Why do big opening weekends define a fantasy epic's whole run?

[Brian_G]

I just saw that the new fantasy epic made almost nothing in its second weekend, dropping over 80%. I was sure it had a shot at leggy run, but that's a brutal hold. Has anyone else noticed a pattern with these huge front-loaded openings lately? It feels like the opening weekend is the whole story now.

[Madison52]

Totally. Big opening, then nothing by weekend two, and it feels like the opening is what people remember most.

[ScarlettT]

I saw one last month where the first three days were crazy, then the numbers cratered the moment the next slate dropped.

[IsabellaA]

Do you think the problem is really the opening pattern, or something else?

[GeorgeJ]

I tried to watch for the long tail but the chatter never picked up; by day seven the film felt like it was done.