Business

Coming to a Theater Near You: $3 Movie Tickets for One Day

NEW YORK — For one day, movie tickets will be just $3 in the vast majority of American theaters as part of a newly launched “National Cinema Day” to lure moviegoers during a quiet spell at the box office.

Cinema Foundation is a non-profit arm of National Association of Theater Owners. It announced on Sunday that September 3rd will be a national discount day at more than 3,300 theaters across the country and more than 35,000 screens. AMC, Regal Cinemas and all the major movie studios are also participating. Tickets will not exceed $3 in participating theatres for any showing of every type.

Labor Day is the weekend that theaters are slowest. The August slump has been particularly acute this year for exhibitors. Cineworld (owner of Regal Cinemas) cited the shortage in major new films as part of its recent plans for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

National Cinema Day may be a huge success and could draw in moviegoers from all walks of the film industry. A sizzle reel featuring upcoming movies from A24 and Amazon Studios, Disney. Focus Features. Lionsgate. Paramount. Sony Pictures Classics. Sony. United Artists Releasing. Universal.

“After this summer’s record-breaking return to cinemas, we wanted to do something to celebrate moviegoing,” said Jackie Brenneman, Cinema Foundation president, in a statement. “We’re doing it by offering a ‘thank you’ to the moviegoers that made this summer happen, and by offering an extra enticement for those who haven’t made it back yet.”

Movie theaters saw a significant rebound after more than two years in the aftermath of the pandemic. They were able to return almost to pre-pandemic levels this summer. Films like “Top Gun: Maverick,”“Minions: Rise of Gru,”“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Jurassic World Dominion” pushed the domestic summer box office to $3.3 billion in ticket sales as of Aug. 21, according to data firm Comscore. The 2019 numbers are about 20% behind, while exhibitors saw 30% less wide release films.

National Cinema Day organizers said that the trial could be a permanent fixture. Although similar events have been held in other countries, this initiative was the first to be implemented on a national scale in America.

Here are more must-read stories from TIME


Reach out to usAt letters@time.com

Tags

Related Articles

Back to top button