NEW YORK, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — CineLife Entertainment®, a division of Spotlight Cinema Networks, today announced the drive-in theatre rollout of The Rolling Stones: Havana Moon, a concert filmed in Havana, Cuba in 2016. The company will partner with UK content provider Eagle Rock to bring this film to drive-in theatres across the U.S. and Canada for an exclusive summer concert experience beginning July 10, 2020, observing specific state reopening guidelines.
The Rolling Stones: Havana Moon documents The Rolling Stones’ free March 2016 concert at Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana sports complex, which had an estimated 500,000-person audience. This marked a landmark event for rock n’ roll in Cuba, as the genre was banned for decades following the Cuban revolution. As restrictions relaxed amongst lessened political tensions, The Rolling Stones performed the country’s largest open-air rock concert ever, which came five days after sitting U.S. President Barack Obama’s first visit to the country.
This film, directed by Paul Dugdale and produced by Simon Fisher previously had a one-night international theatre premiere, and debuted in the U.S. on STARZ. On July 10, 2020, the film will debut in drive-in theatres across the United States and Canada.
Director Paul Dugdale stated, “I’m so thrilled that Havana Moon has found its way back onto the big screen, particularly during such a strange time for live music. The Rolling Stones concert was the first of its kind in Havana, and I hope the unprecedented absence of live music during the COVID-19 crisis means this film brings almost as much elation and joy to those watching it now through CineLife as it did the people of Havana back on that special night. Turn it up loud!”
“We think this is the perfect opportunity to bring the Rolling Stones to drive-in theatres everywhere for the first time ever. The Rolling Stones are an iconic band and drive-in theatres will provide a unique experience for audiences everywhere. We couldn’t be more thrilled to launch this new film this summer, as we look towards returning to theatres,” said CineLife Entertainment’s Executive Vice President, Bernadette McCabe.
UNIC has toady announced the fourth edition of their Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme, designed to foster the careers of up-and-coming female cinema professionals by pairing them with experienced mentors in the industry. Mentees will receive career advice and one-on-one mentorship opportunities over a period of 12 months.
Mentees, meanwhile, hail from Norway (Clarissa Bergh of Lillehammer Cinema), the UK (Rachel Bland of Vue Entertainment, Laura Mancilla of Searchlight Pictures International, Anna Paprocka of Odeon Cinemas Group), Poland (Monika Giełżecka of Multikino), Germany (Johanna Herfter of Comscore), Estonia (Valeria Kurohtina of Cinamon), Sweden (Madelene Lorentzsson of Svenska Bio), and Ireland (Olivia Taylor of Imax).
Said UNIC Ceo Laura Houlgatte in a statement:
“We are delighted to welcome a new, fantastic group of mentors and mentees for this year’s edition and to see our inspiring community of women leaders grow year by year. While the past few months have been incredibly challenging, the level of interest that we have received serves to highlight just how important empowerment programmes like ours are, even more so during times of uncertainty.
We are proud of what we have achieved so far with the UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme.
We have been working with outstanding professionals and it’s been fantastic to see so many of them recognised for their achievements. We’re also delighted to have in Grainne Peat, for the first time, a pioneering mentee becoming a mentor herself in the new edition. This is one of the main objectives of the programme – for the mentees of today to become the mentors of tomorrow.
The discussion around equal opportunities and greater diversity in the industry must continue, and we at UNIC will keep doing our part.
I would like to wish an empowering journey to our new cohort!”
Both U.K.-based Cineworld—along with their U.S. subsidiary, Regal—and Cinemark have announced a delay in their planned reopenings to late July, reflective of shifting film releases.
Cineworld has announced that their theaters will begin reopening on Friday, July 31. This is a delay of three weeks from the July 10 date that was to see the opening of most of their locations in the U.S. and England. Cinemas are legally allowed to open in England as of this Saturday, July 4. When Cineworld and Regal reopen, they will screen new films in addition to repertory titles at a discounted price.
Said Cineworld CEO Mooky Greidinger in a statement:
“We know audiences are ready to return to the movies and have been anticipating the strong slate of summer films ahead, including Tenet, Mulan, A Quiet Place Part II, Unhinged, The Broken Hearts Gallery, Bill & Ted Face the Music, Greenland, and Antebellum as well as a special re-release of Christopher Nolan’s Inception on Imax. We are excited to welcome theatergoers back to our cinemas and are confident that they will once again be immersed in the timeless theatrical experience they know and love.”
Cinemark, the third largest exhibitor in the United States, has similarly pushed back their planned release. The Texas-based chain began opening select theaters in the Dallas Fort Worth area on June 19; their phased reopening was to culminate on July 10, by which period all of Cinemark’s locations were slated to be open. Under the new plan, an unspecified amount of Cinemark locations will instead open on Friday, July 24, with additional theaters to open “in subsequent weeks,” per an official statement.
Said Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi:
“Cinemark is pleased with the moviegoer response and key learnings from our initial five-theater test-and-learn phase in the Dallas area, and we look forward to welcoming movie fans back into our auditoriums across the country to enjoy this year’s newest films. Our multi-phased reopening plan was thoughtfully designed with multiple contingencies in place that enable us to efficiently adapt to today’s ever-changing environment. We continue to pay close attention to status of the virus, local mandates and availability of new content while prioritizing the health and safety of our guests, employees and communities.”
In response to a recent shift in film release dates, AMC Theatres has altered the timing of their own reopening plan. The bulk of AMC’s U.S. theaters are now slated to open on Thursday, July 30.
Initially, AMC planned to open 450 of its theaters on Wednesday, July 15, shortly before the July 17 release of Warner Bros.’ Tenet. A second wave of theaters—numbering approximately 150—would open prior to the release of Disney’s Mulan, then scheduled for July 24. Within the last week, Tenet and Mulan were moved to August 12 and August 21, respectively. AMC now says that they plan to bring their U.S. theaters “essentially to full operation by early August.”
Other films coming to AMC theaters in the weeks after their reopening are Solstice’s Unhinged (July 31); Warner Bros.’ 10th anniversary re-release of Inception (July 31); Sony’s The Broken Hearts Gallery (August 7); A24’s Saint Maud; Disney’s New Mutants (August 28); Picturehouse’s Fatima (August 28); and Orion’s Bill and Ted Face the Music (August 28).
In terms of worldwide operations, AMC’s reopening plans in the 14 non-U.S. countries in which they operate have not been altered; AMC locations in these countries either have already opened or are slated to open in July.
Said AMC CEO and President Adam Aron in a statement:
“We continue to devote extraordinary resources into our plan to operate our theatres with a hyper commitment to the safety and health of our guests and associates, notably in the United States through our new AMC Safe & Clean initiative. Our theater general managers across the U.S. started working full time again today and are back in their theaters gearing up to get their buildings fully ready just a few weeks from now for moviegoers. That happy day, when we can welcome guests back into most of our U.S. theaters, will be Thursday, July 30.”
As of today, Regal—the second-largest exhibitor in North America, behind AMC—has not altered its previously announced schedule, which will see the majority of its theaters in the U.S. and the U.K. open on July 10.
With cinemas across the world beginning to open for business once again, Belgium-based exhibitor Kinepolis has released updated reopening plans for its 111 theaters in Europe and North America.
“We wish to emphasise that the health of our moviegoers and staff remains our absolute priority and that we rely on the expert advice of the competent authorities in each country regarding the duration of the closure, as well as the modalities for reopening,” said the exhibitor in a press release. “In all countries, Kinepolis applies a strict safety protocol for visitors and staff, whereby respecting appropriate distances, managing visitor flows and adhering to strict hygiene rules are of utmost importance.”
In Europe, many of Kinepolis’s locations have already opened their doors, albeit with enhanced safety measures in place. On June 1, all 18 Kinepolis locations in the Netherlands reopened with a capacity of 30 people per screen, as mandated by the national government. While those restrictions are scheduled to lift on July 1, the exhibitor notes that the country’s social distancing rules will remain in place at its theaters there.
The Netherlands reopenings were followed on June 6 by Kinepolis’s single theater in Switzerland; on June 17 by its three theaters in Luxembourg; on June 22 by its 13 theaters in France (with a 50% seating capacity limit) and throughout the month of June at its theaters in Spain, where the final three Kinepolis locations – in Alicante, Granada and Alzira – opened on June 26. Capacity restrictions in Spain are limited to one-third of seats in each auditorium, though that is expected to rise to 50% in the next phase.
In the exhibitor’s home country of Belgium, Kinepolis theaters are slated to reopen on July 1 with a 200-person limit per auditorium, as required by the national government. By August 1, the exhibitor hopes to lift that to 400 people per screen, provided social distancing can continue at that capacity and “if the [Covid-19] situation continues to evolve favourably.”
In North America, Kinepolis kicked off its reopening plans with six Landmark cinemas in Alberta, Canada, which reopened their doors on June 26. They will be followed by Landmark’s remaining six theaters in Alberta as well as all 13 theaters in British Columbia and all three theaters in Saskatchewan, all of which are scheduled to reopen on July 3. The exhibitor’s remaining Canadian locations — in the provinces of Ontario, Manitoba and Yukon — will remain closed until they receive reopening guidelines from local authorities.
In the U.S. – where Kinepolis owns several MJR cinemas in Michigan – theaters in the northern part of the state have already reopened with 25% capacity restrictions in place. They will be followed in early July by theaters in south Michigan, with are expected to reopen with the same capacity restrictions.
“We are delighted that we can once again offer film lovers in all countries the movie experience they have come to expect from us,” said Kinepolis Group CEO Eddy Duquenne in a statement. “I am convinced that people are yearning to enjoy entertainment together again, the ‘night out’ they have missed for so long. We will make every effort to welcome them back in a safe manner and to let them relax and enjoy the latest films, as well as cinema classics that we’re bringing back to the big screen.”
The Kinepolis reopenings come amid relaxed government shelter-in-place orders in countries across the globe, as the exhibition industry grapples with plummeting box office receipts year-over-year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Already, Covid-19 is estimated to have caused a 70 percent year-to-date drop against last year’s worldwide box office, according to OMDIA director of cinema David Hancock; overall, OMDIA anticipates a 58 percent drop in global box office revenue in 2020, with losses somewhere in the range of $20 to $31 billion in a year that had been expected to cross the $40 billion mark prior to the outbreak of the pandemic worldwide.
Much of that drop can be attributed to the early closure of theaters in the once-thriving market of China, which have been shuttered since January due to the coronavirus outbreak there. Closures in Europe began on February 23, when Italy ordered all theaters in the northern part of the country to shut down, followed by theaters in the south, all of which closed by March 8. By the end of the same month, theaters on most of the rest of the continent had also been forced to close.
The Walt Disney Studios is moving the theatrical release date of Mulan by four weeks, dating its latest live action remake to August 21 from its previously scheduled slot on July 24. Mulan was originally scheduled to hit U.S. theaters on March 27 before the Covid-19 pandemic pushed the title further down the schedule. The move comes a day after Warner Bros. announced it would be rescheduling Christopher Nolan’s Tenet to August 12.
Both these date changes follow the highest single-day of positive Covid-19 test results to date in the United States, with over 37 thousand newly confirmed cases on Thursday according to John Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center.
“While the pandemic has changed our release plans for ‘Mulan’ and we will continue to be flexible as conditions require, it has not changed our belief in the power of this film and its message of hope and perseverance. Director Niki Caro and our cast and crew have created a beautiful, epic, and moving film that is everything the cinematic experience should be, and that’s where we believe it belongs – on the world stage and the big screen for audiences around the globe to enjoy together,” said Alan Horn, Co-Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, and Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios.
June would have—in a different world—seen the theatrical release of director Jon M. Chu’s In the Heights, based on the Tony-winning Broadway musical from future Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. But we live in the times of Covid-19, when In the Heights has been pushed to next summer and a filmed version of Hamilton, originally bound for theaters, instead found its way to Disney+. With big screens currently devoid of any toe-tappers, Boxoffice Pro takes the time to look back at the highest-grossing movie musicals of the 20th century.
Some notes of order: Only live-action musicals were considered for this list. The ranking has been tabulated based on worldwide cumes. And biopics of musical figures, whether real or fictional—namely, Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star is Born—have been omitted.
#1 and #2 – Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Aladdin (2019)
Worldwide: $1.26 billion (Beauty and the Beast), $1.05 billion (Aladdin)
Domestic: $504 million (Beauty and the Beast), $355.6 million (Aladdin)
Disney
In terms of box office, Disney’s animated musicals tend to run roughshod over output from other studios. It’s no surprise that their live-action musicals would do the same. The top two highest-grossing live-action musicals, 2017’s Beauty and the Beast and 2019’s Aladdin, both hail from the Mouse House, which ever since the billion-dollar success of 2010’s Alice in Wonderland has been in high gear remaking their animated classics. One of those remakes, 2019’s CGI-animated The Lion King, is the highest-grossing musical of all time. Two other Disney musicals—Frozen and Frozen II—have crossed the billion-dollar mark.
Beauty in particular was such a massive success that it broke the all-time March opening record in North America with $174.8 million, in line with our breakout forecasts ahead of release. That figure remains best among all March openers to date, having topped Batman v Superman‘s previous record of $166 million in 2016.
Aladdin, meanwhile, overcame negative pre-release buzz (driven primarily by online reactions to the computer-generated appearance of Will Smith’s Genie character) and developed strong word of mouth throughout its run. The remake proved to become one of the stickiest films of summer 2019—remaining in the domestic top ten for eleven weeks during a notably competitive summer.
#3 – Mamma Mia! (2008)
Worldwide: $609.9 million
Domestic: $144.2 million
Universal Pictures
For over a decade, Mamma Mia! held two key records: highest-grossing live-action musical, and highest-grossing movie directed by a woman (Phyllida Lloyd). Disney’s Beauty and the Beast came along and took that first record in 2017; that same year, the second record went to Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins. Despite being the third highest-grossing live-action musical of all time, Mamma Mia! never managed to top the box office in the United States. That has to do with a little film called The Dark Knight, which shared Mamma Mia!’s July 2008 release date and held onto the top spot for four weeks.
#4 – La La Land (2016)
Worldwide: $446.5 million
Domestic: $151.1 million
Lionsgate
Like Mamma Mia!, Damien Chazelle’s La La Land never made it to the top box office spot. Distributor Liosngate gave the film a platform release, debuting it in five theaters in mid-December before expanding its reach throughout awards season. The highest ranking it ever got was number two, in its sixth week of release, trailing fellow Oscar hopeful Hidden Figures. In terms of theater count, La La Land got up to 3,236 theaters in early February, two weeks before the closing of Oscar voting that year. We all remember how that went.
#5 – Les Misérables (2012)
Worldwide: $441.8 million
Domestic: $148.8 million
Universal Pictures
Les Misérables stands behind Mamma Mia! as the second highest-grossing movie musical based on a stage play. (The original Disney versions of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin were turned into stage musicals, but neither of the subsequent live-action remakes pulled from those shows in any significant way.) Director Tom Hooper would return to the movie musical well in 2019 with the critically derided Cats, which you will not find anywhere on this list. Les Misérables won three Oscars, but it lost out on Best Original Song—“Suddenly,” written by the creators of the original stage musical—to the title song from James Bond film Skyfall.
#6 – The Greatest Showman (2017)
Worldwide: $435 million
Domestic: $174.3 million
20th Century Fox
One of the biggest box office stories of 2018 belonged to The Greatest Showman. The musical—a directorial debut from music video director Michael Gracey—had a “healthy,” if not exceptional, opening over the Christmas holiday, debuting in the number four spot with $8.8 million. And then it just… kept…. going. The film’s stellar hold kept it in theaters for just shy of six months and in the top ten for 11 weeks, though it never climbed above number four. For some perspective: The Greatest Showman shared a release date with Pitch Perfect 3, which out-earned its fellow musical by approximately $11 million on opening weekend. By the time the dust settled, The Greatest Showman exceeded Pitch Perfect 3’s domestic cume by nearly $70 million. Worldwide, The Greatest Showman out-earned Pitch Perfect 3 by nearly $250 million.
#7 – Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)
Worldwide: $395 million
Domestic: $120.6 million
Universal Pictures
Here we go again, indeed—another Abba musical in the top ten. Our forecasting predicted that Here We Go Again would top the box office upon its release in summer July 2018, though that didn’t end up happening due to the surprise success of Denzel Washington-starrer Equalizer 2. Here We Go Again’s $34.95 million domestic opening put it 25.9 percent above Mamma Mia!’s opening in 2008. The sequel’s hold, however, proved less strong than that of its predecessor. The two films are close domestically ($144.1 million for Mamma Mia! vs $120.6 million for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again), but Here We Go Again didn’t do as well internationally, bringing in only $274.4 million compared to the first film’s $465.7.
#8 – Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Worldwide: $349.5 million
Domestic: $172 million
Disney
We return to Disney—another remake of a classic Disney film, though unlike Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin the film Mary Poppins Returns is based on was only partially animated. Mary Poppins Returns’ Christmastime 2017 debut was on the low end of our expectations, and the film never grabbed the number one spot, hanging around in the top five for three weeks before slipping quietly down the charts. Once out of the top five, Mary Poppins Returns had relatively strong legs, holding on at the box office for an eventual domestic multiplier of 7.3.
#9 – Enchanted (2007)
Worldwide: $340.5 million
Domestic: $127.8 million
Disney
Disney got meta with 2007’s Enchanted, in which Amy Adams plays an animated fairy tale princess who goes through a magical portal and finds herself in live-action New York City. The film bowed at the number one spot over Thanksgiving weekend, debuting with $34.4 million (three-day) before being overtaken by The Golden Compass the following weekend. Neither time nor critics have been kind to that film, which wasn’t helped along by religious boycotts. Domestically, The Golden Compass was eventually out-earned by Enchanted to the tune of $57.7 million. Internationally, the story is different, with The Golden Compass earning $302.1 million to Enchanted’s $212.7 million.
#10 – Chicago
Worldwide: $306.8 million
Domestic: $170.7 million
Miramax
Rob Marshall did the box office tango in 2002 with Chicago. Domestically, the film earned $170.7 million, enough to make it the eighth highest-grossing film of 2003. (The film was released in late December ’02 and took in only $3.1 million in its release year.) The film would go on to win six Oscars, including the statuette for Best Picture. Marshall would go on to direct Mary Poppins Returns, which is on this list; Into the Woods, which barely missed being on this list; and Nine, which despite a star-studded cast (Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson) couldn’t manage to crack $20 million domestically against a reported $80 million budget and is thus nowhere near this list.
With hard top theaters around the country starting to reopen, Gold Medal has introduced several new additions to its lineup of safety products:
– Polycarbonate Portable Barriers
These lightweight, rolling barriers, made of clear polycarbonate, can be used to provide a shield between customers and employees. Gold Medal has introduced two versions: one standard and another with a built-in shelf, described as “ideal for ticket takers or other interactive applications.” The company notes that a “countertop barrier stand” will be available soon.
– Hand sanitizer
Gold Medal is also offering FDA-approved liquid hand sanitizer, made with 80% ethyl alcohol, glycerin and hydrogen peroxide. The sanitizer can be purchased in 1.89 ounce, 4 ounce, 8 ounce, 16 ounce, quart and gallon sizes. Sanitizing stations are also available for purchase.
More information on the company’s safety product line is available here.
A 10th anniversary re-release of Christopher Nolan’s Inception, slated for July 17th after Tenet moved away from that date, has now been pushed to July 31.
Said a Warner Bros. representative in a statement:
“Warner Bros. is committed to bringing Tenet to audiences in theaters, on the big screen, when exhibitors are ready and public health officials say it’s time. In this moment what we need to be is flexible, and we are not treating this as a traditional movie release. We are choosing to open the movie mid-week to allow audiences to discover the film in their own time, and we plan to play longer, over an extended play period far beyond the norm, to develop a very different yet successful release strategy.”
Warner Bros.’ decision comes shortly after New York’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo, pulled movie theaters from the state’s Phase 4 of reopening. (Depending on the region, different areas in New York State are currently in Phases 2 or 3.) Los Angeles has seen a spike in Covid-19 cases, urging Mayor Eric Garcetti to renew his advice to stay home.
With Tenet‘s shift to August, a handful of studio releases currently remain in July, though the previous release date change resulted in several other changes in its wake. As of now, Solstice Studios’ Unhinged comes out July 10; Sony’s The Broken Hearts Gallery comes out July 17; and Disney’s Mulan comes out July 24.
Keeping your customers, visitors, and contractors safe
Cleaning the workplace
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and face coverings
Workforce management
Inbound and outbound goods
Among the recommendations include:
Assisting the country’s public health care system, the National Health Service (NHS). “The opening up of the economy following the COVID-19 outbreak is being supported by NHS Test and Trace. You should assist this service by keeping a temporary record of your staff shift patterns, customers and visitors for 21 days, in a way that is manageable for your business.”
Don’t necessarily bring back all your employees in person. “Considering who is essential to be on the premises. It is recognised that the overwhelming majority of staff working at cinemas undertake roles which cannot be reasonably performed from home. However, there may be some – those undertaking film programming or finance for example – for whom this is possible.”
Don’t solely consider physical health. “Provide support for workers around mental health and wellbeing. This could include advice or telephone support.”
Don’t have everyone arrive at the same time, for example at 9 A.M. “Staggering arrival and departure times at work to reduce crowding into and out of the workplace, taking account of the impact on those with protected characteristics. It may also prevent workers from needing to use public transport at peak times. Providing additional parking or facilities such as bike-racks to help people walk, run, or cycle to work where possible.”
“Today’s launch represents an important next step in our efforts to once again bring the big screen experience to the cinema-going public,” UK Cinema Association Chief Executive Phil Clapp said in a press release. “We know from recent surveys that a large proportion of our audience can’t wait to come back, but they understandably want to know the steps that cinemas will be taking to ensure their continued welfare.”
The UKCA represents more than 90 percent of the country’s cinema operators.
With players competing for a total pot of $5,000, the live mobile game show HQ Trivia launched a weekly movie-themed trivia night on Wednesday, June 24.
Occurring live at 9 P.M. Eastern time every Wednesday, 90,128 players entered last night’s inaugural live game, sponsored by cinema advertising network National CineMedia (NCM) and hosted by former HQ Words host Anna Roisman making her long-awaited return.
Here’s how it works. Twelve multiple-choice questions about movies are given, with three options listed. Players have 10 seconds to tap the box that contains their answer on their phone or mobile device. One question wrong and you’re out, though you can still keep watching the game. Every player answering all 12 questions correctly wins their evenly-divided share of $5,000.
Last night’s final question was: “In the original Escape Room, a character’s supposed name anagrams to what? Adam Robitel, Escape Room, or No Way Out.” 57.2 percent of contestants got that one right, with “No Way Out.”
The question stumping the highest percentage of contestants was question 4: “The Candyman franchise is based on the works of what author? Stephen King, Clive Barker, or Neil Gaiman.” 53.1 percent of contestants got that one right, with Clive Barker.
9,262 players won the final prize, representing about 10.3 percent of all players.
“Movie trivia is always a huge hit with fans, and this is a great way for movie audiences to get excited about getting back to the big screen this summer,” National CineMedia’s Vice President of Digital Ad Sales Jerry Canning said in a press release. “We’re looking forward to working with top brands like Tribeca to sponsor the new HQ Movie Trivia Night and to help them connect with this valuable and highly-engaged movie-loving audience on a new digital platform.”
Omniplex Cinemas – the largest theater chain in Ireland — has kicked off a phased reopening of its theater network.
On Thursday (June 25), the exhibitor announced it would reopen seven of its theaters –Cork, Rathmines, Limerick, Galway, Wexford, Arklow and the brand-new D’LUXX cinema in Drogheda that was originally slated to open in late March – on Friday, July 3, with a host of new safety measures in place.
These measures include mandatory online ticket buying; “in-cinema seat separation” that will provide 2 meters (or roughly 6.5 feet) of space between guests; a maximum of 50 guests at any time in either the foyer or one of the auditoriums, with in-theater capacities reduced by over 70%; and enhanced cleaning regimens.
“We’re delighted to be re-opening our cinemas over the next few weeks with a selection of popular classic movies,” said Omniplex Cinemas director Mark Anderson in a statement. “In order to enjoy a safe cinema going experience patrons will notice some changes. We have worked hard to ensure our auditoriums observe 2m social distancing and for the first few weeks tickets will only be sold online. Patrons will also notice new directional and instructional signs throughout the cinema as well as self-scanning of tickets. However fresh Popcorn and treats will still be available at the shop!”
The company has also provided a brief, audience-friendly graphic of safety guidelines, which you can find below.
Texas-based drive-in chain Studio Movie Grill has announced Phase 3 of their reopening plan. The company, as previously announced, moves into Phase 2 tomorrow with the reopening of eight theaters across Texas, California, Georgia, and Florida. Phase 1, initiated on June 19, saw the reopening of three SMG locations in Texas.
In Phase 3, SMG will open three additional Texas locations (Arlington Lincoln Square, Dallas Spring Valley and Plano); two in Georgia (Alpharetta Holcomb Bridge and Duluth); Simi Valley in California; College Park in Indiana; and Tampa in Florida.
“We are thrilled to have begun safely welcoming guests back to movies on the big screen at SMG Theaters,” said founder/CEO Brian Schultz. “If this past weekend in Texas is any indication, we are incredibly encouraged by attendance and guests indicating their strong desire to return to the theater. This is my life’s passion and family business. We are naturally anxious to emerge from this difficult time and provide an unparalleled experience that promises to be even better than before.”
Health and safety measures adopted by SMG include:
50% capacity, with social distancing room built into the seating plan.
Contactless mobile purchases for tickets and F&B
Health check and mask requirements for team members
More information on SMG’s safety procedures can be found here.
Studio Movie Grill has also introduced several new perks and features since reopening, including the ability to earn loyalty points on F&B purchases; take-out and delivery of the full SMG menu via GrubHub, with a limited-time bonus of two free tickets with every order; and discounted tickets, including the $1 Children’s Summer Series and free screenings of Michael B. Jordan-starrer Just Mercy.
Since going into Phase 2, Studio Movie Grill also began offering private auditorium rentals. “The response to our private auditorium rentals has been off-the-charts,” said Tonya Mangels, head of revenue and marketing, said. “Guests can book an entire auditorium for only $200, no added ticket fees or minimums. Our goal is to make it safe, simple, and exceed expectations. SMG is offering numerous choices in our experience, ensuring guests are comfortable in returning to movies.”
With shelter-in-place mandates beginning to ease in many parts of the world and more and more hard top theaters reopening their doors, exhibitors are now looking for ways to keep their customers and employees safe. In response to that need, CES+ has released a new tool to screen people for signs of the coronavirus.
On Thursday (June 25), the cinema solutions company announced the launch of the Heatzen Thermal Camera and Monitoring Solution, a temperature-screening device with a web-based integrated alerting system that can instantly send a message to theater staff when a patron registers an elevated temperature. Though targeted for theaters, the device – whose settings can be switched between Celsius and Fahrenheit – is also being marketed for use in schools, hotels, restaurants, gyms and other public facilities where risk of transmission is high.
“The Heatzen Thermal Camera and Monitoring product will help provide a safer and more secure movie-going experience for customers,” said CES+ product manager Daniela Figueroa in a statement. “Many movie fans are reluctant to return to the theatre because, quite simply, they are afraid for their health. With the installation of Heatzen at the entrance to the theater, they will certainly be far less anxious about attending.”
The pricetag on the Heatzen is $699, and it comes with a one-year warranty. You can find more information here.
Since 2002, it’s been the mission of the Lollipop Theater Network to bring a light to the lives of hospitalized children. Aided by a board of directors packed with film industry executives—including Carolyn Blackwood, COO at Warner Bros.; Chris Aronson, president of theatrical distribution at Paramount; and Jack Kline, former president and CEO of Christie—for nearly two decades Lollipop has brought film screenings and film stars to LA-area hospitals, enabling children with life-threatening illnesses to experience the magic of the movies.
In March, everything changed. Hospitals closed to outside visitors. Lollipop closed their offices and postponed their annual Superhero Walk, the keystone event in Lollipop’s yearly fundraising slate. And Lollipop looked at the typical number of events they host… and tripled it.
The ramping-up Lollipop has experienced over the last three months wasn’t planned, says co-founder and executive director Evelyn Iocolano. Rather, it was a natural response to an increased need paired with a shift in how Lollipop operates—away from in-person events towards digital ones, where actors, artists, and other industry professionals can interact with hospitalized or outpatient children via Zoom.
— Lollipop Theater Net (@LollipopTheater) April 14, 2020
When Covid-19 hit the country in March, recalls Iocolano, social media was filled with frantic requests for something to do. Movies to watch, bread to bake, hobbies to learn—anything to cope with the quarantine, not just to fill time but also to help stave off anxieties about the future. “In a really scary time, [people] were looking for things to distract them… It made me think: This is what we’ve been doing for 20 years. These kids that are in hospitals, [even] when there’s no pandemic, they’re fighting for their lives because of cancer, leukemia, heart disease, kidney transplants. They are dealing with that fear, that confinement and isolation and uncertainty.”
All this was made worse by Covid-19, which cut off much of the kids’ connection with the outside world and cut down on opportunities to keep them engaged. And so, days before Los Angeles issued their stay-at-home order, Lollipop put together their first digital one-on-one session, connecting a patient at LAC+USC Medical Center with an animation artist from DreamWorks. “When we finished that call, we were like, ‘There’s something there,’” recalls Iocolano. “I always thought in-person was the only way to do it, because it was real. It was more effective. But these [digital] visits are just as effective, if not more so.”
Logistically, digital visits are less complicated: Time doesn’t need to be found in the talent’s schedule for a long drive to the hospital, and if they’re not up on their immunizations it doesn’t much matter. Geography, too, is less of a concern: since the pandemic hit, Lollipop has expanded their visits to 28 hospitals nationwide.
Between March 20 and June 22, Lollipop hosted over 50 Zoom sessions—typically between four and seven a week—ranging from one-on-one chats to storytimes to lessons with professional artists. (Emmy-winner Debbie Allen even helped Lollipop launch a weekly dance session for healthcare workers.) In the first weeks of the pandemic, most of Lollipop’s sessions were one-on-one; now, they’ve shifted to mostly group sessions, which can reach over 200 children apiece. One of those group sessions was a mid-May screening of Scoob!, followed by a virtual visit with castmembers (pictured below) sweetened by swag from Warner Bros..
Since the Scoob! event, says Iocolano, multiple cast-members have reached out to ask how they can do more visits. “It’s a win-win for everyone. I think the guests really feel that they’re able to give back in a time where they’re confined to their houses, and they’re trying to figure out, ‘How can I help this situation?’ This is a way for them to do it from home. They can really see the impact, and the kids are really enjoying meeting these people that they never would meet.” It’s that interactive component that makes all the difference. The internet is filled with video content for children, but it’s knowing the person at the other end of the Zoom call “actually sees you,” says Iocolano, that makes these events so special.
“These kids are stuck in hospitals. They don’t have that daily interaction. They just have their family—who loves them, but it’s nice to see other people, and it’s nice to be acknowledged. That’s what these sessions have been enabling us to do around the country.” Important, too, is that these children attending group events can see “other kids in their same situation. That’s another part of it: That they’re not alone. There are other people struggling. But when we do these sessions, all of that disappears, and they just become kids. They giggle and they laugh and they say silly things.” (“What’s your favorite food?” and “What’s your favorite animal?” are probably not common interview questions for the actors who have donated their time to Lollipop.}
What the world needs now is more @jackblack! #TBT to 2 weeks ago when Jack created lots of belly laughs for kids – around the U.S. – dealing with serious illness. Laughter is the best medicine! Thank you for making the time to brighten everyone’s day Jack!
Music: #kevinteasleypic.twitter.com/LGj247RnbD
— Lollipop Theater Net (@LollipopTheater) April 30, 2020
“The ramping up process was not an intention,” says Iocolano. “You focus, you move forward, and it happens. It’s hard to say no when you see the effect it has.” And the effect that it will continue to have. Even as theaters come back, Iocolano explains, children’s wards at hospitals won’t be open to outside visitors due to the immunocompromised status of their patients. Thus, Lollipop’s virtual efforts will continue, even once in-person events become possible again. In addition to expanding the types of events they provide, Lollipop also plans to expand its fundraising efforts, looking outside the film industry for donors. “This community will always support us however they can, but there are a lot of people who want to be involved with this industry [and] who want to help.”
Over the next few years, as companies and industries attempt to bounce back from the economic impact of Covid-19, Lollipop will rely on individual donors—“whether it’s the the smaller amounts that add up, or to the higher net worth individuals who want to give back and see a difference”—to keep Lollipop going strong, Iocolano explains. “I’m really hopeful that it’s going to be okay. I believe in what we do so much, and I think what’s happened over the past few months has made me believe in it even stronger. I can’t imagine other people wouldn’t want to support it.”
This week, we officially reach the midpoint of the 2020 calendar with the 26th weekend of the year. It’s a period with notable blockbuster releases in past years as studios have capitalized on the midsummer / pre-Fourth of July corridor with some of their biggest family-friendly and popcorn releases.
Prior to COVID-19 delays, the weekend ahead was originally slated to see the return of Tom Cruise in the highly anticipated Top Gun: Maverick as well as Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. The former of those is now scheduled for a December 23 release later this year, while the latter has been shuffled to June 18, 2021.
The Age of Transformers
Nearly one-third of the top ten openings on this frame are quickly summarized by naming one franchise. Following the 2007 breakout of Michael Bay’s Transformers adaptation, the director rolled out another four sequels between 2009 and 2017 — three of them debuting on this exact weekend.
The period’s record-holder is the first sequel in the franchise: 2009’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The insta-blockbuster was one of the most anticipated films of the year thanks to the goodwill of 2007’s predecessor, going on to earn $62 million in its first day of release (a Wednesday). That was second only to The Dark Knight‘s $67.2 million first day among all-time records. Fallen also secured the second-best five-day start in history at the time time with $200.1 million, also trailing Dark Knight ($203.8 million). Its actual three-day weekend start registered at $109 million.
Ultimately, word of mouth wasn’t as strong for the first sequel (something Bay himself blamed on the 2007 writers’ strike), but it still drew an impressive $402 million domestically and $836 million worldwide — second only to Avatar‘s historic $749 million run on the former front, while landing in fourth place globally in 2009.
Bay wasted no time churning out the next two sequels. 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon held to the mid-week release pattern of its two predecessors, drawing a $97.8 million three-day weekend leading into the Fourth of July holiday. Opening week numbers weren’t as potent as Fallen‘s near-record tallies, but Moon won back many fans of the first film as it displayed better staying power than Revenge and earned $352.4 million domestically — second best of the year again, not far behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($381 million) this time.
In fact, Dark of the Moon ultimately leveraged global market expansion and its 3D offering to become the best performer of the franchise in global terms. The three-quel earned $1.12 billion, trailing only the Potter finale ($1.34 billion) in 2011.
Three years later, Bay recast the series with Mark Wahlberg in the lead — a move that probably helped helped stave off more significant franchise fatigue than it ultimately endured. Transformers: Age of Extinction shifted to a traditional Friday release and bowed with $100 million over its first weekend. The film capped out at $245.4 million stateside, a franchise low at the time that led to a 7th place finish for 2014. Still, the franchise continued to excel internationally as Extinction became the first (and only, so far) of the series to win the global box office year with $1.1 billion.
Animation Domination Continues
It wouldn’t be midsummer without a tentpole animated release in the mix, and the benchmark for this weekend belongs to Illumination’s Despicable Me 3. As the fourth film in the franchise, including 2015’s Minions spin-off, some diminishing returns were naturally expected for the most recent chapter. Still, the pic debuted to a healthy $72.4 million domestic weekend and finished with $264.6 million, ranking ninth for 2017. Globally, the sequel eclipsed the $1 billion threshold ($1.035 billion) and ranked fourth for the year.
A fifth entry in the series, Minions: The Rise of Gru, was delayed from release this summer to July 2, 2021.
Not to be left far behind, though, is the reliable Pixar. Two more of their entries landed on this weekend in back-to-back years, starting with 2007’s Ratatouille. That original film debuted to $47 million, and while respectable in the grand scheme of things, it represented the lowest Pixar debut yet for a traditional three-day weekend opening. The film represented one of the studio’s early shifts toward more mature storytelling, but still proved accessible enough to kids and legged out to $206.5 million domestically.
Ratatouille is one of the few Pixar titles not to finish among the top ten for its year, ranking 11th in 2007, but it did finish 6th with $623.7 million worldwide. Writer/director Brad Bird ultimately took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
One year later, Andrew Stanton’s WALL-E delivered a more Pixar-like $63.1 million debut as the cutesy appeal of an adorable robot attracted kids and parents alike. It proved to have long-term appeal with audiences, even if the largely silent nature of the film’s early scenes again pushed the attraction into older-than-typical demographics for Pixar films. WALL-E earned $223.8 million domestically, good enough for fifth place in 2008, while landing in ninth place that year with $521.3 million globally.
Like his colleague one year before, Stanton, too, won the Best Animated Feature Oscar.
Live Action Hits
This weekend has been dominated by franchises and animated films catering to kids and families, but a quartet of other releases are responsible some of the ten best debuts during the frame.
Highest among them is Steven Spielberg’s 2005 remake of War of the Worlds, starring Tom Cruise, which drew a $64.9 million three-day weekend launch as part of a $100.6 million five-day opening. The midweek release was the biggest launch of Cruise’s career up to that point, while ranking second for Spielberg (behind The Lost World: Jurassic Park‘s $72.1 million weekend). The remake drew big numbers with $234.3 million domestically and $603.9 million globally, ranking fourth on both fronts that year.
One year later, the big pre-Fourth of July tentpole spot went to Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns. The director’s success with the X-Men franchise, as well as the growing goodwill for comic book films in the wake of the Spider-Man films and Batman Begins, resulted in big expectations for a return to one of the biggest icons of the genre.
While critics and nostalgic fans praised the sequel’s return to the character-driven roots of Richard Donner’s original films, Returns missed expectations with a $52.5 million weekend debut ($84.6 million five-day) as it couldn’t reel in younger viewers with its nostalgic lean. The film finished with $200.1 million domestically and $391.1 million globally, ranking sixth and eighth for 2006, respectively. With a production budget estimated around $270 million, the film was unfortunately regarded as a financial disappointment that put the franchise back on ice for another seven years.
In 2008, counter-programming was on the menu for this weekend as Wanted debuted alongside the aforementioned WALL-E. The graphic novel adaptation generated significant interest with a strong ad campaign and star power from Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, and the lead-on-the-rise James McAvoy. It registered one of the top R-rated debuts in history at the time with $50.9 million on opening weekend, ultimately drawing $134.5 million domestically and $342.5 million worldwide on a $75 million production budget.
Rounding out the top ten, and actually ranking 7th on this list, is Seth MacFarlane’s Ted. The original comedy drew stellar buzz ahead of its 2012 release and resulted in one of the best R-rated comedy debuts ever. Following a $54.4 million first weekend, the film displayed excellent staying power as it finished with $218.8 million domestically and a whopping $549.4 million worldwide — 9th and 12th for the year, respectively.
Ted was MacFarlane’s directorial debut after years of pop culture impact with the successful Family Guy and American Dad television series, and its blockbuster success was made even more impressive with the context of a modest $50 million production cost. The comedy’s sequel, Ted 2, also debuted this weekend in 2015 with $33.5 million before it finished with $81.5 million domestically and $215.9 million globally.
Happy Anniversary to the Crew of Apollo 13
Last, but far from least, Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 deserves a shout-out on this list. Granted, its $25.4 million debut in 1995 puts it far down the list of opening weekend box office rankings, but the modern classic based on the true story celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend while also following the 50th anniversary of the real-life event in April 1970.
With an all-star cast led by Tom Hanks during his unmatched run of box office success in the 1990s, Apollo 13 was and remains widely regarded as one of the most accurate on-screen depictions of the Apollo program and the near-disaster which befell the Apollo 13 crew.
Putting character first while also pushing the boundaries of visual effects during its era, the film went on to become a runaway blockbuster. Its debut ranked sixth for the year, but higher than any other original film outside of Disney’s Pocahontas ($29.5 million).
Legging out to a stellar $172.1 million domestically and $353.2 million globally, Apollo 13 finished in third place on both fronts for 1995 — not far behind the final tallies of Die Hard with a Vengeance ($100 million domestic / $366 million global), Toy Story ($191.8 million domestic / $363 million global), and Batman Forever ($184 million domestic / $336.5 million global).
The film was nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture, winning two for Film Editing and Sound Mixing.
More Notable Debuts This Weekend
Annabelle Comes Home ($20.3 million 3-day in 2019)
Yesterday ($17 million in 2019)
Sicario: Day of the Soldado ($19 million in 2018)
Uncle Drew ($15.2 million in 2018)
Baby Driver ($20.6 million 3-day in 2017)
Independence Day: Resurgence ($41 million in 2016)
The Heat ($39.1 million in 2013)
White House Down ($24.9 million in 2013)
Magic Mike ($39.1 million in 2012)
Grown Ups ($40.5 million in 2010)
Live Free or Die Hard ($33.4 million 3-day in 2007)
The Devil Wears Prada ($27.5 million in 2006)
Fahrenheit 9/11 ($23.9 million in 2004)
The Notebook ($13.5 million in 2004)
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle ($37.6 million in 2003)
28 Days Later… ($10.1 million in 2003)
Mr. Deeds ($37.2 million in 2002)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence ($29.4 million in 2001)
The Perfect Storm ($41.3 million in 2000)
The Patriot ($22.4 million 3-day in 2000)
Big Daddy ($41.5 million in 1999)
Doctor Dolittle ($29 million in 1998)
Face/Off ($23.4 million in 1997)
The Nutty Professor ($25.4 million in 1996)
Sleepless In Seattle ($17.3 million in 1993)
The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear ($20.8 million in 1991)
Days of Thunder ($15.5 million in 1990)
The Karate Kid Part III ($10.4 million in 1989)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit ($11.2 million in 1988)
Dragnet ($10.5 million in 1987)
Spaceballs ($6.6 million in 1987)
Full Metal Jacket ($2.2 million from 215 locations in 1987)
Pale Rider ($9.1 million in 1985)
St. Elmo’s Fire ($6.1 million in 1985)
Blade Runner ($6.15 million in 1982)
The Thing ($3.1 million in 1982)
For Your Eyes Only ($6.8 million in 1981)
Stripes ($6.1 million in 1981)
The Great Muppet Caper ($3 million in 1981)
Moonraker ($7.1 million in 1979)
Suggestions for films or milestones to cover in future weekends? Let us know!
You can check out previous versions of this column in our archives.
On May 30, Showcase Cinemas opened a “pop-up” drive-in theater at their Patriot Place location in Foxborough, Massachusetts with a screening of Steven Spielberg’s 1981 classic Raiders of the Lost Ark. The sold-out event— which doubled as a fundraiser for the local Foxboro Food Pantry—amounted to a full-circle moment for the exhibitor, which was one of the first chains to embrace the drive-in concept beginning in the late 1930s.
“It’s interesting that Showcase is starting out with a drive-in as part of our reopening, because it’s part of our DNA and our history,” says Mark Malinowski, Showcase’s vice president of global marketing. In addition to establishing one of the country’s first drive-ins—the now-defunct Sunrise Drive-In on Long Island, which opened in 1938 with a screening of the Jimmy Durante musical Start Cheering —several of its current hard top locations, including Legacy Place in Dedham, MA and the Cinema de Lux in Revere, were originally launched as drive-in venues.
The current resurgence of the drive-in format is a phenomenon that would have been inconceivable just a few months ago. But with the coronavirus continuing to circulate widely in the U.S. more than three months into the pandemic and the majority of hard top theaters remaining shuttered, drive-ins remain the only moviegoing option in many areas of the country. That reality is about to change, however—and for major chains now prepping for a reopening of their indoor locations for the first time since mid-March, “pop up” drive-ins are being viewed as a transitional step, allowing them to test out safety protocols before top-tier studio releases including Mulan (July 24), Tenet (July 31), and Bill & Ted Face the Music (August 14) are unleashed in theaters.
Marcus Theatres has been dabbling in the “parking lot cinema” concept even more extensively than Showcase. The country’s fourth-largest exhibitor currently operates pop-up drive-ins at five locations: Elgin in Illinois, Majestic of Brookfield and South Shore in Wisconsin, Pickerington in Ohio, and Twin Creek in Nebraska. Marcus CEO and president (and current NATO vice chairman) Rolando Rodriguez says that one of the first of these to open, Twin Creek in the town of Bellevue, saw sellouts in its first ten days of operation—a turnout he believes speaks to a “pent up” demand from moviegoers who have been barred from entering their local multiplexes for months. “I think people are ready to go back to some level of normalcy,” he says. “And I feel confident that we’re going to be providing that as an industry.”
When asked to list some of the challenges of operating these pop-up locations—each of which took roughly a week to set up—Rodriguez employed the more optimistic phrase “key learnings” to discuss the inevitable logistical hurdles that came with the process. Among them: Dealing with the “ingress and egress” of vehicles into and out of the parking lot; ensuring all cars are parked 15 minutes before showtime to avoid disturbances from latecomers; and effectively educating guests on how to pre-order tickets and concessions online.
More importantly for Rodriguez, the pop-ups have given Marcus Theatres the opportunity to test out many of the health and safety protocols the company has been developing over the last several months. “[We want] to make sure that when we reopen our regular theaters, a lot of these plans that we’ve been working on will be not only good plans, but executable plans,” he says. Though there are certain components of the new guidelines that can only be tested indoors, a number of procedures—including the use of masks, social distancing markers, placement of sanitation stations and the concessions pre-ordering system—have been put into practice at the drive-ins, allowing the company to conduct a trial run before it executes a full-scale reopening.
Showcase, too, used its single pop-up drive-in as a run through for the company’s “Be Showcase Safe” initiative, which includes a new ticketing and concessions pre-order function on their website and app to facilitate no-contact payments. “This was our first time testing it out, kicking the tires on it,” says Malinowski, “and it worked really well.”
Large chains are also testing health and safety protocols at traditional drive-ins. B&B Theatres, which operates drive-in theaters in the towns of Moberly and Independence in Missouri, has put social distancing measures in place at its two outdoor locations, eliminated cash transactions and reduced contact between guests and employees at the box office and concession areas. Malco Theatres has employed similar measures at its Summer Drive-In theater in Memphis, including limiting guest capacity to 50%.
Representatives for Marcus, Malco, B&B, and Showcase all claim that attendance has been strong at both their pop-up and traditional drive-ins, though just how eager moviegoers are to return to hard top locations—even once brand-new blockbuster titles begin populating multiplexes—remains an open question. Some people we spoke to pushed back on the idea that audiences will require much of an incentive to return at all.
“I don’t think it is a matter of easing movie fans back into coming to the movies,” Malco Theatres’ senior vice president of film & marketing Jeff Kaufman told Boxoffice Pro via email. “It is obvious that the high degree of pent up demand for the theatrical experience and need to get out of the house has exploded, resulting in huge drive-in attendance. People still love movies, and we are grateful they are putting their money where their fandom is.”
Those sentiments were echoed by B&B Theatres director of publicity Paul Farnsworth, who added, “While our drive-in operations did provide us the means of presenting the public with some of our revised cleaning and social distancing protocols, I’m not sure that our guests will need an ‘easing back in’ outside of the parameters established by local and regional health authorities. In other words, we feel and hope that our guests will come back to cinemas once cinemas are reopened and won’t require much in the way of re-acclimation.”
Rodriguez was more measured when asked whether drive-ins are a way of mitigating anxieties for guests who may be nervous about returning to indoor locations—not to mention reiterating the value of moviegoing for those who have been relegated to watching films at home for the past several months.
“Think about this—our industry has been pretty much shut down now for almost three months,” he says. “So for us, it was an important aspect to keep connected with our guests and the importance and the fun of moviegoing and entertainment value associated with it.” To accommodate guests who aren’t yet comfortable watching movies in an indoor theater, he adds, the company is considering keeping its pop-up drive-ins operational even once its hard top locations open for business.
Of course, reopening plans for exhibitors across the country are highly dependent upon major studios providing new content—and with only a few high-profile films slated for release over the next several months, all eyes are on Disney (Mulan), Warner Bros. (Tenet) and others to follow through on those plans. All exhibitor representatives interviewed for this story expressed confidence that the studios will keep their remaining summer releases on the calendar, but if coronavirus cases begin to spike in a substantial way—a phenomenon already being observed in states like Arizona, Texas and Florida—reopening plans could be further delayed in some areas.
“Let’s hope to God that that does not happen—not just for the sake of our industry but the sake of our country,” said Rodriguez, who didn’t rule out the possibility of opening more pop-up drive-in locations if indoor reopening plans are pushed back due to a surge in cases in some communities. And if it does? “Obviously, there are different ways to provide that entertainment experience during difficult times,” Rodriguez added. “What you’ve seen is we can be creative, and certainly adapt to whatever those situations might become.”
This morning, Fandango unveiled its plan to welcome consumers back to movie theaters as the reopening process prepares to hit full stride in the coming weeks.
The company’s initial offerings will include a comprehensive directory of items important to patrons such as detailed health and cleaning policies of more than 100 movie chains, seating maps broken down by social distancing requirements, and filter-based searches to help moviegoers locate which theaters near them are currently open, among other features.
As one of the world’s leading online movie ticketing sites, Fandango’s initiative here is a significant milestone in the broader recovery process of the domestic and international theatrical markets.
At present, the first major tentpole releases are currently planned for July 24 (Disney’s Mulan) and July 31 (Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros.’ Tenet), while a handful of other titles are also on the slate for mid-to-early July.
Photo Credit: Fandango
Fandango’s official press release:
FANDANGO LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE THEATER REOPENING PROGRAM TO HELP FANS GO BACK TO MOVIE THEATERS WITH CONFIDENCE
Fandango to Introduce New Product Features and Resources, Including Health and Safety Policies Provided by More Than 100 Theater Chains, Social Distance Seating Maps, Reopened Theaters Search Filtering, and Much More
LOS ANGELES (June 23, 2020) – To support the reopening of movie theaters across the country, Fandango announced today the launch of a multi-dimensional program to help moviegoers go back to theaters with confidence and peace of mind. Starting today, Fandango.com and Fandango mobile apps will begin rolling out new resources and product functionality, including social distance seating maps, a one-stop guide to safety policies provided by more than one hundred theater chains, a special search filter to find reopened theaters by location, instructional videos and more.
“At Fandango, our mission has always been super-serving fans with their entertainment needs, and we cannot wait to help fans get back to the big screen safely and at the right time,” said Fandango President Paul Yanover. “It’s a complicated rollout, with various states, cities and counties opening their venues in different phases. We hope Fandango will serve as a helpful one-stop resource for fans to find all the information and services they need for a comfortable return to their local theaters.”
In Fandango’s one-stop guide to health and safety policies provided by theaters across the country, moviegoers can expect to find information that theaters have provided about auditorium occupancy and social distance seating, mask and protective equipment policies, enhanced cleaning measures, special concession services, and more.
“We are working closely with our friends in exhibition to help get their ticketing back online and film fans back in seats with peace of mind,” said Melissa Heller, Fandango’s vice president of domestic ticketing. “In addition to our new product features, Fandango’s mobile ticketing will be an added benefit, helping moviegoers and cinema employees reduce the number of contact points at the box office and throughout the theater.”
When theaters begin to reopen, Fandango plans to mobilize many of its other digital properties, including Rotten Tomatoes, Movieclips on YouTube, and its far-reaching social media and performance marketing platforms to help moviegoers get the resources and information they need. The company is also planning to support the reopening of theaters and new films scheduled to release this summer with a steady stream of original video, editorial and social content, celebrating the moviegoing experience.
For members of Fandango’s free-to-join VIP+ loyalty program, Fandango is extending expired rewards for an additional 60 days so that Fandango customers will have more time to use the rewards they’ve earned. Understanding that moviegoing plans can change, especially during uncertain times, Fandango offers the ability to refund and exchange ticket purchases up to the posted showtime. In addition, Fandango customers now have the added convenience of self-processing refunds as a guest user, with no account required.
About Fandango
Fandango is the ultimate digital network for all things movies and TV, serving more than 60 million unique visitors per month, according to comScore, with best-in-class movie and TV information, movie ticketing to 33,000 U.S. screens, trailers and original video and home entertainment. Its portfolio features leading online ticketers Fandango, MovieTickets.com and Flixster; world-renowned movie review site Rotten Tomatoes; and Movieclips, the #1 movie trailers and content channel on YouTube. Fandango’s movie discovery and ticketing innovations can also be found on mobile, social, AI and voice platforms. Fandango’s video on-demand service, FandangoNOW, offers new release and catalog movies and next-day TV shows to more than 200 million connected, over-the-top (OTT) and mobile devices. In Latin America, the company operates leading online ticketers Ingresso.com and Fandango Latin America.
