Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Madagascar 3 vs. Prometheus - which to put in largest/premium auditorium?

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Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 06-07-2012, 02:54 PM:

Tomorrow is opening day for both Madagascar 3 and Prometheus. Two movies which couldn't have more disparate target audiences. Madagascar is on 4,000 screens vs. ~3,400 for Prometheus. Both are available in 2D and 3D.

I would imagine that a theater owner is faced with a tough choice about which movie to put in their largest auditorium, which is usually also the premium auditorium (ETX/RPX/XD/UltraScreen).

I am very interested in seeing Prometheus, and I would need substantial persuasion to see the other one, so I am a little biased towards the movie done by the director of the original Alien and Gladiator over the third installment of a franchise that should have stopped at one.

Imagine my disappointment to find out that the dominant chain in the SE Wisconsin region (Marcus) is not showing Prometheus in any of their UltraScreens, except for the midnight shows tonight.

This tells me that they are predicting Madagascar 3 to draw the lion's share of the crowds this weekend, so they're dedicating their biggest screens to getting the most people in the door as possible.

What I find mysterious, however, is that they are not at least showing Prometheus in the UltraScreens for the last shows of the night (after 9pm). I would think that the cartoon crowd is in bed by then, and the target audience for Prometheus wouldn't mind waiting until 9 or 10pm to see the movie on the big screen.

I contacted Marcus about it, and the response I received was that they don't split shows. This seems like a film-based mentality that says that it's too hard to move a title from one auditorium to the next, but these auditoriums are all Digital Cinema.

Then I started thinking that it might be a studio requirement, where they can't move Madagascar 3 out of the "big" auditoriums (in the case of one location, both UltraScreens are taken up by Madagascar 3), even for one showtime a night.

Is this a possible scenario? Or is it a lack of desire/justification to be flexible in which movies are playing in which auditoriums?

This is one of those no-brainer situations that mystify me about the industry at times...

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 06-07-2012, 03:47 PM:

I'm really hoping our local multiplex puts Prometheus in the large, sloped floor house over this other garbage. I also agree Scott: there isn't a reason to run Madagascar in your largest house for a late show like that to little to no people compared to Prometheus, which will surely do a great crowd at that hour. Isn't that supposed to be a benefit of digital cinema?

AJG

Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 06-07-2012, 09:55 PM:

Prometheus will go in our larger - better sounding room as that crowd should appreciate it more. Madagascar will do at least 50% more business for us (the room is still plenty big though) than Promethues but I do not believe that crowd will be as particular.

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 06-07-2012, 11:08 PM:

I don't know about studio requirements, we movie things around all the time to get the best show times and the right size auditorium for each show. For me the choice of whether to give Prometheus or Madagascar the largest auditorium came down to the 7.1 sound. Had both movies been 5.1 sound, Prometheus would have gone in the smaller auditorium (about 30 fewer seats). But because they are both 7.1 sound, I decided to put Prometheus in our 7.1 auditorium - which is also the largest. Other than the 7.1 sound and larger seat count, the two auditoriums are otherwise identical.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-08-2012, 12:16 AM:

quote: Scott Jentsch
Then I started thinking that it might be a studio requirement, where they can't move Madagascar 3 out of the "big" auditoriums (in the case of one location, both UltraScreens are taken up by Madagascar 3), even for one showtime a night.

It is indeed a studio thing. If you look at a typical MLA it will say that the movie in question must play all shows in the same auditorium, "unless otherwise agreed to in writing."

I think Madagascar will kick butt on Prometheus, but I have no doubt which will be the better movie. HOWEVER I think Madagascar might be the better 3-D flick, since Prometheus is going to have lots of very dark scenes which will look even darker in 3-D.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-08-2012, 08:40 PM:

Amazingly, Madagascar 3 is getting lots of good reviews! Rotten Tomatoes has it at 76% "fresh." A review carried in our local paper said it's "too good to leave to the kids."

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 06-09-2012, 12:41 AM:

Madagascar 2D during the matinees, Prometheus 3D at night.

Posted by Bernie Anderson Jr (Member # 410) on 06-09-2012, 06:51 AM:

We were getting our assess kicked by Madagascar last night even into the 8 and 9 o clock hour. Prometheus only did business in IMAX. Go figure, I would have thought, that neither would do anything. So I say, keep Madagascar in your big theaters throughout at least 8pm.

Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 06-09-2012, 07:03 AM:

The 2 Marcus Ultrascreens in this area are also running Madagascar, while the big Rave rooms are running Prometheus. What is strange is that one of the Ultrascreens is 3D equipped but they are only showing the 2D version.

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 06-09-2012, 07:31 AM:

Technical issues aside, it's also a matter of "knowing your
neighborhood". In our particular location, Madagascar will
defineately do more business that Prometheus. We've already
had one Madagascar birthday party (where someone has rented
out the entire auditorium for a sceening) and I think there
are at least two more scheduled. I'm willing to bet a week's
salary we dont have any "Prometheus" parties during its' run.

In fact, at at least one set of shows Friday afternoon,
"Prometheus" was beat out attendence-wise by both "Bernie"
and "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", since those are the
type of picture the clientle in that particular neighborhood
prefer to see. (and we've been playing both of those titles
for at least two weeks or more)

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 06-09-2012, 09:05 AM:

Madagascar 3 crushed Prometheus in all three plexes in our area on opening day. As it was the first Friday after school got out, don't know if it will have legs.

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 06-18-2012, 04:41 AM:

Cant you run Madagascar on more screens but not using the biggest showcase screen and run Prometheus on one showcase large screen and one small screen?