The Town with Matthew Belloni

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Four Industry Experts Debate Hollywood’s Moviegoing Crisis

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Apr 2, 2025

In a compelling conversation, Eduardo Acuna, CEO of Regal Cineworld, joins filmmaker Joseph Kosinski, NBCUniversal's Peter Levinsohn, and Neon’s Tom Quinn to tackle Hollywood's theatrical crisis. They discuss the urgent need to engage younger audiences and the impact of streaming on movie perceptions. The group also debates release windows, profitability strategies, and the necessity for high-quality cinema experiences. With insights into revitalizing the moviegoing experience, they explore what it takes to draw people back to theaters in a post-pandemic world.

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Episode notes

insights

INSIGHT

Window Power Play

Exhibitors could independently demand 45-day theatrical windows from studios.
This would strengthen the theatrical market but hasn't happened due to complex industry dynamics.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Theatrical Requirement

Joseph Kosinski prioritizes theatrical releases for his films like Top Gun: Maverick and F1.
He aims to create movies that audiences feel compelled to see on the big screen.

insights

INSIGHT

Theaters vs. Live Experiences

Ted Sarandos observed that live experiences are booming post-COVID, except movie theaters.
He questions what this decline says about consumer preferences.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Reviving the Cinema Experience

01:40 • 6min

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Navigating Theatrical Strategies Post-Pandemic

07:44 • 15min

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Exploring Box Office Strategies and Award Season Success

22:59 • 2min

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Profit Strategies in Film Industry

24:29 • 3min

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Apple's Cinematic Strategy and Release Dynamics

27:31 • 8min

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Quality Standards in Theater Exhibitions

35:27 • 3min

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Revitalizing the Moviegoing Experience

38:53 • 13min

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Live from CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Matt is joined by Regal CEO Eduardo Acuna, 'F1' director Joseph Kosinski, Universal global distribution chairman Peter Levinsohn, and Neon CEO Tom Quinn to answer some of the most difficult questions about the state of the theatrical business, including movies leaving theaters too soon, streaming’s impact on people’s perception of movies, and what needs to happen to get people back into movie theaters.

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guests: Eduardo Acuna, Joseph Kosinski, Peter Levinsohn, and Tom Quinn

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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