Cineplex narrowed its first-quarter loss by 36 percent to C$22.4 million (US$16.3 million) as theater attendance rose 17 percent to 9.84 million visitors.
This helped boost the Canadian exhibition giant’s total revenue by 15.6 per cent to C$291 million (US$213.6 million) as major Hollywood titles such as Hail Mary project And Pixar Hoppers They are shown on Cineplex screens. Box office receipts of C$127.4 million (US$93.2 million) were up 25 percent over last year’s performance during the same period.
International films generated 13 percent of ticket revenue during the first quarter as Cineplex continues to rely on foreign films and higher ticket prices for premium screen formats to increase revenues.
“International programming has continued its momentum, with record international film releases now in four of the past five quarters, highlighted by Cineplex in Q1 where it generated more than 30 percent of the year’s domestic box office.” Durandar: Revenge, “It is the highest-grossing Hindi-language film in North American history,” Cineplex CEO Ellis Jacob said in a statement accompanying its latest financial results.
During a morning analyst call, Ellis became the latest exhibitor to tout major Hollywood studios backing a 45-day theatrical window at the recent CinemaCon. In Las Vegas, studio heads touted upcoming releases and plans for more theatrical releases with longer runs at the complex.
Ellis pointed to David Ellison, chairman of Paramount-Skydance and would-be Warner Bros. chairman, who has promised to produce at least 30 theatrical films a year with a 45-day window, as Netflix has its next offering Narnia The film receives a wide release with an exclusive 49-day theatrical window in 2027.
“Taken together, these developments reinforce studios’ confidence in the theatrical release as foundational to their success, designed to create broad impact and cultural relevance,” he said.
Ellis later said Hollywood Reporter He was confident that studio heads, including NBCUniversal Entertainment President Donna Langley, who is signaling a move to a 45-day exclusive theatrical window, would follow through on their promises after CinemaCon.
“On the windows side, you’re going to see more and more studios looking to move forward in an aggressive way. You had Universal and (David) Ellison at Paramount, and Disney and Sony are already there. It’s been a positive outlook for content,” he said.
Ellis, who received the Cinema Legend Award as longtime Cineplex president at CinemaCon, and as president of the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) during the pandemic, had already urged major Hollywood studios to maintain a strong traditional theatrical window as they began moving directly to their streaming platforms with movie releases.
“I always say we’re the engine that drives the train. We make the difference in film performance,” Jacob recalls of his pitch on behalf of North American exhibitors.
