Dear Gossips,
Healthy Thanksgiving weekend box office this weekend with both Knives Out and Queen & Slim exceeding box office projections. Sarah and I have been high on Knives Out since we screened it at TIFF back in September but I don’t know that anyone was predicting that it would find this big of an audience. It’s certainly an encouraging rebuttal about what people will go to see at the theatre.
As for Queen & Slim, the film brought in almost $16 million from just under 1,700 theatres for a $9.3K screen average. So while, no, that doesn’t qualify as a limited release, not by any stretch, it wasn’t playing everywhere but where it did play, a lot of people went to see it. And that could improve its chances for awards consideration.
Going back to Queen & Slim’s theatre count though – here in Canada, Queen & Slim is not playing at any Cineplex VIP theatres. A VIP theatre offers all the tech requirements of regular theatres and added experiential bonuses, like leather seating that sometimes recline, in-seat service so you can order from a full dinner menu directly to your seat, with its own tray, and alcohol, meaning that the theatres are 19+. I see a lot of movies. I almost always see movies at VIP, I love it so much.
So I don’t understand why Queen & Slim is not being offered at VIP theatres but Frozen II is? I mean, sure, they’re going to screen the movies that they think will make the most money. But Frozen II will make just as much money if you swap out just a couple of the VIP screens it’s playing on for the regular screens that Queen & Slim (rated R, so it’s perfect for the VIP experience) is playing on. Why are Ford vs Ferrari and It’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood and Jojo Rabbit available on VIP screens and not Queen & Slim?
Anyway, Queen & Slim, as you know, is directed by Melina Matsoukas who has directed many videos for Rihanna and Beyoncé. Rihanna was at the premiere at a couple of weeks ago but I’ve been wondering when the Queen would show up. Turns out, she was at the party, she just decided to wait until opening weekend to make it known. And, you’ll note, nobody else was allowed to talk about her being there until she was ready to show us that she was there.
Lena Waithe’s caption on this shot below pretty much sums it up:
I just wish someone would explain to us how it’s verbalised. Or even if it’s verbalised at all. Is there a staff person who’s assigned to tell people not to mention Beyoncé’s presence? Because nobody mentioned her presence and it’s been two weeks! Or, by now, is it just understood among the few who are allowed to be in Beyoncé’s presence that you must not speak of Beyoncé until given the all-clear by Beyoncé?!
By now we’re all used to seeing it go down like this anytime Beyoncé is anywhere. My question is how. HOW does it work? How does she show up at a screening and a party and all the people there agree to not talk about seeing her at the screening and the party? How does she host a Halloween party and not one person, even though Instagram is turned on everywhere, dares to even hint at what she looked like, completely avoiding any mention of her being there? I’m dying to know the logistics.
PS. Of course she has the same boots.
Yours in gossip,
Lainey
