The New York Times: Hollywood’s Newest Formula for Success: Rereleasing Old Movies

[whiteberry]

There’s an overwhelming sense of déjà vu at multiplexes these days.

In August alone, “Black Swan” (2010) is returning to theaters, along with the Tim Burton “Batman” movies from 1989 and 1992. Audiences will be able to revisit the oceanic terror of “Jaws” (1975), as well as the comic mystery (and multiple endings) of “Clue” (1985). Or they could groove to Prince’s “Sign o’ the Times” concert film from 1987.

And it doesn’t look like the rerelease trend is slowing down. In September, “The Breakfast Club” (1985) is returning, Pixar is bringing back “Toy Story” (1995), and “Apollo 13” (1995) is blasting off again. “Casper” (1995) will haunt screens for nearly the entire month of October, while “Avatar: The Way of Water” (2022) will run for about five days, teeing up the forthcoming “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” And there are still more to come before the end of the year.

Rereleases have long been part of the theatrical ecosystem. After all, “Star Wars” movies have been heading back to multiplexes routinely since 1981 — before “Return of the Jedi” even debuted. But recently, studios have been digging deeper into their archives for a variety of reasons — only some of which have to do with nostalgia.

In total, Universal has 12 rereleases on its 2025 slate — not including a partnership with another distribution company — compared with just four in 2024 and two in 2023.

“We very much pay a lot of attention to our repertory business,” the studio’s president of domestic theatrical distribution, Jim Orr, said by phone, explaining, “We just think it’s not only great fun for audiences, but a great business to be in as well.”

Orr explained that the size of Universal’s rerelease slate this year was “more coincidental” than anything else, with all the films hitting anniversaries in 2025. Still, there is a strong business motivation: The rereleases help studios and exhibitors pad out relatively thin slates.

And, while most rereleases are not blowing up the box office, there were two major success stories last year. Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” (2014) brought in more than $15 million domestically and more than $38 million worldwide. The IMAX screenings inspired such fervor that tickets were reportedly listed on secondary markets online for as much as $215. That same year, the Fathom Entertainment rerelease of the stop-motion “Coraline” (2009) in 3-D raked in about $34 million.

At the time, that was the highest-grossing film ever for Fathom, which also distributes special event programming like movies and television shows with a faith-based element or Metropolitan Opera productions. While many rereleases are brought to exhibitors directly by studios, Fathom — which is owned by the theater chains AMC, Regal and Cinemark — sometimes acts as a go-between.

This month, Fathom is mounting a run of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (1990), and putting out a 4K version of “The Sound of Music” for its 60th anniversary in September. The Fathom chief executive Ray Nutt said that rereleases, which the company deems “classics,” make up about 20 percent of his overall revenue. He noted that following pandemic lockdowns, repertory offerings rebounded quickly, while other divisions of Fathom, like the operas, were slower to regain their footing.

For a filmmaker, a rerelease can feel flattering. Before the two-night IMAX return of “Black Swan” in August, the director Darren Aronofsky had high hopes for the screenings.

“Everyone’s talking to me about it,” he said in a video interview. “I think there’s so many young people that never got to see it on the big screen that are excited.”

But Aronofsky also noted a downside to the rerelease trend: his new crime drama “Caught Stealing,” opening Aug. 29, couldn’t secure IMAX screens thanks to the revival of “Jaws” the same weekend.

“That’s a bummer for a new film that could use that,” he said. “But I’m excited that these movies are seeing another life.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/m...ws-casper.html

It can also be read for free on Fathom's website and archive.today.

[Michael11]

It reeks of desperation. Trying to pick up any loose change they can get in a dying industry.

It's certainly got nothing to do with showing the younger generations great films.

[Tony208]

I only see the point when it's in a premium format or they have a new remaster.

Other than that I can just watch it at home.

[cheez avenger]

It gets folks with the nostalgia hit. It's worth it for me if I like the film and didn't get to see it during it's theatrical run.

And as someone said, even better when it's on a premium screen.

[UltraMario9]

This is great, not getting the negatives to this at all.

[AliasDarren]

I just noticed 2 of the Regals near me are running an older movie every day in September. Titles include: 2001, Psycho, Seven, Before Sunset, Lawrence of Arabia, The Thing, Interstellar, The Dark Knight, Do the Right Thing, The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon, Goodfellas, The Departed, Paper Moon, and more.

[PhysicalMediaMaestro]

Originally Posted by Michael11

It reeks of desperation.

I wouldn't call it that. They're still making new movies. Now if any of the studios decide not to make any new movies and only rerelease old movies to theaters, then you can call it desperation.

[PhysicalMediaMaestro]

Originally Posted by UltraMario9

This is great, not getting the negatives to this at all.

I hope Universal rerelases "The Bride of Frankenstein" in theaters for its 90th anniversary.

Back in 2017, I was thrilled when Columbia put "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" back in theaters.

[sherlockjr]

Originally Posted by Michael11

It reeks of desperation. Trying to pick up any loose change they can get in a dying industry.

Not "desperation" and nothing new. Repertory and revival theaters have been around in the US since the 1950s. I was a projectionist at one that began showing repertory films in 1953. They were once extremely common in both major cities and university towns. Their numbers shrunk once home video made it easier to see older films at home, but they never disappeared. For example have several independent art/rep theaters near me in the Boston area that have always shown films that were decades old, and while their programming had leaned more towards first run and recent art house films pre-COVID, they're now programming a lot more screenings of older films on their schedules.

It's certainly got nothing to do with showing the younger generations great films.

Actually, it has a whole lot to do with showing younger generations great films of previous decades: the majority of the current audience at repertory screenings now is under 35. And that increase has been ongoing for the last three years. It's not a nostalgia thing for most of those audiences--many of the films are older than they are.

The younger audiences have been increasing to such an extent that many art houses have significantly increased their number of screenings of older films, to the point where they've hired programmers devoted to scheduling and booking those screenings, apart from new release art/foreign/independent films.

When the screenings are on actual film, not DCP, the rep audiences tend to increae: Theaters are now specifically highlighting when a screening will be on 35mm (or even 70mm) film, rather than DCP. Even though those screenings are more expensive for the theaters so they often have to have higher ticket prices. But the audience is larger as well.

[CreasyBear]

It's of vital importance to show classic films on the big screen for everyone who wasn't alive at the time of release to see. I am very thankful for places like the Gateway Film Center, in particular, and all of the revival houses. Otherwise, I never would have gotten the chance to see 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm, among so many others.

[PhysicalMediaMaestro]

Disney used to rerelase their movies in theaters very frequently before VHS and DVD players became commonplace. Let me give you some examples.

The original 1950 version of "Cinderella" was rereleased in 1957, 1965, 1973, 1981, and 1987.

"Bambi" originally came out in 1942 and was rereleased in 1947, 1957, 1966, 1975, 1982, and 1988.

The original 1937 version of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was rereleased in 1944, 1952, 1958, 1967, 1975, 1983, 1987, and 1993.

The original 1941 version of "Dumbo" was rerelased in 1949, 1959, 1972 and 1976.

The original 1961 version of "101 Dalmatians" was rerelased in 1969, 1979, 1985 and 1991.

And that's why so many of Disney's animated classics have received G ratings from the MPAA-because they needed MPAA ratings to be shown in United States theaters after 1968.