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hey, wisconsin;

does that mean you're going to pass on it? I wonder what terms for a week about seven weeks after the break might cost me. Even if it is still in the 40-50% range it might still be worth it for me. I'm considering it for fourth of July week, but this discussion is concerning me a little.....

There is so little choice of product around that time that I realistically have to take 1 print(if allowed)--and hope for the best. I will feel much better about a decision after the screenings though, right now it is all guess.

Lee, NORMALLY I would say forget opening a high % picture on the 4th of July weekend because the 4th is so SOFT, but this year the 4th falls on Monday, and that means a 3 day weekend with the 4th on the last day (a weekday)... You STILL will do ZIP on the 4th, but those 3 days BEFORE should make up for it, and IF you can get a print (after you see how this opens,) GO FOR IT...

I seem to remember someone mentioning that the terms for EP 2 long after the break still required a long committment (maybe even the original 6 week small town committment). You might want to keep that in mind and plan to run it later... like Labor Day. Unfortunately, you might also find that those who want to see it have already done so and it will not do anything for you. We know that if we choose to pass on it that we will never run it at all because the audience will have already passed it by.

I guess I just will never understand their point of view then. They know that small town guys can't hold a picture that long (My town is so small I never hold anything over one week). There must be lots of theaters like that out there. There should be revenue out there for them to gain so why on earth would they want to instill that kind of commitment for them??? I just don't understnad.

We arent even really looking at the film, everytime we have asked about EP 1 and 2 we were told 12 week firm bookings, and this film usually does no more than any other summer blockbuster. It would do well in our town for maybe 5 weeks, then bomb.

4th of July week is the busiest week of the year here, on a good year we will be at 80-90% capacity for all 14 shows of that week. Hopefully War Of The Worlds does it this year, because for us it is the difference between being in the red or black and it takes a couple good years to offset a bad year. This town is different from normal though, about 12-15 great weeks a year that have great grosses followed by 35 weeks of very little. This town is purely based on tourism with absolutely no industrial or technological base of any kind.

Was talking to a freind of mine who works at A Sony(Loews) Theatre and he said there trying to muscle in on a cut of there concessions in order to have Star Wars.
Anyone else hear this?

One question about DLP... If your theatre has a DLP projector, and you get booked for Star Wars, does that mean it has to play in the DLP house?

Is there anyway to move the film to another house after 6-8 weeks?

Thanks!

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"Would you like fries with that?"

Can't imagine it will be drawing flies in 6-8 weeks. Already hitting the "back screens" at the outdoors and thank goodness it was paired with Fever Pitch, if only to clear the palate. One thing's for sure, they did go ultra-wide on this one, do you think that was for ego's sake? Nobody seems to have had any problem getting it, or moving screens etc.

any chance of Fox letting Wars go into Mr & Ms Smith?

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Michael Hurley
Impresario

Ego? Nope... Greed (my opinion).

As you know, the studios get the highest percentages on the first weeks, though I guess we're really talking about one person here. Get the most prints out so everyone can see the show without having to walk more than 10 feet, then take most of the boxoffice. From everyone's perspective but the exhibitor's, it's the best time to make the most money.

Unfortunately, that also means that there are many more choices for the customer pool to select from. You've fractured the available customer base during the very time that the percentages are highest, AND forced the prints to stay in those theatres by contract. The film burns out faster, and takes longer to slide into sub-run. The first-run houses hurt because now they've got a print taking up screen space and they can't get rid of it. The subs hurt because it'll take 6 weeks for the film to move to their level. Everyone hurts because the percentages are dropping half as fast as normal pictures...

So, unless I've missed something here, it seems like this movie was a huge loss-leader that can only work for multiplexes. "Shark Boy and Lava Girl" would probably leave us with more money to deposit than SW3, even though the numbers coming in the door will likely be far less.

It's really fascinating, watching how people got so wound up over the first weeks grosses on this film, seeing as how the theatres didn't get to keep much of it. It was also interesting to see how many single-screen exhibitors were tripping over themselves, trying to get the film.

Yes, I could have had it. No, I didn't book it. No, I'm not bitter... but I'm also not very impressed with how this has worked for our part of the chain, either.

[This message has been edited by rodeojack (edited June 05, 2005).]

You mean the other way around, Mike?

For those who burn the shows quickly, "Smith" will have 3 weeks before "War" starts.

[This message has been edited by rodeojack (edited June 05, 2005).]

I was able to get Star Wars this week for a two week, three day each week deal--60/35. Could have had it for one week only, seven days. If I move it to my other theatre, he said it would probably go back to 60%.