At CinemaCon, the annual exhibition industry conference held in Las Vegas, Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony’s Motion Picture Group, delivered several pointed messages to movie theater owners. His primary admonition was to “Get off the ad crack” by substantially shortening pre-shows and reducing the endless advertising that can precede films by as much as 30 minutes. Rothman highlighted that this practice leads frequent moviegoers to arrive a half-hour late, missing trailers and thus rendering potential enticements ineffective. He stressed the importance of reconsidering these lengthy commercial blocks to improve the overall cinema experience.

Rothman also championed the enduring value of the big screen and advocated for the enforcement of longer theatrical windows. He urged exhibitors to hold firm against showing movies that quickly transition to streaming services or on-demand platforms, even if it means not playing every film. This stance underscores his belief that extended exclusivity in cinemas is crucial for the health of the exhibition industry and the cinematic art form, aiming to encourage higher attendance and prevent the devaluation of the theatrical experience.

Beyond exhibition strategies, Rothman has been a vocal proponent for Hollywood to invest in new, original stories, alongside the prevalent franchise fare. He emphasized this point, echoing sentiments from a recent New York Times op-ed where he stated that while existing intellectual property drives success, originality is indispensable for the survival of movie theaters and the art form itself, as