Cinema United has launched a Filmmaker Leadership Council, which will be headed by producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Emma Thomas. In addition, “Sinners” filmmaker Ryan Coogler, “The Incredibles” director Brad Bird, “Up in the Air” auteur Jason Reitman and Celine Song of “Past Lives” and “Materialists” fame will round out the charter membership of the inaugural council.
Bruckheimer and Thomas will be on hand at this year’s CinemaCon, the annual exhibition industry trade show being held next week in Las Vegas, where they will appear in discussion with Cinema United President and CEO Michael O’Leary.
The goal is for council members to help raise the profile of the cinema business at a time when it faces challenges from streaming and other forms of popular entertainment. Additional members will be announced at a later date, Cinema United said.
“Our industry is strongest when it works together to promote the singular experience of seeing a movie on the big screen,” O’Leary said in a statement. “That is what drives us—and it is what will forge the Next Great Era in Cinema. The importance of having Jerry and Emma at the helm of this initiative, at such a critical time for our industry, cannot be overstated. The insight, leadership, passion and impact from the entire leadership council is unparalleled, and we are honored to be working alongside all of them to secure the future of the theatrical experience for generations to come.”
Thomas has produced blockbusters like “Inception” and “Dunkirk,” winning an Oscar for best picture for “Oppenheimer.” Bruckheimer’s films include the “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Beverly Hills Cop” franchises. He was nominated for an Oscar for producing “Top Gun: Maverick” and “F1: The Movie.”
In addition to serving as ambassadors for theaters, the Cinema United Filmmaker Leadership Council will provide feedback and recommendations on the issues facing theatrical exhibition. These challenges range from consolidation, a trend that will soon leave theaters with one fewer studio if Warner Bros. is sold to Paramount, to windows, which cinema operators would like to lengthen so films stay on their screens longer before hitting home entertainment.
Greg Foster, a former top executive at Imax and an industry veteran and consultant, will serve as executive director of the Filmmaker Leadership Council.
“Movies that captivate audiences and take their breath away—that’s why so many of us got into this business in the first place. There is nothing like that feeling of sitting in a dark theatre, the sound washing over you, watching something unfold on a massive screen that you simply cannot replicate anywhere else,” Bruckheimer said in a statement. “As filmmakers, we pour everything we have into creating those moments. We are at a defining point in the future of this industry, and I am honored to join this incredible group of filmmakers and work alongside Cinema United to ensure that experience endures—in cities and towns across the globe, for audiences everywhere.”
“There is a profound cultural value in gathering together with a group of strangers and connecting while experiencing something special on the big screen,” Thomas said in a statement. “That shared moment—the laughter, the tears, the collective intake of breath—is irreplaceable. That is what this is about: making sure that cinemas of all sizes, around the world, can continue to present our stories in the best possible setting, so movie fans of all ages can enjoy them as they were intended to be seen.”
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