tentpole
noun
tent·pole
ˈtent-ˌpōl 
: a big-budget movie whose earnings are expected to compensate the studio for its less profitable movies
Examples of tentpole in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s because the tentpole cost a hefty $180 million to produce and roughly $100 million to market, and cinema owners get to keep about half of ticket sales.
—
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 18 May 2025
Orlando serves as the executive producer for BET Awards 2025, with Jamal Noisette, svp of tentpoles & music community engagement, for BET.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 15 May 2025
The reasons for this would sound depressingly familiar in the West – a slowdown in U.S. studio tentpoles, the shift to streaming and (in China’s case) vertical short drama, and inflation hitting consumers’ pockets.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 14 May 2025
And Chang is eagerly awaiting the June 25 theatrical release, with an Imax window, for Brad Pitt’s F1 tentpole, directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
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Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 18 May 2025
Orlando serves as the executive producer for BET Awards 2025, with Jamal Noisette, svp of tentpoles & music community engagement, for BET.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 15 May 2025
The reasons for this would sound depressingly familiar in the West – a slowdown in U.S. studio tentpoles, the shift to streaming and (in China’s case) vertical short drama, and inflation hitting consumers’ pockets.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 14 May 2025
And Chang is eagerly awaiting the June 25 theatrical release, with an Imax window, for Brad Pitt’s F1 tentpole, directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tentpole
Cite this Entry
“Tentpole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentpole. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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