WONKA, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 and THE FLASH among films removed from The Quorum

Not to worry, they will be back.

Back in 2020, when The Quorum first started, we were starting from scratch. We had no data. The primary objective was to build a library. The first step was to start asking people about upcoming movies. 

Over time, we started to build a database of films. Trends began to emerge. Stories in the data took shape. 

The policy has always been to add films once they are within six months of release. Exceptions were made for event films or titles with long-lead campaigns. Given our desire to capture data about as many films as possible and the continually shifting release dates from the pandemic, the policy was only gently enforced. 

Today, the box office has stabilized, dates aren’t shifted with the same frequency, and hybrid releases have all but disappeared. That means it’s time to codify the rules about when films are added to The Quorum. And, in this case, when they are removed. 

Before we get to that, let’s go over the new onboarding rules for theatrical films. 

RULE #1: 

Films that belong to the DC/MCU, Tentpole, Sequel, or Known IP groups are added once they are within one year of release. 

RULE #2: 

Remaining films are added once they are within six months of release. We will only add movies that we feel are likely to get a wide release. Titles can be added earlier if the marketing campaign (i.e., trailer, official images) begins before six months out. 

Now, here are the rules for removing a title. Films come off if the studio: 

1. Pulls the film from the release schedule 
2. Pushes the film further than a year out

As a result, five titles have been removed from The Quorum and will be re-added once they are within 12 months of release.

65 (4/14/23)

TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (6/9/23)

THE FLASH (6/23/23)

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 (7/14/23)

WONKA (12/15/23)

Finally, there’s one other compelling reason for restricting inclusion to only films within 12 months. Doing so creates stability in our rankers. 

Notice that two films, WONK and 65, rank among the top 20 in interest. In the case of WONKA, it is taking up a spot in the top 10 that could be filled by a more current title. If we let WONKA stay, it could essentially squat in the top 10 for over a year and a half.

Including these titles only when they are within a year of release ensures that only the most current titles rise to the top of the charts.

What about all those TBDs, you ask? Well, the rules outlined above only apply to theatrical releases. You’ll notice that we allow TBD designations for streaming titles. That’s because streamers, Netflix in particular, are slower to attach release dates. We will add TBD titles for streaming titles if we feel confident that they will be released in the next 12 months. 

So, for now, we say goodbye to these five titles. We will see them again soon.