Sean Parker's Screening Room Proposal Is Hot Topic at CinemaCon

Sean Parker’s day-and-date movie viewing concept Screening Room is one of the buzziest topics on Monday at CinemaCon, the annual four-day convention for U.S. exhibitors.

While theater owners, executives, vendors and press piled into Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas for the formal kick-off, a previously reported informal meeting between Parker and a select group of studios scheduled sometime this week has the convention talking — since it could have broad ramifications for the entire industry.

“Obviously, I’m aware of why the Screening Room folks themselves are excited — and I know they understand and are aware of what the challenges are from other parties,” STX Entertainment Motion Picture Chair Adam Fogelson told TheWrap.

Also Read: Where Movie Studios Must Turn to Fix Their Failing Theatrical Fortunes (Guest Blog)

Others see more hype in the project, which would allow consumers to pay about $150 for a set-top box and access to new releases for $50 on the day of their theatrical release.

“They’re doing a pretty good job of selling themselves without having anything to show,” said one studio consultant, who sat through CinemaCon’s international programming.

Parker’s proposal to upend the traditional theatrical business caused outrage for some in the exhibition community when it was announced, as it would erase the current window of exclusivity theaters have with films before they hit VOD platforms for at-home consumption. Under the proposal, movie theaters and distributors would each receive $20 of the $50 fee, with Screening Room keeping $10.

Also Read: What's So Great About Screening Room? The Inside Story of Sean Parker's Day and Date System

Parker and his team have lined up the endorsement of major filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, many of whom stand to gain financially if the project is realized. But most major exhibitors as well as filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and James Cameron have voiced their opposition.

“The general topic of windows has been a huge hot button issue for a long time,” said Fogelson, whose 18-month-old studio will deliver a new slate on Tuesday morning. “The quality and pedigree of people advocating for the Screening Room puts it in a unique class in terms of having to take it seriously. Everyone understands why we’re all talking about it but no one has come to a consensus yet.”

He noted that STX has not yet met with Parker or representatives for the service, though studio execs are scheduled to sit down in Los Angeles in a few weeks.

Whatever pitch Parker and his team makes in Vegas will be outside the scope of CinemaCon itself.

Also Read: 12 Hollywood Heavyweights for and Against Sean Parker's Screening Room Proposal

“If they’re coming because they have a hotel room — they are not on our official schedule,” CinemaCon Managing Director Mitch Neuhauser told TheWrap when word broke Screening Room was headed to Vegas to give an informal presentation to a select group of studios. “CinemaCon is all about movies on the big screen.”

The convention will run April 11-14. STX will present on Tuesday morning, following an address from MPAA head Chris Dodd and John D. Loeks, chairman of the National Association of Theater Owners.

51 Summer Movies on Our Radar: From 'Captain America: Civil War' to 'Sausage Party' (Photos)

"Captain America: Civil War" (May 6)

The Avengers are back in the third standalone film for "Captain America," in which political pressure to register superheroes with the government divides the team.
Marvel
"Pele: Birth of a Legend" (May 6)

Starring Kevin de Paula, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro and Diego Boneta, "Pele" tells the story of Brazil's most celebrated soccer player.
Getty Images
"Elstree 1976" (May 6)

The documentary features actors and extras from the "Star Wars" franchise as they remember their times on set and talk about how the making of the films affected their lives. Derek Lyons, Anthony Forrest and Laurie Goode all make appearances.
"A Bigger Splash" (May 13)

In this film starring Dakota Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton and Matthias Schoenaerts, a famous rock star and filmmaker go on vacation only to have it disrupted by an old friend and his daughter.
StudioCanal
"Money Monster" (May 13)

Julia Roberts and George Clooney reunite once again in this story about a business network TV host and his producer who face a tough situation when an armed investor seizes their studio.
Tristar
"The Lobster" (May 13)

Single denizens of The City in this film's dystopian future must find a romantic partner within 45 days, or they're transformed into beasts and sent into the Woods. Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz star.
A24
"Dheepan" (May 13)

After winning the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, the drama will be released in the U.S. by IFC/Sundance Selects. It deals with a former soldier, a young woman and a child who pose as a family to escape the civil war in Sri Lanka.
IFC Films
"Search Party" (May 13)

"Silicon Valley" stars T.J. Miller and Thomas Middleditch reteam alongside Adam Pally in this comedy about two friends who go on a mission to reunite their friend with the woman he was supposed to marry.
Focus World
"Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising" (May 20)

Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne are back -- but this time around, the former enemies team up against a sorority that's wreaking even more havoc than Efron's frat from the original film. Chloe Grace Moretz and Selena Gomez join the cast.
Universal
"The Angry Birds Movie" (May 20)

After the huge success of the mobile game, the angry birds are coming to the big screen with voiceovers by Peter Dinklage, Kate McKinnon, Jason Sudeikis, Bill Hader, Keegan-Michael Key, Josh Gad, Maya Rudolph and more.
Sony/Columbia
"The Nice Guys" (May 20)

Directed by Shane Black, this period detective film starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling will hit theaters in May. In the movie, the two must work together to find a missing girl and solve the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star.
Warner Bros.
"Weiner" (May 20)

The documentary that disgraced New York Congressman Anthony Weiner now regrets granting access, follows his 2013 mayoral bid which ended in a now infamous sexting scandal.
IFC Films/Sundance Selects
"Holy Hell" (May 20)

Twenty years in the making, this documentary goes inside The Buddha Field, a cult formed in the 1980s in West Hollywood, California. Filmmaker Will Allen is a former member of the sect who uses archival footage to tell the story of its charismatic leader, who forced members to perform sex acts, get abortions and undergo plastic surgery, often using hypnotherapy.
FilmRise
"Alice Through the Looking Glass" (May 27)

Starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen and Rhys Ifans, the "Alice in Wonderland" sequel is tracking for a $74 million opening weekend when it debuts against "X-Men: Apocalypse."
Disney
"The Do-Over" (May 27)

Adam Sandler signed a four-picture production with Netflix, and "The Do-Over," costarring David Spade, is his second entry, following last year's "Ridiculous Six." In the film, the two decide to fake their own deaths in order to start over with new identities.
Netflix
"X-Men: Apocalypse" (May 27)

The eighth movie in the "X-Men" franchise adds newcomers Sophie Turner, Oscar Isaac, Olivia Munn, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Tye Sheridan to the regular cast. In "Apocalypse," the X-Men must fight the world's first mutant.
Twentieth Century Fox
"Me Before You" (June 3)

Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin star in the on-screen adaptation of Jojo Moyes' bestselling novel, in which a small town girl becomes the caretaker of a disabled man. Improbably, they fall in love.
Warner Bros.
"The Bye Bye Man" (June 3)

The horror film was most recently moved from October, and follows three college students who move into a house off campus to discover a supernatural entity called the Bye Bye Man. They must save each other while keeping the entity’s existence a secret from others. It cleared the date for Ben Affleck‘s “The Accountant.”
STX Entertainment
"The Conjuring 2" (June 10)

The sequel to 2013's "The Conjuring" welcomes back
Vera Farmiga and
Patrick Wilson as they try to help a single mother whose house is plagued by demons.
Warner Bros.
"Warcraft" (June 10)

Based on the popular video game, the fantasy film directed by Duncan Jones stars Paula Patton, Dominic Cooper, Ben Schnetzer and Clancy Brown, and chronicles the first interactions between humans and orcs.
Universal
"Now You See Me 2" (June 10)

Another sequel in a summer that's full of them, "Now You See Me 2" stars Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Radcliffe, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Sanaa Lathan, as the Four Horsemen reunite to take down a tech mogul.
Lionsgate
"Central Intelligence" (June 17)

The upcoming action comedy stars Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson as the unlikely duo teams up for a "top-secret"case.
Warner Bros.
"Finding Dory" (June 17)

The long-awaited sequel to 2003's "Finding Nemo" centers on his blue friend, Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), who goes on a mission to find her long-lost loved ones.
Disney
"Swiss Army Man" (June 17)

Known as the "farting corpse" movie, it stars Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe. The film was sold to A24 after premiering at Sundance Film Festival -- before a number of walkouts.
A24
"Free State of Jones" (June 24)

Originally slated for a May 13 release, "Free State of Jones" stars Matthew McConaughey, Keri Russell and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in a film set during the Civil War about a poor farmer from Mississippi who leads a rebel group.
STX Entertainment
"Independence Day: Resurgence" (June 24)

It's been two decades since the first "Independence Day" film, long enough for reinforcements called in by its vanquished alien invaders to mount an even bigger threat. Liam Hemsworth, Maiki Monroe, William Fichtner, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman star.
Fox
"The Shallows" (June 24)

A young surfer (Blake Lively) finds herself stranded on a small rock off shore after she's attacked by a great white shark in this horror movie. She'll spend the majority of it failing to return to land.
Sony/Columbia
"The BFG" (July 1)

The on-screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's famous novel of the same name is finally hitting the big screen, with Oscar-winner Mark Rylance starring as the big friendly giant. Bill Hader, Rebecca Hall and Ruby Barnhill also star.
Disney
"The Legend of Tarzan" (July 1)

We've all seen the stills of Alexander Skarsgard shirtless for this role, so naturally, we're excited to see him play Tarzan alongside Margot Robbie's Jane.
Warner Bros.
"The Purge: Election Year" (July 1)

"The Purge" films have performed consistently well at the box office despite their low budgets. This third installment in the franchise focuses on a presidential contender who vows to eliminate the annual Purge.
Universal
"Captain Fantastic" (July 8)

Starring Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella and Kathryn Hahn, this Sundance selection chronicles the reintegration into the real world of a man who's raised his kids in isolation for a decade.
Bleecker Street
"Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates" (July 8)

Anna Kendrick, Zac Efron, Aubrey Plaza and Adam DeVine star in this comedy about two brothers who place an online ad to find wedding dates -- but before they know it, the ad goes viral.

Fox
"The Secret Life of Pets" (July 8)

Illumination Entertainment is releasing another animated comedy, which features the voices of Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Steve Coogan, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell and Hannibal Buress. The film is about what pets do as soon as their owners leave, but a criminal conspiracy soon threatens their happy lives.
Universal
"Ghostbusters" (July 15)

This remake of the 1984 classic has been stirring up controversy for multiple reasons since it was announced. Sony’s reboot is directed by Paul Feig and stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones as the new all-girl Ghostbusters.
Sony
"The Infiltrator" (July 15)

Bryan Cranston plays Robert Mazur, a DEA agent who goes undercover to expose the money-laundering schemes of the world’s top drug lords. Diane Kruger, Benjamin Bratt, John Leguizamo, and Amy Ryan also star.
Broad Green Pictures
"Lights Out" (July 22)

A mother tries to save her children from a malicious force of the darkness; the same that haunted her when she was a little girl. Teresa Palmer and Gabriel Bateman star.
Warner Bros.
"Absolutely Fabulous" (July 22)

“Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” is officially heading to the big screen, based on the cult BBC series that first aired from 1992 to 1995. Starring Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha, June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks, “AbFab” followed Edina Monsoon (Saunders), a heavy-drinking, drug-abusing PR agent who spent her time chasing bizarre fads in a desperate attempt to stay young and “hip.”
Fox Searchlight
"Star Trek Beyond" (July 22)

The voyagers of the Starship Enterprise Redux are back, and this time they face a new threat on a planet the Federation has never seen before. Idris Elba joins the returning ensemble cast led by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto.
Paramount
"Bad Moms" (July 29)

Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Christina Applegate and Jada Pinkett Smith star in this comedy about three over-stressed moms joining forces on a quest for freedom and self-indulgence.
STX Entertainment
"Jason Bourne" (July 29)

The spy thriller is a sequel to 2012’s “Bourne Legacy” and welcomes back Matt Damon in the titular role. Julia Stiles, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel and Tommy Lee Jones also star. The official title of the film was announced during Super Bowl 50.
Universal
"Indignation" (July 29)

James Schamus is making his directorial feature film debut with "Indignation," a drama set in 1951 in which a Jewish student struggles with sexual repression at a small Ohio college.
Roadside/Summit
"The Founder" (August 5)

It’s “The Social Network” meets Quarter-Pounders as Michael Keaton plays Ray Kroc, the man who took over McDonald’s and made it a household name. Laura Dern, Nick Offerman, and John Carroll Lynch also star.
Weinstein Company
"Suicide Squad" (August 5)

One of the most anticipated films of the year pulls together our favorite DC villains like the Joker, Harley Quinn, Deadshot and Boomerang to form a team of supervillains forced to do the government's bidding. The David Ayer-directed film stars Viola Davis, Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Jared Leto.
David Ayers Twitter/Warner Bros.
"Ben-Hur" (August 12)

Lew Wallace’s classic novel is getting another feature film adaptation, 57 years after William Wyler’s Oscar-winning epic. Jack Huston, Morgan Freeman and Toby Kebbell star.
Paramount
"Pete's Dragon" (August 12)

Disney remade the 1977 live action film of the same name, casting Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Wes Bentley, and Oakes Fegley as Pete. The film is about an orphaned boy and his best friend, who just happens to be a dragon.
Disney
"Sausage Party" (August 12)

“Sausage Party” stars Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Michael Cera, James Franco, Danny McBride and Paul Rudd, and centers on grocery store food items that want to "go home" with buyers but soon discover the truth behind their existence.
Sony/Columbia
"The Hollars" (August 12)

A struggling graphic novelist returns home, where an ailing mother, pregnant girlfriend, clingy ex, and chaotic family problems await. John Krasinski, Anna Kendrick, Sharlto Copley, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead star.
Sony Pictures Classics
"War Dogs" (August 19)

At the height of the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan, two partying young entrepreneurs land an arms deal with the government worth hundreds of millions. Jonah Hill and Miles Teller star.
Warner Bros.
"Southside with You" (August 19)

A smash hit at this year’s Sundance, Richard Tanne’s romantic dramedy looks at the first date between Barack and Michelle Obama. Patrick Sawyers and Tika Sumpter star.
Roadside/Miramax
"Don't Breathe" (August 26)

Three teen thieves who steal from the rich decide to go for one last heist at the house of a wealthy, blind war veteran. Just one problem: he can hear them breathing, and he’s armed and dangerous. Dylan Minnette, Jane Levy, Daniel Zovatto and Stephen Lang star.
Sony/TriStar
"Hands of Stone" (August 26)

Edgar Ramirez will lace up the gloves to play Roberto Duran, the legendary Panamanian boxer who KO’d Sugar Ray Leonard and became champion in four weight classes. Robert De Niro and Usher also star.
The Weinstein Company