Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw starring Dwyane Johnson, Jason Statham and Idris Elba was the top-performing movie at Palace Amusement cinema circuit in Kingston, Portmore and Montego Bay from July to October according to data extracted by IC Insider from weekly movie listings and confirmed by Palace’s Managing director Douglas Graham.
Fast & Furious started showings on July 3 for 15 times per day and climbed to 17 the following week and moved to 12 on August 7. The movie totaled 73 showings ending on October 4th with just one showing. The Lion King featuring the voices of James Earl Jones and Beyonce, had 58 showings for the number two spot, followed by The Hustlers with 34 showings and Angel Has Fallen with 31. Together, these top movies accounted for 216 showings or 58 percent of regular shows during the period that includes the new Portmore cinema, Sunshine Palace that opened at the end of July. Lion King ran non-stop to the week starting September 3 with 5 shows, had a break and returned with 2 shows on the week ending September 28.
Managing Director of Palace Amusement, Douglas Graham says the performance of Fast and Furious was expected because “Jamaicans love movies with motor cars”. He explained that the Fast and Furious series tends to do better in Jamaica than anywhere else relatively speaking. Popular British actor and DJ Idris Elba, one of the leads in the film was also a big drawing card, as Jamaicans positively identify with the high-grossing star, a relatable and renowned black man, who has visited, filmed and partied in the island on many occasions.
Recliners box seats exclusively for cinema 4.
Graham says he was also pleased with The Lion King, a musical produced by Walt Disney Pictures and a computer-animated remake of Disney’s 1994 traditionally animated film of the same name. Just in time for summer, the movie was a big hit with families driven no doubt by the timeless tale and the star-studded cast of voices.
According to Graham, Sunshine Palace did well in August- “We have seen what it can do. However, the State of Emergency is problematic for movie-goers in the area as that audience are late movies patronisers. We had the same problem in Montego Bay but they overcame it, we hope this will happen in Portmore as well”.
The current crop of movies includes Gemini Man starring Will Smith having three weeks in all cinema houses twice per day for 8 shows daily, graham feels that this will continue for another week from next week Wednesday. 
Maleficent Mistress of Evil with Angelina Jolie opened of Friday, October 18 with 4 shows in all cinemas and is now up to 7 on Wednesday. Jokers started with 8 shows on October 4 and declined to 5 from October 9 to October 16 but is now having just 2 daily showings at the Carib. Rambo started on September 28 with 7 shows for two weeks then was down to 5 and just 2 for the week commencing October 16 and is now ended, leaving Maleficent Mistress of Evil that started last week Friday, Gemini Man and Jokers as the only carryovers.
New at the movies this week are Black and Blue starring Naomie Harris and Tyrese Gibson, opening with seven daily shows in all cinemas and The Informer featuring Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike and Clive Owen with six daily showings in 3 cinemas.
