US: Halle Berry reflects on how to get people back to movie theatres

How to get people back to movie theatres?

Since the peak year of 2002 in the US, the number of movie tickets sold has continued to decline.

At CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Hollywood studios, exhibitors and tech companies come together to preview what’s next in moviegoing from films they hope will get audiences to the theatres, to the latest and greatest in snacks, seating and projection.

Oscar winning actress Halle Berry gave her insight at the Lionsgate red carpet On Wednesday.

"Hopefully we and filmmakers and studios, you know, create material in movies that inspire them to get out. And when they get there, they're not disappointed that they went there. Like, that's the key because it's too easy to watch it at home now. So, I think the bar has been upped and we have to give them, you know, a reason to get out and go."

Eli Roth echoed Berry's sentiment, saying it's up to filmmakers to give people an incentive to go to the theatre when there is so much good television out there.

“I want the theatre owners to know that I have their back, and that I am designing something that will get people out of their houses and give them a reason to go to the cinema. It's not enough to just make movies and expect people to go," the actor and director said. 

Berry was promoting her upcoming horror film, "Never Let Go."

829 million movie tickets were sold in 2023 in the US, according to movie data provider The Numbers.

Movie theatre owners are still feeling the high from “Barbenheimer.” The counterprogramming of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” brought audiences to cinemas around the world, ultimately earning nearly $2.5 billion in combined ticket sales. But they’re also acutely aware that they need more than two movies to survive.