Chris Morris Music ReporterSo far in 2022, nine of the 10 biggest grossing films are either sequels or part of a franchise.
And, as excitement built for the new releases, the number of people catching up on previous films in the series on streaming services spiked.
New research from Roku — America’s No. 1 TV streaming platform in terms of hours streamed — shows that a franchise’s full catalog sees the benefits of a theatrical release even when it falls short of a box office blowout, presenting a big marketing opportunity for both studios and streaming services.
When looking at the impact of new releases, Roku’s Audience Insights team found searches for prior releases of a franchise more than doubled when new titles were released – a trend distributors could leverage to build theatrical buzz in the weeks leading up to a film’s debut.
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