It's a jungle gym in there: the plan to lure more families to the movies
Ryan Faughnder
LOS ANGELES: It’s hard for young children to sit still for two hours, and that can turn a trip to the movies into an ordeal for parents. So what if the solution were to let the kids play at the cinema?
Mexico-based movie theatre chain Cinepolis is betting it can lure more families back to the multiplex with its new in-theatre playground concept, Cinepolis Junior, which makes its US debut at two Southern California locations next week.
The remodeled auditoriums at Cinepolis USA’s Pico Rivera and Vista theatres each feature a colourful play area near the screen in front of the seats, a jungle gym, and cushy beanbag chairs.
Cinepolis, the world’s fourth-largest cinema operator, hopes the new kid-oriented theatres – which charge up to $US3 ($3.95) more than a regular ticket – will help it better compete with Netflix and other at-home options by enticing more parents and children to go to the theatre.
Photo: Cinepolis
Designed for ages three to 12, the two children’s auditoriums open on March 16 to screen Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast” remake.
“It’s really intended to make kids feel welcome and comfortable,” said Cinepolis US chief executive Adrian Mijares Elizondo.
“The whole idea is to make it easier for parents to take their kids to the movies and let the kids have more fun.”
The kids’ auditoriums, which each cost about $500,000 to retrofit, is the latest idea cinema owners have devised to stem the long-term slowdown in theatrical attendance, especially among younger consumers. Cinema operators including AMC Theatres and Regal Entertainment have spent heavily in recent years to remake their multiplexes with luxury amenities to stop the erosion. Admissions totalled an estimated 1.3 billion in the US and Canada last year, down from about 1.4 billion a decade ago.
Photo: Cinepolis
Many American moviegoers will no doubt balk at the idea of letting kids play freely in a movie theatre. But the concept could be attractive to families with young children, analysts said.
“Some may argue that it’s disrespectful to the movie, but in this scenario it may be the best way for the kids to experience the film,” said box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian, of ComScore.
“You might actually get more parents to come and bring their kids. Even in the greatest movies, kids get restless and bored.”
The kid-friendly push reflects the increasing importance of the family audience as Hollywood studios spend heavily on animated productions. Half of the top-10 domestic grossing movies in 2016 were geared toward kids: “Finding Dory,” “The Secret Life of Pets,” “The Jungle Book,” “Zootopia” “Sing.” “Dory” and “Zootopia” each collected more than $US1 billion in worldwide box-office receipts.
Child-friendly auditoriums could help theaters fill seats in years when the family movie slate is weak, Mr Mijares said.
Attendance levels among families with young kids fluctuate heavily from year to year. When “Frozen” and “Despicable Me 2” were released in 2013, for example, the number of children aged two to 11 who went to the movies at least once a month totalled 4.3 million, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. That number fell 33 per cent in 2015, the most recent year figures were available. Young children make up about 13 per cent of moviegoers in the US and Canada.
Cinepolis Junior was first introduced in Mexico, where it is known as Sala Junior, in January 2015.
The concept later broadened to theatres in Spain, Costa Rica and Guatemala. But the company had to address stricter indoor playground safety regulations to bring Cinepolis Junior to the US.
Kids have to be between 91 and 152 centimetres tall to use the play structure, there are no shoes, food or drink allowed in the jungle gym or play area, and running in the theatre is prohibited.
Families will be allowed into the theater early so the children can climb on the plastic hippos and alligators in the faux-turf, fenced-in play space, and explore the slides and obstacle course on the side aisle. They will also have time to play for about 15 minutes after the movie ends. The auditoriums boast beanbag seats and poolside lounge-style chairs.
Sala Junior cinemas in Mexico and other international locations feature a 15-minute intermission during the movies to let kids explore and use the bathroom. The company has not decided whether do the same in the US. Cinepolis also is considering leaving the house lights on during the movie so that restless children can easily get up to play.
Photo: Cinepolis
The new child-friendly auditoriums are part of the company’s broader expansion into the US. Since 2011 Cinepolis USA has opened 16 theatres nationwide and plans 20 additional US theatres in the coming years.
One hurdle for families looking to try out Cinepolis Junior could be cost, as added amenities continue to drive up ticket prices. A regular adult ticket for an evening screening at Cinepolis Pico Rivera costs about $14.
But if the idea catches on, the company plans to add three to four Cinepolis Junior auditoriums a year during the next four to five years, Mr Mijares said. The company is betting the idea will help usher in the next generation of moviegoers by getting them hooked early.
“It’s very valuable for us and the market to bring kids in early and for them to have a good time,” Mr Mijares said.
“I think that will increase the possibility of those guests becoming strong moviegoers as teenagers and adults.”
