Far, Far Away: How to Get People Going to Movies Again | MZS

The reliably sober-minded industry blog The Ankler wrote, “Theatrical releases do much, much, much better than films that go straight-to-streaming and, as a result, drive more value for streamers (and make more money in the traditional sense for studios). I knew this to be true, but when you lay out all the available data, the difference is so stark, so brutal, it’s not even a debate.” 

These same companies are also continuing to try to strip-mine increasingly stale “Intellectual Property” within their existing portfolios rather than create new phenomena. (There’s an argument to be made that “The Fall Guy,” based on a TV show that nobody under 50 watched during its original run, might’ve done better if it had been called something else, and if it had cost less to produce; and yet that same film, likewise declared a “flop” opening weekend and prematurely sent to home video by its studio just two weeks later, is still making money in theaters worldwide. But I digress, again.)

Here are a few things that I do think are hampering theatrical as an entertainment option: 

1. Cost of tickets. Yes, it’s true. A lot of this is not in individual theaters’ hands. They have to charge a certain amount to be profitable, in terms of ticket prices and concessions, because they’re getting jacked on rent and everything else, and certain studios (cough, cough; Disney) practice extortion when it comes to negotiating deals with theater owners.  

Still, what with price-gouging by everyone from real estate companies to grocers brutalizing regular folks’ budgets for entertainment, cutting movie ticket prices by a quarter to half would, I believe, result in such an uptick in business that both the entertainment companies and the theater chains (and Indies) would very quickly make up the difference. For proof, look at the success of AMC Theaters’ discount Tuesdays program via its membership program, The A-List. I can testify that any time I go to an AMC theater on a Tuesday, the place is packed. Comfy reclining seats and 4DX that have to be paid for by higher ticket prices are not the answer, I don’t think. Making moviegoing a democratic pastime again is the answer, and that can only happen if ticket prices are cut.

2. Open more theaters, with fewer screens and seats in each one. 

I know, this is a fantasy that’s probably not going to happen, or if it ever could happen, it won’t happen any time soon. But proximity/availability of theaters is almost as much of a factor in deciding whether to attend a theatrical screening as a ticket or concession price. A $15 ticket to a weekend evening screening in a big city might happen as an impulse buy if the theater is within walking distance or even if you can get there by spending 15 minutes on a bus or in a car.