Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Or so the saying goes. While one might debate the principle behind the aphorism, it truly is nice to be missed during an extended absence.
That was certainly the case for us here at CJ when, upon missing the last few weeks of the newsletter, a fair number of readers got in touch to inquire if all was well or, if after all these years toiling away in the cinema industry, we were finally calling it quits. For those hoping for the latter, sadly we plan on sticking around for a while if you don’t mind.
Rather, the regular appearance of The Marquee in your inbox can be attributed to two months of non-stop personal and professional travel. Indeed, if there was ever a sign that the Covid-era is definitely over, one need only look at the volume of film and cinema industry related events over the last four months of 2024. You could actually start at the end of August with the ever-growing CineShow in Dallas where one of the most popular seminars was on how to respond to an active shooter event in a movie theatre.
Then in September, the film festival season began in earnest, starting with Venice, Telluride and Toronto and then continuing with San Sebastian, Busan, London, and the New York Film Festival, to name but a few. We still have AFI Fest, Thessaloniki, Tallinn Black Nights, Marrakech and the Red Sea Film Festival before the year is out. And if that weren’t enough, Sundance just sent out their credential application for their festival in January.
When it comes to events specific to the cinema industry, don’t get us started. In September there was the Rocky Mountain Theatre Convention in Salt Lake City, the Congrès de la FNCF in France and the NATO Fall Summit. In October we’ve already had the NACS Show for concessionaires, Expocine in Brazil, which welcomed over 2,000 attendees, and the African Cinema Summit in Ghana where actor Idris Elba was one of the speakers. Next week we have ShowEast in Miami, then its off to Dubai for the META Cinema Forum before heading over to Bangkok, Thailand for CineAsia. If you can find time to squeeze it in, there’s also the American Film Market in November, which is being held in Las Vegas for the first time.
Luckily, there are some events which don’t require you to jump on a plane to attend. Heck, you don’t even need to get out of bed to participate in most of them as they are all virtual. Of course, there is our own CJ Cinema Summit where we just began a series on family entertainment centers starting with a session featuring David Wallace, the CEO of Turfway Entertainment and Jacob Schulman, Vice President of Schulman Theaters.
As well, Christie is hosting CineSparks, a webinar series for emerging talent and techs in cinema which are focused on a wide array of topics from virtual production, to AI, to visual effects to what to do after graduating from film school. Some of the most recognizable names in our business have been sharing their knowledge and perspective during these sessions. The next two are on 16 October and 30 October though if you missed any of the earlier ones you can always watch them on-demand.
At a time when we’re constantly being told by mainstream and trade media that the cinema business is in decline and suffering a slow death, you wouldn’t be faulted for disagreeing given the crowded calendar of industry related events to choose from.
Movies
Summer 2024 Saw Shorter Theatrical Release Windows
If this summer movie season felt a lot shorter than it did in 2023, there may be a reason for that. In fact, it should have felt about 6 days shorter to be precise. That because the average exclusive theatrical release window of movies hitting cinemas between May and early September decreased from 41 days to 35 days. Though summer blockbusters usually hold off on premium video on demand (PVOD) availability, that wasn’t the case this year for all but of the season’s 32 wide theatrical releases.
The summer’s 35 day time frame is actually shorter than the average theatrical release window in all of 2023. The reason cited by some for the window shrinking by six days is that last year’s two summer hits, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” helped skew the average to a higher number. This summer, Disney maintained 67-day exclusive release windows for two of its blockbusters; “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Sony’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and Neon’s “Longlegs” had 35-day exlusive theatrical runs. Whereas Universal Pictures sent “Twisters” to PVOD after only 25 days in cinemas.
There is little data available to help determine whether an earlier PVOD release is affecting theatrical box office, though distributors may not entirely care if it did; keep 80% of such revenue verses roughly 50% from ticket sales. The good news for exhibitors thus far has been that a theatrical run helps boost the awareness and value of a film when it hits PVOD.
Source: Indiewire
Mergers & Acquisitions
Entrepreneur Luke Johnson Acquires The Light Cinema Chain
The Light, a United Kingdom-based cinema and leisure operator, has been acquired by hospitality entrepreneur Luke Johnson and Risk Capital Partners, with additional investment from Melcorpo. The deal includes a full recapitalization and a large banking facility that will fund over GBP £15 million in investments, with plans to double the company’s size. The Light’s entertainment model, which combines traditional cinema with social activities like bowling, mini golf, and karaoke, has been pitched as a solution to revitalize underperforming venues. The new management team, led by CEO James Morris, aims to expand this model to more locations across the UK.
Luke Johnson, known for his work with Pizza Express and other leisure brands, emphasized the synergy between cinema and social activities, particularly in a challenging market for theaters. The Light’s leadership is optimistic about their plans, which include opening new sites and repurposing spaces such as department stores to house entertainment complexes. The company currently operates 13 venues across the UK, each tailored to local markets with a focus on delivering quality experiences through state-of-the-art cinemas and a wide range of entertainment options.
Source: Celluloid Junkie
Cinema Service Providers
Fandango Launches Moviegoing Subscription Program
Fandango is officially jumping into the subscription moviegoing business, sort of. The largest online movie ticket retailer in the United States is launching a new membership program called Fandango FanClub where for a monthly fee of USD $9.99, members will receive a USD $10 movie ticket promo code each month, along with waived convenience fees on all ticket purchases. So it’s not exactly a movie ticket per se, but essentially a discount off a movie ticket purchase.
As part of the launch promotion, new FanClub members will receive two free movie tickets after a seven-day free trial period. And what’s better than one rewards program? Well, two rewards programs, of course. FanClub members can also continue earning rewards through Fandango’s existing free FanRewards system, which provides a USD $5 promo code for every four tickets purchased. This dual rewards structure enables FanClub members to effectively double their benefits though hopefully not their confusion over which program they belong to.
Fandango says they came up with FanClub in response to consumer demand for loyalty programs that offer tangible rewards and that it is designed to encourage more frequent cinema visits. The company sells tickets for over 31,000 movie screens throughout the US.
Source: Celluloid Junkie
Exhibitors
MovieMax Continues to Grow With New Multiplex in Pune
Fresh off picking up the award for Fastest Growing Cinema Chain of the Year at the IMAX Big Cinema Awards 2024 in India, MovieMax continued its expansion plans by opening a three screen cinema at the Mariplex Mall, its second venue in Pune. The company has made a name for itself not only for its rapid growth, but also for bringing luxury movie theatres to both large cities and smaller tier 3 locals.
MovieMax now operates 21 cinemas across 14 cities throughout India accounting for 79 screens. They are known for playing both Bollywood and Indian cinema titles as well as international releases, especially Hollywood movies. In fact, the designs on each of the auditorium walls at the MovieMax Mariplex Mall showcase imagery and international movie stars from throughout cinema history.
As with other MovieMax sites, design plays a key role at the Mariplex Mall location which is fitted out with high-end finishes and amenities. These include plush seating, expanded concession and dining options as well as a hip lobby interior, all customary elements to the company’s theatres. MovieMax also reported that it has additional cinemas opening over the next 12 months though didn’t provide exact details or locations.
Source: Celluloid Junkie
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Celluloid Junkie is the leading online resource dedicated to the global film and cinema business. The Marquee is our newsletter focused on motion picture exhibition; keeping industry professionals informed of important news, the latest trends and insightful analysis