Studio & Exhibitor Execs On What Will Bring More Global Audiences Back To Theaters: “You Don’t Have To Put A Lot Of Espresso Machines In The Lobby” – CinemaCon

deadline.com:

The global box office saw some encouraging rebound in 2023, and is off to a better than expected start in the first quarter of this year, but there’s been concern about a downward trend in per capita admissions, and not just because of the strikes’ disruption to the Hollywood theatrical pipeline, but audiences’ moviegoing tendencies have changed coming out of Covid.

How to solve? It takes two to tango, specifically between exhibitors and studios in order to rally moviegoing back to pre-pandemic heyday levels; last year’s near $34 billion global box office was still 15% behind the 2017-2019 average.

It all comes down to both studios and theater chains “working together to share information” said Paramount SVP, International Distribution, Helen Moss, “to elevate something new you can’t get at home.” Moss’ remarks were made today during the CinemaCon Las Vegas session “Changing Tastes and Changing Landscapes” moderated by Deadline International Box Office Editor Nancy Tartaglione.

Also on the panel were Rebecca Kearey, EVP/Head of Business Operations & International, Searchlight Pictures; Miguel Mier, COO, Cinépolis and Toshi Yamasaki, CEO & President, Toho-Towa Co., Ltd.