AMC CEO Pushes for 45-Day Theatrical Window at CinemaCon, Three Of Six Major Studios Agree

AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron believes that the movie industry needs to extend theatrical exclusivity to at least 45 days. Speaking at CinemaCon, Aron revealed that three of the six major studios agree with him, a sign that discussions about longer theatrical windows are gaining momentum.

“I have at least three of the six major studios who are completely in agreement that we need to bring back the 45-day window,” Aron said. “And that’s a good start.”

AMC, the world’s largest theater chain, is in ongoing talks with studios about the issue. Aron argued that shorter windows—often between 18 to 36 days—are hurting the industry. He pointed out that Disney currently has a 60-day window, which has worked well for the studio.

“The largest exhibitor in the United States is in serious dialogue with studio after studio because we as an industry are leaving money on the table by not living up to the 45-day window,” he said.

Aron did not specify which three studios support the change, but he remains optimistic about convincing all six major studios. “This is still fresh … I’m having dialogue with studios, one after another, after another. And so far, I’m not saying we have any no’s yet, but I am saying we have three yeses.”

Sony Motion Pictures Chairman Tom Rothman hinted at his studio’s willingness to work with theaters. “Cost and windows can work for us or against us,” Rothman said during his presentation at CinemaCon. “Theatrical needs to be smart about them both. I will let you know that Sony will work with you on both.”

However, other studios remain cautious. Peter Levinsohn of NBCUniversal stated that Universal adjusts its release windows based on what’s best for its business. “The consumer is not going to go see every single movie in the theater,” he said. This suggests Universal might be hesitant to commit to a strict 45-day window.

Eduardo Acuna, CEO of Regal Cineworld, the second-largest theater chain, agrees with Aron. “I think we just finally got to a place in the industry where we can have some more momentum around this 45-day window,” he said at CinemaCon.

Many in the theater industry believe that the short theatrical windows introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic have been detrimental. “It is an experiment that has failed and Hollywood collectively is training people to stay home,” Aron warned.

Aron pointed to data showing that shorter windows encourage audiences to wait for streaming releases. “A significant chunk of the population is going to stay home and wait for it to come on TV, and the movie theater industry cannot afford that loss,” he explained.

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