Cinema United Members Gather in Los Angeles for Annual Fall Summit

Day 1

Today, over 350 Cinema United members came together at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles for the annual Fall Summit.

The day began with Committee meetings, which included the first gathering of the Future Leaders of Cinema Committee (FLIC). Led by Cinema United’s Chief of Staff Amanda Martin, FLIC is a two-year program focused on leadership development, education, and industry engagement.

Independent theatre owners gathered for an Independent Theatre Owners Coalition (ITOC) seminar developed by ITOC leaders Lauren McChesney, Becky Dupuis, and Cinema United’s Director of Government Relations and Independent Theatre Owner Engagement Todd Halstead. The seminar included a panel on building experiences and revenue beyond the box office with Brandt Gully of The Springs Cinema & Taphouse, Cal Donnelly from Rokt, and Craig Chapin from Golden Link Inc. as well as one on using events to build audiences year-round with The Belcourt’s Stephanie Silverman, Seattle International Film Festival’s Beth Barrett, and Becky Dupuis from Polson Theatres. Film Frog’s Danielle Hawthorne Jones moderated both panels.

In the evening, attendees enjoyed a screening of Song Sung Blue from Focus Features at AMC’s Century City location with CJ 4D Plex/Screen X graciously sponsoring. CJ 4D Plex’s Duncan MacDonald spoke about the exciting growth at his company as they establish more relationships with the creative community and add more screens across the country. AMC’s CEO Adam Aron spoke about how important Focus’ contributions to the theatrical landscape are. Focus’ President of Distribution Lisa Bunnell introduced the film, which she said was originally slated as a 2026 entry, but was moved to a coveted Christmas release date after great test screenings.

Day 2

The morning began with Cinema United’s General Membership Meeting and Advisory Board meeting, during which the association provided a membership update, honored members who recently passed away, discussed recent accomplishments, and shared future goals. The meetings were followed by a Q&A session with Cinema United President/CEO Michael O’Leary.

In the afternoon, the Young Members Community X Film Row seminar featured an inspiring and candid discussion with Nikkole Denson-Randolph, AMC’s SVP & Chief Content Officer. Nikkole talked about her career journey and provided advice to people who are early in their careers in exhibition.

Attendees were treated to an evening on the Paramount lot for a reception sponsored by Dolby Laboratories and a screening of Edgar Wright’s The Running Man.

Day 3

Wednesday was full of education seminars at the Fall Summit.

Investing in Ourselves: Designing Cinema Experiences That Deliver

Moderated by Cinema United President & CEO Michael O’Leary, the panel provided valuable insights from Harkins Theatres’ Mike Bowers, Real D’s Elizabeth Frank, Dolby Laboratories’ Jed Harmsen, and Chris Armer from GastingerWalker&.

There is a lot of investment happening every day at cinemas both big and small as the exhibition industry continues to invest with confidence in its future.

CU Close-Ups

Celebration Cinema by Studio C’s Cindy Sowerwine and Penn Cinema’s Penn Ketchum delivered two strong presentations to their fellow Cinema United members. Cindy’s focused on how to track the real-world impact of marketing on various channels, and Penn’s presentation walked through the entire experience of adding a bar to his location in Lititz, Pa.

Building A Community, Not Just a Fanbase: A Conversation with Lisa Milner Goldberg, VP, Public Relations, Angel City Football Club

Lisa shared insights on how she has helped Angel City Football Club stand out in the crowded sports market in Los Angeles.

Beyond Popcorn: Building a Branded Experience

The Coca-Cola Company’s Josh Nations moderated a panel with Cineplex’s Sara Moore, Cinergy Entertainment’s Traci Hanlon, and Meta’s Joana Delgado focused on how in an era of limitless content and digital noise, a strong brand is no longer a luxury. The panelists offered clear takeaways to attendees on how to build their own brand.

Activating Fandom: Strategic Tools for Theatrical Engagement

With the help of a diverse panel–ComicCon’s David Glanzer, Marcus Corporations’ Greg Marcus, Fathom’s Shannah Miller, and NRG’s Fergus Navaratnam-Blair–moderator Matthew Liebmann from Vista Group dived into the various ways that all the panelists connect with niche groups to bring them out to theatres. From impactful social posts to developing strong repertory screenings, cinemas are getting better every day at creating enticing programming for specific audiences.

The day closed with a lively focus-group discussion featuring Gen Z moviegoers organized by NRG.

Day 4

With the support of The Walt Disney Company, A24, Directors Guild of America, Vista Group, and Mobile Moviegoing, Thursday gave Fall Summit attendees another chance to see two upcoming films from the diverse fall/holiday slate: Searchlight’s Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere and A24’s Eternity.

Movie theatres succeed when there is something for everyone, and that is definitely the case for the rest of 2025 & beyond.

Cinema United Members: Register Now for the 2025 Fall Summit!

On behalf of Cinema United, we are thrilled to announce to members that the online registration and RSVP link for the upcoming Fall Summit is now live.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

NOTE: You’ll be asked to RSVP to meetings, food events, and seminar programming when you register. You can go back and change your responses at any time.

Thanks in advance for also taking the time to review the following:

Cinema United Governance Meetings: Monday, October 6 and Tuesday, October 7. Only those meetings that are open to all members are included on the registration link. You should have or will shortly be receiving invitations to any private committee meetings you’re involved with.

Studio Events: This year’s studio events are spread over three days (Monday evening, Tuesday evening, and most of Thursday) as they were last year. Please make note for your travel plans. CLICK HERE for the schedule.

Place: The Beverly Hilton, Los Angeles

Additional Important Information:

• Please be aware that starting in 2025 a nominal registration fee of $199 will be in effect to help cover some of the costs to run the Fall Summit. Once again, there will be caps put on the $199 attendee registrations (depending on your circuit size), with additional fees for registrations over the caps. These details are included in the official registration link provided above. Thanks for your understanding in this regard.

• The annual Will Rogers “Pioneer of the Year” Dinner will be held at The Beverly Hilton during the week of The Fall Summit. The date is Wednesday, October 8 and will honor Kate Hudson. Please note, the “Pioneer of the Year” Dinner requires its own purchased ticket of admittance. Details can be found via https://wrpioneers.org/events/2025-pioneer-of-the-year-dinner/. For all Will Rogers does for the exhibition community, we encourage all attendees to support Will Rogers by attending.

Cinema United Attends Entertainment Food & Beverage Association’s 2025 Concession and Hospitality Expo

[Left to right: Marcus Theatres’ Rob Novak, Cinema United’s Michael O’Leary, Santikos’ Rob Lehman]

Cinema United’s President & CEO Michael O’Leary and CinemaCon’s Director of Operations Matt Shapiro attended the Entertainment Food & Beverage Association’s 2025 Concession and Hospitality Expo from September 16-18 at the Westin San Antonio North in San Antonio, Texas.

O’Leary delivered a speech at the event focused on the importance of food and beverage innovation to the future of cinemas. He touted Cinema United’s recent Cinema Investment Report, which features examples of cinema owners big and small changing the food & beverage experience at the their theatres.

“Your innovative efforts, from redesigned lobbies and curated dine-in offerings to seasonal menus or seasonal cocktails, help transform a night out into a special occasion and continue to make going to the movies one of the most important entertainment value propositions,” said O’Leary.

Headlines Newsletter, September 16, 2025

Innovation

Variety: Theaters Have Re-Invested $1.5 Billion in Past Year to Keep Audiences Engaged With Premium Large Formats, Loyalty Rewards and Better Dining Experiences

Speaking with Variety, Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Cinema United (fomerly NATO), said, “You’re seeing this evolution of theaters becoming these big inclusive places where family and movie fans can go and spend hours on end.”

As theaters continue to expand their offerings to audiences — including attractions like novelty popcorn buckets — O’Leary says he feels good about this year, and with movies like “Lilo and Stitch” and “Minecraft” dominating the box office, he feels he needs to make sure that there are places that are exciting and experiential for people.

Read full article

Deadline: Cinema Owners Spent $1.5B On Upgrades Over Past Year

“Exhibition is a Main Street industry,” said, Cinema United CEO Michael O’Leary. “Theatre owners aren’t just re-investing in their facilities; they are investing in cities and towns of all sizes across the United States and Canada. The beneficiaries of this commitment will, of course, be movie fans of all ages but also local businesses and the talented contractors and craftspeople who help bring these renovations to life.”

Investments range from costlier new building of entertainment centers that combine multi-screen theaters with activities from axe throwing to bowling to arcades; reopening and revamping closed cinemas; new digital projectors, movie screens, sound systems and seats in auditoriums. New full-service lobby bars are increasingly popular. So is adding kitchens. Some 10% of the North American box office is made up of dine-in sales, the report said.

Read full article

Cinema Owners In North America Have Invested $1.5 Billion In Their Theatres Throughout The Past Year

New Cinema Investment Report from Cinema United Highlights Exhibition’s Commitment to Reinvesting in the Consumer Experience

Eight Largest Circuits Surpass $900 Million Mark in Twelve Months

WASHINGTON, D.C. and LOS ANGELES, CA – September 16, 2025 – A new report issued today by Cinema United highlights that the North American exhibition industry re-invested more than $1.5 billion in their theatres in the past year, demonstrating a clear financial commitment to creating the premium entertainment experiences that fans of movies on the big screen crave. This industry total includes re-investment of $920 million from the eight largest circuits in the United States and Canada. A year ago, those same eight circuits alone pledged their commitment to invest more than $2.2 billion to modernize and upgrade theatres of all sizes over a three-year period.  

From Cinema United, the trade association representing nearly 64,000 screens worldwide, the Cinema Investment Report highlights the overall depth and breadth of these investments across the industry and the impact they have on communities of all sizes. From upgrading projectors, sound equipment and screens (there are nearly 6,000 premium large-format screens worldwide) to adding dynamic food & beverage options (dine-in cinemas represent 10% of the North American box office), cinemas today sit at the forefront of the experiential economy, driving local business and providing positive financial growth for a myriad of industry partners, including construction, architecture, marketing and advertising, retail and dining. More than 100,000 jobs around the world are directly related to the innovation and investments highlighted in this report.

“Exhibition is a Main Street industry,” says Michael O’Leary, President and CEO of Cinema United. “Theatre owners aren’t just re-investing in their facilities; they are investing in cities and towns of all sizes across the United States and Canada. The beneficiaries of this commitment will, of course, be movie fans of all ages but also local businesses and the talented contractors and craftspeople who help bring these renovations to life.”

In addition to showcasing the capital investments being made in theatres, the report also highlights the local vendors who led construction and renovation efforts that movies fans everywhere will enjoy.

“Movie theatres provide an unmatched entertainment experience for people around the world, but they are also important cornerstones in their communities. The re-investment and innovation underway at theatres of all sizes will bolster local economies by driving revenue and creating jobs,” says Bob Bagby, CEO of B&B Theatres and Chair of Cinema United. “Every day, movie theatres create jobs, partner with local vendors and attract movie fans who also support surrounding businesses.”

Cinema United members featured in this report include AMC, B&B Theatres, Cinemark, Cineplex, Cinépolis, Golden Ticket Cinemas, Harkins, Marcus, Ojai Playhouse, Penn Cinema, Phoenix Theatres (headquartered in Detroit), Regal and Santikos.

Partners mentioned also include Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce (Clarksville, Tenn.), GastingerWalker (architecture firm in Kansas City, Mo.), Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce (Joplin, Mo.), Kinectiv (advertising/marketing firm in Lancaster, Pa.), KEPH Construction (Dadeville, Ala.), Kupiec Architects (Santa Barbara, Calif.), Prosser Wilbert (construction company in Kansas City, Mo.) and Speedwell Construction (Manheim, Pa.).

ABOUT CINEMA UNITED

Founded in 1948, Cinema United is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 33,000 movie screens in all 50 U.S. states and Canada, with an additional more than 30,000 screens in 81 countries internationally. Its membership includes theatres of all sizes, from the largest cinema chains to one-screen theatres in cities and towns around the world. For additional information, please visit cinemaunited.org.

Headlines Newsletter, September 11, 2025

Distribution

Deadline: Paramount Exploring Bid For Warner Bros. Discovery

The just merged Paramount Skydance is exploring a bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, heralding potentially more change in an entertainment landscape that’s seeing rapid shifts.

Larry Ellison, chairman and co-founder of Oracle, is one of the richest people in the world and the patriarch of the Ellison family, which led the $8.4 billion deal that landed his son David Ellison’s Skydance Media with control of Paramount Global. That transaction closed August.

There’s been speculation since that the big, new and deep-pocketed player in Hollywood would turn its sights on Warner next, but the focus had been on Warner Bros. Studios, which is in the process of separating from the company’s global cable networks and linear television. The Par deal currently being explored, however, seems to be for the entire company.

Read full article

Headlines Newsletter, August 29, 2025

Box Office
Variety: Could Gen Alpha Save Movie Theaters? New Survey Shows Why ‘Minecraft’ and ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Had Huge Success With Kids

Kids and preteens may reinvigorate the theatrical movie business, at least according to a new study by entertainment researchers NRG.

The report found that Gen Alpha, which consists of children born from roughly 2013 to 2025, is more interested in seeing movies in the big screen than older consumers. Roughly 59% of members of that generation said they enjoy watching movies in theaters more than at home, compared to 48% of Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2012), 45% of Millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996) and Gen X (people born between 1965 and 1980). The study’s authors suggest that the ubiquity of smartphones and streaming services has made younger consumers more interested in a night out at the multiplex.
Read full article

Cinema United Attends CinéShow 2025

[Left to Right: Cinema United’s Michael O’Leary, Steve Schoaps (Strothers Cinema), Jeff Benson (Cinergy), Randy Hester (Hometown Cinemas), Morris Schulman (Schulman Theatres), Brian Shander (Marcus Theatres), Joel Davis (Premier Cinemas)]

Cinema United’s President & CEO Michael O’Leary, Chief Operating Officer Lou DiGioia, and Director of Government Relations and Independent Theatre Owner Engagement Todd Halstead attended CinéShow 2025 at the Marriott Dallas Allen Hotel & Convention Center from August 25-27.

O’Leary spoke at the event and focused on successes at the Summer box office, the promising relate slate for the rest of 2025, benefits for exhibition in President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, and two upcoming Cinema United events: The Fall Summit and CinemaCon.

Joel Davis (Premiere Cinemas, TOMA Board President) was named Statesman of the Year, while the Frank Liberto Award went to Larry Etter (Malco) and the Distinguished Service Award recipient was Tim Patton (Cinema Service).

Cinema United thanks Diane Feffer, Executive Director of CinéShow, and her team of dedicated volunteers who make the show happen.

Headlines Newsletter, August 21, 2025

Release Schedule
The Hollywood Reporter: Bradley Cooper’s ‘Is This Thing On?’ Lands December Release

Bradley Cooper‘s forthcoming feature Is This Thing On? has landed a prime holiday season release date from Searchlight Pictures.

The film hits theaters Dec. 19 following its premiere at the New York Film Festival on Oct. 10. The movie stars Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Cooper, Andra Day, Sean Hayes, Amy Sedaris and Ciarán Hinds.

Is This Thing On? centers on Alex (Arnett) and Tess (Dern), who attempt to navigate their divorce as Alex changes his career path to pursue a life as a confessional stand-up comedian in New York City. The life of British comedian John Bishop inspired the movie’s story.
Read full article
The Hollywood Reporter: Bill Hader’s ‘The Cat in the Hat’ Lands New November 2026 Release Date 

Warner Bros.’ animated event pic The Cat in the Hat has landed a new release date in theaters, relocating from Feb, 27, 2026 to Nov. 6 of that year.

The studio says the new date gives the film — the first title from the newly relaunched Warner Bros. Pictures Animation division — a long runway to play throughout the year-end holidays when families and kids are more readily available.

Based on the beloved Dr. Seuss tale, Bill Hader voices The Cat. The A-list voice cast also includes Xochitl Gomez, Matt Berry, Quinta Brunson, Paula Pell, Tiago Martinez, Giancarlo Esposito, America Ferrera, Bowen Yang and Tituss Burgess.
Read full article

Cinema United Attends ShowSouth

[Left to Right: Georgia Theatre Company’s Bo Chambliss, Cinema United’s Lou DiGioia, and ShowSouth’s Robin Miller-Price]

As another strong Summer movie season winds down, Cinema United COO Lou DiGioia attended the ShowSouth convention at Georgia’s beautiful Lake Lanier Islands Lodge.

DiGioa delivered a presentation to attendees focused on a wide range of topics including: rebranding the trade association, tax benefits for theatres in President Trump’s new tax bill, a new Future Leaders in Cinema program, and the next round of the organization’s Strategic Planning process.

Joel Davis from Premiere Cinemas was named Statesman of the Year at the event, Mack Clark from Clark Theatres was Variety’s Big Heart Recipient, Vistar was named Vendor of the Year, and Disney was named Studio of the Year.

“We are all a part of a wonderful industry and our main goal is to always improve the moviegoing experience,” says Robin Miller-Price, the show’s Executive Director.

Cinema United
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