IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Discounted movie subscription service MoviePass shuts down
MoviePass, the movie ticket subscription service that allowed subscribers to buy up to three movie tickets per month for a small fee, shut down Saturday. Its future is unclear. Helios and Matheson Analytics, the parent company of MoviePass, said Friday in a release that it was interrupting service for all its subscribers because its efforts to seek financing have not been successful.
It says it’s “unable to predict if or when” MoviePass will continue. The company says it’s planning to study all options including the sale of the company in its entirety.
MoviePass drew in millions of subscribers, initially luring them with a $10 monthly rate. But that proved unsustainable. Because MoviePass typically pays theaters the full cost of tickets — $15 or more in big cities — a single movie can put the service in the red. The company was forced to make changes. Those efforts, however, never stopped the losses.
In a letter posted to subscribers on its website, Mitch Lowe, CEO of MoviePass, wrote,” In August 2017, MoviePass began a transformation of the movie going industry by introducing its low monthly price subscription service. Since then, others in the industry have followed our lead. “
MoviePass said it will be providing subscribers with “appropriate” refunds for their period of service already paid for. Subscribers will not need to request a refund or contact MoviePass customer service to receive a refund. Subscribers will not be charged during the service interruption, according to the website.
‘Ghostbuster’ sequel to focus on a family of original film
The upcoming “Ghostbuster” sequel will focus on the descendants of the original ghost-catchers who rushed around New York City in proton packs and jumpsuits.
Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd revealed details of the new film, saying it is expected out next year and will star Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon and McKenna Grace. Reitman directed the original 1984 film and Aykroyd co-wrote and co-starred in it. Reitman’s son, Jason, is directing the new movie.
“I think it’s a wonderful story because people seem to continue to be interested in 35 years after we came out with the first one. And I think we’re trying to expand it a little bit. And I think Jason’s movie does that,” Ivan Reitman said Thursday. “This is a story about a family.”
Both men were at Universal Studios Hollywood, where they were promoting a “Ghostbusters”-themed “Halloween Horror Nights” maze attraction.
The franchise was last revived in 2016 with a group of four actresses — Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones — taking over as the title characters, a gender reversal from the original.
Aykroyd, who is a producer along with Reitman on the new “Ghostbusters,” praised the 2016 film but said it was time to hand off the mantle “to a new generation.”
“Although the girls’ movie kept the concept and the ideas alive — and it was really good, they were great in it — it wasn’t like giving it to the new generation, the actual descendants of the original Ghostbusters. So we’re going to link to the DNA old and new there,” he said.