\n<\/p>\n
\n\tAt the world\u2019s largest gathering of movie theater owners in Las Vegas last month, Paramount CEO David Ellison committed to a 45-day theatrical window and to releasing 30 movies a year if and when combined with Warner Bros.<\/p>\n
\n\tAMC Entertainment\u2019s chief executive Adam Aron, asked about that on a call after the giant chain\u2019s quarterly earnings today, said, \u201cWe have had private conversations with Paramount for months and months at the highest levels\u201d and \u201cthe passionate commitment that David made at CinemaCon in front of 5,000 people in the auditorium, he and the people that work for him gave the same commitments to us privately in the weeks and months preceding. And we believe him \u2026 We believe that he is fully committed to the promises that he made and fully capable of pulling them off.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tEllison, in a surprise appearance at Par\u2019s CinemaCon presentation April 16, said he wanted to look exhibitors \u201cdirectly in the eye\u201d to promise the 30 films a year. \u201cYou can count on our complete commitment. And we\u2019ll\u00a0show\u00a0<\/em>you we mean it.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tThe deal is controversial. and not all exhibitor are as sanguine as AMC. Michael O\u2019Leary, the head of trade group Cinema United, has been outspoken over the risks to the industry of further studio consolidation. The Disney-Fox merger in 2019 significantly reduced the combined company\u2019s slate of movie releases. Other Hollywood stakeholders are also extremely worried about the pending merger. <\/p>\n \n\tEllison reiterated the 30 films a year on an earnings call Monday afternoon. Par said the Warner Bros. Discovery deal is still on track to close in the third quarter.<\/p>\n \n\tAron today, on the call with analysts, thanked AMC\u2019s studio partners for commitments to increase the number of theatrical move releases and extend theatrical windows to at least 45 days. They join Disney, \u201cwhich has been constant in respecting the exclusive theatrical window,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \n\tAhead of Paramount, Universal promised a 45-day window starting in 2027.<\/p>\n \n\tStudios, Aron said, are finally acknowledging that a new industry standard is needed. Chains have been pushing for it but the \u201cheroes here \u2026 are the people who have really stepped up\u201d from Disney\u2019s Alan Bergman, to Universal\u2019s Donna Langley to Sony Pictures\u2019 Tom Rothman, and Ellison.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYou all deserve praise for [helping to restore] the health of our entire theatrical ecosystem.\u201d Windows were wobbling before Covid, disappeared during the pandemic with theaters shut and appeared at high risk after as studios\u2019 sister streaming services fought for subscribers and people got used to the couch. Theater owners have insisted for years that a full theatrical release helps drive a more successful streaming release.<\/p>\n \n\tThe idea is to to re-train consumers that movies will be in theaters longer. The 45-day theatrical window to PVOD (pay VOD) is key to that, but so is the commitment to a 90-day SVOD (streaming) window. Together, \u201cthey give the opportunity for theater operators to convey a sense to consumers that if you want to be part of this global phenomenon of seeing a movie when it\u2019s hot, you\u2019ve got to do it in a theater and can\u2019t wait until it comes into the home.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThat\u2019s a major shift from films appearing \u201con the small screen 17 or 21 or 25 days after theatrical release,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n