Why Wall Street Is in Love With Movie Theaters | Analysis

The evidence is mounting as Imax, Warner Bros. Discovery and Cinemark report their numbers: Theatrical exhibition is roaring back and is key to streaming success, too

Want a movie to click with streaming audiences? The key may be to leave it running in theaters. Ringing up some box office along the way doesn’t hurt, either.

Direct-to-streaming and day-and-date strategies, pragmatic moves during the pandemic when theaters were either closed or shunned by wary audiences, are fading in popularity as Wall Street and Hollywood run the numbers. Even limited releases — the token placement of a movie in theaters to satisfy talent or qualify for awards — may not be enough to get the benefit of exposure in theaters, executives at a range of companies told investors in recent days.

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Scott Mendelson

Before joining The Wrap, Scott Mendelson got his industry start in 2008 with a self-piloted film blog titled "Mendelson's Memos." In 2013, he was recruited to write for Forbes.com where he wrote almost exclusively for nearly a decade. In that time he published copious in-depth analytical and editorialized entertainment industry articles specializing in (but not exclusively focused upon) theatrical box office. A well-known industry pundit, Mendelson has appeared on numerous podcasts and been featured as a talking head on NPR, CNN, Fox and BBC.