Boxoffice - March 2017

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MARCH 2017
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HELLO
>> It’s always great to be back in Las Vegas this time of year. The halls of
Caesars Palace will once again welcome the global exhibition community for
CinemaCon—a week in which our industry convenes for 18-hour days that
start with breakfast meetings and end with business dinners. It has been a privilege
to partner with the National Association of Theatre Owners for this event,
now in its sixth edition, since its inception in 2011.
As NATO’s official publication, we hope the following pages serve to not only
celebrate and recognize the executives receiving awards at this event, but also to
inform you about the latest news, trends, and challenges facing our industry.
CinemaCon will be welcoming attendees from more than 80 countries this
year, a reflection of the global nature of our business and its status as a mass
medium. It is also a testament to our industry’s resiliency; regardless of new
borders, economic policies, and technologies that have come and gone for
more than a century, exhibition remains a vital part of the social lives of people
around the world. The movies allow us to experience different perspectives,
and the movie houses of the world continue to act as a forum for the exchange
of these ideas. We might not always agree, or particularly like, what we see
on-screen, but cinemas allow us to engage and interact with these different
viewpoints no matter where we might find ourselves.
With that spirit in mind, it is especially fitting that the week begins with
International Day, where exhibitors from around the world can come together
to learn industry lessons that can translate from suburban Texas to downtown
Tokyo. As part of our International Day coverage, you will notice the distribution
of a special stand-alone issue of Boxoffice, commemorating the event
and, and always, highlighting latest headlines of our business.
CinemaCon is great opportunity to finally meet with our readers, so please
feel free to come and introduce yourselves if you see us around this week. We
would love to say hi.
Julien Marcel
Chief Executive Officer
Boxoffice Media
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 3

CONTENTS
2017 VOL. 153 NO. 3
CINEMACON 2017
filmmakerinterviews
84
SNATCHED
DIRECTOR JONATHAN LEVINE
146
KONG: SKULL ISLAND
DIRECTOR JORDAN VOGT-ROBERTS
152
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
PRODUCERS TODD LIEBERMAN
AND DAVID HOBERMAN
NATO MARQUEE AWARD
We interview honoree Byron Berkley,
President and CEO of Foothills
Entertainment
92
PASSEPARTOUT AWARD
A visit with industry veteran Mark
Christiansen of Paramount Pictures
100
INTERNATI0NAL
BOX OFFICE AWARD
comScore honors The Walt Disney Studios
for its record-breaking year
102
NAC BERT NATHAN AWARD
Pop some corn and champagne:
Andrew Cretors honored by NAC
104
EXCELLENCE IN EVENT CINEMA
Turner Classic Movies scores by bringing
film classics to the big screen
106
GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT IN
EXHIBITION
A conversation with Cameron Mitchell,
CEO of Majid Al Futtaim’s Vox Cinemas
110
2017 NEW PRODUCTS
Profiles of dozens of new ideas brought to
you by your favorite exhibition vendors
116
15
59
64
68
80
156
160
162
165
168
172
specialfeatures
YOUNG MEMBERS COMMITTEE
Millennials and Exhibitors: We
survey over 2,000 millennials about
key moviegoing topics.
GLOBAL LEADERS OF EXHIBITION
We count down the top 35 exhibition
circuits in the world—10
countries lead the pack.
NUMBER CRUNCH
March Madness: How spring
became the new summer at the
box office.
READY PLAYER ONE
Coca-Cola’s support of eSports
pays off as the event cinema trend
continues to grow.
ART HOUSE CONVERGENCE
The annual convention of independents
celebrate their 10th
anniversary in Midway, Utah.
PREMIUM EXPERIENCE
Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi discusses
focusing on the customer
experience.
MID-ATLANTIC NATO AT 100
Not many things are older than
Boxoffice—but this NATO group
has us beat.
DIGITAL TICKETING
It’s full steam ahead as ticketer
Atom Tickets shows no signs of
slowing down.
NEW TOOLS
Boxoffice Profile by Vertigo is a new
cinema-audience measurement tool
from Webedia and Vertigo Research.
WOMEN IN EXHIBITION
Guangdong Dadi Theater Circuit:
An Eastern giant. We speak with
CEO Yu Xin.
2016 YEAR IN REVIEW
2015 ended on a high note with
$38 billion in international box
office. How did 2016 fare?
comingsoon synopses of upcoming releases
SABAN’S POWER RANGERS / CHIPS / LIFE / WILSON / GHOST IN THE SHELL / THE BOSS BABY / THE BLACKCOAT’S DAUGHTER
THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE / CEZANNE ET MOI / GIFTED / GRADUATION / GOING IN STYLE / SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE
THEIR FINEST / COLOSSAL / THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS / THE LOST CITY OF Z / TOMMY’S HONOUR
6 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

72
BUD MAYO
Chairman
New Vision Entertainment
74
TRAVIS REID
Chief Operating Officer
RealD
BOXOFFICE MEDIA
CEO
Julien Marcel
VP CREATIVE SERVICES
Kenneth James Bacon
VP CONTENT STRATEGY
Daniel Loria
BOXOFFICE ®
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Daniel Loria
MANAGING EDITOR
Laura Silver
76
MURRAY HOLDAWAY
Director and Chief Executive
Vista Group
regularfeatures
3 HELLO
12 EXECUTIVE SUITE
14 NATO NEWS
16 EXHIBITION BRIEFS
32 SECRET WEAPON
36 TECHNOLOGY
42 SOCIAL MEDIA
46 INSIDE YOUR THEATER
48 CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
50 INDIE FOCUS
164 LEVERAGING INNOVATION
166 EXHIBITOR MARKETING
170 CHINESE MARKET
178 3D CALENDAR
192 EVENT CALENDAR
194 BOOKING GUIDE
200 MARKETPLACE
78
ANDREW CRIPPS
President, Int’l Distribution
20th Century Fox
BOXOFFICE ® (ISSN 0006-8527), Volume 153, Number 3, March 2017. BOXOFFICE ® is published
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CONTRIBUTORS
Kathy Conroy
Phil Contrino
James Devin
John Fithian
Chuck Goldwater
Jason Kornfeld
Robert Lenihan
Erica Lopez
Doug Murdoch
Ameesh Paleja
Kirk Senior
Barbara Twist
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Ally Bacon
BOXOFFICEPRO.COM
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Shawn Robbins
ANALYSTS
Alex Edghill
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Jesse Rifkin
DATABASE MANAGEMENT
Diogo Busato
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ADVERTISING
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
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MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 7

EXECUTIVE SUITE
WELCOME TO CINEMACON,
WHERE AN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY CELEBRATES
MOVIEGOING AND CHAMPIONS GLOBALIZATION
by John Fithian, President & CEO, NATO
>> Welcome to the seventh annual CinemaCon convention at Caesars Palace!
The NATO and CinemaCon teams are proud of what we have to present to our
exhibitor members, studio partners, equipment and concessions suppliers,
and other industry friends. From the exciting studio product presentations
(10 different companies in an all-time record), to the sold-out trade floor and
demonstration suites, to the timely educational programming, to the networking,
meetings, and socializing, you will have a busy and productive week.
JOHN FITHIAN
“Immigration can drive movie
attendance and improve the available
work force. In the United States, for
example, Hispanics have constituted
the largest source of immigration
in recent years, and also the most
frequent moviegoers. comScore’s
data for 2016 indicates that Hispanics
were more than 21 percent of the
moviegoing audience, even though
they make up less than 18 percent of
the population.”
This year at CinemaCon, NATO will emphasize
two themes—one to be expected, but one out
of the ordinary. As should come as no surprise,
NATO will champion the moviegoing experience
and discuss very strong numbers at the box
office. Given the rapidly changing nature of the
public-policy focus in many territories around the
world, though, NATO will also speak out about
the benefits exhibitors derive from global economic
and policy integration.
First, let’s celebrate the strong state of our industry
by looking back at the year just completed.
When the year 2016 began, many pundits predicted
that moviegoing would take a dive in 2016
but rebound the following year. The movie slate in
2016, suggested some, just wasn’t strong enough.
Too many sequels. Too big a focus on tentpoles.
Exhibition stock analysts and buyers factored in a
discount based on these predictions.
But one beautiful aspect of this magical business
is that no one knows anything until tickets go
on sale and our guests begin to speak with their
wallets and purses. Despite earlier harbingers of
decline, we did just fine in 2016, thank you very
much! According to comScore—NATO’s Official
Data Partner—domestic box office receipts broke
a new record at $11.37 billion in the U.S. and
Canada. That is a 2.1 percent increase from 2015’s
$11.13 billion and the eighth straight year revenues
have exceeded $10 billion.
In fact, 2016 box office ran ahead of 2015 for
the entire year, led by a stellar first quarter, which
outstripped the same quarter in 2015 by 12.77
percent. Q2 trailed the same 2015 quarter by 9.75
percent. Q3 again outperformed 2015 by 12.3
percent, while summer box office was dead even
with 2015 at $4.48 billion. The final quarter of the
year managed to stay close to Q4 2015, despite the
enormously difficult comp with The Force Awakens.
Q4 ended with a slight 3.94 percent down.
Yes we had some big hits. There were nine titles
that grossed over $300 million in 2016, while
there were only six in 2015. But in an equally
encouraging sign that runs counter to earlier
trends, films that grossed between $50 and $100
million accounted for $250 million more in 2016
than in 2015.
On the international scene, the numbers are
more complicated even though they remained
strong. comScore estimates that the international
box office came to $27.4 billion, which means that
the worldwide box office hit $38.8 billion. That
global number is but a fraction below comScore’s
2015 estimate of $38.9 billion. In other words,
when measured in American dollars, 2016 came
within $100 million of beating the all-time record
of 2015.
Had it not been for currency devaluations
in many important territories, global box office
would have set a new record in 2016. In China,
for example, the box office was down $200 million
when measured in dollars, but actually posted a 3.7
12 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

According to comScore—NATO’s Official Data Partner—domestic box office receipts broke a new
record at $11.37 billion in the U.S. and Canada. That is a 2.1 percent increase from 2015’s $11.13
billion and the eighth straight year revenues have exceeded $10 billion.
percent increase when measured in local currency.
In the United Kingdom, box office totals when
measured in dollars were damaged by Brexit and
the devaluation of the pound.
In the end, 2016 proved to be a much better
year than most predicted. Will 2017 beat the
record? We’ll know when we know!
NATO’s second theme for CinemaCon 2017
has not been discussed at previous conventions. In
many territories in the world, including Europe
and the United States, nationalism is on the rise.
Voters in many countries are supporting candidates
who seek to reduce immigration, to pull back on
international alliances, and to impose barriers on
free trade. In this author’s opinion, those trends are
bad for the exhibition business. Or stated another
way, globalism is good for NATO members and
should be championed.
Immigration can drive movie attendance and improve
the available work force. In the United States,
for example, Hispanics have constituted the largest
source of immigration in recent years, and also the
most frequent moviegoers. comScore’s data for 2016
indicates that Hispanics were more than 21 percent
of the moviegoing audience, even though they make
up less than 18 percent of the population. Similarly,
immigration provides a significant labor pool for
exhibitors in many territories. Theater operators
need many entry-level minimum-wage employees to
do basic jobs that do not require a higher education.
Often, immigrants fill these positions. Yet policy
makers in many territories seek to reduce immigration.
In the U.S., for example, legislation has been
proposed in the Senate that would reduce legal
immigration by half.
Globalists also believe that free trade is good for
business, yet new nationalist leaders in several territories
seek to cut back on free trade agreements.
What does this mean for the exhibition business?
First, in many cases, it means higher costs. NATO
member Alejandro Ramirez Magaña of Cinépolis
wrote recently that his company buys popcorn
from Iowa and Indiana and cheese for their nachos
from Wisconsin because the trade policies between
Mexico and the United States make those products
affordable. Should free trade policies between those
two countries change, and prices rise, Cinépolis
would likely buy what today is slightly more expensive
popcorn from Argentina, and would have
to find another source for cheese as well.
Exhibitors in many territories import their
equipment, and the average movie-theater-equipment
import duty around the world is between 9
and 10 percent (with some countries going as high
as 100 percent.) Nationalistic policies will likely
drive those duties higher, while greater free trade
would lower them.
International agreements and international institutions
also serve to protect intellectual property
and combat movie theft. Exhibitors around the
world lose billions of dollars each year to movie
theft, and the losses would be much greater if not
for a global war on piracy. Nationalists will reduce
the use of these agreements and institutions and
damage the global effort to reduce movie theft.
Finally, exhibition is itself becoming a global
business. U.S.-based AMC is going into Europe
with the acquisitions of Odeon and Nordic.
Chinese company Wanda has invested in AMC
and has acquired Hoyts in Australia. Korean-based
CJ-CGV has acquired Mars in Turkey and is opening
cinemas in the U.S. Mexico-based Cinépolis
operates now in four continents, with cinemas
across Latin America, India, Spain, and the U.S.
And these are only a few examples of an accelerating
trend of international consolidation.
CinemaCon, too, has become a global convention.
We will champion our international
business throughout the week. Thanks for coming
to the show! n
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 13

NATO NEWS
NATO MEMBER INVOLVEMENT IS KEY TO
CINEMACON’S SUCCESS
by Kathy Conroy, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
>> Thank you for participating in CinemaCon 2017! Welcome to the largest and
most significant gathering of movie theater owners and operators in the world.
KATHY CONROY
Kathy Conroy manages NATO’s
finances and business operations.
She supports and coordinates the
work of NATO’s boards, committees,
and task forces. As a member of
the NATO management team, she
participates in the recruiting, hiring,
supervision, and evaluation of NATO
staff. She assists President/CEO
John Fithian in the development
and oversight of NATO’s budget.
She ensures that infrastructures
and resources are available to
support NATO’s member programs
and strategies through adequate
staffing, equipment, materials,
and supplies. She is responsible
for planning and executing NATO’s
Annual Membership and Board
Meeting in the fall.
The leaders of exhibition,
distribution, and industry
partners have come together
this week to celebrate the
moviegoing experience.
CinemaCon is the official
convention of the National
Association of Theatre Owners
(NATO), and its success
is the result of the active
involvement and generous
support we receive from NATO members.
I’d like to give a “shout out” to a few of the
individuals and organizations whose contributions
have been extraordinary. This seventh-annual
CinemaCon convention would not be possible
without the leadership of NATO Conventions
Committee Co-Chairmen Rob Del Moro, Regal
Entertainment Group, and Steve Zuehlke,
Cinemark USA, and committee members Bob
Bagby, B&B Theatres; Byron Berkley, Foothills
Entertainment Co.; John McDonald, AMC
Entertainment; Miguel Rivera, Cinépolis; and
Racheal Wilson, Harkins Theatres. The Conventions
Committee works closely with NATO’s
professional convention staff—Mitch Neuhauser,
managing director; Matt Pollock, associate
managing director; Matt Shapiro, director of
operations; and Cynthia Schuler, finance manager.
A debt of gratitude, too, goes to NATO’s
officers—Chairman John D. Loeks, Celebration!
Cinema; Vice Chairwoman Amy E. Miles, Regal
Entertainment Group; Secretary Jeff Logan, Logan
Luxury Theatres Corp.; and Treasurer Byron
Berkley, Foothills Entertainment Co.; to the
chairman of NATO’s International Committee,
Jan Bernhardsson, Nordic Cinema Group; and
to all of NATO’s Executive Board members who
have been so supportive of the convention.
With strong support and participation from
studio partners and sponsors, NATO’s Conventions
Committee put together a CinemaCon 2017
program that is diverse, information-packed, and
exciting. It includes the largest cinema trade show
in the world, featuring innovations in cinema
technology and new and enhanced concessions
offerings. NATO is grateful to Mike Archer and
the International Cinema Technology Association
(ICTA), and to Terry Conlon and the National Association
of Concessionaires (NAC) for their help
putting together a world-class trade show floor.
The CinemaCon schedule includes educational
sessions that are highly valued by attendees. NATO
would like to thank the following members for
sharing their knowledge and experience as presenters—William
Barstow, Main Street Theatres; Kevin
Cardullo, National Amusements; Bobby Babgy
Ford, B&B Theatres; Jenni Jacobi, Alamo Drafthouse
Cinema; Brandon Jones, Studio Movie Grill;
Steve Knibbs, Vue Entertainment; Rob Lister,
IMAX Corporation; Joe Masher, Bow Tie Cinemas;
Randy Smith, Regal Entertainment Group;
and John Zeng, Wanda Cinemas. We are grateful,
too, to the NATO members who are participating
as moderators this year—Steve Bunnell, Regal
Entertainment Group; Eddy Duquenne, Kinepolis
Group, N.V.; Ellis Jacob, Cineplex Entertainment
LP; Bob Lenihan, AMC Entertainment; Alejandro
Ramirez Magaña, Cinépolis; and Mark Zoradi,
Cinemark USA.
CinemaCon is a great place to recognize outstanding
NATO member-leaders as they are surrounded
by their industry colleagues and friends.
This year, Cameron Mitchell, VOX Cinemas, will
receive the Global Achievement Award in Exhibition;
and Byron Berkley, Foothills Entertainment
Co., will receive NATO’s Marquee Award.
Be sure to attend the “Big Screen Achievement
Awards” presentation on Thursday evening, honoring
the talent in the movie industry today, and
the After Party, sponsored by our friends at The
Coca-Cola Company. I encourage you to participate
to the fullest in all the education and fun that
CinemaCon 2017 has to offer. Enjoy the show! n
14 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

YOUNG MEMBERS COMMITTEE
MILLENNIALS AND EXHIBITORS
by Phil Contrino, Data and Research Manager, NATO
>> Last summer, NATO launched our Young Members Committee (YMC). I’m happy
to report that following the launch the YMC developed and conducted a survey
focused on millennials that we’ll now be sharing with the entire membership. We
surveyed a little over 2,000 millennials from diverse backgrounds in order to hear
their thoughts on key moviegoing topics.
A few quick takeaways:
When asked a question about how often they go
to the movies 17.9 percent of respondents answered
“almost once a week” and 32.9 percent answered
“once a month.” (Recent stats from a comScore
survey are just as reassuring: for age 18–24, 27
percent of respondents answered that they saw three
movies in theaters over the last two months, and 26
percent of respondents in the 25–34 age range also
said three movies.)
When asked “Do you view time spent watching
video on Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and any other
social media platforms as being in direct competition
to going to theaters?” the answers played out as
follows:
56.6 percent: Rarely. They are two different
experiences.
23.1 percent: Some of the time they compete,
but some of the time they don’t.
20.3 percent: Definitely. There are a lot of
entertainment options competing for my
attention and sometimes they steal time from
each other.
Members of the media like to take a sky-is-falling
attitude when it comes to millennials and moviegoers.
Yet when you scratch even a little bit below the
surface of that assumption, you find out it’s just not
true. Is piracy a problem with millennials? Absolutely.
Do a lot of millennials skip trips to the movies
because they feel a heavy financial burden? Sure. Is
it fair to say that all millennials are souring on the
theatrical experience? Definitely not.
YMC’s first survey would not have happened
without valuable input over several rounds of revisions
from the talented individuals on YMC’s Leadership
Board (in alphabetical order): Brock Bagby
(B&B Theatres), Jenny Jacobi (Alamo Drafthouse),
Frank Martinez (Bow Tie Cinemas), Gurbani Marwah
(Cineplex), Heather Morgan (AMC), Jonathan
Penn (Cinemark), Garrett
Rawson (Marcus Theatres),
Matthew Sharpe (Southern
Theatres), Mike Steinebach
(Celebration! Cinema), and
Rob Westerling (Regal).
The YMC also hosts
webinars in order to further
educate our members. The
first webinar dealt with the
topics of luxury seating and dine-in service, and it
allowed Brock Bagby, Jenny Jacobi, Frank Martinez,
and Mike Steinebach to share their first-hand experiences.
As both luxury seating and dine-in services
continue to expand, I’m sure the YMC will continue
to address both topics.
Virtual reality is a topic that will come up a lot at
CinemaCon this year, and it’s one that’s definitely in
the wheelhouse of the YMC. Will virtual reality find
a place in theaters or will it compete with theaters?
That’s the core debate that’s going on right now. For
every person who is bullish on VR, there is one who
is highly skeptical.
The way that all people—not just millennials—interact
with the world through technology
is changing. According to a report by Goldwater
Capital, Snapchat continues to gain ground when it
comes to its share of total time spent on social apps.
In a survey of 2,076 people, Goldwater found that
Snapchat represents 11.1 percent of total time spent
on social apps for respondents under 30, tying it
with Instagram. YouTube is first with 24.6 percent,
followed by Facebook with 22.8 percent. Twitter
ranks near the bottom with only 5.3 percent. For
the 30 and over crowd, Facebook accounts for a
dominant 35.9 percent of total time, while only 4.4
percent goes to Twitter and 3.2 percent to Snapchat.
In the splintered world of social apps, it’s important
to understand where an audience for a given film is
more likely to be. It can be hard, though, because it
feels like preferences are shifting all the time. n
PHIL CONTRINO
Prior to joining NATO, Phil Contrino
worked with Boxoffice for more
than seven years. While with
Boxoffice, he built a data/prediction
business, maintained relationships
with trade publications in India and
China, and was quoted regularly
by CNN, The New York Times, The
Wall Street Journal, Variety, The
Hollywood Reporter, and many
others. Contrino joined NATO in
December 2015.
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 15

EXHIBITION BRIEFS
IMAX AND DISNEY EXTEND DEAL THROUGH 2019
>> IMAX Corporation and The Walt Disney Studios, a
division of The Walt Disney Company, have announced an
extension of their multifaceted agreement with a new multipicture
deal—beginning this year and extending through
2019—that includes the much-anticipated live-action and
animated tentpole releases from Disney, Walt Disney Animation
Studios, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm.
Highlights of the agreement include IMAX’s involvement
in the release of Lucasfilm’s untitled Indiana Jones film,
untitled Han Solo Star Wars anthology film, Star Wars: The
Last Jedi, and Star Wars: Episode IX; Marvel’s Black Panther,
Ant-Man and the Wasp, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Infinity
War, and the untitled Avengers sequel; Disney’s Beauty and the
Beast, A Wrinkle in Time, and Mulan; Pixar’s The Incredibles 2
and Toy Story 4, and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Wreck-
It Ralph sequel.
Following J.J. Abrams’s use of IMAX cameras in Star Wars:
The Force Awakens, the companies have also announced that
director Rian Johnson has captured key sequences of Star
Wars: The Last Jedi using IMAX’s extremely high-resolution
cameras. Additionally, as previously announced, Avengers:
Infinity War and the untitled Avengers sequel will be shot in
their entirety by the Russo Brothers with IMAX cameras.
AMC TO ACQUIRE NORDIC CINEMA GROUP
>> AMC Theatres, the largest cinema operator in the world, is
to acquire Stockholm-based Nordic Cinema Group Holding AB,
the largest theater exhibitor in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
The transaction is conditional upon antitrust clearance by the
European Commission, which is expected to be received in the
first half of 2017.
Nordic has 68 theaters, 463 screens, and approximately
68,000 seats in nearly 50 large and medium-sized cities in the
Nordic and Baltic nations, and a substantial minority investment
in another 50 associated theaters with 201 screens, to which
Nordic provides a variety of shared services. All Nordic activities
are conducted locally in seven markets under several brands,
including SF Bio in Sweden, SF Kino in Norway, Finnkino in
Finland, and Forum Cinemas in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Additional associated theaters also operate in Denmark.
Nordic will continue to be headquartered in Stockholm and
will operate as a subsidiary of London-based Odeon Cinemas
Group, which AMC acquired in November of 2016. It will
continue operating under local Nordic and Baltic brand names,
16 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

and neither the Odeon nor AMC brand
names will be introduced there. Nordic
will continue to be run by Jan Bernhardsson,
its current leader, and his current
management team.
Including the associated theaters, the
combination with Nordic will result in
AMC’s hitting the never before reached
milestones of 1,000 theaters and 11,000
screens in 15 countries.
AMC will continue to be headquartered
in Leawood, Kansas. Adam Aron
will continue to serve as chief executive
officer and president, and Craig Ramsey
will continue to serve as executive vice
president and chief financial officer.
ATOM TICKETS TEAMS UP WITH BOW
TIE, MEGAPLEX
>> Atom Tickets has formed a partnership
with Bow Tie Cinemas that will
expand its availability in New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut, Colorado, Maryland,
and Virginia. Atom has also announced a
partnership with Larry H. Miller (LHM)
Megaplex Theatres, that will expand its
availability in Utah and Nevada.
Bow Tie and Megaplex join Atom’s
growing list of theater partners that
includes Regal Cinemas, AMC Theatres,
Arclight Cinemas, Landmark Cinemas
of Canada, Studio Movie Grill, and
Emagine Entertainment. By the beginning
of March 2017 all Bow Tie Cinema
locations will be Atom-enabled.
With the Bow Tie integration, Atom
will see substantial growth, particularly
in the New York Tri-State region with
the addition of 37 Bow Tie theaters and
212 screens in that area alone. With the
Megaplex integration, Atom will see
growth in Utah and Nevada with the
addition of 17 locations with nearly 200
auditoriums.
As one of the 15 largest exhibitors
in North America, Bow Tie cinemas is
projecting seven million moviegoers for
2017. Later this year, Bow Tie will launch
its first luxury recliner theaters, an enhanced
food menu, and a full bar service
in select top markets.
Megaplex is known for technology,
innovation, and customer service. They
were the first exhibitor in Utah to introduce
luxury and heated power recliners.
LUXIN-RIO ACQUIRES VOLFONI
>> In January, Shandong Luxin-Rio
Visual Technology Company Limited
held the signing ceremony for Luxin-Rio’s
acquisition of Volfoni in Jinan, China.
Jiang Dong, chairman of Luxin-Rio, and
Thierry Henkinet, CEO of Volfoni, were
present at the signing ceremony.
The French company Volfoni is a
global 3D equipment manufacturer.
Luxin-Rio is dedicated to the integration
of global resources, combined with
culture, technology, and financial services.
The Chinese company has worked
with Volfoni since 2012, at which time
they set up the joint-venture companies
Volfoni-Rio Asia Company Limited and
Qingdao Volfoni-Rio Visual Technology
Company Limited. Luxin-Rio
purchased 10 percent of the shares
in Volfoni in 2014. This current 100
percent acquisition of Volfoni means
that Luxin-Rio owns the core technology
for 3D equipment. This represents
a cornerstone of Luxin-Rio’s desire to
build up its cinema industry chain and
international industrial layout.
CHRISTIE SIGNS EXCLUSIVE WITH
STUDIO MOVIE GRILL
>> The Christie Experiential Network
(CEN) has signed an exclusive digital advertising
contract with Studio Movie Grill.
“We are thrilled to be integrating
our interactive displays in Studio Movie
Grill’s theater lobbies and entryways to
enhance the moviegoing experience and
deliver impactful advertising and promotional
content to their guests,” said Kevin
Romano, EVP global media.
Studio Movie Grill will expand
CEN’s network into seven additional
markets. This brings CEN’s total footprint
to 155 theater locations covering 9
out of the top 10 and over 75 percent of
the top 25 designated market areas for
media by Nielsen.
“It’s great to be partnering with an
exceptional industry leader like Christie,”
said Brian Schultz, CEO and founder
of Studio Movie Grill. “We are looking
forward to installing their Experiential
Network across our circuit, especially
our newest Lincoln Square Theatre in
Arlington, Texas. Their unique digital
interactive displays will provide an excellent
platform to inform and entertain our
guests from the moment they walk into
our lobbies.”
CJ CGV OPENS U.S. FLAGSHIP IN BUENA
PARK
>> CJ CGV opened its flagship U.S.
location in Buena Park, California, at
the new The Source OC shopping center
in January. The fifth largest multiplex
theater company in the world and
a cinema solutions provider, CJ CGV
operates 2,877 screens at 376 locations
in seven countries. This will be the second
CGV theater in the United States,
with the first located in Koreatown, Los
Angeles.
CGV Buena Park marks the first time
the U.S. market will be able to experience
the company’s Cultureplex concept.
Currently deployed at staple CJ CGV
sites around the world, Cultureplex is the
idea of a movie theater as a complete and
immersive cultural experience.
Activities and special events—including
performances from local bands,
conventions, and more—will be part of
the site’s atmosphere following the grand
opening.
CGV Buena Park will show the
biggest hits from South Korea as well as
popular films from Hollywood to China
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and Vietnam with certain releases subtitled
in English, Korean, Chinese, and/or
Vietnamese.
The new theater will feature eight
screens and 1,187 seats, with immersive
cinema technologies, 4DX and
ScreenX—the first time both will be
available in one U.S. theater complex—
along with a comprehensive offering of
premium features, including Premium
Cinema, featuring dine-in service, recliners,
and cell phone chargers.
AMC STUBS CROSSES 6 MILLION MARK
>> AMC Theatres now has more than
six million AMC Stubs members, adding
more than one million members during
the holiday season and through the first
few weeks of 2017. The company is on
track to nearly triple its AMC Stubs
membership year-over-year by the start of
this summer.
“New guest enrollment in AMC
Stubs continues to grow at a brisk pace,
and that’s prior to a significant number
of Carmike locations transitioning onto
the AMC Stubs system,” said Adam
Aron, CEO and president of AMC. “The
tremendous year-over-year growth of
our AMC Stubs database continues to
provide significant benefit to our entire
marketing strategy as we’re able to reach
more moviegoers with greater efficiency
and precision.”
DADI CINEMA ACQUIRES ORANGE SKY
GOLDEN HARVEST
>> Dadi Cinema, the media business
of Nan Hai Corporation Limited, will
acquire Orange Sky Golden Harvest
Entertainment Limited, with a valuation
of approximately RMB 3.387 billion.
As a diversified investment holding
group company, Nan Hai Corporation,
established in 2006, focuses on three
major business segments—culture and
media, property development, and corporate
IT application services. As of the end
of 2016, it has opened 350 cinemas with
1,911 screens in the People’s Republic
of China, and box office reached RMB
2.237 billion, ranking it No.2 in the
country.
Orange Sky Golden Harvest, a major
cinema investment and operation company,
operates and manages 76 cinemas
with a total of 531 screens in the PRC.
Nan Hai aims to strengthen its cinema
business through this acquisition. The
number of cinemas and screens will increase
to 426 and 2,442 respectively.
Yu Xin, chief executive officer of
Dadi Cinema Group, said the layout of
Orange Sky Golden Harvest focuses on
the first-tier and second-tier cities, and
it is a productive supplement to Dadi
Cinema’s current national network. The
acquisition not only improves the national
layout of Dadi Cinema Group but
also maximizes efficiency by its resource
integration.
FATHOM EVENTS NAMED BEST U.S.
DISTRIBUTOR AT ECA CONFERENCE
>> Fathom Events received the top
honor of Best Distributor (U.S.) at the
2017 Event Cinema Association (ECA)
Conference that took place in London
last month. The ECA awards recognize
the year’s best achievements in the field of
event cinema and awarded Fathom Events
the Best U.S. Distributor award for the
second consecutive year, highlighting the
company’s continued success in distribution
and content development.
Fathom Events was honored with
Silver Box Office Awards for Batman:
The Killing Joke and U.S. distribution
of Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F, and a
Bronze Box Office Award for Sherlock:
The Abominable Bride, in addition to Best
Distributor Americas Award, alongside
European event distributor Picturehouse,
which received the UK award. Additional
notables include the Metropolitan
Opera, which received the best content
provider for U.S., and Odeon, which
won for Excellence in Exhibition (UK).
In addition, Fathom Events CEO John
Rubey and Brad LaDouceur of Cineplex
Canada were appointed to the ECA
board.
The Event Cinema Association serves
nearly 200 members globally who acquire,
develop, and exhibit exciting limited run
consumer ticketed events in over 4,000
worldwide movie theaters.
SPOTLIGHT ADDS M2M TO PRE-SHOW
>> Spotlight Cinema Networks and Made
to Measure (M2M) announced a national
pre-show partnership that showcases
M2M’s fashion, art, and design content on
230 screens across 40 theaters in 30 cities.
M2M original series that will be
featured during Spotlight’s 20-minute preshow
include:
• “Art of Style,” a five-episode series that
provides an insider’s glimpse into the life
and work of today’s leading designers
• “Tea at the Beatrice with Glenn
O’Brien,” a recurring series starring the
fashion writer in conversation with fashion
icons
• “Visionaries,” a visually experimental
docu-series that looks at visionaries in
creative industries
• “Iconic,” a recurring series that looks
at the influence of fashion’s most memorable
icons such as Balenciaga and Grace
Jones
“We’ve curated these cutting-edge
films from M2M’s one-of-a-kind library
to appeal specifically to our sophisticated
cinema audiences,” said Michael Sakin,
president, Spotlight Cinema Networks.
“Our national network of luxury and art
house exhibitors is the perfect venue to
offer these visually striking and highly
inventive short films. They are the ideal
complement to the independent films
shown in our theaters.”
The first M2M original content piece
to debut in Spotlight theaters will be a look
at the work and unique style of American
fashion designer Thom Browne as part of
the “Art of Style” series directed by Lisa
Immordino Vreeland.
SOUTHERN THEATRES NAMES JOHN
CAPARELLA CEO
>> Southern Theatres has selected John
P. Caparella as its new chief executive
20 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

Visit us at Augustus booth 2003 at CinemaCon 2017

EXHIBITION BRIEFS
officer. Southern Theatres currently owns
and operates 41 theaters and 476 screens
in 14 states, including 23 dine-in theaters
operating under the Movie Tavern brand.
Caparella has 30 years of executive experience
with an extensive background in the
entertainment and hospitality industries.
Caparella succeeds George Solomon,
who founded the company in 2002 and
is retiring after over 40 years of involvement
in the industry. During his tenure
the company has grown from approximately
$10 million in revenue to over
$250 million. Solomon will continue as
an investor in the company and serve as
chairman of the board of directors.
Most recently, Caparella worked at
the Madison Square Garden Company as
executive vice president, venue management.
Previously, he served as president
and COO at the Venetian, the Palazzo,
and Sands Expo Center, where he led
8,500 associates and all related operations,
including entertainment, casino,
and retail. Earlier in his career, Caparella
spent many years with ITT Sheraton.
Movie Tavern has plans to open three
additional locations in late 2017.
SCREENVISION, KAOS, AND
CRUNCHYROLL TO PRODUCE ANIME
SERIES
>> Screenvision Media, in association
with KAOS Connect, has announced
an exclusive alliance with Crunchyroll
to deliver quarterly anime event-cinema
programs in 2017. Anime Movie Night,
presented by Crunchyroll, will feature
some of the most popular anime titles,
both new and classic.
Each theatrical event will feature select
anime episodes or full-length theatrical
releases. Anime Movie Night will
also include behind-the-scenes content
about featured titles. The first event will
premiere April 2017, to be followed by
at least three additional events, one per
quarter, for the remainder of the year.
Crunchyroll currently delivers over
25,000 episodes and 15,000 hours of officially
licensed content from leading Japanese
media producers directly to viewers.
Translated professionally in multiple
languages, content is available within
minutes of Japan TV broadcast through
Crunchyroll’s apps, which can be used on
every major mobile, connected TV, and
gaming device, as well as the web.
“We’re so excited to extend the power
of event cinema into the dynamic world
of anime,” said Bernadette McCabe,
senior vice president, business strategy,
Screenvision Media. “The exclusive anime
content Crunchyroll and KAOS Connect
have created for Anime Movie Night is
truly incredible, and we can’t wait to see
the impact it has on the national anime
fan base through the 40-foot screen.”
REALD ACQUIRES MASTERIMAGE 3D
ASSETS AND TECHNOLOGY
>> RealD has acquired the remaining
assets of MasterImage. Assets acquired by
RealD include all intellectual property,
technology, inventory, and accounts receivable
previously controlled by MasterImage.
The acquisition of these assets follows
several key legal victories in which RealD
successfully asserted their patents against
MasterImage. These victories include a
recent court-ordered ban of the infringing
products by the U.S. International Trade
Commission, and wins against MasterImage
in various other jurisdictions around
the world.
“RealD remains committed to visual
technology innovation and to protecting
our intellectual property around the
world,” said RealD founder and CEO
Michael V. Lewis.
RealD has a platform of over 29,000
RealD 3D-equipped screens in 72 countries.
RealD has offices in Beverly Hills,
Boulder, London, Oxford, Moscow,
Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong,
Seoul, and Tokyo.
SCREENVISION DEBUTS NEW ART
HOUSE PRE-SHOW
>> Screenvision Media has announced
the rollout of Screenvision Select, a new
network with curated programming
created specifically for premium art house
theaters. Screenvision Select launched in
theaters across the country this past fall.
Screenvision Select will showcase the
best in short films, studio content, and
behind-the-scenes features. In addition, a
select number of brands will be invited to
schedule a limited number of ads, content
segments, or sponsorships into Screenvision
Select. This exclusive placement will
sit shoulder to shoulder with relevant,
bespoke content, all created specifically
to appeal to a discerning audience. The
Screenvision Select pre-show will be six
to eight minutes in total length, with
the flexibility of 30-second exclusive
brand-partner spots or 90-second content
segments.
“This is our first venture in specifically
targeting the art house community,
and a major move for our company,”
said Bernadette McCabe, SVP, business
strategy, Screenvision Media. “We have
an incredibly robust exhibitor network
already in place, and with our added art
house portfolio of exhibitor partners,
we’ll now be able to deliver a targeted,
affluent audience that premium brands
are seeking.”
As part of Screenvision Select’s rollout,
New York City–based film distribution
company Bleecker Street will serve as a
debut studio alliance, providing behindthe-scenes
footage and interviews from its
latest line-up of must-see films.
RODRIGUEZ ADDS NEW TITLE AT
MARCUS
>> The Marcus Corporation has announced
the appointment of Rolando B.
Rodriguez as chairman, president, and
chief executive officer of Marcus Theatres.
Rodriguez has served as president and
chief executive officer of Marcus Theatres,
the fourth largest theater circuit in the
United States, since joining the company
in 2013. He will continue to serve as
executive vice president of The Marcus
Corporation.
“Rolando is an incredible asset to our
team. The additional title of chairman
24 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

EXHIBITION BRIEFS
recognizes his tireless work and the results
he has achieved since he joined our company,”
said Gregory S. Marcus, president
and chief executive officer of The Marcus
Corporation.
At Marcus Rodriguez has led over
$200 million in capital investment activity
to upgrade amenities and technology
at existing theaters, and to develop and
acquire new locations with high potential.
He and his team have also instituted
new operating strategies such as the
Marcus Movie Rewards loyalty program
and $5 Tuesday promotions. He also led
the recent purchase of 197 Wehrenberg
Theatres screens, increasing the company’s
footprint by 29 percent.
Rodriguez is a member of The Marcus
Corporation’s investment committee and
in 2015 assumed responsibility for The
Marcus Corporation’s real estate portfolio,
including all corporate real estate,
retail leasing, and real estate activity.
ROGER HARRIS JOINS REALD AS EMEAR
MANAGING DIRECTOR
>> Roger Harris has joined RealD Inc.
as managing director of Europe, Middle
East, Africa, and Russia (EMEAR). He
will be responsible for overseeing sales
and administration of all EMEAR territories
and will report directly to Travis
Reid, chief operating officer of RealD.
Harris will be based in RealD Europe’s
headquarters in the UK.
Harris has worked in exhibition and
distribution for over 25 years. He previously
served as chief operating officer
for Odeon Cinemas and UCI Cinemas
Group, overseeing the UK and Ireland.
He was appointed managing director of
UCI Cinemas Ltd. in 2002 following an
early career in marketing and operations
during the rapid expansion of Famous
Players in Canada.
“Roger is a well-known leader in our
industry with a wealth of experience,
skills and established relationships,” said
Reid. “He recognizes and understands the
value 3D brings to the cinema industry
and will work closely with our exhibition
and distribution partners to continue
to expand and maximize the potential
of 3D, the RealD cinema platform, and
RealD’s premium large-format (PLF)
offering throughout the growing EMEAR
territories. We are thrilled to have him as
part of the RealD team.”
MARCUS BISTROPLEX COMING TO
GREENDALE, WIS.
>> Marcus Theatres is bringing a new
dining and movie entertainment concept
to the Southridge Mall property this
summer. Called BistroPlex, the building
will feature eight in-theater dining auditoriums
with DreamLounger recliners,
including two SuperScreen DLX auditoriums
with oversized screens and heated
seats, plus a separate, full-service bar/
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 27

EXHIBITION BRIEFS
lounge for a complete dining and moviegoing
experience under one roof.
Marcus Theatres began construction in
the fall of 2016 on the 1.74-acre lot. The
40,000-square-foot facility is the company’s
first BistroPlex, which is designed
to transform each auditorium into a fun
and full-service entertainment venue.
“The BistroPlex concept is described
by its name,” said Rolando Rodriguez,
chairman, president, and chief executive
officer of Marcus Theatres. “A bistro is
known as a small restaurant and ‘plex’
means the movie and dining is woven together
as an experience throughout every
auditorium in the building. There’s also a
bar/lounge as part of the complex, where
guests are welcome to enjoy food and
beverages before and after their show. We
are excited to see guests’ reactions to this
enhanced entertainment destination.”
BistroPlex offers an environment perfect
for group movies, in-theater meetings,
team building, and other events.
Special promotional packages will be
part of the offering at this complex.
MOVIEPASS AND VISTA GROUP
ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP
>> MoviePass has announced a strategic
collaboration with Vista Group International
(Vista). Vista company Vista
Entertainment Solutions (VES) is a
global provider of cinema management
software solutions servicing 12,000
screens, representing more than 40
percent of the U.S. market. The partnership
will allow theaters that use the
VES ticketing solution to take advantage
of full API integration with MoviePass’s
growing subscription service.
By integrating MoviePass directly
into the VES ticketing software, participating
theaters will be able to offer
MoviePass members enhanced features
and new capabilities on mobile devices.
These features include:
• E-Ticketing, seat selection and
advance purchase capabilities directly
from a subscriber’s mobile phone. This
integration also provides exhibitors with
more granular data, complete with an
analytics dashboard to see frequency
of use at specific locations as well as
valuable demographic information on
moviegoers.
• The ability to invite friends; both
MoviePass and non-MoviePass members
• The option to purchase food and
beverages directly via the app for a cashless
transaction
• Direct integration into an exhibitor’s
loyalty program
MARCUS BRINGS DREAMLOUNGER
RECLINERS TO LINCOLN GRAND
CINEMA
>> Marcus Theatres announced its most
recent investment in the Lincoln, Neb.,
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 29

EXHIBITION BRIEFS
community with the addition of Dream-
Lounger recliner seating throughout
the Marcus Lincoln Grand Cinema. As
part of the renovation, the UltraScreen
DLX auditorium will become the first
in Lincoln to offer heated recliner seats.
Construction began in February.
DreamLounger recliners will enable
moviegoers to go from a seated upright
position to a full recline at the touch of a
button. Guests in the UltraScreen DLX
auditorium, which includes a massive
screen, recliner seating, and Dolby Atmos
sound, will now have the option for
heated seats that can be turned on or off
with the push of a button. Additionally,
Lincoln Grand Cinema will introduce
reserved seating in all 14 auditoriums.
The addition of DreamLoungers
at Lincoln Grand Cinema brings the
company’s total renovation investment
in its Lincoln locations to more than
$10 million since it purchased four local
theaters in 2008. A Take Five Lounge
and a Zaffiro’s Express were added
at Lincoln Grand Cinema in 2014.
Additional investments in the company’s
Lincoln-area theaters included a
complete remodel of East Park Cinema
in 2015 and significant renovations to
South Pointe Cinema last year, including
adding DreamLoungers to both theaters.
DIGITAL CINEMA DISTRIBUTION
COALITION SURPASSES 30,000 U.S.
SCREENS
>> Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition
(DCDC), the North American
theatrical content distribution company
founded by AMC Theatres, Cinemark
Theatres, Regal Entertainment Group,
Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros.
Entertainment, announced that it now
has under contract more than 30,000
theater screens in the United States
(in the more than 2,650 theater sites
belonging to the 179 exhibitors it has
under contract).
This milestone follows another
record-setting year of across-the-board
growth in all key exhibitor and content-delivery
categories. Additionally,
DCDC reported that since its inception
in October 2013, the company has made
more than a million successful deliveries
of features, trailers, and other content to
its exhibitor customers from its 36 content-provider
customers (which includes
all the major studios and other leading
content providers).
In its second direct year-to-year
comparison, DCDC finished 2016
with sizeable increases in every significant
category, including the number of
screens (up 20 percent), exhibitors (up
70 percent), content providers (up 13
percent), installed satellite sites (up 15
percent), and number of titles delivered
(up 11 percent). n
30 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

SECRET WEAPON
b r o u g h t t o y o u b y
SUPER HEROES
D-BOX to recognize heroes of exhibition in monthly column
>> Nothing beats a Hollywood icon. D-BOX began its journey
serving the U.S. exhibition industry with its immersive seating
technology in 2009 at a picture-perfect location, Grauman’s Chinese
Theatre in Hollywood. Since then, the company has worked
with exhibitors around the world in bringing their own brand
of interactive moviegoing to audiences in major urban hubs and
smaller suburban locations alike.
D-BOX is entering an exciting time in its history this year,
preparing to deploy more of its immersive-seating technology
and continue introducing its innovative VR concept in more
cinemas. The company already made headlines in February
with its participation at the IMAX VR Experience Center in
Los Angeles, showcasing some of its latest projects in the field
of immersive cinema.
This success would not be possible without the support
of the exhibition community. In recognition of their efforts,
D-BOX will be running a monthly column in this space titled
“Secret Weapon,” dedicated to showcasing the different roles and
responsibilities that make up the exhibition business, profiling
executives whose day-to-day tasks help make the moviegoing
experience an integral part of our social lives.
“We see Secret Weapon as an incredible vehicle to showcase
all the great people that have partnered with us since our start in
2009,” says Claude McMaster, president and CEO of D-BOX
Technologies. “With a presence in over 35 countries on more
than 600 screens, and our initial success in VR, it’s safe to say we
wouldn’t be where we are today without them. They understand
the power of our super-premium, innovative motion technology
and have used it to grow their businesses, significantly increase
their revenue, build their brands, and stay ultra-competitive.”
The column will feature Q&A interviews with executives
from partner circuits around the world, giving insight into the
pleasures and challenges of the many jobs within a movie theater.
It will also provide a window into how different exhibitors approach
emerging technologies and innovations, setting the stage
for the future of the industry.
“With the extraordinary growth we’ve had in theaters around
the world this past year and the media buzz surrounding the
technology, the future of our company is extremely exciting,”
adds Bob Raposo, vice president sales, Americas & EMEA, for
D-BOX. “Through Secret Weapon, readers will get to see how
the industry’s biggest exhibitors are playing a key role in our
plans to immerse audiences in the narrative like never before and
generate new premium profits.” n
32 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

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MOVE THE WORLD

TECHNOLOGY
CHRISTIE HITS TECH MILESTONES IN MEXICO, TAIWAN
>> Cinemex has become the first exhibitor to install the Christie
RGB laser projector in Mexico, placing the projector in its CinemaXtremo
auditorium at Mexico City’s Cinemex Mundo E complex.
The same auditorium represents yet another milestone for
the two companies, becoming the 500th site to install Christie’s
Vive Audio sound solution. Christie’s technology is complemented
by a Dolby Atmos immersive audio system and a giant 23-by-
9.6-meter screen. The auditorium boasts a capacity of 436 seats
and 19 balconies, a marquee location in the Cinemex circuit.
“We are proud to be Mexico’s first chain to integrate this type
of projector because it proves our commitment to innovate
and offer ground-breaking technology,” said Rolando Maggi,
Cinemex’s director of infrastructures and development. “Without
a doubt, our spectators’ moviegoing experience will be optimum,
and they will be won over by the clarity and quality of the image.”
At the other end of the globe, Christie announced the
opening of an “all Christie” complex in Taichung, Taiwan, operated
by Showtime Cinemas. The Showtime location will feature both
Christie Vive Audio and the company’s RGB Laser projection
systems.
“As one of the leading cinema chains in Taiwan, we are
strongly committed to offering the best-in-class cinema technologies
for our patrons to enjoy the finest visuals and audio on the
opening of our newest cinema complex in Taichung,” said Willy
Liao, general manager, Showtime Cinemas. n
36 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

TECHNOLOGY
QSC KICKS OFF ITS CERTIFICATION PROGRAM WITH
THREE THEATERS
>> QSC has begun certifying its partner theaters, kicking off the
campaign with three marquee sites: Munich, Germany’s Kinopolis
Mathäser Filmpalast; Oswego, Illinois’s Goodich Theatres Kendall
11 GDX; and Alamo Drafthouse’s Ashburn Virginia, location.
The certification is given to cinemas equipped with complete
sound systems supplied by QSC and that meet a set of technical
guidelines for equipment, projection, acoustics, and room design
to ensure an outstanding moviegoing experience. The Mathäser
Filmpalast, for example, is one of the world’s largest Dolby Atmos
cinemas and boasts 835 seats and a 20.6-meter-wide screen. The
site is controlled and monitored with QSC’s network audio platform,
Q-SYS, also featuring 23 QSC DPA-Q amplifiers and 50 QSC
loudspeakers, controlled and monitored on a network by a Q-SYS
Core 500i processor. In addition to the theater’s new 4K projection
system, an entirely new LED light concept was deployed as
part of an extensive design and outfitting plan. The system was
installed by CinemaNext.
Stateside, the Goodrich Theatres Kendall 11 GDX complex in
Oswego, Illinois, has 11 screens, all of them recently renovated
with QSC cinema sound systems, including a premium large-format
room, luxury rocking seats, and Dolby Atmos. The Alamo
Drafthouse in Ashburn, Virginia, features nine screens, including
a 222-seat hall equipped with Dolby Atmos and QSC sound,
monitored by the Q-SYS system. Installation for the Virginia site
was provided by Moving Image Technologies.
Participants in the QSC Certified Theatre Program are offered
a comprehensive marketing program to inform their customers
of the certification. The program is free of charge to the exhibitor
and does not require an annual licensing fee to either achieve or
maintain the “QSC Certified” status.
“We’re very proud of our first three certified theaters, which affirm
that our cinema customers are dedicated to providing their
patrons with the very best movie experience,” said Barry Ferrell,
senior vice president and chief strategy officer for QSC, who also
functions as head of the cinema business unit for the company.
“Creating a top-quality moviegoing experience has always been
the ultimate goal for QSC and our theater partners and dealers
around the world. Achieving this is often just a matter of paying
attention to the details and adhering to a lot of well-known best
practices of good cinema design and installation.” n
38 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

TECHNOLOGY
MEDIAMATION, OMNIJOI CELEBRATE MILESTONES
WITH OPENING OF NEW SHANGHAI LOCATION AHEAD
OF VR LAUNCH AT CINEMACON 2017
>> MediaMation hit the century mark in China following the
installation of its MX4D immersive seating technology at the
inauguration of Omnijoi International’s 60th location in the country.
The respective milestones were observed by the presence of
the two companies’ CEOs, presiding over the opening of Omnijoi’s
newest location in Shanghai. “On the average, there is one
theater opening every seven days in China,” said Mediamation
CEO Dan Jamele. “Now, millions of moviegoers have access to an
MX4D cinema to experience MediaMation’s technology.”
The close ties between MediaMation and Omnijoi date back
to 2015, when the immersive seating provider first expanded
to China. Omnijoi emerged as an early supporter of the venture
by launching a flagship MX4D Motion EFX Theater in the city of
Nanjung. MediaMation’s MX4D technology is now available in
over 80 Chinese cities, including major hubs like Beijing, Guangzhou,
and Shenzhen.
It’s been a busy year for MediaMation, which recently
announced the release of its MX4D VR Pod System designed for
theater lobbies. The company will be showcasing a version of
the product, co-branded with Coca-Cola, at their CinemaCon
2017 booth.
“My team and I wanted to create a turnkey cinema attraction
that combines the latest VR technology with our MediaMation
MX4D seats to create a winning solution that increases revenues
for our cinema partners,” said Jamele. “We received a lot of
positive and constructive feedback during IAAPA 2016 and at our
official concept release at ICTA LA 2017 last week. We couldn’t
be more excited to bring the latest MediaMation innovation to
cinemas in the coming year.” n
40 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

SOCIAL MEDIA
TRENDING TRAILERS
A LOOK AT THE SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT OF THE BIG-SCREEN
TRAILERS AIRED DURING THIS YEAR’S BIG GAME
by Alex Edghill
>> A last-minute comeback by the New England Patriots over the Atlanta
Falcons kept viewers glued to their TV sets for Super Bowl 51, one of
the most exciting championship games in football history. Interspersed
within the broadcast were 66 different commercials costing a reported
$5 million per 30 seconds of ad time. The price tag could be considered a
bargain given the broadcast’s sizeable audience. At Boxoffice Pro, the Super
Bowl is especially relevant in our prerelease tracking efforts. By taking
a close look at the reception and discussion surrounding the trailers that
aired during the pregame and game portions of the broadcast, we can
gain valuable insight into their potential box office returns.
We measure the performance of these ads by assessing their Twitter tweet
volume and Facebook like increases on the Sunday of the game, as well as their
USA Today Ad Meter ranking. The Ad Meter metric is one of the oldest, most
consistent measures of Super Bowl ads, and Boxoffice Pro has closely tracked
and monitored the social media reaction to Super Bowl trailers since 2010, and
we have fine-tuned our analysis to improve those insights over that time.
>> SEE CHARTS ON PAGES 44 & 45
PREGAME
Four films aired their trailers during the pregame broadcast: Guardians of the
Galaxy Vol. 2, John Wick: Chapter 2, Ghost in the Shell, and Life.
The leader from that group was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, generating
the most tweets of any film on the day with a whopping 83,005. Its 10,815
new likes on Facebook were also the most among the pregame titles. The film
was always a lock to be one of the biggest earners of the year after the first film
surprised many by becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 2014 with $333
million domestically and $773 million internationally; these numbers reinforce
the huge potential of both its opening weekend and theatrical run in 2017.
John Wick: Chapter 2 was next in line with 8,402 tweets and 6,327 new likes.
This proved to be a clear indication of audience interest in what might be a
budding franchise for Lionsgate; the first film had difficulty generating buzz prior
to its release in 2014. In fact, the first John Wick didn’t generate many tweets on
any single day until it was released—and that’s when social media helped carry
its word-of-mouth success. The sequel more than doubled the original’s opening-weekend
gross, launching a $30.4 million North American debut.
Ghost in the Shell also had a strong return with 6,466 tweets and 4,383 new
likes. Though the film is based on a critically acclaimed anime property, the
source material is not a household name. An interesting comparable title would
be the 2014 sleeper hit Lucy, also starring Scarlett Johansson, which went on
to gross $126.6 million domestically with less than half the Facebook likes or
Twitter buzz at the same point of prerelease tracking.
42 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

Life came in with 3,978 tweets and 5,064 new likes. It is
important to note, however, that this is the only one of the four
pregame trailers that is not a sequel or adaptation of an existing
IP, and as such came into the broadcast with the smallest built-in
audience of the lot.
THE GAME
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales came out on
top of the six films airing spots during the game. The average of
its Twitter, Facebook, and Ad Meter rankings saw it finishing first
in Facebook like increases and second on Twitter and Ad Meter.
Chalk up another win for Disney as they gear up for another
mammoth year at the box office; they also secured the top slot in
both the pregame and game trailers.
The second spot in our analysis was shared between The Fate
of the Furious and Transformers: The Last Knight. The Transformers
franchise performed best on Twitter, where its 30,181 tweets
were the most among the six films that aired trailers. It followed
that up with a third place in Facebook like increases before coming
in second to last in the Ad Meter.
The Fate of the Furious performed best on Facebook, where it
ranked second among these titles by securing 12,131 new likes,
and finishing third on Twitter and fourth on Ad Meter. The
franchise is coming off its largest total to date—Furious 7 grossed
$353 million domestically and $1.5 billion worldwide.
Baywatch came in fourth according to our three metrics.
At first glance this might not appear to be a strong return, but
considering that the previous three films on the list are sequels to
films that each grossed over $1 billion globally, it stands out as a
very positive return. The film actually led the Ad Meter rankings
for film trailers but finished fourth in tweets and fifth in new
likes. With the success of R-rated adaptations of TV series in recent
years—and given Baywatch’s massive international appeal—
this performance indicates a bullish theatrical run.
Logan ranked third on the Ad Meter, fourth in Facebook likes,
and fifth in tweets among our metrics. The ninth and (supposedly)
final outing for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine will also feature the
last appearance of Sir Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier. Jackman
and Stewart have been enduring symbols for both the franchise
and an entire generation of comic book fans. Parallels with political
developments on the world stage might give this title, with its
message of inclusiveness, an additional dimension, helping it stand
out in the highly lucrative X-Men franchise. A Cure for Wellness,
an original title coming in without the help of an established IP or
fan base, rounds out our list—using the platform as a way to reach
the widest possible TV audience before its release. >>>>>>>>>>>>
AD
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 43

SOCIAL MEDIA
PREGAME TRAILER
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
Tweets 83,005
Facebook Like Increase 10,815
Average Rank 1.00
PREGAME TRAILER
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2
Tweets 8,402
Facebook Like Increase 6,237
Average Rank 2.00
PREGAME TRAILER
THE GHOST IN THE SHELL
Tweets 6,466
Facebook Like Increase 4,383
Average Rank 3.00
GAME TRAILER
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES
Tweets 23,231
Facebook Like Increase 74,425
Ad Meter 5.36
Average Rank 1.67
GAME TRAILER
THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS
Tweets 21,154
Facebook Like Increase 12,131
Ad Meter 5.1
Average Rank 3.00
GAME TRAILER
BAYWATCH
Tweets 12,781
Facebook Like Increase 5,631
Ad Meter 5.4
Average Rank 3.33
44 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

PREGAME TRAILER
LIFE
Tweets 3,978
Facebook Like Increase 5,064
Average Rank 3.00
GAME TRAILER
TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT
Tweets 30,181
Facebook Like Increase 10,530
Ad Meter 4.77
Average Rank 3.00
GAME TRAILER
LOGAN
Tweets 7,836
Facebook Like Increase 9,230
Ad Meter 5.18
Average Rank 4.00
GAME TRAILER
A CURE FOR WELLNESS
Tweets 1,893
Facebook Like Increase 2,665
Ad Meter 4.61
Average Rank 6.00
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 45

INSIDE YOUR THEATER
HARKNESS SCREENS BUILDS
DEDICATED TEAM FOR INDIAN
MARKET
>> Harkness Screens is keeping up
with the demands of rising screen
counts in India. The company announced
that Preetham Daniel, its VP
of sales and marketing in the region, will
be undertaking new responsibilities in addressing
customer needs and the rapid growth of the Asian market.
“We are building our global commercial footprint to assist
global cinema customers as they expand across territories. In order
to provide partners and customers alike with a single point of
contact, we believe Preetham has the experience to operate across
boundaries, liaise with Harkness’s commercial teams, and ensure
customers benefit from all the services and products Harkness
can offer,” commented Harkness CEO Mark Ashcroft about the
changes.
Harkness has increased its presence in Asia over the past
several years. The company opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing
facility in India in 2013 to better service its Indian customers.
Daniel will be reviewing the country’s commercial strategy
with Sriram Sistla, sales director for India. They will be joined
by Chaitanya Patel in developing new business strategies in the
region.
Commenting on his new role, Daniel said, “It’s exciting to be
able to work more closely with our global colleagues to ensure
our customers and partners can execute their growth plans. I
am also excited to be working with Sriram to further develop
Harkness’s business strategy within India. It’s a very diverse and
complex market, and I look forward to working with our Indian
team to increase our local presence, particularly in the North,
East, and West of the country.”
JOINING FORCES IN THE LOBBY
>> Barco and Vision Media Management
(VMM) have formed a strategic
alliance to offer studios and exhibitors
a single-source solution for in-theater
marketing. The companies will
jointly offer innovative digital products
for cinema lobbies, designed to enhance the
moviegoing experience while driving customer engagement and
loyalty. The announcement comes on the heels of Barco’s acquisition
of Cinema Scene Marketing, a company with an established
presence in movie theaters nationwide, through its digital kiosks,
video and signature walls, and digital menu boards. The partnership
between Barco and VMM is formed under the banner of
One Network Alliance and is intended to deliver moviegoers a
more immersive lobby experience.
“Our alliance with Barco creates a powerful combination
that will take cinema-lobby marketing for our clients to never-before-seen
levels,” said Michael Alvarez, president and CEO,
Vision Media Management. “With Barco’s cinema technology
experience, Cinema Scene’s growing base of digital signage customers,
and VMM’s integrated in-theater marketing solutions,
we are excited to offer even more to our studio and exhibitor
customers.”
By combining efforts, VMM and Barco offer a singular
platform that leverages their respective media-management and
fulfillment, software, network-operations, and field-support
capabilities. The One Network Alliance will simplify fulfillment
and accommodate varying needs and budgets from high-end,
complex digital lobby programs to standard digital signage
offerings. The alliance can continue to provide physical media,
including posters, standees, concessions items, and more, while
offering an expanded digital lobby experience composed of
multiscreen LCD/LED displays and other digital visualization
solutions to enliven the cinema lobby.
“We are honored to have the chance to team up with Vision
Media Management, the undisputed industry leader in cinema
lobby promotions,” said Greg Patrick, vice president, digital cinema–lobby,
for Barco. “Together, we look forward to empowering
studios and exhibitors with fully integrated media programs
featuring physical as well as the latest digital technologies to fuel
increased revenues, shape moviegoer experiences, and generate
more excitement at the movies.”
VIP CINEMA SEATING REACHES NEW
MANUFACTURING MILESTONE
>> A pioneer of the luxury seating
concept, VIP Cinema Seating has been
at the forefront of one of today’s hottest
trends in exhibition. The concept’s
success means that VIP now has the task
of producing 2,000 luxury cinema seats per
day, all of them made in the United States. Since its founding
in 2008, VIP has completed over 500 custom cinema projects
worldwide. The company saw a 44.2 percent increase in overall
shipments in 2016 alone. These factors became the impetus
behind VIP’s fifth expansion within the last eight years, as it races
to meet the growing demand of luxury seating.
“What our customers are seeing is that luxury seating positively
impacts all areas—not just attendance, but concessions and
overall profitability as well,” said Stephen Simons, CEO of VIP
Cinema Seating. “Now, this latest expansion puts us into a position
to better serve our global and domestic customer partners
currently and well into the future.”
VIP has added 190,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities
in their New Albany, Mississippi, manufacturing plant, increasing
the company’s total manufacturing operations to over
600,000 square feet. n
46 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
Compiled by Erica Lopez, Executive Director, Variety – The Children’s Charity of the United States
PAST EVENTS · VARIETY OF IOWA
DES MOINES SWEETHEART DATE NIGHT AUCTION
February 4
This super-fun event for singles and young professionals was
held at Jasper Winery and featured 20 of the most eligible
men and women from around Des Moines. Admission
included appetizers, dessert, and the opportunity to bid.
Attendees bid early and often as all proceeds benefited Variety
and Iowa children.
MOMMY & ME: SWEETHEART DANCE
February 11
This Valentine’s fund-raising event was created exclusively for
central Iowa mothers and their children to support Variety of
Iowa. Moms celebrated with their own little sweethearts and
created unforgettable memories, dancing, capturing memories,
sampling from appetizers and dessert buffet, and getting
creative with a craft activity.
TELETHON
March 4 and 5, live on ABC5
Telethon is an entertainment showcase that serves as Variety
of Iowa’s largest fund-raiser and has raised more than $105
million to date. Each year, a lineup of local, national, and
international personalities perform to support the children
of Iowa. Working alongside the Telethon cast, thousands of
volunteers and Very Interested Persons (VIPs) take pledges
over the phones and solicit donations from family and friends.
Telethon also provides Variety the opportunity to highlight
the children and organizations that benefit from Variety’s
support. In addition to cast performances, Variety hosts specialized
bike presentations and interviews organizations that
receive Variety grants.
UPCOMING EVENTS
VARIETY OF NEW YORK
BET WITH HEART
April 5, 2017 / 6–10 p.m.
The Copacabana
268 West 47th Street
New York, N.Y. 10036
Info and tickets available at: varietyny.org/bwh2017
Variety of New York invites you to take a chance and join
us for an evening of excitement at our 2nd Annual Bet with
Heart casino night fund-raiser! This year, the extraordinary
Copacabana will be transformed into a casino cabaret. Who’s
all in for a night of showgirls, cabaret performers, a DJ,
hosted bar/food, and incredible prizes and entertainment
throughout the night? Sponsored by Resorts Casino & Hotel,
a Mohegan Sun Property.
48 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

INDIE FOCUS
b r o u g h t t o y o u b y
The concessions stand has a black veneer with metallic
speckles. The accent panels are a mustard color with
many abstract color accents. It boasts a beautiful
tomato-red espresso machine. The theater offers a few
unusual items, not the least of which are Italian coffees
and beverages that are imported from Italy, and each
espresso, cappuccino, macchiato is ground, packed,
and brewed to order.
MADISON
ART CINEMAS
MADISON, CONN.
by Arnold Gorlick, Owner
SCREENS
2
OCCUPANCY:
Screen 1: 221
Screen 2: 202
TOP-PERFORMING TITLES
2016
Lion, Manchester by the Sea,
La La Land, A Man Called Ove,
Moonlight, Florence Foster Jenkins,
Lady in the Van
TOP PERFORMING TITLES
ALL TIME
Silver Linings Playbook,
Slumdog Millionaire, The King’s Speech,
Midnight in Paris, Fahrenheit 9/11,
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Juno,
Brokeback Mountain,
The Descendants,
The Imitation Game
HISTORY
>> The Bonoff Theatre
opened in 1912, originally
as a single-screen theater,
with a seating capacity given
as 597 in 1941. In 1948 it
was remodeled to the plans of architectural firm
William Riseman Associates and was renamed
Madison Theater.
Hoyts Theatres (the Australian chain) purchased
the theater from its local owner-operator. They
twinned the theater in 1977. At some point in the
building’s history, it served as a meeting hall and
gymnasium as well. Beneath the sloped wooden floor
(painted in Brazilian green) is a basketball court.
Hoyts closed the theater as a mainstream Hollywood
theater on April 30, 1998. Arnold Gorlick signed the
lease in January 1999. The theater reopened as the
Madison Art Cinemas on May 21, 1999.
I do not believe in the idea of the self-made
man or woman. As with all other enterprises,
one must collaborate with others who share your
vision. So while I am the most visible face of
the Madison Art Cinemas, there are others who
helped make the Madison Art Cinemas a reality:
The devoted work of Largo Construction Co. of
greater Philadelphia (owned and operated by Tony
Cimino) got us to the finish line ahead of schedule
and affordably. Vladimir Shpitalnik (Yale Drama
School set, stage, and costume designer) gave the
theater its unique design and color palette; the
late Ben Mordecai (former Yale University dean of
theater marketing and Broadway producer) worked
with me to develop a marketing strategy to launch
the theater; attorney Michael Forte, who negotiated
the lease without knowing how he might be
paid should the deal crater; my film buyer, Rob
Lawinski of Brielle Cinemas, whose tireless passion
and devotion has helped make the Madison Art
Cinemas among the consistently top-grossing art
cinemas in the State of Connecticut.
AUDIENCE
Our audience tends to be well-read, well-educated,
with a strong interest in the arts. While
mainstream theaters tend to play to a demographic
between 17 to 21 years old weighted toward males,
our audience tends to have a preponderance of
senior citizens weighted toward females. Our primary
demographic is over 40 years old.
Since our early days, we have availed the theater
for fund-raising events for charities and social-ac-
50 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

INDIE FOCUS
tion groups. Church and religious organizations, Habitat for Humanity, and
Madison Lions Club among many others turn to us for special movie events
to raise money and awareness of their organizations’ missions. The Jewish
Federation of Greater New Haven includes the Madison Art Cinemas as one
of their sites for their ongoing seasonal Jewish Film Festivals.
CONCESSIONS
While we do provide the usual popcorn and fountain soda, we take great
pride in our espresso bar, whose focal point is our Faema espresso machine.
We provide a variety of Italian coffee beverages as well as freshly brewed
airpot coffee. We grind, pack, and brew all of our coffees to order. During the
summer months we brew our iced tea from loose tea leaves only (Harney &
Sons fine teas). We cannot overstate the role that our coffee vendor, Omnipak
Imports, has played in bringing us to the pinnacle of excellence in our
coffee offerings. They provide us with the finest Essse espresso beans
(imported from Italy) and their own roast of Colombian Supremo
coffee beans for our airpots. Although we are surrounded
by coffee shops, cafés, Starbucks, and a local coffee roaster,
we pride ourselves on serving the finest coffee anywhere.
Our audience has come to appreciate our coffees and the
locally baked biscotti, and we serve our Italian coffees in
ceramic, not paper. Since we serve an older clientele, we
have no candies that appeal exclusively to children. We
vend high-quality chocolates (mostly dark), which
include Endangered Species Chocolates, Toblerone
and a couple of sugar-free items. And for the
discerning and nostalgic palate we do offer one of
the greatest confections ever, Goldenberg Peanut
Chews, a rarity.
ARNOLD
GORLICK
PROGRAMMING
As an art house I like to think that rather
than program titles, we curate. This is
particularly important with a two-screen
theater (how we dream of four screens)
where mistakes are costly. That said,
we see ourselves as providing a consistent
and reliable standard of excellence
in everything we do, particularly our
selections of movies. Often one attends
screenings of certain movies of exquisite
artistic merit that might not have the box
office potential that other fine titles might have
that tend toward the mainstream. At times we resist
the temptation to go for the more mainstream movies that
might guarantee a certain box office return. This means
taking some short-term losses to provide consistent quality
that our patrons can depend on almost blindly. We aim
in every way to distinguish ourselves not only from
every multiplex in our area, but from all theaters on the
southeastern shoreline of Connecticut with our uncom-
52 MARCH 2017

INDIE FOCUS
our theater and gives
valuable feedback not
only to ourselves, but
to the distributors who
participate in the program.
Andy is one of
our most cherished and
meaningful ties—more
evidence that we can’t
do this alone.
CARE FOR A BISCOTTO?
The brick wall starts a gallery that
extends around the corners into
the corridors on the opposite and
both sides of the concessions stand.
Turning right brings one to a small
five-bistro-table café that seats 15.
The café walls are decorated with
copies of true antique posters that
have been torn and placed randomly
to give the impression that there
were years of pasting, removing and
mounting new posters. The posters
were then covered with a very
transparent orange wash continuing
the color scheme while permitting
one to view the mementos clearly.
promising adherence to excellence and art. This
does not mean that we are beneath playing day and
date with the multiplexes with movies like Florence
Foster Jenkins, The Help, or Hope Springs, all of
which had wide releases. But what these titles have
in common is that they appeal directly to our primary
demographic of women over 40. Our grosses
compare favorably with all theaters in the state
with such content—regrettably, we did not get the
opportunity to test this idea further this year with
Hidden Figures; we just had no room.
Beyond this, we have a remarkable Sunday
program called The Cinema Club that distinguishes
us from all theaters in the state. Our Greater New
Haven Cinema Club is a collaboration with Andrew
Mencher, who brilliantly oversees eight chapters
of The Cinema Club throughout the country.
There are two seasonal subscription series of seven
screenings each. Our Cinema Club members get to
attend these sneak previews of the best new American
independent and foreign films of the season on
select Sunday mornings—before their local release—followed
by engaging discussions with fellow
film enthusiasts and led by two Yale University film
professors who alternate screenings. Additionally, we
frequently host scholars who might be experts on
the topic of that day’s movie, renowned film critics,
and occasionally a principal of the film. Our collaboration
with Andy Mencher confers importance on
SHOWMANSHIP
Showmanship
and marketing are
vanishing arts whose
remnants can be found
uniquely in the art
house community. As
the collaboration in advertising
and marketing
becomes increasingly
depersonalized and
passive, no longer does it tend to involve the exhibitor
who is best situated to understand and reach
one’s local market. So those of us who still actively
promote our titles must continually create opportunities
to market. While there are fewer of them
left, I sustain ties with my area features and arts
editors, weekend and entertainment guide editors.
They are important go-to sources for feature stories
on upcoming openings and events. I regularly try
to match a charitable group with a local premiere
opening of an important title that might complement
their group’s mission. Or, I am constantly
doing tie-ins with our local esteemed bookstore,
RJ Julia Booksellers, which is right across the street
from MAC. When Hope Springs opened in August
of 2012, we partnered with the local food market,
where one of the scenes was shot with Meryl
Streep. We had a big celebration at the market with
refreshments and hors d’oeuvres. There was press
and TV coverage before and after the event. Then
everyone drove over to the theater for the first 7
p.m. show. With that promotion we delivered the
fourth-highest opening-day gross for Hope Springs
in the nation. But the most recent and meaningful
promotion began right after I saw Moonlight at
the Toronto International Film Festival. First, I
wondered whether our 99 percent wealthy-white
clientele would support it. Then I reminded myself
that this is what we do. We play the best there is,
54 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

INDIE FOCUS
ON THE INSIDE
Each auditorium has a large
screen with 12 channels of Dolby
Digital sound powered by QSC
amplifiers through the best quality
JBL speakers. The auditoria have
columns which rise from the outside
walls and form supports at intervals
which span the entire width of the
theater building. The ceiling and
supports are coved with bead board.
Each pilaster (column) and cross
support is painted in aquamarine.
The rest of the ceiling which is
recessed above the supports is
painted in flat black. The common
wall between each theater has
faux columns which parallel the
pilasters and continue the sight line
to obtain psychological symmetry.
Each column has an antique looking
boxed sconce with a patina. The
drapery is tightly pleated and is
antique gold. The wooden border
that divides drapery from the lower
painted red wall is aquamarine.
The high seat backs are red vinyl
with red and gold satiny upholstery.
The seat pans are black and the
side panels that are visible are
aquamarine. Each theater has one
aisle approximately centered with
the seating rows divided into two
sections of 6 and 8 seats across.
There are amber Tivoli lights in
the aisles.
and to overcome challenges at the box office we
devise powerful and unique marketing strategies. In
this case our promotion of Moonlight itself gained
national and statewide attention with stories in the
Wall Street Journal, Hartford Courant, New Haven
Register, Shoreline Times, Shore Publishing and the
New London Day; all beyond the press that I mediated
for the movie. I greeted well-attended movie
audiences with curtain appearances. Night after
night, I spoke passionately about why they must
see Moonlight as a moral imperative and how they
would identify with the most unlikely characters
and that they would also experience a movie of
rare poetic artistry. I pleaded with the editors and
journalists to not only run prominent reviews of
Moonlight, but to do feature stories as well. I’d like
to extend a word of thanks to A24 Films, who gave
me whatever I needed, including time, to help me
promote Moonlight. They are a singular example of
what collaboration between exhibitors and distributors
used to be at its best. The folks at A24 are
paragons of intelligent marketing and recognize and
reward it in others.
CINEMA ADVERTISING
About 12 years ago I came to appreciate on-screen
advertising as an important source of revenue. I
watched the quality of our pre-show advertising decline
and become generic with little relevance to our
specialized and most
devoted audience. That
led us to create our own
local ads and to provide
our own trivia. We were
successful, but it was
hard, time-consuming
work that took time and
energy away from the
day-to-day tasks of running
the theater itself.
Then came Spotlight
Cinema Networks. Our
first contact was with
Ronnie Ycong, SVP, Exhibitor
Relations & Operations,
whose honesty,
patience, and clear and
simple communication
as to what on-screen advertising
could be won
us over to give it a try.
Spotlight complements our aforementioned pursuit
of excellence with their high-quality and personalized
graphics. The ads they provide are particularly
relevant to our thoughtful clientele. We appreciate
how all ads are presented to us for “creative review.”
They give us, the exhibitor, final say as to what ad
content will go on the screen. Last, the pre-show
trivia, the amusing and informative short subjects,
and the tastefulness of the “rolling stock” ads have our
audience engaged and enthralled. We no longer hear,
“Why are there so many ads?” Beyond our aforementioned
pursuit of excellence is the understanding that
people lament the depersonalization of their daily
lives. We at the Madison Art Cinemas seek to provide
a personalized, engaged, humanized experience and
dialogue with our patrons; an approach we like to
think distinguishes us from the pack. Spotlight Cinema
Networks aids us in that pursuit and is one of the
important supports in achieving our mission. Their
product is tasteful. They, themselves, are communicative,
creative, fully engaged, and unswerving in the
quality of their product and ties that they maintain
with their clients. Choosing Spotlight Cinema Networks
for our on-screen advertising is one of the best
decisions we have made. n
Indie Focus is a monthly feature showcasing successful
independent theaters, brought to you by Spotlight
Cinema Networks.
56 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

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world ranking
based on screen count
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 59

GLOBAL LEADERS IN EXHIBITION
>> For many years, Boxoffice® has published an annual Leaders of
Exhibition ranking that has proved to be one of the most popular
features in our magazine. As exhibition continues to grow around
the world, we felt it became necessary to expand our reach and
ensure our Global Leaders of Exhibition coverage would address the
increasingly global nature of our industry. Ranking based on screen
counts as of February 1, 2017.
O N E
China’s Wanda Group leads the way with over 14,000 screens
worldwide, combining Chinese circuit Wanda Cinema Line
and the recent acquisitions that have bolstered AMC Theatres’
screen count in Europe and North America. The size
and scope of this mega-circuit is unprecedented in today’s
exhibition industry, providing a wide global network of cinemas
for Wanda Group’s entertainment investments.
SCREENS
14,040
SITES
1,330
T W O
Regal is responsible for about 20 percent of North American
box office; its presence in this ranking is unique as the
top exhibitor with business activities in only one country.
Regal’s commitment to offering its patrons top-of-the-line
service is reflected in the circuit’s investment in concepts
such as recliner seating, PLF auditoriums, and enhanced
concessions offerings.
SCREENS
7,310
SITES
565
T H R E E
Everyone knows Cinépolis as Mexico’s leading exhibitor,
but the company’s ambition has been growing beyond
Latin America in recent years. Cinépolis has made inroads
into new markets such as India, and its 2015 acquisition
of Spain’s Cines Yelmo—along with a strategic
expansion in the U.S.—signals the beginning of a new
era for the company.
SCREENS
4,881
SITES
589
F O U R
One of the pioneering American circuits to bring the multiplex
concept abroad, Cinemark stands out on this list
with its robust presence in 15 Latin American countries
and 41 U.S. states. A top circuit in each of its territories,
Cinemark has seen success in exporting key aspects of its
brand as well as importing successful concepts from its
foreign locations. Cinemark XD, the company’s private-label
PLF offering, has been a point of focus for the brand.
SCREENS
4,542
SITES
339
F I V E
Dadi
Theater
Circuit
Dadi, the embodiment of China’s growing stature in global
exhibition, quickly ascended into this year’s top five via
its acquisition of Orange Sky Golden Harvest’s cinemas in
mainland China. The deal catapulted Dadi to over 3,500
screens. Though it’s still early to tell if this marks the beginning
of consolidation in the Chinese market, it is a clear indication
of Dadi’s ambition.
SCREENS
3,688
SITES
747
60 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

GLOBAL LEADERS IN EXHIBITION
CHINA’S TOP CIRCUITS ACCOUNT FOR 56.1% OF THE SCREENS AMONG THE TOP 35 CHAINS COUNTRY SCREENS SITES
6 China Film Digifilm Cinemas China 3,357 611
7 China Film South CInema Circuit China 2,876 576
8 China Film Stellar China 2,580 446
9 Cinemex Mexico 2,565 295
10 CJ CGV South Korea 2,560 328
11 Shanghai United Circuit China 2,236 398
12 Cineworld UK 2,049 221
13 Jinyi Cinemas China 1,919 387
14 Vue Cinemas UK 1,875 211
15 Beijing Hongliyu Cinema China 1,770 566
16 Hengdian Cinemas China 1,688 297
17 Cineplex Entertainment Canada 1,683 165
18 Beijing Huaxia United Cinemas China 1,490 303
19 Zhejiang Time Cinemas China 1,363 219
20 Omnijoi International Cinema China 1,141 193
21 Beijing Time Antaeus Cinema Line China 1,080 243
22 Les Cinémas Gaumont Pathé France 1,076 108
23 Event Hospitality & Entertainment Australia 1,056 131
24 Henan Oscar Cinema China 1,031 213
25 Sichuan Pacific Cinema China 986 221
26 National Amusements Inc. US 924 79
27 Shenzhen Shenying Orange Sky Cinemas Circuit China 904 159
28 Lotte Cinema South Korea 898 132
29 Marcus Theatres US 875 69
30 21 Cineplex Indonesia 829 210
31 Chongqing Poly WanHe Theater Chain China 780 151
32 Village Roadshow Australia 722 75
33 Aeon Cinema Japan 719 85
34 LiaoNing China Film BeiFang Cinema China 661 128
35 Beijing New Film Association China 655 134
62 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NUMBER CRUNCH
MARCH RELEASES AS A PERCENTAGE
OF YEARLY BOX OFFICE
2000
6.5%
2001
6.6%
2002
6.7%
Average
HOW SPRING BECAME THE NEW SUMMER AT
THE BOX OFFICE
2003
5.6%
by Jesse Rifkin
>> So far this century, March has come in like a lamb and gone
2004
5.8%
out like a lion.
2005
7.2%
Yet for decades, March releases always seemed to run up against
an unofficial barrier at the box office. The last time the month’s
films surpassed 9.5 percent of the year’s total box office was 1990.
2006
8.9%
That was followed by 19 consecutive years without March reaching
that threshold again.
2007
2008
6.4%
9.5%
7.8%
Average
Suddenly in this decade, the switch has flipped. March accounted
for greater than 9.5 percent of the year’s box office during three of
the past seven years: 2010, 2012, and 2016. And highly anticipated
releases for March 2017 and 2018 appear more than likely to con-
2009
6.4%
tinue that trend for these next two years as well, potentially even
setting new records for March box office.
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
6.5%
7.1%
10.0%
9.0%
10.2%
8.3%
Average
How did this happen?
HOW MARCH USED TO BE
For decades, the unwritten rule in Hollywood was that highly anticipated
movies should be released during just five months of the year: May,
June, July, November, and December. There would still be March releases,
of course, yet their primary purpose was to help tide audiences over between
December and May.
Yet even the biggest hits among the March films weren’t so much highly
anticipated as slow-and-steady accumulators: examples include 1984’s Police
Academy, 1990’s Pretty Woman, 1992’s Basic Instinct, 1997’s Liar Liar, 1999’s
Analyze This, and 2002’s Ice Age. (Even then, once Ice Age became a far larger hit
than expected, three of its four more-anticipated sequels would be released in
July, while Analyze This sequel Analyze That would be released in December.)
2015
2016
6.8%
10.3%
WHAT CHANGED FROM 2010 TO 2015
After a 19-year hiatus, March films passed the double-digit threshold with a
fitting 10 percent of the year’s grosses in 2010. The two big hits that month were
Alice in Wonderland, which earned a wonderful sum of $334.1 million, and How
to Train Your Dragon, which soared to $217.5 million. (continued on page 66)
64 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

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NUMBER CRUNCH
Both family-aimed films were ones audiences actually wanted
to see, during a year when both box office and attendance
declined overall. It also helped March as a percentage of the
year’s grosses that the summer and holiday movie seasons were
somewhat lackluster at the box office. Even tentpoles like May’s
Iron Man 2, November’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Part 1, and May’s Shrek Forever After earned less than their
predecessor films.
2012 hit the mark again with March releases accounting for
10.2 percent of the year’s grosses. The massive smash was The
Hunger Games, which earned $408 million and launched the
single biggest new movie star of this decade in Jennifer Lawrence.
Yet one film alone can’t do the trick: March 2012 releases
The Lorax planted $214 million and 21 Jump Street leaped to
$138.4 million.
March 2013 came just slightly shy of hitting the double-digit
mark, making up 9 percent of the year’s grosses, but it was still
a successful month at the box office. Oz the Great and Powerful
conjured $234.9 million, as The Croods took in $187.1 million
and G.I. Joe: Retaliation punched its way to $122.5 million.
March 2014 resulted in four $100 million pictures, with
Divergent leading the way with $150.9 million, as the adaptation
of the first installment of the best-selling dystopian young-adult
book trilogy followed in the footsteps of The Hunger Games two
years prior. March 2015 saw the live-action Cinderella dream up
$201.1 million, along with Home taking in $177.3 million and
Divergent sequel Insurgent powering its way to $130.1 million.
THIS PAST MARCH
2016 had a powerhouse March that the industry hadn’t seen
in decades, with the month’s releases comprising 9.7 percent of
yearly box office. More importantly, it also set the likely template
for Marches in years to come.
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice would have been the
quintessential summer blockbuster in any other year—previous
Superman film Man of Steel had bowed in June while previous
Batman title The Dark Knight Rises debuted in July. But faced
with the most crowded summer superhero slate of all time—
including Captain America: Civil War, X-Men: Apocalypse, and
Suicide Squad—Warner Bros. decided to jump ahead of the
competition to the tune of $330.3 million, an improvement on
Man of Steel’s $291 million.
Meanwhile, Zootopia proved one of Disney’s most popular
films in many years, earning a phenomenal $341.2 million.
That was notably more than some of their other seemingly
more anticipated animated releases such as the previous
November’s Pixar release The Good Dinosaur and subsequent
November’s Moana. n
MARCH 2017 AND BEYOND
>> Going into the future, March 2017 will see the live-action
Beauty and the Beast, Wolverine superhero sequel Logan, Saban’s
Power Rangers, Kong: Skull Island, and Ghost in the Shell.
All five could earn at least $100 million, with the first two in
particular likely to crack the $200 million mark if not more.
March 2018 includes Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One,
Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph 2 after the original earned $189.4 million,
and the Tomb Raider remake. (The 2001 Angelina Jolie
original earned an inflation-adjusted $199.5 million).
Spielberg practically invented the summer and holiday
blockbusters, with June 1975’s Jaws and November 1977’s
Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Starting with Jaws, Spielberg
directed 26 consecutive films that were released in May,
June, July, November, or December—the aforementioned
lucrative summer and holiday movie seasons. He was the
undisputed king of those months. Then 2015’s Bridge of Spies
was released in October and his upcoming Ready Player One
will launch in March 2018.
It’s not just the weather that warms up in March. These days,
it’s the box office too. n
66 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

Coca-Cola’s support of eSports pays off
as the event cinema trend continues to
grow in popularity around the world
Interview with Alban Dechelotte, Senior Entertainment Marketing Manager, The Coca-Cola Company
A lot of people outside of the gaming community have
difficulty understanding the appeal of eSports. When
did Coca-Cola see the potential of the concept?
We began to see a shift in 2010, when online streaming
platforms enabled fans to watch their favorite games played at
the highest level in real time, no matter where they were located.
While some may not understand the appeal of eSports content,
the audience size is large—nearly 200 million people. Coca-Cola
became one of the first non-endemic brands to embrace what was
dubbed eSports in 2013 by becoming the official global partner of
Riot Games and the League of Legends Championship Series.
Why was it important for Coke to associate its brand
with eSports?
Coca-Cola has a legacy in partnering with what people care
about: sports, music, and movies. Gaming is becoming a very
popular passion point for teens and young adults today, and
eSports is one of the fastest growing forms of entertainment. Just
like traditional sports, eSports is best enjoyed with an ice-cold
Coke, so we focus our efforts on partnering with the viewing
occasion around this new pastime.
Is it unfair to call eSports a niche activity? Coke’s
involvement suggests there is a strong base of
support.
I wouldn’t say it is fair or unfair—niche is a rather subjective
term. From a strictly numbers standpoint yes, it’s not accurate—
for hundreds of millions of fans around the world it’s as mainstream
as it gets. However, it’s scarcely shown on television or
covered by large media outlets, so it often flies under the radar of
awareness for an older demographic.
Do you believe Coke can help eSports grow and reach
a wider, crossover audience?
We never set out to grow eSports; our mission is to grow our
business and brands through eSports. That said, if we help grow
eSports along the way, fantastic, but that would be presumptuous
of us to assume. The sector is vibrant and growing at an
exponential rate. We are just thrilled to be part of it and that
our brand has a clear role of celebration and uplift within the
community. Hopefully we can help highlight the passion and
potential of eSports to the media as a legitimate form of entertainment,
which may pave the way for other brands into the
future and result in growth all around.
Can you share with us some of the experiences you’ve
had hosting eSports cinema events?
We’ve brought the biggest and most exciting eSports events
to cinemas all over the world. For us, it is an amazing way to
celebrate the game with the fans and give them an experience
they’ll never forget. Last year for example, we had thousands of
fans watch the League of Legends World Finals live on the big
screen in 196 locations and 17 different countries around the
world.
What have you found most surprising about this
eSports venture?
What has been most surprising is how welcoming the fans
have been. Gamers are known for being openly opinionated and
communicative so we were very careful starting out. This was a
good idea because they appreciated our authenticity and the way
we entered the space and now love the fact that they are getting
the attention of a brand like Coca-Cola. n
68 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

Meet Dan Jamele.
Advertorial
The Man Behind MediaMation’s ‘theatre-to arena’
eSports Initiative.
Dan Jamele: CEO
Known as “the man behind the MX4D ® theatre”, Jamele and his MediaMation
technical team continues to explore ingenious ways to offer revenue-generating,
MX4D ® EFX theatre capabilities to worldwide cinema chains.
MediaMation has gained acceptance throughout the global cinema community for its
American-made, immersive MX4D ® EFX theatre and attraction technologies -
designed for cinema chains, themed attractions and retail entertainment venues.
FACTS
Founded 1991
Head-quartered in Los Angeles
Products manufactured in USA
MX4D ® worldwide theatre
installations In 25+ countries
20,000 MX4D ® EFX seats
In use around the globe
150+ MX4D ® EFX Theatre
Installations worldwide
Global installation team
US-based customer support
Partnerships with major
Hollywood studios
- Dan Jamele
Fig 1: Source: Newzoo’s Global eSports Audience
So What’s Next...
Dan Jamele, CEO MediaMation:
eSports! MediaMation has created a new and
immersive “theatre-to-arena” eSports
initiative. MediaMation designs, engineers and
installs ultra-modern, modular eSports
destination - temporarily converting theatre
space into a full-scale, eSports tournament
environment (then back to thetatre space!)
The goal is to offer a professional and
immersive environment for spectating while
the audience “feels” the gaming action in their
MX4D ® theatre seat.
MMI: Why is MediaMation getting into the
eSports space?
DJ: It just made sense for Mediation to be in
the eSports space. The MX4D ® theaterto-arena
initiative is immersive spectating at
its’ very best! We have a worldwide network
of theaters already outfitted with MX4D ®
motion seats, 4D EFX and hypnotic lighting.
MediaMation has adopted its MX4D ®
technology to coincide with the on-screen
gaming action of an teSports tournament.
MMI: eSports as a spectator sport?
DJ: I envision eSports to be the ultimate
immersive spectating experience - this is
where MX4D ® theater seating technology
comes in. The number of worldwide eSports
enthusiasts is predicted to reach 145 million in
2017 [fig 1]. Competitive eSports has evolved
into an arena-based and online spectator
sport; with as many viewers as American
football.
MMI: What made you take a closer look at
entering the eSports marketplace?
DJ: It is the ROI potential. Looking at recent
eSports trends, the global revenue in the
eSports industry is expected to surpass $5
billion by 2020.
MMI: What are the future projections for
eSports?
DJ: My research shows that eSports has been
experiencing double-digit growth for several
years.
The eSports global community is currently
148 million strong. The League of Legends
championship, in 2016, drew 36 million fans.
That's more than the NBA Finals!
MMI: What is your prediction for the
eSports industry?
DJ: Much of the eSports explosion is due to
the increased coverage that the market is
receiving. The passion for eSports competition
is real and the numbers are growing.
MMI: What’s in it for cinema chains or
entertainment complexes to feature
eSports tournaments at their facilities?
DJ: The draw of eSports tournaments is
almost guaranteed to increase the frequency
of cinema visits.
Cinema chains that partner with Mediamation
will enjoy a new revenue stream through the
MX4D ® “theatre-to-arena” eSports initiative.
MMI: What if a cinema owner is interested
in contacting you for more information
about your MX4D ® “theatre-to-arena”
eSports initiative?
DJ: I encourage anyone that is interested in
learning more about MediaMation’s MX4D ®
eSports capabilities to contact our sales team
(310) 320-0696 or email
sales@mediamation.com.
Share this information with a colleague. Visit MX-4D.com/eSports.
© 2017 MediaMation, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Visit MediaMation at Cinemacon Booth 2703A
MX-4D.com

FIND US ON BOOTH 217F AT CINEMACON

SPECIAL SECTION
BUD MAYO 72
CHAIRMAN
NEW VISION ENTERTAINMENT
TRAVIS REID 74
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
REALD
MURRAY HOLDAWAY 76
DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
VISTA GROUP
ANDREW CRIPPS 78
PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION
20TH CENTURY FOX
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 71

BOXOFFICE HALL OF FAME
BUD MAYO
Chairman
New Vision Entertainment
by Chuck Goldwater, President, New Vision Entertainment
ABOUT NEW VISION
The latest turn in industry veteran
Bud Mayo’s career is the launch
of a new circuit called New Vision
Theatres. The circuit will have three
primary areas of focus in its appeal
to today’s moviegoers: enhanced
food & beverage offerings, event
cinema programming, and luxury
seating. New Vision will look to
leverage these three popular trends
with marketing and operational
initiatives developed to provide an
outstanding guest experience. The
company’s three co-founders—Bud
Mayo, Chuck Goldwater, and Brett
Marks—have all worked together in
multiple ventures. With investment
partners already secured, New
Vision will be announcing its first
acquisition soon—the first step in
an exciting new chapter in Mayo’s
career.
>> “We’ll figure it
out.” With those words
I began to learn and
appreciate Bud’s brilliance
in business. And
equally his brilliance
in life. At its essence
what Bud was teaching
us was simply to take
the first step, and then
another, trusting that
we would always find
our way to what would
work best. Ultimately
all the way to success.
One of Bud’s favorite
quotes, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, is, “Nothing
great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Bud
embodies that sentiment totally. Bud is a pure
entrepreneur. He is always moving forward, acting
decisively, encouraging and inspiring everyone
around him by example. And always with enthusiasm,
which lifts everyone around him.
Enabling Bud’s enviable history of success in
business are core personal principles that guide his
life, and inspire others around him. I remember
my first Cinedigm executive team off-site meeting.
We were just getting started with our digital cinema
business and looking to accelerate it together
with our existing software and content delivery
businesses. I was fairly new at the company, all
excited to get together with my new colleagues.
So at 8:30 in the morning, the day after a long
week at what was then called ShoWest, there we all
were, 20 senior executives, expecting to hear about
our vision and mission, structure and process, all
the usual off-site meeting agenda topics. Instead
Bud’s began the meeting by telling us: “First, I
want you to take care of yourselves; to exercise, eat
well, get your rest, spend time with your family
and your friends.” Okay, I thought to myself, that
makes sense, the by-product of all that will make
us better able to do our work at the highest level of
performance. “Second,” he continued, “I want you
to make yourself the kind of person others want
to see succeed.” So Bud wanted a company full of
good people, competing aggressively for sure, but
morally, and succeeding by doing the right thing
always. I was hooked.
As I got more involved in the company, and my
responsibilities, and the company, began to grow,
Bud asked me if we could have a regular weekly
call to keep more closely updated with everything
going on. We set the calls for Friday morning.
One week he called to tell me he could not make
it that Friday but could we do it anytime over the
weekend when I had some free time. I was playing
golf Saturday morning so I asked Bud if we could
have our call after that. He said that was perfect, he
would be on his way home from an all-day workshop.
I assumed it was some public company CEO
event, maybe an SEC or a corporate governance
seminar. So when we got on the call I asked him
how the seminar had been. He said, “It was great,
I’ve always wanted to do clay sculpture.” I laughed
and told him I had assumed it had been a business
thing. Bud replied, “You have to take time to feed
the soul, too.”
Throughout our industry people know the
enormous professional and personal success Bud
has achieved over the years. He would be the first
to tell you that a good amount of that success is
owed to the many people that have been a part
of his team, some going back many years and
continuing forward together from Clearview, to
Cinedigm, to Digiplex and Carmike, and now
New Vision Theatres. Bud engenders that much
loyalty, respect and affection. He would tell you a
great deal of his success also is owed to his family
that is so important to him: his wife, Sudy, his four
children, his nine grandchildren.
As Bud, and so many of us on his veteran team,
now begin yet another new venture together, you
can be sure we will do our best to follow Bud’s example:
to take care of ourselves, to make ourselves
the kind of people that others want to see succeed,
and, yes, to take some time to feed our souls as
well. And ultimately enjoy more success together,
both professionally and personally. As we continue
to “figure it out” every step of the way. n
72 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

BOXOFFICE HALL OF FAME
TRAVIS REID
Chief Operating Officer
RealD
by Robert Lenihan, President of Programming, AMC Theatres
>> It is my pleasure to have known Travis
Reid professionally since the spring of
1977, when we were both 22-year-old
novice film buyers, competing with each
other for our respective theater companies
(United Artists and Theatre Management
Inc.) in San Francisco. It has been my honor
to be his friend for nearly all of those
40 years.
In those days every major city in the
U.S. had studio branch offices, and virtually
all of those cities were home to local
exhibitors, with theater chains comprising
single, twin, triple or (in some rare cases)
four-screen theaters. The “death knell”
of the exhibition business in the 1970s
was sounded by the advent of the video
cassette. Imagine not having to wait to
watch the annual broadcast of The Wizard
of Oz in the comfort of your home, and
owning your own copy that you could
watch over and over again—as many
times as you liked!
It is astounding to reflect on how
drastically our business has evolved
since those days, and throughout that
evolution, Travis Reid has always been at
the vanguard.
In 1987, Paramount Pictures
had recently acquired LA-based
Mann Theatres and Festival
Cinemas, a Northern California–based
chain. As head film
buyer for Mann, I was charged
with finding someone to assist in
improving film-buying responsibilities
for the expanding circuit.
My list of “candidates” consisted
of one name—Travis Reid.
Travis served as head film
buyer for Cineamerica / Mann
Theatres until 1990 before joining
General Cinema for a short
stint as VP of film, and then began a
remarkable ascent at Loews, where from
1991 to 2006 he rose from SVP of film
programming to EVP, then to president
of Loews Theatres, president of newly
merged Loews Cineplex Entertainment,
and finally, president and CEO of LCE.
I was fortunate to re-join Travis at
Loews, also reuniting with our old Mann
Theatres cohort Steve Bunnell. Loews
at that time was also home to several
current industry figures such as Spencer
Klein, Lisa Bunnell, Phil Groves, Rich
Manzione, John McCauley, and many
others.
Travis was a key figure in executing
the sale of LCE to Bain, Carlyle, and
Spectrum (for $1.5B) and merging with
AMC, where he served as a board member
until 2010.
From 2007 until 2010 he also occupied
the role of CEO and chairman of
DCIP, where he was the uniquely qualified
individual most responsible for the
conversion of North American theaters
to digital, a herculean task that required
cooperation and agreement between all
studios and all exhibitors, as well.
Prior to Travis’s current role as COO
of RealD, he was CEO of Screenvision
for four years and even did a stint as the
head of fledgling distribution start-up
Broad Green Pictures.
While embarking on this remarkable
career, Travis raised four wonderful
children, all now adults: David Ogden,
Sarah, Jake, and Dylan Reid. Truly the
joys of his life.
Through the years he also actively
served as a board member for Fandango,
Yelmo Cineplex, Motion Picture Pioneers,
NATO, and several others. Travis’s
philanthropic endeavors brought him the
Pioneer of the Year Award (2005), Willy
Award (2001), and the Salah M. Hassanein
Award (2003).
Eight years ago, as Travis was about to
marry the light and love of his life, Sheila,
they created a wedding website that
included all pertinent details about the
upcoming wedding. The night before the
ceremony, I arranged a dinner celebration
at Gotham in Manhattan with a few close
friends. I got a call from Paul Rosenfeld
who said, “Lenihan, you’re doing a great
job as Travis’s best man!”
“I’m not the best man,” I said.
“You’re not? It says so on the website!”
So I called Travis and said, “Did I drink
through a conversation we had where you
asked me to be your best man?”
“No. You’re the best man.”
“Isn’t it customary to ask a guy to be
your best man?”
“No. You’re the best man.”
So there you have it. When Travis
Reid beckons, you better answer the call!
Congratulations to my good friend
and my best man (when Carrie and I
were married), Travis Reid.
Looking forward to the next 40 years! n
74 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

BOXOFFICE HALL OF FAME
MURRAY HOLDAWAY
Director and Chief Executive
Vista Group
by Kirk Senior, Executive Chairman, Vista Group
MURRAY HOLDAWAY
Holdaway is the co-founder and
product visionary of Vista Entertainment
Solutions and Group CEO of the
Vista Group of companies. Prior to
Vista, he was a founder of Madison
Systems Ltd., a joint venture partner
in Vista when it was formed in 1996.
Murray has been dedicated full-time
to Vista since Madison was sold
in 2001. He has over 20 years’ experience
in building innovative software
for the film industry, and sits on the
Vista Group board.
>> Ask Murray Holdaway
about his top
three business achievements
and he’ll tell you
it’s a combination of
the personal, the local,
and the global: building
Madison Systems
from 1987 to be the
largest IBM business
partner in New
Zealand (then selling
it); establishing Vista
in 1996 and building it
up to be the world leader in cinema exhibition software,
with site numbers exceeding 5,000 in 2016;
and, in building Vista, creating a global company
that provides employment, economic return, and
contributes to the film and ICT industries. This
would be a rapid-fire summary of Murray’s extraordinary
entrepreneurship and contribution.
I first met Murray more than 20 years ago,
when Vista was starting out. In fact, I was there
when the new touch-screen Vista Cinema System
was installed in a cinema in Auckland (run by the
company I was involved in), enabling moviegoers
to buy their concessions and tickets at the same
time. Taken for granted now, but back then it was
revolutionary. The launch date itself was very memorable:
Christmas Eve 1995. Launching a cinema
with a brand-new system the day before Christmas
was potentially a high risk, but then Murray never
has been scared of a challenge and never shy of
delivering on a promise. And that bold, pioneering
approach is ingrained in the culture that Vista
Group maintains to this day.
So, I first met Murray in a business capacity.
Over the years, I’ve gotten to know him as a
colleague and friend and also spend time with his
wonderful family—his wife, Helen, and sons Chris
(who’s followed Murray into the company) and
Scott.
It wasn’t long after Vista started that the company
expanded into Argentina in 1997, enabling
Vista Cinema, Vista’s flagship cinema management
software, to take off.
Facing a complex operating environment so
early in its life cycle, and meeting the regulatory,
cultural, and technical challenges it brought,
meant Vista developed the ability to adapt and
grow quickly internationally, to the point where
Vista Cinema software is now installed in cinemas
in more than 75 countries and its global share is
estimated at 38 percent.
Vista’s exponential growth is highlighted by
its 18 consecutive years’ presence at CinemaCon:
beginning with two people and a basic table and
evolving into an impressive 54 square meters in
2017, exhibiting multiple brands, with 40-plus
people and an eye-watering schedule of meetings.
More recently, Murray has started on a new
journey to transform Vista from a cinema software
company into the leading film industry software
group in the world.
Murray led Vista to its public listing in August
2014 with a successful IPO to raise capital for continued
innovative development and growth. Murray
insisted that all employees were given shares; he
wanted everyone at Vista to be owners.
Two and a half years later, Vista Group comprises
nine businesses operating across the distribution,
exhibition, and moviegoer sectors—each of them
aligned with Murray’s vision of delivering leading-edge
technology solutions for the global film
industry.
Murray is respected for his tenacity as much
as for his affable nature. He is visionary, clever,
startlingly honest, highly respected and inclusive, a
career adviser and accelerator; yet he’s self-effacing,
with a great sense of humor.
Murray steers the Vista ship with a steely eye but
a gentle hand, and he is loved for it. The success of
Vista that is attributable to him is immeasurable.
Murray believes in the mantra “Do good things
with good people.” That is the main reason for the
extraordinary life cycle of Vista Group. But more
than that, it is also why Murray so deserves to be
inducted into the Boxoffice Hall of Fame. n
76 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

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BOXOFFICE HALL OF FAME
ANDREW CRIPPS
President
International Distribution, 20th Century Fox
by Daniel Loria
CELLULOID JUNKIE ON
ANDREW CRIPPS:
“Andrew Cripps is a towering
presence in the global movie
industry, not just due to his
considerable physical stature but
because of his deep understanding
of the fundamentals of the film and
cinema industries.
—Patrick von Sychowski
Editor, Celluloid Junkie
>> In this era of multinational
business,
Andrew Cripps exemplifies
the advantages
that come from encompassing different cultures
and perspectives. Born in Sri Lanka and having
grown up in Japan, Cripps received his university
degrees from Georgia Tech and Georgia State.
His first foray into the entertainment industry
came in 1985, when he became responsible for
the theatrical and home-entertainment releases of
Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment, a British film
company. In a matter of 18 months, he moved
on to United International Pictures (UIP), the
joint venture distribution company operated by
Paramount, Universal, and MGM/UA, serving
as the assistant to the general manager at UIP’s
Tokyo office.
A promotion to sales manager for Southeast
Asia brought Cripps to Hong Kong until 1990,
when he left Asia to continue his career as VP of
international sales at UIP’s London headquarters.
Cripps continued rising through the ranks at UIP
during the 1990s, becoming the company’s executive
vice president of international sales in 1994
and being named president and COO by 1999.
Cripps transitioned to Paramount in 2006,
following the decision between Universal and
Paramount to break up their joint venture in UIP.
As president of Paramount Pictures International,
Cripps oversaw international distribution for all
Paramount, DreamWorks, DreamWorks Animation,
Marvel, and Nickelodeon titles. Under his
leadership, the company grossed in excess of $10
billion at the overseas box office from 2007 to
2011, including an industry record $3.2 billion
in 2011.
In 2012 Cripps began his tenure as president
of EMEA at IMAX, as well as acting as EVP
for the company in its London office. He was
charged with expanding IMAX’s theater network
across that region, as well as sourcing content to
play across its list of locations. Under his leadership
the network expanded dramatically, boasting
over 200 theaters opened or in the pipeline. In
March 2016 Cripps was promoted to president of
international at IMAX.
Cripps began the latest challenge in his career
in January 2017, taking on the role of president
of international theatrical distribution at 20th
Century Fox in Los Angeles. In his new capacity
he oversees all strategic and managerial international
theatrical-distribution activities for the
studio and development of business opportunities
in the overseas market.
Says Patrick von Sychowski, editor, Celluloid
Junkie, “Andrew Cripps is a towering presence
in the global movie industry, not just due to his
considerable physical stature but because of his
deep understanding of the fundamentals of the
film and cinema industries. Those of us who
have had dealings with him over the years in his
roles at UIP, Paramount, and IMAX know him
for his steady focus, firm grasp of data and facts,
and above all the resolve he brings to his leadership
role. Andrew is the key reason why IMAX
has grown to be the only truly global premium
cinema experience brand today. He will no doubt
continue this success at 20th Century Fox, and
the industry is richer for his presence.” n
78 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

CONVENTION RECAP
ANNUAL
INDEPENDENTS
CONVENTION
IN UTAH
CELEBRATES
10TH
ANNIVERSARY
by Barbara Twist, Managing Director, Art House Convergence
>> The 2017 Art House Convergence celebrated
the 10th anniversary of the organization with our
biggest conference yet. We welcomed 610 attendees
from 47 states and eight countries, including
cinemas, film festivals, bookers, film distributors,
and vendors. The feeling at the conference was
both triumphant and engaged. As a community,
we have weathered everything from the economic
burden of the digital transition to the assault on
theatrical windows, all the while rooting ourselves
even more deeply in our communities through audience
development and place making. Art houses
are spaces of expression, creativity, and action. It is
up to us to champion independent filmmakers and
movies that matter. This year’s speakers and sessions
recognized our unique position to be spaces
of community engagement through the films we
show and the audiences we seek.
The Art House Convergence welcomed an
incredible slate of keynote speakers who brought
fresh perspectives to independent exhibition and
challenged us to do better. James Schamus (former
CEO of Focus Features) joined us for an amusing,
and incredibly timely, reflection on the state of the
industry (spoiler: reports of the movie industry
“dying” have permeated since its inception).
Cheryl Dunye (director of The Watermelon Woman)
sat down for a “living room conversation” with Jennifer
Morris (programmer, The Roxy Theater) on
everything from her observations of the moviegoing
habits of 20-somethings to the myriad challenges
she faces in the independent-filmmaking world.
In honor of the 10th anniversary we announced
two new annual awards: the Spotlight
Lifetime Achievement Award and the Russell B.
Collins Founder’s Award. The inaugural recipient
80 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

610 ATTENDESS REPRESENTING 47 STATES
AND EIGHT COUNTRIES DESCENDED ON
MIDWAY, UTAH FOR THE 2017 EVENT.
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 81

CONVENTION RECAP
JAMES SCHAMUS
The former CEO of Focus Features
and Oscar-nominated screenwriter
of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
addresses the attendees.
of the Spotlight
Lifetime
Achievement
Award was
Ira Deutchman,
a
prominent
indie film
producer and
distribution
executive
whose contributions
to
the independent-filmmaking community have
been significant and long-lasting. The Russell
B. Collins Founder’s Award was a surprise to its
inaugural recipient, Russ Collins, who founded
the Art House Convergence.
As we look to the rest of 2017, we have several
important events on the calendar. We will meet in
Philadelphia June 21–22 for our regional seminar,
hosted by the Ambler Theater and the Bryn Mawr
Film Institute. The regional seminars are a great
way to be introduced to the art house community
or check in with colleagues from other organizations.
We will also celebrate our second annual
Art House Theater Day on Sunday, September 24,
2017. Inspired by similar one-day celebrations like
Record Store Day, Art House Theater Day was
started to celebrate independent cinemas and all of
the people, from the projectionists to the audiences,
who make our cinemas such marvelous places
to watch movies.
We started out to increase the quantity and
quality of art house cinemas in North America, but
along the way we’ve built a stronger moviegoing
audience, become economic anchors in our local
communities, and demanded that our voices be
heard on industry-wide issues. We even discovered
that the healthiest communities, in terms of overall
cinema attendance, are communities that have
independent art house cinemas and solidly performing
commercial multiplexes. Art houses and
commercial theaters complement (more than they
compete with) each other and generally amplify
local cinema attendance. Our 10 years of box office
success and theater growth show that the art house
community is more than just a group of individual
theaters—we are a robust cinema exhibition
movement. n
RUSSELL B. COLLINS FOUNDER’S AWARD
Russ Collins
WHAT IS THE AWARD?
The Russell B. Collins Founders Award was established
to honor an exhibitor whose virtues include an open
mind and heart, and the perspicacity to push through
to goals that serve their local and global community
despite the odds. This individual will embody action
and thoughtfulness and seek to enhance the understanding
of cinema as a higher art, and art houses as
the source for communicating that passion.
BIO Russ Collins (at left with Michael Moore) is the
executive director of the Michigan Theater Foundation,
which owns and operates Ann Arbor’s Michigan Theater, a fully restored 1920s movie palace; and State Theatre, a four-screen renovated
1940s Art Deco cinema. He is also the founder of Cinetopia Festival—the Detroit area’s international film festival—and founding director
of the Art House Convergence, a national organization for community-based, mission-driven cinemas.
Professional recognition includes: Being named to the first class of IndieWire “Influencers”; arts administration fellow of the National
Endowment for the Arts; and knighted by the Republic of Italy for the promotion of Italian film culture in the USA. For many years he
taught film studies and arts management at Eastern Michigan University.
He holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in arts from the University of Michigan.
82 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

SPOTLIGHT LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Ira Deutchman
WHAT IS THE AWARD?
The Spotlight Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual who has
performed outstanding service and accomplishment in a career devoted to the
distribution and/or exhibition of independent films.
BIO Ira Deutchman has been making, marketing, and distributing films since
1975, having worked on over 150 films, including some of the most successful
independent films of all time. He was one of the founders of Cinecom and later
created Fine Line Features—two companies that were created from scratch and,
in their respective times, helped define the independent film business.
Currently Deutchman is an independent producer and a consultant in marketing
and distribution of independent films. Among his clients is Emerging
Pictures, a New York–based digital exhibition company that he co-founded in
2002. He is also a professor of professional practice in the School of the Arts at
Columbia University, where he was the chair of the film program from 2011 to
2015.
He is a graduate of Northwestern University, with a major in film.
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 83

COVER STORY
TM & © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication.
Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn team up with
Director Jonathan Levine in Snatched
by Daniel Loria
The transition from TV to the big screen can be a tricky one. For every
success story there are several who never quite make the jump from
half-hour sketch comedies to feature films. Any concern that Amy
Schumer’s upfront and emotionally honest style would struggle to
gain traction with wider audiences was roundly dismissed upon the
release of 2015’s Trainwreck, her first starring role in a feature film. The R-rated
comedy grossed over $100 million and left viewers excited to see what project
Schumer would take on next. The answer to that question finally arrives in theaters
in May with the release of Snatched, a film that also marks Goldie Hawn’s
first major big-screen role in over a decade. The comedy tells the story of an impetuous
dreamer (Schumer) who brings her ultra-cautious mother (Hawn) with
her on an exotic vacation following an unexpected break-up. What was supposed
to be a relaxing holiday for the mismatched duo takes an unexpectedly
perilous turn, and the two women must work together to escape the jungle—
while trying not to get on each other’s nerves. Boxoffice spoke with Snatched
director Jonathan Levine (50/50, The Night Before) to find out more about how
the project came together.
You’ve made a number of studio comedies. What
was it about this project that stood out?
Blending genres has been always interesting to
me, and I found this to be a sophisticated combination
in that it starts as one thing and then takes
a left turn to turn into a completely different kind
of adventure. The other thing I liked was the core
emotional journey that these two characters go on.
I had just had my first child when I signed on to
do it, and I kept on thinking about what it felt like
to be a parent. This movie tells a very grounded
emotional story—with R-rated hilarity thrown
into the mix. It has the emotional core of one of
my previous movies, 50/50, and the action-adventure
elements of Pineapple Express or Romancing
the Stone. It felt like a very cool way of looking at a
relationship between a mother and a daughter.
When did Goldie Hawn get involved in the
project? It’s great to see her in a studio comedy
again.
84 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

TM & © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication.
Amy [Schumer] had been wanting to work
with Goldie [Hawn], and we had a very long list
of actors who could play the mom. I’m a big fan
of Goldie’s and I wanted to meet and talk with
her, since it had been such a long time since she’d
worked. I wanted to get a better sense of where
she was and what she thought about the project.
What’s wonderful about Goldie is that she’s both
a great comedian and a great actress. She nailed
every grounded moment without conveying a false
note. It’s impossible not to fall in love with Goldie
Hawn after talking with her for five minutes, so
I was pretty much sold right away. I think part of
why she hadn’t worked for so long was that there
weren’t enough good roles offered to her.
Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn are great at this
type of comedy. What did you do as a director to
help that chemistry shine on-screen?
When I first saw the two of them together,
they had a natural chemistry. As a filmmaker, you
facilitate that by creating an environment where
people can feel free to express themselves. I’m
inclined to allow actors to become storytellers
along with me. We were all partners in this. I find
that if you edit too early and give notes before an
actor is able to find their groove in a scene, the
chemistry can go completely haywire. You have
to be careful not to try to fix something that was
never broken in the first place, something that
can solve itself after the first few takes. I don’t like
to tinker too much.
How much did you stick to the script during the
shoot?
It was an ever-evolving thing. [Screenwriter]
Katie Dippold’s script was pretty complete, the
architecture was already in place, but within that
there were opportunities to tailor things to Goldie
and Amy. From that point on, working with one
of the world’s greatest improvisers like Amy, I
didn’t want to get in the way of their talent. What
we wanted to do here was a throwback to some
of the great movies that Goldie was in during the
1980s, so we did have a more rigid approach to
the execution than I had in my last movie, The
Night Before, for example, where we had so many
funny people that I just put them in front of the
camera and let them go. This is a movie that is
very controlled in terms of the adventure and
depicting the mother-daughter arc.
Were there any other movies you had in mind in
your approach to this project?
A lot of the [Robert] Zemeckis movies were big
ones for me. I also watched a lot of action-comedies,
like 21 Jump Street and Bad Boys 2. John
Huston movies came up because of the adventure
elements, things like Treasure of the Sierra Madre or
The Night of the Iguana.
What sort of films interest you for your next
project?
What was great about this experience was that I
was able to tell an original story using a big palette;
this is a movie with a big production value. That was
really exciting for me. In the future I want to keep
on doing movies with people I like, that can push
peoples’ expectations a little bit. I’ve had dalliances
with the comic book world—I still haven’t found
the right thing but I think I could do a good job
with one of those. My next project is going to be
with Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron [Flarsky], a
romantic comedy, which should be really fun. I’ve
been lucky to meet collaborators like Seth Rogen,
and now Amy Schumer, and get along with them so
well through my work. Snatched is my sixth movie,
and they’ve all felt totally different so far, so I’m
looking forward to what comes next even if I don’t
know what that will be. (continued on next page)
SOCK IT TO ME
Goldie Hawn first gained fame as
a body-painted go-go dancer and
cast member on the late sixties
hit sketch-comedy show Rowan
& Martin’s Laugh-In. She won an
Oscar for 1969’s Cactus Flower and
later nabbed a nomination for
Best Actress for Private Benjamin
(1980). Away from the big screen
since 2002’s Banger Sisters (with
Susan Sarandon), Hawn co-stars
in Snatched as the mother of Amy
Schumer (seen above with Tom
Bateman).
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 85

COVER STORY
AT THE MOVIES WITH JONATHAN LEVINE
MOVIE MEMORY
“For some reason I mark my life by the movies I’ve seen. Whether that’s
watching Aliens with my dad in 1986 on 86th Street and Third Avenue
and being totally scared, or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind at the
Arclight while I was at film school and being absolutely floored by it, or
Borat in North Carolina with my girlfriend at the time—who is now my
wife—and laughing with all the moviegoers. Sharing that experience
with the people you love is amazing and memorable. It creates a common
bond. That’s why I’m optimistic about the future of moviegoing—
people crave that connection. It might seem counter-intuitive to call it
a connection when you’re sitting in a darkened room with a bunch of
strangers, but that’s what it is.”
CONCESSIONS STAND
“There’s this new thing that I’m really into, where you can make your
own Coke at the drink machines [Coca-Cola Freestyle]. You can make
a beautiful Coca-Cola cocktail, and I do a little bit of Cherry Coke and
a little bit of Vanilla Coke. I’m a big fan of making my own Coca-Cola
cocktails and, from time to time, I also enjoy having an actual cocktail
at my local theater.”
86 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

SPECIAL SECTION
PIONEER OF THE YEAR AWARD 90
CHERYL BOONE ISAACS
PRESIDENT
ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES
NATO MARQUEE AWARD 92
BYRON BERKLEY
PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
FOOTHILLS ENTERTAINMENT
PASSPARTOUT AWARD 100
MARK CHRISTIANSEN
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF WORLDWIDE OPERATIONS
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
comSCORE INTERNATIONAL BOX OFFICE AWARD 102
THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
NAC BERT NATHAN AWARD 104
ANDREW CRETORS
PRESIDENT
C. CRETORS AND CO,
EXCELLENCE IN EVENT CINEMA AWARD 106
TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES
GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT IN EXHIBITION 110
MAJID AL FUTTAIM’S VOX CINEMAS
NEW PRODUCTS 116–144
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 89

PIONEER OF THE YEAR
CHERYL BOONE ISAACS
President
Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences
>> Cheryl Boone Isaacs is the first African-American
and third woman to hold the office of Academy
president for which she was elected in 2013.
She has represented the Public Relations Branch of
the Academy as a Governor for 24 years.
In her role as president, Boone Isaacs presides
over the Academy’s board of governors, a group
of 54 artists and filmmakers who set the Academy’s
strategic vision, preserves the organization’s
financial health, and assures the fulfillment of its
mission. She also oversees the Oscars and Governors
awards and has been instrumental in leading
several successful Academy initiatives including
launching A2020—a comprehensive five-year plan
to bring new voices into all areas of the organization
and helping increase inclusion.
An accomplished film marketing and public relations
executive, Boone Isaacs runs her own company,
CBI Enterprises, Inc. where she has created
and executed publicity campaigns for Academy
Award-winning films, including The King’s Speech
and The Artist.
Previously, Boone Isaacs was president of theatrical
marketing for New Line Cinema where she
promoted campaigns for Austin Powers: The Spy Who
Shagged Me, The Wedding Singer, Rush Hour and
Blade. Prior to her role at New Line Cinema, Boone
Isaacs worked at Paramount Pictures for 13 years,
eventually becoming the studio’s worldwide director
of publicity. While at Paramount, Boone Isaacs led
marketing and publicity campaigns for Academy
Award-winning films Forrest Gump and Braveheart.
Boone Isaacs was inducted into the NAACP
Hall of Fame in 2014 and in 2016 she was
awarded the Rosa Parks Humanitarian award by
the Southern Christian leadership Conference of
Southern California. She has also received honors
from Essence Magazine, The International Cinematographers
Guild and African-American Film
Critics Association for her professional achievements
and impact in the entertainment industry,
as well as honorary doctorates from Chapman
University and the University of North Carolina.
“We are delighted that Cheryl has accepted
the 2017 Pioneer of the Year Award and will be
90 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

eceiving this well-deserved honor,” said Jim Orr, President of
WRMPPF and Executive Vice-President of Domestic Theatrical
Distribution at Universal Pictures. “She is a true Pioneer in our
industry, who demonstrates extraordinary leadership and vision
not only in her role at the Academy, but also as a committed
member of the entertainment community at large. We look
forward to celebrating Cheryl’s philanthropic contributions and
professional accomplishments at CinemaCon 2017, as well as
raising much needed funds for the Pioneers Assistance program.”
About the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation
Named after one of the greatest humanitarians, philanthropists
and entertainers —Will Rogers—the Will Rogers Motion
Picture Pioneers Foundation perpetuates his legacy through the
works of three programs, Brave Beginnings, the Will Rogers
Institute and the Pioneers Assistance Fund.
A hospital created for Vaudevillians stricken with tuberculosis,
the National Vaudeville Association Hospital was renamed
the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital in 1936, as a tribute to Will
Rogers. The hospital became a national training facility for doctors
treating patients with tuberculosis, becoming known as the
Will Rogers Institute. In 2002, the Will Rogers charity merged
with the Foundation of Motion Picture Pioneers (FMPP) and
became the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation.
The Pioneers Assistance Fund continues the mission of FMPP
by helping any individual from the motion picture community
who are encountering an illness, injury or life-changing event.
Social workers provide confidential consultations and financial
assistance on a short-term or long-term basis, in order to help a
person, get back to a normal life or continue living with dignity.
The Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation operates
the PAF. For more information about the Pioneer of the Year
Dinner or the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation,
please call (888) 994-3863 or visit www.wrpioneers.org. n
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 91

NATO MARQUEE AWARD
BYRON BERKLEY
President & Chief Executive Officer
Foothills Entertainment
>> Byron Berkley learned the business from the ground up. He began his
career as a teenager, performing the often thankless tasks that form the
backbone of exhibition: sweeping aisles, welcoming guests, and handling reels
behind the booth. Berkley’s time in exhibition includes stints at managing
both indoor and drive-in cinemas, theatrical sales for concessions operators,
and, in recent years, a return to overseeing the day-to-day joys (and accompanying
stress) of an independent exhibitor. Boxoffice talked with Berkley about
his journey from marquee boy to recipient of NATO’s Marquee Award.
NATO’S JOHN FITHIAN ON
BYRON BERKLEY:
“A longtime successful independent
theater operator and Texas gentleman,
Byron is the mouse that roared
within the exhibition community.
From his strategic leadership among
his fellow exhibitors, to his board
and officer service at our national
and regional associations, to his
endless energy as a volunteer, Byron
has helped to preserve and enhance
independent exhibition even in
a time of accelerating industry
consolidation. Few people in the
history of the theater business have
given back more to this industry
than Byron Berkley.”
What was your first
job in exhibition?
My very first job
in exhibition was as a
marquee boy, janitor,
doorman, and projectionist in the Brisbane theater
in Brisbane, California. I started working there
when I was 13 years old and after a two-year stint
moved across town to a competitor’s theater, where
I worked at night as a projectionist throughout high
school and into college.
What lessons about the industry did you pick up
from those early days?
I recognized early on that it was a business that
required true dedication and commitment in order
for one to be successful—having a love for movies
helped a lot, too. Working long hours at inconvenient
times was not for everyone, so you really had
to enjoy providing entertainment for others; being
away weekends, nights, and holidays isn’t most
people’s idea of an ideal career. Keep in mind that
at this time the movie theater was still the primary
form of entertainment away from home, so the
satisfaction you got from watching crowds get so
much enjoyment was truly rewarding and more
than made up for not being able to lead a “normal”
life. Working the floor and being in constant contact
with the public was the most enjoyable part of my
early theater employment, but being a projectionist,
which I was for some time, was an entirely different
experience. These were the days before platters and
xenon bulbs, so the person in the booth couldn’t
leave his post and had no opportunity to interact
with the public—he was almost a hermit, disappearing
into his small, dark room and not coming
out until everyone had left for the day. Although I
enjoyed watching over the film as it ran through the
projector reel by reel, the isolation of being alone
and away from the public wasn’t my first choice.
You managed indoor and drive-in theaters
for United California Theatres; what were the
challenges you faced?
Both then and now we seem to be facing the
same challenge, declining attendance and how to
keep the moviegoing experience relevant for the
consumer. During my time with United California
Theatres, we started to see an erosion of attendance
in favor of home movie viewing, as the studios
were releasing more of their feature film libraries
to the networks. The multiplex had not come into
existence quite yet, and since UCT properties were
single-screen venues with large auditoriums, they
were increasingly difficult to run profitably; we
began to put more and more emphasis on concessions
operations as a hedge against declining box
office revenues. As time went on, home movie
viewing became an even bigger threat as the VCR
came into popularity, followed soon afterward by
the growth of cable television, all of which continued
to drive attendance away from theaters. UCT
was in partnership with UA theaters, and the Naify
family, who controlled UCT, eventually acquired
control of UA theaters, merged the two companies,
and formed United Artists Communications, which
92 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NATO MARQUEE AWARD
time, I had the benefit
of working with some
excellent concessions
people at GCC. I
learned a great deal
from this association
and, in particular, from
GCC’s concessions VP,
Jack Leonard. I have
no hesitation about
borrowing successful
ideas from someone
else, and I’ve benefitted
immensely from what
I’d learned and later
borrowed from GCC.
UNDER THE STARS
Richard Naify (left) and Byon Berkley
(center) join the mayor of Belmont,
California, during the remodeling
and name change of the old Starlight
Drive-In to the new Belmont
Auto Movies.
then expanded into the cable television business.
The philosophy at the time was that if cable TV was
going to damage theatrical revenues, the company
might as well be in both businesses, which proved
to be a prescient and profitable decision. I definitely
see some parallels between what was then a threat
to theatrical revenues from network television, the
VCR, and cable and what we are seeing now with
the various out-of-theater viewing platforms such
as Netflix, Amazon, and others. Like Yogi Berra is
reputed to have said, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.”
How did your exhibition background help you in
the concessions side of the business?
I left UCT after 12 years and joined the Dr
Pepper Company as a theatrical sales representative.
Having spent time with UCT and being focused
on concessions sales as we were, it gave me the
ability to relate to other concessions operators and
address their issues. Knowing the importance of
merchandising, customer service, and bottom-line
profit margins allowed me to position my product
favorably to the buyer and demonstrate how it
could benefit his operation. After leaving Dr Pepper
I joined Sunkist Soft Drinks as VP of sales and,
since Sunkist was owned by General Cinema at the
What led to your
decision to return to
exhibition after that
period, and how had
the industry changed
when you returned?
Since I’d been in and
around theaters since
high school, I’d grown to really love the business
and, although I had indirectly left it to work for Dr
Pepper and Sunkist, I was still involved as a supplier.
Sunkist was headquartered in Atlanta, and when
General Cinema decided to divest the business I
began looking for other opportunities in case the
new owners and I might not get along. I learned of
a theater that was for sale in a small town in Texas
and made a decision to start a new career as an
owner-operator. It helped that the town was near
my wife’s hometown, and since she wanted to move
back to Texas, it wasn’t a hard decision to make.
What I’d found to have changed the most since my
return was that the business had become much more
impersonal and “corporate,” if you will. When I was
a manager with UCT and when I worked in my
hometown theaters as a teenager, everyone seemed
to know everyone and it was a much more familial
industry. “Film row” existed in most of the major
cities, and you had personal contact with most of
the salespeople and the supply houses. Theaters were
visited regularly by film people and by representatives
from National Screen Service, so there was a lot of
information that was exchanged—it was a very closeknit
and personal industry. There were nowhere near
the number of screens we have today nor, for that
94 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NATO MARQUEE AWARD
LOBBY CARDS
Byron Berkley (left) and key staff
on opening night of the Spartacus
roadshow engagement at Sutter
Theatre in Yuba City, CA
matter, the number of large and midsize circuits so,
structurally, it is a much different business. In many
ways it is more professionally managed than it was,
with more emphasis on good business practices, but I
do miss the personal nature of the way it was.
How long have you been involved with NATO?
I’ve been a NATO member for just over 25 years
and have served on a number of committees and
task forces during that time, including membership,
investment, conventions, and strategic planning. My
longest committee tenure has been with the Independent
Theatre Owners Committee, on which I’ve
served in various capacities since its inception. I was
fortunate to have had the opportunity to work very
closely with other long-time NATO icons Wayne
Anderson, Larry Hansen, Paul Rogers, and others
during the organization of the original Cinema Buying
Group. I currently serve as NATO’s treasurer and
as one of four elected independent representatives
on the NATO Executive Board. On a regional level,
I’ve been a long-time member and past president of
NATO of Texas until we merged Texas, Arkansas,
Oklahoma, and Louisiana into a larger regional association,
which became South Central States NATO.
I served as both president and chairman of this new
regional organization
and was involved in
the ultimate merger of
that organization with
Missouri and Kansas
NATO units to form
Theatre Owners of
Mid-America (TOMA),
where I currently serve
as president. Initially
I became involved
with NATO because it
afforded me an opportunity
to meet other
like-minded exhibitors
and share with them
many of the issues and
concerns that confront
our business. I later
found that joining and
participating in committees
and task forces
gave me an opportunity
to personally contribute
to NATO and, working
with others, help make the organization a more
valuable resource for the membership.
What is the role of independent cinemas in
today’s exhibition business, marked by corporate
consolidation?
The continuing consolidation of exhibition has,
in my opinion, made it more difficult for the smaller
operator, in that consumer theatrical expectations
are being raised; the larger, better equipped venues
have proliferated and have become the expected
norm for many moviegoers. The smaller exhibitor
often doesn’t have the financial resources to meet the
competition and can suffer accordingly if he can’t
offer all the bells and whistles that are becoming
commonplace. That said, there is still a market for
the smaller independent if he is sufficiently isolated
and remains the most convenient go-to movie venue
in his trade area. Even in more competitive situations
there can still be success for an independent if
he can offer a point of difference: better service, better
pricing, alternative programming, and playing a
role in the community can all work toward retaining
a loyal audience and keep the independent theater a
viable part of the community.
(continued on page 98)
96 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NATO MARQUEE AWARD
you’ll go; if you don’t
have all those periphery
attractions, then I have
some serious concerns
about how incentivized
you’ll be to go out just
for a move in a traditional
theater.
“LET’S ALL GO TO THE LOBBY”
A concessions stand promoting
Dr. Pepper merchandising materials
What are some of the biggest challenges and
opportunities facing independent exhibitors
today?
Film availability continues to be a problem with
the indie operator, as distributors still maintain a
business model that was formed in the early days of
film. Today’s consumer wants his movie entertainment
on the break and not two or three weeks later.
“Day-old bread” is no longer acceptable to today’s
moviegoer, so that is a definite problem we face and
one that our distribution partners are going to have
to address. Probably the biggest and most immediate
challenge is the possible dissolving of the theatrical
window as we know it. Should the consumer feel
that he can watch a new movie at home or on his
iPad for $25 or even $50 while it’s showing in his
local theater, I think that’s going to have more of an
impact on the smaller operator than on the larger
ones. If a premium video-on-demand (PVOD)
movie is available day and date at the local cinema
or even a few weeks later, what will be the incentive
to leave home and patronize the cinema? Perhaps if
you have an entertainment complex with bowling
alley, rock climbing, restaurant, bar, game room,
and bumper cars all under one roof there will be
sufficient reason to see a movie while you’re there and
How do you think
the moviegoing
experience will
change in the next 10
to 15 years?
Well, I wish I had
a crystal ball—I could
make all the right decisions
over the next few
years and be a billionaire.
Change it will,
but how is not much
more than an educated
guess at this time. This
is a mature business,
and if you track it over
the past few years, raw attendance has not grown,
which is something of a predictor for the future.
So, in order to hold our own at least, we will have
to implement some changes in how we position
and operate our theaters. As I’ve mentioned, I
think we will see the family entertainment center
become more and more prevalent, eventually
supplanting many of the traditional movie venues.
Things like improved viewing comfort and better
sound and visual presentations will have to be
ongoing and continue to push the technology
envelope. Food and adult beverages will become
commonplace as the public will come to expect
it. With the tentpole picture occupying more and
more of the box office gross space, I see moviegoing
becoming more of an occasional event than an
everyday or every week practice, and concurrent
with that I see a lot of smaller venues either closing
down or perhaps introducing non-movie entertainment
to fill in the gaps between the tentpoles:
sporting events, eSports, and other non-theatrical
events could be an alternative to going dark while
waiting for the next tentpole. Somebody said,
“Things that don’t change remain the same,” so
as this business continues to evolve, changes will
continue to occur. n
98 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

PASSEPARTOUT AWARD
MARK CHRISTIANSEN
Executive Vice President of Worldwide Operations
Paramount Pictures
>> Like many veterans in this industry, Mark Christiansen grew up at
the movies. The son a theater manager, Christiansen followed his father’s
footsteps along a slightly different career path, starting out as a booker for
Columbia Pictures. That opportunity led him to theatrical sales positions
in several different cities before joining DreamWorks as head of operations
in 1995. A decade later, Christiansen became executive vice president of
worldwide operations at Paramount Pictures, the studio that he still calls
home. Beginning his tenure at Paramount shortly before the move to digital,
Christiansen’s contributions were vital to ensuring a seamless transition
for smaller theaters through the implementation of a virtual print fee. The
ensuing benefits of digital cinema opened the door to an overseas box office
boom that has kept Christiansen busy at Paramount, overseeing the studio’s
releases around the world. Boxoffice caught up with Christiansen ahead of
CinemaCon to talk about his career so far.
VIRTUAL PRINT FEE
Virtual print fee (VPF) is the name
given to a subsidy paid by a film
distributor toward the purchase of
digital cinema projection equipment
for use by a film exhibitor in the
presentation of first release motion
pictures. The subsidy is paid in the
form of a fee per booking of a movie,
intended to match the savings
that occurs by not shipping a film
print. The model is designed to help
redistribute the savings realized
by studios when using digital
distribution instead of film print
distribution.
What do you consider to be some of the
highlights of your career to this point?
I have had a chance to do just about every job in
theatrical distribution, including sales, collections,
analysis, print control, security, localization, and
electronic delivery. It has given me a very wide view
of the process of getting movies from the filmmakers
to the theaters. I can usually anticipate how a change
in one area of distribution will affect another, for
either the positive or negative. The most fun I have
had was starting DreamWorks’ distribution operations
with a clean sheet of paper. Being able to shape
the organization and work flows exactly as I liked
was challenging and rewarding.
Going back to the digital transition, how did
you develop Paramount’s VPF business plan in
a way that didn’t leave smaller exhibitors out of
the loop?
The idea of a VPF was born out of our desire
to find a way to assist with the transition to digital
cinema within our current studio budgeting process.
I’m not sure who coined the term “virtual print fee.”
Fixed budgets for the purchase of 35 mm prints
were an industry standard, so a fixed price for each
print equivalent was a requirement in any agreement
we struck. Only first-run theaters were contemplating
switching to d-cinema in the early days, so
there was little consideration given to off-break and
second-run locations. Prints were coexisting with
d-cinema, and those prints could be used multiple
times to cover the off-break locations. Eventually we
got to the point where film was not widely available,
and servicing these other theaters was not economically
sound.
The weekly print fee was a response to this problem.
The fee is a fraction of a VPF, and no matter
how many weeks are played, the WPF cannot exceed
the VPF. Because the theaters in question rarely
play a title for more than a week or two, they end up
generating a fee every week of the year. We had done
the math and knew that theaters using the WPF
scheme would actually achieve recoupment faster
than most regular theaters, but it took quite a bit of
conversation to get everyone to see the benefits.
Overseas dates have been coming up sooner on
the calendar, both day-and-date and releases
ahead of a North America launch. How has that
impacted practices such as dubbing, subtitling,
and government clearances?
International dates moving up is part of the
equation. Films are also finishing later than ever.
Both of these factors have put an enormous squeeze
100 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

on the localization business. We have streamlined all
of our work flows to extract every minute of slack
time. Even with every trick employed, I still get
anxious as the release dates approach.
A lot has been made on titles that have
succeeded overseas despite poor showings in
the U.S. How integral is localization in ensuring a
film’s success in any given market? Can a strong
local office, through marketing or subtitling/
dubbing, change the fate of a film? Or is it more
of a symbiotic relationship with the original cut?
A strong local office can have an influence on a
film’s in-territory success, including through marketing
and publicity. The local offices know their markets
well and aim to tailor the studio’s materials to
create the biggest impact in their respective country.
Localization is a tricky business. I once had a
filmmaker request their film be translated verbatim,
which doesn’t take into account idiom or lip
sync. We spend a lot of time making sure that the
filmmaker’s original meaning is conveyed to the
audience and that it’s done seamlessly. n
AT THE MOVIES
“I have many memorable movie moments. As a kid, Sleeping Beauty at the
Continental in Denver and 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Century 21 in San
Jose stand out. Great theaters and great movies. As far as concessions go,
it’s hard to beat popcorn!”
BOXOFFICE CLASSIC AD, OCTOBER 30, 1967, 5 MONTHS BEFORE RELEASE
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 101

INTERNATIONAL BOX OFFICE AWARD
by Jesse Rifkin
There has never been such a lucrative combination
of movie studio and year as Disney in 2016.
We present the highlights of Disney’s international
and global box office achievements.
OVERSEAS
2016 was Disney’s best calendar year ever
at the overseas box office, with $4.604
billion. This beat the previous industry
overseas record, set by Universal in 2015
with $4.44 billion.
Disney claimed the top three highest-grossing
films released overseas, as
well as six of the top 10. Captain America:
Civil War led with $745.2 million, followed
by Zootopia with $682.5 million, and The
Jungle Book with $602.5 million.
Other overseas hits included No. 7 Finding
Dory with $541.9 million, No. 8 Rogue
One with $517.1 million as of this writing
($361 million during the calendar year),
and No. 10 Doctor Strange with $438.1
million as of this writing ($427.9 million
during the calendar year).
In addition, Star Wars: The Force Awakens,
which debuted in December 2015,
brought in $452.4 million of its $1.131
billion international total during calendar
year 2016.
With $3.566 billion overseas through
October 16, it only took Disney nine and
a half months to surpass their previous
yearly overseas record of $3.565 billion,
set in 2015.
On July 6, Disney set a new industry record
for reaching the $3 billion threshold
internationally.
GLOBAL
2016 was also Disney’s best calendar year
ever at the global box office, with $7.605
billion. This broke the previous record
of $6.89 billion, set by Universal in 2015.
It also beat Disney’s previous record of
$5.844 billion, set in 2015.
Disney claimed all of the top five
highest-grossing films released in 2016
globally. Captain America: Civil War led
with $1.153 billion, followed by Rogue
One with $1.042 billion as of this writing
($801.9 million during the calendar year),
Finding Dory with $1.028 billion, Zootopia
with $1.023 billion, and The Jungle Book
with $966 million.
Also big hits globally were No. 11 Doctor
Strange with $670.1 million as of this writing
($658.3 million during the calendar
year) and No. 12 Moana with $555 million
as of this writing ($410 million during the
calendar year).
On July 10, Disney set a new industry
record for reaching $5 billion globally.
102 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

C A P TA I N
A M E R I C A :
C I V I L
WA R
Z O O T O P
I A
T H E J U N G L E
B O O K
O V E R S E A S
O V E R S E A S
G R O S S
: $ 7 4 5 . 2 M I L L
I O N
G R O S S
: $ 6 8 2 . 5 M I L L
I O N
O V E R S E A S
G R O S S
: $ 6 0 2 . 5 M I L L
I O N
Although the award is bestowed for
achievement at the overseas and global
box office, Disney shattered a few records
domestically as well.
DOMESTIC
Disney set a new record for any studio
with $3.0009 billion domestically during
the calendar year, literally crossing over
the $3 billion mark on December 31 itself.
This shattered the previous record of
$2.444 billion, set by Universal in 2015.
Only three times before had any studio
even reached the $2 billion mark: Universal
and Disney both in 2015, plus Warner
Bros. in 2009.
Disney earned 26.3 percent of domestic
market share during the calendar year,
a modern record. Not only was this far
ahead of the 16.7 percent earned by
the runner-up studio Warner Bros., but
the next closest any studio had come to
matching Disney’s 26.3 percent of market
share during the 21st century was Universal,
taking 21.3 percent in 2015.
Disney produced eight of the top 13 highest-grossing
films during calendar year
2016, including all of the top three. They
also produced seven of the top 13 films
released in 2016 (when factoring grosses
into 2017).
The top three films were led by Rogue
One with $524.8 million as of this writing
($408.2 million during the calendar year).
This was followed by Finding Dory with
$486.2 million, and Captain America: Civil
War with $408 million.
Disney produced a number of other hits
domestically. These included No. 5 The
Jungle Book with $364 million, No. 7 Zootopia
with $341.2 million, No. 11 Moana
with $242.1 million as of this writing
($206.4 million during the calendar year),
and No. 13 Doctor Strange with $231.9
million as of this writing ($229.8 million
during the calendar year).
Can the magic repeat itself? Disney looks
to—if not exceed or replicate their monster
2016—come relatively close in 2017.
Among their most anticipated releases
are December’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi,
May’s action sequels Guardians of the
Galaxy Vol. 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean:
Dead Men Tell No Tales, March’s live-action
Beauty and the Beast, November’s superhero
sequel Thor: Ragnarok, and two
Pixar releases in the form of June’s Cars 3
and November’s Coco. n
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 103

NAC BERT NATHAN AWARD
ANDREW CRETORS
President
C. Cretors and Co,
>> Andrew Cretors carries on the legacy of his great-great-grandfather Charles Cretors,
who founded C. Cretors and Co. over 130 years ago. A stalwart of the cinema concessions
business, C. Cretors and Co. has brought popcorn to generations of moviegoers.
For Andrew Cretors, this service represents a passion that goes beyond family tradition.
Andrew Cretors has served as president of C. Cretors and Co. since 2006 and has been
an active National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) member since 2008, becoming
part of the association’s board of directors in 2009. Cretors will continue his involvement
with NAC under a new role this year, as he starts a two-year term as president of the
association. He will be receiving NAC’s Bert Nathan Award, a designation the association
grants each year in recognition of an individual’s leadership and contributions to the
theater concessions industry. Boxoffice spoke with Cretors ahead of the event for his
take on the changes and constants of life at the concessions stand.
What has been the key to maintaining
C. Cretors and Co.’s success and
standing in the industry?
That’s a good question, and a lot
of people have asked me that. I really
should have a better answer ready to go.
The way we’ve looked at it is focused on
keeping the customer happy. We know
our strengths and capabilities, and that’s
what we focus on. We’ve never been out
to conquer the world; we’ve always been
dedicated to providing the best equipment
and solutions to our customers.
Concessions menus are expanding
across the country but popcorn is still
king. Why do you think that is?
Popcorn is such an integral part of the
moviegoing experience. I think it’s one of
the things about going to the movies that
people really look forward to. When people
go to the concessions stand, they’re
looking for some sort of indulgence, and
popcorn stands out as one of the healthiest
options that’s out there. It’s popped
fresh on-site and typically has some light
seasoning applied to it. There’s a general
trend of people steering away from processed
foods that might look fun to eat
and are creatively packaged, but consumers
are looking at those options and are
not sure what’s in them and are putting
them aside. The other component, of
course, is that it’s still a very affordable
snack for concessionaires to offer. If
consumers demand it and concessionaires
can make a nice profit from it, then it’s a
winning combination.
We’ve seen technological shifts
transform the exhibition business.
Does the same idea apply to popcorn,
or is it timeless?
As a natural snack, popcorn doesn’t
require a lot more than just heating it.
There are a variety of different ways to
heat it, so from a technological standpoint
we’re always coming up with new
ways to provide our snacks in as cost-effective
a way as possible. We will sometimes
lean on our larger industrial line
experience: we have machines for smaller
theaters and bigger machines that can
produce thousands of pounds of finished
popcorn per hour. Sometimes we tap into
that knowledge and see how we can apply
it across all our machines. We’re always
coming up with new ideas and ways to
make the popcorn at a higher quality
with less cost to the concessionaires.
Growing up in the industry, did you
ever imagine yourself working in the
family business?
That’s an interesting question and it
speaks to one of the tenets of our family
business. When I was in middle and
high school, I would come in and work
in the stockroom on my days off. It was
104 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

a way for me to learn about the business
while earning a summer paycheck. My
dad had a requirement for all of us—my
brother, sister, and I all work for the
company today— that if we wanted
to make a career out of working here,
we each had to first work outside of the
family business. It was so we could gain
outside experience in our chosen fields,
but also to open our eyes to the other
opportunities that existed and to make
sure we didn’t blindly go in thinking the
family tradition was something we had
to do. He wanted it to be a choice for us.
That’s what we did, all three of us. For me
personally, my dad called me up in 1997
and told me they needed an IT network
administrator. I have a business degree
with a background in management of
information systems, so it was an option
for me to come back and join the company
as the IT guy. As the years passed and
different positions opened up, I applied
for them and went on to occupy roles as
a market manager in international sales,
operations, and eventually to the presidency
in 2006. I learned many things on
the “outside,” as I call it. My dad wanted
to make sure that the people I was working
with would also have some respect
for me. There are a lot of people here
who worked hard to get to the positions
they’re in, and some of them may not
have respected me as a college graduate
walking in like I owned the place and
giving them orders. It was important for
me to work outside the business and then
to work my way up.
What does it mean to be receiving this
award at CinemaCon?
I was quite shocked when I received
the call notifying me that I was going
to be receiving this award. I’ve been the
treasurer for the NAC for five or six years
and have enjoyed the position, enjoyed
participating, contributing, and getting
to know the people who are shaping the
industry. To have been selected for the
award is really quite humbling for me,
because I guess I really didn’t know I was
doing anything that was worthy of such
an award. I look at the names of some of
the prior recipients and I am humbled
to think I’m mentioned among them, let
alone receiving the same award. I’m really
honored to have been selected. Shelly
[Olesen], from Cretors, has received it
and so has my dad, but from my perspective,
it seemed obvious for them to have
received it. Shelly has done so much for
the industry, been on so many committees
with the NAC, and done so much to
promote the association and the industry.
My dad, with the equipment that he’s
designed, much of it becoming industry
standard, it makes sense for him to be
honored. So it’s really fantastic to be recognized
among them with this award.n
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 105

EXCELLENCE IN EVENT CINEMA AWARD
An established home-entertainment destination for movie lovers, TCM has expanded its reach
beyond cable television in recent years, increasing the access of Hollywood cinema to movie
lovers through new initiatives like FilmStruck, their SVOD venture in partnership with the Criterion
Collection, and event-cinema screenings organized in partnership with Fathom Events. Boxoffice
spoke with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, who will be accepting the Excellence in Event Cinema Award
at CinemaCon 2017, and Genevieve McGillicuddy, VP of brand activations and partnerships at TCM,
about the history and success of the company’s crossover to theatrical exhibition.
Interview by Daniel Loria
BOGIE AND
BERGMAN IN
CASABLANCA.
TCM AND FATHOM
EVENTS WILL BE
PRESENTING THE
FILM ON NOV. 12
AND 15.
106 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

When did TCM recognize the potential of event
cinema to expand its brand?
Genevieve McGillicuddy: The Fathom Events
partnership dates back to 2009, a time when we
started to think more about our fan community
and how to expand our brand beyond the borders
of television. The Fathom relationship was one of
the earliest partnerships we put together in this effort.
We’ve enjoyed very robust relationships with
studios in regard to home video promotion, and
an opportunity arose to promote new restorations
to be released on DVD by putting them back
into theaters with the help of Fathom. It therefore
became a priority project for the three parties
involved: TCM, Fathom, and the studios. For the
first few years it was very much about big tentpole
titles and major anniversaries—Singin’ in the Rain,
The Wizard of Oz. It was wonderful to put these
movies back on the big screen, showing them
the way the directors wanted them to be seen. As
TCM, as a network, our role was to introduce
these films and the context around them. In 2015
we made a point of building on this success and
put together a continuous calendar—appointment
viewing, if you will—where we would be
putting a great classical film back into
theaters monthly. Last year we did
13 titles, and this year we have 14
scheduled. Fathom Events have been
fantastic to work with, and our studio
partners have been incredible as
well. Finally, I can’t think of a brand
extension that serves TCM in such
a perfect way. We’ve heard from our
fans about how much they really love
this series.
Ben Mankiewicz: Without having sat
in on the early meetings, we knew
we had discovered that there was
something magical here. We want
people interested in watching
these important films on their TV
sets and mobile devices, but there
is obviously something special
about sharing the experience of
watching these movies on the big
screen. This is about to be our
eighth annual TCM Festival,
and I think as great as our
programming and invited
guests are, a big part of what
people take away is
the fact that they saw
these movies on the
big screen. We started
in around 2009 with
intermittent events
throughout the year
and it was a great
idea—we had no
shortage of movies. We
found a great partner
with Fathom, who knows how to do this right,
who had access to the theaters and knew how to
bring people in. Our partnership with Fathom has
worked so incredibly well that by 2015 we decided
to make it a monthly series. Sometimes we sneak
in an extra movie a month. It has been a great
success, showing a wide range of classic American
movies.
What sets a TCM event apart from a repertory
screening?
McGillicuddy: We want to make it an experience.
When you enter the theater you start by
seeing a slideshow about the film you’re
about to watch. Bookending the
film we have a customized intro
and outro by a TCM host, just
like our network channel.
Sometimes we can customize
that and bring in talent from
the film, and we’ve gotten a bit
creative with that. We’ve had
Debbie Reynolds on
to talk
BOXOFFICE CLASSIC AD
This Feb. 16, 1952 ad touts the
soon-to-be-released musical classic
to the country’s exhibitors. Singin’ in
the Rain premiered two months later
at Radio City Music Hall
BOXOFFICE CLASSIC REVIEW
March 22, 1952—Against a background
of delightful and hilarious
satirizing of the early days of motion
picture production is woven a behindthe-scenes,
boy-meets-girl yarn,
while these two sure-fire elements of
entertainment are blended, through
inspired filmmaking magic, into
a tune-and-dance movie which
inescapably will rate high among the
all-time bests of that category. That
the picture will register accordingly in
audience pleasure and patronage is
beyond doubt. In every department it
is virtually flawless. Producer Arthur
Freed mounted the offering—which
specializes in his own earlier-day hit
songs—with limitless opulence; the
dance and production numbers are
superlatively skillful and beautiful;
performances are so generally excellent
that thespian honors are thrown
up for grabs; and direction by star
Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen is comparably
superior. All of which, plus
Technicolor, accords the showman
plenty to sell and profit by.
TCM HOST
BEN MANKIEWICZ
MARCH 2017 107

EXCELLENCE IN EVENT CINEMA AWARD
BOXOFFICE CLASSIC AD
This June 13, 1977 ad celebrates
Smokey’s huge haul after only 10
days in limited release. Today, $5.7
million in ticket sales would equate
to $22.1 million for a per location
average of $58,000. Fathom Events
and TCM will be presenting the film
on May 21 and 24.
BOXOFFICE CLASSIC REVIEW
May 23, 1977—The current wave
of action pix concerning citizens
band radios shifts into high gear
with a wild, wild comedy having
the star names and the action to
make it a hot item this summer.
Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, Sally
Field and actor-singer-composer
Jerry Reed team with Oscar-winning
lyricist Paul Williams and a horde of
stuntmen in a Georgia-made movie.
Hal Needham, who wrote the original
story with executive producer Robert
L. Levy, makes his feature directorial
debut after many years as a leading
stunt expert. The Rastar production
gets off to a most unpromising start
as Reynolds recreates his familiar
breezy character and engaes in a
lethargic chase with the first of many
pursuing policemen. At about the
time Fields enters the scene, the film
picks up considerably and almost
never lags. There’s so much fast-paced
movement that the average viewer
won’t have time to consider some
characters which are introduced and
then dropped completely. The four
leads are all fun in their individual
ways, while the script is relentlessly
raunchy and appears to be inspired by
last year’s The Gumball Rally and a
Roadrunner cartoon.
FAYE DUNAWAY AND WARREN
BEATTY STAR IN THEIR SECOND
MOST INFAMOUS ROLES IN
BONNIE & CLYDE (1967)
about Singin’ in the Rain, but this past year
we showed The Planet of the Apes, and there’s a
comedian we’ve worked with, Dana Gould, who
has created his own act dressed as one of the film’s
characters—Dr. Zaius—and we interviewed him in
costume as part of the introduction of the film. We
really try to have fun with it.
Is there a crossover audience in marketing these
events, or do your TV and cinema audiences
represent different segments?
Mankiewicz: I think they’re all movie lovers,
so there’s a great deal of crossover. You do unquestionably
run into people who come just to enjoy
the experience of seeing the movie in a theater,
but most of our audience also watches our channel.
We know someone like Martin Scorsese will
prefer to watch movies on the big screen, but we
also know that he’ll watch TCM at home. Someone
like Quentin Tarantino, who knows so much
about movies, he will not watch certain movies
on a television set—but he watches the channel
as long as the movie and the ratio are right for his
TV screen.
McGillicuddy: That’s a great question, and I
think it highlights one of the values of our partnership
with Fathom. We currently promote these
screenings through our channel’s audience, but
Fathom is able to promote the same spot and series
in movie theaters. Last year I went to see the new
Star Wars movie at the theater, and the spot for our
January series played before the movie. It’s a terrific
opportunity for us to get across to an audience of
movie lovers who might not be aware of TCM.
Do you have a favorite screening from your
series, or is there an upcoming event that you’re
especially looking forward to?
McGillicuddy: Seeing Singin’ in the Rain this
past January was great. That’s a movie that deserves
to be seen on the big screen, and I think most
people today haven’t had an opportunity to see it
in a theater.
Mankiewicz: I was not a Star Wars kid—I mean,
I liked it, I saw it three times—but the movie I saw
more than three times in 1977 was Smokey and the
Bandit. We’re doing that this year. n
FATHOM EVENTS TCM 2017 SCHEDULE
All About Eve March 8
North by Northwest April 2, 5
The Graduate Apr 23, 26
Smokey and the Bandit May 21, 24
The Godfather June 4, 7
Some Like It Hot June 11, 14
Fast Times at Ridgemont High July 30, Aug. 2
Bonnie and Clyde Aug. 13, 16
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Sept. 17, 20
The Princess Bride Oct. 15, 18
Casablanca Nov. 12, 15
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Dec 10, 13
108 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT IN EXHIBITION
MAJID AL FUTTAIM’S VOX CINEMAS
Interview with Cameron Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas
Interview by Daniel Loria
CAMERON MITCHELL
Mitchell is the chief executive officer
of Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas, the
owner and operator of the VOX
Cinemas brand, the Middle East’s
largest cinema exhibitor. VOX
Cinemas operates 12 locations (129
screens) in the United Arab Emirates,
Lebanon, and Oman, and by 2018,
the company will be operating
over 400 screens in at least 7
countries. Cameron has worked
with Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas since
January 2007, and is overseeing the
company’s aggressive expansion
plans across the MENA region, along
with the company’s film distribution
business.
>> In its relatively short history, Majid Al Futtaim’s
VOX Cinemas has become a reference point
in the Middle East’s exhibition market. Following
the inauguration of its first cinema in the United
Arab Emirates’ Ajman City Center in 1999, the
company has gone on to become the largest and
highest-grossing circuit in the region. Known
around the world for its investment in innovative
and amenity-focused concepts, VOX is now a
mainstay for moviegoers across the Middle East
and Africa. Led by chief executive officer Cameron
Mitchell, who joined Majid Al Futtaim cinemas
in 2007, VOX is on pace to reach the 600-screen
threshold by the end of the decade. Boxoffice
spoke with Mitchell about the intricacies of the
Middle Eastern market and its consumers.
How did you come to work at VOX? What
was it about this challenge that caught your
attention?
This year I celebrated 10 fantastic years working
with Majid Al Futtaim, VOX Cinemas’ parent
company, having joined the group in 2007. Before
joining the Majid Al Futtaim family, I had worked
in various operational roles across Australia, a mature
but progressive cinema market. The competitive
nature of the entertainment landscape in the
Middle East and its constant hunger for innovation
presented an opportunity that seemed like a
natural next step in my career. I was excited by the
challenge to develop ambitious strategic plans to
spearhead VOX Cinemas’ business growth across
new markets in the region, and equally excited to
join Majid Al Futtaim, one of the world’s most
forward-thinking property developers.
110 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

What is the circuit’s current presence? Is it mostly
in emerging markets, or is it more of a mix
between more mature markets and emerging
ones?
VOX Cinemas opened its first cinema in Ajman
in 1999 and since has grown to operate 281 screens
across the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar,
Bahrain, Lebanon, and Egypt. We have a pipeline
that will see VOX Cinemas operate 600 screens
by 2020, developing across existing markets and
opening in new markets including Bahrain, Kuwait,
and Kenya. Like all markets, the Middle East is
maturing, and we are seeing new locations cannibalize
existing older cinemas. In all cinemas that
we operate we have deployed a mix of brands and
concepts tailored to the surrounding demographic,
and with new developments we can draw from a
variety of different branded concepts, which ensures
that our new locations all enjoy above average footfalls
and occupancy rates. We have a positive forecast
of roughly 25 committed projects, given landlords
appreciate that we invest in developing world-class
assets that strongly complement their malls and
Theatre Architects & Engineers
ParadigmAE.com | 616•785•5656
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 111

GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT IN EXHIBITION
BIG SCREEN ENTERTAINMENT
The Majid Al Futtaim cinema operation
attracts more than 50 million
customers every year, positioning
VOX Cinemas as the region’s largest
cinema brand.
drive incremental footfall to the benefit of the mall
and surrounding retailers.
What factors differentiate exhibition in the
Middle East and Africa from elsewhere?
The average Middle Eastern customer has an insatiable
appetite for unique experiences, and given
that Majid Al Futtaim is the region’s most pioneering
developer and retailer, we pride ourselves
on delivering the Middle East’s most innovative
and cutting-edge entertainment experiences. In
many mature markets, the experience of visiting
the cinema has suffered. Guests walk through a
tiered foyer, are met with average service, below-average
generic F&B, and then regrettably
see a film in a cinema that is basic to say the least.
Worldwide there are countless examples of exhibitors
who have collaborated with distributors,
listened to their guests, and developed cool, innovative
entertainment venues that are appealing to
guests and encourage the habit of cinema. This is
the ambition that drives us to deliver exceptional
experiences to our guests at all of our locations,
and over the years we have continually invested
and innovated in new concepts. Introducing a
wide range of brands and cinema concepts, we
have allowed guests to enjoy Hollywood, Bollywood,
Arabic, and independent films in any one
of the myriad of different branded concepts.
Our big-screen concepts offer guests a large
cinema experience with wide screens, crisp digital
images, and unprecedented audio technology ensuring
a realistic and fully immersive entertainment
experience. Our MAX screen at City Centre Deira
in Dubai is the largest screen in the Middle East at
30-plus meters equipped with Dolby Atmos and a
Christie Laser projector. Our IMAX with laser cinema
at our Mall of the Emirates in Dubai is regularly
the highest-grossing IMAX screen worldwide. Since
partnering with IMAX at Mall of the Emirates and
seeing how passionate their team is for the entertainment
experience, we have signed several new IMAX
screens, which we are deploying regionally.
Providing premium offerings, we were the first
to launch VIP cinemas in the region, with VOX
GOLD, which boasts intimate settings, butler
services, and a restaurant-style menu as well as the
ThEATre by Rhodes luxury concept, where customers
enjoy fine dining and a movie courtesy of
Michelin-starred celebrity chef Gary Rhodes. For
our adrenaline junkies, we offer a complete sensory
experience that captures audiences via dynamic
motion chairs and special environmental effects at
4DX, the first 4D cinemas to launch in the region.
Not forgetting about our littlest movie fans and
the future generation of movie enthusiasts, we also
introduced the Middle East’s first dedicated kids’
cinema concept, complete with colorful interiors
and a bespoke offering for birthday parties through
our KIDS cinema concept. These brands continually
evolve and improve with every new launch,
while a combination of these brands and traditional
cinemas are designed into every new cinema
that we develop. Our team is now working on a
few new innovative branded concepts that we will
launch in 2018 and beyond.
VOX is on track to reach 600 screens in 50
locations by 2020. What factors do you believe
have helped the success and expansion of the
VOX circuit?
There is an increasing demand for a better,
more engaging, more dynamic experience in the
Middle East, and we are uniquely positioned as
a Majid Al Futtaim company to offer guests an
exceptional experience. We regularly run market
research and encourage customer feedback
through our NPS program to fully understand
our customers’ evolving needs and wants, helping
us improve our service on an ongoing basis and
112 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

stay ahead of the curve. Irrespective of our growth
and expanding market share, our endless pursuit
is to meet the vision of our owner, which is to
create great moments for everyone every day.
Competition for discretionary spend in the
Middle East is fierce, and businesses can no longer
afford to offer generic experiences. Our service
must be exceptional, our F&B comparable to
the best cafés and restaurants, and our in-cinema
experience must be world class. Our attention to
detail, the Majid Al Futtaim standards, and our
passion for innovation mean that we never rest
on our achievements; we also strive for a newer,
better experience and offering. There is no greater
buzz than standing in the foyer of a newly opened
location and watching the joy and amazement on
the faces of kids, families, and couples that are
experiencing our cinemas for the first time. This
focus on the customer and the guest experience is
core to our success to date.
VOX has placed an emphasis on providing
value-added benefits to the moviegoing
experience with amenities such as enhanced
concessions, immersive seating, 4K and laser
projection, event cinema, and premium
large format, to name a few. How have these
innovations helped transform the cinema
business in your regions?
The cinema business in the Middle East is
already quite developed, and the focus now is to
ensure cinema experiences and offerings continue
to evolve in the face of new entertainment offerings
that are being launched regionally. We were
the first to introduce big-screen branded cinemas,
VIP cinemas, Michelin-star-chef catered cinemas,
4D cinemas, kids’ branded concepts, 4K cinema,
and laser cinema (to mention a few). These
concepts are designed to ensure that our guests
continually enjoy great moments in our cinemas
and to guarantee that our venues are differentiated
sufficiently so that we always enjoy majority
market share in the markets that we operate in.
Can you share with us a bit more about your
luxury cinema concept? When did you first
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 113

GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT IN EXHIBITION
the cinema without taking away from the movie
experience. Providing added comfort and privacy,
both concepts also feature exclusive lounge areas
guests can enjoy before and after the movie.
What are the immediate challenges and
opportunities facing VOX in the coming years?
Competition for discretionary spending is
increasing, and our challenge is to ensure we continually
invest in the experience, be it bringing
or developing a new experience to our guests, enhancing
service, our F&B offering, or embracing
technology to bring competitive advantage to the
business. In our region we are showing over 400
films per annum currently, and our content team
has been experimenting with live sports, wrestling
events, gaming, and concerts. We need to invest
heavily in the experience in the coming years,
and we expect that we will reengineer how guests
entertain themselves in the region, a challenging
but incredibly rewarding pursuit.
KID STUFF
Majid Al Futtaim has 129 cinema
screens across the UAE, Lebanon,
and Oman under the VOX Cinemas
brand. The VOX Cinemas in the
Mall of the Emirates is considered
the flagship venture, featuring 24
screens—including an IMAX with
Laser, VOX 4DX auditorium, a luxury
cinema experience called “Theatre
by Rhodes” and VOX Kids. The
100,000 sq. ft. venue is considered
the largest complex in the Middle
East.
enter this space and what has been your
experience with it? Do you believe this concept
can export to other regions and markets?
VOX Cinemas launched the first affordable
luxury cinema offering, VOX GOLD, in 2000, in
anticipation of customer demand for a premium
experience. Set in private surroundings, our
GOLD cinema changed the game with wall-towall
screens, reclining armchairs, foot rests, tables,
butler service, and a full restaurant-style menu.
The evolution of the luxury offering, ThEATre by
Rhodes was introduced in 2015 and is currently
available in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar.
Combining cinema with catering by an internationally
renowned Michelin-starred chef Gary
Rhodes is a world first and something our guests
have embraced. Chef Gary is an exceptional chef
with a genuine passion for food, and the menus
that he has developed for our guests mix traditional
cinema favorites with world-class cuisine.
We regularly change and update our menus based
on special occasions and our guests’ feedback.
Among many celebrities to visit the Middle East,
Will Smith, Shah Rukh Khan, and Jeff Goldblum
have all enjoyed the ThEATre by Rhodes cuisine
at one of our functions. Fine-dining menus across
both GOLD and ThEATre by Rhodes were carefully
crafted to ensure audiences could enjoy firstclass
F&B offerings that remained easy to eat in
How do you believe the moviegoing experience
will change in the next 10 to 15 years?
The cinema experience has rapidly developed
in the last decade, and similar advancements are
anticipated for the next 10 to 15 years. Technological
innovations are set to revolutionize the
industry as screens continue to get bigger, paired
with clearer digital pictures and sharper sound.
The possibilities are endless, and we expect more
and more cinema chains will combine entertainment
with interactive experiences and gaming
opportunities. Virtual reality technology for cinema
is already a reality and will find its place in the
cinema experience within the foreseeable future,
one to watch as it builds on the already successful
immersive technology of 4DX. I believe exhibitors
and distributors will work closer together to
find a pragmatic solution for windows and other
industry challenges that may arise, and refocus attention
on how we can collaborate to the benefit
of the industry and ensure cinema remains the favorite
destination for the latest movie releases. We
are extremely excited to be at the forefront of the
moviegoing experience in the region at a time
when technology will play a central role in changing
the face of entertainment. We are confident
that VOX Cinemas will continue to deliver the
world’s most innovative and exciting alternatives
for our guests.n
114 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

In this annual feature,
the vendors and service
providers at the CinemaCon
2017 trade show share some
of their latest products and
innovations.
edited by Laura Silver
116 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

5G STUDIO
5G Studio is an award-winning architecture and interior
design firm for the cinema and entertainment industry
with over 190 cinema projects designed and built across
the country. 5G’s new virtual reality design capabilities and
presentations allow exhibitors to fully view and experience
every detail of their new theater well before construction
begins. Visit 5G Studio at booth 131F for a live virtual reality
demonstration, and visit www.5gstudio.com to inquire
how 5G can help bring your vision to life.
Booth 131F
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 117

NEW PRODUCTS
AICP/SWAYJACK
MIKE AND IKE SOUR-LICIOUS ZOURS
Satisfy your sour with three chewy sour flavor varieties—the original Mike and Ike welcoming new cast members
Fruit Punch and Green Apple all under the Sour-Licious stage name. New eye-catching graphics feature
a juicy, colorful background splash with fruit images and five sour, fruity, chewy flavor beans including Sour
Watermelon, Sour Lemon, Sour Cherry, Sour Blue Raspberry, and Sour Green Apple. A Sour Meter on the back
of the package communicates the sour intensity of each flavor. Available in both easy-to-share theater box and
peg-bag sizes.
MEGA MIX
For the first time ever, Mike and Ike Brand candies released a 10-flavor, fruity+chewy variety in one box. Mega
Mix allows consumers to eat one bean at a time or mix, match, and create their own flavor combinations. With
10 feature flavors including Mango Delight, Grape Soda, Paradise Punch, Pineapple-Banana, Blue Raspberry,
Peach-Berry, Watermelon, Caribbean-Punch, Strawberry-Banana, and Kiwi-Banana. Mega Mix is sold in theater
boxes with a pour tab on the side of the box that makes it easy to share with friends!
Booths 816F and 819F
ALCONS AUDIO
The Alcons Cinemarray CRA24WX is a modular 3-way line-source sound system, designed for digital-cinema
applications in medium to larger premium cinema theaters.
The CRA24WX combines clarity and intelligibility, with a “non-compressed” linear response at any SPL. With
up to 90 percent less distortion and a very high 1600W peak power handling, the HF section allows maximum
screen compensation without any audible stress.
AMERICAN LICORICE
COMPANY
RAGIN’ REDS
Sour Punch is proud to introduce the newest
member of our family—Ragin’ Reds. We’ve put all
your favorite reds into one bag for a mouthwatering,
ragin’ good time. These bite-sized treats deliver our
signature sweet-yet-sour blend in four flavors—
cherry, strawberry, watermelon, and new raspberry.
Available in a 9 oz. stand-up bag and 5 oz. hanging
peg bag.
Sour Punch Bites
Sour Punch Bites are mouthwatering sweet-yet-sour
chewy candies that excite candy fans of all ages.
Sour Punch Bites satisfy sour cravings with fruity
flavors of strawberry, blue raspberry, and green
apple that pack an extra punch of sweet and sour
into every bite. Available in a 9 oz. stand-up bag and
a 5 oz. hanging peg bag.
Booth 824F
The CRA24WX with extended vertical coverage is the latest addition to the CRA24 Cinemarray modular linesource
system. More info: www.alconsaudio.com or www.digitalcinemaready.info.
Booth 2022A
AUTOFRY/MULTICHEF—
MTI PRODUCTS
The ventless AutoFry Hold Down Unit
attaches directly to the basket cam on all
AutoFry models and moves in unison with
the basket during frying cycles to prevent
floating foods from rising to the top of the
oil. Food is cooked evenly on both sides,
without the need to flip or rotate. With
the Hold Down Unit, employees have zero
contact with hot oil, keeping them safe
and giving operators peace of mind.
The AutoFry Hold Down Unit is fully compatible
with any AutoFry model.
Booth 1013F
118 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NEW PRODUCTS
BARCO INC.
Flagship laser high-contrast projectors
Barco is introducing two high-contrast versions
of its flagship laser projector series that
offer twice the contrast—up to 6,000:1—of
its current flagship laser projectors. With the
DP4K-20LHC and DP4K-40LHC, Barco offers
exhibitors a wider range of options. Reaching
brightness levels of 36,000 lumens, the
LHC series provide the same superior color
saturation and uniformity as the other
flagship laser projectors. In addition, the
LHC enable exhibitors to simplify operations and
reduce operating expenses. An upgrade path is available for
customers who already own a flagship laser projector from Barco.
Neopolitan 1, 2, 3, 4, Milano 5, 6
Laser phosphor models
Designed for large to midsize
movie screens (13–23 m /
43–75 ft. wide), the BLP
laser phosphor projector
series comprises 4K and
2K projectors that provide
brightness levels up to
24,500 DCI lumens and
high contrast for superior
image quality. The world’s
first 4K laser phosphor cinema
projector, the DP4K-23BLP delivers consistent, razor-sharp, and high-contrast
images with native 4K resolution and 24,500 lumens brightness.
BRUNSWICK BOWLING PRODUCTS
Epicenter from Brunswick Bowling is an authentic bowling experience
without the space and maintenance requirements of traditional
bowling. Epicenter features reduced-length lanes, low-maintenance
StringPin pinsetters, and full-size balls and pins.
Epicenter’s synthetic lanes come in a variety of lengths. Options
include rich wood finishes and ColorFull custom graphics that can
be designed to support any venue’s brand. The StringPin pinsetter
requires less maintenance and energy than traditional pinsetters.
Center Stage modular furniture encourages socializing. The Sync
scoring and management system is user-friendly, featuring terrific
games for guests and industry-leading marketing and administrative
systems for staff.
Booth 2724A
CHRISTIE
CP2308
The Christie CP2308 is a user-friendly DCI-compliant Series 3 projector that
offers small-screen exhibitors a full-featured yet affordable digital cinema
option. Equipped with Series 3 electronics, the projector allows simplified
playback, scheduling, and management of cinema content. An interactive display
of the UI will be available at Christie booth #2303A. Capable of projecting
9,000 DCI lumens, the CP2308 is the perfect choice for those looking for a
value-packed, compact projector with a competitively low cost of ownership.
RGB laser projection
At Milano I will be a technology preview of our expanding RGB
laser projection series. Based on the Christie Series 3 digital cinema
electronics platform, this easy-to-operate RGB laser projector
is also simple to set up and install with no need for sub-ambient
cooling in its compact, all-in-one design. This is the forerunner of
RGB laser projection solutions intended for mainstream cinema
applications; an ideal replacement product for aging Series 1 and
early installations of Series 2 projectors.
Booth 2303A; Milano 1, 2
C. CRETORS AND CO.
Poppi XL is a compact industrial
counter model that air pops popcorn.
Since no oil is used in the process,
food costs are reduced and finished
product shelf life is increased. It’s a
healthier alternative with less mess
and minimal cleanup. Compact,
easy to use, versatile and powerful,
Poppi XL has a 24 oz. hot-air-popping
capacity (twice the capacity of the
original Poppi) with an approximate
three-minute pop cycle. The easy-access
motor with adjustable speed and
digital temperature control creates
optimal airflow for popping a variety
of hybrid popcorn.
Booth 413F
120 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NEW PRODUCTS
CINEMA PARTY SOFTWARE
Cinema Party Software is an online booking
software that improves efficiencies in
your party-booking process by giving your
customers the power to check availability
of party packages, add-on snacks, and pay
deposits for the event 24/7.
We minimize the hassles of phone inquiries
and online forms to dramatically shorten your
sales cycle. Checklists and reminders are automatically
created for each event, along with
one-click reports for your managers. Speak to
an online booking expert and request a demo
today. www.cinemapartysoftware.com
Booth 231F
CINEMA SCENE
In addition our popular character toppers and
130 oz. metal tins, Cinema Scene is now offering
85 oz. 3D Popcorn Buckets and 22 oz. 3D
Drink Bottles. For Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.
2 we are featuring the Groot character in these
items, along with two unique 130 oz. metal
tin designs. We will also promote items similar
to these for our Wonder Woman, Transformers:
The Last Knight, and Spiderman: Homecoming
programs this summer. Stop by our booth to
check out our other products and services. Visit
our website at www.cinemascenemarketing.
com or contact us atsales@cinemascenemarketing.com.
Booth 617F
CINEMANEXT | ECLAIR
EclairPlay
EclairPlay is a new, extended version of
CineConductor, Eclair’s download platform
for exhibitors. EclairPlay’s features are
equally tailored to both exhibitors’ and
content owners’ needs. From extended
content search options, special themed
movie selections, direct access to complete
publicity-material kits, and exhaustive
programming and content-ordering
tools—all available from their desktop,
tablet, or smartphone devices—Eclair-
Play is the all-in-one platform that will help exhibitors
build results and help content owners build brand and
content awareness among cinema professionals around
the world. Check out our demo at CinemaCon.
Sphera
The Sphera package can play host to any type of content,
giving you complete flexibility over what you show and
when. Our technicians, designers, and colorists have
created auditoria that set a new benchmark in premium
format. Film, arts, gaming, events, or concerts are all delivered
with the sharpest picture, with the deepest bass,
in perfect comfort. Our spaces transport audiences to a
ringside seat, suspend reality, expand horizons, or become
a place to get together for talks and events.
EclairColor
EclairColor, our new digital HDR color technology,
combines innovative post-production processes with
select projection-system technologies already available
on the market. Brighter, sharper, with more depth of field,
more density, and more detail, the images produced with
EclairColor technology better reflect the intent of the
film’s creative team. Eighteen films have been released
in EclairColor to date, including Lionsgate’s
La La Land, directed by Damien
Chazelle. Don’t miss our demos in
the Tribune Room, next to the Forum
Ballroom, during CinemaCon, or book
your seats online at http://eclaircolor.
simplybook.it.
Symphony
Symphony software solution helps
connect, visualize, and oversee a widespread
group of cinema complexes
from one central site. It allows users
to save time by remotely scheduling all shows for their
entire network of cinemas, directly from a single location.
Create centralized playlists and schedules your booking
department can use across all cinemas. Symphony is a
real-time monitoring interface that allows exhibitors
to ensure their cinemas are running smoothly and help
detect any potential errors. Stop by our booth for a demo.
Melody
Melody theater management system is now a fully
featured TMS. Our latest developments include Melody
Share, which allows exhibitors to use their smartphone/
tablet as a remote control to transform the auditorium
into a conference room; screening-time synchronization
from a point-of-sale system; automatic import of
advertisement packages; automatic management of
power-supply equipment; quality-control monitoring
(color, luminosity, sound); DCP creation tool; and push
notifications. The Melody TMS is compatible with any
third-party software. It is also interoperable with all
existing server technologies and fully compatible with the
Barco Alchemy cinema projector range. Stop by our booth
for a demo.
Booth 2809A
122 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

“I see a bright future for your theatre,
your patrons and the business owners
in your community!”
What 1 Better On-Screen Advertising does for you is illuminating.
• Commercials are sold in person, not by phone or email.
• A videographer shoots the commercial at the business location.
• Your PSA’s and concession ads are both provided at no charge.
• Eye-catching trivia is also provided to entertain your audience.
• Your pre-show looks great and you earn a nice monthly payment.
On-Screen Advertising
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
WWW.1BETTER.NET • 1-877-723-8837

NEW PRODUCTS
COLORIMETRY RESEARCH INC.
The CR-300 is a portable high-end spectroradiometer with the performance of a
laboratory-grade instrument. It is specifically designed to address the calibration
of new laser projectors. The CR-300 is built with a 512 pixels CMOS sensor and
provides a spectral resolution of 0.8 nm/pixel and an optical bandwidth of 2 nm.
Our compact line of color-science instruments includes filter colorimeters, spectroradiometers,
and temporal meters both in the visible and the near IR spectrums.
We specialize in measurement and calibration of display panels and projectors,
with all its instruments conveniently integrated with the most popular calibration
and color-management software.
Booth 2721A
COMPESO
smartPricing is the newest fully automated pricing software of the motion
picture sector. It’s supported in the most advanced algorithm technology
conceived, so the cinema operators get a smarter and more profitable price
strategy. Since the moment your customers look for a ticket up until the
session ends, smartPricing is algorithmically generating decisive data for you
so you can set the smartest price plan. Visit Compeso at www.compeso.com.
Booth 2817A
CORNELIUS INC.
IDC Pro
Simply swipe left or right
to choose from up to 20
brands and eight flavor shots.
Shorten queue times as two
customers can dispense a
drink simultaneously. Customize
marketing messages
with IDC Pro’s impressive
32-inch digital merchandising
display.
Viper
Viper Elite by Cornelius is the
best-in-class frozen beverage
dispenser, combining brilliant
design, superior performance
and world-class quality that
you can rely on. Champion
peak selling periods with
Viper Elite’s high capacity. Get
up and running faster—in
an impressive three minutes,
Viper can take the product
from a liquid state to frozen.
We are committed to making
sure our customers are always
ready to serve so they can
consistently make every sale.
Booth 1016F
DOLPHIN SEATING
Stop by our booth to see all the latest
luxury seating choices and innovations
including the electric headrest that lets
your customers adjust their headrest to
their preferred perfect movie-viewing
possession. You will be amazed at our
large selection, great prices, and eightyear
factory warranty. Visit us at www.
dolphinseating.com or call Edwin Snell,
(575) 208-0758.
Booths 429F, 529F
CREATIVE WORKS
Creative Works is ready to bring happiness to theaters everywhere with our newest
escape room attraction called Infinite Escapes. With Infinite Escapes, we focus on
the one thing that everyone else ignores: repeat play. We took our 20 years of attraction
development experience to design modular puzzles for our escape rooms.
These are puzzles that can be easily switched out over time within a themed room
to keep the experience fresh. Why choose us? Any of those other companies can
buy furniture pieces and throw padlocks on drawers and compartments. Let’s work
together to make your guests happier.
Booth 330F
124 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NEW PRODUCTS
Dolby Multichannel Amplifier
This advanced high-density design can replace up to 16 stereo amplifiers, using less
space and producing less heat, to lower your overall costs. With less equipment to
install, power, and maintain, you get a simpler and more efficient installation. The
Dolby Multichannel Amplifier is available in two configurations, 24 channels or 32
channels.
Booth 2503A
DOLBY LABORATORIES INC.
Integrated Media Server IMS3000
An imaging server and audio processor in one, the new Dolby Integrated Media
Server IMS3000 delivers reliability and enables you to show movies with superior
sound. The Dolby IMS3000 increases your purchasing power compared to many
other solutions. And you have flexibility with sound: start with Dolby Audio 5.1 or
7.1 sound now, and unlock the power of Dolby Atmos later. The Dolby IMS3000’s
unified UI and simplified design make setup and operation more convenient and
cost-effective, helping you deliver a cinema experience that audiences will love.
EMBEDDED PROCESSOR DESIGNS INC.
New to the PlexCall
Order Commander
line is Kiosk Commander,
along with
Order Commander
at your seat, offering
online and in-thelobby
ordering of
tickets, food, and
beverages. With
Order Commander
you will increase sales, reduce
your operating costs, decrease
customer wait times, and improve customer satisfaction. The
Order Commander line works with food item modifiers as well as customer loyalty
programs. Order Commander can interface with POS systems as well as operate as a
stand-alone system.
Booth 126F
ENOMATIC
Enomatic Wine Serving Systems has revolutionized the way wine is served and
enjoyed around the world since 2002. Used by bartenders or directly by guests
(self-service), Enomatic offers exceptional wine selection and innovative
tastings concepts. With its sleek Italian design, it eliminates waste and
increases sales and customer retention rates.
We cater to the entire
hospitality industry
including exhibition, thanks
to a partnership with Regal
Entertainment Group that
started in 2013. Theater
operators appreciate the
measured pouring feature
and restricted staff access
with smart card to ensure
no underage staff member can access the dispensers.
Booth 2010A
EOMAC
eomac wood-veneered wall and ceiling panels absorb sound energy through
various groove or perforation patterns and blade or plank configurations. Each
panel type has been independently tested to verify acoustic performance. With
over 40 wood species available in stock, you’re sure to find a few favorites.
Panels are finished in a premium clear lacquer over a three-stage process. That
means eomac acoustic wood stands up to high traffic areas.
eomac wood panels are manufactured only from veneer that originates from
controlled reforestation areas. To learn more and view samples, stop by our
booth or visit eomac.com.
Booth 717F
126 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NEW PRODUCTS
THE FERRARA CANDY COMPANY
Ferrara’s portfolio offers both industry-leading
brands like Trolli and Black
Forest Organic as well as classics like
Lemonheads and Red Hots.
Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers
America’s No. 1 gummy worm is now
available in theaters. Gummies are the
fastest growing non-chocolate category, and
the best way to capture that market is with
the top-selling gummy worm. Trolli’s bright
dual-colored pieces and signature “just right” jolt
of sour make Sour Brite Crawlers a proven winner
across channels. Our peg bag leads the category and
our theater box features poppable mini-Crawlers. Both
offer a Weirdly Awesome way to experience movies.
Black Forest Organic
Our organic gummy is bringing new
consumers into the candy category.
Consumers want more natural foods,
and Black Forest Organic delivers a
USDA Certified Organic, gluten-free,
fat-free product without sacrificing
taste. In fact, in a blind test of the
top five gummy bears in the U.S., 70
percent chose Black Forest Organic
as the best tasting. Plus, 11 percent
of consumers who buy this product
would not otherwise purchase candy.
Booth 930F
ENCORE BY PALLISER
The Encore by Palliser new C8 luxury theater seat,
with power headrest and power recline
function, offers quiet and smooth
operation from a single dual-function
LED switch. Wood accents,
easy-clean upholstery,
optional aisle and
seat-number lighting,
and optional dining
tables make the C8
our most innovative
offering to date.
EVERYTHING CINEMA INC.
New in 2017, Everything Cinema’s Wrapped Frame
Conversion Kits make upgrading your front ends
more affordable and get you back on-screen faster.
Kits are custom designed to fit each auditorium,
ensuring the largest possible picture in every format.
Easily adapted to fit any existing screen frame,
the kits both minimize cost and ensure minimal
downtime. With a welded, industrial-quality steel
framework, these kits provide a straighter, crisper
picture edge and require less maintenance over time
than other systems. For more information, contact
Everything Cinema at (314) 608-3476, email them at
contact@everythingcinema.biz, or visit everythingcinema.biz.
Booth 833F
The generous floor-to-footrest
clearance and removable arm
caps, backs, and seat cushions provide easy access for cleaning and servicing.
Remote seat management enables recline positioning of all rows. Encore seating
is made in North America and built with high-resiliency foam, and durable
covers that are rigorously tested for quality.
Booth 931F
FIGUERAS INTERNATIONAL SEATING
Riva’s modular design allows a 30 percent increase in room capacity compared
to conventional seating. And it allows a customized room setup according to the
needs of the room. Riva reclines automatically, thanks to an integrated keypad
in the arm of the chair, and is equipped with both a backrest and a footrest. Once
unoccupied, it automatically puts the seat back to its original position. Riva is
designed so that deformations or wrinkles in the upholstery cannot occur, even
with intensive use. The back piece is a rigid structure to protect it from unwanted
friction or shock elements.
Booth 2711A
GOLDEN KRUST
Jamaican patty is a Pick
& Go concept selling
into most all markets
worldwide. A new
delicious food item for
all ages and cultures to
enjoy. The 5.5 oz. dough
pocket is filled with the
delightful mouthwatering taste of either ground beef—spicy or mild, jerk or curry
chicken, vegetables in an enjoyable flaky pastry dough crusted pocket. Customers
have a choice of the 24 individually wrapped 24-pack microwavable and/or the
unbaked or baked 50 bulk pack for ovens.
Booth 628F
128 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

largest underwriter of
movie theatre insurance in
the united states
Property and Casualty
Employee Benefits
Health, Life,
Pension, Disability
800-767-1724
300 Walnut Street, Suite 200
Des Moines, IA 50309-2262
Check out our new
NATODental plan offered by
MetLife for full & part-time
employees and their
families at
www.reynolds-reynolds.com.
www.reynolds-reynolds.com
s.w.reynolds@reynolds-reynolds.com

NEW PRODUCTS
FOUR WINDS INTERACTIVE
You can’t control the movies. You can’t control your
guests’ reaction to the films they watch. But from
the moment a guest enters your cinema complex
and until the time they leave, you control how they
experience your complex.
Four Winds Interactive (FWI) has solutions and integrations
specifically designed for cinema complexes.
Some of the world’s largest theater companies trust
the FWI Visual Communications Cloud to power
their menu boards, lobby experience, large-format
LED displays, ticket displays, upcoming movie
promotions, social media walls, guest engagement
initiatives.
Booth 2307A
GREAT WESTERN PRODUCTS
Salts
Great Western Products is happy to introduce Season-It
Salt and “Nature-All” seasoning salt to the Sunglo
Solution family of products. Sunglo Premium Seasoning
is the same Season-It Salt that you have loved for
years, while the “Nature-All” seasoning salt, new for
2017, carries the same great taste, but its color and
flavor are derived from natural sources, meaning no
artificial flavor and no Yellow #5 or Yellow #6.
GOLD MEDAL PRODUCTS
Cinemas depend on popcorn sales, but oil and salt particles can damage sensitive
digital equipment. The PopClean Elite Popper Series integrated ductless hood
popper is the solution. The system functions by trapping and filtering steam
smoke and oil vapors created during the popping process. Yet, you’ll still enjoy
that irresistible popcorn aroma. Designed with cinemas in mind, this filtration
protects digital projectors, menu boards, and other sensitive equipment.
Booth 707F
Flavor-infused oils
Everyone loves a little pizzazz with their popcorn. For
those looking to expand their offerings or provide
larger quantities for their customers’ experience, Great
Western is happy to introduce flavor-infused oils. Drizzle
these wonderful flavored oils over your popcorn
the same as you would Buttery Topping, and feel your
taste buds light up.
Booth 404F
HOSHIZAKI AMERICA INC.
Hoshizaki America Inc. is the world leader in design,
manufacture, and marketing of products for the
food-service and cinema industries. Upright refrigeration
with full stainless or glass doors, work top and
prep tables, storage, and a wide variety of ice machines
for dispensers come in many configurations
to meet your needs. Hoshizaki uses stainless steel
on the interior and exterior of all of our refrigeration
products—as well as on the ice-making surface of
all of our ice machines. Hoshizaki has been awarded
the Energy Star Partner of the Year for superior
energy-efficiency achievements.
Booth 2805A
INORCA SEATING
The comfort and look of a VIP recliner with footrest,
combined with the strength and reliability of a
chair specified for cinema use. Manual and electric
versions, head support for optimal sightlines, deluxe
upholstery with the widest selection of stitching
designs. Fixed and Swivel tables on HPL, tempered
glass or marble type, plus metal cup holders and
multiple other options. Double version includes
retractable central armrest and padded cushion between
seats for the perfect loveseat experience! Easy
maintenance, exchangeable back and seat covers,
removable footrest and cushion assembly. High steel
inner structure for an optimized TCO.
Booth 913F
130 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NEW PRODUCTS
IRWIN SEATING COMPANY
Irwin Seating Company introduces new features for their ever-evolving Spectrum
Recliner Luxury Series. Spectrum is now available with new super-soft, deep-cushioned
back upholstery styles, a plush, handsomely tailored seat module that’s
really comfortable, and an attractive chaise lounge footrest. Options like heated
backs and seats, customizable tables, and dual motors to operate the back and
seat independently let a circuit add extra touches their customers appreciate. At
the same time, options like remote operation help the staff clean between shows,
rechargeable battery backup provides safety, and our daisy-chain electrical system
reduces associated electrical installation costs.
Booth 201F
JACK ROE
Visit our booth to see the all-new cloud PoS access, completely redesigned online
booking, Google analytics integration, powerful film-booking software, Microsoft
PowerBI drag-and-drop data dashboard, and purchase ordering. Check out our
new paperless ticketing for the moviegoers and our Mission Control mobile app for
theater managers.
Whether it’s fully integrated digital signage, show-time announcing systems, or
our totally new asset-management system, cinemas can always use a part of our
modular system, or run their entire complex from our complete cinema-management
software. Even our ticket kiosks have been completely redesigned.
Booth 725F
J&J SNACK FOODS
As a leader in niche snack food products, J&J Snack Foods is excited to announce
the new Brauhaus Pretzel. Combining many different worldly ingredients, we
have handcrafted the ultimate authentic, pub-style soft pretzel that contains
no artificial colors or flavors. These soft pretzels have a light fluffy interior, with
a fresh-baked crunch on the outside, and come in 2.5, 5, and 10 oz. varieties.
Brauhaus Pretzel marketing materials & POS are available to help support sales at
your location.
Booth 1025F
KERNEL SEASON’S
POPCORN SEASONING
Kernel Season’s is proud to announce
our newest popcorn topping
innovation: Chocolate Drizzle Popcorn
Topping. Our drizzle topping sits
neatly on top of popcorn without
soaking in to ruin the texture. This
tasty confection adds the perfect
touch of sweetness to your customer’s
favorite theater snack. Chocolate
drizzle is also the perfect medium to
combine popcorn and candy in popular
combo offers, allowing endless
mix-in inspiration with your patron’s
favorite treats. Try it during the show
at our booth or request a sample from
theatre@kernelseasons.com.
Booth 416F
KLIPSCH GROUP INC.
Perfect for a clean look, the Klipsch
SB-9 Low Profile Mounting Bracket is
ideal for quick and easy installation.
The bracket’s installation is designed
to allow for single person installation.
The SB-9 bracket is only 2 1/4” deep,
resulting in a desirable low-profile
form. The bracket, made using powder-coated
12-gauge structural steel,
accommodates a 5” x 2.75” standard
VESA mounting hole pattern. Package
contents include wall-mounting plate,
speaker-mounting plate, two security
screws, and instruction sheet.
Booth 2406A
132 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

White Castle® Sliders’ unique flavor has been passionately
celebrated for the last 96 years. Bring the most influential
burger of all time to your concessions for the results you
crave. Easy to prepare, easy to sell and adds to your bottom
line. White Castle® delivers the “mmm” without the mess.
©2017 White Castle Management Co.
For more information, call Timothy Carroll at 614-559-2453
Available in Hamburger and Cheeseburger
Stop by our CinemaCon booth 331F for a tasty, hot slider.

NEW PRODUCTS
LUMMA 4DE-MOTION
Lumma’s engineering department created 4D E-Motion, a theater system
equipped with motion seats and special effects. You can experience wind, water,
bass shakers, vibration, smell, air shots, vibrations, and lights, all perfectly
synchronized with the action on the screen. Lumma offers a comprehensive and
skilled service for 4D E-Motion implementation: study of feasibility, conventional
theater adaptation, development, production, installation, support, and maintenance
worldwide. At CinemaCon we will also showcase E-MOTION VR, a virtual
reality experience that combines motion seat and special effects synchronized to
360º audiovisual content.
Booth 2017A
LASERTAG.COM BY ZONE
LaserTag.com by Zone is the world’s largest laser tag suppler with over 320
locations in North America and 800 worldwide. With over 2.5 million plays per
month, we’ve engineered our system to simulate the video game industry’s most
popular first-person titles. Zone tests and implements every new feature before it
hits the market to make sure our customers will be happy with their purchase. We
also help provide a plethora of marketing and operational materials that keep your
marketing fresh and your operations moving smoothly.
Booth 233F
MOBILIARIO, SA
Mobiliario Luxury Recliner is
designed for comfort—in the seat-room, height, and
incline level of the back and footrest. The electric mechanism
is quiet and easy to operate, and the design will allow you to
stay for hours, due to the natural support that the structure offers. Offered in two
versions, two- and three-pillow backs. Mobiliario Luxury Recliners are designed
for the comfort of movie owners too—with a variety of functions that save you
money and time.
Booth 801F
MDC
Zintra Acoustic Solutions absorb internal and external sound influences to reduce
the noise level in a space. Zintra can be applied to walls or ceilings, or suspended
in various sizes and configurations. We offer flat, flush-mounted panels,
side-mounted blades, louvers, and ceiling baffles and clouds in a range of neutrals
and brights. Each 1/2-inch-thick Zintra panel is a solid color throughout and available
flat or in a variety of pre-cut patterns, which can be mounted atop a Zintra
panel in a contrasting color, delivering an expansive range of design options.
Booth 1019F
MOVIEFONE
Moviefone gives you full access to the entertainment universe, from movie
theaters to streaming services and all screens in between. Whether you’re ready
to score tickets for the blockbuster of the year, binge watch the latest hit series, or
track down that collector’s DVD, Moviefone makes it happen—fast, cheap, and
just how you like it. Discover, share, and interact with a worldwide community of
film and TV fans on mobile, social, and beyond. For more, visit Moviefone.com,
download the Moviefone app in iTunes, and follow @Moviefone on Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Booth 2006A
134 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NEW PRODUCTS
NATHAN’S FAMOUS
Introducing Nathan’s new Pretzel Dog. Nathan’s world-famous beef franks have been satisfying hot dog lovers all over
the world for generations. Our Pretzel Dogs use the same world-famous beef hot dogs delicately wrapped in a sweet
pretzel roll. We make our Pretzel Dogs with the highest quality ingredients, perfectly baked for that authentic Coney
Island boardwalk taste. They are great for snacks, a meal, or a wonderful appetizer at your concessions, or for on-thego
occasions. They are easy to prepare in a microwave, or if you prefer, bake them for a crispier experience.
Booth 1001F
NOMADIC
CinemaCon attendees will be among the first
to encounter the next era in entertainment
experiences. Nomadic is the creator of Tactile
Reality, a new channel of out-of-home
entertainment. This highly scalable and
immersive VR experience will be installed
in cinemas worldwide, and features custom
content and licensed IP from top film and
gaming studios. As consumers in today’s
market are looking for more unique entertainment,
Nomadic’s Tactile Reality system
will immerse customers in virtual worlds beyond
imagination. Demo this breakthrough
experience at our booth.
Booth 2317A
ODYSSEY PRODUCTS
Odyssey is expanding its line of booth monitors.
Along with its TM-1 monitor, Odyssey
now offers:
DTM-V
Single-channel, rack-mount powered speaker
with volume control. Optimized for use with
the CP850 monitor output.
OMNITERM DATA TECHNOLOGY LTD.
Maximizing available seats for any film based on expected attendance is critical. In those cases where demand is
stronger than expected, Omniterm has developed a method to swap auditoriums even when reserved tickets have
already been sold.
The “Swap Seats” function will automatically transfer the seats based on each transaction from the original auditorium
to the new auditorium. There is also the option to manually “Swap Seats” using drag and drop functionality. Best
of all, a report option is available that provides seat information before and after the move.
Booth 909F
PACKAGING CONCEPTS INC.
Packaging Concepts Inc. is again expanding our line of concessions
packaging. We are now manufacturing 170 oz. Movie
Graphic paper popcorn tubs that are offset printed, with up to
175 line screen, for the best possible printing in the industry.
The tubs are also available in custom and stock design prints.
PCI can assist with design, graphics, and delivery of quality concessions
packaging at an economical cost. Visit us at our booth;
call us at (314) 329-9700; email at info@packagingconceptsinc.
com; or log on to our website at www.packagingconcepts.com.
Booth 924F
TM-XSM
32-channel audio monitor switch box.
Optimized for use with “extended surround”
sound systems such as Atmos and DTS-X.
The single audio-channel output can be
connected to any powered speaker such as
the DTM-V. Simple interface allows the user
to cycle through 32 channels. Includes a
“signal-present” indicator LED.
Booth 2120A
OFF DUTY SERVICES INC.
Off Duty Services Inc. provides off-duty
police officers to the private sector in the
U.S. and Canada. We provide quality police
officer selection, supervision, and a single
point of contact available 24 hours a day.
We handle all police officer payroll-related
issues, scheduling, after-hours emergencies,
and provide you with a single invoice for
each billing period. We also provide general
liability insurance and workers’ compensation
coverage, minimizing our client’s exposure to
liability. In short, we offer a complete service
package with a focus on customer service.
Booth 129F
136 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NEW PRODUCTS
PROCTOR
COMPANIES
Proctor Companies offers
commercial-grade furniture
that makes patrons feel
welcome, comfortable, and
relaxed. Choose from chairs,
ottomans, sofas, loveseats,
bar stools, booth benches,
wall benches, patio furniture,
and accessories. Proctor
represents over a dozen furniture
manufacturers, including
MTS Seating, Lowenstein,
and Jeffrey Braun Furniture,
so you’re sure to find the
best combination of quality,
style, longevity, and value,
whether you’re looking for a
few individual pieces or a full
custom furnishings package.
Booth 113F
QUBICAAMF WORLDWIDE
The Suite Spot is an industry-first solution that
brings all the benefits of QubicaAMF’s expertise in
bowling innovation to the larger entertainment
world. Combining next-gen features of our popular
Highway66 mini-bowling solution powered by BES X
with Harmony Infinity, the industry’s first reconfigurable
furniture line, the Suite Spot will send your VIP,
family, group event, corporate, and birthday party
business soaring—and leave you celebrating. Visit
us at QubicaAMF.com to learn more.
Booth 230F
QUEST CINEMA EQUIPMENT
Quest Cinema Equipment has an affordable,
effective, and efficient solution to control the odor
and humidity in your theater—the Quest Duals. The
Quest Cinema 105, 155, and 205 Dual Dehumidifiers
are the most energy-efficient large-capacity
dehumidifiers on the market. And, they require no
installation. The Quest Cinema 155 Dual performs at
7.3 pints per kWh, while the Quest Cinema 105 Dual
performs at over 8.8 pints per kWh. Manufactured in
Madison, Wisconsin, the Quest Duals come equipped
with high-performing dual-air distribution, superior
pleated media air filtration, and environmentally
friendly R410A refrigerant.
Booth 104F
PROMOTION IN MOTION INC.
Although moviegoers have loved Sour Jacks for
years, Promotion in Motion recently refreshed the
line with the launch of three new flavors, redesigned
packaging, and the introduction of their “Respect the
Wedge” slogan to emphasize their unique shape.
Now available in Wildberry, Watermelon, Lemonade,
Green Apple, and Original, Sour Jacks are offered in
3.5 oz. Concession Boxes and 5 oz. peg bags, perfect
for theaters, as well as a variety of retail sizes.
Booth 525F
RETRIEVER SOFTWARE
Bulk Gift Card Sales
Gift cards provide operators with a source of advance
revenue. Our users can activate multiple cards of the
same value from the back-office system. Bulk activations
can be sold to third parties in quantities of up to
1,000 cards. Contact us to activate larger quantities.
Third-Party Barcode Marketing
Allows users to generate quantities bar codes for secure
ticket and concessions sales through third-party
marketing companies like Groupon. Bar codes can
be assigned to single-use vouchers or multi-use
coupons.
Targeted Email Marketing
Lists all registered e-mail accounts and user names
sorted by number of purchases, movie, rating, genre
or distributor. Use lists to target market your customers
based on their purchase history.
Booth 830F
138 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

BRAVO!
ANDREW CRETORS
2017 NAC Bert Nathan Memorial Award Honoree
Thank you for your continued leadership
and dedication to the Concessions Industry
and our company. Congratulations!
YOUR PROUD CRETORS FAMILY

NEW PRODUCTS
ROYAL CORPORATION
The Royal Dine-in Table Cleaning Kit cleans and sanitizes
the tables of dine-in theaters in one labor-saving
step. The Purell Foodservice Surface Sanitizer
leaves the table sanitized, streak-free, and stickyfree.
Purell Foodservice Surface Sanitizer is also U.S.
EPA Safer Choice certified and eliminates Norovirus,
Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria in 30 seconds. The
kit also consists of a cup holder, scrub brush, a
green microfiber cleaning towel for added cleaning
efficacy, and a lightweight cleaning caddy. For more
information please contact info@royalcorporation.
com or (800) 323-9747; www.royalcorporation.com.
Booth 313F
SENNHEISER ELECTRONIC CORP.
Sennheiser’s CinemaConnect Wi-Fi based system
for your cinema enables transmission of audio
content to mobile devices like smartphones and
tablets. Streaming server and the CinemaConnect
application enables the benefits of audio description,
assistive listening, transmission of multilingual audio
content, and closed captions. A microphone connection
included with each CinemaConnect makes the
product useful as an interpretation system. Cinema-
Connect design was thought through to comply with
DOJ rules involving HI/VI, closed captions, and other
ADA regulations required of the cinema industry.
Booth 2816A
SERIES SEATING
The unique Opus recliner spares no detail in
providing the most comfortable, personalized
moviegoing experience. The seat and back conform
to one’s body structure, tailoring the support to
each individual. There is no motor necessary, as
the seat intuitively glides into the reclined position
and then returns upright after the seat is exited.
The non-motorized design allows for a low-maintenance
recliner at an affordable price. Combining
comfort with the innovative gliding mechanism
delivers the highest quality recliner with the most
comfortable seating experience.
Booth 213F
SHOWTIME ANALYTICS
Engage
Engage is Showtime Analytics’ new customer analytics offering, which provides
exhibitors with a full interactive view of their customer base in a single place.
Within minutes exhibitors can understand their audience, target, and campaign
to contactable customers. Engage builds marketing intelligence into its platform,
making it simple and intuitive for exhibitors to reach their customers. Engage will
help you retain, grow, and win back customers.
Insights Mobile
Insights is Showtime’s first product to market—a visual analytics solution
that helps exhibitors run their day-to day exhibition business. Insights Mobile
gives you “Insights” in your pocket—allowing you to make informed decisions
from your mobile device. Insights Mobile will be available free of charge to all
Insights customers.
Booth 2411A
SONY DIGITAL
CINEMA 4K
Sony’s acclaimed projector lineup
delivers spectacular images in
2D or 3D with industry-leading
8000:1 contrast ratio and sumptuous
color that audiences love.
With brightness ranging from
9,000 lumens right up to 30,000
lumens, there’s the perfect 4K
projection solution to suit all
cinema operators, from the
smallest boutique theaters to the biggest screens. And we’re an especially tempting
proposition for PLF screen owners, delivering spectacular on-screen light levels
that outshine costly first-generation laser systems with superior image quality,
high reliability, and low running costs.
Pompeian 1, 2 3
STADIUM SEATING ENTERPRISES INC.
Stadium Seating Enterprises is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture
of EPS Geofoam PREFabricated Stadium Seating Riser Systems. Our PREFoam
Stadium Riser System is the fastest, most economical way an exhibitor today can
retrofit, renovate, or build new stadium seating. EPS foam blocks are precut and
labeled to exact dimensions and, in essence, the “system” is delivered like a kit
of parts. Installation time is cut in half vs. traditional framing, which means less
shut-down time for the cinema operator.
Booth 1005F
140 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NEW PRODUCTS
TEKEFINGERS
Finally, something to increase snack bar revenue and offer added value to your
customers—an easy-to-customize product with an incredible taste. Tekefingers is
more than a product—it’s a thin roll of bread dough perfectly filled with different
flavors, salty or sweet.
Tekecheese is our starring product, using our own artisan cheese and meticulous
manufacturing and quality processes. Its delicious appearance, versatility, and
high profit potential make it an intriguing ally for your theater.
Booth 2820A
TEXAS AIRSYSTEMS
AAON HVAC Units, customized for theater-auditorium applications, ensure the
moviegoing experience is always comfortable and enhanced, with a high level of
temperature and humidity control and extremely low sound levels. AAON units
provide the highest quality unit construction, giving the theater owner HVAC units
that reduce maintenance costs and increase reliability throughout the life of the
equipment, as realized by a typical life of 20-plus years vs. industry average of
12 to 15 years (for example, AAON heat exchangers include warranties of 15/25
years).
Booth 2807A
TIMEPLAY
The TimePlay platform allows moviegoers to use
their smartphones and tablets to interact with and
control outcomes on the big screen in real time,
while providing a targeted portal for offer delivery,
e-commerce, and social networking. The technology
enables exhibitors, studios, and advertisers to entertain,
inform, and engage directly with moviegoers
before or after a show. TimePlay’s technology is
driving earlier and more frequent attendance among
moviegoers and is delivering significant consumer
engagement, leading to incremental revenues and
data for exhibitors, studios, and advertisers.
We’ll be conducting live demonstrations at Cinema-
Con. Check the program for presentation timing.
Pompeian 4
TIVOLI LLC
Eclipse, our new wall light system, provides no glare due to its state-of-the-art, indirect LED light source and
advanced optical system. Eclipse produces .24 foot candles at the farthest distance from the source, meeting all
exhibition safety requirements while maintaining a best-in-its-class no-glare moviegoing experience.
Other wall-light systems often expose their points of light, producing a distracting glare for patrons, while
diminishing their movie experience. Tivoli’s Eclipse wall-light system provides maximum aisle-safety lighting
with minimum disruption. Designed for ease of installation, the Eclipse is faster to install and service.
Booth 301F
TRI-COUNTY MAINTENANCE
We were founded by Ron Glavan in 1998. Our name originates from the Tri-County region of Ohio where we first
began. We started with one location, and now we are cleaning in 21 states and close to 100 locations. We specialize
in the new state-of-the-art recliners that are expanding throughout the country. We offer carpet cleaning, floor
maintenance, high dusting, and power washing. Please call (855) 211-1320, or email at www.cleantheatres.com.
Booth 1038F
142 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NEW PRODUCTS
USG STRUCTURAL SOLUTIONS
USG Structural Panels Concrete Subfloor are
high-strength reinforced concrete panels for use in
noncombustible construction. Lighter than precast
or poured concrete, USG Structural Panels install like
wood sheathing and provide a new, faster, easier,
and more efficient way to build floors for auditoriums
and theaters.
The USG Structural floor system consists of steel
joists, trusses or framing members, and USG
Structural Panel Concrete Subfloor applied with
mechanical fasteners. The result is a noncombustible,
mold-, moisture-, and termite-resistant and
dimensionally stable floor assembly, suitable for a
variety of floor finishes.
Booth 114F
TREMORFX
Wireless Recliner Control
The TFX Wireless Recliner
Control allows for simultaneous
opening and closing of all chairs
in a theater. In a theater of 200
chairs, the process of opening
and closing all chairs one by one
would take 50 minutes. With the
wireless TFX system, it takes only
15 seconds to open and close all
chairs. Cleanup becomes simple
and feasible, even between
showings. With our inline
product solution, retrofits offer
minimal or even no downtime
for theaters.
Touchsceen Controller
The controller offers a full service
of options for recliner chairs:
from controlling heating/cooling,
reclining, ordering food, and
even selecting the language
track. Patrons can connect to the
headset jack and enjoy the movie
in their own language. Show
movies in multiple languages at
the same time and on the same
screen. With Ethernet connectivity,
the touchscreen controller is
fully customizable and can interface
with any third-party product
like the Tremor FX system.
Power Supply
The power supply will save you
thousands of dollars on electrical
infrastructure and installation.
It is a multi-chair power unit for
motorized recliners, and includes
internal battery backup, already
a requirement for some municipalities.
One unit can power up
to 10 recliner chairs from a single
outlet. The connections to the
chairs are made by a set of cables
that connect directly to the chair
motor. The TFX Power Supply is
fully UL compliant.
Booth 2024A
TOUCHMATE
The Premier is a floor-mounted kiosk
designed to provide an exceptional
customer experience while promoting the
theater’s brand with unique color options
and custom graphics. The Premier’s 22-inch
LED backlight LCD display offers users a
large area to view trailers, purchase tickets,
and reserve seating. And when not in use,
the display can operate as a digital sign,
rotating advertisements and trailers that
attract and engage your guests.
The Premier, like all TouchMate equipment,
accommodates a variety of EMV options
to help you and your customers ensure
security and operating standards are met
with every transaction.
Booth 730F
USHIO AMERICA INC.
VEMS
Ushio has partnered with Matex Controls to create a
unique virtual energy-management system (VEMS) platform,
designed specifically for cinemas. It offers energy
savings of more than 25 percent over time with no outof-pocket
expense to exhibitors. VEMS is the software that
controls and optimizes energy consumers (ventilation,
heating, air conditioning, and electricity) to lower costs.
Long-life lamp
Ushio introduces its L-Series, long-life 6.5kW lamp for
Barco digital projectors. New lamp type, DXL-65BA3
extends present life 28 percent to 700 hours with 100
percent warranty. This lamp for large-format screens
will lower exhibitors’ total cost of ownership. The lamp is
certified and approved by OEM and Barco and is available
for shipping.
Booth 2424A
144 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

Data Services
New York/ LA, USA
LA, USA
Digital Marketing
Glasgow, UK
Business Intelligence
Paris, France
Paris, France
B2B Publishing
Auckland, NZ
Services and solutions designed
for cinema professionals
by cinema professionals
around the globe.
webediamoviespro.com

FILMMAKER INTERVIEW
Kong is back. Cinema’s favorite primate returns in Kong:
Skull Island from Warner Bros., an epic production starring
Oscar-winner Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, and Samuel L.
Jackson. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts spoke to Boxoffice
about the transition to directing blockbusters after having
previously worked only on independent films, and the
influence of video games on his filmmaking.
Interview by Jesse Rifkin
146 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

How does Kong: Skull Island address the movie theater
experience?
It’s something I’m trying to bring back in general. Even with
The Kings of Summer, I wanted to make a movie that redefined
what it meant to watch on the big screen. I have this trickle-down
philosophy: I hope with these big movies with these
giant marketing budgets, you can get people into a theater and
they can be reminded of how much fun they had in the theater.
Hopefully that makes them say, “You know what? That was
great. We should go to the theater again.”
The bio on your official website says you began your
filmmaking career by making stop-motion movies in your
basement
with LEGO
and Batman
toys. So
I have to
ask, how upset are
you that you weren’t
directing The LEGO
Batman Movie?
[Laughs.] Luckily,
that movie was in very good
hands—talented producers like
Lord and Miller, who are geniuses and
far smarter than I am. I’m happy to let
them take the reins on that. I would love to
do an animated movie at some point. Maybe
The LEGO King Kong Movie.
Kong: Skull Island is at least somewhat animated.
What was your goal when making it in trying to
balance the CGI and live action?
It is certainly a somewhat animated movie, in
the sense that there are computer graphics. But we
actually made sure to shoot as much in-camera as
possible. We knew the creatures were going to
be computer generated, so we wanted everything
else to be as real and tangible and tactile
as possible. The actors could be in the space and
they could feel it. I could grab the camera
and move the camera around. There’s
this saying that with stop-motion
things look fake but feel real; with
CG things look real but feel fake.
Audiences are smart—they can feel
when something’s real. Our team
at Industrial Light and Magic took
it to the next level. The work they
did is really spectacular. There’s
Oscar-winner
Brie Larson (Room)
stars as war photojournalist
and peace
activist Mason
Weaver.
certainly a huge animated aspect to the movie, but I strove to
shoot much more in-camera than most movies you see.
What were some of your early film influences as a kid and
teenager?
I always wanted to do one of those studio films, because I
grew up on studio movies. I was a kid who had my brain blown
open by Star Wars, Jason and the Argonauts, Die Hard, Back to the
Future. Big studio films at that time also were great movies. These
were studio films with fantastic characters and fantastic worlds.
That early wave of late ’70s, early ’80s movies really shattered my
brain. Those were the things that led me to Kubrick and Kurosawa.
So my influences are really varied. Right now the stuff I’m
really into has come out of the last 15 years in South Korea. I’m a
lover of film and pushing what the medium and genre are.
Another form of media you admire is video games.
You’ve previously talked about your love for the
PlayStation 3 game Journey. You called it
“one of the most meaningful experiences
I’ve ever had.” Which video games have
had the biggest impact on you, and
have they affected your filmmaking?
I fell in love with movies, but I
also fell in love with video games at a
young age. I remember when I first
saw the original Mario, or even the
original Atari, I was in awe of what I
was looking at. The language of games
was fascinating to me. Early games
were these simple things; then you
look at later games like [1995’s]
Chrono Trigger that were really
advanced in storytelling. It was a
mature narrative that a kid could
still digest.
I find the medium to be incredibly
exciting still. Yes, Journey is a piece of
media that I think is profound. Two
of the games that stayed with me were
from almost the same month of the
same year: [1998’s] Metal Gear Solid
and The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina
of Time. Never again would I feel that
anticipation and desire to disappear
into my basement—just vanish from
the world. Games may never reach
that point again.
The Kings of Summer was a
coming-of-age dramedy that
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 147

FILMMAKER INTERVIEW
GRIZZLY REILLY
Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts on set
with John C. Reilly, who appears as
Hank Marlow, a World War II lieutenant
who spent 28 years stranded
on Skull Island.
made about $1.3 million at the box office. Now
your new film has a reported $150 million
budget. What were the biggest differences or
surprises from such an abrupt transition of scale?
Well, in a weird way, it actually wasn’t that different.
Filmmaking is filmmaking. You still have
to tell a story; you still have to move the camera.
Those never change. You’ve got a lot more tools,
bells and whistles. There are times when it’s an incredibly
exciting thing—there are helicopters you
can fly through canyons! There are times when it
slows you down. You wish you only had a million
dollars and a small crew, because you could be
much more intimate. Ultimately, you never have
enough time, you never have enough money, you
never have enough daylight. So you still have to
focus on getting the story told in the way you
need to tell it. There are certain new aspects and
new challenges, but there are some things that
become easier. It is this weird give-and-take of
new opportunities, new burdens, new blessings,
and everything in between.
Did you look to the films of other directors who
catapulted from one or two indie films to a huge
blockbuster? I’m thinking of Colin Trevorrow going
from Safety Not Guaranteed to Jurassic World.
Yeah, Colin’s a buddy of mine. He and I
ultimately were in very different situations. He’s a
good friend. We talked a lot about how to survive
the process and what it meant to him. I want
somebody to look at this movie and say, “I see
the connective tissue of this guy as a filmmaker.”
Audiences don’t even realize how generic a lot of
big blockbusters have become. If you go back and
look at a Tony Scott film, oh my God! [Scott directed
Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, and Déjà
Vu.] I think that’s why Nolan’s The Dark Knight
148 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

was such a big deal. It was a massive film that still
had a point of view and a distinctive style. I wanted
to preserve that. I wanted to preserve myself in
this movie. Talking to people like Colin and Ryan
Coogler [the formerly indie director who directed
Creed and the upcoming Black Panther], friends
of mine who have gone through this before—you
find your people to support you and survive this
crazy process.
The film is set in 1971. Why? How much of that
decision was yours, and how much was the
screenwriters’?
One hundred percent of that decision was
mine. The screenwriters wrote a really cool
script. When they came to me and asked if
I wanted to do a King Kong movie, my first
response was, “Awesome, I love King Kong.” My
second response was, “Wait, why should that
exist?” Audiences need new things. What is it
about this that’s going to make them want to
see it? The original script was set in 1917 and
was more of an adventure movie. That’s when
I came to them with this idea. In the 1970s we
launched satellites into the sky and were looking
down at the Earth for the first time. They had
cameras and were mapping Earth. I loved the
idea of that time in history—modern but not
too modern. This idea just burned itself in my
brain, like Apocalypse Now and King Kong with a
military-squad edge to it. I’d never seen that before.
So I pitched Legendary that idea. The cool
thing about that company is, instead of laughing
me out of the room like I thought they would,
they were like, “Cool. Let’s make that movie.”
There are a lot of thematic reasons I was interested
in that time period as well, but that was the
initial jumping-off point.
reveal. I love how Gareth shot that movie. But
this is a completely different film with a very
different tone, a very different treatment of how
we approached the monster. Taking those conceits
of what people expect from a monster movie
and flipping them on their head: showing Kong
right away, showing him a lot, not feeling like we
needed to hide him.
My job was to make the best version of this
movie. Yes, it’s tied into the larger universe. But
THREE AMIGOS
The Skull Island expedition team
includes Corey Hawkins as geologist
Houston Brooks, John Ortiz as satellite
expert Victor Nieves, and Jing
Tian as biologist San Lin who works
for Monarch, a secretive organization
that also has connections to the
events seen in 2014’s Godzilla.
In making this film, how closely did you try to
emulate 2014’s Godzilla, knowing this mash-up
would happen? [2020 will see the release of
Godzilla vs. Kong, featuring the monster from
2014’s Godzilla battling Skull Island’s King Kong.]
Did you try to stylistically match what had been
done before?
I never try to emulate anything! [Laughs.]
In fact, this movie is 100 percent different
than that film. Gareth Edwards directed the
hell out of that movie, a master class in the
game that it’s playing, the build and the slow
LOKI GONE WILD
Tom Hiddleston stars as James Conrad, a Vietnam War
veteran from Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He has been
hired by John Goodman’s government official to lead
the expediction as a hunter-tracker.
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 149

FILMMAKER INTERVIEW
filmmaker. But we are not telling the Beauty and
the Beast story; we are not remaking the [original]
film. We’re doing some things completely differently.
There are some exceptional things in that
film, but once you go off on a course to make
something unlike any Kong film people have seen
before, I was never really thinking about that
film. I was thinking how do we make Kong fresh?
How do we make this meaningful for an audience,
so that they need to go see this movie? That
this can sit on the mantle with other Kong films?
ACTION JACKSON
Samuel L. Jackson costars as Army
chopper pilot Preston Packard. Jackson
has compared his character to
Moby Dick’s Captain Ahab with Kong
being his character’s white whale.
my job was to tell this story and use my voice to
tell it. This Kong has more to do with an anime
or video game character than a traditional
monster movie. Yes, there are franchise things you
have to take into consideration, connecting to
that movie going forward. But we are a completely
different film.
How did you try to differentiate yourself from
Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong? For one, I read
that you wanted to make this Kong a more
hyperbolized creature like the 1933 original,
unlike Jackson’s version, which was more like a
real-life gorilla.
I wasn’t really thinking about that version.
That version is a masterful retelling of the Beauty
and the Beast story
and a remake
of the 1933 film.
I liked it as a
You recently wrote on Twitter, “My generation
is the ‘old guard’ before we even had a chance
to be the ‘new guard’ because of the way the
Internet disrupted our generation.” How did that
sort of thinking influence your film? Was your
intention to appeal to the millennial generation,
or did you want to project a classic aura that
might attract a middle-aged or older audience
as well?
I think if you watch this movie, you’ll see that,
much like my last film, it’s a throwback and yet
very modern at the same time. I’m interested in
making films that feel timeless, that defy generations.
The Internet has been so disruptive that
traditional mechanisms, business structures, and
power structures, that were in place are crumbling.
As everyone is figuring out what the hell is
going on, how we move these mediums forward,
how we get people to the movie theater, whether
theaters matter when everyone’s streaming content—you
just have to make things that register
with people. The only thing that has value right
now is to have a voice and a point of view, be
original enough that you resonate with people
and you inspire people, so some kid somewhere
says, “That movie is what made me fall in love
with movies.” The only thing we have is our ability
is to have a point of view and a voice. n
AT THE MOVIES WITH JORDAN VOGT-ROBERTS
MOVIE MEMORY
“Honestly, probably nothing for me would beat—even though the movie itself is what it is—the level of excitement
and fever-pitch nerd intensity my friends and I had when The Phantom Menace came out. We saw it for the first time
at midnight, after camping out for tickets. I just remember the entire theater was full of like-minded nerdy individuals.
The intensity in that screening and leading up to that screening, the process of camping out all night for those
tickets, was pretty special.”
150 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

FILMMAKER INTERVIEW
Beauty and the Beast producers Todd Lieberman and
David Hoberman on Disney’s latest live-action fairy tale
by Jesse Rifkin
>> No one fights like Gaston, but no one produces like Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman (above).
Partners in the production company Mandeville Films, which Hoberman founded in 1995, they have
an exclusive first-look deal with Disney. Their new film is the highly anticipated Beauty and the Beast
live-action remake starring Emma Watson. Hoberman and Lieberman spoke to Boxoffice about working
with 200 extras, the challenges of experimenting while remaining true to the 1991 original, and updating
the iconic main character Belle to appeal to more modern sensibilities.
David, I read that you said this was one of your
most challenging and complicated films to
date. What were some of the biggest challenges
involved with producing this film?
David Hoberman: I think the amount of CGI
work and complexity involved, because we wanted
to do everything photo-realistically. We were animating
inanimate objects. Secondarily, the Beast
was an extraordinary challenge, though it turned
out fantastically. We were able to get all the nuances
of the facial performance [by Dan Stevens, who
portrays the Beast]. And the fact that we had only
five stages that all had to be taken down and doubled
again. So we would shoot out one set, then
we’d have to take it down, build another set, and
build another set while we were doing that because
we didn’t have 10 stages. Then the complexity of
it, with 200 extras dancing and singing for the
opening number—a lot of interdisciplinary things
working simultaneously.
You did a really long pre-production in which you
pre-visualized the whole movie on the computer
before the cameras even rolled. Why did you
decide to take that approach, and what did that
add to the film?
Hoberman: I think most CGI films today are
pretty well thought out. With us, 80 percent of
the movie is dealing with humans and inanimate
objects. So it was important, in terms of blocking.
When you’re on the set, you should know exactly
what you want to shoot and where each character
is going to be, because the actors are going to be
acting against a tennis ball being held up on a stick
or something! So you can’t just get on a stage and
sort of wing it.
How important was it to you to remain faithful to
the 1991 original? How much were you willing to
experiment with or change?
Todd Lieberman: Obviously, the original movie
is such a classic and extremely beloved. So it’s
that fine balance between not ruining something
that’s already so great, yet giving audiences something
additional to make sure there’s a new reason,
beyond just the technology and live-action characters,
to go see it. I feel like we’ve accomplished that
quite well. There are three new songs, which are
all gorgeous, written by Alan Menken [composer
for the original film] and Tim Rice [lyricist for the
Broadway musical]. Then there were additional
things added to the story that the animated one
didn’t touch upon, like some backstory for Belle’s
character and an additional “three-dimensionalizing”
of some of the characters. It’s a tricky balance,
but I think we’ve accomplished it. Hopefully the
audience agrees.
(continued on page 154)
152 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

LUKE EVANS BELTS OUT ALAN MENKEN AND
HOWARD ASHMAN’S ODE TO MANLINESS, “GASTON”
(PERFORMED BY RICHARD WHITE IN THE 1991 ORIGINAL).
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 153

FILMMAKER INTERVIEW
Hoberman: We tried to make the best film we
possibly could. We were doing our own thing.
Lieberman: When we were in prep, Disney
screened Cinderella for us. We watched that movie
and sat there in awe of how beautiful it was. We
said, “We have to make sure our movie looks
beautiful.”
Hoberman: You can tell by the pedigree of our
wardrobe, our set design, our set constructions,
our actors. It was really important to get Kevin
Kline [as Maurice], because it signaled the kind of
level and class of movie we wanted to make. It was
really important for us to get Emma Thompson [as
Mrs. Potts], Ian McKellen [as Cogsworth], Ewan
McGregor [as Lumière]. We were really trying to
put this on an elevated level, as best as we possibly
could, in every area.
Lieberman: The good news is that Disney
likes to do that with all of their movies. We’re no
different in that way. They’re always aspiring for
A-plus across the board, and we were aspiring for
the same.
BEAUTY AND THE DAD
Kevin Kline (Oscar winner for A Fish
Called Wanda) plays Belle’s inventor
father, Maurice, who becomes
imprisoned by the Beast.
Hoberman: The household staff, the animated
characters, they have their own story now. I don’t
want to ruin it for you.
Lieberman: We added some backstory with
Belle’s family; we added some backstory with
Beast’s family. So there are emotional touchstones
that we address that weren’t necessarily in the
animated film.
And Belle is now an inventor, like her father. Who
came up with that idea?
Hoberman: Everybody contributed to it. The
writers contributed to it, Emma [Watson] contributed
to it, we contributed to it, [director] Bill
[Condon] contributed to it. We spent a lot of time
on Belle, trying to make her as modern as possible.
She knows how to ride a horse, she knows how to
shoot, she knows how to invent something, she
knows how to fight, she knows how to read and
teach. We wanted to give her modern qualities that
are aspirational to young girls today. Everybody,
including Emma, made a contribution to that.
Did you take inspiration from other recent
live-action re-imaginings of Disney classics, like
The Jungle Book, Cinderella, and Maleficent [a
retelling of Sleeping Beauty]?
You just mentioned casting major actors.
Probably the most important casting decision
you made was Emma Watson as Belle. Did you
have any worries about casting the portrayer
of such an iconic franchise character in another
iconic role?
Hoberman: Not really. She has had an interest
in playing Belle. She was cast in Warner Bros.’
Beauty and the Beast [with Guillermo del Toro
attached to direct]. When that fell apart, she became
available around the time we started looking.
Her interest in it and our interest in her, and Alan
Horn [chairman of Walt Disney Studios], who
lived with her through all the Harry Potter movies,
it was just a perfect fit.
Lieberman: There really weren’t any other contenders,
basically. Just her.
Talk about the music. The soundtrack features
songs from John Legend, Josh Groban, and
Ariana Grande. What do you think that added to
the film?
Hoberman: John Legend and Ariana Grande
perform Beauty and the Beast [the title track],
Celine Dion performs one of the new songs, and
Josh Groban performs the Beast’s ballad—those are
all performers who only perform in the end credits.
During the body of the film, Emma Thompson
154 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

sings the title song and Dan Stevens sings the
Beast’s ballad. All the characters have days in the
sun, because it’s about them. Our characters sing
in the movie, and those performers sing in the end
credits. It’s worth giving credit to Mitchell Leib,
one of the people who run Disney Music, who in
the beginning was such a giant proponent. He kept
saying, “We have one of the single greatest scores
of all time, and we’re going to deliver the greatest
talent.” A lot of this was his influence, like getting
Celine back.
What, if anything, changed during postproduction
or based on screenings? I understand
the special effects took a while.
Hoberman: Todd and I have done a lot of films
with CGI work—whenever you have dogs or inanimate
objects, it keeps changing as you fine-tune it
in post-production. The editorial process was not
that long. Getting all the characters to do what we
wanted them to do in CGI, and trying to perfect
the look as best as we possibly could, that’s really
what takes the year and a half of post—all the
technical aspects. n
AT THE MOVIES
MOVIE MEMORY
Lieberman: It’s the very first movie I ever saw in the movie theater, which was The Champ. [The
1979 family sports film has been called one of the saddest movies ever made.] My parents took me
when I was six years old, not exactly understanding the emotions but being very sad. From that
moment, I realized how film can move people emotionally. That drove me forward wanting to tell
stories, even at that young age.
Hoberman: I have to choose between two. The first was my first moviegoing experience. I go a little
further back than Todd! [Laughs.] The Seven Voyages of Sinbad [1958] at Radio City Music Hall in New
York City blew my mind as a kid. The second was one of the first times I was involved in a movie,
[1988’s] Beaches. I was a young executive at the time. Sitting in that theater with a test audience,
watching and listening to the crying and the sniffles and the tissues being brought out, was a moment
for me. Oh my God, look at what we can do. We can make people laugh, we can make people cry. It
was an extraordinary experience as an executive and a filmmaker.
CONCESSIONS STAND
Hoberman: [Laughs.] Popcorn. No butter, a little bit of salt, and a bottle of water. If I’m being
really naughty, it will be Reese’s Pieces and a Diet Coke. When I was an executive, I took over Hollywood
Pictures as well as Touchstone and Disney, so I had three or four previews a week. I survived
on popcorn! Let me tell you a funny story: So I’m off to London this past Sunday. I told my kids that
I’ll go to a theater and get a bag of popcorn to take with me on the plane. And I did! I didn’t even
go see a movie.
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 155

PREMIUM EXPERIENCE
HOW A FOCUS ON CUSTOMERS IS GUIDING CINEMARK
THROUGH THE AGE OF PREMIUM AMENITIES
Interview with Mark Zoradi, Chief Executive Officer, Cinemark
Interview by Daniel Loria
>> Mark Zoradi succeeded Tim Warner as Cinemark CEO in August 2015. A 30-year veteran at Disney,
Zoradi’s most recent posts include tenures as chief operating officer of DreamWorks Animation and president
and COO of Dick Cook Studios. Crossing over to exhibition wasn’t a daunting challenge for Zoradi, as he’d
already served on the boards of Rave and Cinemark in the years leading up to his current post. Boxoffice
spoke with Zoradi in anticipation of Cinemark’s big presence in Las Vegas for CinemaCon 2017.
THE COMFY CHAIR
Mark Zoradi (above) tells us that
Cinemark installed recliner seating
in over 600 auditoriums last year.
Over 1,000 auditoriums—20
percent of Cinemark’s domestic
total—now boast premium seating.
He says that attendance lifts 40
percent when recliner seats are
installed.
You’ve spent most of your career in the film
industry. How big was the transition to
exhibition?
I spent over 30 years at Disney and Dream-
Works, so I was very familiar with the exhibition
industry. I helped build our worldwide distribution
network and worked with exhibitors week in, week
out—in fact, I dealt with Cinemark quite a bit in
the mid-1990s; we were building our Latin American
distribution network while Cinemark was
building its exhibition communities in the region.
I was also on the Rave board of directors, which
led to being on the Cinemark board of directors.
[Exhibition] didn’t come as a surprise to me, but
I did get some insight on the level of execution
required: 28,000 employees in 525 theaters around
the world. I gained more appreciation for the operations
side of it. I was also very fortunate to come
into an organization that was already well run, it
wasn’t broken, and it was only a matter of keeping
it well run and trying to improve it along the way.
2016 was your first full year at the helm
of Cinemark; what were some of your key
takeaways from that year?
It was interesting because we were coming off a
record year in 2015 when we began budgeting for
2016, and conventional wisdom was that the box
office was going to be down somewhere between 4
and 6 percent. That’s what the consensus was. We
were a little bit more bullish and it turned out to be
a fantastic year. The domestic box office was up 2
percent and Cinemark’s domestic business was up 3
percent. It was a very, very good year and a clear example
that if given the right content, consumers will
continue going to the movies—even if they’ve got
beautiful home entertainment systems they can use
to stream at home. The studios continued to provide
great content and we continued to upgrade our
theaters with all the amenities consumers are asking
for. We’ve put a tremendous amount of capital and
attention into improving that customer experience
because Hollywood has done a great job at providing
the product. I think we’ve responded by doing
a pretty good job in upgrading our theaters, and as
such four of the last five years have been record years
at the domestic box office.
Cinemark has increased the footprint of
premium seating options across its U.S.
circuit. What has been your overall experience
implementing the concept?
It has been a huge priority for us. We put in
recliner seating in over 600 auditoriums during
2016. We’re now at over 1,000 auditoriums
domestically, just over 20 percent of our circuit. I
anticipate that we’ll be equally aggressive in 2017
because it stands out in our customer research as
the single most important amenity—followed by
enhanced food and beverage. We’re seeing attendance
lifts of 40 percent when we add recliner seating
into a theater. In addition to that lift, it tends
to increase use of our reserved-seating feature,
meaning people aren’t in as big a hurry to lock
down their seat and are more likely to stop by the
concessions stand. It’s been a very good concept at
returning our investment, and I expect that we’ll
continue to expand that rollout in 2017.
Talking about concessions, we’ve seen Cinemark
add locations with enhanced menus and alcohol
options in recent years. What have been your
results with those concepts? Do you believe that
trend will continue to grow?
There are parts of the country where we won’t
put alcohol, places like Utah where it wouldn’t
make sense because our customer base just
wouldn’t support it. As we sit here today, we have
156 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

CINEMARK HAS 225 XD SCREENS IN THE U.S. AND LATIN AMERICA. XD
GIVES THE CONSUMER A WIDE SCREEN AT LEAST 60 FEET WIDE, WALL-
TO-WALL SCREEN WITH INCREASED LIGHT, AND ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS
AROUND AND ABOVE THE AUDIENCE.
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 157

PREMIUM EXPERIENCE
THE BIG PICTURE
Though Cinemark XD screens
amount to just 3.7 percent of their
total screen count, the premium experience
accounts for 7.7 percent of
Cinemark’s total box office revenue.
more than 20 percent
of our domestic
circuit serving either
a full bar or beer,
wine, and frozen. I
would expect that to
grow during 2017 to
around 30 percent
of our circuit. We’re
seeing incremental
per caps by doing
so—the worry
about cannibalizing
your other business
just hasn’t panned
out. In fact, we’ve been able to expand our other
business through enhanced food. About 50 percent
of our circuit now offers enhanced food, which
means options beyond traditional popcorn and
candy. It can be anything from a full-on restaurant
to flatbread pizzas, chicken wings, hamburgers,
and so on. When you offer someone a glass of wine
or a beer, you can also offer them something to eat
alongside it. That 50 percent of the circuit has been
very successful, and I expect us to continue rolling
that out in 2017.
Cinemark is a global leader in private-label
premium large format with Cinemark XD.
Why do you think the concept has proven so
successful with audiences across your circuit?
I have to mention that we’re not exclusively
XD; we also have 15 very successful IMAX screens.
Complementing that are our 225 XD screens in
the U.S. and Latin America. XD gives the consumer
a wide screen at least 60 feet wide, in some cases
over 70 feet, wall-to-wall screen with increased
light, and additional speakers around and above
the audience. Consumers want to see the big
action-adventure movies in our XD screens. XD
is about 3.7 percent of our screens and represents
7.7 percent of our total box office; consumers are
voting with their ticket purchases by going to these
screens. That’s why we’re devoting so much attention
to developing this brand.
Your international business is concentrated in
Latin America. Has the economic downturn in
the region affected your circuit there?
Latin America has been, and continues to be, a
very important part of our mix. [Latinos] also add
a great level of diversity for us here in the U.S.
We have a higher per cap on our Latino customers
than any other demographic. Latin America is
about 25 percent of our business, and even with
Brazil and Argentina undergoing political and
economic instability over the last couple of years,
we’ve seen an increase in attendance. That’s real
growth, not inflationary growth or something
that’s caused by raising ticket prices. We’re also
seeing growth through increased screens—we
had somewhere around 75 new screens last year
in the region and we expect to see that continue
this year. We offer a very specific, market-adaptive
approach in Latin America; in some areas of
certain cities we’ll have VIP theaters with recliners
where we can increase the price, whereas in more
middle-class areas we’ll have a more conventional
theater because we need the additional seats.
The Latin American business is still our growth
engine, growing at 5 to 6 percent per year, versus
the U.S. growing at 1 or 2 percent per year on an
organic basis.
Do any other regions pique your interest for
further international expansion?
I’m more interested in going deep in the 16
countries where we’re already doing business: the
United States and our 15 Latin countries. I think
we’ve got a great footprint in the U.S. and a very
strong one in Central and South America. We’re
No. 1 in Brazil and Argentina, No. 2 in Chile
and Colombia, and I would see us going deeper
in those markets as opposed to expanding into
Europe or Asia.
What do you think will emerge as the next big
trend in exhibition?
We’re still in the midst of repositioning all of
our theaters, so I think there are still a couple of
years left before we finish rolling out recliners.
I don’t think recliners will go everywhere, but
I’m not sure where it will stop yet. I think we’ll
see more enhanced food and beverage; I don’t
think that will go away anytime soon. We have
very beautiful theaters, and there’s no reason why
those theaters can’t have additional alternative
content. That can be through programming with
companies like Fathom Events or even a sector
like eSports. We’ve been the leaders, working
with Super League gaming, featuring sport
leagues for video game players. It’ll also be very
158 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

interesting to see where virtual reality ends up; it
could be in the lobby or even in an auditorium.
How do you believe the moviegoing experience
will transform in the next 10 to 15 years?
The quality will continue getting better; more
light on the screen, which is great for 3D, and
the consistency of what you see and hear in the
auditorium will keep on improving. The digital
revolution has been incredibly important for us. We
have a command center that we operate in three
languages—Spanish, English, and Portuguese—that
we operate 24/7 so that every theater is running
with very minimal downtime. Hollywood product
will continue to be the bread and butter of our
theaters, but I do think we’re going to crack the
code and start to move toward 5 to 10 percent of
alternative content. I also think we’ll continue to
see the rollout of motion seats—we’ve had a big
success with our D-Box installations in this country.
Another interesting factor will be what happens
to AR [augmented reality], let alone VR, and if
filmmakers come up with an AR concept that we
can implement into
our theaters. It’s
exciting to think
about, but content
has to lead the way.
If the content is
there, the hardware
will step up to make
it happen.
What do you
believe will be
a key part of
Cinemark’s success
going forward?
If there’s one thing that we’re focused on at
Cinemark beyond anything else, it is a maniacal
attention to the customer experience. We feel
that if we get the customer experience right, they
will want to come back to cinemas in general
and Cinemark in particular. Everything that we
focus our attention on emanates from that core
strategy. n
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD
About 50 percent of Cinemark’s sites
offer enhanced food, which means
options beyond traditional popcorn
and candy. It can be anything from a
full-on restaurant to flatbread pizza,
chicken wings, and hamburgers.
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 159

CELEBRATE!
100 YEARS OF SERVICE
MID-ATLANTIC NATO CELEBRATES ITS 100TH ANNIVERSAEY
by Daniel Loria and Doug Murdoch
CONVENTIONEERS ASSEMBLE!
(From L to R): Harmon Martin
(Alexandria, Va.), Richard Graff (20th
Century Fox), Norman Jacketer (Columbia),
Jerome Gordon (Newport
News, Va.), Aron Seidler (Baltimore,
Md.) at the 1968 Mid-Atlantic NATO
Convention held in Williamsburg,
Virginia. [Photo Credit: Thomas L.
Williams. Photo courtesy of Doug
Murdoch]
>> It started with a public health crisis. Dubbed
“the infantile paralysis plague” by newspapers
of the time, polio began to proliferate in major
cities in the United States around 1916, causing
panic among parents and health officials nationwide.
Baltimore was one of those cities struggling
to curtail the spread of the disease. Among the
measures implemented by Baltimore’s city health
officer was a regulation to prohibit children under
the age of 13 from attending theaters—as any
theater owner, past or present, can attest, neither
the first nor the last time a well-intentioned government
initiative went beyond any rational measure
of addressing a problem. Today the spread of
polio has successfully been curtailed through the
use of vaccines, a significantly more effective solution.
The lasting impact of Baltimore’s ordinance
against theater owners in 1917, however, was the
unification of the region’s exhibition community
under one banner.
The Exhibitors
League of Maryland
was incorporated on
March 8, 1917, and is
celebrating its 100th
anniversary this month
under its current
name, Mid-Atlantic
NATO. The organization’s
first name change
came in October
1925, when it became
the Motion Picture
Theatre Owners of
Maryland, an identity
it would keep until
1952, when it became
the Allied Motion Picture
Theatre Owners of
Maryland.
1966 was a big year
for exhibition in North
America with the
formation of national
NATO, the first time the majority of the country’s
theaters united to fight for fair business practices—
even if deep regional ties and rivalries didn’t translate
into a particularly unified voice. Maryland exhibitors
followed suit with yet another name change,
coming together as the National Association of Theatre
Owners of Maryland in July of 1967. Polio may
no longer have been the top concern, but exhibitors
of the time nevertheless had their hands full with
the death knell of the Motion Picture Code and the
fledgling ascendancy of the MPAA in 1969. New
battlefronts would emerge in the form of bidding,
admission taxes, Sunday blue laws, and wage regulations,
underlining the importance of strong industry
associations. This spirit of collaboration is highlighted
by the organization’s next major milestone in
1989, when it joined forces with NATO of DC and
NATO of Virginia under an umbrella organization
known as Mid-Atlantic NATO, under the direction
of executive director Jerome “Jerry” Gordon.
160 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

YOU’VE DONE IT AGAIN, VIRGINIA
A photograph of the 1953 Virginia Motion Picture Theatre
Association Convention. The group was a predecessor to
what is known today as Mid-Atlantic NATO. [Photo Credit:
Gene Edmonds. Photo Courtesy of Doug Murdoch]
The three different state units continued
to work independently for the following two
decades. It wasn’t until 2009 that all three
parties merged as one entity under the same
name during a time marked by the logistical
and financial challenges of the industry’s
transition to digital cinema. Mid-Atlantic
NATO will continue a new chapter of its
history this year as it enters its second century
in operation. Its members will once again be
convening at their annual convention, Cinema
Show & Tell, on May 9 and 10 in Springfield,
Virginia.
Boxoffice would like to congratulate
Mid-Atlantic NATO for its 100th anniversary
and wish them success in the century to come. n
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 161

DIGITAL TICKETING
FULL STEAM AHEAD
ATOM TICKETS SHOWS NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN
by Jason Kornfeld
MATTHEW BAKAL
Chairman
Atom Tickets
>> At CinemaCon 2015, Atom Tickets
co-founders Ameesh Paleja and Matthew
Bakal were eager to speak about their
new theatrical mobile-ticketing platform.
They had teamed up to simplify the
moviegoing experience by creating a platform
that could search for films instantly,
invite friends, buy tickets, pre-order
concessions, and more.
Yet the initial conversations were met
with some resistance.
“We weren’t quite begging but asking
people very kindly to come talk to us,”
Bakal says. “They were like ‘Who are you
guys? Well I [already] have my website,
we’re good.’”
What a difference a year makes.
“Last CinemaCon, AMC and Regal
came on board with nationwide deals
and [suddenly] we didn’t have enough
hours in the day to talk to people,” Bakal says. “It’s
been fun to see that change.”
Atom, which was founded in 2014, has certainly
been busy. They received a $50 million investment
from Disney, Fox, and Lionsgate in early 2016.
They then launched nationally July 4th weekend
of last year, and by September they had nationwide
coverage in every DMA.
Paleja and Bakal have seen the Atom user base
grow from the thousands to millions, and they
expect to be in over 1,500 locations by the end of
March 2017.
“Regal and AMC have been incredible partners
to us,” Paleja says. “We’ve been able to grow quickly,
and we’re seeing great success with customer
satisfaction. At the end of the day we’re all interested
in how can we make the theatergoing experience
better.”
One of the ways Atom aims to make
the moviegoing experience better is
by allowing consumers to pre-pay for
concessions.
A few hundred theaters already offer
the service, which saves moviegoers time
by not having to wait in line. Some theaters even
deliver to the seats.
“There’s some percentage of the population that
walks in the theater, looks at the line [for concessions]
and says, ‘That’s not for me,’” Paleja says.
“Most of the time what we see happen is a customer
checks in, goes to the restroom, and by the time
they come out their food is ready for pick-up.”
Currently pre-paying for alcoholic beverages
isn’t an option, which according to Paleja and
Bakal is a complicated issue. Atom would like to
offer it in the future depending on the state, if
possible.
“I would love to have [a customer’s] favorite
beer ready when [they] walk into the theater,”
Paleja says. “Theaters are upgrading and some have
bars; we want to be a part of that experience.”
It is this type of forward thinking combined
with their technology that made a company like
Disney want to get involved.
“Atom Tickets is all about using technology to
make moviegoing more convenient and compelling,”
said Dave Hollis, head of Theatrical Distribution
for The Walt Disney Studios. “We got
involved with Atom because we were intrigued
by the way they use data and analytics to target
prospective ticket buyers.”
In addition to improving the customer experience,
Atom has focused on trying to grow its
customer base by having strategic partnerships.
They started Free Movie Friday with iHeartMedia
at the end of 2016, which offers thousands of
free movie tickets every Friday for an entire year
through iHeartMedia’s radio stations across the
country.
Atom also partnered with UberEATS in January,
which gave customers two free tickets to an
advance screening of The Founder, a free roundtrip
Uber ride to and from the theater, as well as a
free popcorn and drink. There were six screenings
available in six cities, and Atom aimed to provide
something fun for consumers.
“It was gangbusters; all our screenings sold out,”
Paleja says. “Customers were super-happy [and] it
162 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

poster art by Nate Powell
poster art by Jeff Lemire
was a great experience. We’re going to be doing a
lot more stuff with Uber.”
Atom also offered limited-edition merchandise
for sale for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and free
posters for Logan when tickets are pre-ordered.
Atom views all of these promotions as an opportunity
to try to drive people to the movie theater.
While Atom has offered plenty of promotions
to help boost movie attendance, they also announced
an advisory board to help promote their
company.
“J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg, and Tyler Perry
all joined us to help get the word out,” Bakal says.
“We’re very flattered by the attention of studios,
exhibitors, and talent. Everyone’s aligned in getting
more people to movie theaters, so that’s the exciting
thing, because it’s a win-win.”
Paleja and Bakal say the biggest challenge from
the beginning was explaining the need for their
product to the marketplace. While Atom has
experienced a lot of success, it has come from trial
and error.
“It’s a platform, [so] if anybody comes and says
they have the magic sauce that’s going to make
it work, they don’t know what they are talking
about,” Paleja says. “We have to experiment and
test [to] understand the data. Candidly, a bunch
of stuff is not going to work—I think about Atom
as an experimentation platform just as much as a
ticketing platform to put butts in seats.”
Next for Atom is continuing to build on the
data they have been collecting to keep improving
on the experience for their customers.
“The cool part is we get better at our job the
longer we [exist as a company],” Paleja says. “The
more data we have, the smarter the algorithm gets,
the better the customer experience can be delivered.”
And as for CinemaCon 2017 and beyond?
“We’re going to be [at CinemaCon] talking to
current partners and hopefully future partners,”
says Bakal. “The domestic market is definitely our
focus today, but it’s speaking to international
[companies] as well, so there’s a lot of
opportunity out there. I would say we’ve
only just started; we have millions of
consumers, but we want tens of millions
of consumers.”
Adds Paleja, “By this time next year
we’re going to have a great
foothold in the U.S. and a
product that customers are
going to love and will be
telling their friends and
family about.” n
poster art by Bill Sienkiewicz
AMEESH PALEJA
CEO
Atom Tickets
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 163

LEVERAGING INNOVATION
b r o u g h t t o y o u b y
INTERVIEW
WITH 20TH
CENTURY FOX
Interview by
Ameesh Paleja (CEO,
Atom Tickets)
and Matthew Bakal
(Chairman, Atom
Tickets)
Chris Aronson
President
Domestic Distribution
Susie Cotliar
Vice President
In-Theater Marketing
Noah Young
Vice President
Digital Marketing
& Strategy
>> In this monthly column, Atom Tickets will be featuring conversations with studios and exhibitors
on their different innovative approaches to marketing movies and the moviegoing experience.
This month, 20th Century Fox takes a look at how they’ve used new technologies to amplify the
reach and influence of their marketing efforts.
From a marketing perspective,
what did you do for Logan
that differs from the previous
Wolverine in-theater marketing
campaigns?
Cotliar: Logan is not your
typical superhero movie and it
required a different approach,
not only because it’s R-rated but
it’s also the first Wolverine movie
that’s R-rated. Coupled with
the fact that it’s Hugh’s last turn
means Wolverine required a special
handling and that starts with
the imaging we’ve used: onesheet,
standee, banner, digital content, outdoor, it
all evokes a certain type of mood—a tone different
than that of any previous X-Men movie.
Every year there seems to be a new marketing
channel that everyone gravitates toward. Which
platforms are currently most exciting to you?
Young: There are going to be new platforms
every day, so it’s more about finding the right place
to tell our stories in ways that are exciting and fun
for our moviegoers.
Is there a marketing campaign that comes to
mind that you felt made a difference?
Aronson: Deadpool was a campaign that
worked on every level and won the Publicists Guild
Award for Excellence.
Young: We were lucky to have filmmakers that
were extremely collaborative. Together we stayed
true to the character and to the fan base, and the
heart was evident in the campaign.
Cotliar: Given the excitement and appetite
for this particular title, we knew that partnering
with exhibitors to leverage their
premium large-format screens
would drive even more demand
for the film. We worked closely
with our exhibitor partners to
provide content in promoting
this experience, which certainly
paid off given the film’s success.
How have emerging
technologies changed the
way you communicate with
consumers?
Young: [With social media]
it’s great to hear feedback on
what we’re doing, so it’s not about what we’re doing
but about what people are able to tell us that’s
really cool.
Aronson: That’s one of the really attractive
things about Atom: harnessing social media to
encourage moviegoing in greater numbers.
Young: Moviegoing has always been a social
experience, and this is a great extension of it.
Cotliar: We leveraged Atom Tickets and their
community of Wolverine fans with a promotion to
receive a limited edition mini-poster if they purchased
advance tickets through the Atom app. This
is a perfect example of how technology and the
moviegoing experience both intersect and complement
one another.
poster art by Becky Cloonan
How do you feel about more interactive
platforms, like Snapchat, that are now open to
consumers?
Young: It’s more fun. Moviegoers have more
ways to interact and to go into the world that we’re
building. For them to also be able to respond and
share is great. n
164 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NEW TOOLS
boxofficeprofile
A NEW CINEMA-AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT TOOL FROM
WEBEDIA MOVIES PRO AND VERTIGO RESEARCH
>> In February 2017, Boxoffice Media parent company Webedia
Movies Pro and Vertigo Research, a French research firm
specializing in marketing and advertising studies, launched a new
joint venture to better
capture admissions data
in the United States. The
result is Boxoffice Profile,
an innovative tool
designed to track weekly
attendance, thus providing
users a granular
snapshot of cinema-audience
measurement. With
the support of NATO
and Screenvision Media
as launch partners,
Boxoffice Profile provides
tracking of each week’s
new releases, along with
a custom-built audience
profile for each title.
Featured insights include
audience reactions that
delve into a moviegoer’s
journey: what they
watch, when they watch
it, and what they take
away from the experience.
The tool is backed
by a robust methodology
designed to obtain
reliable and consistent
results, providing a title
profile the first week after
a film’s release.
Drawing from a new
set of 19,000 to 35,000
35,000,000
30,000,000
25,000,000
20,000,000
15,000,000
10,000,000
5,000,000
The Batman
Lego Movie
people throughout the United States each week, Boxoffice Profile
gathers moviegoing data through online interviews conducted
365 days a year. The methodology comes from Vertigo’s tested
cinema-audience measurement platform in Europe, launched in
the French market in July 2015 and used today by the country’s
MAPPING OF TOP 30 MOVIES—WEEK OF FEB. 10 TO FEB. 16, 2017
% MALE
% LESS
AGE 25
MOVIES RELEASED THIS WEEK
MOVIES RELEASED THIS WEEK—1ST TRENDS
MOVIES RELEASED PREVIOUS WEEKS
0
29,935,556
SING
TOTAL
ADMISSIONS
A DOG’S PURPOSE
RESIDENT EVIL:
THE FINAL CHAPTER
RINGS
SPLIT
ROGUE ONE
THE SPACE
BETWEEN US
% FEMALE
XXX
THE RETURN OF
XANDER CAGE
HIDDEN
FIGURES
Fifty
Shades
Darker
John
Wick
2
LA LA LAND
WEEK ADMISSIONS PROFILE—FEB. 10 TO 16, 2017
14,695,150
15,240,406
4,486,449
5,630,716
5,538,087
MOVIEGOERS AVERAGE AGE FROM WEEK 06 = 34.2 YEARS OLD
LION
% AGE
25 PLUS
FEMALE MALE 3–14 15–24 25–34 35–49 50 + FREQUENT REGULAR OCCASIONAL
7,639,695
6,640,608
6,309,429
18,795,332
4,830,795
leading advertising companies, media agencies, production companies,
and film distributors.
“We are excited to partner with Vertigo in offering this service
to the exhibition community
in the United
States,” says Webedia
Movies Pro and Boxoffice
Media CEO Julien
Marcel. “Having seen
its successful launch and
important value for the
European cinema market,
we know Boxoffice
Profile will represent an
important evolution in
the data services we provide
to our U.S. partners.
Being able to count on
important launch partners
such as NATO and
Screenvision is further
proof of the potential we
see in this tool moving
forward.”
Belgian exhibition circuit
Kinepolis, one of the
leading cinema operators
in Europe, is one of several
exhibition partners that
have used the service since
its launch. “Boxoffice
Profile by Vertigo allows
me to track the profile of
admissions at Kinepolis,
compare it with other circuits,
and define precisely
the admission profile of
each movie,” says Eric Meynel, international content director at Kinepolis.
“Weekly reports and analysis bring a brand-new perspective.
With its innovative and reliable methodology, this study is a great
dashboard that helps us reinforce the loyalty of our audience, expand
this group, and provide the most appropriate movie offering.” n
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 165

EXHIBITOR MARKETING
b r o u g h t t o y o u b y
DIGITAL TICKETING TODAY
HOW BOW TIE CINEMAS DEVELOPED ITS OWN TICKETING STRATEGY
Interview with Jared Milgram (left), VP Marketing and Food & Beverage, Bow Tie Cinemas
by James Devin, Chief Marketing Officer, Webedia Entertainment
BOW TIE CINEMAS:
A BRIEF HISTORY
Bow Tie Cinemas history begins
back in the year 1900, in the era of
the nickelodeon, when B.S. Moss
began his long and illustrious career
providing popular entertainment to
the public.
The business of operating street
front nickelodeons quickly gave way
to vaudeville, which was the heart
of B.S. Moss Theaters until the 1930s
when B.S. Moss sold his last vaudeville
theater and dedicated himself
fully to building and operating
motion picture theaters.
B.S. Moss Theaters were the springboard
of many famous vaudevillians.
The former Colony Theater on
Broadway was home to premieres
and exclusive engagements of early
Walt Disney films. The cartoon that
launched Mickey Mouse to the
world, Steamboat Willie, had its first
showing here. The Colony also premiered
Disney’s Fantasia, followed
by an exclusive run of that film for
more than a year in “Fantasound”
a revolutionary sound process for
the time.
>> When I first started working in the exhibition
industry in the spring of 2000, online movie ticket
sales was still in its infancy and the company I
worked for, Cinema-Source, was a tenant of Bow Tie
Partners, whose history in exhibition dates back to
the era of nickelodeons. Over the last 17 years we’ve
witnessed new evolutions in digital ticketing, Bow
Tie Cinemas has grown to 271 screens and owns the
No. 15 spot on our Giants of Exhibition list, and we
moved to a new office just down the road from the
building that is now the Connecticut headquarters
of Bow Tie Cinemas. Throughout it all, however, Bow
Tie has remained a valued partner and served as
proving ground through all of our shared evolutions
in marketing and technology.
Based on this history, and because Bow Tie has
employed a variety of native and third-party ticketing
solutions over the years, I sought out Bow Tie’s
Jared Milgram to get his perspective on the advantages
of these options. A third-generation member
of the film industry, Milgram joined Bow Tie Cinemas
in 2014 as vice president, marketing, and in 2016
added the responsibility of VP, food and beverage.
Later this year, Milgram will help launch Bow Tie’s
first luxury recliner theaters, featuring an enhanced
food menu and full bar service in select top markets.
What role does digital ticketing play in your
circuit, and when did you begin to see its
prevalence?
Digital ticketing allows us to maximize our
partnerships with third-party ticket providers.
Coupled with hosting our own ticketing on
BowTieCinemas.com, we are able to offer our
customers as many purchasing options as possible.
The influx of ticketing options helps our circuit
stay top of mind and competitive in our crowded
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets, selling more
tickets than before and strengthening our already
growing market share.
Why was it important for your circuit to develop
its own online and mobile-ticketing platforms?
2015 marked the introduction of our own online
and mobile-ticketing platforms. We communicate
with our customers in a variety of ways, and the
ability to internalize the process from discovery
through transaction is as important as providing ample
purchasing flexibility within our business model.
How has ticketing referral impacted your
business?
Google is such a vital tool for filmgoers, and we
see that every day in our organic SEO sessions and
search impressions. Leveraging that into conversions
on our own ticketing platform was the next logical
step in that process. Bow Tie is new to referral ticketing,
so while there is not much weekly or monthly
data to measure against, we have already seen a lift
in digital sales. As more tentpole movies open in
2017, they will generate greater search engagement,
urgency and, ultimately, more referral sales.
Have you seen any correlation between
loyalty club members and digital ticketing
purchases?
We offer both free and premium Criterion Club
loyalty memberships and those customers visit a
variety of locations ranging from luxury and megaplex
cinemas to unique art houses and neighborhood
theaters. Our loyalty members respond to digital
ticketing differently based on their preferred location
and film selection. Any positive correlation between
loyalty and digital ticketing can be linked to a combination
of exclusive advance sale offers, BTX (Bow
Tie Xtreme) large-format presentation, and reserved
seating. Being able to enter loyalty information and
obtain ticket rewards on our website, mobile app, and
third-party ticketing sites certainly gives members
more confidence to purchase digitally. If you want to
know more, you should join the Criterion Club!
166 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

RESTON TOWN CENTER 11 & BTX THEATER
Reston, Virginia
All stadium seating with luxury
leather rocking seats with cupholders plus
BTX: Bow Tie X-Treme—The Ultimate Digital Cinema
As a marketer, what strategies have you
employed to increase digital ticket sales?
Bow Tie reaches its customers through a very
strong communication network and works to give
every film the marketing attention it deserves.
Everything we push out from e-mail and search to
social contests and mobile gaming contains a call to
action encouraging advance ticket purchases, driving
traffic to our website or mobile app. Studios have
been proactive to partner and help generate demand
with exclusive incentives, opening day or weekend
rewards, limited BTX giveaways, and more. n
I’d love to hear your perspectives on marketing
and the digital ticketing landscape and where
you think we’re headed. Feel free to reach out to
me at james@webedia.us.
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 167

WOMEN IN GLOBAL EXHIBITION
EASTERN GIANT
INTERVIEW WITH YU XIN, CEO, GUANGDONG DADI THEATER CIRCUIT
by Daniel Loria
In collaboration with
Celluloid Junkie,
Boxoffice is proud
to introduce this new
feature recognizing
50 top female executives
in the global film
industry. This month
we begin the series
with Guangdong
Dadi Cinemas’s Yu Xin
(above), the CEO of
one of China’s most
important exhibition
circuits.
How did you first enter the exhibition industry?
The greatest luxury in life is to engage in work
that you love. I was motivated to enter the film
industry by my personal interest and love for the
business. At the same time, it also came from being
deeply optimistic about the development of the
Chinese film industry. I’m very honored to have
happened upon a period of such rapid development.
Can you tell us more about your current role at
Dadi?
I am currently Dadi Cinema Group’s CEO, and
I am responsible for the development of Dadi in
China.
What sets Dadi apart as an exhibition circuit in a
competitive market like China?
Dadi’s core competitive strength lies in our
standardized chain management capability. We’ve
created a unique management style where the head
office integrates a centralized marketing plan and
unifies show-time allotment management as well as
behind-the-scenes support. Through this centralized
process, we can achieve highly efficient management
and create an advantage of scale. Moreover, by
means of a standardized training system, we are able
to quickly bring talent up to speed in order to meet
the demands of our fast-developing company.
On the basis of the head office’s centralized
management model, Dadi can implement a
city-centered business structure, deepening city
management and satisfying the individual needs of
different regions.
Dadi’s business philosophy attaches great importance
to quality. In May 2016, Dadi announced
our own large-scale laser screen brand, STAR MAX,
a high-quality viewing experience for audiences. In
the next three years, 100 cinema auditoriums across
China will be equipped with STAR MAX screens.
Innovation is an important part of Dadi’s
corporate culture. We encourage personnel to
bring forth new ideas, while at the same time the
company itself is actively innovating. In 2015,
Dadi was the first within the film industry to
propose the “Film +” strategy, that is to create an
experiential cinema ecosystem combined with indepth
management of film communities to provide
audiences with diversified services, while at
the same time effectively linking multiple formats
and sharing resources. Currently our forays into
innovative concessions, retail sales, and the Internet
have made considerable headway. In 2017, we
will further innovate, combining filmic elements
with concert and stage play elements, thereby upgrading
film-screening spaces to become a kind of
interactive cultural and entertainment platform.
Dadi’s recent acquisition of Orange Sky Golden
Harvest (OSGH) has further solidified its
presence in mainland China. Could you tell us
a bit more about the deal and its impact on the
future of your circuit?
Before the acquisition, we predicted that
China’s exhibition industry would be restructured
in the next three to five years, and at present the
distribution of cinema-investment companies in
the market are rather scattered, so we had to seize
this opportunity to get out in front of the industry.
Acquiring OSGH had a very important strategic
significance.
After the acquisition, Dadi’s market share quickly
rose to 6.7 percent, strengthening our market position.
OSGH’s overall distribution was mainly in
China’s first- and second-tier cities, complementing
Dadi’s strength in second-, third-, and fourth-tier
cities. From a brand perspective, the acquisition
also made sense. After acquiring OSGH, we were
also better able to scale.
Dadi Cinema Group now operates 426 cinemas
with 2,442 screens across China, and holds a strong
second position among cinema-investment companies
in the country.
Does Dadi have ambitions of expanding its
presence outside China?
Dadi has always closely followed overseas
markets. If there’s an opportunity, we would begin
overseas expansion depending, of course, on actual
circumstances.
168 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

compiled by
What are some of the factors that you believe
have contributed to the growth of the cinema
industry in China?
Firstly, government policies. In recent years, the
government has placed the promotion of cultural
industries in an important position and has come
out with many incentives. Last year’s Film Promotion
Law (which is to go into effect March 1,
2017) will put even more policies into place.
Second is the strength of capital. Capital has
provided abundant funding toward the development
of the film industry. Even though it has also
brought about problems, capital is an indispensable
driving force for the industry’s development.
Do you believe this growth will continue or that
we will see the market stabilize and consolidate
in the coming years?
In recent years, China’s cinema industry has
developed at a breakneck speed. Everyone is
rushing in to stake their claim in the market. But
after readjusting to the growing pains following
2016’s slowdown at the box office, China’s film
industry can rightly return to a rational market
and develop in a healthy, stable direction.
I estimate there will be a two- to three-year
adjustment period, during which reorganization
and consolidation through mergers and
acquisitions will become a point of interest. In the
future, the market will reach equilibrium and a
smooth developmental condition will emerge.
How do you believe the moviegoing experience
will change in the next 10 to 15 years?
China has already stepped into the latter stages
of its industrial age where cultural consumption
has become predominant. Cinemas will become
an important location for social interaction. Apart
from computer hardware continually advancing,
the cinema will mix in more cultural elements
(gaming, music, stage productions). At the same
time, it will have the aid of new technologies
(virtual reality), allowing more interactivity for
audiences. n
Yu (Donna) Xin Guangdong Dadi Cinemas China
Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen Novo Cinema UAE
Amy Miles Regal Theatres USA
Renana Teperberg Cineworld/Picturehouse UK/Europe/Israel
Jennifer Douglass AMC USA
Corinne Thibau The Coca-Cola Company Belgium
Liu Rong Guangdong Dadi Cinemas China
Koh Mei Lee Golden Screen Cinemas Malaysia
Martine Odillard Les Cinémas Gaumont Pathé France
Maria Skoglund SF Bio Sweden
Veronica Lindholm Finnkino Finland
Nora Dashwood Pacific/Arclight USA
Clara Cheo Golden Village Singapore
Carol Welch Odeon UK UK & Ireland
Meileen Choo Cathay Organisation Singapore
Goharik Kotanjyan Cinema Park Russia/CIS
Barbara Twist Art House Convergence USA
Elizabeth Frank AMC Theatres USA
Mariam El Bacha MBO Malaysia
Frédérique Bredin CNC France
Karina Agadzhanova Cinema Star Russia/CIS
Sau Fong (Fiona) Chow Orange Sky China/Hong Kong SAR
Karen Stacey DCM UK
Fatima Djourme Europa Cinema Germany
Ann Stadler Marcus USA
Darryl Schaffer Screenvision USA
Jannicke Haugen Nordisk Film Norway
Elisabeth Halvorsen Bergen Kino/SF Norge Norway
Kathryn Jacobs Pearl & Dean UK
Maddy Probst Watershed/Europa Cinemas UK
Vilma Benitez Bardan Cinema Brazil
Edna Epelbaum Cinevital Switzerland
Melissa Cogavin ECA UK
Monica Ubillus-Verdeguer UVK Multicines Peru
Terry Lai Intercontinental holdings China (Hong Kong SAR)
Meryl Moser Cinerive Switzerland
Cheryl Wannell SAWA Global
Kinga Dołęga-Lesińska KinAds Poland
Michelle Walsh
Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas LLC
(VOX Cinemas)
UAE
Katja Uneborg Bio Rio Sweden
Elen Telje Bio Rio Sweden
Marie-Laure Couderc C2L France
Catharine Des Forges Independent Cinema Office UK
Marynia Gierat, Kino Pod Baranami Poland
Laura Fumagali Arcadia Italy
Sarah Lewthwaite Movio UK
Florence (Le Strat) Fayet Pathe France
Suzanna Renhuldt Svenska Bio Sweden
Alexandra Sterk Sterk Cinema AG Switzerland
Marit Sætre Færevåg Haugesund Kino Norway
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 169

CHINESE MARKET
THE NEXT CHAPTER
THE U.S. AND CHINA FILM INDUSTRIES FORGE A PATH TOWARD
COLLABORATION IN A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY
by Jonathan Papish
RUNAWAY HIT
Tommy Lee Jones captured an Oscar
for his performance in The Fugitive.
The film was a smash hit in China
with 1.4 million admissions.
>> As Hollywood and China
sit down for their latest round of
negotiations, both sides fraught
with uncertainty given the
current political landscape, it’s a
prudent time to look back at the
nearly 25 years since China first
opened its cinemas to revenue-sharing
Hollywood imports.
In 1994, China’s Ministry of
Radio, Film & Television, faced
with a depressed domestic film
market, approved a proposal to
import 10 Hollywood films per
year using a revenue-sharing
model. The films were to be
chosen on the basis that they
“basically reflected the finest
global cultural achievements and represented the
latest artistic and technological accomplishments
in contemporary world cinema.”
On November 12 of that year, The Fugitive
became the first-ever revenue-sharing Hollywood
import, opening in 56 movie theaters in six major
Chinese cities. A runaway success with 1.4 million
admissions nationwide and RMB 25.8 million
($3.15 million) in ticket sales, The Fugitive single-handedly
ushered in the age of the Hollywood
blockbuster in China.
But the film’s unprecedented box office achievement
would also elicit anxiety among regulators
and cultural scholars. Worried that an influx of
Western popular culture would erode China’s
own traditional heritage, authorities pulled The
Fugitive from screens in Beijing before its release
license expired. Remnants of this protectionist
behavior, though now more financially motivated
than cultural, can still be seen to this day through
unofficial “blackout” periods when imported films,
in favor of domestic fare, aren’t allowed entry into
the market.
The years following The Fugitive’s release were
a boon for Hollywood, with successful runs from
True Lies, The Lion King, and The Lost World: Jurassic
Park, and while the slice of box office revenue
from China was still negligible in terms of those
films’ global box office, Hollywood got a taste of
the Chinese market’s huge potential when Titanic
exploded with $44 million in ticket sales in 1998.
Unbelievably, James Cameron’s film would hold
the title of highest-grossing imported film for more
than a decade, even weathering the doubling of
China’s import quota to 20 when Hollywood and
China met for a second round of talks in 1999
as the country prepared to enter the World Trade
Organization.
The negotiations in 1999 also wielded an agreement
to give Hollywood studios a 13 to 17 percent
share of box office revenue from China. At the
time, the Chinese film market was still in its fledgling
stages and Hollywood, in the throes of its own
robust growth spurt, was yet to attach significant
importance to what would suddenly rise to become
the world’s second-largest film market.
Government incentives for cinema expansion
and a burgeoning consumer class drove the box
office boom to double-digit yearly growth in the
first decade of the new millennium. In 2008, with
the RMB 1.3 billion ($204 million) breakout performance
of yet another James Cameron–directed
blockbuster, Avatar, as well as China’s annual
box office breaking through the RMB 10 billion
threshold, Hollywood was eager to grab a bigger
slice of the Chinese market. Concerns over rampant
piracy also drove closer collaboration in negotiating
a push for an opening of the film quota.
China, for its part, was apt to return as well, with
their sights set on improving their own domestic
movie industry through reinvestment from Hollywood’s
growing box office returns and by learning
storytelling techniques and gaining technological
skills from a more mature market.
In 2012, then vice presidents of China and
the U.S., Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, along with
representatives of both film industries, reached an
agreement to raise the import quota to 34 films per
year. The additional 14 films would be classified
as “special format” films and would be screened in
3D and/or IMAX, giving added box office revenue
to both sides. Moreover, Hollywood studios would
now receive 25 percent of their films’ Chinese box
office revenue. The bilateral agreement, endorsed
in 2012 but not fully implemented into a contract
until 2015, expired in February of this year, setting
the stage for a new round of negotiations.
170 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

NEWS FROM THE CHINESE MARKET
WANDA’S DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS
DEAL HITS REGULATORY WALL
Real-estate conglomerate and entertainment
behemoth Dalian Wanda’s $1
billion acquisition of Dick Clark Productions
has hit a regulatory snag according
to TheWrap.com and Reuters, who cite
new Chinese government restrictions limiting
capital outflow. The deal to buy the
producer of the Golden Globe Awards
and the Miss American Pageant was first
announced in November 2016 and was
the latest move in Wanda’s ambitious
advancement into Hollywood following
its purchases of AMC Entertainment in
2012 and Legendary Entertainment in
early 2016. Concerns that the acquisition
would not receive regulatory approval
from the Trump Administration also
seem to have played a role in the failure
of the deal.
RECON ACQUIRES MILLENNIUM FILMS
Recon Holding, a Shenzhen-based
manufacturer of cable and wiring equipment,
acquired a 51 percent majority
stake in Millennium Films for $100
million. Millennium’s China-friendly
catalogue includes The Expendables,
Olympus Has Fallen and London Has
Fallen, and Jason Statham’s The Mechanic
series, films that have all performed more
strongly at the Chinese box office than
in North America. Up next for the Los
Angeles–based Millennium is The Hitman’s
Bodyguard starring Ryan Reynolds
and Samuel Jackson, Escobar with Javier
Bardem and Penelope Cruz, and Hunter
Killer featuring Gerard Butler and Gary
Oldman. Recon also owns the Aston Villa
Football Club, which it purchased in May
2016 for just under $75 million.
HUAHUA MEDIA & SHANGHAI MEDIA
GROUP (SMG) INVEST $1 BILLION IN
PARAMOUNT SLATE
Paramount first worked with Huahua
Media as its local marketing partner on
Transformers: Age of Extinction, which
became the highest-grossing imported
film of all time in China before ceding
that title to Furious 7. The two companies
continued their relationship through
partnerships on Spectre and Mission
Impossible: Rogue Nation. The $1 billion
investment will give Paramount a strong
foothold in the Chinese market through
Huahua’s knowledge of local tastes and
SMG’s exhibition and distribution prowess
in the country.
XXX: THE RETURN OF XANDER CAGE
BREAKS OUT AT CHINA BOX OFFICE
In February, the Paramount Pictures
action-sequel xXx: The Return of Xander
Cage, starring China heavyweight Vin
Diesel as well as local actors Donnie Yen
and Kris Wu, scored a $61.2 million
opening weekend in China, tripling the
film’s North American debut a month
earlier. Contributing to the Chinese box
office coup, Weying Technology leveraged
its position as China’s leading online
ticketing app to market the film across its
platforms. Key to the success was Weying’s
ability to target key opinion leaders
in third- and fourth-tier Chinese cities to
express their opinions about the movie
and generate organic word of mouth.
Dadi Cinemas Scoops Up Orange Sky
Golden Harvest As China’s Exhibition
Sector Consolidates
Dadi Cinema Group, currently
China’s second-highest-grossing cinema
investment company behind Wanda
Cinema Group, bought Orange Sky
Golden Harvest’s entire China operation
for a sum just below $500 million.
The deal solidified Dadi’s market share
position and will result in Dadi cinema
having 426 cinemas across the country
with 2,442 screens. It will also expand
the company’s reach into lower-tiered
Chinese cities currently fueling the box
office boom. n
LUNAR NEW YEAR BOX OFFICE HITS RECORD HIGHS
BUOYED BY SUBSIDIZED TICKETS
The weeklong Chinese New Year holiday has become the busiest moviegoing
period on the planet in recent years, with Chinese families turning out to
cinemas in record numbers. The 2017 holiday earned RMB 3.38 billion ($492
million), a 14 percent increase over the previous year’s record haul. Top-grossing
movies were the Tsui Hark–directed / Stephen Chow–produced sequel
Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons and the Sino-Indian co-production
Kung Fu Yoga starring Jackie Chan (pictured). Despite the record numbers,
audience reception for this year’s crop of Chinese New Year films paled in
comparison to last year’s when Stephen Chow’s The Mermaid became the first
film outside North America to gross $500 million in a single territory. The
increase in ticket sales this year was therefore attributed to cheaply subsidized
tickets flooding the market and incentivizing hordes of moviegoers to attend. n
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 171

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW
compiled by
MARCH
APRIL
2015 ends on a high with $38 billion in international
box office, with Europe, North America, China, and Asia
coming off a year that ended with the revitalized Bond,
Jurassic World, and Star Wars tentpoles. Fears are that
without such major franchises 2016 global box office will
suffer in comparison.
JANUARY
UK Odeon & UCI CEO Paul
Donovan is optimistic about
Terra Firma finding a buyer
for the UK/European chain on
the back of its innovation and
growth: retail sales up 18 percent
and BO up 13 percent as
Odeon overtakes Cineworld to
be the UK’s top cinema chain.
USA Andrew (Andy) England
replaces Kurt Hall as CEO and
director of National CineMedia,
after the company failed to
merge with Screenvision the
year before.
FRANCE Ymagis buys out the
40 percent it does not own of
its distribution platform from
Smartjog.
CHINA Media regulator SAP-
PRFT promises to crack down
on box office fraud after The
Vampire Killers was found to
have manipulated box office
earnings, while cinemas were
caught using “dual system”
ticketing machines. This will
prove ominous for box office in
China in 2016.
CHINA Wanda signs a deal
with Dolby to open 100 Dolby
Cinema auditoriums across
China in the next five years.
FEBRUARY
INDIA Carnival Cinemas sees
growth opportunities in tier
2 and 3 cities while Cinépolis
India will spend $73.25 million
to have 400 screens across India
by 2017. The Indian market
consolidates to just four major
players: PVR, Inox, Cinépolis
India, and Carnival.
USA Warner Bros. sells movie
review site Rotten Tomatoes
and film discovery site Flixster
to online ticketing major
Fandango on undisclosed
terms and gets a stake in the
Comcast-owned site in return.
GERMANY The cinema booking
platform DeinKinoTicket.
de, which is co-financed and
developed by the five biggest
cinema chains in Germany,
goes live.
CHINA More than 400 industry
leaders attend the first ever
“2016 China Micro Cinema /
K Theatre Industry Summit”
event in Changsa, showing the
growth of this important niche
market in China.
USA The Screening Room announces
intention to offer premium
service for day-and-date
film releases. Sean Parker’s
venture counts some notable
Hollywood backers but faces
a significant pushback by the
cinema industry at CinemaCon.
USA AMC announces plans
to buy Carmike cinemas,
meaning that the second- and
fourth-largest exhibitors would
together become the largest
chain in both the U.S. and the
world.
RUSSIA On the same day as
the AMC-Carmike shocker,
Russia’s largest chain, Cinema
Park, announces merger plans
with Formula Kino.
FRANCE Ymagis officially splits
into Cinema Next (cinema services)
and Eclair (post-production
services), while retaining
the Ymagis identity purely for
corporate matters.
INDIA PVR becomes the first
cinema chain in India to cross
the 500-screens mark.
USA/KOREA CJ 4DPLEX
expands its motion-seating
agreement with Regal to two
further sites, as 2016 proves to
be a popular year for immersive
seating.
USA Barco takes over the
14-screen Regal: L.A. Live cinema
in downtown Los Angeles
as a Hollywood test bed for
its technology and service
solutions.
UK Picturehouse becomes
the first exhibitor in the UK to
complete its virtual print fee
(VPF) payments.
USA CinemaCon sees vocal
opposition to the Screening
Room and a major focus on
China, while cinemas are encouraged
to embrace big data
and social media.
KOREA/TURKEY CJ CGV buys
Turkey’s MARS cinemas in an
$800 million deal that affirms
it as a global competitor to
Wanda, with cinemas in Korea,
Vietnam, China, Indonesia
(where it increased its stake
in CGV Blitz the same month),
and the U.S.
USA Ang Lee showcases an
extended clip from Billy Lynn’s
Long Halftime Walk at NAB using
120fps, 4K, high-brightness
3D, and immersive audio. The
technology impresses but the
film fails to gain traction with
critics and audiences upon its
release.
BELGIUM Competition authorities
only approve two of
Kinepolis’s intended acquisition
of Utopolis’s four cinemas
in Belgium.
SAUDI ARABIA There are
indications that the Islamic
Kingdom may finally allow
cinemas, but by the end of the
year there is still no clarity.
USA The majority of U.S.
cinema screens now get their
films via satellite according to
market leader Digital Cinema
Distribution Coalition.
172 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
USA Regal and AMC reveal
that re-seating to luxury recliners
is being accelerated and
will be a major focus for the
large exhibitors in 2016. While
seating capacity decreases,
attendance and revenue is
shown to increase.
CHINA Alibaba Pictures Group
(APG) invests $154 million in
China’s second-largest cinema
operator, Dadi. APG also raises
$260 million for its Taobao
Movies ticketing service, valuing
the service at $2.1 billion.
INDIA PVR’s acquisition of
DT Cinemas is approved by
competition authorities, but
PVR has to sell off sites and is
restricted from building new
multiplexes in the greater
Delhi region.
USA Cinemark is found not
liable in the civil suit brought
against it by the families of
the victims of the 2012 Aurora
mass shooting.
CANADA IMAX ventures
into the virtual reality (VR)
market by setting up IMAX VR
Experience Centers, with initial
installations planned for cinemas
in the UK, U.S., and China.
(IMAX also opens an immersive
cycling studio in New York
called ImaxShift.)
NORWAY Unique Digital and
Deluxe Technicolor Digital Cinema
sign a deal to form a digital-cinema-distribution
alliance
using Unique’s MovieTransit
network. Another retreat from
DCP distribution by the onetime
film services duopoly.
CHINA SMI Holdings acquires
Beijing Huaxia CMTS Urban
Ticketing System Technology
Company for CNY ¥1.5 billion
(USD $228 million).
SPAIN The CEOs of Carmike,
Nordic Cinema Group, Odeon
& UCI appear onstage together
with Jeffrey Katzenberg at
CineEurope—all of their
cinemas will be acquired by
AMC in the next seven months.
UK’s pro-Brexit vote at the
end of the conference throws
business into brief turmoil.
USA Pixar’s Finding Dory bows
to an estimated $136.1 million
opening weekend, a North
American record for biggest
opening weekend of an animated
feature.
CANADA AMC signs a 25-cinema
deal with IMAX. Cineworld
signs a five-screen deal, and
IMAX launches a home IMAX
version for $400,000.
USA Santikos fulfills promise
of opening the world’s first
multiplex featuring only laser
projectors, courtesy of partner
Barco.
CAMEROON Vivendi opens
the first of 100 planned cinemas
in Africa.
UK AMC emerges as the new
owner of the Odeon & UCI
Cinemas, making the Wanda-owned
group the world’s
largest cinema operator by
some margin. The £921 million
($1.199 billion) deal is made
cheaper by the pound’s fall in
value after the Brexit vote. The
same month it increases its offer
for Carmike to $1.2 billion.
UK Cineworld buys five cinema
from Empire cinemas, one of
which is the flagship Leicester
Square cinema in London,
and also including four IMAX
screens in a £94 million deal.
FRANCE Ymagis announces
EclairColor, its own HDR
solution for cinemas, which
will initially only work on Sony
SXRD projectors.
USA Doug Trumbull unveils
the MagiPod concept for hightech
premium small-format
cinema.
USA A handful of cinemas
screen the latest Star Trek film
in Barco’s Escape format, with
20 minutes of triptych screen
footage.
INDIA U.S. investor Stripes
Group leads a $80 million
funding round for Indian cinema
ticketing platform BookMy-
Show’s parent company.
FRANCE AlloCiné and Médiamétrie
launch separate
studies to measure cinema-going
habits.
CHINA Wanda signs a major
deal with RealD as well as a record
deal with IMAX, agreeing
to install another 150 large-format
screens in China over the
next six years. The deal brings
the total number of IMAX
screens built or committed in
China to 742.
USA CJ 4DPLEX signs a
contract with Regal to expand
4DX immersive seating to 40
cinemas by the end of 2018.
USA AMC and Dolby speed
up the deployment of Dolby
Cinema installations in AMC
multiplexes to 100 auditoriums
by the end of 2017, “seven
years ahead of the originally
announced schedule.”
THAILAND Cinema-industry
veteran Jim Patterson passes
away after a brief battle with
cancer. He was instrumental
in helping Major Cineplex and
other exhibitors grow.
NEW ZEALAND Vista announces
strategic tie-up with
Tencent affiliate WePiao to
grow further in the major
Chinese cinema market.
THE NETHERLANDS André
Rieu 2016 Maastricht Concert
becomes the highest-grossing
music event cinema projection,
earning £1.4 million in the
UK alone.
UK Cineworld confirms plans
to open ten 4DX cinemas in
the next 10 months.
174 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
USA Fandango partners with
Facebook to sell cinema tickets
directly to Facebook users.
CHINA Dalian Wanda group
saw its first half-year net profits
increase by 28 percent to $120
million and gross revenues
increase by 64 percent to $854
million. Yet the Chinese cinema
market sees signs of decline in
the second half of 2016 after a
lackluster box office summer in
which Warcraft dominated.
INDIA PVR plans to raise $37
million in non-convertible
debentures (NCD) to fund
growth, while rival Cinépolis
plans to invest $120 million
over the next six year to expand
from 269 screens to 600
screens across India.
UK Everyman plans to double
its screen count within the
next five years from 20 to 40
across London and the UK.
ITALY A scheme to promote
moviegoing is launched in
Italy, whereby cinema tickets
sell for just €2 one Wednesday
per month.
GERMANY SmartPricer
extends its partnership with
UCI to one more cinema for
the company’s dynamic-pricing-platform
trial.
BELGIUM Kinepolis sells four
of the former Utopias cinemas
to rival UGC.
FRANCE Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp
sells two of its multiplexes
to Gaumont Pathé.
UK IMAX to open its first European
virtual reality (VR) entertainment
center in Manchester
in partnership with Odeon.
INDIA Carnival Cinema
becomes the first multiplex
operator in India to launch an
“Unlimited” monthly pass.
CHINA The world’s second-biggest
market by revenue
overtakes the U.S. in terms
of cinema-screen numbers, yet
celebration proves short-lived
as box office stagnates in the
second half of 2016.
USA Marcus Theatres acquires
Wehrenberg Theatres, the oldest
and largest family-owned
cinema operator in the U.S.
FRANCE Ymagis acquires the
outstanding 50.2 percent stake
in DSAT Cinema from Eutelsat,
making it wholly owned by
Ymagis.
INDIA Demonetization (withdrawal
of 500 and 1,000 rupee
banknotes) hits Indian cinemas
hard—along with the rest of
the country’s economy.
UK Paul Donovan steps
down as CEO of Odeon & UCI
Cinemas as the deal for it to be
acquired by AMC closes.
SOUTH KOREA 4DX passes
300 cinema screens in 42
countries.
UK Odeon becomes the first
cinema in the UK to launch a
Facebook Messenger Chatbot,
designed by Gruvi.
SINGAPORE Film producer
MM2 Entertainment acquires
13 cinemas in neighboring
Malaysia from Lotus Five Star
Cinemas.
PERU Fandango acquires Latin
American ticket seller Cinepapaya
for an undisclosed price, its
second South American acquisition
following Brazilian ticketing
platform Ingresso.com.
CHINA E-commerce giant Alibaba
invests in Dublin-based
cinema data company Showtime
Analytics.
SINGAPORE/INDONESIA
A surprise $260.7 million
investment by Singaporean
sovereign wealth fund GIC into
Indonesia’s PT Nusantara Sejahtera
Raya (NSR), which operates
Cinema 21, highlighting
the growth potential in Asian
countries other than China.
INDIA The Supreme Court has
mandated that all cinemas
must play the Indian National
Anthem before the showing of
films, during which the Indian
flag must be shown and audiences
must stand.
FRANCE Ymagis acquires the
assets of theatrical content-delivery
business from Italy’s
Open Sky SRL.
USA Legendary projectionist
Charles Aidikoff Dies at 101.
USA Coca-Cola celebrates
100 years on the big screen,
since it first appeared in the
background of the Douglas
Fairbanks detective spoof The
Case of the Leaping Fish.
176 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

COMING SOON IN 3D
GHOST IN THE SHELL
MARCH 31 · PARAMOUNT
CAST Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbaek
DIR Rupert Sanders
GENRE Act/Thr/SF
SPECS 3D
THE BOSS BABY
MARCH 31 · FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
VOICE CAST Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey
DIR Tom McGrath
GENRE Ani/Com/Fam
SPECS 3D/Dolby Dig
SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE
APRIL 7 · SONY/COLUMBIA
VOICE CAST Demi Lovato, Mandy Patinkin
DIR Kelly Asbury
GENRE Ani/Com/Fam
SPECS 3D
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
MAY 5 · DISNEY
CAST Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana
DIR James Gunn
GENRE Act/Adv/SF
SPECS 3D/IMAX/Dolby Dig
KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD
MAY 12 · WARNER BROS.
CAST Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Bergés-Frisbey
DIR Guy Ritchie
GENRE Act/Adv
SPECS 3D/IMAX
THE NUT JOB 2: NUTTY BY NATURE
MAY 19 · OPEN ROAD
VOICE CAST Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl
DIR Cal Brunker
GENRE Ani/Com/Fam
SPECS 3D
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES
MAY 26 · DISNEY
CAST Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush
DIR Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
GENRE Act/Adv
SPECS 3D/IMAX/Dolby Dig
CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS
JUNE 2 · FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
VOICE CAST Kevin Hart, Ed Helms
DIR David Soren
GENRE Ani/Com/Fam
SPECS 3D
CARS 3
JUNE 16 · DISNEY
VOICE CAST Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo
DIR Brian Fee
GENRE Ani/Adv/Fam
SPECS 3D
178 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

ALSO UPCOMING IN 3D
2017
JUN 30 UNIVERSAL DESPICABLE ME 3
JUL 7 SONY/COLUMBIA SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
JUL 21
STX ENTERTAINMENT
AUG 4 SONY/COLUMBIA THE EMOJI MOVIE
VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND
PLANET
SEP 22 WARNER BROS. THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE
NOV. 3 DISNEY THOR: RAGNAROK
NOV 10 SONY/COLUMBIA THE STAR
NOV 22 DISNEY COCO
DEC 15 DISNEY STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII
DEC 22 FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION FERDINAND
2018
FEB 9 WARNER BROS. UNTITLED WARNER ANIMATION PROJECT
FEB 16 DISNEY BLACK PANTHER
FEB 16 FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION LARRIKINS
MAR 9 DISNEY WRECK-IT RALPH SEQUEL
MAR 16 WARNER BROS. TOMB RAIDER
MAR 23 FOX ANUBIS
APR 6 DISNEY A WRINKLE IN TIME
APR 20 WARNER BROS. RAMPAGE
MAY 4 DISNEY AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
MAY 18 FOX/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3
MAY 25 DISNEY UNTITLED HAN SOLO PROJECT
JUN 15 DISNEY THE INCREDIBLES 2
JUL 6 DISNEY ANT-MAN AND THE WASP
JUL 13 SONY/COLUMBIA HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3
SEP 21 WARNER BROS. S.C.O.O.B.
OCT 19 WARNER BROS. JUNGLE BOOK
NOV 2 DISNEY MULAN
NOV 9
UNIVERSAL
NOV 21 DISNEY GIGANTIC
DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE
CHRISTMAS
DEC 21 SONY/COLUMBIA UNTITLED ANIMATED SPIDER-MAN FILM
2019
FEB 8 WARNER BROS. THE LEGO MOVIE SEQUEL
MAR 8 DISNEY CAPTAIN MARVEL
MAY 3 DISNEY UNTITLED AVENGERS
JUN 21 DISNEY TOY STORY 4
JUL 26 SONY SPA ANIMATED FRANCHISE 1
NOV 27 DISNEY UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION FILM 2
DEC 25 SONY SPA ANIMATED FRANCHISE 2
2020
MAR 13 DISNEY UNTITLED PIXAR ANIMATION FILM 1
APR 3 SONY SPA ANIMATED FRANCHISE 3
JUN 19 DISNEY UNTITLED PIXAR ANIMATION FILM 2
SEP 25 SONY SPA ANIMATED FRANCHISE 4
NOV 25 DISNEY UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION FILM 3
DEC 18 SONY VIVO
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 179

COMING SOON
SABAN’S POWER RANGERS
MARCH 24 WIDE
n Saban’s Power Rangers follows five ordinary teens who must become
something extraordinary when they learn that their small
town of Angel Grove—and the world—is on the verge of being
obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes
quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet.
But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and
before it’s too late, band together as the Power Rangers.
DISTRIBUTOR LIONSGATE CAST DACRE MONTGOMERY, NAOMI SCOTT, RJ CYLER,
BECKY G, LUDI LIN, BILL HADER, BRYAN CRANSTON, ELIZABETH BANKS DIRECTOR
DEAN ISRAELITE GENRE ACTION, ADVENTURE, SCI-FI RATING PG-13 FOR SEQUENCES
OF SCI-FI VIOLENCE, ACTION AND DESTRUCTION, LANGUAGE, AND FOR SOME CRUDE
HUMOR RUNNING TIME TBD
PICTURED ELIZABETH BANKS
180 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

CHIPS
MARCH 24 WIDE
n Jon Baker and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello have just joined the
California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Los Angeles but for very different
reasons. Baker is a beaten up pro motorbiker trying to put his
life and marriage back together. Poncherello is a cocky undercover
Federal agent investigating a multimillion-dollar heist that
may be an inside job—inside the CHP. The film is based on the
popular 1970s television show that ran for six seasons until 1983.
DISTRIBUTOR WARNER BROS. CAST DAX SHEPARD, MICHAEL PEÑA, VINCENT
D’ONOFRIO, ADAM BRODY, ROSA SALAZAR, VIDA GUERRA, KRISTEN BELL DIRECTOR
DAX SHEPARD GENRE ACTION, COMEDY, CRIME RATING R FOR CRUDE SEXUAL
CONTENT, GRAPHIC NUDITY, PERVASIVE LANGUAGE, SOME VIOLENCE AND DRUG USE
RUNNING TIME 100 MIN.
PICTURED MICHAEL PEÑA AND DAX SHEPARD
LIFE
MARCH 24 WIDE
n Life is a terriying sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard
the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns
to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life form
that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and
all life on Earth. Life scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are the
writing team behind the critical and box office hit Zombieland.
DISTRIBUTOR SONY/COLUMBIA CAST JAKE GYLLENHAAL, REBECCA FERGUSON, RYAN
REYNOLDS, HIROYUKI SANADA, ARIYON BAKARE, OLGA DIHOVICHNAYA DIRECTOR
DANIEL ESPINOSA GENRE HORROR, SCI-FI, THRILLER RATING TBD RUNNING TIME
TBD
PICTURED JAKE GYLLENHAAL
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 181

COMING SOON
WILSON
MARCH 24 LIMITED
n Woody Harrelson stars as Wilson, a lonely, neurotic and hilariously
honest middle-aged misanthrope who reunites with his estranged
wife (Laura Dern) and gets a shot at happiness when he
learns he has a teenage daughter (Isabella Amara) he has never
met. In his uniquely outrageous and slightly twisted way, he sets
out to connect with her.
DISTRIBUTOR FOX SEARCHLIGHT CAST WOODY HARRELSON, LAURA DERN, ISABELLA
AMARA, JUDY GREER, CHERYL HINES, BRETT GELMAN DIRECTOR CRAIG JOHNSON
GENRE COMEDY RATING R FOR LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT AND SOME SEXUALITY
RUNNING TIME 94 MIN.
PICTURED WOODY HARRELSON
182 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

GHOST IN THE SHELL
MARCH 31 WIDE
n Based on the internationally acclaimed sci-fi property, Ghost
in the Shell follows Major, a one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid,
who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the
most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with
an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s
advancements in cyber technology.
DISTRIBUTOR PARAMOUNT/DREAMWORKS CAST SCARLETT JOHANSSON, MICHAEL
PITT, PILOU ASBÆK, CHIN HAN, JULIETTE BINOCHE DIRECTOR RUPERT SANDERS
GENRE ACTION, DRAMA, SCI-FI RATING TBD RUNNING TIME TBD
PICTURED SCARLETT JOHANSSON
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 183

COMING SOON
THE BOSS BABY
MARCH 31 WIDE
n A hilariously universal story about
how a new baby’s arrival impacts a
family, told from the point of view
of a delightfully unreliable narrator,
a wildly imaginative 7-year-old
named Tim.
DISTRIBUTOR FOX VOICE CAST ALEC
BALDWIN, STEVE BUSCEMI, JIMMY KIMMEL, LISA
KUDROW DIRECTOR TOM MCGRATH GENRE
ANIMATION, COMEDY, FAMILY RATING PG FOR
SOME MILD RUDE HUMOR RUNNING TIME TBD
THE BLACKCOAT’S
DAUGHTER
MARCH 31 LIMITED
n Kat and Rose are left alone at their
prep school over winter break when
their parents mysteriously fail to pick
them up. While the girls experience
increasingly strange and creepy
occurrences at the isolated school,
we cross cut to another story—that
of Joan, a troubled young woman on
the road, who, for unknown reasons,
is determined to get to Bramford as
fast as she can. As Joan gets closer to
the school, Kat becomes plagued by
progressively intense and horrifying
visions, with Rose doing her best
to help her new friend as she slips
further and further into the grasp
of an unseen evil force. The movie
suspensefully builds to the moment
when the two stories will finally intersect,
setting the stage for a shocking
and unforgettable climax.
DISTRIBUTOR A24 CAST EMMA ROBERTS,
KIERNAN SHIPKA, LUCY BOYNTON DIRECTOR
OZ PERKINS GENRE HORROR, THRILLER RATING
R FOR BRUTAL BLOODY VIOLENCE AND BRIEF
STRONG LANGUAGE RUNNING TIME 93 MIN.
PICTURED EMMA ROBERTS
184 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

THE ZOOKEEPER’S
WIFE
MARCH 31 LIMITED
n In 1939, Antonina Zabinski and
her husband have the Warsaw Zoo
flourishing. When their country
is invaded by the Nazis, Jan and
Antonina are stunned—and
forced to report to the Reich’s newly
appointed chief zoologist. The
Zabinskis covertly begin working
with the Resistance—and put into
action plans to save lives.
DISTRIBUTOR FOCUS FEATURES CAST
JESSICA CHASTAIN, JOHAN HELDENBERGH
DIRECTOR NIKI CARO GENRE BIOGRAPHY,
DRAMA, HISTORY RATING PG-13 FOR
THEMATIC ELEMENTS, DISTURBING IMAGES,
VIOLENCE, BRIEF SEXUALITY, NUDITY, AND
SMOKING RUNNING TIME TBD
PICTURED JESSICA CHASTAIN
CEZANNE ET MOI
APRIL 7 LIMITED
n Cézanne et Moi chronicles the
friendship between Cézanne, who
was born into a wealthy family
but struggled to make a living as a
painter, and Zola, who came from
a poor background but achieved
notoriety as a novelist. The film
traces the parallel paths of their
lives and careers from Aix-en-
Provence to Paris, while exploring
their fears and ambitions.
DISTRIBUTOR MAGNOLIA PICTURES CAST
GUILLAUME CANET, GUILLAUME GALLIENNE,
ALICE POL DIRECTOR DANIÈLE THOMPSON
GENRE BIOGRAPHY, DRAMA RATING R
FOR LANGUAGE, SEXUAL REFERENCES AND
NUDITY RUNNING TIME 117 MIN.
PICTURED GUILLAUME CANET AND
GUILLAUME GALLIENNE
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 185

COMING SOON
GIFTED
APRIL 7 LIMITED
n Frank Adler is a single man raising a child prodigy in a coastal
town in Florida. Frank’s plans for a normal school life for Mary are
foiled when her mathematical abilities come to the attention of
Frank’s formidable mother, Evelyn, whose plans for her granddaughter
threaten to separate Frank and Mary. Octavia Spencer
plays Roberta, Frank and Mary’s landlady and best friend. Jenny
Slate is Mary’s teacher, Bonnie, a young woman whose concern
for her student develops into a connection with her uncle as well.
DISTRIBUTOR FOX SEARCHLIGHT CAST CHRIS EVANS, MCKENNA GRACE, LINDSAY
DUNCAN, JENNY SLATE, OCTAVIA SPENCER DIRECTOR MARC WEBB GENRE DRAMA
RATING PG-13 FOR THEMATIC ELEMENTS, LANGUAGE AND SOME SUGGESTIVE
MATERIAL RUNNING TIME TBD
PICTURED MCKENNA GRACE AND CHRIS EVANS
186 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

GRADUATION
APRIL 7 LIMITED
n Romeo Aldea is a doctor living in a small village in Romania. It
is his expectation that his daughter Eliza will attend school overseas
once she turns 18. Eliza is awarded a scholarship to study in
the UK, but she just has to pass her final exams. Prior to her final
exam, Eliza is attacked which places her future in jeopardy. Aldea
has a decision to make but his choices could conflict with the
guiding principles which he has instilled in his daughter.
DISTRIBUTOR IFC FILMS CAST ADRIAN TITIENI, MARIA-VICTORIA DRAGUS, LIA
BUGNAR, VLAD IVANOV DIRECTOR CRISTIAN MUNGIU GENRE DRAMA RATING R FOR
SOME LANGUAGE RUNNING TIME 128 MIN.
PICTURED ADRIAN TITIENI AND MARIA-VICTORIA DRAGUS
GOING IN STYLE
APRIL 7 WIDE
n Lifelong buddies Willie, Joe, and Al decide to buck retirement
and step off the straight-and-narrow for the first time in their lives
when their pension fund becomes a corporate casualty. Desperate
to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, the
three risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very
bank that absconded with their money. Going in Style is a remake
of the 1979 George Burns, Art Carney, Lee Strasberg comedy.
DISTRIBUTOR WARNER BROS./NEW LINE CAST MORGAN FREEMAN, MICHAEL
CAINE, ALAN ARKIN, ANN-MARGRET, JOEY KING, MATT DILLON, CHRISTOPHER LLOYD
DIRECTOR ZACH BRAFF GENRE COMEDY, CRIME RATING PG-13 FOR DRUG CONTENT,
LANGUAGE AND SOME SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL RUNNING TIME TBD
PICTURED ALAN ARKIN, MORGAN FREEMAN, AND MICHAEL CAINE
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 187

COMING SOON
SMURFS:
THE LOST VILLAGE
APRIL 7 WIDE
n When Smurfette accidentally
crosses paths with a mysterious creature
that takes off into the Enchanted
Forest, she follows, and sets off into
the uncharted and strictly forbidden
woods. Joined by her brothers and
with the evil wizard Gargamel shadowing
their every step, Team Smurf
undertakes a wild journey full of
action, danger and discovery, setting
them on a course that leads to the
biggest mystery of all.
DISTRIBUTOR SONY/COLUMBIA VOICE
CAST DEMI LOVATO, MANDY PATINKIN, JACK
MCBRAYER GENRE ANIMATION, ADVENTURE,
COMEDY RATING PG FOR SOME MILD ACTION
AND RUDE HUMOR RUNNING TIME TBD
PICTURED DEMI LOVATO WITH SMURFETTE
THEIR FINEST
APRIL 7 LIMITED
n The year is 1940. With the nation
devastated by the war, the British
ministry turns to propaganda films
to boost morale at home. Realizing
their films could use “a woman’s
touch,” the ministry hires Catrin Cole
(Gemma Arterton) as a scriptwriter
in charge of writing the female dialogue.
Although her artist husband
looks down on her job, Catrin’s natural
flair quickly gets her noticed by
charming lead scriptwriter Buckley.
DISTRIBUTOR STX ENTERTAINMENT CAST
GEMMA ARTERTON, SAM CLAFLIN, BILL NIGHY,
JACK HUSTON DIRECTOR LONE SCHERFIG
GENRE COMEDY, DRAMA, ROMANCE RATING
R FOR SOME LANGUAGE AND A SCENE OF
SEXUALITY RUNNING TIME 117 MIN.
PICTURED GEMMA ARTERTON
188 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

COLOSSAL
APRIL 7 LIMITED
n Gloria is a hard-partying girl who
is thrust into crisis when her boyfriend
grows sick of her antics and
kicks her out. With no other options,
she moves back to her hometown
and quickly regresses, drinking
every night and accepting a job at
a bar. One day she wakes up and
finds out that Seoul was terrorized
by a giant creature the night before.
Eventually, Gloria begins to suspect
her own drunken actions are bizarrely
connected to the monster.
DISTRIBUTOR NEON CAST ANNE HATHAWAY,
JASON SUDEIKIS, DAN STEVENS, TIM BLAKE
NELSON DIRECTOR NACHO VIGALONDO
GENRE SCIENCE-FICTION RATING TBD
RUNNING TIME 110 MIN.
PICTURED ANNE HATHAWAY
THE FATE OF THE
FURIOUS
APRIL 14 WIDE
n Now that Dom and Letty are on
their honeymoon and Brian and
Mia have retired from the game,
the globetrotting team has found a
semblance of a normal life. But when
a mysterious woman seduces Dom
into the world of crime he can’t seem
to escape and a betrayal of those
closest to him, they will face trials
that will test them as never before.
DISTRIBUTOR UNIVERSAL CAST VIN DIESEL,
DWAYNE JOHNSON, JASON STATHAM, MICHELLE
RODRIGUEZ, TYRESE GIBSON DIRECTOR F.
GARY GRAY GENRE ACTION, CRIME, THRILLER
RATING PG-13 FOR PROLONGED SEQUENCES
OF VIOLENCE AND DESTRUCTION, SUGGESTIVE
CONTENT, AND LANGUAGE RUNNING TIME TBD
PICTURED DWAYNE JOHNSON
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 189

COMING SOON
THE LOST CITY OF Z
APRIL 14 NY/LA (WIDE ON APR 21)
n The film tells the incredible true story of
British explorer Percy Fawcett, who journeys
into the Amazon at the dawn of the 20th
century and discovers evidence of a previously
unknown, advanced civilization that may
have once inhabited the region. Despite being
ridiculed by the scientific establishment who
regard indigenous populations as “savages,”
the determined Fawcett—supported by his
devoted wife, son, and aide-de-camp—returns
time and again to his beloved jungle in an
attempt to prove his case, culminating in his
mysterious disappearance in 1925.
DISTRIBUTOR AMAZON STUDIOS/BLEECKER STREET CAST
CHARLIE HUNNAM, ROBERT PATTINSON, SIENNA MILLER,
TOM HOLLAND DIRECTOR JAMES GRAY GENRE ACTION,
ADVENTURE, BIOGRAPHY RATING PG-13 FOR VIOLENCE,
DISTURBING IMAGES, BRIEF STRONG LANGUAGE AND SOME
NUDITY RUNNING TIME 141 MIN.
PICTURED CHARLIE HUNNAM
190 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

TOMMY’S HONOUR
APRIL 14 WIDE
n Set against the early days of the sport and stunning landscape
of Scotland, Tommy’s Honour is based on the intimate and powerfully
moving true story of the challenging relationship between
“Old” Tom Morris and “Young” Tommy Morris, the dynamic
father-son team who ushered in the modern game of golf. As
their fame grew exponentially, Tom and Tommy, Scotland’s Golf
Royalty, were touched by drama and personal tragedy. At first
matching his father’s success, Tommy’s talent and fame grew to
outshine his father’s accomplishments as founder of the Open
Championship in 1860, his stellar playing record, and his reputation
as the local caddie master, greenskeeper and club & ball
maker. In contrast to his public persona, Tommy’s inner
turmoil ultimately led him to rebel against the aristocracy who
gave him opportunity, led by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club
of St. Andrews chief Alexander Boothby, and the parents who
shunned his passionate relationship with his girlfriend-then-wife
Meg Drinnen
DISTRIBUTOR ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS CAST PETER MULLAN, JACK LOWDEN,
OPHELIA LOVIBOND, SAM NEILL DIRECTOR JASON CONNERY GENRE DRAMA
RATING PG FOR THEMATIC ELEMENTS, SOME SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL, LANGUAGE AND
SMOKING RUNNING TIME 112 MIN.
PICTURED PETER MULLAN
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 191

EVENT CINEMA CALENDAR
FATHOM EVENTS fathomevents.com / 855-473-4612
MINDGAMERS: ONE THOUSAND MINDS CONNECTED LIVE
Tues, 3/28/17
Technology
FACING DARKNESS
Thurs, 3/30/17
Inspirational
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
Sun, 4/2/17 & Wed, 4/5/17
Classic Film
THE CASE FOR CHRIST LIVE EVENT
Thurs, 4/6/17
Inspirational
BOLSHOI BALLET: A HERO OF OUR TIME
Sun, 4/9/17
Ballet
RIFFTRAX LIVE: SAMURAI COP
Thurs, 4/13/17 & Tues, 4/18/17
Comedy
BOSTON: AN AMERICAN RUNNING STORY
Wed, 4/19/17
Documentary
MET LIVE IN HD: EUGENE ONEGIN
Sat, 4/22/17
Opera
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: THE GRADUATE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Sun, 4/23/17 & Wed, 4/26/17
Classic Film
TED CINEMA EXPERIENCE: TED2017 OPENING EVENT
Mon, 4/24/17
Conference
TED CINEMA EXPERIENCE: TED2017 PRIZE EVENT
Tues, 4/25/17
Conference
CHONDA PIERCE: ENOUGH
Tues, 4/25/17
Comedy
MET LIVE IN HD ENCORE: EUGENE ONEGIN
Wed, 4/26/17
Opera
TED CINEMA EXPERIENCE: TED2017 HIGHLIGHTS EXCLUSIVE
Sun, 4/30/17
Conference
JONAH: ON STAGE!
Tues, 5/2/2017
Theatre
MET LIVE IN HD: DER ROSENKAVALIER
Sat, 5/13/2017 & Wed, 5/17/17
Opera
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT 40TH
ANNIVERSARY
Sun, 5/21/17 and Wed, 5/24/17
Classic Film
192 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: THE GODFATHER 45TH ANNIVERSARY
Sun, 6/4/17 and Wed, 6/7/17
Classic Film
2017 CLIBURN COMPETITION LIVE IN CINEMAS
Sat, 6/10/17
Performing Arts
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: SOME LIKE IT HOT
Sun, 6/11/17 and Wed, 6/14/17
Classic Film
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH
35TH ANNIVERSARY
Sun, 7/30/17 & Wed, 8/2/17
Classic Film
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: BONNIE AND CLYDE 50TH
ANNIVERSARY
Sun, 8/13/17 and Wed, 8/16/17
Classic Film
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL 35TH
ANNIVERSARY (1982)
Sun, 9/17/17 and Wed, 9/20/17
Classic Film
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: THE PRINCESS BRIDE 30TH
ANNIVERSARY (1987)
Sun, 10/15/17 and Wed, 10/19/17
Classic Film
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: CASABLANCA 75TH ANNIVERSARY
(1942)
Sun, 11/12/17 and Wed, 11/15/17
Classic Film
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER 50TH
ANNIVERSARY (1967)
Sun, 12/10/17 and Wed, 12/13/17
Classic Film
ROYAL OPERA HOUSE
MADAMA BUTTERFLY
Thurs, 3/30/17
Opera
roh.org.uk/cinemas • cinema@roh.org.uk
JEWELS
Tue, 4/11/17
Ballet
THE DREAM / SYMPHONIC
VARIATIONS / MARGUERITE
AND ARMAND
Wed, 6/7/17
Ballet
OTELLO
Wed, 6/28/17
Opera
SPECTICAST specticast.com • 866-996-2842
THREE COMRADES
Thu, 4/13/17
Theatre
LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST
Sat, 4/29/17
Theatre
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 193

BOOKING GUIDE
TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS
A24 646-568-6015
THE BLACKCOAT’S DAUGHTER
FREE FIRE
Fri, 3/31/17 LTD.
Fri, 4/21/17 WIDE
Emma Roberts
Kiernan Shipka
Sharlto Copley
Armie Hammer
Osgood Perkins R Hor
Ben Wheatley R Com/Act
THE LOVERS Fri, 5/5/17 NY/LA Debra Winger, Tracy Letts Azazel Jacobs NR Rom/Com
IT COMES AT NIGHT Fri, 6/9/17 WIDE Joel Edgerton, Riley Keough Trey Edward Shults NR Hor
A GHOST STORY Fri, 7/17/17 LTD. Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck David Lowery NR Dra/SF/Fan
DISNEY 818-560-1000 Ask for Distribution
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Fri, 3/17/17 WIDE Emma Watson, Dan Stevens Bill Condon PG Mus/Rom/Fan 3D/IMAX
BORN IN CHINA Fri, 4/21/17 WIDE John Krasinski Chuan Lu G Doc
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 Fri, 5/5/17 WIDE Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana James Gunn NR Act/Adv/SF 3D/IMAX/Dolby Dig
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES
Fri, 5/26/17 WIDE
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom
Joachim Rønning
Espen Sandberg
NR Act/Adv 3D/IMAX/Dolby Dig
CARS 3 Fri, 6/16/17 WIDE Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo Brian Fee NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D
UNTITLED DISNEY LIVE ACTION FAIRY TALE 1 Fri, 7/28/17 WIDE NR Fan
THOR: RAGNAROK
Fri, 11/3/17 WIDE
Tom Hiddleston
Chris Hemsworth
Taika Waititi NR Act/Adv/Fan 3D/IMAX
COCO Fri, 11/22/17 WIDE Benjamin Bratt Lee Unkrich NR Ani
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
Fri, 12/15/17 WIDE
Daisy Ridley, John Boyega
Oscar Isaac
Rian Johnson NR Act/Adv/SF 3D/IMAX/Dolby Dig
BLACK PANTHER
Fri, 2/16/18 WIDE
Chadwick Boseman
Lupita Nyong’o
Ryan Coogler NR Act/Adv/SF 3D/IMAX
WRECK-IT RALPH SEQUEL
Fri, 3/9/18 WIDE
John C. Reilly
Sarah Silverman
Phil Johnston, Rich Moore NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D/IMAX
A WRINKLE IN TIME
Fri, 4/6/18 WIDE
Oprah Winfrey
Reese Witherspoon
Ava DuVernay NR Fan 3D/IMAX
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
Fri, 5/4/18 WIDE
Robert Downey Jr.
Chris Evans
Anthony Russo & Joe Russo NR Act/Adv/SF 3D/IMAX
UNTITLED HAN SOLO STAR WARS
ANTHOLOGY FILM
Fri, 5/25/18 WIDE
Alden Ehrenreich
Donald Glover
Phil Lord
Christopher Miller
NR Act/Adv/SF 3D/IMAX/Dolby Dig
THE INCREDIBLES 2 Fri, 6/15/18 WIDE 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
UNTITLED DISNEY LIVE ACTION 1 Fri, 8/3/18 WIDE NR
MULAN Fri, 11/2/18 WIDE NR Act/Adv 3D/IMAX
GIGANTIC Fri, 11/21/18 WIDE Nathan Greno, Meg LeFauve NR Ani
MARY POPPINS RETURNS
Fri, 12/25/18 WIDE
Emily Blunt
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Rob Marshall NR Fam/Fan
FOCUS FEATURES 424-214-6360
RAW Fri, 3/10/17 LTD. Garance Marillier Julia Ducournau R Hor/Thr
THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE
Fri, 3/31/17 LTD.
Jessica Chastain
Johan Heldenbergh
Niki Caro PG-13 Bio/Dra/His
THE BOOK OF HENRY Fri, 6/16/17 LTD. Naomi Watts, Lee Pace Colin Trevorrow PG-13 Dra
THE BEGUILED Fri, 6/23/17 LTD. Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman Sofia Coppola NR Dra/His
ATOMIC BLONDE Fri, 7/28/17 LTD. Sofia Boutella, James McAvoy David Leitch NR Thr
VICTORIA AND ABDUL Fri, 9/22/17 LTD. Judi Dench, Ali Fazal Stephen Frears NR Dra
DARKEST HOUR Fri, 11/24/17 WIDE Gary Oldman, Lily James Joe Wright NR Bio
UNTITILED LAIKA FILM Fri, 5/18/18 WIDE NR
FOX 310-369-1000 / 212-556-2400
LOGAN
Fri, 3/3/17 WIDE
Hugh Jackman
Boyd Holbrook
James Mangold R Act/Adv IMAX
THE BOSS BABY Fri, 3/31/17 WIDE Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey Tom McGrath PG Ani/Com/Fam 3D/Dolby Dig
SNATCHED Fri, 5/12/17 WIDE Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn Jonathan Levine NR Com
194 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS
ALIEN: COVENANT
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL
Fri, 5/19/17 WIDE
Fri, 5/19/17 WIDE
Michael Fassbender
Katherine Waterston
Alicia Silverstone
Tom Everett Scott
Ridley Scott NR SF/Thr
David Bowers NR Com/Fam
CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS Fri, 6/2/17 WIDE Kevin Hart, Ed Helms David Soren NR Ani/Com/Fam 3D
WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES
KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US
Fri, 7/14/17 WIDE
Fri, 10/6/17 WIDE
Fri, 10/20/17 WIDE
Andy Serkis
Woody Harrelson
Taron Egerton
Julianne Moore
Charlie Hunnam
Rosamund Pike
Matt Reeves NR Act/SF
Matthew Vaughn NR Act/Thr
Hany Abu-Assad NR Dra/Rom
RED SPARROW Fri, 11/10/17 WIDE Jennifer Lawrence Francis Lawrence NR Thr
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS Fri, 11/22/17 WIDE Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley Kenneth Branagh NR Dra/Mys
FERDINAND Fri, 12/15/17 WIDE Carlos Saldanha NR Ani/Fam 3D
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Mon, 12/25/17 WIDE Hugh Jackman Michael Gracey NR Mus/Dra
MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE
THE PREDATOR
Fri, 1/12/18 WIDE
Fri, 2/9/18 WIDE
Dylan O’Brien
Kaya Scodelario
Boyd Holbrook
Jacob Tremblay
Wes Ball NR SF/Thr IMAX
Shane Black NR Act/SF/Hor
UNTITLED FOX / MARVEL FILM 1 Fri, 3/2/18 WIDE NR Act/Adv/SF
ANUBIS Fri, 3/23/18 WIDE Chris Wedge NR Ani 3D
UNTITLED FOX / MARVEL FILM 2 Fri, 6/29/18 WIDE NR Act/Adv/SF
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL Fri, 7/20/18 WIDE Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz Robert Rodriguez NR Act/Adv/Rom
UNTITLED FOX / MARVEL FILM 3 Fri, 11/2/18 WIDE NR Act/Adv/SF
FOX SEARCHLIGHT 212-556-2400
TABLE 19
Fri, 3/3/17 WIDE
Anna Kendrick
Craig Robinson
Jeffrey Blitz PG-13 Com/Dra
WILSON Fri, 3/24/17 LTD. Woody Harrelson, Judy Greer Craig Johnson R Com
GIFTED Wed, 4/7/17 LTD. Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace Marc Webb PG-13 Dra
MY COUSIN RACHEL Fri, 6/9/17 LTD. Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin Roger Michell NR Dra/Rom
STEP Fri, 7/7/17 LTD. Blessin Giraldo, Cori Grainger Amanda Lipitz NR Doc
LIONSGATE 310-309-8400
THE SHACK
POWER RANGERS
AFTERMATH
Fri, 3/3/17 WIDE
Fri, 3/24/17 WIDE
Fri, 4/7/17 LTD.
Sam Worthington
Octavia Spencer
Elizabeth Banks
Dacre Montgomery
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Maggie Grace
Stuart Hazeldine PG-13 Dra
Dean Israelite PG-13 Act/Adv/Fam
Elliott Lester R Dra
HOW TO BE A LATIN LOVER Fri, 4/28/17 WIDE Kristen Bell, Rob Lowe Ken Marino PG-13 Com
3 IDIOTAS Fri, 6/2/17 MOD
ALL EYEZ ON ME
Fri, 6/16/17 WIDE
Martha Higareda, Alfonso
Dosal
Demetrius Shipp Jr.
Danai Gurira
Carlos Bolado NR Com
Benny Boom NR Dra/Bio
THE BIG SICK Fri, 6/23/17 LTD. Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan Michael Showalter NR Com
THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD
Fri, 8/18/17 WIDE
Ryan Reynolds
Samuel L. Jackson
Patrick Hughes NR Act/Com
GRANITE MOUNTAIN Fri, 9/22/17 WIDE Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller Joseph Kosinski NR Dra
MY LITTLE PONY Fri, 10/6/17 WIDE Tara Strong, Emily Blunt Jayson Thiessen NR Ani/Fan/Fam
SAW: LEGACY
Fri, 10/27/17 WIDE
Michael Spierig
Peter Spierig
WONDER Fri, 11/17/17 WIDE Julia Roberts, Jacob Tremblay Stephen Chbosky PG Dra
THE COMMUTER Fri, 1/12/18 WIDE Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga Jaume Collet-Serra NR Act
ROBIN HOOD Fri, 3/23/18 WIDE Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx Otto Bathurst NR Adv
NR
Hor
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 195

BOOKING GUIDE
TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS
OPEN ROAD FILMS 310-696-7504
BEFORE I FALL Fri, 3/3/17 WIDE Zoey Deutch, Logan Miller Ry Russo-Young PG-13 Dra
SPARK: A SPACE TAIL Fri, 4/14/17 MOD Jessica Biel, Susan Sarandon Aaron Woodley NR Ani
THE PROMISE Fri, 4/21/17 WIDE Christian Bale, Oscar Isaac Terry George PG-13 Dra/His
ALL I SEE IS YOU
Fri, 8/4/17 WIDE
Blake Lively
Yvonne Strahovski
Marc Forster NR Dra/Thr
THE NUT JOB 2: NUTTY BY NATURE Fri, 8/18/17 WIDE Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl Cal Brunker NR Ani/Com/Fam 3D
SHOW DOGS Fri, 11/10/17 WIDE Will Arnett, Natasha Lyonne Raja Gosnell NR Com/Fam
PARAMOUNT 323-956-5000
GHOST IN THE SHELL
Fri, 3/31/17 WIDE
Scarlett Johansson
Pilou Asbæk
Rupert Sanders NR Act/Thr/SF 3D
BAYWATCH Fri, 5/26/17 WIDE Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron Seth Gordon NR Act/Com
TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT
Fri, 6/23/17 WIDE
Mark Wahlberg
Isabela Moner
Michael Bay NR Act/Adv/SF
AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER Fri, 7/28/17 WIDE Al Gore Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk NR Doc
MOTHER!
Fri, 10/13/17 WIDE
Jennifer Lawrence
Domhnall Gleeson
Darren Aronofsky NR Dra/Mys
2017 CLOVERFIELD MOVIE Fri, 10/27/17 WIDE NR SF/Thr IMAX
DADDY’S HOME 2 Fri, 11/10/17 WIDE Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg Sean Anders NR Com
DOWNSIZING Fri, 12/22/17 WIDE Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig Alexander Payne NR Com
GNOMEO & JULIET: SHERLOCK GNOMES Fri, 1/12/18 WIDE James McAvoy, Emily Blunt John Stevenson NR Ani/Com/Fam
TRANSFORMERS 6 Fri, 6/8/18 WIDE NR SF/Act
AMUSEMENT PARK
MISSION: IMPOSSILBE 6
Fri, 7/13/18 WIDE
Fri, 7/27/18 WIDE
Tom Cruise
Rebecca Ferguson
Christopher McQuarrie NR Act/Adv
UNTITLED PARAMOUNT EVENT FILM Fri, 11/2/18 WIDE NR
SONY 212-833-8500
T2: TRAINSPOTTING Fri, 3/17/17 LTD.
LIFE
Fri, 3/24/17 WIDE
Ewan McGregor
Robert Carlyle
Ryan Reynolds
Jake Gyllenhaal
Danny Boyle R Dra
Daniel Espinosa NR SF/Thr
SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE Fri, 4/7/17 WIDE Demi Lovato, Mandy Patinkin Kelly Asbury PG Ani/Com/Fam 3D
ROCK THAT BODY
Fri, 6/16/17 WIDE
Scarlett Johanson
Kate McKinnon
Lucia Aniello NR Com/Dra
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING Fri, 7/7/17 WIDE Tom Holland, Marisa Tomei Jon Watts NR Act/Adv 3D/IMAX/Dolby Atmos
THE DARK TOWER
Fri, 7/28/17 WIDE
Idris Elba
Matthew McConaughey
Nikolaj Arcel NR Wes/Act/Fan
THE EMOJI MOVIE Fri, 8/4/17 WIDE James Corden, Ilana Glazer Tony Leondis NR Ani 3D
BABY DRIVER Fri, 8/11/17 WIDE Ansel Elgort, Lily James Edgar Wright NR Act/Com/Cri Dolby Atmos
THE SOLUTREAN
FLATLINERS
Fri, 9/15/17 WIDE
Fri, 9/29/17 WIDE
Kodi Smit-McPhee
Leonor Varela
Nina Dobrev
Kiefer Sutherland
Albert Hughes NR Act/Dra/Thr
Niels Arden Oplev NR Dra/Hor/SF
THE STAR Fri, 11/10/17 WIDE Steven Yeun, Kelly Clarkson Timothy Reckart NR Ani
HE’S OUT THERE
Fri, 12/1/17 WIDE
Yvonne Strahovski
Justin Bruening
Dennis Iliadis NR Hor
JUMANJI Fri, 12/22/17 WIDE Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black Jake Kasdan NR Adv/Fan/Fam
WHITE BOY RICK
Fri, 1/12/18 WIDE
Matthew McConaughey
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Yann Demange NR Cri/Dra
PROUD MARY Fri, 1/26/18 WIDE Taraji P. Henson Babak Najafi NR Thr
CADAVER Fri, 2/2/18 WIDE Stana Katic, Shay Mitchell Diederik Van Rooijen NR Hor
PETER RABBIT Fri, 3/23/18 WIDE Will Gluck Rose Byrne, James Corden NR Fam/Ani
SLENDER MAN Fri, 5/18/18 WIDE Sylvain White NR Hor
196 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS
BARBIE Fri, 6/29/18 WIDE Amy Schumer NR Com
THE EQUALIZER 2 Thu, 9/14/17 WIDE Denzel Washington Antoine Fuqua NR Act/Thr
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 Fri, 7/13/18 WIDE Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez Genndy Tartakovsky NR Ani/Com/Fam
GOOSEBUMPS 2 Fri, 9/21/18 WIDE Rob Letterman NR Com/Fam/Hor
BAD BOYS FOR LIFE Fri, 11/9/18 WIDE Will Smith, Martin Lawrence Joe Carnahan NR Act/Thr
UNTITLED ANIMATED SPIDER-MAN FILM Fri, 12/21/18 WIDE Bob Persichetti NR Ani/Act/Fam
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS Tom Prassis 212-833-4981
NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC
FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER
Fri, 4/14/17 NY/LA
Richard Gere
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Joseph Cedar R Dra/Com
PARIS CAN WAIT Fri, 5/12/17 NY/LA Diane Lane, Araud Viard Eleanor Coppola PG Rom/Com
MAUDIE Fri, 6/16/17 NY/LA Ethan Hawke, Sally Hawkins Aisling Walsh PG-13 Bio/Dra/Rom
13 MINUTES Fri, 6/30/17 NY/LA
Christian Friedel
Katharina Schüttler
Oliver Hirschbiegel R Dra/His/War
STX ENTERTAINMENT 310-742-2300
THEIR FINEST Fri, 4/7/17 LTD. Sam Claflin, Jake Lacy Lone Scherfig R Com
THE CIRCLE Fri, 4/28/17 WIDE Emma Watson, Tom Hanks James Ponsoldt NR Thr
BAD DADS Fri, 7/14/17 WIDE NR Com
VALERIAN AND THE CITY
OF A THOUSAND PLANETS
RENEGADES
Fri, 7/21/17 WIDE
Fri, 9/1/17 WIDE
Dane DeHaan
Cara Delevingne
J.K. Simmons
Sullivan Stapleton
Luc Besson NR Act/Adv/SF
Steven Quale PG-13 Act/Thr
THE FOREIGNER Fri, 10/13/17 WIDE Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan Martin Campbell NR Act/Sus
A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS Fri, 11/3/17 WIDE Mila Kunis, Kristin Bell Jon Lucas, Scott Moore NR Com
UNIVERSAL 818-777-1000
THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS Fri, 4/14/17 WIDE Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson F. Gary Gray PG-13 Act/Cri IMAX
UNTITLED 2017 BLUMHOUSE
HORROR PROJECT 2
Fri, 4/28/17 WIDE NR Hor
THE MUMMY Fri, 6/9/17 WIDE Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella Alex Kurtzman NR Act/Adv
DESPICABLE ME 3 Fri, 6/30/17 WIDE Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig Kyle Balda & Pierre Coffin NR Ani/Com/Fam 3D
GIRLS TRIP
Fri, 7/21/17 WIDE
Jada Pinkett Smith
Queen Latifah
Malcolm D. Lee R Com
AMERICAN MADE
Fri, 9/29/17 WIDE
Tom Cruise
Domhnall Gleeson
Doug Liman NR Cri/Thr
THE SNOWMAN
Fri, 10/13/17 WIDE
Michael Fassbender
Rebecca Ferguson
Tomas Alfredson NR Cri/Thr
INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 4 Fri, 10/20/17 WIDE Lin Shaye Adam Robitel NR Hor/Thr
LET IT SNOW Fri, 11/22/17 WIDE Luke Snellin NR Rom/Com
PITCH PERFECT 3 Fri, 12/22/17 WIDE Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson Elizabeth Banks NR Com/Mus
UNTITLED 2018 BLUMHOUSE
HORROR PROJECT 1
Fri, 1/5/18 WIDE NR Hor
FIFTY SHADES FREED
Fri, 2/9/18 WIDE
Dakota Johnson
Jamie Dornan
James Foley NR Dra/Rom
LARRIKINS
Fri, 2/16/18 WIDE
Margot Robbie
Hugh Jackman
NR
Ani/Com
PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING Fri, 2/23/18 WIDE Scott Eastwood, John Boyega Steven S. DeKnight NR SF/Act
UNTITLED 2018 UNIVERSAL
MONSTER FRANCISE FILM
Fri, 4/13/18 WIDE NR Hor
THE PACT Fri, 4/20/18 WIDE Leslie Mann, John Cena Kay Cannon R Com
JURRASIC WORLD SEQUEL
Fri, 6/22/18 WIDE
Chris Pratt
Bryce Dallas Howard
J.A. Bayona NR Act/Adv
UNTITLED NEXT PURGE CHAPTER Wed, 7/4/18 WIDE NR Hor
SCARFACE Fri, 8/10/188 WIDE NR Cri/Dra
UNTITLED 2018 BLUMHOUSE HORROR
PROJECT 2
Fri, 10/19/18 WIDE NR Hor
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 197

BOOKING GUIDE
TITLE RELEASE DATE STARS DIRECTOR(S) RATING GENRE SPECS
DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE
CHRISTMAS
Fri, 11/9/18 WIDE
Benedict Cumberbatch
Peter Candeland, Yarrow
Cheney
NR
Ani/Com/Fam
MORTAL ENGINES Fri, 12/14/18 WIDE Christian Rivers NR SF
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 Fri, 7/3/19 WIDE Chris Renaud NR Ani/Com/Fam
WARNER BROS. 818-977-1850
KONG: SKULL ISLAND Fri, 3/10/17 WIDE Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson Jordan Vogt-Roberts PG-13 Act/Adv 3D/IMAX/Dolby Dig
CHIPS Fri, 3/24/17 WIDE Michael Peña, Dax Shepard Dax Shepard R Act/Com
GOING IN STYLE
Fri, 4/7/17 WIDE
Morgan Freeman
Michael Caine
Zach Braff PG-13 Com/Cri
UNFORGETTABLE
Fri, 4/21/17 WIDE
Rosasio Dawso
Katherine Heigl
Denise Di Novi R Thr
KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD
Fri, 5/12/17 WIDE
Charlie Hunnam
Astrid Bergès-Frisbey
Guy Ritchie NR Act/Adv 3D/IMAX
EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING
Fri, 5/19/17 WIDE
Amandla Stenberg, Nick
Robinson
Stella Meghie
PG-13
WONDER WOMAN Fri, 6/2/17 WIDE Gal Gadot, Chris Pine Patty Jenkins NR Act/Adv Dolby Atmos
THE HOUSE Fri, 6/30/17 WIDE Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler Andrew J. Cohen NR Com
DUNKIRK Fri, 7/21/17 WIDE Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh Christopher Nolan NR Act/Thr/War IMAX
ANNABELLE 2
Fri, 8/11/17 WIDE
Stephanie Sigman
Alicia Vela-Bailey
David F. Sandberg R Hor/Thr
IT Fri, 9/8/17 WIDE Finn Wolfhard, Bill Skarsgård Andrés Muschietti NR Hor/Thr
THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE Fri, 9/22/17 WIDE Dave Franco, Michael Peña Charlie Bean NR Ani/Adv/Fam 3D/IMAX
BLADE RUNNER 2049 Fri, 10/6/17 WIDE Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford Denis Villeneuve NR SF/Thr
GEOSTORM Fri, 10/20/17 WIDE Gerard Butler, Abbie Cornish Dean Devlin NR Act/Thr/SF 3D/IMAX
JUSTICE LEAGUE Fri, 11/17/17 WIDE Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot Zack Snyder NR Act/Adv
UNTITLED WARNER BROS. PG-13 COMEDY Fri, 12/22/17 WIDE PG-13 Com
UNTITLED WARNER ANIMATION GROUP Fri, 2/9/18 WIDE NR Ani
GAME NIGHT
Fri, 2/16/18 WIDE
Jason Bateman
Rachel McAdams
John Francis Daley,
Jonathan Goldstein
TOMB RAIDER Fri, 3/16/18 WIDE Alicia Vikander Roar Uthaug NR Act/Adv 3D
READY PLAYER ONE Fri, 3/30/18 WIDE Simon Pegg, T.J. Miller Steven Spielburg NR Act/SF/Thr
RAMPAGE Fri, 4/20/18 WIDE Dwayne Johnson Brad Peyton NR Adv/Fan
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
THE NUN Fri, 7/13/18 WIDE Corin Hardy NR Hor
UNTITLED 2018 DC FILM 2 Fri, 7/27/18 WIDE NR Act/Adv/SF
MEG Fri, 8/10/18 WIDE Jason Statham, Bingbing Fan Jon Turteltaub NR Act/Hor/SF
S.C.O.O.B. Fri, 9/21/18 WIDE Tony Cervone, Dax Shepard NR Ani/Com/Fam
A STAR IS BORN Fri, 9/28/18 WIDE Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga Bradley Cooper NR Dra/Mus/Rom
AQUAMAN Fri, 10/5/18 WIDE Jason Momoa, Amber Heard James Wan NR Act/Adv/SF
JUNGLE BOOK Fri, 10/19/18 WIDE Rohan Chand, Andy Serkis Andy Serkis NR Adv/Dra
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND
THEM 2
Fri, 11/16/18 WIDE
Eddie Redmayne
Johnny Depp
NR
Com
David Yates NR Act/Adv/Fan
UNTITLED 2018 WB EVENT FILM 2 Fri, 12/25/18 WIDE NR
WEINSTEIN CO./DIMENSION 646-862-3400
LEAP! Fri, 4/21/17 WIDE Elle Fanning, Maggie Ziegler Eric Summer and Eric Warin NR Ani
3 GENERATIONS Fri, 5/5/17 LTD Naomi Watts, Elle Fanning Gaby Dellal NR Dra
AMITYVILLE: THE AWAKENING
Fri, 6/30/17 WIDE
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Bella Thorne
Franck Khalfoun PG-13 Hor/Thr
POLAROID Fri, 8/25/17 WIDE Lars Klevberg NR Hor/Sus
TULIP FEVER Fri, 8/25/17 MOD Alicia Vikander, Dane DeHaan Justin Chadwick NR Dra/Rom
WAR WITH GRANDPA Fri, 10/20/17 WIDE Robert De Niro Tim Hill NR Fam/Com
THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN Fri, 12/22/17 WIDE Mark Wahlberg Peter Berg, Damián Szifrón NR Act/SF
198 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017

AD INDEX
1 Better 123
20th Century Fox 119
American Cinema Equipment 167
Arts Alliance Media 58
Atom Tickets 1
Ballantyne Strong 63
Before the Movie 10–11
Brunswick Bowl 39
Caiz Optronics 143
Cardinal Sound 200
Christie 2
CineEurope 151
Cinema Equipment & Supplies 77
Coca-Cola 37
C. Cretors & Company 65, 139
Cy Young Industries 200
D-BOX 32–33
Diamond Ticketing 86
Dolby Laboratories
cover gatefold
Dolphin Seating 175
Encore by Palliser 34–35
Enpar 161
Entertainment Supply & Technology 53
Everything Cinema 47
Fandango 25
GDC Technology 8–9
Geneva Convention 49
Gold Medal Products 81
Golden Link 121
Harkness Screens 27, 29
Irwin Seating Company 61
Krian Media 131
LightSpeedDepth Q 200
Magna Tech Electronic Co. 105
Marcus Theatres 73, 115
Marine Corps Heritage 200
MARS Chocolate 26
Media Mation 69
Mobiliario 141
MOC Insurance Services 7
Moving Image Technologies 28, 31
MTI Autofry 45
National CineMedia 57
NEC Display 87
Odell’s 83
Omniterm 101
Osram 109
Paradigm Design 111
Paramount Pictures 99
Proctor Companies 79
Promotion in Motion 127
QSC 21, 95
Quest Cinema / Thermastor 113
Reynolds & Reynolds Inc. 129
Ready Theatre Systems 157
RealD 178–179
Retriever Software 159
Screenvision
75, 97, back cover
Seating Concepts 43
Sennheiser 125
Sensible Cinema 200
SmartBar 88
Sonic Equipment 22–23, 137
Spotlight Cinema Networks 50–51
St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital 177
Stadium Savers 91
Telescoping Seating Systems 70
Tivoli Lighting 67
USG 93
Ushio 30
Variety—The Children’s Charity 173
Ventura Foods 155
VIP Cinema Seating 4–5, 18–19
Vista Group 41
Webedia 145
White Castle 133
Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation 135, inside back
Ymagis 55
MARCH 2017 BOXOFFICE ® 199

MARKETPLACE
Passive Polarization
for 3D Digital Cinema
Fast, Bright, Reliable...
Quality you can Trust.
Over 1,950
locations worldwide.
BUYING & SELLING
MARQUEE LETTERS. Buying and selling. New and Used marquee
letters all types. We buy old. We sell new. All styles. Trade
in your old letters and get new letters. Turn those old letters into
cash. Your source for new Pronto, Zip-Change, Snap Lok, Slotted.
mike@pilut.com 800-545-8956
LOOKING TO PURCHASE 3-8 screen venue in California or
south western United States. Contact: Atul Desai 949-291-
5700
DRIVE-IN CONSTRUCTION
DRIVE-IN SCREEN TOWERS since 1945. Selby Products Inc., P.O.
Box 267, Richfield, OH 44286. Phone: 330-659-6631.
EQUIPMENT WANTED
ASTER AUDITORIUM SEATING & AUDIO. We offer the best pricing
on good used projection and sound equipment. Large
quantities available. Please visit our website, www.asterseating.com,
or call 888-409-1414.
AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTS LLC is buying projectors,
processors, amplifiers, speakers, seating, platters. If you
are closing, remodeling or have excess equipment in your
warehouse and want to turn equipment into cash, please
call 866-653-2834 or email aep30@comcast.net. Need to
move quickly to close a location and dismantle equipment?
We come to you with trucks, crew and equipment, no job too
small or too large. Call today for a quotation: 866-653-2834.
Vintage equipment wanted also! Old speakers like Western
Electric and Altec, horns, cabinets, woofers, etc., and any tube
audio equipment. Call or email: aep30@comcast.net.
COLLECTOR WANTS TO BUY: We pay top money for any 1920-
1980 theater equipment. We’ll buy all theater-related equipwww.depthq3d.com
DIRECTOR OF MOTION
PICTURE THEATER
OPERATIONS
sought for new giant
screen theater at the
National Museum of
the Marine Corps at Quantico, VA.
Experience with digital projection,
theater automation, point of sale
and state of the art sound systems
required. Contact Susan Hodges,
hodges@marineheritage.org (800)
397-7585. Marine Corps Heritage
Foundation.
ment, working or dead. We remove and pick up anywhere in
the U.S. or Canada. Amplifiers, speakers, horns, drivers, woofers,
tubes, transformers; Western Electric, RCA, Altec, JBL, Jensen,
Simplex and more. We’ll remove installed equipment if it’s
in a closing location. We buy projection and equipment too.
Call today: 773-339-9035; cinema-tech.com; email ILG821@
aol.com.
FOR SALE
CLASSIC CINEMAS is looking to sell 616 slightly used electric
1st edition Bliss Loungers to replace with the new Bliss Zero
Lounger. They are selling 22” wide electric reclining loveseats
in excellent condition with lit aisle and seat tags. If interested,
please call Jeremy Chupp at 770-823-1330.
USED DIGITAL PROJECTORS, (5) complete booths including
sound equipment. Three years old. Contact seller at moviescope1000@gmail.com.
2 BRAND NEW 3000 watts Christie Xenon lamps for 35mm
projectors. Contact: Atul Desai 949-291-5700.
BARCO 3D/DIGITAL EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: Purchase for
$55K. Equipment list provided upon request. Contact seller at
mschwartz@pennprolaw.com.
PREFERRED SEATING COMPANY, your source for new, used
and refurbished theater and stadium seating. Buying and selling
used seating is our specialty. Call toll-free 866-922-0226 or
visit our website www.‐preferred-seating.com.
USED DIGITAL PROJECTORS Two NEC NC1200 with two-year
warranty $23,000. Six new NEC NC900 with lens $18,000. Warranty
starts when installed. Used servers and USL hearing-impaired
equipment. Call Stetson Snell 505-615-2913. Email stetsonsnell@enparaudio.com.
18 SETS OF USED 35MM AUTOMATED PROJECTION 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. MOBILIARIO highback
rockers with cup holders. Located in Connecticut. Contact
(203)758-2148.
6 PLEX EQUIPMENT PACKAGE. 6 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 AVAILABLE Pacific
Northwest Theatre Company. Previous management experience
required. Work weekends, evenings and holidays. Send
resume and salary history to movietheatrejobs@gmail.com
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Paragon Theaters has THEATER MANAGEMENT POSITIONS
available at multiple locations. If you have previous management
experience, please send your resume to robert.fronckoski@paragontheaters.com.
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.
SERVICES
DULL FLAT PICTURE? RESTORE YOUR XENON REFLECTORS!
Ultraflat repolishes and recoats xenon reflectors. Many reflectors
available for immediate exchange. (ORC, Strong, Christie,
Xetron, others!) Ultraflat, 20306 Sherman Way, Winnetka, CA
91306; 818-884-0184.
THEATER SPACE FOR LEASE
AN 8,400 SQ. FT. SPACE containing two movie theaters is available
for lease in Frankfort, KY, at a very reasonable lease rate. It
would be perfect for the new concept of eating in the theater.
The theaters are located in the middle of a major shopping
center. The center owners would prefer an operating movie
theater rather than convert the space into retail use. Contact
Alexa at 859-221-9921 or email her at alexarkelley@gmail.com
for more information.
200 BOXOFFICE ® MARCH 2017