Discover how theatrical re-releases and repertory screenings of films like Star Wars, Titanic, and Jaws can help movie theaters thrive again after years of challenges.
The repertory screenings of Revenge of the Sith and Pride and Prejudice were both packed at my Long Island, suburban multiplex. I literally cannot understand why there's not repertory screenings every weekend. It's not like 20 years ago when the cost of new prints were prohibitive. There are repertory productions on broadway, The Rolling Stones still tour, and yet the studios can't figure out that people love old, nostalgic and proven works? You have to think $25m for ROTS has to be turning some heads.
Let's get older people like myself back into movie theaters/cinemas by showing re-runs of great films, possibly in uhd ( if possible), let them see The Searchers etc again on the big screen. I know for a fact that people in Britain want to see a return to the 'Saturday Cinema Club' for their children, which is a start!
This is where Disney could earn back a lot of good will by re-releasing some of their biggest animated movies from their entire catalogue into theaters like the original Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King. There's no reason why they couldn't. That would also give younger audiences a chance to see what made Disney such a big deal back in the day.
100% agree. Plus parents will want to see them on the big screen too. I’ve never seen The Lion King in theaters and I’m 32! I’d be there with my kids for a re-release much faster than I’d be heading out for a live action remake of something.
I spent a lot of time going to the movie theater in the 80s and 90s. So I have a strong affinity for seeing movies on the big screen. Unfortunately, there haven't been too many movies that I have wanted to see in recent years with exceptions for brilliant films like Oppenheimer. I would love to have my local movieplex bring back classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Jaws. At its best, going to see a movie with a full house is a wonderful shared community experience. You just don't get that watching a Blu-ray on your home theater.
Good idea - but I think it needs to be combined with reasonable ticket prices, say $10 or less. I mean, I can stream many of these movies already, or pay $4 to rent them, so being asked to fork over $15 plus another $10 for a Coke and some popcorn is a big ask. I think that if theaters could rotate a bunch of great pics from the past for a reasonable price, people would be willing to attend. Also, I would like to see movie theaters get rid of those tiny theaters and give us back more big screens. That is where the magic was and always will be.
Well the others have been re-released too, and they didn’t do as well (Episode 1 went for under $10 million), but there’s something happening with movie theaters right now. The magic is coming back, and these screenings are showing a path to success!
I've written before that theaters are probably going to start showing more older films as a means to survive. About 80% of the time I go to the movies it's to see a re-release of an older film, and they are nearly always sold out or close to it. Even the Paramount, which seats 1,250, is often nearly full for revival shows. Granted, it's in large part due to the fact that there are only one or two showings vs. a new film which shows multiple times per day for weeks, but I've seen too many new films in a theater with only 2 or 3 other patrons to think theaters are going to survive showing only new films.
I won't be at all surprised in 10 years from now, the majority of theaters will show either a different old film each day, or at best each week, on most of their screens, and reserve only one or two screens for new releases.
Maybe this exists but have often thought there should be more curation, like a Chief Curation Officer (it would grow revenue, so I just justified it 🤣) for the theater chains and/or studios. Replace what was the DVD market with gap-fills from the catalog at the right time, i.e. The Sandlot in the summer etc.
The repertory screenings of Revenge of the Sith and Pride and Prejudice were both packed at my Long Island, suburban multiplex. I literally cannot understand why there's not repertory screenings every weekend. It's not like 20 years ago when the cost of new prints were prohibitive. There are repertory productions on broadway, The Rolling Stones still tour, and yet the studios can't figure out that people love old, nostalgic and proven works? You have to think $25m for ROTS has to be turning some heads.
Agreed! Every repertory screening I’ve been to in the last decade has been filled, vs many new releases with half empty (or more) theaters.
Let's get older people like myself back into movie theaters/cinemas by showing re-runs of great films, possibly in uhd ( if possible), let them see The Searchers etc again on the big screen. I know for a fact that people in Britain want to see a return to the 'Saturday Cinema Club' for their children, which is a start!
This is where Disney could earn back a lot of good will by re-releasing some of their biggest animated movies from their entire catalogue into theaters like the original Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King. There's no reason why they couldn't. That would also give younger audiences a chance to see what made Disney such a big deal back in the day.
100% agree. Plus parents will want to see them on the big screen too. I’ve never seen The Lion King in theaters and I’m 32! I’d be there with my kids for a re-release much faster than I’d be heading out for a live action remake of something.
I want to see The Lion King in theaters again. It's in my top 3 Disney movies of all time, behind Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast.
I spent a lot of time going to the movie theater in the 80s and 90s. So I have a strong affinity for seeing movies on the big screen. Unfortunately, there haven't been too many movies that I have wanted to see in recent years with exceptions for brilliant films like Oppenheimer. I would love to have my local movieplex bring back classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Jaws. At its best, going to see a movie with a full house is a wonderful shared community experience. You just don't get that watching a Blu-ray on your home theater.
Good idea - but I think it needs to be combined with reasonable ticket prices, say $10 or less. I mean, I can stream many of these movies already, or pay $4 to rent them, so being asked to fork over $15 plus another $10 for a Coke and some popcorn is a big ask. I think that if theaters could rotate a bunch of great pics from the past for a reasonable price, people would be willing to attend. Also, I would like to see movie theaters get rid of those tiny theaters and give us back more big screens. That is where the magic was and always will be.
Revenge of the Sith is objectively the worst of the 9 Star Wars films. If that can make $25 million in a weekend, imagine what the rest can do!
Well the others have been re-released too, and they didn’t do as well (Episode 1 went for under $10 million), but there’s something happening with movie theaters right now. The magic is coming back, and these screenings are showing a path to success!
I've written before that theaters are probably going to start showing more older films as a means to survive. About 80% of the time I go to the movies it's to see a re-release of an older film, and they are nearly always sold out or close to it. Even the Paramount, which seats 1,250, is often nearly full for revival shows. Granted, it's in large part due to the fact that there are only one or two showings vs. a new film which shows multiple times per day for weeks, but I've seen too many new films in a theater with only 2 or 3 other patrons to think theaters are going to survive showing only new films.
I won't be at all surprised in 10 years from now, the majority of theaters will show either a different old film each day, or at best each week, on most of their screens, and reserve only one or two screens for new releases.
Maybe this exists but have often thought there should be more curation, like a Chief Curation Officer (it would grow revenue, so I just justified it 🤣) for the theater chains and/or studios. Replace what was the DVD market with gap-fills from the catalog at the right time, i.e. The Sandlot in the summer etc.
Sign me up! If there are any theaters out there, I’d be happy to be your CCO (Chief Curation Officer)!
Jeff 🤝Chad open for new roles at studios and theater chains 🤣 I like it!