The fourth-largest cinema chain in North America, Marcus Theaters, is reportedly testing a new movie ticket subscription program called MovieFlex+ which has one aim – to get people back to the cinema for films that aren’t franchise fodder or blockbusters.
The $14.99 monthly service will offer a curated set of small and mid-sized films each week for no extra charge. Chairman and CEO Greg Marcus says: “We can’t live off just blockbusters. We cannot just live off dinner. We need breakfast and lunch too.”
MovieFlex+ also includes the option to watch ‘non-qualified’ films (anything at all that’s not in the free group) for an additional $5 ‘Flex Up’ charge per film.
Marcus says they see MovieFlex+ as an opportunity for big studios films to extend their runs. This past week’s films were “Mr. Malcolm’s List” and “The Forgiven”. “Elvis” is being added with “Gone in the Night” and “The Gray Man” coming shortly.
The plan comes as the box office has seen wide-release studio blockbusters and franchises coming back to good levels, but the indie and small to mid-budget film circuit aren’t seeing much success with the occasional notable exception (eg. “Everything Everywhere All At Once”).
Source: Deadline
