The summer blockbuster season may be over, but don’t think that means that 2015 is out of highly-anticipated movies. It’s just the opposite. The next three months have some gigantic titles arriving at the box office, and some of them may even take down the champ known as Jurassic World. Which are the titles with the biggest potential? Well, the answer to that question has arrived in the form of a new report.
Variety has published the findings of a recent survey conducted by Piedmont Media Research, conducted with 3,000 participants, and the numbers not only reveal what are expected to be the biggest films of the fall season, but also that fans are anticipating some of the titles to a point where records are being broken. We’ve provided a closer look at these major features below:
5. The Martian
Ridley Scott’s The Martian has been riding very high on buzz ever since the feature made its world debut at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, and it seems that it has resulted in a 255 out of 1000 score from Piedmont Media Research. Given that the word on the movie seems to be that it is a fun space adventure that makes science and engineering look cool, it’s honestly a movie that you really want to root for at the box office. Like many other titles that have been released this year, this one could wind up going beyond box office prognostications.
4. Spectre
James Bond movies have a nice and healthy record of box office success in the fall, and numbers suggest that Spectre will be yet another big box office success. While Sam Mendes’ Skyfall rode high on a 231 out of 1000 score when it was released in 2012, it seems the success of that film has boosted its sequel. According to the polls, the latest 007 adventure has generated a 282 score, which could pay off in big earnings come November. And, as always, if the movie turns out to be great, it could result in a lot of second-viewing cash.
3. Hotel Transylvania 2
Weirdly enough, one of the most anticipated movies of the fall season is coming out this very weekend. Genndy Tartakovsky’s Hotel Transylvania was a sizable hit when it came out almost exactly three years ago, and apparently the fans of the film are very hungry for the forthcoming sequel, Hotel Transylvania 2 (which scored a 313 out of 1000). It’s very possible that the follow-up can outpace its predecessor, having spent the last few years expanding its fanbase and audience thanks to home video release. We’ll know the answer very soon.
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
You might be surprised that Star Wars: The Force Awakens wasn’t number one on this list, but its score wound up not being very far behind the number one spot. Getting a 553 amongst men who were surveyed (a record) and a 383 amongst women, the film averaged out to a 495 out of 1000 rating. Despite these numbers, however, it’s hard to imagine that the J.J. Abrams-directed return to the great sci-fi saga won’t wind up being the biggest box office hit of 2015.
1. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
It’s a common theme that the finale of a major franchise tends to be the most successful, with both hardcore fans and those with a passing pop culture interest all curious exactly how the story will end. This goes a long way in explaining why The Hunger Games - Mockingjay Part 2 has been ranked as the most anticipated movie of the fall. The research revealed that the young adult fiction finale scored an impressive 514 out of 1000 rating - which happens to be the highest rating recorded since Piedmont started polling five years ago. The previous record holder was The Avengers: Age of Ultron, which put up a 509 score this past summer.
Is your most anticipated film of the season featured here? Are you surprised by the findings? Hit the comments with your thoughts!
