Cinemacon hopes to keep Hollywood hopping
After good start to 2014, exhibitors look to family fare
Cinemacon has become an unofficial film fest of sorts, a showcase of the biggest movies of summer. It also is a role reversal for Hollywood.
Every spring, stars and studios trot before the industry’s rank and file, in this case the theater owners who gather every year for the nation’s largest convention of exhibitors. Stars promise great movies, and studio executives promise profitable ones — if owners give their films the biggest, best screens in the house.
For exhibitors gathering in Las Vegas for four days starting today, the theme will be how to keep the turnstiles clicking. The year already has seen unexpectedly brisk sales through the first quarter, with revenue up more than 10% over the same time last year, according to Box Office Mojo.
“We are still seeing consistent growth” at the multiplex, says John Fithian, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners, which represents exhibitors from most of the USA’s 5,600 theaters. “Given how many ways people can be entertained in the home, we consider that a real success story.”
Now studios need a strong summer, the industry’s most important season; it accounts for 40% of annual ticket sales. Studios bring footage and trailers to entice theater owners — along with a taste of Tinseltown. This year’s celebrity parade includes Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Costner and Seth Rogen.
Exhibitors also see screenings of films designed to propel fans into summer, including:
uDraft Day (out April 11). Costner plays the general manager of the Cleveland Browns and is trying to land the No. 1 draft pick.
uNeighbors (May 9). Rogen stars in a comedy about a couple with a newborn baby who move in next door to a frat house.
uMillion Dollar Arm (May 16). Jon Hamm is a sports agent who recruits Asian cricket players to join Major League Baseball.
Cinemacon began in 1975 as a place for theater owners to talk popcorn poppers and vending machines. Now the convention draws more than 6,000 attendees to talk about issues such as piracy and ticket prices and see the latest stadium seating and 20-beverage soda dispensers.
But it’s all for naught without healthy box office, and attendees will have something to celebrate with this year’s strong start. The key to that success, Fithian says, has been the industry listening to his group’s call for more family movies. Three of the top 10 films of 2014 — The Lego Movie, Mr. Peabody & Sherman and The Nut Job — are animated comedies.
“Those are three family films,” Fithian says. “In the first quarter of 2013, there were none. It shows what can happen when you spread your films over a wider calendar instead of focusing on a few months” in the lucrative summer and holiday seasons.
Dave Karger, chief correspondent for online ticket seller Fan- dango.com, says studios are “great at releasing the tent-pole movies, but there’s usually a quietness between the big movies. The next step is to have a steadier stream of high-performing films.”
The family-friendly trend continues in March, with Muppets Most Wanted this weekend and Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4.
Says Karger: “Given all the other options out there, whether it’s Netflix or cable television, it’s encouraging that (moviegoing) is going strong. Let’s face it: If you’re going out of the house, it’s still the No. 1 date option.”