Moviegoers heading out on opening night may want to prepare for sticker shock. Standard tickets at chains like Regal Cinemas typically fall in the $12 to $18 range, but prices for high-demand “premier night” screenings, especially premium formats like IMAX and RPX, have soared to $50 a ticket in some cases. These high fees are not standard for all showings, but reflect a growing trend in the industry to charge higher fees for upgraded experiences and peak demand show times.
People who go to the movies on a normal day are paying about $12.75 per ticket, while others are paying $18 per ticket, with some cities reportedly paying more than $25 to $30 per ticket. This is a “premium theater” with “premium seats.”
Currently, companies like Regal Cinemas charge $50 for tickets to movies released that day.
People who go to the movies on a normal day are paying about $12.75 per ticket, while others are paying $18 per ticket, with some cities reportedly paying more than $25 to $30 per ticket.
However, Regal’s significant price increases do not include popcorn or candy.
Industry analysts say the typical moviegoer will spend about $9 on perks. Pre-COVID-19, this number was $5.
Over the past 20 years, the amount of money moviegoers spent on candy, popcorn, merchandise, and drinks has increased by 220%, far outpacing the rate of inflation.
The ratio of movie and premium seats has been on the rise in recent years.
Premium seating and auditoriums with large screens accounted for approximately 13% of movie audiences in 2021. Today, that number has increased to 17%.
Theater owners say there are pros and cons to going down the path of premium seats and price increases.
The plus is that theaters are bringing in more cash now than before the coronavirus. To make matters worse, there has been a significant decline in the number of audiences attending more theaters.
Sour grapes make a really bad noise.
Last week, the Davidson County Republican Party was thrown into even more turmoil than usual by the sudden resignation of Chairman Jason Weekley and a dubious attempt to slip Vice Chair Annalisa Young into the chairman’s chair, who is also running for the Republican State Executive Committee post in the August primary. She hopes to replace current SEC Commissioner Lulu Elam.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that several existing leaders of the Davidson County Republican Party who had supported Annalisa Young as chair candidate have resigned along with former Chair Weakley, including Recording Secretary Heather Leake. Additionally, Ryan Paradis is Membership Committee Chair, a title he assumed after another DCRP board member, Jacob Durst, resigned. Durst resigned after an effort to oust MAGA conservative Spencer Anastasio from the DCRP board failed in a drama-filled February meeting.
Now, Ryan Paradis is refusing to hand over his social media logins as required by the new DCRP board leadership.
Under Chairman Weakley, a messaging app was launched for board members and other appointed leaders to communicate with each other. It was called Discord. Paradis Island has not been supportive of a smooth transition for new chairman Johnny Ellis. He said he has no intention of handing control over to the Discord app. Weakley and Paradis have refused to consult with the new speaker, further blocking the transition. Vice President Annalisa Young isn’t helping either. She was an opponent for Speaker, supported by both Weekley and Paradis. She just throws her hands up and says there’s nothing she can do. Paradis has also been vocal in criticizing the state party for having bona fide rules in place but refusing to hand over passwords and other access to the party’s web and social media to new chairman Jonny Ellis.
Ellis, an attorney and former Democrat, was elected speaker last Tuesday night, defeating Annalisa Young.
Should these Republican villains be immediately stripped of their “legitimacy” and barred from future leadership positions and presidential candidates? If donating a small amount to the Democratic Party can cause you to lose your “bona fide” status, should holding the county party hostage for a failure to seize power be considered equivalent?
