Boxoffice Pro - CinemaCon 2022

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CINEMACON 

2022 

Cineplex’s Ellis Jacob Receives 

2022 NATO Marquee Award 

The Official Magazine of the National Association of Theatre Owners

CinemaCon 2022 

01

02 CinemaCon 2022


CONTENTS 

100 

Studio Preview 2022 

A Look at Upcoming Films from 

Hollywood’s Major Studios 

22 

Global Outlook 

The MPA’s Latest THEME 

Report Illuminates the State of 

the Movie Industry 

34 

Boxoffice Live Sessions 

Executives from Three 

Leading Circuits on the 

Future of Exhibition 

52 

Innovating Beyond 

the Pandemic 

Cinema Technology Providers 

Are Ready to Meet Audience 

Demand with the Industry’s 

Latest Innovations 

112 

More Than Just Movies 

Event Cinema Fills 

Programming Gaps in 

the Post-Pandemic Era

CONTENTS 

INDUSTRY THEATER ON SCREEN 

12 

NATO 

The Cinema Foundation Introducing 

NATO’s New Industry-Wide Initiative 

44 

Indie Influencers 

Luis Olloqui and Annelise Holyoak of 

Cinépolis USA 

100 

Studio Preview 



14 

16 

18 

NATO 

A Look at This Year’s CinemaCon 

Making Big Strides for 

Independent Cinemas 

The ICA Sees a Bright Future for 

Independent Cinema Operators 

Charity Spotlight 

A Recap of Industry-Wide Charity 

Initiatives 

52 

Innovating Beyond the Pandemic 

Cinema Technology Providers 

Are Ready to Meet Audience 

Demand with the Industry’s Latest 

Innovations 

112 

118 

121 

More Than Just Movies 

Event Cinema Fills Programming 

Gaps in the Post-Pandemic Era 

Event Cinema Calendar 

A Sampling of Event Cinema 

Programming Hitting the Big 

Screen in 2022 

Booking Guide 

20 

MPA 

The Motion Picture Association 

Celebrates its Centennial 

22 

26 

34 

Global Outlook 

The MPA’s Latest THEME Report 

Illuminates the State of the Movie 

Industry 

Boxoffice Barometer 

How Esther Baruh and Jackie Brenneman 

Guided NATO through the Biggest 

Crisis in the Industry’s History 

Boxoffice Live Sessions 

Executives from Three Leading 

Circuits on the Future of Exhibition 

“We’re constantly optimizing 

the menu, putting things 

on, taking things off. That 

has been a big part of the 

innovation, things that maybe 

guests don’t see but are 

happening on the back end.” 

Indie Influencers, p. 44 

CINEMACON 

60 

64 

66 

69 

A Steady Hand 

Cineplex’s Ellis Jacob Receives 2022 

NATO Marquee Award 

Global Ambassador 

Disney’s Jeffrey Forman Earns 2022 

Passepartout Honor 

Saudi Cinema 

Saudi Arabia Receives Comscore’s 

Emerging Market Spotlight Award 

Trade Show Directory 

& New Products 

CinemaCon Showcases the Latest 

Products and Technologies for 

Movie Theaters 

04

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05



07

BOXOFFICE MEDIA 

CEO 

Julien Marcel 

SVP Content Strategy 

Daniel Loría 

Creative Direction 

Chris Vickers & Craig Scott 

at She Was Only 

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VP Advertising 

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BOXOFFICE PRO 

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DATABASE 

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CONTRIBUTORS 

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Kathy Conroy 

Rich Daughtridge 

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(Jan–Dec 2021) 2,566 / Print - 2,101 / Digital - 465 


EXECUTIVE LETTER 

MOMENTUM 

IS FIRMLY 

ON OUR SIDE 

After a canceled 2020 

edition and a smaller affair in 

2021, this year’s CinemaCon 

feels like a much-needed 

reunion for the theatrical 

exhibition industry. 

After a canceled 2020 edition and 

a smaller affair in 2021, this year’s 

CinemaCon feels like a much-needed 

reunion for the theatrical exhibition 

industry. It will be the first opportunity 

for many executives coming from 

outside the United States to meet with 

their global colleagues since CinemaCon 

2019. The years that followed brought, in 

chronological succession, a global box 

office record in 2019 and an existential 

business crisis in 2020. When we convene 

in Las Vegas this April, it will be under 

radically different business conditions 

since we last met. 

The good news is that exhibition is 

on a steady recovery path. Last year’s 

CinemaCon, held in August 2021, took 

place at a time when the industry had 

yet to see the release of a theatrically 

exclusive blockbuster. Since then, titles 

like Disney’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of 

the Ten Rings, MGM/UA’s No Time to Die, 

Sony’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, and 

Warner Bros.’ The Batman have proven 

that the same distribution model that has 

worked for over a century remains viable 

even as the pandemic stubbornly lingers 

around the world. 

As a result, our confidence level 

going into this year’s CinemaCon is 

significantly higher than we could have 

anticipated. Although Q1 2022 was 

marked with challenges, our colleagues 

at Paramount showed the value of a 

diverse slate with movies like Scream, 

Jackass Forever, and The Lost City. These 

titles provide mid-range hits between 

tentpoles, a crucial component to the 

industry’s recovery. Looking forward, our 

colleagues at Universal have a lineup of 

blockbusters—none of them relying on 

the box office powers of a superhero—to 

reach an ever-wider segment of the 

audience through 2022. 

Momentum is firmly on our side. I am 

excited and very much looking forward to 

the new batch of titles our studio partners 

will be bringing to our theaters in the next 

several years. 

On our side, Boxoffice Pro will be 

providing unparalleled coverage of this 

year’s CinemaCon. The magazine you’re 

currently reading will be complemented 

by a daily edition of The Boxoffice Podcast 

(be sure to subscribe; it’s available on 

every major platform), up-to-the-minute 

news on our website and social media 

channel, and—for the first time—video 

reporting live from CinemaCon. We 

remain fully committed to sharing news, 

information, and best practices with 

our colleagues across the global cinema 

industry. This wouldn’t be possible 

without the support of our readers and 

advertisers, and our entire team looks 

forward to the chance of thanking all 

of you in person for that support at this 

year’s event. 

Julien Marcel 

Chief Executive Officer 

The Boxoffice Company & Boxoffice Pro 


09


10

NATO 12 | Charity Spotlight 18 | MPA 20 | Boxoffice Barometer 26 

INDUSTRY 

“I think a common theme between the three of our chains 

is, the guests come first. We’re not concerned about our 

competitors. We’re concerned about the guest experience.” 

Boxoffice Live Sessions, p. 34 


11

Industry NATO 

INTRODUCING THE NATO 

CINEMA FOUNDATION 

Promoting Exhibition through Research, 

Education, and Philanthropy 

BY JACKIE BRENNEMAN 

It is time to think about the future 

of movie theaters. After two years 

stuck in a loop of Covid crisis after Covid 

crisis, the end is now in sight. And while 

those two years during the pandemic 

were among the most personally and 

professionally challenging for everyone 

in this industry, they also proved a point 

that everyone in exhibition already knows: 

Consumers want to watch movies in a 

movie theater, surrounded by friends and 

strangers in their community. Indeed, in 

an era when the press often focused on the 

streaming wars and consumer reluctance 

to return to moviegoing, the evidence 

proved the opposite: Even with endless 

options at home, consumers returned 

to the theaters when there was content. 

People do not just want a movie; they want 

a theatrical experience. 

The pandemic also demonstrated 

the importance of a strong trade body 

with dedicated volunteers uniting 

for a common purpose. During the 

pandemic, NATO’s advocacy was directly 

responsible for key law and policy wins 

that saved thousands of movie theater 

companies and brought new allies while 

strengthening existing relationships. 

These measures ensured that our industry 

could emerge largely intact after the 

single greatest threat it has faced in over 

a century. And as we emerge, we have the 

opportunity to reinvest, reimagine, and 

reinvent the theatrical experience. 

It is in this spirit of optimism and 

partnership that NATO is thrilled to 

launch the NATO Cinema Foundation. 

The Cinema Foundation intends to build 

on the historic collaboration among 

all sectors of the industry during the 

pandemic to expand NATO’s reach, 

diversify funding, foster innovation, and 

grow volunteer leadership. The Cinema 

Foundation builds on NATO’s critical 

work, expanding our impact and ability to 

serve our industry. 

So What Exactly is the Cinema 

Foundation? 

The Cinema Foundation is a new 501(c) 

(3) supporting organization that furthers 

NATO’s mission to advance the moviegoing 

experience. As a trade association, NATO 

necessarily limits its membership to movie 

theater companies, which allows us to 

effectively lobby governments and studios 

on issues of shared concerns. But as the 

pandemic made very clear, the movie 

theater industry is so much more than just 

movie theaters. We are an industry made 

up of film bookers, filmmakers, equipment 

and concession manufacturers, data and 

technology companies, and so much 

more. The Cinema Foundation offers an 

opportunity for all of the industry to come 

together to create programs that will—to 

borrow from NATO’s mission—promote 

the essential exhibition industry. 

The Cinema Foundation executive 

board similarly brings together different 

sectors of this industry with three 

exhibitors (Tori Baker, Salt Lake Film 

Society; Brian Schultz, Look Cinemas; 

Even with endless options at 

home, consumers returned to 

the theaters when there was 

content. People do not just 

want a movie; they want a 

theatrical experience. 

and Eduardo Acuna, Cinépolis), two 

technology companies (Michelle 

Maddalena, Dolby Laboratories; Adam 

Cassels, Cinionic), and our best food 

and beverage partner (Katherine Twells, 

The Coca-Cola Company). In my role as 

Cinema Foundation president, I serve as 

NATO’s representative and ensure that the 

Cinema Foundation and NATO are aligned. 

The Cinema Foundation has five key 

priorities, each of which will approach 

current obstacles as opportunities 

for innovation and investment in the 

industry: 

1. Cinema Careers, Education, and 

Diversity: 

The marketplace for employees is 

historically challenged, and this is 

particularly true in the hospitality sector. 

The exhibition industry is a great place 

to start and grow a career, and the link to 

the entertainment industry is a desirable 

element that can be incorporated into 

internal and public-facing messaging. 

Through research, targeted training, 

and strategic promotion the Cinema 

Foundation hopes to help solve today’s 

crisis for tomorrow’s workforce. 

2. Moviegoing Promotion and Creative 

Community Involvement: 

The Cinema Foundation will build on 

NATO’s relationships with the creative 

community to grow audiences, promote 

the industry, and diversify content 

options. Formalizing these relationships 

is a key benefit to the Cinema Foundation, 

which can represent a wider set of 

stakeholders than NATO. 

3. Center for Innovation and Technology: 

The Center for Innovation and Technology 

will be the innovation heart of the movie 


theater industry. The Center will also 

work to ensure the industry’s technology 

is future-ready and meets standards 

that help key stakeholders, including 

filmmakers, technology companies, 

and exhibitors, while also avoiding 

costly barriers that do not enhance the 

theatrical experience. 

4. Industry Data and Research: 

Data will be the key to effective industry 

messaging, promotion, and innovation 

going forward, and the Cinema 

Foundation will prioritize a data-based 

approach across all initiatives. The 

Cinema Foundation will commission 

best-in-class research supporting each of 

the Cinema Foundation’s priorities and 

supporting NATO’s efforts. 

5. Industry Charities: 

Finally, when it is sufficiently funded, the 

Cinema Foundation plans to build on the 

industry’s long history of charitable giving 

by partnering with existing industry 

charities and donating to organizations 

that support the Cinema Foundation’s 

The Cinema Foundation offers 

an opportunity for all of the 

industry to come together to 

create programs that will—to 

borrow from NATO’s mission— 

promote the essential 

exhibition industry. 

mission. The Cinema Foundation will also 

develop a scholarship program, which will 

give back to industry employees. 

How Can I Help? 

The Cinema Foundation is building its 

donor base and growing its programs at a 

rapid pace. The immediate enthusiasm for 

this foundation is a clear demonstration 

of the widespread belief in a strong future 

for exhibition. The Cinema Foundation 

is looking to raise $7 million in our first 

year to ensure our ability to make an 

immediate and meaningful impact on 

the industry. If you are interested in 

donating and/or volunteering, please visit 

thecinemafoundation.org or email us at 

info@thecinemafoundation.org. 

Jackie Brenneman is the Executive Vice 

President & General Counsel at NATO 

and the President of the The Cinema 

Foundation 


13

Industry NATO 

THANK 

YOU, NATO 

MEMBERS! 

A Look at This Year’s 

CinemaCon 

BY KATHY CONROY 

Welcome to CinemaCon 2022! 

CinemaCon is the largest and most 

significant gathering of movie theater 

owners and operators in the world. 

Putting this year’s convention together 

would not have been possible without 

the support of many enthusiastic NATO 

members. Because of the passion and 

active participation of these volunteers, 

we have an exciting four days ahead. 

I’d like to recognize the individuals 

who made extraordinary contributions 

to the planning and execution of the 

event. This 11th edition of CinemaCon 

came together with the leadership of 

NATO Conventions Committee chairman 

Steve Zuehlke, Cinemark USA Inc.; vice 

chairman Bob Bagby, B&B Theatres; 

and committee members John Curry, 

Regal Cinemas; John McDonald, AMC 

Entertainment Inc.; Miguel Rivera, 

Cinépolis; Sabrina Starr, CW Theatres; 

and Racheal Wilson, Harkins Theatres. 

A debt of gratitude, too, goes to NATO’s 

officers—chairman Rolando Rodriguez, 

Marcus Theatres Corp.; vice chairman 

Bob Bagby, B&B Theatres; treasurer Joe 

Masher, Bow Tie Cinemas; and secretary 

John Vincent, Wellfleet Cinemas—and to 

all NATO Executive Board members for 

their unwavering support of CinemaCon. 

Working together, NATO volunteer leaders 

and staff have created a 2022 event that is 

sure to be productive and memorable. 

We are delighted that you, the leaders 

of exhibition and distribution, and 

our industry partners, have gathered 

in Las Vegas in April 2022 to celebrate 

moviegoing. With strong support from 

our studio partners and sponsors, NATO’s 

Conventions Committee put together 

a CinemaCon 2022 program that is 

informative, timely, and entertaining. It 

includes a large cinema expo, featuring 

the latest cinema technologies and 

concessions offerings. NATO is grateful 

to Frank Tees and the International 

Cinema Technology Association (ICTA), 

and to Denise de Zutter and the National 

Association of Concessionaires (NAC), for 

their help populating the trade show floor 

and for providing educational sessions on 

Thursday morning. 

This week’s schedule is packed with 

product presentations, sponsored events, 

trade show displays, and educational 

programming. I’d like to recognize the 

NATO leaders who are participating as 

presenters in the general and educational 

sessions this year—Brittanie Bagby 

Baker, B&B Theatres; Alicia Cook, AMC 

Entertainment; Rich Daughtridge, 

Warehouse Cinemas; Annelise Holyoak, 

Cinépolis; Ellis Jacob, Cineplex LLC; 

Alejandro Ramírez Magaña, Cinépolis; 

Tim Richards, VUE International Ltd.; 

Rolando Rodriguez, Marcus Theatres; 

Brian Schultz, Look Cinemas; and Rick 

Starr, CW Theatres. 

We are grateful to these talented people, 

as well as to the presenters from our studio 

and vendor partners, for sharing their 

knowledge and expertise. 

CinemaCon is a great place to 

recognize outstanding NATO-member 

leaders as they are surrounded by their 

industry colleagues and friends. This 

year, Renana Teperberg, chief commercial 

officer, Cineworld, will receive the Global 

Achievement in Exhibition Award; and 

Ellis Jacob, president and CEO, Cineplex 

LLC, will receive NATO’s Marquee Award. 

I hope you’ll be on hand to see these 

exceptional industry leaders receive their 

well-deserved recognition. 

Be sure to stay for the 2022 Big Screen 

Achievement Awards on Thursday 

evening as we’ll honor talent in the 

movie industry, and for the After-Party, 

generously sponsored again this year by 

The Coca-Cola Company. I encourage 

you to participate to the fullest in the 

education and fun that CinemaCon 2022 

has to offer. Enjoy the show! 

Kathy Conroy is Vice President and COO 

of NATO 

I’d like to recognize the 

individuals who made 

extraordinary contributions 

to the planning and 

execution of the event. 


Feel Real 

Movie Magic 


© 2022 The Coca-Cola Company. “Coca-Cola” is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company. 

15

Inudstry ICA 

MAKING BIG STRIDES 

FOR INDEPENDENT 

CINEMAS 

The ICA Sees a Bright Future for Independent 

Cinema Operators 

BY RICH DAUGHTRIDGE 

The Independent Cinema Alliance 

(ICA) is a cinema trade association 

dedicated to the empowerment of 

independent movie theater owners 

and operators in North America. Our 

members range from coast-to-coast 

midsize exhibitors with hundreds of 

screens to Main Street exhibitors with 

only one or two screens. Regardless of 

the size of the member, they share one 

common goal: to provide a voice that 

tackles challenges and promotes the 

importance of independent cinemas to a 

healthy and vibrant cinema industry. 

As a group, the ICA represents 

approximately 4,000 screens with a goal 

to represent 5,000 screens by the end 

of 2022. Established by independents 

for independents, the ICA is leading the 

charge to champion the importance of 

independent cinemas to a dynamic and 

vibrant motion picture industry. We are 

dedicated to tackling the unique issues 

facing independent cinema owners today 

and preparing our members to address the 

challenges of tomorrow. 

The ICA is built on the founding 

principles of healthy studio relations, 

an industry buying group, and member 

education. Through strategic advocacy 

and initiatives, ICA communicates 

with leading industry stakeholders to 

promote innovative pro-independent 

cinema solutions. We also educate and 

inform public policy makers of the value 

small-business movie theaters bring to 

communities across America. 

We have made great progress since its 

founding in 2019. In 2020 and 2021, we 

assisted our members with informational 

sessions and resources to help guide them 

through the most difficult months of the 

pandemic. We have a tremendous amount 

of momentum right now, and we’re excited 

to further the cause of independent 

cinemas in 2022 and beyond. 

In 2022, the ICA is focusing on three 

major objectives: 

1. Strengthen relationships with film 

distributors and work hard to help 

members with greater overall flexibility 

2. Develop a robust buying group, the ICA 

Marketplace, to help members reduce 

costs and increase revenues 

3. Execute innovative marketing 

programs to help increase ticket sales 

for members 

Membership is open to any independent 

who operates 500 or fewer screens, 

represents no more than 2 percent of 

the domestic box office, and is not 

publicly traded or owned by a major 

content supplier. To join the ICA, visit 

cinemaalliance.org. 

Rich Daughtridge is President of the 

Independent Cinema Alliance 

We have a tremendous 

amount of momentum right 

now, and we’re excited 

to further the cause of 

independent cinemas in 

2022 and beyond. 


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17

Industry CHARITY SPOTLIGHT 

CHARITY 

SPOTLIGHT 

The Larry H. Miller Company Organizes 

Community Donation Drive for 

Ukrainian Refugees 

The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family 

Foundation and The Larry H. Miller 

Company—of which Utah-based Metaplex 

Theatres is a part—organized the Driven to 

Assist community fundraiser and donation 

drive to benefit refugees fleeing Ukraine. 

Monetary donations—matched up 

to $2 million—were accepted between 

March 4 and 12 before being distributed 

to trusted local organizations, including 

the Community Foundation of Utah 

(CFU). Three Larry H. Miller Megaplex 

Theatres locations served as donation 

spots, where Utahans were encouraged 

to donate such items as clothes, toiletries, 

and first aid supplies. After donations 

have been collected, Utah First Lady Abby 

Cox’s initiative, Show Up, helped organize 

volunteer efforts to sort and prepare 

donations for distribution. 

“In times of crisis, Utahns respond. 

They take action to serve, lift, and love, 

and that is why I’m proud to be a member 

of this community,” said Gail Miller of the 

Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation. 

“We have about 1,500 Ukrainian neighbors 

who live here in Utah. We are all 

heartbroken by the desperate situation 

their loved ones face in Ukraine. This is an 

opportunity for us to come together, put 

our arms around our neighbors, and show 

them that our hearts are united.” 

“This donation drive of cash and goods 

will make a lifesaving difference to those 

Ukrainians forced to leave their homes,” 

added Utah governor Spencer Cox. 

“Utahans are drawn to help those in need, 

and I encourage those who can to give and 

support this effort.” 

Santikos Entertainment Helps Cold 

Days Warm Hearts Coat Drive Collect 

Over 8,000 Coats 

Texas-based Santikos Entertainment once 

again partnered with local businesses— 

San Antonio’s Five Star Cleaners and Chris 

Madrid’s, along with local news network 

KENS5—for the Cold Days Warm Hearts 

coat drive. 

Over 8,000 coats were collected for 

those in need in Texas, where winter 

weather is notoriously unpredictable and 

can be brutal or even deadly for those left 

unprepared. The A.P. reported 246 deaths 

during the Texas freeze of 2021, with close 

to two-thirds of the deaths being related 

to hypothermia. Through Cold Days Warm 

Hearts, thousands of coats are collected, 

repaired, and cleaned every year, then 

provided to SAMMinistries (SAMM), 

Christian Assistance Ministries (CAM), 

and Pearl Street Church for distribution to 

those in need. 

Of the 8,000-plus coats, more than 

1,000 came from a winter wonderland 

event hosted at Santikos’s Cibolo location 

to help drive donations. Patrons were 

encouraged to donate new or gently used 

coats and enjoy snow tubing and other fun 

outdoor activities. 

“This year’s coat drive showed that 

the community enjoys giving back. Our 

theaters were consistently receiving 

donations and filling up our donation 

boxes daily,” said Valarie Rico, business 

development manager at Santikos 

Entertainment. “We look forward to doing 

even more next year!” 

UPCOMING EVENTS 

The Motion Picture Club’s Max 

Fried Cocktail Reception and Golf 

Tournament 

The Motion Picture Club is back in action 

with their 27th Annual Max Fried Cocktail 

Reception and Golf Tournament, taking 

place on June 9 at the Engineers Country 

Club in Roslyn Harbor, New York. Golf will 

be joined with poker, lawn games, a raffle, 

and more, with donations being given to a 

number of charities, among them industry 

groups Variety of New York and the Will 

Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation. 

Visit MotionPictureClub.com for more 

information. 


Industry MPA 

THE MOTION PICTURE 

ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES 

ITS CENTENNIAL 

“We have navigated 

a century’s worth of 

challenges, especially in the 

last couple of years, and yet 

we continue to reemerge 

stronger than ever.” 

Interview with Charles Rivkin, Chairman & Chief Executive 

Officer, Motion Picture Association 

BY DANIEL LORIA 

2020 was a crisis year for the 

industry, and 2021 is the year that 

kicked off the recovery: over $21 billion 

in global admissions and more than 

$4 billion in North America. How do 

you assess these figures in the context 

of the industry’s recovery? 

I think those figures, and many other 

interesting statistics included in the MPA’s 

2021 THEME Report (page 22), reflect 

an industry that’s as vibrant, creative, 

resilient, and innovative as ever. The 

combined global theatrical and home/ 

mobile entertainment market soared to 

new heights, reaching $99.7 billion. This 

record high was a 24 percent increase 

over 2020. Add in the consumer spending 

on pay TV, and the combined global 

theatrical and home entertainment 

market grew 6 percent from 2020, to $328.2 

billion. As the MPA commemorates its 

100th anniversary this year, I have never 

felt more confident about the future of this 

industry. We have navigated a century’s 

worth of challenges, especially in the last 

couple of years, and yet we continue to 

reemerge stronger than ever. 

What were some of the biggest 

highlights of 2021 for the MPA? 

Despite clear challenges posed by the 

pandemic, the MPA and our member 

companies accomplished a significant 

amount in 2021 on several fronts. We 

advanced our global fight against the 

large-scale piracy operations that pose an 

existential threat to the creative economy, 

and we expanded production incentive 

programs that create jobs and drive the 

economies in several key states across 

the country. Working with partners, we 

also launched new efforts to diversify 

the industry’s creative pipeline to help 

ensure that everyone is represented in the 

creative community. 

What were some of the biggest 

lessons you have taken from your role 

after the last two very difficult years? 

By far the biggest lesson is that the 

industry is composed of resilient and 

innovative individuals who proved they 

can navigate even the most serious threats 

and challenges. The pandemic threw so 

many unexpected obstacles at our workers 

around the world. And yet we have not 

only survived, we have thrived. 

I also learned that the creative 

community is more vital than ever to 

audiences around the world. During the 

pandemic, record numbers of people 

tuned in to watch movies and TV shows 

produced by MPA member studios and 

others. To me, that confirms we are in a 

golden age of content, with more great 

films and TV shows available than ever. 

Internationally, we see the Chinese 

market continue to hit new heights— 

but in 2021 it did so mostly through 

a slate of national titles. Some of 

Hollywood’s biggest films were unable 

to secure distribution in China in 2021. 

Do you expect this trend to change? 

Or should Hollywood be prepared to 

depend less on China when it comes 

to international box office? 

This is a complex geopolitical situation, 

but I am optimistic we will make 

substantial progress leveling the playing 

field in China in the near term. China 

is one of the world’s largest and fastestgrowing 

markets. The country currently 

has more than 80,000 screens vs. 40,000 

screens or so in the United States. And 

yet they also impose market restrictions 

that make it difficult for American studios 

to do business there. We are working 

closely with the Biden administration and 

Congress to find ways to level the playing 

field and deliver more movies to an 

audience that clearly loves American films. 

On the piracy front, the MPA claimed 

several important legal victories 

across key markets and launched 

additional initiatives to protect 

content. How has piracy evolved 

during the pandemic? 

Certainly, more consumers were at home 

during the global pandemic and, therefore, 

people were consuming more movies and 

television shows. This also likely means 

there was an increase in the consumption 

of illegally available content. In February 

2021, a Digital Citizens Alliance survey 

found that those who had piracy devices 

and apps in the home were three times 

more likely to report an issue with malware 

than those who didn’t have such a device 

in the home. The findings were particularly 

troubling as it related to those who work 

in jobs that can include sensitive or 

confidential information, such as corporate 

finance, national security, government, or 

the medical and legal fields. 

What sort of threat does piracy pose 

to the industry today? 

Piracy poses the single greatest threat to 

the global entertainment industry, the 

economy of nations around the world, 

and the security of consumers. The theft 

of digital content harms both local and 

foreign films and businesses, threatens 

jobs, undermines investment, reduces 

tax contributions to governments, and 

stifles creativity. As more content moves 

online, artists and creators are increasingly 


compromised by the unauthorized and 

unlicensed use of their works. Their 

livelihoods—and the creative content 

enjoyed by global audiences—are 

threatened by piracy. Supporting creators 

by working to reduce large-scale, for-profit 

theft of content by pirate sites, in addition 

to fighting efforts to weaken important 

copyright laws, is core to the MPA’s mission. 

Last year we saw more cinema circuits 

program films from streamers; do you 

believe this trend can continue in the 

coming years? 

Theater and streaming work hand in 

hand to generate excitement and drive 

viewing and success across all platforms 

and venues. As I often say, just as people 

like a home-cooked meal, they also enjoy 

going out to dinner. The same is true 

for viewing great movies. The theater 

experience remains special, unique, and 

cherished—and, if anything, we expect 

greater enthusiasm and pent-up desire to 

reconnect and experience films together 

as reopening deepens and people adjust 

after two long years of restrictions and 

limitations. After all, even with these 

challenges, last year saw the release of what 

has become the third-highest-grossing box 

office film in [North America] of all time, 

Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

The MPA’s centennial reflects its enduring 

value and impact as the global voice of 

an industry whose ability to innovate 

has secured its role as an iconic driver of 

economic growth and cultural change. 

During this remarkable century, we have 

proven to be a robust economic driver 

of jobs, directly and indirectly, and a 

powerful contributor to our nation’s GDP. 

We have achieved numerous policy and 

legal victories in every corner of the world 

in support of creators, creative rights, and 

freedom of expression. We have expanded 

our efforts to address diversity, gender 

parity, authentic cultural representation, 

and pipeline recruitment opportunities in 

our industry. 

We have protected our films from 

censorship, and kept faith with the 

parents of America, by providing 

impartial assessments of the content of 

our movies and television. We’ve also 

joined forces with studios, producers, law 

enforcement authorities, and other global 

partners to create the world’s leading 

organization dedicated to reducing digital 

piracy and protecting the legal ecosystem 

for creative content. Last but certainly 

not least, we’ve continued to enlighten, 

entertain, and inspire audiences here and 

around the world. 

And the best part is, we’re just getting 

started. We can’t predict the future, but 

I do look forward to working with our 

member companies to identify new 

technological innovations that support 

the production and distribution of content 

in the years to come. 

“Piracy poses the single 

greatest threat to the global 

entertainment industry, the 

economy of nations around 

the world, and the security 

of consumers.” 

What are your expectations for 2022? 

I’m a natural optimist, so I have high 

expectations for our industry. I expect we 

will see an accelerating rebound in the 

global theatrical and streaming markets, 

which will enable the industry to create 

more jobs and drive greater economic 

growth around the world. I think we will 

continue to make progress in our global 

fight against the illegal piracy operations 

that threaten creators, consumers, and 

theater owners. And I strongly believe 

there are storytellers out there who are 

working on the next great American movie 

or TV show—an iconic story, well told, 

that will remind us all why we got into this 

business in the first place. 

This year marks the 100th anniversary 

of the Motion Picture Association. 

Looking back, what are some of 

the landmark achievements you 

would say the MPA has introduced 

to the industry at large over the last 

century? And what are your priorities 

for the years to come? 


21

Industry BIG DATA 

GLOBAL 

OUTLOOK 

Highlights from the Motion 

Picture Association’s Annual 

Theatrical and Home 

Entertainment Market 

Environment (THEME) Report 


The global box office rebounded 

to $21.3 billion in 2021, an 81 

percent increase from 2020’s disastrous 

figures, according to the Motion Picture 

Association’s (MPA) annual Theatrical 

and Home Entertainment Market 

Environment (THEME) report. 

The year-over-year improvement 

was sorely needed in an industry that 

continues to feel the impacts of the 

Covid-19 pandemic. Though promising, 

the figure is still roughly half of the 

industry’s record global box office profits 

of $42.3 billion in 2019. Worldwide ticket 

sales had brought in over $40 billion 

in revenue for the three consecutive 

years leading up to 2020. The pandemic 

derailed that momentum, and the box 

office sputtered to $11.8 billion (a nearly 

75% drop) in a year marked by release 

cancellations and cinema closures. 

2021 was never expected to see a 

full recovery for cinemas, but it did 

present an important opportunity to 

win back audiences after sustained 

closures across multiple markets. “As 

the Motion Picture Association marks 

its 100th anniversary this year, our 

latest THEME Report underscores how 

resilient and dynamic our industry 

is, and I couldn’t be more optimistic 

about the future of our business,” said 

Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the 

Motion Picture Association, in a press 

release announcing the year’s results. 

“We are just getting started in writing 

the next chapter of our industry, as 

streaming continues to boom, theaters 

Global Box Offfice 

(U.S. Billions) 

North America 

$4.5B 105% 

U.S./Canada 

International 

20 

$45 

0 

$40 

2017 

2018 

2019 

2020 

2021 

$35 

$30 

$25 

$29.8 

$29.9 

$30.9 

Latin America 

$0.9B 72% 

20 

$20 

0 

$15 

$10 

$9.6 

$16.8 

$5 

$11.1 

$11.9 

$11.4 

$2.2 

$4.5 

2017 

2018 

2019 

2020 

2021 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 


are rebounding, and the overall global 

market for our entertainment product 

recovers and breaks records. Our members 

are the most innovative companies on 

earth. Their capacity to bring people 

together through the timeless magic of 

extraordinary stories will continue to 

captivate billions of viewers over the next 

100 years.” 

The North American domestic market 

(U.S. and Canada) finished the year in 

second place, with $4.5 billion, up 105 

percent from the previous year. The 

number of tickets sold in North America 

(470 million) doubled in 2021, with just 

under half the U.S. and Canada population 

(168 million people) visiting a cinema at 

least once during the year. 

“We are just getting started 

in writing the next chapter 

of our industry, as streaming 

continues to boom, theaters 

are rebounding, and the 

overall global market for 

our entertainment product 

recovers and breaks records.” 

EMEA 

$5.0B 53% 

20 

2021 Top International 

Box Office Markets 

(U.S. Billions) 

1 China $7.3 

2 Japan $1.5 

0 

2017 

2018 

2019 

2020 

2021 

3 U.K. $0.8 

4 France $0.8 

5 Russia $0.6 

Asia Pacific 

$10.9B 89% 

20 

6 South Korea $0.5 

7 India $0.5 

8 Australia $0.5 

9 Germany $0.4 

0 

2017 

2018 

2019 

2020 

2021 

10 Mexico $0.4 

11 Spain $0.3 

12 Italy $0.2 

13 Taiwan $0.2 

14 Netherlands $0.2 

15 Hong Kong $0.2 

16 Brazil $0.2 

17 UAE $0.1 

18 Poland $0.1 

19 Denmark $0.1 

20 Switzerland $0.1 


23

Industry BIG DATA 

The typical moviegoer in the domestic 

markets made an average of 2.8 cinema 

visits in 2021, up from 1.5 in 2020. Per 

capita attendance was highest among 

young audiences in the 12 to 17 age group 

(2.5 tickets sold per person) and among 

Hispanic/Latin American moviegoers 

(1.7). The gender composition of 2021 

moviegoers in the domestic market 

skewed slightly male relative to the 

population share. 

The number of domestic audiences 

who qualified as frequent moviegoers 

(with one or more admissions per month) 

remained significantly lower when 

compared to 2019. Only 3 percent of the 

U.S. and Canada population recorded one 

or more cinema visits in 2021, the same 

figure as in 2020, down from 11 percent in 

2019. That small share of the moviegoing 

public represented over a third of all 

domestic admissions in 2021 (34%). 

More than half of the public qualified as 

occasional moviegoers (60%), averaging 

less than one cinema visit per month. 

The slow return of audiences to 

habitual moviegoing can also be linked 

to the significant decrease of titles being 

released to cinemas. Only 387 titles 

reached theaters in 2021, slightly above 

the 319 released in 2020 and far behind 

the 987 films to have received a theatrical 

rollout in 2019. That 60 percent decline in 

the number of films released to theaters 

lines up perfectly with the 60 percent 

disparity in the box office performance of 

2019 ($11.4 billion) and 2021 ($4.5 billion). 

Despite the steep drop-off in the 

number of films made available to 

theaters, production bounced back 

up in 2021. A total of 943 films entered 

production in the United States over 

the course of last year, a 111 percent 

increase from 2020. The number of films 

released exclusively to streaming services 

remained unaffected, matching 2020’s 

high watermark of 179 titles. This includes 

titles from major brands like Pixar 

(Soul, Luca) and filmmakers like Steven 

Soderbergh (No Sudden Move) being made 

available exclusively on Disney Plus and 

U.S./Canada Box Office Market (USD Billions) 

Admissions (Billions) 

Admissions per capita 

$12 

$10 

1.80 6.0 

1.60 

1.40 

$8 

$6 

$4 

Admissions (Billions) 

1.20 

1.00 

0.80 

0.60 

4.0 

2.0 

Admissions per capita 

$2 

0.40 

0.20 

0 

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

0 

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

0 

U.S./Canada Population 

U.S./Canada 

U.S./Canada Population U.S./Canada Tickets 

Moviegoers 

Sold 

53+47 53+32+12+3 60+34+6 

Moviegoers 

47% 53% 

Non-Moviegoers 

168M 

Admissions: 2021 

Tickets Sold 

0.47B 

Annual Tickets per 

Moviegoer 

2.8 

Infrequent 

12% 

Occasional 

32% 

Frequent 

3% 

Non-Moviegoers 

53% 

Frequent 

34% 

Infrequent 

6% 

Occasional 

60% 

Frequent = ≥1/month Occasional =

The slow return of 

audiences to habitual 

moviegoing can also be 

linked to the significant 

decrease of titles being 

released to cinemas. 

HBO Max, respectively. The number of 

films exclusively available on streaming 

platforms has nearly doubled since 2017. 

The pandemic has served as a catalyst 

to the adoption of subscription video 

on demand (SVOD) around the world. 

The number of streaming services 

subscriptions increased from 1.2 billion 

to 1.3 billion worldwide and from 308.6 

million to 353.2 million in the United 

States, both representing a 14 percent 

increase from 2020. The rise of streaming 

pushed the global theatrical and home 

entertainment markets to revenues 

totaling $99.7 billion in 2021, a figure 

that rises to $328.2 billion when factoring 

in the pay TV market. In the United 

States, the combined theatrical and home 

entertainment market hit $36.8 billion in 

2021, a 14 percent increase compared to 

2020, and above the 2019 pre-pandemic 

benchmark of $36.1 billion. 

Fears that the pandemic would plunge 

the cinema industry into a global crisis 

have mostly subsided following a strong 

end to the year. The number of movie 

theater screens around the world is up 4 

percent against 2019 figures, principally 

thanks to strong growth in the Asia Pacific 

region. The number of cinema screens in 

the United States and Canada has only 

decreased by 1 percent since 2019, from 

44,283 to 43,646. 

Films Released 

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2022 2021 

Top 20 Films by U.S./Canada Box 

Office in 2021 

Calendar Year Grosses 

Films released 691 681 764 755 801 872 862 987 338 387 

New feature films 672 669 749 735 767 775 738 860 319 370 

1 Spider-man: No Way 

Home 

$573M 

Re-releases 18 10 14 14 24 49 56 67 10 12 

Non-feature films 1 2 1 6 10 48 68 60 9 5 

Estimated Number of Online Exclusive Films 

200 

2 Shang-Chi and the 

Legend of the Ten Rings 

3 Venom: Let There Be 

Carnage 

$224M 

$212M 

4 Black Widow $183M 

5 F9: The Fast Saga $173M 

150 

179 179 

6 Eternals $164M 

100 

93 

101 

113 

7 No Time To Die $160M 

8 A Quiet Place Part II $160M 

50 

9 Ghostbusters: Afterlife $122M 

0 

2017 

2018 

2019 

2020 2021 

10 Free Guy $121M 

11 Jungle Cruise $117M 

2021 Global Cinema Screens by Format and Region 

Digital 3D Digital Non 3D Unclassified 

12 Dune $107M 

13 Godzilla vs. Kong $100M 

14 Halloween Kills $92M 

120,000 

100,000 

15 Encanto $90M 

16 Cruella $86M 

80,000 

17 Sing 2 $76M 

60,000 

40,000 

18 Space Jam: A New 

Legacy 

$70M 

20,000 

0 

U.S./Canada 

EMEA 

Asia Pacific 

Latin America 

19 Conjuring: The Devil 

Made Me Do It 

$65M 

20 Candyman $61M 


25

Industry BOXOFFICE BAROMETER 


Honoring Excellence in Theatrical Exhibition 

The Boxoffice Barometer readers’ poll, a decades-long annual feature of our 

magazine, asks exhibitors to vote on the best achievements in the industry. In 

this year’s edition, representatives from over 100 exhibition circuits around the 

world voted online to select the most important and influential contributions to 

the exhibition industry throughout 2021. Boxoffice Pro will feature profiles of 

each honoree in our upcoming print editions in 2022. 


Industry Figure of the Year: 

JACKIE BRENNEMAN 

AND ESTHER BARUH 

(NATO) 

Most Anticipated Film of 2022: 

TOP GUN: MAVERICK 

(PARAMOUNT) 

Concessionaire of the Year: 

THE COCA-COLA 

COMPANY 

Most Important Film of 2021: 

SPIDER-MAN: 

NO WAY HOME 

(SONY) 

Distributor of the Year: 

SONY 

Cinema Technology Provider 

of the Year: 

CINIONIC 

Cinema Equipment Supplier 

of the Year: 

CES+ 

Exhibitor Relations Department 

of the Year: 

SONY 

Boxoffice Pro Trend of the Year 

PREMIUM LARGE 

FORMAT 


27


INDUSTRY FIGURES 

OF THE YEAR: 

JACKIE BRENNEMAN AND 

ESTHER BARUH, NATO 

“We, as an industry, were hit 

way harder than any other. We 

were closed for longer than 

we should have been closed 

in a lot of places—and that 

became a big fight.” 

How Esther Baruh and Jackie Brenneman Guided NATO 

through the Biggest Crisis in the Industry’s History 


In hindsight, the first couple 

of weeks of March 2020 have a 

dreamlike quality. We remember specific 

details of newfound anxieties—wash your 

hands, don’t touch your face, did I just 

hear someone cough?—but the memories 

are simultaneously distant and distinctly 

accessible. The entire world was bracing 

for something no one quite understood. 

Jackie Brenneman, executive vice 

president and general counsel of the 

National Association of Theatre Owners 

(NATO), and Esther Baruh, NATO’s 

director of government relations, had 

spent the prior weeks visiting member 

cinemas ahead of CinemaCon, the 

exhibition industry’s annual convention 

in Las Vegas. By that time, cinemas in 

China, Italy, and South Korea had already 

suspended operations due to the spread of 

Covid-19. It was unclear if movie theaters 

in the United States would have to 

follow suit, though the likelihood of that 

occurring was growing by the day. 

“At first, everything that was happening 

seemed to be building up to something, 

like a slow but sustained dripping faucet— 

drip, drip, drip—until all of a sudden, 

there was a flood and the whole world 

totally shut down,” says Baruh. 

On March 11, the World Health 

Organization formally recognized 

Covid-19 as a global pandemic. Within 

hours, NATO officially announced that 

CinemaCon 2020—scheduled to begin in 

less than three weeks—would be canceled. 

In a matter of days, every cinema in the 

United States had voluntarily suspended 

operations until further notice. 

Baruh has a professional background 

in lobbying—it was her principal role at 

NATO’s office in Washington D.C.—but 

despite her premonition that this would 

be more than a two-week affair, she had 

no indication of the extent of the crisis to 

come. “The team was holding meetings 

in Kansas City,” she says. “Between the 

time we took off in D.C. and returned from 

Kansas, we had retained a lobbying firm 

because we could see that things were 

closing down and we were going to need 

federal aid. At the time we only had an 

inkling of the scale of what we would be 

lobbying for.” 

Brenneman, on the other hand, had 

limited experience working on behalf of 

exhibitors around government policy. “I 

was not a full-time lobbyist before the 

pandemic,” she says. “I had done some 

work with the Department of Justice for 

the different consent decree reviews—first 

Paramount, then ASCAP and BMI—and 

I had attended one day on [Capitol 

Hill] with NATO. That was really all the 

lobbying I had done: antitrust, being 

the lawyer in the room, and explaining 

the possible impact of a proposed law or 

administrative action.” 

NATO’s efforts to assist cinemas in the 

early days of the pandemic were principally 

focused on helping movie theater workers 

get by while their places of work remained 

closed. The trade group donated $1 million 

to the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers 

Foundation to support the Pioneers 

Assistance Fund for cinema staff left 

unemployed by the pandemic. At the 

time, much of the country, if not the world, 

remained under the impression that the 

virus would dissipate after several weeks 

of lockdown measures. Any long-term 

harm or impact to the business seemed 

uncertain. “We had no idea how long this 

threat would last, how seismically things 

were going to shift,” recalls Brenneman. 

“It felt like we were stuck in a lobster pot: 

trying to be as proactive as we could in a 

situation where you’re necessarily only 

going to be able to react.” 

The first major piece of government 

pandemic aid Brenneman and Baruh 

tackled was the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 

Economic Security (CARES) Act. Passed at 

the end of March, the stimulus package was 

considered a lifeline to the U.S. economy 

as it reeled from the sudden business 

disruption brought on by Covid-19. 

“We spent a lot of time making sure 

that the members who qualified for 

the various aid programs could access 

them,” says Baruh. Working from NATO’s 

Los Angeles office, Brenneman recalls a 

rapid mobilization of resources: reading 

drafts, fixing problems, and sharing 

them with members early on. “We were 

all assigned different sections when the 

CARES Act draft language came out,” 

says Brenneman. “I got assigned to the 

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and 

the Main Street Lending Program. Because 

of my background as a lawyer, I was able 

to flag things that could be a problem for 

our members.” 

NATO began hosting informational 

webinars with their members, addressing 

questions from cinema operators in a 

series of FAQ memos compiled by staff to 

guide them through the process. “We 

tried to make sure that movie theaters 

were as included as possible on every 


single provision that would help every 

theater owner,” says Brenneman, citing 

the Net Operating Loss Carryback 

provision from the CARES Act. “It enabled 

our members, many of whom had record 

years leading up to 2020, to count all their 

losses against their financial performance 

going back up to five years. That summed 

up to millions of dollars, hundreds of 

millions for some circuits.” 

As the pandemic dragged on into 

the summer, it became clear that the 

economic relief provided by the CARES 

Act wasn’t going to be sufficient to get 

movie theaters through the crisis. “The 

time period provided by the aid programs 

was too short; it didn’t end up being a 

two-month pandemic,” explains Baruh. 

“We couldn’t afford temporary solutions. 

The biggest problem we faced was that all 

of a sudden, movie theaters went down to 

zero revenue while still having to pay all 

their bills.” 

Operating expenses became an even 

greater liability for exhibitors once local 

lockdown orders were lifted in a piecemeal 

fashion throughout different parts of the 

country. In parts of Texas, cinemas were 

allowed to reopen by May 2020. New York 

City, on the other hand, a major artery for 

the global box office, kept cinemas closed 

until March 2021. Without enough of the 

box office market share available, studios 

opted instead to delay releasing any new 

titles until there was a greater number of 

open theaters. 

“Every state—down to individual 

counties and municipalities within a 

state—enacted their own closure orders. 

That meant everyone had their own 

rules around reopening. There were little 

pockets across the country where things 

were reopening. Sometimes they were 

statewide, sometimes they were counties, 

it really depended on the individual 

powers of local government,” says Baruh. 

“We realized that we had to make sure 

movie theaters could reopen in a way 

where they had parity with similarly 

situated businesses. So if a house of 

worship was being permitted to reopen, 

and people could come back at a certain 

capacity, we had to make sure that movie 

theaters were being given a similar chance 

to reopen.” 

“We, as an industry, were hit way harder 

than any other. We were closed for longer 

than we should have been closed in a lot 

of places—and that became a big fight,” 

adds Brenneman. “We weren’t asking 

for special treatment, we were asking for 

equal treatment. If restaurants could only 

be at 25 percent capacity, fine, but that 

meant movie theaters should also be open 

at the same capacity.” 

“The biggest fights were around the 

two biggest markets, and they were 

the last ones to open: New York and 

California,” says Baruh. “We needed those 

two markets back because studios were 

wary of releasing films until there was a 

large enough footprint of movie theaters 

that were open. During that time, even if 

theaters were allowed to reopen by their 

respective authorities, it wasn’t viable for 

them to do so without new films coming 

out. The more markets we could open, the 

likelier it was for studios to release more 

films. It was the only way our industry 

could get itself out of this vicious cycle we 

were in. 

“We ended up working across many 

different levels with the network of 

regional associations affiliated with 

NATO to get the industry reopened. That 

meant a lot of conversations with public 

health officials and politicians at various 

levels,” continues Baruh. “It was a very 

confusing—in some places a very opaque— 

process to understand the decisions that 

state and local governments were making 

about what kind of businesses could 

reopen, and under what rules.” 

As the campaign to reopen theaters 

intensified, NATO kept a close eye 

on the multitude of scientific studies 

being conducted around the world 

tracking the spread of Covid-19 in indoor 

settings. Under every objective scientific 

measure, movie theaters emerged as 

one of the safest indoor entertainment 

venues during the pandemic. Advanced 

filtration systems coupled with social 

distancing through decreased capacity 

and mask wearing all combined to deliver 

a relatively low-risk night out. The 

spread of air particles from patrons in 

an auditorium was mitigated by a silent 

audience, all facing in the same direction, 

while seated and breathing normally 

under a resting heart rate. 

NATO consulted with epidemiologists 

to develop Cinema Safe, a uniform set 

of guidelines and protocols to welcome 

audiences back to theaters in August of 

2020. “We had a lot of members who had 

their own safety programs. They put a 

“We couldn’t afford 

temporary solutions. The 

biggest problem we faced 

was that all of a sudden, 

movie theaters went down 

to zero revenue while still 

having to pay all their bills.” 

Jackie Brenneman 

Esther Baruh 


29


lot of money into branding them, and 

we recognized it was necessary for the 

industry as a whole to have a voluntary 

commitment to a set of epidemiologistapproved 

standards,” says Brenneman. 

“Something that worked for the entire 

industry.” 

The launch of Cinema Safe set the stage 

for the release of Warner Bros.’ Tenet in 

September. Its implementation at over 

300 cinema companies in the United 

States at launch reassured the first batch 

of audiences making their return to the 

movies, addressed any lingering concerns 

from government officials, and showed 

studios that exhibition was committed to 

promoting the safety of the moviegoing 

experience. The resulting box office 

performance of Tenet, however, didn’t do 

enough to convince studios to revert to a 

consistent release schedule—creating a 

vacuum in the calendar for exhibitors and 

audiences alike. For cinemas in the United 

States to survive the pandemic, there 

needed to be an additional economic 

lifeline that could address the industry’s 

unique business model. As opposed to 

restaurants or gyms, cinemas are wholly 

dependent on content from outside 

entities to draw patrons. If that content 

pipeline is disrupted, the economic 

consequences are disastrous—leading 

some cinemas to lose less money being 

closed than open. 

The NATO staff dedicated a lot of 

time to different pieces of legislation 

For cinemas in the United 

States to survive the 

pandemic, there needed to 

be an additional economic 

lifeline that could address 

the industry’s unique 

business model. 

to help address the problem, but the 

political climate in the country was 

hardly favorable in the fall of 2020. With 

a presidential election coming up in 

November, both political parties were 

taking a hard look at which specific 

pieces of legislation to support. “There 

was a ton of disagreement between the 

House and the Senate about how much to 

spend on a second Covid package, a huge 

discrepancy between what the Democrats 

and Republicans wanted,” remembers 

Baruh. “On the one hand, it caused a lot of 

panic, because the longer we went without 

a specific aid program, the more difficult 

things became for everybody. On the other 

hand, it bought us time to keep working 

and refining and making sure that we were 

fighting for something that was going to 

be really helpful for the industry.” 

Since the passage of the CARES Act, 

with every passing month, the trade groups 

in D.C. had been lobbying frantically for 

sector-specific aid. One of the trade groups 

Baruh was familiar with was the National 

Independent Venue Association (NIVA), 

which had only been formed in March 

2020—as a direct result of the pandemic— 

to represent music and performing arts 

venues. NIVA was actively working to 

get its own bill, the Save Our Stages Act, 

passed as part of a second national Covid 

economic relief package. The bill was 

originally designed to assist concert and 

live theater venues—movie theaters were 

not included when Save Our Stages made it 

into House Democrats’ first version of the 

legislation in late September 2020. 

Baruh had developed a good working 

relationship with NIVA leadership. Their 

bill had something few others counted on 

during a divisive election year: support 

and momentum. Moreover, the cinema 

industry shared a lot more similarities 

with live entertainment venues than any 

other sector. 

“We realized that if we wanted 

industry-specific assistance, we had 

to ally ourselves with the live music 

venues because, ultimately, we operate 

in the same way,” says Baruh. “You’ve 

got a network of indoor venues that 

rely on a supply of artists—in our case, 

movies provided by studios—to make 

the business run. We were in a similar 

situation, being indoor venues relying on 

content coming from outside distributors. 

Our businesses operate through this 

symbiotic relationship with content 


providers, you can’t really have one 

without the other. The pandemic had hit 

us both very hard.” 

NATO’s close ties to NIVA opened 

the way for cinemas’ inclusion into the 

Save Our Stages Act, later renamed the 

Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG). 

To move forward, however, NATO’s 

executive board, which includes several 

members of publicly traded companies 

that would be left out of the bill, would 

have to get behind it. “To the credit of our 

executive board, they supported this— 

and we had publicly traded companies 

who lobbied for this, used their 

relationships to leverage to help make 

this happen,” says Brenneman. 

With the industry’s support in place, 

cinemas then had to convince members 

of government to dedicate additional 

funds in the bill for their theaters. NATO 

worked with the bill’s principal sponsors— 

Senators Amy Klobuchar, John Cornyn, 

and Chuck Schumer—to include an 

additional $5 billion for movie theaters in 

the program. The effort was buoyed by a 

public campaign of moviegoers and some 

of the world’s best-known filmmakers to 

reach out to Congress in support of the 

bill and other relief measures. The action 

resulted in over 355,000 letters to Congress, 

culminating in bipartisan support from 

Democrats and Republicans to earmark 

$5 billion for cinemas as part of SVOG. 

The bill, including movie theaters, 

passed in December of 2020. “I remember 

being in my apartment when I found out 

the program was going to be in the bill, as 

modified to include movie theaters” says 

Baruh. “The first thing I did after hearing 

the news was turn on the song ‘Run 

the World (Girls)’ by Beyoncé and start 

dancing. It was an incredible feeling. 

“Even though SVOG didn’t include 

every movie theater company in the 

United States, I think it ended up helping 

every single movie theater company in 

the United States,” says Baruh. “It’s not 

the same industry without the small and 

medium chains, it’s not the same footprint. 

The smaller businesses help buoy the big 

businesses. SVOG had a trickle-up effect; 

by saving smaller and midsize theaters, 

that meant we preserved the industry’s 

wider footprint, which ultimately helped 

more movies come into the market.” 

The movie version of this story would 

likely end here, on a high point after 

the legislative victory. The funding is 

guaranteed, cinemas are saved. The End; 

roll credits. The truth, unfortunately, is 

mired in bureaucracy. Passing the bill was 

only half the battle. There was another 

fight altogether coming into focus: 

ensuring cinemas could successfully apply 

and receive the funds allotted to them. 

It took months for the Small Business 

Administration (SBA) to open a portal 

for cinemas. When it finally came 

online, it wound up crashing on the very 

same day. The rules for applying were 

initially unclear, leading to over a dozen 

guidance changes from the SBA, some 

of which changed the rules to apply 

significantly. Funds were granted on a 

first-come, first-served basis. There was 

no clarity on applications that were being 

denied, nor an appeals process in place 

to address administrative errors. “The 

SBA was not very familiar with the movie 

theater business, so we had to do a lot 

of education for them. It was a bumpy 

process getting the grant program off the 

ground,” remembers Baruh. 

“It was a law that passed in December 

2020, and it turned into a constant source 

of stress for us through August 2021,” 

adds Brenneman. “We were having daily 

7 a.m. phone calls with the SBA. Daily 

stakeholder calls trying to figure out and 

fix problems. No one felt that we had the 

luxury of time; people thought the money 

would simply run out. We simply didn’t 

have any assurances when the program 

first launched and those first rejection 

letters came in.” 

The troubled launch of SVOG can be 

partly attributed to the scrutiny the SBA 

was under following the rampant fraud 

that accompanied PPP loans the previous 

year. A lifeline for countless businesses, 

PPP was also susceptible to cheating as the 

government scrambled to get a hold on the 

pandemic. The SBA seemed determined to 

avoid the same mistakes the second time 

around with the SVOG portal. But their 

lack of transparency, along with an initial 

wave of rejections without explanations or 

an appeal process in place, sowed doubts 

that exhibitors would ever see any of the 

money they were entitled to. 

Baruh testified before Congress on 

behalf of NATO in May 2021, five months 

after the program was enacted, calling for 

urgent fixes to the application process. 

Things began to improve in the weeks 

following her address, as other industries 

and lawmakers voiced their own concerns 

about the program’s shortcomings at 

launch. “Even though we were frustrated 

that it took so long, the program did 

work the way it was intended to,” says 

Brenneman. “It’s an example of why you 

should have faith in your government. 

The SBA was under an extreme amount 

of pressure. It was hard, but you want 

the government to take their time and be 

cautious in this type of situation.” 

An appeals process was eventually 

put in place by the SBA, and Brenneman 

devised a matrix with every eligibility 

criterion so exhibitors could define what 

they needed and why they needed it when 

applying for funding. She personally 

reviewed exhibitors’ applications, down 

to their cover letters, and assisted in the 

appeals process whenever necessary. As 

of this writing, in March 2022, she was still 

involved in guiding exhibitors through 

the process. 

Baruh left her position at NATO in 

September 2021. By then, all eligible 

cinemas had applied to the program she 

helped put together. The last industry 

event she attended in person was 

CinemaCon 2021, held weeks before her 

last day on the job. At the event’s annual 

State of the Industry address, delivered 

by NATO president and CEO John Fithian, 

Baruh and Brenneman were singled out 

and recognized for their efforts before an 

auditorium full of exhibitors—many of 

them recipients of the government aid 

they made accessible. The two women 

received a lengthy standing ovation. 

In a briefing with the press, Fithian 

later revealed that at the start of the 

pandemic NATO feared that up to half 

of the domestic market’s 41,000 screens 

could have been permanently lost. Thanks 

to the work of Baruh, Brenneman, and 

NATO, the domestic screen count for 

North America in 2022 stands at around 

40,578—only 1 percent under the prepandemic 

figures. 

“Even though SVOG didn’t 

include every movie theater 

company in the United 

States, I think it ended up 

helping every single movie 

theater company in the 

United States.” 


31

Theater BOXOFFICE BAROMETER 

MOST ANTICIPATED 

FILM OF 2022 

TOP GUN: 

MAVERICK 

Release Date: May 27, 2022 

Synopsis: After more than 30 years of 

service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, 

Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is 

where he belongs, pushing the envelope 

as a courageous test pilot and dodging the 

advancement in rank that would ground 

him. When he finds himself training a 

detachment of Top Gun graduates for a 

specialized mission the likes of which 

no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick 

encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles 

Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of 

Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept 

Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.” 

Facing an uncertain future and 

confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick 

is drawn into a confrontation with his own 

deepest fears, culminating in a mission 

that demands the ultimate sacrifice from 

those who will be chosen to fly it. 

EXHIBITORS HAVE 

THIER SAY 

Top Three Reponses 

Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount) 

20% 

15% 

33% 

Avatar 2 (20th Century Studios) 

The Batman (Warner Bros.) 


MOST IMPORTANT 

FILM OF 2021 

SPIDER-MAN: 

NO WAY HOME 

SPIDER-MAN: 

NO WAY HOME 

Sony | December 17, 2021 

Domestic Opening Weekend: 

$260.1M 

4,336 Screens 

$59,995 Per-Screen Average 

$800M 

$1.88B 

global 

$1.08B 

Domestic 

Overseas 

EXHIBITORS HAVE 

THIER SAY 

Top Three Reponses 

Spider-Man: No Way Home (Sony) 

74% 

No Time to Die (MGM/UA) 

6% 

A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount) 

5% 


33

Industry BOXOFFICE LIVE SESSIONS 

BOXOFFICE 

LIVE SESSIONS 

WEBINAR RECAP 

GIANTS OF EXHIBITION 2022 

Looking Forward to the Future of Cinema 

BY REBECCA PAHLE AND DANIEL LORIA 

In our March/April issue, Boxoffice Pro 

revealed the 2022 Giants of Exhibition, 

ranking the top 50 circuits in North America 

by screen count. Our rollout was accompanied 

by an online panel discussion, held on March 

15, 2022, designed to explore the potential 

of cinemas amid a time of continued and 

substantial change for the industry. 

Our panelists hailed from chains that 

represent a small part of the diversity of the 

North American cinema landscape: Bob Bagby, 

CEO of B&B Theatres (sixth-largest chain in 

North America), the market’s largest familyowned 

exhibitor; Anthony Laverde, CEO of 

Emagine Entertainment, a Michigan-based 

luxury chain that cracked the top 10 of Giants 

for the first time this year; and Tim League, 

co-founder and executive chairman of dine-in 

circuit Alamo Drafthouse (No. 12), which in 

2021 emerged from Chapter 11 with a revised 

business model and an eye to the future. 

The theaters may be different, but they all 

share one goal: providing the best possible 

experience to their guests. And all three 

executives share one opinion: Innovation is 

a necessity, not an option, as the industry 

emerges from the most turbulent period in 

its history. 

PANELISTS 

Bob Bagby 

CEO, B&B Theatres 

Anthony Laverde 

CEO, Emagine Entertainment 

Tim League 

Co-Founder and Executive 

Chairman, Alamo Drafthouse 


For many chains, bouncing back 

from the pandemic has meant 

assessing financials and streamlining 

operations. That’s particularly the 

case with Alamo Drafthouse, which 

successfully emerged from Chapter 

11 during 2021 and is now expanding 

into new markets. In this unique 

period in exhibition history, what 

factors do you look at when deciding 

to add new locations? 

Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse: 

Chapter 11 was a new experience for us, 

one that I’d rather not do again. I’d never 

done it as a businessman ever before, and 

I didn’t really know what to expect. There 

were some silver linings from it. It was 

awful. It was very painful. But it did leave 

us with an opportunity to almost burn 

down the infrastructure of before and 

build it back up. 

Over the last 20 years, we’ve been 

expanding with new theaters, but we 

had a little bit of a Frankenstein nature 

to our company, with things that were 

patched on. [In addition to its cinema 

chain, Fantastic Fest, distributor Neon, 

the American Genre Film Archive, and 

retailer Mondo are part of the Alamo 

[brand]. And there were also hidden 

expenses that we lost sight of. We made 

ourselves much more efficient. We have 

a much smaller overhead at our head 

office. And we’re trying to realize that 

we can’t do everything. We’re choosing 

the most impactful moments to key into. 

For example, we’re rebuilding a lot of 

our technology. We were big advocates, 

before the pandemic, of our subscription 

program, Season Pass. We’re also realizing 

that our loyalty program—I probably rate 

us a C on that. We’re dedicating some 

technology to increase a lot of minutiae 

to our technology stack, but also leaning 

heavily into subscription and what a 

loyalty program means in the wake of a 

successful subscription program. 

Anthony, what’s been Emagine’s 

approach to expansion? You’ve added 

both locations and screen counts over 

the last year. 

Anthony Laverde, Emagine 

Entertainment: We were lucky. We were 

very familiar with the seven sites we 

acquired, so it wasn’t the standard level 

of due diligence for us. We were either a 

“I think a common theme 

between the three of our 

chains is, the guests come 

first. We’re not concerned 

about our competitors. We’re 

concerned about the guest 

experience.” 

building owner already or had the ability 

to acquire an in-market competitor. In 

the case of the [GQT Movies] sites we 

acquired, we were very familiar with them. 

We competed with them for years. It was 

our management team’s opinion that 

they had underinvested in their venues 

for many years and had seen a significant 

reduction in guest count because of 

that underinvestment. So it made a lot 

of sense for us to make them Emagines. 

We’re going to spend $28 million in the 

next three quarters rehabilitating these 

buildings to Emagine standards. I believe 

that will increase the guest count and 

bring folks back to the theater, when they 

have the luxury experience that I know 

Bob and Tim both provide their guests. 

I think a common theme between the 

three of our chains is, the guests come 

first. We’re not concerned about our 

competitors. We’re concerned about the 

guest experience. 

Bob, for a family-owned company like 

B&B Theatres, the pandemic probably 

brought a lot of scary moments. But 

you’ve been able to bounce back 

and invest in your theaters. What has 

the experience of emerging from the 

pandemic been like for B&B? 

Bob Bagby, B&B Theatres: We are a 

privately held family company. I believe 

we’re the largest privately held family 

company in the United States. When I say 

“family-owned,” we don’t have a big equity 

group behind us. Just our family dealing 

with 20 banks and going for it. We’re 

so thankful that all of our vendors and 

bankers and landlords worked with us to 

get us through this. We are so appreciative. 

When the pandemic began, I sat down 

[with children Bobbie, Brittany, and 

Brock Bagby, who help run B&B Theatres 

along with Bob and wife, Bridget]. I 

told Brock, [EVP and chief content/ 

development officer], “I want you to stay 

out of the weeds. There are going to be 

more opportunities for expansion than 

ever before.” He looked at over 400 deals 

over the last two years. We added 120 

screens. We were very selective. They had 

to be in areas that were not overscreened, 

obviously. And they either had to have 

been remodeled, or there must be 

tenant improvement money available 

for a remodel, because you have to have 

recliners in today’s market. You have to 


35


have a nice facility with good sound and 

projection. That’s what we looked at. Of 

course, we had very strict terms that we 

had to have. It was family money, so 

we were not willing to put a lot of cash 

into any deal. We had to work with our 

landlords for funding, and we’re thankful 

that we made some really good deals over 

the pandemic. 

From the very beginning, though, I was 

bullish for the future. I knew that once the 

pandemic ended, people were going to be 

ready to get off their couches. And I think 

the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home 

and The Batman shows that I was right. 

Also helping bring people back to 

theaters during the recovery are 

premium experiences. Tim, something 

that Alamo announced just prior to 

the pandemic and is now expanding 

is your premium format, The Big Show. 

What does having your own housebranded 

PLF mean to Alamo? 

League: It’s a question every exhibitor 

has to face, in terms of whether you go 

with one of the externally branded PLFs or 

go internal. We made the decision that we 

wanted to write our own specifications for 

what it meant to be premium large format. 

We have a pretty strict guideline in terms 

of light level. There are only a couple of 

sound options. And then the size of the 

screen. We also wanted to have fun with 

the brand. Our branding on The Big Show 

harkens back to something very important 

to me: the age-old tradition of ballyhoo. 

We’ve had great success with it. 

Whenever we’re building new units or 

taking over others where we have room to 

put in a PLF [screen], it’s an integral part of 

anything new that we’re going to do. The 

results have been strong, and the response 

from our guests has been amazing, 

especially for the tentpole movies. For a 

movie like The Batman, watching it in 

PLF—there is no comparison [to having] 

the immersive picture and, almost equally 

important, the immersive sound. So it’s 

very much a part of the road map forward 

for our expansion. 

Bob, have you noticed that premium 

formats have an impact on getting 

people back to B&B Theatres for some 

of these big-budget blockbusters? 

Bagby: Yes. We are seeing the majority of 

our customers coming back and coming 

for premium large format or some other 

experience. We have ScreenX, we have 

4DX. That’s what people are doing. They’re 

there. They want that experience. They’ve 

been sitting on the couch. A lot of people 

saved a lot of money not going out for a 

couple of years, so now they’re willing to 

pay. And they’re also eating more, which is 

pretty exciting! 

Two innovative experiences B&B 

Theatres has invested in are 

screenPlay, which is a family-friendly 

auditorium, and the installation 

of a performing arts stage at your 

Shawnee, Kansas location. Can you 

speak to us about those concepts and 

the experience of integrating them 

into traditional multiplexes? 

Bagby: ScreenPlay is something that we 

have in a few locations. We actually have 

a playground in the auditorium. Kids can 

play 30 minutes before the movie. You 

have a small upcharge. Then the kids 

sit down and watch the movie. And yes, 

they do sit down and watch the movie, 

because they’re excited to see the movie. 

We always say it gets their wiggles out 

right before the movie starts! I take my 

grandkids, and they are not good all the 

time. The young ones are talking and want 

to get up. But it doesn’t bother anybody 

else in there, because we all have kids and 

they all get it. We want to start them young 

in going to the movies and [establishing] 

their love for the movies. 

A lot of us have big—18-, 24-screen, 

whatever—complexes that we obviously 

don’t need now that the market has 

changed. So we’re looking at how to use 

some of those auditoriums. Our sweet 

spot is [about] 12 to 14 screens. What do 

we do with those other screens? In our 

Shawnee [Kansas] location, we put in B&B 

Live, which is a live performance space. 

We work with a partner, a local theater 

group that does musicals and plays, but 

we also rent it out for dance recitals. We 

had the Miss America and the Miss Kansas 

pageants there, all kinds of things. But the 

clever thing that I did, after being a father 

raising two daughters: I built the bar right 

outside that auditorium. So you can go 

out, have a beer, watch the game, and then 

somebody from your family can text you, 

“OK, she’s getting ready to go on.” That’s 

been very popular. 

We’re doing some other crazy things. 

In one of our places, we have taken out 

all the seats and put in bicycles for a spin 

class. And so you can be riding and watch 

[trailers and other short programming on] 

AT A GLANCE 

B&B THEATERS EMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE 

Founded in: 1924 

Location: Kansas City, MO 

Screens: 513 

Locations: 56 


Location: Troy, MI 

Screens: 342 

Locations: 28 


Location: Austin, TX 

Screens: 301 

Locations: 37 

Screen/location counts as of December 31, 2021 


the big screen. We have a comedy club in 

one of our places. We’re just trying to think 

of anything out of the box that gets people 

into our buildings. When they’re in our 

buildings, they see our posters, and maybe 

they’ll come back and catch a movie. And 

while they’re there, hopefully they buy 

some popcorn. 

Over the last year, Emagine has 

launched some interesting projects 

involving sports, including free-toenter 

watch parties that help drive bar 

sales and a new sports betting lounge 

in your Royal Oak, Michigan location. 

Anthony, can you tell us a bit about 

how that concept came about and 

how it’s been doing since opening in 

December? 

Laverde: We actually thought about this 

concept and began the process pre-Covid. 

With the advent of online wagering in the 

state of Michigan, and now many other 

states we operate in, we really wanted to 

bring Vegas to our guests. And we had the 

extra capacity to change an auditorium 

and give it the full feel of a Vegas-style 

sports book. It’s 42 feet of LEDs. It’s heated 

recliners. It’s wooden tables to hold your 

laptop or your device while you’re placing 

your wagers. It’s full service to your seat. 

You don’t need to fly to Vegas to have the 

Vegas experience of a sports book. In most 

cases, you don’t have to drive a few hours 

to your closest casino. It’s the first one, in 

our Royal Oak location. And we certainly 

intend to build more. We’re looking forward 

to partnering pretty soon with a national 

operator to really have some fun with it. 

More and more chains are introducing 

non-movie-screening events, whether 

that’s a sports-betting lounge or a 

performance space or just having 

a fun area where people can have 

a drink after the movie. Given the 

evolution of that experience, how is 

the moviegoer of 2022 different from 

the moviegoer of 2019? 

League: We can debate this. I don’t see 

a significant difference between the 

moviegoer of 2019 and 2022. Over the past 

year, since we’ve been reemerging from 

the closures, there has been a different 

level of comfort, when people say, “I’m 

ready to regain my life as it was before 

and start behaving normally again.” And 

Above. The screenPlay 

auditorium at B&B 

Theatres' Overland 

Park, Kansas location 

“We’re just trying to think of 

anything out of the box that 

gets people into our buildings. 

When they’re in our buildings, 

they see our posters, and 

maybe they’ll come back and 

catch a movie.” 

I don’t think everybody’s 100 percent 

there, obviously. But what I am seeing now, 

especially if you look at The Batman and 

the sold-out crowds that we’ve all been 

blessed with, is that it’s growing. There’s a 

sense of really moving from pandemic to 

endemic and coming to grips with going 

out with friends and enjoying the things 

that you loved before. 

So I think it’s still the same. When we 

have something magic that we offer, when 

we’re at our best. I think this panel does an 

exceptional job of bringing showmanship 

and caring about the details of great sound, 

great picture, and a great experience at 

the movies. It’s a wonderful industry that I 

was drawn to when I was a young man and 

I still love. I’m still a pretty regular movie 

crier. The emotions are so strong. And so I 

think [the moviegoers are] the exact same 

people. It’s just [that] everybody’s got their 

own path toward resuming their normal 

life post-Covid. 

Bob, have you seen a significant 

change in your patrons coming back 

now in 2022 compared to before the 

pandemic? 

Bagby: The difference that I see is that 

they’re wanting the premium experience. 

They’re willing to pay for premium 

formats, and they eat more, and they 

just want to get out and experience [the 

movies]. No question that the young males 

were the first ones to come back. But we 

saw a significant amount of our guests 

return for [No Time to Die], and it was 


37


an older demographic that came. Every 

day that we get the pandemic behind 

us, we’re going to continue to see our 

business grow. I saw a person the other 

day in a mask, in their car, alone. There 

are still people that are scared. It’s going 

to take them time. But the biggest thing 

our industry needs is a constant supply 

of product with a fair and reasonable 

window from the studios. And then I 

think this business is going to explode. 

Laverde: I echo Bob’s last statement 

loudly. [As to any difference between the 

moviegoer of 2022 and the moviegoer of 

2019], it’s a tough question. Really, the 

only difference I see is a push toward 

technology. Ordering your ticket, ordering 

your food, having your seat, having it all 

done before you arrive at the cinema. And 

we’re delivering [the food] to your seat. 

People were enamored with the contactless, 

no-lines experience. We hope to continue 

to grow on that. Technology will only 

add to the guest experience. [Investing 

in technology] is something that’s very 

important for us to continue doing. 

[There’s also been] a real push toward 

more privacy. We recently built a small, 25- 

seat theater at one of our locations that— 

and Bob will like this—has a glass wall, 

and on the other side of the wall is the 

bar. The parents can put their kids in the 

theater, and they can see into the theater 

to check if they’re behaving [while] they’re 

having drinks and spending money. More 

privacy, more intimacy, shorter lines, less 

contact are all waves that will continue. 

You have to invest in your infrastructure 

to provide those services. 

Emagine Entertainment, Alamo 

Drafthouse, and B&B Theatres have 

all been able to bounce back coming 

out of the Covid-19 crisis. What are 

you actively considering investing in? 

When you’re looking at capex, what 

are your priorities for the next two or 

three years? 

Laverde: PLF is definitely a must-have 

these days to provide a guest with an 

experience they want to come out and 

spend their money on. Outside of that, 

we’ve seen a lot of success with live 

music. We started the Emagine After Dark 

series, which is basically a speakeasy. It 

opens at 10 p.m. and runs till 2 a.m. It’s 

in a single auditorium. We’ll have local 

Above. The Emagine 

Sports Lounge in Royal 

Oak, Michigan 

“There’s a sense of really 

moving from pandemic to 

endemic and coming to grips 

with going out with friends 

and enjoying the things that 

you loved before.” 

acts that can pull 300 to 500 guests at a 

time. They’ll perform on Thursday, Friday, 

Saturday night. We’ve seen impressive per 

cap numbers from holding this “music 

festival,” if you want to call it that. We 

think there’s probably an opportunity 

to expand that with some of our larger 

PLF screens to more national acts. We 

provide a luxury experience. You provide 

the content, people will come. If it’s live 

music, comedy, plays, or film—and if 

Hollywood puts out enough film, we’ll 

continue to put it on the screen. But to fill 

those holes, we’ll come up with alternative 

content. 2021 was a record year for us. We 

generated over 5 percent of revenue from 

alternative content. 

Bagby: We put in our very first laser 

projector: the Cinionic, powered by CGS 

[Cinionic Giant Screen], in the Grand 

Screen [B&B Theaters’ in-house PLF 

brand] in our Blacksburg, Virginia theater. 

It was extremely impressive. That’s 

something we’re going to do with some 

of the [older projectors] that need to be 

replaced. Very expensive, so there are a lot 

of things we have to work on. 

I mentioned earlier [that] some of 

these larger theaters have more screens 

than we need. We’re doing some things 

like taking out screens and gutting 

[the theater] and turning it into an 

entertainment center with bowling and an 

arcade and bigger bars and things of that 

nature. We found during the pandemic, 

particularly when things cleared up 

but the studios still weren’t giving us 


money, that bowling provided some 

steady revenue for us. It’s expensive to 

put in. But it’s something we’re definitely 

looking at. I think you’ll see us putting in 

several more entertainment centers in the 

coming years. 

League: The past six months, we’ve been 

quite cautious. We haven’t come back to 

our full-size team. Something that we have 

sacrificed, by design, are some of the more 

complex things that we execute. Some of 

the specialty programming and bar events 

and things like that. So the first thing 

we’re doing is getting back to full strength. 

We’re very close to getting the full team 

back together. Whereas we have some 

of our bars open—we’ve been longtime 

advocates of having a bar associated with 

the theater—we haven’t quite put all the 

strange, weird, and wonderful events back 

into the flow, because it’s labor-intensive 

to do so. But that’s something we’re going 

to be doing this summer. 

I already mentioned the technology 

piece. It’s really important to us. [We first 

launched] online ticketing in 2001. We’ve 

always thought that some of the biggest 

differentiators can come from elegant 

touches to our user interface through the 

app and by making sure that we have a 

direct relationship with our customers, 

both through loyalty and by directly 

transacting with them. 

The Batman is the first time [since 

March 2020] we’ve come out with a 

significant [custom, film-specific] menu, 

which we used to do all the time. Maybe 

too many times! I’m not sure. We’ve rebuilt 

our culinary team back up to where it 

needs to be. We’re also putting a focus on 

training to make sure that when we quickpivot 

and introduce new experiences, new 

shows, new content, new menus, that we 

do an exceptional job at rolling that out 

across our 38 locations. 

Those are some of the main factors. 

We’re also looking at the revenue streams 

of private rentals, how that was really 

great during the pandemic and how that 

can continue and be a viable revenue 

source for the next couple of years. But 

honestly, I think for the next year it’s still 

cautiously rebuilding our team to full 

strength so we can operate at full capacity. 

Our revenue streams have been about 70, 

75 percent coming from the blockbusters, 

15 or 20 percent from independent film, 

and 8 or 9 percent from alternative 

content. I love the independent film sector, 

but promoting those films when you 

don’t have a national, multimillion-dollar 

marketing spend is more difficult. That 

means it’s on our shoulders. So, yeah, [the 

goal is] really getting back to what we did 

in 2019 as good as we were then. And we’re 

almost there! 

The technology piece is so important— 

but so is providing the customer 

experience. With things moving 

more toward contactless, mobile 

technologies, how do you continue 

to provide that more personal touch 

when preferred by your guests? 

Laverde: Our H.R. team is top-notch, 

and they’ve invested a lot into training 

and into software to help our staff know 

every aspect of running a building. I 

don’t think there’s anything positive 

about the experience we went through 

with Covid. But it was one of those 

situations, “If I only had time to. …” 

There were a lot of items that we were 

able to check off during that time, and 

one of them was our own internal 

training software, to [give] all of our staff 

true knowledge of our expectations when 

dealing with our guests. 

Secondly, I’d say that you can’t be 

singularly focused on one aspect of your 

business. If folks want to wait on line and 

pay cash and interact and ask one of our 

teammates how the film is, you still have to 

allow that experience to take place. Giving 

guests all of the options possible that 

would please them and give them a more 

enjoyable experience is what our job is. 

We take an immense amount of data 

from our guests on a daily and weekly 

basis. And we’re listening to that feedback. 

One example is that we recently had been 

showing foreign films, but we didn’t really 

see any [significant per caps] from those 

films. We couldn’t figure out why guests 

weren’t really spending on concessions. 

Through a questionnaire that’s on the 

back of some of our movie tickets, we 

discovered that most of these guests were 

wanting to buy concessions during an 

intermission. So we put an intermission 

into those films. Sure enough, a week later, 

we were selling concessions during those 

foreign films. It’s listening to your guests, 

and it’s really giving your teammates 

the opportunity to understand your 

expectations. 

What has been most successful 

in driving admissions and getting 

cinemagoers more engaged with their 

local theaters? 

Laverde: [As long as] Hollywood gives 

us good content, folks want to have 

communal experiences. That’s what I truly 

believe. You have to provide a wonderful 

experience. You can’t have sticky floors, 

you can’t have dirty bathrooms, you 

can’t have stale popcorn. It’s the basics. 

It’s what guests expect. And if you’re 

delivering that, I think folks want to come 

out and have communal experiences. 

In our case, we were really lucky [in 

that] we were able to scale [up] operations 

pretty quickly. We have real loyalty from 

our staff and our teammates. One of the 

things we did during Covid, when we had 

to unfortunately furlough quite a few 

folks, is we paid all of their health care, 

including their portion, throughout the 

pandemic. We have to thank our chairman 

[Paul Glantz] for making that difficult 

decision. It garnered some real loyalty 

from our wonderful team. When we were 

ready to ramp back up, it was not difficult 

to bring [them back]. Everyone was ready, 

willing, and able. I truly believe being 

able to ramp back up and give guests 

that full experience right away gave us a 

competitive advantage in our marketplace. 

Bagby: As we’ve all said, it is the movies 

that bring people back. But [as to] what 

brings them back to our facilities— 

[there’s our strong] social media presence 

and our connection with our guests on 

a regular basis. We have a great creative 

team that’s always finding ways to engage 

with our guests. 

We also reopened several of our 

theaters really early. We didn’t have 

product, but we felt like we had to get 

open. I think being the first [to come 

back], we kept people in the habit. With 

some of the theaters we’ve taken over that 

were closed during the entire pandemic, 

we’re seeing it taking much longer to get 

people back, because they got out of the 

habit. That’s why we need this constant 

supply of product, because when you go 

see The Batman, and you see a trailer for 

something else next weekend, it makes 

you want to come back. 

We’re constantly experimenting. It’s 

very labor intensive, and it’s been very 

challenging with labor shortages. But we 


39


did the same thing as Emagine, where we 

covered [our team’s] health insurance. We 

definitely had a lot of loyalty from our 

staff. That helps so much. We try to have 

fun with them. That makes them have an 

enjoyable experience, and hopefully they 

relay that to our guests. 

Tim, Alamo has always been a chain 

that’s programmed a wide variety 

of titles: tentpoles, indies, repertory 

cinema, special events. And each 

Alamo location has its own feel. What 

have you found to be most successful 

in bringing patrons back to your 

theaters? 

“Becoming a real part of 

the community where each 

building is located is one of 

the real reasons why Emagine 

is successful. We’re part of the 

community. We’re not just a 

big brick building.” 

employment. I can’t tell you how many 

parents have written us emails about 

how we were their son or daughter’s first 

job, and they’ve come out of their shell 

because they’re interacting with people. 

Becoming a real part of the community 

where each building is located is one 

of the real reasons why Emagine is 

successful. We’re part of the community. 

We’re not just a big brick building. 

Bob, with B&B Theatres being part 

of so many local communities across 

the country, what have been some 

experiences you could share with 

independent exhibitors? 

League: There is a particular type of 

film that’s so big and flashy and loud and 

experiential and communal. I think both 

The Batman and Spider-Man fall into that, 

where [you’re] a part of an audience that 

loves those franchises and loves those 

characters, [and you’re] having the best of 

the best bombastic experience in a cinema, 

[the kind that] that you can’t have on 

your laptop while you’re curled up in bed 

watching content. Those have been the 

strongest drivers. 

But we’ve also had really good 

success with movies that have Q&As or 

when we can put forth a fun menu or 

there’s something experiential. People 

are making the decision, “Do I feel 

comfortable going out and having an 

experience indoors with others?” It’s 

important to lure them in with the best of 

the best that we have to offer. The table 

stakes of clean facility, big sound, bright 

picture. But [also] those experiential 

elements that you can really only do 

outside of the home. When you draw in 

those early adopters, people remember 

how special it is to come to the theater. 

Below. The Press 

Room bar in Alamo 

Drafthouse’s first 

Manhattan location 

Bagby: It wasn’t that long ago that we 

were a very small regional circuit. We’ve 

lived that life, and we’ve tried to carry that 

into the bigger market. What the small 

independents can do are the same things 

we’re talking about today. Get involved 

in your community. Give great customer 

service. Just get actively promoting your 

theater. You can bring a band in on a 

Friday night and have them in the lobby 

as people are leaving. Our facilities are so 

unique. In many small towns, [the cinema] 

is the social center of the community, 

other than high school football. Those 

are the two things to do in a small town. 

It is instrumental to keep these smaller 

markets alive. The communities have 

rallied around that, and they will support 

you. Just keep being involved with the 

community. 

Do you have any advice on lessons 

you’ve learned that smaller 

operators—whether that’s a chain or 

an individual theater—can integrate 

into their cinemas? 

Laverde: Hyperlocal marketing is really 

important. We have a saying: We don’t 

just build a building and take from the 

community. You give back. Our chairman 

is constantly going to local high schools 

and participating in contests. We invite 

high school bands to play in our lobby, 

and we reach out to high schools for 


The recovery period has been met with 

a ramp-up of mergers and acquisitions 

[M&A] activity. Anthony, Emagine 

has been a part of that, acquiring a 

number of cinemas in the last year. On 

a macro level, what impact do you 

believe M&A activity is going to have 

on exhibition in the coming years? 

Laverde: We’re still looking at 

opportunities. They [now] require a little 

more due diligence on our part, as we’re 

not as familiar with some of the markets 

we’re looking at. I certainly think that 

controlling your destiny is important—and 

building yourself a moat. In southeastern 

Michigan and some areas of Minnesota, we 

have a nice moat and brand loyalty. When 

you’re looking at acquisitions, they can’t 

be overscreened, and it has to give you the 

opportunity to reward that capital that gets 

deployed to make those buildings [up to] 

Emagine standards. 

I certainly think we’re going to see 

a tremendous amount of M&A over the 

next few years. I think scale is going to 

matter in the business going forward. And 

hopefully we have more content to show. 

But if you have scale, you can produce 

your own content, and you can deliver it 

in different methods. You can film a band 

in one auditorium and stream it out to all 

your locations and have your own ticketed 

event. There are multiple ways to use scale 

to your advantage. 

Bob, what impact do you think M&A 

will have on the industry? 

Bagby: We’re just like everybody, still 

looking at a lot of opportunities. It’s 

a little more difficult to get the deals 

done now than it was in the midst of the 

pandemic. I believe there are going to 

be a lot of changes coming. There are a 

lot of theaters in this industry that have 

not been remodeled. If you don’t have an 

updated theater with recliners, people 

just don’t go. We’re 80 percent recliner, 

but there are still some [B&B locations 

without them, and] we see that people 

aren’t coming back as fast [to those]. 

I think you’re going to see some 

closures. Some [locations] maybe need 

to go away, because [the market is] 

overscreened. But I think there will be 

some great opportunities for those people 

that are aggressive and willing to invest. 

We believe in the future, and if you provide 

that comfortable seat and a bar and a great, 

clean facility and good customer service, 

people are going to come back. 

There will be some that will close, but I 

think most [theaters] are going to survive. 

We have to be innovative. We have to keep 

looking for the next best thing to keep 

our customers engaged. There may be 

some changing of hands with theaters, 

but I think you’re not going to see a big 

reduction in screen count. 

Tim, as the co-founder and executive 

chairman of a smaller chain that saw 

substantial expansion in the years 

prior to the pandemic—and that has 

further expansion planned—what are 

your thoughts on industry M&A? 

League: It’s a complicated answer for me. 

Part of my answer hearkens back to the 

question before this, about what smaller 

theaters can do to be stronger during this 

reemergence. You refer to us as a chain, 

and we’re undeniably a chain. But I started 

as a single-screen, single-location theater. 

Mom-and-pop, with me and my wife. As 

we’ve grown, I found that the biggest 

challenge is holding onto what we were 

able to do much easier as a single location, 

which is be a local theater, be a community 

theater. 

If local theaters can do the table stakes, 

you have a leg up, because you can instill 

loyalty within the local community just by 

being awesome and loving movies. I know 

we’re a chain, but can we see ourselves as a 

loose collection of local theaters? 

[Regarding] M&A, we’re certainly 

pursuing growth opportunities. But when 

we tackle them, we can’t let the core 

experience and the dedication to being 

a part of the community and sharing 

our love of the movies and letting local 

folks in each market have a meaningful 

voice and provide the personality of our 

theaters [get left behind]. The big problem 

of the massive M&A that happened in the 

’80s and the ’90s was a sanitizing of the 

experience. You lost all the personality, 

and it became a commodity business. So I 

fear M&A. And yet, we’re going to try to do 

some! But I do it with grave concern that 

we don’t destroy what I think is the most 

important thing about who we are, which 

is our personality and love of movies. 

BREAK OUT 

THE TISSUES 

Tim League: It was brought 

up earlier: Are we seeing more 

people crying at movies? 

I am seeing that. We are 

stocking a lot of tissues at 

the theaters, because it’s this 

emotional response of coming 

back and enjoying something 

that you absolutely love and 

remembering how much you 

love it. I’m quite bullish on 

the future, because of the 

response from our guests 

as they’ve been coming 

back and as they’ve been 

experiencing cinema again. 

They remember this is one 

of their favorite things to do. 

Because of that, I suspect 

that we’re all going to end this 

year pretty strong. 

Anthony Laverde: If I could 

jump in, Tim’s right, more 

people are crying. Our 

wonderful marketing team 

came up with little packs of 

tissues, branded “Emagine,” 

with different movie quotes 

on them. 

Bob Bagby: I cried when 

I went to the screening of 

Tenet, the first movie we had 

back. The lights went down, 

and the picture came on the 

screen. I got so emotional. We 

had been months without a 

new movie. There is something 

magical about being in that 

dark auditorium. And I was 

surrounded by film buyers, 

not the audience. I still prefer 

to go to the movies with 

the crowd. I rarely go to 

screenings; occasionally I will. 

But I want to see it with the 

crowd. There’s just something 

magical about being 

together. 


41

THE U 

MATE CINEMA EXPERIENCE 

longer warranty hours than standard lamps 

www.ltilighting.com 


Indie Influencers 44 | Technology 52 

THEATER 

“Most people, if you ask them where they went to a cinema 

growing up, they know where it was, but they don’t know the 

name of it. Outside of loyalty programs, cinemas just really didn’t 

spend money on marketing their own brand.” 

Indie Influencers, p. 44 


43

Theater INDIE INFLUENCERS 

INDIE INFLUENCERS 

Brought to you by 

As the cinema industry emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, 

Boxoffice Pro and Spotlight Cinema Networks are partnering 

to profile movie theaters and influential industry figures from 

across the country and ask them to share their first-person 

accounts of bringing the movies back to the big screen. 

CINÉPOLIS USA 

Interview with Luis Olloqui, CEO, and 

Annelise Holyoak, National Director of 

Marketing and Loyalty 

It’s been an extremely difficult two 

years, with a lot of lessons learned. Can 

you tell us what some of those lessons 

have been and how Cinépolis USA has 

recovered so far? 

Luis Olloqui: It has been a long journey, I 

agree. And it has been a learning journey. 

What we have seen these two years is 

mainly that we can be more efficient in 

running our theaters—we have learned 

to run them with a skeleton crew—but 

it was also key to keep the service [at the 

same level] the client is used to. When 

they came back from the closures, we had 

to give them the same service that we had 

before we closed, because that was what 

they were expecting. 

That’s one of the main lessons that we 

have learned: how we can manage our 

payroll or expenses, the opening hours 

or closing hours, in a way where we can 

maximize the revenues by servicing 

our clients and, at the same time, not 

overspend. Before, we were used to 

opening very early, even on weekdays. Now, 

it’s unnecessary. Maybe later on, when the 

summer comes, that will be the case again. 

But right now that’s the main lesson: being 

efficient, targeting our clients. 



45


Annelise Holyoak: Another big lesson, 

too, is that we really have to make the 

experience the best that it can be, so that 

it entices people to get off the couch and 

come to the cinema. At Cinépolis, we 

do a really great job of that by offering 

those amenities that you just can’t get at 

home. Over the pandemic, even though 

resources were scarce, it gave us time 

to work on our menu and work on the 

food that we were serving. Our F&B team 

was very hard at work, making sure that 

when we reopened and came back, we 

were doing things a little differently, like 

making more sauces and making more 

things in-house, really trying to make that 

food quality restaurant-quality. Because 

that is what we believe is going to be the 

future of cinema. 

Throughout the ’90s, Cinépolis went 

through a series of modernizations 

to bring their circuit in line with what 

U.S. theaters had to offer. By the 2010s, 

when Cinépolis finally entered the U.S., 

they brought in a lot of innovations, like 

recliner seating, dine-in, and VIP luxury 

cinemas. That’s been a big part of the 

circuit’s DNA here in the U.S. Could you 

speak to what it takes to compete in 

this very niche exhibition market? 

Olloqui: You hit the nail on the head. That 

was the strategy. When we decided to 

come to the U.S., we specifically decided 

not to compete with the big three. We 

“One of the things we did 

differently, too, was market 

ourselves as a brand. Most 

people, if you ask them 

where they went to a cinema 

growing up, they know where 

it was, but they don’t know 

the name of it.” 

didn’t want to. They were already in 

most of the major cities. They had big 

multiplexes: 20s, 24s. And so we were 

very specific in wanting to do something 

different. And we saw the opportunity, 

as there were no dine-in or major luxury 

concepts here in the U.S., to bring the 

experience that we had in other countries 

after we founded the first luxury dine-in in 

Mexico in 1994. 

Bringing the recliners. More upscale 

food that’s different from the traditional 

hot dog and nachos that you have at the 

theater—but also having those [traditional 

foods] as part of what people like about 

the theater. Popcorn is a classic. You 

have to have popcorn when you go to 

a theater. But you can also have a great 

burger, a pizza, cocktail, craft beer, some 

wine, dessert that isn’t just ice cream. We 

saw that that niche was open. And we 

have tried to stay true to that strategy. In 

general, as we see the future with windows 

shortening, we think that having a very 

appealing food component and beverage 

offerings will make it more attractive for 

any client to get off the couch and come 

to the theater. That’s what we are trying 

to achieve. And we’ll continue to push in 

that regard. 

Holyoak: One of the things we did 

differently, too, was market ourselves as a 

brand. Most people, if you ask them where 

they went to a cinema growing up, they 

know where it was, but they don’t know 

the name of it. Outside of loyalty programs, 

cinemas just really didn’t spend money 

on marketing their own brand. Some of 

the bigger chains have caught up in recent 

years. But when we first embarked on the 

U.S. journey, we were marketing ourselves 

as a brand, and that was very different 

from other chains. Alamo [Drafthouse] 

was really the only other circuit that was 

branding themselves as something unique. 

Annelise, how has Cinépolis USA’s 

loyalty program—and the aspect of 

your work in engaging with audiences 

directly—evolved over the 10 years 

you’ve been with the company? 

Holyoak: It’s no secret that movie theaters 

spend significantly less on marketing than 

restaurant chains or other brands. Loyalty, 

I think, is something that we’ve always 

relied on. It’s interesting, because, in the 

marketing space, movie theaters have 


never been on the forefront of anyone’s 

mind in terms of innovation as it relates 

to marketing. However, they have really 

been on the forefront of innovation when 

it comes to loyalty programs. Most movie 

theater loyalty programs have been 

around a really long time. They started 

out primarily as a weekly newsletter: This 

is what’s playing, these are the times, and 

this is what we’re doing. 

Because we started later, we were able 

to launch our program in a completely 

different way. Rather than just emailing 

everyone a list of what’s playing every 

week, we’ve taken the approach of 

personalization and segmentation. And 

so all of our members really are receiving 

communication on a personalized level. 

We’re sending out promotions that are 

relevant to them, for films that are relevant 

to them. One of the things that we really 

stress in our marketing of our program 

is that we’ll never email you unless we’re 

sending you an offer, incentive, promotion, 

event access, or some kind of discount. And 

that’s made our program very successful. 

It’s definitely been a challenge training 

the studios and some of our other partners. 

Every week they want to be included 

in our weekly email, and we have to 

explain, like, “Hey, we actually do it a little 

differently.” From a guest perspective, 

they see a lot more value there because 

they’re getting information that’s relevant 

to them, rather than overcommunicating. 

We all are part of programs where you’re 

like, “I just bought something, and you’re 

emailing me an hour later to buy more 

stuff?” We try to make sure that we’re only 

contacting you when it’s relevant and we 

know that you’re likely to make a purchase. 

Because quite frankly, for us, we are a 

smaller chain and we are on the higher 

end, so about 80 percent of our customers 

are in other movie theater loyalty 

programs as well. So we have to make it as 

relevant as possible for them. 

Could you speak a little bit about 

some of the initiatives and innovations 

Cinépolis USA has introduced to U.S. 

theaters over the past few years? 

Olloqui: We started with dine-in and 

reserved seating, and the recliners [came] 

later. And then we got an Imax, which 

was maybe not as inevitable for us. Like 

Annelise said, the rewards program and 

our food component. The other thing that 

we did, just previous to the closing [due 

to the pandemic], we opened the first 

ScreenX with a dine-in in November of 

2019. Now it’s had a relaunch and is doing 

really well. 

Holyoak: The food and beverage is really 

what we, personally, have been focused 

on. We have behind the scenes also tried 

and tested some app ordering [products] 

and ways to do more on the phone. That’s 

something that we’re really focused on 

for this next year, getting our website 

even more optimized and efficient. We 

want that booking process to be as easy 

as possible. We’ve always really invested 

in the lobby spaces, because we want it to 

feel like a third place for people to gather 

and feel comfortable. That’s something 

that not everyone has done. But back to 

the food and beverage component, we’ve 

really invested in the size of our kitchens. 

When I first started, our kitchens were 

probably not much bigger than the size of 

my kitchen in my house. 


47


Except you have to serve an entire 

complex with it. 

Holyoak: Exactly. We were a movie 

theater chain that wanted to sell food, and 

now we really consider ourselves in the 

restaurant space. We’ve got huge kitchens, 

we’ve got satellite bars, we’ve got all sorts 

of innovations on the kitchen side to make 

things more efficient. We’re constantly 

optimizing the menu, putting things 

on, taking things off. That has been a big 

part of the innovation, things that maybe 

guests don’t see but are happening on the 

back end. 

Olloqui: Another thing that we have, and 

you will probably see in our new-build 

theaters, is the size of the screen. But also, 

specifically, how far the first row is from 

the screen. It’s something that we have 

seen with other chains, but in particular 

for us, the whole experience of watching 

the movie in the theater needs to be 

optimal. We needed to sacrifice some 

rows, because we don’t want you to have 

a problem with your neck when you’re so 

close to the screen. In all the buildings 

that we have built from scratch, the first 

row is very far away from the screen, in 

order for us to guarantee to the client that 

if you’re in the first row you’ll be able to 

experience a movie as it should be. 

Yeah, we’ll probably sacrifice some 

revenue. But in the long term, what we 

want is happy customers. 

And once you bring in dine-in to the 

equation, the formula changes. It was 

always a little bit more difficult in terms 

of operations before the pandemic, 

but now we’re talking about the two 

industries that have faced some of the 

biggest challenges in retail: cinemas 

and restaurants. How has the dine-in 

cinema business changed since the 

pandemic became a reality? 

cheaper in several ways. One, obviously 

we can update the menu much faster, do 

changes without having to print all those 

[paper menus] and send them to the 

theater, replace them [in the auditoriums], 

and then [deal with] the mistakes of the 

employee who didn’t place the correct 

orders. It helps us to have an LTO [limited 

time offer], to be informing the client 

about the new items, the promotions, or 

a new dessert that we’re having. If we’re 

having shortages, because that’s another 

problem that we have had, we can also 

delete those items that we don’t have 

available. And then also it saves on paper, 

and I think that’s another thing: We need 

to take care of our world, and [QR code 

menus] are very environmentally friendly. 

As exhibitors continue to look for 

ways to stay ahead of shrinking and 

changing release windows, it’s not 

surprising that event cinema has 

been a big growth area in the last 

decade. It’s a way to program your 

screens, especially during off-peak 

periods, that doesn’t rely as much 

on the studios. Cinépolis has had a 

long-standing focus on event cinema 

programming. What part does it play 

in your strategy today? 

Holyoak: Luis and I can both agree that 

it’s something we have been focusing on. 

We were one of the first to do the private 

watch parties when the pandemic hit. And 

that, I think, showed that people do want 

to see content in the theater, even when 

there is not new content coming out. We 

love alternative content—it’s a great way 

for people to experience great content that 

they might not normally get to see. And 

it helps us fill those buildings that need 

showtimes, because there are definitely 

weeks where we all know nothing’s 

coming out and it would be great to have 

alternative options. 

Olloqui: We now have clients who want 

better service. Before, there was a little 

more patience. Now, because they’re going 

out less often, they’re requesting and 

requiring much more service. 

The other thing—that maybe some 

of us hate, but we as operators love—is 

the QR code menus. They have been 

incredible. I know some people don’t 

like them, and for them we have printed 

menus. It makes our lives much easier and 

“We’re constantly optimizing 

the menu, putting things 

on, taking things off. That 

has been a big part of the 

innovation, things that maybe 

guests don’t see but are 

happening on the back end.” 

Olloqui: In that sense, I think we have 

done a great job in most of the countries 

[in which Cinépolis operates]. Here in 

the U.S., we have not been able to push 

that envelope as much as we would like to, 

because we’re not that big. Copyrights … 

it’s very difficult, very expensive. 

We were the first chain in the world 

that had a 3D live soccer game, for the 

World Cup. We did live opera. We have 

done live concerts. We had a live concert 


opportunity. We would like to have it with 

our other shows. 

There’s a lot of content being done 

across the world that we’re sure that, with 

globalization, will be more appealing to 

our clients. I think BTS is a good example, 

Korean music coming to the U.S. and 

people really craving it. 

Holyoak: I think the big thing is 

consistency. You get a concert here, a 

concert there. You might get a game here 

or there. Guests are seeing a UFC fight, but 

then you might not see [another one] for a 

couple of weeks. We need that consistency 

of that content to make it work, so that the 

guests know that they have access to it on 

a regular basis, and it’s not just sporadic. 

Olloqui: And it takes time to train the 

client. We saw that when we had the 

first 3D soccer game. When you go into 

a theater, your mindset goes to, “Silence 

your phone, keep quiet.” But you’re in a 

soccer game. You want people to be yelling 

and enjoying themselves. The same with 

a concert. Now that we’re having this 

concert, our managers are asking, “What 

can we do to make people feel more like 

they’re in a concert hall, where they can 

stand up and dance and sing? Will they be 

quiet or will they not be quiet?” You need 

to go feel that experience, enjoy it, and 

then you start seeing the benefits of going 

to a theater and experiencing different 

types of shows. 

As a luxury dine-in circuit, how 

does Spotlight Cinema Networks fit 

Cinépolis USA’s needs for in-theater 

advertising? 

from the Red Hot Chili Peppers [playing] 

in Berlin that we showed in Mexico. The 

opportunities are there. 

For all the world’s smaller chains, we 

need some partners that can help us in 

getting the copyrights and spreading 

them around. It’s very difficult for us to 

go to the NFL and try to secure a deal for 

“Sunday Night Football” or “Monday Night 

Football” or “Thursday Night Football,” 

because we’re not that big. And that is the 

case with other types of content that is 

out there, that I’m sure people are craving. 

Hamilton is a good example. If you cannot 

afford to buy the tickets, the next best 

way to see Hamilton will be in a [movie] 

theater. Unfortunately, we didn’t have that 

“We were one of the first to 

do the private watch parties 

when the pandemic hit. 

And that, I think, showed 

that people do want to see 

content in the theater, even 

when there is not new content 

coming out.” 

Holyoak: Since our expansion to the 

United States, Spotlight has been an 

integral part of our business model. 

The quality content they provide is not 

only interesting to our guests, but the 

brands really align with our image. The 

revenue they’re able to generate is also 

unmatched. 


49



51

theater TECHNOLOGY 

INNOVATING 

BEYOND THE 

PANDEMIC 

Cinema Technology Providers Are Ready 

to Meet Audience Demand with the 

Industry’s Latest Innovations 



ICE Theaters 

From a vendor perspective, the 2021 

edition of CinemaCon was a muted 

affair. The world was still in the grasp of 

the Covid-19 Delta variant, preventing 

numerous international executives from 

attending and leaving several vacancies 

on the trade show floor. The lower turnout 

didn’t come as a surprise to attendees, 

who nevertheless found it vital to meet 

face to face with colleagues after a yearand-a-half 

battle to reopen cinemas and 

reengage audiences. At the time, the 

industry had yet to see a true breakout hit 

at the box office. 

Since then, a string of hits has 

reached theaters. While the July release 

of Black Widow helped bring audiences 

back, its day-and-date availability on 

Disney Plus Premier Access (the studio’s 

premium video-on-demand platform) left 

exhibitors—and the film’s star—feeling 

that the film didn’t reach its true potential. 

Recognizing the challenges ahead, cinema 

technology providers at last year’s 

CinemaCon recommitted to outfitting 

theaters for the blockbusters to come. 

It only took a matter of weeks for 

exhibition to score a string of box office 

hits that helped drive revenue through 

the final trimester of 2021. Titles like 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 

($224.5M), Venom: Let There Be Carnage 

($213.5M), Eternals ($164.8M), and No Time 

to Die ($160.8M)—all of them exclusive 

to theaters—set the stage for the recordsetting 

debut of Spider-Man: No Way 

Home in December. 

“We need to highlight what Spider- 

Man: No Way Home did, especially as 

the Omicron variant was on the rise. It 

proved audiences are willing to come 

back at pre-Covid levels,” says Cinionic 

CEO Wim Buyens. “Over these last two 

years of the pandemic, there had been 

this big uncertainty around the industry. 

I’ve always been a strong believer that we 

were going to come back—but until we 

had a title to prove it, that uncertainty 

lingered. Spider-Man: No Way Home 

proved audiences are willing to come 

back if we make sure, as an industry, that 

we can pair great movies with a stunning 

presentation—even during a surge in Covid 

cases. It gave us the opportunity to step 

back and say, ‘OK, we can breathe again.’” 

Part of the success of Spider-Man: 

No Way Home is attributable to the 

investment and attention cinema tech 

providers and exhibitors have placed on 

presentation since reopening. The first 

wave of audiences prioritized premium 

formats for titles that were available 

simultaneously at home or within weeks 

of their theatrical release. The moviegoing 

experience leveraged technology to 

distinguish itself from another night spent 

on the couch, in front of the TV. 

French circuit CGR Cinémas, the 

country’s second-largest chain, 

experienced this trend firsthand through 

their premium large-format (PLF) 

auditoriums. Known as ICE (Immersive 

Cinema Experience) Theaters, CGR’s PLF 

offering combines peripheral LED panels 

with premium sight and sound technology. 

The circuit counts slightly over 40 ICE 

auditoriums across its 705 screens, each 

of them overperforming significantly 

in Q4 of 2021. According to Guillaume 

Thomine Desmazures, ICE Theaters senior 

vice president of global sales, 70 percent 

of Dune’s total box office at CGR (a dayand-date 

title in the U.S.) came from ICE 

auditoriums alone. When it came to the 

theatrically exclusive Spider-Man: No Way 

Home, 53 percent of CGR’s €3 million box 

office receipts for the title came from ICE 

showtimes. “That’s due to an extremely 

high occupancy rate, which is 300 percent 

higher in premium than in a standard 

auditorium. When you combine higher 

occupancy to a premium ticket price it 

gives you those kinds of results.” 

The performance of PLF auditoriums 

has prompted circuits to renew their focus 

on premium moviegoing experiences. This 

can be achieved through implementing 

either vendor-branded formats like ICE 

Theaters, their own exhibitor-branded 

offerings, or a combination of both. 

In some cases, circuits have worked 

with a tech partner to ensure exclusivity 

of a vendor-branded PLF concept within 

a specific market. That is the case with 

AMC Theatres, which signed a deal with 

Dolby in 2015 to become the only chain 

Recognizing the challenges 

ahead, cinema technology 

providers at last year’s 

CinemaCon recommitted to 

outfitting theaters for the 

blockbusters to come. 


53


ICE Theaters 

to offer Dolby Cinema auditoriums in the 

United States. Globally, however, Dolby 

Cinema is available at over 275 locations 

through 22 exhibitor partners in 14 

countries. An additional 15 Dolby Cinema 

locations are currently committed 

worldwide. “Our technologies have the 

power to elevate shared moments and 

make them even more meaningful and 

memorable,” says Dolby’s Jed Harmsen, 

head of cinema and group entertainment. 

“We’ve seen audiences are willing to pay 

more for them and are likely to connect 

with brands that can provide compelling 

entertainment moments.” 

For most exhibitors in the United 

States, a PLF strategy includes a mix of 

vendor-branded auditoriums—typically 

a large-format screen and/or immersive 

seating provider—and their own custombuilt 

concept. Cinionic’s focus in the 

sector has been to assist exhibitors in 

building out their own PLF concepts with 

its CGS (Cinionic Giant Screen) technology. 

“Our motto has always been, how do we 

create resilience within the industry?” 

says Buyens. “Our strategy around 

premium screens is therefore focused on 

lifting exhibitors’ brands, powered by CGS, 

“We’ve seen audiences are 

willing to pay more for them 

and are likely to connect 

with brands that can provide 

compelling entertainment 

moments.” 

to allow them to attract new audiences 

and carve a strong presence within the 

industry as an exhibitor.” 

Exhibitor-branded PLF auditoriums 

have boosted the current crop of best-inclass 

offerings from cinema tech providers. 

Atmos, Dolby’s immersive audio solution, 

is currently installed in over 7,500 

auditoriums around the world—usually 

included as an amenity in exhibitors’ own 

PLF concepts. Similarly, laser projection 

has emerged as a new standard for both 

new sites and renovation projects. “Today, 

there isn’t a customer we’re talking to that 

isn’t considering laser,” says Cinionic’s 

Buyens. “It’s not just about the image 

quality, it has also brought home the fact 

that you can save 50, 60, 70 percent of 

your electricity costs over the lifetime of 

a projector. That may have been less of a 

factor four years ago, but it is definitely an 

issue today.” 

Innovations that appeal to audiences 

don’t necessarily have to be tied to new 

technologies. In France, an upstart 

cinema architecture project has been 

slowly gaining recognition through its 

unique design concept. Ōma Cinema 

employs a modular system of architecture 


to customize cinema auditoriums into 

tiered pods or levels. Ōma can transform 

existing auditoriums by installing their 

patented seating pods—similar to the 

private balconies of an opera house— 

and reconfiguring a movie theater’s 

traditional seating arrangement. “The 

main inspiration is from the Italian-style 

theater,” says co-founder Nicolas Chican. 

“Instead of having balconies on the side 

walls, you have them on the back wall. 

Ōma combines the intimacy of being 

seated in a small place with the grandeur 

of the big-screen experience.” 

First developed in 2017, Ōma waited 

until 2020 to receive design patents from 

Europe, China, and the United States. 

Plans for its first auditorium, a Pathé 

location in Paris, were interrupted with 

the onset of the pandemic in March 2020— 

just as the company was preparing a global 

launch strategy. The concept, according 

to Chican, is viable in both new builds and 

renovations. 

“Innovating in architecture is 

important—with technology you always 

have the risk that what is being offered to 

cinemas will eventually make its way to the 

home,” says Chican. “As an architectural 

innovation, Ōma is compatible with any 

cinema technology. By innovating through 

architecture, exhibitors have a direct 

impact on the viewer’s perception. When 

an audience sees the auditorium, they 

understand the concept immediately. With 

projection and sound improvements, you 

always have to explain the innovation in 

order to justify it.” 

Design is part of the appeal of ICE 

Theaters as well, with the prominently 

featured LED panels on the screen’s 

periphery doing most of the work when it 

comes to marketing the concept. Spanish 

circuit Ocine signed a deal with ICE 

Theaters at CineEurope 2021 that will 

introduce the concept in the Spanish 

market in April. 

“With Ocine, we started marketing 

the concept well before opening 

the auditorium,” says ICE Theater’s 

Desmazures. “You need to create 

awareness within the audience to show 

them there is something new coming into 

their theater. So for the two months leading 

into the opening of our first ICE screen 

in Spain, audiences have been aware that 

something new and exciting is coming. We 

placed marketing assets for ICE all over 

the theater, including a big countdown 

clock that runs down to when it’s going to 

open to the public. We’ve put in work in 

the cinema’s website and email newsletters, 

and we’ll be opening presales online a 

week before it goes live. We want to ensure 

that from day one, we can eventize this 

premium experience across the circuit.” 

While premium technology might 

hint at emphasizing the “big” part of the 

big-screen experience, Hong Kong–based 

GDC Technology is betting that the future 

of moviegoing will optimize smaller, 

more intimate auditoriums. Dubbing 

them mini-theaters, GDC has a specially 

designed projector, the Supra-5000, built 

to service boutique auditoriums with 

smaller capacities. “One of the benefits 

of mini-theaters is that exhibitors can 

offer a smaller crowd the same experience 

as a larger auditorium,” says Man-Nang 

Chong, founder, chairman, and CEO of 

GDC Technology. “You can even fit a PLF 

auditorium, with luxury recliners and DTS:X 

immersive audio, into a mini-theater.” 

The boutique cinema concept has 

found some traction overseas, particularly 

in Asia and parts of Europe. The pandemic 

helped domestic exhibitors realize the 

potential of a private theater rental 

program—an ideal use for mini-theaters 

in any given site. GDC’s attention to the 

Oma Cinema 


55


concept also includes its GoGoCinema 

concept, which introduces an on-demand 

element to cinema visits by allowing 

moviegoers to book a private screen and 

select a film from a portfolio of titles—a 

process similar to booking a private 

karaoke room. GoGoCinema launched in 

Singapore and Shanghai in 2019 and made 

its domestic debut with B&B Theatres last 

year. The company plans to integrate the 

service with more point-of-sale providers 

and add more circuits to the GoGoCinema 

footprint through 2022. 

Cinema tech supplier Moving Image 

Technologies (MIT) will be arriving at 

CinemaCon 2022 with several options 

and amenities to help exhibitors expand 

their existing audience base. SNDBX, an 

enterprise e-sports solution, is a turnkey 

solution for theater operators to transform 

their auditoriums into gaming centers. 

MIT will also feature its MiTranslator, 

designed to make moviegoing more 

accessible for non-English-proficient 

communities across the country. “We 

are committed to helping exhibitors 

maximize their operations and streamline 

efficiencies, and we believe these 

offerings can help cinema operators 

reach untapped demographics and turn 

them into frequent moviegoers,” says 

Joe Delgado, executive vice president of 

sales and marketing at Moving Image 

Technologies. 

The cost of outfitting a cinema with any 

of these innovations presents a particular 

challenge while the box office is still in 

recovery mode. An inconsistent release 

schedule has exacerbated matters, with 

tentpoles like Spider-Man: No Way Home 

and The Batman being released three 

months apart with scant studio support in 

the intervening weeks. The good news for 

exhibitors is that the release slate starting 

in Q2 2022 is poised to appeal more 

consistently to a wider swath of the public. 

“We can’t slow down or idle in wait but 

instead need to help get exhibitors ready in 

anticipation for the great content to come. 

Cost is a big factor in decision making, 

but never at the sacrifice of quality 

or performance,” says Brian Claypool, 

executive vice president of cinema at 

Christie. “The industry is resilient, and 

we need to continue to do our part in 

providing an amazing experience for the 

moviegoer by bringing technology that 

makes sense for the future of cinema.” 

GDC allows exhibitors to take 

ICE Theaters 

“The industry is resilient, 

and we need to continue 

to do our part in providing 

an amazing experience for 

the moviegoer by bringing 

technology that makes sense 

for the future of cinema.” 

advantage of a cinema package as a 

turnkey solution. The package leases a 

DCI-certified cinema projection system 

built with a professional cinema audio 

processor and other professional audio 

equipment through a monthly expense 

fee, eliminating capex for the audio-visual 

equipment involved. It also has a trade-in/ 

trade-up program for operators looking 

to replace aging equipment like media 

servers, theater management systems, and 

library management systems. 

Cinionic allows customers to purchase, 

rent, and finance their projectors. The 

company also recently introduced a usage 

model for clients, where operators do 

not own the projectors but are instead 

charged based on their usage and outcome 

stemming from the projector performance. 

“If there’s great technology but people 

cannot afford it, we don’t win. It’s our 

obligation to bring the technology, but also 

to make sure that people find a way how to 

use it the best way, to be safe about it, and 

make it affordable,” says Cinionic’s Buyens. 

Christie’s Claypool is confident that 

a consistent release schedule from 

studios and a renewed focus on cinema 

presentation will combine to deliver 

strong rebound profits for the industry. 

“Audiences want to see and hear more than 

what they’ve been accustomed to at home,” 

he says. “Most importantly, they want to 

enjoy this experience in the company of 

others after being kept apart for so long 

throughout the pandemic.” 



57

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58 CinemaCon 2022 

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NATO Marquee Award 60 | Passepartout Award 64 | New Products Guide 69 

CINEMACON 

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Passepartout Award, p. 65 


59

Cinemacon NATO MARQUEE AWARD 

A STEADY 

HAND 

Cineplex’s Ellis Jacob Receives 

2022 NATO Marquee Award 

BY REBECCA PAHLE 

“[Jacob’s] dedication to his 

company and this industry is 

unmatched. That dedication 

is paired with a kindness and 

courtesy that is rare and is a 

hallmark of his career.” 

Receiving NATO’s Marquee Award at 

this year’s CinemaCon is Ellis Jacob, 

a man who—as CEO and president of 

Cineplex, Canada’s largest exhibitor—was 

instrumental in leading the Canadian 

corner of the exhibition industry through 

the Covid-19 pandemic. The last year has 

not been an easy one for exhibitors in that 

country. As Spider-Man: No Way Home 

was racking up record-breaking openingweekend 

grosses in markets around 

the world, cinemas in the Canadian 

province of Ontario had just been hit 

with a 50 percent capacity limit, causing 

a last-minute scramble to accommodate 

moviegoers who had already bought 

tickets. Days later, cinemas were among 

the industries ordered temporarily 

shuttered in Quebec, further impacting 

Canadian cinemas’ ticket sales for what 

would become North America’s thirdhighest-grossing 

film. 

A 35-year veteran of the cinema 

exhibition industry, Jacob served as 

chairman of NATO prior to the tenure 

of current chairman Rolando Rodriguez, 

putting him in the thick of the industry’s 

fight for survival. Says Rodriguez, “Ellis 

Jacob, while running his own company, 

dedicated countless hours to guiding the 

industry through our deepest crisis. It is 

impossible to overstate his contribution to 

NATO and his leadership. As his successor 

as NATO chairman during the worst of 

the pandemic, I know firsthand what that 

leadership meant to the industry and to 

me. We are stronger because of him.” 

Jacob’s impact on the industry, 

however, extends further back than 

these last few years. He has overseen 

his circuit through times of innovation 

and transformation—including recently, 

with the adoption of Cineplex’s first 

subscription program and the chain’s 

continued investment in entertainment 

centers. Says NATO president and CEO 

John Fithian: “Ellis Jacob is quite simply 

a marvelous human being, He provided 

steady and insightful leadership as NATO 

chairman as the industry descended 

into the depths of the pandemic, and 

I continue to rely on his wise counsel. 

His dedication to his company and this 

industry is unmatched. That dedication is 

paired with a kindness and courtesy that 

is rare and is a hallmark of his career.” 

The government-mandated closures 

that hit key Canadian provinces in 

December couldn’t have had worse 

timing, given the imminent release 

of Spider-Man: No Way Home. How 

do you characterize the state of the 

Canadian cinema industry? 

I feel very strong about the recovery. 

Cineplex and the exhibition industry in 

Canada is making progress, and we are 

moving forward from the effects of the 

pandemic. We got hurt the last couple 

of weeks of December when a number of 

locations across the country, the main 

locations, were shut down. Plus, we 

weren’t allowed to sell concessions in our 

biggest markets, in Ontario and Quebec. 

Those were tough times, because those are 

usually our busiest weeks of the year. With 

Spider-Man it was even harder—we took 

a big hit because theaters either weren’t 

open or they weren’t serving food during 

that period of time. 

Even with that, revenue in Q4 2021 was 

70 percent what it was in the same 

period in 2019, pre-pandemic. 

That is correct. It was our best quarter in 

the last two years, since the pandemic 


started. Sadly, had we been open for the 

last few weeks of December, I think we 

would have had a fantastic overall quarter. 

That hurt us as we moved forward. 

These last few years have made very 

clear how important it is for a circuit to 

diversify its offerings, whether that’s on 

the programming side—showing event 

cinema, local cinema, international 

cinema in addition to Hollywood 

tentpoles—or the operational side, like 

with dine-in and family entertainment 

centers. Even pre-pandemic, it seems 

like Cineplex really realized the 

importance of that, investing heavily in 

“alternative” cinemas. 

In the cinema itself, we have continued to 

evolve the experience. We are very focused 

on being the leader when it comes to 

non-Hollywood films. [Especially] if they 

are Canadian films, or if they’re films from 

other parts of the world. We are a very 

diverse community. And we have been the 

leader in North America in Hindi, Punjabi, 

Chinese, and Filipino films. To me that’s 

really important in bringing the films to 

our audiences. In addition to that, we have 

event cinema. We program The Met: Live 

in HD, and we [did] the BTS: Permission to 

Dance concert. 

[Regarding] diversification: We continue 

to look at strategies where we can create 

an entertainment event for our guests. It’s 

more than just movies. It’s about getting the 

benefit of entertainment centers, which we 

call The Rec Rooms and Playdiums. They 

have done extremely well for us. It’s owning 

our ecosystem that becomes important. 

So far, we have 10 locations of The Rec 

Room and three locations of Playdium, and 

we continue to look at other alternatives. 

Beyond that, we’ve come up with a new 

concept called Junxion. It’s going to be a 

movie theater, a dining destination, and an 

entertainment complex all in one. It’s about 

sharing experiences. 

Success in reaching a corner of the 

market—with Bollywood films, for 

example—doesn’t come overnight. 

What do you have to do to build up 

that awareness and interest over time? 

We have seen some strong numbers from 

our Punjabi and Indian films in Canada. 

We have some of the highest grosses in 

North America when it comes to these 

diverse films. We have a Scene loyalty 

program, which helps us in understanding, 

“We are very focused on 

being the leader when it 

comes to non-Hollywood 

films. [Especially] if they are 

Canadian films, or if they’re 

films from other parts 

of the world.” 

by theater, what movies are working and 

which guests are coming to those movies. 

It’s a really, really strong tool in being 

able to program each individual location 

with the content that works best. There 

are some cinemas where the Bollywood 

product outgrosses the Hollywood product. 

There are a number of locations across the 

country, but you have to know where they 

are and how to program them. Our loyalty 

program allows us to do that, because we 

know who’s coming to see which movie. 

Your loyalty program is one of the most 

successful cinema loyalty programs in 

the world, in terms of market share in 

Canada. It was recently retooled with 

a Scene Plus plan. Can you walk us 

through your loyalty program and how 

it’s evolved? 

We have a long relationship with 

Scotiabank. Back in 2007 we launched our 

loyalty program, which is called Scene, 

and it continued to gain traction. We had 

a market share of close to 40 percent of 

households across the country that were 

part of this loyalty program. It gives you 

great data, and that data can be used for 

a lot of different things, in improving the 

business and communicating with our 

guests on an ongoing basis. It allows us to 

unlock a lot of value. 

Now, Scene Plus launched [last 

December]. It’s basically taking the 

Canadian Scene program and launching 

it with Scotia Rewards. Now Scene Plus 

members can get the benefits of movies, 

entertainment, dining—but they can also 

get travel, shopping, banking, and other 

options that they didn’t have previously. 

It’s going to be a very, very strong program 

as we move forward. 

Something else Cineplex launched 

over the last year is CineClub, your 

first subscription program. MoviePass 

wasn’t in Canada, so for most of 

the Canadian public this is the first 

cinema subscription plan they’ve been 

able to subscribe to. What’s been 

the process of raising awareness and 

interest in the plan, especially given 

that it launched during a period when 

the flow of movies into theaters was 

somewhat sporadic. 

We launched our program in August 

of 2021. It basically gives our guests 

the ability to enjoy our theaters, our 

location-based entertainment venues, 


61

Cinemacon NATO MARQUEE AWARD 

and the Cineplex Store at a fair price. It’s 

a monthly amount [of movie tickets], but 

if you don’t go to the movies [that month], 

you don’t lose the benefits. You can carry 

it forward. And you can use the program 

to bring a guest with you at the same price. 

There are certain rules, but at the end of 

the day, it’s a huge benefit. The reason 

we did it is we wanted to build habitual 

moviegoing again and made sure that it 

was a no-risk proposition for our guests. 

We want our guests to get out of their 

homes and reconnect with family and 

friends. We offer so many different ways 

to watch movies in our theaters, from our 

UltraAVX, which is our PLF, to our VIP 

locations to ScreenX to 4DX to Imax. You 

can come and see a movie in many, many 

different ways in the cinemas. That is 

really important to me, because you cannot 

replicate those experiences at home. 

Cineplex has diversified in terms of its 

B2C cinema business. On the B2B level, 

you have the Cineplex Digital Media 

digital signage company, which has 

been part of the Cineplex umbrella for 

some time now—going back to 1998. 

It’s been a very good business for us. It 

basically expands our marketing and 

media abilities. We do own [in-theater 

advertising network Cineplex Media] 

—we haven’t diversified it away, like in 

the U.S., where a number of [exhibitors] 

got together and created [in-theater 

advertising company National CineMedia]. 

In Canada, we basically have that 

company. It’s part of Cineplex. Now, with 

the digital side, we can put out many 

millions of impressions right across 

the ecosystem, from in the theater to 

shopping malls to banks to retail-branded 

locations to all kinds of different places. 

There are a lot of touch points that it 

allows us to have. 

Are there benefits, as an exhibitor, 

to being a vendor as well? Does it 

give you additional insights into the 

industry? 

The benefit of that is, for example, if 

you’re a studio we can help you and 

basically market your movie in all of these 

different channels. We can also do that 

with our guests, for anything that we want 

to market or specialize with. It also allows 

us to communicate. We have this gaming 

business, Player One Amusement Group. 

We supply games not just to Cineplex, but 

to some of our peers in the U.S. We supply 

to many games facilities right across 

North America. To me, that business is 

all about interactivity and making the 

awareness levels higher, so people can 

come and enjoy those experiences. 

Any final words? 

The most important message I’d like to 

get out is that our business is going to be 

strong and is going to continue to be an 

important and integral part of the social 

experience of guests around the world. 

“You can come and see a 

movie in many, many different 

ways in the cinemas. That 

is really important to me, 

because you cannot replicate 

those experiences at home.” 


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Cinemacon PASSEPARTOUT AWARD 

that Disney was setting up the first 

international distribution company in 

many years, the opportunity sounded 

too good to pass up, and I am so glad I 

followed my instinct and took a chance on 

something new. 

GLOBAL 

AMBASSADOR 

Disney’s Jeffrey Forman Earns 

2022 Passepartout Honor 


Jeffrey Forman’s career could have 

turned out a lot differently. The 

veteran distribution executive was on the 

fast track to a legal career, having already 

secured an MBA from the University 

of Southern California before earning 

his Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola 

Law School. Forman spent the first two 

years of his professional life practicing 

business and real estate law as an attorney 

in Los Angeles. When an opportunity 

to join Disney’s growing international 

distribution team opened up, Forman 

left his legal career behind to join the 

entertainment industry—and never looked 

back. Now celebrating his 31st year in 

the industry—all with Disney—the SVP 

of international theatrical distribution 

is this year’s recipient of CinemaCon’s 

Passepartout Award, presented annually to 

an industry executive who demonstrates 

dedication and commitment to the 

international marketplace. 

At the start of your career, you were 

well on your way to practicing law for 

a living. How did you come to work in 

distribution? 

I’ve always enjoyed the law and found it to 

be an amazing education. However, I grew 

up around the entertainment industry and 

always found exhibition and distribution 

interesting and exciting. When I learned 

What are some of the lessons you 

learned that still hold true today? 

There are a few things I learned early on 

that have helped guide me throughout 

my career. First, don’t pretend to be more 

than what you are. Be real and genuine 

and tell the truth; people are smart and 

can sense dishonesty. You may get away 

with it a few times, but it eventually 

catches up with you. This ties in with the 

second thing I still hold true, which is 

treating people with the same respect that 

you hope they would afford to you. No 

matter the situation or the person, treat 

everyone with dignity and take the high 

road. It is always the path best traveled. 

I’ve also found it incredibly helpful to 

always be sensitive to culture. We live in 

a big world, and what makes the world 

so fascinating is seeing how people and 

cultures are different, appreciating those 

unique and amazing qualities, and then 

trying to find the best business approach 

and outcome to connect with people. 

Are there any industry executives you 

consider mentors? 

I have had the good fortune of working 

with some amazing people and leaders. A 

few that really stand out for me are Kevin 

Hyson, who was my first real boss in the 

industry, and Mark Zoradi, one of the best 

leaders I had the opportunity to work with 

and learn from. And I currently work with 

Cathleen Taff, who is an amazing leader. 

She has opened my eyes and mind to a 

whole new way of managing and working 

within a complex organization. 

You’ve been at Disney for three 

decades now. What have been some 

of the highlights or milestones during 

your tenure? What have been the 

biggest changes in the industry since 

you began? 

One of the highlights for me was building 

Disney’s Asia distribution organization, a 

real milestone for us. During my time here, 

I’ve also had the incredible opportunity to 

support the integrations of Pixar, Marvel, 

Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios and 

the amazing content these studios create. 


“In this day and age, you 

need to make a really 

compelling, fresh, and 

interesting film where people 

can care about the characters 

and relate and connect with 

the story. Anything else just 

doesn’t cut it anymore.” 

There have been a number of big 

changes in the industry since I started, 

but the first that comes to mind is the 

switch from 35 mm film to digital. It not 

only improved the viewing quality and 

experience for the consumer but also 

made it much easier to get the film out to 

the theaters. 

Another area is marketing—the power 

of digital and social media has enabled us 

to market more efficiently, but it has also 

changed the nature of word of mouth. We 

really have a lot more marketing tools and 

levers now, and that means we can constantly 

be adjusting and improving our strategy. 

And then there’s the evolution of 

formats and theaters. The sheer variety 

of options the customer has to see a 

film—from Gold Class to dine-in theaters, 

from Imax and Dolby Cinema, from 4D 

to ScreenX—has raised the bar for the 

moviegoing experience. 

Which releases stand out as highlights 

in your career? 

There have been so many amazing films I 

have had the honor and privilege to work 

on, it is hard to pick just one. Releasing 

The Lion King in China, our first release 

in this market, was very rewarding. 

Releasing Star Wars: The Force Awakens: 

The last Star Wars film had released 10 

years earlier, and there was so much 

pent-up demand and excitement around 

the film. It was a real amazing moment. 

The other film that had a similar amount 

of fan enthusiasm and intensity was 

Avengers: Endgame. It was the conclusion 

of a cumulative story over 21 prior 

films, and the intensity and excitement 

around the film was something I will 

never forget. Both Star Wars: The Force 

Awakens and Avengers: Endgame really 

connected with a global audience, 

becoming the No. 4 film and No. 2 film of 

all time respectively. 

You were originally supposed to 

receive this award at CinemaCon 2020, 

when Disney was coming off a major 

year in its history. You made it look 

easy, but nothing is ever that simple in 

distribution. What have been some of 

the keys to the studio’s global success? 

There are a number of key elements that 

have helped shape this past year and 

enabled us to achieve the kind of box 

office results we had [in 2019]. First of all, 

quality always wins out. In this day and 

age, you need to make a really compelling, 

fresh, and interesting film where people 

can care about the characters and relate 

and connect with the story. Anything else 

just doesn’t cut it anymore. And we also 

focus on making films that you need to 

see and experience on the big screen. We 

have this great content coming from our 

collection of recognized and appreciated 

brands, which are among the most 

respected in the world, and we have been 

consistent and deliberate in our approach 

to building brand loyalty and trust with 

the consumers, which makes a difference 

when we go to launch a film. We keep 

our consumers top of mind, not only in 

terms of the quality of the film but also 

marketing it in an attention-grabbing and 

relatable way and making sure they can 

experience it at the best cinemas. 

And then we obviously couldn’t do 

this without great teams and great people. 

Films come and go, but it is really our 

people—their passion, dedication, and 

effort—that make the difference. It’s the 

ultimate team sport, and we only can 

succeed when we are all working together. 

The last piece of the puzzle is our partners, 

who join us on this journey and work 

closely with us to maximize each film to 

its fullest potential. 

We all know about China’s impact 

on the global market. Do you see 

other emerging markets that could 

be important players in the coming 

years? 

Indonesia is a fast-developing market 

with the fourth-largest population in the 

world, a growing economy, and some 

great theaters with hopefully more on the 

way. Both Vietnam and Central Eastern 

Europe show potential for continued 

growth, along with the Middle East— 

including Saudi Arabia—which holds 

promise for sustainable growth as well. 

India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh all have 

huge populations with opportunity for 

sustained growth, and they already have 

strong film-going cultures. 

Do you have a favorite moviegoing 

moment you’d like to share? 

For me, it has to be watching Pearl 

Harbor right in Pearl Harbor for the 

U.S. premiere, and then attending the 

Japanese premiere for 25,000 people at 

the Tokyo Dome. It was truly a moment in 

time I will always remember. 


65

Cinemacon EMERGING MARKET SPOTLIGHT AWARD 

SAUDI CINEMA 

Saudi Arabia Receives 

Comscore’s Emerging Market 

Spotlight Award 

BY REBECCA PAHLE 

Receiving the Comscore Emerging 

Market Spotlight Award at this year’s 

CinemaCon is the Kingdom of Saudi 

Arabia (KSA), which achieved the notable 

statistic of being the only market that saw 

a box office increase in the pandemic year 

of 2020. 

During that year, KSA doubled its 

screen count—an upward trajectory that 

has continued into 2021 and 2022. Since 

lifting its 30-year cinema ban in 2018, the 

country has established itself as a crucial 

part of the MENA (Middle East and North 

Africa) exhibition landscape, with a report 

from PricewaterhouseCoopers predicting 

that the region could see a 4 percent 

increase in compound annual growth rate 

by 2024, driving its box office revenue to 

$1 billion—largely due to the creation of 

a Saudi cinema sector. KSA’s individual 

box office revenue, per PWC, could reach 

$180 million by 2024, with a potential 

screen count of 2,600 by 2030. 

Per the Cinema Build KSA Forum, a 

conference devoted to the design and 

construction of KSA cinema, the first 

three years post–cinema ban in KSA saw 

the opening of 34 theaters in 12 cities, 

totaling 342 screens, 35,000-plus seats, 

and over 12 million tickets sold, despite 

enforced closures due to the pandemic. 

Per research firm Omdia, KSA’s screen 

count is expected to top 1,400 by 2024; 

the country’s General Commission for 

Audiovisual Media is predicting 350 

cinemas and 2,500 screens by 2030. 

The growth of Saudi Arabia’s cinema 

industry is driven by both inside and 

outside players, with international 

chains—including AMC, Cinépolis, 

Empire Cinemas, and Vox Cinemas— 

entering the market after the cinema 

ban was lifted. On the local side, based 

in Riyadh, is Muvi Cinemas, which has 

seen substantial growth in 2021—from 10 

locations to 21, including the country’s 

first drive-in. 

The growth of the country’s cinema 

sector has been paired with a steady 

adoption of premium amenities, with 

Cinionic CEO Wim Buyens noting 

that “audiences in Saudi Arabia are 

tech savvy and seek out leading cinema 

experiences.” AMC turned to Cinionic for 

4K laser projection in select Saudi Arabian 

cinemas, while Muvi Cinemas partnered 

with Cinionic to provide laser projection 

to their proprietary PLF screens. Muvi’s 

U-Walk location in Riyadh, which won 

ICTA’s 2020 New Build Cinema of the 

Year Award, gave Saudi Arabia its first 

Dolby Cinema and introduced the first 

Samsung Onyx LED screen to the MENA 

region. Vox Cinemas has adopted ICE 

Theaters immersive cinema technology at 

two theaters, while Empire Cinemas has 

turned to Flexound Augmeted Audio and 

CinemaNext’s Sphera concept. 

Key to the growth of Saudi Arabia’s 

cinema sector is government support, 

with the country’s Film Commission 

launching a plan in November 2021 

to establish the country’s overall film 

industry “as a world-class film hub with a 

target to build an industry with a revenue 

of $500 million.” 

“Audiences in Saudi 

Arabia are tech savvy and 

seek out leading cinema 

experiences.” 


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67

It’s time for something different! 

Experience the future of cinema seating at 

CinemaCon BOOTH 2703A 

WWW.INFINITYSEATING.CO.UK 68 CinemaCon 2022 

| +44 1702 614444 | INFO@INFINITYSEATING.CO.UK

CinemaCon NEW PRODUCTS 

TRADE SHOW 

DIRECTORY & NEW 

PRODUCTS GUIDE 

CinemaCon Showcases the Latest Products and 

Technologies for Movie Theaters 

A 

American Cinema 

Equipment 

cinequip.com 

Booth: 2315A 

Apex Order Pickup Solutions 

apexorderpickup.com 

Booth: 220J 

Atom Seating 

spacesandbetween.com/ 

atom-seating 

Booth: 924J 

KLA-2E Cinema Automation 

American Cinema Equipment and Kimber Labs are 

proud to announce KLA-2E Cinema Automation. 

The KLA-2E is available in two models with eight 

and 16 outputs, both of which offer manual control 

switches, high and low current relays, Ethernet 

control, logging, and diagnostics. The KLA-2E is a 

reliable automation product that is quick and easy to 

set up with existing theater systems. Visit American 

Cinema Equipment at CinemaCon booth 2315A for 

more information, or reach out at orders@cinequip. 

com or (503) 285-7015. 

OrderHQ Flow-Thru Lockers 

Give guests fast concessions pickup with OrderHQ 

smart lockers. Employees load orders into the open 

compartments in back, then customers scan their 

secure order code to open the door in front. It’s a 

digital experience guests love, increasing throughput 

while reducing labor needs. OrderHQ food lockers 

utilize software and hardware technologies that 

seamlessly integrate with an existing tech stack. 

Users also get portfolio-wide data visibility for 

order management, control, and analytics. Apex’s 

intelligent locker solutions help cinemas benefit 

from data and analytics to improve customer 

experience and operational efficiency. 

Platinum Recliner 

The latest addition to Atom Seating’s premium line 

of recliners, Platinum Recliner by Atom Seating is 

adjusted with several versatile features considering 

the demands of cinema owners and their patrons. 

The VIP recliner features a spacious design and a 

luxe leather finish with high-density molded foam 

for the perfect movie-watching experience. 


69


B 

Barcel USA & Popcornopolis 

barcel-usa.com 

Booth: 1012J 

Betson Enterprise 

betson.com 

Booth: 613J 

The Boxoffice Company 

company.boxoffice.com 

Barcel USA & Popcornopolis 

Barcel USA manufactures, distributes, and sells 

a selection of innovative candy and salty snacks, 

offering a mix of unique, sweet, and spicy products 

to theaters. Top-selling brands are Takis, Waves, Stix, 

and Vero candy. 

Betson Enterprise 

From movie theaters to cinema entertainment 

centers, Betson understands the exhibition 

business and can help reposition and rebrand a 

cinema location by adding an arcade game room. A 

dedicated arcade area in your cinema helps expand 

your marketing reach to attract birthday parties 

and corporate events; diversify revenue streams 

and extend revenue-generating hours of operation; 

and drive traffic with new game releases and game 

room promotions. With more than 85 years in the 

amusement business and offices throughout the U.S., 

Betson helps exhibitors provide a unique perspective 

and guidance when it comes to showing them how to 

increase profits. 

Boost Food & Beverage 

The cinema experience begins the moment 

moviegoers buy their tickets online. Why not include 

the popcorn, too? The Boxoffice Company’s Boost 

Food & Beverage solution streamlines the purchasing 

process so concessions are just a tap away. This whitelabel 

product not only adheres to a cinema’s brand, 

but also lets customers tailor their experience, whether 

they’d prefer to pick up concessions at the kiosk or 

have them delivered to their seats, and even leave 

gratuity for service that keeps them coming back. 

Want to streamline food and beverage sales? 

Contact sales@boxoffice.com to get started. 

C 

C. Cretors and Company 

cretors.com 

Booth: 313J 

Mach 5 Emergency Repair Kit 

Stop unnecessary downtime with the Mach 5 

Emergency Repair Kit. It holds 29 of the most 

common spare parts for Mach 5 poppers starting 

with serial number 1905XXX. The Repair Kit is easily 

locatable in a durable and sturdy orange toolbox. A 

photo decal helps to easily identify parts for repairs 

and reorders. The Repair Kit pays for itself in as few 

as three uses. Profits will increase by having parts 

on hand for easy swap-out of old parts to have the 

machine up and running immediately. Service costs 

will decrease because technicians will not need to 

schedule return trips after ordering the parts they 

need for repair. 


ccib 

barcelona 

20-23 

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CONVENTION AND TRADE FAIR 

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71


CINEMA POS SOFTWARE 

LOOKING FOR THE LATEST APPS 

THAT WILL IMPROVE YOUR 

BOTTOM LINE? 

Point of Sale, Kiosks, Web Ticketing, Gift Card, Loyalty, Digital Signage, Film Settlement 

and Multi-location Reporting and Monitoring. Omniterm’s Integra Theatre Management 

solution provides these apps which give you the control and information you need. 

Call us on 844.730.1430 or email sales@omniterm.com to book a demo today. 

www.omniterm.com phone 844.730.1430 

RTS 


Call Connect by Venue Valet 

venue-valet.com 

Booth: 813J 

Christie 

christiedigital.com 

Booth: Milano 1 & 5 

Ciné Digital 

cinedigitalservice.com 

Booth: 2620A 

Call Connect by Venue Valet 

Venue Valet is a software company based in Austin, 

Texas, with a primary focus on movie theaters, 

whose goal is to perfect the customer experience for 

clients and their customers. They achieve this goal 

through a custom-designed call button system or 

QR code technology that provides comprehensive 

operations and reporting software. Venue Valet 

further enhances the customer experience by 

providing mobile loyalty application development as 

well as state-of-the-art digital signage. 

Xenon and RGB CineLife+ Series 

Cinema Projectors 

With the new Christie CP2420-Xe and CP4420-Xe, 

built with CineLife+ advanced electronics, cinemas 

will get the tried, tested, and true reliability they’ve 

come to expect from their projectors—and much 

more. The CineLife+ Xenon models also have 

increased performance, dependability, and the lowest 

operation costs in its brightness class. For big, bright 

and beautiful visuals on 67-inch screens or larger, 

Christie’s compact all-in-one DCI-compliant CP4425- 

RGB and CP4435-RGB pure laser projectors with 

CineLife+ electronics and Real|Laser illumination will 

check off many boxes for theater owners. 

Ciné Digital 

Ciné Digital is specialized in the development of 

software solutions designed for cinema operators. 

These include CinéDigital Manager and CDM 

Mobile App for controlling content and projection 

booths (TMS); CinéDigital Display, simple yet 

powerful digital signage; and Ciné Office, a global 

management solution for movie theaters. Manage 

day-to-day operations like box office, concessions, 

inventory management, loyalty programs, business 

management, accounting, human resources, 

and statistics with a user-friendly and efficient 

management tool. 


73


Cinemeccanica 

cinemeccanica.eu 

Booth: 2514A 

Lucilla-08K CP and Lucilla-10K CP Laser 

Projectors 

Cinemeccanica introduces two new RGB laser 

projectors based on the well-known RGB laser Lucilla 

technology installed on DCI cinema projectors 

supplied by Christie Digital Systems. The new 

projectors, Lucilla-08K CP and Lucilla-10K CP, will 

be initially available during the end of September 

of 2022 for the Italian market. Availability for 

European markets will follow thereafter. RGB Lucilla 

projectors are designed for screens of small and 

medium dimensions (up to 11-meter base) having a 

light source based on pure RGB lasers, with a real life 

of 30,000 hours (100% full power), 95 percent color 

gamut REC2020, and a light loss, after 30,000 hours, 

of maximum 20 percent. The robust technology RGB 

laser of Cinemeccanica, launched about 10 years 

ago, and the quality and reliability of Christie digital 

projectors CP2308GT will make Lucilla-08K CP and 

Lucilla-10K CP ideal solutions for cinemas looking 

for top projection quality and optimal savings. 

CineTRAIN 

cinetrain.com 

Booth: 732J 

Cinionic 

cinionic.com 

Booth: Roman 1–4 

CineTRAIN 

CineTRAIN offers premiere employee onboarding 

and training solutions for movie theaters. Their 

theater-specific content and platform can help 

attract talent, increase employee retention and 

engagement, lower training costs, standardize 

operations, and identify top performers. CineTRAIN 

is proud to offer ready-to-implement content to 

get cinemas’ employee-training programs up and 

running immediately. A tailored approach, with 

customized content to match a cinema’s specific 

details, is an alternative option. CineTRAIN has 40- 

plus off-the-shelf cinema-specific training modules, 

a cloud-based learning management platform, 

and an organizational intranet with onboarding 

paperwork functionality. 

Barco SP2K 

The newest Barco Series 4 additions expand Cinionic’s 

laser family with two new models, SP2K-20 and SP2K- 

25. The latest entries to the award-winning Barco 

Series 4 range deliver brilliant presentation in 2K and 

the benefits of a next-generation projection platform. 

The eco-friendly and low-maintenance Series 4 offers 

a reliable, flexible, and affordable solution. With Barco 

Series 4 available from 6,000 to 55,000 lumens with 

options in both 2K and 4K, Cinionic delivers a laserpowered 

solution for every screen. 


Join Us! 

Where Hollywood 

Meets the Heartland 

Be a part of the Midwest’s largest convention 

for exhibitors, vendors & studios. 

September 27-29, 2022 | Grand Geneva Resort & Spa | Lake Geneva, WI 

Save the 

Date! 

Sept. 27-29 

Screenings | Seminars | Awards | Trade Show | Variety Charity Golf Outing 

Presented by 

2022 Geneva Convention 

September 27-29, 2022 | Grand Geneva Resort & Spa | Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 

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


Official Media Sponsor 

75


D 

DEEL Media 

deelmedia.com 

Booth: 625J 

Dippin’ Dots 

dippindots.com 

incredibleeats.com 

Booth: 737J 

DLB Metal Inc. 

dlbmetals.com 

Booth: 219J 

Dolby Laboratories Inc. 

dolby.com 

Booth: 2503A 

DEEL Media 

Since 2009, DEEL Media has been providing 

digital signage for the theater industry, including 

concession menu boards, box office displays, 

auditorium signage, digital movie posters, video 

walls, etc.—all integrated with enterprise box 

office and ticketing systems. During the pandemic 

shutdown, DEEL Media continued to strengthen 

their offerings, and they continue their commitment 

to the industry today. 

IncrEDIBLE Eats Edible Spoons 

Saving the planet from plastic waste has never tasted 

so good. Dippin’ Dots has partnered with ediblespoon 

manufacturer IncrEDIBLE Eats in an effort to 

create a more eco-friendly environment. The spoons 

come in two flavors—vanilla and chocolate—and 

can be paired with any flavor of Dippin’ Dots ice 

cream. The durable, edible spoons are made to last 

through a full serving of Dippin’ Dots, then enjoyed 

as a crispy treat at the end. IncrEDIBLE Eats edible 

spoons are available to all Dippin’ Dots customers as 

an alternative to single-use plastic. 

DLB Metal Inc. 

DLB Metal Inc. is a multistate-licensed general 

contracting firm that has provided high-quality retail 

construction services since 1999. Based in central 

Florida, DLB Metal is an accomplished retail and 

commercial builder offering an extensive range of 

construction services. From national retail chain 

stores to cinema renovations and new builds, DLB 

Metal provides turnkey advice and expertise to 

enhance and complete projects on time and within 

budget. Having renovated numerous large-scale 

retail stores and commercial movie theaters, their 

focus is on consistency and delivering professional 

work services within an efficient timeline. 

Dolby Atmos Cinema Processor CP950A 

Give audiences a natural, enveloping sound 

experience with the Dolby Atmos Cinema Processor 

CP950A. Built on the award-winning design of 

CP950, the newest flagship Dolby Atmos Cinema 

Processor is designed to deliver an exceptionally 

immersive Dolby Atmos experience in a flexible, 

modular, cost-efficient solution. Replacing the CP850 

in Dolby’s cinema product line, CP950A is simple to 

install, use, and service due to its intelligent modular 

design. Existing CP950 units can be upgraded to 

CP950A with a simple kit. CP950A has all the features 

necessary to deliver fully immersive Dolby Atmos 

content and create memorable experiences for your 

guests. 


E 

Entertainment Supply & 

Technologies 

ensutec.com 

Booth: 137J 

Entertainment Supply & Technologies 

For 2022, Entertainment Supply & Technologies 

(ES&T) will support a varied clientele of both 

domestic and international exhibitors who are 

committed to transforming their cinema space 

into modern, premium presentations with laser 

projection, recliner seating, and immersive sound. 

As a certified installer for Imax and all major brands 

of cinema technology, ES&T offers clients turnkey 

services for the creation of a cutting-edge and 

luxurious moviegoing experience. Integrated FF&E 

services also include concession casework, food 

service equipment, menu boards, lighting, wall 

draperies, and flooring. Through an extended, secure 

supply chain, the firm offers complete operational 

support with industrial and janitorial supplies, food 

service and concession equipment replacement 

parts, digital lamps, and projector filters. 

F 

Ferco Seating Systems 

fercoseating.com 

Booth: 2407A 

Fox Blocks – TrueGrid 

foxblocks.com 

Booth: 933J 

OPUS LX Electric Recliner 

The OPUS LX is an electric-operated recliner with 

a wide backrest and seat, exhibiting luxury and 

ultimate comfort. With elegant diamond-stitched 

design and generous padded head- and backrest 

foam for neck and lumbar support, this twin-seat 

OPUS LX by Ferco is the crème de la crème of 

bespoke cinema seating. 

Fox Blocks Insulated Concrete Forms 

Fox Blocks Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) are 

a new and innovative structural component for 

theater wall assemblies. With Fox Blocks, theater 

operators can save money on construction costs 

as well as reduce construction schedules. Theater 

owners and operators can reap better profit margins 

due to lowered fixed costs as a result of the massive 

insulating power of solid concrete walls sandwiched 

by continuous insulation. Fox Blocks walls also 

deliver enhanced acoustics, leading to minimal 

noise transfer, less reverb, and increased customer 

satisfaction. Happier customers mean customer 

loyalty and retention, which ultimately leads to 

better ROI. 


77


G 

GDC Technology of America 

gdc-tech.com 

Booth: Milano 2 & 6 

Golden Link Inc. 

goldenlinkinc.com 

Booth: 624J 

Great Western Products 

gwproducts.com 

Booth: 907J 

GDC Technology of America 

A sound investment: the new built-in DTS:X 

immersive audio solution featuring IAB support 

for the GDC ultra-reliable SR-1000 IMB and awardwinning 

Espedeo Supra-5000 cinema laser projector. 

Currently, both SR-1000 IMB and Supra-5000 

projector offer a built-in 5.1 / 7.1 cinema audio 

processor option for PCM uncompressed surround 

sound. Now, GDC is introducing a built-in 15.1 

cinema audio processor and 16-channel decoding 

capability for DTS:X installations that support 

SMPTE’s immersive audio bitstream (IAB) standard. 

Additionally, SR-1000 offers 24-channel DTS:X 

decoding capability and, coming soon, up to 32 

channels. 

Golden Link Inc. 

Golden Link delivers concessions solutions and 

innovative in-theater promotions to theaters 

worldwide. Established in 1997, Golden Link’s 

mission is to “link” the leading suppliers of 

concessions products and equipment to the fastgrowing 

international cinema market. Since its 

founding Golden Link has become the global leader 

in providing these products and services to over 70 

countries around the world. 

Great Western Products 

Answering the call of theater patrons everywhere, 

Great Western Products expanded their concession 

essentials lineup to include food service–size 

containers of their Sunglo seasoning line. Keep 

popcorn sales popping when every customer gets to 

customize their bag/bucket with their favorite flavor. 

Perfect for popcorn, pretzels, fries, and more. 

H 

Harkness Screens 

harkness-screens.com 

Booth: 2000A & 2103A 

Harkness Screens 

At CinemaCon 2022, Harkness will showcase a range 

of smart solutions for theater operators, including 

innovative Compact+ screen and packaging solutions 

using Harkness’s latest Smart Flex technology; 

a diverse portfolio of 2D and 3D screen solutions 

for every projection setup, including best-in-class 

laser screens; and the brand-new third-generation 

Qalif Spectro. Harkness will also be partnering with 

airFrame to demonstrate the latest inflatable screen 

technologies for outdoor movies and screenings 

using Harkness’s leading outdoor projection surface, 

Alfresco. 


DIGITAL SIGNAGE 

Integrated Digital Signage, 

Concession Signs, Lobby & 

Directional Signs, Custom Graphics 

MOBILE APP & 

WEBSITES 

Web Management, Website 

Design and Programming, 

Online Ticket Purchasing, 

Mobile App Development, 

Mobile Ticketing Sales 

INTERNET TICKETING 

Online Ticket Sales with Theatre Branded Interface 

Your Complete Theatre 

Management Solution 

Starts Here! 

TICKETING & CONCESSION 

POINT-OF-SALE 

Touch Screen Ticketing, 

Concession Point-of-Sale, 

Two-in-One Terminals, Kiosk Sales 

& Redemptions, Assigned Seating 

BACK OFFICE 

MANAGEMENT 

Show Scheduling, Inventory, 

Cash Control, Remote Access, 

Labor Management, 

Real-Time Corporate Reports 

GIFT CARDS & LOYALTY 

PROGRAMS 

Gift Cards, Virtual Gift Card 

Sales, Customer Rewards 

888-988-4470 Sales 

FILM RENTAL MANAGEMENT 

Automatically Calculate Weekly Film Rental, Create 

Payment Vouchers, Settle Films & Manage Credits 

NETWORK & 

IT SERVICES 

Network Support, Hardware 

Monitoring, Phone & Surveillance 

System Support, ISP Monitoring, 

Security & Antivirus 

RetrieverSolutionsInc.com 


79


High Performance Stereo 

hps4000.com 

Booth: 2803A 

A-55-G/2 

It only took 10 years and around $150,000 to perfect 

the original A-55-G. High Performance Stereo is 

calling this update the Stradivarius of new midrange 

compression drivers. The new A-55-G/2 delivers even 

more clarity. Distortion is below any version of this 

driver ever made—a significant achievement to say 

the least. The smoothness, clarity, and realism are 

simply extraordinary, sometimes even startling. All 

this while retaining a phenolic diaphragm—the most 

natural-sounding material ever employed, not to 

mention virtually unbreakable. 

I 

ICE Theaters 

icetheaters.com 

Booth: 2617A 

Irwin Seating 

irwinseating.com 

Booth: 201J 

ICE Theaters 

ICE Theaters’ premium experience begins as soon as 

a moviegoer crosses the stunning immersive corridor, 

where colors and atmosphere immediately awaken 

the senses. The exclusive panels placed on each side 

of the theater create a spectacular visual atmosphere 

through dynamic colors and shapes. Send patrons on 

a journey beyond reality thanks to the revolutionary 

ICE Immersive visual technology. 

ZG4 Spectrum Recliner Luxury Series 

Irwin’s ZG4 Spectrum Recliner Luxury Series features 

a seat module that offers exceptional comfort with a 

deep cushioned ride. This seat works in conjunction 

with a proprietary recliner mechanism for smooth 

“Zero Gravity Motion.” Spectrum ZG4 has received 

rave reviews, as its mechanism enables patrons to 

find their optimum personalized comfort and viewing 

position. In addition, the ZG4 recliner provides for 

improved seating density and several operational 

advances you would expect from Irwin Seating. 

Spectrum ZG4 provides more recline than previous 

models, enhanced comfort, and unmatched recliner 

operational imperatives only offered by Irwin Seating. 

J 

Jacro 

jacro.com 

Booth: 619J 

Fone and Go 

Fone and Go, the popular showtime announcing 

service, has received a completely new interface 

ahead of CinemaCon 2022. Now providing tools to 

update menu and greeting messages from anywhere, 

cinemas can view call logs and even make, upload, 

and request custom recordings. In addition to being 

fully automated with a cinema’s POS (no more 

recordings) and answering calls, Fone and Go sends 

SMS messages for callers to share with their friends, 

offers multilingual options, and includes movie 

synopses on all major Hollywood movies, helping to 

convert more callers into paying customers. 


K 

Kinosys 

Booth: 619J 

Krix 

krix.com 

Booth: 2521A 

Kinosys 

Kinosys is celebrating its acquisition of one of 

the world’s most sought-after cinema point-ofsales 

(POS) systems at CinemaCon 2022, after an 

agreement was reached with Jacro for the cinema 

POS Goliath, TaPOS. Everything that the system’s 

users love about the product is included, and already 

Kinosys has started to lead the product with new 

direction and energy—a completely new mobile app, 

totally updated development environment, a hugely 

successful launch of all new pin pads across the U.K., 

and a refocusing of efforts to bring the best customer 

service alongside what was already one of the most 

desirable POS systems in world cinema. 

Krix 

Supplying national and international cinema 

multiplexes for over 40 years and featuring in over 

4,000 screens worldwide, Krix is world-renowned 

for high-quality, high-performance speaker systems. 

Founded in 1974, Krix is the largest major installation 

consultant and supplier of purpose-built commercial 

cinema loudspeaker solutions in Australia. Decades of 

in-house research and design, incorporating patented 

constant directivity horn technology, delivers 

precision coverage and extremely uniform frequency 

response, bringing substantial improvements in 

clarity and definition to cinema sound. 

L 

LaserBlast 

laserblast.com 

Booth: 224J 

Laser Tag Equipment 

Attract guests from farther afield and keep those 

guests engaged longer, spending more money on 

games and beverages, with LaserBlast. As one of the 

highest-revenue and lowest-cost-per-square-foot 

attractions in the amusement industry, LaserBlast is 

the perfect fit for any cinema looking to boost their 

revenue by attracting more customers and keeping 

them entertained longer. Sizing starts at 2,500 square 

feet, with one-attendant operation for 24 players. 

There are no annual license or service fees, as well as 

zero percent interest in-house financing. 


81


POPPING & TOPPING OILS 

Popping and Topping 

America's Popcorn 

LouAna® is the industry leader in 

popping and topping oils to 

movie theaters in the US. 

Only LouAna® enhances the flavor and 

aroma of popcorn to deliver an 

AUTHENTIC MOVIE POPCORN experience! 

Please visit booth 207J at CinemaCon 

to experience REAL Butter for yourself! 

For more information contact us at 

www.venturafoods.com/contact/ 

888-500-0086 

ai164763159143_Boxoffice Ad.pdf 1 3/18/22 3:26 PM 

LOUANA is a registered trademark of Ventura Foods, LLC, Brea, CA 92821 USA. © 2022. Ventura Foods, LLC. 

CREATING 

SUCCESS 

FOR NEARLY 

50 YEARS! 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

www.paradigmae.com 


Lighting Technologies 

International 

ltilighting.com 

Booth: 2415A 

Lumma 

4demotion.com 

Booth: 2414A 

LongPlay Xenon Lamps 

Located in Baldwin Park, California, Lighting 

Technologies International (LTI) offers digital 

cinema xenon lamps made in the U.S. and especially 

designed for the demanding requirements of today’s 

digital cinema projectors. Their high light output 

ensures optimum on-screen brightness, while 

a proprietary electrode design ensures high arc 

stability for sharp digital pictures. LTI’s LongPlay 

lamps have a longer warranty compared to standard 

lamps, with highly robust design to ensure a low total 

cost of ownership for digital cinema. Each lamp is 

customized per projector model to ensure optimal 

performance. 

4D E-Motion 

4D E-Motion, created by Lumma, is an immersive 

cinematic experience equipped with motion seats 

and outstanding special effects: wind, vibration, 

water, scent, bass shakers, air shots, and lights, 

all synchronized with the on-screen action. 

Featuring comprehensive and skilled services, 

including overhaul of auditoriums, manufacturing, 

installation, support, and maintenance worldwide. 

4D E-Motion is simple to install and easy to maintain 

thanks to a monitoring system pack, provided by 

Lumma, to optimize and test the operation of the 

theater anywhere in the world. Lumma’s team 

works closely together with Hollywood studios, 

programming the most impressive movies. 

M 

MAG Cinema 

mag-cinema.com 

mnmounting.com 

Booth: 2511A 

MN Mounting Solutions 

MAG Cinema is the leading European manufacturer 

of professional cinema speakers and amplification, 

offering a complete series of mounting solutions 

branded under MN Mounting Solutions. For 

over 30 years, MAG Cinema has completed every 

manufacturing process, with final assembly done 

in-house. MAG follows a boutique approach, offering 

a full turnkey solution for professional cinema audio 

systems ranging from compact and ultra-slim to 

large and immersive screen systems. MAG provides a 

10-year warranty for its all-inclusive cinema speaker 

system solutions. MN Mounting Solutions’ universal 

fit loudspeaker mounts and is designed to be safely 

installed by just one person. 


83


Mars Wrigley 

starburst.com 

Booth: 801J 

Moving Image Technologies 

movingimagetech.com 

Booth: 2203A 

Starburst Airs Gummies 

New Starburst Airs Gummies deliver a unique, 

soft, squishy, and airy texture with the same juicy 

flavors Starburst fans know and love. Different from 

typical gummies, these playful and fluffy gummies 

are inflated with flavor, soft to bite into, easy to 

chew, and won’t stick to your teeth. Both Starburst 

Airs Original and Starburst Airs Sour Tropical are 

available now with nationwide availability beginning 

in April. 

Moving iMage Translator 

The Moving iMage Translator provides cinemas 

with a convenient path to ADA compliance, while 

enhancing the moviegoing experience and driving 

attendance to underserved demographics. The iMage 

Translator allows the user to select from a wide 

range of available languages, including descriptive 

narrative and sign language, for personalized 

utilization in either visual or audio via A.R. smart 

glasses with integrated audio. The affordable wifi– 

enabled system features include a single transmitter 

for all assistive features, a common receiver for all 

patrons (H.I., V.I. & LEP), optimum focal distance 

through A.R. smart glasses, AES 256-bit encryption 

for copyright protection, no internet or cell signals 

required, intuitive remote operation, and customer 

smartphones/earphones can be used. To maintain 

hygiene standards the A.R. smart glasses are 

sanitized by a U.V. sterilizer for repeated use. 

O 

Olea Kiosks 

olea.com 

Booth: 813J 

Olea Kiosks 

Olea Kiosks will display ticketing and concessions 

kiosks in the Dine-In Cinema & FEC Pavilion (Booth 

813J). Self-service kiosks are elevating the guest 

experience as cinemas look for ways to effectively 

manage staffing and operational challenges. Kiosks 

allow the guest to be in control while removing 

friction by reducing wait times and improving order 

accuracy. Current data indicates that a quick and 

easy checkout on a kiosk can deliver as much as a 20 

percent ticket lift. Olea Kiosks have been tested and 

deployed with most cinema ticketing and food and 

beverage software systems in North America. 



85


Omniterm 

omniterm.com 

Booth: 416J 

OneDine 

onedine.com 

Booth: 125J 

Order Commander 

Booth: 126J 

Omniterm 

Omniterm has launched an online concession 

module to enable customers to place their food 

and beverage orders while purchasing their tickets. 

Customers will benefit with simplified ordering, 

contactless pickup, and no waiting in lines. Food 

service employees will know what’s on order for 

the day and be able to organize their work time 

more efficiently and provide better service to more 

customers. Theater owners will love the uplift 

experienced in order value, ability to promote online 

specials, and the benefits of happier customers and 

staff. Come see how ordering concessions online will 

improve your order accuracy and generate a lift in 

food and beverage sales. 

Commerce Cloud Platform 

OneDine’s Commerce Cloud Platform allows theater 

guests to order menu items from anywhere—their 

seat, a kiosk in the lobby, or even from home before 

they arrive. Dark-mode themed ordering, glow-inthe-dark 

QR codes, and mobile-device payment 

ensure no disruptions in the theater, while orderstatus 

screens and cubby management streamline 

the order collection process. The entire solution 

provides a frictionless moviegoing experience 

for guests, all while reducing labor resources and 

helping meet revenue, cost, and satisfaction goals. 

Order Commander 

Order Commander announces the next generation of 

service management and touchless kiosk solutions. 

Cutting-edge technology allows Order Commander 

kiosks to recognize and track hand motions when 

ordering, preventing the need to touch surfaces, 

along with tap to pay, minimizing the chance of 

germs spreading. Combined with Order Commander 

seat ordering, further reducing the need for intheater 

customer contact and reducing staffing 

needs. 

P 

Packaging Concepts Inc. 

packagingconcepts.com 

Booth: 824J 

Bagasse Plates and Bowls 

Packaging Concepts Inc. is once again doing its 

part to help save the planet. New for 2022, as part 

of their ever-growing line of concession packaging, 

is a stock line of Bagasse eco-friendly 10 x 10-inch 

square plates and 7 x 7-inch (32 oz.) square bowls. 

These are the perfect solution for both hot and cold 

foods. PET-domed lids are available for both items 

as well. As movie exhibitors continue to increase 

their concession offerings, PCI is there to assist with 

design, graphics, and delivery of quality concession 

packaging at an economical cost. 


Save 

the Date 

24 – 27 

APRIL 2023 

CAESARS PALACE 

LAS VEGAS 

The world goes to the movies. 

The movie world goes to CinemaCon. 

The Official 

Convention of 


87


Paradigm Design 

paradigmae.com 

Booth: 122J 

PIM Brands Inc. 

sunmaid.com 

Booth: 618J 

PlexCall 

plexcall.com 

Booth: 126J 

POSitive Cinema 

positivecinema.com 

Booth: 324J 

Proctor Companies 

proctorco.com 

Booth: 212J 

Paradigm Design 

Paradigm Design is a nationwide full-service 

architectural and engineering firm with offices 

located in Michigan and Arizona. Paradigm Design’s 

passion for creativity, combined with extensive 

experience in both public and private-sector 

projects, have earned national recognition. With 

both architecture and engineering in-house teams 

working together seamlessly, Paradigm Design 

is able to work quickly to expedite solutions to 

unforeseen project questions. 

Sun-Maid Milk Chocolate Raisins 

Sun-Maid Milk Chocolate Raisins have been a movie 

favorite for almost 30 years. Made with plump and 

wholesome California-grown Sun-Maid Thompson 

seedless select raisins, drenched in pure milk 

chocolate, Sun-Maid is always a movie favorite. Now 

available in a new 5 oz. peg bag. 

PlexCall Dashboard 

PlexCall presents the PlexCall Dashboard, a 

revolutionary new way to evaluate customer 

interactions and monitor business success. PlexCall 

Dashboard brings the features of several products 

into a centralized theater management tool with a 

proprietary algorithm that allows cinemas to make 

the most informed inventory and showing decisions. 

POSitive Cinema 

Self-ordering solutions are expected by customers 

and can also increase profits. POSitive Cinema’s selfservice 

and self-checkout kiosks, dine-in apps, Bring 

Your Own Device (BYOD) solution, and tablet order 

app can accelerate F&B sales and reduce overall 

staff costs at the same time. They support various 

payment methods, loyalty, vouchers, and gift cards. 

The self-checkout kiosk supports cash if required 

and can scan I.D.s for liquor sales. These silent sellers 

will never forget about the upsell or cross-sell, which 

eventually increase sales and significantly boost the 

gross margin. 

Proctor Companies 

Proctor Companies designs and builds custom FEC 

redemption counters that combine check-in and 

prize-redemption functions into a single area—so 

cinemas can dedicate more floor space to revenuegenerating 

activities and increase ROI. Proctor offers 

glass cases for high-end prizes and a wide range of 

designs and finishes to meld seamlessly with decor. 


Let’s make this a 

blockbuster year. 

Theatres are open and movie lovers are going to the cinema again. 

Give them the experience they’re looking for! 

For over 50 years, Proctor Companies has been proud to stand strong 

as your trusted, go-to partner. We’re staffed, warehoused, resourced, 

and ready to make your theatre great. 

Considering a new project? Give us a call. 

www.proctorco.com | sales@proctorco.comCinemaCon 2022 

800-221-3699 

FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1971 

89


Congratulations 


CINEMACON 

Award Recipients 

FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT MARCUS THEATRES CORPORATION 

Magna-Tech Electronic Co. 

www.magna-tech.com 

(305) 573- 7339 

Entertainment & Media Specialists 

Architectural Design . Engineering . Worldwide Sales 

Installations . CF&E Acquisition & Integration 

Cinemas . Museums . Planetariums . Educational Facilities 

Script to Screen & Posting Facilities . DCP & Keys 

Cinema Operations 

Digital DCI Projection Systems 

Legacy Analog 16-35-70mm Film Equipment 

Vintage Equipment Restoration 


ProSTAR Industries 

prostarindustries.com 

Booth: 519J 

Solid Chemical Dispensing Program 

With ProSTAR Industries’ Solid Chemical Dispensing 

Program, solid chemicals are super-concentrated, so 

clients aren’t paying to ship water. One of ProStar’s 

4.5-pound solid capsules equals 720 gallons of 

ready-to-use product. Solids take up less room 

than liquids while also being more reliable, easier 

to handle, and safer to dispense. ProSTAR serves 

theaters nationwide, installing the dispensers, 

training employees or contractors, and conducting 

regular on-site inspections to ensure ongoing system 

performance. 

Q 

QSC 

qsc.com 

Booth: 2303A 

QubicaAMF Bowling 

Products 

qubicaamf.com 

Booth: 517J 

Q-SYS QIO Series Network I/O Expanders 

The new QIO Series network expanders provide 

simple and scalable I/O customization for cinema 

operators who need to easily add non-networked 

audio and control connectivity to a Q-SYS system 

without complicated programming. The QIO Series 

includes three Audio I/O models and three Control 

I/O models that work with the newer Q-SYS Core 

processors, including Core Nano, Core 8 Flex, 

and NV-32-H (Core Capable). These allow system 

designers to decouple the location of device I/O from 

the processor—for example, in the theater, lobby, 

gaming area, or anywhere in the cinema complex. 

All models feature a compact form factor that can be 

rack-or surface-mounted. 

Fly’n Ducks Bowling 

Fly’n Ducks is duckpin bowling reimagined for 

today’s consumer and investor. It utilizes the power 

of BES X Bowler Entertainment System and the 

EDGE String pinspotter to deliver the best duckpin 

experience and more entertainment for consumers— 

including new types of games for guests to enjoy 

and easier ways for guests to pay and get rolling. 

QubicaAMF’s EDGE String pin-spotting technology 

means operation and maintenance of the attraction 

is amazingly easy. In addition to the traditional 

length game, Fly’n Ducks is available in three 

uniquely smaller footprints, making it possible to fit 

a real bowling attraction in just about any space. 


91


R 

RadioBoss 2-Way Radios 

radioboss.com 

Booth: 133J 

Redemption Plus 

redemptionplus.com 

Booth: 813J 

RoboLabs LLC 

robolabsusa.com 

Booth: 725J 

RadioBoss Trek 

The RadioBoss Trek is the latest entry in RadioBoss’s 

catalog of staff communication solutions. The allnew 

Trek is a five-watt digital-analog hybrid radio 

with a futuristic hidden LED display on the front 

of its outer case. The radio comes with up to 99 

UHF channels, designed to penetrate buildings for 

full coverage while providing complete privacy. 

Free on-site trials are available. Enjoy a special 

limited-time introductory price of $239 per unit, 

including desktop charger, custom programming, 

and warranty. Audio accessories and multi-charger 

options are also available. Match your existing radios 

or start from scratch. Trade-ins accepted. 

Redemption Plus 

Redemption Plus comes to CinemaCon with a 

now-tripled product line, plus award-winning 

redemption store design and merchandise training. 

In addition to a variety of prizes, Redemption Plus 

also boasts a growing design portfolio. “We take a 

creative approach to store design that goes beyond 

a planogram for product placement. We know how 

lighting plus prizes can do their best work to drive 

redemption gameplay,” shares COO Mike Tipton. 

“We are trying to push the boundaries of what has 

been sometimes an afterthought for design and 

space in an arcade (the redemption counter) by 

introducing new lighting and product showcase 

elements.” 

Grand Robopop 220 

Designed for industrial popcorn production, the 

fully automatic Grand Robopop 220 has a production 

capacity of up to 100 kg per hour (220 lbs/h). Users 

can control the turbine’s speed to configure the 

popper even for low-quality corn kernels. The 

machine is easy to maintain, giving full access to the 

chamber by removing the side door. Grand Robopop 

220 includes automatic batch-by-batch operation 

and is suitable for both butterfly and mushroom 

corn. Corn kernels are popped in a vortex of hot air, 

yielding healthier product that is still crunchy and 

tender. The device is fully automatic with minimal 

operator involvement, featuring a direct drive 

turbine; no belt drive and bearing assembly. 


CONSIDERING 

AN ARCADE? 

We can help! 

End-to-End Redemption Products + Services 

Custom Store + Counter Design 

Arcade Consulting + Brand Name Merchandise 

Merchandise Installs + Training 

Order Automation + Friendly Customer Service 

Contact us at Smile@RedemptionPlus.com for 


93 

more information


Royal Corporation 

royalcorporation.com 

Booth: 413J 

MotorScrubber Jet3 

Royal Corporation offers the MotorScrubber Jet3, 

a handheld scrubber with integrated chemical 

injection to provide deep-cleaning capabilities up to 

10 feet high. The fully adjustable jet at the scrubber 

head can be angled to directly apply solution to 

the surface. This scrubber has a four-hour cordless 

operation; the Jet provides portable cleaning 

capabilities cleaning to use virtually anywhere to 

clean hard-to-reach areas. It features a reliable hightorque 

motor for washing, polishing, and cleaning. It 

is lightweight—weighing only 3.86 lbs.—with heavyduty 

construction. It comes with multiple brushes 

and pad for different cleaning needs. 

S 

Sacoa Cashless System 

sacoacard.com 

Booth: 629J 

Severtson Screens 

severtsonscreens.com 

Booth: 2420A 

Sacoa Mobile App 

The Sacoa Mobile App allows for clients to view 

special offers, purchase credits, and use them at 

any attraction or activity. Sacoa has recently added 

new functions to the Sacoa Mobile App. Customers 

can now receive emails and push notifications on 

their phones, as well as having redemption e-tickets 

loaded in their virtual card on the app. The app 

makes it easy for anyone to have a fully functioning 

card right in their pocket, which builds customer 

loyalty. A customized app, it is developed for each 

operator with their own look and feel. 

Severtson Screens 

Founded in 1986 and a member of the International 

Cinema Technology Association, San Tan Valley, 

Arizona, U.S.-based Severtson Screens is an awardwinning 

global leader in revolutionary and quality 

cinema projection screens for both 2D and 3D 

viewing, including standard, microperf, and digiperf 

configurations that are foldable for immense 

international shipment savings. Humble origins 

in the family kitchen have progressed to today’s 

modern campus encompassing multiple production 

operations with the largest in-house cinema screen 

optical coating system in the world. Severtson has 

remained committed to the principles of innovation 

and uncompromising quality that have made them 

who they are today. 


Shenzhen Intela Laser 

Technology Co. Ltd 

Booth: 2713A 

Simply Right 

simplyrightinc.com 

Booth: 436J 

StepGuard / Light Tape by 

Electro-LuminX Lighting 

Corp. 

lighttape.com 

Booth: 432J 

Shenzhen Intela Laser Technology Co. Ltd 

Founded in 2016, Intela is a subsidiary of a listed 

company in China, the only supplier of laser 

projectors for Wanda cinema. It has the first patent of 

embedded RGB laser technology in the world. Intela 

has installed more than 6,000 units RGB for the 

cinema business, which cover most of the projectors, 

becoming one of the leading providers of RGB laser 

light source in the industry. Intela is now open to 

exhibitor partners around the world. 

Simply Right 

For over 35 years, Simply Right has provided 

innovations in cleaning practices centered around 

their clients’ unique needs. They provide services 

across the United States. Client satisfaction is the top 

priority, with team members dedicated to making 

sure they exceed each client’s cleaning expectations 

every day. 

StepGuard Egress Lighting Systems 

StepGuard is the only manufacturer in the world 

that makes both the lighting element and the profile. 

Using their light tape as the light source, cinema 

guests will experience no annoying on-screen 

glare as they would with traditional LED bulbs. 

StepGuard has a wide variety of profiles available to 

suit different needs, with step, aisle, row, and wall 

illumination being their specialties. Their system 

is built to order and is supplied as a complete plugand-play 

package that can be quickly installed and 

controlled with ease. 

T 

Telescopic Seating Systems 

telescopicseatingsystems.com 

Booth: 813J 

Smart Programmable Compact Recliner 

Telescopic Seating Systems’ Smart Programmable 

Compact Recliner combines minimum space 

requirements with maximum comfort. With TSS’s 

microprocessor-controlled Smart Programmable 

compact recliner, cinemas have the ability to 

program the recline, compactness, and ottoman and/ 

or back control and integrate with building safety 

controls, giving complete control either in-person 

or from the theaters’ network. Thirty-six recliners, 

including seat heaters, can fit on a single 20-amp 

circuit. RGB under-seat lighting provides effects and 

allows cinema staff to see what needs to be cleaned; 

the system can be programmed so that only the 

seats that have been used for the current show or 

throughout the day can be opened. 


95


Theater Toolkit 

theatertoolkit.com 

Booth: 813J 

TouchMate 

touchmateusa.com 

Booth: 425J 

Theater Toolkit 

Theater Toolkit is a mobile-first website platform 

with streamlined ticket purchasing. It integrates 

seamlessly with a point-of-sale system and other 

third parties to unify the customer experience and 

manage an online brand. Theater Toolkit provides 

a big-theater look and feel, without the big-theater 

budget. Theater Toolkit’s product enhances the 

overall experience. A better user experience, quick 

and easy checkout, and search engine optimization 

will provide the upper hand with customers. 

EVCSaaS 

TouchMate announces a solution to drive 

incremental new recurring revenue and guests to 

the cinema with EVCSaaS (Electric Vehicle Charging 

Stations as a Service), as well as programmatic 

digital advertising. Bring in new revenue streams 

by monetizing parking lots. Adding on-site E.V. 

charging stations can turn parking lots into profit 

centers. On the digital-advertising side, exhibitors 

can profit from recurring revenues by seizing the 

opportunity to generate ongoing recurring revenue 

from pDOOH (Programmatic Digital Advertising 

Outside of Home) advertising. Attract more guests 

and drive higher foot traffic by creating a true 

competitive advantage. 

U 

Ushio America 

ushio.com/cinema 

Booth: 2625A 

Ushio America 

Ushio is one of the largest and most trusted names 

in the manufacturing of high-pressure xenon lamps 

today. Only Ushio lamps are tested, approved, and 

certified by all projector manufacturers including 

Barco, NEC, and Sony. The first in the world to 

develop a xenon short-arc lamp exclusively for largescale, 

theater-use movie projectors. Xenon lamps 

boast a spectrum that is closer to natural sunlight 

than that of any other artificial light source. Combine 

great performance with an extremely long lifetime in 

a superior quality lamp. Visit Ushio.com/Cinema to 

learn more. 


27th Annual Max Fried 

Golf Tournament 

Honoring Patricia Gonzalez, 

Senior Vice President, In-Theatre Marketing Domestic 

Distribution Motion Picture Group Paramount Pictures 

Thursday, June 9th, 2022 

Engineers Country Club 

55 Glenwood Rd, Roslyn, NY 11576 

Please RSVP By 

Friday, June 3rd 

For more information please visit 

www.motionpictureclub.org 

*Event proceeds will help benefit film industry 

charities and local nonprofit organizations 


97


98

Studio Preview 100 | Event Cinema 112 | Event Cinema Calender 118 | Booking Guide 121 

ON SCREEN 

As winter gave way to spring, however, a more consistent release 

schedule reintroduced a sense of normality to the exhibition 

business—a welcome development after two years of disruption. 

Studio Preview 2022, p. 100 


99

On Screen STUDIO PREVIEW 

STUDIO 

PREVIEW 






After a transition year marked by 

inopportune cinema closures, delayed 

reopenings, and a multitude of day-and-date 

releases, the domestic box office is ready to put 

the hardest days of the pandemic behind it and 

finally start realizing its full potential. A weak 

first quarter, marred by a lack of major studio 

titles, undercut the gains achieved by Spider- 

Man: No Way Home’s massive success at the 

tail end of 2021. As winter gave way to spring, 

however, a more consistent release schedule 

reintroduced a sense of normality to the 

exhibition business—a welcome development 

after two years of disruption. Heading into 

CinemaCon, Boxoffice Pro takes a look at 

what exhibitors can expect from Hollywood’s 

leading studios. 


101


DISNEY 

2021 Domestic Box Office Total: $1.17 Billion 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe 

(MCU) is one of the few guarantees in 

the post-pandemic box office. Fortunately 

for cinemas, Disney is slated to release a 

new Marvel title to theaters each quarter 

through the end of the year—starting 

with early May’s Doctor Strange in the 

Multiverse of Madness. The title should get 

a box office boost from its protagonist’s 

prominent role in Sony’s Spider-Man: No 

Way Home. Early reactions from fans on 

social media have been positive following 

the trailer’s debut during the Super Bowl. 

Building on that anticipation, Thor: 

Love and Thunder will hit theaters during 

a busy blockbuster schedule in July. 

Thor: Ragnarok director Taiki Waititi will 

again take the reins of the Thor franchise, 

bringing back the lighthearted and 

offbeat tone that made Ragnarok a unique 

installment in the Marvel Cinematic 

Universe. Christian Bale, who famously 

portrayed Batman in Christopher Nolan’s 

Dark Knight trilogy, will make his longawaited 

return to a superhero movie by 

portraying the film’s villain, Gorr the 

The big question mark 

closing out the year will be 

James Cameron’s Avatar 2, 

currently scheduled to open 

on December 21. After being 

in development for more 

than a decade, the film may 

not be a guaranteed hit. 


DISNEY’S TOP- 

GROSSING FILMS 

OF 2021 

Figures represent domestic grosses 

earned during calendar year 2021 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of 

the Ten Rings 

$224.5M 

Black Widow 

$183.7M 

Eternals 

$164.6M 

Free Guy (20th Century Studios) 

$121.6M 

Jungle Cruise 

$117M 

Encanto 

$90.6M 

Cruella 

$86.1M 

Raya and the Last Dragon 

$54.7M 

God Butcher. Rounding out the year’s 

MCU titles, Black Panther: Wakanda 

Forever is set to become the second of 

four superhero titles to hit theaters in Q4. 

Scheduled for release in mid-November, 

the title should pack theaters in North 

America well beyond Thanksgiving. 

In June, Pixar’s Lightyear is expected 

to become the first theatrical release from 

the Emeryville-based studio since Onward, 

whose run was derailed by the onset of 

the pandemic in March 2020. Since then, 

Pixar films Soul, Luca, and Turning Red 

have all skipped cinemas entirely to 

debut exclusively on Disney Plus. Pixar 

sister studio, Walt Disney Animation 

Studios, will release its sole 2022 title 

over Thanksgiving, the adventure caper 

Something Wild. 

The big question mark closing out the 

year will be James Cameron’s Avatar 2, 

currently scheduled to open on December 

21. After being in development for more 

than a decade, the film may not be a 

guaranteed hit. The original Avatar 

untapped the potential of digital cinema 

projection and launched digital 3D as a 

premium experience for theaters around 

the world. Digital 3D occupies a fraction 

of the box office it had during its height 

in the 2010s, but other premium cinema 

formats have continued to grow. Avatar 

2’s success could very well come down 

to how the film markets the moviegoing 

experience at premium large-format (PLF) 

auditoriums, which have become more 

prominent during the pandemic. 


103


SONY 

2021 Domestic Box Office Total: $1.059 Billion 

Sony provided an important boost 

for movie theaters during the 

otherwise underwhelming start of 2022— 

the surprisingly robust debut of Uncharted 

in February. The video game spinoff clearly 

benefited from the holdover performance 

of that other Tom Holland vehicle, Spider- 

Man: No Way Home, which passed Avatar 

to become the third-highest-grossing film 

of all time domestically. Sony has two films 

on the 2022 calendar tied to the Spider- 

Man universe: April’s Morbius and the 

animated Spider-Man: Across the Spider- 

Verse (Part One) in October. 

Q3 will see Sony introduce an original 

title from Atomic Blonde director David 

Leitch, the ensemble action-thriller 

Bullet Train. Early footage from that 

film was warmly received by exhibitors 

at CinemaCon 2021, creating early buzz 

about its prospects. Brad Pitt and Sandra 

Bullock headline the film’s ensemble cast, 

currently scheduled to open in the middle 

of a crowded July that also includes 

Universal’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, 

Disney’s Thor: Love and Thunder, and 

Warner Bros.’ Black Adam. 

Sony provided an 

important boost 

for movie theaters 

during the otherwise 

underwhelming start 

of 2022. 


SONY’S TOP- 


OF 2021 



Spider-Man: No Way Home 

$572.9M 

Venom: Let There Be Carnage 

$212.6M 

Ghostbusters: Afterlife 

$122.3M 

Demon Slayer the Movie: 

Mugen Train (Funimation) 

$49.5M 

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway 

$40.5M 

Don’t Breathe 2 (Screen Gems) 

$32.7M 

Escape Room: Tournament of 

Champions 

$25.3M 

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon 

City (Screen Gems) 

$16.9M 

The Unholy (Screen Gems) 

$15.5M 

Monster Hunter* (Screen Gems) 

$15.1M 

* represents holdover from 2020 


105


UNIVERSAL 

2021 Domestic Box Office Total: $714.2 Million 

Focus Features, Universal’s specialty 

division, will set the table for its 

parent studio’s slate with the release of 

two titles in the spring: Viking drama 

The Northman, from acclaimed director 

Robert Eggers, opened in mid-April, 

while the period piece Downton Abbey: 

A New Era will finally hit theaters in 

May after multiple release delays. That 

pair of specialty titles will cater to their 

respective audience segments before 

Universal’s cross-quadrant tentpole, 

Jurassic World: Dominion, comes out in 

June. The new Jurassic World film will 

round out the new trilogy of films starring 

Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard—and 

will also feature the return of legacy cast 

members Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and 

Sam Neill. 

Universal will likely have another 

major global blockbuster in release 

less than a month after Jurassic World: 

Dominion’s debut with the rollout of 

Minions: The Rise of Gru over the Fourth 

of July weekend. The Minions sequel was 

among the first titles whose production 

The Minions sequel was 

among the first titles whose 

production was disrupted 

by the Covid-19 pandemic 

in 2020; its release in 2022 

hopefully will bookend a 

difficult period for animated 

films at the box office. 


UNIVERSAL’S TOP- 


OF 2021 



F9: The Fast Saga 

$173M 

Halloween Kills 

$92M 

Sing 2 

$74.8M 

Candyman 

$61.1M 

The Boss Baby 2: Family Business 

$57.3M 

Old 

$48.2M 

The Forever Purge 

$44.5M 

Nobody 

$27.2M 

The Croods 2: A New Age* 

was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic 

in 2020; its release in 2022 hopefully will 

bookend a difficult period for animated 

films at the box office. Universal has two 

other animated films scheduled for 2022: 

Shrek spinoff Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, 

in September, and Mario, an animated 

take on Nintendo’s “Super Mario Bros.” 

characters, over Christmas. 

Universal won’t stray too far from its 

roots in the horror genre in 2022. Stephen 

King adaptation Firestarter, scheduled 

for May, will be the first of several horror 

films to hit theaters. Blumhouse title The 

Black Phone is scheduled for late June, 

followed by Jordan Peele’s latest highconcept 

thriller, Nope, coming out on July 

22. Peele’s prior two films, Get Out and 

Us, garnered considerable critical and 

commercial success in North America. 

Early reaction to Nope’s trailer, released 

during the Super Bowl, sparked interest 

from fans on social media and points to 

the film’s potential as one of the summer’s 

breakout hits. Universal will bring the 

final chapter of David Gordon Green’s new 

Halloween trilogy, aptly titled Halloween 

Ends, to theaters on October 14. The prior 

installment of the series premiered dayand-date 

in theaters and on the streaming 

service Peacock; it is unclear if the studio 

will apply the same release strategy to the 

new film. 

$26.2M 

Spirit Untamed 

$17.6M 



107


WARNER BROS. 


Warner Bros. introduced the first 

major blockbuster of 2022 with 

its March release of The Batman. The 

title became only the second film of the 

pandemic era to claim a $100 million 

opening weekend, trailing Sony’s recordsetting 

debut of Spider-Man: No Way Home 

in December 2021 with a $134 million bow. 

With that haul, it’s no wonder that the 

film’s opening weekend eclipsed the lifetime 

theatrical gross of any other individual 

title the studio released throughout the 

entirety of 2021. 

Warner Bros. should experience a 

welcome return to the top ranks of the 

domestic box office in 2022, having 

abandoned its controversial strategy that 

sent its entire 2021 slate to HBO Max and 

cinemas simultaneously. There was no 

better film to kick off the studio’s return to 

theatrical exclusivity than The Batman, its 

first such film since Christopher Nolan’s 

Tenet in August 2020. 

Prior to The Batman, the last Warner 

Bros. film to gross over $100 million was 

The Joker in October 2019. 

The Batman is the first of four Warner 

Bros. releases based on DC Comics 

properties scheduled to reach cinemas this 

year. Early footage from the animated DC 

League of Super-Pets was well received by 

exhibitors following an extended preview 

at CineEurope 2021 and should help 

reengage family audiences upon its release 

on July 29. The star power of Dwayne “The 

Rock” Johnson should help Black Adam 

stand out in a superhero-packed Q4 upon 

its scheduled release on October 21. The 

studio will end the year with one last 

superhero title, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, 

on December 16. 

Outside the superhero realm, Baz 

Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis hits theaters 

June 24. 

The Batman is the first 

of four Warner Bros. 

releases based on DC 

Comics properties 

scheduled to reach 

cinemas this year. 


WARNER BROS.’ 

TOP-GROSSING 

FILMS OF 2021 



Godzilla vs. Kong 

$99.5M 

Dune 

$93.4M 

Space Jam: A New Legacy 

$67.5M 

The Conjuring: The Devil Made 

Me Do It 

$65.5M 

The Suicide Squad 

$55.8M 

Tom & Jerry: The Movie 

$46.3M 

Mortal Kombat 

$37.4M 

In the Heights 

$29.9M 

The Matrix Resurrections 

$28.1M 

Wonder Woman 1984* 

$23.7M 



109


PARAMOUNT 


Paramount acted as a catalyst for 

the cinema recovery effort in 2021 

when it moved up the release of A Quiet 

Place Part II from September to May, 

providing cinemas with the biggest title 

to play exclusively on their screens since 

Tenet. The studio took a more cautious 

approach through the remainder of that 

year, releasing titles like Clifford the 

Big Red Dog day-and-date in November 

on their streaming service, Paramount 

Plus. 2022 could be a comeback year for 

the studio, which is expected to bring 

more films to theaters under a dynamic 

exclusivity window. 

The first trimester of 2022 saw 

Paramount fill out an otherwise barren 

release schedule with a trio of dependably 

marketable titles, released consecutively 

throughout the first three months of the 

Paramount will cap off 

its monthly streak of new 

releases in May with the 

Memorial Day weekend 

debut of the long-awaited 

Top Gun: Maverick. 


PARAMOUNT’S 

TOP-GROSSING 

FILMS OF 2021 



A Quiet Place Part II 

$160M 

Clifford the Big Red Dog 

$48.9M 

PAW Patrol: The Movie 

$40.1M 

Snake Eyes 

$28.2M 

year. Scream warmed up a frigid market 

for new releases in January, while Jackass 

Forever, The Lost City, and Sonic the 

Hedgehog 2 each continued to bring in 

audiences in the ensuing months. 

Paramount will cap off its monthly 

streak of new releases in May with 

the Memorial Day weekend debut of 

the long-awaited Top Gun: Maverick. 

The title has suffered several release 

delays, but the sequel remains highly 

anticipated among exhibitors who 

got an early look at extended footage 

at CinemaCon 2021. It was originally 

meant to be the first of two Tom Cruise 

star vehicles in 2022, the second being a 

September rollout for Mission: Impossible 

7. The caper was pushed to 2023, however, 

leaving audiences—and exhibitors—with 

only one Tom Cruise tentpole scheduled 

for this year. 


111

On Screen EVENT CINEMA 

MORE THAN 

JUST MOVIES 

Event Cinema Fills Programming Gaps in 

the Post-Pandemic Era 


The number of films released to 

movie theaters has declined by 60 

percent or more during the pandemic, 

according to the latest figures from the 

Motion Picture Association. The sudden 

drop in content availability poses what 

could very well be an existential challenge 

for movie theaters around the world. 

How can exhibition sustain itself with 

fewer titles in a business that has become 

increasingly reliant on blockbusters? 

Event cinema, also known in the 

industry as alternative content, is ideally 

situated to help address the programming 

gaps between studio tentpoles. In 

the digital-cinema age, the sector has 

successfully engaged with niche fandoms 

(such as opera, anime, combat sports, and 

concerts) to optimize off-peak showtimes. 

Yet because promotion is tied to a fixed set 

of dates, the sector was prevented from 

claiming significant box office market 

share as cinemas first reopened in the 

pandemic. When release dates across the 

industry are in flux—subject to change 

whether by choice or a public health 

crisis—marketing based on a fixed event 

date becomes practically impossible. 

Entering 2022, however, the outlook 

is significantly more positive for event 

cinema distributors to help cinemas 

reclaim a dynamic 52-week release 

schedule. 

“We’ve seen a need to develop more 

flexible release models,” says Marc Allenby, 

CEO of Trafalgar Releasing, which entered 

the U.S. market in 2018. “In event cinema, 

dates would typically be coordinated 

globally. Everybody around the world 

swings for one engagement or limited 

engagement on a set date. I think we’ve 

all had to recognize local restrictions 

and lockdowns and find ways to be more 

flexible about our release approach.” 

Before the pandemic, a normal 

marketing campaign for an event cinema 

release would span about eight weeks. 

During the Covid era, however, an eightweek 

period could be enough time to see 

cases drop and theaters reopen, only to 

have a new variant arrive and reintroduce 

capacity restrictions all over again. It was 

a Sisyphean effort, a process as frustrating 

for distributors as it was for exhibitors. 

“We went down from eight weeks to 

something closer to four or five so we 

could address that. That may be something 

we continue in the future. But ideally, we’d 

like to return to a time when there is a 

longer presale period,” says Allenby. 

The shorter sales and marketing cycle 

also forced distributors to adjust their 

acquisitions strategy. Once cinemas 

were allowed to reopen, cinemas found 

themselves in a Catch-22 predicament: 

audiences hesitant to return unless there 

was new content, and studios unwilling 

to release new content unless audiences 

were ready to return. A vacuum in the 

release schedule presented an alluring 

opportunity for event cinema providers to 

fill those gaps with programming tuned to 

specialized audiences in a variety of genres. 

“During the closure, we prioritized 

looking ahead and planning for the type of 

programming that would provide muchneeded 

content for exhibitors as they 

reopened across the U.S. and encourage 

moviegoers to return to theaters,” says 

Bernadette McCabe, executive vice 

president of event cinema and exhibitor 

relations at Spotlight Cinema Networks, 

which runs event cinema distributor 

CineLife Entertainment. 

A vacuum in the release 

schedule presented an alluring 

opportunity for event cinema 

providers to fill those gaps 

with programming tuned to 

specialized audiences in a 

variety of genres. 


David Byrne’s American Utopia 

Iconic Events 

CineLife has released 10 event cinema 

titles during the pandemic. In the fall 

of 2020, they brought John Carpenter’s 

original Halloween (1978) to over a 

thousand screens across the U.S. and 

Canada—a lifeline for exhibitors during a 

time when few studios were making films 

available to cinemas. “The most important 

thing for us right now is to be very flexible 

and allow exhibitors a long window to 

book a title,” says McCabe. 

Both Trafalgar and CineLife were 

relative newcomers to the U.S. event 

cinema sector when they entered 

the market in 2018. At the time, only 

Fathom Events, founded in 2005, had an 

established presence. Today, the three 

companies are joined by the latest major 

event cinema distributor in the country, 

Iconic Events Releasing, to form a core 

group of four distributors leading the 

sector in the 2020s. 

“Iconic was founded at the beginning of 

the pandemic, before anyone knew how 

terrible it would be,” says industry veteran 

Steve Bunnell, who was named as the 

company’s CEO in April 2021. “In spite of 

this, we stuck with our original mission, 

which was to take advantage of the new 

technology for live events.” 

In its first year, Iconic brought 21 

events to cinemas and built ties to several 

important players in the entertainment 

business. Iconic is currently the 

distributor of leading combat sports 

platforms in mixed martial arts (UFC), 

boxing (DAZN), and wrestling (WWE). 

They’ve also established a working 

relationship with major streamers to 

bring titles otherwise unavailable for 

theatrical release to theaters through 

limited engagements. Titles like Netflix’s 

The Mitchells vs. The Machines and HBO 

Max’s David Byrne’s American Utopia 

made their theatrical debuts as event 

cinema programming through Iconic. The 

company is anticipating delivering 30 or 

more events in 2022. 

Cultural programming—like theater, 

ballet, and opera—is among the most 

historically successful genres in event 

cinema. Those audiences tend to skew 

older, however, and have proven to be 

the most elusive demographic to return 


113


to theaters. This residual effect of the 

pandemic has impacted programming 

decisions from the country’s four leading 

event cinema distributors. “While the 

performing arts genre has been slower to 

return, it has not been stagnant,” says Ray 

Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events, which runs 

popular programming series like The Met: 

Live in HD. “As Covid infections continue 

to decrease, we’re confident we’ll continue 

to see a return to theaters.” 

That stance is echoed by Trafalgar’s 

Allenby. “We are still seeing there is a 

challenge with the more elderly audience 

returning to cinema at the same levels,” he 

says. Allenby cites the November 2021 U.K. 

release of West End musical Anything Goes 

as evidence that the situation is improving. 

“It was the highest-grossing theater 

release in the U.K. and hit pre-pandemic 

numbers. Over 80,000 people came to see 

it in cinemas in the U.K., with an average 

audience age of at least over 55, 65-plus in 

many cases. That audience is coming back, 

but they are being a little more selective 

about what they’re doing.” 

Faith-based titles serve another 

audience segment that took slightly 

longer to return to theaters. By October 

2021, however, it was clear that the right 

programming could see the return of a 

considerable audience in that segment. 

Fathom Events broke its pre-sales record 

within hours of making Christmas with 

the Chosen: The Messengers available to 

ticket buyers. The company registered $1.5 

million in advance tickets within 12 hours 

of tickets going live ahead of the film’s 

December launch. “The Chosen,” a faithbased 

streaming series, had established 

a deeply engaged fan community well 

before it made its theatrical debut, and 

its strong social media following and 

crowdfunded app helped publicize 

its Christmastime special in cinemas. 

Christmas with the Chosen: The Messengers 

went on to become Fathom’s best-selling 

title of all time, with over $13 million in 

domestic ticket sales. 

“We knew even before tickets were on 

sale that this event was going to be big, we 

just didn’t know how big,” says Nutt. “The 

stars aligned for this event. Christmas with 

the Chosen: The Messengers is a story about 

the birth of Jesus through the eyes of Mary 

and Joseph that premiered during the first 

week of December when there typically 

isn’t an abundance of commercial films 

available. We also knew that while 

many enjoyed watching the show on 

their phones, there was an appetite to 

experience this story on the big screen and 

together as a community.” 

Younger audiences have proven 

to be the most eager to return to the 

cinema since the reopening. This is a 

trend evident in the box office at large, 

with tentpoles like Spider-Man: No Way 

Home and The Batman matching or 

exceeding pre-pandemic attendance 

levels. Meanwhile, titles skewing to an 

older demographic like Steven Spielberg’s 

West Side Story struggle or, as in the case of 

Downton Abbey: A New Era, continue to be 

rescheduled deeper into the calendar. 

Those results have led event cinema 

distributors like Trafalgar to focus on 

younger audiences during the pandemic. 

“The tribal fanatical nature of music 

is a real driver for us, and we’ve found 

those audiences are returning quicker,” 

says Allenby. They’re also returning 

in great numbers. Trafalgar was one of 

the principal global distributors of BTS 

Permission to Dance On Stage—Seoul: 

Live Viewing, the first live worldwide 

cinema broadcast of a concert from South 

Korea by K-pop stars BTS. The live event 

became the highest-grossing global event 

cinema release of all time, bringing in 

$32.6 million from 3,711 screens across 75 

countries on March 12, 2022. The event 

reached as high as No. 2 at the U.S. box 

office on the day it aired—a Saturday— 

grossing $6.84 million from 803 screens, 

trailing only The Batman in the entire 

New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization 

CineLife Entertainment 


market. With only one day’s worth of 

grosses, the title finished the weekend as 

the third-highest-grossing film of North 

America. 

“BTS breaks all of the rules, they’ve 

just got such a massive following,” says 

Allenby. “Our role in an event like this is 

to take the pragmatic approach of making 

sure cinemas are well briefed, given the 

information they need, and have the 

infrastructure in place to deal with a huge 

demand. When they’re primed and tied 

into our key campaign moments, they can 

maximize that demand.” 

Marketing support is also one of the 

principal tenets of CineLife Entertainment, 

who delivers a turnkey marketing and 

distribution plan for each of its cinema 

events. CineLife heavily increased its 

focus on media awareness for its events to 

better engage with audiences coming out 

of the pandemic. The company launched 

a press blitz to publicize its February 

release of New Worlds: The Cradle of 

Civilization, a recorded performance of 

music and poetry featuring Bill Murray 

and renowned cellist Jan Vogler. Murray 

and Vogler participated in two press days 

that garnered coverage on national outlets 

like “CBS Mornings,” “The View,” “Access 

Hollywood,” “Entertainment Tonight,” 

CNN, and Rolling Stone. 

“We also coordinated a pop-up 

performance with Bill, Jan, and the two 

other musicians from the film, in New 

York’s Washington Square Park, which was 

picked up quite a bit on social media and 

created a great buzz,” adds McCabe. “In 

turn, we were able to provide fantastic 

coverage to exhibitors so they could share 

with their moviegoers in newsletters, 

websites, and social media.” 

Social media engagement is especially 

valuable as moviegoing behavior evolves 

coming out of the pandemic. “We have 

noticed that fans are shifting their 

purchase behavior and they are making 

their plans much closer to the event 

date,” says Fathom’s Nutt. “This change 

in behavior has impacted when we 

pull the trigger on various initiatives, 

including press and paid media. We’ve 

also been adding some new tactics into 

our marketing mix, including influencer 

partnerships and leveraging platforms like 

TikTok and Pinterest.” 

A recent example of Fathom’s social 

media outreach is its campaign to promote 

The Met: Live in HD’s encore of Terence’s 

The Mulligan 

Fathom Events 

The Mulligan 

Fathom Events 

“The tribal fanatical nature 

of music is a real driver for 

us, and we’ve found those 

audiences are returning 

quicker.” 

Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the 

Met’s first opera by an African American 

composer. Fathom partnered with an 

African American opera influencer, 

Babatunde Akinboboye, to connect with 

his followers to publicize Fathom’s release. 

“The campaign had thousands of views, 

likes, comments, and shares, including 

comments from Terence Blanchard 

himself. Now that people are coming back 

to theaters and being more selective about 

what they see, it is paramount that we 

find authentic ways to create awareness 

and FOMO [Fear of Missing Out] for our 

events,” says Nutt. 

Iconic’s Bunnell also stresses the 

importance of having an event’s key 

talent actively engaged and involved in 

its theatrical release. “The most amazing 


115


revelation for us has been the willingness 

of the talent to promote their own projects 

through social media,” he says. “Bo 

Burnham, Kanye West, UFC fighters, 

Lindsey Stirling, and others have all been 

incredibly excited to know that their 

content—comedy, documentary, fights, 

holiday special—are on the big screen. For 

a talented creator, there is simply nothing 

more magical and engrossing than the bigscreen 

experience.” 

On the exhibitor side, Trafalgar’s 

Allenby notes that the exhibitors who 

tend to perform best with event cinema 

titles are those who have either a team or 

executive assigned to prioritize it within 

their circuit. “Someone who is responsible 

and has ownership over the drive to 

push it through the company, to ensure 

that it’s getting its fair placement and 

exposure within the cinema chain,” he 

says. “Having a champion of event cinema 

within the organization tends to, on 

balance, bring better results.” 

Major circuits are taking note. AMC 

Theatres, the world’s largest cinema 

circuit, addressed the topic in its 

earnings call for the first quarter of 2022. 

“Alternative content is something that we 

are very intrigued by,” AMC CEO Adam 

Aron told investors. “We’ve dabbled in it 

so far to gauge consumer response. Some 

of the people who track us closely know 

that we’ve had WWE and UFC events. We 

showed DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket for two 

years over the last three, showing outof-market 

football games on Sundays. 

We’ve had several concerts, including one 

recently from Kanye West in Imax theaters 

around the country.” 

“We’ve just agreed with Warner Music 

to look really hard together at which 

of their concert artists we can bring to 

AMC Theatres,” he continued. “But the 

big one here is sports rights. And we all 

know that AMC is going to make a real 

splash in alternative content if we can 

Movies will continue being the 

main draw at movie theaters— 

the tentpoles aren’t going 

anywhere; this evolution is 

simply keeping pace with 

the fragmentation occurring 

across other media platforms. 

jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy Act 1 

Iconic Events 

secure the rights for major professional 

and collegiate sporting events, not to 

mention these others like WWE and UFC. 

Getting professional and collegiate sports 

is something that has great potential. It’s 

much easier said than done. We have 

begun dialogue with leagues. There’s a lot 

to work out, but it’s something that we’re 

looking at hard.” 

Cinemark, the country’s third largest 

circuit, has taken similar action since coming 

back from the pandemic. In December 

2021, the circuit partnered with cable 

sports network ESPN to bring the college 

football playoff to its domestic circuit. 

Major circuits aren’t the only players 

being proactive at securing event cinema 

engagements. As AMC’s Aron indicated, 

cinema tech provider Imax has increased 

its investment in bringing more special 

events to its premium-branded screens 

worldwide. It has worked directly with 

artists like Kanye West, Gwen Stefani, 

and Steven Spielberg to deliver special 

fan events exclusive to the format. This 

approach has helped expand the appeal of 

Imax’s premium large format (PLF) venues 

from opening weekend blockbusters to offpeak 

fan-centric events. 

As artists and creators take a more 

active role in expanding their presence 

in today’s fragmented media landscape, 

cinemas stand as potential beneficiaries 

of content (and audiences) previously 

unavailable to them. “Our learnings in 

just over a year of putting events into 

theaters is that there is an enormous 

audience consuming content on dozens 

of platforms, from the major streamers 

to Tik Tok, YouTube, and all manner of 

social media,” says Iconic’s Bunnell. “Our 

role is to demystify the presumed barrier 

to entry for this kind of content to movie 

theaters by demonstrating that through 

the current technology, we can deliver a 

scale of distribution that is a win-win for 

fans, exhibition partners, and the content 

creators themselves.” 

Movie theaters expanding beyond 

movies doesn’t necessarily mean cinemas 

are abandoning their roots. The move 

to diversify a cinema’s offerings can be 

seen on every level of exhibition today, 

from expanded concessions menus to 

the rise of cinema entertainment centers. 

Movies will continue being the main draw 

at movie theaters—the tentpoles aren’t 

going anywhere; this evolution is simply 

keeping pace with the fragmentation 

occurring across other media platforms. 

The line between short-form internet 

videos, television series, and cinema 

is blurring—and so are the platforms 

where audiences are engaging with that 

content. Event cinema isn’t replacing 

the role of studio titles at theaters, it’s 

complementing it by reinsuring movie 

theaters as the best destination for 

premium entertainment. 

“Our success, as a sector, is not going to 

come at the expense of blockbusters.” says 

Trafalgar’s Allenby. “We want cinemas 

to be well serviced with great premium 

content all year round.” 


ON SCREEN EVENT CINEMA CALENDAR 

EVENT CINEMA 

CALENDAR 

Updated through March 22, 2022. 

Contact distributors for latest listings. 

FATHOM EVENTS 

fathomevents.com 

855-473-4612 

POMPO THE CINEPHILE 

April 27, April 28 

Genre: Anime 

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE IN 

HD: TURANDOT (2021) 

May 7 (live), May 11 (encore) 

Genre: Opera 

NO VACANCY 

May 9 

Genre: Faith-Based 

THE HARBINGERS OF THINGS TO 

COME 

May 12 

Genre: Documentary 

STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2022: 

PONYO 

May 15, May 16, May 18 

Genre: Anime 

THE MATTER OF LIFE 

May 16, May 17 

Genre: Documentary 


HD: LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR 


Genre: Opera 

TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: SMOKEY 

AND THE BANDIT (45TH ANNIV.) 

May 29, June 1, June 2 

Genre: Classics 


HD: HAMLET 

June 4 (live), June 8 (encore) 

Genre: Opera 

TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: WHAT 

EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? 

(60TH ANNIV.) 

June 12, June 15 


TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: 

CABARET (50TH ANNIV.) 

July 17, July 20 


STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2022: THE CAT 

RETURNS (20TH ANNIV.) 

June 26, June 27 

Genre: Anime 

STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2022: KIKI’S 

DELIVERY SERVICE 

July 31, Aug. 1, Aug. 3 

Genre: Anime 

STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2022: ONLY 

YESTERDAY 

Aug. 28, Aug. 29 

Genre: Anime 

TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: STAR 

TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN 

(40TH ANNIV.) 

Sept. 4, Sept. 5, Sept. 8 


STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2022: HOWL’S 

MOVING CASTLE 


Genre: Anime 

TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: 

POLTERGEIST (40TH ANNIV.) 



TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: IN THE 

HEAT OF THE NIGHT (55TH ANNIV.) 

Oct. 16, Oct. 19 


STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2022: SPIRITED 

AWAY 

Oct. 30, Nov. 1, Nov. 2 

Genre: Anime 

TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: TO 

KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (60TH 

ANNIV.) 

Nov. 13, Nov. 16 


TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: IT’S A 

WONDERFUL LIFE 

Dec. 18, Dec. 21 


ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 

roh.org.uk/cinemas 

cinema@roh.org.uk 

SWAN LAKE 


Genre: Opera 

THE NUTCRACKER 

From May 19 

Genre: Opera 

TRAFALGAR RELEASING 

trafalgar-releasing.com 

NICK CAVE & WARREN ELLIS: THIS 

MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE 

May 11 

Genre: Music 

ABBA: THE MOVIE 

May 12, May 14 

Genre: Music 


VARIETY CHARITY AUCTION 

BID 

WIN 

HELP 

KIDS 

Essence is a 3 year old girl from Lakewood, CA and does not let 

Cerebral Palsy get her down. Her Mom writes: “Essence is an active, 

happy, social, inquisitive little girl whose mind wants to MOVE. 

But her body doesn’t make it very easy to do. She continues to find 

various alternative methods to get from A to B and we want to help 

give her more variety and opportunities to engage outside the home.” 

Please visit USVariety.org for more information. 

TEXT ‘22VARIETY’ TO 76278 

or register to bid at 22Variety.givesmart.com 

Thank you to Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment 

for partnering with Variety – the Children’s Charity 

for our 2022 Gold Heart Campaign! 

Visit booth 330J to learn how your theatre can participate. 

JOIN US AT YOUNG VARIETY’S CINEMACON NIGHT OUT! 

Harrah’s Carnaval Court 

Wednesday, April 27 at 9PM 

Buy your ticket at varietysocal.org 

16 th Annual Variety Charity Auction at CinemaCon Presented by:


BOOKING 

GUIDE 

Release calendar for theatrical 

distribution in North America 

Release dates are updated through March 24, 2022. 

Please consult distributors to confirm latest listings. 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 

Fri, 5/6/22 WIDE 

DISNEY 

818-560-1000 

Ask for Distribution 

DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE 

MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS 


Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, 

Elizabeth Olsen 

Director: Sam Raimi 

Rating: NR 

Genre: SF/Fan/Adv 

LIGHTYEAR 

Fri, 6/17/22 WIDE 

Stars: Chris Evans 

Director: Angus MacLane 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER 


Stars: Chris Hemsworth, 

Tessa Thompson 

Director: Taika Waititi 

Rating: NR 

Genre: SF/Fan/Act 

20TH CENTURY STUDIOS 

310-369-1000 

212-556-2400 

THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE 

Fri, 5/27/22 WIDE 

Stars: H. Jon Benjamin, 

Kristen Schaal 

Directors: Bernard Derriman, 

Loren Bouchard 

Rating: PG-13 

Genre: Ani 

UNTITLED 20TH CENTURY 2022 1 

Fri, 9/23/22 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED DAVID O. RUSSELL 

Fri, 11/4/22 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

AVATAR 2 

Fri, 12/16/22 WIDE 

Stars: Zoe Saldana, 

Sam Worthington 

Director: James Cameron 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Fan/SF 

UNTITLED 20TH CENTURY 2022 2 

Fri, 12/23/22 WIDE 

Rating: R 

UNTITLED 20TH CENTURY 2023 

Fri, 9/15/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED 20TH CENTURY 2024 

Fri, 5/24/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

A24 

646-568-6015 

MEN 

Fri, 5/20/22 WIDE 

Stars: Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear 

Director: Alex Garland 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

BLUE FOX ENTERTAINMENT 

William Gruenberg 

william@bluefoxentertainment.com 

EIFFEL 

Fri, 6/3/22 LTD 

Stars: Romain Duris, 

Emma Mackey 

Director: Martin Bourboulon 

Rating:R 

Genre: Rom/Dra 

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA 

FOREVER 

Fri, 11/11/22 WIDE 

Director: Ryan Coogler 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/SF/Fan 

STRANGE WORLD 

Fri, 11/23/22 WIDE 

Director: Don Hall 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

THE MARVELS 

Fri, 2/17/23 WIDE 

Stars: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris 

Director: Nia DaCosta 

Rating: NR 


HAUNTED MANSION 

Fri, 3/10/23 WIDE 

Director: Justin Simien 

Rating: NR 


121

ON SCREEN BOOKING GUIDE 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 


Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana 

Director: James Gunn 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Adv/SF 

THE LITTLE MERMAID 

Fri, 5/26/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED PIXAR 2023 1 

Fri, 6/16/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

UNTITLED INDIANA JONES 

Fri, 6/30/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Adv 

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: 

QUANTUMANIA 

Fri, 7/28/23 WIDE 

Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily 

Director: Peyton Reed 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/SF 

UNTITLED DISNEY LIVE ACTION 

2023 2 

Fri, 8/11/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED MARVEL 2023 

Fri, 11/3/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION 2023 

Fri, 11/22/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

ROGUE SQUADRON 

Fri, 12/22/23 WIDE 

Director: Patty Jenkins 

Rating: NR 


UNTITLED MARVEL 2024 1 

Fri, 2/16/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED DISNEY LIVE ACTION 

2024 1 

Fri, 3/22/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED MARVEL 2024 2 

Fri, 2/16/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

FOCUS FEATURES 

DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA 

Fri, 5/20/22 WIDE 

Stars: Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock 

Director: Simon Curtis 

Rating: PG 

Genre: Dra 

Specs: Dolby Vis/Atmos 

BRIAN AND CHARLES 

Fri, 6/17/22 WIDE 

Stars: David Earl, Chris Hayward 

Director: Jim Archer 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com/Dra 

MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS 

Fri, 7/15/22 WIDE 

Stars: Lesley Manville, 

Isabelle Huppert 

Director: Anthony Fabian 

Rating: PG 

Genre: Dra 

VENGEANCE 

Fri, 7/29/22 WIDE 

Stars: B.J. Novak, Issa Rae 

Director: B.J. Novak 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com/Thr 

TÁR 


Stars: Cate Blanchett, Nina Hoss 

Director: Todd Field 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra/Bio 

IFC FILMS 

bookings@ifcfilms.com 

HATCHING 

Fri, 4/29/22 LTD 

Stars: Siiri Solalinna, Sophia Heikkilä 

Director: Hanna Bergholm 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

HAPPENING 

Fri, 5/6/22 LTD 

Stars: Anamaria Vartolomei, 

Sandrine Bonnaire 

Director: Audrey Diwan 

Rating: R 

Genre: Dra 

THE INNOCENTS 

Fri, 5/13/22 LTD 

Stars: Rakel Lenora Fløttum, 

Alva Brynsmo Ramstad 

Director: Eskil Vogt 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

HOLD YOUR FIRE 

Fri, 5/20/22 LTD 

Stars: Shu’aib Raheem, 

Harvey Schlossberg 

Director: Stefan Forbes 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Doc 

WATCHER 


Stars: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman 

Director: Chloe Okuno 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr 

OFFICIAL COMPETITION 

Fri, 6/17/22 LTD 

Stars: Penélope Cruz, 

Antonio Banderas 

Directors: Mariano Cohn, 

Gastón Duprat 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

KINO LORBER 

Hatching 

Fri, 4/29/22 LTD 

FIDDLER’S JOURNEY TO THE BIG 

SCREEN 

Fri, 4/29/22 LTD 

Stars: Jeff Goldblum 

Director: Daniel Raim 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Doc 

NEPTUNE FROST 

Fri, 6/3/22 LTD 

Stars: Cheryl Isheja, 

Bertrand Ninteretse 

Directors: Saul Williams, 

Anisia Uzeyman 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Mus/SF 

LIONSGATE 

310-309-8400 

FORTRESS: SNIPER’S EYE 

Fri, 4/29/22 LTD 

Stars: Jesse Metcalfe, Bruce Willis 

Director: Josh Sternfeld 

Rating: R 

Genre: Thr/Act 


UNTITLED SCREAM SEQUEL 

Fri, 3/31/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 

Fri, 7/14/23 WIDE 

Stars: Tom Cruise 

Director: Christopher McQuarrie 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

Specs: Imax 

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: 

THE NEXT CHAPTER 


Director: Jeff Rowe 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

Anaïs in Love 

Fri, 4/29/22 LTD 

UNTITLED A QUIET PLACE 

Fri, 9/22/23 WIDE 

Director: Jeff Nichols 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

ESCAPE THE FIELD 

Fri, 5/6/22 LTD 

Stars: Jordan Claire Robbins, 

Theo Rossi 

Director: Emerson Moore 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr 

SHOTGUN WEDDING 

Wed, 6/29/22 WIDE 

Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel 

Director: Jason Moore 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Com 

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, 

MARGARET 

Fri, 9/16/22 WIDE 

Stars: Rachel McAdams, 

Abby Ryder Fortson 

Director: Kelly Fremon Craig 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fam 

WHITE BIRD: A WONDER STORY 

Fri, 9/16/22 WIDE 

Stars: Bryce Gheisar, Ariella Glaser 

Director: Marc Forster 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra/Fam 

THE DEVIL’S LIGHT 

Fri, 10/28/22 WIDE 

Stars: Virginia Madsen, Ben Cross 

Director: Daniel Stamm 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 

Fri, 3/24/23 WIDE 

Stars: Keanu Reeves 

Director: Chad Stahelski 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ac 

MAGNOLIA PICTURES 

212-379-9704 

Neal Block 

nblock@magpictures.com 

ANAÏS IN LOVE 

Fri, 4/29/22 LTD 

Stars: Anaïs Demoustier, 

Valeria Bruni Tedeschi 

Director: Charline Bourgeois- 

Tacquet 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com/Rom 

NEON 

hal@neonrated.com 

PLEASURE 

Fri, 5/13/22 LTD 

Stars: Sofia Kappel, Zelda Morrison 

Director: Ninja Thyberg 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

OPEN ROAD FILMS 

MEMORY 

Fri, 4/29/22 WIDE 

Stars: Liam Neeson, Guy Pearce 

Director: Martin Campbell 

Rating: R 

Genre: Thr 

Specs: Imax 

PARAMOUNT 

323-956-5000 

TOP GUN: MAVERICK 

Fri, 5/27/22 WIDE 

Stars: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller 

Director: Joseph Kosinski 

Rating: PG-13 


Specs: Imax/Dolby Vis/Atmos 

PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF 

HANK 

Fri, 7/22/22 WIDE 

Rating: PG 

Genre: Ani 

SECRET HEADQUARTERS 


Stars: Owen Wilson 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fam/Adv 

UNTITLED PARAMOUNT 

Fri, 10/21/22 WIDE 

UNTITLED BEE GEES 

Fri, 11/4/22 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra/Mus/Bio 

BABYLON 

Fri, 12/23/22 WIDE 

Director: Damien Chazelle 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

TIGER’S APPRENTICE 

Fri, 2/10/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 


Rating: NR 

Genre: Fan 

TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE 

BEASTS 


Stars: Anthony Ramos, 

Dominique Fishback 

Director: Steven Caple Jr. 

Rating: NR 


PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE 

Fri, 10/13/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

UNTITLED RYAN REYNOLDS/JOHN 

KRASINSKI FILM 

Fri, 11/17/23 WIDE 

Stars: John Krasinski, Ryan Reynolds 

Director: John Krasinski 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com/Fan 

UNTITLED STAR TREK 

Fri, 12/22/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: SF/Act 

UNTITLED BOB MARLEY 

Fri, 1/12/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra/Bio/Mus 

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8 

Fri, 6/28/24 WIDE 

Stars: Tom Cruise 

Director: Christopher McQuarrie 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

UNTITLED TRANSFORMERS 

ANIMATION 

Fri, 7/19/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

UNTITLED SMURFS ANIMATED 

MUSICAL 

Fri, 12/20/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani/Mus 


123


Bullet Train 

7/29/22 WIDE 

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS 

323.882.8490 

FIREBIRD 

Fri, 4/29/22 WIDE 

Stars: Tom Prior, Oleg Zagorodnii 

Director: Peeter Rebane 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Rom/Dra 

FAMILY CAMP 

Fri, 5/13/22 WIDE 

Stars: Tommy Woodard, 

Eddie James 

Director: Brian Cates 

Rating: PG 

Genre: Com/Fam 

SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES 

212-556-2400 

UNTITLED SEARCHLIGHT 2022 


Rating: NR 

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN 

Fri, 10/21/22 WIDE 

Stars: Barry Keoghan, Colin Farrell 

Director: Martin McDonagh 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

SONY 

212-833-8500 

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING 

Fri, 7/15/22 WIDE 

Stars: Daisy Edgar-Jones, 

Taylor John Smith 

Director: Olivia Newman 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

BULLET TRAIN 

Fri, 7/29/22 WIDE 

Stars: Brad Pitt, Joey King 

Director: David Leitch 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

Specs: Imax 

THE MAN FROM TORONTO 

Fri, 8/12/22 WIDE 

Stars: Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson 

Director: Patrick Hughes 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Com 

THE BRIDE 

Fri, 8/26/22 WIDE 

Stars: Nathalie Emmanuel, 

Thomas Doherty 

Director: Jessica M. Thompson 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor/Thr 

THE WOMAN KING 

Fri, 9/16/22 WIDE 

Stars: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu 

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood 

Rating: NR 

Genre: His/Dra 

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER- 

VERSE (PART ONE) 

Fri, 10/7/22 WIDE 

Stars: Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore 

Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, 

Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

Specs: Imax 

LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE 

Fri, 11/18/22 WIDE 

Stars: Javier Bardem, 

Winslow Fegley 

Directors: Will Speck, Josh Gordon 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fam 

I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY 

Wed, 12/21/22 WIDE 

Stars: Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci 

Director: Kasi Lemmons 

Rating: NR 


A MAN CALLED OTTO 

Fri, 12/25/22 WIDE 

Stars: Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño 

Director: Marc Foster 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

KRAVEN THE HUNTER 

Fri, 1/13/23 WIDE 

Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 

Russell Crowe 

Director: J.C. Chandor 

Rating: NR 


Specs: Imax 

HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON 

Fri, 1/27/23 WIDE 

Stars: Zachary Levi, 

Zooey Deschanel 

Director: Carlos Saldanha 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fam 

UNTITLED GEORGE FOREMAN 

BIOPIC 


Stars: Khris Davis, Sullivan Jones 

Director: George Tillman Jr. 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra/Bio 


65 

Fri, 4/14/23 WIDE 

Stars: Adam Driver, 

Ariana Greenblatt 

Directors: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods 

Rating: NR 

Genre: SF/The 

TILL 

Fri, 10/7/22 WIDE 

Stars: Danielle Deadwyler, 

Whoopi Goldberg 

Director: Chinonye Chukwu 

Rating: NR 

Genre: His/Dra 

THE LOST GIRLS 

Fri, 6/17/22 LTD 

Stars: Joely Richardson, 

Vanessa Redgrave 

Director: Livia De Paolis 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dr/Fan 

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU 


Stars: Steve Carell, Taraji P. Henson 

Director: Kyle Balda 

Rating: PG 

Genre: Ani 


UNTITLED SONY/MARVEL 

UNIVERSE 1 

Fri, 6/23/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED SONY/MARVEL 

UNIVERSE 2 

Fri, 10/6/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS 

Tom Prassis 

212-833-4981 

JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY 

Fri, 5/13/22 LTD 

Directors: Frank Marshall, 

Ryan Suffern 

Rating: PG-13 

Genre: Doc 

STX ENTERTAINMENT 

310-742-2300 

BED REST 

Fri, 7/15/22 WIDE 

Stars: Melissa Barrera 

Director: Lori Evans Taylor 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

THIRTEEN LIVES 

Fri, 11/18/22 WIDE 

Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell 

Director: Ron Howard 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

CREED III 

Fri, 11/23/22 WIDE 

Stars: Michael B. Jordan, 

Tessa Thompson 

Director: Michael B. Jordan 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

UNTITLED RUSSO BROTHERS 

FAMILY FILM 

Fri, 1/13/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fam 

VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT 

BLACK SITE 

Fri, 4/29/22 LTD 

Stars: Jason Clarke, 

Michelle Monaghan 

Director: Sophia Banks 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr/Act 

UNIVERSAL 

818-777-1000 

FIRESTARTER 

Fri, 5/13/22 WIDE 

Stars: Zac Efron, Sydney Lemmon 

Director: Keith Thomas 

Rating: R 

Genre: Hor 

JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION 

Fri, 6/10/22 WIDE 

Stars: Chris Pratt 

Director: Colin Trevorrow 

Rating: PG-13 



THE BLACK PHONE 

Fri, 6/24/22 WIDE 

Stars: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames 

Director: Scott Derrickson 

Rating: R 

Genre: Hor 


NOPE 

Fri, 7/22/22 WIDE 

Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer 

Director: Jordan Peele 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 


EASTER SUNDAY 


Stars: Jo Koy, Jimmy O. Yang 

Director: Jay Chandrasekhar 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

BEAST 

Fri, 8/19/22 WIDE 

Stars: Idris Elba 

Director: Baltasar Kormákur 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr 

DISTANT 

Fri, 9/16/22 WIDE 

Stars: Anthony Ramos, 

Zachary Quinto 

Directors: Josh Gordon, Will Speck 

Rating: PG-13 

Genre: Com/SF 

UNITED ARTISTS RELEASING 

310-724-5678 

Ask for Distribution 

SAMARITAN 

Fri, 8/26/22 WIDE 

Stars: Sylvester Stallone 

Director: Julius Avery 

Rating: PG-13 

Genre: Act/Thr 

Jurassic World: Dominion 

Fri, 6/10/22 WIDE 

ON A WING AND A PRAYER 

Fri, 8/31/22 WIDE 

Stars: Dennis Quaid, 

Heather Graham 

Director: Sean McNamara 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

DARK HARVEST 

Fri, 9/23/22 WIDE 

Stars: Casey Likes, 

E’myri Crutchfield 

Director: David Slade 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 


125


PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH 

Fri, 9/23/22 WIDE 

Stars: Antonio Banderas, 

Salma Hayek Pinault 

Director: Joel Crawford 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

BROS 

Fri, 9/30/22 WIDE 

Stars: Billy Eichner 

Director: Nicholas Stoller 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com/Rom 

HALLOWEEN ENDS 

Fri, 10/14/22 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

TICKET TO PARADISE 

Fri, 10/21/22 WIDE 

Stars: George Clooney, 

Julia Roberts 

Director: Ol Parker 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Rom/Com 

SHE SAID 

Fri, 11/18/22 WIDE 

Stars: Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan 

Director: Maria Schrader 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

THE FABELMANS 

Wed, 11/23/22 WIDE 

Stars: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen 

Director: Steven Spielberg 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

VIOLENT NIGHT 

Fri, 12/2/22 WIDE 

Stars: David Harbour 

Director: Tommy Wirkola 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Thr 

MARIO 

Wed, 12/21/22 WIDE 

Stars: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

M3GAN 

Fri, 1/13/23 WIDE 

Stars: Allison Williams, 

Ronny Chieng 

Director: Gerard Johnstone 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor/Thr 

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER 

Fri, 1/27/23 WIDE 

Stars: Corey Hawkins, 

Aisling Franciosi 

Director: André Øvredal 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

KNOCK AT THE CABIN 


Director: M. Night Shyamalan 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr 

UNTITLED DREAMWORKS 

ANIMATION 


Rating: NR 

RENFIELD 

Fri, 4/14/23 WIDE 

Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage 

Director: Chris McKay 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor/Com 

FAST & FURIOUS 10 

Fri, 5/19/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

STRAYS 


Stars: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx 

Director: Josh Greenbaum 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

MIGRATION 

Fri, 6/30/23 WIDE 

Director: Benjamin Renner 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

OPPENHEIMER 

Fri, 7/21/23 WIDE 

Stars: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt 

Director: Christopher Nolan 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra/War 

UNTITLED UNIVERSAL EVENT FILM 

2023 2 

Fri, 9/29/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

EXORCIST FRANCHISE IP 

Fri, 10/13/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

TROLLS 3 

Fri, 11/17/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

DESPICABLE ME 4 

Wed, 7/3/23 WIDE 

Stars: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig 

Director: Chris Renaud 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish 

Fri, 9/23/22 WIDE 


Elvis 

Fri, 6/24/22 WIDE 

DUNE: PART TWO 

Fri, 10/20/23 WIDE 

Stars: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya 

Director: Denis Villeneuve 

Rating: NR 

Genre: SF 

THE COLOR PURPLE 

Fri, 12/20/23 WIDE 

Stars: Corey Hawkins, 

Taraji P. Henson 

Director: Blitz Bazawule 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Mus 

WONKA 

Fri, 12/15/23 WIDE 

Stars: Timothée Chalamet 

Director: Paul King 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fan 

Specs: Imax 

UNTITLED WB EVENT FILM 2023 

Fri, 12/25/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED UNIVERSAL EVENT FILM 

2024 1 

Fri, 1/12/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED UNIVERSAL ANIMATED 

EVENT FILM 2024 1 


Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

WARNER BROS. 

818-977-1850 

ELVIS 

Fri, 6/24/22 WIDE 

Stars: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks 

Director: Baz Luhrmann 

Rating: NR 



DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS 

Fri, 7/29/22 WIDE 

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart 

Director: Sam Levine 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 


UNTITLED WB EVENT FILM 2022 1 


Rating: NR 

SALEM’S LOT 


Stars: Alfre Woodard, Lewis Pullman 

Director: Gary Dauberman 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 


DON’T WORRY DARLING 

Fri, 9/23/22 WIDE 

Stars: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles 

Director: Olivia Wilde 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr 


Fri, 10/14/22 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

BLACK ADAM 

Fri, 10/21/22 WIDE 

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, 

Aldis Hodge 

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Fan 

Specs: Imax 


Fri, 11/18/22 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS 

Fri, 12/16/22 WIDE 

Stars: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel 

Director: David F. Sandberg 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Adv/Fan 

Specs: Imax 

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST 

KINGDOM 

Fri, 3/17/23 WIDE 

Stars: Jason Momoa 

Director: James Wan 

Rating: NR 



THE LAST TRAIN TO NEW YORK 

Fri, 4/21/23 WIDE 

Director: Timo Tjahjanto 

Rating: NR 

THE FLASH 

Fri, 6/23/23 WIDE 

Stars: Ezra Miller, Kiersey Clemons 

Director: Andy Muschietti 

Rating: NR 


Specs: Imax 

COYOTE VS ACME 

Fri, 7/21/23 WIDE 

Stars: John Cena, Will Forte 

Director: Dave Green 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com/Ani 

THE MEG 2 


Stars: Jason Statham, Wu Jing 

Director: Ben Wheatley 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

BLUE BEETLE 

Fri, 8/18/23 WIDE 

Stars: Xolo Maridueña 

Director: Angel Manuel Soto 

Rating: NR 

Genre: SF/Fan/Act 

UNTITLED DC EVENT FILM 2023 

Fri, 9/22/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

TOTO 


Director: Alex Timbers 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

UNTITLED DC EVENT FILM 2024 1 

Fri, 3/15/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF 

THE ROHIRRIM 

Fri, 4/12/24 WIDE 

Director: Kenji Kamiyama 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani/Fan 

FURIOSA 

Fri, 5/24/24 WIDE 

Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, 

Chris Hemsworth 

Director: George Miller 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 


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Image Credits & Acknowledgments 

Cover: Photo by Adam Coish, courtesy Cineplex 

Page 03: Courtesy of Warner Bros., Photo by Hugh Stewart 

Page 04: Adobe Stock 

Page 11: Courtesy of B&B Theatres 

Page 14: Courtesy of NATO 

Page 17: Courtesy of ICA 

Page 18: Courtesy the Larry H. Miller Companies, Santikos 

Entertainment 

Page 21: Courtesy of MPA 

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of NATO 

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Page 32-33: ©2020 Paramount Pictures. All Right Reserved. 

Page 33: Photo by Matt Kennedy. ©2021 CTMG. All 

Rights Reserved. 

Page 37: Courtesy of B&B Theatres 

Page 38: Courtesy of Emagine Entertainment 

Page 40: Photo by Michael Mansfield, Courtesy Alamo 

Drafthouse 

Page 43: Courtesy of Cinépolis 

Page 44-49: All images courtesy of Cinépolis 

Page 52: Courtesy of ICE Theaters 


Page 55: Courtesy of Ōma Cinema 


Page 59: Courtesy of NATO. 

Page 60: Photo by Adam Coish. Courtesy of Cineplex 

Page 62: Adobe Stock. 

Page 64: Courtesy of Disney 

Page 66: Courtesy of Vox 

Page 69-96: All photos courtesy of respective companies 

Page 99: © 2021 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. 

Page 100: Photo by Aidan Monaghan. © 2021 Focus 

Features, LLC 

Page 102: ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved. 

Page 103: © 2021 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. ©Marvel 

Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved. 

Page 104: Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All 

Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Sony Pictures 

Page 105: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy of Sony Pictures 

Page 106: Photo by Aidan Monaghan. © 2021 Focus 

Features, LLC. Courtesy of Sony Pictures. ©2021 CTMG. All 

Rights Reserved. (Sidebar) 

Page 107: (c) 2021 Illumination Entertainment and Universal 

Studios. All Rights Reserved. (Minions); Credit: Ben Blackall / 

©2022 Focus Features LLC (Downton Abbey: A New Era) 

Page 107: Photo by Giles Keyte. Courtesy Universal Pictures 

Page 108: © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All 

Rights Reserved. 


Page 110-111: ©2020 Paramount Pictures. All Right Reserved. 

Page 112: Photo Courtesy of Iconic Events Releasing 

Page 114: Photo courtesy of Spotlight Cinema Networks 

Page 115: Photo courtesy of Fathom Events 

Page 116: Photo courtesy of Iconic Events Releasing 

Page 118: Photos courtesy of Fathom Events 

Page 121: Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 

2022. All Rights Reserved. 

Page 121: Courtesy IFC Films 

Page 121: Photo courtesy of Magnolia Films 

Page 124: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy of Sony Pictures 

Page 125: (C) 2021 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS AND STORYTELLER 

DISTRIBUTION LCC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 

Page 126: © 2022 DREAMWORKS ANIMATION LLC. ALL 

RIGHTS RESERVED. 


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