Boxoffice Pro - Winter 2023

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PROCTOR COMPANIES: 

DESIGNING INNOVATION 

IN THE DINE-IN REVOLUTION 

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The Official Magazine of the National Association of Theatre Owners

Winter 2023 

Wide Releases 64 Long-range Forecast 70 Event Cinema Calender 74 

INDUSTRY 

CONTENTS 

54 

The Son 

Florian Zeller, Academy 

Award–Winning Writer/ 

Director of The Father, 

Returns with The Son 

18 

Industry Insiders 

Annie Wang Reaches 15 Years 

at GDC Technology 

20 

Indie Influencers 

32 

Premium Large Format 

“Look A Panel beyond Discussion the on the bag State or bucket Highlights and from you’ll the Boxoffice find the 

of Art 

world 

House 

of 

Exhibition 

popcorn 

in 2022 

is surprisingly 

LIVE Sessions 

complex” 

Webinar on 

Premium Large-Format 

Everything about Popcorn–p72 

Auditoriums 

62 

Q1 2023 Preview 

The Buzziest Studio 

Releases in 2023’s First 

Quarter 

Nov/Dec 2022 

01

CONTENTS 

INDUSTRY 

THEATER 

EVENTS 

08 

10 

14 

18 

20 

NATO 

Looking Beyond Movies for 

Experiences Patrons Crave 

NATO 

NATO Scholarship Recipients 

Reflect on Their Time in L.A. 

Charity Spotlight 

A Recap of Industry-Wide Charity 

Initiatives 

Industry Insiders 

Annie Wang Reaches 15 Years at 

GDC Technology 

Indie Influencers 

A Panel Discussion on the State of 

Art House Exhibition in 2022 

32 

38 

42 

44 

Premium Large Format 

Highlights from the Boxoffice LIVE 

Sessions Webinar on Premium Large- 

Format Auditoriums 

NCG Cinemas 

Bringing the Modern Multiplex 

Experience to Communities 

across the Country 

How To Prevent a Hack Attack 

Casablanca Payments’ Wynn Salisch 

on the Importance of Securing Your 

Cinema’s Most Sensitive Data 

My Favorite Cinema 

UNIC Asks Members of the European 

Parliament about Their Favorite 

Cinema Memories 

46 

48 

The Dine In Cinema Summit 

Amy Mader Promotes Unity and 

Collaboration as Key Dine In Cinema 

Summit Goal 

Drive-In Update 

What to Expect from This Year’s 

UDITOA Convention 

“Our theme this year is 

unity. We don’t want to 

focus on the pandemic, 

we want to talk about how 

people came out of it.” 

The Dine In Cinema 

Summit, p. 46 

ON SCREEN 

54 

62 

70 

72 

The Son 

Florian Zeller, Academy Award– 

Winning Writer/Director of 

The Father, Returns with The Son 

Q1 2023 Preview 

The Buzziest Studio Releases in 

2023’s First Quarter 

Event Cinema Calendar 

A Sampling of Event Cinema 

Programming Hitting the Big 

Screen in 2023 

Booking Guide 

02 Winter 2023

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ON THE COVER 

Powerhouse Cinema Grill, 

Memphis, TN 

Proctor Companies teamed up 

with Malco Theatres to design this 

project–and to supply the custom 

booths, tables, and furniture to 

create a beautiful, inviting space 

that encourages movie patrons to 

sit, stay, and spend. 

PROCTOR COMPANIES 

An industry leader in the design, 

fabrication, and installation 

of food service facilities and 

equipment for cinemas 

DINE IN CINEMA SUMMIT 

Don’t miss the “Dine In, Profit 

Up” panel discussion at the 

Dine In Cinema Summit, hosted 

by Michael Giacinto, Proctor 

Companies Director of Sales. 

The panel will reveal strategies 

to maximize revenue and fatten 

margins with the Dine In design 

that’s right for you. 

BOXOFFICE PRO 2023 

PUBLISHING SCHEDULE 


January–February Issue 

Giants of Exhibition 2023 

March–April Issue 

CinemaCon 2023 

May–June Issue 

CineEurope 2023 

July Issue 

NAC Concessions Expo 2023 

August Issue 

CinéShow 2023 

September Issue 

Geneva Convention 2023 

October Issue 

Boxoffice Pro (ISSN 0006-8527), Volume 159, Number 1, Winter 2023. Boxoffice Pro is published by Box 

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

ShowEast 2023 

November–December Issue 


EXECUTIVE LETTER 

QUANTITY 

AND QUALITY 

2022 was not everything the industry 

had hoped for. True, there were success 

stories: the launch of NATO’s National 

Cinema Day, for example, or the box office 

bonanzas of Avatar: The Way of Water and 

Top Gun: Maverick, the first billion-dollar 

global grossers since 2019. All the same, 

the domestic box office failed to reach the 

much-hoped-for $8 billion benchmark. 

That isn’t because the films that came out 

in 2022 weren’t any good. It isn’t because 

people have forgotten why they love going 

to theaters. The reason is a simple one: in 

2022, there weren’t enough movies. 

As reported by NATO, although the 

average box office was roughly steady 

in 2022 compared to 2019 ($90.25M vs. 

$91.71M), the number of films given wide 

release dropped nearly 64 percent over 

the same period. We need more films in 

theaters, not just the Top Gun: Mavericks 

of the world (though we certainly wouldn’t 

say no to more of those), but titles across all 

genres, aimed at a variety of demographics. 

The demand is there, as evidenced by the 

surprise success of films like Everything 

Everywhere All at Once and RRR and limited-release 

anime and faith-based titles. 

The supply must be there to meet it. 

Happily, signs are promising as we 

move into 2023, and studios seem to 

have come around to the nonviability of 

streaming-exclusive releases. In the 

first quarter of 2023, audiences will 

have access to the latest entries in 

billion-dollar franchises (Ant-Man and 

the Wasp: Quantumania, Shazam! Fury 

of the Gods); new releases from 2022’s 

breakout genre, horror (Scream VI, Knock 

at the Cabin, event cinema release Winniethe-Pooh: 

Blood and Honey); and midrange 

titles like Missing and Cocaine Bear. (If 

you’re wondering, yes, that is the first time 

in Boxoffice Pro’s century-plus history 

that those two words have appeared side by 

side.) For a more thorough breakdown, see 

Jesse Rifkin’s 2023 Q1 Preview (p. 62). Also 

in this issue are expert discussions on art 

house cinemas (p. 20) and premium formats 

(p. 32), Daniel Loria’s profile of NCG 

Cinemas’ Jeff Geiger (p. 38), and tips on 

how to secure your cinema’s data in an era 

of increased digital sales (p. 42). 

With its beefed-up list of titles, the first 

three months of the year set the stage for 

the rest of 2023, which will give us our first 

packed summer movie slate in three years. 

As movie fans first and foremost, the team 

at Boxoffice Pro cannot wait to see and 

share it with you all. 

Rebecca Pahle 

Deputy Editor, Boxoffice Pro 


05

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YOU NEED 

THE OPTIONS 

YOU WANT 

THE COMPANY 

YOU TRUST 

When it comes to concessions, 

it comes from Cretors. 

SINCE 1885 

Contact Shelly Olesen at 847.616.6901 or visit www.cretors.com

NATO 08 | Charity Spotlight 14 | Industry Insiders 18 | State of the Art House 20 

INDUSTRY 

“It’s been an interesting lesson for us, [listening 

to] not only what our audience wants but what our 

audience wants from us.” 

State of the Art House, p. 20 


07

INDUSTRY NATO 

LOOKING BEYOND MOVIES FOR 

EXPERIENCES PATRONS CRAVE 

BY PHIL CONTRINO, 

DIRECTOR OF MEDIA AND RESEARCH, NATO 

Before I dive into the main topic of 

this article, I want to thank everyone 

who has contributed to the Cinema 

Foundation, NATO’s donor-supported 

nonprofit dedicated to promoting the 

exhibition industry, since its founding 

in March 2022. Without you, this article 

wouldn’t exist. 

On the research front, the Foundation 

is already having a huge impact on how 

much can be done. Over the seven years 

I’ve worked at NATO, I have watched as 

many potentially important research 

ideas were sidelined as “nice to have but 

not essential” and therefore not worth the 

research budget they would entail. 

That’s not the case anymore. Through 

the Cinema Foundation, we can pursue the 

kind of research that wouldn’t have made it 

past the hypothetical phase just a few years 

back. This is going to have a big impact on 

your businesses in the years to come. 

The results that came out of a recent 

study from the Cinema Foundation 

and film-research firm the Quorum 

entitled Theatrical Audience and Growth 

Opportunities* are actionable. The study 

sends a clear message: movie theater 

customers are willing to come out in 

droves for a wide range of experiences. 

This study has already been valuable in 

conversations with studios, talent, financial 

analysts, and reporters. 

I know, I know. The promise of 

major grosses from alternative content is 

something that emerged with the digital 

transition, and it hasn’t fully materialized 

other than in some isolated cases. Yet 

I strongly believe that promise will be 

delivered on over the next several years. 

The Growth Opportunities study shows 

why that’s possible. 

Here are some of the main takeaways: 

• Among the nearly 6,000 respondents 

surveyed, interest, whether it be at a 

premium price, the price of a standard 

movie ticket, or part of a subscription 

package, ranged from 77 percent for a 

television program to 51 percent for a 

sports betting event. None had interest 

below 50 percent. 

• An area of great opportunity is among 

the 36 percent of the respondents who 

aren’t currently going to the theater to 

see movies (Non-Active Theatergoers). 

When asked if they would be upset if 

theaters disappeared, 56 percent of this 

group strongly agreed. Studio films 

aren’t bringing them to the theater, but a 

sizable number have a strong affinity for 

the institution. 

• This suggests that the adoption of nonfilm 

experiences has potential to bring 

many of those sitting on the sidelines 

back into the theater. Interest levels for 

non-film programming among Non- 

Active Theatergoers were only slightly 

lower than average, ranging from a high 

of 61 percent for a television program to 

a low of 33 percent for sports betting. 

• This study also revealed that repertory 

film titles can be effective in expanding 

the theatergoing audience. There was 

strong interest among moviegoers and 

non-moviegoers alike, with interest 

in the Golden Age of Hollywood and 

films from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s all 

scoring more than 60 percent interest 

among all respondents and 50 percent 

interest from non-moviegoers. 

Respondents also expressed strong 

interest in documentaries, anime, short 

films, and Indian cinema. 

Shortly after we released this study, 

the potential it uncovered became a 

reality: the first two episodes of season 

three of “The Chosen” opened in third 

place at the box office with $8.7 million. 

Faith-based audiences made it clear that 

they love the show and that they wanted 

to experience it in a communal way. 

We are hopefully seeing only the 

beginning of television shows crossing 

over onto the big screen and making a ton 

of money. I don’t think we are far off from 

the day when episodes of an even bigger 

show are released theatrically and take 

the number one spot at the box office. 

Bingeing television shows can be an 

isolating experience. When given the 

choice, people will choose to experience 

the energy that comes from a packed auditorium. 

Furthermore, television is breaking 

new ground visually, and those visuals 

deserve the best possible presentation. I 

know I’m not the only one who catches 

myself watching a new show and thinking 

that it belongs on the big screen. In fact, 

I had that thought a lot when watching 

the nerve-wracking finale of “The White 

Lotus.” Watching the shocking conclusion 

with a crowd would have been so much 

more impactful. Scrolling through reactions 

on Twitter doesn’t feel the same as a 

crowd collectively gasping. 


Filmgoers 

The first step in this analysis is to understand 

who is currently going to the theater. We 

sorted all the respondents into one of three 

groups: Frequents, Casuals, and Non-Actives. 

31.6% 

35.8% 

32.6% 

Frequents see a movie 

in a theater at least 

once a month 

Casuals go a few times 

a year 

Non-Actives currently 

don’t watch movies in 

a theater 

Frequents lean male and young 

Of the 1,876 people who identify as frequent 

filmgoers, 58% are men. 

58% Men 42% Women 

Frequents skew toward higher incomes 

Only 32% of people earning less than $25K are 

frequent filmgoers. That number rises above 

40% among people earning over $100K, with a 

slight dip at the highest income level. 

INDUSTRY NATO 

NATO SCHOLARSHIP 

RECIPIENTS REFLECT 

ON THEIR TIME IN L.A. 

BY ERIN VON HOETZENDORFF, 

MANAGER OF MEMBERSHIP AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS, NATO 

Every fall, NATO holds annual 

governance meetings where, in 

addition to several NATO committee 

meetings, the annual NATO Advisory 

Board meeting takes place. The Advisory 

Board is a stepping stone for NATO 

volunteers to get more involved with 

NATO. Those who attend two annual 

Advisory Board meetings are then 

welcome to vote in Executive Board 

elections and run for an Executive 

Board seat. 

In 2019, NATO offered a scholarship 

opportunity to members to cover the 

expenses of attending the annual 

governance meetings. The goal 

of this scholarship was to build a 

pathway to participation in NATO, 

both at the committee level and 

in leadership, for people who are 

currently underrepresented among 

the association’s volunteers, including 

women, younger executives, minorities, 

people with disabilities, and people who 

identify as LGBTQ+. As the Advisory 

Board is a conduit to recruitment to 

NATO committees and membership on 

the Advisory Board is a requirement for 

election to the Executive Board, NATO 

identified the Advisory Board meeting 

as a key opportunity for expanding 

participation in NATO. The program 

was successful, and NATO was looking 

forward to offering it again, but the 

pandemic had different plans. 

After two years of virtual and hybrid 

Advisory Board meetings and a special 

edition of the NATO scholarship program 

at CinemaCon 2021, NATO was excited 

to offer this scholarship at our 2022 

Annual Board meetings in Los Angeles 

in September. In addition, the Cinema 

Foundation joined in the effort to support 

scholarship recipients in continuing their 

learning experience at the first official 

Cinema Foundation Summit, immediately 

following the NATO governance meetings. 

Five bright and enthusiastic employees 

of NATO member companies were 

selected as recipients of the scholarship. 

They traveled from around the world to 

join their peers in Los Angeles for a week 

full of informative meetings, seminars, 

and events. We asked them to reflect on 

their biggest takeaway of the week. Read 

more about their experiences below. 

The goal of this scholarship 

was to build a pathway to 

participation in NATO, both 

at the committee level 

and in its leadership, for 

people who are currently 

underrepresented among 

the association’s volunteers. 


Julia Dunlavey 

Assistant Executive 

Director, Maine Film Center 

Maricarmen Figueroa 

Coello 

Sr. Global Exhibition 

Marketing and Distributors 

Relations Manager, Cinépolis 

Isai Olivera 

Regional Operations 

Director, CMX Cinemas 

My first experience at the NATO Fall 

Summit was fascinating. I learned that 

despite the financial, programmatic, and 

geographic differences among independent 

cinemas, regional circuits, and the big 

chains, we were all there to learn how to 

innovate and share ideas, and to encourage 

each other. 

When I started my job as assistant 

executive director at the Maine Film 

Center in May 2020, it was easy to feel 

isolated and hopeless about our industry. 

The discussions at the Summit, both 

moderated and spontaneous, were the 

breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed. 

I was reminded that going to the movies is 

a magical thing, and it’s our job to protect 

it. I also learned that the streaming industry 

doesn’t necessarily have the death grip 

on consumers that I thought it did—both 

data and the live focus group showed that 

people still value the cinema. 

Although much of the programming 

at the Fall Summit was centered around 

the bigger chains and more commercial 

titles, I was still able to take some useful 

tidbits home to our three-screen independent 

art house cinema. The pandemic 

affected all of us—the supply of quality 

films, closures, and moviegoer reluctance. 

Innovative solutions to these issues can 

help the entire industry, and I learned 

that it’s not just the bigger chains that can 

have a seat at the table. Smaller independent 

operators are leaders in our own 

communities, and we can champion the 

post-pandemic resurgence of the cinematic 

experience. 

For me, being part of the Annual NATO 

Meeting and the Cinema Foundation 

Summit was one of the most enriching 

experiences of my career in the exhibition 

industry. 

As programming marketing manager 

at Cinépolis, a Mexican company, it 

is hard to be involved in the domestic 

market. Therefore, all the committees 

and workshops were important ways for 

me to acquire best practices and new 

ideas to be implemented in the territories 

where the company has a presence. 

One of the committee meetings that 

caught my attention was the Technology 

Committee. I hadn’t had the opportunity 

to hear about all the challenges faced 

by the projection teams or to learn that 

negotiations with distributors mean 

not only film rental but also ratios on 

the films. Then, during the Cinema 

Foundation Summit, I fulfilled the dream 

of being on the Disney lot and hearing 

about upcoming releases. The Black 

Adam screening during the tour at the 

Academy Museum served as confirmation 

that I definitely work in the best 

industry in the world. 

Meeting exhibition colleagues from 

Maine, Panamá, and Puerto Rico was 

incredible, and I hope to keep in touch 

with them, not only for business purposes, 

but as friends as well. 

I thank NATO, the Cinema 

Foundation, and Cinépolis for the opportunity 

to travel to Los Angeles and live 

this great experience! 

It was an honor to receive the NATO 

Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship. 

From the beginning of the meeting, 

during the orientation breakfast, I 

perceived a tremendous welcoming 

and accepting atmosphere. Listening 

to the board members tell stories about 

their formation and how they made it 

to become the leaders they are today 

captivated my attention deeply. My [early 

career] was similar to some of the things 

I heard them mentioning, especially 

comments like, “Those with many years 

of experience started in the industry as 

temporary workers, never thinking they 

would be doing this” until they fell in 

love with the industry, and here they are 

today, representing the industry. 

I was immensely captivated by this, 

mainly because our industry’s challenges 

sometimes overwhelm us. Listening to 

these stories helped me understand that 

there are dream achievers on the NATO 

board, and this is a tremendous win. I 

also enjoyed learning the industry from 

a theater owner’s perspective. Being 

present at the interviews of leading 

filmmakers and hearing their opinions 

helped me see the humanity in them. 

We are all in this together, and we need 

to do our best to work as a team; it was 

eye-opening. I feel inspired by the stories 

and achievements I learned about, and I 

left with great energy to inspire others. I 

am grateful to NATO for the great honor 

and opportunity that transformed my 

life, and I will continue changing the 

lives of others thanks to this experience! 


11

INDUSTRY NATO 

Diane Peña 

Manager, Theatre 

Marketing, AMC Theatres 

Since returning from the pandemic, our 

organizations have been laser-focused on 

recovery from the pandemic and adapting 

to changes in the industry. NATO gave us an 

opportunity to stop and collectively check 

our pulse. 

Seeing everyone come together to 

collaborate after so much time away felt 

significant for our industry, but also for 

me personally. As a first-time attendee of 

both NATO’s governance meetings and the 

Cinema Foundation Summit, seeing the 

work done by the NATO committees and 

Advisory Board members was eye-opening. 

I still remember learning about NATO for 

the first time back when I began my career 

with AMC as a crew member in 2007 during 

my orientation training. At the time, I 

remember wanting to know more about 

what NATO does; attending the conference 

and seeing it in person was surreal and 

brought it to life after so many years. 

I have always loved working for AMC and 

the experiences that the company has given 

me, especially the leaders, who have developed 

me into the person I am today. My 

biggest takeaway from attending this event 

has been learning about the collective work 

that occurs in order to continue advancing 

exhibition, from practical initiatives that 

directly impact our business, like the work 

of the Government Relations Committee, to 

NATO’s continued diversity and inclusion 

efforts that gave me the opportunity to 

attend. This conference is an opportunity 

for us to work together to identify successes 

and improvements and share our best practices 

and support one another. Reflecting 

on my time during this week, I felt excited 

to be immersed in the work and inspired 

by the individuals committed to making it 

happen. I look forward to more opportunities 

to contribute to these efforts. 

Kendall Stockard 

Reports Analyst and 

Trainer, B&B Theatres 

After attending the NATO Advisory Board 

meeting, I have a greater appreciation 

for my job and the exhibition industry. 

There are so many changes that take place 

within our industry every day, and it was 

inspiring to hear from other leaders about 

their insights and perspectives. Every 

exhibitor has their own unique goals, and 

it was fascinating to hear these different 

ideas in a shared forum where everyone 

in the room had a vested interest in the 

exhibition industry’s success. With the 

formation of the Cinema Foundation, 

with its data-driven approaches to five key 

focus areas, there is even more support for 

the exhibition industry. 

One of my biggest takeaways from this 

meeting was from the Diversity, Equity, 

and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. Since 

movies are a place where everyone can 

come together and have a shared experience, 

it’s immensely important that the 

industry strive to promote diversity and 

inclusion efforts. During the meeting, I 

learned so much from other exhibitors 

on how they are embracing these efforts 

big and small. I plan to take the lessons I 

learned back to B&B Theatres to continue 

to grow and improve our diversity, equity, 

and inclusion efforts. Additionally, I 

hope to stay involved with NATO and the 

Cinema Foundation and the important 

work they do in all areas of the industry, 

especially regarding DEI initiatives. 

“Since movies are a place 

where anyone can come 

together and have a shared 

experience, it’s immensely 

important that the industry 

strive to promote diversity and 

inclusion efforts.” 


THE 

COMPANY

INDUSTRY CHARITY SPOTLIGHT 

CHARITY 

SPOTLIGHT 

October 23: 

At Variety of Wisconsin’s FrankenStein’s 

Fest (pictured, below and p. 17), in partnership 

with Stein’s Garden & Home, children 

of all abilities were able to enjoy a safe, 

inclusive trick-or-treat experience. Said 

one parent of one child in attendance: “We 

are so grateful for Joey to be able to trick 

or treat in a safe environment that is calm 

and welcoming. We are always excited to 

see what [Stein’s] comes up with, and they 

always remember Joey from year to year. It 

feels like a family event.” 

November 30: 

Guests of all ages were invited to the 

Showcase Cinema de Lux North Attleboro 

(Massachusetts), where the Coca-Cola 

Caravan was on hand to spread joy and 

holiday cheer. Santa, meanwhile, was in 

the theater lobby, posing for free photos 

with local kids. 

December 8: 

Members of the Motion Picture Club— 

a New York City–based nonprofit 

consisting of members of the exhibition 

and distribution communities—gathered 

at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Manhattan 

for their annual holiday party. Funds 

raised from the event went to a variety of 

charitable organizations, including the 

Will Rogers Pioneers Assistance Fund; 

Variety, the Children’s Charity of New 

York; Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens; 

Ronald McDonald House New York; and 

Rising Ground. 

On November 9: 

Disney hosted a screening of Black 

Panther: Wakanda Forever at Atlanta’s 

Plaza Theatre to celebrate the more 

than $314 million the film generated 

for Georgia’s economy. In addition 

to local vendors, cast and crew, and 

industry figures—including guests 

from the MPA, the Georgia Film 

Academy, and the Mayor’s Office of 

Film & Entertainment—children, parents, 

and volunteers from Make-A-Wish 

Georgia and Blue Star Families were 

invited to attend. 


Limited-Edition Avatar: The Way of 

Water Heart Pins to Benefit Variety 

Since 1991, Variety – the Children’s 

Charity has partnered with studios and 

exhibitors for its annual Gold Heart 

Pin campaign, which raises money for 

Variety’s many programs that provide 

life-changing equipment, services, and 

experiences to children who live with 

special needs or who are disadvantaged. 

Starting November 11 and running 

through March 30, 2023, the latest Gold 

Heart campaign features Disney’s Avatar: 

The Way of Water. Moviegoers can purchase 

a limited-edition pin for a minimum 

donation of three dollars in movie 

theaters throughout the United States 

and in several other countries. A full list 

of participating theater locations can be 

found at www.usvariety.org (U.S.) and 

www.variety.org (international). 

Alamo Drafthouse Auctions Off Rare 

Movie Posters for Charity 

Between October 6 and 27, Texas-based 

dine-in chain Alamo Drafthouse held an 

online auction of rare movie posters from 

the archives at Mondo, formerly Alamo’s 

art and collectibles division. (Mondo was 

sold to toy company Funko in June 2022.) 

The goal of the auction was to replenish 

the Alamo Community Fund, established 

by Alamo co-founders Tim and Karrie 

League as a way to support charitable 

groups in the markets in which Alamo 

operates, with a focus on those that 

combat homelessness and support 

sustainability and education of at-risk 

youth. Said Tim League, “In 2020, when 

Covid caused mass layoffs company 

wide, nearly the entire contents of the 

fund were turned over to the Emergency 

Assistance Foundation, which provides 

grants to employees to help support 

them through the pandemic-induced 

hardships. As a result, the Alamo 

Community Fund was emptied, and 

we are now in the process of rebuilding 

it.” When the auction ended, the Alamo 

Community Fund had been replenished 

to the tune of $450,000. 

Studio Movie Grill Supports Hurricane 

Ian Relief Efforts 

This fall, Texas-based dine-in chain 

Studio Movie Grill partnered with the 

American Red Cross to assist those 

affected by Hurricane Ian. From Friday, 

October 7, through Sunday, October 9, a 

portion of the proceeds from the sale 

of large popcorns at any Studio Movie 

Grill location went to the American Red 

Cross to help Floridians impacted by 

the hurricane. While Studio Movie Grill 

has two locations in Florida—one in 

Seminole, one in Kissimmee—all SMG 

locations across seven states (California, 

Florida, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, 

Pennsylvania) participated in the 

initiative. 

In its 20-plus years of operation, 

Studio Movie Grill has prioritized 

community engagement and corporate 

social responsibility. Individual locations 

regularly lend support to local charities, 

and SMG has hosted more than 45,000 

guests through its Movies + Meals program, 

for which they collaborate with 

local nonprofits. 

In October, SMG’s Houston location 

hosted a free screening of Lyle, Lyle, 

Crocodile for those participating in 

the 10th Annual Superhero Run for 


15

INDUSTRY CHARITY SPOTLIGHT 

Child Advocates; that same month, 

on behalf of its Atlanta locations, the 

chain was a sponsor of the Georgia 

Race for Autism 5K. And at the end of 

October, representatives from SMG’s 

Atlanta theaters attended the annual 

Harris-Gude Foundation event. The 

Harris-Gude Foundation supports families 

raising children with special needs. 

On December 3, SMG partnered with 

Variety – the Children’s Charity of Texas 

and Beelieve Pediatric Therapy in Fort 

Worth to present two adaptive bikes (and 

a screening of Disney’s Strange World) 

at its Fort Worth location; a week later, 

on the 10th, 30-plus young people from 

the Dallas Police Department’s Youth 

Outreach Unit, Urban Inter-Tribal Center, 

and the R.I.S.E. Youth Council programs 

were treated to a free screening at SMG 

Spring Valley. Throughout the holiday 

season, numerous SMG locations hosted 

toy drives through Toys for Tots and 

local charities. 

Emagine Entertainment and Rapper 

Big Sean Partner on Concessions 

Fundraiser 

Starting November 10, Emagine 

Entertainment locations added a new 

item to their concessions menu: the Big 

Sean Cinema Mix, consisting of a large 

Detroit-style popcorn, a large drink, a bag 

of fruit snacks, and an exclusive collectable 

“Don Life” T-shirt. A portion of the 

proceeds from the sale of the $40 combo 

will be donated to the Big Sean & Sean 

Anderson Foundation, part of the Boys & 

Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan. 

“Giving back to the communities 

in which we operate is a core value 

of Emagine. It’s truly a privilege to 

assist those who are less fortunate,” 

said Anthony LaVerde, CEO Emagine 

Entertainment. “Guests have loved the 

fact that they could buy a special Big 

Sean–designed Don Life T-shirt along 

with his favorite snacks while visiting 

Emagine. They also appreciate the fact 

“Giving back to the 

communities in which we 

operate is a core value of 

Emagine. It’s truly a privilege 

to assist those who are less 

fortunate.” 


that a portion of the proceeds go to charity 

with the sale of each package.” 

Added Big Sean (pictured, left), “I’m so 

excited to be teaming up with Emagine on 

this initiative that brings the community 

together. We’re going to be serving up 

some of my favorite movie snacks with 

some Don Life merch for a great cause.” 

Cinergy Entertainment Group Gives 

Back to Local Communities 

Family entertainment center chain 

Cinergy Entertainment Group, which 

operates in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, 

Illinois, and North Carolina, has been 

supporting meaningful causes in its 

communities since 2009. On November 21, 

Cinergy hosted a free Virtual Reality Day 

for local Boys Clubs and Girls Clubs members 

in its Tulsa, Oklahoma and Copperas 

Cove, Texas locations, respectively. To 

ensure that the free V.R. Day was a truly 

memorable experience, Cinergy gave the 

young members access to its fully loaded 

arcade floor, which features everything 

from the classics to the latest in action 

games, along with pizza and popcorn. 

On the first Saturday of every month, 

Cinergy’s Tulsa, Oklahoma location hosts 

Feed the City, a volunteer event organized 

by Tango Charities. Members of the 

Tulsa community gather at Cinergy Tulsa 

to make lunches for those in need; in 

exchange for their service, Cinergy presents 

every volunteer with a free movie 

pass or $10 game card. At all its locations, 

Cinergy partners with local food pantries 

to organize community food drives; hosts 

toy drives in December; gives veterans 

free movie tickets on Veteran’s Day; and 

partners with Variety – the Children’s 

Charity for free, monthly sensory-friendly 

screenings for guests affected by autism 

and sensory sensitivities. 

Cineplex Hosts Community Day 

Across Canada 

Saturday, November 19, saw the return 

of Cineplex’s Community Day, now in its 

10th year. On Community Day, Canada’s 

largest exhibitor invites guests to its 

theaters for a morning of free family-friendly 

movies (most recently the 

lineup included Paws of Fury: The Legend 

of Hank, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, The Lost 

City, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge 

on the Run) and discounted concessions. 

One dollar from every concessions order 

of select items—including popcorn, 

soft drinks, and candy—purchased on 

Community Day was donated to BGC 

Canada (formerly Boys & Girls Clubs of 

Canada), which provides vital programs 

and services to over 200,000 young 

people in nearly 800 communities across 

Canada. 

“We are thrilled to welcome guests back 

for our annual Community Day event, an 

incredible way to kick off the holidays and 

the season of giving. We have a fantastic 

lineup of movies, a vast selection of candy, 

and, of course, our legendary popcorn,” 

said President and CEO Ellis Jacob. “We 

believe in giving back to our local communities, 

and we are so happy to be able 

to support BGC Canada and the important 

work they do to empower our future 

generations and provide the resources 

they need to succeed.” 


17

INDUSTRY INDUSTRY INSIDERS 

DIGITAL 

DYNAMO 

Annie Wang Celebrates 

15 Years at GDC Technology 

BY REBECCA PAHLE 

2007 was quite the year for Annie 

Wang to start her first job in the 

cinema industry, as GDC Technology’s 

newest senior sales executive. Theaters in 

North America were soon adopting digital 

projection technology en masse, and Wang 

was plunged into the thick of things, working 

with clients to smooth their transition 

to a whole new type of tech. For someone 

like Wang, interested in cinema and 

technology and with a fondness for building 

relationships—and a lack of fondness 

for doing the same thing every day—it was 

the right job at the right time. It served as a 

jumping-off point for a career that’s since 

grown by leaps and bounds: Wang is now 

president of GDC Technology USA. 

Upon joining GDC, Wang was technically 

new to the industry—she’d studied 

computer science at Simon Fraser 

University in British Columbia and for a 

few years had worked as a software developer. 

But in actuality, like so many others 

with family legacies in exhibition, she had 

been immersed in the world of cinema 

her whole life: Wang’s father, now retired, 

spent his entire career in the industry, 

heading up film distribution and exhibition 

operations in Xinjiang province at 

the government-owned China Film Group. 

Wang grew up around movies and movie 

people, spending weekends at the cinema 

or in the screening room at her father’s 

workplace, getting a sneak peek at the next 

big movie slated for release. 

Work at GDC, then, was both brand new 

and familiar. Wang enjoyed the challenges 

of digital cinema (“I didn’t really know 

what I was getting myself into, to be 

perfectly honest”), and a childhood spent 

observing her father and others conduct 

business meant she didn’t find it daunting. 

“I know it sounds overwhelming when 

you’re first getting into a brand-new industry,” 

she says, but it was the fast pace that 

kept—and keeps—her interested. “I like 

how challenging it is and how dynamic 

it is. I love that there is never a dull day. 

There are always new, innovative things 

you can learn.” 

Wang spent her first six months at 

GDC’s Hong Kong headquarters before 

transferring to their newly opened U.S. 

office in 2008, just in time to introduce 

GDC to a North American cinema industry 

hungry for digital technology. “It took a 

while for me and for my team”—a small 

one, at first, with just three people—“to 

learn the needs of the U.S. cinema market 

“You want to understand 

what your customer needs 

and be there to provide 

a solution. Help them, 

instead of trying to sell 

them something.” 


in order to build a business as successful 

as [the one in] Hong Kong. At the time, I 

remembered a famous Chinese proverb: 

Sān rén xíng, bì yǒu wǒ shī, which means, 

‘In a group of three people, there will 

always be one person I can learn from.’ 

Right away, the three of us reached out to 

every dealer to introduce to the GDC brand 

and to start building relationships and set 

up a reseller network. That really helped 

us to take off.” From there, sales grew 

exponentially—a combination of skills 

learned from GDC founder, chairman, 

and CEO Man-Nang Chong and contacts 

acquired from dealers, as well as “just plain 

good timing.” 

GDC gave Wang the opportunity to 

build a career on two things she enjoyed, 

cinema and technology, but it was a 

third element, the people, that would 

keep her at the company for almost 15 

years, first as senior sales executive, then 

director of sales, V.P. of sales, EVP, and— 

since January 2022—president of GDC 

Technology USA. It’s a “people business,” 

she says, one in which she’s spent time, 

energy, and heart building relationships 

with customers and colleagues. “It’s fun 

to work in a positive company culture. 

The entire team and I work hard to build 

relationships and solve any challenges. 

It’s enjoyable work in a happy work 

environment.” 

The foundation of those relationships, 

Wang explains, is avoiding the hard sell. 

Your message to customers must be 

clear and convincing. “But a convincing 

message doesn’t mean you really push what 

you want to sell. More importantly, you 

want to understand what your customer 

needs and be there to provide a solution. 

Help them, instead of trying to sell them 

something.” This philosophy has helped 

GDC attain the second biggest market share 

in the domestic marketplace—30 percent, 

translating to roughly 13,000 screens—for 

digital servers in North America. 

Starting in March 2020, Wang’s customers 

have needed, for the most part, help 

maintaining their equipment, some of it 

purchased during the digital conversion 

boom and over a decade old. Now, three 

years later, Wang sees “the second wave 

of replacement getting started.” AMC 

Theatres and Cinemark, for example, are 

both embarking on a sweeping transition 

to laser projection across their locations. 

GDC, meanwhile, has been developing new 

products and honing existing ones, a lineup 

that now includes media servers, cinema 

software solutions, cinema storage, cinema 

audio, and a small-form projector that can 

be installed directly in the auditorium, 

without the need for a booth or a hush box. 

That ties in nicely with another GDC initiative, 

GoGoCinema, which builds on the 

minitheater and private rental concepts to 

allow moviegoers to program and schedule 

their own screenings. GDC’s U.S. team has 

also expanded, with its initial group of three 

now including sales and marketing, technical 

support, customer service, production, 

purchasing, accounting, and logistics 

teams. As president of GDC Technology 

USA, Wang manages and organizes those 

teams into a cohesive whole. “[No] business 

can be successful only relying on one 

particular person,” she says. 

Fifteen years since Wang officially 

stepped onto the cinema stage, she says 

she has no thoughts of leaving the industry. 

For Wang, her time at GDC has not been 

just a job or a career. “It’s like growing 

your favorite plant,” she says. “You want to 

continue to water and fertilize it. After all, 

you’ve cared for it for 15 years and want it 

to grow and bloom every year.” 

Why work with Proctor Companies? 

Beautiful designs, fast ROI, big per caps. 

When it comes to designing and 

building theatres that are durable, 

efficient, and profitable, nobody 

beats Proctor Companies. 

Want to maximize your revenue? 

Give us a call! 

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sales@proctorco.com 

ATTENDING THE DINE IN 

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The “Dine In, Profit Up” panel 

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Don’t miss it! 


19

Industry INDIE INFLUENCERS 

STATE OF THE 

ART HOUSE 2022 

Brought to you by 

In a November Boxoffice live Sessions webinar, 

Boxoffice Pro partnered with cinema advertising company 

Spotlight Cinema Networks to launch a discussion on the 

current state of the art house market. A panel of experts 

from the art house and specialty space provided candid 

insights into the sector’s continued recovery from Covid-19, 

shifting relationships with distributors, the need to eventize 

and foster community partnerships, and more. Below, we 

share a condensed version of that conversation. 

What has worked to bring 

audiences into your theaters over 

the last year, both in terms of specific 

films and more general programming 

concepts? 

Chris Hamel: In some ways, we’ve been 

in this period of innovation for a long 

time. The pandemic made it more challenging, 

but I think the things that were 

working for us pre-pandemic are working 

for us now. The most successful program 

we hosted this year was a retrospective 

of A24 films for their 10-year anniversary. 

That lasted a couple of months. The 

audience turnout was terrific, and our 

membership and donor base grew during 

that program. The interesting, compelling, 

innovative programmatic initiatives 

that we’ve become known for continue to 

work pretty well. 

Christopher Escobar: It’s been a mix 

of some of the things that have worked 

for us in the past. At the Plaza, we have a 

good mix of new art house releases and 

repertory. For us, [we’ve been successful 

with screenings] that have been eventized 

in some way, that have been special. 

Those have been the high points for us. 

Things that we do with local programming 

partners that have some kind of live 

component—and that live component 

could be as simple as someone giving a 

special introduction, it could be a live 

performance beforehand, that sort of 

thing. Something that makes it a little bit 

more special. And that’s been true for new 

films and repertory films. 

Clémence, from the distributor side, 

what did you find success with at Kino 

Lorber in 2022? 

Clémence Taillandier: It’s been challenging. 

There is a true lack of screens 

dedicated to art house films. But I don’t 

want to complain too much! We had two 

films where we were very happy with the 

success that they had: Neptune Frost, this 

incredible sci-fi film from Rwanda. It 

did well because the programmers were 

really into that film. They wanted to give 

it a chance. There’s a lot of grassroots 

[marketing] that could be done with the 

film, which I think also was why it was 

successful the way it was. Also, Hit the 

Road by Panah Panahi, the son of Jafar 

Panahi, which was a lovely film and very 

supported by the press. It’s the kind of 

film where you laugh and cry at the same 

time. For us, a hit is showing the film in, 

let’s say, 200 screens. Unfortunately, the 

box office is not super strong. But we are 

offering a lot of visibility for the films that 

will translate later for TVOD. 

Chris Hamel 

President & CEO, Gateway 

Film Center 

Christopher Escobar 

Owner, the Plaza Theatre; 

Executive Director, Atlanta 

Film Society 

Clémence Taillandier 

Director of Theatrical 

Distribution, Kino Lorber 

Lela Meadow-Conner 

Board Member, Art House 

Convergence and Vidiots 

Foundation; Founder, 

mamafilm 

20 

Winter 2023


Neptune Frost, Kino Lorber 

Christopher Escobar: If we’re talking 

about specific titles, Neptune Frost did 

well for us. I’m especially proud of that 

one, because we were also showing the 

new Jurassic Park film at the same time. 

And Neptune Frost, for us, outperformed 

the new Jurassic Park. 

Exhibitors in 2022 had more options 

for programming than they did in 2021 

or 2020, but we’re still not up to the 

pre-pandemic level of theatrically 

available films. How have you tackled 

programming in 2022? 

Chris Hamel: I think we’ve had plenty 

of films to fill our screens. We try to 

program the most diverse mix possible. 

Sometimes that means you’re programming 

a film that’s going to pay the utility 

bill that month. But we still remain 

committed to ensuring that independent 

films made around the country or the 

world still have a place in our community. 

If we don’t take that responsibility 

seriously, it’s challenging to expect the 

audiences to. With the number of options 

they have, curation is more important 

than ever. 

Lela Meadow-Conner: My experience 

comes from the film festival side of things. 

I know that, just having talked to some of 

the Sundance programmers, they have 

more than 11,000 short film submissions 

this year. Coming from the other side of it, 

it’s so interesting to hear cinemas talking 

about not having enough content, when 

on this side of it, there’s so much content. 

And so my question becomes, what is the 

disconnect? 

How do you approach marketing a 

film that’s a bit more obscure, that 

audiences may need a bit more 

convincing to see? 

Christopher Escobar: On the marketing 

end, the way we can make up for not 

having a large marketing budget is having 

a larger marketing window. That kind of 

thing allows us to utilize our own channels 

on social media and web and email 

and [generate anticipation for] titles that 

maybe weren’t on people’s radars on their 

own. That’s always been the challenge for 

us, when there’s a film that we want but 

we don’t know if we’re going to be able to 

get it or not, and we don’t find out until 

“If we’re talking about 

specific titles, Neptune Frost 

did well for us. I’m especially 

proud of that one, because 

we were also showing the 

new Jurassic Park film at the 

same time. And Neptune Frost, 

for us, outperformed the new 

Jurassic Park.” 

22 


the last minute. That ends up making it 

much harder to [build] people’s awareness 

of it. If the film does a good enough job 

[generating] awareness and we happen to 

play it, OK, great. But if the film doesn’t 

have awareness on its own, and we don’t 

have enough time to get people interested 

in it, that makes it a hard sell. For instance, 

I think part of why Neptune Frost did 

well for us is that we carried it while we 

hosted Sundance here [as one of their 2022 

satellite screens]. And so we’d [already had 

the opportunity] to create some awareness 

for it. There are ways to overcome lower 

budgets for marketing, but it means time. 

Fast, cheap, or good: pick two. 

Clémence, from a distribution 

standpoint: I’m sure you want to give 

all your exhibition partners plenty of 

advance notice to market a film, but I 

imagine that’s sometimes easier said 

than done. 

Clémence Taillandier: We really try to 

[generate] awareness of films very early 

in the process. Also, we have a lot of 

films: repertory, first-run. I agree with 

Chris that [it’s best when] a film can be 

announced early. The minimum [for 

Kino Lorber in] trying to get material [to 

exhibitors] is four weeks in advance of 

release. I try to push everyone to have 

it earlier than that. On our side, we do 

have a grassroots marketing team. We 

try to compensate for the lack of budget 

by being as flexible as possible, as serviceable 

as possible. If you need specific 

visuals, we will try to [get them]. We just 

“You can’t market a film with 

only two weeks’ notice. People 

seem to be having problems 

specifically with that lastminute 

turnaround.” 

need a lot of communication, and we are 

all understaffed, so sometimes it’s hard. 

But I think you can rest assured that 

whatever we cannot provide you in terms 

of dollars, we will try to provide in terms 

of sweat and energy. 

Lela Meadow-Conner: A couple of my 

Art House Convergence board member 

compatriots were talking about that 

window [before a film opens in theaters]. 

It seems that, post-pandemic, dates are 

shifting or [exhibitors are] not getting 

answers [about dates]. You can’t market a 

film with only two weeks’ notice. People 

seem to be having problems specifically 

with that last-minute turnaround. 

Chris Hamel: It’s important to continually 

promote and market [your] program 

as a whole, instead of the individual 

pieces. That gives us an opportunity to 

overcome some of the date changes. The 

studios aren’t moving their titles the 

way they were in 2020 and 2021. And the 

distribution partners that we have, like 

Kino [Lorber], are pretty stable. Once you 

have a date, you can count on it. But [with 

some of the more commercial independent 

titles], there’s a lot of movement still. 

Also, we don’t know what the VOD 

dates are. Those seem to be constantly in 

flux. When we really work hard to market 

something, and it’s working, but it’s not 

necessarily working at the commercial 

cinemas or at the national level, [the 

competition] starts to close in on us from 

the other side. It’s really challenging for 

the people working in marketing and 

publicity to know where to put the limited 

resources we do have. 

What percentage of your prepandemic 

audience has come back 

to your cinemas, do you think? 

And for that chunk of people who 

haven’t returned, what can you do 

to convince them? It’s not like good, 

successful theatrical releases haven’t 

been available. 

Lela Meadow-Conner: What I’m hearing 

from fellow people who operate cinemas 

is that [about] 65 to 70 percent of their 

audiences are back. I read all these emails 

that come out about audiences coming 

back, and I think we need to think about 

the psychology around what it’s going 

to take to bring in younger audiences. Of 


23


course, we want to welcome back [those 

who came pre-Covid], but we need to 

really be thinking about how to invest in 

the next generation of cinemagoers. 

Christopher Escobar: Our large, primary 

auditorium is maybe about 80 percent 

of [what it was] pre-pandemic. We just 

enclosed our balcony and made two 

additional auditoriums, so we have three 

screens now. The business from those two 

additional screens has put us more than 

double pre-pandemic levels—usually 

about two and a half times pre-pandemic 

levels. What’s interesting is, there is still 

a holdout [group] of people who were 

coming regularly who are not back, and 

yet we have a whole bunch of other 

people that we didn’t have before. So it’s 

this weird mix of extremes. 

[At the Plaza], we traditionally don’t 

have an older audience. [We serve] a 

diverse but younger audience, between 

25 and 45, largely. There are films in the 

market that can do well with that age 

group—I offered the Jurassic Park example—that 

won’t necessarily do well for 

us. But then there are films that do really 

well for us where, even if they’re playing 

[elsewhere] in the market, we’re leaps and 

bounds above what other folks do. It’s 

been an interesting lesson for us, [listening 

to] not only what our audience wants 

but what our audience wants from us. 

How can you parse that, especially 

if you’re like the Plaza and have new 

moviegoers coming in? 

Christopher Escobar: We look at 

responses on social media when we post 

to see how excited people are. We also 

end up running a lot of trailers. You’re 

playing a trailer of a film you’re interested 

in showing, not sure if you’re going to 

be able to show it, and seeing what the 

response is, the excitement and anticipation 

of folks to see those films. 

Part of it is on the data side: what we’re 

seeing on social, and what we’re seeing 

[get] traffic on the website. Part of it is 

gathering anecdotal evidence of what 

folks are saying in the theater or in comments 

on social media. And then part of it 

is, we have a pretty diverse staff, and they 

represent a broad span of the interests of 

our audience. [So we] use them as kind of 

a focus group about what they’re especially 

excited for. 

Chris Hamel: The percentages Lela 

shared are pretty consistent with ours. I 

do think the habits, attitudes, and expectations 

of our audiences changed pretty 

dramatically during the pandemic. What 

we’ve observed, both from looking at data 

and anecdotally, is that the cinephile 

audience is pretty much back—the people 

who can’t imagine not watching Neptune 

Frost or The Fabelmans. There’s quite a bit 

of difference in scope and scale between 

those two films, but there’s a cinephile 

audience that wants to see them in a 

cinematic environment with an audience. 

From what we’ve observed, they’re pretty 

much back, and in some cases are going 

more than they were before the pandemic. 

“It’s been an interesting 

lesson for us, [listening to] not 

only what our audience wants 

but what our audience wants 

from us.” 

24 


Neptune Frost, Kino Lorber 

as passive. To get those audiences to 

re-engage, we have to make the experience 

more active, where they have a voice 

in what’s happening. Christopher’s audience 

and my audience are actually pretty 

similar; it’s more of a young professional 

audience than a traditional art house 

audience. And we’ve experienced those 

same things. If we eventize—if there’s a 

speaker or a reception or something that 

adds something—we really don’t have 

a huge challenge getting audiences out. 

But when the experiences remain more 

passive, it does feel like certain generations 

are choosing a restaurant or a bar or 

music event in lieu of going to the cinema. 

[With] the less-frequent moviegoer, it’s 

pretty challenging to reach them right 

now. They’re not engaging with our social 

media or our website or our email marketing 

on a regular basis. Even if we had an 

endless budget to go try to find them, it’s 

pretty hard to do that film to film. We’re 

trying to diagnose how these habits and 

expectations have changed. I think we’re 

doing pretty well with the cinephiles. But 

I do think we’re missing that 35-ish percent 

that Lela was talking about. Those 

aren’t the people who came every week or 

every other week. I think it’s the ones who 

come four or five times a year that aren’t 

really back in our cinemas. 

Lela Meadow-Conner: Another one of 

our board members, [Stephanye Watts], 

runs the Be Reel Black Cinema Club in 

New York City and Philly, and part of 

her mission is bringing together young 

[people]—not even cinephiles, but Gen 

Zers and millennials—and bringing 

them to events around the community. 

She said that even those young people 

are really hard to get back to the cinema. 

They’ll go to a bar or to a party, but they 

won’t go to the movie theater. [There is] 

some kind of community that people are 

craving, I guess, that they feel they can 

find at the bar. 

Why do you think that is, that cinemas 

just don’t tend to be on a lot of 

younger peoples’ radars? 

Chris Hamel: For a lot of people, they 

think about the moviegoing experience 

“For a lot of people, they 

think about the moviegoing 

experience as passive. To 

get those audiences to reengage, 

we have to make the 

experience more active, where 

they have a voice in what’s 

happening.” 

Christopher Escobar: Something 

that’s been a great example of that is the 

linger time. The amount of time people 

have been staying in the auditorium or 

in the lobby is so much longer now. 

They’re talking both with the people they 

came with and people they meet or run 

into. This is true for special events and 

even for regular screenings. It’s that social 

aspect. That’s the difference between, do 

I stay home or [go to the cinema]? We 

have to remember that we are far greater 

than “We have a bigger TV than you do at 

home, and a nicer sound system.” We’re 

a place for convening and a place for 

community. Creating a sense of place, an 

escape that is better than people’s living 

rooms, better than some random bar— 

that’s part of what we offer as well, that 

sense of community, that sense of experience. 

Everything we can do to facilitate 

that, both directly and indirectly, is 

going to be helpful to us. 

A very different example: We installed 

the 35 and 70 millimeter in 2020. We 

had not had it for a number of years 

and were able to put this system in in 

anticipation of the Tenet release. And 

while Tenet did well for us for a couple 

of weeks, since then some of our highest-grossing 

films have been ones that 

we’ve been doing in 35 and 70 millimeter. 

For us, we’re an 83-year-old cinema, so 

we like to bring back old and new again. 

That’s been another thing people can’t 

get at home. Any and every way that we 

can differentiate ourselves from people’s 

living rooms. And we don’t do those 

screenings a lot. When we do those titles, 

we’ll show them three times at the most. 

There is the sense of, you get it now or 

you don’t get it at all. 


25


“What can you do to compete 

with a living room or a bar 

or a social experience? At 

the end of the day, we’re all 

just competing for people’s 

time. Two and a half hours of 

somebody’s day.” 

Aside from providing as much lead 

time as possible, what can distributors 

do to help art house cinemas eventize 

screenings? 

Clémence Taillandier: I have a good 

example. We participated in Silent 

Movie Day, which was in September. We 

offered a discounted price on all of our 

silent repertory firms. Because it was a 

single day and there was an organization 

behind it, it did very well. Another one 

that worked well in terms of eventizing 

was [the 100th anniversary of] Nosferatu. 

We had a lot of screenings all over. There 

were a few that had a live orchestra. 

We grossed around $100,000, just with 

Nosferatu special events. So it was really 

a plus for us. 

There’s been so much talk about 

premiumization: immersive sound, 

immersive seating, gigantic screens. 

Not the sorts of things that most 

art houses are going to want to, 

or be able to, invest in. In terms 

of attracting moviegoers to your 

cinemas, it sounds like eventizing is 

the art house version of that. 

Lela Meadow-Conner: What can 

you do to compete with a living room 

or a bar or a social experience? At the 

end of the day, we’re all just competing 

for people’s time. Two and a half hours 

of somebody’s day. It’s not just us competing 

for that. It’s every other place 

that has customers and patrons. I’m on 

the board of directors for the Vidiots 

Foundation, and we just launched our 

membership [program]. We launched the 

capital campaign in 2018, and then the 

pandemic happened, but we’re very close 

to announcing our opening, which will 

be in early 2023 in Eagle Rock, in North 

L.A. A lot of that programming is community 

and partnership focused. That 

is really a stronghold of the art house 

cinema experience. 

Lela, you ran the Film Festival 

Alliance for just under five years. 

The film festival circuit is so 

important to the film landscape, 

especially when it comes to art 

house fare. We’ve spoken about 

where cinemas are in terms of 

recovery, but where are film 

festivals? 

Everything Everywhere All at Once, A24 

26 


Lela Meadow-Conner: There’s a 

kind of reckoning right now. Some film 

festivals seem to be faring pretty well. 

Others [are] closing down or pausing 

on their 2023 programming. It’s better 

to strategize and be really smart about 

what you’re planning, versus just doing 

it for the sake of doing it because that’s 

what you’ve always done. Especially with 

film festivals. You’re not running a brick 

and mortar, probably. But I do think it’s 

really important that festivals and cinemas 

develop those partnerships in their 

communities. Going forward, it’s going 

to be really important for festivals and 

cinemas to work together. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once, A24 

That community building—whether 

with film festivals, local businesses, 

local nonprofits, etc.—are really 

crucial to the long-term success 

of a cinema. But cultivating those 

relationships requires a boots-onthe-ground 

effort that it can be hard 

to find time for, especially when you’re 

understaffed. How has that side of 

things been for you, post-pandemic? 

Chris Hamel: Well, it was difficult before 

the pandemic. Most art house peers I 

know have had that as an agenda item 

for the whole time they’ve done the job. 

Some of the same challenges we have 

now, we had then. We don’t always know 

the exact date. We don’t always know 

the exact availabilities. So even when 

you find a local partner group that’s 

interested in your film, there’s a lot of 

coordination involved to get them to 

your location and then do a screening. 

Post-pandemic, there’s actually maybe 

enhanced interest. It seems like there are 

more people than ever who are interested 

in partnering with us. But some of the 

challenges we’re all experiencing on the 

labor side—including these potential 

partner groups—makes the coordination 

of those types of activities maybe a little 

more challenging than they were before 

the pandemic. 

Christopher Escobar: For us, the 

community involvement programming 

partner model [is] not too different from 

the promoter model that a lot of clubs 

use. We’ve had an arrangement with a few 

different other programming and community 

entities where they’re not renting 

the theater, but instead they’re getting a 

“Post-pandemic, there’s 

actually maybe enhanced 

interest. It seems like there are 

more people than ever who 

are interested in partnering 

with us.” 

percentage of ticket sales for an event that 

is co-branded and thematically presented 

in a way that aligns with their mission. 

And they’re not one-offs. They have a 

regular cadence. It might be quarterly. It 

might be monthly. And if it’s monthly, it’s 

the same Wednesday of the month or the 

same Thursday or what have you. Those 

have been successful for us pre-pandemic, 

and we have only more of [them] now. 

They’re ones that are both nonprofits 

and for-profits. They’re companies, 

they’re publications, it’s a whole variety. 

And they speak to different genre interests 

and different community interests. 

For instance, one of the new partners 

that we’re very excited about is called 

EatAVision. It’s a restaurateur who 

makes this nine-course meal that she 

pre-packages. They’re tastes inspired 

by the movie, and you eat them at select 

times during the movie. It’s really fun. 

That’s something that is very different 

from the experience people get at home. 

It’s movies that people recognize—these 

are all repertory titles. We have more 

programming partners than we’ve ever 

had. Because of the labor issues, it’s a 

little less interesting to do these one-off 

things. We’re interested in [events where] 

we can create a framework and it’s repeatable 

and we can step up the cadence and 

grow an audience. We want to do at least 

three attempts to really have a sense if 

it worked. We’re excited that there’s a 

newfound interest in thinking outside the 

box and doing things in a way that brings 

folks together. 


27


2023 Kino Lorber release Scarlet 

What are you looking forward to 

through awards season and into 

2023? Any Oscar predictions you’d like 

to share? 

Chris Hamel: I’m one of those people who 

likes to win my Oscar poll, so I don’t want 

to say too much. But it does feel like it’s 

starting to round into place. It seems like 

The Fabelmans, The Banshees of Inisherin, 

Tár, and maybe Women Talking are going 

to be the films that people are going 

to be buzzing about. And Everything 

Everywhere All at Once, I think, will be a 

contender when the nominations come 

out in January. 

There are a lot of exciting films 

coming out from proven filmmakers in 

the next 180 days. After Sundance, we 

have a better sense of what the independent 

and new voices are going to be. 

But I have no doubt there’ll be a whole 

new set of filmmakers and films that we 

can look forward to. 

Lela Meadow-Conner: I’ll be excited, 

as well, to see what’s at Sundance [and] a 

lot of the regional festivals. There’s a lot 

of opportunity for discovery from these 

“I keep going back to 

this idea of rethinking the 

way everything is done. 

The dangerous words are, 

‘Because that’s the way we’ve 

always done it.’ We have to be 

looking forward, and we can’t 

be relying on old models.” 

regional festivals. Maybe there’s a way 

that [art house cinemas] can play more 

fare from [regional] festivals, [creating] a 

discovery element that patrons can find 

at the art house, which would be really 

cool. From the Art House Convergence 

perspective, we’re—as a new board, 

elected in September—all very excited 

about the possibilities of what Art House 

Convergence can be and how we can 

support all the people that come together 

to make the art house cinema world go 

round. There is a lot of opportunity. 

I keep going back to this idea of 

rethinking the way everything is done. 

The dangerous words are, “Because that’s 

the way we’ve always done it.” We have 

to be looking forward, and we can’t be 

relying on old models. 

Clémence, what can we look forward 

to from Kino Lorber in 2023? 

Clémence Taillandier: We have so many. 

Scarlet, a film by Pietro Marcello, is the one 

that I would consider my highlight for 2023. 

We don’t have a date yet, probably June. 

It’s from the same filmmaker who did 

Martin Eden, but it’s in French this time. 

28 


Christopher, what are you looking 

forward to in 2023—both in terms of 

films and, to bounce off what Lela was 

saying, in terms of parts of the status 

quo you’d like to see changed? 

Christopher Escobar: In terms of titles— 

aside from what comes out at Sundance— 

there are some really great films that are 

currently under consideration for the 

Atlanta Film Festival, [where I] serve as 

the executive director. In terms of large 

studio titles that are already on our radar, 

a good example of the ones that would do 

well for us are Barbie and Oppenheimer. 

Horror is a big one for us, especially if it’s 

campy or smart in some way. So [Winnie 

the Pooh: Blood and Honey], which seems 

absurd. Dune: Part II. Those are the ones 

on the larger studio side I would expect to 

do well for us. 

In terms of the things I’d like to see 

change, I feel like this could be a little 

controversial, but I think the idea of clean 

runs and minimum commitments end up 

stifling creativity and flexibility within 

cinemas. If we really want cinemas to survive, 

not to sound weird, but the solution 

is capitalism and free market. We need to 

let cinemas be able to show these titles 

as much or as little as the demand merits. 

When there’s the expectation of, you 

have to play the movie for two, three, four 

weeks, or more, and two, three, four times 

a day—especially for smaller art houses 

with fewer screens—that ends up being 

a really difficult position to be in. [We 

should be able to] let the market decide 

how many times a movie wants to be seen 

on a week-by-week basis, [letting] those 

cinemas make those decisions. We’re not 

talking about having radically different 

terms or things like that. But that sort of 

flexibility is really what will allow cinemas 

to be a lot more responsive to what their 

audience wants. 

Lela Meadow-Conner: I also heard 

the same thing from several Art House 

Convergence colleagues, that the minimum 

guarantee is really hard for them. 

Paying a screening fee, even if you’re 

paying more on the screening fee than 

you are on the minimum guarantee, 

allows the [cinemas] to do exactly what 

you said, Chris, and be profitable and 

sustainable. 

Clémence Taillandier: [From] a distributor’s 

point of view, we are trying to be as 

flexible as possible. We are not necessarily 

asking for weekends if there is no use for 

it. But the minimum guarantee, for us, 

is just a way to survive. It’s a lot of work. 

There’s a cost attached to every booking. 

So we need a minimum guarantee. But 

now, with DCP files, [a theater could] 

show the same film for a whole month, 

but just once a day or once a week. There 

are ways to make an audience aware of 

a film by keeping it longer. That would 

not be a problem for us at all. We would 

be totally interested in trying that. But I 

don’t think that’s been explored too much. 

I’m feeling a little déjà vu here, 

because these are some of the 

same issues we talked about in last 

Oppeheimer, Universal 

“If we really want cinemas to 

survive, not to sound weird, 

but the solution is capitalism 

and free market. We need to 

let cinemas be able to show 

these titles as much or as little 

as the demand merits.” 


29


year’s State of the Art House panel. 

Has there been any progress in the 

relationship between distributors and 

exhibitors, in terms of giving the latter 

more flexibility in their programming? 

Chris Hamel: I don’t think so. Again, 

people like Clémence at Kino have always 

been people we know we can work with 

if we want to get a film to our market. 

Sometimes that is a clean screen for 

weeks at a time, sometimes it’s one-offs, 

sometimes it’s split runs. But from both 

the terms perspective that Christopher 

was talking about and the requirements, 

it doesn’t feel like it’s getting easier. It 

feels like it’s getting harder. I do think it’s 

tricky, because the windows are closing 

so quickly that we’re being asked to hold 

these films, and then before our required 

run has even expired, they’re already on 

VOD. One thing that everybody was talking 

about before, which is what we’d like 

to see change: I wish we had more access 

to undistributed films. I’m also a film festival 

person, and we see great films every 

year. It’s really challenging to know how 

to have the capacity to give those films 

an opportunity if they don’t get picked 

up for distribution. Maybe an Art House 

Convergence bullet point might be trying 

to help democratize that process a little 

bit. And if Christopher’s wish list comes 

through, and there’s a little bit more 

flexibility, we could find a place for those 

films in our programs. 

Clémence Taillandier: There are 

three programs, I think—one is Europa 

Cinemas, another one is KINO! Germany 

NOW!, and the other is Young French 

Cinema—and they are organizations that 

are trying to showcase [films] that have 

not been distributed in the States. There 

are organizations that are doing this, but 

it’s true, it’s limited. And if you go directly 

with a sales agent, they’re going to try to 

get as much money as they can. It’s tricky. 

Especially with Kino, because we buy 

a lot of films, if there are any films that 

you would recommend, we could always 

consider [having] it available. 

ways, a lot of us serve as aggregators. 

For instance, there are a number of film 

festivals that are Academy Award qualifying. 

And so the [AMPAS says to those 

festivals], “Hey, we trust you guys to help 

us narrow down some of the [films] for us 

to consider.” 

So many distributors are always 

looking under the same rocks, frankly, in 

terms of acquisitions. While there has 

been some progress made on representation 

and inclusion, I don’t think we’ve 

seen the progress that we’d all like to see. 

[I’d like to see] some sort of partnership 

between distributors that think outside 

the box, like Kino, and film festivals— 

especially regional film festivals, where 

so many of us are premiering or doing 

the U.S. premiere of these films—and 

[the distributor] can say, “Hey, why don’t 

you send me the top 10 or 20 titles that 

performed at your festival, in your market, 

and [that will act as] a nomination for us 

to consider [those films for] acquisition.” 

Some sort of open dialogue or channel. 

That can end up solving part of this 

challenge of films that could do well and 

resonate well with audiences, but they 

perhaps don’t have recognizable names. 

But they have performed well in certain 

markets. Film festivals can always be the 

test for that—without cannibalizing the 

commercial opportunities—and create 

some opportunities for new voices and 

new films. Obviously, distributors can’t be 

everywhere at once. But a partnership can 

be forged between the film festivals, the 

distributors, and the art houses. For many 

of us, the art house and the film festival 

can be one and the same or, rather, closely 

aligned. There’s an important piece there 

that I think only distributors that think 

outside the box, like Kino, could possibly 

bring to the equation. 

Christopher Escobar: I wouldn’t be 

surprised to see Kino be the first to step 

out and be out of the box [on this subject]. 

It might be interesting to create a pathway 

where film festivals and distributors 

can work more closely together. In some 

30 


Premium Large Format 32 | NCG Cinemas 38 | Securing Your Data 42 

THEATER 

“It’s not enough to just invest in technology and 

marketing; you need to make sure your staff is aligned 

with your ambitions for that premium screen.” 

Premium Large Format, p. 32 


31

THEATER PREMIUM LARGE FORMAT 

GIANTS OF 

PREMIUM 

FORMATS 

2022 

Highlights from the Boxoffice LIVE Sessions Webinar on Premium 

Large-Format Auditoriums. Sponsored by ICE Theaters 

Premium large-format (PLF) auditoriums once 

again emerged as a top choice for global movie 

audiences in 2022, catapulting titles like Paramount’s 

Top Gun: Maverick and Universal’s Jurassic World: 

Dominion to blockbuster levels. In a webinar 

recorded in early December, weeks ahead of the 

theatrical release of 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: 

The Way of Water, Boxoffice LIVE Sessions convened 

a panel to examine the topic of PLF auditoriums 

and their growing influence. The panel featured 

executives from two of the world’s leading cinema 

chains and was sponsored by ICE Theaters, the 

panoramic screen format developed by France’s 

CGR Cinémas. Their conversation was preceded by 

a presentation by Charlotte Jones, associate director 

of cinema and movies for data-research firm Omdia, 

who shared the latest trends and events in the 

global PLF market. The transcript below includes 

highlights, edited for length and clarity, of the lively 

panel discussion that followed. 

PANELISTS 

Charlotte Jones 

Associate Director, Cinema & Movies, Omdia 

Mark Malinowski 

V.P. Global Marketing, National Amusements 

Guillaume Thomine Desmazures 

SVP, Global Sales, ICE Theaters 

Clint Wisialowski 

SVP, Business Development & Sales, Marcus Theatres 


“It’s not enough to just 

invest in technology 

and marketing; you 

need to make sure your 

staff is aligned with 

your ambitions for that 

premium screen.” 


33


after week. Maverick did the same. At 

Marucs, we’ve experienced tremendous 

success on the PLF side. Even when we’ve 

had day-and-date releases from studios, 

the PLF screens are still something that 

guests seek out. Maverick was one of 

those movies with sound that shook the 

seat and visuals that immersed you into 

the story—you just couldn’t ask for more. 

We did well on all of the big pictures 

across our PLF screens. Studios are very 

competitive to get on those screens, so we 

end up programming the newest movies— 

they’re the screens with the highest 

turnover at any of our locations. 

Mark, National Amusements has a 

presence in the United States, Latin 

America, and Europe. How have you 

gone about selling the PLF experience 

across your markets? 

Mark Malinowski: We operate in Brazil, 

Argentina, and the U.K., and when [Top 

Gun: Maverick] opened in all our markets, 

we promoted it as an experience unlike 

anything you could see at home. On the 

PLF side of it, whether that’s Imax or our 

in-house XPlus auditoriums, we talked up 

the surround sound, giant screen, laser 

projection, and comfortable recliners. 

It worked really well. That film played 

throughout the month of June and well 

into the midsummer in PLF. There were 

some others that came in to take its place, 

but Maverick kept coming back and performing 

on our premium screens. It was 

our customers’ way of telling us how they 

wanted to experience this movie. 

Clint, what has been your experience 

with PLF screens at Marcus Theatres, 

especially during the pandemic 

recovery? 

Clint Wisialowski: I want to build on 

something Mark just mentioned, about 

the incredible longevity of Maverick on 

our premium screens. I hadn’t seen anything 

like that since the original Avatar. 

If you go back and look, the first Avatar 

never made $100 million in a weekend. 

It had a great opening weekend and just 

kept performing at the box office, week 

“It’s still something most 

people can afford, and 

we’ve realized that most 

of our patrons choose the 

premium format because 

they’re looking for the best 

experience.” 

When we talk about an immersive 

experience, that’s what our colleagues 

at ICE Theaters—a panoramic screen 

format—provide at theaters around 

the world. Guillaume, what were some 

of the major trends you noticed with 

your exhibitor partners? 

Guillaume Thomine Desmazures: ICE 

Theaters is part of CGR Cinémas, the 

second biggest circuit in France. We have 

42 ICE Theaters auditoriums across the 

slightly over 700 screens that are part of 

our chain, and we’re making 50 to 70 percent 

of our box office from our PLF auditoriums. 

We always give our audiences 

the choice of watching something on a 

standard or premium screen. While the 

premium experience is more expensive, 

the upcharge is not as prohibitive as flying 

business class versus economy. It’s still 

something most people can afford, and 

we’ve realized that most of our patrons 

choose the premium format because 

they’re looking for the best experience. 

We’ve seen that most exhibitors don’t 

treat PLF as a one-size-fits-all solution. 

They diversify to offer different formats 

across their circuit, sometimes different 

PLF experiences within the same 

theater. It can be through a thirdparty 

vendor—like ICE Theaters, Dolby 

Cinema, or Imax—or by taking premium 

elements and combining them into their 

own in-house brand, like Regal’s RPX, 

Cineplex’s UltraAVX, or Cinemark XD. 

Charlotte, as you track the expansion of 

PLF with your colleagues at Omdia, do 

you expect this trend of diversification 

to continue? Or will we begin to see 

some consolidation in terms of premium 

brands at the cinema? 


Charlotte Jones: Exhibitors are investing 

across a multiple range of these 

formats because their audiences are 

becoming far more discerning. For example, 

a title may look great on a panoramic 

screen but not be as well suited to motion 

seating. Audiences really want to have 

that choice when they go to the cinema. 

We have cases where you have some 

exhibitors with two or three different 

premium concepts within a particular 

complex. This is a developing trend, and I 

believe we will see a lot higher concentration 

of premium formats in those cinemas 

where it’s best suited. I don’t think we’ve 

seen that ceiling yet. 

It’s not just the movie that you have 

to market; you also have to market a 

higher ticket price. Mark, do you find 

that to be a challenge as consumer 

spending has taken a hit around 

the world? 

Mark Malinowski: We believe that if 

we get our audiences to try our XPlus 

screens [National Aumusements’ 

in-house PLF offering], they probably 

“Exhibitors are investing 

across a multiple range of 

these formats because their 

audiences are becoming far 

more discerning.” 

won’t go back [to standard screens]. 

We’ve used loyalty programs in our 

markets to promote upgrades for those 

customers who may not have visited 

our XPlus screens, to encourage them to 

see their next movie there. We also put 

a lot of focus on the showmanship side 

of marketing the premium experience. 

For example, we have two XPlus screens 

at our Bluewater location southeast of 

London. We worked with Disney to create 

an entire experience around Avatar: 

The Way of Water, so as you walk into 

the mall where the theater is located, 

there are giant projections against the 

quarry walls promoting the film and 

our XPlus experience. Stepping inside 

the theater, we have two giant statues 

that were commissioned by Disney to 

celebrate the film. It’s a whole experience 

before you even get to your seat. We are 

lucky to have such a great, highly trafficked 

location in the U.K. to have Disney 

work so closely with us to co-market our 

premium experience. You can’t do that 

for every film, but we were able to spend 

months planning this campaign with the 

studio and our mall partner. 


35


“The show starts on the sidewalk.” 

That level of showmanship has 

always been a staple of this industry. 

Guillaume, ICE Theaters has exported 

its concept outside France with 

different exhibition partners. You’ve 

recently announced the launch of 

two new ICE auditoriums in India with 

PVR Cinemas, one of the country’s 

most important chains. What has that 

experience been like? 

Guillaume Thomine Desmazures: You 

can market the PLF, you can market the 

movie, and you can market both together. 

The ICE Theaters concept is easily recognizable 

for customers: VIP recliner seats, 

Dolby Atmos sound, laser projection, 

and peripheral LED panels to create an 

immersive experience. When it comes 

to the movie, we are going to cross 30 

titles released in the ICE format this year. 

With PVR, we’ve agreed to add at least 20 

Bollywood titles in our format that we 

can distribute across the region. One of 

the major challenges we’re seeing with 

audiences across international markets 

is finding a way of getting audiences 

excited to come back to the movies. They 

spend a lot of their time in front of a small 

screen, on TikTok, Instagram, and other 

social media platforms. The theatrical 

“The more awareness 

you’re able to create, the 

more people will come to 

your theater.” 

experience isn’t a weekly part of their 

lives, as it was for me or people of my 

generation. Many of them aren’t what we 

would consider frequent moviegoers. 

At ICE Theaters, we have created 

guidelines for every partner we work with 

to address this challenge through digital 

marketing. We’ve engaged very powerful 

influencers in France to promote our 

experience ahead of Avatar: The Way 

of Water. For Sonic the Hedgehog 2, for 

instance, we reached out to local television 

stations for earned media. That is 

really, really important, because the more 

awareness you’re able to create, the more 

people will come to your theater. 

Earned media is so important when 

we talk about PLF. That’s where you 

direct moviegoers to your theater 

instead of any theater. Clint, how has 

Marcus Theatres been able to make 

use of that in your local markets? 

Clint Wisialowski: Marcus Theatres has 

been around a long time in the Midwest, 

and I’ve been given the opportunity to 

do a number of morning shows, as well 

as afternoon remotes, on local news 

channels, promoting upcoming titles, 

our big theaters, and new food options. 

Earned media is critical. It’s not an ad, 


it’s part of your newscast, so you’re not 

going to fast-forward through it—you’re 

going to be paying attention because it’s 

part of the news. We’ve done a couple 

of morning variety shows, and they’ve 

been very excited about what we give to 

the audience. It’s an opportunity to brag 

about your local community, your local 

theater—and it’s promoting a communal 

experience that folks can do in their town. 

We had great traction with stories around 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, hosting 

school groups at our theaters, musical 

acts with dancers in our lobbies, and partnering 

with corporate sponsors and local 

organizations—these are all things that 

made the local news. These stories may 

not always be tied to promoting your PLFs, 

but we always make it a point to make 

sure our UltraScreen and SuperScreen 

auditoriums are featured in the footage. 

We make sure viewers can see our recliners 

and the Imax signage in the lobby. 

It’s always great to celebrate our 

success, but it’s also important to note 

the things that don’t work—especially 

when you’re talking about a major 

investment like a PLF auditorium. 

Guillaume, after having worked within 

your own circuit in France and with 

partners around the world, what are 

some things exhibitors should keep in 

mind when opening a premium screen? 

Guillaume Thomine Desmazures: You 

need to get the seating right. I insist on 

it, because you cannot charge 20, 50, or 

100 percent above the standard price to 

a client and give them a standard seat. 

People have very comfortable sofas at 

home, flat screen TVs, and surround 

sound. You have to deliver the full experience 

at a PLF auditorium and make sure 

every part feels like an upgrade. You need 

to give them a reason to pay the higher 

ticket price when they come back to your 

theater. The technology alone won’t do it; 

you need to get the seating right. 

The second piece of advice would be to 

make sure your staff is trained to welcome 

guests to your PLF auditorium. Look at 

the airline industry. When you pay extra 

for business class, you’re welcomed with 

a glass of wine. It doesn’t have to be a 

glass of wine at a cinema, of course, but 

it’s important to make sure your clients 

can tell the difference between a standard 

ticket and a premium auditorium. It’s not 

“What is the reason someone 

would spend a little bit more 

on this ticket? As soon as you 

define that, the experience 

you deliver needs to live up 

to that standard. We have to 

deliver on the promise; that’s 

the key thing.” 

enough to just invest in technology and 

marketing; you need to make sure your 

staff is aligned with your ambitions for 

that premium screen. 

Mark Malinowski: I think we also need 

to be clear about the price-value relationship, 

especially today. What are you 

offering in your PLF? What is the reason 

someone would spend a little bit more on 

this ticket? As soon as you define that, the 

experience you deliver needs to live up to 

that standard. We have to deliver on the 

promise; that’s the key thing. Whether it’s 

buying a ticket through your website or 

mobile app, the experience of entering the 

theater, or then the presentation standards 

of a premium format once the house lights 

come down. We have one shot with that 

customer, especially if it’s their first time at 

a premium auditorium, to get it right if we 

want to make sure they come back. 

Clint Wisialowski: Our circuit is concentrated 

across a unique mix of 17 states. We 

cover the country, but Marcus Theatres 

was built around the eight contiguous 

states around Wisconsin. We are very 

respectful of the dollar for that reason. 

And Rolando [Rodriguez, former CEO and 

president of Marcus Theatres], you know, 

he was very vocal about what we needed 

to accomplish. And it was attendance; we 

need people to come to the movies. 

A lot of companies have their own 

brands, but regardless of what we call 

our in-house PLF auditoriums, we need 

to make sure that it’s clear to the consumer 

that they’re receiving a premium 

experience. People expect more of how 

they’re being served, how they’re being 

appreciated if they’re paying a premium. 

Our job is to make them feel like it was 

special. The biggest mistake we can make 

is slapping a PLF moniker and extra 

ticket fee on a standard screen. We have a 

responsibility as an industry to celebrate 

what we can provide to our guests. That 

is my word of caution. We all need to 

maintain our standards—and that applies 

to all of our screens, not just the premium 

ones. There is nothing “standard” about a 

32-foot screen with great sound, projection, 

and a recliner. With that in mind, we need 

to make sure our PLF screens are truly 

special across the board. We need to make 

sure that the audience knows what they’re 

going to get for that extra ticket price. 


37

THEATER NEIGHBORHOOD CINEMA GROUP 

theater to the town, and it caught my 

father’s ear. It seemed to fall in line with 

what excited him about being an entrepreneur. 

So he decided to go for it. He and 

his father worked out the details and they 

built Owosso Cinemas, originally a threescreen 

theater. It signaled the start of our 

transition into movie theaters. Eventually, 

they ended up selling the bowling business 

and transitioned the entire operation 

to focus purely on movie theaters. 

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD 

THEATER 

Neighborhood Cinema Group CEO Jeff Geiger Continues His 

Family’s Mission: Bringing the Modern Multiplex Experience 

to Communities across the Country 

BY DANIEL LORIA 

Neighborhood Cinema Group (NCG) 

is proud of its roots as a hometown 

cinema. Since opening their first site in 

Owosso, Michigan, in 1985—in response 

to the town’s demand for its own movie 

theater—the Geiger family has owned 

and operated a growing network of multiplexes 

across the Midwest and Southeast. 

Today, NCG ranks among the 10 biggest 

privately held exhibition circuits in the 

United States, with a total of 254 screens 

across 26 locations. In 2019, before the 

Covid pandemic disrupted the global 

movie theater sector, NCG welcomed 6.5 

million patrons to its theaters. Today, the 

circuit is on track to make a full recovery, 

thanks to the support of local moviegoers. 

Boxoffice Pro’s Daniel Loria spoke with 

NCG CEO Jeff Geiger to learn how hometown 

audiences have helped their local 

theaters rebound from 2020’s closures. 

It’s tempting to call NCG a Michigan 

circuit, but the company has grown 

beyond the Midwest in recent years. 

How did the company get its start? 

We started in Michigan, and our growth 

was mainly throughout the Midwest, 

but we’ve definitely transitioned to a 

Southeast presence. We like to consider 

ourselves as having two segments, the 

Midwest and Southeast, even though we 

do have an outlier in New York. 

We got our start in the exhibition business 

in 1985. My father, Gary Geiger, was 

in the bowling business with his father 

through the early 1960s and ’70s. They 

were drawn to the entertainment business, 

and bowling in its heyday was very 

much that. Back then, we were operating 

a bowling alley in Owosso, Michigan, a 

small town in central Michigan. 

The city was pushing to bring a movie 

Those two businesses have been so 

complimentary when we look at the 

history of entertainment in smalland 

medium-size cities in the United 

States. They’re classic staples of 

weekend leisure activities. I love 

that this circuit was born because 

a community approached a local 

entrepreneur for help. 

Without question, and it was great timing 

because a lot of the smaller towns and 

communities throughout the country 

didn’t have what would eventually be 

termed a modern multiplex movie theater 

experience. A lot of them did have bowling 

alleys—that was the central form 

of entertainment in a lot of these rural, 

small towns in America—and we saw that 

transitioning over to the movie theater 

space. We were able to take advantage of 

that growth opportunity. Early on, a lot of 

our growth was centered in midsize, small, 

more rural communities that were really 

excited about bringing that multiplex 

experience into their communities. 

I was a child then, but I still have vivid 

memories of the bowling business and 

very strong memories of Owosso Cinemas 

opening. It was a red-carpet event, black 

tie the night of the grand opening. There 

was a showmanship aspect to the business. 

I still remember the buzz of being in 

those lobbies full of people on a big Friday 

night. It was an exciting time. We would 

get about one new movie a month back 

in those days; that’s why you only needed 

three screens. We could play just about 

everything that came out on three screens 

and keep it for a full run. It was a big deal 

to get a new movie once a month. 

Especially in a small town, where a 

Friday night at the movies can be the 

main draw on any given weekend. 

NCG stands for Neighborhood Cinema 

Group, and we really embrace that. We 

feel like every neighborhood should have 


access to premium-quality movies. Over 

time, there have been movie theaters that 

we’ve been able to reoccupy that we felt 

weren’t bringing that premium experience. 

We like to introduce luxury seating, 

different concessions, and an overall 

ambiance into our lobbies that we feel is 

on par with any city or any theater anywhere 

in the country. We pride ourselves 

on bringing that to these communities. 

What are some of the most innovative 

concepts you’ve brought to your circuit 

in recent years? 

It’s more than just the concept, it’s the 

whole experience. We provide a two-hour 

vacation; we look at the whole experience 

that way. From the time that our customers—who 

we refer to as neighbors—even 

consider going to a movie over the weekend, 

we begin to make sure every step of 

the process is easy and accessible. That 

includes the online experience on our website, 

the ticket-buying journey, and then 

making sure people are properly greeted 

in our lobby and have a smooth flow 

through our concession stand. Inside the 

auditorium, it’s all about the presentation. 

Seating, in particular, has totally evolved 

“It’s more than just the 

concept, it’s the whole 

experience. We provide a twohour 

vacation; we look at the 

whole experience that way.” 

over the last decade with the introduction 

of recliners. 

We feel like the needle has moved 

significantly toward giving people the 

experience they want at the movies. 

There’s a lot of great content on a lot of 

different platforms, but we feel like we can 

still provide an experience that is exclusive 

to going to the movies. 

How have concepts like reserved 

seating, expanded concessions, 

and online ticket purchasing been 

received in your communities? 

Everything new, within reason, has been 

very welcomed. Usually you see these 

trends start in the larger cities with larger 

demographics. That’s where we pull our 

ideas from. We feel like anything that 

works in a big metropolitan area will work 

in our neighborhood communities—and 

we’ve proven that. Luxury seating is a 

prime example. Everyone is pretty familiar 

with the concept of luxury seating 

by now, but you’d be surprised by how 

many midsize to small communities 

don’t have that experience today. We have 

found bringing that experience to smaller 

communities is very positive. 


39

THEATER NEIGHBORHOOD CINEMA GROUP 

Film availability has been a challenge 

since cinemas reopened following 

the pandemic. Has that been the case 

for you? 

We’ve just been through an incredible 

time period in our industry because of the 

Covid pandemic, having to manage all the 

shutdowns that we saw across the country. 

When it came to the content, we saw tests 

on day-and-date simultaneous releases, 

different models that had been talked 

about in concept for many, many years. 

That is a different conversation than the 

lack of content we’ve seen for several 

quarters. We believe a lot of that problem 

stems from production delays. What we 

are seeing is incredible demand to see a 

movie in our theaters when we have good 

content: well-marketed movies across a 

variety of genres. 

They’re overperforming in our markets. 

That’s why we’re confident that that the 

number of movies being released annually 

on the big screen is going to get back 

to the norms of 2019 levels. 

Have you experimented with forms of 

alternative content like event cinema 

or esports? 

There’s a lot of momentum going to alternative 

content, which has been around for 

a long time. Moving forward, the quality 

of alternative content coming in is really 

important. Gaming is something I hope 

continues to grow. I think that’s an avenue 

that we’ll be able to test and hopefully 

grow. We recently had a live Coldplay 

concert in a lot of our theaters, and it did 

tremendously well. We sold out auditoriums 

that were playing this title, and it 

really opened the door for people to think 

of live concerts and all sorts of different 

alternative content when they think about 

going to the movies. 

One of the biggest changes to the 

industry that coincides with your 

tenure as an executive at NCG is the 

rise of ecommerce for cinemas. When 

your father led the company, it was all 

about getting your showtimes in the 

local newspaper—buying ad space 

for the latest releases. Promoting your 

theater has now moved online. How 

have you managed that transition? 

For us, a lot of this change took place 

over the last 12 to 18 months. We’ve really 

leaned into the digital online customer 

experience. We’re going to be launching 

a new website in the coming months 

that is going to give us all the bells and 

whistles we need to attract customers. In 

today’s business, you need an enhanced 

customer experience on the site and 

through the app that is integrated with 

your concession stand. We’re going to be 

remodeling lobbies to have direct pickup, 

where our customers can order food on 

the app, pay for it, and pick it up on their 

way into the auditorium. The customer 

flow and overall customer experience 

is really heightened by these types of 

technologies. 

Has it been difficult for your older 

audiences to embrace that digital 

transition? 

I wouldn’t say it’s been difficult. It’s 

an education process where we have a 

responsibility to educate the customers 

about the change. There’s a curve of 

accepting change, and that’s what we’ve 

seen, especially recently, bringing on 

some new technologies. We did go to 100 

percent reserved seating across our entire 

circuit—and trust me, there are some 

smaller communities where it was a shock 

to our customers. We’re still having to 

educate our consumers, but once you’ve 

been through the process, and the customer 

base has experienced and becomes 

comfortable with the format, it’s accepted 

very well. They quickly realize the convenience 

is there. 

“There’s a lot of momentum 

going to alternative content, 

which has been around for a 

long time. Moving forward, the 

quality of alternative content 

coming in is really important.” 


A benefit of transitioning to digital 

ticketing is its integration with loyalty 

programs. NCG launched its own 

loyalty program, My NCG Rewards. 

What led to that decision and how 

has it helped you market to your 

customers? 

Our loyalty program has become our 

marketing platform. It’s the best way for 

us to connect and communicate with our 

most loyal customers. It’s the best way 

to offer deals and give them a reason to 

come back, maybe for one or two more 

visits over the course of a year. It’s really 

become significant, and a majority of our 

marketing attention, time, and energy is 

being put toward our loyal customer base 

and through our loyalty program. 

The industry is being pushed in two 

different directions when it comes 

to pricing—discount days and 

subscription versus premium-format 

auditoriums. It’s a tricky balance to 

strike. How has NCG approached that 

topic, considering that there is a limit 

to raising prices for budget-conscious 

consumers? 

It is a balance we’ve approached in different 

ways in different communities. Our 

Kingston, New York location is a prime 

example of a site where we are doing a 

bit of both. We have luxury recliners 

and standard seating within the same 

auditoriums. We offer an approximately 

$10 price point for a standard ticket, or 

you can upgrade to a premium seat for an 

additional $2.50. Having these options in 

the same auditoriums gives the customer 

the choice of how they want to experience 

the movie. There are a lot of price-conscious 

customers who are satisfied by that 

standard seat. We also have customers 

who don’t blink an eye at upgrading to the 

luxury recliner. That is why it’s so important 

to give the customer the choice. 

“Our loyalty program has 

become our marketing 

platform. It’s the best 

way for us to connect and 

communicate with our most 

loyal customers.” 

to provide us with great content to put on 

our screens. I truly believe in the theatrical 

experience. The numbers we produce 

when great content comes out justify the 

future of the movie theater experience. 

The constant negotiation and battle with 

the Hollywood studios, especially now 

that they have multiple platforms for 

their content where they can target their 

customers, is the biggest worry. I have 

faith that we will be very relevant and 

have great content for many, many years. 

But exactly how much content is available 

to us on an annual basis is probably my 

biggest worry. 

On the other hand, I see tremendous 

opportunity. I think price and affordability 

are both a worry and an opportunity. 

As an industry, we should always look to 

maintain affordability to the overall experience 

in terms of going to the movies. We 

see affordability as an opportunity for 

NCG to either enter markets or to remain 

viable in markets we’re already in. The 

other opportunity is the overall experience. 

As an industry, we need to embrace 

how important it is that we deliver a 

great experience. It doesn’t have to be a 

premium experience, but it’s got to be a 

quality experience. That is the only way 

we’re going to leave behind all of the bad 

stereotypes our industry has accumulated 

over the years. Our number one priority 

to thrive as an industry is making sure 

moviegoing is a fun, vibrant, and overall 

great experience no matter where someone 

goes to see a movie. 

What worries you as we look to 

the next five years, and what 

opportunities should exhibition take 

advantage of in order to thrive during 

that time frame? 

Anyone in business has worries about 

what the future holds; ours are on display. 

A vast number of articles are written 

about the worrisome future of the movie 

theater experience. A big part of that conversation 

revolves around content. We’re 

in a partnership with Hollywood studios 


41

THEATER CYBERSECURITY 

HOW TO 

PREVENT 

A HACK 

ATTACK 

Casablanca Payments’ Wynn 

Salisch on the Importance of 

Securing Your Cinema’s Most 

Sensitive Data 

BY DANIEL LORIA 

Phishing and ransomware attacks 

proliferated during the pandemic. 

Wynn Salisch, principal of Casablanca 

Payments, a payment-processing and 

cybersecurity firm specializing in the hospitality 

and entertainment industries, tells 

Boxoffice Pro how to prevent cybersecurity 

headaches before it’s too late. 

What is the biggest mistake cinemas 

make when it comes to credit card 

security and payment protection? 

The biggest mistake that cinemas make, 

as with almost all businesses, is thinking 

that they’re too small to be targeted. It’s 

not about the size of a company, it’s about 

the opportunity. Two-thirds of all data 

breaches occur in the small- and medium-size 

business world, not the large 

ones. When a breach is traced back to 

those companies, the fines and penalties 

come down on them like an avalanche— 

putting about two-thirds of them out of 

business within six months. That applies 

to all small- and medium-size businesses. 

Fines can come from state and local governments, 

card brands, or issuing financial 

institutions. Then there are the legal 

costs, technical costs, public relations 

costs, reputation costs, and remediation 

costs. This is something every business 

owner needs to be thinking about; it’s a 

very dangerous game to assume it can’t 

affect you. 

What common vulnerabilities should 

cinemas know about? And what steps 

can they take to prevent malicious 

actions? 

The two most serious and most frequent 

causes of compromises are bad passwords 

and phishing attacks. The best way you 

can protect your company and your 

clients is by creating good passwords. 

The current guidance from the FBI is 

that a password should be at least eight 

characters long. The better passwords 

today are just three or four unrelated 

words, squeezed together, eliminating a 

space, which creates a new word that’s not 

searchable in any dictionary. For example, 

if I take the word “troubadour” and 

corrupt it with numbers and symbols, at 

1,000 guesses a second, it will take about 

three days to crack. If I take four unrelated 

words and squeeze them together at 

that same guess rate, it’ll take something 

like 300 years to crack. You should never 

use a password twice. “Pussycat1” and 


“Pussycat2” are not different passwords. 

If your website has any sensitive information 

at all, make sure it has a unique 

password that is long and complex. You 

can store these passwords in a password 

manager app. They sync between your 

laptop, your desktop, and your phone. 

They’re encrypted to Defense Department 

standards, so they’re very safe. That is the 

best way to store passwords. 

As it relates to phishing, never open 

an email that you’re not expecting—and 

always avoid clicking on links or attachments. 

The more urgent an email sounds, 

the more likely it’s a fraudulent email. If 

you get an email that looks like it’s from 

your bank, it may look real and it may 

sound urgent—you’re better off following 

up with the bank separately than clicking 

on any of the links or attachments on that 

email. Another easy preventative step 

to take is to freeze your credit records, 

not lock them, but freeze them, because 

that prevents anybody from pulling 

your credit record without the owner’s 

permission. 

What should you do once you’ve 

discovered you’re a victim of one of 

these crimes? 

If you find out that you have been 

breached, disconnect your computers 

from the internet immediately. You 

don’t need to turn them off; just make 

sure they’re offline. Then you have to 

get a Payment Card Industry (PCI) forensic 

investigator to come in and do an 

investigation into how the whole thing 

happened and identify the vulnerabilities. 

That’s the easiest way to figure out how to 

plug the gaps in your security system. 

If you have been attacked by ransomware, 

that’s a different story entirely. 

Hopefully, you’ve been backing up your 

systems to a cloud-based solution or a 

separate hard drive, where it’s maintaining 

versions of your backups. Having a 

recent backup means you can delete your 

hard drive entirely. I mean totally. You 

can always go to your backup systems 

and see the latest version that wasn’t 

corrupted. You’ll lose some of your more 

recent stuff, but at least you’ll have most 

of your data backed up. Ransomware can 

be installed in three seconds if you click 

on the wrong email or the wrong attachment. 

Any email that looks suspicious 

is probably suspicious. Easy red flags to 

spot are grammar, syntax, spelling, or 

punctuation errors—but the biggest red 

flag is going to be a sense of urgency. 

These sorts of emails often try to scare 

you into clicking embedded links or 

downloading a corrupt attachment. 

There are many examples of highprofile 

digital attacks, but perhaps 

the most prominent in our industry 

was the one suffered by Sony Pictures 

Entertainment ahead of the release 

of The Interview. Do you believe the 

entertainment industry has used that 

wake-up call to effectively protect 

itself from future threats? 

My concern is that something like that 

has receded into people’s memories. 

I don’t see many articles written about 

it. I don’t see much concern about it on 

the web. I don’t hear people talking about 

it. There’s always that mindset, “Oh, it 

can’t happen to us.” This can happen to 

anyone. Big companies can afford to have 

stand-alone I.T. departments monitoring 

these problems, but it’s something you 

need to be constantly vigilant about. 

There is no such thing as a company that 

is too small for one of these attacks. It can 

be so overwhelming to think about that 

it’s tempting to throw your hands up in 

the air and deal with it later. The issue 

with that is that once you realize there’s a 

problem, it’s like shutting the barn door 

after the horse got out. That’s why the 

Payment Card Industry Data Security 

Standard (PCI) was established [in 2006], 

to get business owners to pay attention 

and attempt to protect cardholder data. 

“If you find out that you have 

been breached, disconnect 

your computers from the 

internet immediately. You 

don’t need to turn them off; 

just make sure they’re offline.“ 

CAN YOU SPOT 

A PHISHING 

ATTACK? 

Sometimes you can spot a 

phishing attack and avoid 

trouble just by deleting the 

messages. Some of the signs 

might include the following: 

1. Suspicious-looking source 

email address 

2. Generic greetings like 

“Dear customer”—instead 

of the customized greeting 

most organizations offer 

3. Spoofed hyperlinks—when 

you hover your mouse over 

the link, the destination 

displayed in the preview is 

completely different from 

the destination indicated 

in the message 

4. Poor spelling, grammar, 

punctuation, or syntax 

5. Suspicious or unusual 

attachments—treat all 

attachments and links with 

caution 

HOW TO AVOID 

BEING TRICKED 

BY PHISHING 

1. Always be suspicious of 

any message that requests 

you to click a link or open 

an attachment. 

2. Be cautious of any 

message communicating 

a sense of urgency or dire 

consequences should you 

fail to take immediate 

action. 

3. If you are concerned 

about a message, 

contact the person or 

the organization using 

a different, validated 

method like a phone 

number you already had, 

or check the “Contact 

Us” information on their 

website. Never use the links 

or contact information 

in the message you are 

concerned about. 

4. Be careful not to provide 

personal or sensitive 

information in response to 

a message. 


43

THEATER UNIC: MY FAVORITE CINEMA 

MY FAVORITE 

CINEMA 

With its My Favorite Cinema campaign, 

UNIC—the trade body that 

represents theaters in 39 territories across 

Europe—asks members of the European 

Parliament to reflect on their most memorable 

moviegoing moments. Throughout 

2023, Boxoffice Pro will be sharing 

these interviews, starting with French 

MEP Laurence Farreng. 

Tell us about your favorite cinema. 

Laurence Farreng: My favorite cinema 

is of course the cinema in my city, the 

cinema Le Méliès [in Montreuil, France]. 

[It’s] an art house cinema [and a] member 

of the Europa Cinema network, where one 

can watch many films that are supported 

by [European Union arts and culture 

program] Creative Europe. 

What was your most memorable trip 

to the cinema? 

Laurence Farreng: My most memorable 

trip to the cinema was an extraordinary 

experience at the Venice International 

Film Festival in 2020. It was in itself an 

amazing experience, being in the Festival 

Palace. Above all, [this] was the first 

festival—and one has to say that this is 

the oldest European film festival—taking 

place after the first phase of the pandemic. 

It was a very happy moment, full of 

history, where the world of cinema was 

meeting again and where films were 

being screened. 

What’s your favorite thing about 

going to the cinema? 

Laurence Farreng: What I love above all 

at the cinema is when the light goes down, 

when you are in the dark, and [anything] 

can happen, because you don’t know what 

adventure is around the corner. The film 

starts. You’ve heard about the film, but 

it’s the images that are going to grab you, 

absorb you, take you into another world, 

a fantasy world. This is what makes the 

cinema experience so irreplaceable. 


Dine In Cinema Summit 46 | Drive-In Update 48 

EVENTS 

“Our theme this year is unity. We don’t want to 

focus on the pandemic, we want to talk about 

how people came out of it.” 

Dine In Cinema Summit, p. 46 


45

EVENTS DINE IN CINEMA SUMMIT 

SERVING UP AN 

EXCEPTIONAL 

EXPERIENCE 

Amy Mader Promotes Unity 

and Collaboration as Key Dine 

In Cinema Summit Goals 

The Dine In Cinema Summit will 

host its fifth annual convention 

from February 6 to 9 in Dallas. Boxoffice 

Pro spoke with conference organizer 

Amy Mader, who also serves as the director 

of event management at Venue Valet, 

to get a preview of the summit’s coming 

attractions. 

Why did you decide to launch an 

event specifically for the dine-in 

cinema sector? 

It all began while we were attending 

CinemaCon. People were coming up to 

the Venue Valet booth—exhibitors as well 

as other vendors—all asking similar questions 

about the sector. Later that evening, 

at dinner with our team, we realized that 

people constantly called us to ask which 

vendors or products to use with their 

dine-in projects. Being that my background 

is in event planning, I proposed 

we put a summit together. We had that 

first conversation at CinemaCon, in the 

spring, and we launched the first edition 

of the event by November of that same 

year. We called it a “summit” because it’s 

not a conference—we don’t do a trade 

show—and decided we needed to get at 

least 30 people to attend. We ended up 

getting 200 people to register. Now we’re 

coming up on our five-year anniversary. 

How has the event evolved since that 

first edition? 

It has evolved a lot, but we’ve been able 

to retain our guiding principle: to provide 

education about this sector. We require a 

decision maker to attend from each company 

because we can’t open the summit 

to 5,000 people; we just don’t have that 

capability. The biggest evolution we’ve 

noticed since our first event is seeing 

how our regular attendees have formed 

synergistic relationships with colleagues 

who could be perceived as competitors. 

That was incredibly important during the 

pandemic. We had attendees reaching 

out to each other and collaborating. A lot 

of these connections were made at the 

Dine In Cinema Summit. The one-on-one 

networking time is one of the most valuable 

things about the event. This is the sort 

of event that brings executives together to 

talk about the same problems and explore 

mutual solutions. Our official tagline 

is, “We gather, collaborate, and inspire 

each other.” Our attendees really take that 


message to heart and guide the conversations 

they want to have with us. 

What are the topics you’ll be covering 

at this year’s summit? 

Our theme this year is unity. We don’t 

want to focus on the pandemic, we want 

to talk about how people came out of 

it. There is no going back to 2019, so we 

are focused on making this event about 

how to operate in this new environment. 

We’ll be talking about branding and 

marketing your theater, making sure 

audiences want to see a movie in your 

theater—everything from public relations 

to advertising to having a brand identity. 

We’ll be covering cost-effective solutions 

for upgrading your theater. We’ll also be 

talking about other amenities and activities 

you can introduce: something like axe 

throwing may be popular in Texas, but it 

may not be the best thing to add to your 

theater elsewhere. We have a presentation 

from a business consultant who will talk 

about the most advantageous thing to do 

for entertainment across different parts of 

the country. 

We want exhibitors and vendors to 

come out of this event thinking, how 

can we be the best version of ourselves? 

How is your theater going to be the best 

theater in your area? For example, in 

one of our presentations, we’ll be deconstructing 

a website of a company to find 

ways to improve it. We’ll be doing that 

live. We’ll also be bringing in a chef to 

show how to expand your menu using 

your existing kitchen and concessions 

equipment. We want to empower cinemas 

to take some risks beyond chicken tenders, 

add things to your menu that will 

make your cinema more appealing to your 

customers. It’s all about doing more with 

what you already have. 

We’re going to have a great week of 

presentations, events, and networking 

sessions. We’re really excited to be hosting 

everyone in Dallas this February. 

What are your expectations for 2023 

as it pertains to the dine-in sector? 

There are a number of changes and 

challenges on the horizon. One: Theaters 

need to diversify what they offer. Cinemas 

can’t rely on the studios for content the 

way they used to. I feel like we’re going 

to see dine-in theaters adding more 

components from Family Entertainment 

Centers (FECs). Secondly, I expect to see 

“Our theme this year is unity. 

We don’t want to focus on 

the pandemic, we want to 

talk about how people came 

out of it.” 

theaters make an honest assessment of 

their menus. You may be showing the 

same movie as the theater next door, but 

your menu is the best chance you have to 

distinguish yourself from the competition. 

The third thing I expect to see in 2023 

is a big focus on theaters building their 

own brand identity through social media. 

That’s where you really need a presence to 

attract customers. 

The dine-in cinema sector has grown 

significantly over the last five years. 

Twenty years ago, we could say dinein 

was a Texas-centric business. Today, 

it’s national. During the pandemic, 

however, it seems major players in the 

sector were among the hardest hit, 

having to go through bankruptcy and 

restructuring. 

Everyone went through rough times 

during the pandemic, but every dine-in 

chain remained committed to the concept. 

They just needed to recalibrate the way 

things were being done. We have seen 

customers who limited their menu go 

back to expanding it, realizing their food 

offerings are incredibly important to the 

customer. One of the main lessons dineins 

have learned in the last couple of years 

is that diluting the experience is never as 

successful as improving it. It’s not just a 

focus on the menu. We’re seeing theaters 

being remodeled, upgrading seats, and 

updating their websites—putting themselves 

in a position to succeed in the 

coming years. The goal is to get somebody 

into your theater and have them spend as 

much time there as possible. 


47

EVENTS DRIVE-IN CINEMAS 

Quasar Drive-In; Valley, Nebraska 

DRIVE-IN 

UPDATE 

What to Expect from This 

Year’s UDITOA Convention 

BY CHAD KENNERK 

Incorporated as a nonprofit in 1999, 

the United Drive-In Theatre Owners 

Association (UDITOA) helps ensure that 

drive-in theaters remain a competitive 

component of commercial motion picture 

exhibition. Last year the organization 

unveiled AuthenticDriveIns.com, which 

allows moviegoers to locate an authentic 

drive-in theater experience. The project 

devised a set of standards created by 

drive-in theater owners for projection, 

sound, and facilities. The UDITOA 

mission is dedicated to preserving the 

tradition of the drive-in movie theater for 

generations to come. In advance of this 

year’s UDITOA convention, taking place 

from January 30 to February 2 in Orlando, 

Boxoffice Pro spoke with UDITOA 

president and drive-in owner John 

Vincent Jr. about this year’s recovery 

process and the upcoming event. 

Drive-ins have been struggling with 

many of the same issues as indoor 

theaters since the pandemic hit, chief 

among them a lack of films. What’s the 

macro view of how drive-ins are doing 

right now? 

We’re doing pretty good. Just like our 

indoor counterparts, we wish for more 

product. We do well when there are good 

movies out there, and not necessarily so 

when there aren’t. It was nice to have Top 

Gun: Maverick. Many of us kept bringing 

that back last summer. Minions: The Rise 

of Gru did well, but absent those two, it 

was an OK summer. It certainly wasn’t 

gangbusters. 

Would you say that a lack of product 

is one of the biggest challenges that 

drive-ins currently face? 

Many of us have indoor theaters as well, 

and it’s the same as our indoors. During 

Covid we were happy to be open, happy to 

service customers during that time frame, 

but it was not the [financial success] a lot 

of the media made it out to be. Some of 

the retro films did well in that time frame, 

but nothing beats a good run of new quality 

titles that really bring the people in. 

That’s true whether it’s an indoor cinema 

or a drive-in. 

As you note, repertory titles were an 

important source of programming for 

drive-in theaters during the height of 

Covid—are you still relying on them to 

fill in the gaps in your schedule? 

There are certain repertory movies that 

do quite well. Goonies, Gremlins, Jaws, 

Grease, Dirty Dancing—those are probably 

the top ones that usually you can 

bring back. But even those have been 


“Some of the retro films did 

well in that time frame, but 

nothing beats a good run of 

new quality titles that really 

bring the people in.” 

in the vault. Jaws was not available for 

most of last summer because of the 3D 

version that was released on Labor Day 

weekend. Then there was a spell where 

Dirty Dancing was in the vault because of 

the 35th anniversary re-release. So some 

of those will even go in and out of availability 

as well. 

How have supply chain issues evolved 

over the past year? 

[We’ve had trouble getting] everything 

from chicken fingers to popcorn buckets, 

popcorn containers, and soda syrup. Even 

the Co2 that runs our sodas. It’s rough. You 

can increase your prices, but not enough 

to compensate for the increased product 

costs. Your customers are like, “Why can’t 

you get this? This makes no sense.” Certain 

candies were out. It was tough on the 

entire industry, and it’s definitely been a 

challenge. We hope some of those pressures 

will be alleviated next summer. 

Supply chain delays, lack of film 

availability—these are issues shared 

by cinemas in general. What are the 

unique challenges that drive-ins have 

to deal with? 

The weather is always a concern. If you 

have a rainy weekend, you can lose your 

shirt, especially when you might only be 

open on weekends. We’re more weather 

dependent. Those of us who have both 

indoor and outdoor spaces on the same 

site, when it rains, we get audiences 

indoors, so it’s a little bit of built-in 

insurance. One of the things that’s very 

unique is our field crew and their ability 

to assist customers with their vehicles in 

getting the lights to stay off and the radio 

to stay on. We started to make a list of all 

the different car models and how to turn 

the lights off. We finally gave up. It’s just 

something that’s in these guys’ heads. 

My field crew does a great job, and many 

other drive-in owners will say the same 

thing. It’s not like it was when I grew up. 

You used to turn the key backwards and 

the radio would stay on. Now the radio 

shuts off after 20 minutes. To reactivate 

the radio, typically you have to start 

the car, and the lights disturb everyone 

around you. That’s a challenge that a lot 

of indoor theaters probably haven’t even 

thought of. 

Greenville Drive-In; Greenville, New York 

Quasar Drive-In; Valley, Nebraska 

This marks the second year postpandemic 

that you’ve been able 

to resume the in-person UDITOA 

conference in Florida. What do you 

have lined up for this year? 

We really like to get together, and most of 

us are not competitive, because we’re not 

near each other. We’re a very open book 

to each other on what works and what 

doesn’t. That’s always the paramount 

theme with us, exchanging ideas on 

operational concerns and things like that. 

We’re going to have a trade show component 

again. We’re going to have studio 

participation. Many studios are sending 

their marketing reps, and some sales reps 

are coming down. We also have a special 

Hollywood guest lined up. It’s going to be 

a great convention. Orlando works for us, 

because there are so many flights in and 

out of there from across the United States. 

Almost everyone gets a direct flight. 

January/February is probably the coldest 

time of the year for most of the United 

States, so it’s nice to get into some good 

weather for a bit. 


49

EVENTS DRIVE-IN CINEMAS 

Can you share any of the panels or 

seminars you have planned? 

Our projection manufacturers are largely 

converting their projectors to laser, and 

we’re going to have a panel with the 

manufacturers. 

What’s the impact of the industry’s 

conversion to laser on the drive-in 

sector? 

The gain [of converting to laser projection] 

is not as much as it would be for a multiplex. 

The number one reason why a lot of 

the chains and multiplexes are doing it 

is because [with laser] they don’t have to 

send a field technician out to change bulbs 

on an almost constant rotating basis. For 

them, it’s a huge labor cost savings, and 

there is an electricity savings as well. For 

drive-ins, it’s really more about having 

the max brightness. On that side of the 

spectrum, the cost sometimes gets north 

of $100,000. The fact that our projectors 

are only used for, let’s say, two shows a day 

and only in the summer [means] we’re not 

piling on the hours like our indoor counterparts 

are with three to five shows a day, 

that constant churn. Nonetheless, it’s nice 

for new screens [and] new builds. Within 

five years or so, many of us are going to 

be facing a projector upgrade. Some may 

do it earlier than others. I know probably 

two or three off the top of my head that 

have already converted to laser within 

the last year or so. It’s definitely going to 

happen. They’re actually sunsetting many 

of the parts for our older projectors. We’re 

not going to be able to get them anymore 

beyond the 10-year time frame that they 

like to make parts for. Undoubtedly, the 

rest of the industry will be converting over 

the coming years, so it’s nice to hear those 

updates on a yearly basis. 

awesomeness. You really need to come 

by and check it out.” They wouldn’t have 

that opportunity with many of the other 

conventions or conferences. 

The conference concludes with the 

Will Rogers presentation banquet. 

We have been a supporter of Will Rogers 

and their Brave Beginnings programs 

[dedicated to neonatal care] for more than 

10 years now. We’re continuing to support 

that charity, and we look forward to 

presenting the check. The final banquet is 

always a fun event for us to culminate the 

convention with. 

The annual convention sounds like 

a great opportunity for drive-in 

operators to connect and share 

ideas. What do you hope for the 

industry in 2023? 

Just like our indoor counterparts, we 

look forward to an increased movie slate 

in the coming years. We really could use 

it. The whole industry could use it. On 

the whole, we all would love more consistently 

great movies. 

Are there any films on the 2023 slate 

that drive-ins are particularly excited 

about? 

Many drive-ins are looking forward to a 

great start to the season with Fast X. 

“Within five years or so, many 

of us are going to be facing a 

projector upgrade. Some may 

do it earlier than others.” 

What makes UDITOA’s trade show 

unique for vendors? 

Vendors have a captive audience. The 

vendors introduce their product and have 

an opportunity [to present] a PowerPoint 

to the entire audience. We do that introduction 

with all the vendors and all the 

delegates in attendance in the room. Then 

we move to the actual trade show, where 

they can go to the tables and talk to them. 

What the vendors tell us they really like 

about the drive-in convention is that 

chance for an introduction. They get to 

say to a captive audience, “Please come 

by my booth, I have the new model XYZ 

Brazos Drive-In; Granbury, Texas 


St. Jude patient 

Ava 

Big Screen. Bigger Cause. 

The St. Jude Thanks & Giving ® campaign is where real-life cinematic heroes team up to help those less 

fortunate. By pairing movie exhibitors with some of Hollywood’s brightest stars, St. Jude is harnessing 

the power of the silver screen to accomplish a truly marvelous mission: Finding cures. Saving children. ® 

For more information, please email 

chance.weaver@alsac.stjude.org or 

visit stjude.org/theaters 

Art inspired by St. Jude patients 

©2022 ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (MCC-1691)

The Son 54 | Q1 2023 Preview 62 | Event Cinema Calendar 70 | Booking Guide 72 

ON SCREEN 

“I wanted to do something as universal as possible. 

New York is really the crossroads of the world. This 

kind of story could happen to anyone, anywhere.” 

The Son, p. 54 


53

ON SCREEN THE SON 

LIKE 

FATHER, 

LIKE 

SON 

Florian Zeller, Academy Award– 

Winning Writer/Director of 

The Father, Returns with The Son 

BY JESSE RIFKIN 

54 



55


French playwright Florian Zeller 

won critical praise for the 

feature-film adaptation of his 

own play, The Father, in 2020. It 

was a dream cinematic debut for 

the writer-director, who won the Academy 

Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. 

The Father also delivered a Best 

Actor Oscar for Anthony Hopkins and 

nominations for Best Picture and Best 

Actress (Olivia Colman). Two years later, 

Zeller is back with the much-anticipated 

follow-up drama, The Son, from Sony 

Pictures Classics, opening in theaters on 

January 20. The all-star cast is led by Hugh 

Jackman, Laura Dern, and Vanessa Kirby— 

nominated for Best Actress the same year 

as Colman, for Pieces of a Woman. Hopkins 

himself appears in a one-scene role. 

The film centers on Peter (Jackman), a 

wealthy New York lawyer who seems to 

have it all, from good looks to political 

influence. After divorcing Kate (Dern), 

he now lives in an expensive penthouse 

apartment with his much younger second 

wife, Beth (Kirby), with whom he has a 

new baby. 

Everything changes when Peter’s clinically 

depressed and suicidal 17-year-old 

son Nicholas (newcomer Zen McGrath) 

moves in. The film doesn’t shy away from 

depicting the darkest aspects of a suicidal 

adolescent’s psyche and the effects on 

those in his close orbit, including scenes 

depicting cutting, self-harm, and a psychiatric 

ward. 

Zeller spoke to Boxoffice Pro about 

nixing rehearsals for the film, directing 

Jackman’s dance moves, and his shifting 

opinions on concession stand snacks 

since moving to the U.S. a few months ago. 

I was surprised to see Anthony 

Hopkins in this film. The Son is a 

prequel to The Father. Is he playing 

the same character? 

It’s not the same character, it’s just the 

same actor. But to make a film is such an 

emotional experience. It was so powerful 

what we’d shared together with Anthony 

that we wanted to work with him again. 

Actually, he was the first one who read 

this script when I finished it. I sent it to 

him right away, and he called me back 

three hours later just to let me know that 

he’d already read it and wanted to do it. 

So he was the very first person involved in 

this project. 

“What was more important 

to me was to make sure it 

was realistic in terms of the 

way it shows the psychiatric 

world.” 


Almost everybody in this cast is non- 

American. Kirby and Hopkins are 

British. Jackman and McGrath are 

Australian. Did you consider setting 

this somewhere outside the United 

States? After all, The Father was set in 

London. 

No, it was important for me to set this film 

in New York. In the first place, I wanted 

to shoot everything in New York and D.C., 

but we shot partly in London. I wanted 

to do this because I didn’t want to tell a 

British story or a French story or even an 

American story. I wanted to do something 

as universal as possible. New York is really 

the crossroads of the world. This kind of 

story could happen to anyone, anywhere. 

To do it in New York, for me, was a way to 

highlight this dimension. 

You moved to the U.S. four months ago, 

after you’d already finished this film. 

Have you noticed anything about your 

new American life that makes you 

think, “I got that element of America 

wrong” or “I got that element right”? 

A film is always kind of an abstract world. 

It’s not a documentary. Especially this 

one, where almost everything is set in an 

apartment. What was more important to 

me was to make sure it was realistic in 

terms of the way it shows the psychiatric 

world. It doesn’t work the same in France 

and the U.K. as in the U.S. 

Later tonight, we have a screening with 

NAMI [National Alliance on Mental Illness]. 

It was important to me that they saw the 

film and supported the film, that in their 

experience it was very truthful to what they 

know. So it was important for me to make 

sure that it was truthful and connected to 

reality for the people who know. 

You mentioned that psychiatric 

patients are treated differently in 

Europe than in the U.S. How so? And 

how did that change the film, given its 

American setting? 

It’s technical things. For example, a 

psychiatrist here can force a patient to 

stay, but he has to go through a judge. 

[That comes up as a major plot point in 

the film.] This is something that doesn’t 

exist in France. In France, you can take 

anyone out of the facility. You just have to 

sign a paper to take responsibility yourself, 

so you can’t sue anyone afterwards. 

In the U.K., you cannot make any decision 

against medical advice. 

“I wanted to do something as 

universal as possible. New York 

is really the crossroads of the 

world. This kind of story could 

happen to anyone, anywhere.” 

Jackman is a dancer, currently 

performing on Broadway in The Music 

Man. In the one scene in the film 

where we see him dancing, his moves 

are intentionally terrible. How did you 

direct him to dance so badly? 

It’s true, he was supposed to have an 

embarrassing dance. But to have a bad 

dance on set, you have to be a very good 

dancer in real life. I remember the day 

we did that scene, he offered me several 

versions of his hip sway. He said that he 

tested them on his own daughter. She 

was like, “That’s perfect, Dad. You’re very 

embarrassing.” So he was comfortable 

about it. 

That’s arguably the happiest scene in 

the film, yet it still has an undercurrent 

of melancholy. Peter, Nicholas, and 

Beth seem to make a collective 

emotional breakthrough together 

while doing absurd dance moves to the 

song “It’s Not Unusual” by Tom Jones. 

After a while, you slow the visuals 

down and sub in a more mournful song. 

As a viewer, you feel like you’re not going 

in the right direction. That it’s not going 

to end well, even though the characters 

keep saying, “It’s going to be all right now, 

it’s going to be all right.” As Chekhov says, 

“When you have a gun in your story, you 

have to use it.” 


57


Well, you have something of a literal 

Chekhov’s gun in this script. Peter has 

a weapon that he received as a gift 

many years prior, which he can’t bear 

to part with for sentimental reasons, 

even though he now has a suicidal 

teenage son in the home. 

I didn’t want you to see the gun itself, but 

we hear that it’s hidden behind a washing 

machine. There are these washing 

machine shots. You can feel that there is 

a danger. The clothes are rolling, rolling, 

like a tragedy that you can’t stop. The feeling 

of the audience is that it’s not going in 

the right direction. You want to shake the 

characters and say, “Stop! Don’t say that, 

don’t do this.” 

My point is that tragedy is preventable. 

That’s the whole point of the film. If the 

right words were used, if the right conversation 

was had. It’s difficult to accept that. 

So yes, tragedy is preventable. 

You mentioned that you never show 

the actual physical gun. There are 

several things in this film that you 

don’t show. For example, when 

Nicholas talks about how much he 

hates it at the psychiatric ward, you 

never depict his actual experiences 

there. Or when Peter and Beth talk in 

the morning about how they’d had 

a fight the previous night, you don’t 

show the fight. Why did you take that 

approach? 

It’s true that the script is built with a lot 

of ellipses. It’s a way to leave room for the 

audience to build the story by themselves, 

to be in an active position, to find their 

own way through the meaning. I feel that 

it’s always very rewarding, as a viewer, to 

create another scene behind a scene. 

On a film like this, which is so serious 

and even morbid at times, is the 

atmosphere on set like that too? 

Or do you have any funny stories 

from the set? 

It was not funny. It was intense, but it 

was very intimate. We shot in the middle 

of Covid, so we didn’t have dinner with 

anyone else outside of the set. So it was 

just a few of us in a room, all the time, for 

eight weeks. I felt that everyone involved 

in this film had a real and clear reason 

why they wanted to make the film, so they 

were very focused. 

Also, the process of the shooting itself 

was special. We made a decision not to 

“I feel that it’s always very 

rewarding, as a viewer, to 

create another scene behind 

a scene.” 

rehearse at all. I come from the theater, 

where there’s a lot of rehearsing. Hugh 

comes from theater and loves rehearsing. 

But I made the decision from the very 

beginning not to rehearse. 

It had to do with the way I met Hugh. 

He was the one who approached me 

in the first place. I was working on the 

adaptation. He heard about that, he knew 

the play, he’d seen The Father. He wrote 

to me. One day, I received a letter. He said, 

“If you’re already in conversation with 

another actor, please forgive my letter. 

But if you’re not, I would love to have 

10 minutes just to let you know why 

I should be the one to make this film.” 

I was very surprised to receive this letter, 

of course, for its honesty, its courage, 

and its humility. 



59


“Rehearsals are about control 

and questioning everything. 

So I suggested we do no 

rehearsal, just to be himself 

with no protection.” 

So we met on Zoom. It was just a regular 

meeting. I was not planning to make 

any [casting] decisions. It was just a first 

conversation. But after a few minutes, I 

stopped the conversation and offered him 

the role, because I felt strongly that he 

knew what it was about. He was not only 

attracted to it as an actor, for the challenge, 

but also as a man and as a father. He was 

deeply connected to these emotions. 

So I thought it was important for us to 

explore these emotions in a very authentic 

way, without faking anything, without 

trying to perform for the sake of performing. 

I made that decision because I felt 

that, in a way, he was the character. It was 

a way to allow him to be himself in front 

of the camera. And because he’s a dancer, 

he’s so technical; he has the ability to 

control everything. It was about trying to 

let it go, you know? 

Also, this is a story about a character 

who’s trying to fix everything but somehow 

is losing control of the situation. So it was 

a way to put Hugh in this position where 

he’s losing control of the situation on set. 

Rehearsals are about control and questioning 

everything. So I suggested we do no 

rehearsal, just to be himself with no protection. 

Just deal with the emotions that 

could appear in the moment, in the now, 

that we were exploring together on set. 

Did anything about the finished film 

come out differently due to the lack of 

rehearsals? 

It was very interesting and created some 

opportunities, in terms of process. For 

example, in the first scene of the movie, 

we see Kate knocking at the door to speak 

with her ex-husband Peter about Nicholas. 

But this is not the first scene we shot. We 


started by shooting all the scenes in the 

apartment between Beth and Peter. So 

after a few days, we were very familiar 

with the space. Laura was not welcome on 

set, she was not allowed to come join us, 

so she knew nothing about the set. I asked 

her not to meet Vanessa until the first 

take of the film. 

So when she knocks at the door and 

the door opens, the camera’s on her, this 

is the very first time she sees Beth. This 

is the first time she has a sense of her 

ex-husband’s new life. She has to deal 

with all this information at the same time. 

Spending so many hours in the editing 

room, I can tell, all the complexity of her 

emotions at that moment are connected 

to the fact that she has to deal with so 

many emotions and information at the 

same time. We feel she’s not completely 

confident being in this space, that she’s 

not welcome. 

This is something that could not have 

been done if we were rehearsing. 

Or there is a moment when there is a 

gunshot. It’s kind of hard to [rehearse] the 

terror that should happen at that moment. 

When [the actors] came, I told them it 

would be just a rehearsal for the camera, 

there would be no gunshot at the end of 

the sequence. I asked them to just do the 

lines, even though I knew [the gunshot] 

would happen. 

So they did it and they were not 

expecting anything. Suddenly, it happened. 

The surprise and the terror is 

real. The body language, the emotion, 

everything was unplanned. To work with 

actors, sometimes you need a strategy to 

make things happen. It was only one take, 

and this is the take which is in the film. 

I believe you have a teenage son, like 

the teenage son Nicholas in the film? 

Yeah, I have two children. One is 24 and 

one is 14. 

The 14-year-old is a somewhat similar 

age to Nicholas, who’s 17. Has he seen 

the film? 

No. He wants to see it, so I think he will. 

But it’s a story that comes from a personal 

place. I had a first son that went through 

difficult moments, so it was coming from 

this experience. [My 14-year-old] knows 

things about that story. 

But you’re not making something just 

to share your own story; it’s more about 

sharing emotions that you feel could be 

relevant to others. Because it was first a 

play, I realized when it was onstage in 

London and Paris, there was something 

special. The response of the audience 

was very powerful and impressive to 

me. They were waiting for us after every 

performance, not to say congratulations, 

but to tell their own story, to share their 

own story. There were conversations: “I 

know what you’re talking about, because 

my nephew, because my uncle, because 

my daughter,” etc. 

I realized that so many people know a 

lot about these mental health issues. So 

many people, as parents, know what it is 

to be in a position where you don’t know 

what to do anymore. So many people 

are in pain out there. And also, there is 

so much shame and so much guilt and 

so much ignorance that I really wanted 

to open a conversation. That’s why we 

wanted to make this film. 

Do you feel that goal is met by 

releasing the film in cinemas, with its 

shared communal experience, instead 

of releasing it first on streaming where 

you’re probably watching it alone? 

When you’re going through a difficult 

situation in your own life, you always feel 

like you are by yourself, alone. I think this 

is what art, and especially cinema, can 

provide: the feeling that we are all in the 

same boat. Experiencing it in real life, 

with other people, makes it even more 

obvious that we are all part of something 

bigger than ourselves, which is humanity. 

There is a consolation to remembering 

that we are not alone, especially what it 

comes to these kinds of topics. As soon as 

you understand that we are not alone, you 

can ask for help. You have to admit that 

some people know more than you do. And 

you can save a life. 

So I think that’s the joy of sharing. I’m 

talking about “joy” even though it’s a hard 

film. But even a hard film can be tender. I 

strongly believe in the cathartic power of 

cinema—even when it’s hard. 

FLORIAN 

ZELLER AT 

THE MOVIES 

What was your hometown 

cinema growing up? 

I come from Paris. I’m French, 

as you can hear. [Laughs.] 

It was on the Champs- 

Élysées, which is the main 

street in Paris. This is where 

I used to go. 

Do you have a favorite 

moviegoing memory or 

experience from that 

theater? 

The film that I remember, 

that really made me discover 

the power of cinema, was an 

American movie: Rain Man. 

I was eight, nine, something 

like that. At that moment, 

my life was kind of similar 

to what happened in that 

story. I had a big brother 

who was in difficulty, but 

nobody was explaining to 

me what was going on. I had 

a lot of anxiety about that. 

Suddenly, through cinema, I 

understood my own life in a 

different way. I understood 

the power of cinema, which 

is to put your own life in a 

different light, and to be 

slightly relieved from some 

anxieties. 

From that moment on, I 

started being obsessed with 

Tom Cruise, the American 

landscape, and Hans 

Zimmer. The fact that I’m 

working with Hans Zimmer on 

this film, there’s a connection 

with that first feeling of being 

impressed with the power of 

a movie. 

What’s your favorite snack 

at the movie theater 

concession stand? 

I never eat anything in a 

cinema. Never. I’m French, 

and in France, it’s very rare 

that you can eat or drink 

something in a cinema. It’s 

not part of our habits. But 

now I live in L.A. I moved 

there four months ago. My 

children are already used to 

buying snacks and sodas. I 

understand the joy of it. But 

it’s a lot of sugar. 


61

ON SCREEN Q1 PREVIEW 

STUDIO 

PREVIEW 

Q1 2023 

A Preview of Coming Attractions 

BY JESSE RIFKIN 


Studios are ramping up 

their marketing campaigns 

for a new slate of studio 

releases, as the film industry 

braces for another year on 

the long road to pandemic 

recovery. Boxoffice Pro 

previews some of the buzziest 

titles scheduled to hit the big 

screen in the first quarter of 

the year. These include new 

Marvel Cinematic Universe 

and DC comics adaptations, 

plus new installments from 

the Scream, Creed, and Magic 

Mike franchises. 

JANUARY 6 

TRUE HAUNTING 

Premise: Sony Pictures’ 

horror flick centers on the 

real-life story of the first 

exorcism broadcast on 

American television. It aired 

on NBC in 1971. 

Box office comparison: 

October 2022’s Prey for the 

Devil, also about an exorcism, 

earned $19.1M. 

M3GAN 

Premise: It’s a big weekend for 

horror releases, as alongside 

True Haunting comes this PG- 

13 horror outing from Universal 

about a lifelike doll with a 

murderous mind of its own. 

M3GAN 

Box office comparisons: 

2019’s R-rated Child Play, also 

about a psychopathic doll, 



63


JANUARY 13 

A MAN CALLED OTTO 

HOUSE PARTY 

PLANE 


comedy-drama stars Tom 

Hanks as a bitter widower and 

retiree whose new neighbors 

force him to reconsider his 

negative outlook on life. Marc 

Forster (Finding Neverland; 

Christopher Robin; Monster’s 

Ball) directs. 


Another Hanks film with 

a holiday-season release 

date was 2019’s A Beautiful 

Day in the Neighborhood, 

which earned $61.6M. The 

difference, of course, is that 

in the earlier film Hanks 

played the famously kind Fred 

Rogers rather than the far less 

marketable Otto. 

Premise: In this Warner 

Bros. comedy reboot, two 

best friends hired to clean the 

mansion of NBA superstar 

LeBron James (cameoing as 

himself) decide to make 

bank by hosting a massive 

party there. 


The 1990 film of the same 

name earned $26.3M. Adjusted 

for ticket-price inflation, that 

would be about $57M today. 

That’s close to 2016’s Office 

Christmas Party ($54.7M) and 

2012’s teen comedy Project X 

(also $54.7M). 

Premise: Lionsgate’s actionthriller 

stars Gerard Butler 

as an airline pilot who 

must rescue his passengers 

after they’re taken hostage 

by militants following an 

emergency landing. It’s a safe 

bet this won’t be your in-flight 

movie anytime soon. 


Excluding sequels, Butler’s 

recent action-thriller films 

have included 2018’s Hunter 

Killer ($15.7M), 2018’s Den of 

Thieves ($44.9M), and 2017’s 

Geostorm ($33.7M). 

Plane 

Missing 


JANUARY 20 

MISSING 

JANUARY 27 

DISTANT 


mystery-thriller takes place 

entirely on digital screens. 

It follows a teenage girl’s 

attempt to track down her 

missing mother who has 

disappeared on vacation. 


The film is a spinoff of 2018’s 

Searching, which used the 

same digital-screens format to 

tell its story, earning $26M. 

THE SON 

Premise: Universal’s science 

fiction comedy stars Anthony 

Ramos (In the Heights; 

Broadway’s Hamilton) as an 

astronaut trying to rescue 

Naomi Scott (live-action 

Aladdin) on an alien planet. 


Directorial duo Will Speck 

and Josh Gordon’s prior 

films include 2022’s Lyle, Lyle, 

Crocodile ($45-plus million as 

of this writing), 2016’s Office 

Christmas Party ($54.7M), and 

2010’s The Switch ($27.7M). 

Premise: Sony Pictures 

Classics’ drama stars Hugh 

Jackman as a man trying to 

reconnect with his estranged 

teenage son. Jackman is 

considered one of the top 

contenders for an Academy 

Award Best Actor nomination. 


Writer-director Florian 

Zeller’s 2020 The Father 

earned a pandemic-limited 

$2.1M. Jackman’s previous 

awards contender was 2018’s 

The Front Runner, which, at 

$1.9M, earned less than The 

Father despite being a prepandemic 

release. 

FEBRUARY 3 

80 FOR BRADY 

Premise: Paramount’s 

comedy stars Sally Field, Jane 

Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Lily 

Tomlin as four best friends 

who take a Super Bowl road 

trip to watch Tom Brady. 


The film aims to replicate the 

success of 2018’s four-olderfemale-best-friends-one-ofwhom-is-Jane-Fonda 

movie, 

Book Club, which earned 

$68.5M. 

80 for Brady 


65


FEBRUARY 3 

KNOCK AT 

THE CABIN 

Premise: Universal’s horrorthriller 

follows two parents and 

their young daughter, all taken 

hostage by a group of strangers 

who claim they are trying to 

prevent the apocalypse. 


Writer-director M. Night 

Shyamalan’s 2021 Old earned 

$48.2M, while his 2015 The 

Visit made a similar $65.2M. 

FEBRUARY 10 FEBRUARY 17 FEBRUARY 24 

MAGIC MIKE’S 

LAST DANCE 

Premise: Channing Tatum 

reprises his role as the titular 

male stripper in this third 

installment of the Warner Bros. 

comedy franchise. Mike is 

now joined by a new character 

played by Salma Hayek. Steven 

Soderbergh returns to direct. 


2012’s original Magic Mike was 

a surprise hit with $113.7M, 

though 2015’s sequel Magic 

Mike XXL earned far less with 

$66M. 

ANT-MAN AND 

THE WASP: 

QUANTUMANIA 

Premise: The Disney/Marvel 

Studios superhero threequel 

sees the return of Paul Rudd 

and Evangeline Lilly in the title 

roles, with Peyton Reed once 

again directing. 


2015’s original Ant-Man earned 

$180.2M, and 2018’s sequel 

Ant-Man and the Wasp made 

a bigger $216.6M. The real 

divide, though, seems to be 

films released before and after 

2019’s gargantuan Avengers: 

Endgame. Post-Endgame 

installments for Spider-Man, 

Thor, and Doctor Strange all 

earned more than their pre- 

Endgame predecessors. 

COCAINE BEAR 

Premise: Did you not read the 

title? Elizabeth Banks directs 

Universal’s dark comedy 

thriller based on the true story 

of a black bear who goes on 

a rampage after accidentally 

ingesting cocaine. 


There is truly no point of 

comparison to a movie called 

Cocaine Bear. But a similar 

dark-comedy survival movie 

in which the title explains the 

premise is 2006’s Snakes on a 

Plane, which made $34M. 

JESUS 

REVOLUTION 

Premise: Lionsgate’s drama is 

about real-life 1970s evangelical 

pastor Greg Laurie and the 

movement he spearheaded. 


Recent faith-based films, such 

as 2022’s Father Stu ($20.7M) 

and 2021’s American Underdog 

($26.5M), have struggled at the 

box office. 


MARCH 3 

CREED III 

MARCH 10 

SCREAM VI 

INSIDE 

Premise: Rocky Balboa’s 

protégé Adonis Creed is back 

to take on his childhoodbest-friend-turned-rival 

in United Artists’ sports 

drama. In addition to starring, 

Michael B. Jordan makes his 

directorial debut. 


2015’s Creed earned $109.7M. 

2018’s sequel Creed II made a 

slightly higher $115.7M. 

Premise: The masked killer 

Ghostface is back for a sixth 

installment, with Matt 

Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler 

Gillett of 2022’s Scream once 

again co-directing. 


2022’s Scream made 

$81.6M. Horror sequels 

often underperform their 

predecessors: see Halloween 

Kills ($92M) versus Halloween 

Ends ($64M) or It ($328.8M) 

versus It: Chapter Two 

($211.5M). 

Premise: Focus Features’ 

psychological thriller stars 

Willem Dafoe as an art thief 

who gets trapped inside an 

expensive New York City 

apartment when his attempted 

heist doesn’t go as planned. 


A similar survival movie from 

an independent distributor is 

2018’s Adrift from STX ($31.4M). 

Creed III 


67


MARCH 17 

65 


science fiction thriller stars 

Adam Driver as an astronaut 

who crash-lands on another 

planet. 


2019’s Ad Astra, also set in 

outer space and primarily 

starring just one actor, 


SHAZAM!: FURY 

OF THE GODS 

Premise: In this Warner Bros./ 

DC Studios comedy superhero 

sequel, Zachary Levi returns 

as the title superhero, facing 

a team of villains played by 

Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu. 

David F. Sandberg comes back 

to direct. 


2019’s original Shazam! made 

$140.3M. 

MARCH 24 

JOHN WICK: 

CHAPTER 4 

Premise: In Lionsgate’s sure-tobe-R-rated 

action film, Keanu 

Reeves returns as the title 

hitman who comes up with 

ever more creative ways to kill 

people. Director Chad Stahelski 

is back for the fourth time. 


To date, the franchise’s films 

have earned increasingly 

larger amounts. 2014’s John 

Wick made $43M, 2017’s John 

Wick: Chapter Two took in 

$92M, and 2019’s John Wick: 

Chapter 3 – Parabellum was 

the highest-grossing film yet, 

with $171M. 


A Good Person 

MARCH 24 

CHAMPIONS 

Premise: Woody Harrelson 

plays the coach of a Special 

Olympics basketball team in 

this Focus Features comedydrama. 

Bobby Farrelly (There’s 

Something About Mary; Me, 

Myself, & Irene) directs. 


2005’s Special Olympics– 

centered comedy The Ringer 

made $35.4M. 

MARCH 31 

DUNGEONS & 

DRAGONS: HONOR 

AMONG THIEVES 

Premise: Chris Pine stars in 

Paramount’s fantasy-comedy 

based on the best-selling 

role-playing game. Directorial 

duo John Francis Daley and 

Jonathan Goldstein (2018’s 

Game Night; 2015’s Vacation) 

helm. 


A family-friendly fantasy 

comedy with an ensemble 

cast? The best-case scenario 

would be to replicate the 

success of 2019’s Jumanji: The 

Next Level ($316.8M). 

A GOOD PERSON 

Premise: Writer-director Zach 

Braff helms this United Artists 

drama, which stars Florence 

Pugh as the survivor of a car 

wreck that killed her fiancé. 

Morgan Freeman co-stars 

as the man who would have 

become her father-in-law. 


Braff’s last directorial effort 

starring Freeman, 2017’s Going 

in Style, earned $45M. 


69

ON SCREEN EVENT CINEMA CALENDAR 

EVENT CINEMA 

CALENDAR 

Updated through January 5, 2023 

Contact distributors for latest listings 

BY EXPERIENCE 

byexperience.net 

PORTRAIT OF THE QUEEN 

Now through Feb. 22 

Genre: Art 

EXHIBITION ON SCREEN 

exhibitiononscreen.com 

HOPPER 

Available Now 

Genre: Art 

CÉZANNE: PORTRAITS OF A LIFE 

Available Now 

Genre: Art 

MARY CASSATT: PAINTING THE 

MODERN WOMAN 

From Mar. 8 

Genre: Art 

VERMEER - THE BLOCKBUSTER 

EXHIBITION 

From Apr. 18 

Genre: Art 

TOKYO STORIES 

From May 23 

Genre: Art 

FATHOM EVENTS 

fathomevents.com 

855-473-4612 

SHIN ULTRAMAN 

Jan. 11, Jan. 12 

Genre: Premiere 

THE MET: LIVE IN HD - FEDORA 

Jan. 14, Jan. 18 

Genre: Opera 

ROMAN HOLIDAY 70TH 

ANNIVERSARY PRESENTED BY 

TCM 

Jan. 22, Jan. 25 

Genre: Classics 

The Thorn 

LEFT BEHIND: RISE OF THE 

ANTICHRIST 

Jan. 26–29 

Genre: Inspirational 

GROUNDHOG DAY 30TH 


TCM 

Feb. 2, Feb. 5 


FACING THE LAUGHTER: MINNIE 

PEARL 

Feb. 6 

Genre: Documentary 

LOURDES (2023) 

Feb. 8, Feb. 9 


WINNIE-THE-POOH: BLOOD 

AND HONEY 

Feb. 15 

Genre: Horror 

THE CONFESSION MUSICAL 

Feb. 20 

Genre: Musical 

CASABLANCA PRESENTED BY TCM 

Mar. 5, Mar. 8 


THE THORN 

Mar. 6, Mar. 7 


THE MET: LIVE IN HD - LOHENGRIN 

Mar. 18, Mar. 22 

Genre: Opera 

THE MET: LIVE IN HD - FALSTAFF 

Apr. 1, Apr. 5 

Genre: Opera 

THE MET: LIVE IN HD - DER 

ROSENKAVALIER 

Apr. 15, Apr. 19 

Genre: Opera 

THE BIG LEBOWSKI 25TH 


TCM 

Apr. 6, Apr. 20 


THE MET: LIVE IN HD - CHAMPION 

Apr. 29, May 3 

Genre: Opera 

GREASE 45TH ANNIVERSARY 

PRESENTED BY TCM 

May 14, May 17 


THE MET: LIVE IN HD - DON 

GIOVANNI 

May 20, May 24 

Genre: Opera 

THE MET: LIVE IN HD - DIE 

ZAUBERFLÖTE 

Jun. 3, Jun. 7 

Genre: Opera 


HAIRSPRAY 35TH ANNIVERSARY 


Jun. 11, Jun. 14 


NATIONAL LAMPOON’S 

VACATION 40TH ANNIVERSARY 


Jul. 16, Jul. 19 


ENTER THE DRAGON 50TH 


TCM 

Aug. 13, Aug. 16 


RAIN MAN 35TH ANNIVERSARY 


Sept. 17, Sept. 20 


THE BIRDS 60TH ANNIVERSARY 


Oct. 22, Oct. 25 


The Metropolitan Opera Live 

in HD 22-23 | Champion 

SCARFACE 40TH ANNIVERSARY 


Nov. 12, Nov. 15 


A CHRISTMAS STORY 40TH 


TCM 

Dec. 10, Dec. 13 


THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 | 

LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE 

Jan. 19 

Genre: Opera 

BILLIE EILISH: LIVE AT THE O2 

(EXTENDED CUT) 

Jan. 27 

Genre: Music 

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE 

IN HD 22-23 | LOHENGRIN 

Mar. 18 

Genre: Opera 


TURANDOT 

Mar. 22 

Genre: Opera 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 

May 24 

Genre: Opera 


IN HD 22-23 | DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE 

Jun. 3 

Genre: Opera 

TRAFALGAR RELEASING 

trafalgar-releasing.com 


IN HD 22-23 | LOHENGRIN 

Jan. 14 

Genre: Opera 

BTS: YET TO COME IN CINEMAS 

Feb. 1 

Genre: Music 


THE BARBER OF SEVILLE 

Feb. 15 

Genre: Opera 


IN HD 22-23 | FALSTAFF 

Apr. 1 

Genre: Opera 


CINDERELLA 

Apr. 12 

Genre: Opera 


IL TROVATORE 

Jun. 13 

Genre: Opera 

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA 

LIVE IN HD 22-23 | DER 

ROSENKAVALIER 

Apr. 15 

Genre: Opera 


THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO 

Apr. 27 

Genre: Opera 


IN HD 22-23 | CHAMPION 

Apr. 29 

Opera 


IN HD 22-23 | DON GIOVANNI 

May 20 

Genre: Opera 

Shin Ultraman 


71

ON SCREEN BOOKING GUIDE 

BOOKING 

GUIDE 

Release calendar for theatrical 

distribution in North America 

Release dates are updated through December 27, 2022. 

Please consult distributors to confirm latest listings. 

20TH CENTURY STUDIOS 

310-369-1000 

212-556-2400 

A HAUNTING IN VENICE 

Fri, 9/15/23 WIDE 

Director: Kenneth Branagh 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Cri/Dra 

TRUE LOVE 

Fri, 10/6/23 WIDE 

Stars: Gemma Chan, 

Allison Janney 

Director: Gareth Edwards 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Rom/SF/Dra 

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF 

THE APES 

Fri, 5/24/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: SF 

AVATAR 3 

Fri, 12/20/24 WIDE 

Director: James Cameron 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Fan/SF 

CINEDIGM 

JETHICA 

Fri, 1/13/23 LTD 

Stars: Callie Hernandez, 

Ashley Denise Robinson 

Director: Pete Ohs 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor, Thr 

CRUNCHYROLL 

SUZUME 

Fri, 4/14/2023 WIDE 

Stars: Nanoka Hara, 

Hokuto Matsumura 

Director: Makoto Shinkai 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

DISNEY 

818-560-1000 

Ask for Distribution 

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: 

QUANTUMANIA 

Fri, 2/17/23 WIDE 

Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly 

Director: Peyton Reed 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/SF 

Specs: Imax, Dolby Vis/Atmos 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 

VOL. 3 

Fri, 5/5/23 WIDE 

Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana 

Director: James Gunn 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Adv/SF 

Specs: Dolby Vis/Atmos 

THE LITTLE MERMAID 

Fri, 5/26/23 WIDE 

Stars: Halle Bailey 

Director: Rob Marshall 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fan 


ELEMENTAL 

Fri, 6/16/23 WIDE 

Stars: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie 

Director: Peter Sohn 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 


INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL 

OF DESTINY 

Fri, 6/30/23 WIDE 

Stars: Harrison Ford, 

Phoebe Waller-Bridge 

Director: James Mangold 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Adv 


A24 

646-568-6015 

WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE 

WORLD 

Fri, 1/20/23 LTD 

Stars: Julianne Moore, 

Finn Wolfhard 

Director: Jesse Eisenberg 

Rating: R 

Genre: Com/Dra 

BLEECKER STREET 

EMILY 

Fri, 2/17/23 WIDE 

Stars: Emma Mackey, 

Fionn Whitehead 

Director: Frances O’Connor 

Rating: R 

Genre: Dra 

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA 

Fri, 2/17/23 WIDE 


THE MARVELS 

Fri, 7/28/23 WIDE 

Stars: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris 

Director: Nia DaCosta 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/SF/Fan 

HAUNTED MANSION 

Fri, 8/11/23 WIDE 

Director: Justin Simien 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 


WISH 

Wed, 11/22/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

ELIO 


Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

DISNEY’S SNOW WHITE 

Fri, 3/22/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fan 

INSIDE 

Fri, 3/10/23 WIDE 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: NEW WORLD 

ORDER 


Stars: Anthony Mackie 

Director: Julius Onah 

Rating: NR 


INSIDE OUT 2 

Fri, 6/14/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

MUFASA: THE LION KING 


Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

THUNDERBOLTS 

Fri, 7/26/24 WIDE 

Director: Jake Schreier 

Rating: NR 


BLADE 


Stars: Mahershala Ali 

Rating: NR 


UNTITLED DEADPOOL MOVIE 

Fri, 11/8/24 WIDE 

Stars: Ryan Reynolds, 

Hugh Jackman 

Rating: NR 


FANTASTIC FOUR 

Fri, 2/14/25 WIDE 

Rating: NR 


AVENGERS: THE KANG DYNASTY 


Director: Destin Daniel Cretton 

Rating: NR 


SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES 

212-556-2400 

CHEVALIER 


Stars: Kelvin Harrison Jr., 

Samara Weaving 

Director: Stephen Williams 

Rating: PG-13 

Genre: Dra 

NEXT GOAL WINS 

Fri, 9/22/23 WIDE 

Stars: Elisabeth Moss, 

Michael Fassbender 

Director: Taika Waititi 

Rating: PG-13 

FOCUS FEATURES 

OF AN AGE 

Fri, 2/10/23 LTD 

Stars: Elias Anton, Thom Green 

Director: Goran Stolveski 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

INSIDE 

Fri, 3/10/23 WIDE 

Stars: Willem Dafoe 

Director: Vasilis Katsoupis 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

CHAMPIONS 

Fri, 3/24/23 WIDE 

Stars: Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin 

Olson 

Director: Bobby Farrelly 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

A THOUSAND AND ONE 

Fri, 3/31/23 WIDE 

Stars: Teyana Taylor 

Director: A.V. Rockwell 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr 

POLITE SOCIETY 

Fri, 4/28/23 WIDE 

Stars: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya 

Director: Nida Manzoor 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com, Act 

BOOK CLUB 2 – THE NEXT 

CHAPTER 

Fri, 5/12/23 WIDE 

Stars: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda 

Director: Bill Holderman 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

ASTEROID CITY 

Fri, 6/16/23 LTD 

Stars: Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett 

Johansson 

Director: Wes Anderson 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com/Rom 

HIDDEN EMPIRE RELEASING 

FEAR 

Fri, 1/27/23 LTD 

Stars: Joseph Sikora, Andrew 

Bachelor 

Director: Deon Taylor 

Rating: R 

Genre: Thr 

IFC FILMS 

bookings@ifcfilms.com 

SKINAMARINK 

Fri, 1/13/23 MOD 

Stars: Lucas Paul, 

Dali Rose Tetreault 

Director: Kyle Edward Ball 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

LIFE UPSIDE DOWN 

Fri, 1/27/23 LTD 

Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Danny Huston 

Director: Cecilia Miniucchi 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

CONSECRATION 

Fri, 2/10/23 WIDE 

Stars: Jena Malone, Danny Huston 

Director: Christopher Smith 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 


73


IN VIAGGIO 

Fri, 3/31/23 LTD 

Stars: Pope Francis 

Director: Gianfranco Rosi 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Doc 

NEON 

hal@neonrated.com 

BROKER 

Fri, 12/26/23 LTD 

Stars: Song Kang-ho, 

Dong-won Gang 

Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu 

Rating: R 

Genre: Dra 

JESUS REVOLUTION 

Fri, 2/24/23 WIDE 

GOD’S TIME 

Fri, 2/24/23 LTD 

Stars: Christiane Seidel, 

Jared Abrahamson 

Director: Daniel Antebi 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr 

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 

Fri, 3/24/23 WIDE 

Stars: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen 

Director: Chad Stahelski 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 


THE EXPENDABLES 4 

Fri, 9/22/23 WIDE 

Stars: Jason Statham, Curtis “50 

Cent” Jackson 

Director: Scott Waugh 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

SAINT OMER 

Fri, 1/23/23 LTD 

Stars: Kayije Kagame, 

Guslagie Malanda 

Director: Alice Diop 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

INFINITY POOL 

Fri, 1/27/23 LTD 

Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia 

Goth 

Director: Brandon Cronenberg 

Rating: R 

Genre: Hor/SF 

OPEN ROAD FILMS 

THE LOST KING 

Fri, 3/24/23 LTD 

Stars: Sally Hawkins, Steve Coogan 

Director: Stephen Frears 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

PAINT 

Fri, 4/28/23 LTD 

Stars: Owen Wilson, Stephen Root 

Director: Brit McAdams 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

LIONSGATE 

310-309-8400 

PLANE 

Fri, 1/13/23 WIDE 

Stars: Gerard Butler, Mike Colter 

Director: Jean-François Richet 

Rating: R 

Genre: Act/Thr 

JESUS REVOLUTION 

Fri, 2/24/23 WIDE 

Stars: Joel Courtney, 

Anna Grace Barlow 

Directors: Jon Erwin, 

Brent McCorkle 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra/Fam 

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, 

MARGARET 

Fri, 4/28/23 WIDE 

Stars: Rachel McAdams, Abby 

Ryder Fortson 

Director: Kelly Fremon Craig 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fam 

ABOUT MY FATHER 

Fri, 5/26/23 WIDE 

Stars: Sebastian Maniscalco, 

Robert De Niro 

Director: Laura Terruso 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

THE BLACKENING 

Fri, 6/16/23 WIDE 

Stars: Antoinette Robertson, 

Dewayne Perkins 

Director: Tim Story 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor/Com 

UNTITLED ADELE LIM COMEDY 

Fri, 6/23/23 WIDE 

Stars: Ashley Park, Sherry Cola 

Director: Adele Lim 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

UNTITLED SAW 

Fri, 10/27/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE 

BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND 

SNAKES 

Fri, 11/17/23 WIDE 

Director: Francis Lawrence 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

UNTITLED DIRTY DANCING 

SEQUEL 


Stars: Jennifer Grey 

Director: Jonathan Levine 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra/Rom 

MAGNOLIA PICTURES 

212-379-9704 

Neal Block 

nblock@magpictures.com 

JOYRIDE 

Fri, 12/23/23 LTD 

Stars: Olivia Colman, Charlie Reid 

Director: Emer Reynolds 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

MARLOWE 


Stars: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger 

Director: Neil Jordan 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr 

PARAMOUNT 

323-956-5000 

80 FOR BRADY 


Stars: Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda 

Director: Kyle Marvin 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

TITANIC 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY 

Fri, 2/10/23 WIDE 

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, 

Kate Winslet 

Director: James Cameron 

Rating: PG-13 

Genre: Dra/Rom 


SCREAM VI 

Fri, 3/10/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 



DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: 

HONOR AMONG THIEVES 

Fri, 3/31/23 WIDE 

Stars: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez 

Directors: Jonathan Goldstein, 

John Francis Daley 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fan 


TRANSFORMERS: 

RISE OF THE BEASTS 


Stars: Anthony Ramos, 

Dominique Fishback 

Director: Steven Caple Jr. 

Rating: NR 



MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD 

RECKONING PART ONE 

Fri, 7/14/23 WIDE 

Stars: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames 

Director: Christopher McQuarrie 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 


TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA 

TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM 


Director: Jeff Rowe 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY 

MOVIE 

Fri, 10/13/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

UNTITLED BOB MARLEY 

Fri, 1/12/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Bio 

THE TIGER’S APPRENTICE 

Fri, 1/19/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE 


Director: Michael Sarnoski 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

IF 

Fri, 5/24/24 WIDE 

Stars: John Krasinski, 

Ryan Reynolds 

Director: John Krasinski 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com/Fan 

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 

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 

Fri, 12/20/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

UNTITLED SMURFS ANIMATED 

MUSICAL 

Fri, 2/14/25 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani/Mus 

UNTITLED ANIMATED 

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS FILM 

Fri, 5/23/25 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

QUIVER DISTRIBUTION 

CANDYLAND 

Fri, 1/6/23 LTD 

Stars: Olivia Luccardi, William 

Baldwin 

Director: John Swab 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor/Thr 

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS 

323-882-8490 

SOMEWHERE IN QUEENS 

Fri, 4/21/23 MOD 

Stars: Ray Romano, Laurie Metcalf 

Director: Ray Romano 

Rating: NR 


SABAN FILMS 

LAST RESORT 

Fri, 1/6/23 LTD 

Stars: John Foo, Clayton Norcross 

Director: Jean Marc Mineo 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS 

KITCHEN BRIGADE 

Stars: Audrey Lamy, François Cluzet 

Director: Louis-Julien Petit 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

SONY 

212-833-8500 

MISSING 

Fri, 1/20/23 WIDE 

Stars: Storm Reid, Nia Long 

Directors: Will Merrick, 

Nick Johnson 

Rating: PG-13 

Genre: Thr 

65 

Fri, 3/17/23 WIDE 

Stars: Adam Driver, 

Ariana Greenblatt 

Directors: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods 

Rating: NR 

Genre: SF/Thr 

UNTITLED GEORGE FOREMAN 

BIOPIC 

Fri, 4/28/23 WIDE 

Stars: Khris Davis, Sullivan Jones 

Director: George Tillman Jr. 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra/Bio 


THE POPE’S EXORCIST 


Stars: Russell Crowe 

Director: Julius Avery 

Rating: NR 

LOVE AGAIN 

Fri, 5/12/23 WIDE 

Stars: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, 

Sam Heughan 

Director: Jim Strouse 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Mus/Rom 

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE 

SPIDER-VERSE 


Stars: Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore 

Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, 

Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 


65 

Fri, 3/17/23 WIDE 

NO HARD FEELINGS 

Fri, 6/16/23 WIDE 

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence 

Director: Gene Stupnitsky 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

Specs: Dolby Atmos 


75


HAROLD AND THE PURPLE 

CRAYON 

Fri, 6/30/23 WIDE 

Stars: Zachary Levi, 

Zooey Deschanel 

Director: Carlos Saldanha 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fam 

INSIDIOUS 5 


Director: Patrick Wilson 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

GRAN TURISMO 

Fri, 8/11/23 WIDE 

Stars: David Harbour, 

Orlando Bloom 

Director: Neill Blomkamp 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 


THE EQUALIZER 3 


Stars: Denzel Washington, 

Dakota Fanning 

Director: Antoine Fuqua 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Thr 

Specs: Imax, Dolby Atmos 

KRAVEN THE HUNTER 

Fri, 10/6/23 WIDE 

Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 

Russell Crowe 

Director: J.C. Chandor 

Rating: NR 


Specs: Imax 

GHOSTBUSTERS SEQUEL 

Wed, 12/20/23 WIDE 

Director: Gil Kenan 

Rating: NR 

GARFIELD 

Fri, 5/24/24 WIDE 

Stars: Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson 

Director: Mark Dindal 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

KARATE KID 


Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 


UNTITLED SONY/MARVEL 

UNIVERSE 

Fri, 7/12/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Adv/Fan 

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS 

Tom Prassis 

212-833-4981 

TURN EVERY PAGE 

Fri, 12/30/22 LTD 

Director: Lizzie Gottlieb 

Rating: PG 

Genre: Doc 

UNITED ARTISTS RELEASING 

310-724-5678 

Ask for Distribution 

CREED III 


Stars: Michael B. Jordan, 

Tessa Thompson 

Director: Michael B. Jordan 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

Specs: Imax 

A GOOD PERSON 

Fri, 3/24/23 LTD 

Stars: Florence Pugh, 

Morgan Freeman 

Director: Zach Braff 

Rating: R 

Genre: Dra 

ON A WING AND A PRAYER 

Wed, 4/5/23 WIDE 

Stars: Dennis Quaid, 

Heather Graham 

Director: Sean McNamara 

Rating: PG 

Genre: Dra 

CHALLENGERS 

Fri, 8/11/23 WIDE 

Stars: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor 

Director: Luca Guadagnino 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

UNIVERSAL 

818-777-1000 

THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING 

A F*CK 


Director: Mark Manson 

Rating: R 

Genre: Doc 

M3GAN 


Stars: Allison Williams, 

Ronny Chieng 

Director: Gerard Johnstone 

Rating: PG-13 

Genre: Hor/Thr 


DISTANT 

Fri, 1/27/23 WIDE 

Stars: Anthony Ramos, 

Zachary Quinto 

Directors: Josh Gordon, Will Speck 

Rating: PG-13 

Genre: Com/SF 


KNOCK AT THE CABIN 


Director: M. Night Shyamalan 

Rating: R 

Genre: Thr 


COCAINE BEAR 

Fri, 2/24/23 WIDE 

Stars: Keri Russell, Margo Martindale 

Director: Elizabeth Banks 

Rating: R 

Genre: Thr 

THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE 


Stars: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy 

Directors: Aaron Horvath, 

Michael Jelenic 

Rating: PG 

Genre: Ani 


RENFIELD 

Fri, 4/14/23 WIDE 

Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage 

Director: Chris McKay 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor, Com 

EL MUERTO 

Fri, 1/12/24 WIDE 

Stars: Bad Bunny 

Rating: NR 


Specs: Imax 

MADAME WEB 

Fri, 2/16/24 WIDE 

Stars: Dakota Johnson 

Director: S.J. Clarkson 

Rating: NR 


Specs: Imax, Dolby Atmos 

SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND THE 

SPIDER-VERSE 

Fri, 3/29/24 WIDE 

Stars: Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore 

Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, 

Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

Specs: Imax 

A GOOD PERSON 

Fri, 3/24/23 LTD 


FAST X 

Fri, 5/19/23 WIDE 

Stars: Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron 

Director: Louis Leterrier 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 


STRAYS 


Stars: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx 

Director: Josh Greenbaum 

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 1 


Rating: NR 

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE 

DEMETER 

Fri, 8/11/23 WIDE 

Stars: Corey Hawkins, 

Aisling Franciosi 

Director: André Øvredal 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

UNTITLED PLEASE DON’T 

DESTROY 

Fri, 8/18/23 WIDE 

Stars: Ben Marshall, John Higgins, 

Martin Herlihy 

Director: Paul Briganti 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 


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 

Genre: Ani 

MIGRATION 

Fri, 12/22/23 WIDE 

Director: Benjamin Renner 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 


2024 1 

Fri, 1/12/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE 

Fri, 2/10/23 WIDE 

UNTITLED UNIVERSAL ANIMATED 

EVENT FILM 2024 1 


Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 


2024 2 

Wed, 2/14/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

THE FALL GUY 


Stars: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt 

Director: David Leitch 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

KUNG FU PANDA 4 


Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 



Fri, 3/22/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 


2024 3 

Fri, 3/29/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN 

THRILLER 


Director: M. Night Shyamalan 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr 


2024 4 

Fri, 5/10/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 


2024 

Fri, 6/21/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

DESPICABLE ME 4 

Wed, 7/3/24 WIDE 

Stars: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig 

Director: Chris Renaud 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

UNTITLED BLUMHOUSE 

PRODUCTIONS PROJECT 2024 1 

Fri, 9/13/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 



Fri, 9/27/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

UNTITLED BLUMHOUSE 

PRODUCTIONS PROJECT 2024 2 

Fri, 10/24/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

WICKED PART 1 

Wed, 12/25/24 WIDE 

Stars: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo 

Director: Jon M. Chu 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Mus 

WICKED PART 2 

Thr, 12/25/25 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Mus 

VIVA PICTURES 

THE AMAZING MAURICE 

Fri, 2/3/23 LTD 

Stars: Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke 

Director: Toby Genkel 

Rating: PG 

Genre: Ani 

WARNER BROS. 

818-977-1850 

HOUSE PARTY 

Fri, 1/13/23 WIDE 

Stars: Tosin Cole, Jacob Latimore 

Director: Calmatic 

Rating: R 

Genre: Com 

MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE 

Fri, 2/10/23 WIDE 

Stars: Channing Tatum, 

Salma Hayek 

Director: Steven Soderbergh 

Rating: NR 


MUMMIES 

Fri, 2/23/23 LTD 

Stars: Sean Bean, Hugh Bonneville 

Director: Juan Jesús García 

Galocha 

Rating: PG 

Genre: Ani 


77


FURIOSA 

Fri, 5/24/24 WIDE 

Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, 

Chris Hemsworth 

Director: George Miller 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

UNTITLED DC EVENT FILM 2024 

Fri, 6/21/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED NEW LINE HORROR 


Fri, 7/12/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

UNTITLED NEW LINE HORROR 



Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

EVIL DEAD RISE 

Fri, 4/21/23 WIDE 

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS 

Fri, 3/17/23 WIDE 

Stars: Zachary Levi, 

Jack Dylan Grazer 

Director: David F. Sandberg 

Rating: PG-13 



EVIL DEAD RISE 

Fri, 4/21/23 WIDE 

Stars: Alyssa Sutherland, 

Lily Sullivan 

Director: Lee Cronin 

Rating: R 

Genre: Hor 

THE FLASH 

Fri, 6/16/23 WIDE 

Stars: Ezra Miller, Kiersey Clemons 

Director: Andy Muschietti 

Rating: NR 



BARBIE 

Fri, 7/21/23 WIDE 

Stars: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling 

Director: Greta Gerwig 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

THE MEG 2: THE TRENCH 


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 

THE NUN 2 


Stars: Storm Reid 

Director: Michael Chaves 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

UNTITLED DC EVENT FILM 2023 

Fri, 9/22/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

DUNE: PART TWO 

Fri, 11/3/23 WIDE 

Stars: Timothée Chalamet, 

Zendaya 

Director: Denis Villeneuve 

Rating: NR 

Genre: SF 

Specs: Imax 

WONKA 

Fri, 12/15/23 WIDE 

Stars: Timothée Chalamet 

Director: Paul King 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fan 

Specs: Imax 

THE COLOR PURPLE 

Fri, 12/20/23 WIDE 

Stars: Corey Hawkins, 

Taraji P. Henson 

Director: Blitz Bazawule 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Mus 

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST 

KINGDOM 

Fri, 12/25/23 WIDE 

Stars: Jason Momoa, 

Patrick Wilson 

Director: James Wan 

Rating: NR 



TOTO 


Director: Alex Timbers 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

UNTITLED GODZILLA/KONG 

EVENT FILM 

Fri, 3/15/24 WIDE 

Director: Adam Wingard 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/SF 

Specs: Imax 

MICKEY 17 

Fri, 3/29/24 WIDE 

Stars: Robert Pattinson, Steven 

Yeun 

Director: Bong Joon-ho 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Dra/SF 

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE 

WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM 

Fri, 4/12/24 WIDE 

Director: Kenji Kamiyama 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani/Fan 

UNTITLED NEW LINE EVENT FILM 

2024 3 


Rating: NR 

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX 

Fri, 10/4/24 WIDE 

Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga 

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra/Thr 

UNTITLED WB EVENT FILM 2024 

Fri, 11/8/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

UNTITLED NEW LINE EVENT FILM 

2024 4 

Fri, 12/20/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 


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NAC Expo | July 18 

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NAC Expo | July 18 

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Image Credits & Acknowledgments 

Cover: Courtesy Proctor Companies 

Pages 1-2: Photographer: Rekha Garton. ©See-Saw Films Limited. Courtesy of See-Saw Films / Sony Pictures Classics 

Page 7: Photo courtesy Gateway Film Center 

Pages 11-12: Photos courtesy NATO 

Page 14: Photo by Holly Nelson 

Page 15: Photo courtesy Variety the Children’s Charity; Studio Movie Grill 

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Page 17: Photo by Holly Nelson 

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Page 22: Courtesy Kino Lorber 

Page 20: Photos courtesy Adam Cairns for The Columbus Dispatch (Hamel), Plaza Theatre (Escobar), Kino Lorber (Taillandier), 

Lela Meadow-Conner 

Page 23-24: Courtesy Gateway Film Center 


Page 26-27: Photo by Allyson Riggs; Courtesy A24 


Page 29: © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures 

Page 31: Courtesy of ICE Theaters 

Pages 32-33: Photo courtesy ICE Theaters 

Page 34: Photo courtesy National Amusements 

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Page 45: Photo courtesy Marcus Theatres 

Page 46: Photo courtesy Cinergy Entertainment 

Page 47: Photo courtesy Cinemark 

Pages 48-50: Photos by April Wright 

Page 53: Photographer: Jessica Kourkounis. ©See-Saw Films Limited. Courtesy of See-Saw Films / Sony Pictures Classics 

Pages 54-56: Photographer: Rekha Garton. ©See-Saw Films Limited. Courtesy of See-Saw Films / Sony Pictures Classics 

Page 57: Photographer: Jessica Kourkounis. ©See-Saw Films Limited. Courtesy of See-Saw Films / Sony Pictures Classics 

Page 58: Photographer: Rekha Garton. ©See-Saw Films Limited. Courtesy of See-Saw Films / Sony Pictures Classics 

Pages 59-60: Photographer: Rob Youngson. ©See-Saw Films Limited. Courtesy of See-Saw Films / Sony Pictures Classics 

Page 62: Photo Credit: Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures © 2022 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. All Rights Reserved. 

Page 64: Photo Credit: Kenneth Rexach, courtesy Lionsgate 

Page 65: Photo Credit: Temma Hankin, © 2021 CTMG, All Rights Reserved.; Courtesy Paramount Pictures 

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Page 68: © 2022 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC; Courtesy Lionsgate. 

Page 69: Courtesy MGM/UA 

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Page 71: Photo Zenith Richards / Met Opera; Photo Courtesy Fathom Events 

Page 72: Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 Marvel. 

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Page 77: Photo by Claudette Barius, courtesy Warner Bros. 

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Boxoffice Pro - Winter 2023

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