Special Feature

2022 the year when cinema returned

With a particular interest in the kids’ space and the film industry, publisher/editor at Kidzcoolit.com and youthgottit.com, Nick Gibbs-McNeil, looks at the raft of blockbuster movies that have hit screens this year and how the accompanying CP slate is designed.

There was a moment this year where, on my second viewing of Top Gun Maverick, I stood and watched punters excitedly getting ready for their cinema experience. Loads of people of all ages, all ethnic backgrounds, all gender profiles, all members of our beautifully diverse United Kingdom. Everyone in that foyer was nothing other than a movie fan. We were all the same and joyfully anticipating the mighty adventures we were all about embark on.

Rewind to a year before a nd it was a very different scene - and dare I mention a year before that, where the cinemas resorted to playing classic movies in a desperate attempt to attract any form of footfall and bottoms on seats.

I guess the first movie that really made people forget en masse that they might be sitting next to someone with Covid was Spider-Man No Way Home. This was the movie that made them fall back in love with the big screen and enjoy the escapism and the glory of movie making once again.

Fast forward to May 2022, and the return of a character nobody ever thought they’d see in anything other than a TV rerun or DVD took us all by surprise - a certain Lt. Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell. This movie was initially meant to be released back in 2020. As it was ready, there was huge pressure on Paramount to release it ‘On Demand’ during the pandemic. But the studio held its nerve and maaaaaan, did that patience pay off! At the time of writing, Top Gun Maverick has already beaten the box office of Avatar, Titanic and Avengers Endgame domestically.

Other big summer features this year included the likes of Minions: The Rise of Gru, Thor: Love and Thunder, Jurassic World Dominion and the Baz Luhrmann spectacular, Elvis.

Cinema has come back, just as we’d always known it before we got locked away in our homes - and audiences appear to be enjoying being back, just as much as they are enjoying watching movies/shows on streaming channels. It would appear that both formats can live side by side and be profitable to all parties involved. In fact, maybe even more profitable than ever before?

On the merchandise front though, there seemed to be a distinct lack of Top Gun products. There were dinosaurs galore, all kinds of Marvel delights, Minions in abundance and there’s never been a shortage of Elvis merchandise. We were even sent an Elvis Monopoly game in the run up to the release of the movie.

Top Gun Maverick is the biggest film of the year. My 10 year old daughter begged my wife to take her to see the film for a second time, proving it wasn’t just the 80s retro gang enjoying it. Loads of youngsters who had no historical relationship with the original film enjoyed Maverick and watched it countless times, suggesting there was a market for an array of products. We received a Top Gun Maverick Monopoly game (we have quite the collection of Monopoly) and I managed to find a Maverick T-Shirt in Primark. Aside from that and some Mattel product – nothing.

Paramount Pictures are literally one of my favourite companies of all time, so I’m definitely not bad mouthing them. They are lovely people to work with and they produce incredible films and TV shows. So, what happened?

Before the pandemic I went to a Viacom presentation where a whole array of Top Gun merchandise was promised. Clothing, Toys, Stationery – you name it, it was there. What happened in that two years? Loads of internal people must have seen the movie at these companies; they must have known that this film was potentially going to be a licence to print money.

My question is do we not gamble in this business anymore? Do we play it too safe and just rely on jumping onboard once the horse has bolted and we can see it’s definitely crossing the finish line first? The odds on your stake will always be much lower if you do that. I don’t know the answers to these questions, but I keep asking myself why I don’t own more Top Gun products in 2022. I would have bought loads of stuff I didn’t need, as it’s my favourite film in years. There were, however, some great toys to complement other theatrical releases. One of my favourites is Mattel’s talking Sox plush from Disney Pixar’s Lightyear.

As we head towards the end of the year and the festive period, what are likely to be the big movie releases for this period?

DreamWorks Puss in Boots is back with a new adventure, The Flash (fingers crossed) will get a theatrical release alongside another DC Superhero, Aquaman. The highly anticipated Black Panther big screen continuation hits cinemas and finally, we’ll get to see the first of the James Cameron Avatar sequels.

If I was pushed to say what will end up being the biggest movies by the end of 2022, I would say Top Gun Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water will jointly take the title. Retailers and licensees – don’t make the same mistake you made with Top Gun. Get those Avatar products ready now, there’s money to be made.