Category: Member News

Overarching themes:

• Theatrical exhibition is a “Main Street” industry, with theatres located in cities and towns of all sizes across this great country. Going to the local theatre remains the premium entertainment option for movie fans of all ages.

• Local theatres sit at the forefront of the “experiential economy,” which helps drive the American economic engine and ensures that we remain the world’s leader in filmed entertainment.

• Although critical to the American motion picture industry, exhibition is not a “Hollywood” industry, and it boasts companies that are headquartered across the United States in small towns, rural communities, and major cities – not simply in California or New York. 

Key industry stats:

• Moviegoing is deeply ingrained in American life: 76% of 12 to 74-year-old Americans attended at least one movie in a theatre this past year, which translates to approximately 200 million United States citizens heading to local theatres.

• The local theatre bolsters local economies across America: For every dollar spent at an American movie theatre, an additional $1.50 is spent in that area’s local economy.

• Local employment boost: On average, three people are employed per screen in the U.S.

• A new generation of moviegoers: According to a 2025 report by the National Research Group, 37% of Gen Z moviegoers go to the movies more than six times per year, which is up from 29% in February 2023.

• Family-friendly movies are essential to the strength of exhibition: So far this year, nine PG-rated movies were released at 2,000+ movie theatre locations – up from just sixduring the same periodlast year. The success of these films helps create a culture of moviegoing with younger generations.

• Loyalty programs are key drivers for our success: At movie theatres in the United States and Canada, loyalty programs have a combined total of over 120 million members–and growing. Loyalty programs boost all aspects of theatrical exhibition–from ticket sales and concessions to merchandising and word-of-mouth promotions.

• The release slate is rebounding in a major way in 2025: Year-to-date, 44 movies have been released at 2,000+ locations, up from 40 this time last year.

Optimism for 2025 & Beyond:

• The surge of moviegoing in Q2 (+84% year/year), led by box office giants, Lilo & Stitch, A Minecraft Movie, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Sinners, speaks directly to the importance of having a diverse slate of content, made up of both original films and those based on existing IP.

• The aforementioned measurements of success, however, are not possible without the important investments and upgrades made by theatre owners to modernize, improve upon and enhance the future of moviegoing:

• Reference Cinema United’s recent report “The Next Great Era of Cinema” for highlights on some of these investments and innovations.

• We are bullish on theatrical prospects for the rest of 2025 & beyond. The industry is on pace for at least 15 more wide releases at 2,000+ locations compared to 2024, with such major releases as Avatar: Fire and Ash, Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2, among others. When combining exhibitor innovation with a robust release slate, our industry thrives.

Box Office

CNN: ‘Stitchpossible’ kicks off summer with record box office for Memorial Day weekendMichael O’Leary, the president and CEO of Cinema United, said he’s less concerned about the catchy title created when two major movies open on the same day and more excited about how moviegoers respond.“They know that there’s something special going on in the movie theater, and they want to be a part of it,” O’Leary said.He added that watching a film in theaters is “a shared experience that you can’t replicate anywhere else.”

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Variety: Tom Cruise Rejoices Over ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Box Office Record Amid Speculation the Franchise Is Over: Thank You Paramount for ‘Years of Unwavering Support’Tom Cruise is basking in the glow of a record-breaking franchise start for “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” at the box office, and he reacted to the film’s opening haul in a heartfelt letter posted on his social media pages. The combined openings of Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” ($341 million) and Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible” ($200 million) powered the box office to a four-day Memorial Day weekend record.“This weekend was one for the history books!” Cruise wrote in his note. “Congratulations and thank you to every filmmaker, every artist, every crew member and every single person who works at the studios.To every theater and every employee who helps bring these stories to audiences, thank you.”

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Variety: 5 Reasons Why ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Shattered Memorial Day Box Office RecordsPower of PG moviesHollywood loves the adage that moviegoing begets moviegoing — and that seems to be especially true when there’s a smattering of options for youngsters. So far, studios have released nine PG-rated movies nationwide since January — up from the six that debuted during the same period in 2024. When families (an especially important, popcorn-purchasing demographic) have gone to see “A Minecraft Movie” or “Dog Man,” they’ve been treated to trailers for “Lilo & Stitch” and other upcoming kid-friendly films. It’s the best form of advertising for anyone who owns and operates a movie theater.

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Tariffs

Variety: Jon Voight Gives First Interview on Trump’s Bombshell Hollywood Tariff Proposal: We Can’t Let Hollywood ‘Go Down the Drain Like Detroit’ (EXCLUSIVE) “This shouldn’t be political. I don’t know the political identities of the people we’ve talked to. We’ve talked to a lot of people here. I don’t distinguish them on their party affiliation. And If we can come up with [a plan that can be executed], he’ll back us. He wants us to be the Hollywood of old,” Voight adds. “If we all come together, I believe we have a bright future.”

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Distribution

The Hollywood Reporter: Bob Iger Says Disney’s Film Slate in Next 18 Months Is Its Best Since 2019Other films Iger singled out for having his attention and endorsement are Pixar’s Elio (June) and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July), as well as Tron: Ares, Zootopia 2, and Avatar 3: Fire and Ash coming later in 2025.“That’s quite a lineup,” Iger said. But he wasn’t done yet.In 2026, Disney will put out a new Avengers film, its Mandalorian movie, another Toy Story and the live-action Moana. It’s “as strong as any slate that I’ve seen in a long time, since — well in 2019 I think was our best year — the strongest I’ve seen since then.”

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Domestic Box Office

Variety: Can Summer Set a Post-COVID Box Office Record With Help From ‘Superman,’ Marvel and ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’? “We’ve gone from guarded cynicism to flat-out optimism,” O’Meara says. “We’re all feeling like it’ll be a good summer.” Summer movie season, which runs from May through August, kicks off the most profitable stretch for the movie business. Historically, the four-month period has accounted for $4 billion, or around 40% of the annual box office, as studios deliver new installments in their biggest properties. But in the post-pandemic era, domestic revenues have reached those heights only once, during the boom times of 2023’s “Barbenheimer.” This year, though, industry analysts believe the summer frame has the potential to be the strongest since the great COVID reset.

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Release Schedule

Variety: ‘Practical Magic 2,’ Starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, Sets Fall 2026 Release Date “Practical Magic 2,” a follow-up to the 1998 fantasy comedy, will cast a theatrical spell next fall. The witchy sequel, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, is set to debut on Sept. 18, 2026. Bullock and Kidman are reprising their roles as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, who descend from a long line of witches. In the original movie, they find themselves fighting off a curse that kills the men they fall in love with. It’s unclear where the second film will pick up.

Release Schedule

Deadline: Sony’s Screen Gems Sets Fall Theatrical Release For ‘Sisu’ Sequel Sony Pictures’ Screen Gems is releasing a sequel to Jalmari Helander’s gritty World War II action movie Sisu, with the Finnish filmmaker returning to write and direct. A November 21 theatrical release this year has been set.Why doesn’t Lionsgate, which acquired U.S. on the film out of 2022’s TIFF Midnight Madness, handle the sequel? Essentially Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions’ Stage 6 Films sold domestic and kept the rest of the world (except Finland) on the first movie which made $14M global, $7.2M of that stateside. Stage 6 opted to keep global on part two.

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Deadline: James L. Brooks’ ‘Ella McCay’ Heads To December Disney has moved James L. Brooks’ dramedy Ella McCay from Sept. 19 to Dec. 12.That puts the Woody Harrelson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Mackey, Ayo Edebiri, Rebecca Hall and Albert Brooks movie in a better position during awards season. If you go too soon sometimes, you could get forgotten. Not to mention, September and October is very crowded with two-to-four wide entries dated each week, many targeting similar adult audiences.Ella McCay follow an idealistic young politician (Mackey) who juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state’s longtime incumbent governor.

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Update

We are in the final stages of working with our studio partners and applying the finishing touches to our inaugural Sneak Peek Showcase. As this is an industry first, our top priority for year one was to demonstrate a successful “proof of concept” on which we can build. The Cinema Foundation, our partners, and the studios have learned a lot about the process and how to make this even bigger and better in year two and beyond.  

Being new, there was a lot of heavy lifting from our studio partners necessary to support this program. If you would like to see these types of events continue, we encourage everyone to jump on board and really lean-in to make this win-win program successful.

The Program

This year’s approximate 65-minute program features a selection of trailers from major studios for their upcoming 2025 slate, as well as a couple of never-before-seen clips and behind-the-scenes pieces from highly anticipated films.

To help guests remember everything they saw during the presentation, there will be a QR code on screen at the end that will take the guest to the @themovies website and show a list of the movie titles that they watched that day.  

Please note: While it does not feature any “red band” trailers, the Showcase features content from films rated PG, PG-13, and R, and is NOT appropriate for all audiences. The content package is NR – not rated, so it is expected that every exhibitor will establish their own guidelines and procedures with the content in mind.

If you feel you need more guidance on the content, please reach out to Bryan Braunlich at bryan@thecinemafoundation.org

When

Tuesday, April 22, 6:00 pm local time
Thursday, April 24, 6:00 pm local time

Extra Promotions

Some cinemas are using this opportunity to get guests extra excited about the upcoming slate and increase attendance with concession offers and promotions. Get creative and look for ways to “plus up” your Sneak Peek Showcase with loyalty program offers and/or enhance the experience by inviting a local host or influencer. 

Bookings & Keys

For information on bookings and keys, please contact:

In the US:
Larry McCourt | lmccourt@emickmedia.com
Hannah Perry| hperry@emickmedia.com

In Canada:
Chris Emery | chrisjemery@me.com
Paul Gardner | pgardnerla@gmail.com

Foundation Marketing Efforts

• Press release went out on Friday, April 4.  
• An updated press release will be sent on Wednesday, April 16.  
• Additionally, there will be daily social media drops which will also include some fun talent interviews.
• All this content will be available in The Hangar once posted.  We encourage everyone to go nuts promoting the program on your channels.  

In-Theatre Marketing Questions

For information on in-theatre marketing, please contact:
Laura Beth Boley | lbboley@paperairmedia.com

FAQ 

For a more detailed FAQ document, please CLICK HERE.

Resources 

Ticket On Sale, Countdown, and FAQ assets, as well as a PDF with suggested social copy to help promote the screenings across your channels are available in The Hangar HERE.

If you need an asset not already in The Hangar, please reach out to thecinemafoundation@filmfrog.com.