Boxoffice® Pro - August 2013

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AUGUST 2013 

Harry Styles performs 

in the August concert film 

One Direction: This Is Us 

THE BEST 

IN CONCESSIONS 

40 UNDER 40 

PART II 

TOASTING 

CHAMPAIGN’S 

ART THEATER 

ROCK 

& REEL 

what the new crop of 

concert films tells us about 

the business of movies and music 

EXHIBITORS 

WORKING 

THROUGH 

NATO 

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AUG 

2013 

VOL. 149 NO. 8 

Liam Paynew in the 

concert film 

one direction: 

this is us 

opening 

aug. 29, 2013 

26 SNACK TIME 

CONCESSIONS TAKE A HEALTHY STAND Exhibitors 

offer moviegoers low-cal alternatives to popcorn, soda, 

and candy PLUS THE GLOBAL CONCESSION STAND 

30 40 UNDER 40 

YOUNG GUNS In this second installment in a five-part 

series, BoxOffice ® Pro highlights eight executives under 

40 shaping the future of exhibition 

36 POWER 5 

CONCESSION Hungry? Thirsty? These five companies 

have got you covered 

42 THE BIG PICTURE 

ROCK & REEL What does the new crop of concert 

movies tell us about the music and movie industries 

today? PLUS THE INVASION OF THE TEEN IDOLS 

6 EXHIBITION BRIEFS 

The latest news from the exhibition industry 

12 EXECUTIVE SUITE 

Cinema strong: Exhibitors advance their businesses by working 

together through NATO 

14 NATO NEWS 

The power of unified grassroots efforts: Exhibitors work together 

to tackle legislative concerns 

18 TIMECODE 

The exhibitor has his say: A visit to the BoxOffice Vault where 

exhibitors from the heartland tell it like it was 

20 MARQUEE AWARD 

It takes a village: Champaign’s Art Theater pioneers the movie 

theater co-op 

24 SECRET WEAPON 

The urban revitalizer: Brenden Theatres’ Saul Trujillo cleans up theaters— 

and the streets 

48 COMING SOON 

2 Guns / Drift / Europa Report / The Spectacular Now / Percy Jackson: Sea 

of Monsters / Planes / Elysium / We’re the Millers / In a World … / Prince 

Avalanche / Kick-Ass 2 / Paranoia / Ain’t Them Bodies Saints / The Butler 

/ Jobs / The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones / The Grandmaster / The 

World’s End / You’re Next / Short Term 12 / Closed Circuit / Getaway 

November: Thor: The Dark World / The Wolf of Wall Street / The Hunger 

Games: Catching Fire 

Sneak Peeks: 12 Years a Slave / Divergent / Muppets Most Wanted 

56 BOOKING GUIDE 

64 CLASSIFIEDS 

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2 BoxOffice ® Pro The Business of Movies AUGUST 2013

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AUGUST 2013 BoxOffice ® Pro The Business of Movies 3

UPCOMING 3D MOVIES 

2013 

AUG 7 FOX PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS 

AUG 9 DISNEY PLANES 

AUG 30 SONY / TRISTAR ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US 

SEP 20 SONY / SCREEN GEMS BATTLE OF THE YEAR 

SEP 20 WARNER BROS. THE WIZARD OF OZ 3D 

SEP 27 SONY / COLUMBIA CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 

SEP 27 PICTUREHOUSE METALLICA THROUGH THE NEVER 

OCT 4 WARNER BROS. GRAVITY 

NOV 1 RELATIVITY MEDIA FREE BIRDS 

NOV 8 DISNEY THOR: THE DARK WORLD 

NOV 27 DISNEY FROZEN 

NOV 27 TBD POSTMAN PAT: THE MOVIE—YOU KNOW YOU’RE THE ONE 

DEC 13 WARNER BROS. THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG 

DEC 20 FOX WALKING WITH DINOSAURS: THE MOVIE 3D 

DEC 25 UNIVERSAL 47 RONIN 

2014 

JAN 17 OPEN ROAD THE NUT JOB 

JAN 17 WARNER BROS. SEVENTH SON 

JAN 24 LIONSGATE I, FRANKENSTEIN 

FEB 7 WARNER BROS. THE LEGO MOVIE 

FEB 21 SONY / TRISTAR POMPEII 

MAR 7 WARNER BROS. 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE 

MAR 7 FOX / DREAMWORKS ANIMATION MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN 

APR 4 DISNEY CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER 

APR 11 FOX RIO 2 

APR 11 RELATIVITY STRETCH ARMSTRONG 

MAY 2 SONY/COLUMBIA THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 

MAY 16 WARNER BROS. GODZILLA 

MAY 23 FOX X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST 

MAY 30 DISNEY THE GOOD DINOSAUR 

JUN 6 WARNER BROS. EDGE OF TOMORROW 

JUN 20 FOX / DREAMWORKS ANIMATION HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 

JUN 27 PARAMOUNT TRANSFORMERS 4 

JUL 2 DISNEY MALEFICENT 

JUL 18 FOX DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES 


JUL 18 DISNEY PLANES: FIRE AND RESCUE 

AUG 1 DISNEY GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 

AUG 22 WEINSTEIN/DIMENSION SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR 

SEP 26 FOCUS THE BOXTROLLS 

NOV 7 DISNEY BIG HERO 6 

NOV 26 FOX / DREAMWORKS ANIMATION HOME 

DEC 12 DISNEY TOMORROWLAND 

DEC 17 WARNER BROS. THE HOBBIT: THERE AND BACK AGAIN 

DEC 19 UNIVERSAL UNTITLED MINIONS PROJECT IN 3D 

2015 

JAN 16 LIONSGATE NORM OF THE NORTH 

MAR 27 FOX / DREAMWORKS ANIMATION THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 

JUN 5 FOX / DREAMWORKS ANIMATION B.O.O.: BUREAU OF OTHERWORLDLY OPERATIONS 

JUN 19 DISNEY INSIDE OUT 

JUL 3 UNIVERSAL UNTITLED ILLUMINATION ANIMATED 3D PROJECT 

JUL 24 SONY / COLUMBIA THE SMURFS 3 

NOV 6 FOX UNTITLED PEANUTS FILM 

NOV 25 DISNEY FINDING DORY 

DEC 23 FOX / DREAMWORKS ANIMATION KUNG FU PANDA 3 

2016 

MAR 4 DISNEY UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION FILM 1 

MAR 18 FOX / DREAMWORKS ANIMATION MUMBAI MUSICAL 

JUN 17 FOX / DREAMWORKS ANIMATION HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3 

JUN 17 DISNEY UNTITLED PIXAR ANIMATION FILM 1 

JUL 1 SONY / COLUMBIA ANGRY BIRDS 

JUL 15 FOX ANUBIS 

NOV 4 FOX / DREAMWORKS ANIMATION TROLLS 

NOV 23 DISNEY UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION FILM 2 

2017 

APR 7 FOX FERDINAND 


NOV 22 DISNEY UNTITLED PIXAR ANIMATION FILM 3 

2018 

MAR 9 DISNEY NTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION FILM 3 


NOV 21 DISNEY UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION FILM 4 


edited by Annlee Ellingson 

MOVERS AND SHAKERS 

Greg Foster has been named CEO and senior executive vice president of Imax Entertainment. 

Before his promotion, he served as chairman and president. Foster will continue to report to 

Imax CEO Richard L. Gelfond. 

“For more than 12 years, Greg has played a crucial and strategic role at Imax Corp., 

including increasing our access to top-level movies being produced in North America as well 

as around the globe,” says Gelfond. “As we look to expand both our global footprint and film 

slate, Greg’s relationships with filmmakers, studios, and exhibitors, as well as his understanding 

of quality, have been and will continue to be invaluable to Imax.” 

National Amusements has promoted Tad Jankowski (left) 

to executive vice president and Joe Mollo (below) to senior 

vice president of information technologies and chief information 

officer. Jankowski joined the circuit’s legal department 

in 1982. In his new role, 

in addition to continuing his 

duties as general counsel, he’ll 

be responsible for assisting in 

long-term strategic planning 

and overseeing the day-to-day 

affairs of the company. Mollo 

joined in 1990 as a manager 

of systems development. In his 

new position, he’ll continue to 

supervise datacenter operations 

worldwide, enterprise software development, information 

security and compliance, as well as lead the company’s agenda in 

integrating innovation and technology into all aspects of National 

Amusements’ operations. 

“Tad and Joe continue to rise among our executive team due 

to their contributions in helping the company expand its global 

reach,” says National Amusements president Shari Redstone. “Their 

insight and knowledge have helped us expand our footprint in the movie industry. We trust both 

of them to continue helping the company navigate challenges and achieve new milestones.” 

Carmike president and CEO David Passman (left) has 

received the 2013 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the 

Year Award for the Southeast U.S. Region. The award in 

the Leadership category was presented at a black-tie gala 

awards banquet in June. Passman is now eligible for the 

National Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which will be 

presented later this year. 

“Carmike has been on a journey in recent years that has 

seen our organization make tremendous strides both financially 

and operationally,” Passman says. “The Ernst & Young 

Award is an acknowledgment of the tremendous team effort 

at Carmike as we have successfully transitioned to a growth 

mode focused on further expanding our theatrical circuit to 

300 locations and 3,000 screens. Prior to embarking on this 

expansion, we successfully completed our previous corporate 

goals of strengthening the company’s balance sheet and 

significantly improving theater-level operations, positioning 

us for future growth.” 

THE FALL OF EMPIRE 

n The Empire Company has sold off its Empire 

Theatres to rival exhibitors in Canada. The 

company has sold 26 cinemas to Toronto-based 

Cineplex and 20 more to Calgary, Alberta-based 

Landmark Cinemas. The deals will 

allow Empire to focus on its food retail business 

and related real-estate investments. 

“The decision to sell the business of Empire 

Theatres was a very difficult one as it has a long 

history with our company and is a great business 

with excellent employees who have worked 

hard over many years to build an attractive 

entertainment destination,” says Paul D. Sobey, 

president and CEO of Empire Company. 

Cineplex is buying 24 Empire theaters in 

Atlantic Canada, including 13 in Nova Scotia, 

six in New Brunswick, three in Newfoundland, 

and two on Prince Edward Island. In addition, 

the deal includes two Ontario locations in 

Whitby and Kanata. Cineplex will add 218 

screens to its chain for a cash purchase price of 

$200 million, subject to certain adjustments to 

be made at closing, and plans to invest in the 

acquired theaters, including possibly adding UltraAVX 

auditoriums, VIP cinemas, and Xscape 

Entertainment Centres to some locations. 

“This is a significant event for Cineplex, as 

the acquisition will provide our company with 

a truly national, coast-to-coast presence,” says 

Ellis Jacob, Cineplex president and CEO. “This 

acquisition is an excellent strategic fit for Cineplex. 

It provides us with a presence in Atlantic 

Canada, and it will enable us to leverage our 

existing businesses to maximize shareholder 

value.” 

Meanwhile, Landmark is buying 179 

screens in Ontario and Western Canada for $55 

million in cash and equity. 

DIGITAL NEARS ‘END GAME’ 

n Some 90 percent of screens worldwide will 

be digitized by the end of the year, according 

to a Screen Digest report that says the global 

conversion to digital cinema is “approaching 

the end game.” At the end of last year, 69 percent 

of screens had been converted worldwide. 

North America led digitization with 84 percent 

of its screens converted, while Europe had 70 

percent, Asia Pacific 59 percent, the Middle 

East/Africa 41 percent, and Central/South 

America 41 percent. By the end of the first 

quarter this year, 94,638 screens were equipped 

with d-cinema, with another 5,500 outfitted 

with e-cinema in India. Some 20,000 are likely 


EXHIBITION BRIEFS 

POPCORN AND VINO 

n Alamo Drafthouse has beer on tap and now new 

signature wine by the glass and by the bottle inspired 

by Jonathan Demme’s 1991 Oscar-winning The Silence 

of the Lambs. The Cannibal Chianti is a DOCG wine from 

a vineyard between Florence and Sienna, and the Suit 

Yourself Pinot Grigio is a 2012 vintage with a mixture of 

fruit from California’s Central Cost and inland vineyards. 

The new vinos follow the Princess Bride-inspired wines 

that Alamo sold last year. 

“Even before we launched the Bottle of Wits series 

last year, we knew we had to reference what is in my 

opinion the most iconic wine moment in movie history, 

Hannibal Lecter’s now famous food-pairing advice,” 

says Alamo CEO and founder Tim League. 

The Silence of the Lambs wines are available at www. 

silenceofthelambswines.com and at Alamo Drafthouse 

locations. In addition, Cannibal Chianti and Suit Yourself 

Pinot Grigio have been featured at Silence of the Lambs 

feasts at select Alamo locations nationwide created by 

the Austin location’s chef Trish Eichelberger. 

to go digital by the end of the year, leaving fewer than 30,000 screens of 

the world’s 130,000 total to convert. 

ROOM WITH A VUE 

n European exhibitor Vue Entertainment has been sold to a couple of 

investors from a British commonwealth. Canadian investment groups 

OMERS Private Equity and Alberta Investment Management Corporation 

will buy the multiplex operator for $1.45 billion from private equity 

firm Doughty Hanson, which purchased Vue in 2010 for $700 million. 

Since then, Doughty Hanson also acquired Britain’s Apollo Cinemas, 

Germany’s second-largest exhibitor CinemaxX, and Poland’s second-largest 

circuit Multikino. The exhibitor also built new cinemas, including 

two of the United Kingdom’s highest-grossing cinemas: Vue Westfields 

in London and Stratford City. The expansions doubled the number of 

Vue theaters from 70 to 146 and nearly doubled its screens from 678 to 

1,321. 

“We are delighted to be embarking on the next phase of our journey 

with OPE and AIMCo, who share our vision of driving attractive growth 

and investment returns by consistently delivering excellent entertainment 

experience for our customers,” says Vue founder and CEO Tim Richards, 

who will retain equity in the company and continue to manage the 

chain. “As the company moves forward, I am confident that we will do so 

from a position of real strength. We will continue to build on this success 

by innovating, enhancing and growing the business through our continuing 

plan for organic growth supplemented by strategic acquisitions.” 

IMAX EXPANDS 

n Imax continues to expand across the globe with new theater deals in 

the United Kingdom, Berlin, Russia and India. 

The large-format firm has inked with Cineworld, the United Kingdom’s 

top chain, to add three Imax theater systems in new construction 

projects including Telford and Broughton. The deal will bring the 



PELICULAS POR 

SATELLITE 

Despicable Me 2 made 

history this summer, as 

Universal’s family flick 

was the first film to get 

wide distribution via 

satellite. Contenido Alternativo, 

which distributes 

alternative content to 

Latin American theaters, 

delivered the animated 

movie to 281 Cinepolis 

locations by satellite for 

the movie’s July 5 release. 

circuit’s total Imax footprint to 11 theaters. 

In addition, a giant screen will be installed in 

the iconic CineStar Sony Centre multiplex at 

Potsdamer Platz in the heart of Berlin. 

Moreover, Imax has pacted with Formula 

Kino for an Imax theater in its upcoming 

multiplex in St. Petersburg, bringing the 

Russian exhibitor’s total Imax commitment to 

five theaters. New Imax partner Kinomir will 

add a giant screen to its new complex in the 

city of Barnaul. And India’s largest chain, PVR, 

has co-launched a new cinema in Mumbai with 

Imax—the companies’ second such collaboration 

after last year’s bow of an Imax theater in 

Bangalore. 

IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A PLANE! IT’S A 

SUPERTICKET! 

n In a first-of-its-kind deal, Cineplex Entertainment 

has pacted with four Hollywood 

studios to offer bundled SuperTickets that 

allow moviegoers to buy a home-video version 

of a film at the same time they purchase a ticket 

to see it in a theater. Under the program, customers 

who opt for the souped-up ducat get a 

voucher that they can redeem for an UltraViolet 

digital download when the movie is released 

for home viewing, which is often before the 

DVD and Blu-ray release date. The preorders 

also may come with added-value offerings 

such as bonus SCENE points, exclusive extras, 

additional footage, cast interviews, and special 

offers on related titles. 

“This is the most convenient and innovative 

way to purchase a movie in Canada,” says Pat 

Marshall, vice president of communications 

and investor relations at Cineplex. “Buy it 

once, watch it endlessly, on a number of devices. 

SuperTicket makes the process of buying 

and enjoying a movie in-theater, at-home or 

on-the-go even easier. “ 

The first four studios to participate in the 

initiative are Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount, 

and Universal. The first SuperTickets were sold 

for Pacific Rim for $19.99 for standard-definition 

digital download and $24.99 for high-definition. 

The move follows a similar experiment in 

the United States for World War Z. Paramount 

and Regal teamed on a $50 Mega Ticket that 

included an advance screening, an HD digital 

copy of the movie, custom RealD 3D glasses, 

a limited-edition full-size poster, and a small 

popcorn. The Mega Ticket was offered in five 

theaters in Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, 

Philadelphia, and Atlanta. 

SINO-AMERICAN ADVERTISING 

n American advertisers can now reach Chinese 

audiences and vice versa through a new advertising 

cooperation and fee agreement between 

NCM Media Networks and Beijing China 

Times Media Advertising Co. Under the deal, 

the two cinema advertising companies will 

work together to offer international brands in 

their respective countries access to movie audiences 

in the United States and China. 

For American advertisers looking to target 

consumers in the second-largest movie market 

in the world, NCM now offers cinema-advertising 

inventory through China Times’ theater 

network, including more than 200 Wanda 

Cinemas and other leading circuit affiliates 

across China. For Chinese advertisers interested 

in reaching U.S. audiences, China Times can 

now help bring their brands to the big screen in 

America across NCM’s Media Networks. 

“Many of our national advertising clients 

are international brands, so this is a unique opportunity 

for us to be able to help them or their 

media agency reach the same highly engaged, 

enthusiastic movie audiences in China that they 



do here in the U.S.,” says Cliff Marks, president 

of sales and marketing at NCM Media 

Networks. “This new arrangement also creates 

a conduit for Chinese companies that would 

like to reach American moviegoers through our 

NCM network.” 

Atmos films to more than 50. More audiences 

in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa will be 

able to enjoy an engaging and lifelike cinema 

audio experience with Dolby Atmos, beyond 

pure channel-based formats like 5.1, 7.1, or 

even 11.1, that places them right in the center 

of the action.” 

More than 45 titles have been announced or 

released in Dolby Atmos since the format’s debut 

with Brave last year. Upcoming movies that 

will be available in Atmos include Percy Jackson: 

Sea of Monsters, Elysium, and Gravity. 

ATMOS-PHERIC PRESSURE 

n Dolby Atmos has reached more than 200 

screens worldwide. The audio company has 

inked a 20-screen deal with Regal to put the 

3D sound system in its RPX: Regal Premium 

Experience theaters. In addition, Dolby has 

pacted with Odeon and UCI Cinemas Group LUXE IS THE REALD DEAL 

to equip 27 of its flagship iSense screens with n Regal RPX. AMC ETX. Cinemark XD. 

the immersive technology in Austria, Germany, Exhibitors offer moviegoers a cornucopia of 

Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. premium theater experiences. 

And the San Francisco firm has signed up two 

But RealD 

of the world’s largest exhibitors, securing 37 wants to cut through 

screens from SPI Cinemas in India and establishing 

the confusion with 

Atmos as the standard audio system for a single premium 

Cinemaline’s X-Land-brand giant screens in large-format brand 

China. 

dubbed “LUXE: A 

“In just six months, we’ve seen the number 

RealD Experience.” 

of Dolby Atmos screens worldwide grow The initiative will 

fivefold, from 40 to more than 200,” says ensure minimum 

Andreas Spechtler, regional vice president, standards including 

EMEA for Dolby. “And in 2013 alone, we’ve 

massive screens, ultra-bright 2D and 3D, 

announced 27 new titles, including films enveloping audio, and luxury seating. The 

Clarus_tiger_Ads_half from France, Germany, 7.25x4.75" Russia, the (Box_Office_USA):Layout U.K., and rollout will 1 include 24/06/2013 the rebranding 12:05 Page of existing 1 

Spain, bringing the total number of Dolby premium screens as well as new auditoriums 

upgraded to meet technology specifications. 

The LUXE label will be available exclusively to 

RealD licensees, but there will be no limit on 

the content that exhibitors can screen. 

“Disparate premium large-format brands 

have limited the potential of today’s high-end 

cinema offerings,” says Joseph Peixoto, president 

of worldwide cinema at RealD. “With an 

alphabet-soup of brands and differing amenities 

in each auditorium, moviegoers have been left 

unable to truly equate their PLF experience 

with a single offering. LUXE: A RealD Experience 

intends to solve this puzzle by unifying 

the exhibition community under one brand 

with one set of industry-leading technology 

standards for an exceptional entertainment 

experience moviegoers 

will seek out for 

years to come.” 

LUXE auditoriums 

are expected to 

launch this winter 

in Europe at Karo 

Film in Russia and 

Arena Cinemas in 

Bulgaria, which 

plans to use the 

brand in seven of its largest auditoriums, with 

six new screens to follow. RealD then projects 

expansion of the concept into other territories 

around the world. 

Clarus 3D, now everywhereʼs even clearer... 

Wider viewing angle, improved brightness 

uniformity – an even better 3D experience 

Experts in screen technology and light on screen 

For more information visit: www.harkness‐screens.com 

TM 



CINÉPOLIS GETS REALD 

n RealD has expanded its deal with Latin 

America’s biggest exhibitor by 50 percent. 

Cinépolis has extended its July 2008 agreement 

with the 3D technology provider to 

equip 400 more auditoriums across Latin 

America, the United States, and India in the 

next 12 months. The newly signed exclusive 

multiyear agreement brings Cinépolis’ RealD 

screens to 1,200. 

“Through this exclusive global relationship, 

we expect to equip at least 40 percent of our 

auditoriums with RealD 3D so we can better 

accommodate the many 3D titles being released 

during the summer and holiday seasons 

while assuring the best available 3D experience 

for our customers,” says Cinépolis COO 

Miguel Mier Esparza. 

MOVIE HOUSE NEWS 

n Regal has opened the doors to the Issaquah Highlands Stadium 12 Imax & RPX 

theater (above) in Washington with the Sony Entertainment Access System for deaf, 

hard-of-hearing, blind, or low-vision moviegoers; a premium RPX screen; large-format 

Imax auditorium; digital projection; stadium seating; and high-back rocking 

chairs. n Carmike has unveiled a new entertainment complex in the Apple Blossom 

Mall in Winchester, Va., with 12 screens including a BigD auditorium; high-back luxury 

chairs; wall-to-wall screens with digital cinema and sound; an upscale lobby and 

multiple concession areas featuring Coca-Cola Freestyle; and one-stop ticketing and 

concession stations. n Cinemark will build a new 10-screen, all-digital movie theater 

at the River Valley Mall in Lancaster, Ohio, featuring the company’s Cinemark Next- 

Gen design concept with wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor screens; 4K digital projection 

and RealD 3D capability; enhanced sound systems; and a Cinemark XD: Extreme 

Digital Cinema premier auditorium. The circuit has also purchased 10 acres of land 

for a new 14-screen NextGen theater in Roanoke, Texas. n The newly renovated Cineplex 

Cinemas Empress Walk in Toronto has reopened with 10 screens, including a 

digital Imax auditorium; a new box office, two party rooms, and a Cinescape gaming 

area; and the addition of a new concession area. n National Amusements has opened 

the Showcase SuperLux at The Street in Chestnut Hill, Mass., with six intimate theaters 

with luxury seating; seat-side dining; a restaurant-quality menu; full wine, beer, 

and cocktail service; an on-site cocktail lounge; and Davio’s Cucina restaurant. n 

Mexican exhibitor Cinépolis is further expanding into the U.S. market with a luxury 

complex in San Francisco that will open in 2014. n The TCL Chinese 6 in Hollywood 

has added a part-time comedy club called Inside Jokes in one of its auditoriums 

that has been remodeled to include sofas and tables; patrons will be able to order food 

and drinks from Solo Tapa, a Spanish restaurant in the lobby of the theater, and hang 

out in a lounge on the second floor. 

AMC CARES 

n AMC has launched the first AMC Cares 

Charitable Fund Annual Grant process. 

Through July 31, nonprofit organizations with 

a focus on enhancing the lives of children can 

apply for grants that may include cash awards, 

national onscreen advertising, annual passes, 

theater screenings, or individual movie passes. 

Recipients will be selected by a committee of 

AMC associates with the help and support of 

the Tulsa Community Foundation. 

“We developed this annual grant process to 

help address the many requests for monetary 

support and other in-kind donations we 

receive on a daily basis,” says Carla Sanders, 

vice president of benefits. “We are specifically 

aiming to strengthen AMC communities 

throughout the country with investments in 

programs that positively impact the areas of 

arts and culture, health and human services, 

education and employment.” 

In the meantime, the exhibitor has announced 

its AMC Summer Nights program, 

which will screen some of the past year’s 

biggest movies for just $3. A portion of 

the proceeds will benefit the Will Rogers 

Institute, the Autism Society of America, and 

Autism Speaks. Starting June 24 for eight 

weeks, AMC moviegoers can see blockbusters 

on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 

nights at 10 at more than 200 AMC locations 

nationwide. Titles include The Dark Knight 

Rises, The Hunger Games and Oz: The Great 

and Powerful. 

“AMC Summer Nights combines three 

things moviegoers love: big movies on the big 

screen, community support, and exceptional 

value,” says Elizabeth Frank, executive vice 

president and chief content and programming 

officer. “We have eight weeks of blockbusters 

lined up for our guests, so they can afford and 

enjoy extra moviegoing with their friends. 

Together, we anticipate raising significant 

funds for the Will Rogers Institute and 

our autism organization partners.” 



n More than a million users have downloaded the Regal 

App since its launch last year, and the circuit is marking 

the occasion by introducing new features to the mobile 

software. The Regal App now partners with NCM Media 

Networks to integrate FirstLook Sync during Regal’s 

preshow presentation. Users can enjoy enhanced content, 

special offers, games, and more right on their phones. 

Regal FirstLook Sync also helpfully reminds guests to turn 

off their mobile devices when the movie trailers start. 

REGAL APP-TITUDE 

milestone,” says Misty Cunningham, Regal’s vice president 

of digital, loyalty, and promotions. “Our audiences 

are among the most loyal moviegoers in the industry, 

and this enhanced app offers added benefits every time 

they go to a movie.” 

The upgraded app also allows Regal Crown Club 

members to create, manage, and check their membership 

accounts, and a QR mobile code enables Regal box 

office and concession stands to scan the loyalty cards 

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EXECUTIVE 

SUITE 

CINEMA STRONG 

Exhibitors advance their businesses by working 

together through NATO 

by John Fithian, 

NATO President 

n I sat down for a chat recently with a newcomer 

to our wonderful business of motion 

picture theatrical exhibition. I wanted to learn 

about his business goals and to encourage him 

to join our association. He wanted to know 

why he should join. Specifically, he asked me 

to describe the five most significant and recent 

accomplishments of NATO and its members. 

It was a really good question. My first 

instinct was to tell him there are dozens of 

things our association has accomplished. But of 

course, he anticipated that instinct by limiting 

his question to five responses. These are the five 

topics I selected. 

NATO HAS HELPED 

TO PRESERVE THE 

THEATRICAL RELEASE 

WINDOW 

Preservation of the 

theatrical release window 

has long constituted a 

priority for NATO. The 

association tracks the time 

between theatrical release 

and home-video release 

for all studio films and 

computes averages and 

trends based on the data. 

NATO discusses our data 

with distributors. NATO 

also notifies members of 

any film with a theatrical 

release window of less 

than 90 days. NATO 

members use our valuable 

information in their private negotiations with 

distributors. 

Very short release windows are synonymous 

in the public’s mind with lower-quality films 

that underperformed in theaters. If windows 

collapse below an acceptable time frame, then 

Hollywood squanders the very quality that 

makes movies such a successful out-of-home 

entertainment experience: their panache, glamour, 

and uniqueness. 

In March 2011, the media reported that 

four major studios planned to release certain 

films to the home 60 days after their theatrical 

release in “premium” video on demand (VOD). 

NATO’s members believed that this endeavor 

constituted a substantial threat to the viability 

of exhibition. NATO raised concerns, both 

publicly and privately, about the wisdom of 

shortening the theatrical release window to 

address the studios’ difficulties in the home 

Instead of fighting 

over release 

dates, distributors 

and exhibitors in 

North America are 

developing ways 

to jointly market 

both theatrical 

and home movie 

sales without 

cannibalizing the 

theatrical window. 

market. NATO pointed out the strength of 

theatrical exhibition—revenues had grown in 

four of the last six years—and that early-to-thehome 

VOD and day-and-date releases would 

import the problems of the home-entertainment 

market into the theatrical market without 

fixing those problems. 

In the end, the premium VOD experiment 

was considered a failure, and the endeavor was 

abandoned by the four major studios involved. 

Today, instead of fighting over release dates, 

distributors and exhibitors in North America are 

developing ways to jointly market both theatrical 

and home movie sales without cannibalizing the 

theatrical window. 

NATO HAS 

SUBSTANTIALLY 

STRENGTHENED 

EXHIBITORS’ 

RELATIONSHIP 

WITH THE CREATIVE 

COMMUNITY 

One critically important 

component of NATO’s response 

to the PVOD threat 

involved outreach to the 

creative community. NATO 

and our members have long 

maintained relationships 

with distributors and vendors, 

but the connection 

between exhibition and the 

creative community had 

been somewhat tenuous. 

Given our shared interest 

in the theatrical experience, NATO’s board 

determined that the creative community should 

be encouraged to speak out. 

After an involved campaign of public statements 

and dozens of private meetings, many 

leading directors and producers responded to 

NATO’s call and questioned the PVOD plans 

in an open letter with NATO. The letter was 

the first public step in an ongoing joint effort 

by theater owners and the creative community 

to air the concerns of all movie-industry stakeholders 

in the release window issue. NATO’s 

goal is to work with Hollywood to develop 

the best method for the home-entertainment 

market without damaging the already profitable 

moviegoing experience. 

NATO’s work with the creative community 

continues today and has expanded beyond 

the issue of theatrical windows. For example, 

NATO is working with leading talent agents 

and their clients to develop mechanisms to 

expand theatrical release to a wider range of 

movies in new “direct distribution” models. 

NATO HAS GUIDED THE INDUSTRY TO 

A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE 

TRANSITION TO DIGITAL CINEMA 

NATO has played an active role in educating 

cinema owners and participating in the 

development of worldwide standards for digital 

cinema. NATO has worked with system 

providers, system developers, exhibitors, and 

studio personnel to create standardized and 

certified system requirements. These standards 

help to advance the quality levels of our 

members’ shows and to drive costs down by 

promoting interoperability and compatibility. 

In addition to technical standards, NATO 

also helped develop the business model that 

enabled the transition with a fairer sharing 

of costs—the virtual print fee (VPF) model. 

NATO and our members knew that studios 

stood to save billions in print costs alone. No 

such easily quantified benefit would come to 

exhibition. Granted, digital cinema brings 

consistent quality to the moviegoing experience 

and opens up multiple avenues for alternative 

content and 3D. Nonetheless, the studios’ 

immediate business benefit was clearer at the 

outset. That is why NATO and our members 

did not rush into the digital conversion but 

insisted that a fair model be developed. Under 

the VPF model, studios are paying the majority 

of the costs of the transition—saving exhibitors 

more than $1 billion domestically and much 

more around the globe. 

NATO also worked to ensure that our 

members of all sizes effectively navigated the 

digital transition. Critical to the mission of 

ensuring a smooth and fair digital transition is 

NATO’s administration of the Cinema Buying 

Group (CBG), an organization of hundreds 

of independent exhibitors in the United States 

and Canada that negotiated an affordable 

digital deal for CBG members. The last piece 

of the VPF puzzle came to fruition in early 

2013, when NATO and our CBG successfully 

completed the negotiation of a VPF model for 

our drive-in members. 

Today, approximately 90 percent of the 

screens in the United States and Canada have 

been converted to digital projection. The movies 

and the alternative product look great, and 

the VPF fees are rolling in. We’re still working 

on the few thousand screens that are left to be 

converted. 


WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE MPAA, NATO HAS 

PRESERVED A VOLUNTARY RATING SYSTEM AND AVOIDED 

GOVERNMENT CENSORSHIP 

The voluntary movie rating system is sponsored by the Motion 

Picture Association of America (MPAA) and NATO to provide parents 

with advance information on films, enabling them to make their own 

judgments about which movies their children should see. NATO provides 

members with brochures, five different styles of posters, placards, 

“We ID” stickers, and an instructional DVD to educate employees on 

the rating system in the United States. June is Ratings Awareness Month, 

and NATO notifies its members to restock materials and train their 

staff. NATO also asks that each member company designate a Ratings 

Compliance Officer to serve as the point person for all rating system 

issues. NATO also participates in the appeals process when movie studios 

are dissatisfied with the rating assigned by the ratings board, and we were 

very active in the recent overhaul of rules governing the rating system. 

NATO and our members make these efforts because it is the right 

thing to do for America’s parents. Equally important, the voluntary 

system serves to prevent the government from censoring our content and 

regulating our business activities. 

The industry’s support of the rating system is more important than 

ever now as the conversation of violence in the movies has arisen following 

the recent tragic events in Newtown, Conn. NATO has worked directly 

with Vice President Biden and members of Congress to ensure that 

the voluntary movie rating system would not fall prey to any misguided 

legislative considerations of violence in the country. NATO’s members 

agreed to play new PSAs regarding the rating system to draw the attention 

of parents to the reasons each rating is given. NATO also benefitted 

from the release of the most recent mystery shopper survey, conducted by 

the Federal Trade Commission prior to the tragedy at Newtown but released 

thereafter. The report showed even stronger ratings enforcement by 

America’s theater owners than had been the case in earlier years. Though 

the legislative debate is not yet complete, the odds are that the voluntary 

rating system will be preserved. 

ALSO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MPAA, NATO HAS 

EFFECTIVELY REDUCED THE INCIDENCE OF MOVIE THEFT 

One of NATO’s top priorities is fighting movie theft (piracy). According 

to a study commissioned by the MPAA, movie theft takes hundreds of 

millions of dollars a year from U.S. cinema ticket sales and costs the film 

industry billions worldwide. NATO’s Movie Theft Task Force, comprised 

of security experts from exhibition and distribution companies, meets biannually 

to discuss best practices and innovations to improve our collective 

fight against movie theft. Increased coordination among theaters, studios, 

film labs, and law enforcement is one of our highest priorities. As acts of 

movie theft migrate into international territories, working with our Latin 

American, European, and Asian counterparts has become crucial. 

All domestic NATO exhibitor companies receive a weekly “North 

American Camcord Source Report” alerting them to domestic hotspots 

and a quarterly report on movie theft trends and data. And NATO works 

with the MPAA to offer the Take Action! program that rewards theater 

employees for stopping movie theft. Since 2004, the program has awarded 

more than $238,000 to more than 550 eligible employees. 

Our efforts to combat movie theft are working, as the incidence of 

camcorder theft in the United States had been cut by half. Every day that 

a good-quality, stolen movie doesn’t make it to the Internet is a day of 

preserved sales for cinema operators. 

Though there are many, many other NATO initiatives that advance 

the cause of the NATO members who operate in all 50 states and in 65 

countries around the world, these five initiatives have been crucial. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NATO, PLEASE 

CONTACT OUR DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP, DAVID BINET, 

AT DB@NATODC.COM. 


NATO 

NEWS 

Exhibitors work together to tackle legislative concerns 

THE POWER OF 

UNIFIED GRASSROOTS 

EFFORTS 

by Belinda Judson, 

Executive Director, Mid-States NATO 

n One of the most important functions of the NATO-affiliated 

regional units is advocacy on the state and local levels. Legislative 

activity at state capitols and city halls throughout the 

country has increased dramatically over the last several years. 

That means it is more crucial than ever to have the active 

regional units in place to address legislation at the state and 

local levels of government. 

But NATO’s regional associations cannot be successful in 

addressing legislative matters without the unified grassroots 

efforts of exhibitors both large and small. Each has an important 

contribution to make in the process. While the large 

circuits representing multiple locations touch lawmakers in 

many districts, the independents often have personal relationships 

with their representatives. Both influences are needed 

when trying to protect the best interests of exhibitors. 

And while the majority of the outreach is to fight onerous 

legislation, there are times when we advocate for something 

that will actually benefit the industry. Two recent victories 

are great examples of how teamwork between exhibitors and 

regional leadership (and industry partners in one case) can 

result in positive legislation that will help exhibitors doing 

business in Texas and Tennessee. 

TEXAS EXHIBITORS SAVE 

MILLIONS IN TAXES 

n Major Texas circuits AMC Theatres, 

Cinemark, and Regal joined 

together with independent exhibitor 

members of NATO of Texas in a 

lobbying effort that has resulted in 

an important change to the state’s franchise tax rules. Working closely 

with Ryan LLC, an Austin-based tax consulting firm, the newly formed 

coalition of exhibitors was successful in helping to secure passage of 

House Bill 500, which will save Texas theater operators approximately $3 

million a year in franchise taxes. 

Sponsored by Harvey Hilderbran, chairman of the House Ways & 

Means Committee, HB 500 amends the franchise tax law to erase any 

doubt that theaters may treat film rental paid to studios and distributors 

as a cost of goods sold before computing their Texas franchise tax. The 

state’s franchise tax is based on a business’ margin, with certain businesses 

being allowed to subtract the cost of goods sold from total revenue to 

reach their taxable margin. As a general rule, costs associated with sales 

of personal property are part of the cost of goods sold calculation. Although 

the original law clearly allowed theaters to reduce their margin by 

amounts paid for the right to exhibit movies, the Texas comptroller did 

not agree. Instead, the comptroller limited the right of theater operators 

to use these expenses as cost of goods sold, thus significantly increasing 

their tax liability. 

When the comptroller began assessing tax on ticket receipts without 

an offset for film rental costs, Brooks Rainer, vice president of tax for 

AMC, called together representatives from Cinemark, Regal, and NATO 

of Texas to discuss ways in which a coalition of theater owners could 

be organized to address the issue. Because of the comptroller’s strong 

position on the matter, it was determined by the coalition members that 

it would have to be taken to the Texas Legislature if any relief was to be 

realized. A lobbying cost budget was established, and Ryan LLC, was 

retained to bring the matter before the House and begin the legislative 

effort. 

To educate the members of the House Ways & Means and Senate 

Finance Committees, Syd Hall and Byron Berkley with NATO of Texas, 

Vatoni Ragsdale with Cinemark, Martin Hornsby from Alamo Drafthouse, 

and Rainer and Chris Cox with AMC joined in meetings with 

committee members and their staffs over a two-week period. During the 

two weeks of marathon meetings, Hall, owner of Rio Entertainment, 

also appeared before the House Ways & Means Committee to testify 

on behalf of exhibitors, emphasizing the importance of tax relief to the 

survival of small-town theaters in the state. A follow-up communication 

effort was initiated after the committee meetings, and hundreds of emails 

and letters were sent to senators and representatives by coalition members 

stressing the need to clarify the law for theaters and urging their support. 

Thanks to the commitment and efforts of the coalition and its members, 

House Bill 500 cleared both the House and the Senate and was signed 

into law by the governor on June 15. Passage of the bill now allows movie 

theaters to reduce their taxable margin by subtracting film rental paid for 

the rights to show movies as well as any expenses related to exhibition, including 

projection equipment. Its passage is an example of how all levels of 

the exhibition community can work together to overcome unfair legislation 

and initiate beneficial changes through new legislation. As many have said 

before, “no one of us is as strong as all of us.” 

RATING SYSTEM IN TENNES- 

SEE NOW COMPATIBLE WITH 

THE REST OF THE COUNTRY 

n At times when addressing state 

legislation, it not only takes the joint 

efforts of the regional association 

and exhibitors but also requires 

help from some industry partners. Often, as was the case this time, that 

partner is the MPAA. (continued on page 16) 


NATO NEWS 

For more than 25 years, there was a statute 

in Tennessee that prohibited a minor 17 years 

of age and under to access an R-rated motion 

picture in a theater without parental accompaniment. 

This statute was problematic for both 

exhibitors and patrons. Exhibitors enforced 

the Tennessee statute in order to comply with 

state law. But patrons were confused by the age 

difference between the Tennessee law and the 

educational ratings materials that conformed 

to the ratings language for every other state. 

Often that led to irate parents of 17-year-olds 

who thought that they should be able to see 

an R-rated film. And it certainly impacted the 

grosses for R-rated films in Tennessee. 

While it was unconstitutional to codify 

a voluntary ratings system, the Tennessee 

statute was not challenged in court as it had 

never been enforced by officials in Tennessee. 

However, in recent years, local law officials in 

several counties started aggressively addressing 

enforcement of the statute. The MPAA and 

exhibitors felt it was time to seek legislative 

relief and get the statute changed to conform to 

the rating system. 

MPAA’s Tennessee advocate, Tony Thompson, 

led the way on the ground and worked 

very hard to line up support from state legislators. 

Vans Stevenson and Brian Cohen from 

the MPAA provided support and coordinated 

the efforts with Thompson and NATO of Tennessee. 

And leadership from Malco, Regal, and 

Carmike reached out to lawmakers to educate 

them on why the change was necessary for their 

businesses. Although Thompson definitely did 

the heavy lifting, it took all working together to 

ensure a successful outcome. 

While the project took three years, it is very 

pleasing to report that this May, Governor Bill 

Haslam signed legislation into law that brings 

the rating system in Tennessee in sync with the 

rest of the country. 

As you can see, the coming together of 

NATO regional affiliates, exhibitors, and 

industry partners has proven to be an effective 

way to handle legislative concerns. However, 

we cannot be effective unless we are aware of 

the issues that need to be addressed. As you 

can imagine, it is difficult to keep up-to-date 

on proposed legislation in all 50 states. An 

even greater, if not impossible, challenge is 

to identify local initiatives that may be of 

concern to exhibitors. Please help your regional 

associations by being their eyes and ears in your 

states and communities so we can all assist one 

another in protecting and promoting the best 

interests of exhibition. 

NOW YOU CIMA 

Custom sign work from the marquee 

to the restroom by Annlee Ellingson 

The restroom sign is perhaps the most utilitarian element 

of theater design, but Cima Network kind of specializes 

in those modest boy and girl silhouettes. 

“They really are a good opportunity to be somewhat playful 

and out of the ordinary,” says Ken Olschewske, director of 

environmental branding for the firm. 

Restrooms are just one of the 25 sign locations Cima considers 

when it’s designing signage for movie theaters. 

“We’re designing signs from the macro to the micro,” 

Olschewske says. “We’re paying attention to the main entrance 

sign as someone’s walking into the theater, how they’re 

navigating, how that experiential flow happens, and how to 

direct them to the key revenue areas”—that is, concessions. 

The goal is to make the theater environment comfortable, 

enjoyable, and devoid of confusion, so moviegoers are “not 

even thinking about it from the time they walk in the door.” 

That goes for getting audiences out of the theater too, as 

they emerge from darkened auditoriums, slightly disoriented 

as their eyes adjust to the light. 

Cima was formed in 2008, but the company’s principals have 

been working with Regal for a decade and counts the Shaq 

CityPlex 12 in Newark, N.J., and the Pearl Theatre 8 in Frackville, 

Pa., among its custom projects. The firm works hand-inhand 

with exhibitors, developers, and architects “to realize 

their vision,” Olschewske says. 

Starting with the marquee and working in, Cima makes sure 

its signage works with the architectural environment. “We 

play it all the way down to the restroom sign.” 

www.cimanetwork.com 


TIME 

CODE 

THE EXHIBITOR 

HAS HIS SAY 

A visit to the BoxOffice Vault where exhibitors 

from the heartland tell it like it was 

compiled by Ally Bacon 

FRANCIS GOES TO THE RACES 

Donald O’Connor, Francis the Talking Mule n I don’t know why 

Hollywood is so obsessed with liquor drinking that they even have to 

get the mules drunk in a picture now. In a small town, the almost ever-present 

drinking in pictures is a thorn in the exhibitor’s side, in my 

opinion. –Walt Rasmussen, Star Theatre, Parkersburg, Iowa, small-town/ 

rural patronage (Jan. 12, 1952) 

THE CRIMSON PIRATE 

Burt Lancaster, Nick Cravat n Haven’t written in some time as I 

haven’t had anything of particular value to say to my fellow theater 

managers. However, we have just finished running a picture that showmen 

should see before selling or at least should be tipped off about. 

The Crimson Pirate is a picture that is different and much better than 

it looks. The trailer, ads, and posters make it seem just another pirate 

picture. Travesty, satire, burlesque—call it what you may, it’s rich with 

humor. My best friends, the customers, ate it up like popcorn. If more 

of them had known what it was, more would have been here. Word-ofmouth 

did pretty well, but I found what I had too late to change the 

angle on the advertising. The producers were right, of course, but the 

ad boys sure missed the boat. Tops for a sneak preview. –Ed Schoenthal, 

World Theatre, Kearney, Neb.—1,733 miles to Boston, 1,733 miles to San 

Francisco (about as far away from TV as you can get!)—small town/rural 

patronage (Feb. 14, 1953) 

THE PRISONER OF ZENDA 

Stewart Granger, James Mason n Doubled this with One Night in the 

Tropics. Good weather, calendar program mailing by the thousands, 

payday weekend and the fact that folks have paid up their Christmas 

debts plus a good program, helped to make this one of the best Sundays 

since Christmas. –Arden A. Richards, Craigsville Indoor-Outdoor 

Year-Round Drive-In Theatre, Craigsville, W.Va., coal-mining/farming 

patronage (Apr. 24, 1954) 

GENTLEMAN PREFER BLONDES 

Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe n Average for preferred playing time, 

above average for a musical. Marilyn Monroe has box office appeal. 

This was proved to us by a telephone call from a woman early Sunday 

morning asking if the show was to run three days. She said if this were 

not the case, her husband would have to take sick leave on Monday as 

he wanted to be sure and see Marilyn Monroe! –Ken Christianson, Roxy 

Theatre, Washburn, N.D. (May 8, 1954) 

NIAGARA 

Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotton n Played this late, which 

was, perhaps, best as Monroe is more popular now than when 

the film was made. Even with continuous rain one night and a 

junior high school play another, it hit 133 percent. Good film. 

(I’ll be able to see that red skirt the rest of my life—wow!) Oh, 

yes, I almost forgot, there are some terrific shots of Maril—that 

is, I mean of Niagara Falls. –James H. Hamilton, Pine Hill Drive- 

In Theatre, Picayune, Miss., small-town/rural patronage (May 1, 

1954) 

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON 

Richard Carlson, Julie Adams n Better-than-average shocker with 

some very interesting underwater photography. The usage of black 

and white was effective, and the story wasn’t too far-fetched. Enough 

gruesome details and situations to satisfy anyone—and plenty exposure 

of Julie Adams—wow! This vehicle should do business anywhere. Doubled 

with Cease Fire. –Nate Oglesbee, Ramona Theatre, Romona, Calif., 

small-town/rural patronage (May 8, 1954) 

TRAPEZE 

Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis n Three days in advance of Trapeze, we 

started our radio advertising. Two days in advance, our sound truck, 


mounted with 24-sheets and playing circus 

music, began touring locally and neighboring 

communities, continuing this for four days. 

The radio station played circus music and received 

24 free spots from disk jockey Sam Depine. 

Disk jockey made personal appearance 

on the third night’s showing at our concession 

stand, which helped increase concession sales. 

The result was the most colossal business on 

any picture for the entire season. Please give 

us more like this one, Mr. Producer. –Donald 

Morton, Joy Drive-In, Plaquemine, La. (Sept. 

22, 1956) 

BABY DOLL 

Karl Malden, Carroll Baker n This picture I 

will never forget. The acting of Carroll Baker 

was excellent. This show is a moneymaker 

even though the minister did go against us on 

this picture. Oh, well, that’s what we need—a 

little publicity. –L.J. Bennett, Princess Theatre, 

Farmington, Ill., pop. 2,651 (Apr. 19, 1957) 

THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT 

Tom Ewell, Jayne Mansfield n For the rockand-roll 

fans. Very funny sequence where the 

star walks down the street. This brought down 

the house. Some women walked out. (They 

can’t all be Mansfield, eh!) –Michael Chiaventone, 

Valley Theatre, Spring Valley, Ill., pop. 

5,000 (May 18, 1957) 

REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE 

James Dean, Natalie Wood n Played with 

East of Eden. Both of these James Dean movies 

still are good box office. Most people don’t 

seem to realize that he’s dead. –James C. Balkcom, 

Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga., pop. 866 (May 

18, 1957) 

PARDNERS 

Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis n As we played 

this after the stars parted company, the ending 

brought more chuckles than any part of the 

picture. For the benefit of those who didn’t 

play it, they sing “We’ll Always Be Pardners.” 

–Michael Chiaventone, Valley Theatre, Spring 

Valley, Ill., pop. 5,000 (May 25, 1957) 

THE RAINMAKER 

Burt Lancaster, Katharine Hepburn n The 

people of my town showed their good judgment 

by staying away from this chunk of ham. 

Those who came walked out on the second 

show, so I saved on the light bill. Is this one of 

the good pictures Barney Balaban was spouting 

about a few weeks ago? Hepburn has all 

the charm of an emaciated steer, with acting 

talent to match. Lancaster turns in one of his 

worst performances, which is too bad since 

the guy actually has considerable talent. He 

just needs someone to keep him from going 

off on these wild flights of overdone histrionics. 

Put this on television, Paramount, and 

drive the lost audience back to the theaters. 

–Frank. R. McLean, Roxy Theatre, Coulterville, 

Ill., pop. 1,160 (Aug. 17, 1957) 

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 

Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner n With 

Technicolor, VistaVision, and everything 

else, Cecil B. and his The Ten Commandments 

brought people back in this house that haven’t 

been to a movie in 10 years. This one set all 

new records in cold, unpleasant weather. After 

two weeks, I hated to see it go. Buy it with 

holdover privileges and run it day and night. 

No walkouts or unfavorable comments. Better 

get hold of this one, and the sooner the better, 

sir. –Carlton Weaver, Carlton Theatre, Sulpher, 

Okla. (Feb. 24, 1958) 

THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL 

Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier n 

This picture isn’t really longer than The Ten 

Commandments. It just seems longer. Lots 

of walkouts, a large percentage, that is. We 

seriously considered just locking up the third 

night rather than bore the few trusting souls 

who would lay their money on the line to get 

in. –Paul Ricketts, Ness Theatre, Ness City, Kas., 

pop. 1,612 (Feb. 24, 1958) 

THE ROAD TO HONG KONG 

Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Joan Collins n 

This one is a real turkey. Never had such poor 

business. It’s really fantastic how poorly this 

one did. It is a really fine picture, too. I’ll bet 

you already know why it failed, too. Naturally! 

All the other Road shows have been on TV, so 

everyone thought this one had been on, too. 

Had dozens of calls asking whether this had 

been on TV (which for me stands for “theater 

vulture”). I guess we exhibitors have our doom 

sealed by short-sighted executives who sell out 

to the Living Room “God.” –Don Stott, 301 

Drive-In, Waldorf, Md., pop. 1,100 (Sept. 17, 

1962) 

THE CABINET OF CALIGARI 

Glynis Johns, Dan O’Herlihy n Now everything 

has happened: have never canceled an 

advertised picture before, but had to do it in 

the case of The Cabinet of Caligari, 20th Fox 

release, a morbid and objectionable excuse 

for motion-picture entertainment. Booked 

this on the strength of a recommendation by 

the Fox salesman (who’s a helluva nice guy) 

and the review in one of the trade magazines, 

which listed it as “excellent.” Dated this as 

the top half of a double on the action change 

but pulled it, as mentioned above. It depresses 

and confuses throughout, with an explanation 

coming at a time when the impression formed 

previously is so strong that it falls on deaf 

ears. The mentally ill patient disrobing does 

not help the picture. –Otto Settele, Seemore 

Theatre, Seymour, Wis. (Sept. 24, 1962) 

NEW 

BUILD 

n B&B THEATRES is pleased to announce 

a new state-of-the-art all-digital 

projection 12-screener to serve the 

greater Waynesville, St. Robert, and 

Fort Leonard Wood, M0., area. This 

12-screen theater will be situated on 

Highway I-44 at North Patriot Landing 

near the Waynesville high school 

on GW lane. All 12 auditoriums will 

have stadium seating, with high- back 

rocker-style seats, and Christie digital 

projection, and in select auditoriums 

3D RealD technology. All auditoriums 

will feature B&B’s latest design, with 

Dolby 7.1 digital surround sound as 

well as wall-to-wall curved screens, 

giving the customer a completely 

immersive moviegoing experience. 

The largest auditorium will feature 

the B&B Grand Screen, and will boast 

one of the largest screens in all of 

Missouri, six stories wide and three 

stories tall. The auditorium will feature 

an awe-inspiring sound system 

with more than 8,000 watts of sound, 

a massive floor-to-ceiling wall-to-wall 

curved screen, XL stadium seating 

for unobstructed viewing, and leather 

high-back rocker-style seats, making 

it one of the nicest and largest auditoriums 

in the area. Two auditoriums 

dubbed the Marquee Bar and Grill will 

feature plush VIP leather-style rocker 

chairs, extended menu options and 

a full bar and grill. These two auditoriums 

are for our guests 21 years of 

age and older. The Marquee Bar and 

Grill will be open daily and guests 

do not have to buy a movie ticket to 

enjoy the bar and grill. B&B expects a 

winter 2013 opening date. 


MARQUEE 

AWARD 

THE ART THEATER IN CHAMPAIGN, 

ILL., AS IT LOOKED NEARLY A 

CENTURY AGO WHEN IT WAS 

KNOWN AS THE PARK THEATRE 


Champaign’s Art Theater 

pioneers the movie theater co-op 

IT TAKES A VILLAGE 

by Inkoo Kang 

n Two summers ago, Sanford Hess faced a dilemma familiar to many 

small-theater operators. The 42-year-old owner of the Art Theater in 

Champaign, Ill.—a 98-year-old single-screener that had hosted Gene 

Autry, sparked a marriage proposal, and inspired a young Roger Ebert 

to fall in love with the movies—was confronted by the seemingly 

insurmountable challenge of digital conversion. He would have to take 

on tens of thousands of dollars in debt or pull the plug on the city’s 

longest-running theater on the eve of its centennial. Then he came up 

with a radical plan that would avoid either fate—and it came from his 

grocery store. 

Originally constructed as the Park Theatre in 1913, the Art Theater 

is the first purpose-built venue in the college town of Champaign. It 

was soon shamed as the “poor cousin” of larger and fancier theaters 

like the 1,500-seat Virginia—now the site of Ebertfest, the film festival 

founded by the late critic in his hometown—but today it is a survivor, 

having continually operated as a movie theater while nearly a dozen of 

its contemporaries have folded. By the time Hess, an entrepreneurial 

refugee from the corporate world with a serious case of cinephilia, 

took it over in January 2010, the Art Theater had gone through several 

renovations and changed hands seven times over. 

It’s since gone through countless more hands—1,360 pairs of hands, 

in fact. When the task of running the Art Theater no longer seemed viable, 

Hess and Ben Galewsky, the board chair of the Common Ground 

Food Co-op in Champaign, decided to offer up ownership of the 

theater as a cooperative, or a company that is owned by its customers. 

(Non-owners of the Art are also welcome as patrons.) Thus, Hess left 

his weighty dilemma to the residents of Champaign. If they wanted an 

art-house theater in their city, they would need 

to take ownership of it—literally. 

Hess and Galewsky soon 

found themselves to be 

accidental pioneers in the 

exhibition industry. “We 

did some research, thinking 

other theaters have to be doing 

this. We were able to find 

three or four theaters that are 

co-ops, but all of the ones we 

found were in incredibly small 

towns and showing first-run 

films,” Hess recalls. When the 

two went to Art House Convergence 

in January 2012, they were 

ART THEATER OWNER 

SANFORD 

HESS 


MARQUEE AWARD 

ART THEATER 

GENERAL MANAGER 

AUSTIN MCCANN 

shocked that no one they met had even heard of an art-house co-op. 

“Eighty percent of art-house theaters are [conventional] nonprofits,” 

Hess explains. “So the co-op idea was not as relevant.” 

With no existing models to learn from, Hess and Galewsky took 

their cues from the latter’s food co-op. The members of Common 

Ground were excited to have another cooperative in the neighborhood. 

They shared with Hess the food co-op’s bylaws and messaging and 

helped price the shares, landing at $65, with a limit of nine shares per 

individual to ensure a communal distribution. “The majority of our 

owners own one share,” Hess explains. “We don’t want a small number 

of people committed to a lot of numbers each. We’re thrilled just to 

have more owners. The owners become ambassadors for the theater. It 

just keeps the theater in the front of people’s minds.” The initial fundraising 

target of $100,000 was met in just eight months with membership 

swelling to the 1,200s, enough to purchase a digital projector and 

cover the costs of business transition. Hess himself bought three shares. 

With a board of directors in place, the Art Theater began the search 

for a general manager. Twenty-six-year-old Austin McCann found out 

about the position while seeing Moonrise Kingdom for the second time 

at the Art, one of his favorite venues. Though he considered himself 

a long-shot candidate, McCann was eventually chosen to take over 

day-to-day operations of the theater despite his lack of exhibition experience. 

He brought with him not just a background in arts administration 

but an idealistic belief in the importance of the arts in fostering 

a sense of community. His faith in the co-op model was immovable. 

“Co-ops are a way of showing your support by continuing to support 

a local business. It’s that increased level of investment that makes 

you committed to the success of these projects and build community 

wealth,” he says. 

Despite the change in ownership, management, and business model, 

casual customers would be hard-pressed to identify any major shifts in 

operations. The Art Theater still shows first-run independent films and 

late-night cult classics, and showmanship remains a high priority. Hess 

is no longer there to provide an in-person introduction to each film, 

but the crowds still come for late-night shows, which are frequently 

emceed by a volunteer named Quizmaster Chris and accompanied by 

special events, like a bowling competition before The Big Lebowski or an 

election for Prom King and Queen before Back to the Future. 

But McCann is slowly asserting his priorities, fostering local artists 

and creating dialogue among patrons. To that end, he inserts shorts by 

homegrown filmmakers before features and schedules Q&A segments 

after certain films. Following a screening of the Chilean political drama 

No, for example, a University of Illinois doctoral student who had 

grown up in Chile during the transition from dictatorship to democracy 

fielded questions from the audience. 

The Art Theater’s own transition to democratic rule buoys Hess. 

“The co-op model takes the pressure off,” he says. “The people who are 

buying shares are doing so not expecting any profit return. I’m just one 

of the other owners now. It’s a really good environment to go there and 

talk to other owners, people who are interested in the business.” He 

admits he’s also gratified that more people can appreciate all the work 

he put in the theater before. McCann, on the other hand, is perhaps 

slightly less elated. He deals with a lot of investors still puzzled by the 

brave new world of cooperatives. “Some folks still are trying to figure 

out what it means. They want to pick the film [for the week].” 

But both men are pleased by the sense of “ownership, not membership” 

that the co-op arouses. The Art Theater’s new owners have 

displayed pride in their new business by working concessions (usually 

for free admission), cleaning the auditorium before or after screenings, 

painting the outside of the theater, and donating graphic work. Shares 

don’t come with free or even discounted tickets, but they do offer concession-package 

discounts, seats at special screenings, and, most importantly, 

the right to vote and run for the theater’s board of directors. 

Perhaps best of all, owners are likely to be VIPs at the Art Theater’s 

100th birthday bash in November. It’ll be an occasion for a further 

outpouring from the community. Local movie-theater historian Perry 

Morris will publish a coffee-table book detailing the Art’s history, while 

McCann is planning on having a group of musicians and composers 

write and perform a new score to accompany the screening of one of 

the first films shown at the theater, The Last Days of Pompeii. 

Luckily for the Art (if not for Pompeii), disaster has been averted, 

thanks to Hess’ revolutionary idea. “Having come through the process 

on the other side, I feel strongly that if there are towns out there with 

medium-size populations [and movie theaters in trouble], the co-op 

model is something they can look to. Those communities might step 

in. We like having a theater here.” 


The co-op model takes the 

pressure off. The people who 

are buying shares are doing so 

not expecting any profit return. 

I’m just one of the other owners 

now. It’s a really good environment 

to go there and talk to 

other owners, people who are 

interested in the business. 

—Sanford Hess, Art Theater 


SECRET 

WEAPON 

Brenden Theatres’ Saul Trujillo cleans up theaters—and the streets 

THE URBAN REVITALIZER 

WHAT GOT YOU INTO THE THEATER 

INDUSTRY? 

I started out as floor staff, and it was just an “I’m 

17 years old and I need to buy a car” kind of 

job at first. As soon as I got into the industry, 

though, I discovered it was something I really 

enjoyed doing. It’s an industry that’s gotten into 

my blood. 

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST SUCCESSFUL 

MOMENT OF THE PAST YEAR? 

I put together a huge Dark Knight promotion 

that took months of planning. We got two fullscale 

Batmobiles parked in front of the building 

for opening night. One was the Tumbler [the 

current Batmobile in the Dark Knight trilogy], 

and the other was a replica of the 1989 

Batmobile. People in this 

town love cars. We were 

one of the top theaters 

in the Sacramento/ 

Stockton market 

because of it. That 

year, the industry 

was down, 

but we were up 

double digits in 

attendance. I put 

together car shows 

for The Fast and the 

Furious 5 and 6 too. 

HOW DID YOU GET THE BATMOBILES? 

I found a local guy who builds them as a hobby. 

I approached him and I said, “I’d really like to 

show off your cars. This [event] would bring a 

lot of people to see them.” He was very excited. 

WHAT’S AN UNEXPECTED 

EXPERIENCE THAT HAS PROVED 

USEFUL AT YOUR JOB? 

Joining committees in city government. With 

any downtown movie theater, there gets to be a 

point when it becomes challenging to get people 

to come to the area. I joined a city committee 

called the Downtown Hospitality Group and 

one of its duties was to beautify the downtown 

area and make it more walkable. The city of 

Modesto repaved one of the blocks down here, 

and there are plans to continue repaving the 

streets, extend sidewalks, plant more trees, 

power-wash regularly, and make sure the 

sidewalks stay clean. I also work with 

local businesses and local volunteer 

groups, like I Love Modesto. 

Thousands of people show up for 

I Love Modesto, working all day 

long to clean up a specific area of 

the city at least twice a year. It’s a 

movement that’s been expanding to 

the surrounding cities. They do an 

amazing job. 

WHO WAS A KEY MENTOR FOR YOU 

AND WHY? 

Brenden Theatres’ vice president Walter 

Eichinger has been a great mentor. Even though 

he is an executive and works in the corporate 

office, he would come in and clean the auditoriums 

and get behind the concession stands to 

make popcorn with us. That’s the kind of boss I 

always wanted to have and have always wanted 

to be—someone who’s not afraid to get their 

hands dirty. 

WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO 

LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENT? 

Leading by example and making sure my staff 

sees me on the floor cleaning alongside them. 

Also, asking them if they have any problems 

or issues and then addressing them right away. 

They respect you more that way. I give my staff a 

whole lot of credit for running this theater well. 

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE AN 

EMPLOYEE AT BRENDEN WHO HAS 

JUST BEEN HIRED AT YOUR THEATER? 

One of the things my father taught me is, try to 

be the hardest worker in the room and you will 

succeed in any job. I remember when I was floor 

staff, I took a lot of pride in my garbage room. I 

would clean that room, which normally reeked, 

so well it smelled good in there. I didn’t expect 

praise; I didn’t expect anything. I just took a lot 

of pride in that room. 

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE 

CONCESSION-STAND SNACK? 

Our nachos. We are known for the best nachos 

in town. They’re not the prepackaged chips and 

the tiny cup of cheese. They are Ricos chips 

drenched in Ricos cheese, with jalapenos if 

customers ask for them. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF BEING 

NAMED BRENDEN THEATRES’ 

SECRET WEAPON? 

I was quite shocked when I heard the news 

from my VP. I’m very appreciative that my 

work is being recognized. I’ve always felt 

appreciated by my company, so this is 

just icing on the cake. 

SAUL TRUJILLO POSITION General 

Manager of Brenden 18 Theatres LOCA- 

TION Modesto, Calif. ROLES AND RE- 

SPONSIBILITIES Overseeing operations, 

staffing, and promotions 


SNACK 

TIME 

Exhibitors offer moviegoers low-cal alternatives to 

popcorn, soda, and candy 

CONCESSIONS TAKE A 

HEALTHY STAND 

by Annlee Ellingson 

n Exhibitors are an independent 

lot. They’ve made it clear they don’t 

like to be told what to do, heading 

off government interference 

with preemptive programs like the 

MPAA’s voluntary rating system 

to obviate the need for legislative 

regulation. The industry scored 

another victory earlier this year 

when a New York Supreme Court 

judge enjoined Mayor Michael 

Bloomberg’s large-soda ban, which 

would limit sugar beverages sold in 

movie theaters to 16 ounces. 

The decision was a win for 

NATO’s New York branch, which 

argued that “concession revenues 

represent a significant portion of 

theater profits and help stabilize 

ticket prices,” and without large-soda 

sales, ticket prices, staff levels, 

and wages would all suffer. 

The regulation was introduced 

to combat obesity, but Judge Milton 

Tingling ruled that the health 

department was acting outside its 

jurisdiction. 

“We are elated with [the] decision,” 

the organization said. “This 

issue was never about obesity, nor 

about soda. This was all about power. 

The court rejected the mayor’s 

attempt to unilaterally tell New 

Yorkers what to drink and where to 

drink it.” 

The Big Apple is appealing the 

ruling, but in the meantime, movie 

theaters are wasting no time modifying 

their concession menus to address 

the health concerns reiterated 

by the proposed soda ban. 

For example, around the same 

time Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal 

was struck down, Regal introduced 

a new line of healthy ready-to-eat 

meals from GoPicnic to its patrons. 

“Regal constantly tests new 

menu items and listens to our 

guests,” Rob Del Moro, Regal’s chief 

purchasing officer, said in making 

the announcement. “We found a 

significant number of moviegoers 

who sampled the gluten-free, 

lower-calorie GoPicnic meals were 

pleased to see this option available 

and would be interested in purchasing 

it again on their next visit.” 

The GoPicnic meals consist of five 

individually wrapped food items that 

are gluten-free with 400 calories or 

less and no artificial colors or flavors, 

trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup, or 

added MSG. Options include Turkey 

Stick & Crunch, Hummus & Crackers, 

Turkey Pepperoni & Cheese, and 

Black Bean Dip & Plantain Chips. 

Meanwhile, AMC has added circuit-branded 

Smart Movie Snacks to 

its concessions offerings. The brown 

paper bag includes Chiquita Fruit 

Chips, POPCorners Popped Corn 

Chips, Odwallsa Trail Mix Bar, and a 

20-ounce Dasani water, all for just $7. 

“As we continue to upgrade 

locations throughout our circuit, 

we’re also adding items like hummus 

and chips; apple chips; meat, cheese, 

and cracker trays; almonds; and dried 

fruit,” adds Ryan Noonan, director 

of public relations for AMC. “On 

the drink side, we have options like 

bottled water and juice, and in some 

locations we’ve installed Coca-Cola 

Freestyle machines, which offer more 

than 120 different drink options, 

including a wonderful array of diet 

sodas, energy drinks, lemonade, and 

flavored water.” 

Coca-Cola may be as ubiquitous 

to the moviegoing experience as 

popcorn, but Noonan says, “Among 

all of our options, Dasani bottled 

water continues to be one of our more 

popular drink options, with millions 

of gallons of water served every year.” 

In addition to diet sodas and water, 

Coke’s portfolio includes Minute 

Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, 

Vitaminwater, and more. 

“While movies remain as relevant 

as ever, many people have other 

priorities, including a growing focus 

on their well-being,” says Stefanie 

Miller, group vice president of 

strategic partnership marketing for 

Coca-Cola North America Group, 

one of BoxOffice’s Power 5 concession 

brands this month. “The Coca-Cola 

Company encourages active, healthy 

lifestyles through education, innova- 


If you don’t offer 

tive programs, and meaningful partnerships. This is brought to life 

through the variety of beverages we offer in all theaters, including 

no- and low-calorie options.” 

Other vendors have taken up the cause as well, with the 

Pepsi booth at CinemaCon showcasing Sabra products including 

Hummus with Pretzels alongside its diet sodas, Tropicana juices, 

Aquafina water, Lipton iced tea, and Gatorade sports drinks. 

you don’t have 

the tastiest popcorn 

in town – period. 

Meanwhile, the Walt Disney Company has voluntarily limited the 

use of its licenses in marketing concessions to children. You won’t 

find Disney’s kid-centric brands on any concessions items larger 

than a kids’ size. 

“The best way we can serve moviegoers is by offering as many 

choices as possible,” AMC’s Noonan says. “Whether that’s through 

an expanding drink selection that includes bottled juice, smoothies, 

and bottled water, or through our vast array of concession 

offerings, when our guests want something to snack on, we want to 

be ready with something that peaks their interest.” 

Movie theaters are listening and responding to health-conscious 

consumers who want more than popcorn, soda, and candy at the 

concession stand with healthy options, but as in all business, cold, 

hard cash speaks loudest. 

“We want to provide as many options as possible for our 

moviegoers, and we are always open to feedback from our guests,” 

Noonan says. “While verbal and written feedback is something 

we take seriously, the most important feedback we receive is what 

people are actually purchasing at the theater.” 

13 delicious flavors including: 

• White Cheddar 

• Ranch 

• Parmesan Garlic • Nacho Cheddar 

• Kettle Corn 

…and more! 

Call Megan at 

866.328.7672 x440 

mthunder@kernelseasons.com 


SNACK TIME 

At movie theaters around the world, popcorn and soda 

take a backseat to local fare 

THE GLOBAL 

CONCESSION STAND 


UNITED KINGDOM 

SUGARED POPCORN 

THE NETHERLANDS 

DROP 

NORWAY 

DRIED REINDEER MEAT 

In the United States we like our 

popcorn with salt and butter, 

but in the United Kingdom and 

parts of Asia, you can get it 

sugared too. 

The Dutch eat more than four 

pounds of licorice per person 

per year, including a salty variety 

dubbed “drop” that’s made 

with ammonium chloride for a 

particularly astringent flavor. 

The drive-in in Kautokeino, 

Norway, is made entirely of 

snow, including the screen, 

and serves jerky made of reindeer 

meat. 

MEXICO 

CANASTA 

GREECE 

SOUVLAKI 

BRAZIL 

BOLINHA DE QUEIJO 

Who doesn’t love chocolate? 

Now imagine a chocolate morsel 

encapsulating not caramel 

or nougat or peanut butter but 

egg nog! 

Meat, especially pork, and 

sometimes veggies skewered 

and grilled make for a convenient 

way to get your Greek on 

at the movies. 

In addition to popcorn with 

bits of cheddar and bacon 

sprinkled on top, Brazilian 

moviegoers can snack on this 

popular delight—fried cheese 

balls. 

RUSSIA 

BELUGA CAVIAR 

ISRAEL 

FALAFEL-FLAVORED BISSLI 

INDIA 

SAMOSAS, CHAAT & VADA 

In Moscow, moviegoers who 

pay extra for a VIP cinema 

experience are treated to this 

expensive black roe served 

seat-side by waitstaff. 

Israeli movieogers’ snack food 

of choice is a wheat-based 

munchable that tastes like 

crunchy fried pasta and comes 

in chickpea flavor. 

Bollywood moviegoers prefer 

samosas (fried pastry stuffed 

with savory filling), chaat (fried 

dough served with a mixture of 

potato, chickpeas, yogurt, and 

spices), and vada (a deep-fried 

savory fritter). 


THAILAND 

TOM YUM SEASONING 

The hot and sour 

flavors of tom 

yum soup—lemongrass, 

kaffir 

lime, galangal, fish 

sauce, and chili 

peppers—have 

been transformed 

into a popcorn 

topping for Thai 

moviegoers. 

JAPAN 

IWASHI SENBEI 

Literally “sardine 

rice crackers,” 

these tiny whole 

fish (including 

skeletons) are 

baked in sugar 

and soy sauce, 

resulting in a 

crunchy concession 

with Japan’s 

sweet-savory 

umami flavor. 

KOREA 

DRIED CUTTLEFISH 

This prepackaged 

shredded snack 

has a brinysweet 

flavor and 

jerky-esque texture 

that Korean 

moviegoers like to 

pair with crunchy 

popcorn. 

BARBADOS 

FISH BALLS 

Fresh-caught fish 

is salted, skewered, 

and deepfried 

for this popular 

cinema snack 

served with hot 

sauce and washed 

down with a Banks 

beer. 


In the second 

installment in a 

five-part series, 

BoxOffice 

highlights eight 

more young 

executives shaping 

the future of 

exhibition 


Laurent Ouaknine 

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL SALES MANAGER 

THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY 

n Laurent Ouaknine has shepherded the releases of 

critically acclaimed blockbusters generating more than 

$1.5 billion in domestic box office and garnering 68 

Oscar nominations and 18 Academy Awards, 

including Django Unchained, The King’s 

Speech, Silver Linings Playbook, Inglourious 

Basterds, Scary Movie 4, Escape from 

Planet Earth, Hoodwinked and The 

Artist. Prior to joining Weinstein 

in 2006, he was a film buyer for 

Loews Cineplex Entertainment. 

Rebecca Stein 

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING 

NATIONAL AMUSEMENTS 

n Since joining National Amusements in 1998 as a 

publicist, Rebecca Stein served as publicity manager 

and director of children’s marketing before moving 

into her current position. She developed and 

launched the Popcorn Club, Bookworm Wednesdays, 

and Moms’ Movie Night Out, as well as large-scale 

experiential events. Recently, she managed the 

company’s Thank You First Responders event after 

the Boston Marathon bombings. 


40 UNDER 40 

Kristin Wilson 

SENIOR NATIONAL SALES 

EXECUTIVE, STRATEGIC 

PARTNERSHIP MARKETING 

THE COCA-COLA 

COMPANY 

n A 14-year veteran at Coca- 

Cola, Kristin Wilson has led 

the Global Cinema Channel 

and Coca-Cola’s relationship 

with Carmike Cinemas. She is 

responsible for managing Coca- 

Cola’s partnerships with NATO, 

International Variety, Variety of 

Georgia, CinemaCon, ShowEast, 

Will Rogers Motion Picture 

Pioneers and all the major studios. 

She also serves on the board for 

Variety Children’s Charity of Georgia 

and is a member of the Coca-Cola Women’s 

Forum. 


40 UNDER 40 

Todd Halstead 

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION 

OF THEATRE OWNERS 

n Todd Halstead oversees NATO’s government affairs 

activities in Washington, D.C., developing advocacy and 

grassroots strategies that advance federal legislative and 

regulatory objectives that benefit the cinema industry. 

He worked with NATO members to develop a partnership 

with Vantiv to offer a program that substantially 

reduces processing fees for cinemas. Prior 

to joining NATO in 2007, he served as a 

legislative aide in the U.S. Senate. 


40 UNDER 40 

Orit Michiel 

VICE PRESIDENT OF LEGAL AFFAIRS 

MPAA 

n Orit Michiel’s role includes serving as head counsel to the 

Classification and Rating Administration and the Advertising 

Administration and chairperson of the Classification and Rating 

Appeals Board. She was a key member of the team that 

launched the “Check the Box” rating awareness campaign. 

She’s also head of the Title Registration Bureau and coordinates 

response by the MPAA and its member companies on 

significant policy. 

Melissa Ginn 

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING 

D&E ENTERTAINMENT 

n Melissa Ginn started her career 

at age 16 in editorial and nonprofit 

public relations, later discovering 

an interest in digital marketing. 

Her professional ambitions and 

passion for travel led to positions 

in New York, Honolulu, 

and San Francisco before she 

settled in Los Angeles at D&E, 

where she’s worked on campaigns 

for Cheech & Chong’s 

Animated Movie, Tattoo Nation, 

and RUSH: Beyond the 

Lighted Stage. 

34 

BoxOffice ® Pro The Business of Movies JULY 2013

Hank Green 

VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDIO 

PARTNERSHIPS 

AMC 

n In his current role at AMC, 

Hank Green works with the 

company’s distributor partners 

to develop and execute 

strategies to maximize box 

office grosses. Based in 

Los Angeles, Green is also 

the film buyer for the Los 

Angeles and San Francisco 

markets. His previous roles 

include VP of film programming 

and strategic initiatives 

and director of programming 

operations. He’s 

worked at AMC since 1996. 

Neil Pearlmutter 

VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS 

AND NEW DEVELOPMENT 

SANTA ROSA 

ENTERTAINMENT GROUP 

n Neil Pearlmutter joined Dan 

and Amy Tocchini’s family-run 

company as an usher in 1990. 

After managing several different 

cinemas for them, he traveled 

to Moscow in 1999 to consult on 

the construction and operation 

of an American-style multiplex. 

Since then, he’s worked as a 

district manager and remodeled 

nonstadium complexes as well 

as building new sites, including 

retrofitting an old Mervyn’s to a 

boothless 16-screener. 

JULY 2013 BoxOffice ® Pro The Business of Movies 35

Hungry? Thirsty? These five companies 

have got you covered 

Popcorn may be movie theaters’ signature snack, but concession stands 

these days offer a lot more than the freshly popped grain. Hot dogs, 

nachos, and the like have become staples at the cinema right 

alongside soda and candy, but that doesn’t mean 

the decades-old companies that make them haven’t 

continued to innovate for their customers in exhibition, offering moviegoers more options 

and theater operators more efficiency, customization, and best of all, profits. BoxOffice 

already profiled the Power 5 in popcorn back in our April issue. Here are the top five 

brands in everything else: soda, candy, food, equipment, and signage. 

SOFT DRINKS 

COCA-COLA 

Munching on popcorn at the movies is a nobrainer, 

but you inevitably need something 

to wash down those salty, buttery kernels— 

no wonder soda is second only to popcorn 

in concession-stand sales. And as the 

Official Presenting Sponsor of CinemaCon, 

the 127-year-old Coca-Cola brand has long 

been a friend to not only exhibition but the 

movies themselves through its Sprite Films 

student filmmaking competition. Coke, 

Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Mello Yello 

(if you’re lucky enough to live where it’s 

available), Fanta, Minute Maid, and Dasani 

are all Coca-Cola brands. 

WHAT IS COCA-COLA’S NEWEST OR 

SIGNATURE PRODUCT, AND WHAT’S 

SPECIAL ABOUT IT? 

STEFANIE MILLER, GROUP VICE 

PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP 

MARKETING, NORTH AMERICA GROUP: 

Coca-Cola Freestyle is an innovative 

fountain dispenser that offers more 

than 100 drink choices at the push of a 

button. Patented technology helps deliver 

a fresh and consistently high-quality 

beverage, made on demand. The touchscreen 

interface allows for an engaging 

experience, as people make their beverage 

choice. They can select from 70-plus 

low/no-calorie and 90-plus caffeine-free 

options—choice never before seen on a 

fountain dispenser. 

WHAT DOES IT CONTRIBUTE TO THE 

MOVIEGOING EXPERIENCE? 

Miller: Coca-Cola Freestyle is designed to 

meet peoples’ beverage needs and match 

their desire for variety—offering an even 

greater selection than typically available 

in a convenience or grocery store. Plus, 

movies are all about the experience, and 

Coca-Cola Freestyle provides moviegoers 

an opportunity to interact with our 

brands—delivering the ultimate cinema 

experience. 

36 BOXOFFICE PRO AUGUST 2013

The National Association of Theatre 

Owners (NATO) is the largest exhibition 

trade organization in the world, representing 

over 50,000 movie screens in all 

50 states and in 68 countries worldwide. 

Our membership includes the largest 

cinema chains in the world and hundreds 

of independently owned theaters. 

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., 

with a second office in North Hollywood, 

California, NATO represents its members 

in the heart of the nation’s capital as 

well as the center of the entertainment 

industry. 

INDUSTRY ISSUES 

NATO interacts with motion picture distributors, the creative 

community, the media, federal policymakers, and the courts 

on many matters of interest to exhibition. Some topics recently 

addressed by NATO include: 

• The state of the exhibition business and growth of admissions 

• Digital cinema specifications and other digital technology 

developments 

• Building codes 

• The window between theatrical release and ancillary market 

release 

• Camcorder theft of movies in theatres 

• Trailers and In-Theatre Marketing 

• Americans with Disabilities Act 

• Legislative landmines (minimum wage, admissions taxes, beverage 

taxes, etc.) 

• Administration and enhancement of the ratings system 

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS 

• Additional benefits that flow from membership in NATO 

include: 

• A free subscription to NATO’s official publication, BoxOffice® 

Pro magazine; 

• Periodic issues of The President’s Report, a confidential 

members-only analysis by NATO’s President of current issues 

confronting the industry and NATO’s efforts on behalf of its 

members; 

• Eligibility for a card processing program through Vantiv; 

• Periodic confidential members-only Government Affairs 

Alerts; 

• Daily electronic distributions of articles related to the industry, 

segregated by topical areas of interest; 

• Access to the members-only section of NATO’s web site, 

www.natoonline.org; 

• Free copies of movie ratings posters and other ratings publications; 

• Access to a sponsored program from Reynolds & Reynolds 

that offers savings on casualty and liability insurance; 

• Discounts on annual dues to participate in NATO’s Cinema 

Buying Group, a group buying program for independent operators; 

and 

• Discounts on CinemaCon registration fees. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT 

DAVID E. BINET, DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP / DB@NATODC.COM 


POWER 5 > CONCESSION 

CANDY 

MARS 

FOOD 

RICOS 

Frank C. Mars started making butter-cream confections in his 

kitchen in 1911. Today the conglomerate has net sales of more 

than $33 billion in a half-dozen business segments, but the 

company name is still synonymous with chocolate, including 

five billion-dollar brands: M&M’s, Snickers, Dove/Galaxy, Mars/ 

Milky Way, and Twix. If you’ve got a chocolate craving, chances 

are you’ll satisfy it with a Mars candy bar at the concession 

stand. 

WHAT IS MARS’ NEWEST OR SIGNATURE PRODUCT, AND 

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT IT? 

TIM QUINN, VICE PRESIDENT OF TRADE DEVELOPMENT, 

NORTH AMERICA: Movie buffs looking for a sweet treat in theaters 

know that Mars Chocolate North America offers colorful 

M&M’S-brand candies in their favorite flavors: milk chocolate, 

peanut milk chocolate, pretzel, and peanut butter. Now theatergoers 

also can enjoy their favorite candy bar brands—Snickers 

and Milky Way brands—in a theater-friendly format at the 

concession stand. 

Mars introduces Snickers Bites and Milky Way Bites. These unwrapped, 

bite-sized cubes are a miniature version of the iconic 

bar brands. They’re ideal for movie fans looking for the full taste 

experience of a Snickers bar or Milky Way bar in a smaller portion. 

The 2.8-ounce bag holds two servings, perfect for sharing 

or saving some for later. 

An extensive marketing campaign will create awareness, excitement, 

and demand at the concession stand. With the power of 

these popular candy brands, Snickers Bites and Milky Way Bites 

are sure to be a blockbuster hit! 

Popcorn, soda, candy—those are the staples of the movie-theater 

concession stand. But moviegoers are increasingly 

seeking more options for snacks, and for more than a hundred 

years, four generations of the Liberto family have met those 

desires, starting with roasted coffee and roasted peanuts 

in 1909. Today Ricos is best known for its Nacho Chips and 

Cheese Sauce in convenient bulk or single-serve sizes, as well 

as accompaniments like salsa and jalapeños. The San Antonio, 

Texas-based company also offers dispensing and warming 

equipment for its signature products as well as related marketing 

materials. But the brand also sells popcorn, oils, and 

toppings; roasted peanuts; and sno-ball syrups. 


From Theme Parks to Cinemas to Drive-In Theatres... 

Enjoy the Complete Experience! 

• Digital Conversion, Installation and Service 

• Drapery & Front-End Manufacturing and Big Screen Application 

• Concession Casework Manufacturing and 

Food Service Equipment Distribution 

Bridgewater Professional Park, 4971 Van Dyke Road, Lutz, FL USA 33558 

Phone 813 • 960 • 1646 Fax 813 • 961 • 7209 www.ensutec.com

POWER 5 > CONCESSION 

SIGNAGE 

RETRIEVER SOFTWARE 

Retriever Software is best-known for its point-of-sale, office, 

and website software, but the Denver-based technology firm 

also offers integrated signage solutions, including concessions 

signs with video and graphics to capture consumers’ attention. 

EQUIPMENT 

GOLD MEDAL 

Even if you take a minimalist approach at your concession 

stand, you’re going to need a popcorn popper and a butter 

dispenser, and you can get those from Gold Medal. Ditto hot 

dog grills and cookers; nacho cheese warmers and dispensers; 

pretzel and pizza ovens and displays; and more. If you’re selling 

food at your theater, Cincinnati-based Gold Medal has the 

equipment to prepare and display it. 

WHAT IS GOLD MEDAL’S NEWEST OR SIGNATURE 

PRODUCT, AND WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT IT? 

BETHE FERGUSON, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS CO- 

ORDINATOR: The #2242 Mobile Popcorn Crisper … has sliding 

panels on each side, fits the #2011EBRCH Pop-O-Gold for easy 

corn transfer, and has an optional butter-topping dispenser. It’s 

compact, mobile, and runs on a 15-amp plug. Staff can set up 

satellite locations during heavy traffic, cutting down on lines 

and encouraging impulse buys for multiple concession items. 

WHAT DIFFERENTIATES RETRIEVER’S PRODUCTS FROM 

OTHER BRANDS? 

PHIL NORRISH, VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES: Retriever 

Software offers a modularized signage solution. Customers 

can choose from a self-managed media delivery system and 

supply their own graphics or a comprehensive signage solution 

with fully automated image delivery services. This flexibility 

[allows] operators to completely customize their digital signage 

program while managing system costs. 

WHICH IS YOUR NEWEST OR SIGNATURE PRODUCT, AND 

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT IT? 

NORRISH: Retriever Media Digital Signage software is central 

to our product offering. Our signage system is designed to 

be easy-to-use, reliable, cost-effective, and customizable for 

each theater’s needs. Our point-of-sale system automatically 

receives schedule information and film images to the digital 

signage system. Theater operators can upload title art, mylars, 

and digital posters form Retriever’s image database. For the 

concession stand, Retriever Software offers a comprehensive 

graphic design service for customizing menu graphics. 

Another interesting request from theater owners resulted in 

the hands-free, revolutionary #2499A Automatic Popcorn 

Topping Dispenser. Now the automatic eye does all the work; 

it’s ideal for convenient self-serve options, or staffers can hold 

the popcorn bag/cup with one hand and can serve drinks with 

the other. … The 

dispensing speed 

is also adjustable. 

It holds 

one 35-pound 

bag of product 

[and] includes 

an LED sign, a 

precision stainless steel pump, 

and manual push button. The 

#2499A is the perfect way to 

increase popcorn profits, cut 

down on waste, and serve the 

delicious, buttery topping that 

keeps customers coming back 

for more. 

WHAT DOES IT CONTRIBUTE TO THE MOVIEGOING 

EXPERIENCE? 

NORRISH: Retriever Software’s point-of-sale system improves 

operator efficiency at the box office and concession stands, 

shortening lines, and improving per-caps. Digital signage provides 

graphical marketing to patrons at the box office and 

concession stand and easy-to-follow directional “way finding” 

in corridors and the lobby. 


LOOKING AHEAD - WHAT’S THE BUZZ ON TWITTER? source: BoxOffice.com 

FILM TWEETS POS:NEG 

The Wolverine 1,590 7:1 

Fruitvale Station 1,367 8:1 

Oldboy (2013) 1,112 2:1 

Insidious Chapter 2 948 0:1 

Tomorrowland 793 11:1 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 715 29:1 

Ferdinand 560 11:1 

Her (2013) 518 4:1 

Thor: The Dark World 381 6:1 

Anchorman: The Legend Continues 373 16:1 

Kick-Ass 2 364 10:1 

Austenland 348 19:1 

Assassin's Creed 337 51:1 

2 Guns 328 32:1 

Home (2014) 327 5:1 

Transformers 4 307 4:1 

Elysium 305 11:1 

FILM TWEETS POS:NEG 

Ender's Game 295 1:1 

Godzilla (2014) 238 3:1 

Gravity 233 4:1 

Thanks for Sharing 203 107:1 

The World's End 196 11:1 

The To Do List 191 2:1 

The Lifeguard 188 10:1 

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones 183 39:1 

The Smurfs 2 170 7:1 

Think Like a Man Too 167 14:1 

Frankenstein (2014) 156 7:1 

Sex Tape 155 2:1 

X-Men: Days of Future Past 151 11:1 

Fifty Shades of Grey 150 12:1 

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters 146 7:1 

Divergent 139 38:1 

The Way, Way Back 136 57:1 

AUGUST 2013 BOXOFFICE PRO 41

BIG 

PICTURE 

Concert movies have been around for decades, but they didn’t become a 

viable option at the box office until the recession. What does the new crop 

of concert movies tell us about the music and film industries today? 

by Daniel Loria 

ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US OPENS 

NATIONWIDE ON AUG. 30, 2013 


’N 

Sync was at the height of its fame in 

2001. The band was coming off of the 

best-selling success of its album No 

Strings Attached during a time when 

record sales still mattered. The accompanying 

world tour had also been a hit, 

spawning an Imax version of one of the 

group’s sold-out shows in Detroit. ’N 

Sync: Bigger Than Live was released 

in the giant-screen format in 2001 as 

a 48-minute concert film. The movie grossed $44,082 in its opening 

weekend and topped out its theatrical run at $1.8 million. By the end 

of the decade, ’N Sync would no longer be releasing albums, and the 

music industry would be turned on its 

head. Concert movies, however, would be 

entering a new age of financial viability. 

The rise of digital media completely 

changed the music industry. A byproduct 

of that transition was the added pressure 

on recording artists to increase the scope 

and length of their tours, adding performances 

to mitigate the losses resulting 

from the steep drop in album sales. 

Musicians faced the same challenge that 

exhibitors have dealt with for generations: 

how to sustain an industry amid the rise 

of new home-entertainment technologies. 

Concerts sought to reconnect the public 

with the excitement and spectacle of live 

music. 

The top five highest-grossing concert 

films of all time have been released over 

the past six years. The time frame directly 

aligns with the recession and postrecession 

era that followed the 2008 financial 

crash. The economic turmoil left families 

with a decrease in disposable income as 

the global economy struggled to reassert 

itself. A family outing to the closest venue 

for a big concert suddenly had the potential 

to become a burdensome expense. 

High ticket prices, transportation costs, 

parking, concessions, and merchandise 

could easily turn a family night out into 

an evening costing upward of $500. 

Postrecession America has provided 

the perfect circumstances for concert 

films to find an audience. Families with 

children too young to attend live concerts 

and those who find it too expensive to 

attend the events can now enjoy a similar 

level of a concert’s excitement and spectacle 

at a fraction of the cost in their local 

movie theaters. 

This isn’t to imply that ticket sales 

for concerts have dipped since 2008, nor 

that concert films have in any way begun to supplant live music events. 

Concert movies have instead become a viable alternative for family entertainment 

and, for the first time in box office history, a potential source of 

significant profit for exhibitors, distributors, artists, and audiences. 

Pop idols were born as soon as teenagers became a demographic of 

consumers with enough buying power to bring in profit for any company. 

If these artists could sell records, the assumption was that they could sell 

movies as well. The rise of the teenage consumer occurred throughout 

TOP-GROSSING CONCERT FILMS 

OF ALL TIME 

ARTIST 

Justin Bieber: 

Never Say Never 

This Is It 

Michael Jackson 

Hannah Montana & 

Miley Cyrus: Best of 

Both Worlds Concert 

the 1950s, a period coinciding with the popular emergence of television 

and during the height of Hollywood’s studio system. This was a period 

when studios were in the business of making movies with a streamlined 

efficiency; studios had their own backlots, stables of screenwriters, and an 

ever-rotating talent pool of actors and directors on exclusive contracts. It 

didn’t really matter if Elvis could act or not, there was already a team on 

salary employed by the studio that could mold a project around the star. 

These star vehicles saw minor changes as the film industry went 

through its own transformation over the subsequent years. The generations 

that followed came with their share of recording artists who 

attempted a transition to the silver screen. There are too many failures in 

this category to list, but Britney Spears’ star turn on Crossroads comes 

to mind. The road-trip movie grossed just $37.2 million at the box 

office, and Spears hasn’t starred in another 

Domestic 

Gross 

$73,013,910 

$72,091,016 

$65,281,781 

Katy Perry: Part of Me $25,326,071 

Jonas Brothers: 

The 3D Concert 

Experience 

Madonna: 

Truth or Dare 

Glee: The 3D 

Concert Movie 

$19,162,740 

$15,012,935 

$11,862,398 

U2 3D $10,363,341 

U2: Rattle and Hum $8,600,823 

Shine a Light 

Rolling Stones 

SOURCE: BOXOFFICE.COM 

$5,505,267 

movie since. There have also been a good 

number of success stories from artists like 

Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson, Cher, 

Will Smith, and Mark Wahlberg—all of 

whom have built respectable film careers 

for themselves. The most striking recent 

example comes with ’N Sync’s Justin 

Timberlake, who has spent the better part 

of the last decade on acting projects in 

addition to his solo pop career. 

If the Spice Girls were formed in 

today’s media market, one has to wonder 

if something like Spice World would 

still get made. Pop stars have turned a 

corner thanks to the newfound box office 

viability of concert films; if the public 

loves to see these artists sing, does that 

mean they’re just as interested in seeing 

them act? A great Spice Girls concert 

can be a fun experience, even within a 

kitsch context, but a Spice Girls film 

can’t guarantee a good shelf life beyond 

a cult appreciation. Today’s concert films 

cut out the middleman of a screenwriter 

and rid themselves from the constraints 

of narrative cinema to give audiences a 

simpler product: pop stars doing what 

they do best. 

Concert films are equally as enticing 

for producers and artists themselves. The 

entire shoot can be incorporated into an 

existing tour, requiring little extra effort 

or time from stars. No script development, 

no creative differences with directors, 

no time editing around a dramatic 

performance that doesn’t work on screen. 

The film’s theatrical release becomes a 

de facto global tour for recording artists 

without requiring any additional nights 

inside of a tour bus. The concert film has 

therefore become ingrained into a band’s 

marketing strategy. Morgan Spurlock, the 

documentary filmmaker of the product-placement satire The Greatest 

Movie Ever Sold, knows a thing or two about today’s nebulous line 

between a feature film and a marketing campaign. He is also the director 

and one of the producers of this summer’s biggest concert movie, One 

Direction: This Is Us. 

The success of recent music documentaries owes a lot to the rise of 

reality television as well. Live music had been a staple of network TV for 

years before the introduction of MTV shifted recording artists to cable 


BIG PICTURE 

ONE DIRECTION’S HARRY 

STYLES, LOUIS TOMLINSON, 

ZAYN MALIK, NIALL HORAN AND 

LIAM PAYNE 

television. The pop band explosion of the late 

’90s used MTV’s popular after-school talkshow/music-video-countdown 

Total Request 

Live as a launching pad. The show was filmed 

at MTV’s Times Square studios with sweeping 

shots of screaming teenage fans holding homemade 

signs in support of their teen idols. TRL 

was cancelled in 2008 as MTV began to focus 

more on unscripted reality series like The Hills, 

the successful spinoff to the wildly popular 

Laguna Beach. 

By that time, music performances had 

moved back to network television thanks to 

the success of Fox’s American Idol. The show 

came on as a summer replacement in 2002 

and became a national phenomenon. Music 

performances on network television dominated 

watercooler chatter around the nation. 

Fox would continue to bank on this renewed 

interest in musical performances with Glee in 

2009. That show went on to get its very own 

big-screen concert film in 2011. Glee: The 

3D Concert Movie finished a limited release in 

North America with $11.8 million. 

The Disney Channel took a cue from this 

trend when it premiered Hannah Montana in 

2006. The show launched the music career of 

its star, Miley Cyrus, by focusing on the story 

of the day-to-day life of a tween pop star. It was 

only a matter of time before Cyrus became a 

star in her own right, free from her fictional alter 

ego. Disney banked on the popularity of the 

Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana phenomenon 

with the 2008 film Hannah Montana & Miley 

Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert. The movie 

broke records in limited release, grossing $65.3 

Ava is seven years old and a loyal 

fan of One Direction. Despite a 

summer full of animated releases, 

she claims that One Direction: 

This Is Us is the movie she is most 

excited about seeing, even if it 

doesn’t come out until the last 

weekend in August. When pressed 

about her allegiance to the band, 

Ava responds unequivocally: “I 

think One Direction is cool for five 

reasons: 1) They’re awesome, 2) 

they’re awesome, 3) they’re awesome, 

4) they’re awesome, and 5) 

they’re hilarious.” After attending 

a live concert in December, Ava 

shared that she is looking forward 

to seeing the special effects from 

the performance on the big screen, 

especially if it means wearing 3D 

glasses—all the better to swoon 

over fave Harry Styles. 

million during its North American run. The 

Cyrus vehicle still holds the highest opening 

weekend of all time for a concert film with a 

$31.3 million debut. 

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of 

Both Worlds Concert included an appearance by 

another band featured in Cyrus’ television show, 

the Jonas Brothers. The boy band trio would 

release a concert film of its own the following 

year, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. 

The project managed to become one of the 

most successful films in the genre after grossing 

$19.1 million in North America. 

The success of these Disney releases motivated 

other studios to seek out similar projects 

of their own. Michael Jackson’s untimely death 

prevented the King of Pop from embarking on 

a comeback world tour. The rehearsal footage 

was edited into a concert documentary and 

released by Sony only four months after the 

singer’s death. This Is It grossed $72 million in 

North America and became the highest-grossing 

concert film of all time in the global box 

office, making $261 million worldwide. 

It was only going to be a matter of time 

before other pop stars joined the act. Justin 

Bieber: Never Say Never was released in North 

America in 2011, becoming the highest-grossing 

concert film of all time domestically with a 

$73 million total in North America. Paramount 

distributed the 3D concert film, which went on 

to finish its theatrical run with a $98.4 million 

global cume. 

The release of One Direction: This Is Us will 

come as an interesting closing chapter in a 

turbulent summer for the film’s distributor. Sony 


BIG PICTURE 

began the season with two costly misfires: M. Night 

Shyamalan’s sci-fi father-and-son adventure After 

Earth crash-landed at the North American 

box office with a lackluster $27.5 million 

opening weekend. Roland Emmerich’s 

disaster flick White House Down was 

also a disaster with a $25.7 million 

opening weekend. The rest of 

Sony’s summer slate includes one 

last try at a post-apocalyptic sci-fi 

action epic with Elysium, a pair of 

comedies with This Is the End and 

Grown Ups 2, and a nod to younger 

audiences with The Smurfs 2 and 

Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. 

Sony can count on One Direction: 

This Is Us as one of the safest bets 

of the year. The band comes with an 

established legion of global fans, particularly 

the types of fans who go to movie 

theaters with their parents. 

It makes sense that both the music and film 

industries are relying on spectacle to compete 

against emerging home-entertainment technologies. 

Exhibitors have been down this road before 

and are used to tapping into audience trends 

in their programming. It’s becoming easier to 

find screenings of live events simulcast in movie 

screens around the country, bringing a range of 

events from performances by New York’s Metropolitan 

Opera to the latest Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

fight to a theater near you. 

MORE MUSIC IN AUGUST 

On Tuesday, Aug. 13, Eric Clapton’s 

Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013 

will be presented by NCM Fathom 

Events at hundreds of theaters 

across the country. Artists include 

Allman Brothers Band, Booker T., 

Buddy Guy, Derek Trucks, Eric 

Clapton, Jeff Beck, John Mayer, 

Keith Richards, Keith Urban, Los 

Lobos, Robert Cray, Vince Gill, and 

Warren Haynes. For ticket information, 

go to: fathomevents.com 

Live events have the potential to become an 

important alternative for exhibitors. Speculation 

abounds in the cable television industry about 

a future where cord-cutting becomes commonplace, 

bringing down the subscriber 

count in the pay-television business. 

This provides an interesting opportunity 

for exhibitors, who could offer 

live events on a big screen at a fraction 

of the cost of a cable subscription 

or pay-per-view package. 

While concert movies haven’t 

reached the blockbuster box office 

level of studios’ summer tentpoles, 

they provide the industry the 

simple alternative to produce a film 

with built-in audience awareness 

and a loyal fan base without going 

anywhere near the inflating budgets 

of recognizable franchises. The concert 

film’s box office revival is a testament to the 

resiliency of the silver screen amid a changing 

media landscape. 

New technology in the entertainment industry 

is discarding old business models as fast 

as it is creating new opportunities. Exhibitors 

have been able to thrive throughout all the 

changes in the film industry by consistently innovating 

and connecting with audiences’ tastes 

and viewing tendencies. Concert movies could 

be the first step for the big screen to go live in 

the near future. 


BIG PICTURE 

‘THE BIEB’ 

IN NEVER SAY NEVER 

THE 

INVASION 

OF THE 

TEEN 

IDOLS 

BY DANIEL LORIA 

The collapse of the music industry 

has put more pressure on 

recording artists to tour, bringing 

in a renewed age of live music. 

High ticket prices for concerts, 

however, have made it difficult 

for families to afford these events 

during a particularly tough 

economic period. Studios have 

turned a recovering economy 

and dip in disposable income for 

families into a new opportunity 

for concert films. Pop stars have 

begun popping up on the big 

screen, bringing the excitement 

and spectacle of their concerts to 

audiences across the country at 

a fraction of the cost. The experiment 

has worked so far, with the 

economic recession bringing in 

record numbers for concert films 

at the box office—specifically 

those aimed at younger audiences. 

The top five concert films 

of all time at the box office have 

come out in the last six years. 

JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER 2011 

OPENING 

WEEKEND 

DOMESTIC 

GROSS 

WORLDWIDE 

GROSS 

$29.5 $73.0 $98.6 

THIS IS IT 2011 

OPENING 

WEEKEND 

DOMESTIC 

GROSS 

WORLDWIDE 

GROSS 

$23.2 $72.0 $261 

HANNAH MONTANA & MILEY CYRUS: 

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS CONCERT 2008 

OPENING 

WEEKEND 

DOMESTIC 

GROSS 

WORLDWIDE 

GROSS 

$31.1 $65.2 $70.6 

KATY PERRY: PART OF ME 2011 

OPENING 

WEEKEND 

DOMESTIC 

GROSS 

WORLDWIDE 

GROSS 

$7.1 $25.3 $32.2 

JONAS BROTHERS: 

THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE 2009 

OPENING 

WEEKEND 

DOMESTIC 

GROSS 

WORLDWIDE 

GROSS 

$12.5 $19.1 $23.0 


COMING 

IN AUGUST 

2 GUNS 

READY, FIRE, AIM 

WIDE 

n Icelandic director Baltasar 

Kormákur helms this action comedy 

based on the graphic novel of the 

same name. Denzel Washington as a 

DEA agent and Mark Wahlberg as a 

Navy Seal must team up when they 

suspect they’ve been set up by the 

CIA. It’s a sure bet that guns will fire 

and quips will be thrown. 

DISTRIBUTOR Universal Pictures CAST Denzel 

Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton, 

Bill Paxton DIRECTOR Baltasar Kormákur 

SCREENWRITER Blake Masters PRODUCERS Andrew 

Cosby, Randall Emmett, George Furla, 

Norton Herrick, Marc Platt, Ross Richie 

GENRE Action comedy RATING TBD RUNNING 

TIME TBD RELEASE DATE August 2, 2013 

LTD. 

DRIFT 

COWABUNGA! 

n Project Greenlight’s 2005 winner Morgan 

O’Neill co-directs this period piece about the 

dawn of the surf era in Australia during the 

1970s. Myles Pollard (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) 

and Xavier Samuel (The Twilight Saga: 

Eclipse) play brothers who struggle to make 

ends meet as they launch a fledgling surf shop 

out of their backyard garage. Sam Worthington 

(Avatar) shows up as a filmmaker along for the 

ride. Say g’day to short boards and wetsuits. 

DISTRIBUTOR Lionsgate CAST Sam Worthington, 

Xavier Samuel, Myles Pollard DIRECTORS 

Morgan O’Neill, Ben Nott SCREENWRITER 

Morgan O’Neill PRODUCERS Michele Bennett, 

Tim Duffy, Myles Pollard GENRE Sports drama 

RATING R RUNNING TIME 113 min. RELEASE 

DATE August 2 

LTD. 

EUROPA REPORT 

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? 

n Sharlto Copley (who body-melded with 

“prawns” in 2009’s District 9) toplines this tale 

about a group of six astronauts who journey 

to one of Jupiter’s moons on a search for E.T. 

and lose contact with Earth after a member of 

their team dies. Joining him on the ride is The 

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’s Michael Nyqvist. 

Rather than travel to the Galilean moons, 

Equadorian director Sebastián Cordero shot 

this found-footage film in far-off Brooklyn. 

Rotten Tomatoes already has this scored at 69 

percent. It’s fresh! 

DISTRIBUTOR Magnet CAST Sharlto Copley, Michael 

Nyqvist, Embeth Davidtz, Dan Fogler 

DIRECTOR Sebastián Cordero SCREENWRITER 

Philip Gelatt PRODUCER Ben Browning GENRE 

Science fiction RATING PG-13 RUNNING TIME 

89 min. RELEASE DATE August 2 

LTD. 

THE SPECTACULAR NOW 

SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRITS 

n At hit at Sundance, The Spectacular Now 

attempts to refresh the teen movie formula 

and by most accounts succeeds. Miles Teller 

(Footloose) plays an aimless high school senior 

(and budding alcoholic) who meets a girl (The 

Descendants’ Shailene Woodley) with more on 

her mind than simple carpe diem. 

DISTRIBUTOR A24 CAST Miles Teller, Shailene 

Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, 

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kyle Chandler 

DIRECTOR James Ponsoldt SCREENWRITERS 

Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber PRODUC- 

ERS Michelle Krumm, Andrew Lauren, Shawn 

Levy GENRE Dramedy RATING PG-13 RUNNING 

TIME 100 min. RELEASE DATE August 2 


COMING IN AUGUST 

WIDE 

WIDE 

WIDE 

PERCY JACKSON: 

SEA OF MONSTERS 

PERCY AND THE GOLDEN FLEECE 

n This follow-up to 2010’s sizable hit Percy 

Jackson & the Lightning Thief finds Percy (Logan 

Lerman), the son of Poseidon, embarking 

on a quest for the Golden Fleece, last hunted 

down by Todd Armstrong and crew in the 

1963 classic Jason and the Argonauts. 

DISTRIBUTOR 20th Century Fox CAST Logan 

Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. 

Jackson, Leven Rambin, Jake Abel, Stanley 

Tucci, Nathan Fillion DIRECTOR Thor Freudenthal 

SCREENWRITER Marc Guggenheim PRO- 

DUCERS Michael Barnathan, Karen Rosenfelt 

GENRE Comedy, drama RATING PG-13 RUNNING 


PLANES 

WE SUPPOSE TRAINS IS NEXT 

n Though not a Pixar film, Planes is a spin-off 

of the Cars franchise produced by DisneyToon 

Studios and originally planned as a 

direct-to-video title. Comedian Dane Cook 

(replacing Jon Cryer) voices Dusty Crophopper 

whose dream is to compete as a high-speed air 

racer. One problem: he’s afraid of heights. 

DISTRIBUTOR Disney CAST Dane Cook, Stacy 

Keach, Priyanka Chopra, Brad Garrett, Teri 

Hatcher, Cedric the Entertainer DIRECTOR 

Klay Hall SCREENWRITER Jeffrey M. Howard 

PRODUCER Traci Balthazor-Flynn GENRE 

Animation RATING PG RUNNING TIME 91 min. 

RELEASE DATE August 9 

ELYSIUM 

THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS 

n Director Neill Blomkamp’s sophomore effort 

delivers this futuristic look at an Earth that 

is a grim and grimey wasteland orbited by a 

massive space station, dubbed Elysium, that is a 

utopia for the rich and powerful, where disease 

is unknown. Earth-bound Matt Damon races 

to get to Elysium—uninvited—to find a cure 

for his cancer. Jodie Foster stands in his way. 

DISTRIBUTOR Sony CAST Matt Damon, Jodie 

Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego 

Luna DIRECTOR Neill Blomkamp SCREENWRIT- 

ER Neill Blomkamp PRODUCERS Bill Block, 

Neill Blomkamp, Simon Kinberg GENRE 

Science fiction RATING TBD RUNNING TIME 109 

min. RELEASE DATE August 9 

WIDE 

WE’RE THE MILLERS 

DUDE, WHERE’S MY STASH? 

n The writer-director of DodgeBall: A True 

Underdog Story brings us this R-rated comedy 

about a pot dealer (SNL’s Jason Sudeikis) who 

hires a stripper (Jennifer Aniston) and two 

teens to act as his fake family so he can smuggle 

a couple of tons of weed into the country 

from Mexico for big-shot Ed Helms (TV’s The 

Office). Hilarity (and the munchies, no doubt) 

ensues. 

DISTRIBUTOR Warner Bros. CAST Jason 

Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, 

Ed Helms DIRECTOR Rawson Marshall Thurber 

SCREENWRITERS Bob Fisher, Steve Faber, 

Sean Anders, John Morris PRODUCERS Chris 

Bender, Vincent Newman, Tucker Tooley, 

Happy Walters GENRE Comedy RATING R 

RUNNING TIME 110 min. RELEASE DATE August 7 

LTD. 

IN A WORLD … 

DON LAFONTAINE WOULD BE 

PROUD 

n Actor Lake Bell (Black Rock) writes and 

directs her first feature, which nabbed her a 

screenwriting award at the 2013 Sundance Film 

Festival. Bell plays Carol Solomon, a struggling 

voice coach who is in direct competition 

with her father (Woody Allen-regular Fred 

Melamed)—a legendary voice-over artist—in 

the male-dominated field. The prize: voicing 

the trailer for something called Amazon Games. 

DISTRIBUTOR Roadside Attractions CAST Lake 

Bell, Fred Melamed, Demetri Martin, Michaela 

Watkins DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER Lake 

Bell PRODUCERS Lake Bell, Mark Roberts, 

Jett Steiger, Eddie Vaisman GENRE Comedy 

RATING R RUNNING TIME 93 min. RELEASE DATE 

August 9 

LTD. 

PRINCE AVALANCE 

ROAD WARRIORS 

n Serious-minded Alvin (Paul Rudd) and 

his girlfriend’s doofus brother Lance (Emile 

Hirsch) spend a summer repainting the yellow 

lines down the middle of a country road. 

Helmed in indie fashion by high-concept 

writer-director David Gordon Green (Pineapple 

Express, Your Highness, The Sitter), Prince 

Avalanche was shot away from prying eyes in 

Bastrop, Texas. 

DISTRIBUTOR Magnolia CAST Paul Rudd, Emile 

Hirsch DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER David Gordon 

Green PRODUCERS James Belfer, David 

Gordon Green, Lisa Muskat, Derrick Tseng, 

Craig Zobel GENRE Dramedy RATING R RUN- 

NING TIME 94 min. RELEASE DATE August 9 



WIDE 

KICK-ASS 2 

LET THE EXPLETIVES FLY 

n Sans Nicolas Cage, the faux superheros of 

Kick-Ass return with the addition of Jim Carrey 

as vigilante Colonel Stars and Stripes (Carrey 

recently apologized for the violence in the film 

much to the chagrin of the filmmakers). Red 

Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) returns with 

a new two-word moniker, the first of which is 

Mother. You can figure out the rest. 

DISTRIBUTOR Universal CAST Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 

Christopher Mintz-Plasse, 

Chloë Grace Moretz, Jim Carrey DIRECTOR/ 

SCREENWRITER Jeff Wadlow PRODUCERS 

Matthew Vaughn, Brad Pitt, Adam Bohling, 

Tarquin Pack, David Reid GENRE Action comedy 

RATING R RUNNING TIME 113 min. RELEASE 


WIDE 

PARANOIA 

EMPIRES STRIKE BACK AND FORTH 

n Indiana Jones with a buzz cut? Harrison 

Ford, in cranky mode, portrays a high-tech 

CEO playing a high-stakes game with rival 

CEO Gary Oldman. Caught in the middle is 

low-level nerd Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger 

Games), who’s forced to go undercover as a corporate 

spy in order to save his job. Skulduggery 

and shenanigans ensue. 

DISTRIBUTOR Relativity Media CAST Liam 

Hemsworth, Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford, 

Amber Heard DIRECTOR Robert Luketic 

SCREENWRITERS Barry L. Levy, Jason Dean 

Hall PRODUCERS Alexandra Milchan, Scott 

Lambert, Deepak Nayar GENRE Thriller RAT- 

ING R RUNNING TIME 115 min. RELEASE DATE 


LTD. 

AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS 

BONNIE AND CLYDE REDUX 

n Sporting award-winning cinematography, 

this film concerns a hardened outlaw Patrick 

(Ben Foster, The Messenger) escaping from a 

Texas prison—serving time for a crime committed 

by his wife—to reunite with his outlaw 

spouse Ruth (Rooney Mara, Side Effects) and 

young child whom he’s never seen. 

DISTRIBUTOR IFC Films CAST Rooney Mara, 

Ben Foster, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Keith 

Carradine, Charles Baker DIRECTOR/SCREEN- 

WRITER David Lowery PRODUCERS Cassian 

Elwes, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, 

Amy Kaufman, Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy 

GENRE Drama RATING TBD RUNNING TIME 105 

min. RELEASE DATE August 16 

LTD. 

THE BUTLER 

HALL OF PRESIDENTS 

n Based on the memoir of White House butler 

Eugene Allen, The Butler, directed by Lee Daniels 

(Precious), presents history through the eyes of 

Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of 

Scotland) with Robin Williams and Melissa Leo 

as the Eisenhowers, James Marsden and Minka 

Kelly as the Kennedys, Liev Schreiber as LBJ, 

John Cusack as Nixon, and Alan Rickman and 

Jane Fonda as the Reagans. The title may change 

before release due to a dispute with Warner Bros. 

DISTRIBUTOR Weinstein CAST Forest Whitaker, 

Oprah Winfrey, Liev Schreiber, John 

Cusack, Jane Fonda DIRECTOR Lee Daniels 

SCREENWRITERS Danny Strong, Lee Daniels 

PRODUCERS Lee Daniels, Cassian Elwes, Buddy 

Patrick, Pam Williams, Laura Ziskin GENRE 

Historical RATING TBD RUNNING TIME TBD 


LTD. 

J0BS 

HERE’S TO THE CRAZY ONES 

n Ashton Kutcher bears a striking resemblance 

to Steve Jobs in this biopic about the late Apple 

cofounder’s rise from brash nerd to brusque 

tech titan. The former That ’70s Show star and 

celebrity Twitter powerhouse (14.5 million 

followers and counting). Josh Gad (Broadway’s 

Book of Mormon) plays the other Steve—Apple 

cofounder Steve Wozniak. Aaron Sorkin, 

Oscar-winning scribe of The Social Network, is 

penning another Jobs film; this one is based on 

the authorized biography by Walter Isaacson 

DISTRIBUTOR Open Road CAST Ashton 

Kutcher, Josh Gad, Ahna O’Reilly, Dermot 

Mulroney, Matthew Modine DIRECTOR Joshua 

Michael Stern SCREENWRITER Matt Whiteley 

PRODUCERS Mark Hulme, Marcos A. Rodriguez 

GENRE Biography RATING PG-13 RUNNING 


WIDE 

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: 

CITY OF BONES 

UPSIDE DOWNWORLD 

n Here comes another young-adult franchise! 

Based on a six-book series by Cassandra Clare, 

City of Bones lays out the premise: teen Clary 

Fray discovers that her kidnapped mother is 

a Shadowhunter, a half-angel, half-human 

warrior and that she, too, has Shadowhunter 

powers. The MacGuffin? The Mortal Cup her 

mother hid that is being hunted by—what else? 

Dark forces. Norwegian director Harald Zwart 

helmed the reboot of The Karate Kid. 

DISTRIBUTOR Screen Gems CAST Lily Collins, 

Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan, 

Kevin Zegers, Lena Headey, Kevin Durand 

DIRECTOR Harald Zwart SCREENWRITER Jessica 

Postigo Paquette PRODUCERS Don Carmody, 

Robert Kulzer GENRE Fantasy RATING PG-13 

RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE DATE August 21 


exhibition history at your fingertips 

at www.BoxOffice.com


LTD. 

THE GRANDMASTER 

ENTER THE IP MAN 

n Before there was Bruce Lee there was Ip 

Man, the early 20th century martial artist 

and teacher. This Hong Kong-Chinese feature 

stars Tony Leung, winner of the 2000 Best 

Actor award at Cannes, as Yip Man, while the 

film covers his triumphs and challenges from 

childhood through the Second Sino-Japanese 

War to the early 1950s. Zhang Ziyi (Crouching 

Tiger, Hidden Dragon) stars as Ip Man’s female 

adversary. 

DISTRIBUTOR Weinstein CAST Tony Leung, 

Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Zhao Benshan 

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER Wong Kar-wai PRO- 

DUCERS Ng See-yuen, Megan Ellison, Wong 

Kar-wai GENRE Martial arts, biography RATING 

PG-13 RUNNING TIME 130 min. RELEASE DATE 


WIDE 

THE WORLD’S END 

CORNETTO TRILOGY CONCLUDES 

n Five childhood friends vow to complete the 

pub crawl they failed to finish in their youth. 

With a dozen pubs between themselves and the 

fabled The World’s End, Simon Pegg (Star Trek 

Into Darkness) and mates set off not knowing 

that their evening may well be humanity’s last. 

Reason? The local populace is being replaced by 

robot replicants. 

DISTRIBUTOR Focus CAST Simon Pegg, Nick 

Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman DI- 

RECTOR Edgar Wright SCREENWRITERS Edgar 

Wright, Simon Pegg PRODUCERS Nira Park, 

Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner GENRE Comedy, science 

fiction RATING R RUNNING TIME 109 min. 


WIDE 

YOU’RE NEXT 

… NEXT TO HIDE UNDER YOUR SEAT 

n When a gang of masked, ax-wielding 

murderers descend upon the Davison family 

reunion, the hapless victims seem trapped … 

until an unlikely guest of the family proves 

to be the most talented killer of all. Rotten 

Tomatoes has You’re Next at an astounding 91 

percent fresh. Director Adam Wingard contributed 

the framing narrative to the anthology 

horror film V/H/S. 

DISTRIBUTOR Lionsgate CAST Sharni Vinson, 

AJ Bowen, Amy Seimetz, Barbara Crampton, 

Wendy Glenn DIRECTOR Adam Wingard 

SCREENWRITER Simon Barrett PRODUCERS 

Simon Barrett, Keith Calder, Kim Sherman, 

Jessica Wu GENRE Horror thriller RATING R 

RUNNING TIME 94 min. RELEASE DATE August 

23 

LTD. 

SHORT TERM 12 

TEEN TROUBLE 

n A young foster-care supervisor (Brie Larson, 

TV’s United States of Tara) looks after troubled 

teens, wrestles with her own difficult past, 

and manages a long-term relationship with 

her coworker. Writer-director Destin Daniel 

Cretton, who once worked with foster children, 

based the film on an earlier short he made in 

2009. An award winner at the 2013 SXSW 

Film Festival. 

DISTRIBUTOR Cinedigm CAST Brie Larson, 

John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Rami 

Malek, Keith Stanfield DIRECTOR/SCREENWRIT- 

ER Destin Daniel Cretton PRODUCERS Maren 

Olson, Asher Goldstein, Joshua Astrachan, 

Ron Najor GENRE Drama RATING R RUNNING 


WIDE 

CLOSED CIRCUIT 

ROMANCING THE DOCKET 

n Following a mysterious explosion in a busy 

London market, the police swoop in, a suspect 

is detained, and the country prepares for one 

of the most high-profile trials in British history. 

Lawyers—and ex-lovers—Martin (Eric Bana) 

and Claudia (Rebecca Hall) step into a dangerous 

web of secrets and lies, and when evidence 

points to a possible British Secret Service 

cover-up, it’s not just their reputations but their 

lives that are at stake. 

DISTRIBUTOR Focus CAST Eric Bana, Rebecca 

Hall, Ciarán Hinds, Jim Broadbent, Riz 

Ahmed DIRECTOR John Crowley SCREENWRIT- 

ER Steven Knight PRODUCERS Mairi Bett, Tim 

Bevan, Chris Clark, Eric Fellner GENRE Crime 

thriller RATING R RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE 


WIDE 

GETAWAY 

DRIVE, SHE SAID 

n Former race-car driver Brent Magna (Ethan 

Hawke, Before Midnight) is pitted against the 

clock. Desperately trying to save the life of his 

kidnapped wife, Brent commandeers a custom 

Mustang Shelby Cobra, taking it and its unwitting 

owner (singer Selena Gomez) on a highspeed 

race against time, at the command of the 

mysterious villain holding his wife hostage. 

DISTRIBUTOR Warner Bros. CAST Ethan 

Hawke, Selena Gomez, Jon Voight, Bruce 

Payne DIRECTOR Courtney Solomon SCREEN- 

WRITERS Gregg Maxwell Parker, Sean 

Finegan PRODUCERS Steve Richards, Moshe 

Diamant, Joel Silver, Courtney Solomon 

GENRE Crime action RATING PG-13 RUNNING 

TIME TBD RELEASE DATE August 30 


Join Us! 

Where Hollywood 

Where Hollywood 

Meets the Heartland 

Meets the Heartland 

Be a part of the Midwest’s largest convention 

Be part of the Midwest’s largest convention 

for exhibitors, vendors & studios. 

for exhibitors, vendors studios. 

October 8-9-10, 2013 | Grand Geneva Resort & Spa | Lake Geneva, WI 

October 8-9-10, 2013 | Grand Geneva Resort & Spa | Lake Geneva, WI 

Register 

Register 

Today! 

Today! 

Screenings | Seminars | Awards | Trade Show 

Screenings | Seminars | Awards | Trade Show 

2013 Geneva Convention 

2013 Geneva Convention 

OCTOBER 8, 9, 10 2013 | Grand Geneva Resort & Spa | Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 

OCTOBER 8, Register 9, 10 2013 at GenevaConvention.com | Grand Resort or & call Spa 262-532-0017. 

| Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 

Register at GenevaConvention.com or call 262-532-0017. 

Presented by 

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ON THE 

HORIZON 

NOVEMBER 

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET 

MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO ’ROUND 

n Based on Jordan Belfort’s memoir, this film centers on a New York stockbroker who refuses to cooperate 

in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street and mob infiltration. 

DISTRIBUTOR Paramount CAST Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey DIRECTOR Martin 

Scorsese SCREENWRITER Terence Winter PRODUCERS Riza Aziz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joey McFarland, 

Martin Scorsese GENRE Dark comedy RATING TBD RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE DATE November 15 

THOR: THE DARK 

WORLD 

IT’S HAMMER TIME … 

AGAIN 

n When we last saw the mighty 

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) he was 

enjoying some nice shawarma 

with his fellow Avengers. This 

fall he returns to the screen 

sans Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. 

Natalie Portman returns from 

wherever she was hiding during 

The Avengers to travel with Thor 

to Asgard where most of this installment 

takes place. Idris Elba, 

last seen canceling the apocalypse 

in Pacific Rim, expands his 

tiny role as an Asgardian sentry 

from the first film. Trickster 

Loki (Tom Hiddleston) returns 

to help, or perhaps hinder his 

brother Thor’s quest to save the 

Nine Realms. 

DISTRIBUTOR Disney CAST Chris 

Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, 

Tom Hiddleston, Stellan 

Skarsgård DIRECTOR Alan Taylor 

SCREENWRITERS Christopher 

Yost, Christopher Markus, Stephen 

McFeely PRODUCER Kevin 

Feige GENRE Fantasy RATING 

TBD RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE 

DATE November 8 

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE 

MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR 

n Katniss returns to District 12 with Peeta and they embark on a Victory Tour of the other 

districts while President Snow hatches some threatening schemes for the 75th Hunger Games. 

DISTRIBUTOR Lionsgate CAST Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody 

Harrelson DIRECTOR Francis Lawrence SCREENWRITERS Simon Beaufoy, Michael Arndt PRO- 

DUCERS Nina Jacobson, Jon Kilik GENRE Fantasy RATING TBD RUNNING TIME TBD RELEASE DATE 

November 22 


SNEAK 

PEEK 

CHIWETEL EJIOFOR AND MICHAEL FASSBENDER IN 

TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE 

SOLOMON NORTHUP’S MEMOIR COMES TO LIFE 

DISTRIBUTOR Fox Searchlight CAST Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, 

Benedict Cumberbatch DIRECTOR Steve McQueen SCREENWRITER John Ridley 

GENRE Historical RELEASE DATE October 18, 2013 

SHAILENE WOODLEY IN 

DIVERGENT 

A SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE 

DISTRIBUTOR Lionsgate CAST Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate 

Winslett DIRECTOR Neil Burger SCREENWRITER Evan Daugherty GENRE 

SciFi RELEASE DATE March 21, 2014 

RICKY GERVAIS, MISS PIGGY AND KERMIT IN 

MUPPETS MOST WANTED 

KERMIT MEETS HIS DOPPELGÄNGER 

DISTRIBUTOR Disney CAST Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, Ty Burrell DIREC- 

TOR James Bobin SCREENWRITERS Nicholas Stoller, James Bobin 

GENRE Family RELEASE DATE March 21, 2014 


BOOKING 

GUIDE 

compiled by Daniel Garris 

TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS 

CBS FILMS Lauren Douglas / 310-575-7052 / lauren.douglas@cbs.com 

LAST VEGAS Fri, 11/1/13 WIDE Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro Jon Turteltaub R Com Dolby Dig 

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Fri, 12/6/13 LTD. Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan Ethan Coen, Joel Coen R Dra 

DISNEY 818-560-1000 / Ask for Distribution 

PLANES Fri, 8/9/13 WIDE Dane Cook, Brad Garrett Klay Hall PG Ani/Adv/Fam 3D/Dolby Dig 

THE FIFTH ESTATE Fri, 10/11/13 LTD. Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl Bill Condon NR Dra 

THOR: THE DARK WORLD Fri, 11/8/13 WIDE Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman Alan Taylor NR Act/Adv 3D/Dolby Dig 

DELIVERY MAN Fri, 11/22/13 WIDE Vince Vaughn, Cobie Smulders Ken Scott PG-13 Com 

FROZEN 

Wed, 11/27/13 WIDE Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel 

Chris Buck, Jennifer 

Lee 

NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D/Dolby Dig 

SAVING MR. BANKS Fri, 12/13/13 LTD. Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson John Lee Hancock PG-13 Dra 

NEED FOR SPEED Fri, 3/14/14 WIDE Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots Scott Waugh NR Act 

MUPPETS MOST WANTED Fri, 3/21/14 WIDE Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey James Bobin NR Com/Fam 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER 

SOLDIER 

BEARS 

Fri, 4/4/14 WIDE 

Fri, 4/18/14 WIDE 

Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson 

Anthony Russo, Joe 

Russo 

Alastair Fothergill, 

Keith Scholey 

NR Act/Adv 3D 

THE GOOD DINOSAUR Fri, 5/30/14 WIDE Bob Peterson NR Ani/Fam 3D 

FILMDISTRICT Deborah Johnson / 646-380-4497 / djohnson@filmdistrict.com 

INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 Fri, 9/13/13 WIDE Rose Byrne, Patrick Wilson James Wan PG-13 Hor/Thr Dolby Atmos 

OLDBOY Fri, 10/25/13 WIDE Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen Spike Lee R Act/Thr 

ARE WE OFFICIALLY DATING? Fri, 1/31/14 WIDE Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan Tom Gormican NR Rom/Com 

WALK OF SHAME Fri, 3/14/14 WIDE Elizabeth Banks, James Marsden Steven Brill R Rom/Com 

FOCUS FEATURES Mingun Kim / 818-777-3071 

THE WORLD’S END Fri, 8/23/13 WIDE Simon Pegg, Nick Frost Edgar Wright R Com/SF Dolby Dig 

CLOSED CIRCUIT Wed, 8/28/13 WIDE Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall John Crowley R Cri/Thr Dolby Dig 

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB 

Fri, 12/6/13 EXCL 

NY/LA 

Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto Jean-Marc Vallée NR Dra Dolby Dig 

FOX 310-369-1000 / 212-556-2400 

PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS Wed, 8/7/13 WIDE Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario Thor Freudenthal PG Act/Adv/Fan 3D/Dolby Atmos 

RUNNER, RUNNER Fri, 10/04/13 WIDE Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake Brad Furman R Cri/Thr Dolby Dig 

THE COUNSELOR Fri, 10/25/13 WIDE Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt Ridley Scott NR Dra/Thr 

THE BOOK THIEF Fri, 11/15/13 WIDE Sophie Nélisse, Geoffrey Rush Brian Percival NR Dra 

WALKING WITH DINOSAURS: THE 

MOVIE 3D 

Fri, 12/20/13 WIDE 

Charlie Rowe, Angourie Rice 

Neil Nightingale, Barry 

Cook 

NR 

Doc 

NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D 

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY Wed, 12/25/13 WIDE Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig Ben Stiller NR Adv/Com/Dra 

DEVIL’S DUE Wed, 1/1/14 WIDE Zach Gilford, Allison Miller Radio Silence NR Hor/Thr 

THE MAZE RUNNER Fri, 2/14/14 WIDE Dylan O’Brien, Will Poulter Wes Ball NR SF/Thr 

MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN Fri, 3/7/14 WIDE Ty Burrell, Max Charles Rob Minkoff NR Ani/Com/Fam 3D 

RIO 2 Fri, 4/11/14 WIDE Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg Carlos Saldanha NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D/Dolby Dig 

THE OTHER WOMAN Fri, 4/25/14 WIDE Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann Nick Cassavetes NR Com 

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST Fri, 5/23/14 WIDE Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy Bryan Singer NR Act/Adv 3D 

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 Fri, 6/20/14 WIDE Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler Dean DeBlois NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D 

FOX SEARCHLIGHT 212-556-2400 

BAGGAGE CLAIM Fri, 9/27/13 WIDE Paula Patton, Derek Luke David E. Talbert PG-13 Rom/Com 

12 YEARS A SLAVE Fri, 10/18/13 LTD. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender Steve McQueen R Dra 

BLACK NATIVITY Wed, 11/27/13 WIDE Jacob Latimore, Forest Whitaker Kasi Lemmons NR Dra/Mus 


BOOKING GUIDE 


LIONSGATE / 310-309-8400 

DRIFT Fri, 8/2/13 LTD. Myles Pollard, Xavier Samuel 

Ben Nott, Morgan 

O’Neill 

YOU’RE NEXT Fri, 8/23/13 WIDE Sharni Vinson, Joe Swanberg Adam Wingard R Hor/Thr 

ESCAPE PLAN 

Fri, 10/18/13 WIDE 

Sylvester Stallone, Arnold 

Schwarzenegger 

Mikael Hafström NR Act/Thr 

R Dra/Sport Dolby Dig 

ENDER’S GAME Fri, 11/1/13 WIDE Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford Gavin Hood NR Act/Thr IMAX 

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE Fri, 11/22/13 WIDE Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson Francis Lawrence NR Act/Adv/SF IMAX/Dolby Dig 

A MADEA CHRISTMAS Fri, 12/13/13 WIDE Tyler Perry, Larry the Cable Guy Tyler Perry NR Com 

JESSABELLE Fri, 1/10/14 WIDE Sarah Snook, Mark Webber Kevin Greutert NR Hor/Thr 

I, FRANKENSTEIN Fri, 1/24/14 WIDE Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy Stuart Beattie PG-13 Act/Hor 3D/Quad 

DIVERGENT Fri, 3/21/14 WIDE Shailene Woodley, Theo James Neil Burger NR Adv/Dra/SF 

THE QUIET ONES Fri, 4/25/14 WIDE Jared Harris, Sam Claflin John Pogue PG-13 Hor 

SINGLE MOMS CLUB Fri, 5/9/14 WIDE Tyler Perry, Nia Long Tyler Perry NR Com/Dra 

OPEN ROAD FILMS 310-696-7504 

JOBS Fri, 8/16/13 WIDE Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney Joshua Michael Stern PG-13 Dra 

MACHETE KILLS Fri, 10/4/13 WIDE Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez Robert Rodriguez NR Act/Cri 

HOMEFRONT Wed, 11/27/13 WIDE Jason Statham, James Franco Gary Fleder R Act/Thr 

THE NUT JOB Fri, 1/17/14 WIDE Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl Peter Lepeniotis NR Ani/Com/Fam 3D 

SABOTAGE 

Fri, 1/24/14 WIDE 

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam 

Worthington 

David Ayer NR Act/Thr 

A HAUNTED HOUSE 2 Fri, 3/28/14 WIDE Marlon Wayans Michael Tiddes NR Com/Hor 

CHEF Fri, 5/9/14 WIDE Jon Favreau, Sofía Vergara Jon Favreau NR Com 

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Detailed Settlement History 

 

 

Box Office, Concessions & Directional Signs 

 

The best choice in 

Touch Screen Ticketing, 

Concessions and Complete 

Theatre Management. 

 


BOOKING GUIDE 


PARAMOUNT 323-956-5000 

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Fri, 11/15/13 WIDE Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill Martin Scorsese NR Cri/Dra Dolby Dig 

NEBRASKA Fri, 11/22/13 LTD. Bruce Dern, Will Forte Alexander Payne R Com/Dra 

ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND CONTIN- 

UES 

Fri, 12/20/13 WIDE Will Ferrell, Steve Carell Adam McKay NR Com Quad 

JACK RYAN Wed, 12/25/13 WIDE Chris Pine, Keira Knightley Kenneth Branagh NR Act/Thr 

LABOR DAY Wed, 12/25/13 LTD. Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin Jason Reitman NR Dra 

ALMANAC Fri, 2/28/14 WIDE Jonny Weston, Sofia Black-D’Elia Dean Israelite NR SF/Thr 

NOAH Fri, 3/28/14 WIDE Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly Darren Aronofsky NR Dra 

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Fri, 6/6/14 WIDE Megan Fox, William Fichtner Jonathan Liebesman NR Act/Adv 

RELATIVITY Mara Buxbaum / 323-822-4800 / relativity@id-pr.com 

PARANOIA Fri, 8/16/13 WIDE Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman Robert Luketic PG-13 Dra/Thr Dolby Dig 

THE FAMILY Fri, 9/13/13 WIDE Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer Luc Besson NR Cri/Thr Dolby Dig 

DON JON 

Fri, 9/27/13 WIDE 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett 

Johansson 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt R Com Dolby Dig 

ROMEO AND JULIET Fri, 10/11/13 MOD. Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth Carlo Carlei NR Dra/Rom 

FREE BIRDS Fri, 11/1/13 WIDE Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson Jimmy Hayward NR Ani/Com/Fam 3D/Dolby Dig 

OUT OF THE FURNACE Fri, 11/27/13 LTD. Christian Bale, Casey Affleck Scott Cooper NR Dra/Thr 

THREE DAYS TO KILL Fri, 2/14/14 WIDE Kevin Costner, Hailee Steinfeld McG NR Act/Thr 

STRETCH ARMSTRONG Fri, 4/11/14 WIDE Breck Eisner NR Act/Adv 3D 

SONY 212-833-8500 

ELYSIUM Fri, 8/9/13 WIDE Matt Damon, Jodie Foster Neill Blomkamp NR Act/SF 

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF 

BONES 

IMAX/Dolby Atmos/ 

Quad 

Wed, 8/21/13 WIDE Lily Collins, Lena Headey Harald Zwart PG-13 Act/Adv/Dra Quad 

ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US Fri, 8/30/13 WIDE Niall Horan, Zayn Malik Morgan Spurlock NR Con/Doc 3D 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

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BOOKING GUIDE 


BATTLE OF THE YEAR Fri, 9/27/13 WIDE Josh Holloway, Laz Alonso Benson Lee NR Dra 3D/Quad 

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEAT- 

BALLS 2 

Fri, 9/27/13 WIDE 

Bill Hader, Anna Faris 

Cody Cameron, Kris 

Pearn 

NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D/Quad 

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Fri, 10/11/13 WIDE Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener Paul Greengrass NR Act/Dra Quad 

CARRIE Fri, 10/18/13 WIDE Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore Kimberly Peirce NR Hor/Thr Quad 

AMERICAN HUSTLE Fri, 12/13/13 LTD. Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence David O. Russell NR Dra/Thr 

THE MONUMENTS MEN Wed, 12/18/13 WIDE George Clooney, Matt Damon George Clooney NR Dra 

ROBOCOP Fri, 2/7/14 WIDE Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman José Padilha NR Act/Cri/SF Quad 

ABOUT LAST NIGHT Fri, 2/14/14 WIDE Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy Steve Pink NR Com/Dra/Rom 

POMPEII Fri, 2/21/14 WIDE Kit Harington, Emily Browning Paul W.S. Anderson NR Act/Adv/Dra 3D 

THE EQUALIZER 

Fri, 4/11/14 WIDE 

Denzel Washington, Chloë Grace 

Moretz 

Antoine Fuqua NR Act/Thr 

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL Wed, 4/16/14 WIDE Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly Randall Wallace NR Dra/Fam 

NO GOOD DEED Fri, 4/25/14 WIDE Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson Sam Miller NR Dra/Thr 

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 Fri, 5/2/14 WIDE Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone Marc Webb NR Act/Adv 3D 

22 JUMP STREET Fri, 6/13/14 WIDE Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill Phil Lord, Chris Miller NR Act/Com 

THINK LIKE A MAN TOO Fri, 6/20/14 WIDE Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy Tim Story NR Rom/Com 

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS Tom Prassis / 212-833-4981 

THE PATIENCE STONE 

AUSTENLAND 

WADJDA 

Wed, 8/14/13 EXCL 

NY/LA 

Fri, 8/16/13 EXCL 

NY/LA 

Fri, 9/13/13 EXCL 

NY/LA 

Golshifteh Farahani, Hamidreza 

Javdan 

Atiq Rahimi R Dra 

Keri Russell, JJ Feild Jerusha Hess PG-13 Rom/Com 

Reem Abdullah, Waad Mohammed Haifaa Al-Mansour PG Dra 

Fri, 10/18/13 EXCL 

KILL YOUR DARLINGS 

Daniel Radcliffe, Jack Huston John Krokidas NR Dra 

OMNITERM-No Location-7.5x5 copy.pdf NY/LA 1 13-03-27 9:44 AM 


BOOKING GUIDE 


UNIVERSAL 818-777-1000 

2 GUNS Fri, 8/2/13 WIDE Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg Baltasar Kormákur R Act/Cri Quad 

KICK-ASS 2 

Fri, 8/16/13 WIDE 

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace 

Moretz 

Jeff Wadlow R Act/Com Quad 

RIDDICK Fri, 9/6/13 WIDE Vin Diesel, Karl Urban David Twohy R Act/SF IMAX/Quad 

RUSH Fri, 9/27/13 WIDE Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl Ron Howard R Act/Dra Quad 

ABOUT TIME Fri, 11/1/13 LTD. Rachel McAdams, Domhnall Gleeson Richard Curtis R Rom/Com/SF Quad 

THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY Fri, 11/15/13 WIDE Taye Diggs, Nia Long Malcolm D. Lee NR Com/Dra Quad 

47 RONIN Wed, 12/25/13 WIDE Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada Carl Rinsch NR Act/Adv/Dra 3D/Quad 

LONE SURVIVOR 

Fri, 12/27/13 EXCL 

NY/LA 

Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch Peter Berg R Act/Thr 

RIDE ALONG Fri, 1/17/14 WIDE Kevin Hart, Ice Cube Tim Story PG-13 Act/Com 

ENDLESS LOVE Fri, 2/14/14 WIDE Alex Pettyfer, Gabriella Wilde Shana Feste NR Dra/Rom 

NON-STOP Fri, 2/28/14 WIDE Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore Jaume Collet-Serra NR Act/Thr 

STRETCH Fri, 3/21/14 WIDE Patrick Wilson, Ed Helms Joe Carnahan NR Act/Com 

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST Fri, 5/30/14 WIDE Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron Seth MacFarlane NR Com/Wes 

WARNER BROS. 818-977-1850 

WE’RE THE MILLERS Wed, 8/7/13 WIDE Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis 

Rawson Marshall 

Thurber 

R Com Quad 

GETAWAY Fri, 8/30/13 WIDE Ethan Hawke, Selena Gomez Courtney Solomon PG-13 Act/Cri Quad 

PRISONERS Fri, 9/20/13 WIDE Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal Denis Villeneuve NR Cri/Thr 

THE WIZARD OF OZ 3D Fri, 9/20/13 LTD. Judy Garland, Frank Morgan Victor Fleming PG Adv/Fam/Fan 3D/IMAX 

GRAVITY Fri, 10/4/13 WIDE Sandra Bullock, George Clooney Alfonso Cuarón PG-13 Dra/SF/Thr 

HER Wed, 11/20/13 LTD. Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson Spike Jonze NR Rom/Com/SF 

3D/IMAX/Dolby 

Atmos/Quad 


BOOKING GUIDE 


THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF 

SMAUG 

Fri, 12/13/13 WIDE Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman Peter Jackson NR Act/Adv/Fan 

GRUDGE MATCH Wed, 12/25/13 WIDE Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro Peter Segal NR Com/Sport 

3D/IMAX/Dolby 

Atmos 

SEVENTH SON Fri, 1/17/14 WIDE Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes Sergey Bodrov NR Adv/Fan 3D/IMAX 

THE LEGO MOVIE Fri, 2/7/14 WIDE Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell Phil Lord, Chris Miller NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D/Quad 

300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE Fri, 3/7/14 WIDE Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green Noam Murro NR Act 3D/IMAX/Quad 

TRANSCENDENCE Fri, 4/18/14 WIDE Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany Wally Pfister NR Act/SF 

GODZILLA Fri, 5/16/14 WIDE Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe Gareth Edwards NR Act/Adv/SF 3D/IMAX 

BLENDED Fri, 5/23/14 WIDE Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore Frank Coraci NR Rom/Com 

EDGE OF TOMORROW Fri, 6/6/14 WIDE Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt Doug Liman NR Act/SF 3D/IMAX 

WEINSTEIN CO./DIMENSION 646-862-3400 

THE BUTLER Fri, 8/16/13 WIDE Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey Lee Daniels NR Dra Dolby Dig 

THE GRANDMASTER Fri, 8/23/13 WIDE Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Ziyi Zhang Wong Kar Wai NR Act/Dra Dolby Dig 

SATANIC Fri, 8/30/13 WIDE Haley Bennett, Ashley Greene Oliver Blackburn NR Hor/Thr 

POPULAIRE Fri, 9/6/13 LTD. Romain Duris, Déborah François Régis Roinsard R Com Dolby Dig 

SALINGER Fri, 9/6/13 LTD. Shane Salerno NR Doc 

HAUTE CUISINE Fri, 9/20/13 LTD. Catherine Frot, Jean d’Ormesson Christian Vincent PG-13 Com Dolby Dig 

GRACE OF MONACO Wed, 11/27/13 MOD. Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth Olivier Dahan NR Dra 

MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM Fri, 11/29/13 LTD. Idris Elba, Naomie Harris Justin Chadwick NR Dra 

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY Wed, 12/25/13 LTD. Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts John Wells NR Com/Dra 

VAMPIRE ACADEMY: BLOOD SISTERS Fri, 2/14/14 WIDE Zoey Deutch, Danila Kozlovskiy Mark Waters NR Fan/Rom 


AD INDEX 

COMING IN SEPTEMBER 

75th 

ANNUAL 

BUYERS GUIDE 

PLUS 

INDIE FILM ROUND UP 

40 UNDER 40 PART III 

AND MORE 

COMING IN OCTOBER 

THE POWER 

5 

INDEPENDENT 

EXHIBITORS 

ALTERNATIVE CONTENT 

40 UNDER 40 PART IV 

AND MORE 

COMING IN NOVEMBER 

HOLIDAY 

BLOCK- 

BUSTERS 

THE MOVIES 

THAT WILL HIT BIG 

ENDER’S GAME 

40 UNDER 40 PART V 

AND MORE 

COMING IN DECEMBER 

THE POWER 

5 

INTERNATIONAL 

EXHIBITORS 

WORLD BOX OFFICE 

SAVING MR. BANKS 

AND MORE 

AMC ENTERTAINMENT, INC. 

P.O. Box 725489 

Atlanta, GA 31139-9923 

www.amctheatres.com 

PG 35 

CARDINAL SOUND & 

MOTION PICTURE SYSTEMS 

6330 Howard Ln. 

Elkridge, MD 21075 

cardinal@cardinalsound.com 

www.cardinalsound.com 

PG 64 

CHRISTIE DIGITAL SYSTEMS 

10550 Camden Dr. 

Cypress, CA 90630 

www.christiedigital.com 

INSIDE FRONT COVER 

CINEMA CONCEPTS 

2030 Powers Ferry Rd., Ste. 214 

Atlanta GA 30339 

www.cinemaconcepts.com 

PG 17 

THE COCA-COLA COMPANY 

P.O. Box 1734 

Atlanta, GA 30301, USA 

1 800 GET COKE 

PG 33 

DOLBY LABORATORIES 

100 Potrero Ave. 

San Francisco, CA 94103 

Christie Ventura / 415-558-2200 

cah@dolby.com 

www.dolby.com 

INSIDE BACK COVER 

DOLPHIN SEATING 

313 Remuda St. 

Clovis, NM 88101 

575-762-6468 

www.dolphinseating.com 

PG 45 

ENPAR AUDIO 

Stetson Snell 

505-807-2154 / 505-615-2913 

stetsonsnell@enparaudio.com 

PG 61 

ENTERTAINMENT SUPPLY & 

TECHNOLOGIES, LLC 

4971 Van Dyke Road 

Lutz, FL 33558 

813-960-1646 

www.ensutec.com 

PG 39 

GENEVA CONVENTION 

Carol Brown 

262-532-0017 

nato@natoofwiup.org 

www.genevaconvention.com 

PG 53 

GOLD MEDAL PRODUCTS 

10700 Medallion Dr. 

Cincinnati, OH 45241-4807 

Erin Meyer / 513-769-7676 

info@gmpopcorn.com 

www.gmpopcorn.com 

PG 58 

HARKNESS SCREENS 

Unit A, Norton Road 

Stevenage, Herts 

SG1 2BB UK 

+44 1438 725200 

sales@harkness-screens.com 

www.harkness-screens.com 

PG 9, 11 

KERNEL SEASONS 

1958 N. Western Ave. 

Chicago, IL 60647 

Krystal LaReese-Gaul 

773-292-4576 

info@kernelseasons.com 

www.kernelseasons.com 

PG 29 

MAROEVICH, O’SHEA & 

COUGHLAN 

44 Montgomery St., 17th Fl. 

San Francisco, CA 94104 

Steve Elkins 

800-951-0600 

selkins@maroevich.com 

www.mocins.com 

PG 3 

MOVING IMAGE 

TECHNOLOGIES 

17760 Newhope St. 

Fountain, Valley, CA 92708 

714-751-7998 

www.movingimagetech.com 

PG 15 

ODELL’S 

40 Pointe Dr. 

Brea, CA 92821 

800-635-0436 

www.popntop.com 

PG 7 

OMNITERM 

2785 Skymark Avenue, Unit 11 

Mississauga, Ontario 

Canada, L4W 4Y3 

866-629-4757 

www.omniterm.com 

PG 59 

PACKAGING CONCEPTS INC 

9832 Evergreen Industrial Dr. 

St. Louis, MO 63123 

314-329-9700 

www.packagingconceptsinc.com 

PG 41 

PROCTOR COMPANIES 

10497 Centennial Rd. 

Littleton, Colorado 80127 

303-973-8989 

www.proctorco.com 

PG 51 

PROMOTION IN MOTION 

25 Commerce De. 

P.O. Box 8 

Allendale, NJ 07401-0008 

800-369-7391 

www.promotioninmotion.com 

PG 1 

QUEST CINEMA 

866-933-7486 

www.questcinema.com 

PG 64 

READY THEATRE SYSTEMS 

4 Hartford Blvd. 

Hartford, MI 49057 

Mary Snyder 

865-212-9703x114 

sales@rts-solutions.com 

www.rts-solutions.com.com 

PG 60 

REALD 

100 North Crescent Dr., 

Ste. 200 

Beverly Hills, CA 90210 

310-385-4000 

realdglasses@reald.com 

www.reald.com 

PG 4–5 

RETRIEVER SOFTWARE 

7040 Avenida Encinas 

Ste. 104-363 

Carlsbad, CA 92011 

760-929-2101 

www.retrieversoftware.com 

PG 57 

SCREENVISION 

1411 Broadway 33rd Fl. 


Darryl Schaffer 

212-497-0480 

BACK COVER 

SENSIBLE CINEMA 

SOFTWARE 

7216 Sutton Pl. 

Fairview, TN 37062 

Rusty Gordon 

615-799-6366 

rusty@sensiblecinema.com 

www.sensiblecinema.com 

PG 64 

USHIO AMERICA, INC. 

5440 Cerritos Ave. 

Cypress, CA 90630 

800-838-7446 

www.ushio.com 

PG 13 

THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY 

345 Hudson St. 


646-862-3400 

www.weinsteinco.com 

PG 31 

WHITE CASTLE 

555 West Goodale St. 

Columbus, OH 43215 

Timothy Carroll 

614-559-2453 

carrollt@whitecastle.com 

www.whitecastle.com 

PG 27 

WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE 

Will Rogers Institute 

10045 Riverside Dr., Third Fl. 

Toluca Lake, CA 91602 

877-957-7575 

www.wrinstitute.com 

PG 25 


BUYING & SELLING 

MARQUEE LETTERS. Buying and selling. New 

and Used marquee letters all types. We buy old. 

We sell new. All styles. Trade in your old letters 

and get new letters. Turn those old letters into 

cash. Your source for new Pronto, Zip-Change, 

Snap Lok, Slotted. mike@pilut.com 800-545- 

8956 

DRIVE-IN CONSTRUCTION 

DRIVE-IN SCREEN TOWERS since 1945. Selby 

Products Inc., P.O. Box 267, Richfield, OH 

44286. Phone: 330-659-6631. 

EQUIPMENT WANTED 

AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTS 

LLC is buying projectors, processors, amplifiers, 

speakers, seating, platters. If you are closing, 

remodeling or have excess equipment in 

your warehouse and want to turn equipment 

into cash, please call 866-653-2834 or email 

aep30@comcast.net. Need to move quickly to 

close a location and dismantle equipment? We 

come to you with trucks, crew and equipment, 

no job too small or too large. Call today for a 

quotation: 866-653-2834. Vintage equipment 

wanted also! Old speakers like Western Electric 

and Altec, horns, cabinets, woofers, etc., 

and any tube audio equipment. Call or email: 

aep30@comcast.net. 

COLLECTOR WANTS TO BUY: We pay top 

money for any 1920-1980 theater equipment. 

We’ll buy all theater-related equipment, working 

or dead. We remove and pick up anywhere in 

the U.S. or Canada. Amplifiers, speakers, horns, 

drivers, woofers, tubes, transformers; Western 

Electric, RCA, Altec, JBL, Jensen, Simplex and 

more. We’ll remove installed equipment if it’s 

in a closing location. We buy projection and 

equipment too. Call today: 773-339-9035; cinema-tech.com; 

email ILG821@aol.com. 

ASTER AUDITORIUM SEATING & AUDIO. We 

offer the best pricing on good used projection 

and sound equipment. Large quantities available. 

Please visit our website, www.asterseating. 

com, or call 888-409-1414. 

FOR SALE 

BARCO 3D/DIGITAL EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: 

Purchase for $55K. Equipment list provided 

upon request. Contact seller at mschwartz@ 

pennprolaw.com. 

PREFERRED SEATING COMPANY, your 

source for new, used and refurbished theater 

and stadium seating. Buying and selling 

used seating is our specialty. Call toll-free 

866-922-0226 or visit our website www. 

preferred-seating.com. 

TWIN DRIVE IN THEATRE FOR SALE or lease 

w/option to buy. Located N.E. Indiana, Huntington. 

20 miles from Ft. Wayne. Pop. draw 

250,000. 16.86 acres commercial I-1. Call John 

@ 219-742-4801 for more info. www.huntingtondrivein.com. 

12 PLEX THEATER FOR SALE with stadium 

seating. 6 acres of Land. Selling at below land 

value. $2,000,000. Located in Huntsville AL, at 

the University Mall. Please call 407-948-6751. 

TWO CHRISTIE DIGITAL PROJECTORS 

CP2000SB, Two Dolby DSS100, Two Dolby 

Show Player, Two Christie Series 1 ACT & Four 

Dolby Filter Wheel and Projector Assembly. All 

in very good condition. Call 360-993-0010. 

HELP WANTED 

THEATRE MANAGEMENT POSITIONS AVAIL- 

ABLE Pacific Northwest Theatre Company. Previous 

management experience required. Work 

weekends, evenings and holidays. Send resume 

and salary history to movietheatrejobs@gmail. 

com 

SERVICES 

DULL FLAT PICTURE? RESTORE YOUR XENON 

REFLECTORS! Ultraflat repolishes and recoats 

xenon reflectors. Many reflectors available for 

immediate exchange. (ORC, Strong, Christie, 

Xetron, others!) Ultraflat, 20306 Sherman Way, 

Winnetka, CA 91306; 818-884-0184. 

ALLSTATE SEATING specializes in refurbishing, 

complete painting, molded foam, tailor-made 

seat covers, installations and removals. Please 

call for pricing and spare parts for all types of 

theater seating. Boston, Mass.; 617-770-1112; fax: 

617-770-1140. 

CONSOLIDATED THEATRE SERVICES, LLC 

has a wide variety of theatre sound equipment 

available at competitive prices. Our extensive 

inventory includes amplifiers, processors, 

speakers and sound racks from makers such 

as JBL, Dolby, Ashly, Klipsch, Crown and more. 

You are welcome to call us at 305-908-1613 for 

further information. 

THEATER SPACE FOR LEASE 

AN 8,400 SQ. FT. SPACE containing two movie 

theaters is available for lease in Frankfort, KY, at 

a very reasonable lease rate. It would be perfect 

for the new concept of eating in the theater. 

The theaters are located in the middle of a major 

shopping center. The center owners would 

prefer an operating movie theater rather than 

convert the space into retail use. Contact Alexa 

at 859-221-9921 or email her at alexarkelley@ 

gmail.com for more information. 


With 40 titles and counting, Dolby ® Atmos is 

transforming the world of motion pictures. 

The Dolby Atmos Cinema Processor CP850 now brings 

this revolutionary audio experience to your theatre. 

DOLBY ATMOS CINEMA PROCESSOR CP850 

AVAILABLE 

NOW! 

Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Dolby Atmos is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories. 

© 2013 Dolby Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. S13/26912

• Comprehensive cinema ad sales 

• Innovative new pre-show, The Limelight, 

designed to entertain 

• Leading edge technology and flexibility 

with any digital installation system 

• Totally turnkey execution 

• Lobby Promotions 

• Alternative Content Programming 

To learn more, contact us today 

David Ostrander 

212-497-0490 

dostrander@screenvision.com 

www.screenvision.com

Boxoffice® Pro - August 2013

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