CinemaCon 2025, the big yearly gathering for movie theater owners and Hollywood studios, took place in Las Vegas from March 31st to April 3rd, 2025. This event is where the film industry talks about the future of movies and tries to get everyone excited about what’s coming to the big screen. Several important topics were discussed this year, showing some of the challenges and changes happening in the movie business.
The Big Talk: How Long Movies Stay in Theaters
One of the main arguments at CinemaCon was about the “theatrical window.” This is the amount of time a movie plays only in theaters before it becomes available to watch at home, like on streaming services or for rent online. Before the pandemic, this window was usually around 90 days. However, during COVID-19, many studios made this window much shorter, sometimes just a few weeks.
Now that things are more back to normal, movie theater owners want longer exclusive runs for films in their cinemas. They believe that when movies become available at home too quickly, people are less likely to go to the theater, which hurts their business. Adam Aron, the CEO of AMC Theatres, has been suggesting that movies should stay in theaters exclusively for at least 60 days. Other cinema executives also voiced their concerns, pointing out that while the biggest blockbuster movies are still doing well, other films are not performing as strongly as they did before the pandemic. They argue that shorter theatrical windows are “cannibalizing” their business. One suggestion was to have a consistent global window of at least 45 days.
Some studios feel that keeping movies in theaters for too long stops them from making the most of their marketing campaigns and getting the movie out to home viewers. However, Disney seemed to be on the side of the theaters. Their distribution chief reminded the audience that Disney keeps its movies in cinemas longer than most other studios, saying, “Trust me, that is not by accident. We believe in the theatrical experience.” This statement got a lot of applause from the theater owners. Sony also spoke in favor of more robust theatrical windows, noting that many people now expect to see movies at home very quickly after they come out in theaters.
Worry About Movie Star Power
Another topic of discussion was whether movie stars still have the same pull they used to. In the past, having a big star in a movie could almost guarantee that people would go to see it. However, there’s a feeling that this might be changing. Some believe that the focus has shifted more towards big franchises and well-known stories, rather than just the actors in them. This doesn’t mean that stars aren’t important, but maybe their power to draw audiences on their name alone isn’t as strong as it once was.
Amazon MGM’s Big Plans
One of the studios that made a big impression at CinemaCon was Amazon MGM Studios. They presented a very promising lineup of upcoming movies, featuring some well-known actors like Ryan Gosling, Ben Affleck, Ayo Edebiri, and Andrew Garfield. This diverse slate of films seemed to excite the audience. It showed that Amazon MGM is serious about making movies for theaters and wants to be a major player in the industry. Their commitment to releasing a variety of films suggests a strong belief in the future of movie theaters.
Other Things Happening at CinemaCon
Besides these big topics, there were other interesting things at CinemaCon. Samsung showed off the newest version of their Onyx LED screen, which aims to make the movie-watching experience even better with sharp images and great colors. They offer different sizes of these screens to fit various theater sizes.
The overall feeling at CinemaCon 2025 seemed to be one of both challenge and optimism. While there are definitely concerns about how people watch movies and the power of movie stars, there’s also excitement about the films that are coming out and the potential for a strong year at the box office.
