In a rather bizarre and unexpected move, it appears that tickets for Playmobil: The Movie will only cost $5 at most theaters it’s playing at when it opens next weekend. An advertisement for this can be found on AMC’s website, but many other theater chains–including Regal–are offering the same price at various locations.
The reasoning for this might be simply to get people to show up for a movie which has been tracking very poorly, following extended financial trouble and the film having to find a new distributor at the last minute earlier this year. STX Films is handling US distribution for Playmobil: The Movie now, but they have had their own money woes this year, largely due to UglyDolls bombing for them last summer. Marketing for Playmobil: The Movie has been pretty sparse, with a single trailer playing in US theaters, but almost no TV advertising to speak of.
It’s also worth noting that, for the participating theaters (which from our research appeared to be most but not quite all locations), the $5 ticket price lasts for the entire day, including non-matinee showtimes. It remains to be seen if this is simply a price being offered for the first week of release or if it will continue for the film’s entire theatrical run.
As we noted in our box office report this week, Playmobil: The Movie will be facing off against the third weekend of Disney’s mega-hit Frozen II, which seems almost certain to beat it. The good news for Playmobil is that it will no longer have to worry about the release of Farmageddon: A Shaun the Sheep Movie the following weekend, as Lionsgate unceremoniously dropped that one from having a theatrical release in the states (it will now premiere on Netflix instead).
In PLAYMOBIL’s® animated action adventure, a top secret organization has caused citizens from different lands to vanish from thin air. The dashing and charismatic secret agent Rex Dasher (Daniel Radcliffe) must partner with smooth-talking food truck driver Del (Jim Gaffigan) and Marla (Anya Taylor-Joy) a smart, savvy civilian with her own secret agenda, to rescue them. Against unthinkable odds, the trio go on a fantastic journey across stunning new worlds as they gather clues for their rescue mission.