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  • 01/23/2024 8:32 AM | Donna Saunders (Administrator)

    By Anthony D'Alessandro

    https://deadline.com/2024/01/sony-cinemacon-2024-1235800431/

    EXCLUSIVE: Sony, which kicked off CinemaCon last year, is skipping this year’s exhibitor-studio conference in Las Vegas that runs April 8-11 at Caesars Palace.

    This happens from time to time when a major studio will sit out, and it’s not a diss to theater owners. The last time Sony didn’t attend CinemaCon was in 2019. Quite often this is a cost-savings thing for studios when they skip CinemaCon. To get ready for the April confab, there’s a big rush to ready a year’s worth of trailers and clips, solidify VFX and sound effects, and plan stars’ travel within the next three months. Complicating all of that, however, is the impact of the dual strikes’ on Q3 and Q4 theatrical releases which caused a delay in production, and thus an ultimate post-production logjam. Sony, I understand, is focusing on getting back to max theatrical feature outpost now that the strikes are over.

    Footage from Sony’s Marvel title Kraven the Hunter (August 30) was shown at last year’s CinemaCon.

    The Culver City lot has plenty of titles opening after CinemaCon, i.e., Horrorscope (May 10), The Garfield Move (May 24), Bad Boys 4 (June 14), Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us (June 21), Apple Original Films’ untitled Greg Berlanti-directed space race movie with Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum (July 12), Harold and the Purple Crayon (August 2), The Forge (August 23), Apple’s Wolfs (September 20), Venom 3 (November 8), and Karate Kid (December 13).

    First title out of the gate for Sony this year is Marvel’s Madame Web on February 14, followed by Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire on March 22.


  • 07/31/2023 11:21 PM | Donna Saunders

    By: Nadeen Abusada

    Posted at 11:00 PM, Jul 31, 2023 and last updated 11:21 PM, Jul 31, 2023

    https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/barbie-movie-brings-big-boom-to-drive-in-movie-theaters

    As movie theatres continue to close across the US, one drive-in movie theatre in North Ridgeville has been holding on, and Barbie has only brought in more business.

    Since the 1960's families have been packing in cars, grabbing the essential buttery popcorn and other snacks, all to watch movies on the big screen at the drive-in movie theatre.

    “It brings back a lot of memories from when I was little, and my parents would take me,” said one attendee.

    Tim Sherman and his brother provide that nostalgic experience at the Aut-O-Rama movie theatre every night during the summer.

    “In 1965, it was built by my grandfather. My father ran it pretty much from day one, and my brother and I run it today,” said Tim Sherman the president of Aut-O-Rama Twin Drive-in Theatre.

    But sadly, over the years, the tradition the Shermans love to host has slowly lost its popularity due to movie streaming.

    “So now you are getting a lot of the new movies going to home really fast or same day release and that's hurting theatres,” said Tim.

    And because of the economy, their monthly bills have also skyrocketed.

    “Electricity bills have gone through the roof. My payroll has gone through the roof, of course,” said Tim.

    But what’s brought a glimpse of hope is crowds dressed in pink all to see the movie about a doll that goes by the name Barbie.

    “Barbie was kind of unexpected,” Tim continued. “We sold out the first two nights we had it.”

    Sherman says during the summer they try to get about 100 cars each show, while some nights they weren’t able to get that; Barbie brought about 400 cars every night since it premiered being the biggest movie of the summer for them.

    Though the future of the business is still undetermined. Tim doesn’t let that discourage him.

    “We hope to be here for a long time. We're not planning on going anywhere. So, we're going to fight it till the end if that's what it comes to,” said Tim.

    Because for him and his family, being able to provide experiences and memories that people won’t forget through a simple movie ticket, is priceless.


  • 07/23/2023 9:06 AM | Donna Saunders

    BY SHEENA ELZIE CINCINNATI

    PUBLISHED 10:45 AM ET JUL. 08, 2023

    https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2023/06/30/drive-in-movie-theaters-making-a-come-back

    HAMILTON, Ohio — New movie releases are not just driving people back to indoor theaters but they're also helping give outdoor theaters a comeback.

    What You Need To Know

    • Local drive-in theater owners said movie-goers started coming back during the pandemic, and new movie releases are keeping the crowds coming 
    • Owners of the Holiday Drive-in Theater said they plan to continue to upgrade equipment to play high-quality shows but are planning to keep the long-time feel 

    • Statistics show there are 24 drive-in theaters left in Ohio 

    For the Blue family, the lawn chairs, blankets, candy and the big screen are traditions.

    “I went to the drive-in growing up,” said Robert Blue. 

    It’s a tradition he said they’re passing down to their kids. 

    “When I first started coming they were two, maybe,” said mother Kristen Blue.

    They’re not alone. Cars packed with families still line up to watch a movie at the Holiday Drive-in Theater in Hamilton.

    “I pass that tradition down to my friends. Now we go here just to like hang out and talk and watch the movie,” said Holiday Drive-in employee Meagan Sams. 

    Sams works concessions at the theater and wanted to make it her job after growing up going to the drive-in. 

    “Being able to see people walk in and have that kind of like, ‘oh my god, it still looks like this’…it’s kind of a rare find,” said Sams. 

    Numbers show there were about 4,000 drive-ins across the country in the late ‘50s. Now, there’s a about 300 left in the U.S. and 24 of those are in Ohio.

    Todd Chancey, co-owner of the Holiday Drive-in, said while the film industry took a hit and indoor movie theaters closed up shop, the pandemic might have been what helped the drive-in business. 

    “When COVID happened, all new movies stopped and their releases were delayed or their productions were delayed. However, we were fortunate to be given the clearance to open in May of 2020, and we were the only theater open. So we were playing older movies, the ‘Jurassic Park’ movies, ‘Beetlejuice’, some Disney movies, and we were selling out,” said Chancey. 

    He said they haven’t slowed down since, with newer movies hitting the big screen and families consistently stopping through. It’s now become an almost 90-year-old tradition. 


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