Black Bear’s fantasy romance Wicker is turning a one-day 4DX experiment into a week-long run after the initial October 28 screenings sold out. Parent company CJ 4DPLEX will keep the film in the motion-seat format through November 4.
The trigger was not a conventional marketing plan. After Sundance, an explicit sex scene became the film’s most buzzed-about moment, and online cinephiles began half-jokingly asking for a version in 4DX, which rocks, mists and scents its auditoriums. CJ’s social team responded coyly to one request, and the reaction was strong enough to open talks with Black Bear. A one-day event across 21 states and Washington, D.C., followed; when it sold out, the run grew.
Why a $5.7 million indie matters
Wicker, starring Olivia Colman as an outcast fisherwoman and Peter Dinklage as a basket weaver, opened to $5.7 million from 1,471 locations after Black Bear acquired it out of Sundance for $2.5 million. For an indie title, the economics are now favorable: Wicker has already grossed more than twice what Black Bear’s first American release, Christy, managed at $1.95 million.
- One-day to one-week: The October 28 4DX event sold out, so the run now extends through November 4.
- The opening: $5.7 million from 1,471 locations, against a $2.5 million acquisition.
- The format work: Directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson helped CJ design the motion and sensory cues; there is no word yet on a fish scent.
The premium-format angle
The extension gives CJ 4DPLEX a proof point that premium formats can host an indie romance, not just blockbusters. CJ is coming off record business for 4DX and ScreenX after Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and it is positioning for Avengers: Doomsday, which will not have Imax support. Separately, CJ has signed a deal with AMC to add 40 new 4DX auditoriums through 2027.
The move also shows how social listening can identify incremental theatrical revenue. Instead of buying broad awareness, Black Bear and CJ let an existing conversation dictate the format and the timing. For independent distributors, that is cheaper than trying to convince audiences a small film deserves a premium ticket.
For distribution and exhibition teams, the lesson is in the sequence: a one-day cap created scarcity, fan demand supplied the marketing, and the sellout justified wider placement. The next test is whether Wicker can keep drawing premium-ticket buyers while sharing 4DX screens with Clayface and Wildwood over Halloween weekend. Media planners should watch the hold, not just the opening.
Source: TheWrap
