Speaking at ShoWest in Las Vegas on 31 March, the National Association of Theatre Owners of America predicted that the number of US releases may decrease by 5% to 10% during 2009. This is a result of studios cutting down on production due to the current economic climate.
However, as association president John Fithian noted, 2008 had some weekends when there were five new releases at American cinemas. “That’s too much. We could stand to have a slight reduction.”
In the meantime, Fithian reported that multiplexes in the US have had record attendances thus far during the recession.
ShoWest is the largest annual gathering of motion picture professionals and theatre owners in the world. (Source: www.usa.com)
