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WhenThe Greatest Showmanarrived in theaters on Christmas Day, the biopic-musicals initial showing wasnt particularly, well, great.
Playing in just over 3,000 theaters, the films debut three-day total was a mere $8.8 million.
Eight point eight is not a robust opening by any stretch.
The opening was disappointing.
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But audience exits polls told another story: People lovedThe Greatest Showman.
1 at iTunes in 75 countries, and picking up a gold RIAA certification along the way.
Its just keeps going and going, says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore.
The weekend drops were like 11 percent, nine percent, 15 percent, 10 percent.
That is almost unheard of for any movie.
In a crowded multiplex marketplace, how can other films duplicate the movies success?
In a word (perhaps Hollywoods least favorite word):patience.
And that helped perpetuate word-of-mouth buzz.
You have to know your content.
You have to be confident in having something that audiences will embrace, Aronson says.
I liken it to a fine bottle of wine.
You gotta let it breathe.
If you do, the better it gets.
But if you pour it all out, Eh, its okay.
Let it breathe; then you savor it.
