There are only 4 big movie releases left this year — here's what's at stake for Hollywood

The 2022 container office is simply a Hollywood underdog communicative travel to life.

Despite astir 40% little movie contented disposable successful theaters compared to 2019, year-to-date summons income are down astir 30%, according to information from Comscore.

Audiences person returned to cinemas successful the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and are spending much than ever connected tickets and popcorn. However, the deficiency of dependable theatrical releases volition measurement heavy connected the manufacture during the final, important months of the year.

As it stands, determination are presently lone 4 would-be blockbuster releases coming to theaters earlier the extremity of December:

• Warner Bros.' "Black Adam" – Oct. 21
• Disney and Marvel Studios' "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" – Nov. 11
• Disney Animation's "Strange World" – Nov. 23
• Disney's "Avatar: The Way of Water" – Dec. 16

In 2019, determination were astir 2 twelve blockbuster-style films slated connected the calendar for the past 4 months of the year, including "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."

"We're seeing close present that arsenic we get into the autumn that we benignant of deed different pause," said Shawn Robbins, main media expert astatine BoxOffice.com, "And a batch of that is truly falling connected the lingering pandemic issues."

Those issues see accumulation shutdowns that delayed movie shoots and unit connected ocular effects houses to implicit projects connected shortened deadlines.

There's nary uncertainty that moviegoers are funny successful returning to cinemas. Movies similar "Top Gun: Maverick," "Doctor Strange successful the Multiverse of Madness," "Jurassic World: Dominion" and "Thor: Love and Thunder" person brought audiences back. However, with less films of each budgets connected the slate, determination are less opportunities for studios and movie theatre operators to entice patrons to the large screen.

"To me, the question is now, however soon tin we get backmost to having much of those movies similar 'Everything Everywhere All At Once,' and 'Elvis' and 'The Black Phone?'" Robbins said, noting that determination is imaginable for immoderate smaller movie releases similar "Lyle, Lyle Crocodile," "Amsterdam" and "Don't Worry Darling" to interruption retired and make stronger-than-expected summons sales. Universal's "Halloween Kills" volition beryllium released successful theaters and connected Peacock connected Oct. 14.

"The anticipation is that volition hap aboriginal successful the autumn and implicit the holidays," helium said. "But it's truly going to beryllium 2023 astatine this constituent earlier there's possibly immoderate consistency connected a period to period ground again."

This is wherefore galore studios person turned to room content, films that were antecedently released successful theaters, to lure folks backmost to cinemas. Already Disney has rereleased the Star Wars prequel "Rogue One" successful theaters and has plans to relaunch the archetypal "Avatar" astatine the extremity of September. Sony, too, is successful the midst of releasing a souped-up mentation of "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

Rereleases are thing caller successful the industry, particularly erstwhile it comes to large day milestones for fashionable and iconic features, but 90% of those showings are scheduled done Fathom Events, not by the studios themselves, according to information from Comscore. Fathom is simply a associated task betwixt AMC, Regal and Cinemark that brings bequest titles backmost to cinemas for constricted engagements.

Upcoming day showings from Fathom see the 40th day of "Star Trek: Wrath of Khan," the 10th day of "Pitch Perfect," the 40th day of "Poltergeist" and the 60th day of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

The institution is besides releasing a slate of Halloween titles successful October including 1932's "The Mummy," 1935's "The Bride of Frankenstein," 1954's "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" and 1943's "Phantom of the Opera." Additionally, it volition observe the 25th day of "Scream 2" and 30th day of "Bram Stoker's Dracula."

Fathom is besides moving with Universal to merchandise 3 Judd Apatow-produced films up of "Bros," a romanticist drama hitting theaters Sept. 30.

"Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "Trainwreck" and "Knocked Up" are acceptable for rerelease starting Sept. 19, with pre-recorded intros from manager Nicholas Stoller and co-stars Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane.

Action flicks person dominated the container bureau successful 2022, truthful counterprogramming similar these romanticist comedies could entice demographics that person not been anxious to instrumentality to cinemas oregon bring backmost customers looking to bask a antithetic genre connected the large screen.

These rereleases let movie theaters to person supplementary contented and markets "Bros" to the public, said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom.

Similarly, Disney hopes the rerelease of "Avatar" astatine the extremity of September volition lure successful fans and boost involvement successful the upcoming sequel "The Way of Water."

"The container bureau is presently astatine implicit $5.3 cardinal twelvemonth to date, overmuch higher than the past 2 years astatine this constituent but down people from 2019 and 2018," said Paul Dergarabedian, elder media expert astatine Comscore."

"With large movies similar 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' successful November and, obviously, 'Avatar: The Way of Water' successful December, among others, the manufacture volition apt upwind up with a projected 2022 home container bureau of astir $7.5 billion," helium said. "That's frankly a large result for an manufacture that saw 2020 levels astatine a specified $2.3 cardinal and a 2021 that coiled up astatine $4.6 billion."

Dergarabedian and Robbins noted that 2023 has a overmuch stronger slate of films, some successful presumption of fig of films and diverseness of content. As much movie travel retired and much frequently, the anticipation is that wide home container bureau volition marque a stronger recovery.

The 2022 container bureau mislaid "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," which was slated for Dec. 21, past period erstwhile Warner Bros. Discovery pushed the movie to March 17, 2023. It replaced "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," which volition present arriving connected Christmas Day successful 2023.

"The archetypal 4th is loaded with large films that should make momentum starring into a beardown summertime adjacent year," Dergarabedian said.

Disclosure: Comcast is the genitor institution of NBCUniversal and CNBC.