Dear Comrade came out with lot of noise before the release as the film team tried to go for 4 language release and they tried to build buzz across all the states.
But only Telugu audiences showed extreme interest in the film. Even US market which has been completely down lately, showed heavy enthusiasm for premieres.
Here is the daily trend from US,
Dear Comrade collections at USA
Premieres: $310k
Friday: $154k
Sat: $148k
Sun: $80k
Total Weekend Gross: $695k
So, we can understand from the above, how the film fell off the cliff after such a huge start. Saturday and Sunday numbers would have been huge had the movie got positive feedback from critics and audiences.
Even though some of the reviews stated that movie is an average and no one really blasted the film, still audiences did not show much interest.
The trend shows that with Amazon Prime and Netflix entry into the market, theatrical turnout for a film that gets even average Word of Mouth, has been reduced.
Going further, producers have to keep this new trend in mind and see that they and even the distributors make a profit. Not all films can be blockbusters and even if reviews are positive, sometimes people might just wait for Word of Mouth like the case of Jersey.
US Market has to be analysed and taken into account going forward. As Ismart Shankar kind of films don't work there, it is important to make a good film and also a film that really has a marketability in all areas.
Maharshi, Jersey, Dear Comrade, Oh Baby, Majili and Ismart Shankar are good examples of how US Telugus are looking at film expenditure lately! They want quality entertainment and if there is even something wanting, they are waiting for reviews, Word of Mouth to spread before going to a theater.
Some might argue that holding off reviews might help but with Twitter and Facebook, social media WOM, will never be stopped. It is better to accept the reality and use plans like big Hollywood studios that are trying different things to market their film better than asking media to hold off articles or reviews!
But only Telugu audiences showed extreme interest in the film. Even US market which has been completely down lately, showed heavy enthusiasm for premieres.
Here is the daily trend from US,
Dear Comrade collections at USA
Premieres: $310k
Friday: $154k
Sat: $148k
Sun: $80k
Total Weekend Gross: $695k
So, we can understand from the above, how the film fell off the cliff after such a huge start. Saturday and Sunday numbers would have been huge had the movie got positive feedback from critics and audiences.
Even though some of the reviews stated that movie is an average and no one really blasted the film, still audiences did not show much interest.
The trend shows that with Amazon Prime and Netflix entry into the market, theatrical turnout for a film that gets even average Word of Mouth, has been reduced.
Going further, producers have to keep this new trend in mind and see that they and even the distributors make a profit. Not all films can be blockbusters and even if reviews are positive, sometimes people might just wait for Word of Mouth like the case of Jersey.
US Market has to be analysed and taken into account going forward. As Ismart Shankar kind of films don't work there, it is important to make a good film and also a film that really has a marketability in all areas.
Maharshi, Jersey, Dear Comrade, Oh Baby, Majili and Ismart Shankar are good examples of how US Telugus are looking at film expenditure lately! They want quality entertainment and if there is even something wanting, they are waiting for reviews, Word of Mouth to spread before going to a theater.
Some might argue that holding off reviews might help but with Twitter and Facebook, social media WOM, will never be stopped. It is better to accept the reality and use plans like big Hollywood studios that are trying different things to market their film better than asking media to hold off articles or reviews!