From 'Justice League' to 'Encanto,' the most 'in-demand' movies of the last year show how box office isn't the only measurement for a movie's popularity

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Travis ClarkJul 10, 2022, 19:34 IST
From 'Justice League' to 'Encanto,' the most 'in-demand' movies of the last year show how box office isn't the only measurement for a movie's popularity

"Zack Snyder's Justice League"HBO Max

  • The research firm Parrot Analytics recently launched a new "movie demand" metric.
  • It measures engagement with movies beyond box-office results.
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The research firm Parrot Analytics recently launched "movie demand," a metric that measures the engagement and popularity of films beyond the box office.

The research firm Parrot Analytics recently launched "movie demand," a metric that measures the engagement and popularity of films beyond the box office.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor in "Thor: Love and Thunder."Marvel Studios

Parrot Analytics' audience demand measurement reflects engagement with a title that includes not just viewership, but also social-media interaction and online research.

The company provided Insider with a list of the most in-demand movies from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.

The movies are a mix of theatrical exclusives, streaming exclusives, and movies that were released simultaneously in both formats. They reflect the different strategies that Hollywood studios adopted during the pandemic.

The data shows how franchise IP, particularly superhero movies, will continue to dominate the theatrical space, while family animation is attractive on streaming platforms.

Demand in this case reflects how much more in demand each movie was compared to the average. The top 10 most in-demand movies during that time period follow.

10. "Encanto" (Disney)

10. "Encanto" (Disney)
Disney

Demand: 36.95

US box office: $96 million

Global box office: $256 million

Release date: November 24, 2021

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9. "Black Widow" (Disney)

9. "Black Widow" (Disney)
"Black Widow."Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Demand: 37.66

US box office: $183 million

Global box office: $379 million

Release date: July 9, 2021

*Debuted simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ for an additional $30 fee

8. "Zack Snyder's Justice League" (Warner Bros.)

8. "Zack Snyder's Justice League" (Warner Bros.)
"Zack Snyder's Justice League"HBO Max

Demand: 36.95

Release date: March 18, 2021

*Debuted on exclusively on HBO Max for no additional fee to subscribers; no box office reported

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7. "Luca" (Disney)

7. "Luca" (Disney)
Pixar

Demand: 38.81

Release date: June 18, 2021

*Debuted exclusively on Disney+ for no additional fee to subscribers; no box office reported

6. "Godzilla vs. Kong" (Warner Bros.)

6. "Godzilla vs. Kong" (Warner Bros.)
Warner Bros.

Demand: 39.46

US box office: $100 million

Global box office: $470 million

Release Date: March 31, 2021

*Debuted simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max for no additional fee to subscribers

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5. "Turning Red" (Disney)

5. "Turning Red" (Disney)
"Turning Red."Pixar

Demand: 39.70

Release date: March 11, 2022

*Debuted exclusively on Disney+ for no additional fee to subscribers; no box office reported

4. "The Batman" (Warner Bros.)

4. "The Batman" (Warner Bros.)
Robert Pattinson as Batman in "The Batman."Warner Bros.

Demand: 41.31

US box office: $369 million

Global box office: $770 million

Release Date: March 4, 2022

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3. "Eternals" (Disney)

3. "Eternals" (Disney)
Marvel Studios

Demand: 41.95

US box office: $164 million

Global box office: $402 million

Release Date: November 5, 2021

2. "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" (Sony)

2. "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" (Sony)
Tom Hardy in "Venom: Let There Be Carnage."Sony

Demand: 45.97

US box office: $213 million

Global box office: $506 million

Release Date: October 1, 2021

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1. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (Sony)

1. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (Sony)
Tom Holland in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."Matt Kennedy/Sony Pictures/Marvel

Demand: 99.97

US box office: $804 million

Global box office: $1.9 billion

Release Date: December 17, 2021

Breaking the data down by quarter reveals more movies that consumers heavily engaged with, even if they underwhelmed at the box office.

Breaking the data down by quarter reveals more movies that consumers heavily engaged with, even if they underwhelmed at the box office.
Emma Stone in "Cruella."Laurie Sparham/Disney

"The Suicide Squad" made just $168 million at the global box office, including $55 million in the US. It was available to stream on HBO Max while it was in theaters.

While it disappointed at the box office, it was one of Warner Bros.' most popular movies last year on HBO Max, as part of its simultaneous release strategy. It was watched by nearly 3 million households in its first weekend, according to data by the measurement company Samba TV (which only measures viewership in the US on connected-TV devices).

The Parrot Analytics data reflects how the movie drove engagement despite its box-office woes. It was the sixth most in-demand movie of Q3 2021.

The most in-demand movies of Q3 2021:

  1. "Luca"
  2. "Black Widow"
  3. "Cruella"
  4. "Godzilla vs Kong"
  5. "Space Jam: A New Legacy"
  6. "The Suicide Squad"
  7. "F9: The Fast Saga"
  8. "Zack Snyder's Justice League"
  9. "Venom"
  10. "Mortal Kombat"
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Q4 2021 showed the power of a theatrical window in driving demand, and reflected studios' shift back to embracing the window, as over half of the most in-demand movies were exclusively in theaters.

Q4 2021 showed the power of a theatrical window in driving demand, and reflected studios' shift back to embracing the window, as over half of the most in-demand movies were exclusively in theaters.
"Dune."Warner Bros.

The data also demonstrates how demand for a sequel can drive engagement with its predecessor. Both 2018's "Venom" and last year's sequel "Let There Be Carnage" were among the most in-demand movies of Q4.

Most in-demand movies of Q4 2021:

  1. "Venom: Let There Be Carnage"
  2. "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
  3. "Eternals"
  4. "No Time to Die"
  5. "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings"
  6. "Dune"
  7. "Venom"
  8. "Zack Snyder's Justice League"
  9. "Black Widow"
  10. "Godzilla vs. Kong"

The first quarter of 2022 was dominated by "Spider-Man: No Way Home," the biggest movie at the worldwide box office that was released in 2021. Sometimes, a movie is so big that its financial success coincides with high demand, and vice versa.

The first quarter of 2022 was dominated by "Spider-Man: No Way Home," the biggest movie at the worldwide box office that was released in 2021. Sometimes, a movie is so big that its financial success coincides with high demand, and vice versa.
MGM

Sony, which released "No Way Home," is the only major Hollywood studio without its own streaming component, meaning it has balanced between exclusive theatrical releases and licensing movies to streamers, like Netflix and Apple. Movies like "No Way Home," Parrot Analytics said, are a lesson in what kinds of films can drive demand while in theaters and then become a valuable streaming acquisition after its run.

"Since in-demand genres that perform well theatrically also tend to lead demand for titles on streaming, companies like Sony can hit on a double whammy for projects that play in theaters for a certain amount of time (between 35 and 45 days being the sweet spot) and then through ancillary revenue like PVOD and Pay-1 partners," Parrot Analytics said in its movie-demand report.

The most in-demand movies of Q1 2022:

  1. "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
  2. "Encanto"
  3. "Eternals"
  4. "The Batman"
  5. "Turning Red"
  6. "Zack Snyder's Justice League"
  7. "Venom: Let There Be Carnage"
  8. "Godzilla vs. Kong"
  9. "No Time to Die"
  10. "Luca"
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Demand in Q2 this year shows how word-of-mouth can drive demand, not just box-office returns. "The Northman" was a disappointment in theaters, but was in high demand, suggesting it could be a solid streaming movie.

Demand in Q2 this year shows how word-of-mouth can drive demand, not just box-office returns. "The Northman" was a disappointment in theaters, but was in high demand, suggesting it could be a solid streaming movie.
Tom Cruise in "Top Gun: Maverick."Paramount Pictures

The most in-demand movies of Q2 2022:

  1. "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
  2. "The Batman"
  3. "Turning Red"
  4. "Sonic the Hedgehog 2"
  5. "Top Gun: Maverick"
  6. "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"
  7. "Everything Everywhere All At Once"
  8. "Godzilla vs. Kong"
  9. "The Northman"
  10. "Avengers: Endgame"
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