Boxoffice Pro - March/April 2023

$6.95 / March/April 2023 

GIANTS OF 

EXHIBITION 2023 

The Top 50 Circuits in North America 

The Official Magazine of the National Association of Theatre Owners

March/April 2023 

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

INDUSTRY 

CONTENTS 

72 

A Merrie Olde Goode Time 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor 

Among Thieves Brings Fantasy 

and Comedy to the Multiplex 

18 

The Return of MoviePass 

The Cinema Subscription 

Service Is Back and 

Determined to Get Things 

Right This Time 

50 

Exhibitors Have Their Say 

66 

No Way Back, One Way Out 

“Look Exhibition beyond Leaders the Share bag or bucket Chad Stahelski and you’ll Brings find the 

Their 

world 

Favorite 

of 

Moviegoing 

popcorn is surprisingly 

John Wick Back 

complex” 

to the Post- 

Moments of 2022 

Pandemic Big Screen 

Everything about Popcorn–p72 

78 

Q2 2023 Preview 

The Buzziest Studio Releases 

in 2023’s Second Quarter 

Nov/Dec 2022 

01

CONTENTS 

INDUSTRY THEATER ON SCREEN 

10 

12 

14 

18 

24 

NATO 

2023’s Global Box Office: A Strong 

Start 

NATO 

NATO Asks Congress to Support 

Credit Card Reform 

Charity Spotlight 

A Recap of Industry-Wide Charity 

Initiatives 

The Return of MoviePass 

The Cinema Subscription Service Is 

Back and Determined to Get Things 

Right This Time 

Indie Influencers 

Highlights from the Dine In Cinema 

Summit 2023 

32 

50 

60 

Giants of Exhibition 

The Top 50 Domestic Circuits of 2023 

Exhibitors Have Their Say 

Exhibition Leaders Share Their 

Favorite Moviegoing Moments of 2022 

Cinemark, Reinvented 

Cinemark Rolls Out Its Updated Brand 

Identity 

“Introducing an integrated 

philosophy of design and 

branding into the exhibition 

business is only going to 

help improve the moviegoing 

experience.” 

Cinemark, Reinvented, p. 60 

66 

72 

78 

86 

88 

No Way Back, One Way Out 

Chad Stahelski Brings John 

Wick Back to the Post-Pandemic 

Big Screen 

A Merrie Olde Goode Time 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among 

Thieves Brings Fantasy and Comedy 

to the Multiplex 


The Buzziest Studio Releases in 

2023’s Second Quarter 

Event Cinema Calendar 

A Sampling of Event Cinema 

Programming Hitting the Big 

Screen in 2023 

Booking Guide 


The Buzziest Studio Releases in 

2023’s Second Quarter 

02 March/April 2023

CRETORS 

INVENTED THE 

POPCORN 

MACHINE 

THEN JUST KEPT GOING! 

When it comes to concessions, 

it comes from Cretors. 

SINCE 1885 

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

BOXOFFICE MEDIA 

CEO 

Julien Marcel 

SVP Content Strategy 

Daniel Loría 

Creative Direction 

Extract Studio 

EVP Chief Administrative Officer 

Susan Rich 

VP Advertising 

Patricia Martin 

BOXOFFICE PRO 

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR 

Daniel Loría 

DEPUTY EDITOR 

Rebecca Pahle 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Laura Silver 

CHIEF ANALYST 

Shawn Robbins 

ANALYSTS 

Chad Kennerk 

Jesse Rifkin 

DATABASE 

Diogo Hausen 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Phil Contrino 

Todd Halstead 

INTERNS 

Emery Beacon 

Emily Coss 

Caden Foppe 

Dianna Foran 

Estelle Sweeney 

Verlee Sweeney 

ADVERTISING 


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Boxoffice Pro (ISSN 0006-8527), Volume 159, Number 2, March/April 2023. Boxoffice Pro is published by 

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EXECUTIVE LETTER 

THE FUTURE 

IS NOW 

Six Trends That Will Transform the Cinema Industry 

BY JULIEN MARCEL 

The cinema industry is constantly 

evolving, with new technologies and 

changing consumer preferences shaping 

the way movies are made and watched. 

From the growing popularity of streaming 

services to the increased focus on premiumization 

and sustainability, these and 

other trends will shape the future of the 

cinema industry and determine which 

companies and films succeed in the 

coming years. Whether you’re a film lover, 

industry professional, or just curious 

about the future of cinema, these are the 

trends to watch for: 

1. Changes in Leadership Will Reshape 

Exhibition 

Exhibition has been forced to adapt following 

the events of 2020. Cineworld, the 

second-largest cinema chain in the world, 

filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection 

in the United States. CGR, France’s second-largest 

exhibition chain, announced 

that it was up for sale. Vue International’s 

biggest creditors converted the company’s 

debt into an ownership stake in 

the company. And the PVR/Inox merger 

in India has been given the go-ahead. 

Control over the industry is in a state of 

flux, and those who end up at the head 

of the table will make decisions that will 

affect us all. In particular, the question on 

many industry insiders’ minds is whether 

companies like Amazon, with its Whole 

Foods acquisition, will set their sights on 

the purchase of movie theater circuits. 

And while it may not be the likeliest 

scenario, the end of the 1948 Paramount 

decrees under the Trump administration 

has cleared the path for the consolidation 

of studios and movie theater circuits. 

2. Distribution Is Changing, Too 

The distribution market has undergone 

a significant reshaping in recent years. 

2020–2021 introduced a rash of experimentation 

like the day-and-date release 

strategy, which threatens the exclusivity 

of theatrical releases. In 2022, companies 

like Amazon and Netflix emerged as 

potential solutions to distribution’s 

pandemic challenges, and in 2023, key 

streamers will make the role they intend 

to play even clearer: Will Amazon confirm 

its commitment to investing $1 billion 

a year in movies that open on the big 

screen? Will Netflix follow suit? As the 

production cycle continues to recover 

from Covid, exhibition must rebuild 

moviegoing habits in a market where midbudget 

films often go the streaming route. 

Some markets are affected by this relative 

lack of content more than others. In the 

U.S., the top 10 movies of 2022 represented 

55 percent of its annual box office, 

compared to 39 percent in 2019. While in 

France, the top 10 films represented 25 

percent of admissions last year, nearly the 

same as in 2019. 

3. A Focus on Premiumization 

The success of tentpole films like Avatar: 

The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick 

has confirmed the public’s appetite for 

true cinematic experiences, especially in 

premium formats like Dolby, Imax, Ice 

Theaters, 4DX, and ScreenX, all of which 

continue to outperform standard formats. 

So, instead of questioning how many 

premium screens they should have in any 

given location, exhibitors should strive to 

create cinemas in which every single seat 

is considered premium by some measure. 


This could include offering more food 

and beverage options, luxury seating, and 

enhanced sound and projection, anything 

to make the moviegoing experience even 

more irresistible to customers. The industry 

needs to adapt to this trend and find 

ways to provide a premium experience 

for all moviegoers, not just those who can 

afford expensive tickets. 

4. Reimagined Ticket Pricing 

Strategies 

Movie ticket pricing has been a hot topic 

in recent years, especially during the 

coronavirus crisis. Blaming inflation for 

high ticket prices is reasonable but won’t 

satisfy most journalists and consumers. 

Neither will pointing out that films like 

Top Gun and Avatar were responsible for 

skewing average prices higher. 

As ticket pricing evolves, so too should 

the way our industry approaches ticketing, 

embracing new technologies to meet the 

expectations of consumers in a digital 

world. Online ticketing first surged in many 

markets during Covid, and its growing 

popularity may soon make buying a ticket 

at the box office obsolete. Key players like 

Fandango, MoviePass, Atom Tickets, and 

The Boxoffice Company are currently 

reinventing themselves to meet this shift to 

an online-first digital ticketing model. 

5. Redefining the Addressable Market 

The moviegoing experience currently 

exists within two markets: the movie 

business, with its growing home-entertainment 

component, and the out-ofhome 

leisure business. While the studios 

experiment with yet more ways to reach 

audiences at home, such as the Screening 

Room and PVOD, many exhibitors have 

begun to reinvent themselves as entertainment 

destinations, rather than pure 

movie theaters. Some exhibitors have 

already jumped in by adding premium 

dining, bowling alleys, laser tag, V.R. 

experiences, and arcade gaming to their 

facilities. By redefining and expanding 

the addressable market, exhibitors can 

evolve the moviegoing experience in new 

and exciting ways. 

6. Sustainability Will Be Key 

The cinema industry is facing a sustainability 

challenge as the need to battle 

climate change becomes more urgent. 

In addition, the war in Ukraine has created 

major tensions on energy markets, 

making energy conservation a key goal 

around the world. The commitment to 

sustainability varies from country to 

country, but it’s clear that consumers 

expect their favorite brands and venues 

to combine cents and sense—value for 

money and value for meaning. 

Exhibition must adapt to these challenges 

by embracing sustainable practices 

and meeting the expectations of a more 

environmentally conscious audience. 

This includes looking into energy-efficient 

technologies, reducing waste and 

carbon footprint, and promoting sustainable 

business practices. The moviegoing 

experience has always had the power to 

bring us together, and by making it a 

more environmentally responsible experience, 

it has the power to remind us that 

our planet’s sustenance, much like our 

industry’s, depends on how well we take 

care of it. 

Julien Marcel is CEO of The Boxoffice 

Company 

Powerful Cinema 

Management Software 

• Point of Sale 

• Customer Experience 

• Marketing 

• Theatre Management 

• Enterprise 

8133 Warden Avenue, Suite 400. Markham, Ontario, Canada, L6G 1B3 

www.omniterm.com | sales@omniterm.com | (844) 730-1430 


07

NATO 10 | Charity Spotlight 14 | The Return of MoviePass 18 | Indie Influencers 26 

INDUSTRY 

“We are all trying new things to make our complexes 

more attractive to consumers—better menus, better 

execution, easier ordering, and more options like FECs.” 

Indie Influencers, p. 20 


09

INDUSTRY NATO 

2023’S GLOBAL 

BOX OFFICE: A 

STRONG START 

Even though it’s early in the year, there have been 

several success stories at the box office in 2023. 

Here are some of the key takeaways. 

BY PHIL CONTRINO 

Don’t Bet Against James Cameron 

With nearly $2.2 billion in global box 

office as of this writing, Cameron has once 

again silenced his naysayers. Well, mostly. 

His film’s phenomenal success didn’t 

stop Vox from posting an article with the 

following headline: “How Avatar: The 

Way of Water Can Make $2 Billion and 

Still Feel Irrelevant.” Hmm. Maybe that 

writer needs to rethink the concept of 

relevance. Avatar: The Way of Water gave 

2023 the boost it needed to start off strong. 

Domestically, the film has earned more 

than $240 million in 2023 as of press time. 

The success of Avatar: The Way of 

Water has laid the groundwork for other 

movies to do well, thanks to the increased 

exposure their trailers received at Avatar 

screenings. A movie as big as The Way of 

Water has the ability to catch infrequent 

moviegoers—and convince a good portion 

of them to come a little more often. 

It’s important to remember that the 

first Avatar didn’t overshadow other 

movies when it opened in December 

2009. It helped build a massive wave of 

moviegoing enthusiasm that could be 

felt well into 2010. 

The encouraging results 

we’ve seen in January 

and February bode well 

for the rest of the year, 

when the release slate 

will be more robust. 

Tapping into Online Enthusiasm Can 

Lead to Big Results 

While online buzz doesn’t always translate 

into big box office, it often does. For 

M3GAN, the online chatter surrounding 

its trailer led to impressive attendance. 

The success of M3GAN dispels the lazy 

notion that young people don’t go to the 

movies. M3GAN producer Jason Blum 

told Deadline.com during the film’s opening: 

“Everyone has been saying that we’ve 

lost the under-25 crowd. M3GAN is a clear 

indication that we have not. If you make 

the right movie, and make it the right way, 

the audience is there.” 

Heated Debate Is Good for the 

Box Office 

When it comes to directors who advocate 

for theatrical, M. Night Shyamalan is 

one of the best champions we have. His 

name-brand status and financial stake 

in his own films allow him to take a lot 

of chances. Sometimes audiences don’t 

respond well to his decisions. (And then 

they change their minds. Spend some 

time online and see how the reputation 

of The Village has evolved over the years.) 


Other times, they do. One thing is certain, 

though: Shyamalan’s movies always 

generate a lot of conversation. Knock at 

the Cabin shot to the top of the box office 

for that very reason. 

Yes, moviegoers crave familiar characters 

and story lines, but I believe that 

more than ever they want to be surprised. 

No Segment of the Moviegoing 

Population Should Be Neglected 

80 For Brady finished only slightly behind 

Knock at the Cabin during the first weekend 

of February, and a Variety headline 

perfectly summed up the importance of 

its successful debut: “A Plea to Hollywood 

after 80 for Brady Scores: Make More Fun 

Movies for Women!” 

There’s no need for complicated 

analysis of today’s box office. It’s simple: 

When all demographics have a strong set 

of options to pick from, they will show up. 

Shah Rukh Khan Helps Invigorate 

Indian Cinema 

As of this writing, Pathaan, the latest 

action film from mega-star Shah Rukh 

Khan, has earned more than $124 million 

worldwide, $17 million of which has been 

tallied in North America. This marks a 

big turning point for a vital film market 

that has struggled to recover from the 

pandemic. (Of course, RRR also deserves 

credit for introducing a lot of people 

to the incredible experience of Indian 

cinema. It’s still playing to packed 

theaters nearly a year after its release.) 

“It is a historic day for Indian cinema, 

and we are humbled to see the love and 

appreciation that is flowing for Pathaan 

globally,” Akshaye Widhani, CEO of 

Yash Raj Films, the film’s distributor, 

told Variety on opening weekend. “For 

Pathaan to shatter records in this fashion 

on a non-holiday just proves that the 

theatrical business is here to stay, 

provided we make films that entice 

people to come to the cinemas to witness 

a never-seen-before experience that 

entertains them thoroughly.” 

The Chinese Box Office Is Gaining 

Momentum 

The Wandering Earth 2 has earned more 

than $500 million in China since opening 

on January 22. That’s an important 

milestone in a market that has been 

hindered by shutdown after shutdown. 

Thanks to the success of The Wandering 

Earth 2, the Chinese box office hit the 

10-billion-yuan threshold faster than it 

ever has before. 

We’re Just Getting Started 

The encouraging results we’ve seen in 

January and February bode well for the 

rest of the year, when the release slate 

will be more robust. Moviegoers are 

coming back with great enthusiasm, and 

they’ll have plenty of great options in the 

months to come. 

Phil Contrino is Director of Media and 

Research, NATO 


11

INDUSTRY NATO 

B&B Theatres’ Mike Hagan 

with newly elected Sen. 

Eric Schmitt (R-MO) 

NATO ASKS 

CONGRESS 

TO SUPPORT 

CREDIT CARD 

REFORM 

Exorbitant credit card fees 

levied on merchants have led 

NATO members to advocate for 

the passage of the bipartisan 

Credit Card Competition Act. 

BY TODD HALSTEAD 

As the voice for the cinema exhibition 

industry in Washington, the 

National Association of Theatre Owners 

advocates for proactive federal policies 

that foster a thriving business environment 

for movie theater operators and 

their employees while fighting harmful 

legislation and regulations that could 

negatively impact the industry. To that 

end, NATO is helping lead the charge in 

support of the Credit Card Competition 

Act, which aims to lower costs for merchants 

and drive payments innovation by 

bringing much-needed competition to the 

credit card market. 

Since the new Congress convened in 

January, a growing number of NATO volunteer 

advocates have traveled to Capitol 

Hill to meet face-to-face with federal lawmakers 

and their staff to discuss the need 

for credit card reform. In February, several 

NATO members and advocates from 

other industries joined a fly-in organized 

by the Merchants Payments Coalition 

in support of this critical legislation. For 

nearly 15 years, NATO has been a member 

of the MPC, a group of more than 200 

trade associations representing retailers, 

supermarkets, restaurants, convenience 

stores, and other businesses focused on 

reforming the U.S. payments system to 

make it more transparent and competitive. 

The message delivered to lawmakers 

in these meetings was clear: Congress 

must take action to pass the Credit Card 

Competition Act to help fix the broken 

payments market. 

You know how it goes. Every time 

a consumer inserts, swipes, or taps a 

credit card in person or enters their card 

number online, the merchant must pay 

hidden nonnegotiable processing swipe 

fees. Unsurprisingly, swipe fees are among 

the highest operating costs for exhibitors, 

who often process multiple transactions 

on a single credit card in one visit by a 

moviegoer. Further compounding the 

impact of swipe fees on the movie theater 

industry is the fact that cash is becoming 

a rarity, as reserved seating and the 

pandemic has accelerated moviegoers’ 

transition to digital payments. As a result, 


moviegoers increasingly rely on credit 

cards to purchase tickets and concessions 

through websites and apps, which are 

card-not-present transactions that carry 

higher interchange rates. 

Basic economic theory generally 

demonstrates that when businesses have 

to compete for customers in a healthy 

economic market, it often leads to lower 

prices and more innovation. It’s the opposite 

in the credit card payments system. 

Visa and Mastercard, which control more 

than 80 percent of the credit card market, 

centrally set increasingly exorbitant 

swipe fees that they and the giant Wall 

Street banks collect on every transaction 

made with credit cards issued under their 

brands. Additionally, the card giants 

restrict credit card processing to their 

own networks, prohibiting competition 

from innovative independent payment 

networks that may offer both lower fees 

and better security. 

These anticompetitive practices have 

made credit card swipe fees in the United 

States the highest in the industrialized 

world—varying between 2 percent and 

4 percent of the transaction amount. 

That’s significantly more than in Europe 

or China, which have capped these fees 

through regulation at 0.30 percent and 

0.45 percent, respectively. As a result, 

credit card swipe fees paid by merchants 

in North America have more than doubled 

over the last decade to $105.23 billion 

in 2021 (and nearly $138 billion when 

debit fees are included). 

Last April, Visa and Mastercard doubled 

down and further increased credit 

card swipe fees by almost $1.2 billion 

a year, despite bipartisan calls from 

Congress not to do so over inflation concerns. 

As a percentage of the transaction, 

the amount the card networks and banks 

collect in swipe fees automatically goes 

up as prices increase—creating a multiplier 

on inflation. Adding insult to injury 

for businesses and consumers struggling 

in the current economy, Visa’s chief 

financial officer boasted on an earnings 

call that inflation is a net positive for the 

card company. 

After decades of anticompetitive 

practices by the Visa and Mastercard 

cartel, it’s clear that this fundamentally 

broken system will not self-correct. That’s 

why Congress must take quick action to 

inject much-needed competition into 

the credit card market and require that 

the two dominating networks compete 

for both issuing banks and merchants. 

Initially introduced late last session by 

Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Roger 

Marshall (R-KS), the bipartisan Credit 

Card Competition Act would require the 

nation’s largest banks to enable credit 

cards they issue to be processed by at 

least two unaffiliated networks—Visa or 

Mastercard plus an independent network 

like NYCE, Star, or Shazam. American 

Express or Discover could also be the 

second network. Banks would decide 

which two networks to enable, but retailers 

would decide which of the two to 

use. That means networks would have to 

come to the table and compete over fees, 

service, and security, potentially saving 

merchants and their customers across the 

country at least $11 billion a year, according 

to payments consulting firm CMSPI. 

Additionally, implementation of this 

legislation would establish a crucial 

backup plan for a national economy 

heavily dependent on credit cards. In the 

event that Visa’s or Mastercard’s networks 

are hacked or suffer an outage, the existence 

of a secondary network would guard 

against devastating economic loss to 

merchants. I have spoken with exhibitors 

who have lost business due to network 

outages that could have been avoided 

with network redundancy. Last June, Visa 

and MasterCard customers reportedly 

experienced processing issues across the 

United States. And in 2018, Visa reportedly 

experienced a brief service disruption 

across Europe that prevented some 

transactions from being processed. These 

outages underscore some of the risks 

posed by complex, centralized networks. 

Amid the challenges of supply chain 

disruptions, labor shortages, and inflation 

facing merchants in an ongoing post-pandemic 

economic recovery, there is a 

pressing need for Congress to take immediate 

action to bring much-need relief to 

merchants by addressing the sharp rise in 

swipe fees and the absence of competition 

in the nation’s payments system. As an 

exhibitor, you have a great story to tell 

and the ability to influence the outcome 

of this legislation. When you receive a call 

to action, it is critical that you reach out to 

your lawmakers and urge them to support 

the Credit Card Competition Act. 

Todd Halstead is Director of Government 

Relations and Strategy Development, NATO 

HOW YOU CAN 

GET INVOLVED 

Meeting directly with your 

lawmakers and their staff 

is the single most effective 

way to advocate for policies 

that can help the movie 

theater industry grow 

and to bring attention 

to challenges faced by 

exhibitors. Thank you to the 

following NATO advocates 

who traveled to Capitol Hill 

to meet with their federal 

lawmakers to advocate for 

credit card reform during 

the first 30 days of the 118th 

Congress: 

Bill and Colleen Barstow 

Main Street Theatres 

Joe Masher 

Bow Tie Management 

Joel Davis 

Premiere Cinemas 

John Curry 

Regal Entertainment Group 

Julie Mingus 

Cinemark 

Mark O’Meara 

University Mall Theatres 

& Cinema Arts Theatre 

Michael Hagan 

B&B Theatres 

We’d love to have you on 

our advocacy team as 

we continue our work to 

advance policies that help 

exhibitors and their workers 

succeed. Reach out to me 

at trh@natodc.com to join 

the effort in Washington. 


13

INDUSTRY CHARITY SPOTLIGHT 

CHARITY 

SPOTLIGHT 

Past Events 

January 7 

Variety of Southern California and Studio 

Movie Grill’s Bakersfield, California 

location partnered for an adaptive bike 

presentation, followed by a Special Needs 

Screening of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. 

Receiving a brand-new adaptive bike was 

a 5-year-old local resident who has cerebral 

palsy and is completely dependent 

on her walker to move around. She was 

excited to receive an adaptive bike of her 

very own—and her parents were equally 

thrilled that she could be more active and 

independent. Bonus: Puss in Boots: The 

Last Wish was her very first movie! She 

was so happy to see her first film with 

her family and friends from California 

Children’s Services Center of the Kern 

County Public Health Department. 

February 3 

A check for $3,100, courtesy of Variety of 

Florida and Epic Theatres, was presented 

to the St. Augustine location of the Brooks 

Rehabilitation Center for the purpose of 

providing an adaptive therapy bike for 

children in need. 

February 4 

Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis 

hosted its Young Variety Trivia Night 

(above) at the Congregation Temple Israel. 

Participants enjoyed drinks, raffles, 10 

rounds of trivia, and more. 

February 11–15 

For five days in February, Variety – the 

Children’s Charity hosted the ShowHeart 

concert, a virtual concert series/streama-thon 

on livestreaming platform Twitch. 

Fifty-plus musicians and bands from 

around the world performed, and the 

proceeds went to in-need children and 

their families. 

February 19 

A little bit of Vegas came to the Indian 

Wells Country Club for the Indian 

Wells Charity Classic, and Variety – the 

Children’s Charity of the Desert was one 

of three charities benefiting from the 

event. In addition to featuring blackjack, 

roulette, and craps, the event hosted 

silent and live auctions, the latter emceed 

by Patrick Evans from local radio station 

KESQ. Supporters of Variety – the 

Children’s Charity of the Desert will 

return to the Indian Wells Country Club 

on March 13 for the Fifth Annual Variety 

Golf Scramble. 


Upcoming Events 

March 4–5 

varietybuffalo.org 

Variety – the Children’s Charity of 

Buffalo and Western N.Y. hosts its 

61st Annual Variety Kids Telethon. For 

their donations, Variety supporters will 

receive thank-you gifts that support 

local businesses in western New York. 

March 12 

varietysn.org 

Variety – the Children’s Charity of 

Southern Nevada hosts its 12th-annual 

Variety Salutes Hollywood Oscar-viewing 

party at Las Vegas’s Brenden Theaters 

at Palms Casino & Hotel. Proceeds will 

benefit Variety – the Children’s Charity 

as it continues to provide universally 

accessible all-play parks, inclusive 

relaxation rooms, and equipment and 

support to children in the Las Vegas 

Valley area. 


varietyiowa.com 

Variety – the Children’s Charity of Iowa 

will host its second-annual Chili Cookoff 

with the Loop DSM, held at the Iowa 

Taproom in Des Moines. Submit a chili 

of your own for a chance to win in a handful 

of categories—or just buy a tasting 

ticket to get a sample of all the wares. 

women who make a positive difference 

in the lives of Coachella Valley children. 

The event takes place at the Agua Caliente 

Rancho Mirage casino. 

April 22 

varietyflorida.org 

The Dunhill Companies will host a 

wine-tasting event benefiting the children 

of Variety – the Children’s Charity of 

Florida. The event will take place at the 

Mini Cooper Showroom in Orlando. 

June 12 

variety-detroit.com 

Variety of Detroit’s annual Variety Kovan 

Golf Classic—funds from which benefit 

the Dr. Bradley S. Kovan Memorial Fund 

at Friendship Circle, the University of 

Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, 

and Variety programs for children 

with special needs—takes place at 

the Knollwood Country Club in West 

Bloomfield, Michigan. 

A YEAR OF FREE 

SPECIAL NEEDS 

SCREENINGS 

AT STUDIO 

MOVIE GRILL 

Texas-based dine-in 

chain Studio Movie Grill 

has announced that 

all its Special Needs 

Screenings—a series 

celebrating its 20th 

anniversary this year—will 

be completely free to 

attend. This change will 

enable more older children 

and adults with special 

needs and their families 

to enjoy the magic of the 

movies. Special Needs 

Screenings take place 

at all SMG locations and 

feature first-run movies. 

Upcoming screenings 

include Shazam! Fury of 

the Gods, Dungeons and 

Dragons: Honor Among 

Thieves, and The Super 

Mario Bros. Movie. 

Find out more at: 

www.studiomoviegrill.com/ 

movie/special-needs 

-screenings 


varietytexas.org 

Variety of Texas will host Kites for Kids— 

a free event held at Variety’s Peaceable 

Kingdom Retreat for Children in Killeen. 

More than 500 people attended the 2022 

Kites for Kids and took part in a day of 

free activities. Register today at bit.ly/ 

K4K-23 and get a free kite! 

May 22 

varietywi.org 

Variety Children’s Charity of Wisconsin 

will host its annual Spring Golf Classic, 

taking place at the Western Lakes Golf 

Club in Pewaukee. The event will feature 

a cocktail reception, dinner, and, of 

course, golfing. 

April 14 

varietyofthedesert.org 

Variety – the Children’s Charity of the 

Desert hosts its second-annual Women 

of Wonder Luncheon, celebrating 

Receiving a brand-new 

adaptive bike was a 5-yearold 

local resident who 

has cerebral palsy and is 

completely dependent on 

her walker to move around. 


15

INDUSTRY IN MEMORIAM: BILL THOMPSON 

IN MEMORIAM: 

BILL THOMPSON 

The Motion Picture Club’s annual 

holiday luncheon, held December 

8, 2022, was a bittersweet affair. Its usual 

spirit of camaraderie was tinged with 

melancholy because of the absence of 

Bill Thompson. The 2022 recipient of the 

MPC’s Lifetime Achievement Award— 

renamed the William R. Thompson 

Lifetime Achievement Award in his 

honor—was ill and passed away days 

later, on December 11. 

A veteran of cinema exhibition and 

distribution, Thompson was a key 

figure in New York City’s film scene for 

decades—first as a film booker, then in 

executive roles. Always searching out new 

challenges, Thompson tended to switch 

jobs regularly, and the list of companies 

he worked for—including City Cinemas, 

Cineplex Odeon, Picturehouse, Miramax, 

Cohen Media Group, the Walter Reade 

Theater, and Music Box Films—is a testament 

to the enduring impact he had on 

this industry in his nearly 50-year career. 

One thing that remained consistent 

from job to job was Thompson’s involvement 

in the Motion Picture Club, a 

nonprofit group that’s been a hub of the 

thriving New York City cinema scene for 

nearly 85 years. Thompson served as the 

MPC’s president from 1990 to 1991 and 

was on the board of directors for 40 years. 

In a final gesture, Thompson and his 

family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations 

be made to the Motion Picture Club 

in his memory. 

Donate here: 

REMEMBRANCES 

“Bill Thompson was the industry’s ‘class act.’ 

A savvy executive, he was a true gentleman 

and always the model of professionalism. He 

had an encyclopedic knowledge of film and 

moviegoing, coupled with a heart of pure 

gold and an unmatched spirit of generosity. 

Bill worked at City Cinemas years ago, but 

for the last few decades we worked with 

him as a theatrical distributor. Leaving a 

wonderful legacy and an indelible mark, Bill 

will continue to serve as a role model for so 

many of us. Our hearts go out to his wife, 

Sherrie, his daughters, Samantha and Sarah, 

and his many friends and fans.” 

Ellen Cotter, 

President and CEO, Reading International 

“Bill Thompson was a talented, intelligent, 

respected film executive who cared deeply 

about film, the film business, and the people 

in it. He was an elegant man and a great 

friend who will be deeply missed by all who 

knew him.” 

Bobbie Peterson Mann, 

Retired film distribution executive 

“Bill’s generosity of time and energy for the 

MPC over his long career is equal to the time, 

energy, and love that he extended to his 

many loyal friends and colleagues. Bill was a 

close friend for 40 years, and I miss him.” 

Linda Ditrinco, 

Retired film distribution executive 

“Bill’s involvement and dedication with 

the Motion Picture Club dates back to 

1981, when he first became a member. He 

eventually joined the board and then was 

chosen as its president in 1991. One of the 

things that amazed me about Bill is that he 

was quite the journeyman in our industry yet 

still remained constant with his involvement 

and commitment with the MPC. He really 

loved all the camaraderie and charitable 

work the MPC does and the financial benefit 

that we provide to charities. Even in the 

battle of his life he remained involved and 

committed to the organization. The gesture 

by him and his family to have donations in 

his memory go to the Motion Picture Club 

speaks volumes of how much he loved and 

believed in the work of our organization 

to continue to help it and our supported 

charities in the future.” 

John Z. Shahinian, 

Retired film distribution executive / 

Treasurer, Motion Picture Club 

Bill Thompson was a well-loved and 

dedicated film executive who spent almost 

five decades in the film industry. Besides 

being a past president of the Motion 

Picture Club, he took an active part in the 

decision making of various events and the 

MPC’s support of charities. The Lifetime 

Achievement Award he received was welldeserved. 

I’ve known Bill for close to 40 years. 

He will be dearly missed. Thanks, Bill.” 

Richard Tabin, 

Retired salesman, Universal Studios / 

Financial Secretary, Motion Picture Club 


Industry THE RETURN OF MOVIEPASS 

THE RETURN OF 

MOVIEPASS 

The Cinema Subscription Service Is Back, Relaunching 

Under Its Original Leadership and Determined to Get 

Things Right This Time 

BY DANIEL LORIA 

Stacy Spikes spent most of the last 

decade introducing the concept of 

a universal cinema subscription plan to 

the U.S. market. The co-founder and CEO 

of MoviePass remained at the helm of his 

company after it was acquired in 2017 by 

Helios & Matheson, a data analytics firm, 

but a contentious debate over the plan’s 

unsustainable pricing plan later got him 

fired from the company he co-founded. 

MoviePass soon spiraled into bankruptcy, 

paving the way for exhibition circuits to 

start launching their own subscription 

services. But Spikes wasn’t done with the 

concept. He brought MoviePass back from 

bankruptcy during the pandemic with 

plans to relaunch the service. Boxoffice 

Pro spoke with Spikes just as MoviePass 

was expanding the beta testing of its 

revamped subscription plan; the formal 

launch will happen this summer. 

MoviePass is one of the most 

immediately recognizable brands in 

moviegoing today, for many of the 

right reasons, and for some of the 

wrong reasons. You co-founded the 

company in the early 2010s, launched 

pilot programs with major circuits, 

and, in effect, introduced the concept 

of cinema subscription to the nation. 

You were acquired by a tech company, 

and MoviePass grew quickly at first 

under the new ownership. But later, as 

everything went down in flames, you 

were fired from your own company— 

leaving moviegoers and exhibitors 

burned in the process. In your own 

words, what happened? 

That’s a great lead-up to where we are 

now. My co-founder, Hamet Watt, and 

I founded the company in 2011. We got 

funded in 2012, and after five years of 

grinding it out, making things happen, 

and building a brand, we got a buy offer 

from a private equity group called HMNY. 

The board approved the acquisition, and 

part of the acquisition was that they 

wanted to announce the merger by 

dropping the price of a MoviePass 

subscription to $10 a month for a period 

of time. When I was CEO, it was $30 a 

month. They wanted to add another 

100,000 subscribers, thinking it would 

maybe take a couple of months. 

So the $10-per-month MoviePass offer 

was initially launched as a limitedtime 

offer? 

Yes, a limited-time offer meant to 

announce the acquisition. We went ahead 

with it, hit 100,000 new subscribers in 

less than 48 hours, and then I said, “Turn 

it off, turn it off now—quickly.” They 

saw how fast we were growing and asked, 

“Isn’t this exciting?” I said, “You cannot 

make money at $10 a month when you are 

allowing people to go to the movies every 

day.” They said, “No, we got this—we 

know what we are doing.” Roll ahead a 

few months, and we are climbing up to 

around a quarter of a million new subscribers 

every month. We were coming up 

on December, having these really contentious 

board meetings. I insisted we had 

to turn off the offer. They thought about 

it over the holidays and sent me an email 

during the first week of January, thanking 

“I said, ‘You cannot make 

money at $10 a month 

when you are allowing 

people to go to the movies 

every day.’ They said, ‘No, 

we got this—we know what 

we are doing.’” 



19


me and informing me my services were 

no longer needed. I got fired and kicked 

off the board of my own company, and 

that launched the next chapter of the 

story: They got up to around 3 million 

subscribers, losing a ton of money on 

everything, and went out of business. A 

year and a half goes by, Covid hits, I am 

licking my wounds. I started another business 

and, long story short, I went back 

and bought MoviePass out of bankruptcy 

and now we’re relaunching the service. 

Being an entrepreneur is a big part of 

your identity. You just released a book, 

available in bookstores now, titled 

Black Founder: The Hidden Power 

of Being an Outsider. In it, you talk 

about how difficult it is to get funding, 

especially as an African American 

man working in an industry like 

cinema. Do those kinds of obstacles 

motivate you, and did they lead you 

back to MoviePass? 

Thank you for mentioning the book. I 

wrote it because I wanted to inspire young 

people who are maybe looking at me as 

an example, in order to say, “You can do 

this too.” When I was in high school, I was 

reading Richard Branson’s Virgin King and 

David Geffen’s The Rise and Rise of David 

Geffen, and those entrepreneurs inspired 

me in my world. I also remember reading 

Sumner Redstone’s book A Passion to 

Win. Another great one is Sam Spiegel’s 

book; he was the executive producer of 

Lawrence of Arabia. These were the books 

I was reading in high school. To your point, 

there are not a lot of people of color who 

are either at the helm of movie theaters 

or studios, or green-lighting. You run into 

that challenge in this country where only 

around 1 to 3 percent of all venture capital 

goes to founders who are people of color 

or women. Part of the reason we ran into 

trouble and had to get outside capital 

was that we could not get the funding we 

needed, even though MoviePass had built 

a brand and was very successful. Those 

guys who came in were able to raise nearly 

a quarter of a billion dollars on the same 

company just a couple of months later. It 

just shows you the disparity that was there, 

but being an entrepreneur, you persevere 

and just keep going no matter what. You 

build something great because you believe 

in it, and I believe in moviegoing as the 

highest form of entertainment that human 

beings have ever created. 

“There are not a lot of people 

of color who are either at the 

helm of movie theaters or 

studios, or green-lighting. You 

run into that challenge in this 

country where only around 1 to 

3 percent of all venture capital 

goes to founders who are 

people of color or women.” 

I’m sure a lot of founders would 

love to have that opportunity: 

creating something, turning it into 

a brand, and after things go south, 

coming back to give it another 

shot. MoviePass still has a positive 

brand association with moviegoers. 

Exhibitors, however, may have 

some reservations about MoviePass, 

considering how things ended. What 

would you say to those exhibitors who 

remain apprehensive? 

I did a listening tour when we looked 

to buy back MoviePass. I went to the 

Independent Cinema Alliance, I went to 

NATO, I called everyone I could. We are 

an open door, we are here to help, and 

we are here to work with everybody. We 

believe that cinema needs a software 

upgrade, and there are some advantages 

we can lean into. I think people never 

had a problem with me and my 

co-founder; they largely had a problem 

with the management team that replaced 

us, how they behaved. Those guys are 

gone, and we are back. Consumers had 

a great experience, studios had a great 

experience, but the theaters got the short 

end of the stick with the prior team. But 

now I am back at the helm and giving 

exhibitors my guarantee that those things 

are not going to happen here. 

What are the main questions and 

concerns you’ve been getting from 

exhibitors during this launch process? 

The biggest concerns [are about] customer 

service—making sure customers are 

taken care of and responded to—and that 

the theaters wouldn’t be left holding the 

bag. [The previous ownership team was] 

running a business model that was not 

financially stable and could not be supported, 

so they left some people hanging. 

[Another concern is] just knowing how we 

will interact with exhibitors, if they will 

be able to play a role in what the service 

is going to look like. That is why this time 

around, MoviePass is much more of a 

marketplace—where there is a lot more 

interactivity. We are trying to build it so 

that partner exhibitors have dashboards 

where they can control the levers. A 

big difference between this iteration of 

MoviePass and the previous one is that 

we used to have a one-price-for-all model. 

It made it hard for the smaller players 

to compete with the big circuits. This 

time around, we have instituted a credits 


system where independent exhibitors 

can price their tickets competitively on 

MoviePass. That way, whenever a movie 

is not performing well or it is slow in 

the theater, they can drive more traffic 

through dynamic pricing. 

Can you provide more detail about 

how this new version of MoviePass 

will work? 

The old version was one price and one plan. 

The new version is tiered into four plans, 

all at different price points. Moviegoers get 

an allotment of credits within their tier and 

can buy individual tickets through those 

credits. We allow our partner theaters to 

control the cost of tickets per credits, so if a 

theater does not want to lower the number 

of credits on a Friday or Saturday night on 

opening weekend, they do not have to. But 

if during the middle of the week they want 

to drive traffic, they have the ability to do 

that by lowering their price. You could 

not do that last time. The tiered systems 

give us dynamic-pricing capability. Think 

of us as an Airbnb or an Expedia for this 

industry. Whether you are running a hotel 

or a bed-and-breakfast, those companies 

provide a software layer that allows you to 

communicate with the customer. Think of 

the movie as the tourist destination and 

your theater as the hotel: You’re reaching 

consumers who are shopping for where 

to spend their money for that experience. 

For non-partner theaters, the consumer 

has to go to the theater, check-in, and 

magnetically swipe a card. For our partner 

theaters, we connect to their point-of-sales 

so the customer can select and purchase 

their seat directly from the app. We have 

already seen that our partner theaters have 

a 30 percent higher conversion rate versus 

non-partners. There is no cost to becoming 

a partner theater—and there is no cost 

difference to the exhibitor. We just activate 

and plug them into our system at no cost. 

Are there any partner circuits you 

can announce at this stage? 

Studio Movie Grill, Look Cinemas, 

Cinépolis USA, Goodrich Quality Theaters, 

and B&B Theatres to name a few. 

Excluding majors like AMC, Regal, and 

Cinemark, we are approaching 40 percent 

of the remaining market. We are running 

as fast as we can to get everybody hooked 

up to our system, and we are thrilled— 

this was not the way things played out 

in 2017. We have found that our users 

are deciding their theater and showtime 

at the last minute. There is not a lot of 

long-range planning; it is usually day of. 

Most consumers want a universal option 

where they can go to any theater, and with 

MoviePass they can still get loyalty points 

for their favorite cinemas. 

It sounds a lot more like a fintech 

solution instead of a siloed subscription 

plan that exists to bolster a 

loyalty program. 

Absolutely. If you can only go to one chain, 

that is just a loyalty program. If you can 

go anywhere in the ecosystem, then you 

actually have a real subscription platform 

that services at least a large portion, if not 

100 percent, of all theaters. 

“You build something great 

because you believe in it, and 

I believe in moviegoing as the 

highest form of entertainment 

that human beings have ever 

created.” 


21


In 2017, when MoviePass first 

appeared, cinema subscription plans 

were not commonplace in the United 

States. Today, each of the top four 

exhibitors in the country has its own 

plan. How are you navigating that 

competitive landscape? Does it make 

sense for consumers to subscribe to 

more than one plan? 

We did a lot of research around coming 

back, and the fundamental difference 

is, if you want to go multiple places—if 

the prices are the same, and that is 

important to you—you are going to pick 

MoviePass. If you are in a rural area where 

you only have one theater near your 

house, you will pick one of the big four. In 

our research, we found that the average 

moviegoer goes to three different types of 

theaters. There is what I will call the very 

large format: big-event pictures where 

they want to see movies like Avatar: The 

Way of Water or Top Gun: Maverick. Then 

in the middle you have the folks that don’t 

really care about premium experiences; 

they just want to go see something in a 

theater. Then you have the local art house, 

with the unique curation and programming 

that comes with it. You will not get 

all those choices with a single player, and 

we know people love having all those 

options and variety when going to the 

movies. If you are a power user and you 

are going to premium screenings a couple 

of times a month, then subscriptions from 

AMC or Regal might be what you would 

prefer. That’s the difference in what we 

offer. We ran a national poll and found 

that 75 percent of moviegoers said they 

would prefer a universal plan versus one 

that was single operated. 

As you relaunch the service, you have 

made a concerted effort to not go too 

wide too quickly. I believe that was 

a mistake last time. This time around 

you relaunched with only three test 

markets: Dallas, Kansas City, and 

Chicago. Is it a coincidence that all 

of them are in close proximity to the 

headquarters of three of the four 

major U.S. circuits? 

The way those markets came up was from 

a data perspective. We had two criteria, 

one based on the wait list—[the locations] 

where people signed up for the subscription. 

The second was to overlap that 

[group] with where we saw the theater 

partners that signed up with us. We had 

over 800,000 people sign up for the wait 

list in just over four days. When we looked 

at the list, we looked at it per capita and 

we weighed demand in each market. 

Then we looked at where we started to see 

partner circuits lining up and how fast we 

could get them integrated. One of the first 

ones was B&B Theatres, headquartered 

in Kansas City. MoviePass covers 50 to 

60 percent of the Kansas City market 

with partner theaters, so it made sense to 

launch a beta program there. 

You mentioned that you had 

conversations with all the major players 

in the industry during your listening 

tour ahead of the relaunch. How are 

exhibitor relations with the majors? 

I always had an open-door policy when 

Gerry Lopez was running AMC. I made 

regular trips to Regal to meet with Amy 

Miles. I have always made a point to make 

sure that I went to see people. Then when 

HMNY took over, they had a very adversarial 

relationship, which we never had. When 

I knew that I was buying MoviePass back, 

I gave Adam Aron a call, I gave Mooky 

Greidinger a call. I gave Mark Zoradi, who 

was sitting in the chair at the time, a call. I 

talked to some of them, but not all—but 

it’s not because we didn’t make the effort 

to reach out. I never want an exhibitor to 

say we never reached out to them, that 

we never tried to speak with them. It is 

different if they do not want to work with 

us. We are a software company; we are not 

a competitor. We are not in the theater 

business. Our only job is to help drive 

traffic to their theaters. I look at it as very 

similar to the way ticketing companies like 

Fandango and Atom Tickets operate. 

Customer service became a point 

of contention during HMNY’s time 

running the company. How is this 

version of MoviePass working to 

ensure the same mistakes don’t 

happen again? 

Customer service comes first. On 

Christmas Day, I was in the chat rooms 

answering live customer service questions. 

It is part of our company culture; we have 

everybody spend time there to understand 

that that is the most important 

thing. That has always been the way that 

we operated. I think that is what made 

the brand so strong. Once HMNY came in, 

they really threw out that playbook and 

made it very difficult [for customers] to 

“We are a software company; 

we are not a competitor. 

We are not in the theater 

business. Our only job is to 

help drive traffic to their 

theaters.” 


contact the company and do things like 

that. That is not the culture we practice, 

and we pride ourselves on being able to 

deliver the best-in-class service out there. 

A recent big shift in exhibition has 

to do with pricing. Today we see 

dynamic pricing really taking off. Now, 

rather than standard ticket prices, 

theaters have multiple price points 

in different auditoriums and even 

seating sections within the same 

complex. How has MoviePass handled 

this situation? Are premium formats 

part of the credit system? 

We have that road mapped. It was an early 

priority that the exhibitors mentioned to 

us during our listening tour. Exhibitors 

that work with us can charge a different 

number of credits for each screening, 

and that’s where premium formats come 

in. For moviegoers, they will be able to 

buy more credits midmonth if that’s 

something they want. That is on the 

road map and will be coming. We wanted 

to first get the 2D system back up and 

running—which is what the old system 

was—before starting to add new features 

like premium formats. 

Do you have a timeline for when you 

will finish beta testing and formally 

relaunch the service? 

The goal is to be 100 percent open before 

the summer. We wanted to go through 

Christmas in a small group of markets as 

our first stress test. We didn’t know 

if we would get crushed by Black Panther: 

Wakanda Forever and Avatar: The Way 

of Water. We went through both of 

those pretty smoothly and found some 

things we needed to work on. By the time 

we go nationwide, we will have already 

beta tested for a month or two in all 

major markets before the summer movie 

season starts. 

It’s a little ironic, since in the last 

iteration of MoviePass it was the 

release of Mission: Impossible – Fallout 

in the summer of 2018 that sent it 

into a death spiral. Tom Cruise killed 

that version of MoviePass. You have 

another Mission: Impossible coming 

up at the end of this summer, and Tom 

Cruise is bigger than ever. Are you still 

confident you can withstand those 

high-demand periods? 

We just went through Avatar: The Way of 

Water, one of the most successful movies 

of all time at the box office. Believe me, 

the demise of that old model had nothing 

to do with Tom Cruise—it had to do 

with a $10 ticket price that just was not 

sustainable. Tom did not need to work 

hard to put the old MoviePass out of 

business. 


23

Industry INDIE INFLUENCERS 

INDIE INFLUENCERS 

Brought to you by 

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

Boxoffice Pro and Spotlight Cinema Networks are partnering 

to profile movie theaters and influential industry figures from 

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

accounts of bringing the movies back to the big screen. 

THE DINE IN (R)EVOLUTION 

Highlights from the Dine In Cinema 

Summit 2023 

The dine-in cinema concept had 

been gaining ground well before 

the pandemic. The winning combination 

of dinner, drinks, and a movie, first 

embraced in Texas and elsewhere in 

the late 1990s and early aughts, slowly 

made its way to more states before being 

adopted by the big circuits in the last 

decade. AMC Theatres added dine-in 

locations and expanded menus. Regal 

acquired Cinebarre, a small chain specializing 

in dine-in. Cinemark introduced 

a stand-alone dine-in concept, CUT! 

By Cinemark. After years of developing 

a variety of dine-in concepts, Marcus 

Theatres acquired Movie Tavern, one of 

the largest dine-in chains in the country. 

The Dine In Cinema Summit emerged 

from this steady stream of activity. Amy 

and Matt Mader, owners of Venue Valet, 

a company specializing in solutions for 

dine-in theaters, started the event in 2018 

to connect players in the space, as well as 

those interested in joining it. It has slowly 

turned into a marquee event on the U.S. 

exhibition convention calendar: three 

days of best practices, site tours, and the 

sort of detailed, in-depth information 

that is rarely shared among colleagues, let 

alone competitors. 

The pandemic didn’t put an end to 

dine-in, it simply changed the way exhibitors 

think about the concept and its role 

within their circuits. In an environment 

of shorter exclusivity windows, fewer 

wide releases, and an inconsistent studio 

slate, exhibition has begun looking at 

expanded menus and alcohol service, as 

well as family entertainment center (FEC) 

amenities like laser tag, bowling, and 

virtual reality, as new economic lifelines. 

As evidenced by the 2023 edition of the 

Dine In Cinema Summit, the entire sector 

is evolving to focus less on operating 

as restaurants or theaters and more on 

establishing the cinemas of today and 

tomorrow as entertainment destinations. 

“I think we’re all looking for ways to 

evolve the experience—and that’s such a 

wonderful departure from the questions 

surrounding the health of our industry 

that were so common this time last 

year,” says Chance Robertson, CEO of 

Flix Brewhouse. Flix currently operates 

nine locations in five states with its 

24 

March/April 2023


unique brewery-cinema concept. Most 

of its theaters are anchored in its home 

state of Texas. Like many of the other 

executives in attendance, Robertson sees 

inherent advantages to operating in the 

dine-in space, including higher per capita 

revenues and an easier way to stand out 

among competitors. Marcus Theatres SVP 

of food and beverage Rob Novak echoes 

that sentiment: “To me, the main trend 

for dine-in cinemas in 2023 is this push to 

continue to differentiate themselves,” he 

says. “Unfortunately, due to changes in 

the release schedule, we have a smaller 

pool of guests as an industry than we had 

in 2019. We are working hard to build that 

overall pool of guests back to 2019 levels; 

all of us are competing to get a higher percentage 

of those guests into our buildings. 

We are all trying new things to make our 

complexes more attractive to consumers— 

better menus, better execution, easier 

ordering, and more options like FECs.” 

The rise of the FEC, also known as 

cinema entertainment centers (CECs), 

“We are all trying new 

things to make our 

complexes more attractive 

to consumers—better 

menus, better execution, 

easier ordering, and more 

options like FECs.” 

was the biggest topic at this year’s 

edition of the Dine In Summit. Circuits 

like Cinergy and EVO Entertainment, 

which specialize in the concept, have 

added locations since reopening from the 

pandemic. The summit offered several 

sessions on the logistics of FECs—from 

construction to implementation—with 

several high-ranking executives in 

attendance. The focus on entertainment 

amenities and attractions is a direct result 

of lower output from studios. The number 

of films released in theaters peaked at 987 

in 2019, according to the Motion Picture 

Association. The figure shrank to fewer 

than 400 in the years 2020 and 2021. 

Despite an increase in 2022, the number 

of theatrical releases remains far from 

pre-pandemic levels. 

“Dine-in theaters are like all cinemas 

from the standpoint that they need good 

movies that create a habit of going to 

the movies,” says Larry Etter, senior vice 

president at Malco Theatres. “We saw 

things pick up last year with Top Gun: 

26 


Maverick and a few movies released 

behind it, and then—poof—nothing 

for weeks. We need consistency in the 

releases that keep people coming back 

to create that habit of movie night.” A 

consistent release schedule is just as 

important in maintaining staffing levels 

as it is in sustaining box office revenues. 

“It allows us to better manage our labor 

and staffing,” says Novak, of Marcus 

Theatres. “It is difficult to consistently 

provide staff with stable hours without a 

strong box office.” 

FEC attractions help cinemas rely less 

on big studio releases and don’t traditionally 

carry the revenue-sharing obligations 

of ticket sales despite their considerable 

upfront cost. “Despite the unfortunate 

18 months that everybody endured, [the 

pandemic] smacked a lot of us into the 

reality of what we need to do if we can’t 

rely on studios to release new movies for 

our theaters,” says Amy Mader. “We still 

have to survive, and we need to find a way 

to rely less on content that is not being 

made available to us.” 

Several sessions at the Dine In 

Cinema Summit broke down the costs 

of adding FEC elements to an existing 

cinema, turning a 15-screen complex 

into an 8-screen site with amenities in 

the remaining space, for example. “Five 

years ago, we had a session dedicated 

to attaching the FEC concept to a movie 

theater. It sounded like a cool concept, as 

long as you had the square footage. Today, 

the content available to theaters just isn’t 

as consistent as it was five years ago. You 

have a lot of down days; in some areas 

you have down weeks,” says Matt Mader. 

“What if, instead of focusing on the handful 

of tentpoles we get throughout the 

year, we focus on making the down weeks 

more exciting to our customers? Focus 

on building events and activities to keep 

the kitchen busy and to make sure your 

staff is getting enough shifts each week. 

It used to be that the FEC concept would 

help fill theaters on Monday through 

Wednesday—days the movie business is 

usually dead. Today, we’re seeing many of 

our cinema partners turn to FEC concepts 

to help fill Thursday through Sunday. A 

lot of folks in this industry are coming to 

the realization that we may not get more 

than 10 tentpoles a year moving forward, 

and they’re getting comfortable with the 

idea of reducing their screens and doing 

something else with the remaining space 

they have. Do movie theaters today still 

need 24 screens? Or are you better served 

by putting in a sports bar, go-karts, bowling, 

laser tag, or virtual reality experiences? 

We’re past the proof-of-concept 

stage for the cinema entertainment center. 

Companies like Cinergy, Strike and Reel, 

and EVO are proof that we can be successful 

with this concept.” 

Operators across the industry share 

the incentive to divert revenues from 

movie ticket sales. That may not lead to 

the remodeling of every 24-screen multiplex 

into a full-on cinema entertainment 

center, but it does raise questions about 

how cinemas can best use their real estate. 

According to industry insiders, increased 

construction costs will likely delay new 

builds for the next few years. The availability 

of existing sites stemming from 

Regal’s bankruptcy makes it more likely 

that expansion will occur through selective 

acquisitions. And there is a better 

chance that theaters will be remodeled 

and updated rather than built from the 

ground up, at least for the foreseeable 

future. Such renovations could easily 

accommodate kitchen and bar areas in 

theaters that didn’t previously have them. 

“I do think the overwhelming consensus 

is that alcohol sales will be the new driver 

of business in the food service channel 

for cinemas,” says Malco’s Larry Etter. “If 

that is the case, there will be more theater 

“Do movie theaters today still 

need 24 screens? Or are you 

better served by putting in a 

sports bar, go-karts, bowling, 

laser tag, or virtual reality 

experiences?” 


27


owners shifting to that category and 

adding those types of services.” 

Increased labor and food costs have 

also contributed to a slowdown in investment 

in new dine-in sites, leading some 

circuits to introduce mobile ordering and, 

in some cases, food delivery robots in 

their auditoriums. “We definitely need to 

get more revenue from our lobbies. Just 

like going to the office, maybe we need to 

move to a hybrid F&B model, with a mix 

of online ordering and servers,” says Luis 

Olloqui, CEO of Cinépolis USA. “We’re 

going to see a lot more mobile ordering 

to help keep costs down, but we still need 

to drive sales—and that means making 

enhancements to the experience, to make 

every theater visit more unique. Moviethemed 

menu specials are an easy way 

of doing that.” Cinépolis USA has begun 

rolling out special “eventized” screenings 

pairing multicourse menus with new 

releases of specific films. In December, 

the circuit partnered with Searchlight 

Pictures to offer a themed menu for The 

Menu under its Movie and a Meal banner. 

Cinépolis brought back the concept in 

February, working with Universal Pictures 

on a themed menu for the release of 

Cocaine Bear. 

The threat of economic uncertainty 

is currently looming over the dine-in 

cinema sector, but attendees of the 

Summit nevertheless expressed confidence 

in its resiliency. “Concerns are a 

part of any healthy business, and we have 

plenty in dine-in cinema, but I think we’re 

more resilient than ever and well positioned 

to battle any and everything that 

comes our way,” says Flix Brewhouse’s 

Robertson. “Costs are certainly on the rise 

in food and beverage; labor will always be 

a challenge; and how—or if—to expand 

is still a little uncertain as the big circuits 

figure out how to get their feet back under 

them. We had to learn how to be nimble, 

adjust, and respond to these challenges 

in 2021 and 2022, and we’re better for it. 

Those same concerns and challenges are 

our new normal, and we have to embrace 

it and continue fostering a spirit of 

collaboration in our industry. As long as 

we’re all willing to share ideas [and] best 

practices and remain open-minded, those 

same concerns can be a source for some of 

the best solutions we’re all seeking.” 

“Spotlight is dedicated to 

supporting our partners in 

exhibition. We saw a unique 

opportunity to partner with 

Amy and Matt Mader of 

Venue Valet five years ago 

on the first of its kind Dine In 

Cinema Summit. Since many 

of the leading innovators in 

the dine-in space are part 

of the Spotlight exhibitor 

partner network, it makes 

perfect sense that we are 

the long-term presenting 

sponsor of the event and 

will help to ensure it will take 

place for years to come. The 

Dine In Cinema Summit is 

an incredible opportunity 

for exhibitors to share with 

and learn from one another, 

and we are thrilled to be a 

part of this collaborative 

experience.” 

Michael Sakin, President, 

Spotlight Cinema Networks 

28 


In 1939, a group of film bookers gathered at 

the Dixon Cafeteria on Eighth Avenue in 

Manhattan to form a Social Club for locals in 

the film business. Nearly 85 years later, the 

Motion Picture Club is still going strong, with 

people from all areas of the motion picture 

industry - exhibition, distribution, advertising 

and other related businesses - coming 

together to celebrate our industry and raise 

funds for film industry-related charities. 

Together, we can continue to serve our 

community and those who need us most. 

FOR INFORMATION ON 

UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT 

MOTIONPICTURECLUB.ORG

Giants of Exhibition 32 | Exhibitors Have Their Say 50 | Cinemark, Reinvented 60 

THEATER 

“The pandemic is finally in the rearview mirror, 

but theatrical exhibition is still on the road to 

recovery from the biggest crisis in its history.” 

Giants of Exhibition, p. 32 


31

GIANTS 

THE TOP 50 

Theater GIANTS OF EXHIBITION 

OF 

EXH 


Presented by 

All theater locations/screen counts 

are accurate as of 12/31/22. 

The pandemic is finally in the 

rearview mirror, but theatrical 

exhibition is still on the road to recovery 

from the biggest crisis in its history. 

After an 80 percent decline in domestic 

box office revenue in 2020, the North 

American market took its first steps 

toward normalcy in 2021—culminating 

with the record-setting release of Sony’s 

Spider-Man: No Way Home in December. 

Yet a spike in Covid infections hampered 

the industry’s ability to build on the 

momentum of the web-slinging hero’s 

success at the box office. Production 

delays and release changes muted the 

potential of what looked to be a promising 

2022. Blockbuster hits like Paramount’s 

Top Gun: Maverick and Disney’s Black 

Panther: Wakanda Forever helped buoy 

long, stagnant periods at the box office—a 

result of a scarcity of new releases made 

available to theaters. The domestic market 

finished the year with $7.4 billion in box 

office, a 64 percent increase from the 

previous year but still 35 percent behind 

2019’s pre-pandemic benchmark. 

Exhibitors took the year’s 

challenges in stride—employing the 

marketing techniques and auditorium 

improvements developed during the 

2020 closures to engage and widen 

their audience base. As the true impact 

of the pandemic’s closures comes 

into focus, there will likely be further 

consolidation across the industry in 

2023—with major circuits and mediumsized 

chains vying for leases to highprofile 

locations that haven’t been able 

to recover since reopening. While there 

are few changes to this year’s Giants 

of Exhibition ranking of the 50 largest 

circuits in the North American market, 

economic forces suggest there will be 

large-scale changes at play throughout 

2023 that will significantly alter this list 

in the years to come. 

DOMESTIC CIRCUITS OF 2023 

IBITION 


33


SPONSOR 

PROFILE 

Jerramy Hainline 

Senior Vice President, 

Fandango Ticketing 

01 

AMC THEATRES 

Headquarters: Leawood, KS 

Founded: 1920 

Screens: 7,712 ↘ -0.72% 

Locations: 591 ↘ -0.67% 

2022 was a year of continued diversification 

for AMC Theatres, as North America’s 

largest cinema circuit put initiatives outside 

of the theatrical screening of movies 

in place—while also streamlining and 

updating theater operations with the goal 

of putting the chain into a strong financial 

position moving into 2023. 

Said CEO Adam Aron in a May 2022 call 

with investors, “Those who think of AMC 

just in terms of the company that existed 

pre-pandemic are looking through a rearview 

mirror to the past instead of looking 

through the front windshield towards the 

future.” Some seven weeks earlier, AMC had 

raised eyebrows with the announcement of 

its purchase of 22 percent of Hycroft Mining 

Holding Corporation, holder of a gold and 

silver mine in Nevada. More in line with 

typical cinema operations, AMC continues 

its plan—announced in November 2021—to 

enter the retail popcorn business; AMC 

Perfectly Popcorn is expected to make its 

debut sometime in the first half of 2023. 

A partnership with Zoom, announced 

in November 2022, has AMC expanding 

on its ability to host business meetings, 

a segment of its operations that before 

the partnership brought in roughly $20 

million a year. “Zoom Rooms at AMC” are 

planned to roll out in up to 17 major cities 

across the U.S. starting this year. The following 

month, AMC announced a collaboration 

with Visa and credit card technology 

platform Deserve on a co-branded 

credit card integrated with AMC’s Stubs 

loyalty program. Per Aron, the AMC 

Entertainment Visa Card is expected to 

launch in Q1 2023, “if not sooner.” 

In addition to these new endeavors, 

AMC continues to stay focused on elevating 

the moviegoer experience: Renovation of 

existing theaters is under way to increase 

the number of premium formats—including 

Imax, Dolby Cinema, and Prime—while the 

entire chain is in the midst of a multiyear 

conversion to laser projection, in partnership 

with cinema technology provider 

Cinionic. On the programming side, a deal 

with Netflix enabled AMC to screen its firstever 

Netflix title, Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion, 

which was granted a week-long theatrically 

exclusive run. The circuit also found success 

in screening the season five premiere 

of “Yellowstone,” in partnership with MTV 

Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios. 

In a move to secure long-term financial 

stability, AMC shuttered some older, 

unprofitable cinemas in 2022, while 

acquiring several other cinemas put on 

the market by rival chains, including 

Bow Tie Cinemas and the now-shuttered 

Pacific/ArcLight. 

On behalf of the new leadership 

team at Fandango, we wish 

the Giants of Exhibition a huge 

congratulations! Your unwavering 

dedication to enhancing the 

moviegoing experience and 

restoring theater attendance 

to pre-pandemic levels is 

commendable. We thank you for 

welcoming us to the industry and 

are proud to be your partners. 

As direct-to-consumer, 

e-commerce veterans, our team is 

highly motivated to leverage our 

collective experience, technology 

platforms, and Fandango’s 

expansive consumer insights 

and reach to unlock new movie 

discovery, lead generation, 

inventory management, and 

ticketing innovations. Our best-inclass 

Fandango Rewards team is 

also busy lining up exciting, highexposure 

movie ticket promotions 

with leading restaurant, consumer 

products, and financial brands to 

support this year’s biggest films 

and drive even more moviegoers to 

your cinemas. 

The 2023 box office is already 

off to a great start. Fandango 

moviegoers tell us that with 

blockbusters like Guardians of the 

Galaxy Vol. 3, Spider-Man: Across 

the Spider-Verse, Indiana Jones 

and the Dial of Destiny, Fast X, 

The Little Mermaid, and so many 

more highly anticipated movies, 

they plan on seeing more movies 

in theaters this year. 

We’re excited about the future 

and look forward to working with 

you to super-serve movie fans and 

ensure that they choose the big 

screen first to watch their favorite 

entertainment. 

See you at the movies! 



35

Theater UPDATE WITH TITLE 



SPONSOR 

PROFILE 

Ronnie Ycong 

Executive Vice President & G.M., 

Americas, Digital Cinema United 

Congratulations to the Giants 

of Exhibition! With the great 

expectation of a robust 2023, 

Digital Cinema United is proud 

to be a part of the theatrical 

exhibition ecosystem. 

For over a decade, Digital Cinema 

United has been managing the 

delivery of feature and trailer DCPs 

to theaters globally, including 

all theaters in North America 

and the Caribbean. To support 

theaters’ operational efficiencies 

and decrease dependency on the 

industry’s legacy model of shipping 

hard drives, Digital Cinema United 

launched its e-delivery platform: 

DCU Connect. This allows theaters 

to receive DCPs faster and more 

reliably, with fewer opportunities 

for delays due to weather, 

mechanical, and other related 

issues. Furthermore, it contributes 

to Digital Cinema United’s personal 

goal for a cleaner planet by 

reducing fuel emissions. 

DCU Connect is a software-based 

platform that only takes 10 minutes 

to install per location and is a free 

service for exhibitors. In less than 12 

months, the DCU Connect rollout 

has grown to over 2,000 theaters, 

including art houses, drive-ins, 

independent theaters, and the 

Giants of Exhibition. 

Digital Cinema United is dedicated 

to working with exhibitors of all 

sizes and would like to thank all our 

DCU Connect exhibitor partners 

for their partnership. We hope 

2023 will be a tremendous boost 

for all exhibitors, and we look 

forward to our continued support 

of the global theatrical exhibition 

community. 

02 

REGAL 

Headquarters: Knoxville, TN 

Founded: 1989 

Screens: 6,474 ↘ -5.53% 

Locations: 478 ↘ -6.46% 

Regal’s corporate parent, the U.K.-based 

multinational cinema chain Cineworld, 

filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 

September 2022, setting off a sequence of 

events that could signal major changes 

for the world’s second-largest exhibition 

group. While Cineworld’s locations around 

the world—including most Regal sites in 

the United States—remain in operation, 

the chain has begun to give up leases 

with terms it considers unfavorable. It is 

unlikely the lost Regal sites will remain 

dark for long, as competing exhibition 

groups and new upstarts will look to take 

over individual locations on a case-bycase 

basis. 

Despite its financial struggles stemming 

from the pandemic, Regal remains 

a top-tier exhibitor in the United States. 

Cineworld’s takeover of the Knoxville, 

Tennessee–based circuit in 2019 introduced 

a new round of renovations to several 

Regal sites. Premium concepts like 

RPX and technology partnerships with 

CJ 4DPlex’s 4DX immersive seating and 

ScreenX panoramic screens have revitalized 

and modernized multiple locations 

in its fleet of theaters. The circuit has 

expanded its appeal to moviegoers 

through further investments in its digital 

presence—including an ongoing focus 

on the Regal Unlimited subscription 

program and a new initiative around augmented 

reality (A.R.) collectible tickets 

for select titles. Since fully reopening 

its circuit in Q1 of 2021, Regal’s financial 

struggles have been exacerbated by the 

inconsistency of theatrical releases. As 

a result, the circuit has turned to event 

cinema and e-gaming initiatives to bolster 

its earnings. A partnership with Riot 

Games and Lexis Partners in November 

2022 resulted in the League of Legends 

World Championship Final being broadcast 

in select Regal theaters. Regal is 

still the biggest question mark in the 

theatrical exhibition sector as we enter 

2023. How it emerges from its Chapter 11 

bankruptcy filing will have a long-lasting 

impact on the rest of the industry. 


37


SPONSOR 

PROFILE 

Wim Buyens, 

CEO, Cinionic 

03 

CINEMARK 

Headquarters: Plano, TX 

Founded: 1984 

Screens: 4,392 ↘ -1.08% 

Locations: 318 ↘ -1.85% 

Texas-based exhibitor Cinemark entered 

2022 with a new CEO. Mark Zoradi—CEO 

since 2015—stepped down at the end of 

2021, to be replaced by former CFO and 

COO Sean Gamble. With a new leader at the 

helm and the industry still recovering from 

the effects of Covid, Cinemark had a backto-basics 

year, as the circuit spent 2022— 

per Gamble, in a November call with investors—“reigniting 

theatrical moviegoing 

across all audience segments in disciplined 

and resilient operational execution.” 

To that end, 2022 was marked by an 

uptick in marketing for Cinemark, both 

paid and organic, the result of a multiplatform 

campaign launched in June to raise 

awareness of its proprietary premium large 

format, Cinemark XD. Over the course 

of the year, the chain rolled out new XD, 

ScreenX, and D-Box auditoriums, which 

helped retain moviegoers even during light 

months on the film schedule. By the end of 

Q3 2022, although Cinemark’s domestic box 

office was down approximately 27 percent 

compared to Q3 2019, revenue from 

Imax and XD screens was nearly flat, and 

revenue from D-Box motion-seatingequipped 

auditoriums was up by over 

25 percent. Two other components in 

Cinemark’s elevated cinema experience 

are its Luxury Lounger recliners, found 

in over 65 percent of its domestic circuit 

as of May 2022, and its circuit-wide conversion 

to laser projection, still under way 

since its partnership with Cinionic was 

announced in 2019. Outside of the auditoriums, 

Cinemark continued to expand its 

Snacks in a Tap online concessions sales 

platform, launched in late 2021 alongside 

a partnership with Uber Eats. 

While premium amenities helped 

Cinemark weather slow months on the 

calendar, so too did exploration into 

nontraditional content. This includes 

the March release of concert film BTS: 

Permission to Dance On Stage, which was 

shown on Cinemark screens worldwide 

more than any other exhibitor; a series 

launch event for “The Rings of Power,” 

executed in partnership with Amazon; 

and, in late December 2022 to early 

January 2023, exclusive screenings of 

several key college football postseason 

games, made possible through a partnership 

with ESPN. 

Finally, in June 2022, Cinemark’s subscription 

program—Cinemark Movie Club, 

launched in December 2017—reached 

the 1-million-member mark; by the end 

of Q3, says Gamble, it was seeing growth 

comparable to pre-pandemic levels, with 

a membership base up 10 percent compared 

to 2019. 

When you think of a “giant,” it’s 

someone you look up to and who 

stands tall and strong in the face 

of any headwinds or obstacles. 

Giants are traditionally thought of 

as figments of the imagination, yet 

we’re all in the business of delivering 

brilliant and imaginative stories to 

the biggest screens. We celebrate 

the titans of exhibition and 

recognize the giants among us. 

Today, more than ever, we can hold 

our heads high as an industry. We 

continue to show resolve, resilience, 

and relevance every day. With 

every passing weekend we see the 

giant role cinema plays in the lives 

of people everywhere, and we can 

feel it at the box office. 

Ultimately, it’s a giant responsibility 

we all shoulder. From the quality 

of the laser-powered presentation 

to the impact we have on the 

planet—the choices we make 

today will set the course for 

years to come. It will take giant 

ambitions to continue to elevate 

cinema and deliver it sustainably. 

With courage, smart investments, 

and true collaboration, this 

industry shines. It’s our privilege 

to share that journey with you as 

the trusted partner for laserpowered 

cinema around the 

world. Whatever the road looks 

like ahead of us, we approach it 

together, as giants. 


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39


‘If I have seen further than 

others, it is by standing 

upon the shoulders 

of giants’ 

Sir Isaac Newton 

Congratulations to each of the giants of exhibition. The cinema industry couldn’t 

exist without your valiant efforts. We’re proud to support you by powering your 

cinemas, listening to your needs, and providing solutions. 

From the heritage and experience Xenon offers – now an option in the most 

advanced cinema projectors – to the innovative expertise of Real|Laser , we’re here 

to exceed customers’ needs and the film industry’s creative visions. 



SPONSOR 

PROFILE 

Brian Claypool 

Executive Vice President, 

Christie Digital Systems 

The cinema industry is a 

collaborative effort. The amazing 

feats and stories we see on screen 

in films such as Avatar: The Way 

of Water or Top Gun: Maverick 

could only be fully appreciated 

in the theater. Everyone from 

top-level decision makers to 

the concessions attendants and 

ticket takers deserve recognition 

for making the moviegoing 

experience special. Through all 

the hurdles that the industry has 

recently overcome, these Giants of 

Exhibition showed their might and 

resilience. We at Christie applaud 

you and will continue to support 

you in any way we can. 

With billion-dollar box offices 

returning—two in one year!—we are 

as dedicated as ever to helping 

the industry grow and exhibitors 

expand their visual offerings. We 

continue to focus on keeping 

costs low without sacrificing 

quality and now proudly offer 

the best-in-class operational 

efficiency for mainstream RGB 

pure laser projectors. We brought 

renewed light to our projection 

suite by adding xenon illumination 

to the lineup as an economically 

conscious way to deploy the most 

advanced cinema electronics in 

theaters that were hit hard by the 

events of recent years. 

2022 was a year of comebacks so 

that 2023 can be a year of growth. 

Our on-site training and Christie 

University courses are ready to 

help your team. Our NOC and field 

technicians are eager to serve 

your needs at a moment’s notice, 

because the show must go on. 

With many new innovations and 

incredible films on the horizon, 

cinema’s back, and it’s never 

looked better, all thanks to the 

talented individuals at the forefront 

of cinema exhibition. 

04 

CINEPLEX 

Headquarters: Toronto, ON 

Founded: 2003 

Screens: 1,641 ↘ -0.67% 

Locations: 158 ↘ -1.25% 

For years Cineplex has looked outside 

traditional theaters to the world of location-based 

entertainment. In 2022, its Rec 

Room, Playdium, and Xscape concepts 

were joined by a new player, Junxion. 

Announced in 2019, Junxion combines 

movies, gaming, live events, and expanded 

food and beverage offerings; its first location, 

in Winnipeg, Manitoba, opened its doors 

late in 2022. Another, in Ontario, is slated 

to open this summer. Cineplex’s diversified 

business model paid off in 2022, with the 

chain exceeding pre-pandemic levels in Q4 

amusement and leisure revenue. 

On the theater side, premium formats 

proved a big draw for Cineplex in 2022. 

The chain opened British Columbia’s first 

4DX auditorium at the Cineplex Cinemas 

Metropolis in December and, throughout 

the year, opened four ScreenX auditoriums. 

Its first Junxion location features D-Box 

immersive seating. Cineplex’s investment in 

premium experiences continues to deliver 

returns, with 50 percent of Q4 box office 

revenue coming from the circuit’s premium 

formats—a 9 percent increase from 

pre-pandemic 2019. According to the chain, 

it marked the highest Q4 PLF box office 

percentage of any North American exhibitor. 

Cineplex also consistently over-indexes 

in the North American market share of 

foreign films, particularly Bollywood 

titles. The circuit plans to continue using 

A.I. technology and data gleaned from 

its loyalty program to drive more diverse 

guests into theaters. Said loyalty program 

has had some expansions of its own as of 

late: In 2021, Cineplex merged Scene with 

Scotiabank’s Scotia Rewards program 

to create Scene Plus. In 2022, Scene Plus 

expanded further, with food retailer Empire 

Company Limited—which holds grocery 

brands Sobeys and Safeway—coming in as 

a co-owner. Home Hardware Stores Limited 

will become a Scene Plus partner sometime 

this year. Conceived in 2017 as an entertainment 

loyalty program, with the addition of 

its new partners Scene Plus now has a more 

general lifestyle focus and a wider reach 

among consumers. 

Cineplex’s diversified strategy also 

includes distribution division Cineplex 

Pictures, which secured a theatrical distribution 

agreement with Lionsgate to bring 

the studio’s entire 2023 slate—including 

new additions to the John Wick, Hunger 

Games, and Expendables franchises—to 

Canadian cinemas. 

Finally, the legal dispute between 

Cineplex and Cineworld—stemming from 

Cineworld’s one-time planned acquisition 

of Cineplex—continues to make its way 

through the court system. 


41


05 

MARCUS THEATRES 

06 

B&B THEATRES 

Headquarters: Milwaukee, WI 

Founded: 1935 

Screens: 1,053 ↘ -1.03% 

Locations: 84 ↘ -1.18% 

Headquarters: Kansas City, MO 

Founded: 1924 

Screens: 529 ↗ 3.12% 

Locations: 57 ↗ 1.79% 

2022 started with a big 

announcement from The 

Marcus Corporation, parent 

company of Marcus Theatres: 

the creation of its MovieFlex 

subscription program, 

launched in test mode in Ohio 

and Nebraska in January. The 

program has yet to be rolled 

out to the circuit at large, and 

testing continues. Meanwhile, 

Marcus’s Magical Movie 

Rewards loyalty program 

reached the 5-million-member 

mark last October. 

One of Marcus’s priorities 

for 2023, as laid out in a 

December 2022 presentation 

to investors, is continued 

investment in non-film 

entertainment options for its 

auditoriums. A big move was 

made in that direction with 

Marcus’s March 2022 opening 

of The Wall in its Gurnee 

Mills, Illinois location. The 

converted cinema auditorium 

features DreamLounger 

recliners and a dozen screens, 

on which patrons can watch a 

variety of live sports; entrance 

is free, and a full menu of food 

and alcoholic beverages is 

available. 

Finally, there was an 

executive shift at Marcus 

Theatres in 2022. Chairman, 

president, and CEO Rolando 

Rodriguez retired in October 

and was replaced as president 

by Mark A. Gramz, formerly 

Marcus Theatres’ executive 

vice president. 

Family-owned and operated 

since 1924, Missouri-based 

B&B Theatres continues to 

expand in advance of its 100th 

anniversary next year. The 

largest privately held exhibitor 

in the United States, B&B continued 

to acquire and remodel 

existing cinemas in 2022, 

adding 16 screens overall. 

Renovations were made to 

Omaha, Nebraska’s Oakview 

Plaza 14, now outfitted 

with MX4D motion seating, 

ScreenX, dine-in concept 

Lyric, the kid-oriented 

screenPLAY! concept, and 

B&B’s own premium large 

format, the Grand Screen. 

A newcomer to the B&B 

family is the North Richland 

Hills 8 (formerly an Alamo 

Drafthouse), which had its 

grand opening in January 

2023; in addition to expanded 

food and beverage menus 

and a Grand Screen, the 

cinema includes an Outtakes 

redemption arcade. Two 

additional cinemas—a 

16-screen in Greater St. Louis 

and a 12-screen theater 

in Greater Dallas—are in 

development and yet to 

open; the latter will feature 

a Grand Screen, ScreenX, 

B-Roll bowling, an Outtakes 

redemption arcade, a full bar, 

and more. All told, an April 

2022 deal with CJ 4DPLEX 

will result in B&B adding 

eight ScreenX auditoriums 

through the end of 2023; some, 

including one in B&B’s Mall of 

America theater—formerly a 

CMX location—have already 

opened. 


07 

HARKINS THEATRES 

Headquarters: Scottsdale, AZ 

Founded: 1933 

Screens: 487 ↘ -1.42% 

Locations: 33 

08 

MALCO THEATRES 

Headquarters: Memphis, TN 

Founded: 1915 

Screens: 356 ↗ 1.42% 


In 2022, Harkins Theatres— 

which operates the bulk of 

its cinemas in Arizona, with 

other locations in Oklahoma, 

Colorado, and California— 

announced a first for the 

chain: Harkins’s Ciné Grill, a 

dine-in cinema concept with 

two locations in the works. 

These two cinemas—one, in 

Peoria, Arizona, set to open 

in 2023, and a Phoenix location 

planned for 2024—will 

include full kitchens, Ultimate 

Lounger electronic recliners, 

laser projection and immersive 

sound, online food and 

beverage ordering, an indoor/ 

outdoor lounge, and an 

outdoor patio. It’s a natural 

evolution for Harkins, which 

already features the Vérité 

Lounge in its Camelview, 

Scottsdale location and its 

Ciné Bar concept at locations 

throughout Arizona, 

California, and Colorado. 

Over the past year, 

Harkins has also completed a 

multimillion-dollar remodel 

of its Tempe Marketplace 

location. The 16-screen 

theater now includes Ultimate 

Lounger recliner seating, 

expanded F&B, a Ciné Bar, 

laser projection in all its 

auditoriums, and the chain’s 

own CINÉ 1 XL premium 

large-format brand, featuring 

4K laser projection and Dolby 

Atmos sound. The theater 

is also one of the businesses 

affected by Arizona’s new “sip 

and stroll” law, which allows 

patrons at select malls to 

enjoy an alcoholic beverage in 

outdoor common areas. 

Malco Theatres celebrated 

summer year-round with 

Memphis, Tennessee’s Malco 

Summer Drive-In, screening 

new releases and—through its 

monthly Time Warp series— 

double (or triple) features 

of older cult classics. On 

the indoor side of things, in 

October 2022 Malco completed 

renovations on the Cordova 

Cinema Grill in Cordova, 

Tennessee, to include updated 

amenities like all-recliner 

seating; the Malco Bar and 

Grill, with an expanded food 

and beverage menu; Barco 

2K Series-2 projectors; Dolby 

Digital Cinema; and Dolby 7.1 

digital surround sound. 

Malco, like other 

chains, experimented with 

nontraditional programming 

when it reopened during the 

pandemic. That approach 

continues, with the chain 

screening alternative content 

including sporting events, 

concert films, and faith-based 

programming. Early in 2023, 

Malco placed an order for five 

MovEsports systems through 

e-sports company SNDBX, 

with vice president of digital 

operations Wes Lunsford 

noting that “we recognize 

the growth and interest in 

e-sports. Our auditoriums are 

a great space to experience 

gaming with larger-than-life 

images and sound, and we 

look forward to rolling this 

product out in several of our 

key markets.” 


43


09 

EMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT 

Headquarters: Troy, MI 

Founded: 1997 

Screens: 344 ↗ 0.58% 

Locations: 28 

10 

CMX CINEMAS 

Headquarters: Miami, FL 

Founded: 2017 

Screens: 326 ↘ -4.40% 

Locations: 30 ↘ -6.25% 

Luxury chain Emagine 

Entertainment, which last 

year broke into the top 10 

North American theater 

chains by screen count for 

the first time, got into the 

sports-betting game in 

2022, opening a sports-betting 

lounge—the Caesars 

Sportsbook Lounge Powered 

by Emagine—at its Royal 

Oak, Michigan location in 

August. Created in partnership 

with Caesars Sportsbook, 

the lounge is a converted 

auditorium fitted out with 

heated recliners, 42 feet of 

LED screens, free Wi-Fi, and 

an expanded concessions 

menu (including alcohol) 

delivered to patrons while 

they enjoy programming 

that spans a variety of sports. 

Free to patrons 21 and older, 

the lounge is also available 

for private rentals. Per CEO 

Anthony LaVerde, additional 

sports-betting locations are 

planned. 

Also in 2022, Emagine 

expanded Palladium After 

Dark, a live concert series held 

at its Palladium location in 

Birmingham, Michigan. Its 

other Birmingham location, 

the century-old Birmingham 

8, was transformed into a 

haunted theater attraction 

in the month of October in 

response to a slow film slate 

during the fall. 

2022 was a rebuilding year for 

CMX Cinemas, which in April 

2020 became the first major 

North American chain of the 

pandemic to file for Chapter 11 

bankruptcy. Out of bankruptcy 

by the end of that year, CMX 

spent 2021 updating its theatrical 

portfolio, closing several 

theaters and upgrading others 

with premium amenities. 

That emphasis on premium 

experiences continued in 

2022, this time under a new 

CEO: Patrick J. Ryan, a former 

longtime AMC Theatres 

executive and Paragon 

Theaters president who took 

on the head role in April 

2022. Major objectives for 

the chain upon Ryan’s hiring 

were undertaking major 

upgrades to existing locations, 

continued innovation in 

CMX’s food and beverage 

program, and the opening of 

a new location in the Tysons 

Galleria mall in McLean, 

Virginia. Following several 

delays—caused in part by 

supply chain issues—the new 

theater opened in January 

2023. Part of CMX’s luxury 

dine-in CinéBistro concept, 

the cinema includes 800 

recliner seats across eight 

screens, a Stone Sports 

Bar, and a menu focused 

on “rustic new American 

cuisine.” In February of this 

year, CMX launched its inhouse 

subscription program, 

Passport by CMX. 


St. Jude patient 

Alorah 

Big Screen. Bigger Cause. 

When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has 

helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and we won’t stop until no child 

dies from cancer. But we can’t do it without your powerful partnership. 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 visit stjude.org/theaters 

or email chance.weaver@alsac.stjude.org. 

©2023 ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (MCC-8340) 


45



11–30 

11 

LANDMARK CINEMAS 

OF CANADA 

Headquarters: Calgary, AB 

Founded: 1965 

Screens: 317 ↘ -2.50% 

Locations: 39 ↘ -2.46% 

12 

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE 

Headquarters: Austin, TX 

Founded: 1997 

Screens: 315 ↗ 2.70% 


13 

NATIONAL AMUSEMENTS 

(SHOWCASE CINEMAS) 

Headquarters: Norwood, MA 

Founded: 1936 

Screens: 298 ↗ 4.55% 


14 

CARIBBEAN CINEMAS 

Headquarters: San Juan, PR 

Founded: 1968 

Screens: 289 ↗ 2.85% 


15 

SOUTHERN THEATRES 

Headquarters: New Orleans, LA 

Founded: 2003 

Screens: 266 

Locations: 18 

16 

CINÉPOLIS LUXURY 

CINEMAS 

Headquarters: Dallas, TX 

Founded: 2011 

Screens: 259 ↘ 0.38% 

Locations: 26 

17 

GEORGIA THEATRE 

COMPANY 

Headquarters: St. Simons 

Island, GA 

Founded: 1992 

Screens: 253 → 

Locations: 24 ↘ -4.17% 

17 

NCG MOVIES 

Headquarters: Owosso, MI 

Founded: 1983 

Screens: 253 ↗ 2.85% 


19 

PREMIERE CINEMAS 

Headquarters: Big Spring, TX 

Founded: 1993 

Screens: 248 ↘ -0.40% 

Locations: 22 

20 

GQT MOVIES 

Headquarters: Grand Rapids, MI 

Founded: 2020 

Screens: 238 ↗ 25.93% 

Locations: 23 ↘ -4.17% 

21 

READING CINEMAS 

Headquarters: Culver City, CA 

Founded: 2000 

Screens: 228 ↘ -4.20% 

Locations: 23 ↘ -4.17% 

22 

STUDIO MOVIE GRILL 


Founded: 2000 

Screens: 226 

Locations: 21 

23 

UEC THEATRES 

Headquarters: Maple Grove, MN 

Founded: 1993 

Screens: 191 

Locations: 22 

24 

GALAXY THEATRES 

Headquarters: Sherman Oaks, 

CA 

Founded: 1998 

Screens: 176 ↘ -3.83% 

Locations: 15 ↘ -6.25% 

25 

LARRY H. MILLER THEATRES 

(MEGAPLEX THEATRES) 

Headquarters: Sandy, UT 

Founded: 1999 

Screens: 173 

Locations: 15 

26 

EVO ENTERTAINMENT 

GROUP 

Headquarters: Austin, TX 

Founded: 2014 

Screens: 172 ↗ 16.22% 

Locations: 18 ↗ 12.50% 

27 

LANDMARK THEATRES 

Headquarters: West 

Hollywood, CA 

Founded: 1974 

Screens: 166 ↘ -23.15% 

Locations: 34 ↘ -10.53% 

28 

CINEMA WEST 

Headquarters: Petaluma, CA 

Founded: 1984 

Screens: 164 ↘ -5.75% 

Locations: 16 ↘ -5.88% 

28 

MJR THEATRES 

Headquarters: Bloomfield 

Hills, MI 

Founded: 1980 

Screens: 164 

Locations: 10 

30 

REGENCY THEATRES 

Headquarters: Agoura Hills, CA 

Founded: 1996 

Screens: 159 ↘ -7.56% 

Locations: 22 ↘ -12.00% 


47


31–50 

31 

CINEMA ENTERTAINMENT 

CORP. 

Headquarters: Waite Park, MN 

Founded: 1964 

Screens: 154 

Locations: 19 

32 

MARQUEE CINEMAS 

Headquarters: Beckley, WV 

Founded: 1979 

Screens: 150 ↘ -7.41% 

Locations: 14 ↘ -6.67% 

32 

CELEBRATION CINEMA BY 

STUDIO C 

Headquarters: Grand Rapids, MI 

Founded: 1944 

Screens: 150 ↗ 0.67% 

Locations: 11 → 

34 

CINÉMAS GUZZO 

Headquarters: Terrebonne, QC 

Founded: 2003 

Screens: 145 

Locations: 10 

35 

EPIC THEATRES 

Headquarters: New Orleans, LA 

Founded: 2003 

Screens: 138 ↘ -4.17% 

Locations: 11 ↘ -8.33% 

36 

CLASSIC CINEMAS 

Headquarters: Downers Grove, IL 

Founded: 1978 

Screens: 137 ↗ 4.58% 


36 

COMING ATTRACTIONS 

THEATRES 

Headquarters: Ashland, OR 

Founded: 1985 

Screens: 137 ↘ -3.52% 

Locations: 16 ↘ -11.11% 

38 

SANTIKOS ENTERTAINMENT 

Headquarters: San Antonio, TX 

Founded: 1948 

Screens: 129 ↘ -5.15% 

Locations: 10 ↘ -9.09% 

39 

APPLE CINEMAS 

Headquarters: Big Spring, TX 

Founded: 1993 

Screens: 127 ↗ 13.39% 

Locations: 12 ↘ -25.00% 

40 

FLAGSHIP PREMIUM 

CINEMAS 

Headquarters: Baltimore, MD 

Founded: 1995 

Screens: 125 ↘ -4.58% 

Locations: 17 ↘ -5.56% 

40 

GOLDEN TICKET CINEMAS 

Headquarters: Durham, NC 

Founded: 2017 

Screens: 125 

Locations: 19 

42 

R/C THEATRES 

Headquarters: Reisterstown, MD 

Founded: 1932 

Screens: 119 

Locations: 13 

43 

PHOENIX THEATRES 

Headquarters: Knoxville, TN 

Founded: 2001 

Screens: 115 ↘ -25.81% 

Locations: 11 ↘ -21.43% 

44 

ALLEN THEATRES 

Headquarters: Las Cruces, NM 

Founded: 1912 

Screens: 112 

Locations: 16 

45 

LOOK CINEMAS 


Founded: 2021 

Screens: 111 ↘ 12.60% 

Locations: 11 ↗ 37.50% 

46 

MITCHELL THEATRES 

Headquarters: Elkhart, KS 

Founded: 2005 

Screens: 107 

Locations: 15 

47 

IPIC THEATERS 

Headquarters: Boca Raton, FL 

Founded: 2007 

Screens: 100 ↘ -1.96% 

Locations: 13 

48 

STAR CINEMA GRILL 

Headquarters: Houston, TX 

Founded: 2005 

Screens: 99 ↗ 15.11% 

Locations: 11 ↗ 10% 

49 

R.L. FRIDLEY THEATRES 

Headquarters: Des Moines, IA 

Founded: 1972 

Screens: 94 ↘ -3.09% 

Locations: 17 ↘ -5.56% 

49 

XSCAPE THEATRES 

Headquarters: New Albany, IN 

Founded: 2013 

Screens: 94 

Locations: 7 


THEATER EXHIBITORS HAVE THEIR SAY 

EXHIBITORS 

HAVE THEIR SAY 

Exhibition Leaders Share Their Favorite 

Moviegoing Moments of 2022 

ANTHONY LAVERDE 

CEO, Emagine Entertainment 

“The film so poignantly 

illustrates the multiple 

crossroads of the immigrant 

experience in an out-ofthis-world 

story that kept me 

coming back to the theater 

over and over again.” 

SUMMER HASAN 

Head of Marketing & Brand, Flix 

Brewhouse 

As the daughter of an immigrant, I cannot 

describe in words how much I enjoyed the 

ride that is Everything Everywhere All at 

Once. The film so poignantly illustrates 

the multiple crossroads of the immigrant 

experience in an out-of-this-world story 

that kept me coming back to the theater 

over and over again. Plus, hot dog fingers! 

Need I say more? 

REBECCA STEIN 

V.P., Studio Relations & U.S. Marketing, 

National Amusements (Showcase 

Cinemas) 

My personal favorite movie memory of 

this year was sharing Top Gun: Maverick 

with three generations of family. It was 

the perfect movie to enjoy with my parents, 

who are in their late 70s, and my 

three kids right before they all headed off 

to college and left me as an empty nester 

for the first time. 

My favorite moviegoing experience from 

2022 was seeing Top Gun: Maverick with 

my kids. I loved the original growing up, 

and being able to share the connection and 

experience of watching this movie with 

them was amazing. 

RON KRUEGER 

President and COO, Southern Theatres 

Favorite moviegoing event of 2023: At the 

grand reopening event for our Amstar 

14 Alabaster in Alabaster, Alabama, we 

debuted luxury recliners in all auditoriums 

as well as our amazing GPX premium 

large-format auditorium. Our amazing 

staff fired on all cylinders that night, and 

our 150 guests had a fantastic moviegoing 

experience with the debut of Wakanda 

Forever the likes of which the metro 

Birmingham market had never seen. 

JASON MILLS 

Director of Optimization, NCG Cinema 

Top Gun: Maverick had me at “Top Gun 

Anthem”! 



51


BRITTANIE BAGBY BAKER 

COO & EVP, B&B Theatres 

My favorite movie moment of 2022 was a 

date night with my husband to see Elvis. 

The movie was so visually stunning. When 

it ended, I didn’t want to leave. I just 

wanted to watch it over again. 

SARA MOORE 

Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing 

Officer, Cineplex 

So many fantastic movie experiences in 

2022, but my favorite was sitting in a dark 

theater, full of like-minded filmgoers, 

being absolutely mesmerized by Austin 

Butler’s performance [in Elvis]! His 

complete embodiment of Elvis had me 

convinced at times that I was watching 

archival footage. I could not have truly 

appreciated the incredible soundtrack 

and cinematography if not for the fantastic 

movie theater experience and the great 

company I was with. 

PHIL ZACHERETTI 

President & CEO, Phoenix Theatres 

Other than being able to take my wife to 

many more movies than we attended in 

2021, my next favorite experience in 2022 

was during a showing of Elvis. We sat next 

to four women likely in their mid- to late 

70s. During the scene where Austin Butler 

starts to shake like the real Elvis for the 

first time, the lady next to me said “Oh 

my!” proving that movies affect people 

as well as excite them. It showed me 

that older audiences still want to attend 

movies in movie theaters! 


JEFFREY A. KAUFMAN 

Chief Content Officer, SVP Film, Malco 

Theatres 

My favorite movie moment of 2022 was 

any week from May 27 to July 8. The good 

Doctor Strange kicked off the summer in 

style, but the weeks between Top Gun: 

Maverick and Thor: Love and Thunder 

was the kind of proof of post-pandemic 

concept that warmed every exhibitor’s 

cockles. And we all love warmed cockles. 

First Top Gun, then Jurassic World, to be 

followed the following week by Lightyear, 

then Black Phone and Elvis, then Minions 

and, finally, Thor. Wow, what a run! Those 

seven weeks of summer 2022 proved that, 

yes Virginia, people will come. People will 

most definitely come. 

CHRISTA MOLTER 

Chief People Officer, NCG Cinemas 

Minions: The Rise of Gru: I think I laughed 

more than my kids did throughout the 

movie! 

CHRIS JOHNSON 

CEO, Classic Cinemas 

My favorite moment of 2022 was the week 

starting July 1. We had opened the La 

Grange theater [in Illinois] for Top Gun: 

Maverick in May. The first week of July, 

we started with six sold-out shows in a 

row of Minions: The Rise of Gru (4 unsold 

seats the entire day). For that week, the 

complex occupancy set a record: 69.28 

percent! We finally had multiple hits at 

the same time with Minions: The Rise 

of Gru, Elvis, Top Gun: Maverick, and 

Lightyear, which opened to huge crowds, 

and then finishing off the week with Thor: 

Love and Thunder. That’s when I knew our 

industry was back in a big way! 


53


“Sitting there in the dark, 

experiencing what most 

would agree is the best 

film of the year with 

my family was such a 

memorable experience.” 


JOHN GREINER 

Vice President, Studio Partnerships 

and Film Finance, AMC Theatres 

Like millions of other people around the 

world, my favorite moviegoing experience 

in 2022 was Top Gun: Maverick and how it 

delivered the supersonic magic of movies 

to the big screen. 

DALE DAVISON 

Senior Vice President of Operations and 

Development, Metropolitan Theatres 

JAMES SANDBERG 

Vice President of Film & CTO, 

Coming Attractions Theatres 

My favorite moviegoing experience was 

taking my two daughters to our local 

theater to watch Top Gun: Maverick. 

I personally had the opportunity to 

screen the film at CinemaCon thanks 

to Paramount and already knew it was 

going to be a huge hit. But when I got 

to sit in an auditorium full of regular 

moviegoers and experience the film, it 

really hit home that our industry was 

in for a positive change. Sitting there 

in the dark, experiencing what most 

would agree is the best film of the year 

with my family was such a memorable 

experience. Both girls immediately 

asked if we could watch it again, and I 

can confirm that we have seen it several 

times since. 

Experiencing Top Gun: Maverick in a 

packed auditorium with fellow moviegoers 

reinforced the true majesty of the 

cinematic experience. Top Gun: Maverick 

proved that people are hungry for the 

return of quality films and the experience 

that can only be found by viewing them 

on the big screen. 

NOEL HAZARD 

Director of Operations, Regency Theatres 

My best moviegoing experience of 2022 

was seeing Top Gun: Maverick in a 

packed house at the Chinese Theatre in 

Hollywood. It took me back to my days 

managing the Chinese and to the world 

premiere of the original Top Gun, remembering 

the excitement of the 1,500 in 

attendance. 

BOBBIE BAGBY 

CCO and EVP, B&B Theatres 

I think watching Top Gun with my mom 

and dad and his friends was my favorite. It 

was such a long time coming, and when it 

finally opened it was a day to celebrate for 

sure. And then it had such legs! 


55


ROB LEHMAN 

COO, Santikos Entertainment 

Watching Top Gun: Maverick in an auditorium 

in its fifth week, with teenagers and 

older adults clapping at the end. 

ANTHONY TAYLOR 

Marketing Director, MJR Digital Cinemas 

DAMIAN WARDLE 

EVP Theatre & Technology Operations, 

Cinemark 

My favorite moviegoing moment of 2022 

was the nostalgia of seeing Maverick 

return to the big screen. As an avid sports 

bike enthusiast, my favorite scene by far 

was Tom Cruise racing his motorcycle into 

Top Gun once again. 

Seeing Top Gun: Maverick at CinemaCon 

was a truly memorable experience. To 

be in an auditorium packed with people 

who have dedicated their lives to theatrical 

exhibition, while being reminded 

of the power of cinema as we all cheered 

in unison throughout the film, was truly 

special. To then see that film go on to have 

that same effect on audiences of multiple 

generations across the country reminded 

me why we all got into this business in the 

first place. 

MARK GRAMZ 

President, Marcus Theatres 

I really enjoyed the 2022 presentation 

of Top Gun: Maverick at CinemaCon 

last April. It was great entertainment, 

and it was terrific to see and hear the 

reactions of everyone there. It brought 

back, for me, the magic of the cinema: 

a great spectacle, shown to a large 

audience, all sharing the experience. 

It was and is what blockbuster moviegoing 

is all about. 


BROCK BAGBY 

EVP, Chief Content, Programming & 

Development Officer, B&B Theatres 

Favorite moment of 2022 was definitely 

Avatar. I watched this movie with my 

family, and it was the first time I had 

watched a 3D movie since 2018. I kept 

thinking, “This is why we are relevant.” We 

were watching in our PLF 70-foot Grand 

Screen in HFR 3D, and I was assured once 

again that you can’t replicate this at home 

and never will! An amazing cinematic 

achievement, and it was even more special 

witnessing it with my family. 

MIKE BOWERS 

President and CEO, Harkins Theatres 

My favorite movie memory of 2022 has to 

be seeing Best Picture nominee Elvis and 

hosting a special screening with a surprise 

visit by Oscar-nominated Austin Butler 

and the visionary Baz Luhrmann at our 

Camelview at Fashion Square theater [in 

Scottsdale, Ariz.]. The crowd went wild 

when they introduced their film. Closely 

tied for second are watching Tom Cruise 

bring moviegoers back to the movies 

in the thrilling Top Gun: Maverick and 

seeing the beauty of Pandora back on the 

big screen in Avatar: The Way of Water. 

“It was the first time I had 

watched a 3D movie since 

2018. I kept thinking, ‘This 

is why we are relevant.’” 


57


MICHELLE MANN 

Owner, Mann Theatres 

Tom Cruise made a very supportive decision 

for exhibitors when he insisted Top 

Gun: Maverick come to movie theaters 

and not stream, because seeing movies 

as a community is what the experience is 

all about. 

KELLEY ANDERSON 

Senior Director of Marketing, Reading 

International 

FRANCISCO SCHLOTTERBECK 

CEO, Maya Cinemas 

Maverick is the most phenomenal film 

I’ve ever seen, an unforgettable, moving, 

and thrilling motion picture that must be 

seen on the big screen. 

Seeing The Woman King was one of my 

favorite cinema experiences of 2022! An 

inspirational film with an electric ensemble 

cast whose energy radiated through to 

the moviegoers. This film was a triumph 

and a true joy, and one that was absolutely 

fit for the shared experience that only the 

big screen can provide. 

BILL WALKER 

CEO, Landmark Cinemas of Canada 

A.J. WITHERSPOON 

V.P. of Operations, Galaxy Theatres 

Mine would certainly be attending the 

Top Gun premiere in San Diego. 

My favorite experience of 2022 was being 

in the audience for the opening night of 

Top Gun in Imax. As the lights went down 

moments before the film began, the crowd 

spontaneously began singing “You’ve Lost 

That Loving Feeling” at the top of their 

lungs. I get goosebumps again just thinking 

about it. 


“This film was a triumph and 

a true joy, and one that was 

absolutely fit for the shared 

experience that only the big 

screen can provide.” 


59

THEATER CINEMARK 

CINEMARK, 

REINVENTED 

Cinemark Rolls Out Its Updated Brand Identity 


In today’s experience economy, the 

visual power of corporate branding 

relies on much more than just a logo. A 

cinema looking to distinguish itself and 

the unique experience it offers can start 

with a logo, of course, but it can also 

extend its visual identity to its theater 

architecture, lobby interior design, or 

the lighting and display of its concession 

stand. That’s what Cinemark, the nation’s 

third-largest circuit, is doing in the gradual 

rollout of its new branding, which visitors 

will see throughout 2023. Boxoffice 

Pro asked Wanda Gierhart, Cinemark’s 

global chief marketing and chief content 

officer, about the circuit’s new identity. 

How important is the right branding 

strategy for a major circuit in today’s 

cinema industry? 

Consumer tastes have changed and 

[movie theaters] have become part of the 

experience economy. To distinguish ourselves, 

we need to offer a complete night 

out—from the time you think about going 

to a movie to when you enter the theater 

to when you’re in the auditorium watching 

a movie. We have to up the ante on 

that whole experience, because we can’t 

distinguish ourselves as brands unless we 

set out with a very methodical [plan for] 

what that experience looks like. 

[At Cinemark], our project started 

before the pandemic by asking ourselves 

how we were going to grow and what was 

going to differentiate us in the future. If 

you look at all the share-worthy experiences 

that people post on Instagram, you 

realize just how much experience matters. 

Over time, [social influencers] have slowly 

shaped consumers’ expectations and 

their requirements for a venue. It’s multisensory 

now. Years ago, people primarily 

came to theaters to see movie; we didn’t 

need to do much, other than put up the 

walls and have a few concessions available. 

Now we have to create an experience 

from the beginning to the end—and 

evolve our spaces accordingly. We spent a 

lot of time thinking about our vision, our 

mission, our positioning, and where we 

want to sit among our competitors—what 

makes us different? [Who are we] as a 

brand, and how do we show it? And then 

how do we express it the same way in all 

our communications? Everything needs 

to feel connected. During this whole 

process, we used the filmmaking concept 

of mise-en-scène to inform our decisions. 

What are all the elements we’re going to 

apply to set the scene we present to our 

audience—all those things that create an 

immersion into a new space? As an industry, 

we have to create more immersive, 

dynamic experiences that think through 

all these parts from beginning to end. 

They all have to live together harmoniously. 

They have to work together and feel 

like they’re congruous to the customer to 

create a whole experience. 

How did you conduct the research 

that led to your design decisions for 

Cinemark’s new look? 

We did a lot of in-depth research. We 

worked with our in-house creative and 

strategy teams, and then augmented 

that work with some outside agencies to 



61

THEATER CINEMARK 

“We applied different 

research techniques to figure 

out the high and low points 

when someone walks through 

our lobby and passes our 

concession stand.” 

do a lot of qualitative and quantitative 

research. Through that process we sought 

to understand how the customer was 

moving through our theaters, their needs, 

and the key points in their relationship 

with us that we could improve upon. It 

had been several years since we updated 

our logo to make our brand fresher and 

more energetic. That’s why we went 

through extensive consumer-journey 

research. We applied different research 

techniques to figure out the high and low 

points when someone walks through our 

lobby and passes our concession stand. 

Understanding the customer experience 

of that interaction: What happens after 

they buy their concessions? What does 

that moment feel like for them? How do 

they feel when they walk through the 

hallways? When you think about other 

entertainment venues, take Disneyland 

or Universal Studios for example, there is 

a consumer journey in moving through 

a space from beginning to end. We really 

wanted all those consumer touch points 

to feel joyful and immersive, creating a 

sense of anticipation so that by the time 

you walk into the auditorium and find 

your seat, the entire process feels great. 

We really focused on making the 

interiors feel bolder and warmer by using 

updated materials. People go to the 

cinema to indulge, so we wanted to create 

more extensive food and beverage experiences. 

In the redesign of our Missouri City 

location, you’ll see new fixtures where 

we’re lighting our candy shelves, laying 

out the candy bars and merchandise to 

make it fun and indulgent. We spent a 

lot of time working on dramatic lighting 

throughout our lobbies and hallways 

to keep that sense of excitement and 

anticipation building as you walk into 

your auditorium. 

How have you begun to roll out 

the new branding elements in your 

theaters? Is there a time frame for the 

rollout in your Latin American circuit? 

We want [our theaters] to feel immersive, 

and we want our customers’ ticketing 

journey to feel frictionless. We’ve placed 

a lot of focus on service and invested 

capital in the experiential side of our 

circuit. We [already] have everything 

set up once you step inside one of our 

auditoriums. We have the number one 

private-label premium large-format brand 


in the country, Cinemark XD; we have the 

highest percentage of recliner seating; we 

offer innovations like D-Box immersive 

seating; and we have the best light levels 

through our rollout of laser projection. 

Now we are trying to focus on all the other 

parts of that experience. It’s going to be a 

phased rollout across our circuit. We redid 

our logo, which we hadn’t touched in several 

years. We redid all of our employee 

uniforms—that will begin to roll out this 

year—and updated all our F&B vessels. 

We first unveiled those elements on our 

digital channels and have begun rolling 

them out to each of our new theaters 

to showcase the new branding. We’re 

going to continue rolling it out across 

our theaters over the course of the year. 

The challenge has been in figuring out 

when and where to roll it out and getting 

everyone to buy into it. I say that because 

the rebrand is not only visual, but it’s 

also experiential. We’re rebuilding all 

our training modules; it’s not a one-year 

journey, it’s a three-to-four-year journey. 

You mentioned the importance of 

launching the rebrand by starting 

with your digital presence, which is 

how brands connect most closely 

with consumers—social media, apps, 

websites. They are no longer confined 

to physical spaces. 

We first started building out all our digital 

capabilities, going through a digital 

transformation, as part of a whole service 

proposition to make visiting our theaters 

as frictionless as possible. We want to 

make it easy for people to buy a ticket 

and have a great night out with us. After 

that, we ensured that once you’re in the 

theater, we smooth all those touch points 

with features like our Snacks in a Tap 

ordering system, where you can buy your 

concessions ahead of time through our 

app and have them delivered to your seat. 

We revamped our website, launched our 

mobile app. It’s so important to have all 

these elements work together in harmony; 

it helps us achieve that fully immersive 

experience. We want everything we’re 

known for to be bolder than life and cinematic, 

and that is something that carries 

over to our investments like XD screens 

and laser projectors. We use them in our 

communication channels to constantly 

remind our customers of our ecosystem. 

If your building exemplifies that excitement 

they see online, if your customer 

arrives and experiences an elevated level 

of service, then all your communications 

are just supporting and reinforcing that 

ecosystem. Every touch point has to work 

in tandem with each other. 

What makes you most excited about 

the process of establishing a brand 

and communicating it with your 

audience? 

Introducing an integrated philosophy of 

design and branding into the exhibition 

business is only going to help improve 

the moviegoing experience. I think it’s 

our future. We have to meet the customer 

where they’re at and follow them in the 

direction they’re moving. Rolling this out 

internationally to the rest of our circuit 

outside the United States, which will be 

part of our next wave, will help create distinction 

for our brand—which then helps 

you maintain or gain market share because 

you’re seen as a complete experience, a 

destination, a complete night out. It makes 

going to the movies fun, a place people like 

to visit. That experience needs to have form 

and function: Is it conveying the brand? 

Does it enhance the customers’ experience 

with us from the time they buy a ticket to 

the time they leave the theater? If we’re on 

our game and we’ve thought through all 

of those touch points—honing them and 

making them feel congruous—it will make 

visiting us an exciting night out. 

“We want everything we’re 

known for to be bolder than 

life and cinematic, and that 

is something that carries over 

to our investments like XD 

screens and laser projectors.” 


63

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John Wick: Chaper 4 66 | Event Cinema Calendar 86 | Booking Guide 88 

ON SCREEN 

“There’s a feast for the eyes here, and we would 

love for people to see it in the theaters as opposed 

to on an iPhone.” 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, p. 70 


65

ON SCREEN JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 

NO WAY BACK, 

ONE WAY OUT 

Chad Stahelski Brings John Wick Back 

to the Post-Pandemic Big Screen 


Chad Stahelski’s John Wick entered 

the market in late October 2014 

with unexceptional prospects. It was a 

midbudget action film, helmed by star 

Keanu Reeves’s former stunt double in 

The Matrix. Few would have blinked if it 

had taken its modest box office haul and 

retreated to a comfortable afterlife in the 

Sunday afternoon programming rotation 

on basic cable, the fate enjoyed by 

countless films before it. But John Wick 

was more than just another counter-programmer. 

It was a fresh and exciting take 

on a genre weighed down by superhero 

movies; it became a word-of-mouth box 

office hit, and above all it was good. It was 

really good. A sequel followed in 2017, as 

did a third part in 2019. All were directed 

by Chad Stahelski, who has remained at 

the helm of the franchise since its inception. 

With John Wick: Chapter 4, scheduled 

for release this March, John Wick is 

now one of the most important series in 

Lionsgate’s slate. Boxoffice Pro’s Daniel 

Loria spoke with Stahelski as the director 

was putting the finishing touches on the 

film. They talked about the franchise’s 

journey and Stahelski’s role in ensuring 

its status as a modern action classic. 

I remember seeing the early footage 

of John Wick 4 at CinemaCon, and 

I’m really looking forward to seeing 

the finished product. This installment 

is coming out in a very different 

environment, as the exhibition 

business is bouncing back from the 

pandemic. How did the Covid-19 pause 

affect the development of this movie? 

We straddled the pandemic while we were 

in development. We were three or four 

months into writing the script and had 

started to kind of sort out the story when 

the pandemic happened. You get a little 

dissuaded on what’s going to happen, but 

we figured if we can’t get right into production, 

then let’s keep researching and 

figuring out what we want to do. It gave 

Keanu [Reeves], myself, and our writing 

team extra time to reflect back on the 

first three films. And the story did change 

quite a bit because we had that extra time. 

You’re also thinking about everything 

everybody’s watching, because we were 

all locked up in our little boxes. You start 

watching all the content that’s on all the 

streaming services. We started redeveloping 

what we wanted to see as audience 

members. It greatly influenced what 

kind of story and what kind of set pieces 

we were going to put into this film. We 

spent a little bit more time in the kitchen 

until we finally got the go-ahead from the 

studio that we could start, under Covid 

restrictions and safety protocols. 

As the world was retreating indoors 

to watch movies on their couches, 

you decided to enlarge the visual 

scope of John Wick 4 to bring in 

some iconic locations. Do we have 

the pandemic to thank for this 

expanded world-building and 

broader cinematic canvas? 

We began our scouting, and because 

of the state of the world we had fairly 

solitary access to a lot of places. This 

is the biggest entry that we’ve done in 



67


the John Wick series. I think we went to 

five countries overall. We were in New 

York. We were in Aqaba in Jordan. We 

were in Osaka and Tokyo in Japan, in 

Paris, and in Berlin. A pretty good array 

of locations. We shot in the Louvre, we 

shot the Trocadéro, the Eiffel Tower, 

and some amazing, amazing locations 

in Berlin. And we shot a portion where 

David Lean shot Lawrence of Arabia in 

Aqaba. In one way, [the pandemic] was 

a little restrictive, but in another way it 

gave us a chance to explore very different 

opportunities. A little bittersweet, but I 

think it helped us overall to take the time 

and really consider what we wanted to do 

with the movie instead of just rushing to 

production. 

The John Wick franchise has always 

delivered on the promise of a 

cinematic experience for audiences. 

There’s an extra element to seeing 

them on the big screen. 

If you’re going to quote me on whom 

I rip off the most, it’s Kurosawa and 

Sergio Leone—with some Bertolucci and 

Tarkovsky thrown in. I like the classics 

because of their scale; you feel these 

characters are part of a bigger world, and 

that’s something that allows the characters 

to grow. They employ a very strategic 

use of close-ups and composition. I love 

big sets that can transport you to a different 

environment. I’ve always wanted to do 

cinematic experiences, actual movies that 

are meant to be seen in theaters—and 

“We shot in the Louvre, we 

shot the Trocadéro, the Eiffel 

Tower, and some amazing, 

amazing locations in Berlin.” 


shot that way. It’s really funny when you 

get into the editing process, working 

on computers with 50-inch screens. It’s 

tricky because you start editing for a 

small screen, and every other week you 

look at your footage in a theater and realize 

you need to edit differently so it looks 

great on a 40-foot screen. It’s just a different 

style. Combine that with almost two 

years of not going to a theater because of 

the pandemic—we knew we were going to 

make something big. 

I’ve enjoyed how much you’ve 

expanded this world over the course 

of the series. It was great to see 

all the location shooting you did in 

New York for the first film—along 

with everything built around it, 

from the cinematography to the 

production design. It all served a 

cohesive aesthetic purpose that has 

remained in the franchise with every 

subsequent installment. You’re taking 

that further than ever before with 

John Wick 4. 

We’ve been fortunate enough that we 

don’t really look at a script in the beginning; 

we’re too busy researching. We 

spend more time and money in prep than 

just about anybody else I’ve ever met. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to have a 

pretty crazy life, going around the world 

making movies as a stuntman, stunt 

coordinator, and second unit director. 

I’ve been traveling since I was 10, so I 

was pretty familiar with Asia and Europe 

by the time I was in my early 20s. You 

direct, you shoot, and you make what you 

know. I grew up with the Bond movies. 

That’s what I watched on Sundays with 

my dad and brothers. There’s a sense of 

magic when you see him go down a luge 

in Austria, so when you get the chance 

to make your own [film], you try to 

expand that world according to your own 

personal experience. When Dave Leitch 

and I were doing the first John Wick 

[Leitch codirected, but only Stahelski 

was credited], we had spent 15 years as 

stuntmen or stunt coordinators, living 

in hotels, so putting together the idea for 

the Continental [the luxury hotel/meeting 

place in all four films] was pretty easy. 

That’s where all that came from. 

Do you feel pressure to outdo yourself 

for the fourth installment in this series? 

The question we get a lot since doing 

John Wick 3 is, How do you outdo yourself? 

How do you make it bigger, better, 

stronger, or faster? And to be honest with 

you, we don’t even really think about 

it—we simply tell the story that we want 

to tell. I have this huge whiteboard where 

we write down everything we love: muscle 

cars, martial arts, traveling, going to cities 

like Paris. And you put all this stuff up 

there and then you start writing. Next 

thing you know, we end up with 100 great 

scenes. Then you start building a story 

around those great scenes, where we want 

to go with the character. It’s a very nonlinear 

process. Every day we’re finding a 

new location. We’re always researching 

to find what’s a cool kind of ammunition 

to feature. What new kind of firearms do 

you want to use? What’s the car we want 

to be in the movie? And then you get into 

aesthetic decisions: What are the camera 


69


angles we want to use? How do we want to 

push the color scale? You put all this stuff 

up on the whiteboard. You write down 

that you want to shoot in the Louvre 

and then get permission to shoot in the 

Louvre. You start building it from the 

outside in and from the inside out, kind 

of at the same time. Then it’s the process 

of editing that down. That’s the creative 

side, and then you’re actually going to 

these places, seeing them, and realizing 

that none of your ideas are going to work 

in that location—and that’s how you end 

up doing a fight scene while standing in 

the middle of traffic in front of the Arc de 

Triomphe. You keep pushing it, even if 

you have no idea how you’re going to pull 

off half these scenes. We’ll get in the room 

with my stunt team and figure out how to 

do it. I’ve been part of so many projects 

where sequels are dictated by blowing 

up more things or having two spaceships 

instead of one, and I’ve never believed 

that’s the right answer for sequels. I’ve 

always thought equilateral expansion is 

the best way to do it. 

The only reason for us to do John Wick 

4 is to make it better than John Wick 3. 

Keanu has to train harder; he’s got to 

learn new weapons, he’s got to have 

new skills, driving skills, and learn more 

martial arts—it all needs to improve. I 

have to be better as a director. I have to 

write better, produce better, and shoot 

better. And I tell the same thing to my 

cinematographer and my entire production 

team: “You guys are great. I love 

you. Be better.” I always use a quote from 

Bob Fosse: “Fifty percent of directing is 

coming up with crazy ideas, and the other 

50 percent is finding people crazy enough 

to pull them off.” I’ve got a lot of crazy 

people on my team. The point is, if you 

want to get something to the next level 

from what you’ve just done, I don’t know 

if going bigger is always better. I think 

it’s better if you have 50 individuals and 

make them better, do harder research, 

and everybody pushes themselves a little 

bit more. If you don’t know how to do it, 

find people that can and keep expanding. 

You’ve mentioned the location 

shooting, and that’s something, as 

an action movie fan today, I really 

believe has been missing from the 

“The only reason for us to 

do John Wick 4 is to make 

it better than John Wick 3. 

Keanu has to train harder; he’s 

got to learn new weapons, 

he’s got to have new skills, 

driving skills, and learn more 

martial arts—it all needs to 

improve.” 


genre. I’m tired of green screens. I’m 

tired of elements in the production 

design, the mise-en-scène, that 

have no weight to them. Every time 

I see one of your movies, it has 

a geographic reference, and the 

fact that you can orchestrate and 

choreograph huge set pieces in real, 

lived-in places, I think that appeals to 

moviegoers, whether they’re aware of 

it or not. 

That’s where the Lord of the Rings and 

the early Bond movies really stand out. 

They transport you. It’s a travelogue. My 

grandfather used to take me to museums 

whenever I would stay with him. Those 

places are full of magic, and it gave me a 

sense of wanderlust. I just remember the 

effect the early Bond movies had on me. 

They convinced me that if I was going to 

do movies, let’s show the world off a little 

bit. People want to see the Eiffel Tower, 

they want to see the Louvre. We shot in 

the Versailles stables, one of the most 

unique places in France. Movies are magical 

because they take you to places you’ve 

never been to. I worked on the first Matrix 

and learned a lot about visual effects from 

all the great people that were involved. 

It’s where I learned that the best special 

effects in movies are sleight of hand— 

magic. Somewhere along the way, as an 

industry, we gave up on giving audiences 

that magic and sense of wonder. Don’t 

get me wrong, there are still some great 

productions out there, but in a lot of the 

massive franchises, it’s easy for audiences 

to tell what’s a visual effect and what isn’t. 

I get it—it’s hard to do a big superhero or 

sci-fi movie without computer-enhanced 

visual effects. You have to; that’s the best 

way to tell those stories. But just look at 

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies. 

He knocked it out of the park by shooting 

in real locations and layering the visual 

effects on top of those settings. It helps 

you slide into that experience. I’m a huge 

James Cameron fan, and Avatar: The Way 

of Water is one of the most impressive 

films I’ve ever seen. He’s great at that 

type of movie. Personally, I have a knack 

for working in physical locations. When 

you’re shooting on location, you have 

to bend to the location. We shot at the 

[basilica of] Sacré-Coeur; we had to get 

Keanu to go up 400 steps for a scene, and 

we had to adjust our shots to the physics 

of the location. I wish I could tell you 

the magic formula—but every location, 

every fight, and every action sequence 

I’ve ever done has always either bent or 

broken the rules of what I thought we 

were going to do. Every time you go into 

a scene convinced that you’re going to do 

it a certain way, it never works that way. 

There’s always something—too cool, too 

hot, too loose, too tight, the crane doesn’t 

work—and you’ve got to roll with it. A big 

lesson from my 10 years as a second-unit 

action director was to always find a way to 

problem solve. There is an opportunity in 

every limitation. That’s why I like shooting 

in real locations. 

What are you excited to have 

moviegoers discover in John Wick 4 

when they watch it on the big screen? 

I would like to think we’re not the average 

action movie franchise that tries to just 

give it a certain look and make it gritty and 

tough. We’re trying to be the action movie 

art film. The whole idea of John Wick 

came from The Odyssey: You’re Odysseus— 

you’re trying to head home, but the universe 

and the gods throw everything they 

can at you. That’s where we really designed 

John Wick and all the other supporting 

characters; they are all factors that either 

hurt or help you on your journey. I love 

Quentin Tarantino’s movies, where every 

scene is its own movie. There’s no wasted 

energy there. There’s no exposition. Kill 

Bill is a series of great little movies—and it 

all clicks. That’s precisely the energy we’re 

going for. 

“I wish I could tell you the 

magic formula—but every 

location, every fight, and 

every action sequence I’ve 

ever done has always either 

bent or broken the rules of 

what I thought we were 

going to do.” 

CHAD STAHELSKI 

AT THE MOVIES 

What does the theatrical 

experience mean to you, 

as a filmmaker? 

For me, it stems from 

how I grew up in the precellphone, 

pre-internet 

generation. When my 

parents took me to the 

movie theater, it was 

like going to Disneyland. 

A chance to be transported 

somewhere new, to dream 

while you’re awake. It 

would let you see and do 

things that you had never 

experienced. When a 

movie clicks, you feel like 

you’re on an adventure— 

not just watching one. 

If you can pass that on 

to others through your 

own work, that’s the main 

motivation. 


71

ON SCREEN DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 

A 

MERRIE 

OLDE 

GOODE 

TIME 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among 

Thieves Brings Fantasy and Comedy 

to the Multiplex 

BY REBECCA PAHLE 



73


In theaters on March 31 from 

Paramount Pictures, Dungeons & 

Dragons: Honor Among Thieves marks 

the return to the big screen of one of 

the seminal fantasy properties of our 

time. Dungeons & Dragons, the tabletop 

role-playing game, was first published in 

1974 and gained popularity throughout the 

1970s and ’80s, with groups of players gathering 

to invent characters and play out elaborate 

fantasy stories. (It was also the subject 

of unfounded rumors in the ’80s, with 

some incorrectly linking it to Satanism.) 

A notoriously bad film adaptation in 2000 

couldn’t dim D&D’s shine for long; in the 

past decade it’s seen a resurgence in popularity, 

thanks in part to its appearance in the 

’80s nostalgia-centric “Stranger Things” and 

the proliferation of D&D game play on the 

live-streaming platform Twitch. 

It’s good timing, then, for another 

Dungeon & Dragons movie, this time 

helmed by John Francis Daley and 

Jonathan Goldstein, the writer/director duo 

behind 2018 comedy Game Night. Daley 

and Goldstein spoke to Boxoffice Pro 

about subverting audience expectations 

with a movie that, per Goldstein, “deserves 

to be seen on the big screen.” 

I’m interested in movies that are 

absolute train wrecks—which the 

previous Dungeons & Dragons movie 

certainly was. Have you guys seen it? 

It almost provides a blueprint of what 

not to do when adapting D&D. 

John Francis Daley: I had a very vague 

familiarity with it when it came out. I 

think I might have seen it in a Redbox a 

few years later, but I don’t have much of a 

recollection of it. I’m kind of thankful for 

that. When we approached this movie, we 

wanted to do it with fresh eyes. 

Jonathan Goldstein: I’ve never seen 

the movie, and I made the decision that 

I wouldn’t, at least until we were done 

with this one. Because, like John said, I 

didn’t want to be influenced by it. I didn’t 

want to be reacting to anything that 

came before. 

Well, unless your movie has a lot of 

overwrought political drama, I think 

you’ll be fine. 

Jonathan Goldstein: [Laughs] That’s 

really the core of our movie. 

John Francis Daley: It mostly takes place 

in a congressional hearing as we get into the 

politics of the neighboring cities of Baldur’s 

Gate and Neverwinter [Laughs]. No. 

Jonathan Goldstein: Part of what drew us 

to the opportunity of making a movie like 

this was to do something that hadn’t been 

done before, which was to bring a certain 

sense of comedy, but also something that 

captured the spirit of playing a D&D game. 

Because when you’re playing a game, for 

the most part—some people take it deadly 

seriously—it’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of things 

going wrong, and pivoting, and figuring out 

how you’re going to deal with surprise[s]. 

That’s a lot of what happens in our film. 

John Francis Daley: All that said, I don’t 

think that you need any familiarity with the 

game to enjoy the movie. It was very important 

to us to keep it ground-level enough 

that anyone could see the thing and enjoy it 

without knowing what all the proper nouns 

mean. We, in fact, did a proper noun pass 

as we went through the script just before 

shooting it, to make sure we weren’t bogging 

down the audience with a bunch of words 

that they wouldn’t give a shit about. 


It’s helpful that D&D has been so 

influential in modern fantasy. Most 

people know the basic concepts, even 

if they don’t know where they’re from. 

Jonathan Goldstein: People love 

“Game of Thrones,” and that was based on 

books that most of them hadn’t read. And 

there’s a lot of complicated stuff going on 

in those that you don’t need to know or 

have great familiarity with. 

John Francis Daley: And, obviously, 

there’s no story here that we need to 

adhere to, as D&D is a series of constantly 

evolving stories in the hands of the players. 

But what it does have is a very established 

lore of locations that is unique to 

the franchise, as well as monsters and 

magic that you’re not going to find in any 

other fantasy genre. Being able to blend 

those unique elements of D&D with a 

unique tone allows you to kind of—not 

necessarily get contemporary, but definitely 

to have fun and not take itself too 

seriously. It’s a great combination. 

So you have the tone you want, and 

you have lore and locations and types 

of characters—bards and monks and 

Druids and all that—but then you need 

a plot. How do you crack the story? 

Jonathan Goldstein: There are a million 

stories to tell, so it was really up to us. 

What we decided to do was focus on a 

subgenre that we felt had a lot of potential 

in a medieval setting, and that’s a heist 

movie. That was the jumping-off point: 

a band of misfits who, working together, 

take down a bad guy and rob his treasury. 

That led us to all the complications 

that follow from that, and all the ways 

we could follow these characters and 

their individual arcs through the movie. 

There’s, I think, going to be more emotion 

in this than people are expecting. Because 

you really get invested in these people. 

They’re relatable figures, not abstract 

movie villains or good guys. 

John Francis Daley: The other thing 

we did, by embracing the archetype of a 

heist picture, was embrace the expectations 

that people have of the tropes—and 

then subverting them. It was really 

important to us to have as many twists 

and turns as we could in this film, where 

you think you’re going down one direction 

and then we suddenly guide you 

somewhere else. It was so much fun to 

do that in Game Night, and to be able to 

do it on such a grand scale. It was really 

delightful for us. 

I was just thinking how well you did 

that in Game Night. It’s nice to be 

surprised by a movie. 

John Francis Daley: Absolutely. These 

days, it’s really hard to be surprised. I 

think that there is this fatigue that people 

have. Everything is so by the book and follows 

the conventions of storytelling. To be 

able to break free of that and tell a story 

where the audience truly doesn’t know 

exactly where it’s going was something 

that we were very excited about. 

“It was really important to 

us to have as many twists 

and turns as we could in this 

film, where you think you’re 

going down one direction and 

then we suddenly guide you 

somewhere else.” 


75


People tend to think they know what 

to expect when it comes to fantasy 

stories. It’s one of those genres, like 

horror, where people will say, “I’m just 

not into it.” You don’t hear people say 

that about comedy. 

John Francis Daley: Critics generally 

don’t like comedies as much, but I think 

the tide might be finally turning there 

as well. 

Jonathan Goldstein: I think it’s really in 

the hands of our marketing people now to 

tell people that this isn’t what they expect 

it to be—that it’s not a heavy, gray, maudlin 

piece about people struggling through 

medieval times. It’s a fun ride of a movie 

that happens to be set in a fantasy realm. 

John Francis Daley: But, that said, I 

think there is also this expectation that 

it could go too far in the other direction, 

where it’s hyper glib and jokey and not at 

all grounded. That wasn’t our intention, 

either. We wanted to keep the stakes 

very much alive. We wanted to keep the 

intentions of our characters totally real 

and justified. It was straddling that line 

between humor and stakes that was 

important for us to keep track of as we 

continued to develop the film. 

Jonathan Goldstein: Also to get the 

scope in this movie, which is why it really 

deserves to be seen on the big screen. We 

filmed all over Northern Ireland. We filmed 

in Iceland. We have an actual exploding 

volcano. There’s a feast for the eyes here, 

and we would love for people to see it in 

the theaters as opposed to on an iPhone. 

John Francis Daley: [It’s] the same way 

that we held ourselves to a high standard 

when we were making Game Night, 

knowing that people were familiar with 

that type of film and trying to subvert 

people’s expectations as to how far you 

can go with a comedy, how you can play 

with the look so that it doesn’t feel like a 

comedy and it actually feels more like a 

respected psychological thriller. We held 

ourselves to an even higher standard 

in making this film. We did not want 

to make something that was basic or 

down the middle. As a testament to our 

studio, they allowed us to really push the 

envelope with our storytelling and with 

“We filmed all over Northern 

Ireland. We filmed in Iceland. 

We have an actual exploding 

volcano. There’s a feast for 

the eyes here, and we would 

love for people to see it in the 

theaters as opposed to on 

an iPhone.” 


the scope of the picture. We embraced 

practical elements as much as we could. 

A perfect fusion of practical and visual 

effects is that sweet sauce that you need 

to make a film that feels timeless and 

doesn’t feel of any certain era. I think 

there’s also the fatigue of films that all 

look the same. I’m not going to say which 

films those are. But I think that there 

is this longing to break out of that and 

embrace a more symbiotic approach 

between practical and visual effects. 

Speaking of symbiotic approaches, 

D&D is highly collaborative. That’s the 

whole point of it: a group of people 

getting together and telling a story. 

As you were directing, did you get 

the actors involved from a characterdevelopment 

standpoint? Or did you 

pretty much stick to what you had in 

the script? 

Jonathan Goldstein: It was a combination 

of both. We always want to be open to 

what the actors bring to their characters. 

Chris Pine, for example: We spoke at 

length with him in the early stages of writing 

and rewriting the script. A lot of the 

things that he suggested made their way 

into the script. When the actors arrived 

in Belfast, one of the first things we did 

was have a game of Dungeons & Dragons 

with them that lasted for several hours. It 

really gave them the spirit of what it is to 

be in a campaign in D&D, but it also let 

them play as their characters for the first 

time. So we saw things emerge that we 

then were able to write to. 

What was your hometown movie 

theater growing up? 

John Francis Daley: I remember it 

vividly. It was in Spring Valley, New 

York. Right by Nyack, where I grew up, 

in Rockland County. A United Artists 

theater, I believe. I remember vividly 

[seeing] the standee for Twister and 

thinking, “I have to see that movie.” As 

well as seeing Jurassic Park there for the 

first time, which—I’ve said in a few other 

interviews—is sort of the spirit animal of 

the Dungeons & Dragons feature. Spielberg 

influenced me so exponentially and made 

me want to become a filmmaker. I can so 

quickly go back to that exact theater space, 

with the smell of the popcorn and the 

sticky floors. It’s like home. 

Jonathan Goldstein: For me, it was 

my adolescence, which was spent in 

Cleveland, Ohio. It was the Mayfield 

Theater, just outside downtown Cleveland. 

It was this very old movie house. They 

would show these double features. A 

friend and I would go every Friday or 

Saturday night and watch two classic 

movies. It was a kind of film school for me, 

because I saw every meaningful movie 

you could think of in those two or three 

years that I went there. 

During the period of the pandemic 

when theaters were closed, I think a 

lot of people realized how valuable an 

experience it is. 

John Francis Daley: That’s exactly right. 

As we were crafting this film, it was so 

important to us to create an experience 

that was worthy of going to the theater. 

That’s why we can’t stress enough: This 

is a theater experience. It’s got the laughs 

that are only the best when you’re surrounded 

by other people laughing. But 

there are also heart moments as well, 

that you wouldn’t necessarily get if you 

were watching it alone. I remember, in 

one of the first test screenings we had, 

something happens, and it elicited a lot 

of tears in the audience. And that is, in 

my mind, up there with getting people 

to jump in their seats from a scare and 

getting people to laugh. Those three 

reactions are what you really want out 

of filming. 

Have you gone out to the cinema 

recently? 

Jonathan Goldstein: We saw The 

Banshees of Inisherin together. It was just 

us, I think, because it was the middle of 

the day, and we snuck off and watched it. 

I keep meaning to go, because I think we 

have a standee in the theaters right now 

for our movie, and I haven’t seen it yet. 

John Francis Daley: I want to see Avatar 

[The Way of Water]. I still haven’t seen 

that. Deciding if I should take my 6-yearold. 

Probably not. Might totally traumatize 

him. 

Jonathan Goldstein: We did get to see 

our own film at the Imax headquarters 

here in L.A. just a week ago, and it’s 

amazing. So fun to see it that big. 

JOHN FRANCIS 

DALEY AND 

JONATHAN 

GOLDSTEIN AT 

THE MOVIES 

What do you go for, 

concessions-wise? 

John Francis Daley: I 

usually get a medium 

popcorn with Raisinets. 

And the Diet Coke. 

Jonathan Goldstein: Do 

you mix the [popcorn and] 

Raisinets? 

John Francis Daley: I do. 

And I learned that from 

the movie Whiplash, where 

Paul Reiser does that with 

Miles Teller. I thought, 

“Oh, that’s a handy way 

to do it.” 

Jonathan Goldstein: My 

wife is a big candy fan, 

and she always gets 

the Twizzlers. We wind 

up sharing those. I drink 

about a quart— 

John Francis Daley: Of 

bourbon? 

Jonathan Goldstein: 

That’s fine, right? 

John Francis Daley: 

Look. The theatergoing 

experience is an excuse to 

day drink without scrutiny. 


77

ON SCREEN Q2 PREVIEW 

STUDIO 

PREVIEW 

Q2 2023 

A Preview of Coming Attractions 


The spring and early 

summer months of 

2023 give audiences the most 

robust film slate since 2020, 

with new installments from 

the Marvel and DC universes, 

the Transformers and Fast & 

Furious franchises, and more 

coming to the big screen. 

APRIL 7 

CHEVALIER 

Premise: Composer Joseph 

Bologne, son of a Black slave 

and a white plantation owner, 

climbs the social ladder in pre- 

Revolutionary-era France. 

Box office comparison: 

Other 18th-century period 

drama biopics include 2013’s 

Belle ($10.7M) and 2008’s 

The Duchess ($13.8M). 

APRIL 5 

THE SUPER MARIO 

BROS. MOVIE 

Premise: One of the gaming 

world’s most recognizable 

characters has a good shot at 

box office success with The 

Super Mario Bros. Movie, from 

Illumination Entertainment 

and Universal. 


Aside from fellow Illumination 

titles Minions: The Rise of Gru 

($369.6M) and Puss in Boots: 

The Last Wish ($174M and 

counting), comps include 

live action/animation hybrid 

video game adaptations Sonic 

the Hedgehog ($148.9M), Sonic 

the Hedgehog 2 ($190.8M), and 

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu 

($144.1M). 

THE POPE’S 

EXORCIST 

Premise: Russell Crowe plays 

the Vatican’s chief exorcist in 

this Sony horror release. 


Prey for the Devil, about a 

nun training to be an exorcist, 

earned $19.8M in theaters 

last year. 

PAINT 

Premise: Owen Wilson plays 

a Bob Ross–like painter who 

must contend with a younger, 

cooler rival in this IFC Films 

release. 

Chevalier 


The high-water mark for an 

IFC Films comedy released in 

April is 2002’s My Big Fat Greek 

Wedding ($241.4M); unless 

lightning strikes twice, a more 

realistic comp for Paint is 2017 

IFC Films release The Death of 

Stalin ($8.1M). 


79


APRIL 14 

RENFIELD 

Premise: An overworked 

assistant (Nicholas Hoult) tries 

to escape the clutches of his 

boss—who just so happens to 

be Dracula (Nicolas Cage)—in 

this horror reimagining. 


Hoult co-starred in last year’s 

satire The Menu ($38.4M), 

while Cage headlined 2022’s 

The Unbearable Weight of 

Massive Talent ($20.3M). 

APRIL 21 

GUY RITCHIE’S 

THE COVENANT 

Premise: Jake Gyllenhaal 

and Dar Salim co-star as a U.S. 

officer and his local interpreter 

in this movie set during the 

Afghanistan War. 


Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man 

earned $27.5M mid-pandemic 

in 2021, while the Jake 

Gyllenhaal–led Ambulance 

grossed $22.8M in 2022. 

BEAU IS AFRAID 

Premise: Director Ari Aster 

(Hereditary, Midsommar) 

branches out from more 

traditional horror in his latest, 

with Joaquin Phoenix starring 

as a paranoid man on a oncein-a-lifetime 

journey. 


Previous A24 April releases 

include 2017’s Free Fire ($1.7M), 

2013’s Under the Skin ($2.6M) 

and Locke ($1.3M), and 2018’s 

High Life ($1.2M). 

EVIL DEAD RISE 

Premise: This reboot of Sam 

Raimi’s seminal demonicpossession 

horror film was 

initially scheduled to go 

straight to HBO Max until 

distributor Warner Bros. opted 

instead for a theatrical run. 


A 2013 reboot of the first Evil 

Dead grossed $54.2M; another 

horror remake released in 

April, Pet Sematary (2019), 

came in at $52.9M. 


APRIL 28 

ARE YOU THERE 

GOD? IT’S ME, 

MARGARET. 

Premise: Judy Blume’s classic 

coming-of-age novel finally 

gets a film adaptation, with 

Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge 

of Seventeen) at the helm. 


Another film adaptation of a 

popular book for young girls, 

2010’s Ramona and Beezus, 

earned $26.1M in 2010. 

BIG GEORGE 

FOREMAN: THE 

MIRACULOUS 

STORY OF THE 

ONCE AND FUTURE 

HEAVYWEIGHT 

CHAMPION OF 

THE WORLD 

Premise: Boxer George 

Foreman comes out of 

retirement to reclaim his title 

as world heavyweight boxing 

champion in this inspirational 

sports drama. 


2015’s Southpaw grossed 

$16.7M. 

POLITE SOCIETY 

Premise: A young martial 

artist in training tries to stop 

her sister’s wedding by staging 

a heist in this Focus Features 

action-comedy. 

Polite Society 


2019’s Blinded by the Light, 

another British coming-of-age 

comedy, grossed $11.9M. 


81


LOVE AGAIN 

MAY 5 

GUARDIANS OF THE 

GALAXY VOL. 3 

Premise: Director James 

Gunn wraps up his Guardians 

of the Galaxy trilogy this 

summer with Vol. 3, the 

middle film chronologically— 

and very likely to be the 

highest grossing—of the 

three MCU films to be released 

this year. 


The Guardians films have been 

relatively stable in terms of 

box office thus far, with cumes 

from 2014’s Vol. 1 ($333.8M) and 

2017’s Vol. 2 ($389.8M) coming 

in just about $55M apart. 

MAY 12 

BOOK CLUB: THE 

NEXT CHAPTER 

Premise: Four friends take 

their book club to Italy for 

the girls trip they’ve always 

wanted. 


2018’s Book Club earned 

$68.5M; other recent movies 

geared toward older female 

audiences include 2019’s Poms 

($13.1M), 2011’s The Best Exotic 

Marigold Hotel ($46.4M), and 

2015’s The Second Best Exotic 

Marigold Hotel ($33M). 

Premise: A woman grieving 

the death of her fiancé sends 

romantic texts to his old 

cell phone, not realizing the 

number has been reassigned. 

Its new owner enlists the 

help of Celine Dion (playing 

herself) to find the woman 

who’s been texting him in this 

Sony Pictures rom-com. 


2019’s romantic drama Last 

Christmas ($35.2M) is the 

most obvious bar for now, 

depending on how much the 

presence of Dion may or may 

not increase appeal. 

MAY 19 

FAST X 

Premise: Vin Diesel and the 

Fast & Furious ensemble return 

for the first of what will be the 

final two films of the main 

franchise. Louis Leterrier (Now 

You See Me, The Incredible 

Hulk, The Transporter) takes 

over directing duties for this 

installment. 


It’s been diminishing returns 

for the Fast & Furious franchise 

at the box office since 2015’s 

Furious 7 peaked with a $353M 

theatrical run. The last entry in 

the franchise, F9: The Fast Saga, 

released in a pandemic-stricken 

market in April 2021, topped 

out at $173M—the lowest tally 

since 2009’s Fast & Furious. 

Love Again 


MAY 26 

ABOUT MY FATHER 

MAY 19 

THE BOOGEYMAN 

Premise: A young couple 

has a meet-the-parents 

weekend that develops into a 

major culture clash. 


Family-centric comedies can 

be hit or miss, with a recent 

example of the latter being 

2022’s Easter Sunday ($13M). 

More successful was 2005’s 

Guess Who ($68.9M). 

THE MACHINE 

Premise: Another horror 

film initially set to debut 

exclusively on VOD before 

being given a theatrical release, 

The Boogeyman is adapted 

from the Stephen King short 

story of the same name. 


Horror breakouts are challenging 

to forecast, and the 

range of potential outcomes 

here is wide, but anything 

better than the 2019 remake of 

King’s Pet Sematary ($54.7M) 

would be a win. 

Premise: A comedian and 

his father are kidnapped by 

mobsters looking for revenge 

in this action-comedy. 


Marketing could provide 

more potential, but a rough 

(perhaps optimistic) benchmark 

here is 2022’s Father 

Stu ($21.1M ). 

THE LITTLE MERMAID 

Premise: This live-action 

remake of The Little Mermaid 

will be the first in Disney’s 

series of classic animation 

remakes to debut exclusively 

in theaters since before the 

pandemic. 


In 2019, the last fully 

pre-pandemic year, two of 

the top 10 highest-grossing 

films were Disney remakes, 

coming in at number two 

(The Lion King, with $543.6M) 

and number eight (Aladdin, 

$355.5M). The Lion King 

represents the high-water 

mark here. The lowest-grossing 

is 2016’s Pete’s Dragon, 

with $76.2M. 

SPIDER-MAN: 

ACROSS THE 

SPIDER-VERSE 

Premise: Superhero Miles 

Morales returns for the next 

chapter of the animated Spider- 

Verse saga. After reuniting with 

Gwen Stacy, Miles is catapulted 

across the Multiverse, where he 

finds himself pitted against his 

multidimensional cohorts. 


The first Spider-Verse ($190.2M) 

film far out-earned other animated 

superhero films based 

on comic book I.P.s, including 

Teen Titans GO! To the Movies 

($29.7M) and 2022 underperformer 

DC League of Super-Pets 

($93.6M). On the other side of 

the spectrum is Pixar’s pair of 

the Incredibles movies, which 

earned $261.4M (2004) and 

$608.5M (2018). 


83


JUNE 9 JUNE 16 

STRAYS 

Premise: An abandoned 

dog teams up with other 

strays to get revenge on his 

former owner. 


R-rated Ted 2, about the 

adventures of a man and 

his foul-mouthed teddy 

bear, earned $81.4M in 2015; 

2022 release Dog, about a 

human-canine friendship, 

earned $61.7M. 

TRANSFORMERS: 

RISE OF THE BEASTS 

Premise: The battle between 

Autobots and Decepticons 

features a new breed of 

Transformer—the Maximals— 

in this globe-trotting 

adventure. 


The Transformers franchise has 

been in decline at the box office 

since 2009’s Transformers: 

Revenge of the Fallen ($402.1M). 

The last installment, 2018’s 

Bumblebee, finished its run 

with a franchise-low $127.1M 

run. Paramount will be angling 

for a strong overseas run 

with Rise of the Beasts, the 

franchise’s return to theaters. 

THE FLASH 

Premise: Barry Allen travels 

through time to prevent 

the murder of his mother, 

unwittingly causing changes 

that result in the creation of a 

multiverse. 


Warner Bros. is facing a very 

difficult marketing challenge 

for its upcoming release of 

The Flash, given the serious 

criminal allegations against 

star Ezra Miller. Footage 

screened at CinemaCon 2022 

featured several scenes with 

former Batman star Michael 

Keaton reprising his role, which 

received positive reactions from 

exhibitors in attendance. 

THE BLACKENING 

Premise: A group of 

Black friends reunite for a 

Juneteenth weekend getaway, 

only to find themselves 

trapped in a remote cabin 

with a twisted killer. 


The Cabin in the Woods 

($42.1M) immediately stands 

out as a parallel, although 

the film could do better if it 

connects beyond a core horrorcomedy 

fan base. 

JUNE 16 

ELEMENTAL 

Premise: Fire, Water, Land, 

and Air elements all live 

together in the vibrant Element 

City in the latest from Pixar. 


Pixar went from pre-pandemic 

box office darling to postpandemic 

straight-to-video 

afterthought for Disney. The 

animation studio has struggled 

to find its footing theatrically 

since audiences have become 

accustomed to finding its 

movies on Disney Plus, a crisis 

best exemplified by the woeful 

box office of Lightyear in the 

summer of 2022. Elemental 

will need to do a lot of heavy 

lifting to overcome the Pixar 

box office slump. 


JUNE 23 JUNE 30 

ASTEROID CITY 

Premise: One of two Wes 

Anderson films coming out 

this year, Asteroid City takes 

us to a Junior Stargazer/Space 

Cadet convention circa 1955. 


Wes Anderson’s recent films 

include The French Dispatch 

($16.1M ), Isle of Dogs ($32M), 

and The Grand Budapest 

Hotel ($59.3M). 

NO HARD FEELINGS 

Premise: Though plot details 

are limited for now, this 

coming-of-age comedy-drama 

will mark Jennifer Lawrence’s 

return to a major leading 

role after a brief hiatus from 

theatrical releases. 


Lawrence’s Red Sparrow 

earned $46.9M in 2018, though 

the summer comedy angle 

here could make Girls Trip’s 

$115.2M feasible if the film 

can break out. 

HAROLD AND THE 

PURPLE CRAYON 

Premise: A young boy sets 

off on a magical adventure 

in this adaptation of the 

1955 picture book of the 

same name. 


Comparable literary 

adaptations of popular 

children’s books include 

Where the Wild Things Are 

($32.6M), Alexander and 

the Terrible, Horrible, No 

Good, Very Bad Day ($18.3M), 

and Cloudy with a Chance of 

Meatballs 2 ($34.0M). 

INDIANA JONES AND 

THE DIAL OF DESTINY 

Premise: In the fifth 

installment of the iconic 

Indiana Jones franchise, star 

Harrison Ford returns as the 

titular archaeologist and 

adventurer. 


The Indiana Jones franchise is 

back in theaters 15 years after 

a lackluster fourth installment, 

2008’s Indiana Jones and the 

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 

($317.1M). Coming on the heels 

of Top Gun: Maverick’s recordsetting 

$718.7M run should help 

this legacy sequel meet its lofty 

box office expectations. 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 


85

ON SCREEN EVENT CINEMA CALENDAR 

EVENT CINEMA 

CALENDAR 

Updated through March 3, 2023 

Contact distributors for latest listings 

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 

PISSARRO: FATHER OF 

IMPRESSIONISM 

From May 24 

Genre: Art 

FATHOM EVENTS 

855-473-4612 

CASABLANCA: FATHOM’S BIG 

SCREEN CLASSICS 

Mar. 5, Mar. 8 

Genre: Classics 

THE THORN 

Mar. 6, Mar. 7 

Genre: Inspirational 

THE MET: LIVE IN HD - 

LOHENGRIN 

Mar. 18, Mar. 22 

Genre: Opera 

GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS 

Mar. 22 


MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO 35TH 

ANNIVERSARY – STUDIO GHIBLI 

FEST 2023 

Mar. 25-29 

Genre: Anime 

PERFECT ADDICTION 

Mar. 27 

Genre: Premiere 

SANTIAGO: THE CAMINO WITHIN 

Mar. 28 


HELEN | BELIEVE 

Mar. 30 


THE MET: LIVE IN HD - FALSTAFF 

Apr. 1, Apr. 5 

Genre: Opera 

THE JOURNEY WITH ANDREA 

BOCELLI 

Apr. 2-4, Apr. 6 

Genre: Performing Arts 

STEP BY STEP 

Apr. 6 

Genre: Documentary 

BEAUTIFUL DISASTER 

Apr. 12, Apr. 13 

Genre: Original Programming 

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE 

RETURN OF THE KING 20TH 

ANNIVERSARY 

Apr. 13 


THE MET: LIVE IN HD - DER 

ROSENKAVALIER 

Apr. 15, Apr. 19 

Genre: Opera 

THE BIG LEBOWSKI 25TH 

ANNIVERSARY: FATHOM’S BIG 


Apr. 16, Apr. 20 


MIRANDO AL CIELO 

Apr. 18 


CAROL BURNETT: A CELEBRATION 

Apr. 22. Apr. 24 

Genre: Original Programming 

SPIRITED AWAY: LIVE ON STAGE – 

STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2023 

Apr. 23, Apr. 27 

Genre: Anime 

FLASHDANCE 40TH 

ANNIVERSARY 

Apr. 26, Apr. 30 


THE MET: LIVE IN HD - CHAMPION 

Apr. 29, May 3 

Genre: Opera 

Grease 45th Anniversary: 

Fathom’s Big Screen Classics 

PONYO 15TH ANNIVERSARY – 


May 7, May 8, May 10 

Genre: Anime 


THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 22-23 | 

TURANDOT 

Mar. 22 

Genre: Opera 

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE 

IN HD 22-23 | FALSTAFF 

Apr. 1 

Genre: Opera 


CINDERELLA 

Apr. 12 

Genre: Opera 

METALLICA: 72 SEASONS 

GLOBAL PREMIERE WORLDWIDE 

LISTENING PARTY 

Apr. 13 

Genre: Music 

Louis Tomlinson: All Of Those Voices 

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA 

LIVE IN HD 22-23 | DER 

ROSENKAVALIER 

Apr. 15 

Genre: Opera 

ROLL WITH IT 

May 9, May 11, May 13 


GREASE 45TH ANNIVERSARY: 

FATHOM’S BIG SCREEN CLASSICS 

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 

KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE – 


Jun. 11, Jun. 12, Jun. 14 

Genre: Anime 

HAIRSPRAY 35TH ANNIVERSARY: 


Jun. 11, Jun. 14 


NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF 

THE WIND – STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 

2023 

Jul. 9, Jul. 11 

Genre: Anime 

CASTLE IN THE SKY – STUDIO 

GHIBLI FEST 2023 

Jul. 10, Jul. 12 

Genre: Anime 

NATIONAL LAMPOON’S 

VACATION 40TH ANNIVERSARY: 


Jul. 16, Jul. 19 


PRINCESS MONONOKE – STUDIO 

GHIBLI FEST 2023 

Aug. 5-9 

Genre: Anime 

ENTER THE DRAGON 50TH 



Aug. 13, Aug. 16 


PORCO ROSSO – STUDIO GHIBLI 


Aug. 20, Aug. 22 

Genre: Anime 

THE WIND RISES 10TH 

ANNIVERSARY – STUDIO GHIBLI 


Aug. 21, Aug. 23 

Genre: Anime 

RAIN MAN 35TH ANNIVERSARY: 


Sept. 17, Sept. 20 


HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE – 


Sept. 23-27 

Genre: Anime 

THE BIRDS 60TH ANNIVERSARY: 


Oct. 22, Oct. 25 


SPIRITED AWAY – STUDIO GHIBLI 


Oct. 28-31, Nov. 1 

Genre: Anime 

SCARFACE 40TH ANNIVERSARY: 


Nov. 12, Nov. 15 


A CHRISTMAS STORY 40TH 



Dec. 10, Dec. 13 


ICONIC EVENTS 

iconicreleasing.com 

THE LOST WEEKEND: A LOVE 

STORY 

April 


ERIC CLAPTON: ACROSS 24 

NIGHTS 

May 

Genre: Music 

TRAFALGAR RELEASING 

trafalgar-releasing.com 


IN HD 22-23 | LOHENGRIN 

Mar. 18 

Genre: Opera 

LOUIS TOMLINSON: ALL OF 

THOSE VOICES 

Mar. 22 



THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO 

Apr. 27 

Genre: Opera 


IN HD 22-23 | CHAMPION 

Apr. 29 

Genre: Opera 


IN HD 22-23 | DON GIOVANNI 

May 20 

Genre: Opera 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 

May 24 

Genre: Opera 


IN HD 22-23 | DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE 

Jun. 3 

Genre: Opera 


IL TROVATORE 

Jun. 13 

Genre: Opera 

BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER LIVE: 

SUMMER CONCERT 

Jun. 16 

Genre: Music 


87

ON SCREEN BOOKING GUIDE 

BOOKING 

GUIDE 

Release calendar for theatrical 

distribution in North America 

Release dates are updated through March 6, 2023. Please 

consult distributors to confirm latest listings. 

A24 

646-568-6015 

BEAU IS AFRAID 

Fri, 4/21/23 LTD 

Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Nathan Lane 

Director: Ari Aster 

Rating: R 

Genre: Hor 

THE AVENUE 

ONE TRUE LOVES 

Fri, 4/7/23 LTD 

Stars: Simu Liu, Phillipa Soo 

Director: Andy Fickman 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Rom/Com/Dra 

AMAZON STUDIOS 

AIR 

Fri, 4/5/23 WIDE 

Stars: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck 

Director: Ben Affleck 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

Specs: Dolby Vis/Atmos 

COHEN MEDIA GROUP 

EVERYTHING WENT FINE 

Fri, 4/14/23 LTD 

Stars: André Dussollier, Sophie 

Marceau 

Director: François Ozon 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

CRUNCHYROLL 

SUZUME 

Fri, 4/12/2023 WIDE 

Stars: Nanoka Hara, 

Hokuto Matsumura 

Director: Makoto Shinkai 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 

5/5/23 WIDE 

DISNEY 

818-560-1000 

Ask for Distribution 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 

VOL. 3 


Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana 

Director: James Gunn 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Adv/SF 

Specs: Imax, 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 


HAUNTED MANSION 

Fri, 7/28/23 WIDE 

Stars: LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany 

Haddish 

Director: Justin Simien 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 


THE MARVELS 

Wed, 11/10/23 WIDE 

Stars: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris 

Director: Nia DaCosta 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/SF/Fan 


WISH 

Wed, 11/22/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

UNTITLED DISNEY 2023 

Fri, 12/1/23 WIDE 

UNTITLED DISNEY 2024 1 

Wed, 2/14/24 WIDE 

ELIO 


Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 


DISNEY’S SNOW WHITE 

Fri, 3/22/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Fan 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: NEW WORLD 

ORDER 


Stars: Anthony Mackie 

Director: Julius Onah 

Rating: NR 

Specs: Act/Adv/SF 

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 



Fri, 8/16/24 WIDE 

BLADE 


Stars: Mahershala Ali 

Rating: NR 


UNTITLED DEADPOOL MOVIE 

Fri, 11/8/24 WIDE 

Stars: Ryan Reynolds, 

Hugh Jackman 

Director: Shawn Levy 

Rating: NR 


UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION 

2024 

Wed, 11/27/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

FANTASTIC FOUR 

Fri, 2/14/25 WIDE 

Rating: NR 





Fri, 4/11/25 WIDE 

AVENGERS: THE KANG DYNASTY 


Director: Destin Daniel Cretton 

Rating: NR 



Fri, 5/23/25 WIDE 

20TH CENTURY STUDIOS 

310-369-1000 

212-556-2400 

THE BOOGEYMAN 


Stars: Sophie Thatcher, 

Chris Messina 

Director: Rob Savage 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

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 

SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES 

212-556-2400 

CHEVALIER 

Fri, 4/21/23 WIDE 

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 


Fri, 4/28/23 WIDE 

Stars: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya 

Director: Nida Manzoor 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com, Act 

BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER 

Fri, 5/12/23 WIDE 

Stars: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda 

Director: Bill Holderman 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 


Fri, 4/28/23 WIDE 


89


ASTEROID CITY 

Fri, 6/16/23 LTD 

Stars: Jason Schwartzman, 

Scarlett Johansson 

Director: Wes Anderson 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com/Rom 

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 


Stars: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett 

Director: Nia Vardalos 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

THE HOLDOVERS 

Fri, 11/10/23 LTD 

Stars: Paul Giamatti, 

Da’Vine Joy Randolph 

Director: Alexander Payne 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

IFC FILMS 

bookings@ifcfilms.com 

PAINT 

Fri, 4/7/23 LTD 

Stars: Owen Wilson, Stephen Root 

Director: Brit McAdams 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

RARE OBJECTS 

Fri, 4/14/23 LTD 

Stars: Julie Mayorga, Katie Holmes 

Director: Katie Holmes 

Rating: R 

Genre: Dra 

R.M.N. 

Fri, 4/28/23 LTD 

Stars: Judith State, Marin Grigore 

Director: Cristian Mungiu 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

LIONSGATE 

310-309-8400 

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 

SISU 

Fri, 4/28/23 LTD 

Stars: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie 

Director: Jalmari Helander 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

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 

JOY RIDE 

Fri, 6/23/23 WIDE 

Stars: Ashley Park, Sherry Cola 

Director: Adele Lim 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

WHITE BIRD: A WONDER STORY 

Fri, 8/18/23 LTD 

Stars: Bryce Gheisar, Ariella Glaser 

Director: Marc Forster 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra/Fam 

THE EXPENDABLES 4 

Fri, 9/22/23 WIDE 

Stars: Jason Statham, 

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson 

Director: Scott Waugh 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

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 

LITTLE RICHARD: I AM 

EVERYTHING 

Fri, 4/21/23 LTD 

Director: Lisa Cortés 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Doc 

NEON 

hal@neonrated.com 

HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE 

Fri, 4/7/23 LTD 

Stars: Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth 

Director: Daniel Goldhaber 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Wes, Thr 

OPEN ROAD FILMS / 

BRIARCLIFF ENTERTAINMENT 

SWEETWATER 

Fri, 4/14/23 WIDE 

Stars: Cary Elwes, Richard Dreyfuss 

Director: Martin Guigui 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

KANDAHAR 

Fri, 5/26/23 WIDE 

Stars: Gerard Butler, 

Navid Negahban 

Director: Ric Roman Waugh 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Thr 

MONICA 

Fri, 5/12/23 LTD 

Stars: Trace Lysette, Patricia Clarkson 

Director: Andrea Pallaoro 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

BLACKBERRY 

Fri, 5/12/23 MOD 

Stars: Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton 

Director: Matt Johnson 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET. 

Fri, 4/28/23 WIDE 


THE POPE’S EXORCIST 

Fri, 4/14/23 WIDE 

THE HILL 

Fri, 8/18/23 WIDE 

Stars: Dennis Quaid, Colin Ford 

Director: Jeff Celentano 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 

PARAMOUNT 

323-956-5000 

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, 9/29/23 WIDE 

Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Kristen Bell 

Director: Cal Brunker 

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 

UNTITLED GLADIATOR SEQUEL 

Fri, 11/22/24 WIDE 

Stars: Paul Mescal 

Director: Ridley Scott 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Dra 

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 

Fri, 12/20/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

UNTITLED SMURFS ANIMATED 

MUSICAL 

Fri, 2/14/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani/Mus 

UNTITLED ANIMATED 

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS FILM 

Fri, 5/23/25 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

UNTITLED AANG AVATAR FILM 

Fri, 10/10/25 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS 

323-882-8490 

SOMEWHERE IN QUEENS 

Fri, 4/21/23 MOD 

Stars: Ray Romano, Laurie Metcalf 

Director: Ray Romano 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com/Dra 

FOOL’S PARADISE 

Fri, 5/12/23 LTD 

Stars: Charlie Day, Ken Jeong 

Director: Charlie Day 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

SABAN FILMS 

THE BEST MAN 

Fri, 4/21/23 LTD 

Stars: Brendan Fehr, Nicky Whelan 

Director: Shane Dax Taylor 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

SONY 

212-833-8500 

THE POPE’S EXORCIST 

Fri, 4/14/23 WIDE 

Stars: Russell Crowe 

Director: Julius Avery 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 


91


SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND THE 

SPIDER-VERSE 

Fri, 3/29/24 WIDE 

Stars: Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore 

Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, 

Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

Specs: Imax 

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 

Specs: Dolby Atmos 

BIG GEORGE FOREMAN 

Fri, 4/28/23 WIDE 

BIG GEORGE FOREMAN 

Fri, 4/28/23 WIDE 

Stars: Khris Davis, Sullivan Jones 

Director: George Tillman Jr. 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra/Bio 


LOVE AGAIN 

Fri, 5/12/23 WIDE 

Stars: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, 

Sam Heughan 

Director: Jim Strouse 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Mus/Rom 

THE MACHINE 

Fri, 5/26/23 WIDE 

Stars: Bert Kreischer, Mark Hamill 

Director: Peter Atencio 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Com 

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE 

SPIDER-VERSE 


Stars: Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore 

Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, 

Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 


NO HARD FEELINGS 

Fri, 6/16/23 WIDE 

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence 

Director: Gene Stupnitsky 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

Specs: Dolby Atmos 

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 


THEY LISTEN 

Fri, 8/25/23 WIDE 

Stars: John Cho, 

Katherine Waterston 

Director: Chris Weitz 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

THE EQUALIZER 3 


Stars: Denzel Washington, 

Dakota Fanning 

Director: Antoine Fuqua 

Rating: NR 


Specs: Imax, Dolby Atmos 

THE BOOK OF CLARENCE 

Fri, 9/22/23 WIDE 

Stars: LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy 

Director: Jeymes Samuel 

KRAVEN THE HUNTER 

Fri, 10/6/23 WIDE 

Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 

Russell Crowe 

Director: J.C. Chandor 

Rating: NR 


Specs: Imax 

UNTITLED AFFIRM HOLIDAY 

MUSICAL FILM 

Fri, 11/10/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Mus 

GHOSTBUSTERS SEQUEL 

Wed, 12/20/23 WIDE 

Director: Gil Kenan 

Rating: NR 

EL MUERTO 

Fri, 1/12/24 WIDE 

Stars: Bad Bunny 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Adv/Fan 

Specs: Imax 

MADAME WEB 

Fri, 2/16/24 WIDE 

Stars: Dakota Johnson 

Director: S.J. Clarkson 

Rating: NR 


Specs: Imax, Dolby Atmos 

UNTITLED SONY/MARVEL 

UNIVERSE 

Fri, 7/12/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 


UNTITLED KENDRICK BROTHERS 

FILM 

Fri, 8/23/24 WIDE 

Director: Alex Kendrick 

Rating: NR 

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS 

Tom Prassis 

212-833-4981 

CARMEN 

Fri, 4/21/22 LTD 

Stars: Melissa Barrera, Paul Mescal 

Director: Benjamin Millepied 

Rating: R 

Genre: Dra 

IT AIN’T OVER 

Fri, 5/12/22 LTD 

Director: Sean Mullin 

Rating: PG 

Genre: Doc 

MGM 

310-724-5678 

Ask for Distribution 

THE COVENANT 

Fri, 4/21/23 WIDE 

Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Dar Salim 

Director: Guy Ritchie 

Rating: NR 


CHALLENGERS 

Fri, 8/11/23 WIDE 

Stars: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor 

Director: Luca Guadagnino 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Dra 


THE UNDERDOGGS 

Fri, 10/20/23 WIDE 

Stars: Snoop Dogg 

Director: Charles Stone III 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

UTOPIA 

SICK OF MYSELF 

Fri, 4/12/22 LTD 

Stars: Kristine Kujath Thorp, 

Eirik Sæther 

Director: Kristoffer Borgli 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Com 

UNIVERSAL 

818-777-1000 

THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE 

Wed, 4/5/23 WIDE 

Stars: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy 

Directors: Aaron Horvath, 

Michael Jelenic 

Rating: PG 

Genre: Ani 

Specs: Imax, Dolby Vis/Atmos, 3D 

RENFIELD 

Fri, 4/14/23 WIDE 

Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage 

Director: Chris McKay 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor, Com 

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: Com 

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 

UNTITLED UNIVERSAL EVENT FILM 

2023 2 

Fri, 9/29/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

EXORCIST FRANCHISE IP 

Fri, 10/13/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

TROLLS 3 

Fri, 11/17/23 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 

MIGRATION 

Fri, 12/22/23 WIDE 

Director: Benjamin Renner 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Ani 


2024 2 

Fri, 1/12/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

NIGHT SWIM 

Fri, 1/19/24 WIDE 

Stars: Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon 

Directors: Bryce McGuire, 

Rod Blackhurst 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Hor 

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 

FAST X 

Fri, 5/19/23 WIDE 


93


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 


Fri, 4/21/23 WIDE 


2024 3 

Fri, 3/29/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 


2024 4 


Director: M. Night Shyamalan 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr 


2024 5 

Fri, 5/17/24 WIDE 

Rating: NR 


2024 6 

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 

TWISTERS 

Fri, 7/19/24 WIDE 

Director: Lee Isaac Chung 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act/Adv 

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 

M3GAN 2.0 

Fri, 1/17/25 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr/Hor 

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 

Fri, 3/14/25 WIDE 

Director: Dean DeBlois 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

WICKED PART 2 

Thr, 12/25/25 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Mus 

WARNER BROS. 

818-977-1850 


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 


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 

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 

FURIOSA 

Fri, 5/24/24 WIDE 

Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, 

Chris Hemsworth 

Director: George Miller 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

THE WATCHERS 


Director: Ishana Night Shyamalan 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr 

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 

TRAP 


Director: M. Night Shyamalan 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Thr 

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 

FIST OF THE CONDOR 

Fri, 4/4/23 LTD 

SUPERMAN: LEGACY 

Fri, 7/25/25 WIDE 

Rating: NR 

Act/ADv 

THE BATMAN PART II 

Fri, 10/3/25 WIDE 

Stars: Robert Pattinson 

Director: Matt Reeves 

Rating: NR 


WELL GO USA ENTERTAINMENT 

theatrical@wellgousa.com 

FIST OF THE CONDOR 

Fri, 4/4/23 LTD 

Stars: Marki Zaror, Eyal Meyer 

Director: Ernesto Díaz Espinoza 

Rating: NR 

Genre: Act 

Big Screen. 

Bigger Cause. 

St. Jude patient 

Aspen 

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 

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

Art inspired by St. Jude patients 


95

MARKETPLACE 

ADVERTISE 

IN THE NEXT 

ISSUE OF 

Our Sponsors 

Advertiser 

Christie 40 

Cinionic 

Cretors 3 

Digital Cinema United 36 

Fandango 35 

Great Western 11 

The Motion Picture Club 29 

Omniterm 7 

Proctor Companies 5 

QSYS 

Page 

39, BC 

IFC 

Ready Theatre Systems 23 

Sensible Cinema 96 

Spotlight Cinema Networks 25 

St Jude 45, 95 

Strong/MDI 8 

Telescopic Seating 

The Boxoffice Company 

17, IBC 

30, 46, 49, 

64 

Image Credits & Acknowledgments 

Cover: Photo courtesy of Cinemark 

Page 1: Photos courtesy Paramount Pictures 

Page 2: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/ & © DC Comics 

Page 12: Photo courtesy of NATO 

Page 14: Courtesy Young Variety St. Louis 

Page 16: Courtesy Sherrie Thompson 

Page 18: Art courtesy MoviePass 

Page 21: Photo by George Kerrigan, courtesy MoviePass / 

Stacy Spikes 

Page 24: Courtesy Dine In Cinema Summit 

Page 27: Photo courtesy Marcus Theatres 

Page 28: Photo courtesy Cinépolis USA 

Page 31: Photo courtesy of AMC Theatres 

Pages 32-48: Cinema photos courtesy of their 

respective chains 

Page 34: Courtesy Fathom Ticketing 

Page 36: Courtesy Cinionic 

Page 38: Courtesy Digital Cinema United 

Page 40: Courtesy Christie Digital Systems 

Page 50: Photo credit: Allyson Riggs 

Page 52: © 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. 

All Rights Reserved. 

Page 53: © 2022 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. 

Pages 54-55: Photos courtesy Paramount Pictures 

Page 56: Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. 

© 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. 

Page 57: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. 

Photo by Ilze Kitshoff 

Pages 60-63: All photos courtesy of Cinemark 

Page 65: Photo courtesy Paramount Pictures 

Pages 66-71: Photo courtesy of Lionsgate. Photo Credit: 

Murray Close/Lionsgate, © 2023 Lionsgate 

Pages 72–76: Photos courtesy Paramount Pictures 

Page 77: Adobe Stock 

Page 78: Photo by Larry Horricks. Courtesy of Searchlight 

Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved. 

Page 79: © 2022 Nintendo and Universal Studios. 

Page 79: Photo by Jonathan Hession. © 2023 CTMG, Inc. 


Page 80: Photo Credit: Michele K. Short/Universal Pictures - 

© 2023 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved 

Page 81: Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh / © 2023 FOCUS 

FEATURES LLC. 

Page 82: Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2022 MARVEL. 

Page 82: Photo by Peter Mountain / Universal Pictures. © 

Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. 

Pages 82-83: Photo by Liam Daniel ©2022 CTMG, Inc. 

All rights reserved. 

Page 83: Photo by Sony Pictures Animation, © 2022 CTMG, 

Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

Page 84: © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. 

Page 85: ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. 

Photo by Jonathan Olley. 

Page 86: Photo courtesy Fathom Events 

Page 87: Photo courtesy Trafalgar Releasing 

Page 88: Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2022 MARVEL. 

Page 89: Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh / © 2023 FOCUS 

FEATURES LLC. 

Page 90: Photo Credit: Dana Hawkey. Courtesy Lionsgate 

Page 91: Photo by Jonathan Hession. © 2023 CTMG, Inc. 


Page 92: Photo by Alan Markfield. © 2023 CTMG, Inc. 


Page 93: Photo by Giulia Parmigiani/Universal Pictures; 

© Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. 

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To the big screen, 

and beyond! 

Create A Full Multiplex Experience With Q-SYS 

Today’s cinema experience is so much more than movies! And 

Q-SYS TM is so much more than a cinema processor. With the Q-SYS 

Platform you can deliver sound to each theatre and every other space 

in the theatre complex where high quality sound is important. You 

can also monitor and control every sound system component and 

many other devices, from anywhere in the building or remotely from 

anywhere with a network connection. 

qsys.com/cinema 

©2022 QSC, LLC all rights reserved. Q-SYS is part of QSC, LLC. QSC, LLC’s trademarks include but are not limited to Q-SYS, Q-SYS logo, and all 

trademarks are listed under www.qsys.com/trademarks, some of which are registered in the U.S. and/or other countries.

CINIONIC CONGRATULATES 

THIS YEAR'S GIANTS OF 

EXHIBITION 

LOOKING FORWARD 

TO SEEING YOU AT 

CINEMACON. 

Scan for more details.

Boxoffice Pro - March/April 2023

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