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.
Ticket sales at Australian cinemas plunged to a new low last weekend as coronavirus-wary audiences ignored almost all the new releases.
Australians waited longer than most to see Denis Villeneuve’s 'Dune' on the big screen, with the film opening to a respectable $4.8 million last weekend.
Since cinemas reopened around the country, there was one film in particular that exhibitors were banking on to lure audiences back to theatres: 'No Time To Die'.
With three titles boasting weekend takings of more than $1 million, the theatrical market seems to be approaching something close to normal.
'No Time To Die' has been in release in the Australian market for less than two weeks but has already achieved what only a handful of films have done since the pandemic begun - it's crossed the $20 million mark.
There are positive signs for filmed entertainment and free-to-air television in PwC’s annual Media and Entertainment Outlook, which shows both sectors experienced a resurgence in 2021.
"There's been enormous change over the journey." Palace Cinemas national programming director Kim Petalas will step down from his role in late December after some 30 years with the company.