Roadshow will launch Robert Connolly's 'The Dry' on January 1 and Glendyn Ivin's 'Penguin Bloom' on January 21, raising exhibitors' hopes of a strong start to the year on the proviso that a raft of Hollywood titles are not postponed.
In a remarkable result, four Australian films - 'The Dry', 'Penguin Bloom', 'High Ground' and 'Occupation: Rainfall' - took home almost 50 per cent of the national box office last weekend.
Marvel blockbuster 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' delivered exhibitors a box office boost last weekend, with its opening weekend the most successful in the 'Ant-Man' franchise so far.
Disney's 'Avatar: The Way of Water' absolutely dominated cinemas in its opening weekend, capturing an 87 per cent market share.
By their "very different but equally excellent" powers combined, 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer have given Australian cinemas their best weekend since the pandemic began - and for at least one exhibitor, its best weekend ever.
The theatrical debut of Disney's 'Black Widow' smashed pandemic-era records in the US, but in Australia, where Sydney remains in lockdown, the film couldn't surpass the opening weekends of recent titles 'F9' or 'Godzilla vs. Kong'.
BO Report: ‘Chhalla Mud Ke Nahi Aaya’, ‘Lee Kernaghan: Boy From the Bush’ make mark in quiet weekend
After a noisy few months at the box office, last weekend proved the slowest since mid-May.
Horrors 'The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It' and 'A Quiet Place Part II' might have led the box office last weekend, but the national tally was far from scary - even despite the Melbourne lockdown.