MPA Chief Charlie Rivkin Assures Theater Owners “We Stand With You,” Highlights Incentives, Push For U.S. Production — CinemaCon

deadline.com:

Motion Picture Association President and CEO Charlie Rivkin had words of solidarity for theater owners, telling the group assembled at CinemaCon that “we want what you want — great movies that draw big audiences to your theaters.” At his annual keynote, he recalled the recent pledge by the MPA’s latest member, Amazon MGM Studios, to release 12-14 films in cinemas next year in a commitment to theatrical exhibition.

That said, “I recognize that our path can seem uncertain right now – that we’re all feeling a bit of volatility on the road ahead.

We get it. We hear you. And just know that the MPA remains your partner.” The exhibition industry has been rattled by a shaky first quarter and a growing feeling that studio partners need to shed practices that started during Covid and step up.

Rivkin’s remarks focused on the MPA’s work as the leading voice for the motion picture industry worldwide and its efforts “to bring more films to theaters across the globe.” Leading that push is the group’s push on incentives that “bring production to our hometowns and reinforce our country’s competitive edge – to get more storytellers, producing more stories, in more places, which translates into more films coming to a theater near you.” The U.S., he said, should be more competitive. “The MPA is out making the case to policymakers in Washington D.C.