity there as well.”

ABC sources tell Variety that concerns over quality of “Inhumans” episodes — both the special effects of early cuts and the underpinning scripts — were a source of contention between ABC and Marvel. The IMAX box-office numbers will do little to reverse that narrative, and could dissuade future such hybrids strategies.

“The fact that they really didn’t do that well for IMAX doesn’t bode well for other networks copying this strategy and also whether the show will be successful,” said veteran media analyst Brad Adgate.

 

[shaneo632]

Maybe I'm being naive but are the IMAX numbers really that much of an indication? I imagine only the hardcore crowd really bothered to hunt down an IMAX to watch a TV show, and as it's on TV soon most probably waited.

 

[Sanjuro]

Have you heard of Marvel's Inhumans?

If yes, did you know you could see the premiere in cinemas?

If yes, did you know you can only see it on selected IMAX screens?

If yes, do you know where your closest IMAX is?

If yes, all that being said do you want to spend your money on this?

 

[Crow Pudding]

I think the strategy would be, don't do tv series based on super heroes if you don't have the budget or will to do it properly.

 

[Sir Doom]

was not a complete project. “I think that the episode that you guys have seen is still a bit of a work in progress,” Dungey said. “We are still a month away from final air, but I do feel like there’s great opportunity there as well.”

A month to insert secret sauce that will transform this train wreck to epic

 

[poppabk]

That seems impressive numbers to me, for a TV show. I mean what can you realistically expect.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

How did Game of Thrones' season 4 finale earn such a tiny amount at IMAX - was it due to the Super Bowl? It was a cultural phenomenon even back then.

 

[OldRoutes]

I still don't know why HBO doesn't have a deal in place to show GoT in theatre every week...

 

[HStallion]

Its cool for the hardcore fans but the last thing I want to watch on an IMAX screen is a TV show, especially one as butt ugly as Inhumans.

 

[bigkrev]

Have you heard of Marvel's Inhumans?

If yes, did you know you could see the premiere in cinemas?

If yes, did you know you can only see it on selected IMAX screens?

If yes, do you know where your closest IMAX is?

If yes, all that being said do you want to spend your money on this?

Yes
I found out because I was at the theater to see a different movie (Wind River)
Yes, the banners made this clear
Yes, about 15 minutes from my house, but less convienent to get to than several other theaters
FUCK NO. I'm sure it's missplaced anger, but I blame the Inhumans for the fact that we went several years with no good X-men comics, in the period where Marvel was trying to make the Inhumans the new X-men.

 

[The Elite]

Maybe I'm being naive but are the IMAX numbers really that much of an indication? I imagine only the hardcore crowd really bothered to hunt down an IMAX to watch a TV show, and as it's on TV soon most probably waited.

Marvel has a pretty large hardcore audience. If we couldn't be fussed with filling an IMAX showing no one is going to give a shit about the show on TV.

 

[Patryn]

This whole thing has been a disaster, from using a property that needs real money behind it and then not giving it the budget, to picking a terrible showrunner to choosing a director based solely on his ability to shoot fast and cheap.

 

[berzeli]

That seems impressive numbers to me, for a TV show. I mean what can you realistically expect.

It's not impressive:

It did mediocre.

GoT made $1,464,932 but was in 205 theatres. That's a per theatre average of $7,146
Ihumans made $1,500,000 (and it could drop) from 393 theatres for an average of $3,817.

And I think the per theatre average might be a better indicator of success for such a limited release.

This is impressive:

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride cinema sales top £21m worldwide
The Sherlock Christmas special, The Abominable Bride, has rocketed to fifth place at the US box office despite a limited release, with total international cinema sales exceeding $30m (£21m).

BBC Worldwide said the 90-minute Victorian-themed show, which debuted on the PBS TV network in the US, was screened in 750 cinemas nationwide on 5 and 6 January and grossed $2.7m.
...
In South Korea, where the film hit the number two spot, The Abominable Bride has so far grossed more than $7m. In Australia it racked up more than Aus$750,000 over its two-day release on the first weekend of the new year. In Europe, the film was aired in Poland and Russia.

Don't support bad box office reporting!

Okay so because I had to find these numbers for another post I might as well post them here too.

What is the most impressive showing for a TV show in cinemas? Answer: Sherlock: The Abominable Bride by a massive margin.
the-numbers have it at: $38,400,603 international
mojo has it at $39,139,204 international

I haven't been able to find "pure" domestic numbers but:

Its limited cinema release at over 750 screens in the US and Canada grossed $2.7m

($2.7 million is more than the global take for Inhumans)

Now obviously Inhumans is a much more limited release, Sherlock is more of an established brand in its own right (Marvel branding of Inhumans notwithstanding), and has bigger stars.
Still it shows what can be achieved (when China loves you).

Oh and as a bonus:

Deadline dropped Inhumans to:
3-day cume: $1.2M/4-day: $1.36M
(still an estimate, not actual)

Uh. That's uh. Christ. Did IMAX pull it early or something?

I'm not sure we ever got 4 day actuals, which isn't exactly a great sign.

 

[ImNotLikeThem]

How did Game of Thrones' season 4 finale earn such a tiny amount at IMAX - was it due to the Super Bowl? It was a cultural phenomenon even back then.

It had already aired on TV, plus it was on even less screens than this Inhumans preview.

 

[LordOfLore]

It had already aired on TV, plus it was on even less screens than this Inhumans preview.

Yep, 4 weeks after the premiere of the episode.

 

[poppabk]

Sherlock stuff

With $2.7 million being the possible upper bound, $1.4 million on half the screens seems half way decent (almost literally).

 

[Penguin]

Maybe I'm being naive but are the IMAX numbers really that much of an indication? I imagine only the hardcore crowd really bothered to hunt down an IMAX to watch a TV show, and as it's on TV soon most probably waited.

And think about it, if only the most hardcore tracked it down and didn't like it... by the time the premiere comes in 3 weeks who will want to watch it?

Not to mention that Marvel on ABC hasn't done well and dumping this on a Friday night, I think the ratings will be something to watch for sure.

 

[berzeli]

With $2.7 million being the possible upper bound, $1.4 million on half the screens seems half way decent (almost literally).

It's pretty bad, Sherlock had already been shown on TV, as had GoT. Adding to that, Sherlock did little to no P&A for its theatrical release in the US.

As I pointed out in one of those posts; don't just focus on the total take, look at the per theatre average. It is a much better indicator for success for such a limited release, if Inhumans had matched the PTA of GoT it would have made over $2.8 million. Inhumans underperformed.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

This entire project is d.o.a. If your hardcore fans can't be bothered, then a general audience isn't going to track this down on Friday nights. Not to mention that the reviews for this are in the trash. Audiences didn't bother watching Agents of SHIELD or Agent Carter when those shows were getting good marks.

 

[entremet]

I still don't know why HBO doesn't have a deal in place to show GoT in theatre every week...

Would people go, though? Ticket prices are expensive and it's a serial, not a movie.

 

[WoolyNinja]

That seems impressive numbers to me, for a TV show. I mean what can you realistically expect.

I was thinking the same thing ¯\_(&#12484_/¯

 

[3N16MA]

This will be a sleeper hit with the crowd who falls asleep and forgets to turn off their TV.

 

[Father_Brain]

ABC sources tell Variety that concerns over quality of “Inhumans” episodes — both the special effects of early cuts and the underpinning scripts — were a source of contention between ABC and Marvel.

Was there really no possible way ABC could have made any stipulations about showrunner selection or production schedule before agreeing to air it?

 

[shaneo632]

And think about it, if only the most hardcore tracked it down and didn't like it... by the time the premiere comes in 3 weeks who will want to watch it?

Not to mention that Marvel on ABC hasn't done well and dumping this on a Friday night, I think the ratings will be something to watch for sure.

There is a lot of difference between venturing out to an IMAX to watch something and literally turning your TV on, though.