Marcus Theatres, a division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE:MCS), is celebrating the return of the Reel Movies for Real Needs program at 18 Marcus Theatres in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The program began in May 2010, but was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and presents newly released family-friendly movies at a lower volume and brighter lighting for those who may not be comfortable at a typical movie screening. The National Institutes of Health estimates that 5% to 16.5% of the general population experiences symptoms of a sensory processing disorder. On Saturday mornings at 11 a.m., select theatres will provide a sensory-friendly atmosphere and give moviegoers, caretakers and families the ability to enjoy first-run films in a safe, low-stress environment.

“We are thrilled to again be hosting Reel Movies for Real Needs at our cinemas,” said Mark Gramz, president of Marcus Theatres. “Marcus Theatres is committed to making our cinemas as accessible as possible for all members of our community, with Reel Movies for Real Needs taking into account the sensory needs of moviegoers and providing a Hollywood experience on their terms.”

Reel Movies For Real Needs Upcoming Lineup

September 7: “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (PG-13) – After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter, Astrid, accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife.

September 21: “Transformers One” (PG) – The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies who once were friends, bonded like brothers, and changed the fate of Cybertron forever.

September 28: “The Wild Robot” (PG) – After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island’s animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.

November 2: “Hitpig” (PG) – A bounty hunter pig finds himself trekking the globe with a free-spirited elephant he intended to capture.

November 16: “Red One” (PG-13) – After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.

The series will continue during the holiday season on Saturdays with blockbusters like “Wicked,” “Moana 2,” “Mufasa: The Lion King,” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.” For locations, movie times, and tickets, visit marcustheatres.com/reelmovies.

Reel Movies for Real Needs joins Marcus Theatres’ other accessibility offerings, ranging from cost-saving programs like Marcus Passports, Value Tuesdays, and Everyday Matinee, to language-accessibility screenings with dubbed or subtitled films in English and non-English languages such as Spanish, Hindi, and Telugu. Most theatres will also provide closed captioning, descriptive narration and assistive-listening devices for movies and showtimes that are encoded with captions or descriptions for our deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired moviegoers. There is no extra charge for assistive-technology devices. Visit marcustheatres.com for the latest in offerings that provide moviegoers with the ultimate moviegoing experience.

About Marcus Theatres
Marcus Theatres, a division of The Marcus Corporation, is the fourth largest theatre circuit in the United States and currently owns or operates 993 screens at 79 locations in 17 states under the Marcus Theatres, Movie Tavern by Marcus and BistroPlex® brands. For more information, please visit www.marcustheatres.com and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter (@Marcus_Theatres).