- National Association of Theater Owners pledge to spend $2.2 billion to upgrade experience
- Upgrades will seek to entice more people back to watch movies on the big screen
- National Association of Theater Owners comprises eight biggest cinema chains in the US and Canada
Theatergoers could soon benefit from an upgraded experience as big chains have pledged to invest billions into more than 21,000 screens in the coming years.
Range of upgrades
The National Association of Theater Owners – which include the eight biggest cinema chains in the US and Canada – has pledged to spend $2.2 billion on a raft of upgrades in over the next three years.
With the amount of people going to the cinema down by 13% year-on-year – and still some way below pre-COVID levels – owners have appreciated the need to do more to entice people back to the big screen.
As well as upgrading the cinema experience with enhanced sound and projection, better seating and air conditioning, some theater owners are thinking more outside the box and adding attractions. For instance, adding dining options or other leisure options such as pickleball courts.
Speaking to Variety, Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners, said that there is a feeling in the industry that a corner has been turned and audences are coming back, but wants to maintain that.
“It’s making sure that the seats are comfortable and there’s a whole range of seating options that are available to moviegoers,” he said. “Making sure all of those things exist and that you have good lighting, good signage, but also in the actual auditorium itself that you have great sound and great projection.”
Anticipated films
There are plenty of widely anticipated films in the works currently too that could help to bring audiences back to theaters. For instance, there is Venom: The Last Dance, for which the final trailer dropped recently.
