Abstract
The decline in motion picture box office receipts and shortened release windows following the COVID-19 pandemic have placed heightened pressure on early performance as a critical determinant of commercial viability. Building upon earlier research suggesting that, as moviegoing frequency decreases, consumers are more likely to rely on audience reviews than critics’ reviews when making a decision to see a movie (Chakravarty et al., 2010), we examine which source of early reviews—professional critics reviews or audience reviews (WOM)—has an impact on early performance following the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimate a linear regression model using actual behavioral data—namely, eight years of motion picture box office receipts (four pre-COVID years 2016-2019 and four post-COVID years 2021-2025) and movie reviews (RottenTomatoes.com, CinemaScore.com). Our findings provide theoretical insight into a broader shift from a reliance on expert authority to increasing consumer influence. This research informs studios with their distribution and advertising strategies.
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Creative Commons License
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DOI
10.20429/jamt.2025.120207
Publication Date
12-2025
First Page
117
Last Page
131
Recommended Citation
Comiran, F., Kaltcheva, V. D., & Patino, A. (2025). Motion picture reviews as determinants of box office revenue in the post-COVID environment. Journal of Applied Marketing Theory, 12(2), 117-131. ISSN: 2151-3236.