The new iteration of the movie ticketing subscription service MoviePass looks set to be something.
The waitlist for the once popular subscription service opened late this past week with the company saying in a tweet Thursday that “overwhelming demand” saw the site’s servers crash – resulting in some users receiving an error message whilst trying to join the waitlist.
They added that the provider is working to increase capacity to meet demand. The waitlist page is currently up and running with people able to join through until Monday August 29th.
In a new interview with Indiewire, new CEO Stacy Spikes spoke about his plan for the second version of the company and said the demand crashing the servers was a “good problem to have…we are drinking from the firehose.”
Spikes confirms his company has had conversations with Cinemark and Regal, but AMC hasn’t responded to them. Asked if these exhibitors having their own subscription programs now impacts him, he says:
“If I was an exhibitor, why would I care? If it helps me fill my seats – especially when I’m looking at bankruptcy, I’m looking at shutting theaters, I’m looking at closing my doors – it seems like madness to think, ‘I don’t want to play with anyone else.'”
MoviePass originally launched in 2011 and tried out various subscription models before the 2017 debut of the infamous $10 unlimited plan, which let people see one movie a day.
The plan brought in thousands of customers but burned through the company’s money – forcing them to shut down eventually. Now comes plans to relaunch with customers who sign up during the beta period taking $10, $20 and $30 price tiers – each corresponding with a number of credits subscribers can use toward movie ticket purchases.
