The Paul Rudd Effect

by Brandon Carter

Basically, when your movie stars an actor with a certain brand of goofy appeal (we’re looking at you Chris Pratt, Channing Tatum), you have a shot at taking on Pitch Perfect. And that may be your only shot.

*This study is based off of analysis of 7,000 stories published between January 01 and March 31 about the aforementioned movies and the resulting engagement (page views per story).

Avengers Will Be Fine

Some of you may look at this list and wonder, “Wait a minute, in what universe does Avengers finish behind a movie I’ve never heard of like The Man From U.N.C.L.E. or even Ant-Man?”

The Internet, of course. Specifically as it pertains to reading about a subject.

As the ultimate Marvel property — or amalgamation of properties —Avengers is all but ubiquitous. Audiences get it. So really, people are as intrigued by Avengers as a topic as they are in summer movies in general. Because it’s kind of the epitome of a summer movie. Which is to say you’ll probably go see it this weekend.

The Franchises Audiences Could Do Without

Mission Impossible 5 and the Fantastic Four reboot probably have less to worry about, but the relative lack of interest in Entourage, Terminator: Genisys and Mad Max would have to be a little worrying if you’re the studio. Was anyone really asking for these movies?

Other Stray Observations

• The movies with May release dates tended to under-index (Pitch Perfect 2 is the exception). Exposure to more ads and trailers as a movie’s release date nears may actually decrease interest in reading further about it.
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E., a remake of a 60s British TV, show, and Straight Outta Compton, are clearly both meant to appeal to more niche audiences, but those audiences seem to have intense interest in those projects. They could be sleeper hits this summer.
• More family-oriented fare like Pan and Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland significantly under-index. Cause for worry for Warner Bros. and Disney, respectively? Or just further evidence that the Internet prefers not to “keep it PG?”
• Under-indexing in the audience intrigue department does not mean a movie won’t perform at or above expectation at the box office.
• But we’ll find out soon enough