Adam Aron may not be the most well-known name among Hollywood moguls, but in more traditional and insular circles he’s right up there with the likes of Louis B. Mayer and Carl Laemmle. He’s the head of AMC–Cinemas, not the Networks–and he’s clearly someone who wishes he had the job of running a chain of theatres during the eras that those iconic names did. Ya know, back when there far fewer ways for people to actually be enertained or even comforted than they have access to now. There was once a time when the very fact that a theatre was air conditioned was enough of a lure to get people off their couches and into those faux velvet seats that often reeked of cigarette smoke and frequently had chewing gum stuck to various portions of them. And for some of us, it wasn’t quite as long ago as this image was taken. 
When I first moved to Los Angeles, my apartment didn’t have air conditioning (being ten blocks from the beach, one could almost argue in a pre-climate change era it wasn’t necessary), so on the more unbearably hot days my solution was to head for a multiplex that had a couple of titles I thought were tolerable and figure out a way make a bathroom break seem seamless enough to weasel my way into performances of both.
Because of where I lived, I often did that at many an AMC cinema, so I can speak with some authority on the quality of the experience then and now. Then–popcorn was affordable and a host of different studios released enough different kinds of movies to provide an experience unique to what I could otherwise get on my 37-channel analog cable system or even my VCR. Today? Per AMC’s website, A SMALL bag will set you back $7, a bucket large enough for a double feature or to share with your family/friends is in the range of $22 and the movies are coming from a more limited number of suppliers and tend to fall in one of two categories–limited-appeal art-house releases contending for awards and “bankable” iterations of franchises designed to get you to come back at some future point. Heck, even last year’s live-action box office savior, WICKED, turned out to be the first of two parts and, well, I think you know how it will eventually end for the title character.
But Adam Aron would rather you didn’t, and rues the fact that you might fall into the category that former Universal Studios executive Blair Westlake reminded us more than 80 per cent of today’s consumers do–someone who doesn’t go to a movie theatre more than twice a year. DEADLINE’s Jill Goldsmith shared some of his thoughts in a piece she dropped yesterday:
“We would like to convince all the major studios that they should keep movies in theaters longer,” the CEO of the nation’s largest exhibitor said today, noting that, yes, windows have shortened since Covid, but where they could ultimately wind up is is still “a very live debate right now.” As Hollywood experimented during and after Covid, “what it coalesced around is that the old 74-day window became a 45-day window. And some movies have gone quicker, to 30 days or 17 days,” Adam Aron said on a call after AMC reported nice fourth-quarter numbers.
“A general consensus has emerged in Hollywood, not by all, but by most, that the most successful movies on streaming platforms are those that go to theaters first, and those movies that have a great theatrical release often wind up being the most watched movies on streaming services,” Aron said.
And as THE WRAP’s Jeremy Fuster added. Aron’s more than under the gun to win that debate, both for his own parochial needs and, he might contend, for the good of his industry:
(W)hile Aron is confident that theatrical output will soon increase, he warns that will be undercut if studios continue to put their movies on premium on-demand and/or streaming faster than they did before the pandemic, undercutting moviegoing demand.
“It’s not all because of windows, but if you look at our industry’s attendance, it is still approximately 38% below pre-pandemic levels. That has stressed the EBITDA, profitability and share price of theaters,” Aron said. “In our view, 17 days and 31 days are too short, and we’d like to convince all our studios that we’d like to keep their films in theaters longer,” he said. “I have had talks in recent weeks with one studio executive who said the 45-day window needs to be reestablished as sacrosanct. We were talking with another studio executive who proudly said they keep their films in theaters for 60 days.
And it’s clear that the emotional attachment some filmmakers still have to the “integrity” of theatrical exhibition might be fueling Aron’s resolve, as Fuster footnoted:
(T)he debate over the theatrical window has even permeated Hollywood’s awards season, as “Anora” director Sean Baker called for it to be restored to 90 days during his acceptance speech at the DGA Awards earlier this month. “Let’s do whatever we can do for us feature filmmakers to expand that theatrical window again; demand it. Let’s get it back to what it used to be,” he said.
ANORA may very well have been one of those two films the average moviegoer might have schlepped out to see in 2024–I know in several cases some particularly selective cinemaphiles with some insight into the subject matter sure did. And it certainly has made its Neon studio a relevant name going into this weekend’s Oscars. But they are the exception, and those with the volume have more than enough data to support that they aren’t anywhere near as sentimental as Aron or Baker might prefer.
Aron himself perhaps accelerated this debate when he was the driving force behind what at the time was a “compromise” position, again per Fuster:
For years, theaters fiercely defended the exclusivity window, which prior to the pandemic generally sat at 75-90 days. But the year-long theatrical shutdown caused by the pandemic gave studios the urgency and the leverage to break through that resistance, starting with Universal’s historic decision to release “Trolls World Tour” as a premium on-demand offering during the early weeks of the pandemic. In response to that move, Aron threatened to block all future Universal films from being screened at AMC locations, prompting discussions between the studio and the chain. The result of those talks was a landmark agreement that was later agreed to by other major chains like Cinemark and Regal that allowed Universal and its specialty sister distributor, Focus Features, to release films on PVOD as early as 17 days after theatrical release, or 31 days if the film earned a domestic opening weekend greater than $50 million.
Universal then and now has an informed and balanced handle on what works for their purposes, and have lately put that knowledge to use for the benefit of all parties, yet again as Fuster narrated:
The studio gave its Best Picture Oscar-winning hit film “Oppenheimer” a four-month window as part of a deal with director Christopher Nolan. It also set a 40-day theatrical window for its recent Oscar contender “Wicked” before releasing it on PVOD at the end of 2024 and will not make the film available to stream on Peacock until March 21, four months after its release date. At the same time, Universal has exercised the 17-day window mark on multiple films that perform modestly or poorly at the box office, and even some that have legged out like the hit DreamWorks film “The Wild Robot,” which hit PVOD 18 days after theatrical release. Despite this, the film grossed another $56.2 million domestically after the PVOD release for a $143.9 million domestic total, a result that Universal has championed as an example of its business model catering to a wide spectrum of movie viewing preferences. “We’re meeting the consumer where they are and with a lot of flexibility, giving them different ways to engage with our content,” NBCUniversal Chairman Donna Langley said at the UCLA Entertainment Law Symposium last summer.
And few entities are more aware of consumer data than Netflix, which has more first-party touchpoints in this area than anyone. And Netflix has also been in this week’s news cycle, with PUCK’s Kim Masters first reporting a decision that has drawn the ire of many traditional suppliers that COMINGSOON.NET’s Anthony Nash was able to share beyond the overpriced Puck paywall yesterday:
Netflix‘s upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia films have reportedly left theater chains and studios angry after reaching an exclusive deal with IMAX, with the film company readying a “nuclear option” if chains decide not to show the movie… U.S. theater chains and film studios were left angry after IMAX and Netflix came to a deal that saw The Chronicles of Narnia getting a two-week exclusivity deal on IMAX screens when it premieres on Thanksgiving 2026. The reason… is due to how various studios and chains had no idea the deal was happening, and now fear that other movies slated for the holiday 2026 calendar could be in danger of losing out on releases.
SCREEN RANT’s Nick Bythrow provided additional context:
Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia movie for Netflix is scheduled to be released in theaters on Thanksgiving in 2026, with the director and streamer striking a two-week exclusivity deal with IMAX to play it on their screens. Following its theatrical debut, the movie is planned to be released on the streaming platform in December 2026, just in time for the holidays. However, according to a report from Puck, US theater chains and other film studios are furious about Netflix and IMAX’s Narnia exclusivity deal. From the report, theaters and other film companies are angry the deal was made without other studios’ input, given the streaming service is considered competition for theatrical releases. Disney is one particularly angry party, as they have an untitled animated movie scheduled for Thanksgiving 2026 that’s now losing out on IMAX screens. Theater chains like Regal and Cinemark are also implying they won’t screen Narnia at all, something they’re allowed to do. However, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond claims to have a “nuclear option” to make theaters play Narnia on IMAX screens.
One guess which chain is providing Gelfond with that option.
While it’s unclear what this is, the report’s sources speculate it could relate to a potential deal with AMC Theaters, which owns 182 of the 400 IMAX screens in North America.
Hmmm…so the same guy who is whining about longer theatrical windows is the one who first took Universal’s deal and is the one who’s OK with Netflix doing virtually the same thing?
Maybe despite Aron’s public bravado he might be grudgingly aware of the fact that he might have more foot traffic and popcorn sales from a shorter period of having something people actually want to see–certainly the next significant work from the director that just gave us BARBIE qualifies as a smart bet–than having a longer window on something they don’t?
I know his suppliers know that. The always-insightful Rick Ellis of TOO MUCH TV provided a unique and detailed background perspective on what seems to motivate the stand that Netflix and Universal have posited via his newsletter last night. Having lived for years in a world of KPI niggliness I’ll wholehertedly vouch for his views.
At some level I’m kinda hoping Aron is simply playing a game of Liar’s Poker. Or maybe currying favor with potential next employers. A neophyte like Neon would undoubtedly benefit from having any kind of adult in their room–especially since odds are ANURA’s not likely to have as good a night this Sunday as it did at the DGAs.
If that’s not the case, then it may just be that Aron’s been hanging around even longer than the majority of the titles he’s got access to should. The fact is a generation raised on Netflix and chill knows that there are worthy options for how and when to spend their disposable time and income besides dropping $30 a head on high-calorie snacks to see a mediocre show. And if you know where the deals are, you can even get way better air conditioning at home these days than they have at AMC. If you don’t, we should talk.
Until next time…