Oscars: Cineworld Chief Mooky Greidinger On “Disconnected” Academy: “The King Is Naked!” – Guest Column

deadline.com:

Editor’s note: Mooky Greidinger is CEO of the world’s second-largest exhibitor, Cineworld, which also owns Regal in the U.S.

A staunch supporter of the theatrical experience, Greidinger grew up in the industry and is avowedly passionate about the movie business.

But as Oscars weekend arrives, he is confounded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as, in his words, “many of the largest and most influential films of today remain unrecognized.” Greidinger penned the guest column below in which he calls for the Academy Board to convene an “industry emergency committee… to brainstorm and identify a more sustainable solution.”For more than a decade, we have seen the Academy Awards ceremony deteriorate and its cultural power wane, losing ratings and consumer interest not only in the U.S.

but worldwide. Oscar Night was once the biggest event for our industry and for all cinemagoers — an opportunity to celebrate the most beloved movies and performances that millions experienced together in theaters over the past year, as well as to introduce an international consumer audience to smaller independent and foreign features that they may not have had access to otherwise.In past years, the spectacle of the Oscars remained firmly in the zeitgeist, driving conversations at office water coolers, on the morning news and among friends for days following the announcement of the Academy’s nominations, and the event itself.