Will THE MARVELS Give the MCU Its Worst Opening Weekend? Plus, How the Mahoning Drive-In Theater Became a Mecca For Horror Fans

In this week’s episode of the Boxoffice Podcast, co-hosts Rebecca Pahle, Shawn Robbins, and Chad Kennerk discuss a slow week at the box office, as the Gen Z nostalgia-driven Five Nights at Freddy’s tops the box office for the second week running. Looking ahead, Robbins talks concerns for THE MARVEL’s opening weekend and TROLLS BAND TOGETHER’s international run in advance of its domestic debut on 11/17. In the feature segment, spooky season continues as Kennerk speaks to Virgil Cardamone of the Mahoning Drive-In Theater, where an event-based approach to screenings has made them a bucket list destination for horror fans.

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Episode Resources:

• Weekend Box Office: FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S is First Horror Leader in Post-Halloween Frame Since 1991
• Long Range Box Office Forecast: Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS

What to Listen For

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:33 The Mahoning Drive-In
• 01:45 Third lowest box office weekend of 2023
• 03:02 Five Nights at Freddy’s box office numbers
• 05:55 Day-and-Date opening
• 09:31 Nostalgic movies
• 13:12 Added show times 
• 14:58 Killers of the Flower Moon numbers drop
• 18:02 International box office numbers
• 20:37 The Marvels prediction
• 23:45 Preservation of drive-in culture
• 25:42 35 millimeter film fanatics
• 27:43 Going retro
• 29:43 Slight movement in the culture
• 34:11 Commitment of retro film
• 39:47 Breeding ground for creatives
• 41:23 Curated food and beverage experience
• 46:10 Plans for 2024