Boxoffice - March 2018

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MARCH 2018
John Cena,
Leslie Mann,
Ike Barinholtz,
Geraldine Viswanathan,
Kathryn Newton,
and Gideon Adlon
star in Universal’s Blockers
WRITER’S BLOCK
INTERVIEW WITH
BLOCKERS DIRECTOR
KAY CANNON
LASER FOCUS
A LOOK AT THE
LATEST PROJECTION
OFFERINGS
GROUP EFFORT
HOW MARCUS
REVITALIZED GROUP
SALES
TRAILER WARS
THE MOVIES THAT
WON THE SUPER
BOWL BATTLE
The Official Magazine of the National Association of Theatre Owners

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2018 VOL. 154 NO. 3
The moviegoing experience is currently undergoing a period of
rapid innovation. From the lobby to the auditorium, there are
countless examples of new concepts and technologies that are
making an impact on today’s audiences. Cinema is an industry
that has always embraced innovation as a catalyst for its evolution.
The shifts have been momentous (the coming of sound and color)
and subtle (the widespread implementation of air-conditioning
comes to mind), each one acting as a building block to a brighter
future. Throughout its 98-year history, Boxoffice has provided
the exhibition community a front-row seat to the changes that
have transformed the film industry.
Our mission is to report on these topics in a neutral manner,
including as many viewpoints and dimensions as possible. Today’s Boxoffice isn’t a vehicle for
opinionated writing. For several years now, you might have noticed an absence of movie reviews
and editorial columns. Most importantly, this publication does not make any recommendations
on any vendors or services. Exhibition is a diverse community, with many different businesses
and business models; our editorial responsibility is to inform, not to suggest. Although we avoid
trafficking in opinions, we do admit one clear editorial bias: an unabashed belief in the future of
this industry.
Boxoffice’s partnership with the National Association of Theatre Owners, now in its 11th year,
firmly establishes our editorial freedom in covering the trends and topics surrounding our industry.
It’s been a fruitful collaboration that has allowed us to bring our readers exclusive content
from an association that, like ourselves, is completely dedicated to promoting the cinema business,
culture, and experience. The executives, companies, and services profiled in Boxoffice are determined
exclusively by our editorial staff, and should not be mistaken as endorsements—not from
our writers and certainly not from our partners at NATO.
We are releasing this issue on the eve of CinemaCon, as the global exhibition community once
again prepares to convene in Las Vegas to address the challenges and opportunities that await in
the coming years. The future is impossible to predict (although our analysts at Boxoffice Pro do
their best ahead of each opening weekend), but you can count on Boxoffice to continue acting
as the reference publication for the people dedicated to expanding the impact and influence of
theatrical exhibition.
We intend our coverage to be part of a wider conversation, inclusive of the new ideas and innovations
that have helped cinema flourish. Any worthwhile conversation involves listening, and we
look forward to hearing your thoughts on our work throughout the year.
Julien Marcel
Chief Executive Officer
Boxoffice Media
julien@boxoffice.com
COVER STORY
WRITER’S BLOCK
Interview with Blockers director
Kay Cannon
48
POPULAR ALTERNATIVES
A look at the winners of the
Event Cinema Association awards
26
GROUP EFFORT
Clint Wisialowski, Marcus Theatres’ VP of Sales,
explains how the circuit revitalized its group
36
MEMORY-MAKERS OF THE FUTURE
Excerpts from SurveyMe’s drive-in survey
40
SURVEY SAYS
Going over the results with SurveyMe CEO
Lee Evans and United Drive-In Theatre Owners
Association President John Vincent
44
INCIDENT AT DIKE ROAD BRIDGE
Screenwriters Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan
on Chappaquiddick
52
2 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

2 HELLO
4 EXHIBITION BRIEFS
BOXOFFICE MEDIA
CEO
Julien Marcel
VP CREATIVE SERVICES
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10 EXECUTIVE SUITE
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MANAGING EDITOR
18 YOUNG MEMBERS COMMITTEE
20 CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
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28 SOCIAL MEDIA
30 INVESTOR RELATIONS
32 TECHNOLOGY
58 EVENT CALENDAR
60 3D CALENDAR brought to you by RealD
62 ON SCREEN
74 BOOKING GUIDE
Laura Silver
CONTRIBUTORS
Brock Bagby
Esther Baruh
Brendan Carr
Alex Edghill
John Fithian
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BOXOFFICE ® (ISSN 0006-8527), Volume 154, Number 3, March 2018. BOXOFFICE ® is published
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MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 3

EXHIBITION BRIEFS
SAMSUNG AND WANDA LAUNCH CHINA’S FIRST LED CINEMA
>> Samsung Electronics announced a partnership with Wanda Cinemas
to bring its Cinema LED Screen technology to Wanda’s Wujiaochang
theater, located in Shanghai’s Yangpu District. The theater marks the first
implementation of Samsung’s Cinema LED Screen in China, and follows
successful implementations in Asia last year in Seoul and Busan, Korea,
and Bangkok, Thailand, and also in Europe, at the Arena Cinemas Sihlcity
in Zurich, Switzerland.
“Since its introduction mid last year, Samsung’s Cinema LED Screen
has captivated the cinema industry with its potential to revolutionize the
theater and film-going experience. Through sharper colors, true-to-life
audio and an ultra-wide viewing environment, our Cinema LED Screen
makes viewers feel as if they are part of the picture,” said Seog-gi Kim,
executive vice president of visual display business at Samsung Electronics.
“Through Cinema LED, we are confident that consumers in China will
embrace the opportunity to engage with their favorite films like never
before, and are thrilled to partner with Wanda Cinemas to bring this
advanced technology to this growing market.”
The new partnership expands Samsung’s relationship with the cinema
chain. A Fortune 500 company, Wanda Cinema Line Corp. operates nearly
14,347 screens at more than 1,352 theaters around the world and also
owns global cinema brands including AMC, Carmike, Odeon, and Hoyts
Group. Even as Cinema LED at Shanghai’s Wujiaochang theater launches,
Samsung and Wanda Cinemas already are finalizing a second cinema
conversion in Beijing, with plans to open the venue to the public in the
first half of this year.
Samsung’s Cinema LED Screen is the world’s first Digital Cinema
Initiatives (DCI)–compliant high dynamic range (HDR) LED theater
display. The picture technology will be paired with its audio technologies
from JBL by Harman.
“We are honored to work with Samsung to set the new luxury theater
standard, and look forward to making the Shanghai Cinema LED theater
a must-see destination for both movie enthusiasts and casual consumers
alike,” said Qi Wang, vice president, Wanda Film Holding Co., Ltd.
20TH CENTURY FOX’S RIEDER TO RECEIVE
CINEMACON’S PASSEPARTOUT AWARD
>> Kurt Rieder, executive vice president, Asia Pacific,
20th Century Fox International, will receive
this year’s Passepartout Award. The CinemaCon
Passepartout Award is presented annually to an
industry executive who demonstrates dedication
and commitment to the international marketplace.
CinemaCon, the official convention of NATO,
will be held April 23–26, 2018, at Caesars Palace
in Las Vegas. Rieder will be presented with this
honor at the International Day Luncheon taking
place on Monday, April 23, 2018.
“I’m proud to say I’ve known Kurt Rieder for
more than 20 years. I know firsthand how dedicated
and committed he is to the industry from both an
exhibition and distribution standpoint and how
well respected he is by his peers,” noted CinemaCon
Managing Director Mitch Neuhauser. “Cinema-
Con is delighted to single him out for his great drive
and passion when it comes to the betterment of the
motion picture theater industry.”
With over 26 years of experience in the international
film industry, Rieder took on his most
current position with 20th Century Fox International
in June of 2017. Since joining he has been
responsible for establishing the Asian regional
office in Singapore and the release of War for the
Planet of the Apes, Kingsman: The Golden Circle,
Murder on the Orient Express, and The Greatest
Showman throughout Asia.
Rieder most recently served as CEO of Mars
Cinema Group, the leading exhibitor in Turkey.
Supported by a 1,600-person team controlling
over 750 screens in 32 provinces, Rieder helped his
investors sell Mars to CGV in 2016.
In 2003, Rieder joined United International Pictures
(UIP) as a vice president, and was charged with
marketing and distributing Universal, Paramount,
and DreamWorks films in Southeast Asia, before
being elevated to senior VP and adding Japan, Korea,
and China to his portfolio two years later.
In 2009, he was named managing director of
Artisan Gateway, Asia’s leading film consulting
firm, and represented clients including the MPAA,
IMAX, Galaxy Studio, and UIP in several territories,
including Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong,
Vietnam, China, and Turkey. He served as CEO of
leading cinema circuit Golden Village starting in
2011 and led the company to record annual profits
in his two-year stint, before joining Mars in 2013.
4 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

B&B AND DEALFLICKS LAUNCH INVENTORY OF
TICKETS AND DEALS
>> Movie theater chain B&B Theatres and
Dealflicks have launched a mix of full-priced
tickets and deals across B&B’s 391 screens and 49
theaters. While online ticketing for all films and
show times will be available, a varied amount of
ticket and concessions deals will be available for
movies on certain days. Availability and prices will
differ depending on time of day, day of week, seat
availability, and other factors. All B&B sales will
run through movieXchange, Vista Group’s newest
ticketing API. By compiling the sales and API
inventory data, Dealflicks’ pricing and inventory
can be better customized as time goes on.
“We are thrilled about taking our partnership
with Dealflicks to the next level while being the
first exhibitor to launch on this new technology,”
said Bobbie Bagby Ford, executive vice president
for B&B Theatres. “This type of dynamic offering
is what we have been looking for since online
ticketing arrived over a decade ago.”
Dealflicks launched in 2012 with two independent
theaters in California. Since then, the startup
has grown to over 500 locations and raised over $4.2
million in capital. While Dealflicks’ product has
traditionally been deals, this new partnership with
B&B Theatres marks the beginning of Dealflicks’
next phase—dynamic pricing for all movie tickets.
“Dealflicks has been the No. 1 leader in the
movie ticketing deal space for the past few years,”
said Sean Wycliffe, the CEO and founder of
Dealflicks. “But now, we can be the first and last
stop for moviegoers when they are looking to
see a film. Dealflicks can now not only offer the
best price, as we have been doing, but we can
also offer the entire inventory of the theater to
customers, allowing them to buy all their movie
tickets in one place.”
CINEMARK’S OWENS RETIRES; JOSTRAND
PROMOTED TO SVP REAL ESTATE
>> Jay Jostrand has been promoted to senior
vice president of real estate at Cinemark and will
succeed Tom Owens, who will retire at the end of
March. Jostrand will oversee all new and repositioned
domestic theater assets while seeking merger
and acquisition prospects. Owens has agreed to
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 5

EXHIBITION BRIEFS
provide consulting services to the company for
strategic opportunities following his retirement.
“Tom has been an invaluable member of the
Cinemark executive leadership team and will be
deeply missed, both personally and professionally,”
said Mark Zoradi, CEO. “We are incredibly thankful
for his significant contributions to the company,
including the development of an outstanding
real estate department. With Jay’s leadership and
outstanding track record, Cinemark is well poised
for continued success in developing and expanding
our domestic circuit. We wish Tom a happy and
healthy retirement and congratulate Jay on his
well-deserved promotion.”
“It has been an honor and a privilege to work
alongside the Cinemark team spanning more than
two decades,” said Owens. “Jay has been instrumental
in the development and implementation of
our new build and recliner initiatives. As such, I am
confident in his ability to oversee Cinemark’s real
estate division and anticipate a seamless transition.”
“I greatly look forward to overseeing Cinemark’s
real estate team and building upon the success we
have recognized to date,” said Jostrand. “With our
balanced and disciplined investment approach, we
will maintain our strong competitive positioning
throughout our domestic circuit reaching 41 states.”
Jostrand has had an extensive career in real
estate development, as well as ownership and
brokerage experience. During his 16-year tenure
with Cinemark, he has been integral in securing
locations for the company’s significant
domestic theater growth and identifying
locations for repositioning with Luxury
Lounger recliner seats.
CINÉPOLIS’S RAMÍREZ TO RECEIVE NATO
MARQUEE AWARD
>> The National Association
of Theatre Owners (NATO)
will honor Alejandro Ramírez
Magaña (left), chief executive
officer of Cinépolis, with
the 2018 NATO Marquee
Award during this year’s
CinemaCon. CinemaCon,
the official convention of
NATO, will be held April
23–26, 2018, at Caesars Palace
in Las Vegas. Ramírez is being
singled out by NATO for his
unequaled dedication, commitment, and service to
the motion picture theater industry. He will receive
his industry tribute as part of CinemaCon’s “State
of the Industry: Past, Present and Future” presentation
on Tuesday morning, April 24, which will
feature MPAA Chairman & CEO Charles Rivkin,
making his first industry appearance and address.
“As our industry becomes increasingly global, it
is appropriate that our most significant award goes
to a truly global exhibitor,” noted John Fithian,
president & CEO, NATO. “With operations
across four different continents, Cinépolis brings
moviegoing magic to millions of guests. On a
personal level, with his commitment as chairman
of the Global Cinema Federation, Alejandro has
become the leader of a united global industry. On
behalf of theater owners everywhere, congratulations
on this well-deserved honor.”
Alejandro Ramírez Magaña serves as chief
executive officer of Cinépolis, one of the largest
film exhibition companies in the world with operations
in Mexico, Brazil, Spain, India, the United
States, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Guatemala,
Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and
Panama. All in all Cinépolis operates more than
647 theaters (5,313 screens) globally, employing
more than 37,000 people. He currently serves as
chairman of the Mexican Business Council and of
the Morelia International Film Festival and serves
on the boards of BBVA Bancomer, the Mexican
Competitiveness Institute, the Sundance Institute,
and the Harvard Board of Overseers. He was
previously Mexico’s representative to the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development
and technical secretary of the Social Cabinet
in the Executive Office of the President of Mexico.
In addition he has worked for the World Bank
and the United Nations Development Program in
the areas of poverty and human development. In
2005 he was appointed as a Young Global Leader
by the World Economic Forum and served as cochair
at the WEF’s annual meeting in 2012. Also
in 2012, President Calderon appointed him as
chair of the B20, the G20’s Business Summit. He
holds a BA in economics from Harvard University,
an MSc in development economics from the
University of Oxford, and an MBA from Harvard
Business School.
Most recently Ramírez was named chairman
of the newly formed Global Cinema Federation
(GCF), a worldwide body representing the global
6 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

interests of exhibitors in more than 90 territories.
The industry’s two leading trade associations,
NATO and UNIC, along with the 12 international
cinema companies, are the founding members of
the new group.
IMAX SIGNS WITH ECUADOR’S SUPERCINES
>> IMAX Corporation and Supercines, the largest
cinema operator in Ecuador, have announced a
sales agreement for five new IMAX theaters in
Ecuador. The theaters will be added to a combination
of new and existing complexes throughout
Ecuador with three to be located in the city of
Guayaquil, one in the city of Ambato, and another
in the city of Machala. The deal brings to seven
Supercines’ total IMAX footprint with theaters
currently in operation in Guayaquil and in Quito.
“As the largest exhibitor and commercial developer
in the country operating IMAX sites that
are among the highest grossing in Latin America,
Supercines is a strategic partner,” said IMAX CEO
Richard L. Gelfond. “Interest in IMAX continues
to build among our existing partners and new exhibitors
in Latin America as they seek to differentiate
their theaters with the ultra-immersive IMAX
format. We are delighted with today’s multi-theater
commitment, which we believe will support our
growth efforts in Latin America.”
“After a thorough review of offerings, including
the option to develop our own private label
theater, it was clear that IMAX provides the most
differentiated branded cinematic experience
available,” said Johnny Czarninski Baier, executive
president, Corporación El Rosado, Supercines.
“Our commitment to delivering a customer-focused
cinema experience is a perfect fit with
IMAX’s cutting-edge technology and blockbuster
film slate. We look forward to continuing this
successful relationship and integrating IMAX as a
key element to our growth efforts.”
CTC APPOINTS LEWTHWAITE AND CAFFELLE TO
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
>> CTC, the global cinema technology network,
has appointed Sarah Lewthwaite (managing director
and SVP Europe, Movio) and Sandie Caffelle
(sales and marketing manager, Jack Roe) to its
board of governors.
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 7

EXHIBITION BRIEFS
SARAH LEWTHWAITE (LEFT)
AND SANDIE CAFFELLE (RIGHT)
“Technology
continues to drive
much of the change
within the global
cinema industry, and
we’re delighted to
welcome Sarah and
Sandie to the team,”
said Richard Mitchell,
president of CTC.
“Whilst traditionally
CTC has focused on technological developments
within the auditorium, technology has spread rapidly
throughout the cinema estate from ticketing
through to point-of-sale, loyalty programs, digital
signage, and interactive experiences. These technologies
are creating new and exciting experiences
for moviegoers, and we believe with the addition of
the knowledge and expertise of Sarah and Sandie,
along with the skills of the entire CTC team, we
can bring significant knowledge and expertise to
help the industry leverage a better return on investment
from these,” he added.
Sarah Lewthwaite is MD and SVP for leading
global marketing data analytics company Movio
(a Vista Group International company). In her
role she leads business development and provides
strategic services to global exhibitors. Lewthwaite
has over 15 years of cinema and loyalty experience
and was formerly vice president of marketing at
Cineplex Entertainment in Canada. A regular
presenter and contributor at exhibitions, seminars,
and events, Lewthwaite was named in Celluloid
Junkie’s 50 Top Women in Cinema 2017 and is
one of a small number of individuals selected to
receive mentoring under UNICs Women’s Cinema
Leadership Scheme aimed at providing support
and guidance to international female cinema professionals
with their careers.
Sandie Caffelle is sales and marketing manager
for Jack Roe, a turn-key cinema IT systems provider.
Caffelle has worked with Jack Roe for over 26
years and has developed her skills from supplying
35-millimeter film products in the early days to
the core elements of today’s business: ticketing
and point of sale, digital signage, movie information
lines, and a wide range of software solutions,
including the latest data analytics. She is widely
respected globally for delivering tailored solutions
to exhibitors and supporting these with outstanding
customer service.
NIELSEN JOINS XPERI AS VP
>> H. Loren Nielsen (above) has joined Xperi
Corporation as vice president, content relations
and strategy. Nielsen will serve as the studio liaison
for DTS:X object-based immersive sound technology
from DTS, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Xperi. DTS:X technology enables filmmakers and
studios to create and distribute immersive sound to
audiences around the world.
Nielsen will lead the effort, in collaboration
with content owners, to identify movie titles that
would benefit from a release in DTS:X format. She
will also engage with content creators to ensure a
comprehensive and compelling approach to their
workflow and distribution needs utilizing DTS
technologies and tools.
“Loren has worked with us for the last year
providing strategic input, and we’re thrilled to
now have her leading DTS’s outreach to studios,”
said Bill Neighbors, SVP and GM, home, cinema,
digital media, and streaming solutions at Xperi.
“Her experience introducing new technologies to
the theatrical industry will be of great value as we
work closely with content creators and distributors
to expand the next generation of immersive
sound technology to theaters, homes, and mobile
devices everywhere.”
Nielsen was co-founder and president of Entertainment
Technology Consultants (ETC), where
for 20 years she crafted strategy and content for
media companies developing cutting-edge digital
technology in content creation, distribution, and
exhibition. Throughout her career, Nielsen’s work
has focused on spearheading the introduction of
breakthrough visual and audio technologies to her
extensive network in the entertainment world. n
8 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

EXECUTIVE SUITE
NATO UNVEILS NEW
CODE OF CONDUCT
FOR ALL OFFICIAL EVENTS
by John Fithian, President, NATO, and Jackie Brenneman,
Counsel and Director of Industry Relations, NATO
JOHN FITHIAN
JACKIE BRENNEMAN
“IF ALL THE WOMEN WHO HAVE
BEEN SEXUALLY HARASSED
OR ASSAULTED WROTE ‘ME
TOO’ AS A STATUS, WE MIGHT
GIVE PEOPLE A SENSE OF THE
MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM.”
–ALYSSA MILANO–
>> It started last October when a group of women
went public with their stories of sexual assault and
harassment at the hands of a very powerful movie
mogul. The group of women joining the outcry
against that one man has grown to more than 70.
Investigations and likely prosecutions are pending
in Los Angeles, New York, and London. Since
October, other movie and television executives,
directors, and actors have been implicated in a
wide range of illegal, illicit, and inappropriate sexual
behavior.
Indeed, no sector of American business and culture
can claim to be free of misconduct of a sexual
nature. As the public outcry grew over the past five
months, more and more women felt enabled to tell
their stories about men in powerful positions and
the abuse they levied. The movement has called out
television personalities, comedians, corporate executives,
politicians, religious figures, sports doctors,
and more.
Picking up on a technique used previously by
social activist Tarana Burke, actress Alyssa Milano
used the hashtag #MeToo to encourage other
women to speak out and demonstrate the breadth
of the problem of sexual assault and harassment.
Since then, the phrase has been tweeted and posted
millions of times, as more and more women (and
some men, though at much smaller numbers) have
spoken up.
Although harassment has been happening in silence
for years, settlements and secrecy are no longer
acceptable. The dialogue that began in October
was far from the first time that women have gone
public with sexual harassment or assault allegations
against a powerful man. However, this was the first
time that there were real, public consequences. The
nation, and indeed the world, has now been confronted
with an ugly reality that demands action in
response. Every person and every entity should ask
what they can do to make things better.
The first baby step has been taken as a result
of the sheer volume and intensity of the victims’
stories—simple awareness. Although many women
have been sharing these stories privately for years,
this mass disclosure has revealed the true extent
of the issue. Positive actions cannot be developed
10 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

qsc.com

EXECUTIVE SUITE
without a better
CODE OF CONDUCT
understanding of the
CinemaCon is the largest and most important scope and nature of
gathering of the motion picture theater industry, the problem to be
addressed. And unfortunately,
this problem
with attendees from cinema companies, studios,
vendors, and more from across the globe. All participants,
attendees, speakers, sponsors, trade floor universal. In a 2017
is ubiquitous and
exhibitors, staff and volunteers at CinemaCon are poll by the Washington
required to agree with the following code of conduct.
We expect cooperation from all participants 54 percent of women
Post and ABC News,
to help ensure a safe and nonhostile environment
in the United States
reported receiving unwanted
and inappro-
for everybody.
The National Association of Theatre Owners is priate sexual advances.
committed to allowing attendees to experience Another important
step depends on
CinemaCon free of harassment, discrimination,
our governments.
sexism, and threatening or disrespectful behavior.
CinemaCon attendees violating this policy
Elected and appointed
officials should
may have their credentials or access revoked respond to their constituents
by improv-
without a refund at the discretion of the conference
organizers.
ing laws and policies.
For instance, the
Please note we will also be setting up a 24-hour
U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity
hotline during convention dates, allowing
attendees at any time to report the behavior if Commission should
they are being harassed or witness someone release its final sexual
else being harassed.
harassment enforcement
guidance,
We value your attendance and appreciate your which is currently
adherence to this policy.
stalled at the Office
of Management and
Budget. A draft of
this proposed update was released in January
2017. Final guidelines could not be more timely
and more necessary than right now. Employers
and employees alike would benefit from modern,
useful guidance. In addition, some state
and local governments are challenging the use
of nondisclosure agreements in settlements
with harassers, which silence victims and allow
harassers to continue their inappropriate and
dangerous behavior.
Our government can also lead by example. The
existing harassment complaint system in the U.S.
Congress, for example, is overly complicated with
confidentiality provisions and built-in waiting periods.
Legislation is now pending to hold our elected
officials to a higher standard.
But industry and institutional leaders must
also act. All employers have a legal and often
contractual obligation to maintain a workplace
free from sexual harassment. Many employers
have responded to the awareness of the current
times to revise and improve their policies
and practices and to conduct vitally important
training involving all their employees. And in
some cases, representatives of the employees will
be watching. The entertainment industry’s actors’
guild, SAG-AFTRA, recently issued a new code
of conduct to better define what harassment is,
and what employees’ rights are.
This movement is about more than just harassment.
If women are to have true equality in the
workplace, it is up to employers to create a culture
that supports female employees. Women need
to feel empowered to speak out about workplace
harassment, and that requires confidence that their
employers will listen and that consequences will be
more than symbolic.
Here at NATO and CinemaCon, we also want
to take action. At NATO, we have long espoused
the importance of diversity both on screen and
off as not only the right thing to do—but as
good business. If we wish to promote a diverse
environment, we must support that belief with
actions. We believe that policies against sexual
intimidation and harassment should not
just apply to staff and organizers of events, but
should be extended to all attendees. So NATO
and CinemaCon have adopted a new Code of
Conduct that will apply to all of our events—including
conventions, board and annual meetings,
and educational summits. The first event subject
to this policy will be CinemaCon 2018, to be
held in Las Vegas from April 23 to 26. We also
followed the lead of Sundance Film Festival’s new
code of conduct and decided to establish a call
hotline for use by anyone at CinemaCon who
feels subject to intimidation or harassment.
Please review the full Code of Conduct set forth
in the box adjacent to this column. NATO and
CinemaCon will publicize this policy to all delegates
and attendees, and it will be strictly enforced. n
12 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.
Carlos.Chan@Fox.com

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
ESTHER BARUH
LIGHTS, CAMERA,
CAPTIONS
THE DOJ ACCESSIBILITY RULE
by Esther Baruh,
NATO Director, Government Relations
Movie theater owners have been busy ramping
up orders and installations of closed-captioning
(CC) and audio-description (AD) equipment in
advance of the June 2, 2018, compliance date of
the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) final rule on
movie captioning and audio description. Under
this rule, digital movie theaters are required to
provide a certain number of CC and AD devices
so that patrons with hearing and vision disabilities
can enjoy the magic of the movies.
The contours of the final rule, which was published
by the DOJ in December 2016, were the
result of a collaborative process between the National
Association of Theatre Owners and deaf and
hard-of-hearing advocacy groups. NATO and the
advocacy groups submitted a joint comment to the
Justice Department outlining a path forward for
compliance, including a minimum number of captioning
and audio-description devices. NATO also
secured the support of the chairman and ranking
member of the House Judiciary Committee for this
joint comment. Along with the advocates, NATO
met with the White House and pressed the Obama
Administration to adopt the agreement. This
process succeeded. The agreed-upon minimums, as
well as other provisions suggested in this comment,
like excluding drive-in and analog theaters, were
included in the final rule.
Theater operators should be aware that they
must presently be following certain aspects
of the rule if they have CC and AD systems
installed and available. The rule became effective
on January 17, 2017, requiring all digital
auditoriums that were already equipped with
CC and AD equipment and were making those
technologies available to the public to immediately
comply with the rule’s requirements on
advertising and staff training. A description of
those requirements follows in this article. Similarly,
any movie theater that installed captioning
and description technologies from January 17,
2017, onward is also required to comply with
the advertising and staff training requirements,
even if that installation occurs before the June 2,
2018, compliance date.
Small businesses that provide auxiliary aids to
comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act
can claim a federal tax credit of up to $5,000 for
expenses between $250 and $10,250. To qualify
for this tax credit, the business must have 30 or
fewer employees or $1 million or less in gross
receipts from the previous year. Small businesses
that meet these qualifications can claim this credit
on IRS Form 8826.
A summary of the rule’s highlights follows:
Covered Theaters: All digital auditoriums are
required to comply with the rule. Analog auditoriums
are excluded from this requirement. The DOJ
may engage in rulemaking at a later date regarding
exclusively analog auditoriums. If a movie auditorium
is converted from analog to digital projection
after the rule is published in the Federal Register,
the theater has either six months or within 24
months of publication in the Federal Register to
install CC and AD systems in that auditorium,
whichever is later.
Drive-In Theaters: Drive-in theaters are exempted
from this rule.
Closed-Captioning Scoping Requirements:
Theaters covered by this rule are required to have a
minimum number of CC devices based on screen
count. Those minimums are:
• Single screen: 4 devices
• 2–7 screens: 6 devices
• 8–15 screens: 8 devices
• 16+ screens: 12 devices
Record Keeping and High Demand: The DOJ
did not impose a record-keeping requirement in
this rule, nor did the Department require theaters
to increase their minimum device numbers if
demand exceeds supply. Instead, the DOJ “strongly
encourages” theaters located in places with an
“unusually high concentration” of deaf and hardof-hearing
individuals to work voluntarily with
their local communities to maintain an appropriate
number of devices or adopt other approaches to
satisfy this higher demand.
(continued on page 16)
14 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
DOLBY CAPTIVIEW IS A
PERSONAL IN-THEATER CLOSED
CAPTIONING SYSTEM FOR
HEARING-IMPAIRED MOVIE
AUDIENCES THAT TRANSMITS
AND RECEIVES CLOSED
CAPTIONS ON A WIRELESS
FREQUENCY.
Audio-Description Scoping Requirements:
Theaters covered by this rule are required to have a
minimum number of AD devices based on screen
count. Theaters must have one AD device for every
two digital auditoriums (rounded up to the nearest
whole number), with a minimum of two devices
per theater. Theaters that use two-channel assistive-listening
receivers that are compatible with
AD systems can meet their AD scoping requirements
with these two-channel receivers.
Device Maintenance: Theaters must “properly maintain”
CC and AD devices so that the devices are fully
operational, available in a timely manner, and easily
usable. CC devices must be adjustable and must
provide clear, sharp images to ensure readability.
Alternative Technologies (Open Captioning):
The rule does not require theaters to provide
open-captioned shows. A theater can use open
captioning as an alternative to comply with the
requirement to obtain CC devices if (1) the theater
exhibits open-captioned movies at all show times of
all movies available with open captions or (2) the
theater turns on open captions at all times it receives
a request to turn on open captioning prior to the
start of a movie. If a theater holds only some open
captioned show times, the theater will still have to
comply with the requirements to obtain CC devices.
Advertising-Captioned and Audio-Described
Show Times: Theaters must advertise the availability
of CC and AD show times in the following ways,
if the theater uses these methods to announce show
times: At the box office and other ticketing locations,
on websites and mobile apps, in newspapers,
and over the telephone. Movie theaters that already
have CC and AD systems installed and available for
patrons must comply with this now, even if the installation
occurs before the compliance date, because
the rule is already in effect.
Staff Training: At least one employee must be
available at all times to assist a patron requesting
CC and AD devices. This employee must be
able to locate, activate, and operate the devices;
address any problems with device usage; turn on
open captioning if the theater is relying on open
captioning to meet the requirements of this rule;
and communicate effectively with patrons about
how to use, operate, and resolve issues with the
devices. Movie theaters that already have CC and
AD systems installed and available for patrons
must comply with this now, even if the installation
occurs before the compliance date, because
the rule is already in effect.
Movies without Captioning or Audio-Description
Files: Movie theaters are not prohibited from
exhibiting movies that do not come with captioning
or audio-description files. Movie theaters are
not required to add captioning and audio-description
files to a movie that is not distributed with
these features. n
16 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

YOUNG MEMBERS COMMITTEE
WHAT’S NEXT
FOR CINEMA?
THIS COLUMN IS PART OF THE ONGOING
EFFORT TO HIGHLIGHT THE VIEWS OF
NATO’S YOUNG MEMBERS COMMITTEE
by Brock Bagby
Executive Vice President, B&B Theatres
The birth of film studios, the introduction of sound,
Technicolor, drive-ins, multiplexes, megaplexes, dine-in
movie theaters, the digital revolution—the list goes on and
on. With so many changes in movie theaters over the last
century, the persistent question remains: what will define
the industry going forward?
BROCK BAGBY
>> Our industry enjoys a long tradition of
innovation and evolution. Through the years, we
have quickly embraced advances in projection
and audio presentation, stadium seating (and now
reserved luxury seating), premium large format
(PLF), extended-menu and alcohol service, and
so much more. But we are still seeing an ongoing
variety of imaginative and progressive cinema
venues and designs. Guests have a bevy of options
to choose from, especially in major metropolitan
markets. For example, in Dallas you can go to
a $4 matinee at one location or a $25 evening
ticket at another. Within that price range, the
range of amenities includes sloped floors, stadium
seating, recliner seating, dine-in, PLF, IMAX, and
4D. With so many available options in the existing
marketplace, what can we really do to up our
game (yet again), and what is the next evolution
in cinema?
From this Young NATO board member’s
perspective: a lot!
There is always doom and gloom in a
down year, and last year was, well, down. The
innovations, however, didn’t stop. The future of
cinema and the upcoming variations are exciting
and challenging.
Visceral Experiences
Guests want to see even more options and we
are deliberately offering those choices to them.
The buzzwords at CinemaCon last year were
visceral and experience.
Visceral: coming from strong emotions and not
from logic or reason.
Experience: the process of doing and seeing
things and of having things happen to you.
These definitions are inextricably linked. The
future of cinema will go beyond a big screen and
a fat seat. Guests will want to have visceral experiences
within the cinema, occurrences that elicit an
emotional reaction. This will involve taking moviegoing
to the next level. That means more event
cinema programs that create an “experience.”
Millennials are craving these event outings more
18 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

and more want a communal event. For example, last year for
Baywatch, B&B Theatres had a one-night-only Baywatch Beach
Party. This included T-shirts, EMTs on-site teaching CPR,
drink specials, lobby games, activities, and trivia. This one-off
event created an evening with a strong emotional connection
to a program that could only be experienced at the cinema, and
it sold out everywhere. These types of events will only become
more popular and more in-demand going forward.
Technology
Technology is ever-changing and the theater industry never
stops inventing. The future is here with so many recent booms
in technology. Blossoming and promising advances such as 4D,
Direct-View, laser, immersive sound, and virtual reality were incomprehensible
just a few years ago. Now we are seeing guests
and theater owners all over the world embracing new tech every
year. The innovations won’t stop and can’t stop. Technology will
continue to improve and guests will continue to be amazed for
many years to come. Our job is to remain on the forefront and
commit to a culture of innovation.
Entertainment Centers/Cultureplex and more!
Like I said, guests want choices when it comes to their
moviegoing experiences But they also want options that don’t
involve movies at all! In the future, cinemas will be more than
simply movie theaters but rather gathering places where guests
can enjoy varied entertainment activities. CVG Cinemas has
started building “Cultureplexes” that offer several formats and
options under one roof. Others are building entertainment centers
with bowling, arcades, theaters, restaurants, and more. This
idea of a cultural experience and an all-in evening is becoming
more popular among millennials and their children. These
entertainment centers (not to be mistaken for family fun centers)
can be a multiuse, multigenerational space for everyone.
The experiences can differ from auditorium to auditorium and
from bar area to lounge spaces to arcades and more. Theater
owners will create different pockets and uses of space to define
the areas of the building. This idea creates a more usable space
for different events based on time of day, demographic interest,
and so much more.
Considering all this and other exciting changes ahead, it’s
still very important that we understand and remember one
thing: we are a movie theater industry first and foremost. We
must continue to create the best moviegoing experience possible
and design flawless auditoriums with the best in sight and
sound for our guests. But once we get that right (and we have),
we owe it to ourselves and our guests to dream a bit more and
discover what could be next. So, what is the pending revolution
in cinema, and who will blaze the trail? Let’s all step back
and dream for a moment—because in my dreams the future
looks bright! n
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 19

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
Compiled by Erica Lopez, Executive Director,
Variety – The Children’s Charity of the United States
VARIETY OF ST. LOUIS’ DINNER WITH THE STARS
FEATURING JOHN LEGEND
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Peabody Opera House
varietystl.org/dinner-with-the-stars
>> Variety of St. Louis is pleased to announce that master of
musical styles and platinum-selling performer John Legend will
headline Dinner with the Stars, Variety’s pinnacle event to
top off Variety Week. Dinner with the Stars has been Variety
St. Louis’ premier black tie gala for more than 50 years.
This event, chaired for the 22nd consecutive year by the
incomparable Marilyn Fox, brings together some of St.
Louis’ most esteemed, philanthropic citizens to celebrate
Variety and experience a performance from an iconic,
critically acclaimed entertainer.
Multi-award-winning, platinum-selling singersongwriter
John Legend has garnered 10 Grammy
Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe,
among others. Legend recently released his fifth
studio album “Darkness and Light,” featuring his
current hit “Love Me Now,” to rave reviews. The
multitalented Legend also serves as one of the
principals for Get Lifted Film Co., a film and television
production company that serves as executive
producers on well-known works, including the HBO
documentary Southern Rites, WGN America’s series
Underground, and films such as La La Land.
St. Louis native, actor, comedian, and movie
producer Joe Torry will host the evening’s
program alongside some Variety kids. The
program will feature a performance by
the inclusive Variety Children’s Chorus and
celebration of Variety’s 2018 Man and Woman
of the Year, Louis. B. “LB” Eckelkamp Jr. and Cheri
Fromm.
20 MARCH 2018

PAST EVENTS
VARIETY DC
>> Variety DC partnered with Children’s
National Hospital to raise funds
for the Pediatric Rehabilitation Research
Program at an advance private screening
of Black Panther on February 15 at the
AMC Courthouse Plaza 8 in Arlington,
Virginia. All proceeds went to the Pediatric
Rehabilitation Research Program at
Children’s National to provide support
for the cooperative research program
between Sheikh Zayed Institute Bioengineering
and Physical Medicine and Rehab
to develop novel therapeutic devices for
children with physical disabilities. More
than 175 people attended the event,
learned more about the latest technology
advances in mobility, and met Dr. Bear.
VARIETY OF DETROIT
Chili Mac and Appetizer Cook-Off
Left to right: Jeffrey King, Melissa Foster, John Foster,
David King
>> The Chili Mac and Appetizer Cook-
Off was held on January 26, 2018, at
The Townsend Hotel. Guests enjoyed
an evening of great food, dancing, and a
wonderful raffle in support of Variety’s
core programs. Co-chairs for the event
were David King and Dante Rosa.
VARIETY OF IOWA
Des Moines Sweetheart Charity Date
Night Auction
>> Variety Iowa’s Des Moines Sweetheart
Charity Date Night Auction was held
on February 10 at Jasper Winery. This
event for singles and young professionals
featured 20 of the most eligible men and
women from around Des Moines. Admission
included appetizers, dessert, and the
opportunity to bid.
Black Tie Gala
>> Variety Iowa’s Black Tie gala evening
on January 19 at the Ron Pearson Center
was emceed by Des Moines native
David Anthony Higgins, known for
his role in hit television show Mike and
Molly. The evening featured cocktails,
dinner, and dancing.
Mommy and Me: Sweetheart Dance
>> Variety Iowa’s Mommy and Me:
Sweetheart Dance at the Downtown
Holiday Inn on February 17 created
unforgettable memories. Guests enjoyed
dancing, capturing memories, sampling
from appetizers and dessert buffet, and
getting creative with a craft activity.
UPCOMING EVENTS
VARIETY OF DETROIT:
SHINE FASHION SHOW
March 11, 2018
The Somerset Collection
2 p.m.
bit.ly/2oeKB0U
>> This heartwarming fashion show, featuring
the beautiful children of FAR and
Variety, will benefit the camp programs of
FAR Therapeutic Arts & Recreation and
the Variety 4-H Horseback Riding Program.
Co-chairs for the event are Brooke
A. Kircher and Ruthie Seltzer.
VARIETY OF SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA’S DAY AT THE
RACES
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Santa Anita Race Track
Check-in begins at noon.
First race is 1:00 p.m.
bit.ly/VarietyDATR
>> Variety SoCal’s Day at the Races first
started in 1998 as a way for members
to enjoy an afternoon with friends and
colleagues while raising funds to help
children. This year we are proud to honor
Warner Bros.’ Gigi Lestak, a longtime
friend and supporter of Variety. Nearly
350 people attended our 2017 event. We
hope you’ll join us turf-side at picturesque
Santa Anita Park for this year’s
exciting event.
VARIETY OF FLORIDA’S
11TH ANNUAL BENEFIT
WINE TASTING
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Mini Cooper Showroom
350 S Lake Destiny Drive
Orlando, FL
7–10 p.m.
(407) 992-4000
winetasting@dunhill.net
>> Proceeds from this charitable event
will benefit the Arnold Palmer Hospital
for Children. Individual tickets are available
for $100, or a $1,000 sponsorship
for 12 tickets. n
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 21

INDIE FOCUS
b r o u g h t t o y o u b y
BEST-PERFORMING
TITLES (2017)
Darkest Hour
The Big Sick
The Shape of Water
Loving Vincent
Lady Bird
Victoria and Abdul
The Disaster Artist
Phantom Thread
I, Tonya
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Call Me by Your Name
BEST PERFORMING
TITLES (HISTORICAL)
The Artist
Slumdog Millionaire
Moonrise Kingdom
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
It’s a Wonderful Life
Jaws
The Blob
HISTORY
Built in 1903, the 114-year-old
Colonial Theatre is the last surviving
of four theaters that once existed
in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.
In its early days, the Colonial was
home to live stage shows, vaudeville
acts, and musicals, as well as appearances
by Harry Houdini and Mary Pickford.
Cinephiles know that the Colonial also
played a memorable role in cinema
history as a setting for the 1958 sci-fi and
cult classic The Blob, starring Steve Mc-
Queen. An iconic historic landmark, the
Colonial has also been a catalyst for the
Borough of Phoenixville’s now-successful
economic revitalization and development.
In 1999, the theater was purchased
from the Phoenixville Area Economic
Development Corporation (PAEDCO)
by the nonprofit organization formed
to own, operate, and protect the venue:
Association for the Colonial Theatre
COLONIAL THEATRE
PHOENIXVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA
Contributor: Brendan Carr, Marketing Director
(ACT). ACT was a group of volunteer
community members that included
founding Executive Director Mary Foote
and two present-day board members. At
that time Phoenixville was in the midst of
a worsening economic depression caused
by the closure of the Borough’s main
employer, the Phoenix Steel Company.
When the Colonial Theatre’s last private
owner, Jim Breneman, closed its doors in
1992, it faced an uncertain future that,
residents worried, could include demolition.
ACT knew, however, that having
a historic arts and cultural venue in
Phoenixville’s center could help with economic
recovery. Movies would provide a
reason to visit the downtown.
Visitors might spend additional
dollars at area restaurants
or future retail shops. And
longtime residents would be
reminded of brighter days in
the Borough. It relit the marquee
and reopened the Colonial Theatre
in 1999 with a screening of the German
film Run Lola Run. In the subsequent 15
years, ACT undertook over $2 million in
necessary upgrades. Initially, the founding
executive director and a projectionist
ran the Colonial with support from the
board and volunteers. Today, it is run
by an office of nine staff, additional box
office and concessions staff, and approximately
200 regular volunteers.
After a decade of operation, ACT
noticed that its membership had begun to
plateau and learned that without adding
more physical space for additional film
and live programming, revenues were
22 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

INDIE FOCUS
THE WHITE RABBIT THEATRE,
THE COLONIAL’S BLUE MID-SIZE
THEATER, HAS 174 SEATS
INCLUDING 5 WHEELCHAIR
SPACES. SEATS ARE RETRACT-
ABLE ALLOWING FOR A FLEXIBLE
SPACE THAT CAN BE USED AS
A BLACK BOX THEATER IN AD-
DITION TO A TRADITIONAL AUDI-
TORIUM. THERE ARE 49 SEATS
IN THE FIXED BALCONY AND 125
SEATS IN THE STADIUM-STYLE
RETRACTABLE SECTION.
unlikely to increase. Shortly thereafter a neighboring
historic building, the 1924 Historic Bank of
Phoenixville building, went up for sale. The board
of directors raised and contributed enough money
to purchase the site for a future capital expansion
in 2011 and undertook the planning studies
necessary for a fund-raising campaign. After a year
of construction, the Colonial Theatre’s “new wing”
opened in March 2017. The additional programming
and rental space will enable the nonprofit to
increase film programming alone by 650 percent
(from 400 feature screenings as a single-screen
theater to around 3,000 as a three-screen venue).
CAPACITY
The original, historic 1903 Colonial Theatre
auditorium seats 658 and features a balcony, a Wurlitzer
pipe organ, and both digital and 35-millimeter
projection. Our new wing located in the adjacent
former bank building showcases two additional
screens: the 65-seat Berry Theatre, which blends an
intimate Old Hollywood screening room experience
with modern digital projection and sound; and the
174-seat White Rabbit Theatre, which has retractable
seating making it a multipurpose movie theater.
The new addition also features a large lobby with
30-foot concessions stand and a Garden Suite with
rooftop deck that is available for rentals.
COMMUNITY
Cinema has galvanized our post-industrial community.
It was a rallying point that helped engage
Phoenixvillians in the
revitalization of their
town. The Colonial
Theatre continues to
facilitate civic engagement
and entertain
patrons through all-ages
programming. Our
film audience consists
mainly of visitors from
within a 30-mile radius
(all of southeastern
Pennsylvania), whereas
11 percent of concertgoers
originate from
outside this region.
In 2017 the Colonial
sold 43,000 tickets: we
estimate a 50 percent
increase this year. Recently hundreds of new rental
dwellings were constructed right in our downtown
and numerous new businesses have opened in the
last several years. Longtime and new residents mix
and mingle here at their Colonial Theatre.
CONCESSIONS
The traditional movie fare of popcorn, candy,
and soda is always the go-to choice for most of our
patrons. With the opening of our new expansion, we
added beer and wine to our concessions offerings.
That’s been very popular with our patrons as well.
PROGRAMMING
Being an independent theater helps us stand
apart from the area multiplexes in many ways.
As soon as you walk up to the theater and see the
giant marquee, you know that the Colonial is not
like the chain theaters. After you step inside, you
see the history of the theater through the blending
of the original auditorium’s vintage qualities and
the modern flourishes of the new expansion.
Although the multiplexes show some of the
same first-run movies, they seem to do so largely
because they have 15 to 25 screens to fill. We put a
lot of thought and care into our programming. We
not only program first-run indie films that appeal
to our audiences, we also try to showcase smaller
first-run films, documentaries, and foreign-language
films that we feel are worthwhile and of value to our
audience. These films are often overlooked and they
deserve a chance to find their audience.
24 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

We also have
several repertory film
programs that have
loyal followings.
Saturday afternoons
we host a Young
Audiences series
with a mix of titles
for children, teens,
and families. Every
Sunday afternoon we
present our Classic
Films program, which
screens some of the
most popular titles
like Citizen Kane
and Vertigo along
with deep cuts like
Charley Varrick and
S.O.B. We also have monthly Fright Night and
Cult Cinema programs that show everything
from Akira to Zombie. Recently, we have added
a Sensory Friendly Screenings program to our
offerings and the response has been very favorable.
Plus, the past two years we’ve participated
in the Science on Screen, which is an initiative
of the Coolidge Corner Theatre and the Alfred P.
Sloan Foundation that pairs films with presentations
by notable figures in the worlds of science,
medicine, and technology.
In addition to films, the original Colonial
auditorium also hosts multiple music concerts
throughout the year. These are presented by our
friends at Point Entertainment, who in the past
year alone have welcomed such popular artists as
Aimee Mann, Ted Leo, Richard Thompson, and
Marty Stuart.
We’re really proud that we can offer so many
different forms of programming to our members
and the community.
GRASSROOTS MARKETING
We’re a member-supported nonprofit, theater
so our best marketers are our members, volunteers,
and loyal patrons. Their eagerness to
spread the word is better at building buzz than a
TV spot. We’ve also experienced a lot of success
partnering with many of our local businesses and
community organizations via film sponsorships
and event hosting. Folks are really vested in our
community and seeing it thrive, so many of our
neighbors do a nice job promoting each other.
But our most successful form of marketing is
that we talk to our audience. Many of our staff
members have established great rapport with our
audience by engaging in conversation at the box
office and the concessions stand. There are many
audience members we not only know by name,
we also know their taste in movies and concessions
treats. We also try to introduce movies
and make ourselves available after screenings to
discuss the film and listen to patron feedback.
You learn a lot about what you’re doing right—
and wrong—when you take the time to get to
know your audience. That really encourages the
audience to visit us again.
CINEMA ADVERTISING
We began working with Spotlight Cinema
Networks in 2013 because we were looking for
ways to generate additional revenue and they
came highly recommended by other art house
theaters. We had already been doing our own
screen advertising via a PowerPoint presentation,
but we knew revenue could be increased
if we added a limited number of handpicked
commercials tailored to our audience. Spotlight
offered just that. One of the things that was most
appealing about working with Spotlight is that
they allow us to preview and approve all of the
commercials offered to us without the obligation
to show any of them. We couldn’t be happier
with Spotlight’s program. n
THE BERRY THEATRE, THE
COLONIAL’S RED LUXE THEATER,
HAS 65 SEATS INCLUDING 4
WHEELCHAIR SPACES AND IS
EQUIPPED FOR 2K DIGITAL
PROJECTION.
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 25

EVENT CINEMA
POPULAR ALTERNATIVES
A LOOK AT THE WINNERS OF THE EVENT CINEMA ASSOCIATION AWARDS
>> U.S. event cinema distributor
Fathom Events was presented with 11 admissions
awards, including the only Gold
medal for last year’s smash hit Pokémon
the Movie: I Choose You! at this year’s
Event Cinema Association conference at
the Vue West End in London.
Gold medals are awarded to those
titles that secure 500,000 admissions
worldwide, while Silver goes to those
garnering 250,000 and Bronze to those
with 100,000.
In addition to Gold for Pokémon the
Movie: I Choose You!, Fathom Events also
won 10 Bronze awards for titles as diverse
as In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem,
the documentary about the Six-Day War,
and Turner Classic Movies’ Singin’ in the
Rain 65th Anniversary.
Demonstrating the international nature
of the event cinema industry, medals
also went to UK distributors Exhibition
on Screen, Trafalgar Releasing, and the
Royal Opera House, Italy’s Nexo, Pathé
Live from France, and Piece of Magic
Entertainment from the Netherlands.
Newcomer Trafalgar Releasing won
two gongs: a Silver for Dave Gilmour
Live in Pompeii, a music concert attended
by nearly 400,000 fans in cinemas
worldwide, and a Bronze for Rammstein:
Paris, the film of the German heavy metal
band’s 2012 concert in France.
Trafalgar Director of Distribution Alice
De Rosa said, “Trafalgar Releasing has
had an incredible first year under our new
ownership and brand. It is an honor to be
recognized today by the ECA, on the first
anniversary of the new company, with
box office achievement awards for David
Gilmour Live at Pompeii and Rammstein:
Paris. We remain committed to breaking
boundaries across the film and event
cinema sector and are looking forward to
a jam-packed year ahead.”
ECA Managing Director Melissa
Cogavin said, “Every year we do this
we are encouraged by the enthusiasm
and number of medals to award to our
members. It’s an honor to recognize how
hard our members work throughout the
year, and at the ECA we want to grow the
industry; we feel that this ceremony goes
a long way to raise the profile as much as
providing a well-deserved feel-good factor
for all concerned.”
The ECA’s Awards for Excellence,
which recognizes the best exhibitors and
outstanding contribution categories, will
take place later this year. n
26 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

ECA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE WINNERS
H GOLD AWARD 500,000 ADMISSIONS
Fathom Events (USA)
Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!
POKÉMON THE MOVIE: I CHOOSE YOU!
H SILVER AWARDS 250,000 ADMISSIONS
Piece of Magic Entertainment (Netherlands)
Andre Rieu Maastricht Concert 2017
Trafalgar Releasing (UK)
Dave Gilmour Live in Pompeii
ANDRE RIEU MAASTRICHT CONCERT 2017
DISNEY’S NEWSIES: THE BROADWAY MUSICAL
RAMMSTEIN: PARIS
H BRONZE AWARDS 100,000 ADMISSIONS
Exhibition on Screen (UK)
Painting the Modern Garden from Monet to Matisse
I, Claude Monet
Fathom Events (USA)
Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical
Is Genesis History?
In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem
Jeepers Creepers 3
Samaritan’s Purse Presents Facing Darkness
The Princess Bride 30th Anniversary (1987) Presented by TCM
Steve McQueen: American Icon
Singin’ in the Rain 65th Anniversary (1952) Presented by TCM
Genesis Paradise Lost
Mully
Nexo Digital (Italy)
Loving Vincent
Pathé Live (France)
Bolshoi Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty
Bolshoi Ballet, Swan Lake
Royal Opera House (UK)
Madame Butterfly
Othello
The Nutcracker
Trafalgar Releasing (UK)
Rammstein: Paris
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 27

SOCIAL MEDIA
ALDEN EHRENREICH AS HAN SOLO IN THE UPCOMING SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY
>> Even though most viewers of this year’s Super Bowl LII were glued to their
BATTLE OF THE
SUPER BOWL
TRAILERS
OUR DIGITAL RANKING OF THE MOVIES
WITH THE MOST SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT
FROM THE BIG GAME
by Alex Edghill
screens for a nail-biting finish, our crew at Boxoffice Pro was busy watching
social media reactions to the studio trailers that aired during the big game.
This year’s cost for ad time was reportedly over $5 million per 30 seconds,
more than double the next most expensive ad market available, the Oscars,
making the Super Bowl a high-stakes turf war for digital engagement.
In prior years we have looked at a combination of USA Today’s Ad Meter,
and Twitter and Facebook returns from Super Bowl Sunday alone. This year
we will look at Ad Meter as usual, but we’ll bring in the full Monday to Sunday
social media returns after the Super Bowl to try to get a better feel for
the overall impact of the five films that aired trailers: Solo: A Star Wars Story,
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Avengers: Infinity War, Skyscraper, and Mission:
Impossible – Fallout.
28 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

Solo: A Star Wars Story leads all films with 124,986 tweets during the
week after the big game, while its 22,717 new likes were third best on
Facebook. It also led all trailers during the game according to Ad Meter’s
audience polling with a 5.59 rating. If there was any doubt that the latest
Star Wars story would break out, this performance dispelled all fears. This
will be the first Star Wars film to see a summer release since 2005’s Star
Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. While this upcoming entry is not
part of the main episodic story line, it nevertheless features Han Solo—
one of the most beloved and enduring figures in pop culture.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was next best as it led all films in Facebook
likes with 81,122, was second in Ad Meter ranking with 5.57, and
fourth in tweets with 15,014 mentions. The rebooted Jurassic World also
had a Super Bowl ad in 2015, which had 49,425 new likes in the week,
5.62 in Ad Meter, and 73,835 new tweets. The results this year were very
similar, and it looks like the sequel is going to continue the storied franchise’s
history of breaking records. Three of the first four Jurassic Park films
broke the opening-weekend record (including Jurassic World), but with
the bar set so high by Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ $248 million in 2015,
Fallen Kingdom will have its work cut out for it.
Avengers: Infinity War had the second largest return on Twitter with
92,199 tweets, and the third best Ad Meter score with 5.28, but its Facebook
numbers were just 3,645 new likes over the week. The first Avengers
film back in 2012 had a Super Bowl spot as well, but Disney skipped the
big game for its sequel, Age of Ultron. The big question is if it can once
again eclipse the $200 million mark on opening weekend. The first film
broke the opening record with its $207 million, but since then it has been
eclipsed by Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, while Age of
Ultron could “only” manage $191 million. With the recent huge successes
in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the fact that Infinity War is the
culmination of a decade of lead up and 18 previous films, if any film in
the foreseeable future can best Star Wars and rewrite the history books,
this would be it.
Mission: Impossible Fallout also had a solid showing with 27,829
tweets, a 4.85 Ad Meter ranking, and 52,640 new likes. This will be the
sixth film in the franchise, which has been a model of consistency over
the past two decades with four of the five films securing $180–$215
million in total domestic gross. It will be interesting to see if this Super
Bowl spot will help to propel it to new heights, but ironically the last
time a film in the franchise had a Super Bowl spot was 2006’s Mission:
Impossible 3, which was the lowest-grossing film in the series with $135
million domestically.
Skyscraper, the final film to air a trailer during the game, had 1,488
tweets in the week after the game, 9,745 new likes, and an Ad Meter
rating of 5.03. This was also the only of the five films with trailers during
the game that was not a sequel, and while its returns were not as showy as
some of the other films, its profile and awareness were undoubtedly raised
by the spot. n
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT
SKYSCRAPER
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 29

INVESTOR RELATIONS
CINEMA ACROSS THE STREET
INDUSTRY FINANCIAL NEWS
by Rob Rinderman
Mergers & Acquisitions
Back in our January column, we
highlighted news that UK-based Cineworld
Group PLC (LON: CINE)—
Europe’s second-largest and the UK’s
biggest cinema circuit—had announced
its intent to make an eyebrow-raising
international acquisition of Regal Entertainment
Group (NYSE: RGC), the
second-largest U.S. theatrical exhibitor
by screen count, for approximately $5.9
billion (including assumption of debt
and net of cash).
Pursuant to the terms of the merger
agreement, Regal and its representatives
were permitted to conduct what’s known
as a “go-shop” period until January 22,
seeking to solicit, initiate, discuss, and
engage in negotiations with respect to
potential alternative acquisition proposals
from third parties. They conducted this
process with the assistance of Morgan
Stanley & Co. LLC (NYSE: MS).
In aggregate, Regal and Morgan
Stanley reached out to 11 prospective
strategic bidders and 36 potential financial
bidders (including private-equity
sponsors, family offices, and sovereign
wealth and pension funds). Two parties
expressed an initial interest, and they
negotiated and entered into confidentiality
agreements with Regal. At the end
of the “go-shop” expiration period, the
company did not ultimately receive any
alternative acquisition proposals from
any parties.
In early February, Cineworld publicly
disclosed that over 87 percent of its
shareholders had voted in support of
the acquisition. This was in spite of
shareholder advisory group Institutional
Shareholder Services (ISS) going on
record opposing the takeover, expressing
concern about “significant financial and
operation risks” connected with the deal.
Cineworld believes the transaction
is on-track for a Q1 close, and hopes to
have all necessary approvals wrapped up
by early March.
Initial Public Offerings
iPic Entertainment (Nasdaq: IPIC)
recently completed its IPO, which was
initially expected to raise $25 million
for the high-end theatrical exhibitor /
in-theater dining company. iPic originally
planned an offering of 1.4 million shares
at $18.50 each, under Regulation A+, but
they subsequently raised this target to a
$40 million raise at the same share price
via investment bankers TriPoint Global
Equities LLC, Roth Capital Partners
LLC, and Telsey Advisory Group.
When the smoke cleared on February
1, iPic’s IPO had been scaled back
below previous targets, ultimately raising
approximately $15 million. The company
sold 800K+ shares to the public
at the $18.50 offering price, and the
stock opened for trading on the Nasdaq
exchange. Shares suffered in early days,
in part due to a volatile stock market that
corrected to the downside by 10+ percent
for the first time in recent years.
A portion of the proceeds from the
IPO are expected to fund four additional
new-build locations each year, beginning in
2019. The company currently has the first
four under construction in Delray Beach
and Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Frisco, Texas;
and Norwalk, Connecticut. Founder/CEO
Hamid Hashemi has indicated that another
16 locations are at various stages in the
pipeline. The current footprint includes 16
locations with 121 screens.
A week after its public offering, iPic
and Inc. magazine jointly announced a
strategic partnership to co-produce branded
on-screen editorial content. The two- to
three-minute segments will appear during
the “iPic Life” in-theater pre-show and
will include brief talks with some of the
world’s leading visionary entrepreneurs,
innovators, and disruptors. These segments
will also stream on www.ipictheaters.com
and via www.inc.com. iPic also expects to
generate incremental revenue from brands
seeking to tie-in with this creative content.
Cinema Advertising
National CineMedia (Nasdaq: NCMI)
is the cinema pre-show provider for
approximately 20,600 domestic movie
screens, owned and operated by 52 theatrical
exhibitor circuits including AMC
Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark
Holdings Group (NYSE: CNK),
and Regal Entertainment (see above re:
Cineworld acquisition).
In February, Standard General—a
NYC-based event-driven investment
fund—disclosed that its NCMI holdings
had reached 16.9 percent of the outstanding
shares and they planned to seek
two board seats at the company’s 2018
shareholder meeting. One of the candidates
may be Kurt Hall, who previously
served as chairman, president, and CEO
of NCMI.
On the Block
comScore Inc. (OTC: SCOR), a
leader in media analytics (including
tracking box office metrics), recently
announced that it has retained Goldman
Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) to explore
options, including a possible sale of the
company. Co-founder/CEO Gian Fulgoni
stepped down from his role at the
company in mid-November, accelerating
his previously planned departure date of
January 31, 2018. He agreed to remain
with the organization in a chairman
emeritus role and as a consultant until
November 2018. n
30 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

TECHNOLOGY
LASER
FOCUS
A LOOK AT THE
RECENT OFFERINGS IN
LASER PROJECTION
by Rob Rinderman
>> Investment in RGB laser technology has been on the
rise over the past several years, bringing brighter, crisper
images to cinema screens worldwide. According to research
firm IHS Markit, RGB laser installs reached a worldwide
count of 638 screens in 2017—up from 385 screens in 2016
and 89 in 2015.
“An increasing number of cinemas are being inaugurated
with all-laser projection that harnesses a mixture of premium
RGB laser on flagship screens interspersed with more economically
viable laser phosphor,” explains IHS analyst Charlotte
Jones. “While laser is becoming a dominant technology
for new venues, there has also been significant activity replacing
first-generation digital projectors with RGB, particularly
at the premium end of the cinema-going experience.”
That growth is most relevant on the global stage. Over
44 percent of today’s laser-equipped screens are located
in Asia Pacific, where China and South Korea rank as the
top two biggest markets. More mature markets like North
America and Europe claim 28 and 17 percent of the market
share, respectively.
“The growth story is being driven by a new industry
benchmark for premium screens requiring brighter 3D
presentation and HDR technology, with some exhibitors
upgrading all PLF-branded screens to RGB laser. There
are also signs the wider market is moving away from a trial
phase to a distinct commercial one with a niche but growing
trend for top-of-the range cinemas outfitted with all-RGB
laser projection,” Jones says.
IHS reports the presence of RGB laser projectors in more
than 45 territories worldwide. Considering the rise of the
technology, Boxoffice checked in with senior executives
at three of the worldwide manufacturers at the forefront of
producing and selling state-of-the-art laser projection systems
to theatrical exhibitors across the globe.
32 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

THE 10-SCREEN KINEPOLIS BREDA MULTIPLEX FEATURES ONE BARCO FLAGSHIP LASER AND NINE SMART LASER PROJECTORS.
BARCO
“The operational efficiencies of Barco
Smart Laser projectors—and the elimination
of costly lamps and associated maintenance—allow
us to upgrade our cinema
experience for the lowest possible total
cost of ownership,” says Gabriel Morales
Becker, digital cinema strategy director
for Cinépolis, one of the global leaders in
theatrical exhibition.
Barco’s Flagship Laser portfolio (for
premium screens) launched at the end of
2014, and its line of Smart Laser projectors
(for all screens) followed closely
behind the next year. “The market has
embraced laser-powered projection as the
new norm,” says Carl Rijsbrack, chief
marketing officer of NewCo Barco Cinema,
“and we’ve responded with the largest
and most comprehensive portfolio of
laser projectors in the industry to provide
exhibitors with a perfect match for every
screen that meets all their needs.”
Barco continues to add new models to
its smart laser portfolio and they will have
12 different varieties as of March. According
to Rijsbrack, “With 4,000-plus smart
laser projectors in the field, we quadrupled
the number of our laser projectors in
one year up to the point where we now
sell more laser projectors than lamp-based
projectors.”
Impressively, they expect this trend
to continue—at an accelerated pace—as
more exhibitors are convinced of the
merits of laser technology. “Our laser
projectors come with higher image quality,
easier operation and 80 percent lower
yearly op-ex than the best lamp-based
equivalents. Looking at our numbers, we
clearly see that the shift to laser-powered
projection is shifting into high gear,”
Rijsbrack says.
How does Barco view the competitive
landscape? “Exhibitors want to create
amazing movie experiences while reducing
operating costs, be it for their premium
screens or for their mainstream screens.
We take time to listen to them and leverage
the minds of our 1,000-plus engineers
to come back with the right visualization
system the cinema industry needs.”
Under its SmartCare warranty plan,
exhibitors need not worry about how their
projector’s light source output will evolve
over time. By providing superior image
quality with guaranteed light output, the
program offers 10 worry-free years of operation.
SmartCare also includes 24/7 service
support and full parts coverage.
Kinepolis, a long-time Barco customer,
opened the first “all-Barco laser” multiplex
(10 screens) in 2016 in the Netherlands.
The facility features one Barco Flagship
Laser and nine Smart Laser projectors.
“Visitor numbers have been exceeding
our expectations since Day One, which is
fantastic,” says Vicky Vekemans, theater
manager for Kinepolis. Customer-satisfaction
surveys show that patrons clearly
prefer laser-illuminated projection.
Switching to laser projection has also
helped the European exhibitor reduce
energy consumption by 30 percent, and
Kinepolis has opened three additional
all-laser cinemas powered exclusively by
Barco systems. According to Rijsbrack,
when you factor xenon lamp savings into
the equation, including reduced HVAC
costs, exhibitors have been experiencing
aggregate annual op-ex reductions of as
high as 60 to 70 percent.
On the revenue side, when Flagship
Laser systems are paired with PLF systems,
theater owners also have the potential to
generate significantly higher admissions
receipts. Research indicates that consumers
are willing to pay more at the box office for
the overall superior viewing experience on
the larger screen. (continued on next page)
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 33

TECHNOLOGY
CHRISTIE CP4325-RGB PURE
LASER CINEMA PROJECTOR
CHRISTIE
When it comes to impressing the most creative
and discerning visionaries behind the camera,
Christie proudly lists ringing endorsements from
three of the industry’s all-time best directors.
According to the company, Peter Jackson, James
Cameron, and Ang Lee all choose Christie technology
to develop, produce, screen, and deliver their
ultimate cinematic visions to appreciative audiences
around the world.
Many movie circuits also count themselves
among the biggest fans of Christie’s cutting-edge
in-theater projection systems. This includes
one of the leaders in overall screen count in the
world’s fastest-growing country for new cinema
construction.
“Our longstanding, strategic relationship with
Christie has delivered thousands of digital cinema
projectors to theaters across China,” says Jack
Wang, chief technical officer, Wanda Cinemaline
Corporation. “As we continue to grow our domestic
cinema-market share, we are looking closely at
the Christie CP4325-RGB RealLaser projector as a
strong candidate for our lineup.”
According to Brian Claypool, Christie’s vice
president of global cinema project management,
“We anticipate an increase in adoption rates as we
develop and introduce a line of Christie RealLaser
projectors, designed for mainstream cinema.”
In recent years Christie has deployed hundreds
of complete RGB laser projection solutions for
cinemas, including its own models as well as the
high-dynamic range (HDR) systems the company
has developed with and continues to supply
to Dolby Cinemas. Initially, the adoption rate of
first-generation RGB systems was primarily driven
by worldwide premium large-format (PLF) installs.
What is holding the laser industry back from
even faster growth? “The main gating factor is that
lamp-based cinema-projection systems are doing
fine, with 99 percent market share for digital-cinema
installations,” says Claypool. “There have never
been more xenon-based cinema projection devices
than there are today, with more than 100,000
digital cinema projectors worldwide still delivering
an attractive total cost of ownership (TCO).”
As a result, exhibitors are justifiably hesitant to
replace their xenon systems without a clear representation
of value, either in terms of image quality
enhancements or a superior TCO. “At Christie,
we look at supplying the industry with a mature
RealLaser illumination technology that provides a
clear advantage in both image quality and TCO,”
says Claypool.
The organization’s most recent offering, the
aforementioned Christie CP4325-RGB RealLaser
projector, was launched late last year at Cine-
Asia 2017. It employs next-generation RGB pure
laser devices, and the company’s R&D team has
succeeded in eliminating the need for any external
cooling, drastically reducing complexity and costs
for the system, without sacrificing longevity. The
system ensures an impressive and reliable operational
life of more than 30,000 hours, with only a
20 percent loss in brightness over this time.
The CP4325-RGB boasts contrast ratios of up
to 6000:1 and provides better uniformity and a
wider color gamut than competing cinema laser
projection systems, according to the company.
In addition, the projector’s compact form-factor
means that it can be easily integrated into standard
cinema booths with no additional external equipment
required.
The system offers a wide color gamut exceeding
DCI P3 specifications, enhanced contrast
ratios, and high frame-rate (HFR) compatibility.
It features Christie’s new CineLife Series 3
electronics and embedded cinema automation for
streamlined playback, scheduling, and content
management. Field tested on hundreds of screens
since 2014 with the next-generation Christie
IMB-S3, their CineLife Series 3 electronics pro-
34 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

vides backward compatibility with existing Series
2 IMB architectures.
The idea of bringing a RealLaser-based projection
system to the market with sizable advantages
in both image quality and TCO is resonating
with Christie’s broad and diverse international
customer base.
“The three (Christie) CP42LH projectors we
have installed so far in our premium auditoriums
have given us an incredible competitive edge in the
market,” says Luis Millán, owner of the Spanish
cinema chain Odeon Multicines. “Our customers
love the picture and really notice the difference
in color saturation, clarity, brightness, and
higher-contrast image quality. So, we are looking
forward to the launch of the CP4325-RGB with
its innovative and compact form factor design that
reduces system complexity and cost, while also providing
a wide color gamut,” adds Millán.
Not all laser projectors are created equal, cautions
Claypool. “Only RGB pure laser can deliver
the image performance worthy of succeeding
xenon as a mainstream cinema projection technology,”
he says. “In addition to providing the right
light for the right application, Christie is committed
to creating and delivering all technologies—
including projection, processing, and audio (with
Christie Vive Audio).
“All our efforts are aimed at delivering products
to the market that improve the exhibition experience,
as well as improve the business fundamentals
for exhibitors in general,” he concludes.
NC1201L DLP CINEMA PROJECTOR
NEC
According to senior product manager Richard McPherson,
NEC has a current worldwide installed base of 4,500 laser
projectors. “While studying the overall market share, the
adoption rate of laser may appear to be slower than expected,”
he says, but that is not necessarily the case.
“The most important factor to understand is the ratio
compared to lamp for new builds and Series1 replacements.
That, along with screen size, determines the true adoption
rate. For medium to large screen sizes the adoption rate is
higher, while small screen sizes are still predominately lamp
simply due to their location and cost.”
Cost, familiarity, and current VPF agreements are the
most prevalent reasons for slower than expected adoption
rate, says McPherson. Laser technology also comes with a
slightly higher up-front price tag, creating the appearance of
an inflated TCO, but this is a misnomer, he says.
“Familiarity breeds reluctance as exhibitors have
been satisfied with the performance of lamp-based
projectors since the industry went digital. Furthermore,
exhibitors are tied to their current VPFs, which
limits the ability to change out their current lampbased
projectors and move to laser.”
NEC covers the spectrum of laser technology in its
offerings. From simple single blue-laser / yellow-phosphor
systems designed for use with smaller screens to
its RGB laser solutions geared to PLF screens, NEC
provides technology designed for longevity and unsurpassed
image quality.
“Exhibitors have been impressed with images delivered
from every form of laser technology available on
the market,” observes McPherson. “Blue laser / yellow
phosphor, RB laser / green phosphor, along with RGB laser,
create stunningly dynamic pictures without the loss of image
brightness or brightness falloff in the corners of the screen,”
he adds.
Premium projection will continue to evolve in the coming
years, as more technologies are released under a more accessible
price point. New offerings like Samsung’s LED cinema
screen and solutions offering HDR quality images, will give
exhibitors more choice on the format that best suits their
cinemas. “The market for advanced presentation in cinemas is
growing more complex, but the need to remain competitive
and relevant in an increasingly technological world is one
that continues to drive cinemas to up their game,” says Jones.
“The major drivers remain brighter 3D and HDR technology
amid rising competition from advances in the home, but
increasingly the new competitive benchmarks [are set by]
exhibitors themselves.” n
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 35

EXHIBITOR INTERVIEW
GROUP EFFORT
CLINT WISIALOWSKI, MARCUS THEATRES’
VP OF SALES, EXPLAINS HOW THE
CIRCUIT REVITALIZED ITS GROUP
by Daniel Loria
Increasing off-peak attendance has always been a compelling challenge for
exhibitors. Marcus Theatres is no exception; in 2015 the circuit gave itself the
task of instituting a comprehensive strategy for its group sales efforts. While
by no means new or exclusive, group sales can often fall to the wayside
as day-to-day operational duties stack up for theater managers across the
country. Marcus Theatres Chairman, President, and CEO Rolando Rodriguez
appointed Clint Wisialowski, a 28-year industry veteran, to head their new
initiative. Since that time, Wisialowski and his team have helped grow the
group sales division into one of Marcus Theatres’ most dynamic revenue drivers.
Boxoffice spoke with Wisialowski to learn how the project took shape
and about the growing pains that came along with it.
CLINT WISIALOWSKI
How did you get started in exhibition, and how
did you get into your current role?
I started in 1988 when I had the opportunity
to become the manager of the Union Cinema,
through a student help position, while going to
school at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. The
Union Cinema was our one-screen cinema house
with a 35-millimeter reel-to-reel projector. That’s
what I learned on. When you’re the manager there,
it sounds more glorious than it is; I projected, sold
tickets, and managed a staff of four people. We also
booked our own films. I got a really good feel for all
aspects of the business when I was pretty darn young.
Then I thought I could do more with it. I
ended up picking up the phone, literally calling
The Marcus Corporation corporate office. I spoke
to the first person who answered the phone, whom
I believe was working for the execs, and told them
who I was, that I was interested in the position of
assistant manager or better. I ended up working
for Marcus Theatres, at the Westown Cinema in
Waukesha, Wisconsin, as the associate manager.
I bounced around to other locations from ’89 to
2004. I lived in Illinois for 11 years and had the
opportunity to open a couple of buildings, including
our Marcus Addison Cinema, and became
a city manager for Illinois at that time, having
completed my master’s degree in 2003.
I moved to the corporate office to become the
director of sales. I did that all the way up until
Rolando Rodriguez came to work with us [in 2013].
I remember having a sit-down with Rolando after he
came in, explaining my role to him. He said, “I see
bigger and better,” and in fact, it’s funny—I actually
have on my desk to this day, the handwritten piece
of paper that Rolando put together explaining what
he thought my department should be. He liked
what we were doing, but he really wanted more. He
envisioned group sales as tying different elements
together: our fund-raising program, VIP tickets, gift
cards, as well as advertising partners and sponsors.
Those all now are part of my department, and group
sales has become a catalyst for our growth.
What was required in order to bring about this
shift in strategy?
It took a big change philosophically in our
company, because prior to this, we were under an
extra-revenue program. As part of that, managers
were incentivized to sponsor group sales—to bring
and host these groups, open early and show them
films, to work with them late in the day. It was a
very, very small portion of our overall business.
We brought in a salesperson when we opened
our Majestic Cinema of Brookfield [Wisconsin].
It was pretty revolutionary for the area at the time:
it had in-theater dining, two different restaurant
concepts—a pizza place and an ice cream parlor. It
really changed how we were looking to run a theater.
The salesperson was doing what I’m doing
for the entire circuit now, but only at that one
location. We had modest success with it. We went
through a couple of different people, and then we
landed on Aimee Heineck. She’s been with this
department since the very beginning; I would call
her the founder of our group sales effort in the
theaters. Rolando wanted me to replicate some of
that success and then build upon it.
When we first came in, we had to change how
the managers were compensated in that regard.
Instead of being extra-rev, we wanted them
to look at their complex as an entire business.
36 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

Anything that could help that business do more
business, they needed to embrace and execute on,
without being tied into individual incentives for
each activity.
That was critical to the early challenge of starting
group sales. The managers needed to own the
group sales once we handed it over, but allow us to
build and develop and embrace the sales technique
of bringing more groups to them. In our business,
it’s difficult sometimes to get a hold of someone in
the theater. The manager’s working the floor, half
the time we’re tearing tickets or doing concessions.
A company that wants to do business with us can
find it very frustrating not to be able to find the
person who can help them execute on the sale. We
sat back as a group and built concessions menus
with banquet pricing. Some are more involved
than others, but we now have banquet menus that
cover all our F&B concepts.
What growing pains did you experience as you
began to expand the concept across the circuit?
We got really good at it when we did it at
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 37

EXHIBITOR INTERVIEW
the Majestic, with a person there at all
times. We didn’t have that person when
we blew it up to our entire circuit. Our
structure now includes five regional account
managers across the division, each
with an event coordinator that helps
with the planning and handoff. Clients
go from sales to service.
When it doesn’t work, we’re there to
make it right. Clients have a number to
call; the person who answers knows their
event, what they’re trying to accomplish.
That communication is critical to any
group sales effort.
Do you see customers returning more
often?
Renewals were key to our success.
When a group comes in, has a great event
and a really good experience, the chances
of them coming back are very high. Sometimes
they’ll skip a year, but they tend to
come back as clients and moviegoers.
38 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

Did you look at any other group sales
models when you began to implement
this concept?
When Rolando first challenged me
with this, I visited a couple of other
circuits that were already doing this. We
are definitely not the first; I don’t think
we could have made this without them. I
give a lot of credit to my fellow exhibitors
out there, who really blazed an unbelievable
trail.
What have been some of your most
successful campaigns?
There are a couple that stand out. We
did a cooperative deal with the Milwaukee
Public School system for Hidden
Figures last year. We teamed up with Pepsi
to create a phenomenally priced package
that included bottled water, popcorn, and
the film for thousands of Milwaukee public
school children. It was across multiple
locations over several days. I think that
was probably one of the first times when
I realized just how impactful we could be.
It drove a lot of people to the theater who
hadn’t been there in a while. It drove a lot
of kids to the theater who probably hadn’t
visited in quite a bit.
We’re doing something similar with
a business partner dedicated to scholastic
reading in Racine, Wisconsin. They
donated 9,000 books to local schools and
(in partnership with us and Pepsi again)
they’re sponsoring the film Wonder for
9,000 students.
In Minneapolis we’ve had full
building buyouts at a number of our
locations, where companies will come
to meet with their employees and do a
product launch. They bring all the folks
into our auditoriums and simulcast a
presentation. We’ve had product launches,
we’ve had customer events, we’ve had
recognition events. And those are just
on the business side.
When do you usually see an uptick in
business from these events?
There’s nothing better than getting to
your building at seven in the morning
and knowing that at seven thirty you’re
going to have 12 buses coming in. There’s
nothing better than hosting a group of
400 people on a Wednesday afternoon,
when your building normally has been
empty. More than 25 percent of our
business is coming in on Thursdays.
Thursdays are an incredibly popular day.
The second-busiest day? Wednesdays. It
doesn’t get much better than that, from
a business standpoint: totally off-peak.
Better yet, the clients who move their
event from another venue to our theaters
typically experience 100 percent turnout.
I give a ton of credit to the circuits that
started this concept; it’s really given us
a great opportunity to expand on their
ideas and hit the ground running the way
we have. n
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 39

DRIVE-INS
MEMORY-MAKERS OF THE FUTURE
EXCERPTS FROM SURVEYME’S DRIVE-IN SURVEY
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• 3,783 moviegoers, representing 116 U.S. drive-in movie theaters
(33% of the total number of U.S. drive-in locations), were asked
11 questions about their drive-in movie theater experience.
• The app recorded the time, date, and geo-location of each
response to verify accuracy and completeness of the sample.
• Responses were collected between December 2017 and January
2018.
RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS – GENDER & AGE
• 30% of respondents were in the 31–40 age group. The next
largest group by age was 41- to 50-year-olds (27%). The total
male and female respondents in the 31–50 age group represent
56% of all respondents.
• In this study, millennials represent 23% of respondents
compared with 50% for a similar 2017 SurveyMe
study of “hardtop” theaters. Since response data was
collected using exactly the same methods and sources
for both studies, this suggests that the average age of
drive-in moviegoers is older than “hardtop” movie
theaters but that millennials comprise a more significant
age demographic at drive-ins than baby boomers.
To read the
complete please
visit
bit.ly/2CabbSm
• It also suggests that while generational influence is most significant
for drive-ins compared to “hardtops,” harnessing peer-topeer
influence, most prevalent among millennials, is also vitally
important for the future of drive-ins. Both demographics seek
something different on the same movie common ground.
ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10, HOW LIKELY ARE YOU TO
RECOMMEND VISITING A DRIVE-IN THEATER TO A
FRIEND OR COLLEAGUE?
• The Net Promoter Score (NPS) method is a
universally known measurement for a customer’s passion
for a company, brand, or experience. The closer
the overall score is to 10, the more likely those guests
40 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

esponses) suggests that drive-ins are relatively more popular
with younger people than those over 51 (4.3 times p.y.; 724
responses). Qualitative evidence suggests that the drive-in is a
popular low-cost social experience for younger generations.
• Relatively speaking, millennials are willing to travel more
than twice as far for a drive-in experience (38.5 miles average;
862 responses) than they will to visit a hardtop theater
(16.3 miles average; 1,185 responses). Allied with a 9.1
NPS score, this suggests drive-ins have a strong following
among millennials.
will be repeat visitors and advocates for the businesses involved.
This means they will do unsolicited advocacy (word-of-mouth)
marketing for their local drive-in movie theater. The average
NPS score for drive-ins for all age demographics is 9.3.
• All age demographics are “evangelic” about the drive-in experience.
However, the older you are the more positive and more
likely you are to recommend the drive-in experience.
• Overall, guests are 25.2 times more positive (score = 6–10)
than negative (score = 0–4) about visiting a drive-in.
• Irrespective of gender, 72% of respondents said they are “extremely
likely” (score = 10) to recommend the drive-in movie
experience to a friend or colleague.
ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS
• Insights suggest that, regardless of age, once someone has experienced
a drive-in, the unique and positive memories created
will make them want to return. To grow income, drive-in
movie theater owners should focus almost exclusively on their
existing database of guests. Understanding what specifically
motivates them is the best source of increasing the number of
future guests.
• Keeping existing guests engaged and informed will drive
increased repeat visits.
• Incentivizing existing guests to bring new guests will grow
the guest database. Where there is no guest database, owners
should rapidly invest in creating and maintaining one.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN TO A DRIVE-IN THEATER IN
THE LAST YEAR?
• Overall, the millennials demographic (5.2 times per year; 862
• Relative to the overall U.S. population demographics, millennial
drive-in moviegoers are willing to travel relatively more
(38.5) miles than the population average of 39 miles (3,783
responses) than they will travel to a hardtop where the population
average is 18.1 miles (4,240 responses).
ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS
• This study provides a snapshot in time. What is unclear is
whether there is a growing or declining trend for millennials
to visit the drive-ins. What is undeniable is that the
drive-in is not the sole preserve of baby boomers seeking a
nostalgia fix.
• Relatively speaking, millennials are both loyal and committed
to the drive-in experience. There are likely to be several
nontechnology social factors behind this. While some will be
generic (dating) some will be unique to specific locations. Today’s
millennials are tomorrow’s parents and memory-makers.
So, studying the factors will help create positive experiential
memories that will likely future-proof a drive-in.
WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT MAKES YOU VISIT A DRIVE-IN
MOVIE THEATER?
• The study asked for “the one thing” but 59% of
respondents gave two or more reasons. Not only does this
demonstrate widespread passion for the drive-in experience
among moviegoers, it suggests that the drive-in experience
evokes multiple emotions while fulfilling several basic
human needs (physiological, safety, social belonging,
esteem, and self-actualization).
• 1 in every 4 drive-in moviegoers says “family experience” is the
overall single biggest factor that makes people visit a drive-in
movie theater.
• “Nostalgia” is the next most important factor with about 1 in
every 5 drive-in moviegoers stating it as the one factor. “Nostalgia”
is the most important factor for males (28%) and the
second most important factor (24%) for all females.
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 41

DRIVE-INS
WHAT TYPE OF MOVIES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AT YOUR
LOCAL DRIVE-IN?
WHAT IS ONE THING WE COULD DO TO IMPROVE YOUR
EXPERIENCE AT A DRIVE-IN THEATER?
• There were over 2,500 ideas suggested with many around recurring
themes. We grouped all the “improvement” ideas into
5 different themes including: Parking, Concession, Ticketing,
Restrooms, Facilities, Ambiance.
• With 359 specific comments, “Clean restrooms / bathrooms”
was the most frequently mentioned standalone factor.
• The 6 most popular themes (by % of total ideas submitted)
for guest experience improvements are Concessions (21%),
Ambiance (15%), Restrooms (14%), Parking (12%), Ticketing
(11%), and Facilities (9%).
Common concessions improvement ideas:
• There were over 526 suggestions, comments, or ideas relating
to improving concessions. As well as the usual complaints
about price and variety, the top three areas included specific
ideas for the following:
• Delivery-to-vehicle: Ideas on this subject featured in 22% (or
just over 1 in every 5) comments related to concessions.
• The two most influential age demographics for the future
success of drive-in movie theaters are: Rockstar Memory-Makers—primarily
aged 31–40 (although females & 35–45. is
probably more accurate) and Millennial Memory-Makers—
both genders aged 18–23.
• Both these Memory-Maker demographics have a high preference
(relative to all other age demographics) for the same
genres: comedy, animation, action, adventure, and family (for
31–40 year olds only). The perfect drive-in movie—the one
with widest appeal—should contain all (or most) of these
factors in that order.
ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS
• Naturally, the usual first-run major-movie-studio releases
will dominate first-run, first-feature movie selections. For
second-feature movies, applying the five-star factors to each
will dictate the greatest spread of appeal to guests by age
and gender.
• Various “Bring-Your-Own” suggestions comprised 13% of
ideas. This one area included the largest variety of ideas for a
single subject including (but not limited to) concession season
tickets, membership scheme discounts, refillable/reusable popcorn
buckets or soda cups, coupon booklets, rewards schemes,
BOGOs, food allergy passes, food permits, discount days,
combo deal, family buckets, gift certificates, “bounce-back”
offers, BYO popcorn, BYO BBQ.
• Queue management ideas, excluding delivery-to-vehicle,
comprised 6% of ideas including: advance (phone) ordering,
fast track or express queues (e.g., for popcorn & soda only),
ordering by phone from within a car during a movie, mobile
apps, pre-arrival orders, and service buzzers.
• One of the most clever single suggestions was, “A specialty
food (chili dogs, potato skins, Cane’s chicken) ... just something
unique that would make me say ‘Gotta go there, even if
just for the ...’” This provides a clear way of engaging moms
and grandmas to dig out their old family recipes and engage
guests to find the signature local dish(es) for a specific location
while providing local social recognition for the recipe provider.
Common ambiance improvement ideas:
• There were 386 ideas relating to improving the ambiance of
the drive-in. One in every 5 comments mentioned ways to
improve the sound. Many wishes were expressed to bring back
42 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

(or at least have the option to rent) the old window hanging
speakers for those seeking an authentic “nostalgia” fix. At the
other end of the spectrum there were several ideas to create an
app for all drive-ins or to build bigger sound walls.
• The creation of no smoking areas or a complete smoking ban
appeared with 1 in every 7 comments.
• 10% of suggestions from guests, relating to ambiance, were
specifically about bug/mosquito control. Low-tech ideas
included spraying the area frequently, selling repellent at
the concession stand, offering free repellent in partnership
with the marketing team of a major brand, and renting of
nets or screens.
Common parking/facility-improvement ideas:
• There were over 312 comments, suggestions, or ideas related
to parking and 215 related to improving facilities. The most
common comment, and really the only contentious subject,
related to the parking arrangement of vehicles by their size.
Over half (54%) of all comments were to only allow SUVs /
trucks / vans / large vehicles to park at the back of the viewing
area and for this to be strictly enforced.
• Less recurring parking themes with parallels to hardtops
included reserved space / seat bookings, smoking-designated
areas, family areas, young person’s areas, and improved disability
access. Free movement between screens at intervals between
movies was occasionally mentioned.
• The most frequently requested (39%) facility suggestions were
to install, upgrade, or improve children’s play areas.
• Less recurring facility themes included overnight family
camping, local scout overnight camps, chair rental, designated
picnic areas, provision of garbage cans, and bigger screen.
Common ticketing improvement ideas:
• There were over 286 ideas related to ticketing. Apart from the omnipresent
cheaper-entry-prices comments, the main themes were:
• Various discount pricing package suggestions comprised 14%
of ideas. This one area included the second largest variety of
ideas for a single subject including (but not limited to) date
night 2-for-1 offers, over-55 discounts, season tickets, screen
transfer passes, repeat guest punch cards, membership scheme,
single movie discount, youth discount pricing, multi-passes,
advance-purchase discount, coupon booklets, rewards schemes,
BOGOs, “rain-return” passes, discount days, combo-night
deals, gift certificates, “bounce-back” offers, and joint “staycation”
co-promotions with local hotels.
• By far the most mentioned single issue was pricing by the
carload versus by individuals. Respondents were 100% in favor
of pricing by carload whether as a general policy, for family
nights, for special-event nights, or by exception on certain
quieter nights of the week.
• Accepting credit cards was the third most frequent request
with 6% of all ticketing comments. The request to accept
credit cards was almost exclusively from the 31–50 y.o. age
demographics.
• Less recurring ticketing themes included advance website
bookings, reserved spacing, earlier communication of upcoming
screenings, better advertising, special themed and retro
events, and premium area pricing.
“Family experience” guests are most engaged.
• With 1 in every 4 drive-in moviegoers stating “family experience”
is the overall single biggest factor that makes people visit
a drive-in movie theater, we considered the improvement ideas
from just those drive-in guests:
• 90% of males and 84% of females in this demographic also
submitted at least one idea to improve the guest experience.
They are the most influential demographic. 13% of all their
comments were to improve the restroom/bathroom. This
is the most frequent comment made. No other single issue
including play areas, accepting credit cards, movie choices,
smoking, discounted pricing, or large vehicle parking came
anywhere close to the importance of clean restrooms.
WHICH TWO DEMOGRAPHICS ARE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FOR
THE FUTURE OF DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATERS?
Female “Rockstar Memory-Makers”
• A drive-in “Rockstar” is slightly older than a hardtop “Rockstar”
(31–40 y.o.) and tends to visit the drive-in for different
reasons, primarily a “family experience” plus “nostalgia,” which
is what makes them “Rockstar Memory-Makers.” Response
data suggests that a Rockstar Memory-Maker is likely to be a
blurring across the artificially created age ranges of 31–40 y.o.
and 41–50 y.o.
• We have already discovered that the one reason Rockstar
Memory-Makers give for going to the drive-in is for a “family
experience.” Essentially, they are passing on traditions
and experiences to future generations. Thus, drive-in Rockstars
are the “Memory-Makers of the Future.” Rockstars
are the decision-makers driving highest drive-in attendance
and influencing most numbers of future generations to visit
drive-ins.
(continued on next page)
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 43

DRIVE-INS
ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS for ROCKSTAR MEMORY-MAKERS
• If drive-in owners engage Rockstar Memory-Makers with
just one single subject, it should be, “What can we do to
improve our restrooms?” Almost every resulting piece of
feedback is likely to have a disproportionately beneficial
result in terms of returning happy guests versus the cost of
implementation.
• Rockstar Memory-Makers are likely to have detailed views
and be more willing than any other demographic to share
them. Before making any significant decision about the
drive-in, this group above all others should be engaged. It is
worth incentivizing this group alone for the authority their
insight brings.
Millennial “Memory-Makers”
• These millennial moviegoers like to make social plans ahead of
time. 58% purchase movie tickets online or via an app ahead
of the movie showing.
• 60% of millennials prefer to go to the movies after 6 p.m. and
57% prefer to go on the weekend. They spend 27% more at
the concessions per visit on average than other age groups.
But they are very selective. Millennials value convenience and
personalized choice—anything that makes common processes
easier, from ticket purchasing to buying food at the concessions
to moving between screens at the drive-in.
• Because drive-ins show double-movie features, millennials are
able to spend more than double the amount of social time
together than at a “hardtop.” At night, a safe and secure environment
is highly appealing.
• Millennials crave the “experience economy.” Social media pulls
people together online to gather them offline. Millennials
crave unique, offline, memory-producing experiences that create
lasting joy. Studies of millennials show 70% have anxiety
about missing out on offline experiences that they’ve seen their
friends share online during or after the event.
ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS for MILLENNIAL MEMORY-MAKERS
• Consider creating a “safe social space” specifically where millennials
can gather. Viewing the movies is not necessarily the
greatest attraction a drive-in has for them.
• Ask millennial moviegoers if a pre-designated area is something
they would value. Ask them what facilities or (themed)
events they’d appreciate, such as a phone-charging station.
Provide free Wi-Fi so offline experiences can be turned into
online ones. The experience that tonight’s millennial has will
create a family memory-maker within 10 years. n
SURVEY SAYS
GOING OVER THE RESULTS WITH SURVEYME CEO LEE
EVANS AND UNITED DRIVE-IN THEATRE OWNERS
ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT JOHN VINCENT
Interview by Daniel Loria
For those who aren’t immersed in the industry, it’s easy to have
misconceptions about where the drive-in industry is today. Do
you think this survey can help dispel some of them?
John Vincent: I’ve been in this business since 1987. I can
tell you even back then there were misconceptions around the
industry, where it was at, and where it was going. In reality, the
summer I started in 1987 was the worst for my particular drivein,
the Wellfleet [South Wellfleet, Mass.]. It has actually been on
a somewhat upward curve since then. Whereas prior to 1987 it
was on a somewhat downward curve, peaking in the ’70s with
Star Wars, I would say.
Sometimes I hear people say, “Oh, drive-ins have experienced
a resurgence.” No, the resurgence started in 1989 with Honey, I
44 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

Shrunk the Kids. Then Jurassic Park was the next
really big one in 1993. It was more a phenomenon
of location by location, but also several mitigating
factors have come along the way.
The biggest demise—we saw the biggest drop in
the ’80s—was the advent of the studios not giving
the drive-ins first run. The 35-millimeter prints in
those days were quite limited. They held them close
to their chests. They were giving them to the fancy
new multiplexes, four screens in one building. For
the Wellfleet Drive-In, the summer of ’87, the only
movie we could even get was Superman IV: The
Quest for Peace. Then there were many mitigating
factors that had to do with the drive-ins’ decline.
The biggest reason was there were too many of
them. Four thousand three hundred in 1957. That
might have worked in 1957; it didn’t work in 1967
or ’77 or ’87. Even 2,000 [drive-ins] is probably
too much. You have to have a certain radius around
the drive-in for it to be successful. Population, of
course, and all the other mitigating factors.
The other side of the coin? Inherently, for the
better part of the United States, what makes it difficult
is the shorter seasons. When you don’t have
year-round businesses, the national chains of any
sort have a hard time working that model. It’s hard
to get staff to train; it’s hard to maintain the good
experience. A good example of that is my own
tourist area on Cape Cod. We haven’t seen a whole
lot of chain restaurants. Even though the population
and the tourism and the consumers have
grown, the last 20 years we’ve lost Chili’s, Outback
[Steakhouse], Fridays, Pizzeria Uno—all of them
have surrendered Cape Cod because they simply
cannot deal with the seasonality.
Less so in California and Florida, because they
tend to get year-round out of it. But at the same
time, those are also areas that experience the other
poison pill for the drive-ins, the land use. It’s hard
to argue when you have the highest and best use of
a property, you’re paying real estate taxes on it, you
pay insurance, and everything else down the line.
GROUP PHOTO: THE 18TH
ANNUAL UDITOA CONVENTION
TOOK PLACE FROM JANUARY 28
TO FEBRUARY 1 IN KISSIMMEE,
FLORIDA
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 45

DRIVE-INS
UDITOA CONVENTION
ATTENDEES
Trying to get financing and everything else. Your
highest and best use isn’t always a drive-in. Especially
in the inner cities, that highest and best use—
which is what real estate taxes are primarily based
on—you take a drive-in that’s not making that
much profit? I mean, $20,000 a year 20 years ago,
that could have been their real estate tax bill. The
highest best use they say might be Wal-Mart, so
we’re going to tax you as if your property is worth
three million bucks—when in reality, the supporting
revenue from the drive-in is only a million.
A lot of factors went into it, but I don’t believe
the drive-in experience was bad at any one point.
I go back to 1987, ’88, ’89, my early years at
Wellfleet. I see what the customers come for:
they want a family experience, the nostalgia and
seeing a current movie, all those things wrapped
into one. Nothing’s changed—there are a lot of
misconceptions out there.
Lee Evans: I have to admit I was probably one
of the people guilty of that misconception—about
what drive-ins actually are versus what we think
they are. What the study shows is that far from being
the preserve of baby boomers seeking nostalgia
trips, there are actually two very exciting group
demographics going to the drive-in. There is an
element of tweaking for those demographics. But
you look at the family experience and millennials,
they’re both committed to the drive-in experience.
Ostensibly they’ve got different objectives, different
things they get out of the same experience.
Family audiences, for example, are very big
supporters of drive-ins.
Vincent: Here on Cape Cod, I’d say we are
definitively the quintessential family drive-in
experience. It’s probably one of the last areas we go
as a family unit, even with the kids, into the teens.
Everyone seems to have a good, memorable time.
I’m not anti-hardtop, I’m a big believer in
hardtop and the experience people have at indoor
theaters. I’ve had Dolby digital sound since the ’90s.
Always been a big believer in projection, digital now,
the 3D experience. There is a definite place for that.
I have customers who only go to the cinema; I have
customers who only go to the drive-in.
But the drive-in does lend itself to a more
family-type environment. Because you go into an
indoor movie, and yes, you may go as a family. But
once the movie starts, you have very little interaction,
especially with someone who’s not sitting
immediately adjacent to you. You might hear them
laugh or something along those lines, but there’s
no further interaction. Nor would I suggest there
needs to be, or should be. Because in the indoor
space, the eye should definitely be on the screen.
At the drive-in, it’s a whole package. Generally,
customers get there a lot earlier. You start the small
talk, catch up with the family unit that wouldn’t
happen necessarily at an indoor. A lot of customers
get there an hour in advance—versus the hardtop
is about 10 minutes in advance. The choosing of
what they’re going to get at the concession stand,
46 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

walking to the concession stand together as a
family unit, not worrying about the seats being
lost in case of a theater that doesn’t have assigned
seating. The entire experience lends itself to a more
memorable event, versus coming in to watch the
movie and then leaving.
Evans: A lot of the stories we heard at the UDI-
TOA convention back up exactly what John just
said. The first thing to establish is that the drive-in
is not the competition; it’s very much complementary
to the indoor experience. Talking specifically
about the families, why do the studies show that
they want to come in? It’s essentially what John
said: it’s clean, wholesome fun for them over a
period of time, where the family gets together as a
unit or wander off as individuals.
You’ve also got the double feature, which didn’t
rate as high as we thought it would be. We thought
a double feature was a value proposition, but
actually for the family experience it’s more about
the idea of having a family picnic time, sitting
under the stars outside the vehicle. When it’s time
after the children’s movie is finished, the younger
children are gone to sleep in the back of the car.
Mom and Dad can watch the movie knowing that
everyone is secure in the family, and yet they’re still
together. What came across to us was this great
feeling of community.
I was pleasantly surprised to see so much support
from millennial audiences. It’s a perfect example
of how a trip to the movies can become a whole
different experience for them.
Evans: Millennials crave the experience economy.
Social media will pull people together online,
of course, but really a gathering together offline
is what drives social media. It’s the concept of the
fear of missing out. So millennials will go to the
drive-in because they’re more scarce. It’s a unique
ingredient of the drive-in which creates those
memories that they want to share online.
Friends following them on social media who
aren’t there suddenly want to be part of that experience
themselves. What we’ve found is that people,
millennials especially, are willing to plan more in
advance to make the event or the experience of
going to a drive-in. It’s a way of sharing the unique
experiences offline with an online audience that
they’re able to build their own social capital.
Vincent: One of the things that the millennials
seem to like is that they can have their own private
space where they
can continue to use
the social media
devices if they
so want, and not
destroy everyone
else’s experience
like they would in
an indoor. I have
mixed feelings on
that, because I do
believe that the
theatrical experience
should lend
itself to absolutely focusing on the screen. That’s
one advantage we have in particular over somebody
watching a movie at home or on Hulu or Netflix.
They’re forced to watch the entire title so they get
the absorption.
Evans: At the Field of Dreams Drive-In based
in Liberty Center, Ohio, for example, one of the
things the study suggested was that millennials
are willing to pay a premium for added things like
reserved car parking spaces or delivery to the car.
In that sense, they are willing to pay a premium.
It’s not a value proposition for them, because this
is not an experience they’re going to every week.
This is something they plan for, and I think they’re
willing to spend to have that experience. Certainly,
some of the feedback we had from people who do
operate premium concessions and delivery to cars
were very much supporting those ideas.
What surprised you the most from the survey’s
results?
Evans: For me, it was how passionate and
committed millennials are about the drive-in
experience. I really did think before doing the
study that we would find an old audience. Yes,
we’d definitely find families in there. But for me,
it was the level of planning and the distances that
millennials are willing to travel so they can have
this experience. And the number of people who
said we wish there were more, which goes back to
an earlier point. The number of people who said
that they wouldn’t want anything to change, it
was something like 14 percent in the study. The
fact that people are saying “Open more” and we
now know that the average radius they’re willing
to travel is around 79 miles, I think there’s a market
there for more drive-ins. n
SURVEYME’S LEE EVANS
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 47

COVER STORY
JOHN CENA, LESLIE MANN,
AND IKE BARINHOLTZ
WRITER’S BLOCK
INTERVIEW WITH BLOCKERS DIRECTOR KAY CANNON
by Jesse Rifkin
>> Three high school girls make a pact to lose
their virginity on prom night—but their parents
find out and spend the whole increasingly crazy
evening attempting to stop them. That’s the
premise of Universal’s R-rated comedy Blockers,
out April 6. The film is directed by Kay Cannon, a
first-time director best known as a screenwriter
for penning such smashes as the Pitch Perfect
trilogy and earning several Emmy nominations
for 30 Rock. Boxoffice spoke with Cannon about
the film’s resonant messages of sexual consent
in the wake of the #MeToo movement and how
her four-year-old daughter inspired the film’s
opening sequence.
How did you come to direct this project?
Good Universe and Point Grey came to me. [The two production companies
have produced such hits as Neighbors and The Disaster Artist.] They sent
a draft of the script for me to read, with a direct offer to direct. I happened to
be on vacation for the first time in six years. I was in Maine with my husband’s
family, and I had promised not to work the entire week we were there. I got
sent the script and I read it in the middle of the night on my phone in secret! I
thought it was super funny and said yes right away.
You wrote the Pitch Perfect 2 screenplay while on maternity leave. You seem
to keep working at times when you’re supposed to be doing something else.
And I created this show called Girlboss, which was a Netflix original, and
was shooting that right before I directed Blockers. In fact, there was some
overlap in pre-production when I was editing the script and casting. I was
actually shooting Girlboss when John Cena flew to L.A. to audition for Blockers.
They flew me from San Francisco to L.A. on a Sunday, so the two of us
could meet. Then I went back to finish shooting Girlboss in San Francisco. I
48 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

showran a show and directed a movie in the same
year, which is pretty insane. I would not recommend
doing that!
What were some of the challenges of directing
your first feature film? What surprised you?
The biggest thing I was worried about was
being a first-time director. I didn’t end up having
to worry about it, because I had a really great
crew. It was challenging only in that it’s a pretty
big cast. And with the topic of young women
and their sexuality in a rated-R comedy, there’s a
delicate balance of making sure that you’re selling
the young women in the best possible light,
but still being really funny and talking about it
in a way that you’ve basically never heard young
women talk about it on camera before. So I
just wanted to make sure that I really told their
stories correctly.
American Pie, an R-rated comedy about male
teenage sexuality, was made a full 20 years ago,
but there really hasn’t been a female equivalent.
Society seems to be more accepting of teenage
males than females in that respect. In Blockers,
when one of the girls asks her father if his dad
had tried to block him from losing his virginity, he
replies, “My dad was too busy high-fiving me.”
Exactly. Making sure the script was reflective
of now, you know? I think it’s a really great movie
for people to see now. I know it seems like an
antiquated idea to try to stop a young woman
from having sex. But the truth is if you see the
movie, you get every single angle or debate about
MILES ROBBINS, GERALDINE
VISWANATHAN, KATHRYN
NEWTON, GRAHAM PHILLIPS,
GIDEON ADLON, AND JIMMY
BELLINGER
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 49

COVER STORY
You were in your second year toward a master’s
degree in education when you switched over to
comedy.
Yeah. I had seen a Second City show earlier in
that timeline, but in my second year of getting
my master’s I started also taking classes at Second
City. I did a lot of substitute teaching, just to pay
the bills. I did my student teaching. So I have
my teaching certificate, but I just never used it. I
came as close as you can get, academically, without
actually using it.
EACH OF THE YOUNG WOMEN
… HAS A DIFFERENT REASON
WHY SHE WANTS TO LOSE
HER VIRGINITY. KATHRYN
NEWTON’S CHARACTER
[CENTER] … IS IN LOVE …
JOHN CENA’S DAUGHTER,
PLAYED BY GERALDINE
VISWANATHAN [RIGHT], SHE
IS AN ATHLETE AND VERY
DISCIPLINED HER WHOLE
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER. ONCE
HER FRIEND JULIE WANTS
TO LOSE HER VIRGINITY,
SHE’S LIKE, ‘OH, THEN I’LL
LOSE MINE TOO’ … SAM
[GIDEON ADLON, LEFT] JOINS
THE PACK A LITTLE BIT OUT
OF PEER PRESSURE, BUT
SHE’S CONFUSED ABOUT HER
SEXUALITY.
this issue. It has craziness like chugging in it, but it
actually has all this heart. It’s having conversations
that we haven’t really had yet on camera until now.
All the girls have agency over their own bodies
and consent. At the end of the day, it’s really about
parents letting go of their kids and kids stepping
into adulthood. Sex is just one example of how you
step into adulthood.
Do you have a favorite story from the set?
I think John [Cena] will say the same thing: we
had a terrible time shooting the chugging scene.
I was just so excited for it to be over, and yet I
got the craziest case of the giggles while we were
shooting it. I do a thing where if any of the writers
or producers on set have a joke that they want
to pitch, I have them write it on a little piece of
paper. As the scene was being shot, I was kind of
looking to see what jokes they wanted to throw out
to the actors. It was like two in the morning and
we’re shooting John’s coverage, where he is bent
over with his pants down around his ankles. I just
kept shouting out all these jokes to him, but he
just looked so pained. I just couldn’t stop giggling.
I couldn’t even get through some of the takes with
him! [Laughs.]
You have incorporated a lot of real incidents from
your life into your projects: singing with your
friends on a bus or getting hit with a burrito for
Pitch Perfect, taking a fertility test for New Girl,
making a list of all the qualities you wanted in a
man for 30 Rock. Was there anything from your
real life that made it into Blockers?
I had my husband, who’s a comedy writer,
do a big rewrite on the movie. So we were able
to work with each other on the script. We have
this home video sequence at the beginning of the
movie [watching the main characters grow up from
infancy through high school], which was inspired
by the fact that we look at our own kid through
this lens. We watch all these home videos from
when she was a baby, but she’s now four. And also
just that feel of fun at prom with your girlfriends,
having real true lifelong friends. I didn’t put that in
there, that was already in the script, but I felt like I
understood that. But nothing like getting hit by a
burrito! [Laughs.]
The protagonist roles are equally split between
the parents and their teenage daughters.
Would you recommend any teenagers watch
this with their parents, or do you think that
would be too awkward?
I don’t know if it would be too awkward,
actually. I think it depends on what kind of relationship
you have with your parents, at the end
of the day. But I think that’s a really good question,
because when we tested the movie, I was
excited for people to see it because there’s not a
single person out there who hasn’t experienced
this in some way. You’re either a parent having
a hard time letting go, or you were a teenager
whose parents acted like that. I think everybody
has a way in for this movie. I don’t know if they
should watch it together, but I am definitely
50 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

hoping that they have conversations—that the
laughter they feel while watching the movie
might open up a conversation to talk about some
of the things that maybe they’re not able to talk
about so easily.
When I got the draft [of the script], it was very
different than what you will now see. Once I became
the director, I took it in a new way with the
other writers who rewrote the movie. At the point
when I got the original draft, the girls’ roles were
underdeveloped. So what I injected into the script
was young women having agency, giving them story
arcs and really expanding their roles. It started
from my point of view as director and my vision of
how this movie should be. As a woman, I felt like,
“These are the things that have been missing from
the script.”
What were some of those missing things?
Each of the young women, the daughters, has a
different reason why she wants to lose her virginity.
Kathryn Newton’s character [Julie] is in love
and she feels like it’s time. John Cena’s daughter,
played by Geraldine Viswanathan [Kayla], she is an
athlete and very disciplined her whole high school
career. Once her friend Julie wants to lose her
virginity, she’s like, “Oh, then I’ll lose mine too. I
want to get it over with before I go to college. This
is the first night that I can actually party and do
things.” Then the character Sam [played by Gideon
Adlon] joins the pack a little bit out of peer pressure,
but she’s confused about her sexuality. Over
the course of the night, she discovers what her own
deal is, which is this really great story. She’s afraid
of what her label is, and if her friends are going to
accept her or not.
Then there are lines like, “Before I have any alcohol,
I want to let you know I want to have sex.”
Making sure that there’s consent. It was also really
important to me that the mom and the daughter
have a big argument [about whether to lose her
virginity]. How can society treat our daughters as
equals when their own parents won’t? Why would
you try to stop them? It gets a little bit political for
a hot second.
Since you filmed, the issue of women consenting
versus not consenting to sexual experiences has
been arguably the single biggest news story in
the past six months.
Totally. It was really important to me. In a way,
KAY CANNON AT THE MOVIES
MOVIEGOING EXPERIENCE
“I guess my favorite moviegoing experience was
Pitch Perfect, because it was the first movie I had ever
written that was made. My whole family went to the
movie theater and we watched it all together at my
neighboring town, where I went to high school.”
AT THE CONCESSIONS STAND
“Popcorn with butter, then I put in what I call
“treasures,” which are peanut M&M’s. I sprinkle them
inside the popcorn.”
what was so great about Point Grey and Good
Universe offering me to direct this, I think they
probably knew they needed a woman’s point of
view, or touch, on this subject. Because I knew
going in that I can’t have any of these girls drinking
without them giving consent. I was acutely aware
of all the rules and made sure that we were showing
that on film. It just happened to correspond
with what we’re all talking about now. n
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 51

FILMMAKER INTERVIEW
JASON CLARKE STARS AS
SENATOR EDWARD KENNEDY IN
CHAPPAQUIDDICK
52 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

INCIDENT AT
DIKE ROAD BRIDGE
Screenwriters Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan
on Chappaquiddick
by Daniel Loria
It was a tragic event that took the life of a young woman and
changed the course of American politics. Nearly 50 years after Ted
Kennedy’s car accident on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts,
filmmaker John Curran looks back at the fateful events surrounding
the infamous incident and its aftermath in Chappaquiddick, relying
on the debut screenplay from writers Taylor Allen and Andrew
Logan. The writing duo’s script garnered attention from Hollywood
in 2015 after being included on the Black List, an index of the
industry’s best-received unproduced screenplays. Now a fully
realized film, Chappaquiddick will be hitting screens on April 6 with
a cast headlined by Jason Clarke as Ted Kennedy, Kate Mara as Mary
Jo Kopechne (above), and Ed Helms as Joe Gargan. Boxoffice spoke
with Logan and Allen about their collaboration in bringing history
to the screen and to find out what inspired the two newcomers to
tell this controversial story.
|—continued on page 54—|
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 53

FILMMAKER INTERVIEW
KATE MARA AS CAMPAIGN
STRATEGIST MARY JO
KOPECHNE. KOPECHNE WAS
ONE OF THE “BOILER ROOM
GIRLS”—THE TALENTED AND
HARD-CHARGING AIDES WHO
WORKED ON SEN. ROBERT
KENNEDY’S 1968 PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN.
How did you come up with a project like this one,
which probably isn’t the first story that comes to
mind when deciding to write a screenplay?
Taylor Allen: That is what people keep telling
us. It seemed like a great idea when we started it,
and we had no idea there was any limitation. We
were ultimately writing it just for ourselves, out
of passion for the subject matter. This is our first
screenplay; it was something that we had been
really passionate about since we first heard about
Chappaquiddick. Which, despite being reasonably
politically engaged people, I hadn’t heard of it until
2008 during the primary for that year’s presidential
election. We’re both from Dallas [where JKF was
assassinated]. We were just so surprised to have
never heard of it before. I think that propelled us
to be incredibly excited to try to sell this story.
There’s a wealth of information on the
subject, a number of books, and I’m sure a
lot of misinformation as well. How did you
cut through all that? What sources did you
use, what books did you read, what was your
research preparation like?
Allen: We both grew up really loving the Kennedy
family. As I said, we’re both from Dallas and
that history is part of your elementary school education,
when you take a tour through Dealey Plaza.
I think one of the reasons we were so excited to
collaborate on this is because the Kennedy family
member that we related to the most was Ted Kennedy.
Seeing how, after a tragedy had befallen his
three older brothers, he ultimately had the responsibility
of the family’s legacy on his shoulders. That
wasn’t necessarily something that he was expecting
or wanting, certainly while he’s also processing his
own grief about his brothers’ tragedies.
Before we even knew what Chappaquiddick
was, I was already asking why haven’t we seen an
actor play Ted Kennedy in a movie? He had such a
rich and interesting emotional life. Then when we
heard about Chappaquiddick, that was something
that even on the Wikipedia page, you can see
there’s a lot of conspiracy and misinformation. So
54 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

I think for me and Andrew, our guiding light was
always to get to the truth. To do that, really the
first place you start—and the thing that you always
circle back to—is the inquest testimony. In 1970,
six months after the accident, they reconvened all
the major players to go under oath to discover if a
crime had been committed that weekend on Martha’s
Vineyard. Ultimately, Ted Kennedy himself
goes under oath, as well as his cousin Joe Gargan
and all the “boiler room girls” [staffers on Senator
Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign,
including Kopechne, who had gathered for a
reunion that night].
It’s a thousand pages of transcripts. It was a very
interesting read; you would think that they would
all be saying the same thing, but in fact their perspectives
on the events were very different. Some of
them were very candid about their feelings about
what happened, Joe Gargan especially. That’s one
of the reasons the movie itself tries to bring in a
lot of differing perspectives and show the different
sides of this story. While we do think we got to
a deeper spiritual truth about it, we were still left
with a lot of questions, as well.
How much did your feelings and your understanding
of the incident at Chappaquiddick
evolve during the research process? Did you
go from reacting emotionally to taking sides to
having different opinions as you were gathering
all these sources?
Allen: It did change a lot. Obviously, there’s a
destination to the story. When you read contemporaneous
newspaper accounts of the incident, Mary
Jo Kopechne is described as “a secretary.” Sometimes
she’s described as just “a blonde.” Sometimes
she’s described as “a floozy.” Ultimately the thing
we came away with strongest, as an emotional
reaction, was that this was really a tragedy about
a very promising woman, a very strong intelligent
woman whose life ended far too soon. There was
really no justice for Mary Jo Kopechne. That was
the big tragedy. As we kept coming back and doing
more research and discovering more about what
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (JASON
CLARKE) FACES THE PRESS WITH
ANDRIA BLACKMAN AS JOAN
KENNEDY
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 55

FILMMAKER INTERVIEW
ED HELMS AND JIM GAFFIGAN
AS ATTORNEYS AND KENNEDY
FAMILY FRIENDS JOSEPH
GARGAN AND PAUL F.
MARKHAM. KENNEDY CLAIMED
THAT GARGAN AND MARKHAM
RETURNED TO THE SITE
WITH HIM TO TRY AND SAVE
KOPECHNE.
happened in the days afterward, it was that the machine
to try to protect Ted Kennedy often forgot
about Mary Jo Kopechne.
Andrew Logan: Speaking of the machine, we
found out that this incident happened the weekend
of the moon landing. The highest peak of the John F.
Kennedy legacy being cemented was the lowest point
in the Kennedy family for Ted Kennedy as well. That
proved very rich and very ripe for our story.
Allen: In this case, literally all the president’s
men are back at the Kennedy compound watching
the moon landing together, with Joseph Kennedy
Sr., the father. That dichotomy all landing
directly on Ted was something that was really
interesting to us as a character study. A lot of the
things we loved most about doing this project
were really trying to get a deeper understanding
of who Ted was in these seven days. In our opinion,
it changed him. Ultimately, I think it made
him a far better senator than he ever would have
been had this not happened.
One of the interesting things about how you
structure your screenplay is the way you paint a
picture of the people around Ted Kennedy. Mary
Jo’s story isn’t thrown away, and the same applies
to Joe Gargan’s character arc.
Allen: If you will indulge me a second, I think
that Ed Helms’s and Kate Mara’s performances
bring so much to what you’re talking about.
Obviously, we did try to capture their inner lives.
Their arcs are on the page. It was so rewarding
to work with such great collaborators who were
willing to put everything in every scene. In the
long arc of this movie, we ultimately talked up
the central relationship as the one between Ted
Kennedy and Joe Gargan—Joe Gargan having
suffered tragedy himself, with both of his
parents dying at a young age. He ended up being
pulled into the Kennedy family. On paper, Ted
and Joe were cousins. In relationship, they’re
really brothers. Joe Gargan is the unknown and
unheralded Kennedy brother, because he doesn’t
share the Kennedy name. That disparity between
them I think created a lot of conflict, especially
in this really tragic moment. I thought that was a
great place to start understanding both of them. I
think that it helps an audience to understand the
difference between being a Kennedy and being
part of the Kennedy family.
How were you able depict the incident, which
was fraught with so much speculation and mystery,
in a way that works within the narrative?
Allen: I will point out that Andrew Logan’s
father is a lawyer. That influenced our decision-making
early. I don’t mean that in a coveryour-ass
way. I mean that we wanted everybody
in the movie to be able to have a fair shake and
often be able to express their point of view first
before bringing other points of view in. Although
it changed as the movie evolved, in the
original screenplay, Ted gave his statement to the
police first. We pulled out of chronological order
in order to allow Ted to describe his version
of events first. Then we showed Gargan’s and
the U.S. Attorney Paul Markham’s perspectives
second. Finally, you get the televised statement,
which is the third and final version of the events.
In the movie, we obviously played it more
chronologically. But I think the effect is still
intended to be the same, in that you understand
that there are different versions of these events.
There are different ways of telling the same story,
depending on your perspective.
Logan: I think that we were really lucky to
have John Curran as the director. We found a
collaborator who shared our passion to get to
the truth. He was really committed. I think
that’s what gives the movie the authenticity
that it has. n
56 BOXOFFICE ®

MOVIEGOING MOMENT
WITH ANDREW LOGAN AND TAYLOR ALLEN
Andrew Logan: When I saw Jurassic
Park. That was an epic moment.
Taylor Allen: That movie was—
and is—the reason why I got into the
filmmaking business. I saw it three
times in theaters. But I’m actually going
to point to something different but
equally important to explain why I like
going to the movies. I remember on
Christmas Day 1996, we went to go see
Jerry Maguire. We saw it as a family; I
was just 13 years old, and I remember
having to cover my eyes during the sex
scene with Kelly Preston. I think the
thing that really changed my point of
view, because I was just 13 years old,
was seeing something like that, which
was about challenging your own beliefs.
Seeing how Jerry Maguire transformed
from the ultimate agent shark who is
trying to get a hot new player to get
another concussion so he gets a bonus,
to becoming this very human and very
relatable guy who becomes a great parent.
I think that really opened up my
view of what a movie could do.
It really provoked a lot of great discussion
among my family on Christmas
Day, coming off the ’80s and the Wall
Street greed-is-good days. These were
conversations that needed to be had. I
think that they’re best had in a movie
theater where a whole audience absorbs
the same story. You get a random laugh
from somebody that makes you realize
that something was funny, whereas if
you watched it at home you wouldn’t
know it was funny at all, because you
don’t have that other perspective.
Logan: I live in Austin. There’s a
theater here in town called the Paramount
Theater, which is an old movie
house that has a summer series of old
movies. They always play 2001: A
Space Odyssey. I go every year because I
just think that there’s really something
special about seeing that movie on a
big screen instead of just alone. It is
an experience that can’t be re-created
anywhere else. It’s one of my favorite
things I look forward to in the summer.
Just this past year, we were the closing
night at the Austin Film Festival with
Chappaquiddick, which got to play at
that same screen. So it was a real special
treat for me to have a movie that I
made get to play at that theater.
THE CHAPPAQUIDDICK SCRIPT
FROM FIRST-TIMERS ANDREW
LOGAN (LEFT) AND TAYLOR
ALLEN (RIGHT) LANDED
ON 2015’S BLACK LIST, A
COLLECTION OF THE MOST
ADMIRED SCRIPTS OF THE YEAR.

EVENT CINEMA CALENDAR
BOLSHOI BALLET: THE FLAMES OF PARIS
FATHOM EVENTS fathomevents.com 855-473-4612
BOLSHOI BALLET: THE FLAMES OF PARIS Sun, 3/4/18 Ballet
NT LIVE: HAMLET Thurs, 3/18/18 Theatre
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - SEMIRAMIDE Sat, 3/10/18 and Wed, 3/14/18 Opera
YU-GI-OH! THE MOVIE Sun, 3/11/18 and Mon, 3/12/18 Anime
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: VERTIGO 60TH ANNIVERSARY (1958) Sun, 3/18/18 and Wed, 3/21/18 Classic Film
THE RIOT AND THE DANCE Mon, 3/19/18 Documentary
NT LIVE: JULIUS CAESAR Thurs, 3/22/18 Theatre
ICE DRAGON: LEGEND OF THE BLUE DAISIES Sat, 3/24/18 and Mon, 3/26/18 Inspirational
BEST F(R)IENDS Fri, 3/30/18 & Mon, 4/2/18 Comedy
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - COSÌ FAN TUTTE Sat, 3/31/18 Opera
BOLSHOI BALLET: GISELLE Sun, 4/8/18 Ballet
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: GREASE 40TH ANNIVERSARY (1978) Sun, 4/8/18 and Wed, 4/11/18 Classic Film
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - LUISA MILLER Sat, 4/14/18 and Wed, 4/18/18 Opera
PHOENIX WILDER: AND THE GREAT ELEPHANT ADVENTURE Mon, 4/16/18 Inspirational
THE DATING PROJECT Tue, 4/17/18 Documentary
THE MET: LIVE IN HD - CENDRILLON Sat, 4/28/18 & Wed, 5/2/18 Opera
LIKE ARROWS Tues, 5/1/18 and Thurs, 5/3/18 Inspirational
DIGIMON ADVENTURE TRI.: COEXISTENCE Thurs, 5/10/18 Anime
58 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

SUNSET BOULEVARD
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) Sun, 5/13/18 and Wed, 5/16/18 Classic Film
NT LIVE: MACBETH Thurs, 5/17/18 Theatre
BEST F(R)IENDS: VOLUME TWO Fri, 6/1/18 and Mon 6/4/18 Comedy
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: THE PRODUCERS 50TH ANNIVERSARY (1968) Sun, 6/3/18 and Wed, 6/6/18 Classic Film
BOLSHOI BALLET: COPPÉLIA Sun, 6/10/18 Ballet
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: BIG 30TH ANNIVERSARY (1988) Sun, 7/15/18 and Wed, 7/18/18 Classic Film
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: THE BIG LEBOWSKI 20TH ANNIVERSARY (1998) Sun, 8/5/18 and Wed, 8/8/18 Classic Film
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: SOUTH PACIFIC 60TH ANNIVERSARY (1958) Sun, 8/26/18 and Wed, 8/29/18 Classic Film
DIGIMON ADVENTURE TRI.: FUTURE Thurs, 9/20/18 Anime
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CARMEN Tue, 3/6/18 Opera
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MACBETH Wed, 4/4/18 Opera
MANON Thu, 5/3/18 Ballet
SWAN LAKE Tue, 6/12/18 Ballet
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 59

COMING SOON IN 3D
A WRINKLE IN TIME
MARCH 9 · DISNEY
CAST Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey
DIR Ava DuVernay
GENRE Adv/Fam/Fan
TOMB RAIDER
MARCH 16 · SONY
CAST Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins
DIR Roar Uthaug
GENRE Act/Adv
PACIFIC RIM UPRISING
MARCH 23 · UNIVERSAL
CAST John Boyega, Scott Eastwood
DIR Steven S. DeKnight
GENRE Act/Adv/SciFi
SHERLOCK GNOMES
MARCH 23 · PARAMOUNT
VOICE CAST James McAvoy, Emily Blunt
DIR John Stevenson
GENRE Ani/Adv/Com
READY PLAYER ONE
MARCH 29 · WARNER BROS.
CAST Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke
DIR Steven Spielberg
GENRE Act/Adv/SciFi
RAMPAGE
APRIL 20 · WARNER BROS.
CAST Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris
DIR Brad Peyton
GENRE Act/Adv/SciFi
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
MAY 4 · DISNEY
CAST Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Hemsworth
DIR Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
GENRE Act/Adv/Fan
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY
MAY 25 · DISNEY
CAST Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke
DIR Ron Howard
GENRE Act/SciFi
INCREDIBLES 2
JUNE 15 · DISNEY
VOICE CAST Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson
DIR Brad Bird
GENRE Ani/Act/Adv

ALSO UPCOMING IN 3D
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM
June 22, 2018 – Universal
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP
July 6, 2018 – Disney
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3:
SUMMER VACATION
June 13, 2018 – Sony/Columbia
SKYSCRAPER
July 13, 2018 – Universal
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT
July 27, 2018 – Paramount
THE MEG
August 10, 2018 – Warner Bros.
ALPHA
September 14, 2018 – Sony/Columbia
MOWGLI
October 19, 2018 – Warner Bros.
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE
FOUR REALMS
November 2, 2018 – Disney
DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH
November 9, 2018 – Universal
RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET:
WRECK-IT RALPH 2
November 21, 2018 – Universal
SPIDER-MAN:
INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE
December 14, 2018 – Sony
MORTAL ENGINES
December 14, 2018 – Universal
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL
December 21, 2018 – Fox
AQUAMAN
December 21, 2018 – Warner Bros.
BUMBLEBEE
December 21, 2018 – Paramount
THE LEGO MOVIE SEQUEL
February 8, 2019 – Warner Bros.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3
March 1, 2019 – Fox/Dreamworks
Animation
REALD.COM

ON SCREEN
SYNOPSES COURTESY OF QUICKLOOKFILMS.COM
GRINGO
MARCH 9 (WIDE)
>> Gringo follows mild-mannered businessman Harold
Soyinka, who has a new wife and a stake in a pharmaceutical
company about to go public. He seemingly has the American
Dream in his grasp—until everything goes wrong. Stranded
south of the border, with a price on his head, Harold
discovers that the life he once had never really existed in the
first place.
DISTRIBUTOR STX ENTERTAINMENT CAST DAVID OYELOWO, CHARLIZE
THERON, JOEL EDGERTON DIRECTOR NASH EDGERTON WRITERS AN-
THONY TAMBAKIS, MATTHEW STONE GENRE ACTION, COMEDY, DRAMA
RATING R FOR LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, VIOLENCE, AND SEXUAL
CONTENT RUNNING TIME 110 MIN.
PICTURED: CHARLIZE THERON
62 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

THE HURRICANE
HEIST
MARCH 9 (WIDE)
>> A crew of thieves plans the ultimate
heist, to steal $600 million from the U.S.
Treasury facility located on the Gulf Coast
of Alabama using a hurricane as their cover.
When the storm blows up into a lethal Category
5 and their well-made plans go awry,
they find themselves needing a vault code
known only by one female Treasury agent,
a need that turns murderous. But the
Treasury agent has picked up an unlikely
ally, a meteorologist terrified of hurricanes
but determined to save his estranged
brother kidnapped by the thieves. He uses
his knowledge of the storm as a weapon to
defeat the bad guys.
DISTRIBUTOR ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS
MOTION PICTURES CAST TOBY KEBBELL,
MAGGIE GRACE, RYAN KWANTEN DIRECTOR
ROB COHEN WRITERS JEFF DIXON, SCOTT
WINDHAUSER GENRE ACTION, THRILLER RATING
PG-13 FOR SEQUENCES OF GUN VIOLENCE,
ACTION, DESTRUCTION, LANGUAGE, AND SOME
SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL RUNNING TIME TBD
MAGGIE GRACE
THE STRANGERS:
PREY AT NIGHT
MARCH 9 (WIDE)
>> A family’s road trip takes a
dangerous turn when they arrive
at a secluded mobile home park to
stay with some relatives and find it
mysteriously deserted. Under the
cover of darkness, three masked
psychopaths pay them a visit to
test the family’s every limit as they
struggle to survive.
ANNA SHAFFER, DAMIAN MAFFEI, AND EMMA BELLOMY
DISTRIBUTOR AVIRON CAST
CHRISTINA HENDRICKS, BAILEE
MADISON, MARTIN HENDERSON
DIRECTOR JOHANNES ROBERTS
WRITERS BRYAN BERTINO, BEN KETAI
GENRE HORROR RATING R FOR
HORROR VIOLENCE AND TERROR
THROUGHOUT, AND FOR LANGUAGE
RUNNING TIME TBD
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 63

A WRINKLE IN TIME
MARCH 9 (WIDE)
>> After learning her astrophysicist father, Alex, is being
held captive on a distant planet deep in the grip of a
universe-spanning evil, Meg Murry works with her highly
intelligent younger brother, her new friend and fellow
student Calvin O’Keefe, and three astral travelers, Mrs.
Which, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Who, to save him. Based on
the Newbery Medal–winning book by Madeleine L’Engle.
DISTRIBUTOR DISNEY CAST OPRAH WINFREY, REESE WITHERSPOON,
MINDY KALING DIRECTOR AVA DUVERNAY WRITER JENNIFER LEE
GENRE ADVENTURE, FAMILY, FANTASY RATING PG FOR THEMATIC ELE-
MENTS AND SOME PERIL RUNNING TIME TBD
PICTURED: OPRAH WINFREY
64 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

DENNIS QUAID
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE
MARCH 16 (WIDE)
>> I Can Only Imagine is based on the true-life
story that inspired the chart-topping song of the
same name, a song that has brought hope to so
many, often in the midst of life’s most challenging
moments. The song was written in mere minutes
by MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard. In reality,
those lyrics took a lifetime to craft.
DISTRIBUTOR LIONSGATE/ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS
CAST J. MICHAEL FINLEY, BRODY ROSE, DENNIS QUAID
DIRECTORS ANDREW ERWIN, JON ERWIN WRITERS JON
ERWIN, BRENT MCCORKLE GENRE DRAMA, FAMILY RATING
PG FOR THEMATIC ELEMENTS INCLUDING SOME VIOLENCE
RUNNING TIME 110 MIN.
NICK ROBINSON, TALITHA ELIANA BATEMAN, JENNIFER GARNER, AND JOSH DUHAMEL
LOVE, SIMON
MARCH 16 (WIDE)
>> Everyone deserves a great love story. But
for 17-year-old Simon Spier it’s a little more
complicated: he’s yet to tell his family or friends
he’s gay and he doesn’t actually know the identity
of the anonymous classmate he’s fallen for online.
Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying,
and life-changing.
DISTRIBUTOR FOX CAST NICK ROBINSON, JOSH DUHAMEL,
JENNIFER GARNER DIRECTOR GREG BERLANTI WRITERS
ELIZABETH BERGER, ISAAC APTAKER GENRE COMEDY,
DRAMA, ROMANCE RATING PG-13 FOR THEMATIC
ELEMENTS, SEXUAL REFERENCES, LANGUAGE, AND TEEN
PARTYING RUNNING TIME 109 MIN.
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 65

TOMB RAIDER
MARCH 16 (WIDE)
>> Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an
eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen.
Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose,
Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike
courier. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take
the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she
rejects the idea that he’s truly gone. Going explicitly against his
final wishes, she leaves everything behind in search of her dad’s
last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that
might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. Suddenly, the stakes
couldn’t be higher, for Lara must learn to push herself beyond
her limits as she journeys into the unknown.
DISTRIBUTOR WARNER BROS. CAST ALICIA VIKANDER, HANNAH JOHN-
KAMEN, WALTON GOGGINS DIRECTOR ROAR UTHAUG WRITERS GENEVA
ROBERTSON-DWORET, ALASTAIR SIDDONS GENRE ACTION, ADVENTURE
RATING PG-13 FOR SEQUENCES OF VIOLENCE AND ACTION, AND FOR SOME
LANGUAGE RUNNING TIME TBD
PICTURED: ALICIA VIKANDER
66 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

MIDNIGHT SUN
MARCH 23 (WIDE)
>> Midnight Sun is a romantic tearjerker
about 17-year-old Katie Price, sheltered at
home since childhood with a rare genetic
condition, a life-threatening sensitivity
to sunlight. Having only her father, Jack,
for company, Katie’s world opens up after
dark when she ventures outside to play
her guitar. One night, her dreams come
true when she’s noticed and asked out by
her longtime crush, Charlie, whom she’s
secretly watched from her bedroom window
for years. As they embark on nightly
summer excursions, Katie’s risk to sunlight
grows and she’s presented with the
gut-wrenching dilemma of whether she
can live a normal life with her newfound
soul mate.
BELLA THORNE
DISTRIBUTOR OPEN ROAD CAST BELLA
THORNE, PATRICK SCHWARZENEGGER, ROB
RIGGLE DIRECTOR SCOTT SPEER WRITER ERIC
KIRSTEN GENRE DRAMA, ROMANCE RATING PG-
13 FOR SOME TEEN PARTYING AND SENSUALITY
RUNNING TIME TBD
SHERLOCK GNOMES
MARCH 23 (WIDE)
>> When Gnomeo and Juliet first arrive in the
city with their friends and family, their biggest
concern is getting their new garden ready
for spring. However, they soon discover that
someone is kidnapping garden gnomes all
over London. When they return home to find
that everyone in their garden is missing there’s
only one gnome to call—Sherlock Gnomes. The
famous detective and sworn protector of London’s
garden gnomes arrives with his sidekick,
Watson, to investigate the case. The mystery
will lead our gnomes on a rollicking adventure
where they will meet all new ornaments and
explore an undiscovered side of the city.
DISTRIBUTOR PARAMOUNT/MGM VOICE CAST EMILY
BLUNT, JOHNNY DEPP, JAMES MCAVOY DIRECTOR
JOHN STEVENSON WRITERS KEVIN CECIL, ANDY
RILEY, BEN ZAZOVE GENRE ANIMATION, ADVENTURE,
COMEDY RATING TBD RUNNING TIME TBD
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 67

ON SCREEN
PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING
MARCH 23 (WIDE)
>> John Boyega stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a oncepromising
Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to
secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous Kaiju. Jake has
since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a
criminal underworld. But when an even more unstoppable threat
is unleashed to tear through our cities and bring the world to its
knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy
by his estranged sister, Mako Mori, who is leading a brave new
generation of pilots that has grown up in the shadow of war. As
they seek justice for the fallen, their only hope is to unite in a
global uprising against the forces of extinction.
DISTRIBUTOR UNIVERSAL CAST JOHN BOYEGA, SCOTT EASTWOOD,
ADRIA ARJONA, TIAN JING DIRECTOR STEVEN S. DEKNIGHT WRITERS
EMILY CARMICHAEL, KIRA SNYDER, STEVEN S. DEKNIGHT, T.S. NOWLIN
GENRE ACTION, ADVENTURE, SCI-FI RATING PG-13 FOR SEQUENCES
OF SCI-FI VIOLENCE AND ACTION, AND SOME LANGUAGE RUNNING
TIME TBD
68 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

READY PLAYER ONE
MARCH 29 (WIDE)
>> From filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes the
science fiction action-adventure Ready Player One,
based on Ernest Cline’s best seller, which has become
a worldwide phenomenon. The film is set in 2045, with
the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the
people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive
virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and
eccentric James Halliday. When Halliday dies, he leaves
his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital
Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS,
sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an
unlikely young hero named Wade Watts decides to join
the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending
treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of
mystery, discovery, and danger.
DISTRIBUTOR WARNER BROS./DREAMWORKS CAST LETITIA
WRIGHT, HANNAH JOHN-KAMEN, MCKENNA GRACE DIRECTOR
STEVEN SPIELBERG WRITERS ZAK PENN, ERNEST CLINE GENRE
ACTION, ADVENTURE, SCI-FI RATING PG-13 FOR SEQUENCES OF
SCI-FI ACTION VIOLENCE, BLOODY IMAGES, SOME SUGGESTIVE
MATERIAL, NUDITY, AND LANGUAGE RUNNING TIME TBD
TYE SHERIDAN
ACRIMONY
MAR 30 (WIDE)
>> A faithful wife tired of standing by her devious husband is enraged
when it becomes clear she has been betrayed.
DISTRIBUTOR LIONSGATE CAST TARAJI P. HENSON, DANIELLE NICOLET, AJIONA ALEXUS
DIRECTOR TYLER PERRY WRITER TYLER PERRY GENRE DRAMA, THRILLER RATING R FOR
LANGUAGE, SEXUAL CONTENT, AND SOME VIOLENCE RUNNING TIME TBD
LYRIQ BENT AND TARAJI P. HENSON
FEBRUARY MARCH 2018 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 69

ON SCREEN
BLOCKERS
APRIL 6 (WIDE)
>> When three parents stumble
upon their daughters’ pact
to lose their virginity at prom,
they launch a covert one-night
operation to stop the teens
from sealing the deal.
JOHN CENA, LESLIE MANN, AND IKE BARINHOLTZ
DISTRIBUTOR UNIVERSAL CAST
KATHRYN NEWTON, LESLIE
MANN, JOHN CENA DIRECTOR
KAY CANNON WRITERS BRIAN
KEHOE, JIM KEHOE, JON HURWITZ,
HAYDEN SCHLOSSBERG GENRE
COMEDY RATING R FOR CRUDE
AND SEXUAL CONTENT, AND
LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, DRUG
CONTENT, TEEN PARTYING, AND
SOME GRAPHIC NUDITY RUNNING
TIME TBD
CHAPPAQUIDDICK
APRIL 6 (WIDE)
>> Chappaquiddick covers the scandal
and mysterious events surrounding the
tragic drowning of Mary Jo Kopechne
when Ted Kennedy drove his car off the
infamous bridge. Not only did this event
take the life of an aspiring political strategist
and Kennedy insider, but it ultimately
changed the course of presidential history.
Through true accounts documented in the
inquest from the investigation in 1969,
director John Curran and writers Andrew
Logan and Taylor Allen intimately expose
the broad reach of political power, the
influence of America’s most celebrated
family, and the vulnerability of Ted Kennedy,
the youngest son, in the shadow of his
family legacy.
DISTRIBUTOR ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS
MOTION PICTURES CAST KATE MARA, JASON
CLARKE, OLIVIA THIRLBY DIRECTOR JOHN CUR-
RAN WRITERS TAYLOR ALLEN, ANDREW LOGAN
GENRE BIOGRAPHY, DRAMA, HISTORY RATING
PG-13 FOR THEMATIC MATERIAL, DISTURBING
IMAGES, SOME STRONG LANGUAGE, AND HIS-
TORICAL SMOKING RUNNING TIME 107 MIN.
JASON CLARKE
70 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

A QUIET PLACE
APRIL 6 (WIDE)
>> Mysterious supernatural forces attracted
to sound have surfaced and are
attacking all over the world. A family
must now hide and live in silence at a
secluded abandoned farm to survive,
by avoiding every noise and communicating
in sign language.
DISTRIBUTOR PARAMOUNT CAST JOHN
KRASINSKI, EMILY BLUNT, NOAH JUPE
DIRECTOR JOHN KRASINSKI WRITERS BRYAN
WOODS, SCOTT BECK, JOHN KRASINSKI
GENRE DRAMA, HORROR, THRILLER RATING
TBD RUNNING TIME TBD
EMILY BLUNT AND MILLICENT SIMMONDS
BLUMHOUSE’S
TRUTH OR DARE
APRIL 13 (WIDE)
>> A harmless game of Truth or Dare
among friends turns deadly when someone
or something begins to punish those
who tell a lie or refuse the dare.
LUCY HALE
DISTRIBUTOR UNIVERSAL CAST LUCY HALE,
TYLER POSEY, VIOLETT BEANE DIRECTOR JEFF
WADLOW WRITERS JILLIAN JACOBS, MICHAEL
REISZ, CHRISTOPHER ROACH, JEFF WADLOW
GENRE HORROR, THRILLER RATING TBD
RUNNING TIME TBD
OVERBOARD
APRIL 13 (WIDE)
>> A spoiled playboy from a wealthy
Mexican family winds up with amnesia
after falling off his yacht. He then
meets a single, working-class mom
who convinces him that they are
married.
DISTRIBUTOR PANELING FILMS/LIONSGATE
CAST EUGENIO DERBEZ, ANNA FARIS,
CELESTE ZIEGLER DIRECTORS BOB FISHER,
ROB GREENBERG WRITERS BOB FISHER, ROB
GREENBERG GENRE COMEDY, ROMANCE
RATING PG-13 FOR SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL,
PARTIAL NUDITY, AND SOME LANGUAGE
RUNNING TIME TBD
ANNA FARIS AND EUGENIO DERBEZ
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 71

RAMPAGE
APRIL 20 (WIDE)
>> Primatologist Davis Okoye, a man who keeps people
at a distance, shares an unshakable bond with George, the
extraordinarily intelligent silverback gorilla who has been in
his care since birth. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry
mutates this gentle ape into a raging creature of enormous size.
To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other
similarly altered animals. As these newly created alpha predators
tear across North America, destroying everything in their path,
Okoye teams with a discredited genetic engineer to secure an
antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield,
not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome
creature that was once his friend.
DISTRIBUTOR WARNER BROS. CAST DWAYNE JOHNSON, JEFFREY DEAN
MORGAN, MALIN AKERMAN DIRECTOR BRAD PEYTON WRITERS RYAN
ENGLE, CARLTON CUSE, RYAN J. CONDAL, ADAM SZTYKIEL GENRE ACTION,
ADVENTURE, SCI-FI RATING TBD RUNNING TIME TBD
PICTURED: DWAYNE JOHNSON
72 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

SUPER TROOPERS 2
APRIL 6 (WIDE)
>> Everyone’s favorite law enforcement team
is back by popular demand with the long anticipated
follow-up to the cult comedy classic
Super Troopers. When an international border
dispute arises between the U.S. and Canada,
the Super Troopers—Mac, Thorny, Foster,
Rabbit, and Farva—are called in to set up a new
highway patrol station in the disputed area.
DISTRIBUTOR FOX CAST EMMANUELLE CHRIQUI,
ROB LOWE, LYNDA CARTER DIRECTOR JAY
CHANDRASEKHAR WRITERS JAY CHANDRASEKHAR,
KEVIN HEFFERNAN, STEVE LEMME, PAUL SOTER, ERIK
STOLHANSKE GENRE COMEDY, CRIME, MYSTERY
RATING R FOR CRUDE SEXUAL CONTENT AND
LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, DRUG MATERIAL, AND
SOME GRAPHIC NUDITY RUNNING TIME TBD
JAY CHANDRASEKHAR, STEVE LEMME, ERIK STOLHANSKE, PAUL SOTER, AND KEVIN HEFFERNAN
TULLY
APRIL 20 (WIDE)
>> Marlo, a mother of three
including a newborn, is gifted a
night nanny by her brother. Hesitant
to accept the extravagance at first,
Marlo comes to form a unique bond
with the thoughtful, surprising,
and sometimes challenging young
nanny named Tully.
DISTRIBUTOR FOCUS FEATURES CAST
MACKENZIE DAVIS, CHARLIZE THERON,
RON LIVINGSTON DIRECTOR JASON
REITMAN WRITER DIABLO CODY GENRE
COMEDY RATING R FOR LANGUAGE AND
SOME SEXUALITY/NUDITY RUNNING
TIME TBD
PICTURED: CHARLIZE THERON
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 73

BOOKING GUIDE
TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS
A24 646-568-6015
THE VANISHING OF SIDNEY HALL Fri, 3/2/18 LTD. Logan Lerman, Elle Fanning Shawn Christensen R Dra/Mys
THE LAST MOVIE STAR Fri, 3/30/18 LTD. Burt Reynolds, Ariel Winter Adam Rifkin R Dra
LEAN ON PETE Fri, 3/30/18 LTD. Travis Fimmel, Steve Buscemi Andrew Haigh R Dra
A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN Fri, 4/13/18 LTD. Joe Cole Jean-Stephane Sauvaire R Act/Dra
HEREDITARY Fri, 6/8/18 WIDE Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne Ari Aster NR Hor
DISNEY 818-560-1000 Ask for Distribution
A WRINKLE IN TIME
DOLPHINS
Fri, 3/9/18 WIDE
Fri, 4/20/18 WIDE
Oprah Winfrey,
Reese Witherspoon
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Fri, 5/4/18 WIDE Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY
Fri, 5/25/18 WIDE
Alden Ehrenreich,
Donald Glover
Ava DuVernay PG Fan 3D/IMAX
Alastair Fothergill,
Keith Scholey
Anthony Russo &
Joe Russo
G
Doc/Fam
NR Act/Adv/SF 3D/IMAX
Ron Howard NR Act/Adv/SF
3D/IMAX/
Dolby Dig
THE INCREDIBLES 2 Fri, 6/15/18 WIDE Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter Brad Bird NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D/IMAX
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Fri, 7/6/18 WIDE Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly Peyton Reed NR Act/Adv/SF 3D/IMAX
DISNEY’S CHRISTOPHER ROBIN Fri, 8/3/18 WIDE NR Fan
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS Fri, 11/2/18 WIDE Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy Lasse Hallström NR Mus/Fan 3D
MULAN Fri, 11/2/18 WIDE Niki Caro NR Act/Adv 3D/IMAX
RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET:
WRECK-IT RALPH 2
Fri, 11/21/18 WIDE John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman Phil Johnston, Rich Moore NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D/IMAX
MARY POPPINS RETURNS
Fri, 12/25/18 WIDE
Emily Blunt,
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Rob Marshall NR Fam/Fan
CAPTAIN MARVEL Fri, 3/8/19 WIDE Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck NR Act/Adv/SF 3D/IMAX
DUMBO Fri, 3/29/19 WIDE Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton Tim Burton NR Fan/Fam 3D
UNTITLED DISNEYTOON STUDIOS FILM Fri, 4/12/19 WIDE NR Ani
UNTITLED AVENGERS Fri, 5/3/19 WIDE NR
Act/Adv/
Fan/SF
ALADDIN Fri, 5/24/19 WIDE Will Smith, Mena Massoud Guy Ritchie NR Act/Adv/Com
TOY STORY 4 Fri, 6/21/19 WIDE NR Ani 3D/IMAX
THE LION KING Fri, 7/19/19 WIDE Donald Glover, Beyoncé Jon Favreau NR Fan
ARTEMIS FOWL Fri, 8/9/19 WIDE Ferdia Shaw, Josh Gad Kenneth Branagh NR Fan 3D
NICOLE Fri, 11/8/19 WIDE NR Fam/Hol
FROZEN 2 Wed, 11/27/19 WIDE NR Ani 3D
ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS
MOTION PICTURES
CHAPPAQUIDDICK Fri, 4/6/19 WIDE Jason Clarke, Kata Mara John Curran PG-13 Dra/Bio
UNTITLED ANIMATED
ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS
Fri, 4/27/19 WIDE NR Ani
REPLICAS Fri, 8/24/19 WIDE Keanu Reeves, Alice Eve Jeffrey Nachmanoff NR SF/Cri
FOCUS FEATURES 424-214-6360 3D
THOROUGHBREDS Fri, 3/9/18 LTD. Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy Cory Finley NR Com
7 DAYS IN ENTEBBE Fri, 3/16/18 LTD. Rosamund Pike, Daniel Brühl José Padilha PG-13 Dra/Thr
74 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS
TULLY
Fri, 4/20/18 WIDE
Charlize Theron,
Mackenzie Davis
Jason Reitman NR Com
POPE FRANCIS: A MAN OF HIS WORD Fri, 5/18/18 WIDE Pope Francis Wim Wender NR Doc
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? Fri, 6/8/18 WIDE Fred Rogers Morgan Neville NR Doc
CAPTIVE STATE
THE LITTLE STRANGER
Wed, 8/17/18 WIDE
Fri, 8/31/18 WIDE
John Goodman,
Ashton Sanders
Domhnall Gleeson,
Ruth Wilson
Rupert Wyatt NR SF
Lenny Abrahamson NR Hor/Thr
BOY ERASED Fri, 9/28/18 LTD Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman Joel Edgerton NR Dra
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS Fri, 11/2/18 LTD Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie Josie Rourke NR Dra/His
FOX 310-369-1000 212-556-2400
RED SPARROW
LOVE, SIMON
SUPER TROOPERS 2
DEADPOOL 2
THE DARKEST MINDS
Fri, 3/2/18 WIDE
Fri, 3/16/18 WIDE
Fri, 4/20/18 WIDE
Fri, 5/18/18 WIDE
Fri, 8/3/18 WIDE
Jennifer Lawrence,
Joel Edgerton
Nick Robinson,
Katherine Langford
Jay Chandrasekhar,
Kevin Heffernan
Ryan Reynolds,
Morena Baccarin
Amandla Stenberg,
Mandy Moore
Francis Lawrence R Thr IMAX
Greg Berlanti NR Dra
Jay Chandrasekhar,
Kevin Heffernan
R
Com
David Leitch NR Act/Adv/SF
Jennifer Yuh Nelson NR SF/Thr
THE PREDATOR Fri, 9/14/18 WIDE Boyd Holbrook, Jacob Tremblay Shane Black NR Act/SF/Hor
BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE Fri, 10/5/18 WIDE Drew Goddard NR
DARK PHOENIX
Fri, 11/2/18 WIDE
Sophie Turner,
Jennifer Lawrence
Simon Kinberg NR Act/Adv/SF
WIDOWS Fri, 11/16/18 WIDE Michelle Rodriguez, Viola Davis Steve McQueen NR Dra
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL Fri, 12/21/18 WIDE Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz Robert Rodriguez NR Act/Adv/Rom 3D/IMAX
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Fri, 12/25/18 WIDE Rami Malek, Ben Hardy Dexter Fletcher NR Bio/Mus
AD ASTRA Fri, 1/11/19 WIDE Brad Pitt James Gray NR SF/Thr
SPIES IN DISGUISE Fri, 1/18/19 WIDE Will Smith, Tom Holland Nick Bruno & Troy Quane NR Ani
THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING Fri, 2/14/19 WIDE Joe Cornish NR
THE NEW MUTANTS
Fri, 2/22/19 WIDE
Anya Taylor-Joy,
Maisie Williams
Fan/Fam/
Act/Adv
Josh Boone NR Act/Hor/SF
THE FORCE Fri, 3/1/19 WIDE James Mangold NR Dra/Cri
GAMBIT Fri, 6/7/19 WIDE Channing Tatum, Lizzy Caplan NR Act/Adv/SF
DEATH ON THE NILE Fri, 11/8/19 WIDE Sir Kenneth Branagh NR Dra
FOX SEARCHLIGHT 212-556-2400
ISLE OF DOGS
CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
LIONSGATE 310-309-8400
Fri, 3/23/18 LTD.
Fri, 10/19/18 LTD.
Scarlett Johansson,
Bryan Cranston
Melissa McCarthy,
Richard E. Grant
Wes Anderson PG-13 Ani/Adv/Com
Marielle Heller R Bio/Com/Dra
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE Fri, 3/16/18 WIDE J. Michael Finley, Brody Rose Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin PG Dra/Fam
ACRIMONY Fri, 3/30/18 WIDE Taraji P. Henson, Lyriq Bent Tyler Perry R Dra
OVERBOARD Fri, 4/13/18 WIDE Eugenio Derbez, Anna Faris Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg PG-13 Rom/Com
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 75

BOOKING GUIDE
TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS
TRAFFIK Fri, 4/27/18 WIDE Paula Patton, Omar Epps Deon Taylor NR Thr
UNCLE DREW Fri, 6/29/18 WIDE Kyrie Irving, Lil Rel Howery Charles Stone III NR Com
BLINDSPOTTING Fri, 7/27/18 LTD. Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal Carlos Lopez Estrada NR Com/Dra
THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME Fri, 8/3/18 WIDE Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon Susanna Fogel NR Com/Act
KIN Fri, 8/31/18 WIDE Myles Truitt, Jack Reynor Jonathan Baker, Josh Baker NR Act/SF
ROBIN HOOD Fri, 9/21/18 WIDE Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx Otto Bathurst NR Adv
HELLFEST Fri, 10/12/18 WIDE Amy Forsyth, Reign Edwards Gregory Plotkin NR Hor
HELLBOY Fri, 1/11/19 WIDE David Harbour, Milla Jovovich Neil Marshall NR Act
FLARSKY Fri, 2/8/19 WIDE Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron Jonathan Levine NR Com
CHAOS WALKING Fri, 3/1/19 WIDE Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley Doug Liman NR Adv/SF
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER THREE Fri, 5/17/19 WIDE Keanu Reeves NR Act
MGM
DEATH WISH Fri, 3/2/18 WIDE Bruce Willis, Vincent D’Onofrio Eli Roth R Act
VALLEY GIRL Fri, 6/29/18 LTD. Jessica Rothe, Josh Whitehouse Rachel Goldenberg NR
THE HUSTLE Fri, 6/29/18 LTD. Anne Hathaway, Rebel Wilson Chris Addison NR Com
FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY Fri, 9/14/18 LTD. Florence Pugh, Vince Vaughn Stephen Merchant NR Dra/Bio
OPERATION FINALE Fri, 9/21/18 WIDE Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley Chris Weitz NR Dra
CREED 2
Fri, 12/21/18 LTD.
Sylvester Stallone,
Michael B. Jordan
NR Dra/Act
THE ADDAMS FAMILY Fri, 10/11/19 WIDE Conrad Vernon NR Ani
OPEN ROAD FILMS 310-696-7504
MIDNIGHT SUN
Fri, 3/23/18 WIDE
Bella Thorne,
Patrick Schwarzenegger
Scott Speer NR Dra/Rom
SHOW DOGS Fri, 5/18/18 WIDE Will Arnett, Natasha Lyonne Raja Gosnell PG Com/Fam
THE SILENCE
Fri, 5/18/18 WIDE
PLAYMOBILE Fri, 1/18/19 WIDE NR Ani
PARAMOUNT 323-956-5000
SHERLOCK GNOMES Fri, 3/23/18 WIDE James McAvoy, Emily Blunt John Stevenson NR
Ani/Com/
Fam
3D
A QUIET PLACE Fri, 4/6/18 WIDE Emily Blunt, John Krasinski John Krasinski NR Hor/Thr
BOOK CLUB Fri, 5/18/18 WIDE NR Com
ACTION POINT
Fri, 6/1/18 WIDE
Johnny Knoxville,
Aidan Whytock
Tim Kirkby NR Com
MISSION: IMPOSSILBE - FALLOUT Fri, 7/27/18 WIDE Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson Christopher McQuarrie NR Act/Adv 3D/IMAX
OVERLORD Fri, 10/26/18 WIDE Wyatt Russell and Jovan Adepo Julius Avery NR War/Thr
UNTITLED PARAMOUNT EVENT FILM Fri, 11/2/18 WIDE NR
BUMBLEBEE Wed, 12/21/18 WIDE Hailee Steinfeld, Pamela Adlon Travis Knight NR Act/Adv/SF 3D
ELI Fri, 1/4/19 WIDE Ciaran Foy NR Hor
WHAT MEN WANT Fri, 1/11/19 WIDE Taraji P. Henson NR Com
INSTANT FAMILY Fri, 2/15/19 WIDE Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne Sean Anders NR Com
RHYTHM SECTION Fri, 2/22/19 WIDE Blake Lively Reed Morano NR Thr
AMUSEMENT PARK Fri, 3/15/19 WIDE Mila Junis, Jennifer Garner Dylan Brown NR Ani/Adv/Com
UNTITLED TYLER PERRY MOVIE Fri, 4/12/19 WIDE Tyler Perry NR
76 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS
PET SEMATARY
Fri, 4/19/19 WIDE
Kevin Kolsch,
Dennis Widmyer
TRANSFORMERS SEQUEL Fri, 6/28/19 WIDE NR Act/Adv/SF
TOP GUN Fri, 7/12/19 WIDE NR Act/Adv
UNTITLED TERMINATOR PROJECT Fri, 7/26/19 WIDE NR Act/Adv/SF
GEMINI MAN Fri, 10/4/19 WIDE NR
ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? Fri, 11/19/19 WIDE NR Hor
SONY 212-833-8500
PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST Fri, 3/23/18 WIDE Jim Caviezel, James Faulkner Andrew Hyatt PG-13 Rel/Dra/His
SUPERFLY Fri, 6/15/18 WIDE NR Act
SICARIO 2: SOLDADO Fri, 6/29/18 WIDE Josh Brolin, Isabela Moner Stefano Sollima R Dra, Cri
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER
VACATION
Fri, 7/13/18 WIDE Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez Genndy Tartakovsky NR
NR
Hor
Ani/Com/
Fam
THE EQUALIZER 2 Fri, 7/20/18 WIDE Denzel Washington Antoine Fuqua NR Act/Thr
WHITE BOY RICK
Fri, 8/17/18 WIDE
Matthew McConaughey,
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Yann Demange NR Cri/Dra
SLENDER MAN Fri, 8/24/18 WIDE Joey King, Julia Goldani-Telles Sylvain White NR Hor
ALPHA
Fri, 9/21/18 WIDE
Kodi Smit-McPhee,
Leonor Varela
Albert Hughes PG-13 Act/Dra/Thr
VENOM Fri, 10/5/18 WIDE Tom Hardy Ruben Fleischer NR SF/Act
GOOSEBUMPS: HORRORLAND Fri, 10/12/18 WIDE Rob Letterman NR
Com/Fam/
Hor
THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB Fri, 11/9/18 WIDE Claire Foy Fede Alvarez NR Dra/Thr
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE Fri, 12/14/18 WIDE Shameik Moore
Bob Persichetti, Peter
Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
NR Ani/Act/Fam
HOLMES AND WATSON Fri, 12/21/18 WIDE Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly Ethan Cohen NR Act/Thr
THE NIGHTINGALE Fri, 1/25/19 WIDE Michelle MacLaren NR Dra
SILVER AND BLACK Fri, 2/8/19 WIDE NR Act/Adv/SF
THE ROSIE PROJECT Fri, 5/10/19 WIDE NR
CHARLIE’S ANGELS Fri, 6/7/19 WIDE Elizabeth Banks NR Act/Com
MEN IN BLACK SPINOFF Fri, 6/14/19 WIDE NR SF/Act/Com
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 2 Fri, 7/5/19 WIDE NR
Act/Adv/SF/
Com
THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2 Fri, 9/20/19 WIDE NR Ani
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS Tom Prassis 212-833-4981
FOXTROT Fri, 3/2/18 NY/LA Lior Ashkenazi, Sarah Adler Samuel Maoz R Dra
THE LEISURE SEEKER
Fri, 3/9/18 NY/LA
Helen Mirren,
Donald Sutherland
Paolo Virzì R Dra/Adv/Com
FINAL PORTRAIT Fri, 3/23/18 NY/LA Geoffrey Rush, Armie Hammer Stanley Tucci R Dra
THE RIDER Fri, 4/13/18 NY/LA Bray Jandreau, Tim Jandreau Chloé Zhao R Dra
STX ENTERTAINMENT 310-742-2300
GRINGO Fri, 3/9/18 WIDE Charlize Theron, Joel Edgerton Nash Edgerton NR Act/Com/Dra
I FEEL PRETTY
Fri, 4/27/18 WIDE
Amy Schumer,
Michelle Williams
Abby Kohn, Marc
Silverstein
ADRIFT Fri, 6/1/18 WIDE Shailene Woodley, Sam Claflin Baltasar Kormákur NR Dra
NR
Com
3D
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 77

BOOKING GUIDE
TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS
MILE 22
Fri, 8/3/18 WIDE
Mark Wahlberg,
John Malkovich
Peter Berg NR Act
THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS Fri, 8/17/18 WIDE Melissa McCarthy Brian Henson NR Com
STX: SECOND ACT
Fri, 11/21/18 WIDE
Jennifer Lopez,
Milo Ventimiglia
Peter Segal NR Rom/Com
UGLYDOLLS Fri, 5/10/19 WIDE Robert Rodriguez NR Ani
UNIVERSAL 818-777-1000
PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING Fri, 3/23/18 WIDE Scott Eastwood, John Boyega Steven S. DeKnight PG-13 SF/Act 3D/IMAX
BLOCKERS Fri, 4/6/18 WIDE Leslie Mann, John Cena Kay Cannon R Com
BLUMHOUSE’S TRUTH OR DARE Fri, 4/13/18 WIDE Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey Jeff Wadlow NR Hor
BREAKING IN Fri, 5/11/18 WIDE Gabrielle Union, Billy Burke James McTeigue PG-13 Thr
JURRASIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM
Fri, 6/22/18 WIDE
Chris Pratt,
Bryce Dallas Howard
J.A. Bayona NR Act/Adv 3D
THE FIRST PURGE Wed, 7/4/18 WIDE Gerard McMurray NR Hor
SKYSCRAPER Fri, 7/13/18 WIDE Dwayne Johnson Rawson Marshall Thurber NR Act 3D
MAMMA MIA: HERE WE GO AGAIN! Fri, 7/20/18 WIDE Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep Ol Parker NR Mus/Com
SCARFACE Fri, 8/10/18 WIDE NR Cri/Dra
THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS Fri, 9/21/18 WIDE Jack Black, Cate Blanchett Eli Roth NR
NIGHT SCHOOL Fri, 9/28/18 WIDE Kevin Hart NR Com
FIRST MAN Fri, 10/12/18 WIDE Ryan Gosling, Kyle Chandler Damien Chazelle NR Dra/Bio
HALLOWEEN Fri, 10/19/18 WIDE Jamie Lee Curtis David Gordon Green NR Hor
DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH Fri, 11/9/18 WIDE Benedict Cumberbatch
Peter Candeland,
Yarrow Cheney
UNTITLED ROBERT ZEMECKIS PROJECT Wed, 11/21/18 WIDE Steve Carell Robert Zemeckis NR Dra
NR
Ani/Com/
Fam
MORTAL ENGINES Fri, 12/14/18 WIDE Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan Christian Rivers NR SF 3D
GLASS Fri, 1/18/19 WIDE James McAvoy, Bruce Willis M. Night Shyamalan NR Thr
BLUMHOUSE HORROR PROJECT 1 Fri, 2/14/19 WIDE NR Hor
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3 Fri, 1/3/19 WIDE NR
UNTITLED JORDAN PEELE PROJECT Fri, 3/15/19 WIDE Jordan Peele NR Thr
UNTITLED DOCTOR DOLITTLE PROJECT Fri, 4/12/19 WIDE NR Com
DETECTIVE PIKACHU Fri, 5/10/19 WIDE Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith Rob Letterman NR Adv
BLUMHOUSE HORROR PROJECT 2 Fri, 5/31/19 WIDE NR Hor
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 Fri, 6/7/19 WIDE Chris Renaud NR Ani
Ani/Com/
Fam
COWBOY NINJA VIKNIG Fri, 6/28/19 WIDE Chris Pratt NR Act/Adv/Com
UNTITLED FAST & FURIOUS SPIN-OFF Fri, 7/26/19 WIDE NR Act/Adv
UNTITLED UNIVERSAL EVENT FILM Fri, 8/16/19 WIDE NR
EVEREST Fri, 9/27/19 WIDE Tim Johnson NR Ani
UNTITLED BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS Fri, 10/18/19 WIDE NR Hor
WARNER BROS. 818-977-1850
TOMB RAIDER Fri, 3/16/18 WIDE Alicia Vikander, Dominic West Roar Uthaug PG-13 Act/Adv 3D/IMAX
READY PLAYER ONE Thu, 3/29/18 WIDE Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke Steven Spielburg PG-13 Act/SF/Thr 3D/IMAX
3D
PANDAS
Fri, 4/6/18 IMAX
David Douglass,
Drew Fellman
G Doc/Nat 3D/IMAX
78 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS
RAMPAGE
Fri, 4/20/18 WIDE
Dwayne Johnson,
Naomie Harris
Brad Peyton NR Adv/Fan 3D/IMAX
LIFE OF THE PARTY Fri, 5/11/18 WIDE Melissa McCarthy, Julie Bowen Ben Falcone NR Com
OCEAN’S 8 Fri, 6/8/18 WIDE Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett Gary Ross NR Cri
TAG Fri, 6/15/18 WIDE Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms Jeff Tomsic NR Com
TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES Fri, 7/27/18 WIDE Will Arnett, Kristen Bell
Aaron Horvath,
Peter Rida Michail
THE MEG Fri, 8/10/18 WIDE Jason Statham, Bingbing Fan Jon Turteltaub PG-13 Act/Hor/SF
CRAZY RICH ASIANS Fri, 8/17/18 WIDE Jon M. Chu PG-13 Com
THE NUN Fri, 9/7/18 WIDE Taissa Farmiga, Bonnie Aarons Corin Hardy NR Hor
SMALLFOOT Fri, 9/14/18 WIDE Zendaya, Channing Tatum
Glenn Ficarra, Ryan
O’Loughlin, John Requa
A STAR IS BORN Fri, 10/5/18 WIDE Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga Bradley Cooper NR
NR
NR
Ani
Ani/Com/
Fam
Dra/Mus/
Rom
MOWGLI Fri, 10/19/18 WIDE Rohan Chand, Andy Serkis Andy Serkis NR Adv/Dra 3D
FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF
GRINDELWALD
Fri, 11/16/18 WIDE Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp David Yates NR Act/Adv/Fan
AQUAMAN Fri, 12/21/18 WIDE Jason Momoa, Amber Heard James Wan NR Act/Adv/SF 3D/IMAX
THE LEGO MOVIE SEQUEL Fri, 2/8/19 WIDE Mike Mitchell NR Ani
ISN’T IT ROMANTIC Fri, 2/14/19 WIDE Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth Todd Strauss-Schulson NR Com
GODZILLA: KING OF MONSTERS Fri, 3/22/19 WIDE NR SF/Act
SHAZAM! Fri, 4/5/19 WIDE Zachary Levi, Asher Angel David F. Sandberg NR Act/Adv/Fan IMAX
MINECRAFT: THE MOVIE Fri, 5/24/19 WIDE NR
SHAFT Fri, 6/14/19 WIDE NR Act
UNTITLED WB EVENT FILM Fri, 8/2/19 WIDE NR
IT SEQUEL Fri, 9/6/19 WIDE NR Hor IMAX
OUR SPONSORS
20th Century Fox 13
Barco 1
Cardinal Sound 80
Christie
inside front
CineEurope 15
Colonial Theatre 80
DepthQ 80
Dolphin Seating 17
Enpar Audio 38
Harkness Screens 5, 7
LightSpeed/Depth Q 80
MOC Insurance 3
NEC Display Systems
Back cover
QSC 11
Ready Theater Systems 39
RealD 60–61
Retriever Systems 37
Sensible Cinema 80
Sonic Equipment 9
Spotlight Cinema Networks 23
Telescopic Seating Systems
Inside back
USHIO 19
MARCH 2018 BOXOFFICE ® 79

MARKETPLACE
Passive Polarization
for 3D Digital Cinema
Fast, Bright, Reliable...
Quality you can Trust.
Over 2,000
locations worldwide.
Now Patented in the USA
www.depthq3d.com
HELP WANTED
SENIOR LEVEL CHANNEL ACCOUNT MANAG-
ER wanted by NEC Display Solutions for expanding
Digital Cinema group. Seeking minimum 8
years’ experience within hi-tech, cinema or Pro
A/V industry to drive strategic growth. Fieldbased,
travel throughout US & Canada required.
Apply: www.necdisplay.com/careers
FOR SALE
PRESTIGIOUS SOUTHAMPTON NEW YORK.
Four screen multiplex on two acres in the heart
of the village. Tremendous upside potential.
Email Southoldproperties@gmail.com or Call
Ken 516-642-3116.
BISTRO CHAIRS FOR SALE: (392) Red vinyl and
(328) gray vinyl seven year old Seating Concepts
Palermo style in-theatre bistro chairs to be available
in early Spring 2018. All chairs equipped with
tray tables. Some of the seats will require covers/
repairs. Please contact mhooker@aztcorporation.
comor 972-428-2943 for more information.
USED DIGITAL PROJECTORS, Five complete
booths including sound equipment. Three years
old. Contact seller at moviescope1000@gmail.
com.
TWO BRAND NEW 3000 watts Christie Xenon
lamps for 35mm projectors. Contact: Atul Desai
949-291-5700.
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.
18 SETS OF USED 35MM AUTOMATED PRO-
JECTION SYSTEM (comes with Projector, Console,
Automation Unit and Platter) comprising
of 10 sets of Christie and 8 sets of Strong 35mm
system available on ‘as is where is’ basis in Singapore.
Contact seller at engthye_lim@cathay.
com.sg
APPROXIMATELY 2,000 SEATS FOR SALE. MO-
BILIARIO high-back rockers with cup holders.
Located in Connecticut. Contact (203)758-2148.
6 PLEX EQUIPMENT PACKAGE. Six complete
booths digital projectors/sound, 72 speakers,
seats, screens/frames, concession equipment,
computers, led signs/marquees, safe/misc
equipment. Serious inquiries only. For equipment
list email contact@digitalequipmenttechnologies.com
or call 801-548-0108 or fax 801-
281-0482.
HELP WANTED
TRI STATE THEATRE SUPPLY in Memphis, TN
has openings for experienced Digital Cinema
Techs nationwide. Please send your resume to
include qualifications, certifications and salary
requirements to fred@tristatetheatre.com
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
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
The three-screen Stavros Niarchos Foundation
Parkway Film Center in Baltimore is seeking an
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR to oversee all aspects
of running the theater and concessions. The Film
Center, a partnership among the Maryland Film
Festival, Johns Hopkins University and MICA will
open in spring of 2017 and offer a broad range
of the world’s best art-house, independent, documentary,
and classic cinema. The full job description
and application instructions are found
at mdfilmfest.com/about-the-festival/jobs.php.
ADD YOUR MESSAGE TO THE BOXOFFICE MARKETPLACE
CONTACT SUSAN UHRLASS
SUSAN@BOXOFFICE.COM / 310-876-9090
80 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2018

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