Sony Pictures Classics co-director Tom Bernard – who is heading to the Oscars this weekend with Pedro Almodóvar’s “Parallel Mothers” – has some new ideas to bring moviegoers back to theaters.
“I’d like to see a lot of the big movie chains put in a ‘bring a friend to the theater for free,’ I’d like to see discounts on Tuesday night movies,” Bernard told Us during a Cinema screening. Society of “Mothering Sunday.”
“There are all these little gadgets that bring people back to the theatre. And once you see a movie on the big screen, it’s just not like watching it on your TV.
Bernard – who has 41 Oscars and 181 nominations under his belt – also noted how a major theater chain sent emails that were effective.
“You get an almost personalized email, like ‘Hey Tom, what are you doing this weekend? There’s an art movie you might like. . . . Theaters have the data .
The Motion Picture Association’s annual theme report says the US and Canadian box office reached $4.5 billion in 2021. That’s a 105% increase from 2020, but it’s still lower than what than he was before the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Deadline.
Bernard confirmed that there has been a shift in audience tastes for high-end films. “People are looking for something light and [to] change the mood of the past two years,” he said.
“Mothering Sunday” stars Olivia Colman, Colin Firth and Odessa Young. Other guests at the star-studded screening included Pablo Schreiber, Bennett Miller, Jennifer Beals and Gina Gershon.
