Why movie theaters want to bring back intermissions – The Hollywood Reporter

Drawing by Rami Niemi

In the days leading up to the October 20 release of Martin Scorsese’s film moonflower killers, Lyric Cinema in Fort Collins, Colorado, has received some unusual calls from customers. They all wanted to know if the Western crime saga, which runs for three hours and 26 minutes, would get a break. If not, can one be added?

The arthouse cinema obliged and introduced an eight-minute intermission. It wasn’t long before a customer’s photo of an ad highlighting the break went viral, and The Lyric received a call from Paramount, which distributes the film, saying it had violated its booking contract and could be fined. “We didn’t know we’d done anything wrong,” says Lyric’s manager Aaron Varnell, who recently added “Chaos Farmer” to his moniker in a nod to the tough times.

And in Long Beach, California, the Arts Theater — a single-screen theater built in 1925 — was also hoping the intermission would attract more customers to watch Moonflower Killers On the big screen, versus waiting 45 days to watch it on Apple TV+. “Our thinking was, ‘We can really make this an event,'” says Kirsten Kansteiner, who chairs the nonprofit theater’s board of directors. “It gives people the opportunity to use the restrooms, and it can also lead to additional franchise sales, which is how we pay our bills these days.”

The idea was abandoned when the film’s art agent contacted Paramount before the film’s opening and was told that intermission was not permitted. “It was disappointing,” Kansteiner says. “We understand that directors have a vision and don’t want to take the viewer out of the film, but it’s difficult to make a film that’s three hours and 26 minutes long.” Since the art only has one screen, the second evening show didn’t start until around 9pm, with an expected finish at 12:30am.

Movie theaters that have survived the pandemic are still trying to find their footing during the streaming boom; As many as 15 percent of moviegoers have yet to return to theaters, according to data compiled by Hollywood studios. This is especially true for older people, the target audience Moonflower Killers And Christopher Nolan Oppenheimer, which lasts for three hours. These longer films also mean shorter running times, adding to the concerns of movie theaters when it comes to ticket sales.

According to movie site What to Watch, the average length of the top 10 films of 2022 was 2 hours and 21 minutes, compared to 1 hour and 50 minutes in 1981. While it is true that three of the four highest-grossing films of all time at the box office Global – Avengers: Endgame, Avatar: Water Road And Titanic – running longer than three hours, says Tim Richards, president of Vue Cinemas, that doesn’t mean customers shouldn’t have options.

So Richards designed a test in which Vue offered its UK customers the option of visibility Moonflower Killers In one viewing, intermittently or with a 15-minute break (such breaks are known in Europe as “breaks” or “breaks”).

“Scorsese is one of the greatest directors of all time, with an exceptional film, and we didn’t want to alienate any of our customers because of the running time. “It’s the first time we’ve seen a time-lapse in decades,” says Richards. “Right away, 30 percent of viewers chose Our customers watch the movie time-lapse even if it means staying in longer. And 85 percent said they would definitely go back and watch a time-lapse movie. Vue was also asked to stop rest stops, but no fines were issued. (Scorsese, Apple and Paramount have not commented since movie theaters were told to end their intermissions.)

Late last year, some theaters approached about including an intermission with the 20th Century film Avatar: Water Road (three hours and 12 minutes) They said they were told no at the request of James Cameron, according to show sources. “Imagine you are immersed in a world symbol picture And get a sudden break. “It’s going to be hard to get back into the movie,” says one Hollywood studio executive not affiliated with the film. “But I’m frustrated with these long films on the part of the exhibitors.”

Richards and other cinema operators THR Talk about any movie longer than 2 hours and 30 minutes that might benefit from a break. This will include a slew of recent titles, including Ridley Scott’s new epic, Napoleon.

There is evidence to support the theory that breaks can increase overall income for all participants. The Lyric saw a larger than usual turnout for its second weekend of the year Moonflower Killers – Before the news spread, there were no more breaks during the movie. “Then people said, ‘I’ve been waiting for a break,’” Varnell adds. “I really need to pee.”

This story first appeared in the December 7 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Click here to subscribe.