Overview
- Sony’s Tom Rothman, speaking Monday at Caesars Palace, urged theaters to shorten long pre‑show ads, make tickets more affordable, and enforce longer exclusive runs to win back moviegoers who now arrive late or stay home.
- Cinema United chief Michael O’Leary warned that a Paramount–Warner combination would shrink the flow of films to local cinemas, while praising the industry’s shift back to a minimum 45‑day theatrical “window,” the period before a movie moves to home viewing.
- Studios highlighted concrete steps on windows, with Universal planning 45‑day runs starting in 2027, Disney averaging 62 days last year, and Paramount Skydance publicly backing 45 days.
- The box office backdrop is improving, with year‑to‑date North American revenue up about 23% and ticket sales rising, yet totals still lag 2019 levels and recent closures and bankruptcies show ongoing strain for operators.
- Warner Bros. used its presentation to tout a strong 2025, unveil a new specialty label called Clockwork, and target 18 releases per year, focusing on upcoming films rather than the pending merger talk.