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Insider News
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I hear that a major studio is annoyed at a a big name medium-sized exhibitor for putting a competitors film on its biggest/premium screens at its largest locations instead of their film shortly after they had given him a major news making event. He's big enough that it will likely not hurt him in any way. Your guess is as good as mine.
Studio Not Happy With Theatre Owner
Pelham and Transformers Not Friendly to Small Towns
Word is that Sony has pulled prints for "The Taking of Pelham 123" from small towns including those with multi-plexes. While it will open on over 3,100 screens they will all be in large to medium cities with multiple prints in large multi-plexes. Most of those small town owners are probably happy they will have to wait until the price falls before they get it. It will do the same or more money for them opening on the thrid week as it would on the national release date. History with many other films has proven it to theatre owners that in many cases are barely hanging on in small towns. Along those lines Paramount is demanding a three week run for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" even from small town multi-plexes and single screen houses. They know that running one film for three weeks in a small town will lead to empty screenings and for a single screen house could spell disaster. Look for many of those theatre owners to opt to wait to play it after the first three weeks when the terms are better.
June 19, 2009
June 12, 2009
Digital Conversion Going Backward?
Small Towns Score With Late Start of "Angels & Demons"
Small town theatre owners who passed on running the disappointing sequel are laughing all the way to the bank. It seems they are packing 'em in and the studios lower percentage means they are pocketing more of the ticket sales. It is a strategy that continues to work - why take a huge hit opening weekend when you can wait three weeks? That's one of the ways they stay in business.
Regal was a leader in the digital revolution loading its theatres with the projectors but that has changed. Instead of buying more digital projectors the large exhibitor is no pulling them out of the multi-plexes leaving just one in most of them. They are replacing them with good old fashioned low tech 35 mm projectors. The thinking is the only reason to have them is to show 3D films so they can spread the digitals they have over the entire circuit instead of shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars on the high tech equipment. Believe me the other chains and independents are watching closely.
June 16, 2009
Theatre owners are finding out that the high cost of digital projection doesn't stop when you shell out the huge dollars for the system. One small to medium chain now keeps a full time employee on staff just to fix the problems they have with the digital projection systems in their 30 plus multiplexes spread over a handful of states. So far 3D brings in enough to cover the additional expenses, hopefully that will continue.
The High Cost of Digital
July 24, 2009
Warner Helps Theatre Owners
Theatre owners knew they would be paying top dollar for Harry Potter, but it was not as high as "Transformers", but Warner came to their rescue by giving them killer terms on its next film "Orphan". They did somethng similar when theatre owners took a bath on "Speed Racer" by giving them a better deal on "The Dark Knight". Warner knows how to take care of their exhibitors and still rack up over a billion dollars in box office receipts this year. Kudos.
