Five years ago, traditional movie theaters were weathering several storms. The paradigm shift to home streaming was in full swing, accelerated by a worldwide pandemic. Movie production suffered from a writers’ strike and an actors’ strike, limiting available product. Film studios seemed resigned to creating movies for the living room. Would movie theaters survive this challenging series of setbacks?
Flash forward to 2025, and the answer is a resounding yes. Not only have traditional movie theaters survived, but they have also staged a comeback, according to Jordan Hohman, president of Heartland Theater Owners, an advocacy group for movie theater owners in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Jordan is also vice president of project development for Phoenix Theatres, a nine-theater operator with locations in Defiance and North Olmsted, Ohio, among other states. Today, there are 144 commercial movie theaters in Ohio, including traditional theaters, drive-ins and independents, operating 1,133 screens.
“Whether a large chain – the three largest in Ohio are AMC, Cinemark and Regal – or a small independent operation, we all have the same challenges, obtain our product from the same sources and have the same goal to share good movies with our customers,” Jordan said. “Post-COVID-19, as audiences began to return to theaters, the studios once again recognized the importance of theatrical release. Then ‘Barbie’ hit the screen and made nearly $1.5 billion. Studios know they cannot make that kind of money on a streaming platform,” Jordan noted. In case it wasn’t clear that movie theaters were back, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” concert film earned nearly $93 million from North American theaters in its first weekend alone in 2023.
Changes invigorate the moviegoing theater experience
According to Jordan, the studios embraced the model of theatrical release exclusivity when they realized that the magic of experiencing a movie in a theater can create film lovers for life. “People walk into theaters with their families and build memories. There is something magical about that,” he said.
But theater owners realized they had to make the theatrical experience something more than home streaming. More often, theaters are embracing trends such as:
A heavier focus on premium audio and visual technology with massive screens and immersive sound for the best presentation.
Luxury seating. While reducing the number of seats in a screening room by 60 percent, reclining seats provide a more comfortable viewing experience for the moviegoer.
Online ticket sales with reserved seating, making it easier to manage large groups of customers. Purchasing tickets in advance also allows the theater operator to forecast demand and add shows based on pre-sale results.
The expanded entertainment concept. Some theaters are surrounding the moviegoing experience with other entertainment opportunities such as food service delivered to seats, bowling alleys, game rooms, arcades and even pickleball courts, to provide a total experience.
Broadening offerings
Walk into a theater lobby today, and you’ll see posters for first-run theatrical releases. But that traditional product offering has been enhanced with niche market segments that perform well in certain markets.
“Phoenix Theatres offers a Met Opera series and recorded play performances, and we sometimes sell those screenings out,” Jordan mentioned. “Movie anniversaries are a draw. For instance, we’re currently screening ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ on its 50th anniversary, a ‘Happy Gilmore’ re-release and ‘Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith’ on our big screens. We even broadcast UFC title fights. But we still exist mainly to show first-run movies.”
Jordan and his colleagues are bullish on the future of moviegoing. “I believe the distributors and studios understand theaters better today than they did two years ago. On the theater side, we’re seeing a payback on the investments we made in presentation technology. Every new theater Phoenix has opened in the past few years has had tremendous success.”
This year’s summer season was highlighted by box office hits “Marvel Thunderbolts,” “Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning” and “Superman.” Later in the year, theaters will draw crowds for “Wicked: For Good” at Thanksgiving and “Avatar: Fire and Ash” during the Christmas season. “We are regaining momentum,” Jordan declared.
“We are responsible for presenting films the way the director has envisioned it. We want attendees to experience film with the energy generated by a group of people sharing the experience. We hope we are providing an outlet for families and friends to make memories,” Jordan concluded.
Jordan Hohman comments on Ohio Goes to the Movies
“Ohio Goes to the Movies is more important than any of us realize, whether it is creating more moviegoers or getting people more interested in the production of film. The local film commissions are making production viable in Ohio. Ohio Goes to the Movies is providing a peek into this world, showing kids in their teens and twenties that they can make a film, and they don’t have to be in Los Angeles to do it. I appreciate the educational aspect to this project.
“It is great to celebrate talent from this state and at the same time create a sense of community. Ohio’s talent should be celebrated in our communities. There is so much division in society, but movies provide an escape that isn’t so divisive or polarizing. We all enjoy going to the movies, escaping from reality and making good memories. The uniting power of art does that.”