The WB is in the new as it’s being shopped around for potential buyers, including Netflix, which is a little surprising considering it’s has such a successful year with big movies bringing in big crowds (for the most part, with one notable exception). They are re-releasing Ryan Coogler’s Sinners on IMAX just in time for Halloween. From Variety:
“This limited engagement offers audiences the chance to experience one of the most original and emotionally resonant films to ever reach the big screen in the way Coogler originally envisioned: presented in premium format on Imax 70MM and Imax screens,” Warner Bros. wrote in a press release. “The re-release reunites audiences with a story that spoke volumes when it first premiered — both for its ambitious visual storytelling and for the passion and artistry of its stellar cast and crew.”
The box office success of Sinners is one of the best stories of the year. If you compare the side by side with One Battle After Another it’s easy to see how word of mouth drove this thing in 20 days:
These are domestic numbers from Box Office Mojo and international might tell a different story. But One Battle doesn’t have the same legs or wings as Sinners did, at least among the movie-going public. It doesn’t appear to be doing as well as expected in China. It might get to $200 mil worldwide. Here is where it stands now:
And here is Sinners before IMAX re-release:
I know box office isn’t everything but it was a joy to see so many people so engaged with Sinners. It is easily enjoyed as a deeper analysis of Black history, as much as it is an entertaining vampire movie. I love how vibrant and original it is. You never know where the movie will take you all the way through the ending. I also love how the life of Robert Johnson is woven throughout in clever ways. It is probably not “sophisticated” enough for the international voters in the Academy but so what? That doesn’t change its place in history. It will be among the films remembered from 2025, without a doubt.
Sinners is more of an audience movie than a Film Twitter movie, at least as far as I can tell. But who knows? I guess we’ll see how voters rate it when the awards come down.
